Balsam

The amaverians moved to the underground, long before the atomic war started, following the advice of their elders. Their mediums were able to detect danger due to their telepathic powers and read human behaviour exceptionally well and made their preparations in time. Their advanced technology and developed knowledge made them possible to maintain their existence under the surface for hundreds of years.

Boldar, their head of council had many troubles, as any leaders would under the circumstances and had very little time for her daughter Balsam who was basically brought up by warriors and professors. Boldar was a single parent as his wife Tanipa died during childbirth.

Balsam was a very sharp however lonely girl, did not mix with other kids. She spent most of her days exploring the huge, manmade cave system where they lived, sitting in the library, among books, studying about the world above, it’s geography, biology, science and cultures. The young girl was often targeted as she was different. Balsam was an albino. Her best friend was Varan, the young captain of bodyguards, son of Morter, who was second in command in the high council. Varan hoped that one day he will marry her as he was only few years older. Balsam’s eighteenth birthday was approaching, and Varan was eager to propose. Balsam had an idea of happiness and Varan had a special place in her heart.

The amaverians had difficult times as a new sickness was rearing it’s ugly head among them, taken new-born babies one by one. Suddenly every child was born albino and died before their first birthday. Mortar proposed Boldar’s bloodline to be examined and Balsam to be anatomized. He was certain that the girl’s blood is the answer to the crisis. Boldar led a dissident faction inside the high council that wished to return to the surface to initiate a change and find solution that way, while others wanted to remain. Morter, who was always jealous of Boldar poisoned his drink.. Weakened by the poison, Boldar has fallen ill and on his death bed he has given a necklace with heart-shaped locket to Balsam. Told her to be ready, escape from Amaveria and return to the surface. With his last breath he told to Balsam to find a woman called Enna, in the city of Amber Alom and hand over the locket. Balsam was downheartedly confused, and she was still waiting for some kind of a miracle. She hesitated to follow her father’s request and would rather wait for Varan’s proposal and get married.

Morter wanted to be sure that Boldar’s bloodline will end and accused Balsam of the murder. Now as first in command he requested death sentence for high treason, which was granted. The night before the execution Balsam was thinking about Varan and their almost happiness. Surprisingly Varan visited her with a promise of freedom. He wanted to go with the girl too. The young captain taken Balsam to the high council chamber to collect essential potions and weapons for the journey, all stored in the secret vault but before they were able to leave the place they stumbled upon Mortar. He was furious and wanted to kill Balsam with his dagger. Varan didn’t really understand why but felt an urge to step up, and while they scuffled the boy accidently killed his father. Balsam was running away, didn’t look back, was chased by the guards, sneaked through secret stairs, dirty wormholes and greasy, dark corridors when eventually found the way to the forgotten elevator, exactly where she expected. She was alone. Varan did not follow her. Covered by dust and half rotten but the old machine still served its purpose. Balsam was flying up for miles, towards the light. After more than two hundred years the first amaverian stepped out from a cave at the top of the Galmorhar Mountains and breathed fresh air which was sharp like a knife. Sad and frightened Balsam started her journey to Amber Alom, which was hundreds of miles away.

There was an old ruin of a crematorium at the bottom of the mountain, covered with weeds and woods just right in her path. In the middle of its ground, among the bushes, a tall, bony man was kneeling, holding a young girl in his arms, weeping, and whispering a pray. It was Allar, a warrior from the wind bringer tribe, praying for her sister who has eaten from a poisonous fruit. Balsam overcame her guardedness and offered help. She has spoken fluently on the common language and many others. She recognised the wind bringer armour and colours they were wearing from her books. Her amaverian potion was able to cure the little girl. Allar felt obligated and offered his service for life as a payment. Balsam declined but when she walked through the grass a Suturanga, the deadliest snake of all bit her ankle. Allar took the girl to a sanctuary as fast as he could where she was fighting for her life for days and against everyone‘s expectations Balsam survived the battle. Allar did not move from her side for one minute and promised again that he will protect her from any harm. He was the best archer in his tribe and invincible in battles.

Balsam was angry to the world and was thinking about her lost happiness in Amaveria. She was amazed by what she has seen, the landscape, even if it was only ruins and plain field of weeds, the different type of humans she has met however she felt like she has lost everything and everyone. Allar promised to help her to find Amber Alom and travelled to the biggest human settlement in the area to seek advice and find some old maps so they can plan the journey. Left her sister and Balsam behind, in the sanctuary asked them to wait for his return. The priestesses were getting worried as the rumour started to spread that an albino amaverian living among them which attracted the wrong type of crowds, religious fanatics who were blaming the amaverians for the atomic war, criminals who would try to kill, rape, capture then sell such a unique individual.

