Sacred's transformation - part 1

Wuxi sent his moonlight dancing across the water, encircling a particular lotus. In his mind's eye, he saw a familiar form. Echoes of a soft voice and a gentle, soothing presence reverberated through him. At that moment, he knew — this was the right one. This was Sacred. He almost looked back at Yutian for some kind of confirmation or approval, but he realized it wasn’t necessary. He stepped closer and held the image of his creator in his mind as his energy began to alter the flower.

He’d wondered for a while how it would feel to complete his part of the cycle. He’d been anticipating this moment for a long time — from the moment he understood that he was created by his own creation, or perhaps from the moment he realized that Sacred recognized him. He felt a part of himself pulled into the mud where the lotus rooted and he could sense a shift in the vibration of the world. It was subtle, but he saw several people in the corner of his eye look up. It was as if humans somehow noticed too. He could feel Yutian holding their metaphoric breath behind him.

You’ll know me when you see me.

Those were the last words he’d heard from the esk he was about to create. He still wondered what would happen if he got it wrong. What if a different esk appeared here instead of Sacred? What if he decided to walk away now — if he disappeared on the spot and stopped the transformation midway through?

These were conversations he’d had many times with Sacred and Yutian. They all knew that neither Sacred nor Wuxi would ever want to disrupt the cycle. It felt fragile and vulnerable to error, yet, oddly enough, also set in stone.

So he watched with a sense of accomplishment as the lotus began to float and glow, his energy parting from him and becoming the power of a new enchantment. It continued to rise and the rest of Sacred’s body followed suit, emerging out of the water with the likeness of a statue. Her silky, black and white fur was spotless despite the mud and algae from the pond. Her feet hovered just barely over the water.

He felt a familiar calm emanate from her enchantment. It was a presence he’d always known as an esk. Wuxi thought he heard Yutian about to say something, but they stayed quiet.

Wuxi waited for Sacred to show signs of life but she didn’t move. Several long minutes passed and he finally called her name to see if it would wake her. No response, so he tentatively tapped her with a wingtip. Nothing.

He turned back to Yutian with a look of what now? They responded with an equal sense of uncertainty. Eventually Yutian asked, “Did she say this was going to happen?”

Wuxi shook his head, “No, she never specified. Should I do something?”

Yutian looked back at the temple as if it held the answer. Wuxi followed their gaze and saw monks straining to carry heavy sculptures out of the temple. Wuxi watched absentmindedly, he was too worried about Sacred’s unresponsiveness.

“Why move the statues?” Yutian asked, though it was clear they didn’t expect an answer from Wuxi, “I’ll be right back.”

Wuxi almost asked them to stay but said nothing. He decided to lay down next to his creator. The pond was not large, but it was as beautiful as the rest of the well maintained garden. Thoughtful adornments dotted the space and the temple next to him was equally profound. It was peaceful and quaint, nestled into the hill as if it were a part of the earth. The garden pond where Sacred hovered looked over the side of a terrace. A verdant landscape lay beyond them and the late afternoon updraft rustled the silken drapes of his wings.

“It’s too remote,” Yutian said, coming back into the garden. Wuxi shook from his reverie and looked at Yutian questioningly.

“The temple can’t afford to stay open. It’s too far away from the nearest community, so it’s being forced to shut down. That’s why they’re moving everything out.” Yutian’s tone was despondent.

Wuxi sat up in realization. “Ah. That’s why she was lost.” They both looked at Sacred, half expecting her to react, but she remained lifeless.

Wuxi turned away and now gave his full attention to the monks at work. It was such a shame to lose this place. Wuxi and Yutian watched as a monk tried unsuccessfully to lift an ornate carving onto a cart. Wuxi pushed it up with a little telepathic nudge and watched the monk’s relief. Wuxi and Yutian looked at each other with wordless understanding and walked together into the temple.

Their invisible help raised the bleak mood and a bit of morale returned. Colorful frescos and murals along the walls even felt more vibrant. As night approached, Wuxi imperceptibly lit hallways and corners to provide extra guidance. The two esk fell into a rhythm until the temple inhabitants went to sleep.

Wuxi waited for Yutian to join him before haltingly poking his head into the garden. He was almost afraid to look. Unfortunately, Sacred remained motionless. In that moment, Wuxi felt as if the world was tenuous and strange. What was he supposed to do next?

“Maybe we shou–” Wuxi was cut off as a wave of unnatural fog rippled off Sacred. Her eyeless head turned and she looked right at him.