The Elder's Curse by Andrew Walbrown (superbooks4u .txt) 📗

to do,” Tomo continued after he dried his lips on his robe. “After much deliberation, they opened the gates to the Mwai. Though it was the right choice, it was not the popular choice at first. With the influx of so many refugees came many problems. Many Kalikkis had family members killed by Mwai raiders, and many of the Mwai suffered from Kalikkis seeking revenge as well. These animosities did not disappear overnight, and it led to much unrest in Rashi.

“The leaders of both the Kalikkis and the Mwai did their best to ease tensions. The Mwai gathered resources that their shorter, less physical hosts could not, while the Kalikkis worked tirelessly to construct homes and improve life for their guests. But these improvements were all for naught because, within a year of the Mwai living in Rashi, the army of the Human coalition arrived at the gates.

“They sent an ambassador to Rashi, if that is what you want to call the person. He told the leaders that if they did not surrender the rest of the Mwai, they too would be destroyed. The old animosities flared up again as panic spread throughout the city. Some wanted to sacrifice the Mwai to save themselves, others had made too strong of friendships and could not fathom sending their friends to their deaths. A silent vote was taken with the majority of the people voting to protect the Mwai, and in turn, the Humans then did what Humans do best: they went to war. Though the Kalikkis lived in a mountain city with great fortifications, they did not have the same appetite for siege warfare that the Humans had. It was quite apparent after a few months that Rashi would fall; it was only a matter of time.”

“So how did the defenders escape?” Nilawen asked, her question allowing Tomo a break to quench more of his thirst. “Was there a secret mountain passage that allowed the Kalikkis and Mwai to escape?”

“There was,” Tomo replied as he wiped his lips again. “At the back of the city was a tunnel that had been carved into the side of the mountains, which had been completed a century earlier under the orders of a former Kalikki council. Their paranoia eventually saved our races, as every day more and more Kalikkis and Mwai escaped through the tunnels and into the Alakuum. When the city had been completely abandoned except for those who defended the walls, a group of Mwai volunteered to cover the retreat of their Kalikki allies and to destroy the entrance to the tunnel so the Humans could not follow. Some of the Kalikkis left to join their families, but others remained with the Mwai, and together they sacrificed themselves to protect what remained of their respective races.”

I wonder what that was like, Amantius thought, to stand on the walls of a doomed city, defending against a foreign invader, knowing your death would save the lives of thousands. What was going through their minds as they watched the battering rams and siege towers make their approach?

“But escaping Rashi was only half the struggle,” Tomo continued. “With the Human coalition thwarted, the next step, and arguably the most dangerous, was finding a place to settle. For many days and many nights the band of refugees scoured the Ashlands of the Alakuum in search of a new home, stopping only long enough to drain an oasis of its resources before moving on. Many died along the way, mostly from extreme heat, others from animal attacks. They pushed on, moving ever westward, hopeful that on the other side of the desert would be lush green fields waiting for them. But they found no such thing, instead they only found the ocean.”

“So they traveled the whole length of the Ashlands of the Alakuum and found only ash and saltwater,” Nilawen said. “How did they survive?”

Tomo smiled and raised his palms to the heavens, the Kalikkis beside him doing the same. “Praise be to Eemoneem.”

“Eemoneem?” Amantius said, the name invoking a memory. “I heard Bati or Buri say that not too long ago. Is that your god’s name?”

“Eemoneem is not our god,” Tomo explained, “at least, not in the same way Humans think of deities. No, Eemoneem was a Mwai…sorceress, enchanter, shaman…I am not sure what the word is in your language, who saved the Kalikkis and the Mwai. Because of her mysterious vocation, Eemoneem lived on the fringes of society and was feared by many, especially among the Mwai. She was quite old when she made the trek across the Alakuum, so old that many believed her magic was the only thing keeping her alive. And perhaps that was true, but that very same magic ultimately saved our peoples.

“You see, dear guests, when the band of refugees came to the end of the desert only to find more ash and an undrinkable ocean, it was Eemoneem who stepped forward to cast her last spell. On the very spot where the Great Obelisk stands today, Eemoneem called to the cosmos, her voice so tremendous and so true, that this whole area instantly transformed into the paradise you see today. The river beside us appeared from nowhere, its water clean and pure. Trees heavy with fruit sprouted from the ground, and the bitter ash you waded through to reach Yawan became the greenest grass you will ever see.”

“How is that possible?” Amantius blurted out, not bothering to hide his doubts. Ulam nudged him in the ribs with an elbow as a reminder to be respectful, but it did little to change Amantius’ position.

“There is much about the magical world that we do not understand,” Tomo answered, unbothered by Amantius’ doubts. “I am sure you believe stories which I would find difficult to believe.”

That’s fair, Amantius thought, though he was still unconvinced. There are legends about Kevea, Ommera, and others that are quite fantastical. But if that kind of magic existed we would know about it. Power like that doesn’t stay