by Paul Heisel
Feln tried to imagine what her betrothed looked like, but couldn't come up with a firm image. If Iristi's quality were any measure of a man, he would have to have been special. That notion didn't make him feel any better. "And?"
"My betrothed was a Favored One," Iristi said, letting a sigh escape. "He was part of the Ku family. He knew Hiru."
"I figured that out myself," Feln commented.
"He was on equal station with Hiru, but broke away from the mainstream because of differences with Chang, the Most Favored. My betrothed was close to the Ku family at one time, but a disagreement on how they should allocate land and armies caused a rift. So he fled south, with his loyal soldiers and other samurai to find a place where he could prosper. He picked Hou."
"Your betrothed moved on to a different place, but he didn't keep quiet, did he?"
"At the time, I thought nothing of his ambition and vision. This was Hou, and Hiru was such a long distance away. True, it would have been better if he would have been less of a public figure. Less successful, if that makes any sense. Success killed him."
"So Hiru kills your betrothed and suffers no consequences, and he demands that you be his wife?"
"Not exactly." Iristi looked up at Feln. "We have no proof it was Hiru, but it is the only conclusion that we could draw. The demands, well…"
"I'm listening."
"Everything you have said is correct, except for the last part. Hiru sent a letter, demanding that I come to the court in Hiru to become one of his courtesans. It was a punishment. Then Chang sent a message, a decree of the Most Favored, that I was to become Hiru's wife to bind Hiru and Hou together. It was Chang who has made this demand, a Most Favored, that's why I need you to sort things out. Only you have the power to help me, because of your belt. You are on equal station with Chang."
Feln watched Iristi change in front of his eyes, she blossomed like a flower once she had told the story. It was starting to make sense, but he didn't understand what it all meant - the marriage part. "I can't promise that I'll marry you," he said. "But I will help you. We'll go to Chang and speak with him. There has to be another solution, one we haven't explored yet. We have time to think about it while we travel. If I must claim you as my betrothed, then we'll do it as a last resort. I'm not going to marry you, though, you can put that notion right out of your head."
"Understood," she said. "I knew I could count on you. Thank you for being willing to help me." She reached her arms around Feln and hugged him. She held him for a short time, then released.
Feln understood her past behavior, why she had been affectionate and pretended to be interested in him. She wanted his power in order to save herself, and she would do anything to achieve this. The path before them was clearer now, and he was relieved her affection for him was all imagined. Iristi was pretending so she could get what she wanted. What remained was how she could help him, and to do that, Feln would have to tell her everything. He had no other choice.
"Now we should figure out how I'm going to help you," Iristi said, as if she were reading his thoughts. "I'm curious how you arrived here, how you came to acquire a belt of the Most Favored, and mostly - who are you?"
Feln took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts, cleansing his nerves as best he could. It would be good for him to start at the beginning, to tell her the entire story. "I'm not going to leave out anything, because I hope you can help me. I know of Pyndira through books, and some of the customs and culture is known to me, but I'm lost, and I fear my ignorance will lead to disaster or worse. I need your help."
"I'll do my best," she said. "What do you hope to discover?"
"I need to find a woman named Suun."
"There are millions of people living in Pyndira. You ask the impossible to find one person."
"Maybe after we talk you'll have a better understanding of what I need. Then we'll decide if the task is impossible or not."
Iristi smiled. "I'm listening."
"When I was born my mother died giving birth to me, or that was what I was told. In truth, she was taken prisoner and left to die in a dungeon. She was the true owner of the belt…"
#
"Your story is fascinating," Iristi said. "I should be able to fill in gaps for you based on what I know. You may have the opportunity to better understand your situation if you can talk to a Favored One or even a Most Favored. They would have all the answers for you, more so than I. But having said that, I'm not without insight."
"The answers I seek are only the ones that will take me home. I want to go back to Waskhal."
"True, but there is more to this than simply going home. I have figured what family you're from."
"Yes? Tell me!"
"When I was a girl, we had peace in Pyndira. When I was five years old, one of the Most Favoreds disappeared. Rumors said she was assassinated, but no one could locate her or her belt. Because of her disappearance, fighting began and the balance of power was upset. Since then, everyone has been at odds with each other."
"And you think this woman was my mother?"
Iristi nodded slowly. "The woman who disappeared was Sari-un-Xialao-Ling…"
"Sari, that was my mother's first name!"
"Based on what you've told me, I can only conclude your mother was Ling. That's why you can use the belt, you have her blood flowing in your veins." Iristi paused, staring at Feln. "She vanished and never returned, and your story fills in the blanks. She went to Malurrion to give birth to you, so your father could be there. But then she was taken from you, locked away as you said. Oh dear Feln, I feel so sorry for her."
"I do too," he said.
"You are the Most Favored of Safun."
"I thought you said Suun is from the Xialao family?"
"Safun is the province ruled by the Xialao family. It isn't easy to get to Safun from here."
"Why not?" Feln asked. Before he finished the question, he knew why, based on the map of Pyndira he had seen, it was far away. Safun was across the continent.
