by Rosie Scott
The prince's face darkened with embarrassment. “I did not save you to convince you of anything. I saw a comrade in need.”
I explained to Nyx about Hasani's javelin throw, which she seemed to remember. “Ah. So that's the cause of the broken rib.” She smiled up at Hasani, teasingly. “Well, thank you, my prince.”
The man chuckled, coming to terms with Nyx's teasing. “You are welcome.”
Turning to me, Nyx questioned, “Are we leaving Jaalam soon?”
I glanced around the ward, which had slowly emptied over the past two night as the men and women we had healed finished resting. “Soon, yes. Do you think you can travel?”
“I'm a little sore, but I'll be fine,” she said. “As long as we don't make the hyenas gallop and it works loose a rib.”
We left Jaalam later that day, and given some of our people's injuries and a shortage of hyenas, our trek back toward T'ahal proceeded more slowly than the previous travel. I was just happy we were on our way at all. I was impatient with the need to continue my work in T'ahal so Nahara would be better prepared to defend itself against Chairel. I found it odd that the armies of my home country had not yet breached the border. I did not expect Queen Edrys in Comercio to reinforce Sirius just yet, and given I had decimated a good portion of Sera's army before fleeing the city, I didn't think my adoptive father would have many men to send. Sirius's armies were vast, and it was true many of the soldiers fled during my massacre, so I knew the army still existed and was strong. But it was also always split between duties and assignments, and I was just one woman. I figured Sirius would send one small army, perhaps alongside one of the Orders of the Mages, and use them to intimidate Nahara into helping to capture me. And if that was indeed the case, the army should have made it to the desert by now.
Our army set up camp that night where the Dhahab Canyons still rose to the south, so it felt we had made little progress. Still, we were out of Jaalam and even farther from the beasts, which calmed me. For the first time since we had met him, Hasani joined my companions and I around a small campfire as we ate. Though the rains of my spells from the fight days ago in the lost city were long gone, the resulting temperature drop had lasted, even this far along the canyons.
Hasani ripped through a hunk of meat that was still so bloody, I wouldn't have been surprised if he hadn't cooked it at all. His eyes were looking over Anto, curiously. The orc ate quietly a few feet away from me, where he and Jakan were sharing food on a plate before them. I realized it was the first time Hasani had really been able to focus on my companions. Between digging him out in Jaalam, the fight with Mantus, and the subsequent clean up of the battlefield, we'd had little time to talk amongst each other.
“Anto the Invincible,” the prince finally murmured, watching as the orc's head raised to face him. The two strong men's gazes met. “Ah,” Hasani said, after a moment. “So it is you.”
“I am surprised you know my name,” Anto replied, his rough voice curious. “You are not as big of a fan of the coliseum as your father.”
“Of course I know your name. You are an amazing fighter.” Hasani shifted where he sat, tilting his head toward the orc. “The coliseum will not exist when I am king. I promise you that. Raising men as pets is an archaic practice. I could only imagine how strong Nahara's armies could be if we had men like you fighting for us, rather than causing ceaseless bloodshed in the pits.”
“I applaud your ambitions, but if this is your way of trying to get me to fight for you, I will not.” Anto handed Jakan the last of the plate, his focus now on the prince alone. “Nahara has taken far too much from me.”
Hasani nodded. “I understand, friend. I only wish to apologize for my country's role in your ills.”
“You are the prince,” Jakan spoke up, his voice edged in irritation. “If anyone could have stopped it, it should have been you.”
I inwardly cringed at the Vhiri's outward distaste toward Hasani. I understood his displeasure toward Nahara for its role in the misgivings of his life; I had the same opinions about the negative aspects of the culture here. Even still, Hasani was not the one to be angry at. If change was in the country's future, it would clearly come with his rule.
