The Legend Of The Golden Pool

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For four days and four nights Nikios had journeyed across the land of Cythera. And the sights he’d seen during the journey had struck fear and dread into his heart. When he’d left his home it had been to seek advice for the troubles that had befallen his domain, The Forest. He had no idea then that the problems for which he sought a solution were affecting all of Cythera.

The Forest was Nikios’ home. It was the place of his birth, and he’d lived there almost his whole life, apart from the three harvests he’d spent in service at the kingdom of Athos. His family was the Guardians of The Forest, and the service was a requirement fulfilled by all Guardians of the different regions of Athos. He returned to The Forest full of inspiration and ready to take on his role as Guardian. For six harvests he had fulfilled that role with great success, and his reputation all over Cythera was sound. He was regarded as a fair, honourable and decent ruler.

His journey had given him much time to reflect on the reasons for undertaking it. The people dwelling in The Forest had begged him to go, to try and discover why their world was changing so dramatically. The seasons were changing - the summer months were shortening with the temperatures intensifying to uncomfortable levels, whilst the winter months were increasing in length and intensity. During the last two harvests there’d been barely enough food produced to feed The Forest’s residents, forcing Nikios to seek help to feed his people from the other domains. He’d secured some food from The Valley and The Mountains, but it was insufficient. Their regions were also suffering, and Nikios had watched as his people grew more despondent and desperate as their crops failed.

This summer the leaves had not appeared on the trees of The Forest. Indeed, many of the trees had died, and the heat of the sun had burned the earth, scorching the crops planted early by residents frantic for the seasons to return to the familiarity of the past. They wanted to feed their families, and when even the simple act of planting crops was failing their desolation was terrible to see. The children were starving, and many people were ill. No Longer was The Forest filled with the sound of children’s laughter as they played underneath the protective blanket of green leaves. The scorching sun made it difficult to go outside, and those that did so risked the wrath of the sun’s rays that burned their skins to leave bleeding scars and sores. To add to their woes the river that came down from The Mountains had slowed to little more than a thin stream. Before his people could approach him Nikios took matters into his own hands, and called a meeting with the residents of The Forest.

“I do not know what has caused this change that had affected our lives so badly,” he told the group gathered before him. “I do know, however, that it cannot go on, and that we cannot live like this for much longer. I will, with your blessing, seek the answers to this situation in which we find ourselves.”

The group gathered before him was silent, their gaunt faces and shabby clothes a harsh reminder of how the fortunes of The Forest had changed so drastically during these last two harvests. Nikios knew they were facing a third debilitating harvest and that The Forest would not survive another moon of ruined crops, the scorching sun and the lack of water. Despite their sad appearance the eyes of his people reflected hope and their trust in their Guardian. There was just one solution to their problem.

“I shall seek the answers from the Golden Pool,” he announced, and his people cheered and clapped their hands in joy, approving his decision. They loved their Guardian, who was a fair, just and kind man. They knew he would not let them suffer, and if he could find a way to help them he would.

The following morning Nikios rode out of The Forest with his horse, Solon. He was wearing his silver cloak, which identified his status as Guardian of The Forest. His people gathered at the road that led from the forest down into the valley to wish him well as he began his journey. Some had made small gifts for him and Solon, and he was grateful for their thoughtfulness and consideration. Riding away from the forest he heard their voices growing fainter and fainter until the only sound in the silence of Cythera was the steady drumming of Solon’s hooves on the road. He prayed that it was not the last time he would hear his people.

Solon understood Nikios’s distress, and carried her master through the different domains of Cythera with little comment. She’d been given to Nikios on completion of his service at Athos. Cytherian horses were famous all over the land, respected for their intelligence and devotion to their people. Solon was a tall bay mare, with a flowing silver mane and a gleaming coat. Her beauty was celebrated all over Cythera, and her devotion to Nikios and The Forest was legendary. Solon was as distressed as her master during the journey to the Golden Pool. The sad state of Cythera was very obvious indeed. At the end of the first day they’d met Teos, Guardian of The Valley. Teos had been generous, and apologised to Solon for the lack of reasonable food.

