Don’t be unfair, I care for you every day, Manchego said. He was concerned about the wellbeing of his much-valued Naevas Aedán. For some time, he had been demanding the opportunity to find out about his past and his origins, and those concerns of his had become more intense during the last few months.
Teitú became visible. He preferred to remain hidden as if he were seeking solace.
And is nobody interested in whether I’m hungry or not?
But you can’t eat, my dear friend. You know what your nature is.
But it’s not fair! I want to share a little time at the table and join in the conversation. To have my own destiny, not just be dependent on yours!
We’ve talked about this, Teitú. I’m not going to discuss it again.
Manchego slammed his fist on the table. Lulita and Luchy were left breathless for a moment, then pretended nothing had happened. On previous occasions, they had realized that it was better not to interfere between Manchego and Teitú.
“Here’s your food, sweetheart,” Luchy said. She was a little uneasy at the sight of Teitú flying around Manchego so fast and so wildly. She looked at Lulita, and they both shrugged.
“And when will we get the animals?” Luchy asked, to change the subject.
“Oh, my darling! You’ve no idea how thrilled I am with the new animals. Don Dargos of Vásufeld is selling them to me. He used to be a landowner in Vásufeld, and he’s come here to sniff out opportunities. I believe he’ll be something like what the leader of the House of Thorén was before.”
“That will be good,” Manchego said, thinking about the cattle and forgetting about Teitú. “What are you going to call them?”
Now that you’re with your wonderful family, you don’t need me at all, and you don’t pay any attention to me.
Don’t take it the wrong way, Teitú. It’s the same for everybody with their loved ones. You’re my loved one too—wait!
Manchego stood up. “I’ll be on my way, Granny. Teitú’s been very sensitive these past few weeks.” He choked on the last bit of tamale as he left the dirty dishes in the sink, then ran off after his shining friend.
“Life is so beautiful when there is peace and prosperity,” Luchy sighed, her voice full of hope.
“So it is, my precious, so it is. Life is beautiful. Oh, my Manchego, how happy it makes me to see him like this!”
“Right then, Lulita. I’m off to the Central Market to do some shopping.”
“All right, sweetie. I’ll spend a while weaving.”
***
The afternoon shed a copper luster on the carpet of grass, the lushly-spreading trees, and the distant clouds. The birds were chirping a magical song while life went on its course, recovering from the devastation of evil. The village was healing and Light filled the souls of the innocent ones in search of a prosperous life, far from violence.
On his right, Rufus was panting with his tongue hanging out from running after the wooden stick Manchego was throwing for him. The ceiba tree was still standing with the light scars the fire of war had left on it. The young man remembered his fall into the hole Balthazar and Ramancia had prepared, and this reminded him of the two things he still had to sort out.
The first was that Lulita had insisted that the demon he had fought to the death, and who had then fled, was the sacristan sent by the Décamon to San San-Tera. This fact, which he found so hard to take in, was supported by the testimonies of Leandro Deathslayer, Garamond, and Balthazar. Even the Black Queen of the Morelia Abyss had warned him, but he still found it hard to believe.
The second was that his origin still had to be made clear. He already knew that his mother had been murdered by Legionaer’s followers to prevent the reincarnation of the God of Light, but that was not enough. It told him nothing about her and that left him deeply upset. He could always ask the oracle, although he feared that the fact he was using her solely for his purposes might play a nasty trick on him; if the oracle took offense, she might not wish to help him in his quest to stop the evil.
And finally, there was Teitú, who was falling apart emotionally. He wanted to experience the world differently, in a more tangible, human way. Manchego could understand this, but the two of them were inseparable and he was sure that without Teitú, he would fail in his search across the universe. And that was something he could not put off any longer. His life as a farmer rooted him to the earth, to everyday routine, and at the same time, distanced him from his responsibilities as God of Light. This thought mortified him since he knew he was yielding ground to the one who could destroy his family, what he loved most.
The sun went down in front of Manchego. Just as he had as a child, he felt a delightful tingling.
Night fell. Teitú was shining deep pink, Rufus barked as if ordering his return home for dinner. He would miss those tasty dishes, prepared with love.
He was going back home when he was suddenly struck by an idea that would solve the problem of his faithful Naevas Aedán warrior.
Tell me, he began. Teitú turned to him abruptly. How would you feel about going to Tutonticám? That’s where you come from.
What? Teitú cried. Now he was shining with more intensity, lighting up Manchego’s face.
Do you remember the song Ramancia put into my head? It speaks of your race, of the Naevas Aedán warriors who came from Tutonticám. Apparently, your god’s name is Thórlimás.
Those who sow with tears
The seeds which in black fire lie,
Through blackened sunset creeping
On the alum, the darkening sky;
A sea with darkness weeping
Summons Thórlimás from the land.
From the land of Tutonticám,
Lost, lovely, remote Teitú,
There walks firmly over the veil
Over ships of white bamboo,
Which on a purple sky sails,
A warrior of the Naevas Aedán.
Times spent in Chaos will pass by him
Over the war of a sadness
Between its mighty supports,
Where its dwelling shone in gladness
Days passed in a peace of sorts
A place that remains destroyed.
