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Another day of guarding the bridge. The concrete box I keep watch from isn’t as comfy as my cabin. In theory, I could fulfill all my duties from there. But having some sort of routine helps with boredom. And I’m not entirely alone in here.
“DUCK!” - a voice yells out in beast language.
Magic lets you do interesting things. Hearing and understanding things our pets would wish to tell us is one of them.
Looking around with my binoculars I soon find my dog along the riverbank. Legion is playing with ducks as usual. Or hunting them. It’s hard to tell. It is much easier to tell when his godly namesake speaks through him.
The striped boxer dog with dark fur locks his eyes onto one of the birds. The optical organ darkens as if clouded by a black fog. With movement faster than natural, Legion swipes one of the ducks with its paw. Claws of normal dogs aren’t sharp. Normal dogs also aren’t strong enough to incur serious wound with just one slap.
Legion isn’t a normal dog.
His dark paw rotates the duck’s neck, its whole body limply flying into the air as Legion catches it in his mouth. The rest of the fowl have already fled the surroundings from this apex predator.
Rejoicing at his victory, Legion runs up to my box, laying down his catch at my feet.
“Your diet could use some white meat Lynx.” - a voice of a different tone comes out of Legion’s mouth.
“Thanks Legion. Could you please return my dog now?”
The dog nods his head in agreement. A clearly human gesture. Right after, his eyes return to normal and he starts wagging his tail. Dog Legion and God Legion both inhabit the same body in harmony. I’m not sure why both of my pets caught the Gods attention. Probably shouldn’t have named them after actual Gods which we venerate.
“Harrrrrderrr mrrroortal~” - another animalistic voice gives me orders from my desk. My cat, Bastet. She often jumps onto my desk demanding to be pampered and massaged. She’s starting to show signs of her aging – many of her muscles are tense and hard so she spends much more time resting, sleeping and demanding my attention than other cats.
She too inhabits a God, likewise named Bastet… though cat’s view of humans isn’t that much different than that of an ancient, slightly arrogant God.
Following her orders i add strength to my massage. My fingers move from her black neck, through her white back and right down to the beginning sections of her tail.
„Yourrrrr talents arrrrre wasted on being a guard, Lynx” – she purrs out, satisfied.
„Unfortunately, The Garden doesn’t have job opportunities for cat massagists.”
My response seems to offend the cat Goddess. She stands up from her curled position, her tail swaying back and forth in disapproval.
„The Garden… a pitiful backyard surrounded by a wall of water. You sit on its precipice, guarding this dumb bridge day after day and never wanting to step out and see outside its borders… You would make for a pretty bad cat.”
I am not sure how to respond. Bastet, even as a Goddess, has some rebellious tendencies. Still, The Garden is our home. An island connected to the outside world with this single bridge. The bridge which i have guarded for years. The outside world is tainted… a disgusting work of Saklas – The Blind Idiot God, Demiurge of this reality. Reverends taught us since childhood that we must fight against him. That one day, all of us will join the Holy Army of our Lady Gaia.
„Are you not on Gaia’s side?” - i ask Bastet, making secret holy gestures meant to ensure the spirit respond would be the same as the one i query – in this case, the rebellious cat Goddess.
„I am, I am. But all mothers need to one day let their kittens leave the nest. This vessel through which i speak did so already with two litters… But Gaia is young and covetous – she hasn’t learned in her short thousand years, how to treat her children.”
I wanted to ask the Goddess many questions. I had one pleasant encounter with a man from the outside. The Garden treated him like a necessary evil. He treated contact with me as a pleasant change of pace. We had to cooperate with him because of an infestation of magical monsters in a nearby forest. As a government agent on the case, he took me with him as a guide and exchanged small talk. Still remember his name – Jack Torvalds. He was not the hateful, ugly man of a tainted world portrayed by Reverends in their speeches. I don’t know the age or motivations of our Lady Gaia, but her clergy clearly doesn’t paint an accurate picture… and she did take from us many of our children.
„Car! Loud strangers! Back to work!” - my dog’s voice stops my rampaging thoughts.
Even when I'm fully aware, Legion often senses people and animals faster than me.
Exiting the box i grab my hunting rifle. People from the Demiurge’s world turn around quickly when faced with a gun.
