Tainted: The Life of Uktesh Book 2

by Aaron Hicks

  Marylla suddenly looked at Tylor with more interest. Tylor for his part only looked interested for a few moments. Then he shook his head and muttered, “Too young, too.”

  Pamfilo added, “If you’re looking for a wife, I have several friends.”

  Leilani nodded and said, “Me too.”

  Tylor looked like he was going to deny it, but shrugged and said, “I’m not getting any younger. Just don’t tell them I’m rich. I don’t’ want to be married for my money.”

  Pamfilo and Leilani looked at each other, “You’re here on this island and you’re with them. It’ll be assumed you’re rich.”

  Tylor said, “Then just don’t tell them I’m super rich.”

  Pamfilo asked Esolc, “Are you super rich too?”

  Esolc nodded and said, “I thought I told you about the tournament and how we bet on it.”

  She nodded, frowned, and said, “I didn’t agree to marry you for your money.”

  Esolc smiled and patted her leg, “I know.”

  Repus said to Leilani, “If you’re marrying me for my money I’m okay with that, because I’m marrying you for your body.”

  She smiled brightly and either believed him and liked it, or didn’t believe him and enjoyed his humor. Uktesh wasn’t honestly sure what he thought Repus meant.

  After that they got down to the details of the joint wedding. Uktesh tuned them out. He reached for Laurilli’s hand and listened, without actually hearing what was being said, and relaxed with his friends and family.

  After a while they put their dishes in the dirty dish bin and moved the conversation to the pool area to let the kids play in the pool while the adults talked and kept an eye on them. Uktesh and Laurilli had no problem being included with the kids if it meant they got to play in the pool. Kayla and the twins were a constant presence and each kept, “accidentally,” running into him. He started using his water ability to redirect them. He could see their confusion when they couldn’t get near him.

  He stood in the middle of the pool where it was deep, but still shallow enough for him to stand. He pulled Laurilli in front of him and quickly realized he was enjoying that too much, so he gently pushed her from him. She grinned at him over her shoulder and didn’t let him push her away. Instead she backed against him and suddenly he had to think about imperfect forms of working with a mace, and he concentrated on how to adapt forms to work if he had a mace in one hand and a flail in the other. She moved away from him and tapped his shoulder. He looked past her to see a current had formed where he’d been keeping Kayla and the twins away. They weren’t able to leave the shallow waters.

  Uktesh stopped manipulating the water and jumped out of the pool. He reached down and pulled Laurilli out and before her feet had touched the stone around the pool he Walked to their shower. She smiled and started, “Did someone enjoy-”

  But he cut her off with a kiss and quickly stripped her out of her bathing suit and removed his own. Their fourth time that day was over almost before it started. He breathed heavily into her ear and said, “Sometimes your teasing goes too far.”

  She grinned at him, “Sorry. I’ll behave myself the rest of the day, I swear.”

  He picked her up and said, “That’s not really in the cards right now.” She gave a startled yelp as he threw her onto the bed. He looked at his gorgeous wife and asked, “Now, I believe it is my turn to make you squirm.”

  XIII. A Joint Wedding in the Life of

  The day before moving day

  Uktesh woke up to Laurilli throwing up in the bathroom. He rolled out of bed and held her hair with one hand and rubbed her back with the other. She clutched her new necklace in one hand and said, “I think the chicken disagreed with my stomach.”

  He had luckily remembered a month before their wedding that her birthday was less than a week after their wedding. He’d commissioned Abrym to make her a golden necklace of a dragon in a design like the Uktesh’s on his arm. He’d had a plan to give her the gift in the hopes of a reconciliation, but fortunately the day before her birthday Basam had shown up and they’d made up. The day of her birthday had started off normally, considering that at the time four of their six married days they’d been separated. It started off as he hoped it would every day. They’d made love in bed, then again in the shower, and a third time after breakfast.

  He had waited until they were alone in the lagoon, after fending off the twins, and had put it around her neck as he held her from behind. She loved it, and it had led to their fourth and fifth time that morning. Now he noticed that she gripped it whenever she was upset.

  Uktesh said, “I’m just sorry you’re feeling bad. Will you be able to make it to the weddings?”

