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Topiara - Chapter 59
The long descent seemed to take forever, but finally Verigon was waiting for them on the nearly translucent cobblestone floor at the base of the spiral staircase. He gestured for the two outsiders to continue to follow him, and moved surely toward a tall and narrow doorway on the opposite side of the chamber at the base of the stairs. The hallway that doorway led to was wide and vaulting, and at regular intervals were more of the tall, narrow doorways – all closed. At nearly the end of the hallway, Verigon reached out and opened the doorway and gestured for the two of them to enter.
"I will announce your arrival to the Council of Elders," he told them then, "and inform them that you will be in need of instruction for the Choosing to continue." He saluted them with the upraised open palm. "Please wait here, and I will return when you are summoned."
Lyara and Jilan bowed and then watched with some consternation as the door to the hallway closed softly behind their escort.
"Active participants?" Lyara breathed nervously to Jilan. "They expect us to be active participants – and to already KNOW what to do?" She began to pace back and forth. "Nilyaron said nothing – he didn't even leave a hint as to what to expect…"
"Calm down, Lya." Jilan reached out for her and caught an arm as she passed by him. "Maybe the ones we should be asking about this are a whole lot closer to us than the members of this Council of Elders are."
She stared at him and then at the lump beneath his robe. "You mean, talk it over with THEM, don't you?"
Jilan nodded. "Have you asked your stone about this?"
"No," Lyara shook her head defensively. "I would have thought that Topiara would have started hinting about this without needing prompting. It's been so very forthcoming about so many other things without invitation…"
"Maybe this topic requires a deliberate petition," Jilan replied and gestured to a pair of chairs against the far wall. "Why don't we sit down and see what kind of information we can get from the ones most intimately involved in this process we're supposed to undertake."
Lyara nodded and followed him to the second chair and sat down. 'What do you know about all of this?' she thought at her power stone.
Her mind immediately cleared, and she was shown a vision of herself carrying the stone uncovered in her joined hands. 'All right,' she thought back and reached into the neck of her robe for the cord of the pouch and drew it over her head. A small tug on the drawstring had the pouch open, and the stone tumbled easily into her hand. 'Like this?'
The moment she dropped the pouch on the floor next to her chair and let her other hand join in holding Topiara, the world around her – including her awareness of Jilan sitting just a short distance away from her – faded away. Her vision suddenly gained a golden perspective, as if she were looking through her power stone rather than at it. Fears for her unborn son receded as unimportant and unfounded – and a tendril of golden comfort soothed her, telling her that her son would definitely not be harmed by what was going on.
Then her mind flooded with memories and visions as if from a hundred different sources – voices she didn't recognize but which she instinctively knew all began to speak inside her head. One voice in particular began to stand out from among the rest. 'Now you are one of us,' the voice informed her joyfully. 'All of us have borne the burden of going through the trials that prepared us to be Living Signs – and a small part of your living essence will forever remain with us in Topiara to assist and guide other Living Signs to their destinies."
'What am I to do?' Lyara asked mentally.
'I am the one who must act,' another voice rang like a bell in her mind, drowning out all of the others instantly – and Lyara knew she was hearing the voice of her stone at last. 'Now that you have been tested and proven worthy, I can speak to you directly.' Lyara's vision cleared, only the golden glow seemed to infuse everything she could see. 'With your permission, I will control your body and take part in the ritual that begins soon.'
'My baby won't be harmed?' Lyara asked once more, still unconvinced.
'Your child will come to no harm,' Topiara said comfortingly. 'What benefits might come to him for being part of this process, however, I cannot say. Never before has this situation taken place, where the Living Sign carries new life.'
A soft chime rang through the room, and then again. 'May I take control of your body?' Topiara asked again.
"Yes." Lyara spoke the word aloud.
A third chime rang, and Topiara stretched out its influence and donned Lyara's body like another would don a garment. It looked to the side and noted that Rodayn too had received permission to take control of Jilan – and the two Living Signs rose in unison and walked slowly to the door. The door swung open on silent hinges, and the two outsiders bearing their signs in their cradled palms walked side by side into the hallway and then through the tall, wide double doors at the very end of the hallway.
