Tanith of Gold 11

Mustaq's judgement

“And now, Lord Michael,” Mustaq said, turning to Michael, “We have a matter to settle.” His air had become stiff and formal. ”This ship is my domain. On the seas I am absolute commander here, that is, before the King arrives.. I have pledged eternal obedience to his will and that is why I must finalise the matter of your killing three of my men.” Michael looked down at him, swamped by a sense of horror and weakness. His tongue stuck to his mouth and he could not speak. Tanith sensed his distress.

“But .....he was unarmed ..he fell down ... they tried to kill him!”

“My Lady Tanith, he picked up each man and threw him with such force against immovable, hard objects such as the wooden deck that every bone was crushed and he died instantly. What did they do to inspire such force, my Lord Michael?”

Michael felt the force of his words rush through his consciousness. He, the Magistrate, so proud of his laws, who has never injured anyone physically, let alone killed them, had, in an obliterating moment, taken three lives. He groaned aloud, “I will have to pay.” He felt a ripple of sickness rise up from his feet. Then, suddenly, the massive figure of Yousouf was next to him. He felt Yousouf lift him straight off his feet by bunching his clothing at the back and wrapping his massive right hand in it. He could feel his feet dangling. Then Yousouf smacked him firmly with his open left hand on the top of the head, the forehead, the chest and the diaphragm. He repeated this five times. Then he held Rowan's head steady with his vast left hand and shook Rowan with a curious oscillation, a slow rhythm followed by a very fast. There was a loud pop in Michael's hearing and as he was lowered gently onto his feet his vision cleared. With great clarity he spoke, “I will have to pay. I will have to pay.” He said the last to Tanith, whom he now saw as a golden goddess. He turned to Mustaq and saw a shining silver presence. He looked down at the men. They shone with invincible brilliance. As they looked up at him they with one accord bowed down on one knee. He was told afterwards that he had shone with a blinding blue light and a booming voice in their heads had commanded them to kneel. Mustaq placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke into his ear.

“I am now going to tell you many things in a short space of time. You may take years to remember what I say but the essence of what I say will guide your actions and prevent you from killing yourself with power. “

“This world is a small part of the existence created by our Supreme God. In His Wisdom He has created and sustains infinite levels of experience to hone his supreme achievement which is consciousness.

“Through our consciousness He can experience Himself.

“Through our senses He can perceive the beauty and complexity of his natural and spiritual world. Through our emotions He can feel the ebb and flow of human kindness.

“Through us He can feel love. But in His infinite wisdom He knows that all of creation is subject to flux, an unending flow of energy between poles.

'Without pain you cannot know ecstasy.

"Without Death you cannot know Life.

“And thus we use our many lives to purify ourselves with experiences until we accumulate great personal power which cannot be held within the bounds of a physical body. There are many great lords and ladies, gods and goddesses we might call  them, who have long since transcended the human frame. But they may be appointed to maintain the balance and lend their energy to a strong human.”

He paused and looked at Rowan sympathetically. “You may have lived your entire life as an illustrious Magistrate, had you not met Lady Tanith. Her power has been referred to in ancient legends. She is the catalyst which is sought by friend and foe. She effortlessly hauled you into her god state and nearly lost you there. She is innocent and yet violent, she has unthinkingly taken lives, but she has been spared any consequence for those lives. She is the great warrior goddess who has been glimpsed by men through the ages. She has no need to ally herself and she gives power freely. The mortal woman you love, is indivisible from the great force that inhabits her. She is not possessed, she is an incarnation.”

Mustaq's intensity wavered for a second as he gazed at the approaching ships. “The King approaches and I have to still give you a guideline because he brings with him wild forces.” He turned again to Michael, “You, my young friend, are still an enigma to me.  I suspect that you, like Tanith, are a true incarnation. But your spirit is slumbering still. Tanith has opened you dangerously wide. A little earlier you were imbued with massive strength. The God Loki was beside you and bolts of blue lightning in your eyes and at least one hardened soldier down there crapped in his pants. Wild power like that cannot be sustained and that is why you fainted.”

Michael felt a jolt of savage glee and he laughed with manic energy. The booming cackle froze everyone in their tracks. With unnerving speed Yousouf appeared next to Rowan and clapped him hard on his back. Michael stopped laughing immediately and Yousouf hugged him hard. While he was being held, Rowan felt a glow of warmth replacing the manic brilliance that had been occupying his being. Yousouf let go of him, the world in front of him shrank to normal size and he became aware of his hands clutching the smooth wood of the railing and the wind whipping at his hair. Mustaq stood by his side and touched the back of his neck. “What is happening to me, “ he muttered as he felt his stomach heaving. Mustaq motioned to Tanith who had been standing motionless, and to Yousouf. They linked hands around him and then, led by Mustaq, they started a soft chant and unlinking arms they smoothed and patted around him as if he was surrounded by an oval. Gradually his quivering stopped and in a moment he felt normal. Mustaq gently guided him to Tanith, “Hold him for a while.”

The world seemed to shimmer around Mustaq until with a simple gesture he pointed at the broken bodies of the Thessalonians and before Rowan’s eyes the bodies became whole and turned over in simple sleep. “The debt is expunged, Rowan,” intoned Mustaq.

