by Jon F. Merz
Zal chuckled. “A good test, I would say. I mean aside from the one we tried earlier right before you showed up.”
“Why would you kill them like that? They were your people.”
Zal spat on the ground. “They were not my people. They stood against me and served my brother. Traitors to my cause, they deserved to die. As do you.” He nodded, and the guards shoved Ran toward the cage where Cassandra and Kuva sat. “Put him inside and lock them in properly. I don’t want any more surprises while we finish things up.”
Ran climbed into the cage. “What are you up to, Zal?”
Zal turned and looked at him. “I’m going to detonate this entire mountain and bring it down around my brother’s empire.”
“What?”
Zal pointed at the boxes. “Small caches like this have been strategically placed at a number of places in the catacombs. When I detonate one of them, the others will all explode in a synchronized series of events that will utterly bury my brother and his people.”
“I thought you wanted to conquer them?”
Zal laughed. “Oh, no. That was simply a ruse so no one would figure out my true intent of mining all the blue rock out of the ground so I could use it for my true purpose: the extinction of the Mung.”
“They wouldn’t be extinct if you’re still alive.”
Zal shrugged. “True, but I would be the only one of my people, and within a few generations my bloodline would be so diluted that none would ever know of the race that I was from.”
“You want to kill them all that badly because you were exiled? Seems a bit extreme.”
“You don’t have the right to judge me,” said Zal. “What do you know of my race? Who they are or what they’ve done to me?”
“Bak chang huq yarol,” said Ran.
“Where did you learn those words?” Zal demanded. “Who told them to you?”
Ran smiled. “As a matter of fact, your brother did when I was his guest earlier today. He’s a very proud man, proud of his people, and he seems to lead by example. He’s concerned for their future and wants to insure they have one above ground.”
“My brother.” Zal shook his head. “Thieving bastard that he is. He would tell you all of those things, but he lies. My brother is a ruthless man hellbent on world domination.”
Ran sighed. “I disagree. He was true to his word when we fought. He gave me my freedom.”
“So you fought him? How did that happen?”
“Iqban dragged me there as his prisoner, intending to sell me to Zaqil for a price.”
“Really, and why would he do that?”
Ran shrugged. “Because Iqban is crazy. Or at least he was. He’s dead now.”
“You killed him?”
“Your brother had him roasted alive.”
“So you see how ruthless he can be.” Zal held his arms out. “Do you even know what those words mean that he taught you? Do you?”
“The heart of life beats beneath,” said Ran. “He explained their meaning and the importance of them to every Mung.”
“You are a fool, Ran from Nehon,” said Zal. “My brother is a master manipulator. He is an expert in telling people what they want to hear in order to get them to do something for him. Obviously he must have thought you were valuable enough to keep alive, which makes me wonder what he must have thought about you. Did he know something about you that I do not? What secrets did you tell him about yourself? My brother wouldn’t simply let you walk out of his kingdom unless you could prove valuable later on.”
“I don’t know what it was,” said Ran. “We fought, and he promised me my freedom if I won. I did win. He was true to his word. I actually respected him.”
Zal walked over to the cage. “You would respect a man that kicked his own brother out of the kingdom?”
“Half-brother,” said Ran.
“Family!” Zal wiped his forehead. “He should have respected me and my position enough to give me more than he ever did. But no, because I was the son of a whore instead of a queen, he used his position to trump me at every instance. While he ascended the steps of greatness, I was left behind like some pathetic little idiot. Told to sit in the corner and play quietly while the real royals attended to the serious affairs of running a kingdom. I was humiliated at every turn. And when I dared reach for something more than what I’d been given, I was stripped of it all and sent packing.”
“Interesting perspective,” said Ran. “I don’t know which person I’d be more inclined to agree with: the guy who used me as slave labor or the brother who set me free. Tough choice.”
“Impudent fool,” said Zal again. “You might have a rosy version of my brother inside that dumb head of yours, but I can assure that he is nothing if not capable of letting people only see what they want to see. For you to see the real man he is, you would have needed to be there for years, not mere hours. You have been played and played well. I’ve never begrudged him his excellence in manipulating people.”
“I don’t think I was manipulated,” said Ran. “And he could have killed me if he’d wanted to. I could have ended up as dinner for his people the way Iqban did.”
“Iqban was a fool, too,” said Zal. “Why on earth would he try to strike a bargain with my brother?”
“Greed,” said Ran. “The same thing that led to your downfall, it would appear.”
“This isn’t about greed,” said Zal. He stalked around the cage now, staring at Ran and his companions. “This is about righting the wrongs that have persisted for decades. This is about me demanding some respect and finally figuring out the way to ensure that I get some.”
“So what happens, you tell your brother that you’re going to blow him up and he suddenly decides to abdicate the throne? He already interrupted your invasion plans earlier. He’d decimate you.”
Zal sniffed. “The invasion was a ruse. I told you that. My brother isn’t the only one who can manipulate people. And I used him to my advantage. While his men were killing off my hired army, I was placing the explosive caches exactly where they needed to be in his kingdom. The only way I could have done that without being seen was if the majority of his forces were concentrating on killing my troops and defending against a perceived threat that simply never existed.”
