“What’s the matter?” Makazi asked, and Chris heard the undertone of worry in her voice.
Instead of answering, Asanda panned her gaze to them, and he felt Zareti and Dante turn to him in turn. A tense silence fell over the room and Makazi’s smile gradually shifted to a frown the longer the silence stretched. Finally, Chris let out a sigh, suddenly regretting telling them to let him do all the talking. Still, he made this bed so he started reiterating the events that occurred during their stay at the outpost.
He tried to gloss over the more grizzly details, but Nandi hounded answers out of him like a detective. In the end, it all came pouring out. There wasn't enough padding in the world to soften the blow of finding out your homeland was being ravaged by Blightspawn.
A loud crash broke through his babbling and he looked up to see dishes and utensils sprawled on the floor. Blood was trickling out of Makazi’s hand, yet her tear-streaked eyes remained fixed on him. For a moment, the whole room was frozen in shock, before both sisters sprang to action.
“Makazi!” Nandipha shrieked, springing to her feet and hurrying to her side. “Are you alright?”
Asanda wasn’t far behind her. She stumbled to her feet, hiked her skirt up to her knees, and rushed out of the room at a dead sprint. It happened so fast that he had trouble keeping up with everything.
“Not now, Nandi,” said Makazi, shooing her daughter away. “How many were lost in the attack?”
“I— I don't know,” Chris said nervously. “Hundreds maybe. But I can't be sure since I don't know the full extent of the outbreak.”
“So many!” Makazi gasped, her bloody hand shooting up to her mouth to stifle a scream.
The news hit her hard. She crumpled into herself, balling into tears as the weight of the situation sank in. Nandi laid a comforting hand on her shoulder but she might as well have been an errant breeze for all the effect it had.
Chris sat there, wondering why he wasn't able to express his emotions in such a way. Even though months had passed, he couldn't remember once crying over his lost family. The thought alone made him feel like he was submerged under a great weight of water. Where a single breath might kill him.
He had long learned to harden himself against such things. So he avoided thinking about it and made himself unassailable. He doubted he could cry anymore. The best he could do was find a bucket of water and scream into it as loud as he could before going about his day like nothing happened.
“May their souls find rest in the fertile soil of Lilikwi’s Grove,” Makazi said, eyes closed and face filled with pain.
“So they may bloom again,” Nandipha intoned, eyes closed.
There followed a long stretch of silence as they all sat there in awkward silence. It was broken by Asanda’s hurried footsteps. She spilled into the room, carrying a large assortment of bags under her arm, and dashed to join Nandi at Makazi’s side. They began taking out ointments and salves and meticulously applied them on Makazi’s hand.
Makazi still had her eyes shut but allowed her daughters to work on her hand. She seemed to be in the middle of a prayer, so Chris kept his mouth shut. In moments, the whole room was inundated with the tangent aroma of herbs.
“Nandi, was this what you were so worried about?” Makazi suddenly asked.
“I think so,” Nandi said, uncertainly. “I knew something was happening with the Channels, though I’ll admit I didn't know things were that bad. We’ve had a few creatures attacking the Valley over the weeks, but nothing on that scale.”
“Could someone with those strange things in your eyes have done this?” Makazi asked worriedly.
“For the love of… Makazi. I thought we agreed you’d call us Awakened from now on,” Asanda grumbled. “And no, I don’t see how anyone could be capable of doing something like this. Awakened or not.”
“Why do you say that?” Chris asked before he could stop himself.
Asanda looked at him like he was an idiot. Before she could let loose a scorching retort, Nandi laid a hand on her shoulder. That soft touch seemed to take the air out of her sails and she immediately deflated.
“Some of the information you heard in the outpost is inaccurate,” said Nandi, her voice calm and steady. “What you’ve been calling the ‘Taint’, is a process known as Awakening. It happens to those who venture into the Gates and fight the creatures within.”
“Yeah, we’ve figured out that part,” Zareti said. “Though it's not working for us. We fought our way out of a forest crawling with Blightspawn to get here. Yet, none of us have the Taint.”
“It's called Awakening, you dink. Not the Taint,” said Asanda in annoyance. “And none of you have Awakened because it takes more than killing a few monsters to Awaken your Origin Stone. Nandi and I spent weeks getting ours, and it took Lucy less time because she had our help.”
“I’m sorry, but do you know why people can only Awaken this stone by killing monsters?” Chris asked, still finding it hard to wrap his mind around that concept.
“Have you not realized the changes in your body?” Nandi asked with a raised eyebrow. “Haven’t you wondered how you can only sustain yourself with food coming out of the Channels?”
“I don’t feel any different, do any of you?” Zareti asked, looking at him and Dante.
Both he and Dante both shook their heads. Other than needing food from the Blight Gates, he felt the same way he had when he was still on Earth.
“That’s because none of you have Awakened yet,” said Nandi, wrapping some kind of vine around Makazi’s hand. “Right now, all the mana flowing through your body has nowhere to go. As a result, it's bleeding into the atmosphere. That will change once you Awaken your Origin Stone.”
