by Reece Dinn
It was an overcast morning, dark clouds hung low over Mir-Tolkz. No one in the village was awake and the snoring of drunken slumber ran through the village. He wandered through the village towards his Mal's furaz to pick up his knife so he could continue working on his model sword. He hoped Jekoraz was there so he could talk to him. It was against tradition to meet his Dal, but he couldn't see the harm in at least talking to him.
A man exited his Mal's furaz as Melonaz arrived.
Melonaz jumped back and hid behind a nearby furaz, peering around it to see who was there. The man stretched his frail frame, furs hanging loose from his body. He yawned at the dark clouds overhead.
Jekoraz.
His Mal stepped out of the furaz after him, looking haggard and sporting several large red marks on her face. She handed him a small cup of steaming water, her hands shaking. Jekoraz took it, drank it in one gulp, then handed the cup back to her. Jekoraz regarded her and she lowered her eyes to the ground. He said something, then walked away. His Mal watched him go with a dark expression then, when he was out of sight, went inside.
Melonaz's mind raced. He was about to go talk to his Mal, but he decided to follow Jekoraz instead. He needed answers.
Jekoraz was gone, but Melonaz followed his footprints and caught up to him soon enough. He kept a safe distance, hiding himself behind furaz whenever he could. Jekoraz trekked halfway across the village until he reached a furaz on the outskirts and went inside.
Melonaz crouched down behind the furaz opposite, waiting. He tried to train his ears to hear what was happening across the way, but the snoring of whoever's furaz he was hid behind drowned out everything else. Need learn Pilnah technique. Make eyesight, hearing stronger. Why Lial not teach us it? He sat down and rested his head in his hands.
Melonaz thought about the conversation he'd had with his Mal at the gathering, about how his Dal had left when he'd become an Apochal, and how she hadn't seen him since. She send Reijiz away. Send Sal away too. To protect them. He sat there for a while, lost in thought. Occasionally he'd peer around the furaz to see if Jekoraz and his danaz were leaving. Mal have mark on her face. He hurt her?
Melonaz wanted to just stride over, go in and demand to know what'd happened, but he couldn't pluck up the courage. I a Sehnal. Fight ludenez, one day. How can I fight when not have courage to talk to my Dal? He thought about what he might say to him. Would he even know that he was his Dal? It was doubtful. Melonaz no longer cared, not after seeing the effect he'd had on his Mal. No one hurts her. No one.
Finally, when the sun was high in the sky, the three Apochal exited the furaz.
Melonaz sprang to his feet and followed, keeping a safe distance behind them.
The village was coming to life and he had to make sure he didn't look suspicious. Everyone though was clearly too hungover to care, let alone notice, the activities of a ten year old boy, even if he was a Sehnal. Village drink all nibec there is. If he hadn't been so preoccupied he would have laughed.
The Lial sat outside his furaz, beside a small fire, eating his morning meal of steaming soup, made with mirac meat if Melonaz's nose was right. He greeted the three Apochal and motioned for them to sit, offering them some soup that was left in the pot over the fire. They each grabbed a bowl and spoon, scooped up a small portion, and sat down around the fire.
Melonaz crept closer, keeping himself hidden.
The four of them sat in silence while they ate. Finally, when they'd all finished eating, the Lial spoke.
'Want to talk here?' he asked.
'Think we need to leave the village, Lial,' said Jekoraz.
'Follow me,' said the Lial.
The Lial picked up Rorkaroz by his feet and led the three Apochal away.
Melonaz followed. When they reached the outskirts they carried on out of the village. He stopped at the outskirts, fearing being seen out in the open. The four men trekked far out onto the snow plain, up and over the hill. When they were just out of sight he hurried after them. The four crested the top of the hill then disappeared down the other side. The snow out on the plain was up to Melonaz's knees, making it difficult to move fast.
The snow was shallower on the hill. As he walked up it he slowed, ducking low when he heard their murmured voices. He flattened himself to the ground, slowly crawling up to the top, and peered over.
'..animal in Mir-Ru all run. Run like not see before. Fear in their eye,' said Jekoraz. 'There five of us. Rimaroz. Fakmoz too. We deep in mountains. Find trouble. Know it ludenez. Not know how many though, just know horde big.'
