Chapter 5.
Guardians.
I will follow the teaching of Isarie and bow down to no other God before her.
I will not lay with another and taste the bitter fruit of sin.
I will stand beside the Holy Mother and protect her from all harm.
And should I break any laws of the Goddess may my soul burn forever in the Pit of
Marloon.
The Oath of the Thungodra.
Kalgar-Rune was the bravest of the Thungodra, his strong body bore innumerable wounds. Over the cycles his dark eyes had looked into the face of the Angel of Death many times. He was one of the few survivors who stood by Obec, the treacherous former Holy Mother when she betrayed the tribe in the war with the Talsonar. At that time he did not know of her plans to destroy all those who stood in her way regardless of their loyalty to the Goddess or the King. Even if he had known he would have still stood by her side for like all the holy warriors he had sworn a blood oath and would fulfill that vow even at the cost of his eternal soul.
Kalgar had been chosen at a very early age to become one of the dark warriors for he was brave and strong and followed the teachings of Isarie without question. Over the cycles he rose in the leadership of the Guardians and all looked up to him, and in return he fought by their sides and led them in prayers and his voice rose above the others in songs to the Gods.
It was not unusual to see the great warrior rise long before Sunbirth and walk away from the camp. He would sit in solitude and pray to the moons and the stars and ask them to forgive his many sins, and make him worthy to enter the Golden Hall of Isarie. Above all he wish to sit at the right hand of the Goddess and defend her against demons from the Pit of Marloon or the wrath of jealous rival Gods.
And to accomplish this feat he knew that he must keep himself strong and not fall victim to the ways of sin or the weakness of the flesh. So over his lifetime he trained with ax and dagger and never let the warmth of a woman’s body touch him.
He sat there under the clear sky and repeated the vow that he took so long ago.
“I will follow the teaching of Isarie and bow down to no other God before her.
I will not lay with another and taste the bitter fruit of sin.
I will stand beside the Holy Mother and protect her from all harm.
And should I break any laws of the Goddess may my soul burn forever in the Pit of Marloon”.
But on this night the words did not fill his heart as they should have, and he said the verses once again, but as he finished the oath again he still felt empty. Why do I not feel as I once did? He asked his mind and then he looked down on his hands, they were rough and bore many deep scars he had received in vicious battle. As he looked at them he remembered the many times that they were bathed in the blood of the enemies of the tribe.
I have protected my tribe and the Holy Mother, he thought, I have fulfilled my oath and when I die I will sit beside Isarie in the Golden Hall.
And he pictured himself in his gleaming armor and holding his war-ax in his hand and for a moment his heart felt glad, and then it suddenly grew heavy.
But will I stand alone?
He knew that there would be many other warriors with him but they had mates that would hold them and listen to them speak of gentler times and on long cold nights they would have a lover to keep them warm.
Nonsense!
Try as he might he could not drive the feeling that he would be without love for all eternity. He stood up and took up his war-ax and began to practice the moves of combat. There was no one better to learn the complex movements from than Kalgar-Rune, he was a master of the ax and might have stood his ground even against the King. Right, left, high and low he swung the powerful weapon, and with each move his heart beat faster and faster, soon the fighting madness was upon him and he would have cut down anyone that was foolish enough to come near him.
I will obey my oath, he screamed in his mind, I will not sin, I will not sin!
At last he let the madness depart and stood there taking in the clear air in great gulps, the sweat ran down his face in ringlets and his hands trembled. After a time he turned and began walking back to his lonely tent, as he did, a blot of lightening flashed in the night sky and he took this as an omen that the Gods did hear his prayer. He could not stop his mind from seeing himself holding a caring woman in his strong arms.
“OUCH!” Osh called out as the Touchtender applied a compress of soothing Rockworm juice to his burned hand, as the ointment began to work its magic his pain quickly ceased and he no longer felt so annoyed. “Well it seems that you do have some knowledge of healing after all,” he said reluctantly.
