Kings of Ghumai- The Complete series Box Set
Page 103
"But then some other organization decided to take up residence there," Jemmy said. "Kahar was willing to tolerate us living amongst rocks, but not them. He sent in his Hunters and an army with them to take 'em out."
"Fusion Forest was the only alternative we had," Loraya said.
"Wait a second," Aros whispered as he remembered a conversation he'd had with M'dalla. The rest of the Roamers were in Terrastream. Was that the organization that Jemmy was talking about?
"Wait a second!" Aros screamed and the whole group came to a halt.
Doren and Rikki both gawked at him. "What's wrong, Aros?"
"It's the Roamers. Kahar's hunting the Roamers!"
"If your Roamers wear some colorful cloaks, then that'd be them," Jemmy informed him.
Aros stared at him before looking back toward the mountains. "Are they still alive?"
"We don't know," Jemmy said. "But the Hunters were back in Valiant Keep, so that's not a good sign."
Aros shook his head, refusing to believe that someone else had gotten the best of the Roamers. "We have to go help them."
"That's not our prerogative," Jemmy stated.
Aros turned his head to Loraya, who seemed to object as well.
"Is helping you with the Key not enough?"
He then looked to Doren and Rikki, who hardly appeared to care about the well-being of the Roamers.
Aros was surrounded by people who were just willing to let them die. Well, he couldn't. Not after what had happened in Belliore.
"I owe M'dalla," Aros said, rather curtly. "We would've gotten nowhere in Belliore without her help."
"After she attacked us," Doren reminded his friend.
But Aros was not about to abandon someone who'd earned his trust. "If none of you are willing to go with me, I'll go myself."
Doren and Rikki both sighed. "We're not letting you go off on your own."
Loraya eyed her brother. "I'll accompany them to the mountains. You take the rest of us back home."
"Yayne," Jemmy said. "Kyer. Protect your sister."
Loraya's brothers lumbered over to her side.
"The rest of you with me," Jemmy continued. "If it comes down to you or these Roamers, chose you." And he made for the front of the pack and guided the Revolutionaries forward.
"You had to make this more difficult," Doren whined as the six of them gathered in a circle.
Rikki nudged him but the expression in her eyes made it clear she felt the same way.
Aros could understand his friends' frustration, as they hadn't spent time with M'dalla. They hadn't been saved by her multiple times. But she was out there, and she needed him. He would no more abandon her than he would Rikki or Doren. And, besides that, she also had some answers that he'd been waiting to hear.
Chapter Five
An Enduring Legacy
Doren wasn't sure who he was more annoyed with. Aros was already straining their relationship with these Revolutionaries to possibly provide aid to a group that was adversarial, if not outright hostile. The Roamers had sided with them against Sarin back in Faunli, but they'd also attacked them and tried to take the Keys. M'dalla may have helped Aros, but she was only one of five. Well, one of four, now. It wasn't worth risking a flimsy alliance on behalf of her. At least, not to him.
But despite his displeasure with Aros, he was even more disturbed by his own behavior. For the first time, perhaps in his life, Doren had thrown about his title like it meant something. Yes, he was a prince, but that didn't give him any additional rights, especially here. He may have been using it to make a point about expectations in the return of favors, but it still felt like something his father might have done. That wasn't him. Where did it come from?
He squeezed Rikki's hand as he thought of his royal privileges, which he did not enjoy or benefit from. There was a reason he wanted to abdicate.
Doren used his free hand to push some of his lengthy black hair from his eyes. He and Rikki were lagging behind Aros, Loraya, and her brothers. The sun was high up, illuminating them and their surroundings in a bright heat that felt more like Summer than Spring. There wasn't much cover among these fields, so why these Revolutionaries thought it wise to travel out in the open during daylight perplexed him. True, they knew the land better, so he kept his mouth shut, lest some of that Tunsev arrogance slip out. Nevertheless, he did not approve of one bit of this plan.
"I don't think this armor was made for high temperatures," Aros whined as they traveled on.
"Who made it?" Loraya asked, tapping on Aros' gold-clad bicep.
