Chapter 29.
The Call of the Earth.
In the heavens and on the earth are my children, they live in my heart and sing my songs and I am their Mother and I call to them and they listen.
From the Book of Isarie.
Sunbirth came to the world of Gorn as it had done for millennia, the world turned, the day moons rose in the sky and the creatures that roamed its surface went about their endless quest for survival for life and death were a part of everything and in a cave not far from a cluster of crystalline rocks an Old man and woman stood before a creature that they saw die but now returned to them.
When the Callaxion and the Touchtender put out their hands to Niana her touch filled them with a renew strength and once being close to death their worn bodies now surged with vitality. “How can this be?” the old man asked, “We saw you consumed by the flames and then tossed into the sea and now here you are alive and with power that I have not seen before, can you give me a logical explanation of what has accursed?”
The grateful woman at his side asked for nothing but gave all that was within her, “Praised the Goddess for saving our lives”, and she fell on her knees and lifted her arms to the sky in gratitude.
Niana stood looking at the old woman, “do not pray to me for I am not your Goddess, that is something that fate and my children must decide”.
Osh had spoken to Niana in the past but that was when she was a far different creature but even then her words were riddles and he could never receive a precise answer for a specific question but being a Callaxion he had no other choice, “Why did you save us and what is your purpose in coming back?" The Crystaline women looked into the eyes of the Outer Rim scholar, “There are many questions that you wish to ask me, some I can answer and many I cannot, we have a long journey ahead of us and you must trust in me”.
“Journey?” Osh asked, “Where are we going?”
“To a place that no one of your kind has gone too before,” Niana replied “A place of wonder and terror, a place that will decide the fate of this world and many more”
“Togasttra emo entralac, give us your strength” whispered Alune.
Osh indeed had many more questions but he did not ask them for the words of Niana rang in his ears and that was enough to ponder for a time.
“Come with me” Niana said softly, and turning the strange woman began walking into the darkness of the cave and with nothing more than her faith Alune walked after her and armed only with his curiosity the old man followed.
The Tribe of Many managed to escape detection as they made their way to the forbidden place, a great mass of mountains and rock that was near Still Water Lake, but they dared not venture into the Cave if Iron for they feared the wrath of Isarie.
“We must go inside” Romar pleaded as he stood outside the great cave.
“We must not go against the laws of our people” Anais replied.
But Kela had been a Handmaiden and healer and she could see that Romar was telling the truth no matter how hard it was to hear, “If we stay outside they will find us” she told her mate, “And when they do they will kill us, is it not better to risk punishment then certain death?”
Anais could find no fault in her words but still he could not decide, “Death is always with us, but let us not temp the Gods”. And not wanting to argue after their exhausting journey Kela let the matter go and the Tribe hide themselves under outcropping of rock and waited for their leaders to choose a path to follow, they lite no Washa for they understood that its heat would guide their enemy and they sang no songs for their hearts were still filled with too much sadness for those they left behind.
There was not path for the Cronos to follow for the sea has no markings and although the Leader of the Akuna was endowed with the same power as all Nomads, to know where he was at all times that power was slipping away so that he could not be certain of just where his ship was heading, but the wind and waves drew him southward and he knew that they would soon strike land. What he was not certain of was the Off-World girl that had captured his heart for she did not speak to him and when he drew near he could feel her wishing it were otherwise, but still he hoped that it was only a temporary feeling of lose for her mate and she would turn her eyes to him soon. Now as he stood on the prow off the hunter ship he turned his body in her direction for he knew that all Akuna possessed a mating scent that few could resist.
She does not turn to me thought the Wave-rider, she is not the woman from before, she has changed. But before he could think further a loud call rang out from the lookout post.
“Land!” Looking out over the waves Cian saw the outline of a shore and beyond a great ridge of mountains, Tambor, he thought a land of rock and sand.
And like their Nomad counterparts the Akuna did not travel there for it was a land of little life, barren except for outcroppings of rock and crystal, it had a dangerous shoreline dotted with jagged rocks and riptides and the remains of Brogalie pirate vessels that sailed too close to its shore, but the Sea People had also heard the call in their minds and all thought of danger or forbidden laws vanished like a morning mist.