“Wait a moment. When did I get this mana and how come I don't know anything about it?” Zareti asked.
“Have you not seen your Origin Crest?” Asanda asked in a strange tone.
“What’s that?” Dante asked.
“What have you been doing this whole time?” Asanda asked, looking genuinely perplexed. “You say you all come from different worlds. Yet to me, it sounds like you’re all speaking Tsanai. Have you not stopped to wonder how that's possible?”
Chris had noticed that anomaly but chalked it up to the Taint, Blight Gates, or any of the strangeness going on in this world. Besides, he had bigger problems to deal with when he was at the outpost.
“What does it mean?” Zareti finally asked.
“It means there’s more to Awakening than simply fighting monsters,” said Nandi, then she looked to Makazi. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ll be fine, dear,” said Makazi, her eyes red-rimmed from tears. “Is this it then? Are we all going to die?”
“You don’t have to worry about anything,” said Asanda, her voice filled with determination. “Nandi and I have been dealing with these creatures for years. We won't allow anything to happen to you.”
Stolen novel; please report.
That didn’t seem to soothe Makazi at all, but she still held tightly to her daughter’s hand and gave her a pained smile.
“I know you will, sweetie. Can I trust you two to make sure the young men get their Bounty? This is all a little much for me to take in at once. I need some time to think.”
“Of course, Makazi,” said the sisters in unison.
“Sorry to be leaving you all so soon,” said Makazi, rising from the mat. “I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to speak when you come out of your Purge.”
“Uhh, thank you for the hospitality,” said Chris, afraid to ask what she meant by ‘purge’.
She seemed smaller now, more fragile somehow. Her eyes were hooded, her shoulders hunched, and she ambled out of the room on dead feet. Asanda hovered next to her like a protective shadow, ready to catch her at the slightest stumble.
“What did she mean she’ll see us after our purge?” Zareti asked once they were out. “I don't remember agreeing to that.”
“Oh? And what were you all planning to do while the world is being brought to its knees around us? Nandi asked curiously.
“We plan to see what’s available on this side of the mountains before making a decision.”
“Well, that’s too bad for you,” said Nandi with a yawn. “The same thing should be happening all over the world by now, so there’s no point in hiding. The only reason our Valley hasn't been overrun is because Eschew Mountains are notoriously difficult to navigate. So far, all we’ve had to deal with was a couple of stragglers now and then. But I doubt that will last much longer after hearing your report.”
“Do you know why this is happening?” Chris asked, hoping his distress didn't show in his voice.
“Do I know why this is happening?” Nandi repeated, as though tasting the words. “There was a time when I thought I knew many things. But the more I study these Gates, the more I realize how my knowledge is keeping me from understanding them. It reminds me of the time Makazi told me plants need sunlight to grow. From that point onwards, I stopped seeing the big bright ball in the sky as a source of light and heat. It became a resource that needed to be harvested to capacity before it went away. Could the same be true for all I’ve learned since then? If so, what’s the point of knowledge if it doesn't let me appreciate the simple joys of watching the sunrise?”
The room grew quiet as both Zareti and Dante tried to puzzle out what Nandi was saying. Chris was less daunted. He spent more hours than he cared to remember having pointless philosophical debates with his brother, and this sounded a lot like them.
He’d learned a lot since then. The most effective way to rid yourself of a philosopher was not to debate or outsmart them. No, that was a futile endeavor. It was easier to deflect their attention to some other stupid mystery they could ponder over.
“Gaining knowledge might change the way we see the world, sure. In the same vein though, would living a life unanswered be fulfilling for you?”
Nandi turned to look at him as though she were seeing him for the first time. Something was troubling her though she did a good job of concealing it from her expression. If he hadn't spent months around people with something to hide, he wouldn’t have noticed the flutter of nerves creasing her brow.
“I’ve tried that and it wasn't as fulfilling as I hoped. Still, it doesn't answer my question. At what point does having knowledge become a step backward instead of forward? When it comes to these Gates. I live in a state where understanding is at the tip of my tongue, but it melts away the moment I try to use my preconception to rationalize it.”
“That just means you have to unlearn some things to learn new things,” Chris said with a shrug.
“Unlearn some things to learn new things,” Nandi repeated, her eyes growing distant. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, uhh Chris. I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts when we visit the Gate tomorrow and see what’s causing these outbreaks.”
“Come with you?” Chris asked, startled. “I thought this was just a dinner invitation. What’s with all these other things?”
“Do you think you'll find something better than our Valley at the end of these mountains?”Nandi asked a cloud of turbulent emotions shrouding her face
“That’s not what I said,” Chris said reassuringly. “How about you tell me what you want so I can tell you whether we are able to help you or not? How does that sound?”
“That’s right,” Zareti echoed. “Don't even think about making us work for nothing like we did back at the outpost. We only accept fair deals from here on out.”
Nandi looked at them in surprise, panning a wide-eyed stare between the three of them. Suddenly, she broke out into boisterous laughter that filled the room like wind chimes.
