Rise of the Red Harbinger (20 page)

Baltaszar hung on Munn’s every word. “Darian met with Jaya!” He felt like a child again, sitting at home while his father told him and Bo’az stories of warriors and monsters.

“Yes, yes. Darian met with her one day while Jahmash was out huntin’. He knew the toll it was all takin on Jaya, so he went ta talk. Well, boy, it didn’t end so well. Jahmash arrived home while Darian was still there. Jahmash threatened Darian ta leave or he would attack him, so Darian left. This only made things worse fer Jahmash.”

“Let me guess, he grew jealous, thinking that Jaya was having an affair with Darian?”

“Exactly! Though he didn’t accuse Jaya right away. He stewed over it fer days, watchin’ her, suspectin’ her, waitin’ ta see if she would run off. But she loved Jahmash, an’ tried constantly ta talk sense inta him. After a week or so, Jahmash finally caved ta his jealousy an’ threatened Jaya ta admit an affair with Darian. O’ course, she denied it ta no end, but Jahmash would not believe her an’ beat her inta a bloody mess. Jahmash left her there in anger. The maids cleaned up Jaya an’ brought her ta her sister Sarai’s home. Sarai was one o’ Darian’s wives.

“One thing I have forgotten ta mention, boy, is that Jahmash had the ability ta enter people’s minds. But only people who did not have a strong will. People who were mentally weak. He also was very good at persuasion. However, once the Harbingers had brought peace, they had agreed ta live normal lives an’ not use any o’ these powers any longer, because their work had finished.

“So anyway, the day after Jaya fled, Jahmash hunted down Darian at one o’ his wives’ houses, I believe it was Zara, but there were so many that it’s hard ta be sure. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, Jahmash confronted Darian about the suspected affair, but Darian denied it as well. Jahmash still had a bit o’ sense left, because he didn’t fight Darian, but he refused ta believe either Darian or Jaya that there was nothin’ between ‘em. Jahmash left after threatenin’ Darian that he would have revenge fer the slight against him.

“This is when Jahmash broke his pact with the other Harbingers. He found what weak-minded soldiers he could throughout the city an’ commanded ‘em ta go ta the houses o’ each o’ Darian’s wives an’ kill ‘em. The soldiers killed every one o’ them, except one. I believe it was Katia who lived, because Darian was at her house. Darian snuck away her ta Abram’s house an’ had Abram whisk her away ta a place where Jahmash couldn’t find her. It was ta Lionel’s house, far away, that Abram took her, then he returned with Lionel. Darian then had Abram hide all o’ his children, who were very young, at Lionel’s house as well. Once Darian’s remainin’ family was safe, he, Abram, an’ Lionel schemed ta confront Jahmash.

“Darian wanted ta avoid violence, so he sent Lionel an’ Abram ta speak ta Jahmash alone. Darian assumed that if he was not present, perhaps Jahmash might be calmer. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Upon seein’ them, Jahmash knew Darian had sent ‘em and stabbed Lionel in the chest. Abram was not so easy to kill, because he could disappear an’ reappear so quickly. But Abram did stand an’ fight Jahmash. Both were said ta be excellent swordsmen. In time, Jahmash injured Abram very severely. It is a topic o’ controversy whether Jahmash actually killed Abram or not, as no body was found. Many suspect that Abram blinked away before Jahmash could kill him. However, Abram was never seen again, so nobody really knows if he ever died or not.”

“What do you mean, ‘ever died’? You’re implying that he could still be alive?”

“The thing about the Five is that, once they reached a certain age, they stopped agin’ all together. It was one o’ the blessings from the Orijin. The Five were given the choice of when ta die. So, quite honestly, unless someone else killed ‘em, they could choose ta live forever.”

Baltaszar’s confusion grew into anger. “But then, what would happen if Jahmash never died? That would be horrible for this world! How could the Orijin allow something like that?”

“I apologize that I must bear this news ta ya, boy, but Jahmash did not die. But let me continue my story before I get ta that part. Where was I again?”

“What! How could he not die! Oh, fine. You were saying that Jahmash killed Lionel and Abram may or may not have escaped,” Baltaszar said sarcastically.

