“Foolish mortals,” he grumbled, “let’s see what kind of mess you get us into now.”
As they continued to climb, they spotted more of the natives. Kaimana could not tell whether they had darker skin than most islanders, or if it was just because they were covered in mud. The natives did not stick around long enough for Kaimana to get a good look at them, although they did eventually become braver, and approached the visitors in larger groups. Still, every time Kaimana turned her head to get a better look, they darted behind nearby rock formations.
As the trio climbed higher, they came across the homes of the natives. Whereas most islanders on the Atoll created huts for themselves out of the island vegetation, these people lived in the caves of the hills and mountains. A winding, well-used path snaked up the mountain and Kaimana, Rakau and Yam followed it. Lining this path were a large number of natural caves, which contained small fires and bright, wide eyes watching the strangers walk past. Nobody responded to Kaimana when she tried to address them, and she thought it best not to linger. Neither did anyone seem interested in doing her harm, although she thought this was mostly due to the large monster that was her walking companion. Best not to let him get too far ahead.
When they finally reached the top of the mountain they found the largest collection of trees they had seen since getting out of their canoe. The mountain top was flat, and contained a circle of six dead trees, hanging from which were numerous rags and other flying things - faded tapa ribbons and dried seaweed - creating the impression of leaves where there were none.
Yam and Rakau walked as if in a trance, wandering into the centre of the circle of trees. Kaimana heard a low rumbling coming from nearby, and quickly realised it was Rakau. She put her hand on the beast’s side.
“What is it? Everything okay?”
“It is not,” Yam replied. “Look.”
Kaimana followed Yam’s gaze. He was looking into the branches of the trees that surrounded them. There, camouflaged by the rags of branches, Kaimana saw the source of the power that her companions had sensed.
Each of the trees had a person skulking inside of its branches, camouflaged by the rags and dead things that hung from each lifeless limb. Each of these individuals was dressed in a different way, but some similarities were shared by all. Most of their clothing consisted of feathers. They also all wore masks, each painted or shaped in such a way to suggest some kind of bird.
A large figure dropped from the tree closest to Yam. The man’s chest was uncovered, showing taunt, stringy muscles. His kilt was decorated with large white feathers, and his flat driftwood mask was coated in chalk, with a yellow beak painted around the hole for his mouth. The man also carried a tall, thin spear.
“We sensed you coming. We have waited for someone of power for a long time.”
“We’re only having a look, we thought there might be a god here,” Kaimana responded, backing away slowly from the newcomer. She was relieved that this uncanny figure was choosing to speak with them, but at the same time was uneasy in the knowledge that they were surrounded, as the creaking branches in the trees reminded her.
The man’s mask darted to Kaimana for the first time. One of the figures in the trees above barked a laugh.
The man on the ground then turned to look at Yam. “It is you I speak to, god of the Atoll. We have waited for you for some time. We are the Birdmen of the Broken Island.”
Two more figures dropped from the trees. One was a female, her breasts bare, sporting similar white attire to the first, although grey feathers also flecked her costume. The other was a man, much larger than the first, with a round belly and fat legs. Both of these also brandished weapons, the woman a thin, jagged stone dagger, the man a large club. They too wore masks, but unlike the original speaker their masks were not flat, and neither were they painted. Instead they had been worked into the shape of long bird beaks.
The original speaker continued. “We speak on behalf of the totems that have gifted us their strength. I am the Albatross Lord, the first of our kind. These are Gull Knave and Moa Chief. There are others, above you.”
A hissing overhead made Kaimana turn her head upwards. In the tree closest to her she managed to catch a glimpse of a black and white shape moving amongst the rags.
“I think it was a mistake to come here,” she said, both to Yam and Rakau, but also attempting to address the original speaker. “We mean you no harm, and shall leave your land at once.”
The Birdmen did not appear to be unnerved by the sight of Rakau. Instead, Gull Knave and Moa Chief began to circle the taniwha, their weapons ready. It was Rakau who looked unsure, moving his eyes between the two Birdmen. Yam was not looking much better, his face having become pale and dotted with sweat.
