The light under the ship glowed, and it sailed gracefully into the night sky. Tenashar, A-amar, and Una-sei watched its flight until it disappeared.
chapter 3
A Village among the Hills and Tall Grasses
Teanashar lay in a clump of grass he had made into a bed for the night and asked A-amar, “Did you truly mistrust these people?”
The answer came swiftly. “That is for you to decide, not me. You must learn wisdom.” Tenashar decided that Knode might not have been the benevolent man he had originally thought. He had truly wanted to believe that Knode was a person who meant well and who had no dark motives. His feeling fluctuated because he knew nothing of these people and believed that trust is a gradual thing.
Tenashar’s thoughts wandered to his loved ones—Tansatei in the faraway village near the mountains, Cadica somewhere in the future, and Nainashari sleeping in his forest.
Under a full moon, Tenashar happened to glance up at the sky and caught the image of a flying ship silhouetted by moonlight and wondered what they might be planning. The ship never seemed to leave the grassland, and the desire to hide himself from that flying ship quickly became strong within Tenashar.
But where could he go? He rose and looked around in the moonlight, but the whole land seemed flat. In the distance, he could see hills and mountains, so they spent the night walking toward them. It didn’t matter to Tenashar how long it would take to get there. They could hide in the mountains, so that the flying ship wouldn’t be able to find them. They quickly covered a seemingly endless expanse of the grassland. They hurried their pace and finally found themselves at the base of the hills.
Tenashar found a place to hide. “Right here we will be safe at the base of the mountains, and we can now sleep without fear. A-amar, what do you and Una-sei think?”
“This decision is yours,” replied A-amar.
They found a shallow cave and hid themselves inside to avoid the devices in the ship that could be used to see what was going on the ground below. The thick foliage that surrounded the cave gave them even more cover.
A-amar still remained awake to scan the night sky, watching the flying ship weave in and out of the grassland. Then A-amar saw the ship stop, remaining stationary in the sky for a while. Then it suddenly disappeared.
By full daylight that afternoon, Tenashar saw no sign of the ship in the cloudless sky.
After trudging through the hills for a while, they rested before exploring further. Tucked in a valley among the hills, Tenashar discovered a small village where people were busying themselves in their daily tasks. A-amar and Una-sei stayed within the hills to keep themselves out of sight of the village.
Tenashar cautiously crept closer and could see that the village was more extensive than he had first thought. Some homes were nestled on high hills; others were located on the high sides of the mountains.
He realized these people were highly skilled as Nainashari in the use of various materials, as he saw them making pottery in large kilns. On much closer look, Tenashar realized that their merchants must have visited his own village, for he recognized their beautiful pottery. But he often kept his eyes turned upward, watching for the flying ship, and slowly inched his way toward the village to reveal himself to the villagers.
He felt these people would accept him because they were familiar with the Senetha.
When he approached, at first people dropped what they were doing in apprehension. Some of them snatched up rocks and clubs, ready to defend their village.
One of the men, an old merchant, called out, “Are you of the Senetha? My name is Naiena-sa. I am sorry I did not introduce myself immediately. At first, I wasn’t sure if we could trust you. Forgive my bad manners.”
“My name is Tenashar, and yes, I’m from Senetha,” replied Tenashar.
The villagers immediately put down their weapons, and gradually, they began to smile at Tenashar.
Naiena-sa spoke again. “I am glad that you have taken the time to come and visit us. You are the first of your people to come to us in a very long time—beyond many of the yesterdays. Why are you here?”
Tenashar told Naiena-sa what had happened, right up to the moment that he appeared in the village. The merchant nodded in agreement that his people had noticed the land was starting to die around them for no apparent reason. They told Tenashar of the first day that they saw the Orbs—but here, the Orbs had not returned. To the villagers, the flying ship was a more immediate concern.
“You see, if you look up in the sky, that flying ship has been there for a long time. We’ve seen it. Some of our people were curious; especially our children—and these children began to vanish. We never saw them again, so your feelings were true about the ship. But we don’t know why they do this. Our children shouldn’t be their concern. They should be concerning themselves with the Orbs. They must be aware that the Orbs are eating away the land, yet they seem to ignore this. Perhaps where they come from they don’t have a problem with the Orbs. We are lucky that way, too—for we are secluded for now. You are the only one we know of who saw and spoke with these people—at least the only one who returned. They must have thought you were special.”
The merchant’s eyes said more about his worries, but Tenashar was unable to read it all.
As Naiena-sa gazed skyward, he queried, “Are you hiding from those people?”
Tenashar held his hands out to the merchant to comfort him. “They are here for exploration and do not seem to be evil. I feel they have good motives; it’s just that their intentions are making them do the wrong things. Understanding the world is important for these people. I believe they see nothing else and perhaps do not consider the needs of others.”
“I believe that you are right about these people from the ship,” said Naiena-sa.
Tenashar thought perhaps he understood why Siytai was reluctant and indifferent toward Knode—perhaps Siytai didn’t like what was going on. Maybe that was the real reason why he always seemed angry.
chapter 4
Warmth among the Homvia
The villagers asked Tenashar to stay with them for a while to rest from his travels and the ordeal with the flying ship. Tenashar wanted to introduce A-amar and Una-sei to Naiena-sa and was trying to think of ways of preparing the merchant and his village to meet his friends.
