by Melvin, Jim
When he returned to the cabin, Bonny ran out to greet him, her face flushed with pleasure. When she tried to hug him, Lucius looked at her distrustfully and nudged her away.
“What?” Hurt echoed in her voice.
“What? All you have to say is ‘what’? After what happened to me last night?”
“Oh . . . that.”
Lucius felt an urge to slap her. How dare she act so nonchalant. His world had been forever changed, yet she barely seemed to care. “It’s obvious I’m not human,” he said, his voice mean-spirited. “But Jord mentioned something about you. What have you been hiding from me?”
Now it was Bonny’s turn to get angry. “I wasn’t hiding anything. I was just waiting for the right time to tell you. I didn’t want to scare you away, until you knew more about your own self. Now that I see how mean you can be, I wish I had scared you away.”
“Tell me what?”
“It’s not such a big deal, you know . . .”
“What isn’t? Tell me now.”
“All right, I’ll tell you, though I’d prefer it if you asked more nicely. The truth is my mommy was a pirate . . . but my daddy was a newborn just like you. There, are you happy? Oh, and one other thing: I can change into a monster anytime I like. I don’t even have to get mad.
“It’s why Rakkhati and the Jivitans found me so valuable in Duccarita. When I’m that way, I can fight real good. The scar I showed you on my tummy back at the tavern? A cave troll got a slice of me with his axe. Afterward, I killed him myself with a bite to the neck. And I enjoyed it. So you can see now why I didn’t get all scared when you changed last night. Sorry to disappoint you.”
“You could have saved us when the Porisāda attacked us in the alley.”
“Maybe. I was tempted to try. Instead, I called the Daasa.”
“You called? I didn’t hear anything.”
“I spoke with my mind, just like you did when they came to you in the open square.”
“I’m not like you,” Lucius said, backing away.
“That’s true,” Bonny said. “Half of me is human, while you are a purebred, which makes you even stronger. That’s why the Daasa follow you. They love you. As do I—if you will let me. Who could make you a better wife than me?”
LUCIUS CALLED everyone together later that afternoon. It had become a beautiful day, breezy and warm. They sat facing each other on a pair of fallen logs, the firstborn and the Faerie on one side, Ugga, Bard, and Bonny on the other. The pirate woman sat with her pretty face buried in her hands. All around them were the Daasa, looking silly and pleased.
“I need to talk to the four of you, not as a leader, but as a friend,” Lucius finally said. At the sound of his voice, many of the Daasa chittered. “We have decisions to make, and we need to make them soon. Our plan all along has been to go with the Daasa to Jivita, and Jord now tells me that she will accompany us. Still, as I’ve said before, I have no desire to force any of you to follow me. You are free to go elsewhere, without feeling shame or betrayal.”
Bonny looked up sharply, her eyes red and puffy. “How can you even ask? You know full well we’re all going with you—any of us who are welcome, at least.”
Lucius sighed, then looked at the crossbreed and his companion. “Do the rest of you agree?”
Ugga and Bard smiled. Lucius was stunned to see how young they looked again. Their recent sprouts of gray hair were gone, and they held their backs erect. Had Jord’s presence rejuvenated them?
“Of course we will go with ya, Master Loo-shus,” Ugga said. “Me, Bard, and Miss Bonny are going to help ya fight the war. Jord says that’s what we’re supposed to do, but we’d have done it even without her saying it.”
“All right, that’s settled. My next question, then, is to Jord.”
Lucius turned and gazed at her. The first time he had seen her by the cabin, she was dressed in a glowing white gown that had been perfect to the point of surrealism, but now she wore an ordinary-looking green coat, baggy brown trousers, and a brown shawl that concealed her hair. She had supplied similar clothing for Lucius and the others, including brown leather boots. They continued to look more like Duccaritans than Jivitans, but these new outfits would be comfortable in most any temperature. Though it was becoming unseasonably hot during the day, it still was chilly at night, especially this far north, only a few leagues from the Gap of Gamana.
