The baku was curled up on his doorstep softly purring. It was a wet, weighted purr as though something was caught in its throat aching to escape. About the size of a small dog this great mythic beast stopped Jhlen in his tracks. The gray wrinkled elephants head, tusks worn ivory, trunk languidly flailing about. Matted, dirty brown fur. Feet tipped with tiger's claws. Ox tail silent. The beast smelled as of cinnamon mixed with the smell of leaves after a light rainfall.
"Tlashi Ma Nishan", uttered Jhlen. All of the great mythic beast spoke the Shinning tongue, the first language. Very few humans spoke it nowadays thus the doings of mythic beast appeared so incomprehensible to man. Jhlen, being a brother of the Brotherhood of the Purple Gourd had learned the language as part of his initiation. He simply greeted the great beast before he realized that he knew this particular baku for it was the same one who he called upon years earlier to devour all of his dreams. The same one who he had petitioned one moon ago to return all of his dreams..and nightmares.
Baku were often called upon to devour nightmares. It was not unheard of for parents to call to them at nightfall to sup on the nightmares of their children so that babies could sleep peacefully through the night. Baku grew fat this way and their hunger sated.
baku baku baaaaku
something something for you
duppy, hairy men, waitu
baku baku fooooor youi
After his many trials and wars Jhlen had called upon a baku to devour his nightmares that scarred his sleep each night. In desperation he asked the baku to devour all of his dreams so that he wouldn't be tempted to go forth and do deeds of renown which always ended as nightmares in the end. Yet with this coming Fall Jhlen had become restless and petitioned through the ethers for the return of his dreams. He awoke sweating inspiration one night, hurting his stomach from laughter, crying because he saw things he swore he would forget.
When Jhlen opened his door the baku followed him inside his rest yet he noticed it hobbled and upon a closer look the creature's frame appeared emaciated. There was no wound. It's ichor wasn't spilling. Jhlen knew that it could only mean one thing. It was dying of hunger. Baku didn't just survive on eating dreams. They also ate steel. So when bloodshed and war awoke in the world baku started dying as men constructed weapons of war.
"Njen Rq Almed" purred the ancient beast. "You are called to duty once again".
Jhlen started to shiver because he almost knew what was coming next.
"Qwed Sjan Maal Yhalutemp". "You must wield the three weapons again". "Ni Stemp a Azanium" "And go West to Azanium".
The shadows that the baku cast appeared to be forming living glyphs on the as the baku spoke. Jhlen only had one copper lantern lighting the room. It spit occasionally as melted wax touched the metal frame. He sat slumped on a bed rolled of Cyresean carpets. His hands held his face as his body grew heavier as though it was a root burying itself into the ground. And when he took his face out of his hands the baku had breathed its last breath.
iS'rn lullybye. Duppy is a ghost. Hairymen are small forest primates that kidnap children, and a Waitu is a living shadow.
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