Nahla's Clan

      Over the next ten days since their encounter with the Uganasr The party had frequently discussed what Nahla had discovered from the Uganasr. But since they couldn't come to any conclusions due to a lack of information they had decided as a group to leave it until they knew more. During this whole time one of the engines that kept the Atlom's Axe in the air had started to make some very odd whining noises. At first the sounds only happened occasionally and weren't that loud but over the last six or seven days the odd noises had gotten progressively louder and more frequent. Until now when the sounds had gone from frequent to constant and changed from a whining to a long hellish screech. Ever since the knocking sound had started the Michocano engineer had started to look more and more frazzled. When the screeching started the engineer got a terrified look as he ran to the engines, shouting something in his own tongue that no one else could understand. Ten Rabbit followed him to the engines with a terrified look on his face. Ten Rabbit returned to the top deck running to the mechanism that steered the ship.

    "Nahla!" Ten Rabbit yelled, panic evident in his voice. "This is your country. We need to land immediately. Where is best," Ten Rabbit yelled as he frantically started to land the Atlom's Axe.

     Nahla pointed to a large nearby mountain to the southwest, "There!" Nahla shouted back. "I see tents and a large flat area." 

      Temjin was pulled out of his meditation by a commotion in the camp. All around him his clansmen were pointing at the sky very concerned. When he looked at what they were pointing at Temjin could understand why they were upset. Above them was a quickly approaching object that look big enough to carry much of the clans goods. As the flying object got closer Temjin realized that there were people on the unknown object. Then he realized that it wasn't just people on that flying monster, Nahla his own student was on it and looked frightened. Temjin couldn't tell if she was afraid of something on the whatever it was or that she was afraid of how quickly it seemed to be approaching. Either way it was clear that the flying thing was about to crash and all Temjin was concerned about was that it didn't land on anybody.

    Even as the unknown flying thing was headed for the safe landing zone the ship got lower and lower and lower in the sky. The sounds of prayer could be clearly heard by the witnesses on the ground. The many different languages made to different gods, or in the case of Nahla, spirits created a cacophony of unintelligible noise. Fortunately they made it to the large open alpine field before the dying engine finally gave up working which meant that the ship only fell about ten feet instead of the hundreds that it might of been. Their landing had been more like a crash than the actual crash during the first storm they had encountered. This time they had landed with a sickening crunch and now the ship was canted to the left making it harder than usual to disembark. 

     Before anyone could even begin to leave the ship much less get the various animals off a loud roar of anger came from the Oristani that were clustered in the field next to where they had crashed. Just about every member of the Mountain Hawk tribe surrounded the ship brandishing spears, bows, and swords. It was a large crowd of very angry Oristani all screaming at once. Temjin decided that enough was enough and gave a resounding yell that silenced everyone both on and off the ship. After that cry the very angry Oristani visibly relaxed and stopped yelling, he had taken control of the situation. Temjin was standing behind the majority of the stunned Oristani and chuckled silently to himself as he carefully made his way to the front of the crowd. He knew what kind of impression his black clad grizzled appearance would have on the dusba that had so spectacularly landed in their midst.

     Temjin looked at the crowd surrounding the strange vessel that had just crashed in the middle of their grazing field. Before speaking Temjin looked at the faces appearing at the railing of the strange contraption. Temjin smiled to himself when ha saw Nahla, this was going to be easier than he had expected. Seeing Nahla was a balm to Temjin's soul, he'd been afraid that he would die before she returned to the lands of her people. He'd also been worried about the brightest apprentice that he had ever taught, her also being his favorite had just added concern. The spirits had told Temjin over and over that it was vital that Nahla go out into the world when she had. It seemed that Nahla was going to be critical to the safety of the whole world. When he'd first gotten the message from the spirits Temjin hadn't known that they were talking about Nahla, it wasn't until she'd come to him with her own dream that he'd made the connection to Nahla. Temjin had been worried since he'd had to send her off alone rather than accompanying her to the Chuluun Toiroq as was the usual.

