Awenasa snorts at Anno's questions. "You think I want to be here? I no wish to leave home. I no want to be here but I have no choice. If I not keep going, my people die."
She frowns as she thinks, "And why matter if happy?"
The Shoanti feels like screaming at the sky in frustration but the spirits obviously didn't care if she was happy or not. "If you refuse, I can't make you." She reconsiders, "I could but I won't."
She fixes her gaze on Anno. "But you said you like me. If you don't lead me through swamp, someone else takes me who doesn't keep word and then I die lost in swamp and my people die. I told you only honourable guide to take me through. If you suggest someone else you trust then acceptable to me."
'Death is not the worst thing." Anno opines, voice quiet in the dark. He drops the hook and shortly hauls up another struggling fish. It plunks in the bucket with a loud clunk.
He laughs when Awenasa says she could make him. "You think so?" His dark outline turned toward her, face a blank mask in the night. "Maybe...maybe."
More silence and then, "Honor. What does it get a person? Honor does not fill your purse, it does not fill your belly and it doesn't fill your dreams. A hollow promise, Awenasa. That is what honor is. A chain, strung around your neck, for others to pull and prod."
Then, without warning the waterman straightens, grabbing his full bucket.
"Very well, I will take you Awenasa Windkeeper. We shall go where the chains of honor have bound us. Maybe we will find their ends, eh?" he looks up at the night sky, unmarred by moon or cloud. The stars dance above, bright and gleaming, sure as ever.
"We leave tonight. The swamp is best started at night. Let's hope your friends are not yet asleep."
Awenasa gives a small nod in the dark. Under her breath, almost a whisper, she adds, "No, death not worst thing...for me. But can't let it happen to my quah while I live."
"Honour gets trust. Rare commodity in lowlands. But you right, no riches, no food. And usually makes life hard. But I sleep well at night knowing I do right thing."
The Shoanti's face shows mild surprise when Anno agrees to take them. "Maybe. Find ends or break them."
Surprise turns to doubt when Anno mentions leaving at night. But the doubt is only temporary. If she is trusting in his expertise then she needs to trust him fully. "If they asleep then I wake them up." She pauses briefly before adding, "Thank you. I will pay however you see fit, within my ability."
Anno shakes his head, "Money. We were talking of honor, death and chains, Awenasa Windkeeper. What is coin compared to that? Save such talk for the landsmen. The swamp has no desire for gold or shells. And neither do we that venture into it."
Happily, Perey and Thak are not asleep. Awenasa finds them playing some sort of card game, a small orb of lit apparently lit by Perey's magic. They look up with surprise when Awenasa and Anno approach together.
"We go." Anno says shortly, without breaking stride. He enters his 'house', vanishing inside.
Thak blinks, eyes visible in the dim mage light. "So, you convinced them? What did it take? Did we make some promise?"
Only a moment later Anno re-emerges, carrying a small sack. He tosses it into his boat with a soft clunk. Without a word he follows it with a nimble hop. The small canoe-like boat sways under him slightly, rippling the moonlit water. The waterman pauses, standing tall in the prow. All seems quiet and still as he takes a deep, audible breath.
Then he waves at them. "Come, moon light is best for swamp travel. We can make good distance tonight yet, before the sun comes up."
Awenasa nods at Anno, grateful that he understands. "Coin no compare. But other ways to pay than coin." And she leaves it at that.
There is a small part of her that is proud to find her companions alert and awake when she returns. Even though she would have understood if she had found them asleep, she is happy to see that they weren't.
She shrugs at Thak's questions. "I offer truth and Anno is honourable. No promise, no payment. But if find secret of breaking chains of honour then share with him."
Awenasa watches Anno's agile movements in the boat and realizes that there are still things for her to learn. Being on water in a smaller vessel uses a different bodily awareness than she usually had. However, she quickly follows and then turns to help Thak and Perey should they need it.
[b]"Whatever you need, I help. Tell me what need."
The man gives her a star shining smile, "Good."
That first night's travel is a strange one. Awenasa finds herself afloat in a bizarre world she knows little of. First off is the inky blackness, lit only by stars and two very faint moons that shed nothing like the light of the ones she knew. The darkness itself holds no terror for her, a warrior of the Plateau, but is still unsettling, hiding so many unknowns. Black on black, shadows in shadows.
It is a water world, of course, although Awenasa catches few of the details. Sometimes it seems they are moving through open water, like that of a vast lake. Other times they are pushing from pool to pool, each locked by banks of heavy reeds or clinging vines. Still other times, Awenasa notes a current pushing them, here and there, like a river suddenly appeared in the black water. Yet no matter what, everything seems wet, damp...alive.
Noises are strange, echoing weirdly off the water. A frog call sounds as loud as a battle horn but her own voice sometimes needs muffled by rank plant growth, trailing off to a whisper. Bugs abound of course, buzzing past her ears. Bats follow them, ghost-like shades that are barely visible. Larger, strange shapes dance in the distance, flitting among the fallen trees, heaps of growth and trailing vines.
Their guide though, seems unbothered by all of this. Anno is silent for most of it, poling the boat from amidships. It does not take Awenasa long to realize he is a master waterman. He guides the small ship through and around obstacles she isn't even aware of, navigating an unseen maze through pure blackness. A few times he tasks his passengers to row, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Black water slopping off dark oars make the only sound.
Then, finally, the sky grows pale gray in the east. The stars retreat and the bugs, mercifully, retreat. The world around them brightens somewhat as a great chorus of birdsong, more complicated then Awenasa has ever heard, starts to sing. Colors start to seep in as Awenasa finds herself afloat in a shifting world of reed beds, tangled trees, mud piles and open standing water. It is utterly alien to her, a labyrinth with no escape.
"We will rest as the sun rises." Anno says, breaking a silence of many hours. Despite the hours of poling and guiding, the stump-like man seems fresh as ever, eyes bright in the dawning sun. "And continue at noon. The faster we move through, the better."
