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Their journey through europe is a long one. The world is littered with strange humans who live in huts of stone and wood between their fields of crops. They have tamed animals to do as they wish of them and house them in these fields, and the trio walk through the night past expanses of beasts bred to become prey. There are Cows, dumb things that man both eat and harvest milk from to drink and ferment into food (stomach-shudderingly disgusting, if you ask any of them), Pigs, horribly smelly things bred for their meat, and chickens- birds bread for their flesh and their oddly ever-bearing eggs.
One night, just past dusk, they continue their journey to the east. They follow the path that humans long since past had carved- and when they grow hungry, they devour whatever unlucky village they wander into. But they’re sated from a town fallen three nights prior, and wander the dirt paths in quiet. A fence lines one side of their path, containing another field of chewed-down grass.
As they walk together, one stops. “Kars.” He states. The other pauses, and makes a small sound of question. “W e lost Wamuu.”
The one with his head wrapped in a loose black shawl turns, and scans the area behind them both. “So we have.” He hums.
“Do you think he just stopped to piss, or should we go look for him?” The other asks, circling his foot in the dirt.
“Look no further.” Kars scans the area, and nods his head toward the fence. His familiar, Esidisi turns to face in the same direction- over the fence is a familiar form, drawing near to something wildly unfamiliar- slowly, as if in a trance. “Wamuu.” The man calls out for the shadow of his other comrade. But, oddly, there is no response.
Both men look to each other- something is not right. The pair move closer, hopping the wooden fence with ease and entering the field. Their younger familiar stands before a humongous beast, surely another tamed by man, stroking its face in a way far too soft for a warrior of such size and power. The beast also bears a great amount of muscle, standing with a long face and side-pointed eyes upon four long and spindly hooven legs. It bears a long mane, and a tail that looks more like tied-back human hair than anything belonging to a beast.
“Wamuu.” Kars calls out once again. This time, his servant’s daze is broken. He jumps to attention, straightening his back and pulling himself away from the animal.
“My lord- forgive me. I strayed away from your side for too long.” He apologizes. “I saw this creature, and I wished to get a closer look. It is... Remarkable.”
“Looks like another dumb beast with its brains bred out, to me.” Esidisi sighs. “Come on, let’s keep moving. If that rock’s to the east, then east we’d better keep going.”
“He’s correct. Come now, Wamuu. There are likely more of these to be found along our journey.” Kars and Esidisi both turn away, making to hop the fence and return to their path. Wamuu lingers, just for a moment. The animal makes a little huffing noise at him- but he must part ways with it, returning once again to follow his masters.
...
They reach a city, and upon the outskirts they dig a makeshift home for themselves in the ground. From the edge of the settlement they barter for stones, trading riches for rubies, over and over again coming up empty-handed. It’s becoming apparent that they may have to travel elsewhere for the stone that Kars seeks.
“I do not have any gold or jewels to trade, unfortunately.” A bent-over old human tells them as Kars displays a fistful of reject gems. He looks over his shoulder. “However, I do have three horses that I could do without. If you and your friends are travelling, they’ll get you wherever you need to go, as long as there’s a road that leads to it.”
The creatures that he points to are of the same species as the one Wamuu had been entranced by. Now they are a commonplace sight, but it does not mean that the warrior is any less enthralled by them. Some work to pull the carts of merchants, others carry soldiers upon their backs.
Kars mulls over the decision for a moment. Then, he looks half-way over his shoulder, directing his attention toward the young warrior. “Wamuu.” He states, clutching the stones in his hand. “If I agree, will you take it upon yourself to care for these creatures?” He asks. The youngest’s other master looks to him as well.
However, Wamuu does not hesitate. “I will, my Lord.”
“Very well then. I shall take them.”
...
Wamuu finds that taking care of other living things, especially ones made to live in the sunlight, is not an easy task. He must break the full-grown beasts into a habit of waking with the moon and sleeping with the sun. It is a chore to groom their manes and their tails, to provide them with fresh food and water, clean their hooves, and dispose of their waste. But- he does not find it too much of a bother after it becomes a regular part of his life.The bits of free time he gets to spend bonding with the creatures, as well as the strain riding them takes off of their bodies, is payment enough for his effort.
