Legacy 212: The Price of Knowledge
Xxx
Ancient times,
A scorching wind blew through the desert as the sun burned brightly in the sky. A young Amun stood on the top of a hill, overlooking his village. The drought had caused it to fall into ruin, their crops had died out and even the small river that supplied them with water had dried out weeks ago. Amun clenched his fists in anger because he had failed to save the village. All his attempts at a solution had failed in the end. He needed to become smarter, so he wouldn't fail next time.
"Amun." A voice called. "We're leaving."
Amun turned around to see his older sister Qetesh walking in his direction. Ever since their parents had died due to an illness years ago, it had been just the two of them. Seeing the village in ruin was just another reminder of another time he failed. He wasn't smart enough to save his parents either.
"Go where?" Amun asked. "The villagers hate me."
"They don't hate you." Qetesh replied. "They just don't understand you. I know you did everything you could."
"Not enough." Amun said. "My inventions failed."
"They worked in the beginning." Qetesh noted. "They bought us some time until the river dried out completely. Even someone as smart as you cannot change nature, brother."
"Why not?" Amun asked. "Why must we suffer when I can find a way to solve our problems?"
"Not every problem can be solved." Qetesh replied. "You cannot stop a drought anymore than you can fight sickness."
"I will find a way." Amun said determinedly. "I won't fail again."
"You never failed, little brother." Qetesh replied as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I wish you wouldn't blame yourself for everything."
Amun remained silent as they turned around and headed to the rest of the villagers. They were getting ready to travel across the desert and find another place to live. Qetesh didn't understand how Amun felt. She couldn't because she wasn't like him. He had always been different, smarter than the other villagers. Every problem had a solution. He could often see the solution in his mind, though he couldn't always find the path there. He lacked the resources to do it on his own and the villagers refused to help because they were too simple to understand his ideas.
Amun and Qetesh reached the villagers and the little belongings they had left. When he picked up his bag, the village leader, Tarek, stepped forward and pushed him to the ground. Amun had always resented the man. Out of all the fools in the village, Tarek was the biggest. Yet somehow, his sister seemed to like the buffoon.
"What are you doing?" Qetesh asked shocked.
"He is not coming." Tarek said.
"I'm not leaving my brother." Qetesh replied.
"He has done nothing but bring misfortune to the village." Tarek said. "All of his ideas and plans ended up costing valuable resources. And for what? Nothing."
"That is not his fault." Qetesh replied defiantly. "At least he tried do something."
"He tried?" Tarek remarked. "While the rest of the men hunted and worked the field, he sat and did nothing. The only reason he was allowed to stay was because of you, Qetesh."
"Tarek, please." Qetesh pleaded. "Don't do this."
"Don't make this difficult." Tarek replied. "Come with me. We can start anew once we crossed the desert and cut out the weak."
"I'm not weak." Amun noted. "You are the weak one. Weak of mind."
"What?!" Tarek snapped at him. "You dare insult me? You little runt."
Tarek revealed a blade from his cloak and stepped forward in a threatening manner. Amun reacted quickly and threw a palmful of sand in his face. While the larger man screamed angrily as he tried to clear his eyes, Amun tackled him to the ground and tried to get his blade. They struggled for control while Qetesh screamed at them both to stop. Amun could barely hear what she said, though he suddenly stopped when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He trembled as he looked down and saw the blade had pierced his flesh. He stood up and stumbled back, only to collapse into the sand.
"No, no, no!" Qetesh screamed in tears.
Qetesh attempted to run to his side, though Tarek forcefully grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Qetesh lashed out and scratched his face, causing the large man to scream and let go. Amun felt his sister kneel down next to him and grab his hand.
"Please, no." Qetesh cried. "Don't leave me. Not you too."
"Qetesh, he made his choice." Tarek said loudly. "He tried to fight me and paid the price. He is not worth your tears."
"Go!" Qetesh screamed at him. "Leave us!"
"If you stay here with him you will die." Tarek said. "Come with me. We can build a new family in our new home. This is your only chance."
"I will never go with you, monster." Qetesh replied. "Leave!"
"Then let the desert take you and your brother." Tarek snarled.
Amun's sight was starting to darken, though he could see Tarek return to the other villagers and lead them across the desert to the east. He knew they were going the wrong way. He could have warned them if they had been willing to listen, but he had no love left for the villagers. They would walk to their deaths by their own choice.
"Qetesh, listen." Amun whispered. "Go west. I've seen birds coming from that direction. There is water there."
"No, I'm not leaving you, brother." Qetesh replied. "Never."
"Please, you're a healer." Amun said. "You know herbs and plants. Any village would welcome you."
"I'm not leaving." Qetesh said.
Amun wanted to argue with her, he wanted her to live and find a new home. Qetesh was the only person he ever truly cared about, the only one who at least tried to understand him. He was too weak to form the words as he felt coldness spreading through his body. The cold was actually a relief as he slipped into the darkness completely. Peace of mind at last.