Now Alune had been a healer for many cycles, and over that time she had treated battle wounds and infections of all kinds, her knowledge of herbs and potions was unsurpassed and she never turned away from a person in need. Adding to all this was her skill with weapons for her father had been one of the best warriors of the Outlands and had trained her so that she could protect herself from danger. People of the tribe called her Tormor-Varuck, the steel maiden, this in its self was a jest, for she had been mated three times and it was said that her men were always reluctant to leave her bed. Even though she was showing her cycles she still possessed a certain attractiveness that brought a smile to the faces of many of the older warriors and the young as well.
“There now, you will be healed in a few days” Alune said as she adjusted the bandage on the old man’s hand. “ Do not hold a weapon for that time”. As the woman looked about the small tent, she saw no ax or dagger, only a writing desk and many rolled parchments. “They said you were not a warrior but some kind of Half-Soul teacher, is that correct?” she asked.
Osh had heard the name (Half-Soul) many times when people spoke about him or others like him, at first he was offended but over time he learned to ignore the derogatory comment. “I am a Callaxion, we interface with Trolacian computers and program advanced Data-coms”.
Hearing such gibberish only brought a smile to the face of the Touchtender, “I am sorry but I can only cure maladies of the flesh and not the mind”, she said as she rose from the bed where the old man lay and began gathering up her medicines. “I suggest that you pray for guidance and maybe Isarie will grant you wisdom and you will no longer speak like a Frail-Leg”.
Osh did not appreciate being called demented and he rose up from where he lay and shook a thin finger from his good hand at the healer. “I’ll have you know that I have received several commendations for my precise knowledge of Mind-lock inter-work coding and data filings!”
Alune placed her hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes, “I will pray for you” she said, then with a laugh she turned and left the tent.
The old man was about to go after her and tell her that she was an ignorant, un-enlightened annoying woman but then he remembered that he was no longer wearing any pants and he did not want to expose himself to even more ridicule.
The morning suns were rising fast and the Almadra had been preparing for their journey for some time. They fed the Whiptails and Trofars and began taking down their tents and loading their wagons, there was much to do and everyone lent a hand as they always did. The Elders prepared the morning meal, making sure it was hot and nourishing and would fortify them against the cold of the day. The warriors checked and re-checked their weapons and made sure that their armor was well oiled so that it would move with them and not become a hindrance in battle. Even the children had their tasks, they gathered up Eul and filled the water containers and made sure that nothing was left behind, not a sign of their being here would be tolerated for an enemy might use that knowledge against them. It was also a tradition of the Outlanders to leave things as they were and show respect for the land that sustained them.
Andra’s mind had been troubled all through the night but she did not speak of it to her mate because she was certain that he would not understand. Even now as they prepared to leave Yomar she could not bring herself to tell Arn ab
out what she had witnessed.
Why did they stop moving? She asked her mind, and afterwards they didn’t seem to know that something had happened to them. As she pondered this question she loaded up her Whiptail with all the necessities for travel, a water canteen, a bedroll, and a carry bag filled with a fire starter, food and other items for survival in the Outlands. These possessions would probably not be needed but it was a wise thing to be prepared for the unexpected.
And as she attached an extra dagger to her riding saddle the King came up behind her and without warning placed his strong arms around her waist, not realizing that it was her mate, her soldiers training took over and she swung her arm around and caught him on the side of his face.
Arn felt the blow and quickly withdrew his hands, “you are as quick as a meadow snake,” he said rubbing the side of his aching jaw.
“I’m sorry” Andra said holding up her hands, “You shouldn’t come up behind me like that”.
“You should have known it was me by my footfalls” the King replied. And he was indeed correct for any good warrior knows the sound of a friend from a foe, “Were you distracted?”
“Yes, I was, I was just thinking about the strange thing that happened yesterday at the ceremony”. “What strange thing?” he asked. Andra was about to answer when she saw the look in the eyes of her mate, it told her that he would not understand, “Forget it, it was nothing” she answered. Something did happen but what exactly I can’t say.
“You should not fill your mind with nothing” Arn said, “Emptiness is the domain of demons”. And the King moved to his mount and began loading it.
But the young girl’s mind still dwelled on what had happened and when her Whiptail was loaded she turned to her mate, “I’m going to see if Osh is ready to leave, I’ll be back soon”. And she began to walk towards the tent of her old companion.
As she moved away Arn’s face showed a smile, she is a good woman, and I am lucky to have her at my side.
