Bells of the Kingdom (Children of the Desert Book 3)

by Leona Wisoker

  He walked forward, slowly, watching Kolan for any indication that the man planned an attack. Kolan stood still, his smoky gaze amused; his only motion to tilt his head to one side a bit. As Idisio neared, the man turned and walked east along the road a few steps, then stopped and looked back at Idisio, one eyebrow raised.

  Idisio stared, speechless and bewildered. Kolan stared back, waiting with apparently infinite patience.

  At last, Idisio took a step, then another; stood at the man’s side without ever quite meaning to do so. Kolan nodded and began walking, Idisio beside him. After a while, Idisio noticed the man angled his path to walk through sunlight whenever possible. Something taut inside him relaxed; he loosened his stride, and even grinned as a flock of starlings wheeled overhead, grackling their hoarse, strident cries, the sun catching iridescent patterns out of their black feathers.

  Kolan watched the birds too, smiling as though at some fond memory, but remained silent. Idisio, not knowing what to say, settled willingly into the companionable quiet. As they neared the eastern edge of Sandsplit, Kolan finally spoke.

  In a voice that belonged to a much younger man, he said, “I want to start by telling you about the bells. There were always the bells....”

  Glossary and Pronunciation Guide

  A number of the words in the southern language include the glottal-stop, which is rendered here as ^. A glottal stop involves closing, to some degree, the back of the throat, resulting in a near-coughing sound when released. Sometimes this sounds as though a hard “H” has been inserted.

  Aenstone (ayn-stone): An Aerthraim Family-created stone composite; they hold the process secret. In sufficient quantity, aenstone blocks psychic communications, inhibits the use of psychic abilities, and weakens ha’ra’hain.

  Aerth (ay-erth): Rough translation: feathers, freedom, flight. Exact meaning dependent on dialect and context.

  Aerthraim lanterns: Any lamp filled with the peculiar green oil produced only by Aerthraim Family; gives off an unusually white light and little to no smoke when burned.

  Aesa (ay-sah): A common plant whose leaves, when dried and used in a pipe, produce a mild euphoria. Illegal in the north; legal south of Bright Bay.

  Ahnn (awwn): There is no direct northern equivalent to this word; an expression of gratitude for one’s host’s honor, patience, generosity, and grace, with overtones of Thank you for not killing us while we sheltered under your roof.

  Alli (ahl-lee): 1. The number two (southern). 2. A simple two-pipe instrument, usually wooden, occasionally metal, common to the southlands.

  Ana-ha, va’bit (ahhnah-hah, vah-beet): Rough translation: Service/apology accepted. A very old and out-of-use phrase: ha’ra’hain accepting apologies or submission from a human.

  Aqeyva (ack-ee-vah, alt. ahh-keh-vah): A combination of martial-arts training and meditation disciplines. The combat training is often referred to as a `dance’ as it involves smooth, flowing motions that have no apparent resemblance to any fighting mode.

  Asp-jacau (asp-jack-how): A slender canine with long, thin snout and legs. Its short-haired coat tends toward fawn or brindle coloring. Its excellent sense of smell is primarily used to detect dangerous snakes and (in some cases) drugs. In Bright Bay, only royalty or King’s Guard patrols may own an asp-jacau, but below the Horn the asp-jacau is a common companion animal.

  Athain (ath-ain): Lit. translation: spirit-walker. Teyanain specially trained to manipulate energy and psychic forces; extremely dangerous people, and very rare. Athain are considered holy by the teyanain. While they have elaborate outfits for ceremonial purposes, in “ordinary” clothes athain are distinguished by a unique manner of braiding their hair: beginning as one braid, then dividing further into three smaller braids, usually laced with tiny beads.

  Ayn (ain): Chabi piece representing water. Cylindrical in shape, the ayn moves like a crooked stream: two spaces in one direction, three in another. It is one of the most versatile pieces on the board.

  Bene (beh-ne): 1. The number three (southern). 2. A relatively simple three-pipe instrument common to the southlands. Like the alli, it is most commonly made of wood.

  Cactus-flute: A long, thin flute made from minor branches of the same hard-skinned cactus used for making shabacas. Produces a thin, piping sound; sometimes tied together in sets of three to produce a wider range of tones.

  Calcen (khal-czen): The title teyanain use for their leader; not permitted to outsiders. It is considered a gross offense for any non-teyanain to use that term.

