The Yazirians who lived in the village at the edge of the Great Rift were at the end of their glides. For a week now none of them had been able to get any sleep. Every night something in the Great Rift would begin to bellow so loudly it kept all of them up all night.

The elders of the village called everyone together to make a plan to deal with this trouble. When everyone from the youngest cub to the eldest grand matron was seated in the meeting hall Bahene the Elder called them to voice their opinions. He said, “We are Yazirian but we are being troubled. We must do something to end our trouble.”

Many voiced their thoughts. Some wanted to know if anyone knew what was making this loud noise. To this some said it must be a punishment from the Gods. Others said it must be a new foul beast from the great enemy the Sathar, while others thought it must be a new trick set on them by the Streel Corporation to get them to leave the Great Rift. The whole time Gunde kept reminding everyone there about his missing Lemmaru and that they should be looking for her.

Bahene the Younger stood and said, “This is getting us nowhere. I am the greatest warrior in the village. I will take my Khad’dan and go into the Great Rift and find and destroy whatever The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep is.”

All in the meeting hall cheered at this except for Biafu the Silent and Deeba the Swift who said, “No, Bahene the Younger, I am the greatest warrior in village I shall go with my Khad’dan and slay The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep.”

Again everyone cheered at another of their warriors except for Bahene the Younger and Biafu the Silent, known for only talking when he had something to say. Now Biafu the Silent said, “I will go with my Khad’dan.”

All in the meeting hall cheered again and again for they knew these three would end The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep

Bahene the Elder waited and then called the villagers to silence. When the last cub had quieted he said to them, “Our three greatest, for none can say who is best will all go and together with their Khad’dan will slay The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep and end our troubles.”

All in the meeting hall cheered again and so loudly they drowned out the first of The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep’s bellows of the night. That is everyone except for Gunde who just wanted someone to find his Lemmura.

So the three greatest warriors; Bahene the Younger, Deeba the Swift and Biafu the Silent took up their Khad’dan and left the meeting hall and the village and went into the Great Rift with their Khad’dan. They travelled all night hearing the bellows of The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep reverberated through the Great Rift. The Great Rift floor was heavily wooded with many trees perfect for gliding and this made it hard for them to locate The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep. As the morning light began to crest the edge of the Great Rift the three Yazirian warriors all realized they would not find The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep since it was silent all day and only bellowed at night.

Bahene the Younger said to the others, “Let us gather some food and drink and rest today and tonight we will take our Khad’dan and slay The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep.”

Deeba the Swift jumped up and said, “I will hunt us an animal for our breakfast. It will not take long.” Just like that Deeba the Swift was gone.

Bahene the Younger looked at Biafu the Silent but he was already gathering wood to start a fire. This left Bahene the Younger who thought himself the greatest warrior to gather water for them to drink something he did not think the greatest warrior should do. While he was cutting the vines to gather the drink he thought of a way he could to the others he was the greatest warrior and then they would leave and let him slay The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep as it should be.

When Bahene the Younger returned Deeba the Swift had an Ikochi already dressed and cooking over a fire Biafu the Silent had made. He handed each of the other two four vines filled with water and let them drink.

When they had each had some drink and while the meat cooked he put his plan into action. He said to them, “All of us are not necessary to hunt The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep. I say let us tell how we earned our Khad’dan and the one with the greatest tale will stay and slay The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep and the others will assist or leave as they choose.”

Deeba the Swift said he agreed. He liked this challenge for two reasons. First because he knew he was the greatest warrior but mainly because when a Yazirian warrior is given a Khad’dan only the elders know the reason for it. Yazirian do not tell how they earned their Khad’dan except to those who have earned one also but never to brag. This was the perfect time to learn how the others had earned their Khad’dan. Biafu the Silent just nodded his agreement.

Bahene the Younger said, “I will lead this. When the Sathar came and landed in the Great Rift I took up my father Bahene the Elder’s Khad’dan and rushed into the Great Rift. I found and slew each and every one of the Sathar until only one was left. That one I let go so it could tell others how great the Yazirian are and they would not return. That is why I was given my Khad’dan for slaying large numbers of your enemy is what a warrior and Khad’dan are for.”

