I am thankful the moon casts a dull light through the small windows of the
temple for I fear he would see the colour rise slightly in my cheeks. I
brush the moment of shyness away. Turning quickly I motion to one of Parns
servants and ask them to take a message to Nina that we would be a while
but to continue as hostess to our guests until my return. I lift one of the
burning oil bowls to a table near us and we settle onto some cushioned
seats situated near the inscriptions.
"Many eve's past, on a night of the three moons, a darkness filled the sky, shutting out their light and cast great shadows over these lands. The festival of the rising moons in readiness of the morning star was underway when the darkness came. The people were awed by the sight as small crafts settled on the hills and outside of the village. Then they were filled with fear as a mighty force of terror ran rampant all around. Each mans fear mingled with the next and panic filled the air. Beings came into their midst standing as tall as the Kentalyah trees. Covered in strange scales, their heads striking fear into every heart their eyes glowing as red as the first glimpse of the morning sun.
Then a being looking as one of us came, as gold as the morning star. His eyes glowed and the people recoiled in horror as feelings of two beings came from the stranger invading their midst. He spoke with a disembodied voice, an unknown language to the people. He was Ra, a self proclaimed god. Within days, he had enslaved the people. Some he took away with ships others were forced to build monuments and temples. The Chapayah was brought, and the people spread the word of the great circle from which appeared Jaffa as if from nowhere. The people feared the Chapayah for they believed to walk into it would be to walk into the very place from where the Jaffa were spawned, and they would become Jaffa themselves.
The three moons rose and fell many times, and the people were forced to mine in the mountains to the east. The rocks they mined were sent through the Chapayah to places unknown and the people feared that the very earth itself was what the Jaffa were formed from. Time passed and the earth became unstable, and some of the mines collapsed, many of the people were lost, and rocks fell from the high mountains down to the valley floors below, destroying the god Ra's temples and monuments. When the rocks stopped falling some of the people went in search of any survivors. A group chanced upon a dying Jaffa. His scales had fallen and a man hid behind the giant mask. He cried out in pain to them as they neared, but they fell back in fear as from his stomach emerged a slithering form such as that of a worm found in the earth.
The worm slithered from his belly towards the nearest of the group and quickly ascended his form as the others watched frozen in their places. He cried out in pain as the being forced it way into his neck, and fell to the ground and then peace spread from him surrounding the onlookers. The slithering form fell by his side screeching evilly eyeing the others, arising the young man took the worm in his hands and broke its body till it hung limp in his hands. A moment had passed, undefinable and even now hard to believe. The symbiote had tried to meld with him but had been unable, in the same moment knowledge had been passed through the meld to the young man and he knew the god Ra was false and self proclaimed. The jaffa were no more men than himself. Only the beings inside them gave them the strength they used to terrorise the people. With this knowledge, surely they could revolt against the false god.
For the first time in many eves's of the rising moons the people performed a ritual so the young man could pass his knowledge on to the people. Plans were set in place. Caves connected to the mine were used to smuggle belongings and eventually people too. The people knew they would only get one chance. Every eve when the three suns rose in a day the Jaffa would all leave as the heat would be too much for them to bear in their heavy armour. When the last Jaffa stepped through the Chapayah, the people set to action. For the whole day throughout the stifling heat, they eventually caused the Chapayah to fall, and they covered it with rocks and dirt. Then they fled quickly and stealthily to the caves, causing the roofs to fall in behind them. Ra returned eventually in ships for the earth shook during nights and days as they reigned fire down upon them. Then the earth stopped shaking, and silence descended. They continued to live underground afraid to return to the daylight only to find the god Ra awaiting them.
Then the day came when they chose to stop hiding, stripping away the rocks the sunlight inviting them back to the surface. Two suns hung in the sky and desolation surrounded them. The temples and monuments had been destroyed along with the village but there was great excitement. Had the god Ra left forever? The people created escapes routes throughout the caves in case of his return and they rebuilt their villages. They built temples such as this one to celebrate their freedom. To remind people like me what they overcame. Many eves passed and they once more celebrated the rising of the three moons. More eve's past and the fear of Ra's return was not forgotten but not feared as it had been before. The decision was made and the Chapayah was once more set in its place."
"You always have enjoyed telling this story Rani"
I pause and take a breath, shaking the intense gaze Daniel and I had been holding as I had been speaking to glance up at Parn. He holds his staff in his hand and his apprentice Dalsh stands by him holding a burning oil bowl in his hand.
"I apologise to you both, for cutting the story short I was quite taken in by it myself and the moons and suns know how many times I have heard them. Nevertheless, it is time to depart from here, your can finish the story in the warmth of your home. The cold will soon be upon us."
