Rojuun (26 page)

Jarrrn watched her leave the room with
appreciation in his eyes. He exhaled deeply before turning his
attention to the guests. “Come with me to your rooms.”

Tathan found it harder to dislike the Rojuun
after seeing them interact with each other. They smiled, laughed
and felt anger like humans did. The difference in features and
voice didn’t bother him. If anything, they were pleasant. The one
thing he
didn’t
like was the way Jarrrn ordered them around,
but even that wasn’t done in spite.

Jarrrn led them down the hall to another.
Tathan realized that it was a huge place after they turned down the
eighth hallway and still hadn’t reached their room. Finally, they
walked out into an open courtyard.

There was a fountain in the middle with
water flowing over five, tiered pools. Around the edges of the
plaza were glowing flowers. Liselle was wide-eyed with an enormous
smile on her face. Tathan looked closely and saw that even these
flowers leaned toward her as though wanting to be touched.

The most amazing thing to Tathan was the
sight of a rough cavern ceiling high above. He could make out small
stalactites scattered across its span. There was phosphorescent
moss covering the surface, casting ambient light throughout the
cavern.

Jarrrn noticed the party looking at the
flowers and cavern. “It is different than above ground, but just as
beautiful, no?” he asked them.

“It is extraordinary,” Sir Danth said. “I
have never imagined the depths of the world to hold such beauty as
this.”

“Oh yes! It’s wonderful,” said Vevin who was
doing his happy dance. He darted about, looking at all of the new
things. “Will the pointy things fall?” he asked, pointing up.

Jarrrn followed his gaze. “The stalactites?
No, they will stay. Those are very sturdy.” He began explaining
again, using expressive gestures with his hands. “There are a
number of different types of stalactites. Limestone is common in
upper caverns, but there are slower moving substances in the lower
caverns that create stalactites. These are more solid and do not
fall easily.”

That was comforting to know. Jarrrn motioned
for them to follow him across the courtyard. They did so, taking in
as much as they could. He led them into another hallway. A short
distance later, he opened a door. “Here is your suite. There are
three rooms and a sitting area. There is also a bath. You will use
it as Rojuun do not like strong odors.”

“Of course,” Liselle responded right away.
“A bath sounds lovely.” She smiled at Jarrrn and received a smile
in return.

“Marrraa and I will be back in the morning
to show you your tasks. Rest well.” Then the Rojuun left them in
the suite, closing the door behind him.

“Oh, this is exciting!” exclaimed Vevin,
doing an excited version of his happy dance. “We have met Rojuun,
been teleported and are now in deep caverns far below the
mountains. What an adventure!”

“It really is,” agreed Liselle
enthusiastically. “The flowers are wonderful. They’re different,
but beautiful.” There was a big smile on her face and she played
with the flower pin in her hair at the same time. “They were happy
to see me and told me they’re treated well, so that was nice to
hear.”

Tathan exchanged glances with Sir Danth.
Vevin, on the other hand, didn’t seem to think it unusual at all
that Liselle talk to flowers. “That is wonderful, Lady Liselle!
It’s good to know the Rojuun treat flowers well.” He suddenly
became still, tipping his head to one side in thought. “I still
want to eat one of the Rojuun to see what they taste like though,”
he said.

Tathan interrupted. “Let’s wait on that for
a little while at least, Vevin. Right now, they’re nice to us and
we’re trapped in their domain. I don’t want to upset them.”

“Do you think they would be upset if I only
ate one or two?” Vevin asked innocently.

“Yes!” Tathan answered quickly and
emphatically.

Vevin burst into laughter at his response.
Liselle and Sir Danth joined him. When Tathan realized that the
dragon had gotten him, he joined in the laughter as well.

Chapter
23

In the morning, Jarrrn brought his sister,
Marrraa, who came up to Jarrrn’s nose in height and had a rounded
face much like Yrrraa. Instead of the robes others wore, she wore
leather armor colored different shades of brown that would blend in
with the rocks of the caverns. There were numerous pouches and
weapons on it and she looked well geared for any battle.