Another ship sailed towards the dangers of Tambor, it was much smaller than the mighty hunter ships of the Akuna for it sought no creature of the deep only gold to satisfy their greed, Po and Dral to quench their thirst and slaves to torture and kill, but the new Captain of the Vengeance was looking for something far more precious.
Arn now wore the dressings of a Pirate of the Western Sea, a shirt of chain mail over a leather vest, arm braces of steel, Rimar hide legging with knee high boots set with armor strips, around his head and holding back his dark main was a red bandana and around his waist was wide belt with a long strong dagger in a golden sheath, to anyone he would have looked like a brigand rather than a King of the Almadra, but King or not he stood looking out over the water and thinking thoughts of what was to come.
I know she is out there somewhere he told his mind, I must find her and… but he could not remember her face or why he wished to find such a woman for his mind was clouded and confused as if he had drank a barrel of Po and washed it down with another barrel of Dral. So now he stood looking out to sea and counting the waves that rose and fell.
The Brogalie raider was much faster than the massive ships of the Akuna for it was built to hit hard and escape fast but the pirates of the Western Sea prayed to no Gods and a true believer would have said it was the cause for their undoing for a Flyer had spotted them as they drew near the shore. Like before this air machine was maned by a well-trained crew but unlike their dead comrades in arms they were given orders to seek and destroy any inhabitance of what they now considered their world.
Arn saw the dark shape in the sky and instantly knew it was not a creature of Gorn, “Arm yourselves!” he called out in a loud voice and hearing his command the Brogalie picked up their weapons and prepared for battle, but they were expecting a fighting craft of the Akuna not a sky fighter from another world.
The Mac-Mar Alliance ship came down low and took careful aim at its target and when the range-finder signaled that it had lock-on it fired all its weapons!
“BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! Three direct hits struck the deck and sides of the sea raider and it began listing to one starboard as water poured in through its basted sides, the Pirates onboard ran around in panic for like their Nomad counter parts they had never seen such a craft before only Arn stood his with his feet braced on the quarter deck determined to meet death like a King of the Outlands.
“Come for me!” he called out in a loud voice, “I am Arn, son of Karn and King of the Almadra, kill me if you can!”
But the Flyer crew never heard his words of defiance and taking aim once more they opened fire and the Brogalie ship burst into flames.
Sunfall began to come as the Twin Suns gave up their place in the sky to the night moons and stars but as the light began to fade the wind began to rise and not just in the green Sirolian Plains o
r sacred lands of Omargash or even Darmock they rose up over the entire planet driving animals to shelter and Nomads and Off-Worlders alike, and with the wind came flashes of lighting where there were now clouds, rumblings of the earth like the footfalls of Earthshakers but those great creatures still clung to the ground, what could cause such a phenomenon no one knew not even the General who called himself the master of Gorn.
Ivar sat grumbling inside his shaking command center and listened to the wailing wind outside and what it would mean to his plans for conquest for no Flyer or Landtank would be of any use until the weather once again cooperated.
Delays, delays he thought, why must I be troubled with delays? He of course knew very well that it was simply a problem with air pressure and terrain and for all their advanced technology the Mac-mar Alliance had no control over unruly nature.
The Tribe of Many had safely reached the Cave if Iron as the wind began to rise but they did not go in instead they took refuse in the many great steel remains of ancient war machines that dotted the land around that forbidden place.
Kela, Anais and Romar found the broken hull of some monstrous earth walker and with the two Drogs they sat eating a quickly prepared meal of cold Hagar soup, it was somewhat cramped quarters and Jumo and Delgar kept a close eye on the human for they still had doubts about him despite his approval by their human masters.
“We will rest here until the storm has passed” Anais said as he filled his mouth with the disappointing soup.
Romar was too worried to be hungry for not only were the two huge animals eyeing him closely he knew that when the wind died down the Flyers would be out once more, “Trust me” he said, “You must find a more defensible fortification”.
But the Blind Prince shook his head, “I will not go into the forbidden cave unless there is no other way”.
“There is no other way!” Romar strong voice caused the two Drogs to show their dagger like teeth.
