by Atlas Kane
The problem was Vormer. He shouldn’t be the one in charge, calling the shots, and bringing war to these… these refugees.
Cade needed to leave, head back to Tanrial, and find a way to either get Ketzal out or take Vormer down. But before he had a chance to do a thing, he felt the keen edge of a blade kiss his neck. Then a voice spoke to him in a whisper, “Get a good look? Now do I kill you or bring you in? What would you do if you were in my position?”
Cade fought the urge to fight back, find a way to spin free, but the woman—for fuck yeah it was most definitely a woman—held the knife firmly in place and had a scruff of his hair in the other. She had his life in her hands.
“I… I don’t know. Take me in. I mean you no harm,” Cade replied, surprised to hear the steady resolve in his own voice. His heart was racing, the edge of the blade reminding him of how fragile his life was. Yet having observed this community, he felt they would not kill him out of hand.
The woman whispered her response, her breath tickling his neck. “Then why not come up and speak with us proper? You slink and hide like a snake. It does seem appropriate to gut you like one.”
Thinking as fast as he could, Cade came up with an idea. He’d tell the truth. “I was sent here by Vormer, the piece of shit who runs the city. He told me to come and see how many of you there were, and what kind of warriors you have. But I can see you are no threat, not evil or cruel. So now I just want to leave to head back and save my friend.”
The woman clutched him closer, the strength in her thin arms surprising. She hissed in his ear. Like, literally hissed. “Vormer is no man’s friend. You are a fool and have a heart as rotten as his if you think otherwise.” He felt her body brush against his, a small but powerful thing, and he could smell her breath. It was sweet and tickled his ear when she spoke.
Cade shook his head and immediately regretted it. The blade bit into his neck and sent a trickle of blood spilling onto his fancy shirt. “No, not him. A woman is there. She’s good, I know it, but Vormer has her bound somehow. I’m not very strong yet, but maybe I can convince her to flee the city with me. Either way, please, just take me into your camp, and we can talk more. I’m no threat to you. That badass chick over there could kill me all by herself, and you are obviously quite capable yourself.”
His captor was silent for a long while. She sniffed, her mouth brushing his neck. Then she pressed her tongue to his skin, a rasping, hot thing, and licked the skin above his shoulder. A chill ran down his spine and he felt his body respond in an entirely inappropriate way. Not the time, dumbass. What are you thinking? And who fucking licks strangers?
“Truth. At least most of it. But my gifts lie elsewhere. Still, I think it worth having a chat. What say you? Or should we stay here and have fun in the bushes first?”
Cade’s mind spun. What kind of woman was this? He felt foolish and pissed off and turned on all at once.
“I thought we already were having fun. I am at least,” he said, conscious of the heat building between their bodies. He could feel her thighs to either side of his back, and the warmth that emanated from between them, a soft mound barely touching the small of his back. Sweet angel tits, this is so wrong and so right at the same time.
“Yes. I suppose we were. I wouldn’t mind taking you right now, but I think Satemi will have a look at you first. Who knows, maybe she will want first dibs,” she said, her voice husky.
Suddenly, her body shifted, and she stood, pulling him up with her. She didn’t relinquish her grip on his hair nor take the blade from his throat. The woman was shorter, but still had no trouble holding her death grip on him as she led him into the center of camp.
The tall warrior chick saw him first, and in a flash, both of her swords were in her hands. “What is this, Minda? You go hunting for city dwellers now?” All activity and friendly banter vanished, and Cade found himself surrounded by the entire village. Everyone pulled out a club or a knife or a bow. These weapons were less impressive, however, made of basic materials like wood or bone.
“He was staring at your long legs for an hour straight,” his captor teased as she took his boots and threw them to the ground. Then she explained, “No. He did admit he was sent by the Lion of Tanrial though. You can see from these and from the clothes he wears that he comes from the city.”
A few of the rebels gasped, and the warrior charged forward, pulling a sword back to strike Cade down on the spot. The woman who held him let go, stepping toward the Amazon, and shouted, “Hold. We talk first, then kill him later if he lies. Okay? He claims he wants to overthrow Vormer as well. We will hear him.”
