One of the younger men from Adalu spoke up. “I agree. Many of you are new to your commands. My fighters have been here for months, and our numbers dwindle. We’ve tried it your way. Are we too scared to try it her way because she might be right?”
Rasha was grateful for his opinion and wondered why she hadn’t noticed him before.
“Young man, who are you to speak? You’re no captain. I’ve never seen you before,” a leader from Buku said. His lean face and long nose made him look like a piko.
“I was promoted after my captain died last week.” The young man squared his shoulders, daring anyone to contradict his right to be among them.
Rasha felt it was the perfect time to make her point.
“What is your name?” she asked young captain.
“I’m Hamisu. They call me Ham.”
Then she addressed the older men but kept her eyes on the leader from Buku. “Well, perhaps you are too scared to listen to what I have to say. Never mind. When we collect your bodies from the battle field, I’m sure your replacements will be much more willing to listen, like young Ham here.”
It had taken another hour to convince them that combining their fighters and techniques would benefit them all. The next half hour was spent deciding who would be where and implementing which technique. Rasha was still grumbling about it to Ladi two hours later. They’d forgone training that morning to deal with more pressing matters.
Ladi listened when Rasha mumbled about the royals insisting they hold their annual winter ball, as if they weren’t in the middle of a war. Ladi didn’t understand it either. As if there was nothing to do besides putting on fancy dresses and praying they weren’t eaten in them by some wild beasts. The council gave in for the simple reason that it was easier than having to deal with them.
“I’m sorry the original plan was ruined,” Ladi said. “I understand now it wouldn’t have worked anyway, since they were using the bird-men. I wouldn’t have guessed that in a million rotations.”
Rasha nodded but said nothing. That’s how it was with her these days. Her temper was more volatile and her moods were unpredictable. Ladi was careful not to push, as she wanted Rasha to let her go ahead with her new idea.
“Rasha, there’s been a new development. I think I can help this time.”
“Well?” Rasha asked.
“I reached out to some friends of mine. Friends with connections in some interesting circles. There are rumors that not all the beasts are volunteers.” Ladi smiled.
“So? They fight, so what difference does it make?”
“Don’t you get it? The collars they wear deliver some kind of shock. If they’re not fighting because they want to, then we might be able to get them on our side.”
Ladi was so excited her hands were waving as she described her idea.
“How would you do that?”
“I’d show them that there’s another choice. They might fight for us against the bird-men. Getting to their camp won’t be hard. I already have the coordinates. I’ll figure out a way to deactivate the collars. I just need to get close enough to one that’s still alive to see how they work.”
Rasha didn’t reply. She just stared at Ladi.
“Well?”
17
JOLA OSTARI DIED THE following morning. It was as sunny day as the one before. Jak felt betrayed by the weather. Why wasn’t it raining? They buried his mother, and he stood with his jaw tight and tears streaming down his face. Ebere was on his right side, and his ex-wife stood on his left. Duna was racked with sobs as neighbors helped put his mother into the ground.
She’d told him to forgive his father. On her deathbed she’d made him promise. He didn’t want to think about Xeku. This day was for his mother, and he wasn’t ready to think about anything else. She’d protected him and cared for him his entire life, and in the end only asked that he forgive his father. He wouldn’t begrudge a dying woman her last wish. Before she took her final breath, she added something. The words that echoed in his mind even on this day.
“The princess, Rasha. You care for her.” It hadn’t been a question but a statement.
Jak didn’t need to reply.
Jola nodded, as if he’d spoken. “You understand what it means to love someone now. She’s already changed you for the better.” Jola swallowed hard. “She’s the one.”
She’d gone into a coughing fit a moment later. When he lifted the pitcher and found it empty, he rushed out to get water. He hadn’t meant to let it get that low.
“You seem so sure, how do you–?”
Jak knew the moment he saw her, she was gone. Her last words echoing in his heart.
After saying goodbye to his mother Jak’s thoughts returned to Rasha and what she meant to him. He realized he’d already decided on Rasha. She’d become his closest friend, and he loved being the one she turned to when she needed to talk. If he was being honest with himself, he could say he’d found her attractive that first day, and his desire for her increased every day. Rasha had a fierceness and strength that drew him to her. Having his mother’s blessing only meant he’d do whatever it took to keep her.
Rasha might forgive him for being married, but he’d have to return with more than his heart in his hands. He needed to do what none of her messengers had been able to. He would bring the Wilds into the war against the beasts. They had the numbers and fighters needed to tip the scale. He only hoped they wouldn’t kill him on the spot for what he was about to suggest.
* * *
Jak and Ebere ventured to the city center, where what passed as leadership for the Wilds gathered. Communities that came together because they didn’t care for government and lived without laws didn’t have formal leadership. Jak pulled up to a local bar called the Hub. Most of the men who had any kind of influence met there to discuss business, trade, and entertainment.
Today was no different, and near the end of the workday it was busy. Jak chose a table near the back of the room with an exit door nearby and a view of the bar.
