Qara was lying propped up on furs and blankets. Even in the poor light he could see that she was unwell. She was little more than skin and bones. Her breathing was raspy. Spittle ran from the corner of her mouth. But her eyes were bright and sharp and they fixed on Karliss. He knelt down and touched his forehead in respect. The old lady wasted no time.
“How long did Ihbarha last?” Qara asked.
“Some weeks.”
“He was as tough as he was ornery,” she said.
“He belonged to the spirits at the end. The clouds were in his eyes.”
“Did they stop him before he hurt anyone?”
Karliss shook his head.
Qara coughed and when it had passed, she said, “It was a fear he had, that he would go the same path as his bagesh and turn on his people at the end.”
“How are you doing?”
She raised a withered old hand and let it drop. “I think you can see for yourself. I do not have much time left.” She coughed again. “A wind-touched child has been born to us, but I will not be here to teach her the ways. I fear for my clan.” Her gaze passed over him. “You are not the same boy you were a year ago.”
“No,” Karliss said. “We have had…troubles.”
“I knew you had. I have seen the omens in the clouds.”
“The creature who killed Long-striding Antelope Clan attacked us. His name is Kasai.”
She nodded and wiped at the corner of her mouth. “In my dreams I have seen him, a white-skinned thing who burns with gray fire.”
“We defeated him once, but he will attack again.”
“That is why you have come to see me. You hope I can help you. But you find this.” She spread her hands. “I cannot even rise to make water by myself.”
“I thought you might have information.”
“Ask. I will tell you all I can, though no creature like Kasai has ever attacked the clans before.”
“It’s about the black scroll.”
Her eyes widened. “You’ve used the word of power then. A risky move, for one so young.”
“I found that out the hard way, the first time I tried to use it. The second time went better.”
“Twice in one year?”
“It has been a difficult time.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Where did the word of power come from?”
“Help me to take a drink of water and I will tell you the story as it was told to me.”
There was a mug of water sitting nearby. Karliss helped Qara sit up enough to drink from it. Much of it ran down her cheeks and he wiped away what he could. She settled back onto her furs and began to speak.
“When our people first came to this land it was a harsh, inhospitable place. The wind blew without ceasing. Storms came one after the other. Despite this, our people fell in love with it for we are people of the horse and here was a place with the grass and the open spaces that horses need to thrive. But despite our best efforts we soon realized that we could not live here. The wind and the storms were too much. We must leave or perish.
“There was one among us who would not give in. His name was Unegen. During a terrible storm, the worst our people had yet seen, Unegen walked off into the steppes, vowing he would not return until he had had a reckoning with whatever gods were behind the storms. He walked alone into the heart of the storm, the rain pelting him, the wind lashing him, lightning stabbing the earth all around him. But he was not dismayed. He raised his voice to the sky. ‘Take back your storms!’ he yelled. ‘Control them or I will!’
“His words angered the gods of the four winds. In the following days they sent every manner of foul weather at him. Floods. Tornados. Snow and ice. But Unegen refused to yield. He faced all of it and he did not bend.
“He made his way north and in time he saw lights in the sky, waves of shimmering blue and green and red. Taking this as a sign, he walked toward the lights. The gods’ fury continued unabated, but he did not falter. He came to high mountains and saw that the strange lights seemed to center over one of the peaks, a peak shaped like an eagle resting. He made his way to the peak. At the base of the peak was a cave. It was in that cave that he found the tablet.
“The words on the tablet were in a strange language, such as he had never seen, and he could not understand them. Delirious with cold and starvation, he fell asleep in the cave. While sleeping, a spirit appeared to him and spoke to him a single word, the word of power. He awakened from his sleep, walked back out into the storm and shouted the word into the teeth of the wind.
“The wind died down. The snow stopped. Unegen had won. He became our first tlacti.”
“Do you think it’s true?”
Qara shrugged. “Parts of it probably. The word must have come from somewhere.”
“Do you know where this cave is?” Karliss asked excitedly.
“There are tall mountains to the northwest of the steppes, beyond our territory,” the old woman told him. “Most likely they are the same ones. Why?”
“I want to go there. There may be other words of power.”
“A bold move, young Karliss, but a foolish one. It is a long journey. They may not even be the same mountains. If you do find the tablet, it will make no sense to you.”
“You are right,” he told her. “But I think I have to try. Kasai has promised to kill my clan.”
Realization flickered in her eyes and she raised her head slightly. “You think to find a word to control him as well.”
“I have nothing else. He is too powerful. Eventually he will defeat us.”
She settled back onto her furs. “It may be that you will succeed. Certainly you are more powerful than any tlacti I have ever known. Don’t look so surprised. Did you really think I didn’t notice you? As leader of all the wind shamans it is my job to know the strengths and weaknesses of those who seek to lead their clans across the steppes. I have watched you since you were only a child.” She pointed one quivering finger at him. “The rest of us are touched by the wind. You are part of it.”
