by Alta Hensley
"We assure you, we will do everything we can within our power to restore the harem as it once was. But for now, we ask you to respect us. Not as the brothers who rule the Palace of Lazar, but as the commanders of this new army," Malachi said, with a renewed sense of authority.
Despite the fact she was uncomfortable with the idea of learning how to fight, after years of learning the art of submission and seduction, she saw Malachi and Donte hurting with all the upheaval, and her heart opened to them. "You will always have our respect. And if you say to us now that you believe this will protect us, then that is what we will do. Of course," Elbi said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Briar leaned forward and rose to her feet, gracefully. She brushed some of the dust from her silk robes. "The training begins tomorrow morning?" she asked.
The other women began to rise, following her lead.
Without hesitation, Malachi replied, "Before dawn."
The women began to file out before her and Elbi stayed, looking at Malachi for a moment.
"You will be safe with the other women, Elbi," he reassured her.
"Of course. Good night, sir," she said as she hurriedly left, the echoes of her footfalls reverberating through the empty halls.
Chapter Four
Elbi awoke to the sound of men beneath her window, talking quietly. Their voices were far away at first but as the sleep left her body and the fog cleared from her mind, she could hear a heated discussion. She heard Donte, whose voice she knew as well as Malachi's, and then another one. As she tried to discern from afar, she watched the moonlight dapple the walls of her chamber. The sky was still dark, and morning was a few hours away yet. She heard the locusts chirping in the wasteland, mixed with the heavy breathing of the women of the harem. They were all scattered about on makeshift beds in an empty, cold room. She stood and wrapped her half naked body in a heavier piece of muslin. Elbi tiptoed toward the window and leaned against the edge. She did not want to be seen. She knew it could lead to a quick trip over one of the brother's laps, but she eavesdropped anyway. When she closed her eyes to concentrate on the unfamiliar voice, she could hear him more clearly.
"Donte has informed me that we will be training the harem tomorrow. To be honest, Malachi, I don't know if they will ever be able to learn what we can teach them. Especially in such a short period of time, and if we are forced to leave here earlier than planned…" the man spoke with a quiet urgency.
"I understand your concerns, Nico, but you will do with this time whatever you can to make these women strong. If the Jaden army somehow manages to take them, the only hope they have of survival is going to be whatever ferocity they can manage in the first few minutes of their capture. Even if they do escape, they will need the fortitude to make it through the swaths of the desert for any amount of time and then find their way back to us," Malachi said.
"These women have never even known the outside world. They have never gone a day without food in their lives, or at least since joining the Palace of Lazar. They avoid the hot sun by bathing in the pools of Lazar's garden or lounging under the palms. If they are captured, death might be a better fate for them than traveling through the desert alone with no water, no food, and probably not even some idea of what direction they should be going." Nico said this with more urgency, and Elbi shuddered at the thought of what the man was implying. In her mind, it did not really seem that far-fetched; the fate he was prescribing.
"My brothers are forever in your debt, Nico. You saved Briar's life and almost lost your own in doing so. I am asking if you will help us train them. If you say no, I will respect that. But don't question our decision," Malachi warned.
There was a long pause and then Nico spoke. "I will do what I can. I just hope they are prepared for what it will take."
Elbi slid down the side of the wall until her knees were curled up to her chest. She hugged herself in consolation. The men's voices fell away from her ears now, and she felt the tears well over her eyelids and track down her face.
She lifted her head and looked around the bare chamber. She had grown accustomed to tapestries, elegant pillows, jewels, and gifts from the brothers that always dotted the room. She remembered how the golden trinkets and baubles would gleam in the moonlight. When the Palace of Lazar was safe, they had all lived in peace. Would that day ever come again?
