by Davis Ashura
Lienna didn't need Mistress Arisa's advice. She knew what needed to be done. Child or otherwise, the only good Human was a dead Human. Her mind decided, Lienna disregarded Mother's exhortations and leapt forward. Those on the boats . . . they would all die, from oldest to youngest.
She approached with the speed of a tornado. The vessels disappeared from view. No doubt, the Humans had Blended, but it didn't matter. There was no chance for the ships to escape. She could sense the Humans scurrying about down below. Their Blends didn't hide their Jivatmas.
So long as Father wasn't down below, this would be an easy culling.
“Culling implies that You will allow some of them to live,” Mistress Arisa said. “Surely even You aren't so addled as to allow survivors.”
“None will live,” Lienna said. “Now be silent!”
Needles of pain stabbed Lienna's mind, but She threw them off. It was something She found Herself able to do more and more often, but each instance still filled Her with a thrill. Although Lienna didn't have enough children to altogether banish Mistress from Her mind, there were enough for Her to best Her fearsome, false goddess.
“You grow bold, Girl,” Mistress Arisa said in a silky, deadly voice. “Be cautious of Your arrogance lest it be Your downfall.”
Lienna secretly sneered at Mistress Arisa. Her opinions no longer mattered, if they ever had. However, in this one instance—what to do with the Humans and their ships—She and Mistress were in agreement.
“Set aside this wicked plan,” Mother implored. “Your madness need not drive You to such evil.”
Lienna ignored Mother's unneeded advice. She had an idea on how best to destroy the ships. She would set them alight, burn them to broken spars, before finally swamping them.
As She descended, silvery beams of light lanced into Her. It wasn't painful, but there were so many of them. They hit Her from every ship. Ten thousand feathers had a weight, and Lienna slowed. More lances of light impacted Her.
Were these Bows? And what was it that surrounded the vessels? It tasted like an Oasis—a multitude of them, one for each ship
Lienna slowed to a halt in stunned disbelief. It was impossible. Only Father had the wherewithal to create such a construction. The Humans lacked the knowledge and Talent to do so. What had Father done? And Lienna knew this had to be His work. No one else could have accomplished such a thing.
She came to a halt above the ships and studied the patterns in the beams of light that the Humans sent against Her. They were Bows, pitiful and weak, but Bows, nonetheless. And if the vermin persisted with them, at some point, they might even become uncomfortable—which is why they would not. Lienna would destroy these Humans down below. They were different and dangerous. She would kill them all before they could spread their filthy knowledge.
“Those down below will be Your undoing, evil girl,” Mother whispered. “Now Your fate is sealed.”
Lienna paused once again in shock. In that moment, Mother had sounded just like Mistress Arisa.
“You should have never been born,” Mother said. “The world would have been a far better place if I had aborted You.”
“No!” Lienna cried out, outraged and horrified by Mother's words. How could She say something so awful to Her daughter, Her only child? It was a savage cruelty. And was it not true that Lienna was a goddess? Mother should be proud of all She'd accomplished. Look at Her children, Her Baels—they were the finest of creatures, and they loved Her.
Her mind in turmoil, Lienna slowly became aware of the world once again when the lances of light, the feeble Bows finally began to make Her flinch. They had grown uncomfortable.
It was only then, when awareness had returned to Her, that She came to see that the children She'd left to hound Ashoka's final wall were being decimated. The Humans were attacking, and without Lienna to throw their boulders aside, Her children were being smashed into gory pulps. Worse, a large contingent of Human warriors had left Ashoka's safety and were carving the Chimeras into bloody tatters.
Lienna rumbled thunder. She had to save Her children. With so few of them still alive, She couldn't afford to allow too many to die. The Humans in their ships would have to be dealt with another time.
“Coward. You worm. Always afraid of shades and shadows,” Mistress Arisa ridiculed.
“Quiet! I don't need Your distraction right now,” Lienna demanded. For a wonder, Mistress actually listened and fell mute.