Many of the men who dealt with the banks and commerce sat at the bar. Their jovial personalities made the bar a lively one. The merchants were a mixed group, some with smiles and handshakes while others were somber and serious.
The most interesting thing about the traders, Jak remembered, was their generosity. They were the ones buying drinks and sharing their meals. A typical day at the Hub.
“I found your exchange with your wife very interesting. Should I expect something similar here?” Ebere asked. He was leaning forward in his seat with his elbows on the table. There was a light in his eyes that Jak had only seen a few times—when Ebere looked at Ladi. She never saw it because he shut down the minute she looked his way.
“Like I said before, we married young. We mistook innocent infatuation for love.”
Ebere sipped his vegetable drink. It had a green tint and an orange stalk he stirred it with. Jak gulped down his fermented fruit drink and hoped that he had enough courage to do this. He focused on Rasha and imagined her fighting alone on the front.
“Well, Jak Ostari, or should I say Prince Ameenu?” A man with purple skin wearing a business suit greeted him. Jak smiled back at Mr. Waza, a banker he’d had occasion to deal with before.
“Mr. Waza, let me introduce you to my friend Ebere,” Jak said, ignoring the question. Like Rasha, he neither liked the title and was happy it was temporary. The only good thing to come with it was her.
“A pleasure, young man. If you need to do any bank business while you’re here, I’d be happy to attend you, personally.” Mr. Waza held out a meaty hand to Ebere.
Ebere shook it and then discreetly wiped the sweat off on his pants.
“I bring important news from Adalu, Mr. Waza. Is there a chance I might have an audience?”
Mr. Waza looked around and laughed. “You want an audience to discuss the Adalu? You’ve come to the wrong place. These people are not interested in what happens to the ten kingdoms.”
“I must sp
eak with you, it’s urgent,” Jak insisted.
“I heard about your mother.”
Jak bit back the sadness that gripped his heart at the mention of her.
“She reminded me of something before she died,” Jak said, leaning in towards the older man. “She asked me to stop holding on to the past so I might have a better future.”
“Wise words from a wise woman.”
“Which is why I’m here today. The Wilds have been living in the past long enough. It’s time to move forward together.” Jak’s voice carried above the bar chatter. A few of the patrons stopped to listen.
Mr. Waza wasn’t laughing anymore. His purple face looked at least a shade darker, and the sweat dampened his suit. He looked around the room at other prominent members of the community, then shrugged.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it appears the courier-turned-prince, Jak Ostari Ameenu, has something to discuss with us today. Shall we give him an ear?” Mr. Waza made the announcement and glasses stopped clinking and people stopped chatting to hear what Jak had to say.
Jak cleared his throat. He’d never spoken at the Hub before. He’d listened to their debates in the past, and they got heated at times. The last thing he wanted was to make things worse for Rasha. He took another swallow of his drink and then cleared his throat.
Ebere sat with his eyes closed. Maybe he was praying to Mat`ka of Poda, the nature goddess, for help. Unlike Lu, Ebere seemed to take his religious beliefs seriously. With the whole room watching, Jak couldn’t ask him.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you news from the First Kingdom of Adalu.”
There were groans around the room and a few audible discontents. Maybe he shouldn’t have brought up Adalu. There were still bad feelings there.
“As most of you know, I’m Jak. Just Jak,” He added with a sideways glance at Mr. Waza. “I grew up here, and most of you know me.
“Our way of life has always suited us just fine. We don’t get involved with the ten kingdoms of Bolaji, and they don’t bother us.”
“Live free, die free,” someone called out. The roar of applause was overwhelming.
How was he supposed to reach them? What he wanted was diametrically opposed to the people they were.
“I won’t bore you with the details of the war that’s happening on the borders of Adalu with the beasts of the north. I know you don’t care about that.” Several of the community members vocalized their agreement with that statement. “Let’s talk about something you do care about: your livelihoods, your homes, your future, and the future of your children.” Jak paused and waited for them to take that in.
“I don’t want to try to persuade you with fancy words or shower you with pleas from the council or their royal representatives.” He smiled, understanding how many considered him a lackey for the council. “I’ll speak to you the way I was raised to speak here in the Wilds: with truth. The war is not going well. People from every nation and kingdom are being slaughtered. It’s only a matter of time before they’re snarling, slashing, and feasting at your front door.”
The room grew silent again as they listened.
“These creatures show no respect for borders or people. How long do you think it will take them to figure out this land is ungoverned and unprepared to defend itself?”
“We’ve fought off kingdoms before,” someone shouted.
“They don’t call this the Wilds for nothing,” a woman’s voice agreed.
“Let them come!”
Jak nodded. It was the exact response he’d expected. They were indifferent, and they couldn’t see the danger coming.
Ebere stood up and spoke.
