Black Market Merchant

Chapter 112: Shaman

As Alan and the rest of the Skull group followed the Bison skull man along the narrow riverbank. They couldn't help but look at the suspended bridges, caves and boats as It was a truly unique environmental setting. Very different from The Damn and even Moab City. There were no buildings, towers or structures that could resemble modern civilization. Everything had been either naturally formed or carved out into and from the rocks. What actually went on inside those caves was anyone's guess at this point.

They arrived at a very steep stairwell carved into the rock that led upwards to the lowest cave on the northern most peninsula. As they climbed up the stairs Alan took note that at this caves entrance there were several guards standing to watch them from above. Security was not slack by any means despite not having any apparent electricity or cameras. When they arrived at the cave there were only two torches illuminating the entrance. Further in it also appeared to be just a very shallow cave, maybe no more the a few dozen meters deep and empty.

"Are you going to be returning the way you came?" The Bison skull man asked as everyone gathered at the cave.

"Yes. That is what we intended." Alan replied.

"Then I ask that you leave your weapons here. No need to worry about them. The guards here will watch over them and won't steal them either. Thieves are agents of the Night and we Sun People frown on such beings." The Bison skull man answered.

"I don't like this." Hemlock whispered into Alan's ear. "We are going to be vulnerable without them."

"It should be alright. At least we know where to escape to go if things go bad. They seem hospitable enough for now." Alan replied. Though he too didn't want to go unarmed but Alan handed over his hammer grudgingly. The other Skull members did likewise equally as reluctant.

Moments after they had finished giving up their weapons another Sun Person, that seemed to act more in charge, came into the cave. The Bison skull man waved at him. "Hello Garth, we spotted these people approaching from the north Colorado River. They say they are of the Skull and have news from Lady Cassandra."

"So I have heard." Garth replied looking at the Skull group. "You all look the part, but I need to be sure. What is Death-heat, the Skull leaders hair color?"

Alan took a step towards Garth and replied. "Our leaders name is Daivat Bellona the Undertaker, and his hair is snow white. I figured you were going to try and test us, but I thought it would've been something harder."

"Well, that was quick. Looks like they actually sent someone with intelligence. Very good. Come with me and I'll take you over to speak with our Shaman's. They will want to know of what she speaks." Garth replied and turned to leave the cave.

Alan motioned for everyone else to follow. The Skull group followed Garth closely. They did not want to get separated from each other. This was a very strange area to them.

Even though their guide, Garth, talked normal his appearance did not match. His entire body was covered in caked mud, of which was inter layered with red, white, and black mud in a vertical pattern. The only articles of clothing he had on was a loin cloth with pouches on its belt and a leather sash that carried an array of daggers over his right shoulder. His appearance made the Skulls tattooed black bones look rather clean and civilized by comparison.

They followed him out onto a steep stone pathway that led towards the midsection of the peninsula. By the time they arrived at the midsection they were now two hundred meters above the river. Here was also most of the caves and hollowed out sections of the peninsulas cliffside. Additionally, there was a wooden planked roadway that haloed around its center, like Saturns rings. Hundreds of Sun People were traveling everywhere along this roughly five-meter-wide wooden road.

Here it looked to Alan that this was some kind of marketing area. Stall like areas were carved out of the cliff walls and just deep enough that they provided shade to the Vendors and stored goods. The Vendors were all shouting out prices of raw materials and food goods of all kinds were being sold. Even canned and processed foods from the outside were available. Alan, however, could not look around too much, as Garth was constantly moving onwards at a rather stiff pace through the crowd.

They soon arrived at one of the largest wooden bridges that crossed over to the eastern peninsula. It was wide enough to accommodate six people to pass by each other simultaneously. Garth merely glanced behind him with a dull look to make sure that they were keeping up and then started out onto the bridge.

There were only a few Sun People crossing at the moment, so the Skull group was able to catch back up. Several of them felt nervous and hesitant crossing over the river far below them. Alan, on the other hand, was enjoying the view and stiff winds that shuddered the wooden bridge. His Eagle Spirit was clear enthralled by the entire experience. Unfortunately for him, the bridge crossing last no more than fifteen minutes. The rest were just glade it was over.

Now that they were over the worst wasn't done yet. They now stood at the foot of the largest center cave. Being perfectly ten meters high and wide seemed impossible and the caves surface was completely smooth, showing no signs of cracks or chipping. The cave appeared to have actually been board through by a mining or tunneling machine. How a machine of such size could have gotten two hundred or so meters up the shear rock walls was a mystery to them.

Garth stood in the entrance to the massive entrance looking at them with his arms crossed. He pointed to Alan as he addressed the group. "You pick three men to come with you to meet the Shaman and tell your tale. The rest will wait here for your return."

