by CJ Embers
When I got past him, relief washed over me. After taking care of business, I went to check the traps. When I heard noise behind me, I looked back to see the wolf was following some distance behind me.
The first trap was empty, so I continued on to the next. This one had something, so I reached down, grabbed the rabbit, and threw it to my companion.
After resetting the trap, I moved to the last one. It was empty, and I grumbled in frustration and resigned myself to foraging. After finding a few wild vegetables, I went to the river to wash them.
As I was munching on a carrot, staring at the glistening water rushing past, something in my peripheral vision caught my attention and I looked over. The wolf had sat down by the riverbank, only a few feet from me.
“Are you ever going to eat me, or are we friends now?” I asked.
The beast glanced at me before continuing to gaze out at the river.
Feeling brave— and probably foolish— I slowly reached out towards the wolf. The animal didn’t react, so I extended farther. When I was close enough to touch him, I hesitated. But when he still didn’t move or growl, I gently lay my hand on him.
With still no reaction, I felt even braver and threaded my fingers through his thick fur. The days of feeding him had done him good. Not only did he not look scrawny anymore, but he didn’t feel like a sack of bones, either.
I pulled back before the wolf would possibly get annoyed or change his mind about eating me. “If we’re going to be friends, I think you need a name…”
I thought for a while.
“How about… Kain? Kena and Kain.” I glanced at him with a smile. “I like it. Come on, let’s go home.”
When I stood, the wolf followed suit and we walked back to camp.
As the days ticked by like the minutes in an hour, the need for revenge for Mazi’s death continued building. I blamed myself for the situation most of all, but Eldrik was still to blame, too.
I was sitting at my shoddy table deep in thought, weighing my options. It was early morning, and Kain and I had just finished our breakfast.
Sighing, I reached over to scratch his cheek. He licked my hand, coating it in saliva and blood from his meal.
“Gross,” I chuckled, wiping my hand on my shirt. “Listen, if I go, you can’t follow me. I can’t lose you, too.”
Despite my words, I knew Kain would follow me. There was nothing I could do to keep him here. He was still a wild animal and wouldn’t be okay with being tethered or locked up in my shack.
Would it be the wrong choice to go back to Shekri? Going back the first time didn’t end well, and yet I want to go back again. What if things went sour again, and the guards killed Kain?
I wavered in my desire to go back to the village as images of Kain’s lifeless body flashed through my mind.
But Kain can defend himself… And I’ll be going there armed this time… The guards may be a good shot, but so am I now.
Even though I was still unsure, I made up my mind. I would go. I needed to let Mazi’s memory rest, and I couldn’t do that when Eldrik was still alive.
I gathered my weapons and store of food and delved into the forest. Kain followed on my heels. When I got there, it was nearing sunset, and I could see from here that some villagers were still wandering around.
I weighed the options of going now or finding Eldrik at night. Because Shekri was a small village, I knew where he lived, and therefore finding him wouldn’t be an issue; however, I had Kain with me, which made things more complicated.
I not only highly doubted my wolf would understand the need to be silent and sneaky, but I was also the only one he had been around, and I had no idea how he would fare upon seeing the night shift guards; would he lunge at them and break our cover, run off, or actually stick by me?
But the same could be wondered for the guards at the entrance… He might attack them, too.
Taking a deep breath, I made my decision. With Kain with me, neither options were desirable, so I decided to go now and show myself immediately. If it wouldn’t work out, I could always take off and try the other option a different day.
When I stepped out of the forest, spear in hand, the two guards stationed by the entrance to the village noticed me right away. I recognized them as Rei and Fanor. They were about to call out, but the words got stuck in their throat when they saw Kain behind me.
“Bring me Eldrik,” I called out as my wolf stepped up beside me. “Him and I have things to discuss.”
When the guards readied their weapons instead of listening, I walked closer. “Do you really want to take on an Adeptus and a wolf?” I questioned.
“You won’t be able to get through the entire guard, even with the beast and mark,” Fanor said.
“Maybe not, but you can be sure I will get through most. Are you really wanting that many people to be killed when all I’m asking for is to talk?”
“Iunis don’t get to make demands,” the man responded with an edge.
Rei glanced at him. “Why are you wasting time arguing? The Tehji ordered her dead if she came around the village, and this is now the second time she’s done so.”
I couldn’t help but let out a huff of amusement. “You turned into a real asshole, Rei. Well, maybe you were always one; hard to tell when women are taught to stay away from men, you know? But regardless, I’m not making demands— I’m simply asking. However, I have no qualms about killing those who get in my way.” I smiled coolly. “Do you two want to be the first, then?”
A moment later, Rei’s spear was sailing through the air. It would have hit right on target had the mark of the Adepti not been sitting upon my arm.
Before it could sail past me, I snatched it from the air and whipped it back at Rei. It landed in his shoulder and he stumbled from the force with a grunt of pain and landed on his backside.
I stalked up to them, no longer interested in bantering. “I do not want to kill you, but if Eldrik isn’t brought to me right now, I will.” I aimed my own spear at Fanor and grasped the one still embedded in Rei’s flesh, pressing it farther in as he cursed in pain. “Go now, and if you so much as hint to anyone else what’s going on, you will be the first one I kill.”