The old Lyric of the Wind sings and he
Who bears the sack of seed with care,
Heavy and somber, bent double,
Will soon shine with joy so fair,
His night disappears from the rubble
And his discontent never returns.
Teitú turned pale as never before. Tutonticám sounds like the name of a lost nation, and Teitú like the name of a great city, which would explain my name. I was born from a Teitú nut.
So what do you say, then? It could be an incredible adventure, to get to know the old world and also find out more about your past. We might even reach Flamonia.
That mention of the Times of Chaos…
Yes. Your race must be really ancient.
What had seemed to him like a good idea for helping Teitú now presented itself as another mystery to add to all those others. What had happened to the land of Tutonticám and the Naevas Aedán? How had Ramancia gotten ahold of a Teitú nut, or known the whereabouts of the mirror of the Black Queen of the Morelia Abyss? Although, if this journey turned out to be useful to him in his purpose of defending the world against the advance of Mórgomiel, it did not sound such a bad idea.
These plans fired the explorer’s instinct within him. When he went into the house, Luchy and Lulita noticed the change, though he tried to hide it.
“And where’ll you be off to this time, my precious?” Lulita asked as she served him dinner: pigeon’s breast in a vegetable stew with tomato sauce and spices that smelled delicious.
“Umm…”
He sat down, thinking about what he was going to say. Luchy was already gazing at him sadly. The boy felt a stab in his ribs; the time for his departure had come.
Chapter II – Preparations
“Don’t be silly, Lulita said yo
u were to come with me. Come on,” said Luchy.
Manchego snorted. Sharing the house and the days with the love of his life was a dream come true, although there were times when he needed to be alone. He missed the days when he only had Teitú. Because of this, he sometimes flew away to clear his mind and feel the cool air on his face or went away to talk to his faithful companion about the details of the mission they would soon set out on.
“And where am I supposed to go?” he asked as he wiped the perspiration off his face after a day of work under a scorching sun.
“Oh, come on. Don’t be daft. I already told you I want you to come with me to buy the hen. Then you can have eggs for breakfast every day; it’s in your own interest. Or do I have to do everything? Do you think I’m your slave? And while we’re at it, yesterday, you didn’t even clear the table or do the dishes like you promised you would. Because of you, I ended up exhausted. You can clean up as well, can’t you, as well as saving worlds? You’ve no shame.” Luchy folded her arms and turned away.
Manchego sighed. They did not argue often, but it happened sometimes. Lulita had warned him that it was normal for a couple to argue about trivialities or even deeper matters at times. Maybe Luchy was already thinking of his imminent departure and the dangers it would involve; the possibility of his death. The poor girl must be terrified.
“I’m sorry. I just forgot,” was all the boy could say.
He wiped off the sweat and beat his wings to cool himself. Then, he put his arms around Luchy and kissed her cheek. She was still angry, silent. Her beautiful chestnut hair partly hid her face.
“I don’t want you to leave,” she said in a broken voice with her back to him, unable to look at him. “I want you to come with me every day and share the housework. I want to share everything with you. Forever. Don’t leave me again.”
“Luchy, I love you.”
“I say nice things and you just say you love me. Don’t you know any more words? Don’t you find it boring, saying the same thing over and over again?”
Manchego lowered his gaze. “I don’t know what else to say. I’m a farmer, plain and simple… and the God of Light. But I don’t know what else I can say. I was never good at talking.”
Having a girlfriend was turning out to be harder than saving the world from demons. He could fight against enemies, but in the field of love, he had no idea how to overcome so many obstacles. He sighed.
“Come on. I’d love to go with you and buy the new hen. And I want to say that… I’m happy to be with you.” He blushed.
“That’s more like it. I’ve told you before: love gets through to women by the ear and other places,” the girl said, blushing in her turn.
Very seldom did they mention having sex; on a couple of occasions, they had come close enough to making love, but had stopped, not feeling themselves to be ready yet. Luchy remembered her mother’s advice, that she ought to wait until she was married, blessed by the Gods. But how was this going to fit in with the fact of making love with the God of Light? Couldn’t he just bless her right then and there and just go at it?
“All right then, shall we go?” Manchego said. He was as red as his girlfriend. The cotton pants didn’t help to hide his true intentions.
They both giggled nervously.
“Yes, all right.”
***
“Doña Flegnon, Don Dargos’ wife, says the hen is almost seven months old,” Luchy said. “She’ll soon be laying her first egg.”
The hen was brown and had a lively and adventurous nature. No sooner had they arrived back at the estate than she started to look for food in the pen. Rufus was already watching over her to make sure she was safe.
“What would you like to name her, my precious?” the grandmother asked.
Luchy was trying to keep the bird close to the pen.
“How about Paquita?”
“Oh, my boy! The names you come up with. What does Paquita mean?”
Manchego shrugged. “Dunno, but I like the sound of it. I think it suits the hen.”
Luchy, behind the hen, got ready to frighten it. The hen clucked, leaped, and beat her wings several times. She touched down, then leaped up again.
“Her first egg!” Luchy cried.
