“The man was beginning to lose hope, but he believed in Batumah’s wisdom, so he did what he was told. The fourth time the man made the trip, something amazing happened. He smiled, he smelled the flowers, he sang, and to his surprise the smile was not forced at all. When he made it to the temple, he knelt in front of Batumah. He asked the Great One, ‘How did you know those things would help me find happiness?’
“Batumah smiled and told the man, ‘Your happiness was never gone. It was always inside of you. Every time you had a disappointment or a hardship, it retreated inside of you until it was packed away and hidden like a precious jewel. Sometimes, your feelings influence your actions, but the reverse is also true: sometimes your actions influence your feelings.’”
Cierra had listened to Jaedo’s story. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Was that what was happening to her? Were her actions influencing her feelings towards Theo? How much truth was there in the desire she was feeling? Whatever the answer was, she had a suspicion that it was more attraction than was good for the success of the mission. She would need to keep an eye on that.
“Batumah! You scared me!” Cierra jumped, as Makram stepped up beside her.
“The light will protect us. You have nothing to fear.” Makram laughed at her reaction, but then lowered his voice so that only she and Theo could hear. “Any ideas on what really happened to Danthois? Not many people—human or otherwise—could have bested him.”
Cierra matched his volume. “My first thought was Daja. He’s big enough to have stood a chance.”
“Maybe it wasn’t a one-man job.”
Makram nodded thoughtfully. “I hadn’t thought about that.” He knew Theo was referring to the Josti working together to overcome Danthois, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Hojae had been the only spy on their team.
The air began to thin. The rocky ledge they were walking along alternated from steep, smooth inclines, to rough-hewn steps. There were some places that were too narrow for them to walk side-by-side. Cierra stepped in behind Theo. She could smell the sweat on his skin, and found it oddly comforting now. She had gotten used to having him around. Watching him almost fall down the gap in the cliff yesterday had stirred a fear in her that she didn’t even think she possessed anymore.
After her mother had passed away, she had felt empty inside. She had cared about Remi in her own way, but for her the marriage had been more out of a sense of duty. It was the next step she was supposed to take with her life. The first thing that had really made her feel anything worthwhile had been working with the Carbonari. It had given her a purpose. The rush of the risks made her feel alive.
What she was feeling now was hard for her to handle. It made her worse at her job. Cierra doubted that she would have been having the same issues if she had been paired with anyone else. Her frustration at herself and the situation was growing with each passing minute.
A loud rumbling pulled her out of her thoughts. Cierra looked around to find the source of the sound. “Huh?”
“Watch out!” Theo whirled around, and jerked her towards him. His chest pressed her into the side of the cliff. His arms formed a protective covering over her head.
Overhead, a large boulder tumbled down the Cliffside, and crashed into the ledge they were on. It smacked into the path right where Cierra had been only seconds before. The rock continued rolling down the side of the mountain. They heard screams below them. The boulder may have missed them, but it sounded like others further down the mountain had not been as lucky.
“Is everyone okay?” Philo had been leading their ascent. He turned worriedly to check on the others.
“We’re good back here!” Jaedo called from further back. He, Gopa, and Irane had been at the end of the group.
“Cierra? Theo?” Philo’s voice was layered with worry, but Cierra didn’t hear him.
Theo brushed some hair away from her face. “Are you okay?”
“I think so.” Silently, she prayed that he couldn’t hear the rushed thundering of her heart. “Do you think you can let go of me then?”
“Huh?” Cierra noticed that her hands were clenching his shirt, and preventing him from moving away from her. Embarrassed, she quickly let go.
Theo smoothed the wrinkles out of his clothes. “We’re fine.”
“Good. Let’s keep moving. If there’s one loose boulder, there could be more. I want to get to safer ground as soon as possible.” Philo started climbing with renewed vigor. He had already lost one man. He wasn’t about to lose another.
Cierra examined the face of the mountain stretching up above them. She had her doubts about whether or not the boulder had fallen on its own. The perilous climb of Kinyah mountain was certainly living up to its reputation. Her senses felt raw. Every breeze made her tense up. Something—or someone—certainly didn’t want them all to make it to the top. Cierra may not have believed in the Yasta’s demons of darkness, but she had seen enough bloodshed to know that evil came in many forms.
Six
After many hours of climbing, the group finally spotted the next waystation. Cloth hammocks were strung up above the staircase. There were no caves this time. There wasn’t even enough room for a fire. The group sat down along the stairs. They passed around a few rations they had on their persons. The sun was setting in the distance. Fingers of color ribbed the sky, slowly disappearing beyond the horizon.
Jaedo rubbed his feet. His bottom set of hands worked on one foot, while the top set worked on the other. “The only part of me that isn’t sore is my mouth.”
“That’s surprising, considering as much as you’ve been talking.” Gopa grazed on some sort of dried meat.
“Actually, there’s something I’ve been wondering.” Theo’s hand went automatically to touch the shard of Relissarium in his pocket. “How does Batumah know if someone is worthy or not? How does he decide?”
The green Josti placed one of his hands over his heart. “Batumah does not see only what is on the outside. He sees inside. In one look, he knows all that you can be, and all that you will be.”
