Aeden nodded. He went through the words of the Song in his head, counting. “Malatirsay” was repeated seven times. It did seem to be a central concept for the prophecy.
“The word ‘Animaru’ means something like ‘dark creatures,’ ‘dark animals,’ or even ‘monsters of the dark’.” She jerked her head toward some of the scraps of black flesh that remained on the ground. Where each lay, there was empty space around it. No one wanted to stand too near the shreds left of their attackers.
“These monsters are searching for the Malatirsay,” she continued, “To destroy the warrior before he can gain the power to stop them.”
“Dying but living still. Hero from the east and north. Learns the secret to prevail.” Darun ticked the parts of the Song off as his eyes went unfocused. “So, you’re saying that our Aeden here is a hero, the Chosen Warrior prophesied thousands of years ago to save our world?”
“Yes.”
Aeden laughed, causing all heads to swivel to him.
“Sorry,” he said. “I was lucky that my father told me how to kill the creatures. I was lucky again that the Song somehow gave me the power to do it. I’m no hero, and I’m definitely not this Malatirsay. Even if offered, I wouldn’t take the job. My own life is enough for me. I don’t need the world looking at me for saving.”
“Why else,” Jehira asked him, “do you think the Song gives you power? It does not do so for me, nor for Raki when he learns the language. It has not done so for any before you. Why?”
“I…don’t know,” he admitted.
“It is because it is not the Song giving you power at all. It is the Song that caused you to break the quietude you have maintained your entire life. It has loosened your mouth so that you will utter the words of power you learned many years ago. Can you not see that it is so?”
He didn’t answer her, but instead tried a new approach. “But Jehira, you can’t think that I’m someone who a song was written about two thousand years ago. I’m just an outcast boy from a highland clan who was lucky enough to be found by all of you.”
The old woman put her wrinkled hand on his shoulder. “You will see more clearly as you learn more of the Song’s meaning. I have studied it all my life, and I am telling you, those creatures are animaru and they came here for you. They looked for you in the villages but could not find you there. Now they are tracking you. Your belief does not matter to them. They will kill you if they are able, you and all those near you. Your disbelief may kill you. That would affect not only you, but the entire world.”
Aeden sat back down hard on the chair. He was feeling weak again. “Me, and all those near me?”
Jehira nodded.
“Then, my presence here is putting you all in danger. If this is true, I am the reason they came here, and I am the reason some of our family are lying dead now. It’s all because of me. You brought me into the family and nurtured me, gave me food and a place to call home, and this is how I repay you.” He dropped his head in his hands as he wrestled with the thought.
“Boy,” Darun said. Aeden lifted his head to look at the caravan leader. “You are not to blame. If anything, you are the reason the rest of us still live. You are family, a loved one to us all. We will stick with you regardless of danger. The Gypta do not take our family so lightly. If we die defending you or any other member of the family, then we are proud to do so.
“No.” Aeden got to his feet. “No!” he shouted. “I will not be a cause for any other deaths. I will leave, draw them away. If you go to more populated lands, they won’t follow you. Once the monsters realize I have left, they will come straight for me. I will leave immediately.”
Darun put his hands up. “Now, just calm down, Aeden. There is no need for you to do that. We’ll figure it out. Let’s discuss it and come up with a better solution. You have only been with us for five years. Don’t go leaving us because it seems like there is a bit of danger.”
Jehira shook her head sadly. “He is right, Darun. I have seen it in a foretelling. If he does not leave, the family will die. Not all at once, but repeated attacks will eventually destroy us. The telling did not seem to make sense before, just a feeling and visions of shadows slaying us in the midst of our wagons, but it is clear now. If we are to survive, he must leave.”
The silence in the clearing was deafening. The only sound was the occasional shuffle of a foot or someone sighing.
“It’s settled, then,” Aeden said. “I will gather a few supplies, if that’s okay,” he nodded to Darun, “and then I will leave. The sooner I do so the better. It would probably be good for you to start traveling immediately also, to get as far away from this site as possible.”
“I’m going with you,” Fahtin said. Her father’s head whipped around at the sound, disbelief on his face.
“No, you’re not,” Aeden said.
“I am. You are my brother, closer to me than any blood brother could be. I’ll not have you running around alone having adventures without me. You promised to take me on adventures, to let me travel with you to find and solve the world’s mysteries. You gave me your word. I am calling due your promise now. I am going with you, and you cannot stop me. Or is your clan honor not all that you try to make it seem?”
“Fahtin, please. Don’t do this. Don’t force me to take you. You’ve seen what is waiting for me. I may not be able to protect you.”
She stepped closer and patted him on the cheek. “Oh, Aeden, you have it all wrong. I am coming to protect you.”
Chapter 25
Aeden sighed. It seemed like they would be two. He looked at Darun. The man shrugged. Aeden was sure he would try to talk his daughter out of it, but he wouldn’t succeed. Fahtin’s eyes glittered, daring anyone to oppose her. He knew that stubborn set to her mouth and jaw. No, she wouldn’t be dissuaded, and he couldn’t sneak off, not and still keep his honor. He had given his word. “Cachten siolach peitseag,” he pronounced under his breath, causing Fahtin to look at him sideways.
