Children of Another God tbw-1

by T C Southwell

  "Better now?"

  Talsy nodded. "So what was the difference between that and a Pit, or a tunnel? We were still far below the ground."

  "No, we weren't. We were within the mountain, but above the ground. The Dolana was strong, yes, far stronger than here, for instance, but I was walking, not pressed against the earth. Dolana can only invade from contact. It doesn't travel through Ashmar. As a bird, I have no Dolana in me, as a Power. It's out of my reach."

  "Then how do the Pits work?"

  Chanter shook his head. "I don't know, I've never been in one. They must be very deep, and being that far underground would cause Dolana to be extremely strong. Mujar are thrown in unconscious, and when they awake surrounded by so much Earthpower, I should think they can reach no other Power."

  "Why was that better than a tunnel?"

  "A tunnel would mean rock above me, which is far more confining. I would have had to make a tunnel right through the mountain, and in the middle of it the outside world would have been very far away. Too far, for my liking."

  She considered. "Perhaps the Pits are at the end of tunnels, not just holes in the ground."

  "Yes, that would be very dangerous."

  Talsy looked around at a grassy slope streaked with ridges of rock and strewn with boulders amid screes of shale. At its foot, a stunted forest struggled to grow, its trees twisted by the constant wind that blew towards the mountains, carrying a tang of salt.

  Chanter picked up the bag and set off down the slope. Talsy followed, but the closer she got to the dark, distorted trees, the more reluctant she was to go on. A sense of brooding, hostile power emanated from the dim wood, and, when the Mujar reached the first trees, she halted. A terrible foreboding, like ice in her blood, made her shiver.

  Chanter stopped and turned to her. "You sense it? I'm surprised. I thought Truemen were immune to this world’s sensations."

  "What is it?"

  "A Kuran, a wood guardian, dwells here. Most of them dislike your people. This one hates Truemen more than most."

  "Why?"

  He shrugged. "Truemen destroy forests. They cut the trees and use the wood, set fire to them to make grazing lands for their beasts."

  "I can't go in there."

  The Mujar smiled. "I won't let her harm you. Come, take my hand."

  Talsy forced herself to approach him, taking his hand. The brooding hostility lessened as Chanter led her into the shade of the first trees, which were so short they were little more than shrubs with thick, twisted black trunks and claw-like branches bearing a few small, dark leaves. A mat of knotted, tangled roots was at war for what little nourishment existed in the stony soil. Chanter picked his way over the roots and rocks, treacherous footing for the unwary. She clung to his hand, staying as close to him as her eyes darted into the shadows whence the hostile presence glared.

  Roots seemed to twist beneath her feet, making her stumble, and she would have fallen if not for Chanter's hand, yet he appeared to have no trouble at all. The wood closed in behind them, the trees becoming taller and less twisted. A dense canopy of contorted branches locked together above them, shutting out all but a few sparkles of sky. In the damp gloom, lichen patches lent splashes of green to drab bark. Clumps of hanging moss loomed out of the dimness, making her start.

  The grey growth's feathery touch sent shudders through her, and damp cobwebs stuck to her face. She brushed at them, but they proved difficult to wipe away, and were soon replaced. An eerie silence hung heavy amongst the blighted trees and a rank, dead smell arose from the soggy black leaves that filled the hollows between the roots. It seemed as if the angry, brooding presence had driven everything from the forest save the trees.

  Talsy gasped and shied as a twig scratched her face like a clawed hand reaching from the darkness. She wiped a trickle of blood off her cheek, the scratch burning as she stumbled after the Mujar. A root caught her ankle, and she fell with a yell of surprise, her hand yanked from Chanter's grip. He stopped and turned, frowning. Talsy tried to rise, but roots whipped up to snake around her legs, pin her to the ground and push knobs into her flesh.

  "Chanter!"

  Talsy panicked as the roots tightened, while the Mujar gazed into the forest.

  “ Chanter!” Terror washed through her as the roots coiled up her legs, reaching her hips.

  He held up a hand. "Hush."

  Talsy bit her lip, quelling the urge to scream at him to do something. The Mujar remained just out of reach, and stared into the darkness without expression.

