//------------------------------// // Ch 7 Sem'Eo // Story: Under A Wild Star // by SwordTune //------------------------------// “What is it with these creatures and caves?” Fahanin watched the light from the fire die out as a creeping wall engulfed the land around it. It was as if the forest itself had just grown over the cave. Her sister Amorwen clutched her spear tightly. “If we knew they were here, we’d outnumber them instantly,” she said. “They're hiding from us. Smart.” Her heart slammed her chest. She wanted so badly to reach out and grab Nisus when they found the camp, but the other creatures had returned first with their firewood. A unicorn? She had doubted the presence of a long-dead dragon from ancient history, and neither the maned-creature or bird-horse appeared in any of their stories. But the unicorn was undeniably real. Now she wanted to go back in time and slap herself for even hoping to find a dragon. They circled the cave, drawing as close as they could. With their naeht yege and dark blue scales, they moved invisibly through the forest. Even the moon was obscured by spring clouds, hiding all the light that could expose their movements. “Arrow. Spear. Knife.” Nisus’s voice, muffled, came through the roots as they crept up to the cave. Amorwen and Fahanin traded looks. Was it a message? It sounded like random words to them. Then again, the moss and roots formed a thick wall. Seeing and hearing through it was nearly impossible. At least she was alive. If the beasts wanted her dead, they would’ve done it back in the Kerns’ land. Fahanin checked their surroundings, using her enhanced vision to spot any landmarks that could lead back to this place. The most obvious was the tree above the cave. The mouth jutted out of the mountain like a knoll, and on top of it stood a zoak tree unlike any other. While the other zoaks were just beginning to grow new buds, this one had fresh zap-apples dropping from its branches. She pointed her sister’s gaze towards it. “We should take some when we leave, show the other clans what we found. A fruiting tree won’t be hard to find at this time of the cycle.” “The Ghendings ought to thank us for this,” Amorwen smirked. “No way they could’ve done this without us.” “Sure let August know that,” Fahanin said as they retreated from the cave. Nisus might have been right behind that wall, but getting past solid roots and dense moss was not an option. “Surprised you managed to snap him out of it.” “The Foreteller needed to see sense,” her wings flustered with annoyance. “His cousin’s in there, but these creatures affect all of us.” “I’m sure he knows that, but he’s young for a Foreteller,” said Fahanin. “Be honest, what do you think of him? He’s older than us, sure, but not by much. I’m thinking he might make the wrong call one day.” “Worry about it later,” Amorwen grunted. “As long as what we’re doing makes sense, we should do it. Let’s grab the apples and hurry back. The sooner we tell them what happened, the sooner that little jill will be safe.” -------------------------->>>><<<<-------------------------- The Kern camp grew uneasy soon after August and Tregor returned. Beran was the first chimaera August talked to, but the news that only two hunters had returned quickly spread through the camps. The trading clans were, by tradition, supposed to avoid getting involved in Kern affairs. But their camps were attacked as well before they left. Now, all their little camps surrounded the Kerns, and one by one the Foretellers who supervised the traders gathered at the Kern’s bonfire. One from each clan, highland and lowland alike. August wondered if the same was happening in all the other camps. With the Melt over, traders were everywhere on the mountain. His clan was not excluded. Some of his people would be travelling up the mountain with cured meat, pelts, and sinews. Based on what the Skaiths said, his clan was safe from the attacks. Ghending traders all over the mountain would’ve walked straight into this mess without a clue. He wondered how the other Foretellers were handling it. “Well? What happened?” demanded the Wefan Foreteller. Muniko was not among the crowd. He was away somewhere. All for the better, August supposed. With Beran by his side, an argument was sure to start as soon as Muniko began talking. So he wasted no time giving the details. He described the cave again, showing all the Foretellers what they found in the cave. From the bound sheets, they all agreed that the mysterious beasts had a complex language and an equally complex system of scrawling. “They really are as intelligent as us,” the Ironhearth Foreteller said in awe. “What do they want then? Why attack us?” August offered the metal contraption, quickly tossing it for the highland Foretellers