by Cheree Alsop
Sand crab turned out to be the best food I had ever tasted. Rasa's spices complimented the dark, tender ranginess that left lingering reminders of cactus dew and the cinnamon mineral taste that colored anything touched by the sand. I licked my fingers as thoroughly as the Luminous when I was done, and relished the warmth the liquid made in my belly when I drank it down. I smiled, then caught Axon watching me and turned away.
The night passed uneventfully and as quiet as a desert night could be. Bats flew by the moon casting larger than life shadows across the sleeping group. Insects hummed and somewhere a hissing tam voiced a warning after being rudely woken from sleep. An animal barked in the distance, the sound lonely and haunting as it resonated off the cooling red sands. I took comfort in the desert sounds, reasoning that the animals wouldn’t be so loud if the Sathen were near.
I thought of my parents, something I did when I found myself alone and lonely even though I was surrounded by people. I had never known who my mother or father were, which one was the Luminos and which the Nathos, or what they thought when they realized my mother was pregnant. All I knew was that they must have loved each other very much to risk being cast out if their relationship was ever discovered.
Per the law of the Caves, any child born of a coupling between a Luminos and a Nathos was taken away and forced to be a slave as their Duskie heritage required. I wondered if my mother had fought for me, or if my father had told her it was for the best. I wondered if they still saw each other, or if giving up their child had been too painful.
I could only hope that they loved each other, and that somehow they could find happiness together despite the prejudices of our world. The hope calmed me as I searched the dark desert for danger, the sword an unfamiliar weight against my side and the cushion a small comfort from the still-warm sands on which I waited.
The next day passed in much the same way, Dathien carrying me as I slept, hard rolls, cactus fruit, and dried meat for dinner, washed down by flat water from the skins. The Luminos talked quietly among themselves as they settled down for night. I ignored them like they ignored me, a quiet understanding forming between us that as long as we were both left alone, everything would be fine.
I settled in the lower branches of the twisted desert tree where Dathien had fastened the end of my chain and stared out at the gathering night. “Take care,” a voice spoke near my shoulder.
I turned to find Axon watching me, his face weary and covered in the dust of the desert. He gestured toward the sands beyond the side of the tent. “My men saw dust a while back and are worried about Sathen. They shouldn’t find us, but keep a sharp eye all the same.”
I glanced to where he pointed. “I don’t know if the thought of me defending anyone is going to save us if Sathen really attack.”
Axon shrugged, his lips touched into a smile at the corners. “Then think the Sathen away,” he said. He settled with his back against the trunk and closed his eyes.
I stared at him, then turned back to the desert. The soft rise and fall of seven breaths lulled me into a peaceful calm while I studied the dunes. I fingered the blade at my belt and wondered if I would be of any use with the strange weapon if I ever had to use it. I breathed in the cool night air, a pleasant counterbalance from the barren heat of day. A faint breeze blew tiny wisps of sand from the tops of the dunes.
The moon rose in the distance, a pale orb that cast soft light upon the land and washed it from red to gray. My Duskie eyesight, as keen as the Nathos at night, took in the slight scurry of beetles and faint, winding tracks left by hissing tams during the heat of the day. I enjoyed the simplicity of sitting in a twisted tree, free with my thoughts, surrounded by people who at least didn’t seem out to hurt me, and to finally be away from the Caves.
Chapter 4
The silence of the night just before dawn caught my attention. I strained my ears but couldn’t hear any of the sounds I had learned to attribute to a safe night. The bats had vanished, creatures had stopped howling and hissing, and even the bugs seemed to have abandoned us. I couldn't remember the last time I had seen one of the silver beetles crawl beneath the scented canvas.
I stood in a crouch on the branches and stared out at the darkness, studying each mound of sand as though it contained a thousand Sathen. I was beginning to feel foolish when one of the mounds moved. My heart leaped into my throat. I clutched a branch hard enough for the rough bark to draw blood in the hopes that I would wake and find this just a dream and myself being carried across the hot sands in Dathien’s thick arms, but I didn’t wake up.
