O Saga: Part One: Book of Origins

Malaika had been meaning to get the nerve to ask Chaska all about the history between him and Atoc Baal. It was apparent they had a strained history, a history Chaska had never shared even with her.

Chaska had always been the example of purity and honesty to Malaika. She couldn’t imagine why someone would have a blood feud with him. Malaika knew bigger things were at hand as they rode to Teodor, but curiosity was getting the better of her.

Chaska, Malaika, Ichante, And Apollyon rode horseback into the Urqu Mountains on a long journey to rescue those they left behind in Teodor. They might not liberate the city and win the war, but they could save some friends. They had a couple of stops to make first.

Chaksa led the way, closely followed by Malaika.

“Master, can I ask you about what happened in Hanwi?” Malaika asked delicately.

“What about Hanwi? It was a waste of time, that’s all.” Chaska said, cutting off the conversation.

“I mean about you and that man, Atoc Baal. Can I ask what happened between you?” Malaika probed on anyway.

“No one can stop you from asking questions.”

“But you won’t answer them, is that it?”

“Should I prove why you get nervous and giggly around Ichante?” Chaska said inconveniently.

“Shh. Keep it down.” Malaika said, thoroughly embarrassed. She looked back to see if Ichante heard any of that. It didn’t seem to be the case. Malaika rode closer to Chaska and lowered her voice. “Time and place, Master, time and place.”

“I could say the same to you.”

“Except Atoc Baal is riding ten feet behind us.”

“But you understand love.”

“You and Atoc loved the same woman? So that’s it? What happened with her that brought this hatred between you?”

“I don’t hate him.”

“So he blames you for something? Did you steal her away from him?”

“I didn’t steal anyone. It was her choice, but I don’t want to discuss it.”

“Where is she now? Is she still in Hanwi?”

“She passed on,” Chaska said with more emotion than Malaika was ready for. It made her feel guilty for asking questions.

“He blames you for her death?” Malaika said, but primarily to herself.

“Yes,” Chaska said and then rode harder to get ahead of her.

Malaika decided to try her luck with her new friends to improve the chances of conversation.

“We never asked, did the King send you with us?” Malaika innocently asked.

“Not exactly,” Apollyon answered hesitantly.

“You came without the consent? Will the King not be angry with you? What will be the consequences when you get back?”

“We’ll have to face that when it comes to it,” Ichante said.

“We are very grateful to have you.”

“You said we were heading to Teodor, but haven’t we veered some from that trail?” Ichante probed.

“Your Father, the King, isn’t the only one with an army who can help us. My Master is taking us to seek another favor from an old friend of his.”

“Who is this King and Army that is foreign to me?”

“He is no King. You may find him a bit frightening, and he not like so many humans coming to see him.”

“He is not human? What is he?” Apollyon said, a little frightened.

“He is Makwa. A Great Bear Lord.”

————

“I have spoken with Makwa. He tells me he cannot ask or speak for the other bears and animals. It will be up to them if they choose to help us and go to war. Makwa said he can only spread the word that help is needed.” Chaska explained.

“Makwa is a bear, right?” Apollyon asked Malaika to clarify.

“Yes, what else should he be?” Malaika said, slightly offended at Apollyon’s tone.

“I mean no offense. Just trying to understand.”

“Makwa suggested that we ride to Bimnet first and not Teodor. Makwa said the Great Eagle visited him and told him of the imbalance in the winds. Foreign humans have destroyed the traditional nesting areas around Bimnet. The Great Eagle asked for help. We shall go there to aid them. It will create good karma for us in our endeavors.” Chaska said

“So we are going to Bimnet and ousting the Ishvaran forces and potential Sorors to aid the Eagles?” Apollyon queried.

“Yes.”

“I’m all for it. I don’t know if I understand, but let’s do it anyways,” Apollyon conceded.

