"Ah--!"
Suddenly--
All noise seemed to have ceased.
Rather, it might be said that suddenly, everything there was sealed up and frozen in the midst of a death and destruction that reminded us of eternity.
There was something in the silence that foreshadowed an unusual and unpredictable event - something that reminded me of the legendary inhabitants of Canaan, who, in their awe and astonishment at the enormity of the situation, turned to stone while still alive on the spot.
Not only did all the lagoons-- even the wise Kha-- stop breathing and lose their voices.
They have lost all power of movement, all ability to think, all in a frightening paralysis, and they seem to have become a blackened, huddled mass.
It is a desolate village of stone, with mountains and rocks towering over it. Beyond the rocky mountains, Iris, the pale goddess of the moon, has already begun to hide her frail form.
The morning light from the east - soon the first rays of dawn from the golden chariot of the lure will reach the bottom of this valley.
In the faint light of that omen, as if they had been turned into stone statues as they were, no one moved, a crowd of two thousand of Nosferus' giant barbarians, the Ragon--
The chair of the elders, made of stone, one of which was empty, from the other chair, leaned forward, eyes wide open and frozen, the wise man Kaa, his hands gripping the arms of the chair firmly, each with six fingers. The wise man's hands, grasping the arms of the chair, have six fingers each, and his long torso, draped over his shoulders, completely covers his feet.
All their eyes are fixed on the square at the centre of the meeting-place which they are occupying, at the centre of the arena which is like the bottom of a basin after it has been hewn out of stone. There, Dodo the Brave, the giant who rules the lagoons along with Kaa the Wise, stands still with his hands outstretched and his feet stomped, as if he had been held back by the huge hand of an unseen yarn in the very position in which he was about to lunge at his opponent.
And underneath him, half lifting himself up to get up, his right hand stretched straight out towards him, grasping and holding up the thing as if it were a monk holding an amulet to ward off evil...
He is Guin, the leopard-headed warrior.
Perhaps the most puzzling and unexpected thing that happened was Guin herself, the one who caused the astonishment.
On the contrary, even in this horrible silence, in which everything seemed to have died out, he still did not understand what had happened at all.
But just as the sudden magic that had overtaken all the people of Lagon had also exerted its power over him, he, too, was frozen in place, unsure of what was going on, and held up what he had grasped as he became an immobile statue.
He had completely forgotten what he had grabbed, how and when it had come into his possession. When he looked down at it, he would not have been able to think of why it was here without thinking for a while, and no matter how much he thought about it, he would not have been able to convince himself of what it was after all.
Nevertheless, he held it up to Ragon and the others like Ilana holding up the sword of victory - and from that strange, slender, silvery thing, there was an invisible line of force emanating in all directions, which seemed to embrace the whole world and turn it into an eternal other dimension, where neither time nor life nor death existed, It was as if it had enveloped the whole world and turned it into an eternal other dimension where neither time nor life nor death existed.
He remains motionless. As if he knows that if he moves even a little, the blunt magic that controls this place will be broken, and the true phase of horrible destruction will fill the area at once - the others will not move either.
In the stifling silence and stillness, however, Time, which seemed to have ceased its operation, continued to flow without a sound. One day, without anyone having time to notice it, a magnificent sunrise began, and the sun god Lure, with his shining, shining hands spread wide, rose up on the horizon and was about to point straight to this valley.
And--
At last, the first light has reached the valley floor!
"Oh!"
Somebody screamed.
At the same time, the spell was broken. It was as if the light had melted the frost, turning the astonishment and awe into tremendous joy and admiration.
"Look at that!"
Ragon's scream became a giant summons that rumbled through the valley.
In the midst of it stood Guin--standing on his haunches, holding aloft in his right hand--a silver, curiously shaped stick, a strange stick which he had dug out and stuck in his belt without a thought, for he had been curious to see its slight glimmer in the valley of salt. It was a strange stick that he had dug out and stuck in his belt without a second thought.
As if the stick itself had a will and Guin was merely being used by it, the dazzling morning sun enveloped Guin as he held it above his head, and the light shone so brilliantly that it was impossible to stare at the silvery thing properly.
"Oh--!"
Someone whimpered. It was Sage Kaa's voice. The wise man gripped the armrests of his chair so tightly that he broke them, and leaned forward, almost falling down.
"--Akra!"
