“Is Zen around? We could use the extra help,” I said.
“He is in isolation, outside of the city in a special camp. He won’t be helping us any time soon,” she said.
In the center, the silver-haired woman fought with the large black Rah Ven.
“There is no easy way out of this now. Blood must be spilled. I’m Arnas, by the way,” he said with a curt nod. “Kort will try to use this to kill you all, not that he needed much excuse.”
“Who are the other four?”
“You mean the ones coming this way with the intent to visit harm upon us?
I nodded, not taking my eyes off the four Rah Ven getting closer to us.
“Kort’s pack mates, used to be Cane’s. They act like rabid dogs. All they want is control of the pack. This must not happen,” said Arnas. “We will all focus on one. Trying to face them alone is not wise. If we bring down the second, Tren”—he pointed at the Rah Ven leading the four, a large creature with a long brown coat covered in dark lines—“the others may lose their will to fight. Or they may all attack, it depends.”
“On what?” I said.
“How ferocious our attack. Rah Ven only understand one thing in battle: power. It is the only thing that will make them pause or pounce,” said Arnas with a faint smile.
“Are you going to, you know, transform?” I asked.
“As we get older the change gets harder. I will stay in this form so I can use this”—he swung his sword in front of him—“as sharp as any Rah Ven fang or claw.”
Note to self: give crazy Rah Ven plenty of space when swinging a sword twice as long as your own, I thought.
“We’re ready,” said Kal. She and Samir each had daggers in their hands.
“You are full of surprises,” I said to Samir, noticing how well he held the daggers.
“In battle even a scholar must be a warrior. I was not always a syllabist,” he said.
“Show no mercy. Strike fast and strike hard or this will be your last day,” said Arnas.
With a loud growl he ran forward, taking Tren by surprise. We followed his lead and jumped at Tren.
It was the one thing they didn’t expect. Our strategy threw Tren off for several seconds as he didn’t know what to make of our attack. Those seconds made all the difference.
NINETEEN
“MASTER, ARE YOU sure we did the right thing, leaving them back there?” said Mara. “Shouldn’t the Alpha be fighting for the pack?”
Sylk stood still and expanded his awareness and took in their surroundings.
It’s been many years and lifetimes since my last time here. Different, yet the same, he thought.
“Master?” said Mara.
Sylk raised a finger as he continued to scan the area. When he was finished he began walking.
“This way,” he said. “To answer your question, let me ask you another. Do you think I make a good Rah Ven?”
They began walking through the forest, the noonday sun above them cutting through the trees. In some places the tree cover was too thick to allow any light and the forest was cast in shadow. Sylk avoided those areas.
After a few moments Mara answered. “No, Master, you are not a Rah Ven. You would not make a good pack leader. Your prolonged presence among them would only cause strife and splinter the pack.”
Sylk nodded as they continued walking.
“Who then?” he said.
“The most logical choice would be the current pack leader,” she said.
“Who cannot leave his post at the watch,” said Sylk.
“Then the next logical choice would be…”
“Like you said, the Alpha should be fighting for the pack,” said Sylk as he stopped before one of the largest trees in the area. He sat down in lotus position and waited. Mara stepped off to the side and sat down as well.
“Will they come?”
“They have been following us since we arrived. She will come.”
TWENTY
LUNA FACED KORT, dagger in hand. She was bleeding from several wounds.
“The end is close. Why not just give me your throat and we can end this,” said Kort.
She smiled as she wiped the blood from her face with the back of her hand.
“It’s not my throat that will bleed this day,” she said as she leaped forward and disappeared. She reappeared seconds later behind Kort who recovered and rolled to the side before she buried her dagger in his side.
“You can skip in this form. Impressive, but pointless. The outcome is determined. You and your line will end today,” he said as he lunged forward and fell on his face. His rear legs gave out mid-jump causing him to land face forward and slide on his stomach.
“What did you do? What did you do, you traitorous bitch!” he yelled as he tried to stand but couldn’t.
“Literally, I severed the ligaments allowing your legs to function in this form. Choosing to transform was your first mistake.” She slid forward and buried her dagger in his throat and pulled it sideways. It parted skin, muscle and cartilage with ease. “Underestimating me was your last,” she said as he fell on his side, lifeless. Wiping the blood from her dagger on his coat she turned to several of the pack around the circle.
“Take his body off the circle. He was insane but he was still a part of this pack. Begin assembling the pyre, and get enough wood. There will be more than one,” she said as she ran to Kort’s pack mates.
***********
We managed to surround Tren. Arnas drove his sword forward, but Tren evaded and swiped. Arnas shifted his weight to avoid the attack. Too late, he saw it was a feint when Tren lunged forward and ripped out his throat with one bite. Arnas fell to the side, clutching his throat, as Kal jumped forward and buried both daggers into Tren’s neck. He shook violently and threw her off. She landed gracefully on her feet, still holding her daggers, and raced back. Samir attacked from the other side, throwing one dagger and burying it in Tren’s side as he advanced. He slashed at Tren’s neck with the other, but Tren saw the attack coming and jumped back—right into me. I thrust forward and buried my sword in his back. Tren howled in pain and turned, swinging wildly. His claws raked my chest, sending me sliding back, dazed and in pain. Kal attacked again. Her hands were a blur. She stabbed him several times, moving faster than he could react. After a few moments she stopped and stood back. The damage was done, bleeding from multiple wounds, Tren fell to the ground and died. Kort’s remaining pack mates stood still and transformed back to human form.
