Conjunction

The Shaman's cave was at the far end of the roughly circular village, carved into the base of one of the ever-present spires, its mouth covered by a colorful curtain. Nyoka waited outside as Kadal pushed through, stepping into the cool interior, lowering her head to avoid scraping her scales on the uneven ceiling. These formations were all natural products of the coral, her people had no means of hollowing them out by hand. The tunnel led a few feet deeper into the rock, the floor covered in a carpet of sand, eventually leading to a larger chamber.

The roughly dome-shaped interior was high enough that Kadal no longer had to crouch, the dark chamber lit by a small, smokeless fire pit that burned in its center. The crackling flames cast dancing shadows, picking out the sharp corals that lined the walls. It was surrounded by three-legged stools, and there was a low table nearby made from wood that had been lashed together with strips of leather. At the back of the room were some shelves that were lined with rows of glass jars and wooden pots that contained everything from medicinal plants and herbs, to the substances that the shamans consumed before their vision quests. Towards the right side of the room was the bed, a hammock that was strung between two wooden frames, keeping it clear of the pervasive sand.

As Kadal entered, she saw that the Shaman was kneeling at the low table, hunched over a clay mug. She lifted it to her lips and took a drink, glancing up at her guest. Her skin had been made loose and leathery by age, her back crooked, but her wisdom was valued by the tribe. They had no leader in the true sense of the word, but the Shaman's judgment was trusted, and her magic was strong.

"You summoned me, Shaman?" Kadal asked as she made her way over to the table. She knelt beside it respectfully, coiling her tail up beside her as the old woman took another sip from her drink.

"I am sorry to disturb your morning basking," she began, setting her cup down and wetting her scaly lips with her forked tongue. "But the hunters have come to me for advice, and I find myself in need of your council."

"The hunters?" Kadal asked, cocking her head. "What has happened?"

"You recall the trespassers who entered our territory some days ago?" she asked.

"The small, furred men who destroyed one of the spires? Yes. We killed two, and the others fled."

"There has been another invasion, this time, by a strange presence that our hunters are unable to track."

"How so?" Kadal replied, concern furrowing her brow.

"It leaves footprints in the sand," the Shaman explained, rising to her feet with some effort. "They appear to be those of a man, nothing out of the ordinary. It would not be the first to wander into the Coral Sea." She walked over to her fire pit as Kadal watched, leaning over to stir the contents of a clay cooking pot that was sitting atop it, wisps of steam slowly rising towards the ceiling. "Yet the tracks vanish in seemingly impossible places, as though whoever left them had simply disappeared. This creature is able to speak from one location while hiding in another, and although it has a scent that can be followed, it always manages to remain out of sight. Our hunters have been certain that they were about to corner it, only to find nothing..."

She lifted a wooden spoon to her lips, tasting the concoction and nodding approvingly. Kadal sat with her hands clasped in her lap, listening intently as the Shaman continued her story.

"It appears to have entered our lands from the Western shore and is slowly heading Eastward. Yesterday, a hunting party was sent out to lay a trap for this creature, confident that they could cut off its advance. It somehow knew of their presence, even from a distance, and successfully evaded them. It was as though it could see through solid rock, so they said."

"What is it doing?" Kadal wondered. "Has it attacked anyone?"

"Not so far," the Shaman replied. She turned to her shelves, selecting a glass jar, and upending it into her hand. After sprinkling some flakes of dried herbs into her pot, she began to stir again, Kadal finding herself wondering how she could remain so calm in this situation. "It seems intent on crossing the Coral Sea, and there is only one destination East of it."

"The sacred city," Kadal replied, the Shaman giving her a solemn nod.

"It is the will of the Gods that we preserve its sanctity, this holy duty was entrusted to our ancestors at the dawn of time. This entity cannot be permitted to desecrate it. My visions have grown dark as of late," the Shaman added. "I see the end of the world creeping ever closer, I see a man wielding an ancient power, I see the crumbling towers of the sacred city. I believe that this intruder must be brought to heel if we are to avert disaster."

Kadal did not need to ask what she must do, the task ahead of her was obvious enough.

