Sekali, "The Sister City"

 

                                Chapter 63

 

     Sekali felt like he was going to vomit. His head spun dangerously as he tried desperately to focus his senses on a light before him. After quite some time, he saw Uther’s face, and recalled who he was. His eyes narrowed as he looked upon the Shallant, who materialized before Sekali’s face.
     “Hello, Sekali. How are you feeling old friend?” Sekali answered by struggling lightly against his bonds.
     “Untie me, Finyat. Why have you done this?” Finyat’s face vanished abruptly as he strode behind him, but Sekali heard his voice and tried to follow the sound of it. He could not move his eyes without his stomach dangerously rebelling.
     “See, Uther? It’s our comrade in arms. He’s a bit sick now, but he’ll get over that in a few hours. Shall we untie him?” Uther grunted, his favorite and well-used expression. “Do what you want, Shallant! He pulls that stupid stunt a second time, and I’ll carve him!”
     Sekali was confused. Suddenly his legs were free, and then his hands and arms. He tried to stand, but could not get control of his limbs. He felt like jelly. He sat staring at the fire and trying to focus on the flames. He looked up at Finyat and Uther after a time, wonder filling his mind, and nausea accompanying every move. What had just happened? His mind began to fill with a myriad of questions.
     After quite a while, he looked up slowly at the sky, and noticed the stars. The moon was rising over the tree line in the distance, and somewhere an owl hooted thrice.
     “What happened?” His stomach lurched, causing Sekali to gag. His mouth was dry, his stomach empty, and he felt weak.
     Finyat shrugged as he dipped a single spade-shaped leaf into a cup of hot water and began to stir it slowly. For a time, no one spoke. Finyat stirred and dipped the leaf into the steaming-hot liquid and then moved close to Sekali and offered it to him.
     “Sekali, sip this slowly. It will help with the nausea.”
     Sekali slowly took the warm cup into both hands and put it to his lips. The liquid had an odd taste to it, but was not unpleasant. After a few sips his stomach stopped rebelling against his every move. He looked around him, and then up. The moon was well above the tree line in the distance before Finyat told him what had occurred, giving him every detail. After listening intently, without interrupting, Sekali looked over at Uther, who was kneeling before the fire and adding a few dead branches to it to keep it stoked. Guilt and shame welled up within him.
     “Uther, Finyat, I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I do not remember.”
     Uther gruffed, looking about as if a bit nervous. “Pray don’t mention it, elf.” Was all he grumbled as he pretended to fix an out-of-place piece of wood in the fire. Finyat smiled cheerfully and shrugged. “Wasn’t your fault. I just think you were out of your mind. There was something in those woods that got to you. I’m just glad we didn’t end up the same as those two unlucky elves.” Finyat shuddered.
     Sekali could not recall anything past the battle with the insect, and it bothered him much to think he had lost control of his senses. It plagued him to no end to think that he had turned on his allies; his trusted companions.
     Sekali did not sleep well that night as Finyat and Uther kept the watch. They would head out north in the morning.
     The land dipped downward into a grassland of tall, tube-like clumps of grass, taller than Finyat and Uther. They would have to make their way through this area where beyond, the moon gave enough light to illuminate mountains in the distance not two days’ travel ahead.
     In the morning, they packed up quickly. The wind gently brushed through Sekali’s hair as he walked toward a new destination. It felt good to be out of that forest. He vowed secretly that he would never venture into it again.
     As they hiked down into the grassland, Sekali looked back and grimaced at a forest very unlike that of Mabuhi’s homeland. Turning away, he led Uther and Finyat down into a sea of thick crops of bamboo-like grasses, hoping that the mountains ahead would be more hospitable. He had no idea where he was going, only that he searched for the Sister City, in a strange and hostile land.

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