“That is one dangerous game you are playing.”
Sheheluth smiled a dreamy smile. “We need her. You need her.” Who she was referring to, she did not say. Ashod did not answer immediately.
Ashod capitulated. “Fine,” he said at last. “Perit, you know what to do when you arrive in Byblos?”
“Don’t you worry boss, the stew is cookin’ as it ought.”
“Very well. Sheheluth, stay out of sight and … be careful. I am counting on the both of you.”
The orb went dark. Sheheluth went back to the tiny bed and flopped on it. “I was hoping to get properly trained as a Silent and now I’m a fugitive,” she said yawning. “Oh well.”
Perit chuckled. “As if we have ever been anything but fugitives.”
She looked at him with a shrewd smile, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Long after the Terion had disappeared over the horizon, after the last ferry between Tanniin and Mycene had moored, a shadow emerged silently from the sea. And like a giant bat, it flew over the Mycenaean shore, landing in a heavily wooded area. Ahiram carefully stowed away the wings, belt, mask, and shoes, and changed into a set of dry Mycenaean clothing he had brought with him. Slowly, he removed a cloth-covered, odd-looking long package from his bag. He unfurled the cloth, revealing an oily leather skin, which he also removed. Three cylindrical pieces of wood fell to the ground. Ahiram grabbed the one that terminated with an iron peg. He unscrewed a leather cover from the other end, revealing a grooved cavity. He slid the sword of El-Windiir between the grooves, hiding two-thirds of the scabbard. He took the second piece of wood, screwed it on top of the sheath into the first.
“Now the sword,” he muttered. He slid his blade into the second piece, then took the last section and screwed it on top of the hilt. It locked in place and the three pieces of wood looked like a seamless staff with the sword’s elaborate guard resembling a pair of small wings.
“Your swording sword will be visibly visible,” Orwutt had told him.
The twin brothers had presented him with this ingenious devise to hide his sword within a staff.
“But that’s not a simple staff,” objected Ahiram. “It will attract attention, and I don’t want any.”
“Not by Mycenaean standards,” Orwutt had retorted in the common tongue. “Mycene has a thriving community of shepherds and they take great pride in their staffs. You will see.”
Shortly thereafter, a young Mycenaean man walked onto the main road linking Hopp to Ezoi, the central port in Mycene. His plan was simple: Head south. He would let the events of the day direct his actions.
“If you need helping help, call on the dwarfs,” Orwutt had told him before he left. “They will help you in any way they can. Remember, all the dwarfish resources are at your disposal.”
Ahiram smiled. Spend a diegan to make two diegans. There must be a reason why the dwarfs are being so generous. Still, it’s good to know I have allies along the way.
Two hundred and fifty miles south, in Parithen, the capital of Mycene, Dariöm and the six giant massrifuuns emerged from the Arayat into the tajéruun’s hideout. The tajèr gave the giant creatures a box of medallions.
“Get to work,” Dariöm ordered the creatures. “Find him before the agents of Baal do. Galliöm wants this Seer so badly he will go to war with the Temple to capture him. War is profitable only when using someone else’s funds, not our own.” Covering his head under a thick cloak, he opened the main door. “I’ll have a chat with our local spies.”
A thousand miles due east, four cloaked figures crept into the desert. Silent as death, the khoblyss moved like slithering shadows of mist.
“To Mycene we go,” whispered one of them.
“His scent is strong,” added a second.
Soon they were gone from view, leaving behind a soft trail of decay.
Farther southwest, a group of Sowasian assassins thundered across the western tundra of the Kingdom of Edfu. Their leader, Jade, had never failed to kill his target. His companions were all experienced assassins, and as their lightning steeds began eating away the distance, a dangerous smile slit his burnished face. For ten thousand gold diegans, I am ready to kill every person I meet on the road. Ahiram, I am coming for you!
The hunt for the Seer had just begun.
Dates in the manuscript follow the American convention of month, day, year. For instance, Tébêt 7, 1197. The majority of the kingdoms used the Babylonian Calendar instituted by the Temple of Baal. A year was three hundred and sixty days in length, subdivided into twelve lunar months of thirty days each. A month had four weeks of seven days named after the seven abodes of the gods the Babylonian magi had seen. The first day of the week was Sin. Tébêt was the tenth month of the year. When adjusted to our solar calendar, Tébêt 7, 1197 fell on Sunday, August 10, 1181, of the Age of the Temple.
