Wanderer's Song

by P. E. Padilla

  It occurred to Aeden what his father had said. “Only the blood magic has any effect on them.” The magic. He called it up, almost getting slashed by one of the creature’s claws as he went through the motions of the spell he was trying to use.

  Fire lashed out from him as he pronounced the word of power, slamming into one of the creatures, making it screech. He held the power, willed it to be stronger, and finally the thing burst into flames, fell to the ground, and lay still. He got a slash across his back for his troubles.

  For a time, he could only fight with his weapons, relying on his body to do as he had trained it. Two dozen of the creatures surrounded him, too many to reach him at once. He saw that some of them were turning to look for other targets. Two started toward Fahtin and Raki, who had been throwing blades and other projectiles at the mass of enemies from the side.

  One of the black creatures opened its mouth and displayed a wicked smile, yellowed, sharp teeth dripping with saliva. If Aeden didn’t do something soon, his friends would be killed. He tried to calm his mind, but couldn’t force the thoughts of his friends in danger out of it. His own life was of little value. He would gladly trade it for his two friends. But even doing so, it would not save them. He had to calm himself and use the magic.

  And so, he sang.

  He had found that singing, especially singing the Song of Prophecy, had become for him a type of meditation. It calmed him, energized him, and made him feel more powerful than at any other time. So, he sang. Loudly. Forcefully. Aggressively. And as he did, the magic rushed into him and consumed him.

  The creatures around him, including the two who were going toward his friends, paused. As one, their heads swiveled to him. A few sniffed as if catching the scent of food. It was all Aeden needed.

  Sheathing his swords in the scabbard at his back in one quick motion, his hands began to make complex gestures. They flew from motion to motion, smooth as water and fast as lightning. He didn’t know what he was doing, but he allowed the magic to dictate his actions. As he sang, other words entered his mind and went directly to his mouth. Words he had never heard or said.

  They felt like the words in the Song, sounded to him like they would be the same language, but he didn’t know their meaning or origin. They rushed from his mouth, and he could almost see them swirling around him in a grand torrent, a whirlpool of power.

  It was only seconds that the power had been building. He shouted the final word as his hands stopped their rotation and ended the circular motion with a final push outward. Magic exploded out of him.

  The creatures could not stand in the force of it for even a fraction of a second. As the power rocketed outward, a loud detonation shook the entire campsite, throwing Raki and Fahtin back and rocking the nearby wagons on their wheels. The world spun for Aeden, and he lost sight of everything as all around him seemed to whirl into a wash of colors.

  When his vision cleared, Aeden was standing in the middle of the camp, alone. Shreds of black flesh lay in a circle around him, but no more of the creatures were in sight. He crumpled to one knee, putting his hand on the ground for support.

  It was finished. For now.

  24

  It was only a few minutes before those not in the immediate area came to see if there were any more of the creatures. Aeden was still on one knee, fist on the ground, eyes closed.

  “Aeden?” Fahtin said as she came near him. Good, at least she was not injured in his magical explosion.

  “I’m fine, just a bit tired.” He felt her hand on his shoulder.

  “Come, sit over here. We’ll get you something to drink. To eat, too, if you like.”

  He allowed her to tug him to his feet and followed her to a chair that she righted next to the fire pit. His legs were unsteady, but the weakness was passing, becoming general fatigue as if he had spent an entire morning in hard training. When he reached the chair, he sat heavily in it, put his elbows on his knees, and took his head between his palms. He closed his eyes and squeezed with his hands. It seemed like a good idea, but it didn’t help much.

  “Aeden?” Fahtin handed him a cup of water Raki had fetched. “What happened?”

  “They wouldn’t die,” he said, “just as my father told me. I nearly severed the heads of several of them and they just got back up and came at me again.”

  “I saw that,” she said. “I buried several knives in eyes or in chests, and it didn’t faze them in the least. But what happened, at the end there?”

  Aeden opened his eyes and looked at her. There were more than a dozen people around him. “My father said the only thing that killed them was the clan magic. So, I used it.”

  “I thought you couldn’t use the magic. Isn’t that why you were cast out, for failing your trial?”

  “Aye. In the last few months, though, it came alive in me. Ever since I started singing the Bhagant. It somehow removed the block I had within me. I’ve been practicing with it, but have never been able to use it so powerfully.”

  He noticed Jehira off to the side. The old woman was nodding her head, a knowing look in her dark eyes.

  “What changed?” Fahtin asked. “Why were you able to use it like that?”

  “I honestly don’t know,” he said. “Maybe it was because of the danger, maybe because others were being killed. I think it had to do with the Song, though. Just before I used it, I was singing the Song, almost like a battle cry. It made the power build up in me.”

  “Whatever the reason,” Darun said, just coming up to him, “your actions have saved the family. I just checked on the others. There are seven dead and four more injured. For the amount of time the monsters were here, that is remarkable.”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t faster,” Aeden said, thinking of those killed because of his delay.

  “Nonsense,” Darun said. “Without your magic, the entire family would have been killed in minutes. They weren’t interested in us, though. They only killed those in the way as they went for you. If you hadn’t battled with them in a…ummm, more conventional way, they would not have been close enough to be caught in your magic. We are fortunate there were not more casualties and also that you were here. We could have easily ended up like the villages we saw in the highlands.”