"The Bellish," Aros replied. "Their technology almost puts magic to shame."
Rikki cleared her throat rather loudly.
"I said almost," Aros responded.
"We could use some armor," Kyer stated. He pulled at the brown one-piece he had on and looked at his brother in disgust. "You don't need any though, Yayne." His cackle transformed into a cough, which nearly unraveled the three black ponytails he had tied together on the back of his head. He rubbed an arm over his lips and stubble, and wiped the spittle onto his aging tunic.
Doren glanced down and shook for a moment, remembering when his whole body had been bronzed.
Rikki noticed and gave him a concerned glance. "You okay?"
Doren tried to cover up his fear with a wink and then a gaze at the denhare latched onto Rikki's back. "This might not be a bad place to let Ji-Ji go," he said, finding a worthwhile subject to bring up.
"Ji-Ji's free to hop off and go anytime," Rikki said. "But after what Neanthal put him through, I think he likes being on our side." She pulled her hand from Doren, took Ji-Ji off her back and began stroking him, all the while keeping hold of her staff.
Unless being enlarged had affected Ji-Ji's disposition, Doren got the sense Rikki was in denial.
Mr. Kwee, on the other hand, seemed rather content to hang from Aros' waist and fiddle with the adjacent Keys.
"So what are these Roamers, anyway," Yayne asked in his deep, lethargic grumble of a voice.
"They're friends," Aros said rather optimistically, and he looked back to Doren and Rikki as if daring them to challenge his statement.
Doren gave a half-shrug, not finding it worth the effort to debate the nature of that group with his friend. But he knew he hardly had the affection for them that Aros had apparently gained during his time with M'dalla.
Rikki was not so willing to let the statement go. "That's an exaggeration."
"M'dalla's my friend," Aros shot back.
Doren grimaced as the argument intensified.
"The Roamers are after the Keys, same as us," Rikki said. "We don't know why. We don't know what they plan on doing with them. We know little more than their names and the color cloaks they wear."
"And the weapons they yield," Doren grumbled under his breath.
Rikki's expression turned triumphant, as if Doren's testimonial made her victorious.
"Have you fought with them?" Loraya asked, her eyebrows raised as she focused on Aros.
Aros scratched the back of his head. "Well, yeah, but that was before M'dalla helped me out. Multiple times."
Yayne let out a hearty laugh. "So we're going to save your enemies? You all are too kind."
"Wanna head back?" Kyer suggested to his brother.
Loraya spun and grabbed hold of both her siblings. "We gave our word. We're helping them."
"Yeah, yeah," Yayne mumbled while his brother let out an exasperated whistle.
Doren and Rikki locked eyes for a second as they continued on. He wouldn't have blamed the Revolutionaries if they decided to abandon them. This was all Aros' doing. The only benefit of their current heading was that it was apparently closer to the likely hideaway of the fourth Key. That was worth risking lives over. The Roamers were not.
"We won't make it to the mountains before sundown," Loraya relayed while glancing at the sky. "But that's probably for the best."
"The night will cover us as we sneak beyond the keep," Kyer said.<
br />
"Maybe we should try to grab Skiff's body," Yayne suggested. "We've got a mage with us now." Both his siblings glanced at him but remained silent.
"I'd be willing," Rikki offered.
"No," Loraya said, but she didn't elaborate on why she declined.
The six of them walked on in silence for a while after that. Mentioning their deceased brother had quieted the accompanying Lettes. Aros kept busy by bouncing Mr. Kwee around in his arms, while Rikki and Doren had resumed holding hands, with Ji-Ji returned to the Grand Mage's back.
Terrastream was unsettlingly empty. There were signs of animal life everywhere, not just from the occasional horse that ran by in the distance, but from the black geese that squawked overhead and the rustling bush that revealed a green-tailed fox. And the fauna across the land was stupendous and overgrown. But apart from their group, there were no people around. There was no laughter or singing being carried by the wind. There was neither tent nor house that told them there were other people living here.
