Guardian of the Darkness

by Nahoko Uehashi

  Balsa, embarrassed, rubbed the back of her neck. “Really? Did I do that?”

  “You sure did. I was very sad when I heard that you’d died, and very surprised when I got Toto the Elder’s message. They had to repeat it for me twice! When I knew you really were alive, well, I just had to meet you again, so I volunteered for this job.”

  Kassa was grinning, and Balsa laughed and shrugged.

  As they rode Sootee Lan smoothly through the dark caves, the Herder, whose name was Nono, continued to regale Balsa with detailed stories of things she barely remembered. It was odd to think that someone still recalled the time when she had been Karuna’s daughter. To relieve the monotony and fatigue of the journey, she responded to his questions about her life after she fled with Jiguro. The memories came flooding back with remarkable clarity: the hard days of hiding; the pleasures of her friendships with Tanda and Torogai; her work as an itinerant bodyguard. She told them about her adventures with Chagum, the Guardian of the Spirit, and Nono and Kassa listened as if it were some ancient and fascinating legend. But at one point, Nono interrupted her.

  “Nayugu?” he murmured. “You said it’s another world, usually invisible to us, but laid over and linked with this one? That sounds like Noyook.”

  “Noyook?”

  “Yes. We too know of this other world. And we call it Noyook.” He twisted his head to look back at Balsa. “If you see the door open in the Mountain Deep, you’ll get a glimpse of it. The palace of the Mountain King is usually invisible, because it’s in Noyook.”

  Balsa smiled wryly. Nono looked puzzled. “What?” he asked.

  “Nothing. It’s just that up until now, in my work as a bodyguard, I’ve mostly dealt with problems like fighting between rich merchants. But lately, I keep running into this mysterious world! It’s strange stuff for someone who knows nothing about magic weaving.”

  The familiar, carefree face of her friend Tanda came to her mind. He would love to take a trip like this, as he always longed to learn more about the strange and extraordinary. Balsa was not really interested in an invisible world regardless of what it was called, but Tanda would be thrilled if she told him that in Kanbal it was called Noyook.

  To Balsa, deep under the rock of the mother range, Tanda’s hut in the forested mountains of New Yogo seemed very far away. Since the day she and Jiguro had first found their way there when she was ten, they had always returned to that house, no matter where they traveled. It was the closest thing to home that she knew. She pictured the slanting rays of the sun falling across the hearth. Will I ever sit by that fire again and share some stew with Tanda? When she thought about what lay ahead of her, this did not seem possible.

  If I die at the ceremony … He would probably still wait for her by that same hearth, without ever knowing what had happened to her.

  She took a deep breath and shook her head. It can’t be helped. Magic weavers can see spirits, right, Tanda? If I die, I’ll come back to you as a spirit.

  Soon, four days had passed since their departure from Musa territory. The Herder People had been careful to stop when it was night in the outside world so Balsa and Kassa could keep to their sleeping patterns. Their guides from each clan were very kind, but still Kassa and Balsa talked less and less as they drew closer to the ceremony chamber.

  On the night of the fourth day, two Herders from the king’s territory met them when they stopped. One was quite old and the other young. “From here, we’ll walk,” they said. Balsa and Kassa thanked Sootee Lan and bid him farewell.

  Before they had gone far, they came to a cave shaped like a small plaza. Unlike the other caves they had been through, there was no sign of life, and the space was filled with silence. While she sensed no living creatures, Balsa was overcome by a strange sensation. It seemed as if the very air was watching them.

  The Herders stopped, and the older one pointed to a window-sized hole on the far side of the cave. “That hole leads to the ceremony chamber. Go and take a look.”

  They did as they were told, placing both hands on the edge to peer inside. Just a few steps lower down, they saw a bright space enveloped in a hazy, pearly light.

  “Tomorrow at dawn, the king, his Spears, and their attendants will descend into the ceremony chamber.”

  “What’s that light?” Kassa asked.

  “The walls of the chamber are alive,” the old man said in a hushed voice. “When the day of the ceremony draws near, it begins to glow like this. By that light, the King’s Spears compete with each other. When the chosen one summons the hyohlu, the light will vanish and complete Darkness will fall.”

