Ized- the Ancestors

by Esther Barvar

  Maioshan’s hands began to tremble as she gave him the potion with the pipette. The wounds reminded her of her injuries back then, and the healers‘ efforts in Ized. The healer saw it and laid a hand on her trembling hands.

  »He has lost a lot of blood and will certainly freeze often in the next few days, but, by the Stone Dagger, he will survive. He is strong. Feel his heartbeat, hear his breath. The loss of blood has undoubtedly weakened him, but both work.«

  Maioshan nodded, but she was so scared for him today. She could not yet think calmly again. But now, he was safe. Nothing more could happen to him here.

  While the healer had treated the wounds with a healing ointment and renewed all bandages, Maioshan calmed down. The healer wanted to send her away, but the priestess refused.

  »He now needs rest and much sleep,« she explained to the priestess.

  »Either I stay here, or he comes with me to my chambers,« she replied defiantly and still worried.

  The healer twisted her eyes because of the stubbornness. She shook her head with a sigh and left the room. »Do as you wish.«

  Maioshan pulled a chair by the bed and sat down. She held his hand and watched over him all night. At dawn, she fell asleep, and her head sank onto the bed.

  A short time later, the healer entered the room. She carefully woke the priestess. »You should eat something, priestess, and then really retreat to sleep for a few hours.«

  »I am not hungry. I also want to be with him when he wakes up. He doesn’t know anyone else here,« Maioshan replied tiredly. She hadn’t finished the last sentence yet when Ugar entered with a tray.

  »Good morning, priestess.«

  »Good morning, Ugar.« Maioshan smiled, tortured. She knew Ugar would never give in.

  And so it was. He put the breakfast on a small table and poured tea for her from the pot. Then he handed her the cup with the hot drink.

  »Priestess?«

  »Yes, Ugar, what is it about?« She noticed that Ugar seemed a little embarrassed.

  »I’m interested in this young man who came here to tell you about your husband.«

  Maioshan pulled up an eyebrow. Ugar seemed strange to her. He had never been like that before. »What does that mean, you are interested in him?

  »Well, he’s charming, seems reliable and discreet. A man with a sense of honor. He is also young and healthy. I would love to have him here in the fortress.«

  »Why do you want to know him here? Please don’t talk in riddles and tell me what you intend.«

  Ugar still seemed to be embarrassed, but then took a deep breath and finally explained what he was going for: »Well, look at me, I’m old. I think he could one day, of course, under my training, take over this position. He will undoubtedly become a good butler if I can instruct him in the tasks. Of course, only if I could teach him with your permission.«

  Maioshan was deeply shocked and quickly caught up again. »I hadn’t thought about that yet, of course, you would like to have someone to help you.«

  »Not only help, priestess. One day he should take over all my tasks. As I said, I’ve grown old.«

  Maioshan now looked at Ugar with different eyes. He had always been there for her in the last decades. Yes, Ugar was old. He had already worked in the fortress when he was twenty and had become a friend over the years. It hurt her that he too would leave her one day, like many before him.

  »I will ask him if he is ready for this task. He is a child of the country. Maybe life in our fortress is not for him.«

  »That is why I thought of asking you to ask him. Thank you, priestess. I have given him a room on the servants‘ floor.«

  Maioshan had to smile. If Ugar wanted something, he was not so easy to dissuade. She nodded in agreement. »You must know he has a wife and a child who will arrive here in a few days.«

  Ugar bowed his head understandingly. »If he accepts the position, I will give him a larger flat. But now you must have breakfast. You know, a priestess must never be hungry. You certainly don’t want to eat your butler or even your husband later because you’re so hungry.«

  He smiled encouragingly and winked at her. Since he not only worked for the priestess but was also a fatherly friend, she mostly listened to what he said.

  She smiled tormentedly, but sat down docilely at the table and ate. She was just finished when Adar moved a little. Immediately she hurried to him. His eyelids fluttered, and he whispered her name.

