This time Bebuli was waiting for them in front of his cave, they could see him pacing nervously and biting his nails. Schnew put two fingers in his mouths and whistled noisily. When he saw the impatience on Bebuli’s face he couldn’t help it but to laugh. Expression of annoyance which followed made him laugh even harder. Lillium was trying to restrain herself, but she just managed to make a distorted face before laughter erupted. When she finally managed to stop, she said:

“Don’t worry, everything is settled. Your sister is safe from the fog, and the world is safe from her sorrow.”

“Thank you so much, you are saviors. If I would have your help I am sure together we could defeat the fog and restore order in the world.” He screamed violently when Schnew pinched him on the arm.

“You need to tell us where to find that plant, before I pinch you to death. We can’t stay here forever doing tasks for you.”

“All right, all right… You will find Fire Moss in Land of Sulutapi east from here. This map shows the general area where their city is located, but no one knows exactly where is it since they use powerful hiding magic to deter any unwanted visitors. Just go there and they will find you. You will show them this letter, in which I instruct them to provide you with enough Fire Moss.”

“Finally you decided to honor your part of a deal. Good baby.”

“Some other people will come to me with requests and will have to do my tasks. This means I can’t carry you around in wind like I have done till now. But don’t worry, I will provide you with other means of transportation, since I like you, well some of you at least.” He gave look to Schnew: “Take this bag of grass and feed them to the sheep I will give you. It will make them bloated, handful of this herb will make them floating for an hour. Bag should be enough to get you to your destination. It will be smelly journey, but because of that pinch, I should have made your friend eat it and carry you farting all the way. But as he has said I am good baby.”

“Thank you and farewell.”

“Farewell, if you have something else you need solved, just come by. I have more tasks for you and you are good at solving them.”

Journey took a few days, enough for them to get used to the stench of sheep digestion. The map they were given was showing stars and they needed to calculate their angle and position on the skies in order to find a way. Lillium was happy to take this task on herself. They reached their destination just when supply of magical weed was about to run out. They quitted feeding grass to sheep and slowly descended to the ground. Actually it was not ground at all but endless swamp all around them. During the flight on the sheep backs Lillium constructed miniature Fetun stone and installed it on wooden stave, so they were able to see in fog in hundred feet radius around them. Seeing that they will have to walk through the filthy water which most of the time was reaching over the waist, she was worried what this light could attract so she arranged sheep to walk all around them. And she was right to do so, not long after that one of the sheep was slaughtered by the ten feet long crocodile. Schnew reacted swiftly sending an arrow in crocodile eye. He was familiar with these beasts from swamps around the rivers in the southern part of Ulan. Immediately after deadly shot, he yelled:

“Up on the trees, who knows what all of this blood might attract!”

He didn’t have to repeat, in a blink of an eye, they were on the trees puling the sheep up on the belts secured around their stomachs. Bloody water around two carcasses started to boil, some creatures were eating them. Alma released the arrow and fish floated up with the arrow shaft protruding from her body. She was the size of a palm with enormous fangs. In no time killed fish was also eaten by her fellow fishes and only arrow remained to float on the surface. It wasn’t too long before both sheep and crocodile disappeared like they were never there in the first place. Subito concluded:

“We are in dangerous waters.”

“We will need a raft.” Alma declared. Moving around in the trees like they have learned in Hull Term they gathered thick branches and connected them with vines. Around the edges, they made a fence of thorny twigs.

Lillium shrugged: “It is not much of the defense, but it will keep those nasty fishes away.”