“We submit to the Alpha and his second,” they said, getting on their knees.
Luna had drawn close by this time. An angry intensity filled her eyes.
“Blood for blood and one from two,” she said as she stood before the three. “You were in accord to these terms.” She motioned to some of the Rah Ven around the circle.
“Remove the body of Arnas the sword bearer. Treat him with the respect his station deserves. I will deal with these three,” she said.
Two Rah Ven picked up Arnas’ body and carried it out of the circle with reverence.
“You three were Kort’s pack mates, his family.”
She let the words sink in before continuing. Their eyes opened wide in realization.
“We submit. We submit! It was Kort. He was the one who wanted to remove you,” they began.
“And you followed. Blood for blood demands the kin of the loser share the same fate. I will not kill innocents or children. You three are neither,” she said.
Before anyone could move, she time-skipped, disappearing from my view. When she returned, all three lay face down on the ground, their throats cut.
“Remove them from the circle and set the pyres,” she said.
She looked around and into the crowd of Rah Ven still gathered at the circle.
“Is there anyone else who would like to challenge the Alpha and his second?” she said sheathing her dagger. “Present the challenge now or embrace silence.”
There were several hundred Rah
Ven gathered and as one they knelt down on one knee. The ones in canine form got down on their fore legs. All had their heads bowed, even the children. Silence filled the circle. In that moment I realized I was looking at the true pack leader.
“I, we, lost a dear friend today,” she began. “Arnas the sword bearer will be missed, but not forgotten. We will honor his memory. As for Kort and his pack mates, we will give them a proper death rite as befitting a member of this pack.”
“What about the blood for blood?” said a voice from the crowd.
“Yes, the terms were blood for blood. Today we have spilled enough of it. Kort’s pack mates were his kin and they shared his fate. Please go to your homes while we prepare the death rites,” she said.
The crowd began to disperse. Many of the Rah Ven approached Luna to show their loyalty, others to thank her for taking care of the pack. I approached the healer who had placed Meja on a makeshift bed near the circle. Beside her knelt Kal and Samir. From the looks on their faces I knew something was wrong.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
The healer pulled me to the side.
“She be fighting a powerful battle right now. Her body held power, too much of it too soon.”
“What does that mean? Yes, she held a lot of power. A prism exploded next to her skin. Most of the energy went into her,” I said.
“This is not blood sickness. My hands have no place here. It’s too deep for me.” She looked down at Meja and touched her brow. “She be not long with us. This sickness be caught up in the ropes of her energy,” said the healer.
“Is there someone else someone who can help her?” I said, frustration and anger creeping into my voice.
The healer shook her head slowly and looked back at Meja.
“She be fighting for her life. A fight we cannot enter. If she loses, we will honor her as Rah Ven. If she wins…”
“If she wins?” I said.
“She may not be who you remember—part of her be dying. The part of her that be most important will remain. This power be burning from the inside, unmaking her. She be strong, stronger than most” —she spat to the side—“just don’t know if she be strong enough.”
She took my hand in hers and looked me in the eyes.
“My words are clear, warrior. She be safe with me. The pack be balanced now with Grawl’s pup running lead. My nose tells me your path be full of darkness ahead.”
She sniffed the air around me and grabbed my wrist as if feeling for my pulse. She put her hand on my chest and the wounds healed.
“There be darkness in your blood. Light, too. Some of what be in her be there too. Bonded to her, I see. Step careful, warrior. This power be like poison. A small dose can be fought. Large dose will kill.”
She let go of my wrist and walked back to Meja. Two Rah Ven picked up the makeshift bed and carried it behind her. Luna stood close to me. Her wounds were looking much better.
“If there is anything that can be done for her, Grandmother will do it. She will be cared for and comfortable,” she said putting a hand on my shoulder.
“Thank you. She can’t go back to the hub. The Order wants to kill her. No one can know she’s here, at least until she recovers,” I said.
Luna nodded. “The pack will protect her.” One of the Rah Ven who carried the makeshift bed returned and stood next to Luna.
“If you will excuse me, I better go get these wounds treated before Grandmother comes and gets me herself.”
“Thank you, for everything,” I said.
“I’m the one that owes your group thanks. With this faction broken we can focus on who is taking our young and wiping us out,” she said as she was escorted away.
“We need to get back to the hub, but before we go I need to see Zen. Is that possible?” I asked.
“The hub? Are you sure that is a good idea?” said Samir.
“I left Kenji there. I don’t think Aurora will be pleased if she finds out I left him alone. Can Zen have visitors, Kal?”
