In Nadir's Shadow

by E. J. Heijnis

  Kha-Hea turned to Tihamtu. "Chief of the Udaki. What do you say to Balbasu's demand?"

  Tihamtu stood. "The Udaki tribe mourns Tamzi's loss as our own. No one would deny Balbasu's suffering, nor does anyone begrudge him his desire to seek reparation for his immeasurable loss. Musuri's act was foolish hubris, and he will be made to understand the consequences. But Balbasu knows that revenge is not the spirit of the Kith. Any other form of reparation, insufficient as such gestures must always be, will be given freely. Musuri's life will not be offered up."

  "And what would you offer me, Tihamtu?" Balbasu rasped. "Goats? Pigs? In addition to my loss, must I endure the injustice of seeing my daughter's killer live the long years he took from her?"

  "There is no balance in killing. You would only cause more pain, the same as you suffer now. What has befallen you, and what you propose for Azial, is loss that echoes through generations. There is no good to be had that can justify this."

  "The same, you say?" Balbasu growled. "Not so, Tihamtu. I will kill the boy quickly, with my own hands. That's more mercy than he showed Tamzi. How can you say what is justified, when it isn't you who suffers injustice? Nothing will bring her back. Nothing will salve my pain, but justice comes closest."

  Azial's stomach twisted at the chief's words. He'd been unprepared for the experience of hearing another man speak of killing his son. A pang of sympathy for Balbasu's loss was swept away in a wave of resolve: no matter what, he wouldn't let Musuri be killed.

  Tihamtu spread his hands. "Were you never young and foolish, Balbasu? Musuri made a terrible mistake. He will never forget what he did. And without comparing his pain to yours, he will never live without the torment of those memories. As time passes, his failure will blossom with wisdom, and he will seek for the rest of his life to give back to his people. Would you deny the Kith such tempered wisdom?"

  "Stop speaking, Tihamtu," Balbasu thundered, hands balled into shaking fists. "Everything you say reveals your ignorance! You speak of his future, and all I see is the one he destroyed. Should I be pleased that Tamzi's murderer will grow wise because of her death? Bring him to me. Give me his life, and I swear I'll demand nothing more."

  Tihamtu stood silent for a moment, and only Azial heard his quiet sigh. "Musuri will not be given up. I will not change my decision."

  "Coward! Weakling!" Balbasu paced back and forth, grasping his scepter in both hands, as if to snap it in two. "A trial! I demand a trial!" He aimed the scepter at Azial. "The Yahua champion will kill your champion, Tihamtu. I've made my challenge, now you accept or you give me what I want!"

  Azial scanned Balbasu's entourage. He'd known from the start it would come to this, but the wrongness of it weighed much heavier now that the words had been said. He would have to kill one of the Kith. Which one?

  "I accept," Tihamtu said, and sat down. "I'm sorry, Azial. I'd hoped I could dissuade him."

  Azial stood and loosened the straps of his armor. "I thank you for that." Fire rushed through his veins, loosening his limbs. He had no doubt about the outcome of the fight, no matter the opponent. He would not allow his son be killed for his mistake, nor would he allow himself to die when so much work remained to be done.

  Cries of challenge went up from the edge of the circle, and a lone voice answered them. A Sharyukin ran into the circle and leaped up to the roof close to Azial. He recognized Lakhmu, one of those left behind to guard Udaki village. Exhaustion sat heavy on the warrior's wide brow, and twigs stuck to her braid. "Tihamtu, I greet you. Azial, Pirisati asked me to come. I ran for a day without stopping. Musuri is missing. He has left the village."

  The world faded to grey. "Where has he gone?" he asked, his voice dull to his own ears.

  "He left no clue or message. Pirisati thinks he seeks penance."

  Realization hit him like a rock striking water. "Why are you here? Why aren't you with the Sharyukin, tracking him?"

  Lakhmu's jaw bunched. "The Elders forbid it. They say the village will be vulnerable if we leave. I came without their permission, because Pirisati begged me."

  Azial turned to the jungle. Before he could take off, Tihamtu said, "Azial. Look at me."

