Anilyia

by Carroll, John H.

  Tathan took a deep breath, considering how to describe it without sounding crazy. “Well . . . I was shocked when I first saw the creature.” That part was true, but he didn’t know how to explain the rest.

  “That is understandable.” The speaker waved for him to continue, leaning forward in her seat. “Go on.”

  “It was in a vacant house I passed near the lakeside wall. The door was partially open and curiosity got the best of me.”

  “What were you doing in the Lakeside District?” Captain Henrrr asked suspiciously. He was standing on Tathan’s right with both sets of arms crossed. Sergeant Niirrii was on Tathan’s left with the top set of arms folded and the bottom set resting casually on knife hilts.

  Sometimes it was better to admit to a lesser offense to hide something larger. “I was going to sneak up to the top of the wall to look at the lake awhile.” He didn’t think they would execute him for going to the top of the wall as it was only frowned upon, not against the law. If they tried to persecute him for it, he would use the rest of the story as a bargaining chip.

  “Humans should not be on top of the walls,” the captain stated officially in case Tathan didn’t know.

  “I’m not worried about that, Captain,” the speaker informed him, waving off the offense. “I realize that a few humans do so anyway, but as long as they don’t cause trouble I don’t feel like wasting efforts punishing them.” Captain Henrrr bowed his head in acknowledgment. “Now, Tathan Human, continue your explanation.”

  “There was a good deal of debris in the house. It took my eyes a moment to adjust, but when they did, I saw black fur in the corner. It had a large, fluffy tail like a squirrel, but I didn’t make that connection right away.” Tathan’s manner had become less confident. He crouched a little and his eyes were wide as he explained. Tathan had mastered the ability to make people believe what he wanted them to. It wasn’t just words, but expressions, movements, and inflections in the voice that altered the opinions of those who listened.

  “Are giant squirrels common above the caverns?” a different council member asked.

  “No. I’ve never seen one before anyway.” Tathan turned to his companions who all shook their heads.

  “I see. Continue,” the council member said.

  “It was asleep at the time, but a woman in a black cloak came through the kitchen door and addressed him as Steve.”

  “Steve?” another council member asked. “Is Steve a common name for squirrels?”

  Tathan ignored Liselle’s muffled giggle. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. “No. I don’t think most squirrels have names, and those that do . . . well, I don’t know if they’re named Steve.”

  “I shouldn’t think they would be,” the council member suggested to the others. “Steve seems a simple name for a squirrel, even by human standards.”

  The council speaker waved him off. “The commonality of squirrel names is not at issue here.” She turned to Tathan. “The woman called the squirrel by name, and then what happened?”

  “The squirrel rose to its hind feet. The size of it surprised me and I stood there dumbfounded, truly.” Tathan held his arms out wide. The reactions ranged from disbelief to sympathetic nods. He continued, “Then the woman and the squirrel spotted me. I thought about going back out the door, but Steve the Squirrel attacked!” Tathan crouched down dramatically. The council members all leaned forward, and even the guards listened intently.

  “I moved at the last second, but it wasn’t fast enough,” Tathan said in low tones. “Its claws weren’t normal, they were razor sharp and cut my side. It hurt so much I thought I was going to die.” The last word was a loud whisper, eliciting gasps from some of the council members.

  “Go on, go on. What happened then?” Sergeant Niirrii encouraged him.

  “The squirrel hit the wall behind me. I thought it was going to kill me. That’s when things got worse!” Tathan’s eyes were as wide as they had ever been and a look of intense fear crossed his face.

  “Worse?” the council speaker exclaimed in wonder.

  “Yes. The woman, she began casting a spell. Steve ran behind her to get out of the way,” Tathan replied very seriously.

  “Steve ran behind her when she began to cast a spell?” the council member who had been concerned about the name asked in amazement. “That shows a level of aptitude not commonly found in squirrels. I have a couple of them in my garden and I’m certain they aren’t that intelligent,” he told the other council members. Two nodded in agreement.