  She nodded, unable to speak, then threw up again. Uktesh continued to rub her back and resisted his urge to gag. She stood and he carried her to the bed. She said, “I’m able to walk.”

  He smiled and put her down on the bed. He got a cloth, ran it under the cool water, then twisted it dry, and put it on her forehead. She moaned in relief, “Thank you.”

  He kissed her cheek and said, “Wait here.” He Walked to the dining area, which wasn’t open yet, and Walked again, this time through the barrier that was down when the dining area was closed.

  He got two cups and filled one with the tart juice and one with the sweet. Then he Walked back to their house before anyone saw him. He said, “I have sweet and tart, which sounds better to you?”

  She reached out and said, “Sweet please.”

  He handed her the sweet juice and took a sip of the tart berry drink. She quickly drained her drink and he handed her the tart cup too, which she drank right down. “Should I go back for more?”

  She shook her head and said, “No, just come back to bed and hold me.”

  He got in bed with her and put his arm around her and quickly fell asleep. He woke up a few hours later. Laurilli was up and changing into her wedding kiekie. Uktesh smiled as she saw him watching her in the mirror. She rolled her eyes and he got out of bed and put on his wedding dumpra. Even though he wasn’t getting married, the dumpra was still the appropriate formal clothing. He and Laurilli walked slowly down to the dining area with Heathyr and Thulmann. When they got there Basam and his whole family were already seated and eating. Two spaces were open between Trysha and Fayth. Their newest game was to leave two spots for Uktesh and Laurilli to see who he sat next to.

  Thulmann, however, didn’t find it amusing that after two weeks they hadn’t given up of his daughter’s husband. So, after they got their food, he and Heathyr took the two seats and Uktesh sat next to Elysha while Laurilli sat next to Basam. Uktesh began eating the thick ham he’d gotten and Laurilli pinched her nose and started breathing heavily. Uktesh asked, “What’s wrong?”

  She said, “That ham’s smell is making me nauseous. Either throw it away or eat it quickly, please.”

  Uktesh picked up his plate and a fork and quickly ate the ham away from Laurilli. He put his plate in the dirty dishes area and got himself and Laurilli four drinks. As he walked back he balanced them carefully and put them down in front of Laurilli before he sat next to her and took two of them for himself. He drank one cup and sat sipping the second one. He saw that Laurilli had drunk both of hers so he offered her the one he had and she accepted gratefully. Uktesh noticed Heathyr’s concerned look and said, “She’s not feeling well.”

  Laurilli smiled and said, “But I’m not going to miss the wedding!”

  Heathyr said, “Speaking of which we should start helping Pamfilo and Leilani into their ta’ovalas.”

  Laurilli kissed him and said, “You should enjoy your breakfast. It’s one of the last we’ll have here.” Then she left with her mother to help Pamfilo and Leilani. There was a wild scramble and, after a short scuffle, Trysha was sitting in the chair Laurilli had vacated.

  Trysha batted her eyelashes at him and said, “Trysha’s not feeling sick, Trysha feels really good. Would you like to feel Trysha?”

  She laid her ar
m on his, he shook her off, and said, “No, that’s okay, I trust you.”

  The group was quickly dispersing and he asked, “Does anyone need help with anything?”

  Fayth said, “Fayth does.”

  Trysha added, “Only you can help Trysha with what Trysha needs.”

  Even Kayla said, “Kayla has a problem you need to help Kayla with.”

  Uktesh in a moment of brilliance said, “I tell you what. I left something on top of the volcano, the first person to get it and return it to me will get one favor, and it can be anything. However!” he shouted to halt the running women, “It’s two hours before the wedding. Heathyr walks that distance in that amount of time every day. If you can’t get it and return it to me before the wedding then the deal’s off. Go!”

  He grinned as they sprinted out of the dining area. He Walked to Abryms’ shop and said, “What’s the heaviest thing I can buy?”

  Abrym was taken aback by Uktesh’s sudden appearance in his locked shop. “I’m about to leave for my daughter’s wedding! I’ve got no time to sell you something!”

  Uktesh said, “I don’t want to buy it. I just need it for today.”

  Abrym said, “My heaviest item is that stone statue of a dragon.”

  Uktesh said, “May I please borrow it?”

