The run up to the Mountain Guardian Camp hadn’t been fun as it could have. Along with several other newly minted young men, Little Fish followed along at their behest to join them. In the time they had run from the main village to the camp, Little Fish knew he could have run to the Delta Boundary or to the far end of the Great Lake and back. He probably could have gone all the way to the River’s head waters had he put forth real effort.
The Priestess held him to his word to not display his power among the villagers and people of the Surround. All they knew was he had been studying with the Priestess to one day become a spiritual leader. He did have friends among the young men, but none too close. While the others were winning the favor of marriageable young women in the village, Little Fish could not even get girls from the Surround or the Upper River to take an interest in him. He was either revered or caused fear as the Priestess’ ‘Son’ whenever he tried to court a potential bride.
There were times when Little Fish wanted to scream and stomp his feet upon the ground hard as he could. Alas, he couldn’t do either. The giant Fish Scale he’d worn these past six years, gave him the power to cause the earth to tremble or his voice to reach far across the Valley Region. Either act could possibly rouse the sleeping Mountain God! So instead, he ran pretending to be winded and bore his fellow’s jibes about him ‘being too slow.’
One good thing about coming up to the camp was Chief Svengald was there and they were in time to watch the morning weapons training. The Camp Guards let them pass and they sat far outside the Training Circle quietly as possible to not disturb the new recruits. Little Fish first watched the excited faces of his fellows as the Chief and the Senior Guardians gave hard, but informative instruction for the handling of spears. He couldn’t get excited in the same way his fellows were. This was their first time visiting the camp. Here, all the steps for learning war-craft and the martial disciplines were taught.
Down in the Valley, there wasn’t much need for learning such things. However, Little Fish had studied with both the Chief and his father the Valley Knight. With knowledgeable eyes, the young man followed the movements the Chief demonstrated. Unlike the recruits or his enthusiastic fellows, Little Fish could do them with his eyes closed. Upon closing his eyes, Little Fish instantly relived those terrifying moments long ago when he witnessed the Valley Knight fall upon unsuspecting Vanir warriors during the first day of their quest. His eyes snapped open and the young man had to still his quickly beating heart. Unknown to his friends, Little Fish had seen what both the Chief and Knight would do on behalf of their people.
Little Fish also knew the reason his friends had been allowed to ‘visit’ was because they too would be recruited. Disappointed, Little Fish knew there would be no place for him among the Guardians. In fact he had been told by his God-Mother the Priestess, it was forbidden for him to join! His adopted father the Millet Farmer had a plot of land all ready for him and would help him build his house once he’d chosen a wife. Though his God-Mother said nothing against it, Little Fish knew in his heart there was little chance he would follow the path to becoming a farmer.
So with as the Priestess told him, ‘A vast power within’ and no chance of becoming either a warrior or a farmer Little Fish couldn’t help but wonder, ‘what will I do?’ “That is the right question young man.” Startled, Little Fish turned to see a man in his prime painted with black and gray stripes seated behind him. Before the startled Little Fish could say anything the God Qatula interjected, “Don’t blurt out my name! Only you can see or hear me. Use your mind to converse with me. This close to the Mountain God, it would be too easy for me to awaken him with the true sound of my voice.”
Little Fish found it unnerving with his God-Mother’s second husband sitting right behind him! His father and the Chief told him stories of how he’d tricked them and even how he’d killed the Valley Knight thousands of years ago. The God never appeared before Little Fish except during the night Qatula challenged the people of the Valley to tell more stories than he could and on a strange island during the last night of the Quest. Fighting hard to contain his consternation, Little Fish opened his mind and asked, ‘What do you want from me... God of Darkness?’
Qatula could not suppress a laugh at the young man’s honorific. “Ha! Your God-Mother been telling stories about me?” The God was pleased to see young Fish was cut from the same stone as his mortal father. He did not flinch or show any sign of fear. He also exhibited similar caution as does his father during their encounters. Smiling with a shark’s grin, Qatula leaned in closer to say, “After all this time, I felt we should be properly introduced. You are my wife’s Mortal-Son, so that makes me your ‘God-Father’....”