“Not usually, the isolation is necessary for his transition, but I will ask. They may make an exception for you,” said Kal. “Let’s talk and walk,” she said as she led the way out of the circle and onto a road that led out of the city.
“How far is this special camp?”
“Not far, but far enough from the city to be isolated. It’s about two miles from here, in that direction,” she said, pointing to some mountains in the distance.
“Is there a tré there?”
“A what?” she asked.
“A circle like the one back there,” I said, pausing to point back at the circle of claws.
“I’ve never heard them called ‘tré’ before. We always called them ‘circles’. Yes, there is one there, but it doesn’t work, or hasn’t worked in ages. That’s what they told me when I asked,” said Kal.
“Maybe we can get it functioning, Samir?”
“I will look at it and see if the words of power will affect it, but I cannot promise it will work.”
“What did the healer mean about darkness in you and you and Meja being bonded?” said Kal. “What did you do? I thought Lucius took your weapon and made it impossible to access your chi?”
“It was never my weapon,” I said.
Memories of Maelstrom flooded my thoughts, none of them good. Even when I tried to use it to help others it felt like fighting against myself. The weapon was evil.
“The warrior has undone the searing,” said Samir.
Kal stopped and looked at me for a long moment without speaking.
“I heard undoing that is worse than having it done. It’s usually fatal. How did you survive?”
“Samir,” I said, looking at him. “Without his help I don’t think I would have made it.”
“I see. Well the whole ‘darkness’ thing makes more sense now. Did you manifest a weapon yet?”
I shook my head no.
“I think you better get on that considering who we are going to face,” she said as she began to walk again.
“These things cannot be rushed,” said Samir. “He needs training. He just regained access to his chi. To manifest a weapon of power requires time.”
“Time we don’t have,” said Kal.
We reached the complex in silence. It was an imposing structure. A ten-foot-high fence surrounded the entire grounds. Two Rah Ven guards stood at the entrance of the gate. The walkway that led to the building proper had guards every ten feet. At the large entrance doors stood four more guards. All the guards were covered in light chainmail and wore swords in addition to other weaponry.
“They’re serious about keeping people out,” I said.
“About keeping them in. The people in here are in a state of transformation. Some to full Rah Ven, though that’s rare. Most of them transition to an in-between state. What you and I can understand as werewolf.”
“And the guards are for?”
“There can be moments when it gets out of control—the transition. You lose control of your body and your thoughts. The guards are there to make sure you don’t hurt anyone, including yourself,” said Kal.
“Is that what Zen is becoming? A werewolf?”
“I’ll let you see him for yourself, if they let us,” said Kal. “Remember that he is in a state of change—so don’t be alarmed when you see him.”
TWENTY-ONE
SYLK REMAINED MOTIONLESS. Mara sat close by. His expanded awareness told him they weren’t alone in the forest. He could sense the Mikai that were close. A few were in the trees right above them. They gave no indication of being aware of Sylk or Mara, but he knew the truth. They were waiting for her.
“Mara, it’s time,” said Sylk.
“Is she here?”
“Yes, they will let us know in the next moment or so.”
Several Mikai landed beside Sylk and Mara, falling to the ground without sound. They bowed to Sylk and motioned for them to follow. Sylk and Mara followed the Mikai into a clearing where the Mikai were ga
thered. In the center sat a woman. Her jet-black hair was pulled back in a bun. She was dressed in green leather with an assortment of blades sheathed along each leg. Strapped to her back was another sheath carrying a sword. Her muscular body seemed at ease as she sat in the clearing. She stood with seemingly no effort to greet her guests.
Sylk bowed. “Mariko, thank you for seeing us.” He presented the fan to the woman, who took it as her eyes opened slightly wider.
“Can this be?” she said, holding the fan and turning it in her hands. “I have seen images, but is this…?”
“That is Mariko’s fan. Given freely by Mariko herself,” said Sylk.
“The Mikai are in your debt, Master Sylk,” said Mariko bowing. “We thought this lost to time.”
“Mariko?” said Mara. “That’s not the same Mariko we met in the”—the woman laughed, a short melodious sound that filled the forest—“never mind.”
“No, I am not the same Mariko you speak of,” said the woman. She made a small gesture with her hand and the Mikai around them dispersed into the trees, leaving them alone. Sylk could still feel the presence of several hundred Mikai around them. The leader of the Mikai was in no danger.
“Every leader of the Mikai takes the name of Mariko in honor of the first. My birth name is Yune and I have known your master since I was a very young girl. Although he does not seem to age,” she said, touching his cheek.
Mariko turned to Sylk and bowed, extending her hand. Sylk took it and they began to walk through the forest. Mara stepped in behind Sylk.
“Master Sylk, it is good to see you again,” said Mariko.
“I wish it were under different circumstances,” he said.
“As do I.”
“How is your father?”
“He is well and will be pleased to see you. I am sure he will scold you for not visiting enough,” she said.
“My life now is—complicated.”
She raised a hand and smiled.
“I understand a life of duty and obligation, and as I understand it, you are not only Karashihan, but Alpha to Rah Ven?”
Warriors of the Way-Pentalogy Page 45
