Jarzen Tadel - Echoes of Peace

CHAPTER ONE

HORRIBLE EXPERIMENT

Patrax Codor, Patrax Master Tadel, subject nine seven four six has taken numerous hits and he is still alive; why not unhook him and evaluate the data?

Patrax Rando, please refer to him as Jarzen or simply by his subject number. And as I have already explained; Jarzen is a very special case. I plan to benefit significantly from the use of subject nine seven four six. I plan to derive maximum pleasure from this opportunity; I will benefit greatly by his participation and be rid of an old rival all at the same time. Besides, he has not yet taken a direct Ion Lightning strike.

Patrax Codor, if his brain gets totally fried by the Ion Lightening, we may derive no benefit from his participation; on the other hand we could lose invaluable research data. I am very intrigued by his insistent claim that he now has two brains. Science demands it; we must evaluate this claim.

Two brains, preposterous, totally preposterous; however, if it will appease your curiosity, let’s take a closer look. You should know; I have no intention of unhooking Jarzen, at least not yet. Look, Rando, our subject is fine, and as you can clearly see, he still has only one head.

Jarzen, how are you bearing up under the experiment? Are you still alive and cognizant? How is the pain; does it subside after the strike? Speak up, Jarzen; you’re not offering up much useful scientific information. I wanted you to enjoy this as much as I am enjoying it … and I am enjoying it. I’m still waiting for you to make your contribution.

A terrified Jarzen replied, Codor, I have amazing new data; unhook me.

Jarzen, it’s about time; explain about your brain being torn in half?

Codor, unhook me and I’ll explain. I have amazing, valuable data.

Jarzen, explain and I’ll consider unhooking you. You haven’t even taken a direct lightening strike yet. The three incidents so far have only been near strikes.

Near strikes? Codor; unhook me; if those were only near strikes, you must unhook me. I’ll never survive a direct strike. You’ve made a tremendous breakthrough; my subconscious mind is, is, is …

Jarzen, explain what you mean, by your brain having been torn in half?

My brain was torn in half. I’m certain; I now have two separate minds. Codor, unhook me before it’s too late, please; you must unhook me now.

Jarzen, look at yourself in the monitor; LOOK AT YOURSELF. Your skull is still intact, and you are still able to communicate. Witness the facts: your brain could not have been torn in half, there isn’t even any blood.

Codor, you must believe me. For the love of the Creator, Codor, you must unhook me. I now have two functioning minds. I do, I do. I’m telling you, I am conscious of everything I’m doing: talking, breathing, even the beating of my heart. I’m participating in this conversation and I’m watching it at the same time.

Pain … pain … searing pain … NOT AGAIN … NOT AGAIN, fight back … fight back … pain … sharp pain … stabbing pain … PAIN BEYOND ALL PAIN … .

Jarzen, Jarzen, can you hear me?

Yes, Codor, I hear you, you must unhook me now. UNHOOK ME RIGHT NOW. I can’t take another hit. I just can’t. I can’t … .

Jarzen, Jarzen, get a hold of yourself. That was the closest Ion Lightening strike so far; however, the collectors have yet to sustain a direct hit. Take one direct hit and survive and I’ll disconnect you.

Jarzen, tell me, how can it be possible for you to have two brains?

I don’t know Codor; I just know I definitely have two minds. They are now completely separate, functioning separately and functioning in unison at the same time. It’s truly amazing. It’s truly incredible, truly astonishing, and truly beyond belief.

Jarzen, prepare yourself, the Ion Storm is coming ashore, it will be directly over the Institute in a few minutes.

CODOR, IN THE NAME OF THE CREATOR, UNHOOK ME. Please unhook me. I’ll never survive a direct hit. YOU MUST UNHOOK ME NOW! Please, Codor; please, do you possess no compassion, have you no mercy?

Jarzen, for your information, we currently have eleven subjects who are still alive after a direct lightening strike to the collector. We have learned a great deal from their direct encounters with the energy contained in lightening. We have all of our precautions in place; you should survive this experiment. Keep up your running commentary, it’s been very entertaining.