“I will come, too,” Raki said.
“No, you won’t,” both Aeden and Fahtin said at the same time. They looked at each other and their sly smiles made them seem like twins.
“I’m sorry, Raki,” Aeden said. “Your training is going well, and I do not doubt your courage, but I have made you no promises and will not let you come. You stay here with your grandmother and use what you have learned to protect her and the rest of the family.”
“But I can—”
Jehira slapped the top of Raki’s head. Not a hard slap, not a punishment, and her expression didn’t indicate that it was done in anger. It was just to get his attention. “Enough, Raki. Do not make it harder for Aeden than it already is.”
The boy drew in on himself and his lower lip protruded as he crossed his arms and hugged himself.
“I’m sorry, Raki,” Aeden said, “but it really is better this way. Please don’t have hard feelings about it. I’d keep Fahtin from going too, if I could.”
Raki nodded. His eyes were sad, but his lip came back in just a little bit.
“I guess there’s no time to be lost, then,” Aeden said. “Darun, if I could take a few supplies, I’ll get started.” He looked to Fahtin and felt his stomach sink to his ankles. “We’ll get started.” She smiled at him, but it was just with her mouth. It didn’t touch her eyes, which held apprehension.
“You can take whatever you like,” Darun Achaya said. “Are you sure—”
“I have seen it,” Jehira said. “It is certain.”
“Of course,” Darun said softly, almost in whisper. “Of course.”
Fahtin hugged her father. “Thank you for not trying to stop me.”
The man squeezed her for a long time, stopping only to bring his hand up to wipe the tears from his eyes. “I know that look, Fahtin. Nothing I could do would convince you. Even tying you up would not stop you.”
As soon as her father released her, she stepped to her mother and repeated her actions. Ritma Achaya wept softly into her daughter
’s shoulder.
“You make sure you take care of each other,” she said as she traded Fahtin for Aeden in her hug. “You do what needs to be done and come back to us.”
“We’ll do our best,” Fahtin said.
Aeden remained silent, not sure what he could say.
“I don’t need to tell you to protect my daughter, your sister,” Darun told him. “I pray you remain safe and are able to come back to us someday.”
“You be safe as well,” Aeden said, knowing it would be an easier task for the caravan than for him, once he left.
They spent a half an hour outfitting themselves with supplies. They had sturdy backpacks filled with food, necessities like rope, tinder boxes, a few medicines, and cooking implements. Soon, they were ready to depart. With a touch of sadness, Aeden handed his fiddle case to Darun. He would have to leave it with the caravan. There was no room for it in his travel pack.
“I would suggest to you,” Jehira said, “that you travel west, toward the Sitor-Kanda Academy.”
“Why would we go there?” Aeden asked. “A gathering of book-loving fools, that place. What good will it do to visit there?”
“It is much more than that, Aeden,” the old soothsayer said. “At the very least, you might find answers to questions about the monsters hunting you. What are they? Where do they come from? What are they after? Can they be dissuaded from their search? They might answer all these questions and more.”
Aeden rubbed his chin. He would like some of those questions answered.
“But more importantly,” she continued, “Sitor-Kanda was not always what it is now. Do you not recognize the name from the Bhagant? It is an important part of the prophecy.”
“What do you mean, Jehira?” Fahtin asked. “Since I haven’t heard anything about it—other than what everyone knows—I’m guessing that part of the Song hasn’t been translated for Aeden yet.”
“It has not,” Aeden confirmed.
“The so-called ‘Hero Academy’?” Darun said. “I’ve heard, like Aeden mentioned, that it is a great bunch of people who like to read and research, to no real purpose.”
“They train heroes there,” Raki added. “Real heroes. They are warriors and mages and are very powerful.”
Darun sniffed. “Those are just tales the children tell. There are no real heroes in the world, not since Erent Caahs’s death more than twenty years ago. The Academy may have trained real heroes at one time, but they have degenerated into a school for clerks and scholars.”
“You are both right,” Jehira said, “and you are both wrong. I do not know exactly what occurs at Sitor-Kanda today. It is an island, isolated from others both physically and figuratively, so news of that place does not travel widely. I do know the history of the place, however, and I believe it would benefit you to visit there.”
Aeden watched the old woman as she spoke. She was always truthful, but even more than that, with what she was saying, she was sincere. She truly believed—and strongly, it seemed—that they should go there.
“I don’t understand, Jehira,” he said. “What benefit to visit a dusty collection of books? Should we not visit the Great Enclave and ask for help from the Clavian Knights in battling the creatures? Is that not our only chance to destroy those that are chasing me?”
“Aeden,” Jehira said. “I sometimes forget that you are so young and that you do not know things that are obvious to me, even to others in the family. Have you not heard of the establishment of Sitor-Kanda, the purpose for which it was created?”
“I’m afraid not. All I have heard was the jokes the clan used to tell about their vast island fortress and how it is all to protect their precious books. The legends of heroes trained in that place are just stories that have grown with time.”
