Scar shook, reacting to the touch of cold dew on the high grass that reached up to his chest. A long trail of trampled grass followed them. Their stinging skin told them that the mosquitos and flies were already awake. He surmised that the only reason for the existence of these creatures was to annoy people. Even the sounds they produced were annoyance in its purest form. Under their feet was a whole world. Millions of ants and other bugs found their way through the grass, unaware of the giant creatures moving above them. Volunteers entered the clan houses.

Schnew rubbed his eyes, mumbling, “I need a drink. You have to hate it when they wake you up before the rooster crows. What’s the rush? Death will wait.”

He was picking poppies from the grass. He made a bouquet tying them up with strings made from braided cornflowers.

“Beautiful blue dots in red…” Then he made a garland of marigolds.

He is like a big child. Maybe that’s the reason I loved him so much when I was small. I still love that silly vagabond. The past tense for the word love shouldn’t exist. If you love someone, you will love him forever.

Lillium called for him. She said, “We have new passengers. Many came on foot, without a clan house. We got a captain too. He’s the one with the red face.”

“That’s good. Someone should be in charge. I should wake up Miratur. I left her to sleep a little longer.”

Schnew whispered in his ear, "I will give you advice. Don't hate the messenger, hate the message if you want to. If you allow yourself to get too attached you will experience excruciating pain when you lose the one you admire. You shouldn't take anything too seriously, everything comes to an end even life. Everything is meant to be lost. If you treat everything as a big joke when the end comes you will have the last laugh. It's a cruel thing to say, but cruel jokes are the best jokes and life is just one of them. Like I have already said, enjoy it while you can and die with a smile."

Subito smiled. "I will."

Schnew came to Lillium and said, “Isn’t love wonderful?”

“Yep. Are you trying to steal my stones again? I’m always watching, even when I turn my back to you. Be warned.”

“It is nice to know you are always watching me. Don’t worry, I don’t mind. Are we still going to discuss that unfortunate accident? I was only checking your alertness.”

“Yep, right…”

“Let’s change the subject. I made a bouquet for a fair princess that lives here according to the legends.”

She smiled. “It’s nice, I guess.”

“Have you lost this crown? I found it in the meadow and it looks like it belongs to you.” He crowned her with the marigold garland. His behavior confused her.

“It’s perfect fit. You must be the fair princess from the legends. This bouquet belongs to you.”

She slapped him with the bouquet and walked away.

He watched her leave, whispering, “She’s seduced me with her witchcraft.”

Subito returned. Schnew put his arm around his shoulder and said, “You wouldn’t mind having me for father-in-law, would you?”

“I wouldn’t. But I don’t think you have much of a chance with her.”

“Anything is possible. You only need to know how to make it happen. And I love challenges.”

“That’s just suind talking.”

“Maybe drinking just reveals my thoughts.”

“We should go.”

The next morning Subito watched his home island as it moved under his feet. He was standing on the bridge of the clan house. They were low.

He caught movement in the corner of his eye. A mound of earth was rising. The mound was similar to one a mole would make, only this one was much larger. A matasart came out after his long winter sleep. Subito gave Lillium the sign to slow down. He wanted to observe the big animal. Soon enough the giant creature surfaced covered in mud mixed with his mucus. His pink, hairless, cylindrical body was barely visible under the movement of numerous tentacles.

Matasart

“There was one whose scent I have followed for three years. Every year he evaded me. I felt sorry when I killed him. We were two friends who played the same game for many days. When I killed him my life became much less interesting. Sometimes I recognize his scent in dreams.” Sabator was behind Subito.

“How do you know he is down there? You can’t see.”

“I can hear him. I was the best hunter in my clan before I lost my eyes. Every time I am near the matasart my senses are sharper. It is a special connection. I lost my eyes while hunting one of them.”

“How did you lose your eyes?”

“We circled around the strong male for hours. Few of his tentacles were already severed. A younger hunter was reckless in his desire to give a final stroke. Matasart grabbed his dog and slammed it against a tree. The dog was dead and his rider unconscious. Matasart was ready to finish him when I made a charge. I wasn’t able to pull my scythe out of his heart before the beast fell. It pulled me into the thorny bushes which took my eyes.”

