The New World (The Last Delar) (16 page)

Taeau rides in silence to the edge of camp and dismounts Akima.  He pats his black horse on the neck, "I think tonight, my friend, I will grant you what your heart desires."

Taeau presses his head against his horse's snout.  Akima's stripe glows in the dark under Taeau's touch.  The horse pushes against Taeau's head, licking his face. "You are like a brother to me, Akima, and tonight I will treat you as one." Taeau takes the reins out of the horse's mouth and removes the furs he uses as a saddle.

"Run wild and free, my friend, for tomorrow . . . I feel . . . change will ride on the winds." He smacks Akima's hind end.  Akima whinnies loudly and runs off into the distance.  Taeau watches as Akima's glowing marks fade into the darkness.

Taeau picks up the reins and furs he took off his horse, and walks the rest of the way to his hut.  The night air blows in his face, carrying with it the noises and smells from the camp's hunting rituals.  When Taeau reaches Tib, he sees the Wicker sitting up, admiring the fires and the dancers.  Taeau gawks at the flames from the fire as they climb into the sky; the sparkling embers descend to the valley floor, leaving long blazing trails behind them.  The dancing men surround the fire with their spears and bows, yelling and kicking up dirt.  Most of the women and children sit around the men, singing and beating on various drums.  Some of the women dance around the men, flapping their dresses gracefully, but only one female dances with her long bow as an equal to the men.  Taeau can make out Leotie's silhouette wildly stomping as one of the tribe.  He turns his head, trying to suppress his deep jealousy. He pictures himself dancing with her enjoying being part of the tribe. Then he sees her reject him laughing at him as he tries to dance. His face begins to turn red in anger. Taeau turns his back to the tribe and looks down at his small one-eyed companion.  He puts his hand on the Wicker's head and rubs his smooth skin.  Tib rolls around playfully, then gives Taeau some smoked meat he stole from an Enopay child.

"Thanks, Tib," he says before getting into his bed.  Taeau lies on his back and stares up at the crescent moon.  He feels lonely, and thoughts of his father and mother start to flood his mind.  Do his parents still think of him? Would his mother even recognize him now? Taeau closes his eyes, trying to feel a connection to his lost family.  He opens his eyes in disappointment only smelling the Enopays' fire riding on a soft night's breeze.

"Good night, Tib," he says as he pulls up his blankets and falls asleep.

The sounds of the Enopay rituals echo in his dreams.  His sleep is fraught with swirling fire, billowing smoke, and beating drums that chase him through the chaotic rhythms of his subconscious.  The beating of the Enopay drums slowly quiet and fade, overtaken by the dark emptiness of deep sleep.

Taeau becomes uncomfortable, feeling cold stone against his skin.  When he opens his eyes, Taeau sees he is no longer sleeping on dry ground but on solid rock.  His necklace begins to shine, showing him a cliff that plummets down into an endless void.  Above, he can see no ceiling, just darkness, and the emptiness pushes against his chest.  He hears something creeping up behind him.  The noise comes closer, very close, until he can feel its breath.  Taeau stands stout, ready to defend himself, but there is only darkness.  Light shines on his back, and he turns to face it.  He steps back, seeing two eyes racing toward him, and he stumbles over the edge.  Taeau falls screaming as he descends into the depths, followed by the small orbs of light.

The chill of stone again touches him.  Taeau coughs and gets up off the floor, standing naked in total darkness.  A light from a flame begins to flicker on cavernous walls.  He looks at the floor and sees small pools of black liquid bubbling, with small plumes of dense black smoke rising within them.  The floor is covered in black feathers that are floating around him.  By the light on the wall Taeau sees something that seems eerily out of place.  He approaches the object with caution.  With every step he takes, the smoking pools ripple and the flame grows wilder.  He comes to the dark item lying on a stone shelf.  He looks down at it and sees an impression of a hand on its surface.  Taeau reaches out to touch it, his heart beating with so much power it disrupts his breathing.  His hand is close now, and his flesh begins to freeze.  He closes his hand, and the object opens with a thunderous crack that echoes in the chamber.  Taeau's heart jumps, and he stumbles back.  A scorching light grows around his feet.  His body burns and the floor shakes, rumbling with energy.  The pools of liquid explode, vomiting a noxious cloud that surrounds him.  He tries to escape the choking smog, but the floor collapses and darkness erupts around him.  Taeau begins screaming in pain as he sees the eyes appear again.

