by Reece Dinn
After sparring came conditioning. Melonaz struggled, unable to handle been struck over and over again in different body parts, even by the youngest Sehnal. The Lial shook his head as he walked by him.
Nukuk. What want? Throw me in pit. Leave for three days. Think I strong after? Melonaz wished he'd just stayed home and rested at least one more day.
Most of the boys had grasped how to feel their Raiz now, but some of the younger ones still struggled. To help them the Lial assigned some of the more experienced Sehnal to train them. Unfortunately for Melonaz he was chosen to help. The Lial paired him with Oloroz, the boy who he'd hit on the head with his sword the previous moon. He assumed this was another punishment from the Lial but didn't dare to voice his thoughts for fear of further punishment.
'Relax. Not sense Raiz when tense. Need be calm. Not force it,' said Melonaz.
Oloroz sat hunched over with his arms stretched out in front of him, his body rigid. The boy's soft features were screwed up as he concentrated. His head looked as if it were about to explode, beads of sweat running down his face.
'Oloroz,' said Melonaz.
He didn't seem to hear him. Melonaz leaned forward and flicked his forehead, Oloroz instantly came out of his reverie and looked around, startled.
'Hear what I say?' said Melonaz.
'What?' said Oloroz.
He so stupid. 'Listen,' said Melonaz, attempting to keep his frustration from boiling over, 'Not sense Raiz if tense.'
Oloroz lowered his arms. 'I can't do it.'
'You can. Relax. Close eyes. Do what I say.'
Oloroz closed his eyes.
Melonaz tried to keep his voice soft. 'Keep back straight. Relax. Let it support you.'
Oloroz shifted his position, fidgeting, but eventually found the desired pose. Melonaz did the same. Maybe he copy me.
'Calm mind. Don't think. If think, don't try not to. Have thought, then relax,' said Melonaz.
Oloroz sat quietly for a moment then opened his eyes again. 'No can. No can.' The boy's face crumpled up but Melonaz slapped him.
'Stop,' said Melonaz. 'You will learn. Close eyes, bonokok.'
Oloroz did as he was told.
'How it go?' said a familiar voice from behind. Melonaz glanced over his shoulder.
A big grin stretched across Tenalkz's face. It was even bigger than his nose.
'Kak,' said Melonaz.
Tenalkz pointed over to Nakmoz sat a short distance away, deep in meditation. Melonaz could sense that the boy was immersed in his own Raiz, a hot spot in his mind.
'Nakmoz learn fast with me. I be good Lial,' said Tenalkz.
'How get him to listen?'
'I try,' protested Oloroz. His eyes were open again.
'CLOSE EYES,' growled Melonaz. 'Want to switch?' he asked Tenalkz.
Tenalkz laughed loudly then sauntered back to his pupil. 'See you after,' he shouted over his shoulder.
Oloroz's face was scrunched up again, like he was about to have a large, painful bowel movement.
'What're you doing? That's not calm.' Melonaz flicked him hard on the nose and Oloroz yelped. 'Be calm.'
'Not be calm if hurt.'
Melonaz smirked.
They sat this way for a little while. Oloroz did as he was told and kept his eyes closed, neither speaking or moving. Melonaz though could tell that he was making no progress with him, Oloroz was simply trying to avoid a beating now rather than attempting to learn.
Melonaz got to his feet and went over to Tenalkz, peering around the grounds as he did to see where the Lial was. The Lial was sat with his back to Melonaz, instructing three of the others.
'Break?' Melonaz whispered to Tenalkz.
His friend nodded and the two sneaked to the small cluster of gola and sat down. Tenalkz pulled out some red berries and nuts. He handed some to Melonaz, who took them gratefully. He was still hungry but had yet to regain his normal appetite. The nuts were tough to crack with his teeth, but the berries rich juice oozed out when he bit into them. He'd never appreciated berries quite so much before.
'Lial pair me with Oloroz to punish me. I know it,' said Melonaz.
'He angry.'
'If let me train with old Sehnal not get into trouble. Not be angry.'
'He say you need patience,' said Tenalkz. 'Show discipline. He let you when he thinks you ready.'
'I ready,' said Melonaz defiantly.
Tenalkz shrugged. 'You weak from pit. Need rest. Yet you here. Try to train. Think that clever? Think show patience, discipline?'
