In his dreams, white forms flickered at the edges of Kahlil’s sight. Something hunted him in the darkness. A desperate, distant voice screamed his name.
He bolted upright, almost falling out of the bed. Instantly, Jath’ibaye caught his arm and steadied him. Jath’ibaye’s eyes were hardly open but his grip was surprisingly strong.
“Are you all right?”
“Fine,” Kahlil said. “Just a bad dream. Someone kept shouting for me.” He settled back down beside Jath’ibaye.
“Who was it?” Jath’ibaye asked.
“I don’t know.” Kahlil shifted the blankets. He must have been thrashing in his sleep because they had become hopelessly tangled.
“I hate those kinds of dreams,” Jath’ibaye murmured.
“Me too.” Kahlil watched the faint shadows of leaves and vines that the pale morning light cast across the walls. These last few hours of morning were all that were left to them. Kahlil would have to leave soon. If it came to war, there would be no telling how long they could be parted. The sweet smell of strawberries drifted over him.
He said, “I wish I could dream of Nayeshi more often. I really enjoy those dreams. The smells and feel of everything is so vibrant. I always feel like I’ve briefly escaped from life, you know?”
Jath’ibaye nodded. “I feel like that when I dream of the islands across the East Ocean.”
“You mentioned them before,” Kahlil said. It had been on the same night that they had first slept together. “But you never said where the islands are.”
“I don’t know exactly,” Jath’ibaye replied. “I feel them sometimes, when my thoughts are drifting across the water. I see sheer white cliffs of limestone rising from the ocean and miles of lush forests. There are plants and animals there that I’ve never seen anywhere else.”
“I’ve never tried to travel to the east,” Kahlil said. “I wonder how far away the islands are?” He had crossed greater distances through the Gray Space, but only while knowing where he was going. Attempting to find an island in the midst of a vast ocean intrigued him.
“I don’t know,” Jath’ibaye said. “With everything here, I haven’t had much time to really look for them. I just dream of them now and then.”
“Last night?” Kahlil asked.
“No,” Jath’ibaye said, scowling. “I dreamed that we were still in the council meeting, arguing. It was a nightmare really.”
Kahlil rolled closer to Jath’ibaye.
“Do you think that a ship could sail to the Eastern Islands?” he asked.
“Maybe,” Jath’ibaye said. “Why?”
“I’d like to see them with you someday.”
Jath’ibaye smiled at him.
“That would be nice,” Jath’ibaye said quietly. He gathered Kahlil closer to him, then let out a quiet laugh.
“What?”
“I can’t believe that you said that prayer last night.” He chuckled again. “I suppose I forgot how religious you are.”
Kahlil grinned. “Just because I’m a bad priest doesn’t mean I can’t remember my prayers.”
He bent to kiss Jath’ibaye’s shoulder, whispering, “With my body I worship you…”
He slid his hands under the blankets and over Jath’ibaye’s bare skin. Jath’ibaye moved closer, returning Kahlil’s caresses with a desperate, hungry kiss. The pretense of conversation fell aside as their bodies moved in a common rhythm.
Three hours later, Pesha arrived at Jath’ibaye’s door to escort Kahlil to the kahlirash’im’s barrack. She looked freshly scrubbed and proud when she announced herself as Ushiri Pesha. Kahlil slung the yasi’halaun onto his back, glanced to Jath’ibaye, and said, “Good luck.”
“You as well.” Jath’ibaye stood, silent as always when in the grip of strong emotion, hands at his sides. Kahlil thought that Jath’ibaye might embrace him, but he didn’t. In the presence of Pesha, he kept his distance, honoring Kahlil’s request for discretion.
Kahlil wanted to be able to leave without a backward glance, but dread welled up in him and he knew that he’d left Jath’ibaye once before, in another life, and they had not seen each other again. They couldn’t part like that again. He spun back and pulled Jath’ibaye into his arms for one last, deep kiss.
Jath’ibaye embraced him with tender ferocity; his whole body almost trembled with the effort of restraining himself. His mouth tasted sweet and felt too good.
Kahlil pulled himself back while he still retained the willpower. Jath’ibaye released him.
“Tell me you won’t forget me,” Kahlil whispered.
Jath’ibaye smiled and murmured, “I won’t forget you. I never could.”
Kahlil turned back to Pesha, who stood goggling at their display. He said, “Let’s be on our way, Ushiri. We shouldn’t be here when Jath’ibaye’s guests arrive.”
To Be Continued…
Characters Appearing in Arc Five
–Rashan’im commander and spy master in Nurjima; partly crippled.
–Ji’s student.
–Besh’anya’s brother, also on Jath’ibaye’s ship.
–Jath’ibaye’s house steward in Vundomu.
–Gaunan killed by Jath’ibaye while attempting an assassination
–Once an ushiri, now attempting to destroy Jath’ibaye
–Representative for Silverlake District. Fai’daum war hero.
–Fai’daum representative for the Ironheights District.
–Escaped issusha oracle and Fai’daum leader.