  »Yes, my love,« she answered gently and grabbed his hand again. »I am here with you and will not leave. You are safe«.

  He succeeded in opening his eyes and looking at her. »Yes, it’s really you,« he breathed happily.

  She leaned forward and touched his lips, kissed him gently. How much she had missed him. That stubborn man had followed her. She knew exactly how dangerous the rocky plateau was. During the day, there was a relentless heat. Without enough water, one was hopelessly lost due to the sun’s rays. He had managed to reach her. But he was not allowed to stay. He had to leave her again. Only in Ized, he was safe. When he was better, she would bring him over the border.

  The very next day, she let Balor come to her. »How do you like it here in Taishan, Balor?«

  Balor was overwhelmed by his impressions so far, and as he answered, his eyes sparkled with passion. »Priestess, everything is so different here. The fields outside bear a plentiful harvest, and the people are friendly. It is a paradise«.

  The priestess smiled because of his exuberant enthusiasm. »There are good and bad people everywhere, Balor. Here too, in the shadow of Taishan, there is jealousy and envy.«

  Balor looked at her doubtfully. He could not believe it. The people here all treated him courteously.

  She sighed slightly. »It’s not why I wanted to talk to you.«

  »How can I serve you, priestess?« he asked courteously.

  Again she noticed the passion with which he was present. He did not seem to be afraid of her anymore. She became attentive because she felt a sincere willingness to serve her. Ugar had a good nose for honest people. She also liked Balor from the very first moment. He had come here on his own initiative to get help for Adar, although he was undoubtedly afraid of her.

  The priests and priestesses have always enjoyed an eerie reputation among the population. Everyone who did not live near them avoided them. Everyone feared to meet the dragon and perhaps not survive this meeting.

  »You met Ugar, didn’t you?«

  Balor nodded eagerly and visibly enthusiastically. Without Ugar, he would not have got to the priestess because the guards had not heeded his request at all. »Yes, he is your butler and was the one who brought me to you. A person who observes well, perceives little things, and thinks. Someone who questions things.«

  The priestess nodded at the description. »He wants to know you here with us in the fortress.«

  Balor became pale. »How shall, … what do you mean, priestess?« The young man had visibly become nervous.

  »Ugar has been working for me for many years. He has grown old and wants to teach you. He would like to train you as his successor. I know that you are the child of a farmer. You love nature. Could you imagine not being a farmer like your father is, but becoming my butler, the direct confidant of the priestess and the Brown?«

  Balor stared at her pale and with eyes wide open. »You mean …? How …?«

  She felt how she overtaxed him with the surprising offer at the moment. So that he could catch himself again, she explained it more precisely: »Ugar is convinced that he will get a worthy successor in you. He would guide you so that one day, you could take over his position. Give yourself a few days with the answer. If you want it, if you decide to do it, explain it to Ugar. I agree with this election because you came here to help Adar despite the fear that the people of Emeishan had. We can always use men and women from your blow here in Taishan. Now go and think calmly about our offer.« She nodded to him friendly.

  That was the sign that he was dismissed. Balor left the
rooms of the priestess, but stopped right behind the door. He loved nature and had never believed that he would become anything other than his father and his father, a farmer. He knew when it was the best time to sow and harvest. Balor could even tell by the smell of the air when it would rain. He loved the scent that the earth emitted after a rain shower. But he also believed that the priestess and the Brown helped the people. The priestess of the Brown was warm-hearted. Her husband, whom he had only met a few days ago, was a powerful magician, an excellent warrior, and an honorable man. Yes, he wanted to support them with all his strength. There were thousands of farmers like him and his father. These people, putting their own lives at risk, making sure that there was enough food for all the people in Emeishan. How often were whole villages and harvests destroyed by the Red and the Nagas? It was a good, hard, and honest job.

  The work of Ugar had a great charm. The priestess was the country’s only hope for salvation. If Ugar thought he could learn this responsible task from Balor, then perhaps it was his destiny. The decision was easy for him. Sao, too, would certainly like it in the fortress once her fear had subsided. Maybe she could get a job here.