Lienna raced back to Ashoka, but even as She did, the Human warriors beyond their wall disengaged and raced back for their gate. She smiled grimly. They'd wandered too far from safety. They wouldn't make it back to the walls of their cursed city. Lienna would tear them into red meat and ribbons.
As She thundered toward the helpless Humans, a thousand beams of light lit up from Ashoka's walls, ripping into Her. Again with the feeble Bows! Once more, it wasn't painful, but it was distracting. Lienna screamed in frustration. These Humans also knew Talents they had no business knowing. It was forbidden.
“Your Father taught them,” Mother whispered in a voice full of triumph. “Though You murdered Me, You were unable to kill Him. He has prepared those down below. They are ready for Your evil. You can never defeat them. They will defeat You. And when Your life's grace grows thin, Your Father will come to end Your miserable existence.”
“You're letting the Humans escape,” Mistress reminded Her. “Was it Your intention, or merely another manifestation of Your incompetence?”
Lienna didn't bother answering. Mother's final words chilled Her.
The ships were two days gone from Ashoka. At first, it hadn't seemed likely that they would survive since, immediately upon their launch, the Sorrow Bringer had charged after the vessels. It was obvious what She would do, but thankfully, the Queen had turned away. The combination of the Bows thrown up by those on the boats and the city's attack on Her Plague must have dissuaded Suwraith's pursuit of the ships.
Whatever the reason, Rukh was grateful. The Maharajs had escaped. Even if the end result meant that the Queen was now perched near the Inner Wall, protecting Her Chimeras as She slung stone after stone at the Oasis, Rukh was . . . well, he wasn't happy, but he was content.
Everyone who remained in the city knew that what would occur next was the best case out of a poor scenario. While they would still defend Ashoka until the last, they knew that ultimately, the city would fall, the city would burn, and the Sorrow Bringer would triumph.
Rukh stood next to Jessira, and from atop the Inner Wall, they gazed out at Chimeras and the desolation of Ashoka's farms. The Murans claimed they could eventually return the soil to health, but they would likely never have the opportunity.
*The green farms were prettier,* Aia noted.
Rukh glanced at the Kesarin. She and Shon crouched nearby, having earlier decided to disregard any order telling them that they couldn't accompany Rukh and Jessira on the Inner Wall. Thrum felt the same way and was with Jaresh at a position near Kubar Gate.
Rukh noticed Jessira staring out at the ruined fields with a scowl on her face. “There are times I really wish we had taken one of those ships,” she said.
“There are many times I also wish we had taken one of those ships,” he replied.
“When you say 'we', you really mean 'me', as in just me and not us, don't you?” Jessira asked with a soft smile.
Rukh saw no reason to dissemble. “Yes.”
She turned and ran her fingers through his hair. “When will you stop dreaming of the impossible?”
Rukh shrugged. “Probably as long as this Wall lasts,” he answered.
Jessira arched an eyebrow. “Only until then?”
Rukh smiled in grim amusement. “Once the Wall falls, we'll likely be dead.”
A stone slammed close. Chunks of it broke past the Oasis, and Rukh Shielded, automatically extending his protection to Aia. The Kesarin growled.
Jessira shook off a dusting of stones. “It looks like your wish might come true sooner than you t
hink,” she said.
Rukh couldn't help himself. He knew he should just keep quiet, but the words came out anyway. “You're the one who insisted on staying.”
Jessira closed her eyes, looking as though she were searching for patience “He just can't stop talking about it,” she muttered as she walked off.
*I think Jessira is annoyed with you,* Aia noted.
*She is definitely annoyed with you,* Shon confirmed. *She is fiery that way.* He tilted his head to the side. *How could you not know this as her mate?*
*Yes. How could you not know this as my mate?* Jessira snapped.
Rukh didn't respond, knowing nothing he said would help the situation. This was an old argument, one he knew he could never win, but it was also one he couldn't help but revisit. It was like a loose tooth that wouldn't come free.
