Beyond Doubt: Whispers of the Unseen - Chapter 75
Welcome to my seemingly endless journey.
A trip that will take you to places I might have visited many moons ago.
It´s a tale that came back to me when I meditated on one of my past lives. A life I told you about in my unbelievable true story.
As promised in that story I will now share this story with you.
Chapter 75
When I open my eyes, I am still on my horse, but my friends are scattered around the flowers, except for one.
Retsj walks back and forth between Cabilah and Numico, occasionally placing a wet cloth on their foreheads. He also wears a cloth over his mouth and nose.
“Retsj,” I shout, “what's wrong... how long?”
In a few steps, the giant is at my side. “Not very long, it's the flowers.”
I look again at the white cups. Only now do I remember Martuk's words: 'The white chalice protected us.'
At the time, I saw a white cup, which somehow protected them from disaster, but now on the spot, it makes much more sense. That smell, those images, the fact that nothing grows here except this plant.
“Retsj, why not you?”
“My body is bigger and needs more scent than you guys. Felt the strange power of the plant, then protected myself from the smell.”
It slowly becomes clear to me: the smaller the body, the faster it becomes infected. The flower probably continuously emits spores that try to infect a living organism via the respiratory tract, skin, or in any other way. Apparently, humans are able to produce antibodies against this poisoning, possibly animals are too, but apparently, they do not want to take the risk.
It took quite some time before Numico caught up. I talked about what I remembered, and we decided to rub ourselves with the flower and its juices. Even with the wet cloths over our mouths and noses, the smell is almost unbearable. Still, it seems to protect the area we are in very well.
No one is sure if it is the flowers, but all we can do is trust old Martuk's words and my intuition. We take all the stems with us on the back of the horses, who start the ride uneasily, but our break among the white calyxes also forces them to produce antibodies. Although it is clear that they too are touched by this strange plant and its effect, they are more skittish and apparently find a simple trot fast enough.
The white chalice turns out to be a gift from our guides, for we fail to reach the ridge before night envelops us. The clouds make it so dark that further travel without paths is almost impossible bu we keep trying.
After my horse struggles to keep his balance while stumbling, there seems to be little choice but to spend the night in this strange world and hope that this white flower is really the protective chalice from Martuk's story.
Three of us take turns resting, while the other two watch and keep each other awake. Every move is watched; we don't dare build a fire for fear of being seen. After several hours of contact with this special earth, without anything strange happening, we slowly begin to become convinced that the flowers are having their effect.
Reiko and I have the last watch; it starts to get light, and we get all the horses ready for departure. I saddle Cabilah's horse and look down at the back of the man who once held our lives in his hands.
He stares toward the east, motionless, as if searching for an answer in the rising sun. I walk over and stand next to him. "Are you unsure if they are following us, or is there something else going on?"
Reiko starts, apparently lost in thought and unaware of my presence.
“I looked for something that looked like the smoldering remains of a campfire, then my thoughts took on a life of their own. Over the past few days, my existence has been so mixed up that I haven't had time to look where my path was going all of a sudden."
"From a hunter, I have turned into prey. The feeling that I was the only one has made way for the loving memories I had of my family. My blood, of which I have recovered a small but very important part. I was a Sikh warrior, and now I have fallen among those who want to fight his power. At least the way he uses his power."
"I struggle with this new position but there is one thing I know for sure, or perhaps feel; this is right. The emptiness that has resided in my soul and plagued my being since my abduction is gone. My life is no longer meaningless. There is a purpose, something to live and die for. Something the army could never offer me, family, and an honest wish for a more just world."
"It surprises me that I have always held those goals somewhere in my heart. They are not values that the Sikh army adheres to, yet they have always remained my pillars, however disguised.”
I see his eyes wander, but he regains his composure. “We have to leave, wake the others.”
It took another full day of riding before we left this special place behind us. Cabilah had made oil from the chalices during her watch so that when we ever return, we can enjoy their protection again. And then be able to experience their hallucinatory effect in advance in a safe environment.
