The Order of Events: The Council of Eight

by Haines, C. J.

  -Chapter 4-

  Present

  Back at the Order, after days had passed, sweet sunlight dripped through the foliage of the great tree, down upon the tongue of the great balcony, serving it a taste of the beautiful day to come. The Mother Dhahn, in her green and fine clothed form, walked upon the balcony and closed her eyes, removing her soft veil to breathe in the soft air coming onto the stone tongue.

  Her eyes, green and glimmering, opened as she allowed them sunlight to bathe in. It was a beautiful day indeed.

  Thoughts came into her mind, from a familiar voice, as she stood serenely, taking in the echoing transfer.

  At the City of Murta Sota, Samana was walking through corridors of heavy stone, the structures specked with ash that had been carried in on the wind through sweeping motions of the dark, heated surroundings. She made her way ahead and found herself at a balcony, Hoosun standing there, seemingly looking out to view as she spoke to gain his attention, in a manner lacking seriousness. “Hoosun, the heat around here is getting pretty intense for me. I’m not sure how much longer I can take the training.”

  The owl was still. Samana walked to his side and peered at his beaky features. His eyes were closed as he seemed in some kind of deep concentration. “Hoosun?”

  The owl’s eyes shot open and he looked upon Samana as she had a look of curiosity about her. The owl spoke as he grinned through his beak at the young heroine. “Sorry, Samana, I must have been sleeping. The flight here must finally have gotten to me.”

  Samana nodded and smiled at her friend, grabbing his feathery hand as she led him through the stone surroundings, speaking as she did so. “It’s quite okay, you deserve a good rest. I would never have gotten here without your help. Everything could have been lost if you hadn’t shown yourself.”

  The owl nodded thankfully and fixed his spectacles straightly on his beak as he spoke in reply to his young friend. “Perhaps, but the trip would have been for nothing if I hadn’t such a valiant young heroine to carry with my fleeting wings.”

  Samana brushed the shoulder of the owl affectionately and leaned her head on his shoulder, like one would to a father. “Maybe…I don’t want to think too much of myself.”

  Stifling a laugh, the two walked ahead, and then Samana cut a serious tone as she spoke her next words. “You know, Hoosun, I was really worried about you up there…I almost thought you were gone. If that happened…if anything happened to you, I don’t know how I could deal with life, deal with anything without you.”

  The owl brushed the head of the heroine with his feathered grasp, tenderly, as he spoke. “I would not be able to live without you either, Samana.”

  The two wandered down the hall, peacefully, the younger leaning their head on the elder for comfort.

  As the days passed, Samana trained long and hard, each and every day. Hatchlen joined Hoosun’s side as he found enjoyment in watching the two go back and forth to show their prowess. It had been near a week of training, tiring but worthwhile. Samana had gotten back up to speed and was even showing growth in her efforts as she and Kurlank carried on.

  As the lizard and the owl watched the clang of blades meshed with skillful movements, a loud horn cut the air with its thick proclamation. Hatchlen rose from a meditative and watchful position, his frilled head growing as he looked down from the tower top with an alarmed look as he spoke to the approaching Samana and Kurlank, both taking place at his side.

  “There seems to be something happening. They’re blowing the alarm horn. Someone or something is at the gate!”

  Charging down through the city, the lizard led Samana and Kurlank in a speedy tread, as Hoosun was flying above and took place at the main gate, craning over the edge of the city to see a broken, ragged, and tiresome looking boy standing at the gate. Calling out and stretching his wings in alarm, Hoosun spoke to the guards at the gate to open the door. “There’s an injured looking boy out there. Open the gate!”

  Hatchlen had led the way down and stood before the gate, and received a questioning look from a guard, and delivered a gesture to open the gate, which was met with approval from Hoosun. The gates creaked open to reveal a boy, tattered and tired, and collapsing.

  Samana rushed to the boy’s side and looked upon his body, noting huge marks upon his back, black smears of a strange substance, now dried, on his form.

  The lizard looked upon the wounded one and spoke as his slit eyes roved the peculiar wounds. “Look at that. What is that stuff?”

