Plague Doctor - Chapter 197

Chapter 197: Guest from the Prophecy

“The arrival of the tattered one in white mask…” The gasp echoed in the sparsely decorated inner room inside the Ulthar Temple. Seeing that figure, Atal’s elderly face was filled with excitement, shock and some trace of fear, “The prophecy, the prophecy has come true…”

In response to this reaction by Atal, the three who just walked in halted immediately. Peacock and Malachite were in the middle of greeting Atal but they stopped in mid action as their eyes wandered curiously towards the nightmare man. Of everyone present, only he had on tattered clothes and only he had a white mask.

“Barzai the Wise…” Atal mumbled on his lips. In that moment, many considerations crossed Gu Jun’s mind. Along the way, he confirmed that Ulthar was as real as it could be, the farmhouses, the people and the cats supported that. The temple was real, the elders here and the pilgrims supported that. This was not a trap set by Peacock and Malachite. The elder said he was the prophesized man but he did not know what the prophecy entailed. Was he supposed to be a welcomed guest or be taken down immediately?

If it was the former, no matter whom Peacock’s group aligned themselves with, as long as he had Atal’s help, he could get away from them easily. With his psychiatry training, Gu Jun noticed that the way Atal looked at him consisted of fear and shock but no hatred… With the decision made, he walked forward and spoke. “I met Barzai the Wise not too long ago.” He spoke in Chinese and he channelled the intention for Atal to understand him.

“You…” Peacock’s expression shifted, even Malachite frowned. The mute nightmare man had suddenly spoken. Even though they had suspected this strange man did have command of language, for the past 3 days, he had been croaking noisily or communicating with his eyes.

“Sir, what did you just say?” Peacock whispered to ask. Gu Jun ignored her, it did not matter what they thought of him now, what he needed to do now was to convince Atal that he was his ally. He turned to the shocked Atal and continued, “Barzai is commandeering the ship that ferries people from different worlds, and I have the fortune to have a long chat with him on the ship.”

“I should have known that Barzai the Wise is still alive.” Atal’s face could not keep up with his emotions but his voice was still a mumble, “His soul wouldn’t have found peace due to prayers, so why waste time on them! Barzai the Wise, his soul has been hooked onto the white ship…”

“Mr. Atal.” Gu Jun said, “Barzai did tell me to relay some words to you. Intelligence and will can overcome the earth’s gods but they are powerless before the forces beyond. A glimpse of that force and you’ll be trapped inside an endless nightmare. Barzai told you to ‘look away’.” At the time, Gu Jun had no idea what this order of ‘look away’ meant but now, thinking back, it should be the last words Barzai had for Atal when he reached the summit of Hatheg-Kla.

“Ah…” Atal was dazed as he fell back on the ivory stage. “The Tattered One, indeed, you’re right…” From the nearby Ulthar, Hatheg and Mir to the port city of Dylath-Leen, only one person knew what happened that year and what Barzai had shouted, and that person was him, Atal.

“Look away! . . . Go back! . . . Do not see!” Barzai’s frightful screams seemed to echo in his ears. At the time, he had his eyes closed and his hands over his ears. He fell from a spot near the summit, the height should have claimed his life but he miraculously survived. All these years, he did not reveal to anyone what had happened on that mountain.

“The Tattered One.” Atal turned back to the figure and respect returned to his old pair of eyes. He asked with a catch in his voice. “How is Barzai doing?”

“He still remembers everything.” Gu Jun said, “But he now has his own destiny to fulfil.”

Peacock and Malachite were stunned. At Ulthar, other than the cats, the most respected figure was definitely Atal but now this religious leader of Ulthar stood up to invite the nightmare man to take a seat next to him. He then asked politely. “The Tattered One, do you mind telling me why have you journeyed here?” Suddenly the situation had changed, now it appeared like Atal was going to help the nightmare man.

“Mr. Atal, I think you should turn your attention to these two guests first.” Gu Jun sat down. It was not that he felt indebted to the two but he wanted to get more information about them. He said purposely, “Even though I travelled with them, I do not know them and we do not come here with the same goal in mind.”

“Oh?” Atal thought the two were Gu Jun’s retainers. Now he turned to them and demanded, “Young ones, what have brought you here then?” After the temporary shock, the two quickly came to and adjusted to this new development. “Mr. Nightmare man,” Peacock first turned to the man on the chair but she did not dare to look into his pair of empty eyes. “No matter what you think, we do not bear any malintention.”

She then finished the rest of her greeting towards Atal. She introduced herself and Malachite before continuing, “We are all followers of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. Even though the book came from our tribe but due to many reasons, it is common consensus that Barzai the Wise is the master of its secret, followed closely by thee, Atal the Great. According to legends, Barzai the Wise has studied the Pnakotic Manuscripts at Frozen Lomar as well and the latter has a key effect to achieve a full understanding of the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan.”

Gu Jun was given a valuable lesson in all these tomes…

“Legends, the Pnakotic Manuscripts are just legends.” Atal had recovered to his usual self. “It does not exist.”

“Great elder, our people need this knowledge.” Peacock continued firmly, “We are plagued by suffering and it is not an easy journey that we have taken here.”

“The earth’s gods that we pray to…” Atal though changed the subject, “Are just divines of the common worlds, they are not the real deity but they are protected by other greater power, and those greater forces…” Atal stopped himself, “We are just mere mortals, we should not discuss them. But your people insist on learning about them and that is why suffering has descended upon your people, as they are looking for suffering in their pursuit of knowledge.”

Gu Jun listened closely. He understood then that the earth’s god was less powerful than the Great Old Ones. Probably they were just a lesser dominion like the Son of Misfortune?

“Elder Atal, Mr. Nightmare Man.” Peacock pleaded. “I beg that you hear what has befallen our people first before you make any decision.”

“No, nothing can change…” Atal was about to say when Gu Jun cut him off. “No matter, let her speak.”

Language could communicate meaning but it would not show the perspective of the speaker. A R’yleh cultist could believe their cult was suffering so why not hear her out first?

Atal sighed softly and agreed. So Peacock started her tale with pleated brows.

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