“My sword brother lost his hand saving me during a Blood Week,” Subito said with sadness in his voice.

“I am sure he prefers having a sword brother than a hand. Sometimes I am sorry that I can’t hunt. I miss the moment when I make a kill the most. You are the center of attention, hunting god himself. I miss the ceremony after the kill. Your fellow hunters outline your shadow with matasart’s blood – hoping that nature will take revenge on it, for killing her child, instead of you. It is bond you make that I miss the most. Nothing tastes as good as the meal after a kill.

“Mark my words, I miss all those things, but I never regretted saving my brother in that hunt. I would do it again, even if I lost more than my eyes.”

Lillium yelled, “We have to go. Others are way ahead of us.”

Subito waved at her to go and descended into the house. Days later, he was at the same spot again. He noticed tendrils of fog curling over land. They lingered, twisting around like snakes. Light from Fetun towers had reached its limits - they entered the realm of darkness.

He turned around to gaze at a wall of fog right in front of them. Menacing like incoming storm, it seemed as hard as granite. Chills descended his spine. He was afraid they may stay here forever, entrapped between land of light and land of darkness. He knew that many clan houses travel between Ulan and Land of Moving Hills for trade but that was little consolation – fear still gripped him.

It was the child in him. The child frightened of dark, of unknown, of death which took his mother. They pulled him out of her dead body, snatched him out of death’s hands - death was his midwife. He followed him ever since. Subito thought the child died long ago, but it was part of him. The child played somewhere in the hidden parts of Subito’s soul - it would come out whenever there was something shiny and new to investigate or something dark to fear. Otherwise, it would stay hidden, there where he had pushed it - too naïve and fragile for the real world.

Just a moment ago there were woods and meadows with an occasional creek winding through them, then everything changed: fog descended on the land, corrupting it. Green color was a faint memory disappearing like a dream. Sometimes he would spot a rock peeking through the fog, reminiscent of a beleaguered island. He couldn't be sure if it was a rock or a tendril of fog reaching for him. Then he couldn't see anything except for the fog for a long time. He was alone, even his shadow had fled. Threatening wall of infinite fog waited for them, silent and patient. Lillium had no desire to enter the fog - instead she made Brig climb. After a while Ulan Island was just an emerald green smudge.

Just a crack in a dark mass of fog induced by Fetun light, island looked so tiny and fragile now- like that little inner child of his. First steps in unknown are always full of hesitation and uncertainty.

He looked at Lillium. She was calm. It was not her first visit to the Land of Moving Hills. And for the first time in his life Subito encountered true darkness. His first thought was about old Sabator: this endless darkness is all he ever saw. Subito’s chest was too confining - his heart jumped around like a trapped rabbit. He felt like an invisible heavy stone pressed on his backs. In the dark he had to feel alone, to be alone with himself. That was the one thing he was most afraid of – himself.

Fear resembles a wound on the soul. He shook and reached for bridge fence. His legs refused to hold him anymore. Lillium noticed his fear and sent him inside to bring her small Fetun stone to light the bridge.

He gave her a look full of gratitude and descended into the hold. Darkness was terrible. Anything hiding in the dark can’t be seen or known - it has no face. You can’t defeat such an opponent. It is impossible to make plans for a battle. You are alone in the dark - you can’t defeat yourself.

When Subito returned with the stone it was better. They couldn’t see isle anymore, just a beam of light behind them in the darkness. Noticing the fear in his eyes, Alma followed him upstairs. She could see through the fog and the darkness. Her eyes reflected the light and glowed in the dark. She held Subito’s hand. Her glowing eyes chilled him even more, but he couldn’t say that. Instead, he avoided looking at her. Schnew came next, carrying a bottle of suind. He winked at Lillium. She gave him a blank look, so he turned toward Subito, pushing the bottle into his hand.

“Take a sip, the darkness is uncomfortable.”

He knew Subito was afraid of the dark when he was a child. He pulled stone out of his pocket and threw it into the fog.

“I always carry a few of those in my pocket. They help when I meet unknown dogs. Sometimes all I need is to squeeze the stone in my pocket for my courage to return.”