“A horse of your status should not be forced to eat dry grass,” he told her, his face etched with the grief and suffering of his domain and his people. “I remember clearly the days when you would have had your pick of the fruit and vegetables of our soil.”

“I understand, Teos,” Solon assured him. “I am appalled at the devastation of The Valley. It appears that your kingdom is suffering as badly as The Forest.”

“I haven’t seen The Forest for many harvests,” Teos answered. “But I know my people do not understand the disease and famine that has come upon our domain. Our livestock is sick and dying. The ground is no longer fertile, and the seeds we sow do not thrive. Our fruit trees are barren and our river barely flows. My people are dying, and I cannot help them. I do not know what to do.”

“I feel as you do, Teos,” answered Nikios. “And I believe the Golden Pool may have the answer. We journey there to seek its guidance.”

“Alas, I am unable to follow you, Nikios,” said Teos, and a single tear dropped from his eye. “For my wife Nyxos died yesterday, and I will mourn her for seven days so she will be able to move freely to the afterlife. Would that I could join her…” and he put his face in his hands and wept.

Teos told Nikios that Nyxos had fallen ill after tending to one of their sick children. She’d fallen into a deep sleep, and had died the morning Nikios had left The Forest. He put his hand on Teos’ shoulder in a gesture of assurance.

“The problems that have befallen The Forest are common to The Valley, Teos. I am certain that the answers the Golden Pool holds will be of benefit to both our domains. I shall bring you the answers when we return, and I believe that then The Valley will return to its former glory.”

Two days later they’d crossed The Mountains.

“The situation here is even worse than in The Valley,” murmured Solon and they walked down a road frozen solid with ice. They’d ridden into a cloud that covered the entire mountain, and the cold air was like daggers on their skin. The area was deserted, except for the palace of the Guardian Orestes. They managed to access the palace over the frozen moat, because the wooden bridge was no longer there. Orestes greeted them warmly.

“I have no idea what has destroyed my domain,” he told Nikios. “The ice came six moons ago, and almost everybody who lived in The Mountain is dead. The few that remain I have sheltered in my palace, but they are all very sick and weak. We’ve had to burn the wood from the bridge to keep warm, and that is almost finished.”

Orestes was a dragon, and he’d served at Athos at the same time as Nikios. The pair had remained firm friends ever since. Nikios wondered how Orestes had survived this terrible weather.

“The fires, my friend,” Orestes said, sadly. “My people have given their own wood to ensure I do not die. I know they have gone without their own comforts so I may live, and I want desperately to help them. I understand you are going to seek guidance from the Golden Pool.”

“I am,” Nikios confirmed. “Why don’t you accompany us? You would be able to fly there, so you’d only need to leave your palace for a very short time. It wouldn’t take you more than half a day.”

“I will do it,” Orestes said. “I’ve been considering it, but I thought perhaps The Mountain was the only domain suffering in this way. Your encouragement is what I need to make my decision.”

Nikios estimated he’d be at the Golden Pool in one more day. The friends agreed to meet there at the end of the following day.

“We’re almost there, Nikios” said Sonlon, interrupting her master’s reminiscences of the journey. The pair slowed and began walking toward the Golden Pool. During the last hour the sky had turned dark with great grey clouds rolling in from the horizon. Nikios had noticed that the land around the Golden Pool, which once was green and lush and filled with the sounds of birds in the trees, was now silent and scarred.

“Nikios, do you not think this land looks like The Desert?” Solon asked him. The last day of their journey had taken them through The Desert. It was difficult to see what, if any, effect had visited The Desert, because the area was just as hot and unpleasant as it had always been. Perhaps the landscape was more golden than usual, but it had always been a silent domain with very little sign of life.

“Now that you mention it, Solon, yes it does,” Nikios answered. “It’s almost as if The Desert has grown, and consumed the Golden Pool.”

