Numa paused and looked at the crowd. That part of The Compact was no surprise. For as long as she’d known about the different races in Todor, she’d known that the law dictated only a Terrene should rule. Still, an uneasiness stirred within her. Her very presence as queen defied the law, but even if she were to step down, there were no longer any Terrenes to take the throne.
“Number two,” Numa continued. “In order to ensure the proper use of power, Zobanites are to serve as the personal protectors of Terrenes, while Iturtians are to serve as the keepers of knowledge and advisors to the Terrene rulers.”
Numa exchanged a look with Sam and suppressed her desire to discuss this with him. “Number three, each race is given its own part of Todor, wherein the people can feel safe and live without worry of the imbalance of power. The Terrenes have chosen the north section, not including Turiya. The Zobanites have chosen the south section including the vast mountain range thence, and forever more, known as Zoban mountain. The Iturtians have chosen the middle part of Todor, which includes the uninhabitable red sands.”
Numa forced her mind to silence the questions running through it. There was only one line left of The Compact and she was determined to read it before any discussion began. “These are the conditions of The Compact and the laws of Todor.”
“That’s it?” Sam asked, peering over the top of the page. “Nothing about the system of tribute between Terrenes and Zobanites? Nothing about why or how Iturtians ended up living underground? Since Tolnick is right in the middle of what was supposed to be the Iturtian section of Todor, how did that come to be the capital city? Did the Terrenes take that land from the Iturtians?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be the one with all the answers, wee one?” Archigadh asked Sam.
Numa thought back on her own life, how different Todor was now from what it had been when she’d first learned of glinting. She recalled how much the interpretations of the Truths varied from one race to the next. From one individual to the next. “It is all likely a matter of history,” she answered. “Events occurred that made each generation look at and interpret The Compact differently.”
“But Keeper Clary was present at the drafting of it. He knew exactly what its purpose was and how it was meant to be interpreted,” Sam argued. “Did he simply turn a blind eye to all that followed?”
Numa knew that this wasn’t the time to discuss the matter. The people had gathered to witness the Unity ceremony. But Sam’s question lingered in her mind. Why did Keeper Clary allow the Iturtians to be villainized and the Terrenes to pay tribute to the Zobanites? None of that had ever been part of the original Compact. “He was not the one in charge,” she answered aloud. “With The Compact came thousands of years of Terrenes on the throne. Even the oldest Zobanite of the land had no real power to decide the laws of Todor.”
A look of understanding came into Sam’s eyes. “At some point he must have known The Compact had been a mistake, but was powerless to change it. That’s why he wrote The Zobanite Journey of Truth and included the destruction of The Compact as part of it.”
Numa nodded then looked out at the crowd once again. “We may never fully know our ancestors’ reasons for forming The Compact, nor their reasons for all that came in the thousands of years that followed, but we do know that Progon left us a method for a Zobanite to strengthen his will. If it works, we will be one step closer to a Todor of Oneness. Let us now take that first step and release all bonds to the past.”
Numa took the page from Sam’s hands and, with mixed emotions, set it upon a golden bowl of burning oil. As it burned, she turned to face Archigadh. “The second step of the ceremony is for you to repeat the words, ‘In strengthening my will, I choose Oneness, for myself, for Zoban, and for all of Todor.’”
Archigadh took a deep breath and belted out the phrase so loudly that the entire valley shook and Numa’s ears hummed for several moments afterward.
“The third and final step of the ceremony is the one that requires great courage. Are you prepared and willing to take this step, Archigadh, Chief of the Zobanite people?”
“Aye.” Archigadh nodded, then squared his shoulders.
“And Tatparo, great warrior of the Iturtian people, are you willing and prepared to take your part in this ceremony?”
“I am,” Tatparo answered with a bow.
