Gearn cursed as he straightened from his perusal of the trail, staring up it. Two hours ago, they had come across the village, and while circling it the wolf had found this track. The beast stood further up the trail, looking back. Murdor leant against a convenient tree, paring his fingernails with his knife. There was no doubt that the prints were the warrior mage's; his boots had a distinctive zigzag pattern on their soles. The wolf was excited, which could only mean that Tassin's scent was here too.
The other tracks worried Gearn; some twenty odd male prints mixed with the smaller footprints of many women. Judging by the state of the village, the men had raided it and taken a number of women, including the Queen. The warrior mage followed them, his track a lot fresher than theirs. Gearn scowled. The warrior mage had clearly lost her to these men, and the mage feared what might happen to her. If he brought soiled goods back to Torrian, the King would be furious.
This thought spurred Gearn to start up the track after the wolf, which bounded ahead. Murdor pushed himself away from the tree and followed, his heavy footfalls loud. Gearn whispered a spell to give himself strength, and fresh vigour flowed into his legs.
Tassin’s captor carried her into a city and dumped her on stone paving with the rest of the girls. The men removed the ropes and thrust the girls into a metal cage in front of a pillared edifice on one side of a plaza. The older warrior, whose name she had learnt was Rai, came to stand before her. She refused to twist her neck to look up at him, and was too tired to stand, so she ignored him. He hunkered down, meeting her glare with hard brown eyes.
"I can take my pick of the women, you know. As a raid leader, my status allows me to do this. Perhaps I'll choose you. How would you like that?"
Tassin raised her chin. "I would rather eat pig dung."
"Really?" He smiled. "That can be arranged. It's been years since my last wife died. No woman has interested me since, but I find you interesting. You're different, not like these dull-witted blondes." He nodded. "I think I'll have you for my own."
"I'll murder you in your sleep."
His smile widened. "You have spirit. I like that." Rising, he called to one of the warriors, "Bring this one to my house and give her to my sons."
Two men pulled her to her feet as Rai walked away, and she shouted after him, "You'll regret this, I promise!"
Rai laughed, not glancing back, and Tassin did not have the energy to struggle. The warriors marched her along several streets, past houses and shops. The city boasted paved roads, and gardens bordered houses built from dressed stone. Flowering trees grew through round holes in the paving, adding sweet perfume to the air. Well-groomed men sauntered past, clad in well-cut tunics and embroidered trousers, their necks and fingers heavy with gold and silver. Most studied her with varying degrees of interest; some paused to stare at her. Compared to the loutish warriors who held her, they looked remarkably civilised, as if they belonged to a different culture.
Her guards stopped before a metal grill door in a quiet side street and rang the bell beside it. After a few minutes a gangly youth appeared and greeted the men by name.
One guard said, "Your father sends this to you, Marn, it seems he's chosen a new wife."
The warrior thrust Tassin forward as the gate opened, and Marn took charge of her with a grin. Her tired brain reeled in horror at the guard's words as the youth steered her into the house, passing through an enclosed garden with a pool at its centre. Two younger boys appeared and stared at her.
"Who's she, Marn?" one asked.
"Father's new woman."
The boys swapped smiles, evidently pleased by this announcement. Tassin was too shocked and dazed to speak, and the youth led her into what could only be a sitting room, judging by the padded chairs and low tables that furnished it. She sank down the couch he guided her to, and he untied her hands. Stuffed animal heads and crude paintings decorated the walls; coarse bleached curtains framed several windows that looked onto a shady street.
Two more boys, younger still, entered through another door and climbed onto a neighbouring couch to gaze at her with wide eyes. So Rai had five sons, ranging in age from eighteen to ten years old. She listened to the boys chatter about their father's new acquisition while she ate the cold roast meat and boiled vegetables Marn gave her, hunger overriding her misery. When she finished, he took her arm and tried to tug her to her feet.
