Into Tordon
Page 12
‘Of course,’ Beth said, though she still didn’t like the idea of killing anything. ‘Zane? He’s a warrior too,’ Beth told Kira.
‘I guess,’ he mumbled.
‘Then you need proper clothes,’ said Kira, eyeing Zane’s ripped top, ‘or else you’ll roast alive. I am surprised warriors such as yourselves are not better clothed?’
‘We’ve been fighting some unusual monsters,’ Zane explained, ‘then came straight here. No time to change.’
Kira bowed her head. ‘We are grateful you rushed to our aid. Come,’ she gestured, leading them to a nearby work hut.
The hut turned out to be a basic shelter—a crudely thatched roof propped up by four crooked poles. Still, it was a delight to get out of the scorching sun rays. Kira handed them each a thin cotton shirt and sarong, and another straw hat for Zane.
As midday approached, the few paddy workers in the field packed up and paddled away on bamboo rafts. This was no time to be outside, the heat was stifling. Heatwaves rose from the field to make rippling visions in the heated air—the outline of a waterfall, a silver rope, a snake. Beth was truly over snakes, but as she gazed across the field she felt something else—anticipation. Maybe Zane was right, adventures could be great. She’d never experienced this much action in her entire life and it was pretty fun. She felt ready for anything.
‘You should practice,’ Kira said. She opened a small box in the corner of the hut. ‘But first put on this.’ She held out a bowl and began smearing thick black grease over her face. ‘Smother your hat and under your eyes with this—buffalo fat mixed with mud. It deflects the suns’ rays and gives us better aim.’
Beth took a breath. Dad’s footie team wore black under their eyes. She was on a team too now. She reached for the grease.
Once they were done Kira prepped the bow, caressing its curved wooden handle, running her fingers over the decorative notches carved above the arrow rest, and checking everything was ready. The bowstring itself was coarse twine and its ends looked thin enough to snap with the slightest pressure.
‘Will it fire your arrows high enough?’ Beth asked. It was a beautiful bow yet looked so…inadequate.
Kira passed it to her. ‘Gently, feel the weight. Now pull it back next to your ear. See? It is flexible, but strong. It may not be as good as other weapons you have used, but it belonged to my grandfather and he was a great warrior. Now you practice.’ She reached into her box again and pulled out a long wooden arrow. ‘Made from the red mangrove tree,’ she said, passing it to Beth. ‘You load it on the bow and eye the target like this.’ She demonstrated then led them outside the hut. ‘You can aim for the corner pole of that hut over there, to your right, see?’
Beth nodded and listened to Kira’s instructions on how to hold her arms and aim. When she was ready, she pulled back the bowstring and, with a twang, the arrow shot off. Way off.
Zane snorted.
‘It’ll be your turn in a minute,’ she said, coolly.
Kira passed her another arrow so she could try again, and again.
Slowly, her arrows whizzed past the pole closer and closer, until finally her last one hit the mark. ‘Woo hoo!’
‘Can I have a turn now or what?’ Zane asked.
Beth reluctantly passed him the bow. It was fun shooting arrows! She hoped she’d be the one to fire them at the suns—like Kira said, she had the same colour hair!
After Zane’s third attempt, though, he became surprisingly good at hitting the target. He passed the bow back to Kira and flexed his fingers. ‘What can I say? I’m a natural.’
Beth rolled her eyes and asked Kira for a few more tries. Kira glanced out. ‘Three more and then it will be time.’
All three of Beth’s arrows hit the target and she grinned smugly as they prepared to leave the hut.
‘Enjoying adventures now are we?’ Zane asked.
‘Yes, but…’ she looked away. ‘I still need to get home as soon as possible.’
‘Of course.’
Beth stepped out into the muddy water and shook her head. Is this how the memory loss started, by enjoying yourself and wanting to stay? Focus—that’s what she needed. No matter what peril awaited, no matter what the excitement, her focus had to be getting home.
Kira tilted her hat to study the sky. ‘The suns are aligned. Are you ready?’ She drew a metal-tipped arrow from her quiver, placed it in her bow and passed it to Beth.
‘Me first? No, Kira, it was your grandfather’s, you should be the first to try.’
