The gleaming Lodom Range stretched far, and its shadow fell across the greatest river of Ao’Mahgar. From the Kocurang Steppe, the warriors beheld its majestic slopes, amber with a distant sheen. Atop the peaks stood colossal crystalline spires that pierced the drifting clouds. Mighty b’diga trees stood steadfast, sometimes in clusters and sometimes alone along the inclines. Their roots ran deep into veins of stone and soil. Their spreading canopies slowly unfurled and closed again, breathing in the cool, pristine mountain air.
High upon a solitary outcrop, Oawgi Tiknahah sat serenely within the hollow of a b’diga. His breath flowed in rhythm with the swaying boughs. His eyes were closed.
The shell-shaped gem upon his chest spun slowly and shone with a pure light. When Tiknahah opened his eyes, the three young henans stood before him and bowed. He gazed upon each in turn. His kind yet solemn expression was like a gentle hand laid upon their heads. Their faces softened, and the worries they had carried melted away.
Ramii stepped forward. These were words he had long prepared within himself along the way that had led them here.
“Honored Oawgi Tiknahah, we have heard that you are a master of the inward power called Yoogonaz. We humbly ask that you teach us, that we may learn the higher arts and the arms of the ownan. We would offer our strength to the struggle against the Goyk. The three of us shall strive with all our might and give you no cause for disappointment.”
Tiknahah stepped slowly out from the hollow of the tree. His figure was smaller and more unassuming than that of an ordinary ownan. He laid his hand upon the bark of the great b’diga and stood a while before speaking.
‘OaaLacqua ~ Your eyes are burdened. This venerable tree began from a seed no larger than a grain of sand, and that seed did not hurry. Nothing in Nature hastens, yet all things are accomplished in their season and bring forth wonders.
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Weapons and spells are but tools. The Goyk possess more tools and greater arts than we do. They kindle great fires, yet they soon burn out. The mighty empire that once stirred their pride has already returned to dust and stone. I will not lead you down that path.
If you would receive the true mysteries, you must first learn to clear your minds and cast aside what is needless. Only then may the seeds take root.’
~~~
The new disciples of Tiknahah sat at the very edge of the crystal outcrop. Their backs faced a sheer drop, their eyes fixed upon their Master’s tree hollow. A moment’s drowsiness or a careless lapse, when a sudden gust struck, could send them tumbling into the abyss.
Tiknahah kept the three seated there for ga’as on end. Only during brief intervals between the blue and red ga’as were they permitted to eat or drink. They faced the wind and fought against their own drowsiness. Pain settled in their legs until they were numb, and an unrelenting itch troubled them without respite. For our trio, and for Hudyn most of all, this was nothing short of torment.
'If even one of you gives up, it will be as though all three of you have. You will be made to leave, and I will never impart Yoa.' Tiknahah exacted this pledge from them.
Only after many ga’os of perseverance did they master the ability to sit still and remain steady. When Tiknahah saw their progress, he set before them a new challenge. He placed a tiny b’diga seed upon each of their heads and another in their palms. The seed upon the head was not to fall, while the one in the hand had to be passed to the other hand every three breaths.
Within a single ga’a, if any one of the three made more than three mistakes, all were punished with a ga’a of fasting. None dared lose focus. They could bear hunger themselves, but not the thought of causing it for the others.
Tiknahah kept them thus for many more ga’os. After that, he increased the difficulty once again. This time, the three were commanded to breathe as one. Any misstep, any break in their shared rhythm, was met with hunger and thirst.
Punishment followed upon punishment. Their mistakes grew fewer. In time, they learned to fast long and remain clear in mind and keen in spirit.
And on a red-ga’a, as they sat in stillness upon the mountain, a miraculous sign revealed itself. Their breath aligned with the rhythm of heaven and earth. A current descended from above as another rose from below, converging at a single point upon the brow. In that instant, they felt their bodies become as light as a breeze.
~~~
