Dreams of Fire and Gods 2: Fire

Glossary

S
OME
words in
Tövon
(TAW-vohn), the language spoken in the kingdom of Dasak:

Note: In addition to the unusual characters ö (pronounced “aw”) and ü (pronounced like the “u” in the English word “put”),
Tövon
also differs from English in that there are no plurals. Whether an object is singular or plural is derived from context.

demen (DEH-mehn): nightmarish creatures composed of bits and pieces of dead animals and people.

denök (dehn-AWK): a rabbit warren. From
den
(“den” or “warren”) and
ök
(“rabbit”).

dönz (DAWNZ): “of,” used in the context of family names, as in Sael
dönz
Menaük—Sael of the Menaük family.

ghet (GHEHT): a large, lumbering animal used in farm work, generally considered genial, but not overly intelligent.

ghusat (GHUH-suht): an enormous freshwater serpent with horns along the length of its body.

gönd (GAWND): a game of chance, in which small wooden sticks and disks are cast upon the floor and the outcome of the “battle” is tallied up according to complicated rules.

kanun (KAH-nuhn): a tall tree with broad leaves and hard, round seeds. kikid (KIH-kihd): a speckled, pheasantlike game bird that nests in fields.

kim (KIHM): large fish, approximately the size of a medium fishing boat. There are both fresh-water and saltwater species.

komid-minid (KOH-mihd-MIH-nihd): “banded flower.” A white, iris-like flower with metallic gold veins in the petals.

makek (mah-KEHK): “chief” or “supreme.” The suffix “-makek” can be applied to most political or social classes to designate the highest ranking member.

mat (MAHT): town.

nagaing (nah-GAH-ing): a mythical creature that is half human woman and half fish.

nened (NEH-nehd): “glowbugs.” Small beetles with glowing yellow-green abdomens.

nimen (NIH-mehn): “lover.” Sometimes “spouse,” but only in the context of a romantic pairing, as opposed to a spouse in an arranged marriage.

nud (NUHD): a penis, often implying a small one.

 

rawuk (RAW-uhk): an herb with mild

analgesic properties, especially in the root. People often chew the pleasant-tasting root to relax.

stosam (STAW-suhm): an ale infused with herbs. The herbs vary from town to town, giving each region distinct flavors.

ten’nak (TEHN-nahk): a carnivorous plant that uses thought-sensing and illusion magic to lure animals and people into the swamp to drown them and feed off their life force.

tondekan (TOHN-dehk-uhn): the title and lands associated with the position of
dekan
. This always includes one major city, and often includes small villages nearby.

veikit (VEY-ih-kiht): the hereditary title and lands of the
vek
. It only refers to the East Kingdom. The
veikit
is further broken down into
tondekan
, as is the West Kingdom.

zeinimen (ZEY-ih-nih-mehn): “lovebonded.” Also “married,” but only applicable to marriages of love. It would not be applied to a marriage for social or political reasons.

S
OME
words in
Osyeh
(OH-syeh), the language of the Taaweh:

Note:
Osyeh
is characterized by long vowels, in which the vowel sound is held for two beats.
Osyeh
does have plurals, but speakers of
Tövon
tend to use the singular “Taaweh” to refer to both one Taaweh and multiple members of the Taawehnai.

fya-iinyeh (fyah-EE-een-yeh): close friend or companion,
fya
meaning “close.”

iinu (EE-ee-noo): “cherished.”
iinyeh (EE-een-yeh): friend or ally.

Kiishya (KEE-ee-shyah): “ember,” what the Taaweh call their sun
Omu (OH-moo): “water drop,” what the Taaweh call their moon
tyeh (CHYEH): “greatest.” A commonly used superlative.
tyeh-areh (chyeh-AH-reh): “great mist.” The mist that marks the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

tyeh-iinyeh (chyeh-EE-een-yeh): “greatest friend” or “lover,” in the context of the person one is closest to. Similar to the Dasak word “
nimen
.” To the Taaweh, this is the closest possible emotional bond between two people.

tyeh shyochya (chyeh-SHYOH-chyah): “great joy,” a standard Taaweh greeting

shaa (SHAH-ah): “lord” or “man.” The male ruler of the Taaweh is the Iinu Shaa, the Cherished Lord.

shavi (SHAH-vee): “lady” or “woman.” The female ruler of the Taaweh is the Iinu Shavi, the Cherished Lady.

taaweh (TAH-ah-weh): “guardian.” zouvya (ZOH-oh-vyah): “lake.” This word migrated into the language of

the humans in Dasak as zovya (ZOH-vyah) and is used in many place names.

