Awakenings

by C. D. Espeseth

  Beside them, market stalls crowded the edges, but the hundreds of people they joined were enthralled by the flame dancers performing in the centre square. Flaming batons twirled through the dark night in mesmerising patterns as drums beat out a thundering rhythm beside them.

  It was wonderful and magical.

  If only Naira could shake the feeling that someone was about to die.

  “Anything?” Senior Prefect Stonebridge walked up beside them and addressed Constable Holvstad.

  “Nothing yet, sir,” Holvstad replied, and Naira noticed the constable had straightened her back and her casual demeanour had suddenly disappeared.

  Adel was at the senior prefect’s side along with a few more of their classmates. Most of the initiates were stationed around the Xinnish marketplace, but it seemed Naira and Adel were being kept close due to their familiarity with Thannis.

  Naira wondered where Matoh was patrolling, but then forced herself to pay attention to the task at hand. If anyone could handle themselves in this city, it was Matoh. He could probably charm an escalated situation down, no doubt somehow knowing half or all of the people involved, and end up drinking and singing with the lot of them. He would be fine.

  Senior Prefect Stonebridge did not look pleased, but Naira was starting to understand that was how he normally looked with a permanent scowl chiselled onto his gruff features.

  “We should have cancelled the whole thing,” Stonebridge growled.

  “That would definitely have caused a riot with tensions the way they are in the city,” Constable Holvstad replied. “I’ve talked to several people tonight, they are using this celebration to say they are not afraid as well. Tonight is also about defying the hatred they see being spread against them. The Xinnish are a proud people and if a Kenzian prefect told them they couldn’t have a party …”

  “They’d throw one twice as big and twice as loud,” Stonebridge finished. “Yes, you’re probably right. I’m starting to make a habit of saying that.” Senior Prefect Stonebridge grimaced as he spoke his last words and then walked off to talk to another patrol which had returned, but not before Naira noticed the suppressed smile of pride on Constable Holvstad’s face at the gruff compliment.

  They waited for other groups to return, but no one reported anything other than a lot of happy people celebrating. Nothing strange or out of the ordinary.

  “Let’s switch groups and rotations, see if we catch something that way. Corbin, you go with Constable Holvstad. Miranda, take a few of the others.” He pointed to several other constables and initiates. Naira noticed that Matoh and Wayran, the Spierling brothers were selected to go with Constable Holvstad as well.

  “Split into two groups and sweep the market from either end and then loop back again. Alter the pace to try and flush anyone out,” Stonebridge instructed the large group. “Use your judgement, but if you catch our suspect in the act, blow your whistle, do not try to take him alone.” Stonebridge then pointed at Naira. “O’Bannon you’re with me, I want your eyes on this. You seemed to remember the most about him.”

  Naira nodded, somewhat nervous about being singled out in front of everyone.

  The larger group split into two, and Constable Holvstad issued orders on how to sweep the market.

  It was then something caught Naira’s eye.

  “What?” Stonebridge was right beside her. “What did you see?”

  “I–” Naira wasn’t sure, but then as she scanned the crowd, she saw him.

  Thannis.

  “There!” She pointed, and Stonebridge nodded.

  Thannis had his hood drawn up and was walking through the market but suddenly turned down an alley.

  The senior prefect motioned with his hands, and four other constables moved with them to flank the alley. “Tell Constable Holvstad we are in pursuit of the suspect, and that he’s gone south from the market,” he said to a fifth constable whom he sent running in the direction Constable Holvstad had gone.

  “Let’s go, keep an eye out for the witch and have your weapons close,” Stonebridge said as they pushed through the crowd.

  They followed Thannis as quickly as they could without drawing attention. They rounded a corner and Naira saw Thannis dart into the open doors of a Xinnish temple. Incense sticks smoked away in great ceramic pots on either side of the entrance giving off a sweet and heady scent. Paper lanterns with painted skulls on them lit the temple’s entrance with an eerie light, but Naira did not hesitate as she ducked inside behind the four other constables.