“I am at your service,” the Faerie said. “What do you want to know?”
“I want to know everything,” Lucius said, chuckling. “But I’ll settle for a few things. For instance, are our other companions still alive?”
“That’s a good question, Master Loo-shus!” Ugga said.
“I don’t know how they fare,” Jord said sincerely. “But I believe at least some of them will make it to Jivita.”
“Some . . . but not all?”
“That’s up to fate,” the Faerie said with a shrug of her slim shoulders. “What are your other questions?”
“I has one,” Ugga said. “Can the meanie Daasa beat up In-vick-tuss?”
All of them laughed, even Bonny.
“We shall see what we shall see,” Jord said.
“And the druids?” Bonny said. “Where are they now? When will they attack Jivita? And will some of them come after us?”
“Those were my next questions,” Lucius said, smiling at Bonny. In response, the pain in her face seemed to melt away.
“But I have no answers,” Jord said. “I have been with the four of you since yesterday afternoon—and I was waiting for you even longer than that.”
“Ya could turn into a big birdie and look around,” Bard said hopefully. “We knows ya can do it.”
“For the time being, my place is with you and the Daasa,” Jord said.
Lucius sighed again. “I’m unsure whether the druids consider us enough of a threat to even bother to attack, but our plan still should be to continue south and reach Jivita as quickly as possible. Bonny believes it will take at least two weeks—and that’s if we do not encounter unusual difficulties along the way. Traveling with the Daasa is like marching with a slow-moving army. We’ll be lucky to average six leagues a day—and we have almost eighty to go.”
“Two weeks will be soon enough,” Jord said. “And when we arrive, Jivita will be the better for it.”
46
THEY ATE another meal at dusk, which Lucius skipped again. He still didn’t feel hungry, and it made him a little nauseous when his mind pondered why. A large portion of the Tyger carcass had been devoured, and his stomach still wasn’t as flat as usual.
After their meal, Lucius and the others left Jord’s cabin and began their long march. When the mood struck, the Daasa slept like babies, but when awake they were bundles of energy, darting to and fro in search of food, water, and entertainment. Though they were capable of running almost as fast as horses while in their nicey state, they spent as much time scampering sideways and backward as they did forward. They dove into ponds, splashed in streams, climbed trees and mounds, rooted in piles of dead leaves, and wrestled friskily with each other. Bonny even pointed one time to a pair that appeared to be mating.
The look she gave Lucius caused a certain area of his body to tingle. Then she took his arm. “Everything’s going to be all right, sweety,” she said in a cheerful voice. “I don’t love you because you are a monster. I love you because you are not. Who we are right now is who we really are. But being able to change into something different is a blessing from the One God, not a curse. Nobody wants to be weak, especially when it comes to war. And believe me, sweety, you and I are not weak. You will see, when the time comes again.”
Lucius swiveled and hugged her. “I’m sorry for what I said before. I was scared and angry. You’ve been wonderful to me since the moment we met. If not for you, I’d still be obsessing over a woman who loves someone else.”
“You are not obsessing anymore?”
“I still love her. And wish her well. But I no longer w
ant to be her lover. It’s you I want, if you’ll still have me.”
“I’ll still have you . . . on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“Soon, sweety,” she said. “I want to have you soon.”
THEY HALTED THEIR march before dawn, ate bread, cheese, and berries, and then began to prepare for sleep. Though the Warlish witch had destroyed his uttara, Lucius still carried the Mogol war club, and his arms were sore despite switching it frequently from hand to hand. The Daasa settled down wherever they could make themselves comfortable: soft grass, a bed of leaves, the crook of a tree. Bard and Ugga cast themselves upon deerskin blankets and were asleep in moments, the crossbreed hugging the staff of his axe like a favorite toy.
Jord walked over to Lucius and placed her hand on his chest. “I do not need sleep,” she said. “I will keep the watch.” Then she smiled knowingly and strode away.
“She’s telling us it’s all right,” Bonny said from behind him.