Deeba the Swift looked impressed but did not concede, he said, “When the Streel Corporation ship landed in the Great Rift and they sent their beings to search for what they would take without thought to the replacing as they do. I went in and did not slay a single one. I used my speed and glide and stole from them what they tried to take from the Great Rift. I went into their ship and erased all they recorded. I then fouled their food and drink so that they could no longer stay in the Great Rift. When they left they had nothing to show for their stay and they have not returned. For knowing the best way to destroy an enemy the elders gave me my Khad’dan. For that is what a warrior and Khad’dan are for.”

Bahene the Younger was impressed but still thought his was the better story and ideal of the Khad’dan. Now he and Deeba the Swift both looked at Biafu the Silent and wondered if he would even speak.

Biafu the Silent said, “When the crops were failing because the rain would not fall. I went into the Great Rift and gathered what had grown and built a shrine. I than screamed prayers to the Gods all day until they answered and we had the rains again. For embracing the spirit of the warrior and challenging the Gods and living to tell the elders gave me my Khad’dan. For it is spirituality which is the essence of the Khad’dan.”

Both Bahene the Younger and Deeba the Swift were impressed but did not concede Biafu the Silent was the greatest warrior. Instead the three of them ate and drank and debated like Dralasites about which was the true essence of the Khad’dan. They continued most of the day until the fire died and they fell asleep.

That night the three Yazirian warriors awoke to the bellows of The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep. For some reason they could now tell where the bellows were coming from. Each warrior grasped his Khad’dan and headed deeper into the Great Rift.

They arrived at a cave in the wall of the Great Rift and could clearly hear the bellows of The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep coming from inside. As they caught their breath Bahene the Younger said, “Let us go in a slaughter all we find with our Khad’dan. For that is the essence of the Khad’dan.”

But Deeba the Swift said, “No we must first investigate and learn what it is and how best to destroy The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep. For that is the essence of the Khad’dan.”

But Biafu the Silent said, “No we must say a prayer to the Gods and give reverence before battle. For that is the essence of the Khad’dan.”

The three Yazirian warriors were about to start their discussion again we from out of the cave mouth came Gunde’s Lemmaru followed by two calves. Each of the three Yazirian warriors looked at each other and then back to Gunde’s Lemmaru.

It was Biafu the Silent who spoke first, Bahene the Younger you were right if we had rushed in we would have found Gunde’s Lemmaru and ended this much sooner.”

Deeba the Swift said, “Nay Biafu the Silent you were right if we had prayed we would have been given a sign and known what the real reason for the bellows of The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep was and not wasted our time searching fruitlessly.”

Bahene the Younger said, “Nay Deeba the Swift you were right if we had scouted the area instead of rushing in we would have found Gunde’s Lemmaru and not risk hurting her of the calves.”

The three Yazirian warriors were about to start their discussion again but were interrupted by a voice behind them which said, “Are you three going to talk the night away or are you gonna help me round up my Lemmaru?”

They all turned to see Gunde standing behind them holding a Khad’dan and several lengths of vine rope. As he started walking past them, Bahene the Younger asked him, “Gunde you have a Khad’dan tell us what its true essence is, for we have been arguing all day and cannot determine.”

Gunde looked back at them and then said, “Each of you has strengths and each of you has weaknesses for no warrior is all things. The warrior who best uses his strengths and the strengths of his fellow warriors to accomplish his goals truly embraces the essence of the Khad’dan. You three didn’t understand that. So I let my Lemmura loose to have her calves in the Echoing Cave. That way you would learn about each other and each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Now help me get these Lemmura back to my stable before she keeps the village up all night again.

Bahene the Younger, Deeba the Swift and Biafu the Silent looked at each other and then sheathed their Khad’dan and went to help Gunde. None of the four of them ever spoke of The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep or told the villagers how they banished it. For years after the three Yazirian warriors always hunted and defended the village together, until they were all elders and led the village. The Beast Who Steals Our Sleep returned on occasion to their village and to other villages around the Great Rift and every time the greatest warriors would go out and banish it but none ever told how it was done.