9-10

9

Somewhere far away from the wandering boys, somewhere to the south, where the sun beat down so fiercely that, accustomed to the eternal cold, Mrozoid could barely stand it, stood a battered man tied to a pole. The blood dried very quickly in the hot sun, one wound touching another, flies constantly alighting and biting. A fluid, half blood, half water, dripped from his single, large nose. The man tried to stand so that the sun wouldn't shine in his eyes. He tried to concentrate and think about his surroundings. Maybe his son was looking for him, maybe he remembered, maybe he would try to read his mind. Unfortunately, his attempts failed, or rather, they didn't succeed; his pursuers had returned. The only thing he managed to think about before they started beating him with whips was their appearance.

10

"Oh gods, this is terrible." Zon, terrified by what he saw in his thoughts, interrupted his meditation.

"What happened?" Dero ran to his brother and grabbed his shoulders. "Tell me what's terrible, tell me, what are you waiting for?"

"They were monsters, huge with three horns, like the Crown Bull's. Despite the heat I could feel, they were terribly hairy, their front teeth were just huge tusks. But the worst of it all were their eyes, or rather, their eyes, because they only had one, located in the center of their heads. There was only one, but it took up a significant portion of their forehead, and the anger, even hostility, the evil lurking within them, was terrifying.

" "Oh gods, where could our father be?" Dero wondered for what seemed like the hundredth time.

They didn't want to stay in one place for long, even though it was exceptionally beautiful here, birds were singing, the sun was warm, and everywhere was greenery, dotted here and there with tiny flowers. They knew they were pressed for time, and the only clue they had was that wherever their beloved father was, it was terribly warm, so they had to head south.

The Frostoids, although they lived in a very cold world where for most of the year there was only frost and snow, carried in their hearts a burning love for their loved ones, and were connected by blood ties so strong that even those who had no supernatural abilities could sense if one of their relatives was in danger.

Dero and Zon came from a branch of the family that possessed more than ordinary mortals; their family was respected throughout the tribe. The eldest woman in this family was always a shaman, while the men served as assistants, though occasionally the eldest man possessed a greater gift than the eldest woman, and the roles were reversed. Now, however, there were no men in the family except for two wandering boys. Their father was lost to the unknown, and both their grandfathers and great-grandfathers were already dead. The boys' sister, Mergo, was married to one of the "normal" Frostoids. It was rare for a member of the shaman's family to marry an ordinary mortal, but it did happen, and no one had any major problems accepting such a turn of events. It was believed that if the gods so willed, they would imbue a child born of such a union with power. It was true that such a union sometimes produced an ordinary Frostoid, but as long as the chosen ones were born, there was no need to worry.

The boys gathered their belongings and headed through the melodious grove. They walked in silence, taking in the beauty of the landscape, craning their necks to the pleasant warmth flowing from the sun through the tree branches. The grove was transforming into an increasingly dense forest. The smell was so wonderful, as if the earth itself were secreting its own aromatic juices. They had walked all day without rest; they were rested and didn't want to waste time, feasting on leftover smoked meat along the way and drinking water from skins made of animal skins. At one point, they stopped; they were already in the deep forest. Throughout the day's journey, they had sensed that they were moving gently upwards. Now they found themselves in a strange place. The atmosphere was stifling and filled with something, but what? They didn't know, but the feeling they had as they stood on the edge of this strange place was not good, as if someone were looking at them angrily, for invading someone else's territory uninvited. The trees seemed to be closing in on them, trying to engulf them in their branches, but nothing moved. Even the wind seemed to have stopped at the edge of the forest, and there was no sound of birdsong. Zon and Dero stood, absorbing the atmosphere of the place, wondering whether to continue straight ahead or try to avoid it. It seemed, however, that the forest was like this everywhere now, and besides, their intuition told them that if they wanted to find their father, they had to go this way. Suddenly, a voice spoke out of nowhere. They couldn't hear anything, only words echoed in their heads:

"Who are you, intruders, and what do you want here?

" "Greetings, you who can't be seen, we only wish to pass through your forest," Dero said, bowing deeply.

"Why do you want to pass through my forest, Frostoids?"

