“But you can’t act as if you didn’t know that darkness is spreading!” Astherion pleaded. “The shaman who crosses worlds told you himself!”
There was a long and uncomfortable silence.
“I find it unbelievable that you still think this is a fairy tale,” Astherion said. “Mórgomiel is extending his range and if you keep ignoring that, it will catch us unawares. It will catch us all without warning and we’ll be utterly destroyed.”
“Enough!” called Meinoa, another aged centaur with long and massive horns. “Blasphemies! This Erard is full of blasphemies! Nothing must interrupt the progress of our wonderful society!”
“Gently, brothers,” Shamaa put in. She was one of the oldest and wisest female centaurs of the Jubilatus. “The Erard has spoken frankly and caught us by surprise. It’s true, Balthazar came to us a few moon-cycles ago and announced what we have just heard. It’s inevitable. I propose that we listen to the solution that Astherion still hasn’t told us. By reacting so angrily, you haven’t heard the message he has for us.” She turned to Astherion. “Please go on.”
The centaur needed to recover his calm. Anger and incredulity had left him out of temper. He said at last, “The stars and Saalma have sent me cryptic messages that, until today, I have been unable to fully understand. My conclusion is that Saalma has created a group of heroes who are traversing worlds to replace the fractured Gods.”
“Another of your insane proposals,” Uinoé said.
“I’ve seen it,” Astherion replied. “They’ve appeared in our world. They have certainly arrived in Balsh’Kram.”
“That’s impossible. The Temple of Merrem has remained sealed for centuries after the inquisition of those mages who believed in supernatural forces.”
The inquisition had occurred almost a thousand years before, but it was part of centaurian history, something everybody knew and learned at school. Centaurs were no lovers of magic and they had rarely explored its secrets. Mages had been purged from the planet and a few had fled to Gorsbath where the Gurtha had sheltered them. The Temple of Merrem had been one of the sanctuaries where the mages learned magic from the Great Master Merrem, who had created mystical ways of traveling to other worlds. His temple had been sealed and subsequent generations had grown up hearing that the place was diabolic and unhealthy. It was a long way from Evanescent, near Urismoth, the nearest city to the border with Gorsbath.
“Well, they’re there,” Astherion said. “We need to go to them and welcome them with all the honor we can show. These travelers have no time to waste.”
“And what have they come in search of?”
“That’s precisely what’s troubling me,” Astherion replied. “I haven’t the slightest idea. But they’ve come to us. I fear we’ll have to go to one of the exiled mages so that he can help us understand this mystery.”
“What nonsense is this centaur talking about?” demanded Uinoé. “I thought you were a respectable man of faith! But you’re—”
Here he was interrupted by Shamaa. “I’ve decided to believe you. And I will make sure that you have everything you need for this mission. If our Erard says that Saalma has shown it to him, then we must listen to his case attentively and without fear. Who else is with me?”
Loiluu, Doibée, Laláe, and, finally, Meinoa raised their hands.
“Four out of seven. We have a vote. I declare Erard Astherion the leader of this operation to Merrem and that he should obtain whatever he needs to carry out the mission that Saalma herself has entrusted him with. If he needs an exiled mage, he’ll have all our support to summon him. Anything else we can do to assist you, Astherion?”
The Erard was impressed. He looked from one jubilate to another, finding it hard to believe that the argument had just swung in his favor. Uinoé looked furious, but that hardly mattered. He had got what he needed.
“No, your honor,” the Erard said. “A great happiness runs through my veins. I’m grateful that someone like you has a seat in this council.” He glowered at Uinoé.
***
“You know that Uinoé will do anything he can to stop you from going on this mission,” Shamaa said. The Erard had been preparing his belongings to leave as soon as possible for Merrem. Luckily, Shamaa had arrived before he left.
“Although four of the seven jubilates agree with the mission you’ve proposed and although it’s understood that we all have the same amount of power in the Jubilatus, Uinoé is arrogant and he won’t rest until he gets what he wants. He’ll forbid you to summon the foreigners or the legions.”
“But how can you allow him to do that?”
“Politics are dirtier than they seem,” Shamaa said. Inside the temple, both the Erard and the jubilate were gazing at the stars through the dome open to the sky. “I have a small group of soldiers in my pay. You’ll join them in Viznaca, then set out for Urismoth at a gallop to reach the temple of Merrem as soon as you can.”
Shamaa was older, but not unattractive. It was obvious that in her younger days, she had been a beauty.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked her.
“Because I feel the same fear as you. You’re not the only one who can read the stars, Erard. Saalma speaks to anyone willing to listen. Now, get on with it and don’t delay. The future of Gatasclán and, more importantly, the universe lies in the hands of these heroes sent to us by Saalma. If we don’t help them to carry out whatever they have to do in our world, we’ll be dooming the universe to utter destruction.”
***
The journey to Viznaca passed without incident. The town was celebrating Íoros in its own way and everybody was so busy studying the stars that when Astherion arrived, nobody was there to receive him with the usual endless stream of compliments. Like any village or city in Gatasclán, Viznaca specialized in a particular local dish and also produced some particular item better than other towns or cities. In Viznaca the people ate chalimba a la vizneña and made yali cloth, a cloak to wear over their hindquarters.
