N'aarat and the Tree of Life

Chapter 8: In Sudden Death

Nazull rose from his chair, ignoring the boy who was bringing a tool to be sharpened. He passed through the corridor, where he almost bumped into Szul, yet he kept walking down the stairs and into the shoulder-high tunnel, which eventually led to the exit. A Nýriol stopped him, warning that all exits had been shut. Nazull replied that he had to address Mikhael on an urgent matter. That seemed to be a magical sentence because the guard immediately took him to a chamber, where he noticed Mikhael reading a message on a small parchment, rather worriedly. As he put the parchment down, the writing on it disappeared because all secret communications were sealed by the energetic fingerprint of the addressee and could only be read by that person.

Hardly then did Nazull—and I, for that matter—realise that Mikhael was not simply a guard.

'Tell me, Nazull, what can I do for you at such an hour?'

His voice did not criticize the interruption, yet it was obvious, to Nazull as well, that the time was not favourable and the clock was ticking.

'You are the only one who can tell me where N'aarat is and what has become of her.'

Mikhael's eyes smiled, but his lips did not follow.

'N'aarat is in Kythlion now, the land of the Eöri, a place no one can get to unless invited by the Goddess and guided by one of the Eöri. Why does her fate trouble you, when you have your own to mind?'

Tension was building up as my friend replied, 'Our fates have been connected ever since she chose to take me along Chorus Na and not leave me behind to be strangled or possibly even stoned.'

Mikhael bowed his head in apology, understanding the magnitude of such bond.

'I cannot take you to her, nor bring her to you, if either of those was going to be your request.'

'Then how did you bring the shaman here?'

'Önaha did not need my assistance to arrive here, nor was I the one who told her about N'aarat. The Eöri have been watching you since before you have arrived in the realm of Sá'aná.' He moved towards Nazull. 'How else did you think I would have allowed you to enter this realm? I was asked to overlook inter-tunnel protocols because of their interest in N'aarat.'

'And what shall be of me?' asked Nazull, as Mikhael was given another parchment to read, which alarmed him.

He nodded to the one who had brought the message in.

'You decide what you make of yourself,' Mikhael answered. 'You are not bound to anyone or any place. This perimeter, however, is not safe for you for the moment. Return to the quarry now. And stay there!' he added, his eyes sparkling.

A sudden air current above their heads announced the entrance of a flying vehicle, oval and silver blue, the sound of the engines making the floor vibrate as it slid sideways towards its marked landing place. Its lateral walls opened simultaneously to the left and to the right, and Nýriols and Layans descended in vital hurry. Their on-board leader presented himself in front of Mikhael and described the situation at the surface, while a few dozen Layans were rushing with cases from an adjacent chamber.

My friend stepped backwards until he felt the wall behind him and from there he kept looking around, puzzled. Since he did not speak Dwerléth, he relied on deciphering the man's gestures, connecting the dots with the sight of armed soldiers. He thought this ship had been attacked either on land, perhaps at a post they had been guarding, or in mid-air.

Mikhael raised his voice in command, so that all could hear him, and everyone listened silently. We could not understand a word because Mikhael was addressing them in Dwerléth. However, it was clear that they were preparing for a battle.