“That one’s a lot like you.”
“She’s nothing like me, and I’m tired of people saying so. Ladi would rather remain a criminal than become a legitimate courier.” Rasha picked a small twig from a nearby bush and broke it into pieces. “She’s so obstinate.”
“That was the quality of yours to which I was referring,” Sochi said with a laugh.
Rasha mulled it over for a moment. It made sense. They were both willful and headstrong. Rasha had never learned how to accept ‘no’ as an answer, and Ladi had the same tendency.
“If she pulls it off, I’ll be the first one to congratulate her. If she fails…” Rasha’s voice trailed off. She didn’t want to even imagine it. She looked at her aunt, remembering now that she hadn’t been expecting her. “Why have you come, Aunt?”
“I’m here to fight. What else?”
22
LADI PLACED HER pack on the ground and pulled out her tools. She’d need to get close enough to one of them to remove it. She communicated easily with the creatures of the wood near her home. But these beasts were different. She hoped they understood her benign intentions.
Her superior eyes and ears picked up most of what she needed to learn about the collars and how they worked. She watched as a dragon stomped and growled at a bull-man who was trying to lead him in the opposite direction. The dragon refused, and his collar lit up when the bull-man remotely electrified it. The beast resisted, and the bull-man turned the shock level up. Then again until the animal lowered his head in submission and obeyed. Ladi had already seen what the highest voltage could do on the battlefield. A painful death.
Ladi had several different tools to try since she hadn’t been sure what she might need. She hadn’t been able to test a working collar. When their wearers died, the collars burned themselves out.
What a horrible existence these beasts had. She imagined the joy they’d feel once they were free. They’d thank her and her own people would praise her for bringing peace to the entire realm. The bull-man with the controller left the enclosure. Ladi made her move.
23
RASHA NOTED A distinct change in her status when her aunt Sochi arrived to join the fight. Her aunt Sochi added some kind of credibility to everything she said and did. It was as if Rasha had only been playing princess incumbent until her aunt arrived. Rasha wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Of course, she was glad her aunt was there to support her, but why were the others acting so different around her now?
* * *
“The beasts are attacking from the west!” A guard exclaimed. Rasha met her Aunt Sochi running down the corridor toward the fight. They quickly joined the captains. Several nodded in acknowledgement to Sochi.
“The beasts are here, on our west flank. We have to push them to the east. We have scouts in the area, and I want to give them some breathing room,” Rasha said. She waited for the normal resistance that came with her orders, but none came.
“I can lead a charge from the east edge of the palace and push them back, Your Highness,” Sochi said. Rasha hated the title from anyone else, but when her aunt Sochi said it, the words seemed filled with such pride she couldn’t help but smile. The look her aunt gave her said she was just as happy to say the words.
“Do it.”
“I’ll flank them from the north, so they can’t break in that direction,” said the captain who’d been her biggest opponent.
The plan of attack came together, in large part because of Sochi. The captains couldn’t object or refuse without looking like fools or cowards.
“My people will push north. The rest of you circle around them and attack their flank,” Rasha said.
After the captains departed to muster their fighters, Sochi turned to Rasha and said, “You’re a fine leader.”
“It’s never gone that smoothly before. I feel like it’s because you’re here.”
Sochi shrugged one shoulder. “It’s easier to follow someone if they already have loyal followers. Loyalty by example.”
Rasha only had time to give her aunt a quick hug before they ran for their positions. A dark cloud was coming from the north, and she wondered if they’d have a storm to deal with as well. Then the cloud broke, moving both east and west. It wasn’t a storm cloud.
It was a huge number of flying beasts. As it drew closer, she saw bird-men, dragons, and some other smallish bird she’d never seen before. They were half the size of the bird-men with no fur and sharp, chopping teeth. They screeched and howled as they got closer. The sound of their wings on the cold air filled her ears.
The new beasts dove on fighters, biting and using their talons, tearing at faces, and slowing them down. Rasha was ready for the aerial attack, spinning her swords and cutting them down. The dragons were the worst. Their size and relative indestructability allowed them to land in the middle of the fighters, scattering them in all directions.
As the battle went on, she didn’t understand how her brain managed to miss Jak. When she turned and saw of another graceful fighter making their way through the fray, all thoughts of Jak left her mind. Aunt Sochi’s technique and skill with the blade bordered on legendary. Rasha had always admired her. She fought her way to Sochi’s side, and the two fought back-to-back, bringing down beasts.
“There’s too many of them, girl!” her aunt yelled.
Rasha grunted as she fought off two of the smaller beasts. She noticed a dragon getting closer. The collar around his neck caught the light. He hesitated, not closing in on them. His head began whipping around defiantly. Ladi’s theory flashed through her mind, and she scanned the fray. She found him.The birdman amped up the charge, and the beast took another step toward Rasha, his huge amber eyes staring at her. An idea formed in her mind, and she didn’t hesitate. Turning away from Sochi, she started running toward the birdman, and the dragon followed her. When the birdman realized she was running at him, he started to take flight.
Out of nowhere, one of her captains caught his leg and yanked him out of the air.
