Ized- the Ancestors

by Esther Barvar

  »You are about to become father, my friend. And now, hurry up. I’m quite capable of keeping a little watch here.«

  He patted him on the shoulder encouragingly. Adar breathed in noisily, hesitated, turned red, and pale. »But, the duty, I…«

  »Go!« Befen pushed him.

  Finally, life came to Adar. He hurried to the rooms they lived in. It was slippery, and he slid more than he ran. Just as he rushed into the door, he heard his son scream for the first time. He quickly got to his wife’s bedroom, took a look at the little one she held in her arms and kissed her. »He is like you, my love. He is a child of fire. The magic is strong in him,« she whispered exhausted. The sweaty hair stuck in her face, and Adar was sure she had never been more beautiful. Her face shone with joy.

  »Do you already have a name for him, my love?« he breathed happily.

  She looked at him and asked quietly: »What do you think about Atesch?«

  Adar breathed in noisily, his eyes lighting up. Atesch was a wonderful name and similar in meaning to his own. Both names had their origin in the element fire. The sacred fire had always been the element that guided the warriors among the magicians.

  »Atesch! Yes, that is a fitting name for a magician of fire. If you are right and he is a warrior, child of fire, he shall be called Atesch.« Maioshan handed him the boy. Adar happily took the small bundle in his arms and looked at the being, which still seemed tender and fragile. He was so small, so helpless, but he was naturally incredible, and Adar was proud of him.

  Adar sat with Maioshan at the three rocks. The two visited this place frequently. Maioshan leaned against the stone while his head lay relaxed in her lap. With closed eyes, he enjoyed her scent and her hand on his cheek. Now a clack, as if wood would strike stone, disturbed this harmony. The sound was too regular for the wind to produce. It irritated him, so he opened his eyes and turned his head. Interested, he straightened up, observed his son. He leaned on his elbows and watched how the boy made the noise. Atesch was not quite three years old yet. In his hands lay a stick that was longer than the boy himself. With this stick, he hit one of the rocks again and again. The staff rushed from top right to bottom left, described a bow, and rushed from top left to bottom right, described another bow. The little one growled to himself with dark eyes, and if he didn’t hit correctly, he hissed furiously. When Atesch hit again, he lost his balance and fell on his buttocks. He sniffed, growled louder, stood up, and started again. His eyes sparkled dark, and somehow, it flashed golden in them from time to time.

  Adar became more and more interested. »Atesch, my son, what are you doing?« His voice had a warm and friendly sound. Adar stared spellbound at the movements his son was making. They seemed a bit clumsy, not quite round yet, but the warrior in Adar was awakened. He saw Atesch standing and followed the movement of his arms, looking at the whole posture. His eyes sparkled with pride. Yes, his son was a child of fire, a warrior. The fighting spirit in him blazed strongly and already now.

  »I will ask for a baton to be made for him,« he said casually, putting his head back in Maioshan’s lap and closing his eyes.

  »Who shall teach him, my love? He is still a toddler after all,« she teased him, and lovingly drove her hand through the half-long dark hair.

  Adar opened his eyes outraged and raised an eyebrow a little offended. »You already know that his father is a warrior,« he asked angrily.

  Maioshan laughed brightly and kissed him. »Yes, I know, my love. Isn’t it still a little early to teach him how to fight?«

  Adar shook his head vehemently. »No, if he already shows such ambition now, it is better, he immediately begins with lessons. He shouldn’t practice any wrong movements. It is much more difficult to change a sequence of movements once it has been learned than to learn it correctly from the beginning.«

  The next day, after duty, Adar went to the armorers. He found not only a baton in the right size but also a bow and arrows, even a saber, suitable for children’s hands. The weapons were training devices, blunt, so that the child could not injure itself with it.

  Every day Adar went to the park with Atesch after his duty. Here he showed him how to handle the baton, how to wield the saber, and how to draw a bow.