He turns to Awenasa, "And what did you think of your first night, eh?"
Awenasa contemplates Anno's question in stoic silence. Just as it seems like she was ignoring the man, she says, "Different. I prefer solid ground but it not unpleasant."
She begins to ask questions as she tries to understand and process her experiences the night before. "How you know which path to take? How you know there hidden obstacles in water? I would be at loss if I had had to find way. You made it look easy but I know it not."
The Shoanti shifts her body slightly to get more comfortable as rest is suggested. "You mention few times about moving fast through swamp. Is there threat to be concerned of? Maybe we take turns resting so someone warns of trouble?"
Anno chuckles a bit at her question about how to find the way. Around them the world slowly grows brighter and brighter, the sky turning shades of faint pink and blue. Other colors seep into the world, as trees become green, floating logs turn brown and yellow flowers peek out. The water however is still a deep blackish abyss, seemingly a hungry void.
"Find the way?" The waterman finally says, idlily poling the boat between two half-fallen trees. Some straggling vines trail across the boat like fingers, rustling harmlessly.
'Close your eyes." Anno says and Awenasa does so. 'Now, touch your nose." Feeling like a child (and knowing Perey is probably grinning) Awenasa does so.
"How did you know where your nose was?" Anno says simply, "It is like that. It is just...the way."
In short order they have drawn up besides a hump of grassy soil, dotted with trees. Thak, who seems keen to leave the boat is about ready to jump onto it when Anno stops him. 'Watch. The swamp holds many dangers."
He pokes the little mound with his pole, and to their astonishment, the entire landmass bobs in the water. It is merely a floating island, a tangle of weeds, mud and roots. Anno laughs and poles them to another one, which proves to be actual solid land.
As they scramble out of the boat, Anno answers Awenasa's concerns, "Many threats in the swamp, some more obvious then others. Sucking sand, deep water, grasping roots. And others, of course. There are hunting creatures in here. Dawn and dusk are the prime hours." This is not unfamiliar to Awenasa, even the great predators of her own land were most active at such times.
"No need to take turns." Anno says, "I will not sleep until we reach the other side." He gives a small smile, "I will wake you if needed. You are a great fighter, yes? We might need that before the other side."
Awenasa cracks her eye a bit to look at Perey after Anno tells her to touch her nose and sure enough, his smile is larger than she's seen in a while.
She nods slightly when he says it is just the way. "I feel that way at home. I never get lost on Plateau in dark but this so different." She gazes down into the endless black of the water as the faces of mentors from back home flash through her mind, "Who taught you the way?"
Once on solid ground, she continues her questions as she catalogues his list of threats in the swamp, "What kind of creatures here that hunt us?"
Awenasa feels a momentary flash of concern when Anno tells her there's no need to set up a watch. Could she rest easily putting her life and the lives of her friends in Anno's ability to stay awake and alert? But then again, she is doing that very thing by trusting him to lead them safely through the swamp. After a few moments of internal struggle, she decides that her being rested is better than her worrying about what ifs. She settles herself down to sleep with a nod to Anno.
Anno looks surprised at Awenasa's question, the waterman clearly taken aback. Apparently this is not a common question. The man ponders her for along moment, then looks out over the same waters, eyes distant. The morning chorus of birds is very loud now, a hundred different calls greeting the rising dawn.
"It was my mother. She was a great water guide, the greatest according to some. I was actually born out here, among the reeds and trees. It was supposed to be a quick fishing trip but bad weather kept them out here for days and well.." Anno chuckled, "She said I was eager to start helping, so I was born a bit early."
"She taught me everything she knew. The ways of the swamp, things villagers never understand. How looking at a single plant can tell you so much." Anno reaches down and plucks a small brown reed at the water's edge. He rolls it in his finger. "Silverman's Lace." he says, indicating it. Awenasa looks and can see tiny silver threads among the dried flowers. "Only grows in still, calm waters. The deeper the water, the taller the grows. The stronger the current, the richer the flowers color. You can make tea out of it, in the right season. So much from one plant." He lets it fall to the water.
"She was a good woman, and I miss her. She lived well though, and long. In the end it was time that claimed her, not the swamp. No crabs or fish disturb her bones." He shook his head, shaking off old memories. "Get some sleep Awenasa, we will need it."
Awenasa falls asleep quickly, worn out by the day before. Rowing was hard work, even in a still swamp.
A gentle touch from Anno woke her. The sun was fully overhead now, a blazing disc. The world was hot and humid, and her skin stuck together with sweat and salt.
"It is time." Anno said quietly, "But before you rise, look." The gnarled man pointed out over the water. There Awenasa saw two tall birds wading in the water. Stately and proud, they looked nearly big enough for a child to ride, with bright blue feathers and fierce red eyes.
"Hunting Great Cranes." Anno breathed, "A good omen, doubly so this time of year. They are usually roosting in the southern end by now. It will be a long dry season if they are still out." He stood up and woke Thak and Perey.
The cranes noticed and, with grace, flew off, wings beating loudly. All else was quiet and still, the swamp waiting and watching.
"We travel till dusk." Anno said, "The next stage is a dangerous one, hunting grounds for several creatures." He looked at Awenasa and smiles softly, "We do not speak their names so close to their homes, bad luck. But I expect we may need your fists and strength. I have a feeling we may be hunted."
Awenasa listens to Anno speak of his mother, understanding how family often shapes the person one becomes. Makayda may not have trained Awenasa but she definitely shaped the person she had become and the choices she makes. "You honour your mother's spirit in continuing in the ways she taught you."
Strangely at peace in an unfamiliar world, Awenasa quickly falls asleep when given the opportunity.
She is immediately on alert when she feels someone or something touch her. She makes to get to her feet but realizes she isn't awoken because of danger when Anno points towards the water.
