3: Black Blades (18 page)

Ravishan plainly envisioned himself as a character in some ancient, tragic, love poem. But John could too easily imagine a real execution, so Ravishan’s words sent a spike of cold dread down his spine. The thought of Ravishan bound and burning on the Holy Road destroyed John’s desire in a moment.
         

“I will not put you in that kind of danger,” John said flatly.

“I don’t care,” Ravishan insisted.

“I do!” The words came out harsh and angry. John didn’t mean them to, but he needed Ravishan to stop tempting him. “You don’t endanger the life of a man you care about just so you can get laid. How selfish can you be?”

 
Ravishan recoiled as if he had been physically struck. The color drained from Ravishan’s cheeks and mouth and his hands dropped to his sides.

 
“I’m sorry,” John said. “I shouldn’t have ever kissed you.”

“I wanted you to.” Ravishan hung his head.

John wanted to comfort him, but he couldn’t afford to do that right now. He said, “I’ll see you tomorrow at Rathal’pesha.”

Ravishan only nodded.

John turned and climbed down the broken wall. He wanted to look back to see if Ravishan still stood there watching or if he had already gone, but he didn’t. He kept his eyes on the muddy, torn ground ahead of him, steadily retracing his path back out of Candle Alley as if by finding his exact footsteps he could take the entire night back.

To Be Continued…

Usho—Leader of the Pashmura Church.

Kahlil—Holy Traveler and Companion to Parfir.

Ushman—High Ranking Clergy; often in a position of great responsibility.

Ushiri—Talented Priest studying to become Kahlil’im.

Ushvun—Priest.

Ushvran—Nun.

Kahlirash- Military sect devoted to Parfir’s destroyer incarnation.

Gaunsho—Lord of one of the seven noble houses.

Gaunan—Nobleman.

Gauniri—Noblechild.

Gaunvur—Noblewoman.

Gaun’im—Nobles (as a group).

Laman—Scholar, Doctor or anyone learned.

Lamiri—Student.

Rasho—Military leader, particularly calvary.

Rashan—Soldier.

Vunan—Common man.

Vuran—Common woman.

Shir—Animal; derogatory when used to address a human being.

Alidas –Captain for the Bousim in Nurjima; partly crippled.

Desh’oun–The house steward in the Lisam Palace.

Saimura–Jath’ibaye’s house steward in Nurjima.

Esh’illan Anyyd–A young gaunan alied with Ourath.

Fensal–A Lisam runner.

Fikiri Bousim–An ushiri
 
from the fallen Payshmura Faith.

Ji Shir’korud–Dog demon; called Jath’ibaye’s bitch by some gaun’im.

Jath’ibaye–Leader of the new Fai’daum kingdom.

Joulen Bousim–Bousim heir after Nanvess. Currently serving military
   
duty in the northmost Bousim holdings.

Kahlil–Kyle’insira also called Kyle.

Mosh’sira’in’Bousim–Gaunsho Bousim; aged and weak ruler.

Nanvess Bousim–A gaunan; named the Bousim heir for political reasons.

Nivoun Bousim–Nanvess’ father; highly ambitious for his son.

Ourath Lisam–Gaunsho Lisam.

Parfir–God of the banned Payshmura Church, his worship is now forbidden.

Yu’mir–A servant woman in Lisam Palace.

Ashan’ahma – An ushiri studying at Rathal’pesha.

Alidas–A rider for the Bousim family; partly crippled.

Amha’in’Bousim–Lady Bousim, 3rd wife, exiled to the north.

Bati’kohl–A servant of Lady Bousim; brother of Ohbi.

Bill–Called Behr in Basawar.

Dayyid–Second ushman at Rathal’pesha.

Fikiri Bousim–An ushiri candidate: son of Lady Bousim.

Hann’yu–An ushman exiled to the north: specializes in healing

Inholima–A spy in Lady Bousim’s household.

Issusha’im–The Payshmura oracles.

Ji Shir’korud–Dog demon; one of the Fai’daum.

John–Jahn

Laurie–Called Loshai in Basawar.

Mosh’sira’in’Bousim– Gaunsho Bousim.

Mou’pin–A rider under Pivan.

Nuritam–The ushman at Rathal’pesha.

Ohbi–A loyal servant to Lady Bousim.

Parfir–The earth god.

Pivan–The second in command of the Bousim rashan’im.

Rifter–The destroyer incarnation of Parfir.

Ravishan–The most promising of the ushiri at Rathal’pesha.

Rousma–Ravishan’s sister.

Sabir–The leader of Fai’daum.

Saimura–Ji’s son.

