Chapter 6 The Transformation
"Ahh!" The hunter screamed as he chased the antelope figure. She shied away and ran toward another hunter. The children sat entranced almost believing they were witnessing the hunt. Finally, the doe swerved toward Durc, and he thrust his spear at the figure. A gasp arose as the people realized how lucky he had been to make the kill.
Thonolan was also entranced. He had seen snatches of similar scenes playing in Ayla's mind, but he never thought he'd be here to witness one. "Great Mother, I never knew they were so intelligent."
A gust of wind whipped over him. "Perhaps they are more so than you."
Thonolan sat straight up, bristling at the comment. Then slowly he relaxed and a ghost of a smile formed on his face. "I guess I deserved that," he said ruefully, who here did you want me to watch?"
"To weave the pattern, you must first attach the threads."
Though puzzled, he knew better than to ask for understanding. "You haven't told me yet what I'm doing here."
"Attach the threads."
He sighed heavily. How was he to accomplish this mission, when he didn't understand what he was supposed to do? Attaching threads, weaving, what next?
Weaving was not uncommon among his people. His mother had a loom that she used to weave fabric for clothing. Others wove thin strips of rawhide or plant fibers together to make a stronger strap or rope. Some women wove their hair to keep it from getting in the way or for decoration. But he still did not understand how to weave people together.
He gave a sharp sardonic laugh as he imagined the clan men lying over and under each other in a ridiculous pattern. Attach the threads. I wonder if I tie then together, would that work as a starting point? And those women, they would sit docilely by and wait for someone to acknowledge them before they took action and -
"Oof!" He landed abruptly several yards away from his post, carried by a violent gust of wind.
"Come!" A harsh voice demanded.
Now I've done it, I've angered the mother, he thought guiltily. He followed the airy path broken forth before him and found himself following a meandering trail circling toward the great sea. In the distance, saw a dark depression in a rock wall, and on closer inspection found it to be a roomy cave.
Thonolan noted that the mouth was slightly triangular in shape as he floated inside. He thought it was strange to see that it was still dark outside because he could see every cranny clearly as if lit by daylight. The path led him on to the west wall, and he found himself in a small circular room. An eerie otherworldly presence had made its refuge here.
"Look! It's broken!"
Thonolan turned to see a large cave bear skull . It was lying on its side with a long bone on the stand beside it. His consternation increased, "there's not even a crack in these bones, how can it be broken?"
He felt the wind swirl and fill the small room. Thonolan felt it move harshly around his veeja, as if angered.
"You do not understand the significance, but the clan would know," the voice jeered. "Does that make them smarter than you?"
"N-no. I don't think so, there are many things I know that they wouldn't understand."
"There are many things you are unaware of. Let me show you a taste."
The young veejia felt himself falling in slow motion. He heard a sound that seemed to reverberate within him and wondered, where were those drums coming from? They were pounding out a tuneless beat, sounding from a distant tunnel.
Earlier he thought he had seen into every corner of the Clan's cave. Now his surroundings seemed to spring into focus, every little detail a fascination. A row of torches had been lit and led deeper into the cave. Mesmerized by the illumination, he turned sluggishly and followed the path of light. Around the last corner, he found himself in an inner room, surrounded by clan men. It was a circle of spiritual men, the mogurs of the Clan. Each one was seated behind a cave bear skull.
He sat down in the inner circle, drawn like a fly to a spider's web. Thonolan watched in detached fascination as one mogur come toward him. He couldn't move at all, it was as if he was watching the events unfold from a small corner inside his head.
Thonolan cried out as the mogur grasped his head and heard a sickening crack. He felt his skull being opened, revealing his jelly brain. Wide-eyed in fear, Thonolan discovered pain deep that seared to his very soul.
Paralysis overtook him as he saw each mogur approach him. One by one, they dipped their hands into his head. In morbid fascination he watched as they brought the gooey substance to their mouth to partake of his spirit.
An unheard scream formed in his throat when he saw the next limping toward him. The squat deformed figure approached the man of the others. His one arm hung limp and useless, and there was a scarred area where an eye should be. But his one good eye pierced the man of the others. Thonolan shook in fear in the presence of the palpable power emanating from this man.
The mogur reached down and touched Thonolan's head. Like the others, he dipped his hand within and partook of the communion. Then, he grasped the sides of the split skull and with one quick motion, sealed the gaping hole.
A new pain engulfed Thonolan as he felt his skull mending. He writhed in torment as bone knit to bone, sinew to sinew, and flesh to flesh. He felt his forehead flatten and push back. A painful stretching sensing began at the back of his head as it began to expand. Another gasp escaped his lips as his eyebrows pulled away from his sockets. As he grit his teeth, he found his chin pushed into his jaw. Other changes were making themselves known as his legs bowed, and a heavy weightiness engulfed him. When the agony of change began to recede, he slowly stood up, and stared.
He was the same height as the mogurs! The same height as the clan! Thonolan brought his hands up to his face, hands that were not familiar. As he felt his new grown body, dizziness swept through. The transformation from Zelondonii to Clan was complete.