Melonaz spat, biting back angry words.
'He is the Lial,' Tenalkz continued. 'Sees you're good. Sees something wrong too. He strict, but fair.'
Fair? Melonaz didn't respond. He bit into another berry. Red juice ran down his chin.
'Your Sal like the bupbup?' Tenalkz asked.
Melonaz nodded. 'Yes. Aelonaz not let it out of sight. Think I hear her talk to it at night.'
'Weird.'
'Better than listen to Mal fucking.'
Tenalkz sniggered. 'That bad, yes? Not have listen to that. Mal not fuck anyone. Dal come back one year, when I young. He fuck her. His danaz come to village. Dal, Mal not leave furaz for days when he here. I go stay with neighbour. Not hear Mal make noise like that. One night she so loud I sleep in the forest.'
Melonaz laughed. 'Need try that.'
'There's a good spot up from...'
A voice from behind interrupted Tenalkz. 'Who say you two can take a break?' the Lial growled, appearing out from behind the gola. 'Talk later. Sehnal need you. Go, will break you if not.' His face was calm but his eyes were full of rage.
They jumped to their feet. Tenalkz ran straight to his partner. Melonaz went to run but the Lial grabbed him by the shoulder.
'How Oloroz do? He not look good,' asked the Lial.
'Not listen to me, Lial. He sit there tense, like he kak himself,' said Melonaz.
'Need explain it in a way he'll understand.'
'I explain good. He stupid bonokok.'
'All Sehnal can learn. Lial fail if Sehnal not learn. One who understands what he knows can teach.' The Lial's face was a cold mask as he spoke but Melonaz could see the mocking smile behind it.
Melonaz frowned and was about to respond, but thought better of it. I prove you wrong, lobkak. He ran back to Oloroz. The boy was still sat in the same way as when he'd left him. Melonaz sighed and sat back down.
Melonaz returned to his furaz sore and stiff, the day's training having taken its toll. The back of his legs, his chest, and his face all stung where he'd been struck. Beat him hard when we next fight. For a moment he considered if thinking this way made him no better than Nekolz. The thought only made him more irritable.
His Mal wasn't making any kind of broth or stew tonight. She'd managed to get to the front of the queue at the sturaz for the day's catch of vomenic. So tonight she said she was going to roast vomenic on the spit. Melonaz sat watching them cook, the meaty smell different from that of creatures like mirac as vomenic were from the river, and they smelt of it.
'It ready in moment,' said his Mal.
Melonaz was thankful that his Sal were being fed by Genesaz tonight, the old woman deciding to treat them to a feast. More for me. He licked his lips.
'Not eat all,' said his Mal in a serious voice. 'Reijiz back in night. Some for him.'
'He out with mirac,' Melonaz protested.
'Leave one.'
Melonaz nodded, knowing full well not to press the issue. He could live with two.
A distant scream silenced them all. More screams quickly soon came, followed by barks and roars.
Melonaz sprang to his feet, knocking the meat off the spit.
'Stay here,' his Mal snapped. 'Might be ludenez.'
'Hope so,' said Melonaz, clenching his fists.
'MELONAZ,' his Mal cried, but he was already out the furaz, running in the direction of the screams.
Ludenez attack. Need see them. Need fight. Need help.
Panic quickly spread through the village. People ran towards Melonaz, away from the screams, including the No-Braid men. Bonokok people. Need learn to fight too. What if Lial not here?
A boom shook the air.
The barks and roars were quickly replaced by yelps and animal-like cries of pain. They didn't sound like any animal Melonaz had ever heard before though. Each one made the pit of his stomach churn.
On and on he ran, dodging and weaving through the maze of furaz and the people in his way, his weak, tired body protesting at the exertion.
A fire blazed just behind the furaz ahead.
Melonaz suddenly regretted coming here without a weapon. What if ludenez attack me? Not beat one with my bare hands. He swallowed hard.
There was a howl, then a yelp, then only human cries remained.
Melonaz burst around the furaz before him and ran straight into the carnage. Blood coated the snow. Torn bodies lay strewn everywhere. At least a dozen people had been killed. One woman's limbs had been ripped from her torso, scattered around her. A small child lay with a huge hole in her chest, the snow beneath her visible through the hole. The bottom half of a man's face had been bitten off, the man's eyes gazed lifelessly up at the sky. Melonaz thought he recognized him. Botoroz? Judinoz? He was a huntman, Melonaz was pretty sure of that much, although he wasn't wearing the tanned hide armour a huntman usually wore.
