The Warrior

by Joseph Delaney

  The third barsk was riding parallel to me, but gradually drawing closer; within minutes we would converge. However, the second one was falling behind – no doubt the orl was now losing a lot of blood.

  The path was somewhere directly ahead; already there was scrub around me, and I could see the ground rising amongst the trees. To the south west, a dense thicket was visible and I nudged my horse towards this, desperate to find some cover.

  This change of direction took the third barsk unawares and gained me a few precious seconds. I couldn’t hope to lose it among the densely planted trees: I remembered the orl’s sensitive, twitching ears. Even the faintest of sounds would lead it to me.

  My plan was more desperate. The only real defence against creatures such as these was attack – a surprise attack – perhaps something they’d little experience of.

  I reached the trees ahead of the third barsk and orl, hardly slowing, keeping my head low over Laras’ neck. There were narrow avenues through the leafless saplings, becoming like tunnels where the branches met overhead – paths perhaps made by wild pigs.

  I needed to keep moving – otherwise my enemies might be able to pinpoint my position or slow down as they approached the trees. I wanted them to follow me as quickly as possible.

  I glanced right and left as my mare crashed through the thicket and, within moments, found just what I was looking for. I nudged her into a gap on the left and saw that luck was with me. Not only did the tree-tunnel take me in a new, unexpected direction; it brought me round in a tight arc to merge with a path that was almost parallel to the one I’d left. Now I was heading back in the opposite direction.

  As I drew my short sword and hefted the round shield onto my left arm, I could hear the orl pounding along. I crashed out into the open just as it was about to enter the thicket, veered sharp left and, with the razor edge of my round shield, caught the barsk on the neck. I felt it sway backwards, but then I was past it, and charging directly at the second, wounded, pair.

  A glance told me that this orl was close to death. It was limping, and dark blood was streaming from the stumps of its arms. But its rider, the barsk, was unhurt; it lifted an axe to meet my furious charge. As we clashed, I blocked the murderous spike and lunged horizontally towards the barsk’s throat.

  The exchange was not decisive, but the shock of the charge had brought the orl to its knees and the barsk was thrown clear, unable to cling onto the bone handles. As I brought my mare round, I saw that the barsk’s helmet had been knocked off. It was on its knees, reaching for its axe.

  I had very little time in which to act, so I sheathed my short sword and replaced my shield before lifting my bow. I loosed three arrows at the barsk in rapid succession. One found its neck, and it twitched and pitched forward onto the ground. But I was already charging towards the last pair, swapping weapons again, and holding my shield up to protect my head, my sword at forty-five degrees.

  The third barsk had levelled its long spear at me, so I gripped the mare hard with my knees, ready to meet the shock of the impact. As we came together, I saw the silver triple barb on its chest armour and knew that I now faced the leader of the three, the creature I’d confronted in the garden.

  I managed to deflect the deadly point of the spear, but the force of the impact threw me back off my mare. I hit the ground hard and rolled head over heels, coming to rest on my knees, still gripping my sword and shield.

  I got swiftly to my feet and turned to face the deadly rider, the barsk, its spear once again levelled at me, and its mount, the orl, long sharp nails glittering like daggers as it charged towards me.

  I planted my feet apart and prepared to meet the attack. I’d already decided to target the orl. Although once again I covered my head with my shield, this time I stepped to one side at the last moment so that the spear missed me completely.

  Then, just as the orl’s arms lunged towards me, I brought my shield’s lower edge hard down onto them. The creature gave a long piercing scream as the shield sliced into its left arm, cutting right down to the bone. It pivoted round, its heavy tail snaking towards me.

  I ducked, ending up flat on my face on the grass. I rolled away quickly as the barsk jabbed down at me with its spear, missing me by a hair’s breadth.

  Then I felt the breath of the orl on my face, foul with the stench of rotten meat, and again I used my shield, slicing into its open mouth, hearing the impact of metal on teeth; once again, the orl cried out and spun away, but this time I jumped to my feet and pursued it.