"Ahhhh!" he yells as he lifts himself up from his sleep.  Breathing heavily, he wipes sweat from his forehead and looks around at an empty valley. "What is going on . . . where is everyone?" he asks himself.  He looks to the horizon in wonderment watching stars streak across the heavens leaving blazing trails of light behind them.  Again, he feels the presence of another.  He jolts to his feet and turns to see what has frightened him.

"V-V-Ven, is that you?" Taeau questions the crouching glider that has come to him.  Taeau stands still, unsure of what to make of this vision.  The ground begins to shake, and the stars start to fall, crashing into the valley.  He turns back to the vision of Ven.  The apparition looks like his cousin, but its fur has faded and its eyes appear lifeless and grey.  The figure stares at him and makes no movements or sound.  Then the glider scampers away, avoiding the barrage of falling celestials.

"Ven, wait, I am coming.  Don't leave, wait!" Taeau yells, as he runs after his cousin.

The faster he runs, the farther away Ven gets from him.  The sky continues to rain down around him.  The sound of the collisions is so loud that he cannot hear himself yell.  Taeau notices that the valley has transformed into a lush jungle.  The jungle is like nothing he has ever seen, the plants are brightly colored and there is a heavy wetness in the air.

"Ven, come back.  I need to talk to you, VEN!!"

He runs again, fighting the jungle until his body collapses in exhaustion.  He falls to his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"Why run from me, Ven? Why do you reject me? Do you punish me for your un-avenged murder?" He looks up and sees Ven in a clearing, with his head raised and his lifeless eyes fixed on something.

Taeau slowly walks up to him, looking down at his tiny face.  He pleads to the vision, "It is me, cousin.  Do you not have anything to say? Do not forsake me, Ven." The glider looks at him and points to the sky.  Taeau glances up and sees a large rocky structure covered in vines and moss sticking out from the jungle floor.

"I have seen this before . . . in a restless dream," Taeau says as he remembers dreaming of this large protruding rock many times before.  He is forever climbing it, chased by the burning sun.

"Do you want me to climb that, Ven? Why? What is up there?"

Taeau turns sharply when he hears a chilling noise from the jungle.  It is a terrible roar, and the tropical forest grows dark around them.  Ven is on the ground, shaking, curled up in a ball.

"What is coming, Ven? What do you fear? I will not abandon you.  This time we will face it together.  I will stand by your side, my brother," Taeau yells but his voice is drowned out by the gusting winds that blow against his hair that hangs across his face.  Ven runs off and vanishes into the protection of the jungle.  "Ven!" Taeau yells again, turning back to the oncoming terror.  The roaring shadow approaches with furious speed surrounding and lifting him into the air.  He fights to free himself, kicking and punching at the darkness.  The empty blackness that has lifted him fades, and his face starts to feel cool and wet.  Taeau hears slurping in the distance that grows louder.  He opens his eyes and sees not darkness or terror but Akima staring down at him, licking his face.

"Akima?" Taeau asks.  He looks down at himself and sees that he is covered in dirt, with scrapes and bruises over his body.  He peers at the empty valley, not knowing where he is.  He cannot see the camp or his bed anywhere.  He brushes off some of the dust.  "I must have sleepwalked during the night."

Taeau looks up at the horizon and sees that the sun will soon rise.  He can still see Ven's face clearly from the dream like no other dream he has ever had.

"It was only a dream, of course . . . stupid to think . . . ," he whispers to himself as he mounts Akima.

"Take me home, friend, I do not know the way.  Akima snorts and starts to trot back toward the Enopay camp.  Taeau lies down on his beloved horse's neck, resting his worn and tired body.  As the sun rises, it warms his back and brings him needed strength.  He looks up to see smoke rising from the camp's fires.  He gives Akima a gentle kick, "Let's go, boy, we have a long day ahead of us."

CHAPTER NINE

Taeau returns to his hut and sees his bed scattered across the valley.  He dismounts Akima and starts to reclaim his blankets.  He kneels down to recover his pillow, which is still wet from his sweat, and his thoughts return to his dreams.

What could they mean? Was Ven really there, contacting me from death in some way? It was all so real.  He brushes his hair out of his face. “I could feel the wind . . . his eyes,” Taeau thinks.  “I could see the overwhelming emptiness in them.” Tib kicks Taeau's shin and points at the camp.  Taeau stumbles as he sees the hunters riding off toward the Ga-Taga. "No, Alo will have my hide, Tib.  You have to help me get my things together." Tib looks up at him while holding Taeau's knife and butchering stone.  "Thanks, Tib, you saved me."