Her eyes open in wonder as she observes the magnificent birds before her. She had never seen such creatures on the Plateau and so she quietly watched them and took in every detail. Once they flew away she turns to Perey and says, "The stories you will tell our people when we finally get home will be remembered for generations."
Refreshed in both body and spirit, Awenasa nods at Anno and prepares herself for the next leg of the journey.
The noon sun is hot overhead, amplifying by the draining humidity. The only relief is the occasional shade of overhanging trees, but their shadows are infested with biting insects of every variety. Thak, despairing, asks Anno if there is anyway to stop the hungry creatures.
'Run out of blood."
Still, otherwise, the journey goes well otherwise. Anno punts them through with skill and obvious logic, even if Awenasa can't see it. As far as she can tell, it is an endless maze of trees, weeds and pools of dark water. But he guide seems undaunted, and leads them without doubt.
Awenasa wonders how much she is missing. A few times she spots large shapes moving in the murk below, vague outlines shifting. When Perey shouts Anno just chuckles, "Turtles."
A turtle as big as a carthouse?
But then they come to a wide open pool of water and Anno stops, looking concerned for the first time. Dead ahead is a leaning tree like hundreds of other deadfalls they have passed. The only different is, this one seems...burned. Scarred with flames.
"I was afraid of this." Anno says finally, and points ahead, "That is the best way, but it seems the Shienmo are on the hunt." Seeing their faces he adds, "Lizardmen that live in the swamp. Very dangerous. They often eat their victims."
The waterman looks at the tree, and then looks at Awenasa, "Three choices. We risk the Shienmo and go the fastest path. We probably get eaten. Second, we go the long way around, spend an extra three days in the swamp. or third," he points to the south, "We risk the festrog but I would advise against that unless you have a silver weapon in your baggage." he laughs at this, as if the idea is unthinkable.
Seeing Anno's concern immediately puts Awenasa on guard. When the guide sees reason to be alarmed then one needs to pay attention.
The Shoanti weighs all of Anno's choices. As usual, if it was just her then she would take the risk but she had others to think of. She doesn't like the idea of taking longer but she needs more information in order to make a final decision.
"Tell more of this festrog. What is festrog? You mention silver." She glances down at her hands and then over at Perey and Thak. "What of magic?"
Anno shrugs, "It is a monster whose lair lives down that. It is not a normal beast though. The crocodile, the piranha, even the froghemoth all hunt for food. To fill their bellies, like we all do. I do not begurdge them their lives, simply learn how to avoid them."
The crooked waterman shakes his head, "The festrog is not like that. It is an...undead creature. Where it came from I do not know, but it has lingered in this part of the swamp for a long time, before my own time. It does not need to eat, it merely kills out of some enjoyment. It reveals in the hunt."
He eyes lock on Awenasa's, a mixture of surprise and confusion, "You would suggest fighting such a beast? It is something like a troll, it exudes illness and corruption. Rumor says it has spread plague in the town before, when it has drawn near the homes. It is greatly feared because many weapons cannot even harm it." A pause as he gazes into the swmap, which seems the same as ever to Awenasa, a riot of life and activity.
"You are so formidable a warrior?"
”If go that way, we have to fight festrog? Can we avoid? I not say I looking to fight it, only that it possible to. I fought many odd creatures. Does it go to town often? If enjoys hunt, what keeps it out here?”
She looked at her friends to see if they had any opinion. ”I am formidable but won’t put everyone in danger. Then we go long way even though every day is closer to death for my people.”
To Shalina's surprise Perey speaks up, "But the long way holds danger too, doesn't it?"
Annoy nodded, "Of course. Every day in the swamp is another danger. The boat may overturn, we may get lost, we make catch some illness. Worse, if we take the long way, even I will need to sleep. The shorter way is always faster, if one could bypass the festrong."
The waterman turned to Shalina, "It rarely goes so far as the village. It seems...connected to its lair. I imagine some kind of magical thing, perhaps it was even born of such things, long ago. It was here in my mother's time, and her mother's time. "
Thak spoke up, swatting a bug, "I'd rather get killed fast by some horrible monster then endure more days in this pestinailantl quagmire." A pause, "No offense, Anno." The boatman merely smiles and shrugs.
"Besides," Thak went on, "Sounds like we'd be doing the locals a favor. Maybe it would give us some good opinions if we come back this way."
Awenasa processed all of the information she was given. Easier was not always better but was faster better? Anno seemed to think so. If they were forced to fight the festrog then victory would mean a safer world for these people, not that that was her priority. They were still lowlanders. But would there be victory? Was she overestimating her abilities? All she knew was that a decision had to be made and that there were risks either way.
"No perfect route. So we go the way of festrog and trust the spirits to guide us safely. We not look for fight. But if fight come, I fight."
Anno looks surprised and says, "Let us hope. And let's hope you know what you are doing."
With that they set off into the swamp, poling down the waterway toward what Anno calls the festrong.
The day is hot and humid, a far cry from the dry desert of their journey so far, or Awenasa's home. The insects are out in full force, buzzing, flying and, of course, biting. It doesn't take long for all of them to look like they have already in a fight, smeared with splotches of blood. It is impossible to get comfortable in the boat, between the prickling sweat, buzzing gnats and bright glare off the water. In short order, Awenasa is almost looking forward to a fight. At least you can punch an undead monster.
Yet the swamp seems the same to Awenasa. Dark pools of bubbling water, gently swaying beds of reeds, tangled trees dense with vines. Anno poles them through his usual grace and care, perhaps pauses slightly more often to listen and smell. Slowly they proceed, barely making a sound. Still, Awenasa is a trained hunter and soon, even in this strange place, she notes the signs.
Here a branch torn free, bark hanging in strips. There an entire tree turned over, half rottenroots pointing toward the sky. Heaps of sodden earth piled here and there, reminding her of a bear digging for grubs. The sound of bird song dies away, and even the bugs seem to dissipate. The usual hustle and bustle of life withdraws. The already fetid air is tinged with something else here, something new. The smell of old, dead meat. A stale reek of decaying flesh.