  The smell of the incense was even stronger inside. Dozens of people knelt in prayer before the great statues of the Mother and the Father who both held the skulls of their ancestors in outstretched hands. The statues looked reverently at the skulls as the Mother and Father held hands in unity. Dozens of the paper lanterns gave the smoky interior a strange hazy gloom, and the two statues at the centre of the room looked somewhat ethereal.

  Stonebridge coughed as he followed her in and Naira thought she heard him grumble something about the sickening Xinnish smell. He coughed again and looked somewhat mollified at his own words. “Careful now,” the senior prefect whispered to her. “Something feels off. Feels like …” he trailed off and then stopped in his tracks.

  Naira followed his gaze as Stonebridge stared at one of the devout patrons kneeling on the floor beside them. He stepped closer, and Naira suddenly felt a bit queasy with all the incense in the air.

  “Get out!” Stonebridge yelled suddenly. His hand came away from the kneeling worshiper, and the old man toppled forward.

  Vacant screaming eyes stared up at her as the man’s tongue lolled out of his mouth. He was dead.

  Naira grabbed the shoulder of a young woman praying beside the statue of the Mother, but then pulled her hand back as the woman’s arm and shoulder slumped away from her body. Her head fell away from her shoulders and hit the floor with a sickening thump.

  Dead.

  No one had moved since they had stepped inside the temple.

  Everyone was dead.

  “Get out! Everyone out!” Stonebridge yelled as he coughed again, but Naira saw his eyes widen just as Naira felt the fuzzy feeling take over her whole body.

  The floor suddenly felt like it was pulling her towards it, and her legs felt like lead. The smoke filled her lungs and then she heard the laughing.

  “Take another breath, Senior Prefect. Breathe it in. You must have come across diviner’s sage before in all your travels. It’s well known in Vinda. However, I am quite sure you are about to have a very bad out-of-body experience,” an evil voice said, sounding as if it came from every corner of the temple at once.

  Naira stumbled forward, but her head swam with the effects of the smoke, she wanted to be sick. She fell and hit another of the kneeling figures. This one was barely recognisable as human, skin around the mouth and jaws had been peeled away to reveal the teeth and muscles beneath. Naira screamed, and the room began to spin.

  Then she heard it.

  The whining scream as her body began to siphon the energy around her. The smoke swirled as currents of energy began to flow into her.

  The whining sound increased, shrieking now high-pitched in her ears.

  Flashes from old memories flicked across her mind.

  Flick.

  She was in the water, fallen in from the boat, her hand bleeding from the shellfish knife which had slipped. A large fin flashed towards her, she thrashed in the water. Enormous jaws opened wide.

  The horrible buzzing took hold of her whole body.

  Flick.

  She was in an alley, three drunken men had followed her in, and only now did she realise it was a dead end. They came close, she could smell the stink of stale beer and sweat.

  The shrieking increased to such a volume she felt blood drip from her ears, and suddenly she wasn’t inside the temple any more. She was, in fact, nowhere and everywhere at the same time. There was light, vibration, and everything was somehow in between.

&
nbsp; It was only for an instant, an instant that felt as if it could have also been an eternity, and then Naira was outside the temple, laying on the cool ground and sucking in the fresh air. The shrieking noise had stopped, the world she knew was back, the remnants of the smoke still clung to her lungs, and she coughed but then sucked in cool air instead of more smoke.

  She had escaped, by somehow going in between this world and the next.

  “Now that was quite a trick,” a familiar voice said behind her, but the tone made her skin crawl.

  “We must go,” an older voice hissed. “Your plan has worked, we must be away before the second phase occurs. Must be seen elsewhere. Kill her quickly and be done with it.”

  “Esmerak, if I wanted your input I would ask for it. Now shut that disgusting mouth of yours before I sew it shut permanently.” Thannis’s face swam into view above Naira, and she felt her spine shiver.