“Many of you understand my people to be a neutral intelligence-gathering people. I would like to say something on behalf of them. When the beasts come and kill off all the other kingdoms, you’ll have only yourselves with whom to trade. Communications all over Bolaji will be down. Trade will cease in every corner of the realm. No one is safe unless we come together. Please, for the sake of your own family and friends, reconsider.”
Jak waited a moment. He hoped they would listen, but he didn’t believe they would. He was right.
“What’s in it for us?” Mr. Waza asked.
Ever the banker and businessman. It all came down to this.
“How about saving your people?”
“Not good enough. Sorry folks, I have a way off of this rock if I need it, and it’s a lot cheaper than a war.” Several others agreed with him.
“What do you want?” Jak asked.
“Something your council would rather die than give us,” Mr. Waza said.
18
“OUT OF THE QUESTION,” Rasha said. “Are you a complete pumseed? You expect to just walk into their camp, and then you think one of their beasts is going to let you touch their collar long enough to disable it?”
“Not exactly. I’d do surveillance. Just give me a chance to—”
“Isn’t it enough that your parents lost one child? You would risk your own life and leave them childless?”
“I haven’t been a child in years.” Ladi crossed her arms over her chest. “This is a solid plan. If I can get one to trust me, we could learn more about them and win some of them to our side.”
“No. We don’t have the manpower right now to send a team, and I won’t risk them getting killed.”
“I can go myself. I’m good at getting in and out of places unseen. They’ll never even know I’m there.”
Rasha snapped.
“No. I won’t bury another partner. Sorry, you’re stuck here in the palace with me. Why don’t you help get these royals off of my back about this winter ball?”
Ladi fumed. Rasha was just like everyone else. No one ever took her seriously. She didn’t want her parents to suffer, but she also didn’t want the beasts to conquer the first kingdom and go after the Twinlands. It was better to take the risk herself than to lose her brother and both her parents. Rasha didn’t understand. This was their only chance.
* * *
“Dragons!” A guard shouted. Rasha pulled her swords and ran.
It was true. The bird-men had arrived, and on the backs of the dragons were bull-men. They landed on the grounds and destroyed anything in their path. Ladi was ready for them this time. She’d already set up the pulse.
Ladi held up the remote trigger, and Rasha nodded. She sent word to the fighters to keep them from harm when the pulse went off. The dragons required almost three times the charge to do any damage. Their people would need to stay clear or they could be killed.
Rasha signaled to Ladi to get ready with a three-finger count down. When Rasha reached two, Ladi put her finger on the trigger.
Some of the bull-men on dragons took to the air again. The pulse was ineffective if their feet weren’t on the ground. The beasts hovered above the grounds, picking them off. The small individual shocks and defense tactics didn’t penetrate their thick skins. Rasha signaled their people back, and, in a haphazard fashion, they moved back several paces. It was clear to Ladi they needed to do more drills.
Ladi hurried over to Rasha.
“We need wire ropes,” she yelled.
“Now is not a good time to try taming the beasts.”
“No, for the pulse to work they have to be within the pulse grid!”
Rasha thought for a moment then yelled behind her to the guard.
“Wire!”
They gathered the wire and the archers attached them to their arrows while keeping them securely connected to the grid. The countdown began again, and Ladi waited with her thumb over the controller.
Rasha gave the signal at last. The archers fired their arrows, and they sailed over the beasts as if they’d missed. As the flying beasts struggled to untangle the wires that touched them, Ladi pushed the button, sending the pulse up the wires. The beasts howled and cried out, many of them falling to the ground.
The fighters cheered as the last of the beasts limped away.
Ladi approached an
electrocuted dragon. It looked up at her with sad brown eyes.
“What are you doing?” Rasha asked when Ladi rolled out her bag of small metal tools. She picked at the collar, trying to get it open, her hands moving with lightning speed.
“This collar is on a remote mechanism, but I think I can override it.” She smiled when the collar opened with a hiss.
“We’ll be faster next time,” Ladi said, stroking the dragon. It heaved a loud sigh before it closed its eyes for the last time.
“Interesting.” Rasha said, taking note of the way the animal seemed to welcome the permanent sleep.
“The rumors are true. Half of the beasts they’re using are wearing these collars. Meaning that if we can figure out a way to get them off, they really might be eager to turn on them.
“You have a sound argument.”
“That’s why I want to go to their encampment. There might be a faster way to get the collars off, but I need to see them at work.”
“What’s it going to take to get it through your thick skull? You are not going off to the beasts’ encampment alone. Maybe when Jak gets back, I can go with you.”
“I’m not a child.”
“Good, then I won’t need to explain to you again why you can’t go.”
Rasha sheathed her swords and followed the rest of her people back toward the palace.
19
LADI GLANCED AROUND THE room one last time, looking for anything she might have forgotten. Her bag felt light on her back as she mentally rechecked the contents. She’d packed a pulse, her hand tools to open collars, and items that might help on her trek through the woods. She placed a note on the bed, folded in half.
The Courier's Conflict Page 6
