It took a moment for Katya to contemplate that. But of course he meant that the stone was magically stopping the spells, which had unfortunately become a ‘natural’ part of them from the experiments, from showing.
“So you see, Katya, I cannot do this to my people. It would ruin them. Though I sympathize with your plight and may not have condoned our involvement had I known the true purpose, my hands are tied.”
He didn’t particularly seem sorry to Katya. “Do you not agree that sterilizing the Dark King’s descendants is wrong?”
He did not answer right away. “It is not a question of agreement, as I said, we are simply unable to help you.”
“So you don’t disagree with Kali’s assertion that the Dark King’s bloodline should be wiped out? And you don’t care that it has been altered so that instead of sterilizing people, it will spread the blood-magic affliction?”
The Kanza leader gave her a hard stare. “It would seem to be a rather fitting end.”
“A rather fitting end?” Katya repeated incredulously. “A rather fitting end to make innocent people turn into raving blood-thirsty beasts?”
“It was their own fault that they were playing around with blood-magic and spoiled the spell. It would have been harmless.”
“Harmless? You call taking away their freedom to have children harmless? Taking away MY choice to have kids or not because my great-great-great-great,” she didn’t know how many generations it really was so she just repeated this word until her anger stopped her, “grandmother might have been raped by the Dark King!?” She felt Hunter’s restraining hand on her arm and realized that she had moved forward threateningly. Marak was squeezing her arm so tightly she thought it might fall asleep for lack of blood. She forced herself to calm down, taking deep breaths.
The man frustratingly persisted. “It didn’t hurt them directly, and the next generation would be free of the Dark King.”
“We are already free of the Dark King,” Katya said softly, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “You think that reducing the population in the Lost Lands, as you call them, by more than three-fourths would have made the world better? How about now, when it’s that number who will most likely kill the rest off?”
The man had no response, but his expression did not change.
“Do you not have those with the mark still being born within the tribes? These are only the ones with the Dark King’s blood who also possess the right amount of talent, there are bound to be more. So why is it that only the Lost Lands deserve punishment?”
“We do not allow the marked to live among us here either,” he growled. She had hit a nerve.
“No, you exile them,” Katya pushed, “your own children.”
“Yes,” the Kanza leader’s voice grew colder.
“Why?” Katya challenged.
“Because they are tainted by his evil. They would grow into evil people.”
“Will they?” She rose one eye-brow at him.
“If I may interrupt,” the Dena’ina leader put in, “Another of our party has something she wishes to say.”
The Kanza leader rounded on him, no doubt expecting another accusation. The Dena’ina leader simply waved towards the rear of their group. The other man watched with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation.
Katya stepped aside with the rest to allow the strange cart which the Dena’ina had brought with them to come forward between them. Her anger cooled as she watched the proceedings with interest.
The cart pulled up directly in front of the man, who looked as though he wanted to step back a pace, but he held his ground. The curtains were pushed aside to reveal a young woman. She paused a moment to blink in the sudden brightness, then gracefully stepped out.
“Hello, Uncle,” she greeted the Kanza leader with dignity.
He closed his eyes.
The woman didn’t move and no one said a word.
Then suddenly another woman rushed forward, exclaiming, “Petra! Is that you, my darling daughter? You’re alive?” She showered the woman with kisses.
The leader finally had to open his eyes, surveyed the scene with an icy stare.
Petra embraced her mother warmly, seeming to hold no resentment at having been thrown out simply because of the matter of a little mark. Then she stepped forward lightly, seeming to float across the ground as she addressed the rest of the crowd.
“I was thrown out when I was five years old because a mark showed up on my neck. I wandered the landscape for weeks before the Dena’ina found me and took me in. You were afraid that I would grow into an evil person because of a silly marking that meant I was far distantly related to someone evil. I wanted to come stand before you today so that you may judge for yourselves whether or not I am evil.”
The sun seemed to shine down at her in such a way that it illuminated the air around her, making her look majestic, and certainly not evil.
The Kanza leader scoffed. “Goodness is not something that can be seen by you standing before us.”
“And yet you can see evil by a mark on my neck?” the woman countered.
He did not answer.
“Don’t you also have children?” the Dena’ina leader asked him, “Two sons, I believe?”
The Kanza leader’s teeth were clenched so tightly that his temples were bulging. It appeared to take some effort to loosen them in order to reply. “Yes.”
“And this young woman who was exiled because she bears the mark is your niece, correct?”
He simply nodded.
“Then would it not stand to reason that her parents each have at least a fifty percent chance of having the Dark King’s blood? And most likely both did to some extent. Which means that there is a chance that you bear the Dark King’s blood.”
The Kanza leader looked revolted, but could not deny the possibility.
“How would you feel if your sons were taken from you? If you had been stripped of your ability to have them?”
“I wasn’t, they are already in existence.”