The Great Hall was massive, with a high and vaulted ceiling and balconies filled with people. Hundreds of people looked down as the Living Signs walked down the aisle toward the center of the hall, where the raised dais sat where the ten members of the Council of Elders sat waiting with the four candidates. The entire hall went absolutely still the moment Topiara and Rodayn began their walk to the dais, and every man and woman stood and presented their open palmed salute.
Lyara watched as if transfixed, knowing that it wasn't by her will that her body was moving and walking in unison with Jilan-Rodayn. As the two of them began to climb the short stairs that led to the dais, the throng that surrounded them all seated themselves silently on the benches that filled the Hall.
The eldest of the Elders, a tall man with snow-white hair and a peacefully unlined face, rose to greet the Living Signs. "Be welcome," he stated very formally with the open palm in salute.
"We have been summoned," Rodayn began, Jilan's voice ringing clearly throughout every corner of the hall, "for the Choosing – and we are here."
"Present to us the candidates," Topiara intoned in turn in a voice that rang just as clearly.
As an observer, Lyara knew without needing to be told that the old man's name was Haro, and that he had led the Council of Elders for almost as long as Helm had existed. When the old man looked into her face, she knew he was seeing both the Living Sign and Lyara – and the expression in those ancient, knowing eyes was both serene and understanding.
Haro turned and put his open palm out to the first candidate, who moved forward. "This is Mishon," the Eldest announced, whereupon the tall candidate bowed deeply. Haro moved his open palm to face the second. "This is Oriestan. This is Fushayon. This is Bandriel." Haro's palm returned to his side. "These are the best of us who would serve the lesser races."
Topiara extended Lyara's hand toward Jilan, and Rodayn took that hand. The instant connect of energy and power surged between the two Living Signs, and the stage right in front of the two were bathed in a bright golden glow as if one of the huge light globes that lined the area between balconies were shining down on the dais from only a very short distance above. The stone and the flute that had rested in the open palms of the two seemed to shimmer and lose their forms and dissolve into the hands beneath them until the faces of the Living Signs seemed lit from within. "Step into the Light," the Living Signs uttered in absolute union, the two clarion-clear voices making the very Hall vibrate with power.
Slowly the four candidates stepped into the pool of brilliant light. The light brightened slowly until it was nearly blinding. The Living Signs walked to stand in front of the first candidate and Lyara saw through Topiara that she could see right into Mishon's very soul – and into his real intents. There was a desire for glory and recognition hidden in a very small corner of the man's soul – one that he knew could be nursed and nourished by the lesser races.
The Living Signs moved on to Oriestan and gazed deeply into his soul. This time, while a dedication to service was present, there was a tiny shadow of doubt in his own abilities that soured the vision like a slight disharmony. And again the Living Signs moved on to look into Fushayon's soul. Within this handsome man was a strain of arrogance that was almost painful for Lyara to look on. At last the Living Signs stood before Bandriel and gazed deeply into him.
Lyara felt joy the moment she joined her gaze with Topiara's and Rodayn's. Bandriel was neither doubtful nor proud, neither greedy nor lacking in dedication. The desire to serve was like a brilliant diamond in the man's soul that shone where the other's souls had been overshadowed. Together, the Living Signs extended their open palms to Bandriel – and the other three candidates bowed deeply and, in the company of nine of the Council of Elders, left the dais.
Bandriel stepped forward and allowed both Living Signs to take his hands so that the three were all joined together. There was another strong surge of power that flashed through Topiara to Lyara as an observer – and then it was as if a stream of heat was flowing through her hand and into the tall young man. He leaned back, almost overwhelmed by the very force of the Light that once more brightened almost agonizingly bright and sharply focussed solely on him.
Finally the light dimmed, the heat seemed to evaporate, and the young man staggered back and away from the Living Signs, who continued to hold hands for a moment longer than necessary. Lyara looked through Topiara's gaze at Jilan-Rodayn and saw her i'ilim in the depths behind Rodayn, staring at her as if he'd never seen her in quite that manner before. Then the Living Signs dropped their grasp on each other, and the flow of power dwindled back to the simple golden glow that each seemed to carry within itself.
"Bandriel is the Oracle for the new age," Topiara announced in its clear and bell-like voice. Everyone in the entire Hall gave a great shout as if greeting the Oracle for the first time.
"The ritual of the Choosing is concluded," Haro stated with a note of finality. "Let us all honor the one of us who goes forth to give his live in service to the outer world."
