With two powerful Beastcallers and their Mana Beasts leading the way, the crowd parted both faster and wider than their previous trip through the camps. The man and his tapir took the lead while the woman and her bear brought up the rear, apparently just in case Shani, Kellen and their Mana Beasts changed their minds.

“What do you think this is about?” Kellen asked as they walked. As the crowd split around them, many of the people stopped and stared at the procession. Apparently four Beastcallers walking together was out of the ordinary, even in this setting.

“I do not know,” Shani said. “Aside from Paragon Onaka, the Elders are the most powerful Beastcallers and highest leaders among the Storm Horse. Even the chiefs of the greatest tribes follow the decisions made in their councils.”

“Politicians,” Vex said.

Kellen and Shani looked at him, confused for different reasons.

“They’re politicians,” Vex repeated, more slowly. “It’s a word from where Kellen’s from that means people in charge that talk a lot and don’t do anything themselves.”

“I… would not describe it like that to them,” Shani said. “Though I am surprised to admit that it makes sense.”

Glancing around to make sure neither of their Beastcaller escorts had heard Vex, Kellen waved his hands back and forth at his sternum, gesturing zip-it.

“See that? Do you know what that means on Earth? Every time I do it, stop talking right away, no questions asked.”

Vex nodded. “Sheesh, okay. Just trying to share a little of your culture.”

“Maybe they received word of what we did in the mountains?” Shani suggested, steering them away from the subject.

“Before we left, Nokom sounded like she thought Raiqo or Aniya might have spoken to them.”

“Maybe it is because you are a spirit traveler,” Shani said. “Some think you are good luck, or bring strong mana to those who you grant your blessing to.”

“They’ve clearly never met him then,” Inferi said.

“Hey!” Vex snapped his fangs at her and his swirling blue markings flared. “I’m the only one who gets to make fun of Kellen.”

“You are mad I stole the words from your mouth before you could say them,” Inferi cackled.

“You two can fight over who gets to insult me later,” Kellen said. He’d meant it as a joke, but the two Mana Beasts looked at each other and almost replied in unison.

“Deal.”

“You talk too much for such little Mana Beasts,” the snub-nosed blue bear growled behind them. Kellen jumped, almost forgetting he was there. The bear stood as tall as Kellen’s shoulder when on all fours and had paws like garbage can lids. He was still only about half the size of the bear they’d fought on Kellen’s first day in Oras, and didn’t have the rocky spikes on his back, but being that close to the massive creature made him a little edgy, anyway.

“Thank you,” Vex said. “You know, I think I met a cousin of yours a few months ago. He was bigger than you and not quite as—”

Between Kellen yelling nonsense while frantically waving the zip-it sign and Shani screaming “enough” all at once, Vex got the hint. Barely.

Instead of making their way eastward toward the market and the Goroshu, the two Chieftains led them to the south, right toward the great totem itself. Still hundreds of yards away, Kellen could no longer see the horse’s head when he tipped his head backward. He also didn’t want to trip while staring straight up into the sky like an idiot, so he didn’t try very hard.

He hadn’t noticed it before, but a great tent sat between the rear hooves of the Storm Horse Totem. It looked large enough to be the big top at a circus, with glowing pictographs depicting various people and animals covering the sides.

“Don’t you think it’s a little ironic that their seat of power is right in the same place that, if that horse was real and it needed to go, would drop a steaming pile of—”

“Vex,” Kellen begged. “Please don’t say another word until we’re back with the others.”

As they neared the enormous tent, Kellen glanced to each side at the horse totem’s legs. They were about the length of a football field apart, far enough he couldn’t make out what the slate gray material might be made of. It looked flawlessly carved, without any seams or rough areas that rock would produce, like someone had super-sized a plastic toy horse.

A wave of storm mana pulsed from the tent, like a steady, flowing breeze. No, Kellen thought as he probed with his mana sense, rather than a single pulse of mana, he felt dozens of different sources, all swirling the area together. The thought of the power held inside that room was staggering, like standing at the edge of a waterfall and feeling the force of it just by being near.

“Have you ever met the Elders?” he asked Shani.

“Even as a Beastcaller, I might have gone all of my life without speaking with one, until I progressed at least to Chieftain,” Shani said. “So no, I have never even seen one.”

Approaching the tent, Kellen noticed that all of the sides were rolled up, letting air flow through. A wide open space surrounded the base of the totem and the council area, almost as if people were detracted by the gathered power alone. From what Kellen could see, no guards enforced the perimeter. Aside from a few powerful Beastcallers and their Mana Beasts crossing the open field, the area was empty.