PAIN … RELENTLESS PAIN … SEARING PAIN … BLINDING PAIN … ALL CONSUMING PAIN … P A I N … P A I N … P A I N … nothingness… .

Patrax Codor, Jarzen is still not responding. He must be dead. We took four direct Ion Lightening strikes to the collector, only solar seconds apart. No one could have survived that.

Patrax Codor moaned, Can we disconnect Jarzen from the collector from here? We must save the data.

Patrax Codor, that won’t be necessary. The fourth direct hit melted all of the antenna cable connectors. Jarzen is for all intents and purposes disconnected.

Patrax Codor lamented again, We must get this door open. Why can’t we get this flaming door open?

Patrax Codor, we have tried; the military commandant has sealed the entire complex. The storm is hovering right over us. The storm surge has flooded all of the outer buildings. The lightening collector is gone, as are the dormitories. The entire back wall to the holding cells and many of the buildings have lost their roofs. This storm is said to be one of the worst on record. Not even Tar-Que building materials and construction methods are able to completely withstand this colossal potent Ion Storm.

We must get to Jarzen, we must. We are losing invaluable data. Patrax Codor’s frustration went on to become complete. He sat slumped in a corner bemoaning the tremendous loss. The Institute was sustaining substantial damage and loss of life, yet Codor’s only concern was for the data he was losing. The Ion Storm raged on without surcease, hovering right over the Institute for two days, and two nights, before the storm miraculously dissolving into nothingness.

When the research facility’s lock down was finally lifted, Patrax Codor ordered his entire team to recover Jarzen’s body for immediate autopsy.

Codor’s only concern was the amazing breakthrough he was certain they had made, and the incredible amount of data they had lost, while Jarzen’s body lay decomposing, just beyond his reach, yet only thirty Standard Galactic feet away.

Codor pushed everyone to urgency—time was critical. Because a living brain contained so much fluid, it was possible that after two days of decomposing they would get no useful data from subject nine seven four six.

Jarzen was quickly rolled into the dissection lab; the mobile couch-table was repositioned for autopsy. All of the restraints were rapidly removed from Jarzen’s arms and legs to facilitate the researcher’s closer accessibility to the subject. When Patrax Codor arrived in the lab, he quickly released the head restraint, and then he requested the autopsy laser. Codor was lining up for his first incision when his assistant stayed his arm. Patrax Codor, the subject just moved his hand. There, he moved again; Jarzen is still alive!

Patrax Codor spent the next few solar minutes actively trying to revive Jarzen, he even shook Jarzen by both shoulders, trying to get him to speak or even to blink. His team did a quick medical workup on subject nine seven four six. With the exception of severe electrical burns on the base of his skull and shoulders where they had rested on the table, and the same for his upper back, buttock, calves, and heels he was medically all right. With proper care, Jarzen would heal physically. In all probability he would survive; but what of his mind, what of his brain?

Patrax Codor, wishing to lose no more time decided Jarzen would never be able to verbally communicate again. He was determined not to lose the valuable data he could collect from Jarzen’s dissected brain. Patrax Codor announced the end of all medical procedures and ordered his staff to prepare for live autopsy.

The urgent movements necessary to try and awaken Jarzen, combined with the quick medical exam and the repositioning of his head and body after the removal of the restraints, along with the alteration of the table’s configuration from couch to gurney had revived Jarzen. When Patrax Codor addressed him, he had tried to speak.

His body was not working. His minds seemed to be working just fine. Yes, his minds, he still had, he did have TWO MINDS. How could that be?

Jarzen had to communicate with Codor. He had to. He had to move. Try as he might, all he could move was his left hand, and only just barely.

Let’s proceed with the live autopsy, said Codor. I’ll not take the risk of losing this data. We will keep him alive as long as possible. Hook up the leads on the underside of his skull. I will remove the entire frontal skull bone in one piece.

