The Last Pythagorean: Book 1 Read online

  The Last Pythagorean

  Book I

  L.C. MACIEL

  Attention!

  Dear Reader,

  This book has been fully translated by machine translation technology. Therefore, it is very possible that you find some language inconsistencies.

  I'm sorry about that and hope it doesn't get in the way of your reading. I would very much like to have the resources to pay for a human translator in future issues. Let's believe this will happen soon!

  For now, I count on your patience and understanding.

  Honestly,

  The author

  L.C.Maciel

  Summary

   Ceremony

   The Hidden Room

   Accident

   Siena

   Coincidence

   The Secret

   Lie

   Intuition

   The Hut

  Ceremony

  Ancient Greece, 529 B.C.

  I came in on the right side of the school as sunset met the night. The rosy sky on the horizon became less and less illuminated, giving way to the first bright spots that awaited the complete night. I was walking through the area where I used to neutralize my thoughts, when I noticed that Theano was on the spot.

  -Where was he? -She asked presumptuously. - Why did you stay out of school so long?

  - I'm coming back from the Oregon banquet.

  -Did you eat meat and drink wine at such a banquet?

  -You know I didn't. - I said, staring at the beautiful eyes- Or don't you trust me?

  Instead of answering, Theano set out for the center aisle, with naturally elegant slow steps. When she got close to the entrance columns, she turned and said:

  -I see you at the ceremony.

  The light-haired young woman always wandered around the school as if she were invisible, surprising me with her speculative questions. How could I go to a banquet and not get drunk on meat and wine? Foolish.

  I remained in the meditation area, admiring the dusk that was fading. My thoughts were on the near future, on the ceremony I waited for four years. The great night was coming and it was only the beginning of a new stage. I would become an inner member and soon discover the great secret that was shared only within the secret circle.

  -I will know. - The phrase echoed in the confines of my mind.

  I entered the great hall, and left in the eastern area of the school. Some outside students were in training with Attila when I approached him, asking:

  - Dear master, when you've finished, don't you want to simulate a duel between us?

  -With what young objective?

  -I will participate in the transition ceremony tonight. I would like to do one last training.

  I don't want to disappoint the masters.

  -By Zeus! How quickly time has passed, dear young man. You'll be an internal Pythagorean by now!

  Meet me in a quarter of an hour on the dueling field.

  -I'll be waiting for you.

  Attila, the master, was the only person who could put a little work into a simulation. None of the veterans had achieved the mental capacity I had. Among the newcomers only one stood out, and yet he was still an apprentice. I breathed deeply, trying to stabilize my mental frequency. I walked unhurriedly feeling the air entering my lungs and the oxygen relaxing my muscles.

  Although the field was five stadiums from where I was standing, it was unnecessary to be fast, as my skills saved me from having to walk or run long distances. When I was an apprentice, it took me about five hours to reach theta stage. I was exhausted and didn't have enough energy even for basic effects. After training hard every day, now, after four years, reaching the theta mental frequency, it was something so easy that I didn't take more than a few moments. As soon as I reached the frequency, I made a movement effect and migrated to the dueling field.

  The warm, dry climate of the Greek summer bothered me. One of the first things I would do was change the temperature and the landscape inside the camp. An earth effect would bring trees from other parts of the world, along with a slightly humid air to postpone my fatigue and conserve my base energy longer. When I was thinking about some dueling strategies, Attila suddenly appeared beside me.

  -Prepared young Aryon?

  -I know I'm always prepared. -I answered with conviction.

  At this moment Attila closed his eyes, performing one last concentration. Immediately I made a forest full of tall and robust trees appear. The air was now comfortably cold and soaked with green and pure oxygen. The master observed the new scenery, smiling with irony as if he already knew my initial strategies. My mind was preparing for the first effect of sensations when I was struck by a hallucination. Everything around me was spinning fast. I felt as if I were in a constant rotation and nothing could stop me. My vision couldn't distinguish colors, and I saw random figures circling in spiral motion, moving away and approaching at the same time.

  My feet wavered, trying to maintain balance in front of the imaginary figures that blinked without ceasing. I fought against the madness, but my mind seemed to weaken with each attempt.

  The hallucination was taking at least forty percent of my base energy. As I fell, I tried to get rid of the confusion and at the same time apply an effect with the energy I had left.

  When I felt my knees hitting the grass, I remembered the Sound Effects. Without much thought, I threw a sequence of disturbing buzzings that hit only Attila's ears. The extremely loud and strident sounds caused him a maddening agony that made him scream. And I was still on the ground, trying to recover some of my power reserve.

  Attila, in the midst of the affliction, had managed to apply an Elemental Fire Effect.

