Chapter 11

“It is time.”  Aidan said. Samara woke Bryn and Yan. Zoe carefully awakened Jeremy.
“It is time to wake up, Love.”  She said softly. Jeremy smiled at her. His weariness had left him.
“We must leave the cave.” Bryn sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “What are we going to do about the body?”  She asked, yawning.
“El will take care of it.”  Samara spoke confidently. She led them to the Temple courtyard. They stood watching the huge fire. The Temple slaves were busily running around, trying to douse the flames, but it only seemed to make the flames grow higher.
El was there. No one saw where or when he came. He was just suddenly there. He stood between the fire and the Temple, the flames casting his shadow on the white wall. He stretched a hand toward the stone carving of the seeing eye and it was obliterated entirely.
“I call you forth, you who would be nameless.! It is time for us to end this.”  Many trembled in fear at his righteous anger. His voice thundered and shook the ground. For some, his voice was the most beautiful voice they had ever heard. For others, it was a terror.
Conchita trembled. She almost doubted, yet she was counted as one of El’s Chosen. She could feel the Nameless One urging her to go and get rid of the one that dared defy him. Conchita went to El, but not to destroy him. She ran to him and fell at his feet. She kissed his feet. Her tears washed his feet of their dust. El’s face took on a look of overwhelming tenderness. He bent down, and picked the former priestess up off  the ground. He gazed at her face with love. There was no revulsion in his face. He loved her.
“Your sins are forgiven.”  Conchita had never heard a more wonderful voice. “Go, my Love. Go and sin no more.”  He kissed her forehead. She clung to him for a little while, then released him so he could finish what he had begun.
“I challenge you, my nameless opponent.”  El cried out in a loud voice.  The Nameless One came, in a rush of foul wind and darkness. Many turned their faces away from the sight of such evil.
“What do you want with me?”  People cried out at the evil in his voice.
“I think you know.”  El’s voice rang out over the noise of the crowd. He stood tall beside the fire and beckoned the Nameless One forward.  With a hideous shriek of rage, the Nameless One accepted El’s challenge. He hurled himself at El and both were lost in the flames. Jeremy remembered the feel of those flames and he shuddered at their heat. He could not see the fight, but the sound of it was enough to curdle any man’s blood.
Zoe did not know how long she stood there, watching the flames, listening to the fighting crescendo. She wished it would end.  The sound of the fight died away. Bryn wondered dully if perhaps both had been swallowed up by the flames. There was a long stretch where the only sounds were the crackle of the fire and the restless breathing of the crowd. Aidan noticed that if he strained his eyes, he could see a lone figure coalescing out of the flames. Soon, he was not the only one who could see it. Every eye watched as El stepped from the fire. . .alone. THE VICTOR!
“Take every symbol, every violated accursed article, every item of worship from that Temple and throw it on the fire. We will be rid of the Nameless One and every reminder of his immorality. You will be free.”  Everyone rushed through the Temple, ridding it of the Nameless One’s hated touch. Everything was thrown on the fire. Gold, Silver and other  spoils were also thrown on that fire. No one cared to keep the tainted riches.
Conchita stood by the fire, weeping for joy, as she watched every reminder of her former life burn away on the pyre. She wept because she was now truly free. No one noticed that El had left them standing by the fire alone. They did not miss him. His presence was still there with them, even if his mortal body was not. There was a shout. Everyone turned to face the East. The Sun was rising. All the people rejoiced and basked in the glowing light. In the midst of the celebration, Zoe felt her first labour pain.
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Jeremy heard the cry of a newborn. Bryn stepped out of the bedroom. “You have a son!”  Tears ran down Jeremy’s face. 
“I have a son. I have a son!”  He rushed into the room where Zoe lay, tired but happy. She had a small bundle in her arms.
“Zakarij.”  Jeremy breathed. Jeremy climbed into bed beside his wife, where all three promptly fell asleep.  Yan walked into the room to offer his congratulations. He stopped next to Bryn. She turned to smile at him.
“Do you think we will ever have one of our own.”  She asked him.
“I hope so.” Yan smiled. At that moment he was happier than he had ever been in his whole life.
Conchita sat outside on the porch. She was wondering what was going to happen to her. Aidan came up and sat beside her. She smiled at him.
“You are to come live with me, at my house. Mother has decided.”  He said shortly and rather gruffly.
“Oh thank you.”  Conchita radiantly turned to Aidan and gave him a hug. Aidan turned red and strode off mumbling to himself.
“I am glad you are going to be my sister.”  Samara said.    “All I have are brothers. They can be nice to have around, but you do get sick of them after a while.”
Conchita laughed. Silently she thanked El for how he had taken care of her.  
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That night, everyone in the country gathered to watch the sun set. It was something that they had not seen in many years. Of all these people who watched, not a one of them forgot to thank El for his deliverance. They understood his great love.