  The air filled with the faint sound of beating wings, accompanied by a breeze. The trees around them moved with slow precision, the branches twisted as if by invisible hands. The roots stopped their progress up her hips and held her in a painful clasp. The beating of wings softened to a whisper of feathers, and a warm draught stirred the stale, cold air. The twisting trees' slow rearrangement formed two huge, empty pits amongst the tangled wood. The brooding presence grew strong, and waves of hatred chilled her blood.

  The Mujar raised a hand and beckoned to the darkness, which swelled from its pits, bringing with it the clean smell of fresh cut timber. Chanter bent and touched one palm to the ground, thrusting his other hand into the tangible dark presence. It swallowed his hand to the wrist, and a soft shiver went through the forest. A sigh wafted like wind in the branches, accompanied by a faint creaking of wood. Leaves rustled as a shiver of icy Dolana quivered the air.

  Chanter paused, then lifted his other hand and reached into the darkness, which engulfed his arms to the elbows. He withdrew one arm and raised it, and a tiny shred of mist drifted from his fingers, followed by a soft patter of rain on the leaves above. Freeing himself, he lowered his hands. A glimmer of fire brightened the air in a tiny cluster of flames that burnt before him for a moment.

  Talsy stared at him, entranced. He had invoked the Powers so gently that even a timid deer would not have been alarmed. Now he weaved them together with deft twisting motions, fire and water, air and earth. A shimmering rainbow cord appeared in his hands, aglow yet wet, sighing with wind yet glittering with grit. He reached into the darkness with it, groped, and pulled back.

  The cord twined around a being that made Talsy gasp with wonder, drawing it from the shadows. If it had a form she could not divine it. Its outline wavered constantly, yet it had eyes of pearly sorrow and tears that glittered amongst its soft folds of emerald green and deep brown. A mouth moaned with the soft sadness of growing trees, and hands gripped Chanter's with gentle loam fingers and tender green shoots. Great wings of anguish trailed it, formed into shining petals of a million colours that dragged at the air.

  The Mujar drew it forward with his shining elemental cord, and a great sigh went through the trees. The twined branches parted, allowing light to pour down in dapples of gold, and a breeze stirred the leaves. The forest came alive as it filled with warmth and sunlight, and the shadows gave way to rich brown bark and the verdure of leaves. Chanter held the being trapped with his cord, its sorrow and anguish running from it like a silver stream of emotion.

  "Kuran," said Chanter. "Your hatred is killing you and your trees. Let it go."

  The forest replied in a whisper of sound so faint Talsy could hardly hear the words it bore.

  "Mujar, ever are you life, yet death stalks the land, and the city of men will fall."

  "The fate of men is their own, but you will die too without the joy to live."

  "When the city of men falls, the forest will rejoice."

  Chanter nodded. "That is the way of Kuran, but when Marrana comes to gather, be not amongst the fallen."

  "Release me," the Kuran breathed. "I mean you no harm, Mujar."

  "No harm to me and mine, then shall I release you."

  "No harm," the forest whispered. "Lay claim and it is yours, walker of life, though sorrows it shall bring you."

  "Sorrows shall dog me ever; this is no concern of yours."

  "Take it then!" The words spat from a cracking tree that split
apart to reveal golden wood, its leaves falling in a green cloud. With a tearing groan, the tree fell amid splintering branches. The Kuran writhed in Chanter's grasp, and he opened his hands, releasing the rainbow cord that sundered into sparkles of flame, drops of water, a gust of air and a shower of dust. The Kuran vanished, taking with it the sun, the soft warm air and greenness. The dark silence clamped down once more, returning the forest to its former gloom.

  Chanter turned and helped Talsy to her feet, the roots falling away. She rubbed her aching legs and shivered. The Mujar tugged her forward, and she stumbled over the black, twisted ground behind him. He walked faster now, dragging her along. Wet, hanging moss slapped her and cobwebs festooned her face in a silver veil. She tried to follow Chanter's steps, placing her feet where his had been, finding a sure path from root to root, unhindered by the twisted wood. The forest parted for him, but the trees rattled and sighed, hating her. Leaves lashed her, yet did not harm her. The forest Kuran, now thoroughly aroused, made its presence felt as it chased her from its depths, speeding her steps with its animosity.

