The Old One Awakens
by CJG1988
Quinn peeked cautiously from around a fig-tree as his grandmother tended the odd spiky plants of her garden. His face was hidden from the full-spectrum light cast from high above as he crouched down to stalk. Slowly he crept closer trying to surprise her, but she was one of their most revered elders for good reason. Her connection to their home had always been the strongest of their village and as such, Quinn was still yet to get the jump on her.
"I can feel you back there, little one," Isadora cooed over her shoulder as she stood up.
"No fair!" Quinn squealed as he shot up from his hiding place. "You always hear me comin', Izzy," he sulked as he closed the gap. Isadora turned to her seventeenth grandchild, now just over twelve cycles old, with a warm smile to greet him.
"No dear, not with my ears, but with my bones," she corrected with narrow eyes.
Quinn rolled his young eyes. "You always say that, Izzy, but it makes no sense!" he snapped, screwing his face up. Isadora chuckled as she extended her left arm to coax him over.
"Now, now. You will understand in time, young one. For now, come here and give me a cuddle."
"Okay," he smiled. After a warm embrace, Quinn looked up with his adoring eyes, "Izzy, which is your favourite spiky plant?"
Isadora giggled. "Cacti dear, they are called cacti. And, I can't really say I have a favourite, but if I must..." Quinn nodded with gusto to imply it was indeed a matter of fact. "Alright, I'll pick this one," she smiled as she pointed to a cactus at her right.
"What's it called?" Quinn asked.
"Golden torch," she smiled.
"That's a funny name," hummed Quinn whilst deep in thought. "Should be a spiky torch," he laughed.
"But, they are all spiky, Dear," replied Isadora with a giggled. "Tell me Quinn, where is your father today?"
Quinn scrunched his face. "He went after that boar herd that ate some of our veggies last night. He took all my brothers but said I was still too little," he sulked.
"It can be dangerous for little ones outside of the villages, Quinn. You still haven't undergone your awakening ritual yet," explained Isadora.
"That's what Father says too, but it feels like forever waiting," he sighed.
Isadora smiled. "Not long now, Dear. That's why I wanted to speak with your father. I've nearly finished carving the bone for your ajna."
Quinn's face lit up. "Really? Can I see? Please, Izzy. Can I? Can I?"
Isadora held out her hand with a heartwarming smile and led Quinn inside her home. She sat him down as she poured some tea and then produced a small ornate box carved of bone.
Quinn reached out taking the box and opened it gently. Inside, he found his nearly complete ajna bone piece. His eyes widened in horror as he picked it up.
"Why is this end so sharp?" he asked holding it up in dismay.
Isadora's sweet face turned rather cold as she looked him straight in the eye. "We don't glue them on silly."
Quinn's gaze returned to his unfinished ornament, then back to Isadora's very own that adorned her forehead. He continued to roll it around his fingers, observing the unique details his grandmother had put into the face of the piece. But as he turned it over again to see the 4mm spike that protruded from the back once more, he winced at the thought of having it bestowed upon him.
"Maybe I'm not ready yet after all," he whimpered softly.
Isadora sat down at her table with him and reached out to put her hand over his. "I won't lie, it will hurt. But the pain only lasts for a moment, once the bond is made, you will understand why it is so important."
"You always talk in such riddles, Izzy," he pouted. "But, why is this bone so special?" asked Quinn deflated.
"Well, Dear. Long ago, when our ancestors first found this colossal being, they thought it long dead."
"So, our home is alive?" he asked puzzled.
Isadora tilted her head with pursed lips. "Don't interrupt and I'll explain it."
"Sorry, Grandma," he smiled sheepishly.
Isadora continued. "When they came in their ships, they thought they had found a good place to build a penal colony, a prison for bad people of sorts." Quinn looked troubled. "That's right, Dear. But, generations ago there was mutiny and the prisoners, uh, mixed with their overseers and they together became our ancestors. When the fighting started, the systems that were in place to keep our home near its star were broken and our home began to drift far away. They no doubt tried to look for us, but it was so long ago, they probably gave up searching hundreds of years back."
Quinn's focus was fixed on his Grandmother's every last word. As she drew her next breath, he slowly raised his hand with a question. She nodded to permit him to speak.
"I sorta knew some of that already, but then, what is this place really?"
"I can't say for sure what it is, no one can. But it is an ancient creature, perhaps as old as the stars themselves. And it most certainly is still alive, my Dear."
"How do you know if you have never seen it from the outside?"
Isadora winked. "That, you will only understand once you undergo your awakening ritual. Once you have your ajna bone, you will be able to feel its spirit within you."
"But how, Izzy?" he asked impatiently. "How does stabbing our heads with a piece of its bone make us feel it?"
"That, I cannot fully explain. Something about the properties of this bone make it very special. Our ancestors knew as much, also, which is why they harvested so much from the walls. They discovered quickly, that the sacred bone of the creature was able to both transfer and store power. It is almost like a type of metal in the way it reacts to energy. But, there's more..."
