The eagles opened their massive wings and took off with a whoosh, and suddenly the chariot was rising into the air, soaring towards the green cone shaped hill in the distance. The white winged escort flew on either side of them, and below them, hundreds and thousands of Kumarians rose from their houses and followed in their wake. They landed on a wide grassy sward and dismounted. The Aiglon led her up to the brow of the hill. It was quite a steep climb and she was out of breath when they reached the top.
They turned to face the valley and Venus saw that the Kumarians settled on its slopes like a huge flock of white birds, hundreds of tawny coloured faces upturned towards her. She looked at Pluto and Skye, who stood behind her. They nodded encouragingly. A great hush fell over the valley.
The Aiglon inclined his feathered head. ‘You may speak to the multitude now.’
She wondered what on earth she was going to say and cleared her throat. ‘Okay’ she began. ‘Just listen to me. Listen to reason. This planet is in danger. Really it is. The Chags have come back and they’re taking over again. Honestly – I’ve seen them, I’ve seen their Beasts of War. They’re not funny. And their priests, defenders of the faith, total mingers they are, not a pretty sight. You do not want to mess with them. They’re spreading this horrible religion, a religion of hate, forcing everyone to worship this Tyranog bloke, a Holy Emperor. I’ve seen his statue in Amrylla, your fallen capital, and that’s not easy on the eye either…..’ She shuddered as she remembered the crocodilian face and jowls and the piercing hooded yellow eyes. She had their attention now. ‘So at some point you’re all going to have to join forces with Queen Andromeda and fight the Chagrinians. Because you know they will come here eventually don’t you? However hidden away, no place will be safe from them. They have this awesome technology, and they will search and destroy every corner of this world, conquer the whole planet!’
‘What is this madness of which she speaks?’ spluttered one man. ‘The Chagrinians are extinct!’
‘She’s telling the truth you noodles!’ said Skye hotly. ’They really are back. You’ve all led very sheltered lives here, cut off from the rest of the world, haven’t you?’
‘Normally we have no need of other people,’ said The Aiglon pompously.
‘Well you do now,’ said Venus. ‘If you just sit here in your comfort zone, disaster will invade your valley. Cos they’ll come here, believe me. I’m meant to be bringing peace to you all, uniting the scattered tribes in adversity. So join me in my mission. Help me.’
Suddenly a woman flew up the slope and landed in front of Venus, dragging two young women with her. They were squabbling and struggling to get away from her, their wings flapping like birds trapped in a greenhouse. ‘If you’re who you say you are, can you settle the dispute between my daughters? They have been driving me mad, fighting over the size of their caves all year.’
Venus recognised them as the two girls from the catfight in the sky above the gorge. The girls glared at each other as they tried to break free of their mother’s grasp.
‘Scrag end!’ spat one.
‘Boss eyed sniggbag!’ hissed the other.
‘That’s if you can understand a word they’re saying to each other,’ sighed the Mother.
On closer inspection Venus saw they had painted fingernails like bird talons and their golden dreadlocks were woven with coloured threads and beads. Their faces were painted with stripes and patterns and they were dripping with Kumarian bling.
‘Okay, so what’s your problem, girls? ’
‘She’s stolen my cave!’ said one of them. ‘But I’m the older one!’
‘I saw it first!’ said the other one.
The mother spread her hands in despair. ‘This is how our spaces in our homes are assigned. Whoever flies in first gets the first choice. Zena is the younger but she got there first.. and Zeta got second choice.
‘She pushed me out of the way!’ cried Zeta.
‘No I was there first you slow witted slugbag!’ sneered Zena.
‘I have offered to give Zeta my cave, which is bigger than Zena’s, but she won’t listen. She wants Zena’s cave. And Zena refuses to hand it over. They are beyond reason.’
Venus grabbed both girls by the shoulders. ‘Okay, listen you two. None of this matters, because if the Chags come you won’t have a cave each any more, you won’t even have a home. You’ll probably be taken prisoner – or even worse, put to death.’
She kept staring at the two girls and they looked back at her, chastened by her words. ‘Come on girls, life’s too short for fighting. There’s a much bigger enemy out there.’ There was a silence as the two girls glared mutinously at each other, arms folded. After a few minutes, they relented and moved forward to hug each other. Then they hugged Venus, all their beads and feathers jangling.
The crowd clapped and cheered at the reconciliation. Venus turned to them. ‘That was the Gospel of Peace, according to Venus Matthews! And I suggest you all stop being so anti social and cutting yourself off from the rest of the world. I need you all to join the Nimrovian Popular Front and work together with other tribes to fight the tyranny of the Chagrinian occupation and bring peace back to this planet! United we stand divided we fall!‘
As she spoke, the Staff began to vibrate and hum. Suddenly it flew out her hand into the air and span round like cheerleader’s baton, twirling in the air. Then it landed in the ground a few feet away with a resounding thud. A huge gasp of wonder went up from the Kumarians.
‘A sign from the Deities!’ cried the Aiglon. ‘She speaks the truth! She is indeed Sunev the Holy One! The Wise One! She has spoken a Sermon of Truth on the Green Mount of Wisdom.’
Everyone sank to their knees in attitudes of great reverence and began chanting.
Venus groaned. ‘Oh God, here we go again. For heaven’s sake get up everyone!’ she cried. ‘And stop all this worshipping nonsense! We haven’t got time for it! I need practical help and support, not a load of silly chanting.’ She stopped in mid speech. ‘Hang on a minute, did someone just call this hill the Green Mount of Wisdom?’
‘Yes Serenity,’ said the Aiglon, bowing. ‘It is a hallowed place, where sermons are preached by our own priests.’ He indicated a row of black robed Kumarians in special feathered headdresses. Pluto eyed them suspiciously.
The Green Mount of Wisdom. One of the first stones she had to collect was the Greenstone of Wisdom. There had to be a connection. ‘Is there by any chance a temple to my former incarnation Sunev, around here?’
‘Yes Serenity. You are standing on it right now. Xenophobia’s Holy Temple of Sunev is right underneath this mount, inside the hill. It is called the Temple of Wisdom. It contains great treasure, one the Grailstones.’
‘For heaven’s sake why didn’t you tell me before? Can you please take me there?’
CHAPTER TWELVE - The Green Mount of Wisdom
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