  Atesch was exceptionally gifted. Often Lord Befen also joined them. He admired the boy, who had battle in his blood. Sometimes Befen brought his practice weapons and Adar, and he showed Atesch different techniques. Atesch had a right eye and could execute movements quickly and precisely just as they were demonstrated to him. He moved early with accuracy and skill that was amazing.

  When Atesch was more than four years old, he already mastered the most important basics of fighting with weapons. His musculature was strong, and a cat-like suppleness was noticeable when he moved. Unlike other children, he did not want to play. Instead, he fought with the Administrator or his father. He also loved it when the two men took him on a hunt. He had even killed a rabbit with a bow and arrow.

  Since there was no saddle on which he could sit safely, he rode the horses only with the reins, sitting directly on the back of the animal. Adar had tried it because Atesch wanted to ride himself and not sit on the horse behind his father.

  The boy seemed to have grown together with the animals. And the horses obeyed the slightest pressure of his thighs.

  On a hot summer day, when Lord Reito walked in the park with his pregnant wife, he discovered father and son doing the exercises. While the woman rested on one of the wooden benches, Reito watched father and son skeptically. However, his interest grew from minute to minute. He was amazed at what the little one could do and how fluid and precise his movements were. He also noticed with what sensitivity Adar demanded of him, but never let him feel the full force of a blow. Everything was turned to the boy’s strength and ability. He watched for a while and then stepped up.

  »Lord Adar, forgive my disturbance, but you are very skilled at teaching a child to fight. Have you ever thought about introducing children to the basics of combat?«

  Adar shook his head in the negative. »Not yet, Lord Reito. Why do you ask?«

  Reito pointed to Atesch. »Your son moves skilfully, possesses a pronounced musculature. You did an excellent job with him.«

  »Well, he wanted to fight, did it without instructions. Therefore I had to intervene. I only picked up and trained what he brought on his own.«

  »Consider my offer, Lord Adar. I would reserve you for a lesson of this kind in the hall.«

  Adar bowed. »I will reconsider, Lord Reito,« he announced.

  In the evening, he spoke with Maioshan about the High Lord’s proposal. Maioshan smiled knowingly. »Adar, how many children do you know who start the fight as persistently as he did?«

  Adar truncated and took her arms, laughing. »None. I think you’re right, dearest. Atesch is something special. Without his talent, I would not have been successful with the lessons at all.«

  Maioshan was still smiling. »No, I meant something else. Atesch doesn’t just have all the facilities. He wants to learn it. You encouraged what he brought with him in terms of his talents and willpower. You can do this. It suits you. It is also fun for you. But perhaps the abilities of other children lie elsewhere. Is it the desire of the children to learn to fight or the ambition of the parents that their children should achieve something they never succeeded in? People look up to the warriors here in Ized. These men have a different reputation than seekers, healers, or alchemists. Besides, they are closer to the origin of magic than the others.«

  Adar let go fo her. Thoughtfully he poured himself a cup of wine and sat down in an armchair. Here he pondered for some time. »Warriors have a higher reputation than the other branches of magic?« He looked doubtfully at Maioshan. She nodded. »Then, of course, it would be tempting for some parents to push their sons in this direction, no matter whether the children bring the abilities with them or not. I don’t want to lead a class in which the parents transfer their ambitions to their offspring. Perhaps their son w
ould prefer to become a healer or seeker, but if the parents decide, the child cannot develop itself. It is always better to listen to what your inner feelings tell you. You are right, my heart. I don’t want children to be forced to do anything, even if I enjoy teaching Atesch very much. He wants to learn it, and that’s why I will continue to support him«.

  Adar’s decision was made, and the next day he went to the High Lord of Warriors and declined the offer with regret. Lord Reito accepted it with a short nod, but when Adar closed the door behind him, he clenched his fists furiously. »You’ll regret it one day, Adar. Nobody would simply reject such an offer from my side. You probably don’t appreciate how accommodating I was here. I have time, and you and your family will regret this refusal,« he growled.