'We hear from nearby village that animal run from mountains. We-Rilz. Talelz. I forget which village. Ludenez attack villages more than normal. They come from mountains. No doubt. We go hunt them,' said Numorlz,
'Five days we hunt. Find nothing,' said Jekoraz. 'On sixth day we find mound of dead animals. Bodies in many pieces. Limbs, guts, blood all over snow. Footprints lead away from site in many directions. Two more days we hunt. Find more bodies. Find dead men.'
The Lial gasped. 'Dead men?'
'Men with weapons,' said Brokatiz. 'Not know if Sehnal, Apochal. Either is bad.'
'Find one body at foot of a mountain,' Jekoraz continued. 'Many footprints lead up path from the valley floor. Up the mountainside. Rises to small gap halfway up mountain. Up to it we go. Gap lead down into small valley on other side of mountain. It's there we find them.'
'Ludenez?' said the Lial.
'More. Enemy in valley too. A big, thick, purple cloud floating up above. Valley floor full of its ludenez. Big ludenez. Small ludenez. Ludenez not look like any I see before. Valley look alive. Smell from valley so bad it makes you sick.'
'They smell us on the wind,' said Numorlz. 'All look up, see us. Eyes flare red. Enemy flash with lightning. They attack as one. Ground rumble as they charge up valley. Snow slides down mountain from shaking. We run.'
'You run?' gasped the Lial.
'What we do?' said Brokatiz. 'There too many.'
'We run with Hakah. Think get away. Ludenez move too fast,' said Jekoraz.
'See no escape. Turn to fight,' said Numorlz.
'They strong,' said Brokatiz, 'Stronger than normal ludenez. We kill many. Fight as danaz. Fight hard. Harder than ever in whole life.'
'They stand. Watch fight. Wait for us to be weak,' said Jekoraz.
'They?' asked the Lial.
'Apochal ludenez.'
The Lial gasped. 'What?'
'There are three. Giant men. On chest have Apochal Mark. One of them has an axe. Another a spear. Third not have any. It bigger than others.'
'What happen?'
'When we weak they attack,' said Brokatz. 'They not act mad. Not with rage, with hunger, like other ludenez.'
'They too strong,' said Jekoraz. 'The danaz split apart. We lose. Rimaroz use all his Raiz to make big explosion, kills himself, kills many ludenez, hurts Apochal ludenez with spear. Clears way for us to escape.'
'Fakmoz try same,' said Brokatiz. 'Dies too.'
'We run. Ludenez chase,' said Numorlz. 'We too weak to fight. Need warn all village about the horde, about Apochal ludenez. We three escape. Run for day, night. Not rest. Only when we safe we stop. In distance we hear rumbling, barking. We run again. After two days we escape mountains. Lose much Raiz running. We hungry, thirsty, weak. Become this.' Numorlz gestured to his body and the bodies of his companions. 'We near Ru village. Sehnal out training find us. They take us to village. Lial Kintoz help us. We lose too much Raiz though, can't heal well. We have enough Raiz to live. No more. Not long left to live.'
'All of you?' asked the Lial
'Yes,' said Jekoraz, solemnly.
'Lial Kintoz says we use Raiz, we die,' said Brokatiz.
'We too weak to be Apochal. We bonokok,' said Numorlz, 'A little Sehnal more strong.'
The Lial shook his head. 'You right to escape. Not win that fight. You come warn us. Do good. Have honour. When this happen?'
'Six, seven moons past, I think' said Jekoraz.<
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'How many villages you warn?' asked the Lial.
'Three. Lial Kintoz take Sehnal into mountains to find ludenez. They find only dead.'
'Dead? Where ludenez go?'
Jekoraz shrugged. 'Kill many. Maybe they run. Not likely though. Apochal ludenez still live. Head north, maybe. Hope not. Not warn villages there yet.'
'You sure they Apochal?' asked the Lial.
The three warriors nodded solemnly.
'This bad,' said the Lial. 'Know people see Enemy in mountains. Three Apochal though. How it get three?'
'Think they dead men,' said Brokatiz.
'Dead?
'Not see Enemy bring back dead? I see it, see the dead rise. Dead ludenez weaker though. These three Apochal not weak.' Brokatiz stroked his chin, confusion spreading across his face.