* * * * *
Elbi had fallen asleep on the floor of the chamber, beneath the window. When she heard the footsteps coming toward her, it broke her fitful rest and she immediately noticed that the sun had not yet risen. Her eyes still filled with sleep, she sat up straight and began to take to her feet as the man came toward her. For a moment she considered her body, covering her breasts with her arms and pulling her long blonde hair to fall on her chest instead of her shoulders.
"Ladies, forgive me for barging in. But there is no time to waste. Can you all get ready and meet me in the courtyard?" the man said, as he surveyed the waking harem.
The lanterns and candles had blown out while she had slept on the floor and the room was still mostly dark, which she was grateful for. It didn't bother her that the man, who she assumed was Nico from last night, had come in unannounced, but she did want to retain some modesty.
"There is no time to waste, ladies. Let's get moving," he said, as he approached Elbi and the women who slept near her.
His eyes were almond shaped, his lashes quite long. His hair was thick, though in the gloom she could not tell the color of it. By his bone structure she thought he resembled the old families of Vostok. His face reminded her of her childhood commune. It was jarring. She hadn't been there long, and her memory of it was fuzzy, but the resemblance was enough to make her stop in her place, paralyzed if only for a moment.
"My name is Nico. I have been asked to help train you. I have a few others helping me and they are waiting in the courtyard for us." He reached for Elbi's silks and handed it to her, seemingly impatient at her immobility.
"Thank you," she mumbled quietly, staring into his face like she had seen a ghost. His clothing was well worn, with holes and rips in the light brown fabric.
She wrapped her silk around her and slipped into a pair of cloth shoes. Wishing for an ivory comb, she had no choice but to use her fingers. Quickly working them through her hair, she untangled the knots that lingered at the tips. It moved around her shoulders and as the first ray of sunlight burst over the horizon, the orange aura snuck into the room now. Its exposure cast light on his face, and Elbi found herself staring at him.
He glanced at her and all the other women primping. "Your appearance is not of importance now, ladies. Time is wasting." He walked to the doorway and stopped under the archway while he waited for all the women to stand ready. "Follow me."
He walked with purpose down the long halls, with the harem following in tow. As they passed other chambers, she peeked inside each one to see if she could get a glimpse of Malachi. She saw no one, and felt her anxiety grow because of it.
"Will be we waking this early every day for our… lessons?" one of the women whined.
"Yes. There is no time to spare," he answered curtly.
"So you continue to say," she replied, as they walked the remainder of their short trip through the housing unit and to the courtyard in silence.
Coming into the courtyard, Elbi saw some other women of the harem who'd been staying in another room. There were looks of fear and curiosity on their faces, and she made a direct line toward Briar.
Briar was sitting on the edge of a small wooden bench, smoking from a rolled paper, the tobacco stuck to her lower lip.
"Such little shame you have. What would Donte say if he caught you?" Elbi teased her. "Or should I say, what would he do to you?"
Briar's friendship was by far the most meaningful one that Elbi had. Briar, despite all her rigorous training and leveled expectation that she adapt to the submissive role of the harem, still had a wild streak in her. The wildness in her was a trait Elbi envied. She had become mo
re of a leader than anything else. Elbi had once happened upon Briar and Donte as he was disciplining her. They didn't spot her as she hid behind a wall. Briar was a ravenous tigress, yet soft and yielding. Elbi may have at one point felt a twinge of jealousy at such a thing, but deep inside, even at that moment, she felt a stir of longing. Not for Donte. But to be more like Briar—strong. Never too fearful, never afraid. The complete opposite of Elbi.
Briar looked miserable this day, more so than the other women. She looked up at Elbi from her perch and gave her a lazy grin. "Luckily for me, he is with his other brothers right now. I don't think I would be sitting comfortably for quite some time otherwise."
Elbi sat on the ground, knees bent beside her. "I'm scared, Briar."
Briar exhaled a large puff of smoke and gave a weak smile. "We are safe for now. We just need to do as they asked, and learn what we can."
"From Nico? We don't even know him. Why can't it be Malachi or Donte? Why aren't they here?"
