The Threshold – The Last Oserp Envoy

Written by Doina
Chapter I
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”
(Romans 9:14-15)
In the luxury residence where Kor had been locked up only the furniture made a cracking sound from time to time.
His beard had grown and his face, with the black eyes the colour of burnt-out embers, had sagged. Each line on his face was drooping down as if trying to touch his knees.
He was talking to himself, he was shaking his head, he was starting a phrase pacing from one end of the desk and was finishing it at the other. That was a calculated move. At times, he would pause, his leg hanging up in the air, so as to be able to utter his words in time to his moves. He was no longer articulating his words, he was merely mumbling:

– Why do you keep me away from you, Dad? Don’t tell me you don’t think about it, if not every single day, at least when you’re alone. Pride gets nice and brown with every passing moment, that’s right, you watch it shrinking like a roast in the oven, with the fat dripping as it melts, the yellow fat that browns the skin. The skin that turns golden brown, just perfect to eat. And you eat your pride while it’s hot and steaming and it sits in your stomach like lead, it makes you fat, it ruins your gallbladder and it makes you walk around pressing your right hand on the tender spot. And it hurts like hell, you feel like throwing up, you shudder, you cannot sleep, you walk on tiptoes and you wait for the pain to go away. But it doesn’t. You should admit it, you should surrender, you should lie on your back to be trampled over. And, for the life of you, you don’t want to be alone, you don’t want to admit that you made mistakes, that you fooled them all so you can be the top dog, the hub of the universe, so you can feel important and kid yourself that you’re the smartest and the toughest, that nothing will move on without you, that everyone will cry after you, that you will be implored and praised; you can already see yourself cheered from all sides. What now? I’m sitting here crouching, waiting for those beasts to hatch and eat me alive. I can already feel their smell and I guess though their lids will be still shut they will throw themselves at me to recognise and glorify me because I’ll be their creator… A Poultryman, an unlucky poultryman… I was at the top, I gave orders, and now here I am watching some eggs and waiting for my death or for the return of my glory. I could crush them right now, I could destroy them completely, but what if that moment, that moment when they hatch, when the spooks hatch out of their eggs, is my salvation?
Kor was certain the creatures would be able to break the prison’s wall for him.
He had to take that risk and that was why he was hatching the eggs in his armpits. He wanted to feel when the hatchlings came out so he would not be taken by surprise. There will be several minutes before the hatchlings open their eyes and then they will either acknowledge him as their parent or they will devour him.
The basket filled with eggs was the only gift he had left of Onion Head. Despite his skills, he could not tell them apart, so he picked two eggs at random. He hoped they would be Bicram or Fibos eggs. At night, he placed them on his chest and during the day he kept them in his armpits until his arms got numb.
A Welstg brought him food once a day. He pushed it through the air vent. He pleaded with the Welstg to widen the vent and get him out of there. The Welstg did not speak, he was mute. He just pushed the bread wrapped up in a thick Sola leaf.
At first, he wouldn’t eat, he furiously marched up and down that stupid prison along virtual paths, he roared, he scratched the stone with his nails, he cried and then he was silent for days on end until he finally touched the bread and the water. The hardest part was that he had no one to talk to. He had no idea what had happened in the City after his flight. Sometimes he would hold his breath trying to hear a sound, a word, anything that might have brought him news in this place that was growing narrower and narrower, quieter and quieter.
Suddenly he put his thoughts aside, the egg shell had cracked and something warm was wriggling in the hollow under his arm. He was sweating, large beads of sweat had already formed on his forehead as a tremendous joy like he had never felt before overwhelmed his whole being.
It was night time, but he had got used to the dark long before, and he was happy no one would see the little ones coming out.
The first hatchling’s head was disproportionately larger than his body. Kor couldn’t believe his eyes. He had placed the egg on his old desk and he had stood there, leaning over it, to catch the moment when it came out. The jelly-like head was the first to emerge and then the body followed, sliding on the broken shell. A body that looked like a white-dotted eel.
Kor rubbed his hands and prepared the basket where he planned to lay the hatchling, smiled to it and, keeping his long beard clear of the creature, spoke to him slowly like you would to someone who has to understand and to learn:
– You are my salvation, little one! My darling tiny baby!
The eel-creature seemed to smile too, so he stretched out his hand to caress it and he scooped it up in his palms. It felt cold and wet. It was then that the second hatchling cracked the egg shell and popped out. Kor and the first hatchling were watching him shaking off the jelly that had been its home. The man couldn’t see their faces very well but he could sense they were smiling. He reached out a trembling finger toward their mouths and in the split second of his gesture a bolt of lightning travelled through his body, his eyes rolled back into his head, his legs gave way beneath him and he collapsed to his knees. His hair had suddenly turned grey, his skin looked like that of a 100-year-old man and his clothes were hanging from the bones protruding through his skin.