╬ ╬ ╬
“The wind is from the west again today,” Qara said. Karliss and the tlactis from the other clans were gathered in her yurt. It was cramped in there, but Qara had grown weaker since the start of the Gathering and it was best not to move her if they could help it.
“As it has been every day of the Gathering,” Mek, a middle-aged tlacti, said.
“The people are worried,” added another, a young woman named Kam.
“The ritual of appeasement might calm them,” Mek said. “That is why we have come to talk to you.”
“Or it could make things worse,” said another, a wispy woman with gray hair. “If the ritual fails.”
“Better or worse, we must know if we are to guide,” Qara said. “You were right to come to me. We will hold the ritual tonight.”
“But we are still missing two clans,” Kam said.
“And they may not come at all. Still, we must do this.” Her strength exhausted, Qara lay back on her furs.
“We can only pray that the gods will help us against this Kasai,” Mek muttered. “Perhaps they see him as a threat too.”
Karliss wanted to speak up then. He wanted to tell them that he didn’t think there were any gods, or at least not anymore. They were on their own in this. But he said nothing. It would serve no purpose and only frighten them more.
╬ ╬ ╬
At sunset that day the tlactis and their apprentices made their way to the flat-topped hill where the ritual of appeasement would take place. Qara, too weak to stand, was carried on a stretcher. The animals for the sacrifice had already been tethered in place: to the south, to appease Esegen, god of the south winds, was a pheasant. To the east, to appease Bai-ulgan, god of the east winds, a yak. To the north, to appease Tung-alk, god of the north winds, a goat. And to the west, to appease Erlik Khan, god of the west winds, was a horse.
Except for Qara, who was propped up in a sitting position, the tlactis
stood in a circle. The wind was even stronger than it had been that morning, and still it came from the west. Normally the ritual of appeasement would not be held while the west wind was blowing, but things were far from normal. Looking at their faces, Karliss could see fatalism on most of them, as if the tiles had already been cast and all that was left was to read them and see how bad the news really was.
“Let us do this,” Qara rasped.
The tlactis held their krysalas up to their faces and began the chant. Karliss used the old krysala he’d inherited from Ihbarha rather than the new one. The krysalas amplified their chants so that they boomed and thundered across the hilltop. The ground seemed to shake with the sound. The wind grew stronger and Karliss felt the aranti begin to gather, flitting back and forth across the sky.
The chant changed and now they beseeched Esegen, asking for his mercy and favor for the coming year. The pheasant was killed, its blood sprinkled on the flames.
The wind grew stronger still, threatening to extinguish the small sacrificial fires. Clouds began to form in the west. Karliss glanced down at the mass of Sertithians gathered around the base of the hill. Their faces looked pale in the waning light. Many turned to look at the clouds.
The tlactis turned their attention to Bai-ulgan, begging her to accept their sacrifice. The yak tethered to the east was killed, its blood thrown on the fire.
The clouds built quickly. They seethed and boiled and lightning began to flicker in their depths.
It was getting dark quickly, and Karliss was having trouble seeing the faces of the other tlactis except in the flashes of lightning. A couple of them looked close to running, their eyes wide, their bodies shaking with fear. Mek looked like he was gritting his teeth. Qara had her eyes closed.
By the time the goat had been sacrificed to Tung-alk, clouds covered the sky and lightning was flashing constantly. The wind was a howl that nearly drowned out the chant.
The chant shifted to Erlik Khan, begging her forbearance. As the chant reached its final lines the signal was given to the two apprentices holding the horse. The horse was rearing and striking out with its hooves and it was all the apprentices could do to keep it from bolting. One of them let go of the rope he was holding with one hand and reached for the sacrificial knife at his belt. But before he could draw it a lightning bolt stabbed down out of the clouds. It struck the horse on the head, killing the animal instantly. The apprentices were flung backwards.
Rain began to fall.
But it was no normal rain. The drops were hot and burned the skin. Chaos erupted. People drew their hoods over their heads and sheltered their children in their arms as they began streaming toward their yurts. The tlactis fled as well. On every face Karliss saw animal fear and dread.
He went to Qara and crouched over her. “Hold on!” he cried, having to yell over the noise of the storm. “We’ll get you out of here.” He looked around and located the stretcher. Now he needed someone else to help him carry it. But the only people he saw were all fleeing.
The rain fell harder and he turned back to Qara to tell her he needed to get help, that he’d be right back.
But in the next flash of lightning he saw that she was dead. Her eyes were open and they were filling with rain.
╬ ╬ ╬
The council for Spotted Elk Clan met early the next morning. The tension in the council yurt was palpable. Never had an appeasement ritual gone so wrong. Never had there been so many ill omens. The burning rain had fallen for much of the night and this morning the sky was a strange, bruised color. The herds, those that hadn’t fled during the night, were restless, on the edge of panic.
“Why are we having this meeting?” Henta asked irritably. “Other clans are already packing to leave the Gathering. We should be doing the same.”
“Our tlacti requested this meeting,” the terl said. “We will hear him speak.”