The soldiers in Shaama’s pay were waiting for the Erard at the meeting point. When they saw him and checked his identity with his identification tag, nothing more than a metal plate with his details engraved on it, they set off to Urismoth at a canter.
It took them almost a week. Gatasclán was a nation of vast territories, but the roads that linked villages and cities were part of their national pride and were perfectly maintained. Thanks to this, they were able to travel along them fast, stopping at roadside eateries to enjoy the local food.
The stars continued to undergo a swift transformation as the days went by. The soldiers talked among themselves and pointed at the sky, wondering at the celestial bodies. They rarely spoke to Astherion, who suspected that this was because he was an Erard and they feared being judged by the religious erudite.
The land changed progressively as they approached Urismoth. It was the city closest to the border with Gorsbath and hence was militarized and had not changed at all since its foundation thousands of years before, when the wars against the Gurtha had been at their peak. Even today, fifty years after the signing of the peace accord, the city had not lowered its guard and housed an army. This was under the command of Toorlak, the general of the region.
Here, the Erard and the soldiers did not have the same luck as in Viznaca.
“Identification tags,” the sentry porters demanded. They were very large centaurs in full armor. Generally, the centaurs left their torsos naked unless they were females, who covered their breasts. Here, however, they were covered in steel from head to hoof. Their faces were hidden by helmets with two small grids for their eyes.
“Enter,” one of the porters said and the travelers did so.
“We rest here for the night,” the Erard said. “Then tomorrow at first light, we set off for Merrem.”
The soldiers nodded. They were all the same rank with no apparent leader and they all obeyed unquestioningly. As soldiers, they had shelter and a plate of food free of charge.
Astherion had visited Urismoth once when he was younger and was still trying to decide what profession to take up. His father managed to dissuade him from becoming a soldier, telling him that although an army was fundamental for the defense of the freedom Gatasclán enjoyed, he ought to consider other options. So, after three decades of studies, his efforts reached fruition when he became Erard of the religious temple of Evanescent.
The first thing he did was to rent a small room. He could have gone to visit the Saalma’ha of Urismoth, meet the local Erard and stay with him. But the last thing he wanted was to be asked too many questions. He wanted to clear his mind and for that, he needed to be alone. He ate as quickly as his body would allow him and then retired to his room where he lay down on his bed and slept.
***
The road to Merrem was the only badly kept one in the Republic. The way had been neglected for a thousand years, ever since the mages had been burnt at the stake during that cruel inquisition.
Here, every kind of vegetation, rock, and wildlife had invaded the path. It increased the danger of being ambushed by both the Gurtha and any of the other predators in Terigión. The way was deliberately neglected to dissuade travelers. None of the leaders of Gatasclán wanted one of their centaurs to go near the temple created by Merrem, the most powerful mage ever to exist.
The world of Terigión was full of dangerous creatures. The centaurs were safe thanks to their numbers and had dominated most of the planet through their cunning, but just as the giant bears were dangerous and could kill a centaur with a single blow with their gigantic claws, there were other large animals, less intelligent but stronger, who could bite and overcome a centaur with only the slightest effort.
“The Gods be blessed!” one of the soldiers said. “What the hell’s happened here!?”
When they came closer to the temple, it became obvious that a gilok had sniffed out something interesting. The temple was shattered and the gilok’s great body was splayed on the ground with its head crushed.
Astherion had never seen a gilok subdued in this way. These creatures were cold-blooded with tough skin, small arms, powerful legs, and enormous heads with jaws so strong they were capable of tearing a giant bear in half with a single bite. What made them different was that they were stupid and seemed to rely only on their basic instincts. The centaurs had tried to domesticate them but the attempt had turned out to be lethal and the idea had been forgotten. The gilok fed off the abundant wildlife. Apparently, wildlife had been abundant near the temple and for this reason, the great predator had ventured into the area.
“By Saalma! We’ve come too late!” Astherion’s words had barely left his mouth when, to his astonishment, he became aware of a small seraph dancing in the air in front of him and it began to communicate with him!
He was bewildered, but he was even more so when, out of the ruins of the temple, came a young girl walking on two legs with straight coffee-colored hair and beautiful green eyes. The girl’s figure, height, and grace left him awestruck, remembering the tales of fairies and maidens he had heard as a child; beings that looked like centaurs but walked on two legs and did not have large backs.
The air of pride, strength, and sadness that emanated from the girl was so powerful that it left the centaurs paralyzed. After the girl came a hairless giant, also two-legged, with a huge mace in one hand and the other empty but bearing a cryptic tattoo. On the other side came another being, much slimmer with long blond hair who was also walking on two legs. In his hands, he carried a sharp sword and he was smiling impishly.
Chapter L — Beyond The Sea
Luchy was bored. She had arrived on the world Terigión expecting to be welcomed with a reception of some kind but all she had seen on her arrival had been the walls of a forgotten temple. Even worse, the temple had been sealed to the outside world as though it were a dungeon or something worse.
