The Path to the Sun (The Fallen Shadows Trilogy)

by Kimberli Bindschatel

  As she stepped into the hut, she spread her arms wide. “Welcome, my children. Come. Sit. Rest your weary bodies.”

  She can speak, Kiran thought with relief, and our own language. She also wore the star mark on her forehead. It was intentional, Kiran realized. He quickly glanced around; nearly everyone he saw wore the mark.

  She directed them to a bench. “I am Angei-Ami. Your arrival is most auspicious.” She looked them up and down, quietly assessing them as they took their seats where she directed. “Have you traveled far?”

  Deke answered, “We’ve been from home nearly four moons now. We left our homeland and traveled a great open plain fraught with wind and demons. We lost one of our own to a Mawghul.”

  Kiran winced.

  Deke went on, “We encountered a most unpleasant clan calling themselves Lendhi. Hence, we took to the angry river, traveling by raft through rocky terrain and blistering heat. Our camp caught fire and we lost our food and some belongings.”

  “Oh my,” she cooed. “You poor souls. Well, you are most welcome and safe here. And there is plenty to eat.”

  “We won’t be long and we’ll be on our way,” Roh said.

  The young boys returned from their errand. One boy set down a pitcher of drink and a stack of cups. The other boys carried large platters, one heaped with slices of fruit, orange and yellow and pink, tiny globes of green, one red fruit, cut open, revealing its juicy red seeds, and a bowl of nuts, and on the other a spread of cured meats and cheese. As the boy with the meat platter set it down on the small wooden table in front of the Torans, his eyes trailed over the meat as if he didn’t want to let it go.

  “You may go now,” the woman said to the boys. She turned back to the Torans with a smile. “Please, don’t be shy. Help yourselves. There is plenty. I know you must be famished.”

  Kiran could hardly hold back, trying to be polite. He grabbed a handful of nuts and shoved them into his mouth. In the other hand, he took a reddish-brown fruit shaped like a crescent moon from the platter and examined it. It appeared too tough to eat.

  “Here let me show you,” she said, taking another from the platter. She took hold of its stem and ripped it open, peeling the skin down its side. Kiran did as she had shown him and bit into the deliciously creamy white center. “Now tell me, where is home?”

  Jandon had his eyes on the woman and with a mouth full, juice running down his chin, he answered her. “We are Torans. Our village is on the edge of the Sea of Demarcation, from here directly toward the rising sun.”

  “And what brings you to our kingdom?” She handed the peeled fruit to him.

  Kail moved to the edge of her seat. “We seek the Voice of the Father. We were chosen, as pilgrims, to beg His forgiveness. We are to receive the blessing. Have we found the dwelling place?”

  Roh stiffened.

  “Oh my dear.” She ran her fingers through Kail’s long blond hair. “You have found so much more.” She rose and said, “Relax now. Enjoy the food. I shall return.”

  Then Angei-Ami disappeared into the wall of green.

  “I can’t believe it. We’ve found the dwelling place!” Kail giggled with delight.

  “Not so quick, girl,” Deke said. “Where is the reflection pool? Where is the peak? And the Script didn’t mention other people.”

  “This must be the place. I’m sure of it. Maybe the Script is not exact.”

  Deke pursed his lips. “Not exact. It is the Script of the Legend!”

  Several of the people working in the garden nearby looked up from their work.

  Roh leaned forward and whispered, “We can’t be sure of anything yet. We need to be cautious and not say too much. Something isn’t right here.”

  “What bothers you?” Bria asked.

  “I don’t know. Just a feeling… Something.”

  Kiran felt it too, but he couldn’t quite translate the feeling into thought. He saw that Roh had his pack on his back and felt a sudden sense of panic. He had left his on the raft. With the scroll inside. His heart started to race. He had to get back to it.

  Deke reached over him for a piece of cheese. “Something isn’t right here because this isn’t the dwelling place,” he said, shoving the cheese in his mouth. “We need to eat our fill, get fresh water, and move on. Kail is mistaken.”

  Kiran clenched his jaw and glared at Deke. “How can we be sure?”

  “I’m with Deke,” Jandon muttered, his mouth full.