Pushing the raft using long poles they were able to continue the journey. It was terribly hot, and the air was really moist. There was no help against sweating, even when they had removed most of the clothes. Alma made loin clothes and breast covers from the hide of an animal they killed earlier near those springs. By this time hide was stiff and inflexible, so she had to soften it by applying fish brains on it and stretching it on her knee. Any brain would work, but only fishes were available. Since they had very small brains, they had to catch few hundreds of them. In a meanwhile they found out that fishes taste delicious. She caught them by bleeding sheep in the water. Just one drop of blood released into water has been enough to attract hundreds of tiny predators, after that catching was easy. They were repeating that procedure all along the journey in hope fishes will keep other predators away. Of course they were also excellent source of food. Water was more difficult to come by. Lillium constructed small fireplace in a form of the shallow plate out of clay from the swamp bottom. Above fire they lit in plate she placed a clay bowl covered with clay lid. Protruding from the center of the lid was a narrow pipe going upward and then arching downward leading condensate from boiling water in another bowl. Every night some of them had to stay awake and guard others while they were sleeping. If someone would roll over in the sleep and fall into water that would surely be the last time they would see him. They wondered endless swamps for over a week, finding no clue of Sulutapi settlement. Schnew suggested Bebuli had tricked them, and they should go back and extract true information from him. Why would this old elemental god help them? He saw some value in Subito and now he has sent them to roam the swamp in order to make them desperate enough to come back to him and beg to be accepted back into his service. With time doubts were rising, only Lillium was completely sure they were on the right track, and all they need to do is to wait. How long? She could read this question on their faces, but the answer eluded her. That night she was a sentinel. Watching over the calm swamp waters, she tried to synchronize herself with the environment. To accept some of the calmness that was all around her. It was difficult knowing what kinds of horrors lurk behind steady surface. Swamp smelled terrible, like mud and rotting. And then it hit her, pristine feeling urged her to focus all of her senses. She hasn’t felt anything like that in years, stark vision of a woman was floating in murky waters and she was speaking. Listening intently she was trying hard to remember every word. And then vision disappeared, suddenly same as she appeared, “from nothing to nothing, all is the same fog reflecting in the water and water reflecting in the fog” Lillium sighed. She stood up puling Subito out of Alma’s hug, waking up, he opened his mouth to say something but she covered it with her finger. Two of them sat in front of the fire, occasional bubble would float up to the surface of swamp to explode, making weak noise.

“Sorry for waking you up, but I had a vision concerning you.”

“You had a vision? I didn’t know you are a prophet.”

“I wouldn’t call myself a prophet. I have a gift, which is the reason I was given the chance to study “Book of Aenea magic” in the first place. My visions were coming much often when I was young, these days I have one or none each year.”

“Wow I didn’t know.”

“Are you completely wakened up and ready to listen what I have to tell you?”

“I suppose I am.”

“Moments ago I saw my late teacher in ways of magic in these waters, she told me to reveal basics of the Book to you.”

“Why to me? I know nothing about magic.”

“I was surprised too, but she told me you will need to know it in the future. I never questioned my teacher so I will tell you what I know.”

“I suppose it can’t hurt me to know something about magic, but it wouldn’t hurt me if I had slept some more either.”

“This are truths which have to be kept secret, those are the rules. I can’t let Schnew and Alma hear it, no matter how much I love them.”

“Ok, teach me some cool magical trick.”

“Actually I will teach you theory not real magic.”

“Well if you have to…”

She smiled and started:

“According to Aenea Book she was praying to god and goddess. She called him Poet, he was in love to the goddess she called Enchantress. He also loved the human kind. He loved them more than any creature because of their free will, which is independent of the gods and can inspire to great deeds. He was gathering an army of fallen heroes around himself to guide and help humankind in many battles which are to come, those heroes are ancestors we are worshiping and give them offerings. Poet was also a teacher, he taught humans how to plow the land and harvest plants, how to make weapons, how to make shelters. Aware that humans are living by believes which were products of their free will, he knew believes could easily be manipulated and he wanted to protect them. He even stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans. In order to do so, he had to sacrifice himself and to enter the lands of the dead. My teacher wanted you to remember well what this god has done. He was pure passion, same passion you feel when you charge into battle and when you are in bed with a woman. He gave his life to save humans.”

“But isn’t it against every particle desire to be one again?”

