5: The Holy Road (18 page)

Already a hard, cold wind twisted and rushed over the cart. The clouds overhead darkened and churned. The cart jostled over the uneven cobbles of the Holy Road and a gasp of rending pain tore through John. Above him lightning writhed across the sky. The guards fought to control the tahldi as they jumped and reared nervously.

John heard the guards swearing. He couldn’t see them anymore. The pain and shock coursing through him seemed to restrict his extended awareness. It pulled him back into his bound and blindfolded body. He hurt unbelievably, unbearably. All around him the choking stench of veru oil closed in. The cart came to a stop. John felt hands roughly grab him and jerk him off the other bodies on the cart. He hit the cobbled road hard. The impact sent agony stabbing through his legs and hands. He howled in pain, and above him, thunder exploded through the air.

“Witches,” a boy hissed.

“The quicker they’re burned, the better we’ll all be,” one of the guards replied. John heard the heavy clanking of chains and metal gears. Then he felt the chains being wrapped around his body. A pulley creaked and groaned as John was hoisted up onto one of the iron torch poles. He remembered the first time he had seen someone burn. It had been here. He remembered the way the bodies had thrashed as the flames rushed over the oil-soaked bindings.

He was shaking, not just in pain, but with terror. All it would take was a single flicker of a spark and he would burn.

He’d take them all with him, he thought. He’d tear the entire city to pieces, exactly as the issusha’im had prophesied.

They puts him in the fire and he kills us. He kills us all.
                 

And John knew he would.

He heard the moans and pleas as other men and women were shackled to the torch poles. Lightning splintered and cracked through the sky, burning white tracers into John’s eyes even through the swathes of cloth. Thunder sounded like an impact, sending a shudder though the ground. The guards swore and John heard one young boy whispering Parfir’s name.

Not far from him a woman began shrieking wildly. Moments later, John smelled burning veru oil and flesh. He felt a rush of heat and rage surge through his body. The sky jerked and convulsed with tongues of lightning. Thunder sounded like cannons. The guards cursed and prayed, but they did not stop their work.

Hysterical, desperate screams pierced the bursts of thunder. John could feel the fires growing around him. He could taste walls of black smoke rising through the air. Power and fear churned through him. The ground shuddered. Stones beneath him cracked. Farther down, he felt miles of earth and stone tremble. Molten seams pushed up at the opening fissures.

He kills us all
.

The horror of it came to John suddenly. The issusha’im had seen him destroy everything. Not just this length of the Holy Road. Not just Amura’taye, but everything from Rathal’pesha to Umbhra’ibaye. Ravishan, Laurie, Hann’yu, they would all die.

He couldn’t let himself do that.

John fought to hold back the raw force of the Rifter. It tore through him like a molten brand—as if he were burning from the inside out. The more John hurt, the more desperate he was, the stronger the Rifter’s force grew. He wished that he were strong enough, brave enough to face his death as Samsango had.

Above him, the wind howled as if it were being murdered. John could feel steam rising off his own hot flesh. He clenched his jaws and tried to think of prayers. Flames and torrents of searing ash filled his thoughts.

Then he felt a whisper that chilled him to his bones. The Gray Space tore. A guard made a startled noise and then was suddenly silent. John heard a boy give up a wet, choking gasp. Then John felt himself being lowered to the broken ground. His chains fell away. His bindings were cut loose with a gentle urgency.

Veru oil burned John’s eyes as he opened them.

Ravishan’s face was ashen, his dark eyes wide and desperate. Other men’s blood flecked his cheeks and hands. He shoved the oil-soaked bindings aside and pulled John to him.

“Jahn.” Ravishan’s voice was low and rough. His hands bit into John’s bare back as he held him.

“It’s all right,” John whispered. And suddenly the burning rage, his inhuman fury and unrestrained power dissipated. John sagged against Ravishan. All around them the bloody bodies of boys and guards lay sprawled across the snow and stones. Black smoke poured off the smoldering bodies hanging from the torch poles. John hung against Ravishan as if he were grasping the only salvation he had ever known.

To Be Continued…

Usho—Leader of the Payshmura 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.

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