Ized- the Ancestors

by Esther Barvar

  The door to the cave stood open. Several armed men looked out but seemed disoriented and insecure. Adar looked around. They didn’t seem used to fighting; otherwise, the Brown did for them. But the Brown was not here. But all who stood here with weapons in their hands were determined to defend the fortress against the Red. Taishan had been the hope of the country for thousands of years. This fortress could not fall under any circumstances.

  At some distance, the sky was almost black from the Nagas, who had set out to storm and conquer Taishan. There were hundreds, no thousands, of these beings who dissolved into columns of smoke when they were killed. And this black cloud quickly approached Taishan.

  »Who can handle a bow and arrow, who can handle a baton and who can handle a saber?« Adar asked in a loud voice.

  Everyone turned to him.

  A man stepped forward.

  »We have a few good archers, and we don’t know a baton. We use the crossbow and the saber, sir.«

  Adar raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had never seen a crossbow before, didn’t know how to handle it.

  »Show me a crossbow and how it works,« he told the man.

  He approached him with his crossbow, stretched it, and placed the bolt in the guide. Then he aimed outside and shot.

  Adar’s eyes shone with enthusiasm. The little arrows had an enormous penetrating power. Well, they didn’t fly as far as he could shoot with his longbow, but at least. Only the stretching seemed to be time-consuming.

  »Very good. First, all with a crossbow to the front. Always two to three shooters with this weapon, then an archer who shoots when you have to cock again. When the arrows of the crossbowmen are used up, we will receive these monsters with the sabers.«

  »These are bolts, Lord.«

  Adar looked at him, confused. »Bolts?«

  »The smaller arrows needed for the crossbow are also called bolts.«

  Adar smiled and nodded. Crossbow and bolt. It seemed, in any case, to be a weapon with enormous penetrating power. Adar had noticed the speed with which this bolt detached itself from the crossbow.

  The men positioned themselves precisely as he wanted them to be. He stood up in their midst and asked to leave him about six steps on both sides to lead the baton.

  Then he loosened the leather sleeves from the blades and put the staff on the ground behind him. He first picked up the bow and arrow.

  The Naga were already within reach of the bow. Shortly afterward, the shooters could shoot their first bolts with the crossbows. The force that came there flew so close that every bolt and arrow pierced and destroyed a Naga. Still, in the fall, the black winged snakes dissolved into small columns of smoke.

  Adar’s eyes were shining as he recognized the advantages of the crossbow. Since no force was needed to tension the string, the shooter could concentrate fully on the target. However, he immediately recognized the disadvantage of the weapon. It took too long to cock it again and shoot it down. He and the few archers could fire arrow on the arrow with the bows into the crowd of the Naga. Each arrow brought down a Naga. Stretching the bow cost him a lot of strength, and some of the wounds burst open. It didn’t take long, and his shirt became bloody. His quiver was quickly empty.

  Now he took the baton and waited until the first Naga were close enough so that he could reach and kill it with it. The strong movements needed to handle the baton opened more wounds. Adar gritted his teeth in pain. He had to hold the position here. They could not leave the fortress to the Red, and these soulless snakes.

  The men grabbed the sabers when the first Naga landed in the cave. They could still defend themselves, but slowly the fighters got tired. Up here, the fight had no sense anymore. They had to retreat, close the doors, and secure them.

  »Slowly retreat, men. Help the wounded, and then everyone else must get out of here,« they heard his dark, loud voice, with which he drowned out the fighting noise. With the help of magic, he amplified his voice so that everyone could hear him. As a closed front, everyone withdrew and took the wounded with them.

  Adar was the last to go through the door when Ugar stormed in.

  »Lord, the Stone Dagger and the Silver Cup, the Holy Utensils of the Priests, they must not fall into the hands of the Red. I must get them to safety.«

  He wanted to pass Adar, but he held him back by his arm, shook his head. »The cave is lost. You can’t go in there anymore. They would kill you. Tell me where they are. Where, Ugar, where are they?«

  Ugar pointed his hand at a black blanket covering an object.

