The Mountain was a glorious sight.
The Sun Titan was rumored to live on the peak.
Folks imagined all sorts of things about the Sun Titan:
He gave secret gifts to good people.
He punished bad people.
He watched over children---the good ones.
Though, He had never really been seen...
~~~
The Sorcerer was a mean, little man with delusions of greatness.
He eked out a living pretending to heal minor illnesses and made a show of parading around the village praying aloud to the pantheon of gods and goddesses he'd invoked so often he almost believed they were real.
And, he had a yet greater delusion---challenging the Sun Titan...
~~~
The Sun Titan was what would, thousands of years later, be called a Plasmoid---a tightly organized ball of the most tenuous substance---unattached protons and electrons which could store electricity in magnetically-bound forms.
The Plasmoid hovering over the mountain was nearly always in a non-glowing state; though, there were occasions when the villagers would see a flashing light, hidden in the clouds that periodically shrouded the mountain's peak.
The Plasmoid---Sun Titan---stored a vast amount of energy...
~~~
The Sorcerer called the village to a general meeting and announced:
"I have served you humbly for many years.
"I have healed you and brought you fortune, while shielding you from harm.
"You have believed that good and bad are delivered from what you call Sun Titan.
"I have tried to teach you the True Way of worship---worship of the Pantheon.
"I will prove, beyond all doubt, that Sun Titan is a mere myth---a design of our ancestors' imaginations."
There was a confused and agitated rumbling from the villagers.
The Sorcerer shouted above the din:
"Tomorrow, I will climb the mountain and ascend to the peak!
"I will build a bonfire to signal to you my supremacy over idle fancies!"
~~~
The day dawned bright and sunny.
The Sorcerer made a grand show of preparing to ascend the mountain---he was a mean and small man but did have good health and a strong body.
The villagers surrounded him as he held forth:
"I go now to prove my superiority. I take with me our Sacred Cross, made of Holy Metal mined from the base of the mountain.
"Do not fear for me, I only perform what is necessary for our Salvation!"
~~~
The trek was hard.
The Sorcerer stopped before the last and hardest ascent.
Clouds had gathered and the air was heavy with moisture.
He ate some food and drank quite a bit of his wine---lugging a four-foot-long metal cross and a large bundle of fire wood had demanded he fortify himself.
He'd forgotten to wrap the cross in the Sacred Cloth, used to carry it from place to place for worship.
The Sacred Cloth was an excellent insulating material...
~~~
Up he went, attaining the peak, very relieved he saw no Sun Titan.
Just for the fun of it, before he built the bonfire, he raised the Sacred Cross over his head and said:
"Oh, Mighty Sun Titan, I challenge you to Mortal Contest!
"Show your puny frame and be Conquered!!"
The metal of the cross called affectionately to the electricity in the Plasmoid.
A bolt of pure energy incinerated the cross and Sorcerer...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you liked this story, please consider giving it a vote...
If you can't wait for me to put all 31 stories here (one per week), head over to nfaa.wordpress.com and look in the left side-bar to find all the stories---that side-bar also has a free book of poetry, a free novel, and a free fable :-) {NOTE: if you're on your phone, you'll have to use your general "Menu" button and find something like "Request Desktop Site" to see the left side-bar :-)
Next story on Tuesday (USA-time), May 10th :-)
YOU ARE READING
Strange Fantasies
Fantasy"...mysterious and fantastical story telling with an amazing and often thought provoking twist." ~~ Author, Jane D. Watson ~~ "I have to applaud an author that can make me consider the human condition while presenting me with dragons and spirits and...
