by Aaron Hodges
Despite the presence of his fellow humans, it felt odd to walk so freely amongst the Tangata. There were no guards now, no bonds or watchful eyes. Only Sophia and that gentle smile.
Did the Tangata truly trust their human slaves so easily? What was to keep them from attempting an escape, even after swearing themselves to their assignment? Though even as the thought came to him, Lukys realised the futility of such an action. Where would they go? The Tangata were faster and stronger, better in the wilderness than even the Calafe. It would not take long for the creatures to hunt down an escaped human. Lukys had no doubts as to what would happen then.
The numbers on the street swelled as they made their way deeper into the city, though they still numbered nowhere near the crowds in human cities such as Mildeth or Ashura. He found himself scanning those who passed them, practicing spotting his human comrades.
His lips twisted into a frown as he glimpsed something strange amongst the crowd. Distracted, his foot caught on a loose cobble and he stumbled, barely catching himself before he fell. Something that sounded distinctly like laughter touched his mind and he scowled to see the eyes of several Tangata upon him. They looked away as he met their gaze, but the whispers continued. These creatures did not know he could hear them.
Shaking himself, Lukys attempted to close his thoughts to the sound and focused on what he’d seen. Sophia had come to a stop nearby, but she said nothing as he searched the pedestrians moving around them. For a moment he thought the group might have already passed on…
There! Lukys stared as the two children wandered past. Their grey eyes were fixed on the curb beneath their feet, arms stretched out wide, and they trailed behind an adult, trying to keep up as they balanced on the stone lip.
“What the hell…” Lukys muttered.
He started after them, but Sophia stepped between him and the youngsters.
What are you doing?
I’ve never seen Tangatan children before, he admitted.
The sight shattered the last remnants of the lie he’d been taught his entire life. Watching the boy and girl wander past, playing on the street as any human child might have done…it was impossible to resolve with the image of the Tangatan savage, of monsters that sought nothing but the extinction of humanity.
Did you think we grew on trees? Sophia asked, one eyebrow raised.
Lukys shook his head. The two had fallen off the curb and were now leaping from cobble to cobble, obviously trying to keep from stepping on the cracks. Their minder had noticed the delay and turned back to collect them. His eyes were a light blue.
“You trust us with your children?” he whispered.
The amusement vanished from Sophia’s face. Come, she said, taking him by the arm. We’re almost there.
Lukys allowed himself to be led away, though not without a sense of confusion at Sophia’s reaction. Why did she want him away from the children? He kept an eye out for others as they continued, but after a few more turns, they found themselves in quieter streets. Here, the vibrant colours of the buildings did not change—or rather, they continued to change with every building they passed, and Lukys found himself wondering again at the beauty created by Calafe’s spirit of individuality.
Where exactly are we going? Lukys asked finally.
There was a strange look about Sophia as she glanced at him. Our new home.
Before he could question her further, she came to a stop in the street. Lukys paused beside her, realising they stood before a set of open wooden gates. A narrow corridor beyond led into what appeared to be small courtyard. The buildings here were only two stories high and even with the day still young, he could see the space was lit by sun.
“Here?” he asked.
Sophia nodded and took his hand. He flinched at the intimate touch, though her hand was surprisingly warm, and flashed her a sharp look.
Together, remember? she murmured.
Lukys detected a sad undertone to her voice, as though his resistance to her touch hurt her. But she was right. The Matriarch, the Tangata, everyone in this city believed he had sworn himself to her. He needed to play the part. Swallowing, he accepted her hand and he gave her fingers a squeeze, trying to reassure her. Sophia seemed to take the action as acceptance, and led the way through the open gates.
Inside the courtyard, a single tree stretched up above the low roofs, its wiry branches brightened by the same pink blossoms that had lined the main avenue through the city. Someone must sweep the cobbles within the court regularly though, for the stones were free of both blossoms and dirt. To their right a set of polished wooden stairs led up to a terrace that ringed the courtyard. Doors to inner rooms led from both the terrace and the lower floors, and Lukys guessed each must belong to a different household.