“We do not address the child,” came a female voice hiding in a tree on the opposite side of the circle from Kaimana. Kaimana could make out the speaker moving around inside the tree, again covered in white feathers. It was the eyes on the flat mask of this person that really unnerved Kaimana, however - they were the wide, predatory eyes of an owl.
“We do not address her, we speak to the god.”
“Owl Queen is correct,” the figure who had identified himself as Albatross Lord said. “We do not concern ourselves with invading mortals. She will be dealt with in time. It is you we wish to speak to,” he said, indicating the quivering god with his weapon.
“She speaks for me!” Yam blurted out, visibly shaking now. He turned to Kaimana and hissed, “You brought us here. Get us out, now.”
At the god’s words, Kaimana felt her stomach clench. Inside, her spark began to dim again, shivering.
Another low growl came from above, where the black and white feathers shuffled about.
Kaimana slid closer to Rakau. There was a rumble coming from the taniwha’s throat.
“What do you want from us?” she asked.
Albatross Lord cocked his head. “From you? Nothing, besides another breeder. Our people will be pleased with you. It is the god we require, he is our main prize. We have been gifted power, from our totems, but one such as he could change the lives of our people.”
Kaimana shook her head to dismiss the fear of a possible future of being a ‘breeder’. “What about Rakau? The taniwha? Do you not fear him?”
The growling figure in the tree barked a hoarse laugh, and Kaimana was unnerved to see all of the visible Birdmen smile as well.
“He will be fine sport,” came a gravelly voice from the tree above, “but he cannot stand against us. He is made of wood, is he not? His carcass will provide for our people.”
On saying this, the figure dropped from the tree to the ground, with the female dressed as an owl doing the same some distance behind him. Now, Kaimana got a clear look at the final Birdman. His cloak was mostly black feathers, speckled with dots of white throughout. Like the Gull Knave and Moa Chief, this man also had a carved wooden mask, but this one was painted or charred black, creating a hideous visage to look at. This man’s weapon was an overlarge, black sickle.
“Magpie King, Owl Queen,” the Albatross Lord addressed the new arrivals, “What shall we do with this, the first god that has entered our island?”
Yam turned to face the Magpie King now, the god’s entire body vibrating.
“What is your realm?” the Magpie King barked at Yam. “What is your power?”
“Yam,” the god stuttered. “I-I am god of yams. Yams.”
The Magpie King and Moa Chief spat.
“Yams? A farmer? What kind of power is this? Useless to us.”
As the Birdmen spoke, Kaimana’s eyes darted around the dead copse of trees. Beyond the dead trees were numerous large rocks, and the path back down the mountain. If they could somehow get past the Birdmen, getting back to the path and the canoe would be their only chance. Kaimana realised she was panicking, taking shallow, quick breaths. Her spark had almost disappeared again, terrified of the threat of these newcomers.
“Useless?” the Albatross Lor
d rebuked. “It is not the stuff of legends, but to us his could be the greatest gift. We who are no longer able to grow on our land, we may finally be able to do so again.”
Yam finally found the courage to speak. “You wish to c-call upon my powers? I might grant them to you, although you clearly do not worship me. Grant me and my companions safe passage from your shores, pray to me and you may find your prayers will be answered.”
The oversized Moa Chief responded to this suggestion by jumping forward and knocking Yam onto his belly.
“Foolish god,” the Owl Queen sneered, walking up behind the Magpie King and resting an arm on his shoulder. “We will take what we need from you. We do not pray. We know not the meaning of safe passage.”
In her growing terror, what Kaimana was most aware of now was Rakau, his muscles tensed to pounce. The Birdmen appeared to be mostly focussing on Yam, aware that despite the god’s diminutive appearance, he was probably the greatest threat to them. Rakau in turn had his gaze mostly focussed on the black robe of the Magpie King, and the large spear of Moa Chief.