His horse is a mare- like him, its mane is blonde, and she is spotted with grey splotches from her muzzle to her hooves. His masters both ride upon stallions, Kars’ being the fastest and sleekest with a black coat and white socks above its hooves, and Esidisi’s being the thickest and able to carry the most weight, with mottled brown and white all over. With Wamuu’s care of them, they prove to be a wise investment.
However, the natural ways of beasts prove annoying from time to time. When they take a few nights to stop in a village with a noble family, possibly holding stones in their pockets, Wamuu’s mare enters estrus. This results in the pair of stallions running amok about one another, engaging in all manner of embarrassing acts. Wamuu can’t do anything but let them do as they will.
“That is the way of beasts, I suppose.” Kars all but gripes. “Just ensure that they do not run off.”
“I will make sure of it, my lord.” Wamuu bows his head as Esidisi lets out a long groan.
“Can’t you tie them up or something?! We can’t have them just running around fucking for nights at a time!” He covers his eyes and looks away from the creatures. “This is obscene, even for my standards.”
“That’s where you came from, don’t disrespect it too wildly.” Kars teases.
Esidisi sticks his tongue out. “Yeah yeah, circle of life, I’m not four-thousand you know.”
Wamuu shakes his head. Such a handful, all of them.
...
“Lord Esidisi, is there something the matter?” Wamuu asks. It is near the dawn where they must set up camp and take shelter for the coming day. The three beasts are tied to stakes and left with water and grass while their riders take cover. Meanwhile, his master eyes the mare that Wamuu called his own up and down. He circles around her, and then places his hand onto her belly.
“Don’t you think this one’s looking a little round lately, Wamuu?” The elder asks. His servant blinks, and mulls over the question for a brief second.
“I suppose that my legs have been resting on her sides more often lately, yes.” He replies. “Winter will be upon us soon, she is likely putting on weight to combat the cold.”
Esidisi draws his lips into a thin line. “Kars!” He barks into the darkness. “Come over here, I need to ask you something.”
His other master emerges from the woods, grumbling and knocking the leaves from his hair. “Haven’t you any worry for the dawn? The tent will not raise itself, you know.” He snips back at the other man. Irritated from another town passed by without a stone, he comes to meet the others beside Wamuu’s mare.
“Does this horse look off to you?” Esidisi questions. “Feel her stomach for me.” He points to the animal’s belly.
“Nn?” Kars cocks a brow, and the others part out of his way while he makes to approach the creature. She gives a soft huff as the man prods and rubs at the underside of her belly, rubbing from the front of her legs and to her chest. Kars leans back, and knits his eyebrows together. “This one is pregnant.” He states with some slight annoyance.
“That’s what I was afraid you were going to say.” Esidisi places his hand on his hip and clucks his tongue. “How is this thing going to keep moving forward with us if it’s weighed down with a baby? How long are horses even pregnant anyway?”
“I am unsure. It will travel with us for as long as it is able, and then we will leave it.” He turns away. “Come now you two. We have no more time left to dawdle about. Nature will do as it will to those beings lesser than we.”
With a little groan, Esidisi follows alongside the leader of the three. Wamuu lingers for a moment, however, looking to his loyal companion. She huffs at him- and he comes to her side, feeling the round surface of her belly. A new living thing had begun to grow inside. He knows of course how reproduction works, but has never experienced the cycle of life up close. At least, not this side of it anyhow. He knew well enough of death.
Giving a final pat to his quiet friend, Wamuu returns to the side of his masters.
...
Rain bears down onto the earth, saturating the ground and running down over the horse’s hooves. Not too far along ahead is a proper place to set up shelter and take cover from the onslaught of thunder and rain. Lightning strikes the distant trees of the forest near to them, causing the two stallions to skip ahead and through the mud.
Wamuu sits just barely up the side of a hill, watching his masters disappear over the top of it. Meanwhile, the thunder is broken up by the huffs and puffs of his mare, forcing her heavy body along and through the freezing downpour. Her rider urges her on, low voice lost with the clamor around them.
