Bastial Frenzy (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 4)

by Narro, B. T.

  At first, she assumed it had to be something about Zoke. But the thought became foolish before it was even fully developed. Doe loved to bring up her traitorous brother and watch for her reactions.

  So then what is it? But these were dangerous thoughts. Curiosity would only lead to injury or death. It was usually easy to dismiss, but not in this case.

  “Is there any way we can see the message?” she asked.

  Keenu gave her a serious look. It seemed like he was about to scold her for her curiosity when he said, “I was trying to think of a way to do that. But if Doe really doesn’t want us to see it, then he’ll burn it.”

  “Only once he’s absolutely sure he’s done with it. He’ll leave it with the others until then.”

  “True,” Keenu said. “He probably won’t be burning it until later. If there was some way to get him out of there, I could go in and read it.”

  “He might kill you for entering without permission.”

  “Only if he found out. He doesn’t keep his scrolls hidden. All I need to do is get past the guards while he’s away.”

  “But he won’t leave his quarters today,” Zeti said. “Not until he must visit the rujin garden to make the emerald for the Dajriks. He’ll probably burn the message before then.”

  “So you’ll need to give him a reason to come out right now.”

  Zeti twitched her claws nervously. “This is becoming too much. We shouldn’t be curious.”

  “This isn’t pointless curiosity, Zeti. We both know there’s important information on that message from Nebre. Doe is keeping it from us for a reason. I need to know why that is. Don’t you?”

  “If we can do so safely. How would you have me get him out?”

  “There’s only one thing that brings Doe out of his quarters when he doesn’t need to be.”

  Zeti thought back to the times she’d seen Doe wiggling through the encampment in a hurry. On each occasion, there had been a massive brawl in the market.

  “You’re asking me start a fight?” Zeti asked.

  “Only if you wish to. I would do it, but you’re not able to read the scroll. It would also be easier for me to convince the guards to leave. I’ll tell them I’m looking for Doe and that I’ll guard the entrance until he comes back. But we need to hurry,” Keenu urged. “He could burn the scroll at any moment.”

  “I’ll do it.”

  She turned to run, but Keenu grabbed her arm. “Wait.” He kissed her forehead.

  “This isn’t goodbye,” Zeti said, confused.

  “Just in case.”

  She showed him a smile and then sprinted to the market, devising her plan along the way there. As in her old encampment, the market was in the center. Hundreds of Krepps always were gathered there, sometimes thousands. It was difficult to know how big the whole market was, as she couldn’t see over everyone.

  She shouldered her way through to what she believed to be the center. Wooden tables were lined up end to end, each containing goods belonging to the seller behind it.

  Many Krepps came to trade a single item, shouting with it raised over their head as they walked around. Often Krepps behind a table would see something they found to be valuable and offer these Krepps a trade, putting their newly acquired item on the table.

  Surrounded by a cluster of Krepps, Zeti was about to initiate her plan until she stopped herself. She tried to think of what could be on the scroll that would be worth the damage.

  It must be something about the war. Then she remembered Tegry’s name. Nebre was saying that Tegry wanted him to do something, probably write something. By Doe’s reaction, it was clear Nebre had chosen to speak by his own will.

  Zeti didn’t speculate further. If Nebre risked going against Tegry, it had to be important.

  She took a deep breath to ready herself for combat. With a hard shove, she maliciously pushed one Krepp into another.

  “Who did that?” the Krepp she pushed asked, angry.

  She had spun out of the cluster already. She pushed another Krepp.

  This one said nothing, but the Krepp he fell into shoved him back.

  She heard voices behind her, tones of aggression. Zeti was too busy pushing another Krepp to listen.

  Continuing through the market, she used her small stature to hide herself after each shove.

  When the fighting didn’t escalate as quickly as she expected, she started muttering curses with a low voice, putting more force into each push.

  Soon Krepps were falling, taking down others with them. A table was knocked over. Then another. Something broke against the ground. Screams of exasperation erupted from the crowd. Her heart jumped as a Krepp fell onto her legs.