Most names have been transliterated from the Common Tongue of the Age of the Temple into English. There are marked differences in pronunciations, indicated below. Two of these bear further explanations. As a rule, the Common Tongue places the emphasis on the last syllable. For instance, an English reader will stress the first ‘A’ in the name A-hi-ram, but in the Common Tongue, the stress is on the last syllable, “am,” a-hee-RAM.
Nouns in the Common Tongue are gendered. A month is masculine, a mountain is feminine, the moon is feminine, and the sun is masculine, etc. I have occulted these differences in the English to avoid unnecessary distractions except in dwarfish speech and in proper names.
The gender of a name in the Common Tongue is embedded in the last syllable and I have striven to preserve this in English, particularly with names whose last syllable contains “ii,” “ee,” “uu” and “oo.” A double “e” and a double “i” are both pronounced like the double ee in words such as sheet or meet. The double “e” is used in feminine names as in Noraldeen and Layaleen, whereas the “ii” is used in masculine names as in “Tanniin” and “Jamiir.”
Both “uu” and “oo” should be pronounced as in moon, the former in masculine names, such as Urkuun and Aramuun, and the latter in feminine names, such as Foosh and meyroon.
The double “aa” is an exception. The Common Tongue uses it to represent both feminine and masculine names. I have chosen, somewhat arbitrarily, to reserve the “aa” for masculine names, such as Arfaad, and used the accented “â,” for feminine names such as Silbarâd. There is no difference in pronunciation between the double “a” and the accented “a.”
In certain names of Empyrean, Togofalkian, or Zemorian origins, the “i,” “o,” or “y” modify the pronunciation of a preceding vowel. In those cases, I have represented these letters with an umlaut because the phonetic transliteration is too unwieldy. For instance, the name of the Empyrean Empress Gaëla Meïr Pen would have been approximately written as “Gahyela Mehyeer Pen.”
a
In the table of pronunciation and the glossary, whenever an “a” is pronounced “ah” as in “apple,” it will be spelled ă. When it is pronounced as “James” or “May,” it will be written ā. For instance, the name Arfaad will be phonetically notated as Ărfăăd.
aa, â
Pronounced as a stressed “aah.”
ai
Pronounced as in “bray” or “fray.”
an
Unless otherwise indicated, “an” in the middle of a proper name is pronounced as in “ant,” or the French word “enfant,” and not as in “Anna” or “Anne.”
e
In almost all cases, it is pronounced as in the French article “le” or as the “u” in “burger.”
ë
Appears after a vowel only. Pronounced “yeh” as in “yellow” where the “y” is stressed.
ei
Pronounced as in “vein” or “main.”
g
Pronounced in all cases as in “group.”
gh
No English equivalent. The best we can do is to pronounce it as in the word “ghoul.”
<
br /> h
The “h” is always soft as in “hello.”
i
Pronounced as in “he” or “she” and not as in the personal pronoun “I.”
ï
Appears after a vowel only. Pronounced as “yee” where the y is stressed.
ii
Stressed “ee” sound.
j
Pronounced as the “s” in “treasure” and not as in “just.” In what follows, we use “ĵ” to remind the reader of this alternate pronunciation.
kh
No equivalent in English. It is a harder version of the “gh” in “ghoul.”
ö
Appears after a vowel only. Pronounced as “yoh” where the y is stressed.
on
Pronounced as in “monsoon” or “monsieur.”
oo
Pronounced as in “cool” or “pool.” (Appears in feminine names.)
u
Pronounced as in “pure.”
uu
Pronounced as the “oo” in “moon” or “soon.” (Appears in masculine names.)
Adorant [Ah-do-rant] A special order of priestesses of the Temple of Baal whose voices can drive man to madness, despair, or slavery and become puppets in the hands of the priestesses.
Ahiram [Ah-hee-raam] Son of Jabbar and Hayat from the town of Baher-Ghafé. A member of the Silent.
Alendiir [Ah-len-deer]Nickname Sondra gave to Ahiram. It means ‘blazing fire’.
Alkiniöm [Ah-l-kee-nee-yom] A famed minstrel who lived toward the end of the Troubled Peace, some fifteen hundred years before the birth of Ahiram.
Allelia [Ah-lle-lia] A female Silent and close friend of Sondra.
Alviad [Ah-l-vee-yad] A Silent and a close friend of Banimelek.
