by JC Kang
The Teleri lieutenant had suffered an arrow wound through the leg and sat up against the cliff wall. Tian picked his way toward him through the carnage. Like the others with exposed heads, the lieutenant looked older. Perhaps older than First Consul Geros. With the ancestral curse over their head, perhaps they had volunteered to be part of a suicide squad. But why?
The lieutenant nodded at him. “You are truly a hero of the ages. I would be honored if you helped me end my life, for I cannot bear the shame of leading my men to defeat.”
Hold the butterfly with care, Kaiya had said, for even their fleeting lives have value. Tian bound the man’s wound. “You lost on purpose. Why?”
The lieutenant choked on his laughter. “This is but one battle, and we have served our purpose in fighting it. There are not enough bottlenecks in this godforsaken forest to dam up the flood of Teleri soldiers. Once we control this region, the story of your valor tonight will be nothing but a footnote in history. If it is remembered at all.”
A Bovyan would not break under torture, nor would the Maki condone it. With no other means of coaxing an answer out of him, Tian shrugged. “Maybe we will meet again on the field. Until then, farewell.”
He turned to rejoin the warriors, who finished collecting valuable steel weapons. He searched for Shoma and was met with blank stares and shrugs when he asked about the Shaki guide. Had he been injured? Tian would’ve noticed. Suspicion gnawed at his gut. Perhaps the Bovyans were just gauging the natives’ strength.
Or perhaps it was a diversion? But from what? If what Chief Nuwa said was true, there was no other practical approach from the east; and there were no reports of Bovyans to the west.
A few of the warriors went east to scout, but the majority headed west out of the gorge, looking forward to returning home with the story of their victory. Tian couldn’t blame them, though worry fluttered in his stomach.
It was nearly nightfall when the tribesmen left the gorge. Coming to a pool in the river, Yuha made them strip down and bathe. He held a ritual to cleanse their spirits of their deeds, which Tian found surprisingly refreshing. Afterwards, they set up camp and ate dinner before settling down for the night. They sent the young twins Kona and Kosa ahead to send word to the village.
Most fell into a well-deserved sleep, though some sat around the fire, recounting the fight.
Hati grinned ear to ear. “It will be remembered like the battles of my father’s time.”
“It will only be remembered,” Yuha said with a frown, “if our people maintain their freedom.”
Just like the Teleri lieutenant had said. Tian nodded. “This is just a single battle. It won’t stop their soldiers forever. They are ruthless and relentless. They will come again, maybe within a matter of days after they learn of their defeat.”
Hati pumped his fist. “When word gets out that we can win, the other tribes will join hand to expel the Metal Men.”
“We need to prepare for the next wave.” Tian sighed. “Their fortress is four days from here. It will take their Shaki archers two days to take news there. If they run without rest. Then another four days for them to reach the gorge. We must set up our defense there again. Within at least six days.”
“I prayed for the spirits to bring rain,” Yuha said. “Combined with the melting snows, the gorge will be inundated in five days and remained closed for two to three weeks. By that time, we will have held a tribal council so that we can set up a collaborative defense of the gorge.”
Tian pictured the terrain in his head. “Are there any other means of them reaching us?”
“Yes.” Yuha nodded. “But in order to move so many troops, they would have to follow the old road going northwest, then turn back south along the path which we took when you first came to us. It would take them nearly three weeks, and our kinsmen would harass them the entire way.”
Hati’s tone sobered. “If they had enough boats, they could go along the south bank of the river and then cross at Wild Turkey Island. But they would have to carry the boats to that point, at least until the melting season ended.”
Tian blew out a breath. “Then it seems that for the time being, we are safe.”
Doubts and worry kept Tian from sleep. The others woke by dawn, ready to return home to a hero’s welcome. The trip at regular pace would take fourteen hours, but the weather was pleasant, allowing them to forge ahead.
Tian’s mind raced the entire time. Something still felt wrong. There must have been a reason for the Teleri to lose on purpose. Had they sent soldiers on the longer path?
