Book 2: The Brewing Storm
Overview
The second book of the Dosjoryan Tales/ Of Men and Gods series. In book two, the scars of the Zekor organization and of the gods run deep in Dosjorya. Lavel Sucoret, one of the ones who helped to defeat the Zekor leader, and Andreiah Ultmer, the man who calmed the gods, are seen as heroes by both the Gendirlo and the Innena, though without that same respect among the humans, no one calls on them to ease tensions. Humans are no longer following set boundaries and are spreading into Gendirl lands. The Order of Innena can no longer stop them and the Gendirlo no longer give them their trust. Then Dosjorya sees a new threat from across the Ocean, one that Destroyer warned Andreiah about months prior. A new nation of people has arrived in Dosjorya, one fully capable to taking over and destroying a splintered land. A timeline of events can be found here.Synopsis
Though Azen has been defeated, he left a lasting mark on Dosjorya. Severely weakened, mistrusted, and rife with corruption, the Order of Innena can no longer effectively maintain peace between humans and Gendirlo. As tensions rise and events escalate, a new threat looms over the horizon, one the gods have warned of, one that may destroy Dosjorya completely.Detailed Summary
Unchecked Expansions and Worsening Tensions
Soon after Azen's capture and the disbanding of the Zekor, normal Dosjoryans began to do what the Zekor had promised to allow: settle and build new villages and towns on lands not yet designated to humans. Throughout the millennia, the Gendirlo have allowed limited expansions of human territories, though it had been a long time since they last agreed to another. The Order, in charge of negotiating expansions, had done nothing to convince the Gendirlo that more land was needed. Many families were facing hardship as they passed down what little land they had left to elder sons, leaving the rest of their children to fend for themselves with no real inheritance. Lands that helped to feed Dosjorya were struggling to keep up with population growth. Desperate people saw opportunity and salvation in wild lands and were willing to risk their lives and what remained of their livelihoods to make a new life. The Dosjoryan military became more active than ever, helping to provide a semblance of safety to these fledgling villages while preparing for further conflict, should it arise. In the midst of this, Zekor sympathizer Mixsen Sobakaro serves as a soldier in the military, stationed in Landfall, and helping to guard villages that are trying to survive north of Settled Dosjorya. A younger son of a poor farming family, his only options for making a living were to join the military, join those building new villages in wild lands, or seek some sort of work as an unskilled laborer. At the end of one mission, his troop is congratulated for their service to an unnamed, failed village and Mixsen is called aside by the commander in charge of the group his troop is a part of. Mixsen is asked about his character and beliefs, and the commander gives Mixsen a promotion to captain. He is made to understand that the future is uncertain and that only the best can be promoted to lead anymore. The leader of the Innena, Meken and his Oundat Dansalal, struggle to negotiate on behalf of those they lead, though more and more settlements are turning their back on the Order. In a few places, Innena are not allowed to enter; the humans of a pairing must enter alone and hide their Innen medallion if they must enter these settlements. Several Gendirl clans announce a bon on Innena their clans, though most do not follow these clans for now. Other Gendirlo beg the Innena to stop the human expansion, and warn of dire consequences if nothing is done. The military is not yet convinced of a serious threat by the Gendirlo, for they are aware of the Gendirl Sacred Pact which prevents unwarranted violence between Gendirlo, which has in the past been amended to encompass humans. During this time, Andreiah and his Fau partner, Dinshalow, fully settle into their new life an Innen in Sabro, along with Andreiah's wife Uletay and her new Innen partner, a Fau named Grota. Because Lavel and Vasem remained in Resendou, Andreiah was told he would not be given any missions and was encouraged to learn about Innen ways in the meantime. Though he learned Salimen and some things about the Innena, Andreiah chose instead to focus on building a woodworking shop, learning how his powers can help him in everyday life, and starting a family. A year later, once Lavel is deemed capable of living away from home by the Order, Andreiah and Uletay are soon expecting their first child, while Dinshalow and Grota are caring for their second nest of young. Andreiah and Dinshalow are not enthusiastic about their arrival, as it marked the possible beginnings of their active service, and Dinshalow had grown up in a Fau clan that continued to hold the deep rooted grudge Faus had against Oundats.Struggles, Plots, and Anger
