The Brightest Shadow, page 3
Tani joined them, human and Deathspawn, as they approached the city of Bundlin. Despite everything that had just happened, her lips considered a smile. After traveling for so long, it was time to learn the truth.
Chapter 2
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"The term 'Deathspawn' is a childish shorthand taken from ancient stories. While it is true that they have inspired fear and seem as terrible as monsters from such tales, they are in fact not mystical creatures, but flesh and blood like us. This should not lead one to consider them anything less than a threat to our very existence."
- excerpt from On the Deathspawn, written by Haneval, First Scholar to the King of South Corah
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By the time everyone returned to their proper places, Slaten had a splitting headache. He told himself it might have been from the Catai's blow, but knew it had more to do with what this incident would mean. They had gone days without a conflict, but now tensions would be on the rise again. That would be the real headache.
He might have found a brief diversion talking to Tani, but she had been waylaid by the guards to receive proper papers. She seemed to understand the necessity more quickly than most newcomers, cooperating and letting them take her weapons temporarily, but it would still take some time. There was no sense waiting and she would have other things to do, so he probably wouldn't see her again.
Instead he rushed through the streets of Bundlin, pushing past or weaving between the shuffling groups. He ignored them, instead glancing up to orient himself via the bridges in the distance. The market was noisier than usual, a clamor of demands and arguments. Slaten cut through as quickly as possible, ducking beneath the banner of a noodle wagon to reach the back alley.
From there, he could reach the clinic in reasonable time. The clinic building was as squat as the others, but stood out due to its firm stone walls. It had apparently been some minor lord's house, before the mansthein arrived. Now... Slaten stopped at the entrance, trying to roll the stiffness out of his shoulders.
As he stepped inside, he ignored the usual groaning patients to focus on new arrivals. A pregnant woman holding her back. Two men with arms at unusual angles, likely a workplace accident. One woman with no visible problem and another with a nasty cut, though Vanna was already taking care of her.
That left Teren. The girl had been shifting her weight between her feet awkwardly, but beamed when she saw him. "Slaten! Slaten, come look!" Compared to the yammering of trade tongues outside, hearing his native Okeni was a relief. Slaten moved closer and bent down beside her, looking for her injury.
"Hello, Teren. How are you today?"
"Look!" She thrust her arm at him seriously, revealing the long scratch that her robe had concealed. "I was helping with the aurochs! I was doing a good job! But then there was one of those big dark stones and I wanted to look at it. I just wanted to look, but Melal said I wasn't paying attention and he got really angry. I don't like him."
"I see. And how did you get that cut?" While listening to her, Slaten took supplies from their places and began mixing an unguent. This, at least, he could do easily.
"Oh! While he was angry he pushed me and I fell over and one of the aurochs' claws scratched me a little." Teren stared up at him with somber eyes. "But it didn't mean to, I was just in the way. The aurochs isn't the bad one, it was Melal."
"I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you either. Now hold still, I need to take a look at this."
Though Teren extended her arm for him, she winced as soon as he started to wipe her injury. The first time she'd felt the salve she had cried, and though she tried to brave the stinging cream now, she still flinched enough to make his work difficult.
"Don't struggle. We have to do this."
"No we don't! If I hadn't gotten hurt, I wouldn't have to feel that nasty stuff!"
"That's true, but... sometimes you have to do things you don't want to. You don't want your arm to get worse, do you?"
Teren shook her head, short hair flying back and forth. She suffered through the rest, sniffling a little as Slaten bandaged her arm. In reality she didn't need the bandages, but they would make her feel better. Supplies weren't so hard to come by that he couldn't afford a few extra bandages.
"There, we're all done." Slaten set aside the bandages and smiled at her, and fortunately Teren smiled back. He was usually bad with children, but Teren was his charge and had grown used to him. Not only were they some of the only Oken in town, they both hailed from Oleph-Amm. "Endure as the stone, right?"
"Endure." Teren nodded seriously and reached out to clasp his arm at the wrist, almost like an adult. But a moment later she pulled inward, giving him a cheerful hug before moving away. Slaten stayed crouched there, watching her wander out the side exit. At least all the chaos of their life here hadn't affected her too much.
A shadow in the doorway indicated that someone had entered and his eyes flickered up. Tani again. She walked in with a casual smile, keeping her hands near her belt. Within reach of her knives, given the speed he'd seen her display earlier.
He wasn't quite sure what to think of Tani yet. The young woman was slender but muscled, dressed in light-colored leathers and trousers that left her movement free. Her jacket was decorated with Rhen symbols he didn't know, etched on dark metal plates that might have been decorative but might also turn aside a blow. A deep blue scarf hung around her shoulders, one tail hanging. Her hair was cut short, falling into locks just long enough not to get in the way of her vision.
Based on her movements, he thought that she was skilled but still in early sein training. Roughly the same as he was, or at least had been. He wanted to ask her about the art she had used to move so quickly, but resolutely struck that subject from his mind.
"Hello again, Tani. I trust that you have not already injured yourself on your first day in Bundlin."