Samsango–An elderly priest at Rathal’pesha.

Serahn–Powerful Ushman in the Black Tower of Nurjima.

Tashtu–Pivan’s commander.

Wah’roa–Leader of the kahlirash’im at Vundomu.

and
 
---------------iff

animal / it
 
--------shir

asshole
 
-----------wahbai

bark (tree) --------istana

bee (honey)
 
------behr

best
 
---------------sho

black
 
-------------yasi

blonde hide
 
------jahn

blood
 
-------------usha

blue
 
-------------- holima

bone
 
-------------sumah

bones (holy) ------issusha

book --------------lam

brothers ----------ashan

but / however ----hel

chasm
 
------------kubo

city
 
---------------tamur

cold
 
--------------polima

dead
 
--------------maht

deer (mount) ---- tahldi

delicious
 
---------mosh

dog (tame) -------kohl

dog (wild)/wolf -- sabir

exhausted --------renma

fast (speed) -------sam

fire
 
--------------- daru

food
 
------- ------nabi (grain)

friend
 
------------pashim

from / of
 
---------in

fuck
 
--------------faud

goat
 
--------------fik

good / pretty
 
----domu

grain plant
 
-------taye

green
 
-------------ibaye

harm
 
-------------ratim

hawk
 
-------------alidas

hill
 
---------------rousma

holy
 
--------------ushmana

hot
 
---------------niru

how / because
 
---ahab

idiot
 
--------------bai

joy
 
----------------amha

key ----------------hala

key, death-lock ---maht’tu hala

knife --------------halaun

lazy
 
---------------pom

little / diminutive ---iri

lock ------------------tu

lost
 
------------------gasm’ah

love
 
-----------------mohim

man/ male
 
--------- vun

meadow
 
------------pivan

meat
 
----------------nabi’usha

medicinal tree ------yasistana

monastery
 
----------ushmura

money
 
--------------jiusha

mountain
 
-----------rathal

no
 
-------------------iss

noble
 
---------------gaun

none
 
----------------illin

orchard
 
-------------umbhra

peace
 
---------------tumah

place
 
----------------amura

quiet
 
----------------itam

rain
 
-----------------parh

red
 
------------------daum

river
 
----------------fai

road
 
----------------nur

run
 
-----------------sango

sacred books ------- ushmana’lam

sacred drink
 
--------fathi

same
 
----------------kin

shit
 
-----------------jid

similar
 
--------------ro

sky
 
------------------loshai

snow ----------------pelima

solitary
 
-------------jath

speak
 
---------------vass

spill
 
-----------------ra

spoil
 
----------------lafi

still
 
----------------- tash

stop
 
-----------------nahara

strike
 
---------------bish

terrible
 
-------------tehji

time / year-----------ayal

to be lost
 
--------- --gasmya

to drink
 
------------siraya

to eat
 
----------------nabiya

to harm
 
-------------ratimya

to kill
 
---------------rashiya

tree (fruit) ----------isma

tree bark ------------istana

ugly/ bad
 
----------mulhi

unholy /unclean
 
--korud

water/drink --------sira

weasel
 
-------------ganal

what
 
---------------bati

when
 
--------------bayal

where
 
-------------bamura

white
 
--------------pesha

who
 
---------------ban

why
 
---------------bahab

wine --------------- vishan

witch
 
--------------tahjid

woman/ female ---vur

yellow /gold--------jima/ ji

yes
 
-----------------du

Pronouns

he\ him
 
-----------vun

his
 
-----------------vun’um

they(all male) -----vun’im

she/her ------------vur

hers ----------------vur’um

they (all female) ---vur’im

they(mixed) ------ pun’im

theirs --------------pun’um

I/me
 
---------------li

mine ---------------li’um

we/us
 
--------------li’im

ours ----------------lim’un

you
 
----------------yura

yours ---------------yura’um

you (plural) ---- ---yura’im

yours (plural) ----- yura’un

it
 
-------------------shir

it (plural)---------- shir’um

Declensions and Conjugations

positive
 
--------------
 
dou

negative
 
-------------- iss

question
 
-------------- sa

object of action
 
------ hir

source of action ------ ati

one who does--------- hlil

plural
 
----------------
 
im

possessive (singular)- um

possessive (plural) --- un

future tense ----------
 
ad

past tense
 
------------ ah

present tense --------- ya

(Ya literally means ‘to do’ or ‘to be’.)

possible
 
-------------- at

hoped for (future) --- atdou

hoped against
  
-------atiss

command form ------ hi

gerund
 
---------------yas

adjective --------------an

adverb
 
----------------al