“I tried many times, believe me.” Hasani peered off toward the distance, where the second moon of Meir rose just above the horizon, beginning its few week trek through the sky to help Red Moon transition into Dark Star. “I have changed my father's opinion on many things, but the coliseum was not one of them. He finds them entertaining, and T'ahal desperately needs the economic stimulation only the fights can bring. The tax rate on all coliseum goods and services is through the roof. It is the one thing T'ahal has going for it in terms of tourism, as well. I see his point on that.”
“So you will continue to let people die there?” Jakan prodded.
Hasani chuckled, looking back to the Vhiri. “My, you're feisty, aren't you? You two complement each other well.” He raised his eyebrows toward Anto, who was still mostly quiet. “No. I already said it will end under my rule. I simply stated I could see my father's point. It will be up to me to find ways to make up for the lack of revenue.”
“T'ahal's magic college will bring people here,” I stated, speaking up for the first time in a while.
Hasani frowned as he looked over the flickering flames to me. “Our magic college? I would tell you we cannot have one, but I have been absent from T'ahal for so long that I simply wouldn't know anymore.”
“Cerin and I are creating one. It is part of our deal with your father.”
“So Chairel has finally released its hold on magical education?” Hasani laughed dryly. “Forgive me for saying so, friend, but I figured your father was the type to forever hold that before our noses.”
“He meant to,” I said. Given the prince's perplexed expression, I decided to fill him in on the things he had missed during his absence. I knew that not everything would make him happy; given his disagreements with his father, I figured King Adar's decision to ally with us and cause contention with Chairel would anger him.
It surprised me when Hasani started to laugh, as if he found the updates amusing. “What a time to be alive!” He exclaimed, leaning back on his muscular forearms. He shook his head in disbelief as he stared into the fire. “By the gods, my father's an idiot.”
“You don't believe me to be of a benefit to you?” I questioned, feeling a little insulted by the prince's automatic rejection.
“You are a major benefit to us, but the point of having you as an ally, Kai, was not just to have you. It was also to have a relationship with Chairel. We have you as an ally, now, but if that means Chairel is against us, what good can that do?”
“Your people are learning magic, Hasani. All of the elements. Cerin and I have been teaching them. Some of them can raise armies of the dead, and some of them can heal. Nahara is no longer beholden to Chairel for this. Your armies can grow and prosper without relying on that symbiotic relationship.”
“Our armies need time to grow and prosper. You say you have been on the run since the end of last year, Kai. It has nearly been a full year. If Chairel is after you, they should already be here.”
“I have promised your father that we will stay until the first of High Star next year,” I informed him. “If Chairel comes for me, I will honor our agreement and defend your country with my life.”
Hasani exhaled thickly, his light blue eyes on my own, conflicted. “It is just you and a handful of outcasts,” he finally said, nodding toward the others. “How can you hope to take on your father's armies?”
“The same way we took on Mantus,” I retorted. “If I hadn't helped you, the beast would not be dead. It would not have even left the underground if it weren't for my rains.”
This seemed to convince the prince, who slowly nodded. “This is true.” After a hesitation, he added, “Forgive me, Kai. You have done Nahara an immense service, and I have done nothing but doubt you. I was grateful to have your service, for Nahara has alway
s wanted you. I simply never expected to gain Chairel as an enemy.”
“I understand. It's a lot to take in and think about. I will do everything in my power to ensure you are happy in our alliance.”
Hasani frowned, distracted. I watched as he picked up a handful of sand, letting the granules fall slowly toward the ground in a small pile. “You did not clarify how you got my father to agree to an alliance with you. Did he know it would anger Chairel?”
“Telling him of my hostility with Chairel was one of the first things I said,” I informed him. “As for what I did—well, your father told me Gavriel was a thorn in his side. I killed him in the coliseum.”
Hasani's eyes darted up to mine. “The Bringer of Death? You killed him?”
“You missed one hell of a fight, friend,” Theron mused, from on the other side of Cerin.
“You are only a mage, are you not?” Hasani asked, trying to wrap his mind around the recent information.
