CHAPTER 18
A Friend from God’s Teeth

Wakani and Nasomi left Nari through the North Gate and crossed the wide bridge over the rushing Pana River. The bridge and river were reminiscent of the moat at King’s Island, on a grander scale. A little way downriver, a gigantic wooden wheel spun from the current, scooping water and relaying it into suspended channels that fed the aqueducts of the city. It was not uncommon for a bridge crosser to pause and stare at the wheel, no matter how many times they had seen it. Nasomi mused that it contained so much timber that could build a house bigger than hers.

The road that led from the bridge came to a fork a quarter of a mile later. Mount Lupili rose up in front of them, looking as close as she could stretch her hand and touch it, and yet she knew it was a few miles away. They rode through a plain when they turned right, and though the grass was ankle-high, Nasomi recognized this place. She reined the horse and jumped down.

“Are you well?” Wakani asked.

“I am.” Her voice caught and she cleared her throat. She was walking in her dream. The grass was much longer in the dream, but this was where she came to meet Meron and Ramona. On her way back from somewhere. She didn’t want to admit to herself that she may return this way after a long while. Next Rain Season? After five years?

Her life was meant to be simple, happy, a clueless boring tale from birth to death. But now there was a powerful jealous witch in her life. And an ability to see the future in her dreams. She would have never thought of herself as the sort of person to have these things happen to her. She wasn’t the sort of person who would leave the city to hunt down a monster. But now… Well, now she was. Now, she was to go the long way.

“Would you love to see a glimpse of your future?” she asked Wakani as they rode on. “Like if you could foretell what was coming ahead.”

“I would. That would be nice.”

“I think everyone would say that until they actually would.”

“Wouldn’t you, My Lady?”

She sighed. “I can, Wakani. And it’s not nice.” She told him about the dreams. She also had to distinguish between her gift and spell magic as used by Reema.

“Like an oracle,” he said.

“What?”

“Like in the stories. There’s always an oracle, living in a dark forest by herself, or on… on a mountain! She speaks to the gods and they give her visions of the future. Heroes come to her and she speaks in riddles, guiding them on their way to their destiny.”

“Then who guides to her destiny? I am the daughter of a farmer, and a mother, and a wife. I want nothing more than that.”

“In Ao’Pan, they call people like you transcendent. They don’t believe in gods anymore, those people, My Lady. They think that humans are being transformed into immortal beings. You might think it’s true; they have whole tribes that can dash like lightning or change shape. You’d like it there. You’d be worshiped.”

Ao’Pan referred to both the region of the continent south of the great desert and the common language spoken there. Coincidentally, both halves of the continent shared the word “Ao”. In her language, Ao’Mu, it meant “to speak” and she had learned that in the southern language, it had the connotation of “everything” or “every place”. So “Ao’Pan” meant “language of the south” in Ao’Mu and “Ao’Mu” meant “the place north” in Ao’Pan.

The language Ao’Mu was originally called Shema as it spread hundreds of years ago due to trade and war, and some still referred to it as so. When the Gold Road opened, a treacherous route through the middle of the desert, where gold from the south was traded for wares from the north, “Ao’Mu” became the preferred term.

“There’s a whole mess of transcendent people down there,” Wakani said. “My favorite are the ones who can lift heavy objects six times their weight. What I’d give to have that ability.”

They rode into Mishi about a watch before sunset. It was a sprawling village built from bamboo, wood, and stone. Nasomi asked the villagers if they had seen an old witch traveling with two hyenas and a bound man. They told her of the rumors they heard and directed her to a man who claimed to have seen the witch. Nasomi recognized him as one of the two who had encountered Reema in her dream.

“I thought we were too drunk, seeing things,” the man said. He leaned unsteadily onto a post of a fence around a chicken pen. “But I saw her, if you say she came here. She scared me and my friend.”

“Where do you think she went?”

“Toward Naki maybe.” He burped and studied Nasomi. “It’s on the east side of the mountain, if you don’t know. If you ask my opinion, I hope she leaves those Naki people with boils all over their skins.”

She chuckled. “They’re not good people?”

“The worst of humankind. A pompous lot, they boast too much. Who is this witch?”

“She is to be brought to Nari for judgment.”

“I’d leave her alone, if it were me.”

Nasomi shrugged. “Direct me to your most skilled medicineman. I may need some potion or other.”

“Medicineman…” He thought for a few heartbeats. “Ah, go to Mihide. He is no medicineman, but he knows things. We have a saying in this village: Mihide knows. Yes, just that. Mihide knows. He probably knows the name of the witch by now.” He chuckled and gave her directions.