A-amar and Una-sei came out from behind one of the large boulders. Naiena-sa and the villagers appeared awed to see these two live Sharzeen, but they showed no fear. Some of the children ran up to A-amar to stare at him with smiles and giggles.
Tenashar was perplexed and mystified. “Why aren’t these villagers and their children scared of my two friends?”
Naiena-sa explained. “The children are familiar with Sharzeens. We’ve seen them before in other forms. Even human.”
Tenashar was stunned to find this out. He soon found out another shattering truth—Naiena-sa knew of Nainashari.
“Nainashari has visited us on occasion. That’s one way we’ve heard of the Sharzeen.”
Tenashar was glad that the villagers knew of Sharzeens and Nainashari, for it made them easier to talk to. These friendly people were called the Homvia—a name that sounded very nice to Tenashar.
Like the people in Cadica’s world, the Homvia were devoted to crafts, mainly pottery. The whole community was involved in this production. Children would prepare the clay. Then the older children and adults heated the kilns that were larger than the dwellings of the Senetha.
Homvia craftsmen did not restrict themselves to pottery, for their skill extended into making all kinds of metal, fashioning it into knives, dishes, jewelry, and artwork. Some of these glistened with a rainbow of colors as the sun hit the highly polished surfaces. It seemed nothing was beyond the skill of a Homvia craftsman.
Tenashar recalled Cadica’s skill with all types of metal and began to wonder if there was a connection between the desert and Homvia peoples. As Tenashar marveled at their skill, he was constantly reminded of his old fr
iends.
The craftsmen, including all the males of the village, wore layers of tunics draped and bound with colored bands over leggings or pants to keep them warm from the mountain breezes that made the temperatures almost unbearable. The weather was variable, and conditions would often change without notice.
The women, on the other hand, wore pants that reached to the knees and a shirt or tunic that hung to their hips. Some tunics were loose, while others closely conformed to the contours of the female figure, which made some of the teenage girls very alluring to Tenashar. Only a few of the women and girls wore the bands.
All the bands were of such vivid and varied colors that it was clear the Homvia were also masters of weaving and dyeing.
Naiena-sa invited Tenashar to stay with him. His dwelling was quite comfortable. There was a central cone-shaped fireplace that warmed the entire abode. Along the walls were round metal plates showing interesting designs and scenes that depicted the life and history of the Homvia. They sat on the polished tile floor and discussed things concerning the aeronauts.
Tenashar looked up at the fireplace’s chimney and said to Naiena-sa, “Won’t the flying ship be able to spot the smoke coming from your dwellings?”
“No,” Naiena-sa reassured him. “The winds that ride around this mountain disperse the smoke in many directions. To the people of the flying ship, it looks like it’s coming from nowhere.”
“Do you know who these people are?”
The merchant shook his head. “Shouldn’t you know more about these you call the aeronauts? You met them and spoke with their leader, didn’t you?”
Tenashar tried his best to explain everything to Naiena-sa. “They told me that they are from islands far over the seas. They said they are here to explore the ruins all across this land. Their islands have similar ruins. That’s all they say their motivation is. And despite the danger, I still had a desire to travel in the air.”
Naiena-sa spoke. “I’ve traveled much, trading pottery and other goods, and many places and peoples have been very strange. I met many peoples and also hoped to trade with many others. I’ve even been to the sea.”
“You have been to the sea?” Tenashar’s voice showed his enthusiasm. “That is something I badly want to see. I’ve always dreamed of going to the ocean. I tried to imagine what it would be like. But do we really know who these people in the flying ship are? Do they mean harm or are they just curious?” Tenashar wondered if he could follow the flying craft.
Tenashar noticed that A-amar and Una-sei were playing with the children. They had taken a liking to the living Sharzeen and felt protected by them. They were playing tag, and the children giggled when A-amar pretended to make a ferocious expression. Tenashar smiled as the children sat, played, and jumped on their laps and tickled them on their snouts. He realized their depth and value. At the end of the day, he was happy to see the children sleep near the Sharzeen.
It was very late when Tenashar got up to look at the night sky. As he was admiring the stars, he suddenly saw something move across the sky. It seemed that the stars were moving fast and then slowing down. He knew it was the flying ship—perhaps looking for him. He was glad the children were safe with A-amar and Una-sei.
He asked one of the busy crafters, “Can they not see the fires while you are working?”
The man replied, “The trees, hills, and mountains shield us from view, and some nights, fog hides the village. There are also many glowing pools of water, which confuse the issue.”
Tenashar went back inside to sleep again. He decided that night he must find those missing children. He would confront Knode about it. Now that A-amar and Una-sei were fond of the village children, they would undoubtedly help him force the aeronauts to tell where the missing children were.
As the sun rose in the early morning hours, Tenashar climbed to a rocky ledge to look for the flying ship but saw nothing.
Naiena-sa said, “I think that if you try to look for the flying thing, you won’t find it. They sense that you are searching and hide.”
