Chapter 2

Great-Aunt Shusha

While waiting for the Mehztan wizard, Gloag allowed his mind wander back in time, when he, Dray and Delia, the Lady of Strombor, first met Great-Aunt Shusha , who was nobody’s aunt (great or otherwise). It was she that placed his Lord, Dray Prescot on the throne of the recently resurrected House of Strombor, of which she represented the last of that ancient line. And who better than Dray? He was already the Strom of Valka and Zorcander of the Clans Felschraung, Vittrik, and Longuelm, all of which boasted the mingled blood of refugees fleeing from the horror of the House of Strombor’s downfall, 200 years ago. That was almost three scores of years gone by. Since then he, Gloag, the former slave, had been governing the enclave by noble writ. After all, his Lord was an absentee lord and seldom in Zenicce. It was obvious that Prescot was ruled himself by powers beyond most mortals conceptions. But not beyond Gloag’s ...

Jumping forward another score in time, he recalled the stirring trip to Ba-Domek, in an effort to cure the Emperor of Vallia. It was mainly for Delia’s sake that Gloag cared at all to this puissant man’s fate. For it was she that had kept in contact with himself , Shusha, Varden, and others of the allied Houses when Prescot was off saving Paz or some other such noble deed. Well, the Emperor was saved, then, but ultimately doomed as events turned out. It was the way of it that was such a mystery. One minute he and others of the royal family with comrades of both Dray and Delia, were floundering in what he later learned from Shusha was the Pool of Vanti. For the dread Emperor had almost breathed his last and he was literally almost thrown in out of desperation. Then they all waded in to help the sinking personage. By the time they reached him he was sputtering obscenities, wondering where by Opaz he was, and generally back to form. It was Delia who reminded her father of his previous efforts to cure her deformed leg caused by a throw from (a now dead) zorca. "Remember the Scarlet Roped Todalphemeof Bet-Aqsa?" Still puzzled and about to reply, it happened : from the bowels of the milky white pool a great hairless creature arose, rivulets of the liquid contents coursing down its glistening sides, and and whispered "Oh, unfortunate is the city! Now must occur that which is ordained -" Looking refelexively to his Lady of Strombor, he noticed how calm she looked and utterly without fear. Even a slight smile graced her moist perfect lips. The Kov of Falinur and he instinctively went to her side, only to be engulfed by a blue luninosity that soon overpowered all senses. When next he woke from the Night of Noter Zan, it was in his birth village of Teztra, located deep within the central massif of his ancestral Island of Mehzta. Gloag sojourned for a week there, getting reaquainted with old family and friends. Though there were few who remembered the young Mehztan who had run off as a young rip to find fame and fortune. This he did but the chains of slavery, an Island and continent away, awaited Gloag first, in Zenicce. Most joyful of all wer his parents who thank Opaz both lived as well as his sister Jeloag. A week was barely enough to catch up on all that had transpired among the family and friends, but Strombor and duty beckoned! Plus, he was dieing to ask Great-Aunt Shusha, just what in Sicce had happened to him and the others over in Ba-Domek. Joining a caravan that was passing through, Gloag eventually made his way to the coast, the cost of which was covered by his relatively well to do parents. There, from the port of Hutsis, Gloag took passage on a ship bound for Port Paros in Segesthes, with a stops in the Chulik Islands, Xuntal, and Balintol along the way. From Port Pauros Gloag contacted the Stromborian consulate and obtained transportation by voller to Zenicce.

Upon his arrival in Zenicce, Gloag had immediately sought out Great-Aunt Shusha. She was old and wise. Perhaps she would know the why of things. So, after being admitted by the pair of Pachak guards outside her royal apartments, he was received warmly if in a somewhat puzzled manner. For Gloag had been missing for weeks! She was old - old, her face lined and pouched with the record of her years, but those eyes missed nothing! Although bent over like an Och crone, her movements were spry and limber enough.