The kingdom follows the temple practice of dividing the day into four “hours,” beginning at the following major phases of the Eye of Atnu (what we would call the “sun”):

Penent—sunrise
Cabbon—midday
Nemom—sunset
Manduccot—midnight

These are of variable length, according to the time of year. They are further bisected into “early” and “late” halves. There are also “hours” associated with the Eye of Druma (the moon), but they are only used by the
ömem
and
samöt
.

P
OLITICAL
positions within the kingdom:

Since the Tövon words for different political positions and classes in the kingdom are unfamiliar, they are laid out here:

komük (KOH-muhk): emperor. The ruler of the entire kingdom. The position is hereditary, though dynasties have changed through assassination and wars.

vek (VEHK): the emperor’s regent in the

East Kingdom. Though he answers to the emperor, in practice the isolation of the East Kingdom gives him immense power and autonomy.

dekan (DEHK-uhn): the ruler of a city or region dominated by a city.

ömem (AW-mehm): a woman allied to the goddess Imen, who is granted the ability to see anything illuminated by the Eyes and trained in healing magic.
Ömem
cannot foresee the future. The
ömem
also refer to themselves as the Sisterhood.

vönan (VAW-nuhn): a mage allied to the god Caednu and granted the ability to use fire magic.

caedan (CAH-eh-duhn): a priest of the Stronni.
Caedan
are primarily scholars and clergy with little magical ability.

samöt (sah-MAWT): an assassin guided by the Sight of the
ömem
. Their larger organization is referred to as the Brotherhood. The word
samöt
means “dagger.”

Chapter 1

 

T
HE
sign above the door to the fortuneteller’s shop read “Madame Nedegh” in gaudy yellow letters against a purple background. The narrow street outside appeared to be empty, and Donegh could hear the old woman’s voice in his head telling him it was safe to enter. He waited a bit longer in the shadows for clouds to obscure the Eye before slipping from the alley to the door, cradling his injured arm within the folds of his dark-gray cloak. Donegh opened the door quickly and slipped inside.

“Very dramatic,” old Nedegh said testily, “but I told you it was safe.” “I rely on my own eyes and ears as well as yours,” the young man replied.

Nedegh snorted. She was a short, rotund woman with a penchant for too much eye makeup and a jet-black hair color that no longer seemed appropriate for her aged face. When she moved, it was to the sound of her copper hoop bracelets jangling. “You look young,” she commented.

Donegh was used to that comment coming from others—he’d lived on the streets for so long, he no longer had any idea how old he really was, but he probably hadn’t seen more than seventeen summers and his round cheeks and wide, dark eyes gave him a childlike appearance. But he had no doubt that Nedegh knew all about him. She was just baiting him.

“I’ve killed three men,” he replied.

“Three!” the old woman mocked. “My, how terrifying! Did you kill them all in their sleep?”

He merely glared at her without deigning to respond. He knew what she was thinking—that he’d been sent on this mission because he was expendable, not because he was expected to succeed. She wasn’t the only one who thought that, Donegh knew. No doubt others had been sent as well. But Donegh had every intention of succeeding in this mission and many more to follow.

“Have a seat,” Nedegh said, eyeing his wounded arm. “I’ll fetch some healing formula.”

Donegh did as he was told, taking a chair at the only table in the room. The table held a scrying mirror, obviously used for customers. He found it absurd that the
ömem
would try to convince anyone she could foretell the future, and even more absurd that people believed it. But her Sight gave her the ability to watch her customers whenever the Eye of Atnu was in the sky during the day, or the Eye of Druma at night, and no doubt she was able to put on quite a convincing show. Few townspeople fully understood the Sight, and it would be easy to fool them into thinking that an
ömem
could see the future as well as everything going on in the present.