*I thought your Human was the finest of Humans,* Shon said to Aia. *How then can he be so simple?*
*He isn't simple,* Aia said in outrage. *Rukh is simply looking after the health of those in his glaring. It isn't his fault that your Human is behaving stupidly.*
Rukh was no longer listening. His attention was caught by something else. A huge boulder was hurtling their way. It was massive, almost like a small hill. If it struck the Oasis, it would likely blast its way through and in so doing, annihilate the last of Ashoka's protection from the Sorrow Bringer.
A Spear would split the boulders a voice full of power and command intoned from the depths of Rukh's mind.
He frowned in puzzlement. The voice hadn't belonged to Aia, Shon, or Thrum. Who, then, had spoken? Unexpected knowledge came to him, and any questions he had disappeared. If a Fireball was mixed with a Bow, it would create a Spear. It was another new Talent. He had no time to think on how such knowledge had come to him.
The huge boulder was tumbling toward the Inner Wall.
Rukh formed a Spear in his hand and thrust it upward. It extended out, a golden bar, further and further, smashing into the hill-sized stone. When the Spear struck, there was a flash and a crack, a high-pitched shriek. It was like bones snapping to shards. The large boulder split, breaking apart into smaller ones that still pounded against the Oasis.
For a moment, Rukh felt a sense of triumph. The Kesarins would have to teach this new Talent to everyone.
His triumph evaporated, and he watched in dismay as the remnant rocks from the large boulder impacted the Oasis. Where they struck, there were shimmers in the air, a ripple like a heat wave. Most of the massive stones were repelled. But one, the largest . . . when it struck the Oasis, it slowed and seemed to hold in place for an interminable instant. Then it was moving again. It thudded with a hollow reverberation against the Inner Wall. A snapping sound came then, like a whip wielded by a giant. It cracked with the force of thunder. Suddenly, more stones were hitting the wall, these from the Chimera siege engines.
The Oasis was down.
A cry arose from the Fan Lor Kum, a low-throated growl of triumph and bloodlust. It would have been a sound to chill the heart but not when compared to the gibbering screams of the Sorrow Bringer. She shrieked madness and conquest.
Rukh's mouth went dry. His stomach felt light. This was it. This was the end of Ashoka. The end of his home. Fear rose, but he quickly mastered it.
Frag it. There was nothing to do but get the work done. More rocks came, and Rukh Shielded. Another huge stone was hurled in their direction, and he formed another Spear, hammering the boulder into pebbles.
Rukh never saw the marble-sized rock that punched through his Shield and hit him in the head.
Jessira had no notion of how Rukh had broken apart the huge boulder that had threatened to flatten them. She didn't know how he had created the golden bar that had thrust up from his hands like a battering ram. She only wished he'd had the time to teach them this latest Talent. The battle for Ashoka's Inner Wall could have been won if he had been able to do so.
A Spear was what it was called, or at least she thought so. That's what Rukh had said anyway. A Spear would hurl the boulders away. Those had been the words he'd spoken in that deep, commanding voice, the one that didn't entirely sound like him.
Jessira would have wondered more about what Rukh had said and done, but her questions would have to wait. The Oasis was down. Even now the Chimeras were rushing forward, certain of their imminent victory, while high above, the Sorrow Bringer bellowed Her triumph. Ashoka's warriors along the Wall roared in response. The city wouldn't go down like a lamb before the lion.
Jessira added her shout of defiance to those of her brother warriors. She unsheathed her sword and Shielded, readying herself for what was to come. The Chimeras would attempt to forge a beach head on the Wall. They would try to press into the city under the protection of Suwraith.
Jessira's heart pounded.
It would be just like Stronghold.
She breathed shallow and fast.
Everyone would die.
Jessira' vision grew dim and dark. Sounds became dull. Jessira blinked heavily, trying to will her eyes to clear. She forced herself to take deeper breaths, steady her racing heart, master her panic.
*I'm with you,* Shon said, his voice comforting as he rubbed against her.
The world snapped back into roaring focus, and Jessira rubbed her Kesarin's shoulder in silent gratitude.
Another large boulder was descending toward them.
