The Vozhd

"There are different orders of illusion," said the Vozhd.

He sat on a stump by the fire, looking through the flames. His voice compelled the others to listen without turning toward him, lest the spell be broken.

"The first veil covers what is there", he said.

No one spoke. They watched the flames trying to see what he saw. It was as if the fire were speaking.

A blackened finger of burning birch cracked, sending sparks into the darkness.

"The second veil hides another veil," he said.

There was an invisible nod from those sitting in the dimness. They stared at the fire, ears reaching out for the next sentence.

"The third veil hides nothing," he said, "It is the true veil of veils."

Unseen faces turned toward him. He sat like a stone, gazing into tongues of red and yellow fire.

[E. A. Costa September 2013]