"Merai?"
Suleiha nodded. "Yes. That's where the boy, Enderi, comes from. It wasn't the accent, or even the colour of his skin that gave it away. It was the way he looked at people, as if he was looking directly into them."
Jannis leant back on his palms. "What do you mean?"
Suleiha stood, brushing down his cloak. "We only have rumours of Merai. Enderi wasn't the first, but several people, as pale as ghosts, have come through this forest. None were as young as him, many large, imposing figures, but all had that characteristic. They were almost silent, choosing only to speak when they needed to. When I first met the child I assumed his muteness was simply nervousness, but that gaze... I've seen it before, as a child and as a young adult, many years ago."
Suleiha opened the flap in the tent, and Jannis stood.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to the top of the monolith. There are some documents I need to look through."
Jannis followed him out of the tent, and moved into pace next to him. "Wait, what were the rumours of Merai?"
Suleiha chuckled. "In my rooms atop the monolith, I have some old documents, handed down amongst the scholars in our tribe. Several talk of Merai, and the people that came from there."
They approached the monoliths, and climbed the steps into the tallest. The people passing bowed their heads in respect, and Suleiha would smile, and give a reciprocal nod.
"That's strange," Jannis said, as they walked towards the stairs, "I've never heard any of the elders talking about these people."
"That's because they did what we did, two days ago." Suleiha said quietly, as a family filed past them, "They kept them away from the tribe. Gave them the information they sought, quietly in the forests, away from prying eyes."
"But-"
"No more questions." Suleiha warned, as they began climbing, "Not until we are in my rooms."
They climbed in silence, Suleiha smiling and nodding to the people they passed on the stairs, occasionally stopping to exchange pleasantries with the monoliths residents. Jannis kept a thin smile painted on his face as he assumed a guard's stance behind him, but as he watched the regal, kind old man, chatting amicably with his neighbours, kneeling down to pat children, a small part of him felt uneasy. It was the first time he had encountered this sort of secrecy since being appointed to the Elder's personal guard, and it felt uncomfortable in his chest.
The crowds were suddenly gone as they reached the penultimate floor; there were no guards, or gates keeping the people away from Suleiha's rooms. It was a mutual sign of respect, that there was nothing needed to separate the Elder from his people, It was the first time Jannis had noticed this, and it gave him another twang of indecisiveness.
Suleiha made his way through the lavish rooms, filled with fur-lined rugs and intricate wooden carvings, posted on stout wooden shelves. Each room had chairs, facing windows, arranged in a circle around wooden tables and deep, cushioned chairs, surround by piles of papers. He came to a windowless alcove, hidden in darkness. Thick, dark clay shelves separated piles upon piles of yellowing documents, long scrawling lettering covering the loose bound pages.
Jannis picked one of the books up. The title read 'Bestiary of the Known Species by Suleiha'.
"You wrote this?"
Suleiha glanced over. "I did. Before I became the next Elder, I was a travelling scholar."
As Suleiha looked through the books, Jannis picked up another. it was much shorter, and tightly bound with strips of leather. The title read 'Starherder by VF Holloway'.
"What's this?"
Suleiha looked over. "Oh, that. It's nothing, a old folk tale from far to the south, sold to Harian by some drunkard. My predecessor was fond of tall stories, but I've never been a fan."
He paused, before reaching behind a tall stack of loose papers.
"Here."
Jannis followed him out of the room, and towards his study. The room was small, but organised neatly. A single, tall chair was pulled up to a large oaken desk, with neatly arranged piles of paper around its surface. Suleiha opened the large book, it's pages more yellowed and stiff with age than the others Jannis had seen, and began reading. Jannis glanced over his shoulder, but the writing was too small and faded for him to read from a distance.
The light was beginning to fade outside the window when Suleiha made a noise of surprise. Jannis, half asleep in one of the chairs jumped slightly, blinking.
"What is it?"
"The events are largely random. The rumoured Ghosts of Merai, as they're called, only seem to appear sparsely, and not much focus is given to them. They aren't the only strange visitors to these forests, but every time they come into contact with our tribe the Elders were asked the location of certain sites."
Jannis rubbed his eyes, and yawned, "What? They were hunting game, or foraging for something?"
"They were foraging. But not for plants; Many of these sites were known for sinkholes in the ground, areas leading to large cave complexes, or seams of rock in sheer cliff faces."
"That seems strange."
Suleiha leant back in his chair. "No. I can only imagine they were looking for easy access to the underground. Perhaps something buried in the earth."
"Were they mining?"
