A Warrior's Penance

by Davis Ashura

*Rukh is the same,* Aia replied, unwilling to concede that Jessira might be better than Rukh in any way. It was simply inconceivable that there was a finer Human than her own. *Which of them do you suppose taught the other humility?* Aia asked.

  Her brother cast her a grin. *Whoever it is, I hope they can help Thrum. Ever since he took Jaresh as his Human, our brother has been insufferable.*

  Aia nodded. *On this we are agreed,* she said. *Jaresh should teach Thrum proper manners.*

  *Unlikely. I think it's Jaresh who is feeding our brother's arrogance. Thrum keeps going on about how smart his Human is. How clever he is. How no one can solve puzzles like his Human. How everyone bows before his Human's great intelligence.* Shon rumbled in annoyance. *I would like to swipe Thrum across the nose.*

  *Just be glad he is with his Human and not with us,* Aia advised with a smile. *I doubt he would like your notion of swiping him across the nose.*

  Shon sniffed. *I'm not afraid of him.*

  Aia rubbed her head against his. *Not so long as I'm around,* she said.

  Shon rumbled his affection before flopping to the ground and curling up next to Aia.

  Soon, both of them were asleep.

  Rukh approached the drowsing Kesarins as softly as he could. He didn't want to disturb Aia and Shon's slumber. Both cats were the size of an ox and could be as fierce as a raging ice storm. But not when sleeping. Then they appeared as peaceful as newborn kittens.

  Jessira walked just as quietly. They were downwind of the cats, and her mild cinnamon scent wouldn't carry. Of course, other than Shon, no one else seemed to be aware of the faint fragrance wafting about her.

  “They're so cute when they're asleep,” Jessira whispered.

  Almost as if on cue, Aia and Shon's eyes opened, and their heads swiveled as they focused on Rukh and Jessira.

  Aia uncurled from where she was scooped around her brother, and she arched her back in a shuddering stretch before she reached forward with outstretched paws and lengthened her hind legs as well. When she was done, she sat with her tail demurely curled before her.

  Golden-furred Shon mimicked Aia's posture, but the swish of his tail gave away the truth of his budding excitement.

  *JESSIRA!* he shouted, sounding overjoyed. He bounded forward and rubbed his head against her chest, almost knocking her off her feet.

  Jessira laughed and rubbed at Shon's ears, forehead, and the corner of his mouth. The last had him trailing after her fingers with his head until he fell over on his side. He quickly stood up, and the entire sequence played out again.

  Rukh watched all this with a smile before turning to approach Aia. The calico Kesarin who he had first met in the hills south of Ashoka switched her tail as he stepped closer. She leaned into his hand and rumbled.

  *You're allowed to act like you enjoy it when I come to see you,* Rukh told her.

  Aia sat back in confusion. *Why would you think I don't enjoy it?* she asked.

  Rukh gestured to Jessira who sat on the ground and had Shon's great head in her lap as she rubbed vigorously at his chin. The tawny Kesarin had his neck arched and his eyes closed as he purred like thunder. *You're always so reserved now,* he said. *You were more like Shon when we first met. Even last summer.*

  Aia laughed. *Would you like me to be more kittenish?* she asked. She mewled at him before falling over on her side and pawing ineffectually at the air. *Is that better?*

  Rukh chuckled. *I think I prefer the noble version of you.*

  Aia righted herself and sat on her belly. It was a thoughtful gesture, which Rukh appreciated since in this position her head was now no higher than his own. *I don't act like Shon because I am his older sister. I have to set an example for him.* she said, somehow sounding regal and self-effacing at the same time.

  Rukh stared into her guileless eyes, but a slight widening of them told him that she wasn't being entirely truthful. *That's not true. When we're alone, you're . . . friskier,* he said. There was a moment of strained silence as Aia appeared to dismiss his explanation with a haughty raising of her chin. Rukh studied her for a moment before he broke out in a delighted grin. *You just don't want him to see you as anything other than his prim and proper sister. You like lording his immaturity over him.*

  *Quiet,* Aia hissed. *Do you want him to hear you?*

  Rukh laughed. Strangely, it was nice to see how alike Kesarins and Humans behaved toward their siblings. *He'll never learn your secret from me.* he promised the worried Kesarin.

