by Ako Emanuel
“Maybe it is better to leave me and mine alone?” he growled, his voice raw, scalding silver. The pack leader, the first to charge, had tried again and had tasted the knob ends of both staves alongside its head. It was just stirring again, off to the left, behind a small bush. It looked at him as he spoke and got to wobbly feet. He could see the calculation behind its eyes, and without looking away from its dead, milky stare, he smacked a lu’mar trying sneak up on his other side in the nose. It got a grip on the staff and pulled it away, and Gavaron let it have the staff, drawing the long knife its place.
“Will you forget my scent, or do I have to start killing you?”
As they had killed his love. She had walked and drawn breath, but her spark, her fire had been killed off with three cruel strokes. Losing his child. Losing him. Losing the ability to have any other children after she gave the Realm an Heir.
The leader considered, eyes narrowed in aggravation rather than amusement. It stared at him a long time, and he stared back. Finally it gave three high barks and trotted away, limping slightly. It would probably have to fight to keep its position. Each lu’mar gave an answering bark, and he waited until the last had answered before resheathing his knife, retrieving his staff and going his own way to safer places, emptied now of feeling. He stopped by a pool fed by a small cascade. He hung his head. He felt cold in the steaming rainforest.
A distant stirring drew his attention. A distant tugging, a distant calling. He moved toward it, following where it led...
the light turned to dreams of dark...
Jeliya’s dreams were shattered by a distant tug. She sat up. The tug came again, a bit stronger this time. It was a pull at her av’rita, the soul of her power. It was faint, weak, as though it could not quite find her. She recognized it for what it was: the Rite of Seeking. She resisted, at first, as she had been taught, and probed the rite for a signature. Then she sighed with profound relief and joy, and she relaxed and reached to the force pulling at her. For the sensation was full of the unmistakable presence of her mother, a feeling so familiar it was almost the sound of her mother’s voice calling her name. She acknowledged the rite, since it could not connect with her otherwise - a necessary precaution in case enemies were using the rite. Even unconscious she would have automatically probed it, and either accepted or rejected it depending on whether it was sent by friend or foe. But it was more than friend - it was family, and someone would be coming for her soon.
Then thoughts of her benefactor turned the feeling of relief chill. What about Gavaron? She had gotten a partial confession from him, but it was not really enough and time was now about to start running out. But more, how would they treat him when they finally found her? Would she have time to explain, and keep them from trying to harm him? Her oath would probably protect him, but she did not want it revealed that she had made the oath yet, and not under those circumstances.
She began to fret again, then caught herself. Why was she fretting over him? What was he to her, that she should get upset about how her mother’s warru treated him?
I care though, she realized, admitted, not having the heart to lie to herself. I do care what happens to him. He is - significant to me. Besides, she rationalized, turning away from the painfully real and disturbing thoughts, I owe him my life. I cannot permit him to come to harm. But I can’t tell him yet. She bit a nail, frowning. Not yet. I must try one more time to get what I need from him.
Jeliya turned her thoughts to the link between them. She had not yet gotten around to finding a way to sever it. Now was as good a time as any.
She began the pay’ta’ri, the inner contemplation of one’s own mind and soul. She immersed herself in her being, seeing/feeling/knowing for the first time the connection with Gavaron.
She felt the cords of the Jur’av’chi, studied its bindings, its workings.
And was stunned by its complexity and its extent. Why, even as she watched/felt/knew, new links were forming, tenuous, undeveloped links, waiting to mature. In fact, the whole network was made up of unopened links - except for two deep, thick channels that radiated away to a distant terminus.
Jeliya shivered in fear. The Joining between two people was no light thing, no trivial, every-turn occurrence. It only happened one of three ways: when two people who had been together a long time consciously decided to take the natural, tenuous link that always forms between lovers or friends and deepen it and widen it using an aspect of the Rite of Solu, and make it a bond between them; when two were Goddess-blessed soul mates; or when one bared one’s soul to bring another back from the brink of death. The Jur’Av’chi was the deepest sharing any two persons could commit, but even Goddess-ordained bonds took cycles to become as rich and deep as what she found within herself. And there would only be one deep connection, not two, and only a few lesser links forming around it, not hundreds. Even the death-denying soul-touch took time to build this deep. Lots of time.
What Jeliya observed should not be. Could not be. It was impossible, utterly, totally impossible. It scared her witless. What she saw bespoke of something that went beyond the touching of souls, the brush of a lover’s ritu’chi as a gentle kiss in deep eve. This spoke of - she could not imagine what could cause this. Soul violation? The Solu’san? A derivation of the Zehj’Ba?
