{{Внутреннее тестирование Вики|

{{Внутреннее тестирование Вики|

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|DE=<!--Kapitel V - Die Saat des Zweifels-->

|DE=<!--Kapitel V - Die Saat des Zweifels-->

<center><span style="color:purple;font-weight:bold"><big><big>'''Jena Year 2474'''</big></big></span></center>

<center><span style="color:purple;font-weight:bold"><big><big>'''Jena Year 2474'''</big></big></span></center>

{{Quotation|''Belenor Nebius, narrator'' • ''Cheng Lai'SuKi, illustrator''|

{{Quotation|''Belenor Nebius, narrator'' • ''Cheng Lai'SuKi, illustrator''|

[[file:The Matis.png|right|400px|alt=… the Matis, who was looking at the daylight…|the Matis, who was looking at the daylight]]

[[file:The Matis.png|right|400px|alt=… the Matis, who was looking at the daylight…|the Matis, who was looking at the daylight]]

Pü weighed him coldly without answering. He was congratulating him? He would definitely not forget this opponent anytime soon.

Pü weighed him coldly without answering. He was congratulating him? He would definitely not forget this opponent anytime soon.

:''"Firstly, I would like you to spare and secure Sivaldo, the machine-gunner you knocked out. He is a brave soldier, like many others, and he is also my nephew. But most of all, his soul is particularly beautiful. For too many decades the Matis have spread hate, and suffered it in return. Our people need boys like him. Earlier, you offered me to run away, leaving him to you. If you need  one life only, you've already got mine."

:''"Firstly, I would like you to spare and secure Sivaldo, the machine-gunner you knocked out. He is a brave soldier, like many others, and he is also my nephew. But most of all, his soul is particularly beautiful. For too many decades the Matis have spread hate, and suffered it in return. Our people need boys like him. Earlier, you offered me to run away, leaving him to you. If you need  one life only, you've already got mine."

Tears began to flow and mingle with the blood as he stared back at the day star.

Tears began to flow and mingle with the blood as he stared back at the day star.

Pü looked discreetly in the direction of where he had caught sight the Kami. It was no longer there. Deep down, he knew it was wrong to let an enemy utter a pagan chant. But by mentioning his wife and daughter, the general had touched him. How could he not grant his last request? Pü knelt down beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

Pü looked discreetly in the direction of where he had caught sight the Kami. It was no longer there. Deep down, he knew it was wrong to let an enemy utter a pagan chant. But by mentioning his wife and daughter, the general had touched him. How could he not grant his last request? Pü knelt down beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

:''"I am listening to you."

:''"I am listening to you."

Losing all notion of caution, Pü obeyed him. It was true that in many ways the forests of Matia were full of wonders, which once the eyes were closed, were expressed as much in its fragrant scents as in the soothing rustle of its trees. The silence fell. The general waited for the wind to rise and began his song.

Losing all notion of caution, Pü obeyed him. It was true that in many ways the forests of Matia were full of wonders, which once the eyes were closed, were expressed as much in its fragrant scents as in the soothing rustle of its trees. The silence fell. The general waited for the wind to rise and began his song.

If only he knew, thought Pü, recalling Grandmother Bä-Bä's predictions.

If only he knew, thought Pü, recalling Grandmother Bä-Bä's predictions.

:''"Wait, tell me your name! And those of your daughter and your wife!"

:''"Wait, tell me your name! And those of your daughter and your wife!"

Pü held the general's shoulders, and laid him on the ground. He was dead. He closed his eyes and gently dislodged the murderous dagger.

Pü held the general's shoulders, and laid him on the ground. He was dead. He closed his eyes and gently dislodged the murderous dagger.