  In a thousandths of seconds my skin began to tingle and burn intensely. My hands turned red and sore burning blisters appeared spontaneously along my arms. The burning bothered me so much that it was useless to contain the moans. My body warmed up quickly when I managed to apply a counter-elementary. Now standing, I was taking advantage of the Elemental Water Effect to drown Attila. At the same time, I manipulated the effect in my favor, relieving my burns. Attila struggled as if fighting the waves of the Mediterranean. Her distressed expression clearly showed the difficulty to breathe and to draw breath. If I were dueling with another person I would feel obliged to undo the sensation and close everything. But I knew that Attila could get out of it, alone.

  When Attila was about to suffocate, I could see a load of sand coming towards us. A countless number of small grains formed a kind of mountain, almost a castle around it. It was an Elemental Effect of Earth annulling the Water Element and releasing it little by little. I closed my eyes concluding that my base energy was weakened due to the headache that was beginning to appear. The certainty that I would not win in this situation bothered me, so I began to think of a forbidden possibility.

  After drowning, Attila made the grains travel back to their place of origin. The mist of Levite sand gradually disappeared and materialized elsewhere. Before he could launch the next Effect I made an attempt, hidden, to transfer energy. If Attila knew what I was doing, I would run the risk of being punished or even expelled from the society to which I would belong that night.

  But there was no way he could find out. I always broke the basic law of dueling during the four years of training and they never suspected it. My hidden strategies, or transparent as I liked to call them, were never discovered.

  Without Attila realizing it, I quickly filtered out a fifth of the energy that belonged to him. More than that, it could cause distrust. I filtered only a small portion and made the transfer. I immediately felt invigorated. The stolen energy made me feel as if the duel hadn't even begun. When Attila
was about to release another elemental effect, I used my new energy to apply a Motion Effect. After levitating him, I threw his body violently against a tree. The sound of bones cracking was audible from where I was standing.

  He stood up impulsively applying a Chaos Effect. The mixture of various effects, including painful ones, provoked in me a mixture of terrible sensations. The absurd cold was relevant. I knocked my teeth out, feeling about to freeze as I suffered a sharp pain that attacked my ribs, as if someone was whipping them.

  It was difficult to keep my natural breathing, while my lungs were taken by an icy temperature that spread to the rest of my organs. My numb arms couldn't move and my head was throbbing. I levitated and plummeted brutally, falling to the ground several times. I made an effort to stop the chaos, but I was too weak. I used almost all my energy and applied an Effect of Pain to Attila.

  The piercing spasms ran through my adversary's entire body, causing him to involuntarily squirm. He was gradually losing his strength, and the chaotic sensations that so disturbed me were running out.

  I observed his attempts to free himself from the contractions and knew that without his full energy he would not succeed. A few more moments and he would ask to stop the effect. I would be the winner. While I celebrated in thought, I was taken by an irresistible relaxation. My body hanging back and forth, I felt an absurd need for deep sleep. Attila was better than I thought. He had used the partial energy he still possessed, and had applied an Antithesis Effect to me. I felt exactly the opposite of what he felt. While his muscles contracted intensely, mine relaxed to the point of making me sleepy. If I closed my eyes he would win.

  Although I was already lying on the grass, my eyes were still struggling to stay open, trying to resist the weight of my eyelids. I spent my meager energy trying to get rid of the antithesis, fearing it would run out. Attila was now free of contractions thanks to the same effect as in him, it only annulled the spasms.

  Now standing he kept his eyes fixed on mine, waiting for my eyelids to close. I tried to move, but the soft muscles did not obey my commands. My fight against sleep was in vain. My eyelids weighed beyond normal and I finally fell asleep. The dark woods were dematerialized by Attila. My mind was now plunged into deep sleep. I lay there, serene, as if nothing existed.

  When I awoke, the night had already fallen completely. The moonlight reigned absolute in the dark sky, showing its white glow. I had no idea how long it had been there.

  -The transition ceremony! - I remembered scared - By Zeus! I can't believe I slept that long.

  I suddenly got up, realizing that the camp was far from the school. After sleeping, it would be even easier to reach theta frequency and make a movement effect to migrate without having to walk. In an instant I was in the divergent corridor, which was an extension of three corridors from the school. The firelight illuminated the large rooms of the building. You could hear voices coming from the main courtyard. I walked in that direction to see if the ceremony had already begun.

  Several outside students were helping with the preparation. The torches of fire were placed respecting a figure drawn on a papyrus that was on the floor of the courtyard. The chairs were placed one by one, following a predetermined line that had been scratched with sand dust. There was a huge table where the masters would sit, and the place in the middle was reserved for Pythagoras.

  -They were just the preparations. - I concluded relieved.

  I needed to find Theano, and ask her about my transition vestments.

  I returned to the corridors attentive to the movements, observing all the rooms in the east and west area, including the library. When I had walked through most of the school, I noticed a group of students who would also become board members that night.

  -Do any of you know where Theano is?

  -He's looking for you at the dueling camp.-Demosthenes answered, who was already dressed for the ceremony, as were the others.-Why are you still wearing those Aryan robes? Don't you know that he should already be like us?

  -There's no need to remind me. - I answered indifferently.

