Identity Revealed: The Tue-Rah Chronicles

by Butler, J. M.

  "Older than twenty-five?" AaQar angled his head.

  Amelia nodded but caught herself before she said more. She had almost admitted she thought the Tue-Rah would bring her back on her twenty-fifth birthday. Her twenty-first and sixteenth as well. "I'd hazard a guess you are as well."

  "Only a touch." AaQar tried to stand once more but dropped back down. Though his arms and legs still had toned muscles, the gauntness about him suggested he had not been eating well for some time. When the robe pulled tight over his torso, Amelia thought she caught a glimpse of his ribs. No life sparkled in his eyes.

  "So Vawtrians can be killed? Not just by the Third Nalenth? I mean, I know that there are wars and such, and since the prophecy is about you three, that must mean there's something special about you. But you can…you can die in other ways?"

  AaQar shook his head. "I'll let you in on a secret, Amelia. All Vawtrians can be killed. They can be killed in many ways though admittedly killing a trained Vawtrian is exceptionally difficult. But these people here…they haven't had to deal with a Vawtrian of any kind for centuries. And Awdawms here have such short lives comparatively. So we have become immortal and invincible in their tales and legends."

  This information stunned Amelia. "Then what's the point of Inale beyond the other Nalenths if she is only to restore the Tue-Rah?"

  "Inale has many purposes. Her destiny in destroying us may simply be the revelation that we will succeed except for her intervention. If the prophecy is correct at all. The truth is that she has no concept of what all her future holds, and why should she? She is a child. A child doesn't need that kind of burden. But that's why you're here, isn't it? You've been trying to save her from the beginning."

  Amelia folded her arms. "Don't ask me where she is."

  "I don't want to know where Inale is. I want to know why your elmis are covered. It's strange. Inale is the only other Neyeb I've seen who did that, and it is bizarre given how harmful it is."

  Amelia hesitated. It was a good question. "I don't want her to feel out of place."

  "Ah. I saw that she wore them in the palace. She wears them because…"

  "She's the Third Nalenth…under the blood curse. If she doesn't wear those coverings, she'll turn into a monster."

  AaQar laughed. Hard. His whole body shook. It was odd to see because his mouth was as white as his teeth. When he was at last able to speak, he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I doubt that, Amelia. I doubt that very much. Those coverings have nothing to do with preventing the blood curse. The reality is that nothing will trigger the blood curse unless she kills. And that is something she must never do. No. When you see Inale again, remove those coverings at once. They will do far more harm than good."

  Amelia frowned. "Why?"

  "How do you know so little about your own people?" AaQar asked.

  "I grew up among Awdawms."

  "So there are no other Neyeb on Eiram?"

  "None that I found." Amelia ducked her head. She had always hoped to find someone else. Someone who could explain what she was.

  "It's little wonder you cling to Inale so strongly. She will be better for having you in her life, I suppose. So long as you don't accidentally destroy her yourself." He nodded. "Very well. I will tell you this for her benefit—Inale needs her strength. She needs to form her own identity. This means she must have her elmis uncovered and learn to use all of her skills. And she must be allowed to live elsewhere. She needs the opportunity to learn who she is. Particularly if Naatos is to obtain what he desires."

  Amelia shuddered. "And do you think he is right in what he does?"

  "What I think is irrelevant. Naatos and WroOth do as they choose."

  "But what about the Tue-Rah?" Amelia edged closer. Was it possible there was a way to breach Naatos's strength? "Do you agree with what he's doing? I want to know what you think. As a person."

  "I am no longer a person," AaQar said. "In three months' time, I will be dead."

  "Why three months?"

  "That's how long it will take for me to finish destroying my body's natural healing abilities and immune system."

  Amelia wanted to find and read the prophecies more than ever. It seemed to her that her purpose, aside from restoring the Tue-Rah, was somewhat redundant. If AaQar could kill himself, then what other ways could WroOth or Naatos perish as well? Unless there was a way to stop them without death, but couldn't others do that? "Do you feel guilty about what you've done here? You don't want the Tue-Rah. What do you think they should do with it?"

