The little party grabbed different parts of the assassin and held on tight as they teleported her last location. The snow was falling heavily and the wind bit at them, snapping cloaks and scouring exposed skin. Sam took the several minutes he had promised to learn the area. Once done, he teleported them all back to the fortress.
“It will be easier if we come back here each time,” he said, “especially if the weather continues to be like that.” He turned to the assassin, “Ix, how are you feeling? Are you tired?”
“I’m fine, Sam. We can do the same thing at least two or three more times today before I start to get tired. I’ll go back now and start jumping ahead.”
“Be careful,” Sam told her. “With weather like that, you could run into an avalanche or slide down the mountain or something.”
“I’ll be careful. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to me. That would make it tough for you to get to the third artifact. And Nalia would be so depressed she wouldn’t be able to eat for a month.” She winked again and then, in a blink, disappeared. Irritating woman.
Twice more they repeated the process, each time Sam learning the final area while the rest of them shivered in the driving snow, despite the heavy winter clothing they all wore. By late afternoon, Ix was tiring and the rest of them seemed fatigued just from the constant changes in temperature. Nalia felt as if her energy had been stolen from her.
They stopped traveling for the day, discussing how far they had gone and the progress they would be able to make as they finally passed over the mountains to get to the flatter area on the other side. They were all satisfied with the day’s distance. Nalia had to admit that this new way of traveling was a good idea, even if it was Ix’s.
The next day, on their third jump, they came across a little valley nestled deeply between two mountains. A scattering of buildings peeked out of the snow. Paths carved in the thick white blanket—it wasn’t snowing at the moment and apparently hadn’t all morning there—indicated that people had been moving about from one structure to another. The traffic seemed heaviest in the area surrounding the largest building in the village.
Ix looked at Sam. “Well, what do you think? We can jump to the other side of the valley, missing it completely.”
Sam considered, squinting his eyes to see through the glare coming off the snow. “It would be good to let these folks know about the new government, not to mention the danger if the army should try to cross the mountains, though that is a pretty low probability, I think. Plus, I would hate to miss an opportunity to get information on Dal’s forces.”
“Yeah,” Emerius said, “or a chance to have another group of people try to kill us. We don’t know who’s down there. I have never seen a community as isolated as this, not even my own.”
Nalia agreed with the hunter. It was too risky to explore when they had other work to do. “Sam, we should leave. There is no reason to go there. We have business to be about.”
Sam nodded absently. “I know, Nal.” She could almost see the thoughts churning in his head. “I have a feeling we should talk to these people. I don’t know what it is. Just a feeling.”
Rindu stepped up to Sam. “Is it the rohw? At times, the energy reveals to us things we do not understand with our senses. Some call it intuition, but for those of us sensitive to the universal energy, it is something more.”
“I don’t know. I just think we need to see what’s down there. How do they survive out here? How do they get out? It won’t take long to find out. I’ll go alone if you want, and let the rest of you stay here. I’ll be quick.”
“No,” Nalia said. “If you insist on exploring like a child, I will accompany you. I would not have you fall down and hurt yourself like a clumsy oaf.” She tried to inject humor into her voice, but she knew her irritation was coming through.
He rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Nal. I know I can always count on you to support me.”
Chapter 6
All of the others went with Sam, realizing that he would not relent. The way down to the village was not difficult with the snow shoes that they had brought. He, Nalia, and Rindu had the shoes Sam had brought from Telani—Rindu was using Nicole’s pair—but the other two wore cruder ones crafted by a tradesman at Whitehall. Crude, Sam thought, was probably not an accurate description. They were made from treated leather straps and flexible wood bent into the classic teardrop shape, and they were skillfully done. They weren’t the aluminum, plastic, and carbon fiber of the ones he brought, so he looked at them as being more rudimentary. He had to admit that they worked just as well and were close to the same weight.