“Oh, yes. Well, ya see, once Lionel and Abram were out o’ Jahmash’s way, he went after Darian. But Darian was a smart one, boy. As soon as Darian got word o’ what happened ta Lionel an’ Abram, he fled the city on horseback, headin’ north. Darian rode fer days, possibly weeks, always leavin’ subtle clues so that Jahmash would be able ta follow him. An’ Jahmash did. Darian rode further an’ further north, past the Never, past the Endless Mountains. It is unclear o’ whether he rode through them or around them, but it seems more likely it woulda been easier fer him ta go around. Anyway, in those days, miles an’ miles o’ desert lay beyond the mountains. Darian rode an’ rode through the desert, then waited until Jahmash caught up ta him. By then, it was likely a fortnight after Jahmash had killed Lionel an’ Abram.”

Baltaszar broke in, “Allegedly killed Abram.”

“Yes. Allegedly indeed. Once he lured Jahmash far enough out inta the desert, Darian broke his own end o’ the pact an’ flooded the desert with water. The details o’ this are sketchy at best, as there was no one ta record what happened fer sure. But it was obvious enough what Darian did. He flooded the world an’ cut off Jahmash from any human contact. The continent we live on, Ashur, is an island because Darian turned it inta that. Fer centuries, sailors an adventurers set out in search o’ other lands, but either failed or never returned. The common belief these days is that Ashur is all that remains o’ the world. Though many are skeptical that other lands are out there.”

“While all of this is interesting, you’re getting off track, Master Keeram. What about Darian and Jahmash?”

“Oh yes, well boy, Darian allowed his self ta be killed once he was satisfied that Jahmash could not return ta civilization. The man truly turned a desert inta an ocean. His body eventually washed ashore. An, well, as ya know, boy, Darian’s legend has held up through time. Anyone who is even somewhat devout ta the Orijin reveres Darian. An’ Abram an’ Lionel an’ Gideon as well; they are all celebrated.”

“One thing doesn’t make sense. If nobody has ever seen Jahmash since then, how do we know he isn’t dead?”

“Yes, yes, a good question, boy. That goes back ta Silas Vaskol, a Blind Man who died about fifty somethin’ years ago. Silas had a vision o’ Jahmash livin’ on an island with no other land in sight. Jahmash was survivin’ off birds an’ such, but he was talkin’ ta someone about how he would return ta civilization an’ get revenge on the descendants o’ Darian fer what Darian did ta him.”

“What does that mean, descendants of Darian? How is he going to know who Darian’s descendants are so many centuries later?”

“Well, that’s a debatable question. Most people who believe the prophecy say that Jahmash will simply terrorize everyone. Others believe that Jahmash is only concerned with those o’ ya who have the black line on yer faces, since ye’ve come ta be called ‘Descendants’.”

“Does anyone know when this is going to happen? Or who the other person in the vision was?”

Munn gulped more tea, “Ahck, it’s cold. Farco! Another pot o’ tea! There are other prophecies at the Tower that’ll answer yer question better than I can. I haven’t been there in some time, an’ I honestly don’t remember things like I used ta. Regardless, most o’ Ashur believes Jahmash will be back in the next few generations.”

“But how would that happen? If Darian is dead, he can’t get rid of the water, right? So how would he come back here?”

“Baltaszar, the man has had centuries upon centuries ta think about that. An’ he’s a smart man. I have no doubts he’ll find a way, if he hasn’t already. Farco told me the world went dark fer nearly half an hour a few days ago. That can’t be a good sign.”

“Yes, that’s true. I was still walking in the forest at the time. Everything was black. Like nighttime with no moon. But Jahmash. How can he be stopped?”

Munn closed his eyes. “That is a question better suited fer Zin Marlowe. He is the headmaster at the House o’ Darian.”

“Very well. Would you happen to know…well, what exactly they do there? At the House of Darian?”

“I have never had much interest in the place. It seems like it attracts a great deal o’ trouble. Especially with Edmund, this ass o’ a king we have. But I would assume the House helps ya understand yer manifestation an’ how ta use it an’ control it.”

All these new things I don’t understand. “Manifestation?”

“Yes, manifestation, boy! Ya got a black line on yer face, don’t ya? It means that when ya were a child, ya got a line on yer face which allowed ya ta do somethin’ special.”

“I’ve never been able to do anything special. What do you mean by special, anyway?”

“Yer goin’ ta have ta talk ta Marlowe about all that. I don’t know if everyone gets the line at the same time. But it means ya can do somethin’, like manipulate somethin’ or create somethin’. Fer instance, Maven Savaiyon is a very well-known Descendant. Supposedly he can create ‘bridges’ in the thin air so that he can get ta places very quickly. He could go from one side o’ Ashur ta the other in a few seconds. Similar ta what Abram could do so long ago, but Abram would just vanish.