They all turned to Karliss. He thought about the first council meeting he’d sat in on, when they’d handed over the clan krysala to him. It seemed so long ago. He took a deep breath. He’d thought about this a lot during the night, but that didn’t make it any easier.
“Amongst the tlactis there is an old story. It is the story of Unegen, who travelled to the great mountains to the north and returned with the knowledge that we use to guide our people to this day.” Briefly, he told them the rest of the story.
“That is nothing more than a legend,” Henta scoffed when he was done, her face twisted as if she’d bitten into something sour.
“Are you sure about that? If it’s only a legend, then how do you explain the word of power? Where did it come from? Where did any of our knowledge come from?”
“Perhaps you are right,” the terl said. “Perhaps the legend is true. What does that have to do with us?”
“He wants to retrace Unegen’s steps,” Yeke said. A strange smile played across the old man’s lips.
“After last night’s disaster, you want to run off on a foolish adventure?” Henta asked incredulously.
“Hold on,” the terl said. “Let him finish speaking before we make decisions.”
“The spirts told me once that they are kin to Kasai. According to the story, there were other words on the tablet Unegen found. He only learned the one, which we use to control the spirits.”
“You think one of the other words might be used to control Kasai,” Yeke said. Karliss nodded.
“It’s possible,” Ganzorig said. “It makes sense.”
“No, it doesn’t!” Henta snapped. “We could be attacked by Kasai any day. There could be another sandstorm worse than the last. And don’t forget about those stone soldiers he saw. If those attack us, we’ll be helpless. This is madness. We need him here!”
They argued about it for some time, but Karliss said nothing more. To a certain extent he agreed with Henta. Maybe this was a terrible idea. Maybe he would only get himself killed and leave his clan defenseless.
Finally, Yeke spoke up once again. “Elder Henta is right. To send our tlacti away now, when we are beset on all sides, seems the height of madness. But it is my feeling that we fight a war we will inevitably lose. It seems that even the gods have turned their backs on us. If we are to have any chance at all, we must strike boldly. The odds are slim, but if this succeeds we may vanquish our foe forever. I vote we send our tlacti on this quest. What say the rest of you?”
Henta and Shria, the other elder woman on the council, both voted no. The rest voted yes.
“It is decided,” the terl said when the vote was finished. He looked at Karliss. “You will leave tomorrow morning. I will send two dozen warriors with you.”
Outside, Karliss’ father pulled him aside. “Walk with me,” he said. They walked off by themselves.
“Keep your eyes open out there,” his father said. “Use your head. I know you have all these abilities, but your mind is still your best weapon. Use it. Think before you act. There’s almost always a way through the problem facing you, but you need to be clear-headed if you’re going to see it.”
“I’ll try,” Karliss replied.
“This may sound strange, but I have a good feeling about this. Do you know why I think that?”
“Why?”
“Because I have confidence in you. I’ll be the first to admit that there were plenty of times over the years when I doubted. You got into so much trouble. You refused to respect your gift or work to strengthen it. Many times I wondered if the gods were playing a trick on us. But you’ve changed. You’ve grown up in the last year. You’ve become a man. And so I know that you will do what needs to be done.”
Karliss could find no words to reply. He could only hope that his father’s trust was not misplaced.
╬ ╬ ╬
Word spread fast through the clan about what Karliss was going to do. He could feel their eyes on him as the day progressed. He saw a lot of fear in their faces. Their tlacti was leaving right when they needed him the most. But he saw hope too. He wasn’t sure which wa
s harder on him. Over and over during the day he second-guessed himself. He changed his mind numerous times and even walked almost to the terl’s yurt one time to tell him he wasn’t going after all. But, though he questioned and doubted constantly, he couldn’t rid himself of the core belief that the answers they needed would be found in the mountains, or they wouldn’t be found at all. If he didn’t make the effort, they would eventually lose to Kasai anyway. They might hold out for a year or two, but the Guardian had a limitless supply of soldiers he could send at them.
Late in the day it began to occur to Karliss that he should make the journey alone. The terl had said he would send two dozen warriors to accompany Karliss on his journey. But that would leave the clan’s defenses seriously depleted. He would also draw a lot more attention, traveling with that many people. His chances of being unnoticed were better if he went alone.
Finally, there was the very real chance that this mission would fail and everyone on it would die. They would be traveling into country no Sertithian had ventured into for centuries. Who knew what dangers awaited? If that happened, better it was only he who died, and not a large portion of the clan’s warriors.
The idea of going alone was terrifying to Karliss, but once he thought of it, he couldn’t stop thinking of it. By sunset he’d decided to do it. At least he would not have the responsibility of other deaths on his shoulders if it all went bad.
He was careful not to let any hint of his decision show in his words or actions throughout the evening meal, knowing he was being closely watched by many. After eating, as he was heading back to his yurt, Ganbold caught up to him. He’d made a harness for the captured tulwar and was wearing it across his back so the tip no longer dragged on the ground. He looked upset.
“I tried, Karliss. I really tried.”
Sea Born (Chaos and Retribution Book 3) Page 18