–John Tofler, Jahn
–Bousim commander of norther forces. Gaunsho Bousim’s son.
–Kyle, Kyle’insira, Ravishan
– Called Loshai in Basawar. John’s friend from Nayeshi
–Faidaum representative for the Westcliff District. Son of Gin’yu
–Gaunsho Bousim.
–Heir to the Bousim house, killed by Kahlil when he attempted to assassinate Jath’ibaye.
–Nanvess’ father. Governor of the Bousim’s northern holdings
–Gaunsho Lisam.
–Young kahlirash with ushiri skills.
– Sailor on Jath’ibaye’s ship.
–Ji’s son. Jath’ibaye’s informant in Nurjima and a trained witch.
–Leader of the kahlirash’im and representative for Vundomu.
Titles, Ranks and Terms of Address
—Leader of the Payshmura Church.
l—Holy Traveler and Companion to Parfir.
—High Ranking Clergy; often in a position of great responsibility.
—Talented Priest studying to become Kahlil’im.
—Priest.
—Nun.
—Military sect devoted to Parfir’s destroyer incarnation.
—Lord of one of the seven noble houses.
—Nobleman.
—Noblechild.
—Noblewoman.
—Nobles (as a group).
—Scholar, Doctor or anyone learned.
—Student.
—Military leader, particularly calvary.
—Soldier.
—Common man.
—Common woman.
—Animal; derogatory when used to address a human being.
and ———————-iff
animal / it ————shir
asshole —————-wahbai
bark (tree) ————istana
bee (honey) ———behr
best ———————-sho
black ——————-yasi
blonde hide ———jahn
blood ——————-usha
blue ——————— holima
bone ——————-sumah
bones (holy) ———issusha
book ———————lam
brothers —————ashan
but / however ——hel
chasm ——————kubo
city —————�
��—-tamur
cold ———————polima
dead ———————maht
deer (mount) —— tahldi
delicious ————-mosh
dog (tame) ———-kohl
dog (wild)/wolf — sabir
exhausted ————renma
fast (speed) ———-sam
fire ———————- daru
food ———- ———nabi (grain)
friend ——————pashim
from / of ————-in
fuck ———————faud
goat ———————fik
good / pretty ——domu
grain plant ———-taye
green ——————-ibaye
harm ——————-ratim
hawk ——————-alidas
hill ———————-rousma
holy ———————ushmana
hot ———————-niru
how / because —-ahab
idiot ———————bai
joy ————————amha
key ————————hala
key, death-lock —-maht’tu hala
knife ———————halaun
lazy ———————-pom
little / diminutive —-iri
lock —————————tu
lost —————————gasm’ah
love ————————-mohim
man/ male ————- vun
meadow ——————pivan
meat ————————nabi’usha
medicinal tree ———yasistana
monastery —————ushmura
money ———————jiusha
mountain —————-rathal
no —————————-iss
noble ———————-gaun
none ————————illin
orchard ——————-umbhra
peace ———————-tumah
place ————————amura
quiet ————————itam
rain ————————-parh
red —————————daum
river ————————fai
road ————————nur
run ————————-sango
sacred books ———- ushmana’lam
sacred drink ————fathi
same ————————kin
shit ————————-jid
similar ———————ro
sky —————————loshai
snow ————————pelima
solitary ——————-jath
speak ———————-vass
spill ————————-ra
spoil ————————lafi
still ————————- tash
stop ————————-nahara
strike ———————-bish
terrible ——————-tehji
time / year—————-ayal
to be lost ————- —gasmya
to drink ——————siraya
to eat ————————nabiya
to harm ——————-ratimya
to kill ———————-rashiya
tree (fruit) —————isma
tree bark ——————istana
ugly/ bad —————mulhi
unholy /unclean —korud
water/drink ————sira
weasel ——————-ganal
what ———————-bati
when ———————bayal
where ——————-bamura
white ———————pesha
who ———————-ban
why ———————-bahab
wine ———————- vishan
witch ———————tahjid
woman/ female —-vur
yellow /gold————jima/ ji
yes ————————-du
Pronouns
he him —————-vun
his ————————-vun’um
they(all male) ——-vun’im
she/her ——————vur
hers ————————vur’um
they (all female) —-vur’im
they(mixed) ——— pun’im
theirs ———————pun’um
I/me ———————-li
mine ———————-li’um
we/us ———————li’im
ours ————————lim’un
you ————————yura
yours ———————-yura’um
you (plural) —— —-yura’im
yours (plural) ——- yura’un
it —————————-shir
it (plural)————— shir’um
Declensions and Conjugations
positive ——————— dou
negative ——————— iss
question ——————— sa
object of action ——— hir
source of action ——— ati
one who does————- hlil
plural ———————— im
possessive (singular)- um
possessive (plural) —- un
future tense ————— ad
past tense —————— ah
present tense ————- ya
(Ya literally means ‘to do’ or ‘to be’.)
possible ——————— at
hoped for (future) —- atdou
hoped against ———-atiss
command form ——— hi
gerund ———————-yas
adjective ———————an
adverb ————————al