Naten Rutze and Jedeo are asked to succeed Meken and Dansalal as the leaders of the Order of Innena, for Meken recognizes that under his leadership, affairs of the Order have done nothing but get worse. Meken hopes that by assigning someone new, there is a chance that tensions can be lessened so that the Order can avoid falling apart. Naten and Jedeo are chosen due to their sense of duty and their strong resistance to the forces that have corrupted other members of the Anda. That Naten had joined Lavel on the journey to defeat Azen meant that most Innena, even those who sought power for their own gains, had a measure of respect for him. They accept the honor, and pledge to do all they can to not only save what is left of the Order, but more importantly, prevent a war. In the north, Mixsen leads a troop to a new village named Tega, prepared to help defend the settlement from angry Dookeni. He is not alone in knowing that the task is ultimately futile; an Innen joins him hoping to persuade Mixsen, the captain already in the village, and the villagers themselves to evacuate Tega and let the land go back to the Dookeni. He is also not alone in knowing that this mission could very easily be his last. Yet despite the risks, the people of the village are determined not to leave and both captains are obligated to do all they can to prevent an attack, and prepare for one if it become inevitable. Lavel, Vasem, Andreiah, and Dinshalow are asked by the Coloktialo to visit a temporary clan so that they can receive basic training on the god powers they now possess. The invite is a great honor, as the Coloktialo never allow humans and Innena into their clans, be them their permanent dwellings or temporary ones such as this one. Dinshalow is very weary of this task, and Andreiah is agitated by the timing as his daughter had just been born. Neither Lavel nor Andreiah receive much instruction, as the writings of long ago, when Gendirlo were gifted similar powers by the gods, have mostly been lost. However, the Coloktialo take much time in testing both men in what they already can do in an attempt to begin rewriting old texts. They take great interest in Andreiah's power over metal, hoping to possibly translate that knowledge into forging skills of their own. The Coloktialo despair over Lavel's lack of strength and mastery over his power, and try to push him to become better. After several weeks, the group is sent home. As they leave, Dinshalow wonders over the true reasoning of why the Coloktialo asked them to visit.Breaking Point
After returning to Sabro, Dinshalow asks Vasem to become a hunting target for his and Grota's young, as Oundats are resistant to Fau venom. Vasem accepts, though the incident, far from the first time, deeply upsets Lavel. Vasem worries about his partner, who had not felt right or normal since being pushed to his limits among the Coloktialo. They sit outside in the cold air and are encouraged by Andreiah to come inside and avoid getting sick. Lavel bizarrely starts a fight with Andreiah, but the moment Andreiah physically takes Lavel's knife away, the metallic lines both men bore as a result of their god-given power flash and an unknown force takes over Lavel's mind. By the time Vasem recovers from a spike of pain that ripped though his mind from Lavel, he saw that Lavel had killed four people and injured several more. Despite all of the preparations in Tega, the Dookeni promise to raze the village to the ground. Women and children are evacuated from Tega ahead of time, as well as anyone who did not want to fight. All total, around one hundred and fifty men stood against the attacking Dookeni, a force that would never be enough to defend against the largest Gendirlo. If not for the adamant nature of the villagers, everyone would have been evacuated and no one would face certain death. The Dookeni promised not to harm anyone found outside the village, only those who desired to defend a land that should belong to the Gendirlo. The lead Dooken of the attacking force gives the men one last chance to leave and save their lives. Mixsen and Lesbatho, the other captain, indicate that everyone would fight. In response, the Dookeni charge and their leader targets Mixsen specifically, stabbing him with a poisoned antenna and throwing him through the roof of a house. Injured