by Davis Ashura
Shon’s ears wilted in sorrow. *Even my Jessira?*
*Even she,* Aia replied.
*They are as numerous as blades of grass,* Thrum said. *Choose another. What difference does it make if these two happen to perish?*
*Because Jessira is mine,* Shon declared. *She will not be eaten.*
*And Rukh is mine. So we will help them.*
*How?* Shon said, ignoring Thrum’s disgusted snarl.
Aia shrugged, a hooding of her eyes. *We’ll know how when the time is right.*
The decision made, the three Kesarins tracked Rukh and Jessira’s company, watching from a distance. The Humans were skilled at hiding but a few Nobeasts managed to pick up their trail. These, Aia and her brothers killed. It felt good to go on the attack after spending most of the day running.
Eventually, Rukh and Jessira were joined by a host of other Humans.
*Is it another glaring?* Thrum asked.
*I thought those who lived in the deep, dank hole in the mountain were their glaring,* Shon said.
*No. These are ones who escaped the Demon Wind,* said Aia. *The ones Rukh helped save. He is the finest of them.*
*No. The finest of them is Jessira, his mate,* Shon noted.
Aia blinked, not sure what her brother was implying.
*As his mate, she must be finer since he chose her,* Shon explained.
Aia rumbled laughter. *You are wise, Shon. The female is always the finer.*
Thrum whoofed laughter as he thumped Shon on the head. *Simpleton.*
The two males tussled for a bit, ending their play when Shon planted a victorious paw on Thrum’s chest.
*They’re moving,* Aia said. Thrum took the opportunity to turn the tables on his brother. Aia hissed, quieting both of them. *Let’s go.*
They followed as the Humans made their way to the confluence of two great rivers. The three Kesarins stood on a nearby summit and watched.
The Humans—almost entirely females and young ones—sought to escape the Nobeasts by floating down the frothy water on spindly pieces of wood—an idea of utter insanity. Other Humans—mostly males—stood facing back in the direction from which they had come. They formed a thin wall, defying the countless Nobeasts racing toward them. Some of the Demon Wind’s creatures even had the heights. They would indeed finish what their Mistress had begun, and yet the Humans refused to yield.
Fools. Why didn’t they flee on their strange, floating, wooden splinters?
And her Human, the greatest lackwit of them all, was scaling the hills with his mate. They planned on fighting. For a moment, Aia wondered what drove the Humans to such foolhardy feats. Was it courage or idiocy? No Kesarin would have risked death on behalf of others the way Rukh and his fellow Humans did.
Once again, Aia sensed his determination. It was like when he had faced the Demon Wind: he wouldn’t quit until he was either dead or he had accomplished his goal. Many of the other Humans felt the same way.
Aia wondered at their unwavering selflessness.
*They will fight so many?* Thrum asked in surprise.
*Rukh nearly killed himself caring for his mate,* Aia said.
*Odd,* said Thrum.
*Do you think they feel so deeply for us?* Shon asked.
*No,* Aia said, *but they can.* She bounded off to where she saw Rukh ascending the shoulder of a boulder-strewn hill. *We will still defend them!*
Rukh was barely panting when he crested the tumbled down cliff. The Silversuns and Shadowcats and other warriors of Stronghold were right behind him. They had to hold the line here, a thin ridge, no more than fifteen feet wide. There was a steep falloff to either side; into River Heart on one and a rocky, maze-like canyon on the other. Only by descending the incline Rukh had just climbed, could the Chims have a chance to get behind the Ashokans and destroy them. The Strongholders couldn’t allow it. They had to defend this position as long as possible; fight off hundreds of Chims with their bare three dozen. Terrible odds, but it was Devesh’s way.
As Durmer Volk would have said, ‘Life only grows easy when we die.’ Rukh smiled in remembrance. The past was a rose-tinted heaven, so much sweeter than today’s carnage and pain.
“What a fragging terrible reunion,” Jaresh said as he reached the summit.
