Dawn of the Epoch

Chapter XXVII - Passing the Torch

“Ooooooooooooohm.”

Hunter woke up to the sound of a long vowel hum. It took him a moment to get his bearings.

“Ooooooooooooohm.”

He heard it again. Hunter found himself lying on his back wrapped in blankets amidst a patch of mountain shrubs. When he tried to sit up, he saw his new friend, the monk sitting in the lotus position on a nearby boulder. As reverberations from the long hum echoed through the mountains, the monk turned his head toward Hunter.

“Welcome.” The monk said.

Hunter stood up. He looked around. He found himself standing on top of the world. A tall mountain cone surrounded by small glaciers lay beneath his feet. He stood on a small, round platform at the highest point in the mountain range. He felt himself breathing heavily due to the thin air. The view was celestial.

“Llen queust onmos nagef, uskrothe ahine taik Rohjarrat.” The monk uttered a mantra in a low voice with his eyes closed.

The monk faced a giant lapis lazuli crystal table. The clinquant table sat in the center of the platform and overlooked the vast expanses of the Himalayan range. On the platform, a man lay dressed in violet robes. His eyes were closed. He breathed slowly. His hands lay clasped across his chest. He looked peaceful. An opaque blue liquid covered his body. Hunter saw traces of crystal on the ground. He saw liquid dripping from the table’s edges.

“Was this man frozen?” Hunter gasped. “Like Ghaelvord?”

“Indeed.” Came the reply.

He went on, “This is Rohjarrat, one of the greatest Dahjaat that I have ever known. He has earned the right to meet his maker. He could have moved on long ago and left his responsibilities to others who would take up his mantle. He turned the opportunity down each time. He was determined to see the War through to the end. He led a life of deep respect and decisive leadership. He was a loyal friend and a formidable opponent.”

“Is he dead? He’s still breathing.” Hunter asked.

The host did not answer Hunter’s question.

Instead, he asked his own, “I need to know more about you.”

Hunter shrugged, “Okay.”

“Let us start with why you are here. Why are you here?” The monk asked.

“The stone led me here. I just followed the clues.” Hunter replied.

“What is your purpose in life?”

Hunter took a deep breath, “Well, that is a big question, I suppose. It was to dig, find artifacts, study the earth. Be the best husband I could be. Possibly start a family someday. Lead my team. That’s about it I guess.”

“A satisfactory answer. You are an archaeologist?”

“Yes, and my wife Tiyana, she’s a scientist. We’re a pair.”

“Excellent professions. The invisible order of creation can be seen by understanding the things made. Your studies are vicarious, while your wife’s are direct. Much of what was once here is being rebuilt.”

“Um.” Hunter did not know how to respond to that.

“Listen,” Hunter began, “I don’t know what we’re doing here. I think that something bad may have happened and it’s at least partially my fault. I want to make it right. If I discover Shambhala or an Egyptian treasure trove along the way, then I won’t complain. I am worried though. I didn’t like the look in the eyes of the ogre that we met down there, below the ground, in Egypt.”