A Warrior's Penance

by Davis Ashura

  Better to let the battle be decided by whoever had enough stores to outlast the other. Let it become a war of attrition and provisions, of supplies and sustenance, of numbers and accountants. Ashoka's foodstuffs were enough to see the city through a year or more, but what of the Chimeras? Though the Queen appeared fully in control of Her faculties, how much preparation had She really put into this siege? How much time had She allowed for the Baels to ready their warriors for what was shaping up to be a long, drawn-out campaign?

  Likely not a lot.

  Which meant Ashoka would simply have to wait out the Chimeras until they starved.

  A moment later, he grimaced at the thought. If the Chimeras died of hunger, then what information could he offer the Magisterium that would convince them to allow him to live? Precious little.

  Hal'El tilted his head as shouts from outside broke through the quiet of his hideaway. He listened intently, trying to make out the words. A moment later, the meaning came clear.

  The Chimeras had devised a means to drop their rocks on Ashoka's Outer Wall, and if they had enough rocks, they might actually be able to do some damage to it.

  Hal'El smiled in satisfaction. For a time, he'd been worried that his superlative knowledge and skills wouldn't be needed in the defense of his home. For a time, he'd been worried that Ashoka would be safe without his help, but thankfully, that wasn't the case. The Chimeras would likely find a way to break through the Outer Wall, and if they couldn't, then Hal'El would make sure that they did. He fingered the hilt of the Withering Knife.

  The Magistrates needed to learn fear.

  If needed, Hal'El could simply use the black blade to scratch the stone upon which Ashoka's Oasis was anchored. He could mar it just enough to weaken the city's protection. A small breach. If he did so, the Magisterium would likely be in a far more accommodating mood toward him and his singular knowledge.

  Yes. Perhaps that would be best.

  His plan decided, Hal'El returned to the one item that he chewed over like an ugly piece of gristle: how to reach the Shektans. He'd learned that Satha was paralyzed, which was a good start for the punishment that cursed family deserved, but it wasn't nearly enough. Hal'El wouldn't be satisfied until he had Dar'El's head on a pike.

  And after that, he would answer Ashoka's cry for a savior. He would rescue his home. Hal'El would ensure that his life's journey didn't end in infamy but in the only manner that truly made sense: as the unconquered hero that saved Ashoka.

  But first he needed more abilities than he currently possessed. He needed something only Rukh Shektan possessed.

  “You will never have all that you need,” Felt Barnel said in his mind. “You are too great a cretin to even know what you truly require.”

  “A jackass dressed as a man,” said Aqua Oilhue. “Thus do we reckon Hal'El Wrestiva.”

  “A simpleton, bellowing to his betters about his illusory knowledge. You are an idiot,” said Sophy.

  Hal'El gritted his teeth in annoyance. The views of the others trapped in his mind were unimportant. He knew what mattered. He knew how he could yet claim his rightful victory. He needed Rukh Shektan's power. He hadn't forgotten how the young warrior had battled and defeated Suwraith. Hal'El wanted what Rukh had. He needed it. Ashoka needed for him to have it. That kind of Talent melded with what Hal'El knew of the Fan Lor Kum would make him undefeatable, and by extension, the city itself.

  Hal'El studied the black blade, the Withering Knife, that had cost him so much but might also provide the salvation he so desperately desired.

  “The rocks are eventually going to wear down Ashoka's walls,” Rukh said. He must have noticed Choke's sudden look of alarm. “Not now, but eventually. Probably many months from now,” he further explained.

  “How many months?” Choke asked.

  “Well into winter, maybe spring,” Rukh replied. “But Marshall Tanhue wants to know if you have any ideas on how to slow down the Fan Lor Kum. If nothing else, it would give our people hope.”

  Li-Choke stroked his chin in thought. “An obvious solution doesn't come to mind,” he said, somewhat surprised that the marshall had sought out his advice. He was even more surprised that so early on, Ashoka's warriors thought their Walls might already be at risk. He had been sure it would take many more months, possibly the fall or even winter, to bring down the city's heavy fortifications.

  “We have to find a way to hurt the Chims,” Rukh said. “Put them on the defensive. We can't just hide here behind the walls while they're pulled down around our ears.”

