by Pedro Urvi
“Call a meeting,” he told Burdin.
“A meeting? Let’s take the fortress!”
“It’s not a good idea.”
“But we’ve already got them!”
“No… it’s a trap. The fortress is the bait, and you’re about to swallow it whole.”
Burdin looked at him in perplexity. He was about to protest, but snorted in acceptance and relaxed.
“Right then. If you say it’s a trap… then most likely it is one. What do you want us to do?”
“Call for a meeting. I want all the men and women here, in the square, ready to attack the fortress. But you must control them. Don’t let them attack, no matter how anxious they might get. Or else we’ll all die.”
Burdin’s eyes opened wide. “By Mother Earth, I don’t understand a single thing! But I’ll do what you say, Liberator. Because I trust you, and because I know you’re something out of the ordinary. I can’t explain it, and I don’t want to. But I accept it.”
For several hours the rebels continued to arrive from all parts of the city to assemble in the great square and its surroundings, awaiting orders. Thousands of men and women gathered together restlessly. The order to attack did not come.
“And what now?” Burdin asked. “Are we going to besiege them?”
“No. Now we need ropes. Long, strong ones.”
“Ropes? I don’t understand a thing!” the warrior growled. With a wave of despair he left to carry out his errand.
“And nobody must attack, or else we’re lost.”
Burdin stopped. He turned to Ikai, shook his head and went on walking.
“Nobody’ll attack unless I give the order.”
He did not take long with the ropes. A hundred Bear-Warriors were helping him, but they all looked annoyed.
“I know you want to take the fortress. But trust me.”
“I trust you, brother from another land,” Burdin said. “And they follow me.”
“I appreciate it, Burdin.”
“What else do you need?”
“Now I need two thousand of your Bear-Warriors, the strongest of them.”
“I like the sound of this a lot better. A surprise attack force? Are we going to climb the stronghold?”
“No. I need brute force.”
“By the Sun Goddess! I’d give an eye to know what goes on in that head of yours!” he protested, and went to get the men organized.
By the time everything was ready it was already dusk. Ikai commended himself to Oxatsi, Mother Sea, and prayed she would save those good people. He sighed deeply and gave the order.
“Heave!”
The two thousand Bear-Warriors heaved with all their might. They heaved on the ropes that were tied around the great Monolith of the Gods.
“I don’t understand why we’re wasting time on this.”
“You soon will, my friend.”
At the third heave, the monolith shook. And suddenly, the whole ground began to shake as though an earthquake was taking place. But it was no earthquake, it was something much worse and more lethal. From the northern part of the city close to ten thousand Enforcers appeared at a run, spears in hand, their ominous helmets shining under the touch of the sun’s last rays. There was a funereal silence in the square. Nobody spoke. Everybody was speechless with fear.
“No… it can’t be…” muttered Burdin. “We’re dead.”
“Not yet. We have to bring down the monolith.”
“The monolith?”
“Believe me. Make the men heave harder, with everything they’ve got!”
Burdin turned to the warriors. “Heave! Heave! Bring the lot down!”
The men heaved. The Executors were coming toward the square, their spotless armor and their red capes foreshadowing the blood of the people they were about to shed. The bloodthirsty spears led the way.
“Heave! Bring it down!”
The rebels confronted the Enforcers. But even for that brave people of warriors, the physical and lethal superiority of the Executors made itself manifest. The Enforcers immediately cut their way through the rebel forces, leaving a trail of dead bodies in their wake.
“They’re coming here!” shouted Burdin.
“They’re trying to stop us pulling down the monolith,” said Ikai.
“Come on, sons of the Highlands! Show your mettle! Bring it down!”
And Burdin’s men heaved and heaved, while the Enforcers dealt death on their way to them. The rebels tried to hold them back, but they were unstoppable. The first Executors reached the men who were pulling on the ropes. Without a sound they began to deal death around them.
And there came a massive cracking sound. It was followed by a second.
The monolith tottered. And fell. The rebels ran for cover. The artifact struck the ground with a tremendous crash and shattered into a thousand dark crystal pieces. For a moment they were all held still, rebels and Enforcers alike. Watching what had happened, as if time had stopped.
Burdin reacted. “Everybody to arms!”
“It won’t be necessary,” Ikai told him. Taking him by the arm, he led him to the first of the Executors, who was standing motionless, looking straight ahead.
“What are you doing? Are you crazy? Defend yourself!”
“They aren’t a threat any longer,” Ikai said, and went to stand in front of the Enforcer. All the rebels watched him in awe.
“The Gods use the monolith to control the Enforcers. Without the artifact, the Enforcers are left waiting for communication. And it doesn’t reach them anymore. Now they’re like broken toys.”
“By the three Goddesses! Unbelievable!”
“Don’t kill them. Surround them and take them to prison.”
“You heard the Liberator!”
Ikai’s orders were carried out at once. It was pitch dark by the time they managed to take all of the Enforcers away.
“And now do we take the fortress?”
