"Puddle will be dark one's slave! Puddle will do what he is told! He has been a slave before and he can be one again."
Un-Nabus waves his marked hand over Puddle, and the darkness follows. The darkness surrounds Puddle's back. Puddle screams in pain and the black mark slowly burns onto his neck. Un-Nabus laughs as Puddle squirms with tears rolling down his face.
"This black mark will bind you to me, and not until it is gone will you be free." Un-Nabus then releases Puddle from his grip and drops him violently to the ground.
"The name of Puddle has been stripped from you, for you are now a slave of the Hhtuno. Defy me, and your punishments will be far harsher than the pain you have felt this night. And there is no escape, for the mark of the Hhtuno will always call to me and betray you.
"Yes, Master, I will serve you without questi-"
"Yes, you will! And if you please me, in the end I will grant you the domain of a grand cave much larger than this one . . . and I will give you the power to keep it. This I promise for your servitude. From this night on, Puddle, you will be named 'Gnyok,' 'slave to the shadow.' Now bow and show respect to your new master."
"Yes, thank you, my Lord," Puddle says as he obediently bows to his master.
"Gnyok, we have a long journey ahead of us, but first go back into your cave and bring me a shell."
"Yes, Master," cries Gynok, and he runs into the cave, picking up the first discarded shell he finds.
"Here, Master, Gnyok has done what Master has asked."
Un-Nabus grabs the shell from the Muddler and walks over to the dying lizard. He drops the shell into a large open wound on the beast. His shadow then surrounds the lizard, and it roars in pain. When the darkness lifts, only a mummified carcass remains. Un-Nabus reaches down and picks up the shell that is now stained with the blood of the monitor. Un-Nabus flips the shell over, admiring the markings, and places the shell into a pocket in his robes.
"We leave now, slave, but before we do -- Un-Nabus turns, points his staff at the opening of the cave, and summons a power that shakes the ground. Gnyok watches as his dark master destroys his home with a smile. When the cave has crumbled, Un-Nabus turns and begins his quest followed by his Muddler slave who disappears in his master’s shadow.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Taeau bends over a paw print. He picks up a small clump of hair, sniffs it, and then looks out into the night. He grabs his spear and rubs his necklace. This hunt has taken him far into the plains, and his shoulders ache from carrying Tib. Taeau looks up at the moon and his silver eyes glimmer. Tib grunts from the satchel he rides in on Taeau’s shoulders. Taeau takes a deep breath and a few strides before crouching over more tracks. His ear twitches and he listens to the plains around him. Tib's head jerks forward and his markings begin to flash. Taeau hesitates for a moment before breaking out into a sprint.
Taeau breathes heavily, and his necklace shines brighter as he runs faster and faster. The tall grasses whip against his skin and leave thin lashes across his arms. He comes to the top of a hill and skids across the dirt as he tries to stop himself. On a hill across from him stands a figure hidden by darkness. Taeau raises his spear and points it toward the phantom. He can see the stranger's arm pointing at him. Tib screams, he sees a spotted plains cat roar from behind the figure and charge toward them.
Tib wiggles out of the sack on Taeau's back, jumps, and runs off into the distance followed by a trail of bio-light from his markings. Taeau turns to the beast and runs down the hill. He plants his feet and slides on the wet soil before leaping into the air. Soaring high above the cat, he aims his spear and propels it toward the beast. The spear whistles through the night, striking the cat on the shoulder driving it to the ground. The beast roars in pain and slides across the plains, falling from the fatal blow. Taeau lands in a cloud of dust besides the cat and grabs his spear.
Triumphantly, Taeau looks up at the figure, but the phantom has vanished. Sensing its presence, Taeau spins, turning his spear defensively. He catches a glimpse of the specter as a flash of darkness knocks him into the air and onto his back. Coughing from the blow, Taeau gets up quickly and readies himself for the fight. He groans from the pain in his ribs. The dark creature lets out a deafening screech before it soars through the air towards him. Stumbling backwards, Taeau raises his spear to attack. The wraith grabs his weapon, and Taeau can see its bony fingers scraping the spear and driving it into the void of its body. Taeau's necklace illuminates the phantom, and he looks into the blackness of the creature. He sees an endless abyss, and his mind begins to lighten. Mesmerized by the emptiness of the creature, Taeau feels a bitter chill raise the hairs on his neck. A memory flashes through his mind as he remembers what Alo taught him about damned creatures like this: "They will try to hypnotize you with their stare as they feed on your soul." Taeau yells and breaks the standoff, pushing the phantom back. He digs his feet into the ground and throws his spear at the creature with all his strength. The spear vanishes into the darkness of the wraith's hood.
