[Note, for those who don't know, to understand better (hopefully) : Shakar has a lisp. The "sss" sound is replaced by an " f ", example : " Steel" will be type " fteel" ]
" Praised She Be "
The Kore menki was extremly worried. Weeks now that he didn't saw Kull. It all started when the Akkaio didn't showed up at their weekly meeting place. Shakar thought that he had business and couldn't send a messenger at first, but days after days, nothing but silence. Shakar asked chosen people all over Hydlaa about Phanterol but none of them were able to tell him where he could be found. They even complained to him, saying that they couldn't spot the Akkaio since quite some time. When Kull didn't showed up at their second meeting, despite the kore's craziest hopes, Shakar's worries growed into fear.
Standing in his usual sewers' quarters in front of a copper pipe Shakar was preparing for a begging session in Hydlaa's streets. He has to fullfill the mission Kull left him before disappearing, the least he could do.
She will send him back maybe, he thought, refering to an entity that he never could understand nor picture.
Shakar saw Mantho when the pipe reflected his face, half hidden behind an old white dirty capeline bandage. A worn blanket around his shoulders, his boots off and an ackward limp was doing the trick finely. The Kore was "repeating" his part, testing his "poor beggar" faces. It was a mean like another to get a free meal at the tavern, atleast once a week... That's when Kull surprised him. Not only he didn't judged Shakar upon his activities but even he recognised talent in him for those. Shakar was begging ? Fine ! It was a perfect way to listen or observe without beeing noticed, to spread rumors innocently.
Shakar has been lucky to meet Kull Rhundin... His thought opened the door to his fears once more. Shakar shaked the head, it wasn't the good time to think of it, he has a rumor to spread, a dinner to earn.
"An octa for a beggar ! Please i need to feed me cubs !"
Sitting cross-legged in an old carpet, Shakar was showing an open paw to the passer-by. Many was just ignoring him like he was invisible, some others throwed an octa, barely aiming his paw.
At once, Mantho spoted a dermorian walking down the street : " Hey ! Hey ! Sir, my lord ! Dermorian! " He leaned his paw expectantly toward Izumii : "Please an octa for a poor enkidukai.... I am hungry, please! "
Izumii, careless, spited : " Why should i have give you ? I don't even own a carpet like yours."
Since the time he used the beggar disguise to earn his dinner, Shakar could recognise all the kind of personnalities and adapt to them. No one could ever surprise him... No one exept Kull. Shakar sighed, angry at his worried thought constanly coming back and answered limply to Izumii : " That ?? It is an old carpet full of holes that ftinckf as much as Mantho! "
Rat eyes. A slimy grap of rat eyes, that's what he earned. Shakar growled quietly but did his job. He carefully putted his paw on the dermorian wrist and whispered to him : " You feems like a ftrong little dermorian.... You helped Mantho, therefor Mantho will give you a gift... He heard people talking... they plane a night brawl in Hydlaa arena, next week... money to earn, gamble to do... food, alchohol, fun... You are welcome. Say you come from Mantho the beggar. "
Bad day nevertheless, only 2 octa. But he could spread the rumor of the ring of daggers a bit more largely. Shakar wasn't so in need of tria this days but he liked to stack money for his trade.
I am Shakar the dagger crafter and Mantho the beggar. Two in One, he repeated not to confuse himself.
After installing his beggar carpet in a new place, not far from the plaza, Shakar saw a clamod walking toward him. His way to walk, his allure, he knew it was the one. The kore focused on his "part" and asked in a desesperate tone : " Who would help a poor beggar ? Please Sir Enkidukai, i need to feed me cubs !"
Sacho spoke softly : " You don't have a trade, Sir ?"
Purposidly ignoring the question Shakar insisted : " Please My lord, an octa for a poor beggar, i need to feed my family.."
Sacho nodded his head and said "Alright. Lets go get some food and then we can bring it to them."
