The Yarnsworld Collection: A fantasy boxset

by Benedict Patrick

  Rakau disappeared into the forest.

  The rubble that used to be the south wall moved. In an explosion of wood, the remains of the wall burst open and Nakoa stood up. His blowfish helm had been shattered, and blood now stained his woven armour, which had lost many of its teeth. However, his Kiribati was already in his hand, and he gave a howl of rage.

  A lone warrior ran from outside of the temple.

  “My lord,” the man said, prostrating himself in front of the war god. “We heard rumours this taniwha was making its home on your island. We attacked it, but did not defeat it. We have failed you.”

  Eloni. You told them.

  “Arm yourselves, my warriors!” Nakoa shouted. “Tonight we dine on taniwha!”

  His men roared together. None of them, not even Nakoa, appeared to be outraged by the attack. Instead they were celebrating the hunt to come and their impending victory. Together, the largest army of the Crescent Atoll followed their god into the forest to hunt down and butcher their prey.

  Kaimana hesitated for only a moment, feeling a rising desperation as her only chance to regain her spark disappeared.

  They’ll kill him. The taniwha will be dead, and my spark will be gone forever. That’s what you wanted Eloni, isn’t it?

  “Kaimana? Kaimana?” It was Aka, looking at Kaimana with confusion. “Did it hurt you?”

  Kaimana looked at her troupe leader, shook her head dumbly, and then began to run into the forest, following the path of Nakoa and his warriors.

  “Kaimana, no! I forbid it!” Aka shouted, but Kaimana was already gone, disappearing into the dark trees.

  A tale from the Crescent Atoll

  There was a set of twins, a boy and a girl, and they were the strongest pearl hunting Knacks on the Atoll. At only fourteen years old, they had already proven they could out-dive men and women who had been practising their profession for decades. Both of them could swim faster than others, could dive deeper, and experienced no sickness after rising quickly to the surface. They seemed to just know where the best pearl oysters were, and often brought home handfuls of yellow and pink pearls, some the size of grapes, and never fished up ruined green pearls.

  Their favourite hunting ground was the very edge of the Atoll ring, just where the seabed drops off into the Inner Sea. These grounds were seldom touched by other pearl hunters for fear of attracting the attention of the creatures that dwelt in those dark depths, and so the pearl oysters that littered the sea bed were ripe for the taking.

  As their reputations grew, the twins became cockier, and started to take greater risks. Not satisfied with hunting on the edge of the Atoll ring, the twins began to dive into the Inner Sea, raiding the sheer underwater cliff face of the Atoll ring for oysters. They were rewarded for their bravery by the most plentiful harvests any pearl hunters on the Atoll had ever seen, and they beamed with pride when showing off their riches back on the islands.

  Their family was impressed, but also worried. “Do not dive too deep,” they warned. “Do not go too far out into the black of the Inner Sea. You do not want to be found by the things that live in the dark.”

  The twins just laughed.

  The following day, it was the brother’s turn to dive. His sister sat in their small canoe, using her knife to open up the nets of oysters her brother gathered. The brother greased himself up with fish fat to fight off the cold, and took hold of a large rock, the weight of which would drag him down to the sea bed faster than he could swim. He dived over the edge of the boat, giving his sister a casual smile as he jumped.

  He never returned.

  It was some time before the sister began to panic. She knew that her brother’s Knack allowed him to hold his breath for a very long time, but she became uneasy when it came close to the limits of what he was capable of. Fearing for her twin’s life, the sister took hold of another large rock from the canoe and dived into the dark waters.

  Down and down she travelled, so far her eyes and ears became painful despite her powerful Knack helping her. Just as she was about to let go of the boulder to swim back to the surface, she saw him.

  It was just a glimpse, down there in the dark distance. His eyes were closed and he was floating away from her. He was not alone. Behind her brother the girl could see a larger figure, gripping him with grey arms. This other figure was female, her face almost human, the creature’s white hair floating like a cloud around her head. Where her nose should be, her face was flat, and she had two black balls for eyes. Even from this distance, the sister could see the creature’s huge, pointed teeth grinning back at her. With a flick of her shark-like tail, the sea witch pulled the girl’s brother down to the dark of the ocean.

