A Hollow Mountain (The Brightest Shadow Book 2), page 76
"I did more in Castle Wahles than drink, big Ragh. But you should know this too. Fein Karnak used to be independent, before the Seinans conquered us."
"That's ancient history." The guard spat onto the ground between them. "We might dance to the tune of Ith Silvaros, but we all serve the Dark Lord and the Zeitai."
"Which Zeitai?" Fijn regarded him with a smirk. "They have their own legions, and you can't tell me they're all working together. Everything I've heard about Zeitai Terza tells me that all he wants is to support his fellow Laenans."
"Don't talk like that! Zeitai have ascended beyond us!"
Though Slaten wanted to continue listening to them, finding more in their assumptions than in their words, he realized that he was hearing something else. Not loud, and in fact he was surprised that he could hear it at all, but he heard a sound like equipment rubbing against itself. When he searched, he found what he'd feared: in the distance he could see mansthein moving over the hills toward Smuggler's Rest.
No, not only toward the outpost. Others were spreading out as if to surround the buildings, and their arc would take them past the hill. They might not be searching carefully, but an encounter might lead them to discover Celivia. Whatever their allegiance, he intended to honor her request and keep her isolated until she was finished.
When Slaten stood up, the others stopped talking. Ragh started to say something, but Slaten only gestured. They couldn't see anything at first, but Fijn ran forward and shielded his eyes with one hand. When he turned back his entire face expelled a curse.
"Fuck. Looks like the Catai found that second group after all."
"That's good!" The guard's bonds had been loosened for his comfort and he now struggled to rise. "I don't know what you intend to do, human, but they're our saviors."
Ragh finally saw the group and turned back to them, nodding. "Do you think they could help the Kaen?"
"We don't know what they want." Slaten drew his sword, making all three mansthein flinch back, and more importantly, go quiet. "If they attack the Hero, it will become another battle. If you want to meet them, I'll hide and let you speak with them, but lead them away from Celivia."
Though he didn't trust the guard, Fijn gave him a nod. After untying the guard, the three of them moved to the edge of the grove. Slaten followed, carefully noting the distance between them and the cave entrance. They emerged from the north side of the grove and waved to the advancing mansthein forces. That drew their scouts inward to meet them, hopefully preventing them from searching the hill at all. He needed to trust them, but waited with his sword drawn.
The three mansthein he had come to know looked glad to meet their fellow soldiers. Prematurely. From his distance, Slaten could see that they were being surrounded, and the new forces kept their weapons raised. He couldn't hear what was said, but when he saw the attack, he began to run.
Fijn leapt back, knocking aside the swords drawn at him, but Ragh and the guard were taken unawares, driven to the ground before they could draw their weapons. Slaten poured more sein into his legs, but it only made him aware of the distance between them and every detail of the scene he could not prevent.
"Death to saboteurs!" One of the new soldiers hacked downward and Ragh narrowly avoided his cut by throwing himself back against the men holding him. The guard also struggled, but couldn't prevent the next swing from biting into his neck. It was a poor blow, leaving him screaming wetly with blood gushing from his neck, and then Slaten finally reached them.
He struck with his full force, disarming the nearest of the soldiers, and was surprised at how loud the clash of their blades was. Avoiding lethal strikes might be futile, but he still didn't understand the exact purpose of the attack. The soldiers turned toward him in alarm, moving so slowly that it was easy for him to kick some off their feet and disarm the others.
After pushing away the men holding Ragh, Slaten started to extend a hand to help him up. A cacophony of steel struck him from behind and he staggered, barely remaining on his feet against the onslaught of noise. It sounded as though entire armies were striking their blades together, yet he knew the numbers couldn't be so large.
When he turned toward Smuggler's Rest, he understood. Melal swung his sword wildly to meet the incoming mansthein, driving all of them to battle once again. The Hero was a glowing symbol in the distance, but Slaten could only guess at the movements of those he cared about. But unless they had left Melal behind, they would be rapidly surrounded by the mansthein forces.
