Chapter 5
Nxälina
"Long before the creation of Werewolves, there dwelt in the mortal Kingdom of Txinginyr a maiden named Säli, the daughter of a King. In those days, the realm of gods was rent with conflict, for gods rose against gods. The land was filled with such fury that their wrath slithered upon the lands of men. The slaughter of gods created an unstable balance between the kingdoms of men, and catastrophe followed in their wake.
Fields once lush and green were blackened with blight, the grains withered, and beasts sprawled dead in the lands. Rain ceased, and rivers shrank until there was only dust. Mortal folk perished from hunger and the catastrophe of war.
Amidst this plague, King Aklänux, vanquished with grief for his lost Queen, sought to strike a bargain with the King of gods, Mäkunxlar, that if he caused the plague to cease from men, he would offer his only daughter to him for marriage.
But the High King of the gods scorned the offer, deeming it an insult that he should take a mortal as wife and Queen..,..."
"But I thought he yielded to the offer," I spoke up, trying to recall the tale.
"No," Nüxali replied, taking a sip from the goblet. We were in my room. She sat down at the edge of the bed, reading the tales of the old beginning from the book of Säli while I lay under the blanket, listening to her. "Mäkunxlar rejected the bargain immediately."
"But upon the night of the full moon, when he descended into the mortal land for a break in Ngäyanula, his gaze fell upon a young maiden in the pool deep in the woods. She was slender, taller than most men, with long raven hair and deep blue eyes which reminded him of the sea. She wore a long white raiment that clung to her body. Beneath the pool of moonlight that fell on her, she shone as though she were a goddess herself. Beautiful, hot-tempered, with smooth alabaster skin.
She reviled him at first sight, regarding him as a prowler. Hatred ushered in their beginning, but in time, their desire for each other melted away resentment, and love took hold. When he learned that she was the daughter of King Aklänux, he made her his wife and Queen, and by his power, the plague ceased to hold upon the mortal land.
But the war in Ngäyanula waxed intense, and soon Mäkunxlar was killed…"
"By whom?" I asked.
"By his own brother, who usurped the throne, crowning himself King that same day." I realized how similar the story was to mine. Mäeruvax had killed our parents in less than two days and made himself King.
"But just before his last breath, Säli besought him to make her immortal so she might avenge his death. With the last of his strength, he poured his powers into her, ascending her as a goddess. After his death, she avenged him and took for herself the diadem of kingship. She was the first woman to ever rule Ngäyanula.
Eight months later, she was heavy with children and brought forth four beautiful children. Their eyes were a shade of red, grey, gold, and violet..."
"But the children were eight, weren't they?"
"You are right, so the tale says. After the birth of her quadruplets, she perceived a strife of difference amongst them. And so, she wrought for them a likeness in their own image, a mate, that discord might be settled. Still, she feared the malevolence of Ngäyanula's gaze upon her children, and so she raised for them a hidden city in Ngäyanula called Txärwan.
There, she taught them the art of hunting and how they could survive alone. Great they waxed, turning into the most powerful gods she had ever seen. Yet as their line multiplied with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the city of Txärwan proved too small for them. Thus, she created a realm for them, Nxäerawa, larger and more enduring. After—"
A sudden knock on the door silenced Nüxali's voice. She rose to the door, exchanging a few words with the person on the other side before she returned inside.
"Who was that?"
"The Tvärdlynian Priestess, Näzxuxliya."
I frowned. "What does she want?"
"Mäeruvax sent her to deliver a message. The both of you are to attend a fight competition at the arena tomorrow."
"Fight competition?" I asked. "That was banned years ago after the dispute it caused in Nxäerawa."
I remembered clearly how the warriors who fought at the arena brought disputes between Alphas. Most Alphas loathed the Tvärdlynian warrior who killed almost every pack warrior champion.
"Yes, but he opened it some days ago. There will be a competition tomorrow."
"That would lead to strife in the realm."
"It will be much different from the last. Instead of warriors from different packs competing with each other, he is to restore enslaved Werewolves to fight for their survival." As Nüxali spoke, my mind travelled back to Näzxuxliya.
"I never thought of her as a Tvärdlynian," I said.
"She is indeed one. They say she first crossed paths with King Mäeruvax when he was only fifteen years old, and that she herself has lived in this world for more than two centuries."
"Two centuries?" My eyes widened. "How is that possible?"
"Dark magic." She lowered her voice. "If you pay attention to whispers in the castle, you'll hear that it is rumoured that Näzxuxliya is a creation of Iyä Naxixis. But we are cautioned not to trust the words of drunken men."
"But what if she truly is a creation of Iyä Naxixis?" I asked, huffing a piece of braids from my forehead.
"Mäeruvax thinks so. Else why would he ordain her as the priestess of Iyä Naxixis and set his will to build temples for her?"
"Mäeruvax is mad. He would call down Säli's wrath upon us. And the people shall not abide a change of religion."