The Guardians of Celesk

Act 2 - Chapter 19: Seasons of Transcendence

Act 2

Parenthood was the great adventure. Each step along the way could resemble that of a quest: it had great trials and tribulations, excitement, terror, joy, monotony. It became the journey of contrasts, and it would outlast and outpace any vocation. Artreide thought about all this as he watched Chenari fetch the water, mimicking her father.

First it began with the plodding steps of an energetic toddler, her calf muscles flexing as they learned to grow; the awkward shuffles as she became a little girl and suddenly the buckets grew smaller in contrast. She evolved from throwing tantrums as she lumbered up each step, (his patience a virtue as he reminded her that the water was necessary) to that of the inquisitive child with the everlasting hunger for knowledge. It was the way of their life.

Even as an infant she would verbally express her frustration in compound sentences. At times it was difficult to reprimand her when she would voice her frustrations with humour. Bohina was another guide on this journey, a complex mother to suit the times and a rock for Artreide's fears.

Artreide continued to observe her preliminary training, she was the citizen of life as she meandered through the garden and helped work the scythe. She was growing taller and evolving above the tall grass, her blade held downwards as she cut through the wild stalks, replicating Artreide and Bohina's rhythm as they prepared for another harvest. Each area would have its designation: A spot for harvest, a place for training. At the time she didn't fully realise that this groundwork was the foundation for all her preparation. Even the washing and drying of clothes became an act of combat as both Bohina and Artreide showed her how to hang the clothes properly. Stretching the wringing wet sleeves in a fluid motion and hanging them as a head to shoulders block before aligning the pegs.

They both looked ahead to the moment that the great revelation would be discovered by her: that everything in life was the inner way, that every act was preparation and that each step was another link to the all-consuming harmony of their existence. With each season she would continue to grow right in front of their eyes, A long autumn of evolving knowledge to a short winter of doubt and nightmares as the imagination grew. The spring of vitality as she worked every practical skill and harnessed her craft- both of combat and learning. The short summer was for her impatience to mature and to rival her parents in both the Erto-en and the Varasz. She did not quite fully comprehend the power of meditation to sculpt the mind, but as a little girl she appreciated the sounds around her, and for once an empty mind.

As season blurred by, harvests were seeded, grown, and consumed as she continued to grow taller. Name and life days were quite perplexing for her parents. They decided to use that fateful day in which they discovered her as her official day of celebration. Normally this would symbolise a journey around the sun for most children but in her case, she was growing at roughly four times their speed. It what would seem like only two years around their sun, she was already a precocious child and had the maturity of an eight-year-old. She was finally ready for her first proper lesson but first they needed to celebrate with what they called her penultimate life day.

He poured water on the top of her head, splashing it over her face and letting it drench over her head and neck.

"Time to rise, sunflower."

"I am awake...enough, enough."

He smiled. "Your training starts today."

"Can we start with breakfast?"

"Breakfast will come later, but first we need water."

He led her up to the steps, her legs had grown much longer than when she was a baby, but they still had more room to grow. He had four buckets arranged in front of them with two staffs aligning them. She picked up the staff and started twirling it around. He reflexively grabbed it from her.