The Merchant and the Menace (18 page)

“One day the brothers were standing in a glade by
the Northern Mountains. Without warning, Avra appeared to them. The brothers
fell to their knees and praised their Creator. Avra bade them rise and walk
with him. He asked them of the world and their work in it.

“Amird took the lead and described his progress
with men. The building of societies and cultures. The nurturing of mathematics
and language skills. The development of art and literature. Avra was quite
pleased.

“The Creator turned and asked Awoi what he
accomplished. The guide spoke glowingly of his attempt to instill a wonder and
love of all things in people. His attempt to foster a culture of caring amongst
men. Avra listened and again smiled in approval.

“The trio walked together as the two Seraphim
basked in the glory of their Creator. Avra turned and spoke to the brothers. He
praised them for their work. Their efforts were not going unnoticed. He then
suggested that the two begin to work together more closely.

 “Amird questioned his Creator, asking what benefit
his great accomplishments might derive from Awoi’s trifling. Avra corrected the
Guide. The Almighty acknowledged the works of Amird but questioned their
direction. Did they really glorify the world and create more beauty? Certainly
many of them did. But almost as certainly they created a byproduct of sorrow
for some inhabitants of this world. As cities develop and territories encroach
on one another, battle lines are drawn. As men band together in societies,
there are those who are
different
, outsiders to fear, mistrust and shun.

“Avra praised the work of Awoi. All of Avra’s
creations are beautiful in his eyes. No being is expendable as Amird suggested.
Amird was told to think how beautiful all of his work becomes if the lives of
all are improved, not just the strong and their followers. Avra departed the
brothers with a blessing and left them to further their work.

“At first, Amird embraced this effort and tried to
incorporate Awoi’s work into his own. The Seraphim struggled to advance society
but remain compassionate to the poor and lowly. However, Amird grew annoyed. He
was used to quick successes and stunning advancements. Men in high places and
of great power deferred to him, kneeling before him and seeking counsel. Awoi
went unnoticed, happy to let his brother deal with such people. Soon, Awoi was
coming to his brother to ask for favor.

“As a city outgrew its borders and encroached on a
peasant’s farm, the king’s soldiers arrived to turn the peasant and his family
into the street. Awoi went to his brother and asked for help relocating the
family. When disease broke out in a region, Awoi went to Amird and requested
supplies and food.

“Amird judged these efforts a waste of time. The
strong survived and moved on. Amird felt his brother’s efforts weakened the
human race, adding weak bodies and weak minds to the population. His resentment
grew. He reflected on
his
accomplishments. Avra created this world, but
Amird in his wisdom and power pushed it to an apex. His vanity grew along with
his hatred of his brother’s compassion. Avra dared to chastise him and praise
Awoi. Chaos and evil filled his mind. Power corrupted his spirit. He longed to
be rid of his brother and rule these ignorant beings as they should be ruled.
Man was only fit to follow orders. Amird would never be a party to another of
Awoi’s charitable causes.

“Avra was not seen again, and Amird pushed his
brother aside. Amird involved himself in the development of all people and
their leaders. Men made great advancements from their days of small villages
and towns. Awoi, on the other hand, struggled to make men recognize the beauty
in all Avra’s creations. Many followed his example. Slowly, men found their
hearts.

“One day, in the small city-state of Zodra, the
queen gave birth to a child. The delivery of the child was very difficult, and
the queen died. The king was heart broken. He adored his wife and fits of
sorrow overcame him. When the child was brought to him, he was horrified. The
girl child was huge and misshapen. The king recoiled in horror at the thing he
blamed for his wife’s untimely death. He told the midwives to take it from his
sight and never to let him see her again.

“The child was housed and raised in the dank bowels
of the castle. Kindly nursemaids cared for and taught the girl, but she was
rarely allowed out of the innards of the huge castle. The nursemaids named the
girl Gretcha, ‘beautiful heart’ in the old tongue.