She flashed a quick smile at that, though he hadn't really been trying to be funny. "I'm fine, I just want to stay that way. This place is a little disorienting... could you show me around?"
"I'm afraid not." Slaten gestured to the rooms deeper into the clinic. "That incident has already put me behind on my work, and there aren't enough of us to leave it to the other healers."
"I understand. I wouldn't want to take you from your work."
"What is it that you need? I can try to give you directions."
Tani shook her head slowly, eyes wandering over the interior of the building. "I don't need anything specific. I came to Bundlin for my Farwalk, but that's just custom. I'm really here to... see the truth, I guess. Find out if Deathspawn have to be our enemy, see if I can't take some real understanding back to the Nelee. They're threatening us more every day, so unless I can find some way to change that path..."
Slaten had heard the word "Farwalk" a few times before and thought it was a Rhen coming of age ritual, but Tani looked to be more than of age. Perhaps this Farwalk was a trial in between stages of training, but it seemed impolite to ask. In any case, the subject she had brought up was more notable, but he had to take a moment to decide what to say.
"I don't know the answer to your question. What we have here is more a truce than peace. Humans live on one side of the river, mansthein live on the other. If things go poorly, the mansthein will go back to occupying the city as an invading force."
"Right. Mansthein." Tani frowned slightly as she tasted the unfamiliar word.
"There aren't usually problems like the one you helped us with. But a new company of mansthein came from Orphos recently and they don't know how things work here, so everyone is on edge."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Orphos is a real place? I had always thought that was just a story... like saying the Deathspawn crawled out of a crack in the earth, or from the mountain in the clouds."
"Orphos is a continent, as far as I know. I haven't seen a map that includes it, though actually I've never seen a full map of Breilin - that's what they call our continent, by the way." Judging from the way Tani nodded, it seemed that she had many of the same questions he'd had, when he first arrived. Though he'd never thought of Oken and Rhen as having much in common, perhaps here, on the far eastern edge of the Chorhan Expanse, the differences weren't so important. "In any case, the mansthein leader here wants to establish peace. The new soldiers will adjust in time."
"Then what's their goal? They want to conquer the whole area, occupy or rule it? Why? I would understand some regions, but I didn't think the Chorhan Expanse had much of value for them to take."
"I'm not sure." It was one of the deep uncertainties that gnawed at him, though he couldn't tell her that. Also one of the only subjects where he didn't think that Kolanin was being completely honest with him. But that might be more than Tani wanted to know, for a simple introduction. "I think they have different factions, no different from us. Some want to conquer, others have different goals."
"I shouldn't be surprised. In fact, I don't see how it could be different, it's just that the stories, the Legend..."
She trailed off, expecting him to nod in understanding. Slaten's mind slipped back to a battlefield and he closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them, he saw that Tani had sensed his discomfort. Shifting her stance, she turned to look further into the clinic.
"Can you at least show me this place before I go? This is a house of healing, yes?"
"Close to it." Slaten shook off the memories and moved to give her a brief tour. "Commander Kolanin - that's the mansthein leader - calls it a clinic. We do charge some fees, but it's mostly funded directly by him out of his personal funds."
"Hmm. Trying to buy favor from the local Corans?"
"Possibly. It started out when they first occupied the city and there were more injuries. Now we just do the best we can."
Nodding as he spoke, Tani explored further, leaning into one of the rooms. A moment later, she pulled back, eyes wider than before. Slaten followed to see what had troubled her and saw it immediately: one of the men lying on a mat had torn open the bandage on his stomach, releasing a stench of putrefaction and a new flow of blood.
Slaten sighed. "We do the best we can."
"He's going to die," Tani lowered her voice and drew closer to him, but her words were no secret.
"That is why he's here. We have a few sein healers, but not enough. At least here we can do a little for him... there's an herb the Corans chew that dulls the senses - they call it bloodroot. Makes it a little easier."
Her lips tightened and she was quiet for a time, but Tani didn't argue. "I see. This must be grim work."
"It could be worse. The last time the Corans tried to rebel, we were flooded with warriors in seinshock. Most are more withdrawn than dangerous, but those that lash out... believe me, the problem grows out of control very quickly."
"Seinshock? I didn't... but no, I assume you know your work." Tani had obviously bitten back her first reaction. Slaten tilted his head to the side and examined her.
"You were going to say something else."
"No, I... well, I had always thought that seinshock wasn't real, or was just an excuse used by cowards. I mean..." She waved her hands in vague shapes, as if she could form words to describe her thoughts. "Sein is life. It's strength, and warmth, and home... how can sein harm someone so much?"
Slaten tried to smile and knew he failed. "The fact that sein is all of those things is what makes it so dangerous as a weapon." He raised a hand to forestall her objection. "I know, Rhen don't believe that it's a weapon. I'm not denying that it has other uses. But when warriors see someone torn apart on the battlefield with power like that, sometimes... something inside them breaks. It's a little different for everyone, but seinshock is real."
Tani swallowed and considered that for a time. When she spoke her voice was much softer. "Not all Rhen believe that. The Yevee or the Lanoo believe sein is the weapon our ancestors give humanity."
