Sekali, "The Sister City"

 

                                Chapter 39

 

     The Knowledge Master read on . . .
     The small company exited the ruined city to a full and brilliant moon cresting the night horizon, shedding its smooth light down upon the vast, grassy plains before them. A steady breeze commanded the bowing of the grasses stretching out before them.
     Uther pulled his new axe free from his side and immediately angled it toward the moon’s radiance. He peered closely at it, twisting the flat of the silvery rune-etched blade back and forth in the moon’s light. The silver runes came to life in the moon’s illumination, appearing to scribe themselves from one end of the axe’s blade to the other in a flowing manner. His dark eyes glinted and a smile spread across his rugged face.
     “This grand axe is set with Starr-Runes. I have heard of such enchantments, though never have I beheld them with my own eyes. This is a weapon worthy of a dragon’s neck! I hope one day we shall put it to the test. If this can be accomplished, I shall be equally worthy of its companionship!” He placed the enchanted axe at his belt once more and grasped the top of it with a strong, gnarled hand, proud to have it at his side.
     Finyat watched him intently and then smiled sardonically. Pulling his blades free from their ornate sheaths, with a ring of steel that sang into the night air, he smiled broadly.
     “Ahhh, and I hope these blades will be swift and sure, worthy of my side! Ha!” Uther shot him a cold look and grunted. Then a smile slowly spread across his face as he glared at the Shallant.
     “Silence, both of you. Be still!” Sekali hissed.
     Both froze, suddenly tense and wary at Sekali’s warning. They looked around but saw nothing. Finally Finyat ventured a whisper, “What is it?”
     Sekali stared into the grasslands, still as the victim of a wasteland basilisk. “I feel something . . . I cannot say. Something is not right. It’s like . . . like . . . as if . . . ” He growled sharply and looked around, ignoring the two.
     “I cannot pinpoint my feelings. Something is not right. Come, we must go.”
     “Go where?” Inquired Finyat in all seriousness.
     Uther granted his full attention to Sekali and waited. Something was different. He could feel it now as well.
     “We must go . . . come quickly!”
     Off Sekali jogged, Finyat and Uther following after. They vanished from the ruins of a once thriving civilization, traveling deep out into a sea of green that seemed to worship the wind as it bent under its steady flow.
     At first they kept their old items, perhaps to sell by the way, yet as they traveled a feeling overtook them that something strange indeed was happening to them. They felt like one who sleeps too long into the morning, missing a party especially planned for himself and, upon arriving, finding it being cleaned up and put away. This spurred them on faster toward the forest. Even Finyat began to feel it. At length, they were forced to discard any extra items they did not absolutely need, making their journey much more bearable.
     Finyat grumbled about the money they could have had if they had sold their armor in City Port Navan. Uther inclined himself to argue the point, not caring in the least, until the sharp-witted Shallant stated how much kohakk his share of the profits would have purchased. Sekali ran faster in response to hearing their complaints, pushing them into exhaustion just to shut their mouths. It worked.
     They traveled more quickly than they thought they would, for their armor was finely crafted and the alloy was strong and light, creating less encumbrance, and granting a far greater range of motion than their old armor.
     The moon rose from the horizon and worked its way over them as they labored into the depths of the lush grasslands. As the sky began to illuminate behind them, the moon began to fade into the day. On and on they ran throughout the morning until the heat of day came upon them. It was then that they rested and ate.
     They traveled on by night, always under the canopy of the cool darkened skies, never seeing a soul and hoping they were not being seen. On they traveled for three nights until, finally, they saw a darker area far ahead of them, which meant they were nearing the border of the forest.
     As they traveled into the morning one day, they saw the distinct outline of trees not far in the distance and decided to enter the woods that day rather than rest, though it would be in the late morning when they reached their destination. They rested up and quenched their thirst before entering the forest. Within the forest they knew there would be water to replenish their flasks. They decided to travel with stomachs full of water rather than full flasks. Soon they were on their way, their destination slowly approaching as they jogged at an even pace.
     Sekali’s heart lifted as they entered the tree line. She was alive, the lady would not lie about that he was sure. But when he saw her, he would be much more inclined to be at peace. It was like a dream one has of something terrible happening to a loved one. Upon awakening, the dreamer must speak with the one dreamed about in order for all his fears to be washed away.
     As they traveled, a great black wolf broke out into view up ahead of them. Finyat slowed his pace. “I hope it’s hers.”
     Uther nodded in agreement and stopped. They did not venture further. Sekali took a couple of steps more and then stopped also. He also wondered if this was one of Mabuhi’s wolves. There was nothing to be done but to stop and wait.
     Sekali met the wolf’s eyes and evenly stated, “Mabuhi . . . we seek her.”
     The great wolf’s head cocked to one side and his tail wagged slightly. It sat down and looked to the forest from whence it had come. Its ears laid back and its tongue lolled out as it looked intently into the trees. They stood motionless, staring at the wolf, and then at the dense thickness of the trees in suspense. More wolves broke into the area, all in silence, filling up every avenue of retreat for the three. Sekali’s heart raced as he saw her come into view, clad in a forest-green cloak, staff in hand. She looked at the three and started.
     “Sekali, Finyat, Uther? I . . . where have you been. Out of nowhere you return. I thought you were gone forever.”
     Sekali bowed respectfully, followed by Uther and Finyat. Mabuhi bowed slightly in return and whispered something, though the three did not understand what she spoke, for she spoke to her guardian wolves in their own tongue. All the wolves turned and vanished into the woodlands; all but the great black wolf.
     Sekali waited for Mabuhi’s next move. He was in her home; she could advance . . . he would not. He was well pleased that she was well. But he was curious.
     “Mabuhi, what do you mean out of nowhere we return?”
     She looked the three up and down, studying their new armor and weapons. Then she came to them and stood in their midst, touching the shield Uther carried and looking intently at the runes on Sekali’s chest piece. She looked on in wonder at their craftsmanship for a time and then looked at each of them deeply, last of all Sekali, whoes eyes she held firmly.
     “It has been over three years since we parted.”
     Sekali’s heart did not leap into his throat as much as did Uther’s. And Uther’s heart was even more steady at the news than Finyat’s. But all three felt the weight of what she said and fell to silent wonder. What was that place they had just came from? Questions upon questions came to mind, stacking like, tiny weights upon their backs until finally they became a great burden.
Sudden weariness struck them all as if a spell had been cast upon them. They sat down, dumbfounded and speechless. Mabuhi knelt and watched the three, biting her lip, attempting to understand this enigma. She did not ask them questions yet. They were obviously overwhelmed. They slept undisturbed after some time of silence and debate amongst themselves. And while they rested, her wolves kept a vigilant guard about them.
     Answers would be obtained later.
     It was nightfall when Sekali awoke. He was the first to stir out of a dreamless sleep. His vision focused on stars blinking above him. He thought about his homelands, about how the stars were seldom seen, if ever. Once in his childhood he and a friend thought they had seen a pinpoint of light in the skies above as the mists parted, but they weren’t sure what it was then. Sekali lay there studying the stars for quite some time, wondering about the old man and the time they had spent with him. His hand found its way to his neck where he felt the chain that secured the amulet given him. He pulled it from under his armor and held it up, studying it curiously.
     “Where did you get that?” Mabuhi whispered in wonder.
     “From the old man in the ruins. He gave us each one, they each look like three pieces of one amulet. He gave us the charge to take them into a place called the Sister City. What more we are to do once there, I have no idea, Mabuhi.”
     She looked on him in new wonder now. “Up, we must go! Up!” She snapped her fingers in front of her loudly, rousing the other two.

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