"One of the Ghosts asked for a guide. An escort in and out of the Merada Caves, in the north east. He tracked a silvery substance in the rock, before leaving without taking a thing."
Suleiha closed the book, and stood.
Jannis jumped to his feet. "Manda said something to me, before she left. The boy, Enderi, had been talking about the spaceship, but Manda was sure, the only thing in that area was a lump of ore that had risen to the surface."
"Then perhaps they are both the same thing."
They stood in silence for a few seconds, before Jannis grunted, and crossed his arms. "We'll have to ask Manda about what she discovers there."
"We will. But first," Suleiha opened the door to his chambers, and indicated for Jannis to exit before him, "We have the communal dinner, and I have the blessing ceremony to perform. And, after that..."
"What?" Jannis said, as they both began to descend the stairs.
"Enderi told us what the It in Windswept Valley was."
Jannis glanced at him, and laughed quietly. "You can't mean..."
"I do. We've been unable to move around the Valley for many years, after the mysterious deaths. If Enderi was right, the grasses may just be housing a hive of lizards. The only species I can think of that could, and would, hunt humans are Komodans, living in a cave complex nearby. Or Komadali, entering the valley from the south, where the deserts meet the grass. Both are dangerous, but can be dealt with."
"I can't hunt something I can't see." Jannis said.
"No, that's why you'll be taking a group of hunters to stalk these lizards, and learn what you can about them. We'll discuss more after the dinner."
Manda hopped down from the rock, and stared into the distance. They had been moving south since late morning, and as the sun rose to the centre of the sky the rapids were beginning to widen, small trickling streams acting as estuaries widening and deepening the white surge of water. In the distance, the huge crashing was getting slowly louder as they approached the huge waterfall, careering of the edge into the wastelands below.
Manda wiped her eyes, the fatigue hanging like weights from her limbs. The events with the Wolf the night before, she could handle; it wasn't the first scuffle she had had in the forest, and it wouldn't be her last. But, as Junipa and Enderi had fallen asleep in the early hours before dawn, Manda had been unable to. She had poked at the waning fire until the sun rose, a multitude of questions rolling around her head.
The more Enderi had talked about his sparse memories, the more frightened and excited she had become. Huge halls of white stone, broken up by tiny, tended gardens. Enderi may have been originally overwhelmed by the massive forests, and their huge, wild inhabitants but Manda couldn't even picture the places that Enderi described. Not a monolith, or even several, but huge, complicated structures; massive halls, decorated with stone of all colours. Special tended grasses, not of greens but reds, blues and bright yellows and whites, arranged in patterns. It was too much, too much for her to comprehend, but each time she had tried to lie down and close her eyes her mind still fought to piece together the incredible things he had talked about.
Manda glanced behind her. Junipa climbed over a fallen log, and helped Enderi to clamber over behind her.
She would never have believed such a ridiculous story, if she hadn't seen him rip the earth open and swallow the Wolf. But when she'd asked about it, Enderi had fallen silent. He had gushed about Merai, all it's wondrous rooms, hallways and gardens, but he said very little about what he had done.
"You called it a Pulse." Manda said, leaning forwards.
"Everyone who learns at Merai can use them," he had said quietly, poking at the fire, "we can... do special things."
Manda had leant forwards. "Like what?"
Enderi shrugged. "Pick up water, without using our hands. Start fires by pointing."
Junipa swallowed. "But, what was that... what did you do to that wolf?"
"Its a big spell. There aren't many big spells, but they're all named after the Sixteen,"
"The Sixteen... the sixteen Tribal Gods?" Junipa whispered. "Is that why you called it a Tribal God Spell?"
Enderi nodded. "I know a lot of them, but my master told me not to use them, only if I was in great danger."
Manda crossed her arms, "Well, I think tonight counts. Your master would probably understand that."
But after that, Enderi had made a face, and dropped his stick in the fire. He quietly said goodnight, and curled up next to Junipa without saying anything else.
Manda glanced up at the midday sun, shielding her eyes, before looking back to Junipa and Enderi.
"How much farther, do you think?"
Junipa scratched her head, "We're nearly at the upright Immortalisa Oak. we should start heading west, once it's directly on our right. The spaceship crash site by the roots of the Oak, we'll be able to see it."
Manda hesitated, before nodding. "Okay. A few hundred metres, and we'll find a break in the forest."
Junipa chuckled.
"What?"
"It's nothing, it's just... you didn't correct me. You've always corrected me, and called it an ore deposit."
Manda glanced at Enderi. She had wanted to, but after everything she had seen in the night, everything she had heard Enderi talking about, her cynicism was waning.
"I don't know what we're going to find there." she said quietly.