One furaz was ablaze across from him, a large black mound smouldering in its centre. A large purple creature lay dead on its back nearby, its head smashed in completely.
Melonaz approached it cautiously, fearing it might get back up. He'd heard ludenez could do that, but then he'd also heard that they had big, glowing red eyes. They did have purple skin and fur though, like the stories said. The ludenez resembled a massive lilnac, only its front legs bore misshapen giant claws, the legs themselves the size of Melonaz's torso. Its rib bones stuck out of its chest, the bones coated in dark purple blood, as was the snow around it.
The ludenez's body suddenly burst into flame and Melonaz yelped, jumping backwards, landing on his rear.
The Lial stood a short distance away, beside another, smaller burning body. He threw another fireball at the dead ludenez and the body was quickly consumed with flame. The stench of the burning flesh stung his nose. Melonaz buried his face in his furs to keep it out.
The Lial stood stoically, watching the fires burn.
'You see him?' Tenalkz appeared from behind Melonaz. Sehnal, both the old and young, appeared from behind the furaz too, inspecting the devastation.
'The Lial?'
Tenalkz nodded, big grin on his face again.
Melonaz shook his head.
'He blows one across ground with lightning,' said Tenalkz. 'One ludenez jump at him. He hits it out of the air with his staff. It flies into furaz. Furaz collapses on it. Ludenez with big claws attacks. Lial dodges, blocks attack, jumps over it, lands on back. Smacks ludenez on head with staff until head is hole. Other ludenez gets back up, runs at him. They fight. Lial sets it on fire. Blasts with lightning. It die. Ludenez in furaz tries to get out. Can't. Lial burns it alive with fireball, blasts with lightning too. Kills three ludenez. Not get hit while do.' He was panting when he finished, he'd spoken faster, and with more words, than Melonaz had ever heard him speak before. The excitement didn't leave his face.
'He win then?' said Melonaz.
Tenalkz nodded enthusiastically. 'Not see size of them? They big.'
Melonaz gestured with his head towards the burning bodies. 'I see them.'
'Their eyes glow red. Light in eyes go when Lial kill them.'
They do have red eyes. Melonaz nodded, trying to hide his disappointment at not having seen the fight. His eyes drifted to the mutilated bodies that littered the area. 'Not kill them fast enough.'
Tenalkz looked at the dead bodies of the people and the excitement drained from his face, as if noticing them for the first time.
'They on edge of village. Lial in middle. He get here as fast as can,' murmured Tenalkz.
People still dead.
The Lial's Lialstone glowed in the firelight, casting a purple light on the snow around him, similar in colour to the ludenez's fur and flesh.
The other Sehnal were discussing the battle. All who'd seen it spoke with excitement, which only made Melonaz more jealous.
'Sehnal,' boomed the Lial, his voice startling everyone. He strode towards them, staff held menacingly at his side. He looked more powerful and dangerous than he'd ever looked before. 'Don't just stand there. Burn dead. Bring people back that run away. See they are safe. Check if more ludenez around. Go.'
All the Sehnal sprung into action, dispersing off in different directions. Melonaz got to his feet, suddenly exhausted.
Tenalkz set fire to someone's torso, a pained look on his face now.
Melonaz glanced back at the Lial. Their eyes met for a moment, then the Lial turned and walked away. Melonaz watched him disappear back into the village and wondered whether or not the Lial was right about him not being ready. Maybe he wasn't being held back. One day he would have to face the Lial to become an Apochal. He'd have to beat a man that could kill three ludenez single-handedly. Not that Melonaz knew exactly how strong a ludenez was. Maybe they were weak. One day I beat him. I'll be stronger than him. One day.
Chapter Twenty Five
Melonaz dodged a flurry of punches, grabbed an arm and threw Tenalkz over his shoulder. He landed with a grunt.
Their lesson for the day had ended a while ago but the two had decided to sneak away and continue sparring. They'd ventured out to a secluded spot away from the village, on the other side of a small rise out on the snow plain.
Tenalkz jumped back to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of snow.
