Mnimi

3 - Memory Graveyards

"A bit dramatic," says Chesta. 

"I mean, it makes sense," I say. "My people were the holders of memories."

"Yeah, I get it," she says. "So then what?"

"Well... The neighboring kings feared what the gods would do to the people of  the Memory Graveyards, so they quickly cut ties with those kingdoms, and punished anyone in their own kingdoms who acted on the superstitions taught by the Demonkings. Naturally, the people soon grew vengeful toward the Demonkings and rallied against them. Many people died doing that, little by little, the Demonkings fell to the sheer numbers of the people. Less than a handful of the Demonkings survived those times - basically the ones who lived in the Memory Graveyards."

"Where are these cities today?" Asks Chesta. "The Memory Graveyards."

"Nobody knows for sure. You hear rumors here and there if you talk to the right people, but none of the rumors match so it's all a toss-up, you know?"

"I bet Belya knows," she says. "I'll have to ask her. So what happened after the people killed all those Demonkings?" 

"Time passed," I say.  "Kingdoms became nations, nations became countries, and people gave in to Science and to new religions, no longer believing in the gods of the past. And pretty much, like that dying faith, the fame of the Partomenya faded, and the legend of the Demonkings was all but lost to the past, were it not for one family whose entire livelihood depended on humanity's pagan faiths. They were the Shintaku - they've also been called Oracles - and they made it their mission to preserve the magicks of the old gods." 

"The Shintaku?" Says Chesta. "Like Belya?"

"Yes," I say. "The Shintaku believed that if the sold magicks were lost, humanity would cease to exist, because it was their teachings that said that humans were created by the old magicks. So, on the night of the Great Whirling Storm that destroyed the nation of Pyras, the Shintaku made an offering to all the of the old gods. They offered up their own humanity in exchange for the power to save mankind from certain doom. No one really knows what happened that night, but they say that the Shintaku were changed by the gods. Maybe even replaced by them."

"What do you mean replaced?" Asks Chesta.

"Their bodies remained, but their minds and souls were replaced by the gods who decided to come and live among mortals."

"You're kidding me, right?" 

"Hey, I didn't say I believe that stuff. I'm just telling you what my parents told me."

"It seems kinda silly," she says. "That would mean that Belya is some sort of goddess. I think I'd know if I had a goddess in my home."

You're pretty, Chesta, but you sound like an idiot at times. 

"Tell me more about the Shintaku," she says.

"Okay," I scratch my head. "The Shintaku changed after that storm. Everyone who knew them thought so. "They became obsessed with local gossip and secrecy. They came to know things they had no right to know about all Sorts of people, from the lowly peasants to the nobility alike. And their secrets, more often than not, led to the downfall of many families and the rise of others."

I shoot her a knowing smile. 

"That's not what happened with my family," she says. "We've been royalty forever."

"If you say so," I say.

"I do say so. Now shut up and tell me more about them."

"So... Shut up or tell you more?"

Her cheeks turn red and her eyes fierce.

"Alright, alright," I say. "After the Shintaku made their presence felt, people began to notice weird things about them. Some said the Shintaku were insect-whisperers. Others said the Shintaku were spooks who followed strangers at night. Perhaps the strangest thing about them, mainly because it could actually be verified, was that the Shintaku no longer slept. Their eyes always remained open, at all hours of the day and night. Their ears always were alert, ready to hear any and every whisper. Their minds always working, always scheming. People believed that through the chaos the Shintaku created with the sharing of secrets, the structures of mankind would begin to fall, and people would resort to the old ways for assistance through their struggles. That's basically what's happened."

Chesta narrows her eyes as she looks at me. 

"What about you?" She asks. "What do you believe about them. You seemed pretty alarmed when I told you about Belya."

"I believe the Shintaku serve a purpose in this world. If this Belya of yours is the real deal, then I hope she can help me find Unwei. Today, there's less than a handful of my kind, and as far as I know, only one Demonking."

"Osore," says Chesta.

"Yes," I say. "It surprises me that you'd align yourself with someone like that."

"People do strange things for love," she says. 

"Very true," I say. "Over the years, both Partomenya and Demonkings have lost members. Both have bred new generations, and both have dwindled in number. Myself, I'm what they call an Etalys - a member of the latest generation. It's my responsibility to ensure that the next generation is brought into this world. That's why I need to find Unwei. Osore - on the other hand - he's been around longer than I know. Each time he kills one of us, he's revitalized. Today, he lives thanks to the blood of my ancestors. His latest kill was my father. He wants to add me to that list."

"Perhaps he will," says a girl with almond eyes and pale skin, walking into the room with a queer smile on her face. 

"Speak of the Devil," says Chesta. "Minimize, meet Belya."