Subito woke up and looked at the girl sleeping next to him. Miratur had a peaceful dream, huddled under a blanket like a small animal. He covered her with his blanket; it was cold outside. No doubt it’s still night time. He descended the rope and climbed another one which led to the top of the clan house. Lillium was already there.

He asked, “Are we near?”

“Yep, few more hours and we will be there.”

“Good, this journey has worn me out.”

He saw titmice landing on the clan house roof next to them. A little bird shook off the morning dew which had gathered on its colorful wings. They were close to the ground. There were no birds at the higher altitudes. The small visitor was a nice surprise. He tried to be as still as possible. The bird turned her head a couple of times, then soared away. Its departure left him with an uncomfortable feeling. He shook his head couple times to make it go away.

He had to say something. “Will a dawn come soon?”

“Yep. The Brig masters planted those flowers in every hole on the clan house. The flowers open during the day, and close at night. Look, they are opening.”

“Nature knows when dawn approaches.”

“In all likelihood it’s just a reflex. Nature works by habit. Nature is smarter than we humans.”

“Maybe it would be better if we never learned some of nature’s secrets.”

“When we become intelligent enough to do those things instinctively - the time for such knowledge will come. If it happens before then, one can assume we will destroy the world by accident.”

“Nature has many tricks and secrets. Take the fog for example. It’s not the fog that changes creatures but rather the darkness that does the changing. The light from the Fetun stones stop the fog from mutating living organisms.”

“I wouldn’t call it a darkness – it’s the shadow of the fog which causes the mutations. A shadow is both dark and light - it is light reflected through the material objects. ”

They were silent, watching the dark forest move under their vehicle. It was getting lighter.

At first they could just hear water whispering deep in the forest. After a while they saw a growing crack in the woods until they saw the river itself. A brown band wound through the green backdrop of meadows.

The priests removed the Aiori stones allowing the light of Fetun stones to reach their full potential. Island bathed in light. They followed the river for a while.

Here and there they would notice several holes in the ground on the river bank. Groves of blossoming honey trees surrounded these holes. Those were Utrikat villages, spreading like a purple carpet under the clan house.

Utrikat children seeing the clan house ran after it, making a loud clamor. Mud covered their entire body. They rolled in mud with intention to jump into the river and leave the big brown stain on the surface. The youngest ones were not secure on their feet, bouncing off the ground as they ran.

Not long after they left the river behind them, a large round clearing opened in the woods. In the middle of this clearing was a group of forty to fifty clan houses. It was the volunteer army they had searched for. Lillium made several circles, then landed on the edge of the group. She released her Brig to feed on grass with other Brigs.

“At last, solid ground under my legs.” Schnew stretched for a few seconds, then picked up his dice and moved deeper into the camp. Inexperienced warriors crowded the camp, and he planned to make money from them. His plans worked out pretty well: he was back later that day with a bulging bag.

Lord Aenead greeted the company. He was a leader of the army. The lord was old, almost in his seventies, clothed in old but spotless Ulan attire. His braided white beard reached near to his feet. A large silver brooch in the form of a hedgehog attached the braid to his tunic. In his hand he held an Ulan sword in its sheath, not wearing any belt to attach it to. The lord was welcoming, but very tired. The visitation was short, just long enough for the old lord to tell them they should leave in three days.

A short time afterwards, another old man visited them. He came to stay. It was Sabator, a blind priest with a crooked cane made of yew and decorated with carved human faces. The Temple of Voice had sent many priests to help their distant brothers. Their mission was to take care of the volunteer army morale and to spread the word of the Voice in the lands over the fog. At least one of them got assigned to each clan house.

As soon as the priest arrived, the eager listeners surrounded him. He wore simple white clothes and a red cap, the garb typical for a Temple priest. He had beautiful voice and knew many heroic songs. Schnew produced his flute and accompanied him in whispering tones full of melancholy.