She hung her head. ‘In our land only warriors can fight, and I am no warrior.’
‘You are to us.’
Kira looked up, her face beaming.
‘Farmers fight everyday,’ Beth continued, ‘against nature, the land, disease. Right, Zane?’
‘True enough,’ he agreed.
‘Thank you, this will be a great honour.’ Kira squinted and aimed straight up, pulling the string tight until Beth was certain it would snap. The muscles in Kira’s neck bulged, she flexed her fingers, then let go, sending the arrow soaring into the sky.
Kira stumbled backward from the force, though tried to follow the arrow with shielded eyes as it plunged deep into a fiery sun.
Hiss!
The ambushed sun hurtled toward the ground before exploding like an angry dragon and extinguishing into smoky nothingness.
‘One down, five to go!’ Kira crowed.
Immediately, the other suns scattered, twitching and jerking across the sky to avoid being struck. So much for them staying still like sitting ducks.
Zane passed Kira another arrow. ‘Keep up your beginner’s luck. Try again.’
Kira smiled, then with a determined look on her face she aimed at a second sun. As it zig-zagged across the sky, she had to blink and squint in the unrelenting glare to track its path. Releasing the arrow, she narrowly missed her target, but somehow felled another sun leaping into its path by mistake.
Boom!
It crashed to the earth and fizzled out in the paddy field.
‘My eyes!’ cried Kira, rubbing. ‘They’re stinging from the sun’s rays, I can’t see any more. She-Who-Has-Hair-The-Colour-Of-The-Sun, please, you must take over now.’
Beth took the bow and a third arrow, accidentally stabbing her palm on its sharp tip. She stifled a cry as blood stained the bow. Ignoring the pain, she quickly crouched on one knee and aimed her weapon.
Burning rays blinded her. She had to look away to regain her sight. Another sun hurled past. She couldn’t aim. All she could do was fire and hope. On releasing her arrow, it shot into the sky only to skim the underside of her chosen sun. Like a billiard ball nicked by a cue, it jumped sharply, knocking into a nearby sun. The impact sent it spiralling down from the sky.
Pop!
‘I got one!’ Beth blinked as tears streamed from her eyes.
‘Yep.’ Zane patted her back before impatiently grabbing the bow and readying his shot. ‘Now I’ll show you how a master does it.’
Zane squinted up at a fourth sun, took aim and hit a bullseye.
Shriek!
The sun screeched like a banshee at its own funeral. Lightning-like rays shot from its edges, until eventually it sizzled away. Zane pumped a fist in the air and bowed to an imaginary audience.
‘Thank you, Zane,’ smiled Kira, her eyesight recovering. Zane passed her the bow with a sigh. ‘Here, it’s your village.’
‘Thank you.’ Kira pointed the weapon eastward. But at the last moment, she pivoted and shot down a sun pausing in the west, believing itself safe.
Crack!
Shards of sunbeam rained down. Her eyes once more blinded, Kira bent down and splashed muddy water in her face, dropping her bow among the yellowing shoots.
Beth and Zane leapt toward it.
‘It’s my turn!’ yelled Beth. ‘Kira would want me to take the final shot.’
‘But I’m better!’ shouted Zane. ‘Didn’t you see my bullseye?’
They both dived, slos
hing about to grab the bow. Beth found it first, and stood triumphantly, only to realise Zane was holding its other end.
‘Give it to me,’ she said, digging her heels in and pulling backward.
‘No. I’m better.’
‘But I’m supposed to do it!’
Snap!
The bow cracked in half like a wishbone, leaving the bowstring dangling limply between.
‘You’ve done it now! How will you fix that, Zane?’
‘You’ve done it, you mean! Always trying to prove you’re better. If you’d just let me shoot the final sun, none of this would’ve happened.’
‘Don’t forget who beat you at Tordon!’
‘Please, stop!’ Kira begged, gazing at her broken bow.
‘No one is better than another. Pride unbalances the chances of succeeding. It doesn’t matter who fires last, as long as the suns are gone. But now…’ She reached for the bow.
What were they going to do now? Saddened, Beth remembered the message on the hat.