"So you know us and who we are?" Zon asked in surprise.

"Yes, I know you. I had dealings with one of you some time ago, I can tell by your appearance. But you didn't answer my question, intruders.

" "We're not intruders, we just want to get through the forest, but we can't tell you more because we don't know if you're on our side or not, and besides, it's not good to talk to someone you can't see, and frankly, can't hear," Dero replied.

"Hear what you don't say, but fine, if you want to see me, close your eyes and don't open them until I say so."

It took a moment before the Voice allowed them to open their eyes. When they finally managed to do so, a strange creature appeared before their eyes. It was much shorter than them, barely reaching their waists, seemingly flat, with four arms and large feet. When they looked at its face, they understood why they heard this voice only in their heads. There was no visible mouth on its face—it clearly had none. Oddly enough, it had ears, long and pointed. It wore a jacket woven from thin branches and trousers made from the treated bark of some tree. Instead of a nose, it had a small trunk, which must have been used for absorbing food. Above it were its eyes, round as a full moon and of the same color. Despite the harshness in its voice, the eyes were pleasant, though uncertain of the newcomers, yet radiating warmth. They were greatly surprised by such diversity in one person, all at once, especially since the place was saturated with discontent.

"We don't like strangers here," the voice said again, and this time the eyes weren't as warm, changing by the minute.

The boys tried to approach the creature, but when they took a single step, a whole group of similar creatures emerged from behind the trees, armed with strange weapons similar to their spears. Their costumes were similar to the one standing before them, with the only difference being that some of them wore fruit beads; they were probably women.

So they returned to their seats. "We apologize, we didn't mean to disturb you, but we're looking for our father, and everything indicates that we should pass through your forest to reach his location." Zon didn't want to say that their abilities dictated this; he had been trying to read the creature's mind the entire time, but he couldn't.

"I know your father; he passed through here some time ago.

" "How is that possible? If he traveled alone, I don't understand anything anymore?"

- I didn't say he traveled alone, but that he passed through here, but if you are his sons, then we are friends, come with us and you will learn more.

The invitation was backed by a smile and a warmth radiating from the entire figure before them. They also noticed that the atmosphere had vanished, and the birds were once again chirping cheerfully. They walked for a while, intently, until they reached a large tree, so thick that it would take at least five of the tallest frostoids to embrace it. Here, a previously invisible door opened before them; the brothers had to stoop to fit through, descending the stairs, deep underground. A magnificent sight met their eyes. It was very bright, illuminated by the stones placed on the walls of this underground chamber. Before them, another creature sat on a large armchair. The one who greeted them bowed and probably spoke to the one who was seated. However, they couldn't hear anything, even in their own heads. Finally, their guide spoke to them:

"Excuse me, but I haven't introduced myself. My name is Ki, and I am Ziemon, the chief guard. And here is my lord Po, inviting you to share a meal and talk about your father."

They accepted the hospitality with joy, though they were afraid of what they might find there. Besides, they were curious about what they might learn about their father. After a while, they were sitting on benches that were the roots of the tree they had entered, and before them, food appeared on a single large root serving as a table. They were surprised to see birds before them, which was precisely what Zon had been craving, various salads made from plants that probably grew in the forest, and something less interesting looking: various kinds of worms, some long with legs, others fat and round, still others in shells. Fortunately, all were dead, nothing moving. They were given some strange liquid to drink, which made them feel strangely dizzy and lifted their spirits. In their village, they didn't drink anything like that; the only drinks were water, yellow milk, and seaweed tea. The only stronger drink was wine made from a special kind of aquatic plant, but only on special occasions.

They told each other interesting stories, laughed, and sang. For the boys, it was strange to hear the music only in their heads; they felt as if they had earplugs. They ate and drank, everything tasted wonderful, though they had no idea how it was prepared. Even the worms proved to be a wonderful delicacy. However, they were warned not to collect and eat the worms themselves, as the method of preparation involved removing the poison, which could only be done by someone who knew worms as well as the Earthlings.

The feast passed in a wonderful atmosphere, and at some point the boys fell asleep.