“Come now, you can make it.” The pillar man tells her. But the beast continues to heave, each step growing more burdensome on her. She falters- and it becomes apparent to the warrior that she will not make it up and over this hill on her own. He hops off, sliding over the belly of the incredibly swollen horse. She whinnies, still trying with all her tired might to press on forward.
Wamuu bends his knees, and wraps his arms best he can around the creature. His feet sink into the mud, and soil squelches between his toes as his body begins to sink into the soaked earth. He summons his strength into his arms, and with a frightened shriek from the animal, he lifts her body up and from the ground. Exhausted, the creature can barely put up a fight against him, though she tries. Wamuu bends his bones to escape her kicks and thrashing, and starts up the hill.
One step at a time, the young warrior carries the heavy load up the hill. He slips more than once, watching the tracks of his masters’ steeds quickly fade away in the mud. His footsteps join them, sinking deep with every march forward. He presses on and up- and just as he reaches the summit, the faces of his masters come into view. They say nothing- watching as he drags the enormous beast up with him, even as she struggles in his hold.
At last he comes to flat ground once again, setting his horse down onto her four hooves, right as she’d been at the bottom of the hill. He wipes the rain from his face, then takes to her back once again. He looks forward and past his masters, urging the mare forward. She shivers a little at first, but takes back to the road once more with Wamuu upon her back. The pair of his elders follow suit, once again taking lead ahead of him.
Wamuu strokes the back of his steed’s ear. “Good girl.”
...
They find a town not far off, one with a small stable and a real bed. The trio get an odd look from the innkeeper when they ask for a day sleeping in the cellar, but he takes their gold all the same. A few down mattresses tossed to the floor feel like heaven- even they could grow tired after such an extensive journey. While they are there, a man tells them of a city not far off that is unparalleled in grandeur. ‘Rome’ it is called- and if their perfect stone is anywhere, it will be there.
At dusk, Esidisi wakes up to stretch his newly-rested bones. He peeks over his shoulder, watching Kars shuffle about in his sleep, noticing Wamuu’s empty bed. Diligent as he was, he had likely already gone to tend to the horses. After a stretch, he sits back down, watching over Kars while he waits for him to wake.
After some small amount of time, the other man rises with him. He quietly cobs through his hair and tucks it back beneath black wraps, hiding his horns away beneath it. “Is Wamuu tending to the animals?” He asks, combing the bit of hair that peeks from beneath his wrappings.
“Don’t know, he’s been gone since before I woke up.” The younger of them responds. He gives another stretch of his arms, and stands. “The night isn’t getting any younger, we should get moving. He’s probably got everything ready to go.”
Kars nods in silent agreement, leaving his bed and slipping back into his boots once again. They climb the stairs from the basement and out through the inn’s front door. Wamuu is nowhere to be seen, however. Silently they head for the stable together, looking for their companion.
And, after their short search- they find him. Beneath a wooden roof and on a floor of dirt and straw, one of three of the earth’s most powerful beings sits. He bears a peaceful expression unlike any other that his elders have ever seen him give, eyes shining somehow even in the dark. In his lap, as if it were his own child, he holds a newborn foal. Wet and quivering, it takes to his warmth and protection while its mother stands beside them both. The small creature looks about the new world around it, blinking away the wetness in its eyelashes. Unlike any of its parents, it bears a golden coat with white mane and tail- surely an artifact of its ancestors. Wamuu strokes it with care, letting it take the time to stretch out its new legs over his lap.
“Well, congratulations.” Esidisi calls over to him. Wamuu’s head shoots up, and his hand pauses from where it had been stroking the newborn’s mane.
“Forgive me, I came to the stable to saddle the horses for the night, and found a new one.” He looks down to the youngling. “I wished to spend some amount of time with him, before we must part ways.”
“Part ways?” Esidisi leans against one of the rafters.
Wamuu nods. “We cannot take him on this journey with us- I fear that it will take too long for him to gain the strength needed for our travels. I will be leaving him here, along with his mother.”