Fanor nodded quickly and took off. While he could easily alert the rest of the guard, I hoped my warning came across clear and that he wouldn’t be willing to risk all those people.
When Rei groaned again and begged me to let him up, the fur on the back of Kain’s neck bristled and my wolf bared his teeth. The guard clamped his mouth shut.
“I’d suggest not wiggling around,” I said. “You look like a piece of prey.”
The man lay still, pain etched across his face. Every second that we waited felt like it was an eternity. Would Fanor come back with more guards, just Eldrik, or would some villagers happen to notice what was going on?
When the sound of footsteps caught my attention, I looked up to see Fanor returning with Eldrik in tow. He looked relieved when he saw Rei was still alive.
Seeing the man who killed my cat caused a flood of anger so strong I could barely keep from hurling my spear at him. I had been wanting to just cut his throat and be done with it, but now, I truly was wanting to talk… at least for now. I wanted to know why.
Eldrik was pissed when he saw me. “Why exactly is going on here?” he demanded, glancing between Fanor and Rei, who was still on the ground.
My fingers tightened around my weapon. “I came here to talk,” I answered, drawing the man’s attention back to me. I noticed some villagers had arrived, but I was too riled up to care at this point.
“Talk about what?”
“Really? You’re really going to play stupid?” The fact that he knew exactly what I was here for but still decided to act like he didn’t grated against my nerves.
I pressed the tip of my spear under his chin, and the fear in his eyes made me smile. When I pushed the weapon farther into his flesh, he ripped himself away and pulled his sword from his sheath.
A
dark blur flew in front of me and Eldrik hit the ground, Kain on top of him. His screams were cut short as my wolf sank his teeth around his throat and jerked his head back. Blood pooled heavily down on the grass, soaking the green blades red.
I straightened, lowering my spear and staring at the sight before me. Kain let out a growl before trotting back to my side. My chance at revenge had been stolen from me by my own companion, and yet for some reason, I didn’t feel upset.
When I looked back up at the village, the few villagers had grown to a sizable crowd, and they were looking upon the scene with horror on their faces.
With rage pounding beneath my jaw, I turned to them and spoke. “Eldrik is a coward! He knew exactly why I was here, and yet he couldn’t bear to let the truth be uttered from his lips.”
I pointed to his corpse. “That piece of trash murdered my cat in cold blood, when he could have simply refused to let me take her. He did not hesitate to kill her. Is that the type of man you want guarding your homes and your lives? That is the type of person the patriarchy is built upon, and yet you all support that? Disgusting.”
“If any of you try to cross me again, I will be back. I may be an Iuni, but I am also an Adeptus, and I will not stand for my family being killed in cold blood!”
When I saw my mother in the crowd, there almost seemed to be a sense of pride in her eyes.
I reached over to lay my hand on Kain’s shoulder. “If anyone comes after him, I will cut you down.”
When she realized the meaning behind my words, her eyes darkened.
Wanting to leave before I would fully snap and go after more people, I turned away and walked towards the forest. Something bit the back of my neck, and I reached back to see a small dart.
I tried to whip around but fell in an ungraceful heap instead as my muscles turned to rubber. The last thing I heard before my world went dark was the sound of Kain yelping.
* * *
My eyes fluttered open, but my vision was still a bit blurry. Someone came into my field of view and patted my cheek.
“For an Adeptus, you’re not very smart.” The voice was masculine and condescending.
I tried to speak.
“What’s that?”
I repeated myself, trying to be clearer. “Kain…”
“Oh don’t worry, your mutt is safe… for now.”
It felt like I kept going in and out of unconsciousness, but when my vision was back to normal, it seemed like I was in the same place and the daylight hadn’t changed.
I looked around and recognized the Ascension Ceremony stage. The Tehji were nearby, while the entire village was waiting and watching for whatever was going to happen.
My limbs were tied down, and I was strung up with my arms out to the sides. Below me was a pile of sticks.
What are they planning on doing with me…? Where’s Kain?
I looked around but couldn’t see him. A heavy pit settled in my stomach at the thought of him being dead— or worse, tortured.
When the Tehji saw I was fully awake, one of them stepped to the center of the stage, facing the crowd. “The Iuni returned not once, but twice, despite the law being clear. Because of this, she must be executed!”
The crowd cheered loudly, and my stomach churned at the sight of everyone wanting my death.
When I saw a Tehjin step forward with a flaming torch, I felt faint. They were going to burn me to death.
Sweat rolled down my forehead, and fear must have been clear upon my face, because the flame bearer shook his head grimly. “This could have been avoided, Iuni.”
He was now only six feet from me, and I struggled at the restraints.
The sky darkened and everyone went silent as the air was bathed in twilight tones. The Tehjin near me took another step towards me before his body got flung up into the air. He was suspended from nothing, but blood dripped down from his stomach and his face was contorted in unfathomable pain.
Through everyone’s panicked yells, the air in front of me swirled with dark energy. When the fog dissipated, the Trial deity was there, grasping his sword as rivers of the Tehjin’s blood poured down the black metal.