"It is close." Anno whispers, "We are very near the lair. It may be resting....or it may not. Prepare yourself."
The swamp around them seems still and hot around them, pressing in in suffocating silence.
Do I ever know what I'm doing? But Awenasa's face remains as expressionless as ever as they set off on the path that offers almost certain death.
The Shoanti is painfully aware of how much she dislikes the swamp as she kills insect after insect that are intent on stealing her blood. Her training causes her to be more wary when the bugs disappear rather than it brining relief. If pests didn't dare to enter an area then one needed to be on guard because there was a reason.
Awenasa is already looking for signs of danger and focusing all of her senses on detecting threats. She nods ever so slightly at Anno's whispered words and touches her inner ki in preparation.
It is barely enough. Just as Awenasa nods, a patch of swamp not thirty feet away explodes. A column of dirty water and mucky swamp mud is thrown into high the air, and falling with a great crash. Awenasa herself is doused with chilly water and spattered with lumps of soggy peat. She has no time to account for this however, for she is busy trying to see their foe.
The Shoanti does not need to wait long.
A big, lanky humanoid figure is standing at the epicenter of the sudden upwelling. It is a strange, unwholesome looking creature, about twice Awenasa's own size. It is as if someone created an undead out a troll and an ape. Sickly green skin is wrapped taunt around a bony, gunat frame, dripping with slime and pus. The arms are so long, it rests on all fours, wide back hunched over. The skull is deformed into a long muzzle, a forest of teeth revealed by the lack of lips. There is no hair, although a row of small spines run down the half-exposed spine. The eyes are wide and light, an off-tone ivory. Awenasa sense some intelligence there, this is not merely a wild beast.
It lets out a nerve-rattling howl and charges toward them, water cascading up.
Awenasa does not let her disgust at being covered by swamp or by seeing what she does when the festrong shows itself distract her from what she is trained to do. Her only thought when it begins to charge is to not let it get close to the others.
Grateful for her natural awareness of her body, she stands and centers herself before launching herself at the creature.
Flying towards it with her leg extended she attempted to give it a swift kick before following it up with a couple of blows with her fists.
Awneasa throws herself out of the boat with enough force to send it rocking. Black swamp water slops over the low gunwales, making Anno curse in some exotic language, as Thak and Perey hold on for dear life. Meanwhile, the Shoanti warrior is jumping into the air, aiming to kick the imposing creature.
To her annoyance, the beast is quicker then she thought. With uncanny speed, it dodges both her kick and the first punch, weaving like an undead boxer. Gritting her teeth, Awenasa hides the last punch until the last moment, hiding her intent with her own body. Then she lashes out with a kidney punch that would have gotten her thrown out of a Riddleport fighting-pit (if Awenasa knew what such a thing was). Yet, for all her skill, the blow does little damage.
Worse, her fist tears open a set of noxious boils. A spurt of sickly green fluid splashes her arm, burning like acid. Her tanned skin turns pink then bright red, flaring with pain.
Luckily, Awenasa is made of tough stuff, and nothing further happens.
Meanwhile, the undead creature seems unbothered by her attacks and focuses on the boat itself!
The rugged sharp claws dig into the wood, shredding it like a bear digging through an old stump. Anno curses again and smacks the monster with an oar, achieving nothing.
"Ware the boat! If it sinks it, we'll all die out here, festrong or not" Awenasa is unsure but there is a flash in the undead creature's eye and it lets out a long, curdling howl at this.
Perey looks terrified, gripping onto the boat with both hands, staring up at the looming monster, unable to do anything else for the moment.
"I'm aware," Awenasa growls. Why did Anno think she had jumped out of the boat? It certainly wasn't so that this abomination could attack her friends and the boat.
Awenasa curses herself for letting it get past her. Focusing her frustration on the festrong, she aims her attacks at the vulnerable places of its back and head.
She delivers two punches to its back and one devastating stunning fist to its head.
Sometimes, back home, Awenasa had stumbled across a dried, desiccated body of some unfortunate animal that had died yet remained unfound by scavengers. The dry Plateau wind quickly turned such corpses into rawboned mummies, made up of tight skin, hair and bone. This creature reminded her of such a dead thing, except animated with some horrible diseased fluid.
Her blows seemed to do little to the creature, and it was like punching wood. Indeed, instead of blood or torn muscle, parts of it almost splintered off, fragments of tough hide. Worse, despite a truly mighty blow to the back of the head, she seemed unable to stun it. Perhaps the undead magics that governed it were not bothered by such things? Pummeling it to pieces seemed the only way, even if that seemed a slow process.
"Save the boat!" Awenasa says, unsure of what else to do. Even if she did batter the festrong into pulp, it wouldn't do them much good if the boat was destoryed.
At her words Perey looks up from his panic. Gritting himself he waves a hand and mutters something under his breath. The world shimmers around him and then, suddenly, a second boat appears. In every way like anno's boat, it bobs in the murky water near at hand.
Clearly this surprises the undead beast, beady eyes sweeping the mirror image. Apparently unsure which to attack, it attacks both boats in turn with claw and tooth.
While the jutting jaw's bite does some minor damage to the boat, clearly Perey's action has bought Awenasa some time.
Awenasa's elders would have been proud. Even amidst a fight with a strange beast in a strange place, her wits are about her. In second nature, she scans the terrain around her, eyes and ears open for more threats. And in doing so she spots, in a dark grove of trees only fifty feet away, a humanoid figure. A tall slender lizard-like shape, leaning against a tree, spear in hand. Was this one of the man-eating Shienmo Anno spoke of?
And, more importantly, was its presence good or bad?
Awenasa starts when she catches sight of their onlooker. However, she doesn't have time to work out what their presence means because she has to make sure that the festrong goes down and the boat is secured.
