The Serpent Path

A great stone head surveys the desert, the crowned tip of an iceberg reaching into an ocean of sand. Time, wind, and dust have almost buried the ancient statue. An ancient king standing a mile high, glaring as his subjects toiled below. The mouth opens in a high arch, his huge stone tongue creating a path.

Many embark on the journey, tempted by riches and fame. One comes seeking understanding and duty. Those brave enough to enter the statue’s grin find a steep stairway to a deep cavern. A smooth quartz ceiling mirrors the blue lake below. Thousands of glowing serpents writhe in the waters, their glittering scales throwing azure rays and spirals across the lake and ceiling in time to their movements. The cave stretches out into in a long tunnel, a soft current of warm air blowing from the black, enticing distance. Many sit entranced by the serpents as their coiling bodies cast lights and sparkles around the cavern. Soon they forget their quest, forgot about their homes and families. They clap and dance in time to the lights’ rhythm. The lake’s edge calls them closer and closer. They slip and fall into the icy water. White points break the swirling lights. Skeletal fingers and rib tips of the poor souls distracted by the coloured show.

For those who resist, the tunnel path leads on. A thousand steps, then a smooth amber dais topped with a golden throne. A strange fat creature lounges on the polished seat. The burning torches cast a soft glow, unveiling a massive figure resembling a man with a boar’s head and a prominent amber eye in its stomach. His flesh gathers in folds, pockmarked skin, ancient and rough as the moon’s surface. He juggles three objects, rising and falling with an unnatural slowness. A voluptuous white rose, a severe brass mathematical set-square, and an old decaying rock, crumbling as it lands. Passion, precision, and patience in a flowing circle.

Few arrive to meet this strange creature. Most leave bewildered, but one adventurer spoke to him, sensing the creature’s ancient wisdom despite his ridiculous appearance. He asked three questions. However, the creature spoke no words. His answers came to the questioner as wonderful and terrifying visions. The effect is exhilarating, yet intimidating. His pulse quickens and his temples throb. The creature could break his mind on a whim.

He asks the creature’s name. A vision of broken tools and abandoned works opens. Books without endings, unharvested fruit rotting on the ground, roofless homes crumbling into dust. The ruin of undisciplined dreams. Pangs of sadness and guilt stir in his chest. He considers the childhood sweetheart he left to pursue a life of adventure.

He pleads for a lesson. A diamond appears. Black metal panels slide into place to enclose the diamond in an onyx cube. A dagger strikes the side. It strikes again and a small dent appears on the cube’s side. The dagger suddenly veers off, striking randomly in all directions. Hairline marks appear on the cube’s smooth surface as the blade rages petulantly without focus or method. Worn down by its erratic efforts, the blade breaks into a shower of glittering fragments. The diamond held fast within its prison. A small dent from the initial focused strikes the only evidence of the furious attack. The price of a thousand kingdoms foolishly lost.

He demands power. A new scene opens. The adventurer sees himself walking a tightrope over a flaming abyss. The flames flow and melt into tempting images. Riches, glory, fame, and pleasure, all his if he abandons the narrow path. He holds fast to the sure, narrow path, ignoring the inferno’s siren song, calling him to utter failure and ruin.

He returned home a stronger, more steadfast and discerning man. Quests to serve the realm replace carefree treasure hunting. Many triumphs and strange adventures came to him. Lordship of the singing grasslands, brokering peace between the Saturn Knights and the Mercury Bandits, and the journey to the temple on the sky’s edge. Those are tales for another time.

Did you enjoy this post? What stirred in your imagination?  Please leave a comment below - I respect and value your opinion . Like all poems, visions, and stories, this one will only find life when empowered by a reader. It needs your imagination and your vision.

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