“Bring him with us.” Kars’ voice cuts through the others’ conversation. “Wild hooven creatures take to their mother’s side after a day. So long as it has milk from its mother, it should be able to follow. When it grows older, it will take the place of its mother as your mount. But if it does not, then it shall perish. I will allow one more day for it to gather its bearings. Then, we will return to the road east.”
The younger’s jaw drops open. He looks from his lord to the foal, and nods his head. “Thank you, my lord.” He strokes the newborn again, letting it stand up from his lap to balance on its spindly legs.
“And one more thing, Wamuu-” Kars narrows his eyes, then closes them. “Give this one a proper name.”
Once again, Wamuu nods, obeying the command of his master.
“Come with me now, Esidisi. You and I shall feed, and ask the townsfolk of the quickest way to Rome from here.” Kars beckons his companion come along, and Esidisi follows as if on a string, leaving Wamuu to the young horse and its tired mother.
As they begin to step out of earshot, Esidisi crosses his arms over his chest. “I don’t mean to question your judgement, Kars, but why don’t we just leave those two horses here? It’s not that big of a deal if one of us has to walk.”
Kars hums. “I believe that this will be a good learning experience for him. It is important that he understands the cycle of things besides ourselves, and why we are struggling to escape what binds ordinary creatures.” His expression changes, and he loosens the wraps around his head by an inch. “And, if I may be totally honest with you- what other reason do I have to stay and rest for one more day in a real bed?”
Esidisi blinks, and then lets out a loud snicker. “Right, right. It’s a win-win for everyone involved, then.”
...
The following dusk comes, and the foal skitters about the stable on its new legs right alongside its mother and Wamuu, prancing while the adult horses are fitted with their halters and saddles. Even the elder two pillar men cannot help but be a bit drawn to the cute little thing, stopping to stroke it and familiarize it with their scent. Wamuu watches over the foal even more closely than its mother, calling him along as he takes to his mother’s back.
“Well then, have you found a name for him?” Kars looks down to the spindly creature, and to his comrade.
“I believe that I have thought of something suitable, yes.” Wamuu tells him. “I wish to call him Avalanche.”
“Avalanche... That is an impressive name for one so small and frail.” Kars hums. “But, I still recall when you were even more helpless than this day-old creature. Perhaps he will grow into the title.”
“He is kind of cute. I hope he makes it.” Esidisi remarks, urging his stallion onward. The others follow, and Avalanche’s little legs patter right behind.
...
In two weeks, they reach rome. When Avalanche tires, Wamuu steps from his mother’s back and walks with a quick step alongside the others, holding the little foal in his arms. His masters are somewhat lenient with stopping to let the little creature drink during the night, breaking it into a nocturnal way of living. With each passing day he grows stronger, and Wamuu carries him along less and less.
When they reach the city, it is as grand and as vast as those in the tavern had told them. Kars decides that their journey has come to a brief end- it will be a year, if not more, before they can comb the entire city over for its riches. At last their years long journey across the earth comes to a stop, and they settle outside the towering city. Digging a hole in the earth and erecting a wooden stable and fence, they and their animals have a place to call ‘home’.
During this time, Wamuu spends his free moments of night working with Avalanche. The little foal grows quickly, and grows an attitude. He works to break the animal into allowing someone to mount it, and to gain its trust. He sits with him and trains beside the paddock where he grazes with his mother and the other stallions, now set in a separate pen. Then he ties a halter about his face, walking him through the night and off to grass that must seem greener than that which already grows in his pen.
Eventually, they come to meet one another at the fenceline. Avalanche’s face suddenly reaches to his collar- and he bumps his nose up against Wamuu’s bare chest to greet him. He is met with whispers of praise and scratches behind his ears. Maybe even an apple, if he’s especially lucky. It is not easy for Wamuu to be around all the time- each night they leave in search of the stone, and he is bound to his masters, and to protect them. The young horse is often left to himself, while his mother and the other stallions leave for the city.
Wamuu spends the moments that he can with him, and eventually a year passes. His masters show no interest in leaving rome for the time being, still drawing closer to a stone that might be the one they hunt for. He follows their command- wondering what will happen when they do find the stone. Avalanche is always happy to offer an ear to him, at least.