Soon after that, a car emerges from the forest. Loud music without voices buzzes and screeches from inside of the vehicle. Even its windows seem to pulse to the rhythm of the strange hymns these people seem to find enjoyable.
Seeing me standing in the center of the bridge, they stop but don’t turn off the engine nor the music.
It might be hard for them to hear me. But i will make them.
I take a deep breath, concentrating on the flow of my magical energies. Gathering a sizable portion in my throat, i point the gun at the strangers and shout out a standard warning
„This is private property. Stay back. In accordance with the laws of United States of America we will use all means on our disposal to defend ourselves, our land and our property!”
The magical energies flow out with my voice, enhancing their volume, way over the output of their voiceless music. But i seem to have taken it a bit too far.
For a few seconds, both I and the strangers just sit there, listening to the vast echo of my magical shout… a shout that seems to have created a few cracks in their windshield.
Effect is easy to predict. The music stops playing. Wheels of their car turn the vehicle around in a rushed maneuver, running back to the outside world like a startled deer.
„I overdid it… Legion, Bastet – how are your ears?”
„You are a bad orator.” - responds Legion
„I had lovers who yelled more pleasantly.” - hisses out Bastet.
„Sorry… I better contact The Garden.”
Petting Legion on my way back, i quickly return to the guardbox. I hide my gun, turn on the radio and am immediately greeted by a response from the other side.
„Lynx, are you there?” - voice of the old driver slightly distorted by an electronic hum is calling out to me with clear worry.
„Lynx here. Copy.”
„What was all that noise? Most animals and youkai in The Garden heard it. Something like minced pieces of words…”
Damn. I can’t see the garden from here. I’m surprised i didn’t damage anyone’s hearing with this spell… then again, magic is all about breaking the laws binding us in this rotten world.
„I uhhh… tried a focused, magically enhanced shout to scare off some outsiders. But i probably overdid it – broke the windows in their car as they ran away.”
For a moment, i only get silence in response. I don’t know if Juniper disconnected or if he’s just sitting there in mute disapproval. Juniper the driver, also called the Wagonmaster or Charioteer by the Reverends, is my only contact with The Garden. The Reverends prefer to minimize contact with the outside world. It’s better for the Garden if as few people as possible stay in contact with that which is tainted by the Demiurge.
Our work is necessary, yet leaves us open to corrupting influences by Saklas. I guard the bridge, Juniper trades with the outside when needed, bringing me supplies on the way. He was one of the founders of our cult and The Reverends trust him enough to let him live right next to them. I still have to work to reach this level of respect. But I'm not in a rush – my life on this bridge provides me with all that i need.
„You need more training Lynx. You’ve got huge potential, but you seem to have trouble making weaker spells. Overdoing it can lead to tragedy.” - Juniper finally responded. His criticism makes sense… but training without a teacher doesn’t have the same effects.
„The Garden probably wouldn’t want me to be in contact with Reverend Mages…”
The Wagonmaster sighs in response. I remember my last visit to The Garden. I was greeted by a mix of curiosity and fear by my fellow Gaians. Some even shown disgust. Reverends assigned this job to me based on an evaluation of my character and abilities… but seemed to shun me regardless. I couldn’t even sit next to Juniper doing the ceremony. I wanted to be close to him – an elder like him must have felt saddened during his grandchild’s ascension… Barely twelve years old, and she’s already been called by the heavens. To fight in some bizarre, alien world alongside Gods at that age… I can’t imagine it.
„I’ll be delivering you goods tomorrow. If you need something then contact me, even at night or in early morning… Solitude is poison for the soul.”
He disconnected. For a moment, it sounded like he was talking about himself. Surprisingly i don’t feel lonely here. I never had much social or spiritual needs. Talking with my animals and with Juniper is enough for me
„It’s getting dark… Dark clouds, smells wet. We going home?” - Legion asks me, his head tilted lightly to the side.
„You’re right. Legion, Bastet! We’re going home!”
Bastet moved first, at her own pace, ignoring the group. Legion walked right next to me. He didn’t need a collar and leash to keep close. Beast Magic and frequent communication helped increase his intelligence and loyalty… though in the end, there was nothing keeping him from making his own decisions.