“The stone you threw may kill someone down there,” Lillium complained.

“She noticed I exist. It would be unfortunate for them, wouldn’t it?”

She frowned, concentrating on navigation.

“We are high,” he said, looking over the railing, “I should keep my distance from here. Every time I see the depth below me I feel like it calls for me- like when I see Lillium’s eyes. In the name of the Voice from the Crowd! Alma are you trying to give me heart attack? Back away with your glowing eyes!”

“Shut up, I can’t help it!”

“It’s not like I can control my fear. You look like a sheep caught in the light.”

“What would you do next to the sheep during the night?”

“I will explain it to you when we are alone.”

“I would never stay alone with you, dirty old man.”

Subito relaxed, as Schnew’s calm flowed into him. He looked back at his fear with a smile on his lips, just like we always reflect on our unreasonable fears when they are behind us. Then they noticed another light from above increasing in strength. A few minutes later, they emerged from the fog. The night sky covered in stars was one of the most beautiful sights Subito had ever seen.

“Close your mouth, or some bird will make a nest in it,” Lillium joked.

“What are those shiny dots in the dark?”

“Those are stars.”

“Are they alive? They seem to blink.”

“No one knows the answer to your question - some say they are, others say they are not. Others claim they determine our destinies. No one has ever gone up there, so no one knows for sure.”

“Could we try to reach them?”

“No, they are too far away. I heard a story once about a Brig master who tried to bring a star to a girl he loved. He never came back to explain what happened.”

“They are like thousands of Fetuns spanning the sky.”

“Maybe some sorcerer made them long ago to give light to the world.”

The crowd on the clan house bridge grew. The volunteers wanted to see the stars. No one noticed when a circle of light above Ulan Island disappeared in the distance. From up there even the fog was beautiful covering everything under them like soft, pillowy, gray wool. He went bellow decks to get Miratur and show her the stars. She was even more delighted than he was.

Lillium commented, “I don’t understand why so many people are gathering to watch those distant lights.”

Schnew whispered in her ear, “Don’t you feel the romance all around us?”

“Stop sneaking behind me, you creep!”

“Your wish is my command.” He turned on his heel and walked away.

Subito held Miratur in his arms and whispered, “I would like to gather several of those stars and make you a necklace.”

“I don’t need it. The most beautiful necklace my neck could wear is made of your hands.”

“Try this one,” he said, kissing her all around her neck, “a necklace of kisses for my lady.”

“You are right - I prefer this one.”

She craved his touch like an addict craves spirit mushrooms. She was afraid of those emotions. It was the first time, since she was a child, that she had lost her freedom. Her love for him was a beautiful feeling, but it was also scary. She couldn’t even bear to think about what would happen if she lost him. Even the thought was too painful. It was like she had volunteered to wear shackles. She enjoyed those shackles, more than anything else in her life. Tears erupted from her eyes. Her body shook.

Abashed, Subito whispered, “I promise I will love you forever. I know that no one who will die may promise eternity unless he can prevail in a battle against everything in existence. Unless he can endure terrible pain and trials beyond imagination. For you I feel like I could. No, I know I could. So when I swear, my heart speaks true.”

She hugged him tighter. He cherished her. She had the greatest dream of any woman right there in her arms – a man who loved her. Happy beyond all imagination, she cried even harder, releasing the pent-up feelings in her heart. Subito was even more confused.

Lillium approached them to fix Miratur’s hair. “Let her have a good cry. It will help her survive those feelings we women experience hundred times more intensely than men.”

Miratur pulled his hands tighter around her waist. There they were, standing on top of the clan house. Nothing above them but stars. They melted into each other, like the mythical Singularity in lessons from the Voice from the Crowd.

Nothing was below them except the fog, so soft and malevolent, looking nothing like it did from below. Their two young bodies pressed into each other, generating a magical electricity. They felt it flowing through them with a pleasant buzz. Even the people around them sensed the strange invisible light emanating from their bodies. It created a strange internal warmth in the hearts and souls of the spectators.

Holding her tiny hand in his Subito thought about how little a person needs to be happy - just a small touch and nothing else. The crowd on top of the clan house got bigger. They became hyperactive, pushing around and jumping.