Ran shook his head. “You sacrificed those men to achieve your goals?”
“Oh, absolutely. Everything is to be sacrificed to make sure that this plan goes off.”
“And you don’t care that they died like that?”
Zal sighed. “Why would I care? They are hired soldiers. They assume all the risks of employment. If the prospect of death bothers them, then they clearly should not become soldiers. Only a fool would expect to walk into harm’s way and not get harmed. They were tools for me to use as I saw fit. Mithrus had no problems with this. His men followed his orders to the letter.”
“Mithrus is dead, too,” said Ran.
“Just as well,” said Zal. “He would have asked for more money. In any event, my brother used you just as I used the men who died for me.”
“I disagree.”
“Don’t you wonder why he would set you free like that?”
Ran had no intention of telling Zal about their potential relationship. “It never occurred to me to ask.”
“And he certainly wouldn’t have let you wander around the tunnels of his kingdom as if you were a Mung citizen.”
“He didn’t,” said Ran.
Zal leaned against the cage and pressed his face close to the bars. “Really? And pray tell me, how did you ever make your way back to here? You wouldn’t have known which tunnels to take to get here.”
“I didn’t need to. Zaqil gave me a guide. A warrior who led me to the main entrance. From there I simply walked up and found you.”
Zal leaned back. “He gave you a guide?”
“Of course.”
Zal glanced around and then shouted for the soldiers. “Get them into the tunnel immediately.”
The soldiers
started shoving the cage deeper into the cave. Ran held the bars. “What’s got you so spooked?”
“If my brother gave you a guide, then the soldier probably had orders to follow you here and report back what he saw. If my brother knows what I’m up to, he’ll take steps to stop it.” Zal backed away. “But don’t worry. When I set the explosions off, you will be the first to die here. You and your friends alike.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
As Zal’s men pushed the cage farther into the tunnel, Ran saw the slaves getting agitated. Several of them started poking at the shackles that held them to the mouth of the cave. If they could get free, thought Ran, then that would give him cover to work on the cage lock. He needed to get Cassandra and Kuva out of the cage as soon as possible. He had little doubt that Zal would detonate the blue rocks as soon as he thought they were ready to go or if he perceived any type of threat.
Had Zaqil used him? Ran didn’t know. But in his position, Ran might have done the same thing. So he couldn’t really fault the Mung king for having someone follow him, although Ran was a bit upset with himself that he hadn’t noticed anyone following him. I must really need some rest, he thought.
Zal ran all around the cave on stubby legs, shouting orders to the remaining soldiers he had at his disposal. The pack horses that were in the small encampment were loaded up, although Ran suspected the horses thought it was crazy to even think about journeying out in a blizzard the likes of which was blowing now.
“Where are you going to go in this weather?” Ran called to Zal. “You wouldn’t last a mile in that snowstorm. Your horses are terrified. You’ll all freeze to death.”
Zal eyed him as he directed more of his men to position more boxes filled with blue rocks around the area. “It’s better than being blown up, I can assure you. And besides, I know of a shelter nearby.”
“Will it still be there after you blow up the mountain?”
“Of course. It has stood for thousands of years.”
Ran frowned. What sort of shelter could stand that long? “Who built it?”
“Settlers who have long since vanished from this region. It’s a temple nestled in between the pass that leads to the northern lands.” Zal frowned. “Now stop pestering me.”
Ran grinned as Zal turned away from the cage. He immediately set about trying to jimmy the latch on the cage. It was a heavy bolt that snapped into place much like the one that Ran had opened on the Mung cage. The only difference was that Ran had been outside of the cage when he’d opened it, whereas now he was forced to use his hand in an awkward position. Fortunately, he’d been taught to be flexible and snaked his arm through just enough that he could barely reach it.
“Ran.”
He looked back over his shoulder. Kuva motioned for him to come closer. Ran frowned. The big warrior looked pale. Ran knelt and patted him on the arm. “I’m here.”
Kuva smiled at him. “I’m not going to make it. . . . I’ve lost too much blood.”
“Don’t say that, friend. We’ll get you out of here.”
Kuva shook his head. “Even if you’re able to, what good will it do? You said yourself there’s a terrible storm outside. I’ll freeze to death before we can get anywhere safe.” He swallowed and looked back at Ran. “When you get the cage open, take Cassandra and go.”
“I’m not going to do that.”
“You have to. There’s no sense in three of us dying. I’m already dead anyway.”
Ran said nothing, but gripped his friend’s hand. “I can make this work.” He thought about trying the healing action he’d used a month before. But even as he thought about it, he knew it wouldn’t work. The extent of Kuva’s wounds were simply too great and beyond what he could do.
“No, you can’t. And I’m resigned to the fact that I’m not going to get out of here.” His grip started to weaken. “But do me one small favor.”
“Anything.”
“When you get time to travel to Adosa, please tell my family I died in battle. Tell them . . . that I made sure our enemies knew the name of the house that brought them their end.”
Ran took a breath and then swallowed against the lump in his throat. “I will sing your praises and make sure your family knows of your greatness.”