„Now that i think about it – what is the fourth most powerful God doing inside of a dog?” - i ask Legion, not expecting an answer.
Legion is often said to be „The most human God.”. Though his true form looks menacing and his name sounds villainous, he’s a very supportive being known for giving aid to people who ask for it… Though in The Garden, he’s mostly just praised as a God of Law and War.
„I can divide my ghost into such a number of existences that humans have not yet given this mathematical concept a name. One additional existence is nothing to me. Observing a simple calm world from a dog’s perspective is surprisingly soothing.”
„Soothing?”
„You don’t want to know what worlds your Reverends send those „soldiers”. I do what i can to train them and help them survive. Yet still, I cannot save everyone.”
His answer was disturbing. We have many adults willing to fight for our Lady. Reverends explain sending away young people as „being chosen” and „having greater potential, with a lack of connection to this peaceful world”… but Legion isn’t so optimistic. I know for a fact that he stands on the front lines of this war, in multiple worlds at once. He probably knows best what’s happening.
„Why do you support Gaia then?”
„It is my duty. I am her vassal, she is my sovereign. Simple as that.” - Legion responds with an unwavering voice. I can feel his conviction in it. Even if the results of his orders are unjust, he believes he is doing the right thing by following them. But is he really?
Mulling over these thoughts we’ve reached my cabin. It’s a standard issue starter log house in The Garden. A two-person bed and one bunk bed inside the rest chambers. Kitchen uses a wood-fired stove, though it can also be fueled with coal or magical energy(with some difficulty). Water for the bathroom is supplied by pipes from a rainwater collector set up nearby. In the winter i have to heat it up with magic so the water doesn’t freeze and break the pipes. It’s a lot of work but i manage. Unfortunately I couldn’t persuade Reverends to give me some kind of fridge.
Even if i had to use some of my energy to keep it running it would be worth it – i can’t keep as much fresh food as I'd want without it. Thankfully, Juniper helped me dig a cellar next to my hut. I can’t freeze meat there but at least it won’t rot in a few hours of a hot summer… which is fast approaching.
Soon after i entered my cabin, sounds of thunder rumbled in the distance. I’m glad i managed to get under the roof before it started raining. Usually, druids from The Garden reduce dangerous weather events in and around the island. It will never get flooded and no lightning will ever strike there.
But my cabin and the forest aren’t under the same protection.
„Psssshhhhh! Tefnut just HAD to make rain wet! She’d better watch that brother-husband of hers!” - Bastet yells, looking out the window.
I’m more worried about the cellar, but i can’t reach it without going outside. If i open the hatch I'll just let in water now. Wooden walls and a simple ‘ceiling’ should keep the food dry, but I'm not entirely sure.
Legion doesn’t see a problem with being wet. If i released him now, he’d probably be rolling around in mud and chasing raindrops in a state of bliss. But cleaning his paws and fur after the returns is a pain.
After a short dinner of fried duck bits i wanted to take a nap to sleep through the rain. But it didn’t last long.
„...stranger?” - Legion’s voice puts me on alert. People from outside? Again? Rarely do we have more than one interloper sneaking in daily. Even rarer does Legion speak with such uncertainty.
„Alone, in a group? Dangerous?”
„I feel one human smell. It’s afraid.”
Legions answer reduced my alertness. Fear usually means someone lost. If the person was chased by animals Legion would tell me. Not that they’d be much of a problem for me. But without them there’s even less reason to worry. I showed the way to a few people before. It should be eas-
„Ummm… is someone there?” - a girly voice calls out from behind the front door. She sounds young, no more than 14 years… this might be a problem.
Legion quickly trots over to the door sniffing the ground around it.
„It’s the stranger i told you about” – he confirms
„Oh, do let the kitten in! If you leave her soaking there she’ll keep meowing through the night!” - Bastet voices her opinion without looking away from the window.
I gently open the door. My observations were correct. In front of me stands a rain-soaked child, a girl with long hair, wearing only a slightly torn one-piece dress.
„What are you doing here?” - i ask with a gentle but authoritative tone.
She doesn’t seem like a danger to The Garden… but a child shivering from te cold won’t be able to return to her people without help. Especially an outsider child – Juniper told me about the differences between our childhood and theirs. Their kids have much less training, much less stamina. When i was her age i already killed animals for food and was able to build shelters that would keep me dry.