  "Leave it." AaQar held up his bare wrist. "See. I do not even have my Para band. Naatos has it. But the Tue-Rah is too much for my brothers to control. The one thing I will do before my death is ensure they never control it. To do that, I need the kolagro. You took it. I know that. Can you destroy it?"

  Amelia fell back, staring at him. He did not shrink from her gaze, but his expression said nothing. His posture, though weary, remained relaxed, entirely open.

  "Amelia," AaQar said again. "Can you destroy the kolagro?"

  "If I can get out of here…" Amelia wasn't sure if she could. And the Tue-Rah had to be restored. That was part of what she and the other Nalenths were to do. How all the worlds would respond when they were reconnected, she couldn't even begin to imagine. But it was essential that they be rejoined.

  AaQar shook his head. "That is not good enough. King Theol is here in Polfradon. On the night we captured him, he stated that he would offer no resistance at all. This means that the Tue-Rah here on Reltux will be restored within the next few days. Do you understand what this means? Reltux will be connected to Ecekom, my world. The world where Vawtrians live. How do you think this pretty little world will survive when thousands of Vawtrians pour out?"

  Amelia drew back, horrified. Thousands of Vawtrians?

  Sighing, AaQar placed his hand on the bedpost. "Now, my brothers and I are the strongest Vawtrians that now live. But even the weakest Vawtrian takes more skill to slay than your Ayamin are prepared to handle. The three of us did not even need our army to conquer the capital. We used them only to reduce the need for additional violence by demonstrating such a powerful show of strength. If it were only the three of us, then the Libyshans and their allies would be far more likely to attempt to fight back. There’s only three, how hard can it be? But when there are thousands of others to fight, no matter how great the gap in skills, the people listen. They understand numbers and strategic deaths."

  "So what is your solution?" Amelia asked. "I bring the kolagro to you and trust you to destroy it? If everything is going so well, why don't you tell me why you're committing suicide when you are one of the greatest Vawtrians to ever live and have the opportunity to rule the worlds."

  "I am not prepared to bare my soul to you," AaQar said, his eyebrow arching. His gaze grew more intense. "Suffice it to say that I have certain tasks that must be concluded before my death. Stopping my brothers from conquering the Tue-Rah is one of them. You cannot do this without my help, and I cannot do it without yours. So bring me the kolagro, and I will show you how to destroy it."

  No. She wasn't convinced. Amelia glanced down at the well-swept floor, choosing her words with care. "It's not that I don't want your help, but I don't know that I can trust you."

  "There's no in-between. Either you do or you don't."

  "Then I don't."

  For several moments, they stared at one another. At last AaQar sighed. "It is humiliating to admit that I, I who was once the greatest Vawtrian of all the worlds, requires the help of an incompetent Neyeb. But I do." He picked up his staff which had almost slipped behind the bed. "Destroying the kolagro will be difficult if you attempt it on your own. But if you go down to the lowest levels of Polfradon, you'll see where the excavations have taken place. There is a furnace in the lowest level before the secondary training course. Do not enter any of the sub-rooms or sub-chambers. Some of these are for nothing other than breeding hook-fanged spiders. But that brings us to another problem. Getti
ng you down there."

  "As long as I get to the second study where the kolagro was kept…I can make it the rest of the way without being caught," Amelia said.

  "I will take you there," AaQar said.

  "And how do I know you won't just turn me in?"

  A slow smile spread across AaQar's face. "You're a Neyeb. You can read my thoughts. You can tell whether I'm telling you the truth or not."

  "I…" An embarrassed heat spread through Amelia "I don't know how."

  "Ah. Yes. Raised by Awdawms. Well then…" AaQar pointed toward her hands, then motioned for her to come closer. "I am not the master of the Neyeb, nor do I know all their ways. But I do know a little. Wait." He pulled back. "One question. Are you married?"

  Amelia scoffed. "What does that have to do with it?"

  "If you are neither nulaamed nor married, then your elmis will be especially sensitive. It could be painful for you. Are you in love?"