Doren thought back to a time when Terrastream was mentioned during his lessons. Streamers believed themselves one with nature and refused to harm any creature, plant or animal. They didn't eat meat, and they didn't violate the landscape. Whereas no foreknowledge of Belliore could have prepared him for what had awaited the trio there, Terrastream seemed to remain the exact same as it had been described in the old books. Though, apparently, there was one exception.
"Can you tell us about this Mahan Kahar?" Doren asked, breaking the quiet amongst them. He was curious to know about this king that had been the first to unite the land since Aergo. And they hadn't really gathered why the Revolutionaries were so opposed to him.
Loraya looked back at Doren. "You want his story?"
Doren nodded.
"It's a legend now," Kyer noted.
"How much do you know about Terrastream?" Loraya asked.
"Only what was transcribed centuries ago," Doren replied.
"That would have been enough once," Loraya said with a staggered weariness. "Our culture endured for a millennia. Not even Neanthal could destroy what it meant to be a Streamer." She glanced downward before peeking at Aros, and then she asked, "Did the old writings tell you about our tribes? About how we select our chiefs?"
Doren had a general idea about how their system worked, but the specifics were hazy. It had been years since he was taught that information, and none of his teachers had emphasized it. But before he could ask for her to explain, Rikki spoke up.
"I'm sure Aros would benefit if you described it for us."
"I can't say she's wrong," Aros responded with an awkward grin.
Loraya nodded. "There are, or were, many tribes in Terrastream, each with their own chief. But bloodlines were never used in determining who would lead. Instead, we let the guiding hand of all existence to choose."
"Magenine?" Aros interrupted.
"Maybe," Loraya replied. "You see, each tribe has a group of the wisest and most attuned called the stargazers. And on the night of each child's birth, these stargazers will look up and see what the future holds for the child. Those with the most fortunate stars are chosen to lead. Any lines of succession are established in that way."
Doren thought the method a bit preposterous, but he was not about to offend their newly acquired allies with his comments. His only response was to give Rikki's hand a gentle squeeze.
"Mahan Kahar was born on a most fortunate night," Loraya went on. "When his tribe's chief died, he was meant to inherit the role."
"And he did," Yayne growled.
Loraya bit her lip before continuing. "Kahar was inspired by the old stories of King Aergo. He wanted to unite all of Terrastream just as Aergo had united all of Ghumai. He believed there would be no more squabbles between the tribes if he succeeded. There would be no lines of separation."
"We are one people, in one land," Kyer sourly recalled the motto.
"He convinced several chiefs to unite with his tribe. But that was all he needed. More and more agreed to join his growing union."
"That doesn't sound so bad," Aros remarked.
"It was a noble idea," Loraya replied. "But the chiefs were wrong to place their trust in this man. One night, he murdered all the chiefs that had joined him as they slept. By morning, he was calling himself king."
"Oh," Aros responded, and he grimaced as he looked back at his friends.
Doren bit his tongue to hold back a chuckle.
"After that night, Kahar went to war against all the tribes that had resisted him," Loraya told them. "Few cared that the old chiefs were dead. They saw Kahar as their only leader. And they followed him into battle and conquered and consolidated every independent tribe left in Terrastream." She paused as a tear dripped down her cheek.
"Bastards," Yayne grumbled.
"You haven't mentioned the mages," Kyer reminded her.
"I'm getting to it," Loraya replied.
Rikki perked up as she heard mages being mentioned, and she dragged Doren closer to the Revolutionaries.
"Streamers didn't know what to do with mages after Re-Independence," Loraya resumed. "For years, all tribes sent their mages to live in Castle Stormis."
"Tornis," Doren corrects. "It's a Faun word."
"Tornis," Loraya repeated the word. "Castle Tornis. The doesn't sound right."
"It is," Doren assured her.
"Fine. Castle Tornis. But with no castle, there was nowhere to send them. The tribes had gotten used to a life without magic and had no desire to go back to relying on it. So all the mages were sent to live in the Enduring Mountains with the Bed Cairns. There, they'd be isolated and cared for. So, for three hundred years, that's where they went."