After relating the high points of recent events Gloag had asked Shusha if in all her two hundred years (or more) of life on Kregen, if she had ever experienced or heard of anything remotely similar. Sipping slowly from her golden goblet of the finest of Jholaix, she thought deeply, back to when her hand picked Lord of Strombor once questioned her in such fashion. Then she could not help, but the name Aphrasoe had tugged at the hidden recesses of her mind. So tantalizing, but not enough to break through what prevented her memories from flooding back. But Gloag now, he had come armed with more information. Specifiics that successfully jogged Shusha’s memory. It took time and persistent prodding from Gloag, along with counter questions from her, but suddenly, painfully almost, it happened : Shusha shrieked and began wailing with uncontrolled fury and despair. "Oh Vordren , My Lord Vordren. All my fault and the Savanti have had their vengeance!" The aged Lady fell to the floor, her Jholaix spilled on the finest of woven rugs from Walfarg.

Stunned by her hysterical outburst and sobbing faint, Gloag had rushed to her side and comforted her until Shusha’s wracking sobs subsided to occassional sniffles. When control was finally regained, the Strombor matriarch gathered herself, looked the Mehzta straight in the eyes, and said " Gloag, you wakened within me that which I was never supposed to remember. The Savanti wanted it so and mayhap I did too. I don’t know. Listen well as I tell you a tale, one that needs telling and as you are partially responsible and dearly beloved, you will be the first and perhaps only one, to hear it."

"Dear Gloag, you have seen me only as an ancient hag, a respected and loved one to be sure, but know this, I am far older than even my dry and whithered appearance shows. How old? Perhaps Opaz knows for I surely do not. Thousands of seasons have passed since I was born here in Zenicce. Even then she was a magnificent city and the Great Houses fought each other for supremecy to attain that power through the elected office of the Kodifix. But the House of Strombor was the highest of the high, most noble of all the Great Houses. Happily, that is so again, thanks to you, the House of Eward and its faithful allied Houses of the Wickens and Reinmans, and the sadly absent Lord and Lady of Strombor. But back to an age I can scarcely remember, but do try to. In fact it all becomes clearer to me with each passing moment. I suppose I can thank Vanti for that ... ".

Seeing the look of confusion that crossed the visage of Gloag, Shusha smiled tolerantly and informed him that " don’t you know dear Gloag, that creature which rose out of the depths of the healing pool situated at the source of the River Aph, was Vanti. It was he that sent you back to Zenicce and the others of your quest to save our Lady’s father were likewise banished back to their respective homes in Paz. Was our Lord of Strombor there Gloag? I seriously wonder where he would end up if Vanti ever sent him apacking." The coarse-looking diff replied that Dray had mysteriously disappeared while enroute to the River Alph, over the prairies of Ba-Domek. "Perhaps the Great Plains of Segesthes with those hairy clansmen? Somehow I doubt that Dray’s origins are derived from either of the clans of which he is Zorcander, or is it Vovedeer? Hap Loder calls him both and I know only one title is technically correct."

"But back to Vanti, Gloag. He is the oldest living creature in Paz and perhaps all Kregen, for who knows what lies on the far side of our planet? But wait, the Savant do know and some of the Wizards of Walfarg do too. They can observe the goings on through lupu and do so when it suits there mysterious needs. Why it is rumored that Phu-si-Yantong himself has been in direct contact with, ah but that is of no import to us right now. Much later maybe, but not now. Just let me say Gloag, ‘ware the Shargs, for they are evil personified and these snake heads will one day strike terror here in Paz but gladly, that day is not yet come! "

"And Vanti remembers when Kregen circled but one sun, before it traversed the stars, stopping finally here in Scorpio. Yes, he is old indeed. And it was he that sent you back here to Zenicce and inadvertantly caused you to awaken memories which maybe had been better left slumbering. But they are not and I have much to ponder on, plans to make. Please leave me dear Gloag, I must start this immediately. I will summon you when I have decided on my course of action. Opaz help me choose wisely ..." Gloag bowed slightly and withdrew, leaving Great-Aunt Shusha to her deliberations and feeling very confused. There was much of what the aged woman said that seemed beyond his mortal ken. But maybe the wisdom of the savants of Zenicce could aid him. The royal library of the Kodifiex was open to all freemen and like the building of the Great Assembly, neutral territory where one could learn the wisdom of the elders with no fear of violence. To this place went the perplexed, designated ruler of House Strombor.