  He punched the table with both fists. This one burst under the force of the blow. Alarmed by the splintering and rumbling, his wife rushed in.

  »My husband, what about you?«

  Reito reached out and punched her in the face with the back of his hand. She fell to the ground, groaning painfully, sobbed, and stopped. Reito stomped over to her, grabbed her by the hair, and pulled her up from the floor. Whimpering, she grabbed her head but didn’t dare say anything. He pushed his pregnant wife with his upper body over the back of the next heavy leather chair, pushing up her skirt. He quickly opened the trousers and pushed his phallus into her. He threateningly bared his teeth and growled wildly. His wife was frozen by fear and let him sobbing. Again and again, he pushed into her. After he had sent his seed into her, he hissed at her: »I will now go to the bathroom. When I return, you will have cleaned everything up again.« Frozen, she did not dare to move, nodded only under a soft sob.

  He scornfully pushed her to the floor and left the rooms.

  It happened for the first time that night. Shortly before the sun went down, the sky darkened, black clouds came up, and it became more and more stormy. For hours the wind blew wildly over the land, drove the clouds in front of it, piled them up to huge and threatening mountains. Overnight the storm roared louder and louder, uprooted trees and howled through the alleys.

  Maioshan stood in the yard with her hair blowing and looked silently into the distance. Tears ran down her face. Suddenly she turned around and returned to the rooms. She took Atesch in her arms and pressed him to her. She knew it was time. She had to say goodbye to her loved ones.

  Adar noticed her concern, stepped up to her, pulled her to himself, stroked her cheek, and removed the tears. »What is it, my heart, my love, why are you so sad?«

  »The Red, he is healed and looking for me, Adar. I knew it would eventually be like this. Soon he will find me,« she whispered sadly, lowered her gaze, and leaned against him. She gave no further explanation.

  Adar was confused by the deep sadness that had taken possession of Maioshan and that she would not let go of all evening and night. But every time he asked her, he felt her moving away from him. So he finally didn’t push any further into her.

  The next day messengers came from the border in the east. They told of many places where suddenly and inexplicably fires had broken out. Many fields were on fire, and also some houses had fallen victim to the flames. People were spared.

  It went into the country for some time. For weeks nothing happened, and people calmed down again. Then it happened one more time. In the evening, it became stormy again. The wind blew more violently in wild gusts and drove the black clouds before itself. The whole night long, it stormed. Adar and Maioshan were out with their son at the market in Farsie in the evening, when the first winds appeared. He noticed how she became restless and took her in his arms. »Please tell me what that means my love. Even the last time the weather was stormy, you were nervous and sad.«

  »This is not typical weather, my love. That is the Red, his magic. He is looking for me, Adar. It won’t take long, and he will kill people. I do not want to leave you, I want to stay with you, with you and our son,« she whispered, put her head to his breast, and wept bitter tears.

  »Of course you stay with Atesch and me,« Adar said and held her comfortingly. »Who is the Red? What can I do to make it stop?« he wanted to experience gently.

  But she shook her head. »No one here from Ized can do anything against the Red. He is much too powerful. When I return to my country, the destruction will stop.«

  Adar shook his head now as well. »No, Maioshan, you must not leave us. Atesch needs you, and I need you too, my dearest«. He lifted her chin, kissed her. Together they went home.

  The next day, too, messengers reported destruction by fire, the origin of which nobody could explain. This time several families had disappeared. They did not reappear. No one found them or anything left of them.

  The intervals between the nights of fire became shorter. Farsie sent out warriors. They rode towards the fire, and each time, some of them did not return. Adar also rode along several times, but he returned home miraculously. Maioshan begged him not to go with the warriors, but he smiled, kissed her, and said, »I am a warrior, my love. It is my duty to protect. When we find and kill the Red, then you can stay without fear. Trust us. We will protect you.« It was his task to protect, and death was also part of the life of a warrior.