  He looked at Balsa. “You’re Jiguro’s foster child, I hear.”

  “Yes.”

  “Thirty-five years ago, I watched from this hole as Jiguro fought. He was unparalleled.”

  Balsa nodded. He shifted his eyes to Kassa. “Do you have the letter from Laloog Yonsa?”

  Kassa pulled a goatskin scroll from inside his shirt. The string tying it was sealed with wax that bore Laloog’s seal.

  “Good. Listen then. You’ll have only one chance to show that scroll. If you reveal yourself before the spear fight begins, the king will think you’re interfering, his men will attack you, and you’ll have no chance to escape. But if you wait until after the chosen one summons the hyohlu, you’ll be in pitch darkness and unable to read the letter.

  “The only chance you have to address the warriors and the king is after the chosen one announces himself, but before he summons the hyohlu — a very brief moment in time. Once the Dancer is chosen, all the other warriors must place their spears on the ground. If you speak at that moment, you’ll still have a chance to escape, no matter what happens afterward. Even if the men plan to storm the Mountain King’s palace, they must obey the rules of the ceremony until the hyohlu opens the Last Door. Do you understand what you must do?”

  Trembling, Kassa clutched the scroll and nodded. The old man smiled for the first time. “Good. You will sleep here tonight. Even if you can’t sleep, it will help just to close your eyes and rest. We’ll make sure to wake you up before the king and his men arrive.”

  Setting down a bag of dried grasses and goatskins that he had been carrying, the young Herder quickly made up their beds. Kassa crawled inside but could not sleep. The words he must call out to the warriors kept spinning through his mind, keeping him awake. There seemed to be a cold board in his stomach, and light flashed behind his eyelids at every little sound.

  He tossed and turned until Balsa laid her warm hand gently on his shoulder. Slowly and quietly she rubbed his back, and he felt himself relax a little.

  The silence underground seeped inside him, and before he knew it, he was asleep.

  At daybreak, a strange sound flowed out of the cave behind the castle and climbed high into the sky. The people called it the Mountain King’s Flute. It signaled that the time for the ceremony had come.

  Five hundred soldiers were already assembled in front of the cave, standing in files and bearing spears and torches. The king of Kanbal, robed in ceremonial white, passed down the center, between the rows of men. After him came his Spears and their attendants, each with their clan crest embroidered on their chests.

  The cave was a huge, gaping fissure where the thunder god, Yoram, was said to have split the towering crag with his bare hand. It was snowing thick and fast, and the sky was dim, despite the dawn. In the snow, the priests quietly performed the rites that would transfer the power of the thunder god to the king and his Spears.

  Kahm, breathing white clouds of steam, watched his uncle Yuguro’s powerful, hawklike profile. He could discern no trace of either nervousness or excitement. In this world of gray and white, with the flickering flames of the torches dimmed by the powdery snow, everything seemed dreamlike, unreal. Only the dark mouth of the cave stood out starkly against the looming shadow of the cliff.

  Yuguro felt the power of the five hundred men behind him. When they poured into the Mountain Deep, he expected that
most of them would die. The royal family might curse him for squandering Kanbal’s best fighting men, but they could not stop him. He controlled the clan armies down to the last man, for he himself had mentored and trained the elite warriors who led them. Although the king’s kin resented Yuguro’s influence, even they recognized his superior might. Confidence exuded from his tall, imposing figure, and he seemed to shine like the gold ring on his spear. Dazzled by his radiance, the men would follow him into the depths of the earth. As Yuguro watched the waving hand of the priest, he spared no sympathy for the men behind him, breathing white gusts into the air and fearing death. Instead, he imagined the roar of the masses greeting his victorious return.

  When the rites were completed, Yuguro motioned the young Spears to form a circle. “Oh Spears!” he announced in a firm, ringing tone. “Mightiest warriors of Kanbal! The time has come for you to use your power to bring wealth to your poor motherland. Do not forget that when Darkness falls on the chamber, you must concentrate all your efforts on chanting the praises of the Mountain King. Make sure your thoughts are sincere. Do you understand?”

