Identity Revealed: The Tue-Rah Chronicles

by Butler, J. M.

  "You lied to me!" Amelia punched him in the face. His nose broke beneath her fist with a sharp crack. She went to unholster her gun.

  AaQar managed to seize her by the back of her head and twist the gun away. "Of course I did," he said, shaking his head sharply. The clear blood dried as his nose knit back together. "Family always comes first. Especially mine."

  "You fooled a Neyeb with a sob story," Naatos said, forming the words slowly.

  "She isn't very practiced. She grew up with Awdawms. Very susceptible to overflow emotions when in a contact-based mindreading." AaQar held Amelia in place as Naatos approached. WroOth slid down off the table.

  "A weak Neyeb," Naatos said. "I never would have guessed. And one without a sense of self-preservation as well I presume."

  Amelia stopped struggling. She didn't know how she was going to escape this time, but if they thought she was defeated, maybe they would get careless. AaQar's grip on her did not loosen.

  "You've been causing a great deal of trouble, Amelia," Naatos said. "I have tired of you."

  The first thought that sprang to Amelia's mind was to tell him she was tired of him too, but she caught herself. Elonumato had gotten her away from the crudons. She'd have to trust Him to get her out of this too.

  Naatos took her silence for submission. He nodded slowly. "Perhaps this is a start. Tell me where Inale is and where the kolagro is."

  Spitting in his face would have said "no" definitively, but it would also provoke a potentially more hostile reaction than she could handle. Amelia dropped her gaze, not sure whether to say something, pretend to cry, or attempt to double kick his chest. The silence grew. Then, without warning, Naatos backhanded her across the face. "Where is Inale?"

  The force of the blow knocked Amelia from AaQar's grasp, but he dragged her up before she fell. Her cheek stung and burned. Amelia rubbed the raw flesh, anger bubbling within her.

  "I am losing my patience with you, Amelia," Naatos said, lowering his voice.

  Amelia rubbed her cheek again. Though it hurt all the more to touch it, she refrained from wincing. "And I've lost my patience with you."

  Naatos was bigger than anyone she had ever sparred with, but she didn't care. There really weren't any other options. She screamed and lunged at him, unsheathing her dagger and plunging it in his neck. At least that's what she intended. But something struck her across the back of the head, and she blacked out.

  AaQar stepped back as Amelia crumpled to the ground. "Very aggressive for a Neyeb."

  "Yes." Naatos rolled her onto her back. She was also unusually frustrating for a Neyeb. There was only one other Neyeb he had known to be this difficult, and that was Salanca. Hopefully Inale would not turn out the same. "Didn't she have a Neyeb betrothal necklace earlier?"

  "She probably left it with her commonsense." WroOth tucked the puzzle box back into his pocket and knelt beside her. "I'm surprised you didn't break her face."

  "She needs it if she's going to talk to me." Naatos removed her gun.

  "I didn't say you should have broken her face. I'm saying I'm surprised you didn't," WroOth said.

  AaQar pulled out a chair and sat down, resting his hands on his staff. "She would not tell me where the kolagro is, but she has hidden it. I did not learn where Inale was either."

  "It'll be simple enough to find both. All the troops are searching." Naatos removed Amelia's fingerless gloves and then ripped the bandage from her forehead. "Since she can't be reasoned with, she's practically useless."

  "If it's possible to keep her alive," WroOth said. He let his voice trail off and then shrugged. "Maybe with time someone other than you could talk reason to her. She could still be helpful in raising Inale if she had the proper mental retraining."

  "She may be persuaded to cooperate," AaQar said. "There is someone significant in her life. Not a husband but likely a possible lover. Early stages from the looks of it. You might try that tactic."

  Naatos nodded but paused. He lifted her right hand in his gloved one. "Yes," he said. The distinctive red edgings had appeared around the lowest black elmi. "It seems she is falling in love." Now that was something he could certainly use.

  23

  Captured

  It was not Shon's first time being in love, but it was the first time he had had to rely on a woman whom he loved while in a dangerous situation. But she was the Third Nalenth. Almost as old as he. Maybe a couple years younger.

