by Sam Puma
“You can dance for me right now.” He put both hands on her waist and pulled her on top of him. While they made love he forgot all of his problems and pain.
It was late afternoon by the time he returned to the arena. The feeling of dread awakened the moment he left Valera’s chambers. By the time he reached the arena his heart was racing and his stomach was sick.
A scene of wonder in the arena erased his fears again. Oranos stood ten feet tall and couldn’t be recognized as his old self. Shaggy white fur protruded at the wrists and neck from underneath a full set of yanigo armor. Enormous curling rams horns protruded from his temples, with the crown of petrified wood wedged between them. His pronounced cheekbones bulged and his mouth and nose protruded in a short snout. Long, sharp canines jutted up and down out of his mouth. His eyes were the same, only bigger and full of fire. He held a wooden pole in one hand and a fish in the other. “Come on, pussycat,” he taunted Ixtlayo, “take the fish! I’m not going to give it to you! You have to take it!”
Ixtlayo squared off with Oranos and growled. He still looked sluggish. Jankaro looked up at Janesa, who sat watching from a seat in the stands a safe distance away. She shrugged and beckoned him to join her. Jankaro made his way up into the stands while Ixtlayo reached out for the fish, carefully testing his new metal paw.
“He’s afraid to stick it out,” said Janesa as Jankaro approached and sat down next to her. “He’s testing out standing on it. See?” Ixtlayo stood on the metal paw, lifted his good paw and took a quick swat at the fish before setting it back down.
Oranos deftly brushed away the attempt with a gentle swat with the pole. “That’s all you’ve got?!” He taunted, dangling the fish in front of Ixtlayo’s face and quickly pulling it back.
“As you can see,” said Janesa, “he’s in no condition to fight.”
“I can see the pain in his eyes.” Jankaro was sad for his friend. “With the juzi stick, he can do what needs to be done.”
“Yes. You can use the juzi stick and he will be up for the charge on Agustin. But killing Jurugas all night…” She had a faraway look in her eyes as she trailed off.
“You and me, my friend,” Oranos cried out to Ixtlayo as if he picked up her words on the wind. “We are going to kill all the Jurugas tonight!” Ixtlayo’s aggression was slowly building. He reared up on his hind legs and balanced on them for a moment as he swatted for the fish. He came down with a grunt and a grimace, turning to growl at Oranos who sidestepped his advances. “That’s it! Come on, cub. Take it!”
“I don’t like the part of the plan where Oranos distracts Agustin,” said Jankaro. “He’s right about what he just said. If we fight the Jurugas together we can easily overcome them. If Agustin connects with that club, he’ll be lost.”
“I can’t think of a better way to distract him,” Janesa’s brow furrowed as she pondered the idea. “He will likely recognize Oranos, or at least wonder for a moment what the hell that creature is.”
Jankaro pondered Valera’s suggestion but didn’t bring it up. He wanted her safe in the boats, ready to leave if everything went wrong. The growls and grunts brought his attention back to the arena floor as Ixtlayo pounced on Oranos and brought him crashing down on his back. Jankaro leapt to his feet as Ixtlayo growled in Oranos’ face. “Ixtlayo, no!” He was relieved when Ixtlayo released Oranos to snatch the prize that had fallen a few feet away.
He took it in his jaws and eyed Oranos suspiciously as he moved away to eat. “That’s it, my boy,” said Oranos with pride as he stood up and dusted himself off. He looked up at Jankaro and winked. “When the battle is over and we are victorious, we will fill this arena with our people! He and I will spar again, for the entertainment of all!”
Jankaro turned to Janesa, who shared his doubtful expression. Oranos retrieved a small flute from his belt and blew a note into it. “Bring another fish!” He called out to someone outside the arena. “Come on Ixtlayo! I’ve got something for you…” He teased the Ashtari, who swallowed, belched, and looked up to see if another fish was on its way.
After several rounds of sparring with Oranos, Ixtlayo gained some confidence in his new metal foot. “Time to take him on that ride through the city,” said Oranos. Jankaro and Janesa descended to the arena floor and surveyed Ixtlayo.