After what seemed like an eternity in the tranquil darkness, Amun woke up and found himself lying on what appeared to be clouds. He looked at his chest and saw his wound had been healed. He was also wearing an unfamiliar white robe. Qetesh was lying next to him, dressed in a similar robe. Both rose to their feet and looked around confused.
"Where are we?" Qetesh asked.
"Somewhere between life and death." A serene voice said.
Amun and his sister turned around to see two women walk toward them. They wore white robes as well, though theirs were trimmed with gold. The first had hair as golden as the sun, while the second had hair that was dark as the night.
"Between life and death?" Amun asked. "So we are not dead yet?"
"I'm afraid you are dead." The woman with golden hair said. "You died as a result of your stab wound, while your sister stayed with you until she died of dehydration."
"You never left?" Amun asked.
"I couldn't leave you." Qetesh replied. "I couldn't find the strength to keep going."
"You should have lived." Amun said, feeling a sense of disappointment.
"Your sister did what her heart told her to do." The darkhaired woman said. "She is a healer, a woman with great love and care for others. That is why she is here now."
"Where is here?" Qetesh asked. "And who are you?"
"Like I said before, a place between." The darkhaired woman said. "My name is Selene and this is my friend Sandra. We've come to offer you a choice."
"What kind of choice?" Amun asked.
"A choice to go on living in a new form and do good in the world." Sandra said. "Or to accept your fate and enjoy the peace of the afterlife."
"A chance to do good?" Amun asked. "How?"
"Our council guides and protect those on the side of good." Sandra explained. "We are like guardian angels that help those that fight the evil in the world."
"You will finally get the chance to find solutions to the problems this world faces." Selene added. "Isn't that what you've always wanted?"
"How do you know that?" Amun asked.
"We've been watching you." Selene said. "You have a brilliant mind, Amun. There is an entire world of knowledge waiting for you beyond that of mortal men."
"Remember we're not supposed to influence their choice, Selene." Sandra noted with a raised eyebrow.
"We have also never offered the choice to two people at the same time." Selene replied. "And we both know that Amun is no ordinary soul."
"My brother is the smartest person I know." Qetesh noted. "He was never at home in the village."
"Sister, what are you saying?" Amun asked.
"Perhaps this is what you were meant for all along." Qetesh said. "All the hardships we've been through might not have been for nothing. Perhaps is the path forward."
Amun remained silent as he considered his options. The moment of peace he had felt in the darkness was truly calming. When he was alive, his mind was always working on something, so he had never known such a peaceful feeling. However, giving into that darkness meant he would never achieve anything. His entire life would have consisted of failures. The promise of knowledge beyond that of mortal men was tempting. He could finally understand the world and fix it.
"I've made my choice." Amun said.
Xxx
Present day,
Amun stood in his alchemy lab in the Underworld, working on a new type of poison that would paralyze Whitelighters and Elders upon contact and leave them defenseless. It could also potentially serve as a countermeasure in case the other members of the Trinity attempted to betray him. Amun had gotten the idea when he was observing the hunting patterns of a Stinger Demon in nearby caverns. They were a fascinating, barbaric species that fed on other demons and the occasional mortal. So far, his attempts to create the new poison had been unsuccessful, as the two components didn't blend naturally. It required a bonding agent to function properly, though he was still figuring out which one would suffice.
"Hard at work as always, I see." a familiar voice noted.
Amun turned around and saw Selene entering his lab. His fellow Dark Elder looked around at his work and leaned against his desk with an amused smirk. As always, it was impossible to read her expression or what she was after.
"I like to keep busy." Amun stated.
"That mind really never rests, does it?" Selene remarked.
"What do you want, Selene?" Amun asked. "Did Baldr send you?"
"No, our self-proclaimed leader is out training his troops in a remote part of the Underworld." Selene replied. "That gives us a chance to talk in private."
"He doesn't fully trust us." Amun noted. "I'm sure he has some of his men watching us as we speak."
"That is why I cloaked your lab in shadows for the time being." Selene said. "We need to be ready for when he eventually snaps. We both know it's only a matter of time."
"Agreed." Amun said. "This poison is meant for the Elders, though it could potentially work on any of us, considering we still share some of the same vulnerabilities as the council."
"Were you planning on using it on me?" Selene asked. "I'm hurt that you're keeping secrets."
"We all have secrets, Selene." Amun replied. "Though you're not as good at keeping yours as you think you are."
"Is that so?" Selene asked.
"Yes, you're getting impatient now that you're getting closer to him." Amun noted. "It won't be long before even Baldr catches on. He's not going to let you get your way."
"I can take care of Baldr." Selene noted. "And what about what you're after? The thing you've been searching for since first becoming a Whitelighter?"
"That place doesn't exist." Amun replied. "I've searched for ages and found nothing."
"Of course you couldn't find it." Selene said. "You're looking for the library of a god, after all. Only one with divine knowledge can find it."