"Better than what the Bellish did," Doren whispered in Rikki's ear.
Rikki stared back at him with an annoyed look.
"What?"
"When Kahar vanquished all the tribes in Terrastream, there was one he ignored," Loraya relayed. "The Bed Cairns. He had no desire to go up against those that could wield magic. But even in their isolation, the mages were Streamers, and they opposed what this king had done. They became the final resistance against Kahar. But by going after him, they drew his attention. Even with their magic, they were no match as most of Terrastream marched into the mountains and attacked. The mages were overwhelmed and defeated. But they were not all killed." She finally moved her attention from Aros and stared at Rikki.
Rikki's hand tightened on Doren's. "What did he do?"
"Kahar was jealous of the mages and their unnatural abilities. He wanted their power, and though he wasn't born with the gift, he believed he could still wield it."
"That sounds like Versil," Aros recalled.
Loraya ignored the comment. "He did not try to give himself magic. Instead, he bound every mage, beat them, tortured them, until they’d submit to his will. He only needed them to obey for their gift to be his."
Doren had to reconsider his previous assessment. It did sound worse than what the Bellish did. He looked at Rikki, whose green eyes seemed to glow with fury.
"He used their magic to carve the mountains into his keep," Loraya explained, "making his own Castle Tornis. And then he used it to improve himself. Enhance himself. But he is little more than a jumbled monster."
"Ugly but intimidating," Kyer added.
"He keeps the mages as his slaves, locked away in the dungeons and brought out when they will be of use."
Doren could tell by the look on Rikki's face that she wanted to immediately shift away and free them all. He tugged at her arm to try and indicate that she should delay such a plan.
"Kahar has ruined Terrastream," Loraya concluded. "But he's convinced so many that he's really saving the land. He's the unifier that ended conflict between the tribes."
"There's only one Great Unifier," Doren stated with a hint of pride.
"His keep expands every day," Yayne said. "More go to live within stone walls."
"Kahar's persuaded them such a pat
h preserves nature," Kyer said with exasperation. "As they live inside decimated mountains."
"The Revolutionaries formed after construction of Valiant Keep began," Loraya said. "Those of us who saw Kahar for what he was tried to depose him."
"We keep failing," Yayne added.
"And after each attempt, there are less of us," Kyer noted.
"Soon there won't be any Revolutionaries," Loraya stated with obvious depression. "Kahar will have won. Terrastream will cease to exist."
"Wow," Aros meekly responded.
"You don't have to worry," Rikki said. "After you help us, we are going to help you."
Doren couldn't blame Rikki for offering their help, not after what she'd been told about the mages. And they couldn't let these Revolutionaries go off and die after they selflessly volunteered to aid them on their mission. But Doren wasn't sure meddling was such a great idea. The stakes were higher now, with Hatswick free of the time stasis trap and in possession of a Key. Their involvement would only delay them.
Nevertheless, Doren wasn't about to openly object. He simply nodded his head in agreement.
Loraya smiled at each member of the trio, lingering longest on Aros, before raising her hand. "We wait here until dusk."
Chapter Six
Into the Mountains
Rikki was the Grand Mage of Kytheras, but she felt obligated to help all the mages of Ghumai. Hearing that they were being tortured and imprisoned resonated deeply with her. In fact, it almost made her own detention in Castle Tornis seem like an imperfect lodging.
Her fellow mages had been forced to succumb to the will of another. They had no hope of independence or mercy. They were simply tools for this new king to use.
Rikki's eyes started glowing, and the channeling crystal atop her staff soon followed. But Doren looked at her disapprovingly. He didn't want her going off on her own. She could tell.
Doren subsequently pointed at her staff.
"Right," she mumbled. Even the faintest light could give them away as the sun sunk beneath the horizon. She let her fury cool and watched as the glow dimmed away.
Loraya and her brothers had taken refuge against the trunks of nearby trees. Aros had joined them, his back propped up against the same tree as Loraya. Only Rikki and Doren remained standing. They were no longer holding hands, but instead pacing about, waiting to get on with their new mission.