He remounts Akima, not having time to put on a saddle, and with a whistle he is off after the other hunters.  As Taeau catches up with the rear of the hunting party, he catches a harsh look from Leotie who rides next to Alo.  The hunters start to spread farther and farther apart as they near the herd.  Taeau watches the hunters put on their disguises.  Ga-Taga furs cover both the hunters and their horses. The tribesmen use this disguise to blend in with the herd.  Alo raises his hand at the sight of the herd.  All of the hunters stop and wait for their commands.

Excitement builds inside Taeau and he sorely yearns to join the hunt.  Alo makes a sign for the hunters to move in slowly.  Taeau stops at the top of the ridge, watching the hunters stalk the herd.  Sensing that the strange beasts are closing in on them, the Ga-Taga grow restless.  The sentry bulls begin to circle around the herd approaching the intruders to protect the cows and calves.  The hunters are close now, and Taeau can see them readying their weapons.

"Remember, Taeau, you just watch the hunt from here.  We don't want you getting hurt," Leotie whispers, chuckling as she sneaks up behind him.

Taeau stares at her moving down the ridge, clenching his fists and picturing the herd trampling her.

"She will get hers, Akima.  Just you wait."

"I-YI-YI," Alo screams, and the hunters explode toward the Ga-Taga.  They toss off their furs, chasing the stampeding animals.  The Ga-Taga spring to life, each animal following the one before it.  Taeau sees how effective the markings behind their shoulders are.  A great streak of color fills the herd, distorting his vision.  The hunters all yell and chase the bulls as they throw their spears and shoot their arrows.

"Let's go!" Taeau yells, kicking Akima and they race down to the action.  The energy and noise from the hunt is intoxicating.  Taeau is amazed at the hunters’ skills on horseback.  Taeau finds a fallen bull and dismounts.  He kneels by the massive animal marveling at its great size; he feels honored to be among such magnificent creatures.  Taeau takes out his knife and butchering stone and begins to gut his first bull.  The work is slow and hard, but it feels good to be part of something for a change.  Taeau's arms and back begin to ache, so he sits back to take a break.

He looks up to see what the others are doing.  Men dance and celebrate around their kills, while others finish off lone bulls they have separated from the herd.  In the distance, near the horizon, a giant cloud of dust rises from the fleeing animals.  Alo walks around blessing and honoring the hunters by splashing blood over their bodies.  Akima has scampered off to graze on the ridge, and is running, kicking his legs wildly.  Taeau sees Leotie in the distance kneeling down by her kill.  She looks back at Taeau for a moment, then quickly turns her back to him.  Taeau stares at her for a while, shaking his head in anger.

"Even now she finds it in her heart to hate me." He looks around for Akima, but he sees something that alarms him.  With all the hunters' attention on their kills, no one has noticed a bull that has doubled back.  It is the alpha bull Broken Horn that he met last night.  He has two broken spears sticking out of his body, and foam is dripping from his mouth and nostrils.  It seems that the beast is ready to fall, but he stomps the ground ready to charge.  Taeau gets up, yells and points at the bull.  He sees what has caught the bull's attention.  Crazy with anger and near death, the animal shakes its head and continues to stomp furiously. 

"Leotie!" he yells, but it is no use.  She is too far away to hear him.

The bull raises its head, roars at the sun, and starts to charge.  Taeau has no horse to ride or weapon to carry.  His only instinct is to chase the charging beast.  Fear fuels his body as he races to catch up with the bull.  His feet start to move at an unnatural pace until he is running at speeds greater than any normal man. 

“No! Not again, not in front of me, I won't let it happen!” Taeau screams silently to himself as his body flies across the valley.  His necklace shines brilliantly, leaving trails of light behind him.  The burst of light catches the attention of the hunters.  They are shocked and confused at what they see: a rabid bull charging at Leotie, followed by Taeau running so swiftly his body is blurred and bursting with light.

The only thing Taeau hears is the sound of the wind in his ears. Hearing a loud noise behind her, Leotie turns to see the giant beast racing toward her.  Leotie dives to the ground in an attempt to dodge the charging bull.  The bull strikes her ankle as it runs past, tossing her into the air.  The bull pivots, twisting its immense body and weight to finish off his target.  Broken Horn lowers his massive head, digging his hooves in the ground and snorting with large, snot-filled breaths.  With a head-twisting roar, the bull lunges with the last of his exceptional strength. He lifts his front hooves off the ground and Leotie looks up to see the bull ready to crush her.  She curls up in a ball crying loudly for help.  Taeau leaps over Leotie and charges shoulder-first into the bull.