Elvangar Page 11

  “That is one of my stories,” grinned Copi, “but I will save it for people who care to gain knowledge.”

  Plesy gazed at the other passengers as they disembarked. He did a double take when MistyTrail walked onto the dock, but the man with the hood covering his head held the old man’s interest the most. As soon as the passengers were on the dock, the captain called for the gangplank to be removed. The ship was untied and started to depart.

  “Everyone is staying then?” asked Plesy.

  “No,” Rejji shook his head. “We will be leaving Ghala as soon as practical.”

  “Then we must have a gala festival tonight,” Plesy said. “It is not often that the Astor and our favorite Khadoran lord come to call upon us.”

  “He is the Emperor of Khadora now,” Bakhai interjected softly.

  “If the Sakovans are well rested,” the Emperor stated, “I think we should leave immediately. We have a full day available to us. Why waste it?”

  “No festival?” frowned Copi.

  “Not this time,” Rejji smiled as he placed a hand on Copi’s shoulder. “Maybe we will have a new story for you when we return.”

  “It better be a good one,” grumbled Copi, although his eyes betrayed his delight at the thought of another tale for his audience.

  Rejji led the group to the Ghala Inn. When they entered the common room, the Sakovans were already seated at a table eating the morning meal. Rejji led the group to the table and introduced his party. Lyra introduced Temiker, DarkBlade, and LunarSigh. DarkBlade was an imposing figure. He towered over the Star of Sakova as he stood to greet the newcomers. His rugged face showed no emotion as he nodded slightly to each of the newcomers. He never said a word.

  LunarSigh was short and fair. Her eyes twinkled with excitement as she said hello to each newcomer by name. She joined DarkBlade as he moved from the table in response to a nod from Lyra. The two Sakovans took their plates and moved to an adjacent table where they were joined by Gunta and Halman. The four elves joined them, leaving Lyra’s table for the others. The newcomers ordered a meal, and they all discussed the upcoming trip to the Qubari Jungle. Within an hour the group left the city of Ghala and headed towards the jungle.

  * * *

  Mobi halted the column when they came to a narrow footbridge crossing the deep gorge. The bridge was narrow and composed of old wooden slats. Two ropes ran across the bridge to use as handholds. The roar of a nearby waterfall made normal conversation impossible. Mobi shouted for the riders to dismount and tether their horses.

  “The last part of the journey must be on foot,” Mobi instructed loudly. “We will cross in a single file. If you do not care for heights, I would advise against looking down.”

  Mobi nodded to Rejji, and the Astor started the procession across the gorge. A great mist rose towards the bridge from the waterfall below. Rejji remembered the day he first crossed the bridge leading to the hidden Qubari city. He had looked down that day as well. Rejji halted momentarily and closed his eyes as the queasiness hit his stomach. He felt the bridge swaying beneath his feet. He inhaled deeply and opened his eyes. He continued walking across the bridge, but he no longer let his eyes wander from the opposite side of the gorge.

  It took a while for the whole party to reassemble on the far side of the bridge. Mobi was the last to cross and immediately took the lead again. Within a few minutes, the jungle parted and the group emerged in the village of the Qubari. The Qubari guide led them along a long street towards the village center. Villagers flocked to the street and lined it to watch the procession of outsiders. Some of the outsiders had been to the village before, and the villagers called them by name. Each of the Qubari bowed low when the Astor walked by.

  When they reached the center of the village, the tribal elders were already assembled. Rejji and Bakhai stepped forward and embraced their grandfather, Chief Dumo. Rejji introduced everyone while villagers spread blankets on the grass of the central square. The Qubari filled the blankets with food dishes and various drinks. After Chief Dumo and the head shaman, Yltar, greeted Emperor Marak formally, they embraced him as one might an old friend. They turned to Lyra and both Dumo and Yltar bowed formally.

  “So you are the Star of Sakova,” smiled Dumo. “I have heard much about you. You are welcome in the land of the Qubari.”