"Then it falls upon me to stop the human," she said.

"I think the hunting party would appreciate your guidance," the Shaman replied. She tasted her brew one more time, then nodded to herself, lifting a clay mug and dipping it into the pot. She returned to the table and set the cup down in front of Kadal, who eyed the off-green liquid within curiously.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Drink it," the Shaman insisted, Kadal raising the vessel. She pressed her lips against the brim, her tongue flicking out to taste it. It was bitter, the Shaman chuckling as she grimaced. "Go on..."

Kadal took a drink, struggling to swallow the unpleasant concoction. She set the cup down, glancing over at the Shaman, wondering what was supposed to happen next. As she watched, the Shaman began to glow, as though a soft, diffuse light was emanating from her scales. Kadal blinked her eyes, but the glow remained. When she looked down at her own hands, the same fuzzy light was coming from them.

"This potion will allow you to sense the life force present in all creatures," the Shaman explained, smiling as Kadal wiggled her fingers in awe. "There's enough for the whole hunting party. If your quarry has some way of hiding from your sight, then this will surely reveal its presence."

"I will stop this intruder," Kadal declared, rising to her feet with renewed determination. "I will protect the sacred city."

CHAPTER 4: WARRIOR-SHAMAN

Caden wandered between the spires, his boots sinking into the red sand as he trudged along, sweat stinging his eyes. He had set out in what he knew was an Easterly direction that morning, marching towards the sunrise, but he had a far less accurate idea of where he was going now that it was hanging directly above his head. All that he could do was keep heading straight, but the lay of the land meant that he couldn't help but take a twisting, winding path through the reefs.

The reptiles hadn't resurfaced since he had avoided their blockade the day before, but he knew that they were regrouping, trying to find some way to get to him. Maybe he was becoming paranoid, but he imagined them lurking behind every reef, and he kept his perception spell constantly renewed.

As he navigated around a large outcrop of rock that was covered in table corals, he saw the now-familiar glow of magical energy in the distance. It was his pursuers, had to be, they were arranged in a uniform semi-circle ahead of him at the limits of his vision. They were trying the same trick again, hoping to block off his advance so that he would walk right into them.

He turned to the right, intending to take another long detour, but stopped when he saw that there were more of them in that direction. When he looked to the left, they were there too, slowly closing in as they made their way towards him. Fine, he would have to double back. As he turned about, his heart skipped a beat, Caden seeing that he was surrounded on all sides. There must have been two dozen of them, the reptiles encircling him, slowly closing their net around him.

Trying to suppress his panic, he reasoned that they still had no real idea of where he was. They could follow his tracks in the sand, figure out what direction he was traveling in and get a vague idea of his location, but they had no way to pinpoint it exactly.

If he couldn't escape, he would have to hide.

With little time to spare, Caden found a suitable crevice in the rocks, lifting his staff and beginning to recite one of the incantations that he had memorized. Energy poured into it, the wood seeming to vibrate in his hands, light curving as he bent it around himself. After that spell was complete, he proceeded directly to the next one in his repertoire, whispering to the wind as he commanded the air currents to sweep away as many of his footprints as possible. Confident that he had done all he could to conceal his presence, Caden waited, watching those glowing figures draw ever nearer.

Like the tightening of a noose, they closed in around him, two of them finally coming into view around the corner. Just like before, they were following his tracks in the sand, their tongues darting forth as they sought out his scent. These were not the same lizards who he had encountered previously, these were both males, long spears clutched in their hands as they hunted him. They would occasionally raise their heads, loosing warbling cries that carried across the desert, calling their companions to them.

Before long, more of them came leaping over the corals, a small army of the creatures grouping up where his tracks ended. They pointed to the sand, chittering and hissing to one another, the parasol-like frills on their necks rising to frame their heads in the same way that a man might gesture with his hands while speaking. They huddled for a moment, then began to spread out. Caden let slip a sigh of relief, assuming that they were giving up, but his breath caught in his throat as he watched them turn their attention to the surrounding rocks. They were searching intently, their yellow eyes scanning the corals.

