The Hour of The Wolves

Chapter XVIII (Percival)

Percival fell into his chair in his workshop. The desk was full of different machines and parts. He was exhausted from the work of the last few days. They needed to from a doable battle plan, which was mostly up to him as they lost master Endrolin. He still couldn’t believe it and what that meant. He opened a drawer on his desk and took out a medallion. For the first glance it wasn’t much, just an inscribed clay medal, but in truth it meant all the responsibility he has to bear from now on. He stared at it for long time, then decided. Percy put the medal on the desk and smashed down on it with a nearby hammer. Dust flew up and small shards flew in every direction after the impact. From the remains Percy took up a medallion really similar to the clay one, just from gold and a white crystal embedded in the middle. It was the proof of status for the high priest of the light, which title he inherited with the most probable passing of Endrolin. As far as he knew he was the youngest one the take the seat of the patriarch in the history of the sect. He knew that to survive the following days they need the light. The master told him before he left the last time, that if he does not return in three days Percy must go to the ceremony of inheritance. The young man waited as long as he could, but sill no massage came from the master, so he needed to go through the ceremony.

“Oh, my dear tutor. I wish that this day has not come this early. I am still young and not ready for this responsibility.” Percy did not know who he was talking to, but it did not matter to him at that moment. He needed to ease his soul as it was too heavy to bear with. “I was following our ways and helped to make the pieces move as they needed to, even though I did not know the purpose. I guided my little brother to the darkness so we can achieve to light later on. I hope I will be able to heal his broken soul after he done what most be done and give back his memories. I am but a weak man without guidance in the world of darkness. Oh, Lord of Light shine down on me and show me the way to go on.” He talked to the coin while his tears made little dust clouds as they fell on the ground. He knew it is no or never. Percival took the crystal from the medallion and swallowed it. For a moment nothing happened, then pain erupted everywhere in his body and made him fell on his knees. Bloody flowed out his mouth and eyes to the ground and his skin started to rip from the consumed force of light that was enclosed in the crystal. In one second, he was dying on the floor of his office the next he was in a place of total darkness. He looked down and there was no body to see, only a golden cloud of light. As he realized that this golden cloud was himself, his spirit, it changed. The shapeless cloud form of his spirit turned into a replica of his body. He could see and understand the process how his cells were formed and attached together. The knowledge of reassemble his body in real life too just came into his mind. The ripped skin healed itself with the guidance  of his newfound power and his body changed so he can contain this power. He could see that his physical form was whole again, yet he could not step back into it. Panic started to take him over as all his trials proved to be futile. Percy almost give upon the hope to return o his body when he could see other bodies forming on the spectral plane, he was currently in. All them looked into him and he looked back into them. His mind was filled with the knowledge his predecessors acquired in their life. Whit that came the method how to reenter the body. He focused on the physical form and found the crystal encased in his chest. That was the way to connect his two forms, thus he linked his spirit to it and the spirit world exploded. He was on the floor again gasping for air. It almost seemed like the journey he made to the other realm was just a vison caused by exhaustion. But as he looked down on his chest, he could see the crystal there and he could recall all the knowledge he acquired. It was like walking in a big library. If you knew what you were looking for the answer presented itself in a form of someone’s memory.

“For what reason did they link their spirit to this realm and gave up on the passing to the next?” Percival wondered. The answer instantly appeared in his mind. He saw an enormous room with banners hung down the pillars. He recognized the sigil of the imperial family on them. Somehow, he knew that he was in the throne room of the last emperor of the light. He watched as the man in the memory walks past the columns and approach the throne. There he knelt.

“I bear terrible knew your majesty. The traitor almost breached the walls of our holy city. “

The man on the throne was old, one would say by the look he was only in his fifties. His hair just started to gain the shade of ash and his body and posture showed strength of a young warrior, but his eyes, those eyes were watched with insight acquired through centuries. Mushriq Al’Qazam was the emperor of all lands for more than a thousand years.

“I see the end coming old friend. I might fall today, but the people will need the light to guide them out of the age of darkness that the traitor will bring upon us.” The ruler spoke softly but firmly. “I bestow upon you the task to keep the light alive. You shall take my only child and make sure that our line will survive the trials of the upcoming days until our Lord decide that it is time that we step out to the light.”

As he spoke, he cut his finger. White blood dripped from the tip of I, but it did not fell down. It formed a white crystal the white crystal, which was now in Percival’s chest. The throne room vanished, and random pictures across the ages flashed before Percival’s eyes. They showed that the prince indeed managed to run away. He had many children and grandchildren, but the bloodline got too thin, and the new generation carried less and less within them. One day a barer of the shard, that is what the crystal’s name came to be, realized that all hope will be lost if the blood line of the emperor won’t be strengthened. Thus, he reached out to believers of the past glory and they formed the Sect of the Light. Their purpose was to find the descendants who bear the strongest genes and with their help start a breeding program which end will be again close to the pure blood of the light emperor. This project went on for generations and it was almost at the finish line.

The last picture disappeared, and Percy found himself back in his workshop. He didn’t question the information he just saw as it made sense. It provided answers to all his questions about his life and gave reason to everything he had to done in the past. The knowledge also showed him the way he must walk on to finish what his predecessors started. How he will ensure that way? He did not know yet, but all the information was in his head. He started to finish the weapons on the table, and while he was working, he looked for answers in the library of all knowledge in his head.