venerable
[ ven-er-uh-buhl ]
adjective
- commanding respect because of great age or impressive dignity; worthy of veneration or reverence, as because of high office or noble character:
a venerable member of Congress.
- a title for someone proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church to have attained the first degree of sanctity or of an Anglican archdeacon.
- (of places, buildings, etc.) hallowed by religious, historic, or other lofty associations:
the venerable halls of the abbey.
- impressive or interesting because of age, antique appearance, etc.:
a venerable oak tree.
- extremely old or obsolete; ancient:
a venerable automobile.
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The novices entered the great hall. Most of them looked around at the resplendent room. The entire thing was a testament to the beauty of simplicity. Everything there looked simple and functional. But anyone with any real senses could tell it was anything but. The long carpet that lined the floor looked like it had been spun out of wool, but those who knew what it actually was could tell it was worth more than some cities. The wood the room was made out of was older than most nations. Even the candles that lit the place were worth more than most could make in a lifetime.
Most of the novices were looking at the place, admiring everything in it. One was focused on the two people in the center of the room. One was the Venerable Elder, and the other an attendant. An old man sat in a chair that, like the rest of the room, was simple in appearance only. He wore voluminous robes that concealed his form, white hair that was cut short, and a matching beard that nearly touched the floor.
The other was a small woman. She wore the robes of a servant and wore her dark hair in a tight bun. The novice thought she was quite pretty, but there was no chance he would voice such an opinion. Not here.
The old man looked over the assembled novices and his eyes narrowed. He glanced at the woman, who stepped forward a few steps.
“The Venerable Elder acknowledges the novices, and forgives your lack of manners as you do not know any better yet. This will, of course, be your first lesson when you start.”
The novices shuffled nervously. Had they done something wrong already? One of them looked closer at the two figures. There was something off about the situation, but he could not quite put his finger on what. Before he could, the old man spoke in a deep, booming voice.
“Be grateful, young ones. For I shall personally give you your first lesson. When entering the room of an Elder, the first and last thing you must do is bow to them. I trust none of you are so foolish as to not know how to do that.”
The novice focused on the words and suddenly, it dawned on him. He took a deep breath and cleared his mind. It was still not easy, and took a moment to do, but he focused on the flow of energy that permeated all things. He was only able to do so for less than a second, but in that short time he saw just what was happening, and what he needed to do.
All the novices bowed. Most did so to the old man on the chair. One bowed to the young woman at his side. This was immediately noticed by all. The other novices were confused. The old man and woman looked at each other. The man spoke.
“You there, novice. Why do you bow to her and not to me?”
“Because, sir, although you are an elder, she is the Venerable Elder.”
“Oh? And what makes you say this?” He asked.
“Forgive me, but I looked at you both with the true sight. Sir elder, your energy is strong, but not what someone as lofty as the Venerable Elder should be. But when I looked at madam, I saw nothing. A being with no energy at all. I know little of the ways of the world, but I know that only the dead should have no energy at all. Which means she is hiding it. The only reason for this that I can think of is that she is the true Venerable Elder testing us novices.”
The room was silent for a moment. Then a small sound came. The woman’s lips curled into a smile to match the small laugh that escaped her. That small laugh flowed into more.
“You see? I told you there would be one to figure it out.” She said joyfully.
The old man sighed and stood, leaving his chair. “Yes. Yes you did, Elder.”
He stepped to the side and the woman took him place. The other novices looked horrified that they had messed up, but the woman, the Venerable Elder, did not seem mad at all.
“Excellent work, young one. I shall be paying quite a bit of attention to your growth. I hope you continue to show the intelligence that you showed today. As for the rest of you, fear not. This was indeed a test, but there is no punishment for failing. It was simply a way for me to know which of you deserves to be watched more closely. Now then, I will say that my attendant did not lie. Your first lesson shall be given by the Venerable Elder, but it is not a lesson in basic manners. Instead, I shall teach you the most important lesson you will ever learn.
“Always be aware of what is really happening. And never make assumptions based on appearances.”
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Oh yeah, you know there's going to be some magic kung-fu stuff going on. I mean, come on, is there any other way this could go?
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