Spirit Riser CHAPTER TWO

Chapter Two-

Thiazu rolled over in his bed. Dawn had not yet roken but the air was filled with the beautiful summer voices of birds. His house was, like the rest of Varix, under nights control.
His window was thrown open in an attempt to welcome a cool nights breeze. The summer season was days away from Mid-Moon, temperatures reaching the highest they ever had in Duskvelden.
The air was hot and humid. Thick enough to cut with a knife. It was quite hard to breath.
As Thiazu lay in his bed, underneath his thin blanket, he was deep in thought about how much he wanted winter to begin. It was by far his favourite season. The cold refreshing mornings and the snow covered grounds. The way the icicles formed on the roofs reminded him of how the knives and saws were displayed in the butchers downstairs.
Thiazu was the nephew of Salvron Somorgu, one of the many butchers in the province of Varix. He also lived with his aunt, Mylar, and his cousin Jorzan who was two years older than him.
As time passed, the pink tufts of light that signaled dawn arrived and the animals that Salvron kept in the barn out the back of the butchers began to make loud noises demanding to be released into the morning.
Time to get up now, he thought. Dawn was Thiazu's alarm to get up and get on with the jobs that needed to be done before the butchers could open in two hours time. The animals needed feeding and cleaning out; stale meat needed to be disposed of and new meat butchered and displayed on the various hooks and counters so that the customers could pick their piece of meat, and Thiazu had to wash and dress ready to help his uncle.
His work clothes were where he had left them the morning before - on a wooden rack in the far corner of the room. Thiazu rolled from his bed and clumsily stood up. He strolled towards the rack and stipped it bare of his clothes and dressed himself. His clothes consisted of black cloth trousers and shirt. Over his black cloth shirt, he wore a dark, hooded jacket.
Within minutes, Thiazu was walking outside towards the barn, the sky still with pink tufts of light only more had now joined the origional few. It was still around five and by half-past-six, Thiazu would be back inside, bathing and preparing to serve customers.
Inside the barn, it was quite dark, the pink tufts of light was not able to penetrate the deep black crevices previously controlled by night. The temperature had already begun to rise as the sun drew nearer to its appearance.
Shovelling away a nights worth of animal muck was not Thiazu's good idea of how to start the day. It would always make him wretch and feel ill till atleast midday. The waste of the twenty animals was also made worse by the temperatures.
Thiazu un-latched the door to the barn and was hit in the face with a foul smell. He wretched momentarilly and bolted past the cows, pigs, chickens and goats till he reached the back door. He opened it allowing the animals out into the drying yet still lush paddock.
In the name of the Spirits', how these animals smell awful, he thought, yet again wretching.