  The sister was forced to surface for air, and was sick over the edge of her canoe. Alone, she returned home to tell her family what had happened.

  That night, after grieving with everyone else, the girl dreamt of her brother, alone in the sea witch’s lair. The sister awoke to find that she was sparking - amber flames were dancing from her eyes, and she knew that her Knack was ready to help her dive further than she ever had before. The girl sealed her ears with wax, and used her grandmother’s needle and thread to sew her nose shut. Then she travelled back in the canoe, in the middle of the night, to the ocean shelf marking the edge of the Inner Sea.

  She dived again, her Knack flaring up like never before, the heavy boulder dragging her deeper than she had thought possible. She dived far enough that the moonlight no longer lit the water, and only the amber from her own eyes let her see where the cliff was and the strange creatures that darted behind rock formations when she got too close.

  Finally, the sister saw a cave entrance set into the side of the cliff, and she knew this was the sea witch’s lair. The girl let go of her rock, and even though her lungs were now screaming for air and her head felt as if all the warriors from the village were stamping on top of it, she went inside the cave to save her brother.

  He was there, kept alive by the sea witch’s magic, naked and strapped to the wall of the cave with bonds made from woven kelp.

  The sea witch was there also, and lunged at the sister, biting her on the arm with her sharp teeth. The girl was ready for this, and already had her grandmother’s needle and thread in hand. Quickly, she sewed shut the witch’s gills, and for good measure stabbed both of the creature’s black eyes once with the needle, leaving it embedded in the left one. As the witch writhed about, dying, the girl untied her brother.

  Unfortunately, the lack of air, the pressure of the sea and the loss of blood was too much for the sister. As she untied her brother’s wrist, her spark faded and she passed out.

  However, the brother had been watching his sister’s bravery and was inspired by her. As the light of her spark went out, the light of his Knack was ignited. With his sister slung over his shoulder, the boy retrieved his grandmother’s needle and paddled hard in the direction he thought was the way to the surface.

  Their grieving parents woke in the morning to the sight of the twins pulling their canoe up onto the village’s beach. Both were weary, and both had learnt their lesson. The waters of the Inner Sea are not meant for mortals.

  In the darkness, Kaimana ran through the forest, eyes wide, darting to any imagined movement in front of her. The wake of Nakoa’s army was easy to follow, as the tree branches and grass were trampled. It seemed as though a giant boulder had rolled through, crushing everything flat.

  She knew she would be devastated if she lost Rakau now. Yesterday evening, swimming with her taniwha, Kaimana had been happy. If she was honest with herself, she could not remember the last time that she had been so relaxed, when she had last had so much simple fun.

  In those few hours I experienced things that no human ever has before. I’m bound to spark again if I can just spend more time with him.

  Kaimana slowed herself down when she heard voices close by. She crept forward on all fours, convinced she was close to some of the warriors now.

  “It’s down
there by the water,” a man in the darkness barked, doing his best to both whisper and ensure that his words reached the ears of those close to him. “Nakoa wants us to surround the monster. On his cry we strike as one and bring the taniwha down.”

  Kaimana’s heart fluttered in panic. Keeping her distance from where she thought the voices were, she crawled further forward on her belly. The forest floor and branches opened up in front of her. She was at the top of a cliff, overlooking the lagoon that she and Rakau had bonded in only yesterday, Kaimana was dismayed to see Rakau down there in full view on the beach, using his brown-grey tongue to tend to his wounded side.

  Kaimana glanced to her right, where the warriors’ voices had come from. Sure enough, a short distance away she sighted the glint of spears hiding among the bushes. Kaimana cast her eyes along the cliff line and noted many similar glints, or rustling of foliage which suggested that dozens of bodies were hiding, readying to strike. Here, exposed on the beach, against all these men and a vicious war god, Rakau had no chance.

  Kaimana had only one option to save the creature. She screamed.