The Amazon growled, her teeth flashing white against her bronze skin. Reluctantly, she lowered her weapon, but kept it in hand. “Fine. Remove his weapons and bind his hands. If he is to be our guest, then he will be our prisoner, for now at least.”
Cade didn’t deign to argue, grateful they at least would listen to his side of things. If the tables had been turned, he might have been willing to kill as well.
Willingly, he held his hands aloft as Minda, the woman he’d so easily been captured by, removed his weapons. She used a length of cordage to bind his hands behind his back. By the time she was done, there was no way he was getting out.
How the hell did she make this so tight? Is this girl a sailor? he cursed in his head, but when she emerged, and he saw her figure full-on for the first time, his jaw dropped. Even after seeing the impressive Amazon and Ketzal the demoness, Cade was not prepared for the stunning and exotic beauty of Minda.
11
Scars of the Body, Scars of the Heart
Minda was, if anything, hard to describe.
Cade thought at once of the beastkin of so many video games he’d played. Though not as specific as a cat or rabbit kin. She seemed instead to simply be animalistic in the most subtle yet pervasive ways. Her skin shone white in the afternoon sun, but when he looked closer, he saw that it was covered in a fine layer of velvet hair, so short it could only be discerned by the faint impression of texture. The tips of her elbows had curls of white hair jutting out, and the hair on her head was a spirited heap of white braids.
She laughed at him with only her eyes, seeming to know his thoughts exactly. But despite being called out and caught red-handed, Cade gaped.
Her body looked ready to rock a ballet recital and fight seven men at the same time. A ripple of muscle danced down her bare stomach as she laughed. Her breasts were small and tilted.
Those eyes, Cade thought. They dance with humor though she is anything but naive.
“This one likes to stare, Satemi. You’d better watch it or he’ll try to have you with his eyes alone,” Minda taunted. Then she walked closer, smiling at him, until he could see the amber flash of her eyes, slitted like a cat’s and keenly intelligent. “That’s not as fun, you know. It’s best if you use this.”
Then, to his infinite delight and horror, she traced his cock with a single finger, running it over his trousers from left to right and then moving on, leaving him charged and ready for a lengthy battle between the sheets.
“Okay, lover. You need to come with me if you don’t want to die. You will speak with our elder, and if you tell any lies or offend anyone, I’ll happily kill you. Understand?” Satemi said and pushed Cade over to an empty log where he sat in a huff.
An hour passed before anyone spoke with him again. Satemi came back to retrieve him, and prodded him along until he came before the old woman he’d seen from the ferns. Her eyes twinkled in mirth despite the circumstances, and Cade knew, for the first time since entering this weird ass village, that all would be well.
“I am Imenda, the leader here, not by strength of arms, but by years spent surviving in this terrible place. Minda told us what you told her, but we would like to know more if we are to decide what to do with you. What is your name and why have you come, traveler?”
The woman’s speech was even and fairly delivered. They didn’t owe him a thing. Yet the fact that they wer
e willing to listen to his story to discover for themselves why he deserved to live gave him more respect for their little society than all of Vormer’s repressed monarchy.
“My name is Caderick but prefer to be called Cade. I’m a Chimera Lord class that arrived only two days ago. Believe me, I am very confused and know little of this place,” he said, pausing to catch his breath. Not exertion, but nerves made his heart hammer. He knew, at least for the time being, his life was on the line, and yet, he also felt drawn to these people, as if this was where he should have respawned.
“And what of Vormer? Why have you chosen to follow his order?”
Cade’s mouth was dry, but he forced himself to swallow. “I met Vormer on my first day after coming through the portal in Tanrial. But I met Ketzal first. She spoke with me and told me to follow his orders or else I might not live. Even after doing so, Vormer sent me on a quest to kill a Nilgathi Drakeling by myself. At level one, it was a fight I barely survived. Then on the way back, I came face to face with the Kotani Ma. I survived that too, but certainly not by killing the bastard.”