Melonaz stood firm.
Tenalkz attacked, punching, kicking, elbowing, piling on the pressure, forcing Melonaz back. Melonaz blocked and countered, landing jabs to Tenalkz's face and chest before he grabbed him by the wrists. He struggled to free himself, wriggling in Tenalkz's grip and slamming his knee rapidly into his stomach. Tenalkz grunted with each blow but managed to twist Melonaz's arms behind his back, escaping the barrage. Melonaz thrust his head forward, hoping to butt him, but hit only air. Tenalkz kicked at the back of Melonaz's legs and they buckled, forcing him to his knees. His arms were twisted even more as he was forced face first into the snow. Melonaz bit down on his lip to stop from crying out as he struggled to free himself, but couldn't.
'Give up,' said Tenalkz, 'I'll break it if not.'
No.
Tenalkz twisted his arms a little more. This time Melonaz cried out.
'Give up?'
'Yes,' Melonaz said eventually, a tear threatening to run down his face.
Tenalkz released his grip.
Melonaz rolled onto his back, stretching his sore legs and arms. I still weak. It's been three days. Why wounds not heal? Melonaz snorted. 'Nice move. It hurt.'
'You still weak. Not try it if you well.'
'Not know why I still weak.'
He did know what was wrong. He'd barely slept since the ludenez attack days before. Those that'd been killed haunted him, the images of their torn up bodies plagued his dreams.
Tenalkz offered his hand to Melonaz. He didn't take it, pushing himself to his feet. He stumbled forward as he stood, his legs stiff.
'Fight again?' asked Melonaz.
'What? Need learn when to quit,' said Tenalkz.
Melonaz rubbed his arms. 'Scared?'
Tenalkz burst into laughter. 'Of Sehnal who lose to eight year old boys?'
Melonaz grimaced, clenching his fists, resisting the urge to punch his friend in the teeth.
Movement caught Melonaz's eye. 'What's that?' On the far side of the plain, where the river forked, three dark figures were crossing over, heading in the direction of the village.
Tenalkz followed his eyes, still chuckling until he saw them too.
'Ludenez?' Tenalkz whispered.
'Not know.'
Melonaz reached inside his furs and pulled out his stone knife. It wouldn't do much good against a ludenez, but it was better than nothing. More ludenez. Not good. His heart quickened.
Melonaz watched the figures for a moment. They were moving too slow to be ludenez, and the light of the ludenez's eyes would be visible even from this distance.
'Wait. They not ludenez,' said Melonaz. 'They men. It's a danaz. Three Apochal, if I count right.'
'We tell Lial?' asked Tenalkz.
Melonaz shrugged. 'Think so.'
The two boys watched the figures for a moment longer before running back to the village.
The Lial stood in between the donoz, the two large wooden poles that marked the entrance to the village. He planted Rorkaroz firmly in the snow beside him.
All the Sehnal had gathered to watch a short distance away. Nekolz and his two sidekicks were there too, to Melonaz's displeasure. He and Tenalkz kept their distance from them, at Tenalkz's insistence, more to keep Melonaz from starting a fight rather than them starting a fight with him.
Three Apochal trudged through the snow. Each man wore black furs and boots, and each had a Sehnal braid. One carried a large spear on his back, its point large and curved, the metal a brilliant silver that gleamed in the sun. Another carried a sword, the blade long, thick, and as black as rock. The third, the tallest of the three, carried an axe. The axe was large and double edged but its design was plain, just a simple wooden shaft.
The Lial eased as they drew near. His stern face brightened and a small smile spread across his face.
Something odd about them. Melonaz shifted uncomfortably. He focused his Raiz to sense theirs. There were many different Raiz, the Lial's the strongest, but he couldn't detect any Raiz from the Apochal. Straining his Raiz he eventually found them, three faint specks of heat in his mind. Sense lilnac with more Raiz.
'Mofar, Apochal. You're in Oaroz.' said the Lial. To the man with the sword he said, 'mofar, old friend.'
'Mofar, Lial. Good to see you,' he replied, bowing his head. The Apochal had a strong jaw covered by a thick beard, but his features were gaunt, his skin pale red and blotchy. The other two Apochal possessed similar complexions.
'It's been too long, Jekoraz,' said the Lial. He approached the man with the sword and the two embraced.
