Ized- the Ancestors

by Esther Barvar

  Adar shook his head sadly. »I cannot forget you. My life is meaningless without you. Even if I wanted to, it is not possible. And believe me, dearest, I don’t want to forget you either. I yearn for you. It is you, you, and your scent. It calms me down just as it excites me. The morning you left, three healers with all their powers were able to save my life. I stayed alive because Atesch needed me. But on every further day, something died in me. Little by little, I gave up. Atesh is with Lord Befen, as are the rings and a letter for our son. Befen will take good care of him, I know. In the document, I wrote down everything you entrusted me with, in the event of my death. So he would understand my motives if I died. But why shouldn’t we bring him to us? I will not return without you, and I cannot leave you alone with this fear for your people. So show me what I must do so that my dragon can help the people.«

  »No,« she shouted, and tears shot into her eyes. He heard the despair in her voice but did not understand why she reacted so dismissively. She retreated at the edge of the cave in front of him. »We cannot take him. She would kill him. I am the priestess, and the priestess is the Brown.« Immediately the transformation began with a warm glow from inside her body. The Brown appeared, threw himself out of the cave, and flew away.

  Adar stared after her silently. For the first time, he had seen her transform. He felt no fear of the Brown. The awakening let rose a strangely familiar feeling in him. Thoughtfully he looked into the distance, where the dragon became smaller and smaller. But now he felt his strength slowly diminish. He looked around, discovered chairs and armchairs. He dragged himself to one of the chairs, sat down and waited. He did not move for hours and waited persistently for her return.

  Jabal ran and ran towards Hengshan. He was on the road for days. Finally, the king’s palace lay before him. The leader had imagined it to be big and splendid, full of life. But the walls he saw looked rather old and dilapidated. Some of the buildings that belonged to the palace had even collapsed. The rest were uninhabited. And the king was to live and rule here?

  Jabal had come here for a reason. The Red would certainly be pleased with the news. If the Red succeeded in taking over the priestess’s husband, then the king could finally rule as planned.

  He, Jabal, could then take revenge on Kane, who had withheld the information from him. It was only for this reason that his family and everyone else in the village had died. Only Kane was to blame for this whole fiasco. Therefore he had to die.

  »What do you want, farmer?« One of the two guards in front of the gate stopped him with the lance on his chest.

  »I have to go to the priestess. I have important news for her. It affects the priestess of the Brown«.

  The other guard made a mockery of her face. »Another one who has an important message. Let him in. The priestess will already know what she is doing with him. Probably she doesn’t even have time for him. She is still celebrating the victory over a rebellious village.«

  The other reluctantly took the lance from Jabal’s breast. He pointed his head towards the gate. »Try to survive, farmer. If you’re lucky, you might make it. The last one didn’t come out of that gate alive again. To be more precise, he didn’t come out at all!«

  Then the two laughed.

  Jabal slowly crept into fear. Nevertheless, he went through the gate. Behind it was a dark hall. It was cold and desolate. Jabal walked on. The closer he came to the door at the other end, the louder it got. Music could be heard, and people talked loudly.

  At the other end, a guard stood and chewed on a thin branch. »The priestess?« he was only asked by the guy.

  Jabal nodded wordlessly. In the meantime, he had become very nervous. Here in the palace, everything was just cold and unreal. The long, high hall he had walked through was dark and empty. Really disturbing. The guard turned around, opened the door. The noise coming out of the room was deafening. He disappeared behind the door and closed it behind him. After a few moments, the door opened again. Now it was quiet in the hall. The guard pointed his head inside. »She awaits you.«

  »Thank you.« Jabal was frightened by his own voice. As he stepped through the heavy door, it closed behind him. Jabal stood with his back to the door and stared fascinated at the scenery of the huge hall. The walls were white and bare, interrupted only by enormous windows through which the afternoon sun threw its rays into the room. Every few feet, full bowls filled with a flammable liquid for the evening that had not yet been ignited.

