Luminosity - The Beginning - 7. Chapter 7

Henry visited the Great Shrine almost every day and spent many contemplative hours in the cool, dark sanctuary. He would often repeat the ancient tome Boneddigaidd recited on Henry's first visit to the shrine.

Earlier than time itself, there were two united in Ymuno â. One was kind and one was strong, and they both shined brightly together on the plains. One died in the preservation of his people and the other wreaked terrible revenge. Here lies Gar the kind.

He found the tome beautiful in its simplicity. Two pledged plainsrunners dedicated to each other, willing to sacrifice everything for their people and each other. The tome and the shrine itself were the only things certain about the legend, but many myths developed over the eons. Some were more believable than others.

One of the more popular stated that the two separated to rescue isolated novices and fledglings from nmbling attacks. The 'strong' was successful, while the 'kind' tragically lost his life along with the lives of the plainsrunners he intended to save.

Many legends spoke of the ruthless revenge the 'strong' wrought against the nmblings. It is here where the stories diverge wildly.

Some claim the 'strong' organized all the plainsrunners from around the world to attack the nmbling southern homelands. This may have been the first unification movement of plainsrunners. Other myths spoke of the 'strong' summoning a supernatural force to smote the desecrators. Settlements along the northern plains had different versions of the myths, and some were more outlandish than others.

The Great Shrine of Gartwim was a mystical place. Plainsrunners from around the world dedicated themselves to visiting the shrine at least once during their time on the plains.

Henry's phalanx and several others were assigned to patrol the protected area of Dinas. Unconfirmed rumors of nmbling attacks in the central plains became more frequent. There hadn't been a serious nmbling incursion in the north for over two hundred cycles. At that time, the nmblings invaded Anghysbell, a settlement three eighths from Dinas. Anghysbell was practically on the other side of the world. Closer settlements could hold off the nmblings until Dinas, Carreg, and other distant settlements could send phalanxes to repel the invaders. Still, many died in the brutal fashion that was the nmbling way. Since then, all the settlements have been more diligent in patrolling their territories, and closer ties developed between them.

When not patrolling the protected area, the boys spent many happy hours swimming in the lakes and tributaries or competing in games unfamiliar to Henry. It was common for some activities to be performed naked, and it took Henry months to become comfortable with the practice. At this point, he couldn't imagine wearing clothing while swimming.

Many of the games developed plainsrunner skills and brought the novices closer to the status of primary.

One of the most popular games was called 'Double Touch .' it was challenging and tested lumin control. Playing shirtless was a requirement, and some boys opted to play completely naked. Henry always wore a loincloth. The novices played the game in a designated area of the open plains not far from the entrance to Dinas. The game's goal was to eliminate your opponents and avoid elimination yourself. Eight to twelve boys would play a match. Each boy carried a different colored dirt in a pouch attached to the waste. The boys would coat their hands in sticky tree resin and dip their hands in the pouch. Two colored handprints applied to the upper body eliminated an opponent. The boy with the most 'touches' was the winner; if he avoided elimination, he was a double winner. As many primaries supervised the game as novices played it, for it could be dangerous, and secondarily, it was the best way to appraise the skill levels of the novices. Henry excelled at this game, for he had better lumin control than the other novices.

Life was wonderful for Henry. He had close friendships with the members of his phalanx and many friends in other phalanxes as well. He was accepted and appreciated by his peers. There was only one thing missing. 'If only he .………. Time for a run.'

One day, upon return to Dinas, after four days patrolling the protected area, the primaries, Aneurin, Hywel, and Cadan, were summoned to the dais to receive counsel. Upon return, they called on the phalanx to prepare for departure. The fledglings would stay behind. Cadan sternly replied when asked why the departure was hasty, "You will be updated at a suitable time during the journey." Usually, the primaries were open and forthcoming. The novices knew something important was afoot.

In total, forty phalanxes departed Dinas on the journey. That was an enormous number. No other settlement could assemble so many. Nervous energy permeated the boys as they erupted and began the expedition west. They traveled rapidly, barely maintaining a positive lumin flow and stopping for gorffwys an hour and a half late that first day.