“You noticed it well, yes it is. Hatred and love are about giving more importance to others than to you. But it doesn’t necessary mean it is wrong.”

“Yes becoming one would mean destroying others. All of them.”

“I am glad you understand. For helping humans he had to pay the price, losing part of himself. His partner Enchantress used her magic to bring him back. She taught humans magic and he taught them the art and gave them the gift of prophecy.”

“He gave it even to you? I thought you were born that way.”

“Yes, even to me. He gives it to humans before they were born. I am sure you know four basic elements?”

“Yes earth, fire, water and air.”

“Correct! Each of them has higher form, earth has a rock, fire has a smoke, water has ice and air has wind.

Each of them can react with others, either by helping them or destroying them. Fire degrades ice to water and fog, but water destroys fire. Earth also destroys fire, but fire creates earth – ashes. Water helps wind in a form of rain and clouds same as air helps fire. And so on… But we will have to end it here since we are watched.”

“We should wake up Schnew and Alma.”

“We should do so.”

Soon all four of them were standing on the edge of the raft watching a group of strangers approaching them slowly. Strangers were indeed strange. They were not actually humans more like some other specie stranger than Utrikats. They had gray skin and small head attached to extremely long neck. Their bodies were small and round with two thin hands growing from the sides of it. Legs were also thin and feet resembled webbed duck feet. Only one big eye was occupying most of the head, nose has been just two elliptic holes. Inside of the mouths instead of teeth there was bone grid. They were clad in colorful raincoats secured at the waist with sashes. Long hood of the raincoat was most of the times on, covering their small heads and long necks. On top of the head and below the hood, was the small round metallic helmet. Their weapons were long poles sharpened at both ends. Sharpened ends were covered with metal, making a pretty good spear. They were riding giant lizards bigger than a crocodile and obviously less aggressive. Lizards were covered in scales ranging from light green to dark brown color.

Lizard

They had broad heads and big eyes, their jars were filled with hundreds of sharp teeth. From the top of snout to end of tail they were about twelve feet long. Their legs were about two feet long enabling them to climb the trees, same as they were able to swim through the swamp. The group following our heroes was scattered, some were on the right some on the left of them, some moving through a swamp, some crossing from tree to tree above them. Stirrups on their heads were woven from braided swamp grass same as saddles on their backs. They had long blue forked tongues often moving out from their mouths, which were probably used for sniffing around the same as snakes do. Some of them had spiral metal horns embedded in the top of the stirrups, in addition to their sharp teeth, making them even more efficient in the battle. At one point one of lizard riders descended from the tree right in front of them. His raincoat was purple with a golden sash around his waist.

“Hi, my name is Lillium.”

He was silent, carefully studying them with his only eye. Not moving even a muscle he and his beast looked like a statue.

“Maybe he doesn’t understand us.” Lillium shrugged.

“Or he is deaf? If he don’t understand us he would try to make contact on his own language, but he just stands there saying nothing. Hey, you over there your leader seems to be deaf, send someone other to talk with us.” Schnew waved to others, but they were also motionless.

Subito taped stranger on the chests: “Bebuli sent us.”

“And who are you?” He had finally spoken.

“O, he does speak. Come on our raft and we will tell you our story, it is a quite long one.”

Dozen warriors entered their raft leaving lizards to swim after them.

“Here take some of the fish we have caught. Maybe we are breaking your laws by catching fish without your permission, but we were hungry.”

“You are not breaking any laws, killing these fishes is actually considered a good deed since they attack our people. Heads of fifty such fishes are worth quarter of btari in reward at our city. But we are not eating fish. We are separating nutrients from the mud of this swamp.” He removed the hood and helmet and submerged his head under the water, rising back up, he let the mud flow out of his mouths through bone grid separating the food.

“I don’t want any fish either,” Schnew pushed Alma, “and I thought Utrikats were disgusting.”

“Would your lizards like some fish?” Lillium tried to conceal Schnew’s outburst.

“Yes, they mainly eat fruits and insects, but occasional fish is on their menu. Now let’s hear that long story.” And Subito told him all about their long journey.

