DORULL STORIES - PRISONER OF THE AMULET
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“Ch’ybal? Ch’ybal, are you there?”
Sanomis was trying to establish the connection with the ice maiden for more
than two minutes now.
But to no avail. The crystal
remained quiet and still. It didn’t react. Whatever he did back then, it obviously
wasn’t working now. And Sanomis had no idea what it was. He touched every
centimeter of the surface. He stepped in and out of the water pool. He even
sprinkled a few drops over the crystal. But nothing helped. There was nothing
else he could try. Nothing, except to wait. And so he did. He waited.
Patiently. Sitting still, always staring at the crystal. Ready to act. He
waited for over four hours. Motionless. Waiting for the crystal to come to
life.
“So, you actually came back, vard.”
Sanomis heard Ch’ybal’s voice, as crystal flashed in bright, white light.
It wasn't as harsh as before. It
didn't surround him. It was mild. And it didn’t seize control over his body. It
served only as a signal, before it shut down.
“Does that surprise you?” Sanomis
asked.
“Not at all.” Ch’ybal answered
“You said you would.”
“And you believed me?” Sanomis
asked.
“Well, you also said, you are
telling the truth.” Ch’ybal answered.
“I did.” Sanomis retorted “And I
meant it.”
“I know.” Ch’ybal said.
“Of course you do.” Sanomis said
“So, what now?”
“Now…” Ch’ybal said “Now we’ll
find out if you know the truth, besides telling the truth.”
“I know the truth.” Sanomis
retorted.
“Very well.” Ch’ybal was pleased
“Then, vard, would you be so kind as to reveal the reason for your return to
Dorull?”
“First of all, let me express my
sorrow for everything the vards did on and to this planet.” Sanomis said.
“But?” Ch’ybal sensed it coming,
long before the geologist even begin to form the thought.
“But, and although I know it
doesn’t mean much, I simply need to inform you that the majority of us have no
clue what is going on.”
“Which is?”
“I truly don’t know what to call
it.” Sanomis was honest “It is some kind of person sorting thing. It is the
process of finding the compatible ones. Suitable even. And not just the
individuals, but the entire groups. All with the intention of relocating them
from this world.”
“I knew it!” Ch’ybal growled “You
fucking slaver cunts!”
“Slavers?” Sanomis asked
confusedly “What are slavers?”
“Come again?!” Ch’ybal raised her
voice “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What? Why?” Sanomis was confused.
“Now you’ll pretend you don’t know
what the slavery is?” Ch’ybal was starting to sound annoyed.
“But…but I don’t. Honestly.”
Sanomis defended himself “This is the first time I hear of that
particular term.”
“Unbelievable.” Ch’ybal sighed
“And most concerning. But hey, at least you know what the cunt means.”
“Concerning?” Sanomis asked “Why
is that?”
“Because I am now wondering what
else your elders hid from you.” Ch’ybal answered “And because we don’t have
time for that right now.”
“Hold on. Please tell me, did the
same thing happen before?” Sanomis asked.
“What happened before, must not
repeat ever again.” Ch’ybal answered.
“What happened? What did vards
do?” Sanomis asked “Tell me, please. I need to know.”
“You came. And you watched.”
Ch’ybal said “ And observed. From afar. For a very long time.”
“Just like now.” Sanomis added.
“And you collected.” Ch’ybal
continued, “You collected the necessary information.”
“Precisely like now.” Sanomis
interjected once again.
“Until you find out everything you
need.” Ch’ybal said.
“Everything we needed for what?”
Sanomis asked.
“Everything needed to decide on
which races you’d pay closer attention to.” Ch’ybal answered “To decide which
races would be the most desirable. Which will bring the most profit.”
“Wait, what?!” Sanomis almost
jumped out of his skin. “Surely you’re not telling me that this planned
relocation was devised with the trading in mind.”
“I believe the correct term is
trafficking.” Ch’ybal answered “What else did you think it was, a promise of a
better life.”
“That…that is horrible.” Sanomis
shook his head, “ That is inexcusable.”
