“Sometimes.”
“I was thinking about this. He is your god of death, but he is a complicated figure in your myth—” he corrected himself, “in your religion. I remember reading about him and wondering,” Rao paused as if gathering his thoughts, “his domain also includes the dark processes of life, including the balancing of what you might call sin. Our concept is karma. It suggests that whatever we do returns to us because in truth there is no separation between us all. So when we act upon another, we truly act upon ourselves. Evil acts come back to us, while good deeds bring good karma. As I understand your Lord Danato, it’s as if he is a god of karma.”
“This is the kind of thing I have no interest in. You might as well be talking to yourself right now.”
“I’m sorry. I …” Rao sat back and looked up at the stars. Moonlight revealed his handsome face and clear, dark skin. “I was just trying to make sense of something senseless. I shouldn’t have brought it up again.”
Lucia turned onto her back. A bright star drew her attention and she stared at it for some time. She turned onto her side again and tried to ignore the rough ground against her hip and shoulder. “Listen, if you have any answers for me, I’ll entertain them. I shouldn’t have bristled at you.”
Rao looked back to her and his facial features became blackened again. “It just occurred to me that if Lord Danato effectively took Ilario’s life that perhaps it has to do with some kind of karma, or balancing.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“I don’t know if I should talk about it. It’s just speculation. I don’t know if you know—”
“About what?”
“Do you know about what happened to my mother and my brothers?”
“No.”
“Your father never said anything to you?”
“No.” Why?
“According to my own father,” Rao paused as he looked up at the moon, “your father sent assassins to kill them. They nearly killed me as well. I was the youngest of the three boys. I was a baby.”
Lucia’s mind twisted and turned. Was he lying? Would her father do such a thing? She thought he could have, but didn’t want to believe it.
“So,” Rao continued, “wouldn’t your Lord Danato be the one to enforce the balancing of this sin? He would be the one to bring that karma back to your father.”
“Then why would he do anything to me?” Lucia blurted out, then regretted revealing too much.
Lord Danato crouched in the ravine, beside the tree branches, hidden from all forms of life. His midsection came up to the level of the ground above Lucia and Rao and the rest of his body stretched above it. He stared at Rezzia’s royal daughter.
“Maybe the burden was passed around—to you, and to Caio also. But, most likely, someone would need to die.”
My mother.
Rao continued, “Ilario was almost like a son to your father, wasn’t he? He was chosen by your father to watch over Caio.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know a lot about your royal family. We have good sources in Remaes.”
“Then you know my mother died.”
“Yes. I’m sorry. You were young. It happened when you were ten, soon after your brother was born.”
Gods! What else does he know about me?
Lucia sat up and leaned against the rocks. “Well if what you are saying is true, then that could be—”
“Karma, maybe. My mother died. And Ilario would be like a son.”
“And his death hurt me, and Caio, and my father. So, would it be possible that this debt would’ve been settled with his death?” If this whole thing isn’t completely ridiculous.
“Perhaps. That might be true. For your sake, I hope so.”
Lucia rolled onto her back again and found the same star. Its twinkling looked yellow sometimes, then blue, then yellow again. I’m sure he could’ve done it. An image of Rezzian blades cutting through the chests of Pawelon boys forced itself upon her.
“I am going to meditate for some time. I’ll sleep later, but we need to wake up before the sun rises.”
That shouldn’t be hard. I don’t expect to be able to sleep for long.
Lucia looked at Rao once more as he sat tall in his sagely posture. She saw his profile, as he faced the moon. She thought about mentioning Danato’s message to her … either you or Caio … but decided against it.
Lord Danato sat beside Lucia’s head and Ysa’s shield, leaning against the side of the ravine, the miniature canyon. The black god closed his eyes and waited for morning.
Chapter 77: The Passion of The Black One
RAO’S EYES OPENED to the penetrating calm of the pre-dawn sky. The moon shimmered in the south, preceding the sunrise.