“Rest!” Kela called out to them raising her hand.
“Yes rest” Anais said adding his authority to his mates.
“I was not talking only to our guardians” the Handmaiden said, “We have come a long way in a very short time, we all need rest and in the morning our minds will be less cluttered by the events of this day.”
And knowing that she spoke the truth Anais said nothing more and not wanted to raise the ire of the two Drogs Romar moved as far away as he could from them and curled up on his sleeping mattress. Kela moved to where her mate sat and after they finished the soup they lay in each other arms.
Sleep was far away from the crew of the sea tossed Cronos for they drew near the sharp rocks of Tambor.
“Keep her prow towards the shore!” Cian called out to the steersman trying to make his voice heard above the howling wind, “look for any opening in the rocks”, but that would be a hard thing to find for the air was thick with mist and ahead lay only shafts of sharp rock jutting out from the pounding waves, a smaller craft might have threaded its way pass them and find safety but the Cronos was a hunter of Leviathans and therefor of great size but her timbers were fashioned from hardened Balbar trees and held together with Iarian steel spikes and with luck they still might escape with their lives.
Andra had little knowledge of ships for she was raised on a farm far from the sea but it did not take a sailor to see that they were on a heading to disaster, I must report to my command she thought, it is my duty.
Then a powerful wave caught up the great ship and with the wind screaming like a demon of the dessert the Cronos slammed into a pillar of rock and tore the left side of the ship away, water began to pour into the hull and as it did one of the mast cracked in two and came crashing to the deck almost crushing the Off-World girl under its massive weight, Andra leaped to one side just in time but in an instance a wave rose up and she was swept into the water.
Cian watched her being carried away and he called out to her.
“Moonbud!” but she could no longer hear and before he could utter another word the great ship struck yet another barrier of rock and it broke apart washing the Akuna leader and his crew into the raging sea.
As suddenly as it came the powerful winds drifted away and with it vanished the un-natural lightening and strange colors in the sky, the night moons once more shown down on the lands of Gorn from the forests of Caltarine, across the Sirolian Plains, through the Pass of Moke, into the green fields of Darmock and on to the Western Sea.
Kela was the first of the Tribe of Many to notice the now quiet night and rising up from her makeshift bed she placed her hand on her mates arm for although the air was still things were not as they should be, “Wake” she spoke softly.
“What is it?” Anais asked with a yawn, then shaking his head to clear it he was suddenly aware of his surroundings, “do you hear what I do?” he asked.
“Yes” replied Kela.
If Romar had been awake he would have said that nothing was amiss but he was an Off-worlder or Half-Soul as they were sometimes called by the Nomads and turned over and gone back to sleep but Kela and Anais were Outlanders and it was obvious what was wrong.
There was no sound.
No animal cries, no chirpings of night feeders, no rustling of Burrow-babies looking for food, no fluttering of Whisper-wings or Dot-flies, all was silence.
For a moment both the Outlanders stood like statues, their eyes vacant of thought, it was the same affection that had taken their bodies before but without their knowledge, they stood unmoving then they heard a strange ringing in their ears, at first it was soft but in a moment or two it began to rise, getting stronger and stronger, their paralysis ended and both Kela and Anais put their hands over their ears hoping to shut out the noise.
“What is that sound?” Kela called out.
“A calling in my head!” Anais replied he face contorted with pain.
“It burns like fire!” Kela screamed.
Then the Kela watched as dozens of their best warriors began moving towards the Cave of Iron, they walked like creatures held in the grip of an invisible hand, they did not speak and their eyes were vacant of life, men and woman alike for both were capable of defending the tribe. But the young, old or wounded were not among them, only the fit and strong were drawn to the yawning portal and when they reached its gaping mouth they did not hesitate but walked into the darkness without stopping.
I must stop them Kela thought, but her body would not obey her mind and she was helpless.
Anais could sense his people near him but like his mate he was held in a grip that he could not break. Jumo and Delgar did not waken from their sleep but they growled and snapped at the air as if they were battling a Sagar Cat in their dreams. Anais and Kela could do nothing to stop the warriors of their tribe for the sound in their heads prevented them from moving or doing anything that might keep their comrades from leaving, it was only after the last of the warriors vanished into the darkness that the sound subsided then ceased altogether.
