It was past midday and Gansuhk had taken Nate on a long trek deeper into the mountains. They struggled through thigh-high snow drifts, climbed across and up the sheer walls and leapt across gaps that would have killed them if they fell. Gansuhk was silent through the whole walk, seemingly brooding. Nate could tell he was unhappy with what Chenghiz had told him to do but it seemed important, though he wasn't sure why.
Gansuhk led Nate up to a crest where they caught a view of a barren, rock-strewn plain below. He pointed, "Tend".
"Down there?" Nate asked.
Gansukh nodded and then swung his body over the ledge and began to climb down, Nate following in his trail. When they reached the bottom, Gansukh withdrew his axe and held it by his side. He pointed straight ahead to where, about 200 metres away, two parts of the mountain criss-crossed each other forming a triangular tunnel entrance, the shadows too deep and dark for him to see beyond.
Gansukh walked ahead, his head swivelling as if expecting something to happen and Nate followed. When they reached the entrance, Gansukh gripped his axe tighter and pointed ahead.
"In there?" Nate asked.
He nodded, looking worried. He said something and then headed into the tunnel, Nate following.
Guided by a faint light from the other end, they followed the tunnel until it turned right, and they were greeted with a bright oval of sunlight shining through. Gansukh led Nate towards it and just as they reached the end, Nate tripped.
He looked back and gasped, laying prone across the tunnel was a body, half buried in rubble. The exposed half was the torso and head and upon closer examination Nate saw that the body hadn't yet decomposed the skin a strange deep blue-grey, mouth twisted in a horrible snarl showing rotted teeth.
Gansukh helped Nate up. Nate thanked him and pointed to the body, "One of yours?"
But the nomad simply said, "Ezemshsen."
Ezemshen, there's that word again but what did it mean? Gansukh continued on and Nate followed, they exited the tunnel and out onto another open field of barren rock, much like the one before, however this one was littered with yurts.
Another village? No, maybe it used to be, but it has long since been deserted. The yurts were in disarray, some torn and others collapsed under the weight of snow and debris. There were broken fences, fallen trees and the skeletal remains of animals lay strewn about, the bodies wasted away, picked clean by the birds and scavengers.
"What is this place?" Nate asked, following Gansukh.
Gansukh immediately turned and put a finger to his lips, "Muu gazar" he whispered.
They continued on, heading into the centre of the deserted village, the shadows from the mountains giving it an eerie, sinister feel. As they got closer the remains of the animals made way for the remains of humans, skeletons grinning as they passed by, as if this was some kind of joke to them.
What the hell happened here?
Gansukh headed for a yurt that was larger than any of the others. Compared to the other yurts, this one was in better condition and centrally located, the other yurts seemed to gravitate around it. As they got near, Gansukh put his hand out, stopping Nate. He pointed to the yurt and whispered "Muu gazar." Then he pointed to Nate and then to the ground, telling him to wait.
Nate nodded and watched Gansukh approach the entrance to the yurt with caution, axe held ready to swing. There was no door, rather a flap, like a tent, and he pulled it back. He peered in and after a moment he stood to the side, leaving the flap open and indicated to Nate to follow.
Nate entered the tent, followed by Gansukh. The yurt was abandoned, and weather beaten. The animal fur floor coverings were filthy and worn through, even ripped in parts. Ceramics and pots smashed, pieces all over the floor as if blocks thrown by a child and tables broken, splintered and tossed in a corner. The only thing still standing was a long wooden table and hanging over it, the width of the table was a tapestry.
"Muu gazar" Gansukh said pointing to the tapestry. He walked to the table and mimicked picking something off his head and putting it on the table, "Titem" he said.
Nate understood, "You found the tiara- the titem- here?" he said.
Gansukh nodded, then he pointed to the tapestry again.
The tapestry was made from animal skin, rectangular and in good condition considering everything else in the yurt. On it were different scenes painted with bright colours using distemper – a paint made from water, chalk, pigment and egg. The first scene was of a group of men on horseback, attacking a city. The leader of the attackers was depicted as taller than the others, taller than the city, more care taken to paint him. Painted above was the unmistakable symbol of the Golden Horde. Nate said to Gansukh, "Batu Khan?"
Gansukh shook his head, "Güyük."
Nate frowned, "Güyük Khan?"
Gansukh nodded.
