by R. E. Carr
Blood began to ooze from Sotaka’s face as his extra eyes closed up under flaps of swollen scar tissue. His arms bled until he turned so pale that even the ashen Kei looked healthy.
One of the onlookers ran for a shaman. Jenn wasted no time in darting to the Spider’s side. “Am I forbidden to help you too?” Jenn asked.
Sotaka shook his head. “I think the Serif-fan can do whatever she likes with me,” he said with a weak smile.
“CALA, do you know anything about medicine?”
“I am equipped with a full complement of medical databases. This species and its parasite, however, are not on file—”
“Just shut up and help me save him!”
The jewel on Jenn’s forehead glowed as she tore the hem off her robe. With deft precision, she tied off the wound. She gave mechanical orders to Winowa, who brought her herbs and a bottle of high-proof alcohol from one of the soldiers. In only a matter of minutes, Sotaka’s arm was completely cleaned and wrapped.
“He will survive,” Jenn said, her voice hollow and metallic. Then, just as a woozy Kei awoke in the ring, the Serif-fan collapsed.
Kei knelt in his father’s private audience chamber. The scrapes on his jaw had already turned to scabs, cutting an angry path across his face. A look of disgust on the Great Bear’s face made him lower his gaze.
“Your mother would be ashamed of you, Kei,” Matahk said from his throne.
“I know, Father,” Kei said, his eyes to the ground.
“Your brother follows the Tiger. He is strong and is the next Warlord. You had no right to challenge him.”
“I know, Father.”
“Our people have lived well for thousands upon thousands of seasons because of the strength and stability of their Warlord, Kei. You spit upon that tradition now.”
“I know, Father,” Kei said, his voice starting to crack.
“What do you have to say for yourself, boy? I know brothers fight, but never in a duel. You not only risked the heir’s life, but by your reckless actions, Sotaka has been maimed.”
“I know, Father.”
The Great Bear lowered his obsidian mace toward his kneeling son. “If you were not the chosen Sora-khar, I would strike you down with this sacred weapon, boy. You have betrayed blood.”
“I know, Father.”
“Stop saying that! I want to know why. Have you finally been taken over by greed? Do you wish your brother’s place by my side? Tell me!”
Kei remained silent. His shoulders shook, and he clutched his wounded sides. He hadn’t bothered changing his bloodstained vest since the morning’s disaster. Matahk pulled his bear headdress off his head and took a step down off the dais. Somewhere, deep within his black eyes, a twinge of sympathy reached out to his frail son, but the rest of his body betrayed no such sentiment. He raised his scepter high.
The stroke landed squarely between Kei’s shoulders, but the blow was only enough to force him to the ground. Shaken and in pain, the young Beast-Man pulled himself back onto his knees.
“I blame myself. You should not have been recognized by my household, but I could never refuse Iaxani. She worked a spell on me that never left.”
“I know, Father,” Kei gasped. His alien eyes barely held back tears.
“Do not confuse your position with the Serif-fan as an invitation to challenge Saikain. You are still cursed and only half of our tribe. You will never be anything more than what the Serif-fan has given you.”
Kei finally looked up at his father, uncontrollable tears dripping down his face. “I know, Father!” His voice echoed from every corner of the room.
The Great Bear turned his back to him. “You should have learned from your mother’s gentle spirit, Kei. It would have served you better. You are banished from my sight until the Joining Ceremony. I want none of my people to see you. I want you to speak to no one, look no one in the eyes. Bear your shame with pride, and I will consider taking you back into my arms, Kei. You are no longer Kei Zhanfos, but Kei of no house. May the spirits guide you back.”
Kei pulled the knife from his belt and set it in front of him. The Great Bear picked it up and yanked Kei’s head back by his tribal braid. Kei barely felt the cut against his scalp. He watched the tattered ends of his hair fall onto the polished wood.
“Go!” Matahk bellowed.
