The Beast Player

by Nahoko Uehashi

  “But for now, one is enough. If a miracle occurs on Tahai Azeh, the Aluhan will have to keep his word. That alone will turn the tide. If we can just get through this crisis, it will give you enough time to train others and form a formidable army of Royal Beasts. Royal Beast troops to match the Toda troops—a perfect balance, don’t you think?”

  Elin’s lips parted, and she stared at Damiya. The ringing in her ears had ceased.

  “Of course, the purpose of the Royal Beast corps would not be indiscriminate slaughter. In fact, we may not even need to use them at all. Think about it. Their very existence would give us the power to keep the Aluhan in check.”

  Elin lowered her eyes and stared blankly at his chest. Control the Toda with Royal Beasts. Just as we control the Royal Beasts with the Silent Whistle… I see. So this is the way people think.

  With this realization, the heavy weight that had been crushing her heart crumbled like sand, and in its place, an icy chill crept through her. Now she knew what she must do, but she felt not the slightest enthusiasm for it. With her eyes still averted from his, she said, “I am afraid that that is impossible.”

  Damiya’s face stiffened. “What?”

  “I am the only one who can wield the art that controls the Beasts.” When her voice ceased, the pattering of the rain came rushing back, and, for several moments, they stood listening to the sound.

  Finally, Damiya shook his head slowly. “You expect me to believe that?”

  “Yes. If you doubt me, I can prove it,” Elin said quietly.

  Damiya raised his eyebrows. “Prove it?”

  “Yes. When the rain stops, please bring your most skilled Beast Handler to Leelan’s stable. I will teach him the skills I use, and he can try it for himself. If you think that Leelan is too used to me, then any other Beast will do. If anyone can acquire these skills, then any Beast should respond to the person who plays the same notes that I do.”

  Damiya gazed at her wordlessly. She relaxed and gazed back at him with eyes as fathomless as the sea. Finally, he shrugged. “All right then, let’s try it and see.” He clapped his hands. The door opened and a servant appeared. “Take this woman to the Flower Room. See that she gets bathed, fed and rested.”

  The servant bowed and waited for Elin, but she did not move.

  “I have two requests,” she said.

  “What are they?”

  “Please free Esalu immediately, and make sure that her position and her reputation have not been damaged in any way.”

  Damiya watched her steadily. “Does this mean that you agree to obey my command?”

  Elin nodded and continued in a steady voice. “My second request is that you let me care for Leelan and the other two Beasts. They are being cared for by the Handlers of Lazalu, but I’m sure they won’t have eaten any of the food that has been given to them.”

  Staring into the green eyes that looked up at him, Damiya nodded. “So be it. You shall care for Leelan and the others.”

  4 THE DEVIL-BITTEN CHILD

  It rained all night, finally clearing at dawn. The Royal Beasts went out into the fields after the sun had risen higher, but even then, the grass was still damp. The three Beasts from Kazalumu at first seemed puzzled by the different smells of the land. They sniffed the air repeatedly and were wary of the other Beasts scattered about the meadow. As they bathed in the bright summer sun, however, they began to relax, and each one eventually chose a spot to doze.

  Wrapped in the thick scent of grass, Elin stood and watched them. Leelan’s fur shone brightly in the fresh, clear light, and the sight of her majestic figure brought back the memory of Elin’s first encounter with Royal Beasts in the wild. The same awe she had experienced then welled up inside her. What beautiful, fearsome creatures.

  Royal Beasts must never be tamed…

  This thought penetrated her mind. They were meant to be gazed upon in wonder from afar. Although she had longed for coexistence without any need of the Silent Whistle, that had just been a sweet fantasy. To control beasts of such dreadful power, the whistle was indispensable. Yet Beasts raised that way became empty shells, devoid of spirit.

  No matter how she might protest the cruelty of it, Leelan and the other Beasts raised in captivity could never live in the wild. Anger rose inside her. At the royal family for perpetuating this brutal impossibility, and at herself for meekly submitting to their will.

  What on earth am I doing here, when all I wanted was to let Beasts born in the wild live as nature intended?

