The Boundless

by Peter Newman

  A horrible certainty formed in his mind.

  ‘That’s Rochant.’

  Mia nodded. She had no reason to think this was a bad thing.

  Gada continued to look worried. ‘Does this change our plans, High Lord.’

  ‘Yes. Mia, keep your eyes on them. We will follow on the ground. Lord Gada, tell your hunters to stay close. Tell them to trust in my orders, no matter how strange they might sound.’

  He and his brother nodded slowly to each other.

  ‘Is there something I should know?’ asked Mia.

  ‘Yes. Listen closely, but keep your eyes on the sky.’

  And he began to tell her. As he did so, their quarry started to dive. He wasn’t sure what they were after, but it was clear they’d seen something and it wasn’t far from the castle.

  But if Rochant has returned, Mother is in terrible danger. Perhaps she is the thing being hunted.

  He began to accelerate forward, taking them all by surprise.

  ‘High Lord?’ asked Mia.

  ‘High Lord!’ called Gada.

  ‘Come as fast as you can,’ he called back, making one bound, two, his wings finding the currents of the Godroad and lifting. ‘I’ll need you!’

  And then he was in the sky.

  Hold on, Mother. I’m coming.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Sa-at rejoined Satyendra and the two hurried on. He’d managed to scrounge a few things to eat as they travelled but the forest had been unusually quiet. There were no animals around, which was always a bad sign, and the trees were refusing to talk to him. He wondered if his time in the sky had changed him somehow. Perhaps they sensed the not-Wild on him. Perhaps they just weren’t feeling talkative. The only way to be sure was to get back to a part of the forest he knew, preferably to his friendly tree.

  The thing that really bothered him was that Crowflies hadn’t shown up. He was worried about the Birdkin. It had been so distressed when he’d taken the Godroad that Sa-at worried something had happened to it. He wasn’t sure what, but the more time passed, the more he began to feel a horrible twisting in his belly.

  What if I never see Crowflies again?

  His worries weren’t eased by Satyendra, who had gone ominously quiet.

  ‘Do you want some nuts?’ he asked, holding out an open hand. ‘We can share.’

  ‘You keep them.’

  Sa-at didn’t need to be told twice and began stuffing his face. It didn’t do much to fill his belly but he relished every chew and crunch. ‘Oh,’ he added, swallowing the last bits down, ‘I found these.’ He pulled out three thick leaves. ‘For your hands. Come and sit with me.’

  It was hard to read the expression behind the scarf but Satyendra came. Sa-at unwrapped the bandages and examined the damage. The burns stood red and white on the insides of his hands but the skin around them was odd too. It had paled significantly. He fancied that in the right light he’d be able to see the outlines of the bones beneath. Working swiftly, Sa-at tore the three leaves in half, pressed them against the worst injuries, and rewrapped the bandages around his hands. Throughout the process Satyendra sat very still, his jaw set, his gaze averted. When Sa-at was finished Satyendra reached out to him as if to rest a hand on his shoulder but he paused halfway through the gesture before lowering his hand. Eventually he said in a quiet voice. ‘Aren’t you scared of me?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘I could kill you. You know that. You’ve seen what I’m capable of.’

  ‘That’s why I made you swear.’ He smiled and though he couldn’t see much of Satyendra’s face he knew it wasn’t reciprocated. ‘I’ve seen what happens when a demon tries to get out of an oath.’ He let his smile drop. ‘You wouldn’t like it.’

  Having made his point Sa-at set off in the direction of the friendly tree. He’d only got a few steps when he realized that Satyendra hadn’t followed. He turned back to see him looking up through the trees in the direction of Lord Rochant’s floating castle. Despite their long walk, it remained visible, a solid slab of blue and grey against the sky.

  ‘Do you miss being up there?’ asked Sa-at.

  ‘No. Do you?’

  ‘No … Yes.’

  ‘Which is it?’

