Dino Riders, page 22
“It’s pretty warm in here,” I laughed. “And something tells me that they don’t have a choice on what they’re wearing.”
“They don’t,” Naona said with a disgusted tone that didn’t match the dimpled smile on her face. “You see the man at the end of the hall? That’s the King on High.”
“It’s showtime,” I said and forced my shoulders to hunch in a little. “Sara, try to look a little more beaten down by the world.”
Sara’s teal eyes flashed with rage for a moment and was about to argue with me, but then her attention shifted to the guards with curved obsidian blades and spears that were stationed around the room. It took the brunette a few seconds to lower her head, and even then, I had to reach over and squeeze her hand when she started to look offended again.
A raised pedestal sat at the far end of the long room, and a middle-aged man with perfect curls and a trimmed beard lounged on a golden throne. More of the naked courtesans were stretched out on the limestone stairs at his feet, but the King on High was focused solely on us. There was a mixture of seething hatred and amusement in his dark eyes, but that gave way to lascivious hunger the second that he noticed Sara and Naona next to me.
“Welcome to my city,” he said without a hint of an accent.
I stared in shock at how easily he spoke Anglish, and for a brief moment, I wondered if the King on High was another transplant to the world like me.
“Thank you for allowing us to come, King on High,” Naona said with a deep bow.
“I appreciate your kindness,” I said and followed the tribal woman’s lead.
Ego washed off the King on High like boss music in a video game, and it had nothing to do with the steady stream of music coming from the flutist behind the throne. The guy just looked like one of those assholes that would sell his own mother to get what he wanted, and there was no doubt in my mind that he planned to kill us.
“It’s not kindness,” he laughed and then leaned on one arm of his throne. “I merely wanted to see what two Anglishmen wanted with me. I have every intention of killing you. Or maybe feeding you to one of my colrasas. They are quite ravenous.”
“I am not a man,” Sara said and stuck her chin in the air.
The King on High lifted an eyebrow at the proud woman and then burst into laughter so loud that it echoed through the entire hall.
“You certainly are not,” he said with a greedy stare. “I may keep you for longer.”
“I’m not for sale,” she snapped.
I quickly tugged on her arm to remind her it wouldn’t help our cause if she didn’t get her tongue under control. I did have a backup plan if that didn’t seem like it was going to happen, though it would be easier if everyone just played their part. That included the King on High, who gave me an amused look when he saw me give the brunette a pleading expression.
“Sara, please,” I said in my best begging voice. “You’ve heard what they said about the King on High. He’s powerful. And he hates the Anglish. He could wipe us from existence without breaking a sweat. Do you remember what the villagers told us on the way here?”
Confusion crossed Sara’s eyes for a second, but thankfully it didn’t have time to make it to her face before the brilliant woman caught on. She stuck her bottom lip out like a pouty child and then stomped a foot angrily.
“Let him kill us!” she exclaimed and then motioned back toward the door. “I’d rather die than go back.”
“There will be nothing for you to go back to,” Naona pointed out. “That is why we are here. My village and your Anglish will perish at the mighty hand of the King on High. But he has graciously offered us a safe haven.”
“I offered your village a safe haven,” he said and shifted to lean on the other arm. “What need do I have with two Anglish? Even if they know that they are hopelessly outmatched?”
“I’m an expert beast tracker,” I said and spun to look at the egomaniac.
It took everything in me to look like a frantic kid who’d just been caught stealing money out of their mom’s purse, but it would be worth it if it actually worked. The King on High’s guards snickered as I rubbed my hands together in a pleading gesture, but the man on the throne was the only one that I was worried about, and his expression had slowly started to shift. I just needed to make him think that I was beaten down and terrified, and then he could flex on us by sending us to take care of the sacrifices.
“I have plenty of trackers,” the King on High laughed and sat up straight. “What would I need with an Anglish tracker? What are you going to do? Help me find my own men to enslave and murder?”
“He took on an entire group of treasars on his own with nothing but a stick,” Naona said. “And he successfully evaded the Anglish in order to reach our village. He could be useful. And the Anglishwoman has bonded with a racasar.”
The king lifted an eyebrow with interest as he reevaluated Sara and me. It was one thing to just kill us right out, but it was clear by the captured warriors outside that the man liked to throw his weight around whenever the opportunity presented itself, and making two Anglishmen slaves would feed his ego for weeks. Maybe months. And on top of that, we were useful.
“Is this true?” he asked Sara with that same hungry expression that made me want to stab him. “Were you really accepted by a racasar?”
“Yes,” Sara said with and jutted her chin back in the air. “He is a wonderful mount. And he recognized that I’m more than where I was born. Not that the Anglish have anything to offer.”
“Oh?” he asked and shifted his attention to me. “And you, tracker? Do you feel the same about your own kind? You know that I plan to kill them all tomorrow.”
“Good riddance,” I snorted and then bowed my head with respect. “You have made the right choice. They are nothing but a disease on this island. You are as wise as everyone says that you are.”
“Of course,” he chuckled and leaned forward to study us.