Kei rose and turned stiffly. Matahk slammed the door behind his son, but Kei’s cursed feline ears gave him the small solace of hearing his father’s voice as the old man walked back to his throne.
“O, Iaxani, what have I had to do?” the Great Bear whispered. “Forgive me. Please, forgive me.”
Exhilaration
In the Chamber of Phantoms, one creature dared raise its eyes. This Phantom looked at the wound on its arm and clicked its tongue.
“Do you need more medicine, Eon?” a priest in attendance asked.
The Phantom swayed back and forth at the mention of its name. Eon stood tall, lanky, with the esteemed physique of legends. It wore nothing save the tattoos on its magnificent dark skin and the chains interwoven into its flesh. As it swayed, the feathers in its hair fell over its milky, vacant eyes. The priest sighed and shook his head.
“Not good, not good. Wars are coming, and we need you at your best. You must be ready to do the Knights’ bidding.”
The priest reached into his medicine bag and pulled out a poultice of sacred herbs. As he broke the fleshy leaves over Eon’s lips, the Phantom returned to a frozen state.
“That’s better.”
The priest moved on to the next freakish slave in the room. Eon turned its head ever so slightly.
“Time . . . almost time,” Eon whispered.
“Hold still, please, my Serif-fan,” Kaschaka said as she applied the next layer of stain to Jenn’s fingernails. “You jitter more than a rabbit shaman.”
“I don’t like being fussed over, that’s all.”
“If you want to go ride a Jar-Elk with Lord Saikain from dawn until dusk any other day, you can—but today I have you, and you must be prepared for your Joining! The seasons change in only three days and there are rituals to be done. It is hard enough with your Sora-khar exiled.”
Jenn grew quiet at the mention of Kei. She kicked her chair.
“I wish I didn’t have to do this,” Jenn muttered under her breath.
“Would you like me to raise the serotonin levels in your brain?”
“No, CALA. We talked. You are never taking over my brain again.”
“I am . . . only concerned. Your emotional state has been increasingly erratic.”
“Call me crazy, but it’s no picnic being stuck here. My only friend is my arranged fiancé’s brother—kinda awkward.”
“Is there anything I can do to assist?”
“You know, back home I would have been locked up by now. Why should I explain anything? You see and hear everything anyway!”
“I am attempting to comprehend. Jenn, is your dread concerning the danger of going on your quest, or your apparent disgust about Joining with the Sora-khar?”
“Both, actually. I’m neither a fan of certain doom, nor marrying Captain Cranky Pants.”
“But is it not true that this marriage arrangement is temporary and a necessary step to achieve your passage home? Perhaps you should look on the bright side—”
“The bright side? Really, CALA? You aren’t the one who has to bonk the violent cat-man.”
“I will have access to all of your emotions and sensory input during the act—”
“You know, I might let you take me over once more.”
Jenn endured another hour of being primped and prayed over. By the time Saikain burst through the door at sunset, the Serif-fan was climbing the walls. Her face fell a bit when she saw Sotaka following the boisterous heir.
/> “The shaman and I have come to take the Serif-fan to her supper,” Saikain said, “And then to the garden to meditate.”
Kaschaka nodded pointedly to Sotaka. “I leave her in your care, Great Spider.”
“Great Spider?” Jenn asked. Then she noticed he was wearing a larger, more ornate headdress than he had before.
“The high council ratified my place as leader. My grandfather’s last wish has been granted.”
Jenn looked, shamefaced, at his missing hand. “Congratulations, Sotaka.”
“I am sure I will have many congratulations for you as well, my Serif-fan,” Sotaka said softly.
Saikain and Jenn followed him to the supper hall. Jenn picked at her roasted bison. However, as her shamanic guide began to devour a large bowl filled to the brim with freshly steamed scorpions—shell and all—she dropped her hunk of meat. Next to her, Saikain packed away an entire rack of buffalo ribs, tearing at them with the ferocity of his totem animal.