Balsam did not like such attention and wanted to protect the people she cared for so she has put on the wind bringers leather armour and face cover then one night she just left. She headed east, avoiding human settlements, she was eating insects or whatever she found, sleeping during the day and moved at night. After a week in the middle of a swamp she was surrounded by a dozen of mercenaries who appeared to be in her trail for some time. Their leader was Alvaro, half blind, and half of his nose was missing. He wanted to have Balsam because in the land of sickness, starvation, killing and want, to have such person as a slave it’s like having a unicorn in the middle of a wasteland.

The gang he was leading were killers, robbers and cannibals. They’ve done despicable things. Alvaro’s priority was to hear about Amaveria and its treasures but also wanted to father few children with such female.

The first night Alvaro attempted to rape the girl, but his head started to pump, his savaged nose started to bleed so badly that he lost consciousness. The second day he was vomiting all day and on the third he was sweating blood. One of Alvaro’s woman who was kept in a cage, half insane, started to scream when she saw Balsam’s heart-shaped locket.

“I know what you are. My great grandmother told tales about your people and that necklace you wearing. You make people go crazy. Witch! Killer!”

That made Alvaro think and even if he was not superstitious, he did not hesitate much to get rid of the girl just to be sure. Alvaro often made what he called a banquet for animals. He chained or nailed his victims to the trees from bottom to top so the predators were able to chew from them. This time he was just lifting his hammer to put the first nail into Balsam’s hand then after a hissing sound he was falling to ground with an arrow in his eye. Then all his man, one by one.

Allar arrived just in time, after he was feeling an inviting, calling voice in his head for days what was impossible to ignore he just decided to follow his instincts.

Before he started his search for Balsam, Allar was seeking for any info about Amber Alom at the oldest human settlement in the north and eventually he was able to find an angekok who knew what he was talking about.

“Amber Alom is a land of happiness, where there is no sadness or despair. The land of the Sheeraloons. It can be found where darkness ends, and light begins. The only way we can find it you talk to the Naga people”-that’s all he said.

“Who are these Naga people?”-Balsam was worried.

“Nothing good”-responded Allar and looked into Balsam’s eyes. “Were you asking me to come here?

“Yes. I was thinking about you”-she was hesitant. “I wished that you were here and protect me as you promised”.

“Well, whatever you did, it worked”-smiled Allar and called his horse.

Balsam was puzzled – “What if the women was right and she has the power to do such things. Maybe she made Varan to free her, kill Mortar and everything else what happened with Alvaro. But some of it felt good.”-she thought.

The Naga people lived by the sea in a remote Island. Their leader was a holy man, Puru Naga who was walking with a snake shaped stick to show the spiritual path to wisdom and peace.

When Balsam walked to their temple the old man was waiting for him. He prepared three cups of mixed snake poison and blood. Invited her to seat at the table and he placed the cups Infront of her.

“These are drops of blood from the deadliest snakes of the world”-he said. “Before I tell you anything you need to purify your life form. They represent the body, the mind and the psyche”.

Balsam was terrified but slowly drank all the blood. The Suturanga poison in her system made her immune against all.

Puru Naga continued - “Now you will have a serpent’s kiss by a King Cobra so you will be worthy to visit Amber Alom and talk to its people”.

The king cobra looked her in the eye and slowly bit her tangue. She was falling into sleep but at the same time her senses became sharp like never before.

Balsam walking through thick mists to a laboratory where there was hundreds of flat screens, computers, showing humanoid figures. A woman was sleeping in a chair, at the corner of the hall, when Balsam entered she opened her eyes.

“Balsam, is that you”?

“Yes. Are you Enna”?

“That’s me my Child”

“Who are you”?

“I am your ancestor. Half human half Sheeraloon. Like your mother was. I am the keeper of Amber Alom.”.

“What is this place?”

“The end and the beginning of everything. Have you got something for me?”

Enna took the locket and opened it, there was a little whistle in it. When she blew it all the screens turned towards the ground and humanlike figures stepped out from them.

They were like a vision, surrounded by an aura-like light and when they spoke, they sounded like whispers in the wind.

Before Balsam asked anything about the amavarian child deaths the creatures answered all at once.

“All form of life is seeking for light is some way and if cannot access it than have to create it. The end is now here .Now the light is dying within humans if we won’t help darkness will swallow all. You are chosen. You choose what will happen now. Do you think humans worth saving or we go to another place and start from the beginning?

Answer!

Answer!