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The Kahanne
Part 4
It had already been a long and exhausting trip but it was far from over. More than a week had passed since the Kahanne’s visit to Hansehaven and her conversation with Chancellor Yarena Hanser and her husband, Lawrence. As her carriage bumped lightly on the road, Arlye smiled at the memory of their discussion of politics and religion, and at Lawrence’s indignation when she told them about Ghault’s spies and informants in her retinue. Following that, Arlyne quickly discovered that the mild annoyance she felt over the presence of the relatively small number of Khadashite pilgrims in the capital of the Hanse was a mere prelude to what awaited her in the Dominion of Khadash.
The population of Khadash was scattered throughout the country in small farming villages and hamlets. Large towns were found only at the intersection of major trade routes. The capital, Irbirah, was the only real city. Thus, Arlyne was constantly passing through one tiny settlement after another, and with every new village came new pilgrims.
She had never experienced anything quite like it. Usually, when she came to a town, people from all over the region would come to see her. After sitting through one or two Communion services, they would go home. Instead, these Khadashites followed her everywhere, starting with the ones she met in Hansehaven. They formed one gigantic caravan, stretching beyond eyesight along the road. They brought along their own pack animals, tents and supplies, and they seemed to leave only when their food ran out. At night, they camped en masse on vacant land or even in the woods. Entire families would gather around one of the hundreds of campfires and sing songs to the Forum accompanied by instruments of every sort. Some of the tunes were traditional, but many more were unfamiliar even to the Khadashite members of the Kahanne’s entourage. Looking back on the trip, Arlyne admitted to herself that in spite of their peculiarities, no one derived more joy from worshipping the Forum than the people of Khadash.
Yet they had liabilities, too. Chief among them was the absence of an organized militia. This left border patrols and defusing international disputes up to the Praetorship, a fact that the other countries resented since, indirectly, they were paying for Khadash’s defense. Arlyne knew that this view was somewhat limited. Since Khadash had no natural enemies like grimals, antigovernment militants or criminal guilds, and since it had no history of factionalism, there was no need for a national defense force to keep everything together. If her reports were accurate, there were fewer Praetorians stationed here than in any other country. Of course, this disparity tended to make meetings with the Commonwealth Council arduous even at the best of times, though no one denied that Khadashites made up a significant chunk of the Praetorship’s ranks.
Arlyne rested her forehead in her hand as she reflected on all this. There were times during her visit when she struggled to contain herself. When she felt herself about to burst, she was never sure if she was going to laugh or weep. To say that Khadashites were strange was an understatement. Arlyne preferred to see them as unique. Non-Khadashite colleagues who visited this country with the previous Kahanne spoke as if it was an ordeal. Hers began at Hansehaven when the mass of Khadashite pilgrims met her at the entrance to the city. They followed her along the River Odra and through the Central Highlands. They never seemed to tire of singing and dancing and it was only with the greatest difficulty that Arlyne kept her composure when she asked them to stop so that she and the clerics in her company could meditate in peace.
The foothills along the boundary between the Hanse and Khadash constituted the only unguarded border in Halcyon. At the time, Arlyne wasn’t even aware that she had entered Khadash until she noticed that the foothills were receding and that the line of pilgrims behind her was growing. By the second week after her departure from Hansehaven, she was sure that there were more people trailing her entourage than she had seen in the entire city of Hansehaven that day she had led the service. The presence of such a multitude would have been invigorating had it occurred anywhere else. Here, with thousands of people shouting, singing and dancing to their own tunes and rhythms, she felt like leaving her post and running home. Five days ago, she was ready to concoct an excuse to head back to the shelter of the high walls surrounding Ghault when an acolyte presented her with a pair of earplugs that she knew she would cherish forever. Yet, despite her irritation, Arlyne was proud that the people of Khadash served the Forum. They needed their Kahanne.
They were ten days away from Irbirah when they stopped in the town of Gavvul which lay in the foothills of the county of Middest. Arlyne looked about curiously. There was no uniform architectural style. Some buildings appeared to have been constructed in the most haphazard manner possible while others were exquisitely designed. The Kahanne’s caravan reached the local Temple to the Forum. A crowd of thousands waited outside as she and the high clerics in her company entered the temple to pay homage to the Forum. This moment of fervent prayer, which comprised the core of the worship service, always inspired the Khadashites to quiet down. Arlyne still didn’t understand why. They were loud and boisterous for everything else. Nevertheless, when the Kahanne and her clerics entered the temple, all became silent.
It was a simple building that comfortably seated about two hundred people. The vaulted ceiling was low and narrow and the dome, which was situated above the altar at the far end, was puny in comparison to the others they had seen in this country. The outer layer of plaster that weatherproofed the walls was cracked and flaking. This was obviously a relatively poor town, one in which the common folk had sacrificed a great deal to have a temple. Arlyne was suddenly ashamed of her disapproval of these people. True, they were different and sometimes offensive, but they were also dedicated. Arlyne felt as if she had suddenly been humbled, and she could tell as she glanced at her companions that they felt the same way.