Yes, it was the one. Shakar knew his part per heart. Calling him "His majesty", he explained to Sacho that he refused to drive him where he lived, in shame. Despite the Clamod clear care and kindness for his so called situation, Shakar aimed right to the goal. After a couple of minute of discussion, professionaly drived by Shakar, Sacho finaly proposed the poor beggar to follow him. There they were. Shakar limpsing, they walked right in the tavern direction.
At the top of the stairs nevertheless, Sacho stoped and faced the kore : " I'm going to get you some food shortly, but first I do have one last question for you if you are willing."
In a perfect innocent glance Shakar answered : " Yef a question... what that could be ?"
Sacho spoke gently. "I don't think you have cubs. Though I would like to welcome you to join me for a meal at Kada-El's. Will you accept?"
Shakar has won again. Of course most of them didn't beleived his story about the cubs, of course he knew it : " Mantho is vaary found, vaaaaary found of your majesty's generosity. Oh yef he accept and he will make a feaft."
Sacho added: "I am Sacho. I am no one's majesty. Come, let go eat as equals."
Somehow the manners of this clamod pleased Shakar, he certainly was a clever enkidukai. He didn't seemed jugdemental, just nice and caring. It wasn't so current in Hydlaa and Shakar felt like he was about to have a good moment. And he did. Sacho has been friendly to him, in a gentle manner. Shakar wasn't ready to forget it even thought he tricked him at the first place. Sacho was to be kept in his "liked" list.
< * >
Days passed, Shakar delivred daggers to two more customers, he was starting to make a living out of his talent at crafting small blades. On purpose, his "beauties" were more expensive for people that weren't members of the Syndicate, but so lightly. " So lighthy ! " Left Shakar out loud in the middle of the smith, careless of the people working around.
"Heloo Mister. Saw you workin earlier. You make small blades? "
Shakar jumped a bit, giving an unwished hammer's blow, as he didn't saw the dwarf standing in front of him at first sight. He frowned : " Errrrrrr... Haaay fir ftornahmmer.... Yef it is. I personnaly do fmall blades ! How can Shakar may help you ? "
Arri made a grin and continued : " Well, me and the lads could do with a small blade each. Nothin fancy, but easy to keep out of sight like."
Shakar tried to take a very serious and professional face, like he saw Harnquist do several time : " Hummmm, Yef okaaay, small discret... Where do you plane to hide it ? Fleeve, Bootf ? Different modelf toward the plafe."
Arri glanced toward his boot : " Thats the job, a sticker down low. Easy to get if your in a tight spot, or under a table. "
Shakar was amused, he felt always so at ease when the topic was about the small blades : " Right. Shakar fee what the ftonehammer with green eyes meanf ! Shakar will perfonnaly get on it, as foon as now." The Kore started to prepare his spot at the anvil and said to himself : " Three daggers, Three Obbs daggers. " trying to remember the last name the dwarf gave him.
Arri Obbs looked Shakar up and down, "Now me and the lads aren't minted right now. So what do you say to a little trade?" He dropped a large sack onto the ground.
Shakar leaned a bit toward the stonehammer to hear him better, his foot avoiding the bag at the last second : " Aaah... Ah Oh. Shakar does not errrr... Shakkar cannot... " He looked up to the celling, seemingly pondering : " Three daggers for a stack of ore... Shakar fell the ore then he buy... yef.. uhmm... okaay... " He looked down to the dwarf and smiled : " Deal fir ftonehammer. "
Arri softened his voice : " So, three Obbs daggers. If someone comes askin, you ain't seen me.....and the ore fell off the back of a dwarf. " He chuckled.
Shakar nodded as if Arri just spoke of the weather and opened the bag of ores : " Shakar does not know you perfonnaly. " Watching over the raw metal, the menki added : " Shakar will find you when it is ready for use."
Arri proposed then : " Now, lets be shakin on it. " and holded out his hand.
Shakar holded out his paw and taped Arri's.