Once again, panic swelled in Jarzen. Then full blown anger. Was there no end to the fiendish tortures of the Tar-Que? The only way to end this heinous experiment was to kill all of the Tar-Que scientists. Jarzen could see Codor hold up the laser and test fire the cutting beam. Codor turned Jarzen’s head slightly to the left, he lowered his hand to make the first incision.

Jarzen’s fear exploded into pure rage. His thoughts materialized and took action. He screamed with every scintilla of his existence, Nooo.

In that very instant the body of Codor and every Tar-Que in the lab exploded into hundreds of pieces. The guards, attracted by Jarzen’s screams, ran into the lab to see Jarzen sitting up on the table, covered in blood. There were body parts and the shredded clothing of the Tar-Que researchers scattered all over the room. The guards raised their guns to shoot. Jarzen held up his outstretched hand as if to stave off the bullets he knew would be fired at him. Again he screamed, Nooo. And the guards exploded.

Jarzen hopped down from the table; the pain he suffered when his burned feet hit the floor was overwhelming. He staggered and went down on one knee, only preventing his head from hitting the floor with his outstretched arms.

The pain from the burns on his feet was intense. If he was going to get to the transporter station to escape, and he was determined to, he had to deal with the debilitating pain. Damn the pain! Jarzen, by sheer force of will, stood up. He would not be thwarted by physical pain. Not after all he had endured; after all he had suffered in the past few days. To the Destroyer with the pain---pain be gone---pain leave me alone.

His pain was instantly gone. The feeling of relief was so overwhelming; Jarzen swooned from the sudden euphoria. What was happening to him? How could this be happening? Realization was slowly dawning; something amazing, no something unbelievable had happened. He was changing. No! He was changed. He had changed. That insane Codor had achieved his goal. Somehow, some way, Jarzen’s mind had been expanded, amplified, enlarged, enhanced and so much more.

Jarzen didn’t know the answer, yet? He could make his thoughts concrete. No, that wasn’t it. What he thought, happened? No, he could make his thoughts, happen. Mind over matter? No, Mind into matter? He didn’t know yet. He experienced panic and a tremendous sense of urgency. His confused mind raced. Was this only a temporary change? How long would this awesome new power last?

He had to go now, right now, if he was to have any chance of escaping. He had to go while he still had this incredible new power. His pain was gone, yet his feet were still bleeding. He was slipping in the blood. Jarzen stopped, he thought of his feet totally healed … and they were … just like that.

Jarzen proceeded to the main corridor, following the signs, which indicated the way to the administration building. He reached a closed containment door. Jarzen tried to get it open. It was locked from the other side. He tried using his mind. The door groaned, but didn’t open.

He couldn’t be defeated now. Why was this new power so fleeting? Was there no fairness left in the galaxy? Jarzen’s rage was building again. He was becoming more and more angry. Finally, in complete frustration, he exploded. Jarzen hit the door with his shoulder; his damaged body rocked with pain. His rage at the unyielding door, his pain, and his desire to get through it, merged. There was a terrible explosion; the door and a good part of the corridor were gone. As before, the commotion of his escape brought the guards down on him.

Before he even realized it, he was under fire. Both projectile weapons fire and disrupter beams were hitting his naked body from point blank range. He thought he felt the first few hits. He should be dead, and dead many times over, yet he was completely unhurt.

Well, not completely. In an attempt to seek cover, when he dove to the ground and rolled on to his back, he was rocked with pain as he reopened his burn wounds, which started them bleeding again. Jarzen thought briefly about his body, about his pain, and about all of his burns being completely healed, and they were.

While he had been occupied with concentrating on the healing of his burns, the guards had rushed forward and physically captured him. Their guns may not have hurt him but he was once again in the custody of the Tar-Que. The sergeant of the guard ordered Jarzen returned to a holding cell. When Jarzen refused and began to violently resist, the sergeant lifted his weapon, intending to club him unconscious. Jarzen’s mind once again was faster than his body; the sergeant and all of his troops fell to the floor, dead.

Jarzen ran from the carnage he was causing. He had to escape. He had to get home to his family, to his beloved Shara, to his sons. He had to escape.

