by Amber Morant
"I expect they will be providing some back pay as well?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Everything will be paid to you that you deserve in your right."
"Excellent. Well I'm glad to hear your delay was just…" She paused. Azrael could hear the wind blowing through the communicator and realized she was flying on the back of her dragon right now. The idea of her being back on the battlefield as a guardian sent shivers down his spine. "I have another mission for you, since you're still out."
"Another mission? What about Mestre or Persius? Surely they would have spare time to run more errands for you so I can make sure all the logistics are in order."
"No time for that. You're currently the closest to her location."
"Her?"
"Anjuu. While I was out, I learned that she may be part of a larger conspiracy to destroy everything we have worked hard to build. The rebels most likely warped her mind in some way. I need you to get out there and bring her head to me."
"She's a shadow, Your Highness. Surely it would be best to send other shadows out to find her? They would know how to find her best and take her down without needing a dragon guardian like me out there."
"No, I am sending orders out to them as well. But I don't trust them nearly as much as I would like. If she betrayed me, who is say the entire guild of shadows isn't out to destroy me as well. No, I need you right now. My keres are the only ones I can trust enough to not betray me."
"I am glad you believe and trust in me still, Your Highness. I won' let you down." A smile crept over Azrael as relief filled his body.
"I know you won't. I have too much of my own magic imbued into each of you. Full betrayal will be an instant death for you or any of the keres."
"Imbued magic?" He let out a small gulp, hoping she didn't hear his uncertainty. He shifted his weight, looking around in the hall to see if anyone else was around to hear the conversation.
"I didn't tell you before, but I should at least inform you now that so many are betraying me everywhere. The mark I left on your wrist," Azrael lifted his arm and could see the black insignia of a dragon swirled around his wrist, "I told you it was just a sign of loyalty. But every keres has one. If I feel there is any betrayal, you will die instantaneously by my magic. Don't forget that."
"I see. Guess you never needed it for me then. Loyal to a default."
"That's why I trust you and why I feel it’s only right to tell you now. I need to be more honest with those loyal to me if I expect them to stay honest with me." Kalio let out a loud sigh. "It has been a long week, Azrael. I went to Ombramoor. The things I saw there, I thought I freed them, but there's still darkness within their communities."
"I understand the sentiment, Your Highness. Even the cait shidhe showed signs of darkness, but I am certain they will be healing soon."
"Yes, your parents. I forgot to mention them to you before you left. Misguided, but they were good people who knew to pay their dues. Hopefully your sister begins following their steps with your guidance."
Azrael nodded. "I am sure she will bring the cait shidhe and you into great power. Now, Your Highness, I must go. If you would beg my pardons. If I am to hunt a shadow, it should be immediate before anyone suspects anything."
"True enough. Go then. I will see you back at the castle in a week's time with her head in your hands."
The communicator sent another shock through his body and went silent. A grimace stretched across his face. What should have been a simple coup was now far more difficult than he had imagined. Kalio talked as if she trusted him, but the threat wasn't from trust. No, she has suspicion in her voice, and he was treading dangerous waters now.
Rahani cracked open the door and peaked through. "Are you all right, brother?"
Azrael rubbed his wrist. "No, I may indeed have a bomb strapped to me. Something I never imagined Kalio to do to me." He turned to look at Rahani wo seemed much smaller now and more like a child than an actual chieftain. "Though I may indeed know who I need to help become a dragon guardian. It's a stretch, but we need to thank the queen's suspicious personality."
"Where are you going then?"
"I'm going to chase a shadow."
Fifteen
The campgrounds were run down. Mostly, there were old, patched-up trailers and caravans that had seen better days. Anjuu could see squirrels and other small animals scurrying through the bushes and inside of the dilapidated caravans.
"Should only be a little farther before I reach the campgrounds now." Anjuu looked down at the map and noticed the point was only a mile away. Soon, she would be seeing hunters and non-ren zhe walking around. There were too many who simply followed the ren zhe to try and make some money or live “off grid” that she sometimes wondered if the actual ren zhe race existed anymore or were just a myth.