"Come, you must wash and prepare for my father's return."
She frowned. "I am not primping for that pig."
Marn looked disconcerted, then smiled. "So that's why my father likes you. He's always had an eye for spirited women."
"Surely you know that what he's doing is wrong? I was kidnapped and dragged here bound like an animal. Will you help me to escape?"
He shook his head. "How else can we get women? This is the way we've always done it. One day he'll bring a girl for me."
"Where are your women? Don't your father's friends have daughters?"
"No girls are born in Oroka. We must have wives, so we have to steal them."
Tassin stared at him in astonishment. "No girls?"
"No. The elders believe we're under a curse. No girls have been born here for hundreds of years."
Stupefied by this information, she allowed Marn to tug her to her feet and lead her through the house to a tiled room with a sunken tub at its centre, which one of the younger boys was filling with steaming water. The second eldest boy entered with a diaphanous dress of pale blue silk draped over his arm.
"This was our mother's; it should fit you." He held up the gown, and she fingered the soft material, then swung around as Marn tugged at her dress' fastenings.
"What are you doing?"
"Helping you."
Tassin glared at him, and he stared back undaunted. "I can do it by myself. I don't need your help."
Marn shrugged. "As you wish."
"And I'm not wearing that dress. Don't you have anything less... sluttish?"
The boy shook his head. "That's what father will want you to wear. If you refuse, he'll just beat you."
"He'll what?"
"Beat you. He used to beat mother when she was bad. He says women need it."
Tassin gaped at him in horrified amazement, and the brothers glanced at each other before they left her to bathe. As soon as the door closed behind them, she turned to survey the room. Apart from the door, it had only two small glass-paned windows, so there was no hope of escape. Desolation overwhelmed her, and tears of misery and exhaustion trickled down her cheeks as she contemplated her imprisonment and its promise of violence, the prospect making her queasy. She sat down and covered her face, cursing her weakness and Sabre's abandonment.
When her tears dried, she decided that there was no point in wasting the hot bath. Her abused body craved the comfort and relaxation if offered. Afterwards, she donned the old pink dress, and the boys frowned at her when she emerged. They did not let her out of their sight until their father came home late in the afternoon, then they made themselves scarce. Rai eyed her dress with a scowl as he opened the bundle he carried and drew out an ornate jewelled collar and chain.
"For you, my dear. You will wear them with pride."
"Chains?" Tassin shrank back as he approached her.
"Of course, a mark of honour for an Orokan woman."
"No!" Tassin tried to evade him, but he caught her hair and pulled her back, pushing her down on a couch. She yelled and punched him, making him grunt, and he slapped her several times, hard enough to make her head swim. While she was dazed and sobbing, he fastened the collar around her neck, then hauled her to her feet by the chain.
"You will not defy me again, understand?"
Mustering her flagging courage, she spat at him, and another stinging slap rewarded her temerity. Rai used the chain to lead her into a room with a hard bed in one corner, where he released her and threw the despised silk dress at her feet.
"You'll put this on, or I'll beat you properly next time."
&
nbsp; Rai left, and the bolt on the outside of the door slid into place with a clunk. Tassin lay down on the bed and wept, hating all Orokan men, and praying that Sabre would find her before something terrible happened.
Sabre stopped and stared ahead, his chest heaving. Sweat trickled down him, and his leg muscles jumped with fatigue. The stilt trees had thinned to reveal a city at the end of the road, built on an island that rose out of the swamp. The large, pillared stone edifice in the centre of it looked like a palace or temple. The city extended into the swamp, the wooden houses on its outskirts built on stilts driven into the mud, bridges joining them. The reason for its location could only be defensive, he mused, for an attacking army must use the road or become mired in the swamp.