Wordlessly they stood enfolded and watched the dark ships approaching. Tanith remained silent until Rowan whispered, “Who is Mustaq?” as he watched the small, bald-headed eunuch conferring with the giant man next to him. “And who is Yousouf?”

Tanith remained silent for moments until she said, “Yousouf is one of the  Eternal Warriors. They were created to preserve the balance. The gods cannot influence him. He has no light and yet he is not dark. He cannot be killed and yet he cannot kill. He can see our light - he can see any move you make before you carry it out. He has great power but only to preserve the balance. He did not allow the Mad God Loki to seize you just now.” She paused, looked down, and said softly, “My love, I could not help you. I could not even look at the God Loki in your eyes - I do not have the strength, and now I sense that they all want to claim me. I am born for a purpose and yet I do not know the purpose.” Her eyes filled with tears, “I know how to kill and I know how to love you.”

After a long moment she continued softly, “Mustaq is a Great Lord, a god. He chose to return and he made sure this time that he would not be overly disturbed by human chemicals so he made himself  a castrated man. The gods are omnipotent in their worlds but in this world they must follow the rules set by The Lord of the Realm. And all of them, all of the gods and goddesses and their worlds, live in the grace and glory of the Supreme Creator.”

She was interrupted by a shout from the sailors who were calling out challenges to the leading ship approaching. In answer the dark ship heeled about in the deep swells and a large flag was unfurled down its side. The sailors let out a great cry of exaltation for there was the flag of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies

Shortly a boat was put out with great skill into the waves and ten sailors rowed lustily to the side. As they were crossing Rowan felt alternating flutters of fear and joy as he glimpsed the silvery glint of his Emperor’s power and next to him a tall dark man around whose shoulders a vivid red flame would seem to erupt and as rapidly extinguish..

Rowan felt weak again and asked Tanith to help him back to the cabin. Once he was on the bed he lapsed into an immediate, heavy sleep. Tanith watched over him tenderly and then decided that he simply needed to recover from his recent experiences. She did not especially want to encounter El Pescatore but she needed to speak to the King and so she covered Michael with a cloak and left quietly. No sooner had she gone when the door opened noiselessly and a tall dark figure glided in and leaned over Michael. To an ordinary eye he was invisible in the darkness of the cabin but to anyone who could see his emanations there was a constant eruption of fire as quickly snuffed out. He leaned over as if sniffing at Michael’s head and his long fingers traced his head and shoulders. In a harsh whisper he exhaled, “Can this be …..” And in a moment he was gone.

Tanith had found the King surrounded by sailors eager for his attention as he recounted how they had caught up so quickly. His booming laugh followed him as he dismissed them and came up the stairs towards Mustaq’s cabin. He met her gaze as he bounded up. As always with him she felt the intensity of communication, but he said simply, “I can see you need to tell me much - join us now.” He nodded at someone behind her and Tanith was unnerved to find that the Count of Malta stood silently behind her.

They gathered in Mustaq’s cabin. The late afternoon sun shone through the shutters but Mustaq quickly had servants bustling around with lanterns and a meal was laid on the table around which they gathered on cushions. The servants were ushered out. With a masterful charm King Frederick kept a light patter of comments to make them all at home but as soon as the door closed behind the servants he fell silent while he gazed intently at all of them in turn. Tanith felt his deep calm descend on her and she had the strength to look directly at the Count. His face wore no expression and he seemed not to recognize her. His face was aquiline, beautifully balanced with a full, sensual mouth and strong jaw. His eyes were almost a disfigurement they were so startlingly mismatched - the left eye was small and brilliantly blue - the right eye was large with an impossibly dilated pupil, so the entire eye appeared black.

The King remained silent for a while and then said quietly, “Thus the forces are gathering. I think we must reveal ourselves before we go any further. He stood up and moved closer to Mustaq and with  a bow said, “Lord will you show yourself - not too brightly.”

Mustaq inclined his head and Tanith saw a beautiful boy, glowing and resplendent, with a beatific smile and glowing brown eyes. Those eyes drew her in to reveal worlds without end, countless beings, mountains and oceans.

“Lord of many realms, he has the power to create worlds of his own and yet even he is following the immutable law and he returns to aid us.”

Frederick moved towards Yousouf. “Here is our indestructible warrior, answering only to Lord of this Realm. He has no other shape of form - he is who he is.”

He moved in front of Tanith with a slight smile, “And how will you show yourself, Lady Warrior.?” Tanith was wordless and overawed and cast her eyes down in confusion. Frederick smiled, “Your time to reveal will come soon.”

In front of Count Malta he paused, “Enrico ?” The response made Tanith gasp with fright as two serpents appeared, locked in battle, one burnished gold and the other glossy black, to be swiftly replaced with a rippling column of fire being consumed by black smoke. “Enrico is the ever-present paradox of power, destruction and creation, ever-threatening each the other.”

“And, I, ” Frederick glinted pure silver for a few seconds, until he continued quietly , “I am a Bearer of Light, a custodian for knowledge in the present, given some insight of the eternal play between light and dark. It is my role to bring together and lead some of the mortal and immortal forces in one of the battlefields. Our only power is that of knowledge. The Lord of this Realm will expel any of us who attempt to use powers beyond human perception. All we can do is advise and influence. All of us, except Yousouf, were born on this Earth and are subject to its laws. If we break those rules we are forced to suffer.”

Discover more