***

Upon finishing his jobs, Thiazu went back into the house and bathed. The cool water refreshed him and washed away yesterdays dirt and this mornings fresh blood. When he finished, he put on clean clothes and his butchers apron.
Thiazu helped his uncle to run the butchers. He found it fun and it was a good way to talk to the villagers who brought their meat there. In the summer, the shop had to be kept as cool as possible to stop the meat from rotting. This meant that it was also a refuge from the sweltering temperatures and violent sun.
As he was hanging up the last fresh chicken on the one remaining empty hook, his uncle came down the stairs. He was a tall, dark haired man with broard shoulders and prominent cheek bones. His eyes were - like his son, Jorzan's - deep set and a winter grey in colour.
"Good morning Thiazu. Are you well?" his voice boomed.
Thiazu smiled at his uncle. "Yes thankyou."
"Did you do the mornings work?"
Thiazu nodded. "It didn't take me long but I could do with some help from Jorzan."
A loud chuckle came from deep within Salvron and reverberatted about the room. "You know that getting your cousin up before midday is a nightmare. I've even offered to pay him for his services but he still cannot be bothered to get out of bed."
Salvron strolled round from behind the counter and towards the locked front door. Windows already thrown open were beginning to cool the air inside. Salvron opened the door to signal that the butchers shop was open.
Already, a small line had grown outise. These were Salvron's 'Early Birds'. The same group of people came at exactly the same time everyday, no matter what. They were always standing outside the shop waiting for it to open. In all of Varix, they were his most loyal customers.
"Mornin' early birds," he laughed. He stepped behind the counter and let the line trickle in. "What can I do for ya?"
An elderly woman was first in. She had a grey, receding hair line and dark brown eyes. Her wrinkled face was the tell-tale sign of her age. "Good morning," she chirped at Salvron.
"Hello Daxia. What would you like?" Salvron asked.
"Well... I'll have one of them there fresh chickens of yours love." All her words came out fast and jumbled.
"A fresh chicken you say?" asked Salvron who couldn't understand a work Daxia said. She nodded and Salvron told Thiazu to take a fresh chicken from a near-by hook. "That's two Shuptins please Daxia." Shuptin was the currency in Duskvelden.
The onld lady took out a small leather pouch and produced two shiny coins. She took her brown paper back which contained the chicken she had just brought and bid "Good day," to Salvron and Thiazu before leaving.
Slowly but surely, the line dwindled until atlast, a tall man was standing at the counter. He was old with long locks of grey hair falling to his shoulders. He looked, however, quite youthful in his face on which a smile had been planted.
"Good morning Salvron. Lovely day," he said.
The mans smile widened. "Thiazu! How are you on this day?"
"I am well. Yourself?" Thiazu replied politely.
"Very well thankyou. Busy preparing for the Mid-Moon festivities. Expect a corker this year," the old man said excitedly.
"How can I help you Ankiel?" Salvron asked with a great deal of respect present in his deep voice.
This was because this man, Ankiel, was the local Elder - the oldest person in the particular province of Duskvelden. They were responsible for the organising and leading of important events; the third and perhaps most important thing that an Elder was was the head of punishment in their province. Ankiel was the Varix Elder.
"Actually, I have come to order the meat for Mid-Moon. Can you please meet the requirements on the list?" he asked politely handing Salvron a piece of parchment with small but elaborate handwriting on it. It was neat and had been written in scarlet ink.
Salvron glanced over the list and nodded. "Of course I can. Anything for the Varix Elder."
"Thankyou. I shall see you at the festivities in three days time. Please, have the meat ready for Mid-Moon Eve. I shall send somebody to get it. Goodbye." He left leaving Salvron and Thiazu alone. With nothing else to do until the Morning rush at nine, they decided to close until then. The temperatures continued to rise and a beautiful day took control of Varix.
As is passed by and Thiazu closed and locked the door for the final time of the day, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was looking forward to Mid-Moon. Not only because it was a great occasion ut because this year, Mid-Moon fell on his birthday.
Having your birthday on Mid-Moon was an honour and Thiazu was proud.

