Time Bones

Pride (Story)

Pride (Story)
Pride


Pride is Satan's bribe to the most powerful.


Early on the third day the sun shone. The prowling cold winds of a fierce storm had been striding about the surface of the Great Mountain, whistling their aimless tunes of loneliness while poking themselves in and about the rocks, examining closely whatever was there. Then it seemed their examination of animate and inanimate objects gradually became uninteresting and they vanished to another part of the world. But in their impudent passing they left behind a cloudless, deep blue sky delicately reflecting itself in a brilliant world of white snow, broken only in starkness by the occasional black and grey barren rocks swept free of their white carpet.

The freezing wind, though causing the warriors to shiver with cold during the night, had rendered a benefit to them by blowing clear a smooth, wide ascending path. The men continued their journey soon as it was light, assured they would reach the legendary city where all the inhabitants were said to be kings and queens, and a mystical power existed capable of making a man ruler of all the earth and cause him to live forever.

Twenty warriors had begun the trek up the Great Mountain. They endured many hardships and dangers while following snow and ice covered ledges, some along the side of deep crevasses, where if one were to slip and fall they would be lost forever. But now the city could not be far away. They would soon know if the legend of an ancient race of people who once ruled the ancient world was true or not. The ten warriors would also learn if the other ten of their original group, who had decided to continue on during the storm in order to keep warm, had reached the city or froze along the way. The desire to conquer the unknown spurred these last ten starting out toward exerting themselves to climb faster.

By the middle of that day the group of men finally reached the walls of the city which had been lost to the living for so long. As they slowly approached a gateless, towering, black granite bulwark, it seemed as though a sentry somewhere above should challenge their presence. But everything was silent along its entire length, other than occasional drops of water falling from the top edge making a drip, drip noise as they splattered on the rocks below, sounding loud and out of place in the surrounding absolute stillness. Standing close together, the men feared the unknown expecting the unexpected. Could it be possible the ancient people were yet alive and living within these walls? If so, were they waiting to destroy their visitors by some strange power?

Walking slowly along the towering wall, keeping far enough away from its incriminating presence to feel safe from a surprise attack, they heard no noise other than an occasional distant drip of water and the continual crunching of snow beneath their feet. After turning the corner of the dark city wall they found a number of arch openings. They were small, just large enough for a single person to pass through, but they were closed, and the doors had no handles on them. The warriors did not try to force them open. No more than a ten minute walk beyond the last of these small doors was the tall, broad, main gate into the city, and it appeared to be wide open. The men remained in a tight group while standing in the center of the gateway, having once reached it, looking for any sign of life along the expansive avenue leading into the heart of the ancient city they had been searching for. Other than many small mounds of drifted snow scattered along the length of the broad main street, the city seemed in perfect order.

"Hello!" shouted the leader of the warriors. His voice echoed back and forth among the buildings as though seeking someone to acknowledge its passing presence. But everything was silent. There was no answer. After a moment the men, who had been holding their breath so they might catch the slightest returning sound, resumed their normal breathing.

Walking, spread out side by side, the group passed on through the gate. There were no footprints in the light dusting of snow that covered the street, but they wondered if in an enchanted city, that this meant anything. The eyes of the warriors gazed intently place to place, their weapons ready. Every form registered on their minds. Dark doorways were stared at intently, but not entered. Tops of the flat roof lines towering far above were scanned for any movement. Colonnades and statues of men, women and beasts were watched carefully. But the city was, as it appeared to be deserted.

One warrior, who glancing behind to see if they might be walking into a trap, suddenly toppled backward. He fell hard on the stone pavement, his drawn sword clattered on an unseen metal object in the drift of snow over which he had fallen. The loud clanging sound was quickly muffled as the broad blade sank into the drift.

"Hel...!" began the shout of the warrior as he fell backward, unable to catch his footing on the icy pavement. The part of his call for help being cut off as the breath was knocked out of him.

Immediately all eyes were fixed on the fallen comrade to determine the cause of alarm. Relief flooded their minds as they realized his cry had come from his tripping over one of the drifts of snow. The echo of alarm quickly passed and silence reigned once more. The city was empty.