  "I wasn't aware mindreading varied based on relationship statuses."

  AaQar smiled. "It's more courtesy and caution. Vawtrians wear gloves until they are bound to their spouse for similar reasons. It can change things. Different relationship statuses have differing impacts on the mind."

  "Oh." Amelia hesitated, not certain how she would classify Shon. "There is…" Her cheeks warmed.

  "Never mind. We'll take the safest course." He held his hands out. "Now then, you place your hands over mine, your palm pressed against the tips of my fingers but not touching your elmis. Do not put your palms and wrists directly against mine either. We are not lovers, and I do not want to know you that intimately."

  Hesitantly, Amelia stepped forward. She flexed her hands, then did as he said. His skin was cold and calloused. Strange cuts ran along the insides of his palms and down his wrists. His fingers, long and double-jointed, bent under the pressure of her touch.

  "Good," AaQar said. "Now, I'll tell you something that's true. My name is AaQar Thule. This is contact-based surface mindreading. Can you feel the words?"

  Amelia smiled. It almost tickled, but there was a clarity to it as if she had stepped into a refreshing river and taken a deep drink after a long hike.

  "Now I'm going to lie to you," AaQar said. "I am not a Vawtrian."

  The sensation was at once unpleasant, rising through her and tasting as if the sweet water had turned into soured milk. Amelia grimaced and pulled back. "That's disgusting."

  "Lies generally are. Especially when they are this close." AaQar nodded toward her hands. "I'll show you again. This way you have a better grasp of it." He waited until she put her hands back, then spoke once more, his voice much softer this time. "I plan to die because my wife, Rasha, abandoned me and stole our son away. I have been searching for her for decades without any success. Naatos wants me to kill her, WroOth wants me to reconcile. And I…I am uncertain. Though she has betrayed me and I am bitter, I love her still. I do not want her to die, but I do not want her to live. My mind is a tormented chamber of inconsistency. And all I want is for my life to end so that these prattling contradictions will cease."

  It was different this time. Though Amelia once more had the sensation that she was in a river, emotions flooded through her. Pain, bitterness, regret, fear, questioning. They struck her like waves, washing over her. It wasn't overwhelming to the point she couldn't experience it. She wished it was. Then she wouldn't have felt the intensity and fullness of those moments that now clung clear to her mind. Her own chest tightened, her heart swelling with emotion. Gasping, she dropped his hands. Tears flooded her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. The intensity lessened though the sensation remained. "I'm so sorry."

  "Give me your hands." AaQar repositioned her. "Now pay attention. I will not betray you to my brothers or their guards. I will see to it that you get to safety."

  It was hard to truly feel the sensation this time. The previous emotions and pain hung over her. But the thoughts seemed to be clear and crisp, not bitter and sour like the lies. Amelia wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry for what she did to you. Why—"

  AaQar shook his head. "She never told me why. Not really. But that is all in the past. Some things are never meant to be answered. What matters is now. The kolagro must be destroyed." He offered her a handkerchief. "But dry those eyes first. The simplest way to way to get you where you need to be is for me to escort you. Will you trust me enough for that?"

  Amelia accepted the handkerchief and wiped her eyes. "Yes."

  22

  Family

  Amelia wiped the rest of the tears from her eyes, trying to push down the emotions that clung to her soul. What had Elonumato been thinking when He made her the Third Nalenth? Perhaps He should have picked someone else. It had been so much easier to see herself as an executioner and warrior when she conducted her own training and prepared herself for a different set of circumstances. Still, she couldn't stop now.

  "Yes," she said again. "I'll trust you to take me to that room." She cleared her throat and returned the handkerchief. "We'll assess the situation once we get there."

  "Understood." AaQar motioned toward a hooded robe that hung on the wall. "Put that on. There aren't any women here, and the only way you will get to that room is if the guards think you're with me. An attendant or something like that. Given that you just came from the second study, we will take a more roundabout route to avoid arousing suspicion. This robe will cover your face."