“What if we go through all of this journey, and then they decide we’re not worthy?” Theo’s brow was knitted together.
“They?”
“Yeah, the monks at the monasteries.” He jerked his head upwards towards the peak of the mountain.
Jaedo wheezed out a laugh. “The monks do not decide. If Batumah allows you to make it to the summit, then you are worthy. Who are they to question his judgement?”
Theo hadn’t thought about it that way before. He had assumed that the Yasta monks were governed by internal politics, and ulterior agendas. Then again, the most determined fighters were those who thought they had their gods on their sides. If all of the monks had made this climb and thought that they were personally chosen as worthy by Batumah, it was no wonder they fought as if they were invincible. In the end, chosen or not, everyone bled if they were cut.
“What happens if you fall out of favor with Batumah?” Theo was curious how the Yasta justified kicking out members who no longer served their purposes.
“Why would you ever do something to fall out of favor with a god?” Jaedo looked at Theo as if he had suddenly sprouted an extra head.
“N-no. I didn’t mean—”
“Excuse my husband.” Cierra reached over and took Theo’s hand. “When he’s tired, he overthinks things. Isn’t that right, darling?”
“One of my biggest character faults, I’m afraid.” He took her lead and faked an exaggerated yawn.
“Perhaps we should go to bed early tonight.” She smiled and stood up. Cierra pulled him along behind her towards one of the larger hammocks set up for couples.
“Maybe you’re right.”
Ahead of them, Philo and Chanta were already curled up with one another in one of the larger hammocks. Philo was pointing out constellations, which were just barely visible. Chanta gazed at him adoringly, and nodded along while he told her about the stars. Watching the two of them made Theo s
mile. It was a smile that was soon wiped off of his face when he turned back to Cierra.
Scowling, she punched him in the arm. “Way to draw attention to yourself back there.”
“I was just asking questions! How was I supposed to know he would react like that?”
She shook her head and held the hammock steady. “Just get in and shut up. Maybe you’ll stay out of trouble if you’re asleep.”
Theo huffily started to climb into the hammock. “Hold it still.”
“I’m trying! You’re moving like a newborn gefling horse.”
An image of the blind horses that had been affected by the gefling outbreak popped into Theo’s mind. He muttered an insult under his breath. “At least if I was a gefling I wouldn’t have to look at your sourpuss facial expressions.”
“What was that?” Cierra rocked the hammock, and almost swung him over the side.
“Nothing, darling!” He raised his voice so that someone would glance their way.
Cierra realized what he was doing, and fell back into her loving wife routine. Through her forced smile, she glared daggers at him. Struggling to climb into the hammock, she managed to get one leg in, but the rest of her body was dangling over the closest step. “Ugh! This is so stupid.”
“Here, let me help you.” Theo started to reach for her arm, but she waved him off.
“I can do it!”
“Okay, then. Let’s see you get up here on your own. At least if you fall, your hard headedness will keep you from any brain injuries.” He crossed his arms and laid back. Theo let out an exaggerated sigh of relaxation.
Cierra unhooked her leg, and decided to try a different approach. She walked up a couple of steps that were a little higher up the staircase. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes. She smirked at him, and swung her arms back and forth as if preparing for something.
“Cierra, what are you doing?” Theo didn’t like the look in her eyes. Whatever she was planning, it probably wasn’t going to go well for him. His eyes widened as she started to run towards him. “Cierra! Cierra, no!”
“Ha!” She leapt from one of the steps and hurled herself at the hammock.
“Oof!” Theo groaned as she headbutted him in the stomach.
The hammock swung wildly. Somehow, she had still only managed to get half of her body on the makeshift bed. Her hands latched onto the far side of the hammock, but her back half was still dangling over the edge. Afraid that she might try to run and leap again, Theo reached over and grabbed her waistband. With some effort, he hauled her up and over the edge into the hammock beside him. She flashed him a self-satisfied smile, and rolled over so that her back was facing him. Theo rolled his eyes, and mirrored her pose. He clutched his aching stomach, while they laid there together. There was no preventing it this time. The hammock was like a mesh bag, and they rolled into each other. Both of them tried not to focus on the pressure of the other person’s body against them. Eventually, they managed to fall asleep.
Theo’s mind swirled in his sleep. The crops of his farm brushed against his palms. He could smell the dirt that he had worked for years. Sheep bleated at him. It was almost time to harvest the crops again. He would need to rent another cargo ship. Something tugged at the back of his mind. Everything seemed so familiar, it was almost like déjà vu.
“Theo!” Mari, who had given him the best years of her youth, called to him from the house. She smiled and waved him over. “Come on, Theo!”
He tried to call out to her, but he couldn’t find his voice. Theo started to run towards her. Something was wrong. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It was like he was running through sand. His legs were heavy. From the corner of his eyes, he could see flames coming. They were rushing towards his house, towards Mari. The flames devoured everything in their path.
“Theo!” Mari’s voice was fearful now.
He could see the terror in her eyes. The flames were still coming, and turning into a firestorm. He wasn’t going to make it in time! Smoke and ash choked his throat. The sheep screamed as they were engulfed in the fire. Theo reached out his hand. He could almost touch her. Just a few more seconds.