That thought drove her to panic and to action. She began breaking links by the tens, heedless of where they lay or what they touched, gossamer rainbow shadows shattering before her. But as she broke ten, twenty more formed in their wake, like feeding lamprey. Wildly she sheared through them with a spear of light, hundreds shattering and scattering away in a soundless explosion of color - only to reform stronger than before.
Spitting fearful rage she turned to the thicker of the two full channels and began to pull it up by the roots...
Her last thoughts before darkness consumed her was that she did not know that souls could make a tearing sound, or that minds could bleed, or that trying to force a Jur’Av’chi break could hurt so much...
Books by Ako Emanuel
The Ava’Lonan Herstories Series
Book One: The Age of Light
Book Two: Light Fallen
Book Three: The Rites of Darkness
(Forthcoming)
Book Four: Darkness Risen
Book Five: The Sign of Turning
The Ways of Magic Series
Book One: Magic World
Book Two: Magic Hold
(Forthcoming)
Book Three: Magic Child
Visit our website at www.seasidegrape.com
Follow us on Twitter: @seasidegrape
Please review this ebook: http://www.Amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/write-a-review.html?asin=b009pgkhmg
I appreciate honest reviews.
Coming soon, Book Two of the Alonan Herstories:
GLOSSARY
abarine graa – a feline, about the size of a bob-cat, with the precursors to higher thought
Af’eno – Lesser Goddess of Fortune, and Politics
afterzen – after zenith, after mid-day
Ag’ko – Greater Goddess of Peace and Wisdom
Ak’suya – Greater Goddess of Motherhood, Fertility and Patience
Ak’ana – Lesser Goddess of Weather and Storms
Alona – the name of the world before its division by the Tru’Av’ru
Ans’ra – the God of Death, also called the Beloved
ashe – let it be so
Av – the sun of the world of Alona; the physical embodiment of the Supreme One, Shalgo
av’an – private chamber to perform the Rite of Solu
Av’Daun – the formally acknowledged High Heir to the wuman High Throne
Av’Fil – Katari word for the other intelligent races
av’in – the cousin to Av; a star
av’lak’ka – a bird whose feathers are part fire
Av’Ma – nature; the life on the earth due to Av
av’rita – magic of light, inherent in all life<
br />
av’rito’ka – the ability to wield av’rita; also a measure of how much one has or can use
Av’ru – the separating wall of force made by those of Ava’Lona after the Hundred Cycle War
Av’rujo – the keeper of the Av’ru; the one whose life sustains the Av’ru; the Av’rujo is always wuman
Av’Touched – wuman name for the other intelligent races
av’tun – a tunnel made by light connecting two distant locations
av’turun – a permanent av’tun
Av’vales – places of high av’rita concentration where the wildlife has been mutated
ava – the spirit of light
Ava’dan – the age of light; the Golden age in Ava’Lona, currently going on
Ava’Lona – the half of the world of Alona stronger in light and air magics
banti – the gift bearers of a Queen
Beloved – another name for the God of Death
Bo’journ’he – the journey undertaken by a Katari First Filla to prove her worthiness to lead the Tribe
boabi – giant plains trees; the ancestral tree of the High Family
boalo – the smaller relative to the boabi
Bolorn’toyo – a gathering of the Queens and all affiliated Av’Touched allies over matters of great importance
boro – a small mammal found in the rainforests
calabash – a gourd whose husk, when dried, can serve as a bowl or cup
Chajana – a Katari ritual that allows courtship during migration
chas’kuno – a scavenger of distasteful habits
chi’qi’ra – moveable doorways of the Katari, anchor-points so that av’tunning is possible between the nomadic tribes
chia – the spirit of air
Cribeau – one of the sentient races or Av’Touched, serpent-like beings with a jewel located on the forehead
cycle – one revolution of Alona around Av
Daiga Ma – a formal Katari greeting
Dakua – the crown of a Queen, made of her hair in guinne, special cloth with the colors of her Tribe and gold fastenings; the Dakua crown shows her reign, Tribe and Family
dashin – a starch tuber
dav‘ri – a gem used for communication at formal meetings
de‘siki – a long dashiki–like tunic that comes down to the knees
Dal’Yo’teng – the name of the division in the world, due to the Av‘ru
desi – a large square of heavy material that can be used as a towel or a sheet
De’enu – Greater God of the Hunt, Harvest and Abundance
dio – the spirit of water