  Fingering the thick bandage binding her left hand, she stared at Leelan.

  It was almost noon when Damiya arrived at Lazalu Beast Sanctuary accompanied by a single Se Zan. By then, the clouds had parted, and the sun was beating down. Stifling grass fumes rose from the meadow as they crossed it. With a high whine, a mosquito zeroed in on Damiya’s earlobe. He smacked it, and his guide, Ohooli, looked apologetic.

  “My Lord, you honor us by deigning to visit a place so plagued with mosquitoes,” he said.

  Damiya chuckled. “It’s not your fault that I’m being eaten alive. Never mind.”

  The Royal Beasts were probably never bothered by mosquitoes, he thought. Not with their coats of fur. He could see them dotted about the field, soaking up the sun.

  “There she is,” Ohooli said, pointing, and Damiya squinted his eyes. The two adult Beasts stood with their cub, just as he remembered them at Kazalumu, and beside them was a small figure.

  “She’s an odd woman,” Ohooli remarked. “She spent the entire night with them.”

  Damiya started walking toward her. Ohooli hurried after him, hastily grabbing the whistle hanging round his neck and holding it ready to blow at any moment. When he was close enough for his voice to reach her, Damiya stopped and called out, “Elin! Come here.”

  The fur rose on the necks of the Royal Beasts, and they growled threateningly, but when Elin spoke to them, they lowered their voices. She walked toward Damiya, carrying her strange harp crooked under her left arm. She looked calm, but her skin was even pastier than the day before.

  “Are you all right?” Damiya asked.

  Elin looked at him quizzically. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean your health. You look awful.”

  A smile touched her eyes. “I didn’t get much sleep last night… But it won’t affect my ability to control the Beasts. If you’re ready, then let’s get started.” She shifted her gaze to Ohooli. “Are you the one who’s going to test it?”

  His eyes froze.

  “There’s no need for you to push yourself,” Damiya said mildly. “If there’s anyone else who is skilled at handling the Beasts, have them do it.”

  Ohooli shrugged. “I’m the best Handler here. Let me try it.” Then he added, “But I wonder about using these particular Beasts. They have a special bond with Elin. If we really want to test her method, it would make more sense to choose a Beast she has never handled before.”

  Elin nodded. “You’re right. Let’s pick one that you’ve raised yourself from infancy. The results will be more reliable that way. Which one shall we use?”

  Ohooli looked surprised that she had agreed so readily, but he pointed to a large male Beast on the south side of the meadow. “How about Sawan? I raised him with my own hands. He’s the largest and most magnificent of the Beasts here.”

  Elin looked to where he pointed. It was true that the Beast was far bigger than any of the others, but the luster of his fur came nowhere near Eku’s and could not even compare to Leelan’s.

  Perhaps Ohooli noticed her expression for the blue veins in his temples bulged. “Is there something wrong with the Beasts at Lazalu?”

  Startled by the depth of animosity in his voice, Elin looked at him. “No, not particularly.”

  Damiya reached out a hand and grasped her shoulder. The tension that had suddenly sprung up between them was instantly defused. “So what are you going to do?” he said calmly.

  He’s very sharp, Elin thought. “Let me teach
him how to feed the Beasts.”

  They both looked at her questioningly, as if they were having difficulty understanding her words.

  “How to feed the Beasts?”

  “Yes, I will show him how to feed a Beast without using a Silent Whistle.”

  The expression on Ohooli’s face changed. “You can’t be serious. You mean you’re going to get close enough to that Beast to feed it without using the Silent Whistle?”

  Elin nodded. Ohooli stared at her. “You’d do that? Despite having caused such a horrific accident?”

  She returned his gaze, her expression dark and sad. “Yes… As long as we protect one another by holding our Silent Whistles ready, we don’t need to worry about any accidents. Are you willing to try it?”

  Ohooli’s face grew tense, and he said nothing for some moments. Finally, however, he nodded reluctantly.

  Elin nodded in return. “All right. I’ll go first. If I succeed, I’ll show you how it’s done, and then you can try it.”