It was Mojak who managed to break the seal that kept the temple isolated from the world, but when they succeeded, they were confronted by an enormous reptile that had been waiting outside. What was it? Luchy had never seen such a huge creature, even though of course she had battled against demons ten times fiercer and more dangerous. Eliminating this creature was regrettable but necessary.
They were about to go on a scouting expedition to make sure Teitú had guided them to the right world. This was the one they were seeking, surely? What were they supposed to do now? Teitú did not seem to have any clear idea of how to proceed, so they decided to camp for what seemed like days, though the days here were strange because the sunlight seemed to be absent and everything was tinged with purple and cyan.
Teitú, Luchy had asked many times. Are you sure we’re in the right world?
Yes, Luchy. I’m sure of it.
She was downcast. Had it not been for the elven costume she had been given before they set out, she was sure she would have been pierced a thousand times by every kind of missile including poisoned mushrooms, bewitched halberds, malign spells, and negative energy. The suit she wore was so well-made that the material stayed clean and allowed sweat to evaporate and nothing seemed able to tear it. She often used the foreign elven cloak that she always wore over her shoulders, fastened with an elemín chain, to avoid being seen by enemies. This allowed them to concentrate on Mojak and Flóregund so that she could attack when the enemy was unaware.
She had killed several demons and learned to wield the short, highly-sharpened sword which Limleiyón the Swordsmith had forged for her in Allündel. Lohrén’s bracelets had also saved her in a couple of battles.
That evening, Mojak took special care when he skinned the giant reptile. They dined on roasted reptile meat. For adventurers like Luchy and her group, it was not a particular problem considering that they had also dined on lizards, mountain lions, and other such wild creatures to survive.
Luchy’s mind was elsewhere. Her gaze frequently seemed to lose itself in vacancy, which worried Flóregund.
Not everything’s lost. Embrace my light. It was Teitú who saved her from sadness once again. The seraph’s presence in her mind had become a great ally, leading her away from the dangerous path of depression. She slept, then woke when she heard the sound of horses’ hooves on gravel.
She opened her eyes. Flóregund and Mojak were standing on either side of her, waiting for her to wake up. Her guardians knew that she was subject to these bouts of depression and sadness. When she was overcome by them, she had to rest her mind and embrace the seraph.
She shed a tear. Sometimes just going on was so difficult. The tear fell on the engagement ring. She had not paid attention to it in days. Sometimes, the ring itself was the source of her sadness. But as she followed the tear’s progress and focused on the jewel, she noticed that its pulsating light was twinkling microscopically faster. Could it be? Was it true? She seemed to have gone crazy, staring closely at her finger.
Teitú, she asked in her mind. Please tell me it’s true. Is it? Is it twinkling faster?
Yes! I can see it!
The trace of a smile appeared on the girl’s face. Her breathing came faster, she felt a lump in her throat, and she shed more tears.
She raised her eyes and looked into the eyes of the creature in front of them. It was like the horses of the Meridian except that, instead of an elegant neck, it had a human torso, human arms, horns, hair on its head, a hairless chest, and an intelligent gaze very much like that of humans in her native world.
In any other circumstances, she would have been frightened because the horse-men looked like fierce warriors with muscular arms, torsos, murderous horns, and horse’s bodies that looked robust and perhaps even more agile than those of a Meridian horse. But the girl had seen so many demons on their way to Terigión that nothing frightened her anymore. She was ready to kill whatever blocked her way to her goal.
“Good evening,” she said. Her words were immediately translated in the centaur’s mind by Teitú. “Nights here are long, Lord Horse-Man. We’ve been here for what seems
like days waiting for someone to come and we’re not sure whether you’re the ones. If you’re demons sent by Mórgomiel, I suggest you get out of our way.”
There was fury in the glare she directed at them. Her grim expression unsettled the centaurs. She was not joking and the force in her gaze left Astherion in no doubt that before him, were the heroes sent by Saalma.
The big bald man beside Luchy, who was carrying a mace in his right hand and had a tattoo on his left arm, took a few steps forward. The swordsman on her other side took a few more.
The centaurs bowed, lowering their torsos and bending their front legs. In Gatasclán, this was a sign of great respect.
“Heroes sent by Saalma,” Teitú translated in the minds of Luchy, Flóregund, and Mojak. “My name is Astherion. I am the Erard of the Saalma’ha of Evanescent, capital of the great Republic of Gatasclán. You have come just as had been foretold by the stars and the great celestial objects. The creator of all has made it known to us that you would come. The night here seems eternal, but this is because we are in a period called Íoros when the moons are in alignment and the suns are hidden behind the planet. I apologize if this has confused you, but that is why you can see the purple and cyan light.”
When he spoke of Saalma, was he referring to Mother? Teitú asked.
Mother has many names, Mojak replied through his thoughts. But she will always be the same elemental force. Mother manifests herself in many ways and she could very well have chosen to let these magnificent and respectful beings know of our arrival.
Necromancer’s Sorrow: (Series Finale) Page 47