  Long rows of tables reaching to the throne were full of people staring at him. On the tables were huge quantities of mugs filled with wine or beer, with plates of roast meat, fish, and vegetables in between.

  Slowly and insecurely, he walked through the rows almost to the throne. There he bowed profoundly and remained in a stooped posture.

  The king was a young man with light skin, long dark hair, and dark almond-shaped eyes. He seemed bored and somehow lonely, almost lost on the throne.

  The priestess sat on the floor in front of him. Her head rested at the ruler’s knee, while her arms tenderly entwined his leg. She looked towards Jabal. As he bowed to the king and her, she rose and stepped up to him. »Ah, the traitor of hospitality dares to visit us in Hengshan. So the Brown didn’t kill you, although you betrayed this handsome young man and broke the law of hospitality?« Her voice dripped with scorn and disgust.

  He involuntarily fell to his knees and touched the ground: »Priestess, I am here today because I am a proper subject of my King. I had to come here to tell you the news. Just because Kane didn’t say who this magician really was, he escaped you. He is still alive. That’s why I had to come here to tell you. The Brown came too fast and was able to save him. He brought him to Taishan. But that must not be. This man, priestess, gives you an advantage over the Brown. You must bring him into your control. He is the husband of the priestess Maioshan. If you have him, you can finally end the misery of the country.«

  In the meantime, the priestess had turned away from him, now she drove around snarling and bared her teeth. Angrily she stared down at him. »What are you saying? Maioshan has a husband? That cannot be! Magicians and priests make a connection only once in their lives. She would disregard the traditions of our country. She is too honorable for that. She would never do that.«

  »Please, believe me! He is her husband. I saw how she tried to care for him. About the same young magician whom we had captured for you. It is him. But Kane, Kane is to blame for the misery, he didn’t tell me about it, although he knew. Otherwise, I would have told you. I help you, priestess, for I must take revenge on Kane.«

  Unwillingly, the priestess shook her head. She snarled at him threateningly, and Jabal slipped fearfully across the floor from her.

  »Go away, farmer, get out of my sight. Never let yourself be seen here again. You are surviving just for one reason. Thanks to the news that he is still alive and Maioshan’s husband, I won’t let the Red tear you to pieces! Go,« she screamed in rage, clenching her hands to fists.

  »But priestess, I …«

  Then she became very calm and hissed with glowing eyes: »Don’t tease me anymore, farmer, or I’ll forget myself. Run, farmer. Run as fast as your legs carry you. Go away!«

  Jabal gathered, retreated intimidated. Bowed wildly to her over and over again as he stepped back to the door. He had hoped she would support him to complete his revenge. He was disappointed; his expectations shattered. He was also indescribably afraid. When he felt the door in his back, he ripped it open and rushed out. But how would he ever get his revenge? He would have to move to Taishan and find Kane there and kill him and his family himself.

  He hurried out of the palace and on, away from this eerie place. When the sun touched the horizon, the day was coming to an end, and he could only see the buildings far away, he heard a terrible screech. He looked back and recognized a Naga that was slowly getting bigger and bigger.

  Ugar approached Adar, who was still waiting for the priestess and the Brown.

  Adar seemed e
xhausted, but he had to wait for her here. He had to stay and convince her. He could only help her if she allowed him to become a priest, as well. Two of them could do something against the Red.

  »Lord, she will not come back today,« Ugar explained to the magician.

  »Your name is Ugar, isn’t it?« Adar wanted to know.

  »Yes, Lord.«

  »Ugar, why doesn’t she want me to become a priest too? Then she would no longer have to carry this terrible burden alone.«

  »She is afraid for you, Lord,« Ugar explained the behavior of the priestess.

  Adar looked at him without understanding. »She must be more afraid for me if I cannot call my dragon if I cannot defend myself against the Red. I have seen the Red, I have seen what he is capable of. I have endured the cruelty with which he is proceeding«. Adar leaned forward and buried his face in his hands.