One of the other soldiers attempted to stab him from behind, pulling Slaten back to himself. He easily spun aside from the attack, using his momentum to turn on his opponent and strike his side. His sword cleaved through the man's arm and deep into his ribs, driving him to the side before he fell.
It would have been best to gather Ragh and Fijn to lead them away, but Slaten saw that it was too late. All the mansthein around him burned crimson, snarling like animals instead of the men they had been such a short time ago. At least the two soldiers struck at the new arrivals instead of turning on him.
For a moment Slaten was caught between several potential movements, all attempting to save someone who deserved to live. But couldn't the same be said for most of their attackers? They were no doubt just like the dead guard, merely attempting to protect their allies after being brutally attacked.
Someone struck at him, and this time when Slaten deflected the blade, it screeched against his. He staggered back, not only at the sound but at the strength behind it. His next opponent, a lean Feinan man, was a trained warrior, now aggressively pressing him with savage cuts. Though Slaten could easily stop them, he found himself faltering.
As he fought, a pale whisper grew within him. If he only had the strength, he would be able to change the flow of the battle. With a little more sein, he could fully support his Bloodskin body and throw everything he had into stopping the massacre. He desperately reached for it, imagining how he might save Celivia's soldiers, rush to the defense of Tani, and stop Melal before he could go too far.
But the clash of battle all around him overwhelmed that whisper, burying his mind in a chorus of blades. Slaten realized numbly that his sword had gone through the other warrior's neck and that the man now crumpled to the ground.
He told himself that he was a defender, but when he opened himself, only one thing spilled out.
~ ~ ~
Though by Tani's estimation they should have already departed, Melal lingered with endless suspicions of Deathspawn lying in wait. Since their delay gave Celivia and Slaten more time, Tani didn't argue. She looked toward the forested hill so often that Laeri noticed and grew concerned. So far, there had been no sign of them.
When she finally saw mansthein, it was a force rushing over the hills toward them.
"They've come to their deaths!" Melal scrambled to his feet, eyes kindling again. "I knew we were right to wait - now let's end this!"
Tani caught a glimpse of a conflict near the hill, but then the mansthein had arrived and she couldn't think about anyone else. The worst of it was that Veron had left to scout their path west, leaving them significantly outnumbered. She drew her knives as she judged the threat racing toward them, strings of sein threading from her fingers.
Melal met the enemy head on, his sword cleaving through the first mansthein at the waist, as if the man's armor simply didn't exist. He then raised his sword and let out a war cry, leaving him completely open to the next closest mansthein.
Even one day prior, Tani might have watched them attack, letting the Hero deal with his own problems. But Melal had been willing to make an exception for Celivia, which gave her just a sliver of hope. The Sage had influenced him, Veron had nudged him, and perhaps she could find something more. Perhaps Melal could be a Hero who inspired more than violent hope.
So she lashed out with her knives, letting them fly straight and then swinging them back to her in smooth arcs as the thread withdrew into her spirit. Though she had practiced it for only a short time, it felt far more natural to her than her earlier method of tugging on her own sein.
One warrior deflected her knife and another bashed it to the ground with his shield, but her other throws each sent a soldier to the ground. The immediate threat to Melal was gone, so if the two of them supported Laeri, they might be able to stand against the opponent's numbers.
At that moment, Melal charged into the enemy with another loud cry.
Other mansthein had spread out, beginning to surround them. Laeri held her staff ready, the metal end raised, but she didn't see the soldier preparing to hurl a spear at her.
Tani swept in between them, drawing her sickle knife and hooking the spear out of the air. Laeri jumped as it fell to the ground, but recovered and kept her staff ready for other threats. It was still a futile position where they'd soon be enclosed. Grabbing the healer by her robe, Tani pulled her back to one of the unfilled wagons.