Deep is his mind he heard a voice. Jarzen you must come to Semtrek Mountain. Semtrek Mountain? No, he must go to the Telmar Valley, to Shara, he must go to Shara.

When he exited the main laboratory complex, Jarzen immediately noticed the incredible damage caused by the Ion Storm. He spotted a sign, which was bent and leaning over, indicating the direction of the transporter station.

The sound of gunfire alerted Jarzen to the fact that he was once again under fire from troops stationed at the research facility. The guards were also shooting at hundreds of escaping prisoners who were being killed by the dozen. The warehouse dormitory cells had been badly damaged by the Ion Storm.

For a moment he watched as bullets hit him and bounced off. Bounced off, but that wasn’t possible. Even more amazing, the beams from the disrupter weapons had no effect at all. With a grand wave of his hand all of the troops who had been shooting fell to the ground. Jarzen was relieved to see the escaping prisoners were unharmed and running for their lives. He approached the nearest group of downed Tar-Que soldiers to see if they were dead or alive. They were all dead. So far, it seemed Jarzen couldn’t be hurt, yet every action he took resulted in the death of those he took action against. What was he? What had he become? What kind of monster had Codor turned him into?

Jarzen knew there would be an operator in the transporter station, possibly troops as well. He needed to use the transporter. No, he would use the transporter, although he didn’t want to kill anyone else, if he could help it. By his best estimate he had already killed Codor and his team and over two hundred Tar-Que troops. Jarzen resolved to only render unconscious anyone he met in the transporter rooms at both ends of his journey home. He thought hard, only unconscious; then he burst through the door.

There were two operators in the transporter room at the Institute. Jarzen waved his hand and they dropped to the floor. He checked and they were both still alive; unconscious, but alive. Jarzen exhaled a great sigh of relief; he wasn’t sure he wanted a power that only killed.

* * *

When he arrived in Telmar, there was only one operator on duty; Jarzen knocked him out with a wave of his hand. Then he was out the door and running for all he was worth right past the alarmed troops; he was running for home.

There it was again that voice deep in his mind; Jarzen, come to the Semtrek Mountain. Jarzen was where he wanted to be, in Telmar; soon he would be with Shara. Semtrek Mountain was at the far end of the valley. Jarzen and his brothers had fished and played there as boys---it was at the edge of the farm---there was nothing there, just the mountain and a tributary of the Boro River, which ran all the way to the ocean.

When Jarzen arrived at home he was calling out to Shara. As he neared the guesthouse she came running out to greet him carrying Jamos, who at the sight of his father, started screaming. Shara herself had pulled up short at the sight of Jarzen.

He was still naked, covered in dried blood and very dirty. The burned outer skin, which had not been completely torn away, hung in large sheets. Worst of all, the bright and shiny titanium electrodes were still sticking two standard inches out of his head. Jamos was becoming hysterical; Shara was crying. Jarzen was very confused. He was home and pleading to be embraced, to be welcomed home, yet everyone was frightened and feared getting any closer to him. Jarzen, is that truly you? What have they done to your head, to your body? screeched Shara as she continued to back away. By the Creator, Jarzen, what have they done to you?

Other family members drawn by the baby’s screams came running into the yard, Jarzen’s sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles. Mia arrived and took the screaming Jamos from Shara.

Then, taking a good look at Jarzen, Mia began to cry herself. She sobbed out loud.

Jarzen, my son, what have they done to you?

The screech of many trucks pulling up at the main house alerted everyone to the arrival of many armed troops under the personal command of Governor Apso.

The troops surrounded those family members in the courtyard and Governor Apso gave the order to open fire. Jarzen again screamed, Nooo. He was frantically waving his hands, running towards the Tar-Que, when the Governor and all of the troops, with all of their equipment, everything Tar-Que, exploded into thousands of pieces.