  “Yes. When I saw that, I realized that I probably didn’t want to be around for the spell, so I ran in the only direction available to me, which was the stairs.” Tathan moved his hand up as though it were going up a stairway. Everyone followed the gesture. “As I reached the top, the woman finished her incantation. Green and black tendrils burst out, reaching for me as I desperately ran, clutching my injured side, but I managed to avoid them just barely.” He spoke dramatically, his voice taking on a hypnotic cadence.

  “That is very fortunate for you,” the council speaker informed him. “We have reason to believe she is a very powerful, magic user.”

  “I believe it too,” Tathan agreed fervently. “It made me feel weak when the tendrils got near, though it could have been the cut in my side too.” He grabbed his side dramatically as though still injured. The Rojuun reacted sympathetically to the gesture. Tathan straightened somewhat and continued. “I ran through a door and jumped out of the window, which was luckily open.”

  “You jumped out of a second floor window?” another council member asked. She was the other female Rojuun on the council and appeared to be significantly older. “That sounds very dangerous, especially as you were injured. It is my understanding that humans are somewhat fragile.”

  “I’m physically agile and strong and I tumbled upon landing,” Tathan reassured her. “It still hurt a lot. I knelt on the ground trying to catch my breath. “Luckily I was in possession of a ring of invisibility rewarded to me while working for the Garrrn Family.”

  “That was very fortunate. You activated it at that point, yes?” asked the speaker. None of them seemed to think it unusual that Tathan had a powerful magical ring. In any human kingdom or court, that would have been the first thing asked. Many nobles may have even tried to confiscate it for themselves.

  “Oh yes. I wasn’t certain it would protect me though. The gash hurt my side and blood was leaking onto the ground. I was invisible, but gasping loudly while trying to gather enough strength to run away,” Tathan explained.

  “Does the ring hide sound and smell or only sight?” a council member asked.

  “Only sight,” Tathan admitted. The council member nodded. “I was able to get up and stagger away, but the squirrel jumped out of the window and chased me.” Tathan crouched dramatically again. It looked like he was going to dart off. “I started running, but the sorceress cast another spell, which tried to follow me around the corner.”

  There were no interruptions, the audience was entranced.

  “The spell didn’t reach me. I believe it had a limited range. Steve the Squirrel chased me after the spell was done. He came around the corner and leapt toward me.” Tathan jumped and landed in a predatory pose. “I couldn’t run anymore, so I turned and pulled my sword, ready to defend myself.” He made the motion of drawing the sword, but was wise enough not to actually pull it out of the sheath. “The sorceress called for Steve to stop for some reason. I don’t know why. Then three guards came from a side street. They didn’t see me as I was invisible.”

  “Did you make an attempt to alert them,” Captain Henrrr asked.

  “No. I didn’t even consider it. I was still staring at the squirrel. It had nasty claws. Plus it would likely have confused the guards if I had said anything while invisible.” Tathan shrugged.

  “Hmm,” the captain considered, but didn’t look happy. “You should have released the invisibility and surrendered instantly to the guards. We would have
sorted things out and given you medical attention sooner,” he informed Tathan seriously. “From what we know of the injuries, the damage to your ankle could have been fatal. Two of those guards died. The other was healed in time, but came very close to dying as well.”

  Tathan had known the injuries were serious, but not how serious. There wasn’t anything he could say, so he just stared contritely at the captain.

  “What can you tell us of the spell, Tathan Human?” the speaker asked. The council members were still leaning forward, eager for the rest of the story though they did a good job of being solemn. A few even managed frowns.

  “When the guards came into the street, they ordered the woman to stop casting magic. Instead of doing that, she began casting another spell.” Council members shook their heads in disapproval at that statement. “When the woman began casting, Steve the Squirrel jumped over my head and ran off.” The council members nodded as it confirmed information they already had.

