The twister carried them in circles for hours, full of fear and expectations of death. Every volunteer was in Lillium’s clan house. There was barely enough room for standing.

Lillium distributed drinks and they drank like this was the last of days. In this case it could as well be the truth. Lillium ordered them to take dog wool out of crates and spread it in a thick layer over the floor. She held onto a weak hope that wool will ease the fall; perhaps even leave a few of them alive.

Most of them will die anyway when they fall on the weapons preparing for the last battle against death.

Their hope was the only barrier that separated them from utter panic. Then she ordered some of them to fill sleeping chambers with wool and climb up there.

No one was willing to do that. It would mean they were afraid to die. She arranged a lottery. Every one of them got a number written on a piece of paper. She opened a book on random pages reading the page numbers. Those with 'winning' numbers had to climb up.

The expression in Miratur’s eyes at receiving a number suggested that Lillium had cheated her. She tried to say something, but Lillium interrupted her.

“No complaints! You already ignored direct orders forcing me to spend a lot of paper on this silly lottery. We will die in southern wind! I couldn’t ever imagine the worst place to die. I don’t want to hear any complaints how the sleeping chamber is not a good enough place to die. You will not die in your sleeping chamber – you will die in the southern storm.”

Miratur sighed and climbed the rope.

Nothing happened for hours. Wind just kept on carrying them in circles.

After a while Lillium climbed on the table and announced, “It looks like we are descending downwards. This leads me to believe that whichever force is controlling us does not want to hurt us. If it wanted to hurl us on the ground and brake in pieces it would have already done so. Instead, I think it will lower us to the ground. Beware! That only means it needs something from us. It is not yet time for celebrations. We are not safe yet.”

Ease showed on the faces of people surrounding her. Not that anyone would admit they were relieved.

“It could be a gigantic beast who would like to eat its food alive?”

“That is a reasonable conclusion, for a pessimist. We don’t need pessimists right now. Not after all that has happened.”

After a while the wind lowered them onto the ground. A peek outside revealed they were in a meadow. Right in front of them was a great forest full of strange trees they never saw before. The trees were high, and the air was saturated with moisture. Dense thicket covered the ground under the trees. They could clearly detect its gigantic leaves in the distance. Behind them was a tall wall of fog. The fog was turning from left to right. It was going in circles all around this strange place.

“We are in the eye of the storm.”

Forest surrounded itself with a thin ring of meadows in an attempt to run away from twisting fog. Not accustomed to such a heat, the Ulans sweated a lot. They had to pull up their sleeves and leggings. Many of them even took off their tunics walking around half naked.

Lillium advised them to drink a lot of fluids to compensate for the lost water. Later on she sent warriors to gather specific ingredients. She needed them to make reversed stones of warmth. Priests who joined their army helped her. During the night they made around two thousand; one for each warrior. After that they handled the warm weather a lot better.

As soon as the clan houses touched the ground, numerous colorful birds landed on them. The travelers never saw such birds. The warriors gave them bread, and birds were happy to keep them company. After a while those birds could mimic human voices and many other sounds. The birds were similar to ravens and crows on Ulan Island.

Lillium’s crow was frightened by the presence of so many unwanted guests. She expressed her dissatisfaction by charging on any bird which would dare to approach anywhere near her mistress. At the same time she took care never to move too far away from the security of Lillium’s shoulder.

Tribes of small, hairy, clothless creatures left the forest to approach them. They halted fifty feet away, keeping a safe distance and watched the Ulans. Lord Aenead dispatched a few men with a mission to establish diplomatic contact with the strange people.

Envoys returned and their leader had a good news for the lord. “We couldn’t understand the language they speak. The strangers have accepted food gifts from us, which is a good sign.”

Lillium left her work on the stones, laughing. She said, “What do you think you are doing?”

“I am establishing contact with residents of this land.”

“But those are not people. Those are animals called monkeys. I knew the magician who owned a few of them. He traveled across the entire world in a giant soap bubble and performed. He told me about lands I never heard of, located further south and east from here. Those animals can be trained to perform amazing tricks, but they aren’t humans and don’t have enough intelligence to be skilled in words.”

“Why haven’t you told me that before? I made a fool out of myself!”

“I didn’t know what you were about to do.”

It was made obvious by the expression on his face that the lord is considering how to punish Lillium. Schnew jumped in.

