The Exile's Redemption (The Heart of a Tyrant Book 1)

by Reece Dinn

  'He not strong, like you.'

  'Lial talk big. Says he'll give you ten strikes, then does eight. I say give twenty, then punch you until you're bloody. He say no.'

  The first night in the pit his Mal had brought him food, her usual hot mirac meat broth, but she'd poured it over him, scalding his skin. He'd had to eat bits of meat off his clothes and the ground. When he'd returned home she'd punched him repeatedly in the ear.

  He pushed away his white sleeping fur and dressed, almost knocking over the pot of broth. His Mal snarled at him. The furaz was cramped, empty bowls, furs and boots strewn all around and hanging from the furaz's support poles, the rest of the space taken up by the fire in the middle. The furaz covering rippled in the wind, wafting the flames. Some of the bone pegs had come loose, allowing the chill wind through the gaps. The furs he put on were new, a dark red, and softer than his others, their touch pleasant on his skin.

  'Where you go?' his Mal snapped.

  'To train,' he snapped back.

  'You have wounds.'

  He huffed, shaking his head. 'So?'

  'Listen to the Lial. Rest. Don't make me make you rest.'

  He couldn't help but smile at his Mal's displays of affection.

  'Food ready soon,' said his Mal. 'Both your Sal out in the forest helping Genesaz. Bring them back. No fighting on the way there.'

  The village of Oaraz was a maze of furaz, black fur domes of all sizes huddled together as though for warmth. Melonaz wandered through the hide clad maze, swaying side to side, barely avoiding those that walked past him carrying bundles of wood, animal hides, carcasses, buckets of water, or whatever else they needed to carry. Some snarled at him as they shoved past him.

  At the outskirts of the village the gola forest stretched out, their evergreen leaves giving them the appearance of tall green furaz. He navigated the rows of neatly kept gola. lilnac scurried around them, stealing nuts and hiding inside the gola's leaves. Several women chased the little white furred creatures, the lilnac moaning as they fled. He nearly crashed into one woman as she turned the corner in a hurry.

  'You see my Sal?' Melonaz asked, holding his hands up in apology.

  'End of the row,' the woman snapped back, turning away from him, spitting on the ground as she went.

  He followed the row along and found his two Sal at play, chasing each other around a small gola. Hard work, I see. One dived on the other and the two giggled as they rolled around on the snow, tickling one another.

  He gently kicked them. 'You two helping Genesaz, yes?'

  The two girls rolled over onto their backs, continuing to giggle together.

  'Well?' he asked again, grinning.

  'Genesaz sleeping so we play instead,' said Diamoz, the elder. 'Fill more bowls with cahedid than old wrinkle face do.'

  'Look,' said Aeolnaz, springing up to her feet. She reached inside her white furs and carefully pulled something out, cupping it gently. She held it up to him. He peered into her hands with caution as she opened them out. A small white bupbup crawled around in her palm, moving around like a man swimming in a lake. It was small, with two antennae on top of its head and a small needle protruding from the rear of its pelt of tiny white hairs.

  'Bupbup? Rare seeing one above the snow,' he said.

  'Its cute,' said Aeolnaz.

  'You crush it with your rolling around.'

  'I try to make her let it go. She not listen,' said Diamoz.

  'He friend.' Aeolnaz screwed up her face, holding the bupbup to her chest.

  'Let it go. It'll bite you,' Melonaz said softly.

  'No. Mine.'

  'Aeolnaz, don't be a child. It not friend,' said Diamoz.

  'No.'

  'Aeolnaz.'

  Aeolnaz spat. She scooped up some snow, placed the bupbup in the hole, then covered it again. After a moment she panicked and dug back down to the bupbup, but it had already moved on. Her face flushed.

  Oh no, please, no crying. 'Sorry, Aeolnaz,' said Melonaz. 'It good to have little friends. Bupbup are bad though. They bite you, drink your blood.' He placed a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off, pouting, her cheeks big and puffy.

  'Don't sulk. If Mal see bupbup she punch you. Throw it in pot. Make you eat it,' he laughed.

  Aeolnaz didn't answer.

  'Lial punish you?' asked Diamoz, frowning. She looked like their Mal when she frowned, the same thick black eyebrows lowering over the same dark eyes.

  'Yes. He give me eight strikes,' said Melonaz.

  'Mal says it would be ten.'

  You, Mal. Do both of you want me dead? 'Sorry to disappoint,' he said.