The dwarf looked at his hand and gave it a quick wipe on his trews : " That's the ticket. Good to see ya"
Shakar, that didn't even noticed Arri's gesture, made a large smile out of nowhere before walking to the Smith, ready to work : " Shakar has an order... yef he has... he muft focuf..." He commanded to himself, trying to chase what was eating into his mind since weeks now.
At the end of that very day, after hours and hours of smithing and blabbering, Shakar putted his hammer away and walked back to the sewers, exhausted. As he passed discretly behind the guards chatting in front of Kada-El's Tavern, a vision striked him.
There, not far from the sewers entry, was standing Kull.
< * >
Exceptionally excited and happy, Shakar stammered, his tail wiping fastly : " Shak.. Shakar... Ku... Haaay.. ! "
Kull looked at Shakar with a warm smile that filled Shakar of a great joy. Careless of the customers of the tavern going in and out, Shakar, clapped in his paws, making a feast to his "boss" : " You are fafe, you are in front of Shakar !! Praised She bee !! Praised... Shakar was worried !"
In a casual tone, Kull asked about Shakar whom summarised for him the results of his mission. Kull smiled, he was happy with him. Shakar was in an uncontrolable jubilation and Kull has to remind him silently : " Speak quietly when we discuss the tasks i give you, vejhape"
Smiling brightly Shakar nodded, ready to do anything that would please Kull. Therefor on an order, he followed him down in the sewers.
Once down, Kull noted : " We will not need a torch, vejhape, for we are gifted..." He continued, "Come."
Shakar was just full of his joy to feel Kull's strong presence again : " Shakar knew Kull Rhundin went in fewers, he does like that aswell... Happy he is !"
The menkis walked down the steps, through the sewers, and stoped at the bottom. The air smelled of feces, piss and rotting flesh. Kull sniffed, and looked to the left. "I know my way through these sewers, vejhape, for they serve me well."
Shakar didn't seemed to notice the strong odor or to be embrassed by it : " Yeff, they serve Shakar well to.." He pointed behind him : " The rat there are for Shakar's dinner eheh"
Kull stoped at a dead end and glanced to the left, where a small but stout tefusang sat sleeping, tied to the sewer pipe bars by a strong rope.
Shakar followed Kull's look and showed a surprised face : " What is this doing there ?! It does not belong."
Determined, Kull turned to Shakar and said, softly, "Tell me, Shakar, do you follow a God?"
Surprised by such a question, Shakar scratched his neck, then started to play with his lifeless ear inbetween two fingers : " Err... Uhm... Shakar like the Gods yef.. He doesn't know much about them but praised they be for they didn't let Shakar all the time in despair... For they send Kull Rhundin to Shakar... " The poor Kore seemed satisfied of his answer but he made a pause and admited, as it was a secret : " Mother faid once to praise She, for "She is our Life and Death Mother"... But Shakar doesn't know who she is perfonnaly"
Kull stated then : " Your mother is wise. She spoke of Dakkru, Goddess of Death. She brought me to you, Shakar."
Shakar's eyes were round of astonishment, he looked at Kull as if he was having a vision : " Kull Rhundin, is Her agent ? Kull Rhundin is a god gift for real ? They really faw Shakar and fend him Kull Rhundin?"
Kull inclined his head to the Kore "I am a devotee of Dakkru, sworn to Her service. Tell me, who do you think gives you the strength to hide in the shadows, to keep thy daggers close to your heart, to survive in the sewers? The beauty of death, and the Will of Dakkru."
Shakar's jaws dropped slowly as Kull explained : " Errrr... She is Dak... Dakkru ? She is Dakkru !!! Mother was praying Dakkru and today Kull Rhundin is send by She ! " Shakar imagined further, speaking very fast : " Dakkru muft protect Shakkar when he begg aswell as, furthermore, protect Shakar when he create daggers that fit everywhere in difcretion..." Shakar felt like he could understand better a couple of things now Kull revealed Her name and Her power. The Kore peered at a wall, tooking time to digest the information, then glanced at Kull again : " Shakar didn't knew that... He wonder what he can do, for She."