Atop it, they were a clear target for thrown weapons, but Tani only needed to intercept several more spears. Then their opponents were left with melee weapons, struggling to reach up to their position atop the wagon. Using her knives, Tani quickly proved that their speed couldn't overcome her range advantage.
Beside her, Laeri flailed wildly at the blades that poked toward them. She let her sein flow through her body, so she actually had some strength, enough to knock a few blades to the ground. But she struck so recklessly that she was almost more of a danger to Tani, who was forced to employ all the agility she could muster to dodge the other end of the staff while attacking the enemies around them.
Until more mansthein warriors arrived, Tani had a moment to think. She could see a knot of fighting in the distance and hoped that it was Slaten, but there was no time to look closer. What mattered was that he clearly couldn't join them.
Toward Smuggler's Rest, Melal and the Catai struck at each other. Though Melal seemed to gain the upper hand, the other mansthein rallied to support their leader. Melal eventually shattered their coordinated assault, but it meant more forces were drawn away from the wagon.
Not enough. Tani attempted to pull back one of her knives and felt it firmly gripped by a warrior below. There was another who had a spear at his shoulder, ready to throw when she was unable to dodge. Worse, some of the soldiers began hacking at the wheels, which would soon break the wagon and send them pitching into the crowd. Tani could leap over them, but Laeri...
She looked over the hills, hoping to see Veron, but there was no one. They had weathered the attack, but it simply wouldn't be enough. At best she might be able to flee alone, which was no victory at all.
A strange cry briefly drew the attention of everyone around the wagon. Tani turned, expecting to see a new force, but could only identify it as coming from Slaten's knot of fighting. She couldn't tell if anything had changed... until a man's head separated from his body and soared over the hills. Someone new had entered the battle and turned the tide.
Celivia had been fast before and now moved yet faster, reaching the top of one hill and simply leaping to the next. Her silver hair streamed behind her in the wind and her eyes were nearly solid crimson. Previously she had looked heavier, but now her body was thinner than Tani had ever seen her. Though her robe was covered in blood, her skin was pure gray.
The fighters attempted to begin their attack again, but they were too late. Celivia was on them in the blink of an eye, fighting with a savagery that Tani hadn't seen before. Not only did her whip and knife kill, she lashed out with a bare foot, snapping a soldier's leg effortlessly.
One of the warriors managed to catch her whip in his gauntlet, but Celivia crossed the distance between them in a single step and smashed her head directly into his. The body fell backward with the helm crumpled in.
Tani threw knives at some of the remaining soldiers and the battle was soon over. Laeri cheered with her staff over her head before she remembered herself and slowly lowered it. Celivia turned to them, heaving deep breaths that left her sharp teeth clearly visible.
Despite the blood covering her, she was beautiful. She had changed in many small ways, but Tani saw something deeper. Celivia had always been part woman and part weapon, but she seemed far more herself than before, burning with a vital energy. When Tani tasted her sein, it was unbelievably sweet.
Yet there was no time. Tani saw that Slaten had been assisted, but the Catai now pressed Melal back, so Tani pointed to them. "You have to help Melal."
"Why?" Celivia's voice sounded a bit deeper than before, but her eyes remained clear. Tani admitted that she understood the other woman's question, but Celivia didn't know what had changed.
"We almost convinced him to accept you earlier. If you save him, he might not kill you... but if you don't, I suggest you run."
After only a moment's hesitation, Celivia lunged away to the remaining fight. The remaining soldiers died in an instant, then Celivia swung her whip around the neck of the Catai. As he grimaced and clawed at it, Melal's blade burst from his back.
It was entirely untouched by blood, though the steel itself had once been red.
When Melal pushed the Catai's body aside, he stared up at Celivia. Tani readied a knife in case he chose to attack, but eventually he pulled himself to his feet. Though he stared at her with burning eyes, the Hero only simmered within him instead of shining through his skin.
"The Sage taught me that the Deathspawn are also part of the Legend." Melal put a hand on her shoulder. "Who can say what part all of them have to play?"