  The barsk was struggling to control its mount; the moment it brought it to a halt I struck hard, driving the point of my sword through the orl’s left eye, deep into its brain. Immediately it collapsed on its knees – though its rider still managed to hang on. In an instant I leaped up onto the back of the fallen orl and, with shield and sword, began to rain blows down onto the head, neck and shoulders of the barsk.

  Dazed by the frenzied assault, it turned its head and looked up at me with bewildered eyes. Within seconds, its helmet had been knocked off; I brought my sword down hard, penetrating the skull and piercing the brain.

  I slid off the back of the dead orl and knelt on the grass, trembling after my exertions. I took deep, slow breaths until the world stopped spinning about me.

  Only now did I understand the scale of my achievement. Unaided, I’d slain three barska, along with their feared mounts. And there were many Genthai warriors like myself. Yes, in a year we might indeed reach the High Wall and defend it against any threat. Other deadly adversaries might lie beyond it, but this first stage was well within our capabilities. Barska, orla, rasires and creatures such as Shalatan might all fall under the onslaught of Genthai blades and arrows.

  However, I now knew that stronger djinn lay on the other side of that wall, and there were more on the continents beyond this island.

  I heard a noise, and turned to see my mare trotting towards me. I patted her, then checked the wounds to her neck. They were little more than scratches, and had already stopped bleeding. I was just about to mount and continue south when a sudden thought came to me.

  Shalatan had spoken of being born again from the womb of her mother, and I’d heard tales about Hob that suggested he had the ability to regenerate his damaged selves.

  What if the barska and orla could do the same? Within days, or even hours, they might continue their pursuit.

  I decided to take no chances. They were binary djinn, so it was probably only necessary to deal with the barska. One could not fully function without the other.

  I found the head of the first barsk, then used my sword to decapitate the other two bodies. That done, I rode south and, soon after dawn, reached the top of the incline and looked down upon the distant city and the High Wall.

  It involved a big diversion to the east, but I had to be sure that the heads would be carried away beyond hope of recovery. At last I reached the high cliff where the water hurled itself onto the rocks below. Here, one by one, I cast the heads of the barska into the torrent and watched them disappear over the edge. They would be swept down past the walls of the city and on to the ocean, to provide food for whatever waited hungrily in its depths.

  Then, with long weeks of travel ahead of me, I continued southwards. With me I brought a lot of useful information, along with the map, safe within my head.

  GLAD TIDINGS

  Although the Djinn War came as a surprise to the djinn, the Genthai had long anticipated it.

  For the djinn, it was the worst of all wars – a civil war where protocol was abandoned and some performed handshakes with the Beast.

  The History of the Conflict by Eitel the Pessimist

  LEIF

  The days passed quickly and I was making good progress. Finally I reached the stone bridge; it was almost noon and the air was clear and bright. My spirits were high, for my journey was progressing smoothly. Soon I’d be reunited with Kwin.

  Then I saw that there were eight figures standing in the centre of the
bridge. My good mood evaporated and I sensed danger. No doubt these were warriors from the fair-haired people that owed allegiance to Shalatan.

  If so, they might attempt to kill me or make me their prisoner. After all, they wouldn’t know that Shalatan had set me free. Or perhaps they were rebelling again. In any case, they would not take kindly to a human crossing their bridge.

  I wondered whether to retreat and attempt to cross after dark, but I’d come so far and endured so much … I would not be stopped now. On impulse, I began to ride forward, but I didn’t reach for my weapons.

  I noted that the head of Garrett was no longer impaled upon a spike. No blood stains remained; no trace of the battle that we had fought there.

  As I drew closer, to my surprise the men, dressed in skins, stepped aside, allowing me to pass, smiling and bowing. They were clearly from the same tribe who had looked after me for Shalatan. Three were warriors, but there were also two women and three children.