Kellen felt his heart hammering harder in his chest as he approached. Their meeting was unprecedented, to say the least. Having never met a Beastcaller with the strength the Elders exuded dozens of yards away, he had no context for the power these people held.

“It’s a lot,” Vex answered in a quiet voice. Even he was cowed by the amount of power bearing down on them.

“What must it be like to have that kind of strength?” Inferi asked.

Jaw set, Shani stared ahead at the tent. “One day, we will know.”

Kellen rubbed his sweating palms together as they passed beneath the eaves of the tent. The day was mild, maybe even a bit chilly, making his hands and face cold and clammy from nervousness. A knot tightened in his stomach. It felt like meeting the president, if the president had the power to literally smash a person to a pulp with a snap of their fingers.

Several small groups hovered around the circular edge of the tent, speaking in low voices. Most spared little more than a glance at the group when they passed, though a few did a double take when they saw Kellen. Drawing nearer to the center of the tent, Kellen counted a group of twenty Beastcallers sitting on the ground in a line on blankets, their Mana Beasts resting beside them. A jolt of surprise and fear stabbed at Kellen’s chest. Kiypu stood before the Storm Horse Elders, Shakraa on his shoulder.

Their Chieftain escort stopped a stone’s throw from the row of Elders and gave a deep bow, his tapir following suit. Kellen glanced at Shani for a cue. She didn’t bow, just stared at the group, wide-eyed.

“Honored Elders, I bring you the two Beastcallers from Gray Dawn you summoned.”

At this, Kiypu spun around, jeweled teeth gleaming as his mouth fell open in surprise. “Shani! Kellen! Come here, come here.” He waved a withered hand at them, like he was about to introduce them to some old coworkers they’d ran into on the streeet.

Shani and Kellen hesitated. Then one woman who had snow white hair and looked to be in her sixties raised a ringed hand and beckoned. “Come forward, young ones.”

With Inferi and Vex at their sides, they did as they were bid, stopping beside Kiypu.

“Your names we have just heard,” the woman continued. “Though it never hurts the young to practice good manners. Introduce yourselves.”

“I am Shani, Beastcaller of the Gray Dawn and daughter of Chief Tama of the Gray Dawn. My Mana Beast is Inferi.”

Kellen gave a nervous wave before realizing how idiotic it must look and pinning his arm to his side. “I’m, uh, Kellen Lars. This is my Mana Beast, Vex.”

“We’re new here,” Vex added.

“Thank you for coming, Shani of Gray Dawn and Kellen-Lars,” the woman said, combining Kellen’s first and last name the way many people in Oras did before he corrected them. He wasn’t going to correct this lady. “I am Watanee, chief of the Goroshu Tribe and an Elder of the Storm Horse.”

Kellen waited, expecting some of the other men and women to introduce themselves or at least say something. They stared, almost as if made of stone. A few of their Mana Beasts yawned or flicked their tails but otherwise held the same dignified air.

“You have met my grandson, Raiqo Windstalker,” Watanee continued. “He sent word of your meeting. When it was received, this council was eager to meet you. We also found your… teacher wandering around the totem of the Great Horse. He is part of your band as well?”

“I would not say I am of the Gray Dawn band,” Kiypu said. “As I was telling you, I am Earth Badger.”

“The Gray Dawn band counts a number of… oddities amongst their folk,” a bald man a few seats down from Watanee remarked. Beside Kellen, Shani stiffened as a quiet chuckle passed through the group. Watanee did not laugh. Based on her expression and Aniya’s earlier that day, Kellen wondered if the Goroshu valued a resting scowl above all other traits. Did Watanee know they’d spoken with her Chieftain earlier that afternoon? Kellen couldn’t figure out what, but sensed there was more going on here than they knew.

“Your teacher tells us some of your band were taken in a raid and delivered to the Snake Cult in the Wakar Mountains,” Watanee said. She was making quiet a few opened-ended comments but didn’t seem to be looking for a response. “We have heard they took other Storm Horse that you rescued. It sounds as if you have done us a great service.”

“We only sought to save our people and exact vengeance on Ubira the Slaver and his allies,” Shani said.

Watanee nodded. “This council would like to hear all you know of these Snake people. First, I wish to hear from your friend.”

