Part 26: INTERLUDE: COVEN AND NARTH

The Circle of the Coven had gathered once again. A meeting was about to take place of tremendous profoundness and yet there were no outsiders to witness it. The mighty coven sisters were quite nervous about it and some of them actually felt an emotion they never had since coming in this universe, fear.

A Narth sphere had arrived, no ship had ever managed to come that far without the aid of a Coven Sister that knew the secret path, but then they were certain a Narth Sphere had little in common with any other space ship in the known Universe. It did not come unannounced the meeting was requested by the Narth.

Exactly at the time the meeting was requested a shrouded Narth walked through the door, none of the Sisters had felt anything, no Psionics and not Netherworld energies. The Narth was simply there.

The Narth bowed ever so slightly, the Circle one and all bowed deeply in return. The Circle stood in a semi-circle in the otherwise featureless stone built house.

The most powerful among them, known as Alycia, had witnessed the Narth aboard the Devastator spread her arms and open hands. “The term and concept of honor is now understood by all of the Circle. Your presence bestows much of it upon the Circle.”

“The humans have many interesting concepts and honor is as complex and intriguing as our human friends, yet Narth also learns its meaning and one does value your sentiment and assures equal considerations are extended.”

The Narth did not raise his shrouded head or move like any other being, the Narth simply was now in the center of the circle and no one had seen or noticed how. He didn’t disappear and teleport there, he didn’t move or float, he simply was there.

“Narth always opposed the Coven. Perceived as ill equipped interlopers, that had no conception of the powers they unleashed on their own universe and broke universal rules by circumventing your demise. Female corporal humanoids bonding and becoming beings of the Netherworlds in ways disturbing the laws that govern these things, yes one knows you have lost much and suffered for your trespass.

Narth perception of the Coven had not changed and there was a period Narth considered to rectify the condition by neutralizing intruders in this plane of existence.”

That statement did shock the assembled Coven Sisters. They always knew the Narth did not like them, but that they considered killing and destroying them was frightening to all. With all their might they knew the Narth would have won.

The Visitor did not react to the shocked faces, he did not move as some reverted to their natural forms. Alycia who was more powerful than even Luci, the oldest wondered how Narth would see them. Would he see them as flaming demons or whatever the Narth saw when they thought of demonic creatures, or did he have the senses to see them for what they really were. It appeared he knew much more about the Netherworlds than she thought. She corrected herself, Narth most certainly had no mythology, no superstition and been the first sentient species of the universe. The shrouded being before them, perceived them for what they were.

The Narth kept speaking. “I can sense your thoughts and considerations. To you and to many it appears Narth know it all and is Omni potent. It is not so, one needs to learn and observes events and conditions one has never seen before and these conditions are alien and unexplainable. Narth is older than many but not older than all. Narth is a life form and like all life form we do experience death. It does not however come to Narth unexpected or frequent and the last such terminal event occurred three galactic revolutions ago. One is expressing this to equalize the conditions of this meeting. One has come to declare that Narth has rectified ones view and no longer wishes to exterminate your existence. One has meditated long and concluded our conception was in error. Your presence here is not against the Rule, but perhaps part of it.”

The Netherworld witches that still were in human form had forgotten to breath. None of them expected such a declaration of the Narth. It was in away even more shocking than the first part of his address.

Now he pulled his hands out of the voluminous sleeves of his robe, and made the same move as the Alycia had done. “Narth has joined the Union and decided to be more involved. Narth has concluded it was a positive decision. All that is Narth has begun to re-evaluate emotions and Narth develops a kinship to Union and Terran Humans.

Now the Coven has joined this multi cultural society. One has seen many time streams and observed many cultures and dominions rise and fall, this one is unique and unprecedented in its form and one sees great potential. One has therefore come before you to welcome you and one has come to declare Narth objects to Coven no more.