Legacy: Gardener

"What other entrance?" The priestess asked and gestured for me to get to my feet. "Get dressed and show me what you are talking about."

"Fine," I said after putting on my loincloth and a button up shirt and pants. "It is right over here." I said and walked over the left side of the temple. "The door is over here... let's see... here it is." The sound of grinding stone filled my ears. The secret door opened, and I heard a gasp of surprise from the priestess and my dad. "She came from here. See the tunnel goes into the mountainside."

"Lead on young man," the old woman suggested.

"Fine," I said noticing the panels of Sanskrit text on either side of the tunnel. "Do they talk about Shiva?"

"Yes, the one on the left appears to be the Diamond Sutra and the right is... I've never read this passage before. Press on young Thomas."

"There is a light ahead," I said my body feeling numb. "Oh, my goodness, a golden statue of Shiva... such power!"

The last thing I remember is kneeling and bowing my head. I heard my dad's voice as the blackness rushed in to snuff out my mind. I woke later next to the firepit. I sat up slowly still dizzy. The sky was light, but the monsoon still held sway. I looked around and the mysterious Parvati sat next to me. She smiled beneath her veil and her eyes twinkled with mischief.

"What happened?" I asked her.

"Your chakras were cleansed. It was a rather sudden surge of energy I'm afraid. My father can be like that. Are you okay?"

"I didn't know there were priests here. Fine? I'm okay thanks. You are kind to ask. Where is my dad?" The words tumbled from my lips and she laid a hand on my shoulder trying to calm me. "Oh, have you seen the statue? It was magnificent. It was life sized... that is a ton of gold." Parvati laughed as I continued to rant. "The power though, it radiated from it like... like Ratri but more intense."

"You are blushing," Parvati said. "I don't blame you. She is quite gifted."

"Are you going to teach me?" I asked. "Dad wanted me to learn, he always wants me to learn, be observant, and be a well-rounded man."

"What could I possibly teach you do you think?" She asked sitting there perfectly still. The movement of her chest as she breathed the only hint of life except her eyes. "Take your time."

"Breathing... speaking... eyes..." I said as thoughts tumbled in my mind. "Breathing and speaking seem important."

"Pranayama," she said as she placed a hand on my chest. "I will teach you to breathe. Follow my example and the rest of the body will follow."

Lesson followed lesson while she showed me various techniques and hinted at what they were good for. I closed my eyes and she would whisper a word and my breathing would adjust to that technique. At the end she left me with one last lesson, one last string of words. Walk lightly upon the earth and none can find you. I opened my eyes and I was alone. I never heard her leave. I got to my feet and began walking towards the front of the temple. I stopped and imagined leaving no footprints and breathed lightly. I passed silently to the entrance of the hidden tunnel. I could hear my father and the elderly priestess speaking.

"How Thomas," she asked. "How did he know it was here?"

"He is a clever lad, or he actually saw her."

"I don't know what frightens me more, that your son somehow discovered a secret door that has been hidden for centuries or that avatars of two goddesses appeared to him and one slept with him, so she could teach him about chakras."

"I see what you mean." My dad chuckled. "Lord Shiva has taken a liking to him. What else makes sense? You are his priestess after all. Look, these is his image looking down on us." He paused for dramatic effect before continuing. "You saw my son's face when he saw the visage of the Destroyer. It was nothing less than god touched. You've felt it. Tell me he wasn't in Shiva's grip."

"Damn it Thomas," she cursed. "I hate it when you are right. Your son was in a state of divine grace. I... I felt Shiva's presence here. I can die happy now."

"Not before you finish his training."

"He will be my most accomplished student. I promise."

Afterward:

Thomas blinked, and the past snapped back to memory as the world returned. Indigo took her master's arm and walked with him back inside. The house's silence remained though echoes of lust and hunger hung in the air. His power to link physically with his siblings and other members of his family made him popular. Would they remember the dream and the intensity behind it?

"I hope so," he said aloud, and Indigo seemed to follow his train of thought.

"May I ask a question Master?"

"Sure." He replied as he plops down on the couch and turns on the television.

"What kind of deal do you have with that demon?"

"Sit and watch," he said as he found a news station talking about charges facing the President. "Do you follow human politics?"

"I have tried but find it confusing. Who is supposed to be in charge? On one side it appears that human citizens vote for representatives but... they don't pick their representatives big corporations do that. So why do people vote at all if all the people running work for those companies?"

"A brilliant observation," I said. "Those companies weren't in existence when the country was established. Of course, the laws have adapted to deal with changes in society. I agree, citizens should choose both representatives and vote them into office. The entire system is corrupt but that is about to change."

"The demon is helping you?"

"In a manner," I admitted. "I have discovered the most corrupt among politicians, drug dealers, and corporate officers."

"Oh... I see... they are going to disappear, aren't they?"

"Yes," I said feeling tired. "It is going to cause chaos in the human world. Leaders and terrorists alike will vanish leaving gaps. I am going to see if I can place power back in the hands of the people where it belongs. I am tired of being embarrassed and apologizing to my friends worldwide."

"You could just withdraw and stay with the Osirians." She suggested.

"I am supposed to be a healer. I guess this is where I compare this to a surgeon removing cancer from the patient." He said frowning. "I hate seeing them face the demon but in the end, they will end up in hell either way. This way some good may come out of it."

"What are you going to do with all that money?"

"Heal. I have plans for desalinization plants, farms, and weather control technology."

"Master, humans don't possess weather control tech... oh, you are going to use Osirian technology."

"Yes I am. It will be expensive developing it but in the end, it will be worth it." He replied. "Thorn, send the message. It is time."

"Yes Master."