  Immediately the taniwha raised his head, searching for Kaimana.

  Many of the warriors reacted by rushing out of the bushes, some towards Kaimana, some tumbling down the scree towards Rakau. A demon-spawned bellowing told Kaimana that Nakoa was displeased, and she felt bile rise in her throat at the thought of angering him.

  However, her ruse had worked. Upon sighting the warriors pouring from the undergrowth, Rakau turned tail and dived into the water. Kaimana breathed a sigh of relief. After seeing Rakau swimming last night, she knew he could more than handle himself if any dared to follow him in the water.

  At that moment, as Rakau disappeared beneath the waves, the closest group of warriors came upon Kaimana and grabbed her. She did her best to struggle, but they quickly overpowered her, pulling a bag over her head and binding her wrists and ankles. Kaimana felt instantly claustrophobic, breathing rapidly, struggling in vain against the many unkind hands that now carried her. In the distance, the war god’s demonic cries rang out in the forest. She could tell by the increasing volume of these cries that she was being brought closer to him.

  I didn’t want Rakau to be caught, but I’m not ready to die for him either.

  Eventually the bag was pulled off her head, exposing her eyes to piercing daylight. There, in front of Kaimana, in all of his glory stood Nakoa the war god.

  His heavy breathing suggested either great exertion or rising fury. If the stories were true, the latter was more likely. He gripped Kaimana by the hair and pulled her roughly to her feet.

  “What does this beast mean to you?” he growled. The pig’s breath was foul and turned Kaimana’s stomach.

  She found herself unable to answer, silenced by the pain of being held up by only her hair, and by the knowledge that she was currently the sole focus of a god’s rage.

  Nakoa shook her. “Why did you warn it we were there?”

  Laka, protect me, protect your foolish servant. I can’t tell him the truth. Will he know if I’m lying? My own father knows when I lie to him, surely a war god is not easier to fool than a mortal.

  “I… I did not warn it, Great Nakoa. I was afraid of it. My cries were cries of fear, not of warning.” Kaimana did not fake the tears that ran down her face.

  At that moment her eyes met with those of the pig god. They were nothing like the eyes of a human. These were soulless, full of anger, and Kaimana did not believe they would ever be capable of showing any kind of compassion or mercy.

  Nakoa furrowed his eyebrows.

  He knows. Laka, preserve me. He knows I’m lying.

  “My men tell me the taniwha has been sighted before, by the performers. You are one of them?”

  Kaimana nodded her head, gritting her teeth against the pain, tears running freely down her face.

  “Why has it followed you here?”

  Her eyes snapped open. “Me? You think it followed me?”

  The pig god rolled his eyes and shook her again. “Stupid bitch. All of you, the performers. Why has it followed you all to my home?”

  Kaimana’s eyes rolled as she threatened to pass out from the pain, and from relief that Nakoa did not think her important enough for a taniwha to focus its attention on.

  The god dropped her, and she crumpled in a heap, cowering at Nakoa’s feet. Again, this was not an act.

  “She knows nothing,” he said to the nearby men. “Take her back to her people and confine them to the temple until I say otherwise. I want them where I can see them.”

  Nakoa grunted, and Kaimana heard him turn away from her. “Set traps,” he barked to his warriors. “Sharpen your blades. We must be ready if it returns.”

  As some warriors hauled Kaimana to her feet, she took one last look at the war god as he made his way away from her, Kiribati held ready, flanked by a group of muscular men carrying similar weapons. He was the god of war, and she had angered him.

  In the stories, when a mortal wrongs a god, things never end well for them.

  Kaimana shook her arms, indicating to the warriors that carried her that she was capable of moving without their help. They let go, but continued to push her back to the temple.

  Laka, allow me to live long enough to find my song and play it for all to hear.

  The return to the temple was not a comfortable one for Kaimana. She had been forgotten by the war god, but his warriors remained suspicious of her. The men were not kind as they marched her back, shoving when she slowed her pace.