  Ordinarily he would not have struggled to focus on the tasks at hand, particularly not in such a tense place. What made it difficult was how fast he was falling for her. It had never happened this way, but for whatever reason, she was slipping so quickly. Her eyes were so expressive, they practically spoke for her. And the things those eyes said…

  If they both survived, he and Amelia had a future together. He could almost see it. It had been playing in his mind since he saw her. But now…he needed to set that aside.

  Shon tugged the black armor absently, his other hand sliding to the more cumbersome sword.

  It had been quite some time since he had been in Polfradon, but not much had changed. Only a few scholars lived in Polfradon at a time, relying on the outposts to provide protection. Those within Polfradon only maintained the fortress and the sacred texts within. The third and fourth floor chambers held the most valuable of the volumes, and he guessed that this was where he would find books containing the relevant prophecies.

  He walked down the long open hallway, the arched ceilings yawning above him. He was particularly grateful for the free-flowing air after the closeness of the hidden passages. These chambers left him feeling as small as they had when he came here as a boy. Usually it was filled with a warm haze, a sensation intensified by the sunlight slipping through the narrow windows. Rumors abounded about the fortress. Few knew all its secrets.

  He passed a few Talbokians, but they did little more than acknowledge him and go on their way. None appeared to be in a talking mood, fortunately. Within minutes, he made his way to the innermost library situated on the third floor. These doors stood more than twelve feet high with depictions of the Tue-Rah and key historical events before the Tue-Rah's fall carved into the brown wood. It would take a while to find all the relevant prophecies, so he would have to be quick but thorough.

  Pressing the door open, Shon stepped inside. He pulled back at once. Thick wooden shelves filled the walls, but not a single book remained.

  Dust mites floated in the air. The ceremonial bowls that were to be kept lit at all times had burned out, only the faintest traces of incense remaining to scent the air.

  Shon pushed the doors open the rest of the way, letting the light from the hall flow past him. Nausea welled within his stomach. What had they done with the books?

  Footsteps thudded behind him, running at a quick clip. Shon turned, his hand reaching for his sword. The footsteps sounded familiar, light and quick. Matthu appeared around the corner, his cheeks flushed.

  He gasped in several deep breaths and grabbed Shon's arm. "We've got to get Amelia, and we've got to get out of here."

  "What's wrong?"

  Matthu opened his mouth to speak but stopped. He held his hand up, looking around, then leaned forward. "King Theol isn't here. The entire lower levels have been gutted. There's a furnace down there, and there's rooms filled with creatures. Hook-fanged spiders. Crudons. Rathloths. And there's a tunnel. I don't know where it goes. But there's no one in the holding cells right now."

  "All right." Shon didn't understand the panic in Matthu's voice. "They may have put King Theol in one of the upper chambers or taken him somewhere else entirely. We'll keep searching."

  "No," Matthu said. "I was in the upper levels, and I saw the forces coming back. And they had prisoners. Ayamin. They were dragging them in here. They had Esk, Vorec, and Yuln, and everyone else."

  Shon clenched his hand into a fist, bracing himself against the wall. Those were three of the elder commanders they had released from the palace. Each of them ha
d gone to different way points to rally the Ayamin and prepare to take back the country. "If they've been captured…"

  Matthu nodded. The muscles in his jaw and neck were tight, his face pale despite a faint sheen of red dust.

  Together they walked back toward the outer halls of Polfradon. Shon checked Matthu's pace, telling him to stay calm and wipe his face. Soon enough they reached the eastern balcony and stepped outside. Shon looked over the thick stone railing to the ground below. His stomach twisted in response, cold sweat forming along the back of his neck.

  The mercenaries marched along the broad stone road, Ayamin prisoners chained and scattered throughout the forces to prevent them from forming a unified escape. Vorec, one of the most renowned generals of the Ayamin and former leader of the Libyshan Armed Forces, was near the front, his hands shackled three times over. He shuffled along, limping from a wound to his left leg. Blood stained his brown and green combat uniform, his right sleeve ripped off.

