KASHON// Lethos

Kashon

[The shouting, naked Prophet]

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   In the fifty seventh year of King Legandriel’s reign there was one who arose clambering against his lordship, a Kashon by name.  He followed the claims of the farmer Shay.   Kashon was the first prophet to arise in the Land of Eriduah.  His first three followers were: Dopot, Arune, and Lethos.  I, Arune have begun this book of the happenings of Kashon, because of the amazing things he said and did all of which I saw firsthand.

   I followed the desert-Wildman, as some called him, because his words were like no other I had heard before.  Dopot was with him since his boyhood days in the city of Uruk.  I came from Sinjar of the community near Sinjar hill, beside Orid’s oasis.  But, it was Lethos and his many questions that spurred on the fiery spirit of Kashon to burn even brighter causing our numbers to grow.

   In between knowing and not was the Seeker.  A tent maker named Lethos ventured south one day in hopes of finding better trade.  Stopping at the Oasis of Orid, between his city of Lindol and that of Mithar, Lethos met a stranger.

   He called to the stranger, "By all the gods and temples man, why are you sitting there with no clothes to wear?"

   The naked man answered, "The Vala were the created sons and daughters, not gods themselves!"  Standing up and showing his full height, the naked man's unkept beard covered his shoulders, chest and stomach.  He shouted, "There is only one God and Lindol has forsaken Him!  Illuva is that one and always!  Why, on the other hand are you naked to that fact?  All those crafted temples, made up of stone chambers, each holding its own deluded distraction like some hidden relic.  They are all lies pulling you away from The One!  Rather, dress yourself in the simplistic knowledge that no one can strip away your inner peace nor layer up joy like moth eaten robes.  Take hope that God shall send one who knows your very thoughts and is still willing to love you."

   Lethos was astonished by such candor.  He neglected his journey for a better trade and stayed there stripping off his clothes and freeing his stead as well.  Two others were there with him and at the end of the month they had become twenty.  They wore no clothes, sharing only the meat of wild boars killed in the night.  From their skins Lethos made tents.  They ate figs, dates and drank camel's milk as they shared what the Seeker began.

   One day the seeker marked each of them with a blue stripe down their foreheads and nose; this he did recalling the Spike of Shay.  He shouted over their heads, "Illuva has marked us as different, not because we are special but because others have chosen to be distracted.  They are chasing after a growing world eager to destroy it self.  They kill with words and swords, all those unwilling to bow; take heed to only love God and care for the poor."

  Then a follower asked, "Master, when shall we care for the poor, if we are here with you?"

   The seeker grew solemn, sat down, and whispered softly, as if to himself alone, "Only one shall do so, and singing all his days to become greater than me.  The others shall willingly birth the Baobab tree of Enosh with their blood.  Hear this truth; even now crows fly to the tower calling our fancy doom."

   The next day three richly clad figures rode up to the Oasis of Orid on horseback.  The envoy was most certainly from the Tower of Mithar and these three her boldest priest.  Without dismounting one said, “I am Cleso of the fifth House of Varlendur, and this Jesuth, and Saleno, Keeper of the Watcher’s Urn.  Pray tell we are looking for one called the Seeker of Orid.”

   Standing up and then walking backward to the three behind him, the bearded naked man shouted out, “It would do you well to pray.”  Standing behind their horses, causing the riders to turn about in their saddles, he added, “What crow flew your way to warn of such a prophet?”

   The second priest, Jesuth asked, “Are you a prophet?”

   Spilling camel’s milk over his beard that covered his shoulders and down to his stomach, the ruddy skinned man bellowed, “I am Kashon of Orid yelling to the deaf.  I am the first of many who shall surely come.  With each who follow me, louder voices shall you hear! Seven shall arise causing your ears to burn red with wrath.”

   At that the third priest, Saleno inquired with spite, “What words spoken by the likes of you would ever cause our Brotherhood’s attention or merit the King’s retribution?”

   Kashon answered with a laugh, “My words have already called you, and here you are.  You have just spoken what shall come to pass from your own mouth.  Crows, your third flight here shall surely water the Baobab tree of Enosh, and cause its growth.”

   With that the twenty, blue faced followers silently stood in one accord, without a given word to do so.  Smiling, Kashon added, “Each one who follows me shall have an even deeper word to share than mine.  Their cry shall be heard both in the Halls of Mount Ipstha and at the fall of your Tower!”

   “We have heard enough of this simpleton’s tripe.”  Saleno said, as the others also turned their horses to leave.

   At that Kashon yelled out, “YOU shall walk all the way!”  In that very moment the three horses collapsed dead beneath their struggling riders.  Kashon said, “Such are the likes of those who struggle beneath the spiritual burdens, and taxes you place on them.  Your followers are likewise crushed to death; by your smiling misdirection’s of false expectation, and outright lies.  Be gone, your fancy robes and rings have no power here!”

   With that they freed themselves and began walking toward Salvath and Mithar. A year went by before any bold priests were seen again.

   Lethos sat upon the ground, hands over his face and singing the word of Kashon.  As he rocked back and forth, the others simply stood with faces and arms raised skyward.  They were answering the tune of Lethos with praise to Illuva above. 

   Silently facing them all from the other bank of the oasis, Kashon groomed his massive beard, and then for the first time that Lethos had known him, the prophet dawned a white hooded-robe.  Hearing the approach of horses from behind, Kashon shouted as the others continued, “TODAY is the Baobab tree planted.  Now come those who would water it.”

   From the first time since he knew him, Lethos saw his dressed master walking forward to meet the Temple guards from Mithar.  The only one not dismounted of those twelve was the Elder-Lord High Priest Saleno

  

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   I am Blamon the second follower of the blind-singing Prophet Lethos.  He gave me the scroll first penned by Arune, and I have completed, adding to it from the personal account of Lethos himself.  Lethos had great foresight in spirit but it failed him on the physical plane.

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