  Kail shrugged. “Well, I, for one, am not going anywhere near that awful river again. Look how beautiful it is here. We’re safe now. And this food!” Her eyes glittered as she browsed the platters. “You two sound like that creepy Old Horan back home, always speaking of death.” She took a handful of nuts. “This is the place. I’m sure of it.”

  Jandon swallowed his food and turned to Kail. “You are the last person I’d trust to make that call.”

  Kiran stared at Jandon. He’d never been so rude.

  “What?” he said to Kiran. “She’s being emotional.” He threw his hand in the air. “You know how girls can be.”

  Kiran’s eyebrows shot up. He looked at Bria. Her lower jaw was thrust forward and the tendons in her neck drawn taut. “Jandon,” he said, looking from him to Bria. “I don’t think—”

  “Tell us, Jandon, how girls can be,” Bria said, her face turning red.

  Jandon paused as though deciding whether he wanted to tangle with Bria. “I’m just saying,” he whispered, “that she’s, you know, not cut out for trekking through the wilderness. I don’t think she can be objective.”

  Kiran said, “But how can any of us be objective?”

  “You’ve missed the point,” said Deke. “We don’t wish. We don’t speculate. We follow the Script.”

  “Yeah, not the whim of a girl,” Jandon said.

  “But how will we know either way?” Kiran asked.

  Roh leaned forward. “We’ll have to wait and see.”

  “It doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy our stay,” Deke said as he stacked two thick slices of meat on a piece of bread. He lifted it to his mouth and took a bite.

  Jandon snatched a handful of nuts and tossed one in his mouth. “Yeah,” he said, “we deserve a bit of respite.”

  “Meanwhile, we keep our eyes open,” Roh whispered as he glanced across the gardens. “And our mouths shut.”

  They fell silent, drinking in the surroundings and eating their fill of the delicious exotic foods.

  Angei-Ami stepped from the trees. “The Guardian is at supper,” she said. “He will greet you as soon as he has finished.”

  “The Guardian?” Kiran asked.

  “Why yes, of course. Isn’t he who you’ve come all this way to see?”

  Kiran glanced at Roh who raised an eyebrow and made a subtle shrug. “Ah… yes,” he replied.

  “Please, follow me.” She strolled back down the path they had come. Near the river, Angei-Ami stepped from the path.

  Kail stopped short and launched herself backwards, slamming into Deke who stumbled to the ground.

  “What the blazes!” he hollered.

  A green snake lay coiled in the sun. “Don’t worry. It’s harmless,” said Angei-Ami.

  Kiran sidestepped, leaving the path, never taking his eyes off the snake as he passed.

  When they arrived back at the bridge, Kiran was relieved to find their raft still tied where they had left it. He hopped aboard and untied his pack, chastising himself for being careless. Angei-Ami said, “You have no need to worry.” Kiran hesitated, then slung the pack over his shoulder.

  As they crossed the bridge to the mainland, two men stepped from the cover of the jungle onto the path to greet them. They lowered their eyes in deference and stepped aside as Angei-Ami passed.

  A wooden trellis enclosed the path, entwined with climbing vines dripping with tiny white flowers, rich with the sweet fragrance of honeysuckle. Up ahead, they heard the gushing sound of falling water. They stepped from the thick jungle canopy into a grot
to cut with massive buttresses and deep, dark alcoves. High above them, nearly the height of ten men, a feathery white waterfall spilled over a limestone cliff into a sparkling turquoise pool banked by travertine formations and lined with delicate ferns, feeding on the mist. The pool overflowed, cascading down through smaller, shallow pools, each a different shade of blue-green surrounded by layers of moss-covered rock. A white egret stood along the edge of one gazing into its own reflection.

  Angei-Ami encouraged the Torans along as she continued down a stone walkway that meandered through numerous sparkling aquamarine pools of different sizes and shapes. Kail squealed. “Pools, Deke. Look. Pools!”

  Angei-Ami looked them up and down. “Indeed. May I suggest a bath?”

  Kiran ran his fingers through his tangled hair, suddenly aware of his grisly appearance. His tunic and trousers were torn and soiled with the dust of their journey.

  “We have the finest baths in all the land,” she said, as if it had been decided.

  The same young man who had greeted them on the dock appeared from nowhere, carrying two large baskets.