As they approached the pool Orestes flew overhead, calling down to them: “You must be very careful, my friends. There is something wrong with the Golden Pool. The view I see from here is terrible.”

Solon stopped at what was once the edge of the Golden Pool. Nikios looked down, and his heart filled with dread. For the Golden Pool had been desecrated.

Gone was the well of crystal clear, blue-tinged water that had rippled across the surface of the Golden Pool. Gone too were the grasses and trees that had once swept down to and around the water’s edge. In their place was a baked, black hole surrounded by sharp, black rocks and a stagnant pile of filthy black and yellow water. Above the fetid hole in the ground Orestes called out: “Who has destroyed the Golden Pool?”

At the sound of his voice two figures moved in the hole. The first was Chryseis, Guardian of the Golden Pool. The top half of her body was visible above the stinking mud, clear and glowing with the same blue hues that once danced in the water of the Golden Pool. Her white gossamer robe was stained pink, and Nikios realised that was from her blood. The lower half of her body was firmly trapped in the black mud. Struggling helplessly, she looked up at Orestes, tears pouring down her beautiful face.

“Help me, please!” she begged, and lifted her hands towards Orestes. The blue light flowed brightly from her fingers, sparking brightly as she wept, writhing in the filthy mud. Almost immediately the blue lights dimmed, but not before Nikios and Solon were able to identify the second occupant of the Golden Pool.

“Deimos!” Nikios gasped in horror. “Oh Deimos, what have you done?”

Languishing in the pool, Deimos lifted his head from the mud. The sight that met their eyes caused Solon to step back nervously. Landing next to them Orestes gasped, and Nikios stared in horror at the Guardian of The Desert.

For Deimos, who was once a serpent, was now a caricature of his former self. His flat scaled head and forked tongue had been replaced by a bird’s feathered head and beak. His body was still covered in scales and resembled that of a serpent – until the end of his body near his tail broke free of the muddy pool. The scaled skin had started to split open, revealing a long smooth length of healthy pink skin. The beak opened and Deimos’ voice, no longer hissing, cracked out loudly into the silence.

“Welcome, Nikios of The Forest. And Orestes of The Mountain. This is far better than I expected. My transgression will be completed all the sooner now that you are here. I shall savour the pleasure that your appearance brings me. Your powers and strengths shall complete me…” his voice tapered off as he began to laugh, changing suddenly to a shriek of rage. Chryseis moaned loudly, and Nikios saw her sinking deeper into the mud.

“He is consuming me, Nikios!” she screamed. “Please do something! Help me!”

Orestes indicated they should pull back from the pool. Over Chryseis’ screams of terror and Deimos’ shouts of elation he whispered to them: “We were warned on Athos this would happen. A Guardian wants to take control of the land of Cythera. Nobody is supposed to drink from the Golden Pool unless it’s for the benefit of Cythera. Deimos was always spiteful and vicious, but I never imagined he had the greed to want to take over Cythera.”

“He’s obviously drunk from the power of the pool, and he will use Chryseis’ power,” said Nikios. “And it’s working, because the changes to The Valley and The Forest are as though the land is being consumed by The Desert. The Mountain too, because The Desert is as cold at night as it is warm by day.”

The Golden Pool had been corrupted. Every Guardian had the right to use the water from the pool, as long as the purpose for doing so was for the good of the respective domain. A Guardian who drank from the pool should have a pure heart, and be one with his domain. Deimos’ domain was a harsh one, with no shelter nor foliage, no water and very few subjects. The oases in The Desert were only strong enough to sustain the minimum of life forces, hence Deimos’ subjects were creatures like scorpions, serpents and worms who contributed little to his domain.

“The water is no longer pure,” Orestes said. “So if one of us drinks it he will become as Deimos is, or be consumed by him.”

“And what will become of Cythera then?” said Nikios. “Our domains will die, as will our people. Cythera will cease to exist.”

The friends stood there, realising that neither of them could do anything to help their lands. It was a terrible knowledge, and Nikios suggested they kill Deimos.