One year goes by, and then two. Avalanche outgrows his mother and they are split into different pens. He comes to stand at Wamuu’s shoulder, and they run through the night at one another’s side. The colt’s muscle begins to shine through his once spindly legs, and the pillar man decides that the young horse is ready to learn how to carry a rider.
He gets thrown off more than once.
But, where a human may have cracked open their skull or simply given up, Wamuu straightens the gold band around his head and hops right back on to the animal’s back. Eventually, Avalanche is worn down to the nub, and he walks down the dirt that they had beaten with Wamuu sitting high upon his back. He carries the enormous warrior with ease, golden horse carrying golden-hearted man upon his back.
One night, he spots a firelight just beyond the entrance of his home. He leads Avalanche in that direction, and his steed obeys. Wamuu’s masters sit talking with one another beside the fire- pouring once again over masks and sketches. But, given the calm night air, they had brought their operations to the refreshing surface.
Wamuu pulls Avalanche to a halt. “My lords- is there any way that I can be of service to you?” He offers his aid, watching Kars’ eyebrows knit tighter together and his scowl grow higher. Esidisi leans back and lets out a long sigh.
“I don’t think there’s anything you can do tonight, Wamuu. Kars and I are just fine on our own.” He huffs through his nose. Then, he fiddles with one of the thick hoops that dangle from his ears, eyeing the horse beneath his servant. “So you actually got that thing to let you ride it? I’m impressed, Wamuu. I didn’t think it would make it a day outside that tavern.”
Kars tears his eyes away from his current project. He nods his head as well, speaking with his nose turned down to the plans before him. “Indeed. You’ve raised him well.”
“There is no need to praise me, Lord Kars, Lord Esidisi. I am only doing what I must. I swore to care for these horses, and I am fulfilling that promise to the best of my ability.” He strokes Avalache’s cheek. “Soon, he will be able to accompany us.”
“That’s good news, at least.” Esidisi half-chuckles. “Carry on then, Wamuu. We’ll be staying here tonight.”
...
Eventually, Avalanche is allowed to go into the city. Less and less Wamuu travels with his mare, and more and more he takes to Avalanche’s back. The young stallion carries him along with its snout raised high and its mane decorated with glittering gold clips. After his years of work, at last he bows to the pillar man’s will- in exchange for treats and scratches, of course. But Wamuu happily provides them.
As Avalanche grows older, so does his mother. She cannot bear any more foals to replace the older stallions, and she is of no more use to them.
Wamuu takes her to a farmer on the opposite side of the city, giving one last goodbye to his old friend as he turns over to her new caregivers. They have a proper barn to keep her warm in the winter, and better bedding to soothe her bones while she rests. He knows that the mother of his friend will be taken care of- and so he leaves her for a better life.
Meanwhile, Avalanche takes on a new life of his own. Kars and Esidisi close in on what could be a stone, belonging to a powerful noble who lives out in the countryside. His home is heavily guarded, shielding his fortune from those who would wish to take it. But the three pillar men know little fear of humans and their little swords and arrows. And so, Wamuu has Avalanche fitted with metal plating to protect his most vital areas. While they could take a thousand arrows, just one could be the end of his companion.
As Wamuu urges his steed to creep along toward the manor of the man they hunt, his friend loyally obeys. But then- he stops. Wamuu jars as well, and follows the action of his mount. Sniffing the air, his powerful nose picks up the slightest hint of another being among them. Human, no less.
“Keep on.” He breathes in the horse’s ear. Avalanche hesitates- but does as he is told. Meanwhile, Wamuu withdraws a metal shard from his pocket, holding it steady over his thumb. The scent draws closer- and he presses Avalanche to continue toward it.
“Hya-!” In a rustle of leaves, a man leaps from between the trees, wielding a dagger. Avalanche whinnies in shock, taking a step back from their attacker. Wamuu is ready, however. With a flick of his thumb he sends the metal scrap sailing towards his assailant- the makeshift blade pierces his neck, breaking a hole through and into his windpipe. Wamuu snaps at Avalanche’s reins then. His steed jumps to attention, taking off and from the wood they had crept through.
