3166 - The effigies and the codices

N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Vicky Baklessi

The guide led the entire group inside the crypt. He waited for everyone to be on his side in order to begin the tour.
– We are now in the sole part preserved from the old citadel. As you can observe, it is here that the tombs of the ancient people are located. This is not in itself surprising because it was one of the habits of that era. However here, and I weigh my words, we have an exceptional configuration. Notice the quality of the creation. The effigies seem as though they are only asleep. The realism, mainly if we place ourselves in the context of the era, is pushed to its extreme.
He indicated to the group of visitors the five effigies and recommending for them not to touch anything.
– We don’t know nearly anything about them, except that they were disciples of the same master.

At that instant, he pointed at a sign on the left hand of each of the effigies.

-It is the stigma of the knight without armor.

He waited for a moment. He knew that his audience were holding their breath. But he changed on purpose the passage of the narrative.

-What is remarkable about these effigies is that none of them have their swords. They have as the only weapon nothing but a codex.

The group moved naturally to the direction of the effigies in order to observe this singularity.
-These codices for which we know only the title were considered as the sacred books of the era. The legend says that they had been saved from the barbarians by the intermediation of the five effigies that are in front of you. However since that era we know nothing more about their contents.

A child approached one of the effigies and touched the codex.

No, cried out the guide, you mustn’t.

The child removed its hand as quickly as possible. The past had touched the future. He who had not yet been born had touched death. In any case it was the thought that crossed the guide’s mind. The child’s parents took the little one away from the effigies and the guide continued on with his narrative.

– The knight without armor.
The whole group was startled when a terrible crash was heard right above the crypt. The guide didn’t have the time to retain them. The group rushed up the stairs forgetting to thank the guide for the tour. He was once again alone with the effigies, like the master he thought and he closed his eyes.