James Barclay - Rise of the TaiGethen

Jysune moved forward a pace. The archers either side of her tensed their bow strings.

‘You’re not listening to me, TaiGethen. I’m not fooled by your lies; the humans can never find us here. So you’re leaving, right now. Both of you. Start walking or you-’ she jabbed a finger at Auum ‘-will be leaving Katura alone.’

Auum stepped in front of Elyss and heard her hiss her displeasure.

‘You will not threaten my people. Stand aside, Jysune. We will pray that it is not too late for you to see sense.’

‘I will not tell you again,’ said Jysune.

Elyss stepped out of Auum’s shadow.

‘We cannot leave,’ she said. ‘We cannot leave you alone to face what is coming.’

‘Very well,’ said Jysune.

She nodded. Bowstrings snapped and two arrows thudded deep into Elyss’ chest, throwing her from her feet to slide across the ground until her head clipped the bench where she had just been sitting. Auum saw her come to rest and, groggy from the blow to her head, try to stem the blood flowing onto her shirt. He snapped his gaze back to Jysune. He moved.

Clarity. The blessings of Yniss must still have been surging within Auum because he saw the Beethans react as if they were wading thigh-deep through mud. Arrows passed behind him. He felt the change in the air and the hiss they made as they passed. He heard a cry of pain too — not from Elyss.

Auum crossed the space to Jysune before she could raise her sword. He leapt, kicked out with one foot and struck her on the chin, knocking her senseless. Before she hit the ground, he had both his blades in his hands. He landed between the archers and swept the swords left to right, feeling them bite deep into the first archer’s gut and smash the bow from his hands.

Auum leaned his weight on his right foot and dragged the blades back right to left, higher this time tearing into the other’s throat, slicing off an ear and part of his scalp. Auum was already moving left, a curving run. The first pair of flanking archers still had arrows nocked, though one also had a shaft sticking from his right thigh.

They brought their weapons to bear so slowly, to Auum’s eyes. He could see their fingers begin to release. He leaned to his left, never breaking his stride, and the arrows whipped by his torso. Auum straightened. He increased his speed. Five paces from them he leapt, bringing his knees to his chest and cocking his left-hand blade high.

Auum smashed the blade into the top of his target’s skull, releasing it in the same moment. He kicked out and down with both feet, feeling his soles drive the second archer’s head down into his shoulders, compressing the vertebrae. He pushed against the falling body, gaining enough momentum to turn a roll in the air before landing and sprinting at the trio of archers he’d seen approaching from behind.

Auum watched them bring their bows into line and begin to draw. He pulled a jaqrui from his pouch and threw it. The crescent blade mourned away, sliced through bow and string and lodged in the central archer’s mouth.

The remaining two released their arrows. Auum saw the flights so clearly. He angled his body right and let his head fall down onto his right shoulder. The shafts flew past him. The archers were fifteen paces away. Enough time to register their disbelief and begin to turn and run.

Auum swept his blade through the small of the first archer’s back, took a single pace forward and cracked the heel of his left palm into the base of the other’s skull, knocking him down. The Beethan’s head crashed hard into a kerbstone. Blood began to flow while the body twitched its last.

Auum spun. The last pair of archers were already running for the side streets. Jysune was sitting up, her head in her hands, groggy. Auum ran at her. His feet whispered over the stones. At the last moment she looked up. Auum took his blade in both hands, crouched on his last pace and took her head from her shoulders.

The sword dropped from Auum’s hands and he sprinted for Elyss. She was lying on her back, her breathing ragged. Her shirt was soaked with blood and bubbles were coming from her mouth. She coughed and cried out with the pain. Auum slid down beside her. He picked up her head in his hands, which were covered in the blood of her attackers, and cradled it in his lap.

‘It’s all right, Elyss,’ he said. ‘You’re going to be all right.’

‘Oh, Auum,’ she said, her voice choked and desperate. ‘I’m dying.’

‘Ulysan! Ulysan!’ roared Auum. ‘No, you’re not. Keep calm. We’ll get you to a healer. We can fix you.’

‘Liar,’ she said, crying through the blood in her throat. ‘Just don’t leave me.’

‘I’ll never leave you,’ said Auum. ‘I love you. I love our child.’

Elyss sighed and closed her eyes. Auum swallowed hard. He prayed to Yniss to deliver her back to him. He prayed to Shorth to keep her from his embrace. She opened her eyes again.

‘I will run with you again when the ancients call you, my love, my Auum,’ said Elyss. ‘Dream of our child. Never forget us.’

‘Don’t give up,’ said Auum, but his voice was clogged with the sick certainty of her fate. ‘Please, don’t leave me here alone.’

Elyss’ chest rose and then slumped. Blood came from her mouth and her chest, where the arrows must have punctured both her lungs. She stared at him and reached up a bloody hand to cup his cheek.

‘A TaiGethen is never alone,’ she whispered.

Her hand dropped away. A smile touched her face and her eyes closed. She sighed once more and her body relaxed. Her chest did not rise again. Auum leaned over her, the sobs shuddering through his body and the sounds of his anguish ripping from his throat however he tried to contain them.

It was all gone. The joy that had been so bright was now dark with the night. The future which had seemed so wonderful was nothing but bleached bones. The grief thundered in his head. The tears splashed on her perfect face every time he opened his eyes but hers did not flicker in response.

‘Breathe,’ he whispered. ‘Please. Breathe.’

Auum recognised the touch of the hand on his shoulder. He rose swiftly and buried his face in Ulysan’s chest, hugging the big Tai- Gethen hard. Ulysan’s hands were on the back of his head and around his back. Auum heard him curse and then call the TaiGethen to muster.

Auum breathed although his lungs fought him all the way. He broke their embrace and looked up at Ulysan, seeing the fury in his face and the wobble in his chin. Ulysan glanced about the marketplace and took in the scene under the flagpole.

‘What happened?’ he asked.

‘They killed her,’ said Auum. ‘They shot her while she stood unarmed at my side.’

Footsteps were growing in volume with the approach of the TaiGethen.

‘How-’

‘All this came afterwards,’ said Auum. ‘They didn’t give her a chance, so I did not give them one either.’

Auum knew what Ulysan was thinking. That a single TaiGethen could not bring down so many archers. Not spread out as they were, not unscathed. Auum didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t look at Elyss again. Not yet. Others had knelt to tend to her; to remove the arrows and clean her face and hands to make her ready.

‘Beethans,’ muttered Faleen.

Auum looked round. The TaiGethen were waiting for his order. But there was no more rage within him, no desire for revenge. He had already exacted that and he wondered how he had managed it. He felt a chill calm descend on him and it cleared his mind.

‘No more killing,’ said Auum. ‘For now it is over. Tonight you need rest. We have so much to do in the days to come. Tomorrow, Pelyn and the Al-Arynaar will drive the Beethan and Tuali gangs into the forest, where they can do no more harm. And you will tear their lairs apart to find the metal we need to defend this city.