Rajani Chronicles II

by Brian S. Converse

  When Mazal came back, James was waiting for him. “I need to leave,” he said, standing up and picking up his supplies. “My friends are out there somewhere.” The translating device echoed in the small apartment. “I want to thank you for allowing me to stay with you. You can’t imagine what it meant to me.”

  Mazal nodded. “Yes,” he said in Talondarian. “I knew you would finally need to go. I am ready.”

  “Ready?” James asked. “Mazal, I can’t ask you to go with me. The Krahn are still out there. It’s too dangerous.”

  “You do not ask,” Mazal said. “You saved my life. My place is at your side. It’s simple. Plus, you need a guide.”

  “Yes,” James said, sighing. “I do need a guide, but I also don’t want you to get hurt out there. I have powers. You don’t.”

  “If it is my fate to die in your service,” Mazal said, “then that’s my fate. I cannot change it.” He smiled and picked up the translating device. “Shall we go?”

  James laughed. “I suppose we should. I’d ask you if that’s too heavy, but I know you wouldn’t tell me, even if it was.”

  “We Jirina are strong,” Mazal said, still smiling. James had no doubt that he was telling the truth.

  They made their way down the hallway of the apartment complex, with the other Jirina standing in their doorways and smiling and nodding now at the human as he walked past. James smiled back; amazed at how much their dispositions had changed since the first night he’d arrived.

  They headed north, winding their way through the maze of destruction once again. After about an hour, James realized that they had left the confiscated Krahn weapons back at Mazal’s place. He hoped they wouldn’t need them. It seemed a pleasant time of the year as they walked through the remains of the dead city. The air was warm, and there was a slight breeze. It helped reduce the smell of death emanating from the bodies that been left where they had fallen by the Krahn.

  “What season is it here?” James asked his companion.

  “The rainy season had just ended when the Krahn attacked,” Mazal said. “We’re now in the planting season. Soon will come the sunny, hot season.”

  “So there are basically three seasons on Rajan?” James asked. He figured if this was the case, they were probably toward the end of spring or beginning of summer. He knew by the briefings Rauph had given them aboard the Tukuli that Melaanse was located close to the equator of the planet, so they didn’t get any snow, the worst weather being the occasional hurricane-like storm that would blow in from the ocean.

  Suddenly, Mazal stopped and hurriedly motioned for James to take cover. James instinctively powered up and disappeared just as a small group of Krahn walked past their location. James had a chance to study them and saw that each had slight differences that he hadn’t noticed in his initial dealings with them. Whether it was the shade of their skin or length of their hackles, or even the shape of the bony protrusions around their eyes, there seemed to be as many variances in the Krahn as there were in human beings. From the description that Rauph had given them, he had expected them to look like alligators walking on their back legs, but that wasn’t the case at all. When the Krahn were a sufficient distance away, James reappeared and crouched down next to Mazal. He noticed that Mazal’s eyes were wide as the Jirina watched him, and realized that he hadn’t disappeared before in his presence.

  “It’s okay,” James said, smiling. “Just another power from the Stone.” When James had first told Mazal about his trip from Earth and his implantation with the Johar Stone, the Jirina had been amazed, but seemed to take it well enough. The legendary status of the Stones was enough that all of the inhabitants of Rajan knew about them, even though they hadn’t been used in a very long time.

  Mazal turned toward where the Krahn had disappeared. “They’re headed toward the old prison,” he whispered, with the translating device’s sensors lowering its volume automatically to match.

  “Prison?” James asked.

  “They’ve taken over the Rajani prison in the north of the city,” Mazal continued. “No one is sure why—they don’t house their troops there, and no ships land there, either. We stay away from it as much as we can.”

  James thought for a moment. “I need to see this prison,” he finally said.

  Mazal nodded. “I’ll show you.”

  They walked about four city blocks, being careful not to be spotted by any Krahn warriors. Finally, they made their way to a high-walled building. They saw Krahn guards walking the tops of the walls, and a few outside of the structure as well. James motioned for Mazal to follow him and then backtracked to their original position; before they saw the Krahn troops.