  Looking more closely at them, I suspected that the women and children were the ones who’d been slain by Shalatan’s blue-armoured warriors – the children thrown into the river, the women cut down with blades; now they lived again, having been reborn of a shatek. Life could be taken away so brutally and cruelly, but just as easily given back. This was the strange world of the djinn.

  But it was not so for humans. If we fought the djinn, many of us would surely die, and our deaths would be final.

  I was within sight of the Barrier when I had a surprise encounter.

  I was camped close to the bank of the River Medie. It was a cold night; the ground was covered with frost and there was a thin covering of ice on the water. All was still, the stars bright overhead, and there wasn’t a breath of air.

  Suddenly I heard a sharp crack. Something burst up through the ice, its body gradually emerging from the water, and began to walk towards me. Ada had once told me about the many varied types of djinn. Although the ones I’d encountered on my travels, apart from the orla, had resembled humans, I knew that some were like insects or crustaceans in shape and could live underwater.

  Fearing that I was about to be attacked, I reached for my short sword. But the entity walking towards me, water dripping from it, was human in shape.

  With a shock, I saw that it was Peri. She was naked, and she paused at the edge of the river, her feet still in the ice-cold water – though she didn’t shiver and looked perfectly at ease.

  ‘It is good to see you, Leif,’ she said with a smile.

  I was happy to see her too. I’d gazed upon her dead body, but here she was, reborn.

  ‘It’s good to see you too, Peri. How did you do that?’ I asked, pointing at the water and the path she’d taken through the shattered ice. It was then that I saw the change to her neck, just below the jaw. She had gills like a fish, although now she seemed to be breathing naturally.

  ‘This was the only way I could catch you. It is important that we talk because I bring glad tidings from my lady.’

  Had she taken my advice and fled south to defend her krie-kore? ‘Did you escape from the city?’ I asked.

  ‘There was no need,’ Peri responded with a smile. ‘Once you slew the barska and the orla, our rivals panicked. They couldn’t comprehend that such a thing was possible. While their minds reeled with shock, we turned on them. Some we slew; others we drove away. It was glorious. The river was red with blood. Now we control the gate. We are your allies. Bring your army of humans and join with us at the High Wall.’

  ‘But Shalatan bade me tell my people to remain inside the Barrier or face destruction!’ I exclaimed.

  ‘That was before we saw what you could do. That was before, together, we destroyed the barska and orla,’ Peri told me.

  ‘Together?’ I asked.

  Peri pointed to Laras. ‘That agnwan is one of the seven hundred and thirteen. This also is Shalatan, made in the image of the creature you once rode. We carried you into battle. By your victory you have changed everything. Together we will ride north to death and glory. So give your people these glad tidings and urge them to join us. That is what my lady commands. But now we will perform the handshake and I will leave you.’

  Peri came over and seized my right hand. Her flesh was ice-cold. She squeezed my hand and briefly stroked the back with her thumb. Then she smiled, mounted Laras and, without a backward glance, rode off into the distance.

  I waited close to the Barrier for almost three days with little in the way of provisions. I knew that both Kwin and Tyron would be worried – I’d been away much longer than expected – almost four months. They might even think that I was dead.

  I was unable to proceed because I didn’t know how to contact the Medes. Perhaps Garrett had known, but he had taken that knowledge with him when he died.

  In desperation, I hunted and killed a wolf, but it was so covered in parasites that I couldn’t bring myself to eat it. However, remembering Garrett’s words and the ghetta he’d thrown into the river, I did keep a small piece of its fur.

  At last a Mede became aware of my presence. He walked out of the boiling dark cloud and approached me, holding a blindfold.

  ‘Is it as risky to return through the Barrier?’ I asked, remembering the two warriors who had died. It would be terrible to have come so far and fall at the final hurdle.

  ‘There is always risk,’ the Mede replied.

  ‘If I die, tell Konnit that Math’s map is accurate – wait … I need paper and ink. There are things that I must record.’

