The Master of All Paths

by Steve Rimpici

The Path of Honor

  The blood pounded in the ears of Rena-Kam; all his senses heightened by the thrill of battle.  His war party was dispatched from their orbiting ship and the planetary Nah-kell had been alerted.  A ceremony would take place tonight to cleanse the foul stench of the non-Kersh who dared land upon their planet.   The air was thick with the dense air of the planet and sweat poured from Rena-Kam’s body.  A momentary dizziness struck him but he showed no sign of this to his men.  He could smell the outsiders.  

  Rena-Kam heard an alert signal in the distance.  “Le-Tor, Ric-Lam, Va-Dol and Ti-Klan, sweep out through the crops and surround these outsiders.  They have already stained the land with their tracks.  I will follow them directly.  We will beat them out of the fields like vermin from our homes!  To victory!”

  The imposing form of Rena-Kam served as an inspiration to his men.  Known on many worlds to be the fiercest warrior by both Kersh and non-Kersh alike, he stood much taller than the average Kersh male, and even taller than most of the warriors.  His physical prowess was matched only by his intellect.  His battles with the Hao-Le, the outsiders, were taught in schools as shining examples of what can be achieved when the mind focused on a task.   All Kersh knew that the Hao-Le were Kus-Umak, unclean.  No communication was ever to be undertaken with them unless in battle, lest one risk becoming unclean themselves.  

  Rena-Kam held his knife in his hand and smiled.  He could already taste victory.  As it was before each battle, he withdrew a bottle of scared Lim-nar and poured the liquid over the blade.   He stated the prayer of purification as he poured, imbuing it with the spirit of the Grinlach. Rena-Kam always dispatched his enemies by hand so they could feel the power of the Grinlach within them while allowing them to his see his face as the deliverer of this gift.  As such, he did not allow pulse weapons or other technology to cheapen his victories.

  A proud warrior, he took the time to say the proper prayers to give his men the honor of the first kill.  He knew his men could handle themselves well in battle and enjoyed giving them the opportunity to continually prove themselves.

  With the purification complete, Rena-Kam ran through the forest following the tracks of the unclean ones.  He heard screams up ahead and quickened his pace.  The body of Ti-Klan, one of Va-Dol’s sons, was before him.  A gaping hole in the man’s back was proof that these outsiders were using pulse weapons.  The cowards did not even have the courage to face their enemy.  They would pay dearly for this.

  Rena-Kam’s blood boiled inside him as the stench of Ti-Klan’s burning flesh assaulted his nostrils.  He ran faster to catch the Hao-Le as his hearts pounded in his chest.  With an air of death and retribution emanating from him, he had never felt so alive.

  He caught up with his men in a clearing who had already surrounded the outsiders.  Three bloody and dismembered bodies lay in a heap next to the one surviving outsider standing tall in the center.  One of the attack dogs, he recognized as Gorsh, was barking loudly at this outsider while the other two were tearing at the flesh of the corpses on the ground, enjoying a good meal.  He smiled at the barking dog and made a note to give a commendation to Ric-Lam for having his beast so well trained.

  “Va-Dol, report!”  Rena-Kam barked.

  “We tracked these outsiders and drew them out into the open.  The cowards used pulse weapons against us and Ti-Klan was lost.  He died bravely and with honor so I claimed the life of the one who killed my son.  I held his right eye open to have him watch me avenge Ti-Klan.  I plucked out his left eye with my fingers and crushed in it my palm.  Then I cut off the hands of this Kus-Umak who killed my son.  He cried as a child would and pleaded for me to show mercy.  His screams grew tiresome so I cut out his tongue.  He died too easily a death.”

  The anger in Va-Dol’s voice was strong and unashamed, as it should be.  Rena-Kam never took his gaze from the surviving outsider as he called out, “Le-Tor, report!”

  “We were holding the other outsiders as Va-Dol dispatched his enemy.  One used a hidden weapon and broke free.  I chased him down quickly and cut off his legs at the knees so he could not run anymore.  He also had no honor in death as he begged forgiveness for treading on our land.  I beheaded him.”

  Simple.  Factual.  Without embellishment.  He smiled at the efficiency of it all.  “Ric-Lam, report!”

  “The third pointed to this one as their leader and pleaded for us to take this other’s life instead of his.  He said he could not stand to hear the screams of his people anymore so I cut off his ears.  Since he was quick to betray his leader, I opened his chest and ripped out his one heart.  I placed it at the feet on his leader who spat and stepped on it.  While it is obvious their race has no honor, this one was different than the others.  We kept him alive to allow you the honor of the final kill.”