“So how do I know what I can do?”

“Most Descendants simply know. Ya see, boy, whatever it is, it’s somethin’ miraculous. Somethin’ a normal person couldn’t do. If yer not sure, then just think back on yer life an’ try ta remember if there’s any miraculous thing that ye’ve always been around or connected ta.”

Baltaszar could remember nothing miraculous in his seventeen years of life. “Nothing comes to mind. Is there someone who can tell me what it is?”

“From what I’m told, ya can’t force anyone ta have a certain manifestation. An yer not supposed ta talk ta a child about his manifestation until he discovers it fer his self. Ya see, manifestations…they say these things come out o’ some dire need, desperate situation. It would be artificial fer a child ta be told a manifestation. But I am no expert on these matters. I would assume yer goin’ ta the House o’ Darian anyway. Discuss the matter with Marlowe.”

“Very well. Thank you.”

Farco returned with a new steaming pot of tea. Munn sipped from a newly full cup. “I suppose yer goin’ now then?”

“Well, no sir. The whole reason you invited me in was because of a prophecy. I believe you still have to share that with me.”

Munn nodded his head vigorously. “Yes! Yes, o’ course, dear boy! A prophecy indeed! Farco, please fetch me the prophecy book fer this boy. It will be on the ‘People’ shelf under ‘K’ for Kontez.”

Chapter 8

A Prophecy

From
The Book of Orijin
,
Verse Seventeen

We know all paths. Though We have blessed you with free will, We have already foreseen the outcomes of all possible decisions.

“Is that…is that
whole book just prophecies?” Baltaszar gasped incredulously.

Farco plopped the book atop one of the shorter stacks of books on the table, pushing a cloud of dust up into the air, and opened it to a page close to the end of the book. Munn replied, “This is one o’ many books. Our system o’ filing our prophecies is complicated, and at my age, sometimes even I forget how things oughta be sorted. Luckily, I have Farco here ta keep things in order.” The boy smiled genuinely then turned his attention back to the book. Once he found what he was looking for, he grasped Munn’s hand and placed it at the middle of the right page.

Munn moved his hand slowly from left to right over the line of dashes and dots. “Oh dear. I fear I may have set ya up for some grave news, my boy. I apologize in advance fer bein’ the one who has ta give ya such a message, but please do understand that I am just a medium. I don’t choose the prophecy nor the person. It simply comes ta me.”

Baltaszar put his cup down and peered at the book, despite knowing he wouldn’t be able to understand it. His eyes narrowed, “What do you mean? The prophecy is something bad? What if I don’t want to know it then? Why is it so important for me to know this thing? If you don’t tell me, I can leave here and be perfectly happy not knowing about whatever bad thing is going to happen.”

“It’s important that I tell ya this thing, Baltaszar. Prophecies are set in stone, so it is not as if ya can change it. But emotionally, at least if ya have this news, ya can prepare yerself for the worst.”

Baltaszar sighed, twisted his mouth and, after a few moments of deliberating, consented to hear Munn’s prophecy. “Fine, tell me this terrible thing.”

Munn slid his hand over the writing again, as if to confirm that it said what he thought. “Baltaszar, yer goin’ ta kill yer brother.”

Baltaszar’s eyes bulged.
What?
“What are you talking about? I would never kill my brother! Are you sure this is what you saw? You said yourself that you didn’t even remember the vision in your head!”

“I may have forgotten, but I did write it down. We always do. What it says here is that, in a fit o’ rage, ya will stab yer brother ta death. Yer exact words in the vision were, ‘I am the hand o’ justice. An’ I cannot forgive ya. Ya will pay fer yer sins an’ ya will hear the Song, brother.’ An’ after that, ya proceed ta stab him.”

“No. That cannot be. Although I fight with Bo every now and then, I love him. I could never even imagine harm coming to him, much less kill him. How can you be sure? Did you see his face?”

“When we see prophecies about people, we tend ta assume the point o’ view of a person in the vision. According ta what I wrote down, I saw things from yer brother’s point of view. I saw ya attack me. I felt the stabbin’ an’ everythin’ went black. Although I didn’t actually hear the Song, but, well…that’s ta be expected.”

“What song are you talking about?”