Lucia was gone. The goddess’s shield and sword were gone, too.
He leapt to his feet and looked north and south along the ravine for her.
You deserted me. You did exactly what I should’ve expected all along.
His heart and mind stilled. His body froze.
I’m alone.
His fingers danced nervously on his chest, trying to keep himself present and in his body.
I’ve freed the royal daughter of Rezzia. She’ll help Rezzia destroy the citadel’s walls. If I return, I’ll be killed for treason—if Indrajit’s patrols don’t kill me first.
Rao drew a crisp breath into his cold body, and followed the breath up his nostrils, down into his expanding lungs. He heard a voice. A woman’s voice. He crept along the dry creek bed to a sloped edge and climbed out.
He found a dim figure in the distance that appeared to be Lucia … with a horse? The white beast stared in his direction. Putting disbelief aside, he jogged toward her. The horse stirred, and Lucia turned to look at him, too.
She walked toward him, pulling the animal with her. Under the otherworldly light of the dark purple sky, the scene appeared strangely like a dream. As they met, the horse lowered its head obediently.
“This is Albina, my possessed horse. The goddess Ysa must have sent her. Or Albina escaped.”
“And somehow found you?”
“Could be. I prayed to Ysa before I fell asleep.”
Rao admired the enormous creature. With some exceptions, his people had chosen not to make much use of horses. Most Pawelons had a superstitious fear of the animals. “We can’t very well hide with it, so we need to move on.”
“Maybe we’ll need her.” Lucia held the horse’s reins with one hand, and stroked its cheek and neck with the other. “Albina’s a strong mare. If she’d allow it, she might be able to carry both of us for short distances. But I doubt she could move quickly with both us unless Ysa intervenes again. But she’s done it before.”
“For now, let’s walk. We don’t need to make it any easier to find us. Keep looking and listening for anyone that might be following.”
Rao thought the sunrise seemed slower than expected, much slower than sunset the night before. Exotic birds emerged from the night and sang slowly to the rising sun, a patient symphony greeting the changing colors of dawn.
“Let’s talk about what’s going to happen,” Rao said. “I’ve thought it through.”
“I’m listening.” Her voice sounded as cold as the morning, but at least she’d stayed with him.
“We’ll continue east, outside the direct line between your army’s camp and the citadel. That route should give us more cover. We’ll have to time this perfectly. We’ll turn to the south and come straight down the center of the valley, in front of the Rezzian army. This will keep us far away from Pawelon’s defensive positions.”
“That sounds reasonable.”
“The horse should help us attract your army’s attention. When they send a delegation to meet us, we’ll demand an audience with your father and your brother. We won’t discuss matters until we speak to them, and we will only speak to them if they come alone. Of course, I will rely on your protection if anyone attacks me.”
“You have my word I
will protect you, as long as I am able to.”
“When we speak to them, you must convince them that your life is in danger unless Rezzia agrees to end the war. Tell them your honor obliges you to return to Pawelon with me if they do not agree. Say that you have only been given your freedom for this one purpose, to negotiate with them. If they do not work with us, the ‘magic’ I placed in your body will destroy you unless I personally cancel it. That means if I am killed, you will die.”
“Fine, I will lie to them. You should know that my brother is uncannily perceptive. He will probably be able to tell if you’re lying, however he can’t read my emotions.” Lucia began pulling her horse to the east. “My brother would have agreed to your proposal before Ilario was killed, but now … I don’t think so. My father will not agree to your offer, and he may even attack you. When we meet them, you should carry the shield for protection, even though my father will be infuriated to see you holding Ysa’s relic.”
“If we can get them to agree, we will ask for Narayani also. In exchange for her, I will agree to turn your Strategos over to Rezzia. I will remain visible, at least at first, to conserve my energy.”
“I honor your bravery, Rao. Whether you live or die.”