Celivia smiled as if she wanted to tear out his throat with her teeth.
"The rest of you, finish with the wagons! The last loose end has been tied, so now we need only reach the mine and acquire the seal. There is little time left." Melal began walking through the battlefield, driving his sword down into those who yet lived.
Slaten approached, slumped as if he barely had the strength to walk. Two mansthein soldiers came with him, their eyes strangely bright. When Celivia rushed out to meet them, out of the Hero's line of sight, Tani left Laeri to join them.
"Kaen..." One of the soldiers stared at her with huge eyes. "Are... are you Catai now?"
"Not even close." Celivia clenched a fist and stared down at it. "If the natural process could produce superior results, we wouldn't invest so much in rebirth chambers. I'm stronger, and my skin is much tougher, but..." She took some of her loose hair in one hand and squeezed it, frowning. "So tough that I can't even be certain. Tani, can you test it?"
Tani hesitantly reach out to touch the other woman's hair, careful not to brush her shoulder. It was silky smooth and ran over her fingers like a caress, but that wasn't what Celivia meant. "I don't think that this hair would cut anyone."
"Then it's a liability." Celivia gathered her hair in one hand and then cut through it in a single stroke, strands gleaming almost golden in the sunlight. Her new hair was uneven, but hanging around her face as it did, Tani thought it actually looked better.
"I don't understand, Kaen." One of her soldiers regarded her with confusion. "Shouldn't a rebirth make you stronger?"
"Physically stronger, but there's more to it than that." Celivia made her tail curl around her waist, resting in her hand, and gave a heavy sigh. Tani realized that where before it had been a shining blade, now it only ended in an arrowhead tip, gray as the rest of her skin. "Even this...? No, I've stepped sideways into a more primitive form. Good preparation for becoming a Catai, perhaps, but weaker in many respects."
Slaten had been watching with quiet interest, but now his gaze turned back to the battlefield. Melal had nearly finished his work, the realization cutting through all other conversation until Slaten spoke. "Nothing will stop Melal from reaching the seal now. What do we do?"
"Stop him from slaughtering the inhabitants of the mine." Celivia let go of her tail, eyes immediately focused again. "The remaining forces there will have superior numbers, but you're right, that won't stop him. What we can do is move the civilians out of his path. If you're taking the wagons, we'll run ahead first."
"What will you do?" Tani asked. Celivia's eyes met hers, brighter crimson than before.
"Find out who poisoned me and finish them." She gestured to her soldiers and they departed swiftly, beginning a long arc that would take them northwest to the mine.
Where they would all arrive soon enough. Tani nodded to Slaten, because there was nothing to say, and they returned to join the Hero.
Chapter 56
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"Cast as an actor without a play, there is nothing I can do that would have any weight. Yet this is true of all. I am unique only in that I understand the futility. It seems an endless cruelty for entire generations to live for only a single purpose, their lives made icons."
- excerpt from First of the Sages
-
Mohuno pretended that he didn't see the Stormpeak warrior who intended to kill him and kept shoveling food into his face.
He was already sick of the food set before him, but now that he was chieftain of a much larger clan, he needed to play the part. All his guests watched him for weakness. If he wanted to change anything with his clan, he needed to conform with the rest. That meant throwing lavish feasts, picking fights, and taking a woman or two to his furs every night.
Some of those were easier than others. The last should have been easiest of all, but Tani's memory kept ringing in his head.
At a grand meeting between clans, no one was being threatened and he knew they came willingly. It should have been a pleasure. But as eager as they were, now he found himself hearing their flattery and thinking twice. They saw that he was a rising chieftain and wanted to attach themselves to him for their own benefit, not his. Everything was so complicated now thanks to that damn girl.
Some of the clans had come to size him up. A few came to grovel, as his expanded territory could crush theirs. A few broken clans needed him now, since only he had excess food and blankets.
The Stormpeaks representative waited outside with two axes and a blue grin.