  Hoosun flew down to the scene of the wounded and collapsed boy, and looked upon the wounds with urgent eyes, and spoke with urgency. “We’ll never find out if he doesn’t live. I’ll fly him to the infirmary!”

  With agreement from Hatchlen, the owl took the boy in grasp of his talons and spread his wings wide, and took flight to the infirmary built into the tower. Samana and Kurlank stood watching the great owl fly away as the echoing voice of the metal one rang out clearly as he spoke. “This could be the sign of purpose we’ve been waiting for, young heroine.”

  Samana spoke as her eyes were locked on the flying form of the owl carrying the boy.

  “It could be…but what will come of it?”

  As her question was called out, Hatchlen held a curious, scaly limb to his features, and spoke to the two at his side. “Who knows? Those wounds, it stirs the curiosity in me. Let’s go, shall we?”

  The metal one and the heroine nodded, and took off to the infirmary, the great gates closing behind them to meet in unified fashion as they followed the red lizard in his charge.

  The boy lay in bed, dressed in fresh clothing, and with bands of once clean cloth now dirtied upon his wounds as he was silent and serene upon the view of the great owl that stood looking over the wounded form in the bed.

  Samana and the others entered the infirmary and went to the bedside, the lizard questioning him as he looked over the body. “Hoosun, do you know what happened to him, what those wounds are?”

  The owl stood silently and took his spectacles off, and dusted them on his green cloak, and then placed them back on his beaky features as he spoke. “I’m not sure, at this point it is hard to tell, but this looks like some kind of toxin that’s infecting him. Notice the pulsing of veins and the sickening paleness?”

  The three looked upon the boy and noted the look of ailment upon him. Kurlank stood at the bed end and looked upon the owl to speak. “It looks like it works in a rather deadly manner, Hoosun. I wonder what it could be.”

  Samana ran her finger over the veins of the boy’s arm and noted a smooth and pasty feel to his skin as she did, voicing her concern as she looked upon his features, long, spiky, black hair, and a soft but strong face. “He seems very pasty and his veins are rough. What can we do to help him?”

  The owl looked upon the unconscious form, speaking his mind. “It seems we can only do one thing…wait. Let us hope he wakes to tell us what happened to him, and where he got these curious wounds.”

  All agreed upon the plan, for it was all they could do…wait, and as they did, Samana was overcome with many thoughts. Where did this boy come from? What was his purpose, and why was he here? The answers to these questions she did not know, but one thing she did, for sure. This boy had come for a reason and with a purpose that would soon be revealed.

  Back at the Order, the sun was beginning to dip into the horizon. Amen sat on the outermost wall in meditative state as Henk stood above his form, her hands rested on his head as her eyes were closed and her focus put upon the silent one’s mind.

  Mensh sat on a battlement, watching as Henk used her gifted power of thought searching on Amen. She had been trying all day to reach the inner corridors of his mind, in search of the lost past that the silent boy wished to recover, but through her efforts, nothing yet had come…not until this very moment.

  As Henk kept her hold firm on Amen, she searched his thoughts. She had gone beyond many memories to get deeper in, the thoughts of everyday actions passing through as she pressed onw
ard into his mind, and then an image entered her thoughts…blood, and lots of it.

  Mensh watched and saw a look of fear take hold of Henk as she began to tremble in her search. Worry took hold of Mensh as she called out to Henk. “Henk…Henk…Henk!”

  But she did not answer.

  Henk felt fear grip her coldly as vague visions came before her. Dark shapes, bright light, and blood everywhere. She felt herself shaken as a cry erupted in the memory, blood poured over her flesh, and then…she was awake.

  Mensh stood gripping Henk’s arm as she had awoken from the memory and was dazed, her eyes tired looking and weak as she looked upon Mensh and spoke a question.

  “What happened?”

  The curly-haired Mensh sighed and then spoke as both stood above the still Amen.

  “You were trembling, Henk. I had to stop you. I had to wake you up…did you find anything? Did you see anything?”

