“Only once,” Dumo said with sadness in his face. “He returned with his Fakaran wife just before you were born.” Tears welled up in Dumo’s eyes and he quickly wiped them away. “I told him to stay with us, but he refused,” Dumo continued, his voice breaking. “We had an argument and I told him that if he left, he could never return. He was stubborn as you are now. He would not back down from an argument and neither would I. He left and I never saw him again.”
“You were close to him, weren’t you?” surmised Bakhai. “It is the sign of a good ruler to love his people so. Your people must love you as well.”
“He was not one of my people,” sobbed Dumo. “He was my son.”
Bakhai stared as the Chief of the Qubari broke down and cried. He moved over to his grandfather and hugged him.
***
“There is only one path up the mountain,” Yltar stated. “It is narrow and dangerous. Many of those seeking the wisdom of the Sage, never complete their journey. Even if you succeed in gaining the peak, there is no guarantee that he will even allow you to see him. He has refused many.”
“How will we know if he has refused us?” asked Mistake.
“You just will not be able to see him,” answered Yltar. “He will not exist for you. That is why many believe he no longer exists. People travel to see his wisdom and find nothing but rock. I believe he is eternal, but that only some are deemed worthy of his wisdom. Others believe differently.”
“So we may make this perilous trip and never get to speak to him?” quizzed Rejji.
“That is what you face,” nodded Yltar. “Your chances of success are slim. We can provide you with an escort to the edge of the jungle, but our people will go no further. Is it truly necessary for Bakhai to go?”
“I do not understand why Bakhai is special,” Rejji said. “The council spoke as if he were Qubari, but how can that be?”
“His father was Qubari,” frowned Yltar. “It is a sad story that touches us all here. I would not want him to leave and not return. That would be devastating.”
“We can make the trip without him,” answered Mistake. “He feels an obligation though and he takes it seriously. I am sure Bakhai has never been here before, and the council nearly decreed his death, so why would his loss mean anything to you?”
“His father was the son of Dumo,” answered Yltar.
“But Dumo was the one urging for death,” frowned Rejji. “That makes no sense.”
“Dumo is a fine leader,” sighed Yltar. “He acts in the best interests of his people, regardless of his own personal loss. Such was the case when Bakhai’s father left, and so it is the same now.”
“I understand now,” nodded Rejji. “Bakhai should stay here then. I know what it is to lose family and I would not want to see Bakhai go through that, after finally finding his. Mistake and I can do it alone. Your help in locating the Sage makes this possible.”
“We can do it alone,” agreed Mistake, “but Bakhai must be the one to decide. I will not refuse to allow him to accompany us. The decision must be his.”
“Very well,” conceded Yltar. “I know that Bakhai feels so strongly about going that I think we can assume he will be with you. I gather you will want to leave in the morning so Bakhai may return soon. Let us see what we can supply you with as far as provisions go.”
***
The three men stood upon a peak in the northern Giaming Mountains, wind whipping through their long hair as they gazed down upon the Qubari Jungle.
“Your men are too concentrated in the south,” complained Veltar as his dark eyes squinted into the wind. “You leave them too many paths to escape.”
“Nobody escapes from the jungle,” responded Winus, the Jiadin General of the Eastern Army. “They are probably long dead. We should turn our attention to the free tribes before they gain a chance to organize in opposition to Grulak.”
“They are not dead,” sneered Veltar. “I will tell you when they are dead. You would better serve Grulak by not provoking me. I am in charge of this operation and you will heed my orders or you will be replaced. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” Winus replied bitterly. “I just fail to see why these three peasants require an entire army to subdue them.”
“Your failure to understand these things is precisely why I have brought Zygor here to help you,” spat Veltar. “He will act in my stead after I return to Vandegar. You will obey his orders as if they were mine. I will not stand for any disobedience. Fail me and you shall die.”
Winus glared at the tall, thin man named Zygor. Zygor’s long black hair was flowing in the wind, just like Veltar’s, and no attempt had been made to bind it. His arms were scrawny and weak and he carried no weapon. It humiliated the general to be ordered around by such a weakling.
“I want your army split,” continued Veltar. “Half shall stay where the enemy entered the jungle. The other half is to be moved towards the north. I have heard that Rejji is headed for the Bone Mountains. Either he will wait for your southern army to leave so that he can exit the jungle, or he will exit on the north and make for the mountains. Either way, I want your men there to kill him and his friends.”
“It shall be as you desire, Advisor,” nodded Winus.
“It shall be as I command,” corrected Veltar as he mounted his horse and headed down the trail.
General Winus watched Veltar ride away. He was barely able to conceal his contempt for the advisor. He turned to look down upon the jungle again. He gazed northward to find a spot where his army could be stationed that would allow them to see the jungle and anyone trying to escape it. He was sure that if Rejji survived the trip through the jungle, which was highly unlikely, that he would not step out of the jungle if the army were visible to him.
“What are you gazing at?” questioned Zygor.
“I am searching for where the northern half of the army should be stationed,” scowled Winus.
“Place them on a tall mountain as we are,” stated Zygor. “They will be able to see more of the jungle that way.”