Zon woke up with a terrible headache. Puzzled where he was, he looked around. The room he was in was low, but he somehow managed to straighten up. The ceiling was made of intertwining roots, the floor and walls were packed earth. Strange, glowing stones were embedded in the walls. When he saw them, he remembered where he was. Suddenly, he heard a scream, and his brother rose from one of the walls.

"Where the hell am I?

" "Easy, little brother, we're at the Ziemon family's, don't you remember?" "

Oh yes, I remember something, but my head is pounding.

" "Yes, me too, it's probably because of that strange drink they gave us yesterday, but they didn't say anything about our father, even though they said they knew something.

" "Let's go look for someone, maybe we'll find something."

As they were about to leave the room where they were staying overnight, they saw something strange: the beds they had been sleeping in also rose, revealing animals covered in thick, woolly fur with short snouts and ears. They stood on all fours and watched with interest the two surprised Frostoids. Their eyes were as blue as the sky when there wasn't a single cloud in it, and from their mouths came soft sounds like purring. As they were gazing at each other, Ziemon entered the room.

"Oh, I see you've already met the Dogs," the Frostoids heard in their heads. "My Lord invites you to breakfast."

"What are these strange animals that pretend to be beds, what did you call them? Dogs?" Dero asked.

"These animals are the best friends you could hope for. They don't just serve as beds, but also to track and guard our homes. They warn us of intruders. Unfortunately, we don't have the best hearing. Besides, as I mentioned, they're the best friends, very loyal. These two, for example, are Wiatr and Róża, still puppies, though a few months old. But now let's go, because the Lord is waiting."

As they followed Ziemon, the dogs never left their side. Ziemon dared to pet one on the head, and in thanks, it licked his hand. Its tongue was rough but incredibly gentle. They walked for a while through winding corridors until they finally reached a door made of woven branches. When it opened, they saw a lovely little room, lit like the others by stones in the walls. However, this one wasn't like the others. It wasn't bare earth; it was decorated with leaves of various colors: green, yellow, brown, and even red, and the floor was covered with grass. Po sat on one of the four rune-adorned tree trunks against the wall. In front of him, on a larger tree trunk serving as a table, was a whole array of food, just like yesterday. However, there was no strange drink from yesterday, only plain water.

"Sit down, my friends. I see you've already met the Dogs."

"Yes, Lord, we've met him. I see you have one too," Dero said, sitting down at the lavishly laid table.

"Yes, almost everyone here has their own dogs. Those who don't have them sleep on the beaten earth or on grass they bring. I'd like to offer you the two that served as your beds. Although I haven't told you anything about your father, I know a little, and I know that you'll need all the help you can get on your journey. One of the Earthlings also wishes to accompany you on your journey, if you agree, of course; I've already given my consent.

" "Yes, Lord, you haven't told us anything yet. However, we thank you for your gift and accept it with open hearts. Just tell us how we should care for them. As for one of your men, we have no objections, but you must know that we don't know where we're really going or what might await us next."

"Don't worry about that. Ziemon will guide you until a certain point, and from then on he will travel into the unknown just like you. As for the dogs, they can take care of themselves; they hunt game and drink water. Just be kind to them and don't let them hurt you. Now, eat, and I'll tell you about your father. "

The boys began to eat, listening to the voice in their heads.

"It was a rainy, cold morning. A group of my men were going out as usual to gather fresh vegetation when they came across a strange noise. Behind the trees, in a green clearing, lay a body, and large birds were circling above it. The strangest thing was that they were talking to each other, and my Ziemon understood their language, just as I understand yours. They said they had to take him with them, but that he was so badly injured that he might not survive the journey, and their ruler needed him alive." Finally, they abandoned guarding it with a whole gang of about ten of them. They left one to guard it and set off to find something to eat. The Earthlings, taking advantage of the fact that only one remained, decided to take the body home with them. The bird was hideous, with two long beaks placed side by side, four eyes around its head, sharp wings, and three claws that doubled as legs. Worst of all, however, were its eyes, saturated with evil. According to my General Earthling, they were all the same, differing only in the collars around their necks. This one had a shiny black one, and since its entire plumage was also black, but dull, you could clearly see how it glistened.

