by Jo Zebedee
Bracing himself, he tunes in his mental ear once again. The screaming only intensifies as he moves closer, and he wonders what could be causing such unearthly noise. As he moves into proximity, it feels as though he is being buffeted by a great gale of agony. It is a dark wind that presses against him. Perhaps it is a warning to keep his distance, but he presses on, step by mental step. When it feels as though he can withstand the hurricane no more, he recognises its source.
Zerial.
He withdraws as swiftly as he can, relieved to emerge from the tornado and withdraw from the inner arena entirely. The rush back to physicality is a jolt, lasting but a moment.
The Re'Nuck takes a moment to assess what has just happened. The last he saw Zerial he produced a similar tumult, but that was a wave of purest fury. This... this was even more harrowing. These were the cries of a man experiencing the utmost torment.
How could such a thing be? Surely no-one could be hurting him, at least not in such a sustained way? What was the source of this bottomless distress?
Nervous to go back to the realm of the mind, at least for now, Apius sets out from his hut.
***
Zerial's hut looks to have sustained minimal damage, although the effects of The Summoning can still be seen. Things outside seem to have been patched up well enough. Apius cannot help but pause before entering. Both times he has been here, he has experienced violence at the hands of Zerial. Will it be the case once more? Still, he has to know what has happened here.
The sight that greets him as he walks in is unexpected. To one side of the hut, Olurus sits uncomfortably against the wall. He is swaddled in furs, and despite the awkwardness of his position he sleeps deeply. On the floor beside him, sleeping every bit as fully, is Zerial. Stepping lightly, he moves to Zerial's side, only now noticing the head wound and the ring of blood there. He must have been injured, but surely that alone cannot explain it? He looks around swiftly. He debates waking Olurus, but doubtless he would see him as an adversary and tell him nothing.
Scanning the room, Apius sees the sleeproot sat on the table. What remains is little more than half.
He must be deeply asleep, Apius reflects. And his dreams must be painful indeed.
Now he knows that he has a course. And perhaps there is a way that he can reach the gods after all.
***
Apius is not relishing his task, but he knows that it is for the greater good. In fact there is a definite irony to the thought – Zerial, his most stoic opposer, unknowingly helping him to reach the gods! But first, he must establish just how far gone Zerial truly is. If the mental barriers the sleeproot places are impenetrable, this will have to be abandoned. But is he can reach into Zerial's mind...
There is much known, and much not known, about the effects of sleeproot. Apius looked into the plant, briefly, to see if it could help his cause, along with many other plants. The drug lives up to its name, but the slumber it brings is dogged with hideous nightmares. Those that wake from it are all too often changed in some way, sleeping uneasily therefrom.
Once the root is swallowed, there is no way to help them. But Apius is not seeking to help.
He enters the psychic landscape once more, finding the source of the scream easily this time. Zerial seems oblivious to him, wrapped up in an unending paroxysm. Whether those nearby can feel his agony pouring forth like a foul wind he cannot tell. Once again he braces against the howling gusts of hell, pushing onwards in spite of the intense discomfort. Zerial may have been his foe, but even he does not deserve to suffer so. It does not make Apius's task any easier.
Reaching as close as he can stand, Apius launches his own mental assault against the darkness surrounding Zerial. He gathers all his effort and cries 'Zerial! It is I, the Re'Nuck, Apius! I have come to destroy you!'
***
The dreams roll on and on. They never end, seeming to bleed seamlessly from one strand of nightmare to the next. There is no escape for him but to wait for wakefulness.
Asha is laid in bed with him, her warm body pressed against his, the furs enveloping them both. He feels happy, just for a moment, until he feels a squirming sensation across the hand wrapped around his wefi. He rolls her over, then recoils. The corpse that confronts him is warm, but the warmth does not come from her flesh. It comes from a burrow of insects that have made their home in her stomach, crawling way over his hand as Asha's rotting face looks on...
The image transforms again.
Zerial is standing alone in a clearing. With a shock, he realises that he is stood by the Temple of the Animex. He feels uncomfortably exposed, compelled to take refuge in the temple itself. It is not a place that suits him to be in, but he feels better with a roof above him. There is silence in the temple... no, wait. A faint rustle of clothing, the hint of breath. 'Is someone there?' he asks nervously.
Rising imperious from behind the altar, Apius comes into view. In his hand is a wooden shovel, brandished above his head as though a deadly weapon. He strides forward confidently. 'Zerial! It is I, the Re'Nuck, Apius! I have come to destroy you!'
'Apius! No, no!'
Zerial moves to flee, but as he reaches the door he finds it closed and locked. He pushes against it, but there is no give there. He can feel rather than see Apius advance, crude weapon held high.
***
Beyond this, on the other side of the intangible barrier that separates one mind from another, Apius can pick out the sleeping shouts of his target amidst the tumult. 'No, Apius! Please...' He has never been so pleased to be part of a nightmare. He smiles to himself, his suspicions confirmed.
Yes, there is nothing that can be done to help the dreamer under the influence of sleeproot. Whatever they encounter, in their mind or outside, is converted into the very stuff of their nightmares. The bloody welt on Zerial's head has only allowed more shadows into his dreams, the spectre of pain haunting him each moment. Anyone who reaches into his mind will only add to that.
