Starburner

by Claire Luana

  “Vikal,” Kemala whispered. “We are not alone.”

  One by one, pairs of glowing green eyes winked open in the darkness. Four, five, ten, a dozen. Rika’s breath hitched in her throat. The soul-eaters were waiting for them.

  WHAT HAPPENED NEXT was a blur of frantic screams and shadowed movements. Rika snapped her third eye open, threads filling her sight like glowing strings in the darkness. She pulled starlight towards her desperately, acting purely on instinct. Someone barreled into her from the side, knocking her to the ground. She hit the stones hard, her elbow exploding with pain that blurred her vision. She groaned, calling on more stars, who finally arrived, exploding through the ceiling above, showering them with debris. The celestial light illuminated a scene of chaos. There were three soul-eaters crowded into the treasury, their shell-like helmets almost grazing the ceiling. One had Kemala by the throat, while Vikal and Ajij did their best against the other. The third—the third was a few feet away, its malevolent gaze locked on her.

  Acting on pure instinct, she scrambled to her feet and leaped onto the creature’s back, hooking her arms around its armored shoulders. It shied back in surprise, whirling, but she hung on, refusing to relinquish her grip. Bile rose in her throat as the creature’s sulfur smell enveloped her. Reaching out desperately with one hand, she grasped a tether connected to one of the waiting stars, yanking it towards her, willing it to burrow into the leech’s face.

  When the star hit, the monster let out a keening wail that raked across Rika’s eardrums. She dropped to the ground, her ankle twisting painfully under her. She grunted in frustration, scrambling to her feet. No graceful warrior here. Ignoring the dying screams of the soul-eater, she turned her attention to the creature that had Kemala, willing a tethered star to blast into the cracks in its armor.

  “Rika!” Vikal screamed. She whirled and dropped to the ground—a thrall’s blade slicing through the air above her. Thank you, Emi, for your endless drills, she thought gratefully as she directed a star to savagely sever the green tether pulsing from the man to the final soul-eater. Ajij was pummeling the final leech with powerful blows from his trident, but they were clanging uselessly off the creature’s armor, serving only to keep it distracted. Rika willed the stars she had summoned to join together into one massive, pulsing ball of purifying fire. “Ajij, duck!” she cried before releasing the light at the leech like a rock from a slingshot.

  The soul-eater saw her attack coming. It dodged to the side—impossibly fast. The blow struck it in the shoulder, glancing off, without the force she was hoping for. But still the starlight obeyed her intentions, clinging to the monster, worming into its armor like a deadly plague. It was enough. The last soul-eater fell to the ground, thrashing and screaming until it cracked apart, the light in its green eyes dying.

  Rika brushed her hair out of her face and released all but one of the stars with a fervent thank you. The light zipped back through the gaping hole in the ceiling of the treasury while she pulled the light from the final star to float on her palm, fashioning it into a little ball like the moon orbs back at the citadel in Kyuden.

  “I think she is getting the hang of this goddess thing,” Kemala remarked, a hand on her hip, the other rubbing the red patch on her throat. It appeared her totem had saved her windpipe from being crushed, its glittering form hard as armor.

  The freed soldiers were shaking their heads and groaning, coming to. Rika surveyed the damage. They had lost three of their own men and had killed two of the compelled soldiers. It could have been much worse. It wasn’t enough, Rika thought as the heat of battle cooled. She couldn’t fight the soul-eaters one by one. There were too many of them. She needed to summon the constellations—it needed to be as natural as breathing.

  Vikal watched her, seeming to understand her thoughts. “You did well. We will find your totem, and you will be able to fight the whole hive in your sleep.”

  “What are we waiting for?” she asked.

  “Everyone, look for a peculiar weapon. It has curved blades on each side of its handle,” Vikal said.

  “Here’s the lasso of the goddess of open air,” Kemala called, already deep into the shelves of sparkling treasure. “I think I found it!” She emerged from between two tall shelves, holding a weapon on her outstretched palms. It matched the drawing in Sarnak’s book perfectly. The weapon’s handle was wrapped with creamy white leather, and from each end came a curving blade, about half the length of a regular sword. The keen blades curved away from each other, lending the weapon an undulating look, like a wave on the sea.