But as he stood there a strange feeling began to rise up inside him, it was not something that could be easily spoken of for it was not hunger or fear or lust, it was more than that, a feeling of something to come, some shadow on the future, a feeling that he was not himself, he was?
Then in a flash the feeling vanished and he was once more standing beside his Whiptail and preparing to leave. A strange thing? He told his mind, but there is work to be done, and I am still King.
Andra had not been at the wagon of her old friend for some time; it was not because of some misunderstanding between them, but rather the feeling that came over her when she saw her daughter. A strange mixture of love and fear, love because she was her offspring but also apprehension at the young girls knowledge of things that should have been far beyond her. And the more she thought about it the more her mind became troubled so she drove them deep inside and found other more pleasant things to think about.
It was only a short time later when Andra found Osh’s wagon and to her surprise the old man’s tent was still up, he isn’t packed yet? And as she wondered why his Karrack was not loaded and the Trofar hitched up the old man emerged from his Rimar hide shelter.
“Hello old friend” she called out and in return the Callaxion raised his right hand to her.
“Welcome” he said.
It was then that the Selcarie girl saw the bandage around his fist and knew that something had gone terribly wrong. “What has happened to you?” she asked as they sat down on a carry box and she examined his injury.
“It was nothing” he said, “Just a slight miscalculation in gravity that’s all”.
It was hard to believe that a Callaxion could make a mistake in science but the proof was right in front of her. After checking to make sure that he had been cared for properly and a few comments on his wellbeing and other formalities she finally spoke of the real reason that she was paying him a visit. “Did you see anything unusual at the ceremony yesterday?” she asked.
“Yes, I did” he replied. “The Outlanders froze as if they had been caught in a static defense beam”. And he rose up and began to pour some hot tea into two silver cups for them to drink; “at first it looked like part of the ceremony, perhaps a gesture to their Gods that they were moved only by their hands. Not unlike the ritual on Brogorus prime were the inhabitants gather under a full moon and strip themselves so that they can….”
“Osh” Andra cut in.
“Yes?”
“Time is short,” the girl said.
The old man was about to correct her because he knew very definitely that time was infinite, then he realized what his old friend was really saying.
“Please forgive me” and he handed her a cup of warm tea, “The Nomads seemed to be in some kind of trance or nuro-shutdown and it only seemed to affect them. From this I surmise that it has something to do with their telepathic abilities and the connection to the planet”.
“You’re talking about the creature they call Isarie”, Andra took a sip of her tea, “and they don’t seem to be aware that something happened to them”.
“Of course not, from their point of view no time had passed”.
They both sat there for a few moments sipping their drink, and then Moonbud put down her cup and rose to her feet. “I better help you pack your things, were going soon”.
“Oh, don’t worry about that”, the old man said, “I can do what needs to be done” and he began fumbling with his belongings, but with only one good hand it was easy to see that it was going to be hopeless.
Seeing that he would not be able to load his wagon let alone handle the reins of his Trofar Andra put her hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes, “are all Callaxions so stubborn?”
Osh’s face showed a slight smile, “Yes, it’s part of our training”, then seeing that it would be a great error to continue with a hopeless task he sat down near his Washa.
“Perhaps I could use some help after all”.
“I’ll have the King send you someone” and Andra began walking away, but she had only gone a few steps when she stopped and looked at the Karrack where she knew her child sat out of the morning sun, and after a moment she walked to the wagon and climbed inside.
As before the vehicle was loaded with the old man’s vast collection of artifacts, things haven’t changed much, she thought, and then she saw the small figure sitting quietly in one corner. Niana wore only a thin robe about her small frame and although the morning was cold she did not feel the chill and sat as if she was under a warm sky.
“Do not worry, I am well” she said.
Andra had not spoken but she was about to ask her daughter how she was feeling, she knew what I was going to say, she thought, but not wanting to ask her how she had done this she spoke. “I’m sorry that I haven’t come to see you but I was…”
“It is alright,” the young girl spoke, “you do not wish to look at me because it reminds you that we are so different”.
