Eye of the Unicorn - The Grieving God

CHAPTER ONE

Shoshten strode down the corridor deep in thought. It had been almost a year since he had heard from or spoken to Thr. He could still feel the Idor’s presence in his mind, but no direct communication or instruction had been given by the Leader of the Idor. The whereabouts and progress of Deyka’s forces outside of the Idor home world remained unknown. Shoshten sighed, closing his eyes as he expanded his consciousness beyond the city of Elidorsan and into the sister cities spread out across the beautiful planet.

Thr city was as ever under the diligent direction of Amroth, his first mate, and she acknowledged his mind with a gentle caress, their newborn babe in her arms. Escoora wriggled and giggled at the touch of her father then fell asleep once more. He smiled to himself and directed his attention to Csjn city where his first son and second in command, Merkan, resided.

As always, Merkan responded instantly with a full daily report on all of the mundane business of the city that had transpired since Shoshten’s absence. He listened patiently, only half aware of what his capable caretaker was telling him. Confirming his satisfaction on how things were going, Shoshten made his leave and brought his mind back to Elidorsan and the reason for his visit. Mora was now expecting her first son and he hoped that Deyka would be back soon to be there for the birth. She was with a gaggle of healers now. He smiled to himself at how her sharp temper must be pushed to the limit with the fussing and cooing going on around her.

Taking a deep breath, he spread his mind out far across the planet and touched the cities of the San people. It was up to him to assist Mora in her duties and this was one of the most difficult. It took a strong mind to cover the distance to reach the other cities, and because there was only one Elidorsan representative in each of them, they could not help him in any way. He spread his mind like a soft blanket over the cities and ‘read’ the energies emanating from its people.

Chai city was as usual calm and peaceful, an air of efficiency and productivity emanating from its many inhabitants. The bloodline of his grandfather continued to produce competent and benevolent Chieftains to guide the city and its population. Shoshten knew he was the image of his grandsire, an asset he sometimes used to his advantage when visiting the city in person. It had been eleven thousand years since Karuc ruled but his legacy was legendary. The direct son of Remruc and Eriya, his bloodline was given almost mythical status by the people of Chai. They were fiercely proud of their strength and the number of citizens chosen to become Elidorsan and join the ranks of the Elite.

Shifting his mind, Shoshten moved steadily across the plain to Doona, a city that had a troubled past but which now seemed serene and settled. The bloodline of Aroth was good and true, with the shame of their history weighing heavily on the citizens. They seemed to strive even harder to be the best of the San people. No unease or unrest could be detected here, just a quiet diligence and steadiness that was encouraging. Shoshten made a mental note to visit the city of his first mate again soon.

Swinging to the south over the vast forests, he found the city of Nemn shining like a jewel in a sea of foliage and trees. A sharpness and edge instantly alerted him. The feeling from the city was so different from the others; it was jagged and staccato as an undertone of disquiet emanated upwards. He could not get a fix on what the issues were so, pulling back, he gritted his teeth and tried to fight down the feeling of unease that now churned inside him. It looked like he had done a sweep just in time.

Making his way to the Chieftain’s apartments, Shoshten waited politely in the reception rooms till the healers were finished with Mora, although he suspected it would be more the other way around.

“Yes, yes, thank you, I will.” The hurried thought spilt out into the public lines as Mora ushered the four healers from her rooms. “No really, you don’t have to…” The colouring of her thoughts was starting to change from polite to irritated. She gritted her teeth at their fussing and tried to dampen the urge to punch them. Sensing her mood, the healers quickly withdrew and made their way out of reach of her temper. Shoshten smiled and pulled a face at her as she struggled to regain control.

“My Lady Mora, are you in good health?” Shoshten politely enquired, his mental shields up for the stinging reply.

“Your health will be in question, brother dear, if you don’t stop teasing!” Mora eased her aching frame into a chair. “I’m just about to burst with this monster of a child. The sooner he is born, the better.” The acidity in her tone did not dissipate when talking about her infant and Shoshten noticed the lack of warmth in her mind. Mora it seemed was not mother material. Perhaps it would improve when the child was born, he thought to himself.

“I have completed my monthly sweep of the cities; all is well except for Nemn. There is an edge that was not there last time. I think I might pay them a surprise visit, unless of course you have had any reports from your council and the resident Chieftain that I should be aware of? Who, by the way, is the current Chieftain?” Shoshten poured himself a drink as he waited for Mora’s response. She wrinkled her brow in thought as she mentally went through the list of Chieftains of the Nemn. It was difficult sometimes to keep track; time had no meaning for the Elidorsan so often decades could pass for them in the blink of an eye.

