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To all my readers
PART ONE
THE QUEST
FROM IALU’S DIARY
I still ponder the meaning of what happened on Tahai Azeh. And its effect on your future, Elin.
Where will the path you have chosen lead you?
And where will the path I have chosen lead me?
When the rebel army clashed with the Aluhan’s forces on Tahai Azeh, I was driven by a longing for change, but now I wonder if I made the right choice.
Generations of Yojeh had protected this kingdom’s purity by renouncing the corruption of war. Their unwavering integrity and sanctity were the soul of this land, the very heart of its people, making Lyoza rare among nations. But it was wrong to maintain that purity through the sacrifice of others’ blood.
Even though each successive Aluhan chose defilement willingly to protect this realm on the Yojeh’s behalf, only those who lived in Aluhan territory were forced to kill and be killed. The Yojeh and her people should have considered more carefully what that meant.
Like the Toda, those ferocious beasts whose blood-drenched fangs decimate enemy troops and rout their cavalry, the Aluhan and his people were feared, despised, and carelessly discarded, even though they had protected this country for centuries. It was only natural that they should long for change.
So many choices were made that day on the plain of Tahai Azeh. Uncertain of the answer, yet guided by their own convictions, each person made what seemed the only possible choice. And now those choices have generated a relentless surge of change.
I doubt you can escape that wave unscathed, Elin.
On the plain of Tahai Azeh, the Aluhan witnessed how easily a Royal Beast could slaughter his ‘invincible’ Toda troops. We all knew that those majestic creatures, the symbol of the Yojeh, could kill Toda. But we believed they could not be tamed or controlled, and so the Aluhan had never thought to fear their existence. On that day, however, he saw you command Leelan to vanquish the Toda.
If Royal Beasts can be controlled by man, that changes everything.
The Yojeh vowed never to use them as weapons again. As her promise is sacred, I am sure she will try to keep it. But that does not change the fact that you and the Royal Beasts are in a precarious position. If people in other countries learn what you have done, someone is bound to try to capture and use the Beasts. Although the skills required to handle them cannot be acquired overnight, the day will come when a rival country develops its own Royal Beast corps. And when it does, this kingdom will be threatened with extinction.
The young Aluhan will never overlook such a risk. He will arise to protect his army of Toda, the symbol of his power and the key to this country’s safety. And whatever steps he may take, they will most certainly impact you, Elin. The only person in the world who can control the Royal Beasts.
ONE
VOICE FROM THE PAST
1
THE KIBA CHAMBER
For a split second, the sky lit up like it was midday, followed moments later by a deafening crack of thunder. Before the last stomach-wrenching rumble had faded, the rain began to fall—a torrential downpour, as though the bottom had dropped from the heavens.
The officer sitting in the carriage reached out and closed the window with a crooked smile. “Well, that’s inconvenient,” he said. “We’ll have to pull up at the entrance to the Stone Chambers unless we want to get soaking wet.”
The woman sitting across from him, however, stared vacantly out the closed window without responding. Running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair, the officer regarded her silently for a moment before trying again. “Lady Elin. You told the driver to stop before we reached the entrance, but it’s pouring. Shall I tell him to drive us to the entrance after all?”
Elin started as though waking from some reverie and turned her eyes toward him. “Pardon me? What did you say, Yohalu?”
A faint smile rose to the man’s lips, but he repeated what he had just said. Elin cast him an apologetic look. “You’re right,” she said. “We will get sopping wet. But it’s forbidden to bring horses too close because it could excite the Toda.”
Yohalu blinked. “Yes, I know, but surely the horses’ scent wouldn’t reach inside in such a downpour.”
“You are probably right,” Elin said. “But Toda Stewards hate to break the rules.”
At this, Yohalu nodded. “True. I suppose we must get wet, then.” He reached down, picked up two conical hats of braided sedge that lay on top of a bag between his feet, and handed one to Elin. “Although I suppose these won’t do us much good in this rain,” he said.
Elin took the hat but did not put it on even when the carriage stopped. Instead, she placed it gently on the seat. Seeing the frown on Yohalu’s face, she said, “I appreciate your concern, but the Stewards don’t like people to enter the caves with their faces concealed. You are wearing a uniform, so in your case, I’m sure it won’t matter. But I had better enter with my face bare.”
She bowed and then reached out to open the door. Yohalu gently moved her hand aside and raised the handle himself, pushing the door open. “After you,” he said.
Elin bowed once more and then stepped into the onslaught. Although she was drenched in seconds, she silently thanked the chill rain that soaked her body, dripped from her hair, and ran down her forehead. This way, no one would know if the drops that poured down her cheeks were water or tears.
The smell of wet trees and grass enveloped her. The huge rock face was split by a black fissure, the entrance to the caves where the Toda were kept. It loomed ominously through the haze of rain, and the figures hurrying in and out of that crack reminded her of ants scurrying to and from their nest.