„I-i got into an argument with my parents… but when i ran from the camp i lost my way and-”
„She’s a mage.” - Legion disrupts her
„...you’ve got a very sensitive dog.” - she commented, confirming his observation. A non-mage wouldn’t hear beast speech. Even then not all mages decide to learn it, though it’s a popular choice of magic in The Garden.
„Oh please, why the drama? At least she’s not THAT different from your brothers and sisters on the island hmm? Do let the youngling in – she looks miserable when she’s soaking out there.”
I sigh deeply. I can’t help but agree with Bastet – not because I'm on her side, but because i know how insistent she can be if she is set on something. For whatever reason this child is of interest to her and my role as her ‘mortal servant’ is to let her in or endure a night full of angry meowing.
„Go dry yourself in the washroom.” - I say pointing to the right door „But when the rain stops, get out.”
Without a word, the girl goes to the bathroom and closes the door behind her. A mage… from the outside world. That place is said to be full of mage cabals all scheming and plotting against each other. She might be a spy for one of them. She might have come to tempt me, maybe she-
„Oh relax Lynx – no need to worry your silly human head over a little girl. She’s just another tiny human in this world full of humans.” - Bastet stops my train of thought as if she was reading my mind… which isn’t impossible for her to do.
„Each individual has a calling. Lynx’s calling is to be a guardian. He is right to be watchful around strangers.” - Legion responded, getting closer to the cat. Discussions between the two rarely happen. Almost always, they are between the Gods, not animals… at least for now they never escalated to a physical fight.
I don’t want to be caught between two angry Gods chosen by Gaia.
„So your name is Lynx? My name is Lucy.” - i hear the girl say from behind the door.
„Great, cool. I hope this rain stops soon.”
But the rain didn’t stop. When Lucy exited the bathroom her clothes were clean, dry and even pressed. She likely used household magic – usually a waste of energy, but can be helpful if you don’t have a change of clothes or want to get rid of really annoying stains. I keep feeling her gaze on me, but every time i turn in her direction, she averts her eyes to Bastet. Together with the cat, she took possession of the bottom of the bunk bed… my bunk bed. I always use the bigger bed, but having strangers occupy my furniture feels concerning. I feel as if she just stole a piece of me and yet acts as if it was natural to ‘receive’ this much just for ‘getting lost’.
People of The Garden take nothing for granted. All must earn their share. From the age of five you receive a knife and are taught how to peel potatoes and help in the kitchen. Slaughtering a chicken is a right of passage for ten to twelve year olds… but i know i can’t expect the same standards from someone who wasn’t born here. But I don’t know what i CAN expect from her either. Only scraps of knowledge about the outside world i have come from Juniper, Jack the government agent and speeches of Reverends… all of them putting a different spin on things.
But now that I think about it… the bunk beds were put here for my future children to use. To have it used by a child is fitting… even if it isn’t mine.
I let out a tired sigh. I shouldn’t be getting used to having this outsider here. The clouds will move on, the rain will stop and she will leave. End of story. I grab the headphones and turn on the backup radio set. The Garden has its own radio station, though connecting to it requires a few techmagic tricks, as well as a radio with unusual modifications. Even then, it takes a while to connect.
When I do, the message i get is disappointing.
„...blessed rains sent to us by the Allied Gods will stay with us for several days – remember to keep your rain shields on!”
„Gods damn it..”
„Dad says people shouldn’t curse next to kids” – Lucy commented
„You’ll learn worse anyway… Listen – the rain will stay here for a while. Do you know how to return? I can put some blessings on you so the rain won’t-”
„I don’t know.”
„Legion – do you know where there might be other strangers?” - I ask the dog in desperation.
„In the rain? Scent washed away.”
„THE OTHER LEGION THEN?!” - I yelled out.
„You are a guardian. You have duties regarding intruders. I don’t wish to influence the world in any way that would go against your duties.” - the cold voice of God rejects me.
I think i’ll go insane. I can’t keep Lucy here. She isn’t part of our order. Everything in The Garden works more or less like a closed system of moving parts. Just like in a clockwork puzzle, a single stick put in the wrong place can break the mechanism, even if the stick itself seems harmless. That’s why we keep outsiders in their world and don’t invite new members.