Again from Rukh's hands came the dense, golden bar. It was like light made solid. When it struck, the boulder disintegrated with a rapping crack. Stones of every size flew out in every direction, and Jessira hardened her Shield. A number of small rocks rattled against it. Shon yowled, and she extended her coverage, protecting the Kesarin. All along the line, a similar scene played out as the warriors defended themselves against the rocks and boulders that penetrated past the ruptured Oasis.
Jessira turned to Rukh just as a marble-sized stone plunged through his Shield. It impacted against his head with the sickening thud of smashed melon. Rukh went down, limp and lifeless.
For a moment, Jessira was sure he was dead. She rushed to his side, her heart drumming her terror.
Aia reached him first. *He lives,* she said.
Rukh groaned, muttering something unintelligible. “I'm all right,” he managed to mumble as he sat up. He tried to stand and stumbled about before falling to the ground once again.
*We have to move,* Shon said, sounding frightened. *The Demon Wind approaches.*
Jessira glanced heavenward. There, silhouetted against the blue sky was Suwraith, coming on fast. From Her issued a scourge of lightning and a ripping gale. Hail the size of a robin's eggs fell.
*Put him on my back,* Aia urged. *I'll carry him to safety.*
Jessira quickly did as the Kesarin ordered.
*Hold on,* Aia told Rukh before she leapt away.
*We have to go,* Shon said, his voice urgent. *You can't run fast enough.*
He bent low, and Jessira immediately knew what he wanted. She clambered onto his back and settled herself behind his shoulders. She bent low and clutched his fur tight.
The wind rushed against her face as Shon jolted into a dead sprint.
Mother had already crushed the Oasis and hammered a hole in the Inner Wall. The Chimeras poured through the breach. As usual, howling Tigons led the way followed by hissing Braids, barking Ur-Fels, and hooting Balants. The Baels strode amongst their lesser brethren. Their bone-deep bellows carried above the clamor, and their glowing whips cracked out, giving special emphasis to their orders. The Baels were doing their best to slow the progress of the Chimeras, but Mother's warriors were a savage horde. They were an armed and armored tide of weapons and bloodlust that couldn't be held back forever.
Li-Choke noted all this as he led his Baels and Tigons to safety—or at least as much safety as could be found in doomed Ashoka. They were joined in their flight by many others, some of them warriors that Choke's Baels and Tigons had been serving alongside when the Oasis had fallen.
Like Ch
oke, these warriors must have fled before Mother could reach them. Those who had not chosen the wisdom of retreat would already be dead by now. Just as She had at Stronghold, Mother had brought with Her a whipping sandstorm. With it, She had scoured all life from atop the Inner Wall. Any who had stayed to face Her might would be dust in the wind.
“Where we go?” Chak-Soon asked after they'd travelled a mile or so into the city. During their short retreat, he had somehow been able to maintain calm in the face of this unspeakable disaster.
Choke took a measure of courage from the Tigon. While Death would come for them all, the Bael hoped to face that dread gaze with grace and courage. “We'll go to the Shektan House Seat.”
Before they could make their way west, a Smash of Chimeras surged out of a narrow lane. There was a lustful cry as the Chimeras took in the fleeing Humans, none of whom happened to be warriors. Balants were in the lead, and they paused long enough to hoot their wrath and smash their clubs against the ground. Their actions only served to clog the lane, and the Jut, the Bael commander, roared for them to press forward.
Choke was about to gesture his Baels and Tigons into a wedge in order to attack the Smash, but he realized a better option was available.
“Halt!” he shouted to the Balants.
The elephant-sized Chimeras shambled to a stop, while Choke led his warriors forward. The rest of the Smash curdled in the alley, and the Humans took the distraction to scatter and escape. Good.
The Jut in command managed to extricate himself past the Balants, and he strode forward, demanding to know why the Smash had come to a stop. He lashed out with his whip, striving to drive the Balants on, but he pulled up short upon seeing Li-Choke and the other Baels and Tigons. “What is the meaning of this?” he demanded.
Choke merely rattled his rank feathers, the ones that proclaimed his status as a Vorsan. “The meaning of this is that you will offer proper respect to those of higher rank,” he said.