  “It’s beautiful,” Rika breathed, though she had no idea how to wield such a weapon.

  “According to the legends, when you throw it, it will come back to you,” Vikal explained.

  “Come back to me and stick me straight between the eyes?” Rika asked doubtfully.

  “I doubt it is designed to do that,” Ajij said. “Take it!”

  With a deep breath, Rika reached out and took the weapon from Kemala. The moment her fingers touched the leather of the handle, her third eye blew open. She reeled, her hand over her forehead, grasping the weapon in the other. The threads of the stars and constellations glowed brilliantly, nearly blinding her sight. And there were more—thousands waiting for her to summon. It was the most beautiful and most terrifying sight she had ever seen. She had believed in her power—believed she could summon stars and constellations—but a small part of her had still doubted she could ever be a true goddess. Had still felt human. Weak. Like someone had made the wrong choice, and she would be found out. But with this weapon in her hand, she could travel the worlds. She felt invincible.

  The others were grinning at her. “A heady feeling, is it not?” Ajij asked.

  Rika nodded. “It’s extraordinary!”

  “I miss my totem,” Vikal said wistfully.

  “We will get it back from these leeches,” Kemala said.

  “Try it out,” Ajij said eagerly.

  “Okay. Back up. I don’t want to kill anyone by accident.” Everyone backed against the sides of the treasury, leaving Rika free in the middle. A powerful connection pulsed between her and the totem, down her arm and into the weapon. She thought that if she threw it, she could likely use this tether to tug it back.

  “Here goes nothing,” she said, and she tossed the blade in a spinning arc at a suit of armor at the far end of the room. It flew across the room and stuck, quivering, in the breastplate. Kemala clapped politely and a few of the men whistled their approval. Now came the hard part. Rika tugged on the tether and the weapon flew back towards her, its point outstretched towards her heart. Every fiber in her being told her to dive out of the way, but she held her ground, her hand out with far more steadiness she felt. At the last moment, the blade rotated vertically and the handle landed in her outstretched hand, tight as a glove.

  Rika let out a laugh of disbelief, turning to Vikal. He was wearing his smile—the broad one she so rarely saw. Pride. With this power, she had a chance of saving Yoshai.

  “Can we finally kick some soul-eater ass?” Ajij asked. The comment was met by nods and grunts of determination. He turned to lead the way out the door, but Kemala doubled over, her head in her hands. “Bahti,” she groaned.

  “What is wrong?” Vikal was at her side in a flash, helping to hold her up.

  She straightened slowly, wincing. “He tried to send me a message. He is not known for his subtlety.”

  “What was the message?”

  “They are under attack.”

  Vikal led the way through the halls of the castle, pausing to look around corners to be sure they weren’t walking into an ambush. The castle seemed deserted. They entered the main courtyard through a side door, keeping to the shadows under the wraparound balcony. Green vines trailed down from above, lending further cover. The gates were open, and the sound of fighting resounded from outside the castle walls.

  “How many?” Vikal asked.

  “Twenty men. I cannot sense th
e leeches, so I am not sure.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Rika hissed. “Let’s go. I’ll kill them all.”

  “Easy,” Vikal said, laying a hand on her shoulder. “I know the totem makes you feel invincible, but you are not. No need to rush into a trap.”

  “They could be dying!”

  “I will investigate. Everyone stay here until I signal.” Vikal trotted along the stones of the outer courtyard as he began to make his way through the gate underneath the massive walls of the castle, disappearing from sight.

  Rika huffed, narrowing her eyes at his retreating form.

  “He is not wrong,” Kemala said. “No need to take unnecessary risks.”

  “I don’t see saving your husband as an unnecessary risk.”

  “Worried about Bahti now?” Kemala arched an eyebrow. “He is tougher than he looks. But I am worried about Cayono and the others. At least they are alive. For now.”

  Vikal reappeared around the corner and held up six fingers. He motioned them to follow. Rika’s blood sang with anticipation. Urgency called her forward. She needed to finish these leeches so she could go home. Her mother’s face flashed before her eyes. Were they holding on, or was it too much?