Which suits his purposes perfectly. He cannot assist Zerial. But by interjecting himself in this way, he can direct the nightmares of his old foe. If he can use his influence to bring them to their greatest pitch, until his mental anguish cannot be ignored by anyone – even the Animex themselves – then it may just be possible to reach them.
He leaves Zerial to his nightmares for now, knowing they can take whatever shape pleases him the most.
Opposition
The sunups pass quickly, too quickly, approaching the second Summoning from the Animexians. And with it the prospect of more deaths.
Ameri travels the village all day, stopping and talking to people. Many reactions are hostile. Naturally the Animexians among them are horrified that anyone should make an effort to stop the ceremony. It is the Re'Nuck's will. Ameri cannot help but be alarmed at how rote the words sound, the same sentences in the same intonations. It screams of indoctrination.
Not that she finds blanket support from outside the religion. The timidity of her people frustrates her. They look away, muttering weak platitudes. They turn pale at the thought of stirring to action, running from her rather than having a conversation. They react with a fury she wishes they could turn in the right direction, but instead they vent to her. They accuse her of interfering, meddling. Such blindness! Such ignorance!
But thankfully there are those willing to hear her, those who respond with the same passion as she has. By the time the moon begins to rise, she has rallied some fifty individuals willing to come to a meeting of the A'Nockians. She is sharply aware that Zerial will not be there, but his cause is lost. For now. She dares not think beyond that, unwilling to give voice to her own future fear.
***
The next sunup sees the gathering, which Ameri hosts in the A'nockians' hut on the very outskirts of Genem. She has deliberately timed it to coincide with the Animexian sermon that Re'Nuck will be giving far away. This is a pivotal moment. Direct action has gone past being an option and become a necessity. S
he has drawn these fifty here, and now she must inspire them to action. Olurus has become obsessed with Zerial's state of mind and wellbeing, and one by one the remaining A'Nockians have sought to distance themselves from her. They were thinkers, nothing more.
As the Re'Nuck sermonises on the other side of Genem, the same task falls to her. Only Olurus stands by her side, albeit unwillingly torn from Zerial's side.
The crowd looks uneasy, unsettled. They shift on their feet. They look at each other with veiled glances. There is little conversation, and what there is comes only in snatches. There has been so much uncertainty in their lives of late, and it is up to her to offer them certainty.
'Welcome everybody, and thank you for being here. We have endured a great deal of pain and loss. And the reason we are all gathered here is that we cannot bear to endure such feelings again. Many of us have to date put up with Animexianism, but now that is no longer an option. Their presence has long been an inconvenience. Now they are a threat! Their last Summoning took lives, and left us all to mend homes and buildings. Now they propose to do so once again. The time has come for us to stop hesitating. We must no longer look on. This is the time for us to strike. It is not in our nature to fight. But we cannot allow this ceremony to happen again. I have spoken to the Re'Nuck, and he will not be moved. That only leaves us one course of action. We must move against him. We have a few sunups to gather ourselves, steel our courage and prepare for... for combat.'
The word sits uneasily with her, but she cannot lie to her fellows. At the use of the word, there is much mumbling. But at least no-one has left the room, Ameri thinks to herself. They stand stoic.
'This is something that none of us relishes. Our hand is being forced by Apius. We all know the time and place of the ceremony – we have all heard it rumoured. We must be there, and be ready. I am sorry that this must be our course of action, but I will do my duty, as we all must. Thank you.'
Her words have had the desired effect, at least so it seems. The crowd drifts off, and in the end it is only her and Olurus left in the room, staring at each other uneasily.
'I do not know if I can do this with you, Ameri.'
'You, Olurus? Of all people...'
'I must tell you how I feel, Ameri. This is no course of action, even as a last resort. I would rather let them have their ceremony than openly enter into battle!'
'I never had you down for a coward. I always thought that you would follow this to its bitter end.'
'This is too bitter an end. I wanted to join a group that would encourage thought, discussion, change minds with words! We are not fighters, Ameri! I have never wielded a weapon, or even tried to strike a blow. Now you ask us to put together an army? Are you a general, a military leader?'
'No, Olurus, I am not. But I am a leader! I will do what must be done, that is what a true leader does. I do not run away when things become difficult. That is the difference between me and you.'
'This is madness, you must know that. Are we animals, squabbling like the Hiyel? We are better than this!'
'You hide behind your high morals. The end of the matter is that Apius most be stopped, and none of our words have achieved that. This is our only option. You stay with Zerial, Olurus. Hide while your fellows do what must be done. The rest of the A'Nockians have done much the same.'
Ameri moves away from Olurus, leaving him alone in the hut where their group began.
Betrayals
Apius strides into the clearing. The impetus is gathering for the second Summoning, and this time he feels success is theirs for the taking. The initial reticence among the congregation is slowly giving way to enthusiasm. They sense a chance to make something from the deaths of those close to them.