  The young men nodded, their faces tense. They knew that death awaited them should they fail.

  Yuguro looked at the pale face of his nephew Kahm — Kahm, who had feared that Yuguro would replace him with his son, Shisheem. What a fool, he thought. He was so like Jiguro, incapable of being anything but straight and honest, blind to the fact that Yuguro was making him bear a risk to which he would never expose his own son.

  He turned his eyes away and took a deep breath. “It is time!” he shouted. “Yoram, god of thunder, may your light protect us! May our spears strike like lightning!” He raised his gold spear ring, and the other Spears raised theirs to touch his.

  Kassa and Balsa crouched inside the hole and gazed down into the chamber, which was gradually growing brighter. The silence seemed to press painfully against Kassa’s ears and his heart beat loudly in his chest. Then came a sound like the whistles of the Herder People, echoing repeatedly, overlapping and resounding in a complex melody.

  The caves are playing the pipes, Kassa thought. He understood that the tunnels were like reeds, and the air flowed through them to produce an exquisite music — the Mountain King’s Flute.

  When it faded, the silence returned. They waited a long time in that silence. Then they heard boots ringing against the stone, and figures emerged into the chamber before their eyes.

  They’re here.

  Long, wavering shadows formed a circle. When they stopped moving, a thin, shrill voice, shaking pitifully with nervousness, proclaimed, “O, Mountain King! I, King of Kanbal, the land on which the sun shines, have come! Accom — accompanied by my Spears! We have come to demonstrate our mastery of the spear and the sincerity of our hearts.”

  As soon as his voice stopped echoing off the walls, the shadowy figures in the room began to move. With a shout, all the men spun to face their partners, and the air rang with the clash of colliding spear shafts. Balsa and Kassa leaned forward to watch the combatants from their hiding place. In the faint light, a young attendant with a boyish face confronted a Spear in his prime, their spears striking fiercely. Although the youth moved with admirable skill and speed, in the end he was no match for the seasoned warrior.

  Kahm came into view next. He threw his heart and soul into the match and defeated the first Spear, but the second knocked his weapon to the ground. Watching them, Balsa realized what an extraordinary feat it had been for Jiguro to become the Dancer at only sixteen years of age.

  Finally Yuguro stepped into their range of vision. When Balsa saw him whirl his spear and snap it into position, she caught her breath sharply. Each clan had its own moves, and watching Yuguro was like watching Jiguro. Although all the Spears were impressive spear-wielders, he was by far the best.

  Kassa felt his heart constrict in his chest as he watched each match reach its conclusion. The skin across his forehead felt numb and he was drenched in a cold sweat.

  Not yet.

  He saw Yuguro twist his final opponent’s spear up into the air and out of his grasp.

  Not yet.

  Yuguro rapped the butt end of his spear sharply on the floor. At this signal, all the other warriors laid their spears on the ground. In a clear, resonant voice to which King Radalle’s could never compare, he declared, “I, Yuguro Musa, am the greatest spearman of them all!”

  At that moment, Balsa gave Kassa a light shove on the shoulder. He felt himself sliding down through the hole. The noise of his feet hitting the floor shattered the silence. The men, whose eyes had been focused on Yuguro in the center of the circle, turned toward him in shock.

  “Kassa?” he heard Kahm whisper in surprise.

  Kassa took a deep breath, lifted high the scroll he gripped in his hand, and shouted, “I, Kassa, son of Tonno of the Musa clan, bear an urgent message for the king from Laloog, Elder of the Yonsa clan!”

  No one moved. The men stared thunderstruck, unable to comprehend what was happening.

  Kassa’s eyes searched the room until he caught sight of a young man, crowned and wearing white — the king. He started toward him.

  “Hold!” Kassa saw Yuguro swing his spear toward him and froze. “What trap is this? Are you some monster that lives in the Deep?”

  “No! Uncle Yuguro, it’s me!” Kassa yelled frantically. “Laloog the Elder, who was here at the last ceremony, entrusted me with a message to save your lives. Your Majesty! King’s Spears! Attendants! You are misled! If you go ahead with this plan, Kanbal will be destroyed. Your Majesty, please read the Elder’s message!”