  Henk took in breathe weakly as she looked down upon Amen, who turned around and stared at her with his blue eyes blazing in the falling light of the sun. He seemed unaffected by her pursuit of his thoughts. Henk sat down and leaned against the cool stone of the wall, and undid her jacket to allow her body heat to escape as she sat in a sweaty discomfort, her voice speaking feebly as Mensh kneeled to her side, Amen placing a worried hand on Henk’s shoulder as she spoke. “Nothing, I didn’t see anything…I just was trying for too long. I need to rest.”

  Mensh looked curiously at Henk, as if in disbelief, as Amen propped Henk on his shoulder, helping her up. The two helped her down from the wall as Henk was left with her thoughts and Mensh’s words cycling in her mind as she spoke in a manner of attempted humor. “Don’t try pushing it so hard, okay? You’re going to give yourself some kind of shock, and then I’ll be stuck with two people that can’t speak!”

  Henk gave a light smile and leaned her head restfully on Amen’s shoulder as she was led down the steps and soon to the infirmary. The imagery of the past set in her mind. She did see something, but she would not voice it at this time, fearing that if she did, Mensh would not allow her to continue looking inside Amen for his past, which she so longed to do for the silent one…and for herself.

  -Chapter 5-

  Present

  A day had passed since the coming of the strange, marked boy. All of Murta Sota was still in its ash ridden existence, as all in the infirmary were riddled with thoughts of the boy’s purpose and possible origin. Hoosun sat on a stone benching that was built into the wall of the room, resting quietly as he waited for a sign of life from the boy.

  Samana and Kurlank stood outside on a balcony, viewing the falling ash from the burning pit’s spit as they too were waiting for the moment the boy would give rise and hopefully give answer to many questions that had been raised, since his arrival to the great city.

  Hatchlen entered the infirmary and took a seat next to Hoosun, asking for news of the boy’s condition. “Any sign yet, Hoosun?”

  The owl tipped his head forward, tiredly, and shook his head as he spoke. “Unfortunately, there has not been any, my friend. Who knows how long it could take. It has only been one day.”

  Samana entered from the balcony, and leaned on the bed end, facing Hoosun and the lizard as she spoke, stretching tiredly as she had been without much sleep, having been curious as to the purpose and reason of the boy’s arrival. “I hope it doesn’t take too long, my patience is starting to wear a little thin, Hoosun.”

  The owl smiled as the metal one entered and stood at the balcony entrance, ash flowing in from behind his metal fashioned mass as he stood looking at the scene within the infirmary.

  “It will come in good time, young heroine. All we can do is wait and hope that he gives rise.”

  As the metal one had spoken, all turned their attention upon the boy, as he stirred in his sleep and began fluttering his eye lids in a wakeful appeal.

  Samana stood at the bed end, watchful, as Hoosun and Hatchlen gave rise and were at the bed side, checking the flow of the boy’s veins as he came into full wakefulness and looked upon those above him, his eyes fixed on the beautiful form of Samana as he was met with the voice of the owl. “Young boy, what is your name?”

  The boy spoke in a weak voice, and issued words to the speaker, without turning his view upon the owl. “My name…is Sen.”

  The owl looked upon the boy as all the chamber were, Samana feeling the gaze upon her from the mysterious boy, and feeling a touch of awkwardness as she took place at Kurlank’s side, to the right of the boy, and spoke to him. “What happened to you? Where did you come from, Sen?”

  The boy began to sit up and was pressured back down by Hatchlen, as the lizard spoke, encouraging him to answer. “Lay back, young one, now tell us…what happened to you? How did you get those wounds?”

  The boy looked at his body and surveyed the thick veins and paleness of his skin, and rose up in panic, feeling his torso up for wounds as he spoke with urgency. “What?! What’s happening to me? Am I poisoned? Where am I?”

  Hoosun attempted to calm the boy by putting a firm and feathery grasp on his shoulders in order to pressure him back down, but the boy did not go back down, at least not until the hand of Samana pressed on his chest gently, as she ordered him to calmness. “Take it easy, we’re trying to figure that out. Now, try and remember…what happened before you got here?”