Numa looked back at Keeper Sam and asked to see The Zobanite Journey of Truth. She had read the steps numerous times, but she wanted to be sure she got this third one just right. She would take no unnecessary chances with Archigadh. “Step three,” she read directly from the book. “Allow an Iturtian into your mind to become the protector of your will. Know and understand that this is a choice you have made. In this way you will hold on to all of your power.”
The crowd gasped as she read the words. Iturtians and Zobanites alike were stunned. But they remained silent after their initial shock. Numa wasn’t sure if it was curiosity or hope that held their tongues, but she was pleased that they did not protest.
Numa looked into Archigadh’s eyes. He nodded in response, appearing confident in his decision to see this through. “No need to dally, let’s get this done,” he rumbled then faced Tatparo.
“It is an honor to be chosen for this,” Tatparo said to Archigadh. “I am at your service, great Chief.”
Archigadh closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I give the young warrior, Tatparo, permission to enter my mind.”
Numa saw the tension in Archigadh’s muscles. His jaw flexed and his hands were in fists. She felt a surge of pride to know such an honorable and brave man. He must surely believe in the worthiness of what he was doing or he wouldn’t have endured such fear.
Tatparo also closed his eyes, then both men were silent for several moments. Archigadh tilted his head to the side and said, “The only thing left to do is see if this worked. Wee keeper, try to enter my mind.”
Keeper Sam looked surprised, but then nodded in agreement. He focused on Archigadh then smiled. “I cannot enter your mind, Chief,” he said. “It is as though you now have a gatekeeper.”
Everyone in the city square cheered at once. Numa shouted right along with them, relieved that the ceremony had not ended in disaster.
“Chief,” she said, taking hold of Archigadh’s hand. “I am grateful for your willingness to do what you have just done. Regardless of how one might interpret the Truths, we would all agree that they point to Oneness. By allowing an Iturtian into your mind, by showing that level of trust and partnership, you have brought Oneness to Todor. I am indebted to you.”
Then Numa turned to the crowd. “All of you, eat your fill tonight then rest as fully as you’re able. Tomorrow we march to Skalja!”
Part Three
Disintegration
CHAPTER SEVEN
Soman
Soman awoke early and looked out the small window in his chamber, which faced to the east. The sun was a half circle on the horizon, its rays shining off the red sands of the Iturtian desert, bathing the whole world in a bright pink light. He looked to his left and could see the light gleaming against Todor’s rock wall and he knew Aerie was there, nestled against that wall. Soman missed his life in Aerie; his morning swims in the lake, breakfast at the Eating House, easy hours spent with Numa and Gemynd.
Soman sighed and rested his head against the side of the window, letting the cool morning breeze awaken his bare skin. As his eyes softly focused on the red sands, he couldn’t help but think of Gemynd and wonder for the thousandth time where he might be. Soman had been careful to keep his comments positive around Numa, but the truth was: he was worried about his friend.
Soman knew that Gemynd was more than capable of taking care of himself, but he also knew that Gemynd was just as capable of making the worst possible decisions. The longer Gemynd stayed away from the stability and sanity he got from Numa, the more trouble he was likely to cause.<
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“When we return from the Skalja, I will make it my mission to find him,” Soman said aloud then turned from the window to go in search of breakfast. Today’s journey could be a long one and he needed all the sustenance he could get.
Soman made his way down the staircase to the large dining hall that made up the bulk of the keep’s ground floor. Trays of food already filled the tables despite there only being two other people in the room.
“Joyous day.” Numa smiled as she stood and greeted Soman with an embrace.
“Yes, Joyous day, lad,” Archigadh said between bites of food.
“Joyous day to you both.” Soman sat next to Numa, across from his father, and poured himself a cup of tea before slathering a biscuit with spiced fat. “Did you both rest well over night?”
“Aye,” Archigadh answered as he reached for a ladle full of meat stew. “Numa fancied up the interior of my chamber and I felt right at home.”
Soman saw a sadness fill Numa’s eyes and he knew that she had likely spent her evening longing for Gemynd instead of sleeping. “I am rested enough for today’s journey,” she answered then stabbed a piece of marblefruit with her knife.