“I think the current Chieftain is Lady Sonek. She is aged but able with a son waiting to take her place. The last reports from the Elidorsan stationed there did not mention any problems, but I could get the reports from the records for you to look at before you venture into unknown territory.” Mora smiled to take the sting out of her mood. She really could not wait for her son to be born; it was so frustrating for her fit and lean frame to be encumbered so. The child within was silent. Even he was aware of her lack of attachment and so kept all interaction to a minimum. Mora sent instructions to her staff to bring up the records required whilst she flipped through the files of potential candidates for second mates for Deyka. She had no intention of getting over-involved with the raising of this child and was intent on finding a suitable candidate to carry out the majority of the work.

Shoshten watched with growing concern. Mora barely hid her thoughts and feelings about being pregnant and he knew that Deyka was unaware of her plans for a second mate. Once again, he sent a message to Thr for assistance, his plea echoing emptily in his head, but there was no reply. Sitting down opposite Mora, he sipped his drink. He had deliberately not made one for her and was waiting to see if she even noticed. After a few minutes she glanced his way, a scowl flashing across her pretty face as she saw the cup in his hand. “Am I not even worth the thought of a beverage then?” she snapped, “Do I have to do everything myself?” She made to rise and Shoshten placed a hand on her arm.

“I am sorry, I thought you had just finished, you know what the healers are like for their herbal drinks.” She snatched her arm away, nodding towards the canisters in the corner. Shoshten realised she was not going to be more forthcoming, but he had succeeded in his goal of reaching her child. Shoshten had been trained most carefully by Thr, his skills in mind-meld, communication and control excelling even the legendary Sorta’s. He knew that a fleeting touch was all he needed to establish a link with Mora’s child without her knowing. He was concerned with what he had felt. He poured Mora a blend of Chai’s finest leaves and placed the steaming cup next to her on the table strewn with files. “See anyone you like?” he asked, keeping his mind carefully neutral.

“There are one or two who are older and more experienced in childcare that I think will be good. We don’t need a warrior. I am more than proficient in that area, but what about a textile specialist or merchant? Those are good trades with an emphasis on diplomacy and an ability to negotiate. I mean, it seems all the Idor have for us now is this boring humdrum life with nothing to do but maintain the harmony on this world.” She finished her thought with a sigh and a distant look. Shoshten moved carefully onto a new line of thought.

“I think they would be excellent choices for… what name have you chosen for your child, Mora?” he asked innocently. Mora looked at him sharply, her mind trying to prise any hidden meaning behind his enquiry. He skilfully blocked her attempts without her even knowing and continued. “I mean, it would be nice to be able to refer to him by a name, wouldn’t it?” Mora glanced away and tried to stand up, knocking the cup over as she did so. “It’s alright, I will get it,” said Shoshten as he caught the cup with his mind and managed to scoop all of the liquid back in before it hit the floor. Mora looked at him with admiration.

“That was very quick, my brother, your skills are really tuned. What else can you do?” For a moment Shoshten thought she suspected what he had done and his heart missed a beat. Covering up his hesitation, he smiled and stood up.

“I can study the files on the Chieftains in a matter of minutes and transport myself to Nemn in even less time.” He finished his statement with a bow and turned to face the archivists as they entered the room with the appropriate information. “Unless you need me for anything else, Mora, I will take my leave and try to find the cause of the unease.” Mora gave him a small smile which quickly vanished as he turned and left the room. “This is not good,” Shoshten said to himself, “she is changing by the day and not for the better.” Again he tried to contact Thr and again he was ignored. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he marched from the rooms and back along the corridor hoping to find a solution to the problem.

Deyka flashed orders to his fleet of ships simultaneously as they cruised quietly through the silent space between galaxies. He couldn’t understand why the Idor wanted him to carry out this mission. They were under strict orders not to engage with any lifeforms they encountered and instead were mapping specific star systems which seemed to follow no coherent pattern. He sighed to himself, longing with every part of his being to be back home with Mora and his unborn son.

Deyka was not stupid. He knew Mora was not pleased about being pregnant but saw it as her duty to provide an heir. Surely she understood that the Idor might not select this child to be one of the Elite? He was anxious that they might face the heartache of seeing their child grow old and die. Only now could he fully understand the pain that Remruc and Eriya went through with Karuc. Part of him wondered if this was why Mora was so distant with the child; perhaps she was trying to protect herself from possible trauma. He was pulled from his thoughts by an alert from one of his scout ships. He easily reached across the distance and linked directly with the captain of the ship. “Yes, Carnth, I am listening.” He settled into his seat to ‘see’ what Carnth was viewing.