  She tried to get up as quickly as she could, but another tripped on her arm and fell over her back. A Krepp slammed into the ground just in front of her. Another jumped on top of him.

  Whoever was on her legs wasn’t getting up. She looked behind her to find it was a female Krepp on her back. Someone else was over her knees, trying to pick himself up.

  Zeti tugged hard, managing to get one leg free. She turned and grabbed the other, yanking. But someone bumped into her, threatened to fall, and grabbed her head for balance. A lurch of weight alerted Zeti to someone else ramming into the Krepp holding her head. One screamed as Zeti saw claws being dug into his arm. He punched his attacker with his other hand.

  Zeti somehow got her leg free. Jumping to her feet, she tried to escape the ensuing brawl only to run into another female who’d come from the other direction. Zeti knocked her down by accident but pulled her back up just as quickly. They each sprinted forward, separating.

  Running at near full speed, she reached the outskirts of the frenzy hastily. Krepps had formed a circle to watch. Many were fleeing the brawl as Zeti had, but there were some entering it from the audience, usually screaming the names of Krepps they recognized. Zeti figured they were jumping to their defense, as Zoke would if he saw her in there.

  As she left the market, she wondered why she’d thought of Zoke instead of Keenu. Her brother could never be there, and Keenu would’ve jumped in just the same.

  “Brawl at the market!” Zeti yelled in every direction as she hurried back toward Doe’s quarters.

  Half the Krepps she passed began to run.

  Soon she no longer needed to shout. The news traveled on its own, for the sight of hundreds of Krepps sprinting to get somewhere always meant a fight. Unfortunately, some of them would end up joining. At least it might extend the spectacle, hopefully giving Keenu the time he needed.

  She hid behind huts when she found Doe wiggling toward the market, shouting for Krepps to move out of his way. With a burst of light, he would stop the brawl soon after he got there.

  The entrance to Doe’s wooden building was vacant. Zeti stopped in the twisting hallway.

  “Keenu, are you in there?”

  “Yes, and I don’t know what to do about this.” His voice was muffled coming around the corner, but she still heard his frustration. “He left the scroll out on the table. It appears he was writing his response when he left.”

  She heard paper being grabbed, then the sound of Keenu’s feet pressing against the dirt as he came closer.

  “I’ll read both to you. We should have plenty of time, but watch for Doe or his guards while you listen.”

  “I will.”

  “First Nebre’s note: The King of Kyrro has been killed. Tegry Hiller wanted me to lie about how it happened, but I won’t do that.” Keenu wasn’t the most fluid reader, pausing between words at times. “He agreed to meet with Welson Kimard to discuss a new treaty between Kyrro and Tenred, but he had no intentions of signing one. Tegry’s people believe what he’s told them, which is that Welson’s men attacked his during the meeting. Tegry claims they fought back and won, killing Welson in the process. But those who were there know the truth, and some of them are honorable enough to have told me. Tegry killed Welson dishonorably by luring him into neutral territory where his men could
kill Welson’s and escape.

  "There are rules between Kyrro and Tenred. Kings have always needed to be able to meet with each other, and it’s unheard of for one to attack another during these meetings. Nothing in Human or Kreppen history has been as heinous as Tegry’s actions. He’s not to be trusted, and he must be punished with death for this dishonor. I cannot serve an army under his leadership. I know other Krepps will agree. I understand it’s not my place to recommend anything, but the only solution I’ve thought of is for you to bring your army here first and demand Tegry’s execution. They’ll select a new king, and then we can destroy Kyrro honorably. If we fight with Tegry Hiller, we’re just as dishonorable as he is.

  “When you reply, I beg you not to say anything of the truth. Some Humans have been learning Kreppen, and I would be killed if they discovered that I got this message to you. I hope to see you and the rest of the Krepps here when you’re ready. I could translate when the time comes.”

  Zeti cursed. “What did Doe write back?” she asked.

  “Nebre, I won’t waste any more time getting to the Slugari. I don’t care what Tegry did. I’m not sending an army there, and I’ll kill you myself if you try to ruin this. Just translate what they tell…” Keenu’s voice became more fluid. “That’s all it says so far.”