  Sa-at shrugged. ‘Both. I liked the people.’ Satyendra made a dismissive noise. ‘I liked when they smiled at me. I liked how safe it felt. But it wasn’t real. It was just a big clever trap, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Yes. They didn’t care about you. The moment Lord Rochant needed a new body, your life would be over. I say life, but that’s a stretch. You wouldn’t even be yourself.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because—’ Satyendra broke off and pressed the sides of his hands against his cheeks. ‘Because,’ he repeated slowly, as if feeling each sound and syllable, ‘they would make you be like him. Talk like him. Move like him. Even think the same way.’

  ‘But … Rochant made me feel nice and he said I was clever. He said I just had to be myself.’

  ‘Of course he did. He wouldn’t just tell you the truth. When did he call you clever? I’ll bet it’s when you did something the way he liked it.’

  Sa-at sank to the ground. It’s true. He taught me to think one thing and say another. And he got me to keep secrets from Tal. And …

  All his conversations with Rochant came back to him, this time in a new light. He felt sick and stupid and angry. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and his throat burned with words unsaid.

  Satyendra took in a deep breath. ‘Mmmn. You understand now. He was never your friend. Neither was Roh. None of the Sky-born were or the road-born for that matter. Not even Tal. You’re not a person to them.’

  The tears were blinked away. ‘It hurts.’

  ‘Yes. Do you want to hurt them back? I know a way but I’ll need you to agree to it.’

  Sa-at shrugged. He was confused. Mostly he wanted to find Crowflies and curl up in the branches of his friendly tree. ‘Do you?’

  ‘Of course I do. The good news is, we are hurting them right now. Until he manages to father another child, you are his only hope for coming back. Do you understand? Simply by being out here, you are killing him. That’s why I …’ Satyendra paused and his hands bunched into shaking fists. ‘That’s why we have to keep moving.’

  Sa-at stood up and had one last look at the castle. It had seemed so incredible when he first saw it. How he had longed to explore it! Now, it loomed there, like an unspoken threat. A distant play of sunslight on the castle made him squint. Something’s fallen off. It was too small and too far away to make out clearly, but as he watched he saw another movement, and another.

  And another.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Satyendra, but he was already looking for himself. ‘We have to go. Now!’

  They turned and moved deeper into the forest. Thoughts of Rochant in his armour flew through Sa-at’s mind. Of his impossible strength and speed. He thought of all the hunters – the spears – at Rochant’s command.

  We will need help.

  As they ran, he took breath and called, ‘Crowflies! Please! I need you. I’m sorry. Murderkind! Murderkind! Murderkind!’

  The trees rustled at the name, like drunken men trying to stir. They took his words awkwardly, turning them into an uncertain whisper.

  ‘Crowflies needs you.’

  ‘Murderkind? Murderkind? Murderkind?’

  Sa-at didn’t understand why the trees had taken his words in this way. But he realized that while he was away something fundamental had changed, and no help was coming. They were on their own.

  Satyendra had been forced to exercise a lot in his life as an Honoured Vessel. Injuries aside, he was in good physical health, and no stranger to running. However, try as he might, he could not keep up with Sa-at.

  He watched, awed, as the black feathered coat snapped and rippled in front of him, it too, struggling to match the twists and turns of its owner. While Satyendra barrelled through, his arms high to protect his face from the spiteful branches,
Sa-at flowed around the obstacles like a river around rocks.

  ‘Murderkind?’ whispered the trees, each repetition of the word a little quieter.

  There was a soulful note in their voices that spoke to his heart.

  Then, from above, an explosion of leaf and bark rained down as the first hunter broke through on their left.

  Sa-at pivoted right and kept going without losing momentum while Satyendra nearly crashed into a tree, pushing off from it to change direction.

  He risked a look back over his shoulder and saw that the hunter had landed in a heavy crouch and was already rising, long spear in hand.

  Satyendra didn’t look back a second time.

  More noises came from behind them: The screech of trees, the thump of Sky-legs connecting with the ground and absorbing the impact. More hunters!

  And yet more, from the right this time, closing them off.