Two men grabbed their fallen friend by his arms and lifted him to his feet. Another picked up his sword and kicked at the drift of snow his friend had tripped over. Yellow gold gleamed back at him in return, and a man's perfectly preserved arm was partially revealed, exposing a large, gold armlet around the upper muscle. The caution of silence turned into excitement as the clasp was opened and the heavy metal band taken off the frozen arm. Immediately the men began arguing about whose it was to be. Such a prize would make any of them wealthy when they returned home. Then they found the same fallen man had another exactly like it on the other arm. Then they discovered a massive gold chain with a ruby pendant about his neck. Those who grabbed the gold objects kept them, while others wondered how they could make those who had the treasure share it.

The warriors then began exploring the other mounds of drifted snow. These too were found to be fallen men and women dressed much as the first man had been. Each wore something of gold, and many gold items had precious gems embedded in them. Soon so much gold and gems had been gathered that the men were leaving behind anything but what they felt was the very best. Then it became too difficult for each man to carry his individual hoard of even the best treasure, so they began making separate piles, shouting to one another where their claim was. But after a time even the lure of gold and jewels became tiresome. They grew tired of taking gold from the dead, and adding more to their piles that were already too heavy to carry down the mountain.

One of the warriors noticed for the first time a building far down the street that appeared the tallest and grandest of all. They hurried in that direction, hoping to find greater treasures yet. As they approached the building they noted tall figures of lovely people exquisitely carved into the front wall in such manner their bodies seemed a part of the building itself. Some were carved so as to make it appear they were stepping directly out of the solid wall, while others were made to appear as though they were walking into it. Some of the figures had their hands in front of them while facing each other, as though gesturing while in the midst of earnest conversation, while many others had their heads turned, gazing toward two, tall, lovely maidens standing on either side of the tall doorway leading into the building. Each of these two maidens had the simple gesture of a slightly extended open hand, apparently beckoning all to enter. There was something about the design of the building itself, being intimately united with human form, that drew the mind and desire of each man toward the entrance ... something very pleasing and difficult to understand. The longer they considered why the simple gesture of the maidens who were standing partly in and out of the stone wall, each with her hand extended toward them so attracted their attention, the less they cared to know the reason and wondered what was inside.

Finally they decided to go up the broad steps together and explore its interior. When they reached the top, they saw in the light powdery snow many footprints! They could have been there for days or they could have been there for centuries. The warriors did not know the answer, but they did see that there were none leading back out! They took their weapons firmly in hand once more, and started slowly inward.

As they moved along the highly polished floor toward the interior, a fine mist of warm oil drifted over them all. It was so fine the warriors did not know they had been covered by it, but the immediate effect it had was to make each of them comfortably warm for the first time in many days. The mist had acted as an insulator against the cold for the first inhabitants for many centuries, and still served all who entered. They could not know it, but this same mysterious oil would also preserve their bodies from ever aging while in the cold. At one time it had even helped preserve the lives of those who once built and lived in this mysterious place. But whatever it was that changed that condition, it happened to them all, and that only which remained of this royal, beautiful people were preserved corpses.

Realizing they had suddenly grown warmer, yet not knowing the reason for it, the warriors accepted it as being part of the magic of the city and building. Focusing their attention upon that which was about them only, they moved slowly further into the interior. Passing through a vast archway they came to a place where they witnessed a beautiful, intense blue green light glowing brilliantly. Deflected sunlight coming in through a very large opening in the roof was focused into what looked like a huge block of emerald rock setting on a tall, black column of granite. The incoming light then became a single beam of pure radiance focused on something in the back distance of the huge, magnificent wedge shaped room where they now stood, all amazed at the focused and diffused brilliance of the light.