Halfway through a disgustingly audible crunch, Sotaka eyed the green Serif-fan. “I apologize for my eating habits, my Serif-fan, but to finish my healing I must absorb as much shell as possible into my system. My body is only flesh and cannot make the necessary carapace to appease my totem,” he said.
Jenn tried to take a few more bites, but every time Sotaka crunched, she had to stop. She finally pushed her nearly untouched plate away. Her fellow tribesmen promptly devoured it.
The tribesman to her left gave her a playful elbow to the ribs. “Got a bit of the Joining jitters, eh?” he asked. “Not that I blame you, with a mate like Kei the half breed. I have to know, though, what in the world did he confess to you . . . ?”
Saikain banged his fist on the table. “That’s enough, Grimal!” he barked.
The table feel silent as the rest of the clan finished their food. Saikain cracked his neck a few times and fidgeted in a manner rather like his younger brother.
“Confess?” Jenn finally dared ask.
“Those that are to be Joined must confess a secret to each other and make a vow,” Saikain muttered. “Until this is done, the ceremony cannot be finished. You mean to say my brother—”
“Your brother has been in exile,” Sotaka growled. “He will have time before the ceremony, never fear.”
“So the Joining is just a confession and a promise?” Jenn asked weakly. “Kaschaka keeps omitting details.”
“A confession, a vow, and a mating . . . ,” Sotaka started.
Jenn swayed and turned pale.
Saikain rested his hand on hers. “Are you all right?”
Sotaka sneered at them from behind his veil but said nothing.
Jenn quickly pulled her hand away. “I’ll be fine,” she said. “I just kinda hoped that marriage meant something a little different here, you know . . .”
Jenn swooned again as a wave of nausea overtook her. The shaman jumped to his feet while the others looked around in alarm. Sotaka’s eyes rolled back into his skull.
“The trees are anxious. Lord Saikain, guard the Serif-fan with your life,” Sotaka said before running from the room.
“What’s going on?” Jenn asked.
Saikain’s ears extended slightly. He closed his eyes and whispered, “A storm is coming.”
“A storm? I have a horrible feeling that there is more than a storm out there.”
“Ji-ann, it is a time of peace now,” Saikain said a little too quickly. “No one would dare attack us this close to the icy season.”
Jenn stood up and looked around the garden despite his reassurances. Although the air was calm, the leaves rustled. “Do the trees know something, Saikain?”
“It does not matter. You are in the palace of Gracow City. The entire Beast Tribe stands ready to defend you. The trees have faced all manner of battles and storms since the dawn of time,” Saikain said. “Please do not worry.”
“Don’t worry? Surely, you can’t be serious . . .”
The stalwart Beast Man wrapped his arms around her. He scanned the branches above.
“It will be all right,” Saikain whispered to her. He kept his mouth dangerously close to her ear. She turned to him at just that moment, so that their lips barely touched. “Ji-ann . . . ,” he whispered as he pulled her close.
Jenn heard a thump and turned. A silvery figure had landed a few feet away. Kei glared at the two of them.
“Am I interrupting?” Kei hissed.
Jenn saw the spear slung over his shoulders. Streaks of war paint covered his face.
“Kei—”
“Save your explanations, Serif-fan. I am here to fulfill my duty, nothing more. The Great Bear needs you, Lord Saikain,” Kei said, his voice terrifyingly calm.
“What is happening?”
“The scouts saw an air ship flying straight for Gracow City. Judging from the amount of lightning surrounding it, it is Machidonian in origin,” Kei said.
“The grunts would not dare attack us,” Saikain snorted.
“Machi—whats?” Jenn stammered.
Kei yanked Jenn from Saikain’s arms. Despite her best protests, he easily put himself between the pair. Saikain glowered at his brother, but for once Kei stood firm.
“Your father requests that you lead the warriors to the plains to determine the threat. Protecting the Serif-fan is my responsibility now,” Kei growled.
