《The Darkness of the Sun》


 Jubi

    Jubi


    From the Cosmic Sea, the Divine Father Thalassain raised the world of Pegala. Out of that unformed mass, he fashioned the first land, the Island of Draca. Of his own seed, he created the first king, Iretsa. To Iretsa he said, ¡°Above everyone else, I choose you to be my terrestrial heir. Take this island for your realm. Let the people obey you as they do me, then your son, thereafter his son, till the end of time.¡¯


    The Book of Taboos


    A bird soaring, that was what the man reminded me of. Arms spread, body arched, he leaped, and fell, a crumpled heap on the roadside. The Silver Carriage raced over the reed basket he had abandoned in his flight. A galloping hoof crushed a dwarf-melon, splattering pinkish innards on gray cobbles.


    The scream had turned me into stone. The squelch of the dying fruit returned me to life. I jumped back, with seconds to spare.


    The horses trample pedestrians sometimes - the very young or the very old, those who haven¡¯t lived long enough to understand the danger, or those whose instincts have worn thin with too much living.


    The carriage reached the dock end and swerved left, towards the Dollz Mountains.


    My jump had landed me on a doorstep, my fall cushioned by a braided mat. I picked myself up, checking to see if my purse was still in my pocket. All around me the Pink Blossom Avenue was returning to life. The fruit-seller was back on his feet and gathering the scattered dwarf-melons. Two girls walked past me, holding hands, a skip in every step. A laugh rang out, mirthful and male. Fingers strummed a zeena. The sun was a butter yellow orb, the wind as soft as a lover¡¯s touch, the sound of the sea a melody.


    I closed my eyes and muttered a quick prayer to the Sea God. The Silver Carriage had passed me by. It had taken someone else, perhaps a young woman like me, someone who had been full of life, and hope. It might be someone I knew, even a friend. The horror of it, and pity for the lost one would consume me later. Now, like everyone else around me, all I could feel was relief.


    I was alive. I had not been Possessed. I was free to return home.


    The thought struck me, a bolt of lightning in a clear blue sky. I hadn¡¯t seen the Silver Carriage until the fruit-seller screamed. That could mean only one thing; it didn¡¯t come up the Pink Blossom Avenue, but swerved into it from one of the narrow side lanes¡­


    Familiar landmarks surrounded me. The yellow-brick home of the seamstress who made dresses for King Iretsa¡¯s wives, the bake-house where we bought our bread, the shop that sold the best salt-glazed pottery in the city, including mine... The next lane was mine.


    I ran. The moment I turned into the lane I knew.


    Neighbors, people I¡¯ve known all twenty years of my life, stared through me. The stare was familiar. I too had used it more times than I cared to remember.


    The wooden door with its diagonal crack was ajar. I didn¡¯t have to go inside the house to know it was empty.


    The half-carved mask rested on the workbench, the tools next to it. Everything was in its proper place, the table where Papa and I ate our meals, the wooden shelf where I made clay coils for my pottery, the cedar chest with its load of books, the pallet that was his bed, and beyond the painted screen made of driftwood, the pallet that was my bed.


    There was just one absence. The house echoed with it.


    I sat down on the workbench and picked up a chisel. The handle was still warm.


    Papa would have heard the rattling of the wheels on the pockmarked lane. He would have stopped his work and listened, his brows drawn together into a frown not quite a frown, knowing what was coming, wondering whose turn it was; until the sounds ceased in front of our door. They never bothered to be quiet. They didn¡¯t have to. Knowing didn¡¯t save us. There was no point in running. No door would open for the fleeing one. No roof would shelter the pursued.


    Hope was a tenacious thing. Some still ran. The soldiers would give the man or the woman a head start, before setting off in pursuit, calling out to each other in a strange language, laughing.


    Worms may turn, but what could one worm do against a divinely-ordered world?


    I replaced the chisel and picked up the half-finished mask, the light brown wood smooth against my calloused fingers. The clown¡¯s eyes, heavy-lidded and sad, gazed back at me.


    There were uncountable theories about the fate of the Possessed, gory tales of enslavement in the marble quarries, blood sacrifices, organs being used to make talismans, grinded bones turned into medicines. Everyone believed something. No one knew anything, other than the one unalterable, unchanging fact. Those taken in the Silver Carriage never returned, alive or dead. There was no body, not even a few bones or a handful of ashes we could have returned to the sea, to the everlasting embrace of the Divine Father.


    That was why we called Possession the worse death. Now the worse death had claimed Papa.


    I longed for tears, but my eyes were dry.


    Would I be able to pick up the pieces and go on with my life, as most people of Draca did? Acceptance was the easy way, the one preached by priests and enforced by soldiers. The few who rejected that route took the one to the Mere of Trees, the haunted forest at the edge of the city, never to return alive.


    That was where mama went after my brother was Possessed.


    Papa wept for mama.


    I didn¡¯t.


    I had just turned eight when she left. Going away showed who she loved more and it wasn¡¯t me.


    Papa placed me in the care of a neighbor and went to bring mama back. I clung to his hand. He prised open my fingers gently, one by one. When he spoke, his voice was a lullaby. ¡°Jubi-girl, if I don¡¯t give her back to the Sea, to the Divine Father, her spirit will be earthbound until the end of times. I must keep faith with her. Someday, you¡¯ll do the same for me.¡± He kissed my forehead and my cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Jubi-girl. I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    He did return a few hours later with something stiff and cold. It was wearing mama¡¯s festive suit, blue gathered pants, blue blouse with puff sleeves and blue and yellow kerchief. But it looked or felt nothing like her.


    Even the face was a monstrosity, mottled and swollen.


    That evening Papa wrapped the body in a blue winding sheet, the color of the sea at its kindest, and hired a burial boat. The priest muttered the prayers of death without which a body couldn¡¯t be committed to the sea. Money and Sacred Stones changed hands. Much later I discovered that those four stones cost Papa a months¡¯ earnings.


    The boat took us far away ¨C or so it seemed to me. Papa and the boatman lowered mama¡¯s body to the waves.


    That was the day I caught my first sight of the Castle of Eternity. It was not visible from the city. The Dollz Mountains covered it. But from the part of the sea known as Kshema, the place where we returned our dead to the merciful embrace of the Father, it was clearly visible.


    The Castle gleamed like a mammoth pearl against the whirling reds of the evening sky.


    **


    All afternoon, the neighbors trickled in with their offerings. They avoided my eyes and mumbled something indistinct as they handed over the earthenware dishes. I avoided their eyes and mumbled something indistinct as I accepted the food, even though the thought of eating made me sick.


    I knew the ritual; I had taken part in it many times.


    Once the last neighbor had come and gone, I locked the door and sat down on the sagging cane chair where Papa relaxed after a hard day¡¯s work.


    Had Papa died, I could have returned his body to the sea and continued living. But he had been Possessed. He was lost not just to me, but to himself.


    Perhaps that was why mama couldn¡¯t live after my brother was Possessed.


    Grief possessed me, burning red-hot inside my head, tearing my heart with clawed hands. I doubled up and fell down, writhing on the mud floor, crying for Papa, and for mama.


    When the last tear had fallen, I crouched by Papa¡¯s workbench, panting. He, who had been my anchor all my life, was gone. I was alone.


    But I had a duty to perform.


    I had to find him, alive or dead. If he was alive, I will rescue him. If he was dead, I will return him to the sea, if not his body, at least a bone or a fistful of ashes.


    To do that, I had to go to the Castle of Eternity. The only way someone from Draca could enter the Castle was in the Silver Carriage.


    I had to find another way. I had no idea how. I just knew I must.


    **


    The next few days passed in silent raging and fruitless thinking.


    Working was impossible; pottery was an act of creation and my mind was filled with visions of destruction. Since I needed to eat, I got myself some work on the docks, loading and unloading wares from outlands brought in by outland-ships. People from outlands were not allowed to come off the ships. Dockhands from Draca went in and did the unloading, with priests purifying each crate. The work paid well, and it was mindless. Only women of childbearing women were employed as dockhands as they were in a state of semi-contamination.


    One afternoon, I was waiting for the priest to come and sanctify my load of crates. Two sailors, one an Archipelagan like me going by his blue skin, the other an outlander with brown skin and red hair, leaned against the railing of the ship, chatting in a strange tongue. The wind brought a scattering of words to my ear, incomprehensible, except for one.


    Mayakari, meaning witch.


    The priest strode to where I was, and started his chanting.


    That evening, I locked my door and rummaged in the cedar chest until I found what I was looking for. An old book, its pages much thumbed.


    The Mechanics of Witchcraft by Miiya of Sammalore.


    I knew where to go to find the help I needed.


    One


    Miiya opened the window and leaned out. The three moons were long gone. Black clouds reigned, bulbous with moisture. The lintel was broad enough to keep out the lashing rain, but the wind pulled at her hair. She smelled River Akash in it and the flower-fields and forests beyond.


    She returned to her writing desk, and tried again to focus on the treatise on birth defects. But the words continued to elude her. After writing a few sentences that made no sense, she pushed the paper away and leaned back in her chair, massaging her aching temples.


    The branches of the blue-cicada tree writhed, like a nest of snakes. She had planted it the day Terryc moved in with her, five decades ago. She had been in her eighty-ninth year then, and he barely twenty-three. But he was human and she not all-human. Time, marked by years, didn¡¯t have the same meaning for them. Her eighty-nine hadn¡¯t been much older than his twenty-three.


    The years raced, and before she noticed, he was sixty-eight, and stricken with a malady that mocked her fabled capacity at healing. In the end, all she could do was to give him potions to ease the pain, to bring sleep.


    She unclenched her hands. If only she could see those green eyes one more time, see his smile.


    The wind rose. The cicada tree groaned. The air-clock chimed half-hour past midnight.


    Miiya¡¯s witch-ear caught a new sound, barely audible against the keening of the wind and the splatter of a million raindrops.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Footsteps; Terryc walking about the house, waiting for the soporific to claim him¡­.


    Her heart swooped and crashed. Terryc was gone, had been gone for one year and thirteen months. And the footsteps were not on braided jute and terracotta but on cobbles.


    The knocker on the street-door rang, first with temerity, then with impatience.


    She waited, slumped in her chair.


    The knocker rang again, this time with desperation.


    She dragged herself up, out of the room, down the stairway, through the entrance hall to the street door. The porch light fell on a man in a drenched green robe, tall and bulky, and on the bird perched on his shoulder. The dragonfly-buzzard regarded her with the measured look of a judge. He had been found in a city-park some years ago, and she had fixed the broken blue-green wing.


    The man bowed. ¡°Pardon me, Mistress, for this untimely intrusion.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help the smile. ¡°Another waif, Master Cillius? What is it this time? Four legged or winged?¡±


    ¡°Two-legged, Mistress.¡± Cillius, scholar, and Sammalore¡¯s preeminent protector of waifs and strays, turned around and beckoned at the darkness.


    A shadow detached itself from other shadows and stepped on to the porch. A young woman with blue skin, a Thalassian.


    What was a descendent of the people of the sea doing in a place where the sea was just a rumor?


    ¡°She came searching for you, Mistress.¡± Cillius spoke in Sammalorian. ¡°I met her outside the city gates.¡±


    Miiya peered at the young woman. Her short stature and extreme thinness gave her the appearance of a child. But her face, gaunt and weary, had an aged look. Her ochre hair was scraggly, as if it had not seen a comb since forever. The expression in her purple eyes was blank.


    ¡°Is she injured?¡±


    ¡°Jubi, her name is Jubi,¡± Cillius replied, still in Sammalorian. ¡°Her physical injuries have healed. But she still needs help. I know the hour is late, but I beg you to let us come in so that she can tell you her story.¡±


    Weariness lashed at her. She clutched the breamwood frame, gathered herself together and opened the door wide.


    The entrance hall was lit by two small illuminator mounted on a wall sconce. Jubi¡¯s eyes opened wide at the sight of it.


    ¡°You have never seen these before?¡± Cillius asked, with an indulgent smile. ¡°That is called an illuminator; an invention of our witches. They also invented the mechanical birds and¡­¡±


    Miiya cut in. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the time for such conversations. Please sit.¡±


    Cillius apologized. Jubi said nothing. She sat in the chair Miiya indicated, her hands clasped on her lap, staring at the little pool of water collecting round her feet.


    Miiya¡¯s eyes fell on those hands, crisscrossed with scars. She turned her gaze elsewhere, asking, in Common Speech, ¡°Can I get you something to drink?¡±


    Jubi shook her head.


    ¡°I know you are from the Thalassian Archipelago. Which island?¡±


    ¡°Draca.¡±


    Miiya scanned her memory: Thalassian archipelago, a collection of four large islands and many small ones; Draca, the largest of the islands, an ancient kingdom. That was the extent of her knowledge.


    ¡°Why did you come in search of me?¡±


    ¡°My father was taken away.¡± Jubi spoke a version of Common Speech, used in the northern reaches of Pegala, and she spoke as if she was unused to speaking. ¡°We call it Possession. The Silver Carriage comes and takes people away to the Castle of Eternity. That is where our king lives. There¡¯s no warning. It just happens. Nobody ever returns. We don¡¯t know what happens to them. I went to the market.¡± The gaunt face tightened, making it look skeletal. ¡°The Carriage passed me by. He wouldn¡¯t have seen me. There are no windows.¡± The voice wavered and steadied. ¡°I don¡¯t know if...if he¡¯s still alive. I¡¯ve been on the road for almost sixteen moons. Even if he is dead, I must find his remains and give them back to the sea. Or his spirit will not know any rest.¡± The dead eyes stared at Miiya. ¡°But no one¡¯s allowed to go to the Castle of Eternity. That¡¯s why I came seeking you.¡±


    Miiya turned to Cillius with a frown.


    Cillius gave a deprecating smile. ¡°I tried to explain to her about the Thula, Mistress. I don¡¯t think I was successful. I thought perhaps you might be able to advice her¡­¡±


    Miiya turned to Jubi and spoke slowly. ¡°I do have powers, what humans call magic. But the exercise of those powers is governed by a Code, a set of rules called the Thula. That means balance in an ancient language. According to that Code, witches and mages can¡¯t interfere in human affairs, just as humans can¡¯t interfere in ours.¡±


    Jubi was silent as if she was trying to decipher Miiya¡¯s words. Then she said, ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to interfere. Just help me.¡±


    Miiya shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t want to debate over semantics, Jubi. I can¡¯t go into this Castle of yours unless your king invites me.¡±


    The purple eyes stared at her, unfathomable pools of nothingness.


    Miiya hurried on with her speech. ¡°Even if I come with you, Jubi, I won¡¯t be of much use to you. You see, witches can¡¯t harm even a fly or an ant, let alone humans. When we cut a branch from a tree, we must first seek the tree¡¯s consent. That taboo was born the day magic was. I can¡¯t break it for whatever reason. If I try to go into this Castle, and your king¡¯s soldiers attack me, I can¡¯t defend you or myself.¡±


    Jubi cracked lips moved, though no sound emerged.


    Miiya continued, words tripping over each other. ¡°Once I saw a witch driven out of her land for killing a human. The woman was living at the edge of a village, in a dilapidated cottage, allowed to stay there out of pity. Her eyes were vacant. Her mouth was slack. She was constantly muttering words none but she heard. Though she lived in a pleasant wood, her eyes looked as if they were forever gazing at an indescribable horror.¡± She leaned forward, staring into Jubi¡¯s dead eyes. ¡°The taboo is part of our very being. We can¡¯t break it and be normal.¡±


    Jubi asked, ¡°No?¡±


    Miiya shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry, Jubi. I wish I could have helped you. But¡­¡±


    Insighting was a gift only a few witches possessed. Its first rule was that reading another¡¯s memories must be done only with that person¡¯s or animal¡¯s willing consent. But for a split second, Jubi¡¯s eyes were an open door to her memories, and Miiya saw: a branding iron, a three-tailed whip; hands; more hands.


    It took every ounce of self-control at her command to prevent a cry from escaping her suddenly dry throat.


    Jubi was speaking. She forced herself to listen, trying to erase the memory scraps she had unwittingly glimpsed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do now. I managed the journey from Draca because I was determined to find you. That was what I lived for though things got better after Sabha.¡±


    Miiya asked, in a voice with barely a tremor in it, ¡°Who or what is Sabha?¡±


    Jubi smiled; it transformed her face and made her look young, almost pretty. ¡°A mauve-wolf cub; well not quite a cub because he grew fast. I saved him from a trap.¡± Her voice softened. ¡°Hunters must have killed his mother. After I got him out of the trap, he started to follow me. I was scared at first, because how can you trust a wild animal? But then I realized that wild animals are not as dangerous as some of the people I¡¯ve...encountered. And he made me feel safe. So I decided to adopt him the same way he adopted me.¡±


    ¡°Why Sabha?¡± Miiya asked. ¡°Why name a wolf after the brightest star in the Northern sky?¡±


    Again the smile appeared. ¡°There was this little white spot on his forehead. It was like a star.¡± Jubi paused for a moment and said in a voice which was almost a whisper, ¡°He was my star¡­ He didn¡¯t want to leave me, but I couldn¡¯t allow him to follow me to Sammalore. He wouldn¡¯t have been safe. He is old enough to survive on his own in the wild.¡±


    Miiya saw and wished she didn¡¯t. ¡°What is your age?¡±


    Jubi frowned, as if she was counting the years. ¡°Nineteen, no I think twenty. Yes, twenty.¡± She got up, and bowed, a strangely dignified figure, in her torn and muddied kit. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for troubling you.¡±


    Miiya unclenched her fingers. ¡°Where will you go now?¡±


    ¡°Back.¡±


    Miiya asked, ¡°When did you eat last?¡± and was surprised by her own question.


    Jubi stared, as if eating was an alien occupation.


    Miiya stood up. ¡°Come with me. You will eat something before you leave.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for an answer but opened the door leading into the house. ¡°Master Cillius, please bring her.¡±


    A few minutes later, Jubi sat at the oval table in the bay-windowed room overlooking the garden. Miiya placed a plate of onion bread and pickled mushrooms before her. ¡°It¡¯s all vegetables, I¡¯m afraid. Witches don¡¯t eat flesh or fish,¡± she said, mostly to break the silence.


    Cillius nodded. ¡°I too am that way.¡±


    Miiya arched an eyebrow.


    Cillius said, simply, ¡°One doesn¡¯t eat one¡¯s friends.¡± He turned to Jubi who was eating with slow-deliberation. ¡°What about you?¡±


    The eyes remained blank. ¡°I eat whatever I find.¡±


    Cillius gave Jubi a smile, warm with approbation. ¡°Very sensible.¡±


    Miiya poured cinnamon-infused cocolade into two glasses, pushed one towards Jubi. ¡°What is the name of your king?¡± The silence was beginning to make her head whirl.


    ¡°Iretsa¡­ All our kings are called that.¡±


    As if taking a cue from Miiya, Cillius asked, ¡°Is he young or old?¡±


    Jubi looked up, her eyes widening with surprise. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him. He doesn¡¯t come to the city. No one comes to the city from the Castle. Only the soldiers; they come with the Silver Carriage. But they are not from Draca. They are from other islands.¡±


    Miiya frowned. ¡°So how is the city governed?¡±


    ¡°The priests look after everything. They get their orders from the King.¡±


    Miiya unclenched her hands. ¡°How do the priests get their orders?¡±


    ¡°They go to the Halfway House.¡±


    ¡°Where is the Halfway House?¡±


    Jubi wiped the last of the pickled mushrooms with a piece of onion bread. ¡°It¡¯s at the foot of the Dollz Mountains. I know a woman who makes clothes for some of the king¡¯s wives. She goes there to get sizes and designs. She said it¡¯s like a fortress.¡±


    Miiya got up to fetch some banana toffees from the sideboard. She disliked them, but kept a fresh supply. They were Terryc¡¯s favorites. ¡°Draca is an ancient kingdom. If these abductions, Possessions as you call them, had been happening for centuries, the word would have got out. So they must have started fairly recently.¡±


    Jubi nibbled at a toffee. ¡°It¡¯s been happening all my life. And before that... My neighbor is very old. She once said that when she was young such things didn¡¯t happen.¡±


    Miiya realized, to her shock, that the rhythmic sound she¡¯d been hearing was her finger tapping the table. ¡°Was there some event which could have led to this practice?¡±


    The purple eyes turned blank.