  Their group surged across the courtyard, their sandaled feet sending up silent swirls of dust. As she moved, the battle came into view. Six soul-eaters and their thralls, crowding around Bahti and Cayono and the other men. The two constellations were the only thing keeping the men at bay. The soul-eaters were keeping their distance—away from the threat posed by the starlight. Well, it was time to end that.

  Rika opened her third eye, readier this time for the overwhelming sensations that poured into her sight. She summoned six stars—strong, powerful light forces that now hurdled towards the Earth. One to destroy each soul-eater. They crashed to the ground in an explosion that blinded her with its terrible power. The men and gods threw their hands up, shielding their eyes.

  In the fading after-glow of the starlight, the scene became clear. All six soul-eaters were dead—no more than smoking piles of armor littering the ground. Rika stumbled on her feet as she released the star-threads, releasing her celestial allies back into the sky. A wave of vertigo swept over her.

  “You’re bleeding.” Vikal appeared at her side, his hand hovering by her face.

  She touched her upper lip and her finger came away red with blood. “It’s nothing,” she said, wiping it on her sleeve.

  “That was a lot of power to use at one time. You have to be careful not to overdo it.”

  “I’m fine,” Rika snapped. She had just saved their sorry asses. She wasn’t in the mood for a lecture. “Shouldn’t we go kill the rest so I can get home?”

  Vikal turned back to the castle gate, which yawned above them. “Yes. But where are the other soul-eaters? The castle should be swarming with them. Why does it feel…?”

  “Deserted?” Ajij said. “You are right. What are they up to?”

  “Kemala,” Vikal said. “Can you sense where the soul-eater’s forces are marshaled? I do not want to walk into a trap.”

  “I do not sense other humans close by,” she said. “Give me a moment.” She closed her eyes and opened her third eye. It glowed as black as obsidian, glittering brighter than the gems at her throat.

  Rika examined her totem as they waited. The delicate stitching on the leather handle, the sheen of the blades, quicksilver and deadly. It felt right in her hand. With this, she had a fighting chance against the leeches. Even if using her power made her bleed. She shoved the worry away. She would drain every ounce of life from herself if it meant defending Yoshai and defeating the leeches once and for all. Her soul itched within her, desperate to fly, to go, to live her purpose. To save her people. It was what the prophecy had said.

  Kemala let out a hissing breath. “I found them.”

  “Where are they?” Vikal asked. “Have they laid an ambush?”

  She shook her head, her arching brows knotted together in horror. “They took advantage of our absence. I do not know how they knew, but… there is no mistaking it.”

  Bahti put his arm around Kemala, steadying her. “What are you saying, my love?”

  Her voice shook. “They have found Goa Awan. They are going to kill everyone.”

  SHOCK HUNG SILENT and heavy in the humid air. “How did they find it?” Bahti whispered.

  Ajij shook his head. “We always knew that it would only take one enthralled Nuan to give the secret away, whether they wanted to or not.”

  “They must have decided to move after they found our camp this morning,” Vikal said. “They enthralled two soldiers who were with us. Gods!” He spun away from them, muscles tensing, hands balled into fists. “Idiot! I should have realized the moment it happened!”

  “It does not matter. We have to go, now,” Bahti said. “What are we standing around waiting for? We have to stop them.”

  “We might already be too late,” Kemala said, her hands tightening on Bahti’s arm. “Tamar…”

  “We have to try,” Vikal said, turning back. “We go now—we travel as swiftly as we can. Bahti, can you collapse the tunnels, keep them from getting in?”

  He nodded. “Consider it done. But I cannot bring down too much rock, or it could jeopardize the whole cavern system. At best, it will buy them an hour or two.”

  “It will have to be enough. Let us move.”

  Rika’s feet seemed glued to where she stood. Goa Awan…all those people. Tamar, Sarnak, everyone who had laid a flower or bracelet at her feet, who had feasted on tana root with joy and thanksgiving, like it was a roast pheasant glazed with the richest sauce. She cared for them, worried for them…but there was another people who needed her more. Her own. She could delay no longer.