“That is a story worth of old heroes. We were following you for quite some time wandering who you are.”

“You would watch us getting eaten by crocodiles and those damn fishes? Why haven’t you come to us immediately?” Schnew’s eyes almost popped out of his skull.

“Sometimes it is better to let swamp take care of the intruders, than entering unnecessary battles. Most of the vagabonds around here are people you never want to meet. So we wait to make sure we want to do it, before we meet anyone.”

“Sounds like a smart tactic,” Schnew had to admit.

Lillium was grinning: “And now it’s your turn. How come you speak this language, has fog changed you?”

“Not really, we were always like this. We are young race. Few centuries ago we were not here. You mentioned kingdom of Talasu in your stories, it is south of these swamps. King of that land, died leaving his only son to inherit the crown, but he was just a small boy. Brother of late king became regent to rule till the young prince grow up. But he liked the taste of rule little too much, expelling prince out of the country. When the prince had grown up, he became sorcerer, and retreated north into fog to make an army with dreams of defeating his uncle and regaining the crown. Name of the prince was Onili. He made statues of swamp mud and made them live using the magic of the fog. His creations resembled his pet heron with some changes, of course, and could feed on small animals in swamp mud.”

“So he made you? I was married to descendant of Talasu royal family. I think I heard about disapearance of prince Onili.” Lillium interrupted.

“Yes, we are the creations of prince Onili. But we were not what he had expected of us to be. Sulutapi live in a state of anarchy,there is no one who would want to rule over others, and there is no one who would accept rule over him. If Sulutapi gets enslaved, he doesn’t take any food or water till he dies or gets released. We weren’t able to take orders from our creator either. It was simply not in our nature. But he tried and tried costing many of his creations a life. Finally assassin sent by his uncle took his life, and we were free. You may find it strange but we despise marriage, which is customary in every other known country in the world. Every man and women are free in love. We live in matriarchate as you call it. Children don’t know who their father is, since mothers can’t be sure either. Our women are fertile, they can give birth every two months, and both our men and women are ready to reproduce at the end of the first year of their life. But our life is short. Those who live to see their twelve years are considered lucky.”

Sulutapi

“But you have some form of organized army, how is it possible in the state of anarchy?”

“It is possible because of our religion. We believe in Mother Swamp, which constantly makes love and produces new life. She is happy when people are free to make love and biggest sins against her are to be possessive and jealous. She says: do not conquer opposite sex, free it with your love. The love is freedom, everything else is a lie… Mother Swamp makes love with the Demon of Fog, changing him with her love, making him good. All women are her priestess, and they are giving their bodies to men in her honor. One who is best in love making becomes her Queen of love for the year, and she chooses her King of love, again according to his skill in love making. King leads an army of volunteers in the battle and swamp patrol. He also appoints unit commanders like he appointed me.”

“That sounds like a perfect state to me.” Schnew concluded, but after Lillium has whipped him with her eyes, he decided to reconsider and turned to soldiers: “Do you gamble? Yes? Let’s have some fun while they are talking.”

Lillium continued, making mental note to pinch him afterwards: “Like you have heard we are in the need for fire moss, can you give us some?”

“Well, fire moss is our final line of defense and it is rare and expensive. Only one family knows where to find it, you will have to buy it from them. If you don’t have money maybe you can keep on killing fishes and crocodiles…”

“Ok we will try.”

“It’s time to go. Soldiers, please harness your lizards to pull this raft.”

“Where are we going?”

“We are going to our city Zurihu known also as the Flower of the swamp.”