"Why", Awenasa punches the festrong, "are you", she punches again, "fixated", she punches a third time with extra punctuation, "on the boat?"
Undead held no supernatural dread for Awenasa. Her people knew much about the spirits and their strange ways. They could be dangerous and powerful, of course, but they did not take the form of lumbering monsters. This reanimated beast was not more connected to the real spirit world then a wagon. It was little more then a misshapen tool, the byproduct of evil magic.
Yet, it was still unsettling to fight something that did not bleed, and she felt not heartbeat under her fists. It was like punching a wall, and just as unrewarding.
Still, the Shoanti was ready for a counterattack. Even if the beast was focused entirely on the boat (did it realize that destroying the vessel would kill them all?) surely it would defend itself?
She was right. Just as her last mighty blow rang off the hard skull of the tall creature, it whirled around. Awenasa was ready, fists raised in a boxer's stance. But the festrong was cleverer then she expected and instead of lashing out with the long arms, it kicks at her with clawed feet!
But the Shoanti nimbly dodges the kick, even through the swampy, black water.
Awenasa quickly recognizes that this creature has the ability to plan and reason, not just mindlessly destroy. Had it been something not born of evil magics, she may have tried to grapple it into submission. However; from what Anno had said and from what she had seen, this world would be better off if the festrong wasn't in it. Therefore, she continues to press her assault to keep it focusing on her and not on the boat.
While throwing her last punch, the Shoanti spares a glance to where she had seen the humanoid watching in order to keep tabs on them.
Awenasa has killed many things over her life. She did not relish it, but it was familiar. The hunting of a deer for food, or the capture of a mountain lion to protect a herd, even fighting another human in self defense. Pummeling the festrong was nothing like those things. It felt more like destroying an object, as if she was tearing down a particularly stubborn house or felling a long-dead tree.
Through sheer force of blow she battered the undead into submission, literally breaking it down into smaller bits that could no longer function. First an arm came loose, shattered from the shoulder by a well aimed kick. Then the narrow chest caved in, ribs cracking into shards that poked through the green skin, oozing with green toxins. A knee popped like a log in a fire, and the undead beast staggered into the shin-deep water. It let out a gurgling roar of confusion and then, without mercy but without pleasure, Awenasa burst in the head with a final punch.
The undead corpse shuddered and then, like a puppet with cut strings, flopped awkwardly into the water, unmoving. Silence filled the air, broken only by some bubbling as noxious slime seeped from the fallen thing.
Awenasa risked a glance at the trees and the lizard figure was gone.
After a long moment Anno hopped up on the boat gunwale. He looked at Awenasa, then fallen creature and then back. His weather beaten face was creased in a look of shock, confusion and a trace of disappointment.
"I was expecting to die." he said, and he sounded a bit put out it hadn't gone that way. "Attacked by the festrong, no one survives that. And you fought it, and won, by yourself." The waterman blinks and then bows his head slightly to Awenasa, "Fighting is not everything but you are a mighty warrior, Awenasa of a faraway land. I am sorry I doubted you."
Then he poked the festrong with a paddle, "The village people will be pleased, at least."
Defeating the festrong is unlike anything Awenasa has experienced before. She doesn't know how to feel because she didn't take a life but rather destroyed an object.
She makes sure it doesn't rise before turning to the others. She recognizes the mix of emotions that cross Anno's face because she has experienced them herself. She nods at Anno's words, "The spirits chose your survival. You ready to go, you may want to go...I understand. But your spirits want you here. Until they call us, we stuck here."
The Shoanti gives a small smile at his confession of doubting her. She is used to being underestimated by the lowlanders because of her youth and lack of an obvious weapon. "You doubt but you agreed on route. Festrong not destroyed if went other way."
But she knows she cannot relax even though the festrong is unalived. She fixes Anno with her gaze. "Is boat good? We need to keep going. I saw a lizard-man watching," she points, "from there. We need to go before it returns."
Awenasa shakes her head, "Not do on own." She claps Perey on the back, "You saved boat which means you saved us. Let's go."
She surveys the swamp as they continue their journey, "I hope land heals now that evil creature gone."
Anno gives a shrug when she says the spirits decide who lives and who dies. Awenasa wonders what gods they worship here, if any. So far, during her entire time in this strange place, nothing of the spirits had been mentioned.
The waterman inspects the boat, frowning at the gouges. Awenasa looks at the ragged tooth marks and is happy the festrong did not try to take a bite of her, distracted by destroying their vessel. The fight could have easily went much worse, if she wasn't resistant to toxins, if the undead had trapped her underwater, if the boat had sank....
But what was the old, wise saying? Worrying did add a single hour to your life ? It was as it went.
Soon Anno speaks up, "It should still get us to the far side. Just a few cracks, nothing serious."
At her words about the lizard-man Anno is obviously surprised, "This close to the festrong? Strange but probably nothing to do with us. The sooner we hurry, the sooner we are done. If we cut through the festrong's territory, we might make it to dry land by nightfall, if we hurry."
They quickly gather things up and are starting to pole away when Thak points to the cluster of trees. With alarm, Aweansa spots a full dozen of the lizardmen there now, all holding spears. The crouch in the shadows until they noticed they have been spotted. Then they emerge, nimbly jumping on reedy tussocks and logs.
Anno groans, "A whole hunting party. We can't outrun them, and I don't know this way very well." There is a bit of relief in the twisted old waterman's voice, as if somewhat reassured that things are properly going wrong.
But Awenasa has eyes on the Shienmo. She knows raiders, warriors and hunting bands. Had she not spent her life among those that people called barbarians? They do not seem about to attack. Instead they seem thoughtful, gazing at the festrong's old pool.
Then the largest lizardman, wearing a long cloak of heron feather raises a spear in an unmistakable salute. It lets out a hissing scream, undulating over the swampy water. No battlecry, this is a cry of triumphant, of victory. Of celebration!