  “What is it?” Mazal asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “I think the Krahn are using the prison to hold at least some of the Rajani captive,” James replied.

  “How do you know?” Mazal asked, looking confused.

  “I don’t know for sure,” James said. “But the guards on top of the wall were pointing their weapons toward the inside of the prison. They weren’t guarding against someone getting in, they were guarding against someone getting out.” He thought for a moment before sighing. “This changes things. I’m going to go for a look inside the prison. I need you to go back and get the Krahn weapons, and if you can, maybe some of your Jirina friends. If things go badly inside, I might need a rescue.”

  “I understand,” Mazal said, though he looked uncertain.

  “I’m sorry to place you and your fellow Jirina in this situation, but I can’t do this by myself,” James said.

  Mazal looked him in the eye. “You saved my life. Anything I can do to help you, it’s expected. I will bring the weapons and as many Jirina as will come.” They shook hands and went their separate ways.

  #

  Gianni and Kieren had been living with the Sekani for weeks and had fallen into a familiar schedule while they assisted the Sekani in everything, from cleaning up their compound to taking turns at guard duty when needed. Many of their days were spent speaking with Zanth and going over tactical plans with him that dealt with everything from raids on Krahn patrols to cleaning up the dead bodies still littering the area around the Sekani compound and ensuring that they had proper burials.

  It was difficult work, and Kieren went to bed each night exhausted. But she always felt exhilarated at the thought of how much she was able to do to help, and likewise overwhelmed by how much still needed to happen for the Sekani to return to any modicum of normality they could hope to achieve. She worried also about the fact that they hadn’t heard anything from James, Yvette, or David since they had arrived. She hoped that they were okay, but as the days passed with no word, she began to fear that she and Gianni were the only ones who had survivedve.

  Kieren had tried to bring up her fears to Gianni, but he had just shrugged her off, most of the time saying, “we’ll see what happens,” or something just as noncommittal. It drove her nuts. The worst thing for her was the thought that she might never be able to return home again. It still hurt to think about her brother, Dennis, and what he must be going through. She’d never had a chance to say goodbye before leaving with the Rajani. At least she was usually too tired at night to care.

  #

  Imposing stone walls surrounded the large courtyard of the former Rajani prison. Krahn troops patrolled the tops of the walls, and there was a guard tower on each of the four corners. The prison camp was located in the north of Melaanse. The city’s desolation surrounded the camp on all sides. Inside the camp, Rajani and a few Jirina males milled about and sat within shelters made from a canvas-like material. In one of the larger shelters, there was a gathering of three Rajani discussing recent events in low tones.

  “Torile, I tell you, he escaped,” one of the younger Rajani said. “He sent a message as he left our atmosphere. Tumaani said so.”

  “And I say you are a fool, Maska,” Torile, another young Rajani, replied.

  Maska and Torile faced each other, looking like
they wanted nothing better than to fight. It was natural to them; after all, they were half brothers.

  “The cursed Krahn have an impenetrable blockade up there,” Torile continued. “Even if Rauphangelaa did escape, there is no way he could get back through.”

  “By the Kha,” Maska said, raising his fist toward the other. “If you weren’t my brother, I would pound some sense into your head.”

  Tumaani was sitting down not far away from them. He had been a Rajani Elder for longer than the two sibling combatants had been alive and was growing tired of their constant arguing.

  “That is enough of that kind of talk, Maska,” Tumaani said. “Would you be like the Krahn? You say ‘by the Kha,’ yet in the same breath, you threaten violence against your brother.”

  “I’m sorry, Tumaani,” Maska said, his eyes downcast.

  “I’m not the one who requires an apology,” Tumaani answered. “You were both wrong in your behavior. Be grateful that you have a brother. There are very few second sons left on Rajan.”

  Both younger Rajani stood before Tumaani, looking down at the ground. “I’m sorry, Maska,” Torile finally said.

  “Now,” continued Tumaani, “as to whether Rauphangelaa escaped, I have meditated a long time upon this subject. I believe that he did. But, I’m afraid that the ship that was destroyed last Araa’s Day was not attempting to escape.”