“I agree.” Ch’ybal said.
“Where would these unfortunate
people end?” Sanomis asked “What would even happen to them?”
“I could only presume.” Ch’ybal
answered “They would probably be treated as a cheap, expendable workforce. hey could end up in military service. Or they could even be sexually exploited.”
“And someone would simply buy
them?” Sanomis was appalled “Like they are ordinary, plain things, and not
living, conscious beings.”
Ch’ybal said nothing.
“And we…,” Sanomis proceeded “…we
would simply sell them.”
Ch’ybal remained silent.
“And then?” Sanomis said, after a
minute-long pause “What happened afterwards?”
“It all went backwards and
sideways.” Ch’ybal answered “It wouldn’t take long before the disappearances
became noticeable. Which was to be expected, as you kidnapped them by
thousands.”
“T…th…thousands?” Sanomis
stammered in horror.
“From what I can recall, not a
single race was spared.” Ch’ybal continued, “This even united some of them.”
Sanomis turned silent.
“That helped in the search and
finding of some of the kidnapped folk.” Ch’ybal proceed “In an attempt to try and
save them.”
“How come?” Sanomis asked.
“Thanks to your rather strange
approach.” Ch’ybal said “You haven’t exactly shown discretion. So, I thought
this could be used.”
“How come?” Sanomis asked.
“I thought we could fight back.”
Ch’ybal’s voice shuddered.
“You haven’t?” Sanomis whispered.
“Unfortunately, I have.” Ch’ybal
was even quieter “And to this day, I can’t forgive myself.”
“What happened?” Sanomis asked.
“I advised the people. I gave them
hope.” Ch’ybal said “And ultimately, I’ve led them into the battle.”
Sanomis said nothing.
“I couldn’t have known, I was
instead leading them to the slaughter.”
“You couldn’t have known who you
are going against.” Sanomis said.
“But I sure did find that one out,
in the days that followed.” Ch’ybal retorted.
“What do you mean?” Sanomis asked.
“You haven’t stopped there.”
Ch’ybal sounded distant.
“In the collection…I mean this…um,
enslavement?” Sanomis asked.
“No.” Ch’ybal said “In the
killing.”
“Wh…what?” Sanomis stammered.
“And when you finally finished,
there was no one left on Dorull.” Ch’ybal said “Well, no one except me.”
“But…but, that is impossible.”
Sanomis was appalled “Do you even know what that implies?”
“There are a few terms which could
define what precisely happened here.” Ch’ybal said “The first one that springs
to my mind is genocide, but I feel that carries too mild of a connotations.”
“We would never do such a thing.”
Sanomis whispered.
“The extinction event is much
closer to a word.” Ch’ybal finished.
“Madness.” Sanomis shook his head
“We are not monsters.”
“I used to call you worse than
that, in the centuries that followed.” Ch’ybal was honest.
“In centuries that followed?”
Sanomis jerked his head “Wait a second, when did this happen exactly?”
“Some seven thousand years ago.”
Ch’ybal answered.
“Seven thousand?!” Sanomis
exclaimed “And you were there? If you don’t mind me asking, but how…um, old are
you?”
“Not at all.” Ch’ybal retorted “I
am the same age as this planet.”
“Impossible!” Sanomis couldn’t
hide his excitement “I am geologist. You know?”
“So?” Ch’ybal asked.
“So, one of the first things I
did, when we came here, was to analyze the age of these rocks.” Sanomis
answered “So according to that, if it’s true what you’re saying, you’d be some
six and a half million years old.”
“If you say so.” Ch’ybal said
calmly.
“That, on the norms of completely
formed planets is a relatively young age.” Sanomis proceed “But you are a
living being. Right?”
“Last time I checked.” Ch’ybal
answered.
“But how is that even possible?”
Sanomis couldn’t hide his amazement.
“You tell me.” Ch’ybal answered,
“You are a man of science.”
“Science doesn’t work like that.”
Sanomis retorted “It can’t just explain something, which was until now still
unknown.”
“So I am a mystery.” Ch’ybal said.