from the impact and slowly losing consciousness, Mixsen encounters a young boy who snuck away from the refugees to be with his father and who was hiding in the now damaged house. The Dookeni discover them, leave Mixsen for dead, and carry the boy away towards the refugees outside of the village. The boy alerts the villagers that a soldier was trapped in the rubble of a house. Once the Dookeni have their fill of bloodshed, they allow the refugees to return to bury the dead and rescue anyone who might remain alive, including Mixsen. In response to Lavel's actions, Naten and Jedeo are forced to banish him from Dosjorya. Because of Vasem, Lavel cannot be punished by execution was is the custom for murder. the pair head home to Resendou one last time before heading south, and eventually to the northeast to visit Maker's shrine. They hope that Maker, dormant in its stone form, might be able to heal Lavel's mental state to something resembling normal. Indeed, Maker chooses to help now, and not only does it return Lavel to a new normal, but it also awakens the same god power within Vasem. The Innen, now whole and capable of much more, head back south to live what they believe is the rest of their lives in the wild. Life far away from human influence is difficult as the Gendirlo become more wild and hostile to humans the further away from Settled Dosjorya they travel. Oundats offer them food and shelter frequently, though they are the only species who are willing to help them and refuse to explain to them why. The Oundats do admit that now and then, they send word of Lavel and Vasem's well being to Resendou. After the banishment, angry Oundats visit Naten and Jedeo ordering both Vasem and Lavel back to Dosjorya, and threaten violence towards any human and Innen who invade their lands. Despite Jedeo's desperate hope that the Oundats are bluffing and will ultimately uphold the promises against violence in the Gendirl Sacred Pace, Naten sends out a warning to all Innena he can contact, as well as to the Supreme Commander of the Dosjoryan military. He believes that the Order of Innena might have come to a point that existing is further fueling unrest and the best thing to do would be to completely dissolve it. The Order hangs on for a little while longer, though ultimately falls apart and ends a two millennia term of service to Dosjorya.Fragile Hope Shattered
Over a year passes, and while tensions remain high, few violent skirmishes bubble up. Most incidents are resolved through diplomacy though there are some incidents where men or Gendirlo are killed. It seemed as if Naten's decision to disband the Order removed one piece that everyone was hostile towards, and that left all negotiations to be conducted between the new settlements and the Gendirlo alone. More often than not, these negotiations led to more agreeable outcomes for both sides, though both sides refused to back down from their stance. There is also no sign of the threat from across the ocean that Destroyer warned Andreiah about. Andreiah and Sabro move on from Lavel's incident, and Andreiah and Uletay go on to have a second child. Mixsen and other men were given the assignment of maintaining the flame on top of Ru Tower, the marker for boats that the Sythen River's mouth was near. During the summer, he and his fellow men see the largest boats any Dosjoryan had ever seen far on the horizon, and alert those in Tanfor about them. Mixsen is ordered back to Tanfor to assume normal captain duties and is leading one of the troops that marches out to meet with the visitors the next day. The leader of the visiting group identifies himself and his men, all well trained and well equipped soldiers, as Dargonians who have come to claim the land for themselves. Using a weapon Dosjorya had never seen, he kills the commander leading the Dosjoryan group. Mixsen watches as his troop and others fall apart and flee, and he leads the few remaining men who were brave enough not to run away the moment their commander fell. Unprepared and scared about the threat, the Dosjoryan military pulls its men out of the Sythen and Scatlin River regions to watch the Dargonians and formulate a plan. Abandoned, vulnerable, and unprepared, these settlements fall as quickly as the Dargonians want them to. Among these villages is Resendou, where Lavel's father Raelat and most of the able bodied men attempt to but time for the women, children, and elderly escape. Many of the Dargonians push ahead after defeating the men, and many of the women, including Lavel's mother Muridan, fight to buy a little more time for those left. Despite their efforts, many of Resendou's refugees are killer, and