  'No more fighting with that Nekolz, yes? No more fighting at all?'

  'You not understand. You not strong if you do not fight.'

  Diamoz placed her hands on her hips. 'That's stupid. Glad I not a Sehnal.'

  'If a Sehnal, you best in the village' he said with a wink.

  Diamoz flexed her arms. 'I stronger than anyone.'

  He laughed, glancing at the still sulking Aeolnaz. 'You need come home. Eat food,' he said. 'Go wake Genesaz. Say you leaving.' The two girls ran away. He felt a pang of guilt about the bupbup. He dug around in the snow hoping to find it, though he knew it'd be long gone. By the time they came back he'd dug a hole big enough for them all to fit in.

  Melonaz slurped his bland tasting broth of mirac meat and gola leaves. They all sat in silence as they ate. Aeolnaz still sulked about the loss of her bupbupz. Diamoz, not fond of her Mal's cooking either, pulled a face with every spoonful. Melonaz finished his broth then refilled his bowl. He was still hungry, having eaten very little for the previous three days. He needed to regain his strength quickly. Their Mal sat silently watching them, occasionally slurping a spoonful of her own bowl.

  There was a cough outside and the cover of the furaz parted, revealing the twilight sky outside. A tall, weak looking man stepped in.

  'You're late, Reijiz. Food go cold,' their Mal said to him.

  'Sorry, Violaz. Take mirac far out on the plains, food hard to find here. I will be back late for next moon.' Reijiz sat down next to their Mal, kissed her, then grabbed a bowl and dipped it into the pot, groaning when he found the pot empty. He looked up at Melonaz, 'Hear Lial punish you this morning.'

  'He needs to beat him more if you ask me,' their Mal chimed in.

  'Lial say I can train tomorrow,' said Melonaz, ignoring his Mal.

  'Next day? I see Lial give out strikes. I not stand for a whole moon if take even one,' said Reijiz.

  'You not a Sehnal.'

  'Melonaz. Want me to punch your teeth in?' his Mal snapped.

  Reijiz shook his head. 'I no Sehnal. See you boys training, looks hard. But all people have their place. I herd mirac, not fight. If I not herd, you herd instead. If you herd, not have time to train. No time to fight. Remember this.'

  Melonaz felt his Mal's glare. 'Sorry,' he said, genuinely, 'I mean you not take pain. Not like a Sehnal.'

  'You not take pain either. You cry,' said his Mal, laughing.

  Melonaz's cheeks flushed. 'What?'

  'We hear you scream from here.'

  Melonaz looked down into his bowl, cheeks burning.

  'Oh, don't feel bad,' said his Mal. 'Lial beat you hard. You young. It just funny you mock Reijiz. Mock him when you cry, yes?'

  'Lobkak,' Melonaz spat at her.

  His Mal waved the insult away.

  Melonaz threw his spoon across the furaz. 'I get strong. Be stronger than them all.'

  'Not if you keep making trouble.' His Mal handed her bowl to Reijiz, who took it greedily, slurping the broth down without even using a spoon.

  They ate the rest of their meal in silence. Melonaz didn't finish his second helping.

  Melonaz covered his ears, trying to block out his Mal's moans of pleasure. Her and Reijiz's fucking grew louder with each slap of flesh on flesh. He squeezed his ears closed until they hurt, but nothing blocked the noise. Every night this moon. He tried to calm his mind, fo
rget the noise and will himself to sleep. But they just grew louder. Reijiz grunted in between his Mal's moans. Faster and faster they went, then it was over. Melonaz sighed in relief.

  Glad Reijiz not my Dal. He weak. Dal out there, somewhere. He Apochal, fights the ludenez. Not know if he's strong. If he's weak. If he even lives. His Mal had told him that his Dal had left when he was still a baby, like all new Apochal. The only real father figure he'd had was the Lial. He was the only father figure he needed. Reijiz was too weak, not that the man ever really tried to be one to him.

  Mal not say name of my Dal. That good. Will not meet Dal. Apochal never know their children. He had only faint memories of his Dal, the feel of having his stomach tickling by him, being swayed from side to side, the way he would groan after every slurp of his Mal's broth.