Everyone in the family was stunned. One old aunt started yelling as she ran for the main house: The Tars have turned Jarzen into a monster. Before long, most of the family was slowly backing away, chanting monster be gone, monster be gone, monster be gone. Jarzen had never before realized how simple, how backward his people were, they were nearly primitive in some of their beliefs.

Jarzen tried again to go to Shara. As he approached her, she backed up a step, then another, then yet another. He lunged forward and grabbed her by each arm. Shara, it’s me; it’s Jarzen, your Jarzen. I’ve escaped and I’ve come home to you. You’ve nothing to fear from me, I love you, and I love our sons, and I’ve come home; I’ve come home to you and to our sons. Please, Shara, it’s me, your Jarzen.

Trembling uncontrollably, Shara tentatively asked, Jarzen, what have, they done, to you? Have they truly turned you into a monster? What are those things protruding from your head? The way you killed those solders, have they indeed turned you into some kind of Tar-Que monster?

Shara, I’m not a monster. I was the subject of a horrible experiment.

Ormal, who had been sent for, came running up from the barn. He saw the carnage. At the same time Lemosk came running around the house yelling. There are more troops on the way. Jarzen, you must flee. By the Creator; Jarzen what … have … they … done … to … you? And what have you done to these troops? Protect us from the Destroyer; you are a monster. The Tar-Que will surely kill us all now.

Jarzen looked around at the massacre he had created. The broken and bent trucks, the equipment, the blood, the body parts and uniforms, all ripped asunder. He thought, he concentrated, and they were all completely gone. No trace remained.

Jarzen, come to Semtrek Mountain.

Shara, I love you and our sons. I know now it’s not safe for any of you if I’m here. I must go before the troops arrive. I love you. I will return when I can. When it’s safe, I’ll return.

Jarzen, wait. Shara ran into the guesthouse, returning in an instant, with a blanket, which she wrapped around Jarzen’s damaged body. She kissed him, thrusting a carry sack into his hands. Clothes, knife, food, and drink. I will always love you. Come back when it’s safe, Jarzen. I will always love you.

JARZEN, COME TO SEMTREK MOUNTAIN, NOW!"

CHAPTER TWO

SEMTREK MOUNTAIN

Jarzen turned swiftly with firm resolve; all the while feeling as though his heart was being torn from his body. He sobbed and quickened his pace, not daring to look back, lest he be unable to go on. The Tar-Que soldiers must not see him. He couldn’t put everyone he loved at risk; he had to distance himself from his family until he could determine a safe course of action.

Reaching the end of the breading barn, Jarzen sought cover; he looked back on the courtyard as much to verify that his escape was unseen as to catch one more glimpse of his family. The courtyard was empty; his family has fled to the mundane shelter of their daily lives.

Noting he was still much too close to those he loved, he made a dash for the field of tall Oseph crops, one hundred standard galactic meters beyond the barn. Again he paused and went down on one knee; he felt he must remain to ensure no harm came to his family. No harm as a result of his recent actions. An Elapson couldn’t kill a Tar-Que with impunity, and he especially couldn’t kill a Tar-Que Regional Governor. There would be harsh reprisals.

The Tar-Que troops were routinely occupied with rounding up the entire family and herding everyone into the main house. The hours dragged on as the Tar-Que searched and then searched the compound again. They interrogated every adult member of the family. Jarzen began to fear the worst, and just when he decided to rid his family of this Tar-Que plague, the troops exited the main house loaded into their trucks, and left.

Jarzen watched the trucks drive off without taking any of his family; he turned and began to walk down the long straight row between the Oseph plants. He must get away from the compound, far away, but where can he go? Possibly to the brewery residence? No it is now known to the Tars. To the Lady Mia. To do what? She is too much boat for one man to handle. The marina is well guarded in any event. He could take the sea spray. He could travel overland to the ocean and swim into the harbor in the dead of night. Launch the sea spray and be gone with no one the wiser. But where would he go? To Aza Beach? No, it’s a beautiful spot with great memories, but it could not sustain him. To the outer banks? He could find an island and make a life for himself. What kind of a life would it be without his beloved Shara and their sons? No that is totally unacceptable. He needed a plan, a sound plan, a plan which included his family, his entire family. What should he do? Where can he go?

