Roban drew from a pouch at her side a handful of a strange powder that her husband had kept in his workshop. This she threw on the campfire as she approached at full speed, ducking past the guard of the alarmed sentries. Sparks flew up in all directions, and the Ferals fell into confusion, more coming out of the tents as they heard the shouts and curses. Roban was pulled from her Enuk, but amidst the cover of smoke and sparks she regained her feet and slipped nearer still to the campfire. A spark falling upon her set alight the very cloak she was wearing, and she blazed in a fury of fire and passion, and none could approach her. The remainder of the fire liquid she threw at each Feral who came near, and upon the tents, and the beasts who had broken their tethers and stampeded in terror. Soon the whole camp was blazing and filled with screams, and no one noticed as Yudessi slipped in from the shadows to lead away the jenta from their captors.
Even as the last Feral fell, his face contorted with his hideous screams, Roban stood to survey her victory, and smiled as the flames engulfed her.
Historical notes:
As I have said, this is the oldest version of the story that I could find. It is set well before the period of enslavement of the Fubarnii by the Devanu, as are practically all the myths and stories concerning the ascension of an Enarii. It comes from a time when the Ferals were outcasts from the Fubarnii tribes, confined to wastelands and inhospitable areas and treated with fear and suspicion. Nowadays, though the Ferals maintain a nomadic lifestyle in areas that cannot easily be farmed, they are much more accepted by the Fubarnii of the Empire and are important trade contacts.
It was fairly common in those days for childless Feral tribes to raid settlements for offspring to raise as their own. More modern versions of this tale however, written at times where relations with Feral tribes were more cordial (though still set in the pre-enslavement period), record the antagonists of the story as Devanu on a raid for meat or slaves. Naturally it is these versions which the Delgon favour.
Such myths are also interesting for the insight they give on our ancestors' social customs. Before the Empire began to use the creche system, it was the job of individual families to negotiate marriage contracts. Like today, this seemed to be done just before the jenta came of age, though the marriage itself would not happen until she had official Sempa status.
Other versions of this myth describe the search through the Argoran Wastes taking a much longer period of time, in which Yudessi becomes Roban's consort. This was forbidden by the rules of their society, both because Roban was married (and Yudessi engaged), and also because neither of them had been officially recognised by their society as having transitioned to the next life stage. Although officially this is still the case, in practice the more cosmopolitan nature of the Empire means that it is not always enforced. In those days, however obvious that the transition had taken place, without the official blessing of their society they would still have been seen as jenta and sempa and a relationship of this nature therefore completely taboo. They could not have stayed together and returned to their home town, which gives Roban's martyrdom additional meaning.
Part 1