  “Thank you, Chief Dumo,” smiled Lyra. “This is quite an experience for me. I have heard stories of the Qubari, but no words can give justice to an actual visit. Thank you for your welcome.”

  “You have come to visit Angragar?” asked Yltar.

  “We have,” nodded Lyra. “I am not entirely sure of the purpose of our visit, but it has been commanded by Kaltara. Thank you for allowing us passage.”

  “One does not argue with Kaltara,” grinned Yltar. “Our home is your home for as long as you need it.”

  “I think Rejji needs to speak to Kaltara,” interjected MistyTrail. “I bet that is the reason for our trip to Angragar.”

  Yltar stared at MistyTrail for a moment and shook his head. “While you are correct about the Astor needing a visitation, it is not Angragar that he must go to. Rejji is Qubari. He must seek Kaltara in our temple here. It is also not up to others to decide when he must do this. It is when Kaltara calls him that is important.”

  “I was taken to Changragar by the Chula,” frowned Emperor Marak. “That was my awakening, but I was brought there by the Chula. Are you saying that it is different for the Astor?”

  “Are you saying that the Chula were not motivated by Kaltara to take you to Changragar?” smiled Yltar. “Perhaps Kaltara has used the Torak to bring Rejji here for his awakening? It was said that Kaltara instructed you to go to Angragar, was it not?”

  “Very clearly,” nodded the Torak. “The Star and the Astor were to accompany me.”

  “And here you stand not a few hundred paces from our temple,” smiled the head shaman. “Mobi could have taken you directly to Angragar. Why have you come here?”

  “I promised the elves that they would have proof of some things that I stated regarding their relations with humans,” answer Emperor Marak. “I understand that those records reside inside your temple.”

  “You are correct,” responded Yltar. “So part of your trip is to specifically visit this temple in the company of the Astor. Is that any stranger than the Chula taking you to Changragar?”

  “It is not,” chuckled the Torak. “Kaltara does indeed work in mysterious ways.”

  “He does,” smiled Yltar. “Let us have some refreshments while we talk.”

  Yltar extended his arm towards the blankets laden with food. The outsiders joined with the Qubari people in a festival. Qubari musicians played drums and flutes while other villagers continued to bring food to the square. The outsiders and the Qubari mixed well and many conversations were struck. Mobi and Voltak sat with Gunta and Halman and discussed the affairs of their very different cultures. Temiker, Axor, and Yltar sat to one side and discussed magic. Eventually LunarSigh joined their conversation. Marak, Lyra, and Rejji sat with Chief Dumo, elder Pulom, and elder Anderal. DarkBlade stood impassively behind Lyra, seemingly ignoring everyone. Wyant walked over to him and tugged on his arm.

  “We should listen to what the warriors are talking about,” suggested Wyant as he pointed towards Marak’s shadows and the Qubari warriors. “I understand that our trip to Angragar will be extremely dangerous. We should know what is ahead of us.”

  DarkBlade looked hesitantly across the green at the warriors and then back at Lyra. His hesitation to leave her side was obvious.

  “There is no safer place for your Star of Sakova than in this village,” prodded Wyant. “She is surrounded by people who would die to protect her. Come.”

  DarkBlade said nothing as he reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled from Lyra’s presence. Wyant led him over to the group of warriors. Mistake, MistyTrail, Eltor, and Caldal found themselves surrounded by curious Qubari villagers. They chattered nonstop as they inspected the ears
of the elves and talked about the lost city of Angragar.

  “As you can see,” Mistake said to Eltor and Caldal, “these Qubari recognize you for who you are. These are the people that the elves left behind to guard the lost city of Angragar. This whole Qubari Jungle was created by the elves.”

  “How can you know that?” Caldal asked skeptically.

  “It is true,” offered a villager. “The Qubari are descended from King Regis who reigned in the time of the elves. It is the job of the Qubari to maintain the jungle and guard the lost city of Angragar. That is our whole purpose for living. We are the guardians.”

  “I thought the elves attacked Angragar,” scowled Caldal. “Now you are telling me that you guard the city for the elves? That makes no sense.”