  She began walking in the general direction of the Beast, as if she had no particular interest in him. Royal Beasts kept a certain distance from each other. This boundary had meaning, and they were wary of anyone who crossed it. Although Elin appeared to be walking casually, she was actually testing that distance. The Beast named Sawan watched her steadily as she approached. When she came within ten paces, he rose and spread his wings.

  Elin stopped and took one step back, then faced him. The moment her gaze met the eyes of the huge Beast, fear rose from the pit of her stomach to her chest. She breathed deeply several times until it passed. An invisible wall seemed to have reared up between them. She began to stroke the harp, as if stroking that wall, plucking the sound that made the Beasts feel contented and sleepy.

  The moment he heard the harp, Sawan pulled back his head, then remained motionless. After a few moments, he began to emit a much higher note. The tension flowed out of Elin’s shoulders as she mimicked the same sound on her harp, like a greeting.

  Ohooli gasped.

  Still playing the harp, Elin walked toward the Beast. When she had come close enough to touch him, she threw him a chunk of meat. “That woman is a sorceress,” Ohooli murmured.

  Damiya glanced at him. “If you’re scared, bring someone else. There’s no point in testing this on you if you’re just going to be paralyzed by fear.”

  Ohooli shook his head. His face was transfigured, almost feverish. “I wouldn’t dream of giving up this opportunity… Of course I’m afraid. But I definitely want to try it.”

  Damiya smiled. They waited silently as Elin walked back toward them. Brushing back her windswept hair, she began methodically teaching Ohooli how to hold the harp and which strings to pluck. She made him practice until he could produce exactly the same notes as she, and then taught him the distance at which Sawan would begin to feel threatened.

  “Are you ready?” she asked. Ohooli nodded, his expression intent. “Whatever you do, don’t push yourself. Even if it doesn’t work the first time, it may work if you try it repeatedly. If you feel yourself in any danger, run. The whole effort will have been pointless if you’re injured. I’ll be right behind you with my whistle ready.”

  “All right.” He took a deep breath and began walking. Just as before, Sawan watched him approach. Following Elin’s instructions, Ohooli carefully tested for the boundary beyond which Sawan felt threatened. When the Beast spread his wings, he stopped. Holding his breath, he stretched his stiff fingers gently and then plucked the harp as Elin had taught him.

  Sawan listened intently to the sounds, the same way he had with Elin. But no matter how long he played, Sawan did not make the high-pitched sound he had made for Elin. Ohooli played and played, sweat beading his forehead, but still Sawan did not respond. Feeling the eyes of Elin and Damiya on his back, Ohooli lost his patience and took one step forward.

  “Oh no,” Elin whispered. She ran forward just as Sawan roared and charged at Ohooli. His arms flew up as he threw the harp away. Putting the whistle to her lips, Elin blew. Sawan pitched over, as though he had hit an invisible barrier, collided with Ohooli and fell like a statue to the ground. Elin raced up and grabbed Ohooli’s arm with her right hand to help him out from under the Beast.

  “Are you all right?”

  Pale faced, he nodded. “…Y-your harp… I threw it…”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get it later.” She slipped her shoulders under one of his arms and helped him to rise. Unable to put weight on his right leg, he gritted his teeth and hopped on one foot, leaning on Elin the whole way back to Damiya. Just as they reached him, Sawan shook himself and got up.

  “Is there any chance he’ll attack?” Damiya asked, but both Elin and Ohooli shook their heads. Although Sawan gnawed at himself in agitation for a while, in the end, he settled back down on the ground. Having made sure of the Beast, Damiya returned his gaze to Elin. “Why? Why didn’t he respond to Ohooli’s harp-playing?”

  Elin shook her head. “I’m not sure. But the same thing happened at Kazalumu when both my friend and Esalu tried it. They played the harp just like me, but the Beasts did not respond.”

  She helped Ohooli sit down on the grass. “Would you roll up your trouser leg for me?” she said.

  Nodding, he pulled it up past his knee, exposing an ugly purple bruise. As she explored it gently for broken bones, she said, “Lord Damiya, have you ever heard of Akun Meh Chai?”

