GLN:7:14 Now I, Ancheti, stood behind the slingers' wall; my limbs trembled and my mouth was dry, my tongue craved for water. My scalp moved in fear and my hands loosened their grip through moisture. My heart thumped in confusion and I saw a mist of redness before my eyes, for this was my first battle, and I was but a youth. Beside me stood Yadol, the wild tender man, and he said, "I see no gladness in victory, if victory be granted. I crave no kingdom that I may rule over other men. What would be its pleasures to one such as I? For what do men slay one another? Which man seeks spoil and its pleasure and which man the joys of life? Against us stand men of living flesh and blood, men who have mothers and wives, men who have children, men who are good, even if those who lead them are evil. These good men, I have no wish to slay, better would it be, were I to be slain myself. Not a man will I slay with these hands, not even for the kingdom of the three spheres would I do it, much less an earthly kingdom. Were those who stand against us all men of evil, it would perhaps be a good deed to slay them; but in the clash of war, the good slay the good and the evil ones live safely behind the shields."
GLN:7:15 "an we slay men made in our own likeness, brother beings? What peace shall we henceforth enjoy in our hearts? Will not the memory make our hearts heavy, so that life becomes an unbearable burden? Even if there are others among these great war hosts who are so overcome with greed for spoil that they see no evil in the slaying of men, shall we not withhold our blows from this awful deed of blood?"
GLN:7:16 "O doom of darkness, O day of sorrows, what evil has moved the hearts of rulers that men be slain in thousands for the gain of treasure and the rule of an earthly kingdom? What do we here on this field of blood, we who are men of peace and goodwill? Better by far that I stood unarmed, my breast bared, unresisting, and let them slay me, that I might lay in my own innocent blood!. Thus spoke Yadol as the clash drew nigh, but only I, Ancheti, heard him.
GLN:7:17 Then the lunge and thrust was upon us, and I heard another voice beside me, that of my uncle, Hurmanetar, who was there, red sword in hand. The press of the foe drew back, and in the lull, Hurmanetar stood beside Yadol, the companion of his wanderings, and placed a hand on his shoulder in compassion, for Yadol was a man without fear, a man of more courage than Ancheti. On the field of blood, the craven-hearted are truly separated from the men of peace and goodwill.
GLN:7:18 The foe swept upon the thinning ranks again; they came like waves breaking upon a beach. They swept in, then sullenly, tardily, they rolled back, only to reform and crash again. As they came, I heard Hurmanetar open his mouth and cry out, "They come yet again, they are upon us, arise and greet them; arise above this field of blood like men, for this is the day of heroes. This is the final test, this is the last trial of strength, the last effort to cast back. Why this lifeless rejection of all that is manly? Strong men cannot despair in their hearts when facing conflict and death; this gains neither victory on Earth, nor peace in Heaven. Stand as you have done, firm- footed, rising to the battle clash like the whirlwind that carries all before it. We are but men who know nothing of the causes of gods and their ways. I fight for the cause of loyalty and honour, I know not whether their victory or ours be best for the true cause of God, but I fight. Come, rise to the clash."
GLN:7:19 Then, the remnants of the war hosts came together in the clash of arms. The cruel weapons struck one against the other, blow and counter blow. There were dull cries of death, the shrieks of pain and the shrill shout of victory, the last efforts of weary bodies, the last cries of dry-throated voices. The men of Hurmanetar stood firm in the line, and the war hosts of those who sought to overwhelm them broke like a wave upon the seashore; they came no more. Hurmanetar stood blooded and proud in the exultation of victory, but it passed in a moment when he saw Yadol lying among the dead and dying; wounded to death, but not yet dead. He had taken upon himself the spear thrust meant for Ancheti.
GLN:7:20 Hurmanetar lifted him up, his knee under his head, and Yadol opened his mouth and said, "The Great One has given you the victory, and for you, behind and beyond the victory, I see a great destiny, and therefore a difficult one. Be not heavy-hearted, nor let your spirit grieve, heavy-laden with sorrow because of me. Weep not, for this I know; he who thinks he can slay another or be slain by him is devoid of enlightening truth. The spirit of man cannot perish by the sword or be overwhelmed by death."
GLN:7:21 "The sharp weapons of war cannot harm the spirit, nor can fire burn it. Waters cannot drown it and soil cannot bury it. My spirit departs to its abode beyond the power of sharp sword, beyond the reach of thrusting spear, beyond the range of swift arrow. Now, face to face with what must be and cannot be altered, face to face with the ultimatum of destiny, cease from sorrow."
GLN:7:22 "What is this passing thing called life? This fragile flower so tenderly cherished, seen in its true frailty here on the field of blood. Does it have any real meaning? Here on the field of blood the dead sleep to awake to glory. To the victorious ones remaining alive there is glory on Earth. So, do not dally here with the dying. Arise, go to your proper reward and lay me down to mine. Fear not for me, already I see the welcoming light beyond the veil. We shall meet again."
GLN:7:23 Thus, Yadol departed from Earth, and he was laid to rest in glory. He sleeps among the hills and trees, among the wild birds and beasts, which were his friends. These words are cut on his tomb, 'He was a man of peace and died because other men were not as he'.
Chapter Eight - Hurmanetar Journeys to the Nether
World
GLN:8:1 Perhaps no man of his day properly honoured Yadol, for he was beyond their understanding, but Hurmanetar loved him and Ancheti never forgot him. Long days, the thoughts of Hurmanetar rested upon Yadol, his friend, the companion in the joyous hunting on the mountains. Long he thought, "What manner of sleep is this, if sleep it be, that fell upon Yadol? Has he decayed into dust to become nothing, as my eyes declare? Or does he live in some strange way? Did not the worm fasten onto his body before it was laid to rest? Yet he knew it not." Long hours had Hurmanetar sat at the feet of Nintursu the wise, yet faced with the blank stare and deaf ears of his companion he had begun to fear the certainty of death. Like many before him he sought to penetrate the veil.
GLN:8:2 Therefore, having claimed audience, Hurmanetar came before the queen to state his intention. Daydee, having been victorious, was exalted in her own eyes and cared little that the battle had been won for her by Hurmanetar and others. Now that the danger was past, she dallied with new favourites, not knowing the day of retribution would come, as come it surely did, for she was carried off captive in chains, to become the plaything of a cruel king.
GLN:8:3 Having come before the queen, Hurmanetar spoke thus, "O great queen, exalted above all others, great lady of battles, though dwelling here under your great shadow, I am as a cat among pigeons, as a wild boar among a docile herd. Therefore, I would spread my wings, going to a distant place to communicate with my God. I would seek entry into the Place of the Dead. My heart is consumed with sorrow because of the uncertainty that grasps my heart; my spirit is restless. I shall seek to discover if my friend and companion yet lives in the Land of Shadows, or whether he is no more than mere dust, the plaything of the winds."
GLN:8:4 Queen Daydee answered, "Wherefore must you go to some distant place to communicate with your God? Is He some little god to be found only in one place? Hurmanetar replied, "O great queen, no little god is this, but the Greatest God of All. It is not because of His littleness that I seek Him out but because of His Greatness. The handmaiden goes to the dressmaker, but the dressmaker comes to the queen." Then, Daydee enquired from Hurmanetar as to the nature of this God, for she was curious, he not having previously discussed such things with her. She asked him for which God he fought, but Hurmanetar said he had fought only for her.