to examine. “Maybe their tools might tell us something. They didn’t attack us with weapons, at least. Although, I don’t know if they even need them.” He recounted the fight, adding the details of the thick-maned creature they saw in the cave. Its antler was the source of its magic, he remembered from the fight, and it had no markings or signs of a spell limit. But August spared his words on the details. What mattered was Nisus. “You can’t be serious!” cried out the Skaith Foreteller, as soon as August mentioned that the twins had volunteered to track down Nisus. “You let those jills chase down the beasts while you tucked your tail and ran back here?” Beran immediately stepped forward to his keus-bhrater’s defence. “These creatures are strong,” he said, gesturing to the wide scar that marked half his face. “The two times we’ve fought them, we’ve lost. My keus-bhrater made a sacrifice to come here and warn you all. Honour him, instead of throwing insults!” The Skaith looked down, pawing at the ground with one hoof. “The Element of Honour is within you, Ghending. I apologize.” August held up a claw, holding his friend back. “You can show your apology with actions, Foreteller. Nisus is a close cousin of mine. I don’t have to tell you how much a sister means, especially one her age. All I ask is for your help to get her back.” Some of the other Foretellers traded glances. Gaduron and Wefan both slunk back. Their clan was rich with fruits and nuts. They had few hunters. But the Skaith simply nodded. “If they took one of yours, there’s no telling if they’ll take other chimaeras too. We have to stop them before that.” “Of course,” the Gaduron Foreteller quickly agreed, gathering his courage. “Tregor was with you. He’s resting with the others right now, but there’s no shortage of brave hunters among us.” Some of the other Foretellers snorted, but August ignored them. “If you’ll hunt by me, then the Element of Trust is among your clan.” August turned to the highlanders. Ironhearths, Frostcorns, and Trapcasters, they were the least involved in all of this. Kerns and Ghending were lowlanders, and despite rivalries, it was natural that lowlanders would help their own. The three Foretellers were still deliberating over the metal contraption, almost oblivious to the discussion around them. August stepped toward them and cut them short with a sharp look. “Yes?” the Frostcorn looked up from the device. The eyes of the other chimaeras were on them, waiting for an answer. “Oh, of course we’ll help. Kern is our sister clan. Many of our own kin have moved here.” August turned to the other highlanders. They had a look about them. Uncertain. But more than that, they looked afraid. If they wanted, they could say no. No one could blame them if they didn’t want to chase monsters in the night. So why the hesitation? He looked again at the Frostcorn. The Foreteller wore the same face. “You’re not telling us something,” he said, looking at the metal box in the claws. “Does it have to do with that?” The Ironhearth snarled, but only briefly. “Would you even understand? The secrets of metal are something we can’t freely give.” August opened his mouth, but to his surprise, it was the Gaduron Foreteller who scoffed at the Ironhearth. “Come off your high peak,” he said. “You extract metal from stone with fire. Different metals have different properties, and each can be treated with different levels of heat and cooling. We don’t know the details but we’re all Foretellers. Sure as the Elements gave us magic, we can understand the concept.” The other lowland Foretellers nodded. Beran smiled and slapped the Foreteller firmly on the back. “Ha! I’ll lock horns with the next Kern who says Gadurons have thin scales.” Beran’s remark drew out chuckles all around, though the Gaduron Foreteller quickly twisted his face in confusion. What did the other clans say about them? “So,” August settled the gathering, “what is that contraption?” The Ironhearth sighed, fiddling with the round knobs on the front of the box. “Guess we all have to swallow pride at some point. We have no idea. Hundreds of years of perfecting metalworking and the three of us don’t have a clue. If it’s not just a metal box, then these creatures might not just be as smart as us, they may be smarter.” “Never even heard of this thing?” August asked, looking at the Frostcorn. “And that scares you that much?” “Should scare you too,” the Foreteller replied. “But as I said, my clan has kin in the Kern camp. We’ll help you.” “And us too,” affirmed the Trapcaster. “If they can build more complex tools, we should learn. Perhaps they have other tools we can take apart.” The circle of Foretellers eased back a little, though the fact that the three highlanders present had no idea what the