A low cry comes out of his mouth again.
That's when it all started.
"It's Akula! It's Accra!"
"Accra!"
"The Emissary of Accra!"
"It's just like the legend says!"
"That's the sign of Accra!"
"Accra!"
The screams that came from the mouths of the lagoons were instantaneous,
"Accra! Accra!"
The result was a tremendous chorus.
And the next moment, Ragon and his men burst out of the place. The two-tall giants rushed toward the leopard-headed, naked super-warrior standing in the middle of the square, and ran like madmen past their brethren to bow down at his feet.
At the feet of the leopard-headed warrior, as if struck down by lightning, Dodo the Brave, the chief lord of Lagon, was prostrate and clinging to the feet of his opponent, whom he had been fighting with all his might to overthrow.
The thing in Guin's hand glistened in the dazzling morning sun, and what kind of magic power did it have? Whenever the sun shines on that silver rod, it seems as if the glass is shattering and the clear sound of ring ring ring is echoing around.
"Accra!"
All the people of Lagon - warriors, women, old men, and even infants held by their mothers - reached out to Guin and fell down as if in awe. And then, once again, in a pious silence so different from the frozen one of a moment before, the wise Kha slowly rose from his chair, carried by the combined hands of two lagon warriors from either side.
It was only then that Guin realized that the six-fingered wise man was not only six-fingered, but also a cripple, unable to stand up from his chair by himself, with his legs shriveled beneath the long robe that completely covered his feet.
Carried down the stairs by two warriors in a silence of awe and reverence, the wise man, Kaa, walked slowly down the stairs. The people made way for him noiselessly. At the end of the stairs, when the brave Dodo reached the leopard-headed warrior, who was still kneeling at his feet, the wise Kha motioned to the warriors to lower his body gently to the ground.
And then, with a gaze full of deep surprise and joy, they flutter up. The brilliant circle of light surrounds the leopard-headed warrior like a halo and makes a clear sound like the sound of a bell.
"Emissary of Accra--!"
In a faint, squelching voice, Kaa the Wise whispered. All the people of Lagon bowed to him.
"Emissary of Accra!"
"Then the legend was true. I lived to see the messenger of Akula, the wise man who will lead Ragon to the Promised Land of Glory, in the midst of generations of wise men who never erred."
Kerr closed his eyes. Two streaks of white tears ran down the cheeks of the infinitely aged chieftain of the giant race.
"O Acra--thank you."
Kaa the Wise whispered in a hoarse voice. As if in awe, the brave Dodo rubbed his head more and more against the ground.
In the midst of all the people's adoration and awe, Guin stood there, glowing in the light, like an incarnation of the fate of the giant leopard head itself.
And Kaa the Wise held out his hand and stretched out his six-fingered palm towards Guin and his sign.
"You are the messenger."
He said conclusively in a low but clear voice that could be heard in every corner of the stone-built village.
"Ragon will follow you. We'll go where you lead. We'll fight your enemies and make your friends our friends. Even if the battle you command does not seem to be in my favor, we will not stop fighting until the last warrior falls to the ground and dies. Even if the land you lead us to is barren, a valley of death and miasma, we shall not doubt for a moment that it is the Promised Land ordained by Akula. That is because you are the messenger of Akhla, and have the sign of Akhla, and have come to tell us the word and the sign of Akhla. O Guin, brave beast-headed one, Ragon will follow you."
"Ragon will follow you!"
The cries of oaths emanating from the mouths of all the lagoons echoed through the lagoons' valley, creating a tremendous echo that was repeated again and again.
"Ragon--will--obey--you!"
"It's Ragon--"
Guin reached out and took the wise man's six-fingered hand. Akula's sign seemed no longer necessary, but he still grasped it in his other hand and held it up.
"I've come to ask for Ragon's help and his participation."
Guin said in a loud, booming voice.
"Beyond this Lagon Valley, beyond the Salt Valley and across many deserts, the Mongol army from the far side of the Kes River and the allied army of the Semites who are trying to protect Nosferus from the invading hands of the Mongol army are camped facing each other. They believe that it is their sacred duty as the sons of Nosferus to protect Nosferus and drive away the Mongol army, and they do not dare to retreat even a step despite their inferiority. What I've come to ask of you, Ragon, is to save Shem's army - as the son of Nosferus, to protect this land from Mongol's army, who would destroy it for their own personal gain, To leave Nosferus as a land of freedom for those who are born and live there.