Rao understood the risks, but he couldn’t think of a better plan. Surviving the duel was a miracle, bestowed by a goddess of Lux Lucis. Whether it was his destiny to fulfill this mission or whether he was now a pawn of the Rezzian gods, he hoped his actions would at least contribute to some greater purpose. And if he were to lose his life now, he could accept being just one among many more to fall in the coming days.
So be it.
The air wouldn’t remain cool for long. The sun’s rise in the north created long shadows behind the little hills and shrubs as they hiked eastward, facing the distant lands of Rezzia.
Lucia had already gone back and forth another handful of times, thinking over Rao’s accusation. She wanted to ask her father before she believed the prince, but her feelings told her Rao’s story was probably true. Her father sent the assassins.
Something even more disturbing rattled her soul, the question of Lord Danato’s purpose in her life.
The clamor of a distant army reached her ears. “The Rezzian army is mobilizing. If you listen, you can just barely hear the marching feet.”
“I heard them some time ago,” Rao said, walking on the other side of the horse. “Your army is definitely coming for you.”
Not for me. For themselves.
Rao’s plan seemed sound, or at least the beginning of it did. They had a good chance of an audience with her father and Caio, but she had no guesses as to what might happen after that.
“This might be far enough,” Rao said. “Let’s turn south.”
Lucia followed Rao as he started on the course to intercept the Rezzian army. The sun shone behind her, warming the back of her head and casting her shadow in front of her.
Rao crossed from Albina’s right side to the horse’s left. “We’ll keep the beast between us and Pawelon now. I’m not worried about your army seeing us anymore.”
Lucia felt uncomfortable with Rao behind her, with Ysa’s sword still tied to Albina. “You lead then.” She stopped and held the reins out for Rao.
“You still don’t trust me?” he asked.
“I don’t trust anyone.”
Rao’s expression conveyed his acceptance. He took Albina’s reins and exchanged positions with Lucia. Rao tried to pull her forward, but the mare stopped and swung her head away from him in defiance.
Lucia slapped Albina on her thigh. “Go! Go!” The horse moved reluctantly at first, then settled into a walk. Albina bumped into Lucia, and the jewels of Ysa’s shield scratched her arm.
Damn horse.
Lucia untied the sword and shield of Ysa as they went. She felt the weight of the shield on her arm and gripped the smooth handle of Ysa’s perfect blade.
I’ll let him hold the shield later.
Albina became like a statue, again refusing to move. The white horse whinnied and raised its head looking west, toward Pawelon.
Lucia spoke in a hushed voice: “She notices something.”
Albina’s legs shuffled nervously. She waved her head to the west and snorted.
Rao pointed up ahead to their left, at a hill. He held the reins out for Lucia. “We’ll hide back there,” he said.
A wet thwunk startled them just before Albina reared up and screamed. Lucia took two steps backward. An arrow stuck out above one of Albina’s front legs.
“Archers!” she yelled as the mare ran away.
Rao sidestepped with impeccable reflexes as an arrow flew just to his right. Lucia held the shield over her chest and stepped in front of Rao to protect him.
At least two dozen Pawelon soldiers emerged from behind the desert shrubs and advanced on them with readied arrows and outstretched spears. In their midst stood the high-ranking sage she remembered from the prison.
Briraji barked at them, “Come forward, Rao. Men, hold back.”
Rao pulled on Lucia’s robe and they inched backward as the soldiers advanced. “Briraji, Indrajit doesn’t understand what we’re doing. We are going right now to negotiate a peace. I am doing this to save Pawelon.”
“I know what you are doing,” the ugly sage answered. “It’s idiocy. It’s treason. I command you to step forward.”
“How can you doubt your own prince?” Rao asked. “If you question my loyalty, watch me now.”
Lucia surveyed the men creeping forward. The spearmen were at least five paces away, but the archers behind them had their arrows trained on her.
She lost control of her body and slammed to the ground without warning. Ysa’s shield fell beside her. Lucia struggled against the power, but the force acting on her froze every major muscle in her body.