    ¡°Do you know of any unusual events in the history of your city, Jubi?¡± Cillius asked. ¡°Now for example, about a decade ago, there was an earth-heaving in Sammalore. We normally don¡¯t experience earth-heavings, so it was highly unusual. It was a small one, and didn¡¯t do much harm. But for months, no one spoke of anything else.¡±


    Jubi shook her head. ¡°There had been a great wind that destroyed a lot of Draca. Red-worms destroyed harvests for three years running. There was a plague, but that was long before I was born.¡±


    Miiya picked up a toffee, and started munching it. ¡°You have no other family apart from your father?¡±


    Jubi answered in a low voice, as if she was speaking to herself. ¡°My mother killed herself when my brother was Possessed. He was fourteen years older than me. And very handsome. He was in love you see, and was going to get married.¡± She looked up, her eyes no longer empty. ¡°Mama was a weaver. After she...she died, we gave away her loom. She was such a happy person. I used to wake up to the sound of her singing. When she went away that was what I missed most, her singing. For months afterwards, I¡¯d wake up and listen for the sound of her voice. But the only thing I¡¯d hear was the sound of the sea. Then I¡¯d remember that she was gone, returned to the sea.¡±


    Cillius said, ¡°So she¡¯s at peace, your mother.¡±


    Jubi continued to speak, almost as if she was alone. ¡°When my brother was taken, Mama didn¡¯t cry. Papa cried a lot, when he thought no one was looking. I was very small then, and was happy because the neighbors came with all this food. I remember eating it all, because Mama and Papa wouldn¡¯t, eat anything. And it was such nice food, like a wedding feast.¡±


    There was a slash of shame in her voice. Cillius said, in a reminiscent voice, ¡°I did something similar when my mother died. I was small too, and gorged myself on all the food everyone brought, because according to our traditions we don¡¯t cook in our house until nine days after a death.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I do feel a bit ashamed when I think about my gluttony. But I¡¯ve never seen so much food in my life, so many varieties and in such quantities.¡±


    Miiya smiled to herself. How did he know just the right thing to say?


    Jubi said, ¡°Mama left a few days later. She went to the Mere of Trees. That is a forest. People go there, only when they want to die. She didn¡¯t say goodbye. Maybe she left a letter for Papa. He went to bring her back. I didn¡¯t want him to go. I was scared he too would abandon me. He hugged me and told me he¡¯ll never ever leave me. He said that he had to give Mama back to the Sea. He told me I will do the same for him some day.¡± She paused and said, ¡°And I will.¡± She got up from her chair, and bowed. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Mistress.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going to stay the night?¡±


    It was Cillius answered. ¡°I thought perhaps I¡¯ll take her to one of the inns, see if they have a room-¡±


    Miiya got up, saying briskly, ¡°I have an empty room. She can stay here. You can come for her in the morning.¡±


    **


    Miiya moved from a dreamless sleep to full wakefulness in one fluid moment.


    The keening sound that intruded into her sleep and yanked her away from it continued, low moans, like a mortally injured creature.


    Miiya hurried to the next room. She knocked, called out. The moans continued, rising and falling.


    She squared her shoulders, opened the door and peered. The room was in darkness, but with her witch-eyes she could see.


    Jubi slept on Terryc¡¯s bed, eyes shut tight, legs drawn up, clenched hands wedged between the knees. She was bathed in sweat even though the night was cold. She moaned again, a single word: No. Her body started flailing, as if she was straining against invisible bonds.


    Miiya forced herself to walk up to the bed, to sit on the edge. She placed her hand on Jubi¡¯s brow ¨C and recoiled, as if struck by a bolt of lightning.


    The urge was physical, get away, back to her room, away from the horror she sensed within Jubi. She fought the urge, kept her hand on Jubi¡¯s brow and absorbed the memories.


    A shadowy room only a fraction warmer than the cold night outside; a bunch of women huddling together, a much younger Jubi amidst them.


    Jubi carrying a pail of water, stopping every now and then to change the pail from one hand to the other, but in reality checking the perimeter wall for a point of weakness. A lash falling on her back. Jubi, falling, the pail falling with her, the water spilling out. Jubi on the ground, face buried in the newly muddied earth, the lash falling, almost rhythmically.


    Jubi ten or eleven, sitting on the lap of a middle-aged man, his arm cradling her. Jubi saying, eyes wide, ¡°You mean there are places where people are not taken away in the Silver Carriage, Papa?¡±


    Jubi, thin once again, staring out of a window, her face blank. A door opening, someone calling her, except she has no name, only a number¡­


    Miiya sat motionless, hand on Jubi¡¯s brow, eyes closed, until Jubi stopped moaning and flailing. When Jubi had fallen into a peaceful sleep, Miiya dragged herself to her feet and tottered to her room, her body alternating between a burning heat and a freezing cold.


    What she just saw was a sliver of what Jubi had experienced. How did that slip of a young woman survive so much horror?


    She lay on her bed, chose some memories of her first years of Terryc, a time of healing and slow regaining of happiness, and gave Backvision full rein. Reliving her time with Terryc had been her unfailing antidote to every darkness. It didn¡¯t work this time. Jubi¡¯s haunted eyes blotted out Terryc¡¯s laughing ones. They were a noose, circling her throat, tightening, until breathing turned into the hardest chore in the world.


    **


    Miiya had expected Cillius at the crack of dawn. What she didn¡¯t expect was the bags he was carrying.


    He bowed. ¡°I¡¯ve brought some food and provisions for Jubi. I hope she had a good rest. We have a long way ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°She and I,¡± Cillius sounded almost apologetic. ¡°I thought I¡¯d go with her, at least part of the way, see if she¡¯s all right.¡± He tried to peer in. ¡°Is she up?¡±


    ¡°Having breakfast. Come in.¡±


    Jubi stood up when Cillius entered, her eyes widening.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯ll come with you, Jubi, see the world a little-¡±


    Jubi smiled. It lit her face from within, making it glow.


    Miiya cut in. ¡°Have you had breakfast, Master Cillius?¡±


    ¡°No, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Then sit down and eat something.¡± She moved to her own chair but remained standing. ¡°I was telling Jubi that I will accompany her to Draca, subject to certain conditions.¡± When she told Jubi of her decision, Jubi had smiled politely, thanked her politely. ¡°A witch¡¯s power is rooted in her native land. The farther we move from our birthplace, the weaker our powers become. So the help I can render you is likely to be minimal. I also need to remind you, Jubi, that I can¡¯t harm a human to save your life or my own. So if you expect me to stride into this castle-fortress, battle your king and his armies and save your father, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not going to happen.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s young-old eyes, eyes which seemed to have seen more horrors in just twenty summers than Miiya had in one and a half centuries, looked back at her. Long, too long. ¡°I understand that, Mistress. I just want to try.¡± A tremulous smile played on the cracked and discolored lips for a few seconds. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Miiya nodded. ¡°Your father is fortunate to have such a daughter.¡±


    ¡°He would have done the same for me.¡±


    Cillius said, ¡°Now that you are coming, Mistress, I¡¯m certain our quest will be successful.¡±


    Miiya shrugged. The old codger seemed to regard this as a kind of adventure, probably an antidote to his humdrum existence. ¡°If we are going to be companions on the road, I beg that you drop this very oppressive form of address and call me by my name, both of you.¡±


    Jubi looked from one to the other, as if trying to make sense of what she just heard, and nodded.


    Cillius smiled. ¡°My friends, when I have human friends, which is not often I¡¯m happy to say, call me Cillo.¡±


    ¡°Cillo it is,¡± Miiya said, fighting a sudden sense of disconsolation. ¡°I¡¯ve hired a carriage to take us as far as the road is manageable. Since Jubi doesn¡¯t know how to ride, we¡¯ll probably have a lot of walking ahead of us. I will need a day to arrange my affairs. We can start early tomorrow morning.¡±

 New Territories

    The Sudzi was called the River of Surprises. It was broad and fast flowing in some places, narrow like a ribbon on a baby¡¯s nightcap in others. Those were deadly places, where the river was thin and sluggish and it seemed a man could cross it without getting his knees wet. The river narrowed because of suckers, deep holes that swallowed the water, and any living creature who ventured close enough.


    The river wasn¡¯t navigable because of the suckers. And the road running along it was seldom used by travelers. It had been a major highway three centuries ago, but disuse had turned it into a broken and rutted track. After two days, they had to let go of the carriage.


    The road led mostly through forests, dark and forbidding. Now and then they came across straggling villages, once even a smallish town. They stopped at these habitations to buy food or to spend a night.


    Morning and midday meals were hurried affairs. The evening meal was leisurely. Miiya used that time to obtain from Jubi every nugget of information she could about Draca.


    Squeezing water out of desert-sand might have been easier.


    ¡°This Possession, can it happen to anyone? Men, women, young, old?


    A nod and a pause. ¡°They mostly take young people.¡±


    ¡°They take children as well?¡±


    ¡°No, not children... I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±


    ¡°And the old? Do they take the old as well?¡±


    ¡°Not many I think. Just a few... I¡¯ve heard of about four... Including Papa.¡± Sometimes words would tumble out. ¡°That¡¯s why I thought papa was safe. He was lame too, fell from a tree when he was young.¡±


    ¡°So people who are ill or suffer from some kind of physical disability don¡¯t get taken?¡±


    Silence, elongated but not empty. ¡°No. Sometimes people pretend to be blind or deaf. Or even sick... To avoid being Possessed... But the soldiers are never deceived.¡±


    *


    ¡°You said you read something about me in a book. Can you write as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Papa taught me.¡±


    ¡°So he can write and read?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are most people in Draca able to read and write?¡±


    ¡°No, just a few.¡±


    *


    ¡°You said your king has several wives?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How do you know there is more than one wife?¡±


    ¡°The seamstress, she tells.¡±


    ¡°Has she seen them?¡±


    ¡°No, but she has to make dresses of different sizes. So she knows.¡±


    ¡°And children?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°There are orders every year for a new silver cradle.¡±


    **


    The journey continued, through terrain that was sparse both of dangers and comforts.


    One night Cillo asked, ¡°Why do you put up with this horror, Jubi-girl?¡±


    Jubi¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What else can we do?¡± She responded faster now, especially when Cillo asked the questions.


    Trust, Miiya realized suddenly. Jubi trusted Cillo in a way and at a level she didn¡¯t trust Miiya. Jubi believed in Miiya¡¯s ability to save her father. But the trust she was forming towards Cillo was personal. Jubi had faith in Miiya the witch and trusted Cillo the man.


    Cillo spoke in his usual patient gentle tones. ¡°Jubi-girl, according to you everyone in Draca lives in fear of being taken to this castle in the Silver Carriage. Rebellion is a difficult thing. But don¡¯t people try to escape, to get away?¡±


    Jubi frowned. ¡°But there¡¯s no way of escaping.¡±


    ¡°Draca is an island, in an archipelago. There are several islands close by. Anyone can escape Possession by taking a boat out. Or maybe even swimming at certain times of the year.¡±


    ¡°But the Divine Father says we must not use the sea for unholy purposes.¡±


    Miiya asked, ¡°So you can¡¯t go out to the sea except to busy your dead?¡±


    Jubi nodded.


    Cillo said in Sammalorian, ¡°It¡¯s an island of taboos.¡±


    ¡°That was why I had to hide in the foreign ship.¡± Jubi¡¯s voice startled both of them, She smiled a little at the questioning looks on the faces turned to her, ¡°After I decided to seek your help, Miiya, I went on working in the docks, waiting for a chance. One day there was a storm, and a lot of confusion, so I managed to hide inside this ship. I used all our savings and bribed a sailor.¡± A slight flush rose to her cheek, reddish purple against her blue skin. Her eyes hardened. ¡°It was so frightening. I was disobeying both the king and Divine Father. I thought something dreadful will happen in the sea. A storm maybe. Or a giant wave. The Book of Taboos says when a family tried to leave Draca in a boat, the Sea God sent a giant wave and destroyed them. But nothing happened to the ship. I was safe¡­¡± She gulped the rest of the words.


    Miiya raised an eyebrow. ¡°So ships come to Draca. I thought seafaring is not permitted.¡±


    ¡°But they are Unbelievers!¡±


    ¡°So your god doesn¡¯t permit you, the true believers, to benefit from the sea while allowing that privilege to the unbelievers. Seems a bit unfair to me.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Jubi set her lips tight.


    ¡°Jubi did run away.¡±


    It was Cillo, and his words held a reproach.


    Cillo was right. Despite all the taboos, Jubi did run away. She turned herself into a stowaway and traversed the forbidden sea. Had she been caught before the ship sailed, she would have probably met a dreadful end. She would have known that, but still risked it. The conditioning of a lifetime, the fear of discovery and punishment, was no match against her love for her father and her determination to find him.


    Miiya inclined her head. ¡°I was wrong. You are right. Jubi did run away.¡±


    Jubi looked from one to the other, as if wanting to understand what they were saying.


    Miiya felt happy. Hitherto Jubi had not evinced any interest in what her companions did or said. This expression of curiosity was a first, a sign that the young woman was beginning to recover some of her old self, becoming more like the girl Miiya had glimpsed in the dreams.


    **


    The scream turned Miiya¡¯s blood into ice, even though she had been up, and waiting.


    She rushed to where Jubi lay, under a widespread banyan tree. Jubi was writhing like an animal caught in a trap, emitting low screams.


    Miiya crouched low and placed her hand on Jubi¡¯s red hot brow.


    She had steeled herself against Jubi¡¯s memories. Still they hit her like a physical blow. She wanted to snatch her hand away, to flee back to a time when life was simpler and she could afford to ignore things she didn¡¯t want to know.


    When it was over, and Jubi had fallen into a deep sleep, Miiya hauled herself up and tottered to her own sleeping place. She sat down with her back to the tree, waiting for her own shivers to subside.


    The sound was tiny, a careful foot on a fallen twig. Miiya opened her eyes. Cillo was kneeling a few feet away and staring at her, his face full of concern.


    Anger shook her, anger at herself for losing control, at him for seeing her in a moment of weakness.


    ¡°Would you like some water, Miiya?¡±


    The concern in his voice dampened her anger. Her throat was bone day. Some water would be nice. She nodded.


    He brought the water and sat by her as she drank.


    She emptied the cup and gave it to him. ¡°Jubi was having nightmares.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that was Mind-healing? I¡¯ve heard of it of course, but never seen it been done.¡±


    She shrugged a shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s like Pain-relieving. You draw out the poison. The memories remain, but they cease to cause distress.¡± She chafed her cold hands, one with the other. ¡°What I did was not right. You must first obtain the patient¡¯s consent.¡±


    ¡°You had no choice. Her scream woke me up. She was suffering.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Anyway to be healed properly, she¡¯ll have to be awake, conscious of what¡¯s happening. She must consent and cooperate.¡±


    She waited for him to go away. He didn¡¯t. She felt an overwhelming urge to scream at him to leave her alone. He was kind and caring. But the only company she could tolerate right now was her own, and that too just barely.


    He asked, ¡°Was this the first time she had nightmares?¡±


    She almost said yes, but somehow couldn¡¯t manage the lie. ¡°No, she had one the night she slept in my house.¡±


    His eyes widened for a fleeting second. She waited for intrusive questions, relishing the thought of treating him like a gnat. But he said nothing, asked nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been giving her a pinch of nidra in her food,¡± she said at last.


    He nodded. ¡°An excellent soporific.¡± He frowned a little. ¡°Has it stop being effective?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve run out of it.¡±


    His face became pinched, as if he was in pain. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°We will reach Kikilonia in three or four days. It¡¯s a large city, a trading city.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I gather the memory fragments were very bad.¡± His voice was tentative.


    Fury rose within her. When she spoke her voice was ice. ¡°Nothing you could ever have experienced, Scholar Cillius.¡±


    He flinched, as if she had lashed him physically. Then he said, still in that meek voice, ¡°Was it something you have experienced, Mistress Miiya?¡±


    She looked down, trying to banish the memory of what she had seen.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that was...¡± Cillo began but she held up a silencing hand.


    ¡°No don¡¯t apologize. You are quite right. What she had gone through, at least that little bit I sensed, was something neither you nor I have experienced. How that girl survived, I don¡¯t know.¡± This time her smile was a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve wondered now and then at your preference for animals and birds, Cillo. I think I understand now.¡±


    His answering smile was warm. ¡°Will you heal her? Can you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. For that she must trust me completely, and we are far from that right now. In any case, I need to conserve whatever power I have. Until we reach Draca I can afford to be a witch only in dire need.¡±


    ¡°How complicated life is and how hard the choices are,¡± Cillo said almost to himself. ¡°Miiya, please try to get some sleep. You need the rest.¡±


    She was too weary to argue, turned her head away, closed her eyes and willed sleep to come.


    **


    Miiya walked ahead, as she generally did. Cillo and Jubi trailed behind, Cillo trying to draw Jubi out.


    ¡°It sounds so interesting, making masks. I wish I had that kind of talent. Were you also a mask-maker?¡±


    ¡°Papa tried to teach me. I wasn¡¯t good at it.¡±


    ¡°So what did you do? Did you have any kind of occupation?¡±


    ¡°I was a potter. And I taught children their letters.¡±


    ¡°Ah a teacher.¡± Cillo dropped his voice to a whisper, even though Miiya could hear him perfectly. ¡°Like our witches. In Sammalore, they do most of the teaching and healing. Very good at it too.¡±


    Jubi asked, also in a whisper, ¡°Was Miiya a teacher?¡±


    ¡°Teacher and healer both. And she studied things, mechanics, stars.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could study stars.¡±


    Cillo spoke in his normal voice, cheerful, encouraging. ¡°Why not? Once this is all over, you can take up studying stars. There are places where you can learn how to do it properly.¡±


    Jubi said nothing.


    **


    That night, Miiya insisted on taking on the first watch. Cillo didn¡¯t demur. He curled up on his sleeping rug and didn¡¯t turn even once, but Miiya knew he was awake and alert. He too would be waiting for the nightmares to begin.


    Night wore on. Jubi¡¯s body relaxed as exhaustion claimed her. Even Cillo seemed to have succumbed to weariness. Miiya sat with her back to a boulder and focused her mind on making sense of what was happening in Draca.


    She was on her feet, and by Jubi¡¯s side before the first long moan was over.


    When everything was done, and Jubi had fallen into a deep sleep, Miiya tried to stand, and would have fallen, had it not been for Cillo¡¯s hands holding her.


    She made no effort to repulse him, but allowed him to shepherd her carefully, and settle her down by a boulder. She breathed in and out, consciously, mastering her writhing emotions. When calmness returned she opened her eyes and smiled at him. He gave her water and she drank deeply. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He said nothing. She thought she¡¯d seen corpses more lifelike.


    ¡°You should go to sleep, Cillo.¡±


    ¡°When you are old, sleep is hard to come by.¡± He paused and gave her one of his shy smiles. ¡°I¡¯ve heard witches and mages can sleep whenever they want to. Is it true?¡±


    ¡°In general, yes. And wake up whenever we want to. We have an internal capacity to know the time, just as we can control our body heat. Rather like animals.¡±


    ¡°Very useful attributes. I wish I have them, at least the capacity to control my body heat. That is one of the worst parts of old age, the cold. The cold is inside the bones you see, and it can be incapacitating.¡±


    ¡°How old are you?¡± she asked abruptly.


