ANUNDR: THE EXODUS (34 page)

The banquet hall was filled with the lords and generals from all the armies present drinking to the success of the battle. Natalia sat with the maidens of Arngeirr, glancing at Queen Natalia who sat on the dais with the kings. Her eyes fell on Ishkhan who sat on the table next to hers. Their eyes met. She looked away and drank from her goblet. The wine didn’t help to calm her nerves. The maidens on her table spoke of the battle like it was a coming marriage. Natalia sighed and was glad when King Hametis rose to speak.

‘Men of Arngeirr,’ many men cheered, ‘Helmford,’ more cheering, ‘Wystan, Vernon, Naphdael, and Belanea, the last time this Council was united for battle was in the time of King Meldric the Innocent and they faced greater odds than we do now. We’re not gathered to mourn our departure; we are here to drink to our victory—but not too much drinking.’ The people laughed. ‘Tomorrow, we march against our enemies and break their defiance into submission.’

Everyone cheered and the musicians played their instruments. Natalia yawned.
It must be her journey that made her sleepy
, she concluded. Her eyes caught the queen’s gaze. The latter smiled at her and rose from her seat, heading out. Natalia rose and followed. The doors led her out into the grounds. The queen stood a little way off, drinking from her goblet with her back turned. Natalia strode towards her.

‘Thank you for defending me.’ she said.

The queen turned and raised her brow. Natalia gasped. They had the same eyes, hair color and facial features.
It had to be the wine
.

‘I had no choice.’ said the queen, studying her.

‘Yes, you did but you chose the fine.’

She chuckled. ‘Gold is a small matter, child. Come closer.’ Natalia did as she was told. The queen was a foot taller. She said, ‘The great granddaughter of Meldric the Innocent.’ She chuckled again. ‘It makes me laugh whenever his name is mentioned.’

‘Why?’ asked Natalia.

‘They call him the Innocent but how do they know he is?’

‘From the writings.’

‘He was a king. He could have chosen what was written. Were you ever told of his curse?’

‘No.’

The queen smiled. ‘Of course, you weren’t. It’s hardly mentioned. Those who knew kept it secret.’

‘How was he cursed?’

‘No one knows. All I heard was that he was a marked man who did terrible things without knowing. Does that make him innocent?’

‘If he didn’t know maybe he is.’

‘Maybe? Innocence is based on what you have done, not what you know you did.’

‘But if he knew, he wouldn’t have done it.’ Natalia felt drowsiness descend, blurring her sight.

‘But that doesn’t make him innocent, only ignorant.’ The queen sipped her wine. ‘I met him when I was a child. He was a great man, better than his wife. She was a fool.’

Natalia staggered back and held her head. ‘My lady, why did you summon me?’ she said.

‘Tonight is not for me to unburden my grievances to you.’

‘Did I do something wrong?’

‘It is something you’re ignorant of. Tomorrow, I shall learn what you know—that is if you pass the king’s test.’

‘What test?’ she said, holding her head.

‘It has begun.’ the queen said and walked back to the hall. Natalia found herself dropping to the floor and crawling towards the hall—then everything went black.

                                                                      ***

‘Wake up.’

Natalia opened her eyes and saw a shadow run from her. Her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the day. She tried to get up but her two legs and one of her hands were held down by bones. She dug through her clothes for her talisman but it wasn’t there. Someone had taken it. She looked at where she was and gasped, her heart raced with fear.

Watching her sleep was a pleasure for him. He unlocked her cell as quietly as he could but she opened her eyes.

‘Maris.’ Kalani said, sitting up. ‘I thought you were dead.’

He smiled and placed a bowl of water and an earthen bowl with bread before her.

‘I’m stronger than you think.’

‘I told you she would be surprised.’ Amse said from his cell.

Kalani placed her hand on his face, tracing the bruises. He swallowed. It hurt but he didn’t want her to stop and he couldn’t let her continue. He held her hand and brought it down.

‘I forgot to taste the food.’ he said, reaching for it.

She pushed his hand away and smiled. ‘Even if there was poison I would still eat it. I would even thank you.’

‘Kalani.’ said Amse.

‘Amse.’ she said and turned back to Maris. ‘He believes there is hope for me since I am the child of a god.’ She laughed. ‘What is godlike about me?’