      "Please let the Shaman leave that, that ... whatever it is'" Temjin stated firmly as he approached through the crowd of upset Oristani. 

      No sooner had Temjin spoken then the crowd of Oristani melted out of his way. On the strange whatever it was there was a flurry of activity. At first Temjin had no clue what was happening but it quickly became clear that they were setting up a way for them to get off of the strange thing. Temjin was glad that he didn't have to figure out how everyone would get off the bizarre contraption, not with how much it was tilting to one side. It was no surprise to Temjin that Nahla was the first one off of the ship. In fact Temjin watched as Nahla jumped from the crashed thing and landed in a roll that had her back on her feet at the end. Once she was on the ground Nahla proceeded to harangue her countrymen to find a way to lift and then brace the thing she called the Atlom's Axe on the left side so that it rested level. This Nahla explained would make it easier to get everything off as well as easier to fix. Temjin was easily able to read the 'I need to talk to you' look she had given him when Nahla had first landed but he knew they would be talking sooner rather than later even if she hadn't.

      Temjin wasn't surprised that Nahla was the first off of the strange machine that had crashed in the closest field to their camp. What Temjin hadn't been prepared for was the Ashfani that was the first to walk down the ramp that had been attached to the side as soon as it had been leveled and braced. No sooner had the Ashfani's head appeared when Nahla suddenly started to babble quickly in Bishdani, the dialect that the Oristani tribes that lived in the Bishdan peaks speak. At first Temjin was confused about why Nahla would speak in a language he was fairly certain only himself and the rest of their tribesmen understood. The reason quickly became clear to Temjin when the pectoral necklace that the young Ashfani was wearing became clear. Around his neck the young man that Nahla said was named Bisha was the marriage talisman of the Oristani. Something that was only worn by the declared mate of the High Chieftain of the Oristan people.

     For a long moment no one spoke or moved as this Ashfani appeared to now be married to the highest ranking and most respected person in all of the tribes. Temjin and his people weren't stunned because a non-Oristani had married their High Chieftain. No they were stunned because they literally had no clue about how to act around such a person suddenly appearing at their camp and this Ashfani looked so frail and unassuming. Temjin, thanks to decades of training and practice, managed to show no surprise at the sudden appearance of the High Chieftains mate. It was a struggle to do, but he managed to not show how shocked he was if only because doing so would of been a blow to his pride. Not that any of his equally stunned tribesmen would have noticed anything short of a Uganasr landing next to them. That thought actually made Temjin smile to himself for a second, allowing him to quickly get control of himself and start to think rather than react.  After all, this Ashfani must be something impressive to win the heart of their Naran Dargra.

      After the surprise of Bisha not even the appearance of the Zwergin made even the slightest ripple in the behavior of the rest of Nahla's tribe, did a Zwergin just make a proper bow to one of the elders?. Temjin listened as Nahla introduced the people traveling with her. The Ashfani with the marriage Talisman was called Bisha. The Zwergin was named Irene. Following those two was an Oranang that Nahla said was from Kishnagar name Devshi. A banker from the Hafla that Nahla said went by his title instead of his name since he was on the business of his government not his own. That was something that Temjin could understand even if it was something that no Oristani would do after all every Oristani knew that they were so much more than just their jobs. Fulha was introduced as the representative of the Kishnagari government as well as helping them complete their mission. Temjin knew that Nahla would fill him in on exactly what that mission is later. The last to be introduced was Ten Rabbit and his fellow countryman who were both currently working on the strange object that had landed next to their tents. Nahla had definitely picked up some strange traveling companions.

