Two Faces of the World

The Seeds of War

Dilobar Ortiqova

Published by

Joshua Tree Publishing

• Chicago •

JoshuaTreePublishing.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

13-Digit ISBN Print: 978-1-956823-19-6

13-Digit ISBN eBook: 978-1-956823-97-4

Copyright © 2023. Dilobar Ortiqova. All Rights Reserved.

Cover Artwork: Sword © pixelrobot Adobe Stock

Historical Image © ZU_09 iStock

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Produced in the United States of America

Dedication

In memory of my father Alisher Tuychiev, whose love and care warmed our hearts and whose faith gave us wings . . . 

1959 – 2021

Table of Contents

Dedication

List of Participants

Prehistory

You Are Not Innocent!

Expected Day

The Worst Son

Useless Gift

Feast for the Kings

Debt of the Cursed

Ally to the King

Meeting in the Forest

Anything to Promise

Iggnos Odivar

Deal with a Traitor

The Escape

Song of the Sea

Leaving Home

Everyone Has a Right to Live, but There Is a Cost to Pay

Last Chance to See

Doors of Adahhar

Abandoned

Massacre in the Riphean

On the Verge of the War

Life on the Edge

When the Surroundings Became Quiet

Sundown in Dolorem

Red Hall Council

About the Author

List of Participants

House of Layland

Hagan Layland Former king of Rhodareen

King Arawn Layland King of all people, son of Hagan

Ellinor Stavros Late queen

Prince Asael Layland Eldest son of Arawn

Lady Calanthe Layland

Prince Xander

Princess Eireen

Prince Noah

Prince Keon Layland Second son of Arawn

Lady Ada Lander

Prince Thaen Layland The youngest son of Arawn

Tomaso Layland Arawn’s brother

Ailidh Layland

Prince Sanders Layland

Princess Isabelle Layland

House of Ulyses

Taron Griffin Ulyses Founder of the House of Ulyses

Aodh Griffin Ulyses Son of Taron

Leon Griffin Ulysses Son of Aodh, king of the centenarians

Idelisa Griffen Ulyses Late queen of the centenarians

Leonor Griffin Ulysses Leon’s sister

Estevan Ulysses

Lady Devora Rose Griffin

Witches of the Light

Celia Moon sister

Ailidh Moon sister

Idelisa Moon sister

Abella Chief of the witches’ abbot

Amare

Charlotte

Lisette

Beatrice

Melani

Pirates of Incombusto

Aquila Captain of Incombusto

Cael

Orrin

Cosimo

Belen

Other influential Houses

House of Stavros House of Mesman

House of Damen House of Calhoun

House of Lander House of Magus

Prehistory

From the very beginning, when the world was created, the earth had become home for all living and nonliving beings. It was inhabited not only by humans and animals, insects and birds, but also a lot of mythical creatures. Among all the creatures, the most beautiful and the most powerful ones were called centenarians.

Centenarians—from caladrius to unicorns, phoenix to thunderbirds, nymphs, mermaids, dwarfs, elves, and many others—varied from one to another. Yet all were unconditionally unique in their own way. These wonderful creatures received their common name because of their ability to live long lives equal to centuries, sometimes to millennia. In comparison to centenarians, mankind was weaker.

For hundreds of thousands of years, while living side by side with centenarians, the people (who were called mortals) faced many wars, famine, diseases, and disasters. How many times had jealousy and greed misled people? How many times had kings started wars, nations gone against nations, families gone against families, fathers gone against sons? History had proved many times that living meant fighting for men, and much would never become enough.

The centenarians, on the contrary, always lived in peace and harmony with every living creature on earth. They tried not to intrude on the humans’ world, even though the centenarians had a great influence on the development of every sphere of the people’s lives. The centenarians were the founders of the ancient world’s great civilizations.

The Ulyses family, the greatest house and ruler of the entire centenarian world, was the founder of their civilization. Despite the fact that, outwardly, the members of the House of Ulyses looked like humans, their family was distinguished by a very rare beauty, sharp mind, and a gift of power and endless life.

In the centenarian world, the creatures cherished Mother Nature as their creator. Their legends told that in the very beginning, there was only darkness. From darkness appeared light, and from the ever-shining light were created the four powers. The powers of the ground, air, water, and fire became the bases of life.

The keepers of these four powers were called the children of Mother Nature. They were not only the founders of life but protectors of all. They were born to keep balance in the world of the mortals and centenarians. But one day something unexpected by all happened. The ever-shining light flared up brightly, and the fifth child of Mother Nature was created.

Quinn, the fifth child, differed from the other children of Mother Nature. His power had no borders. The other four children of nature could not equal him in strengths and skills.

