Richard Tuttle - Winged Warrior

“I guess I did,” shrugged Mobi, “but I meant nothing by it. It was just that the act of bringing you food was not something that required a great deal of thanks. It is nothing. Anyone would do the same for you.”

“But it was still a lie,” smiled Yltar. “A harmless one, perhaps, but a lie nonetheless. What did you feel, Bakhai?”

“It is hard to explain,” Bakhai said excitedly, “but I knew that it was a lie. I knew it.”

“That is excellent!” Yltar grinned happily. “I knew that you could do it if anyone could.”

“But why didn’t it work on you, Yltar?” asked Bakhai. “You have been lying to me all night, and I could not detect it.”

Yltar stood with a look of confusion on his face for several moments before suddenly smiling.

“Of course,” he said with sudden realization. “How could I have been so foolish? One of the first spells a shaman learns is to guard his mind from compulsion spells. Why didn’t I think of that earlier? It is such a basic spell that I never even consciously think of it anymore. It must have been blocking your attempts to determine my truthfulness.”

“Drop your protection and lie to me,” ordered Bakhai.

Mobi watched with interest as the other two men excitedly spoke of their lesson.

“Your father was ugly and stupid,” smiled Yltar.

“Liar!” Bakhai grinned victoriously. “It works. It really works.”

“And we still have time to catch some sleep,” Yltar nodded with joy. “Your father would be very proud to see you today, Bakhai. You will become the greatest Qubari shaman in centuries. It will take a lot of work on your part, but your talents are amazing. The beginner’s spells will be like playing around after you have already mastered a spell such as this one. Finish your food and let’s get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day for both of us.”

Bakhai nodded and grinned broadly. He knew without a doubt that the words of praise just given by the head shaman were sincere. He would have detected it if they had been lies.

* * *

Wyant led the Jiadin through the forest east of the mountain pass. They rounded a bend, and Wyant immediately halted. Harmagan rode up alongside the Marshal of Fakara and stared at the three men blocking the trail.

“He is King Rejji!” exclaimed Harmagan. “I saw him fly over Vandegar on the back of a dragon.”

“I had expected to be met,” Wyant addressed Rejji, “but I expected tribesmen to be the welcoming committee, and I expected it yesterday.”

“It is more fitting that I meet any Jiadin entering these lands,” replied Rejji. “Why have they come?”

“They have come to rejoin their brothers of the tribes,” smiled Wyant. “Harmagan is the leader from Meliban. I promised to bring six of them to Angragar. The rest I have let leave the city. They now roam the western plains of Fakara.”

Rejji looked at Bakhai and Yltar alongside him, and saw no need to disbelieve the Marshal of Fakara.

“Well met, Harmagan,” greeted Rejji. “Have you truly put your Jiadin thoughts behind you?”

“I have,” nodded Harmagan as he bowed slightly to the King of Fakara. “I know that Wyant’s word is not good enough to allow us entry into Angragar, but I beseech you to allow us to see the city. My men and I are truly ready to rejoin the brotherhood. We have been foolish and greedy over the past few years. I could make a thousand excuses for our past behavior, but I do not wish to start our reunion with lies. If you are willing to forgive our past, we are willing to fight and die for Fakara. We only ask that we be allowed to die with honor befitting a tribesman.”

“And why does seeing Angragar mean so much to you?” asked the Astor.

“Angragar is the symbol of greed that has plagued the tribes for generations,” explained Harmagan. “Wyant tells me that the treasures of Angragar are not gold and riches, but truth and enlightenment. If this is true, it will forever prove to my men that the tales told by Grulak and the others were lies. We will be able to see the folly of our past paths.”

“The riches of Angragar are indeed truth and enlightenment,” smiled Rejji as he glanced at Bakhai. “Harmagan, I offer to lead you to the lost city of Angragar. Introduce me to the rest of your men so that I might also extend an invitation to each of them personally.”

Harmagan introduced the other five Jiadin. The men had been chosen wisely, for each one of them truthfully explained his desire to put the Jiadin way behind him. One by one, Rejji extended his welcome into the brotherhood of tribesmen. Within the hour, ten riders turned eastward towards the lost city of Angragar. Rejji led the way, and Bakhai soon moved up alongside him.

“Your talents have proved quite worthwhile today,” smiled Rejji.

“I am pleased that I was able to aid you in such a way,” replied Bakhai. “Do you think the other tribes will accept the Jiadin as well as you have?”

“They will,” nodded Rejji. “Your gift might make it easy to detect a lie, but there are other ways of determining what is truly in a man’s heart. The men of the free tribes will know the truth soon enough. Oh, they may be suspicious at first, but I think the Jiadin are prepared for such a reception. They are strong enough to weather that storm.”

“What is the impact of the Jiadin coming over to our side?” asked Bakhai. “I know it is important, but how important?”

“It is the difference between life and death,” smiled Rejji. “If Vand had succeeded in aligning the Jiadin against us, we would have surely perished. We may yet perish under Vand’s onslaught, but we now have a chance to survive. One thing we have yet to do, is to determine how best to utilize the Jiadin. Defending the coastal cities is not the correct path.”

“May I make a suggestion?” asked Bakhai.

“Words from a wise shaman are always welcome,” grinned the Astor.

“I am not quite a shaman yet,” smiled Bakhai, “but I will be soon. My suggestion is to place Qubari shaman with the Jiadin riders. If you have the ability to contact the Jiadin via an air tunnel, you will effectively have two great armies of horsemen capable of acting independently.”

“You have more talents than you have let on,” laughed Rejji. “That is an excellent idea. I know the last place that I would wish to be is in the middle of two charging armies of Fakaran horsemen. Talk to Yltar about your plan. I am ready to accept it, but Yltar must choose the men.”

* * *

Yltar had sent word ahead to Angragar about the Jiadin being led into the city by the Astor. The entrance to the city was lined with tribesmen, and each tribe had a banner guard present to form a human corridor. The Jiadin riders looked on in awe as the tribesmen welcomed their lost brothers to Angragar. Shouts of welcome to the entering Jiadin were loud and genuine. For the first time in history, the tribes of Fakara were truly united.

Harmagan grinned from ear to ear as the other tribes welcomed him and his men. He nodded and waved to each and every tribal leader as the small group made its way into the city center. Rejji halted the group in front of the administration building and everyone dismounted. The leaders of the free tribes immediately gathered around the Jiadin and personally welcomed them into the fold. The plaza filled with thousands of people as the citizens set up tables and carried out food and drink. Within moments the usually quiet plaza was turned into a festival.

The Jiadin and the other tribesmen filled the plaza at the administration end. Soon wrestling matches and sparring contests began. Rejji stood on the steps of the administration building and smiled at the reception. Although the Time of Cleansing was due to start at any moment, the Astor knew that he had already accomplished something that had never been done before. He had united the tribesmen of Fakara. Whether or not that would be sufficient to halt the advance of the Motangans was yet to be determined.