    ¡°Almost eighty. Eighty in a few weeks.¡± He hesitated as if unsure of what he was going to say. ¡°Terryc and I grew up in the same neighborhood.¡±


    She said nothing for a while. Her lips were pressed tight, her eyes stared ahead.


    The silence stretched on, until Miiya could bear it no more.


    ¡°Did you know him well?¡± she asked in a conversational tone.


    He smiled. ¡°Quite well. He was some years younger than me. We went to the same school. One of yours. Then we lost touch.¡± He hesitated. ¡°He went to become a lens-maker and I joined the ¡®No witch¡¯ movement.¡±


    She smiled grimly. The movement had demanded that witches be prevented from healing. It had fizzled out eventually. ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡±


    Cillo bit his lip. ¡°I was in love with a young woman. She was pregnant. There were complications. I refused to let her seek help from you or any other witch. She died, and the child too.¡± He looked at her fleetingly. ¡°It was a daughter.¡±


    She said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°You know, Miiya, we all have the same spark of life, so fragile and yet so strong too. That is something you learn when you attend a death, be it a child or a lamb.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t have been able keep the words even if she tried. ¡°You went to the slaughterhouse?¡±


    He said, ¡°I went to the slaughterhouse,¡± and turned his face away. ¡°I tried to give the poor creatures what comfort I could. Especially the little ones. They are not human, but their terror and their pain are not less real. It makes you think, about the world, about life.¡±


    Miiya waited for more, wanted to hear more, but there was only silence. She broke it when it became too heavy to bear, ¡°You are a man of true courage, Cillo.¡±


    A ghost of a smile flitted across Cillo¡¯s face. ¡°That was very kind of you, Miiya.¡±

 3 - Walking in the past

    They reached Kiikiilonia, three days later.


    It was early morning, but Kiikiilonia¡¯s wide mud-brick streets were already bustling with people, pack animals and carts. Sounds and smells of every variety filled the air.


    Miiya handed Cillo some coins. ¡°I don¡¯t want to subsist on bitter leaves and sour fruits again, not if I can help it. Will you buy whatever you think we¡¯ll need, and can carry without turning into pack-animals? I must make some purchases, and maybe visit one of the libraries. We will meet here, in two hours.¡±


    Jubi and Cillo headed towards the market, a triangular building with mud-brick half walls, its sloping roof covered with woven limepalm fronds. Miiya went in search of a herbalist and found a shop run by an elderly man in a blue robe and a pink turban. She bought three bunches of herbs. As the shopkeeper wrapped her purchases in a piece of thin cloth, she asked him whether the town had a library.


    ¡°Several,¡± the man said, his green eyes narrowed. ¡°Just walk down the street, take the second turn to the left, to Barnyard Street, and you¡¯ll find one of them, lady. Wouldn¡¯t miss it even if you tried, as you shall see.¡±


    She did.


    Barnyard Street was a wide road flanked by two and three story buildings. The library squatted right at the end, a red and green striped egg baking in the hot sun. As she drew closer she saw that the stripes consisted of painted mud bricks.


    A wide entrance hall led to a cavernous reading room. It was cool and airy, a welcome change from the heat outside. The library-keeper, a middle aged woman in a turban made of swathes of bright yellow and orange silks and a robe of the same hues, pointed Miiya to a section at the back of the vast structure. Miiya found a volume on the Thalassian Archipelago sat down at one of the reading desks.


    Every king of Draca had been named Iretsa. When the book was written, some sixty years ago, Iretsa 114 ruled Draca. That would have been the current king¡¯s father, or maybe grandfather.


    The plague Jubi mentioned hadn¡¯t killed living people. But a man or a woman sickened with it couldn¡¯t beget living children. The entire archipelago and even some of the coastal towns of mainland were affected by it.


    The kings of Draca¡­


    A scream exploded in her head.


    She replaced the books and hurried out, with a quick word of apology to the library keeper. Guided by the echoes in her head, she strode down unfamiliar streets and lanes, turning left here, right there, resisting the urge to run, until she reached a lonely back alley, and Jubi.


    Jubi was standing over a still figure of a man, middle-aged and well-built. A dark stain almost covered his velvet-clad chest. His mouth was half-open in a snarl, but the eyes stared at nothing. Miiya didn¡¯t bother to check for a pulse.  There was no need. She stepped over the body and clasped Jubi¡¯s free hand, winter-cold despite the heat swirling around them in waves.


    Jubi shuddered. Her face was deathly place, her hair in disarray. One hand still clutched a long knife, its blade dotted with rust-collared stains. Her pack lay on the ground, half open, some of its contents spilled out, a comb, a cake of soap, a bead necklace. Miiya resisted the impulse to cradle Jubi until the wild haunted look left her face, until the shivering stopped.


    No time for that. Not now. She caught Jubi¡¯s eyes in hers. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s trembling stopped. ¡°He was someone...someone I encountered on the way to find you,¡± her voice wavered a little. ¡°The market was crowded and Cillo and I were separated. I was looking at some figurines made from fire rocks, and then he was there. He recognized me. I lost my head. I ran. There were others with him. They pursued me. I thought I managed to give them the slip, but when I turned into this lane, he was there, waiting for me. There was no way for me to escape. He caught me¡­¡±


    A slaver then. And his companions might get here anytime.


    Miiya took the knife from Jubi¡¯s unresisting hand, wiped it on the dead man¡¯s mantle and shoved it into her own pocket. She gathered Jubi¡¯s scattered possessions, closed the pack and gave it to Jubi. From her own pack she took out a hooded short-cloak and wrapped it around Jubi. The cloak fell almost to Jubi¡¯s ankles; she looked lost in it, more a little girl than a young woman.


    ¡°If anyone makes inquiries, I¡¯m your mother. Understand?¡±


    Jubi nodded. Her eyes were still that of a hunted animal.


    They began the walk to the city gate, Miiya holding Jubi by hand, talking to her in an ordinary voice about ordinary things. They were within sight of the gate when Jubi stopped, as if turned into stone, shivering stone.


    Miiya looked in the direction of Jubi¡¯s stricken gaze. Two men. Wearing clothes similar to the dead slaver.


    She placed her arm around Jubi¡¯s shoulders and forced her into a half-embrace so that her blue-skinned face was not visible to the men. She bent her head, until her mouth was on level with Jubi¡¯s ear. ¡°We are going to walk back, walk slowly. Do you understand me?¡±


    Jubi nodded.


    Miiya took the first turn they came across, a narrow pitted lane, and walked down it, her arm still round Jubi, her mind in a whirl. They had escaped the two men, but others might be roaming Kiikiilonia, looking for their leader, and for a blue-skinned woman. She had to get Jubi out of the town. And she had to find Cillo.


    The owner of the herbal shop had mentioned several libraries. She found the directions to the nearest one from an elderly woman selling potted milk.


    This library was neither large nor ornate. Just two rooms full of books. It was deserted apart from an old man dozing over a stack of manuscripts. Miiya guided Jubi to the end of the room, made her sit down and handed her a book picked at random from the nearest shelf.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back with Cillo. Keep your head down and your hands tucked into your sleeve. Pretend to be engrossed in your reading. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miiya.¡±


    Miiya got out and retraced her steps, using her Farsight. Cillo was still at the market, doubtless looking for Jubi. She reached it at the same time he was rushing out, looking slightly demented. When he saw Miiya he gave a cry and ran to her, the dragonfly-buzzard on his shoulder.


    ¡°Miiya, I¡¯ve lost¡­¡± he stopped, as he noticed her warning glance. She turned around and walked away, dogged by his terror and his worry. She stopped in a quiet corner behind a warehouse and turned to face him.


    ¡°A slaver tried to abduct Jubi. She killed him. Now his underlings are looking for her.¡±


    ¡°Jubi?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s safe, for now. Come.¡±


    Jubi was where Miiya had left her, her head bent over a book. More books were stacked on the table by her. She looked up when they entered the room. Her face was set but there was a feverish gleam in her eyes. She pushed the open book towards Miiya, a steady finger indicating a picture, a human covered from head to toe in a shapeless garment, rather like a shroud, with two slits for the eyes. The obligatory attire of anyone stricken with vasuriya, an illness believed to be highly contagious. Vasuriya condemned the afflicted to a tortuous life. Death was a mercy but it came only after the body had become a single stinking and oozing sore.


    Miiya pushed the book at Cillo. He glanced at the picture, and at Miiya, his eyes twinkling.


    She grinned. ¡°Wait here for me.¡±


    Miiya headed for the backstreets, with their dark dingy shops, places where you could find what wasn¡¯t available in reputable establishments. She expected questions, had a story ready, but there were none. Not at the foul-smelling shop from where she bought the yards of used material or at the herbalist who sold her the herbs she asked for.


    Beyond the backstreets were several abandoned lots, the final resting place for Kiikiilonia¡¯s detritus. A good place for a healthy young woman to become clothed in the most feared illness in Pegala.


    She returned to the library and guided Cillo and Jubi back to that abandoned lot. Soon Jubi was clad from head to toe in what looked like a soiled brown sack, only her eyes visible through the slits. Miiya tied a bunch of herbs round Jubi¡¯s waist with a thin rope. ¡°Can you breathe?¡±


    Jubi nodded.


    Cillo fingered the garment. ¡°It¡¯s not new.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be new to be convincing.¡±


    ¡°But the contagion?¡±


    ¡°Vasuriya is not contagious.¡±


    ¡°But everyone knows¡­¡±


    ¡°Everyone knowing something doesn¡¯t make it correct,¡± Miiya snapped. She turned to Jubi. ¡°I¡¯ll go in front. You follow about twenty paces behind. Cillo can bring up the rear. When you come to the gates, just leave. No one will ask you anything. Don¡¯t panic even if those men are watching. Walk out, turn to right and keep on walking. Cillo, can you can get your bird to keep an eye on her?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Seedevii will do that. Do you think you can manage, Jubi-girl?¡±


    Jubi nodded again.


    Miiya set off at a steady pace, restraining the urge to turn around and check on Jubi. If the faces of the people they came across were anything to go by, Jubi was doing well.


    The two men were still watching the gate and the main street. Miiya entered a nearby shop. Jubi walked past the two men. People drew back, as far away as possible, some praying loudly to their various gods for protection. The guards shrank away, leaving the gates wide open.


    Jubi paid no heed to the faces distorted with fear, the gasps and the cries, the muttered prayers. She walked through the gate and continued walking.


    Cillo joined the people milling by the gate. The bird was not with him.


    After some time, a party of about ten people accompanied by two zhorses went through the gate.


    Cillo followed a couple of minutes later.


    Miiya kept the two men under observation. They were back to watching the gate, looking closely at everyone who exited, especially anyone female and young.


    A couple left next, leading a laden donkey. Miiya left after them, leaning heavily on her staff, dragging one foot behind her. One of the men looked at her, but it was a cursory glance.


    Miiya walked at the same slow pace until she was out of sight of any watcher. Then she strode ahead. Soon she saw Cillo.


    ¡°What do we do now, Miiya?¡± he asked when she drew level.


    ¡°There is a¡­¡± she stopped, her witch-ear catching a sound. Horses, four horses.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°It must be those men. Just keep walking.¡±


    Miiya whisked herself out of the road, into the forest. She crouched behind a bush.


    The horses raced past Cillo. Miiya heaved a sigh of relief.


    One man reined in his horse, turned around and trotted up to Cillo. He leaned down and asked, in Common Speech


    Miiya strained her witch-ear.


    The man leaned down and said in Common Speech. ¡°Did you see a young woman? A short woman with a blue skin and brown hair?¡±


    Cillo bowed and answered in a faltering voice. ¡°I-I did, your honour.¡±


    ¡°Where? Ahead?¡±


    ¡°No, earlier in the market. She was with another man, your honour?¡±


    ¡°Not on the road?¡±


    ¡°No, your honour, there were other people.¡± He glanced about fearfully and dropped his voice. ¡°And the afflicted one.¡±


    ¡°What afflicted one?¡±


    Cillo¡¯s voice was now a whisper. ¡°Vasuriya.¡±


    The man muttered a prayer. ¡°Where?¡±


    Cillo shook his head. ¡°Ahead. It left before I did.¡±


    The man rode back to his companions. Miiya strained her witch-ear to listen to the argument. Some men wanted to ride ahead, but the news of ¡®afflicted one¡¯ settled the matter. Soon they turned their horses around and headed back the way they came.


    Cillo staggered to a rock and sat down. Miiya waited till the sound of the horses had gone beyond her witch-ear and rushed to him. He looked pale.


    She smiled at him. ¡°An excellent piece of acting, Cillo. They are not going to take this direction for another hour or two at least.¡±


    ¡°I was so terrified of making a mistake, saying the wrong thing-¡°


    She touched his hand briefly. ¡°It was a perfect act. I¡¯ll go ahead and catch up with Jubi. I¡¯ve Farsighted a safe place. I¡¯ll take Jubi there. Keep to the road until you come across a tree struck by lightning on your right hand side. You won¡¯t miss it; the branches are gone and only the trunk remains. There¡¯s an overgrown footpath next to it. Go down that until you reach a clearing next to an abandoned mine. You will find us there.¡±


    Cillo said, ¡°How can you be certain?¡±


    ¡°My great grandmother had been this way. You know we hand down our memories.¡±


    Miiya strode ahead and soon caught sight of the group of people with Zhorses. As she drew near, one of the men cried, in Common Speech, ¡°Be careful, woman. There is one of those things ahead.¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°The Stricken.¡±


    Miiya stopped and waved her hand, vaguely in the direction of the forest. ¡°Thank you. I live that way. I¡¯ll avoid the creature.¡±


    ¡°You be careful, still. That is worse than death.¡±


    ¡°Indeed it is.¡± She bowed her head. ¡°May your journey be safe and successful!¡±


    ¡°Yours too.¡±


    She saw the dragonfly-buzzard before she saw Jubi. The bird was flying over the road, in slow circles. Soon Jubi was within sight, still in her soiled garment. Miiya made certain that no one could see them before she caught up with Jubi. ¡°Ahead there¡¯s a tree struck by lightning. Take the footpath next to it. I¡¯ll wait for you there.¡±


    ¡°Cillo?¡±


    ¡°He is behind.¡±


    Jubi nodded, once.


    Miiya walked until she reached the tree stump. She turned to the overgrown footpath, hurried down it. Jubi was with her within minutes. She took the young woman to the clearing by an abandoned mine. ¡°Wait for me there. I¡¯ll bring Cillo.¡± The bird landed on the branch of a nearby tree. ¡°He¡¯ll keep you company. Get rid of that clothing. You should be safe now.¡±


    Jubi nodded again.


    Miiya retraced her steps and found Cillo heading down the path.


    His face cleared when he saw her. ¡°How is she?¡±


    Miiya shrugged and turned around.


    They found Jubi seated cross legged under a tree, eyes closed, hands clasped on her lap, as still as a figurine of blue-ivory. Then a shudder ran through her body; she bent, like a sapling caught in a strong wind.


    Cillo asked no questions, but followed Miiya¡¯s orders. He gathered dead wood and lit a fire while Miiya mixed a spoonful of grounded yellow string-beans and a generous pinch of nidra into a thick paste and made Jubi swallow it. Soon she was fast asleep, curled up close to the little fire.


    Cillo said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how she had a knife with her. But I¡¯m glad she did.¡±


    Miiya¡¯s smile was grim. ¡°Unfortunately, a knife seems to be the only argument some people understand.¡±


    The evening passed in silence. Once night fell, Miiya persuaded Cillo to eat a piece of flatbread and forced herself to swallow a piece as well. Later, she told him to get some rest, even though she knew no sleep would come to him. She said nothing when, after a couple of hours of pretended slumber, he got up and joined her in her silent vigil.


    Jubi woke up at dawn, emerging from oblivion to awareness with the suddenness of a flash-flood. Her eyes moved from Miiya to Cillo. Then the tears began to flow.


    Miiya waited for Cillo to rush to Jubi¡¯s side, to hold and comfort her. When he didn¡¯t, she glanced at him. Cillo sat, his head bowed almost to the ground.


    Jubi rocked to and fro, cradled in her own arms.


    Miiya gathered Jubi into her arms. Jubi went rigid, as if she didn¡¯t know who was holding her. Then she sagged against Miiya, clutching at her as if she had found an unexpected lifeline and never wanted to let go.


    After a long while, she murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Miiya sat back. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. Humans are fortunate they can shed tears.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Witches can¡¯t cry?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Jubi spoke in a halting voice, as if she was having trouble finding the right words. ¡°I¡¯ve never killed anyone before. I was taken captive and sold as a slave. I escaped. He was the head of the slaver¡¯s gang.¡±


    Miiya felt as if slugs were crawling all over her body. She forced herself to talk in her usual brisk tones. ¡°In which case, you rid the world of a man who had caused much harm in it.¡±


    Jubi sat still. Only her fingers moved, at a frenzied pace, as if they were playing an imaginary instrument.


    Miiya waited until she felt that the silence had lasted long enough and said, ¡°Look at me, Jubi.¡±


    Jubi looked up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about your city or its attitudes, what nonsense or quirks it venerates as tradition. I want you to remember this. It is right and proper that you should feel anger, horror and grief at what happened to you. But it should never cause you shame, never make you feel worthless. Never. Those who should feel shame are the humans who subjected you to those horrors. Those who should feel worthless are the humans who knew about those horrors and looked away. Not you, Jubi, not you.¡±


    Jubi said, in a voice so tiny that a human ear would not have caught it, ¡°You don¡¯t know.¡±


    Miiya took a deep breath. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± Jubi¡¯s voice was still low, but grown vehement. ¡°You cannot know. It¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°I know, Jubi. I know because I reached into your nightmares, many times, to make them go away. I had to. It was either that or let you relive the horrors in your sleep, night after night. I couldn¡¯t do that. What I did was an intrusion, a breaking of the code of healing. I should have asked you for your consent before doing it. That is the right way. But it was the early days, and I was scared you will not consent. I¡¯m sorry about what I did. But...¡±


    ¡°You had no choice, Miiya.¡± Neither of them had heard Cillo¡¯s approach. He walked up to them and sat down facing Jubi. He looked as if a giant leech had sucked out all his blood. ¡°You cried in your sleep, Jubi. Miiya wanted to help. It was hard for her but she did it, for you.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s face was a battlefield of emotions. Shame darkened it; grief paled it; there was anger too, making her facial muscles go rigid. Ultimately, curiosity gained the edge. ¡°How? How were you able to do it?¡±


    Miiya told her.


    Jubi stared at the weed-encrusted mouth of the abandoned mine. Her face wore the old vacant expression, as if her mind was a blank, as if she was nothing but a body. After a long while she looked at Miiya and Cillo, a fleeting glance which avoided their eyes. ¡°After...after what happened, I couldn¡¯t sleep properly. I was scared of closing my eyes. I used to relive events, see people, hear voices. Things got a bit better after Sabha found me. I knew I was safe, with him there. But I¡¯d wake up several times in the night and find that I had been crying in my sleep. I knew it must be nightmares, but I retained no memory of them.¡± A smile livened her eyes briefly. ¡°I think Sabha knew about the nightmares. He would start playing as soon as I woke up, run around like a puppy and jump at me. He did those things even after he got bigger. He would still mock-attack me, but do it carefully, so that I wouldn¡¯t have even a scratch.¡± She stopped again, face darkening. ¡°Then I had to leave him behind, and the fears returned. But when we began the journey, things got better again, so much better. I fell asleep easily, didn¡¯t wake up at night and felt refreshed in the morning. I thought perhaps it was because I had accomplished the most difficult part of my task.¡±


    Cillo said, ¡°You¡¯ve been brave, so brave...¡±


    Jubi interrupted him. ¡°No, don¡¯t say anything comforting, Cillo. Not now. I want to tell you everything that happened to me. I want to tell you both. Will you listen?¡±


    Cillo bowed his head. Miiya said, ¡°Yes we will listen.¡±


    Jubi sat cross legged on the ground, her back to a tree and spoke. She spoke in fits and starts, strings of words interspersed with long silences. The day was still in its infancy when she began her story. By the time she ended it, night was advancing.