He must see disappointment in my eyes, our eyes for he mutters under his breath, which I cannot help but hear. Something about the young. I smile at the compliment and stand.
"Meltolyah Parn, Meltolyah Dalsh"
"Meltolyah Rani, Good eve Daniel"
"Many eve's past, on a night of the three moons, a darkness filled the sky, shutting out their light and cast great shadows over these lands. The festival of the rising moons in readiness of the morning star was underway when the darkness came. The people were awed by the sight as small crafts settled on the hills and outside of the village. Then they were filled with fear as a mighty force of terror ran rampant all around. Each mans fear mingled with the next and panic filled the air. Beings came into their midst standing as tall as the Kentalyah trees. Covered in strange scales, their heads striking fear into every heart their eyes glowing as red as the first glimpse of the morning sun.
Then a being looking as one of us came, as gold as the morning star. His eyes glowed and the people recoiled in horror as feelings of two beings came from the stranger invading their midst. He spoke with a disembodied voice, an unknown language to the people. He was Ra, a self proclaimed god. Within days, he had enslaved the people. Some he took away with ships others were forced to build monuments and temples. The Chapayah was brought, and the people spread the word of the great circle from which appeared Jaffa as if from nowhere. The people feared the Chapayah for they believed to walk into it would be to walk into the very place from where the Jaffa were spawned, and they would become Jaffa themselves.
The three moons rose and fell many times, and the people were forced to mine in the mountains to the east. The rocks they mined were sent through the Chapayah to places unknown and the people feared that the very earth itself was what the Jaffa were formed from. Time passed and the earth became unstable, and some of the mines collapsed, many of the people were lost, and rocks fell from the high mountains down to the valley floors below, destroying the god Ra's temples and monuments. When the rocks stopped falling some of the people went in search of any survivors. A group chanced upon a dying Jaffa. His scales had fallen and a man hid behind the giant mask. He cried out in pain to them as they neared, but they fell back in fear as from his stomach emerged a slithering form such as that of a worm found in the earth.
The worm slithered from his belly towards the nearest of the group and quickly ascended his form as the others watched frozen in their places. He cried out in pain as the being forced it way into his neck, and fell to the ground and then peace spread from him surrounding the onlookers. The slithering form fell by his side screeching evilly eyeing the others, arising the young man took the worm in his hands and broke its body till it hung limp in his hands. A moment had passed, undefinable and even now hard to believe. The symbiote had tried to meld with him but had been unable, in the same moment knowledge had been passed through the meld to the young man and he knew the god Ra was false and self proclaimed. The jaffa were no more men than himself. Only the beings inside them gave them the strength they used to terrorise the people. With this knowledge, surely they could revolt against the false god.
For the first time in many eves's of the rising moons the people performed a ritual so the young man could pass his knowledge on to the people. Plans were set in place. Caves connected to the mine were used to smuggle belongings and eventually people too. The people knew they would only get one chance. Every eve when the three suns rose in a day the Jaffa would all leave as the heat would be too much for them to bear in their heavy armour. When the last Jaffa stepped through the Chapayah, the people set to action. For the whole day throughout the stifling heat, they eventually caused the Chapayah to fall, and they covered it with rocks and dirt. Then they fled quickly and stealthily to the caves, causing the roofs to fall in behind them. Ra returned eventually in ships for the earth shook during nights and days as they reigned fire down upon them. Then the earth stopped shaking, and silence descended. They continued to live underground afraid to return to the daylight only to find the god Ra awaiting them.
Then the day came when they chose to stop hiding, stripping away the rocks the sunlight inviting them back to the surface. Two suns hung in the sky and desolation surrounded them. The temples and monuments had been destroyed along with the village but there was great excitement. Had the god Ra left forever? The people created escapes routes throughout the caves in case of his return and they rebuilt their villages. They built temples such as this one to celebrate their freedom. To remind people like me what they overcame. Many eves passed and they once more celebrated the rising of the three moons. More eve's past and the fear of Ra's return was not forgotten but not feared as it had been before. The decision was made and the Chapayah was once more set in its place."
"You always have enjoyed telling this story Rani"
I pause and take a breath, shaking the intense gaze Daniel and I had been holding as I had been speaking to glance up at Parn. He holds his staff in his hand and his apprentice Dalsh stands by him holding a burning oil bowl in his hand.
"I apologise to you both, for cutting the story short I was quite taken in by it myself and the moons and suns know how many times I have heard them. Nevertheless, it is time to depart from here, your can finish the story in the warmth of your home. The cold will soon be upon us."
He must see disappointment in my eyes, our eyes for he mutters under his breath, which I cannot help but hear. Something about the young. I smile at the compliment and stand.
"Meltolyah Parn, Meltolyah Dalsh"
"Meltolyah Rani, Good eve Daniel"