“They are gone” Kela said as her legs began to move, “We must go after them”.
“No” the Blind Prince said taking her by the arm, “We are two and they are many, we would not be able to stop them”.
“But why would they enter the forbidden cave? The Handmaiden asked.
“I do not know” Anais replied, “Some god or demon has taken their souls”.
Romar had a soul but he did not hear the voice nor did he rise from his bed he continued to dream away the night without care.
Far from the Cave of Iron in the land of the Akuna the voice was also heard and like the Tribe of Many they heeded its call.
Kalgar-Rune was awakened from a fitful sleep and rose up from his hard mattress and began walking from his tent, he did not stop to put on the dark armor of the Thungodra or the great horned helmet that would have marked him as their leader, nor did he lift up his heavy war-ax or buckle on his wide belt, he left all that behind and simply wore his Rimar hide vest and breeches and walking boots.
Outside his simple quarters he was met by his personal guard and all the strong men and women that had vowed to follow the teaching of the Goddess, they also left behind their armor and trappings and in their eyes was nothing, they walked like dream people out of their camp and towards the sea, but only the strong, the old the young or weak were left behind.
Kuno who was still locked inside his cell beat his strong fists against the metal bars for he wished to be free and follow the voice in his head and when the bars did not break he let out a roar of frustration and clinched his jaw so hard blood began to flow.
The tribe of the Almadra and the Akuna could do nothing as their best warriors made their way to the caves by the sea and without a word of protest they moved into the darkness and away from the light of the glowing moons.
And it was the same across all the lands of Gorn, every tribe watched their strong guardians vanish into the earth, the Bal-Borie, the Zengarie, what was left of the Caladon and the strong Ozendra, and even in fortress of the Norgonie, all of them heard the voice and all of them heeded its calling, there was only one group that did not bend to the voice, the Sandowmen were spared that trial perhaps they were two weak or the poison lands where they lived had infected their bodies too much to make them of any use or maybe the Gods simply took pity on them for their retched lives, and along with those dark robbed people there were a few others that escaped that unknown fate
Andra’s head pounded like an Ironworkers hammer and her mouth tasted of sea water and blood but she was still alive. She lay face up on the rock-strewn sands of Tambor as several Shore-creepers crawled across her bruised but otherwise intact body, her Rimar hide pants were torn at the leg, she lost the belt and knife that was hung around her waist and here and there small cuts oozed crimson but she was a strong soldier of her Homeworld and had experienced far worse in the past so swatting aside the nipping sand creatures she stood up on shaky legs.
It was still dark but the night moons gave off a sufficient light for her to make out her surroundings and any sign of an enemy but she found only broken timbers and footprints on the sand as if a company of men had walked from the sea, and knowing that it could only be her companions on the Cronos she decided to track them even if they were not her kind.
The Selcarie woman marked their trail as it headed up a narrow gorge in the steep cliffs that rose like a great wall separating the land from the water, the footprints where spaced evenly as if the men and women that made them marched in order for she had seen this many times in her years as a combat soldier, she walked with them until they came to a break in the rocks and before her lay a large metal door perhaps a dozen meters tall and as many wide, it had the mark of great age with pitting’s and sea moss on its surface, there was a handle of sorts but it was as thick as a man’s arm and even though she pulled with all her might it would not open, but the footprints and markings on the ground clearly indicated that it was opened and closed very recently, so she turned away and continued up the canyon but she left no footprints for the soft sand had turned to rock. They have gone underground she told her mind, I am alone.
Some distance from where the Cronos met her fate another survivor struggled for consciousness; his great body was covered in Shore-creepers for he had numerous cuts crisscrossing his iron frame and those creatures of the sand knew an easy meal when they found it.
Like the woman he once called his mate Arn had cheated the Angel of Death yet again, he had lain like a dead man on the sand and did not hear the voice calling to his kind for if he had he would have risen up and followed its call despite his wounds but it seemed that the Gods had other plans for him but just what they might be is something that mortals are forbidden to know.
Chapter 30.
The Infiltrator
Nomads The Risen God Page 40
