Bk3, Ch21 : Bright Sun in a Ne'jum Sky

Book III

Chapter Twenty-One

BRIGHT SUN in a NE’JUM SKY

The Lich had reigned in Ne’jum for 432 years.

More than four centuries of rain. Of corpse heaps and shambling armies. More than four centuries of the Death Knight. A rule of fear. Of domination.

But now, the sun gleamed, a blaring eye in the center of a bright blue sky.

The humans winced against the light as much as any of the orcs or goblins did, though their eyes were made for the light. Generations had adapted to the dim light of heavy skies.

They winced against more than that, of course.

Ne’jum (for all its cruelties) had been the one kingdom, in all the continent of U’grj’uh, that was ruled by humans.

And now, they had lost that.

They waited in either numb shock or rage. Some faces were fearful of the retribution— mothers and fathers, muttering to their children what to do if the orcs should seek vengeance on “the innocents of our family!”

The tension was only tightened by the attitude amongst the rest of Ne’jum’s denizens.

Goblins were drinking, cheering, and singing.

Orcs (so long, in mortal danger, merely by being in Ne’jum) took their cowls off, and joined in the revelries.

Elves were not expressive like the other ancestries were, but they had their own reasons to celebrate. Flowering willow elves, and fruiting berry elves, and the rose elf that hid on the roof of the wand shop… They all opened, upward and out, to drink in the touch of the long-forgotten sun.

And everywhere, on everyone’s lips (stranger, friend, or foe) was the name King Brun.

* * * * / * * * *

Na’la laid in the bath a long time, and let the thoughts wash over her.

They’d said it had been six moons. She believed them, but time had stopped feeling real a long time ago.

She and Rowan had waited at the top of the pyramid. Because it was day, and the eclipse had passed, her power to ride the shadows was immensely limited.

If she had wanted to, really wanted to, she could’ve gone inside the pyramid. There were always plenty of shadows inside a…

Well, Na’la hadn’t been in many pyramids before. Just this one, and the Viper Temple, in the Mag’luh Jungle.

But inside any building, it was easy enough to find some shadows to cling to, and ride them to wheresoever she wished.

But she didn’t wish for much just then.

So she waited.

Rowan, too, waited.

As Brun led the goblins up the labyrinthine stairs, Na’la watched.

Watched Rowan.

Watched the sky.

Watched the crowd, and tried to notice who was watching her. Wondered why. Of all the wild things to look at this day, why were they looking at her?

She supposed it was a silly thought. She had been part of an historic moment. Had done magic to make that moment happen. She didn’t know how someone could know it, but there were stranger magics in the world than knowing such a thing.

Mostly, she thought of Ba’ku’ra.

She let her mind dwell on him.

She did not regret giving him her power, and yet…

It is the only way, the mirror goddess had said.

But I’m not a killer, thought Na’la. She had thought it then, and she thought it again now.

And her reflection had shaken her head sadly. Then… it shall come to pass.

It was the truth. Na’la was not a killer. She had killed, but she was not a killer.

She winced, in both spirit and expression.

It was a lie. To be a killer is to kill. She had, so she was.

She was.

I am.

The goddess (mmm) hummed, and—

“NA’LA!”

Na’la turned. Brun was standing there, looking up at her from the stairs, heavily out of breath and grinning like a glad dog.

He skipped up the last ten steps in two strides, and wrapped Na’la up in a huge hug.

“You’re okay!” he said.

It was a good hug. She hugged him back, and they rocked back and forth a few times.

The rest of his crew (mostly goblins) finally caught up to Brun, and Na’la heard them say, “Quickly! Get her, tie her up!”

Na’la’s eyes snapped open, and cried, “No! Wait! Don’t hurt her!”

They did not heed her. They pulled ropes and chains, sweating and huffing, clumsy with the weariness of hundreds and hundreds of stairs.

“Stop!” Na’la said.

“STOP!” commanded Brun.

They all froze, and gazed up at the soldier.

“But,” said one, an older goblin, “she… the Lich must be contained, if we are to expect the people to tr—”

“She is not the Lich,” said Na’la.

They looked at her with skepticism.

“It’s true,” muttered Rowan. When Rowan spoke, even Brun recoiled, as if she were a hungry tiger, waiting to strike her prey when they were vulnerable.

“She’s done nothing wrong,” said Na’la.

A few of the goblins scoffed at this, but they all looked to Brun in the end. Na’la found herself wondering how this had changed so quickly.

Well, she thought, six moons is not so quick, is it?

“What do you want us to do, King Brun?” asked the older goblin.

Na’la’s eyes went up, and she gave him a look.

“King Brun?” she said.

His skin was too dark a red to blush, but he got bashful and scratched the back of his neck. “Long story,” he said, with a little scoff. He looked her age just then.

A king at twenty, mused Na’la.

The humans atop the pyramid cowered at him, as if he were a king. Or perhaps they thought of him as a warlord. Just then, Na’la wondered what the differences were.

Then, he put on a more serious face. A face that looked older than he was.

“No chains. No ropes. I’m sure she’ll cooperate, and we’ll decide what to do about…”

Brun trailed off, as he saw the older goblin shaking his head.

“What?” said Brun. “What is it?”

The goblin walked close to Brun, so that they could whisper, but Na’la could still hear them. She was sure that Rowan could, too, though Rowan showed no reaction to their words.

“Do you trust me, my King?”

“Of course, Ner’u. But this is… I have traveled with this human.”

“And… I can appreciate that, I really can.”

“…But?” inquired Brun.

Ner’u rocked his head from side to side. “But… you must understand what it is like for the people. She… was the Lich.”

“She was as much a victim of the Lich,” interjected Na’la, “as anyone here.” She was getting angry now. Angry in a way that she had very few times before.

It had taken them a long time to get up the stairs. The sun was directly above them in the sky.

“…Sure,” said Ner’u, at first to Na’la, then turning back to Brun. “This is an argument, but… If I were you, my liege, I would play my cards very, very, very carefully here.”

The goblin guard behind Ner’u were all nodding, and grunting little agreements.

“To let the Lich walk so easily,” he said, “could be an extreme blunder. Politically. This revolution has been building for a long time. A long time, longer than you could possibly—”

“Am I king?” said Brun.

The goblins all went tense.

“Well?” he said again. “Am… I… King? Yes or no?”

“Of course you are,” said Ner’u.

“Good. Then this is my word : my friend, Rowan, goes free. Not to worry. Your chains will see use.”

Brun gestured to the human priests and guards, that were dispondent and disarmed.

“We will have many prisoners to collect,” said Brun. “And many hostages to find. I want each of these men interrogated, about all manner of things, but especially about any hostage orcs that might be spared. Ul’druk, for one, is someone I am interested in.”

The goblins shared looks of complicated emotions.

“Am I understood?” Brun said.

Ner’u dropped his eyes, and said, “Yes, King Brun.”

“Good.” Brun offered his hand to Rowan.

Rowan stared at it a long time.

She did not take it. Instead, she rose to her feet, and bowed deeply.

Brun removed his hand, gave a little bow, and said…

“You are free to go.”

“Thank you,” said Rowan. She didn’t seem particularly grateful, or bitter. She didn’t seem like much of anything. Her tone and gaze were both hollow.

She stood there, her blue robes swaying. Rowan’s hair was so long now.

“Where…?” said Rowan. “Where is Pa’ka?”

* * * * / * * * *

Link to Orcish-English Dictionary

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