He tried to calm himself, sinking a little deeper into his crevice. As long as his invisibility spell was active, it was impossible for them to find him. Unless they started jabbing every man-sized opening with their spears, he would be safe.

One of the creatures passed by his hiding spot, pausing to glance around. He felt its eyes lock onto him, watching them narrow, its pupils slitted like those of a snake. He gripped his staff tighter, reminding himself that it couldn't see him.

The creature lifted its head and called out to its fellows, raising its spear, pointing the obsidian tip directly at him. Caden loosed a wail of alarm as it jabbed at him, his reflexes kicking in, the crack of wood on wood echoing between the spires as he batted it aside. The tip of the spear sparked against the rock as it was deflected, Caden abandoning his cover, following up with a vicious swipe to the lizard's head that sent it reeling. He landed on the sand, turning to see a whole army of the things hissing and gesturing at him, the frills around their necks flushed red with blood to reveal frightening eyespots.

The time for fear had passed, he had to act now, he had to trust his instincts.

The reptile that he had hit recovered, coming at him again, its frill flaring with rage as it drove its spear towards his chest. Caden let the magic flow through him, giving in to its seductive power, feeling his blood begin to boil with energy. It felt like electricity was coursing through his veins, what could only be described as a desire to dominate driving away his terror. The Master had warned against surrendering to these impulses, but right now, fighting like the battlemages of yore was his only chance to survive.

With reflexes that surprised even himself, Caden swiped at the spear, pouring his will into the strike. Like hitting a dry twig with an iron bar, the wooden haft splintered, a loud snap ringing out as his staff whistled through the air. The reptile's alarm made it falter, Caden gritting his teeth as he stepped in, delivering an equally powerful blow to its sinewy midsection. He was acutely aware of the mass of his weapon, of its weight in his hands, of its momentum. With all the force of a swinging war hammer, the staff made contact, the reptile doubling over as it was lifted clear off the sand. It sailed through the air, slamming into the coral with enough force to send fragments of rock and dust showering.

The rest of its party, who had been rushing in to join the fray, skidded to a halt as they stared at the bizarre scene. Caden gave them no time to react, turning to face them, planting his staff in the sand as he began to chant an incantation. The wind obeyed his command, whipping at his cloak as it surged towards them, raising a wall of airborne sand. They shielded their eyes as the gale tore at them, stumbling as they were buffeted.

That alone wasn't going to deter them. Caden closed the gap between him and the group of reptiles, taking advantage of their disorientation. Yells of pain and surprise rang out as he knocked their feet out from under them, moving through the cloud of obscuring sand like a ghost. One of them swung an axe at him, but he blocked it, the stone blade bouncing off his staff as though it were made of tempered steel. The creature's surprise gave him an opening, Caden increasing the mass at the end of his stave, swinging up to catch the reptile beneath its chin. It was lifted off its feet, collapsing back to the sand in a listless heap.

One of them seemed to have recovered its faculties enough to mount an attack, the screeching female whirling an axe as she charged him, ignoring the sand that pounded against her scales. Caden was ready for her, muttering another incantation under his breath, static electricity making the bronze carving on the end of his staff crackle as it coalesced around it. When the reptile came into range, he aimed the figurehead, releasing the charge. There was a bright flash like a miniature bolt of lighting, the sound of it making his ears ring, the charging female going as stiff as a board. The monster fell to the ground face-first, still twitching as electricity arced across her prone form.

Those that Caden had not dispatched were getting their bearings, the cloud of dust beginning to clear. It was time to make his exit. He resumed his chanting, waving his hand over the tip of his staff, raising it towards the sky. His whispering became a loud verse, the nearby reptiles faltering. They stepped back, eyeing him cautiously, not knowing what he was going to conjure next. As he slammed his stave into the ground, a wind like a small tornado surrounded him, sending a wall of sand swirling into the air. His aggressors were driven back, protecting their faces with their arms, knocked off-balance by the force of the howling gale.

