Virgil seemed happy. He shuffled from one room to another stoking the fire and preparing a hearty breakfast. He hummed a tune and bantered with the three explorers.
“Did you sleep well?” He asked.
“Very. We were up late last night.” Tiyana said.
Virgil smiled wide, “I apologize. I have not had company in many years and I got carried away in conversation. You have no idea how wonderful it feels to converse.”
“Glad to keep you company.” Hunter said. “So, what do we do now?”
“Training day.” Said Virgil.
“What kind of training?” Hongo asked.
Virgil smiled, “The training of the new Dahjaat, of course.”
“Have you done this before?” Tiyana asked.
“Dahjaat live so long that our memories from centuries ago begin to fade and we lose them. But, yes Tiyana Price, I believe that I have done it before. It should be like riding a bicycle. I am sure that I can still do it.” Virgil explained.
“Why can’t you just keep records?” Asked Tiyana.
“We can and we did, but they became lost in the typhoon.” He responded.
“The flood that wiped out humanity?” Hunter asked.
“It is more complicated than that, but yes, I am talking about the fate of the Aldenduenum.”
“Ok, so what about this training?” Tiyana put the conversation back on track.
Virgil smiled, “I have asked Hunter to join our tribe. There are things for him to learn. You all should watch.”
Virgil went on, “I am going now to prepare the training fields. They have, unfortunately, fallen into a state of disrepair. Please use my house as your own.” Virgil said. With that, he got up and left them.
“Rafiki Yangu, what mess have you gotten into now?” Hongo asked Hunter.
“Did you just call me your friend?” Hunter asked. “I’m flattered.”
• • •
As Hunter, Tiyana, Hongo, and Virgil hiked around the mountain, Virgil began singing. They could not understand the language, but each verse ended with a strong, guttural sound. They found themselves marching to the rhythmic beat and getting motivated to walk harder and faster with the forceful ending of each verse.
“Do not forget to enjoy the mountains. You can see the majesty of creation better here than anywhere.” Virgil said, after a pause in the lyrics.
“It is breathtaking.” Tiyana said.
“Let me try something in your language.” Virgil blurted.
With that, he burst into song again.
Sing a song and ring the gong,
Leave them wanting more,
Listen to the river’s throng,
Tip your troubadour,
Birds will sing, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp,
Whisper of the wood,
Frogs join in, burp, burp, burp, burp,
Your guide must be good,
Watch the mountain rise up high,
Journey not so hard,
Fearless look up to the sky,
With cheer from our bard,
Deer so fleet, hooves to the beat,
Stomping to the timbrel,
Amid the heat, hear the feat,
Of wandering minstrel,
Beat the path, and have a laugh,
Stray far from the herd,
Tonight we eat fatted calf,
Hear it from the bird.
“That’s great coach.” Hunter said with a hint of sarcasm.
“I suppose the end needs work.” Virgil admitted.
“How much farther?” Hunter asked.
“None. We have arrived.” Virgil replied.
The answer surprised Hunter. They did not seem to be anywhere. The mountain trail went on around the mountain. A steep, rocky cliff dropped down below them. Hunter could not imagine why they would want to arrive at this particular spot.
“Malmech!” Virgil commanded.
A large grey boulder in the side of the mountain began turning slowly around. The boulder had a cavity inside it, which the explorers all squeezed into.
“Fermech!” Virgil commanded.
With that, the rock turned again and they found themselves in a cave illuminated by luminous water. They continued their journey. After a couple hours of walking, they arrived in a large gymnasium-like room. Pillars and hoops sat at each end of a long, flat field.
“What are those for?” Hunter asked.
“Sports. What else? How do you think we occupy the time in the Kingdom?” Virgil replied.
“I dunno, I suppose I thought you all meditated and did yoga.” Hunter responded.
Virgil just laughed. “Let us start on the upper field. Come.”
They followed him to a wall-cavity where they all piled in.
“Malmech!”
The wall spun around and they found themselves looking out over a very large field of green grass. The rocky mountain wall sloped up on one side of the field. Bleachers had been carved out of the mountainside. On the other side, the ground dropped off and they could look out over the vast expanses of the Himalayas. Tall, marble, ionic columns sprung out of the ground spaced equidistant from each other. The middle of the field had a wide and round clearing.
“Please step into the clearing.” Virgil addressed Hunter. As Hunter began walking, Virgil added, “Oh and you will need this.”
