Aakuta: the Dark Mage Read Online Free Page B

histories tell much about the trials of my people during the invasion. The invaders were skilled warriors, much greater than anyone who lived here. They certainly were not cowards and did not shy from battle, but they were driven by fear of something chasing them. Our records offer no hint as to what that evil was.”
    “One of the Qubari suspected that the great evil was a priest named Vand,” offered Marak. “Vand declared himself a god and gathered a great host of followers. Legend states that he defied the other gods and was banished to some unknown land.”
    “Then the pieces fall into place,” sighed Ukaro.
    “How?” Marak shook his head. “This all happened thousands of years ago. Some priest who thought he was a god would not be alive today to bother us.”
    “Can you be sure of that?” questioned the shaman. “You already know of many things that defy what is supposedly known to be true. The flatlanders believe that magicians can only be female. An untruth. They believe that slavery is necessary for the survival of their economy. A lie. You were told that nobody ever escapes the Qubari jungle, yet here you are. Do not be so quick to rule out an old priest as the source of the evil that will plague you. Even if this Vand no longer lives, the evil that lived within him might still exist.”
    “All right,” shrugged Marak. “The prophecy stated that the people of his new land would flee from him. It states that they will burn their ships and sear their minds, whatever that means.”
    “I will tell you what it means,” the shaman said. “The invaders that came to our shores so long ago burned their ships upon arrival. It made no sense to the Chula of that age, but it was recorded, so it is true. I have read all of the histories from that time. There is little in them except the harrowing tales of brutal slaughter, but I do recall reading one that spoke of captured invaders. I said before that the invaders were afraid of something, but that we never found out what it was. One of the scrolls suggested that the invaders did not know what they were fleeing because their memories were destroyed.”
    “Do you mean intentionally erased?” asked Marak.
    “The scroll did not make that judgment,” shrugged Ukaro, “but if it was intentional, would not that be a searing of minds?”
    “It would,” nodded Marak. “Is that possible? Do you know of magic that can block a memory?”
    “No,” admitted Ukaro, “but that does not make it impossible. Tell me more of this scroll you found in Angragar.”
    “It mentioned that the searing magic would fail because of intermarriage and that the evil would be summoned because of that failure,” Marak continued. “The scroll called this the Time of Calling. It is during this Time of Calling that Kaltara will send forth the Torak, the Star of Sakova, and the Astor. The three of us are to gather the faithful and the faithless to stand against the evil in the Time of Cleansing.”
    “When is the Time of Cleansing?” interrupted the shaman.
    “It starts when the evil arrives,” answered Marak. “That is all the scroll stated.”
    “So you are to gather the faithful AND the faithless,” mused Ukaro. “The faithless to me are the flatlanders. I feel more strongly than ever that what the others expect of the Torak is not what is required of you. If you were here merely to reclaim our land from the flatlanders, then why did Kaltara send the Star and the Astor?”
    “They each have their own lands to reclaim,” Marak offered weakly.
    “Perhaps that is how others will interpret it,” shrugged Ukaro, “but I see both of them as being among the faithful. It is the Khadorans, the Omungans, and the Fakarans that are the faithless. It is not referring to the Chula, the Sakovans, and the Qubari. They could never be considered faithless. We have lived for many generations waiting for you to come. We have not wavered in our faith.”
    “So I am to make allies with the