58. The Phoenix Rising

        King Atalon was in a bad mood, Nolan could sense it the second he entered the room. Once upon a time Atalon's moods meant nothing to him, nowadays they meant everything. He sat down in the chair, nervous, still green with inexperience, still feeling awkward at Firmary meetings in general, as if he didn't really belong. After a brief exchange of business minutes the king sat down to break the real news of the day. The economic model for the Old Empire was dying, rapidly. Loss & Damage reports were accumulating at an alarming rate, the Gora Lab was unsalvageable and the Moha Lab was inadequate to accommodate both. "I need what's left of the Gora Lab moved to the Moha Lab, YESTERDAY" he boomed, rising from his seat.

         Nolan wasn't sure he heard right. "You want to set up the entire Gora Lab inside the Moha Lab?" 

         "ARE YOU MOCKING ME?"

         Nolan bit his lip.

         "YOU'RE here" Atalon hissed "to RENOVATE THE LAB. Moha Lab on one side, Gora Lab on the other. Did we make a GRAVE mistake bringing you on board?"
         "No, Your Honor. I'm sure we can accomplish it, now that I think about it!"

         "Good! Go do that then!"

        

         As if waiting his turn, Halios was standing outside the door as Nolan left the meeting room, he had more bad news.

         "They're packing up the Moha Lab for you right now, we're doubling up patients to make room and moving everything into the labs so that you can turn the dormitories into new lab space. The crews have been instructed to store the salvage in the hallways until the labs get rearranged according to the new plans. Do you have any preliminary sketches yet?"

         Nolan felt faint. "Um no, I… I.."
         "Umno? I realize how busy you are, I'm busy too. Perhaps you can let me know the minute you do."

         "Yes, Your Honor" Nolan replied, stiffening.

         "Good. We're going to need to torch the island, soon, before the dogons take it over. Your team is green lit to go salvage all the equipment and furnishings. Officer Bell is in charge of the operation, you know Officer Bell, don't you?"
         "Yes, Your Honor!" Nolan tried to act like he felt in control but it made him feel even more foolish now.

         "Good!" Halios snapped, disappearing into Atalon's chamber.

         As the door closed, Nolan let out a sigh of relief, assuring himself of the good news, that by vacating the dorms for him, somehow he would make it work...

         As he made his way down the hall to the stairs he pondered the enormity of the task unfolding, it wasn't just a simple renovation job. They were going to torch Culloom? It was that bad over there? Salvage equipment and furnishings? The truth was, he had no idea what was over there, he knew there were things worth salvaging from Culloom, there were books and bookcases that were irreplaceable, artworks and furnishings that ought to be salvaged from being torched, Halios was right...

         What did he mean. 'were the preliminary sketches ready?' Was he out of his mind? Was it going to be like this always? Culloom was the last place he wanted to go. He was starting to understand why Orius was so happy to go colonize Ebar.

         Atalon was in a bad mood, Halios could tell the moment he walked into the room. He didn't let it alter his own vibrations, he rested the book on the table and joined the king the bar.
         "What now?" Atalon snapped, spewing his bad mood into the air.

         The god of War was immune to the king's poisonous mood today. Curious about that, Atalon glanced at the book.

         "Tell me that's the Book of Life finally ready?"

         Halios nodded. "Final revisions for you to review."
         "I was beginning to think I wouldn't live to see the day..." Atalon walked over to the table and ran his fingers across the cover, finally looking as it should. "They did a better job this time."

         "Yes. It's quite a good replica, don't you think?"
         It was much better than the last attempt. "It's acceptable." Atalon opened the book to a bookmarked page, an illustration of a skull with three Light Serpents rising, just like the original book, minus the crystal dust.

         "Ahhhhhh..." He caressed the page, satisfied with the quality of the reproduction at last. Slowly his mood began to improve as he leafed through the pages to admire the talented work, a mood remedy, in itself.

         "That's not all" Halios smiled. He turned the page back to the skull image and pointed to the diamond shape in the center. "That."

         Atalon wasn't sure what he was saying. "The diamond?"

         "That's right! The Light Serpents rising from it is a symbolic image! You don't actually give birth to Light Serpents from it, you become a Light Serpent with it! You fly like a Light Serpent!!! If you know how to use it, that is!"
         "What on earth are you talking about?" Atalon was angry, irritated again.

         "First of all, it's not a diamond." Halios reached into his pocket, pulled out a pipe with a strange looking yellowish nugget in the bowl and handed it to Atalon. "Here. It's the real Golden Egg!"

         Atalon dismissed the pipe, pushing it away, angrier. "You know I don't smoke!"
         Halios pushed the bowl closer. "You've never smoked this!"

          "What is it?" Atalon glanced at the golden colored nugget in the bowl, curious now.

         "The diamond" Halios smiled, pushing the pipe closer. "As your closest brother, I beg you to try it. This isn't tobacco, you know."

         Atalon recognized the object from Malodon's lab. He frowned, disbelief clouded his trust as Halios waved the pipe in front of him, it smelled awful.

         "Some of the soldiers discovered it in Gora" he dropped a clue. "Quite by chance. I guarantee you'll like it."

         Atalon wasn't so easily swayed, nor did he trust his war mongering brother. He eyed the pipe with iron clad skepticism. "You want me to smoke that?" He took the pipe and sniffed the bowl. "Ugh! That's disgusting!"

         "It's all natural" Halios was convincing. "Just try it. It smells better once it's burning."
         Atalon's curiosity was growing, regardless. "Has Malodon tried it?"

         "Yes!" Halios assured. "We both tried it already, we had to because we didn't believe Bell... Don't worry, we tested it on expirees first!"

         "Bell?"
         "Yes. I came here to tell you first, I had to let you know right away."

         Trumped by the embarrassment of not being in the loop, Atalon raised the pipe to his lips, then paused. "Did Seton try it?"

         "Not yet." Halios leaned in with his lighter and lit the bowl. "That invitation is your Honor, Your Honor! Take a deep breath!"
         Atalon took a deep breath, slowly inhaling the strange product.

         "Hold it in as long as you can" Halios coached.

         Atalon filled his lungs, closed his eyes and let the smoke out slowly. Almost immediately his mood was lifted, he felt transformed into an energetic being, he was light, he could feel himself rising above his body... Like a Light Serpent he was spiralling up into a dreamy world of rainbow lights, surrounded by golden haired Light Goddesses, helping him reclaim the sky as if his dreams had suddenly come true!

         "Ha-haaaa!" The king laughed out loud as his body rose into the clouds, spiralling into a galaxy of glittery rainbow lights. "I AM the Phoenix! Rising from the flames!!!"