Wamuu hold the reins with one hand, preparing another piece of metal. It is too dangerous for the horse to use his handstorm while mounted, so he makes do in any other way that he is able. But flushed from the woods, he runs across an open stretch of grass just beyond the home of their target. Another mounted human spots him- then comes barrelling forward on what is his likely more experienced beast.
However- Wamuu places his trust in his companion, urging him head-on to meet the other warrior. He steadies his hand, bouncing atop the horse’s back as he gallops forward, and sends his metal shard flying once again. It hits- lodging itself directly into the man’s throat. He is sent flying, and his steed abandons him. The young pillar man retreats back into the cover of the forest, listening on. When the sound of guards at the front gate begins to roar, he dismounts from the young stallion, and strokes his nose. “Remain here. I will return for you before dawn.” He breathes. Avalanche bumps his snout to his chest, and remains.
...
The proceeding night is spent at rest. The stone, while certainly impressive, did not prove to be god-making material. But there are more leads, more bodies to drain ,and more opportunities for the band of pillar men. Avalanche follows his master each step of the way, quickly becoming hardened to the atmosphere of battle. Wamuu adopts a bow an arrow at his back- and he moves like the wind itself atop of his mount, leaving no man alive in their wake.
Years pass by like nothing for pillar men- but Avalanche continues to grow broad and strong, boasting the armor of horses who had fallen to his rider’s bow. The stallion’s size and strength do not go unnoticed- and, oddly enough, Wamuu is offered gold for the chance to allow his stallion to breed with their mares, hoping for a golden coat, or a horse half as strong or fast as he. Strange as it is to him, Wamuu doesn’t mind having a bit of pocket money- so long as his masters don’t mind, he does as he wishes. It helps keep his horse mellow in the face of danger.
Wamuu comes to the pasture one night, its fence now patched up in places and the dirt beaten over the years, holding an apple beneath his jacket. Avalanche comes sauntering over him, ears perked and eyes gleaming. Half from the gleam of his treat, and half from knowing that he would soon be fitted for battle. If he could speak, he may sound like an excited child. But Wamuu can sense his energy well enough as his chest is pressed against with a soft muzzle. He gifts the apple to his friend, and slips his halter over his face while the creature munches away.
“I am placing my faith in you tonight, Avalanche.” He speaks to the horse. “My lords have located a new stone- one so legendary that it bears its own title. This, the ‘Red stone of Aja’, may be the one that lord Kars seeks. If we can secure it, then I believe you can look forward to a long and peaceful retirement.” He allows a small grin to come over his lips, hopping over the fence to lead Avalanche to the barn.
There his masters already wait with their own steeds- no longer those that they had once ridden, but stronger and faster beasts traded for gold. Like Avalanche’s mother, the two horses had found their golden years lived upon farms in need of a light plowing. Wamuu ties Avalanche’s saddle to his belly and hops atop of his back, waiting patiently as his masters did the same.
“Wamuu.” Kars speaks. “You are to lead. While you have the main faction of guards kept at bay, Esidisi shall take the west wing, and I shall take the east. There is a storm brewing- it should begin to fall as we reach the palace, causing them some difficulty. It is up to us all to find one another once we have infiltrated the inside of the building. From what I am told, the stone is hidden deep beneath the earth. I shall need your strength to pull the heavy cover that it is beneath- understood?” The eldest lays the plan out before them, earning several nods from Esidisi.
“Yes, My lord.” Wamuu bows his face as he replies. “I shall not let you down.” He taps at Avalanche’s reins, and his steed takes off at a trot. The noble they seek lies hidden between trees off in the countryside, and there is no time to waste in retrieving the stone and returning before the morning light caught up to them. True to the word of Lord Kars, the heavens growl above them. But Avalanche carries on, undeterred and trusting of the man upon his back.