a few are captured. Lasenia, Lavel's sister, is among those captured. As with the other villages and towns, a few Gendirl flyers who are familiar with the area and its inhabitants and are friendly to Innena and humans scout the devastation and try to identify the dead. During the assault, Andreiah thinks back to the day Lavel killed four people in Sabro, and wonders if there was something else at play. Perhaps he was partially to blame as he and Dinshalow had shown Lavel and Vasem little support. Both had been absorbed with with their own lives and troubles and had resented having Lavel join them for any sort of Innen mission only they could perform. After talking to Naten, Andreiah is told that the best way to make good on his possible involvement in that incident is to help defend Dosjorya if there is a need to fight. Naten also orders Andreiah to ask anyone who might know of what happened in Resendou, as Lavel and Vasem ought to be allowed back from their exile, their time away was already sufficient for their partial blame and Lavel's powers might be vital in holding back the Dargonians. The people of Sabro who were affected by Lavel's actions agree to this.Falling Apart
Once winter sets in, the fighting dies down and there is hope that the Dargonians might only take the two rivers and leave the rest of the land alone. Once spring arrives, however, the Dargonians push further inland, beginning to attack forest settlements. More and more men arrive and everyone fears that they will stop at nothing until they fully take over the forest and the mountains and perhaps the lands beyond. The Dosjoryan military begins to help defend these settlements, and Andreiah is placed under the command of Mixsen, who had recently been promoted to commander. Search parties of Innena and Gendirlo are sent out in search of Lavel and Vasem in case Lavel has healed enough to join the fight. When they are found, they are brought to Andreiah, who is given the burden of explaining to Lavel what happened to Dosjorya and why his parents, and possibly his sister, are dead. Lavel and Vasem are angry and full of sorrow after hearing the news. they elect not to join the fighting and blame the military, though Mixsen, for the fall of his home. Though this frustrates Mixsen who sees that Lavel is sound of mind and capable of fighting, he knows he needs to earn Lavel's trust and respect and allows the Innen to complete non-combat tasks such as guiding refugees though the mountains away from the Dargonians. During this first mission, Lavel and Vasem walk into a trap set by Dargonians along a known landslide area. Lavel is seriously hurt but he used his power to create armor, much like Maker did for him during his fight against Azen. Vasem is capable of creating the same armor, but was unable to before the rocks hit him, and he became mortally wounded. Desperate, Lavel tries to save Vasem, though is unable to. Vasem makes Lavel promise him that he would live and search for Lasenia while helping Dosjorya. Vasem then dies. The loss of his closely bonded partner drives Lavel insane from the soul-crushing agony. Found by the refugees he helped to guide, Lavel is carried to a nearby village to heal. He is numb to their efforts and is barely aware of what is going on for some time. After receiving some care, the fatigue and weariness no longer dull the pain of his loss. He tries to end his suffering by killing himself, but sees that as a betrayal to Vasem and pledges to follow Vasem's promise first before joining him in death. Far away, on top of a tower being ignored by both Dosjoryans and Dargonians, Azen stands with his newest partner, a Nackadong named Sonota. He had faked his death in Tanfor's prisons and sought a Gendirl who was willing to give him a second chance. He knew he would never be free if he remained in prison or was forced to aid Andreiah and Lavel on any sort of special mission. Always a genius among the Dosjoryans, Azen had mastered many skills with his power, including eavesdropping on magical conversations between conjurers. He learns of Vasem's death and feels great empathy for Lavel, the young man who faced the same threats as he did long ago. Azen and Sonota decide to fly north to the lands where it remains winter year round in order to fully master their powers with the God of Winter. Neither knows yet who they will fight alongside: the home that had wronged Azen and never apologized, or the visitors who had with them three men gifted by gods who were willing and capable of mercilessly killing all but the most well trained magical fighters.
by Jen Wright (Jen963)
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