Spirits of Alaruk

Chapter 9: Favors

Karrak's intense green eyes narrowed behind his protective silk veil as dry sand whipped about his dark robes. In the cool of the desert night, standing before a small village nestled on the edge of the expansive Sand Sea, he waited. It had been half a day's walk from the Derunerin caves to the aslauk village of Hatanurin, but he required an audience with the hybrid clan. As they were not usually so trusting of outsiders, Karrak knew he had to choose his words carefully when addressing them.

"Can these aslauk truly assist us, Master Ludaru? I have my doubts," he scoffed after waiting for nearly an hour in the night, eyeing the largest moon. Gezuitaid was in full phase as it cast its pale light across the desert sands. Vlatnatu and Tsaflek, the two smaller moons, slept behind the edge of the horizon.

Their animosity towards the Hulesav and Asu tribes is useful to us, my boy. They are cast out from the world, not unlike the Ralukah. Use that to your advantage.

Begrudgingly, Karrak waited longer still, watching the Sand Sea behind the village slowly churn against the wind. Blinking his tail light periodically to see if it would catch someone's attention. Finally, after another half hour of waiting, three figures emerged from a large dome shaped building at the front of the village. Two possessed lights that illuminated the third as they approached.

"What is your purpose here, outsider?" A male aslauk with small horns and a large finned crest, traits of mixed sea and desert fuglan, was the first to approach Karrak.

"Greetings, my friend. I simply wish to speak with you and then I will be on my way." Karrak bowed his head and extended his arms to show that he was not a threat.

"You've come a long way to our village, Vratinsav. We don't see many of your kind out here."

He hardly enjoyed being called by his tribe name but Karrak was well aware that he was out of place. "I understand my presence here is unusual, but I wish to propose a deal with your clan. You may address me as Karrak."

The aslauk snorted, unimpressed. The two other hybrids, also a mix of sea and desert tribes, remained silent as they stood on either side of him. "A stranger from another land wants to make a deal with us? I'll listen, but I promise nothing, Vratinsav."

Karrak clicked his beak, eager to snap back at the aslauk. He was not accustomed to such insolence.

Patience, Karrak... This one is as shrewd as he is useful.

Holding his tongue from the slight against him, Karrak maintained a measured demeanor. "Very well. And what shall I call you?"

"Fevren of the Figrras clan. Anything you want to discuss, you talk to me. Now what do you have to offer?"

"A high risk for a high reward, Fevren. In exchange for assistance from your clan, I offer something that may very well interest all of you."

Fevren cocked his head in curiosity. "I'm listening..."

"I will give you control of the Port of Hulerin."

"...How?" Fevren glanced to either side of him, both aslauk were equally confused. "The Port of Hulerin belongs to the clans of the Asu tribe. How can you offer us such a thing? You are neither Asu nor Hulesav."

"Hulerin does not belong to me yet, but it soon will. You and your clan will help me by driving out the Naku clan, as well as the sea fuglans from the port. Once they are taken care of, we secure our place in Hulerin, and you will have full control of the port. How does that sound to you?"

Fevren went silent for a moment as he considered Karrak's offer before whispering something to the other two fuglans. "We rely on the Naku clan for their trade route, but if they're driven out then we lose access to that trade route. Why should we accept this offer?"

"I understand your clan struggles out here on the Sand Sea, where food and water is scarce."

"The Sand Sea is harsh, but not impossible to live off of... Most of us are originally from Hulerin but were unable to integrate, so we chose to live here instead."

"I too was driven out from my original homeland. That is something we have in common. But imagine having control of Hulerin itself. Its port is a far superior trade route, abundant with resources. Don't you think you deserve more than what you have here?"

"You make a point... Having access to Hulerin and its port would greatly benefit us. But surely you don't expect us to attack them alone?"

"No, of course not. I'm making arrangements with the Ralukah clan to assist in the siege. I need cooperation from both clans for this plan to succeed."

"The Ralukah clan!" The hybrid burst into laughter. "Those fools never leave their caves! How can you expect me to agree to ally with a clan that is bound to the darkness?"

"You doubt my plan?"

Show them...

The rranha Ludaru had been storing for weeks was precious, but now was the time to use it. As Karrak closed his eyes and channeled, a dark shadow crept over the full moon that hung alone in the sky.

"Wait, what is happening?" Fevren and his assistants gasped as the sky grew so dark that only the light of their tails was all that was left to see with. "The moon!"

"The Ralukah require darkness, so I will give them darkness," said Karrak, grinning behind his cowl.

"You... you did this?"

"This is just a taste of my powers. The sun will not be a problem for the Ralukah clan... Now, do you accept my proposal or not?"

Dropping to all fours, Fevren had no choice but to agree with Karrak's deal. "I do."

"You have until the next full moon of Gezuitaid to prepare for an attack on Hulerin. That is when we will strike."

* * *

The sky was golden with the late afternoon sun as Treke visited the Temple of Nakuka for a second time that day. Word spread amongst the fuglans of Hulerin of something divine happening on the temple hill earlier that morning, and now the town was bustling with energy once more. As agreed upon earlier, Siku and Lasranu joined Treke in a tour of the temple, with Taksue enthusiastically leading them through the temple grounds.