  »Under the blanket there, sir. The golden altar is too heavy. The Naga cannot drag it away, but the Dagger and the Cup can. These objects must remain in Taishan. The Red must not get his hands on them any more than the dragonrings. Without the sacred tools, the magician, who is the Ringbearer, cannot walk the priest’s path. Things have been protected here since time immemorial. They wait alone for his appearance.«

  Adar took a look at Ugar, who seemed desperate and then at the place where the objects were. He cursed quietly, but did not hesitate for a moment and threw himself in the direction of the black cloth. He fought his way out with the help of the battlestick. He still got through quite well. But more and more of the snakes overran the cave. But the more they pushed in to press him, the more they obstructed each other. That was Adar’s only advantage. He came to the altar without much difficulty.

  There he pulled the cloth off the block. In fact, a golden altar appeared on which stood a Stone Dagger and a small Silver Cup. The objects seemed inconspicuous, but they seemed to be the future and hope of the country. When he seized them, he felt the magic that was inherent in them. Determined, he set out on his way back. Again he had to fight his way through the Naga, but now he had only one hand free. So the battling staff could not be led safely. He hurled it like a spear towards the crowd of the Naga and pulled out the saber with which he fought his way to the door.

  Once there, Ugar lay severely injured on the ground, but looked hopefully towards him. Some men defended him and the door.

  »I have them all, Ugar.«

  He nodded contentedly and closed his eyes in pain. Adar continued to protect the door, while many helping hands pulled Ugar out through the door. Then Adar was also grabbed and pulled out. The door was locked and secured with beams.

  Adar leaned exhausted against the rock wall. But then he knelt down beside the Ugar lying on the ground, laid his hands on his body, and sent him from his healing powers. He felt how badly Ugar was hurt. He had to see a healer as quickly as possible. »Bring Ugar to the healer. She has to take care of him.«

  »Lord, please give me the objects,« Ugar whispered to him. »I hid them and guarded them when the priestess was not in Emeishan.«

  Adar gave him the dagger and the cup, which he had placed on the floor next to the man. »Here, take them with you. I know I’ve kept them safe with you.«

  »Thank you, Lord.«

  Two men came with a stretcher, laid Ugar on it, and took him away.

  »The door here must be secured. No Naga is allowed to get through. Five to six men should be enough to stop these creatures. The entrance is too narrow for them to enter successfully.«

  Immediately some men stood at the door.

  Adar grabbed another man, who wanted to pass him by the arm and held him.

  »Quick, I have to go down. The portal below, I must help there, the Naga must not enter the fortress. Take me down the shortest way.«

  Adar was in pain, and the opened wounds bled strongly and weakened him visibly. The white shirt was soaked in blood, and he pale. Cold sweat stood on his forehead.

  »Lord, you must also go to the healer so that she can take care of you. You are still too weakened by your last wound.«

  »There is time for that later. Bring me down now, or there may be no later, immediately.«

  The man hesitated, but then nodded and ran ahead. Adar followed him.

  Just as Adar arrived at the portal, the Brown also came back
and intervened in the fight from above.

  Adar saw the Brown throwing himself into the cave and fighting there. Quietly smiling, he now orientated himself down here in front of the portal.

  There was quite a mess. Adar jumped into the reins of a riderless horse. It climbed first, but he quickly got the animal under control and sat on his saddle with momentum. His magically amplified voice echoed across the plain. »All the peasants, women, and children entered the fortress — soldiers to my side. I need every weapon,« he commanded, visible to all. Adar set up the shooters. Meanwhile, the Brown liberated the cave from the Naga. He raged among them and bit their heads off or burned them with his breath of fire.

  Now the Red had discovered Adar as he was rearranging the shooters. So he intervened in the fight. In a nosedive, he raced down on the warrior from a great height like an arrow.

  Above their heads, the Brown suddenly roared, noticing the Red’s attack and also plunging.