Besides, i don’t have many social skills. I barely talk with people, much less children. This kid seems to be wary of me, but not enough to run away. Of course, that too would be a problem – if she was found and told any weird stories about a „Lynx, the guardian of The Garden”, our community would suffer.
Maybe i should just kill her? Or send her to the Reverends? I’ve only killed animals – shot, bludgeoned, neck twisted off, electrocuted with magic… it’s easy with chickens and coyotes. Wolves and boars are a bit harder, but manageable. A human child shouldn’t require as much effort as a wild animal and yet… I feel guilt for just thinking about this. Legion calls me a guardian – a guardian defends, he doesn’t kill someone who isn’t a direct threat. She might come from the world of the Demiurge, but she isn’t his soldier.
As for the Reverends… no, they can’t be trusted. From what Legion told me, our children get sent off to battle in alien worlds. I was taught to trust them, follow their orders – they know the best about the dangers of this corrupt world… but i don’t wont Lucy’s blood on my hands.
My thoughts get interrupted by a frantic knocking on my door. Who’s that? At this hour? Do they know about the kid?
„Hide yourself – to the bathroom. No questions!” - i send her a telepathic whisper so our guests can’t hear me. She responded with a nod and sneaked into the bathroom.
„I’m coming, who’s there?” - i call out in the direction of the door.
„Juniper. Tomorrow’s delivery got rushed – the rain is only gonna get worse.”
The voice of the calm old Wagonmaster puts me at ease. He’s an easy guest to deal with. He never ventures deep into people’s houses, doesn’t do inquisitorial inspections. He also doesn’t know any social or mental magic that would let him sniff out what I'm hiding… and his mourning for his granddaughter will make him more agreeable too – there’s a chance he’ll overlook my heresy if he finds out about Lucy.
I open the door carefully. Juniper stands in the rain with a crate fool of goods. Without a word i take it and put it down inside my hut… but Juniper isn’t leaving.
„I have… a message. From The Garden.” - he says in a shaky voice.
„What is it?” - I ask trying to stifle the flood of thoughts. Flood of anxiety.
„The Reverends received a prophecy… „The Childe of Demiurge has been dispatched to destroy our home. A child of young age and innocent features, it shall tempt us into taking apart that which we’ve built.”
I couldn’t hide my astonishment. Prophecies rarely make sense and come true even rarer. But this one is already coming true. The outsider child is already here… but “destruction of our home”? She’s too young to be capable of magic strong enough to destroy The Garden. I couldn’t rule out the temptation part though… after all, she already tempted me into letting her stay under my roof.
Suddenly, the old wagonmaster grabs me by the shoulders and looks straight into my eyes. His face is overflowing, the rain masking the tears that are surely hiding there. I can feel the pain in his stare. Pain, sadness, desperation… Emotions that we shouldn’t show in The Garden.
“Promise me one thing Lynx. Don’t give the child to the Reverends. You are still young, you can change many things, you can avoid the errors of your elders…”
“What are You-”
Before I managed to finish my sentence, I sensed danger. Right behind me. No time to turn and face it. I had to jump outside.
I shoved the old man and rolled outside, dodging whatever was aiming at my back. We both landed in the mud. Before I managed to pull myself together and stand up, the source of danger showed itself, standing between us.
Legion. He was definitely no longer a dog. His body has grown to unnatural size, it’s height barely shorter than an average human. His fur changed from short strands of hair to a dark liquid ooze, constantly bubbling and dripping down on the rain-soaked earth, yet never running out. In some places, the dark liquid hardened, creating segments imitating a suit of medieval armor. His head is… hard to perceive. I can’t stand looking at it. I always seem to see his maw somewhere at the edge of my vision, yet if I turn to face it, there is only blackness… an expanding, undulating darkness, as if his head turned into a black hole, eating away at any light around it.
This still isn’t his true form. But it’s the greatest form I’ve seen with my own eyes.
“You are causing Your brothers to stray in their path, elder. Both of You have Your own roles to fulfill. Both of you have agreed upon the rules of The Garden. The Garden has never betrayed You. Your rebellion lacks just cause.”
