by Jake Yaniak
'My sons and my servants, you have all fought very bravely and nobly. But there are among you some that would not serve their lady with all their hearts. These are no better than traitors. They pretend to do well to the Clan, but in their hearts they have another master. Justice they call it, mercy they call it, but it is all just another word for deceit. With their mouths they speak of high and noble ideas, but their swords will be to our backs if we do not put ourselves on guard.
'Shall the power and rule of the Merkata pass on to strangers? Shall the glory of Vestri be shared with our ancient foes, as these traitors wish? Who will repay the Lord Hothnon and the people of Meldomnon for their lies? Who will punish Nanhur for its ancient sins? You all know that these foul traitors will not lift a finger against them. They would have us make league with them, and forge a new Merkata and a new Vestron. But the Merkata Clan is as old as the sand itself. Is not a new Merkata Clan – a different Merkata Clan - not a Merkata Clan at all? It would be a clan of Knarse poets and monsters? Monsters that have strong arms, but weak stomachs. Men who will not hunt and kill their enemies, but beg them for treaties and sue for peace when they ought to sue for blood.
'You know what they will do. They will leave Meldomnon with its traitors and Nanhur with its liars unscathed and unchastized. Such a thing must not be allowed to occur. The Merkata are mighty and strong, and we have taken the ancient realm for ourselves. Do not suffer these pretenders to rule over you. Cast them in the deepest dungeon; do not allow them to lift their voices against the Merkata or to give any further command to my people. In giving mercy to our enemies they have already betrayed us. They have bought the lives of those they spared with their own blood.'
Though it would never have occurred to Agnoril to disobey his Queen, the truth is that he really had changed. He learned to admire the Lord Whately while he commanded the Merkata armies. He had even begun to feel sympathetic toward his enemies. He also could not help but see the same virtues in the Monster who had almost single handedly led them to this great victory. The result of this change was not that Agnoril would do what he knew to be right, but that he would know to be wrong that which he did. With a heavy heart he armed himself, Skatlor and almost a hundred Merkata warriors and marched to the western gates of the city.
Had Whately and Natham come to the gates of the city two minutes earlier, they would not have been discovered, and they would have passed beyond the grasp and ken of the Merkata forever. But as it was, they found themselves surrounded by armed men.
'What is the meaning of this?' Whately asked in anger. 'Have we not given enough to the Merkata? Have we not proved ourselves? Have we not led you to victory over your enemies?'
Agnoril came to the front. 'I am ordered by the Lady to place you under arrest. We cannot suffer you to leave this city alive.' His heart sank to his stomach as he spoke.
Whately shook his head. Natham clenched his teeth.
Skatlor approached from behind Agnoril with heavy chains in his hand.
'This moment has been too long in coming for you, has it not?' Natham said in a cold voice. Skatlor said nothing. He locked one of the fetters around Natham's right arm. 'I would not attempt to put that on the left arm,' Natham said with almost a laugh. 'I cannot always control that one.'
'You know as well as I that you cannot escape,' Skatlor taunted. Beast and Devil though you are, you cannot best all the lords of the Merkata and a hundred men besides.'
'I might know that fully,' Natham said, still concealing a laugh, 'But there is half of me that is not so sure.'
Skatlor ignored his puzzling words and went to take Natham's other hand into his own. A roar seemed to rise from somewhere beneath the Monster's cloak and in an instant the powerful and gnarled left arm of Natham had knocked him to the ground. The warriors charged forward. But long before they came close to him he had lifted Skatlor from the ground by the throat. Whately himself just watched in amazement. He had not yet seen the Monster's full strength revealed. 'We have been here before,' Natham laughed. 'You know now better than before that I can snap your neck like a twig – and in an instant too.'
'You must release him!' Agnoril said. 'The Lady would never forget it if you slew her beloved son!'
'Don't tempt me!' Natham said. 'When will you fools learn that I care not for witch-wishes?'