"Ahh!" The hunter screamed as he chased the antelope figure. She shied away and ran toward another hunter. The children sat entranced almost believing they were witnessing the hunt. Finally, the doe swerved toward Durc, and he thrust his spear at the figure. A gasp arose as the people realized how lucky he had been to make the kill.
Thonolan was also entranced. He had seen snatches of similar scenes playing in Ayla's mind, but he never thought he'd be here to witness one. "Great Mother, I never knew they were so intelligent."
A gust of wind whipped over him. "Perhaps they are more so than you."
Thonolan sat straight up, bristling at the comment. Then slowly he relaxed and a ghost of a smile formed on his face. "I guess I deserved that," he said ruefully, who here did you want me to watch?"
"To weave the pattern, you must first attach the threads."
Though puzzled, he knew better than to ask for understanding. "You haven't told me yet what I'm doing here."
"Attach the threads."
He sighed heavily. How was he to accomplish this mission, when he didn't understand what he was supposed to do? Attaching threads, weaving, what next?
Weaving was not uncommon among his people. His mother had a loom that she used to weave fabric for clothing. Others wove thin strips of rawhide or plant fibers together to make a stronger strap or rope. Some women wove their hair to keep it from getting in the way or for decoration. But he still did not understand how to weave people together.
He gave a sharp sardonic laugh as he imagined the clan men lying over and under each other in a ridiculous pattern. Attach the threads. I wonder if I tie then together, would that work as a starting point? And those women, they would sit docilely by and wait for someone to acknowledge them before they took action and -
"Oof!" He landed abruptly several yards away from his post, carried by a violent gust of wind.
"Come!" A harsh voice demanded.
Now I've done it, I've angered the mother, he thought guiltily. He followed the airy path broken forth before him and found himself following a meandering trail circling toward the great sea. In the distance, saw a dark depression in a rock wall, and on closer inspection found it to be a roomy cave.
Thonolan noted that the mouth was slightly triangular in shape as he floated inside. He thought it was strange to see that it was still dark outside because he could see every cranny clearly as if lit by daylight. The path led him on to the west wall, and he found himself in a small circular room. An eerie otherworldly presence had made its refuge here.
"Look! It's broken!"
Thonolan turned to see a large cave bear skull . It was lying on its side with a long bone on the stand beside it. His consternation increased, "there's not even a crack in these bones, how can it be broken?"
He felt the wind swirl and fill the small room. Thonolan felt it move harshly around his veeja, as if angered.
"You do not understand the significance, but the clan would know," the voice jeered. "Does that make them smarter than you?"
"N-no. I don't think so, there are many things I know that they wouldn't understand."
"There are many things you are unaware of. Let me show you a taste."
The young veejia felt himself falling in slow motion. He heard a sound that seemed to reverberate within him and wondered, where were those drums coming from? They were pounding out a tuneless beat, sounding from a distant tunnel.
Earlier he thought he had seen into every corner of the Clan's cave. Now his surroundings seemed to spring into focus, every little detail a fascination. A row of torches had been lit and led deeper into the cave. Mesmerized by the illumination, he turned sluggishly and followed the path of light. Around the last corner, he found himself in an inner room, surrounded by clan men. It was a circle of spiritual men, the mogurs of the Clan. Each one was seated behind a cave bear skull.
He sat down in the inner circle, drawn like a fly to a spider's web. Thonolan watched in detached fascination as one mogur come toward him. He couldn't move at all, it was as if he was watching the events unfold from a small corner inside his head.
Thonolan cried out as the mogur grasped his head and heard a sickening crack. He felt his skull being opened, revealing his jelly brain. Wide-eyed in fear, Thonolan discovered pain deep that seared to his very soul.
Paralysis overtook him as he saw each mogur approach him. One by one, they dipped their hands into his head. In morbid fascination he watched as they brought the gooey substance to their mouth to partake of his spirit.
An unheard scream formed in his throat when he saw the next limping toward him. The squat deformed figure approached the man of the others. His one arm hung limp and useless, and there was a scarred area where an eye should be. But his one good eye pierced the man of the others. Thonolan shook in fear in the presence of the palpable power emanating from this man.
The mogur reached down and touched Thonolan's head. Like the others, he dipped his hand within and partook of the communion. Then, he grasped the sides of the split skull and with one quick motion, sealed the gaping hole.
A new pain engulfed Thonolan as he felt his skull mending. He writhed in torment as bone knit to bone, sinew to sinew, and flesh to flesh. He felt his forehead flatten and push back. A painful stretching sensing began at the back of his head as it began to expand. Another gasp escaped his lips as his eyebrows pulled away from his sockets. As he grit his teeth, he found his chin pushed into his jaw. Other changes were making themselves known as his legs bowed, and a heavy weightiness engulfed him. When the agony of change began to recede, he slowly stood up, and stared.
He was the same height as the mogurs! The same height as the clan! Thonolan brought his hands up to his face, hands that were not familiar. As he felt his new grown body, dizziness swept through. The transformation from Zelondonii to Clan was complete.