Confusing arrogance with courage leads to dismay, it had said. Your heart knows what it truly craves.
She squinted at the sky, trying to figure it out. The last two suns were glowing hotter and brighter than before, filling the sky. Were they working together to overheat their enemies?
Yes, they were—unlike her and Zane. Kira was right, pride was wrong. Just look where pride had got the suns— fighting all the time. So the opposite was…humility, harmony? Isn’t that what her heart truly craved?
‘Sorry,’ she mumbled. ‘The greater good is more important than being the hero. I…I’m not better than you, Zane. I could never have made it through the forest, the ocean, cave, or anything without you.’
‘I’m sorry too, I guess. Now give me the bow.’
Beth’s mouth dropped open. ‘What?’
‘So I can mend it, silly!’
She smiled and let him take it. ‘How?’
Zane looked around, then tugged up a thick yellow shoot before wrapping it around the break in the bow. But the shoot wilted and tore and he threw it away in disgust.
The suns’ heat bore down and Beth felt as if she was melting. Kira’s face drooped in hopelessness. Nothing around here looked strong enough to hold the bow together…apart from Zane. ‘What if you hold the bow while I draw back its string?’
‘Worth a try,’ Zane said, wiping sweat from his eyes. But when Beth pulled back the string, the bow simply collapsed. ‘It’s not working,’ she panted, sweat pouring down her face. She wiped her brow, flicking away the chin straps from her hat. ‘I know—our hat straps! We can tie a stick around the bow as a splint.’
‘Or a practice arrow!’ said Kira, scrambling back into the hut for her box.
Beth yanked the straps off everyone’s hats, then Zane twisted them around two of Kira’s practise arrows and the broken bow, tying the straps off with complex marine knots.
‘Useful, that military stuff,’ Beth teased, pulling her hat over her face again. She was dying in this oven.
Zane gave a short nod. ‘Yeah, but the bow’s wonky,’ he warned.
Beth took a step back to steady herself and trod on something sharp. She glanced down.
Nothing.
Only when she lifted her foot, did the mud ripple. A long green tail flicked up before disappearing.
‘Come on, Beth!’ cried Zane, holding the bulk of the bow.
She nodded and grabbed the top half, the sheer webbing still coating her hands giving her some grip. Then they leant into each other for balance. Kira stood on Zane’s right, drawing back the string while Beth and Zane took turns aiming and positioning the bow. They all squinted hard to aim. This was their final arrow.
Twang! Kira released her grip and the arrow hissed high into the sky. Bored with their attackers’ squabbling, the suns had stopped paying attention and didn’t even see the arrow coming.
Fizz!
It sunk into the highest sun, which spun like a balloon letting out air. It fell down, down, down until, with a pfft, it disappeared.
The surviving sun shuddered, then humbly shrank back to a more normal size. The temperature dropped and dark clouds blew in, growing larger and greyer before bursting over the paddy in a tropical shower. Perfume filled the air as new lotus flowers bloomed.
Throwing off her hat, Beth stuck out her tongue to catch the cool rain. As she stepped forward, her foot throbbed in pain. She lifted it, but couldn’t see any blood.
Still it throbbed, aching as if she’d trodden on broken glass. Maybe she needed a better look? ‘Zane,’ she mumbled, ‘I’m going back to the hut.’
But as she went to take another step, her whole leg crumbled, her head reeled and she slumped sideways into the mud.
Chapter 17
‘Beth?’ Zane yelled, helping her up from the ground.
‘I’m fine,’ she said groggily, steadying herself against him. Had she just fainted? ‘The heat finally got to me, that’s all.’
‘You are very red in the face.’ Kira cocked her head. ‘I know, you need refreshment! I shall take you to my home in Semuik to eat our final grains, for tomorrow will be a bountiful harvest. Come!’ She moved to the nearest buffalo, which she quickly harnessed ready for them to ride.
Zane helped Beth on and they were soon riding toward Semuik. Beth’s foot felt better now she wasn’t standing on it, though she didn’t understand why they weren’t yet travelling through a gateway. They’d defeated the suns, so why were they still in the rice paddies?
