Tandoop
Tandoop and Menabi were long married.
He had frequented Rubinto’s house, and those times he went, it was not to talk about a scheme to save King Greda, or to visit Rubinto. Kanaka had been living there since he ran away from the palace, and he had been the one from whose mouth was the first hint at Tandoop getting closer with Menabi. Edongo was not yet married, and this was strange since he was the one who was acquainted with more women than Tandoop. Eventually, Tandoop and Menabi had eloped and were even expecting a second child. The first was a girl he had named after his mother who had long died before his father Tanook had.
Chaniwa.
Tandoop, Fonjam, Edongo and Rubinto had been keeping an eye on King Greda, expecting anything from him since he had attempted killing Kanaka, forcing him to hide. The threat had died, but they stood on the tip of their toes, having known the very things that had become unstable just by people knowing about them and might be thinking of using the dangers they brought to their advantage.
Tandoop, Fonjam, Edongo and Rubinto; These men were elders and friends of King Greda during the day. They were also making plans at pulling his reign apart by exposing him. This they did at night, and chaos would be the best cue for them.
Greda
He had frequented Rubinto’s house, and those times he went, it was not to talk about a scheme to save King Greda, or to visit Rubinto. Kanaka had been living there since he ran away from the palace, and he had been the one from whose mouth was the first hint at Tandoop getting closer with Menabi. Edongo was not yet married, and this was strange since he was the one who was acquainted with more women than Tandoop. Eventually, Tandoop and Menabi had eloped and were even expecting a second child. The first was a girl he had named after his mother who had long died before his father Tanook had.
Chaniwa.
Tandoop, Fonjam, Edongo and Rubinto had been keeping an eye on King Greda, expecting anything from him since he had attempted killing Kanaka, forcing him to hide. The threat had died, but they stood on the tip of their toes, having known the very things that had become unstable just by people knowing about them and might be thinking of using the dangers they brought to their advantage.
Tandoop, Fonjam, Edongo and Rubinto; These men were elders and friends of King Greda during the day. They were also making plans at pulling his reign apart by exposing him. This they did at night, and chaos would be the best cue for them.
Greda
King Greda went to the forbidden forest to find the hidden path. The substance that Samnas had given was a red powder with which he was to rub a little on his forehead and sprinkle some more in the air while saying the revelation ritual incantation as Samnas had directed. It was an awkward and confusing experience, because it was required that no one else but the beholder had to perform the ritual in order to open the passageway, so King Greda had gone alone, only after Samnas had confirmed that it worked.
As Samnas had instructed him, he carried out the ritual, and he waited for any signs, but none came just immediately yet. When he had thought to use more of the powder, dipping his fingers into the small bag in which it was put, he heard a rattle in front of him, even though it was the edge of a cliff. When he looked down, there was nothing but valley.
He heard the rattle again, and he looked again, and something faded into his vision, blocking him from setting his eyes on the valley below. He squinted to adjust his view, and he saw a translucent object with grasses growing out of it.
He could not believe what he was seeing, but he put a foot ahead and…
He did not fall.
There was another land ahead of him, but it must have been about a full shadow shift towards his east of walking distance, because he wanted to change his mind; but he did not. He went ahead, and just as he had walked a little while, the translucent ground under his feet became clearer for him to see, but he had reached a large space with no path. The path had wound up to another cliff.
It was getting dark and his shadow began to disappear.
He looked around him and it was a strange kind of darkness he could see, not looking like the darkness of night, because the sky had an uncommon color and he could not see a horizon ahead. The land around did not seem real enough to be seen. Just before he decided to turn and take the path back to the forbidden forest behind him, the second cliff was no longer a cliff, because just a step below was the continuation of the path. With feet shaking, when he stepped on it, he fell deeper than it looked and he blacked out.
When he woke up, there was light, and the land was not at all dark as it had been when he had first stepped in. It looked exactly like Gardutkar, almost a complete mirrored image, but there were no houses and fences. It was just trees and strangely, there were animals, some of which he had never seen, but he knew that they were animals, because they looked like goats, but with variety. It was the most beautiful place he had seen in his life, and he was enchanted by it at first glance. He remembered the creatures his mother had told him about.
What creatures? There is no such thing here.
And he walked on and time did not seem to pass, because darkness did not come even though he had spent a whole day’s worth of time gathering what he could. If only he had brought a bigger bag.