“I am eager for the journey to begin,” Archigadh said. “A Zobanite body needs regular adventure and I am feeling quite robust today.”
Soman noticed that the Chief did have a bit more sparkle in his eye than he did the day before. “It feels good to strengthen your will, doesn’t it?”
Archigadh wiped some grease from his beard. “Aye, though my heart is still heavy with grief, it has been unburdened of fear. I am stronger than my enemy now.”
“You have no enemy in Todor,” Numa reminded him quickly. “Iturtians and Zobanites are at peace now.”
Archigadh nodded. “Still, should an enemy arise, I would be ready.”
“What did it feel like to have Tatparo in your mind?” Soman asked. “Did it feel different than when Gemynd was controlling you?”
“Very different indeed. It was true what the book said about the power of choice. Because I chose to let him in--rather than him forcing his way in--I instinctively knew I could toss him out at any time. And that knowledge stayed with me. From now on, an Iturtian will only enter my mind when I let him. Tatparo did not take over anything, but together we shared the space of my mind. For the time he was there, and as long as we agreed, I could use his intelligence, and he could use my body.”
“Were you able to use his glinting powers?” Soman asked.
Archigadh stopped mid-chew. “I hadn’t thought to try that, but I wish I had.”
Soman looked around the dining hall and noticed that others had arrived. Some sat down to eat but most gathered in small groups to talk.
“Joyous day, everyone!” Numa stood from the table and walked to the center of the room. “Please eat your fill and prepare your belongings. As soon as Keeper Sam arrives, we will begin.”
“I am here,” Sam said, stepping around Tatparo who leaned against the near wall. “I am ready to go as soon as everyone else is.”
The people who had been eating finished quickly then stood, and the small groups morphed into one large group, all eyes on Numa.
“Is this all of you?” Numa asked, looking concerned.
There appeared to be about forty people in the group, half of which were Zobanites and half Iturtian. “Did you want more?” Soman leaned down and asked quietly. “I can round up more people if you wish.”
Numa shook her head. “No, it doesn’t matter. I’m just surprised. I would have thought more people would be interested in the chance to see their lost perceptions.”
Again, Soman saw the sadness in Numa’s eyes. He wanted so badly to replace it with Joy, but he knew there was only one person in all of Todor who had that power. Soman gently pulled Numa to a quiet corner of the room. “I will go in search of Gemynd while you make the journey to Skalja.”
Numa’s eyes filled with tears and she pressed her lips together. “Your place is at my side,” she said. “I need you to make the journey to Skalja with me.”
Soman narrowed his eyes. “You don’t have to be this strong. Not with me. I can see that your heart is aching. Let me bring him back to you.”
“My heart is not aching to be with him, but because I keep thinking that there is a possibility that we will see Golath at the Skalja, and Gemynd is going to miss out on that opportunity.”
Soman pulled Numa into an embrace. “Perhaps it is for the best,” he said. “Perhaps saying goodbye a second time would be unbearable for Gemynd. Besides, you are Empyrean. This won’t be your only opportunity to visit the Skalja, I’m sure.”
Numa leaned back, her eyes a little brighter. “You’re right. On both counts.”
“As soon as we get back from this journey, I will find him for you,” Soman said, wanting to reassure her further.
“Let’s just focus on one journey at a time,” she said, then squeezed his hand before walking back to the center of the room. “If everyone is ready, then grant me your permission and I will move us all to Turiya.”
In an instant, Soman stood at the edge of the Forest of Mystery along with Archigadh, Sam, Tatparo, Toa and everyone else who had been in the dining hall. He looked at the small group of people and noticed that the lines between the races had begun to blur. Where before he had seen twenty Iturtians standing next to twenty Zobanites, he now saw a single, cohesive unit.
“Look what you’ve done,” he said quietly to Numa who stood closest to him.
