Incarnation | Wandering Stars Volume One

Chapter 7

BAHYITH

With the sun rising over Bokhar—Morning Mountain, as it was called among the Chatsiyram—Sariel and three young men set out from the village and headed north along the river. Most of the people were already awake and had gathered along the banks to see them off, but Sheyir wasn't among them. Sariel followed the lead of the others who moved across a field and into another stand of trees, then turned abruptly to the west and into the river. As they stepped into the cool, shallow water and waded across to the western shore where passage would be easier, Sariel couldn't help but look back. To his relief, Sheyir was standing on the bank. The sun illuminated her from behind and she appeared as an ethereal being, as when Sariel had watched her from the Eternal Realm. He smiled and she smiled in return. It was a simple exchange, but enough to satisfy his need for some communication before their momentary parting. Hopefully, she understood that he was thinking about her, and would continue to do so until they saw each other again.

Turning around, Sariel set his mind to the task at hand and followed the young men through the water. For the next four days, they moved downstream across rolling, grassy foothills. With few obstructions, they made quick progress through the valley that ran between Bokhar to the east, and Ehrevhar to the west. With the sun nearing the Evening Mountain on its descent, the men crossed back to the east side of the river at a wide ford and made their way into the foothills of Bokhar. As they ascended, the grassy lowlands gave way to thick tangles of trees which slowed their speed considerably. Just before sunset, they reached the summit of a rock outcropping that jutted from the dense vegetation and overlooked the valley to the north. From this vantage point, Sariel could see that the river turned slightly to the northeast and broke into dozens of streams until they rejoined at a large lake. The valley itself widened as it left the confines of the mountains.

"This is Arar Gahiy?" he asked his guides.

"Yes. Reeds grow tall near the water. Good for building roofs," one of the men answered. "We will sleep here tonight and you will go in the morning."

"Very well," Sariel replied, anxious to get started despite the growing anxiety with each step closer to this mysterious place.

~

After a fitful night's sleep, Sariel rose early and sat on the rocks overlooking the valley. He was still trying to get used to the human form he wore. He had never slept before coming to the Temporal Realm, but found that his body tired quickly in this habitation, so it was a necessity. So too was food, as his body grew hungry after only a short time without nourishment. He knew all these things, of course, before crossing over. But knowing and experiencing were very different.

When his companions woke, they handed him a small bag with some dried fruit.

Sariel understood this to mean that he was expected to leave, so he did. Making his way down the mountainside, he moved slowly through the forests until he reached the grassy foothills again, nibbling on some food to fight off the hunger. By midmorning, he reached the east side of Armayim, the Lake of the Curse. He could see what the young men meant about the reeds. Standing at twice his height, the thick green shoots were clustered densely in the shallows at the water's edge. He walked casually, regularly shifting his consciousness slightly toward the Eternal, giving himself the best opportunity to discover what inhabited this area and what might be out of place. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking for; Sheyir's father hadn't said why the valley was considered to be cursed. Sariel had questioned the younger men during their journey, but all he was able to ascertain was that this valley used to be a place where the young men came to gather building materials. The Chatsiyram knew something that they weren't sharing, and this was Sariel's test. If he really did possess dathrah, as they thought, then he should be able to tell them what was wrong with the valley.