The words the pale girl spoke were indeed true for Andra did find it hard looking into the blue eyes of her daughter and hearing her speak words so far beyond a girl of her age should be saying. Still she moved to her daughter’s side and sat down, she did not speak for a time then she turned and looked into the face of the young girl.
“Will we always be so apart?” she asked.
Niana smiled and took her mother’s hand in her own, “We are never apart, our bond is eternal, I see through your eyes and feel through your heart, we will always be together even if we are far apart”. Again, Andra did not speak but she put her arms around her daughter and held her close.
“I am your mother”, Moonbud said softly, “Like all mothers I sometimes don’t understand what goes on inside a daughter, but remember that I will always love you”.
The pale skinned girl looked into the warm eyes of the woman who held her close.
“You believed your mother loved you very much, and when you and she were parted it wounded your heart greatly”. Niana said, “And
I know that you feel guilty for leaving her and not being with her when she died”.
Hearing these words cut deep into Andra’s heart, “no, I never felt that way I just…”
The young girl put her hand to the face of her mother and the voice that came from her mouth was the voice of Andra’s mother.
“Don’t cry for me my child, live your life and remember”.
Hearing those words melted the heart of Moonbud and she laid her head on her daughter’s shoulder and wept.
“I love you,” she said softly.
“I love you as well”, replied the young girl. “And I will always love you no matter what may part us.” Moonbud heard the words of her daughter and strange though they were she did not speak and simply held her daughter in her arms.
When the morning came the tribe made themselves ready to travel, as always the tents were lowered and packed into the wagons, the Whiptails and Spikeback were fed and any sign that an Outlander had been there was wiped form the land, and as the last details were being arranged Osh’s wagon was far from being ready.
“Curse this hand” the old man called out as he fumbled with a woven basket, as hard as he tried it still pained him too much to use his injured arm. He knew that Niana was sitting inside their Karrack but he also knew that she never came out into the sunlight so any help from her would not be forth coming. He tried once more to lift the heavy basket but it fell from his grip and its contents spilled over the hard ground. “Artock!” he called out, then he sat down for he had never used the curse expression of the Nomads before, he knew several words in different languages from other Outer Rim worlds such as “Tromasic” a foul name from a seldom visited world called Brocalus, in translation it meant that you were a breeder with the woman who gave you birth, but Callaxions had no mothers so the word would not be used by the old man. Then there was a very unpleasant expression from Nicorran Four, “uropor-bus-jarko” but the translation is far too horrible to be uttered here.
“I must be getting old” Osh said shaking his head then started to get up to try and finish what he had started.
“You should not be doing that” a voice said.
Osh turned to see Alune standing there with a disapproving look on her wrinkled face, “I told you not to use that hand for a few days, but I guess a Half-Soul like you can never learn” and then she walked over to the elderly man and took the basket from his hand and began picking up the fallen items.
The old man looked at her, “What are you doing here?” he asked, “I didn’t ask for your help”
The Touchtender stood up and looked in square in the face, “No you did not, it was the King who commanded me to come here and I obey my leader”, and she once more began to load the basket, this made Osh very angry.
“I forbid you to help me, do you hear, forbid!”
This made the old woman laugh, “HA! Do you think that an old Frail-Leg like yourself can give me orders? Now sit down and let me do my work”.
The old man had never been so angry, his face turn red and he clenched his good hand into a fist, “Why you old, empty-headed, milk-dripper, I, I…..” and he was about to utter another foul word when he heard the signal horns blare and that meant that there was very little time before the tribe began their journey once more, “Very well” Osh said with clenched teeth, “You may help load the wagon but I shall do the driving and you shall sit and say nothing, do you understand?”
Hearing the Callaxions words made the old woman smiled, “I have heard everything you have said”. And picking up the last of the fallen items she loaded them into the Karrack and quickly did the same with all the other things lying about, and when the Trofar was hitched up and everything was ready she climbed into the driver’s seat and took the reins in her wrinkled hands.
“Are you coming” she said to the old man “Or are you going to stay here and let the Hagars use your hard head as a drinking cup?” Osh said nothing as his mind began reeling from the many things that he wished to say, but he held them in and sat himself in the seat next to the old witch, then the signal horns sounded once more and the tribe of the Almadra was on the move.
Nomads The Risen God Page 7