It was a beautiful night with not a cloud in the sky. There was, however, a purple sphere. The full moon marking the middle of the season was purple. In autumn, it was a crimson red; winter saw a blue Mid-Moon and spring a green.
All of Varix was gathering at the centre of the Northern Forest. It was here, where a circle of sparce trees allowed prime viewing of the sky.
"Wow," people would say as the moon came into view. Many "Ah's" and "Ooh's" were also commonly distributed.
Everyone was dressed as smartly as possible. This was for several reasons; so as to please Ankeil and so as not to anger the Spirits' both in Duskvelden and The Spirit World.
Duskvelden was a land that believed deeply in Spirits'. Everything has one - trees, animals, humans and even the smallest and most discusting insects. What that particular creature dies it is released from its mortal prison, the Spirit then makes the journey to The Spirit World where is can rest eternaly in The River of Souls.
"Isn't this exciting?" Salvron asked his family.
A grumble came from Jorzan and both Thiazu and Mylar nodded in agreement.
"Now, we can all separate to see everything for ourselves but we must meet back herer in time for Ankiel's Mid-Moon speech," he ordered.
Jorzan went with his father to speak to a group of men standing on the outskirts of the circle. Mylar, who was a tall and light haired woman, had baked fresh bread and was tottering of to the Deli where several other mothers were standing chatting and preparing bread for the meat to be placed in when it was cooked later on. This left Thiazu on his own to do as he wished.
It was quite hot, with all those bodies in one area. As he passed the wood set out for the fire, he shuddered to think about how hot and sweaty it would make him and the rest of the forest.
"Ah, Thiazu," came a distant yet familiar voice. It was Ankeil. "Are you enjoying the Mid-Moon celebrations so far?"
"Yes. We just arrived. My aunt and unle have gone to talk to their friends," Thiazu replied.
"Very good. Uh, I wonder, when the festivities are in full swing, might we meet. There is something of a matter of urgency which I need to discuss with you." Ankeil was obviously nervous. His hands were damp and his brow furrowed.
Thiazu didn't know what to say. As well as having his birthday on Mid-Moon, the Varix Elder also requested to speak to him. Honour seemed to be a constant thing in these days for him. He was expected to answer and he felt a ping as something inside him told him to say "No". He couldn't say this as the Elders' were the most respected people in Duskvelden after Lord Raven.
"Please, you must say yes. As I say, it is a matter of urgency."
"Yes. I will meet with you for a discussion," Thiazu replied.
"Wonderful," Ankiel said now not an ounce of nervousness in his body. "I shall see you later this evening. Enjoy yourself young Thiazu."
Ankiel strode off, presumably to prepare for the beginning of the celebrations.
What would the Varix Elder want with me? he asked himself.
Confused, Thiazu met up with his aunt, uncle and cousin.
"Thiazu," his uncle said warmly. "          Just in time. If you look towards the altar, you will see that Ankiel is preapring himself to give the speech."
Salvron was speaking the truth. Ankiel was pulling on a purple robe laced with gold. This was the Summer Robe worn for special occasions by the Varix Elder throughout the season. It was nearly time.
Midnight drew nearer and when the moon, now making its journey across the inky black sky, reached the centre and cast an eerie purple glow over the altar, Mid-Moon would truely begin. Excitment was very high now.
Ankiel finished pulling in his robe and took a steadying breath to begin his speech. He shuffled to stand behind the grey stone altar.
"Ladies, gentlemen and the next generation of Varix. Welcome to the Northern Forest for this years Summer Mid-Moon celebrations. It is good to see you all here together, united by the power of the Spirits'. They will be proud. Let us take a minute to think about those Spirits' now in The River of Souls or making their journey into the Spirit World..." he trailed of as the silent crowd bowed their heads and thought of the dead.
"Mid-Moon is not just a two-day celebration as I hope you all apreciate. It is a time of magic. When the elements - earth, wind, fire and water - are all at one. United in their quest to keep our world pure. Many events of great importance have happened during Mid-Moons'. For example, it was precisely at midnight of the Winter Mid-Moon many millenia ago that the Spirits' changed our world and The Second Dawn of Time occured.
"As you know, we meet at midnight in the middle of the Mid-Moon. Who knows. Maybe in the next twenty-four hours, another of these amazing events may happen," he glanced about the crowd but his eyes came to rest on Thiazu. Ankiel smiled.
"I do not have much to say on this Mid-Moon night apart from this. I hope that the next Half-Moon before we meet to celebrate the New Moon of autumn is a successful and happy one. May the Spirits' be with you."
Loud whooping rose from the people of Varix but was drowned out by the countdown to midnight. The moon edged inch by inch closer to the altar. When it was bathed in purple light, the fire would be lit.
Thiazu and his family split up once moor leaving him to meet with Ankiel for the important discussion. He strolled through the crowds. There was a smell of sweat, cooking meat and stale breath. As Thiazu had predicted, the fire chucked out a lot of heat. He felt a drop of sweat trickle doen his forehead and gingerly wiped it away.
The large purple moon had already bugun its journey to the other side of the sky. Pushed inch by inch to the wesh as it cowered from the power of the sun. As time drew on, no-one tired. A loud babble rose from the crowds.
Thiazu scanned the people looking for Ankiel. He presumed that he had gone to eat in private and would return later when things had died down a little. Thiazu turned around and was nearly bowled over as he saw Ankiel who he had least expected to see at this time.
"Thiazu," he said opening his arms in welcome.
"If I may say so, you are eager. I thought that you would be eating in private." Thiazu blushed.
"No, no, no my dear boy. I ate with your uncle. I have to say that the meat you produce at your butchers is exquisite. Anyway, down to business. Please, follow me to a place where we may talk in peace and not be disturbed." Ankiel led Thiazu through the happy people of Vaix and to the outskirts of the circle. There, an elaborate purple silk tent had been set up. This was where Ankiel went for peace and quite.
Thiazu was ushered in and he head Ankiel tell a guard that they were not to be distured.
"Now. Thiazu, we may be here some time. Tea?"
Thiazu nodded and Ankiel poored two cups of tea. The brown liquid smelt nice and when the milk was added turned a cloudy amber in colour. "Part of tonight will include me telling you a story or two."
"It has been a long time since I was told a story. Before my parents died- " he stopped and turned grim.
"There there Thiazu. This is nothing to be sad over. Your parents are resting in the Spirit World. You should be pleased for them. One day, you to will enter The Spirit World and swim in The River of Souls."
"You are right. Very wise Ankiel," Thiazu said with a fresh smile on his face.
"It is my job. Now, have you ever heard of The First Spirit?" Ankiel asked turning serious.
Thiazu shook his head. "Not ever. Is your story about The First Spirit?"
"Yes. And The First Demon too. It was before The Second Dawn of Time. The First Spirit was the first being on the world. It created man, beast and plant. It also devised the Spirit World and The River of Souls. It is the creator but even the creator makes mistakes.
"The First Spirit had noticed how everything it created had a small speck of evil in it. To minimize the risk of complete evil, it took those specks and cast them aside. There, they grew and one day turned into The First Demon. It has never had a name. It is just known as The First. It began to destroy The First Spirit's world. Its creations which had taken years to evolve and grow were destroyed in a second. This made The First Spirit angry. Action had to be taken.
"So, The First Spirit made a plan. It grew an army of good Spirits' and launched full scale war on evil. It rid the world of The First Demon's henchmen but could not defeat The First Demon. This was the job of The First Spirit. With the Staff of Isidion, it struck the Demon and took its power. The First Spirit harnessed the power and used it for its own purposes. The First Demon was thrust to the sky and there it has been trapped forever.
"This is why the night sky is black. The First Spirit then decided that the world had seen too much evil and destroyed everything. Wiped clean, the world was reset and left to evolve itself. The First Spirit took to the sky. In day, it is the sun, at night the moon always keeping evil at bay."
"That is amazing," Thiazu said enthusiastically. "Where do I come into this?"
"That leads me to my second story.
"When The Second Dawn of Time occured, The First Spirit left behind its six most noble Spirit Warriors. The Spirits' of Fidelity lie hiding awaiting the day when they are woken to rid the world once more of evil. But to waken the Spirits' and control them, six people are needed. Six children to be presise. They are the Spirit Risers'.
"Generation after generation they must master their powers to ready themselves for war. Ever since The Second Dawn of Time, not one war has been faught. Until now I believe..." he turned glum.
"You mean a war is now being faught. And if you say not a way has been faught since The Second Dawn of Time, you are wrong. The Civil War fifty years ago between The Juji and Lord Raven." Thiazu looked blankly at the old man.
"I mean a war on the preportion of those faught by the Spirit Risers'. No, a war is not now being faught but it soon will be. There are seven prophecies surrounding the Spirit Risers' and two of them have made themselves known. The first descried the Spirit Risers' as a whole. It goes:

"When the time does dawn and evil have spawned,
the six shall awaken to their powers of which their bodies  adorn.
The One from ancient, Three  from Old and the two from new,
Their destiny is true.
Together they must  bind those whole.
The six of which they seek,
Hide awaiting, the day,
When they will be rised and end the reign.

"Then there is the one describing the first of the new generation of Spirit Risers':

"A boy, the first of them all,
The one who's life is sad in all,
The loss of those dear,
the sense of fear.
A boy, the first,
The rite passed upon birth,
a mark, the mark, that they have all,
be clasped to his chest,
The Swirl and the Flick, the small amazing Spirit Riser tick.

"You may think this stupid Thiazu but please, take of your shirt."
"What?" Thiazu asked outraged.
"Please, just do it Thiazu." Ankiel ordered.
Not wanting to face the rath of an angry Elder, Thiazu obliged and took off his shirt revealing his chest. Ankiel's eyes glanced eagerly over it and found the target.
"Thiazu, are you aware that you have a birthmark that is a swirl with a horizontal line going through it?" Ankiel asked.
"Yes, of course. I've had it ever since I was born but it got darker as I grew older. Why?"
The Varix Elder looked at Thiazu, a mixture of happiness and gloom evident.
"I had reason to believe that you are the first in the new generation of Spirit Risers'," he announced. "Now, my believes have been confirmed and you may be in grave danger..."