  As the boy felt comfort to her touch, he went back down into the bed and breathed softly as he thought hard to remember, the booming voice of Kurlank speaking. “Try hard. I’m sure you’ll remember. Just look back and try your hardest.”

  The boy was touched by all eyes as he thought back to what occurred in the sands, closing his eyes as he began to speak, the blurry vision of what had happened to him becoming clear in his mind. “I was wandering the sands all alone, looking for shelter from the harsh winds. I was traveling for days, and when it seemed that nothing would shelter me, hope began to leave me…but then, as the wind cleared, I found a city, or at least the remains of what was once one. I hid from the weather, and took rest there. The city seemed empty at first, so I had no fear. Then something awoke me. There was a loud noise coming from this huge structure. I went to check it out and then these things…I’m not sure what they were, but they were twisted and could fly without wings! One saw me, and came after me. I tried to run, but it caught up and tore into me with its claws. I managed to kill it, and then I ran away. I don’t know how long I ran for, but I never stopped, and then I came here and passed out from exhaustion.”

  All stood with their thoughts on the story, as Hatchlen spoke holding a curious, clawed finger to his scaly lip. “Interesting, Hoosun, you know what this sounds like? It’s incredible, but I think I know, now. The wounds explain it, clearly.”

  The owl nodded in grim agreement with the lizard. Samana and Kurlank stood with curious minds, the young heroine speaking as she was curious to what was going on.

  “Hoosun, what is it?”

  The owl looked at the boy and lifted the patient’s arm up, his veins thick, and his skin pale and sick as the owl spoke. “The boy speaks of none other than the Keraij!”

  Samana tilted her head in curious fashion as Kurlank stood firm at her side and questioned the wise owl. “What are these Keraij that you speak of, Hoosun?”

  As the owl set the boy’s arm back down, firmly, he took his spectacles and wiped them off on his cloak. The boy sat curious, and in worry as he sat up and looked upon those in the room with a surveying eye. “What’s happening to me?”

  The owl placed his spectacles on his beaky tip, resting a feathery limb on the boy’s shoulder as he spoke. “You’ve been attacked by a cursed creature, young Sen, and instead of choosing death for you it has chosen to make you one with its cursed kind. Let me explain.”

  All stood and sat listening amongst the stone room as the owl sat on a bed at the boy’s side, regaling knowledge he had earned in his many years of life. “Long ago, during the era of the Mother Shirindul, she confron
ted a strange mass of creatures, and although they were all insane and mindless, only wishing to bring harm…there was one among them that spoke and thought by his own will, one that was capable of commanding these creatures. It was found that they, in their mindless state, sharing the same mass and will, could be governed by those of their breed and curse that had thoughts and a will of their own. They had somehow made this man into one of their own kind, and soon he led them. This leading figure wished to bring death, and did so with the use of these creatures, bringing death upon the city of Krelesh and any who stood in their way!”

  Kurlank flinched, his armored form leaning on the bed end, grinding a heavy grip into the wooden frame as he spoke angrily and with vengeance in his tone. “So, those things are what had destroyed my people! After my brothers and I had left, they took the lives of so many innocence, all those families and dutiful warriors!”

  Samana took a place at Kurlank’s side, putting a caring hand on his shoulder as she spoke in attempt to calm him with an understanding tone. “I’m sorry, Kurlank. I know what it’s like losing your people…it’s not an easy thing!”

  The metal one stood dipping his head down in shame before all as he shook his metal frame, echoing out responsibility. “If I had never betrayed my rightful cause, maybe my brothers and I could have stopped it!”

  Samana shook her head as the others watched her speak to the metal one with wisdom.

  “No, it was meant to happen, Kurlank. If you had never committed your wrongs, then where would we be now? How would I have succeeded in my journey without you? You’re here because you are needed, and now we stand with another purpose. We have to stop these things, right?”

  Turning to Hoosun, Samana stood at her warrior friend’s side, the metal one raising his head and patting her shoulder as he spoke his thanks. “You are wise and right, Samana. What do we do next Hoosun?”