  “I’m not going,” Rika said quietly.

  Every face turned to her, expressions of surprise and betrayal chipping away at her resolve.

  “What?” Vikal asked, stalking back towards her like a predator.

  “Cygna…my people had just hours before the leeches broke through the palace walls. If I go back to help in the caverns…I’ll be too late.”

  “These are your people,” Bahti said.

  “Oh, now I’m one of you?” Rika shot back. “When it serves you?”

  Vikal held up his hands in a placating gesture. “If you do not come, we will not be able to defeat them. Everyone on this island will die.”

  “If I don’t go, thousands of my people will die. I was their princess first. My mother is there. My brother. You promised me, Vikal. You promised me you would get me home.”

  “You promised you would help us defeat the leeches here. That job is not done.”

  Tears pricked at Rika’s eyes. “Can’t you see what an impossible position you put me in? Either way, thousands will die. I care about the Nuans; of course I do. But I can’t abandon my people. Would you do that for me?”

  A storm of emotion crossed Vikal’s face. He didn’t answer.

  “I didn’t think so,” she said. He had his duties, and she had hers. Whatever the fates had planned in other lifetimes, this god of green things and goddess of bright light weren’t destined for each other. There was too much distance between them.

  “This is insanity!” Bahti said. “Every minute we wait is another minute the leeches are tunneling through the rocks I just dropped. Take her with us.” He stepped towards her and Rika pulled her totem from her belt, facing him down. “I’d like to see you try.”

  “Bahti,” Vikal said with exasperation. “You are not helping. Rika, please. Do not abandon Nua. We need you.”

  “So does Kitina! I can’t save both.”

  “What if you could?” Ajij asked, stroking his beard. “You were able to send constellations with Bahti and Cayono, though you were not with them. Lend them, if you will.”

  “So?” Rika said.

  “Now that you have your totem which links you to Nua, do you think you could lend them over longer distances?”

  �
�Send constellations with you…while I’m in Kitina?” she asked. “I don’t know. It’s a long way.” And I need all the firepower I can get to defeat the horde at my mother’s door, she thought. But as she took in their pleading, desperate faces, she knew she would not be able to refuse Ajij’s suggestion.

  She sighed. “I’ll try. How many do you need?”

  “All of them,” Bahti said.

  Rika rolled her eyes. “I don’t think me killing myself by overusing my power will serve anyone. How many leeches are there?”

  “I believe two dozen were left on the island to manage things here. The queen has moved most of her forces to your world,” Cayono said.

  “So if I leave a half a dozen constellations? We already killed nine here today,” Rika said, her mind reeling at the thought.

  “Can you summon that many? You will be significantly weakened for defense of Yoshai,” Vikal said.

  “If you all end the fight here before I have to face the leeches in Kitina, it should be fine. My power will be freed up to summon more constellations.”

  “And if we do not finish it in time?” Vikal asked, concern written on his face.

  “Just—finish it. Now. You promised to show me how to use the astrolabe. Let’s go.”

  “You are not coming with us?” Bahti asked Vikal accusingly.

  “Let me see Rika off. I will catch up.” A silent exchange passed between the two gods—clenched jaws and flashing eyes and balled fists. “I promised,” Vikal said softly.

  It seemed to be enough. Bahti looked away first, with a sharp nod of his head.

  With one hand on her totem, Rika began to summon constellations. The lion and the water buffalo stood silently watching, and she looked for the fiercest among the stars to join them—the eagle, the scorpion, the tiger, and the centaur with its bow and arrows. As she pulled their silver tethers, the inhabitants of the sky met her call, glowing hooves and paws and talons crashing into the soft earth. Wings stretched, roars bellowed. When her celestial army had been summoned, even her feet threatened to shy away, intimidated by the huge glowing beasts that towered over the other gods and men, ready to rend black armor and unnatural flesh. But she held her ground, hoping that they understood, that they would obey. “You are under Kemala’s command. Your task is to destroy the soul-eaters on this island and to save the people of Nua. When this task is complete, with my thanks, you may return to the sky.” They acknowledged with roars and cries and hisses.