  “Put the pages back and come out,” Zeti said.

  “Put them back?” Keenu was incredulous.

  “Yes, so we can discuss this outside his quarters.”

  “What’s there to discuss? I’m bringing both letters out to show every Krepp. Doe has always been a good leader, but this is unforgivable. Nebre is right. We need to kill Tegry before we fight with Tenred, otherwise we’re just as bad as the traitors. His dishonor must be punished.”

  “None of that matters! Doe will kill you before you can tell five Krepps. Put the letters where you found them and hurry out here. We can figure out what to do later.”

  “We’ll never have this kind of proof, Zeti. He’s going to burn Nebre’s letter and send the one he’s writing. It may even get Nebre killed. We can’t ignore this.”

  Zeti contemplated trying to drag Keenu out, but she didn’t have the strength. He would overpower her easily. She squeezed the handle of her dagger, unsure how to save Keenu. “If you take those letters out, you’ll die! We both might!”

  Keenu came out with both scrolls rolled together in his hand. Zeti reached for them. He moved away. “You would fight with Tegry Hiller after hearing this?”

  “No, of course not. But we must figure out something else.”

  “What else is there to do, Zeti?”

  He waited for her reply.

  “I don’t know.” She could feel anger telling her to tackle him, wrestle the scrolls out of his grasp. But she would probably rip them, and the evidence of what they did would be impossible to hide. “Just put them back!”

  “Tell me what you would have us do first.”

  She tried to think quickly, but nothing came. The worry of seeing the fat Slugari returning between huts had taken all her focus.

  “We can’t convince Doe to change his mind,” Keenu said. “The first time he ever does won’t be now.”

  “There must be something else.”

  “If we fight with Tegry’s army without punishing his dishonor, then we’re just as bad. Humans are cowards, and it shames me to fight with them, but this is something else completely.” He shook the scrolls. “This is their leader we’re talking about. He’s supposed to be the most honorable, yet he allowed Welson to believe they were meeting for peace, only to kill him. This is worse than anything a Krepp has ever done, worse than anything a Human has ever done!” Keenu spat.

  “I know.”

  “All Krepps would agree.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “It’s our only choice. We can’t kill Tegry on our own. Doe needs to be forced into the decision. Or he has to be killed for allowing the lie to continue…and I will lead us.” Keenu straightened his back, lowering his voice. “I cannot serve under him any longer.”

  “Keenu.” The anger had drained from her body, leaving her weak. “Just because you’re right doesn’t mean you have to do anything about it now.”

  “Tell me what we could do after he destroys Nebre’s message and sends his back, and I will.”

  “We can confront Doe about it.”

  Keenu let out a quick snicker. “So he can kill us?”

  “We can tell other Krepps.”

  “Without the scrolls, no one would believe us. Look.” He unrolled Nebre’s message, pointing at a circular symbol at the bottom. “This is the mark that Nebre puts on all his messages to show they’re authentic. It’s created with a stamp pressed into ink that can’t be replicated. This is our only proof.” He shook the scroll. “It’ll be gone soon after Doe comes back.”

  Zeti grit her teeth. “You really want to lead?”

  “I do.”

  “There must be another way.”

  “None with honor.”

  “This honor is going to get us killed,” Zeti muttered.

  “You’re speaking like a coward.”

  With her next breath, Zeti’s anger came back. She wanted to claw Keenu’s face and scream that she was only trying to save their lives. But everything he’d said was the truth. They had only one option.

  “How will we notify the other Krepps? There’s too much to explain to simply run around screaming about it.”

  Zeti froze at the sight of Doe’s blubbery figure maneuvering between huts. He was hurrying, wiggling at twice his usual rate.

  “We’ll confront Doe while I hold the scrolls,” Keenu said, his tone determined.

  “He’ll kill us.”