“The Song o’ Orijin. It is an ancient belief from the time o’ the Harbingers. It is said that when we die, we hear the most unimaginably beautiful melody. It is believed that it is the Orijin’s last gift ta us in the physical world, regardless o’ where our souls end up in the afterlife.” Baltaszar slowly shook his head. Munn continued, “Do not lie ta yourself, boy. Ya seem like a nice enough young man, perhaps there is good reason for such a thing ta happen.

“Accept it for what it is. As I said, ya cannot change things like this. In the history o’ Blind Men, there has not been a prophecy that hasn’t come true. This is simply the will o’ our creator. The longer ya live in denial o’ this truth, the worse it will be fer ya. I know my words may seem cold, but ya are not the first person I have had ta give horrible news. But in my experience, it’s better ta resign yerself ta this fate, an’ prepare yerself emotionally an’ mentally fer what will happen.”

Baltaszar hung his head, puffed his cheeks, and stared down at his boots. “I’m sorry, I must go. I don’t really know how to handle this right now. Perhaps in time I will see wisdom in your words, but right now, I simply can’t grasp how your vision could be true.” He stood and pushed in his chair. “It was…a pleasure…I think, to have met you.” He looked over to Farco, who stood in the doorway to the other room, “Thank you for the tea, Farco.” Before Munn could rise, Baltaszar turned and walked out the door.

He walked back onto the road, looking for Anahi. She had been talking to the shop owners next door and came to Baltaszar upon seeing him exit.

“How was it? Ya were in there fer a while.”

Baltaszar turned away and looked down the road. “Not so great.” He turned back to her, “Tell me, do these things always come true?”

Anahi frowned. “That bad, hmm? Everyone I know who’s been given a prophecy has had it come true. That’s how we all knew about Cyrus’ wife. Good or bad, these things always end up happenin’.” Baltaszar could see the concern in her squinted eyes. “What did he say, Baltaszar?” Baltaszar considered whether he should tell her, and walked on up the street. Anahi caught up, “Talk ta me. Whatever it is, it’ll only be worse if ya keep it in. I can help ya deal with it.”

He shot her a cold glare. “You barely even know me. How do you plan to help?”

“That’s not fair, Baltaszar. I’m not yer enemy here. I know how difficult things can be.”

“You know nothing about how difficult my life has been. You have your friendly little city here where everyone loves each other and your welcoming inn with Cyrus to go to everyday. What, in the name of Orijin, do you know about difficult?”

With that, Anahi returned the icy glare he’d given her moments ago. “My parents died when I was barely seven years old. I watched from a fishin’ boat as my mother fell over the side an’ my father jumped in after her. In all the commotion, the damn sea snakes were on them in seconds. With all the bites they suffered, they likely died before they even had the chance ta drown. I stood there, screamin’ an’ sobbin’ as my older brother held me back. If not fer him, I would have jumped in right after my father an’ would have died as well.

“Five years later, my brother went off ta the House o’ Darian. He had one o’ those lines on his face, just like yers. On his way, not far past the town o’ Khiry, one o’ the King’s squadrons ambushed him an’ killed him. Just because o’ the line on his face. I have nothin’ left. Cyrus took me in because I had nowhere else ta go. He’s the closest thing I have ta family anymore. So don’t ya dare stand there an’ think yer the only person who’s ever had trouble in yer life. Be grateful that, whatever this stupid prophecy is, ya have the blessin’ o’ knowin’ about it in advance. At least ya can deal with it, prepare yer mind for it.”

Knots were forming in Baltaszar’s shoulders and back. “Look, I’m sorry. You’re right. Can we just end this? I don’t really want to fight right now. Let’s just go back to the inn. If you still want to talk to me, I’ll welcome it. But I’d rather wait until we have some privacy.”

Anahi nodded in agreement. “I’d like that.”

***

Just over two hours later, Baltaszar sat in a cushioned wooden chair beside the bed in his room, biting his lip. He leaned forward, head cradled in his hands, waiting for Anahi to come in and trying desperately to clear his mind.
What’s happened in the past few months? Everything’s become so crazy.

A knock came at the door and then it opened. “Ya do realize that ya can lock the door from the inside, don’t ya? I mean, anybody could just come on in while yer sleepin’. Not that that’s a normal thing here, but ya can never completely trust the foreigners.