The creatures slithered towards the drain and vanished.
Read more
Chapter 8
The Lord Secretary frowned:
– Calm down, Rose, you damned witch, you’ll mess everything up, now when peace talks are about to start…you won’t succeed!
The storm was spreading out going round Lia as it would a well-anchored rock.
The Lord Secretary tilted his head and spoke in the language Lia was using.
– Karde vada ne! (Nothing will be heard anymore!) That’s better! I’ve always been bothered by the stupid roar of the storms Rose stirs up. He moved his hand and the tornado dropped with a hiss like a popped doughnut.
– Can’t you find a place where you can sit and calm down, woman? I gave you a cave and a farm and you’re still acting silly. Are you running a fever? the Secretary asked Rose, spitting his words out in disgust.
Rose opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out. Actually, everyone was shouting, you could tell they were screaming by reading their lips and yet there was no sound at all.
– How do you like that, my dear, see how I left them without a voice? I can do anything to anyone, Lia, anyone but you, with you I have to ask, my dear, I have to ask!
– Ask away! Lia barked.
– I want you to sacrifice yourself, dearest, here and now, and if you won’t do it we’ll do it for you. I can’t let you get away. Your fate will be the same as Crius’, you’ll be half-dried out. I wouldn’t recommend it.
– What for? If I only knew why the hell you are chasing me, hunting me down and why you want my sacrifice here and now.
– Whoa! Whoa! Take it easy or you, too, will be without a voice! Give us your heart for the Courier, you know, to present him with something when he arrives, the poor thing has been travelling for millennia, all alone, and he has brought us so many gifts, we should offer him something.
– You and the Courier are probably as crazy as Kor; are you going to take a bite of my heart when you long to jerk off? You’re lying, I don’t believe you!
– Ha-ha! The Lord Secretary laughed. You have absolutely no respect for those who like you. And you got it all wrong, the Courier is a ship, a cargo ship that travels through the node of our world once every ten millennia.
Think about it, we’ll be able to reset all the worlds as we please, we’ll live forever, we’ll be able to find and prick all the Mixers’ udders and if only one of them gives us the Grenol, imagine what the others could offer, imagine the places we can infiltrate, where we can make folds, taking a fair share of everything these huge cavities of time collect, imagine that we’ll be the true masters of the world. You and I. You know I’m fond of you. You do remember the good time we had the night we met, so, c’mon, stop thinking about the trivial things around you! Think of how it’ll be like when you know everything, when you have all the wisdom of the worlds at your feet. After all, woman, we were meant for each other.
– Don’t come close to me for I’d rather die! You can all go to hell, with your madness and your worlds and all! Lia said as her fingers were turning blue from gripping the coffer handle.
– Wait a minute, Lia! said Monkey, who had jumped into the Lord Secretary’s arms.
As the woman grabbed a Blocking Arrow pointing it at her chest, a sign that she’d rather sacrifice what was inside than be at their mercy, the Lord Secretary took off his mask. A familiar face emerged before the woman’s eyes, the face of a lot younger, thinner Crius, the mark on his forehead still there, his eyes still hazelnut brown.
– See? Alk made an exact replica of me, I am the original.
– You’re lying, you can turn into anyone you want! You want to lure me! That’s what all of you have done, all the time, to you I was and still am just the bearer you don’t give a damn about, a travelling bank, one to carry your medicines, your memories, your entrance keys, you can all go to hell! I’m going to leave now and you, she was talking to Monkey, you are a worthless traitor, a Krabor with no character, you don’t know that meanwhile the pure love I had is gone! I feel nothing in here, and she pointed to her chest, all that is left is a big heart and the dowry they put in it, but this love isn’t mine and it’ll never be an offering to anyone! It should go back to where it came from!
As she was smiling sadly and was keeping them at a safe distance using the Blocking Arrow in her hand, a crack was heard and thunder, broken into pieces, fell over the wormgrass-covered plateau.
A ring of light pulsating a withered yellow colour dropped suddenly and it was followed by another one, which settled down on top of it, and another one and one more, until they formed half a sphere. Very soon, a hot, greenish liquid started oozing out from under the half sphere digging deep furrows into the plateau.
Read more
A ring of light pulsating a withered yellow colour dropped suddenly and it was followed by another one, which settled down on top of it, and another one and one more, until they formed half a sphere. Very soon, a hot, greenish liquid started oozing out from under the half sphere digging deep furrows into the plateau.
The seals and the rest of the crowd pulled back to the edge of the hill.
