“Let us kneel and hold hands,” suggested the Emperor.
The lords formed a circle with the Emperor and knelt down. Most of the lords were slightly anxious about being in the temple, as religion had never been an important part of Khadoran life. They didn’t know how to act, and Emperor Marak sympathized with them. It was not long ago that he had those very same feelings himself.
“Kaltara,” Emperor Marak began, “I have brought the Lords’ Council of Khadora with me today to learn about you. They are to help me spread the word about you so that all Khadorans might praise you.”
“Welcome to my home, Torak,” boomed a voice. “Your heart is in the right place, but I question your methods.”
“I do not understand,” frowned the Emperor.
“The people must have faith in me,” replied the voice.
“I know,” replied Marak as he noticed the other lords staring at him in a curious manner, “that is why we have come.” Fearing that the others were being left out, Marak asked, “Am I the only one hearing your voice?”
“You are, Torak,” replied the voice. “If I speak to every citizen of Khadora, and they listen, that does not constitute faith. Oh, they may tremble at my voice and do what I wish for a time, but that is not what I seek. The people must believe in me, and that is your task.”
“I understand,” frowned Marak, “but I am not a priest. I seek your help in this matter. At least help me get things started. The Lords’ Council is critical for my efforts to defeat Vand. These men have come here willingly to learn about you. Help me teach them.”
The lords were frowning as they listened to the Emperor carry on a conversation as if he were talking to someone, but the chamber was silent except for Marak’s words. Doubt began to creep into their minds, even though they had the highest regard for the Emperor. Marak began to think he had made a grievous error.
“I will grant your request this one time,” the voice boomed so that everyone could hear.
Expressions of awe filled the faces of the members of the Lords’ Council as the lords finally realized that Kaltara did indeed exist.
“Has not the whole world heard the crack of the awakening of Angragar?” Kaltara continued. “The Sakovans heard it. The Qubari fell to their knees when they heard it. The Chula celebrated it, and Vand’s people trembled upon hearing it. Have the Khadorans been so long without faith that they do not know my hand when it strikes?”
Not a single person in the chamber spoke. The faces of the lords were open-mouthed, their eyes wide with sudden understanding.
“You have done well, Torak,” the voice continued. “I am pleased with the temples that you have built. Now you must fill them. Use these men that you regard so highly. Your time is very short. The evil comes soon. The Time of Cleansing is now upon you. Prepare to fight in my name.”
The torch blew out as a great gust of wind traveled around the circular chamber. High overhead, the darkness was split by a brilliant glow that illuminated the chamber, as the sun would have. The glow slowly began to fade, sending the chamber back towards the darkness. The lords let out a collective sigh as if they had all been holding their breath the entire time.
Without a word, the Emperor rose and retrieved the extinguished torch. He carried it as he moved to the door and opened it. Everyone filed out of the prayer chamber.
“I could never have imagined such an experience,” remarked Lord Chenowith when they had reassembled outside the prayer chamber. “I am glad that he chose to speak to us. I will be the first to admit that my doubt was growing in there.”
“Why did he call you the Torak?” asked Lord Jamarat.
“The time we live in was prophesized thousands of years ago,” explained Emperor Marak. “The rise of the Torak, the Star, and the Astor was foretold in those prophecies. Why I was chosen to be the Torak, I do not know, but it is something that I cannot turn away from.”
“And this Time of Cleansing?” asked Lord Quilo. “That is when this evil will come to fight us?”
“Exactly,” nodded the Emperor. “It will be soon. We have much to do to prepare for it. I will let you lords return to the palace,” he added after a pause, “I wish to inspect the temple alone.”
The lords nodded and proceeded out of the temple. The Torak walked blindly around the temple, supposedly on an inspection tour, but his mind was elsewhere. He was pleased that Kaltara had spoken to the lords, but he also realized that it was not likely to happen again. He still needed a way to get the Khadorans to revive their lost faith.
In his wanderings, the Torak ended up in the library. He was pleased to see that the shelves were lined with books. He suddenly stopped walking and stared at the section of the shelves that hid the secret doors in Angragar. With the urge of curiosity, he walked to the shelves and sought the secret lever. He was quite astonished when his hand came into contact with it. Looking around to ensure that no one was present, he pulled the lever. When the bookcase slid open, Marak slipped through the crack and pulled it closed. He shook his head in awe as he saw a single door in the hidden enclosure. Without a thought, he marched to the door and opened it. He stepped into the small enclosure and closed the door.
He cautiously opened the door and felt a coolness invade the small space. He exited the closet and walked to the spy hole behind the shelves. There was no one present in the library. He turned around and saw that two doors were behind him, the one he had just exited, and another. With a grin on his face, Emperor Marak released the catch on the bookshelf and walked into the library of the Chula temple. He closed the bookshelf and left the library.
A short distance away from the library was an office that was reserved for the priest. Marak walked to the office and peeked through the open door. A Chula shaman was in the room and his head immediately swiveled towards the door, his long mane swaying violently.
“Did I make too much noise looking in on you?” grinned Marak.
“You were silent as always,” grinned Ukaro as he crossed the room and hugged his son. “It is impossible to sneak up on a Chula shaman, though. We have a sense about things around us. How are you? Where are your shadows?”
“I am fine, Father,” answered Marak. “Halman and Gunta are still waiting for me outside the new temple in Khadoratung.”
“In Khadoratung?” the shaman frowned questioningly. “But how?”
“I am not sure myself,” shrugged Marak. “I was touring the new temple and found that one of the secret doors existed. I passed through it and came out here. There is now a second door in this temple.”
“Kaltara is aiding you,” smiled Ukaro. “It must be that you will have need for such travel.”
“I suppose,” frowned the Torak. “Something is bothering me, Father. I took the Lords’ Council to the prayer chamber in Khadoratung to meet Kaltara. He was reticent to speak to them, although he eventually did. How am I to convince others to follow Kaltara if He only speaks to me?”
“He does not only speak to you,” smiled Ukaro. “I think His hesitancy is that you may not demand that He speak to others. He will do so as He sees fit.”
“There is still the problem of convincing others,” sighed Marak. “I don’t know how to do it.”
“Stop worrying about it,” soothed Ukaro “Just do it. It will come to you. You must have faith in Kaltara before you can give it to others. He would not task you to a job without providing the skills necessary to finish it.”
“Alright,” nodded the Torak. “Your advice has always been good for me.”
“I see that you are making great progress with your Khadorans,” stated the Chula shaman. “We have noticed the difference already.”
“We have made progress,” replied the Torak, “but there is still more to do. One of the problems remaining has to do with the borders between the Chula and the Khadorans. Some lords have laid claims to Chula land.”