“Only a mage,” I mused. “See, that's the problem. Most underestimate the power of magic. Melee is primitive in comparison.”
“Magic is powerful, but Gavriel had been undefeated for a number of years,” Hasani protested.
Nyx finally interjected. “Kai, just tell him what you are and let's get it over with.”
The prince tilted his head toward me at the Alderi's words. “What are you?”
“I'm a god.” After a slight pause, I said, “But so was Gavriel. I'm assuming you've heard of Malgor?”
Hasani stared at me, in shock. “Wait. One thing at a time—you are a god?”
I filled Hasani in with what details he needed to know about my parentage. The strong and confident man slowly humbled over the course of my explanation. Though Hasani was very different from his father, he did appear to be religious.
“So,” the prince finally said, after a pause in my speaking, “Not only do you have access to the six elements, but you are also stronger with each, because of your blood.”
Though I nodded, Cerin decided to explain in more detail. “I taught her how to leech last year. The spell usually takes up to a minute to kill a full grown man for me.” Nodding toward me, the necromancer continued, “She tried it on me, when I had an abundance of energy from recent battles, and nearly killed me in seconds.”
“The massacre at Sera was particularly telling,” Theron spoke up, looking over to the prince, who sat beside him. “The whole fight lasted only minutes, but I personally saw Kai leech the energy of dozens of men, each one falling in seconds. She recycled that energy back into the skies. Sera is now a shit show of broken architecture.”
I let the ranger's words stick in my mind. Given I had a leeching high during my attack on Sera, much of it was a blur. I'd had no idea I killed so many of Sirius's soldiers with my leeching. It was of little wonder that my meteors had nearly destroyed the city.
“We shouldn't forget about the sandstorms,” Jakan commented. “Kai, alone, can tame them.”
Hasani was quiet for a moment. “I keep forgetting there was a sandstorm that day, because it was nothing but winds so quickly. Gods, you are powerful. Sirius is a moron for having let you go.”
“Sirius is a moron in general,” Nyx muttered to my right.
“And you said Gavriel was actually Malgor? And you killed him?” The prince clarified.
I only nodded.
“It is like the myths, only it is truly happening before our eyes. Gods fighting and killing other gods.” This appeared to fascinate the prince.
“The gods are no friends of mine,” I murmured. “I'm sure I will be killing more.”
“You hunt them down?” Hasani asked.
“No, they will be hunting me. My ways anger them, and Malgor was a particularly old god. When they find I've killed him, they won't be happy.”
“Neither will the orcs,” Theron commented, before glancing at Anto.
“Malgor was not my god, friend,” Anto said, catching the ranger's gaze. Though the two men had been friendly enough with each other, Theron still held the orc at a distance.
“The orcs of Nahara follow a different god?” Theron prodded.
“There are no orcs of Nahara,” Anto replied. He could tell the other man was being nosy, but wasn't letting it bother him.
“We are in Nahara,” Theron pointed out. “And here you are.”
Anto's brown eyes stared evenly over at the ranger. “We have traveled together for long enough now that you have seen I have the ability to walk.” Though the orc's voice was low and rough as it always was, it held the tone of challenge.
Surprising me, Theron chuckled at Anto's sarcasm. “Aye. You are from Chairel, then?”
“I am,” Anto replied, shortly.
“It is a wonder we never met,” Theron said. “I have killed hundreds of your brothers and sisters in the north.”
I stiffened a bit. It seemed as if the tension between the two men was finally coming to a head. I fought internally over whether I should try to intervene or not. Theron was a good friend, and Anto and I were becoming friends as well. I did not want to pick sides in an argument, much like I had to back when Silas and Nyx would always bicker.
“Have you?” Anto finally asked, leaning back a bit. “So have I.”
The group of us were quiet for a moment. Jakan had hinted at Anto's troubled past, but the orc was usually so quiet that it had never come up.