  Callen (call-en): One sworn to the service of a southern god.

  Ceiling tube: A skylight in the form of a wide tube lined with mirrors; developed by Aerthraim Family. The secret of their manufacture is tightly controlled; they must be installed and repaired by Aerthraim craftsmen.

  Chaal (chawl): A southern servant’s term for people of high southern status; generally refers to desert lords.

  Chabi (chah-bee): A desert game whose underlying principles, moves and strategies reflect the principles of survival in a dry, hostile environment. In chabi, different types of pieces represent wind, water, goods, and money; different areas of the board represent compass directions, fortresses, fire, air, and water.

  Chekk (check): A community of ha’ra’hain openly living above ground. Extremely rare, as the genetic deterioration generally turns any such group into a human community within three generations—and the combative nature of many ha’ra’hain makes creating a balanced community a tricky process.

  Chich (chihch): A substance developed by the Aerthraim to assist with various drug addictions, notably dasta. Generally mixed into a tough, extremely spicy fruit or meat jerky carrier.

  Chichi (chee-chee): A small, hand-held clapper style of drum; generally a lightly hinged or tied striker and a metallic or wooden “head”.

  Clee: Three athain working together; extremely rare and extremely dangerous.

  Coming or going: Street-slang inquiry about a relationship; “is she coming or going” means, more or less, “is she your girlfriend or a temporary amusement?”

  Comos (Cohm-ohs): One of three gods honored in the southlands. Represents the neutrality/balance/questioning energies; also linked to the season of winter, the colors white and brown, and curiosity. Callen of Comos, if male, must be castrated; women must be past menopause to be allowed out in the world at large.

  Dahass (dah-hahs; alt., dah-hass): Nomadic tribes that roam the uncharted and unclaimed southlands and follow no ruler but their own leader. They are likely the source of many of the wilder tales of southern barbarism that circulate in the northlands, as they find spreading such rumors amusing.

  Daimaina (day-may-nah): Southern version of “housekeeper”; generally but not always shares the Head of Family’s bed. Holds considerable power in her own right, but in a sharply limited sphere. Male version is daiman.

  Dasta (dah-stah): A drug originally developed by the ketarches, whose use has altered significantly over the years.

  Dashaic (dash-ache): So-called dasta tea is dasta powder turned into a thick, potent syrup. Dashaic travels better than the powder, as it runs less risk of being ruined by damp conditions, but is more difficult to produce and thus far more expensive.

  Datda (Dat-dah): One of three gods honored in the southlands, Datda represents the negative/death/change energies; also linked to the season of high summer, the colors red and black, and the emotion of anger. Commonly called “the Sun Lord”; saying the name aloud is held to be bad luck. Only Datda’s Callen may safely pronounce the holy name, but they tend to be reluctant to advertise their affiliation; everyone knows that most Callen of Datda have trained extensively as assassins and spies.

  Dathedain (dath-heh-dane): Followers of the god Datda.

  Desert sage: A tree-sized plant resembling ordinary garden sage, which has adapted for desert life; the leaves curl up during the day’s heat into thick, needle-shaped rolls, and spread out in damp weather or at night. After a long drought, even a slight breez
e will stir the dead leaves into a shivery, rattling sound. The dry wood gives off a pleasant aroma when burned, but the leaves are not edible. Often holds large nests of blood-spiders and micru.

  Desert truce: An agreement to work together for mutual survival in a hostile environment; ends immediately upon reaching safety.

  Devil-tree: A tree largely found in southern wastelands, with deeply fissured bark, wildly twisted branches, and semi-soft needle-style leaves; cones are bright red and poisonous to humans, but attract a variety of wildlife. The wood does not burn easily and gives off a nasty smoke.

  Druu (dreww): Master drummer. Must understand and be able to use each of the numerous percussion instruments known in the south.

  Eki (eh-key): One of the Four Gods of the Northern Church pantheon; represents Wind. She is considered to be the most evil of the Northern gods, and her good nature is rarely appealed to, for her favors carry a heavy price. Her strength is that of the air and clouds. She is deceitful and often malicious. Thieves often call on her for protection.

  Esthit (ess-thitt): A drug originally developed by the ketarches, whose use has altered significantly over the years.