  “What do you mean, Elder?” Maska asked, confused. They had all seen the explosion in the sky. They had assumed that it was a ship trying to get past the blockade and find shelter among the stars.

  “I believe the ship was attempting to come back,” Tumaani said. “We can only pray that it wasn’t Rauphangelaa’s. He was our last hope.”

  Suddenly, there were shouts outside from the Krahn guards. “Line up! Line up!” came the mechanical voice of the translating device.

  “Come,” Tumaani said. “It’s time for headcount. We’ll speak more on this later.” Speculation was one of the few pastimes they had left in the camp.

  Outside, there were rows and rows of Rajani and Jirina prisoners. There were no Sekani. It was the only time of day that all of the prisoners were let out of their cells to join those who were already in the prison’s courtyard. On a large wooden stage in front of these rows stood the Krahn prison warden, who had become as fat as he was sadistic, a rarity among the usually slim Krahn. The Rajani had come to hate him in the time that they’d been in the prison. In front of the warden was a table with a translating device, similar to the one on the Tukuli.

  “Good evening, slaves of the great Krahn Empire,” the warden said. “I hope that you continue to find your accommodations comfortable. I was quite distressed by the attempt to escape our lovely camp by some of your Elders. Do we not provide food and shelter to you? Did we not release all of your women and children as a show of good faith and promises of their safety if you all behaved in a civilized manner?”

  Tumaani looked at the others when he heard the warden’s words. He’d said that Welemaan and the others had attempted to escape. Did that mean that their attempt had failed? After so long, he and the others had assumed that the attempt had succeeded.

  They all watched as a line of Rajani was led in to stand before the stage. Their hands were clasped behind their heads. One of them had a swath of clothing over his left eye, covering what looked like a horrible wound. Tumaani felt his stomach tighten at the sight. It was Volaan. He looked down the line of Rajani and finally saw Welemaan among their numbers. They had been recaptured, somehow.

  #

  James had turned invisible shortly after leaving Mazal to go back toward the prison. He walked around the entire building, which turned out to be about the size of a city block back on Earth, looking for a way in. There was only one, the main gate, and it looked like a thick piece of wood. He stood a moment before the gate, wondering if he would have to tear it from its hinges to gain entrance to the prison. He had been hoping for a more subtle entrance, so he was happy when he saw a line of what looked like Rajani prisoners led by Krahn guards heading toward the gate. The gate opened, and the prisoners were led through the doorway.

  James followed close behind, just barely making it through before the door began to close. He could see that many of the Rajani in the line had been beaten recently. Some had bruises and cuts on their faces, and some held a hand or an elbow in a protective manner, as if it pained them to move it. He stood inside the door for a moment, amazed at the mass of Rajani and Jirina prisoners inside the courtyard. He looked around and counted the number of Krahn guards. Surprisingly, there were only about a dozen guards in the courtyard, and another six lining the tops of the walls. If he could get the Rajani to fight, then they could easily overtake them out of sheer numbers.

  “These slaves were found to be a part of this conspiracy to escape, though, as you can see, they ultimately failed in their attempt,” he heard a Krahn saying to the crowd in the courtyard. “Because of their actions, I’m afraid that an example must be made.”

  The prisoners in the line were stopped and left to face the rest of the camp’s occupants. The Krahn guards lowered their weapons into firing position.

  “But I do not want this example wasted on the dead,” the Warden said. “So, each of these slaves will pick another from the crowd to take its place.” The Rajani in the line were amazed. Stunned and frightened faces looked around at each other in the large crowd. They had not expected this. One older Rajani in the crowd fell to his knees.

  A guard near him yelled at him in Krahnish. “Get up! I said, get up!”

  The warden stood there with a grin on his face. “Kill it.”