The other lizardmen take up the cry, raising spears to the small boat. They make no effort to follow, no move to throw weapons. Instead they give a raucous chorus that lasts until Awenasa and her friends are out of sight.
"No need to outrun. They not here to attack."
Their cry of celebration cuts through the quiet of the swamp as if to prove Awenasa correct. "Keep going." She lifts her fist to salute the Shienmo as they float away.
"Lowlanders misunderstand what different. Shienmo may not be as violent as thought. My people seen to be like them." She paused seemingly deep in thought before rousing herself with a shake of her head, "They should leave your boat alone in future. Festrong plague them too and you help defeat it. But others should still avoid."
The Shoanti calms her mind and breathes deeply to lower her heart rate. She rests as best she can but also helps where needed. "New territory for you or been here before? Hope no more trouble now that festrong gone and Shienmo let us pass."
"New territory. The festrong has been here a long time. It's like a big black mark on the map." The waterman poles the boat skillfully between two dead trees, everyone ducking automatically.
"But I know the shape of the blackness. It'll save a lot of traveling, cutting through here. Also, there will be no other hunters in here, not with the festrong around. Even bigger, nastier things don't like undead."
Time passes in the heat of the day. Perey falls asleep, nodding against the gunwale. Thak is meditating, reddish skin gleaming brightly in the sun, humming every so slightly. Around them the swamp is still very quiet, the festrong's influence still present. Yet, there are signs of life. A school if small fish pass under the boat, black against black. A bullfrog lets out a raspy croak. And once Awenasa spots a beaver slipping into the water with barely a splash, sliding silently.
It is peaceful.
"Shienmo as friends, huh?" Anno says from the prow, sounding unconvinced, "Strange things follow you, Awenasa. Seem like good things though. " He idlily pushes a floating hunk of dead weeds away, bobbing like an apple in a barrel.
"Has it always been this way for you? To be so strong of purpose?" The small man sounds wistful, almost shy. "It must be a comfort, to know what needs to be done, and to be able to do something about it."
Above the sun is a bright coin, blazing down. The air is hot and heavy but is slowly losing the rank scent of old, stale meat, replaced by the only slightly more wholesome smell of water, plants and mud.
Awenasa involuntarily ducks against some unseen swat when Anno says the word 'purpose' as she hears Dawnlight's voice say 'Bah, purpose!'.
Homesickness crashes over the Shoanti and tears prick her eyes. But she quickly recovers as she also remembers that she has never had a real choice in the direction of her short life.
Her voice sounds only slightly bitter when she speaks. "When you born under a prophecy of your people, you always reminded of purpose. Knowing purpose same as breathing, You trained for purpose but you no question because it keep your sister safe." She looks off into the distance. "Then you fail, sister killed, purpose gone."
"I prefer to be with Makayda but spirits have other ideas. If I not focus on finding Eivind and saving my people then nothing left for me. So new purpose." She snorts, "But no comfort, only work to lose myself in."
Awenasa breathes deep as the air becomes less filled with the smell of death. She never thought she'd find the smell of the swamp preferable in any way.
Anno takes this in silently, and has the air of a man of much to think about.
They do not reach the other side of the Swamp that day, and are forced to camp out among the reeds, mud and frogs. Thak and Perey gripe (a little bit) about blood sucking bugs and man-eating monsters but Awenasa has little fear of the latter. While they had mostly left the festrong's influence behind, it still lingered and they had seen few animals that day. With no prey, how could one have predators?
Also, surely the Shienmo would be out tonight, exploring the new territory. That alone would scare off most creatures. Awenasa had little doubt that the lizardmen were as much masters of their homeland as the Shoanti were, and when her people went out, other beasts stayed hidden.
No, tonight they could sleep.
She seemed to be correct for the night passed without event. The only change seemed to be Anno. The usually dour waterman seemed in good spirits and Awenasa is woken with breakfast already cooking. Frog legs and crayfish simmering in an old battered pot, which sends out a rich aroma.
As Perey and Thak eat, Anno says to Awenasa, "We will reach dry land by noon today, unless I am totally lost. In which case, who knows how long?" he smiles somewhat, shrugging, "But I am not lost. Our time together is nearly over, Awenasa."
He pauses, fumbles a bit and goes on, "You have given me much to think about. Thank you." Another pause, "Not sure what else to say, so there it is." He moves off to ready the boat.
Awenasa cracks an eye when the smell of cooking reaches her nose and rouses her from sleep. "Smells good."
She sits up and accepts her breakfast from Anno. She chews thoughtfully as their guide sums up their position. "Happy for dry land. Not happy to part ways. I not find many lowlanders who are like my people, even if you live on water."
She gives a small smile, breaking her stoicism. "More words not always better."
"Fair enough." Anno says, nodding, 'Fair enough. "
Warm breakfast finished, they head out again into the swamp. To Awenasa it seems the same as ever, the same parade of dead trees, open pools and islands of reeds. The bugs buzz in great swarms, alighting on them and taking off as they slap and curse. Birds sing from every tree, frogs croaking in isolated eddies.
Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the swamp ends. Anno poles the boat around a stand of vine-laden trees and Awenasa is confronted with dry land. Well, drier land. A solid bank of brown earth lies ahead of them, dotted with low trees and bushes. Beyond Awenasa can spot low rocky hills, fuzzy in the distance. Between the riparian growth, Awenasa can spot a footpath, running parallel to the black brackish water. It seems little most then a dusty trail cut into the soil, but Awenasa's heart picks up when Anno points to it.
"It will veer west soon, between the hills. A day or two, that is all. Then you will reach the Halls of Reason." The waterman shrugs, "I have never been. They say it is a strange place, full of books and other things. "
Anno bumps the boat against the bank at a low spot, where they can scramble ashore.
"You will go on, then?"
Awenasa nods resolutely. "I have come too far. No stop now."