  Estiqi (est-eek-ee): A liqueur made from esthit; lowers boundaries and dulls the senses. Used, in theory, to help “stuck” desert lords (i.e., desert lords resisting the transition to their altered natures) open fully to their new abilities. Tends to have an aphrodisiac side effect. The actual effects of estiqi vary by individual and can be unpredictable.

  Fii (fee): The teyanain (and thus vastly more complicated) version of thio.

  Four Gods: The pantheon of the Northern Church; Eki (Wind), Payti (Fire), Syrta (Earth), and Wae (Water). Each has a dual nature (good/evil), and the Church teaches that mankind must ever be careful not to provoke the “evil” side.

  Fours: street slang term for devout followers of the Northern Church.

  Furun (fuhr-roon): Chabi game piece representing money. Shaped like a coin, the furun may move one square in any direction once unlocked; it may only be unlocked by a grey shassen jumping over it.

  Gods’-glory Flower: A common vine in the humid areas of the southlands; sports large, funnel-shaped flowers in an infinite variety of colors and blooming patterns (morning, evening, middle of the night).

  H’na (heh-^hna): A teyanain-peculiar word (generally only pronouncable by the teyanain, as well), of obscure derivation and meaning, even to loremasters. Ties into an old story about a woman who worried herself into one crisis after another until at last she married a man who could calm her nerves.

  Ha’bit vanaa (hah-beet vah-nahh): Rough translation: Forgive your servant’s offenses. A very old and largely abandoned phrase, once used to indicate total submission/apology for wrongs done to a ha’ra’ha.

  Ha’inn (properly: hah-^inn; more commonly: high-inn): Lit. translation: Honored One. Reserved for ha’ra’hain. The glottal stop between a and i, always difficult for humans to manage, has fallen out of favor over the centuries.

  Ha’inn-va (high-inn-vah): Very old and abandoned phrase indicating total submission to the will of a ha’ra’ha.

  Ha’ra’ha (hah-^rah-^hah); plural ha’ra’hain (hah-^rah-^hayn): Person of mixed blood (human and ha’rethe).

  Ha’ra’hain (hah-^rah-^hayn): Plural of ha’ra’ha.

  Ha’rai’nain (hah-^ray-^nayn): Plural of ha’rai’nin.

  Ha’rai’nin (hah-^ray-^nin); plural ha’rai’nain (hah-^ray-^nayn): One who has dedicated his or her life to serving the ha’reye.

  Ha’rethe (hah-^reth-ay); plural ha’reye (hah-^ray): Lit. translation: golden eyes. An ancient race, predating humanity.

  Ha’reye (hah-^ray): Plural of ha’rethe.

  Ha’reye-kin (hah-^ray-kin); alt. true-ha’rai’nin (hah-^hray-nin): 1. A human who has spent so much time around the ha’reye that he or she has changed physically; no longer human, a ha’rai’nin more closely resembles a lesser ha’ra’ha. 2. A lesser ha’ra’ha who has spent so much time among the ha’reye that it is growing into greater powers. Both are extremely exceptional; at this time, only one human qualifies as the first and only one ha’ra’ha qualifies as the second.

  Hai-katihe (high-kat-tea): Rough translation: those who serve (intimately) a ha’ra’ha. No longer in common use.

  Hanna-aerst-yin (hah-nahh ayrst yin): Rough translation: binding a bird in a cage of chains. A rare and powerful teyanain marriage ceremony, only performed for people of extreme importance among the teyanain. Both aerst and yin are words peculiar to the teyanain dialect, and their exact meanings vary by context.

  Hask: Lit. translation: cast out. Implications of dishonor, of betrayal, of irrevocable shame.

  Hecht (hehkt): trator; oath-breaker.

  Hopam (hoh-pahm): Literal translation: dream house. Generally used to refer to establishments that provide various illicit but relatively minor narcotics and hallucinogens, such as aesa and esthit.

  Iii-naa tarren, iii-nas lalien, iii-be salalae (eee-nah tar-ren, eee-nahs lah-lee-en, eee-beh sah-lah-lay): Rough translation: We serve the gods, the gods smile on us, we survive under the glory of the gods. Implications of submission, sacrifice, loss of selfhood in service of the divine.

  Iishin (eee-eee-shinn): Master acrobat; prominently used as a frontman in southern parades and processionals.

  Ish (isshh): Prefix indicating feminine/female aspects.