  Ugar heard the concern in Adar’s voice. »Lord, she hopes to bring you back to your homeland soon. You must go back to your country and live a peaceful life there. As a priest, you can never go home again. The Red would track down the dragon in you and then also attack your country and your people«.

  Adar laughed desperately.

  »Lord, what about you?«

  Adar looked at him for a long time and sighed. He knew this butler was Maioshan’s closest confidante. He had earned her trust. He would not use his knowledge against her. »Ugar, I love my son and would like to return to him. I miss teaching him, holding him in my arms, reading to him, visiting the bathhouse with him. To feel his little hands in my neck.«

  He paused. Then Adar continued: »I can no longer live without her. I tried, but every day she wasn’t around, something died inside me. Isn’t it better that I help her with all my strength until this Ringbearer appears for whom she is waiting?«

  Ugar listened silently. He did not quite understand what he wanted to say to him. »She has been waiting so many years for the Ringbearer. For thousands of years, she has fought alone for the people. The first husband of the priestess was killed a long time ago. She only wants to prevent you from dying in the same way. For you, she hopes you may find another wife and start a new life.«

  Adar looked at him with a look that could freeze water to ice. Unconsciously he bared his teeth and growled. His voice was dark and relentless. »Don’t you understand, Ugar? She is my magician of the First Night, and I am addicted to her. I will die if she sends me away. She is mine, and I belong to her as long as I live. It is the power of the female magician over a man. She calms the beast inside me. I can no longer live without her. If I go away, it is my death. Is that what she wants?«

  Ugar had listened attentively and shaken his head. She certainly did not want that. He did not know the peculiarity of the love between a male and a female magician. For humans and the magicians here did not know each other well. In the meantime, there were too few magicians in Emeishan. Most of them lived almost exclusively near Taishan and only connected. So were the traditions in Emeishan. It was unknown to Ugar whether a connection between magician and human was possible at all. Adar, too, had not known of this power until recently, since there were no female magicians in Ized. The warrior sighed again, rose laboriously, and stepped to the edge of the cave. He looked longingly into the distance, in the direction Maioshan had flown. »I probably wouldn’t even enter my country alive if she sent me away. Then I might as well plunge the rock here.« He smiled and cautiously looked over the edge of the cave. It was very high, and there was only bare rock down there. Then he clenched his hands to fists. He didn’t want to give up yet. »Ugar, if she doesn’t come back today, it’s pointless to wait here. How do I get back to the rooms I was in?«

  Ugar felt the insecurity, the despair of the young man. He had to talk to Maioshan as soon as she returned. This man loved her, and he believed what he said. He bowed with courtesy. »I lead you, Lord. It won’t be long before you know the system of corridors. In general, all paths that go up lead to this cave sometime. All that lead down the end at the portal. The rest will come later.«

  While Ugar gave him a hint or two on the way, he led him back. Adar concentrated on the explanations and the way. He memorized the route so well that he could find the way to the cave and back again in the future even without Ugar.

  »I’ll bring you supper, Lord,« the butler recommended.

  »Thank you, Ugar.« Adar opened the door and entered the chambers of the priestess. He dragged himself in. Pale and exhausted, he took a seat in an armchair. Some of the wounds were very painful. The recovery took a lot of strength. He remained seated until it knocked. After opening the door with a magical impulse, Ugar entered and was immediately disturbed.

  »What about you, Lord? Do you need the healer? Shall I fetch her?«

  Adar shook his head. »It was a bit exhausting today. I will go to sleep immediately. Tomorrow I will feel better again«.

  »If anything happens, please don’t hesitate and pull the ribbon there. I will be informed and at your service.«

  Adar looked in the direction in which Ugar pointed, discovered the said strip, and nodded understandingly. »Thank you, Ugar.« So far, he hadn’t been a night here without Maioshan. She had taken care of everything, so he didn’t know the possibilities yet. Ugar, had always appeared out of nowhere. Probably Maioshan had brought him in this way more often.

