in the fields just beyond their home. For a moment, she recalled the incident in the arena that had led to her death. Somehow, the power of the energy that emanated from the old man seemed to wash the stain of that painful time away.
Melvina dropped the basin and fell to the ground as the power began to rise to new crescendos of intensity. She closed her eyes and allowed the energy to take her. The power coursed through her pelvis and gathered strength as it roared toward her chest and stomach area. She now no longer felt the need to move or breathe. The force of the energy seemed to take over her will. Her chest expanded and filled to accommodate the force of the power being shoveled into her being. She tried to look over at the old man’s form, but she could only see the reddish glow that filled the space where he once sat.
She closed her eyes once again and tried to make sense of the power that coursed through every fiber of her being. After a few moments, the energy made its way to her head. Blinding flashes of blissful pain entered her skull as the energy was now moving with a speed that she did not think possible. It seemed to be attempting to communicate with her. In her mind, she saw dozens of images move past her vision in rapid succession. She could not make out any of the visions individually, but she could sense that somehow they were imparting some knowledge to her that she would come to understand. Each image lasted only fractions of a second, but one image purposefully tore itself away from the stream and leaped from her mind.
She saw a ball of light floating in front of her. Within the ball, she saw the image of the old man, floating, smiling, and pointing to a flat moving image that glowed within the ball. Melvina focused intently upon the image. She saw a succession of people involved in what could only be described as mating. She saw people, young men and women mostly, of many races and cultures. Some of the women seemed to be in ecstasy, others were barely conscious of their surroundings. Each of them, in turn, looked at her, smiled, and pointed toward her with a single finger. The image lasted for perhaps a few minutes, flickered brightly, and slowly faded in the glow of the ball.
Suddenly, the intense force of the energy that erupted from the old man faded. Melvina felt paralyzed by the experience. She slowly opened her eyes and attempted to move her body. She wiggled her fingers and toes and attempted to stand. Her breath came in short gasps and her heart was racing. She managed to get to her feet after several furtive attempts. She looked around and saw the old man sitting on the boulder. His eyes were now closed and his form was no longer emblazoned with the reddish glow that she had seen earlier. The old man said nothing as he looked at her very intensely.
He slowly rose from his meditative position, walked toward Melvina, picked up the basin, and placed it in her hands. He then motioned for her to go to the stream.
Melvina quickly walked to the stream, filled the basin with water, and rose to return to the boulder. As she turned with the basin, she saw that the old man had already begun to walk back toward the treelined path. She also saw that two of the dogs now trotted quietly alongside him as he walked.
Melvina picked up her pace in order to catch up with the old man and the dogs. In a few moments, she caught up with them. She knew that the old man was not a normal person. She had never seen or experienced anything like what she had just gone through earlier. She wanted answers.
“Who are you? What do you want from us?”
The old man did not answer. He did not slow his pace. He did not look in her direction. He made no indication at all that he had heard her question.
“Did you hear me?” Melvina demanded, raising her voice slightly.
Again, the old man said nothing; he maintained his pace, did not look toward her, and continued to make no indication that he had heard her.
Melvina grew impatient and decided to get his attention in the only way that she knew how. She placed the basin upon the ground, cupped her hands, and splashed a large handful of water onto the old man’s robe. The old man stopped in his tracks.
He turned slowly toward Melvina. He looked at her without smiling or moving his face in any way. His eyes seemed to blaze with a reddish-golden light. After a few long, tense moments, he began to laugh. He reached down into the basin, cupped his hands, and launched a large handful of water back at Melvina. She was soaked in seconds.
Melvina froze in her tracks. She looked at him in shock. She had not expected him to return the favor. Without thinking, she splashed him again. He splashed her right back. After a few splashes, they were both soaking wet. Melvina looked at him intently without blinking. Despite herself, she began to laugh. Deep, rolling laughter filled her body as she looked at her own clothing and that of the old man. She could not remember the last time that she laughed. She felt good, alive, in a manner of speaking.
The old man looked at her, smiled, pointed his finger at her soaked clothing, and began to laugh. The sound of his laugh was sweet, yet coarse. The vibration ripped through Melvina like a bolt of lightning and her whole body shook involuntarily.
“What is your name?” Melvina asked, after regaining her composure.
“My name is Anshar,” the old man replied.
“What happened back there? Wh-what did you do to me?” Melvina stammered.
“I gave you a reward,” Anshar replied.
“A reward? For what?” Melvina asked.
“Services rendered, of course.”
“Services? What do you mean, services?”
“You completed your mission.”
“What mission? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Salva. You were charged with bringing me her soul. I must say, you discharged your duties admirably. Now go and refill the basin, you have clothes to wash.”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t bring you any soul! My sister was killed by those butchers, just like me.”
“On the contrary, if you will recall, you dispatched her before they could kill her. By our agreement, dying by your hand gives me the right to claim her soul.”
“I didn’t kill her for you! I did what I did so that she wouldn’t have to suffer.”
“A most expedient solution...admirably creative,” Anshar replied.
Anshar turned and began to walk down the path again. He chuckled quietly to himself.
Melvina stood in silent horror. She could not believe the words that had just fallen upon her soul. Her mind whirled with a cacophony of confusing thoughts and images that made her nauseated. After a few moments, a single blinding thought raged through her mind. She had to get to Salva.
Melvina’s heart began to race and her breaths quickened. She began to run as fast as she could toward the hut. She did not think of the old man or the dogs that accompanied him. She looked back only once. She saw the old man and the dogs walking slowly, both staring intently in her direction. They did not quicken their pace in the slightest.
She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She moved faster than she ever thought possible. She wanted to run away from this place, wherever it was, take Salva, and never return. As she ran, the trees seemed to cast long glances upon her. Their shadows trailed long, straight patterns on the trail behind her as she gradually neared the hut. The hut appeared on the horizon.
Melvina saw the remaining