“The king fell into despair. Despair turned to
anger and abuse. He grabbed power and land, turning out those who did not bow
to him and his tax collectors. Amird saw all this and determined to make Zodra
the jewel in his crown. This king’s misery made him ruthless. Ruthlessness led
to advancement. Zodra grew in power and influence in the area. Councils or
elders ruled many other cities. Soon they found it impossible to make decisions
without first seeking permission from Zodra. Men of arms gravitated to the service
of Zodra. Power drawn to even more power.

“Awoi learned of the girl in his travels through
the lands near Zodra. On her seventeenth birthday Awoi visited the castle. He
spoke soothingly to the king. He spoke of compassion and duty. He spoke of Avra
and all the wonders the Creator bestowed upon the world. He spoke of a daughter
being imprisoned for simply existing. He spoke of a girl with a brilliant mind
and a beautiful heart alone in the world with no parents. A girl who sang like
a bird and danced in the darkness of her world. The king was greatly moved. His
anger turned back to sorrow and his sorrow to pity. He ignored his duties and
sat in his chambers for days. The king was reluctant to face the girl. He still
mourned his beautiful wife and he was ashamed at how he treated his daughter.

“Amird returned to Zodra to find his plans
interrupted. He visited the king and found a man in a completely different
mindset than the one he left behind. The king spoke of his duty to the people,
his duty as a caretaker of their good fortune and their future. He questioned
Amird as to how they could best serve the people, how they might improve the
living conditions of all the peasants to prevent disease and starvation. Avra
smiles on the compassionate.

“Amird was not pleased. He reminded the king that
no one, not even Avra, prevented the death of his lovely wife. Amird reminded
the king of life’s trials and tribulations. Peasants were born into the world
to serve. How could it be that his beautiful wife was taken from him while
peasants bear handfuls of healthy babies in the squalor of their huts? Avra
neither watches nor cares about this world. It’s a trifle he’s set before him,
a toy with which to amuse himself. It’s Amird who cares for the advancement of
men, only Amird.

“Amird departed and left the king alone. The king
considered all he was told. His pity turned back into despair. He wallowed in
hopelessness.

“Awoi returned, unaware of his brother’s visit. He
found the king in a dark mood. The king refused to listen to his soothing
words. In fact, the confusion he felt from the conflicting messages of the
Seraphim added to his melancholy. He ordered Awoi to remove Gretcha from the
castle. She was to be banished from the kingdom of Zodra. Awoi saw the king’s
dark mood for what it was. The distress would soon turn back to anger. The Seraph
decided to save the girl.

“As Awoi and the Zodrian princess departed the
city, women screeched and children fled from the sight of Gretcha. She was a
full head taller than any man in the city and her powerful arms and legs
rippled with muscle. Her features were pronounced and angular, as if her face
were cut from granite. Awoi looked at the young woman and saw only her name,
‘beautiful heart’.

“The pair traveled north. Whenever they stopped and
tried to find a place for Gretcha to settle, people in the area eventually
arrived and drove them out. Awoi feared for her safety and determined that they
must find a place far from others. The Great Northern Mountains were
uninhabited. The weather was harsh and the living hard, but Gretcha possessed
enormous strength and fortitude. Awoi determined she would be fine and he
planned to visit her periodically to insure her wellbeing.

 “They built a cabin on the slopes of the tallest
of the Northern Mountains and Awoi stayed with Gretcha for two years. He taught
the woman how to hunt the mountain rams and the migrating caribou herds. He
taught her how to find the edible mountain berries in the spring and summer.
Awoi showed the Zodrian princess the tracks of the great grizzled bear and how
to determine the passage of time since it made those tracks. Gretcha was
extremely intelligent and a fast learner. She soaked in the world that was
hidden from her in the dungeons of Zodra. Her naturally inquisitive mind
propelled her knowledge and understanding of the world around her.