Time flew by quickly. Quinn grew, and so did his power. Unlike the other centenarians, his power increased not year by year but day by day. At the age of eighteen, Quinn had reached his absolute power. No one had lived to see such power until that day. But even for Quinn, the power of nature was too much. It was beautiful yet dangerous. From time to time, Quin lost control over his power. He couldn’t hold his strength, and his gift turned into a curse that caused destruction.

The royal family and the other chiefs of the centenarian world tried to help the child to control his power, and the boy was sent to a sanctuary in the centenarians’ hidden city, which was called the Moon City. But the existence of the fifth child of nature and the extent of his power intimidated people, and fear made people do such things that afterward they would regret.

The mortals believed that Quinn was a danger to their world. Because of this belief, they made the greatest mistake. As a result, millions of innocents suffered as war broke out between the mortals and centenarians. All the kings of the mortal world created a great army. Together they marched to the Moon City and requested for the boy. Many centenarians fell defending the city walls and all who lived within it. The men betrayed their world. They went against nature. They attacked the city and threatened its child, as well as all the centenarians. Thus, they had to pay their debt with blood.

When people had caught Quinn, he was severely injured, weak, and hardly breathing. But soon everything changed. The people’s wish to destroy the fifth child and the destruction they made this way awoke darkness in his heart. Dark power gave the boy immortality. He gathered other centenarians around him. Many centenarians who tasted the power of darkness turned to the side of the fifth child. They accused the mortals of betrayal. The great war between the mortals and the centenarians brought destruction to the world. Death came with a dark shadow and ruined everything on its way.

Quinn and his army spared no life. Despite the humans’ betrayal, the centenarian king, by the laws of nature, couldn’t let the world balance be destroyed. Therefore, with the help of humans and other centenarians, King Ulyses gathered every living being in the world into an army against the fifth child, and he called them the Army of Light.

With great difficulty, he and his followers were able to stop the war. Quinn could neither be defeated nor could his powers be destroyed. Thus, with the help of three of the most powerful witch sisters, the power of the fifth child was stolen by the great centenarian king and buried under the ground at the center of the Moon City.

The use of dark magic was forbidden for every creature on earth. The city was moved to another place and put under a very powerful spell by the witch sisters, which was so powerful that no one could ever break it. The spell put around the city was an invisible wall: neither mankind nor any evil power could find the city or cross the wall. Because of the sisters’ spell, Moon City became the safest place on the planet, and the sisters received the name Moon Sisters.

The stolen power of the fifth child was guarded carefully and could never be reached by anyone. Even the great king of the centenarians could not approach the power’s hidden place.

After his power had been stolen, Quinn became mortal. The people and the centenarians gained their common peace and ended the war. All returned to their ways of life before the war. But one day there appeared one who sang a song of the world’s end, and the prophecy was told:

Nature will play a game, a child’s revenge comes to the scene and releases the power, the world will never be the same.

Everyone laughed upon hearing such reckless words. The king of the centenarians knew that the spell couldn’t be broken, yet his heart was inconsolable.

Chapter 1

You Are Not Innocent!

Autumn 1644

Outside was very dark. The tall trees in the forest fused in branches high in the sky, hiding the night stars behind their heavy leaves. The trees here were as ancient as the land itself. They had stood there for many centuries as big giants protecting the land. Some said they had stood when the world had been created. They had stood to see the great war and witnessed all the mysteries of the world. And they would stand for thousands of years more . . . while the world would stand.

The cold air froze the hard ground, forcing the last field greens to wither under its ruthless breath. The surroundings sank into silence, devastated as if in a cemetery.

Dalir felt himself totally alone and so tiny among these giants of the old forest. The last days of autumn had already reminded that winter was close. All his life, Dalir had lived in the village located high in the mountains, at the very heart of Longwood Forest. It was his home—the place where he first breathed, where he grew up, and which kept all his dearest and saddest memories. It was the place where he had everything once . . . and where everything was lost when he became worthless.

It was his home! The place where he had belonged and would belong . . . always! The deeper he went into the forest, the harder his steps became. Totally gasping, Dalir felt he had aged in those years. Soon, he reached the place where he intended to go—the place where all his world had turned upside down many years ago.

He had been a lumberman and worked in the forest, as did the majority of the villagers. After an accident in the forest, he had badly injured his right shoulder and hand. He had become a lame who could not return to the forest. He had become useless . . . broken! He had become a man who couldn’t hold a weapon, neither for protecting nor for working. That day he’d said farewell to the great giants of Longwood. Since then the iron axe that had once belonged to his father had been buried under the pile of dust in the small hall of his old stone house. After the accident, Dalir spent all his days in the village helping other people with minor tasks, but it was not enough to make ends meet. Luckily, his sister and her husband didn’t abandon him and helped him in any way they could.

