The Fifth Ami-El

After the passing of the spirit of the bull and the ape, Amet filled with holy purpose, apyed visit to the foster-father, who carved knives from bone, and said: "Father, I've need of a knife of the self. Cut off my horn, the right one, and fashion it into the shape of a knife, as I will be a knife in days to come." And the bone-carver did as Amet desired: from the right horn he fashioned a good bone-knife, the likes of which one could trade or hunt with, worth much in beads and shells, and Elven-coin. Then, Amet said goodbyes, and left for the east.

In the mountains of the east, the air is dry and filled with fine dust. No tree grows taller than a man, before it dies, no water there can be found, even the loatshome jungle is a distant predator There lies a great fissure where Morihaus once struck the earth in anger, where the wind howls and bites, and men betray and kill each other for little gain. Here, the minotaurs hold their court.

At the entrance of the valley there was a gate, where flutes of hollow elf-bone hung the walls, so the valley would ring with the cries of dead Ayleidoon. This gate, was guarded by a minotaur, his name was Tull-Am. And when Amet came to this gate, Tull-Am called out to her: "Hail, stranger! You stand before the gates of Cyrod, the court of Asterion, Emperor. Have you come to bring tribute?" Answered Amet: "I have no tribute save an arms-length of bone for the king of cows. Rather I am cut and bled than I would acknowledge blind Asterion, Usurper!"

And Amet drove her dagger into the minotaur's throat, to the hilt, marveling at the ease with which this knife cut through fur and flesh and bone. In a moment, Tull-Am was dead, for he was a young bull, untested in combat. The, Amet stripped the young minotaur of his fur and skin, fashioning from them a disguise. So attired, Amet passed the gate and descended into the terrible valley of Horns, where monsters roam.

Now in the center of the valley, great stones made the form of a circle, and in that circle stood a single spire of stone, a needle wrought by the winds. And at the foot of this stone sat Asterion, garbed in stolen silk, lighting his house with stolen lamps. And he saw Amet, and said: "Hail, Tull-Am, cousin thrice-removed. You smell of blood, today, and you have lost a horn, It seems to me that you have been in combat. Is there something amiss at the gate of flute-bones?"

And Amet, still garbed in  , came nearer: "Hail, Asterion, uncle. I come garbed in blood, the blood of the mother, and I have been victorious, though I have a struggle before me yet. I have given my horn to serve as a weapon of war."

Replied Asterion: "You speak in riddles, Tull-Am, which is not our custom. All alike are born in the blood of the mother, though we wash it away, and for all of us, our horns serve as weapons of war. Against whom will you point your horn, cousin? Gladly will I aid you in this struggle."

"I've no need of any warrior you can command, Asterion the White," said Amet, "You speak truth, when you say that the blood of birth is easily washed away. I washed mine in the river Niben. Now I am clean and pure of purpose. Can you say the same?"

And Asterion, whose nose was better than his eyes, sensed that something was amiss. "Ho, I smell through your stolen skin, little one! You seek to kill me, and reclaim the throne. Fool! Little fool! No," he gestured to his warriors, who thronged the city of stone, "Let her draw near! I am under the protection the blood of Esha! Invulnerable to the blades of men!"

Amet spoke again: "Asterion, for your ambition the lands of men bled, but you shall bleed and suffer thrice again! Belharza, the Man-Bull, was unwilling to pay more blood for Empire, but I will not thus falter!" And so she fell upon the usurper with her horn knife, which was kin-bone to Asterion, and deadly. And so died Asterion, the Blind, the Seething, Asterion the White.

And the spirit of his kin died with him, for when they saw before them fair Amet, they recognized Empire, and all of Asterion fled from their mind. And the minotaurs departed for   forests and the far places, and forgot the tongues of men.

And Amet went to the City of Cyrod, with its numberless towers, and took possession of it all. There was crowned Emperor Ami-El, the One-Horned, and ruled for one hundred years and more. And during this rule there were many great deeds and remarkable events, but of the many laws and decisions, the war with the men of Balalt, the courtship of the sea, and the many bridges built over the Niben, we will say nothing here.