Lillium yelled, “You will crush my bridge! I will not tolerate groups larger than twenty people at one time. Everyone will have their chance to see the stars. They will be here until morning.”

***

Days passed while they traveled. She was happy to notice that the fog would rise above them during a day, or else she could expect crowds of spectators interested in watching the Day Star. On the third day weak wind caused Lillium to worry. There shouldn’t be any winds here this time of the year. The windy area was further south where no Ulan ship ever traveled. Ships would always be forced back by strong winds. Could it be that she had approached to close to the storm?

The wind got stronger, and she shared her fears with the other Brig masters. They shared her concerns, but they decided to wait and see what would happen. Wind didn’t stop - on the contrary, it got stronger. With the increase of the wind’s strength Lillium’s face grew dark and stern. The sky seemed to reflect her face - dark clouds gathered above them.

The Brig masters attempted to avoid the storm by moving north. Their maneuver was useless – the menacing dark gray clouds came toward them faster, like they were going into the storm instead of moving away from it. Lillium determined the direction of the wind. It surprised her to discover that the storm came from the north and not from the south. When she communicated this to the others, they went south to avoid the storm. The entire time the storm remained on the horizon, never decreasing in size, like it followed them.

She whispered in the wind, “What do you want from us? Go away, follow your own path and leave us alone.”

After an hour she sent her crow to scout the area. She looked through the bird’s eyes in the Crow eye stone on her staff. It was a big storm and close. Inside the storm thunders raged in curtain-like rain. She called for the captain and Subito and informed them of the situation.

“I think it’s a product of witchcraft,” she said.

“Can you do something about it?”

“I have protection stones, but without knowing strength of my adversary, they may not work.”

“Just use them, and we’ll see what happens. I think we don’t have a choice. We will have to wait for our opponent to reveal himself. Let’s hope there is no opponent - we have other battles to fight.”

The warriors connected the clan houses with ropes and boards, just in case the storm caught them. Connected to each other, they were more difficult to crush. The Brigs cried above them. The animals were frightened. Lillium positioned protection stones on the outer edges of a platform formed by the clan houses.

Lillium was there too, shouting into the wind, “Go back! You don’t belong here. Go away to the mountains of dead. There no bride carries a child. There no one cries and no one smiles. This is not your place. I threw a key to my words deep in the sea. I threw a lock high in the sky. Only those who can find them may unlock my spell.”

She repeated it several times, pausing for a few moments then began again. A few times she made the wind silent when she shook her fists at the storm. But as soon as she stopped the wind came back. The storm was stronger than her and she couldn’t beat it.

Then she tried offerings. She set a table filled with various foods and drinks. She called the mysterious force to join her for a meal to calm his anger. When nothing happened she hurled a bottle of vine on the floor.

Her foot smeared the vine on the roof while she cursed, “You want our blood, don’t you?

Just like this vine, your blood will flow under my feet.

Feeding the earth and worms in it.”

After she said that a couple of times she fainted. When they picked her up, they saw she was sleeping. She woke up after a while.

“The fight exhausted me. Strong magic is at work here. My teacher would often say that if a sorceress yawns during a spell, it means spell will succeed. I fell asleep. The land of dream is the land of magic.”

They traveled south for another hour. At this point, the Brig masters returned to their eastern route. They’d been off the path for two hours and they were getting too close to the big southern storm. Soon after that the rain started, first as a couple of drops and then increasing in strength. Lightning was dangerous to air travelers. Every Brig master pulled out long copper antenna. Lightning hit the higher antennas instead of the clan houses.

Lillium ordered, “Take electrit stones from the crates next to the dogs and give them to the Brig masters. Tell them to attach the stones to the antennas. The lightning will provide electricity to charge the electrit stones. Later, we will make arrow tips out of them. They will discharge upon a successful hit.”

The wind became so strong that it broke a few of the boards which connected the clan houses. After replacing them they had to withdraw to the side rooms on the bridge. The Brig masters and captains gathered in Lillium’s clan house.

“This cursed thing is not stopping. Our Brigs are tired, and the storm is getting stronger. Soon the boards connecting our ships will break. I suggest we land inside the fog,” Lillium said.