“We passed several villages on the way here,” I said. “And everyone talked about what a great ruler you are. How you protect the people and commune with the gods. You are wise and powerful. It would be my honor to serve a king as great as you.”
“Of course it would be,” he said and then waved a hand dismissively. “But you are Anglish. If I choose to allow you a place in my city, then you will never rise above the station of slaves. Will your Anglish pride allow that?”
“It’s better than being one of them,” I said with fake excitement. “You are truly an honorable and masculine king. The king of the Anglish across the sea is a fat and effeminate drunk not worthy of his crown.”
“And you?” he asked Sara.
Sara pressed her lips together, and a blush crawled up her cheeks that I was pretty sure was fueled by rage rather than embarrassment, but the colonial woman managed to keep herself together long enough to nod.
“I would like to hear the words out loud,” he said.
“I will be your slave,” she said and fisted her hands in her dress. “It is better than to be Anglish.”
“Yes, yes it is,” he chuckled and clapped his hands together. “You are in luck. I am in a good mood today.”
“Thank you,” I said in a grateful tone. “If there is some way we could prove ourselves to you…”
“Yes, perhaps a small task, just to demonstrate our loyalty,” Sara added with a stiff smile.
“Ah, that does seem appropriate,” the King on High replied.
“Maybe there’s some way we could help with this ritual,” I suggested and clapped my hands. “It would be an honor to help destroy the Anglish.”
The King on High frowned, and for a moment, I worried that I’d overplayed my hand. An uneasy silence settled on the room, and I felt Naona shift uncomfortably.
“Anglish blood is not needed for the ritual,” the King on High finally said. “But perhaps there is something. You will have the chance to prove yourselves by delivering dinner to the sacrifices for tomorrow’s ritual. After that, if you have behaved well, then I might be able to find you a place in our city.”
“Really?” I gasped and fought the urge to groan at the charade. “You’d really give us a place?”
“You have brought Naona back to me,” he said and finally looked at the purple-eyed woman. “And your flattery has not fallen on deaf ears. All three of you will have a chance to prove yourselves loyal to me. And Naona, once the ritual is complete, you will become my queen.”
The tribal woman flinched at the declaration, and a disgusted expression crossed her face before she could hide it. Rage flashed in the King on High’s eyes, and his smile shifted until it dripped with poison. Naona had clearly hit a nerve, and I fought the urge to reach for my weapons when he snapped his fingers.
“You will rethink your position,” he warned Naona as two guards started forward. “But for now, you will stay with your Anglish. And if they do not stay in line, then I will personally kill them. And all of your people that have fled to the city for sanctuary.”
The soldier from earlier hurried forward and bowed so low that his knees hit the limestone. Fear colored the guard’s eyes when he glanced up at the King on High, and I used every ounce of self-control to keep up the charade, even if it was just for a little while longer.
“Take them to the kitchen,” the king waved his hand dismissively. “Have them bring the food to the sacrifices. And watch them carefully. If they move even one foot out of line, then chain them to the wall.”
I didn’t want to find out what the wall was, but I was more interested in the fact that the soldier nodded and motioned for us to go. He still didn’t speak Anglish to us, but it was clear that he’d understood the king’s orders enough to follow them, and I started to wonder just how many tribesmen actually understood Anglish. I’d met plenty of people in my travels that could speak my language, even if they chose to use their native tongue, and I made a mental note to be more careful about our conversations while we were in the city.
The soldier said something to Naona that sounded like the man was scolding her, but the tribal woman just rolled her eyes and followed after him.
“He says that we are to be on our best behavior,” she said as we were led out of the main building toward a smaller one closer to the mountainside. “And that if I’m lucky, then he’ll take his frustrations out on the Anglishwoman.”
“He won’t touch me,” Sara snapped.
“He won’t,” I whispered. “But be careful what you say. It’s clear that there are ears everywhere, and some of them can understand us.”
“He’s right,” Naona said and glanced at the soldier that had run ahead to lead the way. “There are many in the city that can speak Anglish. Most are those close to the King on High. He believes in knowing an enemy in order to defeat them.”
“Not a bad practice,” I said. “I was surprised that he spoke Anglish so well.”
“So was I,” Sara said with a pointed look at Naona. “You could have warned us.”
“I didn’t know,” she said and put her hands in the air. “We have only spoken in our native tongue. Usually when he is trying to convince me to become his queen.”
“I did catch that,” I said as the smell of baked potato washed over us. “Are you sure that you’ll be okay?”
“Yes,” the tribal woman nodded as we walked into the kitchen. “This is for the best. I must do what is right for my people.”
I nodded and then turned to look around the busy kitchen that the soldier had led us to. Everywhere I looked there were golden platters filled to the brim with sweet potatoes, fresh fruit, and glazed meats that I was almost positive were actually dinosaur. My mouth watered as the delicious smells lingered in the air around me, and I jolted as a realization struck me.
“The strawberries!” I exclaimed. “We didn’t give them as an offering to the King on High.”
“I had the guards bring it here,” Naona said and motioned to the green netting on the counter to the left. “They’ll bring him some later tonight for dinner.”