  *Do you promise?* Aia asked, still appearing concerned.

  *I promise* Rukh replied, knowing how much this meant to her.

  Aia seemed to study him for a moment before she smiled with a flicking of her ears and blinking of her eyes. She rubbed her forehead and the corners of her mouth against Rukh, purring when he rubbed her favorite spots: under her chin and the soft space just in front of her ears.

  *Was there a reason you came back so soon?* Rukh asked, still rubbing Aia's chin.

  *There are important matters we need to discuss,* the Kesarin said with a dissatisfied sigh.

  *We can play some more if you like,* Rukh said. His lips twitched. *And when it grows dark, you can even stalk the lights and shadows from the firefly lamps.*

  Aia sat back, appearing stricken. *You promised not to tell anyone.*

  *And I won't,* Rukh said with a grin even as he tried to mollify the Kesarin. *I promised, remember?*

  Aia rumbled her annoyance.

  Shon sat up from Jessira's lap. *What's wrong?* he asked, mistaking Aia's rumble for concern or fear.

  *Nothing,* Aia answered. Rukh tried to keep a straight face as she glowered at him. *We have to tell them what we learned.*

  Shon stood up with a sigh. *Why is it that having a Human is so much work?*

  Jessira patted him on the shoulder. *I'm sure you'll survive the few minutes of conversation that you'll have to engage in.*

  Shon blinked at her. *Can work kill a Kesarin?* he asked in worry.

  Jessira laughed. *No,* she replied. *Let me hear what Aia has to tell us, and then we'll go play in the sea.*

  Her words seemed to perk the mood of the tawny Kesarin, who now wore a smile of anticipation.

  *What happened?* Rukh asked.

  *Li-Choke learned of a Human who lives in the Wildness and is protected by the Demon Wind Herself,* Aia explained. *He lives just north of our lands, surrounded by a great glaring of the Nocats, the Tigons.*

  Rukh shared a look of surprise with Jessira. *Did Choke learn this person's name?*

  Aia nodded. *Hal'El Wrestiva.*

  Rukh rocked back on his feet. Hal'El was alive? And living amongst the Tigons under the Queen's protection. He scowled. What depravity could have caused a man so honored and exalted to stoop so low?

  *There's more,* Shon said in soft tone.

  *What else could there be?* Rukh asked.

  Rather than explaining it, a vision from Aia came to Rukh's mind. It was one where Suwraith's presence had hovered over the western breeding caverns for much of the past winter. In another few months, She would have three Plagues on Continent Ember. Her creatures wouldn't fully mature for another five years, but even now, they could fight.

  *Does Choke know what She means to do with all those warriors?* Jessira asked.

  *There's more,* Shon said instead of answering her question.

  Another vision came from Aia. In this one, the Sorrow Bringer had frozen the far northern waters of the Sickle Sea and transported many seasoned warriors—at least half a Plague—from Continent Catalyst to Continent Ember.

  Rukh pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed shut his eyes. A headache began throbbing at his temples. *How long do we have?*

  Aia sent him a soft sense of sympathy. *A few months,* she answered. *Choke says that he and the other Baels have been told to prepare for war. The Demon Wind means to come for Ashoka this summer.*

  Jessira managed a smile. *It seems like She's made that threat the past few summers.*

&nb
sp; *I think this summer She actually means it,* Aia replied.

  Shur Rainfall was a Muran of bland features and bland abilities, but an interesting history. He was originally from Arjun, but relatively late in life, he'd set aside his farmer's plow and replaced it with the sword. It was a holy calling was how he'd explained the sudden change in his fortune to his horrified parents. A younger Shur had been certain that destiny had something momentous in store for him, something majestic, and the only means to discover this wondrous fate was the Trials.

  His amma and nanna had tearfully watched as Shur had confidently strode off in service to his city and his Caste.

  It would be the last time he ever saw his parents, and his destiny had turned out to be a disaster.