Mihide’s house was long and wide, L-shaped and set on a foundation three feet above the ground. The wooden steps up to the door creaked as Nasomi climbed them. She rapped on the door and called, “Ondi!”

The door opened and a short elderly man stared at her. He had narrow eyes, full grey hair, and a tapering beard. “A Narite,” he said, eyes widening, stroking his pointy beard. “You’re welcome. How may I be of service?”

“I was hoping you might help us with a witch problem.”

Mihide looked past her to Wakani on the horse. Wakani waved. “Might this be the same witch I heard passed by last night?”

“Yes. With a captive man and two hyenas.”

Mihide tsk-tsked. “I don’t know how I can help. Witchcraft and magic are beyond me.”

“We were told if there was anyone who would know what to do, it would be you.”

“Come in, then, you and your companion. Tell me all you know and I can think of a way to help you. You’re in time for tea.” He spoke calmly, with all the confidence of a man who supposedly knows everything.

As Wakani tethered the horses, three children came from behind the house and ran to him. A girl and two boys about Meron’s age. Her heart stung at the thought of having left her children. Meron must be in tears right now, she thought, and Naena might be at a loss of what to do.

“Azuku,” Mihide called to the children. “No playing rough. I don’t want you mistreating those horses.”

“Alright, Grandfather,” one of the boys said. The three petted and admired the horses, speaking excitedly.

Mihide gestured Nasomi and Wakani inside. He gave them stools to sit upon and he went into another room. He returned with three wooden cups of steaming brew.

“Rooibos,” he said as he gave each one a cup. “Good for your skin, and for long life.” He sat cross-legged on a rug, sipped his tea. “I am listening.”

“The man is my husband,” Nasomi started.

“And the witch?”

“The woman he was supposed to marry, before he met me.”

Mihide bent forward, interested. “Tell me more.”

“I met him twelve years ago and we fell in love. I didn’t know at the time he had a woman he was set to marry, but he chose me instead. She returned years later with magical powers and has put a spell on him to obey everything she says.”

Mihide asked probing questions on Nasomi’s narration, and she ended up telling him about the dreams. If he had been listening before, that aspect enraptured his attention. He asked more, she told him about the deja vus, the first tellings. She cut herself short when she realized he was too good a listener and she might tell him about the itching pimple on her left side.

“I didn’t come to talk about the dreams. I want to find my husband.”

“Yes, indeed. I am sorry. It is rare for a witch that powerful to come by this little village, and even more intriguing that her pursuer is a gifted Dreamer. We are living in interesting times. Let me see how I can help.”

He reached into his sleeve and retrieved a short rod. It had holes along its length. He set his mouth to one end of it and blew. A windy discordant sound emanated from it. Mihide might know things, but he was no musician; the sound was jarring to the ears. He set the flute back into his sleeve, smiled, waited. He gestured for them to finish up their beverages.

A moment later, the front door opened, and a man entered. He reminded Nasomi of Tambo: tall, dark, unkempt hair. He was slimmer than Tambo, moved more impatiently. And his eyes were watery; he wiped their edges with the back of his hand. But for the smile on his lips, he looked like he wept in perpetuity.

“This is my neighbor, Nin,” Mihide said, as the man took a stool. “Nin, these two are after the witch who passed by yesterday.”

Nin nodded. “I heard of the witch.” He spoke softly.

“Nin, they want to know where the witch went.”

“I would not know. My focus was elsewhere, on… that thing, Mihide.”

“Yes, yes, I know. But you could have roamed hereabouts, just to check on things. You can never know what you find.”

“I can’t be everywhere, Mihide. A witch passing by is interesting, I daresay, but it wasn’t a priority.”

“It is now. Let’s help in what way we can.”

“And… the thing?”

“It is still our priority. Just find out where the witch is, see to it that she is bound. That will suffice, won’t it?” he asked Nasomi.

“Yes.” Nasomi was confused about what was going on, but if this man Nin could help subdue Reema as quick as possible, she welcomed the idea. “And could you also direct us to a medicineman who can give us a potion to free my husband from the witch’s spell?”

Mihide thought. “Can Jiro make it?” he asked Nin.

“That fool? He might know a thing or two about warding off witchcraft. But I wouldn’t put my trust in his knowledge.”

“The mages have such a potion,” Nasomi said. “My husband’s brothers had acquired it some years ago, when they suspected he was bewitched. But the mages wouldn’t help me.”

“If the mages have it,” Nin said, smiling, “then I can get it for you. If you can wait until tonight, I can—”

“Tonight? We cannot delay any longer, I am afraid. We need to get to her quickly. You don’t understand.”

“We do,” Mihide said. “We want you to give us more time to find your witch and the potion.”

“And how will you disempower a witch? Get a potion from the mages?”