Relief work, some thirty feet in height, of handsome men and very beautiful women, everywhere adorned the walls. Even the ceiling was of the same kind of relief work, done so as to make it appear the entire interior of the vast room was of people stepping out of the walls, or magically suspended as part of the ceiling. The figures appeared to be directing all their attention to where the light was focused. The visual direction and frozen motion of every silent being also turned the warrior’s attention toward what it was the carved figures found so important. Awed by the excellent carvings and sublime beauty about them, the men moved slowly onward through the silence, seeing scattered about on the floor more corpses as had been outside. Later, while looking back along the wall to where they had entered, one warrior noticed, and pointed out to the others, how the images became smaller the further in they went. Also, the walls were drawing closer together, so the appearance to the warriors at present was that all the figures they had passed were of nearly one size.

Had they been more aware of what was before them, they would have noticed frozen corpses becoming more and more numerous as they moved further into the blue green interior. But death had now become common, and the prostrate bodies were unmoving, so they stepped over the lifeless forms without thinking of their presence.

Then, drawing near to the furthest end of the vast interior, one by one the men stopped as they approached two thrones raised on a black granite dais that were totally bathed in the single beam of light. On the thrones sat two motionless monarchs.

The queen, whose features were held in timeless perfection, showed beauty and grace as does a frozen flower. Long curling hair still fell in graceful lines about her shoulders from beneath her crown. Her head was tilted against the back of the high throne; her eyes were shut and chin slightly up. A hint of a smile could be seen at the corners of her lips, as though she had stopped what she was doing for a moment to meditate on a pleasant thought. The man sitting next to her, looking directly ahead through glazed, open eyes, was one of their warrior friends with whom they had begun their journey!

Had the men taken flight at that instant, they could have saved themselves, but they did not. The arresting beauty of the yet lovely queen and the radiant glory of the large thrones on the raised dais, and the beautiful jewel covered crowns the king and queen wore bewitched them. The stiff, frozen bodies of their other nine friends lying about the bottom of the dais were not even noticed.

It was the king that wore the crown who ruled this kingdom. He who had the crown would have more glory than any other king in the world. Though not spoken, every man there wished he could sit upon that throne and keep the crown, if just for a while. Here was a kingdom a warrior could have just for the taking. They would be surrounded by glory and riches beyond compare.

That man most used to giving into the prompting of greed first headed forward to take the king's crown. Another, instinctively knowing what he was after, grabbed his arm to hold him back, but the first lashed out at him with his already drawn sword. A close friend came to the wounded man's assistance while yet another moved up the dais steps toward the throne in order to grab the crown and the kingdom - but he was stopped also. Again and again this happened, each man determined to possess that which was so close to his grasp.

One of the ten finally stood alone, he also mortally wounded, but that did not trouble him. Struggling upward he made it to the top of the dais and then to the throne of the king. He leaned heavily against the side of the massive throne, then lifted the heavy crown from off the head of his former comrade and put it on his own head. He felt it was a perfect fit, but the weight was so great he had to stand very erect, and move slowly and carefully while he shoved his frozen friend off the throne, and then, heavily, sat down himself.

Now he was the lord of the most glorious kingdom in the world. Yes, he was king, and there shone the light. It was just for him. Even though beginning to wane in the lowering sun, it still shone wonderfully bright. He turned his head to look as his lovely queen bathed in the same brilliance. Her slightly upturned face and closed eyes were radiant with rapture at his being her new king.

Moments later his eyes shifted slowly toward the silent forms all about his throne. There were thousands of magnificent people coming out of the walls and ceiling, all looking directly at him, all reaching out toward him, expressing their admiration for him! While looking directly into the light he could see nothing but the light, but as soon as his line of sight traveled to the upper or outer edges of the vast room, he could see those of his kingdom. He was now their new sovereign. Oh, the glory of it all!

Within a few minutes, where his disposed friend had been looking when the young warriors had entered a short while ago, warm and alive, he now looked. His open eyes were glazed and sightless. The light no longer thrilled him with its excellence. Upon the brilliant glowing crown of the new king, as his queen, etched in a very ancient language he had never heard before, was a single word meaning "perfection". That same word in that ancient language also meant "pride".

posted by Bones of Time @ 9:00 AM