Wanderer's Song

by P. E. Padilla

  It was fascinating. She had never thought of such a thing. “And do all the creatures on this world do this thing, this birthing?”

  “In one form or another, yes. Some lay eggs and some bear their offspring live, and some even actually split in two or drop parts of themselves to create copies but yes, they all reproduce.”

  It was a revelation to Khrazhti, something she had thought about often as she spent time in this world. Perhaps the rumors she had heard were true. She had always thought them to be made-up stories meant to make her lose face.

  As the stories went, there was an event some time nearly three thousand years before. Powerful users of magic from this lighted world, Dizhelim, somehow had transported themselves to Aruzhelim. Their expedition was to explore the dark world to record the information they could about it. When they got there, though, they found that they could not open their magical portal from Aruzhelim to go home. They were trapped.

  It was not long until they were detected and brought to S’ru, the god of all things, himself. He questioned and prodded them, studied them for a little while. They spoke a variation of the true language of Aruzhelim, so there was rudimentary conversation. When they started to die off because their bodies were not compatible with the dark world, S’ru left them in their confinement and grew bored with them.

  Not so with one of his generals. Suuksis was inquisitive and spent a great deal of time with the humans. He studied how they acted, how their bodies reacted to different things, and how the energies in the dark world affected them. When he learned of their strange way of making other humans, he decided to experiment with one of the humans in particular. A female.

  To his surprise, the human began to grow larger, but only about the middle. After a period of time, a creature came from her, pale blue and squealing as the humans did when subjected to pain. The general did not understand completely, but he sensed that this small animal was connected to him. The human female lived for two more years, longer than any of the others, before succumbing to the energies that killed her. The general was left with the still-small creature she had spawned.

  Suuksis kept the creature as a pet, feeding it and playing with it. He kept it generally hidden because there were no such things in Aruzhelim and he did not want any other of the animaru to steal it. As the years passed, the thing grew. In a very few years, it learned to speak, almost like a real animaru.

  He decided to teach it to fight. Maybe if it learned, he could use it to gamble with others. In any case, it was a pleasant distraction from the constant political maneuverings and combat between the animaru. He was surprised with the ease at which the little thing learned to fight. In a dozen years, it was almost as tall as he and could fight as well as many of the other animaru.

  Then came the day when the thing—he had finally relented and given it the name Khrazhti—displayed a talent for magic. He was sure then that somehow he had created a real person with the human female. It was then that he began to think of her—for it was plain she was female—as an equal.

  It was not long until S’ru himself came to notice Khrazhti. He took her from Suuksis and began to train her in death magic himself. She excelled and within three hundred years, she had replaced others, including the one who had helped create her, as S’ru’s highest minion. She was his high priestess, second only to the god himself. Others had tried to defeat her, to replace her, but she was too powerful. With her different appearance and her ability, both in combat and magic, she had been the hand of S’ru for almost two thousand years. It was logical, then, for her to be the one sent to this world to pave the way for his arrival.

  “Khrazhti, my most loyal and powerful servant,” he said. “This new world, Dizhelim, is a world of light and life, and so is anathema to me. You must go there and prepare it for me. Work with the human who was able to contact me through the distance between our worlds and diminish those things that prevent me from going to that world to bring it under my domain. Only you would I trust with this task.”

  It was an honor, of course, a pleasure to do her god’s will. She left immediately through the portal created by the human, her and more than five thousand of her hand-picked troops. She would not be able to return for a time. Apparently there were special conditions required to create the portal, and the human said it could not be done again quickly.

  And so she had come, armed with the will of her god, S’ru, and the prophecies the animaru had kept in their hearts for five thousand years. Those prophecies said that they would come to a land of life, seed their death upon it, and increase the realm of their god. The only thing that could prevent it was the One, the Gneisprumay.

  Thus, her task was simple. Reduce the life and light in the world and, more importantly, destroy the one who could foil their plans. Khrazhti turned her glowing blue eyes out of the window of her fortress and watched the huge ball of light these humans called a ‘sun’ disappear behind the distant mountains. How glad she would be when this accursed light could be removed from the world and her god could join her here. It would be soon, she was sure.

  27

  “I’ve never traveled without the wagons before,” Fahtin said as she and Aeden made their way generally eastward.

  “Don’t worry,” he told her. “I have had to live off the land, and though I didn’t travel that much within the highlands, I have the skills we need.” He smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder, just on the side of her neck. “I’ll teach you.”

  “Oh,” she said. “Do that some more.” She stopped walking and closed her eyes. He had rubbed right where the backpack had been bruising her all day.

  Aeden laughed. “Fine, we can take a little break here, I guess. We’ve been on the road for two hours already since the last break.”

  They stepped to the side of the hard-packed dirt road and set their packs down. Fahtin took out two apples from hers and offered one to Aeden.

  “In a few minutes,” he said. “I’ll need both hands for this.” He removed her traveling cloak and started rubbing her neck and shoulders, systematically working out the knots in her muscles. She closed her eyes and completely forgot about the apple she had planned on eating. It felt so good!