Tenashar looked down and said, “Do you know this?”
“I am not certain, but it seems so. They seem to be able to sense our thoughts. These feelings of mine come only from what I have seen.”
Later that day, Tenashar walked out into the grasslands, flanked by A-amar and Una-sei. Villagers who lived near the open land said they had seen a ship come to ground the previous night. Tenashar spotted fresh marks on the ground, verifying this story.
He decided to wait in the field all day, if necessary, to see Knode and the ship again. One day turned into many, and the aeronauts never returned. Even the people in the other villages heard and saw nothing.
Finally, Tenashar made up his mind to stop looking in the field. He decided he would look in the mountains or somewhere else or again come back to the field and wait until he saw the ship.
Naiena-sa tried to comfort him. “Tenashar, whatever you’re here to do must be completed. Those children are not lost, and in my heart I always hope to find them, but it is not your task to find them. Continue with your own journey. Nainashari would advise the same.”
He knew that Naiena-sa was right. But the lost children would always remain in his heart.
chapter 5
A Glowing Fire in the Valley
They traveled far and passed through many villages, and then they arrived in the mountain village of Kapdalki, where they stayed as guests of the village elder.
There were a large number of people as they gathered around Tenashar and his friends, and from the crowd a man came through. The village elder introduced himself. “I am known as Gynatha. I welcome you here on behalf of the people of Kapdalki. You must be tired; rest here. I’m the head of this village.”
Then Tenashar introduced himself. “My name is Tenashar. I come from a people called the Senetha, and these are my two companions, A-amar and Una-sei. They are Sharzeen.”
Kapdalki was small, as it was situated in the mountains. Buildings and dwellings were situated at high elevations, some homes protruding from cliffs, and other structures were in small valleys. The village was spread over a wide area, but the center of Kapdalki was in a large valley where central structures radiated out in a circle that was interspersed with forests, grassy areas, flowerbeds, and small-cultivated land. The tall central structure was where Gynatha lived. That also functioned as a large council hall. Mountains and valleys surrounded Kapdalki. Farming was done far outside the village. Terrace farming was practiced, where part of the mountain was cut like a stair with flat pieces of land for cultivation. The people, such as pottery, painting, glass, metal, construction of machines, building of structures, textiles, and many other trades, practiced all types of industry. The people were great engineers. Structures were built on the side and on top of mountains.
The mountain people were kind. “Come and rest. There is food. Sit down on those stone platforms and relax,” said a villager.
An elderly woman named Acinreei said, “Tenashar, I have a part of my house where you could sleep for the night or you could stay at communal inn you, to, A-amar and Una-sei. We know that you are Sharzeen. We are not afraid.”
Gynatha looked at Tenashar. “Yes, we know about Sharzeen. Don’t worry; as Acinreei said, we are not frightened. This is our beautiful Kapdalki. On the other side of the mountains, there is a vast hilly plain with a very large settlement,” said Gynatha.
Tenashar walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down over the plains far below. “I notice that far out across the plain, there is an object that looks like a large structure on fire.” Pointing into the distance, Tenashar asked the Gynatha what it might be.
Gynatha had no answer for him, just that it must be very far away, and there were many towns and villages in that direction.
The burning light continued to bother Tenashar. Yet he was able to sleep. Mountains seemed to have a tranquil effect on him. In fact, life was so comfortable in the mountains Tenashar took a long re
st, sometimes sleeping both day and night.
Gynatha’s wife, Lotanacee, looked after him, and one day she told a story about her younger days when she saw things flying in the air.
“I once lived down in the hills below. I was born among the Homvia, but I came to live with my husband’s people. This was long ago, at another time when adults and children were going missing. I lost a sister to the flying ships when we were just children. I heard her scream, and our father tried to rescue her, but it was too late—she was gone. They took her. My family went through so much grief because they lost a child.”
The sadness in the Lotanacee’s eyes and voice made Tenashar feel for her. She had tried to accept what had happened but could never forget her sister. Tenashar’s heart started to harden with anger. He had to find out why these children disappeared. Perhaps if he found the answers, it would lead him to more understanding of the Orbs and what to do about them.
Even in the mountains, the forests were showing signs of the draining decay.
Tenashar, A-amar, and Una-sei were shown secret paths by the villagers and finally came to the low-lying hills. On their way, they met with other village heads and asked each about the fire burning on the distant hill. Tenashar joined the other villagers to investigate.
Everyone was curious about what it was. They all suspected something in the back of their minds. All the villages had heard of and seen the flying ship. And they knew that anything large enough and powerful enough to cause such a bright glow had to be this.
Coming gradually closer to the fire, everyone remained quiet and tense. It was, as they suspected, the wreckage of a flying ship—perhaps the same one Tenashar had seen several days ago. Tenashar and the villagers stayed at a distance, kept away by the heat of the fire, and because they didn’t really want to see what was there.
They caught a glimpse of what looked like a charred body, but when they cautiously approached, they were relieved to find that it was part of the machinery of a ship. Even after it cooled, it was odd that they found no bodies in wreckage.
Journey to the Grassland and Sea Page 3