Lulita smiled broadly. “Well, I never! I didn’t know that trick.”
“Bravo!” Tomasa cried from the field, where she was still working.
“My mother taught me that,” the girl said nostalgically. “It always works. That is, if the egg’s ready, obviously.”
Manchego smiled and went up to his girlfriend to kiss her. The couple walked across to Lulita, who was leaning on the doorframe.
“The things life has to offer,” the grandmother said. “It seems wonderful that you’re together, it’s something I always wanted for the two of you. And then Manchego turns out to be the God of Light,” she muttered with tears in her eyes.
“There’s no need to suffer anymore, Grandmother. With that last batch of produce I sold in the villages and exported to Háztatlon, the Holy Comment Ranch is back in business. We can live in peace. We have enough money to live safely for the rest of our lives.”
“Your grandfather would be very proud of you, and so would his ancestors. You’re as promising a farmer as they were.”
“So when do you leave?” Luchy asked suddenly.
Lulita’s smile vanished. The atmosphere became tense.
It’s time you told them our plans, Manchego, Teitú advised him.
Manchego took a deep breath.
“You knew I’d have to leave one day. Evil is spreading, even though it’s doing it silently, without our seeing it.”
“So the time’s come,” Lulita said gravely.
“I’m not saying it has to be right away, but you’ll need to get used to the idea.”
“And where will you go?” Luchy demanded.
The young man stared at her. The explanation would be a very long one.
“Let’s have lunch, and I’ll tell you about our plans while we eat. Teitú and I have to fly to the Old World.”
“Are you going to Flamonia?”
“I believe so.”
***
“It’s called Tutonticám,” Manchego said.
“Is that where Teitú comes from?” Lulita asked.
We think so. Through Manchego, Teitú made himself heard in Lulita’s mind.
“We think so,” Manchego repeated so that Luchy could hear the reply too.
Rufus barked a couple of times as if in protest. He came close to Manchego and laid his head on the boy’s knees.
“I know, boy, I know. I’ll miss you too. But I must leave, I’m the God of Light. The universe can’t afford a lazy god.”
“You’re absolutely right there,” Lulita said.
In her hands, she held a cup of chamomile tea, the final touch after a delicious lunch. The brave warrior had adapted to home life. She had left the hard work to Tomasa and the young ones and had decided to relax and enjoy her memories.
“But we’re going to miss you. I don’t want you to leave!” Luchy sobbed. “It's just that—I love you too much. Every time I think you’re going to leave, I feel as if a piece of my soul was being torn away.”
“That’s because there’s something more than just a few promises that unite us,” Manchego said.
The girl’s eyes lit up.
“Hey, it turns out you really can be good with words.”
Manchego blushed.
“Leaving’s painful for me too. You two are my life. I love you both with all my heart. But none of this—” he took in the entire house with a wave of his hand. “—will go on if I stay here and fail to stop evil. My task isn’t going to be an easy one, but it would help to know that my core, my nest, my home is giving me support; that the loves of my life are bearing me up. I want to know that I’ll be able to come back during the difficult times not to find sad faces and resentment, but arms I can rest in. I want this to be my shelter and sanctuary.”
Luchy burst into tears.
“I’m sorry I’ve been a harpy lately. It’s only because I already miss you, even though you still haven’t left.”
“Then let’s not spoil our last moments,” the boy said. “I’m still here, and I’ll still be here tomorrow and the day after. I might leave next week. Let’s make these days we have left the most wonderful ones of all.”
“You’re right,” Luchy said. She got up from the table and took the dishes to the kitchen. “Let’s go and watch the sunset.”
When she was out of the room the lady whispered, “You’ve tamed her well, my precious. Well done!”
“I can hear you!” the girl shouted from the kitchen. “And nobody tames me!”
Lulita and Manchego burst out laughing while Luchy seethed. Manchego enjoyed the moment; he would take the memory with him on his mission.
Chapter III – Adventure Is Close At Hand
Mérdmerén stared at himself in the mirror. His room in the Imperial Palace was vast and ostentatious, too much so for his taste as a man who wanted nothing but his daughter’s love and the respect of his fellow humans. If the Empire were able to work solely with thinking minds, free from jealousy and hatred, he would be the happiest person in the world. But this was a very difficult dream to convert into reality.
He studied his face in the mirror. He had changed a lot in the last few years. His skin looked like parchment, a deep crease divided his brow, and his cheeks were sunken. Politics was as corrosive as the acid of a wyvern. And yet, in his tired gaze there remained the will to go out into the open air and enjoy nature in its pure state. Without the purple cloak or the crown, he almost looked like any other man.
“How can the king walk around without his crown and his cloak?” Macadamio scolded him. He was the butler who treated him with great familiarity. “That simply cannot be allowed. Milord, I beg you!”
But Mérdmerén was not prepared to discuss trivialities like this. He felt comfortable in the clothes of black tanned leather that he had always worn; they kept him close to his wilder side. His duties as king overwhelmed him at times; there were always problems around him. It was difficult to find some cunning way of distancing himself from so much overwhelming information.
Soulseeker’s Descent Page 2