  The guard walked up to the Rajani, who was still on one knee, but starting to rise. The guard placed a gun to the Rajani’s head and pulled the trigger before he had a chance to rise fully to his feet. Blood sprayed thickly on the ground as the Rajani fell on his face. There were now more looks of anger among the occupants of the prison, especially on the faces of the Rajani in the line up front. James cursed under his breath; he hadn’t been quick enough to save the old Rajani. He quickly made his way toward the Krahn speaking near the front of the assembly.

  The warden kept the smile on his face. He did so enjoy his job. “Such are the…mercies…of the Krahn for those who are too weak to survive. Now, slaves, pick, or we will pick two for every one of you.”

  Suddenly, the voice of James came from right next to the warden. “You bastard.” James materialized next to the warden, his arm already cocked back. He punched the Krahn so hard that its head almost disintegrated. He looked at the crowd and stepped over to the translating device to make sure they understood what he said. “Fight, damn you! Don’t just stand there looking stupid.”

  Some of the Rajani and some of the Krahn were too stunned to react. Then the Rajani with the eye patch grabbed the Krahn next to him. He wrapped an arm around the Krahn’s neck and lifted it, picking the Krahn up off the ground, and gave a sharp twist to its head, breaking the Krahn’s neck. All hell broke loose, as almost all of the rest of the Rajani began to fight. Some of them refused to fight, James saw. It was to be expected, he knew. The Rajani had been preaching peace for thousands of years; he couldn’t expect all of them to start fighting right away. The Jirina milled around in a frightened crowd, unsure what to do.

  Krahn guards began firing into the crowd, not bothering to aim. They hit Rajani and fellow Krahn alike. Many of the Krahn in the crowd were overpowered by the mass of Rajani. James didn’t know how long they had been held in the prison, but the Rajani seemed to have a lot of pent-up aggression toward their Krahn captors. The guards on top of the walls were also firing into the crowd. Suddenly, the guards were fired upon from outside the prison camp.

  Mazal and some other Jirina were outside the wall of the camp. “James!” Mazal screamed. “We are here! I have brought them as you said!” He looked around him at the others. “It is time to fight. To fight for our savior. For James the Human!”

  They a
ll screamed, holding up their weapons, which they had taken from the patrol of Krahn that James had defeated after he’d first arrived on Rajan. “For James the Human!” they screamed, aiming their weapons at the Krahn guards above them.

  #

  Tumaani had been surprised to see the creature appear next to the Krahn warden, but as soon as it did, he knew what it was. Somehow, it had been implanted with a Johar Stone. It was the only explanation. That meant that either Rauphangelaa had done it, or he had been captured by this creature and compelled to hand over the Stones. Either way, Tumaani’s heart sank at the sight, even though the creature seemed to be trying to free them all. When the Krahn began firing into the crowd indiscriminately, he ducked down the best he could to avoid their fire. He heard a grunt to his left as Torile fell to the ground.

  “Torile!” Maska yelled, running over to where his brother had collapsed. He wrapped his arms around his brother’s shoulders in an attempt to protect him. Suddenly, a red burst of blood appeared on the side of his head, and he slumped to the ground as well.

  “No!” Tumaani screamed, running to where the two brothers had fallen. He knelt down next to them as the fighting raged around him. He bent over them and saw that it was too late. They were both dead. He bent his head, tears streaming from his eyes. He decided that he wouldn’t leave them. He closed his eyes and began to pray, laying both hands on the two brothers as he did so.

  #

  Later, inside the camp, the fighting was over as the last Krahn guards were killed, despite James’s protests that the Rajani should keep at least one alive to question. The Rajani only looked at him with suspicion in their eyes. James wasn’t surprised; they didn’t know him. There were bodies and wounded Rajani and Jirina lying everywhere. Tents were burning, and most were filled with holes.

  James looked around at the devastation, sickened by the wanton violence, but knowing it was the only way to free the Rajani from their captors. He walked around the camp, his energy shield now down, carrying the translating device that had most recently belonged to the Krahn and asking to speak to an Elder. Finally, the Rajani with the eye patch walked up to him. James had noticed that this Rajani had been the first to start fighting the Krahn when he’d appeared. Like most of the Rajani James had seen there, his hair was closely cropped to his skull, as if it had been shaved recently.