“You—”
Kei bared his fangs. The scars on his jaw only made his display more effective. “No, you go this time. The Great Bear has spoken.”
Kei led the shocked Serif-fan through the bowels of the castle. He spun around the staircase in the trunk and popped open a hatch. “This way, Serif-fan.”
“What are you doing?” Jenn howled as Kei shoved her into the dark.
“You tell me, Serif-fan! Is my brother everything you ever wished for?”
Jenn slapped him across the face. His head didn’t even turn.
“Are you quite satisfied?” he snarled. “We need to get farther down into the root system in case Saikain’s army fails.”
“If it fails?” Jenn asked, deathly white.
“Do not worry. Our tribe has never lost to the Machidonian on the field of battle. Does that make you feel better?”
“Not really. Saikain is leading people against an air ship! What is he even going to do—?”
Kei growled. “The Machidonians will land—”
“That’s stupid! Why would they land when they could just blast them from the sky?”
“I do not have time to explain the intricacies of the Delphi Accords. They will land for whatever godforsaken purpose they have, and Saikain will probably kill them—”
“Don’t you care about your brother?” Jenn snapped.
“I have no family,” he replied quietly.
“Kei!”
As the path became more treacherous, Kei unceremoniously picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. To Jenn’s surprise, she found herself able to see everything around her, thanks to with a bright-reddish glow that surrounded them.
“Is that you, CALA?”
“Affirmative. Transferring my enhanced sensory data to your visual cortex.”
“Where are you taking me?” Jenn asked. “Ow! You’re hurting me, Kei!”
He didn’t slow down. “The roots of the Temple Tree house the source of the Holy Spring. The guardians there will protect us.”
“Guardians?”
“Land and water spirits. They have power there.”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Jenn sighed as she bounced along the underground path.
She had to cover her forehead as light flooded the chamber. The same eerie phosphorescent moss that lined the halls of the palace tree filled this new room, although the light from this creeping growth was infinitely brighter. Balls of electricity danced from the walls into the perfectly clear lake in the center of the room. Jenn gawked.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Kei too seemed awestruck. “Nor have I,
Serif-fan. Sotaka told me the way.”
“Sotaka! He seemed to know what was happening.”
“He has gone to warn the Council now. They should be praying to the Great Spirit,” he said as he set Jenn down.
“The trees knew too,” Jenn whispered.
She sat on an exposed root. She didn’t dare get close to the electrified water.
“I am detecting a central processing unit for a Class C supercomputer, Jenn. Shall I attempt to interface?”
“Computer? Where?”
“Approximate distance to source: six meters.”
“The water?”
“Affirmative. Shall I attempt to interface?”
“Hell, no!”
“Interface with the central processing unit may allow outside visual reconnaissance.”
“You mean we could see the battle.”
“Possibly. Unable to determine without interface.”
“Go ahead, CALA.”
“We need to touch that water,” Jenn said mechanically.
Kei stared at her. “What is wrong with your voice?”
His jaw dropped as the gem on her forehead began to glow. She shoved him aside and strode toward the water’s edge.
“Ji-ann!” He cried as bolts of white energy jumped up from the pool and surrounded her. “By the Lost—”
Alien chanting poured out of the Serif-fan’s mouth as she sunk into the water. She stopped as the pool came up to her waist. The light on her forehead pulsed in steady rhythm with the energy crackling around her.
“Sora-khar, we are at your command,” Jenn said, her voice echoing not one but thousands of voices.
“Ji-ann?” Kei asked, dropping to his knees.
“The one you call Ji-ann is the catalyst. We are the whole. What is your command, Sora-khar?”
“What is your will? Are you speaking for the Great Spirit?”
“Inputting data. Unable to confirm or deny request.”
“What do you wish of me?” Kei asked desperately.
“Verbal communication ineffective. Attempting to interface directly.”