“Well I certainly never heard of
anyone or anything similar to you.” Sanomis retorted “But that isn’t saying
much, because I am young. Perhaps someone, somewhere, much older, much more
knowledgeable, left a mention of your kind.”
“You think somewhere, there are
beings similar to me?” Ch’ybal asked.
“Science could help you in finding
that out.” Sanomis said.
“I would love to think I am not
the only one.” Ch’ybal sighed.
“Which reminds me.” Sanomis added
“Earlier you said you were the only one left alive.”
“I did.” Ch’ybal answered “I was.”
“But that would be impossible.”
Sanomis said.
“Why?” Ch’ybal asked.
“Well, let’s put it simply, if
vards erased every single race from this world, how come the planet is so
populated right now?” Sanomis replied.
“The planet did that.” Ch’ybal
answered “It fixed the injustice. It healed itself. It brought back life.”
“In less than seven millennia?”
Sanomis shook his head “That is impossible.”
“Why?” Ch’ybal asked.
“Because science says so.” Sanomis
answered.
“Science doesn’t know everything.”
Ch’ybal retorted “You said it yourself. It hasn't heard of me.”
“Well how then?” Sanomis asked
“With magic?”
“I don’t know.” Ch’ybal said “Why
not. Dorull is a magical place.”
“I agree.” Sanomis said “Which is
why I don’t understand why vards would want to destroy such a special place.”
Ch’ybal said nothing.
“And what’s worse, you also said
the vards are intending to do the same thing once again.” Sanomis finished his
thought.
“You can put a stop to it.”
Ch’ybal said, after a few seconds of silence.
“Me? Alone?” Sanomis felt
overwhelmed “How?”
“You don’t have to do it alone.
Can’t you include some of yours?” Ch’ybal asked “Is there anyone you can
trust?”
“How could I? I have no idea who’s
involved in this whole ordeal.” Sanomis answered “What if I confide in the wrong person?”
“You’re right.” Ch’ybal retorted
“Better not then.”
“To be frank, I don’t know if I
can manage to see, let alone talk to any of them after today.” Sanomis said “I
don’t know if I’ll even find the strength to return to the ship.”
“Perhaps you don’t have to.”
Ch’ybal retorted.
“What should I do then?” Sanomis
asked, “Stay here.”
“Of course not.” Ch’ybal said “But
if you truly don’t intend to return to your people, I know of a place or two,
where you can hide.”
“You do?” Sanomis seemed pleased
to hear that “And where is that?”
“Are you certain?”
“I am.”
“Very well.” Ch’ybal said “But
you’ll have to go to Chaygor.”
“To Chaygor?” Sanomis was
intrigued.
“To the far north of Chaygor, to
be precise.” Ch’ybal said “In a small village, that is called Vur-Paan.”
“Alright?” Sanomis asked “But why
there?”
“There, you’ll meet with Roshnak
Baanar.” Ch’ybal answered.
“Who is he?” Sanomis asked.
“One of my pupils.” Ch’ybal
answered.
“Is he an orc?” Sanomis asked.
“And who else?” Ch’ybal laughed
“You do know everyone is an orc in Chaygor?”
“That’s what worries me.” Sanomis
was honest.
“You should be fine.” Ch’ybal
retorted “As long as you manage to avoid them.”
“Easier said.” Sanomis sighed.
“You’ll manage.” Ch’ybal said
“Besides, most of them are peaceful. They won’t attack without a reason.”
“I’ve heard something different.”
Sanomis said.
“From whom? Those same people you
can’t see or talk to?” Ch’ybal asked.
“You think they lied about that
too?” Sanomis retorted.
“Orcs are one of the kindest and
most thoughtful races on this planet.” Ch’ybal said “You’ll see, once you get
to know them.”
“That is good to know.” Sanomis
let out a sigh of relief “And I’ll be safe in this Vur-Paan?”
“I’ll inform Roshnak of your
arrival.” Ch’ybal said “He’ll help you.”
“How?”
“He’ll bring you to me.”
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