Read Igemba's Chronicles :: Gwalarn and Kornog

Pluto was coming to an end, the first temperate season of the year was about to make its return. Gwalarn and Kornog had grown well over the last two months, they were now over a meter tall and their coat was beginning to darken, their horns had fallen off and their fangs had grown in, they really did look like normal dogs except that they had beautiful flaming red eyes.

Septem's parents accepted Kornog on condition that he lived with Gwalarn and Astir. This did not make much difference as the girl was always with her friend. The criollos had naturally become accustomed to the way of life in the village, as had the inhabitants, and the animals did not bother them, they were even considered as mascots. The teenagers always took them with them when they went out, and in just two months the two little ones became an integral part of their lives, they could no longer imagine living without them.

That day they set out with their criollos early in the morning to fish further upstream from the lake, there was a mound covered with tall grass a few kilometres away from the village, the ideal place to fish without being seen. They arrived there an hour after their departures and settled comfortably under the tall grass. Gwalarn and Kornog lay down beside them. They were big, but they were still children, they needed to sleep regularly. The second advantage of the mound of earth was that it was sufficiently thick and fragrant for them to be invisible to the animals during the eclipse. The time passed slowly, the sun was gradually rising, its path was still too oblique to provide enough warmth, Astir and Septem had wrapped themselves in their black coats - an extra protection for the eclipse, they were talking to keep themselves occupied, fishing is a matter of patience which unfortunately for babies is a deadly bore. The little animals had gone off to play, but they knew they had to get back to their foster parents before Loarell passed.

They had been fishing for two hours and had made one catch, they had caught a small fish - thirty centimetres - which the criollos had gobbled up, so they had nothing in their basket when the first eclipse of the day began. They huddled together under a tarp. Kornog and Gwalarn were a bit worried, so Septem started singing in a low voice to calm them down.

When the light came back the children had fallen asleep, they left them under the canvas and set up their lines again in the hope that the fishing would be more successful. Halfway through the day they took the provisions out of their bags, the Criordes children used to eat a bit of everything but they had to carry their portions. Septem and Astir were impatient that they feed themselves, for the time being they would be forced to be content with a sore back when they go out. The little ones was looking at the food that had been taken out of the bags with envy, they were only waiting for a word from their parents to pounce on it, when Astir gave them permission they gobbled up their portion in only a few minutes. The teenagers looked at them with amusement. After their quick meal they settled down for a nap, Septem covered them with the tarpaulin and then returned to sit next to Astir.

They had more luck in the afternoon, they had caught three Liggs - endemic fish of the Migr, they have a long dark blue body and above all they are plump and excellent to eat. They had had to fight hard not to let the criollos eat them, to calm them down they had given them all the small fish they had caught, they had planned to return after the second eclipse as it would take an hour to get back to the village and it would start in just twenty minutes. They put away their fishing gear, covered the fish with seaweed to reduce the scent, and then sat under the tarp with their two babies. They were tired from playing so much and fell asleep quite quickly, Septem leaned against Kornog, she didn't like to stay outside during the second eclipse, two hours waiting in silence or whispering only a few words was really long, much longer than waiting for the fish to bite. Astir understood his friend's apprehension and began to whisper about the animal species of the lake to distract her attention from the passage of time. This helped her a lot, she could always count on him in this kind of situation.

The sun was shining through the canvas as she opened her eyes, the criollos were close by and Astir was getting ready to leave. She folded the canvas, put it in her bag and they started the journey home.

The closer they got to the village the more they had this strange feeling that something was wrong. There was no smoke from the chimney fires, no noise, Kornog and Gwalarn were grumbling, they hadn't passed anyone either. It was disturbing and unsettling. It was as if the village had been abandoned while they were away. The light was fading and creating a dark atmosphere, the shadows of the houses were drawn on the ground. Time seemed to stand still. In anguish, they held hands. It was their way of reassuring themselves. They called out to the criordes in a low voice, one more security would be nice. They walked slower, anticipating the potential horror. They didn't know what to do. Septem had stopped thinking because he was so afraid. Astir was thinking too fast, too many scenarios, possible explanations, future possibilities. His brain was in turmoil, fuelled by the rising tension.
When they reached the first houses they saw fresh blood but no bodies. Septem jumped back, holding her hand against her scream. Astir's thoughts raced, he refused to face the evidence. There had been dead people. They moved closer to each other, for support, for reassurance, they wanted to know but were so afraid of the answer. The criollo had gone further into hiding. The young Leontopo were on their own, trapped in growing apprehension. They had no idea what had happened, and it was only when they got closer to the centre that they understood. The pile of corpses gathered in the village square was unmistakable. The Anaons had sacked Prat, looted the houses and killed the inhabitants. They were not a humanoid species, they were some kind of monster living deep in the lakes. They hardly ever came out of their depths. Septem and Astir fell to their knees, tears welling up by themselves. Their voices cut off in shock, they burst into tears. They stared at the horrific sight, overcome with despair. What they were looking at was not real, it could not be. In just a few hours they had lost everything they owned, all their ties, their families, their friends, everything. They couldn't accept it. They still had the vivid images of the village. The children running through the alleys, the familiar sounds of adults working, the cacophony of the village echoing in their ears, replacing the dead silence that surrounded them. What could have driven the Anaons to commit these crimes?

The criordes hovered around the pile of corpses, sniffing the air and the blood on the dirt floor. Astir called them back, and while holding onto Septem to pull her up, to draw her away from this scene of horror, he walked towards his house in the slim hope of seeing his grandmother there, without which he would not have risen. Septem continued to cry, her face covered with tears and snot, she could not walk alone, Astir supported her and directed her, she had seen her parents' clothes among the bodies. She had to accept this fate. But right now it was impossible. There was too much to do and too much to put in place in too little time. Not to mention the emotional shocks the teenagers were facing.
The sheepfold was empty, there were no more animals and there was no sign of her grandmother. Astir burst into tears again. He turned to Septem, took her in his arms and laid his head on her shoulder. They remained in this position for several hours, standing in the shelter of the sheepfold. The criordes sat next to them, not understanding what was going on. They just rubbed against their masters' legs in a vain attempt to soothe them.

Dawn was beginning to appear, they had managed to calm down, they had discussed amongst themselves as best as they could. The obvious decision they had to make was not an easy one. But they got no choice and they were too afraid to stay here in this village where they had lost everything. It was the village of their childhood and they had always lived here, but it was because they had their families here, now it was the representation of their pain. The two teenagers chose to leave the village at the beginning of the next day. They went their separate ways to look for survivors, and when they found no one, they packed their bags, mechanically like automats, focusing on this simple task, without thinking, without letting their emotions flow.

They spent the night in the attic of the auberge, having barricaded themselves and huddled with Kornog and Gwalarn in relative comfort and safety. They were spending their last night at home, surrounded by the spirits and memories of their loved ones. Still shivering with fear and sadness, and also slightly cold. They fell asleep without realising it in a disturbed sleep.