The phantom screeches soaring towards Taeau. Taeau stumbles backwards, defenseless without a weapon. The specter claws at him with its skeleton hands and cuts his face. Taeau locks hands with the wraith, and a stark cold starts to cramp his arms. The frigid touch of the monster nearly consumes him. Taeau's necklace turns red as he tries to fight the cold. Fear brings him strength that builds in his arms, and he pushes back against the bones that are digging into his flesh. His arms ignite in a flaming light fed by his necklace. The dark creature screeches as the flames grow brighter and stronger until they consume both the specter and the youth. The screams from the creature painfully ring in Taeau's ears until the wraith explodes into flames, sending Taeau soaring through the air. He crashes to the ground.
Taeau slowly regains his senses as he sits up. He can taste blood dripping from his nose and the cuts on his face. He wipes his nose and stumbles forward, dazed and hurting from the battle. A light begins to warm his back, and he turns to see a burning campfire. Taeau stares at Tib, who is eating an apple and watching him contently with a smile on his face.
"What, what are you doing? Tib …"
"Not bad, Taeau. Your powers have grown, I thought I would have to finish that Jee'bi myself," says a voice from the edge of the small camp.
"You, I thought I was done with. I have never fought anything that powerful before. I did not even know how to kill it," yells Taeau in a quivering voice.
"Yes, well, Tib has prepared our meal so let's eat."
Still breathing heavily and covered in sweat and blood, Taeau flops to the ground by the fire. Alo smiles at Taeau, seeing him shake his head, annoyed at how off-handedly such a big event like destroying a Jee'bi with his bare hands is accepted. He is being treated no differently than as if he had just collected wood for the fire. Waiting until Taeau has eaten his fill, Alo breaks the silence.
"The Enopay are only a day's journey from here. They have made camp outside the Ga-Taga herd not far from the Msa-Oda."
Taeau's eyes light up as he looks up at his teacher. He takes a gulp from his water bladder and wipes his mouth. "Only a day's journey . . . but I thought I was not allowed into the city or allowed on the Great Migration until I am a man of the Enopay?"
"I have discussed it with the Chief, and he will allow you to assist on the hunt. You can help butcher the slain animals and drag them to the city. As for the migration, you are not allowed to take part in that, nor will you be able to camp with the tribe. But if you prove your worth, you will be allowed into the city."
Taeau looks up with both joy and irritation. To be included in the hunt at all is a huge honor. He has heard so much about it and the heroism performed by the Enopay hunters. But to be shamed again by not being allowed to join the camp is hard for him to deal with.
"Is there something the matter, Taeau?"
Taeau looks at Tib and takes a breath. "No, Gahano. I am very pleased with this news. I am just tired from nearly having my soul sucked out of me . . . that
's all."
Alo chuckles and goes to his bed. Taeau stares at the fire late into the night and dreams about hunting with the other Enopay hunters. He pictures himself slaying a great beast and receiving praise from all the men. He is embraced like a brother into the Enopay camp, and Leotie just watches from the shadows, angry about his victory. Taeau throws his stick into the dying flames and crawls into his bed, quickly falling asleep.
---
The next morning, they break down the camp and mount their horses. Alo comes up behind Taeau and covers his eyes with a blindfold.
"Hey, what are you doing, Gahano?"
"I have negotiated the terms of your arrival. The Chief only agreed if you were blindfolded and unable to learn the secret road to the Msa-Oda."
Taeau shakes his head in frustration. The sun begins to set, casting a hypnotic hue of crimson over the vast plains as they arrive outside the camp. Alo removes Taeau's blindfold, "Tonight, the hunters will go on a scouting party to inspect the health of the Ga-Taga herd. I must go with them and bless the upcoming hunt. You are not welcome, as you are not yet an Enopay hunter. But I will not deny you the privilege of seeing the great herd undisturbed and peaceful. You will follow the hunters from a distance and wait for me on the far side of the ridge."