  At his feet slept Diamoz, who rolled over onto her side. Reijiz her Dal, Aelonaz's too. They not know what it's like to not know your own Dal. He wondered what his Dal would do if he ever came back and found his Mate with another man. Once a woman who lived a few furaz down had been caught with another man by her Apochal Mate. The Apochal had been away for over ten years but still, when he'd found his Mate with her lover he beat them both bloody with his bare hands, then torched both them, and their three children, inside their furaz. The smell of their burning flesh had lingered for days after. The Lial had to kill the Apochal in a duel as punishment.

  The evening held the red glow of Rez and through the hole at the top of the furaz a couple of stars shone brightly. Melonaz gazed up through the hole, slowly relaxing, tiredness setting in.

  A quiet moan came from across the furaz and his Mal's fucking began anew. Not willing to listen to any more of it, he put on his furs and boots, then left quietly.

  Melonaz walked until he couldn't hear her moans, deciding to rest awhile against a wooden chopping block. He reached into his furs and pulled out a small stone knife he kept in his inside pouch. Picking up a discarded log, he began to carve.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  'Quiet,' snapped the Lial. 'Come to me.'

  Melonaz stayed at the back as the other Sehnal shuffled to the Lial, who stood atop of the big rock he liked to teach from. Today's lesson would be a dull one, Melonaz could sense it. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet. The back of the head of the boy in front was more interesting, three moles ran down the middle of it in an almost straight line.

  'This third time I try to teach you Raiz,' said the Lial, sitting down cross-legged on the rock.

  Will you teach me something new today? No. He spat on the ground, keeping his head down, his boots more interesting, less intimidating, less prone to beating him. The boots were worn, the fur thin and frayed.

  'Ilaroz,' the Lial shouted, 'What is Raiz?'

  'Um. Energy, Lial.' Ilaroz's voice broke as he spoke.

  Melonaz sniggered, covering his mouth.

  'Good,' said the Lial, 'You not as stupid as you look. You?' he pointed to another boy at the front. 'What do we use Raiz for?'

  Wenesoz cleared his throat. 'To fight, Lial.'

  'Yes. Give me more.'

  'Use to do Brubah so can heal wounds. Use to do Hakah to make body stronger. Stronger when moving, when lifting things, when attacking.'

  'How?'

  'How? Not know, Lial.'

  The Lial frowned. 'Useless. Need listen more. Melonaz?'

  Startled, Melonaz met the Lial's eyes.

  'How do we use Raiz to fight?' The Lial pointed accusingly at him. 'You good, yes? This easy to answer.'

  The wounds on his back suddenly stung. His mouth dried. 'When doing Hakah we push Raiz into body to give it more energy. Make it stronger. The more we push into it the stronger we get.'

  The Lial waved dismissively. 'Raiz already part of the body. How do we push Raiz into it then?'

  Melonaz mumbled, struggling to come up with a response. He clenched his fists.

  'Not as clever as you think, yes?' said the Lial, the half smile odd on his usually stern face.

  Melonaz's cheeks heated up, the embarrassment stinging more than his back. Someone sniggered. He gritted his teeth.

  'Raiz control hard. All Sehnal need master it. Not master it, not be strong. Not be Apochal.'

  Not say how Hakah work then? Lobkak, I want punch you. I try heal fast, come train with him, for what? He not teach new things, not explain things properly. Not to us little Sehnal.

  'First thing you need do is learn to sense your Raiz. Feel it,' said the Lial. 'Reach deep into your mind. Spread out. Sit.' He beat his staff on the rock. 'If you fall asleep, I hit you on head.'

  Melonaz moved away from the group, far enough not to hear them, sat down, crossed his legs, and folded his arms. This easy. He closed his eyes, breathing, relaxing his mind. After a moment the warm tingle of Raiz was there and he focused on it, pushing it to the forefront of his mind, feeling it all over his body. Easy. He stayed sat this way for a while, basking in its warmth, remaining focused only on his Raiz, resisting the urge to do anything with it, in fear of angering the Lial.

  'Clear your mind.' The snow crunched as the Lial walked past him. 'No thinking. Just feel.'

  He opened his eyes a little, peering out at the other Sehnal. The boy's face closest to him was screwed up tight in concentration. Someone else nearby was snoring softly. The Lial growled. There was a yelp. The snoring stopped.

  With his Raiz focused Melonaz could sense the Raiz of those nearby too, each person a small spot of heat in his mind, but warmer if their Raiz was focused too. Only two were. One more than last time.

  The Lial called for a break. 'Next we spar with weapons. You all bad at Raiz. You like bonokok, useless.'

