Spring Showers Box-set
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“This is the word they use for it,” nodded Revealer of Truths. “Symbols to represent words
and ideas, painted on thin leather or linen parchment, then conveyed to the groups in other parts
by way of travelling merchants and traders.”
“You mean writing, then?” Rhuna asked, struggling to understand the concept.
“No,” Divider of Fortunes shook his head and began to explain that writing was understood
by everyone in the entire land, whereas a code was like a secret language that only certain people
could understand. “In this case, the Dark Ones.”
“They are very clever and ingenious,” nodded Echo of the Evening, his fingers twitching
with agitation.
“My observations reveal that many other people in Safu and surrounding lands support
them by co-operating with the Dark Ones, even carrying out assignments for them in return for
something of value,” said Designer of Works.
“Their influence and power are much greater than we expected!” grumbled Divider of
Fortunes, tugging at his bushy beard.
“We, also, have a disturbing report,” said Reaching the Moon as he reached across to hold
the hand of Softness of the Clouds. Rhuna realized with pleasant surprise that the two friends had
become lovers during their assignment to learn more about amulets and curses.
“As we mingled, pretending innocent interest in the amulets, we found ourselves with a
group of Atlans who had acquired amulets,” Reaching the Moon continued.
“They told us that their amulets were for success in business undertakings, good fortune in
finding a compatible partner, and even happiness in love,” added Softness of the Clouds, glancing
aside at Reaching the Moon and gently squeezing his hand. Rhuna thought to herself that the new
couple did not need amulets to find each other.
“Incomprehensible!” grumbled Divider of Fortunes. “Such beliefs are completely un-Atlan!”
he scoffed angrily.
“Yes, these Atlans really should know better!” Aradin quipped as he shook his head in
dismay.
“Furthermore,” added Reaching the Moon quickly, “We have learned that the Dark Ones call
themselves the Guardians of Knowledge.”
“Guardians of Knowledge?” repeated Divider of Fortunes as his eyebrows shot up. A
moment of silence followed as The Observers assimilated this new information.
“Dark Knowledge! The Dark Master’s Knowledge!” said Echo of the Evening as he
nervously rubbed his hands together.
“An advanced, complex and efficient organization with an enigmatic name,” nodded
Revealer of Truths thoughtfully, and The Observers continued to comment and discuss the matter
among themselves for a little while.
Rhuna waited for the right opportunity to mention what Faleesh had told her after she had
asked her to be observant when visiting her sister in the Commoners’ part of the city.
“There is constant talk about the curses and amulets, almost as if it’s a normal part of life
already,” she said.
The Observers continued their meeting by recounting visions summoned by means of
hallucinatory herbs.Divider of Fortunes cleared his throat and began his personal account.
“My vision was most disturbing indeed. Several people in dark garments had gathered in a
room lit only with candles. They began moving in a certain manner resembling waves of the sea,
and then chanting unrecognizable words,” he said with a frown. “As I moved closer, I became
acutely aware of burning incense, the combination of scents also unfamiliar to me, yet not
altogether unpleasant. Then the entire group began speaking an incantation, and it was my
impression that they were calling upon the Dark Master himself.”
Rhuna shuddered, but continued to listen with bated breath.
“Then I observed another event in which I heard two of them speak of a conjuration, which
I later concluded to be a special kind of incantation to effect injury or illness upon a target. Their
movements gave the impression of re-directed energy drawn down from an unknown source onto
the target, like re-directing the sun’s rays by means of glass or mirrors.”
“My visions also reveal an unknown source of energy which is manipulated and funneled
for malicious purposes,” said Revealer of Truths.
“In my visions, I repeatedly observed wax or clay figures at the center of the Dark Ones’
attention,” added Softness of the Clouds. “These doll-like figures appeared to represent certain
individuals. However, in another vision, some of these figures began to move, as if alive!”
“What a terrifying vision!” said Reaching the Moon. “Mine was terrifying in another
manner, namely mirrors reflecting distorted and frightening images. Although I attempted to look
more closely and observe other objects, the mirrors continually assaulted my senses,” he said
shaking his head with revulsion.
“Describe the mirrors, Reaching the Moon,” asked Divider of Fortunes with a perplexed
expression. The brown-haired Atlan with the soft voice answered, saying that they varied from
small and unevenly shaped, to large and smooth, like a door.
“My vision also contained odd mirrors, the strong smell of unusual incense, and the use of
smal human-like figures,” said Designer of Works.
“As a Healer, I attempted to summon the nature of the ailments with which the Dark Ones
purport to afflict innocent ones,” said Roses of the Field as she tossed her long fair hair across one
shoulder. “The symptoms experienced by the victims are real, but completely without logical
cause!” Rhuna heard the tone of distress in the gentle Healer’s voice as she finished her account.