metal contraption did was unsettling indeed. August kept his eye on their faces, reading them. But, as long as they agreed to help get Nisus, he couldn’t complain. Muniko, however, was just beginning to stomp his way back to the bonfire. The grey-scaled jack was furious with his movements, but he wore a restrained grimace as he joined the circle of Foretellers. His mane looked dishevelled as if he hadn’t had a rest for a while. The others kept silent as he approached, letting him make the first statement. “How nice of you all to come together,” he grinned with clenched teeth. “I’m glad we can start immediately. I only just heard August had come back with Tregor.” “We finished before you even started, old jack,” Beran laughed. “Getting slow?” Stifled laughs were given by the other Foretellers, though most of them were more than a little hesitant. Most of them were as old or older than Muniko. The Kern Foreteller watched their eyes, and following their gaze, noticed the metal contraption in the Ironhearth’s claws. “Rumors have been spreading fast across the clan,” he said. “Looks like you found something after all. No one’s seen the other hunters except for Tregor. Should I assume…” August scowled as Muniko trailed off. “They’re all alive. But we had to fight some of the creatures when we left their cave. Nisus was taken in the chaos.” Muniko’s eyes widened. “So she’s dead then. You just won’t admit it.” “By the Elements, she’s not!” Beran roared, his dark-brown scales making him an imposing shadow in the night. Muniko stepped back, but his face remained hard. “Why would they keep her alive?” he asked. “The dragon didn’t spare much care when it tore through our tents.” “If they wanted any of us dead, they would’ve just done it,” August told him. “We had a few more than them, but there were just two creatures and we still couldn’t win. That’s why we were so hasty, Foreteller. We need a hunting party by morning large enough to rescue my cousin and return safely.” Muniko scoffed. “Not here, you’re not.” The others frowned. Most chimaeras would never turn a blind eye to someone in desperate need. They all knew the importance of family, sister or cousin. The Ironhearth spat in disgust into the bonfire. The Skaith Foreteller stared arrows into Muniko. “We’re not playing around, this is a matter of obeying the Element of Hospitality, Muniko,” the Skaith said. “That jill was taken on Kern land. The least you could do is help.” “And normally, I would,” he replied, looking around the fire with concern written on his face. August and Beran both didn’t buy it. “But dragons and monsters? I won’t skirmish with those creatures, not on my clan’s land.” “We’ve already had skirmishes with them,” Beran growled, “are you so much of a coward you can’t even see that?” “I’ll let that pass, just once,” the Foreteller warned, his glance shifting from Beran to August, “in honour of your keus-bhrater’s current problem. If we go after them any further, they’ll come back for revenge, here, against my clan.” He turned to the other Foretellers. “You form your hunting party tomorrow, and you’ll doom us. If these creatures can take one of our own, they’ll do it again. I won’t have it be a Kern.” “You’re contradicting yourself, Muniko,” August raised his voice, having had enough. “You want them to stop, but you won’t take action. How will that solve anything?” “You,” Muniko’s glare shifted from August to all the other Foretellers, “all of you, you are not putting your lands at risk. We’ve lost twice to them, and now they’ve even taken a chimaera. If you attack these creatures, they will follow you, and they will come right back here! My people will not pay for your brash actions.” He stomped his hoof on the dirt, leaving his hoof marks in the ground. “If any of you form a hunting party, you will be putting my clan at risk. And that will make you enemies of Kerns.” All the Foretellers reeled, surprised that Muniko would go so far to stop them. August, however, did nothing but clench his fists. His arms were long. The old Forteller was within his reach if he wanted to strike him. And he did. So badly, he wanted to bash sense into Muniko. Luckily, Beran cut him short and stepped up to Muniko instead. “Nisus might as well be August’s sister, which makes her my keus-swesor. I will be up tomorrow, and my hunting kit will be heavy with weapons. Are you going to stop me?” August watched his best friend take the lead, slowly drawing back the Foretellers’ confidence. Muniko was only one Foreteller. The Kern clan was too large for only Muniko to lead. Beran’s show of defiance was a message to the other Foretellers that they didn’t have to listen to threats. “As I said before, boy,” Muniko clenched his jaw at Beran, “you are a young and rash idiot. You can let yourself die on a pointless mission, I don’t care. But I won’t let you endanger the rest of the clan.” Beran leaned in. “Then say it. You know you can’t stop me unless you do.” A twist in Muniko’s expression caught August’s eye. Suddenly a flash of both fear and temptation turned Muniko’s scowl into a sneer. He stepped back from Beran but walked confidently around the bonfire. His slow pace let him take a good, long look at the other Foretellers. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he replied, “if you intend on hunting them soon, they can’t be that far.” “But it’s still a Life Hunt, isn’t it?” Beran taunted. “You said it yourself, I’d be risking my life if I do it.” “You’d be putting more than yourself at risk!” “That’s not for you to decide!” All the Foretellers, even August, stared wide-eyed at Beran. Bringing up the Life Hunt could only mean he wanted one thing out of Muniko. And he was pushing the old jack to the edge to get him to say it. “Kerns know right from wrong. No one in the clan’s going to listen if you ask them to stop me. And if you won’t say it, then you won’t get your chance to stop me yourself, either.” Muniko twisted his head around, seeing the eyes of the other Foretellers on him. Whatever happened, there would be a story to be passed on. Who said what, and who looked like a coward. He bared his teeth at Beran. “They will listen when they see how you will fail and endanger us all,” he said. “But if this is how you want to teach that lesson, then I will oblige you. I call a Sem’Eo.” -------------------------->>>><<<<-------------------------- Foreteller Valpurgia announced the Sem’Eo as soon as Beran told her what he had said to Muniko. The Foretellers from the other clans, all except for August, were pushed outside the walls of the camp. Sem’Eo meant “same earth.” It was a tradition common across every clan on the mountain, but it was also a private affair. Only because he was Beran’s keus-bhrater could August watch. As adults and children flocked from their tents to gather around the central bonfire, several hunters started working on clearing the ground of any tools or debris. “The Kerns are good folk,” the Skaith Foreteller said as he took his leave. He was the last to go, and August could see in his eyes the yearning to watch how the Sem’Eo would end. “But you know our clans are the only true hunters. Whatever happens, I don’t doubt my people will want a chance to hunt a dragon.” He nodded back to the Skaith. He wasn’t sure if their two clans had enough hunters, but he hoped the sentiment would be shared among the others. He was standing by the Foreteller’s meeting tent, one of the few tents covered in animal hides rather than the ones of ancestors. Being the meeting tent, it overlooked the main bonfire perfectly and gave August a clear view of where Beran would be fighting. Sem’Eo was an old tradition for testing a hunter’s ability to go on a Life Hunt. By definition, same ground meant no weapons or tools could be included in the test. Every clan had their own way of conducting a Sem’Eo, but there were traditional rules that every clan followed. There was the challenger, the challenged, and a clan’s healer as a witness. Valpurgia was clearly fulfilling that role. August remembered from his Foreteller training that an audience wasn’t necessary, that one witness was the only requirement. But, since they were here anyway, most chimaeras didn’t want to miss the chance to see a good fight. August caught Beran in his sight, swapping a few words with one of Valpurgia’s apprentices. No surprise, Beran was once Valpurgia’s student. The other apprentices were like siblings. And they reason to be worried. Tradition dictated that only one fighter can walk away from a Sem’Eo. What that meant has sometimes been up to debate. If it were two hunters competing for the right to leave on a Life Hunt, a Sem’Eo could push both chimaeras to fight until they died. And for Nisus’s sake, August couldn’t let that happen. He hurried and joined up with the two young jills chatting to Beran. “-she thinks you’re being stupid. And we do too,” he heard one of them snap as he approached. Helen, August remembered, was Valpurgia’s older apprentice. “He can’t afford to be stupid,” he said. “Magic is still allowed in Sem’Eo. He has to make use of the ten spells he can cast.” “Muniko can only cast twelve times,” Beran chuckled, “I wouldn’t say that magic’s going to be a problem. I’ll finish before either of us reach our limit.” “You better win,” Helen hissed, slapping Beran across the shoulder. “Just because you’re not Valpurgia’s apprentice anymore doesn’t mean we’re not your keus-swesors.” “We’re already relatives,” Beran raised a brow, “same clan, remember? You can’t be my