“Why aren’t you with the other Ashokans?” Rukh asked in surprise. He still had trouble believing Jaresh was actually here. Any other time, he would have been overjoyed to see him and hear stories from home. Today was not one of those moments. He was grateful for the presence of his fellow Ashokans—without them, the Strongholders would have long-since perished—but part of him wished they had never come. At least that way, Jaresh, Farn, and all the rest of them would be safe.
“You’re my brother. Family should fight alongside one another,” Jaresh said with a grin. “Besides, Amma and Nanna would kill me if I came home without you.”
Rukh smiled. “So now it’s you who protects me?”
“It goes without saying,” Jaresh said.
Jessira reached the top of the cliff along with the rest of the Stronghold warriors. “Why aren’t you with the Ashokans?” she asked of Rukh. “You could Annex with them.”
Rukh’s heart thudded. Jessira had lost everything, but nothing in her expression revealed her pain. Her eyes and stance were focused and unyielding. She would die here on this ridge if it would see her people survive. Her presence in his life was a precious blessing. “You’re my wife. My place is by your side.”
Wordlessly, Jessira took his hand and squeezed it in gratitude as she rested her forehead against his.
“We’ll make it,” he whispered to her, his words a prayer.
Cedar had already set the other warriors in their positions. Only seconds remained before the Chims were within bowshot range. What looked like several hundred of Suwraith’s warriors rumbled along the clifftops toward them, the Tigons in the lead. “I need you to hold the center of the line,” Cedar said to Rukh.
“I’ll stand with him,” Jessira said.
“I wish I had one of Durmer’s aphorisms right now,” Jaresh said. “A moment like this demands one of his pithy warrior phrases.”
“There is an old one that should do,” Rukh said. He filled his lungs and shouted, “Unto the last breath, wield the wild sword and scream defiance!”
There was a moment’s pause before the warriors answered, Jaresh the loudest of them. “Until the sun’s demise or Suwraith’s death, we war!” they responded.
Rukh conducted Jivatma, letting it fill him. Time slowed, the world grew sharper, as the skies reddened with the setting sun. The ominous creaks of bows pulled back to their full length grew louder. He Shielded, and his hands glowed with Fireballs.
“Now!” Cedar shouted.
Rukh hurled Fireballs, incinerating the center of the first two rows of the oncoming Chims. Bows twanged. Arrows took down dozens of the beasts. Many more replaced them. A guttural roar shook the air.
It had taken the Kesarins time to skirt the Nobeasts—race downhill to the banks of the larger river, then up the incline of the crumbled cliff. Finally, Aia, Thrum, and Shon arrived upon the slip of stone where Rukh, Jessira, and some of the other Humans battled an endless swarm of the Demon Wind’s creatures.
Arrows filled the sky, and the air burned with balls of fire. Rukh.
The Kesarins roared. Their deep-throated cries rose above the battle’s din, and for a moment, both sides halted as they sought the cause of the sounds. Aia didn’t give the Nobeasts a chance to prepare themselves. She ran full speed. Alongside her was Shon, a tawny blur, and Thrum, a russet shadow. They leapt over the Humans and charged. Tooth and claw ran red with the blood of Nocats, Nodogs, and Nosnakes. Even the horned Kezins died beneath the sudden, vicious attack by Aia and her brothers. The Nobeasts faltered. Their charge broke, and they pulled back.
It bought the Humans precious moments to regroup and retreat. Aia led her brothers back to their line, facing the Nobeasts the entire time. *I couldn’t let you f
ight alone,* she said to Rukh, who appeared stunned to see her.
*No one kills my Human,* said Shon.
Except for Rukh and Jessira, the rest of the Humans had pulled back from the Kesarins. Fear poured off them like smoke from a fire, but down below where more Humans battled, many of them had minds that were strangely quiet. Aia couldn’t understand why their thoughts were silent.
*They’re Annexed,* Rukh said. With a flash of knowledge, he explained what he meant. *It can only be done by Kummas.*
*And it makes you better warriors?*
*Yes.*
*Reach for your mate. I will show her how.*
*You can do this?* Rukh asked, his mind filled with sudden hope.
*Yes. Just as I taught you to Heal.*
Rukh nodded. *Give it to every one of them.*
Aia glanced at the Chims. They were readying for another attack. She would have to act quickly. Her brothers could help. She explained what was needed, and they agreed, Thrum less happily than Shon.