  Then the nights of fire appeared every week. And the fires came inexorably closer to the city.

  Maioshan became more and more restless. She hardly let Atesch go outside alone, always close to him. She took every opportunity to be with both the child and her husband.

  No one could defeat the Red, who had lived for millennia. He didn’t care. He killed magicians and humans alike. Maioshan knew she had to return home, but she postponed it. She hoped desperately that the warriors would succeed, but she also knew how absurd the wish was.

  One day Lord Kairos set off with warriors as the winds announced another night of the fire. The loss was more significant than ever. Only one warrior returned alive. The others disappeared, as did parts of the population. No bodies were found this time either. Lord Kairos was among the missing.

  Adar’s heart went through deep sorrow. His father must have been dead. Otherwise, he would have returned to the city.

  Maioshan cried all day desperately when she heard the news. It could not go on like this! The bonfire of that night had almost reached the city walls. Too many people from Ized had already died, and it was all her fault.

  When the winds appeared in the evening a week later, Maioshan took Adar by the hand and went with him to the park. She asked him to sit down by the three rocks and knelt before him. This place had always been her favorite one. Often they had sat here, enjoyed the fresh air and the sounds of nature, or watched Atesch do his exercises.

  Now they sat there again. Adar felt her grief and waited silently for what she wanted to tell him.

  Meanwhile, the sky became darker and darker. The clouds completely covered the setting sun. It almost seemed as if it was already night. The young magicians hurried to fill the park’s lights and ignite them.

  While preparations were being hectically made around her to secure the city, she pulled the ring from her finger, took his hand, and put the piece of jewelry into it. Then she closed his fingers over the jewel. Each of her touches was tender as one tear after another rolled over her face.

  »Adar, I have waited too long. Too many of your people died. I have to go today. I can’t wait any longer. I should have left much earlier. The Red seeks me and will not stop destroying your country and the people here until he has found me. If I stay longer, more will die. Humans and also magicians. I am to blame for the death of your father. I am to blame for the fire. If I had left earlier, your father would still be alive and many with him. Please forgive me for having sacrificed so many of your people.«

  She held with both hands the hand in which she had placed her ring.

  »Our rings are the last hope of my people. Only when golden streaks can be seen in one of the rings, the Ringbearer has arrived. Only this one magician will be able to free Emeishan from the Red, w
ho is destroying my country as long as I can remember. If you meet a magician who awakens the golden streaks in the black jewels, the gold of the priest, then ask him for help. Bring him to me to Emeishan. I will wait for you all my life. You won’t have to search long for me. Ask people for me. Everyone will be able to tell you where to find the priestess Maioshan. The prophecy says that only when the dragon unites with the human, the Ringbearer appears. I had hoped that it could come true here, in the time when I was allowed to be with you. There are still many magicians here. When the Ringbearer wears the ring on his finger, he will feel a pulsation, and the ring will become one with him. He will no longer be able to take it off his finger until the Red has been defeated, or his life clock has stopped beating. The rings must not return to my country before then. I am too weak and can no longer protect them from the Red. If he should ever get hold of them, then my country is finally lost. I was selfish to have left my people alone for so many years. But these years with you, Adar, please, believe me, they were the most beautiful years of my life. I love you, I will always love you, and I love our son. But because I love you, I must leave you today. The power of the Red is too high. He would kill all the magicians in Ized if I stayed here. He would kill you as well as Atesch. And that only because he can hurt me with it. He must never know about you, my beloved, otherwise he will send me your heads or your burnt bodies. You must not die, and Atesch must not die either. Protect our son, for I can no longer do it. Forgive me!« She leaned against him and cried without restraint. Confused, he closed his arms around her. He understood nothing of what she explained to him. What was wrong with her? Why did she blame herself? And who or what by the Waves was that cursed Red?