“This is what I observed, too,” said Rhuna, and began to relate her experience with the
Benshi and the woman with the pain in her side. Then she remembered the aggressive woman
with the amulet, and that she experienced a moment of dizziness and nausea when she first held
it.
“This implies that the amulets indeed emit a certain energy,” said Revealer of Truths with a
deep frown. “Until now, I had assumed the Dark Ones merely remove the curse after giving the
victim an amulet, leading them to believe that the amulet has special protective powers.”
“How can this be?” asked Softness of the Clouds. “These things are completely unknown in
Atlán!”
“It appears, from what all of us have observed, that they can modify energy from as yet
unknown source,” said Aradin. “Like the Dark One himself, his followers continue to reach
beyond the known boundaries.”
“May this not be true!” said Softness of the Clouds, and Reaching the Moon added a murmur
of agreement.
“Most regrettably so!” Revealer of Truths said. “These…Guardians of Knowledge…have
developed a power, as yet unknown to us, that binds objects to a person, as well as objects that
attract certain…forces,” she continued with a frown. “They utilize items such as amulets and
similar complex items of jewellery, in combination with signs and Words of Power, to summon an
Activating Force.”
“What are these strange expressions you use, Revealer of Truths?” asked Echo of the Evening
with a nervous twitch of his lips.
“The terms used by the Dark Ones,” the red-haired woman answered.
�
�This implies that…it appears that…these practices are firmly established in their works…for
such new terms to be used,” twittered Echo of the Evening as he shook his head in dismay.
Rhuna looked at Aradin as he cleared his throat and began to speak resolutely. “We should
have learned by now that we cannot dismiss any possibilities when dealing with the Dark Ones.”
“Such despicable powers are unknown in Atlán!” pronounced Designer of Works as his bushy
eyebrows cast deep shadows over his eyes.
“We must report these things to the High Council of Atlan!” exclaimed Designer of Works,
and the others expressed words of agreement.
“Speaking such a message would risk exposure…of our purpose and our acquired
knowledge of the Dark Ones…” twittered Echo of the Evening. “I suggest the message be spoken by
the least suspicious among us, such as I.”
“It is too dangerous! You must not risk your wellbeing, Echo of the Evening,” protested
Revealer of Truths, but the old grey Atlan shook his head, determined to have his way.
“An ageing Atlan Master, such as I,” began Echo of the Evening, this time with more resolve
and in a slow and steady voice, “. .who has come by this knowledge in …normal…ways, let us say…”
“Be extremely careful with your choice of words!” warned Designer of Works.
“Must one of us do this, and risk our safety?” asked Softness of the Clouds with a hint of fear
in her voice.
“Let me risk only myself,” offered Revealer of Truths. “No one shall suffer great loss, should
anything befall me,” she said, referring to her single status and lone lifestyle.
“Not so, Revealer of Truths!” interjected Echo of the Evening. “It is I who have the least to
lose. All of you have eitheroccupation, reputation, families or other connections. Allow me to
speak the message! The High Council of Atlán is familiar with my past, my reputation,” he said as
firmly as his ageing voice could muster.
“So be it then,” said Divider of Fortunes in his booming deep voice. “Echo of the Evening
shall inform the High Council of Atlán of these Dark activities, choosing his words most careful y!”
“At this time, it appears the Dark Ones are not concerned with scrutiny of their activities,
yet this may change as soon as they have reason to suspect they are being observed,” added
Revealer of Truths, and shortly thereafter the Observers went their separate ways.
Part Three (Uxbana)
Rhuna awoke to a violent thunderclap which tore her out of a jumble of strange, vivid
dreams. She sat upright in bed and breathed in deeply, letting the storm-charged air energize her
body and clear her mind. Beside her, Aradin moved slightly as the first light of day crept into their
sleeping chamber and threw light onto the colourful textile wall-hangings and other decorations
she had acquired since she arrived in Safu. Her many beautiful possessions gave her comfort, but
a deep unease began to rise again, filling her withdread.
Pushing the heavy feelings aside, she rose and quietly moved towards the basin of water in
the dark corner of the room. Without the assistance of powders and incantations, she summoned
first messages and then general visions of events connected to her personally, to Aradin and then
to the residents of Safu. She held her breath as the visions appeared, afraid that her feeling of
dread was a subtle mental vision of some calamity. After watching images of people rising and
preparing for the day, of merchants arriving and departing Safu, and people familiar to her going
about their morning routine, Rhuna finally sighed with relief and turned around to begin her own
day.
The rain had been pounding on the roof and outdoor paving stones for some time already
when Rhuna heard a knock on the door. She looked expectantly at Aradin, who shrugged his
shoulders as he chewed a mouthful of their morning meal of oats, milk and fruit.
“Black woman!” squeaked Shandi with a happy giggle, and then took the morsel of food that
Faleesh gave her. Rhuna opened the door and immediately recognized one of The Reigning One’s
messengers standing in the downpour without any rain shelter or footwear.