Aia reached for the Humans and gave them the knowledge Rukh wished them to have.
They screamed in anguish, but in seconds it was over. The remaining twenty or so Humans stared at her with disturbingly expressionless features. Their minds were silent, and the Chims charged with angry howls.
Rukh reached for those around him. He found Jessira, Jaresh, and Cedar. They Annexed and a Quad was born.
The Quad’s mission was simple: defend the ridge until the women and children were safe. To best accomplish its task, They all needed one another’s Talents. With a twist of Jivatma, knowledge was shared. It was done.
The Quad conducted more Jivatma and Shielded the members. A green glow encompassed each of them. Around it, Triads and Duos readied bows. The Quad conducted more Jivatma and readied a different weapon. The members hands glowed gold.
The enemy attacked.
Primary, the most powerful, hurled his Fireballs. The other members were weaker and would have to wait for the enemy to close before the Quad could unleash them. Bowstrings snapped. Arrows flew. Chimeras were killed.
The enemy was in range. Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary threw their Fireballs, incinerating the onrushing horde. The Kesarins tore into the Chimeras. They carved a bloody path into the ranks of the Fan Lor Kum. Again and again, the Quad flung Fireballs into the teeth of the enemy.
For a brief period, the Quad and those fighting alongside it held the line, but the weight of the horde turned the tide. The Quad drew swords. It took deep cuts and heavy blows but never quit, contesting every foot it was forced to surrender.
The end was nigh.
“Retreat! The women and children are on the water.” The cry came from down below.
A change in plans: survival was now the prime directive. Reach the shores of the river.
The Quad unleashed Primary. His sword was the swiftest. His Jivatma the most suited for battle. Primary pushed yards into the enemy, separated from the rest of the Quad. His Shield brightened, and a Fire Shower burned outward. The enemy died in a perfect circle thirty yards wide, but Primary was left unShielded. He would likely die, but the gambit had accomplished its intended task. The other members could now safely retreat. Three would survive rather than none.
The other members were furious and terrified, but the mission was unchanged.
Primary fought on, surrounded on all sides, taking damage. His Shield flared back to life and was snuffed out almost as quickly under the weight of enemies.
Roars of fury and outrage. The Kesarins, Aia, Shon, and Thrum, slashed an opening for Primary to escape.
The Kesarins also took the moment to run.
As soon as Primary caught up with the others, the Quad raced downhill. It had almost reached the base of the cliff when Quaternary took an arrow in the back. He stumbled before falling the last ten feet.
The Quad dissolved.
Jessira shook her head in confusion, trying to make sense of where she was. The world was dark and chaotic. Nightfall. What she’d experienced as part of the Quad…the battle on the ridge…Cedar! Jessira ran to her brother. Not him, too. She couldn’t take another loss.
Rukh was by her side.
Farn was already there. “I’ve got him. Cover us,” he ordered Rukh. Farn lifted Cedar and carried him toward a canoe guarded by Jaresh, Court, and Sign. A raft with five or six Ashokans pushed off into the water. Another. Jessira realized with a start that she, Rukh, and the others were the last ones still on the riverbank. They stood alone on a narrow sandbar. Sheltering them overhead was the limestone shoulder of a looming cliff.
Raging forward came a mass of Chims, screaming their hate.
Jessira jumped into the canoe’s prow. She readied the oars. Farn boarded, gently lowering Cedar. Rukh, the damn fool, stood alone upon the riverbank, yards in front of the others. His hands glowed, and he threw Fireballs. They exploded into the ranks of the massed Chims, funneled as they were by the narrow sandbar. It slowed them, and they screamed anew, this time in anguish.
Jaresh boarded, followed by Sign and Court.
Jessira shouted. “RUKH!”
He heard her. And just like when he had saved Laya, he bounded along the length of the rock wall. Two jumps, and he was by the canoe. He tumbled inside. Court stood, providing cover with his arrows.
Jessira hauled on the oars.
“Go!” Court shouted. His voice ended in a gurgle.
Jessira saw his head fall forward, clutching a spear that had taken him in the chest. He seemed to sigh before he toppled out of the canoe.
