The Book of the Fallen - Chapter 9 - The First Displays of Power

On the 5th day of Hanud, the secrets and lies that were rife throughout the school were revealed. After second prayers, I was allowed to observe a meeting between the senior Sahi; to include the Abbot, Sahi Hamad, the Keeper, Sahi Amahd, and about a dozen other elders. All the strife between the various factions was coming to the surface. Voices were raised and any respect that should have been present was gone. The appearance that several Sahi hated each other was clear. I quickly realized that my being there was a mistake, but I couldn’t find a way to leave the room without drawing attention to myself.

The purpose of the meeting was the Keeper’s claim that he had heard the voice of a member of the Riding Host, specifically Dal Sahaad. According to the Keeper, the leader of the Riding Host wanted to lead his people back to their faith and restore the glory of the Sarcosans. Many in the room were stunned, some were hopeful, but most believed that it was heresy or arrogance on the part of the Keeper. The Abbot was especially dismissive and I thought that he saw the claim as an attempt to undermine his position. Sahi Hamad challenged the Keeper on why just he, out of all the Sahi present, had heard the voice of Dal Sahaad. If the Host could contact the faithful why not contact all the Sahi. The Keeper sneered at Sahi Hamad, and stated that Dal Sahaad had contacted the truly faithful, not just those who blindly quote, but do not live according to the Book of Sahi.

I thought the Sahi Hamad was going to hit the Keeper, but he was restrained before he could act. The room was dissolving in chaos. With great effort, the Abbot tried to regain control, shouting down the other Sahi. He kept yelling one word, again and again, proof. Show us proof. That simple word seemed to be what the Keeper was waiting for, a chance to show his superiority, his holiness, and his power. When the room had calmed he raised both hands in a prayer to Dal Sahaad and slowly, the Keeper’s body began to glow with a strong white light.

I was stunned; had the Riding Host actually reached through the aged Keeper to prove their existence? For a time, my faith blossomed and I felt hope and the desire to speak with the gods and wield their power. The feeling was intoxicating and I could see I was not alone. Almost half of the Sahi had fallen to their knees and gazed in awe at the Keeper. I could have joined them if I hadn’t felt my mentor, Sahi Tayam’s, hand on my shoulder. In a whisper he stated ‘all is not what it seems. Do not be quick to judge. Wisdom comes with time and reflection.’ I did not know it then, but his words were prophetic, something was not right, it was terribly wrong. If we had taken the time to properly reflect on what was happening and not let our petty jealousies and lust for power overwhelm us, the tragedy may have been averted.