  The single Trial in which he had participated had been a horror. The Chimeras had attacked them day and night. They had been merciless, cunning, and cruel. Half the warriors in that single, awful Trial had died before the caravan had finally reached Ashoka's safety.

  Fifteen years later Shur could still hear the screams, smell the blood, and see the carnage of men eviscerated. After such a terrifying Trial, he had wisely chosen to stay in Ashoka. He never returned to his birthplace, rightly judging such an endeavor to be foolhardy. Ashoka became his home, and as all farmers know, the seasons change, life continues, and so too, must a man. As a result, Shur had worked hard to find acceptance into a clan of integrity, diligence, and piety and forge a new life.

  He did well for himself, and with every passing year, Shur had grown ever more grateful for the bounty of his life. He'd survived a Trial that so many others had not. He'd prospered in the task to which those of his Caste were best suited: farming. He'd even married, and though his wife had died in childbirth before the physician could reach her, Shur felt no bitterness at her passing.

  Devesh had already blessed him in so many other ways. Shur had been arrogant, but the Most High had spared him. Shur had been boastful, but the Lord had granted him safe harbor. Shur had been foolish, but Devesh had guided Shur's footsteps to this special city. Ashoka was a lovely winter rose of enlightenment and justice, and Shur had long ago vowed to protect this wondrous gem of a city with every ounce of his strength and Jivatma.

  It was why he had joined the High Army, rising to the rank of captain. It was why tonight's meeting was so important. It was the first gathering of the Virtuous, but it would not be their last. These were the men and women who knew the Magisterium had sided with corruption when they had decided to allow the ghrinas sanctuary. These were the pious who knew that truth could not be set aside for the sake of mere convenience. These were the faithful servants who would fight to see Ashoka returned to Devesh's holy grace.

  The Virtuous were gathered in a hidden-away cellar that was dank, dark, and musty, but the humbleness of their surroundings didn't matter to Shur. He knew that Devesh's glory shined on them all. He knew there would come a time when the city would see the evil the Magisterium had allowed and hail the Virtuous for their foresight and piety.

  But first, there had to be blood. The blood of the ghrinas. They could not be suffered to live.

  Shur glanced about at the ten other men and women who had come here in secret. Among them were members of every Caste, but the most heavily represented were Murans. It was unsurprising given the devout nature of Shur's people.

  He smiled and rapped his knuckles on the bare wood of the poorly built table around which they had gathered. “Let us begin,” Shur said. “This is a momentous occasion. It is the first meeting of the Heavenly Council of the Virtuous.” The name was Shur's invention, and he was quite proud of it. His pride was dented a moment later.

  “Is that what we really plan on calling ourselves?” a Rahail asked, sounding scornful.

  Shur knew the names of all these men and women, but in his mind, he preferred to think of them as 'the Cherid' or 'the Shiyen'. It made it seem like those here were the actual avatars of their Castes, rather than a simple gathering of disparate individuals. It made them all seem more powerful, like they were a manifestation of the divine.

  “It's a good name,” a Cherid answered, rebuilding some of Shur's lost certainty. “I think its iconic and strong.”

  The Rahail settled into his chair with a grumble.

  Shur gave the Cherid an appreciative nod before turning to the others. “Our first order of business is obvious,” he said. “The Magisterium has seen fit to allow the ghrinas a home in our city.” He snarled. “We will not allow it. Their wretched wickedness must be banished from Ashoka, and our city's streets washed clean.”

  “Banished?” a Duriah growled. “I did not come here to merely banish the ghrinas.”

  “They will be banished to Death's domain,” Shur said, glad to see that at least one other shared his vision. He was even more heartened to see the understanding nods shared amongst most of the others.

  “What do you intend?” a Kumma asked.

  Shur glanced the woman's way. “We must begin with a task you will find unpleasant,” he said. “The corruption began with one of your own Houses: House Shektan and her iniquitous, Tainted son, Rukh Shektan. As such, that is where the purification must begin.”

  The Kumma narrowed her eyes, not in anger or distrust, but uncertainty. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean House Shektan must be destroyed,” Shur replied. “Root and branch. We must kill as many of them as possible.”

  Gasps and dismayed mumblings met his words.