  Rena-Kam was pleased with his men’s performance as they had once again proved themselves worthy of his respect.  He turned his full attention to the outsider still breathing.  Gorsh was still guarding him.  Rena-Kam patted his head and he moved away.  This outsider was pale looking with short light brown hair.  His hands were adorned with rings of gold and silver, and around his neck was a chain with jewels encrusted on it.  It was obvious to Rena-Kam that this outsider had no respect for soil, for if he did, he would not have raped his lands to gild himself with such items.  The land was to be mined and tilled according to the spiritual laws only to provide shelter, protection and food for its people.  Everyone knew the spirit of the Grinlach existed in the soil and should never be disturbed for petty personal trappings.  With rage in his eyes, he spoke to the outsider in the foul language of his kind.  “While you are not worthy of this gift, you showed a glimmer of honor by spitting on the heart of your traitorous accomplice.  So before I complete the work of my men, you may speak and try to have honor in death.”

  The pale outsider did not flinch nor did he show any signs of nervousness but Rena-Kam felt that this confidence was false.  “I do not think you wish to kill me.  My name is G’Leo Rica from the Fol Conglomerate and I am the leader of this delegation.  We meant no harm but only wished to spread the joyous word of our community.  I bring you something that you need.”

  “Enough!  You worthless Kus-Umak!”  He grabbed this outsider by the chest and drew him up to his height.  “Peace had reigned for many dynasties on our worlds.  Most outsiders recognize their inferiority and do not engage the Kersh.  Unfortunately there are always a few like you who feel they are equal to or even better than the Kersh and dare to tread on our soil!!  All we need is to be left free of vermin like you.” 

  The Hao-Le kept speaking but Rena-Kam did not hear his words.  The Hao-Le’s intentions were irrelevant.  Their cries were irrelevant.  Their words were irrelevant.  All he could picture was the body of Ti-Klan with the hole in his back while the outsider kept speaking.  Rena-Kam heard him mention the Central City and striking an alliance of some sort.  He agreed to cut his fees in half to help bring the two cultures together.

  This outsider dared to look Rena-Kam in the eyes but quickly became silent.  His raised his voice and spoke slowly to make this creature understood. “You are strong willed, Hao-Le, yet you know nothing of the Kersh way.”    Rena-Kam threw the petty creature to the ground.  “You have one redeeming quality in that you have given me an idea.  We shall go to the Central City as you suggest.”

  A broad smile erupted on the outsider’s face. “You will not regret this.  This will be an historic contract that will ripple throughout the galaxy.”

  “I know I will not regret this.  You have agreed to cut your fees in half.  I accept those terms and will do it for you.”  Rena-Kam unsheathed his blade with his right hand and held the boastful Kus-Umak with his left.  He began to cut the man slowly starting from between his legs.  He inched the blade up through the man’s flesh and bone savoring the time it took.  Warm blood ran down the hand of Rena-Kam and poured onto the soil.  The sticky wetness traveled half
way up his arm but his grip on the knife never loosened.  The outsider screamed loudly and but his look was one of surprise more than pain.   Rena-Kam pushed the knife back and forth through the Hao-Le’s body, sawing in a constant rhythm.  Blood started gurgling from his mouth.  “You will be humbled before me, Kus-Umak.  See the face of your master before you die.”  Rena-Kam gripped the man by the neck so their eyes met as he ripped the Hao-Le’s heart.  As the last breath escaped his mouth, Rena-Kam continued to cut the man in half, finally splitting his head in two.

  Rena-Kam’s men stood at attention and with pride by their leader., “Bring the remains of these vermin to the Nah-kell.  There we will use the Sacred Pulse to force the unclean ones to burn away in the heavens where they will no longer stain our land.”

  Rena-Kam led his three remaining men to the Central City, with the bloody carcasses of the outsiders dragging behind them.  Passing through a number of revelers from a celebration, Rena-Kam cursed the Hao-Le for causing a disturbance of the merriment although the gleeful music never wavered.   He and his men quickened their pace and contacted the ship to let them know of the victory.  When the war party reached the blessed alcove in the city, the Nah-kell was waiting for them.

  “Brave men.  You honor the Kersh people by your deeds.”  The Nah-kell was an older man who walked with the use of a cane.  His purple eyes smiled at the war party.

  “Wise Nah-kell”, said Rena-Kam bowing, “we thank you for your words and offer these bodies as gifts to the Grinlach.   The outsiders shall no longer foul our world.”

  “You have brought forth the bodies of the Hao-Le.  The Grinlach will be pleased by your service.”

  Rena-Kam had been through many ceremonies such as this in his career.  He preferred the hunt but knew the Grinlach demanded purification.  He stood silently with his men and their dogs as the Nah-kell placed the gory pile of limbs upon a platform.  As the Nah-kell said the opening prayers, the war party bowed their heads.  He heard the familiar hum of the anti-gravity pulse, and the bodies of the outsiders ascended to the heavens where the atmosphere would burn them into nothingness.

  Rena-Kam allowed a smile to cross his lips.  The Grinlach would be pleased.