“And how will they all get off the mountain to intercept the enemy?” spat Winus. “If we place them that far away, it will give Rejji two days of movement before we catch up to him. The army must be closer to the jungle to ensure that he is caught. Why don’t we both do what we are best at? You advise and I will run the army the way it needs to be run to accomplish our task.”
Zygor smiled at the general and placed his hand on Winus’s shoulder. The general shook his head in disgust. Suffering Veltar had been enough of a blow to the general’s ego, but putting up with this weakling was worse. Winus wondered if he could arrange for an accident when the battle began.
“Perhaps you did not understand Veltar,” smiled Zygor. “I am in command now, not you. You will follow my orders without question. Do you understand?”
“I understand that you know nothing of tactics and strategy,” scowled Winus. “Veltar may have left you to order me around, but it is my job to make sure they are captured. I will not follow a fool’s orders and then take blame for the failures. That is what I understand. My men will follow my orders and I will accomplish the goal. Just stay out of my way and you can reap the praise of your master.”
“I have a better idea,” grinned Zygor as his fingers stiffened on the general’s shoulder. “You will follow my orders or die.”
Pain ripped through the general’s body from his shoulder to his feet. He tried to reach for his sword, but his arm just trembled. His knees grew weak and he gasped for breath as his lungs failed to function. His heartbeat boomed in his ears as he felt his body falling. His mind swam as in a whirlpool and darkness began to cloud his vision. Suddenly, it stopped and he found himself curled in a ball at Zygor’s feet. He looked up and tried to focus on the dark man’s face and saw him laughing.
“Do not be distracted by your ego when your life is so fragile,” snickered Zygor. “I hope we have a better understanding on the situation now. If not, I would be mo
st happy to explain it to you again.”
Zygor’s hand reached for the general and Winus shook his head vigorously. “I understand,” he gasped. “Just tell me where you want my men.”
Chapter 20
Mount Kiator
The sun was dipping below the mountains when Mobi awakened them at the northern edge of the Qubari Jungle.
“It is almost time,” Mobi declared. “We have prepared a meal for you. By the time you finish it, it will be dark enough for you to leave.”
“Not sure I care much for traveling at night over new terrain,” Mistake yawned.
“It is necessary if you wish to avoid the Jiadin,” Mobi smiled. “They camp in the peaks waiting for you to emerge. They must have great confidence in you to assume you would not die in here.”
“Or they just have orders to wait and see,” offered Rejji. “Either way, your plan makes sense, Mobi. Can we make the forest by morning?”
“If you do not dally,” assured Mobi. “The forest will give you cover almost to the base of Mount Kiator. Unfortunately, once you reach the mountain, your cover will be lost. You best hope that they are still looking this way when you get there, because the path up the mountain offers little concealment.”
“Is there anything you can do to create a diversion?” asked Bakhai. “What if three of your men left the jungle and headed south?”
“I will not ask my brothers to leave the jungle,” Mobi shook his head. “As a Qubari, you must learn to think like us. The jungle is our home, but also something we are sworn to protect. We do not venture outside of it unless it is necessary. We will wait here for twelve days. If you have not returned in that time, we shall return home.”
“We should not need a diversion anyway,” interjected Rejji. “If I understand the map you have drawn, they should not be looking towards Mount Kiator. Your plan is good, Mobi. Let us eat so we can leave as soon as it gets darker.”
By the time they finished the meal and gathered their belongings, the sky was dark. The trio headed due north, stepping over the low plants, until they emerged from the jungle. There was no moon this evening, but Rejji knew there would be one on the way back. Hopefully, the Jiadin would have given up the search by then.
The land they crossed was open and fairly flat, although it had a constant upward slant to it. There were scattered trees, but certainly not enough to conceal a group crossing the land. Rejji thought about how foolish they would have been to cross this in the daylight and silently thanked Mobi for his foresight.
An hour before dawn, as the sky began to lighten, they saw the forest. Mistake picked up the pace and they made the safety of the woods before the first rays of the sun danced across the land. After a short break, they continued walking through the woods. The forest was thick, but not nearly as dense as the jungle had been, and the sun filtered through the leaves and splattered on the forest floor. At high sun they took another food break.
“I am game for a few more hours,” Rejji declared. “Then we can have a good night’s sleep and travel in the daylight.”
Mistake and Bakhai nodded their agreement and the trio pushed onward. Halfway between high sun and sunset, they came to a river. They worked their way upstream in search of a ford and finally came to one. They waded across the stream and as they emerged on the other side they heard a familiar voice.
“Rejji!” called Brakas. “I had almost given up on you.”
“How did you ever know we would be coming this way?” asked Mistake.
“Simple,” grinned Brakas. “There are few places to cross this stream, and cross it you must to get to the Bone Mountains. How did you manage to get out of the jungle alive?”
“We were lucky,” responded Bakhai. “Very lucky. You take a big chance being here.”
“A chance?” questioned Brakas. “Why do you say that?”
“There is a large Jiadin army in the area,” stated Rejji. “You should be careful.”
“I haven’t seen any army,” retorted Brakas. “I haven’t seen a soul since I got here. Where is this army?”
