Path Of Clarity
Posted on Wed Oct 7th, 2015 @ 4:39pm by Commander Patrick Leroy
Mission:
Further Challenges
Location: Qo'noS
The morning had begun very early for Patrick. First, the cold sensation of the room floor against his face and second… The entire Wolf 359 battle taking place in his head again.
Later, through the hangover veil caused by the bloodwine excess of the night before, Patrick had watched Kalim entering the room, supplying him with appropriate clothing, helping him to stay on his feet several times and, in the end, taking him away to the mountains. All had happened very quickly, almost in a kind of suspicious way that made Patrick wonder for an instant. A very fleeting instant as his current condition prevented him to stay focused on a matter more than a few heartbeats.
“Fresh air will set you straight in no time.” Kalim said when, after an indefinite time by Patrick’s mind reckoning, the hover vehicle stopped.
Now that a couple of hours of walk had passed Ninety-five Fahrenheit degrees hardly seemed ‘fresh’ to Patrick. Still he made an effort to avoid complaining. His stoic behavior could have passed on as a modestly successful attempt at showing some ‘klingon nerve’. In reality Patrick was keeping his mouth shut just because Kalim would surely have had none of it.
“Tired already? C’mon we’ve almost arrived to our first destination.” Kalim said turning to him once they reached a hign place where the plains below could be seen in all their majestic amplitude.
“What we’re doing now is known as Path of Clarity… Kal’Hyah. It is considered a mental and spiritual journey where the groom and his closest friends must participate in six trials over the course of four days filled with song and fellowship… After which you’ll be considered as a full Klingon by everyone. Well… Almost everyone.” Kalim ended with a grimace.
“I can’t wait…” Patrick muttered trying to regain some wind as he wiped his forehead with the back of the hand.
“You’ll see.” Kalim nodded solemnly “My sister speaks only good things of you. She’s happy with you and when you’ll have passed the trials becoming a honorary Klingon and be formally wed in front of all the House she’ll be even happier, I can tell you.”
Every time Kh’ali was happy he ended up in sickbay, Patrick thought with some worry. He couldn’t imagine about happier.
Without further ado Kalim resumed his walk up the trail, adding some comment that a sudden gust of wind made almost entirely lost to Patrick, except the last part.
“…And is also tradition to sing.”
His energy renewed and gait set to a brisk pace, Kalim started to intone the traditional song of the warriors attending the Kal’Hyah. While Patrick trudged along behind him thinking with compassion of the rock goat hard life.
Ka vek ko lee ko
Eh to che mah lo
Tah oo-wah kah esh to pah deh ah reee!
Yah bosh-ah! Yah bosh-ah!
Yah bosh tomah!...
* Later *
The climb went on for a great deal of time and, just in the moment Patrick thought that this mountain would have claimed his remains, the couple reached an ample ledge on the mountain side. Three klingons stood there, laughing and bragging, close to the entrance of a great cave.
Focusing his fatigued eyes Patrick immediately recognized Batahr and Gudag, two of the klingons that were drinking with him at the nightclub just the day before.
“Ha! At last.” Gudag boomed as they moved closer to gift Patrick with great signs of affection mainly com posed by hands landing heavily on his shoulders. “No one should attend Kal’Hyah without his closest friends.” Gudag said.
“Right. ” Batahr confirmed “And we know that you don’t have many acquaintances on Qo’noS because you’re a stranger… But you stood your ground in our drinking contest like a real warrior. So… We will support you in your trials. That you may be the honorable spouse your bride deserves.”
“Well, I’m grateful. I would have never thought…” Patrick started to say when his eyes got hold of the third klingon, a grizzled one, that stood behind the two burly warriors.
“Roctan?” Patrick said in surprise.
“Yes, in flesh and blood.” The seasoned warrior smiled. “I’ve known Kh’ali from the day she was an imp with spindly legs… Could I abandon her betrothed in the hands of these pirates?”
“No, of course not.” Patrick laughed taking hold of the hand Roctan offered.
Kalim’s harrumphing quickly interrupted the exchange of pleasantries “Shall we undertake our honorable task? We’re late already.” He ended gesturing to the cave entrance.
“Of course we will.” Patrick responded suddenly galvanized by the turn of events. In some way the whole thing reminded him of the camping vacations in the wilderness of his youth. Leading the party he strode into the cave and his sight and nostrils were greeted by pleasant details.
In every corner of the cave there was food and drinks and of the kind preferred by Patrick no less. The kind that stood exactly where you placed it instead of crawling around. Great chunks of salted meat or somesuch, Targ meat probably… And his stomach reminded him that he hadn’t eaten for a while now.
“Hey guys. It’s been very nice of you to think of breakfast, we left in a hurry this morning and the walk has just whetted my appetite.” Patrick said with a smile as he rubbed hands together.
“No.” Kalim exclaimed solemnly with a sharp gesture of the hand. “This is just the first of the six trials, Deprivation. The food is here to tempt the warrior but he will resist and temper his spirit just like Kahless the Unforgettable had to do. In fact, all the trials during these four days will be accompanied by a total fastening…”
Patrick cast a sidelong glance at his future brother-in-law as his smile died down “You must be joking.”
“Not at all.” Batahr intervened proudly nodding to the other klingons “We’ll now start our meditation together on deprivation and then tackle in succession all the other trials: blood, pain, sacrifice, anguish, and death.”
Patrick’s eyes widened in horror with sudden realization about the Path of Clarity. In fact it was very clear to him now that the longest four days of his life had just begun.
His stomach grumbled strongly to confirm his fears as the klingons started to sing all together…
Ka vek ko lee ko
Eh to che mah lo
Tah oo-wah kah esh to pah deh ah reee!
…
************************
Patrick Leroy
Cleared on Kal’Hyah