“The Reigning One wishes to have audience with The Star Child,” the messenger said, and
Rhuna quickly grabbed a cloak and portable rain shelter, then offered one to the messenger who
shook his head and smiled.
“I like rain,” he said, and for a brief moment, a childhood memory from her simple island
home flashed across her mind, when she also walked barefoot in the rain.She matched the young
messenger’s long-legged stride back to the residence of The Reigning One, intensely curious why
he had called for her.
As expected, Abu-Malech greeted Rhuna warmly with his usual courteous bow as she
entered the main hall of the grand building, and after her cloak and wet rain shelter were taken by
attendants, she was ushered into one of The Reigning One’s many rooms of audience. She
recognized the smaller room she entered as one for certain individual guests, usually of a
prominent standing in the community.
Rhuna stood in the doorway and smiled inwardly at the familiar sight of The Reigning One,
dressed formally and standing rigidly, looking like one of the many statues that filled every corner
and passageway of the sprawling residence. His bronze skin appeared to be freshly shaved,
glistening with scented body oils, and Rhuna wondered why he had prepared himself so
immaculately. She noticed that he wore more gold jewellery and coloured gemstones than usual,
and a large turquoise stone featured on his breastplate. He made a quick, stiff gesture with two
fingers, which Rhuna understood to mean that she should enter.
“My new guest wishes to meet you,” he said in his strong and level voice which rarely
changed or expressed emotion. Rhuna nodded and waited for him to tell her more.
“The Ruler of the Land of Ubanti has journeyed to my land of Benshu,” he continued, and
Rhuna remembered that he always referred to Safu as the land of Benshu, while the Atlan residents
called the land Safu. “This land is several days’ journeyon the Great River, and has been an
important trade partner of Benshu, of my people,” he explained.
Rhuna said that she was aware of the important trade relations between Safu and nearby
nations, including the land at the other end of the Great River.
“The Ruler of this land would like to meet me?” asked Rhuna, surprised.
“Yes,” replied The Reigning One bluntly. “She is an exceptional Ruler who speaks in four
languages and has knowledge of the entire world. Her wealth and power exceeds even my own,
and she is continually seeking more knowledge, more wealth and more power,” he explained in a
flat monotone. “She has heard of The Star Child and wishes to meet you,” he added.
“Oh, I see,” said Rhuna, unsure what to expect.
A rustle of fabric alerted Rhuna of a presence behind her, and she turned to look at the open
doorway where an attendant ushered in the prominent guest.
Rhuna watched in awe as a tall woman with intensely dark skin strode elegantly towards
them, her bare arms boasting gold bracelets and other glittering jewels. She remembered Shandi’s
words, black woman, and let her gaze quickly take in the impressive stature and colourful te
xtiles.
“I greet you,” she said, startling Rhuna with her deep and resonating voice. “I am Uxbana of
Zambalu, The Queen of the Land of Ubanti and of the Ubanti People,” she said proudly.
Rhuna stepped forward to greet her in the traditional Atlan way, and a black hand with
long, slender fingersreached to firmly grasp Rhuna’s hand. The tall woman’s arm jewellery jingled
briefly, and Rhuna sensed both the woman’s outer and inner strength of character.
“You? You are the one they call The Star Child?” Uxbana said with arched eyebrows. “You
are so…small.”
“The people of the Land of Ubanti are among the tallest I have encountered,” stated The
Reigning One in his usual monotone, and then quickly motioned for Uxbana to be seated opposite
Rhuna in a richly decorated chair. Rhuna remembered what she was told about chairs at her
arrival in Safu, and still found it amusing that The Reigning One’s forefathers liked to sit higher off the ground than others in order to emphasize their status and superiority over others sitting on
the floor.
“Physical attributes are superficial,” Uxbana said as she slowly lowered herself onto one of
The Reigning One’s chairs, and Rhuna noticed that she still towered over her even in a seated
position.
The Reigning One lifted a finger, and two attendants appeared at once to offer a large platter
of food and a choice of beverages. Rhuna watched as Uxbana chose a sample of each food group,
and then requested a large drinking vessel of the popular brewed and fermented barley beverage.
“My emissaries have reported to me about the grand stone buildings in this land,” Uxbana
said with a mouthful of sweet honey cake. “It is always astute, is it not, to cultivate good relations
with one’s neighbours, especially when there is much to be learned and gained, such as the
Knowledge of Safu that is becoming famous in the entire world,” she said, and then took several
large gulps of her beverage.
“However, our attempts to learn more about Safu have been strangely undermined in
various ways,” she added as she took another mouthful of food.
Rhuna felt her skin prickle as she realized that Uxbana was referring to the acts of the Dark
Ones.
“Several of my emissaries fell violently ill before reaching Safu, and several others, travelling