The owl stood from his bed seat and continued his speech as all had their ears opened in attention upon his words. “I feel that is your purpose. As the story goes, the Mother Shirindul confronted these creatures in battle and sacrificed herself to destroy their leader, and in the process, some of their numbers, but many lived, escaping with their cursed lives. The blinding light, which the Mother had used to defeat them, put a great fear of any brightness in them, causing them to flee and find cover in any cave or hole they could plunge into. I fear that under our world, in the many catacombs and caves within, they must have found a way to Oomer, where young Sen, here, was left to find them!”
The young boy looked upon the owl and spoke as he was beginning to understand, looking upon his hands as they had a look of illness about them. “I think I understand now, but there’s one thing I’m curious of, how do you know all this?”
The owl tipped his beak at the young boy, and spoke knowingly. “The history of all Mothers has been put within tomes that are located in the great library of the Order of the Aura, where young Samana and I come from. The name Keraij was given to these creatures by one of our elder scribes, Kheranda. It means; to be of one mind.”
Samana stood at the bed side and crossed her arms as she spoke in curiosity.
“Is there any kind of cure for this illness, perhaps in the library, Hoosun?”
The owl shook his feathery mass and dipped his head as he spoke. “There has never been any cure found. The creatures only were first sighted when they plagued the land during the era of Shirindul, and after the Mother confronted them, have never, to my knowledge, been seen again, not until, now. Unfortunately, very little is known of what lies beneath the surface of our world. Fate has always remained silent on this matter. What we do know is that there is no cure but death to escape the cursed ways of their breed.”
Samana bit her lip and leaned on the stone wall. Kurlank grabbed his double swords, sheathed at slits in his armored hips, and spoke an echoing question. “It seems we have a purpose now, Hoosun. Shall we head to Oomer and investigate this matter?”
The owl put a thoughtful, feathered hand to his beak as Hatchlen spread his frill wide, the orange and spotty blue of the frill bright and beautiful as he spoke to his friend. “It seems it would be a good idea to be sure of the presence of these creatures, Hoosun.”
The owl shook his head sturdily and spoke in agreement. “It would, Hatchlen. Samana and Kurlank, go and search out these Keraij, but please do not engage them in combat. Only see that they are present, and if so, how many. Understood?”
Samana left her place at the wall and stood next to her metal friend, and shook her head agreeably. “Alright, we’ll do it, Hoosun. Oomer is pretty far, but I think we can make it in about a week.”
Kurlank spoke as he turned to the young heroine, giving reason in his speech. “We can make it in four days. Let me carry you the entire time, at the very least when you are sleeping. My lack of the need of rest will give us speed and good time upon our tread!”
Not liking the idea of not going the whole distance on her own steam, but finding it a good solution to shorten travel time, Samana agreed and put her hand upon that of the metal one as she spoke. “Alright, works for me. When do we leave?”
Hoosun looked over the young boy, who was ever watchful of the scene as Hatchlen stood speaking. “I’ll have food and water prepared for you, young Samana. You can leave tonight!”
As both of the warriors agreed upon the plan, the boy rose up from the bed and spoke aloud his thoughts on the matter in a restless tone. “Sounds like a great plan, but I’m going, too! I’m not going to stay here in bed. After all, I found them!”
Hoosun stifled a laugh at the demanding boy and shook his feathery head, and spoke.
“That’s very brave of you, but you’re still wounded, and not well enough to be going anywhere. We’re not sure how much time you’ll-”
But the boy cut him off, sticking his hand in his face as he spoke demandingly.
“It doesn’t matter how much time I have, at the very least you can let me help! Please!”
All looked upon the boy in silence, and then he felt the comforting touch of Samana once more as she spoke softly to him. “We’re thankful you want to help, but you’re ill, and we don’t know what will happen once the change takes place. Who knows if you’ll have the will to make it that far in your present manner, you could lose your mind and then you’d be lost. Stay here and rest, get your strength up and then see what you can do. The least you can do is slow this thing down.”