Gull Knave stepped forward. “I will take the girl to the village. The chief has given my totem much honour this season, and I will give her to him as a reward.” She pointed her knife at Kaimana. “Move now, girl, before I mark you with my blade.”
Kaimana stood where she was, and shook her head frantically, both outraged and fearful of the woman’s suggestion. She could not find the power to speak.
“Very well then,” Gull Knave said and took a step towards Kaimana.
Rakau’s rumble became a roar. All of the Birdmen turned to the taniwha, waiting to see what he would do next.
After a tense pause, the Magpie King snarled. “He knows he cannot beat us. This is why he does not attack.”
“No,” Kaimana said, finally finding her voice. She also found a smile to wear on her face, because she knew what was coming. “He is not attacking you because he made me a promise.
“Rakau, I release you from your promise.”
What happened next was a blur for Kaimana. The massive taniwha leapt at Gull Knave, snapping his colossal jaws down on the woman. Or, he would have if she had still been there. At the same instant that Rakau had pounced, each of the Birdmen leapt back into their trees. Kaimana had to blink again to figure out what had just happened, as the speed of the movement was so quick it appeared that the Birdmen had just vanished.
They’re fast. Unnaturally fast. Rakau, we have to run. You can’t win this fight.
In another breath, the Birdmen descended again upon the taniwha, striking at once with all of their weapons. Kaimana felt her heart break as Rakau screamed in pain, and a luminous green liquid spurted through the air.
Kaimana did the only thing she was able to do in the face of such a clash. She ran.
She was not ashamed at her choice. Kaimana was a mortal woman, not long from being a girl, and she was in the company of monsters and gods and they were at war. There was no chance of survival if she stayed to watch.
The cacophony behind her was accompanied by the cracking of rocks and trees, and the path that she ran down was peppered with debris. A small stone hit Kaimana on the back of the arm and remained embedded there, the shock of the impact sending her tumbling to the ground. She took a deep breath and began to run again, speeding down the stony path.
None of the natives were in view, now. Wonder how many times they’ve seen this happen before?
She slipped and tumbled down the mountain, and when she felt she could run no more Kaimana found one of the mountain-side caves and slunk into it. This particular opening was not that deep, and thankfully was uninhabited. A pile of still-warm ashes told Kaimana it had recently been occupied, but they appeared to have decided to move elsewhere at the sound of the battle up above.
Just need to get my breath back and I’ll do the same. Another run like that should get me to the canoe. If it’s still there. Just a few more minutes…
Inside, her spark struggled, but she held on tight to it. Despite the pain in her arm, and despite the fear of being found by one of the Birdmen, one thought chiefly occupied Kaimana’s mind.
This is my fault. If I’d listened to them both, Yam and Rakau, we wouldn’t have come here. They’d still be with me. But I wanted to protect my spark.
The infant song called for her attention, wanting her mind to focus on it instead of the guilt that was rising inside her. For the first time since Kaimana had begun to spark again, she ignored it.
She listened to the conflict high above. The sounds were not as constant as before, but every so often, a loud crash, thud or roar would let her know that events were still ongoing. She tried not to think of the wounds that were being inflicted upon Rakau.
He’s my friend. A monster, yes, but a friend. He attacked them to protect me. I don’t want him to be hurt.
When she thought of Yam, she was only frustrated.
He’s a god. I know he looks after yams, but surely any god should be able to best those five Birdmen. They have powers, yes, but the way they were talking, it sounded as if they were given to them. Surely whatever Yam holds within his being is greater than that?
After catching her breath, she got up and moved towards the cave opening. The crashes above continued, but Kaimana knew it was time to move. If Rakau and Yam survived, they would be able to find her again. They knew where she was going next. If they did not survive… well, Kaimana was certain they would not want her to sacrifice herself for nothing. Her arm ached where the stone had forced its way under her skin, and she pulled it out, accompanied by a spurt of red. She was proud that she did not cry out in pain, and tore a little of tapa cloth from her dress to bind the wound with.