"Your province of Safun is distant from here, far away. It would take a month or more to make it there. To get there, you would have to travel through Furawa and Shisaru." She shook her head.
"Dangerous travels?"
"Furawa watches their borders closer than we do. Shisaru is a huge province, filled with forests, ruins, and much of the old republic that made up Pyndira."
"What about Safun?"
"I don't know much about Safun. They're isolated, and rarely do we hear news from there. I'm sorry I can't be of more help."
"Perhaps when we get to Hiru I can gather information about Safun and the Xialao family. They should know something."
Iristi nodded solemnly. She was thinking. "I could help you gather information. It would be less suspicious than a stranger like you asking questions and not being able to answer properly."
"What now?" he asked, noting it was hours past midday. They would have to be moving soon. Although it was safe here, it wasn't far enough away from the Furawa forces for his liking. He knew they were out there either fortifying their lines, setting up camp, or marching north or south. He was still curious and wanted to know the strategic importance of this area.
"We should get moving," Iristi said with a hint of reluctance. "I'm still very tired though."
"A few more minutes of rest will do, then off we go. We should stick to the forest and make our way north until we're sure we're clear of the Furawa army. Once we've returned to the road, we'll make straight for Hiru."
Iristi leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for trusting me." She crouched and slithered out of the shelter, standing upright and stretching when she emerged. "I'm getting a drink," she said.
"I'll be here."
Feln checked his supplies and weapons, scrutinizing them. So far they had served him well. They had enough food for several days if they ate sparingly, and that would be enough presumably to get them to the next town past the long stretch of wilderness to the north. He was ready to g
o, prepared to take on whatever he must to make it to Safun. There was energy now that he had a purpose and a place to go. First, though, he had to see to Iristi's problems.
Near the water Iristi kneeled, gathering her dress around her waist and trying to not to get it wet. She scooped water and drank, then rubbed her face with the water. Feln watched her for a moment, then turned away, looking toward the massive redwood trees. It didn't take him long to pick out a good path for them to take along the stream. With any luck, they would be back on a road by the next day.
Feln felt a tremor, familiar it was, and he twisted on the balls of his feet. Sounds of pounding hooves and splashing filled the air, sending an explosion of panic through his bones. He turned in time to see Iristi bolt up and stumble, her dress twisting oddly. She screamed and waved her arms. Soldiers riding horses came from upstream at a full gallop. They filled his vision, streaking across and running Iristi down. For a moment, he thought her trampled to death.
Wet and panicked, Iristi rose from the stream, her dress askew and soaked, making the green fabric darker. The soldiers continued downstream at all speed, their Furawa banner bent against the wind as they raced away. Feln approached, not sure why Iristi stood there unmoving and paralyzed with fright.
As the pounding of the hooves drifted away, another dreadful sound filled the stream bed. The ground shook at even intervals, a massive something was coming. Feln bolted forward and entered the stream, katana flashing. Protectively he stepped in front of Iristi. From upstream came a man-like beast. It was nine feet tall and colored cherry red, corded muscles bulged. It took mighty strides, one after the other, plodding toward them. A tattered loin cloth swayed with each step, and though it appeared slow, it was covering lots of ground. It was wide and brawny, covered with tufts of coarse black hair. The head was human-like, dark eyes swimming amongst pock marked cheeks. It had a mouth of jagged teeth sprouting in all directions. In one hand it carried a club already slicked with blood, and the other was balled up into a fist dripping with dank fluids of an unfortunate victim.
It slowed as it noticed Feln, then it came with a fury. With each massive step showers of water splashed into the air. Feln scooped up Iristi in one swift motion with his free hand and spun away, darting at the last moment back toward their shelter. The creature went by, the club missing Feln's head by inches.
"Hill man," Iristi gasped as her feet touched the ground.
"Run!" Feln pushed her away. She stumbled and fell to her knees, dress ripping further. She crawled to her feet and scrambled toward the forest for protection.
The hill man reversed direction and was on top of Feln in no time. The club came crashing down, shattering a nearby rock. Feln avoided the next blow and slashed his katana in one smooth motion, the tip of it cutting through the hill man's fleshy thigh. He moved back, retreating, drawing the creature away from Iristi. Feln had seen pictures of hill men in his research into Pyndira and decided the pictures didn't do them justice. This thing was far more ferocious than any picture could depict. According to the texts he had seen, the hill men were solitary guardians of their territory and could split stone with their hands. One blow from a hill man was deadly.
It came at Feln again, sweeping the club right and left. Feln, content to avoid the blows with his quickness, danced in circles. As he went by the creature, he could smell rot and blood. The club had bits of hair and broken skull embedded in it. The hill man struck again, swinging the club in a great arc. Feln parried with his sword and the force of the blow sent him staggering backward, and his hands became numb. The strength of this thing was incredible! Feln was certain had he been using a normal sword, it would have snapped. Only the marvelous craftsmanship of the folded steel kept it from shattering. In battle with a katana, Feln knew most individual fights were won with a single blow. It was how he had learned to fight and how he had earned his katana. One strike and your target should be dead. That wouldn't apply to the hill man. Feln wasn't sure how many blows this creature could take.