“She is our prisoner,” Rao yelled. He stood over her with his hands focused in sage mudras. “I didn’t want to do this to her yet, but you’ve forced me. I can still negotiate with Rezzia. If they want to get her back alive, they will have to agree to my demands.”
She tried to fight Rao’s power, but the noise came out like a muffled whimper.
Rao continued, “I can’t negotiate with them if she’s dead—only if she looks close to death.”
The Pawelon troops continued surrounding them. Briraji stepped forward, more slowly than the rest. “I’ve heard enough from your lying tongue. If you are on our side, follow Indrajit’s command and kill her now. Do it, or I will. Be quick.”
“Master Briraji, she is useless to us dead. She means much more to Pawelon alive.”
“If you truly belong to this army, you will follow these orders from General Indrajit immediately.”
Lucia struggled to move, but her effort was useless. She heard a familiar voice inside her head:
“Betrayal, dear Lucia. Can you feel it?”
Bastard! Am I dreaming?
“No, you are not. Tell me, can you embrace this feeling of hopelessness and helplessness? This pain? It has become a part of you.”
“Tell me,” Rao’s voice became that of an orator, “is there anyone here willing to kill your own prince before he would risk his own life to save Pawelon? Would anyone here be willing to bear the burden of this karma? To live with the knowledge that you have slain Pawelon’s only prince, a young sage who journeyed to this canyon against his father’s wishes to defend his people? If there is such a person among you, step forward.”
Rao’s fingers tightened more deeply into his mudra. He glared down into Lucia’s eyes. She grimaced as more force pushed her against the ground.
“Betrayed again, Lucia. Don’t you want to know how to be free?”
Yes!
“Find your therapy in the truth of your own battered heart.”
Lucia felt tears leaving the corners of her eyes.
“Betrayed again, my daughter, but you are stronger than what you fear inside of you.”
Briraji’s voice rumbled with annoyance,
“You each have your orders, direct from General Indrajit and also from me. Refuse them and I will punish you myself.”
“The eastern wall of the citadel could crumble before the day is over. Haven’t you heard the Rezzian army coming? They will not stop for anything except to negotiate for this royal bitch. Briraji will not be able to punish you if you are dead. My brothers, if you kill her—or me—you will seal Pawelon’s fate. Our lands will be overtaken. Your sisters and mothers will become their whores. Do not be the one—”
Briraji interrupted, “Don’t listen to this traitor—”
“Do not be the one responsible for the subjugation of our proud people. The karma would plague your descendents for a hundred generations—”
“You have direct orders!”
“Is anyone here willing to—”
Briraji screamed over Rao’s voice, “It is your duty to perform as commanded, not to think. If your prince does not kill her now, kill him.”
Rao’s feet shuffled in the uncomfortable quiet.
“Soon, my daughter, you may be freed from all that has plagued you.”
Freed from you!
“I have not plagued you, Lucia. I am only an instrument.”
Briraji spoke again. “It’s not my duty to weigh out consequences.”
“That is always your duty. That’s true of all of us! Please give your young prince this one chance to save Pawelon.”
“Defend yourself,” Briraji growled.
Lucia regained control of her body. She scrambled to stand for one moment, then thought better of it and stayed down, as if still under Rao’s power. Her fingertips searched the ground for the handle of Ysa’s blade.
An undulating field of darkness surrounded her, blacking out the light of day and then the ground beneath her.
What’s happening?
“Darkness,” Danato answered, “the only thing that can free you.”
Lucia felt evil all around her, seeping into her mind. She continued fumbling in search of Ysa’s sword, but the pliable blackness beneath her rippled to the touch.
“Rao?”
“He cannot help you. He is too weak.” Briraji’s silhouette appeared some distance away, a purple outline with flames flickering at its edges. “You are inside my universe now.” With those words, searing red lights dotted the darkness like stars. “This is all you’ll see before death.”
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