Suleiha nodded. "Yes. That's where the boy, Enderi, comes from. It wasn't the accent, or even the colour of his skin that gave it away. It was the way he looked at people, as if he was looking directly into them."
Jannis leant back on his palms. "What do you mean?"
Suleiha stood, brushing down his cloak. "We only have rumours of Merai. Enderi wasn't the first, but several people, as pale as ghosts, have come through this forest. None were as young as him, many large, imposing figures, but all had that characteristic. They were almost silent, choosing only to speak when they needed to. When I first met the child I assumed his muteness was simply nervousness, but that gaze... I've seen it before, as a child and as a young adult, many years ago."
Suleiha opened the flap in the tent, and Jannis stood.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to the top of the monolith. There are some documents I need to look through."
Jannis followed him out of the tent, and moved into pace next to him. "Wait, what were the rumours of Merai?"
Suleiha chuckled. "In my rooms atop the monolith, I have some old documents, handed down amongst the scholars in our tribe. Several talk of Merai, and the people that came from there."
They approached the monoliths, and climbed the steps into the tallest. The people passing bowed their heads in respect, and Suleiha would smile, and give a reciprocal nod.
"That's strange," Jannis said, as they walked towards the stairs, "I've never heard any of the elders talking about these people."
"That's because they did what we did, two days ago." Suleiha said quietly, as a family filed past them, "They kept them away from the tribe. Gave them the information they sought, quietly in the forests, away from prying eyes."
"But-"
"No more questions." Suleiha warned, as they began climbing, "Not until we are in my rooms."
They climbed in silence, Suleiha smiling and nodding to the people they passed on the stairs, occasionally stopping to exchange pleasantries with the monoliths residents. Jannis kept a thin smile painted on his face as he assumed a guard's stance behind him, but as he watched the regal, kind old man, chatting amicably with his neighbours, kneeling down to pat children, a small part of him felt uneasy. It was the first time he had encountered this sort of secrecy since being appointed to the Elder's personal guard, and it felt uncomfortable in his chest.
The crowds were suddenly gone as they reached the penultimate floor; there were no guards, or gates keeping the people away from Suleiha's rooms. It was a mutual sign of respect, that there was nothing needed to separate the Elder from his people, It was the first time Jannis had noticed this, and it gave him another twang of indecisiveness.
Suleiha made his way through the lavish rooms, filled with fur-lined rugs and intricate wooden carvings, posted on stout wooden shelves. Each room had chairs, facing windows, arranged in a circle around wooden tables and deep, cushioned chairs, surround by piles of papers. He came to a windowless alcove, hidden in darkness. Thick, dark clay shelves separated piles upon piles of yellowing documents, long scrawling lettering covering the loose bound pages.
Jannis picked one of the books up. The title read 'Bestiary of the Known Species by Suleiha'.
"You wrote this?"
Suleiha glanced over. "I did. Before I became the next Elder, I was a travelling scholar."
As Suleiha looked through the books, Jannis picked up another. it was much shorter, and tightly bound with strips of leather. The title read 'Starherder by VF Holloway'.
"What's this?"
Suleiha looked over. "Oh, that. It's nothing, a old folk tale from far to the south, sold to Harian by some drunkard. My predecessor was fond of tall stories, but I've never been a fan."
He paused, before reaching behind a tall stack of loose papers.
"Here."
Jannis followed him out of the room, and towards his study. The room was small, but organised neatly. A single, tall chair was pulled up to a large oaken desk, with neatly arranged piles of paper around its surface. Suleiha opened the large book, it's pages more yellowed and stiff with age than the others Jannis had seen, and began reading. Jannis glanced over his shoulder, but the writing was too small and faded for him to read from a distance.
The light was beginning to fade outside the window when Suleiha made a noise of surprise. Jannis, half asleep in one of the chairs jumped slightly, blinking.
"What is it?"
"The events are largely random. The rumoured Ghosts of Merai, as they're called, only seem to appear sparsely, and not much focus is given to them. They aren't the only strange visitors to these forests, but every time they come into contact with our tribe the Elders were asked the location of certain sites."
Jannis rubbed his eyes, and yawned, "What? They were hunting game, or foraging for something?"
"They were foraging. But not for plants; Many of these sites were known for sinkholes in the ground, areas leading to large cave complexes, or seams of rock in sheer cliff faces."
"That seems strange."
Suleiha leant back in his chair. "No. I can only imagine they were looking for easy access to the underground. Perhaps something buried in the earth."
"Were they mining?"
"One of the Ghosts asked for a guide. An escort in and out of the Merada Caves, in the north east. He tracked a silvery substance in the rock, before leaving without taking a thing."