Chapter 10
T he other two Tehji fell to their knees, whispering the deity’s name as they bowed their heads. The villagers were stricken with fear and awe and dropped to the ground.
Helis lowered the dead Tehjin and slid his weapon from the man’s stomach. The deity spoke, his voice full of raw power and anger. “This Adeptus is under my protection!”
The crowd shuddered at his voice and sank even lower.
“Unbind her!”
A Tehjin, head low, quickly shuffled over and cut the ropes holding me to the wood. The moment I was free, I grabbed a handful of his robes and yanked him towards me.
He tried cowering, but I prevented him from backing away.
“Where. Is. My. Wolf? If he is dead, I will slaughter you!”
“I— I will go get him,” he stuttered.
I let go of his robes and he ran off with the other. Helis was silent, his huge, hulking presence enough to strike fear into the people. As I waited for the men to return, I stood near the deity as he silently stared at the villagers.
When the sound of snarling reached me, I looked over to see the Tehji grappling with keeping Kain under control. The huge wolf looked pissed and was close to being able to overpower the men. They were on opposite sides of the beast, each holding a rope that was wrapped around Kain’s neck.
I called out my boy’s name, and he immediately stopped trying to fight the men and looked over at me. The Tehji let go of the tethers and my wolf ran towards me. I unwrapped the ropes from him and threw them to the side. The relief from him being okay made me weak.
Finally able to focus on something else, I stepped up beside the dark god. He was still standing still as stone. One sword was still in its sheath, while the other was tip-down in front of him with his hands on the pommel.
My breath shuddered as I looked up at him. Helis was here, and I had no idea what to do. I was under his protection? Did this mean I hadn’t actually been imagining his voice this entire time?
Was he wanting me to take matters into my own hands and speak to the villagers myself? I pressed my fingers into Kain’s fur, letting some of my stress release through our touch.
“I will leave, but I want immunity,” I started. “I will stay out of your pathetic village, but I am not to be attacked. Kain, my wolf, is also to stay unharmed.”
“We will not harm a hair on either of your heads,” a Tehjin responded. He glanced up at me and Helis before his gaze immediately dropped again. “Y-You can even come back to the village. You can live in the palace and be placed in a high-ranking position! The highest!”
My eyebrows raised in surprise. The idea of living in a village again seemed so foreign. Although my immediate thought was to turn down the offer, something made me hesitate.
The highest-ranking position essentially meant I would be even higher than the Tehji, and would therefore be the ruler of Shekri. Although I didn’t necessarily have any interest in ruling, it would give me the chance to shatter the patriarchy.
“I… will consider your offer,” I said.
“Of course, of course,” the man replied.
“When I make my decision, I will return.”
With nothing else to say, I swept my gaze over the crowd. I spotted my mother, Enari, Oren, and Rorik. I couldn’t make out the expression on my mother’s face, but Enari looked scared as she looked between me and Helis. Oren was looking mostly at me and he looked happy, while Rorik’s interest was clearly piqued. When I saw Veren, too, I found myself wishing Kasiya was here to witness the changes unfolding in Shekri.
Not wanting to be around the village anymore, I left. Kain followed beside me, and Helis did for a few moments as well before fading away. No one dared to make a move on me, even though the dark god was no longer here.
I left the village and submerged back into the forest I h
ad come to call my home. When I was far enough away, all the emotions I didn’t have time to feel before came rushing to the surface, and I started shaking uncontrollably.
Leaning against a tree, I slid down and hugged my knees. When Kain nestled beside me, tears flooded my eyes as I pet him. Once again, I was selfish, and it almost cost me and my companion our lives. But for some reason, the Trial deity had come to our rescue.
“Helis… Can you hear me?”
There was no response.
“I know you can. Obviously I haven’t been imagining you this entire time. Please show yourself. I need answers.”
Once again, there was no response.
Kain nudged me with his nose and I threaded my fingers through his fur as I tried to purge the ‘what-ifs’ from my mind. Never again would I do something so selfish and risk my wolf.
After a few more moments, I stood up, knowing I needed to get back to my home. By the time I had gotten to my feet, the deity had appeared, and I twitched from the surprise. We stared at each other for a while, no one speaking. I had so many questions, I didn’t know where to start.
Instead of a question, the first thing to burst forth from me was anger. “I didn’t need your help!”
Helis chuckled, the sound heavy and metallic.
“Your presence and help makes me a hypocrite! How can I be against the patriarchy when I keep being helped by a male? A male deity no less!”
“A wise warrior knows when to separate the purpose of battle from her own hates. The patriarchal rules of your people are separate from individual men.”
“No they’re not! The patriarchy is made up of individual men! And stop with the ‘wise warrior’ crap!” I sighed and said, “So does this mean that I hadn’t imagined being captured by Eldrik?”
“Yes.”
“So this is the second time you’ve saved me… Alright… So, how did he survive?”
“He was cowardly and ran.”
Those words made irritation burn at me like embers in my ribcage. Running from danger wasn’t cowardly in itself, but Eldrik had tried to kill me and the thought of him running instead of meeting his end at Helis’ blade pissed me off.