Kuva smiled. “Thank you, my friend.” He let his hand slip from Ran’s and then shoved him away. “Now go. Your time is short. If Zal suspects anything, he will kill you and be done with it. You must get Cassandra out of here or my death will have been for naught.”
“I won’t ever forget you, Kuva.”
Kuva’s eyes closed. “Then that is treasure enough for my weary soul. It was . . . an honor to have fought beside you. May all your battles be joined by my spirit.” Kuva muttered something in his native tongue and then slumped over to one side of the cell.
Ran glanced at Cassandra and saw that tears streamed down her face. His vision blurred then and he wiped his own eyes and took another deep breath.
“We have work to do.”
Ran turned back to the latch on the cage and once more snaked his arm through. Zal was still orchestrating his men. The slaves were still fiddling with their shackles. And the horses neighed nervously as they stamped their feet on the cave floor. The energy in the air seemed to crackle, and Ran knew something was going to happen soon. Or perhaps it was just the passing of a mighty warrior.
Ran’s fingers touched the latch, and he pushed it up and out of the bolt recess. Then he slid it back. The metal grated against metal, but the noise couldn’t be heard over Zal’s shouts. Ran glanced back at Cassandra. “I’ve got it.”
She nodded and leaned closer to the door. Ran glanced around. Zal still had ten men, and Ran was unarmed. Somehow, they had to get out of the cage and either arm themselves or get past the cave mouth without anyone seeing them.
As he started to plot their route, however, the slaves finally succeeded in releasing themselves. They immediately attacked the guards nearby. One of the slaves threw himself at the guard. The guard stabbed him with the sword, but by then, the other slaves had already overwhelmed him. He went down, and his own sword was used to end his life.
Shouts and screams erupted from the other slaves as they ran to attack the guards. Zal dashed away from the mouth of the cave, back toward where the cage was. As he ran toward it, Ran slammed the door open, catching Zal right in the face. The little man went down hard.
“Now,” said Ran.
He leapt out and helped Cassandra down from the cage. He glanced back inside at Kuva’s body. “I can’t leave him in there.” He climbed back in and got his arms around the big man. Ran grunted under the weight but managed to get his friend out of the cage while Cassandra guided his feet down to the ground. They laid him next to Zal. Ran checked the Mung would-be ruler.
“Is he dead?” asked Cassandra.
“I don’t think so,” said Ran. “But that’s easily remedied.”
But Cassandra pulled him away. “Forget about that. The slaves will take care of disposing of him. We need to get out of here before any of his troops figure out we’ve escaped.”
They ran toward the cave mouth. One of the soldiers saw the motion and moved to intercept them, but Ran was faster. As the soldier brought his sword down, Ran sidestepped and chopped down on the man’s hand, breaking his wrist. The sword dropped and Ran backfisted the man in the face before moving behind him and breaking his neck. As he dropped, Ran grabbed his sword and they continued on.
The slaves, despite being outnumbered, had taken care of five of the remaining soldiers. They’d lost two of their own in the skirmish, however. One of the other soldiers fled on one of the pack horses. The whole impromptu camp had deteriorated into chaos.
The cold winds blew into the cave, and the snowflakes stung at Ran’s face. He blinked, trying to clear his vision. When a particularly strong gust knocked him back, Ran turned his head to avoid it.
And someone slammed into his knees.
Ran’s legs buckled. His sword was rip
ped from his grasp. As he fell, Ran tried to open his eyes. But then he took a fist smack on his nose, and his eyes welled up with tears. He shook his head trying to clear his vision, and another punch landed in his solar plexus. He sucked wind, but his lungs felt like they were on fire.
Ran rolled and came up on his feet.
“You won’t get rid of me that easily.”
Zal.
Ran shook his head. “You don’t know when to quit, do you?”
“I don’t ever quit,” said Zal. “Not when I have a destiny left to fulfill.”
“Your destiny is to die,” said Ran. “And I am here to see it fulfilled.”
Zal brought his hands up. “You might be interested to learn of the one thing I was always better at than my brother.”
“And what might that be?”
“Fighting,” said Zal. “It was the only area I surpassed him. Try as he might, and he did try, he could never best me. My brother is a good fighter, it’s true. But I am far better than he is.” He smiled. “So with that said, I invite you to try your luck against me. Without a sword.”
Ran glanced at Cassandra. “Get going. If this goes bad, make a run for it. There’s a temple somewhere around here that should offer you shelter.” He pointed at his sword on the ground. “Take that.”
She shook her head. “Why don’t you just use it to kill him, and then we can leave together.”
“He’ll blow this place up if I don’t agree to his terms.”
Cassandra grabbed the sword and eyed Zal. “I hope he kills you very slowly.”
Zal laughed. “You’d better hope he does, my dear. Because if I win, I’m coming looking for you out in those mountains. If I find you, I’m going to eat every bit of flesh from that delectable body of yours.”
“Enough,” said Ran. He glanced at Cassandra. “Get going.”
He waited until Cassandra reached the cave mouth. She looked back and then stepped outside into the swirling blizzard.
“I should have killed you the moment Iqban brought you to me,” said Zal. He circled around the cave, putting the Mung cage between him and Ran.