Alan sighed and turned to look at the men with him. He knew who he would rather bring, but Lady Cassandra has sent Ashen One and Wind Talker for a reason. "Hemlock, Ashen One, and Wind Talker youre coming along. Sharp Tooth, you are in charge of these guys. If thing get bad, you know about plan B."

"Understood Boss Bone Flayer." Sharp Tooth replied in a rough grizzled voice. "We won't let them take us easy."

"That's the spirit." Alan replied with a grin. Then he turned to the four he elected to join him. "Let's get this over with and go home."

The four men then started to follow Garth and enter into the oddly ominous cave. At first the contrast of light and dark was too great and they couldn't see into the darkness. However, once they stepped fully into the darkness, they could see simply fine as their eyes adjusted. A double row of candles, one on the wall the other on the floor, marked the route they were to follow.

They hadn't gone far when they saw something completely unexpected, a huge thick metal wall blocked the tunnel. It covered the entire tunnel and not so much as a crack could be seen at its edges to form a perfect seal into the bed rock. Only at the bottom center was there a small doorway to pass through. Two guards baring torches and polished metal spears stood in attention at the door.

Garth went up to them and spoke explaining the issue and the guards nodded understandably. Garth was the first to enter. He had to stoop over low and step up over a ledge to get through. It looked very much like the entrance to a boat cabin, the door even had a wheel locking mechanism like a boats door. Just as Alan was going through, he noticed that the guards spears were disguised with wrapped leather rifles with bayonets on them.

He didn't have time to inspect them further as instead of the doorway being simply a door, it was actually a small tunnel that forced everyone to almost crawl through. The walls didn't quite feel like metal, but something much denser and heavier, like Lead. Then it occurred to him that this was actually what the Sun People's ancestors had built to withstand a nuclear bomb! Just as the stories he had heard reminded him. He had never seen the power of a nuclear bomb, but if this was what it took to stop one, then he wished to never see it!

Once they were through, they found themselves in an even larger cavern. Again, it was completely smoothed out just like the entrance and lit by dozens of torches. The area appeared to have been once designed for many hundreds of people to dwell in, but now only a massive animal hide tent remained. It was adorned with animal, Twisted and human bones of every kind and various strangely carved wooden sun idols were also present everywhere on the floor, walls and hoisted on polls.

Sitting at the entrance to the tent, gazing into a fire burning blue and green, sat three ancient looking Shaman. Each of them wore a multicolored feather headdress, much like Native America chiefs, and countless bracelets and necklaces adorned with glimmering orbs and beads. Their white and grey beards twisted and rapped around their wrinkled torso and legs, further adding to their great ages. As the five men came closer neither of the Shaman moved.

"Stand firm!" An old crackling voices suddenly chanted out. All three Shaman had spoken out in unison and the noise echoed with a ruckus throughout the cave.

Immediately, all five of them stopped dead in their tracks. Garth fell to his knees in respect with his arms and palms raised, as did Ashen One and Wind Talker. Seeing this Alan mentioned for Hemlock and himself to do likewise, though holding out their arms like that looked stupid, so they just knelt.

"State your purpose. It must be something important if you have disturbed us before the monthly ritual." The eldest looking Shaman said still not looking away from the blue green fire at his feet.

"It is, oh great ones." Garth replied solemnly. "These men from Skull have brought words from Lady Cassandra herself."

The three shamans suddenly started quivering in a fit of either excitement or fear or it was just some strange possession. They looked no different than a dead leaf still clinging to a tree limb during a winter gale. "The Lady has had another Prophecy?!"

"This is true." Ashen One said looking up from his kneeling bow.

"As you say." The Shaman on the left said as their quivering subsided.

"Has a Speaker been appointed and come to give us this prophecy?" The Shaman on the right asked.

"I have come." Alan replied speaking loudly and with an uncharacteristic tone of respect. Perhaps the importance of the task was getting to him. "May I speak of it now. Time is seemingly precious, and we must not delay."

Then in unison once again the three Shaman spoke. "Speak, that we all may hear and heed!"

Alan took a deep breath and began to recite the prophecy word for word. Every hour of the trip he had been memorizing it into perfection and didn't stutter a single time while relaying the message. He recalled it so well that even in his dream the night before he saw himself speaking it. The three ancient Shaman sat motionless and silent the entire time. Nothing but the cracking of fire and Alan's voice could be heard.

When Alan finished there was a long silence that had fallen. It lasted so long that he even started to think that these old men had fallen asleep. Just as he was about to ask again, the Shaman stirred.

In a clear, unified voice they gave their reply.

"No!"