“Who are you?” somebody was roughly shaking Alma. Still under impression from her dream she needed a couple of moments to recognize Schnew. Rest of company was in a circle around them.

She pushed him away: “Get of me you moron.”

“I will ask you once more: who are you?” This time his shiv was under her throat.

“If this is some kind of revenge for the thing in the fog, it’s not funny at all.” Then she saw his eyes, sparkling with rage and thirst for blood like the eyes of the wolf in the hunt. She saw all of their eyes and she saw mistrust and hostility. “What got into you guys, it’s me Alma. I grow up with you Subito and I know you since I can remember Schnew. Really guys you are scaring me.”

“She is wearing Alma’s clothes.”

“She probably killed her and took it of her dead body. I suppose she is some creature from the fog. Where is Alma or what is left of her?”

“C’mon admit it and we will kill you quickly.”

She was ready to cry now, only if she could… And then it happened, she touched her cheek and felt it. It was moist, she was crying. This is impossible, what is going on? Is Lorantid attached to her skull? Thousands of questions were ringing, and neither one of them had answers. She was desperate, she’s going to die by the hands of her friends.

“Leave the poor girl alone, she is telling the truth.”

They all turned around to see their host making fire in order to cook some milk. They didn’t have an idea where did he found the milk.

“What truth?”

“She is your friend Alma.”

“I would recognize Alma, when I saw her. I knew her since she was a child. And that’s not her. Alma was never so beautiful.” Schnew was certain.

“You used to know her as Utrikat, human changed by the fog. This is new her, true her, human cured of fog effects. I washed her face last night with special admixture and this is the result - her human face.”

Alma

“It is me guys. Subito do you remember when we were little and we used to hide in that old hollow tree in your clan hunting ground? We were the only ones who knew about that tree. Schnew do you remember how you used to steal honey cookies from that old deaf cook and used them to lure Utrikat servant girls to your sleeping chamber? Do you remember how I have hit you with the frying pan when you tried the same trick with me? And how you have called me ugly since then and mocked me whenever you got the chance?”

“Okay it is you, only you can waffle so much. Lillium honey don’t listen to her, it was years before I met you. You know that I love you, right? I should have cut her throat while I had a chance.” He finished in low, hissing, threatening voice.

Alma leaned over one of the ponds, examining her face. She had soft white skin, and golden hair falling on her shoulders. Even her eyebrows were golden and thin. She was a real beauty, with small chin, button nose and red full lips in between. Her breasts were small, just the way he liked. She was touching them when a voice from behind startled her.

“You are really beautiful. No need for blushing, we all are curious about our bodies.” It was their host, former god. “This is a potion I made for you. If you choose to remain human just drink it now and you will remain like this till the end of your life. But if your choice is to go back and remain Utrikat just walk out into the fog, away from the lights, and you should change back in an hour or so. Take time to think about it.” He presented her with a vial containing dark blue liquid, same as her new eyes. She could see their reflections shining in the pond like two sapphires. A quick look at her friends, and especially at him, and she already decided to take a long sip from the vial. There is a chance she couldn’t dream of in her wildest dreams, and just for a chance she will change who she is, she will be human.

“Your friend had chosen to remain human. All of you should choose, will you accept to pay my price.”

“We don’t have a choice but to accept. So yes we will go on this task for you.”

“I am glad to hear that.”

“Hey you, how are we supposed to get there? It would also be good if you could give us some name, it would be very awkward to call you god or the wind.”

“Like I said I had many names, all of them were given to me by humans. You humans really like to label things, don’t you? Name I liked the most was one which some ancient long gone nation gave me. It was Bebuli because of the way I look. It was their word for the baby. You can call me this way if you want. As for your transportation, I will teach you a melody on my fife. This melody will control the wind, which will carry you. You only need to be standing on canvas, like a robe or mantle for instance, rug would also do. So you will play this tone when you want to go right and this one when you need to go left…”

Bebuli

“Okay Bebuli, I remembered well. Names are not for labeling just for categorization, we use them like road signs in our memory.”

“Travel well and take care around animals, lots of them are carnivorous, and all of them are wild beasts. Use fire, they have a fear of it. My friends Sulutapi, who populate these areas, avoid roads around that mountain because of the multitude of beast roaming around there.”

“We will take care.” Schnew started melody and pretty soon cape on which they were standing was hovering, quickly gaining on altitude. At one point Schnew tried to test the speed potential of his flying cape, but Lillium quickly interrupted him:

“Are you trying to kill us all, you molester of Utrikat young girls?”

He just mumbled in his beard: “I saw it coming” and decreased the speed. Mountain was near as Bebuli promised, travel was short and no other incidents interrupted it.

When they landed, at first they couldn’t notice anything, and then they saw they were surrounded by beasts. Pair of glowing eyes would shortly shine in the fog or big shadow would quickly pass in the distance. Roars, growls and snarls were coming from all sides. They lighted torches and surrounded Schnew who played fife in order to cast away the fog. Slowly they were approaching the epicenter of noise. And soon wind, which was following them, cleared the fog of the big group of animals concentrated on a small area. They were eating something. There were those big animals which attacked them in the Land of Moving Hills. Foxes with ears bigger in size than the rest of the body, big transparent bubbles that were flying around pushing themselves with big clouds of hot gas they would occasionally release from their rear end. There were also animals who were just bones covered with skin. Giant wild dogs and horned wolves were next to each other. Most numerous were gray bears with a shell on their backs, together with an animal that can best be described as a blind slimy cow. None of them were attacking on each other except for small skirmishes for the place, they were just feeding together.

“This is a harmony. Are we in the heavens?” Schnew grined.