  “No, don’t try to move. You’ll just embarrass yourself.” A massive knife swam into view, and a powerful hand pushed Naira back down to the ground as she tried to rise.

  “There are more coming, my Prince,” Esmerak insisted.

  “Handle them then, show me why you are meant to be so impressive. Or are your silly tricks not up to the task?” Thannis turned back to Naira after scowling at the second voice. “I have something I need to taste first.” A second hand came into view and held what looked like a large santsi globe.

  “Get back!” Naira managed to slur out, it felt like talking through treacle. Her body felt as if it was being pulled through the ground, and now even the strange whining sound had left her. But she wasn’t going to let this happen to her. She had to fight back. She pushed herself up, and her training took over as she dropped into a fighting stance.

  “Well, well. Very impressive.” Thannis grinned. “Though it won’t do you any good.”

  Naira threw a punch at him as her other hand went to the scimitar on her belt.

  Thannis moved like a viper, faster than anyone she had ever fought before. A hand smashed into her mouth, and she was on her back once again gasping for air.

  A knife slashed down through her vision, and she felt something tear on her chest.

  “Very nice, you do keep in good shape.” Thannis grinned.

  She felt a hand touch her breast as she realised in horror that he had sliced off her armour as easily as a surgeon might slice skin.

  The whining sound within her suddenly flared to life again. She had to escape, had to find a way back into the in between.

  “There it is.” Thannis smiled. His other hand pressed against her neck. “We just needed a little stimulation for your gift to come out and play, didn’t we?”

  Naira couldn’t breathe, she tried to suck in air, but couldn’t against the pressure of the iron grip of Thannis’s hand.

  “My prince, there are a lot of them. We have to go,” Esmerak hissed angrily.

  Naira’s eyes rolled back, and to her horror, she saw Matoh, her classmates, and several other constables trying to reach them. Esmerak was doing something to them, and they all gripped their heads in agony. Matoh dropped to his knees, but in that instant, Naira knew he saw her: helpless, defeated and exposed on the street.

  “I said deal with it, Esmerak!” Thannis turned his attention back to Naira. “You have such lovely skin. I wonder what you taste of?” the silken voice teased above her.

  She felt his hand slide along her stomach and then tug at her belt. Naira tried to scream, tried to will the shrieking whine within her to take control, to let it take her away from here. Anywhere but here.

  But as she tried to fight, she began to feel something pulling at her.

  “That’s it, fight my darling. Let me taste that exquisite energy.” Thannis groaned in pleasure, and she felt a bulge grow against her leg where he straddled her.

  Tears filled her eyes.

  No. It couldn’t end like this.

  Everyone would awaken once the witch left and see her defiled corpse in a dirty alley.

  You filthy gutter rat, Naira’s mother’s voice yelled in her mind. What else does a trumped-up street-whore like you get? What other end was there for such an arrogant and stupid girl?! Look where all your pride and snooty looks have got you now. Her mother’s cackle followed her into the world of shame and darkness closing in around her.

  The whining increased, but as Naira’s vision faltered, she saw the glow of the santsi in Thannis’s other hand grow stronger.

  “That’s it my beauty,” Thannis’s voice crooned in ecstasy. “Fight it. Fight for me.”

  She felt Thannis’s fingers slide between her legs as the scream inside her tried to rise and take her away, tried to save her once again, but the glow of the santsi pulled it away and into a bottomless void.

  Sensation began to leave her body. It felt as if what was left of her was being sucked into some terrible nothingness. Into emptiness.

  Her eyes began to scream.

  “No!” Esmerak’s voice cut through the nothingness. “She is here! We must flee, my prince.”

  “Who, damn it? What are you talking about?” Thannis’s rage at being interrupted emanated from him like a furnace.

  “ The Arbiter! She wields the black blade, my powers do not work on Halom’s chosen! Run!” Esmerak’s voice cried, and a flash of black robes shot past.

  Naira felt a jolt as Thannis’s hands suddenly left her.

