by Kelly A Nix
Salyn’s eyes are slit and framed by a pale, slim face. Thin, brown hair swirls around her feminine features but falls short of her shoulders. Salyn’s petite stature and coloration scream at Atae.
Setunn.
Confirming Atae’s assessment, Salyn peels back her lips to reveal sharp canines and hisses. In the next instant, she flings her right arm toward Atae. Even with Salyn standing on the ground and well out of arm’s reach, Atae flinches back against the tree’s trunk, and something small strikes the bark a finger’s width from her face. When a sharp pain stabs at the back of her eyes, Atae shakes her head and blinks several times. After a moment, the pain passes, and Atae searches for Salyn. No longer glowing, the deadly hunter blends into the night.
Frustrated, Atae examines the object embedded in the tree’s trunk. It is difficult to identify the weapon in the dark, so Atae dips her face as close as possible. It is a straight and incredibly sharp projectile with a thin liquid dripping from the end. Atae sniffs at it, and her eyes widen in recognition. The Setunn threw her venomous claws at Atae. The hybrid has never heard of this technique and wonders whether Deh or Jeqi can do it.
No way. If Jeqi could do this, I would definitely know.
Before Atae can ponder anymore about the impressive ability, she detects an almost inaudible whistling. On instinct, Atae ducks, and another venomous claw whizzes past her head. She inspects the direction from which the claw came and spots Salyn propped on a branch in a nearby tree. Her emerald eyes reflect the moonlight, but the rest of her form remains hidden in the shadows. As she prepares to launch another claw, Atae has no time to marvel at Salyn’s ability to climb that high without making any noise. Instead, Atae slips from her branch and grabs a lower one. She swings from branch to branch until she is low enough to jump to the ground.
As she cringes from the impact, Atae’s body convulses from exhaustion. She falls to one knee and uses one arm to keep from falling face-first to the ground. Every muscle in her body contracts at the same time, and Atae cries out. An instant later, the pain stops, and her muscles relax. With sweat beading across her forehead, Atae drags herself to her feet and staggers forward. Leaning from tree to tree, stumbling over bushes, and panting, Atae knows the Setunn is watching and toying with her prey.
With each painful step, Atae anticipates a strike from above, but nothing comes, and she totters into a small clearing without incident. The light from both moons illuminates the green grass, numerous wildflower patches, and the little spring at the far edge. She recognizes the meadow from previous visits. In the past, she enjoyed lying in the wildflowers and basking under Sul and Solis. In recent seasons, Atae spent her time here on homework and endless technique drills. She was determined to beat Solum and earn her trip to the Gridiron. Atae snorts as she realizes the pointlessness of her training. It’s been no help to her today.
Confident that Salyn will follow, Atae stumbles to the nearest patch of wildflowers, slipping to her knees. Atae can feel the dew seeping into her pants and cooling her feverish skin. The surrounding flowers sway in the wind as she spots a Blousq flower. It’s her favorite type. Atae grasps just under the petals and plucks it from the soil, careful not to catch the thorns.
“How did you do it?” Salyn asks. She strolls up next to the hybrid with a piercing gaze that spears Atae with fear and uncertainty. With her throat still sore from Kandorq’s rough treatment, Atae responds in a brittle voice.
“Do what?”
“Kandorq will never see again. How did such a weakling manage to bring down a beast like him?”
“I am not weak,” Atae whispers.
“After watching you stumble through the brush like injured prey, I’d have to disagree. Perhaps someday you could’ve been a strong warrior, but now we will never know,” says Salyn. She bends down to Atae’s eye level with the corners of her small mouth turned up.
She can see the amusement playing on the Setunn’s lips, but Atae stares back with a blank face. Salyn snorts at the weakling’s silence and flicks her hand. Atae flinches when the Setunn’s claws tear into her outstretched forearm, and she struggles to keep her grip on the Blousq flower. An instant later, Atae’s arm swells, and the skin around the wound darkens a deep purple.
“Tell me, youngling,” Salyn says. “How do you want to die? By poison or blade?”