Samthanasmuths
As Samnas had instructed him, he carried out the ritual, and he waited for any signs, but none came just immediately yet. When he had thought to use more of the powder, dipping his fingers into the small bag in which it was put, he heard a rattle in front of him, even though it was the edge of a cliff. When he looked down, there was nothing but valley.
He heard the rattle again, and he looked again, and something faded into his vision, blocking him from setting his eyes on the valley below. He squinted to adjust his view, and he saw a translucent object with grasses growing out of it.
He could not believe what he was seeing, but he put a foot ahead and…
He did not fall.
There was another land ahead of him, but it must have been about a full shadow shift towards his east of walking distance, because he wanted to change his mind; but he did not. He went ahead, and just as he had walked a little while, the translucent ground under his feet became clearer for him to see, but he had reached a large space with no path. The path had wound up to another cliff.
It was getting dark and his shadow began to disappear.
He looked around him and it was a strange kind of darkness he could see, not looking like the darkness of night, because the sky had an uncommon color and he could not see a horizon ahead. The land around did not seem real enough to be seen. Just before he decided to turn and take the path back to the forbidden forest behind him, the second cliff was no longer a cliff, because just a step below was the continuation of the path. With feet shaking, when he stepped on it, he fell deeper than it looked and he blacked out.
When he woke up, there was light, and the land was not at all dark as it had been when he had first stepped in. It looked exactly like Gardutkar, almost a complete mirrored image, but there were no houses and fences. It was just trees and strangely, there were animals, some of which he had never seen, but he knew that they were animals, because they looked like goats, but with variety. It was the most beautiful place he had seen in his life, and he was enchanted by it at first glance. He remembered the creatures his mother had told him about.
What creatures? There is no such thing here.
And he walked on and time did not seem to pass, because darkness did not come even though he had spent a whole day’s worth of time gathering what he could. If only he had brought a bigger bag.
Samthanasmuths
One day, Samnas was curious, so he took some of the red dust and went to the edge of the cliff and puffed it into the air. It was fascinating to see, after repeating the incantations found in one of Rotyuk’s hidden and unpublished book of spells, the cliff flattened out in front of him. He put a finger to feel it and it got lost in the image. He put a foot into the image and felt for a path on which he would land but there was none. So he jumped into it and began falling upwards until the dimension spun itself into the right angle and the upward fall was only gravity’s pull. He was falling down! He had no idea if he had spoken the words right because there was supposed to be a path somewhere, not emptiness. He wondered if it was rocks or water at the bottom of this space through which he was falling. He began to panic in mid air that he might not survive the impact, when he landed on a field of rosebushes and closed his eyes to blackness.
When he woke up, he was still there, in the field of rosebushes. He walked on for hours feeding his eyes and inhaling the fresh air and watching birds fly in groups and admiring the clean blue sky and the golden sun and the perfectly trimmed hills and meadows he had never set his eyes on. He had brought a clay plate and a small bag to take anything back with him from the strange place, and that was when he saw a neatly built closed nest with a small hole hanging in a tree surrounded by rocks and a small canyon of water. Wondering how a bird built a nest with a small hole through which it was too large to enter or exit, he took his scepter and poked it so that the bird would find its way out so he could see what it looked like. But when it did come out, it was not a bird, it was one, then two, then six, then more than a dozen birds colored in yellow and black that came out, and they did not seem the least bit friendly so Sam took off in the direction he had come. Where had he come from? The sky?
He took to his heels, dodging the birds which had been positioned to sting. What sort of birds were these? He caught sight of the nest and ran back to snatch it, then he ran to the rosebushes. He circled the rosebushes for a while before he picked some of the red dust from his belt – still running – and sprinkled it into the air. Having managed to say the incantation somewhere between his running and panting, he saw the forest at Gardutkar appear back and he jumped through with the birds following him closely behind. He landed on the edge of the cliff of the bottomless pit and almost slipped out of balance with one arm clinging fast to his nest and another shoving the birds away, some of which had stung him behind his neck till he fell to the ground, landing on his chin. The other birds zipped back through the portal. He got up and saw a few on the floor, dead. He had probably swiped his arm and killed them.