Now the Mongol army is about to strike the Semitic army with the most devastating blow - if the Mongol army is victorious, the Semites will be massacred down to the women and children, the fires of death will burn in the desert, and this white holy valley And this white holy valley will also be ravaged and overrun. The Mongol army's goal after destroying Shem is to destroy Lagon, because that is the only thing that is possible.
I don't know what promised land Akula is leading Ragon to - I can't even tell you why Akula is sending Ragon to fight in this war. But I can tell you this... no matter where the Promised Land is, no matter what it is... in order to take it, Ragon must first fight the Sacred War, use his power to defend Nosferus... and vanquish the evil forces. and defeat the evil forces. I've come through valleys and mountains to ask for death, fire, war and victory from Ragon and his men.
Arise, lagoons-- Arise, people of Nosferus! Do me a favor and take my spear and my axe! At this very moment, Nosferus is being trampled underfoot by the hooves of those who have no right to it!"
Before even the reverberations of Guin's scream have faded,
"Ragon will obey Akula!"
"Ragon fights!"
"Ragon will stand with Akula!"
"Acra--acra!"
A tremendous, mouth-watering outcry filled the air.
Some grabbed their swords and raised them in their raging passions, and swung their stone axes above their heads, and some beat their chests with their fists and roared. The women and children grabbed their long, wavy hair and ruffled it, and shouted praises to Akula, his messenger, and the valour of Ragon.
"Get ready-- get ready to go."
"Get ready. Ready the axe. Pack your rations in your sacks."
"Let's go on an expedition. We're going to war."
Their cries became the voice of their mouths, and with a simplicity and haste only befitting a people not yet civilized, they rushed out of the place in haste to comply with the request of the messenger of Accra.
"Please."
Guin mumbled, and seeing that he had done his job, he put down the strange talisman and slipped it back into his belt. Then he swept the sky.
Even though his persuasion had unexpectedly and completely worked, Guin did not look happy in the least. On the contrary, in the expressionless leopard's head, his yellowish, beastly eyes glittered sternly with some unbearable anguish and concern, and his slackly lowered fists were clenched convulsively, and he was now looking high into the dazzling sky, where the sun had risen, and the high azure sky seemed bluntly cut by stone and rock. He was now glaring angrily at the high azure sky, where the sun had risen so high that it seemed to be bluntly cut into stone and rock.
A low murmur escaped from his mouth.
How in the world can we lead Ragon's reinforcements over those mountains, that wolf-infested region, and those endless sand dunes to Shem and the others before sunset on this fourth morning? Impossible. They don't have the horses, and even if they did, it would take them two full days to get there. ... We can't expect another miracle like that tornado.
I wish we had fourteen days to spare instead of four. But Shem and the others knew full well that even four days was far too long for them to manage.
I hope we're not too late... but that would require a miracle. At least, if we can do it as quickly as possible... if, by the time me and Ragon and the others get there, there's nothing but the remains of Shem buried in the sand, being devoured by giant ants... ...If only Lagon's help hadn't turned out to be nothing more than a battle of wits with Shem, even if Shem was almost destroyed, I'd be in a better place...
You're gonna make it. Somehow, you're gonna make it. If I could do it, I'd tell time to stop-- but ...)
"Guin the brave."
Suddenly, Guin was jolted out of his reverie by a boisterous voice. The huge body of the brave Dodo stood right in front of Guin.
"Brave Guin, I have come to bid you farewell."
From beneath his protruding eyebrows, the Dodo fixed his glowing eyes on the Leopard-headed warrior, who was a head shorter than he.
"Wabi...?"
"Yes. I didn't know you were an emissary of Akula when I asked you to fight. You should not fight an emissary of Akula. There's no shame in losing to Akula's messenger because he draws his power from Akula itself and that power will never be exhausted."
"..."
"I'm sorry I didn't believe you were telling the truth. Do you accept my apology?"
"I'll take that apology."
Guin said and took Dodo's strong giant hand. The dodo seemed impressed.
"Brave Guin, are the enemies that Ragon will fight now very strong?"
"Each one of you is no match for even a child of Ragon."
Laughing, Guin said.