Salyn motions to the hilt holstered to her hip, but Atae glances back at her injured arm to find the purple rot spreading across her bicep. When Atae’s eyes return to Salyn and fall on the hilt, the Setunn speaks with a vicious grin.
“Don’t worry. I’ll leave your beautiful face unmarred.”
Atae meets Salyn’s emerald eyes before bringing the Blousq flower petals to her lips and blowing as hard as she can. Caught by Atae’s breath, thousands of poisonous, pink pollen slip from the petals and bluster into Salyn’s face and eyes.
Surprised, the Setunn hisses, sits back, and wipes at her face, breathing in the poisonous pollen. When the Setunn can see again, she sets her sights on Atae, who remains in the same position. Salyn growls at the small smirk tugging at Atae’s lips and stands to unsheathe her blade. Stopping with her hilt in hand, she cringes before her entire body freezes. Atae’s smirk broadens into a satisfied smile at Salyn’s temporary paralysis.
Atae drops the Blousq flower and struggles to her feet. She stumbles to Salyn and snags the energy blade from the Setunn’s stiff hand. Atae holds the unfamiliar hilt, testing the balance and appreciating the shape of the weapon. Atae slips the deadly sword to Salyn’s neck, and the Setunn’s cheek twitches, a sure sign that the poison is wearing off. As Atae presses the blade into her skin, Salyn claws at the end of the sword with a spasmodic hand.
“Don’t worry. I will leave your beautiful face unmarred,” Atae says. Then, without breaking eye contact, she slices into Salyn’s protesting fingers and deep into her throat. Blood gushes from the wound, splashing Atae and pouring down the Setunn. Atae steps away from Salyn as the warrior gurgles and grips at her throat. Atae watches the fear and anger in Salyn’s eyes fade and empty. The corpse falls to the ground in a heap, and Atae stares at what remains of Salyn until her own body gives way.
I’m sorry, Father. I wasn’t strong enough. Please, don’t be ashamed of me.
Atae doesn’t know if it is exhaustion or the poison, but she falls to her knees. Her body convulses again as all her muscles contract at the same time. Atae screams. She screams as loud as her throat and lungs allow. She screams forever. Fueled by the pain, the frustration, the fear, and the sorrow, she yells until her throat gives out. She cries until her mind and body shut down, and she falls into the sweet relief of darkness.
Chapter 10
Atae stands in the center of an infinite void, a desolate vacuum that leaves her blind and deaf. She is alone in the darkness but for the fear that claws at her spine. The cold tendrils reach around to her chest and tear at her heart, her lungs burning as she gulps for breath. When emerald eyes shine in the depths of the darkness, the suffocating fear almost overwhelms Atae.
Gasping through the adrenaline-fueled anxiety, Atae waits for Salyn to step forward from the darkness and strike her down. Moments drag on into forever, but the Setunn’s unmoving gaze watches with a predatorial gleam. Atae closes her eyes and wraps her arms around herself, trying to avoid the unbearable weight of Salyn’s gaze. She takes slow, deep breaths to slow her heart rate. A warrior is always steady, always strong, and never afraid. When she’s calm enough, Atae opens her eyes and speaks to the fixated onlooker.
“Hello.” She forms the words, but no sound escapes her lips; instead, a deafening silence presses in on her. She cannot hear the sound of her breathing, not the thumping of her heart, nor even her thoughts. The darkness sucks out everything like a black hole.
Frustration seeps into Atae as she fights the silence and the darkness. Unwilling to submit to the emptiness, her frustration and fear swirl into a concoction of anger. Fury at her own weakness surges through her veins. Rage at t
his place bombards her body. Resentment at the unwavering emerald eyes floods her mind. Atae screams into the darkness only to have her voice swallowed by the silence.
“What is this place?”
Again, Salyn does not respond. Instead, she continues to watch and wait for the perfect moment to strike.
“Screw you!”
Atae launches toward Salyn but slams into something hard. Blinded by the pitch black, Atae trails her hands across the solid form. It is made of flesh, but it’s hard and scarred. Atae sniffs the air and smells a familiar rot. She gasps and backpedals as fast as her feet will allow. She hopes the creature did not notice her but knows it is too late. As if to accentuate her fears, a low chuckle emanates from the darkness.