At least the others’ spirits were high as they reached the path off the river trail that would take them home. They arrived at the village not long before midnight, fully expecting late-night revelry.
All were taken aback by the sobering quiet, as Chief Nuwa greeted them with tears in his eyes.
CHAPTER 50:
War on Two Fronts, Part 1
Tian’s gut churned. The mood among the villagers was too somber as they waited to greet a father, son, or husband. More concerning was Chief Nuwa seeking him out, even before talking to Hati.
He placed a firm hand on Tian’s shoulder. “My son, I have awful news. Kaiya fulfilled Yuha’s vision. She saved the village by sacrificing herself.”
Tian staggered back. In the past, he had lost comrades on missions without flinching, but this... He choked back tears. “Where is she? What happened?”
His friends all gathered around, putting their collective arms around him. The chief let out a heavy sigh, and began recounting the cascade of events from the previous day.
On the morning of the evacuation, dog barks jerked Kaiya out of sleep. She panicked when she did not feel Tian by her side, forgetting in her foggy waking moments that he had left the day before. She shook her head clear. Outside, the village drums beat wildly. Erratically.
Danger.
Knowing that they would leave at first light, she’d slept in her clothes. Her hair was unbraided, certainly not proper for a married woman in public. She reached for her double swords and peeked out the lodge.
Shadows in the dim light ran by. The drums beat urgently, and one of the older tribesmen appeared, running through the village yelling, “We’re surrounded by the enemy! Go to the center and prepare to fight!”
Fight? The warriors were all gone.
She hurried to the middle of the village.
Ma Jun stood at Chief Nawa’s side, giving instructions. Spears, bows, and arrows rested next to the drum platform. Middle-aged men, many who hadn’t fought in thirty years, took up weapons and formed a perimeter around the village center.
Behind them, women also armed themselves with bows. Other villagers streamed in from all directions, many helping young children and the elderly. Arriving at the platform, Kaiya slung her swords over her shoulder and picked up a bow and a quiver full of arrows.
She waited for instructions, ignoring the drums, the murmurs of worried villagers, the crying of young children, and the barking of dogs.
Through the chaos, from the edge of the village, rang a loud voice with a distinct Shaki accent. “Surrender unconditionally, or face the wrath of the Metal Men.”
Chief Nuwa raised his own voice. “We will not purchase our lives with our freedom, and you will not take either easily.”
Mocking laughter echoed back. “Then prepare to die!”
A horn blared from outside the village, and the war cries and stomping boots approached from all directions. Children wailed as mothers tried to comfort them. Men on the perimeter faced outwards with deathly resolve. Women nocked arrows, waiting for the first enemy wave to appear among the lodges.
Kaiya’s heart raced. How useless she was. The bow in her hand would do little to save the people upon whom she brought doom.
No, there was a way. She placed her bow and quiver on the ground and climbed up to the drumming platform. The higher vantage point afforded a view of imminent disaster. Hundreds of Teleri light infantry marched in orderly r
anks, supported by Shaki archers. Their bootsteps stomped in steadfast rhythm.
Taking up a pair of drum sticks, she set herself between the two drums, Nimewa and Himewa. Taking a deep breath, she channeled the valor of King Evydas of Iksuvi when he faced the First Consul; Sameer the Paladin; her loyal guards Xu Zhan, Li Wei, Zhao Yue, and Chen Xin; and of course, her beloved Tian. She struck the Soul of the Village. The drum’s bellow resonated through the village, its steadfast rhythm meant to encourage the villagers.
Kaiya spun to face the larger drum, and used a single beat to send an ominous tone into the enemy ranks.
The Bovyans jolted to a stop.
She turned, rapped three beats on the smaller drum, and then leaned back and struck the larger. The rhythm filled her heart. Her limbs moved of their own volition, much like they had when she danced for Prince Dhannanad in Vyara City and First Consul Geros in Iksuvius.