The Shoanti digs in her bag and pulls out one of the fossils she had been given. "We never make it here without you. I know no payment but I told your world values these. I want you to have it. I don't have much else."
Awenasa shrugs, "You can also come to Halls of Reason. But have feeling you prefer to stay on water."
She sticks out her hand to grasp Anno's forearm as she would a fellow warrior, "May your spirit guide you. I glad we met."
Anno takes the fossil, after a momentary pause. He grins, "We'll consider it payment for the boat repairs." The waterman affectionally kicks the boat near the bite marks left by the festrong. He seems to want to say more but eventually just shakes his head and grabs Awenasa's arm.
"And may your spirits not ask too much of you." A strange greeting.
And with that, Awenasa and her friends leave the swamp and the boat behind. Their last view of Anno is the small man nudging his boat back amongst the reeds and trees.
"Strange fellow." Thak remarks casually, "Still, we owe him a great deal. We could never have found our way through that ourselves."
Back on dry land, it goes much as Anno suggested. The small path follows the swamp edge for a few miles and then turns westward in a right angle. While still little more then a dusty track more suited for animals then people, it is as straight as a lowlander ruler, headed directly westward.
Unused to having such a clear trail, Awenasa still feels it will help. She can hardly get lost on a road. They head westward, following it onward.
Around them the land is dry but not the bare desert she has grown accustomed to in this strange place. Instead it is a rocky land of brush and scrub, of low lying trees and tough looking bushes. Pockets of grass cling to the more sheltered nooks and crannies, some even hiding small springs. The path lies on flat level ground but on either side of them low hills gather, creating a low valley. Awenasa is not a favor of such low ground, but there is nothing for it, and they see no sign of others, either on the road or not.
In fact, apart from the reddish soil and milky sky above, Awenasa is reminded of home. Her land is also a dry one, with life that is easy to miss. She half expects to see a flock of Shoanti goats in the distance, or maybe even a great hunting cat stalking the higher hills. But they see little animal life, apart from a few birds.
They keep heading westward for two days. The terrain grow higher on each side, shifting from small hillocks to low hills to what even Awenasa would call low mountains. Their way is easy however, the road following the still flat valley floor. Now and then it crosses over dry washes, running over simple stone bridges. Like everything in this place, the bridges look very old but they are still sound. Awenasa guesses the gullies must fill with water in wet seasons.
Other paths join too, winding down out of the hills. As each joins their own path grows wider and clearer, finally becoming what could only be described as a real road, paved with stone and lined with ditches. Here and there, it is clear trees once lined the path but they are little more then stumps now, worn by wind and sun.
They camp near one of the ese, making a small fire. Thak and Perey, as they have been doing since they left the swamp are discussing what they think the Halls might be like. Perey seems to think it is a meeting place of wanderers and travelers, sharing stories and knowledge. Thak on the other hand seems to think it will be a great library, a vast collection of books, scrolls and other writings.
'What do you think, Awenasa?" Perey asks, from across the fire. Above the stars flicker slightly, the night sky very, very dark.
Awenasa shrugs at Thak's comment upon Anno's departure. All lowlanders were strange to her.
It feels good to be grounded again and off the water. She likes the feel of the earth beneath her feet and it is satisfying to use her muscles again.
By the time they camp for the night, Awenasa is pleasantly tired. It had been a long journey but she is closer to her goal. She closes her eyes momentarily while listening to Perey and Thak discuss the Halls of Reason, feeling strangely content. When asked her opinion, she says, "I not really thought about what it looks like. I go to find Asny Kolbeindottir, the White, so it no matter what it looks like." After a little more thought she asks, "But why not it be both? There be books containing reason and people discussing reason."
The night passes quietly, with no sign of animal or human (or what passes for human here). Yet, Awenasa doesn't detect the creeping dread of the emptiness that, for example, surrounded the festrong's lair. No, this is more the natural absence of nature from a place people frequent. This road must be frequently traveled, or at least was not long ago.
Awenasa sees other signs of that as well. Old fire rings are evident beside the road, where pervious travelers made camp. Broken wheels and other cast offs dot the dry ground too, sometimes have hidden by swales of sand and grit. Here and there she spots wagon ruts that veered off the road, leaving traces. Much of it seems old but not ancient.
The next day dawns bright and clear, the sun still harsher then Awenasa is used to. The sky that same pale white that lacks the rich blue she would prefer. What she wouldn't give to see clouds, real clouds, instead of the constant wispy streaks high above. They must come, for plants live here so it must rain...eventually.
Around them the mountains are rising into real peaks, sharp knife-like peaks outlined against the sky. Their shoulders are bare of snow or glaciers, just bare rock and reddish gravel. Still they look imposing, huge tumbled masses of clefts, fissures, massifs and ledges. Impressive, even for a Shoanti of the Plateau.
At about mid-morning Awenasa can see mountains ahead for the first time, looming in front. The path must leave the valley then. Did the Halls lie beyond them, somewhere in the peaks? They walked on.
Awenasa has spent her life in wide open places and she, more then most, knows how flat land can deceive. How scale and distance tricked the eye, how something that seemed close was actually days away. So it was when Awenasa saw ahead she simply assumed her eyes were wrong.
Because it seemed they headed for an impossible object.
But as the day went on and her vision sharpened, she could no longer deny it. Dead ahead, right along the still ruler-straight road lay a cube. Its artificial angles stuck out, entirely alien in the otherwise natural environment. That was strange enough but what made Awenasa was the scale. It was a cube not the size of a house or a hill but a mountain.
One could stack an entire low lander city inside, if they packed up the houses like eggs in a crate. Vast, huge, beyond understand. How could such a thing be made by man? Impossible...right? And yet it lay ahead of them, straight-edges gleaming slightly in the morning light, like a distant river or gold seam.
Could that be the Halls of Reason?
Awenasa slows and then stops as what she sees confuses her. She looks at Perey and then Thak, "You see what I see?"
