2The GuideVye had only been submerged for a few seconds and already Dame believed. Her appearance was almost angelic as the thin rays of morning shone through the crystal clear waters, zigzagging playfully across her golden skin. He'd always admired her courage, her ability to fight. They’d shared a mutual respect over the years while noticing one another from afar and recently they’d formed a friendship he sensed would flourish under the new faith.Nearly twenty seconds had passed, nevertheless, The Guide held her down firmly. Fully comprehending her need to be "cleansed", she did not struggle. The white cloth she wore billowed underwater, dancing like a large jellyfish swimming casually with its school. Moments later, her eyes opened and three large bubbles escaped from her nose. He released her as she emerged to the surface with a soft splash. The witnesses bowed their heads in silent prayer.The Elder General glanced back at the vacated pyramid of vines before looking up in the direction of the salmon streaked sky. The weather today was tricky, unpredictable, and though clouds were absent, a light rain fell into the Mer Sea. This would not have been strange aside from the fact that it didn't rain on Ido except in the confines of the Rain Caves near the island's central core. Plant life found nourishment from plentiful underground lakes and streams while the various living creatures remained wholly dependant upon the Shine River, which, like a menacing blade, sliced the island in half.There was something about the baptism, or Wave's ambiance that made Dame's otherwise machismo demeanor more subdued. He struggled to shield his eyes from the splatter of seawater as another believer plunged below the pristine waters. His eyes itched and burned as he slowly licked the salt from his lips. He turned his head and waded a short distance away from the shallow pool he and the other Elders were standing in, allowing his eyes to rest a bit as his lungs filled with fresh air.The seriousness of yesterday's decision weighed heavily on his heart and mind. Fairness had always been a priority since he'd assumed the responsibility of General of the male Youth while at Nu and head of the Elder Clan since crossing into the Enlightened Lands after Taste. He recalled how ferocious his spirit had once been. Quick to anger and slow to compromise, he'd earned respect more out of bullying than anything else. Dame was as impulsive as he was intimidating and standing at nearly seven feet, many joked that his massive biceps and muscular torso had been sculpted from the solid rock of Triple Peak in the Western territories.Shamefully, he recalled how he'd enjoyed Taste twenty years before. Extremely attractive and gifted with charm, it had been easy for him to over indulge in the activities of the flesh for a large portion of his life. Not to mention, securing Imar, the most beautiful Ido woman at the time as his preferred partner had been the ultimate final frontier. Their union bore a daughter they named Onya who was as strong-willed as she was beautiful. He couldn't complain, however; she'd gotten the traits earnestly. He remembered her birth vividly. She'd entered the world fin first and swishing, a fighter from the start. He wondered what she was thinking after yesterday's jarring events. She could not have been happy. He'd seen the white flames of rebellion in her eyes after the interruption and his short speech. But surely she would see and accept The One Faith once she was exposed to The Guide, he was sure of it.The stranger had appeared suddenly and without warning one day. Had he not been accompanied by Ankh, the leader of the Sphinx healers and longtime Elder ally, they may have been more skeptical. Speculation regarding his identity was immediate. It was apparent that he was not a member of the Ido clan or The Painted Folk, though he walked upright and held other human-like characteristics. The intrigue surrounding his origins along with the habit of covering himself from head to toe heightened their curiosities. Some suspected he was a leper. Others thought him to be an albino or a diseased outcast from another realm. Soon they began to address him as The Guide, a deformed messenger from another land who could perform faith based miracles in front of their very eyes.Though forms of sorcery and magic were common on the island, only the seldom seen Djinn and Mer Ancestors held the ability to conjure in its purest form; even the infinitely wise and immortal Painted Folk were held to certain limitations. The Ido themselves were given the gift of transformation during certain intervals of their lives. However, their ability to shape shift was beyond their control, occurring only at three specific intervals; first in the womb, then at age seven, and finally upon death. The Guide referred to his own abilities as miracles gifted him by an entity he called The One, an omnipresent God with a distinct wrath far greater than their Ancestors and an affinity for love spanning the length of the horizon.The Guide's message had penetrated Dame's own hollow shell like a poison arrow piercing the heart of a worthy adversary and there was no turning back. Change is good, necessary, he told himself fervently. After witnessing the sheer power of the stranger along with his message, the Elders were convinced of the need for change. The final decision to abolish Taste, he was certain, had been the correct one. Still he wondered about the backlash. Would the Youth resist? Surely they would. How much time would pass before they took action? Should the Elder Army strike first? It would be an unorthodox move, yet a necessary one in order to ensure the spread of the Faith. They would all believe in the end.He turned once more toward the gathering. The Guide was now opening the tattered scroll he'd conjured from a handful of glittering sand. He read slowly as he held it up to the light, ensuring his audience’s comprehension of the sacred text. His voice shook with force and