They creep as usual through the outlying shrubbery, Wamuu’s superior vision allowing him to get an accurate feel of what they were up against. Guards line the front door of the manor, and other mounted humans patrol the grounds upon their horses, with more likely in wait. Wamuu readies his bow, arrows tipped with poison resting in a thick nest on his tailbone. He waits quietly, and thunder creeps closer over them. Just a moment more, just a moment more-
A bolt of lightning flashes, and the heavens open up onto the earth. Wamuu smacks at Avalanche’s reins, and his steed leaps from his place. He pierces the center of the nearest human’s skull, his arrowhead coming out the other side and ending his life immediately. Avalanche pounds at the earth louder than any thunder above. Lightning screams at the earth, and human warriors charge at them with their own shrill cries. The warrior of the wind sends them to their graves, piercing through their bodies with his bow and arrow while Avalanche carries him along through the air.
Suddenly, his aim goes way off. Wamuu’s vision is tossed to the side, and time seems to slow down. He realizes what is happening, with his superior mind, as he falls to the ground. He will be fine- but Avalanche has opened his mouth in a scream, mud flies in a flurry beneath his hooves, and rain falls into the warrior’s ear.
He hits the ground to a symphony of thunder and screams, thrown from Avalanche’s back. Scrambling for his bow and arrow, he continues to shoot wildly at his oncoming attackers. With his friend at his back, still struggling to stand, he unleashes a typhoon from his wrists, knocking apart and away the remaining force.
Huffing, Wamuu turns. “Come now Avalance, it is safe. I will find a place for you while I go to find Lord Ka-”
A haunting rattle shakes on the rain. Avalanche lies on the ground, struggling with his mouth gaping open, scratching at the ground to try and regain his footing.
Sticking from his side and through his armor, straight into the center of his lung, is an arrow.
Wamuu gasps into his breathless lungs. “Avalanche-!” He throws himself to the side of his friend, tugging the arrow from his body. Avalanche screams in an agonized whinny, thrashing as the air leaves him. Wamuu presses down on his side as the rain begins to weaken, pushing him down to the earth.
“Be calm, my friend.” He states. He thinks, and he thinks, fast as his superb brain can. But, there is nothing that can be done. He grits his teeth, and lifts the horse’s weakening neck up into his lap. “Be calm. It is alright.” His voice shakes as he speaks.
Avalanche stills, heaving what little air he can through his broken lung. The beast looks into Wamuu’s eye- his golden body dyed to a muddy brown by the rain. Wamuu stokes him, holding the enormous creature in his lap, just as he had in the hours after his birth.
“I thank you for what you have done for me.” Wamuu pulls the dying stallion’s head closer. “Forgive me.”
Avalanche’s breath whistles as he draws it in. He bumps his nose against Wamuu’s chest, and then, his head meets the earth.
Wamuu stands- there is little time to waste before he must meet his masters inside.
...
“Wamuu!” Esidisi calls through his hands. “Where is he? Wamuu!”
The pair of pillar men, tired from the last night’s battle, wander past the stable and into the field beyond.
Kars looks over to the pasture, and hums. “Avalanche is missing. It looks as if he has already left.”
“He just took off somewhere without telling us? No way.” Esidisi opens his mouth to call again, and pauses. On the horizon a head pops up out of the earth, followed by a body. Wamuu rises from a deep hole in the ground, wiping his hands of the dirt. “Oh, there he is. Hey- Wamuu!”
The youngest turns his head slowly. But, as the older two draw closer, the air changes. Avalanche is nowhere that they can see, and Wamuu stands alone. They smell before they see something dead, but as the space between they and their servant closes, the lump lying on the ground becomes more and more visible to them.
The masters of Wamu are silent as they come upon him, looking down into the grave he has dug with no more than his hands. Avalanche’s body, carried from the woods of the palace and all the way to this place, lies dead and quiet beside him.
The two elders look at the boy that they had raised, staring with some undiscernable expression at the corpse of his beloved companion. It’s hard to know what to say, or if they should even say anything.
“Oh, Wamuu.” Esidisi murmurs. Unusually soft and remorseful, he knits his brow together and looks with pain at the young pillar man. “What happened?”
Wamuu presses his hanging fingernails back to his hand, letting them fuse back to their proper place. “He was shot by an arrow, all the way through his armor and into his lung.” He speaks, something gone from his heavy voice. “He died the death of a warrior, as I felt he one day might.”