“Are you… are you serious right now?” she asked between bouts of hysteria. “The world is crumbling around us, and you three want to do what? Get compensation for being alive a little longer?”
That seemed to send her into a new bout of hysteria and it was a few minutes before she calmed down enough to speak again. Chris felt a chill crawl down his back the more he listened.
“Tell me, what do you think you’ll find once you make it through these mountains? The Azzari might have treated you badly, but at least they provided you with food and shelter. There’s an entire civil war being fought in Mazarine City over these… Blight Gates. Further down the coast, are the Cozen Isles. The last we heard of them, there was a group of Awakened trying to overthrow the leaders who ruled over that region for generations. Do you want me to go on?”
“Why…” Chris said hoarsely, trailing off and clearing his throat to try again. “Why is there so much fighting?”
“Did you think Awakening an Origin Stone turns people into benign human beings? Before the Channels appeared, it used to be that all a ruler needed to keep a populace in line was a standing army. The Origin Stones have put an end to all that. Now every second Awakened who feels like they were slighted by one ruler or another is out for vengeance.“
“Honestly, the thought never even crossed my mind until you brought it up,” Chris said, his mind still in a daze.
“Well, I apologize for how my people treated you during your stay in the Heartlands. It’s one of the reasons Makazi left them all that time ago. But believe me, you had it far better than most people in Alshara right now.”
“Why should we believe you?” said Zareti, looking at the woman suspiciously. “You could be making this all for all we know.”
“Then by all means, you may leave if you wish,” said Nandi, gesturing for the door. “Right now, you’re just a group of sorry-looking men and don't have a single Awakened amongst you. See how that goes for you in the real world.”
A solemn silence settled over the room, but none of them stood to leave. Chris was sure both men were thinking the same thing he was. What was the Taint turning the outside world into? He felt stupid for not even considering such a vital consequence. Had he been expecting people to turn into benevolent human beings after everything that happened to this world?
Chris cleared his throat, and said, “Alright, let's say I believe you and that I’m interested in your offer. What do you want from us and how do you plan to deal with this mess?”
Nandi’s shrug was eloquent, and she said, “If you’re talking about the outbreaks, then I plan to investigate early in the morning. As for the matter regarding Alshara at large, I’ll leave that to more ambitious individuals than I am.”
Chris thought about it before giving a shrug of his own. He didn't have any better ideas, and he was coming to realize just how misinformed he was regarding this world. Better to take the safety they had at hand than to back to uncertainty.
“Alright, that sounds reasonable as far as plans go. But you still haven’t told me what you expect from us,” Chris said.
“I don't know yet. We can talk about that once you’ve all Awakened your Origin Stones. Don't worry, we’ll help you quicken things up, and I’ll teach you everything I’ve learned so far. How does that sound?”
“Very generous, but are you able to make such a decision? Your sister didn't seem like a big fan of ours, and Makazi might have something to say about three strangers suddenly moving into her house.”
“Don't worry about Asie, she can see as well as I can how precarious our situation is with just three of us defending this Valley. As for Makasi, your report hurt her badly. We have an unresolved past with our homeland, but none of us want to see it in ruins. Since you guys found the Valley unaided. She would have insisted you stay anyway. I have a feeling she’ll appreciate seeing new faces in the upcoming days.”
Chris listened carefully and turned to his companions to ask, “What do you guys think?”
“So long as we get separate beds, I don't mind staying,” said Zareti, followed by Dante’s faint shrug.
“Space is not a problem,” said Nandi, spinning the disc table to grab the box Makazi took out. “You can even have separate rooms if you like. We usually have plenty of ceremony when partaking in the Bounty, but I think we can all agree the mood has soured. Each of you grab one and eat, and we’ll all agree to tell Makazi the ceremony went splendidly.”
She opened the box to reveal bronze leaves packed into the box-like packaging. Among the leaves rested the strangest fruits Chris had ever seen. There were five in total, and they were the size of tennis balls. Each fruit was covered in golden-green scales like those of a living creature. If it wasn't for the stem jutting out, he would have thought they were eggs.
Chris gave the fruit a skeptical look and asked, “I don't mind missing out on the ceremony, but why do we have to eat them again?”
“Everyone who makes their way to the Valley unaided is expected to partake in the Bounty. I was only a young girl when I ate mine, but Lucy had hers two years ago. Now it's your turn,” she explained with another yawn.
Chris felt bad for pressing the exhausted woman. He gave it some thought and saw no harm in trying. Her offer of aid was more than generous, and he didn't think she would try to kill them after admitting to needing their help.
He grabbed one of the fruits and took a bite before he could second-guess himself. Only to regret it the moment his teeth met the scales of the fruit. It felt like he’d taken a bite out of an iron ingot and his teeth screeched in protest.
The fruit dissolved into his mouth, melting down his throat without him so much as swallowing. Moments later, his body stiffened as a tingling sensation pulsed through his muscles. He braced himself for the pain to assault him but he passed out before he could feel anything.