“Hmm. I can smell your fear. Delicious.”
Atae trembles as the sharp sense of vulnerability and helplessness returns and steals the air from her lungs. Kandorq’s sadistic laugh echoes from everywhere and never stops. Collapsing under the weight of her fear, Atae falls to her knees and wraps her arms around her chest. She screams with all her might, with all her fear and anger. She screams for ages until her lungs burn, and her throat swells with soreness. When she stops, everything is silent.
Atae stands and searches the darkness for Kandorq but finds only the emerald eyes. Then she hears him groan, and his pale face steps out from the blackness like a phantom, his red eyes piercing her with the same perverse violation.
“I want you to remember my face.”
“No,” Atae screams at him, but nothing comes out. She runs from him, but no matter how fast nor how far she runs, he still whispers into her ear.
“I never want you to forget what I'm going to do…”
Her running turns frantic when Atae feels his hot tongue on her cheek. She swings her clenched fists in a panic but hits only air.
“…and that I’m the one that did it.”
“No. You did nothing to me. I stopped you.” Again, only silence echoes from her cries.
“All because you were too weak to stop me.”
“I’m not weak,” Atae screams, sitting up in bed.
“Shh. It’s okay, love,” Deh says, rushing to Atae’s side. “You’re safe.”
Jeqi’s mother lays a damp cloth on Atae’s forehead, allowing the youngling to lean the back of her head against the headboard. Atae stares at the light-colored Setunn and sighs with relief. Ensuring that she isn’t still trapped in the dream-void, Atae glances around the unfamiliar room, surprised by its elegance. Beautiful furniture adorns the spacious bedroom, lavished with gold trim and silk cloth. Atae lies against the soft pillows and puffy comforter, not caring that her sweat soaks through her sheets. She closes her eyes for a few moments and enjoys the feel of the cold, damp cloth on her forehead.
When nausea rolls over her, Atae drapes her head over the side of the bed, and Deh jumps up to retrieve a metal bucket from the connected bathroom. Atae hangs her head in the bucket and waits for her nausea to pass. After several moments, Atae lays back down and swallows hard. She closes her eyes and exhales a heavy breath.
“What happened?”
“We were hoping you could tell us,” Deh says. She rests the damp cloth back on Atae’s forehead before motioning to Solum, asleep in a chair across the room. “Your father found you in that clearing half-dead from Setunn poisoning. He brought you here and sent for me right away. This is the first that he has slept in several days.”
“Days? I've been unconscious for days?”
Deh nods. Atae stares at her father’s large frame, crumpled into an awkward sleeping position in the chair, and Deh smiles at the adoration and hero worship evident in the youngling’s eyes. When Atae notices Deh’s smile, she blushes and lies back down.
“How am I not dead?”
“You would be if Advisor Solum had not found you when he did. Setunn poison is not the fastest-acting poison, but it will certainly get the job done. I’ve always feared Jeqi would lose her temper one day during training, so I have kept a salve on hand since her poison sacks developed,” Deh says. She removes the cloth from Atae’s head and walks to the bathroom.
“Poison sacks?” Atae asks. The blonde exits the bathroom, tilting her head.
“What, dear?”
“Never mind.” Atae shakes her head, but the movement forces her to reach for the bucket once again. This time a clenching pain in her abdomen empties her stomach. Afterward, Atae lies back, and Deh places a newly rinsed cloth on her forehead.
“How long does this last?” Atae asks. Deh’s eyebrows knit in concern as she brushes the sweat-soaked hair from Atae’s eyes.
“The doctor says the poison has already left your system. Something else is causing your fever.”
“What?”
“We can talk more later. You need to rest so that your body can heal.” Deh pulls the sheets higher over Atae and tucks her into bed.
“But, Deh.” Atae sits up to argue, but the Setunn shushes her and points to Solum.
“Do not wake your father. He needs to sleep, too.”
Relenting, Atae lies back against her soft pillow and snuggles under the blanket.
