by A. J. Smith
“After you, my lady Alpha Wolf,” said Daniel, sweeping his arm towards the archway.
I paused, and uncoiled my wrist from the rope. Siggy, Kieran and I were all armed, but Tasha couldn’t fight, and Daniel couldn’t be relied on. It would certainly be interesting if we faced trouble. Nevertheless, I was not afraid, and strode from the platform, through the glittering black archway. Siggy was a step after me, with Kieran and Tasha close behind. Daniel was clearly in no hurry, and let the four of us advance, before leaving the wooden platform.
With my hand on the hilt of my cutlass, I strolled slowly through the stone tunnel. There was a thick layer of rock at the edge of the cliff, but it was eventually replaced by an area of flat ground. The earth had the same high metal content as the cliffs, and was coloured a deep, glossy black. When I reached the open ground, I paused, waiting for the others to catch up and see what I was seeing. There were people waiting for us.
“Trouble?” asked Siggy Blackeye, drawing her blade.
Kieran stood next to her, and Tasha skulked over my shoulder, looking at the line of people standing in our way. They stood, silently, in a thinly spaced line, looking at us. There were a dozen of them, each clad in strange armour, made from woven reeds, and wearing wooden masks, painted green. If I’d not been able to sense their wyrd, I’d have thought them Pure Ones of some kind, but these people were certainly Eastron. Their masks had small slots for the eyes and mouth, but were otherwise expressionless.
23
I held the hilt of my blade, but didn’t draw it. Either side of me, Kieran Greenfire and Siggy Blackeye were not so restrained. Both had drawn their cutlasses. Siggy’s was heavy, with a basket-hilt, and Kieran’s had a long, narrow blade. They were faced with twelve unidentified warriors, and both sent a ripple of wyrd over their shoulders. I glanced behind, but Daniel was hanging back, making it clear he did not intend to engage if a fight started.
“Hmm, an interesting welcome,” I muttered, taking several long strides towards the line of green masks.
They didn’t move an inch from their silent line, though I could now see that all of them were armed with short swords and hand-axes. It was a strange assembly of warriors. Their armour, made of woven reeds and lacquered wicker, was coloured red and gold. I saw no metal, apart from their weaponry and a few buckles. Along with their expressionless, green masks, the woven armour gave them an organic appearance, as if their defences were grown instead of forged. But they just stood there.
If they had a leader, I couldn’t identify him or her, so I just shouted to all twelve. “I am Adeline Brand, called the Alpha Wolf...” As soon as the last word had left my mouth, and before I could continue, one of the strange Eastron rushed me.
It was a man who broke from the middle of the silent line, drawing a blade from each hip. His woven armour allowed complete freedom of movement, and his athleticism suggested a warrior of considerable skill.
“Adeline!” snapped Tasha, as the man rushed in.
“All of you, stay back,” I commanded, halting Siggy and Kieran.
I drew my cutlass and extended my phantom limb, turning sideways to meet the oncoming attack. It was unnerving to not see my attacker’s face, but I still planned to kill him. He leapt forwards at the last moment, swinging both his short swords at my head. I met the attack with my spectral arm, using wyrd to parry both blades at once. The shock made him drop his swords, and sprawl on the floor in front of me. I drove my cutlass through his head with no hesitation, splitting the wooden mask and revealing a young man’s face.
I heard gasps behind me, primarily from Tasha, but also swear words from the other two. “Adeline, you didn’t need to kill him,” said Kieran Greenfire. “He was no match for you.” Almost before he’d finished complaining, another masked Eastron ran towards me from the silent line.
“What kind of welcome is this?” I demanded, as the warrior, a woman this time, drew a hand-axe. “Must I kill all of you, one at a time?”
The woman darted from side to side, slowing as she got close to me, not making the same mistake as the first attacker. When she struck, it was from a low angle, aimed at my thigh, and delivered with restraint. I stepped backwards, but she kept her balance, and spun around to face me. I didn’t even take guard. I just waited for her to attack again, which she did almost immediately, swinging her axe at my neck. I met her blade with a casual parry, and opened her neck with a backhand riposte. She fell next to the first masked attacker, her blood mingling with his.