‘Your beauty.’ he said without thinking. She stopped laughing and lowered her eyes.

‘Forgive me.’ he said, rising.

They heard footsteps approaching. Akasha stopped at the cell with two soldiers and pointed at Amse. ‘Take him.’

‘Don’t.’ Kalani said, scampering to her feet.

‘Kalani, stay out of this.’ said Amse, rising to his feet as the soldiers unlocked his door. They dragged him out. Akasha glanced at Maris and Kalani.

‘What have we here?’ He pushed her cell open.

Maris blocked his way. ‘You came here for him.’

Akasha pushed him to the floor. Kalani shouted, ‘You are an animal.’

He slapped her and pushed her by her hair to the wall.

‘Leave her alone.’ Amse said, struggling to get to her. A soldier elbowed him in the face and they dragged him away.

‘Amse!’ she said, stretching her hand but Akasha still had her pinned to the wall. Maris rose, anger rising within him. He dragged him off her and Akasha hit him in the face. He staggered back, knocking over her food.

‘Stop.’ Kalani said.

‘Very well.’ said Akasha. ‘You let your food go to waste. You’ll get another tomorrow.’ He pulled Maris out of the cell and locked it behind him. Maris glanced at her and didn’t feel sorry for hitting Akasha.

Akasha dragged him to the end of the corridor and pushed him to the bars. ‘You like her, don’t you?’

‘No, I don’t.’ Maris spat.

‘Liar. I see it whenever you look at her.’

‘I am a Rahi.’

‘Remember that.’ Akasha said and let go of him.

‘Welcome to your torment.’ said Rinosius, lifting his hands and gesturing to the room. ‘It is a place where legends or fools are made. You could be either.’ He sat down and popped the grapes on a table into his mouth.

Amse hung upside down. His feet were held up by ropes and his hands were tied to a large stone so he couldn’t lift them. Below him was a round plank that covered a hole in the floor. He heard sounds beneath.

‘In this room,’ said Rinosius, ‘I have many joys, one of which I will share with you.’

The soldiers pulled the plank away, revealing giant black rats fighting in the hole. They screeched when they saw him. Amse closed his eyes. He didn’t want to think about them.

Rinosius rose and walked towards him. ‘I kept them hungry for days waiting for you.’

Amse didn’t speak.

‘Very well.’ he said. ‘Tell me, where is the sword of Galian?’

‘I don’t know.’ Amse said. A soldier wheeled him down a foot.

Rinosius said, ‘They say it was hidden with the Faran.’

‘Then you shouldn’t be asking me.’ He was taken down another foot.

Rinosius bent down to meet his face. ‘Maybe I should ask the girl.’

‘She has never seen it.’

‘That I will learn for myself after making her bleed.’ Rinosius said and grabbed Amse’s head. ‘Where is it?’

‘Away from here.’

Rinosius left go of him. ‘Take him down.’

The ropes were pushed down till his hands were in the hole. He screamed, feeling their teeth sink in and tear his flesh.

‘Pull him up and turn him around.’

Amse’s arms were covered in blood. He shuddered in pain and they bound his arms and raised the ropes, tying his feet with the stone. He took deep breaths to calm himself. Rinosius ate more grapes and cleaned his mouth.

‘Where is the star?’

Amse didn’t reply as he panted for air.

‘Where is it?’

‘It seems you have found your own torment.’ Amse laughed. ‘Have your gods now realized that they are closer to filth than to Galian?’

‘Take him down and make sure he remembers.’

                                                                      ***

Prince Meldric felt the hair in his pocket that Akasha had given him in exchange for gold and he pulled open the door. Persis stood over a silver basin. She extended her hand to him. He strode to her and gave her the hair. She brought the wisp of coils to her face.

‘It looks like wool.’ she said and dropped it in the basin. The hair floated in the clear water. Persis made incantations, pouring ground ingredients to it. The clear water whirled around and smoke covered the surface.

‘The smell of the creature within you is getting stronger. I could smell you before you came in.’ Persis said, looking up at him.

‘But it can be reversed?’

‘The spirits will find out.’

‘Who are these spirits you serve?’ he asked.

She smiled and said, ‘They serve a god as great as Galian, some say even greater.’

‘What is his name?’

‘We know him as the other side of the coin.’