  Zeti could see by Keenu’s face that he knew she was right. He came behind her and started to stuff a scroll into the back of her pants. “Take this,” he said. “It’s Nebre’s message. I’ll threaten that you’ll reveal it to all the Krepps at the market if Doe doesn’t agree to bring our army into Tenred and kill Tegry. Go.” Keenu shoved her. “Walk that way, away from Doe. If he calls your name, ignore it.”

  Zeti only moved a step.

  “Go!” Keenu said, Doe nearly close enough to hear them. “He won’t hurt me,” Keenu continued. “He’ll agree to kill Tegry. Their army is far smaller than Kyrro’s. It’s an easy decision.”

  She couldn’t leave him. “He might kill you, instead.”

  “He’ll certainly kill both of us if we have no leverage. Leave!”

  Zeti ran, unable to think quickly enough to come up with something else.

  “Zeti!” Doe called. “Zeti, stop!”

  Fear gripped her heart, but her legs continued. She’d never disobeyed Doe so blatantly.

  “Over here, Doe,” she heard Keenu shout. Zeti looked back to find him taunting the massive Slugari with a scroll.

  Doe yelled something in Slugaren, adding Keenu’s name at the end.

  Zeti became too far away to hear anything else. She changed her course toward her hut. There was time to get her bow and quiver first so that she wouldn’t feel so naked.

  When she reached the market, she was panting and holding back tears of worry. Some Krepps were kneeling, picking up goods off the ground. There was more space, many paying more attention to where they walked.

  Zeti wished there was a hill nearby, but most of the encampment was flat. There was nothing to climb up to watch for Keenu. Instead, she put herself on the outskirts of the market, watching in the direction of Doe’s quarters between bodies of Krepps passing in front of her.

  As her breath came back and she began to hear her thoughts again, her worries worsened.

  What if I see Doe without Keenu? A tear threatened to fall. She wiped it. It would mean Keenu was killed.

  She waited, watching, desperately hoping to see Keenu. In brief moments of calm between panic, she told herself she needed to come up with a plan in case Doe came alone.

  Saliva filled her mouth, so she spat. How could she h
ave gone this long without realizing how dishonorable Doe was? Nebre’s message had stunned her, as it would any Krepp, but Doe’s response was even more shocking. Her plan came easily after that realization. The moment she saw Doe, she would take out Nebre’s message and announce loud enough for all the Krepps nearby to hear. I have proof that…that…

  What should come next? It was difficult to summarize everything Nebre’s note revealed quickly enough to hold everyone’s attention. And she would only have a few breaths worth of time once Doe was close enough to cast a fireball at her.

  I have proof that…that…Tegry Hiller killed Welson Kimard dishonorably…

  Zeti was stuck again. She cursed herself. Just come up with something.

  I have proof that Tegry Hiller has committed a heinous act of dishonor and needs to be punished, but Doe refuses to do so. He killed Keenu to cover up this truth.

  That should draw everyone’s attention. Doe couldn’t kill her after that. It would be too obvious he was hiding information. Then she could hand the scroll to someone able to read it.

  A burst of light came from behind her. It was hot, startling her into jumping.

  “Clear out!” Doe shouted.

  There was another burst of light. Zeti turned around as Krepps rushed out of the market.

  “Get out of here!” Doe yelled. “Go back to your tasks.” He sent another burst of light from his black claws. Zeti felt it hit her face, the heat painful to endure.

  Only then did she realize it was too late to get everyone’s attention. All the Krepps were fleeing as quickly as they could. Doe had come from behind. He’d taken away her leverage.

  The fear of Doe propelled her away from him as fast as her legs could carry her. She cursed as she ran, not slowing for a look to see if Doe had found her yet. But she knew the guards wouldn’t let her over the wall. It felt like she was stuck in a nightmare, her heart racing.

  She turned to run west. There was one guard that liked her. Maybe she could convince him to let her over.

  But then Doe would kill him just as he’d killed Keenu.

  Zeti wished she had the strength to face Doe. A well-placed arrow could end him in one shot. But the moment she drew it, she’d be tackled by any Krepps nearby. Even if she managed to shoot it, the chances of killing Doe before he killed her were too slim.