She also gazed out at the crowd. “They did this,” she said. “All I did was provide the opportunity. They had to choose whether or not to go along with it.”
Soman nodded his response and closed his eyes as a breeze brought Numa’s scent to his nose. It was everything delicious in Todor. Flowers and sweets and softness and sex.
“According to the book, in order to find the Skalja, we must enter the forest through the wolf’s ear.” Keeper Sam said, turning in a slow circle. “The map in the book showed it to be northwest of Zoban peak.”
“The success of this journey depends on you being able to lead us to Skalja, Sam,” Soman reminded him. “You’re the only who knows the way and we’re depending on you. Do you know for sure where this wolf’s ear is?”
“It’s there.” Numa pointed to a stone archway that was nearly hidden by trees. The point of the arch was off center so that it did, indeed resemble a wolf’s ear from the side.
“Ingenious!” Keeper Sam exclaimed. “It is not only in the shape of a wolf’s ear, but it is covered with the lupus auricum flower. Now that I see that, it would have been almost impossible to miss. Let us proceed!”
Numa grabbed Sam by the shoulder, looking like a mother scolding her child. “You all must listen to me before we go in there,” she said, turning Sam around to face her while she addressed the entire crowd. “My people call this forest Turiya, and it is the Empyrean homeland. It is a land of great power, every bit of it is alive and pulses with Lifeforce. Because of this, each of you will perceive it uniquely as the land’s Lifeforce is filtered through your thoughts. If you are frightened, the forest will be frightening to you. Likewise, if you are Joyful, the forest will be full of Joy. Stay close together as we walk. Sing. Tell jests. Share blessings.”
Soman exchanged a look with Archigadh then with Sam. “Zobanites are fairly adept at keeping their minds calm, but perhaps it’s unwise for these Iturtians to continue with us.”
Numa looked thoughtful, then crouched down near Sam. “Can you at least tell me how long the journey should take from here?”
“No more than a half day’s walk,” Sam answered. “Everyone here has the right to make the journey. Rather than waste time worrying about what might occur, let us begin our walk and distract our minds with singing.”
Sam set off down a small trail to the north, leading the group with a b
rave determination. Soman was aware that time had passed because the group had moved forward through ever-changing landscape: forest, then hills, then meadows, then forest again. He had lost count of how many times they had sung the Aerie song of Thanksgiving. It had seemed to be Numa’s choice after every time Archigadh led the group in a bawdy Zobanite song. But if it hadn’t been for the movement and the singing, Soman would have doubted that a single moment had passed. The light in the sky neither dimmed nor grew brighter.
“Keep your focus on the singing,” Numa said, apparently aware of Soman’s thoughts. “Do not begin to question the things you see here.”
“How did Gemynd ever visit you here?” Soman knew his friend’s mind never ceased asking questions.
Numa’s cheeks suddenly turned bright red and she looked down at the ground as she walked. “In certain situations, he is able to focus without questions,” she said. “That would allow him to be with me in Turiya for a while anyway. His fears always would take over, though, and I would have to send him away.”
Soman smiled to hide the envy that filled his heart. It wasn’t just the notion that Gemynd had shared Numa’s body in ways that he never would, but that Gemynd was the only one to have shared her true homeland with her. He didn’t have those memories to share with her.
The walking and singing continued as the forest around them grew ever more dense. Trees and vines and brambles became larger and thicker until all at once, the light from the sky was gone. The sun had not set, it had not become night, it was that the forest had become a roof and walls, enclosing the group entirely.
Numa created oil lamps for everyone, but that did not dispel the wariness that Soman could now feel throughout the group. “Sam, how much further is it?” he asked, growing more concerned about the welfare of the group.
Sam held his lamp out in front of him and looked straight ahead as he said, “I thought we would have reached it by now.”
Soman felt his eyes go wide and he took a large step to be at Sam’s side. “Are we lost?” he asked in a whisper.
Unity: The Todor Trilogy, Book Three Page 16