  “The elves were mistaken in their attack,” explained an old man. ”They were tricked by Vand’s people into thinking that Angragar had attacked their homeland. King Regis finally discovered what had happened. He got the elves to stop the attack and discuss the problem. That is when the truth became known. The elves are friends of the Qubari. You are honored guests here.”

  “I do not remember my studies that well,” frowned Eltor. “I remember about the attack on our homeland by ships from Angragar, but none of what you are talking about. If what you say is true, why are we taught that the humans are our enemies?”

  “I can not speak to what you are taught,” frowned the old man, “but the records of the temple are very detailed. If you are allowed to read them, you will learn the truth about relations between Angragar and Elvangar.”

  “You know the name of our homeland?” gasped Eltor. “I purposely avoided any mention of it, and I know that no one else spoke of it either.”

  “Of course we know,” smiled the old man. “The Qubari have a special magical talent that is not know elsewhere. It is the ability to communicate with animals. It was taught to us by the elves, therefore some among them must have this ability as well. Am I right?”

  Eltor nodded with surprise. “You are correct,” he stated. “I cannot imagine that any human would know that. I would like to see those records inside the temple.”

  “I cannot imagine an elf here in the jungle created by elves that would question the good relations that we had over many centuries before the end of Angragar,” declared a woman. “The elves were long our allies. They were tricked into attacking Angragar, but we do not hold that against them. Why would they hold it against us?”

  A loud gong sounded and everyone’s attention turned to Chief Dumo. The Qubari chief stood with his arms raised high for silence. He waited patiently for the crowd to simmer down.

  “The festival will continue,” Dumo declared, “but our guests have business within the temple. I ask all of our guests to gather at the temple.”

  The outsiders separated themselves from the villagers and moved towards the temple. Chief Dumo stood on the steps and waited for them along with Yltar and the elders.

  “The Astor has requested access for all of you to the ancient archives of our temple,” declared Dumo. “I caution you to be careful in your search for information. Many of our scrolls and books are very old and fragile. They have not been preserved as the ones in Angragar have been. The village elders and I will be available during your search. If you have any questions at all, please ask them.”

  Heads nodded respectfully as Dumo led the group into the temple. They wound their way through the corridors of the temple and entered a huge room filled with bookshelves and stands of scrolls. The room was immaculate.

  “The books are in order by year,“ explained Dumo. “While that will make it chronologically correct, it may cause hardships if you are interested in a specific subject. Yltar has tremendous knowledge of our writings. If you are looking for something specific, he can point you to the right area. Please be careful.”

  “Where will we find writing concerning the elves and their relations to humans?” asked Caldal.

  “I will show you to those tomes,” volunteered elder Pulom. “They are among the earliest tomes. There has been no contact with the elves in many generations.”

  “What of the preaching of Vand?” asked Emperor Marak. “Are there any volumes here that would address that so that we can see how he thinks?”

  “Most of those would exist in the libraries of Angragar,” answered Chief Dumo. “By the time of the creation of the Qubari Jungle, Vand was the known enemy of the righteous. If there are any other questions, let us know.”

  It was obvious that Dumo was not thrilled by a large group of outsiders pawing though their most precious artifacts, but he was resigned to it. He was mildly pleased when the outsiders did not immediately grab for books. Instead they stood in a circle and discussed what they would look for and how they would coordinate their activities. Rejji separated himself from the group and approached Dumo and Yltar.

  “Everyone thinks that I need to speak to Kaltara,” Rejji said nervously. “How do I do that?”

  Chief Dumo smiled broadly, and Yltar put his arm around the Astor. The head shaman led the Astor out of the library and along a corridor to the center of the pyramid temple. Just off the center of the temple was a doorway three steps higher than the other doors. Yltar stopped outside it.

  “This door leads to the prayer room,” declared the head shaman. “There is little beyond the door, but a small round room. It is a holy place of meditation. I will not enter it with you, for it is your desire to speak to Kaltara. I will wait outside for your return. Is there anything else that you wish to know?”