“I’m going to leave you in Marrraa’s capable
hands. She will take you into the tunnels to hunt sstejj after
breakfast,” said Jarrrn. “I must go back to Puujan right away to
deal with some matters.” With a nod and a smile, he left.

“Hello humans. I am the Weapon Master. The
safety of Garrrn Dwelling is my responsibility, as is the training
of new recruits,” Marrraa said with a smile. Her eyes were a few
shades darker blue than her brother’s. “You appear to be capable
enough, I suppose.” She frowned at Liselle and Vevin as though not
sure that they
were
capable. “Let’s get our breakfast.”

She led them to a large dining room where
other Rojuun were eating. Most were adorned in robes, but a few
were dressed in leather armor similar to Marrraa’s. They all turned
to look at the humans entering the room. Some pointed and
whispered, while others just stared.

Marrraa led them to an empty table. Two
Rojuun girls served them. After serving the food, they stood
staring at the odd strangers until Marrraa shooed them off.

Breakfast was a meal of plants and meats the
companions didn’t recognize, but tasted good. The humans studied
the Rojuun as much as the Rojuun studied them. Neither group seemed
bothered by the fact.

Toward the end of the meal, Liselle broke
the silence. “Marrraa, I thought the Rojuun were used to humans,
but I get the impression nobody here has seen one before.”

Marrraa shook her head. “Only in a few of
the larger cities are there any humans.” Her voices weren’t as
melodious as Yrrraa’s, but they weren’t unpleasant. “Here, on the
frontier of Rojuun society, we have to do most of the work
ourselves. We are delighted to know a servant race exists to care
for our needs as we expand out into the world.”

“So no one here has seen humans before. Now
I understand. We’re not used to Rojuun either,” Tathan said.

“Of course. You are honored to be in our
presence,” Marrraa said with a nod. “Breakfast is finished. It is
now time to show you where the sstejj attack us from.” They left
their plates for the girls to clean up.

Marrraa escorted them down another hallway
to the main entry of the dwelling. The doors to the entry were made
of a rough, waxy wood that none of them had ever seen. Tathan ran
his hand down the face of one, admiring the etched designs covering
it. Both doors were painted amber with highlights of dark green.
Everything the Rojuun touched was turned to art in one way or
another.

“This door faces north,” Marrraa told them.
Then she pointed to a large tunnel off to the east about a thousand
feet away. “The main caverns of Juulla are down that tunnel,” she
said. “Most Rojuun cities are built within a series of caves around
one or more primary caves. Families often build dwellings in
smaller caves around the main city. This is Garrrn Cavern of
Juulla, meaning it belongs to the Garrrn family in the city of
Juulla.”

“Thank you for explaining that,” said
Tathan. “I was wondering about it.”

“Certainly, I think it is important that you
understand our ways as much as you are able. It will make it easier
for you to get along,” Marrraa said with a smile. “We will be going
through a tunnel on the far side of Garrrn Cavern.” She pointed
toward a tunnel on the west end of the cavern. “It leads to wild,
unexplored areas, many of which are overrun by sstejj. It is there
that I will lead you.” She began walking in that direction.

Garrrn Cavern glowed like moonlight. Because
light came from the bioluminescence of the plants in every
direction, no shadows were cast. It took the companions some time
to get used to the differences.

Plants of different shapes and sizes were
everywhere. Tathan was surprised to see manicured trees that glowed
with the same light as the moss and plants. Flowers glowed
different colors. They could see pinks, purples, blues, greens and
yellows as well as many other variations.

The air tasted different. Cool moisture
filled his lungs when he breathed in. The temperature was pleasant,
while a breeze delivered alien scents from native flora and
fauna.

He stopped to take in all the new
sensations. It was disorienting to handle everything at once. The
earthy taste of the air was the thing that threw him off the most.
He took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then exhaled.

The others were looking around at their
surroundings. Predictably, Liselle was caressing and smelling the
flowers. Each one leaned toward her, wanting her to pay attention
to them over the others. Some had fragrant perfumes while others
had no aroma at all.