As they neared the first of the buildings, Sam was surprised to see that they all resembled Asian structures he had seen in Telani. The gracefully sloping roofs and ornate scrollwork on the eaves made him think of pagodas he had seen pictures of back in his own world. Rindu’s eyebrow twitched as the monk surveyed the collection of structures. Sam thought the monk had told him once that many of the buildings in the temple were designed similarly, to take best advantage of the flow of rohw around them.
The buildings are shaped like that to gather the rohw? Skitter sent to Sam.
Yes, Sam sent back. I think so. We have buildings shaped like that on my world, too. They help with the flow of energy and they’re thought to repel bad spirits.
Skitter sent skeptical thoughts at that last part. I still think tunnels with solar tubes are better, the hapaki sent.
There were not many more than twenty of the buildings scattered about. They were in close proximity—most likely to reduce travel between them in the winter months with the heavy snows—and they all seemed to be arranged around a larger central building. That one must be the meeting room or community structure. Still, as close as they were, there were no people visible. The smoke coming from several of the edifices indicated someone was there, but they remained invisible.
It wasn’t until Sam, in the lead, set foot in the space between the first two buildings that two men stepped out from the main central building and padded on soft boots toward the party. The others from Whitehall bunched behind Sam, walking in the same pathway through the snow. Nalia was just behind him, with Ix and Emerius, shoulders almost touching, and Rindu close on their backs. Skitter was huddled in Sam’s backpack, as he had been for most of their travels. He wasn’t accustomed to traveling all day as he had been when Sam was in Gythe last time.
Sam was taken aback at first. The men were both of medium height, one with jet black hair cut close to the scalp and the other with hair a little longer, streaked with gray. Their faces held no expression, but seemed serene and calm. They had not spoken yet.
The thing that really stood out was their clothing. It was a light gray, almost dirty or sooty looking, and it consisted of loose pants, a shirt of the same color, boots that ended in laces that wrapped around the leg up to the knees, and flowing robes. They were all made of a coarse woven cloth. It also looked exactly like the clothing the Zouyim wore, except the color, which was a little darker.
“Greetings, travelers,” the gray-haired man said, his mouth twitching into a tiny smile. Sam thought it was only for their benefit. He sensed that the man probably did not typically show emotion in his expressions. Just a feeling, but it was a strong one. “It is not often we receive visitors. It has been, in fact, more than ten years since someone from outside the valley has entered here.”
“Good day,” Sam said back to him. “We are traveling through the mountains and saw your village. We were curious about who would live this far from other settlements.”
The man opened his mouth to speak again and stopped before he had uttered a word. Rindu had moved out from behind the hunter and assassin. As soon as the two men caught sight of him, they dropped to the ground and prostrated themselves. “Master,” they both said, “we study, we ponder, we meditate, and we wait.” It sounded to Sam to be some kind of ritual. “What is your will?” the men both asked Rindu in perfect synchronization.
Rindu ra
ised one eyebrow at the two forms in the snow in front of him. “Please, get up. I do not know what you are talking about. Please, rise.”
Both men climbed shakily to their feet, a look of open wonder on their faces as if they had seen a legend made flesh. The older man spoke alone this time. “Have you come to give us our charge, to allow us to fulfill our purpose? Is the time at hand at last?”
“I am afraid I am confused as to what you are speaking about,” Rindu said. “Perhaps we should start at the beginning, such as where we are and by what names you are called.”
“Of course, of course,” the man said. “I am Dilkin Turin, or Brother Dilkin, as I am called by the other brothers and sisters. I lead here, in the absence of a true Zouyim brother. Please come with me to the Order House, and we will drink tea and discuss it.”
Sam looked at Rindu, a question in his eyes. Rindu gave a nearly imperceptible shrug and followed the two men toward the large building in the center of the village. Sam and the others trailed behind him.
The inside of the Order House had the look of both a place for general meetings and for religious rituals to Sam. He felt a reverent sort of atmosphere inside, maybe some type of vibration. It could have been the presence of rohw, but it was different than he had ever felt, a bit strange.