'Very well,' Agnoril said, 'Let him go and we will let you leave unbothered.'
'I do not want to leave unbothered,' Natham said. 'As I said, there is at least half of me that has no desire to leave your challenge unanswered. Half of me is fully persuaded that a hundred wood-boned Merkata desert men is nothing at all to be afraid of. More than half of me is of a mind to snap this petty devil's neck and move on to your own throat. Cowards! You call me lord of the Merkata when the Harz Lord stares you in the face, but when the dangers are passed you call me a traitor!'
'The Lady's commands are not for me to question,' Agnoril answered.
'Such has long been your folly,' Whately said. 'Now will you let us go? Natham will spare the petty devil, will you not?' he turned and looked pleadingly into Natham's eyes.
'It is not for me to decide,' Natham answered much to the puzzlement of those who watched. He stood there for a long time, almost seeming unsure of what his next action would be. Finally, after almost three minutes had passed, Natham lowered Skatlor to the ground.
Skatlor spit on his boots.
The warriors parted to let the two pass (as most of them had secretly wanted to do from the start). Skatlor shouted insults and kicked the dust as they left. Agnoril scolded him to no effect. 'They leave not alone,' Skatlor complained, almost in tears. 'They carry with them my very honor!'
'Skatlor!' Agnoril said as he withstood him. 'You have never had any honor, not in all the years I have known you.' For a moment Skatlor looked at him in amazement. Agnoril continued, choking back a tear. 'None of the Merkata have any honor. They leave with honor. But only with that which has belonged to them from the beginning. We only felt like we had honor while they were among us. When they fought with us, we felt we fought honorably. But we are blood born people and desert wanderers.'
Skatlor, in a mad rage, shoved Agnoril to the ground and darted off in pursuit of the Monster. The others watched in amazement as he leaped onto the back of the monster and tugged at his neck like a babe tugging at the mighty neck of his father. He tore and struck at Natham with all of his might, but the Monster did not react. He pushed him off like a horse swatting a flea. 'Skatlor, you are a fool!' Agnoril shouted.
Even then, Natham would have left the mad fool alone had it not been for his next act. Skatlor knew that Whately was much weaker than he, and he also knew that of all people living, Whately was the only person that the Monster truly loved. He took a dagger from his side and ran after the older man with murder and envy in his eyes.
Natham seemed to anticipate his every move. He knocked the knife from his hand with a flick of his wrist it seemed. He rose up to his full height and came against Skatlor in a fury. He knocked the fool to the ground and stomped on his hand as it desperately searched for its lost blade. Then, in a passion that could not be controlled, his left arm took him up by the throat for a third time. There was no hesitation this time and the foolish son of Malia was dead in an instant. The hideously powerful limb cast his corpse aside, his chain armor jingling among the rocks. Some of the warriors were prepared to charge, but Agnoril stopped them. 'Every one of us knows that the fool Skatlor brought his blood upon his own head. Do not add valor to folly, for folly it will ever remain, though we pour upon it an ocean of our own blood as a covering.' Tears streamed from his eyes.
All that remains to be told of the sad tale of the Merkata Clan, is that only four years later, almost to the day, the Mountain of Fire, Fhuhar, god of Vestron, made his final judgment upon the Merkata Clan. While the Lady herself reigned in Thasbond, with a broken and unhappy Agnoril as her husband, and while all of her children feasted around her throne, the Mountain of Fire e
xploded. The sound, it is believed, deafened many in Meldomnon and Nanhur, terrified those in Olgrost, and disturbed the quiet sleep of those even as far away as Kollun (some say the walls of Dadron City itself shook at that moment). In an instant the entire tragic history of the Merkata Clan came to an end. The Lady and her family entire were swallowed up and imprisoned in molten rock, which fell upon them with more ferocity than any mortal can imagine. Malia herself and her mad schemes, Agnoril and his double mind, Gedda and his mighty fists, the almost noble Naran, the great huntsman Oanor, and all the other Lords and Princes of the Merkata clan were killed in a moment of fiery vengeance.