Virgil handed Hunter a large robe.
“Hang it around your waist the way I showed you.”
Then he turned to address Tiyana and Hongo.
He gestured towards the bleachers and said, “You may watch from the stands.”
“Uh, Virgil, this robe is way too big. I can’t wear this thing.” Hunter said.
“Just fasten it as best as you can and get into that clearing.” Virgil responded.
Hunter walked past column after column. They all looked the same. When he reached the clearing, he stood in the center and waited. After a few moments, he looked around.
“Virgil? Hello? Let’s get this show on the road!” He called out in no particular direction.
“Hunter close your eyes.” Virgil’s voice sprung up from all around Hunter, echoing off of the columns. Hunter closed his eyes.
“Now turn your thoughts inward. Clear your mind. Think about thinking. Do not think about anything else.”
Hunter complied. He became impatient after a few short moments of this.
“Okay, I’m doing it. Hey Virgil! I’m doing it.” He said tersely.
“Relax Hunter, do not rush into this. Now, concentrate on your brow. Find the center of your energy there. Take a few deep breaths. Find this node. Concentrate.”
Hunter concentrated.
“Okay, now, you have found your third eye, the inner one, your mind’s eye. Use it to declopse. Many Dahjaat have unique abilities Hunter. We call them kebaac. The bulb in your forehead, the emerald eye, is yours. If you touch it, then it will pulsate and send off and receive waves of sound, much like sonar. You will not hear the sound, however, as it is infrasonic. As you do this, if you close your eyes and concentrate, you will see your surroundings, not in color, but in great detail. You will notice shapes and forms and you will not be limited by your line of sight. The sound waves will bounce off of everything and you will see it all. You will also process information in a new way. You will see trajectories of moving objects. You will be able to sense them. The normally unused recesses of your brain will activate and you will be able to catch projectiles, to calculate interactions between objects, or to watch life move by in slow motion. I want you to remember this and think about it, but for now, just take a deep breath and focus on your brow.”
Hunter continued to concentrate. He felt connected to something outside of himself. The connection gave him strength. He felt an immense pull. His spirit yanked, tugged, and tore at the atmosphere. He felt a deep vacuum inside his head. It appeared suddenly. It struggled to fill itself. He felt massive amounts of energy crashing like waves against the beach. He needed to immerse himself in just one of those waves. He continued to pull. His body shook. Eventually, he felt a pop, a release. Tension gave way. In an instant, the wave hurdled toward him unfettered by whatever bonds had held it at bay. As the beam hit him, he felt the connection lock. He felt full. He flexed his muscles reflexively. They were different, much different. His arms grew. His legs grew. His body exploded with cosmic energy. All of this happened in an instant. When it ended, Hunter opened his eyes. He looked at his hands and gasped.
“They’re huge.” Hunter said.
“Indeed, look.” Virgil answered.
Hunter’s gaze passed his open palms and he saw that the columns had shrunk. Everything had shrunk. His clothes lay in tatters on the ground around him. Only Virgil’s oversized robe covered his loins. Hunter stared again at his outstretched palms. Something seemed off.
“Ichor.” Virgil’s voice boomed.
“What?” Exclaimed Hunter.
“Ichor, the blood of the Dahjaat. That is what now flows through your veins. That explains the color.” Virgil explained.
“Oh.” Hunter mumbled absentmindedly.
Meanwhile, Tiyana was screaming, “Hunter! Hunter! Hunteeeeer! What happened? Are you okay?”
Hongo stood up abruptly. One moment, they had seen Hunter standing there concentrating. The next, they heard a loud reverberation. Tiyana and Hongo had looked up into the sky and seen ripples cascading out from a dark fissure in the upper atmosphere. Through the void, a burst of white light hurdled toward the earth. It looked like a tiny comet or meteor. It shot down towards the field. They saw a bright white flash. A powerful gust of wind assaulted them. Tiyana smelled ozone. It happened in an instant.
As the glare faded, Tiyana stopped screaming and stared. Where her husband had once stood, there now stood a giant. His hiking clothes lay strewn in tatters across the ground. His muscular physique was covered only by the robe that Virgil had given him. He had a small emerald bulb sticking from his forehead. She stared at him in awe.
“Wow.” Tiyana said.
“Will the wonders ever cease?” Said Hongo.