  What was worse, however, was the look on Aka’s face when she was finally returned to the troupe. The performers had been removed from the temple again, and they huddled together back at their makeshift camp. Kaimana was relieved to see them there, all uninjured, but the betrayal on Aka’s face told Kaimana that her time with these people was nearly over.

  Eloni spat in Kaimana’s direction, then turned her back on the ocarina player.

  Aka stood in front of Kaimana, his face openly questioning her. Kaimana looked at him, gutted at how hurt and angry he was because of her, considering what exactly she could say to explain her actions.

  “We are ruined,” Aka said, eventually. “This performance today, and with you again having fingers pointed at you… We are ruined.”

  In a rush of inspiration, Kaimana took the hands of her troupe leader. In his shock, he did not fight her. Kaimana stood on her tiptoes and whispered in Aka’s ear.

  “Aka, we have a taniwha now. He will bring my song back to me. I know things seem bad, but trust me - we will go down in legend as the performers with the blessing of a taniwha.”

  She withdrew from Aka to judge his reaction. His mouth hung open, staring at the young ocarina player, shocked.

  “Everyone,” Kaimana said, addressing the troupe in a louder voice, “everyone, I have something to say.”

  The other performers were already watching Kaimana, waiting to see how Aka would react to her. None of them, not even Old Rawiri, did anything to hide the anger on their faces now.

  The toughest audience I’ve ever had. Laka, give me the strength to let them understand the opportunity we now have.

  “Everyone, I know things seem bad. And I know a lot of this looks like it’s my fault. Yes, I did meet the taniwha on Pukotala, and yes, it does look as if it’s following me. That’s why I couldn’t let Nakoa get him last night - the taniwha is here for me. He’s the one who inspired my Knack to spark, and he’ll do it again, I know it. The experiences I’ve had with him already… the songs I could already play, even without my Knack sparking. I couldn’t let those warriors kill him, I couldn’t turn my back on this gift from Laka.

  “He could be a gift for you too, if you let him. What makes us spark? Inspiration. Huge, life changing events that give us insights into the workings of the world. Eloni, even you’ll admit I’m right. That’s what happened to you, and it can happen to all of us. The monster is still out there, my taniwha. Can you imagine wha
t life will be like, living on the waves with a monster swimming beneath us? He can inspire us all, if you let him.

  “Things look bad now, but can’t you see we are on the verge of something nobody else has ever had? He’s a gift, and he can be a gift for us all.”

  She had no more to say. Kaimana looked at the faces before her, and one by one they turned to Aka, waiting to see what he would do.

  Aka was crying silently, twin tears running down his cheeks. He took two steps forward and slapped Kaimana’s face, knocking her to the ground.

  She cried out at the attack, more through the shock of gentle Aka’s actions than the pain of the blow. She turned to look at the troupe leader, and her heart was deflated by the reactions of the rest of the performers. Eloni was grinning wickedly, of course, but many of the others were smiling too. Even Old Rawiri was nodding, grim-faced but nodding, showing he agreed with Aka’s actions.

  Aka looked at her sternly. There was sadness in his eyes, but determination as well. “I cast you out. Leave our troupe. You’ve already done enough to destroy my parent’s memory. I will not let you poison our mana further with your madness.”

  Kaimana opened her mouth to speak, but then looked at the others again. Except for grinning Eloni, there was no malice in their eyes for Kaimana. Instead they were focussed on Aka, chests full of pride for their kahuna.

  They want me gone. All of them. They think he’s doing the right thing, and they respect him for it.

  Kaimana looked at Aka again, and she could see the young man bracing in anticipation of her attack. She could see he was scared, and ashamed.

  I’m leaving anyway, and my actions have already taken so much away from him. Kaimana raised her hand to her cheek, still stinging from the slap. I could break him now, if I want. Aka’s too gentle a soul. It would be all too easy to crush him with guilt at hitting me.

  Instead, Kaimana lifted herself up, keeping her head lowered, as if ashamed. Without looking at any of their faces, she gathered her small bundle of belongings and slipped away into the jungle surrounding the temple, aware of the eyes of every troupe member as she moved.