dom‘ma – the katana-like sword of a warru
dwen – the possession of the body of a stillborn child by an evil spirit; burial in consecrated ground prevents dwen-possession
egwae – a group that travels together
Este – the direction of Av rising
eve – night
Fenoa – another of the Av‘Touched races, a group of sentient felines
ferr‘flambeau – a tree that bears shak-shaks, with brilliant orange–red flowers
First Filla – the first female child of a Katari Herdress, the one designated to rule
giza’ati – beautiful one
Go’Orisha – the priestesses and priests of the twelve Goddesses
gila – a vicious feline of the plains and grasslands
graa shi – a female abarine with cubs
gran – a unit of time, a little more than a minute; there are one hundred grans in a san’chron
grane – a unit of time a little more than a second; a hundred granes make one gran
Great Laine – the Hall where Bolorns and Alorns are held, located in the Palace T’av’li
griot – a storyteller and keeper of oral traditions and herstories
guinne – the way of braiding the hair in Ava’Lona; also the name of the braids themselves
gulu – the patron fruit of the land
her’domi – how one is called; a Katari word for name
Herdress – the Leader of a Katari Tribe
If’la – Lesser Goddess of Herstory and Science
in’dil’av’chi – a rite to heal the mind of anguish and sorrow
in’do – madness, craziness; can also mean anguish
Is’kala – Lesser Goddess of the Arts and Inspiration
Ja’Utu’kae – presentient bear-like creatures
jadine – purple corundum, a precious jewel
joumbi – a spirit, sometimes bad
Journey – a wanderjahr that wuman Tribal Heirs undertake to better understand the needs of their people
Jur’av’chi – the joining of mind and soul of two beings
ka’dama – a Katari endearment
Ka’warr’a – the Katari warriors
Kat’im’a – the Katari child-bearers
Katari – one of the Av’Touched races, closest to the wumans; the Katari are half wuman, half equine, like centaurs, except the equine part is based on the zebra; the Katari are nomads
kati’yori – equines of the savannas and plains, with the markings similar to a zebra but possessing much longer necks and legs
Kin’herd – the Sacred herd of the Katari, made up of their equine counterparts when the two halves are separated
kiro – a scavenger bird
kri – the jewel on the forehead of the Cribeau which enables them to perform magic, detect the truth and which indicates their age
kri’ssha’si – oral traditions of the Cribeau
Kuf’yo – God of the Av’Touched Ones and patron of Higher Thought
Kwabana – the mad half-god that was brought down and cut in half by the Tru’Av’ru; the former God–mate of Ya’kano
Ka’bi – Lesser God of Nature, Mercy and the Son of Ans’ra
kwats – very loose–fitting pants that taper at the ankles
ky’pen’dati – dear one
lain – a room
laire – a suite of rooms
Lan’mba – the suites of visiting Lesser Queens located around the Palace T’Av’li but not connected to the Palace proper
Lan’mya – suite of rooms in the Palace T’Av’li reserved for the Greater Queens
lon – a territory owned by a Tribe
lor’den – an illness suffered by the denizens of Ava’Lona if they have not performed the Rite of Solu in over three turns
Lor’ima – the largest, palest moon
Lor’Ma – the earth beneath the life influenced by Av
Lor’ya – the third and smallest moon
Lora’Lona – the half of the world stronger in water and earth magic; the place beyond the Av’ru, thought to be a place of evil
Lori’ku – the second, yellowish moon
lorn – a meeting
Loro – the earth
loro – the earth spirit
Lors’eve – dark night; a night with no moons
lu’mar – a reptilian predator of the rainforests
lurdu – a stringed instrument
maddi – special servants that tend a Queen’s hair
maubi – a drink made from the bark of the maubi tree
Mon’da – Lesser Goddess of Puberty and Youth
morn – morning
N’haewa’ko – flatbed wagons used by the Katari in their migration
N’haewa’ra – the designated leader of a traveling group of Katari or a group containing Katari
N’jaho’tan – a semi-temporary Katari camp
nansi story – a folktale
Norae – at ninety degrees to the right of rising Av
oath-claim – a written agreement that acts as a sworn oath, but is not tied to the four magics as spoken oaths are
obin’tu – a tent
ol’bey’one – a healer; one skilled in healing
Ov’ta’mu – a teacher of the arts of sex and sensuality
panquin – a soft, saddle-like cushion for riding
papi’ras – paper– or parchment–like sheets made by wumans
pay’ta – the rhythm of a living body; also the rhythm used to build personal rites with