“C’mon it was hilarious. Those idiots who spoke with beasts were a beautiful sight. Don’t you know how to take a joke?”

Red in the face, lord moved away before he does something else as stupid.

Schnew winked and whispered, “Sometimes you have to admit you were wrong. That way they will give up attempts to correct your behavior. When they realize there is no point in trying to change who you are, they will accept it. Many of them have given up on me. I am grateful for that.”

“But, I haven’t…”

“It’s all right you don’t have to justify your actions to me. I will like you no matter what. In fact, I think I prefer this wicked side of your personality,” he finished and walked away.

She followed him with a furious look on her face. “How dare you?” She wanted to slap him.

Subito stopped her. “It’s just Schnew. He is never serious. When you get to know him you will see he is a good guy. No matter how much he tries to be bad all the time.”

“Maybe… He saved me after all. Wasn’t he?”

He wasn’t sure he should answer that. Instead, he gathered feathers fallen out from hundreds of birds all around them. Miratur was busy feeding bread crumbs to them. He tied one blue and one red feather on each side of her hair.

“You are one of these beautiful birds.”

She smiled and rushed to fetch a shallow iron plate and fill it with water. This is what Ulan women use for a mirror. She wanted to double check how this extravagant decoration fits her. Warriors scattered everywhere exploring this strange place. Lord ordered them to separate clan houses still connected with ropes and boards. Then they had to move them in the forest and cover them in leaves to hide their presence.

After they have done that, it was time for Brigs to be released to feed on leaves and grass. They could live with no food for over two months, but it is never a bad idea to refill their fat storage.

The lord has sent scout parties out in the woods. They had to know where the storm had brought them, and what hides among the woods. Sabator went out of the woods. He found a good spot to lie down sideways resting on his elbow.

The old priest said, “I can sense a strange warmth in this place. Could it be that we have died in the storm and became one with the Voice from the Crowd?”

Warriors went out of the woods to take a look at the beautiful blue sky and the strange shiny object up there.

Lillium explained, “It is a Day Star. It is a gigantic fire in the sky, or some sort of fiery Fetun stone. In the days before the fog, it was worshiped as a god. Same as Fetun stones it can damage your eyes if you look at it with persistence.

“There was an old story about the goddess who will take your eyesight if you stare into her eyes for too long. Her beauty is too much for humans to bare. She is the one that used to feed plants with her light. Nowadays some of them are feeding from the fog. Plants in our Island use light given by Fetun stones. In the Land of Moving Hills they can still see the Day Star.”

“I remember an old puzzle from my childhood. 'When the stone is broken, and water pours out - Day Star will be reborn.' Answer is egg. I am sorry I can't see it, but I can enjoy her warm touch. Let’s honor this ancient god,” Sabator said and brought plates of matasart’s meat.

He placed plates on the soft grass and spilled the suind on the ground. “Take us into your protection! You, who are a bigger particle of Singularity than we all are.”

Lillium observed the old priest with attention. Then she noticed movement in the grass. Something else was on the meadow, enjoying warm touch of the Day Star.

Her eyes locked with moldy green iris. The eye was bigger than her head. She inched her hand towards the bag on her belt, trying not to agitate huge animal.

In a swift motion she tossed her seed stones towards high grass where gigantic eye vanished just a moment ago. Winning smile disappeared from her lips when a thirty feet long snake erected its body above them. It is too big my magic is too weak to immobilize it. The snake hissed waving its head from side to side.

“What is that sound?” Clueless priest asked.

His voice attracted the snake, and it focused on him. Lillium had to do something. She screamed as loud as she could and ran towards the woods. Her plan worked – the snake followed.

Why am I so good at planning and can’t think of what to do now? The snake was almost upon her. She turned in desperate attempt to stop the snake with her staff. Wooden pole bounced of the snake’s snout. The animal hasn’t felt it, opening jaws big enough to devour her whole body at once.

In the corner of her eye she caught Sabator standing in the middle of the meadow and making clicking noise with his tongue. Crazy old man. Then he had thrown both of his Ulan swords piercing snake’s eyes. Echo location… I didn’t know he could do that. She ran again and screamed calling for help.

The pain forced snake to twist in the grass, and bought her just enough time for help to arrive. Squadron of warriors riding Ulan dogs emerged from the forest. They charged the snake. The animal was blind, but snakes had weak eyes anyway - their main sense is smell.