“Even if we are, we came here to destroy it. Let me have the honor.” Lillium stepped forward and applied a small trick she learned in Land of Moving Hills. Trick she used on Schnew on that happy day, when they thought they have won the war. There is no real victory in war, war last forever, only soldiers are changing. Even out of the battlefield, soldier never leaves the war. War is always in his memories. Some say that even after death warriors continue their never ending battle and on the nights when you find yourself in the place of long forgotten battle you can see them charging at each other. She conjured a big colorful dragon and made him blow several big balls out of his mouths. When the balls have hit the animals they broke into big fireworks, forcing animals to run away like someone poured hot water all over them.

“Quickly, before they come back!” They saw an entire area was covered with some white substance mixed with earth. Under the small mound, it was flowing out the earth like the spring. Schnew tasted it:

“If they can eat it, I can too… It’s a milk, we have milk spring here.”

“Quickly take sample. We should be gone from here before they decide to come back.”

Soon they were hovering on their cape once more, going back to the cave belonging to their strange host.

Bebuli was waiting for them. When they told him what they have found, he smiled:

“It is not the milk spring, it is mountain lactating. Fog changes not only living world, but the objects too. Sometimes it gives them traits of living beings, which is the case here. Now take a rest tomorrow you need to continue with your mission.”

“Wait a moment! We have paid our price, now it is time for you to help us.”

“No you have paid just a part of your prize. I promise I will not make you do more than a three tasks. Take a rest, tomorrow you have more job to do. I really need help here, to maintain minimum of the order in what is left of the world outside of this cave.”

Later that night Lillium approached Subito who was polishing his stone mace:

“Sometimes I really wonder are men blind.”

“Why?”

“Do you know why Alma has decided to remain human?”

“Maybe she likes to be beautiful?”

“Yes, but beautiful for you. She was in love with you since you were children, but she thought Utrikat servant would never have a chance with young baron. Now when she finally got her chance, you are not even noticing her same as before.”

“I love Miratur.”

“Miratur is dead. Lately You were acting very strange. You need to let some light shine over your darkness. Or else you will get lost forever. Love will bring you the light. Don’t you see it is the same thing, it even have similar names: Love, Light, and Live.”

“And Lie…”

“Yes and Lie, but the sweetest lie there is.”

“But I can’t…”

“Yes you can, Miratur would want the same thing for you, to continue with your life as opposed to burying yourself alive. I know it, I am her mother. You have lost part of your heart, I have lost part of my flesh, but we must keep on living and fighting. Every man dies twice, once in the flesh and second time in memories, we have to live on so someone would remember our dead loved ones. Go out there and speak with her, she is sitting in front of the cave watching vines and birds. Live and love for yourself and for Miratur. You are the only child I have now when my daughter is dead.”

Reluctantly Subito walked out of the cave. “Hurry up before Schnew gets her.” After a long time both of them were smiling.

***

“…Pain

Feel it, feel the weakness leaving your body.”

Crowd was applauding again. Melessar decided to quote a really short passage from the Book of Voice, so he will have more time left for translation. Those books were very intriguing. Yet he remained after the preaching for a discussion with two dozen or so of his fateful followers. They sat on the platform in front of the library and started a discussion. Some of them were followed by slaves who carried food and drinks, which they were sharing during a discussion. One of them started:

“So much wisdom is packed into so few words. This is the true art – to have short and clear expression. Time is precious we shouldn’t spend it on words like a woman do.”

“Well, you could say the description is the true beauty of any language. And I see a problem with this quote, pain especially emotional pain can leave terrible scars on the body and soul of the recipient, some of them never heal, and actually make you weaker.”

“All valuable items in this world are rare and small. Look at the btaris, or pearls or diamonds. On the other hand, most beautiful things are often big like sun or water or snow, but another time they are small like eyes or surturi plant. Beauty does not depend on the size. Short expression can be beautiful, but also can detailed one. One is certain: the truth is always simple and clear.”

“Let’s return to our subject, pain often has positive afterwards effects. If you do body exercise pain is good, since it is a sign of muscle growth. Also pain is good for an artist, it helps him create.”

“Again it all depends on the amount of pain, pain that does not break you, will make you stronger. Pain which breaks you will make you even weaker.”

“All is in measurements!”

“Measurement is impossible since there are no two same things in the world. What are you going to compare, if there’s nothing same?”

Melessar raised his hand to stop the argument, since he noticed a familiar face approaching them. It was Galatu, he jumped and hugged him:

“Galatu my friend, what happened to you?”

“Your sword brother summoned me. Don’t look like that, I haven’t hit my head, it is possible by burning the feather from the wing of my bird form to transport me to any place in the world. Anyway, I have news for you, can we go somewhere private?”

“There is no need here we all are friends.”

“I found your sword brother and his company escaping from the mine in the Lorantid land. I transferred them to a sage, if anyone can help them it is him. Land of Moving Hills is lost by treachery, after they prevailed in battle. Your sword brother’s girlfriend is dead.”

“Miratur…? Those are terrible news. I need to go to Ulan and ask kings for an army.”

“That was exactly what your sword brother suggested.”

“I will join you, I mean in a war not in Ulan.” One of the men said, few more joined him, rest were silent.

“I will give weapon and armors, I am big weapon trader. We will find more warriors after preaching in city.”

Few more of them promised money or to hire mercenaries or to free their slaves if they agree to fight in a war.

“Thank you guys, but I have to go to Ulan, on my way back I will gladly accept any help you can give. Galatu I will need you to transport me to Ulan this evening.”

“Sure go and get ready, I will wait for you.”