As they headed down the hallway entrance to the temple's antechamber, Taksue seemed tickled by the kikri that still accompanied Treke. "The kikri is said to bring good fortune in the desert, you know," he said cheerfully.

"Is that so?" Treke looked down at the semi-aquatic insect that had nestled in the collar of her robe. She had come to barely notice it was there as it lay still for hours in the heat of the day.

"Kikris are never too far from a source of water, and it's said they can detect the scent of water from a great distance. Spotting one in the desert may save your life."

"I believe this one already has. It knew I was in danger when the tukran attacked."

"Returning the favor by rescuing it from being a tasty snack perhaps?" said Siku with an impish grin.

Treke was unsure if kikris felt emotions such as gratitude or holding grudges, but she found herself fond of the creature nonetheless. "It seems to like me well enough. Perhaps I should give it a name."

Eager to pitch in an idea, Lasranu spoke up: "What about... Zizi?"

"Zizi..." Treke looked down at the tiny finned tail peeking out from the flap of her collar. "I like that. It's a simple name."

In the antechamber at the end of the hall, a large wool-woven tapestry hung on the wall depicting multiple phases of the sun's daily cycle, stretching across a horizon of beige sand. On each side of the tapestry, two entryways split then rejoined as one as they led into the next room. The temple opened up into a large room with a ceiling twice as tall as the antechamber, the second story filled with open-aired window slits that filled the room with shafts of golden light. It was remarkably cool inside the temple compared to the heat of the desert. Treke's green eyes scanned the sandstone walls, where alcoves housed multiple cremation jars, hugged with spiced incense sticks and clay bowls of dried fruits. She could feel the spiritual energy emanating from them, warm and welcoming.

"These jars... do they belong to your clan's ancestors?"

Taksue smiled, delighted at Treke's intuition. "Yes, the Temple of Nakuka is where we keep the cremated remains of our ancestral elders. Some of these urns are as old as the Temple itself."

A lone shrine stood at the far end of the chamber, basking in the light that poured through the windows above. This shrine felt different from the others, giving off a bold energy. Treke could only surmise that it belonged to Nakuka themself. "Nakuka must be very important to your clan. What is the story behind them?"

"Nakuka was an elder that led our clan across the desert to secure a nomadic route and settle in Hulerin. They were considered the first settler of Hulerin and when they passed away, the Naku clan built this temple in their honor. It's not a coincidence the Naku clan shares their name, as it was chosen when our clan split off from a larger one from up north."

"I see... Nakuka is directly tied to Hulerin itself then."

Taksue nodded. "Very much so."

"That makes me wonder what Ludaru's connection is between Nakuka... The tukran seemed very sour about something when they were here. Perhaps I'll find more answers during my travels." She turned to Siku and Lasranu, who were curiously looking at the various decorations set about the temple to honor each ancestral spirit. "The nomads are offering to transport me across the desert tomorrow. I was wondering if either of you would like to come with me."

"Tomorrow?" Siku's face turned somber as she realized the weight of that request. "I'm... not sure. I've never traveled the desert before. I'm more accustomed to navigating the sea."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you," said Lasranu. "A lot of fuglans rely on the fish I catch and trade, like Kvati. Many bellies would go empty if I leave."

Treke nodded and sighed, disappointed but not begrudgingly. "I understand."

"Do you think I could come with you, Treke?" said Taksue, giving her a pleading look. "I've never crossed the desert before, living in Hulerin my whole life, but I want... no, I need to see more than just the inside of the Temple."

Disappointment turned to hope as Treke saw the eagerness in Taksue's eyes. He was not unlike her, yearning to do something more for his clan. It would be wrong to deny him the opportunity. "Of course, Taksue. We share a similar goal, after all. I welcome any company crossing the desert."

"Thank you, Treke! I'll try my best not to be too much of a hindrance."

"Do not worry too much about that. We simply must do our best." Treke gave him a nervous smile.

Eyes shifting between the multiple clay vessels resting in the walls and back at Treke and Taksue, something seemed to be on Siku's mind. "I know I just met you yesterday, Treke, but I feel like I still ought to help you somehow."

"It's all right, Siku. You've already done so much for me. Any more would be excessive."

"Leaving tomorrow still seems so rushed..." Siku shook her head with concern. "I don't know if I can trust that you'll be okay out there, even with the assistance of the nomads. I may have no experience in desert survival, but I know it must be at least equally as challenging to navigate as the sea."

Treke said nothing, unable to refute Siku's argument. It was true that she had no experience nor any idea of what to expect.

"I'm just concerned for you..." Siku looked at Taksue, equally skeptical of his survival skills. "And you... I don't mean to offend, but I doubt your friend Kvati will trust you'll be okay out there either."

Taksue sagged, realizing Siku was right about him as well. "Then... will you come with us?"

"I may have to..." Siku looked to Lasranu for her approval. "I wanted to spend more time with you after arriving here, but unfortunately I won't be able to rest without knowing my friend Treke will be alright."

"Siku, if you feel that you need to go with Treke, then I understand," said Lasranu. "My only condition is that you come back safely, but I know how resilient you are."

"Then I'm going with you, Treke! It'll be an adventure for the three of us."

Treke nodded. "The nomads said there is limited space for additional travelers, but three in total sounds like a reasonable number."

"I don't know anything about the nomads, but I'll make sure to keep everyone safe."

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