With these words, the child opened the small satchel that flanked his left thigh. It contained two thin, long instruments which he carefully retrieved. The first was a stem of [[taleng]], twenty centimetres long and one centimetre in diameter, one end of which had been cut to a point. The taleng, characterised by its green stems formed by a fast-growing, lignified hollow thatch, was found in abundance in the Jungle The Zorais commonly used it as a material for the crafting of utensils. The second tool, also made from taleng, was a thin, long pliers. Pü stepped over the general's chest and lifted his head with his left hand. With his amputated hand, he laboriously pushed the rod into the Matis's right nostril until he could no longer advance it. Then, with a well-felt palm strike, he perforated his skull. Blood began to flow around and inside the rigid rod, and the child closed his eyes. Although he knew roughly its location, if he wanted to detect his target accurately, he had to silence his other senses. It took him only a few seconds then to discern the imperceptible echo pulsing from within the Matis' skull, reverberating subtly in the surrounding spirit particles. '''Meditative, Pü gradually pushed the tube into the Matis' brain'''. Finally, as the taleng rod reached its destination, he opened his eyes again. Letting the general's head rest on the ground, he retrieved the thin pliers from his able hand and slipped them into the nasal tube. Although he had to concentrate again to make sure he didn't overshoot his target, a pulsation that was much more prominent than the others confirmed his success. Cautiously, the handle got back, and a small, surprisingly firm piece of flesh emerged from the tube clamped between the two prongs of the pliers. Pü looked at the cocoon of flesh to make sure it wasn't damaged. Inside it was the seed of life, said to be the seat of the human soul. The soul of Sirgio di Rolo. Pü had already been able to observe this fragile treasure, which really looked like a small grayish seed, only slightly longer than a few millimeters. Sirgio di Rolo was well and truly dead, yet he could still make out the echo of his seed of life. Pü had wondered a lot about this echo during his exile. He had even wondered if it could be a signal. A signal from the soul. But a signal to whom? To Ma-Duk, inevitably.

With these words, the child opened the small satchel that flanked his left thigh. It contained two thin, long instruments which he carefully retrieved. The first was a stem of [[taleng]], twenty centimetres long and one centimetre in diameter, one end of which had been cut to a point. The taleng, characterised by its green stems formed by a fast-growing, lignified hollow thatch, was found in abundance in the Jungle The Zorais commonly used it as a material for the crafting of utensils. The second tool, also made from taleng, was a thin, long pliers. Pü stepped over the general's chest and lifted his head with his left hand. With his amputated hand, he laboriously pushed the rod into the Matis's right nostril until he could no longer advance it. Then, with a well-felt palm strike, he perforated his skull. Blood began to flow around and inside the rigid rod, and the child closed his eyes. Although he knew roughly its location, if he wanted to detect his target accurately, he had to silence his other senses. It took him only a few seconds then to discern the imperceptible echo pulsing from within the Matis' skull, reverberating subtly in the surrounding spirit particles. '''Meditative, Pü gradually pushed the tube into the Matis' brain'''. Finally, as the taleng rod reached its destination, he opened his eyes again. Letting the general's head rest on the ground, he retrieved the thin pliers from his able hand and slipped them into the nasal tube. Although he had to concentrate again to make sure he didn't overshoot his target, a pulsation that was much more prominent than the others confirmed his success. Cautiously, the handle got back, and a small, surprisingly firm piece of flesh emerged from the tube clamped between the two prongs of the pliers. Pü looked at the cocoon of flesh to make sure it wasn't damaged. Inside it was the seed of life, said to be the seat of the human soul. The soul of Sirgio di Rolo. Pü had already been able to observe this fragile treasure, which really looked like a small grayish seed, only slightly longer than a few millimeters. Sirgio di Rolo was well and truly dead, yet he could still make out the echo of his seed of life. Pü had wondered a lot about this echo during his exile. He had even wondered if it could be a signal. A signal from the soul. But a signal to whom? To Ma-Duk, inevitably.