The highway Anjuu had taken for most of the trip had ended miles ago. Now, she was left with a road that had more hole and gravel than it did actual pavement. If she had been speeding like she was before, she might have ended up in the grass again. Her bike was good, but it wasn't built for off-roading.
She drove down the road for another half mile before reaching a large parking lot. There were few vehicles, but all of them showed signs that they had been running within the last few days. She looked around, expecting to see some people wandering around, but there was no one. Anjuu frowned and looked at the signs that surrounded the lot. Each one had a hand-written note on them. "No vehicles allowed near the ren zhe. Leave all technology here and be one with nature."
Anjuu scoffed at the idea of that. There was a lot of fake people now living with the ren zhe that wanted to worship every bit of dirt on the ground versus the proud warriors the ren zhe were known to be. She had only met a few before, during her training, but a true ren zhe warrior was not one you could deny was intimidating.
She turned off her bike and inspected her bags to make sure each of them was properly sealed. Anything of value she placed in one of the multitude of pockets she had. She left a few of her weapons behind. Just in case something was to happen again, she would at least know she had protection for herself when she returned. There was no way what happened with the rebels would occur with the ren zhe.
After inspecting that all her weapons and items were properly hidden, Anjuu walked toward the area the map had pointed out to her. Her assumptions on finding non-ren zhe on the outskirts were correct. She emerged into a new clearing and saw rows of tents filling the area. It was a rainbow of tarps welcoming anyone to come deeper into the maze.
Music filled the air. From rock to some sort of trance-like music. Each tent seemed to have its own genre to connect with nature as they would try and claim. As Anjuu walked past a few tents, she could see many of them were wearing tattered clothes that hadn't seen a wash for a long time. Even her own clothing, which was covered in dust now shined against the disgusting nature of the others.
"Not like I was expecting to blend in with this bunch of dirt kissers anyway," Anjuu mumbled to herself.
She continued to walk through the tents, looking for the epicenter. She wandered through more paths until she saw a tent rising above all others. Attached to the poles were tusks from an exotic beast and paintings of different animals on the canvas. It was a stark contrast to those who followed the ren zhe.
"A warrior tribe will always continue to be a warrior tribe."
The tent wasn't guarded, allowing people to walk in and out with ease. It bothered her. Something she was going to have to address with them before the day was through. For now, she needed confirmation that they were allies to the queen or not. Judging by the lax behavior of those around the tent, they most likely were not a part of the rebellion. There would have been word by now to them from the rebels of her existence and a high alert for her coming.
Anjuu opened the tent flap and was bombarded by a musky smell. Clouds of incense filled the area. She could see multiple people standing around, talking with one another. Each of them carried a different weap
on from whips to short swords. Occasionally, in the group she saw what looked like a gun blade, but very few had much more modern weapons than that.
Unlike those outside, who were the palest elves she had ever met, the ren zhe had a dark natural tan. She felt more at home amongst them than any of the other races as her dark blue skin didn't clash nearly as much. She noticed some had tattoos with some of the more elderly having more intricate patterns and the younger ren zhe either had a small tattoo or none at all. She remembered all too fondly from meeting the ren zhe before that each tattoo symbolized a moment of victory in battle. A benefit for her on who she could easily challenge without a struggle.
"What are you doing in our camp?" a voice boomed over the din of people.
The crowd separated, eyes now on Anjuu before darting up to the back of the room. A middle-aged man covered in tattoos that reached beyond his arms and covered a portion of his face, curling inside of themselves. He dressed in a dark blue armor with the symbol of a white dragon on his left pauldron.
Anjuu kneeled, heightening her other senses in case anyone tried to get close to her while her guard was down. "I was sent here by the queen to verify rumors of rebels placed within your camps. There were some who even stated you were allies now with the rebels to dethrone the queen and replace her with someone the people have been calling the true king of Narishma." She paused for a moment. "Kuman of the ren zhe, do you plead guilty to these accusations?"