“Hold him,” Rasha yelled, and her swords made quick work of him. The controller dropped from his dead hand. She snatched it from the ground and held it up, waving it at the dragon. The beast made a noise, his snarl melted into a whimper.
Moving slowly and deliberately, Rasha put the controller on the ground between them and took a step back. He watched her curiously, tensing when she raised her sword. She lifted Blade and hacked at the device until the sparks died out. Then, holding her sword to one side, she lifted her arms up. Did he understand she didn’t want to fight him? Would he try to kill her anyway? The dragon’s head tilted, then with a growl he leapt into the air and flew away from the battle.
Rasha looked around and realized their mistake. They were fighting the wrong beasts.
“Go after the bird-men! They’re controlling the beasts,” Rasha yelled to the men nearest her. She ran across the battlefield, spreading the word.
As soon as the bird-men and the bull-men figured out that the soldiers were going after them instead of fighting the beasts, they used the only defense they had. They used the remaining beasts to get off of the ground and away from the battle. The smaller, sharp-toothed birds continued to fight. They didn’t have collars. Rasha looked for the source of their agitation and couldn’t find anything.
Sochi was fighting back-to-back with another fighter, and she recognized the tall, elegant man as Xeku. They were fighting off a beast with a collar. Rasha searched until her eyes fell on a bull-man who hadn’t left with the others. Rasha raced at him, but he held up the device and pointed it at the beast. She understood what he’d planned to do, but it was too late. She drove Cutter through him, he pressed the button and the beast dropped to the ground at the same time as bull-man.
“No!” Rasha yelled. Xeku and Sochi turned and saw her anguish. “They’re fighting against their will. Get the controllers and the beasts will stop fighting.”
“But if we don’t stop them in time, they’ll just kill the beasts,” X
eku said, realization dawning on his face.
“What about the swarm?” Sochi asked as the beasts continued to fight.
“I don’t know what’s controlling them, but I’m sure something is driving them. Find it.” Rasha raced to tell the others. The swarm was moving toward the palace, driving a pack of beasts. The bull-men and bird-men hadn’t retreated. They’d only changed their target.
“The palace!”
24
LADI CREPT ALONGSIDE the encampment. The beasts inside of the cages were quiet. She reached the back of the enclosure and crouched down, careful not to make any noise. She suddenly realized if she ran into trouble she might lose her tools. Maybe it would have been smarter to convince a beast to come with her and work on removing the collar outside the camp. It was too late now. She’d committed to doing this, and if a beast killed her, her tools would be useless to them, anyway.
The gates of the enclosure were open. Apparently there was no fear of the animals getting out of the cages. All the better for her. An eruption of cheering and shouting started behind her. The bull-men and the bird-men were up to something. She glanced behind her, then back to the enclosures. She’d come this far. She wasn’t going to fail by getting distracted by something else.
The reek of feces and urine assaulted her. The cages were on legs that kept them off of the ground and allowed the waste drain out. From the grime and potent smell, they hadn’t been concerned with making the place comfortable or clean. She didn’t have to go far to find the beasts; their cages lined every inch of the fences. A smaller row of stacked cages took up most of the middle.
She went unnoticed at first, but eventually but her scent reached some of the beasts, and they clawed at the bottom of their cages. Their agitation was contagious, spreading from one cage to the next. As she crept along she had to avoid touching the cages. She made her way to the back, as far as she could get from the gate. It was much quieter there. These animals were maimed and scarred, some of them matted with dried blood. They watched her with defeated eyes.
Ladi crept up to a cage holding a wolf curled in on himself. He didn’t even look at her when she touched the cage and whistled softly. He sighed, refusing to acknowledge her.
“Don’t get angry. I’m here to help you escape. I’ve been working on something that might get that collar off of your neck.”
Ladi sensed a change in the air behind her. She turned slowly and locked eyes with a bear, sniffing at her from the other wall.
The white bear’s fur was matted and bloodied.
“A little help wouldn’t go unappreciated. You might be next,” Ladi said. She leaned out to make sure the coast was still clear
Satisfied there was no immediate danger, she put her pack on the ground at her feet and pulled out her tools. She took out her device and held it up for the wolf.
“See, I can’t remove your collar from there. I need you to come a little closer.”
The animal continued to ignore her.
“Listen, I can’t help you if you don’t come to the edge of the cage at least. I’m trying to help you.”
The gate creaked and Ladi whirled around. This time the animals in the cages didn’t make a sound. She could hear heavy footfalls. The bull-man was coming in her direction, and there wasn’t another exit. She reached into her pack and pulled out her knives. They weren’t long, but she’d been practicing with Rasha and improving her technique. If the bull-man was carrying a sword, she might be able fend him off.
He didn’t bring a sword.
The bull-man was near her, sniffing at the air. Ladi remembered her pack and slid it under the nearest cage with the toe of her boot. When he came around the corner of the cage and spotted her, she was standing with her arms crossed over her chest. She leaned against the wolf’s cage, trying her best to look bored. She yawned loudly.