There were, of course, some that survived, but most of these, broken and hungry, went to live among the Vestri of whom they became a part. Others fled back to their desert lands to take up once again the life of nomads and brigands. But the Clan lost at once its queen and its lifeblood. It was destined now to grow weaker and weaker until no trace of the once famous clan could be discerned among its members. A name only, Merkata would become. And in time, perhaps this too will pass away.
Thus perished Malia, the last goddess of Vestron.
Chapter V:
The Other Outcasts
Olgalver
The journey to Olgalvar was for the most part uneventful. Natham, due to his disfigurements, was avoided, and Whately, due to his age and weariness, was ignored. Riders passed them along the road every now and again, some bringing tidings, some sending messages. The whole country was in upheaval over the news that the Merkata had regained control of Fhuhar and Thasbond. Some distant cities were sending their emissaries to make treaties with the new lords. Others sent messengers with threats and promises of revenge. Some stopped to question the travelers, others to give them news of what this or that country or this or that city intended to do.
This was a lush country. When winter was not upon the land it was full of wealth and prosperity. The soil was rich and fertile, perhaps more so than any other place in Tel Arie (except perhaps the soil of Kharku in the far south). They passed acre after acre of carefully tended orchards. Apple trees were planted neatly in rows, stretching out as far as the eye could see. Some hung their leafless branches over the road, casting winding shadows on the highway.
It was not until the first day of Frohest that the two outcasts came to the city of Olgaver. They were waylaid by snow for most of the month of Primus. They stayed the while in a small village called Ernam which was built along the road some fifty leagues from Olgalver.
When at last they arrived they were allowed entrance into the city without harassment. Lord Whately had sent a considerable amount of gold ahead of them with detailed instructions for their arrival. He sent the gold primarily because he could not predict the allegiance of the city. They were, of course, ruled by Thasbond, as all the north was. But how deep their allegiance ran, and whether they would keep their old alliance despite the fall of their masters was more than Whately could guess. 'Gold,' he said, 'is thicker than all ties of duty.'
When they came to the gate, the captain of the city guard came out to greet them. 'Master Siris!' he called out as he approached. Everything is ready for you. Your belongings are already stored away in your house. Please follow me.'
Whately had made sure not only to flatter these men with the gold he sent, but to promise them more upon his arrival, lest they turn treacherous. 'The hope of yet more gold will make any man honest.'
The two were brought to a large house in the middle of the city. The captain took from his garments a large key and handed it to Whately. 'If there is anything else you need, Lord Siris, do not hesitate to call upon the guard.'
When finally he had left, the two entered the house and sought out their possessions. 'We must leave this city at once,' Whately said. 'We cannot tell what these men will do if they learn of our involvement in the fall of Thasbond. If they are loyal to Thasbond we are as good as dead. If they are not, then we have just as much to fear from their new Merkata lords. We must leave Vestron completely, and we must leave it forever.'
They gathered what supplies they thought would be needed and loaded them on the back of a broad shouldered horse. Whately had purchased two very strong horses when he sent his original message. These they found in a very well managed stable outside the back of the house. Whately gave a great deal of gold to the stable boy and sent him cheerfully on his way.
The horse could not bear the great shield Admunth, so Natham, unwilling to part with it, bore it upon his own shoulders. The weight of it would have been too much for a common man to lift, and even Lord Vullcarin, who was one of the few mortal men that were strong enough to wield it, would never have dreamed of carrying it on his shoulders for more than a league or two. Their journey would be more than a hundred leagues.
Whoever came to call upon them that day was sent away with a generous amount of gold. 'While we are here I do not want them to be suspicious of us,' Whately explained. 'Also, I have no desire to carry Vestron coinage beyond these borders. In the lands to which we travel Vestron gold is not accepted happily. Nay,' he corrected himself, 'the gold is accepted happily, and then melted down for their own purposes. It is the gold-bearers that they suspect.'