“As humans, we forget that the Source of All things created all life. Our egos often make us forget that we are just one part of the world. Our deeds and misdeeds have ripples. We might not have been the ones that started the waves nor imbalanced the scales. But I see now, thanks to Makwa, that the stakes of this fight are larger than I thought. We ride on the winds of fate now.” Ichante said, petting her horse.

———-

Malaika and her caravan didn’t exchange for camels this time to cross the Panpa Desert. The Great Eagle had shared a new path through the desert, leading to an oasis secret to even the local tribes. It helps to have a bird’s wings and an eagle’s eye.

After stopping at Chaska and Malaika’s mountain lodge for supplies and winter clothing, they head West to the Eskander Mountains. They trekked with their horses down to the base of the mountains and the Okeke Salt Flats.

The Okeke has hard red rocks surrounded by buttes. The ground is so dry it cracks open. Ancient sea beds have left dried salt beds that the Qamatans have used for curing meats for centuries. They pass through thin salt lakes the color of pink, white, and light greens. The water isn’t drinkable.

They finally reach the Ch’uxna River valley and change direction to the North and Bimnet. They quickly stop to let the horses drink the cold, glacial-fed river waters.

Following the river flow to the North Sea, they see signs of life for the first time since the mountains. Alpacas, llamas, and Elk. The landscape slowly turns to snow, ice, and tundra, and trees begin to become rarer and rarer.

It was much colder on this side of the mountains; the snow piled grew more extensive, and the lakes were frozen. They could see the Great Wall of Nanook that formed the entire border from one side of the continent to the other.

The wall ran North and South and shared a border with Qamata and Hanwi. It was an ancient wall that had kept invading forces out of Nanook for thousands of years. Nanook had long favored isolationism. Now that nations had warships, it was more of a relic than practical.

Malaika and Chaska are used to the cold weather and snow, and despite having heavier clothes, Ichante and Apollyon look uncomfortable.

“How are you doing back there?” Malaika shouts to the Hanwiians.

“Aside from the fact that the wind has frozen my face, terrible,” Ichante said through frozen lips.

They can see the fortified city of Bimnet in the distance and human activity. People are doing farm work outside the city walls, and Malaika can see Black Legion soldiers watching them.

“Do we have a plan? If we can see them, they can see us.” Apollyon questions.

“I will give a signal, and we will charge the city. All four of us can channel, so we use that advantage.” Chaska shouted from the front.

“It’s not the plan I was hoping for, but it is a plan,” Apollyon said unenthusiastically.

Chaska continued, “I will attack any ships in the harbor while you three head into the city.”

“Do we have a backup plan in case of overwhelming forces?” Apollyon said, still hoping for an alternate plan.

“Nope,” Chaska said flatly.

Chaska pumped his spear in the air, and Malaika assumed that was the sign as Chaska nudged his horse into a sprint. Here we go, Malaika thought.

All four horses were roaring forward towards the city. They did have the element of surprise on their side. The Black Legion guards were slow to react, and Chaska had taken them out with energy blasts.

They all dismounted and managed to enter the city gate before it could be closed. Chaska led the way as he headed to the curtain wall facing the harbor. They were mainly fighting black legion soldiers as no Soror had appeared yet.

Bimnet was a small fortification, and it didn’t take long for Chaska to get into a position to fire upon the ships in the harbor. Malaika and the rest spread out and efficiently handled the opposing forces. Malaika could see Chaska using high-energy blasts to set the three vessels anchored on fire.

A Soror appeared out of nowhere and was about to fire on Chaska. Malaika fired on the Soror before she could attack and forced the Soror to form a shield. Malaika ran at the Soror and fired rapidly, but the Soror blocked each attempt. Malaika closed the distance fast and tackled the Soror.

Malaika quickly maneuvered the Soror into a choke hold on the ground. The Soror rolled and managed to loosen Malaika’s grip. Malaika reached her sword first and sent a killing blast at the Soror. The fight was over, and the city of Bimnet was freed.

———

After being thanked for what seemed like hours, Malaika and her company helped to bury the dead. They opened the winter stores to the starved people and passed out food and water rations.

