Linry shared a portion of the truth with the vaxuum vayu, revealing the roots of her hatred for the Academy. As she spoke, Ishan and the three elders listened in solemn silence, nodding at her words.
'The treachery of that place knows no bounds,' Ishan rumbled. 'To steal a child from her family to pay for her father's folly…this is the injustice of enxan societies.'
'Alas, oh Vayu,' one of the elders agreed, shaking his head. 'Wherever coin is worshipped, greed festers.'
'Silver and gold,' Ishan spat, his trunk curling with disdain. 'They will be the undoing of their kind.'
For a time, the vaxuum continued their condemnation of human greed, speaking as if Riniock and Linry were not sitting amongst them – despite the very wealth they carried.
Their conversation stretched on until a hepi vaxuum approached the gathering. He was not young, his weathered features and the bow slung across his back marking him as a seasoned hunter.
Kneeling on one knee, he placed a fist over his chest and bowed his head.
'Vayu,' he addressed Ishan with deep respect. 'The rest of the tribe has been sighted.'
'About time. We have lingered in this place for too long.'
'The rest of your tribe?' Riniock asked, surprised. He had already been impressed by the number of warriors in this group alone. 'Is that where the beasts are kept?'
Ishan nodded before turning back to the scout. 'Which direction?'
The hunter gestured towards the horizon. 'Beneath the sun.'
Ishan rose, brushing the sand from his garments before lifting his trunk high and trumpeting a commanding call. The sound carried far, and within moments, his tribesmen gathered with practiced efficiency. Though nomadic and wild in nature, their discipline was unmistakable.
'Pack up! We move to rendezvous with the tribe.'
At once, the vaxuum responded with their own distinct cries, pounding their chests in an aggressive display of unity.
'Amazing,' Riniock murmured. 'They're better trained than most armies…'
'Loyalty and respect,' Linry said, watching the warriors move with practiced precision. 'The vayu instils it in them – a gift to the vaxuum, no doubt.'
'A blessing from their god?'
Linry shrugged. 'I'm not sure. But whatever drives them, it is remarkable.'
They rejoined the tribe just as the sky deepened into twilight.
The sight that greeted them was nothing short of breathtaking. Beasts of the rock barren marched alongside the vaxuum.
The sturdy dinones, commonly used to haul supplies, and the swift politami, familiar mounts the maegi pair was already riding on. But what truly stole their breath – especially Riniock's – was the majestic stellaridon striding beside its herdspeople.
Towering and immense, the stellaridon was cloaked in thick fur despite the relentless heat of the desert. Patterns of bioluminescent markings flickered to life between its dense fibres, glowing in response to the fading light. The shifting illumination painted the creature in an ethereal display, as if the stars themselves had woven into its hide.
Its head was utterly alien, its luminescent eyes gleaming even in the absence of light. Curved horns spiralled from its temples, whilst two fibrous tendrils hung where a maw should have been, eerily reminiscent of trunks.
'M–Magnificent…' Riniock breathed, practically choking on his own awe. 'Simply magnificent.'
Then, the stellaridon raised its massive head and let out a deep, resonant growl that rumbled through the earth. The sound was both nasal and profound, reverberating in his chest like the voice of the land itself.
As if in response, the scattered stellaridons across the encampment answered in kind, their calls forming a low, droning harmony – monotonous yet eerily melodious.
Riniock urged his politamus closer, unable to resist the urge to reach out. 'How do you care for these creatures?' he asked, running his fingers cautiously through the stellaridon's thick fur.
'We have herdmasters – our vaxuum's noblest calling,' the vayu replied, nodding towards a group of vaxuum standing watch. 'Lord Randak blesses them with the knowledge to care for the beasts. Any who devote themselves fully to him and wish to walk the path of a herder may lay down their weapons and take up the herding stick.'
Riniock glanced back at the towering beast, still mesmerised. 'What do you feed it? It's so massive.'
'We do not feed it anything,' Ishan replied. 'The stellaridon sustains itself on water alone.'
Riniock blinked in disbelief. 'Water?'
'In truth, a stellaridon spends its entire life searching for water sources in the rock barren.' The vayu gestured towards the vast horizon. 'The tribe simply follows its lead, travelling where it travels.'
Riniock exhaled slowly, watching the stellaridon with newfound admiration. 'Fascinating…'
Beyond the beasts, the sheer number of vaxuum alone defied logic. If even a fraction of their tribe wandered into a town back in their province, chaos would erupt – people crushed beneath their massive strides.
This species was full of surprises.
'Riniock.' Linry nudged him as she guided her mount closer. 'I've received word from the Academy. All students must gather at the expedition site.'
'Is that so?'
She nodded. 'We already instructed Niann to bring our belongings in case we didn't return in time. We should meet them there.'
'Agreed. Let's inform the vayu –'
'There is no need, enxan.' Ishan's voice interrupted smoothly. 'My kin and I hear well. You are free to depart for this expedition of yours.'
Riniock inclined his head in gratitude. 'I hope we meet again.'
'Likewise, enxan. May Randak guide your path.'
With the vaxuum's blessing, Riniock and Linry turned their politami in the direction of their next destination, riding towards the appointed gathering place.
'The site was just revealed,' Linry added. 'It's a three-day ride from here.'
'Are you ready?' he asked.
'I'm ready. If all goes well, I can finally be free of this place. My father and I can reclaim our lives.'
Riniock, however, was more pragmatic.
As long as anyone in Ikshar remained to enforce her debt, Linry and Garant would never truly be free. Fladd's convenient disappearance – hopefully his demise – meant one less obstacle, but it didn't guarantee anything.
For now, their focus had to be on the expedition ahead. Riniock had two more targets to eliminate before his vengeance was complete.
'It is crucial that I kill Piddruin before Irgod,' he said with a dark tone. 'I swore to that snake he would be the last to meet his fate.'
Linry had no objections. 'I'll follow your lead this time. This is your fight as much as mine.'
Riniock smiled and nodded. 'When this is over, we'll have much to discuss – and much to do. And you…you'll have a chance at a life far more normal than before.'
'Okay. I'll hold you to that promise.'