Little Fish winced at the strong possibility what the God just said was true. Still, he managed to keep his composure and ask, ‘Does my God-Mother know you’re here?’ Qatula leaned back and said snidely, “Oh, so you plan on running to your God-Mother at the first sign of trouble? I thought you were a man now. A man with power of his own. Maybe I was mistaken in coming to see you....”
Not for one instant did Little Fish appreciate what the God implied. ‘I don’t need my God-Mother for everything! But don’t think I’m going to let you trick me with taunts about the Priestess. My father warned me about you.’ Chuckling Qatula replied, “Yes, that was a fine romp I took your father and the Chief on. Obviously, the Caretaker left out how I have given him advice, saved him from Death and gave him those powerful weapons he carried.”
The look on Little Fish’s face revealed all to the God. “Oh ho, so you are not privy to the Caretaker’s secrets?” The young man’s face burned the same as had someone put real flame to it. No longer did Little Fish pay attention to the sparring match his companions cheered robustly for. His full attention was on the sneering God now crouched over his shoulder. ‘Why do you call my father... Caretaker, as if he were some lowly servant?’
The God’s eyes now burned red and bored through Little Fish’s defenses as he asked, “The real question you should ask is, ‘what would your father say if he knew it was your lie which sent him down a ten year path of blood and death?’”
It was fear which now darkened Little Fish’s face. At that point, a sharp cry of pain went out startling him as one of the recruits was struck down with a wooden sword losing the match. Inadvertently, a tiny portion of Little Fish’s power came forth causing the ground to tremble slightly. All except the Aesir Chief looked about concerned the Mountain might awaken. Little Fish met the all too knowing eyes of the Chief and quickly got the message to, ‘get off the Mountain.’
Right in his ear it seemed, Qatula began saying exactly what Little Fish was thinking. “The mortal’s right you know. What are you hanging around here for anyway? You’ve already learned more than anyone here can teach you. Come with me. I will show you what the Caretaker cannot and your God-Mother will not. Wouldn’t you like for once, to stretch out your arms and grasp the world’s edges with all your might? If you’re afraid, I more than understand....”
The heat on his face and ears were unbearable under the Chief’s withering gaze and the God’s insinuations. Little Fish knew his adopted Uncle would never say anything to alarm those around them as they began to settle down. Yielding to the Chief, Little Fish made his goodbyes and told his friends of errands he must carry out for his God-Mother. A new match had begun and they’d barely noticed his getting up to leave. Once out of the Camp Guard’s eyesight, the young man let himself move at his ‘natural pace’. Within instants, he was far from the Mountain and stood at the edge of the jungle tree-line facing out into the vast desert.
Little Fish watched as the God Qatula walked out of the shimmering heat of the desert to stand beside him, this time as a corporeal being. “Ah, that’s much better. This is a nice place you’ve picked out. It is just as you are now.” Little Fish gave an impatient sigh and snapped, “Are you going to speak in riddles now?” Qatula’s grin displayed merely the points of his razor-sharp teeth as his eye’s burned brighter red with enthusiasm. “Not completely like your father are you?” “No, I’m not. I have power my father can only dream of!” Both the Fishscale and Little Fish’s eyes lit up with white fire. Qatula’s grin stretched farther across his face but this time hid his sharp teeth.
“Power undreamed of indeed young one. But, don’t overlook your mortal father. He has strengths you have yet to comprehend as well.” With narrowed eyes, Little Fish’s ire was plain. “What can my father do which I cannot?” At the question the God laughed in his face then snarled, “When was the last time or should I say the first, you were able to take your God-Mother’s spear into battle? Better yet, can you even lift the damn thing?”
Qatula did not need his godly powers to know he struck a raw nerve. Anger was welling up within the young man, but he was controlling it well. Now it was time to pluck that nerve. “Your father can lift it. Lift it with ease by my reckoning. In fact, he’s used it in battle many times. He even fought against me with it in hand....”