"Whoa, really?" he gasped.
"Indeed, my Dear. But that can wait for another day, your father is looking for you."
"Oh wow, can you feel him in your bones?"
Isadora chuckled. "Always, but I spotted him through the window, he's entering the garden now."
Quinn rolled his eyes and tried not to smirk.
"Knock knock!" came his father's voice as he entered the dwelling. "Good day, Mother," he smiled as he approached them and Isadora nodded to her son with a sweet smile. Quinn studied his father's body carefully for fresh cuts and grazes from his hunt. "There you are, my boy. I've been looking for you."
"You have, Father?"
"Of course! We'll be breaking down a boar for dinner and you need the practice. What's this?" he paused looking down at the carved box on the table. "His jewel for the ritual? Is it ready Mother?" he asked excitedly.
Isadora took another sip of her tea before placing the cup down gently. "Almost, my dear Malin. Just need to mark a few more details and polish."
Malin reached out and Quinn handed him his ajna carving to inspect closely.
"It's beautiful, Mother," noted Malin. "Not so dissimilar from my own, if I'm not mistaken," he smirked playfully, drawing Quinn's eye to the carving upon his father's forehead.
"Why, thank you," she smiled.
"I fear one day, your hands may not be as steady, Mother. It will be a sad day when you finally pass that torch," Malin confessed.
"Oh, stop it Malin!" she snapped back. "I'm not ancient, yet! It's just a few more grey hairs."
"Mother, you say that every cycle," chuckled Malin.
"Ha! I've another hundred cycles left at least. I'm like a tree. My leaves might change colour, but my roots are the same," she hissed.
Yes, you're right. My apologies, Mother," her son bowed slightly. Then he turned to Quinn. "Well, Lad. We best be off," he said as he placed the carving back into its box.
"Yes, Father," answered Quinn as he shot up from his seat. He stepped around the table to kiss his grandmother goodbye, then he and his father left for their own home.
***
A month later, Quinn was delighted to learn that Isadora had finished his ajna carving and was ready for him to undergo the ritual. Quinn and his entire family set off from their village and headed toward the great creature's mouth. Quinn was still unsure as to how such a being could even be alive, when its entire inside was one immense cavity devoid of any organs, nothing but petrified flesh and bone.
After almost a full days worth of a trek, they made camp and rested for the evening. The original lighting system in place was still functioning for the most part throughout the entire vast cavern. A good third of the light emitting diodes were still running for the day light hours phase. Attached directly to the internal skeletal superstructure, the lighting drew power from an unknown source initially. That was, until the creature's brain was discovered. Nearing the end of their journey, they entered a stairwell carved straight into the bone besides them. Quinn ran his fingertips along the wall as they climbed, his mind racing as he felt every minute bump and ridge in the bone left from the cutting tools. They climbed for what seemed like hours to Quinn until his leg muscles burned. Finally, a strange light illuminated the corner up ahead.
As Quinn stepped out into the chamber he was surprised to find it was quite large, at least enough room to squeeze in a hundred or so people, shoulder to shoulder. There it sat centre-stage, an immense opal like gemstone the size of a house, protruded a meter up from the bone of the floor. It was the source of light that flooded every square centimetre of the chamber. Quinn was mesmerised by the shimmering light that bathed him. He moved his hands through it trying to decipher which colour it was but couldn't make up his mind. The light appeared both clear and of all colours simultaneously, and that was when he noticed them. His entire family stood in silence watching him as their ajna carvings each shone as brightly as the gargantuan gem itself.
"Whoa..." he muttered to himself, completely dumbfounded by the beautiful sight before him. "What is that Grandma?"
"This, my Dear, is our most sacred of places, and that is what we believe to be the great creature's brain. It is was powers all that we have and rely on, though I still do not understand how," she admitted cautiously.
"It's so beautiful," Quinn remarked.
Isadora stepped forward, her carving shone the brightest of them all it seemed, and in her hands was the carved box Quinn was waiting to see. She smiled and opened it towards Quinn. He reached in to claim his prize and took a brief moment to examine it closely. It certainly had more detail to the engraving than when he had first seen it. It was simply beautiful, and he agreed, it did look similar to his father's and that made him smile.
"Are you ready, Dear?" asked his Grandmother in a soft voice as Quinn handed her the carving. The sound of her speech was amplified by the shape of the chamber. Quinn nodded fiercely and then his mother and father stepped forward.
Without a word, they proceeded to gently lay him down and each pin an arm and a leg in place with their own body-weight. His mother on his left side, his father to his right, and then Isadora crouched down above his head just out of view.
Isadora lifted her arms up in a open gesture as the remainder of the family began to chant softly. Without warning, a cylindrical spring-loaded contraption of wood and bone was placed upon Quinn's forehead and Isadora squeezed the trigger. The device released its stored energy and drove the carving into Quinn's forehead with and immense crack.