The open palm of every person in the hall was extended toward Bandriel, including those of Topiara and Rodayn. From her position as observer, Lyara could feel the control that her power stone was exerting over her body beginning to fade. She felt her hand move until the palm was up and open, and suddenly there was a shimmer – and Topiara seemed to just coalesce into being. A quick glance showed her that Jilan had just had much the same experience with Rodayn.
Topiara turned Lyara around in unison with Rodayn and walked with it down the steps to the dais and back down the aisle of saluting people toward the double doors at the far end. Verigon opened the door for them, and then hurried to open the door of the small anteroom where they'd been told to wait earlier. The Living Signs walked through that door, which immediately closed silently behind them.
'Your work here is almost concluded,' Topiara murmured quietly in the back of Lyara's mind. 'All that is left is your final task, which is to escort Bandriel back to Tandri to be formally installed as the Oracle there. As you travel, be sure to inform him of everything you know of all the peoples of this land – for he is Oracle to all, whether they accept him or no. Your quest has taken you to Kauwlut lands and the Vri'ia'ani – speak to him truthfully of them.'
'Are you leaving me?' Lyara thought to her power stone with sudden worry.
'It is the final challenge of your quest to willingly give me to Bandriel in Tandri,' Topiara answered quietly. 'You have served your people well – and a part of you will live inside me forever – but I must remain with Bandriel in the end. It is he who will know when to hide us again, and when to begin to circulate rumors about us so that by the time his hour is up, the Chosen will be almost ready to begin this quest anew.'
'And now, I must return control of your body to you. Know that you have the gratitude of ages past and ages yet to come for your help in this.'
Topiara seemed to just slip away – and Lyara felt the control of her body return to her as her limbs seemed to suddenly grow very heavy. She heard a small sound and turned her head to see a very unsteady Jilan reaching a hand out to her – and then she knew no more.
Jilan sat on the floor with Lyara's head in his lap – Topiara lying virtually discarded underneath the chair where it had rolled as Lyara had dropped in her tracks. Slowly Jilan's long fingers stroked through her short, caressing her gently as he gazed down at her with wonder and amazement. How long had she known, he wondered – and then shook his head in disbelief. A son! Their son!
She stirred and took in a deep breath before blinking her eyes several times as she awakened. "Hey there," Jilan murmured to her, brushing her cheek with the backs of his fingers.
Finally her dark eyes could focus and see the concern and the amazement on his face. "Hey there yourself," she whispered back.
"How long have you known?" He just couldn't help asking the question.
Lyara's face turned a very faint and rosy hue. "Since last night – and Topiara told me that it happened by the lake."
"A son," Jilan pronounced, still very much caught up with the very idea of a child.
"I would have told you," she reached up and smiled as he caught at her hand and kissed her open palm, "but I didn't exactly know how – and then we were summoned…" The smile faded. "And Gendrigan told us about the 'Mists of Forgetfulness', remember? I didn't know if I would even be able to remember after we were finished here – that I'd forget and not know until it became obvious that we were going to have…"
"I'd rather know – even if I'm going to forget," Jilan told her gently.
Lyara felt warm and contented. "I love you," she exclaimed fervently. Then she roused herself a little more and sat up. "Where's Topiara?"
"Over there." Jilan pointed. "You dropped it when you fainted."
She rolled slightly and retrieved the power stone, and then turned to her i'ilim. "And Rodayn?"
He patted the lump under his robe. "Back in the pouch and safe for the time being," he answered. He reached out and snagged the other empty pouch from where it had fallen when discarded. "Here."
Lyara tucked Topiara safely back into the soft leather pouch and pulled the drawstring tight to tie it. "What now?"
Jilan shrugged and climbed to his feet so he could help her stand. "I suppose we wait again," he replied.
A soft chime sounded, and the doorway opened to admit Verigon. "I am to escort you back to your apartment for the rest of the day, where you can rest and restore yourselves from everything that just transpired. Bandriel is being prepared for his journey into your world as we speak – he will be ready to join you at next Light."
Jilan put his arm around Lyara in order to be a support for her in case she was still feeling weak. "We'll follow you," he told the tall man of Helm, and Verigon inclined his head very slightly in acknowledgement before opening the door and showing them out the same way they had arrived.
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