The Palm Forest behind the Priestess’ home was a perfect practice ground for the Valley Knight. Two months had passed since the God Qatula returned the deadly weapons the Knight thought long lost in the past when he was cast into ‘Death’s Realm’. Due to traveling into his past, the Valley Knight lost the weapons only to have them given back to him new as the day they were gifted him from the Skull-Face Man!
Strangely as things turned out, it was the Knight himself as a mature man hardened by years of war behind the Death Mask who handed down so decisive a defeat in his youth! Ten years passed as the Valley Knight searched the world for the Skull-Face Man. Dozens of duels, skirmishes and wars brought forth formidable warriors all claiming to be ‘Death’s Champion.’ However, he bested them all and grew stronger with each victory. Ever always, he was one step behind or a day late only to be in time to see the devastation wrought by the Skull-Faced Man!
But it was his would be ‘lover’ Death, who gave him its protection with the Skull-Mask. Covered in the power of Death and reunited with the weapons by which he’d sung ‘Death’s Song’ across the world, the Knight fought his younger version. All in order to set his younger-self on the path which lead him to the Valley Realm and into the arms of his Goddess-wife!
In his hands, the black Nife Metal Sword moved with the strength and experience earned from ten years of chasing the shadow he would become. On that fateful night below the City of Golden Towers, he handed his younger-self a defeat the Valley Knight knew he must suffer. The knowledge there was one man out there he could not match made him train much harder.
The memory of being under heel forced him to sharpen his mind and body that much more. He’d fought many men and women after that fateful encounter. Those few he did not kill, the Knight ultimately recognized even in defeat still had some lesson to offer.
It was the Knight’s newest gift from Qatula which intrigued him most. The length of black cloth which the god wrapped his recovered weapons seemed to be nothing more than such. Yet, the Knight found the flexible cloth would stretch long enough to wind round his entire body! It could also be stretched to make a riding cape, hooded cloak or a many pouched carry bag to sling over the shoulder.
His wife made mention of him wearing the cloth regularly with his usual white loincloth and tunics. She gave neither warning nor hint of disapproval so he gathered it was safe. Qatula could not be trusted, but it was unlikely he wished to incur their ‘Wife’s’ wrath by giving him something purposely harmful. Though he would never say it aloud lest his wife’s most formidable (and obnoxious) husband hear, the Knight approved of the garment.
The Valley Knight had been standing stone still prior to beginning the physical phase of his exercises in order to allow his concerns to work themselves from his mind. At the very instant his mind cleared, an unwelcome voyeur made his presence known. The breeze filling the grove of palms overhead abruptly stopped. The Knight then realized the world itself had frozen still! Standing before him in the space between the palm trunks was the God Qatula.
“Greetings Caretaker.”
The greeting was both jibe and compliment. The god once made it quite plain the Valley Knight merely stood as steward for their wife the Priestess.
Smiling, the Priestess’ formidable second husband stood tall in his guise as a black and gray striped warrior of prime age. About the god’s shoulders hung an ash gray cloak and at the belt holding up a similarly colored longskirt was a sheathed short sword.
The Valley Knight had learned to hold his surprise at the god’s appearances, yet inside he wanted to leap out of his skin! Giving a slight bow, the Knight returned the greeting.
“And Greetings to you, ‘owner’ of that which I hold most dear.”
The God grinned widely flashing white razor-sharp teeth and said, “Indeed you are getting the hang of this mortal. As I mentioned in our last conversation, ‘a man married to a goddess best have both a sense of humor and an open mind.’ You have gained the first, but the question is; have you gained the second?”
The Knight knew immediately to do his best to keep up with Qatula’s ‘double-talk’. Untrustworthy as he was, the god always told exactly what needed to be heard though he did so in a misleading manner.
“What is forthcoming by which I should keep my mind open, ‘Owner’?”
Now serious, Qatula stepped forward with the measured pace of a praying mantis. With the world itself frozen in place, the effect of the god’s movement sought to unnerve the Knight.
Not taking his dark brown eyes from his mortal rival in love Qatula replied, “Your role as our wife’s mortal protector is required once more. Forces beyond your current understanding now move upon our wife. Her life is in jeopardy.”
The possibility of someone being able to kill the Priestess was far-fetched, but not impossible as the Valley Knight knew all too well. No mortal could conceive of harming the Goddess, but her mortal body was another thing. Bound incompletely within the body of a young woman who died thousands of years ago, the Priestess revealed though her vast power kept the vessel alive and youthful, a mortal could kill the borrowed body.
With the transference of her goddess-self having been interrupted by the god Qatula, she inhabited both the mortal and spiritual spheres simultaneously. A mortal causing grievous injury to her mortal body would have unknown consequences, the most likely leading to the Priestess’... ‘death’.
Qatula now stood face to face with the Knight. Though he could not smell him in the stillness of the moment, the Knight could feel his powerful presence pushing him backwards like the tug of the world on his body! Those brown eyes flashed with red-fire and it was the God within Qatula’s mortal frame who spoke.
“I see you comprehend the potential danger our wife faces. She will never admit her concern for your safety even at the possible sacrifice of her own.”
To hear such a thing about his wife was both wonderful and upsetting. To know so powerful a being would risk her existence for his was unacceptable to the Valley Knight. When he gave the Goddess his oath to ‘protect her from all mortal threats’, it was meant with blood, bone, body and soul.
“How great is this threat?”
The god’s red eyes never left the Knight as he extended his striped sinewed arm and replied, “See for yourself Caretaker....”
The Knight sucked in a breath as they no longer stood in the forest behind his home. Instead, a vast palm forest lay before them upon a great desert. Thousands of warriors cut down trees like locusts upon green fields as they made spears, arrows and engines of war!
That vicious smile flashed across Qatula’s face again as he answered the Knight's question, “You can’t be certain Caretaker. But, you can be ‘wise’ to my trickery and stand as you are only to watch our wife’s life fade to nothing at the hands of these butchers.
Be aware for she will not be the only one who will fall. Their lust for blood and power will sweep across this place our wife has so carefully tended. By your avoidance of a possible ‘trap’, all who live here and love the Priestess as we do will be swept away!”
The breeze blew through the trees and the world continued at its normal pace. Qatula was gone and the Valley Knight was surprisingly unsettled by the god’s warning. His wife could sweep away even so vast an army for according to ‘Death’, she had done as much and far worse! But, the Priestess swore long ago to not interfere with the affairs of men so long as they did not disturb the Great Powers.
The Mountain could not be awakened to enlist aid lest his fiery wrath destroy the Valley Realm! The River was equally unlikely to come to the Priestess’ aid though she did help him and the Chief during Qatula’s treacherous trial. The River was now contained behind the Great Dam and if released, she too would destroy the Valley Realm.
The only other power available to call upon was the Goddess Okavanga. However, her power was tied to the Delta Boundary and she was too inexperienced. The Minor Goddess might not be able to destroy the Valley Realm, but she could absolutely make a mess of things!
The one being with the means to help him put an end to this threat was his son, Little Fish. Problem was; his son now a young man filled with growing power left the Valley Realm without telling anyone where he went! The Valley Knight realized he must somehow find ‘Fish’ and bring his power to bear in defense of the Priestess.
In order to find his son, the Knight needed his wife’s aid. With a long sigh, he knew there was no telling his wife of the looming threat. Qatula’s revelation of their wife’s concern for him made certain she would not allow he her mortal husband to pit himself against an army for her sake! Lastly, the Valley Knight also knew there could be no deceiving the Goddess. Then again, he had ‘misled’ her upon their first meeting....
To be continued....
© 2014 H. Wolfgang Porter. All Rights Reserved.
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