  Abrym nodded and said, “If it’ll let me leave to go to my only daughter’s wedding then sure.”

  Uktesh Stepped to the statue and Walked with it to the top of the volcano and suddenly felt drained.

  That was a long Walk for you with such a heavy burden.

  It was barely fifty pounds!

  Well sure, but could you swim with that tied to your back?

  Uktesh knew he couldn’t, and had to respect the dragon’s opinion of his ability to Walk, especially since without the dragon’s help he couldn’t Walk on his own. Uktesh Walked back to his house and wrote a quick note that just said, “This statue is the thing I left ladies – Uktesh.”

  Then he Walked back to the statue and put the note under the statue. He Walked to the dragon training area and found Dayho. He bowed low, and said, “Grand master, it has been a pleasure training with you.”

  Dayho bowed in return, just as low, which surprised Uktesh, “You have been a pleasure to watch grow. I have a feeling you’ll take the dragon style of fighting to a whole new level. I have high hopes for you, as does the Grand master I assume.”

  He’s got that right! Women! Women! And then more women!

  Uktesh sighed and said, “You’d be surprised.” Uktesh hugged to aged grand master and said, “I hope to return to your tutelage one day.”

  Dayho hugged him back and said, “Don’t make it too long! These old bones don’t have that many days left in them.”

  Uktesh left to find Ryth, but ran into Mycha first. While no love had been lost between them, Uktesh felt he should at least say goodbye. He bowed, stuck his hand out to the grand master, and said, “Thank you for your assistance in my training,” even if it wasn’t much and felt like pulling teeth to get you to help me.

  Mycha looked at Uktesh’s outstretched hand and said, “Had I had my way we would’ve killed you.” He slapped Uktesh’s hand away and said, “My opinion hasn’t changed.”

  As he walked away from Uktesh Dusyd said from Uktesh’s left, “My opinion has changed.” Uktesh turned to see the grand master of spirit bowing to him. He returned the bow and Dusyd continued, “You’ve been a boon to this island and we’ll be lesser for your loss tomorrow.” He stuck his hand out and Uktesh took it. “I’m grateful I was outvoted that day.”

  Uktesh said, “I’m grateful for your kind words.”

  Dusyd nodded, and said, “If you’ll excuse me I must meditate before the wedding.”

  Uktesh found Ryth working on Royn’s hand. During the fight he’d lost his index, middle, and ring finger on his right hand. He still couldn’t make a fist and Uktesh doubted he ever would again, but fortunately there were hundreds of attacks that didn’t require a fist. Ryth looked up when Uktesh entered and said, “Young Uktesh, welcome. Do you need healing?”

  Uktesh shook his head, bowed, and said, “Grand master, I wanted to thank you for your guidance and for your taking Laurilli under your tutelage. It meant a lot to her, and a lot to me as well.”

  She bowed to him, while she continued to work on Royn, and said, “You need not thank me for that, I had a wonderful time with her. She’s going to be a fine grand master someday.”

  Uktesh’s eyebrows rose in shock, and he asked, “You think she’ll be a grand master?”

  Ryth nodded and said, “If you return here in a decade I have no doubt that she will have progressed to the point of needing the Grand master’s tutelage.” She looked sad for a moment, “I worry about the generation after us, as we five are old and there is no one to train them in the elements.”

  Uktesh nodded and said, “The Grand master and I spoke on that subject and we decided that should you feel a dragon is ready, send us a letter, and we’ll let the Grand master know. It is up to him to return or not, but I suspect he will want to. I may join him. This is a wonderful island.”

  Ryth bowed to him again and said, “The next generation seems to be in your capable hands, young Uktesh. Now go. You have more things to do than talk to an old lady.”

  Uktesh bowed low again and left to find Wyde. He found the grand master of the earth fixing the stairway Uktesh had broken. Uktesh made his way up the stairs to where the grand master was cursing, “… nine hells did one boy do so much damage!”

  Uktesh said, “It’s because whoever built it the first time didn’t do a good job!”

  Wyde turned his head and glared at Uktesh. He sat on the stairs he’d just formed out of the wall and said, “Well if it isn’t the devil of the nine hells himself, I knew I should’ve voted differently that day! You know I was the swing vote! This,” he gestured to the partially built stairway, “is how you repay me? That’ll teach me to help out my fellow human.”