On the screens in front of the captain was a formation of the strange crafts they had encountered in a previous star system. They looked more advanced and their propulsion systems were more efficient, allowing them to travel at much faster speeds. The basic design was the same, though, and Deyka was sure they were flown by the same species. It made him wonder how long his people had been travelling in this universe. Time had no meaning for them and the Idor home world existed outside time and space, making it difficult for Deyka to get a reference point on which to judge the length of their trip. All they had been doing was systematically carrying out the Idor’s instructions, a task they had almost completed. It was obvious from the alien craft that the civilisation that had built them had advanced considerably since their last encounter; for them at least, a substantial period must have passed. “I’m coming aboard, I would like to do a closer sweep.” Deyka finished his thought and stood up, expanding his mind easily to link directly with the distant ship. Focusing his will, he slipped his body between the reality of this universe and back again, reappearing on Carnth’s flight deck.

“My Lord.” Carnth bowed low and indicated that Deyka take his seat. As he sat down the screens flashed out statistical data on the ships. “We may need to conceal ourselves,” advised Carnth, “It seems their sensors are far more advanced.” Nodding to his crew, he gave the command to hide his craft. The walls hummed and vibrated as the ship balanced itself between the fabric of time and space and this reality, effectively invisible to any mechanical detection device. They crept closer and scanned the ships for lifeforms. “They look similar to us, my Lord. Not as substantial maybe, but very similar.” Carnth mused to himself as he looked at the bio readings he was receiving.

Deyka leaned closer to the screen. His interest in these aliens was a mystery to him; perhaps it was because they were so similar to the San that he was curious. Very few lifeforms that they had encountered in the last universe they had fought in looked anything like the San. He wondered who these people were and what they were doing out here in this lonely place. “Can we predict their course and destination?” Deyka asked, “I would like to know where they are going and how long it will take them to get there.” He waited patiently as Carnth’s crew pressed buttons and touched screens, building the data from the star charts they had already received from the Idor. As the answers came up on the screen in front of him, he was disappointed. The region of space that the ships were heading into had not been programmed into the ships by the Idor. It seemed they did not want the Elidorsan in that area. Deyka’s instructions took him far away to the other side of this universe. Smiling to himself, he bade farewell to the alien craft as they journeyed on their way. “It seems we will never know, Carnth. Thank you for your hospitality, carry on.” He gave the captain back his seat and moved once more through space onto his own ship. He was still perturbed about the other race he had seen. Unable to rid himself of his curiosity, he made his way back to his quarters and tried to still his mind with a game of chance. It took a long time before he was calm and tired enough to rest, but it was not a peaceful sleep. Instead, he fought the Cuc once more on Surn, only they did not look like Cuc; they looked like San.

Shoshten poured over the reports looking for any clues as to the unrest he sensed in the city, but there did not seem to be anything obvious. Lady Sonek had been diligent in her management, meeting regularly with her Elidorsan contact and sending goods to the city of Csjn to trade. All appeared well, which made him even more perturbed about what he had felt. Was it possible that Lady Sonek did not have as tight a control on her people as she thought? Something was missing, a piece of information that could not be found in papers or writing.

Steeling himself, Shoshten made a quick check of his travel pack which contained a change of clothing and a utility belt with lightweight weapons that could be easily concealed. He paused to consider whether or not to wear battle armour or if this would create even more ripples. Deciding it would be best to make it appear a courtesy visit, he readied himself. Reaching out, he searched for the mind of the Elidorsan contact for the city of Nemn. “Good day to you, Duren, how are you this fine day?” His thoughts were light and cheerful, belying his anxiety.

“My Lord Shoshten, it is a pleasure to hear from you. I am most well, thank you. Are you planning a visit?” Duren was neutral in his response, instantly alerting Shoshten. Without further communication, he locked onto Duren’s position in the city and moved through space to appear next to him.

“Yes, I thought I might,” he smiled as Duren turned to bow low, “Nemn is so beautiful at this time of year, I thought the clear air would do me good.” Shoshten noted the guarded nature of Duren’s formal reply.

“I hope you are pleased with the air of the city during your stay.” Duren managed to glance sideways as he spoke, indicating they were not entirely alone. Following his lead, Shoshten indicated that he would like to be assigned quarters as he intended to stay for a few days. He lightly searched the mental frequencies to locate who might be eavesdropping. A murmur of consciousness floated nearby; a San by the feel of the thought, and not too good at hiding his presence. Duren led the way. As they passed an offshoot corridor, a San dressed in serving clothes almost walked into them. Bowing deeply, he apologised profusely and made his way out of the hallway. Shoshten did well to hide his displeasure before he scanned the private lines for any other unwelcome listeners. Only once he was sure there was no one to hear his thoughts did he speak to Duren.