“What’s all right?”
“You know.”
“Aaaaaaah . . .”
In some areas, the gap between Dhutanga and the foothills of Mahaggata was less than a mile wide. Bonny grabbed a blanket and then took Lucius’ hand, leading him eastward, away from the woods. At first, some of the Daasa who were still awake started to follow, but Bonny hissed at them with surprising vehemence, causing them to hunker down and back away, clearly intimidated.
This impressed Lucius. “You even scared me a little.”
“Maybe you should be scared,” she said, but the look in her eyes said otherwise.
Soon they came upon a jumble of low hills, the tallest of which were no more than fifty cubits. They passed over several before finding a hidden hollow.
“This is the best we can do,” she said, spreading the blanket on a patch of grass. “If someone sees us, good for them.”
By now the sun had started to rise, filling the hollow with yellow light. It was not a time to be shy.
“Bonny, there’s one other thing I have to tell you,” Lucius said timidly.
“What else could there be, sweety?”
“Believe it or not, I’ve never done this . . . had . . . I have witnessed every form of sex you could imagine, but I’ve never . . . I know that sounds absurd, but it’s the truth.”
Bonny laughed, but gently. “I knew there was something weird about you.”
She removed her coat and undershirt. Her breasts were small but lovely, in contrast to shoulders packed with muscle. Her stomach also rippled. The pirate woman was less feminine than Laylah, but she was beautiful in her own way.
Though his heart was thudding, Lucius felt a strange calmness, enabling him to take his time and enjoy his newfound treasure. He kissed her mouth, then her neck and breasts. He paused at the long scar on her belly and nibbled it. When he did that, she moaned and reached for his breeches.
“Hurry, Lucius,” she whispered. “I want it.”
“No . . . let’s not hurry.”
But he allowed her to remove his clothes and the rest of her own, and he pulled her naked onto the blanket, both of them gasping and moaning.
So much for going slowly.
When he entered her, she screamed so hard it hurt his ears. She clawed at his bare back and buttocks with enough force to draw beads of blood, while wrapping her muscular thighs around his waist and squeezing the breath out of him. He pumped faster. Never had he felt such pleasure or experienced such passion. It made his infatuation with Laylah seem like a childish crush. This was real—for both Bonny and him. Everything about her wild, squirmy body filled him with lust.
Sometime during their lovemaking, his face grew strangely hot and his arms and legs thick and heavy. A relentlessly building dizziness blurred his vision. Yet it only seemed to empower him. He felt terrible pain. But not all pain is bad. Lucius pounded into her harder and harder, as if trying to tear her apart. But within the clouded veil of his desire, he could hear her screaming, “Yes! Let it happen! Don’t stop!”
Then he was growling.
And she was growling.
Spittle flew from their mouths.
When he transformed, she did the same.
Afterward they lay in each other’s arms and slept. When they woke in the early afternoon, their bodies had returned to normal. They made love again, in a more traditional fashion—though they still managed a little more growling.
When they returned to the camp, most of the others were already awake. Ugga and Bard had made a cream soup flavored with strips of deer meat to enjoy with bread, fruit, and cheese. To Lucius, it seemed like a feast. For the first time since the bizarre night at the cabin, he felt hungry. Being with Bonny had taken a lot of energy. Afterward, the four of them drank some wine. Jord was nowhere to be seen.
“Jord has been gone for a long time,” Bard said. “She left while we were sleeping.”
“Kinda strange,” Bonny said. “Where would she be off to now?”
“Maybe she took Bard’s suggestion and went on a scouting mission,” Lucius said.
“I hopes she hasn’t run off again,” Ugga said, his small eyes darting about. “I was wishing she’d stay around this time.”
“Don’t you worry your big ol’ head!” came a voice from off to the side. Jord appeared, as if out of nowhere. “I won’t be leaving you for a while.”
“Where’d ya go?” Bard said.
“I can’t tell you all my secrets.”