  “Young men, you may follow Cartus. Ladies, come with me.” She took one of the baskets and nodded for the girls to follow.

  Kiran hesitated; he was uncomfortable letting Bria out of his sight. Roh was right. Something didn’t feel right here. But he still couldn’t figure out what it was. Angei-ami had been nothing but welcoming and kind. Was he overreacting? Bria smiled at him as if to say, “I’ll be fine.”

  Reluctantly, he went with the other boys as they followed Cartus around a bend to one of the larger pools, tucked between walls of green leaves. They removed their boots and dirty clothing. Jandon plunged in. “The water’s warm!”

  Kiran stepped in and couldn’t believe it. Hot water! How could that be?

  Cartus handed them a wooden tray with lumps of soap, then sat down on the edge of the pool. The boys lathered their bodies and hair, washing away the dirt and grime of the journey. Kiran wondered what Roh and Deke thought of all this—the pools, the fountain, the waterfall. He glanced over at Cartus. The boy sat with his eyes lowered, his posture as though he had the patience and fortitude to sit, waiting all day. Kiran wished he would leave, so they could talk alone. He’d have to wait to ask the others their thoughts later.

  Kiran laid his head back and closed his eyes, letting the warm water soothe his sore muscles. Maybe Kail was right; maybe this was the place they were supposed to find.

  He emerged from the bath feeling refreshed. Cartus offered him a clean white tunic to wear. Kiran brought the fresh linen to his nose, inhaling the scent of clean laundry. Their dirty clothing was gone. So were their boots. For a moment, he had a surge of panic, but then saw his pack was where he had dropped it. “My boots?” he said to Cartus. The young man just smiled, lowering his head, reminding Kiran that he wore no shoes. It must be their custom, Kiran thought.

  He donned the tunic and once the other boys had stepped from the pools and dressed, he grabbed his pack and they followed Cartus back to the main path where the girls and Angei-Ami were waiting.

  Bria was scrubbed clean and dressed in a crisp white tunic. “Wasn’t that absolutely glorious!” she said, her wet hair clinging to her face, glistening in the sun. Kiran smiled, trying not to stare. He was just glad to be with her again. Why am I being so paranoid?

  Angei-Ami continued down the stone walkway. Like a shadow, Cartus disappeared again.

  At the end of the walkway stood a palatial structure as high as the village temple, perhaps higher, but round, built of wood posts and beams with a cone-shaped thatched roof of dried reeds woven in intricate patterns. There were no exterior walls. It was a great open-air pavilion.

  Directly in front of it was the largest of the pools. On a rock base at its center stood a stone sculpture of a naked woman holding a vase turned downward with real water bubbling out. Kiran had never seen a naked woman before. His eyes dropped to his hands. Jandon stood gawking, unabashed, a grin on his face. Bria elbowed him in the gut.

  As Angei-Ami approached the pavilion, her gaze lowered and she stepped lightly. This was a sacred place. The young Torans followed her around the fountain, up two steps, and under the roof.

  Once across the threshold, it took a moment for Kiran’s eyes to adjust to the shade. There were no chairs, no tables, just a vast expanse of bare stone floor, glistening with shine from the humidity. At the far end was a raised platform, nearly five stairs above the floor, where a man knelt at an altar adorned with flowers and flickering candles, encircled by women, seven in all, kneeling with their foreheads touching the floor. They were barefoot and wore gauzy white robes like Angei-Ami’s.

  Angei-Ami nodded to the Torans, a tacit instruction to wait, and slipped away. She floated up the stairs to the platform and stood waiting for the man to acknowledge her.

  When the man finally rose, one of the women dropped to her knees before him and slipped sandals on his feet. He strode toward them, his white-clad attendants following several paces behind, and greeted them with arms outstretched in priestly welcome. Handsome by any standard, with chiseled features, he had a strong, squared jaw, and a tall, commanding stature. The creases at the corners of his soft, brown eyes were sharply etched with wisdom. The mark of the star was on his forehead. His long hair was gathered and tied loosely at the base of his neck. He wore a beard, which struck Kiran—no other man they had seen had a beard.

  The Guardian lowered his eyes and nodded in a gesture of peace. “Welcome to the Kingdom of the Kotari,” he said, his voice calm and soothing. “Kneel in gratitude, for providence hath brought you to us.”