As they helped the city resume normalcy, someone shouted that a ship was approaching. Malaika raced to the curtain wall to see whether it was Ishavaran.

“It’s an Anahitiian ship,” Malaika shouted to the others.

A group had gathered next to Malaika as they watched the new ship anchor in the harbor and lower long boats. Malaika and others raced to greet the strangers as the boats rowed close to the docks.

“Greetings. We saw the ships on fire and came to see if it was safe. We hope we haven’t errored in docking.” Said a middle-aged man of Anahiti.

“You haven’t errored. The Ishvarans and Black Legion forces have been kicked out. Permanently.” Malaika said.

“I’m Captain Dantes of the Elysium. Is Olafur or Rovan here?”

“No. We haven’t seen them in weeks. I think they went East after the battle of Teodor.” Malaika answered.

“I have some cargo to deliver here. I have families from Kwento, Teodor, and Bimnet aboard. We managed to resupply in Nanook for a time, but our funds ran out and were chased away. We’ve been sailing in the North Sea too long and depleted our supplies. Do we have permission to resupply and leave the families of Bimnet here? Some are sick?” Captain Dantes negotiated.

“Of course. The people of Bimnet would welcome family, even if they were sick. We have some rations and will share what we can. But in exchange, can we get a lift to Qophelo?” Malaika offered.

“It’s agreed.” Captain Dantes said.

———-

It didn’t take long before Malaika and her caravan sailed with the Elysium crew to Qophelo. The Qamatans had four winter cities that they assembled in and had already liberated one.

Qophelo was the smallest one, and they could liberate the city just as quickly as they had Bimnet. There were no Black Legion soldiers or Sorors there. It was entirely Ishvaran forces that had been in charge. The people of Qophelo had many more rations to share, and before long, the Elysium was ready to sail again.

To Teodor and the bittersweet memories of a defeat they sailed. Teodor would not be as lightly taken nor guarded. They would need a bold plan.

“These have been my first real battle.” Ichante said to Malaika. They were alone on the bow together.

“Is it everything you thought it would be?” Malaika asked.

“No. You hear stories about heroes and Gods, and it’s easy to get swept away by the adventure of it. After the battle, you’re digging the grave of a bloody corpse. You can see that the enemy bleeds the same. They are flesh and blood. You wonder if they were doing a duty. They have a mother and Father too who would mourn their deaths.” Ichante explained.

“I understand your confusion. As members of the Order of the Wolf, we cherish all life. What that means should be simple, but the world is far more complicated. Is it better to let innocence be slaughtered or liberate them? It seems a question of what is the greater good.” Malaika said.

“There doesn’t seem to be right answers. Death will come to all eventually. As an Heir to my Father’s throne, I must choose what is best for all the people in Hanwi. So I understand why my Father isn’t here with us.”

“So why come?”

“Tsar Miro may conquer Qamata today, but it might be Hanwi tomorrow. More importantly, I believe what happens in other nations matters. The ripple effect will eventually find you. If a nation you trade with stops suddenly, it will impact your economy. Their poverty will translate into less imports and exports. Immigration will increase as they look for a better life. In every avenue, it will change. It is in the interest of Hanwi that other nations are stable. It is simple cause and effect. By fighting now, I will save lives from fighting later.” Ichante said.

“Makes sense. Nature is always the teacher. It works the same way. If prey decreases or disappears, the predators will suffer with them. A delicate balance is formed. My people try to keep the balance because it is in our interest. Greed and ignorance blind people.” Malaika said.

“What is that? Is that fire?” Ichante asked confused.

The ship was sailing East and approaching Teodor, but it looked like someone had beaten them to the attack. The vessels in the harbor were all on fire. One Ishvaran ship was still moving, firing energy blasts at Teodor.

“It’s Rovan!” Captain Dantes yelled happily.

Maliaka could see the Captain was right. Rovan and his Apprentice had gotten off on the wrong foot with Malaika, but she was glad they were still alive. That meant there was still hope that Elisapie and Gaia were also alive.