The Earthlings decided to trap it in a web of thoughts and force it into a deep sleep; we can hypnotize it even from a distance, if we can just see someone. The bird fell asleep very quickly; it was clearly exhausted. The Earthlings took the body and brought it here to recover.

"So, you rescued my father from captivity?"

"Yes, but that's not the end. Your father did end up under our tree, but the birds got furious and started looking for us. They didn't find us, because when we don't want to be seen, we blend in with our surroundings, but they didn't leave. They clearly felt his presence. There were always a few of them circling our forest. Your father finally recovered and told us how he went out to get the eggs and how, for a moment of inattention, the bird caught him, how he managed to escape its clutches, but then fell from a height and got hurt. He lost consciousness during the fall and didn't know what was happening. It must be said that when he regained consciousness, he was terrified and wanted to run away, but we somehow managed to convince him to join us. When he recovered completely, he wanted to go home immediately. He even tried to contact your tribe, as he said telepathically, but something was stopping him. We guessed it must be the birds." When he left to return, he didn't get far. As soon as he was out of the trees, they appeared out of nowhere and snatched him up. We never heard from him again. That's why we're giving you these two Dogs. We blame ourselves for not helping your father, but maybe the Dogs will help you find him.

"So, yes, we still don't know where to go to find him," said Dero. "

Not really, we saw where they took him, but we couldn't help him," added Po. "They flew very fast, and we couldn't follow them, although a few of our men tried. They returned without him after a few days. I have good news for you, though. These birds, though fast and dangerous, can't see at night; we learned that much about them by following them.

" "Thank you, Po, I think we should be getting ready to go. Thank you for your hospitality and for the Dogs, and also for the one who's coming with us.

" "Exactly. Ker!" "Here's Ker, he'll be going with you. He's young and adventurous, but also very sensible and hardworking, and he knows how to prepare a real feast from whatever he finds."

Before them stood Ziemon, with his curious gaze, a short trunk that seemed unable to stand still, four arms, each holding something, and a hat made of woven twigs from which large ears protruded. The rest of his clothing was the same as the other men of this tribe: a jacket made of the branches of some flexible tree and trousers made of bark. Beside him stood Dog, also ready to go. The dogs Dero and Zona greeted him by licking his muzzle, and he returned the greeting.

"Hello, Ker, I'm Dero, and this is my brother Zon," Dero introduced himself, offering his hand to his future companion. "And what's your Dog's name?

" "He's Leaf, still a puppy, like yours, but a very devoted and cheerful companion." – A voice rang out in the brothers’ thoughts, this voice belonged to a boy, almost a child.

"Po, she's still practically a child, and the road is long and dangerous," Dero rebelled. "Besides, you say these dogs are still puppies, but they're so huge that they make very comfortable beds even for us, even though we're much taller than you. So what do they look like as adults?

" "Your brother is young too. Besides, don't let that voice fool you. Ker is already 50 years old. Besides, from what I understand and know, you live shorter lives. For you, 50 years is a long time, for us, not much. We live for 400 years, sometimes longer. Then we pass away, turn into trees. Besides, you'll pass by some of us. Everyone, when they feel their turn has come, looks for a place to put down roots. But if you pass by the Ziemons, you'll get to know them, and Ker will tell you more about them. As for the Dogs, they won't grow any bigger; they only grow for a few months, and then they simply gain more mass and strength, as well as intelligence and experience." Now it was time for the friends to say goodbye.

They bid their new friends a long farewell, promising to return safely. Before setting off, they tried to contact their grandmother and father. Their grandmother was glad to hear from them and wished them luck in finding their father. Zon, thinking of his father, saw only a ruined structure, some ruins, and a lot of fire. Dero, on the other hand, felt that his father was weak and unable to make contact. They learned one more thing: during their journey, a second funeral had already taken place. Their great-great-grandmother and teacher, Bera, had died. Deno answered the call. After Bera's death, she assumed not only her duties as the Frostoids' chief shaman but also her abilities, which strengthened her own. This happened during the post-funeral ritual of assuming shamanic duties.