The tribespeople chanted war cries in unison with the smaller drum. The fearless Bovyans backed off a step. Then they faltered back a few more. Heavens, it was working! All discipline collapsed. Teleri soldiers fell into full retreat. Victory was in hand.
A single man stepped forward into the square. His feather and bead ornaments marked him as Shaki tribal shaman, and one of such power that her drumming dispersed around him. He raised his staff, whose crystal head captured the red rays of the now rising sun, and yelled, “Spirits, hear me!”
The villagers shot, but their arrows caught up in a whirlwind around him. He slammed the end of the staff on the ground. A thunder clap blasted forth. The Maki tribesmen collapsed to the ground, covering their heads in fright.
The rumble met the drum beats and dissipated. Fatigue rippled into Kaiya’s limbs.
The shaman’s face contorted. He raised his staff again, and shouted in a deep voice, “Spirits, shake the earth!” He pounded the staff.
The ground trembled. The pitch of the drums softened. The larger clattered to the platform. Kaiya twisted out of the way, barely avoiding it. Quickly regaining her footing, she continued to beat on the smaller drum to restore the Maki’s confidence.
Beyond the first ring of lodges, Teleri horns blew again.
Her heart sank. They were regrouping, ready to resume their attack.
A dignified-looking Teleri general stepped forward and spoke in Arkothi: “Princess Kaiya Wang of Cathay, surrender yourself to the Teleri Empire, and the village will be spared. Not just for now, but for as long as the Empire endures. It will pay no tribute, nor take part in the Mating. It will for all intents and purposes be independent.”
Kaiya ceased her drumming and met his gaze. “If you will extend the protection to the entire Maki tribe, then I will surrender.”
The general’s brows furrowed. “You have no room to negotiate. You are outnumbered by the best-trained, best-equipped fighters Tivara has ever known. Your men, elderly, and children will die; the women will be taken to serve our soldiers. And in the end, we will still have you.”
Kaiya’s stomach clenched. Like at the Battle of Wailian, there was only one bargaining chip left. She unsheathed a sword and held it to her neck. “Then I will take my own life.”
The general sighed. “Very well, we accept your offer.” He turned to a Shaki warrior and shouted in Arkothi. “Let it be known that immediately following the surrender of Princess Kaiya Wang, the Teleri will cease hostilities with the Maki tribe, and its peoples shall remain outside of our control in perpetuity. We will only fight them in self-defense.”
As the Shaki translated the words, the Maki murmured and wept among themselves. They made a path for Kaiya to walk through, many reaching out to touch her shoulder or thank her as she passed.
A figure stepped forward to block her way.
Ma Jun dropped to his knee, fist to the ground. “Dian-Xia, I will accompany you.”
Kaiya found her tone of authority, long unused. “No, Ma Jun. This is my order. You must take care of Lana, your unborn children, and these people who have so generously accepted us.”
She dropped her voice into a whisper and leaned in. Her voice hitched, forcing her to clear her throat. “Pass my message to Tian, these words that I could never say myself, even though we are no longer bound by the conventions of Hua. Please, tell him that I...love him. I love him so much, and want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with him in this land and raise our children together. But I willingly make this sacrifice for something greater than me or him.”
Ma Jun slid to the side, his head remaining bowed. Tears dripped down his cheeks.
A second person stepped in her way. “My daughter,” Chief Nuwa said in his ageless voice. “We cannot trust that the outsiders will keep their word. We are willing to fight.”
Kaiya shook her head. “Despite their evil ways, the Teleri are always true to their word. If they make this agreement, then they will abide by it. If you fight, you will surely perish.”
He placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. “We will gladly die at their hands to spare you the indignities. You are one of us, and we never abandon our own.”
Tears came unbidden, and she threw her arms around the chief. “As one of you, how could I allow my family to die at their hands? I gladly trade my freedom for yours.”
Tearing herself away from his embrace, she strode towards the general. She then bowed, and extended her sheathed swords in two hands.
As the Teleri troops cheered, the general received the swords in one hand. He motioned for a captain. “The collar.”
Collar? Were they already reducing her to a slave? Kaiya edged back.
