Brian Pratt - The mists of sorrow

“Tired?” asks James.

“Yes, very,” he replies. Nodding to Miko he adds, “I think between Miko, my brothers, and I many lives were saved. What there is left can be readily dealt with by the healers.” A server brings him a cup of ale and he downs it in one gulp. Giving out with a satisfied ‘aah’ he sets the cup on the table where another servant carrying a pitcher comes forward and refills it. “Thank you my son,” he says to the server as he takes up his cup once more. The server nods and immediately withdraws back to the wall where he scans the assembled guests for anyone else in need of a refill.

“I heard you are leaving in the morning?” asks Brother Willim after taking one more swallow of ale.

“That’s right,” replies James. “We’re going to escort several of our comrades to Cardri. Most of them aren’t really suited for warfare.”

“None of us really are,” he states. After pausing for another drink he says, “I would still like to accompany you if you don’t mind.”

“What about your fallen brothers?” he asks. “Aren’t you going to escort them back with the other two?”

“No,” he answers. “My brethren can do that well enough, what I needed to do has already been done.”

James is delighted to have such a man journey with him. But then a thought comes. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with me being the ‘Gardener’ would it? If I remember right, you called me that during that last big battle in the desert.”

Brother Willim gets a crooked grin and nods. “Somewhat, yes,” he replies.

“Just what does it mean that I’m the Gardener?” he asks.

“There’s an old prophecy handed down from old…,” he begins.

“Isn’t there always,” interrupts James with a sigh.

“What?” questions Illan who had been listening in on the conversation.

Not realizing he had spoken aloud, James turns to him and says, “Oh, nothing.” Then to Brother Willim he says, “Sorry for interrupting you, please continue.”

“Centuries ago, a man came to one of our lord Asran’s temples,” he continues. “Which one I’ll not say. The man was wracked with fever and eventually slipped into the sleep of the dead. Not completely dead yet not completely alive either.”

Must have been in a coma, reasons James.

“During the time when he lay in the sleep of the dead, there were times when he spoke. At first the priests attending him thought his words were gibberish until one old scholarly priest realized the man was speaking in a language long dead to the world of men. Only the most learned scholars still understood the language, some of the oldest surviving tomes we have are written in it.”

“Immediately they had the priest begin writing down the words the man spoke. He wouldn’t speak often so they had the priest stay with the man constantly, ever prepared to put to parchment the words of the man.”

“And has anything the man spoke of come to pass?” James asks.

Nodding, Brother Willim says, “Yes, several.” He takes a sip of ale and then continues. “After the first several months, he began speaking of the end of the world. Of fire and shadows consuming all life.”

At that James and Illan glance to each other. They can see reflected in the eyes of the other the memory of the shadows they have encountered.

“There are many passages linking the Gardener to the end of the world. Some foretell of his coming, others speak of events that will transpire before he walks upon this earth.” Glancing first to James then to Illan he adds, “At least five that I know of have come to pass in the last few years.”

“Okay,” says James. “What makes you believe that I am the Gardener of which he spoke?”

“I will tell you of two,” he says. “Here is the first,”

When evil arises, its neighbors to swallow,

A man shall come to lands gone fallow.

With might and right its tide to slow,

The Gardener walks the lands to sow.

“We believe the arising evil is the Empire,” he states. “‘Swallowing its neighbors’, that’s exactly what it is doing. And since it mentions the Gardener, that would conclude he would appear at this time.”

“But that’s pretty vague,” James says. Turning to Illan he asks, “Hasn’t the Empire been ‘swallowing its neighbors’ for hundreds of years?”

Nodding, he replies, “Yes they have.”

James turns back to Brother Willim.

“As I said there have been other prophecies the man spoke that foretells the time of the Gardener’s coming,” he says. “I and my brothers have no doubt that that time is now.” He can see the doubt in James’ eyes. “This next prophecy we have never been able to satisfactorily discern its meaning. However, it should have meaning for the Gardener.”

Ships through air, a walk on the moon,

Invisible death his kind has strewn.

Box of pictures, music from stone,

By these things the Gardener is known.

Traveling far from a land apart,

Lost and alone on the path he will start.

The light of knowledge shall be at his side,

Salvation or death, the edge he doth stride.

When he finishes he looks to James for his reaction.

James sits back, his mind churning over the prophecy. The first stanza has to refer to Earth. Ships through the air, a walk on the moon, Invisible death his kind has strewn. Airplanes, Neil Armstrong and the invisible death could refer to radiation fallout. The rest of the first stanza is also referring to his home.

The next stanza, well he definitely comes from a land apart. And he did start lost and alone when he went through the door at the interview. He glances to Miko who has been listening to the whole conversation. “The Star must be the light of knowledge,” he says. “Morcyth is a god of learning so that makes sense.”

“But the last line, Salvation or death, the edge he doth stride, ” Miko replies. “What can that mean?”

Shaking his head he says, “I don’t know.” He then arcs an eyebrow questioningly to Brother Willim.

“You are heading toward a time when you are going to be placed in a situation where your actions will determine the fate of this world,” he explains. “Other prophecies refer to it, but none are clear as to when you will reach that moment or the decision that will be pivotal. I’m sorry I can’t be of any more help than that.”

Great, thinks James. As if I don’t already have enough to worry about. “I think I would have just as soon not known all this.”

“I understand,” says Brother Willim. “Many of our brethren argued that foreknowledge could alter the outcome to our doom. Others of course argued that it could only help if you knew what was going on.”

“What do you think?” Miko asks.

“I am not sure,” he replies. “Before I left, I was instructed only to reveal this to you should you specifically ask.”

“But I never would have asked if you hadn’t mentioned it earlier,” James says.

Nodding, Brother Willim says, “True. I can only believe that Asran wanted me to say it so you would know. I have prayed about why I said what I did and each time receive a feeling of peace.”

“Whether it helps or not,” James says with a yawn, “I’m to bed.” Looking at the others near him he adds, “We got a long way to go and a short time to get there.” As he stands up he breaks out into a chuckle as the phrase sparks a memory from home.

“We’ll see you in the morning,” Illan says. “I must remain until the feast winds to a close.”

“See you then,” says James. Leaving the table, he’s joined by Miko who’s all but dead on his feet. Jiron sees them leaving and waves to them from the dance floor. When he passes by Scar, Potbelly and the other pit fighters he asks, “You guys staying?”