The snake charged back. Impact of her head scattered the unit. Five or six warriors who fell were soon dead, suffocated in the coils of snake’s body. One dog had it the worst. The snake has bitten him. Potent poison swelled dog’s body twice its normal size, until it popped spilling intestines and ooze.

She had to help them. Loud whistle stopped her in her tracks. Schnew called the snake to him and it came. He waited till the last moment to evade incoming attack. When the snake has bitten the dust behind him he attacked. Twisting two swords in broad eights in rapid succession he crashed into the snake’s exposed belly.

It was the Dance with the swords, most prized martial art in Ulan - the skill to fight with two blades at once. He balanced on tips of his toes, his body barely moving except to evade incoming attacks. The secret was in the circular motion of wrists, hips and shoulders.

For a terrible long moment strike of the snake’s head unbalanced him and he fell on his back. He still danced inching away on his back while the storm of blades devastated snake’s jaws. Several teeth fell out covered in blood. The snake recoiled back, exposing its belly once again. He lifted his knees to his eyes and in single motion jumped back on his feet. With another attack he cleaved through the stomach thicker than he was.

She almost hugged him, when he said, “I deserve a long soft kiss.”

She had to smile despite of herself.

He stepped over still twitching half of the snake’s carcass pointing at scattered warriors. “Brothers gather wood, we need a fire. Today we will have the snake for a lunch.”

The warriors went out on the meadow to join the feast. A river of suind saturated their thirst. Schnew stood in the center and waved a hand for everyone to gather. He picked one leaf, folded it and placed it horizontally on his tongue. As he was blowing on it, the leaf made sounds of a nightingale. A delighted crowd cheered him on.

Then he took a bone and a twig and hollowed them to make two flutes. He placed them both on his lips and played a cheerful melody. The warriors danced around the meadow. At the end he transferred the flutes to his nostrils, inducing hilarious laughter.

Not finished, he opened his bag and took out an elderberry plant twig. Cutting only one notch on it, he made it sound like pipes. He was playing the song called 'Raven Queen', and many warriors joined him and sang. It was about Voice from the Crowd’s mother and wife of the king who died in the Battle of Last Stand:

Glorious queen, of beauty full

She sang with voice so strong,

That reached up to sullen sky

O, ravens you fly long

O, ravens, ravens, ravens

The wind’s beneath your wings.

Since beginning of time

You can see all things

Ravens, have you seen the king?

Proud he is, my loved one

Riding at the army’s front

To do what must be done

Now there are hundreds of your kind,

Your shadow covers the earth

The Battle of Last Stand is through.

And where’s my love? Is he hurt?

They haven’t said a word

Just dropped a severed hand,

She looked upon it with despair

And dead she fell upon the land.

Raven queen

Afterwards he pulled out a flute he kept in his boot and continued to play various entertaining songs. He sat on the meadow, legs crossed. Warriors separated into pairs all around him and danced. They were holding a partner in a firm hug, chin on his shoulder. Both partners were making wavy moves accompanied by sluggish movements of their feet. They called it Snake Dance and it was very popular in Ulan. Schnew jumped in circles around the dancers. He stood next to Miratur and Subito for a while playing just for them and then he was circling around again.

“Oh no, he will ask me to dance. What an idiot!” Lillium thought.

He passed next to her without notice and invited Alma to dance. Alma was delighted to accept.

“Good! He will leave me alone”, Lillium thought, but instead of relief she felt abandoned and sad.

To shake off that feeling she invited the lord for a dance. It was a good opportunity to settle things with him. She often looked at Schnew expecting to see him furious and hurt. She was dancing with another man! But no, he was quite happy to whisper something in Alma’s ear.

“That little… What is wrong with me? I don’t even like him!”

Then she said to the lord, “They are always drunk. If we continue this way, we will drink all of our alcohol before we even reach the Land of Moving Hills.”

“I hope they have something alcoholic over there to offer us. Otherwise we will have a problem. I will let them drink. We almost died in the storm. Men need to relax and forget about their troubles. If you are tensed all the time, at the end you will break. Don’t worry. When military operations start I will reduce alcohol usage to one glass per day.”

She said nothing. Other thoughts were bothering her. The thoughts she wasn’t ready to admit to herself.