  Darun was probably right. Still, Aeden didn’t like it that people were killed.

  “I was just targeted because they picked me out as the best fighter,” he said.

  “I don’t think so, Aeden,” Darun said. “Things had barely gotten started when they diverted their attention to you. No, it seemed like they knew you were here and that’s why they came. Maybe they have something against the clans?”

  Aeden opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

  “No,” a voice said.

  Jehira walked slowly to the two men. “It was not accident, and it was not in search of clan warriors that they came.”

  “What do you mean, Jehira?” Darun asked.

  “It is he they came to find.”

  “How could you know that? Did you have a foretelling?

  “No,” she said. “It is because it was prophesied to be so.”

  Aeden’s eyes locked on hers. She did not blink, did not look away. She looked deeply into his eyes. He could almost hear her thoughts.

  “It is the Song. The Bhavisyaganant. It foretells these events. I was unsure before, but no longer.”

  “Which parts of the Song?” Aeden asked. “There is nothing in the parts I have translated yet that mentions this.”

  “It is later. You know the words in Dantogyptain, but not their meaning.

  Golga ua rotta aun utta

  Malatirsay moirum vistas

  Dah morita sai ma dah stirota sai tutta

  Sunha dah apruta sai jintoka

  Aruna dah arjisteta sai, Animaru

  Prein Malatirsay dah dheta dara sai

  Mortiyu ko sabmen per sarak

  Epradotant nata ka deh dah dregutota dara sai”

  “But what do they mean?” Darun ask
ed. “Translate them for us, Jehira. We must know.”

  “Translation from the ancient languages is not a simple matter. At times, a single word in Dantogyptain may only be explained by twenty words in Ruthrin. For other passages, there may not exist an accurate way of expressing the original meaning. Any ‘translation’ is flawed, thus have I been teaching Aeden the language so that he may understand not just words, but the soul of the Song, the heart of the prophecy.”

  “Yes, yes,” Darun said. “Please, Jehira. We have family members who are dead, others injured. We must know about this. We could still be in danger. There are more of these creatures out there. Any information on them could help us survive.”

  Jehira looked from Darun to Aeden. She sighed.

  “Very well. I will tell you of two of the passages, but you must understand that what I say is the barest of meanings. The ancient languages are rich in ambiguity and symbolism, the songs and prophecies even more so.”

  “We will remember.”

  Jehira closed her eyes and was silent for a moment, other than a whispered sound that she made as she moved her mouth, going over the words of the Song.

  “Here are the bones of what the passages say:

  Hero from east and north

  Malatirsay faces death

  Dying but living still

  Learns the secret to prevail

  Darkness comes, the Animaru

  Searching for Malatirsay

  Death to all those in the path

  Hunting and killing their foe.”

  “What is this ‘Malatirsay’ and ‘Animaru’?” Darun asked. “Those do not sound like Gypta words.

  “They are not,” Jehira said. “They are from another language, as ancient or more so than Dantogyptain. ‘Malatirsay’ means, roughly, Chosen Warrior, Unique Warrior, Special Warrior. You get the idea. The form of it makes it clear this is a title, not just a label. This is the one the prophecy speaks of throughout the Song, the one who can prevent the end of the world.”

  Aeden nodded. He went through the words of the Song in his head, counting. “Malatirsay” was repeated seven times. It did seem to be a central concept for the prophecy.

  “The word ‘Animaru’ means something like ‘dark creatures,’ ‘dark animals,’ or even ‘monsters of the dark’.” She jerked her head toward some of the scraps of black flesh that remained on the ground. Where each lay, there was empty space around it. No one wanted to stand too near the shreds left of their attackers.

  “These monsters are searching for the Malatirsay,” she continued, “To destroy the warrior before he can gain the power to stop them.”

  “Dying but living still. Hero from the east and north. Learns the secret to prevail.” Darun ticked the parts of the Song off as his eyes went unfocused. “So, you’re saying that our Aeden here is a hero, the Chosen Warrior prophesied thousands of years ago to save our world?”

  “Yes.”

  Aeden laughed, causing all heads to swivel to him.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I was lucky that my father told me how to kill the creatures. I was lucky again that the Song somehow gave me the power to do it. I’m no hero, and I’m definitely not this Malatirsay. Even if offered, I wouldn’t take the job. My own life is enough for me. I don’t need the world looking at me for saving.”

  “Why else,” Jehira asked him, “do you think the Song gives you power? It does not do so for me, nor for Raki when he learns the language. It has not done so for any before you. Why?”

  “I…don’t know,” he admitted.

  “It is because it is not the Song giving you power at all. It is the Song that caused you to break the quietude you have maintained your entire life. It has loosened your mouth so that you will utter the words of power you learned many years ago. Can you not see that it is so?”

  He didn’t answer her, but instead tried a new approach. “But Jehira, you can’t think that I’m someone who a song was written about two thousand years ago. I’m just an outcast boy from a highland clan who was lucky enough to be found by all of you.”