The boy nodded to Samana and sat back in the bed as he spoke. “Very well, I’ll stay here, but you better be careful. Those things could rip you in half!”
Samana smiled and looked upon her wrist as she spoke. “We’ll be careful. I already have enough marks from past encounters, what’s another amongst them, right?”
The owl stifled a laugh and kept seriousness in his words as he spoke from the bed side.
“Yes, but do be careful. Once you get the toxin in your body, there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”
Samana and Kurlank nodded, and stood listening as Hatchlen gripped his scaly hands together and spoke, “Well, let’s get you two ready for the journey, shall we!”
Leaving the boy alone in the infirmary to rest, Kurlank and Samana followed Hatchlen as he led them through the stone tower to get them ready and well-provisioned for the journey. Hoosun stepped upon the balcony, feeling the ash spread on his feathery white mass as he closed his eyes in deep thought.
The boy sat watchful from his bed, thoughts of his own in deep consideration as he looked upon his veined and sickened arms, as he thought about all that had been shared with him. If there was a purpose to his coming, there must be a purpose to his curse.
-Chapter 6-
Present
Back at the Order, the Mother Dhahn sat in her chamber, sitting upon her throne as thoughts were brought into her mind from the distance by a familiar voice. Images of the past and Mother Shirindul’s conflict were entering her mind, as all Mother’s shared the knowledge of their predecessors.
The day had drawn to a close. The moon hung high and bright as shafts fell below to light the ground and walls of the Order. Inside the infirmary, Henk was resting on a bed, as at her side, Amen and Mensh were sitting. An older woman named Maela stood at the side of Henk’s bed and shook her head, as Henk sat up and yawned tiredly, having just awoken.
“Well, looks like she’s finally up and about. You had Amen and Mensh, sitting down here, waiting for you all night, young Henk. You better start being careful about this thing. Don’t go risking your own body like this again, you hear me?!”
Henk smiled and was feeling much better, and spoke to the elder woman, leaving the bed to stand next to the seated ones, Amen and Mensh. “I’ll be more careful, Maela, but I can’t stop. We need to find out what happened to Amen!”
Maela looked upon Henk and gestured with her head to the silent one as she spoke.
“I bet if Amen could speak, he’d say he’d rather have you alive and well than have his past memories brought back, aye, Amen?”
The silent one nodded to the old one, as Henk leaned on his shoulder and spoke.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. If it gets any worse, I promise that I’ll stop!”
Maela shook her head and walked to the back of the counter, and investigated a cabinet that formerly was full of dishes that she used to mix medicine, which was now near empty.
“Do whatever you think is right, Henk, just watch out for yourself. Be careful, please. Hey, look at this, is someone pinching my dishes?!”
Mensh gulped in fear as Amen and Henk looked over at the counter, Henk stifling a laugh as she and Amen rose and went for the door, leaving the perplexed Mensh seated alone. Maela looked from behind the counter and fixed her gaze upon Mensh as she spoke.
“Are you breaking stuff, young Mensh?”
Mensh was filled with fear
and fidgeted with her hands behind her back as she rose and tried to make way for the door, speaking nervously. “I don’t think so, Maela. I don’t remember breaking anything!”
Henk and Amen swung the door open and watched as Maela met Mensh and spoke in a surprisingly carefree manner. “Well, whoever it was has done me a favor! I’ve been trying to get rid of those blasted glass dishes forever. Wooden ones work much better.”
Heading back behind the counter to leave Mensh with a relieving sigh, Maela went to work on mixing some medicine she had been working on the past few days.
Mensh laughed nervously as she made a place at the side of Amen and Henk, and spoke as they made to leave. “Well, if I find out whoever it was that did, I’ll definitely tell them you’re thankful, Maela…can I go now?”
Maela nodded allowing her assistant to leave with her friends. As the door shut, she shook her head comically, speaking out loud to herself. “Aye, she did it alright!”