This poem describes

unifier of tribes

Immortal in fame

He gave us his name

Brave was Ulan

he took every clan

With brig and dog

over the fog

Fly on my words

Same as the birds

Would catch a wind

Under their wing

The wind of my word

Across the world

Will carry you far

Where snow always fall

The tears partake

In every snowflake

Dancing in air

So much despair

Day Star will die

And say goodbye

To the hills white

Every night

When she comes back

After night black

Hills will be gone

She'll be alone

The moving hill

Never stands still

Winds often blow

Moving the snow

Hozs lived there

Proud they were

Their princess fair

Had raven hair

King had a plan

Found her a man

A rich bridegroom

Her future gloom

Her heart adore

A nobleman poor

News reached him

He took a swim

His suicide -

Life cast aside

Princess was sad

Nearly mad

She sounds the knell

Whisper a spell

Defiles the pyre

Waking vampire

…

A loud shriek interrupted his song. Lillium looked back to find herself eye to eye with an approaching terroratus. By then it was too late to run. Schnew tried anyway, tossing his flute in the grass. He took a few paces, each one slower than the one before, until he stiffened like the rest of the group.

The beast was almost upon them. She had never seen a live one before now, but she had seen depictions in books. They were hideous images of a rat-like creature the size of a grown man. It had no fur to cover its clammy red flesh.

She shook in fear while sweat beaded her forehead and glued the dress to her back. No mere image could do this creature justice. Large purple veins bulged on the terroratus’ skin, pulsing with each heartbeat. Tiny red eyes full of hatred almost disappeared under heavy eyelids covered in white crust. Its foot long dirty claws did not frighten her – the creature almost never used them on its prey.

The worst part was the smell. The stench of rotten meat and stale earth almost suffocated her. She mustered all of her will-power not to vomit. If she couldn’t resist the urge she would die choking on her own bile. There were other chemicals these creatures exuded which couldn’t be detected by the human sense of smell. Powerful pheromones affected the nervous system of the victim making its whole body to freeze in panic.

Then the beast reached the warrior on the edge of the circle around the old priest. It opened its toothless mouth revealing scores of boils which covered its gums. Pink worms emerged from bursting boils, finding their way into the helpless warrior’s body. He fell to the ground shaking in agony. The beast moved away searching for a new victim, new boils growing on its gums.

She had heard about attacks near the island edges. What is animal from the fog doing here, so deep inland?

It will kill us all. Terroratus can live without food for months. Those worms have a symbiotic relationship with the beast; they will keep him alive. He gives them a place to live in his body and he hunts for them. They let him eat a certain percentage of them after they digest the food. I would be better off choking on my vomit - I refuse to despair, even if it seems hopeless. Someone must have heard the shriek. Archers will come and shoot it from a safe distance. I hope before it’s my turn to be eaten alive.

Then she reconsidered. I hope it chooses my friends instead of me. My daughter… No, please gods let it be me first. I don’t want to watch her being devoured. She couldn’t even cry though she wished she could.

The terroratus found its way through the ranks of warriors, going straight for the Subito. Pain gripped her heart. She concentrated on the Subito, trying to give him strength. This was not the way for a warrior to die - motionless, helpless and afraid. At least he had his armor and weapons on to meet Death and tries to fight him.

Then she saw his eyes. They burned with hatred, not even a hint of fear or desperation. He was a terrible sight to behold fuming from the inside. She would have gasped in surprise if she could after what happened next.

He moved with a frightening roar, like a mountain bear defending its cave. The terrified terroratus uttered shriek of disbelief. That made Subito’s anger burn hotter if that was even possible. He unlocked his sword entwining it around the beast’s throat. With a single pull, the beast’s head was on the ground. Thousands worms fell out, wiggling in the dirt. Subito squashed the worms, laughing like a maniac. The crunching sound they made while he trampled over them sent shivers down her spine.

Soon worms’ slimy remains covered his heavy leather boots. That was not enough; he dissected terroratus with his now locked sword. He cut the motionless animal till everything that remained was pile of crushed bones and spilled intestines.

The smell of rotting flesh intensified and filled every pore of her skin. She wondered how many days she would need to remove it. What concerned her even more is that she could never forget the terror. She could not wash away her memories. At least she was alive.

