The Seed of Sarothen - Chapter 2

Hilla, 541 B.C.

41-year old Saralledh looked across the sand to the coloured specks
approaching his way. The specks slowly materialized into a caravan of
grumpy-looking camels with heaps of silks and perfumes on their
backs.

The man atop the first camel greeted Saralledh jovially. He knew the
man very well - as did any person who travelled through the town of
Hilla.

"Well?" asked Saralledh.

"You will be so pleased, my friend! Oh yes!"

"You have news then?"

"Better. We have actually seen it!"

"Artemis!"

"We were passing through Ephesus - never before had we gone that way -
and do you know my friend-"

"What?"

"They have the most beautiful temple there! The temple of the Goddess
Artemis!"

Finally!

THE BLESSING

Ephesus, 540 B.C. - The Temple Of Artemis

Saralledh was not much of a sight when he arrived in Ephesus - his only
possessions were what he stood in and a worn-out satchel. The journey
had been long, treacherous and far from pleasant. But Saralledh had
managed to protect his gold, the brown parchment Arrazesh had given to
him before dying, and most important of all - the Seed.

He patted the satchel just to comfort himself that it was there. He sat
down and read the parchment again. He knew what he had to do.
In the horizon the massive temple loomed large and awe-inspiring,
against the blazing sky as the sun dipped into the distant sands.
He plodded on till the towering pillars of the temple sternly bore down
upon him at the entrance. Ephesus was asleep; the night's
darkness-heavy and black.

A few lamps flickered inside the temple, dispelling the darkness just
enough for Saralledh to make his way through a maze of pillars towards
the temple priests.
Saralledh told the priests as much as he thought necessary - about the
sacrifice of Babylon and the Seed of Sarothen, but he didn't mention
the power it could yield. His journey had taught him that it was best
not to give the reasons for blessing the Seed. If there was no reason,
he thought, there would be no greed-and with that no harm could come to
him.

The priests listened to him, the silence broken only by the melancholy
song of the breeze as it raced past the temple. Saralledh finished his
narrative and then waited for their reaction.
The head priest said nothing for some time, absorbing the news that
this ragged stranger brought to him in the darkness of night. Saralledh
stood watching the lines of his face- highlighted in the lamp's faint
glow as the shadows danced silently across the pillars.
When the priest finally spoke, his words were astonishing.

"It is the oracle - come true!"

He brought out a slab of marble on which there was a scripture:

' (couldn't upload) '

This is what it says, the priest explained, correctly comprehending
Saralledh's blank look. "The sin has been committed but it brings with
it the greatest force the world has seen. He who controls it, controls
the destinies of mortals of all lands. For he is the Bearer of the Seed
of Sarothen."

The temple was quiet again - the lamps exposing the grave faces as the
men pondered over the immensity of the situation. A soft shiver went
down Saralledh's back as he realized that he held the future of the
world in a dirty satchel hung by his side.

"Well", he spoke finally, breaking the silence pressing down on them.
"I know what to do."
The priests moved aside and waited.

"There are 127 columns in this temple, if I am not mistaken"

The priests nodded.
"All the pillars will have to be turned towards the cella - the divine
central chamber."
Saralledh looked purposefully at them, but received no response.
Finally, a young priest spoke -
"Are you out of your mind? These pillars cannot be shifted - and even
if by Artemis' grace they could - how on earth would you know that the
pillars were facing the cella." The priest added sarcastically - "In
case you haven't noticed, these columns are round!"

Saralledh listened patiently and then spoke-"I agree - the entire thing
does seem fantastic"
The priest attempted a snort.
"But" Saralledh continued "it can be done. The cella should have a
sculpted bird to the right of Artemis. Go there and lift its right
wing. The cores of all the pillars will shift to form smaller cores and
the pillars will all be ready to be turned."

One of the priests went off towards the cella.
Saralledh continued - "Once we are able to-"
He was interrupted by an exclamtion - "In the name of Artemis - it
lifts!"

Saralledh smiled and went on-"As I was saying, once we are able to turn
the pillars around in their bases, comes the problem of knowing which
face of the pillar should be turned towards the cella. Call it
coincidence or call it Fate, you will notice a certain form sculpted
right at the top of all the pillars, where they join the ceiling. That
form is the sign of the Seed of Sarothen.
All the priests immediately looked up and after a few seconds of
intense appraisal, they saw the symbol, minute as it was:

(couldn't upload - basically an oval seed with an aura and surrounded
by flames)

All of them gasped instinctively.
"But?but that looks so obvious! How did we never notice it
before?"

"Quite simple really?these pillars are huge, and the symbol is so very,
very small - one cannot spot it unless one is looking for it."
"But how was it carved? Or why -"

"I told you - coincidence?Fate?Destiny - take your pick"

"Let's get back to the task - Saralledh - what will happen once all the
pillars are turned towards the cella?"

"I have no idea!"

The quiet Ephesus night watched as the men groaned and pushed, turning
each column till the symbol etched on each pillar faced the divine
cella.

Saralledh was still grunting with the last pillar when the sky gleamed
silver, interspersed with bands of gold and the sun peeped in to see
what the men were doing.
It was still too early and Ephesus was still happily ignorant of the
miracle about to happen.
With the 127th mark turned to face the cella, Saralledh backed away to
where the priests were standing and waited.

Nothing!

They waited and waited - but nothing happened.
"But I've done what the parchment says!" cried Saralledh frantically.
"All the pillars are perfectly aligned to -"

He stopped midway - then slapped his forehead, softly cursing himself,
much to the embarrasment of all the priests around him.
"The Seed!" he cried "I haven't placed the Seed. It's still with
me!"

"What are you supposed to do with it?" asked one of the priests.

"Well, the prophecy doesn't say anything but that's the only thing
missing I can think of!" Saralledh shrugged, his face questioning the
priests.
Receiving no reaction against his idea, he slowly removed the
glistening Seed - pure and uncorrupted out of his satchel and walked
towards the cella, gingerly placing it right at the centre, then
hurried back.

For a moment the temple was still. Then with astonishing speed, as the
priests fell back in shock, the Seed shot into the air as 127 jets of
blazing light simultaneously converged to strike it! The Seed whirled
around, trapped at a point blinding to the naked eye - spinning,
spinning and spinning!

***