"But they are riding horses. They have swords and crossbows of iron, not stone, armor of iron, not tanned leather. And there are many of them - five times as many as all the warriors of Ragon. And they fight in packs. They don't fight one on one for honor like Ragon. But most of them are smaller and less powerful than I am."
"Such a weak enemy. So weak, so many of them. It's like an army ant facing a desert wolf."
The brave Dodo's ugly face flushed. Then his eyes shone like bright candles.
"Leave it to me to lead Accra to victory in this war."
He clapped his chest in agreement.
"The brave Dodo will do wonderfully."
Guin said sincerely. The brave Dodo almost went over there, hesitated a moment, then came back again as if he had made up his mind and looked into Guin's eyes.
"Brave Guin--well--I am sorry that I fought against the emissary of Akra--"
"..."
"Hey, Guin the Brave. I've fought as many duels as there are hairs on my head... but I've never been defeated by someone smaller than me. You're smaller than me. And yet, you are so strong - perhaps because you are the emissary of Akula, it is only natural - that, Guin, the brave, I ..."
"Okay."
Guin knows what you're talking about.
"I am sickened, too, that the contest should have come to this before it was settled. If this battle, which Akula has ordered, ends in victory for us, and afterwards Dodo and I are both standing on the earth unharmed, we will choose an auspicious day and fight until we are finished again. However, I have so much to do that I can only fight until one of us falls to the ground and passes out, not until one of us dies."
"That's good."
The brave Dodo looks radiant. He thrusts his fist into Guin's chest and rushes off to oversee the preparations for battle.
Now, around the meeting house, sacks of leather, stone axes, and spears were piled high, and the lagoons were busy preparing for battle. Guin raised his eyes and saw a small lagon cub staring at him from a distance with round eyes. It was Rana.
Guin beckoned to Lana. Lana squirmed and shyly approached him, but when Guin softened the light in her yellow eyes and called her, she looked embarrassed.
"Hey, Lana.
Guin reached out and patted Lana's head, trying not to frighten her.
"Thank you for what you did earlier. Thanks to your kindness I had food and water and thanks to you I was able to fight the brave Dodo. May fortune guide you! You're my benefactor."
"Hey, are you sure you're stronger than the dodo?"
Lana listened intently. She came closer and closer to Guin, as if relieved, and was finally embraced gently by Guin's arm.
"I don't know about that. I'll have to fight him one last time. I was just about to promise to do that - but you're right, the dodo is really, really strong."
Guin said sincerely. Lana gazed at Guin's leopard head with a look of earnest wonder and adoration in her round eyes, and gently stretched out her hand and patted his round, furry head.
"Is this a furry headgear?"
He asks in that serious manner characteristic of children.
"That's not it. I don't know why I can't take this."
"You're all going with Guin to the fight... and Dodo?"
"Oh--yes."
"Lana wants to go, too."
"The bigger Lana gets, the more Lana can travel."
Guin lifted Ragon's child easily into his arms. As he leaned close to the slender, warm body, the pain of worry that had been tormenting him from within seemed to fade away. However, even though she was a child, she was a child of this astonishing race of giants, and Lana's weight was more than that of an adult woman of the Middle Kingdom race.
"Will you ever come back to Ragon Valley?"
Lana asked. Guin answered honestly.
"I don't know. I don't know anything about the future either. All I know is that maybe things are the way they are and the way they will be."
"Hmm."
This was a daunting thought to Rana's young mind, so she stopped trying to understand it,
"Was the salted meat good?"
I asked.
"Yeah. That was really good."
"Do you want more?"
"No--we can do it later."
Guin patted Lana on the head. It was soft, and smelled of sun and white stone, something dusty and peculiar to this stone-building village.
Lana's mouth was agape as she tried to ask him a question.
"Guin, the emissary of Accra, and Kaa, the wise, wish you to come to his house and speak with him."
One of the Ragon warriors who had been in the carriage with Kah came and told him. It seems that his privileged role is to serve the crippled sage and take care of him.
"Okay."
Guin replied, following him with Lana under one arm.
The "house" of Kerr the Wise, at the top of the stone-built village, was built of red rock, perhaps to distinguish it from the other buildings. In front of the gaping entrance to the small elder's dwelling, Guin set Lana down and patted her on the head with a laugh.
Lana leaps to her feet and walks down the hill, looking back at Guin. Seeing her off, Guin entered the dwelling of the wise man Kerr.