"My apologies. I really only know a little about a few local tribes."
"I'm not offended." Tani was somber for only a moment longer before she smiled at him. "It seems this place has many things to teach me, Slaten. I would like to explore the city now, but perhaps we could meet again?"
He shrugged, but found himself smiling back. "I'm usually here. If I'm not, ask for Vanna and she can tell you where I am."
"I'll do that. Thank you for your answers." With that, she turned away and flowed out of the clinic. Slaten noticed how carefully she walked, though she didn't seem to be putting effort into it. Almost like the footwork of a trained stance, and perhaps she used the Rhen equivalent. His teachers had always said that Rhen arts were to be respected.
Part of him was glad he had met her. Her tribe might be foreign to him, but he felt more in common with her than with the Corans his age. But another part of him knew that it wouldn't end well. She still walked the path he had turned away from, and interacting with her would only lead him to regret his decision. And regret would be a mistake.
A man from the other room gave a loud groan of pain, pulling Slaten from his thoughts. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for his work. At least he could take away a bit of the man's pain, before the end. Slaten turned back and walked toward the stench of death.
~ ~ ~
Once outside, Tani felt much better. The sun had been oppressively hot while she traveled across the Chorhan Expanse, but now she took time to let it soak into her skin. There were more scents outside, something other than the smell of blood and death.
After a few breaths, she felt more oriented. Tani headed back out into Bundlin, hoping that the additional context from Slaten would help her deal with it all. She was still overwhelmed by the sheer volume of everything coming into her senses, but she plunged into it instead of retreating.
The worst part was the smell of the filth covering the streets of Bundlin, nothing like the clean smell of home. But over that there were the smells of a dozen different kinds of food, not to mention the scent of so much humanity packed together.
It took her a while to adjust to the sounds, because though they had the normal cadence of a lively market, everyone around her was speaking different languages. Most spoke Coran, but she also heard a lot of another language, oddly similar to the one the Deathspawn spoke. Not to mention the occasional word that sounded completely unfamiliar. The mix of sounds soon became a charming hum of humanity.
But most striking was how diverse the people around her were. She had thought there was plenty of variety at the Confederation of Tribes, but that was nothing compared to what she saw in Bundlin. Well, the Confederation had more beautiful fabrics and wood-work, but the rest...
She saw plenty of light-haired Corans, but also others with a darker shade of blond. There were several Rhen, though not of friendly tribes, and an Oken man carrying a sword over his shoulder. Two women in long blue robes walked by and Tani guessed they might be Estronese. Another man brushed past her, clad in metal clothing that covered most of his body. Across the crowd, she saw a man with rich brown skin darker than any Rhen. There were others she didn't recognize, like a man who looked Coran but was swathed in robes and wore a large hat that shaded his face.
When she looked up from the sea of humanity, there was no escape. Any time she looked toward the center of Bundlin, she saw the three bridges towering over the buildings. They rose far higher than anything else in the city, fashioned from impossibly huge blocks of stone. According to the guards, no one knew who had built them, but Bundlin had been constructed around them. It was awe-inspiring to think that some past tribe could build such enormous structures.
Determined not to stare like a child, Tani headed into the crowd, seeking out something to eat. After using so much sein, she was starving. Fortunately, she saw even more types of money than had been accepted by traders during her travels. No Nelee currency, but she saw some Easterns and some Silver Eagles.
Finding a place to eat was more difficult, though. There was food being sold at many of the stalls, but she needed a little more. Past the stalls, she saw a small wagon with banners painted with strange squat circles. The banners served to shade the area around the wagon, which had boards in the side as a counter and rough stools set before them. That looked like it would be good enough.
Tani moved underneath the banners, immediately enjoying the shade. She saw several Coran men and women seated and eating from bowls. After she stood awkwardly for a while, the stout woman standing in the bed of the wagon saw her and grunted down at her.
"If you can pay, sit down. If not, get out."
"I can pay!" Tani hastily took a stool not next to anyone. The woman fixed her with an impatient stare, one hand on the hip of her stained dress. She looked Coran, but her skin was weathered and tanned enough that it was hard to tell.
"Well?"
Setting down several copper coins on the table, Tani smiled at the woman. "I am very hungry. What is a full meal here?"
"Noodles, bread, dags. Ain't got no meat most days 'cause the Deathspawn buy it all. But we'll fill you up for three bits."
"Okay." Tani smiled and pushed three of the coins forward, though she had no idea what the first and last of the foods even were. Still, it might be interesting to find out. Experiencing the world was the original purpose of the Farwalk, after all, aside from the additional meaning she had given hers.
The server started by handing down a bowl of thin strands of something in what looked like broth, which Tani guessed were the "noodles". Then the older woman reached into a large pot, tore out a chunk of bread, and slapped it onto the table beside the bowl. Finally the "dags" turned out to be a small bowl of what looked like tiny fish, still fully intact. Food delivered, the woman turned away to another customer.
Tani tried to hide her disappointment as she focused on the food. She had been hoping to have a conversation with the woman running the wagon, but it seemed clear that she wasn't interested. That left only the food, which also didn't inspire confidence.
