The Girl with No Name Ch. 08

As the months went by and the winter solstice approached and passed, Babáckt Yaga noted the progress of the newest Followers. If they became tired or discouraged, she eased their training or shifted their responsibilities. She did not expect the same results for everyone, knowing that different people learned at different paces and had different strengths and weaknesses.

The alchemist was most impressed by Danka. She seemed to be the most promising recruit to enter the Cult of the Ancients...ever. The peasant girl was used to physical hardship, so the challenges of winter life did not trouble her in the least. She did not flinch or hesitate when confronted with an injured animal: she calmly sedated the subject and set about sewing up wounds or splinting broken limbs. She could evaluate internal injuries and tell if there were wounds that were untreatable.

The girl was extremely smart. By the beginning of 1752 her vocabulary matched that of many people who had years of formal education. During those darkest months, the young Follower transformed into a different person. She was determined to erase her identity as a "peasant girl". Her Pagan beliefs and newly-acquired knowledge gave her confidence in her own abilities, which pushed her to pursue increasingly challenging subjects in her studies. Babáckt Yaga calculated that, at the rate she was progressing, within just a year Danka would fully understand all of the subjects needed to be an alchemist; including botany, chemistry, and working with mathematical formulas.

The detail of Danka that impressed Babáckt Yaga the most, however, was her desire to learn for the sake of learning. She never tired of spending time alone with Danka because she saw so much of her own personality as a young woman in the new recruit. Whenever Danka showed up under the alchemist's laboratory, she could count on the ladder dropping and receiving a call to climb up. She was desperate to learn and Babáckt Yaga was eager to teach.

After her companions had gone to bed for the night, Danka visited her mentor to receive instruction in archaic Danubian. She didn't just want to sing in archaic Danubian; she wanted to be completely fluent in the dialect of the Ancients. She also wanted to learn Latin and German. She became interested in maps and in learning about the countries surrounding the Duchy. She wanted to know about history and understand why times changed from generation to generation. Babáckt Yaga, whose memories went back a century, appreciated the opportunity to share stories of a forgotten lifetime with a person whose journey in the Realm of the Living was just beginning.

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At the beginning of February Babáckt Yaga began the process of preparing a new batch of longevity potion from her supply of dried mushrooms. The first step in that process was deciding how much of the potion to make.

For the first time in her life, alchemist had a huge supply of specimens from "The Joy of the Ancients". Although the stock of the potion's key ingredient was enormous, it was destined to be the final harvest. Because of the way the mushrooms grew, the species was unlikely to ever recover from the previous summer's slaughter.

There was another consideration. The potency of preserved specimens of "the Joy of the Ancients" peaked about six months after they were dried, but then gradually weakened. Babáckt Yaga was not sure how long finished potion would last, because she had never tried keeping it in storage for more than a year. Well, she would just have to take that risk. She decided to convert most of her mushrooms into longevity potion.

The next decision she would have to make was determining who would be given the potion over the following year. When taken properly, the potion's effect on a subject was to slow down the normal aging process by three fourths. That meant a person taking the treatment over a four-year period would only age one year. If the patient stopped, the aging process resumed at a normal rate. Over the years she had administered the potion to herself and others, Babáckt Yaga had not noticed any negative side-effects.

She would continue giving the potion to herself, of course. There were a couple of elders working on medical research who also would receive the potion, to give them time to finish their work. There were some researchers in Sebérnekt Ris, and her old friend Fítoreckt, who was the Followers' leading alchemist in the northwestern part of the Duchy, who also would continue with the treatment.

After giving the matter some thought, Babáckt Yaga decided to add her student Danka Síluckt to the list. The girl had her faults, but those faults were the result of her having to come to terms with the conflict between her talent and the limitations she was facing. Of all the young people who had passed through the settlement over the years, Danka Síluckt showed the most potential, by far. With her gifted mind and hunger for learning, it made sense to give her some extra time to develop herself. Maybe...maybe Danka Síluckt could even take over the settlement some day. Even with the longevity potion, Babáckt Yaga wasn't getting any younger. She had been able to delay the inevitable, but death would come to her, potion or no potion. She had to think about a successor. Maybe the peasant girl was that person, the one who would guide the Followers into their uncertain future.

On the night of February 14, Danka ascended the ladder to receive her extra hours of instruction from her patron. As usual, she brought with her a kettle of boiling water, expecting to serve tea to the alchemist and to herself. Instead of the normal mint and herb mixture, Babáckt Yaga ordered the student to open a ceramic jar and remove two spoonfuls of blue powder. The concoction tasted bitter, but left a pleasant sensation that would last several days. After finishing their drink, Babáckt Yaga commented:

"The Realm of the Living is changing, Danka Síluckt. For many years I have pondered where our Path in Life is leading us, and I asked for a sign to illuminate the future. I did not request the illumination because I harbor any illusions that I can benefit by seeing what will be. I am old and my Path in Life will end shortly. I asked for illumination so I could understand in what direction to point those who will come after me. I received my answer last summer, with my failure to protect 'the Joy of the Ancients'. The Realm of the Living's connection to the Old World is fading, disappearing little by little. That process has been going on for many centuries, but I am convinced you will live to see its completion. The Ancients have decided to no longer speak to the Realm of the Living through the Followers. They will continue to speak, but it will be through others, not us."