“He’s looking better,” said Janesa. “But I can still see the pain in his eyes. Your weight on his back will…”
“Up you go!” Oranos interrupted by grabbing Jankaro underneath his armpits like a baby and lifting him up and onto Ixtlayo’s back. Jankaro’s face flushed with embarrassment as he looked at the king’s crooked smile. “Get on out there, Jankaro. The sun is low. It is time to rally the people.”
A flash of inspiration came to Jankaro as he admired the hardened face of the creature Oranos had become. In spite of the crude features that resembled a Cruxai more than a man, Oranos’ blue eyes still bore the kindness and paternal instincts that he carried for his people. “Come with me, my king. With your voice we can rally the people together.”
“But…” Oranos looked down at his crusted hands. “They will not recognize me.”
“They will recognize your voice and your manner. And if they do not recognize you as their king, we will make sure they recognize you as their champion.”
“Champions.” Valera strode into the arena, garbed in her full macaw regalia. Jankaro’s jaw dropped. Her twelve macaws flew in from all directions and circled above. “The people will recognize their champions.”
“Valera what are you doing?!” Oranos chided her. “Get back in the castle, gather your belongings and get on that boat!”
“I will be your cryer. I will get the people’s attention and announce the coming of the king and his commander.”
“Very well.” The king softened to the idea. “Then you must get back to the boat!”
“Of course, papa. Come now! Follow me!” She turned and pranced away like a bird walking along the ground.
“Janesa, summon the troops,” Oranos commanded. “It is time to assume our positions at the front wall.” Jankaro felt his stomach drop and a knot well up in his throat as he urged Ixtlayo forward. He looked to Janesa for reassurance but she was already on her way.
“Come on, Jankaro. After we rally the people I will send for your and Ixtlayo’s armor.”
“And the poison arrows and lance.” Jankaro couldn’t keep his voice from trembling as he spoke.
“Of course! And a big sword for these big hands!” The king smiled again, making it quite clear how pleased he was with his new body.
The crowd outside the gate to upper Calixo had grown. Word had spread of Agustin’s impending attack. They shouted and begged to be let through. Jankaro’s jaw dropped as he was bedazzled by the sight of Valera spreading her wings and floating up to the top of the wall.
“How does she do that?”
Ixtlayo grunted back at him.
“I know it’s a lot of people, but always remember they are far more afraid of you than you are of them.” He tousled the blue hair of Ixtlayo’s stripe.
“People of Galdea,” Valera called out as her macaws circled low above their heads. “Behold, your king, Oranos of Caladon!” The gate opened and Oranos ducked through. The crowd gasped.
“It is I.” Oranos’ deepened voice resounded and the people were stunned for a moment, not sure whether to believe it was him.
“And his commander, Jankaro of Olaya!”
Jankaro urged Ixtlayo forward. Ixtlayo bent his knees to get through the gate and Jankaro leaned forward to duck under the stone archway. He looked around and noticed the fear in the people’s eyes as they backed away from the Ashtari. He followed Oranos toward the front wall as people emerged from around the city to line the streets and watch the procession. “His captain, Orion of Dorfin,” Valera called out from behind them. She continued announcing the officers, and eventuall
y the rest of the soldiers came through the gate, clad in yanigo armor and bearing weapons.
Many of the soldiers carried horns and blew into them, sending loud droning tones into the sky. People emerged from all over the city to watch the procession. Many men, and a few women, bore weapons. Some called out their fears of annihilation, some cast insults at Oranos, some offered exultation. Some threw flowers at him, and one brave soul even threw a rotten apple. It missed Oranos and hit Ixtlayo on the side of his face. He turned and growled as the assailant dashed away down a back alley.
“The sound of the horns rallies the militia,” Oranos explained, turning his head sideways so Jankaro could hear him. “We waited here, hoping that Caladon would stand. But we did not wait idly. We prepared. I know you can hear the cowards among them. Don’t listen to them. My people know they must fight. All of our children and their mothers will be let through the gate to wait on the boats, along with the elders and the disabled. The rest of them have received training. Anyone who can kill a Cruxai has been given a weapon. They all have roles to play as we defend the city. Now we will make sure they respect your command, but don’t concern yourself too much with the strategy of our defense. My officers and I will handle that. You must inspire them with your courage in the face of Agustin and the Jurugas.