The Dena’ina leader nodded calmly, “Then how would you like to see them slowly change into blood-thirsty raving mad monsters? We did not keep records that would tell us who might be affected, who might also bear the blood of the Dark King aside from those obviously bearing the mark. If we allow this curse to spread farther, it will reach us. Even those who don’t turn are likely to be killed by others that have. Are you willing to bet your life on it? Your sons’ lives? Those of any of your people?”
The crowd that had gathered around them murmured to one another now, looking around as if trying to determine by sight who might have his bloodline.
“The Dark King was compelled by the evil within him to spread his seed, and he did it well. There are few in this world who can claim not even a distant relation. Do you truly believe that every single one of them that can’t deserves to suffer for his crimes?”
“They were meddling with blood-magic,” the Kanza sputtered, trying to regain his platform.
“A very small group of people who the leaders were trying to oust and eliminate. Our ancestors lived in the same country as the Dark King, were they also responsible for his actions? Should we then punish ourselves as their descendants?”
The Kanza leader grumbled. “You know not what you ask.”
“On the contrary,” the other man disagreed, “I know exactly what we ask of you. Is there not a way we can convince you to give us the stone?”
The Dena’ina leader and the Kanza leader exchanged a glance. “We cannot simply give up the stone,” he said finally, “But there might be a way.”
“What is it?” Petra, the exiled woman, spoke up.
Katya couldn’t determine the emotion behind the Kanza leader’s expression as he looked at Petra, it might have been contempt or affection. Or both.
He turned his stare back to Katya. “There is rumored to be a plant that will erase the modifications. A man long ago stumbled upon it and found that all the changes made by the Dark King�
�s magic had been erased when he ate it. Unfortunately, none were ever able to find this particular plant again and though the man claimed to have found a field of it, he got himself killed before locating it for the rest of us.”
“How did he die?” Katya asked, wondering if it was the price of stripping the people of their afflictions.
“He was always putting himself into danger, not staying within the village like he ought to have done. One day it caught up with him,” he shrugged. “The most we know is that he was wandering to the north when he came across it. Many have tried to find it since, but none have succeeded. If you bring us back a plant to prove you have found the field, and can provide us with a map to the place, we will give you the stone.”
“And Petra?” Katya asked, wondering what the girl’s intentions were. Katya couldn’t imagine embracing those who had thrown you out, but then again, she had felt nothing but love and pity for Gareth when she had found out about her tarnished past. Petra’s mother had been happy to see her, but Katya didn’t get the feeling that she would be welcomed back quite so easily by the rest even if she were to want to stay.
“I’ll go with you,” she stated firmly, pulling herself away from her fawning mother. “You’ll need someone to test it on,” she looked around the crowd, “and I don’t imagine there are many volunteers.”
Katya watched as head after head ducked away from her searching stare, each looking resolutely at the ground. Despite the reaction that their party had received from the people, she was surprised that not even one of them would be curious enough of the plant’s existence to put aside their differences and travel with them.
“Excellent,” the Dena’ina leader clapped his hands together in finality. “Might we impose on your hospitality for the night to learn what we can of this field and rest up for a fresh start to our quest in the morning?”
The Kanza leader did not look happy with this arrangement, but broached no argument, saying simply, “Of course.”
Besides showing them a tent to place their things and sending a few sleeping bags, the Kanza’s hospitality extended no further. They wisely decided not to venture out into the village, instead spending a quiet evening in their small tent.
After setting up two of the sleeping rolls next to one another with Hunter, she touched his arm gently to indicate she would be back, and went over to sit with Petra who was staring out the open flap of the tent towards the village.
“Must be strange to be here,” she sympathized. “I know it’s nothing compared to what you are going through since you obviously remember it, but I recently found out that I was once part of the Myaamia and thrown out because of my mark too.”
Petra looked at her and gave her a small smile. “I know, and thank you. I’m fine. It’s just weird is all. And seeing my mother…” she trailed off.
They sat in silence for a while. Then Katya asked, “How did you know that no one else would volunteer to go with us if you haven’t been here in so long?”
The girl laughed. “Very few of the Kanza would willingly leave the village for much of anything, especially not with outsiders.”
“Why is that?”
“You haven’t guessed? As the leader said, the stone negates the horrors that were done to our people at the hands of the Dark King and his cronies. Once we leave its immediate area, they become apparent once more.”
Katya mulled this over. “Is that also why you traveled in secret, and not out in the open with us?” she asked, a bit queasy to her stomach. She hated to think that someone would hide themselves thinking that they were not worth the same as other because of something that had unwillingly be done to them.
The woman seemed to read her mind. “I’m not ashamed of who I am. My husband back home, Nathan, helped me to accept how I look with no reservations, but others do not always understand. The Dena’ina leader tried to convince me to reveal myself earlier, but I thought it would be easier this way. The others traveling with us know me, but the Myaamia are not known for their understanding.”
“Well, I hope you don’t plan on going back in that box to travel when we go looking for the pool,” Katya told her, “Now that I know there’s a person in there, I wouldn’t be able to deal with that.”