He took his nest to the shrine to find out what was inside, ignoring the incessant throb in his neck and one of his arms. When he tore it open, he saw a phlegm-ish brown liquid arranged in layers of the inner part of the nest. He brought it close to his nose and sniffed; it smelled pleasant and as it usually followed, it would taste pleasant as well, he reasoned, so he put a finger in the nest and pressed hard against it, then he touched the tip of his tongue with it. It was the sweetest thing that ever existed! He began to feel dizzy and expected to pass out in a matter of seconds, so he took a herbal leaf that served as a painkiller, chewed it hard and brought the product out, rubbing it on his neck and his arm, and seconds before he fell to the floor, he thought, poison.
King Greda
When he woke up, he was still there, in the field of rosebushes. He walked on for hours feeding his eyes and inhaling the fresh air and watching birds fly in groups and admiring the clean blue sky and the golden sun and the perfectly trimmed hills and meadows he had never set his eyes on. He had brought a clay plate and a small bag to take anything back with him from the strange place, and that was when he saw a neatly built closed nest with a small hole hanging in a tree surrounded by rocks and a small canyon of water. Wondering how a bird built a nest with a small hole through which it was too large to enter or exit, he took his scepter and poked it so that the bird would find its way out so he could see what it looked like. But when it did come out, it was not a bird, it was one, then two, then six, then more than a dozen birds colored in yellow and black that came out, and they did not seem the least bit friendly so Sam took off in the direction he had come. Where had he come from? The sky?
He took to his heels, dodging the birds which had been positioned to sting. What sort of birds were these? He caught sight of the nest and ran back to snatch it, then he ran to the rosebushes. He circled the rosebushes for a while before he picked some of the red dust from his belt – still running – and sprinkled it into the air. Having managed to say the incantation somewhere between his running and panting, he saw the forest at Gardutkar appear back and he jumped through with the birds following him closely behind. He landed on the edge of the cliff of the bottomless pit and almost slipped out of balance with one arm clinging fast to his nest and another shoving the birds away, some of which had stung him behind his neck till he fell to the ground, landing on his chin. The other birds zipped back through the portal. He got up and saw a few on the floor, dead. He had probably swiped his arm and killed them.
He took his nest to the shrine to find out what was inside, ignoring the incessant throb in his neck and one of his arms. When he tore it open, he saw a phlegm-ish brown liquid arranged in layers of the inner part of the nest. He brought it close to his nose and sniffed; it smelled pleasant and as it usually followed, it would taste pleasant as well, he reasoned, so he put a finger in the nest and pressed hard against it, then he touched the tip of his tongue with it. It was the sweetest thing that ever existed! He began to feel dizzy and expected to pass out in a matter of seconds, so he took a herbal leaf that served as a painkiller, chewed it hard and brought the product out, rubbing it on his neck and his arm, and seconds before he fell to the floor, he thought, poison.
King Greda
“What do you mean it is finished?!” The King had already raised his voice before the Spokesman could explain himself. “How much did you make and how much did you give to me?”
The guilt in Samnas’ eyes exploded all over King Greda’s eyes but he said nothing just yet.
“Almost all of it, your highness.”
“You have been using it, have you not?” King Greda was not smiling.
“I can explain –“
“If I don’t have more by the end of this half fortnight, I will –“
“Forgive me, your highness, it will take longer than –“
“I put you here! Do as I say! Seven days!”
The gods put me here, your highness.
“Yes, your highness.”
“So how was your experience on the other side, eh?” King Greda asked, not changing his expression. Samnas could not answer, fearing what he might say, that it might provoke his angry friend.
Samnas defied how awkward it felt and told the story, with a pinch of anger at the back of his mind. I am the Spokesman!
The guilt in Samnas’ eyes exploded all over King Greda’s eyes but he said nothing just yet.
“Almost all of it, your highness.”
“You have been using it, have you not?” King Greda was not smiling.
“I can explain –“
“If I don’t have more by the end of this half fortnight, I will –“
“Forgive me, your highness, it will take longer than –“
“I put you here! Do as I say! Seven days!”
The gods put me here, your highness.
“Yes, your highness.”
“So how was your experience on the other side, eh?” King Greda asked, not changing his expression. Samnas could not answer, fearing what he might say, that it might provoke his angry friend.
Samnas defied how awkward it felt and told the story, with a pinch of anger at the back of his mind. I am the Spokesman!
To be continued...
- Telsum Bini
0 comments:
We appreciate your comment and enjoin you to share our posts on social media. Thank you.