“Deh,” she says. “Can you throw your claws? I’ve never seen Jeqi do it, but can you?”
“No. That is a technique that takes many seasons to learn, and I have no taste for killing.”
Deh watches Atae nod her head once and close her eyes. The small hybrid trembles under the sheets, whimpering, so Deh climbs into bed with Atae and wraps her arms around her. Without saying a word, Deh embraces the youngling and does her best to soothe her.
“I’m not weak,” Atae whispers.
“Far from it.”
“He wanted to hurt me and…and…”
“Shh. I know, but he can’t now.”
“I didn’t let him.”
“Good girl. Good girl.”
As Atae falls asleep, Deh glances at Solum, who stares at her from his chair. His dark features blazing with anger, Solum doesn’t say a word as he storms from the room. Deh watches the royal advisor leave then cries tears of pain and sorrow. The tears that Solum is too proud to shed.
Chapter 11
The royal palace in Capital City was designed to be the most majestic in the empire. The arches and windows work together to capture and manipulate the light from each sun to create beautiful works of art throughout the palace. But there is one hall deep within the maze of walls that sunlight will never reach. Even artificial light struggles against the shadows.
In the gloom, the walls bleed with crimson jewels and depict the tortured souls of prisoners. History’s vilest criminals are strapped onto metal slabs as they cry for mercy. Kaji warriors cut into their flesh and strip the meat from their bones. One prisoner twists in infinite agony as his face is peeled. Another lies motionless as all his appendages are carved away bit by bit until only his torso and head remain. His silent tears and pained expression reveal that, even as a bloody stump, the prisoner lives. On and on, the images of unimaginable torture continue until the dark hall ends at a large door.
Ignoring the gruesome scenery, Queen Sula leans against one wall. She watches the hologram from her visual visor with a distasteful frown. Frack’s deep-seated eyes stare back at the queen with his square jaw tight with aggression. His loud voice bellows from the image.
“Two weeks ago, we were attacked on our own soil, and Queen Sula does nothing but hide in her palace. She should be on the warpath and planning retaliation.”
“Now, now,” Skiska says. The hologram shifts to include her round face and forced smile. “We don’t know if this was truly an attack against the empire. It seems to be an isolated incident. None of our enemies have claimed ownership of the attack.”
“Yet!”
“We don’t really know what happened on that mountain.” Skiska eyes Frack with a familiar, scolding gaze, but he refuses to relent.
“Because they won’t tell us. We do know that an unidentified spacecraft entered our orbit and, so
mehow, gained clearance to land in the middle of a forest that’s nowhere near a docking station. A Setunn and a Gortox worked together to attack a Kajian youngling. We know that she escaped their custody, and the unidentified spacecraft fled. But we don’t know how many of the assailants escaped or even how they slipped our defenses. The youngling’s condition and location are also still unknown.”
“She is probably receiving medical care,” Skiska adds. She sighs when Frack continues.
“With today’s technology, no wound takes longer than a week to heal. I’m telling you, Queen Sula Ru-Kai is hiding something from us all. Since the fall of our beloved King Uta, when Queen Sula seized the throne-”
“She is holding the throne until the only Ru-Kai heir can claim it for himself.”
“And what if he never does? What if the Kaji choose not to follow him? He is the only Ru-Kai heir, but that doesn’t mean the people will follow him.”
“Of course, not,” Skiska says. “The Kaji do not bow to the Ru-Kai name. We bow to a lineage of ruling warriors with a proven record. We have followed the Ru-Kai for generations, and they have never failed us.”
“But we’ve always had several heirs from which to choose. Never have we been forced to accept an heir simply because of his bloodline,” Frack says.
“And we won’t start now. But we do owe Prince Truin a chance to prove himself.”
“With so many crests vying for the throne, I think he’ll have a hard time convincing the Kaji to follow him. The Gridiron can only do so much for him.”
“Very true, Frack,” Skiska says. “Well, what do you think viewers? As always, our channel is open to comments and opinions. We’ll see you next time on the Skiska and Frack channel.”
I’ll give you an opinion that you can shove up your ass.