"We can trust Nico with our lives. I owe him mine." She stamped out her rolled cigarette in the sand and began to pick the loose leaves from her lips, spitting them messily onto the dirt. "If it weren't for him, I would have been raped and killed." There was a faraway look to her as she revealed this information.
Elbi stood and brushed the remnants of sand from her covered legs. The two women looked at the soldiers who began to file into the courtyard. Their presence ruffled the other harem women and where once they had been tittering to each other like small hens, the footfall was enough to quiet them and push them into their respective roles.
"Something does seem to bother you," Elbi spoke out of the side of her mouth.
"It's nothing we need to discuss now," Briar said. And before Elbi could prod any further, she stood up and walked away from her. It annoyed Elbi. She was more curious than angry.
"Ladies, please if you would, come sit before me and my men," Nico commanded.
In the early morning light she could see him quite well. He was well muscled but his face looked worn. There were small cracks in his otherwise chiseled face. The lines sat heavy around his eyes. His tattered clothing—which he was still wearing, she noticed, despite having to present himself in front of the entire harem—looked even thinner in the growing dawn. He wore a long scimitar on his hip. His shoulders were broad, and before she could really consider the narrowness of his hips, she felt eyes burning into her. She looked up to see that Briar was staring at her from across the courtyard. She knew precisely what Elbi was prepared to admire, and she raised her eyebrows and winked at her, quick as lightning. Elbi shook off the suggestion and brought her eyes back around to Nico.
"My name is Nico, for those of you who have not met me yet. The brothers of Lazar, as I am sure you know, have instructed myself and my men," he waved his arm widely toward the men who had now formed a line, shoulder to shoulder, "to teach you the way of the warrior. You face dire times, and I will not tell you a single lie. Should the Jaden army capture you, you will wish yourself dead, as I'm sure many of you already know. But if you love your life, you will listen to the teachings we have for you. And you will obey."
Nico began to walk amongst the women, carefully considering each one. Elbi looked to see if he had lust in his heart when he looked at them, but truthfully, if he did, she could not discern it. This struck her curiosity and she thought that perhaps this Nico actually would be able to help them. A man who could walk amongst a bevy of beautiful women, especially women he had at his command, without so much of a hint of wanton desire, was a man in control of even the deepest, most primal parts of his being.
Elbi interrupted him, embarrassed by her meek, childish-sounding voice. "Where is Malachi?"
"The brothers are with their advisors this morning. They are busy making plans to better fortify Casen. We all take your safety very seriously."
"He will not be observing us?" Elbi's voice cracked. Her heart rate sped up. For some reason, the idea of going this long without Malachi formed a panic in the depths of her belly.
"He needn't watch everything you do, Elbi," Mistress Tula said impatiently.
She hadn't seen Mistress Tula arrive. The woman stood with her arms crossed tightly against her chest and her lips formed in a firm line. "You will do as these men direct, or I will punish you. I will not accept any disobedience from any of you."
Elbi looked at the ground in fear that she would otherwise glare in the woman's direction. It shamed her that she disliked Mistress Tula so much. Mistress Tula had been placed in charge, and Elbi was to respect her at all times, but she found it difficult. Elbi knew her place and recoiled back into herself.
Nico moved forward. "What we will do today is learn the most preliminary measures of defense. You will learn how to have the correct posture when you are being grabbed so that you may find a way out and free yourself. If you are unable to free yourself, we will show you how to move your arms and legs in such a way that will harm or slow your captor, do you all understand?"
The fifteen women nodded without saying a word. For each woman there was an assigned soldier and for a moment, Elbi wondered if Nico would be the one to work with her. He began to walk toward her and she felt her stomach tighten. With subtlety, she eased her shoulders back and watched him as he approached. He looked at her, but she felt as though he was looking through her. Not seeing her. Another soldier stepped from behind Nico and moved toward her as Nico walked past and stood before Briar. Elbi didn't dare look at him in that moment, and she didn't know why. She instead rested her eyes on the soldier before her, a younger man with a deep olive complexion and green eyes.