"I'm looking for divine knowledge, but I need divine knowledge to find it." Amun noted. "Quite the paradox."
"I guess so." Selene noted. "And what do you hope to achieve when you finally find it? Are you still trying to fix the world?"
"No, this world can't be fixed." Amun stated coldly. "I see that now."
"This world is cruel and unfair, so we have to act in our own best interest." Selene said. "Keep working on that poison, I have a feeling we'll need it sooner rather than later."
A mischievous smirk appeared on Selene's lips as she disappeared in a column of grey orbs, leaving Amun alone in his lab once again. Her words echoed in his mind. He had spent ages trying to solve every problem he could, but the world had proven itself to be too broken to be fixed. Amun had become a Whitelighter because he wanted to make things better, he had joined the council for the same reason. Even his transformation into a Dark Elder had been with the best intentions. Despite all his efforts, however, he had only ever been rewarded with blame and betrayal. Even his own sister had betrayed him in the end.
The library of Thoth contained all the knowledge he sought, but it remained forever out of his reach. After all, he could never be divine after everything he had done.
Xxx
In a fancy restaurant in the middle of San Francisco, Laura Mitchell sat across the table from a very charming and handsome British man. She was wearing a pretty lace blue dress while her hair was waving down to her shoulders. She had decided to put in some effort, as this was her first official date in a long time. Despite enjoying herself, the man across from her was not exactly the one that been on her mind lately.
"How is your salmon?" Callum Marks asked.
"It's delicious." Laura replied. "This is a great choice for a restaurant. Even Melinda sees it as a huge inspiration for Les Trois. She'll be jealous when I tell her about it."
"Well, I wanted to make a good impression." Callum noted. "After all, it took three attempts to ask you out before you finally agreed."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Laura replied. "It's not that I wasn't interested, I've just had a lot on my mind the last couple of weeks."
"Don't worry about it." Callum said. "I'm just glad we're here together now."
"So am I." Laura noted. "And I want to thank you for your patience."
"Let's forget about it and just focus on here and now." Callum replied. "You were telling me about your time in Paris. I'd love to hear more."
"Paris was wonderful." Laura said. "The history and the art, the food and the wine. It was perfect. Part of me misses it, but after everything that happened, I just wanted to be with my family."
"I understand. Perhaps we can take a trip there one day." Callum noted. "I've really enjoying traveling around Europe during my college years."
"So why did you end up in the states?" Laura asked.
"I got the opportunity to teach art at Magic School." Callum replied. "And I actually wanted to get away from my family to be honest."
"Why is that?" Laura asked.
"They're not like your family." Callum said. "They're properly British, so they value status and appearance more than love and happiness."
"So I guess they weren't happy with you deciding to pursue a career in the arts." Laura noted.
"Exactly." Callum noted. "Around here, I'm free to live my own life."
"Speaking about family, did you know about the history between our families?" Laura asked. "Specifically, between my mom and your uncle?"
"I've heard about it, yeah." Callum replied with a smile. "My uncle is still sour about being rejected over a mortal."
"My mom told me about it over Christmas." Laura noted. "Sounds like he is still the pompous ass he was back then."
"Oh, that will never change." Callum agreed.
Laura smiled as she took a bite of her salmon. Despite liking Callum and genuinely enjoying herself on their date, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty toward him. She tried to convince herself that she was just preoccupied with the prophetic paintings, but that was not the whole truth. The paintings were important, but they also served as a distraction from her complicated situation with Noah. She had been avoiding him since the Halloween party and was doing her best to get over her inappropriate crush. However, there was still a part of her that wondered what it would be like if he was sitting across from her instead of Callum.
"Your mind is wandering again." Callum noted.
"Sorry, I guess this is not the date you were hoping for." Laura replied.
"I like that you have an inquisitive mind, Laura." Callum said. "It's part of what makes you who you are. I'm just curious to know what you're thinking about."
"That's really sweet." Laura replied as she felt ashamed for thinking of Noah, so she quickly pivoted. "I was just thinking about the paintings. It's been months and I'm no closer to figuring them out."
"Well, you did paint them while you were a goddess of knowledge." Callum noted. "It's no wonder they're difficult to solve."
"I was never a true goddess, you know." Laura said. "Just momentarily overtaken by one."
"I know, but maybe that is the key to solving them." Callum replied. "Maybe you need some divine inspiration again."
"You might be onto something." Laura noted. "But where on earth would I find some? There aren't a lot of divine forces left in the world."
"No, not a lot." Callum admitted. "But there are a few left that are hidden. I just gave a lesson on Egyptian art at the school. Have you ever heard about the library of Thoth?"
Laura thought back to her own classes on Egyptian mythology and remembered that Thoth was the god of wisdom among other things. She had never heard about a secret library, however, though it did fill her with a new sense of purpose. If there really was a library of divine knowledge hidden somewhere, it could be exactly what she needed to finally solve the riddle of the paintings.
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