Sign screamed. Jaresh held her back from leaping into the water after her brother. A green glow flickered around them. They were Shielded, and spears and arrows rattled against it. Rukh’s face showed the strain but he held onto his Jivatma.
Court was gone. Jessira played back the final moments of his life over and over again in her mind, praying she would wake up from this nightmare. Her parents, Kart, Jeshni, Court, her nieces and nephews—all of them were dead. Her people.…She bit back a sob. She could grieve when they were safe.
Sign cried softly, hugging herself.
They pushed further into the water, and picked up speed. The rapids were upon them, and it would be almost impossible to traverse in the darkness. But Rukh’s hands were lit, providing enough light by which to see. The first stretch would be the most dangerous. According to the maps, a half-mile downriver, the Gaunt smoothed out.
Jessira didn’t allow the sorrow hollowing her heart to distract her. She didn’t allow the tears to fall. She remained focused on the task at hand. She shuddered with relief when the canoe swept past the rapids and into the deep water where the water flowed smooth and sedate.
Cedar coughed just then, only once, before exhaling heavily and lying still.
The End
The Trials are the means by which Humanity maintains a fragile link between their far-flung city-states. It is a holy mission, and most often carried out by Caste Kumma, the warrior Caste, and all who accept such a weighty obligation understand that it might lead to their deaths.
The Trial from Ashoka to Nestle is no different, and it is also Rukh Shektan's first. He is a Virgin to the Trials, as is his cousin, Farn Arnicep; Keemo Chalwin, a fellow Kumma and close friend; and Brand Wall of Caste Rahail. Rukh, however, is unique. He is the current Champion of the Tournament of Hume. His sword is said to be the finest in generations.
Disaster eventually overtakes the Trial. It is discovered by a large band of Chimeras and destroyed en masse. Few Ashokans survive, and among them are Rukh and his friends. They escape the ambush, but the means of their survival is considered anathema: they learn Talents not of their Caste. It is a situation that leaves them dismayed and horrified.
But they are also warriors of Ashoka, and they know their duty: their home must be warned of what has happened. They know that this many Chimeras gathered together at one time might indicate that Suwraith, the Sorrow Bringer, has deadly intentions toward their home, the city
of Ashoka. Rukh elects to send several warriors back to Ashoka in order to carry word of the Nestle Trial's fate, while he, Farn, Keemo, and Brand track the Chimeras to their staging area.
Their plans proceed, and as they follow the Chimeras, all four men seek to master their newly acquired, but unsought Talents. Brand learns to Shield and quicken his movements like a Kumma, while Rukh and the others form Blends, a perfect means of camouflage.
It is a situation that leads to great unhappiness, and Farn wonders if they would have been better off dying amongst their brother warriors in the Trial. He worries they are naaja—Tainted—or worse, ghrinas, children of two Castes. His fears are not without foundation, but Rukh will not hear of it. They have a mission to accomplish, and if Talents not of Caste Kumma are the means by which they complete their assignment, so be it. He demands that they put aside their fears for the future and accept whatever punishment is due them, after they find where the Chimeras are staging.
His orders are reluctantly carried out, and by the time they finally track down the Chimeras, all four warriors have a better understanding of their newfound Talents.
Rukh, Farn, Keemo, and Brand reach the Hunters Flats and discover the leaders of the Chimeras, the bull-like Baels, conversing privately with one another, far away from the bulk of their army. The Ashokans see an opportunity to destroy their hated enemies. But before they can launch their attack, Suwraith arrives in a storm of wind and terror.
The Ashokans hide, Blended as hard as they can. And while the Sorrow Bringer is amongst the Baels, they learn of Her plans for Ashoka: their home is to be destroyed.
Suwraith eventually leaves, and just as Rukh and the others are about to attack the Baels, they listen in astonishment as the bull-like commanders argue on how best to disobey Suwraith—to actively oppose Her and protect Humanity. It is a stunning revelation, and one not easily believed.
Rukh decides to speak with Li-Dirge, the Bael commander, who is now alone after sending his brethren back to rejoin the rest of the army while he meditates.