“Oh, good,” I said with a relieved smile.
The soldier snapped something and gave the strawberries a disgusted look. Naona didn’t seem bothered in the slightest by the outburst, and her eyes flashed with amusement as she gave the man a dimpled grin. The guard narrowed his eyes and then ordered us to take the trays on the counter in front of us.
“He really doesn’t like you,” I said as I followed the man’s instructions.
The golden platter that I picked up was heavy with dinosaur meat, and my stomach grumbled to remind me that I’d only had strawberries and some bread. The glistening glaze smelled like an orange duck sauce that made me want to sit down on a stone couch and start eating, but we had a job to do before I could even think about filling my stomach. Besides, I could always snag some from the plate when we left the sacrifices. For the moment, I needed to continue to fake gratitude for just being alive.
Sara popped a sweet potato into her mouth and slowly chewed on it before she picked up the tray, but thankfully she had waited until the soldier had turned to shout something at one of the cooks before she stole the bite. She quickly fed me one as well, and my stomach finally went silent as I swallowed the delicious treat.
“He says it’s this way,” Naona said with an amused grin. “You’re both lucky that he didn’t catch you.”
“I’m very good at sneaking food,” Sara winked. “I had to be very crafty to avoid Erla’s watchful gaze growing up.”
The soldier led us back out into the courtyard and bustled to a building near the temple’s base. There was more gold inlay embedded in the limestone, and the carvings depicted what looked like epic battles and worship. The guard muttered to himself constantly as if he was bitching about the job that he’d been given, and the guy shot a glare over his shoulder every few steps like Sara and I were escaped convicts that would stab him in the back.
More guards stood at the entryway to where the sacrifices were being kept, and they all glanced at each other with confused expressions when they saw who was delivering dinner. It had to be out of the ordinary for Anglish to be in the city, let alone to be given access to the sacrifices, but it seemed like most of their shock was directed at Naona.
I spotted the giant guard from Naona’s village and fought the urge to smile as the big man glowered in my direction. He managed to nod imperceptibly to show that he was still on our side, but the tribesman’s body language still telegraphed disgust and hatred. I was glad that he’d managed to find a way to be assigned to the sacrifices, because then he could help them escape, but first we had to actually convince them to go along with our plan.
“We’re going to stay here until the sacrifices have finished eating,” Naona said. “And we have to give up our weapons. Also, if we try to harm the sacrifices in any way, then we’ll be brought to the king for our execution.”
“Got it,” I nodded and then watched as the guards came to take our weapons.
It surprised me that it had taken them so long to confiscate them in the first place, even though we were surrounded by soldiers the whole time. The King on High had probably let us keep them just to see if we’d try to strike him, though none of us were that stupid. It was a stunt that I’d seen with other egomaniacs back in my world, and a trap that the three of us would avoid at all costs.
“We may enter,” Naona said when the guards stepped back to let us pass.
The soldier that had led us gave Naona one last warning, glared at Sara and me, and then bustled back toward the gates. His job was officially done, and the guards that remained looked ready to imprison us the second that we put a toe out of line.
I took a deep breath as we walked into the limestone building. The first part of the plan had already gone exactly how I’d wanted it to-- well, maybe not perfectly since Sara had snapped at the King on High, but it had worked out well enough. All I had to do now was convince the sacrifices that it was in their best interest, and their people’s best interest, to go along with the rest of the plan.
A golden table with enough food to feed an army was already set up next to a wading pool filled with roses and jasmine. Oil shimmered on the surface of the water, but the two sacrifices were deeper in the house. Huge beds filled with fur blankets and pillows lined the back wall, and two kids were stretched out with a tray of fruit between them.
They couldn’t have been more than sixteen years old. The girl had dark brown eyes and hair that had been braided with gold and dinosaur bone while the boy had his hair twisted and secured in a bun like Naona’s father wore. Their clothes were the nicest of anything that I’d seen so far, except for the King on High, and their skin glistened like they’d just been rubbed with oil.
“It’s going to be hard to convince them to go with us,” Naona said with a glance over her shoulder.
The tribal woman greeted the two kids with a bow, and Sara and I did the same. They looked at us with wide eyes like they’d never actually seen an Anglishman and woman before, and the girl scooted back like she expected us to hurt her.
“We come in peace,” I said and swallowed a laugh as an alien movie rushed across my mind. “We just want to talk.”
Naona translated what I said, and the boy nodded to the girl. She slowly scooted forward again but stayed right behind her companion while Naona motioned for me to continue.
“I’ll translate,” she said. “I don’t think that they’ll understand Anglish.”
“Fair enough,” I said and flashed my warmest smile. “We’re here to offer you the chance to save your people.”
Naona translated, and the two sacrifices looked at each other before the girl responded for them.
“They say that’s what they’re here for,” the tribal woman said.
“You’ve been deceived,” I said, and Naona started to translate for me while Sara smiled reassuringly at them. “The King on High has made a pact with the Trickster. He will sacrifice you tomorrow for the plague that will kill the Anglish and Naona’s tribe.”