  Choke considered the problem anew as he glanced around the prison in which he and the other Chimeras were housed. Though the Magisterium had allowed them sanctuary, it didn't mean the Baels and Tigons had been given free rein to wander the city. Instead, they were still housed here, in the prison built for them shortly after their arrival to the city.

  Right now, most of the Baels and Tigons rested in the shade, doing their best to evade the heat of the afternoon sun. On the catwalk skirting the prison's perimeter, warriors remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on the Baels and Tigons within.

  Choke felt no resentment at his ongoing captivity. Why should he? The behavior of the Humans was to be expected. Throughout history, Baels and Tigons had not done nearly enough for Humanity, and yet here were the Ashokans housing and protecting their once mortal enemies. The Humans even fed them regularly. Choke was especially glad for the occasional meat they were offered. Pork, beef, and lamb were a welcome change from the taste of Phed. He . . .

  Phed.

  An idea came to him.

  The Baels, Ur-Fels, and Balants were omnivores. They could feed on grass, but the Tigons and Braids were obligate carnivores. Their primary food source was the Pheds. If the Humans could kill enough Pheds, it wouldn't slow down the Fan Lor Kum, but they would have to hasten their attack or risk starvation for a large number of their warriors.

  “What is it?” Rukh asked.

  Choke explained what he'd been thinking, but irritatingly, Rukh wouldn't let him reveal his thoughts in the proper manner in which they should be given. Instead, he kept urging Choke to 'hurry up' or 'get to the point'.

  Choke found such prompts discourteous, but by now, he'd grown used to the manner in which Humans spoke, and he trudged on with his truncated explanation. When he finished, he gave Rukh a smile. “Kill enough Pheds, and maybe that will give us an opportunity to stop the rest of the Chimeras.”

  Rukh offered a smile in return and reached up to put his hand on Choke's shoulder.

  It was a gesture that left Choke humbled by the camaraderie it indicated.

  “I hope so, my friend,” Rukh said.

  Choke blinked back tears. Even now, it still astonished him when a Human treated him as a brother.

  A futile gesture is often the last resort of those with nothing to lose. Pray never to reach such a sorry state.

  ~The Warrior and the Servant, (author unknown)

  Jessira shifted the burden on her back and shuffled closer as Rukh went over the plan one final time. Of the nine warriors arrayed around her husband, only Rukh and Jaresh were Purebloods. The rest were OutCastes. These ten were the only warriors in Ashoka who had the Talents of a Kumma and could also Blend. They were about to skulk forth from a postern gate with an aim to wreck ruin upon the Chimeras.

  A boulder thudded against the base of the Wall, and everyone flinched. Recently, the Chims had changed the aim of their catapults. Rocks hurled from high in the air were inevitably turned aside by the Oasis. But those launched at a shallow angle and at a slower speed—those could penetrate Ashoka's mystical protection. And while not all the boulders got through, at their current rate of fire, the Chims would eventually do some damage to the Outer Wall. Even worse, according to the Rahails, the continual bombardment and penetration was causing the Oasis itself to weaken somewhat. Not by much, but according to the Rahails, it was certainly a measurable decrease.

  Such information had only been intended for th
e Magistrates, the ruling 'Els, and high-ranking Rahails—such as the Patriarchs—but it had quickly become known to the entire city. Thus, the need for this night's attack. The city needed some hope.

  *When do we leave?* russet-coated Thrum complained.

  *Hush,* Aia ordered. *We'll leave when it's time.*

  Thrum subsided with a grumble.

  “The Chims have dredged a channel from the Gaunt River that ends in a small pool,” Rukh began. “It's where they water their Pheds, the main food source for the Tigons and Braids.” He gestured to the packs he and the others wore. “We're going to poison that pool and kill as many Pheds as possible.”

  “And since the Baels, Ur-Fels, and Balants also drink from that same water, we might get some of them, too,” Jessira said.

  “Any questions?” Rukh asked.

  A murmuring of dissent met his question.