  The old woman put her wrinkled hand on his shoulder. “You will see more clearly as you learn more of the Song’s meaning. I have studied it all my life, and I am telling you, those creatures are animaru and they came here for you. They looked for you in the villages but could not find you there. Now they are tracking you. Your belief does not matter to them. They will kill you if they are able, you and all those near you. Your disbelief may kill you. That would affect not only you, but the entire world.”

  Aeden sat back down hard on the chair. He was feeling weak again. “Me, and all those near me?”

  Jehira nodded.

  “Then, my presence here is putting you all in danger. If this is true, I am the reason they came here, and I am the reason some of our family are lying dead now. It’s all because of me. You brought me into the family and nurtured me, gave me food and a place to call home, and this is how I repay you.” He dropped his head in his hands as he wrestled with the thought.

  “Boy,” Darun said. Aeden lifted his head to look at the caravan leader. “You are not to blame. If anything, you are the reason the rest of us still live. You are family, a loved one to us all. We will stick with you regardless of danger. The Gypta do not take our family so lightly. If we die defending you or any other member of the family, then we are proud to do so.

  “No.” Aeden got to his feet. “No!” he shouted. “I will not be a cause for any other deaths. I will leave, draw them away. If you go to more populated lands, they won’t follow you. Once the monsters realize I have left, they will come straight for me. I will leave immediately.”

  Darun put his hands up. “Now, just calm down, Aeden. There is no need for you to do that. We’ll figure it out. Let’s discuss it and come up with a better solution. You have only been with us for five years. Don’t go leaving us because it seems like there is a bit of danger.”

  Jehira shook her head sadly. “He is right, Darun. I have seen it in a foretelling. If he does not leave, the family will die. Not all at once, but repeated attacks will eventually destroy us. The telling did not seem to make sense before, just a feeling and visions of shadows slaying us in the midst of our wagons, but it is clear now. If we are to survive, he must leave.”

  The silence in the clearing was deafening. The only sound was the occasional shuffle of a foot or someone sighing.

  “It’s settled, then,” Aeden said. “I will gather a few supplies, if that’s okay,” he nodded to Darun, “and then I will leave. The sooner I do so the better. It would probably be good for you to start traveling immediately also, to get as far away from this site as possible.”

  “I’m going with you,” Fahtin said. Her father’s head whipped around at the sound, disbelief on his face.

  “No, you’re not,” Aeden said.

  “I am. You are my brother, closer to me than any blood brother could be. I’ll not have you running around alone having adventures without me. You promised to take me on adventures, to let me travel with you to find and solve the world’s mysteries. You gave me your word. I am calling due your promise now. I am going with you, and you cannot stop me. Or is your clan honor not all that you try to make it seem?”

  “Fahtin, please. Don’t do this. Don’t force me to take you. You’ve seen what is waiting for me. I may not be able to protect you.”

  She stepped closer and patted him on the cheek. “Oh, Aeden, you have it all wrong. I am coming to protect you.”

  25

  Aeden sighed. It seemed like they would be two. He looked at Darun. The man shrugged. Aeden was sure he would try to talk his daughter out of it, but he wouldn’t succeed. Fahtin’s eyes glittered, daring anyone to oppose her. He knew that stubborn set to her mouth and jaw. No, she wouldn’t be dissuaded, and he couldn’t sneak off, not and still keep his honor. He had given his word. “Cachten siolach peitseag,” he pronounced under his breath, causing Fahtin to look at him sideways.

  “I will come, t
oo,” Raki said.

  “No, you won’t,” both Aeden and Fahtin said at the same time. They looked at each other and their sly smiles made them seem like twins.

  “I’m sorry, Raki,” Aeden said. “Your training is going well, and I do not doubt your courage, but I have made you no promises and will not let you come. You stay here with your grandmother and use what you have learned to protect her and the rest of the family.”

  “But I can—”

  Jehira slapped the top of Raki’s head. Not a hard slap, not a punishment, and her expression didn’t indicate that it was done in anger. It was just to get his attention. “Enough, Raki. Do not make it harder for Aeden than it already is.”

  The boy drew in on himself and his lower lip protruded as he crossed his arms and hugged himself.

  “I’m sorry, Raki,” Aeden said, “but it really is better this way. Please don’t have hard feelings about it. I’d keep Fahtin from going too, if I could.”

  Raki nodded. His eyes were sad, but his lip came back in just a little bit.

  “I guess there’s no time to be lost, then,” Aeden said. “Darun, if I could take a few supplies, I’ll get started.” He looked to Fahtin and felt his stomach sink to his ankles. “We’ll get started.” She smiled at him, but it was just with her mouth. It didn’t touch her eyes, which held apprehension.

  “You can take whatever you like,” Darun Achaya said. “Are you sure—”

  “I have seen it,” Jehira said. “It is certain.”

  “Of course,” Darun said softly, almost in whisper. “Of course.”

  Fahtin hugged her father. “Thank you for not trying to stop me.”

  The man squeezed her for a long time, stopping only to bring his hand up to wipe the tears from his eyes. “I know that look, Fahtin. Nothing I could do would convince you. Even tying you up would not stop you.”