  None of the Ayamin were in better condition. Some were even worse. Shon recognized face after face. These were the Ayamin who had been sent to the way points. The reality of their situation sunk in.

  "How did they find them?" Matthu asked. "Veldrok is thirty miles from Lelco."

  "We did this," Shon said, unable to tear his gaze away. "They knew what we were doing. They must have figured it out and tracked us." He let his voice trail off, thinking of the venom Naatos had spat. None of the Ayamin had died in the attack on Valne's Peak. There had been a similar spray in the prison cells when they had released the imprisoned soldiers. He suddenly thought of Plaohi, the queen, the prince, and his own father. No… Shon pressed his hands against the railing, struggling to create a plan. They needed a plan.

  "Shouldn't you two be falling in?" a voice asked.

  Shon turned. He drew a deep breath and nodded. It was just a young soldier. Only a little older than Matthu from the looks of it. "Just taking a minute to take in the sight."

  "It's impressive. Those Paras are good at enacting their plans, aren't they?" The soldier adjusted his tunic. "Probably cause they think it through at all points. You know, they even managed to catch the Neyeb girl."

  "Neyeb girl?" Shon and Matthu exchanged glances.

  "Yeah, not the little one. We're supposed to be looking for her right now. She's here somewhere, apparently. But they caught the older one. Too bad they're going to kill her. Could have found some fun with her, but Vawtrians don't seem to go for that sort of thing. Which is weird really."

  "They caught her?" Matthu fidgeted. "What are they going to do with her?"

  The young man laughed. "You mean what did they do. They don't waste any time. Particularly not Naatos."

  "What did they do with her?" Shon asked tightly as the Talbokian turned to leave.

  The Talbokian grinned. "Fed her to the spiders, of course."

  24

  Spiders

  Amelia woke up, cold and aching. She lay on a stone floor, her hands manacled together in front of her. The back of her head throbbed. That didn't surprise her, but what did startle her was how clear all her senses except her sight were.

  She sat up slowly, waiting for her eyes to adjust. The metal chains clanked against the stone. They sounded louder than they should, and yet it wasn't just a sound. It was a sensation, a feeling…a knowledge of something terrible. Fear rose within her. Something crushed in along the corners of her mind. Torches hung on the walls outside her cell, but all she could see was red stone, dark-grey chains, and deep patches of blackness. She couldn't even tell whether there was a floor in some parts. Someone was out there. If she looked, she would see who it was, but that presence frightened her.

  Wait.

  Her gloves were gone. She reached up to her head. The makeshift headband was gone too. The bandage over the dog bite was gone as well.

  Something skittered beside her, its feet tapping on the floor. Amelia pulled back, seeing the fist-sized spider. The chains clacked around her.

  "I would mock you for your fear of spiders, but it seems to be one of the few base instincts you have left."

  The fear hurt. It crawled through her skin, ripping through her nerves. Pressing her hands against the stone, Amelia looked up. Naatos stood on the other side of the room, watching her. She hadn't noticed him earlier. The dim light barely revealed more than his outline. She touched the back of her head, wincing at the large knot.

  "I'm sure you know all about Neyeb fear," she said.

  "I am the Para of Eiram. I know more about what it is to be Neyeb than you." Naatos walked toward her, stopping at one of the dark spots on the floor. He leaned over as if looking for something, then turned back to her. "In fact, there's only one reason you're still alive."

  Amelia stared back at him.

  There was something else in here.

  Though Amelia searched for it, she couldn't see it. She couldn't hear it either anymore. Not exactly. But she felt it still. Somewhere below.

  The unknown gnawed at her mind.

  Amelia pushed herself up, staggering slightly as the chains clanked around her wrists. "What else is in here?" She remembered Naatos's threat about the hook-fanged spiders and tensed.

  Naatos only smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. "You are essentially unnecessary now. Polfradon is blocked off. My troops are searching every inch for Inale. And we will find her before the day is up. So this is your final opportunity. You can tell me where to find her, and I will not leave you to this fate."