"Do you have any idea who 'the others' might be, Babáckt Yaga?"

"Yes. You might think I am discouraged by the passing of the Old World, but really I am not. I think the Ancients will eventually speak through the Danubian Church, or through the Old Believers, to be more precise. Many Christians are looking at us...the people who represent the Old World, and are taking interest in what we have to say. They don't want our rituals, but they do want our knowledge. So, when the final Follower puts down his skull for the very last time, and the Blood of Life Nourishment flows no more, we will continue to contribute. The riddle is how to make that transition."

Danka pondered how to respond. At the moment she intensely disliked the Danubian Church. Now that she had experienced the relative freedom that came with living as a Pagan, she was disgusted by the restrictive lifestyle of the Christians, even if they were Old Believers. However, deep down she knew the real reason of her dislike of the Church stemmed from her memory of Bagatúrckt and his father's failure to control him. Did she really have the right to judge the entire Church based on a single traumatic event in her life? Her thoughts jumped to a strange question:

"Do you think that maybe...the Followers would join the Church?"

"Some already have. Two years ago I sent two young men to the Seminary in Starívktaki Móskt, and last year, just before my Path in Life crossed with yours, I sent a young woman to the Great Temple in Danúbikt Móskt. I will send another one of your companions to the Great Temple in the spring. So...we are trying to make the transition."

"You...are you telling me...that maybe I should study for the Christian Priesthood?"

"Not at all. You'd never make a good Christian. You have the heart of the Old World beating in your chest. But in your lifetime, you will experience the transformation that is coming among our people. You belong to the new era, but the Ancients will grant you a glimpse of the old. You must bear witness to everything you see and teach anyone who wishes to learn. You must remember everything the Ancients choose to show you and acquire the skills needed to serve the Duchy. However, your Path in Life is not to just stand around learning, watching, and remembering. You have the Power to heal. You, Danka Síluckt. Your Path in Life will be to fix what seems broken beyond repair; to restore what no man thinks can be restored. You will carry the knowledge of the Old World with you so you can re-build part of the new one. That is why I have started giving you the blue tea. I need to hold back the Profane One and buy you some extra time to learn as much as you can. When you have learned what you need to learn, you will leave this settlement and fulfill your Path in Life."

"Among the Christians?"

"Yes, among the Christians, but not as a Priestess."

"Babáckt Yaga...I don't want to live among the Christians. I'm really happier here. I like being a Follower."

"Who said anything about your happiness? It's not your Path in Life to seek happiness. As long as you pursue happiness, it will evade you."

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As long as I pursue happiness, it will evade me.

Yes, that was indeed the reality of Danka's life. She thought about those harsh words as she returned to the sleeping house. She made love to Káloyankt, before spending yet another sleepless night in his arms.

I'd be happy with this man. He loves me and would give me the life I always wanted. I really want to love him. I want to stay with him...and yet...I can't. I know I'll never love him, because the Ancients wouldn't allow it to happen. I know I could be happy with him, but it is not my Path in Life to be happy. Instead of bringing him joy, I'd be destined to bring the Destroyer into his life...to make him miserable.

Danka had only one consolation: she had no reason to break up with her lover for several more months. She'd have to wait until the summer, when they'd be sleeping in separate beds. Then she'd follow her Path in Life and disengage herself from a relationship that offered her the life she had so desperately sought just two years before.

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The days were getting longer. The sun came out occasionally, giving Babáckt Yaga's settlement a welcome break from the dreary mist and snowstorms of winter. Patches of bare ground appeared and the snow disappeared from the trees. The nights were still cold, but they were not so long, so heating became much less of a problem. Shortly the trails would start to clear and the Followers' isolation from the outside world would come to an end.

Whenever she had time, Danka continued her studies. By the early spring she became interested in learning what she could about religion and mythology. As a Follower, her first priority was understanding her own religious heritage. She became familiar with all of the stories of the Ancients and could recite them from memory. She was able to read and understand archaic Danubian, but was determined to master speaking it and writing it as well. She wanted that connection with the Old World, to know that had she lived thousands of years before, she would have had the skills to fit into the ancient culture.

She also became interested in the faiths of the modern world. She finished the studies she had started the previous year in Starívktaki Móskt by memorizing the texts of the Danubian Church, and fully understood the theological differences between True Believers and Old Believers. She examined the information that Babáckt Yaga had on other religions such as the faith of the Ottoman Empire, which the Danubians referred to as "the Followers of Mohammed". Danka began forming opinions on the various religions and assessed their strengths and weaknesses.