After a long walk, Dalir stopped at the high oak tree at the edge of an open area like a small field. The trees stood like a wall around it. The shadows of thousands of tree stumps in the field rose high under the light of the full moon. They reminded him of thousands of gravestones. The sight made Dalir shiver. Probably he shouldn’t have come to this place. His heart beat fast. He became uneasy. Whispers of the recently started rain echoed over the field. The wind grew stronger.

Standing on the edge of the field, Dalir looked at the sky and closed his eyes. He wished the raindrops could wash away all his troubles. The sudden thunderstorm lit up all the surroundings and scared Dalir with its loud acoustic effect. It seemed the sky felt his troubles and tried somehow to answer him.

What is disturbing you? asked Dalir from the sky.

In a while, another thunder sounded even louder than the first one, as if the sky was trying to answer his question. Then he again heard another sound of thunder.

Third one, counted Dalir.

The fourth one came after it, but this time the lightning hit the old oak tree. Fire burst out, and the tree broke into two. The sound of cracking was even louder than the sound of the thunderstorm. Dalir was in terror. The fire was spreading very quickly. All the trees in the forest started falling. The cracking sound was getting louder and louder . . . Even the ground under his feet became unstable.

Someone called his name. Dalir tried to find the person calling him. He was sure that he was totally alone in the forest. How come he didn’t notice the passerby?

Where are you? he shouted.

Dalir knew, whoever was in the forest, he couldn’t leave that person behind. At that moment a big tree cracked apart from the middle and fell right into the place where Dalir was standing. Disabled, Dalir knew that he had no chance of surviving the oncoming crash, but luckily, his efforts weren’t in vain. Dust filled the air. Still on the ground, Dalir tried to manage himself, but a sudden movement grabbed his attention. For sure he wasn’t alone . . .

Again he heard his name. Behind the cracked tree appeared a shadow, taller than any ordinary man. Wings widely spread in the air, the man looked at Dalir. Within the black sclera, the shadow’s eyes burned in a red flame, and the emptiness was reflected in its pupils.

Dalir sank into those pupils. He was absorbed into the black hole . . . and he fell! He fell, leaving behind the stars . . . down and down toward infinity . . . He fell, leaving behind the comets . . . He fell toward the earth. Closer and closer . . .

Where the azure shining distinguished the border between the sky and the endless blue ocean, he saw the edge of the world. He never had seen such a bewitching and terrifying view in his whole life. He fell . . . too fast. He saw Longwood Forest. How spacious was it? The ground was close. Dalir screamed in horror. But when he reached the end of the fall, there was no crush or brokenness. Instead, the flame widely opened its wings for an embrace and burned Dalir out.

Devil! shouted Dalir in panic.

Sweating and gasping, he looked around. He was alone in his room. It was cold inside.

* * *

How could it be a dream? thought Dalir.

What he had experienced was so realistic that he could hardly believe it was a dream. He went to the corner of the room and washed his face with cold water in the basin. It made him shiver. Putting on his wool cloak, he went out. The day was coming to an end. He remembered that he hadn’t felt well earlier and had gone to his house to have some rest. He wondered how he could have spent all day in bed. Was it because of a severe change in the weather? Because of the long nightmare, he had a strong headache. The cool air served as a relief for his clouded mind. He looked at the sky and took a deep breath.

The sun, trying to escape behind the big, snowy mountains, reminded him that the day was almost over. Dalir watched the high trees surrounding their village. Among the mountains, at the heart of the long forest, the village seemed like a tiny anthill divided into blocks. In every block, there were five to six houses with their entrances looking toward the common circle yard. All the blocks were located around the big yard in a circle, and at the middle of each circle were big bonfires.

Dalir loved his village. Due to its magical view bestowed by nature, people called the village Sunrose Village. Every morning, under the light of the rising sun, all types of flowers in pink, red, and purple colors created oceanlike waves by moving side to side in the wind. During the sunset, the village was covered in a red-colored blanket, and as it was located very high in the mountains, even the fog sparkled with brilliant pink lights.

Even now, in late autumn, the surroundings looked as beautiful as in early spring. However, it was very cold outside. After darkness started covering the environment, the villagers started lighting up the outdoor and indoor candles. Some women came to the edge of the forest to meet the lumbermen returning home after a long working day. Because of the cold, the people were wrapped up warmly in their capes and cloaks. Some parents called for their children who were playing outdoors.

Dalir approached the people gathered around one of the bonfires on the east side of the village. They greeted him and continued chatting. Dalir pulled his hood closer to his forehead, as if to hide his face from the freezing wind, and held out his hands to the fire. He was watching a group of men returning home from the forest.

