Liturgy of the Four Winds: Act III, Scene II

Ritual

Setting: The Obsidian Plinth. Wind velocity exceeds 60 knots. Props: Six silk ribbons, weighted with 2kg lead spheres. (The Aspirant enters stage left. He must maintain a low center of gravity. If the wind shifts to the north, he is to drop immediately to the floor to avoid being swept from the plateau.) ASPIRANT: (Speaking into the void) I am the anchor. I am the stone that remembers the breath. (The Aspirant performs Lunge A. He casts Ribbon 1 and 3 in a cross pattern. The ribbons must intersect at the precise center of the vortex to create a temporary vacuum. The tension on the silk must be absolute; a slack line will result in the ribbon whipping back and severing the caster's wrist.) ASPIRANT: Speak. Give me the syllable that breaks the storm. (The wind screams. The stage direction requires a sudden shift in weight to the right heel. The Aspirant pivots 180 degrees. He catches the wind in the arc of Ribbon 4, pulling it tight against his chest. He is now physically wrestling the atmosphere. He must resist the pull for precisely twelve seconds.) ASPIRANT: I hold the ghost of the gale. I bind the voice to the lead. (He performs the Final Lunge. Ribbons 2, 5, and 6 are cast in a triangular formation. This creates a pressure differential. The air is forced into a singular point of silence. The Aspirant reaches into the center of the triangle to capture the resonance.) (The scene concludes when the pressure stabilizes. If the vacuum does not collapse within three seconds, the performer must flee the stage to avoid asphyxiation.)