  Uktesh smiled, as he knew the grand master was joking. Uktesh bowed low and said, “Apart from your temper and language, I have greatly enjoyed learning from you.”

  Wyde stood, dusted off his pants, and said, “It’s that time?”

  Uktesh nodded and said, “It is. I don’t know if I’ll get a chance tomorrow.”

  Wyde came down the steps and crushed him and a hug that lifted Uktesh off his feet. “Don’t pay me any mind. This should have been rebuilt a long time ago. You breaking it probably saved someone’s life, as it will be much safer and much sturdier now.” Wyde blinked back tears and said, “Dust gets in my eyes doing this kind of work.”

  Uktesh rubbed his eyes and said, “Mine too,” although he hadn’t teared up.

  Wyde punched Uktesh in the shoulder and said, “You take care of yourself. We’ve got a lot riding on you-” he cut off, coughed twice and said, “Never mind that, what will be, will be. Can’t change the future boy! It’s etched in stone just as assuredly as the past is!”

  Uktesh didn’t know what he was rambling about, but said, “You could try, though, right? Stone doesn’t last forever. Those etchings could be scraped off, right?”

  Wyde nodded and said, “Maybe. Maybe indeed. All may not yet be lost.”

  Uktesh asked, “Are you in some kind of trouble, grand master?”

  Wyde smiled and said, “Not the kind that can be easily fixed. If we need your help to do so, we’ll let you know, if there’s time. Now go, dance, kiss your beautiful wife, and hold her this night like it’s the last time you’ll see her.”

  Uktesh bowed again; extremely disconcerted by the conversation. Then he Walked back to the wedding area and helped set up. He knew that even if the twins and Kayla could run up the mountain and back, they couldn’t make it in time if they had to drag the dragon statue with them. He knew this would only work once, but thankfully he was leaving the next day.

  The amphitheater had been chosen as the site for the joint weddings and Uktesh had his hands full
for the next two hours as he and several dozen islanders set up the stage. Before he knew it, Repus and Esolc were standing together waiting for their brides to walk down the aisle together.

  Uktesh gasped when he saw them. Unlike Laurilli they wore their ta’ovala’s as just a skirt that went to their knees, which left everything up as skin. However, unlike when they normally went shirtless, they had green paint in designs on their bodies. Swirls, twists, loops, and shapes of all kinds traced from the top of their ta’ovalas to their hairlines. As they walked serenely down the aisle they stepped in synchrony and swayed their hips together. This made the ink on their skin seem to morph and move, and it was breathtakingly beautiful. Uktesh had thought Laurilli had worn it the traditional style and didn’t know if the lack of grass for the ta’ovalas was the reason for this change, or if Heathyr had somehow convinced Leilani and Pamfilo to tell Laurilli that her ta’ovala was the traditional.

  “I’m jealous my mom was able to hide this version of the ta’ovala from me,” Laurilli said as she stepped next to him.

  Uktesh nodded and said, “Though I don’t think your father would have been quite so understanding after such a long time apart.”

  She nodded in response to him, but didn’t say anything as the two women reached their men and stood with them as they faced the Justicer. The style of the ceremony was completely different from his and Laurilli’s, even though Uktesh had thought they’d done a traditional island wedding. The Justicer skipped straight to the sand pouring part of the ceremony. As the two couples took turns pouring the sand, first black then white, into two separate tall cylindrical vases, the Justicer said, “As difficult as it would be to separate the sand as it is poured together, so too shall it be to separate these two.” When they finished emptying their vases into the two central vases the now merged sand vases were capped and each couple held one between them.

  The Justicer stepped back and a dragon Walked into his place. Uktesh saw that it was Dusyd the grand master of spirit. He held out his right hand palm up, and said, “Leilani, would you place your hand on mine.” After she did, he continued, “Repus, would you put your hand on hers.” He did and Dusyd then asked Pamfilo and Esolc to do the same on top of Repus and Leilani’s hands. He put his left hand over the two couples’ hands and said, “As is our way, I charge each of you to only love your spouse with all your heart until the day you die. I charge each couple to guard and secure this bond together.” Uktesh leaned forward as he saw the spirit grand master do something with spirit to the hands he held.