The smoke cleared. The hair was gone and the clear water had turned chalky. She bent and stared into the bowl.

‘Hmmm…’ she said.

‘What is it?’ he asked. His stomach was in knots. Persis rose with a frown on her face.

‘She is indeed the daughter of the god but the spirits say she doesn’t know where the star is, at least not yet.’

‘So what am I going to do?’

She looked into the bowl. ‘I cannot say.’

‘What do the spirits say?’

‘They do not say.’

‘So I’m going to transform no matter what I do.’ he said, shaking the table between them. She remained still, staring into the basin.

‘There is something else.’ she said.

‘What?’

‘You said the demon-man called you the Oak King.’

‘Yes, what is it?’

‘Come and see.’ She motioned to him. He walked to her side and stared into the water. He saw himself transform into a large tree in the middle of a river.

‘What does it mean?’ he asked.

‘You will grow into a strong oak because of that river.’

He looked at her and said, ‘I don’t understand.’

‘The spirits say Galian’s seed is the river. If she stops flowing, you’ll die.’

‘Do you mean if she dies?’

‘Maybe, I cannot say.’

‘Then what can you say?’

‘That your life is entwined with hers. You will be exiled from the city and you will be like a leper on the streets.’

‘No.’ He moved back.

‘You will be a slave in a foreign land until she forgives you. That is the only way you will be cured.’

‘I don’t believe you.’ he shouted.

‘That is your choice but know that girl in the prison has more power than you do now.’

‘So what would you advise?’

She chuckled and said, ‘I doubt you would want to try it.’

Kalani paced the cell all day, waiting. She couldn’t rest until she saw him. She heard footsteps and she rushed to the bars to see.

‘We’re almost there.’ she heard Maris say before a soldier holding a stretcher came into view. She moved away from the bars and her stomach turned as two guards carried the bloodied body of Amse into his cell. Amse’s wincing eyes met her gaze. She covered her mouth to stifle her cry. Maris was with them carrying a leather-skinned sack. He turned to her.

‘Kalani—’

‘No. Animals! All of you. You’re killing him.’ she said, tears welling up in her eyes.

‘I’m not dead yet.’ Amse said as the soldiers dropped the stretcher. They carried Amse out of the stretcher to the hay.

‘Wait.’ Maris said to stop them but they ignored him.

‘We take no orders from you, bald rahi.’ said one of the soldiers, pushing him aside and leaving with the stretcher.

Maris bent to study Amse’s wounds.

‘Maris, please let me see him.’ Kalani said, pulling at the bars.

‘I don’t have the key here.’ he said, bringing out a small bottle from his sack.

‘Kalani, it’s nothing. It will heal.’ Amse said, then turned to Maris. ‘What is that?’

‘Temple water.’ he replied.

‘Don’t pour that filth on me.’

‘But it would help.’

‘You heard what I said. If you have nothing else, you can leave me.’

‘I have something else but it’s more painful.’ Maris said, searching his sack.

‘Use it then. I’m in pain but I can endure a little more.’

‘Or a lot more.’

Maris brought out another bottle, opened it and poured a dark liquid on Amse’s legs. Amse clenched his teeth, letting out a long groan.

Kalani pulled her prison bars.
Surely, Natalia would have found a way through it,
she thought. She bent her head.
But she was not Natalia
,
she could never be.

She looked up. The groans had stopped and Amse panted as Maris wrapped his injuries with a white bandage-like cloth. She heard someone approaching. Rage shot up in her when she saw it was Prince Meldric.

‘What do you want?’ she said.

‘I came to see how you’re faring.’

‘You can see.’ she said, gesturing in Amse’s direction.

Maris bowed. ‘My lord.’

‘Maris, what happened?’

‘He was tortured.’

Meldric turned to her and said, ‘I believe it would be easier if you tell them what you know.’

‘Even if we know nothing?’ said Kalani.

‘The gods didn’t bring you here for nothing.’

‘True, they brought us here to kill us. You torture the father I know for the one I don’t. It’s just as well, your time will come.’

‘What do you mean?’ he said, narrowing his eyes as he approached her bars.

She caught Amse’s warning eye and turned to Meldric. ‘There is a punishment for every cruelty, even for you.’

She noticed the twitch in his jaw before he turned and walked away.