Ricardo Pinto - The Standing Dead

'You do not look yourself.'

Shadowed by Krow, Osidian had just found Carnelian standing on the edge of the burned clearing. Carnelian searched his eyes for any hint of horror. 'Did my Lord sleep well?'

'Well enough,' Osidian said, his hand half forming a sign of dismissal.

'Did the screaming not disturb you at all?'

Osidian frowned, as if he had no idea what Carnelian might be talking about. Then he understood and looked towards the island.

'Yes, the screaming,' Carnelian spat in Vulgate, making Krow jump. 'Don't tell me you didn't hear it.'

The sign in Osidian's hand firmed up and with a flick of the wrist he threw the topic away. 'I have heard worse in the Labyrinth. Are you too fatigued to participate in the day's activities?'

The question took a while to reach Carnelian who was recalling his walk through the Labyrinth. Imagining unhuman cries winding among its pillar sepulchres, he shuddered. 'What?'

Osidian frowned. There are matters I would have you attend to.'

Carnelian raised his eyebrows.

'I would begin the training of my Manila.'

Training?'

Osidian regarded him for a while silently. 'For war.' That word pulled Carnelian's eyes fully into focus. 'Against the Plainsmen?'

'Only those who defy me will suffer.' Carnelian shook his head.

Osidian looked upward exasperated. His eyes fell to catch Krow in their jade gaze. 'You will make spears and shields for the Manila.'

'Spears, Master…? They have spears.'

Osidian frowned. 'I want them armed with blunt weapons.'

Krow wiped sweat from his face.

Osidian took hold of his shoulder and swung him round, pointing at the trunks of the baobabs. Krow tottered off towards them.

Carnelian was confused. 'Why blunt? Are you worried they might hurt each other?'

Osidian smiled sardonically. 'Rather that they might hurt what I intend to throw at them.'

Under Krow's guidance, the Manila set to splintering branches into crude spears. Shields were shaped from the soft heartwood of the fallen baobabs. At last, when everyone was armed, the youth led them out onto the burnt clearing, disappearing up to the knees in a slow rolling ashen mist.

As Carnelian watched them form up in the centre of the clearing, he was reminded of the burnt field in the Plain of Thrones where the tributaries gathered. A rumble alerted him to riders coming into the clearing. They churned up so much dust they looked as if they were splashing across a ford. Carnelian narrowed his eyes. Oracles, their skin sharing the pallor of the ashen ground, with Osidian riding in their midst. A muttering rippled through the Marula ranks. He could feel their anxiety and a yearning rose in him to be among them. The riders were walking their aquar slowly into a line. He realized they were preparing to charge.

'Form up,' he cried, 'or the Oracles will run you down.'

Krow glanced at him, terrified, doing the best he could. The ash clouds subsiding revealed the imposing solidity of the aquar. Carnelian swallowed hard as he saw them begin to move.

'A hornwall,' he cried.

Krow understood him, but only a handful of his Marula copied him. The approaching aquar were making the earth shake. Krow was screaming instructions but Carnelian could see the Marula were nothing more than a mob. Then the riders let out wailing cries and he had no eyes for anything other than their charge. Grim, Osidian rode at the apex of their wedge and careered into the Marula, scattering them. Within a blink, the Oracles were through and disappearing into a cloud of their own making.

Cursing Osidian, Carnelian ran towards the Marula. Soon he was in among them. There was a lot of blood, some limbs hanging useless, two dead. Cries of alarm from the men around him made him lift his head. Osidian was regrouping the Oracles for another charge. Bellowing, Carnelian ran through the Marula to the rear, which was now their front. He tore a makeshift shield from one man and used it to buffet them into line. Those that were nearest saw what he was doing and began bunching together. He heard Osidian's cry; felt again the rumble in the ground. Until the last moment he continued to marshal the Marula, but again when Osidian struck he pushed through easily, wounding more of the defenders.

Carnelian realized Osidian had seen him and had taken care to bring his attack into the line as far as he could from his position. Using rage as strength, Carnelian pushed back through to the other side of the Marula. He shouted instructions at Krow. Together they shoved the Marula into blocks. Beginning to understand what he wanted them to do, large swathes of them were coalescing into dense formation. Confusion spread as those at the back tried unsuccessfully to lower their spears between the heads of those in front.

Osidian's next charge broke them again, and several more came in quick succession. Finally, Carnelian held his breath as he saw the aquar confronted by a dishevelled hedge of spears. For a moment it seemed as if the creatures were going to veer away, but then the wall crumpled and they broke through as before.

All day long Carnelian and Krow struggled to make their men into a hornwall, but whenever any of them managed to form up in good order, Osidian would send his charge in somewhere else and smash through.

The sun was low when, gasping for breath, beyond weariness, they formed up again. Carnelian had found he could control them better if he took position a few lines from the front and made Krow do the same on the other flank. He watched as the more remote edges of his formation began to show something like serried ranks. He shoved harder into the man beside him so that their shields interlocked. He heard the movement clash through the formation in imitation of him. Carefully he lowered his spear between the heads of the men in front. Osidian was hurtling towards them. Carnelian gritted his teeth. The aquar struck their wall like battering-rams. He felt as much as saw it buckle. The Oracles were pushing deeper, wailing the battle-cries they had learned in the legions. Carnelian felt the pressure as the front line was forced back. Shoving, he watched it reforming, putting pressure on the aquar. The creatures were becoming difficult for the Oracles to handle. Carnelian let out his triumph with a whoop. The sound caught in the throats around him and swelled into a roar. Plumes splaying with increasing panic, the aquar began backing away. The Oracles could not stop them retreating. As Osidian led them off towards the knoll camp, the roaring around Carnelian grew deafening and he was pulled into the embraces of his men.

These Manila are nothing more than a rabble,' Osidian said.

'A rabble that beat you,' Carnelian barked back. Osidian looked smug. ‘I suspected you might want to help them.'

Looking at Carnelian, Krow was clearly glad he had.

Osidian gazed out over the camp. They beat a handful of riders and we weren't even using weapons.'

'We had nothing more than sticks,' said Carnelian. 'Besides, you could see the idea of fighting in formation was alien to them.'

'If I could scatter them so easily with a handful of aquar, how do you think they would fare against hundreds?'

Tomorrow they will be better.'

Osidian gave him a warm smile, a real smile. 'You are sure of this?'

Carnelian glanced at Krow, igniting a smile. The youth's excitement started Carnelian's heart pounding. He spoke for both of them. Tomorrow we'll repulse anything you care to throw at us.'

Osidian nodded, growing serious. Tomorrow then.'

Watching him walk away with his guards, Carnelian's ardour faded. For a moment he and Osidian had become boys again, but now he remembered what these Marula were being trained for and felt he was betraying the Plainsmen. He let his gaze wander over the fires, where he could see Marula tending to their wounds as best they could. He grimaced; these were men too, and Osidian would continue to harry them until they became a weapon in his hand.