Variant pt. 2

The celebration continued as Le Te Khan and his parents exited the dining hall. They moved along the long clay walls lined with burning lanterns and hand painted pictures that depicted the history of the Cubeleki people. After reaching the end of the hallway, they found a large polished wooden door into what opened into a wide circular room. This room Le Te Khan knew of only from eavesdropping on his parents’ private conversations. It was a ceremonial room that was only utilized for the most important meetings and events, like inductions into the Ring of Elder’s inductions.

While it usually remained empty, tonight it was lined with ancient-looking elders from the leader’s council. Le Te Khan could feel their eyes focused on him as he was ushered to the center of the room by his father, who then took his place among the council circle. The intensity of the council’s gaze felt heavy and Le Te Khan began to feel small among the surrounding elders. They had more than earned their place in the council and now looked to him to lead a new generation of Cubeleki People. Could he though? Questions danced in his head, why now? Why so young? Couldn’t this wait?

Suddenly an old man that looked to be one hundred and ten stepped forward, the wrinkles on his face were so many that Le Te Khan had to focus to find the wrinkles that hid his eyes. His deep booming voice echoed throughout the room commanding attention. Next to him was a station with various bottles and bowls, and the old man began to work fervently as he spoke.

“Le Te Khan, son of Nah Se Khan, tonight we will welcome you into the leadership council of the Cubeleki people. It is a timeless ceremony that only the most trusted Cubeleki are welcomed into. You will be counted upon by the people of this nation to rule with integrity and courage. Since the time when the great fire from the sky fell to earth and created the space, this city is now built upon the Cubeleki council of leaders have reigned. The secrets we keep come from the ash in the crater itself and  are refined only by this council. Through it we are brought into connection with the animals of the earth itself to become as one with them. Tonight you leave a past of Le Te Khan and embrace the new future of your new identity the “Yee Naaldlooshii.”

Fire lights filled the room, as did the aroma of smoke and incense, and it was an almost intoxicating feeling. The old man continued to speak.

“With the blood of an animal, you are transformed. The blood and the refined ash of the crater mix we drink. We give thanks to our one God.” With that he mixed a fine powder with a red liquid into a bronze cup, placed it against his lips and drank. After the cup was lowered, he began a soft chant, as others around the room joined him. Le Te Khan was shocked as the wrinkles began to melt away, his body stretched and contorted in ways that did not make sense to the reasonable mind. Le Te Khan stared in horror as his limbs cracked and popped until, where once a frail old man stood, now did a monster that was twice the size of the old man.

The man or now a monster walked forward and placed a crown made of woven leaves upon Le Te Khan’s head as the circle of leaders looked on. He stepped back and howled as did the rest of the room in excitement. Again, he saw, and for what would be the last time last time, his parents’ faces, pride showing through.

Le Te Khan, would think back on this ceremony many times in the future and wonder what he could have done differently. The truth is that there was likely nothing that could have been done. History is an ever-changing river, and nothing goes on forever. Even the rivers have endings as they dump into the great oceans that now bring forth intruders from a foreign land. He couldn’t help but wonder how he could have prevented the next day’s events.

Le Te Khan now walked back to his home alone with the streets still packed with people celebrating the ceremonies of the night.

He climbed the stone stairs to his room where he could see the ocean stretching out as far as the eye could perceive. The full moon cast an eerie glow upon the water making it look like a massive empty sheet of ice. Wind massaged the curtains and Le Te Khan moved back across the room to his bed, only then pulling the blankets up over his shoulders. For the first time of the night, he let himself relax.