The mound separated into smaller mounds, each moving steadily toward the east side of the camp. I caught my lip in my teeth and bit down hard to keep from crying out. There was no one to listen, and it would only draw them in faster. I tasted blood and rose slowly from my crouch.
Black, pupil-less eyes caught the light of the moon and absorbed it like voids. They stood almost as tall as a Luminos with wiry arms and legs that ended in razor sharp black claws. Their red-scaled skin blended in the desert night like camouflage. At least two dozen of them made their way toward our campsite. I had never seen so many together. They usually roamed singly or in pairs; the thought of so many in a group sent a surge of fear through my limbs.
They sniffed the air, their mouths open to reveal row upon row of serrated teeth in the moonlight. I gathered my chain around one arm and slipped down from my tree as silently as I could, then made my way across the soft sand to the side of the tent. Barefoot as I had been my whole life, it was easy to keep from making a sound as long as I held the chain still. The soft sand still held warmth from the day, but a shiver ran through my body just the same.
The thought crossed my mind that I could run and leave the Luminos behind. Without the power of the sun, they would be helpless to defend themselves and be easy prey for the Sathen if I tore down the tent, distracting them while I made my escape. One glance at the quiet forms around me stilled my thoughts. They trusted me as no one ever had. They gave me food, carried me, and Axon's promise of freedom rang more true to my ears than I dared to admit. They slept at the thought that I would protect them, and I would be worthy of that trust.
I slid the curved sword from the ring, careful to keep the metal from touching, then crouched behind where the Sathen gathered near the edge of the tent. I don’t know what brought them so close. A glanced at the horizon showed pink just edging on orange. I could only hope the sun would rise before we all died.
A black clawed foot slipped beneath the tent. Surprised hisses rose from behind the canvas. The oily scent of the cloth masked the smell of death and decay from the creatures beyond, but I had fought them often enough at the Caves that the scent rose unbidden to my mind. A claw poked through the cloth level with my head. The claw drew downward, tearing through the canvas with a sound so Chaxa’s whip slicing through the air that the lash marks across my back throbbed; then the canvas parted to reveal the horde of Sathen beyond.
I rose to face them, moonlight glinting off the blade in my hand, and wished desperately for my spear and shield. The Sathen stared at me in surprise, but the toothy mouths turned up in wicked grins of anticipation. The first Sathen charged.
I stepped to the right, drawing my blade across the front of his red scaled chest. A howl ripped from his throat and he fell writhing to the ground. Within the space of a heartbeat, the Sathen from behind had jumped on him and tore him to pieces; then they advanced on me, their grins colored in the first Sathen’s dark blood.
I needed a second weapon. I glanced around quickly and saw a wooden handle sticking out from under the packs. I looked back just as the Sathen crossed the tent line.
Four of them attacked at the same time. I caught two with my blade, but the others dove under my guard and bowled me over. Jagged teeth bit down where my neck and shoulder met. I threw the creature off, feeling my own skin tear, and rolled to the pile of packs. The chain from my manacle wrapped around my legs and impeded me from getting back to
my feet. Another Sathen jumped on my back and clawed me with his feet and hands. The claws tore across the whip lashes and I screamed.
I reached the handle and pulled, bringing out a double-sided axe with a wicked-looking spike at the top. I slid the axe across my back and the creature fell to the side, two of his limbs missing. I jumped up and swung at every Sathen within reach. The creatures fell away, baring their teeth in outrage, mind-chilling screeches tearing from their throats. They turned away from their fighting target, their attention locking onto the forms still sleeping around me.
My heart skipped a beat. I ran after them, yelling and slashing at as many as I could reach. The Sathen in front was inches from the closest sleeping form that leaned against the base of the tree. Axon. I shouted and threw the axe as hard as I could. My shout caught the creature’s attention and as it turned to look, the axe took off its head and buried in the trunk inches from Axon. He stirred and I felt more than saw the rays of the sun peeking out over the top of the desert hills.