  Damiya’s brow furrowed slightly. “Of course, but what of it?”

  Her hands went still, and she looked up at him. “I am Akun Meh Chai, a devil-bitten child. When I was young, I often heard people talking about how I should never have been born. I hated the expression, but now I think there is some truth in it.” She dropped her eyes back to Ohooli’s knee, and murmured, “I should never have been born.”

  Damiya sighed and shook his head slowly. “Elin, why would you think that? Do you despise using the Royal Beasts so much that you would call yourself Akun Meh Chai?”

  She stared at the ground without replying. Damiya said quietly, “I think it strange that someone as intelligent as you can’t see how performing a miracle on Tahai Azeh would actually save the Royal Beasts.”

  She frowned up at him, unable to grasp the meaning of his words.

  “Don’t you understand? The Aluhan is a Toda Rider. His power depends solely on the Toda. When he and his Riders see your Royal Beast effortlessly overpower their serpents, surely you can guess what they will think.”

  Elin’s eyes widened. Oh…

  Seeing her expression, he smiled. “Now do you see? The survival of you and your Royal Beast depends upon our victory.” He pressed his point home. “Never forget that, Elin. The perpetuation of our rule is crucial for you and the Royal Beasts, too.”

  But Elin did not hear. Her blood pounded in her veins, and her mind was stunned by the possibility that had suddenly presented itself. If other nations knew that a single Beast could subdue countless Toda, it would jeopardize the future of the Aluhan’s army. If the Aluhan became ruler of this land, not only would he do away with Elin and Leelan, he would surely also seek to bury all knowledge of training Royal Beasts before any other country learnt of it. And that would change everything.

  If a Toda Rider rules, he will seal away the art of controlling the Beasts forever…

  As she gazed at Ohooli’s bruised and swollen knee, this thought, and this thought alone, filled her mind.

  5 DISCOVERED

  “You summoned me, my Lord,” Ialu said with a low bow.

  Damiya nodded. “Take a seat. There’s something I want to ask you.”

  The sun had long since set, and the light from a large candelabra shimmered on the gold fittings adorning the furniture. When Ialu had sat on the chair indicated, Damiya picked up a flask made of dark green glass from a round table. Removing the stopper, he poured an amber liquid into two goblets, passed one to Ialu, and then raised the other slightly. “Don’t worry, it’s not wine. It’s halaku, a h
erbal infusion flavored with molasses… Let us drink in honor of my aunt. Even if it’s just one mouthful, drink with me.”

  Seeing Damiya drain his glass, Ialu took a sip. A pungent herbal fragrance pierced his nostrils, and a bitter tang within the sweetness pricked his tongue.

  Damiya placed his goblet on the table and sank deeply into a chair. “Did you hear what happened today?”

  “Today?”

  “The test Elin performed for us.”

  Ialu nodded. “Yes, I heard about that.”

  Damiya poured himself another glass, and said, “Of course, we can’t judge for certain just from today’s results. Perhaps if we tried again after raising a Beast the same way that Elin did, it might be different. But that would take years. For the moment, Elin is the only person capable of manipulating the Beasts.” He smiled slightly and looked at Ialu. “That girl is strangely attractive, but she’s too serious, wouldn’t you say? She’s the only one in the world who wields such awesome power, yet she looks so grim.”

  His smile vanished. “That’s why I summoned you. Tell me, what did she say to my aunt? And why did she tell her, but not me?”

  Ialu responded quietly. “Please forgive me, but that is not for me to say. I am sure that if she feels it is necessary, she will tell you herself.”

  Damiya sighed. “You’re too stiff and rigid, you know, Ialu. Try standing in my shoes. If using the Beasts might result in some kind of trouble, I need to know. Otherwise I might make a mistake, you see.”

  Ialu gazed at Damiya. “Is there any possibility that you might choose not to use the Royal Beasts?” he asked.

  A cynical smile touched Damiya’s eyes. He leant forward and said, “No, not a chance. How could there be?” He paused, then added, “A man will commit even the most reckless of deeds to protect his land and his spouse. Isn’t that so, Ialu?”