     Once everyone except Ten Rabbit and his fellow countryman had left the thing that Nahla said was a flying ship called the Atlom's Axe Temjin was finally able to talk to Nahla privately. The first thing he asked about was Bisha and the Great Chieftains marriage. Apparently the Great Chieftain herself had asked that no one explain to Bisha exactly what was going on. Temjin thought that was a very hilarious joke and exactly what he would of expected from the Great Chieftain of the Oristan tribes. The Oristani loved a good joke and this one was a total thigh slapper. It wasn't going to take any effort to get the rest of the tribe to go along with it even if the Great Chieftain hadn't requested it. Getting everyone set up with sleeping quarters was easier than Temjin had thought it would be. He had assumed incorrectly, that the tribe would have to find sleeping quarters in the tents of the clan, they had brought their own. Come to find out that only the ships engineer and the Haflalan banker actually slept on the ship. Occasionally Fulha the Kishnagari ambassador did as well but usually he stayed in the tent he had brought from home. Temjin was very pleased that none of the animals stayed on the ship when they landed for the night. 

      Over the next two weeks the tribes blacksmith help the two Michocano create replacements for the engine parts that the Uganasr's landing had broken. Each piece had to be handmade to very specific tolerances. Much to Temjin's surprise the engineer that had given the directions to the blacksmith had commented that he was going to make improvements to the ship along with the repairs. To Temjin the Atlom's Axe didn't look like any ship he'd ever seen before but then he'd never seen one that flew through the air like water. Not that he'd ever seen a ship of any kind in person but he had seen them in pictures a couple of times as well as in his mind's eye from the thoughts of other senior shaman that lived nearer to the water. Temjin hadn't yet explained to Nahla how the senior communicated with each other and he wouldn't until she was a much more skilled shaman but considering what was going on in the world Nahla would probably be much younger than usual when she did learn it.

     That night Temjin told Nahla that he was going to hold a Sunsi Buji, a spirit dance, the next evening to find out what the spirits suggested was the best course of action for the party to make. The look on Nahla's face when Temjin had told her about the Sunsi Buji was almost enough to make him laugh. Clearly she hadn't considered that the spirit dance could be held with dusba, outlanders. Well to be honest Temjin himself had never thought that he would hold the Sunsi Buji with any outlanders much less a Zwergin. But here they were and since they had arrived Irene had proven to be a very respectful and useful person, not at all like Temjin had expected. The rest of the Mountain Hawk tribe was in total agreement, seeing no reason to continue the animosity to this Zwergin.

      The next morning Temjin watched as the party helped with the tribe's daily chores. They had all been very useful and helpful, needing only minimal guidance. Devshi turned out to be very good with the children and her knowledge of medicine was impressive, even to Temjin. Even more impressive was the fact that Devshi not only shared her knowledge with the various tribesmen, including himself, who handled all of the tribes healing but was just as willing to learn from them as well. Bisha spent most of his time conferring with the elders and was by all accounts very respectful and polite, Temjin was starting to see what attracted the Great Chieftain. Irene had even earned a small amount of respect from the warriors, they had challenged her to a wrestling match and she had subdued two of them at the same time. Something that no one would of expected to think about a Zwergin before the party had arrived. Neither of the Michocano left the ship very often so Temjin didn't get to see much of them, but what little Temjin did see made him even more curious. There seemed to be a powerful spirit attached to the Michocano named Ten Rabbit.

     Temjin spent most of that day collecting ingredients with Nahla for the spirit dance, this would tell him the most about these dusba. Something that Temjin was coming to think was very important for not just the tribes but the whole of Ardu. Towards evening Temjin started boiling his concoction, while he worked he showed Nahla what ingredients to add when and what to look for at each stage. At first the concoction had an acrid smell and looked like someone was sick in a bucket. When Temjin added a small handful of Tariq root the acrid smell became more earthy. Now it just needed to simmer and later tonight he would lead the Sunsi Buji. This was going to be interesting.

     While the mixture simmered Temjin talked with Nahla, catching up with everything that had happened since she left to Chuluun Toiroq. It was interesting hearing about the customs of the outer peoples. Temjin was not surprised that Nahla enjoyed the festival of colors in Kishnagar so much, she was such a free spirit when she wasn't worrying about being a good stoic shaman. Nahla's description of the Michocan floating city almost sounded too fantastic to be true, but her description of the Hafla city was the strangest of all. He had difficulty imagining the metal creatures that sounded like they were part of the city, no wonder the Oristani and Hafla didn't get along. Unlike the Oristani the Hafla had no connection to the natural ebb and flow of their lands. Temjin couldn't imagine not feeling the world around him as a part of himself.

