Nomads The Risen God

by Gary Mark Lee

Chapter 32

  Rewards.

  A young warrior of the Outlands on his first hunt brought down a large Rimar and looking at his prey he wondered how he would carry such a great prize back to his tribe so thinking hard he built a sled from sun bleached bones that were scattered about and attaching it to his Whiptail he began his return to his people, along the way he was attacked by Sandjars but he fought them off, he had to cross sharp rock and sucking sand and the many hazards of the Outlands, “I will be given a great reward for what I have done” he said. But when he stood before his King with his trophy the King said nothing, “Why am I not rewarded?” he asked, “I have used all my skill to bring this food to my tribe; my strength was tested again and again as well as my mind”.

  “Then you already have your reward” the King replied.

  Old Nomad story.

  Captain Romar had been trained in survival tactics in scenarios involving many distant worlds but in those field exercises he was equipped with a Blaster, a body mending kit, ration tables, a directional heading unit and an exposers suit, now all he had to face this harsh world with was a stout knife, a small pouch of Grana, a carry bag with a loaf of Kasha bread, stripes of dried Rimar, and a hammered chest plate and helmet, hardly the weapons he hoped for but he still did not regret his decision to leave the Nomads but his perceptive would not have sat well with his father.

  If I had stayed I would have jeopardized the lives of those who took me in, the thought, but the great General Ivar would have said that they were the enemy no matter how misguided their actions were and being the enemy they should die, and a short time ago the Captain would have agreed with that reasoning but that was before, before they had mended his wounds, before they had shared their food, before he had shared their lives, then a thought entered his mind and caused him to stop in his tracks, would I have died for them? But this was a question that tested his mind to its limits so he drove it away and replaced it with a marching song that he knew well.

  “The sound of battle is sweet to the ears it brings victory to the mind.

  We fight for glory and the prize and we destroy all that is not our kind.

  Across the heavens we conquered all and our enemies run away in fear.

  We are the Mac-Mar the glory of man bow your heads as we draw near.”

  All through the day Romar sang this song as he crossed the lands of Gorn, he faced no Thundra beasts nor did he see another traveler but as night began to fall he heard the sound of a Flyers and looking up he saw it’s dark outline etched against a burning sky.

  Arn and Cian also met no one as they continued their search along the sand, they found only scattered bit of wood and an occasional bottom feeder washed up along the shore, they did stop once to fill their bellies with the liver of a large Bloodfish that they found and refreshed they continued on.

  “Do you remember a girl by the name of Brycal?” the Kandrac of the Akuna ask the Nomad warrior at his side.

  Arn had to search his memory for it was many cycles ago when he was a young prince of the Almadra, “Yes, I remember, she had a strong body and eyes the color or meadow cane”.

  “That was her” Cian replied, “She was a wonderful dancer and had a strong appetite for love”.

  “Indeed”, the King said with a smile, “She mated with a warrior from the Bal-Borie tribe and bore him several offspring.”

  There was a pause for a time as the two warriors pondered the past, then Cian broke the silence,

  “Do you often think of what your life might have been if you were not chosen by the Gods to lead your people?”

  It took a moment or two before the King replied, “Now and then, but our path is set for us and it cannot be changed”. This of course was not what Arn really believed for he had questioned the will of the Gods many times but he did not want to start down that twisted road of alternatives with his friend. Cian could see that his childhood companion was hiding something but he also did not want to challenge their bond, but the Kandrac also had secrets for he had held the Kings mate in his arms and although his tribe would have seen it only as a sign of affection the Outlanders view it much differently, “It is often said that the Gods rewards those who believe in them and punishes those who do not but although they are very knowledgeable it is sometimes hard for them to separate the two.”

  Arn knew that the Akuna were followers of the flesh and that their reasoning was often clouded by their emotions but he hoped that what he said was true, if not he would have a hard time entering the Golden Hall of Isarie.