  Talsy noticed that no saplings grew in this forest, and many of the old, twisted trees were long dead, grey and bleached. The stench of decay, mixed with mould and musty wood, hung in the still air. Chanter hurried on, and she panted as she tried to keep up, the atmosphere tainting her tongue with dust. A branch snapped off behind her, crashed to the ground and shattered into slivers of dead grey wood. She ran faster, her lungs burning with effort.

  A glimmer of light showed through the trees ahead, and they burst into warm sunlight. Talsy stumbled and collapsed, unable to take another step. Sitting on the warm green grass, she looked back at the dark forest as it sighed a rank breeze. Chanter stood beside her, staring at the wood with narrowed eyes. Deep within the forest, a tree fell with a tearing crash, and branches rattled as if a strong wind stirred them.

  "What was that all about?" she gasped.

  "The Kuran hates Truemen. She wanted to kill you."

  "Why?"

  The Mujar glanced around. "Because of this." He made a sweeping gesture.

  Talsy turned to look at a sloping field of stumps. Thousands of trees had once grown here. Their grey stumps extended far down the hillside to the edge of the cultivated land that surrounded a vast stone city sprawled along the coast. Miles of green fields dotted with stumps stretched away in either direction, the dark forest bordering them on one side and a golden beach on the other. Further up the coast, waves frothed against tall white cliffs and gulls rode the sea breeze, too far away for their cries to be heard. Grazing beasts cropped the grass in vast herds, moving amongst the stumps and an occasional bleached log.

  "The Kuran once had a vast forest," Chanter explained. "It stretched all along the coast, from the mountains to the sea. Then Truemen came and cut it down to build ships and houses. They burnt the wood in their fires and furnaces and cleared the land for their beasts. Hatred consumes her now, and she's killing her trees."

  "But she has power. Why can't she fight back?"

  "She has little power. All she commands are the trees. The deeper into the forest you go, the more powerful she is, but on the edges she can do little but rattle branches."

  "So as long as Truemen cut down the trees on the edge of the forest, she can't harm them."

  "No. I doubt any Trueman ventures deep into that wood."

  She rubbed her aching legs, then rose and sat on a stump. Chanter gazed across the land.

  "Why did you say she might die? Surely she's immortal if she's an elemental or a wood spirit?" Talsy asked.

  Chanter shook his head. "She is neither. A Kuran is part of the wood, like a soul. They exist only in old forests, and are many thousands of years old. If the forest dies, she will die with it. Her hatred has driven away the birds that spread the seeds and the bees that pollinate the flowers. No young trees grow, and the old ones will die. Her life span has no limit, but she can be killed."

  Talsy considered this, frowning. "What did she mean, 'death stalks the land, and the city of men shall fall'?"

  "She was speaking of the Hashon Jahar."

  "Was it a prophecy?"

  He shrugged. "Sort of. Come, let's find somewhere to camp."

  Picking up the bag, he set off down the sloping field, angling away from the distant city. Talsy followed, studying the sprawling coastal metropolis. It seemed that the forest's wood had mostly been used to build ships, for the city was made almost entirely from stone. Tall buildings, the likes of which she had never seen before, rose above the thick wall that pinned the city to the sea. Square towers, their walls spotted with many narrow windows, stood proud but ugly, topped by grey slate roofs. Some buildings owned arched doorways, carved balconies and balustrades of white rock. One stood out from the rest by virtue of a domed roof that appeared to be made of pale green crystal. Certainly this was a mightier city than Horran, prosperous and well kept. Talsy longed to explore it, but respected Chanter's aversion to it. She would rather stay close to him than go into the city, and she trotted to catch up with him.

  "Is that Rashkar?"

  He glanced back at her. "No, that's Jishan. Rashkar is on the far side of the Narrow Sea."

  "Where's that?"

  "Right in front of you." He gestured to the blue expanse before them. "On a clear day you can see the far side."

  Talsy squinted across the sparkling water, but could make out nothing but haze in the distance. "How will we get across?"

  The Mujar entered a copse of tall trees and dumped the bag. A spring bubbled from lichen-covered rocks and trickled away along its mossy bed, a line of silver amid the green. Chanter selected a log and sat, looking up at her with a smile.

  "I'll swim or fly. You have a choice."

  She knelt to unpack the bag. "What's that?"