Wooden tables and benches had been placed out in the courtyard and several figures were already seated there, steaming mugs lifted to their lips. A sharp pressure tightened around Lukys’s chest as he caught the distinct northern twang of Perfugian accents amidst the group’s chatter. He let out a heavy breath as he recognised several faces, his last reservations fading. Sophia hadn’t been lying. His friends were alive.
Heart racing, he started towards them. Several spotted Lukys as he approached and soon the entire group were clapping him on the back and welcoming him to the yard. Despite himself, Lukys found himself laughing, grinning alongside his friends. Travis appeared, dragging him into another bearhug, then Dale was gripping his hand.
After so long alone in the darkness, it felt surreal to suddenly be surrounded by people, by his friends. Somehow he’d expected them to be changed somehow, broken by their own time in isolation, their wills crushed by Tangatan captors. But the smiles on his fellow recruits’ faces seemed…genuine. They were happy, just as Sophia had said. It was more than any of them had experienced in Fogmore.
He spotted Sophia standing at the edge of the group, her arms folded, watching him. Their eyes met and he offered a tentative smile. She nodded back, and her voice whispered in his mind.
I told you.
“So you finally decided to join us!” Travis said, drawing Lukys’s attention back to the bulky recruit.
“I…guess so,” Lukys said, managing a smile. Despite his friends’ apparent happiness, it was overwhelming, being amongst them again.
“Glad you finally saw the light,” Dale said with an approving nod.
“Yeah…”
Lukys was surprised to find Dale in such a bright mood. In a way, he’d expected that of Travis, as he always seemed to find the silver lining in any given situation. But Dale…he was a true noble born, proud and aloof. It had taken him weeks just to accept Lukys as his equal. And he had loathed the Tangata. Now he smiled and laughed while one stood watching from just a few feet away?
“Care for a coffee?” Travis offered, gesturing to the tables. “I’m sure Isabella can rustle you up a mug. She does tend to burn it, unfortunately, but it’s still better than that river water they used to feed us in Fogmore.”
“Coffee?” Lukys frowned. Where had the creatures gotten coffee? “Isabella?”
Dale gave Travis a punch in the shoulder. “Slow your boots, the man’s just walked in.” He grinned at Lukys. “Relax, Lukys. You look like you’re about to have an aneurysm. Why don’t you take your lass upstairs? She was here last night, she knows which door is yours. We can swap stories later…” For a moment, Dale faltered. “I…already told them what happened in the north.”
Still in a bit of a daze, Lukys nodded, finding Sophia still standing nearby. It didn’t seem like she was going to join them, so he took Dale’s advice and bid his comrades goodbye. There was obviously more he needed to know about their situation—best he find out from Sophia rather than being caught in a lie by his own friends.
They seem happy, he noted as he re-joined her.
She raised her eyebrows. You seem surprised.
Lukys shrugged, deciding it was best not to explain himself. He watched as the recruits retur
ned to their table.
Why keep us together? he asked.
This new life can be…difficult for new assignments, Sophia replied. The Matriarch has found your kind are able to make the adjustment easier with company from their former lives. It gives them a sense of normality.
Lukys nodded. And what of their Tangata? he asked. Shouldn’t they be here with their new…assignments?
They have already bonded, Sophia said, looking away.
Again he sensed the sadness in her words. What was the importance of these assignments that the Tangata seemed to covet? His resistance was clearly a source of disappointment, if not pain, for Sophia. He wished he could understand why.
When he didn’t respond, Sophia started towards the stairwell, leading them up onto the terrace. It felt surreal to walk along the squeaking boards, listening to the voices of his comrades whispering up from below, to feel the sun upon his face. Ahead, Sophia stopped at a door and turned the copper doorknob. It opened without resistance—apparently there was no need for locks here.