“The people are full of fear and many of them have given up hope. All of us are afraid. But when you pierce Agustin and he falls, and the people see us slay Jurugas, their hope and courage will be renewed.” Jankaro noticed a girl on his right, waving a scythe and shouting out her allegiance to Oranos. “I never cared for enlisting newly flowered women in our army,” Oranos looked back at Jankaro and frowned. “But my wife and my sons’ wives convinced me. They told me that women could be fierce, just like men. That girl there with the scythe will kill two or three before she…”
“Like my mother.” Jankaro’s vision from the chamber returned. He remembered the fire in her eyes and the ferocity of her cry as she saved his life and cut them down. If only Jorobai had been there, she would have had a chance. He exchanged a look of empathy with Oranos, who still grieved the loss of his sons.
They reached the front gate as the sun hovered and cast its reflection on the calm waters to the west. The clouds turned yellow, announcing the coming of the horde. The soldiers encircled Oranos, Jankaro and Ixtlayo. A large crowd formed around them, filling up the marketplace at the front of the city. Jankaro looked back at the inner wall but Valera was gone. One of her macaws circled high above them, and he felt her watching through its eyes. Behind them, one of the soldiers lit torches along the wall. Everyone fell silent as Oranos drew in a breath.
“Many of you are like me, you have lost someone close to your heart. How I wish that I could protect you all, but I cannot. I have taken the elder seed to transform myself into this beast, so that I might help to slay the Jurugas. But many of us will have to give our lives to defend the city tonight. That is the only way we will have a chance.
“The gate to upper Calixo is open. To our elders, our wounded, our disabled, mothers and children, make your way to the boats behind the castle. The rest of us will stay and fight.”
The king waited and watched for several minutes as children bade tearful goodbyes to their fathers. Jankaro watched and felt something inside him lift as he heard his mother’s song in his mind. He heard his mother singing along with his grandfathers, Anhael, and the jaguar man. He smelled the scent of the pouch of smoke that Anhael had given him. He wondered for a moment where he had left his pipe and the pouch of smoke, but decided it didn’t matter. He welcomed the song and the presence of his guides again. He hummed along as he stroked the long hairs of Ixtlayo’s blue stripe, gently tugging to untangle the knots.
The people the king had dismissed made their way to the back wall, and the militia of nearly 10,000 fighters of varying levels of skill closed in around Oranos, Jankaro and the soldiers to hear from their king.
“You all have your instructions. Follow your commands and fight like there is no tomorrow. Our courage will carry us to victory. Many of you have heard of a giant who destroyed Caladon. The tale is true. He comes. But we have a plan to slay him before he reaches the gates. This plan will be executed by your brave commander, Jankaro of Olaya.” Oranos extended his arm and gestured to Jankaro.
A gentle breeze came up and tousled the hair on Ixtlayo’s stripe as Jankaro surveyed the people looking up at him in silence. He cleared his throat and grasped for the words. “People of Olaya…” he began.
“Galdea!” An angry soldier corrected him, and a dismayed murmur spread throughout the crowd.
“People of Galdea!” He called out again as the humiliation rushed over him. Their eyes shifted from the confidence and hope inspired by Oranos to doubt in their new commander.
“Who the hell is this guy?” A heckler called out.
“Titus and Rafael died and left us jungle rot for a leader!”
“We want Orion!”
“We have a plan to slay the giant!” Jankaro called out as the jeers and heckling spread and got louder. He knew if he couldn’t regain their trust, he would need to surrender his position. “We have prepared a poison lance, and I will…” he raised his voice but knew that few could hear him as they were too busy cursing him. Ixtlayo’s anger radiated and he growled. The nearby soldiers jumped back and held up their shields. Ixtlayo reared his head back and growled again, much louder. The soldiers moved back further and made more space for him. The militia continued their chatter, but their attention shifted to Ixtlayo. Oranos stood tall and confident, but took a step back to make room for Ixtlayo to have his say.