  Reluctant, he faced his chief.

  "You can't go. If you forfeit the challenge, Musuri will be killed."

  Azial couldn't fathom the depth of the need inside him. He had to wait before he could speak. "My son is alone in the jungle. He wants to redeem himself. What will he do?" He spun to face Lakhmu. "You have to go in my place. Find Musuri. Don't look near the village, the gibbons leave too many tracks. Search between Yahua and Udaki village. Maybe..." He shook his head. "It's the only place I can think he might be."

  Lakhmu's breathing still hadn't recovered, and a sheen of sweat covered her body. She looked away, nodded. "I will find him, Azial. I will bring him back."

  Azial grasped the woman's shoulder and squeezed hard, resisting the urge to embrace her. He might be sending her to her death. Lone Sharyukin were vulnerable. And yet. "You have my gratitude, Lakhmu. You and your family. For life."

  Lakhmu slipped over the wall and disappeared into the jungle. Azial stared after her.

  "Balbasu has made his decision," Tihamtu said behind him. "It seems you'll fight Gusur."

  Azial closed his eyes. The leader of the Yahua Sharyukin, and an efficient killer of Vile. A valuable warrior. "Such a shame." He resumed taking off his armor, and Tihamtu helped him take the pieces off. He stood before the chief, wearing only his breechcloth. They looked at each other. "Don't shame him, Azial. Respect him, then kill him quickly."

  As the sun sank behind the trees and the sky turned to red, Azial descended into the circle. He met his opponent in the center. "Gusur. I never wanted to meet you in this way. To you and your family, I apologize for what I must do."

  The other warrior stood a head taller than Azial, and carried twice the weight in muscle. His eyes were hard. "Your son caused this. For that, I accept your apology, but don't be too quick to offer it. You may pay with your life soon, and that will settle all debts."

  "Your chief doesn't want my life, he wants my son's. In any case, I won't die here. So you must."

  Gusur scoffed and took two steps back. Azial mirrored him.

  Kha-Hea stood again. "Both parties have agreed to a trial by combat. Two warriors stand opposed. Each wears no armor and carries only the blade that kills the Vile. May the great Mother and Father show their favor and reveal the truth." He took his scepter and sent it flying into the circle. Before the dust from the impact billowed up from the ground, the Sharyukin moved.

  Gusur came on hard, driving him back with probing cuts that traded on his superior reach. Azial slid away from each attack, yielding space until he sensed the wall close behind him. The next cut he took on his blade as his right foot stamped down on Gusur's left. Unable to catch himself, the taller warrior struck the wall hard. His foot lashed out and Azial failed to dodge it entirely, taking the hit on his hip and causing his artery-cutting slice to go wide. Gusur was on his feet again and neatly circled away from the wall.

  The Yahua warrior came forward again, leading with his empty hand. As he edged back, Azial slashed at the extended arm twice before reversing the grip on his blade and ducking forward, leading with his right leg and pulling his weapon arm back across his body. Gusur's extended arm came down for a stunning elbow strike, but Azial had already twisted to catch it with his left hand. He intended to sink his blade into his opponent's heart, but Gusur managed to shift his weight enough to avoid the killing strike. The blade scored his ribs instead, leaving a flap of skin hanging loose and spraying blood when he moved. They separated again.

  Gusur breathed heavier now, and not from exertion. Azial looked for his gaze and caught it. In the other man's face, he saw the knowledge he'd had since the start.

  Now Azial attacked, driving back his opponent by slipping past his guard with quick cuts he could only evade by falling back. The end came faster than Azial had expected, when Gusur ran out
of space to run. He'd miscalculated the distance to the wall, and slammed into it as he dodged another attack. Shock broke his balance for a moment, stealing his momentum. Before he could move, Azial's blade slid into his chest with just enough force to pierce his heart. His eyes grew wide and his mouth opened.

  Azial leaned against the wall next to him, still holding his blade. "I am sorry, Gusur. Find your way to paradise now."

  "Fa—father...!"