She disappeared inside, but Lukys hesitated in the doorway. This all seemed so normal, as though he had somehow stepped into another world, one where the war between Tangata and humanity had never existed.
But it was a lie. He could feel it in his soul, a wrongness about it all, even in the way Sophia looked at him—as though she were looking for something in his eyes. He lingered on the terrace, watching as she turned back to him, and for a moment he wondered if he should run. Sure, he wouldn’t make the front gates, and yet…
…wouldn’t that be better than betraying his people?
A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered the Tangatan children. There’d been no children in Fogmore—they’d all fled with their families, heading north in search of safety. Only the soldiers and those who supplied them had remained. Yet here…the children played freely in the streets, and humans and Tangata mingled openly, without hatred or strife. Could it really be so easy?
Are you coming? Sophia’s voice whispered in his mind.
Lukys swallowed as he looked into those grey eyes. Then he nodded and stepped into the house.
For some reason, he’d expected to find the inside somehow different, as though everything before had only been an illusion to get him here. But it wasn’t like the Tangata needed to scheme—Sophia could have forced him here with one arm tied behind her back. So he shouldn’t have been surprised to find the inside of the house as normal as the courtyard outside.
He stood in a small, undecorated foyer that opened out into a plain dining room. Sophia had paused in the foyer to remove her boots and after a moment’s hesitation, Lukys did the same. In Fogmore, the mud had been so bad most had given up keeping it from their dwellings. Strange that the Tangata should have a greater sense of cleanliness than the militaristic Flumeerens.
Now in socks, Lukys moved into the dining room. A mahogany table was in the centre, while a cabinet of fine porcelain plates stood in the corner. Silver cutlery glinted from a shorter cabinet, and there was no small amount of other finery, lamps and carved wooden animals and teapots. The sight made Lukys lift his eyebrows—were they to have dinner parties in the future?
But no, it had probably belonged to the place’s former owner. No doubt they had left in a rush—or perhaps they’d been killed when the Tangata had taken the city.
The thought shook Lukys from his stupor. Hardening his heart, he allowed Sophia to lead him through the rest of the apartment. They passed from the dining room through a second living space, this time furnished with a plain sofa and coffee table, an unlit fireplace stacked with wood in the corner.
A rich scent hung in the air, and as they passed through the room, Lukys spied the kitchen through another door. He hesitated, then diverted from Sophia’s tour. In the kitchen he found an iron coal stove and a simple dining table. Warmth radiated from the stove, as though it had been recently used. His eyes were drawn to the wooden board set on the table, where a loaf of bread was cooling.
Lukys… Sophia’s voice called to him.
He turned in the doorway, finding her standing behind him. “Did you…bake that?” he asked.
To his surprise, the Tangata’s cheeks turned red. It was…an experiment.
Lukys couldn’t help it—he laughed. A grin split his face as he watched the inhuman creature that had haunted his nightmares for so long grow brighter. Had he actually found himself in some parallel reality? It seemed the only explanation.
Finally he managed to catch his breath, though his smile remained. It smells good, he offered. Can I try some?
The Tangata’s eyebrows lifted in surprise and she seemed to hesitate. Then she swallowed, glancing away. Yes…but not yet. There’s something you need to see…first.
Lukys frowned at the tone of her voice, but she was already moving away. There was only one other door that adjoined the second living room. Sophia crossed to stand before it, then hesitated, glancing at him one last time.
Come.
She disappeared within.
Letting out a sigh, Lukys followed. He stepped into the last room and found her standing in the far corner, eyes on the floor, feet scuffing the wooden boards. His frown deepened as he crossed to her, but he only made it a few feet before the contents of the room drew his attention. He froze.
Stumbling to a stop, Lukys stared at the bed. A duvet of white silk shone in the light from the windows and half a dozen pillows had been stacked against the oaken headboard. There was not a hint of straw on the floor as was common in the dormitories of Perfugia and Flumeer, suggesting a mattress stuffed of fur or feathers. It was far more luxurious than any bed he had ever seen in his life.