This sermon will again focus on those efforts. But he knows that he cannot tell them the absolute truth of what will happen. Zerial's unwilling part in proceedings will be a key part of their triumph. He has already seen, first hand, that Zerial will be a far better conduit than Viarus. Viarus had belief, but lacked the raw mental power of his old adversary. The A'Nockians have unwittingly played into his hands by drugging him. The mind is malleable in the state of dreaming. Apius knows he must use this to his own advantage. Would his followers see it this way? He does not think so, but by the time they realise it will be too late. The gods will speak to them, one and all. In the end, that is what will be remembered.
As he reaches the temple, he becomes aware of a figure stood to his left. He turns to face the individual, and is surprised to see Olurus. He looks serious, jaded black circles beneath his eyes.
'Olurus? What bring you here? Has Ameri sent you here once again to try and stop me?'
'Ameri does not know I am here.'
'I see. Your own mission of mercy.'
'You misunderstand my visit, Re'Nuck.'
'Re'Nuck? You acknowledge my title. To what do I owe that honour?'
'We have been... hostile in the past, Re'Nuck. I have not come today in that spirit.'
'Then why are you here, Olurus? My sermon starts shortly.'
'I do not want to see violence engulf Genem.'
'Violence? What is it you speak of?'
'Last sunup, I was at a meeting which... disturbed me greatly. There are many in our village who do not want to see the ceremony happen a second time.'
'This is no secret.'
'But they are willing to act to stop you. Ameri has asked them all to gather weapons, ready themselves for conflict. They will hurt you. Perhaps they will kill you. I do not know.'
'Why are you telling me this, Olurus? These are your own number!'
'I shudder to think of Noukari committing violence on Noukari. I would rather see your ceremony take place than what Ameri proposes.'
'These are strange times, Olurus. I never expected that you would help me.'
'My interest in not in helping you, but in doing what I can for all my fellows.'
'I am sure your fellows would not look kindly upon this action.'
'They may look on it as they please. I have done what I consider right.'
'Thank you, Olurus. This changes much for me.'
'Do not thank me. Carry out your ritual. Try and succeed this time around.'
His piece said, Olurus leaves Apius to consider his next manoeuvre.
***
Apius seats himself on the altar. How long will it be until his followers begin to arrive? He prefers to take time to consider decisions, but this needs snap judgement. He cannot risk the chance of his ceremony being interrupted. Such a thing would be the end of his efforts. So what to do?
He must move the ceremony forward. And he must be sure that it is kept quiet. If word goes back to Ameri, then she will act even sooner. It will make things harder, but his hand has been forced.
As the first of his followers arrive, he leaps from the altar, adopting his finest posture of repose. He must not let on his own panic if he is to lead his followers down this path.
***
Ameri sits quietly in her hut. Besides her sits the only weapon she can imagine mustering – a length of wooden branch, fashioned into a cudgel. Most of it she has done with her bare hands. There is blood under her nails, but she cares little for that. There will be more blood than this shed. She tries to picture herself wielding the club, the crash of wood upon skull and bone, the crunch of impact.
It must be done. If it comes to it, it must be done.
Her silence is broken by a figure standing at her door. She starts, taking a moment to recognise him.
'Viarus?'
'I am sorry to disturb you, Ameri.'
She scrabbles back as far as she can, holding her cudgel defensively.
'Please, Ameri. I do not want you to be afraid.'
'Just leave, Viarus. Please.'
'I am not here to hurt you. I only wish to talk.'
'Talk? What do we have to talk about? You have made your views perfectly clear.'
'Much has h
appened since then. It is... not easy for me to be stood here. I have been thinking long and hard about what to do. This whole business... sits ill with me.'
'What do you want to say, Viarus?'
'I am here to join forces with you.'
'Join forces? After everything!'
'We are all far beyond our comfort zone. We have stood too many times as enemies. But I see now that I have allowed myself to be manipulated, dragged into an untenable situation. I have much to atone for. Whenever I see someone repairing their home, I know it is my fault. Whenever I see a Hasban without a wefi, that is my fault. Whenever I see mourning faces, the guilt is too much...'
Viarus struggles to bite back tears, and Ameri waits for him to go on. Her initial suspicion is beginning to wane, but she still remains watchful for any signs of deceit.
'I realise now he used me. He used me then, and he wanted to use me once more. I supported him through it all, but I could not make him see that he was wrong. And so I come to you today. I have no desire to help him any more. I think that... that he has started to lose his mind. No sane man could pursue this course having seen what he has seen!'
'You have to understand this is hard to believe.'
'But I am genuine – I have shed many tears over the last few sunups for all I have done. If I can stop him trying again, then I will have gone some way towards my redemption.'
After a few tense seconds, she extends her arm and the two of them shake hands.
'Welcome aboard, Viarus. It is good to see that you have seen sense. And there is no need for your guilt, you may rest assured.'
'Thank you for your words, but I am more grateful for the chance to do something.'
***
That moonrise, a strange silence descends over Genem. Even the animals of the forests seem to have been quieted, the cries of the Hiyel and the rustling of the Arala in the leaves absent.
And, from a distant spot in the stars, another pair of eyes quietly watch on.