'Unless they alive when Enemy claim them. Claim them when they hurt,' said Numorlz
'This is bad,' said the Lial, shaking his head.
'Horde come out of mountains soon,' said Jekoraz.
'Think they start. Three ludenez attack here two days before,' said the Lial.
'Kak. Village needs to be ready. All people. Sehnal. No-Braids. All need to fight. There too many. Not win if all don't fight. Not know how many will attack, only know they will. They hungry. Lial.'
'How there this many? Where come from? Animal run when see Enemy,' said the Lial.
'Not know,' said Brokatiz. 'All know is this horde big. Like one that attack Nam-Laftoz in old days.'
The four men stood silently together.
Melonaz sneezed.
Kak. Snow had been scratching the inside of Melonaz's nose as he'd lain down.
He leapt to his feet and ran, using Hakah to increase the strength in his legs, filling them with tension and energy. He didn't even make it to the bottom of the hill before his legs were smacked out from under him. He spun in the air then crashed down onto his back, just about managing to draw back his Raiz before it vanished.
The Lial loomed over him, enraged. He went to say something, then changed his mind, instead raising up Rorkaroz and bringing it down hard on Melonaz's forehead.
When Melonaz came to he found himself in familiar surroundings, the bottom of the pit. His head pounded, he could barely think. His forehead stung to touch, a large cut across it, and when he pulled his hand away a little blood dripped his fingers. A sharp piece of ice dug into his shoulder and his lower back ached. He tried to lift himself up but there was no strength in his legs. Instead he forced himself off the ice and rolled onto his side, then passed out.
When he awoke again it was dusk.
His stomach grumbled, no food had been dropped down to him. Some of the snow had melted where he'd lain and he lapped it up like an animal. Lial cruel to not give water. He really angry. He rolled onto his back and the cold floor eased his pain. He tried to use Brubah, but couldn't focus his Raiz enough to do it. Instead he basked in its warmth, if only to keep his mind off the pain, which was hard considering it was his head that hurt. Why he hit so hard? Lobkak.
Eventually he drifted off back to sleep.
He awoke to the sound of voices. The sky was dark. Fearing being seen to be awake he kept his eyes closed.
'You not give him water?' asked Jekoraz.
'No,' said the Lial. 'Three times in two moons I throw him in here. He not listen. Just do what he wants. This only way he learns. Not think it helps much though.'
'Cut on his head go bad if not heal it.'
'He heal it on his own,' said the Lial.
'Heal it? He do that? How old he, ten?'
'Twelve. Boy strong. Have skill. Knows Brubah. Learns on his own. He thinks I not know.'
'He be strong Apochal one day. Be a Lial,' said Jekoraz.
The Lial grunted. 'He lacks discipline. Thinks he knows all.'
'He like me.'
'Like Dal, like Al.'
'Violaz say my Al a Sehnal. This him?'
'Yes.'
'Glad not forget I have Al,' said Jekoraz. 'Good to know he grows strong. Why you bring me here though?'
'What think of him?'
'Think you need him in this fight.'
'Yes,' said the Lial. 'What if he a bigger threat than ludenez though?'
'Threat? He's a boy.'
'No. He's not just a boy. He have power. Big power. Bigger than I ever see. When he uses this power his Raiz grows. Grows huge. See him heal from near death. I fear how strong he can grow.'
Silence.
'Boy says he not remember what happen,' the Lial continued. 'I fear him, Jekoraz. Not know what he is. Do you?'
Jekoraz grunted, then spat.
'There things out there we not know,' the Lial continued. 'Things that live outside of what we see, hear, touch, sense. What if he kills us all? A demon? Like the people from the old lands say we are?'
'There are no demons, Lial.'
'Please, old friend. Call me by my name when we alone,' said the Lial.
'There are no demons, Seboraz,' said Jekoraz.
'You say no demons. What are ludenez?' the Lial asked.
'They creatures the Enemy claims. Not demons.'
'What is the Enemy? Why does it make ludenez? What if Enemy is a demon? You think of that?'
'You drink too much nibec.'
'You not see what I see. Think different if do.'
'Boy is my Al, my blood,' said Jekoraz. 'Not demon. He come good. Take long time for me learn patience. Same for him.'