The Lord Secretary and Lia were standing facing each other, both stone-still and determined, surrounded by Piping Grindars.
She felt nothing, she was not afraid, the silence around her made her walk without thinking, like in a trance. No sound came out of the sphere, nothing could be seen inside it except that yellow colour, like sulphur steam, swirling around the rings. And all of a sudden millions of cilia and small feet emerged from under each circle.
Rose went up to Lia, pushed the Lord Secretary away and whispered in the woman’s ear:
– Go to the sphere, this is the Courier, you’ll find your way in.
Lia walked a few steps backwards and, still holding the Blocking Arrow in her hand, headed for the sphere.
She drew near, touched the outer walls of the rings with her hand and felt them to be warm like the skin of an animal. An immense sense of peace and quiet, of tranquil joy flooded over her. She pressed her lips against the pearly yellow skin and found herself passing through to the other side, first the head and then the rest of her body.
The viscous green liquid was gushing down now, like hot lava, and some of them could not get out of the way. She climbed her way up quickly, stepping over people, seals, Piping Grindars, trucks and tents. In a few seconds, the vast plateau was full of people and creatures stuck inside jelly figurines.
Lia found herself in a room that looked very much like the Bunker. Only that the violet blue stone walls were now yellow and transparent.
Transparent carts filled with people firmly stuck inside the greenish jelly were running along the railway tracks in the middle of the room.
The same liquid was climbing the walls of the Bunker and, with thousands of small legs, just like those emerging from the rings of the sphere, it was wrapping the weapons, the vessels filled with Grenol and the paintings and she even saw a Danseur Launcher that was carried lying horizontally.
– Don’t you worry! the woman heard a crystalline voice behind her and she turned.
A pale-faced, thin child with blonde hair, eyes as big as two ripe plums and arms folded in his lap, was looking at her and he said once again:
– Don’t you worry! We’ll remove everything except what you’d like to keep. After all, this Bunker should have been taken away a long time ago. We kept missing it because it had been so skilfully hidden. Starting tomorrow, you are my Agency, you will be able to enter inside the Mixers. Take care nobody cut them and torture them ever again!
I’ll never allow anyone to use a Mixer as a bank just for youth and immortality. Access the seal when you want to go in, it’s simple, you have it in you, and the Mixers will recognise you and they’ll let you in!
Reset your world! Give the dragons their world back. Be careful, the Monkey won’t live long, she gave us the correct location when she activated the communication module near the Lord Secretary. I know what you’re thinking about. You’re thinking about Algar and all your friends. A fresh chance will be good for everyone.
I have some spare time so let’s discuss what you can do for Taiss, Baconling, Cat, the Middle-Aged Lilac, Onion Head, Neell, even for the Lost Shadows like Josette. Take your time, there are so many people who believe in you!
The Lord Secretary is coming with us. I need him, such a brilliant mind needs to be scanned. We will leave you alone for a long time, for a very long time!
Lia swallowed hard, knelt and looked the child in the eyes.
– Who are you?
The boy put a palm to his cheek and answered simply:
– I am the Master!
A blast of wind blew past her ears, a distinct cracking sound was heard in the yellow walls and the redhead in her creased skirts landed right next to them.
– Red Hair stays here, as always! I know you’ll never get used to her. But I’ll confiscate her glasses so she won’t play anymore. I’ll also take away the Grindars’ cross, the old one that belonged to my great-great-grandfather, the one that was used to make the Blocking Arrows. Just to make sure that nobody will ever separate our worlds again and that you’ll be able to give everybody what you have here! he said pointing to the woman’s heart.
— And remember: You are NOT a mere bearer! You are MY bearer! …Oh, there’s one more thing: make the grass again as I have made it: green!
About The Last Oserp Envoy
About
The Tracus Arte Publishing House
Published in 2016
Related Articles
Related
Too Many Gods for One Desert
Konos’ Journal Vexhal Mountain Platform Day 1 Dear Father, If I call you this way, I hope that both of you, or at least one of you, can hear me. I never really understood why humanity decided to make me so important. Why couldn’t you just leave me alone? Why did you...
The Threshold – The Witness Shadow
Lia woke up that morning as a ray of the autumn sun was tickling her eyelashes. She gave a start sensing that something was amiss, the creature sleeping by her side since she had got on the train. A somewhat loyal, sticky pain she had grown fond of and felt too sorry...
The Threshold
Chapter I That year, a long, sweltering, dusty summer, a seemingly endless summer had fallen over the City. By mid-day, it looked as if the air were rising from the ground and from the sand, spurting hot from stones, climbing along scorched branches and leaves only to...
Follow Me
Join