    Jubi talked about the night the slavers caught her. ¡°I think it was my sixth day on the road. I had just left a village and was walking down a forested path. They must have been watching me. Once or twice I thought I heard footsteps, but when I turned around there was no one. I wasn¡¯t afraid. I didn¡¯t know enough to be afraid. I feared wild animals, but not people. They caught me that night. There were three of them. I was sleeping under a tree. I struggled...¡± She shrugged. ¡°I was bound and gagged and tossed into a horse-driven wagon. There were two women there. They stopped along the way several times to catch more people. There was a young boy, a middle aged man and a mother with two children.¡±


    She had no idea how many days they spent in that juddering wagon packed tightly together. All she remembered of that journey was the suffocating heat, the darkness, the hunger and the thirst. And fear, always fear, because the whip was never far away and the whip was an omen of times to come.


    The slave estate was a large camp housing hundreds of other men, women and children. They were categorized, men and women separately.


    Every week, an auction was held, with buyers walking about, checking the wares and making their bids.


    ¡°There were pens. We were herded into them. We had to stand for hours. The buyers walked up and down, looking and prodding us with canes or touching us. We had to stand still, keep our eyes on the ground, never show our distaste, our horror. The slavers watched and if anyone disobeyed even slightly, that one was taken away to one of the punishment cells. You see, they knew how to hurt us and not leave marks.¡±


    The strong and the beautiful were sold fast. Were they the luckier ones or unluckier ones? No one knew.


    Jubi was young, but was too scrawny to attract a bid.


    ¡°I remember the first time, standing there by the railing of the pen, my hands at my side, my eyes on the ground, watching the feet of the buyers walking by, trying to create a picture of a person from the footwear. Whenever a pair of feet stalled by the pen, my heart lurched. I didn¡¯t know whether I wanted to be chosen or not. The first time a buyer prodded me with a walking stick, I wanted to scream at him. I didn¡¯t. You see, by that time I knew how to be a slave. I wouldn¡¯t have minded dying. Some days I wanted to die. But I couldn¡¯t. I had to live, for Papa.¡±


    Time lost all meaning. The thought of finding her father kept her alive, that and the not-so-occasional acts of kindness she gave and received. Nothing more than a hand to hold onto or a shoulder to cry on, but that meant the difference between going on and losing her mind.


    ¡°I never stopped thinking about escaping, I thought about it all the time. I was determined to escape. I knew I had to or Papa would be lost evermore. The place was surrounded by this very tall and thick wall. And there were armed guards everywhere. I suppose I wouldn¡¯t have succeeded had it not been for the earth-heaving. It happened late one evening. I was saved because I was outside, working in the fields. At first I thought it was me being sick, losing balance, and falling. It happened often, because we were not given much food. When slaves fell, they¡¯d be whipped until they got back to their feet.¡± She paused and said, softly, ¡°Some didn¡¯t.¡±


    Miiya wondered whether they were considered the fortunate ones.


    ¡°I waited for the whip.  The earth was moving under me, but I still thought it was just me, even when the heaving became like what it was in that ship the day it was caught in a storm. I started screaming, and then there was just sound, nothing but sound.¡± She fell silent for a while. ¡°I¡¯ve no memory of what happened. I must have lost consciousness. When I came to, I couldn¡¯t imagine where I was. Everything had collapsed, trees, buildings, everything. I sat up and the first thing I saw was the slaver who was in charge of us. A tree had fallen on him. I didn¡¯t wait to see if he was alive or dead. I didn¡¯t even look for my friends. All I could see was that the wall was gone, it had become just a pile of rubble. All I could think of was escape.¡± For the first time since she began her story, she looked at Miiya and Cillo, meeting their eyes, her own dark with emotions. ¡°I feel so much shame whenever I remember. I should have looked for my friends. I should have helped them to escape. But I was not really thinking like a human then. I had been treated like a thing for so long, I suppose by that time I had forgotten that I was human.¡±


    Miiya said, ¡°You did what you had to do. If you tarried to help, you might have been caught again.¡±


    Jubi shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The earth-heaving was so devastating, I think it would have taken the slavers a long time to get things together. Perhaps they were all dead or injured. I could have helped my friends. I didn¡¯t. I just ran. And ran.  Everywhere was chaos; collapsed houses, fallen trees, the dead and the injured. I stopped just once, to strip a dead woman of her clothes.¡±


    ¡°It was a sensible thing to do,¡± Cillo said. ¡°You would have been identified¡­¡±


    Jubi cut in, her voice sharp. ¡°I had no idea where I was going, and I didn¡¯t care. All I wanted was to put as much distance as possible between me and that place. I stayed away from where humans dwelled. I kept to the forests. I became more and more like an animal. When I had to cross a village, I skulked in some dark corner until nightfall. I ate what I could find. I stole whenever I could. I didn¡¯t dare to light a fire for attracting attention, so I ate raw. I was nothing more than an animal, a scavenger picking somebody¡¯s kill clean. I ate raw flesh. I crunched uncooked bones. I just wanted to stay alive and save Papa. That was the only human thought I had.¡±


    Her life changed when she met Sabha, the wolf cub she saved from a trap. Her voice became light and a smile came into her eyes.


    ¡°At first I was scared. He was a wolf. And wolves killed humans. I tried to chase him away. But he wouldn¡¯t go. If I threw stones at him, he¡¯d move out of my sight, but I knew he was there, following me.¡±


    She woke up one night, with her face bathed in tears, and found him curled up at her side. After that, she accepted his companionship. He helped her to find waterholes in dry weather and protected her from men who would have harmed her. He listened to her when she talked, and guarded her when she slept.


    ¡°After I had him to protect me, fear became less. And I stopped being an animal and became a human. I washed myself whenever I could. He loved water, you see. He used to jump into anything with water, river, stream pond. He¡¯d turn his head and utter short barks, as if he was inviting me in. After a while I started enjoying being in the water. I began to wash my clothes. I stopped eating raw meat. When I met humans, I stopped running and hiding. I talked to them, asking them directions to Sammalore.


    ¡°When I reached the pass leading down to Sammalore, I talked to him. I explained he shouldn¡¯t follow me. I told him to go back to the forest and find his own kind. I embraced him one last time. Then I got up and walked away. I didn¡¯t look back. I didn¡¯t dare to.¡±


    He didn¡¯t follow her. But his howls did.

 No longer Human

    The night had no moons, no stars. Even the sharpest mortal eye couldn¡¯t have seen their arrival in the tiny cove.


    The departing ship, a smuggler¡¯s vessel, was a dark indistinct shape against the lightless night. Miiya cast it a last lingering glance and sat down by her companions sheltering by a heap of rocks. Jubi was huddled into a heap against Cillo. His armed enfolded her.


    During the first few hours of their sea journey, Jubi had hung on the railing, gazing at the far horizon, her eyes bright with hope. But as they neared the shore of Draca, she turned edgy, resisting even Cillo¡¯s attempts to draw her into conversation. By the time the journey ended, she had retreated into herself completely. She had spent most of her time in the tiny cabin, lying on her bunk, curled almost into a ball.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to look for some shelter,¡± Miiya whispered. ¡°The sun will be up soon and we need to get away from the beach before that.¡±


    Cillo nodded. ¡°Take care, Miiya.¡±


    Jubi said nothing. She had been appalled when Miiya told her that they had no choice but to land near the Mere of Trees, and seek shelter there. Landing in the Port of Draca, or in any other inhabited area was out of question. Miiya and Cillo wouldn¡¯t be allowed to leave their vessel, and Jubi would be arrested immediately. The only unpatrolled area in the entire island was the shoreline by the Mere.


    The Mere was an endless hulking shape under the night sky. Even Miiya¡¯s witch-eye could discern only the shadows.


    She stepped into darkness and recoiled as if struck by lightning.


    The Mere was haunted, not by the dead, but by the emotions they left behind. The grief and hopelessness that had driven them to seek death had seeped into the soil of the Mere. Those emotions had created an invisible forest within the visible forest: trees of pain, branches of guilt, leaves of despair.


    Jubi and Cillo wouldn¡¯t survive long in this place. Sooner rather than later, its aura of despair would invade their minds and sap their will to live.


    After some prowling, Miiya discovered a shallow cave. She started circling it, first clockwise, then counter-clockwise, using her happiest memories to create a counter-aura.


    Once the cave was secure, she strode out of the Mere. The sea air enveloped her in a life-giving embrace. She inhaled gusts of it, wishing she didn¡¯t have to take Jubi and Cillo into the Mere. There was no choice. That graveyard of all hope was their only shelter.


    Cillo¡¯s strained face relaxed into a brief smile when she knelt by them. ¡°Did you find a place, Miiya?¡±


    ¡°A cave in the Mere. I¡¯ve secured it. Getting there will be hard, but once inside we¡¯d be safe.¡± She rummaged in her pack and found the pouch with grounded nidra leaves. She took out a pinch and turned to Jubi and called her name. Jubi lifted her head and stared blankly, the way a blind person would.


    Miiya said, ¡°Open your mouth,¡± half expecting Jubi to ignore her command or even to object. But Jubi opened her mouth at once. Miiya placed the leaves on Jubi¡¯s tongue. ¡°Swallow them.¡±


    Jubi swallowed the leaves obediently, and slumped against Cillo¡¯s shoulder within seconds. Miiya grabbed her by an arm and pulled her up into a standing position. Cillo scrambled to his feet took hold of Jubi¡¯s other arm. Miiya picked up Jubi¡¯s pack and her own, slung both over her shoulder. ¡°Come.¡±


    At the treeline Cillo jerked to a stop, as if he had encountered an invisible barrier. His eyes were dark hollows in his suddenly bloodless face.


    Miiya turned around and touched Cillo¡¯s arm briefly with her free hand. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Cillo pulled himself together. His face distorted with the effort. He was shivering, but his hold on Jubi didn¡¯t slacken. He panted and groaned all the way, but didn¡¯t utter a word of protest. Once they were inside the cave, he let go of Jubi¡¯s arm and collapsed, his face pressed against the sandy floor, his body twitching.


    Miiya let him be. He would recover his senses soon, in the salubrious atmosphere of the spell-protected cave. She lowered Jubi gently to the ground, pulled out her sleeping rug and covered the inert form with it. Then she busied herself lighting a candle, getting food and water out, deriving some comfort from these mundane tasks.


    ¡°What was that, Miiya?¡±


    Miiya looked around. Cillo sat huddled against the cave wall, hugging himself.


    ¡°The emotions of those who came to this place to die. The Mere is fetid with their pain and despair. Are you feeling better?¡±


    Cillo nodded and looked around. ¡°What is this place? How come it feels normal?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve woven a spell-cover over it. You and Jubi should be safe here.¡±


    He heaved a sigh. ¡°What are we going to do now?¡±


    ¡°I need to Share your dragonfly-buzzard for a while, Cillo.¡±


    His eyes opened wide in surprise. ¡°Share Seedevii? But...but...why?¡± He tried to smile. ¡°Do you want a pet bird?¡±


    ¡°I expressed myself badly. When I said Share, I meant Share his mind, so I can fly into this Castle of Eternity and see things for myself. To do that, I must have his consent. And he will consent, if you make the request on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°Why do I have to convince Seedevii? Is it dangerous, this sharing?¡±


    ¡°Most animals and birds don¡¯t like to Share their minds with witches. And yes, there is risk involved. If things go wrong, the animal or the bird can end up injured or even dead while the witch who did the Sharing will become catatonic.¡±


    A shadow of fear darkened Cillo¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to place Seedevii in danger.¡±


    Miiya touched his arm, feeling it trembling under her hand. ¡°I won¡¯t run any unnecessary risks. I promise to take the greatest possible care of him. But I need him, Cillo.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you turn invisible or something? I know witches have the power.¡±


    ¡°Opaquing? I can. But for it to work, I will have to expend a great deal of my remaining power. And I might need that power for later. Please understand.¡±


    Cillo¡¯s arm was like deadwood under her hand. He sat in silence until she could bear it no more.


    She said, ¡°This way I can visit the castle, see what¡¯s happening there, without actually breaking any taboo.¡±


    He staggered to where the dragonfly-buzzard was perched and fell on to his knees. The bird screeched and flapped its wings. Cillo touched the luminous crest with a trembling finger and started whispering.


    Miiya closed her ears and turned away.


    So you want to use my mind?


    The question, asked in a gravelly voice, startled Miiya. She opened her mouth to answer and realized the words were in her head. .


    If you don¡¯t object.


    She waited for the bird to respond, but there were no more words. She would have to find some argument to persuade the creature.


    I need your help to find Jubi¡¯s father?


    Human affairs don¡¯t interest me. Humans cage us and hunt us, eat us and turn us into feathered puppets.


    Some do; some don¡¯t.


    Miiya waited for an answer, but inside her head silence reigned.


    Cillo had been looking from the dragonfly-buzzard to Miiya, his expression perplexed. Suddenly his face cleared, as if he fathomed what had happened. He turned to the bird and said, ¡°Help us, Seedevii. We need you.¡±


    The bird¡¯s voice was nail-sharp inside Miiya¡¯s head.  I know your kind. You use words as weapons and snares. I have no trust in you. But I cannot refuse him.


    I thank you.


    I don¡¯t need your thanks. What I¡¯m doing, I do for him.


    I understand.


    Miiya turned to Cillo. ¡°Thank you, friend. I will lie down and in a little while it will be as if I had fallen onto a deep sleep. Let my body be that way. Do nothing with it, until your bird returns. Then, if I don¡¯t wake up on my own, call me. Don¡¯t lay a finger on me for whatever reason.¡±


    She smiled at him and laid herself down at the back of the cave, closed her eyes, emptied her mind of all thoughts and reached out to the bird. The last thing her ears heard were Cillo¡¯s, ¡°Take good care of yourselves, Miiya, Seedevii.¡±


    **


    She was out of the cave, rising above the trees, and soaring over the Mere.


    The transformation from earth to sky was overwhelming. The wind, the space and the freedom combined to create an intoxicating brew, leaving her light headed. All she wanted to do was to soar and soar, until she left the world with its cares and burdens, below her.


    You are losing control.


    It was the bird. Miiya grabbed her mind and tethered it.


    Sorry.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Now you know what it is to be a caged bird.


    I¡¯ve never caged birds.


    No, and you gave me my wings back. Without you, I¡¯d have been a crippled bird. For that, I owe you.


    The bird circled over the ocean, moving into an air current and flowing with it.


    You could have left when you were healed. Yet you stayed.


    I can¡¯t leave the old man behind.


    Love, thought Miiya, comes in unimaginable forms.


    Yes it does.


    There was laughter in the bird¡¯s voice. Miiya joined it.


    The sun was ascending, filling the world with its warmth. The air was permeated with the smells of the sea. The world was open and free. She could go wherever she desired.


    The bird¡¯s words scraped against her mind. You are taking me away from where you need me to go.


    I am sorry. It won¡¯t happen again.


    The bird started to move away from the sea, towards inland, flapping its wings again.


    We are here. Where do you want me to land?


    Miiya looked through the bird¡¯s eye, saw humans and human made structures, enmity and danger. Her human mind transformed those sights into a magnificent palace of white marble, set within flower and water gardens, fruit orchards and groves of ancient trees. There were no guards to be seen. From Jubi¡¯s talk she had imagined a fortress; this looked like a charmed castle in a children¡¯s story.


    The grounds were deserted apart from two gardeners, one bent over a bed of butterfly-lilies, the other pruning a pink-jade vine. They both worked with not-quite human efficiency, their whole attention absorbed by the task they had been given.


    Miiya shivered, without knowing why; and the bird shivered with her.


    There¡¯s something wrong in this place. The bird¡¯s voice held an alien note. Fear.


    I know.


    The silence.


    Apart from that soft tinkling of the fountain, and the louder roar of the sea, no sound emanated from the castle or the grounds. No voices, no laughter, not even a dog¡¯s bark. And no birds; or bees. No life; just silence. A graveyard would be noisier.


    What is this place?


    That is what we need to find out.  Can you fly around the castle?


    She felt the equivalent of a shrug in her mind. Seedevii started circling the gardens. On the second round, she noticed something that intrigued her.


    Go to that tree.


    The one with long vines like an old man¡¯s beard? Next to the glass cave?


    Miiya smiled. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called the hermit¡¯s beard tree And yes, the glass cave.


    The bird was still for a second. You have a nice smile.


    Miiya smiled again, as the bird landed on a leafy branch. Thank you.


    The ¡®glass cave¡¯ was an octagonal structure made of glass. Four women sat inside, three on low stools. The fourth reclined on a daybed. She was heavily pregnant and might have been beautiful had her face not been pinched, like a squeezed out lemon-quarter.


    The reclining woman shifted her position. A cushion supporting her upper body fell. One of the attendants picked it up. As she turned to replace it, Miiya caught sight of the face.


    What are you doing?


    The bird¡¯s words were a shriek of pain and incomprehension. Miiya tried to regain control of herself.


    Your mind, it almost burned me.


    I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s...do you notice them?


    The three in light blue? Yes. They look like human, but they don¡¯t seem human. What are they?


    Tailosii.


    What is that?


    Humans whose life force had been sucked out of them. Humans who are only a body, no mind, no will, no emotions. That was what the gardeners were; more Tailosii.


    So the people are brought to the castle and turned into these¡­things?


    It looks like that.


    The girl¡¯s father?


    I¡¯m afraid so.


    And the other one, the one who¡¯s breeding, she¡¯s human. I can sense her.


    Yes.


    The three Tailosii women were clad in tunics and trousers made of a linen-like material. They looked like normal humans, except for the eyes, open slits, silvery white, with no eye balls.


    Miiya shuddered and the bird shuddered with her.


    The human woman shifted on the daybed, as if trying to find a comfortable position. After a while she got up and walked about the glass structure in aimless circles.  She wore an ankle-length dress in peacock blue spider-silk. Her long brown hair was threaded with silvery pearls. More pearls adorned her neck and her ears. One slim hand clutched at a silver talisman made in the shape of a sea dragon, believed by the archipelagans to be the familiar of their Sea God. Her purple eyes had a dead look.


    The heavy wooden door connecting the glass octagon to the castle opened. The young woman hurried to her daybed. Through the door, an elderly woman came out. She was no Tailosii, going by her shrewd purple eyes. Though attired plainly in a long grey dress, her confident bearing denoted authority. She walked up to the little group and bent solicitously over the woman on the daybed. ¡°It¡¯s time for your midday meal, my lady.¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t look up. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    ¡°You must eat to build up your strength...¡±


    ¡°For what, Karila?¡± Her voice rang, angry, bitter. She pointed a hand at the three women, still seated in their places, looking as if they¡¯d sit there until the end of time, if necessary. ¡°So that I can become like them? I¡¯d rather die in childbirth, with my child.¡±


    ¡°Hush, my lady, you mustn¡¯t say such things.¡±


    ¡°Words won¡¯t change anything Karila. You know that. I was fortunate I got another chance to continue. But...¡± she choked and fell silent.