  Much as he hated himself for it, Satyendra’s thoughts had been trained to move like Rochant’s. He imagined things from the point of view of the Deathless. The hunters would form a perimeter, a walking net that would close around the quarry. Rochant himself would be able to fly the furthest, so he and his best hunters would have flown ahead to close the trap.

  We’re probably being guided towards him right now. If we face Rochant, we’re dead.

  ‘This way!’ he shouted.

  Sa-at slowed but did not stop. ‘What?’

  ‘We go our way not theirs. Which way are your allies?’

  ‘Through them,’ replied Sa-at, pointing at a pair of hunters bounding towards them from the left.

  Satyendra nodded. ‘Follow me.’

  As soon as the hunters realized what was happening, they took defensive positions and raised their spears. They don’t need to kill us, just hold us here long enough for their master to arrive. He knew the first bit would be the hardest. If he could get past their guard and hurt one of them, that pain would fuel him, make him stronger. Then he would be better able to escape. But that was easier said than done.

  The only thing in his favour was that he knew Rochant’s hunters, much better in fact than Rochant did. So when he rushed towards them, he made eye contact with Ila, the woman on the left, whilst actually planning to attack Fom, the man on the right. Fom was a good hunter, the kind that would instinctively move to protect his partner even if it meant putting himself at risk.

  Satyendra knew that he only had one chance. He sprinted as fast as he could, locking eyes with Ila, giving every impression that he was about to jump at her.

  As he coiled his body to leap, the sunslight flickered above him. He saw a winged shadow cast three times, blocking out his own. For a split second he felt a familiar choking aura descending, then a tremendous force crashed into him, slamming his face into the dirt.

  Sa-at skidded to a stop. Rochant had dropped through the canopy in front of him, feet first, onto Satyendra. Branches had cracked, leaving a ragged hole above. Bones had cracked below, then creaked as Rochant stood and stepped off the body.

  Sa-at had to take a hurried step backwards as Rochant turned to avoid being swatted by the long sapphire wings. Sa-at could see hunters all around him now. While their spears did not point at him directly, they were ready.

  There were so many thoughts and feelings leaping round Sa-at’s mind that he had no idea what to say or do, so he just stood there.

  Rochant regarded him, his expression cool. ‘When I heard that you’d gone, I assumed that this one,’ he pointed his own spear at Satyendra, ‘had taken you against your will. Then my people reported that you had stolen my sacred armour and helped him to escape. They told me that you had worked together. Tal says that you attacked him. Several of my loyal hunters cannot speak, their voices silenced by your actions.’ He paused, continuing to study Sa-at in a detached manner. ‘What do you have to tell me?’

  ‘I …’ Sa-at tried to find the words. In its own way Rochant’s calmness was brutal. He looked around, confirming that there really was nowhere to run. ‘You lied to me!’

  ‘That is a grave accusation, and one that you could have made in the castle. If you had concerns, you should have come to me.’

  He sounded so reasonable that Sa-at felt doubt flicker in his heart. ‘I know what an Honoured Vessel is for.’

  ‘Tell me.’

  ‘It’s for killing.’

  Rochant nodded. ‘Ah, I understand.’ His spear moved to Satyendra again. ‘He told you that, I presume?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And you believed the imposter, a demon of the Wild, a known enemy, over me? You took his word without even thinking of talking to me about it?’

  Sa-at looked down.

  ‘People have been injured and killed. Good people. Their blood is on your hands. Do you understand?’ A single step brought him close. ‘When a Deathless is sent between lives, they need a new body to return. We call that person an Honoured Vessel. They have to be related by blood. If, when this body dies, you were needed, you would be expected to sacrifice the remainder of your life. That is true.

  ‘Did he tell you that there can be more than one Honoured Vessel?’

  Sa-at shook his head.

  ‘Did he tell you that my current body still has fifty, sixty, perhaps more years left in it?’

  Sa-at shook his head.