  He hadn't asked about the kolagro. That wasn't good. It might be time to confess the rest. Amelia nodded slightly. "I have one question." She took a deep breath. "I've been told that you intend to drain Inale's abilities to make yourself stronger. To become a mindreader or gain such abilities yourself."

  "She will not be drained, but she will be used," Naatos said. "As for my strength, I am always increasing. She will aid me in that eventually as well.."

  He could not be allowed to become more powerful. Amelia swallowed the fearful lump that had formed in her throat. "Then I will not tell you where she is. It doesn't matter anyway. She knows who you are. She knows what you are."

  Naatos stared at her, allowing her words to fade into silence. Amelia hated the way he looked at her. There was no mercy in those eyes, no regard for her life. The ice in them chilled her through.

  "Do you know how I made my first connection to the Neyeb?" Naatos stepped to the side. "Back in those days, my brothers and I wandered the worlds, and we discovered that the Neyeb were beset with hook-fanged spiders. These spiders came up from the canyons to carry off children and livestock, dragging them back to their wire-webbed nests to torture and devour at their leisure. The Neyeb couldn't defend themselves. Their typical warfare methods and mindreading abilities proved useless, and more than half of their children were carried away before we arrived.

  "As challenging as they were for the Neyeb, it was no difficulty for my brothers and I. Spiders are nothing to us, no matter their size. The larger the better. We were able to save the Neyeb within a matter of weeks and drive back the horde in less time than even a Machat might have predicted." Naatos picked up one of the two torches in the room. As he moved, the light followed him. It revealed a large staircase on the far wall. That horrible sensation came over Amelia again, crawling over her. She tried to rub her arm, but the manacles grated into her skin.

  Naatos fastened the torch to the staircase wall. "Of course," he said, dusting his hands. "The hook-fanged spiders had caused problems for quite some time before we got there. They destroyed many Awdawm and Neyeb families, and the current Para suffered under some exceptionally unfortunate beliefs. The parents did all they could to keep their children safe. And the Neyeb parents began impressing upon their children the enormous dangers of hook-fanged spiders with the hope that it would lead them to be more aware of their presence and avoid them before they were in danger. Impressions so vivid and primal that it could not be contained to only the hook-fanged spiders. Indee
d, there were many other unintended side effects."

  Naatos removed the second torch and fastened it to the staircase wall as well. The area in which Amelia stood grew darker and darker. The tension hurt, growing with each breath. She needed another miracle.

  "The Neyeb tried so hard before we got there. Truly, if efforts were the measure on which success should have been judged, then they should have succeeded. Of all the methods that worked, there was only one that worked fairly well. And that was the silver puma." Naatos pulled a lever. A chute slid from the wall, and a large puma dropped out. It immediately jumped up, its silver hackles raised. Seeing Naatos, it growled.

  "Something like this," Naatos said. "Only a little smaller and a little weaker. One on one, these pumas can easily defeat hook-fanged spiders. But that's their weakness. They are solo hunters, and hook-fanged spiders are pack hunters."

  The silver puma glared at him, the dim torchlight glinting in its bright amber and green eyes.

  Naatos removed his spear and then pulled another lever. Instead of chutes, the black spaces in the floor grew wider. A strange musty odor rose from the pit, intensifying. The cat crouched, its shoulders working. But Naatos did not wait. He lunged at the cat, striking it sidelong with the length of the spear and knocking it into one of the large gaping holes.

  Amelia gasped as the cat disappeared from sight. Horror descended upon her again, piercing her. She heard the skitterings and creakings below. They were the same sounds as before with the single spider but larger. Heavier. Crueler. The cat's shrieking snarl filled the chamber.

  Naatos motioned for her to come closer, a faint smile hanging at the edges of his mouth. "Look."

  Though she feared what she would see, Amelia drew closer to one of the black spaces, her palms sweating. The floor was now a checkerboard of black and grey. Down below was a cavernous room. The red stone no longer lined the lower walls. The room looked as if it had been scooped out of the ground itself. Piles of dirt were on the floor far below, but that wasn't what terrified her.