  The shooters concentrated their fire on the Red. He was already full of bolts and arrows, and yet he fought on. None of the wounds seemed to affect him.

  But when the Brown jumped at him and hit him with claws and teeth, the Red turned away. A terrible, angry roar resounded, and all the Naga who still existed and hadn’t been fizzled out in columns of smoke followed the call to the south.

  The people burst into rejoicing as they noticed the retreat of the Red.

  Maioshan landed right next to Adar. »I am the Brown, and the Brown is the Priestess.« The Brown already turned into the Priestess with a soft glow. Maioshan walked the few steps anxiously towards Adar. »By the Stone Dagger, you are wounded!« She opened the shirt worriedly.

  »It’s nothing. It’s just the old wounds, they’ve burst through the fights.« He painfully distorted the pale face as she looked at the bandages and the upper body with an expert eye and palpated them.

  »I want to stay with you to support you, my love. Awaken the priest in me, give my dragon his existence,« he begged her quietly.

  Then he grabbed her chin gently but possessively and slowly lifted it up. For a few seconds, he looked deep into her golden eyes before he put his lips on hers, and both sank into a long kiss. He put both arms around her, and she supported him. He had missed her scent and closeness. All night long, she had been far away from him.

  Maioshan not only let him go, she returned the passionate kiss with the same intensity. Yes, she loved him and didn’t care what the people in her country thought of her now. She didn’t care that his feelings were never shown in public here in Emeishan. This man gave her love and strength. He stood by her.

  When the Red jumped on him, her fear had also seized the Brown. At that moment, she suddenly realized that Adar would always be the Red’s target. It didn’t matter whether he stayed here in Emeishan or returned to Ized.

  Just because the Red had somehow learned of him, he was in danger everywhere from now on. There was no other possibility. She had to help him and make him a priest if he had any chance at all to survive.

  »Come, dearest, the healer must look at the wounds.« She put an arm around his hip, and he put one on her shoulder. Arm in arm, they entered Taishan through the great portal.

  All who were in front of the fortress saw how intensively the two had kissed. Everyone saw them go arm in arm. Such gestures were more than uncommon in Emeishan. But now everyone knew that the priestess was no longer alone. The rumor that had been running through the fortress for several days that the man who was being cared for in her rooms was her husband seemed to be confirmed. It was also credible that the priestess was married.

  »Maioshan, Ugar was severely wounded. He is upstairs with the healer. I hope he will survive. He has suffered severe injuries. He is also very old for a human. I sent him some healing energy before they brought him to the healer, but I am not a healer.«

  Maioshan turned pale and looked at Adar from the side. »Ugar, my good old Ugar was hurt?«

  He nodded seriously. »Yes, when he wanted to save the Cup and the Dagger from the cave. Let’s go to him first and see how he’s doing. Then the healer can take care of my wounds,« he suggested, because he heard her concern.

  Slowly they climbed higher. Adar could barely stand on his feet. Finally, they reached the healer’s treatment rooms.

  Ugar lay pale, eyes closed, in one of the beds. With both hands, he held the sacred objects tightly wrapped around his chest.

  »He was wounded because he wanted to save them from the Naga,« Adar explained again, pointing to the dagger and chalice.

  »Ugar, my dear old Ugar. You were so wounded because you saved the Holy Relics? They are only objects. Your life is worth much more«.

  Ugar opened his eyes and shook his head. He whispered, and even that cost him a lot of strength: »Adar saved them. He was the one who went through the crowd of the Naga and killed many to protect the Holy Relicts. I just waited for him.«

  »Why didn’t you get yourself to safety?« Maioshan shook her head. She laid her hands on the old body and also gently sent him her healing energy. Ugar laid a powerless hand on hers.

  »Priestess, without Dagger and Cup, you can make neither your husband nor later the Ringbearer, a priest. But you must make Adar a priest, the Red knows about him. Otherwise, he would never have carried out such an attack. Do you understand?« he breathed.

