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

her legs, her linen trousers still heavy with the day’s ashes. She wiggled her boots off, letting the air sweep between the gaps in her toes. Amantius was fascinated by her feet, which were very similar to his own, only covered in a thin layer of fur. At that moment he remembered what Donnello, the commander of the Crescent Fort, had told him about how he believed many races shared common ancestry. If that is true, Amantius thought, then maybe Humans and Kalikkis do too? That explains why we have very similar bodies except for the head, plus the fur and tails. I guess the longer I look at Kona’s face the more Human it seems, just with some very mouse-like features.

“So if you’re not a slaver,” Kona started, interrupting Amantius’ thoughts, “then why did you come to Yawan? I’m guessing by the way you’re staring at me right now you did not know Kalikkis existed.”

Amantius nodded, thankful the day’s ash flakes and heat reddened his face enough that Kona could not see him blushing. “You’re right. I had no idea. Neither did Wen or my brother. Seeing Bati and Buri for the first time was like an odd dream that I couldn’t wake up from. Not that I really wanted to, mind you, it was just all very strange. For you, it would be like going to a different part of the world and discovering there was an entire race of people who looked like chickens, feathers and all, and spoke your language. Or people who looked like carrots with arms and legs, mouths and ears, and then most of them hate you. It was quite the shock, so much so I’m not sure if I’m over it yet.”

“I guess I can’t really imagine,” Kona replied. “But still, you didn’t answer why you came to the Alakuum. The world is a very big place and Humans are accepted almost everywhere. Why have you traveled to this distant corner of the continent? Are you running away from something?”

Amantius reflected on the answer for a long time, aligning his thoughts into the proper order. When he was ready he grabbed his canteen and drank a few mouthfuls of water, offering some to Kona before refilling it in the oasis at his feet. He then quickly summarized his life, from growing up in Accaria with an Orc as a foster-brother, to the circumstances surrounding his departure from his homeland. He spoke a little of his time in Silverwater, surprising himself when he suddenly started speaking of Morganna, a topic he actively avoided with Ulam. He then told her about how they joined the Crimson Owl Traveling Theater Company, as well as the success of A Dragon’s Peace, followed by the rift with his foster-brother. “And we went after him. We crossed into the Alakuum a week later or so, and now I am sitting by an oasis with you. Your turn.”

Though Kona flashed a smile, Amantius thought he saw the sadness in her eyes. It was the look of longing, of someone who felt as though they were trapped by life’s responsibilities and yearned for freedom. “There isn’t much to tell, I’m afraid. I was born in Yawan, I was raised in Yawan, and I will most likely die in Yawan. For most Kalikkis that is the perfect life; to live in Yawan, get married, raise healthy children, and then fade into oblivion after your death.”

“And for you?”

Kona looked at the moon. “It does not matter. I’m married now, to the Head of the Council Guards, nonetheless. I know he’s a little rough around the edges, especially with you being an Emberi and all, but Seto is a good person. I should be the happiest girl in all of Yawan, but I feel like something is missing. Like passion. I want to travel the world, and listening to your story just makes me think about all I will be missing by being a housewife. That’s why I volunteer to run errands in the Alakuum for Tomo, because I know as soon as I become a mother I will have a responsibility to my family.”

They sat in silence, the only noise coming from Ulam’s tent, where he snored louder than a tiger’s roar. Both stared at the ripples in the water as a little snake swam across, so focused on its objective that it did not care that two outsiders were sitting on the shore nearby. As Amantius watched the little serpent swim after insects he wondered if animals lived in societies like his own, complete with civil obligations, romances, and unachieved dreams. In a way, Amantius was envious of the snake; happy with its little world, completely oblivious to everything happening around it. If only life were so simple.

“I’m going to try to get some rest,” Kona said as she slipped on her boots. “You probably should try too. We need to cover a lot of ground tomorrow.”

“I’ll try,” Amantius replied as he stood, “but who knows how much sleep I’ll get sharing a tent with that big oaf.”

Chapter 13

Ulam

“There they are,” Nilawen announced, “there are the mountains.”

Kona had been correct, they reached the Ummdani Mountains by the second evening of their journey. Traveling on the second day had been a little more difficult than the first, with the winds growing stronger the closer they came to the mountain range. Though there had not been any major ash storms, they had to weather a few smaller ones earlier in the day. But with the aid of the camels, as well as the desert survival techniques Kona shared with the group, the storms were not nearly as threatening as they had once been. If anything, they had become more of a nuisance than a true danger.

“Those mountains are still far away,” Kona said as she brought the camels to a halt. “The desert plays tricks on your mind and makes you think things are closer than they really are. But