The main chamber was perhaps fifty feet long and half again that wide. Rugs covered the hard-packed dirt floor, and the walls were made of whole logs arranged so perfectly that there were few gaps between them. These gaps were sealed with some type of mortar. It seemed well insulated because the temperature was almost warm, welcome after the biting cold outside.
There were scrolls mounted on the walls, some depicting peaceful landscape scenes with others holding passages in Old Kasmali and in Kasmali. Some of them appeared to be bits of wisdom and admonition to put first peace and balance in all things. At the front of the room, opposite the door through which they entered, a table held a large pot surrounded by several smaller pots. Each of those had sand in them, and sticks of incense bristled like tiny spikes. Some of the incense smoldered, creating a sweet-smelling haze that hung over the chamber.
The two men led the party through a door to an adjoining room, this one containing a large table with eight chairs. It looked to be some type of meeting room.
“Please, sit,” Dilkin said. “Brother Mosian will make tea as we talk.”
Rindu chose a seat and the little party sat around him. Rindu introduced himself—receiving a bow from both brothers—and the others followed suit.
After stepping into yet another room to put on a large kettle to heat water, the other man busied himself in bringing out cups and a glazed ceramic container of tea leaves. Brother Dilkin faced Rindu, still unable to maintain eye contact, and bowed his head.
“As I said, I am Brother Dilkin. The village in which you find yourself is called Rohwbyt, and we are the Order of the Rohw. Do you not know of us? Elsewise, why would you be here?”
Sam looked to Rindu and nodded. The Zouy looked back at him. Sam would let the monk speak, and he would listen.
“I am afraid we do not know of you, Brother Dilkin. Perhaps you could tell us why you are out here, many miles from hospitable land and any other people.”
The man looked confused for a moment, but then shook his head and focused on Rindu again. He muttered something that sounded like, “…sure he was here to fulfill…” but Sam couldn’t make out any more than that.
“We of the Order are fully dedicated to studying and coming into harmony with the rohw, a sentiment I do not need to explain to you, Master. Our sole purpose is to gain that balance and to attain an enlightened state of being creatures solely of the rohw.”
Sam’s thoughts raced. What this man was saying was that they studied the rohw, as the Zouyim studied it. They seemed to regard the vibrational energy in almost a religious manner. He leaned toward the man, elbows on the table and his chin in his hands, and focused on the conversation.
“How is it that you have come to be here, in this place?” Rindu asked.
“Ah, yes, that is the place to start,” Brother Dilkin said. “I see that now.”
“One hundred fifty-five years ago, Brother Pred Turin, a monk of the Zouyim Order, left the temple in search of answers. He was dissatisfied with his knowledge of the rohw, the same knowledge that had been handed down from generation to generation in the temple. It was not that he disliked the Order or his fellow monks, but he knew there must be more out there, things others had not seen or learned. It was a tugging, as if there was something else, just out of reach, something important.
“He traveled for a time, communing with nature, seeking the wisdom that only the universal energy could provide. He began to change, to develop extraordinary sensitivities to the rohw. Still he traveled, always searching, meditating for many hours a day, exploring the subtle flows of power that swirled around him and everything else. He saw in those flows things that he had never seen before, things the masters had never mentioned.
“As he made his way across the land, certain people noticed that he was different. He had an aura of peace, a gentle power that seemed as enduring as stone, and just as patient. Some left the lives they knew and followed him, begging to be taught.”
Brother Mosian poured the tea into the cups he had placed in front of each of them. Sam hadn’t even noticed the man moving about. He was engrossed in the story. He nodded his thanks to Mosian and continued listening.
“Pred Turin had no desire to be anyone’s master, but neither did he stop the others from following him and observing him. As time passed and his new students tried to emulate his actions, he would correct them or speak with them of weighty things. In this way did he slowly fall into the role of master, and in this way did they learn to come into harmony with the rohw.