I noticed Jakan's fingers running over the green skin of Anto's forearm, back and forth, comforting him. “There are times and places for such conversation, and I don't think this is one of them,” the Vhiri stated, defending his lover.
“It's okay, Jakan,” Anto murmured, though his eyes remained on Theron. “You have a hatred for the orcs that surpasses most,” he commented. “Your hatred is personal.”
The ranger stared back. “Aye. They have murdered everyone I've ever loved.” I was surprised he'd just come out and said it.
Anto nodded. “I believe you, because as offensive as this may sound, you are not special in that respect. The orcs love their warfare.”
“What makes you any different?” The ranger retorted.
“I am an individual, friend. I can think for myself.” Anto sat up a bit straighter, though he kept his arm out so Jakan could continue to comfort him.
“Are you a half-breed?” I asked him.
Anto glanced to me. “I am a product of rape,” he admitted. “My mother was an orc, and my father was a Celdic slave, as well as her victim. I have his eyes, and the others considered me weak because of it.”
“You are far from weak,” I said.
“Thank you,” the orc replied, softly. My heart went out to him. He was truly a gentle giant of a man.
“You are also far from Chairel,” Hasani mused. “You left by your own will?”
Anto nodded. “I belonged to a tribe in the Cel Mountains, at the southern end of the mountain range, where the trees of Celendar rose above the mountains. It was a good place for orcs to live, because our huts remained hidden from the skies and ground from the forest. So our tribe was strong, and had lasted for generations. It also proved to be a good location to run from, once I killed the tribe.”
“You killed your own tribe?” Theron questioned. It was the first thing he'd asked that didn't have an accusatory tone.
“Most of them. I couldn't hope to kill them all, but I killed enough of them to make me their enemy. Orcs kill each other all the time. Children kill their parents once they age too much to be of use in war...orcs kill each other over ownership of objects or mates...” Anto shrugged. “My reasons for killing them didn't sit well. Given that I was already a loner in the tribe because I was a half-breed, they decided they wanted me dead. I figured Nahara was a good place to go if I wanted them off my trail, and if I wanted to avoid orcs in general.” After a hesitation, he added, “I have experienced the fear and judgments of humans like you, Theron, but I welcome that over living with the orcs.”
Theron seemed to respect tha
t. Though the two men would probably go on to have their qualms with one another, I could tell most of the hostility was quelled, for now. The conversation moved on to other topics as we all finished eating, and then we began to prepare for sleep.
Anto approached me later that night, after most of the others were already in their tents. At first, I felt a little anxious to hear what he had to say, for I wondered if Theron's combativeness had caused him to feel unwelcome.
“Is everything all right?” I asked the orc. As he stood beside me, he was a hulking presence. He was nearly two feet taller than I, and his body was thick with muscle. Having him with us made me feel safer. I also noticed Jakan had stayed in their tent, which was odd. Normally, the two were inseparable.
“Everything's fine,” Anto replied, looking pensive. “Theron's second sword—did he ever find it?”
I hadn't expected that question. I thought back to the battlefield clean up. Both Theron and Nyx had lost weapons in the battle. Theron had dropped his sword to help me on Mantus's back, and one of Nyx's daggers had been lost when she had fallen from the skies, though the other was later found lodged in the beast's thick plates.
“No,” I said, finally.
“Do you think he would want something similar to the sword he still has, or has he given you any indication that he wants something different?”
“He wants a saber,” I replied, watching the orc curiously. “He has not bought one yet because he does not like the quality available in T'ahal, and because they are more expensive than short swords.”
Anto nodded. “Okay. Thank you.” He turned, ready to head back to the tent he shared with Jakan.
“You are going to make him a saber?” I asked, before his retreating form could go farther than a few steps.
“As an offering of friendship,” Anto replied, glancing back to me.
I smiled. It was a sweet gesture. “I think that's a great idea,” I commented, before motioning toward the armor I wore. “It certainly worked on me.”
I saw the orc smile before he said, “I make friends with bribes.”