  »Maybe you need something for the pain? I can get you a potion.«

  »Yes, that’s a good idea,« Adar thanked the butler for the suggestion. The pain was stronger again tonight. He could certainly sleep better if he took something.

  Ugar hurried and brought him a whole bottle with a painkiller.

  »You can safely take a spoon of it every four hours. The healer also likes to come by again to look at your wounds.«

  »Thank you, Ugar, but that is not necessary. I just moved too much today.«

  Adar immediately took off the medicine and went to sleep after dinner. He laid one hand on the place where Maioshan used to rest. He felt lonely.

  Maioshan flew hour after hour aimlessly across the country. At some point, she landed and realized that this was a special place. A place she had avoided for millennia. The place where the Red had murdered her first husband. The place where Mamien had smashed the eyes of the Black with a stone.

  She stopped in amazement and looked around. The landscape blossomed in beautiful colors. In former times there were only bare rocks here, but she still knew precisely the place where the Red had destroyed Dagon.

  There was no rock here anymore. As if by a miracle, many plants had grown around an all-dominating, huge and ancient tree. The crown of the tree was extensive and had dense green foliage. Slowly she went to it. She discovered bird’s nests in the branches. Around the tree, there were many plants. Grasses, bushes, and flowers with large heads shining in all colors.

  Exhausted and amazed, she walked around the tree, touched the thick trunk, let her hands glide over it. Then she sat down under it.

  That was exactly where the Red had killed the Black. Nevertheless, she felt a strange peace and contentment rising within her.

  The wind drove through the leaves of the tree, and the gentle rustling calmed her down. She heard her name and looked around. Still, no one was to be seen. The voice, however, reminded her of someone. This voice had been so familiar to her before. Again it rustled in the leaves, and again, she heard her name blowing quietly to her.

  »Maioshan, we priests never really die,« the voice explained. It was Dagon. He continued to say to her: »Priests are pure magic and become part of nature in the event of their death. You have had to wait a very long time for the Ringbearer, and during the time you carried the whole burden alone. But don’t despair. Someone has come, and now it is time to let the priests become part of the land again. Do not be afraid, my little Maioshan, and follow your heart.«

  »Dagon, my beloved husband, I have found someone who loves me, as you have done, and I have also felt love again.«

  »I kno
w that my little beloved,« it rushed down from the leaves again. »Follow your heart. Let the magician participate in your life and in your way. The time of the priests will come already within our grasp. Begin with the one who loves you. Do not hesitate! Others will follow him. Seize this possibility. Otherwise, the Red will take his life. Don’t give the Red this triumph.«

  The rustling of the leaves became more intense, and Maioshan slid into a deep sleep.

  When she awoke again, the sun just rose. She had slept for many hours and became restless. There was no hesitation. She felt she urgently needed to return to Taishan Fortress. The danger was imminent. Adar was in danger.

  Terrible sounds awakened Adar. In front of the door, people rushed back and forth, and again, he heard orders given in the language of the country. He gathered himself up groaning and in pain, slowly walked to the door and opened it. Men in uniforms rushed up and down the hallways.

  He held one back by the arm. »What happened?« he wanted to know from him.

  »The Red comes with a troop of Nagas and attacks Taishan. But the Brown is not here to defend the fortress. We must secure the cave above and the portal below.«

  Adar let the man go and nodded to him. »Do your duty.« He had already discovered his weapon bag in Maioshan’s rooms and stepped back into the room. Quickly the saber was attached to the belt, and the quiver with the arrows was hung around it. He stretched the bow only with difficulty and moaned. »By the Waves,« he cursed the injuries. He left the blades of the battle stick in the leather sleeves. There was too much pushing in the corridors. If he would carry the baton staff there without leather sleeves, too many could be injured. So he stepped out into the hallway. Every way up led to the cave. He followed Ugar’s instructions and the memory that had guided him.