  But how would he find Ugar now? He still did not know his way around the vast fortress. Would he ever be able to find his way through this maze of corridors? He sat down next to the door to the priestess’s private rooms. Ugar had brought him here, and at some point, he had to go back to the priestess. He would wait for him because he wanted to try it in any case.

  Since Maioshan hardly wanted to leave the bed, the healer had Adar brought to the private rooms of the priestess after a few days.

  The worst was over, but recovery proceeded slowly. For several days Adar slept almost uninterruptedly. Every time he woke up, his gaze searched Maioshan. To speak struggled him. So Maioshan often sat next to him and read to him when he was awake. During the nights, she warmed him up. Her presence reassured him and helped him to recover.

  Maioshan wanted to know so much, but so far, she has been silent. They would soon have time to talk. But now he was still too weak. She knew how much the injuries of the claws weakened someone. It was aggravating that Adar was only a magician and not a priest. So these wounds were even more dangerous for him. But he lived and would recover.

  She used every opportunity to dine with him, helped him clean his body, or when he was in need. All the things, Adar had done for her years ago. When the wounds had healed to such an extent that no wound secretion escaped, she had the large tub filled with warm water and helped him in. As always, the water had a stimulating effect on him.

  When he was able to rise from the bed on his own, he often stood on the balcony and looked over the land. So this was Emeishan, the land his beloved wife came from. He remembered the rocky plain that had almost killed him, hot and devastating. He had not believed that he would meet a dragon. He thought he was dreaming when the monster turned into a woman before his eyes. Immediately after the transformation, Adar could feel the power of the dragon, like a kind of aura around the woman. It had quickly faded, yet the magic had been discernible.

  And then this woman! Maioshan was warm-hearted, this other one had been the exact opposite, cold and cruel. Ice cold, cruel, and without any grace, she had had the people executed by her Nagas with joy and pleasure. She killed the farmer’s wife with delight when he didn’t answer her immediately. He had felt how much she had loved ramming the dagger into his upper arm and turning it there. Sure she would have done it more often, but mercifully he had passed out. Adar shook himself. No warrior would act so cruelly. She must be mad. Every day his thoughts circled around the mysterious being. Why did she look so much like Maioshan?

  At some point, he stood there again, leaned against the balustrade, and looked into the distance. The fresh air was good for him, even if standing up made him strain.

  Maioshan entered the room, saw him, and stepped in. Tenderly she put her arms around him, leaning her head against his back.

  He shivered slightly, enjoying the loving touch. So far, he had never spoken of the dragon, for the pain was omnipresent. Every movement cost so much energy, so he had spared his powers and kept silent. He concentrated all his reserves on his healing. He knew that he would soon be allowed to ask her all the questions.

  Nevertheless! Ignorance burdened him since he was here in Emeishan, and at some point, he had to start. Adar breathed deeply.

  »You are the Brown, aren’t you, Maioshan? Just like this other woman is the Red,« he noted as he looked across the landscape.

  She hesitated, afraid that he would push her away if he learned the truth. But he was her husband, whom she loved with all her heart, who had the right to know these things.

  »Yes and no, Adar. Priest and dragon sleep in each magician. The priest is the one who can call the dragon who hides inside a magician. We are two and yet one. The priest has his own character, just like the dragon. But sometimes both go mad, so it happened with the Red and Mamien. If it happens, we are dangerous. In that case, we become terrible and cruel. She wants to see all priests, but also all magicians dead. She can even feel where I am. She feels the magic of the Brown.«

  Adar let the words affect himself. The last sentence told him why she had left Ized and would never return. He understood it, but he wanted to hear it from her mouth.

  »You won’t return to Ized with me, will you?« he whispered without turning to her. A single tear ran down his cheek and dripped onto the balustrade.