Nate pointed to the city, "Buda?"
Gansukh said something and shrugged and Nate took it to mean he didn't know what he meant. But Nate was certain it was Buda, underneath the city was an underground chamber, coloured in gold with a crown and sceptre inside it.
The Crown Jewels!
"That must be the underground church" he said.
He moved onto the next scene where it showed Güyük Khan, wearing the crown and holding the sceptre, his horse's saddlebags overflowing with treasure, riding away from Buda, the city in flames.
The next scene was in a golden room where Güyük Khan was facing another man. Behind them the flag of the Golden Horde was attached to the wall and spread around their feet were jewels and gold.
"Sarai Batu" Nate murmured. Nate pointed to the man opposite Güyük Khan and gave Gansukh a questioning look.
"Batu" he said.
Batu Khan. Güyük's cousin and founder of the Golden Horde, responsible for the invasions in Hungary, Poland and other places in Central Europe.
He looked at the next scene, which was of Batu Khan and another man talking, Batu was handing him a green cup. Nate pointed and Gansukh said, "Shiban Khan."
The next three scenes showed Shiban giving Güyük the green cup, then Güyük drinking from the cup and then Güyük on the ground, dead.
Next to the prone body was Batu Khan, the Crown Jewels in his possession.
So Shiban Khan poisons Güyük at Batu Khan's request. Then Batu takes the Jewels.
The final scene was of Batu Khan and his men, his horse laden with treasures, including the Crown Jewels heading for the mountains. The last panel showed a path leading to a fortress, surrounded by mountains.
"Here!" Nate said. "Do you know this place?"
"Muu gazar" he said.
"I have to go there," he said, pointing to himself and then to the fortress.
But Gansukh shook his head, '"No muu gazar" he said.
"My friends are there. People with guns-" he mimed the shooting motion, "-are looking for the Jewels" he finished pointing to the Jewels in the picture.
Gansukh shrugged and then stiffened, head snapping to the side.
"What?" Nate asked but Gansukh put a finger to his lips and hefted his axe. He turned and crept to the entrance to the tent. He pulled back the flap and just as he did, he cried out as something crashed through it, tackling Gansukh to the ground. The axe flew from his hand and skidded to a stop at Nate's feet.
Gansukh struggled with a humanoid creature, it had blue-grey skin and snarled and struck with its limbs at Gansukh while he tried to wrestle it off him.
Nate rushed over and grabbed the creature, yanking it off and shoving it away. But the creature immediately attacked Nate, diving at him and they both crashed to the ground. The creature was now on top of him, wildly flailing its limbs, snarling ferociously and Nate shielded his head with his arms as best he could. The creature was relentless, striking powerful blows over his body and Nate's already battered and bruised body was screaming in pain.
Just when he thought he was about to be overcome, the creature stiffened, gurgled and black blood leaked from its mouth, dribbling on to Nate's face and then slumped on top of him.
"Eww" Nate said wiping the blood off his face. He pushed it off him and saw Gansukh's axe lodged between the thing's shoulders. Gansukh pulled the axe out and Nate examined the creature.
"What the hell?" he said looking at it. The creature wasn't a creature at all, it was human. Or used to be. It's sickly grey-blue skin was dried like ancient leather, pulled taught as if dehydrated and its eyes, staring blankly at the roof, were black as the darkest pits. It wore a simple loin cloth.
He looked up at Gansukh, who looked at the body with concern, "What is this?" he asked.
"Ezemshsen" he said.
Ezemshsen. That's the world they used to describe Sully. Did this mean Sully has been attacked by one of these things?
"I need to find my friends" he said again, but Gansukh just shook his head and waved, indicating they needed to go.
Nate stood up, sighing. Whatever was going on here, they refused to show him where the fortress was. It explained Gansukh's reluctance to come here. These people were scared, maybe of this Ezemshsen creature that attacked him? Were there more of them around? What did they have to do with the fortress though?
He had so many questions and he was running out of time. Khanoğlu's men must be closing in on the fortress by now. Nate followed Gansukh out of the yurt and they began to head back out of the abandoned village, the human skeletons making sense to Nate now. They must belong to the former residents of the village, overtaken by the Ezemshsen perhaps?