Little Fish could not hold his frustration any longer. White flames leaped from his eyes and the Fishscale flashed like a small sun upon his chest causing even Qatula to shield his eyes. “I have this power and I am not to use it? I have learned at my God-Mother’s side all these years and yet I know nothing! You’re right. I can’t lift that damn spear, no matter how hard I try! I still can’t beat my mortal father at the damn ‘touch game’? What is that all about? Ughhh! I do want to grab the world by its edges and pull with all my might! There are days... I just want to tear across the world and see it tremble beneath my feet..., but I dare not!”
The God moved closer to him now unshielding his eyes and asked, “With such power within you, why don’t you ‘tear forth across the world’? What’s holding you back, or is it who?” Instantly, the building power Little Fish exhibited was extinguished. Giving a long exhale, the young man replied, “I dare not... because I know what the cost would be.”
Somewhat disappointed by Little Fish’s show of restraint Qatula relented, “You know of ‘Aunt’ then.” The young man nodded. At so blunt an admission, the God drew his own power away and his eyes became those of a mortal man. “Well, you’re not stupid young one. Aunt had as much if not in some ways, more power than you. But she never learned to restrain herself. Did your God-Mother ever tell you who Aunt was?” Little Fish’s furrowed brow gave a clear ‘no’ as answer. Qatula winked at the young man and said, “Ask her about that... soon.”
Once more composed Little Fish stood firm before Qatula and said, “So now we come to why you’re really here. What is it you thought to gain?” This time a full smile revealed the many sharp teeth within Qatula’s mouth. “Oh I’ve gained much from our introduction my rightfully suspicious Mortal-Son! It is as I told you, I am willing to show you the ‘next phase’. Remember how I said, ‘this place you’ve chosen for our chat is similar to you?’”
Little Fish was confused but on guard for the God’s double-talk. “What do you mean? We are here at the edge between the Surround and the Great Desert. How is that like me?” The God’s eyes lit up with red fire once more as he retorted, “Despite such power, your youth causes you to miss the obvious. Behind you lies the comfort of what is known. While before you, lies the uncomfortable and often dangerous Realm of the Unknown.” Little Fish snapped back with contempt, “I know what is out there, it is the Great Desert. There’s nothing out there!”
In an eyeblink, the God stood half an arm’s length before him as he challenged with this thought, “True. But people wander into the Valley from the desert all the time. The Chief did. Your father did. You did. You can feel it here just as you did weeks ago at the Delta Boundary. You feel the Barrier separating this realm from all others... can’t you?” Once more, Little Fish had to agree with Qatula. For all his power and vast as the Valley Realm is, he could quickly reach any of its edges. The Barrier protects the Valley Realm from the greater and lesser powers which would bring terrible strife.
He’d recently seen it in use as he mediated between a minor goddess and the Chief. Yet mortals could ‘wander’ into the Valley when lost in the desert through portals in the barrier. As a child, he’d been taken from the man he thought was his father and driven into the desert on a slave caravan. In the middle of a sandstorm, he’d managed to slip free of his ropes and bury himself in a dune to escape his captors. Little Fish then walked hopelessly lost out on the sand sea until he was found by the Millet Farmer not far from edge of the Surround.
A thought struck Little Fish hard enough to almost be felt! He had been getting out of the Valley Realm through the only known portal which was the pool at the base of the Great Dam. With the River recently being allowed to flow across the lowlands, the pool would not be accessible until much later in the Summer. It was impossible for him to breach the barrier and even if he could, there was no way to do it without alerting his God-Mother. But, the Chief’s men left the Valley by walking out into the desert. They had even found their boat and left for the Northlands. Far as Little Fish knew, Mortals could choose to leave the Valley. With him still being mortal and his ability to travel the Dark Road, he could easily return!
Little Fish turned to Qatula, but the God was gone. The young man doubted he’d ever consider the devious Qatula his ‘God-Father’. Yet, the God had given him insight he was almost ashamed to admit never occurred to him. His God-Mother the Priestess told him he would learn of the many wonders she’d spoken of in due time. Far as Little Fish was concerned, once he found one of the portals through the Barrier the time would be much sooner than later!
To be continued....
© 2012 H. Wolfgang Porter. All Rights Reserved.
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