Danka even became interested in the mythology of non-Danubian people. She already was familiar with the Danubian Church texts including the Christian Bible, the Book of the Ancients, and the Book of the Correct Path, but now she had the opportunity to learn some more about Pagan times throughout Europe. She read Babáckt Yaga's translations of Norse sagas, Slavic folk-tales, and the mythology of the ancient Greeks. The Greek stories didn't impress her, because it seemed the Greek gods were nothing more than ordinary men gifted with extraordinary powers they didn't know how to use properly. But then...Danka did come across a mythical figure that caught her attention: the Hebrew demon Lilith.

Noting her student's intense interest in Lilith, Babáckt Yaga directed her attention to the sources and references she had available on that topic. The direct mention of Lilith in the Old Testament book of Isaiah was frustratingly brief, but there were other sources in Kabbalistic writings such as the Zohar that provided additional information. For a woman to have that level of cosmic power, to terrorize pious men and actively defy and confront the Christian God, made Lilith into an object of admiration and fantasy for Danka.

"That's what I want. To do what Lilith did. I want the power to terrorize the pious."

"That is not your Path in Life, Danka Síluckt. I know what you seek. You would seek pleasure through vengeance against those who dishonored you. And just how do you expect to do that? The man who most dishonored you is already dead. As for the others, you have no way of knowing whether they continue to live, or if they have already held up their mirrors before the Creator. You have no way of knowing. Since you fancy yourself following a being who defied the Roman God, then I will quote passage from the Roman Bible:

So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done? And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both. Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I said to myself, "This too is vanity." For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die! So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

"I recite this to you, Danka Síluckt, for a simple reason. Nearly two years have passed since you left Rika Héckt-nemát. What news have you received since your departure? How would you know if anything in that city remains as you remember it? How would you know if anyone there remembers you? And, whether or not anyone does remember you, what difference does it make?"

Danka wasn't sure how to respond. She thought about saying that she understood and would give up on her thoughts of revenge, but to do so would entail lying. She had learned never to lie to Babáckt Yaga. Finally the old woman broke the silence.

"You have done well, not to speak the deception that is in your heart. You ponder seeking power over the pious so you can seek revenge. I fear, eventually you will take action. I can see that very clearly. I cannot dissuade you: only you can dissuade yourself. However, remember my words...the day you act on your fantasies, your life as you know it will be ruined. Your Path in Life will change, and you will have to begin anew. Remember my words when that happens."

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Note 01: During my research I came across seven manuscripts that I believe were handwritten by Danka Síluckt. There are two journals in the medical school in Rika Héckt-nemát that are directly attributed to the founder Vesna Rogúskt-Orsktacktna. I also found two translations in the Church library in Sebérnekt Ris and three more translations in the Royal archives, that appear to have been written by the same hand. I had my theory verified by handwriting experts, who studied handwriting samples from all seven books and confirmed they were scripted by the same individual. The manuscripts show a clear progression in the author's penmanship, with the works in Rika Héckt-nemát being the most recent and with the best handwriting.

- Maritza Ortskt-Dukovna -

Note 02: The final known samples of "the Joy of the Ancients" (amanita danuvius-caeruleum) were harvested by scientists working at the university in Sebérnekt Ris in 1811. Along with six specimens of "the Joy of the Ancients", scientists collected many other fungi, including numerous samples of the highland green moon-cap (amanita danuvius-viridis), which is "the Joy of the Ancients'" closest living relative. Because of their appearance, the two species were mis-classified at the time and have yet to be re-named. In reality they are not closely related to any other species of mushroom. Both species grew and reproduced extremely slowly, but unlike its extinct relative, the highland green moon-cap has the good fortune to be poisonous and to not possess any medicinal value.

The last alleged sighting of a specimen of the "the Joy of the Ancients'" living in the wild was in 1820. It is hard to say whether the 1811 scientific expedition contributed to its extinction. I doubt it, because only six specimens were collected and amateur fortune-hunters were hunting for the mushrooms as well.

In 1935 the Danubian government ordered the transfer of the remaining dried specimens to the National Museum of Natural History for better preservation. More recently, the Danubian Ministry of Science sent the samples to geneticists in Germany to see if the plant's genetic code can be reconstructed. There are some DNA fragments that do not appear in any other plant, including the highland green moon-cap. It appears some genetic information has been permanently lost, even from the best-preserved specimens. Efforts to fully decode the genetic make-up of "the Joy of the Ancients" have proven unsuccessful.

It is hard to over-emphasize the tragic loss resulting from this extinction. I did not go into details in the main narrative, but prior to the late eighteenth century, the Followers of the Ancients conducted extensive research on various medicinal properties of "the Joy of the Ancients". The plant had other benefits to humans apart from longevity. For example, the Followers used a mixture of spores combined with ether to cure several severe cases of tuberculosis. One of Babáckt Yaga's journal entries also claimed one of her elders had been able to reverse cancer development. Unfortunately, the Followers' research was held back by the dwindling supply of dried mushrooms, which became completely unavailable after 1800.

- Maritza Ortskt-Dukovna -