“No, my friend. Now we make camp and we wait for them to surrender. There’ll be no more fighting. You’ve won. It’s only that the Regent hasn’t realized yet. If we’d attacked the stronghold, the Enforcers would’ve destroyed us. It was a good trap. That was the Regent’s plan. Now he’s surrounded by thousands of enemies and he’s alone. He’ll surrender. Give him the time he needs to realize.”
“I’d attack and tear his head off. But we’ll follow your orders.”
“Thank you, Burdin.”
“How did you know about the Enforcers?”
“Because I’ve already lived through it…”
“…yes, I know, in your Boundary. Even so, I don’t understand. It’s as if the goddesses spoke in your ear and told you how to get out of every situation. You’re special, Liberator, very special.”
“Don’t you believe that.”
“How long do you think he’ll take to surrender?”
Ikai stared up at the stronghold. “I don’t know the man, but I’d say no more than five days.”
On the evening of the fourth day, the Regent gave himself up in exchange for having his life spared.
Three days later, beside the fireplace in the deposed Regent’s bedroom, Ikai was warming body and soul. It had been a great victory. Everything had come out according to plan. He still could not explain how, but they had done it. He had worked out the strategy very carefully based on what he had learnt, and tried to anticipate their rival’s movements. But he also knew that at the end of the day, no matter how much one had thought, planned and foreseen, there were no guarantees of success. The best of plans might go irreversibly wrong in the blink of an eye. Thank you, Mother Oxatsi, for looking after your son, and for saving these good folk, who are not your people and worship other goddesses, but whom you protected just the same.
While he took comfort he recalled all the time passed in that Boundary, more than three long years, of planning, devotion, fighting and sacrifice. And what in the beginning had seemed to him impossible, they had managed to achieve. They had succee
ded in bringing down the Regent and freeing that people of strong, proud men and women. I hope the others have had the same good fortune. This thought made his stomach tighten, for it had been a long time since he had had any news of Albana, Kyra, Maruk and Idana. He wished with all his heart that they might be safe and sound, but somehow he doubted it.
All of a sudden the bracelet on his left hand vibrated. He stretched out his arm and stared at it. Adamis had had it made by his Erudite Notaplo. It was a very special artifact, which allowed him to communicate with the people of the Highlands without needing to understand their strange language. The bracelet translated the foreign words in his mind, and when he spoke, he merely had to think a moment in advance and his mouth pronounced the words he meant to say in these people’s language perfectly, without his knowing how he did it. And according to what Kyra had told him it would allow him to hear the Gods’ own mental messages, which was something he had not yet had a chance to prove. But the bracelet was something more than that, something much more important: it allowed them to communicate among themselves across great distances by using the Power of their discs. But its use had been forbidden, since the Gods might intercept the communication, trace its origin and locate them. And that would sentence them to death. The five carried one of the communication bracelets, and a disc, but they had agreed not to use them to get in touch unless they found themselves in imminent danger of death.
And now his disc of Power had just given out a flash. Someone was trying to communicate. And that could only mean danger of death. Anxiety clamped on to his chest like an iron claw, so that he could hardly breathe. Was it Albana? Kyra? He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He stretched both arms, the bracelet visible on his left wrist and the disc in his right hand palm. The bracelet vibrated again and the flash from the disc was stronger in response. An image began to take shape in front of him, faint, blurred, as if enveloped in a gray mist.
He half-closed his eyes, trying to make out who it might be, but it was impossible. He waited a moment and the image became more definite. He made out a figure hiding behind a tree. It wore a hooded cloak which did not allow him to see its face. Which of the four was it? Beside the figure’s knee, on the ground, there was something red. Blood! His heart began to beat furiously. The image finally became clear. The figure pushed back its hood and revealed its face.
“Maruk!” Ikai cried.
A message reached his mind.
I need help. The situation’s serious. Something very sinister is going on here. It’s beyond my understanding. I don’t think I’m going to make it. If I fail, know that I’ve tried with all my being. For Liriana.
The image turned blurred an instant, blinked and vanished.
“Maruk! No! Wait!”
He tried to reconnect with Maruk using the disc and the bracelet, but was unable to. He thought of contacting Albana and Kyra. But if he did, he would be endangering them. Maruk’s message was a request for help. He would have sent it to all of them. No, I mustn’t make contact, I’d be exposing them to an unnecessary risk. We all know where Maruk is and what he was trying to do.
Two knocks on the oak-wood door made him turn. He put away disc and bracelet.
“Come in,” he said.
The door opened and Lurama came into the room with Burdin.
“How do you feel, Liberator?” the High Matriarch asked.
“Recovered. Thank you for the room, I’m more than grateful for the warmth from the fire.”
“It’s the least we can do for our hero,” she replied with a friendly smile.
“I’m not a hero, or a liberator either. You are, and so are your people.”
Burdin stepped forward, “Of course you are!” he thundered.
“And of course our people are too,” Lurama put in.
“I’ve seen you do unthinkable things,” Burdin growled, “and at first I didn’t like them at all. But what you’ve done for us, has been… has been… as if you were possessed by the spirit of the three goddesses. And no, I don’t want you to explain, I don’t want to try and understand it, it’s enough to know you’re with us, you’re one of ours. You’re like a brother to me now, a Bear-Warrior from other mountains, possessed by the spirit of the Moon Goddess.” He went up to Ikai and gave him a great bear-hug, lifting him off the floor as if he were made of straw.