Kull pulled a sharp, balanced dagger from beneath his cloak. He safely offered it to Shakar in silence.
Without the ounce of a fear, Shakar watched each of Kull's gestures and catched precisouly the offered ritual dagger : " What is that beauty you give to Shakar made for ?"
Kull started to speak with passion. "The Goddess of Death rules over death, and mandates us to preserve the divine order of Yliakum. This means many things, and soon you will learn more of them, but for now, you must do one thing: slay this tefusang in worship to Her. It is the Ritual of Beast Death, and is both literal and symbolic in worship to our Goddess."
Struggling to understand all, Shakar frowned. He tried all he could to follow and decipher properly each of the words Kull was spelling. Two fingers on his forehead, pondering, Shakar admited seriously : " Errr Shakar cannot understand all the words that Kull Rhundin faid just now because : one, he's not as wise as Her agent and two, he will do what Kull ask for he is bleffed by She."
As Kull commanded, Shakar placed himself in front of the Tefusang, now awaken. The beast was moaning of fear, in despair, pulling the rope endlessly, tryna escape.
Kull said: "Speak these words before you strike..."
Extremly serious, Shakar repeated the words Kull has announced. Raising the ritual dagger above the nervous tefusang he recited : " Dakkru.. Godeff of Death, Ruler of the Death Realm, Guardian of Order, I worship you..." The Kore looked at Kull in the corner of his eyes to see if he said all, well enough.
And Kull continued, apparently satisfied : " ...I am small and weak, but I serve you. I commend this meager gift, the soul of a beast..."
Shakar felt a warmth, as suddent as a lightning, a burning joy. He was unusually focused. The force that was infusing him came from Kull he was sure of it.
From She by Kull Rhundin. There was no temple, no one in the background strinking up prayers to enhance the spirits to the divine. Nothing but two menkis in the middle of the sewers. But it was all alike for Shakar. No more world around, No more hard life and tortured thoughts, just him, Kull and She, watching, waiting on her offering. The tefusang trembled, pushing long scared moans but Shakar was blindly concentrate : " ... I am fmall and weak, but i ferve you. I commend this meager gift, the foul of a beaft..."
Kull spoke louder now, his eyes opened wider, his voice harsher, "I offer you this gift, to furnish your power! Dakkru, I serve you with my life!"
Shakar, as in a trance, could feel Kull's passion, his tail wiping, his valid ear titled down, his dagger firmly tightened in his paw, he backed up a bit in an attack position and said, almost screaming : " I offer you this gift, to furnish your power ! Dakkru, i ferve you with my life ! " In a blink of an eye, Shakar throwed his arm, cutting the tefusang throat all the way long, the last scream of the beast resounding in the sewers, its blood spattering all over Shakar's face, imbibing his fur. The Kore passed his tongue around his mouth as in a blood thirst.
Kull ears perked up to the tefusang's dying scream. He watched its blood pour down past the wooden boards, deeper into the sewers below. He smiled at Shakar. "You are now a devotee of Dakkru, Shakar. You have begun a new stage in your life: you serve a greater purpose."
Eyes shining, look stuned onto Kull's, his arm trembling along his body, dagger still stuck his in paw, Shakar said in a neutral tone : " Dakkru... Dakkru took Shakar ?"
Kull says: "Dakkru has taken you into Her embrace, Shakar. Now you must love Her, and defend Her. For there are forces in the World of the Living that threaten Her."
Shakar yissed still wrapped in that burning embrace he felt earlier and now anchored in the link he always had with Her : " Shakar could felt the force when he did the offering. Shakar doesn't know how to thanks Kull Rhundin for he showed Shakar the true things of Her... Praised She be."
Kull asked: "Kneel, vejhape."
Shakar kneeled in front of Kull, smiling to him. He was feeling emptied of his strenght, as if he just gave all away, but it was good, felt like he fulfilled a mission started years ago.