  Shur held back a frown of disappointment. Did they think that they could reshape Ashoka, renew her moral core with a few secret meetings and nothing more? Then they were fools. Renewal required sacrifice, demanded justice, and needed the unflinching zeal of the faithful.

  “How?” a Muran finally asked.

  “The better question is why?” the Kumma countered.

  Shur turned back to her. “Because House Shektan has consorted with evil, brought evil to the heart of the city, used sophistry to convince us that perfidy is good and morality is wickedness. They've gone so far as to try and cast doubt on the veracity of The Word and the Deed.” He snorted derision. “As if their laughable charges can deny that which has guided all the days and years of our lives and those of our ancestors.” Shur shook his head. “Nevertheless, their heresy cannot be tolerated. House Shektan must die.”

  The Kumma pursed her lips. “And how will you go about destroying House Shektan? They are warriors while we are merely conspirators.”

  Shur nodded. “We aren't warriors, but we will be victorious in this war because we have something House Shektan can never hope to defeat. We have a vision. We share an ideal of what Ashoka should be, a philosophy we can make real, and all of House Shektan's warriors, weapons, and swords will prove useless at trying to destroy our dream.”

  The Cherid nodded in agreement. “He is right. An idea cannot be killed, and only a better vision can destroy another vision.”

  The others seemed to accept the Cherid's words and leaned in closer.

  “What do you propose?” the Duriah asked.

  Shur settled in his chair, satisfied and overjoyed. The first meeting was going better than he had ever dared hope. It was further proof that Devesh guided his movements. Righteousness was with him. “I have a notion of how we can both gain adherents and also strike a blow against the foul Shektans. The upcoming Advent Trial shall be the site of the First Cleansing.”

  Those who think to thieve from starving wolves are fools.

  We know them by their torn-asunder corpses.

  ~Attribution unknown

  Rukh's brows furrowed as he pored over the papers laid out in front of him. In a short time, he was expected to give a full accounting to the Shektan House Council of everything Aia and Shon had related regarding events in the Wildness. There was a lot to cover, and Rukh had written it all down—Hal'El Wrestiva, the increased breeding of the Chimeras, and the supposed summertime attack by the Queen. Everything was included in the papers, even a map revealing the
location of western breeding caverns. Rukh just wanted to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. Even the smallest detail might turn out to be important.

  “Are you ready to go?” Jessira asked him. “We're going to be late if we don't leave soon.”

  Rukh glanced up from where he sat on the couch, looking at the clock on the mantle above the fireplace. “We've got time,” he said.

  “Only if we run,” Jessira replied as she began pacing before the fireplace. “You know it's rude to keep people waiting?”

  Rukh exhaled heavily. Jessira hated even the threat of being late. Tardiness was one of her pet peeves. “Let me just get these papers together,” he said, stuffing the documents he had been studying into a leather satchel.

  “Who else will be at the meeting?” Jessira asked.

  “The entire House Council,” Rukh replied. “I don't think . . .” He trailed off when he looked over at Jessira. Whatever else he was about to say melted from his mind like ice on a hot summer day.

  Jessira stood by the dining table with one foot resting on a chair as she laced her sandals. She wore a sleeveless summer dress, pale yellow and made of soft silk, that normally ended a little north of her knees. Right now, though, the dress had hitched itself high up on her thighs, and Rukh found himself tracing the lean, muscular lengths of Jessira's long legs. They were a paler shade of golden-red compared to the rest of her skin but were also softer than the silk dress she wore. He noticed a small mole well up her inner thigh.

  “Stop staring,” Jessira said without bothering to look his way.

  Rukh grimaced. How did she always know when he was looking?

  “Because you're a man, and men stare,” Jessira replied to his unspoken question.

  Rukh shrugged, not bothering to argue the point since she was right.

  To his disappointment, Jessira took that moment to straighten up, and her dress settled about her legs and hips, hiding what had been so beautifully displayed only seconds earlier. She walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner near the couch and studied herself from all angles as she smoothed down the dress. When everything met her approval, she turned to Rukh. “Are you ready?” she asked, hands on her hips and an arch to her eyebrows.