Baltaszar lifted his head slightly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Anahi still wore the same long skirt and modest blouse she’d worn when they walked the streets of Vandenar. She sat on the bed, legs crossed beneath her. “Still bothered, are ya? I wish I could tell ya it gets better, but I honestly can’t if ya don’t tell me anything. Baltaszar, I…”

“All right, enough. Look. I’ll tell you some things. But not everything.” Baltaszar took a deep breath and twisted his mouth to one side, then sat back in the wooden chair and pressed his fingertips together. “We have certain things in common. My mother died when I was young. Our house caught fire and, according to my father, she sacrificed herself to save me and my brother and father. For the past seventeen years, my father has let me believe that this line on my face was some strange scar from the fire. Then, in the past couple of months, my father was given a death sentence for supposedly setting fires throughout our town.”

Anahi interjected, “What do ya mean? He actually set fire ta homes an’ such?”

“Well, he happened to be around when fires were started in a few homes and a shop. I don’t really know how to explain it, to be honest. I think he was blamed because he was the common link. Regardless, the people of Haedon fell in with one person’s accusation, and our Chancellor, Oran Von, passed the sentence.”

“Well if ya knew anythin’ about our King, that kind o’ justice is common in Ashur.”

“Why?”

“He doesn’t like any o’ ya Descendants. Has his son’s army hunt an’ kill ya. Did yer dad have a line on his face?”

“No. Never saw anyone else with it. Like I said, I thought it was a scar up until a few days ago. Don’t know anything about the line otherwise.”

“O’ course ya don’t.”

Baltaszar smirked at her, then quickly grew solemn. “Anyway. My father was hanged only a few days ago. I left the forest the day after he was hanged. My brother was skeptical about how well we could trust the world beyond The Never, and so he returned to our home. I honestly don’t know if he’s still there, though. I truly hope he isn’t. It’s only a matter of time before our home is destroyed.”

Anahi shifted so that her legs stretched out in front of her and she leaned back on her arms. “If he’s anythin’ like you, I’m sure he’s just fine.”

Baltaszar snickered reflexively. “That’s the thing. He’s always so afraid of things. Of life. I know that sounds bad to say, and he has tried many times to be bold or daring, but his first instinct is to always choose the option that prevents him from having to try something new. And that’s why I worry about him now. He’s always had me and our father around to guide him. Look at me, I can hardly even handle the world beyond my town, and Bo’az is worse than me. By the Orijin, I hope nothing has happened to him.”

“Ya just have ta pray fer him, then. Ye’ve mentioned the loss o’ yer parents an’ yer brother. But what o’ this girl that ye’ve sworn yerself ta? Ya haven’t mentioned her.”

Baltaszar sighed.
Blast it, why do you need to know?
“I don’t…fine, I’ll tell you. But only because I brought her up before. I courted her and we had something special for a time. She’s the most beautiful girl in all of Haedon. The thing is…”

“Doesn’t she have a name? How rude! Ya boys always speak about us girls like we’re objects.”

“She is no object. It’s painful enough to even think of her name, much less say it. But very well. Yasaman. Her name is Yasaman. May I continue?”

Anahi waved her hand dismissively.

“Thank you. As I was saying, her parents never approved of me. In fact, they thought our romance ended much earlier than it did. They wanted her to marry a rich man, so that they could elevate their status in town. I was never sure why that really mattered. Then came the news of my father. They were strong supporters of the decision to hang my father. And once the decree was made that he would definitely die, they would probably have killed her to keep her away from me. Of course, the easiest way to make a boy and girl desire each other even more is to tell them they can no longer see one another. And that’s what happened. We grew even more passionate. Talked about marriage. Children. Running away. They all seemed like possibilities for a time. For me, anyway. I think for her, they were fantasies. Ways of temporarily escaping the reality that she would go along with her parents’ wishes.

“The last time I saw her, she implied that we could be together once my father was dead, as if that would make everything normal again. I left her in anger. But the more time that goes on, the more I miss her, and the stronger my love grows. I’m constantly torn between continuing on this journey and just turning back to go see her. I mean, what if I could convince her to come with me, you know?”

“Ya mean ta the House o’ Darian?”

“Yes. And wherever else I go in my life.”

Anahi shot him a doubtful stare. “Baltaszar, I don’t think ya fully understand what yer going off ta do. They train ya at the House o’ Darian. It’s almost like a school an’ army trainin’ in one. Help ya learn about yer…what do they call it…yer ‘manifestation’. They’ve got no place there fer family or friends or lovers.”

“I’m sure there’s a chance they could let in outsiders. If I reasoned with…”

“Baltaszar, trust me. Do ya know how badly I wanted ta go off with Arden, my brother? Don’t ya think he would’ve brought me if he could have?”