  Thus another half-day passed while the Mede brought me what I demanded. I drew the map from memory, adding the features we ourselves had encountered – marking a skull and crossbones near the Grey City to indicate the danger there. Then I wrote a brief account of what had happened and what I had learned. I gave it to the Mede to look after while I made the crossing.

  Finally he blindfolded me and guided me back through the Barrier to Midgard. I heard voices and footsteps nearby, but at no point did I feel in any danger.

  Then I was escorted by Genthai warriors back to Gindeen. After a week I was finally at the entrance to the city, but here I was met by one of Konnit’s aides, who’d been ordered to take me to see him.

  I wanted only to return to Tyron’s house and see Kwin. ‘I’ve been away for months,’ I protested. ‘I need to go home and show those concerned about me that I am safe and well. I also need to bathe and change my clothes.’

  I could tell by the expression on the warrior’s face that I was wasting my time.

  ‘My orders are to bring you directly to our lord,’ he said firmly. ‘He is even now waiting to meet you. We must go.’

  I sighed in frustration, but I knew that duty must come first. I was taken to the east wing of the palace. But when I entered the large chamber to make my report to Konnit, to my surprise there was one other person present – Ada.

  Of course, she was the expert on the djinn; she would be able to evaluate what I’d learned. I began to give a detailed account of my journey: when I described the winged creatures that had slain our comrades and horses, Ada interrupted in order to tell us what she knew.

  ‘Those flying creatures are called gungara – they form a component of many but not all high djinn: firstly there are the many selves of the djinn; secondly there is the gorestad, the high mind. The third component is the shatek, and the fourth the winged gungara, which devour and absorb the minds and flesh of enemies or other creatures whom the djinn choose to study. Using a shatek and the wurde, djinn can replicate and animate what the gungara have consumed.’

  I was stunned by Ada’s words. I remembered the silver fern-leaf tattoo on Shalatan’s forehead, and the formation of the flock of gungara.

  Of course, now it all made sense. The winged creatures must have been part of Shalatan, who had used the knowledge gained from my mare, Laras, to create a replica.

  ‘I suppose we’re fortunate that Hob doesn’t have gungara,’ I said.

  ‘We are indeed, Leif,’ Ada
observed, ‘but he is a sycoda. True sycoda have few selves – no more than thirteen – but Hob will have evolved. It would be good to know exactly how many selves he possesses; it will surely be many more than thirteen by now.’

  I continued with my tale. When I came to Garrett’s death, my voice trembled with emotion, my eyes filling with tears. Ada filled a cup of water from the jug on the table and passed it across to me. I sipped and tried to control my feelings.

  ‘Garrett was a brave man and a great warrior,’ said Konnit. ‘He will never be forgotten. He died to give you a chance of life. You took that chance, and returned to us with information that might make victory possible.’

  I nodded, but made no reply. I remembered Peri’s words.

  Together we will ride north to death and glory.

  Did we really want that? Wasn’t Shalatan’s original advice more sensible?

  I took a deep breath and went on. I told them of my experience as a prisoner and my conversations with Peri; of our journey to the city with the huge arena where djinni fought djinni for dominance and position.

  ‘That is interesting,’ Ada observed. ‘At the height of the Human Empire we made djinni fight djinni in our arenas, and gambling was important, just as it is in Gindeen now. We used the djinn for our own entertainment, but they have continued with these forms of combat for reasons of their own.’

  ‘This is how they work out their pecking order,’ I said. ‘The weaker djinn are those closer to the Barrier; the stronger ones lie further north. But we are on an island – there are larger masses of land with many more djinn. Shalatan also told me that some djinn have left this world and now rule the stars.’

  ‘Is that possible?’ Konnit asked in astonishment.

  Ada smiled. ‘I would have expected no less. We explored the inner planets of our solar system and had bases on the moon and on Mars. Djinn played an important part in that because, out there, they could function better than humans. I am not surprised to hear that they have reached worlds that orbit other suns.’