Amalein [Ah-mah-lein] Lantern of Hope; the name of a star.
Amalseer [Ah-mal-seer] Undying Hope; the name of a star.
Amaréya [Ah-ma-réya] Daughter of King Domin of Gordion, heiress to the throne, wife of Corintus and mother of Aquilina.
Amsheet [Ah-m-sheet] The city fortress of Tanniin guarding the northeastern boundary.
Andaxil [An-dah-xeel] The legendary cave of the southern dwarfish realm, where the greatest treasures of the seven southern tribes are buried. Lost during a major war. Cursed by Sureï.
Aquilina [Akey-lee-nah] Daughter of Corintus and Amaréya.
Aramuun [Ah-rah-moon] One of the highest peaks of the eastern Tangorian range in Tanniin. The Aramuun soars above nineteen thousand feet. Although ‘mountain’ is feminine in the Common Tongue, a ‘peak’ is actually masculine.
Arfaad [Ar-faad] Was a captain of the High Riders in the Temple of Baalbek. Promoted as oversee of Tirkalanzibar.
Ashod [Ash-od] Former High Priest of the Temple of Baal. Leader of the Black Robes.
Aylul [Eye-lool] The first name of the Empyrean Empress, Aylul Meïr Pen. Aylul can be translated as youthful fall, indicating someone who is young yet wise.
Baal Adiir [Baal Ah-deer] Highlights the power and omnipotence of Baal.
Baal Adonaï [Baal Ah-do-nigh] Baal, my lord.
Baal Essaru [Baal Eh-ss-ah-ru] Baal, Lord of the Dead.
Baal Majaar [Baal Mah-jaar] Baal, Lord of the Plenty.
Baal Shamaïm [Baal sh-ah-may-ee-m] Baal, Lord of the Seas.
Baalat Jubeil [Baal-ah-t j-u-b-eil] Lady of Byblos. A deity worshiped in Finikia.
Baher-Ghafé [Bah-hair Gh-ah-ff-eh] Coastal village of Finikia. Ahiram’s birthplace.
Bahiya [Bah-hee-y-ah] High Priestess of the Temple of Baalbek. The name means ‘comely’ and ‘beautiful’.
Balid [Bah-leed] Carpet merchant. Husband of Foosh, friend of Kwadil. His name means ‘slow moving’.
Banimelek [Bah-nee-meh-leck] Silent. Friend of Ahiram. His name means ‘son of king’.
Bayrul [Bai-rule] Great judge of the Games of the Mines who established the modern rules regulating the Games when Ahiram participated.
Beit-Windiir [Bey-t when-deer] ‘The House of Windiir’. Southern coastal city of Tanniin.
Béghôm [Bay-Gom] Creature of the Arayat.
Bragafâr [Brah-gah-faar] Coastal city along the northwestern tip of the southern kingdom of Indolan. Famous for its strange frozen whale.
Byblos [Bee-bloss] Finikian coastal city. Closest port to Baher-Ghafé.
Cahloon [Ka-h-loon] Owner of the most expansive and permanent tent in Tirkalanzibar.
Chesbân [Ch-eh-s-ban] Second month of the year. Corresponds roughly to the month of May.
Corialynn [Cor-yah-leen] A female Silent.
Corintus [Co-rin-tus] A Solitary. Husband of Amaréya and father of Aquilina.
Eleeje [El-ee-ĵ] Hidden fountain of Silbarâd located inside Tessarah, the Unseen Tower. Reputed to heal and be a source of life.
Enryl [En-ril] Foremost captain at the service of Orgond, Lord of Amsheet.
Faernor [Faey-nor] Nickname given to Banimelek by Sondra. It means ‘wolf-bear’.
Finikia [Fee-nee-kee-ah] Land of Finikia, from where Ahiram hails.
Foosh [F-oo-sh] Wife of Balid. Her name means ‘to overflow’.
Frajil [Frah- ĵ-ee-l] A giant of a man. Warrior. Soloron’s brother.
Gaëla Meïr Pen [Gah-yell-ah Mey-yeer Pen] Daughter of the Empyrean Empress. Heir to the throne.
Galliöm [Gah-lee-yom] Head of the Tajéruun.
Garu [Gah-roo] Principal judge of the Games.
Gordion [Gor-dion] Capital of the Kingdom of Teshub. Major commercial center.
Habael [Hah-bah-el] Gardner at Taniir-The-Strong.