  Yuguro lunged at Kassa with his spear, and Kassa took a step back in fear. But before his uncle could reach him, Yuguro was seized from behind. “What’s the meaning of this?” he shouted, twisting his head to see who held him. “Kahm, is that you? Are you mad? Release me!”

  But Kahm held him fast and did not let go. “Uncle, what are you doing? Were you going to kill Kassa?”

  “You fool! Don’t be taken in! That’s not Kassa! It’s some creature in his guise. It’s testing us!”

  “And if you’re wrong?” Kahm shouted back. “If he really does have a message from Laloog, what will you do then? The Elder knows the secrets of the Mountain Deep. Maybe he sent Kassa to warn us about something we don’t know before it’s too late.”

  The warriors muttered in confusion. Kassa turned to the king. “Your Majesty! Read this message and decide for yourself who is right — Uncle Yuguro or me.”

  Yuguro twisted around to look at the king. “Your Majesty, don’t be deceived. This is a trap to make us lose courage!”

  The king looked from Kassa to Yuguro, bewildered. Seeing the panic in his face, Kassa pleaded, “Your Majesty. If you don’t read this message, you will most certainly die here. It was written to save you. Please believe me!”

  “Your Majesty! Remember our great dream!” Yuguro roared. The king looked at him, imploring, and Yuguro gazed back steadily. “You must believe me, Yuguro, who has always shielded you from danger.”

  The king exhaled noisily, his lips trembling. It looked like he was about to nod his assent.

  “No!” Kassa screamed. “Your Majesty! If you don’t read this message, the hyohlu will kill you! And not just you — they’ll kill everyone here!”

  The king started and looked at him. Close to tears, Kassa pleaded again. “Your Majesty, please, don’t let them die. Don’t destroy Kanbal!”

  Yuguro looked around at the Spears and said, in a commanding tone, “Someone capture him! Have you forgotten our mission? Remember why you’re here!”

  Several men moved forward hesitantly. It’s no use, Kassa thought despairingly. Yuguro had a firm grasp on their hearts and minds. The king in particular seemed to depend on him like a little child. No matter how Kassa might try to convince him, in the end, he would do as Yuguro said.

  So Kassa did the only thing he could. Leaping back to the wall, he ripped off the string that bound the scroll. Sh
aking it open, he held it high and began to read:

  “I, Laloog, participant in the ceremony of the Mountain Deep, convey to you its secret. I pray that my words may reach you before you summon the hyohlu, Guardians of the Darkness.”

  The Spears who had started toward him stopped, hesitating.

  “The Guardians of the Darkness are not servants of the Mountain King. They are those who have left this world, your —”

  Kahm, distracted by Kassa, suddenly felt Yuguro drop from his grasp, and the next instant he was flying through the air. He barely managed to roll into a defensive ball before he slammed into the rock floor. The force knocked the breath out of him, and he lay still, dazed and winded. Yuguro lunged toward Kassa with his spear. Unable to dodge, Kassa stood mesmerized as the point plunged toward his stomach. Just before it pierced his flesh, however, it veered aside with a sharp clang and a trail of white light. Kassa fell to the ground as someone shoved him roughly aside. Yuguro’s spear flew from his hands and clattered to the cave floor. It all happened so fast that he could only stare blankly at the figure whose spear now pointed directly at his throat.

  “You!” he gasped.

  “It’s been a long time, Master Yuguro,” Balsa said. “The last time we met was three years before Jiguro died, wasn’t it?” Yuguro paled. “I hear you claim to have killed him and taken back the spear rings.” She smiled bitterly. “You lie! Jiguro died of an illness. I was by his side the whole time.”

  She looked at the king, who was cowering by the wall, his face rigid with fear. “Your Majesty, I am Balsa Yonsa, daughter of Karuna, physician to your uncle, King Naguru. Your father, King Rogsam, sent his assassins to murder my father and make it look like a robbery. I too would have been killed but for Jiguro Musa, who rescued me. He saved my life.”

  The murmuring of the crowd grew louder, but Yuguro kept his eyes on Balsa. She had only thrown him off balance for a moment. He said loudly, “You fool! Did you think that you could trick us like this?”