    ¡°You worry needlessly, my lady.¡± The older woman¡¯s voice was firm, but not unkind. ¡°Come in with me. I have ordered your favorite soup. Afterwards you must rest for an hour or so. The midday heat is not good for you. The physician warned about it, particularly.¡±


    The girl shook her head. ¡°I look at them and I see my future, Karila.¡±


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t give into these morbid thoughts, my lady. They are not good for the child.¡±


    ¡°I have done everything I can, Karila. I¡¯ve tried so hard to please him...¡±


    Karila cut in. ¡°There is only one way to please him, my lady. That is to bear a living child. All this was made plain to you when you came here.¡±


    ¡°Came here? Came here?¡± The young woman¡¯s laugh was short and sharp. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here. I was brought here in that infernal carriage. Do you know what I was doing, when the carriage came for me? I was putting my baby to sleep. I had a baby, a daughter. Don¡¯t pretend that I came here because I wanted to. I had no choice.¡± She indicated the three Tailosii women with one hand. ¡°I know they had no choice either.¡± Her eyes blazed at the older woman. ¡°Did you have a choice, Karila? Did you come here willingly or were you brought here weeping and wailing in the silver carriage too?¡±


    Karila¡¯s mouth tightened for a second. Then she shrugged her shoulders. ¡°No one has a choice, my lady.¡± Her voice was impersonal; her face blank.


    ¡°How many of them are here, Karila? How many? I try to count, but there are too many. Which one was my predecessor? I keep on looking at them, wondering which one it was.¡±


    ¡°My lady, you are becoming hysterical.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen how it¡¯s done, Karila? I know it happens in the Past Nursery. Do they do it while you are asleep? Or does it happen when you are wide awake?¡± The girl was laughing and crying; her voice had risen to a shriek. She kicked at the nearest Tailosii. The force of the kick made her body arch, but the Tailosii didn¡¯t even flinch. The girl burst into another peal of laughter, a demented sound. ¡°They don¡¯t feel anything do they, Karila? But they were like you and me once. They felt pain.¡± She paused, and said in a lowered voice, ¡°Does it hurt Karila? You have to know. You go there with them, don¡¯t you? Will it hurt a...¡±


    The slap was a sharp staccato sound. The girl¡¯s voice stopped as if cut by a knife. She stared at Karila, her large purple eyes wide with shock. Then she collapsed back on the day bed, crying quietly, the sobs shaking her slender frame.


    Karila watched her impassively for a moment and then said, in an almost gentle voice, ¡°Every moment is precious, my lady. Enjoy them. If you like sitting here, I¡¯ll have your meal sent here.¡± She turned to the three Tailosii who had waited motionless while this exchange was going on. ¡°You,¡± she said pointing to one of the women, ¡°Go to the Sea Chamber. Your services are needed there. You,¡± she said pointing to another woman. ¡°Go to my lady¡¯s dinning chamber and bring her midday meal out here.¡±


    The two women departed with neither eagerness nor reluctance. Karila too turned to go, but the girl¡¯s voice stopped her. ¡°So in a week, or two, that will be me, won¡¯t it? A slave with no mind, no will, always available for whatever is required of me.¡±


    Karila didn¡¯t turn around. She shrugged a bony shoulder, said in an indifferent voice, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much, my lady,¡± and was gone.


    The girl gave a cry of rage and threw the silver talisman at the glass wall. The Tailosii woman stood up, picked the fallen talisman and proffered it to her mistress. The girl stared unblinkingly at the blank silver grey slits which were the woman¡¯s eyes. The Tailosii continued to hold out the talisman, her face as empty as her eyes.


    The girl collapsed on the day bed, in a paroxysm of tears.


    Miiya reached out to the bird. I¡¯m going to use my Farsight. Which means a part of my mind will be gone from here. Stay here until I return.


    I will.


    Miiya¡¯s Farsight caught up with Karila as she started climbing up a narrow staircase. She reached the top, hesitated for a second and began walking down the corridor towards a door guarded by two Tailosii men. She knocked and a male voice bade her to enter.


    One of the Tailosii men opened the door for the woman and closed it after her. Both men looked young, no more than eighteen or nineteen.


    Miiya¡¯s Farsight essayed the large airy chamber with tall windows overlooking the sea. A human man sat at a massive desk covered with papers. The woman perched on a chair facing him.


    The man didn¡¯t look up from his writing. ¡°Yes, Karila?¡±


    Miiya¡¯s vision blurred. She retreated back to the bird¡¯s mind.


    The bird sounded surprised. You are back early.


    Fly, I will guide you.


    The dragonfly-buzzard took wing. Guided by Miiya¡¯s memory he glided over the palace until she spotted the window she was seeking. The bird swooped down and perched on the lintel, hidden from the occupants in the room.


    Miiya could hear the two people in the room, but not see them.


    Karila was speaking. ¡°¡­control her.¡±


    ¡°Poor devil.¡± The man¡¯s voice was soft.


    ¡°I was never a mother. But you were once a father. Don¡¯t you care about what will happen to this creature when the child is born dead, as we know it will? When you see her, don¡¯t you think of your daughter?¡±


    The man¡¯s voice hardened. ¡°We will keep my old life out of this conversation. That life is dead forever. I survive by not thinking about it. The problem is your sudden change, Karila. If you allow the hysterics of these women to get to you, you¡¯ll suffer. You know the rules. You know the consequences.¡±


    Karila sounded as if she was speaking through gritted teeth. ¡°Do not condescend to me. I was here decades before you. I know that even if the king mates with every woman in the world, he¡¯ll never be able to father a living child.¡±


    The man¡¯s level voice held a warming. ¡°You were here decades before me, Karila. Yet you let your emotions rule you. You forget the danger of allowing your tongue free rein.¡±


    There was a pause. Then the woman said, ¡°At first it was hard and the only reason I went along was to save myself and my family, my two sisters, their children. The same tactics they use with everyone else; do as we bid you or the person you love most will suffer; and you will be forced to watch it before you are turned into a Human Husk yourself.¡± She laughed, a harsh, grating sound. ¡°At first it was hell. I cried every time I had to deal with a newcomer. But with each one it got easier until I reached the point of not caring. Now it¡¯s turning around, becoming hard again. I think of escorting that wretched creature to a living death, and I want to kill myself.¡± She laughed again. ¡°No need to remind me that I won¡¯t. I¡¯ve taken the drug of immortality, and I¡¯m lost.¡±


    The man voice was mocking. ¡°I think I must be on the upward curve. Currently I feel nothing.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be there with them, when it happens.¡±


    ¡°And do you want to end up like them? I won¡¯t judge you. Don¡¯t judge me.¡± There was the soft rustling of paper. ¡°The chief priest has identified two candidates. I¡¯ve been assured that both are comely enough to please our master¡¯s aesthetic sense. They also come from fertile families unaffected by the plague. One will be picked, if the need arises.¡±


    Karila¡¯s voice was like a hard unending winter. ¡°You¡¯ve certainly made yourself indispensable to the king, and in a very short time. The perfect minister.¡±


    ¡°The prefect servant, Karila. That is all I am. That is all you are. Even our revered chief minister is nothing more than a servant, just more glorified than the rest of us. And no servant is indispensable.¡±


    There was the sound of a door being opened. Then the woman spoke again, her voice unpleasantly intimate. ¡°But there are advantages too, aren¡¯t there? A chance of cheating death, the pick of the king¡¯s discards. I suppose in the dark you don¡¯t see their eyes.¡±


    The man spoke without heat. ¡°They never close their eyes, Karila. And in the dark, those eyes shine. But then, I¡¯m sure you know that.¡±


    The door closed with a bang.


    The bird¡¯s voice was knife-sharp in Miiya¡¯s mind. What are they?


    Humans who have forgotten how to be human. Can you land on the window-sill? A second is all I need. Then leave. He mustn¡¯t notice you.


    Yes.


    The bird flew down and perched on the sill, pretending to groom its feathers.


    The man was sitting, staring ahead of him.


    Go.


    Stop screaming at me. I¡¯m going. You want to return to the Mere, the cave.


    Yes.


    The bird soared in the air and headed towards the sea.


    Miiya shivered. She had seen that face, twice, in Jubi¡¯s dreams.


    Jubi¡¯s father was alive.

 When a world falls apart

    ¡°Miiya, Miiya.¡±


    The voice was eons away, and within touching distance.  Miiya didn¡¯t want to respond to it. She didn¡¯t want to give up the clouds and return to earth.


    Not with this burden.


    ¡°Miiya! Please. What am I to do?¡±


    The desperation in that voice was a noose. It caught her and yanked her back to earth, away from the sun and the wind, away from a world of freedom where she was responsible for nothing and cared for no one.


    She opened her eyes.


    Cillo crouched over her, his face curdled with fear. His lips moved, mumbling something indistinct.


    She said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Cillo,¡± but no words came out of her mouth; only a guttural sound.


    Cillo cried, a sound with no word.


    Miiya tried to smile, but her lips wouldn¡¯t obey her. So she lifted her arm and touched the face bent over her, feeling the wetness on the cadaverous cheek. Cillo caught her hand in his. She closed her eyes, a part of her still trying to resist the pull of the earth.


    Fingers, calloused but gentle, were chafing her hands, rubbing her cheeks. The concern in that touch was a beacon, showing her the way back. She opened her eyes and tried to turn her head, but her neck was too stiff. ¡°Jubi? Seedevii¡±


    ¡°Both are fine, Jubi¡¯s still sleeping.¡± Cillo¡¯s voice had regained its usual cheerful timbre. He helped her to sit up. ¡°What can I get you, Miiya? Food? I¡¯ve made some¡­¡±


    ¡°Water.¡±


    He hurried stumbling in his eagerness. Cillo being Cillo. A deep wave of affection washed over her.


    Cillo had to hold the cup for Miiya; her hands still felt like wings and her fingers claws. She drank the water and sat back, trying to accustom her mind to life on the ground.


    ¡°I thought you were gone, Miiya.¡±


    Miiya shook her head and managed a smile.  ¡°Cillo. I need to talk to you.¡±


    He held out the dish to her. ¡°First you must eat.¡±


    The vision filled her mind, meat, raw, dripping with blood.


    You are doing this to me. Her voice was acidic with anger.


    The bird¡¯s laughter was like a million pins inside her head. No, you see with my eyes. Are grains nice?


    The food looked like sand, like mud. She resisted the urge to throw it away.


    The first mouthful was a struggle; the taste of grains and fruit was unfamiliar and unpleasant; it made her gag. She wanted to spit it out, to fly away from this dark hole, roam the skies, feed her hunger with flesh, succulent and meaty, tearing it with her beak...


    The final thought was like a bucket of icy water. She took deep breaths, focusing her mind on the inhaling and the exhaling. Breath by conscious breath, the need to kill and the mental visions of bloody flesh faded away. She began to feel less like a predatory bird, more like herself. The grains were nice. So were the fruits. She ate them all, scraping the bowl clean with a finger and then licking it. The earth ceased feeling unfamiliar; she was no longer a creature of the sky and the wind.


    Cillo was sitting across her, watching her with fascination. ¡°Is it hard, coming down to earth?¡±


    ¡°Strange.¡± Her eyes moved to Jubi¡¯s still form.


    Cillo flashed a reassuring smile. ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping. But we will continue to speak in Sammalorian.¡±


    Miiya nodded, bracing herself. ¡°Jubi¡¯s father is alive.¡±


    A spark of joy lit up Cillo¡¯s face from within. Then the spark died, slowly. ¡°Jubi¡¯s father being alive is not a good thing, is it, Miiya, going by your manner?¡±


    She shook her head. Words were hard to find.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t see how-¡±


    ¡°The Tailosii.¡±


    ¡°that could be¡­¡± Cillo stopped, wrinkling his brow. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Tailosii, spiritless bodies that do whatever they are told to do, endure whatever they are ordered to endure.¡±


    Cillo¡¯s looked as if she was talking in a language he knew nothing about.


    Miiya clicked her tongue. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever heard or read of the Spiritless Ones?¡±


    ¡°The Human Husks? Of course, I¡¯ve heard the stories. There¡¯s even a song parents sing to children at bedtime. Mine did to me, you know, warning me that if I¡¯m bad, the Human Husks will come and get me and suck my spirit out...¡± Cillo stopped as if words were choking him. He tried to speak but only a rattling sound came out of his wide open mouth.


    ¡°You would have come across the story in your studies, Cillo, that more than a millennium ago, King Alikana of the Empire of the Rising Moon tried to create an army of Tailosii?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Cillo opened his mouth, but no words came out. Only a guttural sound.


    Miiya continued, needing to fill the void around her with sound. ¡°According to legend, the first Tailosii was a horse made of bronze, by a mage who was also a mechanist. Rather like our mechanical birds, but with more power. Imagine such an animal. He would be able to do bear great loads, move much faster, travel great distances, be invaluable in any war. He wouldn¡¯t be tired. He¡¯d be immune to weather, climatic changes and weapons. He wouldn¡¯t need food or water or sleep. Alikana got the idea from that. Fortunately he was defeated before he could go far down that road. The knife used for the ritual was hidden in the ice-wastelands of the North by Witch Koomari.¡±


    Cillo was shivering so much, she could hear the sound of his teeth rattling.


    ¡°Iretsa must have found the knife. Anyway, the people taken from Draca are turned into Human Husks.¡±


    Cillo groaned.


    ¡°Remember Jubi told us that only the young and the well-formed are taken in the Silver Carriage and the old and the ill are generally spared?¡± Cillo nodded; or perhaps the nod was really a shudder. ¡°Iretsa turns those young people into Tailosii. He absorbs the years remaining to them and their strength.¡±


    Cillo gulped again and managed to find his voice, a frog¡¯s croak. ¡°How can such things be possible?¡±


    ¡°With human beings, anything is possible, both the bad and the good,¡± Miiya¡¯s voice was arid. ¡°He wants to prolong his life, yes, at least until he can sire an heir. Jubi mentioned that Draca was afflicted by a great sickness but couldn¡¯t give any details, because it had happened long before she was born. I have since discovered that this sickness devastated parts of the archipelago and affected even the coastal cities, though to a much lesser degree. In the popular parlance it was called the child-killer. It didn¡¯t kill children, but it destroyed the ability to beget them.¡± She unclenched her hands. ¡°Iretsa obviously afflicted and lost the ability to sire a living child.¡±


    ¡°So he came up with this plan?¡± Cillo sounded as if he was beset by an army of monsters. ¡°But how could he? What kind of mind can conceive something so horrendous?¡±


    Miiya shrugged. ¡°Power does strange things to people, Cillo.¡±


    ¡°What happened to Jubi¡¯s father? You said he¡¯s alive. So he can¡¯t be a Tailosii?¡±


    Miiya nodded. ¡°He has met with a worse fate. He is now a minister to the king. And he is helping the king to turn other humans into Tailosii.¡±


    The silence carried the weight of hills. So did Cillo¡¯s despairing voice.


    ¡°I want to ask you whether you are certain. I want to convince myself you have made a mistake, that something so horrible cannot possibly happen.¡± His eyes clung to hers, his gaze pleading. When she said nothing, he sighed. ¡°But I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen him in her memories, Cillo, when I was taking her nightmares away. In the memories he is lean, his face creased with worry lines. Now the worry lines are gone, his face is plump, like the rest of him. He is dressed in rich clothes, like the minister he has become. But it is the same man, right down to the limp.¡±


    Cillo groaned. Sweat poured down his face in rivulets, even though the cave was cold.


    ¡°I suppose Jubi¡¯s father was told that Jubi would be brought to the castle and turned into a Tailosii, if he didn¡¯t cooperate. That seems to be the way they operate when they want to recruit a new human servant. He would have gone through hell at first, but now he seems resigned to what he has become.¡±


    The bird¡¯s voice was brittle. Don¡¯t be a sentimental fool. He is more than resigned. He is enjoying the power he has. He might have been a victim once. But now he is a monster. If you ask me, he¡¯ll sacrifice his daughter to keep what he has gained.


    Miiya resisted the urge to scream at the bird. He was probably right.


    ¡°Your bird says Jubi¡¯s father likes being in a position of power.¡±


    Cillo¡¯s gaze moved from Miiya to the bird and back, with wide-eyed amazement. ¡°Seedevii is still inside your head?¡±


    ¡°The mental affinity between him and me will continue for a while more. And his judgment is correct. His mind is not clogged with sentiment, as mine seemed to have become.¡±


    Cillo winced. ¡°So Jubi¡¯s father is one of the monsters?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I¡¯d better tell you what I saw and heard. Then perhaps you will understand better. We need to decide what to do, Cillo. I must do the right thing as a witch, but I don¡¯t want to do the wrong thing by Jubi.¡±


    Cillo nodded, his face ashen. As she spoke, he sat with his back to the cave wall, as if he was carved out of the same rock. Only his face mirrored the agony he was experiencing.


    ¡°I think we need to get out of here, Miiya.¡±


    She nodded. She needed to warn, seek counsel, consult; the world must know what was happening in Draca. Iretsa must be stopped, the way Alikana was. ¡°I think at first all Iretsa wanted was to stay alive and young until he had an heir. But at some point things changed, or so I surmise. The king, and perhaps even his courtiers, became addicted to the idea of deathlessness. Longevity stopped being the means to an end and became an end in itself. Likewise the creation of the Tailosii. At first they were merely a by-product. Then they became a convenience. Now they are a necessity. I believe that¡­¡±


    The dragonfly-buzzard flew at her shrieking. The words tore into Miiya¡¯s mind. She¡¯s listening.


    Miiya didn¡¯t realize she had echoed the bird¡¯s warning shriek out loud, until her voice died down.


    ¡°I was listening.¡± Jubi spoke haltingly in Sammalorian, her grammar not quite correct, her pronunciation a bit awry. Her voice was deadly calm. ¡°So Papa is alive. Tell me more about him.¡±


    Miiya ignored the anguished look in Cillo¡¯s eyes. Truth and nothing but the truth was her best option. It was her only option.


    She repeated the story she told Cillo, in Common Speech. Jubi sat as still as Cillo had done, her face a mask of polite interest. Occasionally she shivered, as if chilled by a wind that blew only for her.


    Miiya¡¯s words were followed by a silence as oppressive as the Mere outside.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to Papa.¡±


    Miiya had expected this request.


    ¡°I understand your desire to talk to your father, Jubi. And I¡¯ll make sure you have the chance to do so, though not immediately. First let me make another visit to that place, early tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll find out more details, including about how best you can get into the Castle.¡±


    ¡°Why must you wait till tomorrow morning?¡±


    ¡°The bird is weary and so am I. In any case, he¡¯s not a nocturnal bird.¡±


    ¡°There is no point in you going there again, Miiya. I must talk to Papa. He¡¯ll listen to me.¡±


    Stupid girl.


    Miiya looked at the dragonfly-buzzard. The bird was glaring at Jubi.


    Cillo spoke before Miiya could. ¡°Listen to me, Jubi-girl. You can¡¯t just walk into that place, have a long conversation with your father and walk out with him.  Let Miiya go again and find out more about this place.¡±


    A flash of rebellious anger swept across Jubi¡¯s face. It was gone in a second replaced by emptiness. Miiya waited for tears or even a temper tantrum. There was nothing.


    Cillo moved towards Jubi, and stopped as if confronted by a barrier. Miiya studied the young woman. There was something different about her, an air of remoteness.  Miiya could have dealt with screams and tears, not this seemingly calm acceptance of the unbearable.


    Cillo said, ¡°Everything will work out in the end, Jubi-girl.¡± But his voice lacked its usual ebullience.


    Jubi didn¡¯t look at him. Her eyes were on the rock wall of the cave, her expression mirroring the wall, blank and hard.


    The evening was a silent one. Jubi busied about, cleaning the cave, getting a meal together. Miiya ventured out into the Forest, to fetch water from a nearby stream and to check the spell cover over the cave. It held for now.


    They ate early. When the meal was over, Jubi asked Miiya for some nidra, the first words she had spoken all evening.

 A kind of ending

    Wake up! Waaaake upppp!


    The words were talons shredding the web of sleep.


    Miiya tried to open her eyes and failed. It was as if her eyelids were pasted together.


    Wake up. They are gone.


    She tried to speak. Her tongue seemed to be cleaved to her mouth.


    The girl sneaked out. The old man went after her. Wake up.