  "Either you can buy passage on a ship, or purchase a boat and I'll tow you across."

  Talsy considered these options while she started a fire and set a pot of water on it. Now that she owned a tinderbox, she no longer needed Chanter to light fires. She placed the remains of an antelope in the pot and added vegetables, then sat back. Either choice meant going into the city, which she did not like.

  "Are those the only two choices?"

  He shook his head. "I could carry you on my back, but you'd get wet. It wouldn't be pleasant. Or I could build a raft, but that would also be uncomfortable and slow."

  Talsy pondered. A ship would be by far the most comfortable method, but it would also mean she would be parted from Chanter for the voyage. She was not sure that she had enough money to buy a boat, even a small one, and a raft would take time to construct.

  "How long will it take to swim across?"

  His brows rose. "Odd choice. Quite a long time. A day and a night, at least."

  "That's too long for me. I'll go into the city tomorrow and see if I have enough money to buy a boat, if not, I'll go on a ship."

  "Of course, there are other choices, but I don't want to draw attention to myself. I still have to free this boy in Rashkar. It will be easier if no one knows I'm there."

  Talsy stirred the stew, thinking about a Mujar's powers. If he could part a mountain, he could certainly part the sea, or make a bridge of ice for her to walk over. The thought made her shiver, and she glanced at him. With a friend like him, nothing was impossible, but was he her friend? Was it only clan bond that kept him with her, and how strong was that? If the effort of looking after her became too great, would he abandon her without a qualm? What did he feel for her? Was a Mujar capable of feelings? He treated her with kindness and respect, but had not touched her except to give her warmth or comfort. He had protected her from the Kuran, but had yet to announce that her wish was fulfilled.

  Talsy still pondered this when she crawled into the tent to sleep, stretching out on the thin bedroll. Chanter joined her as he always did, to lie beside her and share his warmth before he disappeared into the night for his wild wanderings.

  Chapter Ten
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  The following morning, she walked to the city, and Chanter accompanied her to the outskirts. When he decided that it was too dangerous to go closer, he leapt into the air and transformed into a gull with a rush of Ashmar. Talsy walked on, knowing that he kept watch high above. By the time she trudged through the city gates, the fascination of the great metropolis held her in its spell. The massive stone walls loomed over her, daunting in their solid, meticulous construction from chiselled stones that fitted together with almost seamless precision.

  At the gates, two bored guardsmen leant on their spears and watched her pass. Within the walls, tall buildings seemed to crowd over the paved streets. Statues watched her pass with blank stone stares and well-dressed citizens stepped aside with grave courtesy. The clean, wide streets crossed each other at exact angles and measured distances apart. Carts and drays rattled along them, and fancy rigs drawn by high-stepping horses carried wealthy ladies in printed gowns. Shopkeepers displayed their wares under gay awnings and greeted passers-by with polite smiles. It all seemed ordered and peaceful to Talsy, civilisation at its height.

  Finding the docks was simply a matter of following her nose. The smell of fish and salt carried on the inshore breeze, and the straight wide roads led her to a fish market populated by fat fishwives and salty fishermen. A flotilla of boats crowded the dock, four or five deep along the wharf. Ocean-going ships rubbed against fishing boats of all shapes and sizes. The bustle of loading and off-loading kept a constant stream of activity through the market. Brothels and warehouses bordered the docks, and fishing nets lay in great piles or were stretched between the gangs of men and women repairing them. The atmosphere was industrious, and people laughed and talked as they worked, while children played at their feet.

  Stopping beside a grey-bearded man relaxing on a bollard smoking a pipe, Talsy enquired after a dingy for sale. He directed her to a vast, red-faced man repairing a net, who set a price well beyond her purse and assured her that she would not a get a boat for less. Despondent, she asked about buying passage on a ship, and he directed her to a handsome, lean-faced man clad in a smart olive coat, cream shirt, soft brown boots, fawn trousers and a peaked cap. He agreed to take her across for a mere two silver coins, which seemed reasonable, but she shivered at the way his grey eyes raked her. His ship sailed that afternoon, which meant she would have no chance to leave the city and meet Chanter. Wandering to a deserted end of the docks, she leant against a sea wall. She studied the wheeling gulls, wondering which one was the Mujar, and how she could get him to come down.