The Kahanne approached the altar followed by the twelve representatives of the Spirits. She sprinkled a fine white powder over the elements of the braziers that rested on top of the altars and lit them. They gave off a mixture of aromas that would have made any other person sick, but these religious leaders were quite used to the smell.
“Extol the Spirits who dwell up on high, sing songs of praise to the Forum. We offer a sacrifice of fire and fragrance so that You, in Your eternal dwelling place, may find favor within us, Your most humble servants. We appeal to the Spirits so that their Games bestow Fortune upon the good people of Gavvul, that they may live in health and peace.”
“Amen.” The high clerics’ chorus echoed through the small temple and it was heard clearly by the throng outside. The people used it as a cue to restart their singing and chanting. The high clerics hung their heads and looked at one another with exasperation. The incense was wasted here. There could be no Communion with all that noise.
There was a raucous cheer when Arlyne and the high clerics exited. Gavvul’s elected town priest approached them and the crowd quieted down. He remained standing several paces away from Arlyne. His head was bowed and his hands were clasped within the long sleeves of his robe. Arlyne was impressed. This was a rare Khadashite priest who was aware of the proper protocols.
“You may approach.”
As the local priest complied, he lifted his gaze to meet the Kahanne’s eyes. He struggled with his Ghaultic as he said, “As the duly elected religious leader of Gavvul, I want to thank you for addressing the Forum on our behalf.”
Arlyne smiled slightly and nodded. He knew that she spoke Hansic but he tried to address her in her native language instead. She was impressed again. The high clerics behind her exhaled thankfully. He didn’t address her as “Holy One” but that was okay. He hadn’t made any serious blunders. Yet.
The priest grinned widely back at her and extended his hand.
Arlyne heard some of the high clerics gasp. This was but another in a long line of ritual missteps from the Khadashites, though it was the first time that someone offered to touch the Holy Person. Everyone waited for a few tense moments to see what the Kahanne would do. She blinked several times as she stared at the extended hand. There were whispers from the crowd. It was time for her to do what she did best. It was time for her to be who they needed her to be.
She grasped the offered hand and shook it vigorously. “The pleasure was mine,” she replied in Hansic, “though it is I who should be thanking you for your hospitality.”
The crowd cheered more loudly than ever before. The priest held his hand up and gazed at it as if admiring a blessed icon. He stepped back into the crowd and was swarmed by people who wanted to experience the Holy Person by touching his hand. The high clerics and the entourage from Assize were unable to hide their shock. Some of them swooned. Arlyne stepped forward and waved, an action that brought even more cheers her way. She smiled warmly at them, though her mind raced to find a way to explain her behavior to her colleagues.
Arlyne stood alone in front of the throng absorbing the adulation. The high clerics and the local priest looked on from the stairs leading to the temple. Suddenly, and without warning, the Kahanne’s body convulsed and she fell to her knees. The cheering was quickly replaced by an uneasy silence as her attendants rushed to her side.
Arlyne looked around but everything faded from view. A vicious cackle filled her head and her mind was invaded by horrible images. She saw creatures of unthinkable size ravaging the Temple of Assize. They swarmed around it and tore down its walls, causing the roof to tumble to the floor. Hundreds of people were crushed to death. The survivors were hauled out of the wreckage by the creatures and devoured alive. There were screams all around her and her body grew cold. She doubled over and vomited from the overwhelming stench of burning flesh and decay. She witnessed the destruction of everything she cherished: the priesthood, friends and family, her colleagues.
Everything lay in ruins.
The silence was broken by several cries for help from the crowd. A handful of people in the audience had also collapsed.
As suddenly as they had come, the intrusions in Arlyne’s mind were swept aside. When she opened her eyes she saw attendants standing around her. Glancing between their legs, she saw the shocked and concerned faces of worshippers. She looked up and noticed that the high cleric of Samlah was supporting her head.
Arlyne sat up. “How long was I incapacitated?”
“About ten seconds, Holy One.”
The Kahanne looked about and saw a woman near the front of the crowd slowly get to her feet who apparently experienced the same phenomenon. Arlyne tried to pick others out of the audience who saw the vision, but it was difficult to see from her vantage point. Even though she was deeply shaken, her mind was already analyzing what just happened.
I must contact the Circle immediately, she decided.
Arlyne waved off her attendants. “Prepare the transports and inform Irbirah that we must regretfully cancel our visit,” she ordered groggily. Her companions were stunned. First, she was shaking hands with commoners, and now she was canceling engagements! Perhaps she had taken ill from whatever had caused her to faint.
The Kahanne sensed their apprehension but decided that there would be time to explain her actions later. “Obey my commands,” she barked. The attendants and servants scurried off to prepare the carriages.
Arlyne beckoned to the high clerics while the Khadashites looked on with dismay. “We must return to Assize immediately,” she instructed.
“Why?” asked one.
Arlyne inhaled deeply and looked at the high clerics of Rasqu’il and L’Xar. They made no visible movements, but she read the approval in their eyes.
“It’s finally here. We knew it was coming — the Harbinger predicted it a thousand years ago. I cannot be sure until I investigate further, but I believe I have just been contacted by the Champion of Chaos.”
Stay tuned for the next chapter…
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