Sabre pondered the situation while the last belt of stilt trees hid him from the city guards. He could sneak into the town through the swamp, braving whatever dangers lurked there, or he could enter boldly as a traveller seeking shelter. A lone man could not be seen a threat, so there was no reason for the guards to apprehend him. At worst, they might refuse him entry, then he would have to go through the swamp. He walked towards the city again, revealing his presence to any watchers as he left the shelter of the trees.
As he approached the gates, two men clad in leather armour emerged from the shade next to the wall. Their hands rested on their sword hilts, and they regarded Sabre from beneath scowling brows. He stopped and eyed them, wondering why they appeared to be so hostile. The taller man addressed him.
"What's your business here, stranger?"
Sabre tried to look disarming, and shrugged. "Just passing through, looking for a soft bed and a good meal."
The guard's eyes lingered on the cyber band. "There's no through road."
"I came across the track back there, and decided to see where it led."
A man with greying hair emerged from the shadows and stopped beside the guards. "You wouldn't happen to be looking for a woman with black hair, would you?"
Sabre smiled. "Not particularly, but I'm not fussy. I'll take any woman you have to offer."
"Very funny." He signalled to the guards. "Take him alive."
Sabre stepped back. "Hey, wait a minute! What's going on?"
"I think you're lying, and I intend to find out the truth."
The guards walked towards Sabre, not bothering to draw their swords, and he backed away. The last thing he needed was to become embroiled in a fight now, and he wondered why the grey-haired man was so suspicious. Most likely, Tassin had been threatening them with her invincible warrior, and he cursed her stupidity. He was not about to try to fight his way into the city, so it seemed he would have to retreat and sneak in through the swamp. Turning, he sprinted away, the guards pounding after him.
A cyber could outrun a normal man easily, and shouts of rage and frustration came from the guards as he left them behind. Something hit him between his shoulder blades, making him stumble. Recovering, he ran on, but the sounds of pursuit had stopped, and he glanced back. The guards had slowed to a walk and, beyond them, the grey-haired man stood holding a long tube. Becoming aware of a burning pain in his back, Sabre stopped and twisted one arm to reach the source. His fingers encountered something hard, and he pulled out a feathered dart, its tip smeared with blood and yellow fluid. He looked up at the approaching men, wondering why they had tried to poison him if they wanted him alive. Cybers were immune to just about every poison known to man, so, unless this was a new one, he was in no danger.
A warning light flashed in his brain, drawing his attention to a column of scrolling writing. Before he could read it, the world swam and his vision clouded as if a thick mist had rolled in and engulfed him. His hand dropped to his side, and the dart fell from it. The road's dusty surface rushed up as he sank to his knees, then sat back on his haunches. He raised his head to watch the approaching guards, unable to move his arms. Either this was a new poison, or some sort of anaesthetic. Whatever it was, it was working. His head sagged forward, and the road hit him in the face.
Tassin gazed out of the barred window at the streets below. The sun sank in a red glory, and tears of fear and anger blurred her vision. Rai had stayed away the previous night and today, and Marn had brought her food at midday. She looked around as the door to her prison opened. Rai entered, looking triumphant and angry as his eyes raked the tattered pink dress she still wore.
"Do you want to be beaten?"
Tassin raised her chin. "Beat me all you want, you won't make me cower like a whipped dog, or wear that damned harlot's dress."
He approached her. "You're either very stupid, or very brave. Maybe both." He paused, then added, "Your warrior arrived today."
Hope flooded her in a warm tide. "Where is he?"
"A man with an odd band on his head?"
She nodded.
"He's in the temple dungeons, where he belongs."
"You captured him?"
"He tried to run, but we caught him. So much for his exacting vengeance, he's now harmless."
"Is he all right?" she asked.
"He'll recover. I want to speak to him before he dies. The temple will be happy to sacrifice him, volunteers are scarce."
"You bastard."
Rai smiled. "I didn't believe your story at first, but you're not Andaron. We don't get many travellers, so when he appeared only hours after we got back, I knew it was him. So much for his being an invincible warrior."