    The voice ended in a screech. Then the pain came, physical pain, growing and growing.


    Her eyes flew open. The dragonfly-buzzard gave her hand one final peck with his curved beak before stepping back. Her hand was stinging. She touched it with a probing finger and felt the sticky warmth of her own blood. She looked around. The cave was empty.


    They are gone.


    She took deep breaths, forcing her mind to focus.


    Jubi, she drugged me with the nidra.


    The bird¡¯s laughter was like nails inside her head. She¡¯s a sharp one; left you a letter. Over there on the ledge, under a stone. The old man left a message.


    Miiya¡¯s legs were so unsteady even the few steps to the ledge took time and effort. She picked up and opened the note with hands that trembled as much as her legs did.


    My dearest Miiya and Cillo,


    I go to seek Papa. I must talk to him. I think he will listen to me. Whether he does or not, this is the end of the journey. I will return if I can. Don¡¯t come searching for me. You¡¯ve done your part. Now I must do mine.


    I hope I will get an opportunity to thank you for everything you have done for me. I was dead inside when I met you.  Your love and care brought me back to life.


    Forgive me, Miiya, for disobeying you. Forgive me, Cillo, for leaving without a word of goodbye. This is my quest, my battle. I cannot give up Papa. He is the only family I have. The world doesn¡¯t interest me.  All I want to do is to take Papa home.


    I love you both.


    Jubi


    Miiya looked up from the piece of paper            . What was Cillo¡¯s message?


    The bird¡¯s voice was stilted. Tell Miiya I tried to wake her up and couldn¡¯t. Tell her I¡¯m going after Jubi.


    Only that?


    Only that.


    Miiya swiped aside a tinge of disappointment and tried to think, to formulate a plan. It was hard. Her mind was foggy. Her body wanted to lie down and sleep.


    Go.


    The bird sounded confused. Go? Go where?


    Go after Cillo and Jubi. Reach out to me and tell me where they are.


    And you?


    I¡¯ll come.


    The bird gave her a hard stare before flying away. His departing thoughts reverberated in her head. Your mind is full of clouds. Take time. Enough mistakes have been made. Don¡¯t add to them.


    Miiya sat cross legged on the floor and closed her eyes, breathing in and out, focusing on each breath. As the clouds of befuddlement caused by the soporific departed, she knew what she had to do.


    Opaquing, the trick of melting into the background. ¡°Draw yourself in, girl, blend with the surroundings,¡± her grandmother had instructed. ¡°Don¡¯t think of what tree you want to become. Let the trees choose. Let go of yourself, girl. Let go.¡±


    After a lifetime of witchery, the art of vanishing into the background came naturally. Miiya left the cave, a non-shadow among the shadows.


    The Mere welcomed her. It opened itself to her and invited her in. She paused for a second, gazing into its dark bowels, feeling its lure. Then she tore herself away from those invisible fingers and ran, didn¡¯t stop running until she cleared the tree line.


    The beach was in darkness. The moons were still gone. The starlight was weak. But dawn was close. She hurried towards the cliff, her mind open for the bird.


    Where are you? The bird¡¯s voice tore at her. Where are you?This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I¡¯m coming.


    She heard them before she saw them, the sounds of the scuffle, Cillo¡¯s groans and the bird¡¯s ear-splitting shrieks.


    A soldier ¨C a Tailosii - was dragging Cillo up the cliff. He resisted, trying to cling to anything his flailing hand could grab. The Tailosii didn¡¯t seem to feel Cillo¡¯s desperate resistance. The dragonfly-buzzard¡¯s frenzied pecking had torn the silvery slit that had been the creature¡¯s  right eye, but even the injury didn¡¯t slow him down.


    The bird¡¯s cry was like a knife-thrust inside her head. I can¡¯t stop this...thing. It¡¯s all rotten inside, like dead meat.


    Miiya knew what she had to do. But her entire being revolted at it. The Tailosii was no longer human. But it had been human once.


    A cry of pain from Cillo decided her. She threw a Thought-bolt at the Tailosii. It would have sufficed to incapacitate, if not kill a human, but the creature seemed to feel it just barely. Still it made him stop and turn. She threw another one, this time aimed at the arm holding Cillo. The Tailosii didn¡¯t let go of his victim but his grip loosened. Miiya pulled Cillo free, pushed him out of harm¡¯s way and turned to her opponent.


    The Tailosii had been young once, and handsome. He would never smile again, anymore than he would weep, but she could see the ghost of the lost smile on his mobile mouth.


    The creature didn¡¯t seem to sense her presence.  Or perhaps it didn¡¯t care. Its attention was  fixed on the recumbent form of Cillo.


    Miiya closed her eyes and did what she had to do, and opened them to see the creature incinerate from within.


    Something brushed her cheek with the softness of a feather. She touched it with a finger and her eyes strayed towards the pitiful heap of ashes.


    She waved a hand and the wind blew the ashes away to the sea.


    The bird¡¯s cry was urgent. The old man. He is injured.


    Miiya whirled around. The sight of Cillo, lying prone where she had thrown him, banished every other consideration. She knelt by him and saw the gaping wound on his chest. His robe was sticky.


    Cillo¡¯s eyes opened. ¡°Miiya?¡±


    She placed one hand on his clammy brow and the other over the wound, touching and probing. The cut was too deep, it had damaged a lung beyond repair and he had bled too much.


    His eyes darted around, searching for her. ¡°I can¡¯t see you.¡±


    She made herself Materialize. Cillo tried to smile. But a grimace was all he could manage.


    ¡°They took her.¡±


    She focused on closing the wound. There was nothing she could do about the internal injuries.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take you back to the cave.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t waste time. I¡¯m done for.  Just listen to me.¡±


    Do something. The bird¡¯s words were a command and a plea.


    He¡¯s right. He cannot be saved.


    The bird screamed. Miiya had no idea whether she was hearing him with her ears or in her mind.


    Perhaps both.


    Cillo was trying to speak but the pain defeated him. He whimpered. His breathing made a grating sound.


    She placed a finger on his tightly pressed lips gesturing silence. He closed his eyes, in a mute sign of assent. She placed her hand on his brow, drawing out his pain, taking it into herself.


    Her lungs became clogged, as if they were filling with water. Her heart began to burn. Breathing was an effort. Shockwaves of pain crisscrossed her body. But she felt happy, happier than she had been for a long time.


    ¡°Miiya!¡± Cillo¡¯s face had cleared, his eyes were focused and his breathing regular.


    ¡°Sublimation,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯d have seen it done.¡±


    His eyes brimmed with tears. He caught her hand and kissed it.


    She felt the cost of his physical movement, as if a sharp knife sliced through her body. That too was a part of Sublimation. Someone always had to pay the price, as her grandmother never stopped reminding her.


    Cillo noticed her grimace of pain. He let go of her hand a stricken look in his eyes.


    She smiled. ¡°Now tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°Going through the Mere slowed her down. I caught up with her,¡± he spoke in staccato sentences, obviously to spare her as much pain as possible. ¡°I reasoned with her. She wouldn¡¯t listen. We got to the top of the cliff. They were waiting. Tailosii and a man. He had a limp.¡±


    She nodded, ignoring the pain. Jubi¡¯s father.


    Cillo shuddered at the memory. ¡°He...he ordered them to take her alive and kill me. She resisted, but they were so strong. She yelled at me to run. I knew her father didn¡¯t intend her any harm, not immediately. I ran, but one came after me and stabbed me.¡± His eyes met hers. ¡°Then you came.¡±


    Miiya wanted to scream. If only she had been a little faster, if only she had arrived a little sooner, if only Jubi didn¡¯t give her so much nidra. The anger she had felt about Jubi¡¯s betrayal, which she had kept in check up to now, threatened to spill over.


    Cillo must have divined her feelings. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry with her, Miiya. Please save her. She mustn¡¯t become like them.¡±


    At this moment, she didn¡¯t care whether Jubi turned into a Human Husk or not. But she didn¡¯t want to refuse Cillo anything. ¡°I¡¯ll go after her. But I must make you safe first.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m safe now. I¡¯ll be even safer soon, Miiya.¡±


    The physical pain coursed through her veins and concentrated into an unbearable pinpoint in her heart.


    He was careening close to the end.


    She yearned for tears. All she could do was to take his hand in hers and press it.


    ¡°Miiya, will you tell that dratted bird that I love him.¡±


    The dragonfly-buzzard would have heard. But he made no response; just sat where he was, like a bird painted against the background of a rising sun and a slowly awakening sea.


    Cillo pressed her hand. His voice had a desperate ring to it. ¡°Miiya, don¡¯t lose time.¡±


    She took a deep breath in a vain effort clear her lungs. Her vision was blurring, a blood red cloud swirling in her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s time enough for her. Are you comfortable?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Jubi is in your care.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look after her.¡±


    His face relaxed into an expression of contentment. His fingers tightened on her hand.


    Dark stars splattered the red mist in her eyes. All the physical pain was now coagulated in her heart. She bent down and kissed his brow, her lips lingering on the already cooling skin.


    Cillo closed his eyes. She sat by his side, holding his hand with both hers, her gaze fixed on his paling face.


    The red cloud and the black stars merged, forming a black wall which blinded her. The pain in her heart turned into a fire ball and exploded.


    Her sight cleared. Her lungs unlocked. The pain was gone.


    She could feel the inveigling touch of the first tendrils of delirium


    ¡°Miiya!¡±


    She looked down at Cillo.


    ¡°I always envied Terryc.¡±


    She carried the hand she was holding to her lips. ¡°I wish we had more time together, Cillo, much more time.¡± She smiled at him. ¡°Though even a century might not have sufficed to get to know your ways.¡±


    His fading eyes sparkled for an instant. ¡°But we did have some time, Miiya. More than I ever hoped for.¡±


    His eyes were dulling again, the light in them fading. She touched his cheek, her fingers moving up and down with caressing softness. ¡°It was a good journey. Go in peace, my friend.¡±


    His gaze clung to her for a second. Then he closed his eyes.


    He wouldn¡¯t open them again.

 The sharpest knife

    No mortal eyes saw Miiya as she dragged herself up the last few steps and stood on the cliff top, an old woman bent by grief, swaying with fatigue.


    She had carried Cillo¡¯s body to a narrow recess on the cliff wall. The cave was still cold from the long-vanished underground river that formed it eons ago. She laid Cillo out on the flat rocky floor. He looked as if he had fallen into a deep, relaxing sleep. The furrows of pain and tiredness had vanished, leaving his face smooth and oddly young.


    His task was done. Hers was not.


    She touched his face one last time and forced herself to get up.


    Fatigue hit her like a wave, and she had to drag herself out, clinging to the rough wall of the cave for support. Once outside, she wove a cloud of concealment hiding the mouth of the cave from mortal eyes, human and animal.


    Afterward, she looked for the dragonfly-buzzard. He was nowhere to be seen. She called him, even tried to reach him with her mind, and failed.


    Maybe he had flown away from the scene of his loss, to gather what consolation he could by floating with the wind, under a cloudless sky.


    If only she could do the same, she had thought. But she had made a promise. She had to keep faith with Cillo, at least in death.


    Miiya inhaled and exhaled deeply, calming herself, focusing all her attention on the scene before her.


    She had seen the castle once, but that had been through the eyes of the dragonfly-buzzard. Now she saw the castle with her own eyes. It sparkled like a giant pearl in the soft morning light.


    The wall round the castle was encased in shell pearls. The immense gates were wrought in silver-iron and decorated with sea dragon motifs. The air was perfumed by the scents of a thousand flowers. Somewhere a fountain tinkled.


    It looked like the kind of place where handsome princes lived happily ever after with beautiful princesses. Everything about the castle was inviting. Except that spine-chilling silence. It was as if she was the only living being in this place. She wished she had the dragonfly-buzzard with her. Talking to him might have lessened her loneliness.


    Miiya walked towards the nearest gate. It was guarded by two Tailosii guards were dressed in uniforms of light blue and silver, and carried no weapons. At first glance their faces looked handsome, until you noticed those eyes. Their stance watchful but relaxed reminded her of Terryc. So he had stood, when she walked into his workshop for the first time to purchase a new lens for her distance-seeing glass¡­


    Miiya gave herself a mental shake. Past was a drug she couldn¡¯t afford to imbibe in. Not if she wanted to give Jubi a future.


    The gates were not locked. She could open one and go in. But how would the guards react, if an invisible hand pushed the gate open from outside? Would they raise the alarm? How would they do that? The greater danger was that there could be humans on the lookout, especially after what happened with Jubi.


    She picked up her robe by the hem and tied it round her waist and rubbed her cold hands together, to drive out the numbness.


    The Tailosii hadn¡¯t moved.


    She placed a slightly trembling foot on the head of the bottommost sea dragon, caught the next one by the tail and started the climb, gaiting sureness with each step. She reached the top and climbed down onto the other side.


    Flowers everywhere, blooming, fragrant, and yet no bees, no insects, not even a silent butterfly. It was as if all living creatures with a choice shunned the castle and the grounds.


    Here


    The voice made her lose her step and almost sent her sprawling. She steadied herself and turned around, looking for its source. She was alone.


    She had heard the voice not in her ear but in her head.


    A rush of gladness lightened her heart, and brought a smile to her face.


    Seedevii. I was afraid you had gone for good.


    The bird¡¯s voice was stiff. I wanted to. I tried to. But I couldn¡¯t. So I came back. The old man, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted me to leave you.


    She smiled again. So you are not as immune to ties of affection as you thought you were, my friend.


    The bird¡¯s voice flashed with anger. I have a score to settle. Can you find me?


    Miiya probed with her mind. She could sense the dragonfly-buzzard, though far away. I think so.


    Then come. The girl is locked up in a room. I¡¯m perched outside.


    Miiya looked for an entry point, moving from closed door to closed door, loath to take the risk of opening one. She was retracing her steps, when she saw a woman walking towards the castle carrying a basket of flowers. A Tailosii, from the way she walked, swift steps, faces turned ahead, not looking round at anything. A mindless walk.


    The Tailosii reached a silver studded door made of some whitish wood, opened it and went inside. Miiya slipped in, seconds before the door swung closed.


    They were in a chamber furnished with four chairs, a table and a huge silver urn. The Tailosii walked up to the urn and began to arrange the flowers she had brought, long stalks of blue ladies¡¯-slipper-orchids. She worked like the gardeners, with single-minded efficiency, an efficiency that was not quite human.


    Miiya shivered and turned away.


    The link between the bird¡¯s mind and hers was a thin frayed strand, almost non-existent in places. She followed it, from chamber to chamber, seeing no one other than an occasional Tailosii.


    Inside of the castle was as alluring as the outside. The carpets, the hangings, the upholstery and the decorations were all in light blue and soft silver. The sea dragon motif was everywhere, woven into wall hangings and carpets, carved into furniture, done up as paintings. It would have been perfect, had it not been for one absence ¨C sound.


    The mental thread linking her to the bird was strong now, a sign that she was on the right track. One more corridor, and she was at the bottom of a wide staircase. She ascended it, her bare feet sinking into the deep carpet. The thread connecting her to the bird became more potent with each step, until it turned into an invisible force pulling her forward. She hurried, another deserted corridor, another staircase, wider than the previous one, to a heavy wooden door. Two Tailosii guards stood on the either side of the door, ramrod straight.


    Miiya reached out to the bird. Is she there?


    Yes, and her father. Is there any way you can come in?


    Miiya studied her surroundings.


    The corridor was bare except for a tall silver vase on a silver plinth. The vase bore a single stem of balloon flowers, the gleaming dark blue petals framed by the light blue walls.


    She walked up to the vase and pushed it. It teetered on the plinth for a second, crashed to the ground and rolled away.


    The sound echoed and re-echoed through the silent corridor.


    The Tailosii guards didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t even look up.


    The door swung open and Jubi¡¯s father rushed out. His dilated eyes fell on the fallen vase and on the motionless figures of the two Tailosii, and narrowed to suspicious slits. He stepped away from the door and walked up to where the vase lay.


    He left the door ajar.


    She slipped into the room and moved towards the shelter of a dark corner, between a dressing table and a wardrobe.


    Jubi¡¯s father shouted at the Tailosii to pick up the vase. He re-entered the room, closing the door behind him. His face still wore a puzzled expression.


    Miiya took a quick look around. The room was furnished with an eye for beauty and feel for luxury, soft carpets and glittering wall-hangings, two silver urns bearing profusions of blue monkey-orchids, the bed on a dais curtained and canopied, several upholstered chairs and a small three-legged table. Through the open windows the sun streamed in, and sea air, cool and salty.


    The picture of pleasant ease was undermined by one jarring anomaly; all three windows were barred. The silver-steel grills were worked in a floral pattern, yet they revealed the reality of the room, not a refuge but a prison.


    Jubi sat in a blue-upholstered silver chair backing a barred window. Her clothes were torn and muddy, her hair was undone, her face pale and drawn. But she was not cowering, shivering or crying. She sat in her chair with her head held high, her back straight, her mouth firm, her hands relaxing on her lap. She watched her father as he came into the room and closed the door, her expression unreadable. ¡°What was it, Papa?¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    The tone of her voice felt both familiar and unfamiliar to Miiya. She had heard it before but she couldn¡¯t remember where and when.


    The man shrugged. ¡°A vase had fallen.¡± He stood indecisively. His eyes moved about the room, like an animal in the presence of an unknown threat.


    Miiya shrank into her corner. She knew he couldn¡¯t see her. But there was something disconcerting in his glance, as if he sensed an alien presence.


    Suddenly he was moving, snooping into corners, staring at the darkness, his nose twitching as if he was a hound on the trail of a rabbit.


    ¡°Papa, please, listen. You have to come with me. We must escape this place.¡±


    Jubi walked up to her father, caught him by the hand and pulled him towards her, trying to embrace him. ¡°Papa, please, we have to get out of here, before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    Miiya placed the tone of voice. It was the one Jubi used with Cillo.


    The man turned around with an angry glare, trying to pull himself free from the clinging arms. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it, Jubi? It¡¯s already too late. Too late for me the moment the carriage stopped outside my door, too late for you the moment you decided to rescue me. How could you be so stupid?¡± He paused, his face twitching, his lips pursed. Then he said in a softer tone, ¡°You did it out of love. I know that. I¡¯m doing the same Jubi. I want to save you. I¡¯m not thinking of myself. I¡¯m thinking of you.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s cry pierced Miiya¡¯s heart. ¡°How can you, Papa? How can you?¡±


    The man glared. When Miiya saw him last, he had appeared suave and contented. Now he looked like a cornered animal.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s the only way I can save you from an eternity of living-death.¡± He enunciated each word with brutal care. His voice was like serrated steel.


    ¡°Might as well kill me, Papa.¡±


    The man said nothing, his attention torn between his daughter and whatever he sensed.


    Jubi used the moment of inattention to put her arms round his neck. She nestled her head on his chest, and looked up at him. ¡°Come away with me. If we fail, we¡¯ll die together. It would be so much better than this life.¡±


    The man shoved her away from him with such force she would have fallen had she not clutched at a chair.


    Miiya choked back a cry just in time.


    Jubi steadied herself and stood lance-straight staring at the man, as if she was seeing not her father for whose sake she had risked everything and borne more, but a stranger.


    ¡°Death? Death is not an option, daughter, not for me, not for you. If we fail, we won¡¯t die. They¡¯ll turn both of us into human husks.¡±


    Jubi shrank back as if he had slapped her. Then she straightened her shoulders and looked at her father. When she spoke, her voice was steady.