  “Yes,” Rejji nodded nervously. “What do I do inside?”

  Yltar smiled benevolently. “As head shaman, you would expect me to know the answer to that question, but I do not. I have been inside the chamber many times during my lifetime. I have issued many prayers to Kaltara during those visits. He has never spoken to me. I have often felt his presence, and I almost always emerged feeling invigorated and fresh, but not a word was ever heard by me, but then again, I am not the Astor.”

  “I am confused,” admitted Rejji. “I have never prayed before, and it sounds like not much happens. How will I know when it is time to leave? What should I pray about?”

  “It is said that inside this chamber, Kaltara lives and breathes,” explained Yltar. “You may not see him, and you may not hear him, but you should speak to him as if you stood before him. As to what you should ask, speak from your heart. Ask him for direction in those areas where you feel you need it. Ask for answers to questions that trouble your soul.”

  “But if he does not answer,” frowned Rejji, “how will I receive my answers?”

  “You may not receive any answers,” replied Yltar, “or you may and not know it. Even if he does not speak to you, you may find you now have the answers that you sought within yourself. Be at ease, Astor. While you may not know Kaltara, be assured that he knows you. Go and commune with God.”

  Rejji nodded and inhaled deeply. He climbed the three steps and opened the door. He stepped into a perfectly round chamber and shut the door. When the door closed, it sealed off the torchlight from the corridor outside. The room was completely black. Rejji could see nothing. He reached for the door to open it a crack to allow some light in, but the door refused to open.

  Rejji did not panic. He assumed that Yltar had locked the door so that Rejji would not immediately turn around and leave. He silently thanked the shaman for his act because Rejji thought he might have left if he had opened the door. Rejji walked blindly forward until he felt as if he was in the center of the chamber. He stood there silently for several minutes as he tried to think of what to say. Finally, he opened his mouth.

  “Kaltara?” Rejji asked meekly. “Are you here?”

  There was no response. Ordinarily Rejji would have felt very foolish for his actions, but he had heard about Emperor Marak’s visit to Changragar. While the Torak had not explained what had happened, he did tell Rejji that Kaltara did indeed exist. God had talked to the Torak.

/>   “Kaltara,” Rejji tried again, “I seek your guidance. I have been told that I am the Astor, but I truly do not know what that means. Tell me what you would have me do? How am I supposed to serve you?”

  Rejji felt suddenly warm and elated. He could understand the warmth as he was in an enclosed chamber and very nervous, but he was at a loss to explain his happiness.

  “It is my warmth that you feel,” boomed a voice from above Rejji. “It is my joy. You come to me as nervous as a new bride, and yet you ask only how you can serve me. You are my Astor indeed.”

  Rejji’s heart beat furiously, and he swallowed hard. His mouth turned dry as he tried to think of what to say next.

  “Do not be dismayed by your lack of knowledge of the Astor,” the voice said soothingly. “The Astor is who you are, and you are who the Astor is. There is no set of rules to govern your actions. There is only a goal. You are the shepard of the Qubari and the Fakarans beyond the jungle. Gather my people. Care for my people. Prepare my people to defend your God. That is the Astor.”

  “And how do I do that?” asked Rejji.

  “Have you not already begun?” replied Kaltara. “Do not half the people already cling to you?”

  “Half?” gulped Rejji. “Do you mean the Jiadin are your people, too?”

  “Are they not Fakarans deserted from the Evil One?” asked Kaltara. “Unite my people, Astor. Make them strong, for the Time of Cleansing is soon upon you. All will be needed to survive the forces of evil.”

  “I shall do as you command,” promised Rejji.

  “So you shall,” replied Kaltara. “In a few days’ time, you will journey to the ancient city of Angragar along with the Star and the Torak. Cleanse that city of the unholy, for Angragar is to rise again. Once more Angragar shall have a holy king to rule over the land before the Fortung Mountains. Open the city gates and bring my people inside. Renew her harbor and her great buildings, for the jungle shall fall away from her walls and be no more. Do that, and I shall reside within that great temple once again.”