keus-swesor.” “Take this seriously,” she insisted. The apprentice Foreteller turned to August. “Make him listen, please. He chose you as a brother. Means he chose to listen to you. Which is a miracle, since nothing else seems to get through that thick head of his.” “Love you too, Helen,” he rolled his eyes. August gave his keus-bhrater a dirty look. As the jill walked off to join her family somewhere else in the crowd, he pulled Beran aside. “Spell limit or not,” he said, “Nisus needs you to take this seriously. The Skaiths will be joining the hunt, but I need you with me on this. She only has me to count on.” “I have to do this,” Beran reached out and squeezed him on the shoulder. August didn’t even notice, but his wings were flared up from the stress. “We’ll get Nisus back. I won’t rest until it happens. But when it does, Muniko will be furious if we don’t settle this now, and I don’t want my clan to get torn apart just because Muniko doesn’t have the Elements in him.” August nodded, and did his best to keep his wings from tensing up again. The only issue was that he knew how Foreteller’s thought. A few spells could turn a fight when used properly. -------------------------->>>><<<<-------------------------- “Sem’Eo has been called!” Valpurgia shouted to the clan. The marks on her palms, magenta hearts, glowed brightly as she used a spell to amplify her voice. From the very back of the crowd, even August could hear her clearly. “Foreteller Muniko is the challenger, and reserves the right to make the first claim,” she said. The grey jack walked to the centre of the Eo, the ground selected for the challenge. Right next to the bonfire, the dirt was padded down and flattened, encircled by a thick rope laid down on the ground. “Beran has thrown our camp in chaos,” Muniko said. “We needed information on the beasts who attacked us, but instead he has engaged in dangerous skirmishes with enemies we know nothing about. Now one of our guests from the Ghending clan has been taken, and rather than consult the Foretellers for a wise rescue plan, he intends to form a hunting party to take her by force, threatening the clan’s safety by bringing their wrath back to us.” Murmurs and gasps radiated throughout the camp. A chimaera, taken? The fear of being snatched by a dragon could be heard from the front to the back. But Beran, standing opposite Muniko, shrugged off their concerns. Valpurgia turned to her former student, gesturing to Beran to offer his case. The very moment ears were on his voice, Beran took the ground. “A hunting party is a wise plan,” he said, “and the right one. How can the Elements of Honour and Hospitality be with us if we can’t defend our own guests? They are creatures who threaten all of us. We will have to fight side by side with the other clans if any of us are to be safe.” There were a few confident nods in the crowd. Most of the chimaeras who hunted with each other understood Beran. But parents and children were reluctant to agree to easily. “I have heard you,” Valpurgia said, “and Beran makes a strong case for a Life Hunt. This Sem’Eo has the right to continue. Your fates are now tied within this circle. Only one can walk away.” The old jill lifted her tail as she stepped out of the rope circle. The instant her hooves stepped outside, both jacks descended on each other. Despite his size, Beran was fast. Faster than August ever imagined. He didn’t want to see his keus-bhrater hurt, but after an exchange of wild blows between both fighters, it was clear Beran was making use of his physical advantage. Muniko came around with a whip from his tail, but Beran smoothly parried it, quickly returning strikes of his own. But once Beran started to advance, Muniko’s marks began to glow. The lilac scales that drew out fangs on his knees burned hot with magic before Beran could react. “Gersbhendh!” Short wisps of grass in the dirt shot up, thickening and tightening into a dense knot around Beran’s hooves. His advance was stopped immediately, and Muniko returned a powered kick to his face. Beran’s scars had healed, but not fully, and taking the hit full-force opened a cut over his nose. Muniko came again, slashing with his claws to deepen the cut. But Beran was wise to the trick, and he lowered his head, ramming his horn forward. The two jacks locked heads, trying to push the other off-balance with their horn. Beran had a clear advantage in strength, but Muniko’s experience let him use subtle shifts to disrupt Beran’s motion. Eventually, the giant of a chimaera lost his patience and roared, the spiral mark on his horn flaring brightly. “Thurnin!” His scales hardened, raising up into painful thorns. Beran immediately threw his weight forward, picking Muniko up by the legs and slamming the grey jack into the