Sir Danth held out his hand to a bird whose
body glowed green while its wings were shades of lavender. When it
landed upon his gauntlet, he appeared to be surprised.

“That is a daliit,” Marrraa told him. “They
feast upon insects like the uulifly.” Indeed, as she spoke, the
bird flitted away after a little glowing red bug that was darting
past. There were small creatures all over the place. Every single
one glowed in different shades. Tathan had to shut his eyes for a
moment to rest them from the riot of colors.

Vevin was listening to the sounds of the
cavern. It didn’t stop him from dancing of course. Tathan
absentmindedly labeled it the listening dance. Being underground
changed the dynamics of the sounds. It didn’t echo as much as he
expected due to the plants and moss covering most of the rock. At
the same time, the sound had nowhere to escape.

It was hard to distinguish each individual
sound. There were different noises made by the animals; flapping
wings, bird chirps, insect buzzing, chattering from various small
mammals that scurried about. Added to all of that were the voices
of Rojuun. It sounded like someone was playing pipes, while other
Rojuun sang melodious songs.

“I am told that when Rojuun first see the
sky, it is overwhelming. It takes a while for one to gain their
bearings,” Marrraa said. “I expect the same is true of humans who
visit underground.” She gestured for them to follow her.

They walked casually along a curving path of
stone pavers. There was a footbridge over a small river flowing
from the outer wall of the dwelling down to a good-sized lake. The
water was crystal clear and the companions could see that the fish
and plant life within also glowed.

Liselle paused on the footbridge. “Mistress
Marrraa, the water comes from inside of the dwelling. Does the
river begin from within, or does it pass through?”

“The dwelling was built over the river. Many
Rojuun dwellings have rivers or natural springs within them,” she
explained. “It makes it easier to get water and is visually
pleasing. This river enters the cavern from a wall on the other
side of our dwelling.”

“It
is
beautiful down here,” Liselle
said. “The plants around the dwelling look cultivated and cared
for.”

“Yes they are. Everything is grown in
beautiful patterns and is pleasing to the eyes. Even our homes are
works of art.” Marrraa gestured toward the building.

The building was made of stone, rising five
different levels in height, filling the heart of the cavern. It was
rounded in most areas showing no seams, as though they had taken
the rock itself and shaped it. Braces extended from the building to
the top and sides of the cavern. In many ways, it resembled a
colorful cocoon or wasp’s nest. There were windows with glass
panes. The Rojuun had glass in all of their windows, unlike human
lands.

The dwelling was painted a number of colors
much as Rojuun houses in Puujan had been. It seemed more natural on
this building somehow. “How many Rojuun live here, Mistress
Marrraa?” Liselle asked.

“There are eight hundred twenty one members
of the Garrrn Family and four hundred eighteen members of other
families that live here,” she said. “The Garrrn Family has a number
of dwellings in other cities as well, though we are far from the
largest family in Rojuun territory.” Marrraa resumed walking. “This
is a good place to live and will be even better once the danger is
removed.”

The companions followed her down the path.
Liselle smiled the whole way, holding her hands out for plants to
touch her fingertips as she passed. Upon reaching the large tunnel
a short time later, they paused to look down its length. It was
thick with luminescent plants, though they were not manicured or
maintained. In the distance, the tunnel curved to the left.

“This tunnel goes for about two miles, all
of which is safe. At the end is a gate that keeps the sstejj from
entering. They hover around the gate, trying to claw and bite
through it.” Marrraa gestured angrily. “The abominations can’t
resist the smell of Rojuun. They howl at the gates with their eager
cries of hunger.” A look of fury crossed her face and her cats-eye
pupils narrowed to dark blue slits. “They have broken through
twice. The last time they were able to kill twelve before we drove
them off. Seven of those who died were children. Sstejj like to
feed on the young . . .”

“It is appalling that the creatures would
kill your children,” Sir Danth proclaimed. “As such, the purveyors
of this evil must be dealt with harshly. Let us see to these sstejj
that we may make them pay for their misdeeds.”

Marrraa wiped a hand over her face to remove
the suffering. “I like you . . . Sir Danth isn’t it?”