  “I guess the guards let Steve go because the sorceress seemed more dangerous,” Tathan said, shrugging. “They put up magical shields toward the spell, but the spell was like a wave of water that came back and hurt them from behind.”

  “You said you were at the edge of the spell?” the council speaker asked. “Did you put up a shield?”

  “I was on the edge,” Tathan confirmed with a nod. “I have no idea how to cast a shield. I’m not very good with magic, so I jumped to the building next to me and hung on for a moment. It wasn’t enough to escape completely.”

  “I see. What happened then?” she asked.

  “I yelled out, but nobody could see me. The guards were on the ground hurt and the sorceress was running away. I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t think clearly. My cousin, Liselle,” he said, gesturing toward her, “knows some healing and I only thought of getting to her.”

  “Were you still invisible?” the captain asked.

  Tathan nodded. “I was. I made it to the plaza, calling out for her then collapsed. I don’t remember turning off the invisibility, but I must have at some point.”

  “I will have your cousin approach the podium now.” The council speaker motioned. When Liselle did so, the speaker asked, “Is it true that you have healing magic?”

  “Yes, though it exhausts me to use it,” she answered. Tathan looked at her closely. She did look tired. Her skin was pale and dark circles had appeared below her eyes. He became concerned for her safety at that point.

  “And how did you discover that your cousin, Tathan Human, was injured?” the speaker asked.

  “We heard him call my name. Vevin was able to remove the invisibility so I could see him and begin healing his wounds,” she told them. There had been witnesses, so Liselle didn’t feel comfortable trying to hide the fact that Vevin could do magic. It was exciting being devious but also nerve-wracking. Sometime Liselle wondered why everyone couldn’t just be honest with each other.

  “It took everything I had to heal him and I had to draw a great deal of power. I’ve been told not to use too much magic, but I couldn’t let him die.” Tears welled in her eyes. If she had been a few minutes later, he would have died. She was also shaking from the exertion. Sleep and food would be useful at that moment. A deep breath calmed her. She was stronger than that.

  The speaker smiled at Liselle. “Sergeant Niirrii has stated that you were healing. That is a benign use of magic and is acceptable. There is no penalty for such.” She turned to Tathan. “You are not to go on the wall, Tathan Human,” she said sternly, each of her voices lowering an octave. “The next time you see an open door on a vacant house, alert the guard. Do not investigate it yourself, no matter how capable you may believe yourself to be.”

  “Yes, your honor,” Tathan agreed readily.

  “The details that you have told us match what we know, therefore your story is believed. In addition, you have filled in many details that were missing. The one thing I would have you tell us is who the woman and squirrel are. Do you know this?” she asked Tathan.

  “No, your honor. I’ve never seen either of them before. A human-sized squirrel would be a difficult thing to hide and would be talked about by anyone who saw it,” Tathan replied. They agreed with that point. A couple of the council members chuckled. Tathan liked it when Rojuun chuckled. It was a fascinating sound. “The woman is a complete mystery to me. She has deep green eyes though,” Tathan said introspectively.

  “Deep green eyes?” the council speaker asked. “That is an interesting observation. A woman tries to kill you and the one thing you noticed was the depth and color of her eyes?”

  Tathan blushed. Even Liselle looked at him curiously. “Yes . . . well . . . they were interesting. I felt as though I were falling when I looked in them. That was just before she began casting.” It was way more information than Tathan meant to give. He still wasn’t thinking clearly.

  “I see. Are you aware that your hands are shaking, Tathan Human, as are those of your cousin,” the speaker asked him.

  Tathan hadn’t realized that. The edges of his vision were getting dark. Normally he would fight it off and try to clear his head, but it seemed like a good time to pass out. It might even impress the council, he thought as he fell backward. The darkness overwhelmed him. Only the quick reflexes of Captain Henrrr kept him from hitting the ground hard.