Quinn feinted instantly. He awoke moments later being cradled in his mother's lap, whilst Isadora fanned him slightly with her hand.
"I-is it over?" he mumbled whilst his eyes strained to focus. Isadora nodded with a proud smile. "Did it work?"
"You tell me, Dear. Can you feel anything?" she asked.
Quinn sat up and blinked forcefully, he had a slight headache but otherwise felt fine. He reached up and gently ran his fingertips over his new addition, it sent a shiver down his spine, causing him to shake his head like a dog. He felt it odd there was no pain at the site, nor blood for that matter. Quinn then took a few slow deep breaths, lowering his heart-rate as he tried to relax. He concentrated on all his Grandmother and parents had told him throughout his life and suddenly, he felt something. A wave of emotions rolled over him all at once, he felt happy, angry, sad, and scared all at once. He felt like he was going to pass out until it all left him in an instant. He watched as his entire family exchanged glances of happiness and satisfaction while hugging each other, all remaining mute or to otherwise drown out Quinn's concentration. Isadora produced a small mirror bordered with a bone frame and beautifully intricate handle. Quinn held it up to see for himself. His forehead carving too, was glowing like the others.
"I feel it!" he announced with glee. "I can feel all of you!"
"Quinn," Isadora began. "Close your eyes and concentrate, which feeling is the strongest?"
Quinn did as instructed and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed as he entered a trance like state. Rather than a particular emotion, of which the chamber was brimming with, he felt the most overwhelming pull towards the protruding node in the centre of the space. His eyes opened and in silence he approached the glowing centrepiece.
"You feel it now, don't you? The spirit that resides within our home," hummed Isadora.
"I can, I feel it all around me, but how? How is this possible?" Quinn asked of his grandmother without turning back, his gaze fixed upon the gem that protruded from the bone.
"You have given life to the bone, Quinn," his mother answered. "The carving has fused with your own bone and it is now a part of you. Your ajna carving has reanimated into living tissue and that is how the bond forms."
Quinn turned back to face his family, his face contorting as he pondered the new information. "What would happen if we were to give living tissue to that?" he asked pointing back over his shoulder.
The cavern erupted into a flurry of whispers and murmurs as his family began to speculate with each other.
"Why ever do you ask, Dear?" responded Isadora.
"I, I'm not entirely sure. But I feel it is what the great one wants of me." Quinn walked back over stopping before Malin. "Father, may I borrow your blade, please?"
Malin hesitated, he looked to his mother. Isadora remained silent, offering only a subtle nod. With uncertainty still plastered across his face, Malin drew his blade and offered the hilt to Quinn.
"Thank you, Father," nodded Quin before walking back to the centre of the chamber. He stood before the immense gem, noticing that Isadora had remained at his side. Quinn reached out over the gem and took a deep breath as he slit open his left palm. He winced from the pain, clenching his fist tightly as a few droplets of blood dripped down onto the opal. He could hear the sound of each drop landing as the chamber went eerily silent, they were all holding their breath in anticipation. Quinn opened and closed his hand a few times, allowing more blood to drip. His face lit up as he watched the mesmerising spectacle before him. As if it were a sponge, the blood disappeared, soaking into the tissue of the gem, leaving no trace as if it had been wiped clean.
A tense moment passed, and slowly sounds began to catch Quinn's attention as his family members each began to draw breath again. Then, the very ground began to tremor. A few lost their footing, stumbling over as their home continued to vibrate. The light from the gem grew in intensity as did their own carvings.
" I knew it! Something's happening!" declared Quinn in triumph. Suddenly, his head began swimming with emotion. His eyes began to water, he wiped away his tears then noticed that his family were all experiencing the same overwhelming sensation.
"Quinn! Your eyes!" gasped Isadora.
Quinn turned to Isadora. "Izzy! Your eyes are glowing!" he shrieked. But then, as Quinn looked around him he noticed that all their eyes were glowing, giving off the same beautiful kaleidoscope of colours like their carvings and the opal centrepiece. The brightness grew in intensity as light began to emanate from all surfaces within the chamber until Quinn could no longer see.
The rumbling slowed until finally, all was still. Quinn reached out clasping his grandmother's hand and together that sat down as the light became complete darkness in an instant. Suddenly, they lurched backward with tremendous force as a great roar filled their minds for five or so seconds.
Quinn rubbed his eyes with his left hand, but still, there was nothing. A tense moment passed and Quinn squeezed Isadora's hand tightly as she returned the gesture. At last, a single speck of light appeared within the darkness, then another, and few more until eventually there were billions of twinkling lights spread throughout the vast darkness. The ground again shook and the great creature roared once more. Then the many lights began to blur in a vortex as the ancient creature passed through the doorway it had created.