     The Children of Mrtis sounded like a real problem though. Temjin had heard about them from some of the other tribes. They tried to insinuate themselves into some of the tribes, but the Oristani are a suspicious people and saw right through them. As far as the shamans and the Great Chieftains council could tell they existed only to cause problems. The senior shaman had a suspicion that the Children of Mrtis were going to be a bigger problem than anyone thought. The children of Mrtis couldn't do half of what Nahla had described without the help of some very powerful spirits. All the more reason for him to hold the Sunsi Buji and find out just what the spirits wanted them to do, or at least as much as the spirits would say. At the end of the day Temjin knew that the spirits would only advise, it was up to the listener to take action.

     At the evening meal everyone was in good spirits, tribesmen and visitor alike. Nahla's companions had repeatedly shown that they could carry their own with the tribe. Once everyone to the youngest tribesman had finished eating Temjin stood and addressed the crowd.

     "Tonight I will lead the newcomers on a Sunsi Buji." there was a murmur among the tribe.

     They knew that this was very important and that Temjin wouldn't do so if he didn't feel that it wouldn't affect the entire tribe and possibly the clans as a whole. The Mountain Hawk tribe muttered to themselves in Bishdani, openly wondering if the ceremony had anything to do with the presence of the Great Chieftain's mate. Temjin heard the mutters but gave no answer and was pleased to see that Nahla had followed his lead even though he was sure she had the same questions.

     "We shall walk among the spirits and ask them for guidance. May the spirits grant us knowledge."

     Without a word the tribe stood up and left for their tents, they didn't want to disturb the spirit dance. Only the guards that were ever present would be outside of the tents tonight. Temjin gestured to Nahla and her companions to follow him out into the darkness. As he stood Temjin grabbed his mixture that had now cooled and led them to a circular depression in the ground surrounded by a circle of stones. As they approached Nahla turned to her friends telling them to be careful to not step on the stones, it would anger the spirits and that was the last thing they wanted to do just before they went to speak with them. 

    There was a small campfire in the center of the circular depression with a small group of earthenware pots set up around the fire. The small campfire barely gave enough light to avoid stepping on the stone so the party moved very carefully to the fire. Temjin instructed each of them to take a seat behind one of the pots, as they took their places Temjin explained to them what was going to happen. First they would drink a large spoonful of the elixir and then they would wait for the spirits to talk to them.

     "The spirits do not speak in words like you or I do. They speak in pictures and feelings. Seen and felt, not heard. When the dance is done we will discuss what we saw and I will tell you what the spirits have to say," Temjin said in a solemn voice.

      Temjin could tell by their faces that Nahla's friends were taking the ceremony very seriously. Temjin also noticed that by the look on Ten Rabbits face this was not his first dance with the spirits anymore than it was Nahla's first. Although in Nahla's case this would be the first Sunsi Buji that had more than just Temjin himself involved. The part that Temjin left out, that only Nahla would know was that he would be there with them watching what happened and keeping them safe from evil or vengeful spirits. No need to worry them unduly. With that thought Temjin grabbed a wooden spoon that was sitting next to the fire and went around the circle giving each of them a large spoonful of his concoction. Judging by their faces and their struggle to swallow it, the mixture was going to be very effective indeed.

     When he got to Nahla he whispered to her, "Watch very carefully, you will need to lead one of these yourself one day. Pay very close attention to what the spirits tell you, they often have layers of meaning."  Nahla sipped her spoonful and promptly made a disgusted face. "Sorry for the taste." Temjin apologized with a chuckle. After everyone had had their spoonful he set aside the bowl and spoon and took his place behind one of the pots.