  Yelling from down the alley exploded and clarity flashed back into Naira’s mind.

  Then Adel was there, springing over top of her. Adel’s black sword flashed twice, and Thannis stumbled backwards, his knives barely kept the sword from opening his throat. He fell back from her onslaught and opened a space between them.

  “You’re quick,” Thannis said in appreciation. “Very quick.”

  Air rushed into Naira’s lungs scraping past what felt like a ruined throat. “Get back, Adel!” Naira tried to croak. “He’s got–”

  Too late.

  A hissing ball snapped out of Thannis’s hand at Adel, she sliced the ball with her sword easily, but that had been the plan all along.

  The ball exploded into a cloud of thick, noxious smoke which hit Adel in the face.

  Adel coughed, and she took a step back, but an arrow shooting past from behind them halted Thannis’s counter-attack.

  Thannis had to retreat backwards instead of sweeping in for the kill.

  “The witch! Shoot the witch!” John Stonebridge coughed as he stumbled out of the temple and fell to his knees, retching. “You can see her! Shoot her down!”

  Whistles began to blow as boots could be heard charging down the streets from all sides.

  “We must go! My prince! Now!” Esmerak yelled.

  “Fine,” Thannis snarled as he dodged another arrow. His hand went into his pocket, a smaller santsi globe on a leather thong at his wrist flared brightly, and suddenly a dozen of the hissing balls flew through the air towards them.

  The alley exploded into a dozen colours of thick acrid smoke.

  Naira couldn’t see anything as her throat once again burned with the inhaled smoke.

  Coughing and retching were heard all around her, but when a breeze finally swept through the alley, Thannis and the witch had disappeared.

  “Find them! Sweep the city!” Stonebridge yelled. “And get these men a medic!” Stonebridge pointed to the constables who had entered the temple with him.

  “And another for the high prefect!” Constable Holvstad yelled.

  Naira got to her feet and pulling her trousers up and attempting to cover her naked chest. There was a thin bloody line running all the way from the base of her neck down to her navel. He could have sliced me open as easily as gutting a bluegill.

  “Naira, are you al–” a hand touched her shoulder.

  “Don’t touch me!” Naira yelled and swatted the hand away. Her leather armour flashed open as she turned to face the person who grabbed her.

  Matoh stared back at her, looking hurt
and ashamed. His eyes saw her exposed skin, and he looked away.

  His attempt at propriety made her feel small and dirty. Dirty whore! Her mother’s voice yelled in her mind.

  “Naira, I only–” Matoh started. He looked as if he had just had the tar kicked out of him, but right now, she couldn’t take the pity she saw in his eyes. She couldn’t take how he must see her now.

  “Just …” she held up a hand, not trusting herself to speak, “just don’t touch me.”

  “Here.” Constable Holvstad ran up to her and handed her brown leather jacket over.

  Naira took it gratefully and cinched up the belt at its waist.

  Matoh looked miserable, but she couldn’t talk to him just then. She wanted to crawl into a deep dark hole and hide until she felt whole again. Though part of her knew she never would.

  “O’Bannon,” Senior Prefect Stonebridge said as he wobbled over to them. “How did you get out of the temple so quick. What happened? Is there anything you can remember?”

  I remember everything! Naira wanted to scream but when she tried to talk nothing came out. She just stared at her shaking hands, marvelling at how it didn’t feel like they shook at all.

  Constable Holvstad held up a hand at the senior prefect and shook her head. Meaning passed between their shared look, and somehow Stonebridge understood exactly what had happened. He had obviously come across the look Naira now wore in his line of work and the cogs clicked into place.

  “I’m sorry, O’Bannon. If there’s anything …” Stonebridge clenched his jaw so tightly it looked as if his teeth would crack.

  “She kept calling him ‘my prince,’” Naira said, not really comprehending what she was saying. It felt as if she were watching herself shake like some weak, spineless slug, incompetent and worthless in front of all these professionals. She felt so ashamed it overwhelmed her.