There were ten Eastron left, none of whom had moved an inch as I killed two of their number. Their green masks made their inaction even more unnerving, and I was beginning to get irritated. What did these people want?
“Adeline, can we stop this?” asked Tasha, nervously.
“That’s up to them,” I replied.
The answer came quickly, as a third warrior broke from the line and rushed me. He was the largest so far, with wide shoulders and a heavy stride. He held two short swords, and unlike the first two attackers, he stopped before reaching me. The man took a wide stance, stalking left and right in front of me. I wondered what expression he wore under his mask. He was faced with a woman who’d just effortlessly killed two of his comrades, and clearly didn’t think he was any more of a threat. Was he afraid, excited or maybe drunk? Did the Sundered Wolves greet everyone this way?
The bulky man was taking too long to attack, so I decided to just kill him. I took a casual stride forwards, closing the ground, and flooding my spectral limb with wyrd. He didn’t know how to react, so raised both his swords in a defensive posture, thinking he’d be parrying a blade. Instead, I directed a punch at his green mask, shattering both his short swords in a flash of blue wyrd. My fist impacted his face with immense force, though I barely felt it. I saw the mask crack and disappear, and I saw a bearded face smashed into pulp. I’d used enough wyrd to kill several men, pushing it into a single point and directing it at his head.
“Finished?” shouted Daniel, appearing in my peripheral vision. “You were allowed three… No more than three.”
I pulled back my wyrd, and retracted my spectral arm. The nine remaining Eastron didn’t move or speak, but neither did any of them appear likely to attack me. I sheathed my cutlass, and realized that I’d barely used it, before turning to the Sundered Wolf and grabbing him by the throat. I wasn’t Driftwood, and I wasn’t letting off steam. I was angry at how little he’d told me and I no longer wanted to play his game.
His eyes went wide as I cut off his air. His composure, since he came back from the dead, had been assured. Even when he’d been thrown to the deck of Halfdan’s Revenge, he’d appeared more surprised than scared. Now, as I snarled at him, I saw something new. Daniel, the strange Sundered Wolf, looked like he wanted to say sorry. There was a depth of regret in his eyes, that didn’t care about the scary woman, with a hand around his throat. In that moment, I couldn’t tell if he was a friend or an enemy, and I considered trying to kill him. The wolf in me saw him as a threat, and I twitched with the urge to hurt him.
“That’s enough,” snapped Tasha Strong, speaking louder than I was used to from her. The Kneeling Wolf grabbed my arm, and made me release Daniel, but her words had not been directed at me alone. She thrust out her chin, and pointed an angry gaze at the silent green masks. “Adeline will not be killing any more of you. We came here as friends… We are your friends.”
“Just three,” said Daniel, rubbing his neck as he stood. “That’s all they were allowed. Rage Breaker spoke before I left. No one else will attack. You have my word.”
Kieran and Siggy kept their blades in hand, and moved to flank me. Neither said anything, but I could sense their thoughts churning. Kieran worried about my state of mind, and Siggy worried about the strange warriors in green masks.
“Why?” I asked Daniel. “And don’t ask what I mean, because that will make me angry.”
“Answer her,” added Tasha. “You… strange man.”
“It’s
simple,” said Daniel, glancing at the silent line of Eastron. “They want to die… and dying at the hands of the Alpha Wolf is the greatest death of all. Their families will celebrate tonight.”
“There is a hold here somewhere,” I replied, hefting Daniel to his feet. “Take me there, or I will see nine more families celebrate.”
The masked Eastron stepped back, clearly not intending to attack, and melted away from us, across the black earth of the cliff-top. When all nine had shown us their backs, Daniel led us away from the cliff, just as some more of Driftwood’s crew began pulling the wooden platform back down to the water beneath.
