Seekers of Nazar

Chapter Five

Tol-Aka led them to the cabin where the council members waited. On the outside, it was like all the others. The same sturdy logs were stacked on top of each other. As they stepped inside, Leilandri's eyes grew wide. The interior was richly decorated, the way she would expect a council chamber to be. But it was the artifacts on the walls that made her catch her breath. She could feel the power emanating from them, like the hum of a thousand souls. She knew each one held a story that she desperately wanted to hear. There were wood-handled tools, talismans, paintings, all chapters in their ancient history.

Leilandri fought the urge to walk around the room. Instead, she focused on the seven council members sitting at the heavy, wooden table in the middle of the room. They wore silver headbands with different colored gemstones. The eldest of the group sat in the center, studying them. His white hair flowed to his shoulders. The band around his head was decorated with seven gemstones. Six matched the colors of the council members around him. The seventh stone sat in the center and was as white as the moon.

Behind each council member was a leather-clad soldier. Women as well as men stood ready, their expressions fierce and their weapons glinting.

The leader spoke first. "Who petitions the council of Elders?"

Tol-Aka stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Tol-Aka-Eda-Ha of House Eagle." He motioned to the group of Seekers. "This is Leilandri Silverwren and her companions Elleric Barrister and Tori Brindleback."

The elder acknowledged each of them, his eyes lingering over their faces. Leilandri smoothed her robes and stood straighter.

"You are free to make your request, son of House Eagle." His voice was deep with age.

Leilandri knew the ritual was a formality. The elders would have known who they were before they entered the camp. She also knew the importance of making their request. It was the Zul-Li way.

"My companions are Seekers from Nazar tracking a great evil that has disturbed the Aster Mountains. They have asked me to take them to Riverbend, where they hope to find the source. I am asking the council's permission to guide them into the mountains and a blessing for our journey."

The elder leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "What will they do if they find the great evil?"

Tol-Aka turned to Leilandri. "That is a question for you, great lady." He motioned her to step forward.

Leilandri clasped her hands until her knuckles were white. In Nazar, she was used to council meetings that lasted days. They were rife with formalities. If things didn't go as planned, there was plenty of opportunity to influence them. But this was not Nazar. The seven solemn faces of the Zul-Li council stared at her expectantly.

Leilandri began by greeting them in their own language. She spoke carefully, mimicking the pronunciation Tol-Aka had taught her. "Nazar comes to the Zul-Li in peace. The evil that is threatening this land has drawn our watchful eye because of its power. We have been tracking this disturbance for several months. It has affected villages far to the south and east of here. Women have been dying from a debilitating illness along with their infant children. Recently, flooding and storms have begun. We haven't seen a disturbance like this before."

The elder nodded. "We have suffered the same in our city. At the guidance of our healer, we have evacuated most of the women, children, and families to our summer camps. We have left behind only soldiers to protect our home. The effects have lessened the farther we move away from Riverbend." He looked at the council member to his right. Leilandri noticed that the blue stone in his band was identical to Tol-Aka's. "Without him, our losses would have been much greater." His voice sounded tired, and Leilandri wondered how many people they had lost.