He smiled at her obligingly. "Ma'am," he deflected to her, giving her a brief nod of the head.
"Elbi," she replied shortly, as she noticed Nico say something to Briar and then quickly walk away.
Elbi looked at the soldier squarely. And so, the first morning of the harem's training commenced.
Trained first in positions and stances, the women felt shy and awkward. Their bodies were not accustomed to prolonged bouts of physical activity. Their life of leisure had kept them soft and supple. And, undoubtedly, their grooming and pampering had left them as real life works of art, more to be admired than handled.
But Nico walked around the women as they were propped up and guided, arms and legs poked and pulled into the right positions, and as the morning hours faded away into the afternoon, his voice grew louder and more forceful. To encourage their attention, he would tell them what they were up against and hoped that fear would be the greater teacher of the day.
"Most of you have lived in Lazar for your entire adult lives, I am told," he began. He circled around each woman as he continued. "You have no idea the battle we have in store to conquer Lazar. Though we will be there to try to protect you, we will be easily outmatched by Jaden warriors, three to one. We are lucky that our army is growing daily, by allied forces, but Jaden still has the upper hand. I will tell you now what they will do."
Elbi hung on his every word. Before they'd left Lazar they were told of Jaden's murderous rages through the desert communes. It had seemed that with each commune conquered, they become more fearsome and bloodthirsty. They considered themselves, Elbi had heard, to be equalizers of the world's wrongs. She was inherently afraid of them.
"There was a siege on the commune I lived at last. Jaden came running down the dunes, screaming shrill calls to each other. I watched as they picked off our men one by one. Their swords were guided with swift pursuit, and I watched them kill men who were easily bigger in size and by far the smartest men of the commune. But their swords cut through them at the neck. They had a thirst that my commune didn't know existed. It wasn't for precious water. It was for blood. We didn't see it coming. I watched blood stain the sand, and I saw men who I called friends…" Nico's face contorted with the memory.
Elbi was surprised to see him show such emotion now. He would stop every few moments and gaze at one of the women as she was held in a locked po
sition by a soldier who would then guide her arm back and into a jabbing motion low into their guts.
"And then I saw them begin to pick off the women. The girls who were young and beautiful, as all of you are now, were slung over their shoulders after being grabbed or bludgeoned on the head and knocked nearly unconscious. I saw these men throw themselves on top of our young girls, raping them. I listened to them scream and watched them bite, pinch and claw at these men. But nothing could stop them. When they were determined to have a woman, they would take her. I fought as best as I could with no weapons and no preparation. And then I saw something that convinced me my life would be dedicated to defeating men like these animals. These beasts of the desert. I saw a man who snuck up behind a girl a few years younger than all of you. She was crying, motionless, in a heap on the ground. He grabbed at her in his blind passion. He couldn't make contact with her without enduring her swipes to his face. And finally, when he had her wrapped in his arms, she bit down hard on his neck and drew blood from him. He screamed and let her go, throwing her to the ground, not before slapping her across her face so hard that her nose began to spout blood. He was so enraged, he took her by her hair, swung her around and laid her out on the ground, flat on her face. Quicker than I could realize what he was about to do, he pulled his sword out, swung it around his own head and down on her neck. Her screaming stopped instantly, and what was once a farmer's daughter, was now little more than a head rolling away from her body."
The harem women had stopped in place. Their eyes were wide, their mouths slightly agape.
Briar screamed, "Nico! That is enough!"
Elbi began to sob. Something inside her snapped. Whatever had been holding her fragile mind together, now crumbled. A deep well of madness took over. She had no choice but to leave the courtyard in a quick sprint.
"You don't want to hear this," Nico began, "but you need to know what it is you are up against." His voice faded as she ran—deeper, and deeper into the darkness.