A short walk from the cliff, and we all stopped. The Starry Sky was not a hold in any traditional sense. It was sprawled on a series of rocky steps, going inland from the mid-point of the bay. Galleries of jagged black rock, with buildings and walkways, were etched into the land itself. Further to the north it levelled out, with the same volcanic black earth as the cliff-top. The buildings on the flat ground were of more normal construction, though all stone structures were made of glassy black rock. If it weren’t for the crystal clear river that snaked north, the whole place would look like a tomb.
“How many Eastron live here?” I asked Daniel.
The five of us stood at the top of a steep path, looking down at the hold of the Sundered Wolves.
“Fifty thousand or so,” he replied. “Much smaller than the Severed Hand. When we lived at the Hidden Claw, to the east of here, there were five times as many.”
“What happened?” asked Tasha. “Did you fight a war?”
He bowed his head. “No war, no pestilence, just foolishness. An old man made the wrong choice, long ago, thinking he was wise. He tried to make peace with a creature that doesn’t understand peace. His people have been paying for that choice ever since.”
I wanted to strangle him again, if only to show my companions that I shared their evident frustration. I resisted the urge when something occurred to me. “They didn’t use wyrd,” I stated. “Those who attacked me, they didn’t use wyrd.” I looked at Daniel. “Neither have I seen wyrd from you.”
“We don’t use it,” he replied. “It makes things worse.”
Again, the urge to strangle him. I wanted to shout and curse that I needed straight answers, but he cut me off by raising both hands and interrupting any rant before it began. “My name,” he stated, “is Daniel Doesn’t Die, Drinks the Death Bear’s Eye. I always planned to tell you once we got here.”
We all looked at him in silence. I’d never met a man with a comma in his name, but neither had I met a Sundered Wolf, so perhaps this was normal. It was an unusually complicated name, but told me little I didn’t already know. I sensed that his purpose in telling us was more to diffuse my annoyance than anything else.
“Eva Rage Breaker,” I said. “You said she rules here. You will take me to her… Daniel Doesn’t Die.”
*
It was like no settlement I’d ever visited. Even Pure One villages had more life. If the hold of the Starry Sky had shops or taverns, they were not obvious. As we walked down the steep path, the buildings either side of us were blocky and uniform, as if sophisticated architecture was somehow offensive to them. Everything on the slope looked the same – small squares, cut from the rock, and linked by galleries, too narrow to be called streets. The populace were skittish, fleeing from us into their square buildings, or peering at us from around corners. They were mostly dark haired, like Daniel, with green cloaks and simple homespun clothing. The only warriors I saw were wearing green masks, as if it were a requirement to bear arms. They were less skittish, and flanked the slope at intervals, forming a thinly spaced tunnel towards the low ground.
Siggy and Kieran were muttering to each other, speculating on all the various ways we could be ambushed and killed. They’d both sheathed their blades, and stood protectively behind me. They, like Tasha, were clearly unnerved by the green wooden masks, and glassy black buildings. Whereas I was just reaching the peak of my curiosity, wondering who these people were, what drove them to live in such a place and want to throw their lives away under my blade. Though the purpose of our visit, to secure allies and friendship, had not yet been addressed. These people certainly didn’t act like friends.
“They’re scared of you,” said Daniel.
We reached the bottom of the slope, and he nodded to a large concentration of green-masked warriors, standing in our path. There were a dozen of them, formed into a column, with short swords and hand-axes held across their organic armour.
“Are they the duellists of the Starry Sky?” I asked. “I don’t like the masks.”
“Not duellists,” he replied. “They’ve had a lot of names over the years. They started as the spirit-masters of the Hidden Claw. When we found the phoenix and cast aside other spirits, they became the truth-masters. Over time they picked up weapons and replaced the duellists. They’ve been judges, assassins and zealots. Until Rage Breaker.”
“What are they now?” asked Tasha, intruding upon our conversation.
“We call them servants,” replied Daniel Doesn’t Die. “They call themselves the Servants of Fate, sometimes the Keepers of the Black Dust. They are drunk on the certainty of death. It’s the price you pay for listening to the Great Phoenix.”
I was about to respond, when two Sundered Wolves broke from the column in front of us. A man and a woman, both armed with short swords, strode to within a few feet of me. I didn’t think they were going to attack, but their expressionless green masks made it impossible to be sure.