Kull walked up to Shakar and stood before the Kore menki. He aimed to put his right paw on Shakar's head. Shakar closed his eyes, his loyatly devoted to Kull, he didn't had any fears anymore. He was ready for the ritual.
"Shakar known as Mantho. You are now an Acolyte of Dakkru. Have no fear, for you now follow a righteous path. Dakkru commands us to follow Her, and follow Her we shall." Kull paused to stare down at Shakar with pride then continued, "Acolyte Mantho. Dead or alive, wounded or whole, will you serve?"
Shakar trembled, eyes wet, for the first time he felt part of a greatest thing then the world around, the people of everyday day or himself. She was now in his life : " Yef he will.. for She is my home, my goal. "
Kull continued : "Do you swear to fight all those who oppose Dakkru?"
Shakar set the dagger he holded horizontaly in front of him and pledged : " Shakar fwear to be hers and to defend Her at all the time for She protect Shakar and Kull Rhundin."
"You are Shakar, simple smith to the world. You are Mantho, Raven and beggar to the Syndicate. Now, you are Acolyte to Dakkru. Vejhape, you are gifted with three roles in the world. Use them well to serve Her." Kull paused, and then resumed to say : "Rise, Acolyte Mantho."
Shakar was a bit disoriented, some tears falled from his eyes but he wasn't crying, he looked at Kull visibly tired but thankfull.
Shakar cannot take Kull in his personal arms, He will not like it !. He smiled largely and articulated : " You are personnaly, Shakar's true vejhape that no one was before... for he never knew who he was praying and who She was... Shakar thanks you. "
Kull stared at Shakar, looking straight into the Kore's eyes. His voice was firm and passionate. "We are vejhape by Race, by the Syndicate, by our friendship, and by Dakkru. Never forget this, for I will never forget you."
Shakar felt Kull's look until inside his body, right in his heart, he stammered : " Yef. Yef.. I personally will never forget Kull Rhundin either for he is the crafter of Shakar's new life." Curious, the Kore menki leaned over the Akkaio and asked : " Does she have a temple where Shakar can pray to her and live an offering ?"
Kull explained : "In the Realm of Death, Dakkru has a great citadel. Otherwise, we use meeting places for our fellow devotees, and rituals. There is no permanent shrine for us, for we yearn to one day return to Her embrace in the Realm of Death. Until then, we serve Her in the World of the Living."
Shakar nodded firmly : " Shakar already went down there.. He stayed there atleaft a week because fome warriors left weaponf and Shakar took them... She welcomed Shakar and left him rejoin the livings at onfe... " Shakar placed his fist on his heart " Shakar will think of her in there..." Casualy, and more or less out of nowhere, he asked " Can Shakar do fomething for Kull Rhundin life ? "
" Mantho, look to the world for information on those who no longer believe in the Gods, reject them, or oppose them. We must find them and reform them, or else, punish them. They are threats to Her."
Shakar listened Kull as always with passion and agreed : " Yef Shakar understand Vejhape.... he will tell when he fee one that does not do what he is fupposed to do... Yef he will. Okaaay. " Shakar's right ear twiched a bit, his attention catched, he sniffed around : " Rats are living.... They might makes the waters flows soon on this fide of the fewers, you need to watch out."
" Thank you, Mantho. Now go, and consider what has happened. You have begun a new life. Such a change requires deep thought." Kull steped back, and folded his arms beneath his gray, fur cloak.
Shakar nodded slowly, very conscious of it, even tho he didn't really knew how to handle it... he waved : " Kull Rhundin can count on Shakar for he will be there"
" Vejhape, you may rely on your brother... May the shadows hide you." Kull said before disappearing behind the corner of a sewer's corridor.
That was it. Shakar was sure of it now. Kull was away all this days because he was with Her. She was in him and has leaded Kull to take Shakar to Her.
Kull Rhundin is the guide.