Five Sathen turned from Axon and rushed me. I jumped back and tripped over the body of one I had slain. Blood slicked my feet and legs from the partially eaten carcass. Sathen shrieked their anger at the interruption of their meal and dove at me. I rolled, holding my sword high so I didn’t impale myself on the blade. The Sathen jumped on me and fought to get a good hold. Teeth and claws drove into my side and thigh. One creature bit down on my right hand, forcing me to drop the blade; blood streamed down my wrist.
They were everywhere, clawing, biting, and screeching. Pain filled every move I made. I rolled against the canvas that made up the ruined tent and curled into a ball, covering my head with my hands so that the chain could help protect me; but there were too many of them. I hoped they would finish me quickly.
A savage yell tore through the air. Echoing shouts sounded around the camp and the Sathen on top of me were ripped away. Cloth brushed my arm and I opened my eyes to find Axon crouched in front of me, his curved sword in his hand and his light eyes flashing with steel and ice.
Two Sathen jumped at him and he cut off their heads with one swing of his sword. He spun back and sliced through the chest of a Sathen near my feet, opening the creature's ribs so the last beat of its dying heart was revealed to the light of the rising sun. Three more Sathen dove at us from the other side of the tent, tearing the fabric as they tried to force their way through.
Axon kicked out and brought his sword around in a deadly arc. His foot caught the first Sathen in the stomach with a sound like a sledge hammer driving through rock. The creature fell back against the sand and thrashed in pain while Axon's sword sliced through the neck and shoulder of the next Sathen and the chest and arm of the last one, nearly decapitating them both. They fell to the side with a sickening thud and a gurgle of blood flowed to color the red sand in a merciless black.
Around the camp, the other six Luminos fought back to back against the creatures. The warriors moved with silent and deadly ease, killing the Sathen around them with swift and lethal accuracy. It was soon apparent that though we were outnumbered, the Sathen were losing the battle. In less than a hundred heartbeats, more Sathen were dead than alive and the rest ran from the ferocity of their attackers, carrying pieces of their Sathen companions with them to eat on the way.
When the last Sathen left the perimeter of the tent, Axon turned to me, his brow creased over tumultuous blue eyes. He picked me up without a word and carried me to the center of the camp near the tree. “Staden, Jatha, she needs your help,” he commanded.
It felt like blood ran from every inch of my body. Axon set me gently on the sand and I stayed curled in a ball, my arms around my chest and legs tucked up as my brain fought to stay conscious despite the loss of blood.
“Nexa, you have to let them work on you. You have to relax.” Axon took my hand. “It’s alright, you’re safe now.” I could tell by the tightness of his tone that he really wasn’t sure of that. I closed my eyes, but he took my chin in his fingers. “Nexa, look at me.” I opened my eyes to find his face only a few inches from mine. “You need to relax and trust us. You’re going to bleed to death if you don’t.”
It was the concern in his voice that broke through the fog. I willed my pain-wracked body to relax and let them roll me to my back on a piece of canvas. Several of the Luminos looked away and wouldn’t meet my eyes, and I knew it was more than my Duskie heritage that they avoided when I felt the blood pool around me.
“They need to be cleaned or she’ll catch a fever,” Staden said to Axon. He grabbed a shirt from a nearby pack and handed it to Jatha, who began to tear it into strips.
Staden’s fingers ran over my body with quick, precise movements, soft but steady. He touched the jagged bite on the side of my neck and the claw marks in my stomach and side, then he rolled me gently over to check my back. More than one Luminos swore softly at whatever the tattered remains of my shirt failed to cover. I bit my unharmed left hand to keep from crying out when he ran fingers lightly along my shredded back.
“There are scars here that weren’t from the Sathen,” Staden said softly.
I felt Axon rise on his knees beside me to look and I buried my face in my arm, humiliated by the marks of the lashes I knew they would find.
Axon dropped back beside me. His fingers touched my cheek lightly and I turned to meet his eyes, my own filled with defiance. But I didn’t see the judgment in his gaze that I expected to find. Instead, a sorrow deeper than I had ever seen reflected back at me. “They whipped you at Firen Caves?” he asked softly.