  Without giving too much satisfaction, I transported myself to the dueling camp, disappearing before the eyes of Demosthenes and the others.

  Theano shouted my name in the darkness of the field.

  -Here! - The scream echoed in the vastness of the place.

  As soon as she recognized my voice, the young wife of Pythagoras ran towards me. Her long, blond hair swayed at a pleasant pace. I contemplated her body, full of curves, and the face of a goddess who displayed a rosy skin. As she approached, I noticed that she wore adornments for the transition ceremony.

  -by Zeus Aryon! Do you want to be expelled before you're an inner limb?! -She said breathlessly and reprehensively. - Get dressed quickly, so you don't miss the ceremony.

  -Thank you, Theano. -I said as I picked up the robes- -How did you know I was once on the dueling field?

  -I was aware of the simulation. I searched all over the school for you until I found Attila and asked him. How could you spend mental energy on the eve of the ceremony? As if that weren't enough, I fell into a deep sleep and almost lost the transition. Have you gone mad?

  -Sleep was the consequence of an Antithesis Effect. -Oh. -I said, feeling anger for having lost. As for the energy, don't worry. I know exactly how to recover it in a very short time. I won't let anyone down.

  -I hope you can impress Pythagoras. -Oh. -Her voice was almost a whisper. -Now I have to go, see you soon.

  She had barely finished saying those words when she disappeared. Before I changed my clothes, I transported myself to the coast in order to regain my vigour. The dark rocks witnessed my arrival, giving me the example of majesty that I should demonstrate in a few moments.

  I felt the sea breeze caressing my face as I undressed on the sand. The sound of the waves and the smell of the sea invigorated me and reminded me that soon I would be capable of anything.

  -All my plans could be put into practice.-I thought by hearing the wind.

  I walked towards the sea feeling the soft sand under my feet. I took a deep breath before diving into the salubrious, nocturnal waters of the Mediterranean.

  I felt totally energized as I submerged. The coming and going of the waves moved me at a harmonious pace, while I felt the pleasure of being enveloped by the warm summer water. I quickly returned to the surface for fear of missing the ceremony.

  The wet feet made marks on the sandy ground. I dried myself with the robes I was wearing, and put on the long linen tunic. I put on the same wide striped sandals that I always wore.

  -I'm ready.

  After looking once again at the immensity of the ocean and contemplating the night illuminated by the stars, I withdrew from the coast and went back to school. The ceremony would begin. All the students who would become board members were already organized in the courtyard. I followed them to the site and joined them. Everything was perfectly prepared for a night of transition.

  The torches of fire, when looked from above, formed a symmetrical pentagram. A table on the right was filled with food like at a banquet. There were succulent olives, plenty of wheat and barley. The large, showy loaves of bread stood next to a basket that overflowed with grapes.

  No meat or wine like everyone expected.

  The fire crackled when an outside young man announced the entry of the masters.

  All those sitting on the marble benches rose quickly. Five men dressed in long robes and cloaks came in observing the decoration of the courtyard.

  Pythagoras was the last. His appearance was that of a tall man in his forties at most, who wore a beard and maintained a constantly introspective expression.

  After the entrance, they positioned themselves on the table already reserved. First, the sturdiest of them, put himself at the table:

  -Good night, dear ones. I come to speak to you, young candidates for wisdom, about the essential ethics in the actions of a Pythagorean. As you well know when you become internal memb
ers, you must obey the oath, following all the ethical and moral principles established by the Pythagorean order.

  During the four years of initiation you know part of the wonders that can be done through the true knowledge of the reality that surrounds you. After submitting to the Pythagorean oath and abstaining from flesh and wine, the first secrets of the order were revealed with which you made extraordinary discoveries. It is not unnecessary, always repeat, that the power of the mind over any form of energy, must be used with caution. Now that they know the greatest human capacities, they must

  ...using them to prioritize ethics and Pythagorean morality...

  The speech went on for a boring period. All the essential concepts -kosmos, aritmos- and the old talk about purifying ascetic practices were recalled. Instead of concentrating on the boring monologue, I chose to contemplate the minute details of the organization of the torches.

  For each torch that stretched about two meters high, there were five very small torches around, which represented the five points of the pentagram. In the first year of initiation, we learned that the figure hid the number of gold, and so fascinated the Pythagoras and the other masters. Among the students there was also a mystical explanation for the star. Four points represented the four elements and the fifth represented the mind that has the ability to manipulate them. The pentagram had become the symbol of mental power over energy.

  While the philosophical discourse passed from one master to another, I looked at the shining fire that illuminated the ceremony and schematized again my first plans to have the secret equations in hand.

  -Soon. -I thought in silence.

  After the long speech, at last it was time for the demonstration of skills. The students were called one by one to position themselves in front of the masters' table.

  Ariston was the first. I watched carefully to see what he would do. After an absurdly long concentration to reach theta frequency, Ariston managed to get some breads and olives to levitate with a Motion Effect. Inevitably, I laughed inside.