    ¡°Papa, you have to listen to me.¡±


    The man¡¯s laugh was harsh and hollow. ¡°No, you listen to me, daughter. You should never have come here. I sacrificed myself to keep you safe. You could have lived and died in safety in Draca. You could have had a life, with a man of your own, with children. But no, you had to put yourself in danger and put me in danger. Thanks to you, I stand to lose all I¡¯ve achieved. And mark this well, daughter. Despite your ingratitude, I¡¯m still unwilling to abandon you to your fate. I¡¯m still trying to save you.¡±


    ¡°Save me, Papa?¡± Jubi¡¯s voice was bitter. ¡°Is that what you call it? Telling me to submit to that monster? Telling me to become his...wife.¡± She spat the last word, as if it was some poison she needed to get rid of.


    If her father heard her words, he gave no sign of it. ¡°I had to beg and beg, Jubi, to get this concession from the king. His other ministers wanted you to be Possessed immediately. They resent me, you see, resent my influence with the king. Compared to them, I¡¯m a newcomer. But His Majesty is farseeing. He understands the need for new blood. That was why I was taken, because I am a lettered man, a man of sense and intelligence. His Majesty, in his incomparable God-given wisdom, values me. Already I¡¯m tasked with many important matters. I¡¯m trusted and let me tell you, that is a great honour.¡± His sudden smile made Miiya shudder. ¡°You should be proud of me, daughter, proud of what I have achieved, instead of standing in judgment of me.¡±


    ¡°Proud, Papa? Proud of what?¡±


    Once again the man continued as if he didn¡¯t hear Jubi. ¡°His Majesty was most merciful. He is the perfect prince, daughter, kind as he is wise. That was why he agreed to spare you. And I expect gratitude from you, daughter. When you are taken before His Majesty, go down on your knees, place your forehead on the ground three times and thank him for sparing you. It¡¯s Karila¡¯s job to instruct you in these matters, but between us, daughter, I don¡¯t trust that woman. She is my enemy, just like everyone else. She¡¯d want you to fail. You remember that and check everything with me. We can¡¯t afford to make any mistakes.¡±


    Jubi stared at her father, her mouth hanging open. ¡°You call that sparing me? Getting me to become his succubus?¡±


    The man startled. ¡°Don¡¯t utter such blasphemies, girl,¡± he said, each word falling like a lash. ¡°If anyone hears, we¡¯ll be condemned. Is that what you want? To become one of those things?¡±


    Jubi said nothing.


    The man¡¯s voice dropped a little. ¡°Your brother, Jubi? Remember him? He guards my door. I look at him and he doesn¡¯t see me. I call his name and he doesn¡¯t hear me. When I first saw him, my heart broke. I embraced him. I couldn¡¯t stop my tears. His flesh, his body felt the same. But...the thing I held in my arms wasn¡¯t my son.¡± His voice rose. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to become like him. I don¡¯t want to see you walking about the palace, doing whatever they tell you to do, like¡­¡± His voice broke. He leaned against a chair, dry sobs racked him body.


    Jubi sat in her chair, her body bent almost double.


    The man made a visible effort to control himself. He walked up to Jubi and laid a hand on her shoulder. ¡°There, there, Jubi, everything will turn out to fine. You¡¯ll be pleased by the king. Did you think he was some ugly monster or a hunchback or something unseemly?¡± His laugh made Miiya shiver. ¡°He is tall and well-built. His features are handsome. His voice is soothing. He doesn¡¯t get angry. And I have seen him with two of his wives. He is most attentive to them, an affectionate and indulgent a husband as any woman could wish for. And once you conceive, you¡¯ll be treated like a goddess. That I have seen. The last but one wanted porridge made out of a scented rice which grows only in a small island far South. A journey of more than a month. And yet His Majesty managed it.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s voice was stripped of all emotions. ¡°Tell me, what will happen to me once I fail to produce a living child?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll take at least a year. Too long for me to think about at this moment of peril. Right now, I¡¯m concerned about tomorrow, even tonight.¡± He paused and said in a low voice, ¡°The watchers on the tower reported your arrival. Fortunately for you, I was the minister on duty. My order was to take the intruders alive, make them reveal what they were doing here, then to kill the old man and hand the young woman over to Karila to be drained. When I went there, I found you-¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes ranged round the room, like a hunted animal. Jubi leaned forward, her hands held out, but shrank back as if what she saw in his face destroyed her momentary hope. She said softly, ¡°You should have killed me, Papa.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty doesn¡¯t believe in waste. Every young life is precious to him.¡±


    Jubi gawped. Miiya felt like gawping herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad life, Jubi.¡± The man¡¯s voice was soft now, pleading. ¡°You will see him soon, daughter, but let me describe him some more. He wears his hair long, and it suits him. It¡¯s like silver, not brown like ours, a gift of the Father to our royal family. He has such a regal bearing. When you see him, you will think he is not a mortal king but a god. But such a simple man, such kindness, such generosity. You will be the queen.¡± The man¡¯s eyes glistened. ¡°Imagine that. My daughter, the queen.¡±


    ¡°Until I prove I can¡¯t serve my purpose.¡± Miiya could sense the steeliness spreading over Jubi¡¯s voice, like ink on blotting paper. ¡°What then, Papa?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a clever girl, Jubi. And a resourceful one. As I said, you have a year. You can use that time wisely. You can please our lord, make yourself indispensable to him in many ways. So when...when... So you can save yourself by rendering him other services.  I¡¯ve already told him that you are even more lettered than I. His Majesty was pleased to hear it. And never forget, I¡¯m here. Together we can plan. We can help each other to get more influence, more power.¡± His voice was excited now. ¡°Just buy yourself some time, daughter. I beg you.¡±


    Miiya wondered how the father of Jubi¡¯s dreams and recollections ended up like this?


    Jubi¡¯s voice was now pure steel. ¡°So you want me to save myself from a monster by becoming one?¡±


    The man smiled. ¡°He¡¯s not a monster, Jubi-child.¡±


    Jubi winced. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. Don¡¯t you dare to call me that.¡±


    Once again the man continued as if he was deaf to her intervention. ¡°He¡¯s just a man who wants a son.¡± He stepped up to Jubi and took her hand in his. ¡°I once thought as you do now. I agreed to serve them because they threatened to bring you here. I was nursing secret plans of escaping, until I saw the evidence of his love and his suffering.¡± He paused. ¡°The uppermost floor of the castle is ready for the living son he hopes to have. Rooms full of toys fit for every age. The costliest furniture and clothing.¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°Then there is this long chamber, with a domed ceiling and tall windows, full of light and sea air. It¡¯s called the Past Nursery. It contains the bodies of every baby born dead, preserved in huge crystal jars. He spends hours there, walking around, looking at those poor dead things, talking to them. Your heart would go out to him when you see that, daughter, and hear his voice, so tender, so full of love...¡±


    Jubi¡¯s voice was quiet. ¡°Papa, tell me how Tailosii are made.¡±


    ¡°Now, Jubi...¡±


    ¡°No, tell me. Before I decide what to do, I need to know.¡±


    ¡°This is not the kind of thing you should hear.¡±


    ¡°No, just the kind of thing that¡¯d be done to me,¡± Jubi¡¯s voice was like ashes, cold and spent. ¡°If you want me to consider your proposal, you must answer my question.¡±


    ¡°A little cut, on the top of your head.¡± The man¡¯s voice was dull. ¡°They say it¡¯s the sharpest knife in the world.¡±


    ¡°Why the head?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think it¡¯s the place where the life-force can be sucked out.¡±


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    The man said nothing. But Jubi must have seen the answer on his face because she nodded.


    ¡°I see. And where is this done¡±


    The man seemed to have lost his earlier reticence. His words tumbled out. ¡°For his ladies, it¡¯s done in the Past Nursery, next to the jar nestling the body of the new baby. At dawn, with the first golden light filling the room. For the others, there are lesser chambers in the second floor.¡±


    ¡°Will I be conscious?¡±


    Jubi¡¯s I was emphasized. The man must have noticed it, because he said nothing. But his face must have reflected the answer, again.


    Jubi nodded. ¡°And who will do it, this little cut with the sharpest knife in the world?¡±


    ¡°Jubi, this is...¡±


    Her voice cut in, like the world¡¯s sharpest knife. ¡°Answer me.¡±


    ¡°The king. That¡¯s how he gets to control them. When it¡¯s one of his ladies, there¡¯s a great deal of ceremony, like a second marriage. The lady is dressed like a bride, in red. She¡¯s escorted to the Past Nursery by Karila. His Majesty waits, as glorious as the sun. Everything¡¯s solemn and beautiful, I¡¯m told.¡±


    ¡°And the other men and woman, how are they Possessed?¡±


    The man seemed to have become resigned. Perhaps he had been drilled into succumbing to the stronger will.


    ¡°His Majesty of course takes the best. The rest are divided according to his wishes.¡±


    ¡°And they too are Possessed in the same way?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no ceremony. His Majesty makes the cut and whoever the chosen courtier sucks in the life-force.¡±


    ¡°How do you suck in the life-force? How do you know that it is done successfully?¡±


    ¡°Because their eyes go blank and turn into silver slits. You just place your lips on the cut and suck in. You feel it, the energy entering your body, your veins. It is such an exhilarating...¡±


    The words died on a groan of horror. It came not from Jubi, but from her father. He dropped her hand and sprang back.


    ¡°You tricked me!¡±


    Jubi stood as motionless as a rock, staring at her father. ¡°I just wanted the truth.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s father reeled, as if had been hit by lightening. He steadied himself and fled, his limp barely visible, banging the door behind him.

 Strange Affinities

    Miiya  waited, resisting the urge to rush to Jubi. Jubi seemed to be waiting too, her attention focused on the door.


    The silence continued, broken only by the sound of the waves and the wind.


    ¡°Miiya.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s voice was almost a whisper. Her eyes moved round the room, trying to see the invisible. ¡°Miiya?¡±


    Miiya¡¯s smile was tender and grim. So all those probing questions Jubi asked her father were for her benefit as well. She walked up to the still form. ¡°I¡¯m here, Jubi.¡±


    Jubi held out her hand. Miiya took it, feeling both the coldness and the strength.


    ¡°How did you know I was here?¡±


    Jubi smiled, making her dead eyes come alive for a second. ¡°When that sound came and Papa couldn¡¯t find how the vase fell.¡± Her fingers tightened over Miiya¡¯s. ¡°May I see you?¡±


    ¡°Materializing and Dematerializing exhaust too much power.¡±


    Jubi nodded. Her face and her bearing reminded Miiya of the sea, just before it produced a tidal wave.


    Jubi said, ¡°Miiya, I want to tell you...¡± and stopped, because Miiya had clamped an invisible hand over her mouth.


    There were footsteps outside.


    Jubi pointed to a painted screen at the far end of the room. Miiya whisked herself behind it.  The screen covered a washing area, complete with a marble hip bath shaped like a sea-shell and a tall washstand. Miiya stood behind the screen and counted three different footsteps.


    The screen was made of a scented wood and consisted of three panels. Each panel was adorned with a sea dragon motif, carved into the wood itself. She pressed an invisible eye to one of the motifs.


    Jubi sat in the chair by the window. Three people stood before her, her father, Karila and a man Miiya hadn¡¯t seen before. He was tall and heavyset, middle aged and richly attired.


    ¡°Daughter,¡± Jubi¡¯s father¡¯s voice sounded stiff, as if he was making an official pronouncement, with a strong undercurrent of worry. ¡°This is His Excellency Minister Bansham, the chief minister to our revered Majesty. And this is Madam Karila who will be your guardian, until the marriage ceremony is over. His Excellency has some questions for you about...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± Bansham spoke in a deep voice, brimming with quiet authority. ¡°My lady, your father informs me that you are filled with happiness at the great honour our most gracious Majesty is willing to bestow on you. You don¡¯t look as if you are...eh filled with happiness.¡±


    Please don¡¯t say anything negative, Miiya thought. Please.


    ¡°Your Excellency, may I say something?¡± Karila didn¡¯t wait for permission but said in a lowered voice, ¡°They never look happy at the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Karila.¡± Bansham¡¯s expression was colder than ice. ¡°When I need your input, you can be sure I will ask for it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Excellency; pardon Excellency.¡± Karila sounded unctuous; but underneath the oily tone, resentment brimmed.


    ¡°My lady, I welcome you to the Castle of Eternity.¡± Minister Bansham spoke as if he was reading from a prepared script. Obviously he had made the same speech many times; perhaps he knew it by heart. ¡°I hope your stay here will be long, happy and of course, productive. Now I need to ask you some questions concerning your unorthodox arrival. I don¡¯t need to remind you that you must answer truthfully. I have to make a final report to my master. Your future will depend on the nature of that report.¡±


    Jubi sat as still as a statute. Her father opened his mouth as if to say something and closed it again. He looked sick. Karila wore a resigned, almost an indifferent air, though it felt false. Miiya¡¯s body was rigid with tension, her hands balled into fists.


    ¡°You left Draca by unlawful means,¡± Minister Bansham was saying. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to rescue my father or commit his remains to the God. It was my duty as his daughter. That is what the priests teach us.¡±


    Bansham looked taken aback. Miiya could have applauded.


    ¡°And where did you go?¡±


    ¡°I went looking for a witch or a mage. But none of them wanted to involve themselves in human affairs. Everyone lectured to me about the Thula, their precious balance. Only Cillo would listen to me?¡±


    Jubi¡¯s voice wavered at the second mention of Cillo, like a suppressed sob.


    She knows he¡¯s dead, Miiya thought. That was why she didn¡¯t ask me about him.


    Minister Bansham frowned, and consulted a piece of paper in his hand, ¡°Cillo? Was that the old man who was with you?¡±


    Jubi bit her trembling lip and nodded.


    ¡°What was he? A mage?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So that was how he set fire to the guard tasked with¡­subduing him?¡±


    Jubi shrugged.


    ¡°He was stabbed. He couldn¡¯t have survived it. Yet we couldn¡¯t find a body.¡±


    Jubi said, softly, ¡°He was kind.¡±


    Miiya heard an indrawn breath, and thought it was Jubi¡¯s father.


    Jubi repeated, almost to herself, ¡°He was kind.¡±


    ¡°He was a fool.¡±Jubi¡¯s father¡¯s voice was harsh. ¡°There¡¯s no need to grieve over one such.¡±


    Bansham cast a quick glance at Jubi¡¯s father, an expression of distaste on his face. ¡°Grief is a personal thing.¡±


    Miiya frowned. But before she could examine his remark, he spoke again.


    ¡°So there was no one else with you?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Where was this Cillo from?¡±


    ¡°Sammalore. I went there because it¡¯s famed for witches and mages.¡±


    ¡°Did you approach any other practitioner of magic, other than this Cillo?¡±


    ¡°A witch. Her name¡¯s Miiya. I¡¯ve read books by her. But she refused to help, like all others of her kind.¡±


    Bansham¡¯s smile was thin. ¡°My lady, allow me to commend you for your frankness. Allow me also to welcome you formally to the Castle of Eternity.¡± He bowed low as he said those words. Karila did too, as did Jubi¡¯s father.


    Jubi said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Her voice was cool and haughty; the voice of a queen-to-be.


    The three of them walked up to the door. But only Bansham and Karila left. Jubi¡¯s father closed the door behind them. Then he hurried to his daughter.


    ¡°Jubi!¡± There was relief in his voice; and a needle-prick of shame. ¡°Praise be to the Divine Father for showing you the way. I was worried, my dearest daughter, worried you¡¯d say something foolhardy and bring all my hard work to naught.¡±


    Jubi got up from her chair and caught her father¡¯s hand in hers. ¡°Please, Papa. Come with me. I¡¯ll find a way out for both of us. I¡¯m different now. I¡¯ve survived so much, I can survive some more. I will find a way, trust me.¡±


    The man sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t get out of this place alive, Jubi. Neither can I. Even if we do manage, somehow, they¡¯ll find us. I can¡¯t hide from the king. When you take part in that ritual, it creates a connection between him and us. He can¡¯t read our thoughts, but he can command our actions to some extent, and locate us wherever we are. The more people we drain, greater the king¡¯s capacity to control us. Bansham will cut his own throat, if the king commands him.¡±


    Miiya repressed a shudder. Did Jubi¡¯s father really understand the horror of his own words?


    Jubi obviously had. When she spoke next her voice pulsated with urgency. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to leave now, Papa, so that you don¡¯t become like Bansham. The king doesn¡¯t own the world. If you feel uneasy, we don¡¯t have to stay in one place. We can keep on moving. The world is a very large place.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s father grabbed her shoulders and shook her once. ¡°Not large enough; not for long. Listen, girl, listen well. Most of the men who are brought here are turned into Tailosii immediately. They make excellent soldiers. They obey any command. They don¡¯t have to be fed. They don¡¯t need armor. Just something to cover them, for decency¡¯s sake. You can¡¯t have naked soldiers.¡± He laughed. ¡°Minimum cost, maximum benefit.¡±


    ¡°What does the king need an army for? I thought he wants a son. No one is menacing Draca.¡±


    ¡°At first he wanted to become the overlord of all archipelago, to bestow not a kingdom but an empire on the son he¡¯s sure he¡¯d have someday. Now he has bigger plans, for the world.¡±  He paused. ¡°First we will use Human Husks as bait. We will approach other kings and rulers offer them a chance to live forever. If they agree, and most of them would agree, then violence will not be necessary. We¡¯ll use the husks as soldiers only as a last resort, only against those who reject our offer. It was my plan, Jubi, all mine. His Majesty was most pleased with it. He praised me in the Council, saying that I have the vision he needs. It made those old fogies mad, I can tell you, daughter.¡± He laughed, as if remembering the discomfiture of his enemies.  ¡°That Bansham, he was the person who found the ritual knife. There is only one in the world and it was hidden in an ice desert, probably by some interfering witch. Anyway he found it. He was made the Chief Minister as a reward. He was a woodcutter in Draca. Look at him now, as proud as an army of peacocks.¡± He moved closer, his words almost a whisper, his eyes glinting. ¡°You see the possibilities, daughter? I¡¯ll ask our lord to make me the vice regent of a kingdom somewhere, a nice place, with good weather and nice food and good people. Your old Papa a ruler of a large kingdom somewhere; wouldn¡¯t that make you proud?¡±


    Jubi moaned, fell back on a chair and covered her face with her hands. Her father stared at her, his face clouded with confusion. Suddenly his face cleared. He knelt by her chair and removed Jubi¡¯s hands from her face, with gentle firmness. ¡°My poor girl. You are thinking of what will happen when you can¡¯t produce a child. Have no worries, Jubi-girl. I¡¯ll beg him to spare you and he will. Then we¡¯ll go away together. That¡¯s what you wanted, for the two of us to go away? We will, but not as fugitives.¡± He pulled Jubi to him and kissed her forehead. ¡°So you and me, just the way it used to be, except we¡¯ll not be poor and we won¡¯t have to fear death or old age. I will find you a good husband, a nobleman, perhaps even a prince, and you will give me grandchildren.¡± He peered into Jubi¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for both of us, Jubi. There is no other way. You do understand that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    When Jubi spoke her voice was soft, almost tender. ¡°I do understand, Papa. Don¡¯t worry. I will do what I must.¡±


    The man smiled with relief and got up to go. When he was almost at the door, she ran after him and threw herself into his arms, clinging to him, her face buried in his chest. Her father returned the embrace, his head bent over hers, his lips moving.


    Miiya closed her witch-ear.


    Jubi moved away, wiping her eyes, a tremulous smile on her lips. ¡°I love you, Papa.¡± Her voice was heavy with tenderness.


    The door closed and the footsteps died away. Jubi returned to her chair by the window, and sat on it, her face turned towards the gently heaving sea.


    ¡°Jubi.¡±


    Jubi continued to regard the sea. ¡°Will you find a way for me to die, Miiya?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a way for you to live.¡±


    Jubi shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve caused too much harm. I must atone for what I did.¡±


    ¡°Death is not how you atone. You atone by living, by doing things differently, by helping someone else to find the way.¡±


    Miiya put her invisible arms round Jubi. The younger woman¡¯s body went rigid for a second and then melted into the embrace.


