Halfblood Heritage

by Rheaume, Laura

  They walked into the wooded area, turning sharply when they were out of sight and jogging for five minutes until they found a small sunken area that would afford them some cover. They sat at the bottom of it in the sparse grass and leaves and waited. After a few moments, Scythe heard quiet steps coming from two directions.

  “They’re here,” he told them. “Just be calm and make sure to tell the truth.”

  Ian swallowed, “I can do that.”

  “Good,” Rend, the only Blade who spoke some Human, stepped out of the shadow of a tree, followed by Leandra. They came and crouched behind Scythe, facing Lena and Ian. Smoke came out of the woods on the other side and took a place next to them. He said in Kin, “Our brother is keeping watch.”

  Rend nodded to his brother and then said in Human, “Alright, let’s get started. We are Scythe’s brothers, and you are his only Human friends.”

  Lena said, “That’s right.”

  Scythe's tone mirrored Rend’s, “Together, we are hoping to solve a few mysteries and maybe do some good.” Having the Blades beside him drained away what mirth he had felt just moments before and reminded him of the serious nature of their mission.

  “That doesn’t sound dangerous,” commented Ian, trying for humor.

  “The Humans are dead,” Scythe said bluntly after filling himself with cool, clear water.

  Lena and Ian both jumped at his announcement and the chill of his voice. A dismayed Lena spoke first, “All of them?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “It was an act of retribution, of revenge against the Humans.”

  “That’s monstrous.”

  “Yes.”

  “Scythe, help me understand,” she pleaded, reaching across to lay her hand on his knee. “What could it accomplish?”

  “Nothing but pain.”

  “That’s barbaric.”

  Rend interjected, “You will not be the ones calling names.”

  Smoke said in Kin. “They can’t help us. Let’s kill them and go.”

  Scythe didn’t look away from the Humans, but pulled the voice from his center he knew Smoke would recognize: sharp, deep and forceful. “No. They will have their chance.”

  Smoke and Rend reacted instantly to the words, giving him and then the Humans hard, solemn looks. Leandra looked at him in the same way that Lena and her brother did, with surprise and a little wonder.

  Scythe continued in his regular, if flat, Human tone, “Lena, the Kin have found out that Humans have broken the treaties with them and committed some terrible crimes against them. They are very angry. They’ve had their vengeance and now they want the Humans to make good. Will you help?”

  “What treaty was broken?” Lena asked, leaning forward.

  “Three years ago, Poinsea was raided. Were you there?”

  “No, we weren’t involved. I told you that.”

  “During the raid, besides myself and my mother, thirty-five Kin were abducted.”

  Scythe felt a stinging relief at Lena and Ian’s instant reaction. Their mouths dropped open, their eyes widened, and their hearts began racing.

  “Did you know about the abductions?” Scythe asked, imitating Keyrin’s interrogation strategy, leaning forward, his eyes on theirs.

  “No!” denied Lena, appalled.

  Ian shook his head, calmer but equally sincere, “We don’t know anything about it.” He paused, thinking, “Thirty-three children were taken...”

  “No, thirty-five Humans were taken.”

  Ian nodded, his lips pinched together, then asked, “Why would Humans kidnap so many Kin?”

  Rend answered, “Thirty-five of our brethren were taken to Menelaus, where for the last three years they have been experimented upon.”

  Lena’s voice rose in volume and pitch, “No! That can’t be true! It’s against the law and it’s immoral. There must be...”

  “There is no mistake,” Scythe said, calmly. “Lena, I saw my aunt. Her death…all their deaths…were faked, hidden by the fires. The Kin didn’t even know they were missing until six months ago, when five were discovered. They mourned for two and a half years, thinking their family members were dead, to find out they were taken and tortured.”

  “Lies. Scythe, this is some kind...”

  “Of trick? No, Lena, I’m sorry, but it’s not. There’s more...”

  “Ian,” she pleaded with her brother who was staring at Scythe as if he didn’t recognize him.

  Ian soothed, “Lena, look at Scythe, look at them. It’s not a lie.”

  She studied their grim faces, finally settling on Scythe’s. “But, why?”

  “Because that’s what Humans do,” he said coldly, remembering the words from long ago. She had said them, his aunt, on the night the Humans had stolen everything from him.

  “No, Scythe, that’s not true.” She leaned forward, her hands on his arms and then on both of his cheeks. “Not all Humans, not even most of them. Think, Scythe, think of all the Humans you’ve met...”

  “This isn’t the time, Lena,” Ian urged, pulling her back from an unmoving, unmoved Scythe. “What do you want us to do?”

  Scythe turned to Rend and asked in Kin, “Are you satisfied? They didn’t know.”

  Rend nodded, taking in the nods of Leandra and Smoke, “We are satisfied that they didn’t know. It remains to be seen if they can help us or not.”

  “Their lives?”

  “Are their own, as agreed.”

  Scythe nodded in acknowledgement, turning back to Lena and Ian. “You have proven yourself innocent of the abductions. You will not be killed today.”

