Tela Maku's Hut - Chapter 1

Tela Makus’s hut is decorated with items taken from the ruins in which the Hut is located, some spoil from a past of his own, and the leavings of the few who dare the pass for advantageous routes, or superstitiously ignored opportunities to stead anew and even those as yet unsung heroes following their own stars up into the high valley on the way to their destiny by way of Tela Makus’s head. 

I say it is a hut but it is more, and like a cave built in ruins who’s makers were recent enough that their rubble could be put to decent enough purpose for shelter, and yet to distant to decipher or understand more of them than preference of color, repetitiveness of design or thoughtfulness of location, it is more of a camp on the high side of the vale near to the broken wall and the maw of the Blue Tubulus. 

Down below in Wico, on the shores of the same river, Difentor in his citadel is dead.  His Citadel is emptied.  His patrols becoming bones, or still mounted and moving east to the shores of some other hinterland, seeking some other hearth to kill for, driven off of the defense by my master, Oginust.   

It is an old story. a wedding party, a wagon of weapons hidden under food, a slow infiltration weeks prior, a man old enough to cower those who carry his bruises but not enough to turn away the barbarians at the gate that never felt his blows or heard his bellows or had to find rest beneath his cruelty.  A boast oft heard in the court falls to the city below and eventually, out side its walls, traded with lips and ears and hands that feed themselves harm, not knowing, nt realizing that out there, listing, Oginust would come.

There was a star sign of course, and a seer, dead now outside his hut, now ash, now far away, and now bones for certain.  There was a youth.  There was a maiden or would be one.  An outcast and a thief.  A chornicler (myself), and a true believer.  Warrios, hunters, soldiers, even a cook and a singer, but in Tela Makus’s hut, we are larder, those who were sent, to find truth in the claims of the court and the people of city below, of the Great Menace, of Giant Tela Makus and the Wall. 

Blees the beleiver is wounded from a rock to the back and a crushed throat.  He may not move again.  The hand of the giant is strong and large, and none could survive a real beating, real malice from him.  We are caught, even Thiricles and Arlice are here.  Thiracles’s spear, broken like kindle, and Arlices eyes swolen shut from the beating of Tela Makus’s open hand.  Half watched we are, exhausted, spent from battle, cowed by fear, at least I am.  unconsoius all but me.  Not too afraid to face and fight him, all but me.  and not one dead.   

Oginust will know we did not flee him?  Surely he knows the Warriors are devoted, that Blees loves him?  Surely he knows I am commandable?  Surely he will come to rescue us?  rescue us the man that burned to seer alive.  That tossed the children from the heights.  The Demon of Peruia.  Surely he will save us.