[[file:Meditative.png|right|400px|alt=… Meditative, Pü gradually pushed…|Meditative, Pü gradually pushed]]

[[file:Meditative.png|right|400px|alt=… Meditative, Pü gradually pushed…|Meditative, Pü gradually pushed]]

Once the Matis was treated, he walked to the bush where he had hidden his cubic basket. Pü gently extracted it out of the leaves and placed it on the ground. Satisfied with the location, he cautiously opened the lid, as if it sheltered a treasure. The basket contained an amber cube perfectly embedded in the wicker receptacle, which itself seemed to contain several dozen shapes. He meticulously retrieved one of the pieces of flesh that he had stored in the pockets of his belt, and placed it on the only visible face of the cube. He then had only to imprint his will on the Sap that irrigated it, while pronouncing the famous Stance of Daïsha, so that the bloody mass sinks into the amber altered by the enchantment and freezes there. The use of amber cubes as a storage system had been invented, more than a century earlier, by the famous Hari Daïsha. Now widespread in the Jungle, it was used to preserve objects, but also to store knowledge, magically. Pü reiterated the operation three times and took care to finish with the general's fragment. He carved the amber over the position of the latter so that he could easily distinguish it from the other pieces of flesh. When he closed the lid of the basket, he let out a sincere sigh of relief. For the first time in weeks, his next day would not be soiled with blood. After that, he patiently watched over the body of the survivor while waiting for reinforcements to arrive. He took advantage of this moment of respite to rest and dress his wounds. Although he repaired his broken ribs and closed his wounds, he gave up trying to regenerate his missing fingers: the mutilation left in evidence ensured him that this day would remain forever engraved in his memory. And when he heard the tumult of the Matis riders echoing in the distance, he disappeared into the darkness of the hundred-year-old trees.

Once the Matis was treated, he walked to the bush where he had hidden his cubic basket. Pü gently extracted it out of the leaves and placed it on the ground. Satisfied with the location, he cautiously opened the lid, as if it sheltered a treasure. The basket contained an amber cube perfectly embedded in the wicker receptacle, which itself seemed to contain several dozen shapes. He meticulously retrieved one of the pieces of flesh that he had stored in the pockets of his belt, and placed it on the only visible face of the cube. He then had only to imprint his will on the Sap that irrigated it, while pronouncing the famous Stance of Daïsha, so that the bloody mass sinks into the amber altered by the enchantment and freezes there. The use of amber cubes as a storage system had been invented, more than a century earlier, by the famous Hari Daïsha. Now widespread in the Jungle, it was used to preserve objects, but also to store knowledge, magically. Pü reiterated the operation three times and took care to finish with the general's fragment. He carved the amber over the position of the latter so that he could easily distinguish it from the other pieces of flesh. When he closed the lid of the basket, he let out a sincere sigh of relief. For the first time in weeks, his next day would not be soiled with blood. After that, he patiently watched over the body of the survivor while waiting for reinforcements to arrive. He took advantage of this moment of respite to rest and dress his wounds. Although he repaired his broken ribs and closed his wounds, he gave up trying to regenerate his missing fingers: the mutilation left in evidence ensured him that this day would remain forever engraved in his memory. And when he heard the tumult of the Matis riders echoing in the distance, he disappeared into the darkness of the hundred-year-old trees.

Was he really able to regain control of his destiny? Could he stand up to the violent customs of his tribe? Would he be able to prevent his brother from leading the bloody expedition that was destined for him? So many questions that had tormented him since his leaving the Kingdom of Matia.

Was he really able to regain control of his destiny? Could he stand up to the violent customs of his tribe? Would he be able to prevent his brother from leading the bloody expedition that was destined for him? So many questions that had tormented him since his leaving the Kingdom of Matia.

The child climbed the hill towards the disturbing tear that served as an entrance. No sooner had the guards recognized him than they bowed deferentially. Pü entered the stump and zipped without missing a beat to Grandmother Bä-Bä's hut. He moved by habit in the tortuous alleys of this strange multi-storey village, and instinctively dodged the roots that intertwined under his feet. The disappointment born from the comparison of the grayish landscape with the hearty forests of Matia had been quickly forgotten, leaving room for memories. He was born here. During his run, he came across several Zorais, who, once their surprise was over, all inclined their heads in a sign of respect. Pü returned their greetings, but avoided talking to them. In any case, he knew that all would soon know of his return. When he got within a stone's throw of Grandmother Bä-Bä's house, his nose pricked up and he saw purple fumes coming from the hut, a sign that the village oldest homina was preparing a concoction. He pushed open the first curtains, and before he had even fully entered the dwelling, the old homina called out to him:

The child climbed the hill towards the disturbing tear that served as an entrance. No sooner had the guards recognized him than they bowed deferentially. Pü entered the stump and zipped without missing a beat to Grandmother Bä-Bä's hut. He moved by habit in the tortuous alleys of this strange multi-storey village, and instinctively dodged the roots that intertwined under his feet. The disappointment born from the comparison of the grayish landscape with the hearty forests of Matia had been quickly forgotten, leaving room for memories. He was born here. During his run, he came across several Zorais, who, once their surprise was over, all inclined their heads in a sign of respect. Pü returned their greetings, but avoided talking to them. In any case, he knew that all would soon know of his return. When he got within a stone's throw of Grandmother Bä-Bä's house, his nose pricked up and he saw purple fumes coming from the hut, a sign that the village oldest homina was preparing a concoction. He pushed open the first curtains, and before he had even fully entered the dwelling, the old homina called out to him:

The very evening, the Return Ceremony took place. The entire tribe gathered in the Ceremonial Square where a drink was distributed to each villager, newborns included. It contained an alcoholic mixture of sap in which a cocoon of flesh had been dissolved. The Zorais placed in concentric circles and waited for Grandmother Bä-Bä to arrive, accompanied as always by Pü's mother. Although accustomed to the various rituals that often took place within the community, all held their breath when she raised her arm. The lights of the dwellings overlooking the square flyed in her closed palm, and a small sphere of light emerged when she opened her hand. The star flew up to the totem pole and flared, before entering the mouth of a mask. The orifices of the other faces then lit up instantly. The old lady let go of Looï's arm, which had been her support until then, and recovered the bowl she was holding out to her with a trembling movement.  She stepped forward to the totem pole.

The very evening, the Return Ceremony took place. The entire tribe gathered in the Ceremonial Square where a drink was distributed to each villager, newborns included. It contained an alcoholic mixture of sap in which a cocoon of flesh had been dissolved. The Zorais placed in concentric circles and waited for Grandmother Bä-Bä to arrive, accompanied as always by Pü's mother. Although accustomed to the various rituals that often took place within the community, all held their breath when she raised her arm. The lights of the dwellings overlooking the square flyed in her closed palm, and a small sphere of light emerged when she opened her hand. The star flew up to the totem pole and flared, before entering the mouth of a mask. The orifices of the other faces then lit up instantly. The old lady let go of Looï's arm, which had been her support until then, and recovered the bowl she was holding out to her with a trembling movement.  She stepped forward to the totem pole.

Pü stared at the beverage filling his bowl, as if mesmerized. The color of the liquid oscillated between purple and black, and small particles of reddish flesh floated on the surface. And then the grayish seed of Sirgio di Rolo emerged. So Ma-Duk had spoken to Grandmother Bä-Bä to tell her that the Sacred War would soon take place? Pü shuddered. He who had spent his return trip dreaming of another future, had just been coldly caught up in reality.

Pü stared at the beverage filling his bowl, as if mesmerized. The color of the liquid oscillated between purple and black, and small particles of reddish flesh floated on the surface. And then the grayish seed of Sirgio di Rolo emerged. So Ma-Duk had spoken to Grandmother Bä-Bä to tell her that the Sacred War would soon take place? Pü shuddered. He who had spent his return trip dreaming of another future, had just been coldly caught up in reality.

The Zorais drank the viscous liquid in one gulp and the parents took care of the youngests' dose. Pü swallowed the horrible mixture without reluctance, still lost in his thoughts. As his people began to sing in chorus the first liturgical songs of the evening, Pü looked sadly at the one he had just found, and might lose again in a few years. He hummed another tune.

The Zorais drank the viscous liquid in one gulp and the parents took care of the youngests' dose. Pü swallowed the horrible mixture without reluctance, still lost in his thoughts. As his people began to sing in chorus the first liturgical songs of the evening, Pü looked sadly at the one he had just found, and might lose again in a few years. He hummed another tune.

           ''I die full of you, my child, my friend.

           ''I die full of you, my child, my friend.

</poem>

</poem>

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