     "Listen to the chants of the ancestors and wait for the words of the spirits." Temjin closed his eyes and started a rhythmic chant deep in his chest, it's soft cadence helping everyone to relax while the party waited for it to take affect. 

     After a while Bisha shared a questioning look with Devshi, what was supposed to happen? A soft buzzing whine seemed to start, coming from everywhere at once like it was coming from the air. The night didn't seem so dark anymore, were the stars getting brighter? A slight tingling vibration started to be felt, like reality itself was humming. Suddenly everyone started puking into their pots, great heaves that didn't relent. Each heave felt stronger than the last, like they were vomiting up their very souls. Am I dying? Did I just say that out loud? Who said that? 

     After what felt like an eternity of vomiting it finally relented. Devshi looked around around at everyone. Where did all of these colors come from? Nahla looked distorted, like seeing her through a lump of glass. She could feel the vibrating air on her skin. The buzzing whine suddenly became louder, drowning out the night sounds of the desert mountains and Temjin's chanting. Soon it was the only thing they could hear, it became louder and louder. The vibrations becoming stronger and stronger until it felt like it was going to tear them apart. Just when the buzzing became a frantic scream and the vibration was going rip them apart, suddenly silence.  Not just quiet, but the absolute absence of all sound. 

     Suddenly with an intense blast of light and sound they were instantly surrounded by a world of too bright color and sound. Cacti made of shimmering and shifting sunlight waved and danced around them. The stones pulsed with more subdued colors and looked like they were breathing. The air was filled with constantly shifting geometric patterns that seemed to react to their very presence. Irene looked around the group and everyone's bodies were pulsing, shifting in weird ways. Was I poisoned?  Am I dying?

     Just as suddenly as the flash they were surrounded by these strange people made of sparkling crystals that danced around them in a bizarre jerky rhythmic dance. The strange people seemed to be babbling nonsense in a super frantic cadence as they darted around almost like hummingbirds. Irene didn't have time to consider this before some of them suddenly darted towards her dancing around too closely. The whole time they were babbling their nonsense. One of them suddenly was in her face, so close it filled her field of vision while its babbling becoming even more frantic. It seemed ecstatic and overjoyed to see her, don't ask her how she knew this. It's "hand" suddenly grabbed her face and she was Bisha.

     Bisha felt a crushing sadness, a grief that threatened to consume him. Why did his mother abandon him, was he not good enough? Why were his parents taken from him? The sadness grew, it's too dark colors threatened to consume him, devour his very existence. In a blast of light and the sound of a million voices singing a chorus of love, a massive jeweled songbird burst into existence in front of him dispelling the dark sadness. It was glory, it was love. It sang of devotion and companionship, its wings folded around him, bringing him to its breast, love radiating through him. He was Nahla.

     Nahla felt electricity coursing through her as if she was a thunder storm, looking at her hands she could see the electricity dancing through her and along the skin of her hands. When she looked up, the mountains of her home were barely to her knees, her shadow stretched off into the distance beyond the horizon to the sea beyond the Alfr lands. She looked down and she was Irene.

     Irene walked through a kaleidoscope cavern, everything made of glowing shimmering crystal. She stopped and at her feet was a beautiful jeweled lizard. It was broken like someone had beaten it until it was almost unrecognizable. A sudden burning love and desire to protect it flowed out of her. She picked it up and held it to her chest, she could feel its devotion to her. A brilliant light of love exploded between them making Irene and the jeweled lizard one. She was Devshi.

     Devshi sat cross legged in a singing crystalline void, an intense hum surrounded her, passing through her, her body vibrating with the hum. The shimmering crystalline darkness in front of her coalesced, forming into an image of Parvai. Parvai was so large that Devshi was but a speck in her eye. Parvai opened her mouth and spoke in an ancient almost primal language. As she did Devshi flew out of Parvai's mouth becoming the words of Parvai, spoken into existence by her god. Devshi realized she was holding someone's hand, she turned to see who it was. It was what looked like a child with teeth like a shark. The child radiated love and protection and suddenly lunged to eat her. She was Ten Rabbit.