In a while, the door of the second house in the next block opened, and a young woman appeared at the entrance. She was expecting a baby and was in her last month. The woman looked at the coming men and smiled, waving toward them.

One of the men waved back at her. He was in his early thirties and worked as a lumberman like most of the villagers. The man quickened his steps and in three jumps reached the entrance of the house. He gave the woman a kiss on her forehead. Afterward, the woman went inside the house and disappeared from sight. The man looked around. His gaze found Dalir’s, and putting his axe next to the door, he came up to his brother-in-law.

Dalir respected the man. More than a year ago, he had come to ask for the hand of Dalir’s sister, Leah. She was the only person close to him left in this world after their parents passed away twelve years ago. After the accident, his sister and her husband were the only ones whom Dalir could rely on.

Brother! the man called him, coming over and putting his hand on Dalir’s shoulders supportively. How are you feeling?

Dalir nodded and informed his brother-in-law about his better condition. He was feeling well. Probably Leah told her husband about him. The man invited him into the house, and Dalir just noticed that he hadn’t eaten since morning. Dalir returned to the house with his brother-in-law to see his sister’s smiling face.

Brother! Leah widely opened her arms for a hug. Why weren’t you entering? The meal is already ready.

Dalir gave her a sincere smile. The sweet smell of fried potatoes and rice filled the air.

Hmm! Smells good for a great surprise, he commented.

Tastes good too! Leah stated with offense, half smiling.

I know . . . You have our mother’s gift, admitted Dalir.

He directed to the dining corner in the kitchen. His brother-in-law helped Leah bring the meal and other kitchen supplies. After the evening meal, Dalir and his brother-in-law sat to chat for a little while. Leah went to bed earlier.

The evening was cool and silent. However, everything turned upside down when Leah started screaming and writhing in pain. Her labor had started. Leaving his sister in the house with her husband, Dalir rushed to the neighboring block to bring the healer woman. In a while, with the help of an herbal potion, Leah regained some strength. Her husband held her hands to support her. Leah was struggling with all her efforts, her face was washed up with sweat, and between her teeth, she clenched a wood stick.

Dalir couldn’t bear to see his sister suffering, so he left the house. He went deep into the forest. He wandered in the dark paths of the forest for a long time. He knew that by that time, his sister might have almost given birth to her child even though he couldn’t turn back and go to the house.

The sky was uneasy. It rained and roared, occasionally showing its anger in thunder. Soon, Dalir reached an open area. Watching the thousands of tree stumps on the ground, Dalir knelt near the old oak tree. He was wet from top to bottom, very tired and breathless. Suddenly a very loud thunderstorm broke the silence in the forest. Dalir shivered and remembered his dream.

A long and blue ray of thunder fell from the very rooftop of the sky, creating a zigzag path. It hit the ground several times where the village was located. Some trees started burning. Dalir felt a quake under his feet. He stood up and ran back to the village. The cracking sound was everywhere. Then he heard screams. He heard the people of his village calling for help. He tried to run as fast as he could. However, because of the unstable ground, every step was made with difficulty.

The closer Dalir got to the village, the brighter the light became and the less he could hear the screams of the villagers. When Dalir finally got to the village, it was on fire. Burning trees and houses made it impossible for Dalir to get to his sister. The flame rising higher and higher into the sky blocked the way to her house. His useless efforts to get water from the well failed. Dalir fell down in tears. He shouted and yelled . . . He hit the ground with his fist . . . But all was in vain . . .

When the rain, at last, was able to put out the fire, it was midnight. Nothing was left but ash and stone. There was no village anymore. The fire had destroyed everything. Some houses were still on fire, but no one was calling for help. His head was low on the cold ground, his hands embracing the ashes around . . .

At last, he got on his feet. Dalir didn’t know how he found the strength to reach his sister’s house. His last efforts brought him to the big hole where once stood a door. The stones of the ruins left by the fire were still hot. The air smelled of burned flesh and wood. Near the burned bodies on the floor, he found the one that belonged to his sister. Dalir sank to his knees in tears and took Leah’s body into his embrace.

L-Le . . . No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t find the strength to pronounce her name. He wanted to call her, as if his sister could return by hearing his voice. He would call her a thousand times if he could. If only he could see her smiling face once more . . .

He wanted to call her name . . . He wanted to scream . . . to curse . . . He wanted to crush everything . . . the whole world . . . crush it into pieces. If only he could call her name. But all he could utter was a strange noise.

His cry sounded like a song of a dumb man who was never taught to sing. He wanted to call her name out loud, as if she would respond to his call,