Mihide smiled. “We have our ways. All I ask is for a little patience.”

Nasomi saw that this was a waste of time. An old man and a weak-looking man could not help her. These two would blabber time away. It seemed to be what they enjoyed doing. She and Wakani had horses, they could get to the witch faster. Besides, Nasomi was getting more convinced that Reema was headed back to Arwomba. Where else would she go?

“If you cannot tell me how you intend to help, I think it is time for us to go,” she said. “We have miles to—”

There was a thump above. Something scuttled across the roof. Outside, a child screamed. Nasomi ran after Wakani, Nin, and Mihide outside. Between them and the children stood a kowasa. It faced the children, tentacles wagging in the air.

Nin produced a dagger Nasomi had not seen before. He dashed toward the creature, but the boy called Azuku shouted, “Stop, Nin! Don’t kill him.” The boy ran between Nin and the kowasa.

“Azuku, move!”

“No. He says he doesn’t want to hurt anyone.” The creature cowered behind the boy, its deep blue eyes swimming like a puppy’s. Azuku cocked his ears as if listening. “He says he came looking for her.” He pointed at Nasomi.

“Bring it in, quickly,” Mihide said. “Before anyone else sees it.”

They all went back inside, taking the kowasa with them. Mihide didn’t want to cause alarm in the village. Nin and Wakani held weapons, one a dagger, the other an ax, in case the kowasa decided to become unfriendly.

“Can he really do that, talk to them?” Nasomi asked.

“He can,” Mihide said. “His mother could, too. She died from a terrible infection, though, when he was but a baby.”

“He can really talk to the kowasa?” Her mind was heavy with astonishment. “Do you know what this means? It means we can finally understand what they want.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Mihide said, rather bitterly. “I would request that you keep this secret.”

“For over three hundred years, we have been wondering what the kowasa sought when they came this way, why they ravaged whole kingdoms, why they became little and docile when defeated. And the most pressing concern: if another horde will return. If Azuku can talk to them, we will know the answers. Take him to Nari.”

“I will do no such thing. Not yet, at least. It’s not the time.”

“If you solve this mystery for Nari, you will be rewarded.”

“Ha! Is that so? You think your people are good people? No, I know your people. Keeping these so-called enemies of yours captive, making a sport of killing them, prying children from their mother’s teats to train them as warriors. Preparing for a war that will never come. The mages, too. They do unspeakable things to humans. They practice dark things. No, I cannot trust Azuku to Nari.”

Nasomi didn’t have an answer to that. She turned to Azuku, who, with his friends, was petting the kowasa. “Ask him his name.”

“He has no name,” the boy said. “They don’t have names.”

“How do you know it’s a he?”

Azuku shrugged. “He says he wants to follow you. He thanks you for saving him.”

“You saved the thing?” Nin said. “So, it followed you here.”

“I only stood in the way of the mages capturing it.”

“Yes. They recognize kindness,” Mihide said. “It has become indebted to you now. You must go with it.”

“What? I can never do that.”

The kowasa bounded toward her and attached itself to her leg. She all but screamed. Her skin crawled, as she remembered Reema’s rats climbing all over her. The children burst into laughter.

“We can’t keep it here,” Mihide said. “It will cause us much trouble.”

“I can’t just go traipsing with it, either. What if it attacks me?”

“He says he will keep following you,” Azuku said.

“You’re the one who can talk to it. I wouldn’t even know what to do with it. How to feed it. It doesn’t even matter. I have an important mission.”

“I can teach him a few things,” Azuku said. The kowasa turned and went to him as if it had heard him calling it. They spent a moment silently staring at each other.

“They communicate with a language of the mind,” Mihide explained. “It’s like pictures in the head.” When Nasomi looked at him, he added, “So the boy says.”

Azuku beckoned to Nasomi. “We have made a language for you to understand. When he says yes, he will do this” — the kowasa wagged the topmost right tentacle — “and this when he says no.” The left tentacle wagged, slower. “When he is happy” — all tentacles wagged. “When sad or angry” — the tentacles lowered, even the head.

Azuku grinned at Nasomi. She grinned back, rubbed his head. “You’re such a clever boy.”

Mihide was eager to get rid of them. He opened the door and gestured for them to leave, promising to send help along the way. When Nasomi asked how, he just continued shooing them off. The kowasa climbed to the roof and jumped into a tree next to the house.

“Please, not a word about the boy,” Mihide said as Nasomi and Wakani mounted their horses.

“My Lady,” Wakani said uneasily as they rode away. “Are we going to go a long way?”

A sudden realization came to Nasomi: Wakani was not with her in the dream of her return. “I will not hold it against you if you decide to go back at any moment, Wakani.”