Yohalu stepped down from the carriage to stand beside her. Catching sight of him, the guards outside the entrance snapped to attention. The sweet scent of Toda slime, which not even the rain could erase, wafted toward Elin, and she gripped the collar of her robe tightly. As she made a dash for the entrance, taking care not to slip in the mud and conscious of the curious stares directed toward her, she fought to shield her mind and keep herself from being swept into the maelstrom of memories that surged inside her. Even so, she heard once again the mourning wail of the Toda, a shrill keening sound like wind whistling through a broken pipe. With it came the memory of a dawn more than twenty years ago that had changed her life forever. She shuddered.
Although this was not the Toda village where she had been raised, the caves were built just like the ones she remembered from her childhood: A large cavern inside the entrance, known as the Hall, branched off into multiple caves called the Stone Chambers. Torches in wall brackets burned vigorously, sending shadows dancing across the damp stone.
The Toda Stewards, who were gathered in the Hall, stared at Elin, wariness evident in their faces. Enormous Toda carcasses lay on straw mats spread across the floor. Five days had already passed since their deaths, and the
mucous membrane that cloaked their bodies had dried, making them appear like wooden carvings coated in glue rather than the bodies of once-living creatures.
All Toda were fearsome beasts that could bear warriors swiftly across the battlefield, scattering cavalry before them, but the largest and strongest were the Kiba or “fangs.” These formed the vanguard, and they could massacre enemy troops.
Five days ago, every single Kiba in the village of Tokala had been found dead, a disaster for the Toda Stewards that managed the Stone Chambers. It was the chief inspector’s job to investigate the cause of death and punish those responsible. Soon after the news had reached him, he arrived in the village and seized the man responsible for their care. But for some reason, the man’s punishment had been deferred by order of the Aluhan, and a new inspector had been summoned. It now dawned on the Stewards that the new inspector was a woman, and their consternation deepened.
Shifting her eyes from the Kiba carcasses, Elin walked over to where the Stewards stood along the wall. “Who is your chief?” she asked.
A white-haired man jerked, then inclined his head timidly. When she drew near enough for him to see the color of her eyes, surprise suffused his face.
“I am not an Ahlyo,” Elin said quietly before he could speak. “My mother was, but she was expelled by her people when she chose to wed my father. My father was a Toda Steward.”
The man’s eyes flickered, and he frowned as though trying to dredge up some distant memory. Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up. “So you … You’re the one? From Akeh Village?”
Elin nodded. A murmur rose behind him. The younger Stewards looked puzzled, but the elders could not conceal their shock. Tokala was close to Akeh, and many of them had kin there. Despite the strict ban on even mentioning that incident, they had all heard about the Ahlyo woman from Akeh who had been blamed for the death of the Kiba and executed by being thrown into the Toda swamp.
Hearing a commotion at the entrance, Elin turned to see the guards move aside. A man robed in red with a wide ornate sash stepped into the cavern. The chief inspector. She drew in a sharp breath and felt her scalp tighten. A wave of fierce loathing rolled through her.
He must have heard that she had arrived. There was a suspicious look on his arrogant face as he marched boldly toward them. Even though he could not possibly be the same man who had executed her mother to protect himself, just the sight of his robe set her pulse racing.
Returning her gaze to the Chief Steward, she said quickly and quietly, “I didn’t come to punish any of you. I came to prove that you weren’t responsible for the deaths of the Kiba. Please lend me your aid.” The man’s eyes widened slightly.
“I heard that the Aluhan’s envoy has arrived,” the inspector called out in a booming voice. “Where is he? In the Stone Chambers?”
Elin turned to face him. “Chief Inspector, I am his envoy.”
The man halted and gaped at her. “You?”
“Yes.”
A frown twisted his features, and he took a step forward, as if to intimidate her. Elin stood her ground, returning his gaze calmly. At that moment, Yohalu ambled over to stand beside her. He nodded at the inspector and said, “So you’re the son of Yalaku? You look just like your father. It must be two years now since he passed away.”
The inspector looked puzzled, but when his gaze fell upon Yohalu’s sash, his eyes widened. “Sir! You … You’re a member of the Black Armor?”
“No, no,” Yohalu said, waving his hand. “I no longer wear the black armor. Too old for that now. I just serve as a companion for the Aluhan when he needs someone to talk to.” He placed a hand on Elin’s shoulder. “And sometimes I serve as an escort. I suppose it must be hard to believe that a woman could be an inspector, but I can assure you that she was indeed sent by the Aluhan.”
The inspector blinked rapidly. “I beg your pardon, sir, but the fact that a new inspector was sent … Was there some aspect of my work with which the Aluhan was displeased?”
Before Elin could respond, Yohalu shook his head. “No, not at all. There’s no need for you to worry. Your task is to manage and inspect the Toda Stewards. In other words, your job is to investigate the mistakes made by men. But she has been sent here to investigate the Toda, not men at all.”