Powerful, otherworldly voice of Legion echoes in my skull. Covering my ears would not free me from it, it does not work like regular sonic waves. It isn’t a physical phenomenon. There is nothing natural in the presence of Gods on the material plane. I’m lucky that his form doesn’t have a face… The Reverends always said that perceiving the face of God brings death to mortals.
I don’t feel any enmity from Legion. Legion is a God of Justice – as long as you stay on the side of law, he will be your ally in fulfilling it. If the law is unjust or does not give you what it has promised he will aid you in rebelling against it.
But how does he decide which laws are just? Sure, i was never personally hurt by laws of The Garden. Juniper however, clearly didn’t expect that the society he has helped in building would send his granddaughter away to a brutal war on another plane of existence.
And what about the little girl? She isn’t one of us, so she is neither protected by our law nor does she need to abide by it. But our lawkeepers, The Reverends want us to capture her. Is that lawful?
I doubt she would like to be captured by them, especially with that whole prophecy… punishments for the destruction she’s supposed to bring are so inhumane that we are not even supposed to speak of them. But we knew them anyway. Her and there flew whispers from people and beasts about burning wicker effigies filled with men. Of trees adorned with organs of still living prisoners.
I can’t call this justice. Its my first time seeing this child and she barely spoke to me… but i know she does not deserve this.
But lying in the mud under watch by one of the strongest Gods i had no way to resist.
A sudden flash of light filled my vision. A burning, warm blaze accompanied by a strong gust of wind filled with… sand? For a moment, I couldn’t see anything, yet my mind was flooded with hundreds of visions. Visions of elegant, gold-adorned cats snuggling against a small human child. Priests in simple, white robes serve the child and the animals around it, treating both with reverence befitting a God.
„Legion – You were always on the side of the oppressed. On the side of Just Rebellion. Now you see two men, fighting a system that wants to kill a child. Why are you defending that system?!”
Bastet. Sand grains carried by her warm light have faded from my eyes, letting me see her form. She grew to the size similar to Legion. Her head was covered by rays of golden light. Looking at it makes my mind wander off. I can see close, yet far away, mirages of a sun blessed land. Of grand temples and slender cats. Of people coming to bow down to them.
It’s hard to look away from the illusions, but i manage to break free. I look upon her fur next. It still looks natural, yet whenever a gust of wind brushes against it, more grains of golden sand can be seen scattering around her and disappearing as soon as they touch the ground.
„Render unto Ceasar-” - Legion starts saying
„Don’t even fucking start! Do you think they know The Bible? Book of The Demiurge? Besides, the kid wasn’t even born in The Garden – she isn’t a fucking denarius to be given away to it.” - Bastet brutally shuts down Legion. I’ve never seen her so nervous. I don’t know why the girl is so important to her, though I'm glad for her help.
„We both know I stand no chance in this fight Legion. However, You fight only out of your sense of duty. I fight because I know I’m right!” - her declaration was a beginning of her assault.
Before i managed to grasp what happened, clouds have been torn asunder and all grass in the vicinity has been burned away. Two craters stood in places where the Gods stood, yet neither of them were there.
Only in the distance, in the direction of the bridge, flashes of light and dark could be seen clashing with each other.
I can’t process what just happened. I have no idea what i should be doing. My whole life has been flipped upside down in one day. I stood up and brushed the mud and dirt off myself. I then helped Juniper stand up. His expression was impossible to read. An entire kaleidoscope of feelings was painted on his face, various emotions waning and rising as tides on a stormy sea. The only thing that was constant was his shock.
Without a word, Juniper hands me a small linen pouch. It was surprisingly heavy and its contents were unusual.
„An obsidian tablet?” - I ask the old driver, looking over the weird stone in my hand. It’s a small rock, painstakingly chiseled into a shape of a tablet, with arcane symbols chipped into it.
The whole thing is enchanted with a spell. I can feel it and read its code, but it’s extremely long, verbose and hard to understand.
„Take the child and run. When you get far enough, touch the stone and yell „Mayday” three times. You will be rescued by people which you can trust.”
Before i managed to protest, to lie that i know nothing about the child, i felt her presence behind me. She was standing in front of the door. She looks shocked and confused… She heard everything.
