Tales of the Ulendra, part 1

Page 3

The Valorous One
Shortly after their failure with Ormydian, Alfibel and Hibaldru parted ways. Hibaldru would return to the mystic homelands and take full responsibility for everything that happened, and he told Alfibel not to join him.
“Verily, it would mean the destruction of us both. Alfibel, you must go far away. Learn from our mistakes so that they will never be repeated!”

“But what of Ormydian the vile?”

“His fate must now take a different path from yours and mine. It may be that you shall one day see him again but for now we must leave him to his destiny.”

“I understand…”

But when Hibaldru had left she admitted to herself that she did not at all understand. The two of them were possibly the only ones capable of stopping Ormydian, should he some day turn toward other worlds. She did not always understand Hibaldru’s decisions, but neither was she one who would defy his will. Alfibel journeyed alone to another world.

The world that Alfibel found was a very sad place. It was much like the world she had left not so long ago. War, hatred, death and despair were abundant. She contemplated bringing peace to them, just like she and the others had done before, but she figured that it would be best for everyone if she left them to themselves. She wondered if the gravest mistake that they had made back then was to have the people rely upon the Ulendra too much. If they had not had the power of the Ulendra against them, surely the Ithirji tribe of evil would have conquered everything. Was perhaps this the mission that Hibaldru had spoken of, to make people live peacefully without their intervention? And so that mission was finished because there was no one left alive... Alfibel left this world and set out on a new journey. A journey to find a home.

The people, who lived in the world that Alfibel eventually found, Datanya they were called, were peaceful. Indeed, the whole world seemed to be much more peaceful, but also more vivid than the other world, which was in a state of chaos and war. Though Alfibel did observe that some of the Datanyan peoples did not get along very well with each other, most notably the ones that called themselves Nonusen and Musashi. But even they seemed capable of living in moderate peace most of the time, possibly because vast forests and mountains separated their lands.

Alfibel liked this world a great deal and decided that this was a place where she could stay, at least for the time being. She assumed the shape of a regular Datanyan woman, for she did not wish to bring attention to herself from the locals, and she created a modest home for herself to live in outside the Nonusen land. There she lived, observing the world, having as little contact with the people as possible. However, as the years went by, the peoples progressed and their numbers grew. At first, the Nonusen rangers would only sneak about curiously around Alfibel’s home, but eventually one came up to her and spoke to her:
“We have observed you living here. Who are you?”

Not sure what he wanted to hear, she said:
“I came from the East, looking for a new home. This seemed like a good enough spot.”

“It is indeed a very fine place to build a home, but are you aware that there is a Nonusen village not far from here? It is where I come from. Would you not rather come and live there with us?”

“Yes, I have seen your village, but I believe it would be better if I stayed here.”

“Are you then a hermit? But if you have seen our village, you must be aware of the Nonusen ways, or else we would have surely caught you.”

“I…” Alfibel started, “no, I am not aware of your ways, nor am I a hermit.”


The ranger could not convince Alfibel to follow him to the village and he did not urge her further but left and continued on his quest. But Alfibel asked herself if it really wouldn’t be better for her to live with the people in the village. Surely, she would draw even less attention to herself if the people would see her as truly one of their own and not a strange person from the wilderness. The next day she went to the Nonusen village undisguised.

She entered the Village Square, where there apparently was a market. People were busy buying goods that came, presumably, from all over the land. Alfibel wondered how to best find a place to live. There didn’t seem to be anyone selling houses anywhere. She walked up to a stand selling assorted pottery; it was not quite as crowded as the other stands. There was in fact just one man there, apart from the seller and herself, one man who immediately recognised her. It was the ranger from the other day.
“If it isn’t the lady who wanted to live in the outskirts! Greetings!” he said.

“Yes, greetings. I changed my mind…”

“So I see, but do you have anywhere to stay?”


Alfibel, admittedly, did not. The ranger told her of the village inn. She would surely be allowed to stay there, at least until she could find more permanent residence. She thanked him and went to the inn. They were reluctant to give her a room at first, for she had no means to pay for it. But it turned out that her timing was fortunate, because the girl who used to work at the reception at the inn had just moved to another town in the land. Alfibel was allowed to join the Innkeeper’s staff, stay at the personnel’s quarters and also help receiving customers. She greatly enjoyed her new life.

One day, Alfibel saw the Innkeeper’s husband talking to the ranger in the inn’s dining room. She asked the daughter of the Innkeeper who that man over there was.
“Him? That’s Donio Hayasa. He’s a ranger, and quite a charming one, I might add.”

“He seemed more eerily unpleasant to me…” Alfibel said silently.

“Oh, so you’ve met him then!” The daughter continued: “Well, he comes here sometimes. I don’t think he actually has a house here in the village. You know, they say he lives and sleeps on the field… Quite a mysterious man, don’t you think?”