As she listened to Yohalu smoothly allay the man’s fears, Elin reflected once again that he was no ordinary bodyguard. The Black Armor was an elite band of warriors that protected the Aluhan, and she had heard that they were chosen from his own kin for their exceptional intelligence and military prowess. If Yohalu had been a member of the Black Armor, then he must be Shunan’s blood kin.
She gazed at his calm, friendly features. Maybe he was sent to keep an eye on me, she thought. Shunan would have chosen someone of such high rank because he trusted Yohalu. Although she had already guessed that the Aluhan felt she needed not just protection but also supervision, her heart sank every time she confirmed this suspicion.
She took a breath and pushed these thoughts away. There’s no point in dwelling on it. You chose this path yourself. Thanks to that, there are still things you can do.
She turned toward the row of carcasses.
* * *
Elin had reached the Aluhan’s castle, Aluhan Ula, in the morning three days earlier. With little time to prepare for the journey, she had been thrust on a horse almost as soon as she had received the Aluhan’s summons. Although she did not know why she had been summoned, the sight of his castle, surrounded by formidable walls of enormous stone and watchtowers that pierced the sky, had filled her with a strange, crushing dread that made her feel very small.
A fortress for men who wage war, she had thought. It was a far cry from the Yojeh’s palace, which was surrounded not by walls, but by a forest in which birds warbled.
She passed under the magnificent gate built by master craftsmen, walked along a colonnade that stretched far into the distance with a ceiling so high it caught her breath, turned down a passageway, and climbed a flight of stairs. By the time she reached the Aluhan’s sitting room, she felt almost dizzy. The room into which her escort ushered her, however, was surprisingly small.
Through the wide-open windows she glimpsed the tops of slender tohk trees. Their small white blossoms were bathed in the soft light of early spring, and when they swayed in the breeze, the light danced across the floor. The room was empty, and once her guide had left, the only sound to be heard was the rustling of leaves. As she stood gazing absently out the window, she heard the door open. Shunan strode into the room followed by a tall, middle-aged man.
“Hello, Elin. Sorry to have kept you waiting when it was I who summoned you here.” At the sound of his voice, Elin hastily knelt on the floor and placed both palms to her forehead in a proper salute.
Shunan acknowledged her greeting with a smile and gestured for her to sit in a chair by the fireplace. Examining her face closely, he said, “You haven’t changed a bit.”
Elin’s cheeks dimpled. “I wish that were true, but I’m already past thirty and feel sure that I must have changed a great deal.”
“Well, you haven’t. Although I hear that you’re a mother now. How’s your son?”
“Too well, I’m afraid. Sometimes I don’t know what to do with him.”
A father of two himself, Shunan grinned appreciatively. “I can imagine. If he’s anything like you, we can expect great things in the future.”
Elin looked away at this, but Shunan’s keen eyes must have caught the shadow that crossed her face, because he changed the subject smoothly. “And how about you? Do you have any stiffness in your back from that old arrow wound?”
Elin shook her head. “Thank you for your concern, but fortunately, no, I have not had any problems with it.”
The arrow that had struck her when she had shielded Shunan had penetrated deeply into the muscle, but a bone had stopped the point before it could damage any organs. Even so, it took a long time for her to move her arm without pain. Both the Yojeh Seimiya and the
Aluhan Shunan had granted her request to return to the Kazalumu Beast Sanctuary to heal. Eleven years had passed since then, and during that time, Elin had fallen in love, wed, and borne a child. Back then, she could never have imagined that such changes would happen in her life.
During the last ten years, the kingdom had also changed. Yet there were times, such as on a quiet summer’s afternoon, when she could almost imagine her life would go on like this forever. The grim-faced guards stationed at the Beast Sanctuary, however, always reminded her that this was merely a transient peace. When the Aluhan’s messenger had arrived unannounced, her first thought was that the time had finally come.
The morning light etched shadows on Shunan’s face. His expression was gentle, but the muscles around his eyes were tense. He probably wasn’t getting enough sleep, she thought. His sallow skin exposed an underlying fatigue.
On Tahai Azeh, Shunan’s younger brother had murdered his father. When he realized that he had been used, he had hung himself by his belt in his cell without waiting for judgment. Shunan’s mother had lost her mind, unable to bear the tragic deaths of her husband and younger son. Alone, without any parent to bless him, Shunan had succeeded to the position of Aluhan and married Seimiya. Having wed the woman he loved and launched a new era with his own hands, he should have been a happy young man, but he had lost so much to achieve that union. Although he had willingly accepted all this suffering to gain a brighter future for the kingdom, the fruits of his efforts had been far from satisfactory.
The Aluhan’s union with the Yojeh had taken a great weight from the hearts of those who lived in Aluhan territory. Many were deeply moved that the Yojeh had chosen to wed him. They rejoiced at the new opportunity to qualify for posts in the central government, a path formerly denied to them, and longed for this marriage to erase the resentment and sense of misfortune that had smoldered in their breasts for generations.
The Beast Warrior Page 1