She glanced up at the single remaining sun hanging in the sky like back home. There was nothing to suggest it had ever had a mind of its own, or chased anything. Her head reeled again. Had she just helped shoot six suns from the sky, or not? Something about this place didn’t feel right, and not just because she was feeling faint.
Zane’s stomach growled loudly. ‘Thank goodness we’re here.’
Beth looked up. Seven stilted huts with thatched roofs stood on a mound of dirt to one side of a rice paddy. Kira headed to one with a green curtain over its doorway, the cloth’s edges dancing in the cool afternoon breeze. Beth waited for the breeze to reach her, but a strange heat seemed to be pulsing up and down her body, making her sweat even more than when the suns were battling in the sky.
‘What did you say was for refreshment?’ Zane called out to Kira.
‘Rice, of course,’ Kira said, laughing, ‘with spicy catfish and fried lotus root.’
‘Um…yum!’ Zane replied, trying to sound enthusiastic. Beth didn’t care what they ate, as long as she got off the buffalo. With every sway she thought the ground was going to rise and slap her in the face.
‘Hey!’ a shout rose behind them.
Dozens of smiling people drifted towards the village on long bamboo rafts.
‘They’ve seen us defeat the suns and are returning home!’ cried Kira, jumping off the buffalo and waving. ‘Look, there are my parents and brothers!’
Beth swayed backwards as she turned to look. ‘Whoa!’ Zane jumped down. ‘Here, let me help you off, Beth.’
‘I need to check my foot,’ Beth murmured. ‘I stepped on something like an arrowhead or…’ She lifted it up, but her vision blurred. ‘I can’t see, is there a cut?’
‘Hold on,’ Zane peered closer, smearing mud away from where Beth was pointing.
She clutched her head. So dizzy. Suddenly she was struggling to breathe and she slumped forward over the buffalo.
‘Kira!’ Zane yelled, still holding Beth’s foot. ‘Come look at this!’
‘What is it?’ Beth mumbled, her eyelids feeling heavy. Zane had cleaned mud from her cut, only there wasn’t any gash. Instead two deep puncture marks throbbed angrily. ‘Is that…?’
Kira took her foot and felt the wound. ‘It is the green cobra.’ Her voice wobbled.
‘Cobra? Aren’t they venomous?’ Beth was sure she’d learnt that at school.
‘Yes, She-Who-Has-Hair-The-Colour-Of-The-Sun. Come, you must get down.’
‘Hurry,’ Zane said, his voice close. Was she in his arms? Then she was lying on something flat and solid. Her stomach churned and movement didn’t help, neither did the rocking. Were they on a raft? Water rippled all around her. Bile crept into her throat. ‘Zane?’
‘I’m here.’
‘I’m going to throw up.’ Gasping, she rolled onto her side and heaved into the water.Voices shouted. She heard paddling and Kira murmuring. Her skin burned. Were the seven suns back? She peered up at the sky. Three green vultures circled overhead and something roared in the distance. Was that a tiger? Or a tribesman? A Hupuleq?
‘She’s burning up,’ Zane said. ‘Stay with me Beth.’ She searched for his face but saw only clouds swimming with monster fish. She curled up and closed her eyes again as pain shot up her leg and took over her body. Surely Witheng mutts were biting her foot while giant spiked snakes slithered up her spine.
Air, she gasped for air.
Then a shadow crossed over her and an angry tribesman thrust his spear deep into her foot, sending a hot pain searing up her leg. She screamed in pain while her foot blew up to the size of a giant sun, burning the tribesman to cinders before combusting into a nest of snakes. They slithered across her chest, up her nostrils and into her ears like a Hupuleq’s tentacles. The light flickered like a television screen, and suddenly Beth was on the floor of her lounge room where Dad was watching television, ignoring her muted screams.
‘Beth,’ he finally said.
‘Dad?’
‘You should start to feel better soon.’
‘Okay.’ He seemed so far away. He wasn’t even looking at her.
Why wasn’t he looking at her? She was right in front of him. She was home.
Someone stroked her forehead. It felt cold, like ice cubes, and the coldness trickled down her body towards her foot. Nothing had ever felt so good. Wait a minute. Ice?
She opened her eyes.