  She heard a deep sadness in his voice. »I cannot return with you, not while the Red is still alive. He would also torture your people if I followed you. He has already done so by chasing the nights of fire over Ized. You must return alone to your land and to our son.«

  He lowered his head. »It is not possible, Maioshan. I can no longer live without you. I will stay here and kill the Red for you and your people. I will not go back without you. Because it would be my death, my love. Besides, Atesch also needs his mother.«

  Only now did he turn to her and put a finger under her chin.

  She contradicted him as sadly as he was: »We cannot kill the Red. Only the Ringbearer can do that. The Ringbearer has not yet appeared, for the rings have no golden…«

  He pressed his lips on hers and interrupted her with a longing kiss. When he detached himself from her, she looked him in the eye for a long time.

  »I will kill him,« he said once more and kissed her again.

  She shivered, sank in the kiss, her hands laid on his muscular chest. When they separated, she put her head on his chest. »Adar, the Red has lived for thousands of years. We cannot kill him. I have tried, I have tried so many times. Even Dagon, my first husband, tried, failed, and died.«

  He stiffened, lowered his hand, and stared at her for a few moments. Had he just understood that correctly? He pushed her away, took her face in both hands, and lifted it. »This priestess, who looked so much like you, spoke of her sister. Are you sisters, Maioshan?«

  »Yes, she is my sister. My twin sister Mamien,« she confirmed.

  »But, you just said, she is thousands of years old. How, by the Waves, can it be? You both are young.«

  »I went the way of the priestess in my twenty-eighth year and did not age any more since that time. We are thousands of years old, Adar. We are as old as a dragon«.

  Adar staggered back a few steps until he hit the balustrade of the balcony and gasped for breath. This violent breathing was painful. He distorted his face as he stared at her in disbelief.

  She closed her eyes because of his reaction, turned around the next moment and ran away blind with tears.

  »Maioshan,« he called after her, but she could no longer hear him.

  He followed her, but when he opened the door, she was already gone. A stabbing pain twitched through him. Exhausted, he leaned against the wall of the corridor and groaned, holding his painful arm. He had moved too violently, and one of the deep wounds had opened again. Then he tried to orient himself. There were so many corr
idors. Where had she gone?

  »Maioshan,« he whispered. Her scent was still in the air, and he inhaled it. As usual, he closed his eyes and let his longing for her drives himself. She led him to a door, and when he opened it quietly and entered, he stood in a large cave.

  Maioshan sat on the floor at the edge of the huge opening. She had drawn her legs and embraced them with her arms. Her shoulders shrugged.

  Silently he stepped behind her and squatted, breathing in her fragrance. Adar knew what he wanted, and he didn’t care how old she was or if she was a dragon. »I love you and always will,« he whispered behind her.

  Maioshan jerked together in shock. She hadn’t noticed how he had followed her. Then she sniffed quietly and looked at him over her shoulder. »How did you find your way here?«

  He found the way because he felt safe in his love for her. »You are my magician of the First Night. I will find you everywhere, my dear.«

  She frowned. » Magician of the First Night? What does that mean, Adar?«

  »You know nothing of that power?« he asked.

  Maioshan shook her head. »Explain it to me,« she begged him.

  »Well, this power probably only exists in the relationship between magician and magician. You are my destiny, my life. I can no longer live without you and will die if you leave me or send me away.« He laid his hand on her cheek. »But for you, I like to die.«

  »But I don’t want your death. I want you to live.«

  He sank into her eyes, then smiled hopefully before answering, »If you don’t want my end, don’t send me away! If I have to leave you if you send me away, I will die. Tell me what to do. Show me what I must do to become a priest. No one should carry such a burden on his own. Help me to walk the path so that I can help you. Even if I can’t kill the Red, I will always fight against him by your side. I am a warrior, and the battle is my life. Let me fight for you and your people.« His voice was gentle but firm. He was sure of his cause.

  Maioshan still hesitated. She had lost her first husband and was filled with the fear that it might happen again. »No! No, Adar. You must return. If you become a priest, the Red will kill you. So go back to Ized, live your life there, and forget me.«