Tired, Subito sat on the ground soaked in blood. He stabbed his sword into the dirt, working hard to slow his heavy breathing. His eyes were downcast, his back hunched. He tried to wipe the blood his clothes and face. His effort was futile; he only smeared the blood and stained his hands even worse.

This annoyed him and prevented him from calming down. He jumped up, unlocked his armor and threw it on the grass. Then he took of his tunic, ripping the sleeve off when his hand got stuck in it. Bare-chested he walked in small circles like caged animal, scanning his surroundings.

Then he noticed the frozen warriors around him. He took time to stare at each of them. From his lost expression it was clear he recognized none of them. Somehow he managed to look at them and at the same time through them like they consisted of mist. His low hanging head and dead eyes stared out from an expressionless face. He looked like a man who had gone to funeral and cried for days. His countenance was that of a man who has lost everything and has forgotten what it feels like to be happy.

His arms were like two withered branches hanging from a tree. They hung down from his body not moving as he walked. What is wrong with him? Did fear drive him mad?

She could feel tips of her fingers tingling; the effects of the pheromones were wearing off. Subito still watched them with eyes like two dark bottomless pits. When he reached Alma, the poor girl pissed herself. A wet stain grew from the inside stitches of her pants to form yellowish pond at her feet. It was clear that she was familiar with his angry outbursts, and that she had suffered from them in the past.

He moved, fixing his eyes on her. But first he stopped to bend over and pick up his sword. His movement was slower now. He wasn’t certain what to think about such a tiny movement. His muscular, sweat covered body would be the sexiest thing she’d ever seen if it weren’t for his awkward demeanor. And those eyes! They were a lot scarier than terroratus.

She prayed to her gods. Please Poet, please mighty Sorceress, let me move. Let me wake up from this nightmare. Don’t make me watch as my friend kills my other friend. I’ve had enough grief for one day.

Subito was in front of Alma when Lillium managed to turn her head right, towards her Crow eye stone. Her whispered command was so quiet that even she had trouble hearing it. Could the crow hear her? She repeated same command again and again. Subito grabbed Alma by her hair to hold her head still. He placed his sword under her chin. He was about to cut her throat when a crow pecked his head.

The bird’s claws got tangled in his hair, ruining his brigtail. He reached up to grab the pest, but the bird took flight. The raven hair flowing down his bare backs shifted in the wind. Subito followed the bird forgetting all about Alma. The crow landed on a nearby tree and cackled at him. Subito hacked the tree with his sword.

As he got half way through the tree trunk, Lillium discovered she could move. She ran to her clan house for ingredients. After she spent some time grinding them in an oval stone dish, she was ready to put them in fire. Then she used a fan made of bird feathers to direct the smoke towards him. His motions got slower as the calming smoke affected him. He sat next to the tree dropping his sword.

Lillium proceeded to wash his face with cold water. “Are you alright?”

“What happened?” He asked oblivious of the last half hour.

“You tried to kill Alma, and she stopped you. Naughty witch!” Schnew was able to move again. Even worse, he could speak.

Subito didn’t think it was funny. He ground his teeth. “Just as I feared, one of my gray moods conquered me. I can’t control myself when it happens.”

Lillium wiped his wet face using her skirt. “It’s alright now.”

“No, it’s not! It will never be. Maybe I should go back. I am dangerous to anyone around me.”

Alma approached, putting her hand on his shoulder. “It’s not your fault. You can’t control it as you said. If you weren’t here we would all be dead by now. Eaten by worms.”

He looked deep into her eyes. His mouth inched into a smile. “You are so good to me, my Alma.”

“Please don’t leave us. We wouldn’t know what to do without you.”

“I won’t. That’s a promise. I will defeat these gray moods and help you defeat Lorantides.” He cupped her face into his hands and planted soft kisses on her forehead and her horn.

Schnew interrupted them. “You better go change, you stink.”

She stood up with a hiss to punch him in the shoulder and ran to the clan house to change.

