practically covered his face. Gabriel had seen pictures of humanity’s oldest ancestors and the word “humanoid” came to mind – something between a human and an ape. But this man was like a parody of his own people. His face was wider than it was long, his cranium was flat and the slits of his eyes so narrow that they were practically invisible.
The characteristic features of the stricken were very distinct in him, and his attitude was anything but friendly.
“Winter Sorrow,” Inu whispered. “I never got the chance to see him, but he was described to me.”
Tengel the Evil’s own son ... The half-brother of Targenor? The thought was absurd!
“Is he also a shaman?” Ulvhedin asked.
“Most certainly! And with greater capabilities than us!”
“Heaven help us,” said Star, who was one of the few female shamans.
Barely had she finished uttering the words when a little grey figure came creeping towards them. With unerring certainty, he made for Gabriel.
“The Terror!” shouted He-who-was-born-in-the-door. “The Terror who sacrificed children to the gods!”
“Stop!” Ulvhedin commanded the little grey figure. “This boy is protected by the four spirits of Taran-gai: Earth, Wind, Air and Fire.”
The Terror stopped, giggling, and sniffed the air as though working out Gabriel’s identity. The boy got a slightly nauseous feeling from looking into his malicious yellow eyes.
With a grunting sound, the Terror spun on his heels and focused his concentration on Sarmik’s two sons. Although they were older, it was possible to refer to them as children.
“Don’t touch them!” shouted Sarmik. “Or I’ll invoke the curse on you!”
The Terror spat something reddish-brown at Sarmik’s feet. It appeared to be the kind of stimulant the elder Taran-gai used to chew on.
The brave little shamans had already raised their hands to conjure something against the three stricken ancestors, Kat-ghil, Winter Sorrow and the Terror, when there was a shout from Tun-sij: “Look up! For heaven’s sake, look up!”
Behind them a fourth figure had emerged. Vendel Grip would have recognized the abominable creature that crawled across the ground and grabbed hold of Vassar’s legs, toppling him over.
But Tun-sij knew him as well. They had been contemporaries.
“The Evil Eye!” she shouted to the group of shamans. “Run! Retreat!”
But everyone, including Tun-sij, stayed where they were.
Kat-ghil had stood up. He was standing on the hill and chanting a frightening spell aimed at Vassar. Winter Sorrow advanced and he, too, was focused on Vassar, while the Terror, the kidnapper of children, extended his arms towards the younger of the boys.
But the worst of them was the Evil Eye, who had toppled Vassar and now hurled himself on Orin, who was attempting to help his little brother. There was uproar at the foot of the slope. The boys’ wails, the invocations of the shamans and Sarmik’s shouts for help echoed all across the area.
Then Winter Sorrow triumphantly got to his feet.
“We have them, gentlemen!” he shouted.
Suddenly another figure emerged in the background. One whom Gabriel knew all too well. An ordinary man, or rather, not all that ordinary.
“Number One,” Gabriel whispered. “Or Lynx, as he is also known. He is mortally dangerous.”
Sarmik and Mar had grabbed hold of Vassar and Orin in order to pull them away and shield them, but their evil ancestors wouldn’t let go. Ulvhedin held his hand over Gabriel and pulled him to him as he chanted spells in a low voice.
But none of it stopped Lynx. He merely made a movement with his hand and something reptilian rushed through the air in the direction of Sarmik and his sons. It resembled a sling or lasso that was as slippery as an eel, Gabriel thought. But everything went so fast that he didn’t get a chance to register any details. Vassar was torn from the arms of the others and flung high up in the air. With a fearful scream the young Taran-gai disappeared into the banks of fog.
The evil glances of Kat-ghil and the others had now captured Orin. Despite his father’s desperate attempt to save his other son from the depths of the Great Abyss, Orin suffered the same fate as his brother.
Their screams could be heard for a long time afterwards, growing increasingly faint the further they fell.
Finally, all that could be heard was the mournful sighing of the wind across the moor.
Chapter 3
Sarmik sank to his knees, beside himself with sorrow. The others managed to get him back on his feet and dragged him away with them.
“That’s what happens when you defy Taran-gai’s loyal assistants,” Kat-ghil shouted at them.
They stopped again in the fog to consult one another briefly. Sarmik had lost all his fighting spirit and left the command to Mar.
Gabriel ventured to interfere. “We know now that Lynx has something to do with the Great Abyss,” he said. His voice was apologetic because he had dared to interfere in the adults’ conversation.
“Exactly right,” said Mar. “You are a keen observer, Gabriel.”
Ulvhedin nodded.
The boy tried to conceal his pride at being lauded by them.
“We don’t know who or what Lynx is,” Mar continued. “But he is clearly the one who sends the selected victims to the Abyss.”
“Will I never get the chance to see my sons again?” Sarmik lamented.
“You should probably consider them lost forever,” said He-who was-born-in-the-door sympathetically. “No one has ever returned from there.”
Oh, poor Nataniel, thought Gabriel. That’s where Ellen is. And the storm demons. And now Orin and Vassar. How many does he intend to take before the battle is over?
“We can’t risk losing all you shamans of Taran-gai,” said Mar. “We’ll send a small troop against our four enemies. I volunteer to go. Who will join me?”
They all volunteered.
Thank you,” said Mar, touched. “But a handful of you will be sufficient.”
Ulvhedin, who was actually there as Gabriel’s guardian, took the liberty of interfering in the discussion. “You are so brave that all the world ought to know about it,” he said to the Taran-gai, who barely came up to his waist. “But fighting against the shamans and the terrible Lynx is an unequal battle for you. We can’t afford to lose you. I’ve been considering another alternative, but whether or not it’ll work I don’t know.”
“Tell us,” said Tun-sij.
“Kat-ghil and his cohorts are very primitive men, are they not? And we spirits have attained our magic from a distant past that today’s world knows nothing about. But the people of today have access to another kind of magic that Taran-gai’s evil spirits know nothing about ...”
“That’s a good thought,” said Mar, who had no idea where Ulvhedin was going with it. “But Lynx, what about him?”
“We know nothing about Lynx,” Ulvhedin answered. “We don’t know where he belongs in time, whether he is familiar with modern times or not. He seems to be in the habit of making one frightening appearance and sending one or two of Tengel the Evil’s enemies into the Abyss, then turning his back on us with indifference. But no matter what the truth is, it is our job to destroy the power of Kat-ghil and the others, and that’s what we intend to do. Will you all stay here and take good care of little Gabriel for me? Meanwhile I’ll go down and see our friends who are waiting for me in the meadow.”
“No