That night, when
he was alone in the temple, Poko prayed so that Bhaal might hear his call.
Satisfied, he settled down and went to sleep.
It seemed that he
had been asleep hardly an instant when he was awakened by a shimmering
light that filled the room. Squinting, he sat up. It was Bhaal.
"Poko Ono," said
Bhaal in a friendly voice, "It is good to see you."
"Bhaal!" shrieked
Poko, "Is it ever good to see you!"
"Although I am very
busy in these dark times," said Bhaal, "I would never miss an opportunity
to help you; what is on your mind?"
Poko told Bhaal
of the troubles he had witnessed, and how the people of the world, including
the members of Seeker, were losing control of their lives to some unknown
force. After some thought, Bhaal replied:
"The power of Bosco
is fueled by the faith of the people," he stated in a grave voice, "and
as we speak, my father weakens as Chaos spreads throughout the land."
Poko swallowed hard.
"Dark times are
upon us," Bhaal continued, "there is only one thing we can do."
"What is that?"
whispered Poko, almost afraid to ask.
Without answering,
Bhaal removed the sword and its scabbard from about his waist and handed
them to Poko.
"This belongs to
you," said Bhaal. "Draw it."
Poko's gaze fell
to the sword. Its silver scabbard gleamed with waves of gold, arcing around
it. Steel crossguards swept out and down aggressively, complementing the
glowing hilt. Finely woven silver wire covered the grip, and braided gold
was accidented to form the word Truth. This, Poko concluded, was the finest
weapon he had ever seen.
Without questioning,
Poko closed his claws around the hilt and pulled the sword free, the shiny
blade making a ringing, metallic sound. Tightening his grip, he could feel
the word Truthbeing pressed into his flesh. Inexplicably, the sword's weight
was absolutely correct; it felt as if a part of him was now complete.
"The Seeker is named!"
proclaimed Bhaal, lifting his arms to the sky.
Poko's mind raced.
"Bhaal," he managed
to say, "but what is the Seeker?"
"A wise first question
in your new capacity," replied Bhaal, smiling, "but not one easily answered."
"A Seeker is a person
who answers to no one but himself," continued Bhaal, "The Sword of Truth
is his to wield as he wishes, and he can hold anyone to answer for anything,
within his own strength." Bhaal held up his hand to stop Poko's objections.
"The problem with explaining it is that it is like all power; it is how
the person uses the power that makes it what it is. A Seeker does exactly
what the name implies: he seeks the answers to things, things of his own
choosing. If he is the right person, he will seek answers that help others,
and not just himself."
"But Bhaal," said
Poko, "You are the Seeker!"
"Not anymore," replied
Bhaal, "A new Seeker has been appointed in this time of need; and that
person is you."
"You must clearly
see that I cannot stop whatever it is that is happening to the world, as
I have already tried."
"Yet you have never
given up," interrupted Bhaal. "A true Seeker, one who can make a difference,
shows himself to be a Seeker. It is then up to present Seeker to recognize
this, and they must have observed that person for years to be sure that
it is the right person. You have shown yourself to be a Seeker for many
years without even knowing it. Why did you tirelessly search for a way
to return to your homeland, so that you might see what has become of your
family?"
"But that's only
because..."
"That doesn't matter,"
Bhaal cut him off, "All that matters is that you did, and that you did
so without losing faith. The whole purpose of a Seeker is to be free to
quest on his own, to go where he wants, learn what he wants, find answers
to what he needs to know, and if need be, do whatever it is the answers
demand."
Poko stiffened.
"Are you telling me a Seeker is an assassin?"
"I will not lie
to you, Poko. There were times when I was forced to make things turn out
that way."
"I will not be an
assassin!"
"As I said," replied
Bhaal in a calm voice, "A Seeker is whatever he makes of the power. Ideally,
he is the bearer of Justice. The Seeker's job is to find answers. It doesn't
matter how he does it, only that he does. Right now, there are answers
that the world needs you to find."
"What answers?"
"Why, you must complete
your quest that you have already started. You must find your way to your
family in your homeland."
Poko was confused.
"That is a personal goal, and would not help the world, Bhaal."
"It is differences
made in the real world that will drive chaos out and restore order," stated
Bhaal, "You must always look beyond the face value of something. Now, what
could you do in your homeland?"
This was the way
Bhaal had always taught lessons; Poko had to come up with the answer himself.
After giving Poko a moment to absorb what he was being told, Bhaal continued:
"What would happen
if your family was all dead and the hands of Arlach? What if he has really
succeeded in his conquest?"
Poko felt his anger
stir, but kept it in control and took a different approach:
"If indeed that
is what happened," Poko began, "I really only have one option."
Bhaal's eyes narrowed,
focusing on what Poko was going to pronounce.
"Since chaos is
controlled by what happens in the real world, I can't, even if it were
physically possible, overthrow the rule of Arlach and remove him by force,
as this would simply fuel the existing problem."
An impish smile
spread across Bhaal's face.
"I must instead
restore order from the inside out by restoring faith amongst the dinosaurs
of the land and preaching them your messages of kindness, friendship, peace,
and order. When everyone, perhaps even Arlach himself, is cleansed of chaos
and order is restored, my quest there be complete."
"I must, at the
same time," continued Poko, "preach your messages elsewhere to restore
the faith the people once held in Bosco, so that he may aid us is repelling
the chaos of the world, and then, only then, will the ultimate goal of
Redemption be attainable once again."
"It will be a long
journey," Poko sighed.
Bhaal grinned. "You
got it right, Poko Ono, all of it. You will make an excellent Seeker. There
is, however, one more thing you must know."
"Chaos," Bhaal continued,
"is present within you, only you have managed to withhold it for now.
Poko raised an eyebrow.
"A chaotic Seeker
would be a very weak one; one that would quickly become foolish and fall
to the hands of his enemies. The Sword of Truth, therefore, must strip
you of your strength and have you rebuild it, this time completely cleansed
of chaos with the magic of the Sword to protect you."
"Whatever it takes,"
Poko replied firmly.
Bhaal smiled. "With
that, fair Seeker, I shall depart. I wish you luck, good luck."
Thrusting his hands
upwards, Bhaal ascended into the sky, his shimmering glow leaving the temple.
When Poko awoke,
at first he thought it had all been a dream. He was soon reminded of his
new reality, the Sword of Truth ready at his side.
He was the Seeker,
and he had a job to do.
To be continued...
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