Everyone yelled - some of them supporting her, others protesting that it would mean death for them.

“It’s our only chance. Upon landing, we will transfer all warriors to my clan house. I have a small Fetun stone which will protect us from the fog.”

“What about the food? We can’t store it all in your house, it’s too small.”

“We will take enough food for a few days and leave the rest. Let’s hope the storm won’t last longer than that.”

“Who knows what lives down there? It may eat our food, or even us.”

“We can only hope it’s vulnerable to our weapons – the storm certainly isn’t.”

The vote on it came close to a draw. They decided to wait a quarter hour and vote again. The storm was even stronger by then. The second time, the majority voted for landing in the fog. They let the clan houses fall. The Brigs used their wings just to slow them. They descended into the fog. The storm did not seem to like their plan. After they fell for a while the wind got so strong it could carry them away.

“We are at a wind’s mercy.”

“Let’s prepare to fight the death.”

In full equipment with weapons in their hands they waited for eath to come. The clan houses groaned under the gusts of wind. It was the voice of the death. She spoke something in an unfamiliar language. The Brig masters ordered their Brigs to land on roofs and rest. They needed to prepare for the final battle too. According to Ulan traditions one needs to leave this world fighting to preserve his honor.

Lillium proclaimed, “The Big southern storm is right in front of us. The wind will throw us right into its fury.”

They looked up and saw an enormous hurricane twister in front of them. It had to be at least two hours of flight wide. They waited for death to show his ugly face, then they would attack and die with honor. When the winds collided the clan houses spun around a couple times, but they survived.

Lillium came down and said, “We got lucky this time - the twister carries us in circles.”

***

The journey to the Bolki hunting grounds took him a month. He visited clan houses on his way. Two young girls about fifteen years old jumped out of the tree as he approached the clan house. They wielded unlocked Ulan swords, which were too big for their hands. Up there in the branches he spotted a twelve year old boy pointing a bow at his chest.

“Who are you?” The girl asked frowning.

“I am a priest. Don’t you see my red cap?”

“You could be a robber disguised as a priest.”

Melessar rolled his eyes and said, “You are good guards. Look at this – this document is signed and sealed by the king. I am on official business and need to speak with your leader.”

The girls looked at the document and at each other, uncertain what to do.

“Our leader is Lord Aenead Ultri, and he is in a battle in the East - in the Land of Moving Hills.”

“My sword brother is also there.”

The boy in the tree top became a lot more talkative, “I wanted to go too, but they wouldn’t let me. All the other warriors are there. They told me I should stay and take care of the house, but I realize they think I am too young. Only the youngest and oldest remain…”

The girls cut him off, “Yes tell him everything! Why don’t you tell him how many warriors protect our clan and how well we are armed?”

“There must be someone in charge?”

“Yes. The old Lady is in charge until her husband comes back.”

“If he comes back at all,” the boy added.

The girl’s look almost knocked him off the tree.

“Take me to her.”

“We’re sorry but we can’t leave our post.”

“Take me to her at once. What will she say when the guards come to arrest you for ignoring the king’s orders?”

The girl escorted him to the entrance while the other climbed the tree to yell at a boy sitting there. Wooden figurines of animals and humans stood on the edges of the massive clan house roof. Mounted on the corners were lewd statues with their pants pulled down. When it rained copper pipes channeled water of the roof through them, making it seem like they were urinating.

Brass scales painted green covered the roof. Emblazoned on the doors was the Bolki tribe coat-of-arms, depicting a crowned black bull’s head on a red shield surrounded by scythes. Inside, a fragile old woman sat on a bench covered with bear skins. Another bear skin covered her legs. Her eyes were light blue, almost white. When Melessar entered, she attempted to rise, but he stopped her.

“Please don’t stand up for me. I will be quick.”

“You are a kind young man. What is your clan?”

“Lux, my Lady.”

“I am conversant with the Lux clan. They are brave warriors. My hope was you will be one of Hoz people - I am one of them. I have not seen a single Hoz in over a year. He was a young priest just like you. We had a nice conversation about religion. I am a religious person, you know. He liked my belt.”

