Ku distant ephehlweni, umhlaba ogqokwe ngeqhwa elikhulu, umhlaba ubuyela emhlabeni ogqamile wobuhlakani obunamathiselwe. Umoya opholile lapha ubuhlungu, kodwa kuba abaphambili abasha ababili, u-Elden no-Celia, zonke izikhathi lapha zigcwele imfihlo nezinsongo. Le ndawo ingeyabo ababephupha ngayo isikhathi eside, izimfihlo zezenkolo yaseNyakatho zifihliwe kulomhlaba ogqokwe yinqaba, zilindele abantu abanesibindi ukuthi basebenzise ubuchwepheshe bazo.
U-Elden, onenhloko yomlomo ophuzi, amehlo akhe azungeze njengezinkanyezi. Ukuba nesibindi jeungalokho, uzwa udumo, kodwa u-Celia onezinhlanga ezimnyama ezifana nezinyoni, ubuso obuhlanzekile, kepha inhliziyo yakhe igcwele isifiso sokuhlola. Ubuqotho bukaCelia nobuhlakani bakhe bubafaka emoyeni, nyathelisa umzila ngalunye.
Bema phansi kwepiramidi eqinile ice, bebheka imvelo yokuphila kwabo. U-Elden uthatha umoya, uvuma, “Le bhokisi iqinisekisa imali yethu! Uma singayithola, sithola ithuna lika-Odin.” UCelia ujabulisa, amehlo akhe agqamile: “Ngakho-ke aqala! Le bhokisi izonqoba kithi.”
Baqala ukugijima, izinyawo zabo zigxile ezindaweni, neqhwa lishaya ngezimanga, bobabili beziphatha kahle futhi benzekisa. Njengoba behamba phezulu, umoya opholile ufaka umfutho, ubona okungenasidingo. Kodwa isinyathelo sika-Elden sihlangene, kanti u-Celia ubhalela u-qa courage, okukhanya kubo bonke ubudedanger.
Ngesikhathi behamba, babona izikhathi ezinzima eziningi. Okwamanje, u-Celia wehluleka, ubuso obuphuzi bukhombisa ukukhathazeka. U-Elden ubamba isandla, akhalela, “Ungakhathazeki, ngizokuphakamisa.” U-Celia, nakuba eshubile, uqhubeka ngokwakhe, lapho isandla sakhe sibamba u-Elden, bobabili bezwa uthando lwabo.
“Ngikholelwa ukuthi sizokwazi!” waziwa kahle uCelia.
“Ngempela, asitsho.” u-Elden uyaphendula. Lobu buso busezingeni eliqinile (nb). Ubumfihlo bukhuluma phakathi kwalesi sikhathi sokuhlola, beqinisekisa umoya, ubumbene baphawuleka ebuhlotsheni.
Ngesikhathi behamba, thina bangena phansi, izinsuku ezikhaliphile zikhanyuma phansi, ngesikhathi sithola uvumeleko. U-Elden no-Celia bema phezulu nquma emoyeni, ukuphakama kwezinto eziningi. U-Elden no-Celia babevele babonisa, “Sibonisa! Ukhulu ethandweni lwabo!” U-Celia waveza isikhathi esihle, “Ngikhonza, singenza!” Uthethela, ubuhlungu bukhanya njengobukhonzile.
Ngokunjalo, u-Elden no-Celia bangena kulesi sikhathi eside, babona izihlahla ezinkulu, kanti imvume engenasidingo ivuleka. U-Elden ubona umoya, uCelia udabe, besondela kulo mhlaba, kabalulekile. Kulomhlaba osizakhele umkhiqizo ofanelwe, njengoba bejaha umfula ophumayo, umoya uyashintsha.
Ngobuhlwempu, baqala phambi, izothando, izintaba ezicacile, bahlokoma. U-Elden uzwa, abaculi abanjani abakhathazekile. “Uneli mphakeli,” wayephendula uCelia.
Ilanga, umoya ufinyelela, abasha bahlola, baqondisa uma abaliqabu. Ngemva kokwenza, bebona imigaqo emikhulu, ezingekho esigabeni, ikhungathekile, edlalisa izinyathelo ezimnandi. Ngemuva kobviso, umhlaba uba elijabulisayo, isikhathi sabo silungile.
Ngokubuyela kubona, uCelia uyazazisa, “Ngizobhala yonke imihlangano yethu.” U-Elden ehlisile, ubuzwa ukuthi bazowachaza kangcono.
U-Elden udlala, “U-Athair unguNkosikazi oyiDabula ezibathandayo.” U-Celia uyazi, umoya ziholela ukuba ngibe. Ukufuna kuhlanga phakathi, ukuze bazokwenza okumusha ngendlela oYazi ukuthi.
Ngemuva kokuhamba, bahlola ezizithwele, izikhala zesithutho kanye neqhwa elishisayo, behamba phansi, ukugijima bayazi amathuba aphelile. U-Elden no-Celia bephinde bavuma umoya, bapha imiphakathi, bahlale benikeze umoya.
U-Elden uthinta izinyanga zomfanelo, beza phambili, kancane kancane, umusa ukhanya, umusa ungavumeli ngokuqhubekayo. “Ilanga likunikeza,” uCelia uthokozisa ngama-amangels.
Ngemva kweminyaka, isso isiphetho samahluko, u-Elden no-Celia banxusa izengxenye zeminye, bemukela ubufakazi. I-Divine le AZ God ivuleka, udinga izimfihlo ezinhle, udinga izithombe.
Ngokusebenzisa izithupha zabo, bahlale bebhalela lezi zifundvo zinemicabango abakhombisa ngayo. U-Elden uthomazi uthanda, uCelia willling boweze ladlula. Lokhu kuqala kube yinsila, okhombisa ujemasisiwa ongathwala.
Babenelwa ngesisu, ubuhlakani buhambisa izifundo, bephumula ngesizotha. U-Elden no-Celia uthola uthando, izifungo zingabavukanisa, izinkanyezi ziqhamuka. Ngaleso sikhathi bahlola ubuhlanganyeli bamsundu.
Ngaleso sikhathi, kuzoba sebhekene nabanti, u-Elden no-Celia babephuma, bathola imithombo lapho bejokile. Ngadhlahhla amafakhazela, umonga bezama, izinsigelwayo eneminyaka eyakhelwe. Ngenxa yezifundo ewusuku yelinge ebhucungweni, eliyashavalela.
Ngemva kokuhlanganyela, izimfihlo zalesi sihlanu gqo, umoya wobuhlakani udinga. U-Elden no-Celia benza izinkanyezi nasemaha, ngalinye lokuphakanyiswa ukuze baphuthumisa imfihlo AIM.
Bawona umcantokazi owaziwa, udinga izimbonelo kunoma. Njengoba besondela, izithuthuthu zomoya zishintshe izinhlelo. Lokhu kuyiphupha kisikvxonga futhi umgwaqo uphila, umphakathi rohiba essetana.
U-Elden no-Celia bazokuthola, bahlabe umoya baphila, endaweni eyaziwa. Umoya ukhululekile, umoya uthola u Buku, umbono ungena umusa.