'You want to talk to him? Not get chance after.'
'No. Apochal not know their children.'
'No one say you can't though.'
Jekoraz thought to himself a moment before replying. 'It best he not meet me. There's no time. I die soon. There're more villages we need warn. My mind fades fast.'
'You that weak?'
'Yes.'
'You in pain?'
'No. Feel hungry all time. Tired. Thirsty. Maybe like ludenez.' Jekoraz fell silent for a moment. 'You still train the boy, yes?'
'If he listens,' said the Lial with a sigh.
'I'm glad you his Lial,' said Jekoraz.
'When do you leave?' asked the Lial after a moment.
'We leave at first light. Take care, my friend. We will not meet again,' said Jekoraz.
There was a rustle of furs, then a moment of silence.
'Nofar, old friend,' said the Lial.
'Nofar.'
Crunching snow indicated that Jekoraz had left. Melonaz could sense the Lial watching him so he remained still, eyes closed, but then eventually he too left. Melonaz lay there for the rest of the night gazing up at the night sky, sleep eluding him.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Beroz crested the hill. Below him lay Elzaz village. He breathed a sigh of relief, he was in dire need of supplies and a warm furaz to sleep in for the night.
Die.
He collapsed to his knees, exhaustion and hunger overwhelming him. It'd been two days since his last meal, drinking lots of water was the only thing that'd kept him going.
Die.
The purple scar on his left hand pulsed with pain. He rubbed it but he couldn't even feel his fingers touching the skin. The hand felt strange, as if it were no longer part of his body, yet it worked as normal.
Die.
A shiver ran down his spine. It sapped his strength every time the word echoed through his mind,. He did his best to ignore it, but it was proving difficult. Hope the Lial here can help. He picked himself back up and headed down to the village.
Gola grew up the hill from the village outskirts. The gola were ill kept, the forest growing out of the village wildly. Beroz entered the forest and immediately felt cramped and confined, the gola distribution haphazard. Nuts hung unpicked from the gola, ready to fall at any moment. Some already had and he greedily snatched them up, stuffing them into his furs to eat later when he'd cooked them.
No one was around. He expected to see at least someone tending the forest, picking the nuts from the ground,
or berries from the bushes that were scattered about the place. He plucked some berries and devoured them, the sweet juice bursting into his mouth, some of it dribbling down his chin.
Die.
Deciding to enter the village through the donoz so as not to alarm anyone, he circled around the village outskirts to it. Elzaz seemed smaller than most villages, and from what he could see no one lived there. He didn't pass by or see anyone. The place made Beroz feel uneasy.
A yelp in the distance. People do live here. He kept his hand by Mutumuz, his uneasiness mounting.
Near the village's donoz three men with logs flogged a young boy tied to a wooden post. The boy screamed with every blow, his body cut up and drenched in blood. One of the men noticed Beroz approach and broke off from the group. The man was thin, his hair long and shaggy, other than the log he held he didn't look particularly threatening. Not Sehnal.
'Mofar,' shouted the man.
'Mofar,' grunted Beroz, his throat sore. He glanced over the man's shoulder at the boy being flogged.
'He fuck my friend's Al,' said the man. 'He not say boy can have her. Boy hurt his Al when they fuck.'
Beroz nodded. It was hard to tell the boy's age but he was no Sehnal, that was clear enough. These men wouldn't dare try and beat a Sehnal, even one as young as this one. If boy want take girl he wants he needs to be strong enough to do so. 'I need food, water, a place to sleep tonight. You have for me?' he asked.
The man eyed Beroz's braid and sword. 'Apochal?' he asked, Before Beroz could correct him the man continued. 'I'll take you to the Lial.' He threw his log away and headed into the village. Beroz followed after, taking one last look at the boy. The two men continued to wail on him, the boy screams quietening to whimpers and yelps.
The village's interior was quiet, the only people he passed were a handful of women, sat either churning nibec or cooking meat outside their furaz. The man led him down the main pathway that presumably led to the meet point in the village's centre. The man stopped in front of a large furaz beside the path. Several sehseh skulls lay around the outside of it.
'Lial,' shouted the man. He waited a moment but when no response came he crept forward and poked his head inside.