After the novices formed in the half circle facing the primaries, Aneurin addressed the phalanx. "Something terrible and unexpected has happened. The nmblings have breached Carreg." There was a collective gasp from the boys, most of whom called that settlement home.

Aneurin continued, "There were many casualties and desecrations. The destruction is extensive."

Hapus, unable to control himself, murmured with tearful eyes, "Wha…wha…what about the mangeni? Did they destroy the mangeni?"

"From what has been reported, no. The mangeni is safe. The nmblings called off their attack suddenly, but we fear they may return. We will reinforce Carreg until the threat is over."

Three weeks later, they arrive at the entrance to Carreg. All forty phalanxes were on heightened alert, and during the entire trip, there was no laughter or singing. They all feared they would be singing for the dead soon enough. The entrance to Carreg was roughly barricaded, with the remnants of Carreg's phalanxes standing guard. There were so few.

Despite their exhaustion and grief, the Carreg phalanxes enthusiastically welcomed the god-sent phalanxes from Dinas.

The state of the settlement was grim. Eighty percent of the plainsrunners were dead, and only a few of these escaped desecration for their lumin-rich organs. Scarcely any of the dead, not desecrated, were whole enough to be revived by the two suns. It would take a hundred cycles for the mangeni to restore the population of Carreg and just as long to rebuild the settlement.

During the attack, the nmblings drove the dwindling phalanxes of Carreg back to the entry portal of the pathway leading to the settlement's mangeni, and many died defending the path.

With the settlement secure, it was time to mourn the losses and take council. They wrapped the bodies of the dead in cloth, and a somber procession carried them, singing the mournful songs of loss through the passage leading to the mangeni. The plainsrunners deposited the bodies of the dead before the second portal that opened up to the fertile birthplace of the plainsrunners of Carreg. The men and women of the mangeni would collect the bodies and perform the cremation rights.

All the plainsrunners met in the gathering place of Carreg. The primaries assembled on the high place with the novices below.

Uwchradd, the most experienced of Dinas' primaries, and Diwethaf, the senior primary surviving the massacre in Carreg, led the discussion.

Uwchradd began. "The nmblings have exacted a heavy toll on Carreg. How large was their force?"

"It's difficult to offer an accurate estimate. As you know, the nmblings appear to attack in disorganized hordes, but I fear it is different now. There were at least six hundred," reported Diwethaf.

"Six hundred, how could such a large force infiltrate the northern regions without detection? It must have taken the nmblings cycles to cover the distance from their southern homeland."

"The nmblings tactics have changed, and perhaps they eliminated any witnesses of their journey. They now strategically encircle their prey and cut off any escape. They also wear a covering made of some sort of woven material. Burning them with a lumin flare is less effective."

This was a disturbing report. They decided that a top priority was to warn the other settlements. Henry's phalanx would take the message to Dinas. They would combine this task with a scouting expedition through the central plains, and if they found any additional hordes of nmblings, report it to the settlements.

The phalanx departed Carreg, heading southeast. They planned to zigzag across the central plains until they sighted the Obelisk of Dinas. While the trip to Carreg from Dinas took them three weeks, they expected the return to take eight to ten weeks.

Henry calculated they would arrive back in Dinas soon before the start of gwyn. Time passed quickly for Henry since the last gwyn celebration.

The entire phalanx was devastated by the disaster they observed in Carreg. At first, there was no singing or camaraderie. As the weeks passed, the mood of the boys improved very slowly.

Hapus, in particular, was affected by the recent events. Rather than the raucous, carefree boy, quick with a joke or a funny story, he became a sullen, quiet teen weighed down by his own dark thoughts.

After the fourth week, the phalanx came upon a strange sight. There were six charred splotches in the dirt. Little remained but the remnants of partially burnt woven material. Could this be the remains of nmblings? Perhaps they had performed some ghastly ritual on their own people.

Over the following weeks, there were no signs of nmblings or plainsrunners. Perhaps the attack on Carreg was an isolated incident. If so, the phalanxes could concentrate on the territory around Carreg, and the threat eliminated.