When midnight came they left the house through the back door and took their horses from the stable. They left several candles lit in the windows to give the illusion that they were still at the house. Whately hoped to be a full day's journey into the woods before anyone knew of their absence.
They made their way through darkened streets by moonlight. There was scarcely a sound to be heard save the stamping of their horses hoofs against the dirt and stone on the ground. When they came to the western gate they paused, for there were three guards on watch.
'We will have to make our way out on the southern side of the city,' Whately sighed. 'We cannot be seen, or we will rouse more suspicion than we would simply by vanishing in the night. If we pass out unseen they will have no answer; but if we are confronted, they will demand one.'
They led their animals south. They passed many large houses of neatly cut timber as they made their way toward the edge of the city where the western wall was unguarded and much lower. Eventually they came to farmlands and then, passing through the barren frosted fields, they came to the edge of the forest. There they were fortunate enough to find a place where the low portion of the wall had been knocked over by a fallen tree. Carefully and quietly they coaxed their beasts through the gap and made their way back north along the outer wall. Long before they approached the gate they turned aside and plunged deep into the woods. 'Let us hope your spirits are not mischievous,' Whately whispered, 'I would not choose to die in these frozen woods if I could have my way in such matters.'
'We must keep going north and west,' Natham said, following the pale shape of Duri with his eyes.
Duri led them as straight as he could into the heart of the forest. A few times he tried to lead them up steep slopes which only his immortal feet could manage. He would then have to turn back and lead them back the way they had come. This made Whately nervous. He grumbled, 'Spirits ought to know their way in a wood.'
'Nevertheless,' Natham snarled, 'We have little choice but to follow him now, unless you have some notion of how to return to Olgalver or how to explain our midnight meanderings to the guards upon our return.'
They continued well into the night until at last they came to a small clearing. The sun came up and let its light shine down upon them. They rested in the clearing for a few hours, eating some ponce, which is a sort of traveling food made by the Merkata. The consistency is much like that of clay, and the taste is only a little better. Duri shook his head and thanked the Astral lords above that he had no need of such victuals. The horses devoured every growing thing in the clearing until nothing but dirt and tree roots could be seen on the ground.
When the sun had reached its height they started again. The horses seemed much stronger now that they had rested and eaten. This was good because their path g
rew more difficult and at times more dangerous with each league. Soon they found that they were ascending a great hill, if not a great mountain. Duri chose each step with great care, sometimes pausing for long periods of time while he planned their next step. He led them astray far less now that he was reminded of their need for food and rest.
They had scarcely reached the top of the hill when the ground suddenly sloped down before their feet. Looking back they could see just how much space they had covered. They could see nothing of the great Mountain Fhuhar and only a glimpse of the city of Olgalver. 'Your spirits lead us well,' Whately smiled, 'I would not have dreamed that we could have come so far in such a short space.'
Among the Ohhari
There was a great deal of snow on the top of the hill and still more on the western slope. This made things very difficult for the horses. They slipped and slid their way down, neighing furiously and frantically as they struggled to stay in control of their descent. When they came to a flat piece of land they stopped for the day, not being willing to continue along their steep downward path in the dark. They made a fire and roasted some meat that they had brought from the city and ate some more ponce. The horses were given hey and fruit from their packs.
They were in so shaded a place that it was not until late in the morning that they were able to see well enough to continue their journey. Down they continued until they felt they were sinking beneath the earth itself.
They continued in this way, going up great hills and then down sharp slopes, across frozen streams, and under tall trees for almost a week, until they came at last to a place where the land started to level out. A few more sharp descents brought them into a great valley. Here the trees thinned out and they found the very last thing they expected to find. There was a well kept stone road cutting through the valley from the north to the south. It was built along a swift stream with smooth gray stones. Just to the south they could see a large stone bridge that would bring them to the western side of the stream, though the water would have been shallow enough for them to simply walk the horses across had it been a warmer season.