  That request seemed reasonable. Amelia picked up the soft white hooded robe and slipped it on. The fabric was essentially light but weighted in a comfortable way.

  "Now give me your arm. I will be leaning on you," AaQar said.

  This sight would surely draw attention. AaQar, like his brothers, was more than a full head taller than she, standing at least at six feet. It was difficult to tell precisely because he slumped. But Amelia chose not to argue with him. If he was going to prove himself, she had to let him do it his way.

  AaQar put his arm around her shoulder and leaned against her, supporting most of his weight on the strange staff he carried. It had a crook on the end with a long wire that wound around the polished top. The top of the crook itself appeared to be somewhat flexible, moving ever so slightly each time he took a step.

  Together they made their way out into the hall. Though Amelia doubted that even the extended way to the second study would take long, she was surprised to see how many guards were now present, searching every inch of the walls or heading to other tasks. Most of them looked as if they had been marching outside, bits of mud and grass clinging to the soles of their boots, their armor nicked, bloodstains on the fabric. At least Shon and Matthu were in similar attire. The Talbokians didn't seem overly concerned about her presence or even notice her. They joked among themselves, talking loudly, stopping only to bow their heads to AaQar as they passed.

  AaQar guided her around the corner. "Don't slow your pace." His breath tickled her ear. Though his strides were sometimes shaky, he did not waver. He nudged her toward another turn down a corridor with a single door at the end. "Keep your head down," AaQar said as they reached it. "You will be fine so long as you do as you're told."

  Before Amelia could protest, AaQar pushed the door open. Amelia ducked her head, the uneasiness clenching as she recognized the voices.

  The room appeared to be a converted dining room. A sideboard rested against the wall nearest her, covered with a thick white cloth. A variety of meats, breads, and cheeses sat on the polished boards including fish, crab, beef, and koa nuts. Another table sat in the center of the large room before a low-hearted fireplace. Four wooden chairs sat at odd angles around the table, and two large overstuffed couches were before the fire against the opposite wall. Naatos stood in the back of the room and WroOth sat on the table, working a puzzle box back and forth in his left hand.

  Naatos glanced up when the door opened, his arms folded. "I trust you're feeling better, AaQar."

  "Better than either of you obviously." AaQar made his
way forward, his staff thudding against the stone floor with each step. "Seems you've been having a difficult day. Or did I just imagine you were rearranging your study…again."

  "Strange people keep entering my chambers," Naatos said. "First, that Machat. Then the assassin. Then the Machat impersonating Neyeb—"

  "Who is your new friend?" WroOth asked. The wooden puzzle box clicked in his hand. The grooves of the wood looked worn.

  "Just a friend," AaQar said.

  Amelia tensed. She could see around the hood’s edge, even with her head down, so long as she strained her eyes upward.

  Naatos and WroOth exchanged glances. "It's been awhile since you've made any…friends," Naatos said.

  "I may be dying, but it doesn't mean my skills have lessened."

  "True," WroOth said. "But making friends was never your strong point. Why don't you introduce us?"

  Amelia felt as if she was standing in a piranha pit with a bleeding leg. AaQar's grip had become a vise on her shoulder.

  “No," AaQar said with a sigh, much to Amelia's relief.

  She couldn't relax entirely. Something was still wrong. Her nerves prickled and pulsed, her elmis tightening and warning her of a danger she couldn't respond to.

  "I am not going to introduce you to my friend for two reasons," AaQar said. "First, I would remind you of the lessons you two have forgotten. See, not everyone can be found or trapped through animosity or wit. You have been trying to catch this Amelia long enough, and I am shocked that neither of you realized your target was one on whom such tactics would obviously fail. You know what she is. Couldn't you tell she would be an easy mark for a sob story?"

  Fear and anger raced through Amelia, burning in her veins. She started to twist out and away from AaQar, but he dug his fingers into her shoulder.

  "Your new friend doesn't seem to like sob stories," WroOth said.

  "That's because of the second reason," AaQar said. "I don't need to introduce her because you both already know her."