The general locked eyes with her. “We will not consider you to have surrendered until you wear it.”
Kaiya swept her gaze back at the villagers. Men too old to fight. Women, children. They’d all be slaughtered. She took a step forward and lifted her chin.
The captain bowed his head, and then affixed a hinged ring of grey metal around her neck. When he bolted it shut with a lock, the ubiquitous whisper of the world’s energy was muffled in her ears.
“Now, General.” Singing the next words, she said, “Withdraw your soldiers.” The power surged in her chest, only to gutter at her throat. Energy trickled from her limbs. It didn’t work!
“In due time, Princess,” the general replied. “First, there is the matter of the Teleri imperial seal. Where is it?”
The seal? Kaiya stared at him in genuine confusion. In the escape from Iksuvius, she’d forgotten about it. It must have been months. “I do not have it. It must be lost.”
The general’s eyes narrowed. “Lost? I find it hard to believe you would misplace such a valuable relic. Lieutenant Espios, search her.”
An unarmored Teleri man, whose features and ruddy skin tone suggested his mother was likely a Kanin human, stepped towards her. He was slightly smaller than the average Teleri, which made him a likely candidate for a spy. Kaiya shrank back a step. How humiliating, to be touched by a stranger, an enemy.
“I swear by the spirits that it is not on my person,” she said, invoking the oath of the Kanin tribespeople.
“I am afraid that means nothing to me,” the General said. “However, if you swear on your honor, then we will delay the search until the doctor at our base camp examines you.”
A doctor examining her. Kaiya shuddered. “I swear.”
The general smiled, not unkindly. “Very well. Lieutenant, take a detail to search the princess’ home. Remember, she belongs to the Consuls. I will ready the troops for our return to camp.”
Belonged...of course, this was what surrender meant. Kaiya’s heart tittered. She forced a serene composure. At least her dignity was safe for the time being, since the Consuls must be far away in the Teleri homeland.
“As you command.” The lieutenant pounded a fist on his chest. He turned to her. “Take us to your dwelling.”
She led them to her lodge. They upturned everything, even the cinders of the fire pit. Although their family altar was a simple flat river stone,
it symbolized her tie to her ancestors, and she couldn’t bear to watch the soldiers casually defile it. They went through her clothes, humiliating her as they exchanged comments about her undergarments. The shell hair ring, which represented her marriage, was thoughtlessly crushed underfoot. By the time they were finished, tears clouded her vision.
The lieutenant motioned for the soldiers to leave. “We will give you two minutes to prepare what you want to take with you.”
Left to herself, she cried. Was surrender worth it? Through tear-filled eyes, she gathered items of sentimental value and put them in her pack: among them, the remnants of her hair ring, her drawing of Guanyin, a head ornament of wild-turkey feathers, and the wooden bowl from the altar.
With a stick, she scribbled a message for Tian into the ground and covered it with a blanket.
After two minutes, the lieutenant pushed aside the door. “It is time.”
Kaiya wiped away the tears. With one last look, she bid her home among the Maki goodbye.
It was still early morning as the Teleri troops departed the village. The Maki lined the path back to the river, bidding her sorrowful farewells. Despite the foreboding that sent shivers through her spine, she carried herself with a long-forgotten pride and poise. The villagers greeted her with looks of awe and inspiration. Her life as a Maki tribeswoman was coming to an end, and she was once again, a princess of Hua.
Inside she shuddered. The dream was over, and a nightmare about to begin.
Tian hung his head, avoiding the gaze of the villagers. His wife, so courageous! Pride welled in his chest, even as his stomach twisted at the stark reality. Kaiya was a prisoner of the Teleri, enduring hell.
He squeezed his hands into bone-crunching fists. He would kill every last Bovyan, inflicting injuries that guaranteed a slow, painful death.
Chief Nuwa’s voice radiated with a sad, fatherly pride. “Kaiya was so calm, so dignified. It brought inspiration to us all. Then, more than ever, we were so proud to consider her one of our own.”