As they get closer and it becomes apparent that she is not imagining the strange cube, she marvels at how it came into existence as well as its purpose. Even though she knows that her companions know nothing more than she does, she still asks, "Why build strange shape? Where windows? Maybe it test. You find way in then you earn right to visit?" The Shoanti shakes her head, "This world strange."
"If that not Halls of Reason then something else odd out here. Hard to believe there be two places out here that people travel to. And why we not see more people traveling?" For the first time since leaving Anno, Awenasa wonders if maybe they were lost.
Perey and Thak are both intrigued by Awenasa's idea of having to break into the building. Clearly both expected welcome parties and open doors, the concept of a test seems to surprise them. Yet it seems natural to Awenasa. Nothing worthwhile was given away for free.
"Maybe it is not the season." Thak said when she asked where others are. "There are many pilgrimages in my land that are seasonal, and only take place once a year. The Yellow Night for example. Thousands come and it is the biggest gathering in Vudra, but the rest of the year it is an empty field. A traveler would not even notice if they came out of time for the celebrations."
The cube grows larger as they approach. It gains little more detail though as their are no windows, no towers, not even any art to break the monotony of smooth, straight lines. The stone does gleam slightly, as if wet and it reminds Awenasa of obsidian from her homeland. Had this place been carved out of an impossibly large block? Impossible.
Surely?
The road becomes a fair avenue, broad and straight, flagged with broad stones. They are fit together so tightly, there is barely any grit or sand between them, neatly aligned. Wide gutters stand on each side, and Awenasa even spots a few old benches here and there. Boulders begin appearing, scattered over the flat, dusty ground. They are larger, standing taller then Awenasa, but seem unworked and natural. Awenasa, to her growing alarm, sees no farms or gardens.
If these are the Halls...where are the people?
Finally the road....ends. A few hundred feet from the base of the cube it simply cuts off, vanishing into rough dirt. There are no ruts or footsteps beyond, just unbroken ground that leads to the base of the strange monolith. There are no stairs or doors there, just smooth stone.
Perey leans back and stares up the vast cliff, huge beyond reason. He almost falls over, craning upwards. Thak blinks, "Maybe there is no one home?"
Awenasa is grappling with this horrifying possibility when she hears something. Footfalls on the stone. Instinct flaring, she whirls toward the sound. Out from behind a massive boulder steps a humanoid shape and Awenasa's jaw drops. Whatever she expected, feared or hoped for, this was not it.
She sees a Shoanti elder standing there, half in the shadow of a mighty rock. They are small and wiry, stooped slightly with age. Braided white hair blows slightly in the wind, slipping over their shoulders. Their skin is windburned and criss-crossed with burns, scars and, most importantly tattoos. To Awenasa's shock she can read them perfectly well, they are of the same type as her own quah! They tell a lifetime of raids and battles, of leadership and struggle. Successes mostly, a quah leader of a life well lived. This is the epitome of a Shonati leader, proud and brave who lived to the quiet dignity of old age.
The figure silently watches them all, making no move. The wind whistles over the sand, but there is no other noise.
Awenasa gives Thak's reasoning a nod. It made sense; however, it still bothers her that there are no signs of people. If this was the Halls of Reason surely there would be more signs of life, right?
When they get to the end of the road, she shakes her head sadly, "It make no sense. It just ends?"
The Shoanti spins and lands in a defensive stance when she hears movement behind them. Her eyes widen and she immediately drops her fists and takes a respectful posture.
Her mind reels between hope and disbelief. Her heart wants to believe what she sees yet her mind tells her that it is impossible. But for all her doubt, she cannot dismiss who is before her. She wants to ask Perey and Thak what they see but she doesn't want to appear disrespectful.
It feels like the most natural thing in the world to slip into speaking the language of home as she says in Shoanti, "Honoured Elder, I have traveled far to come to this place seeking guidance. Please, share your wisdom with me for your tattoos show you have lived much."
Awenasa is still speaking when, to her surprise, Thak also starts talking. Not that her Vudran friend is usually silent, but he usually has the good graces to not interrupt. Even more surprising is his words. The reddish man shuffled forward, bowing low, obviously surprised.
"Master. I did not expect to see a Champion of Iro-Shu here, particularly one wearing the Platinum Chain. You have traveled far indeed." A small chuckle, 'I must admit, I hoped to be the first."
Perey laughs, "Thak, what are you talking about? It's not a Champion or whatever. Awenasa is right, it's a Shoanti story-master. You can tell by the drum."
Story-master? Awenasa's people do have such traveling bards, those who know all the old sagas and tales, who roam from quah to quah, part priesthood, part entertainer, held in equal among all the Shoanti. But this man is not one of them and he has no drum, at least as far as Awenasa can see.
The old man chuckles, a rich, throaty sound only slightly tinged by dust.
"Ah, yes. The downside of the enchantment." He waves a hand, gesturing to himself, "A champion of Iro-shu or a ..what was it? A Shoanti story-master? I hope I do them justice." His language is pure Shoanti, down to the exact right accent and yet....there is something off about it. The words, the phrasing...it is like listening to a skilled actor play a part. It is almost too convincing to be real.
He smiles but goes on, "I am the door warden of the Halls of Reason. What you see is a reflection of yourself, a form of the what you consider authority and rightful leadership. We find it helps. Our natural forms can be....difficult for strangers to interact with. At least at first."
"You wish to enter the Halls then? Few come this far for any other reason." The elder nods, "It is open, for those with minds and eyes to see. We ask for no payment, no fee. Instead, we only ask the following. You tell me a unimportant truth, an important lie and answer one question of my choosing. Then I shall judge if you are permitted to pass."
The figure bowed, "Each answer will be held in secret, and not shared with your friends, so do not fear that." Then the misplaced Shoanti looked up, face inscrutable yet so familiar "Do you agree?"