As she was finishing with the knot, she heard a loud thump outside.
“I can smell you, you know. Can hear your heart beat.”
Kaimana could hear it too, thudding in her ears at the sound of the gravelly tones of the Magpie King.
She looked frantically out of the cave entrance. She could see nothing, but was certain he was close by. Would she be able to run fast enough to get away from him before he found exactly where she was?
“We have your friends. The god came willingly enough, and my companions are taming the beast. He shall be lumber for us soon enough.” Her face sagged at the thought of Rakau dying because of her choices.
“Come quietly now, and you will be harmed as little as possible.”
Not the most tempting of offers.
Nodding her head in affirmation, Kaimana took a deep breath and sprinted, pointing herself in the direction she believed the canoe to be in.
She was only seconds out of the cave entrance before something landed on her back, sending her sprawling to the ground. She hit her face on the hard rock underneath. Inside, her spark began to scream.
“There you are,” the Magpie King rasped.
Kaimana rolled over onto her back to look at the dark figure standing above her. The man’s bird mask covered his entire face except for his eyes, in which she could see cruel mirth at the position he had her in. His sickle was attached to his belt now. He did not need his weapon to catch this particular prey.
Something inside Kaimana snapped. This man thought she was weak and defenceless, easy prey for someone of his abilities. The rage that began to build inside her at this thought startled her spark, causing it to pause and watch what was happening in morbid fascination.
Kaimana spat at the Magpie King’s face. “I’ll never give in to you. You may as well kill me, if you think I’ll come with you willingly.”
The Magpie King nodded, and as he spoke she could hear the smile in his voice. “My queen told me you looked like an obstinate one. I shall enjoy beating it out of you.”
Her spark screamed again, and threatened to run.
Do not! The spark halted, as if in shock at the command in Kaimana’s voice. You do not get to run from me again.
The Birdman kicked Kaimana in the side of her gut, sendin
g her sailing through the air, over one of the boulders that decorated the Broken Island. Kaimana landed on her side with a snap, and she knew straight away that something inside - hopefully just a rib - was broken.
She had never known pain like this before in her life. She knew she should be terrified. However, Kaimana also knew that if she gave in to her fear now then all was lost.
She scrambled around on the ground for some dirt to throw into her attacker’s eyes, but there was none to be found on this barren island. Instead, her hand found a small stone, just large enough to fit into the palm of her hand.
Kaimana closed her eyes and whispered a prayer. “Laka, goddess of music, my patron, hear my prayer. Give me the strength to live past this day, give me the strength to craft you a tale these islands have never seen before.”
At that moment, the Magpie King leapt over the boulder to land beside Kaimana’s prone body. She heard his smile again as he spoke. “Now let us end this, little girl.”
Kaimana threw the rock at the Magpie King. The Birdman laughed at her act, as well he should have. A small rock against this force of nature was a pitiful weapon. Kaimana’s aim was true, and the rock flew straight at the Magpie King’s exposed eye, but was a simple enough task for the man to turn his head and the stone bounced ineffectually off of his helm.
This turn of the head was all the time Kaimana needed. In the second that the Magpie King’s attention was diverted, Kaimana sat up, grabbed the King’s sickle from his belt and did what she could to plunge the blade into the man’s stomach.
This resulted in a yowl of pain from the Magpie King, but Kaimana did not wait around to savour her victory - she used this opening to turn and flee again. She could not help the smile of success that played across her face, even though she knew this desperate act would do little to help her. The blade had not bitten deep, and in seconds he would be on her once again, this time angry and bleeding.
But I stood my ground as heroes in stories are supposed to do.
Behind her, the scream of pain turned to anger and Kaimana realised her assailant had leapt high into the air. She jumped to the side, narrowly missing being crushed by the Magpie King’s landing. However, her jump caused her to sacrifice her footing, and she tripped and fell to the ground again.
Where the Waters Turn Black (Yarnsworld Book 2) Page 14