  “Geez, Scythe, you are freaking me out today,” said Ian, his eyes wild. He turned to Rend and accused, “What did you do to him?”

  “The truth did this to him,” Rend said, blandly returning the accusation.

  Lex walked out of the woods and hopped down into their hiding place, surprising only the Humans. He informed them in Kin, “Five minutes ‘til they find us; ten, if they listen to the redhead.”

  “We only have five minutes left, Lena,” said Scythe. “We want you to help us find out if any of the Kin are still alive. Can you do that?”

  “Yes. I’ll do my best to find them.”

  “If the Humans find out you are searching...”

  “Then the Kin will be in danger,” answered Ian. “Or we’ll just disappear. Either way, we don’t want to be caught. I think it may be treason.”

  “It is dangerous for you, we know, but it is important to the Kin. They must know if the remaining victims live, Ian.”

  “Of course. I swear, I’ll find them, or hear what happened to them; I won’t stop until I do.” Ian promised.

  Scythe closed his eyes, relaxing for the first time, “Thank you. It means a lot to me, to all the Kin.” He opened his eyes to see Lena smiling at him, her eyes sparkling.

  “There you are,” she said. “I was worried about you for a minute there.” Suddenly she made a connection and stared at Scythe in shock and then sorrow, “You thought we knew, didn’t you? Scythe...”

  Scythe felt the blood rushing to his cheeks and his chest warming again, but this time he shut it off, tightening his mouth and pulling the cold closer. Time was running out.

  “We think there may have been thirty-five originally taken, less the five that were returned by a Human nurse six months ago. That leaves thirty that we don’t know about. We don’t know if the five smuggled out are known to be returned. If you need me, or if you have information, return to this camp and walk in front of the gate a few times each day, and we’ll know. Do not approach the Kin.”

  “They’re coming. Let’s hope the hothead doesn’t shoot them,” snickered Lex.

  “If I need to reach you, I’ll surrender myself here. You can tell them that I haven’t found enough information yet and was only able to sneak out for a quick visit. Tell them I’ll come back when I have something valuable, and leave orders for them to contact you when I show up. How does that s
ound?” Scythe stood, pausing when Lena jumped up and hugged him.

  “Be safe, Scythe, and remember us. Not all Humans are idiots and bastards.” She kissed him on the cheek and stepped back, letting Ian step forward to grasp his forearm.

  “We’ll be in touch. Take care, Scythe. Let’s go, Lena, we’ve got a lot of work to do.” They started climbing out of the small pit.

  “Wait.” Rend stepped forward anxiously.

  Lena and Ian turned to him, as surprised as the Blades by the intensity of his expression.

  “There...is a woman...” Rend’s composure began to break, desperation winning the battle against his usual casual front. “Green eyes, about your age, about the same height. Please, can you try to find her?”

  The other Blades, frozen by his plea, turned their accusing eyes on the Humans.

  Ian's gaze never left Rend’s as he whispered, truly shaken, “Oh, my god.”

  Lena swore and then Scythe watched as she filled with determination, “Nothing will stop us, save our deaths.”

  “Your death won’t help us,” Scythe snapped. A memory of his childhood friend Serena laughing at the antics of his friends, coupled with the thought of her lying in a hospital like his aunt, made him suddenly livid. After a moment, it faded and was replaced with a terrible bitterness. Calmer but no less serious, he urged, “So, Lena, Ian...be careful.”

  “We will,” Ian assured him. He wrapped his arm around his sister and they hurried away.

  Scythe, hearing his team move behind him, turned and hopped up to where the Blades were waiting. He joined them as they ran in the opposite direction.

  -----------

  After a month and a half, Scythe had become frustrated with waiting, but his daily routine was ambitious enough to keep him from dwelling on it for too long. He had fully settled into his life as a Blade apprentice. He had Blade training for eight to ten hours, starting first thing in the morning. Then he dedicated a few hours to further physical and mental conditioning. He had also returned to his personal academic studies. At night he had a little time to play cards or hang out with what Blades didn’t return to their own families. Then it was time to retire to his room.

  The only threats to him had been labeled by Smoke and Rend as practical jokes, and they had already started their counter offensive, which resulted in a steep decline in incidences against Scythe. Despite the absence of any real violence against him, the Blades remained vigilant, assigning at least two of their members to him at all times. Since they didn’t feel they could relax their guard, Scythe accepted their assessment of the situation and didn’t let his guard down either.

  His experiences in the infirmary, both during the visit with Keyrin and after, had changed him. He liked the way the cool barrier he had created for himself kept him collected, focused, and resistant to fear. He joked with his friends easily, but could switch immediately to a working mentality, calm and efficient. He still felt some pain when he thought about the abducted Kin, and even the innocent Humans who had died for Keyrin’s vengeance, but it didn’t rule him. He ruled himself now, and he liked it like that.

  The Blades had begun to treat him differently, too. They seemed to respect his hard work, his single minded purpose and his obvious natural ability. One thing Scythe hadn’t anticipated was their constant interference with his training. They took his tasks and make them harder, sometimes impossible, to accomplish. A bag weighed double what it should have, or he was made to run farther, faster, or through difficult terrain; his tools or weapons were missing, or broken. When they sparred with him, they didn’t hold back one bit, despite his smaller size and lack of experience.