“Very well said, Burdin,” Lurama said, with a nod of approval.
Burdin left Ikai on the floor and Lurama in turn went to him. She gave him a heartfelt hug and kissed his forehead.
“We would never have done it without you, Ikai.”
“The People of the Highlands are strong and proud. You’d have managed to do it someday.”
“Maybe, but not like this. We owe you our lives, not only our own, but those of all the many thousands who would have perished had you not guided us in battle. I’m an old woman, and the years teach you to think and recognize things. And to be grateful for them too. You came and you joined us as one of our own. You lived among our people and you showed us the way. You’ve led us to the freedom we so yearned for. There are no words to thank you with. I didn’t believe I’d witness it, I didn’t believe it would be in my time. For all this you have my most sincere gratitude, and I give it to you on behalf of all my people whom I represent as Matriarch.” She raised her hand to her heart.
Lurama’s words moved him.
“Thank you… I came to help you… I’m glad and satisfied that you’ve gained your freedom. That’s been my wish ever since I came.”
“And now? What are you going to do? Will you stay and go on helping us?”
“I’d love to, Lurama, but I can’t. I must leave.”
“You’re leaving?” Burdin said, looking concerned. “Where to?”
“I have to help one of my own people, a friend. He’s begged for help.”
“Where is he? Is there anything we could do?” Lurama offered.
“He’s in the Boundary of the House of Fire.”
“I understand. Trying to do the same as you were here…”
“That’s right. I must go in search of him and help him. My work here is done.”
“Very well. If you must leave, ask for whatever you might need. I’ll be sorry to see you go, this old leader has grown fond of you.”
“And this Bear-Warrior too,” Burdin said. “Do you want me to go with you and guard your back?”
“Thanks to both of you. No, Burdin, you must stay here. There’s a great deal to do, and they need you.”
Burdin nodded. “It’s true, the work is piling up.”
Ikai’s gaze lingered on them a moment. They represented the wisdom and ferocity of that brave people to perfection
“The day will soon come when I’ll send for you,” he told them.
“And we’ll respond,” Lurama said.
Ikai raised his hand so they would listen and understand what he was asking.
“I’ll summon you so that together we can confront the Gods. It’ll be near-suicide, but it’s the only way to gain lasting freedom. I’ll summon you when all have united to face the Gods.”
“We’ll come,” Burdin assured him. “We owe you a debt of blood.”
“When the day comes, you can count on the People of the Highlands,” Lurama said.
Ikai saluted them with respect and affection.
“My thanks to you both. I’ll leave at dawn.”
“May the three goddesses go with you,” they said.
I’ll be needing that.
Chapter 6
Kyra urged her piebald horse uphill with her heels. Swift Deer was waiting for her at the top, gesturing to her to hurry. Lone Wolf and Quiet Spirit were following close behind her. They had been riding non-stop for hours, following the Chief.
“One who walks two worlds, quickly!” urged Swift Deer.
Kyra stopped her horse beside his and took a close look around her. To her surprise, the landscape was very rocky in that particular area. Great red stone form
ations with narrow passages between them stretched before her eyes for several leagues. Surrounding that strange phenomenon were the steppes.
“My people’s warriors are waiting, hidden in the center,” he said.
“It’s a curious place, this. I wasn’t expecting to find red rock in the prairies.”
The Chief pointed to the east. “We must run,” he said.
She looked in that direction, but all she could make out were a dark spot and a dust cloud coming closer.
Lone Wolf sat tall on his horse. “Guards and Enforcers,” he announced. Kyra could not see anything clearly, but she trusted him to be right.
“Treason,” Swift Deer said.
“We’d better hurry and warn the warriors,” Kyra said.
Lone Wolf glanced at Kyra and Quiet Spirit. We won’t make it.”
“Because we’re women?”
He did not flinch at this. “Because you’re not good riders. And I wouldn’t get there in time. It would be too much weight for my horse.”
Kyra turned to Swift Deer. “But you can reach them and warn them, can’t you?” she said, hoping for agreement.
The Chief stared at the enemy, then at the rocky pass in the distance, and nodded.
“Then go and warn them!”
“I’ll warn them of the betrayal and we’ll fight.”
“No,” Kyra ordered him. “You won’t get involved. You’ll go to the meeting point.”
Swift Deer’s eyes flashed with anger. “They have to pay for the death of White Owl and the other Chiefs. We’ll fight them and win. The spirits of the steppes are with us.”
“My heart begs me to do the same thing as you want to, but my head tells me that this isn’t the moment. Believe me, there’s nothing I’d like more than to confront them at your side, with your warriors, but that’s not what we must do. We must go to the meeting point, by the great river. That’s where the forces of Crazy Cougar of the Sixth County and Silver Eagle of the Fourth are waiting for us. Trust me, it’s what we must do.”
Swift Deer clenched his jaw hard and swallowed the rage which was visible in his eyes.
“You are one who walks two worlds. White Owl followed you. I follow you. I’ll do what you say.” And without another word he galloped away toward the rocky formations.