“Ah, but that is not true. Recall the part of the Song that goes:
Sitor-Kanda dah korita dara sai
Malatirsay apronka deh arjisteta sain
Sabmen cognis aun qot ua selim
Prein acha ua Malatirsay deh horota sain
“The name Sitor-Kanda means ‘Home of magic.’ The general meaning of the passage is this:
Home of magic lies awaiting
Malatirsay come to train
All the knowledge and world’s power
Gathered for Malatirsay’s benefit.”
That made Aeden think.
Jehira continued. “We have little time, but I will tell you of Sitor-Kanda and then you can be on your way. You will have to decide if you will take my advice or go another path. At least you will do so with information and not ignorance.
“In the distant past, nearly three thousand years ago, magic abounded in the world. They did wondrous things in those days, things which we cannot imagine in our world as it is now. But along with wonders, there were terrors, too.
“There were those who thirsted only for more and more power. Not just magical power, but any type. Political power, wealth, control over the animals and elements, all of these were sought by evil men and women. Opposing them were those who found other things important: freedom, happiness, love. There came to be battles between these two types of people, and the results were terrible. But they paled when compared with what happened as those of like mind on either side banded together to fight common foes. Like a candle’s flame in the face of the full moon, the previous terror was a weak imitation of what eventually came to be.
“The violence escalated, and eventually it seemed as if the world was divided into two opposing sides, with no parties neutral. During this time, the greatest prophet of the age, Tsosin Ruus, received the vision that is largely included in the Bhavisyaganant, the Song of Prophecy.
“He tried to stop the war—which is what it had become—but despite the respect all had for him and the power he had, he was unsuccessful. He could see his own future, that he would not be able to affect the course of events in his own lifetime, but he dedicated himself to preparing for that future time, the time of his vision, the end of all things.
“I will not go into detail about all the things the prophet did, for we do not have the time. What I will talk about is the establishment of Sitor-Kanda, something he was reported to have said was his greatest achievement in life.
“Twenty years it took, the last twenty years of the Prophet’s life. He used all his influence, all of his own wealth he had accumulated, and all of his life force itself to complete the project. He was able to secure a vast tract of land, almost the entire island of Munsahtiz, that came to be called Sitor-Kanda. Only a small part on the southern tip of Munsahtiz does not belong to the Academy. It was held back as a watch post for Salamus, the nation that previously owned the island and which owned much of the land surrounding the sea in which Munsahtiz is located.
“The island is situated on the inland sea called the Kanton Sea and was of limited strategic value in the war, surrounded completely by allied nations. As soon as Tsosin secured the land, he began building, and as the stone structures went up, he infused them with magic.
“Tsosin Ruus was a great prophet, and his planning skills were beyond compare. For two decades, the grounds and buildings were developed, much larger than anyone ever thought would be needed. Many scoffed at him, saying that he had finally gone mad, but he continued. He planned forty-nine different schools within the Academy, each teaching a specific subject. Combat, magic, language, history, metalworking and other crafts, each a large college by itself, but all still part of the larger Academy.
“He was questioned about his work. Many thought it was a secret project as part of the war effort, but as the years passed, it was clear this was not the reason for its construction. Whenever he was asked directly what the purpose of his grand building project was, his answer was simple. ‘It is to train the Malatirsay in the last days so that the world is not lost to darkness.’
“The Prophet’s life was finally drawing to a close, as was the war. The world had been ravaged by wild magics, and it seemed as if power was leaving the wo
rld. It was almost as if the vast store of magical energy in Dizhelim was used up, and so spells had less of a magical reservoir to draw on.
“By the time the Prophet died, the magics that could be performed were a sad imitation of the wondrous things that had been possible just short years before. Many users of the different types of magic actually fell to a strange sickness that afflicted only them. Some suggested that it was Dizhelim itself striking back against them for almost destroying the world. Whatever it was, those who could use magic lessened in number.
“At this time of turmoil also, the gods withdrew from mankind. It was not known where they went, if anywhere, but they no longer interacted with men as they had before.
“It was a dark time for the world, but not as dark as that which was prophesied. Seeing his work done, or at least started, the Prophet finally passed peacefully from the world. He left the record of his visions of the future, along with one of his greatest tools for ensuring that future could be successful: Sitor-Kanda, the Hero Academy.”
Jehira looked into Aeden’s eyes, making sure he understood what this meant. Aeden met her gaze and nodded. Relief washed over her face and she let out a breath that she probably did not know she had been holding.
“So,” she said. “You see that the entire purpose for Sitor-Kanda was to train the Malatirsay. If it has lost sight of that purpose itself, it still holds within it secrets that could aid such a one in a quest to do what has been prophesied. At the very least, knowledge and possibly aid can be obtained there. Isn’t that worth traveling there, especially with no other promising plans?”
“Aye,” Aeden said. “It is. We will go there. I still don’t believe I am this Malatirsay as you claim, but it’s clear that the monsters are chasing me. If there are heroes still, maybe they can be found at the Academy. If there are not, some information about our enemies would be welcome.”
Aeden looked at Fahtin as he said it, raising an eyebrow to her in question. She nodded, mouth a straight line.
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