authority, yet somehow managed to lack intimidation. He was easy to listen to and even easier to trust. There had been a quiet confidence about him that Dame had respected since his arrival. He wasn't an overly assertive man, but the strength of his beliefs made him appear larger than life. The message he brought included the importance of moral discipline and the weakness of the flesh. The assembled believers hung on his every word until the last left his lips as he ushered the next devotee into the quiet waters. A massive wave of guilt flooded Dame as he listened from a distance. He was happy for the newfound hope and possibility of forgiveness brought to him by this man. Still unaccustomed to their new permission to show emotion, he swallowed his tears, inhaled deeply, pulled back his massive shoulders, and stood tall. Weeks ago, he'd been living in darkness, oblivious to the damning consequences of his desires and the traditions of his people. Now, he had been given the gift of eternal life, beyond Enlightenment and the confinements of Taste.Out of the corner of his eye he spied a lurking shadow. Just as he'd expected, the Ancestors were joining the gathering. Swimming toward him was Born, leader of the Mer. Half men/women, half fish, the Mer were deceased Ido who'd passed through Taste, The Enlightened Lands, and the Afterlife. The Mer represented the cyclical existence of the Ido people. Everyone was born Mer before their human transformation and would become Mer again in the Afterlife."Is this he? Is this the man they call, The Guide?" asked Born in a thunderous voice as he drifted nearer."It is," Dame replied simply, deliberately avoiding the old Mer's eyes. Born was everything The Guide was not: direct, domineering, and brutally frank. The Ancestors rarely spoke to the living except in the most urgent of situations. Having traveled beyond the boundaries of death, their powers were beyond limitation. Though they rarely exercised the right, an Ancestor could very well dispose of a life without explanation or consequence."I see it did not take much for you to turn your back on the ancient customs that were in place before your Ancestors' Ancestors inhabited these lands." He paused as if trying to choose his words carefully. "Tell me, what kind of leader leads his people away from the fabric of tradition and into the clutches of foreign ways? What kind of leader leads his people into an existence of thoughtless sheep?" he hissed in his ear. "Think!"Slowly, Dame turned to face him with narrowed defiant eyes. The old Mer's broad chest rose and fell rapidly. A thick, white mustache and beard framed a thin line of a mouth, bitter with disappointment, broken as if betrayed. The bushy white eyebrows arced in a menacing frown while his baldhead glistened with a slick finish. His skin was the color of cocoa butter and a gleaming blue-black fin of intricate scales where legs should have been bobbed freely in the clear afternoon waters. Close behind him, Dame saw more Ancestors surfacing, observing the confrontation with curiosity; many were lowering their heads as if shamed."I was voted leader of the Elder Clan for a reason," he replied with a defiant sneer. "Therefore, I was charged with the duty of leading my people where I see fit. We have long been slaves to traditions and customs that have begun to stagnate our kind. Our traditions are perverse, twisted! Change is necessary. The One Faith teaches restraint, The One Faith teaches love--"Born spat angrily and folded his arms across his chest, interrupting. "You fool. For all of your physical strengths, for all of your military genius, you have no reason. You are your traditions! A people must not be separated from their culture unless they wish to die! Mental Endurance. Enlightenment. Respect. These are the pillars of Ido tradition. They are rock solid ideals built for and maintained by the Ido people!" he exclaimed through flared nostrils. "Love is not solid. It can be bent and broken. It can crumble over time. Love cannot be restrained! There is nothing more unbridled or needy; nothing more lacking in discipline than love! With love there is emotion. With emotion there is weakness. We have survived for millennia because we respect one another. Respect cannot be shaped and molded into what we want it to be. It is rigid and defined. It is unchanging!" he paused for a moment and glanced at The Guide who was submerging yet another believer into the Mer Sea, then the old Mer's gaze swung back to Dame."Look at this!" Born exclaimed, teeth clenched tightly as he shoved an index finger in the air. "Rain! Rain on Ido? The balance is off... unnatural!"In spite of the intimidating rant, Dame stood his ground. He looked up in the direction of Born's angry finger, shaking with rage. "It is symbolic of the change we need---""Change is only necessary when stagnation has set in," Born cut in, his tone of voice strangely calm. "The Ido are a vibrant folk General, hardly stagnant and lost and perverted and... twisted. Do not dilute your people with the foreign faith of a stranger who has yet to prove the worth of his words."Before Dame could dignify his remarks with a reply, Born descended into the deep with a flip of his massive fin with the others following quickly behind. Having already been warned of what the Ancestors may say; he pushed Born's accusations to a remote area in the back of his mind. Somehow he felt his instincts had been correct. Slowly, he waded back to the ceremony just as it was signaled that his time had come. He waded toward the slim figure radiating all that was love and light and spiritually prepared himself for what he'd been convinced was right. With a snap of The Guide's long, bony fingers, the light rain sprinkling from above ceased. He held Dame firmly around the waist while he crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes.Soon, Dame thought, I will be cleansed of all wrongdoing. Change is necessary.
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