“That is not an option, my friend,” said Orestes, sadly. “For his power is so strong we cannot kill him – he will merely take the body of the one who takes his.”

“I’ll do it.” Solon’s quiet voice sounded clear in the dark silence. Nikios felt his blood run cold.

“No Solon, you cannot. I don’t want to loose you, and you’re not a Guardian. You cannot use the power of the Golden Pool. And even if you could it would do no good, because the water is corrupted. You will die.”

Solon moved towards her master. She placed her head on his shoulder, and sighed gently: “Nikios, I am of Athos. You do not know what I am able to do, and neither do I. I am with you for a reason. If we are all destined to meet Death because of the actions of one Guardian l would want to know I did my best to try and put and end to Cythera’s pain – to your pain and to the pain of the people of The Forest. Give me the chance to do this deed. Were I in your position you know I would let you go.”

Nikios was torn, wanting to spare this wonderful mare the pain she would surely encounter. The harvests he’d spent with her had been wonderful, and her loyalty, love and trust surpassed any he’d ever encountered in a human being. He could not bear the thought of life without her, and yet he knew her words were true. She understood him as he understood himself. And if the dreadful prophecy that Deimos had unleashed came to pass he would lose her anyway. As another scream of pain from Chryseis tore through the air, followed by Deimos’ raucous laugh Nikios understood what he had to do.

He untied the mare’s bridle, kissing her on her velvet nose and caressing her beautiful white head. Resting his face against her neck he whispered: “Thank you, my friend. I release you.”

Orestes stood next to Nikios, tears pouring down his face as his put his arm over his friend’s shoulders. They watched Solon carefully walking down the crater that was once the Golden Pool. She reached the bottom, and walked steadily towards the water. A maniacal sound filled the air as Deimos saw the silver mare approaching the slime and mud that surrounded him.

“I might have known you were too much of a coward to face me yourself, Nikios!” he screeched. “Never fear, you shall watch me take this mare and destroy her! I shall feed on her and grow on your pain!”

Solon did not react to the taunt. She lowered her head and lapped at the mud. The taste was truly terrible, and Nikios wept as he saw her stagger back from the edge of the pool. She groaned and collapsed at the edge of the mud, and as the pain began moving through her body she writhed in agony for what seemed like an eternity. It was terrible for Nikios, who could hardly bear to watch the horse he loved die in such agony. Only Orestes’ hand on his shoulder stopped him from following her into the pit. Her movements slowed, then finally stopped. Deimos had been waiting to see if Solon’s sacrifice would make a difference to his situation. When her body stopped shuddering, he moved forward laughing.

“Her flesh shall make me strong, Nikios. Her death shall make me strong. Now watch me grow before I take you!” Nikios turned away, blinking back the tears unable to watch Deimos consume Solon.

At that moment a high pitched hum filled the air. It started low, but increased in intensity. Blue lightening began to flash inside the pit. Orestes and Nikios slowly turned back, and watched as Deimos began screaming again. But this time the sounds he made were filled with terror and fear. Solon’s body was consumed by the blue light for an instant, before it flashed bright and vanished. Nikios looked around frantically and saw Chryseis rising from the mud that had trapped her. She was surrounded by a halo of blue light, her eyes piercing blue orbs as she looked at Nikios and Orestes.

“Solon’s sacrifice has saved me! Leave this place, Orestes of The Mountain and Nikios of The Forest!” her voice intoned, deep strong and powerful. “Go!”

Orestes needed no further instruction. He seized Nikios, and they flew up into the air, the glowing pool receding as they moved up into the air, and then back over The Desert into The Mountains. Orestes gave his friend a room where, despite the horror of seeing his Solon sacrifice her life for him, he slept for an entire day and night.

When Orestes woke Nikios at the dawn of the new day there was joy in his eyes. Nikios stared at him, memories of the previous day so fresh and cruel in his mind he did not at first realise that sunlight was flooding into the room. Feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin he glanced over at his friend, hope filling his eyes.