The girl laughed. “If you wish, but you’ve been warned. I do not look nearly as…” she paused, looking for the appropriate word, “human as I do now.”
“You will ride out with us,” Katya said firmly.
“As you wish.” The girl wore an odd smile.
CHAPTER 6
Kali disguised her features and rapped on the front door of the Lost One’s house. The stupid little man had done exactly what she’d expected him to. Her choice in sharing the information with him had proved fruitful. Moments later a young girl appeared, one of the servants the Lost Ones had; making others do their bidding for them.
She stated her business to the woman and then followed her into the dining room where the Lost One she had come to see was. The servant girl kept glancing back over her shoulder and increasing her pace, no doubt worried that Kali had not done as she’d asked and waited by the door while she announced her presence.
Kali neither knew nor cared what the customs of these disgusting people were. She just wanted to get her business over with and be out of the company of the vile creatures.
He was sitting in his dining room chewing on the remains of his dinner when the maid rushed forward into the room, spitting out the words so quickly as to hardly be understood that someone was calling. He pushed the plate away from him and downed the last of his wine.
“Send them in,” he demanded, but Kali was already striding into the room. He raised an eyebrow at her in annoyance and glanced at the servant, who swiftly absented herself from the room with his empty plate. “Lady Kali,” the Lost One greeted her, obnoxiously adding their ridiculous title to her name.
She ignored the greeting. “Were you able to locate the man I told you of?”
He nodded. “I was, and we’ve moved him into the countryside where we can contain the outbreak. It was very lucky that you happened to notice him before he spread it even farther.”
“You didn’t tell Gelendan about it did you?” she asked, hoping he didn’t hear her disgust at having to use the Lost Ones’ term for the place.
“No,” he said, but the way he drew out the word made her wonder if there was a ‘but’ that was going to follow it. She thought quickly. He continued, “I do agree that we should have our own experiments into a cure going on here, I simply do not trust the Gelendan Queen. And having such a potential weapon completely under their control may give them the edge they need to convince the Ieldran to concede to more than they would have otherwise.” He paused, “But though the idea of using the Bricrui against the tribes is tempting, and having the power of their threat behind me is appealing, I’m just not sure that it’s right to simply keep them contained like cattle. It feels wrong.”
Kali almost laughed out loud when he spoke of using the Bricrui against the tribes, as if they would even be able to find them. Although, with the traitors in her tribe listening to the preposterous ideas of the outsiders. Her amusement turned dark. Actually, she wouldn’t mind it in the least if they did set against the tribe. Then they would see that she was right all along.
“They won’t be kept as cattle,” she assured him, “You are simply taking the initiative to keep the disease from running wild in Treymayne. If it hadn’t been for you, it could be halfway across the country by now.” Kali knew this wasn’t true as the two women who had been caring for the man had smartly moved him into a cave outside of town and by some stroke of luck on their part the one who made the trips to town did not have an ounce of the Dark King in her. The man would have become a raving beast and probably eaten his wife out in the middle of nowhere, and no one would have been the wiser. Now that the Lost One had moved him into a wing at one of his manors, he was infecting people even as they spoke. She had convinced him that only by direc
t contact would the curse spread, and he had been stupid enough to believe it. Blinded by his desire to be the hero and contain it on his own, and then further by her suggestions that his control of such a disease would make him very powerful. His initial lust for power seemed to be weakening, however, as he realized the consequences. She hadn’t expected that of the Lost One. She’d have to slightly adjust her tactic again. If there was one thing Kali was good at, it was improvising.
She continued, “Besides, the Treymayne mages have not been able to find a cure because they haven’t been able to study the curse itself, only work with descriptions by the Gelendan people. I’m sure that our much more talented mages would be able to find a cure if they are given access to the actual infected.”
This seemed to do the trick, the worry lines in his face smoothed. “That’s true,” he agreed, “There’s no doubt that if we were given the chance to work with the infected we could find a way to break it. Those on the manor won’t ever even progress to a stage that it would be dangerous to them, but rather just enough that I can use it to gain an advantage over the rest of the council to make them see how idiotic it would be to join with Gelendan.”
Kali fought to contain her amusement once more. Little did he know that every time she went to the manor to help find the ‘cure’, she was actually trying to figure out how to make the disease progress faster. She was onto something, and soon would implement the same in the city of Lost Ones. The palace may be well-defended against her magic, but the rest of the city wasn’t.
“That’s right,” Kali spurred him on, “that’s probably what Gelendan is doing, keeping this plague to themselves so that only they can find the cure and then they’ll probably set it loose upon us!”
“Queen Layna and King Gryffon are well known for their high talents,” he said nervously, “I wouldn’t want them to find out.”
“All the more reason not to mention this little experiment to anyone until we have come up with the cure. Then, the threat of them unleashing the Bricrui upon us will be nonexistent, and any threats they make against you will simply spur the rest of the council to see how evil they are and defend you.”
Light the Reign (The Forgotten: Book 3) Page 7