  ‘And did he tell you that if I have other children, or if you have children, or if they have children, any of them could become an Honoured Vessel?’ Rochant leaned down and pitched his voice low. ‘It is just like any deal. It has a benefit and a cost. With me you will enjoy a long and fruitful life. Everyone will love you. You will have incredible opportunities to learn and train. I have so much to show you, Sa-at. So many wonderful things. Do you really think you’d have a better life down here?’ He tilted his head the tiniest fraction. ‘Or a longer one?’

  It had all made sense before but now nothing felt certain. Have I got it all wrong? Did Satyendra trick me or is Rochant tricking me again? I don’t know!

  ‘I’ll take your silence for agreement,’ continued Rochant. ‘I know this has been a hard time for you and I’m sorry I’ve had other matters that have taken me away. You’ve been misled by a demon and I have to accept some responsibility for that. If I’d destroyed it immediately, none of this would have happened.’ He held up a finger. ‘Pay attention, Sa-at. Everyone makes mistakes. That is part of life. But one must always learn from them. Let me show you what I have learned.’

  He turned back towards Satyendra and shifted the grip on his spear, spinning it in his hand so that the sapphire tip was facing down. ‘I realize now that nothing this creature can teach me is worth what it has already taken and I vow that it will take nothing from me again.’

  ‘Wait!’ said Sa-at, finding his voice at last. ‘Don’t kill him, please.’

  Rochant glanced back at him. ‘There is still a great deal you don’t comprehend. You have no authority here. Your job is to watch and learn so that you never allow yourself to be used in this way again. Do you understand?’

  ‘No! I don’t. Don’t kill him, he’s just like me.’

  ‘Observe, Sa-at, and you will see just how wrong you are.’

  He raised his spear high. If Satyendra had any awareness of his impending doom, the only evidence he gave was an incoherent groan.

  Sa-at didn’t know what to do. It seemed like there was nothing he could do. As Rochant turned his attention back to Satyendra a small object flew through the air towards him. It was a sapphire spear head, similar in design to the one Rochant carried, but this one trailed a slender silver chain that ran into the trees above.

  The spear head punched through Rochant’s right wing and lodged there. Dark circles appeared in the crystal, radiating from the impact with thinner, crazier lines around them.

  Another Deathless followed the spear head, also decked in glowing blue armour. Vasinidra! He was in a sharp dive, skimming over the heads of the hunters to land nearby.

  Rochant paused, hi
s helmet moving to track the newcomer.

  The silver chain went tight.

  And then Rochant was ripped off his feet.

  Vasinidra swung his spear overhead, like a fisherman casting a line, adding power to his momentum. Rochant flew through the air on the end of the chain and was slammed into the nearby trees with a thunderous crash.

  The hunters cried out in surprise and horror.

  Sa-at looked from them, to Vasinidra, and back again.

  He doesn’t have any other spears with him. Rochant has lots. It that good? Is it bad?

  Sa-at looked to where Satyendra lay, the crumpled figure making a pitiful attempt to rise. One of the hunters had noticed too and was moving to intercept.

  Should I help him or stop him?

  There was a break in the circle of hunters now.

  Should I run? Should I stay?

  But he did none of these things. Indecision had gripped his heart. The only thing that he knew with any certainty was that there were no right answers, just a series of miserable choices that he didn’t want to make.

  Vasinidra released the trigger on his spear and the chain vanished into the shaft once more, the sapphire head snapping back into place with a neat click. He moved forward, intending to make good on his surprise. Rochant would not be down for long and he had no desire to face the other man in an even fight.

  But before he could close, hunters beset him on all sides. None actually went as far as to attack him, but they interposed themselves between him and their lord nonetheless.

  ‘Listen to me, faithful servants of House Sapphire. Lord Rochant has betrayed us all to the Wild. I do not expect you to understand but I do expect you to stand aside. I am stripping Lord Rochant of his status, here and now, as is my right as High Lord.’

  To his surprise, they didn’t move.

  He could see their hands trembling and the stress of the situation plain on their faces, but he saw Sapphire resolve there too, stubborn and unshakable.

  ‘I say again, stand aside. Everything I do is to restore us, I have no wish to hurt loyal members of the house.’