  Ishrai (Ish-wry): One of the three gods honored in the southlands; represents the positive/feminine/birth energies. She is also connected to the season of spring, the color green, and the emotion of love.

  Ishraidain (ishh-wry-dane): Women serving penance for various crimes, under the protection of Ishrai.

  Ishrait (ishh-rate): High priestess of Ishrai.

  Itibi (ih-tih-bee): A small, high-pitched drum; generally held in one hand and struck with a light striker.

  Itna tarnen, itnas talien, itnabe shalla (it-nah tahr-nehn, it-nahs tah-lee-en, it-nah-bay shah-lah): Rough translation: We empty ourselves into the gods, the gods pour themselves into us, glory be to the gods. Implications of partnership, gods and man giving to one another in service of building a better world.

  Jacau-drum (jack-how drum): A large drum, generally stationary, with a wide head; produces a deep, booming tone. Originally covered with the skin of unusually large asp-jacaus, thus the name. Today these drums are usually made with cow, deer, horse, or goat skins, depending on how rich the owner is. Also called a shaska drum; only experts make a distinction between the two styles.

  Jii (geee): Gifters; part of southern processionals and parades, jii toss candies and small coins to the watching crowds. Catching a jii-flung gift is considered a sign of good luck for the rest of the day.

  Jungles: Also called Forbidden Jungles. An area of tropical rainforest far to the south where the majority of the surviving ha’reye and their human deevotees live; outsiders are not permitted to enter.

  Justice-right: The right of a desert lord to intervene in a situation and see it resolved according to his own opinion of justice.

  Ka (kah): Honored (generic term).

  Ka-s’a (kah-ss-^ah): Honored lady (generic term).

  Ka-s’e (kah-ss^eh): Honored gentleman (generic term).

  Ka (kah): Honored (generic term).

  Ka-s’a (kah-ss-^ah): Honored lady (generic term).

  Kain (cain): Rough translation: servant’s child; honorable connotation, able to formally claim the relevant bloodline, and even inherit if more direct heirs are no longer eligible/available. The similarity between this and kaen makes the pronunciation, in this instance, very important; and yet, because kaens were seen as servants of their people, there is a certain blurring here as well. While it is not exactly polite to pronounce kaen as kain, only a person looking for an insult will take exception to the mispronunciation if it is an honest dialectic error rather than a deliberate attempt at offense.

  Kath (kath): Rough translation: servant. Used with a variety of modifiers to indicate occupation and status; s’a-dinne
kath indicates a kitchen or dining hall servant; s’a kathalle indicates a cleaning servant. When used in conjunction with kath, the female gender indicator (s’a) does not imply a female servant, but rather the concept of serving. The term katha village, while in common usage, is grammatically incorrect: it should properly be va-kathe, “village of intimate services”.

  Kathain (kath-ayn): Personal servants to a desert lord; generally offered to visiting desert lords as a courtesy, and considered an essential part of a new desert lord’s staff for at least the first two years. Duties range from amusing their lord with playful games to more intimate services. This peculiar word is the same in both singular and plural forms, (i.e.: Tanavin was a kathain; The four kathain left the room; The kathain’s room was small.)

  Katheele (kath-eel): Rough translation: spy through seduction. An honorable profession, in the southlands; katheele are generally trained as spies and assassins as well as two or three minor specialties such as herbalist or etiquette master. They must maintain a keen understanding of current politics. They never act alone, but serve a specific Family or individual. Toscin Family trains the bulk of katheele, but at some point in their training, katheele decide whom they wish to serve; for their chosen master to refuse their service is nearly unheard of and incredibly rude.

  Katihe (kat-tea): Rough translation: honorable intimacy; obscure term rarely used in modern times.

  Ke (keh): Prefix or suffix indicating masculine/male aspects.

  Ketarch (kee-tarsch): Organized groups of healers in the south who focus on preserving old healing lore and researching new ways of healing.

  L’chin (lee-^kin): A teyanain-peculiar word (and generally only pronouncable by a teyanain, as well) of obscure derivation and meaning, even to loremasters. Ties into an old story about an opely welcomed guest who turned out to be less than honorable, was not what he professed to be, caused a major disaster, and yet redeemed himself by saving the day in the end.

  Loremaster: Combination historian, genealogist, and researcher; as a group, one of the major political forces behind the scenes in the southlands. Every Family has (or is supposed to have) a group of loremasters resident.