“On the mountain peaks watching over the plains,” answered Rejji. “We had to cross them at night to avoid being seen.”
“That was right clever of you,” laughed Brakas. “Come I have camp set up just beyond the trees. Even have a deer roasting. You must be hungry.”
They followed Brakas to his camp. He clearly had been camped here for a few days and the trio settled down and enjoyed a hot meal.
“So have you found out where to look for the Sage or do we just try all of the mountains?” asked Brakas.
“Mount Kiator,” answered Rejji. “I understand it is a treacherous path to the top. I am not sure your horse will make it. How goes your hunting for the free tribes?”
“Not well,” frowned Brakas. “They appear to be constantly on the move. As soon as I get to where I heard one might be, they are gone. I am beginning to lose hope of uniting them.”
“You mustn’t give up hope,” encouraged Rejji. “Somebody has to stand against Grulak and the free tribes are our best bet.”
“You are right of course,” nodded Brakas. “Thank you for those words. I get so discouraged at times when things do not go quite right, but I should not. It doesn’t sound like you will need my help in finding the Sage, now that you know where he is. I will make better use of my time by searching harder for the free tribes. Let us visit tonight and in the morning we shall part company and go our different ways.”
“I do not mean to spoil a party,” interrupted Bakhai, “but I am rather tired. I hope you will excuse me.”
“And me,” added Mistake. “It has been a long day. You should get some sleep too, Rejji.”
“Words of wisdom,” chuckled Brakas. “I understand completely. Get some sleep Rejji. I think I will turn in myself.”
Mistake was the first to awaken. She roused Rejji and Bakhai from their sleep. Brakas had already left and the trio wasted no time in gathering their things and heading north. By high sun, the peak of Mount Kiator loomed above the trees and the forest began to thin. Mistake tingled with excitement and led the group at a fast pace as the ground began to rise more steeply and the fine soil became rocky.
Within an hour, they broke out of the trees entirely and began the ascent of Mount Kiator. The trail at first was wide and gradual as it wound its way up the slopes of the mountain. As they gained in elevation, the path narrowed as it ran along the edge of sheer cliffs. They watched as the sun disappeared behind the neighboring peaks to the west and continued on into the night. When the sky became totally dark, they stopped for the night and slept on the narrow trail.
***
The rider wound his way up the mountain path, which was illuminated by dozens of campfires. He maneuvered the horse carefully to avoid the clumps of soldiers as he continued on towards the summit. He shook his head at the disarray of the Jiadin camp and wondered what had possessed the general to camp his army in such an inaccessible location. Mobilizing the force would take hours, the rider knew, but he was glad that it was somebody else’s problem.
He finally reached the peak and headed for the large command tent. He dismounted and handed the reins to a sentry outside the tent. The other sentry nodded to the rider and held the flap open for him to enter. Inside the tent, the rider saw General Winus talking with Veltar’s assistant, Zygor.
“Ah welcome back,” greeted the General. “Have you located them?”
“I have,” grinned the rider. “Even better, I know their destination.”
“Excellent,” nodded the General. “I am anxious to put this part of the operation behind me. Where are they headed?”
“Mount Kiator,” declared the rider as he watched the General lean over a large map on the table. “They are probably on the slopes already.”
“On the slopes?” questioned Zygor. “How can that be? We have been watching the edges of the jungle for days. How did they get out?”
“At night,” answered the rider
. “They knew you were up here watching. They crossed the plains at night and once in the forest, they knew you could not see them.”
“And how did they know we are up here?” questioned Zygor. “How could they possibly know unless someone told them?”
“Don’t look at me that way, Zygor,” the rider retorted. “I was not even informed of your location. Had Rejji not told me where I could find you, I would still be looking. As an army officer, I certainly would not expect to find the army on the peak of a mountain.”
“That is enough, Brakas,” reprimanded Winus. “We have no need for bickering amongst ourselves. If they are on the slopes, then there is no escape for them.”
“If they are on the slopes,” echoed Zygor. “We have followed Brakas’s advice before and they are still on the loose.”
“My information has always been accurate,” argued Brakas. “If Diakles had not gone after them alone the first time, they would be dead now instead of him. I also told you they would head for that village, but the army went north instead, and allowed them to enter the Qubari. I have always delivered what I promised to. Even the Chadang were laid bare for your plunder.”
“Enough,” shouted Winus. “You have done well, Brakas. I do not see the need for you to remain any longer. Continue your task of locating the free tribes. We have Rejji and his friends trapped now and there is no way out this time.”
“As you wish,” nodded Brakas. “I will head towards the mouth of the Taggot River. I suspect some of the tribes might have headed that way. I will enjoy your hospitality tonight and be on my way in the morning.”
“You may do as you wish,” sneered Zygor, “but you will be staying alone here tonight. We leave immediately.”
“Immediately?” questioned the General. “In the dark? They are trapped on that mountain and cannot escape. We can leave in the morning when the men can see the path.”
“We will leave now,” commanded Zygor. “I do not want to let them reach the top of the mountain. They could stay up there for weeks while we wait for them to come down. We know where they are now, and now is when we shall strike. Get your men moving.”
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