Another forcible attack came and Feln counterattacked, taking advantage and slicing through muscle, sinew, and hitting bone. The sword stuck in the hill man's arm, not completely getting through the bone. The club shot down and shattered rock, vibrated, and dropped to the ground as the hill man lost his grip. The hill man swiped at Feln with his free hand, a glancing blow, which sent Feln tumbling into the stream.
Feln rolled to his knees, stood up, and watched as the hill man yanked the katana free of its arm and hollered in an intelligible language. Blood poured from its arm now. It tried to break the katana with its great strength, but the blade wouldn't yield to the abuse. It discarded the katana with a flick of its good arm, sending it tumbling end over end into the redwood forest. It went for the lost club, bending down to grasp it once again. Feln shuddered at the thought had the hill man used his katana as a weapon.
With all the strength and skill he could manage, Feln attacked lightning fast with his forearm, striking the hill man across the bridge of the nose while it was bending over. The nose snapped and blood gushed. It rose up, towering over Feln, and held the club high. Feln slipped away, using speed to his advantage, making the hill man turn if it wanted to attack. Again it shouted in the odd language. Blood came from its face and arm, flowing freely. Feln guessed it would only be a matter of time and the thing would bleed to death. If only he could stay alive that long…
A series of whistles cut through the air.
Feln crouched instinctively at the sound of arrows, making himself a smaller target. The arrows, thick, black and long, hammered into the hill man. Three hit its torso, penetrating deep, one into the shoulder, and one went through the injured arm and pinned it against the body. The hill man turned toward the new threat. Its legs buckled, then it fell to its knees.
Feln gathered his chi. The magic swept into him at his command, both from his body and from the belt. He ran forward, jumped high into the air, and struck the face with his forearm and elbow. The blow landed, driving bits of bone into the hill man's brain. Feln landed softly in the shallow water. The hill man crashed hard to the ground, half of its body splashing in the water. It lay there face up, unmoving, dark arrows pointing to the sky. Blood darkened the stream.
Feln let out a soothing breath, staggered out of the water and over to the smooth river rocks. He could feel the damage from the hill man's blow, somehow he had survived it - the belt had protected him from the full force. He resisted the inclination to survey his injuries. His mind was on Iristi and the soldiers.
Four of the soldiers were off their mounts and had surrounded Iristi. She was still wide-eyed with fear and shaking, probably in shock. The other eight moved forward, one man in the lead. They were twelve in total, a force not to be trifled with. Immediately Feln could tell this was no ordinary band of soldiers. The horses were huge and powerful, adorned with pieces of leather and steel armor that were decorated with emblems that resembled trees. All of the soldiers but one wore light leather armor sewn together with silk, and they carried an array of weapons - katanas, bows, and spears. The one who didn't have armor was wearing blue and red robes and a wide brimmed hat tipped down - Feln couldn't see his face. The Furawa banner, black with a red tree on it, was made of the finest silk. These had to be elite warriors.
The armored leader moved forward on his mount, sheathing his katana as he did. His helmet resembled a fearsome monster Feln did not recognize. The horse spewed out labored breaths. Feln figured they had run away hard from the hill man, thinking they would lose it in the stream. The tired horses stamped as they came closer to Feln, crunching the smooth rocks and splashing in the water. The leader held up his hand. Instantly the group gathered in formation behind him. Two warriors took their bows and each nocked an arrow. Two others aimed spears at Feln's chest for good measure.
"You are either foolish and lucky, or very talented and brash," said the leader. "I'm Koto-na-Nomu-Kojo, Favored One of Furawa. Name yourself."
Feln looked
to Iristi as if she would be able to guide him. She was standing there, water still dripping from her hair and body. The soldiers were guarding her, but didn't look like they were threatening. Yet. What was going on here? "I have no name," Feln said. "Nor do I have any quarrel with you. Let me and my partner go in peace."
Kojo laughed. He removed his fearsome helm and grasped it tightly. Dark black hair streamed down to his shoulders, framing a square face and pale skin. His eyes were an eerie light blue, reminding Feln of blind people he had met. Kojo looked powerful and determined, and his features were hard. The small creases on his face intensified as he laughed again.
"A ranan are you? A rogue warrior? A thief?"
"I'm no wanderer, nor am I a rogue or thief. Leave us in peace."
"Who do you serve?"
"No one."
Kojo laughed and turned to one of his men, the one without a weapon. "Difficult one, isn't he? Not very smart either."
The rider nodded.
"Declare your affiliation," Kojo demanded.
Feln didn't answer. Whatever was transpiring was happening because of Iristi. He looked at her, seeing she was in no better shape than before. She was shivering, cold. "She's going into shock," Feln said to Kojo. "I need to keep her warm. Please let us be."
Kojo jabbed a finger in Feln's direction. "You are a rogue, and will answer for kidnapping this lovely creature. She's my responsibility now. Cover her!"
One of the soldiers retrieved a bedroll from his horse and draped it over Iristi. She took it and pulled it around her shoulders, then she crashed into the soldier's arms. Her eyes were blinking wildly.