Days came and went and so did the months. Alfibel was now fully assimilated into the village and no one thought there was any strange thing about her, just as she had hoped. In fact, she began to feel less and less like Alfibel the Valorous Ulendra, and more like Arenya the Nonusen, which was what they called her. The ranger Donio’s visits to the inn also seemed to get more and more frequent and sometimes he even came to Alfibel and talked to her. She began to think that perhaps she had misjudged him. As she got to know him better she saw that he was actually a quite friendly person although he seemed oddly devoted to his arts of the ranger and stealth.

Eventually, Arenya and Donio became close friends, talking heartily whenever he would visit the inn and sometimes she joined him on his shorter quests. And then, on a warm summer’s evening they became so much more than just friends. Strangely, legends do not say what their words to each other were that evening, but when they were seen together afterwards, the people could see that both of them were positively shining with love for each other. Donio would stay for weeks at end at the inn, and his ranging missions seemed to only get shorter. The Innkeeper and her family practically thought of him as one in the family, just like they did with Arenya.

Arenya’s love for Donio only grew and his for her also. And soon enough, she gave birth to a child, a daughter, to whom they gave the name Mayuni. Her parents gave her much love and as soon as she could walk, her father Donio began instructing her in the ways of the Nonusen. Arenya had her reservations on this, as was only natural, but she understood that it was the way of her people, and Mayuni was held so dearly by her father that he would surely let no harm come to her.

Mayuni’s skills and power grew greatly over the years, even her father and mother was astonished. She could move about as silently as the clouds but as fast as the winds and few marks did she leave for anyone to follow. Donio taught her the arts of fighting and soon he found out that she could be a formidable opponent, for it was as if she had the rare gift of foresight; sometimes she would stop her father’s attacks before he even made them. Donio knew that she would one day become a great Nonusen.

On day, in her seventeenth year, Mayuni was taking a stride into the outland and her mother Arenya was with her. For two days had they wandered and they were on their way back when, in the Valley of Dayiomo they saw a strange artefact; a castle or a temple. The people who lived in the valley were not known to build such things so Arenya and daughter went down to explore it. The valley-people, even though no one had heard anything from them for several years, had never had a grudge to the Nonusen so surely the two of them needed not to fear an attack. Still, they proceeded with caution.

The temple, for it was indeed one, was great. Two high pillars, marked with strange symbols, supported a great archway that made the entrance to the temple. Curiously, the people of the valley were nowhere to be seen, as if they had all vanished into thin air. Mayuni, full of her adventurous recklessness wanted to rush into the temple to see what was inside, but her mother was bothered by the people’s disappearance. Mayuni speculated that perhaps they had all gone inside the temple for shelter or may it be that they lived there. Arenya felt uneasy but she joined her daughter and ventured inside the temple. The walls were filled with the same symbols that could be seen on the two pillars, and nothing else. No paintings, no drawings, no people, and no lights expect for that which came from some openings in the ceiling and some torches, and also the symbols seemed to shine faintly. Through the large but dimly lit corridor did the two continue on their quest until they reached a doorway to another great hall.

This hall was not dimly lit, but brightly, but it was a strange and foreboding light. On the far side of the hall stood a figure, clad wholly in black. He had seemingly prepared some ritual, but when Arenya and Mayuni came into the room he turned to them. Clearly they were not expected and had interrupted something important. Arenya, who felt something oddly familiar about the figure, suggested that they leave and go back the way they came, but Mayuni did not want to be so rude. She walked up to the figure and introduced herself and her mother. He lifted his hood and gazed upon them for a good while. Then he said:
“What is this tomfoolery? Have they sent you to bring about my doom?”

“No, I asked ‘are you a priest’,” Mayuni said.

“You are a weak fool!” the man said and pointed at her. He turned to Arenya:

“And you! Think you I would not see through your pitiful disguise? Have you brought others? Where are they?”

He was becoming angered and confused.
“We are alone,” said Arenya, “we came to see the temple…”

“Do not lie, friend! It is time I finish what I started!”


‘Friend’, thought Arenya, what could that mean? That was Arenya’s last thoughts for the man attacked her with magical fire and mystical blows that seemed to come from nowhere. She was launched through the air and collided with the wall, and it broke so that the fragments flew far. Mayuni screamed for her mother, but her mother could no longer hear her. She leaped at the aggressor with her great speed and managed to overwhelm for a short time, but he was soon back at his feet and threw her off. In a vain effort she struck mightily to his face which was countered by a great force which flung her to the other side of room. Her head hit an altar of stone and she fell unconscious. The man moved to deliver his final blow.

It was then that Arenya’s shattered body once again drew breath. She remembered now her former self, what she used to be and what she had to do. Mayuni, her daughter, was in danger from that thing; that fiend. One last time, the Valorous one rose.

Last modified 2006-07-23 22:14:57

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