     Ten Rabbit felt power. An intense power that was so powerful it threatened to destroy him in flame. He stood up in shock. The world fell away as he stood taller than the mountains his head above the sky. He spread his arms in exultation. His arms became wings, wings like a bat. Ten Rabbit was a massive sky bat that shone with the light of a thousand suns, he was Camatz. He was Temjin.

     Temjin sat and watched all of this unfold before him. When he saw Ten Rabbit he saw the face of a massive bat. It looked at him and made a quiet shushing noise and whispered in his head 'NOT YET'. The colors shifted again, again, and again. A brilliant kaleidoscope of colors and geometric shapes swirled around him. Images flashed in his head almost too fast to notice. A king that looked like a dragon, a lizard that looked like a man with no eyes, a majical device of immense power, a darkness that threatened to destroy everything, a war between millions of glowing jewels. Faster and faster the images came, one after another. The images came so fast they all blurred into a single image of flashing, glittering, pulsing chaos. A buzzing filled his ears with an undescribable intensity. Everything came faster and faster. Darkness and quiet.

     Temjin lifted his head off the ground and pulled himself into a sitting position. He wiped a little bit of drool and dirt from his face, this was his least favorite part. His body felt like he had been running and dancing for a month straight. Every inch of him was exhausted. He looked around at the group. With a groan the others started to wake up and pull themselves together. Nahla looked haggard with a little dirt and spittle dried on the side of her face. In a dry croak Bisha groaned, "What happened?". Irene blinked like her eyes didn't want to focus on anything. Devshi looked like she had been fighting a temee all night and lost. The only one other than Nahla who looked like they were handling the situation at all was Ten Rabbit. He swayed a little and said "That was intense." before falling over backwards and immediately falling asleep. Everyone silently agreed that that looked like a good idea and laid back down and went to sleep.

     Just before dawn everyone stirred again and realized that they were all thirsty. Temjin knew they all felt like they could each drink an entire lake unto themselves. And food? Food was paramount. Temjin smiled to himself as he led the group back to the tents where a pot of delicious stew waited for them. They all sat around the fire quietly devouring bowls of the nourishing stew, trying to make sense of what happened last night. What was real, what was dream? After they had eaten their fill and had few cups of tea Temjin was the first to speak.

     "Your quest is far more important than any of you realize. Do any of you remember what you saw?"

     Bisha sat and looked confused, "I think... I saw a bird. It was huge and it held me in its wings." 

      "It was a Mokhon Dulakh. It is known for how much it protects its chicks and its beautiful singing voice. A very good omen, you will find a devoted love." Temjin replied with a slight grin towards Nahla.

      Irene looked confused, "I saw a broken... lizard? and I had to protect it. It was so happy to see me."

     "You will find a companion and your bond with them will be unbreakable. This is very good." Temjin intoned.

     Devshi looked off into space and spoke in a distracted way, "I saw my goddess, but I was my goddess... and a shark girl tried to eat me?..."

     Temjin gave this a moment's thought, "You are the voice of your goddess. This is a very important path. I have no ideas about the second part though, that was weird."

     Nahla looked thoughtful, "I was taller than the mountains and my shadow stretched across the land."

     Temjin spoke with just a hint of pride in his voice, "You will become very important to our people, perhaps as important as Orista himself." Nahla considered this with an impressed look on her face.

     Ten Rabbit said "I think I was a giant bat."

     Temjin suddenly became very serious as he considered what he saw during the spirit dance because something did not want its presence revealed yet. "I'm not certain what that means yet, but I think you are going to be very important to what is coming." After a moment of consideration, "Does anyone remember anything else?"

     Bisha replied, "Not really, just a bunch of colors and patterns."

     "Alright, rest and eat some more.  Nahla, I would like to talk to you when you are ready." Temjin then walked off to his tent to get himself cleaned up and ready to deal with the day. A shaman's work is never done.