Outside the air was cool and calm, Mensh gave out a laugh of relief, joined by Henk as they walked with the silent one through the gathering of fruitful trees.
Henk nudged Mensh with an elbow and spoke as they were below the great tree tower.
“That was close. I thought you were going to be in trouble there for a second. Why didn’t you tell her you did it, after you found out it was okay?”
Mensh crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, speaking as she felt the soft wind on her skin. “Because, you know Maela, it could’ve been a trick or something!”
Henk nodded in agreement as all three walked through the moonlit night together, the Mother watchful from her balcony above, looking out into the great distance, vast and dark, as she thought of what was surely to come…danger.
At the City of Oomer, the wreckage of stone and sand stood silent as gusts of wind blew in softly and caressed the sandy ground. Sinfus stood amongst his council, gesturing his hands as he made the Keraij fly and move in synchronization with his movements. The training was going well, and though the others were making progress, all found that they paid most attention to Sinfus’ will, as it was seemingly stronger and greater than all others due to his responsibility as leader of their council, along with his more personal ties to recent realizations.
Gelga watched in amazement at her lover, as he made the creatures move in swift and majestic motions in the air. Gesturing them to land as she met his side, he turned to her as she grasped his hands and met his eyes in a tight lock. Her voice speaking in his thoughts as they looked upon one another. “Sinfus, it seems we will be on our way soon, to leave the ruin of our home.”
Sinfus nodded, and looked upon the creatures as they all sat in mass upon the ruins of Oomer, his thoughts reaching out as he surveyed them. “It seems so, but I want to have better control, complete control. I can only command them with my hands. I want to be able to do it with nothing but the single effort of a thought. Only then will I feel we are secure.”
Gelga found she agreed with his words and nestled her head next to his as she thought.
“I feel secure right, now.”
Sinfus held his wife tightly, and looked upon her golden eyes as they were lit by the moon. They sparkled brightly as they looked back upon his gaze, and then the moment was broken as he felt a feeling come onto him…a feeling of hunger.
It was time for him to feed on the blood of his lover. Gripping his shoulders tightly as to still him, Gelga called him to open his mouth. Digging his claws deep with one hand, he tore his sealed mouth open as his love stood ready to feed him. Grabbing her wildly in hunger, he dug his sharp teeth into her shoulder to penetrate and take blood, gulping it down as she stood in his hold, her life fluids coursing down his throat hotly.
As Sinfus finished his feeding, he licked his bloodied face as his mouth began to seal. Gelga looked upon his bloodied features as he stared at her, and pushed his face to hers, dealing her a loving but bloody kiss as his torn mouth sealed against hers.
Wiping blood from her face with a caring hand, Sinfus nestled his hand under her chin, and they embraced in a tight grip, arms wrapped around each other in a vice.
The rest of the council was inside the grand structure at the center of the city, that which they had escaped the catacombs into. The moonlight beamed down through the many pillars of the mass as the twins, Fisu and Kisu, ran about, flying and jumping as they enjoyed the attributes of their cursed forms, learning to manage their newfound skills.
Fenra watched them with his golden eyes open wide, as Hersei took a place at his side and spoke of the knowledge earned by the day. “It seems we can’t control the Keraij. Sinfus’ will is great and above ours, it leaves no allowance for us!”
The tall figure of a bear turned his form to the one-eyed one, speaking in a thought of peaceful manner. “We need not to be able to control them. They are in good hands. Sinfus is our leader. Let him lead the Keraij, too. We have no reason to have command of them.”
Hersei bowed his head and spoke scathingly to the bear, as he stood watchful of the twins. “It is as you say, Fenra. Our leader is great and his cause also great. He deals with the power just as he should…with a just and noble cause!”
Fenra shook his head and spoke as he watched Karkor carrying a huge boulder in his four-armed grip. “Your words are wise, Hersei. You make good council.”
Hersei bowed to the words thankfully, and spoke as he peered upon the tall figure with his single eye. “Your words are too kind, Fenra…too kind, indeed.”