Caden took the opportunity to escape, scrambling up a nearby reef to avoid leaving any footprints, gripping the clasp on his cloak with one hand to save it from being torn loose by the wind. He winced as he cut his calf on a piece of jagged coral, feeling its sting as it cut deep, blood wetting his trousers. No matter, he would heal later. Right now, he needed to get as far from the reptiles as possible while they were still distracted.

***

Kadal watched from her vantage point atop one of the spires as the intruder disappeared in a vortex of swirling sand, the hunting party left defeated and scattered. She could see the glow of its life force through the obscuring, sepia haze, but it vanished from view as the man fled beyond her sight. As the sand began to rain back to the ground, the unnatural winds abating, her warriors struggled to their feet. They shook themselves, dislodging the red dust from their scales, some of them nursing their injuries.

The hunter who was clinging to the rock beside her hurried to give chase, but Kadal stayed him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Not yet," she warned, the hunter turning to cock his head at her. "We are here to learn," she explained, "to observe. We cannot hunt that which we do not yet understand."

She slowly climbed back down the rocky spire, making her way to the sand below, joining her warriors as they brushed themselves off. Fortunately, their egos had suffered more bruises than their bodies, and nobody was seriously hurt. Odd, the intruder had completely overpowered them, killing them would have been trivial. Why had it not finished them off?

Kadal helped one of the hunters to his feet, glancing at the rocks where their quarry had fled. She made her way over to the reef, climbing through the corals, her tongue tasting iron on the air as it darted between her lips. Scattered droplets of crimson caught her eye, and she crouched, running her fingers through the still-wet blood. It seemed that the intruder had cut itself deep on one of the jagged corals during its escape.

"Should we not pursue?" one of the warriors asked, joining her on the rock. She touched a finger against the blood and brought it to her lips, sampling it. "It is wounded, weakened."
"If we engage the intruder again without proper preparation, the result will be the same," Kadal replied. "It seems that this creature has no interest in fighting, it fought only as a means to cover its retreat. Why is it so intent on reaching the ruined city? What evil does it intend to unleash there?"

"Then, how should we proceed?" the hunter added. Kadal was not their leader, but her status as the most accomplished warrior of her tribe afforded her a great deal of respect, and they would not act in such a sensitive matter without her guidance.

"Follow it," she replied, "but keep your distance. I want to know where it is, but I don't want anyone to attack it. My belief is that it will not harm you unless provoked. In the meantime, I will return to the settlement to visit the Shaman. We are ill-equipped for this task."

"Understood," the warrior replied, Kadal giving her an encouraging pat on the back. She turned, making her way back to the village.

***

"It is a battlemage that you face," the Shaman said, her croaking voice echoing in the dome-shaped chamber of coral. Kadal sat at the low table, her eyes following the old woman as she shambled about the room, her listless tail dragging in the red sand. She paused at one of her shelves, sorting through her collection of clay pots as she told her tale. "The kingdoms of the West practice a very different kind of magic than we do. Our connection to nature is strong, we borrow from its power during our shamanistic rites. We eat of the substances that it provides to us, expanding our minds, and fortifying our bodies in the process."

"What makes their power so different?" Kadal asked.

"They call themselves civilized," the Shaman scoffed, "yet they know only how to take. They harness magic, wielding it like a cudgel, interpreting the currents and energies of the world in the most literal and bone-headed of ways. They lack all intuition and understanding, but that does not mean to say that their methods are not effective. According to the oral histories passed down by my predecessor, and her predecessor before her, we have warred with them in the past. The battlemages were their vanguard, the equivalent of a warrior-shaman, a conjurer who wields magic as a weapon in battle. Their power was only rivaled by their cruelty and their lust for bloodshed."

"A warrior-shaman?" Kadal replied, her frill fluttering with concern. She had never heard of such a thing before.

"Have you never wondered why our people were chosen to guard the sacred city above all others?" the Shaman replied. "How we have kept it safe for so many generations? We are strong of body and pure of heart, yes, but there is more to our legacy. A warrior-shaman, much like a battlemage, is a warrior who has been imbued with magical powers that they wield against their foes in combat. Their order dates back to the founding of the sacred city itself, so the legends tell, when the Gods entrusted us with protecting these lands."