  Osh and Alune had no idea if it was day or night for they traveled in the earth guided only by a woman who had returned from the dead. The tunnel they traveled lead them downwards and sometimes the path was rocky or steep but they managed but if it were not for Niana showing them the way they would have become hopelessly lost in the maze of earthen corridors, Osh could see that the tunnels were cut by hand for the walls showed signs of tools and he surmised that it must be the work of the Ergan-Mar or Earth-Eaters as they were known to the Outlanders, large hulking brutes that the Nomads had to trade with for the precious Grana they desperately needed to stave off the plague. Alune also knew of the dwellers in the earth but she put her trust in Isarie and the crystal creature that led them.

  Niana said very little as they continued into the bowels of Gorn, their way was lit by Starfall, the luminance fungus that covered the tunnel walls and gave off a cool light, they ate only Brill-caps or Boda as it was known to the Nomads but this mushroom like plant did not give them hallucinations as it normally would, perhaps it was of a different type or maybe it was Niana’s presence that changed them? But whatever the reason for the two humans and if they sometimes felt tired or weak a touch from the hand of Niana renewed their strength.

  After a time, the corridor opened up into a cavern filled with green crystals of a tremendous size, they shimmered in the glow of the Starfall and seeing them had a strange effect on Niana, she moved to one of the great columns and putting her arms around it she began to weep although no tears fell from her glowing eyes.

  A strange thing to do Osh thought, but looking at her the Callaxion could see that there was something very powerful between the tall woman and the emerald mineral.

  Alune also began to cry although she did not know why; there is love here the old woman thought.

  Niana rested her head on the stone for a time and whispered words that only she could hear, “I am coming mother and we will be one”.

  Then lifting her head she turned to the two humans, “We still have a long way to go, come”.

  And leading them once more Osh and Alune followed behind.

  Anais and Kela still had a tribe to care for, and although it had no warriors it was still strong for they were Outlanders and a people that knew loss.

  “We have food and shelter here,” Anais said to his mate “If we go we will have to travel over open land and we do not know if the machines from the sky will return”.

  “But our best warriors have been taken by a force we cannot fight” Kela replied, “What if the voice calls to us again and we all fall victim to its power?”

  But Anais shook his head, “We have the old and the weak to think about first, let us face one problem at a time and not dress wounds that have not yet been inflicted”.

  Kela thought this over for a time then spoke, “Very well, we will free the Whiptails and let them roam free they can be called back by signal horns if needed, the Trofar’s can graze and regain their strength and I will see what needs to be done to comfort those who are in fear”.

  “I agree” Anais said, “and take Jumo and Delgar with you for protection”.

  This made Kela smile, “I will take Jumo and leave Delgar at your side, remember I was trained in fighting while you were only a King”, and she called for Jumo and together they set about their task leaving her mate in the care of Delgar.

  Anais listened as she walked away and then turned to the huge Drog as his side, �
��It is true you know” patting the head of the beast, “I was once King of the Almadra but in my arrogance the Gods blinded me so I might see better, some may say that it was a unjust punishment but I say it was a reward, what do you think?”

  Delgar made no reply and simply licked the face of his master.

  How long she had been asleep Andra did not know for time has no meaning in the world of dreams, now she rose upwards from that dim abode and opened her eyes to a place that only existed in dark visons of the mind. She was in an enormous room of sorts but the ceiling disappeared into nothingness crisscrossed by a jumble of piping and conduits of all shapes and sizes, the walls were of metal and were filled with machinery and mechanisms that defy description but there was something very strange about them for they seem to ungulate like the skin of a ground snake and their coloring changed from dark to light, the air hung heavy with a peculiar odor like the blending of decay and fear and the whole space was bathed in a sickly blue glow emitting from luminescent tubing that ran along the walls and overhead, in the center of the chamber was a pillar like structure but Andra could not make out its purpose for looking at it made her flesh crawl and she had to turn her eyes away.