The bull-man approached, and she jumped away from the cage. She spun and stabbed him with each of her knives. He screamed in pain.
“There’s more where that came from,” Ladi said. He retreated a few steps, until he hit the wolf’s cage. Why didn’t the beasts help? Surely the wolf could reach him. None of the beasts made a sound, not even when someone snuck up behind her and shot her with a sleep dart.
Ladi slapped at the sting on her neck and pulled out the dart. Her vision clouded over, and she staggered toward the bull-man. Still holding the knives, she threw one, and then the other. One of them must have hit him, because as she closed her eyes the beast’s plaintive cry echoed off the cages.
25
SHE’D FAILED. THAT’S all Rasha could think as she raced for the palace. The beasts were already attacking the small group of guards left behind. Sochi and Xeku joined her.
“Round up the rest of the council.”
“Are you sure?”
“What about the prince and princess?”
Rasha hated to admit it, but that’s where they were now. She regretted never meeting with Bashir and getting his opinion on things. Now it was too late. This was the brink of defeat, and they needed to get everyone out of the palace.
She nodded. “Yes, we need to evacuate the palace.”
Sochi reached up and put a hand on Xeku’s shoulder. Rasha still didn’t understand the relationship, but she didn’t have time to ask questions. They needed to hurry if they were going to help.
“Sochi, I need the Tero-Joro inside, now.”
“How many?”
“Whoever we have left,” Rasha said.
* * *
She fought for a time that seemed endless, but it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes when she got to the palace. When she ducked inside, the palace was empty. It felt like an abandoned tomb. As she looked around, she became aware of an incessant scratching sound. The small beasts were clawing their way in.
Rasha stood under the spot they were digging through and listened. There was something there, something urging the small beasties to fight without the collars.
Sochi arrived with a young man from the field. He had gangly limbs and eyes and ears larger than any Rasha had ever seen, even on someone from Tero-Joro.
“Where are the others?” she asked, looking behind them.
“He’s the only one,” Sochi said, pushing the young man forward. He flinched under Rasha’s scrutiny.
“One?” Rasha groaned. “What am I going to do with one?”
“We could start with turning off the thing making that noise,” he said.
“What noise?” Rasha asked.
“You probably can’t hear it. The little flying beasts are being drawn to that high-pitched tone. Maybe it’s imitating a predator or something.”
“I don’t hear anything.” Sochi turned her head to one side, and then the other.
Rasha shook her head. She couldn’t hear anything either.
“Where is it coming from?” Rasha asked, but the boy was already on the move. He had his face to the wall and then the floor.
“It’s below here.”
“I’ll run down and see if I can find it.” Rasha turned for the kitchens where she could access the stairs below.
“No,” he said.
Rasha turned back to him, her swords twirling in challenge.
“No, what?”
“No, Your Highness.” He was still crouching down with his head to the floor.
Rasha wanted to pull her out her hair. Not only did she have a Tero-Joro with her, but he had to be the slowest one she’d ever met.
“I meant, why not?” She rolled her eyes at Sochi.
Her aunt looked ready to giggle. Then she looked up at the ceiling where the persistent scratching continued, and a frown replaced the smile.
“The device is here. Not far. Just underneath these stones.” He tapped on them until he got to one that echoed. “There.”
Sochi thrust her longsword into the crack between stones. It wiggled, and she used her sword as leverage to free the stone. When they removed the stone, the sound increased, as did the
scratching. The device underneath the stone was no bigger than the palm of a hand. The young man reached in and pulled it out.
“It’s amazing. The vibration and tones are in perfect harmony to make it irresistible to the beasts. I’m not sure if they want to attack it or if they’re drawn to protect it.”
“Turn it off,” Rasha said. Then she raised her eyes to the widening hole in the cupola. She raised her swords, ready for whatever came through.
“The design is intricate and delicate. Oh, that’s interesting.”
Rasha watched with horror as one beast got through and then another.
“Turn it off!”
The young man was turning it over in his hands.
“That’s what I was trying to tell you, it’s on a remote trigger, but it can’t be far away. Whoever set this up inside the palace did it a long time ago.”
Sochi took it from him, dropped it on the floor, and crushed it with the heel of her boot. The animals that were struggling to get in seemed confused now, flying around in haphazard circles. She and Sochi chopped down three that had gotten in.
“What would a remote for that thing look like?” Rasha asked.
“Probably no bigger than your finger. Could be a disk or oblong shape. It wouldn’t need much power but it wouldn’t have good range. The person had to be standing almost here when the device was triggered,” he said.
“Someone inside the palace, just now, did this.” Rasha wanted to be certain.
“Yes,” Sochi said.
Without a doubt, the traitor was within the walls of the palace, and it hadn’t been the traitor they’d put in a cell. What if he’d been innocent all along, as he’d claimed? Rasha’s stomach churned and flipped as she realized that if she’d had her way, the man would already be dead.
“You didn’t know. You can’t blame yourself.” Her aunt placed a light hand on her shoulder, reassuring her. Rasha stared at her. Did she look as guilty as she felt? Rasha shook off her distress.
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