Her last hope of rescue died, and Rai turned to leave, pausing at the door to say, "I advise you to be wearing that dress next time I see you."
Tassin stared at the wall after he left, too overcome with the hopelessness of her situation to allow her thoughts to dwell on the future.
Chapter Nine
Sabre drifted back to consciousness as the effects of the drug receded in waves. He became aware that he was lying on his stomach on a cold stone floor, his arms wrapped around a pillar, and his back smarted from the dart. His limbs were stiff and cold, and he gritting his teeth as a headache pounded at his temples. When he tried to release the pillar, he found that his wrists were chained together on the other side of it. Raising his head, he looked around at a large, windowless room, fighting the nausea that churned his stomach.
Several freshly lighted torches burnt in sconces, filling the room with soft light. Rusted chains hung against the walls, and a number of torture instruments occupied most of the floor space. His harness and weapons were gone, along with his medical pouch. He rested the brow band on the pillar while he waited for the nausea to ebb and the headache to become bearable. When it did, he tried to shift into a more comfortable position. The pillar was just thick enough that his arms were at full stretch around it, and he was forced to lie on his side or stomach.
A rattle and creak made him raise his head as the door opened and the grey-haired warrior entered. Two burly guards and a podgy man dressed in brown robes and sporting a monk's tonsure accompanied him. The grey-haired man smiled at Sabre.
"So, our cowardly friend is awake. You didn't live up to your reputation. The girl told me you were a mighty warrior, but you seem more proficient at running."
Sabre eyed him. "Where's Tassin?"
"Is that her name?" The warrior shrugged. "She's at my house, preparing to become my wife."
Sabre experienced an odd sinking sensation in his chest, but the man's confidence amused him when he contemplated Tassin's undoubtedly acrimonious reaction to such high-handed intentions. He smiled, shaking his head. "I doubt that. More likely she's looking for a big knife or some sort of club. She's a queen from beyond the Badlands, and you're going to regret choosing her, I think."
"We don't have queens in Oroka, only an emperor, who has many wives, none of whom could be called queens. Whatever she might have thought she was, she's just my woman now." The man paused, considering the cyber. “I’m Rai, by the way.”
"So what do you intend to do with me?"
"You're going to be sacrificed, of course. But first I want to ask yo
u some questions, with a bit of gentle persuasion if necessary."
Sabre shook his head again, not breaking eye contact with his captor. "I have nothing to hide."
"Good. Then you'll be sacrificed even sooner." Rai settled on a metal table nearby. "So, where are you from?"
Sabre decided to save them a lot of time on tedious questions, and related the story of Tassin's flight in terse, clipped sentences.
"Well, you're certainly a talkative fellow, aren't you?" Rai glanced at the fat monk, who shook his head, looking apprehensive.
"The emperor will want to see him. He crossed the Flux Zone."
Sabre studied the man with renewed interest, wondering how he knew that it was a flux. Sabre had called it the Death Zone, as Tassin did.
Rai raised a brow at the monk. "Why? He's just a wanderer."
"No one has crossed the Flux Zone before. He's dangerous; he knows too much."
"So? He'll be sacrificed, and the knowledge will die with him."
"And the woman?"
Rai frowned. "She'll be my wife; she won't talk to anyone."
The priest shrugged. "That's up to Norak. He may demand her death too."
The monk left, and Rai turned to Sabre. "So, you were manipulated by a woman. A sad tale indeed, but that's what happens when you give women choices, and make them queens, they get choosy."
"Every person should have a choice in what they do with their lives, or whom they marry. It's a basic human right."
Rai shook his head with a supercilious smile. "Not women. They don't know what they want, or what's best for them. They have to be controlled, and made to do what a man wants; otherwise they make his life unpleasant with petulant demands and peevish complaints. But I didn't come here to discuss our society, prisoner. What is that thing on your head, and what does it do?"
The Cyber Chronicles Book II: Death Zone Page 11