JARZEN COME TO SEMTREK MOUNTAIN.

Semtrek Mountain, he could go to Semtrek Mountain. Why should he go to Semtrek Mountain? Why would he want to go to Semtrek Mountain? There is nothing there, just the mountain; then remembering his childhood, he thought of the fish and fresh water available at Semtrek Mountain.

Again, deep in him mind, the voice, JARZEN COME TO SEMTREK MOUNTAIN.

Someone or something deep in his mind kept telling him to go to Semtrek Mountain. Possibly it was something to do with his new mental abilities, if he still had them; he should really find out. Jarzen sold himself on the idea of going to Semtrek Mountain; telling himself he didn’t have a better plan. Jarzen reminded himself that Semtrek Mountain was a wasteland far from the Tar-Que’s sphere of influence. He decided it might be safe there after all, at least for the time being, and as luck would have it, he was heading in the right direction.

Realizing he wouldn’t be able to make it before nightfall, as it was already late in the afternoon, Jarzen decided to keep going regardless. Traveling in the dark might even be wiser, less chance of being seen. He should be able to make the mountain even on foot by second moon rise.

Walking at a steady pace, Jarzen watched the sun set into the afterglow of twilight. Just as the fullness of complete darkness had set in, Ard, the first of the two moons of Elapsis, began to rise in the night sky. First Ard, and then two hours later, Rif, the larger second moon rose high in the night sky, lighting the way. Jarzen was making good time although he was becoming aware of rapidly approaching fatigue. Now that he thought about it, he had gotten very little sleep in the past three solar days while he was Codor’s guest at the research facility. The thought made him shudder. The past three days now seemed like a bad dream, a very bad dream.

Reaching the wide, shallow, crystal clear Boro River, Jarzen decided to immediately cross, putting an additional barrier between himself and any pursuit. Wrapping his travel rations in his blanket and holding it over his head, he waded across the river. Reaching the far side of the river, Jarzen gave in to the total fatigue the warm water had made complete. Spreading his blanket under the stars, Jarzen returned to the river for a proper bath. His course of action was inevitable: bathe, eat something, and sleep out his exhaustion. He was in a remote enough part of the valley for this to be a good plan.

Entering the summer-warmed water, he washed off the dried blood, the dead skin, and the dirt. Just as he was beginning to feel refreshed, he was snapped back, his right hand brushing against the forgotten electrodes protruding from his head.

He was repulsed. He had almost forgotten what the Tars had done to him. Almost; he gingerly felt each of the electrodes. They were now firmly part of his head. They were securely embedded in his skull. They were part of him. Finishing his bath he forced himself to the spread blanket. Opening his travel pack, he instinctively ate some of his provisions before giving in to his fatigue and drifting off to sleep.

Sleeping out his exhaustion, Jarzen woke and stretched. He was on his back, his head positioned awkwardly on his travel pack, with his body baking in the morning sun. Smiling, he thought of D’s tenacious protection; rising to check how badly he was burned, Jarzen noted his tanned body had only slightly darkened. It was mid morning; he had awakened before the heat of the day. Jarzen couldn’t help but notice his neck was very stiff from the awkward position required to accommodate his electrodes so he could sleep.

Eating from his travel pack, Jarzen found the forgotten clothing, sandals, and a good hunting knife. He consumed more of his rations, and then he proceeded into the river for a bath and a long drink of the crystal clear water. Leaving the river, he finished his breakfast, eating the last of his travel rations as he dripped dry. He quickly dressed in the sleeveless shirt vest and the pants provided by Shara, he slipped on his sandals, stuffed his blanket into the now empty carry sack and headed off towards Semtrek Mountain.

Jarzen decided to follow the Boro River, remembering a tributary which ran all the way to the ocean, passing just to the south of the base of Semtrek Mountain, less than a quarter solar hour’s walk away from the mountain. Jarzen had fond memories of camping there, he remembered his father teaching him how to weave fish traps from the flexible branches of the Tewa plants, which were then tied with the wild vines growing along the river bank.

