The Empty Mind
It was dawn, the usual crimson sky now gave a dark despair. Violent streams of memories clenched Vanir’s mind. He could hear hordes of men roaring within his mind, with utmost vengeance.
Vanir took a heavy gasp.
“How long has it been, Richard”
“Almost an year, young sir. Almost an year” , the old butler revered.
As they both stood on the Castle’s balcony, staring down at it’s massive backyard leading
to the forest.
It was almost an year since Vanir fell asleep, being his dearest Richard took care of
Vanir’s mortal vessel until this present day.
Vanir sat down on his study and is trying to recollect what’s left of his memory.
“Ah, what day is this Richard?”
“It’s Monday sir, 25th August 1997, time 06:23.”
“It’s been almost 30 minutes, and your tea has gone cold sir. Should i have it boiled again
for you, sir.”
Vanir stared at Richard for a brief moment. Richard was paralyzed in an instant, as if a
thousand blades had struck his feeble heart.
Seconds passed...
With a smile as that of an heavenly light set to free one’s burden, “It would be fine, old
friend. I’d like to have my tea cold for now.”
“Take your leave now, and be back in an hour Richard. I’d like to have some deep roasted
bacon, a couple of omelettes, a tender loaf of bread and a pint of our old red wine for
breakfast.”
“I’ll have them served to you in an hour, sir. Served in the most elegant of manner...”
“Leave, Richard”
“Right away, young sir, humbly i shall”
Richard took slow steps out of the room, trying to hear the words between Vanir’s silence and his ulterior motives.
Vanir took the tea right away.
Reviving the Unhearkened Reminiscence
Left undisturbed Vanir emptied his awareness, gathered all his past memories. Fragments of his memories were projected unto his mind’s eye. Wavering through his memories, Vanir took a brief pause and grasped all he could with utmost focus.
September 26th, 1996, The Lunar Eclipse
It was almost midnight, Vanir’s Knights of five set onto the castle’s backyard. The Knights were all cousins of Vanir, men of his age group.
A set of 5 circles were made inwardly with a protective pentagram as its centre. The
outermost circle was of 40 metre, and 10 metre less for each successive circle drawn inwards. Ancient unknown symbols were inscribed on the inner curve of the final circle. The five knights took stand on 5 cardinal points of the pentagam. The entire ritual scheme was setup under Vanir’s command.
The midnight bell toll, the five wore their robes which too was marked with unknown
symbolism.
Their incantations began.
“Un wa tere mak yaruvigaan jreyuvaka karyath”
They stopped upon the sight of the moon’s penumbra, the crew took their athame(a ritual
dagger of some sort) and slit their palms and trickled their blood upon their chalices, as
they laid it in front of them.
The piercing light of the penumbra struck the chalices, energizing the ritual.
“The physical work has been done, it’s time for the internal work”
“Through our blood, we shall open the gates through us.” Vanir commanded.
It was by then, the local populace from the village came to end this menace. Vanir and the
knights were too obsessed to even notice the thundering noise of the mass.
Vanir and his knights worked their way out through the soul plane, and upon the guidance of the four gate -keepers of all four directions, the gates were finally opened.
Vanir took the first step through the gat, and was floating upon the infinite pools of clusters of floating energy clumps of bright blue and green luminous.
At his sight, a powerful stream of endless energy, it was large and long, with Vanir not
even able to see nor the starting or ending of it.
Bedazzled at what Vanir saw, he could see himself eradicating all his worldly attachments.
All the strings cut, all the burdens gone, all the wounds healed and all scars faded.
“This Vanir, runs beneath all existence, beneath all realms. Beneath all that is alive.”
“This is the river of life, immensify yourself in its essence and be unbounded as the universe that you are”
“This is as far as i can bring you, young one. The rest of the steps are yours to make.”
a powerful voice murmured.
Vanir floated across to dive into this immense stream of life.
“AAAAAAAAARRRRGH, VANIR”
“RUN AWAY”
“NOW” “SAVE US”
The two worlds collided. Vanir now, could see both the worlds at the same time.
The raging crowd slayed all his knights. Vanir outside the bounds of sanity reached for the stream, regardless of his Knights death. He could see both the river and a blood tainted blade infront of him. As he reached for the river, the blade reached for him. The more he thrusted his will to reach the river, the more longer it took for the blade to slash him through.
With his hands almost set onto making the final touch, time stopped and endless torrents of energy flooded through Vanir’s soul and body into the physical world slashing through all forms of life, annihilating even the tiniest forms of existence.
It lasted only an half of a second, before he floated away.
With the entire populace decimated, blood drenched all the five circles.
Vanir returned to his vessel, unable to bear such extremity, he hit the ground unconscious.
UNTIL NOW, THE PRESENT 25TH AUGUST 1997, TIME 07:30
A gentle knock on the door,
“May i get in, sir”
“Please come in, Richard”
“Aww, my breakfast. Take a seat, we shall eat together”
Both of them had a quality time. Despite the evil that Vanir caused, Richard still loved him.
“Tell me, Richard Falter. The last son of the butler family of Falter’s.”
“Why was my tea poisoned?”
“I mean you did have almost an year of time, you could easily killed me. But why, now?”
A brief silence echoed through the walls.
“Master Vanir, you are the last heir of this family. I loved you as much this life let me. But, I've... I never wanted you to die, young one. But I cannot live with myself, not knowing what more evil that you would cause.”
“But then, why did you take the poison yourself, my eyes can see your life withering away”
“There’s not much choice left for me, i cannot live with you being alive as much as you are dead. Henceth it’s best for this old soul to depart alongside you, Vanir. My services are for you, be it life or death.”
“I shall carry out your cremation myself. You shall have a respected depart, Richard”
“I too love you”
“What do you mean?” ... Richard gasped.
“That day, Richard. I died that day. Now, i’m beyond the bounds of life and death. You should not have taken the poison, you never asked me anything when you make decisions, you always have made decisions purely out of love and emotions. when i chose to walk the path of practicality.”
“You’ve suffered enough, old friend. Even though it pains me to see you leave, i’m content that you are free atlast.”
They hugged each other with immense love and respect. With little advices of the path of the righteous Richard bid goodbye.
The story of the old man ended.
Vanir was left with an empty mind.