“Move into attack position.” Captain Dantes shouted.

The Elysium came into the bay and anchored in range of Teodor’s outer defenses. They dropped long boats into the water for assault teams. Malaika and Chaska led a group of crewmen, while Ichante and Apollyon led another.

They rowed quickly to the docks and were not challenged, as Rovan and the group had already tied them up. Unlike the first battle all those weeks ago, Tsar Miro and his forces did not surround the city.

The Sorors and Black Legion soldiers had to defend the city walls. The East gate had been breached, and all the fighting was inside.

Malaika rushed inside the city gate with her sword out. Chaska and the rest were following close behind. Malaika stabbed and slashed his way to the city center with haste. She saw Olafur fighting three soldiers at once. She was surprised at how well he was handling it. She shouted to Olafur as she began to fight her onslaught of soldiers.

“Olafur! Where’s Rovan?” Malaika said.

Olafur parried and countered, defeating his foes. He pointed above to the battlements.

“I’m here. Welcome to the fight.” Rovan shouted to her as he kicked a dead soldier off the curtain wall. “Is Chaska with you?”

“Yes. Where are the cells?” Chaska answered.

“The Keep.” Said Rovan.

Chaska led the way to try to breach the keep gate.

Malaika saw Ichante and her group now enter the city. They took over the fighting near the East Gate. Rovan and Olafur were fighting by the North curtain wall overlooking the harbor. Malaika moved to join Chaska and the others to storm the keep. She saw a young woman she didn’t recognize in a one-on-one battle with a Soror at the South Gate. Two other men she didn’t know were fighting at the West Gate.

She saw the young woman’s kill stroke that sent the Soror crashing over the wall to her death. Whoever this young woman was, she was a fierce warrior. Chaska and Malaika took turns sending blasts of energy at the keep gate. They combined and shattered the gate. They flooded inside and looked for the jail.

After overpowering the soldiers, Chaska blasted all the cells open. Malaika was relieved to see Elisapie and Gaia alive in one. They looked weak and abused.

Malaika helped Elisapie up and swung her arm over her for support. Chaska had Gaia. They moved swiftly back out the way they came and headed for the exits.

Malaika saw soldiers surrendering, and the battle was grinding to a halt. An impromptu assault had surprised their foes enough for a swift victory.

Cheers rang out amongst the Qamatans who had been liberated.

——-

The wounded had been taken to the Elysium and its medical bay as it had a doctor. The soldiers who surrendered were being loaded on the ship Rovan had captured from the first battle of Teodor. The plan was to ship them back to Ishavara.

Elispaie and Gaia were among the wounded getting looked at; weeks of starvation and hard labor had taken their toll. Gaia had also been ill from a sickness that spread in the cells.

Malaika had told Olafur of what happened to them since the first battle of Teodor, and she was introduced to Thea, Malum, and Flaero. She had heard of Flaero and his revolution manifesto pamphlets.

After a week of rest and recovery, Malaika, Chaska, Ichante, Apollyon, Malum, Thea, Flaero, Rovan, Olafur, Elisapie, and Gaia were a newly formed band of Knights. Flaero didn’t have the power to connect, but he was a natural leader. He had organized the plan to head South to Kwento. The Elysium would sail to meet them.

Everyone was in tremendous spirits even though the weather was freezing. The seasons had changed since they last fought Tsar Miro’s forces. They had learned that Tsar Miro was forced back to Dhara for personal reasons. This contributed to the disorganized defense of the cities, they thought.

They were riding to a frozen lake, as it was easier to cut across than through the snow, but the enemy somehow anticipated this move. When they reached the lake, a massive force of Black Legion soldiers led by ten or so Sorors awaited.

It dawned on them that they had fallen into a trap. The enemy let them take the cities. A fight on an open lake would be a large advantage as there was no hiding place. It was too late; they were surrounded. It was eleven against hundreds. They needed a miracle.