Spirits continued to rise. They even sang occasionally during gorffwys. Hapus would sit silently, lost in his thoughts. Henry and Diffuant would always sit close by to offer their quiet support.

In the eighth week of the expedition, the primary Cadan alerted the entire phalanx. "Nmblings are attacking from both sides of the phalanx." The nmblings were still some distance away; however, they ran diagonally to the phalanx and gradually closed in. Plainsrunners were many times faster than nmblings, and there was no fear that the nmblings would catch them until Henry observed another horde of nmblings converging on them from the front. The phalanx was in danger of becoming encircled.

None of the boys, including the primaries, had ever battled with nmblings. Many of the games on the plains in the Dinas' protected area were in preparation for a situation like this, but still, this was frightening for all of them. The desirable outcome would be to evade the nmbling horde and report their presence to Dinas, but that result was becoming less likely.

The circle was closing quickly. The last opening was directly in front of the phalanx. The only option was to flare through the closing gap and hope the force of the lumin flare was enough to break through. Faster and faster, they ran. Every boy was contributing every bit of processed lumin they could. The gap was closing too quickly. They weren't going to make it. The nmblings were going to kill them and desecrate them for their organs.

Aneurin spoke to the entire phalanx. "We are plainsrunners, and the nmblings are our enemies. We must kill and injure as many of the hordes as we can. Like the 'kind' and the 'strong' of the Gartwim legend, we die for our people."

The phalanx steeled itself for battle. Hapus let out a fierce battle cry, his first words since arriving in Carreg; all the boys immediately rejoined the cry. They would die bravely for their people and each other.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash emanating from behind them. The phalanx continued their run into the heart of the nmbling horde, but to everyone's surprise, the advancing nmblings froze in mid-stride, turned, and fled the way they had come, allowing the phalanx to escape the ambush.

The phalanx continued to run through the day and gorffwys. It would take the nmbling horde weeks to catch up with them, yet the nervous energy drove them on. The next day, the Obelisk of Dinas was spotted, and that gorffwys, the phalanx, rested in the protected area of Dinas.

No one had spoken of the nmbling attack on the central plains. None of them could make sense of what happened. They sang songs of thanksgiving for their safe return to the protected area. Henry smiled as he heard the strong treble voice of Hapus leading the refrain. Perhaps, in time, things may still return to something resembling normal.

Once back in Dinas, the phalanx's primaries met with the other primaries on the dais. The entire settlement met in the assembly area to learn the sad news of Carreg and the discovery by Henry's phalanx of a large horde of nmblings only four days from Dinas. Even at full expenditure, it would take the nmblings many weeks to reach the entry to Dinas. The settlement had time to prepare defenses and launch a decisive offensive against the horde. Even with the phalanxes away in Carreg, the primaries of Dinas were confident the remaining phalanxes could repel this threat.

The primaries decided a force of twenty-five phalanxes would meet the nmbling threat in the open plains, eliminating or damaging them severely enough to compel them to retreat toward the southern plains.

Henry's phalanx was not selected for this expedition, although Hapus was disappointed. They all needed time to rest and replenish their lumin stores.

The gwyl celebration began in eleven days. The entire settlement hoped the departing phalanxes would return by then with good news and tales of a great victory over the desecrators.

Upon returning to the roundhouses, the fledglings greeted them with the enthusiasm of little boys. It brought smiles to the faces of the primaries and novices.

Diniwed, one of the fledglings, rigorously tugged on the back of Henry's jerkin to get his attention. "We saw him!"

"Confused, Henry asked. "Who did you see, Diniwed?

"We saw Tomas!"

Excited himself, Henry asked. "Where did you see him!"

"We saw him by the Great Shrine. We didn't talk to him; he seemed busy."

"When was that?"

Diniwed thought about this for a few seconds. "I think it was about a week ago."

Henry searched for hours. He looked everywhere.

He was alert to all the faces around him for the next few days.

Henry resumed his visits to the great shrine, always keeping an eye out for Tomas. There was nowhere he felt more at peace than the shrine.