He made to speak further, but the Amazon woman growled out a retort. “None face the Kotani Ma and live. He lies!”
Imenda held up her creased hand, cutting off all protests. Then she looked at him again, her eyes a pale blue that matched the fading sky. “I see no deception in his heart. But answer her. Are you suggesting you fought the beast, or that you fled and escaped it somehow?”
“Fled. And even that would not have happened had it not been for the barrier. I fell through it as the Kotani Ma attacked, and it prevented my destruction.”
The elder nodded, adding, “And why have you come here today? To spy for Vormer? It is hard for us to take this as truth and then accept that you also wish to overthrow him. You can understand, no?”
A brown tail flashed behind her, wrapping around her tiny frame, and Cade saw she was a different sort of humanoid than the others. He assumed then that he could look at a hundred different people here and each would be distinct. No wonder Pablo said this place was diverse.
“You have a point, Imenda. Vormer told me a story of this village, explaining that you attacked and murdered the servants of the city. Said you were evil and needed to be eradicated. I knew I couldn’t trust him but wanted to see for myself.”
The sage old woman peered into the depths of Cade’s eyes. He felt the desire to squirm, look away, so piercing and knowing was her gaze. His only comparison was as a child, his mother would look at him and could tell the truth of anything he told her. If she knew he was full of shit, which was often the case, she’d stare at him with eyes so heavy with accusation that a more complete version of whatever shenanigan he’d been trying to hide would come out. It was a bona fide superpower.
But he didn’t look away. Instead, he gave her the depths of his heart and mind and gave it freely. This woman wishes me no harm, no harm at all, so why deny her this much? he thought.
Finally, she nodded, as if satisfied, then continued with her questioning. “And what, Chimera Lord, have you discovered about this village of rebels?”
Without hesitation, Cade answered. “If you are all rebelling against something it is most likely Vormer’s oppression. I’ve seen the way he treats those who serve him. Part of the reward if I complete this quest is a female servant of my own. That alone condemns him in my book, ma’am.” Glancing around at those assembled on all sides, he raised his voice and spoke from a place of deeper understanding and compassion than he knew existed within himself. “These people look well fed but only for the strength of teamwork. I saw connection and friendship as I spied on you.”
Looking toward the tall and imposing Satemi, Cade added, “I see a warrior who is loyal. One who fiercely guards those she loves.” Then to Minda, he added, “And a woman strong enough to hold onto a sense of humor and a generous portion of decency despite the harsh reality of this world.”
Minda shifted at his compliment, an earnest core revealing itself for just a moment beneath her exterior of bravado and humor.
Cade looked back to the old woman and finished. “Those, Imenda, are worthy traits in any community. And that is what I see here.”
A slow smile spread across the woman’s face. She stood, raising her arms in the air with the gravity of absolute authority. “He speaks truth! We will not kill this man!” Then turning to look him in the eye, finished with, “For now, Caderick, you stay with us.”
Grumbles broke out in the small crowd around him as did a few sighs of relief. Minda even winked at him, a look of relief in her eyes.
Satemi burst forward, again pulling one of her swords free. “No! I will not have this city-dweller in my camp! He is not to be trusted, Imenda. You know more than any how skilled these liars can be. Even if he does not lie, how can we know the intentions of his heart?”
In a flash of white, Minda was between them both, a bone dagger in her hand. Cade noticed a small, metallic rod in the other, yet though he suspected it was a soul weapon, he had no idea what it was. She didn’t say a word only stood between the Amazon woman and Cade, growling softly.
“No fighting, you two!” Imenda commanded in a voice more powerful than her frame suggested possible. “I have spoken. Do you not heed my word, Satemi? Am I not your chosen elder?”
Frustration and doubt crossed the tall woman’s features, but a moment later, her resolve returned. “Fine. But I request he face a Trial of Telling. He can choose which path to tread. Please, if you do not let me test him, I must kill the man.”