She pointed at her belt made of soft deer skin with Hoz Coat of Arms in embroidery - a red phoenix rising out of red flames on a yellow shield. The shield held a golden crown with blue lining. A smaller golden phoenix rose from the center of the crown.

“It is indeed beautiful. And your devotion to your people is admirable.”

He knew she had been a member of the Hoz ruling dynasty since she had married the Bolki Lord. A bit of flattery couldn’t hurt.

“You are a good lad, aren’t you? Not like my husband. I mean he is good too, but too good for his own benefit. Relatives he never saw in his life ask for help and he leads away all of his clan warriors. He left his poor old wife alone surrounded by children and elders. A dozen bandits could sell us all into slavery and take all we have with little to no effort. He even took the clan guards with him! And that’s not all, now half of the clan has caught the flu. What should I do? At my age, the flu could kill me!”

“You are not that old. I think I may have a solution: why don’t you send messages to each baron of the Bolki and Hoz tribes? I am sure each would send one warrior to protect their Lady and princess. They send warriors for the King’s Guards every year. My sword brother was one of them.”

“Not a Queen's Guard, but a Lady’s Guard? That is an excellent idea! Would you please record those messages for me? My voice is failing.”

“I will record your messages, my lady.”

For the next couple of hours he recorded messages to the stones of voice as she recalled the name of each baron.

After he recorded the last message, she asked him, “Could you please do me one more favor?”

“Just ask, my lady.”

“Can you say a prayer for me? I will sew your words into this piece of clothing and wear it as a good luck charm. Would you do this for me?”

“I will.”

“You will? The last priest to visit didn’t want to get involved in witchcraft.”

“Most priests feel that way. I think that’s because witches and sorcerers compete with priests. In my opinion, magic is not against my religion. Voice from the Crowd never denied the existence of any god or spirit. He said they are the same as humans. He was not against magic.”

Melessar opened his Book of the Voice and read:

“A five pointed star is the symbol of a human stretched between time and space. The symbol of the Voice is comet, a flying star – a free man. To be free, a man must know both good and bad.

“… Fear

“Fear is a contagion. When it touches someone, it stays in his soul forever. And nothing can remove it.

“… A lie

“If it weren’t for lies, water would be more valuable than gold. But humans love to lie. They love the false shine. The truth will set you free.

“Study moths that gather during summer nights. Many of them fly around the candle. And they die. The flame blinds them. The world is a grand net of lies.

“… Hate

“They have hated me my whole life. I spent years in a hole, without light. The hole was part of me and I was part of the hole. I am the black hole. Before I was the black hole I tried to be smaller than a plant seed – to not get in the way. I didn’t want to be noticed. When they noticed me, they made me suffer. A plant grew out of the seed. And now the time has come for them to be in my shadow.

“…Death

“Every night I died and every morning I rose again. I wanted to die but I never wanted to be resurrected. There was no end, just a never ending life. Death is just a part of life not the end of it.

“…Retreating

“If you want to get anywhere, you have to get in the way. People who think they are always in the way spend whole life moving away in front of others. Follow your road and don’t stop if you want to reach your goal. Your pace is not important. The important thing is to never stop, to never turn off the road.

“You need strength to not become a five pointed star – man in shackles. If you want to increase your strength find a large rock. When you are worthy enough, it will allow you to lift it. Every time you lift the stone, you will become more like it. The stone you lift will teach you how to become a stone.”

“Thank you very much. Would you like to stay for supper?”

“I must refuse. The king ordered me to visit other clan houses. I can deliver some of your messages to the barons of the Bolki tribe. I will visit many of your tribe’s clan houses over the next few weeks. Would you please show me the ancestral portraits of your husband’s clan?”

She presented him with three paintings of Ultri clan ancestors. He copied the patterns from their scythe handles to his staffs.

“Do you know the names of these people?”

“I am sorry, I can’t help you. They lived a long time ago. Their names are forgotten.”

“I must go.”

She escorted him to the doors. For long time she stood there where he left gazing into the distance and repeating, “What a fine young man.”

Melessar said to his dog, “I have visited over thirty clan houses and have found nothing yet.”