“Keep your fucking distance,” demanded Siggy Blackeye, moving next to me, and half drawing her cutlass. “We are Sea Wolves, and you will find us difficult to scare… and harder to kill.”
“They know who you are,” snapped Daniel. “They mean to honour you. Keep your blade sheathed. You are in no danger.” Again, I sensed an apology in his words.
The two servants bowed their masked heads, and each held their short sword aloft. In unison, as if enacting some well-practised pageantry, they placed their blades against their necks, and opened their own throats. They cut from left to right, under their green masks, which were quickly coloured red. The cuts had been forceful, deliberate, and done without hesitation or sound. They fell straight down to the black gravel ground, their faces remaining hidden even in death.
Kieran swore loudly. Siggy grunted and turned away. Tasha leant on my shoulder and doubled over, retching. I just looked down at the two dead Servants of Fate. I wasn’t repulsed or angry, like the others. I objected to killing them, but they were free to kill themselves, if they so choose. My main concern was the building anxiety of the Old Bitch of the Sea. The part of me that was spirit had been quiet since we arrived at the Starry Sky. Now, seeing what reverence of the Great Phoenix had done to these Eastron, her hackles had risen. As before, I felt no hostility, just a relationship too complicated for a mortal woman to understand. The wolf understood we needed allies, but she didn’t want to be here.
“Don’t stare,” said Daniel, stepping past the two bodies. “You may not like it, but they think to honour the Alpha Wolf in the only way they know how. Only three were permitted to die by your blade.”
“Adeline, these people are fucking insane,” said Kieran Greenfire, turning his back on the assembled green masks.
“Does it feel like a trap?” I asked, drily.
He chewed on his lip, and glanced around. “No,” he replied. “But, before today, I thought the Dark Brethren were the strangest Eastron.”
“We carry on,” I stated. “Follow me.”
I joined Daniel and headed towards the remaining servants. Tasha hung onto my arm, screwing up her face and coughing. Siggy and Kieran were slower to follow, and carried on muttering to each other, but they fell in after a moment. The column of green masks parted, allowing us to approach a tall, cylindrical building that dominated the flat section of the Starry Sky. It had no windows and was made of huge black stone blocks, eviden
tly quarried from the cliff. The only visible opening was a tall, arched doorway at ground level.
Daniel stopped next to the opening and attempted a smile. It wasn’t a particularly reassuring expression, and just made his big nose look even bigger.
“If you have words, say them,” I demanded. “Or take me to Rage Breaker.”
“I have words,” he replied, straightening, and cracking his neck. “Whatever you think of us, I ask you to show respect. There are two people in the hold who we need. One of them you can’t kill… the other you shouldn’t. Eva has a calming effect on most Eastron, but you’re different, Adeline Brand. You’re not entirely Eastron… not any more.”
I snarled at him. It occurred to me to lash out, and demand how he knew that, but I considered where I was and decided against it. Instead, I locked eyes with him. He was not afraid of me. Not even a little bit.
“Calm yourself, Alpha Wolf,” he said, still meeting my glare. “I am not a fight for you, or any of your people.” He tried to smile again, this time with a flicker of actual amusement. “Shall we go inside?”
I gave a shallow nod, not wanting to speak. Behind me, Tasha, Kieran and Siggy had heard the exchange, though two of them were far more concerned with the green masks behind us, and the dozens more, looking at us from the slopes of the Starry Sky. Only Tasha Strong, still fighting the urge to vomit, showed a reaction to Daniel’s words. The Kneeling Wolf cook looked at me with genuine concern in her eyes, like a mother would look at a sick child. She’d known something was wrong for weeks, and this just added to her perpetual worry.
“Inside,” I said to all three of them.
Daniel turned sharply, and entered the tall, cylindrical building, quickly disappearing into darkness. Before I could follow, Kieran Greenfire faced me, making it clear he was unhappy. “That wooden platform will have delivered three or four loads by now,” said the quartermaster of the Revenge. “Tynian will have sent our toughest duellists. We should bring them down here.”