“Eventually, the small group wandered farther afield, always led by Brother Pred’s sensitivity to unique vibrations. After several years of wandering, he found this location and settled here. We have been here ever since, families creating children who became the new disciples in the faith. We now have thirty-eight people living here, all unified in the goal of attaining the ultimate oneness.”
Rindu tapped a finger on the table. He picked up his tea and took a sip, a thoughtful look on his face. Still holding the cup aloft, he said, “The Zouyim monk was named Pred Turin. Your name is also Turin.”
“It is so. He was my ancestor. I am in a direct line from Brother Pred.”
“Do you also train in the fighting method of the Zouyim?”
Brother Mosian answered for the leader. “Oh, no.” He sounded offended. “We are peaceful. We study only the rohw, not combat of any kind. Our use of the vibrational energy is solely peaceful, used for healing and for upbuilding others.”
The edges of Rindu’s mouth turned down slightly. “I am sorry. I meant no offense. I am merely curious as to what of the Zouyim Order has been maintained.”
Brother Dilkin bowed his head again. “There is no offense taken. We are peaceful, it is true, but we have the utmost respect for the Zouyim. In fact, it was foretold by one of our particularly strong rohw seers more than one hundred years ago that the Zouyim would visit and would gather us and take us away to fulfill our destinies. It is for that I thought you had come.”
Sam felt bad for the man and his whole Order. They had waited all these years, living in this inhospitable wilderness, waiting for someone to snatch them up and tell them what their future would be, and when the deliverers came, they knew nothing of the brothers or their prophecy.
“I am afraid we have come here quite by accident,” Rindu said. “We are in the midst of a crisis for all of Gythe and chanced upon Rohwbyt.”
The man’s gray-flecked head dipped. “I understand. We have waited so long. When I saw your robes, my heart rejoiced that the time had finally come. Please, have something to eat with us, and we can discuss matters in the wider world. None of us now living have ever been out of this valley and would enjoy n
ews of the outside.”
Sam spoke up. “I’m afraid we can’t stay and eat right now. As Rindu said, we are on a crucial mission and must continue. We will come back within a few days, maybe even tonight after we’re finished with our daily traveling, and then we can tell you whatever you would like to know. Does that sound fair?”
“Yes,” Brother Dilkin said, “that would be wonderful.” He looked at Sam as if he was trying to puzzle out what species he was. “Pardon me. I mean no offense, but you are not Zouyim, that is plain. It is not just your clothes, but something else. You are powerful in the rohw, but it is a different power than Master Rindu’s, or even the Sapsyr. It confuses me, your aura and your ability. Will you tell me of yourself?”
Sam smiled at the man. “I’m…different. It’s true. I am not from this world, but from another called Telani—”
Brother Dilkin and Brother Mosian eyed one another. It was obvious they had heard the name before.
“Oh, you’ve heard of Telani?” Sam asked.
“We have. Perhaps it would be best for you to complete your journey and then discuss it when we have more time. The matter is becoming more and more complex as we speak.” The leader of the Order raised an eyebrow. “One thing only. I am confused about how you can complete your journey yet come back to us within a few days and perhaps this evening. Are you so close to your journey’s end that you can finish it and then backtrack so quickly?”
“No,” Sam said. “We have a long way to go yet. The short answer is that Ix here,” he pointed toward the assassin, “has an ability to transport herself and others to somewhere else in the blink of an eye. I can use the rohw to mimic that ability as well, though in a slightly different manner. Once I study this location, learn the vibratory signature, I can come back here anytime I want almost instantly.”
Brother Dilkin grew a knowing smile. “Aha. I have discussed such matters with others of the Order in the past. I believed such things would be possible, but none of the others believed me. They thought me a dreamer. I would dearly love to see that.”
Harmonic Magic Series Boxed Set Page 104