Karkor carried a vast boulder, tightly, and approached the twins who were on top of each other, wrestling with one another. The single-eyed one held the massive boulder up above his massive frame as he spoke to those on the ground before him. “Hey, you two, want to play a game?”
The twins stopped their wrestling, the female, Fisu, on top, turning to the form of the four-armed one to speak in a rather high-pitched tone. “Yeah, sure, Karkor, what do you have for us?”
The giant one held the boulder firm as the twins got up to stand before him, awaiting instruction from him as he spoke his mind. “I’m going to spin this boulder, and you two can see how long you can stay on it!”
Seeing the challenge as one without difficulty, the twins agreed, and hopped onto the boulder that sat in the hold of the giant, as he began to spin it in rotating fashion above his head, the twins running circles around it as it spun madly in a blur, each keeping pace with the boulder as they tread in circles around its form.
Watching the training display of balance, Fenra and Hersei sat in the moonlit darkness as Mastaba walked up and watched the display, clipping his mouth open constantly to speak real words instead of speaking by thought as the others did. “Look at that. Isn’t it lovely, a spinning mess of stone and flesh? I can’t imagine what would happen if something was to get screwed up!”
Fenra looked upon the vile one with seriousness and stood up against him as he spoke.
“Watch yourself, Mastaba, don’t you think of doing a thing! Even though we’re faster and stronger in these cursed forms, that doesn’t make us unable to die, believe me, we can!”
Mastaba licked his bloodied lip as his mouth began to seal, and was cut once more to allow spoken words. “I’m just thinking we should put it to the test is all!”
As the tall figure stood against the slender, shorter figure with an intense stare, Hersei watched as Borka produced himself behind Mastaba and placed his head next to his, ripping his mouth open with his tusks as he spoke aloud to him. “If you don’t shape up, Mastaba, we’ll be putting it to the test on you!”
Mastaba turned to the boar as his tusk featured face sealed, the slender one gritting his sharp and filed teeth at the boar as he spoke, his mouth sealing as he finished his words.
“Very well, I wouldn’t want to put anyone through the trouble of replacing one of our own. With all the mindless ones around here, how could we possibly replace ones of such intelligence?!”
The boar penetrated Mastaba deeply with
a cold stare, as he left them and wandered outside the stone structure, the others left bathing inside with soft moonlight.
Fenra shook his head and spoke his mind as Borka played with the handle of his spear.
“He’s trouble, Borka.”
The boar shook his head in agreement and groaned as he shifted his jaw and spoke aloud. “He has been for some time. He seems to be getting worse with the curse. If he tries anything, I’m not going to hesitate to spit him! He’s a danger we can’t afford.”
Fenra and Borka stood together in agreement as the twins played and trained with the massive Karkor, Hersei standing in the shadows behind the bear and boar, keeping his thoughts to himself as he found the manner of Mastaba most interesting, most interesting indeed.
Back at the City of Murta Sota, Samana and Kurlank were ready for the journey ahead. Kurlank had a sack full of rations of water and food for Samana as he stood next to the infirmary entrance, as Samana gave Hoosun a great hug and spoke as she held him in a tight and caring grip. “Will you stay here, Hoosun?”
The owl smiled through his beak at the young heroine and looked out into the distance through the balcony opening, looking past the ash and ember filled skies as he spoke.
“I will go back to the Order, young Samana. I shall be with the Mother, as I am needed.”
Samana smiled upon the old owl, and ruffled his feathery hand as she looked to the boy in the bed. “Thank you for telling us of the threat, Sen. I am sure we’ll see you again?”
The boy shook his head and sat up from his bed, and reached his hand out to the braided-haired girl as he spoke. “I’m sure we’ll see each other soon.”
Samana took the extended arm and gripped his forearm as he did hers, and shook it.
“I look forward to it!”
Kurlank took the back of Samana and placed his armored grip upon her shoulder, speaking in an echoing and booming voice as he did. “We must be going now, Samana.”
The Order of Events: The Council of Eight Page 6