The kuman let out a growl. "We are the ren zhe, your politics have nothing to do with us. We were here before the land was named Narishma, and we will be here long after your people have gone."
"Yet you don't deny your connection to the rebels." Anjuu stood up, now eye level with the man across the tent.
One of the ren zhe pushed forward, his hand on his short sword. Anjuu could see the man's right arm was covered in tattoos while the other was still blank, he had at least seen a few battles. "You fucking whore. How dare you challenge our kuman? I will kill you on the spot."
The kuman raised a hand, silencing the ren zhe. "She has the right to challenge us. Although we do not interfere with your politics, you also do not interfere with ours. That has always been the way. The rebels have stayed within our camps at one time. When we learned of their usurp, they were removed from the camps. That is the answer you are seeking?"
Anjuu nodded. "It is. Though I do have another request."
The kuman leaned forward. "You are not in the position to make requests, drow." He pointed to the ren zhe that had interrupted and beckoned him forward. "When you stand amongst us, our laws hold in place. You may fight one of us for your request."
"Then it is done." Anjuu put her right leg behind her and curled her hands into fists. The crowd all separated to form a large circle around them. She could see out of the corner of her eye some of them gripping onto their weapons. If she even faltered from the middle of the circle, they would kill her instantly. It was not going to be a fair one-on-one fight.
The ren zhe removed his top, revealing more tattoos crossing chest, mixed in with scars from previous battles. She had to admit he was admirable for that. If she had any interest in men, she would have enjoyed the view. Anjuu was amused, wondering if he had hoped it would give him an advantage.
"This will only take a moment and then you will be running back home crying."
"The same could be said for you, ren zhe. Don't underestimate a shadow under direct service to the queen."
A drum banged from far behind the crowd and the fight began. Anjuu watched as the ren zhe paced, keeping a speed for the two to circle in the ring. She watched his footsteps as they twisted around themselves, preventing her from predicting if he would continue his current dance or change directions.
They continued their spinning dance for a few more minutes before the jeering from the crowd grew to a loud din. In reaction to this, the ren zhe changed from his sideways pace to charging directly at Anjuu. His lifted his arm, swinging with full force at her.
"Need to make things harder than that," Anjuu called.
She grabbed his arm as he flew forward, turning his direction to float next to her. He flew past her and as his head came close, Anjuu lifted her arm up, letting her bicep strike him in his throat. A loud gasp escaped the ren zhe as he fell to the floor on his back.
The hissing overpowered the cheers now. Anjuu saw as rocks were being thrown at her and the ren zhe in the circle, but couldn’t determine from where. Judging by how many looked around each time a rock was thrown signified that none of them approved of the interference. They may attack her if she got close to them, but actual interference was looked down upon.
Anjuu climbed onto the ren zhe. Her hand attempted to wrap around his thick neck, holding pressure just enough so he struggled to breathe. His arms reach for her waist and bucked up, lifting her above his head and flipping her off him. Anjuu's back slammed onto the ground and she gasped for breath as it all escaped her lungs.
The ren zhe turned over and climbed on top of Anjuu. His eyes were now wild with rage. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his own breath. "You will die tonight, shadow." He put his hand behind his back and pulled a small knife out from behind him. He held it to Anjuu's throat, a sharp pain telling her that a small movement would kill her.
"Figured ren zhe would cheat," Anjuu whispered. She reached down at her side to feel for one of her own throwing knives. "Though you should know," she found the knife and pulled it out slowly, "I am a shadow, and we don't follow many rules either." She swiped at the ren zhe's leg and stabbed into his thigh.
"You stupid bitch!" The ren zhe shouted and fell over in pain. The other ren zhe closed in on the circle. A few reached for their weapons who hadn't before, ready to kill her on the spot.