“As time passed, the hard life and harsh conditions
of the Northern Mountains changed Gretcha even further. She added even more
muscle to her frame, and her hair grew long and shaggy. When traders or
trappers wandered through the area and came across Awoi and Gretcha, they fled
in fear of the huge woman. However, all that Awoi saw was the beauty in her
smile and the compassion in her heart. She was truly one of Avra’s blessed
creatures.

“When the two years ended, Awoi returned to his
work in the name of Avra. He told Gretcha he planned to return within the year
and reluctantly journeyed back to the world of men. Gretcha filled with sorrow,
but knew Awoi must follow his calling. The Guide bade her farewell and
departed, walking south.

“When he returned to civilization, he found it
changed dramatically. As he approached small towns or villages, Awoi was
challenged by armed troops. Often he was told there was no room for outsiders
or strangers. Hospitality vanished. Many of the guards still wore the emblem of
their land on their uniforms. However, the influence of the city of Zodra grew.
Many soldiers wore the Zodrian emblem as well and paid tribute to her king for
protection.

“After nearly a year of traveling, Awoi approached
Zodra. As he reached the great city, he found it completely walled to
outsiders. Guards ranged along fresh ramparts and called challenges to those
who approached. Awoi was required to state his name and his business. After
some time he, was turned away from the city.

“Undeterred, the Guide returned to the city day
after day for a week and attempted entry. On the seventh day, Awoi called to
the city walls once more and this time was told to wait. Eventually, a contingent
of guards stepped from the gates and surrounded the Seraph. He was commanded to
follow them to their king’s high chamber.

“As Awoi stepped into the great hall of the castle
of Zodra he was shocked. The throne was removed from its dais and placed in
front of the platform’s steps. The king, haggard and worn, sat hunched within
it. An enormous marble bench was set upon the dais, and Amird lounged upon it,
surrounded by young women. He frowned as Awoi entered the room.

‘Did the gatekeepers not tell thee to depart,
Awoi?’ asked Amird.

‘They did,’ replied Awoi.

‘Why didn’t you follow the advice of your precious
humans? Go now. I must attend to important business,’ pronounced Amird.

 ‘Amird, my brother, we must talk,’ said Awoi.

 ‘What of, a widow whose son has contracted a
ragged cough? I cannot be bothered with such trifles. You think on the small
scale, Awoi. I concern myself with nations and empires, while you worry over
nothing. Be gone from me so I may complete my work,’ demanded Amird.

‘I leave you now, brother,’ bowed Awoi, ‘but as I
go I ask you to think on whose work you are completing. His work or your own?’

Awoi turned and walked from the room. Amird arose
and approached the king.

‘He who harbors the beast that killed your precious
wife stands before you and you do nothing? Are you a king or a peasant slave?
Honor me and yourself by avenging the death of your wife!’

“Awoi walked through the city noticing the dramatic
changes that overcame the population. Fear reigned in the eyes of all who dwelt
there. Even the soldiers feared retribution for failure. The tension in the
city was high. As Awoi tried to converse with those on the street, they kept
their conversation short and quickly moved on their way.

“Awoi rounded a corner near the palace and was
confronted by a troop of armed guards brandishing their weapons. The Seraph
smiled and extended his hands, palms upward.

‘I’m not armed and haven’t raised a hand in
violence my entire existence. What is it you good folk require?’ questioned the
Guide.

‘You’re to be taken into custody and killed if you
resist,’ answered their leader.

‘I must continue the work of my Master. I’ve
neither wronged nor harmed any here and request to go on my way,’ said Awoi.

“The leader stepped forward and struck the Guide
with a cudgel. Awoi fell to his knees and once again addressed the group.

‘You are acting under the orders of your king. I
forgive your transgression, for you are misled.’

“The leader struck him once more across the face
and blood flowed from a large gash on his forehead. Awoi wiped the blood from
his face and as he looked upward he saw movement on the castle’s balconies.
Amird stood above robed in black and scarlet, a smile on his face.