I gritted my teeth and blinked back unexpected tears at the gentleness of his tone. Axon’s face hardened and he turned away. Before I could react, Dathien was at my side and had a hammer and chisel on the chain at my wrist. He grinned at me and struck the chisel. It only took four of his sun-strengthened blows to break the chain. “We’ll have to remove the manacle when we reach the city, but this should be a bit better to start with,” the giant Luminos said. He picked up the chain and threw it as far as he could.
I could only stare at the chainless manacle. There had always been a heavy chain attached to my left wrist as far back as I could remember. Something blocked the rising sun and I looked up into Axon’s face. “It doesn’t undo what happened in the past, but maybe it can help with the future.”
There was a sharp pain in my side as Jatha began to clean. I winced and closed my eyes. Staden spoke softly. “We have an herb that will put you to sleep while we work. Will you take it?”
I looked up at the faces around me. Something had changed. There was no animosity or disgust, just concern and eyes flickering to the tattered tent that surrounded us, checking the desert for the possible return of the Sathen. I nodded and a cup was pressed to my lips. I drank deeply of liquid that tasted like green grass and sunshine, things that had been very scarce in my life. My eyelids drooped as Staden and Jatha got to work.
Chapter 5
Light pounded on my skin and demanded for me to wake. Without opening my eyes, I tried to remember why light would be pounding anywhere at the Caves. Then I remembered the kidnapping, the desert trek, and the Sathen attack. I swayed from side to side like I was being carried, but I was flat, not folded up in Dathien’s arms. I opened my eyes slowly as pain flooded back through my body.
The swaying stopped immediately.
“She’s waking up, Prince Axon,” Dathien’s voice said softly.
The pallet they carried me on was lowered to the ground and shadows blocked out the sun. I squinted at the silhouetted faces above me.
“Let’s set up camp here,” Axon said from my right. I turned to see him watching me expectantly, his sun blond hair in his eyes. “How are you feeling?”
I tried to push up to a sitting position, but found myself held down by gentle but firm hands. I glanced over to see Dathien kneeling on my other side. “Take it easy, little minx. You’ve been through a lot.”
Staden knelt beside him and checked the bandages across my stomach
, neck, and shoulder. He nodded to himself and left without saying a word. Dathien rose and followed him. Puzzled, I turned back to Axon. “Why are you taking care of me?”
He met my eyes, his own serious and unsmiling. “You bled for us. You could have let us all die back there, but you fought instead. No one expected that.”
“Even you?” I asked softly.
I could see the truth in his eyes before he nodded. “Yes, even me. I saw how you were treated at the Caves. You had no reason to put your life in danger for us.”
I looked away, embarrassed, and my eyes fell on the manacle on my wrist. It looked strange now without the chain attached to it. “I was chained. I couldn’t leave.”
“We both know you could have escaped. You could have climbed the tree and watched us die.” I looked up and saw the corners of his mouth twitch as though he held back a smile. “I think there’s more good in you than you let on.”
I stared at him. “Why do you talk to me like this? Why do you even tolerate my company? I’m a Duskie, if you haven’t noticed.”
Axon hesitated, then said, “Maybe I’m trying to change things. Life for Duskies isn’t always like at Firen Caves. Maybe I’m trying to give you a second chance.”
I watched him, suspicious but caught by the honesty in his voice. I sat up slowly, holding my side. He moved to help me, then hesitated and dropped his hands when he saw I could do it by myself. I waited a moment to catch my breath. “Your men don’t like Duskies,” I said to the desert sand. “It can’t be that different from the Caves.”
This time his voice held a curious note. “Look around you. I think you might find things different this time.”
I studied the faces around us. His men worked to set up camp and mend the tent so that it was usable. Dyloth and Jatha glanced in our direction from where they sewed the canvas seams, and when our eyes met, they nodded and Jatha even smiled before turning away. Rasa handed me two pieces of flat bread, a generous serving of hard cheese, and two pieces of the cactus fruit. I glanced around and noticed that the other men had only been given one piece of fruit and bread, Axon included. Rasa winked at me. “Enjoy,” he said before walking away.