Bending over, Wamuu hefts up the beast’s body into his arms, carrying the massive animal like it were no more than a ragdoll. He lowers his body as gently as he can into the hole that has been dug for him, dropping a few inches to the bottom of the pit. Silently, he begins to toss soil back over the animal, and his fingernails fall off and begin to bleed.
Esidisi walks over to him. Wamuu cycles up and down, carrying dirt in his bleeding and swollen hands in a rhythm. “Wamuu. You’ve got to stop and rest for a moment.”
“I will not.” Wamuu bites at him. “He deserves a proper grave, and a proper burial. I swore to care for these animals,” His voice cracks. “And I will ensure that he is given the respect that a fallen warrior deserves.” Continuing to shovel the dirt over Avalanche’s body one scoop at a time, Wamuu’s eyes water.
He continues his shovelling until a hand physically grabs him to stop him. The warrior turns slowly, coming to meet the crimson gaze of his other master. “Wamuu. You will stop.” He states. And, that is final, as the younger goes still in his grasp. Kars’ face softens, just enough that his comrades can tell. “This is life for all things aside from us. But, even we must come to understand the cycle that they endure. Birth, reproduction, and death. I allowed you to tame this beast to allow you to experience this first-hand. All things will crumble before us. Even if we come to appreciate them.”
“I understand, Lord Kars.” Wamuu speaks through his tears.
“Very good. You have learned well from this. And know also-” Kars moves his hand up to the younger’s shoulder. “It will hurt to lose things, at times. Somehow we end up attached, and it pains us to lose the lives we knew. Grieve, and move forward. Life will go on.”
“Yes,” Wamuu tries, but cannot finish with the usual ‘my lord’. It is the first time that he has lost something so dear. It is not like saying goodbye to his mare, it is not like knowing that the other loved one he has lost is still out there and alive on the other side of the earth, it is not like losing the stone before they could witness its power. He will never see his beloved friend again, never feel his muzzle or hear his stubborn puffs, or experience all of the little quirks and curiosities that were unique to him.
The two elders let him cry without comment. Wamuu eventually returns to refilling the grave, and his masters join him in the task. He insists that they not dirty their hands on his behalf- so they use their feet to kick clods of soil into the hole. In very little time at all, they manage to fill the grave up to its top, tamping down the earth until it is flat once again.
“Wamuu. You should go back and rest.” Esidisi crosses his arms. “The sun won’t be long now.”
“I shall, my lord. I will only be another moment. If the both of you should like to return, I will soon follow.” He straightens his back, stepping off of the soft ground and back to solid earth.
“So be it.” Kars speaks for the other man, and turns away. Esidisi gives the youngest an understanding nod, and leaves him be.
Wamuu takes a deep breath once he is left alone. It hurts, but then- he thinks back. Avalanche had lived a good life, well fed and well loved, littered with jewels and marching with pride into every battle. He remembers the shine in his eye and the jump in his step as they had taken off and into another fight. His trust, and his final gift of comfort to his heart by pressing his nose to the flesh of his chest. While his dear friend was gone, the life he led had not been wasted for a second.
Wamuu takes the arrow that had killed him from a container behind his back, and sticks it into the earth. Then, he makes a beeline for home.
...
“I’ll never understand how one man carries so much on his back all by himself.” An old human chuckles as a single gold piece is dropped into his hand. “I’ll be seeing you next week then, young man. Just as soon as the moon touches the sky.”
Wamuu nods his head, carrying only two-thirds the normal load of hay on his back. Light as a feather to him, he lets the human chalk it up to his impressive build. With his goods in tow, however, he takes a step towards the road that leads home.
A tiny, high noise meets his ears.
Wamuu nearly drops the hay fitted on his back. He turns around slowly, scanning for the source of the noise.
Out from beneath a wooden cover, a foal bounces out. With gold fur and a white mane, it prances about beside its mother and through the fresh spring grass.
Wamuu pulls a pouch from his side, and opens it with one hand to reveal the depth of gold within. “How much would you sell the little one for?”