„Hurry! I will block the bridge the best i can. I can’t stop Legion, but Gods willing, I will at least slow down The Reverends.”
Without waiting for my answer, the old man jumps into the driver’s seat of his truck, rushing towards the bridge.
Step by step i move towards the girl. What i should be doing is capturing or killing her. But what i can do is fall to my knees. I’m pitiful. Powerless. I can’t do what I've been always told was right… And i feel too weak to fight for what my heart sees as righteous.
Lucy… that tiny sacrificial lamb, opens her arms before me in a hug. Like a mother calming down an infant, she brings my head close to her chest. I can feel the heartbeat of this child. I can feel that… she isn’t just a regular child. Some higher will has set her in my path so i would make a choice.
...and the time to choose arrived sooner than expected.
The winds howled in a nightmarish tone. Alien whispers joining together into one of Gaia’s psalms fill my entire awareness. It’s the Siren. That bitch Reverend witch that can take away people’s will. But i won’t give up mine easily.
„MAYDAY MAYDAY MAY-...DAY!” - i shouted, touching the magical stone, before my consciousness drifted away.
In a flash, i became aware again. I was already in a different place. On the bridge, right next to my guard booth. I was holding Lucy’s hand firmly. By the look in her eyes, her consciousness also just came back. I look around the place. Right behind me, there’s a whole caravan of cars and armed men in uniforms. ATF, FBI, NSA… all the three letter organizations we were warned about by the Reverends. Right in front of me stood Bastet. She was no longer a cat. Her form was closer to a golden colossus. In one hand she held an ankh, in the other a golden staff, adorned with many glowing jewels. Her body and vestments are covered in ever changing hieroglyphs. Just by glimpsing them, I was made aware of numerous lifetimes led by nameless proud cats of uncountable worlds. Only by sheer willpower was i able to turn away from these illusions.
In front of her stood cultists from The Garden, The Reverends… and Legion. This time, his form became a twisted black suit of armor. Despite the lack of any holes or imperfections in the armor, it seemed to seep out a cloud of dark miasma from within, making the precise shape and position of Legion shrouded in darkness. His black, almost demonic looking hands held a bastard sword, its hilt decorated by corpses, frozen in eternal torment by the black liquid from which Legion was formed.
I can’t see Juniper anywhere, but his truck was lying on its side, cut in half between the two Gods.
„It is time Mortals” – Both Gods declared in a choral, singing voice taken right out of an antic tragedy.
„Is it Just to stay loyal to your duties-” - said Legion, raising his sword.
„Or is it more important to follow your heart-” - responded Bastet, raising her staff
„DECIDE!” - both shouted, their weapons clashing against one another.
Nobody can take a step forward while the two Gods battle. The sheer fact that we are even alive is a miracle. I can only look in astonishment… but is that really true? Juniper said that my magic has a lot of power, but not enough control. I never tried hurting people with it… but now is the time.
I shove Lucy toward the men in uniform while i take a step forward. Filled with courage, I reject everything i stood for. I support my right arm with my left hand, pointing it at the bridge.
„Hear my heart declare! There is no duty that would ever allow me to stand on Your side! I reject my faith in the name of true good! Behold the power of my conviction and rot on your island as i cut it off from this world!” - i turn my voice into a spell. Normally, spells are simple instructions. But sometimes, it’s good to say something poetic. Especially when my vision of this spell is clear. The bridge will crumble to dust. Not even a speck of gravel will be left of it.
I can soon see the effects. Whether by my spell or the continuing clash of Gods, the bridge is torn in half and begins to crumble. I escape to the outside world, together with the strangers in uniform.
I don’t look back. There’s nothing to see there.
The only things worth seeing are the things I am now facing. Unknown, a bit scary… but full of beauty I would never find in The Garden.
.
.
.
A short distance away, a black dog, a golden cat and a white mouse crawl onto the riverbank.
„Hmph. You won again.” - says the dog.
„Oh just admit it already – you know I'm right.” - the cat responds.
Soon after crawling onto the dry land, the mouse transforms into an old man, coughing and spitting water, but still alive.
„Take care of Lynx, Wagonmaster. Despite your rebellion… I can’t say I dislike him.”