Hardeen [Har-deen] Northwestern fortress of Tanniin. Protects the Kingdom against Empyrean incursions.
Haialeen [Hah-yah-leen] Primordial pool of life filled with Water of Blessing.
Hawâl [Ha-waal] The heart of the Pit where the Lords of the Deep are locked.
Hayat [Ha-yah-tt] Ahiram’s mother. Her name means ‘life’.
Hiyam [Hee-yam] Daughter of Bahiya, leader of the team of Baal during the Games of the Mines. Her name means “lost in love.”
Hoda [Ho-dah] Ahiram’s sister. Her name means ‘she who shows the way’.
Hylâz [He-laa-z] Judge of the Games of the Mines. His name means ‘Pensive’.
Ibromaliöm [Ee-bro-mah-lium] A judge for the Games of the Mines. Former Tajèr. His name means ‘The one who buries poverty’.
Iliand [Eel-yand] Name of the vast northern plain in Tanniin, located between the western fortress of Amsheet and the eastern fortress of Hardeen.
Ithyl Shimea [Ee-thee-l She-meh-yah] A book of power the Temple cannot control.
Jabbar [ĵ -ah-bb-aar] Ahiram’s father. His name means ‘mighty’.
Jamiir [ĵ-ah-meer] King of Tanniin. His name means ‘burning coal’.
Jedarc [Ĵ-eh-dark] A silent and a friend of Ahiram.
Kalibaal [Kah-lee-baal] Priest of Baal. Member of the Inner Circle in Babylon. Sharr’s right hand man.
Kanmar [Cahn-maar] The Lord of the Deep in Indolan. He is Yem, the god of the sea according to the Temple of Baal.
Karadon [Ka-ra-don] Member of the Black Robes. Husband to Hoda, Ahiram’s sister.
Karangalatad [Ka-run-gala-tad] The dwarfish grand retelling of the history of the world since the beginning of time.
Kerta [Keir-Tah] Priestly order of the Temple of Baal. Kerta priests provide the Temple with the magical energy required to power the orbs and concentrators.
Khoblyss [kobl-eess] Creature of the Arayat. Amplifies the power of a Kerta priest.
Kwadil [Kwah-deel] Dwarf. Wealthy merchant. Friend of Balid. Sold Ahiram as a slave to Commander Tanios.
Lanudonis [lanu-donis] Capital of Bar-Tanic.
Layaléa [Laya-le-yah] Corintus’ wife’s full name is Layaléa Amaréya Vermaleen Noor, but she usually goes by the simpler name of Amaréya. Layaléa means ‘lovely night’.
Layaleen [Lah-yah-leen] The wife of the El-Windiir. Her name means ‘starry night’.
Laymeer [Ley-meer] Forest opposite Magdala along th
e Middle Road in Tanniin. The name means ‘gentle refuge.’
Magdala [Mag-dala] The forbidden forest opposite Laymeer across the Middle Road in the Temple of Tanniin.
Malikuun [Mah-lee-kuun] Plural of Malku. The Lords of Light.
Marada [Ma-ra-dah] Plural form of Mâred, which means giant. Marada is the name of their kingdom and is also the common word used to designate ‘giants’.
Massrifuun [Mass-ree-fuun] Plural form of Masref, a creature of the Arayat that serves primarily as guardian of the central Tajéruun's vault.
Methodical [Methodical] One of the orders in the Temple of Baal to which Bahiya belongs.
Meyroon [Mey-roon] Metal lighter than a feather, harder than the hardest steel, and cannot be cursed nor melted by fire or shattered by the coldest ice.
Nebo [neh-beau] A high ranking officer of the High Riders and older brother to Olothe.
Noraldeen [No-rah-l-deen] Silent. Friend of Ahiram. Her name means ‘shining light.’
Olothe [Olo-th] Prince of the dreaded house of Lurca and participant in the Games of Mines.
Ophir [O-feer] Powerful kingdom of the far south and one of the few kingdoms outside the control of the Temple of Baal.
Orgond [Or-gond] Lord of the fortress of Amsheet and father to Noraldeen.
Orwutt [Or-wutt] Dwarf, twin brother to Zurwott and nephew of Kwadil.
Raayiil [Raa-yeel] A creature of the spell world. It appears as a composite of a dream, a vision and a prophecy, and takes complete control of the human mind.
Wrath of the Urkuun (Epic of Ahiram Book 2) Page 61