"Yes, Gahano," says Taeau, surprised and excited to be included.
"Once the hunters reach the herd, they will cautiously climb a ridge that looks down at the Ga-Taga. Once they have seen all they need to see, they will return to camp and the ceremonies will begin. At the camp there will be a large fire, and many of the men will dress in masks and other costumes. The hunters will dance and perform rituals around the fire late into the morning. They will dance in the hopes that their spirits and the spirits of their fathers will dance above Ga-Taga, blessing the hunt. The women and children will be beating drums and singing ancient songs of past hunts. Only after a successful hunt will they be allowed back into the Msa-Oda," Alo tells Taeau as they sit on their horses on the outside of camp.
Taeau can see everyone in the tribe busily setting up their huts and preparing for the hunt. The women and children gather wood and Ga-Taga chips for the fire. The men dress and paint themselves in preparation for scouting the herd. They put on their furs and headdresses and gather at the center of the camp.
"Make camp, Taeau, and once you have erected your hut, gather your horse and follow the scouting party, but stay out of sight of the hunters. Once they climb the ridge, wait for me at the bottom."
"Yes, Gahano."
"Remember your training, Taeau. You must not be seen by the hunters, for this would be a great insult and a violation of Enopay law." Taeau nods his head then helps Tib unpack his things.
Alo leaves Taeau to join the hunters, and Taeau and Tib start building their small hut.
"'Follow the hunters,'" he says, "'not allowed to go with them, don't be seen,'" he says. "In big trouble I will be, like I am a child or a common thief. I have learned so much these past seasons, seen many things, and still I am treated with no more respect or welcome than the day I arrived." Tib ignores Taeau and continues to work, he has heard this rant many times before.
"She just looks at me with those eyes. She's not so great. What has she done? Ooua!" shouts Taeau, as Tib bites his calf.
"What, Tib?"
Taeau looks down to see Tib pointing at the hunters as they start to leave. "Oh, ah, thanks, Tib. You can finish here. I gotta leave." Tib just shakes his head and gets back to work. Taeau mounts his black horse, Akima, and starts to follow the hunting party's trail.
Taeau comes to the ridge and watches the hunters crawling up the grassy hill. He avoids being seen by the men and follows the ridge toward the valley. What he observes next, he never could have imagined. In the early moonlight he looks down at a herd of Ga-Taga that stretches far into the horizon. The earth shakes under their hooves as a cloud of dust rises above the creatures. He looks down to his feet and sees where the great herd walked, creating a deep scar on the plains.
Taeau watches the calves stay close to their mothers near the center of the herd, while the males proudly strut around them. He can see the fur behind the males' shoulders glow, illuminating the herd with dim bio-light. This is mating season, and the bulls can be heard fighting for breeding rights. They pace in circles around one other to display their markings until one stops to challenge the other. The challenging bull will stand his ground, scrape the valley floor with his hoof, and snort his nostrils. If the challenge is met, the bulls will charge, ramming their massive heads together, crushing bone against bone. The sound of the colliding bulls is like thunder striking Taeau's chest.
Taeau watches in awe as the bulls duel. At times, some of the bulls stumble back and fall to the ground, dazed from the blow. They become disoriented, and many sit in place drooling and breathing heavily until they regain their wits. Taeau looks upon the Ga-Tagas world and finds it peaceful and majestic. The longer he stares at the herd, his nerves become calm, and his mind clears. Taeau falls asleep on Akima waiting for Alo. He sees himself walking through a fog. It is dark all around him. He reaches out into the mist, searching for something, and then he feels a tapping on his shoulder
"Taeau, wake, wake up."
Taeau wakes suddenly and sees Alo by his side, petting his horse.
"An amazing sight to see . . . the Ga-Taga for the first time?"
"Yes, Gahano, a sight I will not forget."
"Dismount and let us walk among the sleeping animals." Taeau does not move from his horse and stares at Alo.
"Will they not trample us, Gahano?" Alo points at Taeau for him to dismount his horse.