That same night Lord Aenead called for a warrior council. When the warriors gathered in the circle around him he called for Lillium to step forward. She stood next to him, her shoulders slumped. Something troubled her.

Aenead spoke first, “We have a new development to consider. Please, be quiet and listen what Lillium has to say. It has tremendous importance for our journey.”

She cleared her throat before she spoke. “It’s best to get right to the point – our campaign is being sabotaged. Yep, you heard me right,” she answered in response to murmurs in the crowd. “Someone is trying to stop us from going to the Land of Moving Hills. Most of you are already familiar with the attack on Subito. They attacked him in the War Queen’s clan house! This tells me we are facing a well-organized and ruthless enemy.”

She opened the pouch hanging on her belt and presented a crystal shard the size of her palm. “I searched the remains of the beast which attacked us today and found more than I hoped for. I wanted ingredients for my spells, but I also found this. It surprised me when I identified it as a Crow eye stone, similar to the one I have.

“I never saw someone using a Crow eye stone to control such a large beast or any other animal except the crows. It tells me we are up against mighty sorcerers. My best guess would be Utrikat pirate witches - they were the ones behind the attack on Subito. They may be in allegiance with Lorantides. Perhaps they are preparing simultaneous attack on our island, after they conquer the east.

“We got another reason to go there and fight. What worries me the most is that they may have support from traitors amongst our ranks. I speak about traitors on the highest level…”

Lord Aenead cleared his throat to interrupt her. “Please, Lillium we’ll not accuse anyone who can’t defend themselves. We have no proof. Please take your seat.” He had to give her a gentle push before she obeyed.

Red faced, he continued. “Thus we decided to leave first thing in the morning. Load your clan houses, take everything you need and be ready before dawn.”

“But, won’t they follow us?” Subito asked.

“I’m almost certain they will. We will have to pay close attention. It will be easier to spot them from the air.”

“What if we fool them and take another route?”

“There is another route?”

“Lillium spoke about great storm in the south. We may be able to travel near the edge, avoiding both the storm and anyone who would follow us.”

Lillium jumped from her seat. “Subito, I don’t want to be anywhere near that storm for reasons I will not explain here.”

Aenead considered. “It sounds like a good plan. Can you do it?”

“I can, but…”

“Then please take us near the storm edge. We need every warrior to reach Land of Moving Hills alive. Who can say what those killers have planned for us?”

She started to speak then stopped herself. With a heavy sigh she accepted the order.

***

His uncle expected him at the entrance doors of the Lux clan house. Melessar hugged him. Since his father died fighting off an Utrikat pirate raid, his uncle had done everything he could to replace his brother.

A smile spread across the old man’s face. Melessar remembered an event from his past when his uncle gave him a different smile. The priests came to take him when he lost his hand, he was still a child at the time. His uncle stood in the same spot in front of the doors.

He watched as the priests placed him in a basket on a dog and led him away. His uncle had looked so tiny and broken. The priests assured him it was for the best. His eyes were not shining. Look at them brought memories of dead fishes to little Melessar thought they looked like the eyes of a dead fish.

His chin was so low it almost rested on his chest. When he raised his eyes to look as they led Melessar away his gray face twitched. For a moment the boy thought his uncle would cry. But no, he didn’t cry. He was even able to curl his lips into something that resembled a smile. The boy in the basket smiled back. With that smile he promised he would be strong, just like his uncle. This time his uncle’s smile was sincere.

“It is a little awkward for me to call you father, but you are welcome to clan Lux, father Melessar.”

“Melessar is enough, uncle.”

“I was jubilant when they told me you were coming. Have you made any progress with your research?”

“I have made substantial progress. I already know two letters.”

“That’s good news. We should celebrate. Let’s get inside! I have ordered a feast for you.” He pushed Melessar through the doors.

“Somehow I suspect we would have this feast even if I had found nothing.”

“Of course we would. My late brother’s son does not come every day. I have a right to celebrate.”