Travel took no more than an hour. Rare are the sights as beautiful as settlement in deserted areas. The desolation of surrounding area only amplified life which was flowing in the streets of Zurihu. Human voices were truly a miracle after the silence of the swamp. Group of Sulutapi soldiers escorting four strangers was just entering city streets. Actually they were entering city channels. City was built in the swamp. In the center of it was a big rocky island, covered with numerous caverns and holes. Lizards were living on this island, big groups of these creatures were gathering around hundreds of fires burning all over the island, keeping the fog and cold away. At some points occasional big pillar of steam would erupt and disappear few moments later. The commander explained those were geysers, they were keeping a lizard alive in cold nights. Sulutapi moved their city around this island after they have tamed lizards. Buildings in a city were in shape of pyramids which were floating on the swamp waters. Pyramids were made of wood and covered with fluorescent algae making it possible for little boats and lizards to move through narrow channels between them. Lillium wrote in the name she gave to this city – city of eternal dusk. Light produced by algae was dim and greenish, placing city in everlasting shadow. Alma placed her head on Subito’s shoulder whispering: “how romantic.” Noticing longing in Lillium’s eyes Schnew snapped: “Shut up!” Whole city was resonating in sound of frog song. There were millions of frogs and toads everywhere. Commander explained they are not harming frogs, since they are guarding them against insects, so common in swamps, and diseases they are carrying. But soon the sound of frogs was covered with children clamor.

Noticing strangers they were following them through city channels, at first they were shy and on the distance, but as their numbers were growing with every step they got bolder, approaching strangers and asking them questions. Majority of the population of this city were children, not surprisingly taking into account reproduction rates of Sulutapi. Schnew peeked in Lillium’s notebook “Scratch that name and write down city of children and frogs.”

Subito shook commander’s shoulder: “How come we weren’t able to find this city? It is glowing for god’s sake!”

“Flower can be seen only if it lets you to see her.”

“I will need explanation.”

“You probably noticed, when we were coming in, that city has appeared suddenly.”

“Yes I have noticed that.”

“It is just an illusion made by our magicians, they are hiding city in the open using their magic.”

They were given one of the pyramid houses and left there to rest. Lillium sighed: “We would have to spend a couple of months here catching fish to make enough money. First thing in the morning we should visit city officials and confirm stories about reward. Also we need to ask around about price of fire moss. And then we will make four rafts and start catching fishes, maybe later we could buy some lizards and raise our own flock, increasing incomes. Hard work is in front of us.”

Schnew stood up: “I don’t believe we will get enough money only from work. Time is running out. Some gamble might help a bit. They are not really skilled with dice around here. There is a lot sheep in this city and they need their fleece shorn. Alma are you coming?”

Two of them boarded on the raft and sailed on the channels. Schnew called for old man steering one of the native boats: “Is it possible to challenge the current king?”

“Yes, you just need to be better in bead than him and queen will make you her new king.”

“Thanks, to the queen we go.”

“What are you doing?” Alma could not believe.

“We wouldn’t make enough money in months, maybe even years. As a king I could get the fire moss for free. Unless some other things are as long as their necks, I will beat any Sulutapi in bed. Either way we won’t lose anything if we try and we could get a lot.”

“But if Lillium finds out…”

“That’s why you are here, to cover my backs. You will confirm my story we got money gambling. What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her. You’re with me?”

She nodded.

***

Hremo was hugging him and crying. His whole body was shaking in long moans. Melessar could feel an unpleasant touch of his feminine breasts. Feeling was even more unpleasant when he discovered they are not disgusting as he expected, but rather pleasant. He grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away.

“Can you ever forgive me? What have I done? You will never forgive me” Hremo was still sobbing.

“There is nothing I should forgive you, I couldn’t keep her. You can have her, but never keep her she is just like a dream.”

“You are right, she left me too. For some musician, she left everything for a couple of songs. Her religion, her job, everything…”

“Don’t blame her. She is the creature of passion. Even if she wanted, she couldn’t do any different. I used to be mad at her, but then I realized that she is maybe the only one who can feel real love in all of its might. We all feel the warmth of love at some point of our lives, but she can taste the fire, her whole life is under the sign of fire.”

“It is good to see you have regained your strength. I hope I would be able to do the same thing one day. It is also good to see you are back. What happened with your research?”

