P I And Magic
Copyright© 2005 by Volentrin
Chapter 36
I found Svedra waiting for me, outside his tent. As soon as I arrived, he informed me we had a ceremony to attend. We walked to a small wooded hill that was located about half a mile from camp.
As we got there, I could sense a difference in the very air around us. It was charged, somehow. I looked closely, and I could see solid greens and browns that were blended together to produce an aura. The feeling was of a soothing nature.
We went deeper into the wood, and I found myself looking at nine Drebasty. Five Adepts, and four sword masters. They were standing in almost closed circle, around the body of he who had been my guard. One of the Drebasty Adepts turned to me and asked if I honored the fallen.
"Yes," I replied clearly.
"Pao chose to train you, but he had only a short time. Do you honor his memory?" the Adept asked me.
"I do," I stated.
"Then assume your place in the circle," he said and turned to face the body of the fallen Drebasty Adept.
A little confused, I found a place between two of the Adepts. This was apparently a funeral rite of some sort. Well, the least I could do, was to honor this person. He had come to defend me, and teach me the way of the sword.
The Drebasty started chanting in a language I didn't understand. Finally as the sun set, a glow appeared above the body. The glow moved from over the body. It went first to the other swordsman. The glow then moved to the Adepts. It stopped briefly before each one, as it had done with the swordsman. It had skipped me as it stopped before the others. Finally, though, it settled before me. I couldn't take my eyes from it.
(Do you take unto yourself, this essence? Do you swear to house, keep, honor, and to to maintain this entity?) I heard Svedra ask me.
"I do so swear!" I replied out loud to the question.
The other Drebasty started to sing a song that was at once sad, but carried a hopeful element to it. One of the Drebasty Adepts turned to me and spoke.
"Our brother fell in your defense. He chose you as his pupil, and you accepted. You have sworn to house his essence, and to keep it pure, until such time as it is reborn into this world.
"It is a rare thing for one of us, the Drebasty, to pass our essence on to one of another race. Our race is old and tired. An honorable death, is a treasure in and of itself. By passing his essence to you, he is passing up the chance of a death honorably earned. He will live again.
"He will now have to pass through you, and into a child of yours, and will be reborn. While he will wear a body not of the Drebasty, his spirit will be Drebasty in all things. While he resides in you, you will gain the sum total of his knowledge. Do you still accept this gift, and this great burden?" I was asked again.
"I do so accept, and without reservations," I told him.
"So be it," he said, and gestured towards me.
The glowing thing that had been before me, rushed at me. I felt something like a static electric charge discharging through me. I shuddered, and FELT something settle into my mind. What the hell?
"What has happened?" I asked, a bit confused.
"Pao's essence has now accepted you as its host, in this place and time. You now contain all that was Pao, in his life. He has chosen to continue to teach you, but at a much deeper level than before.
"You are only the third non-Drebasty in all of our ancient history, to be so honored. Your name will now be added to the rolls, as a living Drebasty. As such, you may call upon us for help, if you are ever in need. This is a rare honor, indeed," the Adept said to me.
It was the longest speech I had ever heard one of them speak. I really had not understood what was going to happen. I had attended several different funeral rites in the past. This was the first time that I had ever took part in a rite, that took part inside of me!
If I understood this correctly, I now had Pao's spirit (or essence) inside of me. I was housing the spirit of a being who was vastly old, when Christopher Columbus was a young man!
(You should be proud. I am VERY proud that I was asked to be here, to witness this event. One of my ancestors visited these people in the distant past. I am a part of their pantheon, as a result, ) Svedra said to me.
The Debrasty asked me to ignite the fire to the pyre that Pao's body lay on. I concentrated, and touched the pile of logs with my hand. It caught fire, but I felt no heat. Part of the spell of 'the fire hand' protected the caster.
We stood and watched as his body was consumed. When the fire had burned down, everyone turned away, and I knew the ceremony was over. When I turned to go, the sword masters walked with me. This was unusual as they normally stayed to themselves unless they were guarding someone.
I 'FELT' the companionship and the support of these masters. While I felt close to all the Drebasty here, I felt closest to the sword masters. Names and nicknames came to mind, in the Drebasty language, as we walked back to camp.
After getting back to camp, Svedra asked me to come with him to his tent, so I bade my new brothers goodnight, and walked with Svedra back to his tent. After we arrived, Svedra gestured for me to sit in the only chair.
(You have just taken on a responsibility that I don't think you fully comprehend. I would just caution you to LISTEN to your inner feelings more. You have a being inside of you that is old and wise in many things, ) Svedra told me.
"Yes, I got that already. I'm not stupid you know," I snapped.
Svedra chuckled at me.
( I would think you would be more cautious in talking that way to a being such as myself, ) it told me with a mental chuckle.
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