“Theo!” Mari’s face shifted and turned into Cierra’s. He stopped running. It didn’t make sense. Why was Cierra there? In that moment, she screamed in agony. The flames consumed her until there was nothing left.
Theo sat upright in the hammock. Beads of sweat lined his clammy skin. Instinctively, he turned to look at Cierra. She was still lying beside him. The hammock swayed slightly from his movement. It was a dream. It was just a dream. The fog of sleep left him disoriented. That was when he realized that the screams were not just in his dream.
Hand instinctively on the hilt of her blade, Cierra opened her eyes and looked for the source of the bellowing. They both saw it at the same time. Philo was on his knees at the end of the staircase they had climbed. Over the last smooth stretch, a body swayed lifelessly in the breeze.
Chanta had been strung up by the ankle with one of the smaller hammocks. Her face was splotched and ruddy. All of the blood in her body had drained to her head. Cierra and Theo climbed out of the hammock and rushed to Philo’s side. He was inconsolable. The senator stroked her cheeks, and begged for her to breathe between his sobs. He lifted her lifeless form, cradling her as he would a child, taking the weight from the binding on her ankle.
Makram helped Philo brace Chanta’s body while Theo cut her ankle free. Her full weight brought Philo to his knees again. He cradled her close to him, pressing her into his chest. Any pretense of power was gone, as he bawled inconsolably.
The rest of the team looked on, open mouthed, nobody believing what they were seeing. Then, Philo suddenly stopped wailing, and put Chanta down.
“Was it you?” Philo stood, as he whirled on Makram. Their long-standing feud was no secret among the rest of the team. “Did you take her from me?”
“What?” Makram looked into Philo’s eyes.
Philo lashed out at the closest Josti. Gopa had been in the hammock closest to the body. “Did you string her up? She never hurt anyone! What do we really know about you, anyway? Any of you, for that matter!” His eyes darted from one face to the next.
“Philo. Philo!” Makram shook him roughly. “Calm down. Accusing everyone won’t bring Chanta back! She’s gone.”
Looking at her lifeless face, Philo softly whispered to her. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
Cherish knelt beside Philo. She placed her hands gently on both sides of his face and made him look up at her. “Philo, what happened last night?”
He blinked back tears. “She got up in the middle of the night. She said she just needed to relieve herself. I must have fallen back asleep. I didn’t know that she didn’t come back. I fell asleep. When she needed me, I was asleep.”
“Why would she have come all the way back down the staircase for that? Wouldn’t she have just done her business up by the top, closer to their hammock? She would have had to duck under all of the other hammocks to even make it down this far.” Makram shook his head trying to make sense of everything.
Cherish softened her voice. “Philo, there’s nothing more you can do. You need to let her go, okay?”
Reluctantly, Philo cradled her again, pressed his lips one more time to Chanta’s forehead, and laid her gently down on the path. “How could this have happened?”
Jaedo mimed out a religious symbol in the air. “It’s Batumah. He is purifying those unworthy to reach the summit by allowing the demons to claim them for their own.”
Philo cried out in rage at the suggestion that Chanta hadn’t been worthy. He tried to lash out, but Makram held him back. “Get ahold of yourself!” After a few shuddering breaths, Philo nodded, and swallow his grief. As much as he was hurting, the mission was more important. As commander, he needed to pull himself together. There were greater things at stake.
“Before we continue, there’s one thing to do,” Cherish said, gently. “I’m not going to leave her f
or the creatures of the night.” She picked Chanta’s body up, and disappeared into the trees. The others looked at each other awkwardly, in silence, for ten minutes or so, until Cherish reappeared. Her forearms were brown from the dirt. Theo was reminded of plow blades.
“I gave her a proper burial,” Cherish said.
“Thank you,” Philo nodded, through the tears that stubbornly refused to go away.
Solemnly, the survivors began to climb the mountain again. Makram and Cherish made sure to stay close to Philo. No one really talked very much. It seemed that the mountain was determined to claim a life for every night they spent on its treacherous slopes. The thought that seemed to be on everyone’s minds was not if, but who, would be the next victim.
Seven
The wind was colder. It threatened to blow them off the cliff, if they took a misstep. A rope was secured to the side of the mountain. Every couple of yards, it was bolted to the cliffside with what appeared to be infintium. The ledge was so narrow in places that Theo had to press his chest to the rock wall, and inch along slowly, clinging to the rope. The precariousness of it reminded him of the rope bridges that stretched from one section of Naia’s shelter to the other. Remembering her solidified his determination to make it to the top of the treacherous mountain. Too many people he cared for had been lost because of the Yasta. Even if most of their members started out with good intentions, there was nothing good about the slaughter of whole planets of sentient beings.
After a while, the path widened, to allow the travelers to walk more freely. It was a relief not to have to cling to a rope for support—especially the way their luck had been going lately. Theo noticed that he hadn’t seen much fauna during this stretch of the climb. The birds seemed to have stayed in the lower altitudes. There weren’t any bugs around either, although if he managed to upset Cierra again he had no doubt that she would suddenly spot several along his arms and torso.
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