  Chapter 15

  Tathan didn’t recognize where he was. There was a bed underneath him and covers over him. A moan was all that came out of his mouth when he tried to ask someone what was happening.

  “Hello, human,” two kindly voices above him said simultaneously. He opened his eyes and saw two Rojuun standing over him, swirling in circles around each other. Tathan blinked a couple of times and his vision cleared enough that he could see the single face of a Rojuun healer. “Your body was injured and healed, but it will take more than that before you will feel well again. I have food for you now. You will be pleased to eat it.” She helped Tathan sit up in the bed.

  He was in an infirmary with about twenty beds, half of which were filled with Rojuun and humans. All were long enough to fit a tall Rojuun and Tathan felt like a child in the one he was in. As his vision came more into focus, he could make out details. The food was on a tray at the side of his bed. Beyond it was Liselle, sleeping in the bed next to him. “Liselle!” he exclaimed with concern.

  “She will be fine,” the healer reassured him. “Your friend used a great deal of magic and needs food and rest, just as you do. Now eat,” she commanded, putting a tray loaded with food in front of Tathan.

  The food was excellent and had an immediate effect. His body felt as though it had been wrung like a wet shirt. There was residual pain and tightness in both his foot and side. The new skin seemed raw and he knew it would take a while before it felt normal.

  Tathan watched his cousin sleeping as he ate. She was peaceful, breathing easily. The purple flower in Liselle’s hair stood watch over her. It seemed very odd, but that was exactly the impression Tathan got from it. The flower was protecting her from anyone who might cause danger. He felt thankful no hostility emanated toward him.

  When he was nearly finished eating, Liselle woke up. “Mmm, is that food, Cousin?” She sat up and leaned in his direction hopefully. Her hair was bedraggled over her face. She brushed it aside as best as she could.

  Tathan didn’t feel like sharing because the food was yummy. Liselle’s eyes narrowed as though she were about to take a bite out of his hand if he didn’t. Her flower moved forward dangerously as well. Tathan ignored the fact that a flower intimidated him and wisely turned over a plate of food with some vegetables and a couple of drumsticks on it. That should be enough to save him for a few moments at least.

  The drumsticks didn’t stand a chance. Luckily, by the time Liselle was done with that plate of food, the healer had come back with more, this time for her. She gave Liselle a similar lecture about how a body was tired after exerting energy. Liselle nodded dutifully, too busy nomming on her food
to say anything.

  “Did you pass out too, cousin?” Tathan asked after the healer had left. They were in a corner of the infirmary with no one next to their beds.

  She shook her head, about to take a bite of another drumstick. She looked at it longingly before speaking. “No, they brought you here after you fell unconscious. The infirmary is in another area of the administration building. The healer took one look at me and suggested I rest as well.” As Liselle spoke, she gestured with the drumstick. It caught her eye and she began following it. “I was exhausted and agreed easily.” She bit viciously into the drumstick the instant she finished speaking.

  “Where are Sir Danth and Vevin,” Tathan asked.

  Liselle glared at him for asking another question while she was trying to ravage the food. Chewing angrily, she answered. “They went with the guard to investigate the house and try to find the sorceress and squirrel.” As she finished chewing, Liselle furrowed her eyebrows. “She had deep green eyes? Really, Cousin? A woman tries to kill you and the only thing you notice about her is that she has deep green eyes?” She gestured dramatically with her drumstick.

  Tathan blushed. “Well, she was pretty . . . no . . . beautiful,” he replied with admiration.

  “Really?” Liselle asked incredulously. She began talking to a pretend council at the end of the bed. “No, your honor. It didn’t bother me that the woman tried to kill me. I always find murderous violence attractive in a woman, especially one with deep blue eyes.” Liselle turned to him with arms out and a disbelieving look.

  “They were green . . .” he replied. “Her eyes . . . they were green.” She stared at him. “I do find murderous violence attractive,” Tathan admitted unexpectedly. “The one woman I truly loved in my life was an assassin.”