Earlier than time itself, there were two united in Ymuno â. One was kind and one was strong, and they both shined brightly together on the plains. One died in the preservation of his people and the other wreaked terrible revenge. Here lies Gar the kind.

One afternoon, on his way to the shrine, Henry glanced at a reflection in one of the two fountains at the bottom of the stairway leading up to the sanctuary. He stopped, his heart beating out of his chest, and searched the surrounding area. It was busy in front of the shrine as it often was, particularly with gwyl only a few days away. Had he imagined it? Was Tomas indeed in Dinas?

Two days before gwyl, great excitement spread rapidly through the settlement. The phalanxes had returned. Everyone rushed to the assembly area to welcome the plainsrunners and learn the news.

The phalanxes entered the settlement to the roars of the assembled crowd. There didn't appear to be any casualties. Interestingly, the boys appeared to be uncomfortable with the adulation they received.

Wilydd, the lead primary on the expedition, and the other primaries mounted the dais and addressed all the plainsrunners present.

"We encountered no living nmblings," began Wilydd. "Four days out of Dinas, we observed an expansive patch of charred dirt mixed with a great deal of burnt woven material, much like we were told the enemy now wears. We have no explanation, but it appears the enemy horde is eliminated.

The assembled crowd cheered.

The next day, all but ten of the phalanxes sent to Carreg returned to Dinas. Uwchradd Reported that phalanxes, scouting the plains near Carreg, discovered similar charred areas containing the remains of nmblings.

Henry wondered what force could devastate the nmblings so completely. Could it be the 'strong' reborn, wreaking terrible revenge on the nmblings for what they did in Carreg?'

Tomorrow was the first day of gwyl. With the recent news of the removal of the nmbling threat, the atmosphere in Dinas was jubilant, and the populous was eager to celebrate. The sorrow tempered the mood felt for the inhabitants of Carreg. A special tribute, with new songs composed for the occasion, was planned for the first day of the celebrations.

Henry continued to search for Tomas but was losing faith that he would ever find him. Perhaps Diniwed mistook someone else for Tomas, or maybe Tomas already departed to take care of other important business.

That day, as he descended the steps of the Great Shrine, he glanced at a familiar figure far below heading away toward the back of the pyramid. Could it be? Focusing on the form, he was sure. It was Tomas, the boy he yearned for every day for over a cycle.

He rushed down the steps in quick pursuit. By the time Henry reached the bottom of the long stairway, Tomas had disappeared around the back of the shrine. Henry was tempted to erupt but respected the customs of his new home too much to breach this unwritten rule. Henry ran for all he was worth, and as he rounded the corner of the pyramid, he saw Tomas slip into a thicket about a mile downhill from the shrine. He approached the unkempt wooded area and cautiously followed Tomas down a barely visible trail until Tomas stepped off the trail and into an even more remote area.

Boner once told Henry that the woods behind the shrine were purported to be the ancient work area of the stone masons when the Great Shrine was built. Many aged stones were piled among the overgrown trees and shrubs.

Henry stepped into a particularly overgrown area of the woods. Tomas stood below in a shady gully with his back to Henry twenty yards away. Henry stepped behind a gnarly moss-covered tree and observed the lone plainsrunner. Tomas bowed his head and appeared to be contemplating the massive stones in front of him. After a few minutes, he fell to his knees and embraced one of the larger blocks.

Was he crying? Henry had never seen Tomas express any strong emotion. What was it about this place and these ancient stones? Tomas stayed prone quietly crying until shortly before gorffwys. He rose and slowly walked away. Henry remained concealed until Tomas was gone.

He left his hiding place and approached the stone Tomas had so reverently embraced. It was overgrown with vines and covered with a layer of dirt. Henry carefully pulled the creepers to the side, brushed the dirt from the stone, and looked in amazement at the deeply chiseled inscription on the ancient stone. It was the tome of Gartwim, only different.

They were two united in Ymuno â. One was kind and one was strong and they both shined brightly together on the plains. One died in the preservation of his people and the other wreaked terrible revenge. Here lies Gar the kind. Twm the strong will forever watch over his people.

Henry repeated aloud the last line of the tome. "Twm the strong will forever watch over his people!"