  He recoiled as if stung, ripping out his weapon and staggering back. His heart hammered in his chest as he watched the Yahua warrior sink to the ground in a pool of his own blood. There was no question that the body cooling in the dirt had belonged to Gusur.

  But the voice he'd heard had been Musuri's.

  Fear threatened to surge into panic. He felt helpless, like he hadn't since his sister had been banished.

  Balbasu screamed, a fearsome cry of frustration and rage. "Coward! Traitor! You cheated him!"

  Kha-Hea came forward. "The challenge is complete. Azial of the Udaki is the victor. In the eyes of the great Mother and Father, the matter is settled."

  "Nothing is settled!" Balbasu roared. "It won't end like this!" He pointed at Azial with his scepter. "Your son will pay! I will take his life! It belongs to me!"

  "Balbasu," Kha-Hea said. "You demanded the challenge, and you were heard. Now it is done, and you have your answer. There is nothing left to do. The great Mother and Father made their favor clear."

  "Didn't they also make me?" Balbasu demanded. "Didn't they make these arms, and these legs, and these eyes that see too well when they're closed? If I use them to gain justice, wouldn't that mean their favor is mine?"

  Kha-Hea had no answer. He stared, then glanced at Tihamtu, who could say nothing. Balbasu barked at his followers to prepare to leave while Azial climbed out of the circle to stand beside Tihamtu.

  "What will he do?" Azial said.

  "I don't know." Tihamtu shook his head. "I fear for his people."

  *****

  Seruya reached down and plucked a honey beetle from the ground. She popped it into her mouth, savoring the sweet and bitter flavors stabbing at her tongue. With an effortless jump, she ascended a tree and settled down on a branch. Ahead, the Mountain That Sees rose far into the sky, its slate-grey slopes turning to white just before they met the clouds. The lesser peaks stretched across the horizon to either side. The sight brought a cascade of memories of the last time she'd seen the mountain from this close. She'd ascended a tree much like this one during a rare moment of rest, searching for Vile as Azial treated his injuries. She recalled her dismay and Azial's brief look of despair when she warned him of another four monsters coming at them. It had taken the night and most of the next day to reach the mountain and leave the Vile behind. They'd been fighting for five days without reprieve, and they hadn't even started the climb yet. At first, the way up had been easy, but the snow had fallen low that year. With fingers turning blue, they'd managed to kill a mountain bear and its cubs, and used their meat and hides to survive. The rest of the journey she recalled only as a white blur, with flashes of vague images she suspected had been conjured by her exhausted mind. It would have been impossible to jump such a chasm with Azial clinging to her shoulders. Inconceivable, that he could fight off the wolf pack by himself while she tried in vain to free her leg from a crack. All that remained certain in her memories was the biting clarity of the visions they'd shared once they'd reached the Whisper Rock and succumbed, awaiting death beneath the bear skin as the blizzard raged around them.

  Their people. Dying.

  Not while she still lived.

  Before her, treeless grassland stretched in a circular clearing surrounding a bone-white structure. Smaller towers formed a cordon some distance from the main building, with scarring on the walls indicating something had once linked them all together. In the shade of these towers and the structure itself rested the Vile.

  She had never seen so many together. Their camouflaged hides made them difficult to count, but she estimated there were well over a hundred. None of the monsters moved.

  "We're here. How do we get in?"

  Sage answered immediately, though they hadn't spoken in days. "The entrance you see facing you is the only one. It has been sealed by its former occupants, and can only be unlocked by a certain species. We cannot determine for certain what species is required."

  "Species?" Seruya frowned. "How would the door know who is knocking?"

  "Tools smaller than you can imagine test the blood. That is how it knows."

  "How do you propose to get in if you don't have the blood you need?" she demanded.

  "I suggest our first priority is to find a way past the creatures that guard the building."

  She chuckled. "Watch." She dropped down from the branch and walked towards the structure. Swarms of Vile sat in groups, and as she progressed, she saw more clinging to the shadow side of the smaller buildings. She kept her eyes moving, scanning the monsters for signs of aggression as she passed close to one of the small towers.