  By the time he finished and removed his strong hands from her—he had moved down to massage her upper back by then—her muscles were warm and felt like finely kneaded bread dough. She let out a long sigh.

  “You are very good at that,” she told him. “Very good.”

  “I learned a bit about anatomy as I trained with my clan. Knowing where muscles and organs are can be a great help when having to kill someone. They also help when you need to help yourself or someone else heal. It’s all connected.”

  She looked over her shoulder at him as he picked up the apple she had dropped when he started rubbing her neck. He smiled at her and she smiled back. “You should teach me how to do that. I can return the favor for you sometime.”

  He took a bite of the apple. “Sure. We can add it to your training.”

  They didn’t stay long on the patch of grass. After their apples had been stripped to the core, they tossed the remains, picked up their packs, and continued on their journey.

  It had only been two days since they left the caravan, but they seemed to be making good time. The roads in the area were in good shape, and they could cover ten to fifteen miles a day. They could have pushed harder and done more, but the urgency with which they started had diminished. They had not seen anyone else on the road, nor did they catch sight of any of the dark monsters that had attacked their family.

  Fahtin looked back down the section of the road they had just covered. She thought she had seen something move off to the side, but she wasn’t sure. It was probably just her mind playing tricks on her.

  “Do you think the family is safe?” she asked.

  “I would expect it to be so. I think they’re right. Those creatures are after me. Without me there, maybe they won’t bother to attack.”

  “But they att
acked the clans even though you weren’t there.”

  “Yes.” Aeden looked at the ground as if considering it. “That was before they actually saw me, though. If any of the creatures escaped when I killed the rest of them, they’ll know about me now. I don’t think they will waste time attacking the caravan when they could be chasing me.”

  “That sounds reasonable,” Fahtin said. “Hopefully you’re right. Of course, that means they will all be after us, which doesn’t make me happy.”

  Aeden stopped walking and turned to look her in the eyes. “It’s not too late, you know. You can still go back. You’ll be safer with the family.”

  “Aeden, please,” she said. “I thought you had accepted that I was going to go with you.”

  “I don’t want you hurt. I don’t have a choice in this, but you do. Please, change your mind and go back. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

  “Oh?” she said. “And what of how I’d feel if something happened to you? Have you thought of that? No, you haven’t. We are in this together, you and I. I will not change my mind, so push that right out of that head of yours.”

  “Fine,” he said. His eyes darted to the road behind them for a moment, but then he turned to start walking again. “It will be dark in a couple more hours. We should probably start looking for somewhere good to camp soon.”

  They found a nice little clearing off the side of the road a few hundred feet later. The land had a mixture of smallish trees, not so small as bushes or shrubs, but not the towering trees they would reach in a few days if they continued on that road. The vegetation wasn’t too thick for them to move fairly easily through it, but traveling on the road was much easier, and they would continue to do that until there was a good reason not to.

  Fahtin collected firewood while Aeden hunted up rocks to create a fire ring. He had shown her a trick for getting dead limbs from trees instead of searching for suitable wood on the ground. She still delighted as she heard the rope cut through the air. Then the sound of cracking wood echoed down to her as she pulled the rope after it had wound itself about the deadwood. It didn’t take long until she brought down enough wood to last them the night.

  While they ate—simple roasted vegetables and some of the bread they had left—Fahtin noticed Aeden’s eyes flicking now and then to the darkened forest around them. Did he see something, or was he just being careful?

  “I think we should start keeping watch at night,” he said. “We can sleep in shifts. I’ll take the first shift while you get a little sleep.”

  She agreed and soon was wrapped in her cloak and falling asleep. She took her turn early in the morning so he could rest, with directions to wake him before dawn.

  The next day, they continued walking until it was almost too dark to see. Aeden had insisted for some reason, saying he would tell her why later. They found another place to camp, not quite so ideal as the day before, but still comfortable enough.

  Her red-haired companion had been deep in thought all day, answering her questions with a minimum number of words and not offering much dialog of his own. He seemed preoccupied. When she asked him about it, he shrugged and said he had some things on his mind. She worried that he wouldn’t tell her about it, but decided to allow him some time to tell her when he wanted to. She would not push him.

  “Enough,” Aeden said loudly into the air, startling her with his volume and suddenness. “Raki, you might as well come and sit down with us. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

  What? What was he talking about? “Aeden?” Fahtin said, but then heard a small sound off in the forest behind her. She spun, drawing a knife in each hand.

  Raki shuffled into the firelight, head down and shoulders slumped.

  “Raki?” Fahtin said. “Why are you here?”

  “He followed us,” Aeden said, handing a waterskin to the boy.

  “How did you see me?” Raki asked. “I’m pretty sneaky, as you know.”

  “I didn’t see you,” Aeden answered. “Well, maybe a slight movement of a bush here or there, but it wasn’t that. It’s that feeling when someone is watching you. I had it, but it didn’t feel dangerous. I wasn’t sure at first, but then when it went on for a few days and we still weren’t attacked, I figured it was you.”