There was also only one.
I’m sorry, Sophia’s voice spoke into his mind. Her cheeks were even brighter than a few moments earlier.
Lukys could only stand there gaping, the wheels of his mind still churning, struggling to place the pieces of the puzzle together.
“What is this?” he whispered.
There was a long silence before Sophia answered.
You trusted me with your life, she said softly. He was surprised to see her eyes were shining. Now I must trust you with a secret the Tangata have kept from your people for generations.
21
The Fallen
A fire glowed in the valley below.
Crouched amongst the rocks, Romaine looked down at the campsite. The light had appeared suddenly as they marched through the night, appearing beyond the boulders that filled the valley floor. Yasin had called a halt immediately and they had backtracked far enough to ensure they would not run afoul of any scouts that might be patrolling the area. Then they had scaled the escarpment at the edge of the valley to gain a vantage point over Erika’s people.
Now looking down at the flickering fire, Romaine could hardly believe the chase was at an end. It had taken another two nights—longer perhaps than Yasin would have preferred—but finally Cara’s rescue was at hand. Shadows flickered close to the flames and he found himself wondering which was the Goddess, which was Erika. The gloom made it impossible to discern one person from another.
In truth, the queen’s spy had made their task easy. Romaine had said nothing of his discovery to the others, but the following nights he’d paid greater attention to Yasin’s actions, and had soon begun to spot more of the phosphorescent X’s himself. He wondered at the person who dared to commit such treason against his kingdom, to gift his loyalty to a foreign sovereign.
Or perhaps their unknown benefactor was simply one of the few believers amongst the Gemaho, one who renounced their king’s blasphemy.
Regardless, it wouldn’t be long now before the spy’s identity was revealed and Cara freed. A lump rose in his throat at the thought of seeing the little Goddess again. They had hardly spoken a word to each other after the disaster on the Illmoor. It had been too much, the pain of his injuries, of their loss. Lukys and Travis and all the other Perfugians, gone in an instant. The two
of them left alone to grieve. Even then, at least they might have had each other, if not for Erika…
“We’ll make camp here,” Yasin said, interrupting his train of thought. The warrior rose and retreated from the edge of the valley.
“Why not take them now?” Romaine questioned. “There can’t be more than twenty.” Yasin’s own fighters numbered some thirty. “If we attack under the cover of darkness, by surprise, they’re like to surrender with barely a fight.”
“Is that so, Calafe?” Yasin asked as the others gathered close. A smile tugged at the man’s face as he glanced at Romaine’s hand and raised an eyebrow. “Suppose you’ll be leading the charge?”
Romaine scowled. The queen’s man had grown progressively more dismissive of Romaine and Lorene over the past days, as though he blamed them for their quarry’s continuing evasiveness. That was at an end now though, and grinding his teeth, Romaine gestured back towards the valley.
“Did you have a better plan?”
The warrior smirked. “I prefer not to go barrelling into a fight blind, Calafe,” he replied with a smirk. “First I’m going to scout their camp and see what we’re up against.”
“And risk stumbling into one of their scouts in the dark?” Romaine argued.
Yasin stepped in close and narrowed his eyes. “What’s your rush, man?” he asked softly. “Are you so eager to rescue your precious Goddess? These are Nguyen’s soldiers we’re talking about. He might not have our queen’s nuance, but the man’s not a fool. I won’t throw my men’s lives away by rushing into a trap, though I’m starting to see what went wrong with those sorry Perfugians you led into Calafe.”
Romaine almost struck the man. Red flashed across his vision and he dropped a hand to the hilt of his sword. Yasin didn’t react. Dark eyes regarded Romaine and a smile touched the warrior’s lips. There was no hint of fear in his posture, no concern for the man he faced, though Romaine towered over him.
