Chapter 9
The Malcontent
"There was a young man from the east He turned from a veeja to beast Scared out of his wits so now he just sits this pitiful man from the east."
Thonolan lifted his head up abruptly at the sound of another voice. Taunting eyes met his and he looked at the newcomer in confusion.
"Who are you?" Thonolan asked with a furrowed brow.
"Worthless," the other spirit while circling the still form ignoring the question. "So the mother gives you a little taste of the clan world, and what do you do? Run scared as a ptarmigan. Do you really think it matters what you saw? They're still dirty, filthy animals. Personally, I think they should never have been created at all."
"But, they are human and they have intelligence. It's different than ours, but you can't deny it's there," Thonolan protested.
"A deer runs from the hunting wolf, the rhinos migrate north before snow. Instinct or intelligence?" The other spirit continued, "bah, the clan moves by instinct with no new original ideas. Long ago they had some intelligence, but it was lost when their big stupid brains got too full of remembering things they never thought of."
Incensed at the callous attitude, Thonolan jumped up to defend the people of the clan. "The mother had made them, and loves them. They are not without a purpose. If they are animals, then how can a child of mixed spirits be born? There has never been one born who was half human and half animal."
The other erupted in a fit of mocking laughter, "listen to you, where has all your proper Zelondonii upbringing gone? If your mother could hear you, she'd be ashamed. I do agree though on one thing. The clan has a purpose. Their purpose is to die out so our kind can exist in peace."
Infuriated at this rude apparition, Thonolan lunged at him. "Oomph!" He gasped as his arms encountered empty air.
"Disgusting," the other mocked unfazed by the attack, "I bet you would have liked to stay as a clan member. Maybe even mate one of their docile spiritless women. You'd probably like that, having a woman bend over for you every time you gesture." The spirit glowered with malicious eyes, causing Thonolan to shudder.
"Who are you? Why do you speak to me in such a vulgar way?" Though angered, he was not fool enough to try another physical attack. He wasn't adept at moving his veeja like that yet.
"Another veejia, like you," the other said slowly, "but unlike you, I've found a better use for my time, than to serve the mother. No more groveling or obedience. The Mother is weak."
Blasphemy! Thonolan shuddered at the fear of even hearing the words. "Get away from me, in the name of all that's good, leave me be!" He stumbled back attempting to separate from this bent veeja as much as he could.
A wicked cackle emitted from the other's mouth, "foolish young veejia, our paths will cross again, I guarantee it."
The other raised his arms and began chanting in a foreign tongue, his eyes gleaming maliciously. Abruptly he dropped an arm down as a bolt of fire erupted from his outstretched fingers. A column of smoke whisked from the ground and quickly licked up the dry terrain. Within moments, the whole area was on fire. The veejia gave one last satisfied look and disappeared.
Horror ignited Thonolan into action. The blaze was moving fast, and it was moving northward. North, toward the valley, and to the cave.
"Jondalar!"
The Malcontent
"There was a young man from the east He turned from a veeja to beast Scared out of his wits so now he just sits this pitiful man from the east."
Thonolan lifted his head up abruptly at the sound of another voice. Taunting eyes met his and he looked at the newcomer in confusion.
"Who are you?" Thonolan asked with a furrowed brow.
"Worthless," the other spirit while circling the still form ignoring the question. "So the mother gives you a little taste of the clan world, and what do you do? Run scared as a ptarmigan. Do you really think it matters what you saw? They're still dirty, filthy animals. Personally, I think they should never have been created at all."
"But, they are human and they have intelligence. It's different than ours, but you can't deny it's there," Thonolan protested.
"A deer runs from the hunting wolf, the rhinos migrate north before snow. Instinct or intelligence?" The other spirit continued, "bah, the clan moves by instinct with no new original ideas. Long ago they had some intelligence, but it was lost when their big stupid brains got too full of remembering things they never thought of."
Incensed at the callous attitude, Thonolan jumped up to defend the people of the clan. "The mother had made them, and loves them. They are not without a purpose. If they are animals, then how can a child of mixed spirits be born? There has never been one born who was half human and half animal."
The other erupted in a fit of mocking laughter, "listen to you, where has all your proper Zelondonii upbringing gone? If your mother could hear you, she'd be ashamed. I do agree though on one thing. The clan has a purpose. Their purpose is to die out so our kind can exist in peace."
Infuriated at this rude apparition, Thonolan lunged at him. "Oomph!" He gasped as his arms encountered empty air.
"Disgusting," the other mocked unfazed by the attack, "I bet you would have liked to stay as a clan member. Maybe even mate one of their docile spiritless women. You'd probably like that, having a woman bend over for you every time you gesture." The spirit glowered with malicious eyes, causing Thonolan to shudder.
"Who are you? Why do you speak to me in such a vulgar way?" Though angered, he was not fool enough to try another physical attack. He wasn't adept at moving his veeja like that yet.
"Another veejia, like you," the other said slowly, "but unlike you, I've found a better use for my time, than to serve the mother. No more groveling or obedience. The Mother is weak."
Blasphemy! Thonolan shuddered at the fear of even hearing the words. "Get away from me, in the name of all that's good, leave me be!" He stumbled back attempting to separate from this bent veeja as much as he could.
A wicked cackle emitted from the other's mouth, "foolish young veejia, our paths will cross again, I guarantee it."
The other raised his arms and began chanting in a foreign tongue, his eyes gleaming maliciously. Abruptly he dropped an arm down as a bolt of fire erupted from his outstretched fingers. A column of smoke whisked from the ground and quickly licked up the dry terrain. Within moments, the whole area was on fire. The veejia gave one last satisfied look and disappeared.
Horror ignited Thonolan into action. The blaze was moving fast, and it was moving northward. North, toward the valley, and to the cave.
"Jondalar!"