“We found the books and have read them. Some of them were quite revealing, actually they are the reason I am here, I need your help.”

“Anything my friend, just say.”

“Our land is in great danger. My sword brother and his volunteers were victorious in battle, but they were defeated by treason in peace. He was captured, and escaped, he lost his loved one. We need to send them reinforcements. Those Lorantides are the greatest evil. If not stopped, they will enslave the entire world to dig btaris for them. Right now they are weakened, but in a year or two their numbers will grow and there will not be a Land of Moving Hills to stop them. On my way here I was attacked by their wizards, they dare to come into our land and attack me – imagine what will happen when they regain their lost strength. My uncle and Bolki are eager to revenge death of Miratur and lord Aenead, they are gathering as we speak. They are like dry straw right now, one little spark and we will have enormous fire. There are rumors kings were bought off by Loranti. In this situation we don’t need civil war. We don’t need to make taking of our island even easier for Lorantides. I need you to support me in the name of the Temple and persuade other priests and kings to do the same.”

“I will try my best, I promise. I will come with you to the kings, and will ask for others to follow me.”

“Let me try first, and if I fail, then destiny of Ulan is in your hands. There is another, more delicate thing we need to discus.”

“What is more delicate than accusing kings of accepting bribery and your own uncle of preparing military uprising?”

“It concerns the religion and Voice from the Crowd himself. I have to ask you not to speak with anybody about this, at least till we can confirm it or deny it.”

“I promise again. I never gave so many oaths in my entire life. But I suppose these are the times of turmoil, times of changes.”

“In one of the books called “Great war”, there is a description of how fog came to be in the first place. Last emperor of Klah was the wisest man who ever walked the earth according to the book. He was spending his days in reading and debating with sages. Culture and science flourished under his rule. But one day his favorite wife died. In those days emperors had many wives in order to ensure successors. He was so deeply touched by his grief he hasn’t spoken with anyone for two months. When he finally had spoken again, it was in order to inform his counselors he will go on to the pilgrimage, on a quest to find answers behind the mysteries of world, life and death. No one could change his decision and he went into the swamps to the north, years were passing and he wasn’t returning. Just when everybody thought he was long dead, he came back, twenty or so years later. He was telling the stories about beginning of the world, about Singularity which has gone insane and crumbled into pieces creating the universe. Priests called him a blasphemer since he claimed gods are same as humans, that they are just bigger piece of Singularity.”

“Those are the same teachings as the ones of Voice from the Crowd, thousands years before he was born. It could be understood as confirmation that they are true, but some could interpret it in the way that Voice has stolen some older teachings and ascribed them to himself. We need to be very careful, you were right.”

“I would like if I wasn’t so right. There is more in this book. They tried to assassinate him several times, but it was like he was immortal. Priests raised rebellion. He was leading an army against them personally. And he won, but he couldn’t control his power, in his rage he killed his army too, and his sons who were part of it. Finally, when he had calmed down and saw what he has done, he ran away into the swamps again. And there he transformed into the black hole eating everything around him, becoming Singularity. He packed so much power in such a small space his gravitation become enormous, whole world started to slip towards him. All nations of the world united and attacked him. Even gods joined the humans in battle. It was the Great War, in the final battle, they weren’t able to kill him, just to put him to sleep. But even in his sleep, he spread all over the world in a form of a black fog. Fog was changing anything she would touch - wise men were explaining this strange influence by distortion of essence of parts of Singularity when they are touched by parts of another Singularity. Despite also being Singularity he was different than original Singularity, mainly because he was not complete. Wise men also predicted the possibility of new troubles, now when parts of Singularity are aware it is possible to be Singularity again.”

“This would implicate Voice from the Crowd was one of those troubles, we need to destroy that book.”

“But what if it is telling the truth? Can we deny world the chance? And why, in order to save our social position?”

“You are right we need to wait and see what will happen.” He was praying on his knees.

“…Answers

Only a fool knows the answer to any question. Wise man always doubts.”