“Orestes, I feel that the events of yesterday have passed. We are still alive-“

“And that’s not all, my friend,” Orestes laughed, opening the window into Nikios’ room. “The sun is shining, and the birds are singing again. Life has returned to The Mountain, Nikios. I am filled with joy, but I want to know that life has returned to the whole of Cythera, not just to my home. Come with me, Nikios. Let us see what Solon has given us.”

Nikios flew over the land of Cythera with Orestes. He saw the rivers flowing, bringing sparkling clear water to The Forest. The trees were covered with crisp green leaves, and the fields in The Valley were filled with wheat and vegetables. Some of the trees were laden with rich, ripe fruit, ready for picking and eating. Nikios also saw that the people were smiling and laughing once again, and he knew that Cythera was once again a land rich with the promise of life. Yet he felt pain that his dearest friend, Solon, had given her life so Cythera could once again face the future with hope and courage.

He said nothing as they flew towards the Golden Pool – his memory was too fresh and too painful. Yet he saw as they descended that the pool was as it had been at the last harvest. Stopping underneath a stately, powerful tree Nikios marvelled at the lush green grass on the ground, the idyllic shade of the magnificent trees around the pool and the beautiful sound of birds singing in the branches.

The Golden Pool lay in front of them, clear and sparkling as ever, its crystal waters casting a blue tinge across the trees and grass around the pool. To their amazement Chryseis, tall and beautiful and without a sign of her dreadful ordeal approached them. Smiling she greeted them, with a soft kiss placed gently on their lips. Stepping back she smiled at them.

“Nikios of The Forest, Orestes of The Mountain – you have done a great service for Cythera,” she said, gently. “Orestes – you showed great faith and courage by leaving your people alone for a few hours because your thoughts for Cythera were selfless and bold. You gave your friend support and courage when he needed it most. Yet you seek no reward; your courage is admirable.”

She turned towards Nikios, and took his hand, smiling. “Nikios, I cannot imagine the pain you endured when your best friend gave her life so you could live. This is an act of courage unprecedented in the history of Cythera. Your love for Solon has ensured not only a better life for Cythera, but also for the life of Solon, the most selfless creature I have ever met.” Turning toward the pool she pointed towards the other side.

“Athos has decreed that the noble act of laying down her life for her master and her land should be rewarded. Cythera needs rulers with the strength of you, Nikios, and your friend Orestes. Solon’s sacrifice should not be forgotten. She died so I could live, and she gave her life to destroy Deimos and his ambition. The Guardian Deimos is no more, and Athos does not believe The Desert will make Cythera prosper and grow. It has therefore been decreed that The Desert shall be no more. In its place shall be The Plains, and Solon shall be the new Guardian…”

Chryseis’ voice trailed away, and as her hand dropped a magnificent silver horse appeared on the edge of the Golden Pond. It was Solon, and she moved toward Nikios, who rushed over to greet her. He couldn’t believe she was standing in front him, with absolutely no sign of the cruelty she had endured. Putting his arms around her neck he wept with joy and she lifted her beautiful head and gazed at him.

“Why do you weep, Nikios?” she asked, her soft voice echoing gently around the Golden Pool. “I am here, and I have a wonderful, honourable duty ahead of me. Because of you I have become a Guardian. And I know that with you and Orestes and Teos we can work to make Cythera a united and truly wonderful land. But I need you to show me how to start. Will you help me become a wise and honourable Guardian?”

Nikios had never loved her more, and he knew she’d be a wonderful Guardian. Leaping on her back he laughed, and it was a sound filled with joy and hope for the future. Wiping away his tear he said: “Let us go, Solon, and make Cythera a land worthy of you and your sacrifice.”

Orestes flew above Solon and her friend Nikios as they journeyed towards her new domain – The Plains. Riding through the golden fields and pastures that replaced the sandy desert soils toward Solon’s new home Nikios knew that Solon would be a wonderful Guardian. And the Golden Pool would ensure that the future of Cythera shone bright with promise.

© Copyright 2005 Sarah (UN: zwisis at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
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