  The warriors manning the postern opened a thick ironwood door leading into the tunnel cut into the Wall. The passage was dank and dim with only red-hooded firefly lamps to light the way. Several more ironwood gates lined the throat. They were opened as Rukh's small group approached and shut once they'd passed.

  Jessira took a steadying breath before the final gate. All firefly lamps were now put out, and the world was as still and dark as a mountain-hewn cavern.

  “Ready?” asked one of the warriors manning the final gate.

  Rukh gave a brief nod.

  “Good hunting, warriors,” the man whispered before easing the door open.

  Once outside, Jessira glanced back, but the postern was already closed and hidden by a thick covering of ivy, one that grew in abundance along the entire lower length of the Outer Wall. Sighting the gate was made even more difficult by the lightless night. The moon was hidden behind a bank of clouds, and a drizzly rain had broken the early summer heat. To the south, Jessira could hear the creak and pull of the Chims siege engines as they cranked and released, regular as Clarion Bell, Ashoka's famous clock tower.

  Rukh led them into the gloomy night, taking them west. Jessira could sense more than see her fellow warriors arrayed nearby. Their faces were all smeared with soot, and their dark gray camouflage blended perfectly with the night around them. The Kesarins coursed along at their sides on nearly silent paws.

  *A patrol,* Shon said. *Ten lengths to the right.*

  Rukh held up a hand, barely seen in the dark, and the small group came to halt, hiding low in the grasses. All the warriors held shallow Blends. They would do little more than mask their scents, but it would have to be enough. Until they understood how the Queen could see through their Blends, they didn't want to risk any that were deeper. Doing so might compromise their positions. For all they knew, the Queen could somehow sense the Blend itself, and the deeper it was, the easier it would be for Her to see it.

  Shon was crouched at Jessira's side, steady and ready to leap at a moment's notice. His gaze was focused. It was the poise of a hunter. A rumble came from his chest. Jessira put a hand on his shoulder and quieted him.

  *They're gone,* Aia said.

  “Let's go,” Rukh hissed.

  The mile to the Chimera watering channel was covered in fits and starts as Rukh and the small band with him were forced to skirt around several more Chim patrols. Thankfully, the darkness of the cloudy night with its attendant drizzle kept them well hidden, and the Kesarins' keen senses allowed them to avoid the areas where the Chimeras were congregated. The Blends were hardly needed.

  Still, it was nerve-wracking and should have been frightening, but Rukh was too focused to be afraid. His mission might mean the difference between survival and death for his homeland.

  “Almost there,” Jessira hissed.

  Rukh nodded acknowledgement. They had come to a small rise, a landmark to let them know that they neared their destination. The Phed watering hole was supposed to be just a few hundred feet south, and Rukh led them in that direction at a trot. There were no further patrols to impede their progress, and they quickly covered the distance.

  The pool was before them, and the warriors lifted leather waterskins off their backs. They emptied their poisonous contents into the small pool, which drank it all in without a burble.

  “Don't let any of it touch you,” Rukh hissed a reminder.

  He shook out the last of the poison, and it was done. Rukh replaced the waterskin on his back. So far, the mission was going well. He offered a brief prayer that it would remain as simple on the return to the postern.

  Moments later, a Bovar bolted across their path. Chasing after it was a claw of Tigons. There was no chance to hide. Rukh drew his sword even as the Chimeras shouted in alarm. He prepared to rush forward, but the Kesarins beat him to it. They quickly killed the Tigons, but distant, questioning cries had already been raised.

  Rukh cursed their bad luck. “Run,” he said without hesitation.

  *Nodogs and Nosnakes,* Shon warned. *Many of them, to our right.*

  *Nocats, also,* Thrum announced. *And Kezins, the horned ones.*

  *They're already between us and the Wall,* Aia said. *More are moving to cut us off. They'll get there first.*

  Rukh swore again before turning to the warriors in his unit. “Ashokans”—a few months ago, it would have been utterly incongruous to refer to a band of OutCastes as members of his city—”we've got problems.” He quickly passed on the Kesarin's information. “We'll have to run flat out and fight through.” He forced a brash confidence into his voice, but inside he was a tight bundle of tension.