  Rend tried to explain the situation to him one day. “It’s a sign of respect, in a way. They think your original jobs are too easy for you. Mostly, though, it’s because you have to earn your place here, not just with hard work, but with ingenuity. Keyrin put you here to protect you and offer you the opportunity of being accepted, but it is not an automatic position. If you can make it through this, you will be a brother, and there will be no doubt in your mind or theirs that you deserve it. Every Blade has been through the same things you are going through; there is no other way to join this team.”

  After that conversation, Scythe let go of his uncertainty and worked even harder. He didn’t want their belief in him to be misplaced.

  Scythe’s body was sore all the time: a constant physical ache that had made itself part of his life. He pushed himself as far as he could go on every assignment and drill, and it was really paying off for him. He could feel himself getting stronger, quicker and learning skills almost as fast as he was taught them. More importantly, his constant practice, both with the team and by himself later in the day, resulted in the ability to act and react automatically. He was filled with a surety now that he didn’t have before. He knew that Rend and Smoke had been right: he would be a great Blade.

  One rare day, he found that he had some free time and arranged to visit Keyrin’s library. He had always had a passion for reading, and he had been itching to get a look at the man’s large collection since the first day he had seen it. To his surprise, Keyrin was working there when he arrived. On his way to the first shelf, Scythe found that a collection of maps had been laid out on another table and he asked for the opportunity to examine them.

  “Sure, make free with whatever you see here, Scythe,” Keyrin said with a wave of his hand.

  Scythe pulled out one of the maps that was farther down in the stack and settled it on top of the pile. It showed all the continents divided up by many colors, each representing a different Kin sphere of influence. Poinsea’s was one of the smallest blocks of color on their continent. A second map, when superimposed on top of the first, used wavy and straight lines of varying widths to identify alliances among Kin groups.

  “There are so many different alliances,” Scythe remarked when Keyrin left his intimidating pile of work for a short break and joined him. “The Kin are very divided, compared to the Humans.”

  “Well, the Humans have to band together, because they are so few. The Kin are too big to be brought together. We are very diverse, too, which makes unity an impossibility. At best, we can tolerate each other, working together on common goals; at worst, we struggle to strengthen ourselves, attaining power where we can and asserting ourselves over our neighbors. It is hard for a small entity like Poinsea to maintain its independence; my father has done a good job up to now, but the world is changing.”

  “Changing, how?”

  “In my father’s youth, there were many independent settlements like Poinsea, but, some fifteen years ago, the larger alliances began to acquire them; there are just a few left now. We, like many smaller cities, find ourselves in a precarious position. We are threatened constantly with being swallowed up by one of the ambitious alliances. My father’s contacts, as well as heavy bribes to key people in those alliances and in major cities, has afforded us some protection from this. However, we must find another source of power if we are to remain independent for much longer.”

  “What kind of power?”

  “Well, there are different things we can use to ensure our freedom: political maneuvers, developing our own alliances, finding and controlling a needed resource. There are various strategies we could apply; the trick is knowing which one will work.”

  “It sounds very difficult.”

  “I wish it were only difficult; it seems nearly impossible sometimes. However, we are constantly working on the problem and always have more than one project in motion.”

  “I think the Kin here are lucky to have you and the governor dedicated to protecting them,” Scythe said awkwardly.

  “Thank you, Scythe. I hope we are up to the task of safeguarding everyone, I really do.”

  -----------

  Smoke picked up a pile of books off one of Scythe’s chairs and looked around for a place to put them. The table was covered with more books as well as a pair of large maps. The dresser was similarly free
of free space: stacks of books, pamphlets and notebooks took up what room the piles of hand weapons and training gear left available.

  “This is getting ridiculous,” he commented, carrying the books over to the bed and laying them down. “Do you really read all of these?”

  “Yes,” Scythe said, consolidating a couple of piles to make room for their food. He placed one shallow basket that held a generous portion of cabbage salad and a sandwich in front of Smoke’s chair and one filled with fried roots in the center of the table. His own basket he kept on his lap.

  Scythe had always been a voracious reader, even as a young child, and his parents, especially his father, had encouraged it. He enjoyed researching just about any topic, so, he made a point of always having a variety of sources for at least one or two subjects on hand. Recently, Rend surprised him with a visit to Governor Talto’s personal library, a place he had access to as a member of the family. Looking over the mass of books spread around his small room, Scythe thought that maybe he had gone a little crazy.

  Smoke sat down, tilted up the book on top of the pile closest to him and frowned. “Cardiology?” He studied the cover while he took a large bite of his sandwich.

  Scythe shrugged, “It goes with the other anatomy books I’m reading.” When Smoke gave him an incredulous look, he added, “Well, I am trying to get into shape…”

  “It looks like you’re studying to be a doctor, or...what is this?” He gestured with his sandwich at another pile.

  “I’m also interested in military history.”