The Ulangar: Book I, Part 5

This continues the epic I wrote between 1991 and 1996.

Lamaraz glared at the old sage and responded

spitting hatred and malice through his eyes and lips

`You would call me Probationer

or as in the old language UDDU

You who are only on the circle of SARU

would call a MUXXISHA mage apprentice

Tell me you jest old fool'

Norkain questioned the truth of Lamaraz's words

and Lamaraz showed Norkain the rings he wore

Nine rings on his two hands

One ring for each circle

One left thumb empty for a

blue onyx ring with the two words

`NARILUGACTIM BANRAB' ¹

written on the gem in the old script

now only known to a handful of historians and scattered scribes

Norkain fell dead at one phrase by Lamaraz

`LENTUTOTIP MAGENATYED CIMYED' ²

With the library at his back

flames erupting forth and belching hot breath

Lamaraz closed the door behind him

concealing the door into stone of the cavern tunnel

In seconds the apprentice scribes were on him

everywhere

They beat et bruised Lamaraz

was not able to mumble many spells

`USERAL UNIKULUP' ³

which transported him southwest of

the cave of Norkain

onto a knoll of trees in the center

of a fruitless drifting desert

named by the ancients as Unikul

for its relentless strength

was the only one he could sing

Footnotes:

1 - Translated from Dakish as "The unreachable ring."
2 - Translated from Dakish as "Leave your soul behind."
3 - Translated from Dakish as "Call me to the Unikul."