A few whispers passed between the villagers, and Cade somehow knew shit had gotten real. The hell is a Trial of Telling? This is gonna be something I don’t like, no doubt.
Imenda raised her hands again and quieted her people, then gave a simple nod. Minda growled louder, opening her mouth to protest, but the old woman shot her a withering glance and silenced her. Satemi didn’t grin or gloat, merely walked toward Cade and pressed the tip of the blade against his sternum.
“Caderick Shelby Clarke, I challenge you to a Trial of Telling. Do you choose mind or body?”
Completely lost, Cade asked, “What is a Trial of Telling? And what do you mean mind or body?”
Minda walked beside him, placing a hand on his arm. “It is a test of your heart that will let all here know if you mean us harm. Satemi will know you as well as she knows all of us, if you pass. Body is a test of combat, with soul weapons. Mind means you two will be linked mentally, and though it is not a physical trial, it is dangerous and painful.”
Nodding, and taking a quick glance at Satemi, Cade knew the answer. “I choose mind. Only a fool would wish to fight her. I’m only level two after all.” He resolved to ask Pablo how to find out more information on others. He couldn’t inspect them like he could a creature or plant. But Vormer had read him like a book. How had he done it, and can I do the same? It wasn’t the time for such speculation, so he faced the situation once more with a clear mind.
The villagers gasped. Even Satemi looked shocked. “How did a Nilgathi Drakeling not kill you. If you are level two now then you must have only been level one when you faced it.”
“I was lucky. That is all. If I pass this trial, I’ll tell you all the story at length,” Cade replied, no longer wanting to wait for something he knew was going to suck.
Satemi nodded, respect in her gaze for the first time. “So be it.”
He was unbound and given a few minutes to compose himself. The sky was just beginning to fade above, and the villagers stoked the fire. It would be dark in an hour, maybe less. Cade just hoped this mess would be over before dark.
Finally, two stumps were rolled over and set before the fire. Cade sat on one and waited. Minda came to him and whispered in his ear. “You will be okay, Cade. Be honest and open with your mind and you will survive this.” She left after, disappearing into the forest.
Satemi had left after the challenge was issued, and now she returned. Her weapons were no longer hanging
on her hips, instead, she wore an iron mask, its edges fanning out around her face giving her an inhuman and terrifying visage.
This is going to be about as fun as a prostate exam, Cade mused, trying to allow the immediate puckering of his asshole to relax. If Minda thinks I can do it, I’m sure I’ll be fine. Just hope this woman uses lube.
Satemi sat before him, her creepy Aztec-looking mask making Cade feel as powerful as a roach in a mason jar. Thankfully, she didn’t waste any more time. With both hands, she reached out and touched either side of his head.
A flash of light filled his vision, and Cade saw a village like this one, but ten times as large. People bustled about their business, and a group of children sat in a ring around a man holding a spear. He was instructing them on the importance of survival, how to wield the spear in a way that offers protection, not just as a weapon.
The children looked bored, having heard this lecture many times before. But one, a girl in the front of perhaps ten or eleven, listened intently. Cade could see how every detail was being absorbed, stored for later use.
Then his vision crackled again, and it was years later. The village was even larger than before, and the same little girl was now teaching the class. She was thirty or so years old, and scars were etched in her arms and legs. A smile spread across her face as she reveled in passing the sacred knowledge along to the next generation.
The scene broke into chaos as a horn rang in the air, and people scattered in all directions. The children in the class followed the woman, Satemi, Cade knew now, into a nearby hut. She made them all wait there, hiding beneath a pile of furs. Then she stood guard at the entrance, the same spear she’d been using in her class held in strong hands.
Warriors came, dozens of them. They wore metal armor of brass and silver. They carried axes instead of spears, and though they were shorter, their bodies were strong.
Satemi fought four of them at once. One she killed with a spear through his throat. Weapon still buried in the man’s neck, she swung the haft around to block another attack. She used the spear offensively and defensively in a masterful way. Each motion was a lesson in economy and grace. She kicked out, sinking her foot in another man’s stomach and blocked another axe strike aimed for her head.