CHAPTER 9: PANACEA

****Mními pov*****

On a cold night in the forest, in an undisclosed location we gathered for a meeting. It was like a huge colosseum, the upper area was dark and the faces were not visible just crimson eyes glowing in the dark. In the centre was a blue glowing light and in it was a silhouette of a person. There were four cubiculum's which had a curule chair for each general. I Mními sat in one of them, I was a general. An old one; I was one of the first ones born from the great Brahma who was the figure in the blue glow in the centre of the colosseum. I was old but I was still quite able; I had two long horns that curved downward to the rear, Cyclops eyed and pointy eared. I had worn a torn robe round my waist and had a veil swinging behind me from arm to arm. On one of the other was the furious Perifronisi, standing at his right hand was Anisychía.

'What is happening to your territory, Perifronisi?', Katapíesi inquired. He was one of the generals, one that Perifronisi hated. He was wiser and always a step ahead of Perifronisi. He looked even more terrifying. He had two horns, they had a double curve; first inwards and then outwards. He had fire burning around him and from within him from the opening rings on his body. The fire however didn't consume his surroundings and made his skin glow yellow. He had razor teeth but they were smaller than the others. ' I sent one of my children as you requested and now you sit before us and ask us what's going on'.

Perifronisi was furious. It was visible on his face. 'I don't know what happened'.

'Then that's irresponsibility on your part, how can you call yourself a general yet you cannot account for the men handed to you', the calm Icarus pointed out. He was another general. He was stroking one of the heads of his three headed wolf that lay by his curule chair. He had huge black horns that curved upward and outwards. His body looked like an armour with gold ornaments on different parts and surrounding the outline of his chest. He had one eye red and the other golden. His ears were pointed, like me, and his skin black. He was the only one that looked like a human. He was very calm and serene. He never got involved in the disputes between the other generals but was only and always acting towards the greater good for their race.

'How dare you!', Perifronisi asked angrily.

'We dared from the moment our one of Katapíesi's assassins was killed', Icarus replied calmly, as usual.

'It wasn't my fault! I sent him to kill the half human half beast', he retorted, in an attempt to defend his incompetence as a general.

'One of my children was killed due to you lack of good leadership and you have the alacrity to defend yourself like you are the victim', Katapíesi accused the already mad Perifronisi.

'How dare you?', he questioned in rage as he crushed the right arm rest of his curule chair; Perifronisi.

I mean, he was a bad leader and very impetuous owing to the fact that of all the generals he was the youngest. He became a general because of his potential and natural talent and that is precisely why the other generals are against him. So young yet with so much power. He has made a lot of mistakes but who hasn't.

'This half that you claim to be a threat can't be', Katapíesi stated as he leaned forward. 'I mean look at our number and he is just one. I don't believe that. You're just imcompetent'.

'I agree with Katapíesi', Icarus said as he raised his right index and middle finger in concordance.

Why wouldn't you? Looking at Perifronisi, his rage couldn't be described in words.

'If Michael was here he would have sorted this out', the dreamy Katapíesi dreamt. 'I mean he had the greatest blessing from Brahma'.

'True, he had that blessing but...', Icarus disagreed as usual, ' remember Michael never believed in killing humans. He believed in coexistence; that's why he was killed by a certain someone', he said looking at Perifronisi.

'He got what he deserved. Besides he didn't go down without a fight', he defensively stated. ' He left me a permanent gift'. He was talking about the huge scar he had on his back that Michael have him in their final duel.

Michael was the oldest of all of us, the first born from the great Brahma. He worked with Brahma in raising and training us generals. He was like an elder brother to us and Brahma the father. He was calm and composed, never took offense and didn't believe in killing humans. He believed in violence only to protect life and not to take it. That was what led to his breaking off from us and Brahma and living as a human for a while before he was tracked down by the wild Perifronisi and killed Ina duel. It's still hard to believe that Perifronisi was a blue to kill him but he's dead and that's all we know.

Katapíesi leaned forward and rested his face in his right hand as his arm was resting on the arm rest when he asked, 'How exactly did he die? How did you manage to kill the strongest, second only to Brahma?'.

Perifronisi remained silent. He had no reply. Something was amiss.

However the inquisitive Katapíesi went on, 'Come to think of it... There was a similar case of the half three years ago. You said he was an abomination born years ago and killed him'.

' So?!', the anxious Perifronisi asked.

'Why do I have a feeling that all these are connected?'.

'That's a question you should be asking yourself not me', the clever Perifronisi replied.

I was with Katapíesi on this. I wanted him to tell us all that he knew.

'Reply you young vagabond ', Icarus said.

'I'll make you regret that!', Perifronisi said as he stood up from his chair ready to fight. He was a fool of the highest order.

' Do not fight my children', a thundering voice said. It was loud and fearsome but soothing. The figure that lay in the blue glow grew and covered the entire centre of the colosseum. We all simultaneously knelt and bowed our heads proclaiming, 'Hail the great Brahma'. He was very enchanting and tranquil. Our father Brahma had been disturbed from one of his infinite meditations by his rascal children. Fools!!

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