Kellen started as the council’s attention shifted to him. “I’m not from here,” he began. He hadn’t meant it as a joke and no one laughed, anyway.

“We know,” Watanee said. “Though it is somewhat rare for a spirit traveler to come to our lands. Your arrival in the midst of recent events is… ominous. It is said some spirit travelers are great prophets or mighty warriors. Are you one of these?”

“I’m just a regular guy trying to make my way in your world,” Kellen said. He had a moment of déjà vu, like he’d heard that before somewhere.

Watanee pursed her lips and nodded. Kellen swore he saw tiny streaks of lightning crackling through her brilliant white hair. “Perhaps so, and yet perhaps you do not know what the Wild Mother has in store for you.”

Kellen wasn’t sure what to say to that. “I’m not looking for any trouble. If there is something I can do for the Elders, I’m happy to help.”

“We will remember that,” said a woman with jet black hair, a few seats to Watanee’s right. She was easily the most beautiful person Kellen had ever seen, yet when she looked at him with her large, dark eyes, he felt like a baby rabbit being watched by a coyote. Although she didn’t have a wrinkle or a blemish, her voice and appearance suggested she was in her forties, with high cheek bones and an oval face. The Mana Beast that sat beside her was a midnight black owl as large as a fridge with golden patterns on the tips of its wings and around its eyes.

Unsure what else to do, Kellen gave a small bow of his head. He wished Shani would say something. His origin story wasn’t that impressive.

He caught the slightest sidelong glance of annoyance on Watanee’s face directed toward the dark-haired woman when he looked back. It might have been his imagination, but the whole line of Elders exuded an air of disappointment. If they’d been hoping he was the hero to stop the Snake Cult raids and fix the totem, they were sorely mistaken.

“And you,” Watanee said, nodding to Shani. “You are Storm Horse, yet your Mana Beast is one of shadow. How is this possible? Was your father of the Shadow Owl Alliance?”

“No.” Shani didn’t offer further explanation.

Watanee’s eyes narrowed just the smallest fraction and once more Kellen thought he saw strands of lightning crackle in her hair. “You are a proud young woman. That much is clear. I have heard of freak awakenings such as yours. It is a shame your growth will be limited because of it.”

Shani’s jaw twitched but otherwise she stood stock still, taking the observation like a slap across the face.

“Shani is a great warrior,” Kellen said. “She defeated Ubira the Slaver in single combat, before her Beastcaller powers awakened.”

“Indeed. I meant no offense, only an observation.” Watanee placed a hand on the head of her Mana Beast. The winged gray cougar yawned, bearing fangs as long as Kellen’s hand.

“Time will tell how they turn out,” the cougar said. “Though there is much contention in their bond.”

It reminded Kellen of what Nokom had told him in private. A low growl rumbled out of Inferi but otherwise the pair of them took the incoming criticism in silence.

“Surely the Storm Horse Elders have greater tasks than offering wisdom to the young,” Kiypu said. “As the one who teaches these two, much wisdom is lost on them, anyhow.”

He smiled as he said this and Kellen realized his true purpose was taking the attention from Shani.

“You wish to know about the Snake people. What knowledge is ours we willingly share with this council.”

Kellen glanced down at his feet. Was Kiypu doing something with the ground and his earth mana? He swore he’d felt the briefest tremor. When nothing else happened, he turned his attention back to the mummy, who was sharing the details of the cultist chamber and their ritual in the Wakar.

“I do not know what they were trying to awaken, but for a brief moment I sensed a mighty and terrible power,” he continued. “Bad mana. Strong mana.”

It happened again. The earth gave the slightest shiver beneath Kelen’s boots. He glanced at Vex, who seemed to have felt it too. Neither Kiypu, Shani, Inferi, or any of the Storm Horse Elders seemed to have noticed anything. If they had, they were ignoring it. Kellen chalked it up to a weird pulse of mana at the epicenter of all the power beneath the totem and in the tent.

“And how is it that you are walking among the living with your Mana Beast, thousands of years after your time?” Watanee asked. “Perhaps it was you these Snake Cultists awakened?”

“We found him alone in a burial chamber,” Shani said. “A kind of mana working lay over the place that was broken. He has never done anything to harm us and has fought to help our band many times.”

There it was again! There could be no denying a tremor in the earth. Kiypu grimaced and placed a hand on his head as if he’d been struck my a migraine.

“What is the matter with him?” Watanee asked.

Before anyone could reply, Kiypu fell to his knees, groaning, cradling his head in both hands.