"Never trust a shadow without checking all of her pockets." Anjuu rolled over so she was on her knees. She still gasped for air from falling on her back earlier. If he hadn't chosen to use weapons, she might have still struggled to win. Her expertise was in weaponry and stealth, hand to hand was not nearly as strong. Something she needed to keep in mind to train more on for the upcoming days.
"She cheated! Kuman! She should be put to death for her treachery!" One of the ren zhe in the crowd called out. Many of the others yelled in agreement.
Anjuu looked up at the kuman and then at the ren zhe man still on the ground in pain from the stab wound. He had his own knife clutched in his hands, something the crowd liked to ignore right now.
The kuman raised his hands to silence his people. "This fight was not given the rules of no weapons. The two agreed to their own fight and dance. We can alter the rules of our fights as ren zhe, and he chose to use a weapon in the fight where he could have won if he had chosen to behave like a true ren zhe." He lowered his hands back into his lap. "As dictated, we have to honor listening to the shadows..."
"Fuck that!" The ren zhe that Anjuu had been fighting stood back up and pulled the knife out of his leg. He gripped onto it and charged at Anjuu. "I refuse to let you live for that! Fucking bitch!"
Anjuu stood up, preparing to dodge. He was a lot slower now, but his adrenaline would push him through to an attack that would hit if she underestimated him. Before he got close to her, a hand grabbed onto Anjuu from behind so she couldn’t evade the attack. She grabbed ahold of the stranger's hand and tried to flip him over her shoulder. There were too many ren zhe around her to fight them all off.
Before she could successfully flip the person, her body was flipped backward, and she could see a tall lean man covered in tattoos. Anjuu's head hit the ground, causing a large cloud of smoke to puff up. The dust blinded her, pain searing in her eyes. She tried to wipe them but rubbing was making it worse now. Tears welled up, clearing some of the particles but not enough to see anymore.
"Dishonor is death," the voice of the kuman growled in front of Anjuu. She reached for her knife but stopped when she heard a loud crack and gasps from around her. "shadow, stand up." Anjuu rose to her feet,
her eyes still sealed shut. "You had a request did you not?"
The kuman let out a loud grunt. Anjuu tried to rub he eyes again to see so she could voice her demand to them. Someone walked up behind her and poured ice cold water on top of her. Anjuu let out a loud yelp from the freezing temperature. The ren zhe laughed around her with a few mocking the unholy yelp she had released.
Now that she was drenched, Anjuu wiped away the remaining dust. The ren zhe that she had just fought moments ago was now laying on the ground. His head was twisted backward, eyes bulging. She imagined it was the man who had pushed her aside and was now standing next to the deceased.
He was much taller than she had realized, towering above most of the other men. He reminded Anjuu of the man she had met that taught the shadows about the ren zhe. That man had softer eyes and a smile that tricked you into falling into a trap of destruction. The man standing before her now had eyes that pierced into her very soul.
"Your request?" the man asked raising an eyebrow.
Anjuu jumped, recognizing the voice as the kuman's. She looked over to the throne, but he wasn't there. She turned back to the ren zhe with the kuman's voice and coughed. "You will kneel before our queen and swear loyalty to her. By doing so, we will continue to grant you your use of the land and freedom in exchange for your strength to fight the rebels."
He laughed. "That's your request? To give you our blades to fight in your battles in exchange to continue our lives?" His face turned straight again, his eyes narrowing. "What if we refuse."
"Then I will be granted permission to execute each ren zhe in existence. I held back my fights against your chosen. You should know the true strength of a shadow, especially one dedicated to serving the queen."
"I do, yet you seem to forget our own power."
The tall ren zhe’s skin began to bubble. His eyes widened and his skin melted into large sags across his body. The tattoos crossing his body grew and changed form. Within seconds, the man had returned to his form as the kuman. "We can take the form of any of our ancestors that we so choose. Even the ones who were also dragon guardians and shadows long ago. Could you truly defeat an arm of that prowess?"