  Melonaz wandered off to a small rock at the edge of the training ground. His back throbbed. Not being able to use Brubah in front of the Lial only made it worse. He ask how I know Brubah if do it. He not like answer.. Think he knows I know it anyway though. He pulled out his carving knife and the wooden block, it now roughly resembled a bupbup. He began to carve.

  'What you make?'

  Tenalkz stood over him, his large nose casting a pointed shadow.

  'Mofar, Big Nose.' Melonaz laughed.

  Tenalkz snorted, big nostrils flaring.

  He held the block up to his friend. 'Carve bupbup for Aeolnaz. She find a bupbup. I make her get rid. Make one she can keep. You finish your spear?'

  Tenalkz crouched down. Melonaz leaned back, as if in fear of being poked in the eye by his nose.

  'Yes. I make real weapon one day. When Lial teach how. Want try to carve a ludenez too. Not know how ludenez look though.'

  'Want to see the ludenez. Lial kill them too fast when they attack village. Not get to see.'

  Tenalkz pulled out his own knife and wooden block from his furs. 'When on my Cubsoz, when an old Sehnal, I will fight a ludenez. Kill it. Be a hero. Like Kitaz. Like Owoklz.'

  'Yes. Kill a ludenez bigger than all others.' Melonaz stretched his arms wide for emphasis and growled from the pain as his wounds spread apart.

  'Need be careful,' said Tenalkz, 'Lial beat you hard. Not know how you will fight today.'

  Melonaz sighed. 'I fine.'

  'You need to listen. Don't go meet Nekolz, I say. Not fight with him. You not listen.'

  Melonaz grit his teeth. 'I not afraid.'

  'He beat you.'

  'He not beat me. I beat him bloody if not collapse.'

  Tenalkz scraped his knife along his carving. 'Need stay out of trouble.'

  'Nekolz bring two friends. Why you not come?'

  Tenalkz grimaced. 'I say you go alone. I not get beat by Lial over stupid duel.'

  Melonaz gripped his stone knife tight. 'Stupid?'

  'Stupid.'

  'Not be strong if not fight the strong. I beat him in second duel.'

  Tenalkz screwed his face up. 'Second duel? Stupid, stupid. You not learn?'

  'Up, bonokok,' boomed the Lial.

  The break over Melonaz stood, Tenalkz offering him no help. He tucked away
his knife and carving into the pouch inside his furs, trudging back to the others.

  The Lial paired them up. Melonaz nodded to Tenalkz as they were paired together.

  The Lial handed out practice weapons. Melonaz took his sword, beating its blunt edge against his palm. The Lial had said he was better suited to a sword than an axe due to his speed, despite his preference for hacking at his opponents. Having tried using an axe several times he'd come to agree.

  Tenalkz spun his wooden spear in his hands, thrusting the blunted point at Melonaz. Tenalkz wanted to become an Ankarocal so had been assigned a spear. The spear was the Ankarocal's weapon of choice as they patrolled the skies of Kitaz, fighting ludenez from the back of an ankaroc.

  Melonaz feigned a swing at Tenalkz's crotch, sending him scurrying back..They moved away from the others for more space and stepped close to each other, knocked their heads together, smacked each other's weapon with their own, then separated.

  Tenalkz placed one foot in front of the other, spreading them a little, bending his knees, raising his spear.

  He have more reach with spear. Attacks fast, making it hard to get close. Melonaz gripped his sword tightly, holding it in front of him, ready to block and parry.

  'Fight,' shouted the Lial.

  Tenalkz came at him, jabbing his spear. Melonaz blocked and dodged. His arms shook, the attacks hard and fast, forcing him back. His back burned with each block.

  He ducked under one thrust, knocking the spear aside as he rose, exposing Tenalkz's torso. Lunging forward, he lashed out at the opening, but Tenalkz smacked him in the stomach with his knee, knocking him down. Tenalkz twisted his spear around and stabbed down. Melonaz rolled away, hissing from the pain in his back. He jumped to his feet, wincing and panting.

  Tenalkz attacked again, unrelenting, the spear tip thrusting at his head, body, legs. His arms grew weaker each time he blocked, his grip on his sword loosening little by little. One broke through, striking his shoulder, he cried out. Another came at his face. He lurched away, narrowly avoiding it. Tenalkz leapt high into the air and stabbed down at him. He flung himself to the side, the spear point grazing his shoulder as he scrambled back to his feet.