“Did you learn anything more about the druids?” Lucius said hopefully.
“I have seen them,” Jord admitted. “They are far away. Not a one is on our side of Cariya. In fact, this whole area is clear of any enemies—not even a wolf or Mogol. We’ve chosen a good place to take a walk. But there’ll be plenty of fighting for us once we reach Jivita.”
The news seemed to please all of them. The dreadful battle that loomed in their future felt unreal. Just to be cautious, they continued to walk mostly at night, but they encountered nothing threatening—not even a Tyger or a bear, much to Ugga’s chagrin. Occasionally Bard went off by himself and returned with game. The Daasa showed no interest in it, but neither were they offended. Whenever they were hungry, they fended for themselves.
Lucius and Bonny made love every morning, then slept naked beneath the hot sun. It was the best time of Lucius’ life. After seven marches, they covered about forty leagues and were halfway to Jivita. The closer they got, the more Lucius dreaded it. He felt like someone who dreamt he was in heaven but knew he would wake up in hell.
Would the Daasa be slaughtered in the war?
Ugga and Bard?
Bonny?
Please, not her. He even found himself praying to the One God to spare her. For that, he gladly would sacrifice himself.
During the late afternoon of the tenth day since they left Jord’s cabin, a squadron of Jivitan horsemen—three hundred strong—caught sight of them and approached rapidly from the south. Lucius feared this moment. If the Daasa saw the horsemen as a threat, would they butcher them? To Lucius’ relief, the squadron halted half a mile away. Only a single rider came forward.
It was the first time Lucius had ever seen an armored Jivitan. The rider and his destrier impressed him. If there were thousands more of such men, women, and horses, would it be such an impossible task to defeat the druids?
The horseman dismounted, walked directly to Lucius, and bowed. When he straightened and stared at the Daasa, they chittered playfully, appearing to approve of the white-haired man.
“I am Worrins-Julich, senior captain of the Assarohaa,” he said in a clear voice. “I ride in search of General Lucius Annaeus. You match his description. Are you that man?”
“I am.”
“And you have proof?”
“If you know of me, then you know of my companions. What more proof do you need?”
Bonny stepped forward and handed Julich the scroll that Ditthi-Rakkhati had given her. The captain read it carefully, then respectfu
lly handed it back.
“Rakkhati was my wife’s brother,” he said to Bonny. “His death is a great loss to me and to all who hold Jivita dear. We have long been aware, missus, that you assisted his brave efforts in Duccarita. Let it be known that your years of toil on behalf of the White City will not go unrewarded.”
Then he turned to Lucius. “It is said you are a traitor.”
“True enough.”
Julich smiled. “A traitor to Invictus is a hero to the world. It would be my honor, General Lucius Annaeus, to escort you and your companions to Jivita—if you will have me.”
“And what will we find when we arrive?” Lucius said.
“The most beautiful city in the world. Will you help us defend it?”
“That is my desire,” Lucius said.
The White City
47
ON THE SAME night that Tāseti and Rati camped on the shores of Lake Keo, Laylah finally closed her eyes, the side of her beautiful face resting against Torg’s heart. It was midnight, and Elu had been long asleep, curled in the bottom of the canoe like a little boy, his healing body needing rest more than anything else. Torg remained awake.
His long journey from the Tent City to the White City would soon come to an end. He had left Anna in the summer and had arrived at the southern border of Dhutanga in early spring. In between, he had surrendered himself to Mala at Dibbu-Loka, come face-to-face with Invictus at Avici, endured the agony of the pit on Mount Asubha, destroyed the spider Dukkhatu, battled witches in Kamupadana, aided in the destruction of Duccarita, escaped the druids in the heart of Dhutanga, and ridden the rapids of Cariya to where he now sat.
He was lucky to be alive. Then again, perhaps luck had little to do with it. The overwhelming tide of karma had been set into motion, with Torg as one of its many agents. He believed he would survive this lifetime for as long as was needed and no longer—which was true for everyone who ever lived.