  “You mean, if I hadn’t come out,” the boy said. “You would have just thought you were mistaken?”

  “Aye.”

  “Oh.” He sighed.

  “Wait a minute,” Fahtin said, glaring at the younger boy and crossing her arms beneath her breasts. “Aren’t we forgetting the most important part here? It’s not whether you saw him or he is sneaky enough. The question is, what were you thinking? You left the family and you put yourself at risk following us on your own like this.”

  “My Nani let me go,” Raki said. “She had a vision more than a year ago that showed her I would be better off if I went with you. Not just me, but you would be better off, and the family. Everyone. She didn’t want to make a scene of it when you left, so she told me to follow you.”

  “Really?” Fahtin asked.

  “Yes. She said I will play a part in what you two will do.”

  “We can’t very well ask you to go back now,” Aeden said. “I guess you’ll just have to come with us. You can have the middle watch as punishment.”

  The boy’s smile brightened up the campsite. He came and sat down near the fire, and Aeden handed him some of the rabbit Fahtin had killed with a skillful throw of one of her knives earlier in the day.

  The next morning, the three set out together, Raki still smiling at being allowed to come along. It only faltered when he yawned, which was often.

  “You’ll get used to the schedule soon enough,” Fahtin told him.

  Late in the day, they came across a man walking a horse, going the opposite way on the road.

  “Ho, traveler,” Fahtin said.

  “Good afternoon to you, travelers,” the man said as he took his hat in his hand and bowed. The horse ran into the back of him and he muttered something at it.

  “You might want to change your mind about traveling that way,” she said. “There are some creatures attacking people at random. They have wiped out at least two Crow villages and attacked a Gypta caravan.”

  “Your caravan?” the man asked.

  “Gealich claidhimh d’aresh slaoch!” Aeden spat. The man raised his eyebrow.

  “What? Why would you ask that?” Fahtin said, trying to ignore Aeden.

  “Your clothes, girl. All three of you. I know what Gypta garb looks like.”

  “Oh,” she said. “Right. Yes, it was our caravan.”

  “Then why have you left it? Was it wiped out? If so, how did you survive?”

  “Cachten daedos d’estaigh,” Aeden said under his breath. The man burst out laughing.

  “Why are you laughing?” Fahtin asked. She twisted her wrist to feel if her knife was loose in its sheath.

  “What was that?” the man asked Aeden. “Something about god shitting in a pan?”

  Aeden’s face had gone red. “…in your stewpot, actually.” The man laughed harder.

  “You’re no Gypta, not speaking Chorain like that. Not with that hair. You’re Croagh.”

  “Aye,” Aeden said standing up straighter and looking the man in the eyes, “and what of it?”

  “Oh, I mean no offense, my friend. None at all. I have always enjoyed a good Chorain curse. I’m a scholar, you see. I specialize in language and history.” He looked the three over. “I am due for a break; would you care to share some of my food? I have plenty and I could use some good conversation.”

  Fahtin looked at Aeden. He was still staring at the man, but he nodded.

  “We would love to. Uh…?” she said.

  “Dannel. Dannel Powfrey.” He put his hand out and shook Fahtin’s, then Raki’s, and finally Aeden’s. After they gave him their names, he said, “the Tannoch clan, eh? It’s very nice to meet all of you. Please, let’s go over to that little clearing and re
lax. I would love to hear the story of how a Croagh of Clan Tannoch has come to be traveling with Gypta and wearing their clothing. Very rarely do the Croagh marry outside the clans, and to wear others’ garb instead of highland dress is something I have never heard of.”

  Once settled, Dannel told them about himself to start things off.

  “I am a graduate of the Academy at Sitor-Kanda.”

  “Are you a hero?” Raki asked. “A warrior?”

  “Oh no. As I said before, I am a historian and a linguist. I study languages and things that have passed. Much safer than those other professions you named.”

  “But you were trained at the Hero Academy,” Aeden said. “Surely you must have studied combat and trained in the fighting arts.”

  “I had a little instruction in fighting,” Dannel said. “Dreadful classes. I am not a good student of those endeavors. No, I use my mind, not my body. I am no one’s hero. I am simply traveling the world trying to solve what mysteries I can find.”

  The other three told their stories as well. Dannel rubbed his chin thoughtfully as they recounted the tale of how Aeden came to be with them.

  “And these creatures you spoke of?” Dannel said. “What did they look like? How did they act? Was it possible to kill them?”

  Fahtin stiffened at that last question. Why would he ask a question like that? What did he know?

  “We have no time for games, Dannel,” Aeden said. “What do you know of the situation? It is obvious you know something.”

  “I know much of many things, my friend. What would you have me say?”

  “Do you know of the Malatirsay?” Aeden asked.

  “Ah, go right for the most important part. Yes, I like that. I do know something of the Malatirsay, of the Song of Prophecy, if that is what you are asking.”

  Aeden looked at him, those blue eyes on fire. “Aye. That is what I am asking.”