Lost in his thoughts Nate didn't notice Gansukh stop suddenly and he almost plowed right into him. They were in a narrow stretch of the village where the mountains bowed outwards on either side like the rounded stomach of a fat man. The sun had moved behind the mountains and shadows covered almost the entire area now. Nate realised this would be the perfect spot for an ambush. Gansukh must have thought the same because he has his axe ready and Nate could hear whisperings in the otherwise silent village. Wind?
No, definitely voices.
Then a great roar erupted from the mountains and exploding from the mountainside shadows were dozens of the grey-skinned creatures, men and women both. They scrambled and bowled each other over attempting to reach them first, but Nate and Gunsukh took off like they were shot out of a canon. They raced towards the tunnel while more and more Ezemshsen appeared from the shadows, and from crevices and nooks in the mountain.
Through the tunnel they hurried, Gansukh in the lead and Nate keeping pace. They exited the tunnel, while the Ezemshsen pushed and shoved each other to get through the tunnel first, buying them time.
The Ezemshsen were filtering through the tunnel like water through a bottleneck when Nate reached the wall first, Gansukh a good twenty metres behind. Nate grabbed onto a handhold and pulled himself up, Gansukh, securing his axe on to his back, began to climb nearby. Above them was a ledge, about ten meters above ground running the entire width of the wall. Once there, they should be safe.
Unless they can climb, he thought.
Hurrying up, Nate scaled the wall, following almost the same route they used to get down while Gansukh, having just arrived, began climbing at a different part of the wall. In a matter of minutes Nate was pulling himself up onto the ledge.
"Nath-han!" Gansukh cried out.
Nate looked over, "Oh shit!" he said. Gansukh was out of reach of all but one of the creatures. Somehow one of the Ezemshsen had managed to grab on to the nomads' boot and was trying to pull him off the wall while Gansukh held on to a hold with both hands. He was struggling and trying to kick free but Nate knew he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.
He ran over and, lying on his stomach, leaned over the edge and reached out with his hand.
"Come on" he said, "grab my hand!"
Gansukh tried to grab his hand, but the weight of the Ezemshsen holding on to this leg pulled him down and he held on with only one hand now.
"Shit!"
Nate looked around and saw a couple of fist-sized stones nearby. He got up and grabbed them and then, back lying on his stomach he aimed one of the rocks at the creature, but missed, hitting one of the ones waiting at the bottom of the wall, it snarled and began shoving one of the others as if it was the one who hit it. The others all looked up expectantly, like baby birds waiting for their mother to come and feed them.
He hefted another rock, this one hitting the hanging creature on the body. It cried out but still hung on.
"Nath-han" Gansukh cried out again. There was a terrified look in his eyes and Nate could see his fingers slipping. He was holding on to the handhold with the barest of grips.
Nate grabbed one more rock and threw it. This one hit true, smashing the creature in the face. It screamed as it fell, black blood smeared its face, and it landed on top of the others as if it were a Rockstar diving off the stage into a crowd. The creatures all roared in anger and the fallen Ezemshsen disappeared under a mountain of feet and bodies.
Nate reached his hand out again, but the gap was too great.
"Your axe!" he said, "Pass me the axe."
He had no idea if Gansukh understood the meaning of his words or not but he seemed to understand the concept because, with his free hand, he pulled his axe off his back and reached out with it. Nate grabbed it by the shaft and pulled. Gansukh moved up, using his feet to aid himself in climbing until he could get two hands on the handle and Nate pulled the Mongolian up and over the ledge.
The Ezemshsen roared in anger while Nate and Gansukh lay on the ledge, gasping for breath. Then Nate began to chuckle as he sat up, "Bit of a fright?" he said.
Gansukh gave Nate a big grin as if he understood the joke but it was most likely an effect from the adrenaline. He slapped Nate the back and said something that Nate assumed to mean 'Thanks.'
"No problem" Nate replied, patting him on the back.
After a rest, Nate looked up at the rest of the climb they had to make, "Ready?'' he asked Gansukh.
Gansukh looked up at the path ahead and then at Nate and seemed to be deciding something. Finally he shook his head, muttering "Ügüi shüü."
"What?"
While he spoke he pointed to Nate and then to himself and then pointed straight ahead and said, "Muu gazar."
"You'll take me to Muu gazar?"
Gansukh sighed, looking extremely unhappy but nodded, "Tiim shüü" he said quietly.