"You have nothing to fear . . . for my ability to calm the minds of beasts is great. I suggest you take this opportunity to hone your skills and remember your training," Alo tells Taeau, who grabs his necklace in agreement.
"Yes, Gahano."
"Good, then follow me and be silent."
Alo leads them into the heart of the herd. They cautiously walk among the slumbering beasts. The calves snuggle with their mothers who watch Alo and Taeau with a deep maternal glare. Alo signals toward a lone bull that walks in an open circle in the center of the herd.
"He is the alpha bull, master and leader of the herd. He has defeated all challengers and leads the herd when it travels or flees from threats. All Ga-Taga avoid him out of respect and lower their heads as he passes. One of his horns is cracked below the tip, and his shoulder markings are different then the other Ga-Taga," Alo whispers to Taeau. Alo walks up to the bull and bows, "Lord of the thunder hooves, I come to gain your blessing on tomorrow's hunt."
The bull stomps his hooves and snorts at Alo, his breath forming a white cloud in the cool night. Taeau thinks it strange that Alo would talk to the bull about the upcoming hunt knowing the Enopay are going to kill some of his herd. The bull starts to kick up dirt, shaking his head at Alo.
"Please, Broken Horn, grant us your blessing, and we promise not to harm your females, for we will only take what we need and leave your herd in peace," Alo says, bowing even lower and exposing himself to the bull.
The bull digs in the ground with his good horn, picking up dirt and grass. Taeau notices other bulls beginning to gather behind him. Alo does not move as the bull displays his power. Alo reaches into his robes, pulls out a handful of yellow flowers, and lays them on the ground in front of the bull. The bull walks up to the flowers and snorts again then sniffs the offering. Taeau, thinking Alo is going to be harmed, reaches for his knife.
"Stand down, Taeau. Make no sudden moves," Alo whispers. Taeau stops, for when he reached for his knife he felt movement all around him. After a few snorts, the alpha bull kneels down and begins to feast on the flowers.
"Thank you, Broken Horn, for granting the Enopay hunting rights to your herd." Alo reaches into a pouch and takes out a handful of dirt. He sprinkles the beast with the dirt, which sticks to his fur and shimmers when the moonlight hits it. He then takes out a knife and reaches for
the bull. Broken Horn stops eating and fixes his eyes on Alo, who pets his head and grabs the long hair that hangs from his chin. He takes the knife and cuts off this hair. The bull snorts again and returns to the flowers.
"Turn around, Taeau, and leave the way you came." Taeau slowly turns and walks back to Akima. Large bulls follow him as he walks back to his horse. Once they have left the Ga-Taga, he looks back and watches as the bulls close off the herd to the outside. Taeau and Alo mount their horses, they can hear music off in the distance.
"Your mind is wandering again tonight, Taeau. Pondering tonight's events or the past?"
Taeau looks up at the stars, his silver eyes filled with thought, "I know there was a lesson here tonight, but I did not see it, Gahano. Tonight, what I beheld was a wonder I could not have imagined, and I am thankful to have witnessed it, but the great number and size of the Ga-Taga only made me feel smaller and less significant. Even in their countless numbers every animal seems to have a place in the herd. Even the calves are important. I do not feel like I am a part of anything, nor do I perceive my life's purpose."
Alo pulls his horse in front of Taeau's. "Even in your confusion we have made progress. Yes, here tonight when you were among the Ga-Taga there was a lesson. I wanted you to see the herd in all of its greatness. Taeau, even the smallest Ga-Taga walks with the herd, helping it survive. The Ga-Taga traveled this seasonal migration long before the first Enopay drew breath. Many Ga-Taga die every season on the journey, but more are born to replace them. The only thing that matters is the survival of the herd and the protection of their young. The males fight only for position and mating rights, not for wealth or other such selfish reasons. Through those battles that shake the earth a great harmony is maintained. The strongest bulls earn the most mating rights, which produces the strongest and healthiest calves that are the fittest to survive. In the hunt tomorrow we will kill a very small number of bulls, and that will help weed out the weak and the old, pruning the herd's numbers and securing its future. It is the natural order of life. With all life there will always be death. One cannot exist without the other."
The New World (The Last Delar) Page 11