Walking, trudging, striding along, one foot in front of the other, over and over, with only his thoughts to keep him company; every time Jarzen broke away from his thoughts and looked up he was closer to the mountain.

Today his thoughts were not his friend. They inevitably led him back to an overwhelming sense of personal guilt. Deep down he would assure himself he was not responsible for all that had befallen him and his family. Try as he might, he could not definitively place the blame on any one person or event. Trying hard as he might to put the thoughts of blame from his mind, Jarzen always came back to the same thought. If only he had done this or that differently, things would have worked out in a different way. Jarzen was becoming the master of hindsight regret.

The sun was low in the western sky when Jarzen arrived at the tributary of the Boro River which runs to the ocean. Turning towards the east, following the tributary, after half an hour he decided to cross and make camp for the night. Along the way he had filled his travel pack with a variety of vegetables from the crops he has passed to reach the river. There being no room in his pack for his clothes, he left them on and held his sandals and pack over his head as he crossed the river.

Reaching the opposite bank Jarzen emptied his pack, placing his blanket over a Tyle bush to air it out; he hung his clothes on another to dry. Taking his vegetables to the river to wash them he spotted the ever-present Tewa bush and the wild vines and decided to make a fish trap. It was nearly dark when he finished his trap and had it properly placed in the river. Deciding on a fire Jarzen quickly gathered some wood. Using the flint and steel from the handle of his hunting knife, he deftly sparked a flame. Gathering enough wood to keep his fire going well into the night Jarzen prepared some of his vegetables to roast over the open fire. As he settled down to watch his dinner cook, he savored the thought of the fresh-cooked fish he was going to have for breakfast. Gazing into the fire his mind again took him to places in his memory he no longer wanted to visit, painful places, places of complete and utter helplessness, places of fear, places of great physical pain, places of despair, places of guilt, and places of tremendous loss.

Waking early with the rising sun still low in the morning sky, Jarzen was again reminded of his transformation by the stiffness of his neck. Checking his fire he coaxed the dying embers to life with the addition of kindling and twigs. Adding some larger wood, he checked on his clothes and found them still damp from his river crossing. Leaving them to dry, he went to the river for a morning bath and to check his fish trap. As expected, the fish trap has provided an abundance of fish. Jarzen removed three of the five fish, each one easily as long as his forearm and hand, and placed the fish trap back in the river. He set one fish to roast for his breakfast and wrapped the other two in Tewa leaves to smoke; he would add them to his burgeoning travel rations.

His breakfast complete, he returned to the river for a quick swim, a long drink, and to refill his water bottle. Drowning his fire and assembling his travel pack, Jarzen donned his clothes and sandals and headed for the now very close Semtrek Mountain. After a short walk Jarzen reached the base of the mountain. Looking up, he could not see the mountain’s peak, which he now knew was nine thousand standard galactic meters in height.

Jarzen, not knowing what would happen or what to expect when he reached Semtrek Mountain, chuckled to himself, and advised the mountain of his arrival. Semtrek Mountain, this is Jarzen Tadel reporting as ordered. He didn’t really expect a reply, yet he was still disappointed when he did not get one.

Without any hesitation Jarzen began the construction of a pile of stones to use as a marker. He intended to travel around the mountain looking for a way in. He was well aware of his ancient ancestors’ proclivity for concealing their secrets in or under mountains. It was Jarzen himself who had solved the riddle of the Esten Mountain Dig. With a suitable marker constructed Jarzen began his trek to circle the mountain; he wisely decided to travel to the west so the sun was behind him and not shinning into his face. He was searching for a cave or tunnel that would admit him within the mountain itself and hopefully to the entity who had been summoning him.

The south side of Semtrek Mountain was visible from every part of the Telmar Valley. As Jarzen proceeded to the west, he left the valley and the order of its crop rows for the chaos of virgin land as yet untouched or tamed by people.

Walking around the mountain proved to be