Ixtlayo roared again as he reared up on his hind legs. Jankaro held on tight as the Ashtari slashed at the sky with the exposed claws of his right paw and the iron spikes of his left paw. He reached high enough to catch the last beams of the setting sun and his iron paw gleamed, sending a bright flash into the eyes of the gathered warriors.
When he touched back down, he had everyone’s attention. None but Jankaro perceived the momentary gasp that accompanied the jolt of pain that shot up Ixtlayo’s leg when his metal paw contacted the hard stone. Ixtlayo turned to his left, crouched like he was about to pounce, and emitted a ferocious roar at the people on that side. Everyone backed up rapidly, making plenty of space for the angry Ashtari as he took a few quick steps to the right and roared at the people on that side. Oranos backed up against the front wall and gave him a wide berth. Ixtlayo took three steps forward and roared again at the people in the middle. Everyone was pushed back deeper into the market area and backed up into the streets of the city as he claimed well over two hundred feet in all directions. The critics were silenced, and no one dared to challenge him.
Ixtlayo stood still. He sat back on his hind legs and reared his head back. A powerful energy radiated out of him as he began to rumble. It slammed Jankaro in the chest and his body weakened. He felt dizzy and lost his grip. He rolled down Ixtlayo’s back as he began to roar like he did in the jungle, when he summoned the jaguars. The sound was deafening and made Jankaro’s whole body convulse. The sustained roar brought the people to their knees. Oranos was not affected by it much. He stepped forward and dragged Jankaro away from Ixtlayo. As the roar continued, Jankaro stabilized. He watched the people rise to their feet and remove their hands from their ears. One by one they started forward, closing in around Ixltayo as he held his jaws wide and sustained the roar that made birds spin in wild patterns in the sky. They climbed and tumbled, zipping rapidly all around. In the distance, the sea was disturbed by fish jumping out of the water. Big sharks jumped from the sea, bearing their jagged teeth. Dolphins flipped in group formations, making shapes like circles and diamonds. Giant whales breeched and crashed down. All of the seas creatures danced on the surface of the water, beckoned by Ixltayo’s mighty call. Far in the distance, a giant sea serpent came flying out of the water and crashed back down.
&nbs
p; The soldiers and the militia were emboldened. They gathered around Ixltayo and made primal battle cries, waving their weapons in the air. The cheers rang out louder and louder. Jankaro’s body filled with heat. He ran, leapt with the legs of a monkey and flung himself back up onto his place on Ixtlayo’s back. The oceans calmed as Ixtlayo stood tall and brought his roar to completion, fading out the volume until he stood silent. His power and ferocity radiated into the hearts of all who beheld him. The people continued cheering and calling his name.
“Ixtlayo!” They cried out in wild exultations as Jankaro raised his sword to the sky and roared back at them.
Jorobai and Gondaro covered many miles before the Ashtari lay down for a rest. The images of destruction haunted Jorobai. They had passed six more villages. Two of them were in Gondaro’s path. He walked through without a care, crushing three huts beneath his feet. The worst part was the old man. Jorobai pulled on Gondaro’s fur as hard as he could but it was no use. The old man couldn’t run like the other members of his tribe, and he was crushed beneath Gondaro’s front paw. Jorobai couldn’t bear to look back. But as he climbed down from Gondaro’s back, the crunching sound of the man’s death haunted him.
The sun dipped toward the horizon as Jorobai leaned from side to side to stretch his back. He looked down at his malnourished stomach and thought about catching a fish. He searched for a while and found a branch on the ground that looked perfect for making a fishing spear. He sat down and began stripping away the twigs with his knife when a sound in the distance sent a shiver down his spine. It was a buzzing, droning sound that grew louder and louder. It sounded like a swarm of giant bees was approaching.
Gondaro sprang to his feet and birds scattered in all directions. He grunted, sniffed the air, and looked all around. Jorobai watched as his head and neck twitched as if he had an itch behind his shoulder that he couldn’t reach. He dropped down into a crouch like he was ready to pounce on something. His red eyes filled with madness as he growled and took off running, crushing everything beneath him. He ran in a wide circle around Jorobai and sent the animals scurrying to get out of his way.