  The last time he'd sprinted for Ashoka's walls, he'd been leading Trims in the Advent Trial. He had hoped this excursion would be far different. He had hoped none of his brother and sister warriors would die this time. He still hoped that it might happen that way.

  “We'll make it,” Jessira said to him, making it sound like a promise. She playfully punched him on the shoulder and grinned. “Just don't slow us down.”

  *I'll make sure he keeps up,* Aia promised in a voice that sounded like a smile. *Even if I have to carry him.*

  Rukh smiled at their teasing, and some of the tension left him. “Let's go,” he said. He conducted more Jivatma and led the warriors at a fast clip toward the city's walls. Stealth gave way to speed, but they remained somewhat hidden by the soft Blends they all still held. Maybe it would be enough to hide them.

  “Shouldn't we tighten our Blends?” Jaresh whispered.

  “The Queen might feel it,” Sign replied.

  “Dead at the hands of a Chim is still dead,” Jaresh countered.

  “We'll have a better chance surviving the Chimeras then we would the Sorrow Bringer,” Sign disagreed.

  “Quiet,” Rukh snapped. “We're not running a debate club. We're running for the postern. Now shut it.”

  The band settled down after that, and Rukh did some rough calculations. The Wall was a little more than a mile distant. Just a few minutes away, but only if they avoided any Chimeras. Any delays—even a single nest of Ur-Fels—might see them trapped outside Ashoka's safety. They needed a clear path.

  *You'll have it,* Aia promised. She looked in Rukh's direction. *But my chin will be very itchy when this is all done.* Soundlessly, she and her brothers peeled away from the Ashokans and accelerated forward.

  “Where are they going?” Sign asked.

  “They're going to clear us a path to the Wall,” Jessira answered.

  Sounds came: hoots of alarm, snarls of pain, hissing cries of distress, and barks of anger. Over it all was the deep-throated roar of Kesarins in battle. New sounds. This time, the deep-throated bellow of a Bael.

  Rukh found himself worrying for Aia and her brothers. There were a lot of Chims out on the plain. The three cats couldn't take them all on. What if they pushed too far ahead for the Ashokans to be able to help them? He was about to call the Kesarins back when Aia spoke.

  *We aren't stupid,* she reminded him. *We won't wander too far.*

  Rukh smiled to himself before turning to the others. “We can
't go straight for the postern,” he told them. “We can't let the Chims know there are any other ways into the city beyond the main gates.”

  “Then what are we going to do?” Sign asked.

  “We'll head for just north of the postern and fire off the signal flares. That'll tell the Rahails and Murans up top to Link to our Blends and toss down scaling ropes,” Rukh answered. “And when we reach the Wall, we'll Blend more deeply and climb up to safety.”

  “What about Suwraith?” an OutCaste warrior questioned.

  “If the Sorrow Bringer shows up, we'll have to hope that we're close enough to the Oasis so that even if She does take notice of us, we'll reach the Wall before She can kill us,” Rukh explained.

  “And the Kesarins?” Jaresh asked.

  “Aia, Shon, and Thrum can only enter the city through the postern,” Rukh said. “I'll Blend them and bring them in.”

  “Shon is mine,” Jessira said. “I'll stay with him.”

  “And Thrum's mine,” Jaresh announced.

  “No you won't,” Rukh snapped. Anger bubbled at their obstinance. “All of you will go up those ladders. Those are your orders. No more talking.”

  Jessira looked like she wanted to say more, but a hard shake of his head let her know he didn't want to hear it.

  The Kesarins reappeared at their side. *There are a lot of Nobeasts directly ahead of us,” Aia said.

  “Can we cut through them?” Rukh asked.

  Aia pondered his question for a moment. *Yes,* she finally said.

  *But you have to kill them swiftly before others of their kind cut you off from the gate,* Thrum added.

  *We're not going to the gate,* Rukh said, quickly explaining the change in plans. *Stay close to us,* he ordered the Kesarins before turning to the others. “When the flares go up, I want you all ready to Annex. Jessira and I will form a Duo. The rest of you form Quads. Your only mission is to get inside.”

  No arguments came from the others this time, and Rukh breathed out a sigh of relief for small blessings.