dirt. There, pressing down with all his weight, his thorns drew blood from all parts of Muniko’s body. -------------------------->>>><<<<-------------------------- The twins expected to return and find the Kerns quiet and asleep. Instead, they found their kin waiting at the edge of the walls, staring toward the sounds of shouting and cheering coming from inside. “What’s going on?” they asked as soon as the other Skaiths had noticed them. Their Foreteller rushed out to meet them as they hopped down from the branches of zoak trees. He embraced them both, relief written across his face. They wasted no time trading stories. Amorwen and Fahanin described the cave Nisus had been taken, showing them the zap-apple that they took as proof. Their Foreteller did the same, explaining August’s plan, the metal contraption they found, and the Sem’Eo. “August needs to know his cousin’s safe,” Amorwen said. “Well, safe enough.” “They might still be taking the jill somewhere else. The roots blocked our view of their camp,” Fahanin added. “We don’t know if they’ll be there for one night or if it’s dug in.” “We’re hunting those beasts down no matter who wins the Sem’Eo,” one of the other hunters assured them. “So, that Ghending better be ready to go without his keus-bhrater.” They both nodded, though Amorwen didn’t like the idea of leaving Beran behind. She heard the Kerns has a giant among them who was strong enough to wrestle an ox-bear. August named him specifically as part of the plan. If he was that strong, then they couldn’t afford to lose his help. The light of the bonfire was easy to hide from. With nearly every chimaera watching the Sem’Eo, there were more than enough shadows behind tents to walk among. Sem’Eo was a private affair, no outsiders allowed unless they were keus. But they’d have to be caught first before that rule could take action. The twins walked silently through the camp. With the shouting of the crowd and the tents’ shadows, they didn’t need to try to move unseen. August was not hard to find among the Kerns. He was just as tall as Beran, even if he didn’t have the build to match it. From afar, his head and skinny neck could be seen watching the fight with concern scrawled across his face. Amorwen found her way through the crowd, sneaking easily up behind August. “Someone pushed him too far?” she asked. August whirled around. He gaped but kept his voice down. “Foreteller Muniko tried stopping us. He’s worried we’ll draw the creatures back to the Kerns if we hunt after them.” “We heard,” Fahanin said, standing just behind her sister. “But that doesn’t matter. We found your cousin, trapped in a cave further down the mountain.” A flash of excitement lit up August’s eyes. “Is she hurt? Which of the creatures did you see, the dragon?” “Couldn’t get a good look,” Amorwen shook her head, “they used magic to close off the entrance.” August tensed his wings, frustrated. “As long as she’s okay we can get her back.” The change in his posture didn’t go unnoticed. “Just keep a level head. Looks like the creatures have been there a while.” Amorwen put one of the zap-apples they took in his claw. August frowned. “Where’d you find this? They’re not in season.” “The other creatures, if I had to guess. The roots that closed off the cave didn’t grow naturally. Could be the same with the tree we found. Which means they plan on staying a while. You don’t grow a whole tree just for fun.” His wings relaxed, letting himself believe they had time. “You’re right. Those creatures aren’t simple animals. They won’t give us more than one chance to save Nisus. We can’t afford mistakes.” August settled his eyes on Beran. Muniko continued attacking his keus-bhrater’s scar, covering the giant’s face in blood. August had lost count of how many spells both had cast. But now it was clear that the Foreteller’s experience was outweighing Beran’s energy. “I need this hunt to go perfectly,” August repeated, “so that’s why I need to ask one more favour from you two.” “Hunt with you again?” Fahanin asked. “You couldn’t leave us behind even if you wanted, Ghending.” He shook his head. “Not that, though I appreciate it. What I need are hunters with your talents keeping an eye on the highlanders. I don’t trust the way they were acting.” Amorwen tilted her head. “What do you mean?” “Said they had no idea what the contraption we found does,” he explained, “but there was a lot of hesitating. There’s something else they’re keeping from us lowlanders. But if I followed them, I’d get caught.” Fahanin scowled. “It’d be just like them, keeping secrets from us and acting like they know better. But all that metal can’t stop a Skaith from sneaking up on their backs.” “We’ll keep our ears on them,” Amorwen said, looking at her twin, “and nothing else.”