  »I know, my dear Ugar, you are right. The Red has never dared a significant attack. Adar has now become his target. No matter where he will live, the Red will look for him. He must become a priest as soon as possible because that is the only way he can protect himself. But if he goes this way, he cannot return to his homeland, because the Red would then destroy the people there.« She looked over to Adar. »No matter what we do, you are the one who will suffer.«

  Adar gently took her in her arms and swayed with her. »Shh, my heart, I would not leave your side anyway. I love you and stay with you. There is no other way. I can no longer be without your closeness and your love. It is the Force of the First Night that binds me to you forever. I need your nearness to be able to live on. It is not just said that way. It is a fact.«

  Maioshan looked at him for a long time. She still didn’t understand what he meant, but he would certainly explain it to her tonight.

  The healer approached Adar and asked him to open his shirt. He took it off with his face distorted with pain. It was not only saturated with the blood but also torn in many places. The healer shook her head critically. Almost all bandages were red because the wounds underneath had burst open. Some were so saturated with blood that it ran down his body. He had fought without regard to his own health to defend the fortress.

  She instructed him to sit down, removed the old bandages, cleaned the blood from the wounds, and coated them with healing ointment. Then she wrapped everything up again. Meanwhile, Maioshan sat worried with Ugar. He had fallen asleep. Carefully she took the relics from his hands and placed them on a small table nearby. When he woke up, he should be able to see them. The healer approached her and spoke quietly to her.

  »The wounds he has are not life-threatening. But he is quite old, priestess. Therefore he will need several days to get back on his feet, but he will live. None of the injuries were critical. But the loss of blood costs him strength. He got a painkiller and a sleeping pill. The wounds are treated and connected.«

  Maioshan nodded calmly. Then she went over to Adar, and he gently embraced her. »Let’s give him the time and rest he needs. Come, dearest, I want to explain to you why the Force of the First Night binds me so much to you that I cannot live without you. I would also very much like to get some sleep.«

  He gently pulled her away with him, and then Maioshan also learned about the Force of the First Night inherent in a magician. The power with which the healer made the unsteady warrior settle down. She learned how great the power of love could be. In Emeishan, this power had never had any meaning. Magicians and priests, as well as the population, lived according to strict traditions. Here
the spouses always tied themselves together for their whole lives. And before marriage, no one entered into a sexual relationship.

  Ugar’s healing process was slow. Nevertheless, the butler was very busy. At every opportunity, he let Balor come to him. He explained to him the habits of the priestess, asked him to do one or the other task for her. He explained to him how he could find his way in the maze of corridors. He gave him small orders to do this, which led him all over the fortress. From day to day, Balor managed to orient himself better.

  Early, already in the first days, Ugar initiated him into the ceremony of transformation. The priestess had to perform the ritual quickly and was not allowed to wait for his healing if she did not want to expose her husband to great danger. Every day he let Balor speak the ceremonial words and perform the gestures. After a few days, he sent the young man to the priestess to order her and her husband.

  Concerned, Maioshan hurried to him, followed by the two men. Balor sat in a comfortable, wide armchair and smiled at them. »Ugar, what about you?« she asked, worried as she grabbed one of his hands.

  She stopped by every evening to see how he was doing. Since he now sent for her, it could certainly not be good.

  Ugar gently laid the other wrinkled hand on hers and patted her reassuringly. »I am getting better and better, priestess. Please don’t worry about me. Balor learns quickly and is an excellent help to me. I explained the ceremony of transformation to him. He can now perform it. Please do not hesitate, because you think you want to wait for me. You should let your husband quickly follow the priest’s path. Then one of you can always stay in Taishan and defend the fortress while the other flies the patrols. So you don’t always have to hurry so that the Red won’t use your absence to attack.«

  Balor turned pale when he heard Ugar’s suggestion. That’s why the butler had paid so much attention to it. He could do the movements almost while asleep. He should be the one who helped the priestess to turn Adar into a priest so that the ceremony could be carried out as quickly as possible.