In the middle of the great hall was an oaken table surrounded by burning fires. On the table were the silver plates Melessar’s mother loved so much, made by the best silversmiths in Ulan. His father ordered them to be made. They were his wedding gift to his wife, engraved with hunting scenes. On the first plate was a group of archers, leaving the clan house followed by dogs. The second depicted a buck drinking from a creek in the forest. On the third the dogs caught his scent.

And so on… The buck is killed, skinned, and carried to the village. The huntress that killed the animal draws the line around her shadow on a tree. The wood spirits attack the drawing to avenge the death of nature’s child. Tents are made from the buck’s skin, a knife handle from his horns. The buck’s meat is cooked. The last plate shows children eating buck stew.

When he was a child he loved to imagine these scenes and dream about hunting. He couldn’t have known he would never hunt. The clan house was full of memories. On the plates were goat cheese and dried matasart meat. Other plates held pheasants in honey and buck stuffed with turnips. Utrikat servants arranged slices of fresh steaming bread just out of the oven.

There were no cups and the round cake with raisins in the center of the table was the reason. It was soaked in the suind. Any pastry soaked in alcohol would make a man drunk much faster than alcohol alone. Others from the clan also sat at the table. They rose when they saw Melessar approaching. He blessed them.

His uncle whispered as the meal was starting, “As you can see, Alma and Schnew went away with Subito. Many young warriors joined them.”

“He needs people he can trust over there.”

“That’s the reason I sent them with him. I hope they will stay healthy and return.”

“My prayers go with them.”

“I pray every night, and I am still worried. That’s how it is with parents. Did the Temple give you money for your research?”

“No, they refused. Hremo gave me money.”

“I know Hremo. He is a good man. He is crazy, but good nevertheless. It is a curse of those which know more than the society has accepted as a truth, to be considered crazy.”

“Just like wheat strives toward the sun, people strive toward knowledge. Sometimes a single wheat plant outgrows the others. It is easy to notice it. Crows attack that plant first. The same thing happens to a smart man - he is a convenient target to point out. He can’t find security by hiding in the crowd like others do.”

“You sound like a priest. I am proud of you, my son.”

His uncle dropped bag of btaris in front of him.

“This is meant to help you in your research. Don’t spend it all on women and suind.”

Melessar smiled and said, “I won’t.”

“Spend some of it, I know I would. If you think too much your head will overheat and nothing good will come of that.”

“I will.”

They finished their meal.

Melessar asked, “Can you give me a straight staff and a sharp knife? The bark should still be on the staff.”

“I can.” His uncle snapped his fingers and young Utrikat walked away to bring the requested items. Melessar took his chair and placed it next to the wall. He climbed on it, to take down an old painting. It depicted their ancestor, the founder of the Lux clan. His uncle followed him, watching every move he made with a great care.

“This portrait is the reason I came. Do you see the white and black lines on his scythe? I believe those are letters. They may spell his name or title.”

“It would be nice if we could read it.”

“I hope I will soon be able to read it.”

A young Utrikat brought the knife and a staff. She was a teenager. Her horn was just breaking through the skin on her forehead and the red dots on her skin were hard to notice. She wore the clothes made of bear skin. Melessar took the staff and copied marks from the scythe engraving the bark with a knife.

“I will walk from one clan house to another, repeating the same process.”

“Give me a moment…”

His uncle climbed to his bed chamber. He did it with a squirrel-like agility. Despite his age he was still nimble. He was back even faster, sliding down the rope. In his hand was a parchment.

“Here, take this. When I was in a war against pirates, king gave me this pass. My orders were to carry his message to the other side of the Island. This parchment allows the carrier to enter any clan house and take their best dog and best meal. There’s the king’s seal on the bottom. It is on the name of young Baronet of Lux. The only problem is that it has old king’s signature. No one looks at the signature anyway. Everything should be fine as long as you don’t show it to high officials.”

“Thanks, I will go now.”

“Go to the Bolki tribe first. Their hunting grounds are far away. You can visit our neighboring tribes when your money runs out.”

“That’s good advice.”

“Good luck. I will pray for you, just as I pray for your sword brother.”