The Mehztan spent the remainder of that afternoon and most of the following day poking and perusing among the dust covered tomes, parchmented maps, and even the occasional globe, few of which are seen in Paz. Vague outlines of continents and Islands. Gah was one such land. Others had no names as such, but descriptions of those that populated these lands. One eerily had written on it "Here there be Snake-Heads". The homeland of the Shargs Shusha had warned him about? What brave adventurer had been to the far side of Kregen and been able to return to tell the tale ? The name Schan had been assigned to this hemisphere and it rang true to Gloag’s ears. His Island homeland of Mezhta was far removed from the politics and intricasies of Paz. Often he had wondered what lay beyond the gray seas that extended east of this western edge of his known hemisphere. Now he had an inkling and knew that the fish and snake heads of Schan were very real foes and not the myths they were once thought to be. Lightning raids from mysterious reivers out of the shadowylands of Schan now seemed more comprehensible, but why and why more frequently so now? Before Gloag could ruminate too long on just that point, the summons from Shusha came and he heeded, like any sensible man, apim or diff.

Old though Shusha might be, there was a toughness to her, both in body and spirit and never had these embodiments ever appeared more obvious than they did now. Gone were finely woven gowns adorned with the wealth of enemy Houses and nations (courtesy of his Lord, Dray Prescot no less). Instead she was garbed in tight fitting tan trousers, knee high black boots, and a billowy blouse of scarlet hue. On her head was a cap of unknown origin and feathers of equally strange appearance graced her attire at the critical junctures. A Hamalese short-sword (and not the expected rapier of Zenicce), along with a 6 foot spear tipped in bronze (pretty metal,that), and a couple of daggers or terchiks completed her armory. With gaping mouth and hanging chin Gloag gawked at Great-Aunt Shusha who looked positively alive with the twin emotion of determination galvinizing her features. Seeing his startled reaction she remarked " Like my hunting feathers do you Gloag ? Well I rummaged through some dimly rememberd chests and have outfitted myself for a journey that I now know needs doing. For I am off Ba-Domek to deal with those who had thrown me out of paradise, in Aphrasoe. This is a reckoning long due and I truly don’t know the way my spear will fall, but fall it has to, and my ultimate fate hangs on the direction it takes. I will pray to Opaz for deliverence and then begone, but I tell you this Gloag, beloved of me and all that is mine, and heed me well in this : though I will be far and far away from Zenicce yet will I make myself available to you should the need arise. Always, this assumes that our Lord Prescot is absent as could logically be expected. I think that you will have this need at some point in the future and I will offer whatever aid I can from wherever on Paz or Kregen I am. What you must do is utilize the servives of a powerful mage or sorcerer. He (or she) need not be of Walfarg but be able to project their minds into the ethereal planes or lupu as it is known. Bring this with you" and Shusha handed Gloag a bracelet wrought of the purest gold. "It is a bauble handed down to me from my my dear mother, Opaz bless her, and it means much to me. Therefore a powerful and trusted wizard could use it to locate me in an emergency, for I don’t think I’ll return from this journey Gloag ..."

There was little more to say and after an emotional farewell, Shusha took her leave and left Gloag with a tear streaked face and bracelet in his hand that meant more to him than its considerable amount and purity of gold allowed. And then he returned to his present situation, encamped on the blood soaked shore of Mehzta and awaiting the arrival of Klarg. For Klarg was a powerful and supremely confident adherent of the Cult of Almuensis and perfectly capable of searching the mystical planes for Shusha, if she yet lived, as Gloag fervently believed she in fact did. He fingered the gold bracelet in the folds of his pocket until the mage was soon admitted by the pair of Pachak guards standing just outside the flaps of their commanders huge tent.