  Unsure how to act, Kiran was terrified of giving offence or unwittingly committing some irredeemable blasphemy, so he lowered his eyes in the only way he knew to show reverence as he dropped to his knees. Deke remained standing. “It’s an honor to meet you,” he said. “We have traveled far seeking the Voice. It is the edict of—”

  Kiran glanced up. The Guardian’s expression had hardened. His eyelids lowered and lips pursed. He stared at Deke as though waiting for an unruly child to acquiesce to the rules. Angei-Ami leaned slightly forward, her eyes wide, silently scolding Deke with a subtle shake of her head.

  For a brief moment, Deke’s eyes darted back and forth from his fellow Torans to Angei-Ami. Then, his shoulders slumped in submission and he dropped to his knees.

  “Hold fast your proclamation,” the Guardian said. “For you need time to rest and be planted on a sure foundation.” His gaze moved from Deke to Kiran and a warm smile came to his face. The Guardian’s captivating eyes drew him in with an energy that was mesmerizing and a sense of solace settled in Kiran, like he’d never felt before.

  “In due time, you will learn the ways of the Kotari. You are weary now, but you will be quickened by The Coming of Light, for I can see you are dedicated. You are beloved followers, who in faith obey.” The last he said sternly, as if to emphasize the necessity of obedience.

  “We have waited for thee. Together, we shall prepare to witness The Coming of Light, so that we may be saved from Eternal Darkness. Let us not look to the things of this world, which are darkness, but to the Great Father of Light. Today, I shall reveal His name to you. His name is: Ani.”

  Kiran shook with excitement. Everything was becoming clear now. A pool of glorious reflection. . . The fountain! There a wise man will appear… Could it be? Could it truly be? Here, standing before him, was the wise man of the Legend. Kiran lifted his eyes. The Guardian was speaking directly to him. His eyes held Kiran’s, drawing him into their dark depths, as though the entire world had melted away and Kiran was the only person who mattered. He was overcome by a desire to lose himself in the glorious bliss, to follow wherever the Guardian wished.

  “All will be revealed to us at The Coming of Light, when Truth will be unveiled for ever and ever.”

  The Coming of Light? Kiran’s head was spinning. There was so much he didn’t understand.

  “Now
, I confess to you. This morning my faith was severely tried. I was dreaming, and in my dream I was hurled into pitch darkness. Helpless and terrified, I, in all my weakness, cried out, ‘Have I dishonored Ani?’ I was lost in utter helplessness. Only Ani could save me. Then the darkness broke. A sweet, gentle voice spoke and said, ‘Trust in Me.’ And then appeared a vision before me of seven sheep, wandering the desert, carrying a great burden. They had been cast out, vulnerable in the face of temptation, enduring the elements—wind, water and fire—seeking the sign that they may be cleansed. I know now, that it is by the Grace of Ani that you have been brought to me, so that I may tell you of The Coming of Light.”

  The Guardian had seen their coming—their trials, the wind demon, the angry river, the fire. He has been expecting us!

  The Guardian leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. “It is the beginning of the end. You know this; you have seen the signs. That is what hath brought you here.” He rocked back and smiled, a smile that said everything will be all right. “Enter with love, dwell here, in the Kingdom of the Kotari. Join us. Together we prepare for the Day of Thunder, when we shall hear His voice.”

  A warmth spread over Kiran’s body, from his heart to his fingertips, as though the Guardian were the sun, warming him with his radiance. Tears filled his eyes. At long last, they had found the wise man. Kiran dropped his head in his hands, trembling with joy.

  Chapter 18

  Once the Guardian concluded his welcome, he turned away, leaving behind a profound emptiness. Angei-Ami stepped forward and motioned for the Torans to follow. She led them back down the path. Near one of the pools, she stopped short, her hand at her belly. Kiran quickly glanced around for a snake.

  Kail took her by the arm. “Are you all right? Oh.” She smiled. “Are you with child?”

  “Yes, my dear.” Angei-Ami nodded. “It is the greatest honor to be a wife of Ani and to receive his divine seed. For His holy line will inherit the world and reign glorious.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her belly. Then, as though lightened by His love, she raised up on her tiptoes and continued along the way.