Suleiha closed the book, and stood.
Jannis jumped to his feet. "Manda said something to me, before she left. The boy, Enderi, had been talking about the spaceship, but Manda was sure, the only thing in that area was a lump of ore that had risen to the surface."
"Then perhaps they are both the same thing."
They stood in silence for a few seconds, before Jannis grunted, and crossed his arms. "We'll have to ask Manda about what she discovers there."
"We will. But first," Suleiha opened the door to his chambers, and indicated for Jannis to exit before him, "We have the communal dinner, and I have the blessing ceremony to perform. And, after that..."
"What?" Jannis said, as they both began to descend the stairs.
"Enderi told us what the It in Windswept Valley was."
Jannis glanced at him, and laughed quietly. "You can't mean..."
"I do. We've been unable to move around the Valley for many years, after the mysterious deaths. If Enderi was right, the grasses may just be housing a hive of lizards. The only species I can think of that could, and would, hunt humans are Komodans, living in a cave complex nearby. Or Komadali, entering the valley from the south, where the deserts meet the grass. Both are dangerous, but can be dealt with."
"I can't hunt something I can't see." Jannis said.
"No, that's why you'll be taking a group of hunters to stalk these lizards, and learn what you can about them. We'll discuss more after the dinner."
***
Manda hopped down from the rock, and stared into the distance. They had been moving south since late morning, and as the sun rose to the centre of the sky the rapids were beginning to widen, small trickling streams acting as estuaries widening and deepening the white surge of water. In the distance, the huge crashing was getting slowly louder as they approached the huge waterfall, careering of the edge into the wastelands below.
Manda wiped her eyes, the fatigue hanging like weights from her limbs. The events with the Wolf the night before, she could handle; it wasn't the first scuffle she had had in the forest, and it wouldn't be her last. But, as Junipa and Enderi had fallen asleep in the early hours before dawn, Manda had been unable to. She had poked at the waning fire until the sun rose, a multitude of questions rolling around her head.
The more Enderi had talked about his sparse memories, the more frightened and excited she had become. Huge halls of white stone, broken up by tiny, tended gardens. Enderi may have been originally overwhelmed by the massive forests, and their huge, wild inhabitants but Manda couldn't even picture the places that Enderi described. Not a monolith, or even several, but huge, complicated structures; massive halls, decorated with stone of all colours. Special tended grasses, not of greens but reds, blues and bright yellows and whites, arranged in patterns. It was too much, too much for her to comprehend, but each time she had tried to lie down and close her eyes her mind still fought to piece together the incredible things he had talked about.
Manda glanced behind her. Junipa climbed over a fallen log, and helped Enderi to clamber over behind her.
She would never have believed such a ridiculous story, if she hadn't seen him rip the earth open and swallow the Wolf. But when she'd asked about it, Enderi had fallen silent. He had gushed about Merai, all it's wondrous rooms, hallways and gardens, but he said very little about what he had done.
"You called it a Pulse." Manda said, leaning forwards.
"Everyone who learns at Merai can use them," he had said quietly, poking at the fire, "we can... do special things."
Manda had leant forwards. "Like what?"
Enderi shrugged. "Pick up water, without using our hands. Start fires by pointing."
Junipa swallowed. "But, what was that... what did you do to that wolf?"
"Its a big spell. There aren't many big spells, but they're all named after the Sixteen,"
"The Sixteen... the sixteen Tribal Gods?" Junipa whispered. "Is that why you called it a Tribal God Spell?"
Enderi nodded. "I know a lot of them, but my master told me not to use them, only if I was in great danger."
Manda crossed her arms, "Well, I think tonight counts. Your master would probably understand that."
But after that, Enderi had made a face, and dropped his stick in the fire. He quietly said goodnight, and curled up next to Junipa without saying anything else.
Manda glanced up at the midday sun, shielding her eyes, before looking back to Junipa and Enderi.
"How much farther, do you think?"
Junipa scratched her head, "We're nearly at the upright Immortalisa Oak. we should start heading west, once it's directly on our right. The spaceship crash site by the roots of the Oak, we'll be able to see it."
Manda hesitated, before nodding. "Okay. A few hundred metres, and we'll find a break in the forest."
Junipa chuckled.
"What?"
"It's nothing, it's just... you didn't correct me. You've always corrected me, and called it an ore deposit."
Manda glanced at Enderi. She had wanted to, but after everything she had seen in the night, everything she had heard Enderi talking about, her cynicism was waning.
"I don't know what we're going to find there." she said quietly.
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