  The smile on her face froze as one of the Vile moved its head to look at her. She slowed her step and came to a stop, maintaining eye contact. When she risked a glance around, terror blasted through her veins. Every single Vile in sight had turned to watch her. She felt their regard as a crushing weight on her shoulders. One more step meant her death.

  A breeze rustled the grass and toyed with her hair. A hawk cried in the distance.

  Slowly, she turned away from her destination and pulled back one of her feet. The Vile didn't react. Her other foot joined the first and she took a step back the way she had come. After three paces, the monsters lowered their heads one by one, until all returned to their original positions.

  She stopped under the tree she'd used to scout the area. Sweat dripped from her forehead, and her nostrils flared as she tried to slow her breathing.

  "I assume the creatures did not react as you anticipated."

  She snorted. "What gave it away?"

  "We will have to find another way to bypass them. Do you have another suggestion?"

  "No." That wasn't entirely true, but she wanted to see what the spirit could contribute besides directions to places she would eventually have found by herself. The reaction of the Vile, though unexpected, had taught her much about the reason behind their behavior, and she believed she knew what needed to be done.

  "There is a herd of large animals grazing nearby. Perhaps they could serve as a distraction, if we can cause them to panic and flee through this area."

  "Show me."

  Sage led her away from the site and through a grove of trees to a clear space. Crouched in the bright green grass, she watched a massive herd of rhinoceros amble through. "How do you intend to incite a panic?"

  Something moved in the corner of her vision, close by. She spun to face it, blades in hand. A camouflaged Vile stood six paces away. Before she could attack, it spoke: "I have no body, but I can make myself seen for short periods of time, and produce sounds. There are enough of my kind present to frighten these animals."

  She suppressed the desire to snarl at it. "After the stampede begins, you'll need to guide it towards the building. As close as possible. The Vile are guarding that place, and they will not react unless forced."

  "I understand. We can begin at your convenience." The apparition dissolved.

  Although she didn't think her lone scent would disturb the rhinos, Seruya stayed downwind of the herd and out of sight as she circled around. The herd included over a dozen calves, trotting along on their short legs to keep up with their mothers. A thoughtless adult knocked aside one small youngster, separating it from its mother. It cried out, a pitiful sound of fear and longing. Seruya clenched her teeth and ignored the pang of regret. "I'm ready."

  All at once, a score of Vile appeared from thin air in a rough semi-circle around the edge of the clearing. Alarm calls went up, and the adult rhinos quickly guided their young to the middle of the herd. The la
rger males milled about the edges, defiant but too spooked even to mount fake charges in challenge.

  The apparitions moved closer, screeching in an entirely un-Vile fashion as they came. Immune to the incongruity, the mass of rhinos edged away from the threat.

  Seruya sprinted forward, screaming. Blades drawn, she plunged in between the animals. Every one she passed, she nicked once, just deep enough to draw blood. Within a few heartbeats, the entire herd had panicked. She jumped up and steadied herself on the back of a frenzied male. Her allies advanced further, and the herd surged into a stampede.

  She sheathed one blade and used the free hand to cling to the animal's leathery hide as it thundered through the grass. The grove of trees she'd passed through was right ahead, but the herd did not slow down. Snapping and crackling sounds accompanied the destruction of small trees and shrubs. The sea of grey backs parted around the larger trees, shaking them with glancing impacts. Here and there, animals crashed to the ground, creating chaos for their mates behind who had to find ways around them.

  As the stampede devoured foliage, the building came into view. Chilling screeches from her allies drove the mad beasts straight for the towers, aiming to pass between them, then past the entrance. She would dismount, and Sage would open the door. Ideally.

  The resting Vile ahead stirred. Seruya wondered how they would respond to the stampede. A rhino had the strength and weight to crush one of the monsters, but the Vile were much faster. Within seconds, the entire herd would be upon them.

  They exploded into motion towards the stampede, hides rippling with shifting colors. Something cold traveled down her spine. They couldn't mean to―

  The Vile cut into the rhinos. Individual monsters darted between the grey behemoths, lashing out with their claws. Blood sprayed across the front of the herd. Animals fell and were immediately buried by other following close behind.