    What do we do now?


    The dragonfly-buzzard. Miiya had forgotten he was outside.


    Be careful. There are no other birds in this place. If they notice you, they might suspect something.


    No birds, not even grasshoppers or mice. Still I¡¯m safer here than you, and her. How are you going to get her out?


    Miiya¡¯s looked at Jubi, who was striding about the room, like a whirlwind caught inside a glass orb.


    Wait till night, make her non-visible. I don¡¯t know how safe that would be. The king¡¯s human servants have developed extra powerful senses. They won¡¯t be able to see. But they might sense something amiss.


    Yes. I noticed that. Her father had me worried for a while. She acted fast to divert his attention. Surprised me.


    She¡¯s no weakling. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be able survive the hell she did.


    The bird gave a mental shrug, as if Jubi¡¯s past travails were of no interest to him. If you succeed in getting her out of here, what then?


    Warn the world. Stop Iretsa. Miiya yawned. Her limbs ached and her head throbbed. The effects of the nidra lingered. Keeping her eyes open was a struggle.  The tears she couldn¡¯t shed for Cillo weighted on her heart. The horror of what Jubi¡¯s father had become added to the pain. She had never felt so worn down in her entire life.


    Weary? The bird¡¯s normally acerbic voice was soft.


    Miiya gave a mental smile. Extremely. It¡¯s good to have you. Did I mention that?


    There was no need. The bird¡¯s voice too had a smile in it. I knew it.


    Jubi had stopped her manic walking. She was sitting bolt upright on a chair, her restless fingers pulling at her hair; none too gently, going by the waves of pain crisscrossing her face.


    ¡°Jubi.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miiya.¡±


    ¡°I need to rest a little. I¡¯m too tired to think clearly.¡± Miiya was surprised how natural that admission of weakness felt. She would have railed against it even a week ago.


    Jubi indicated the curtained bed. ¡°That should be safe.¡± Her voice was gentle, almost maternal. ¡°Are you hungry? They brought me food earlier. Would you like some?¡±


    ¡°No, just rest. To clear my mind.¡±


    The bed behind the curtains was massive, its silver headboard decorated with the ubiquitous sea-dragon motifs. The silk-linen sheets received Miiya¡¯s tired body in a warm embrace. Her eyes closed, as if they had a will of their own.


    **


    Get up!


    ¡°Miiya!¡±


    The voices came in tandem, one in her head and the other in her ear.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Miiya slipped out of the bed and moved behind the screen, seconds before the door opened to admit Karila, accompanied by two Tailosii women, both dressed in light blue kits and carrying bulky parcels.


    Jubi had moved to the window. When the door opened, she looked around as if she had been standing there for a while, staring at the slumbering sea. Suddenly she gave an unearthly cry, ran forward and embraced one of the Tailosii women.


    ¡°Megara, Megara.¡±


    Jubi clung to the female Tailosii who looked no more than seventeen, her rosebud mouth frozen into a childlike pout. Jubi pulled at the arm holding the parcels, crying, ¡°Megara, it¡¯s me, Jubi.¡±


    The Tailosii stared straight ahead, as if in her world, whatever that was, neither Jubi nor Megara existed.


    A shudder of horror shook Miiya¡¯s body. She had to clamp a hand over her mouth to prevent a cry from escaping.


    Karila made a sound between a hiss and a sob, strode up to Jubi and yanked her away. The ease with which she did that, and the way she subdued Jubi¡¯s wild attempts at freeing herself, indicated an almost non-human physical strength.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know you. My lady.¡± The voice was like ice.


    Jubi squirmed in the older woman¡¯s hold. ¡°We¡¯ve known each other all our lives. We lived next door to each other. We played together. Let me go. I want to talk to her, tell her it¡¯s...¡±


    Karila grabbed Jubi¡¯s shoulder with one hand and shook her, until her frenzied struggles ceased. Then she bent her head close to Jubi¡¯s face and said, through clenched teeth, ¡°Listen to me. My lady. That thing is not Megara. It¡¯s a Human Husk, no different from any other Human Husk. It has no mind, no memories. It wouldn¡¯t know its own mother, let alone you. My lady.¡±


    Jubi stared at the older woman, her eyes blank, unfocused. Karila gave her one last shake and let her go. Jubi reeled, and steadied herself by clutching at a chair.


    ¡°My lady.¡± Karila¡¯s voice was impersonal. ¡°The wedding ceremony will take place at dawn, three days from now.¡± She paused, a faraway look coming into her eyes. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s previous wife died in childbirth this morning. His Majesty is now officially a widow and the Council has decided he should wed as soon as possible, so the important task of producing an heir for Draca can begin without delay.¡±


    Miiya remembered the hysterical young woman. Did she really die in childbirth? Or was she escorted to the Past Nursery, where her husband waited by the glass urn containing the remains of their dead child, world¡¯s sharpest knife in one hand?


    Jubi stood with her head down for a while. Then she moved towards Karila, with slow deliberate steps, and stopped a few feet away. Her eyes searched the older woman¡¯s face. When she spoke her voice was steady. ¡°Will you help me to die, the way you helped her?¡±


    Karila gasped. Miiya would have too, had her instincts not kicked in at the last moment.


    What?! The bird¡¯s voice inside her head was a shriek of surprise.


    Karila stood looking as if someone had kicked her in the gut.


    ¡°I know you helped her to die,¡± Jubi¡¯s voice was matter of fact. ¡°I can feel it. Won¡¯t you do the same for me, please.¡±


    Karila screamed, a sound of rage and torment, and lunged at Jubi. Jubi didn¡¯t move away or try to defend herself; just stood there like a statue, her eyes never leaving the demented face of the older woman. For a moment Miiya feared Karila would strangle Jubi and readied herself to intervene, mentally cursing Jubi¡¯s rashness.


    But Karila didn¡¯t strangle Jubi. She stopped at the last moment and staggered back, her face distorted with terror and anguish.


    Miiya took a deep breath. So Jubi was right. How did she figure that one out?


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Karila was leaning against a chair, her chest heaving with dry sobs, her eyes riveted on Jubi. ¡°No one saw me. Who told you? Are you a witch?¡±


    Jubi shook her head. Her face was no longer blank or wild. It was composed; and filled with pity.


    ¡°It was the way you talked about the king¡¯s wife dying in childbirth, as if you were relieved about it; even happy.¡± She held out a hand to Karila. ¡°Will you help me as well?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t give me away? You won¡¯t tell...your father?¡±


    Jubi shook her head vehemently. ¡°No, never. Never. And my silence is not conditional. I won¡¯t say a word even if you don¡¯t help me.¡±


    Karila¡¯s taut body relaxed slightly. ¡°Why would you protect me?¡±


    Jubi shook her head again, this time slowly. ¡°On my way to Sammalore, I was caught by a gang of slavers and taken to a slave colony. I survived that place because of the kindness of other slaves. ¡±


    Karila asked, ¡°How did you escape?¡± In her voice Miiya sensed the first thawing of glaciers.


    No, not the first thawing. The first thawing had already happened.


    Is she being clever or natural? The bird sounded impressed.


    A bit of both, I think.


    It¡¯s risky. The woman might betray her to save herself.


    I agree. But humans are unfathomable. They can surprise you at every turn. Miiya paused and took a deep breath. Mentioning his name, even in her mind, was painful. Cillo trusted her. I intend to do the same.


    She got him killed.


    Miiya¡¯s smile was bitter and tender. Yes, that¡¯s why she can be trusted.


    What is that? A puzzle?


    An elementary one. She won¡¯t let her emotions rule her judgment, this time around. Her way of atoning for Cillo¡¯s death is to keep me safe.


    Jubi and Karila were seated close together, Jubi giving the older woman a condensed version of her experiences in the slave colony, Karila listening, her hands clasped tightly together, her face grey.


    ¡°Your father is fortunate to have a daughter like you.¡± Karila said when Jubi was done, her tone indicating Jubi¡¯s father was utterly undeserving of that good fortune.


    Jubi¡¯s voice dripped with bitterness. ¡°I seem to have done harm rather than good. My father doesn¡¯t want to be saved. He regards me as a troublemaker. All I achieved was causing the death of a man who loved me like a father.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve all done things we end up regretting, my lady.¡± Karila paused as if considering something. ¡°Jubi.¡±


    Miiya sensed the crossing of some invisible line. Karila has ventured into unchartered territory.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to live for years and years, bearing the burden of Cillo¡¯s death.¡± Jubi¡¯s voice sounded hollow.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never be allowed to take your life. Even after you marry the king, you¡¯ll never be alone. When you are not with him, at least one Tailosii woman will be with you all the time.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s laugh would have curdled milk. ¡°As my father said, every life is precious to His Majesty.¡± She gave Karila a measured look. ¡°My father seemed to have risen very high in a very short time.¡±


    Karila sprang up from her chair, almost upsetting it with the violence of her movement. The words came out of her in a rush, as if they had been dammed up for too long, been waiting for this moment of release. ¡°I¡¯ve been loyal to the king for close to four decades. The first time I escorted a girl young enough to be my daughter to her fate, it almost broke my heart. She cried the whole night, and I sat with her and held her. In the morning I escorted her to the Past Nursery, where His Majesty was waiting. He smiled at me with his usual courtesy, and thanked me. Thanked me.¡± She spat out the last two words. ¡°She begged me for death and I couldn¡¯t give it to her.¡±


    Jubi said, softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Karila didn¡¯t seem to hear Jubi. ¡°What are the thanks I get for my service? Nothing. Men like your father are favored over me. They presume to order me around and undermine my authority at every turn.¡± Her laugh was a harsh cackle. ¡°I...I can¡¯t help you, my lady. Not now. Maybe someday. If you escape, I too will fall under suspicion. They¡¯ll take me to that underground place. The king has means to make any of his servants vomit out the truth.¡± Karila¡¯s voice turned pleading; Miiya thought she was going to go down on her knees. ¡°He...he distorts our minds, makes us feel things. I¡¯ve seen it happening, Jubi, a healthy man thinking he is suffering from some illness; a whole man thinking he has a broken leg; and feeling the agony of a broken leg. I don¡¯t want it to happen to me. Please understand.¡±


    Jubi took a deep shuddering breath. ¡°I understand. I won¡¯t trouble you.¡±


    Karila stared at Jubi, as if she was trying to weigh Jubi¡¯s promise. Whatever she saw reassured her because she relaxed visibly. ¡°Please take a look at the materials in the parcels and choose the ones you like,¡± she said, all cool efficiency. ¡°You¡¯ll need a new wardrobe and the work must start immediately. The royal jewellery will be sent to you soon. For the ceremony you will wear red sea-gauze. Apart from that, you are free to use any color or material of your choice.¡± She moved about the room restlessly, as if reluctant to leave, until she came across Jubi¡¯s uneaten lunch. ¡°Now this won¡¯t do, my lady. You must eat. You need to build up your strength. I¡¯ll order the Head Chamberlain to wait on you to discover your food preferences. You are very fortunate, my lady. Now if you would excuse me¡­¡±


    At Karila¡¯s command, the Tailosii women placed the parcels on the table. Following Karila¡¯s example they bowed deeply to Jubi and left.


    Miiya waited until the footsteps had died away and made her way to Jubi. The younger woman must have sensed her presence, because she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought I might be able to find a way out without imposing one more burden on you.¡±


    ¡°You did well,¡± Miiya said in a bracing voice. ¡°I would never have guessed the truth about that unfortunate girl¡¯s death. That was amazingly perceptive of you.¡±


    Jubi wrinkled her brow. ¡°I think it was the tone of Karila¡¯s voice. When she said that the king¡¯s wife had died in childbirth, she sounded glad, almost proud. Miiya, what can we do now?¡±


    ¡°Wait till the night. I will weave a spell of non-visibility over you and guide you....¡± she stopped short, ears straining. The sound was clear now, footsteps, running.


    Miiya whisked herself behind the screen.


    The door burst open and Karila rushed in, followed by the two Tailosii women. She slammed the door shut and turned to the Tailosii who had once been Jubi¡¯s friend. ¡°Take off your clothes.¡±


    The Tailosii obeyed, undoing the buttons on her tunic with fingers which were sure and fast.


    What¡¯s happening? The bird sounded as shocked as Miiya felt.


    I have no idea. No I do. This woman is trying to help Jubi escape.


    A trap?


    Miiya pulled at her ear. I don¡¯t know.


    The Tailosii had divested herself of her blue blouse and was undoing the drawstrings of her trousers. Karila picked the blouse and threw it at Jubi, who was standing stock still, her mouth hanging open. ¡°Take off what you are wearing and put this on. I¡¯m going to get you out.¡± Her eyes were wild, but her voice was steady.


    Jubi asked no questions. She undressed almost as fast as the Tailosii had done and put on the light blue blouse and trousers.


    When the exchange was complete, Karila turned to the Tailosii woman, now clad in Jubi¡¯s tattered clothes, and pointed a commanding finger at the curtained bed. ¡°Lie down and keep your face turned to the wall.¡±


    The Tailosii got into the bed and Karila drew the curtain. Then she turned to Jubi. ¡°This may not work. If we fail, we¡¯ll both be Human Husks by tomorrow morning. They suspect I had a hand in that woman¡¯s death. I¡¯ve been warned, by a friend. Keep your face down and try to imitate this creature¡¯s walk. Hurry.¡±


    Jubi turned around for a moment towards where she thought Miiya was, her face confused and troubled.


    Miiya wished she could say something reassuring. But she didn¡¯t dare move. Karila would sense her if she did. That was not an affordable risk. If Karila was playing an elaborate charade or even if her attempt to help Jubi was sincere but unsuccessful, Miiya will have to intervene.


    The door opened and closed.


    What are you going to do?


    Get out and make sure she is all right.


    And then?


    Let¡¯s deal with then, then.


    The door was locked from outside, but that didn¡¯t present a problem. A simple charm and the door opened. Miiya walked out, wondering whether the Tailosii guards would try to find out why the door opened. They didn¡¯t.


    She had not gone more than a few steps in the direction Karila had taken Jubi, when she heard the thud of running feet, coming towards her from another direction. There was no place to hide. All she could do was to flatten herself against the wall and stand totally still, not even breathing.


    A troop of Tailosii guards materialized round a corridor. Jubi¡¯s father and a much younger man dressed in an officer¡¯s uniform brought up the rear. Jubi¡¯s father produced a key, opened the door and dashed into the room that had been Jubi¡¯s prison. The younger man followed after barking an order at the guards. The guards formed themselves into a half circle around the door, and waited, still and ready.


    Miiya picked up her robe and ran in the direction Karila had taken Jubi.


    She caught sight of Karila, Jubi and the Tailosii woman near the end of a corridor. They were walking fast, but not fast enough. Somewhere behind her she could hear the sound of pursuit. ¡°Run,¡± she cried not bothering to keep her voice low.


    Jubi and Karila looked back. Jubi cried, ¡°Miiya?¡±


    ¡°They are after you. Run.¡±


    Karila stood for a moment, startled into immobility; only her eyes moved, trying to locate the source of that disemboweled voice. Then she pulled herself together with a visible effort and turned to the Tailosii woman. ¡°Stand here. Don¡¯t let anyone go past you.¡±


    The Tailosii moved to the middle of the corridor. Karila grabbed Jubi¡¯s arm and ran.


    Miiya followed them, down another carpeted corridor. Their pursuers were close enough for the sound of pounding boots to be heard by ordinary ears. Karila stopped at one of the doors and pushed it open. It led into a long rectangular room, less sumptuously furnished than the rest of the castle. A door at the far end opened to a smaller room, once again bare of carpets or hangings.


    Miiya could no longer hear the guards. The only sound breaking the deathlike silence came from their own desperate footsteps.


    The next door led them to a series of winding stairs, the wood worn with time. This has to be the servants¡¯ wing. The stairs ended in another bare chamber. Karila ran to one of the doors, opened it and sprang back with a strangled cry.


    The door opened into a back garden. Several Tailosii guards stood in a semi-circle on its step.


    Behind them, the sound of running feet returned, booted feet, faster, more purposeful.


    There was no time to think. Miiya pushed Karila and Jubi aside and faced the guards. This time, when she ignited them from within, she didn¡¯t look at their faces or hesitate.


    What pierced her heart was not the sight of the ashes that lined the doorstep in six neat piles, but Jubi¡¯s cry of horror.


    ¡°Witch.¡± Karila¡¯s voice had only a slight tremor in it. ¡°Take her. I¡¯ll hold them at bay.¡±


    ¡°No, I can take care of the guards. You get her out of this place.¡±


    Karila¡¯s smile was brief. ¡°He can trace me, and trace her through me. Get her away.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s fingers clung to Karila. ¡°No, come with us. We...¡±


    Karila freed her hand from Jubi¡¯s clutch, as if the younger woman was no stronger than a rag doll. ¡°Go.¡±


    Miiya grabbed Jubi¡¯s hand. ¡°Jubi, in the name of Cillo, come.¡± It was a cheap trick, a heartless one. But there was no time to lose.


    ¡°Witch,¡± Karila¡¯s voice stopped her in her tracks. ¡°Will you come for me?¡±


    Miiya clasped Karila¡¯s hand for a second. ¡°I will come for you.¡±


    She turned towards Jubi and wove the spell of concealment around her with a few rapid mental strokes. Then she grabbed the younger woman¡¯s icy cold hand with her own and ran.


    Normally she could have done that spell ten times, climbed the highest of the mountains ringing Sammalore and be back home by lunch. Now running was an effort.


    This way. There¡¯s a gate here.


    The bird¡¯s voice was like a tonic. It reminded her of Cillo and gave wings to her tired feet. She ran in the direction the bird indicated, dragging Jubi behind her.


    The gate was guarded by several Tailosii and one human officer, a young man seemingly in his twenties with a dashing moustache. Miiya swung open the gate and ran out pushing Jubi ahead of her. The Tailosii guards continued to stare ahead, as still as statues. The human officer too stood transfixed at the sight of the gate opening and closing on its own. But his paralysis lasted only a moment. Then he stared shouting, ¡°Witchery! Witchery! They are here.¡±


    Miiya paused to get her bearing. On this side, the cliff backed the Mere. But the cliff face was bare of vegetation, apart from a few scraggy bushes and some rocks. The lack of anything to hold onto would make climbing down dangerous for Jubi. And the sound of their descent would give away their hiding place at once.


    Through the open gate Tailosii guards were streaming out and heading in all directions.


    Miiya scanned the horizon. From here she couldn¡¯t see the city of Draca. The Dollz Mountains covered it. But everything else was visible, much of the Mere, the sea, the marble quarries. And the wide avenue connecting the Castle of Eternity with the outside world, the road the silver carriage would take to and from Draca. The paved road snaked round the cliff, over a gorge, up the Dollz Mountains and through a pass. The road was long and empty.


    It was her only hope.


    She pushed Jubi against the wall, indicating she should stay still. Then she ran in the direction of the wide road, making as much noise as possible, crashing into groups of Tailosii soldiers, pushing them aside. When she neared the turn to the road, she kicked several stones. They tumbled down the slope. She kicked one more stone, a large one. It landed on the first bend of the road with a loud thud, and rolled down.


    The mustachioed officer ran past, followed by groups of Tailosii guards. More streamed out from other gates and joined them. Miiya strode back to where Jubi was waiting, still invisible, only a shadow even to her witch¡¯s eye. She took Jubi¡¯s arm, whispering, ¡°Come.¡± Together they circled the wall, heading towards the cliff path that led to the beach. Whenever they met a group of Tailosii guards with their human minders running in the direction of the carriage way, they flattened themselves against the wall.


    They were within sight of the cliff path when they heard the sound of running boots behind them. Miiya pushed Jubi against the wall and stood next to her. And saw half a dozen Tailosii guards heading in the direction of the cliff path, led by Jubi¡¯s father.


    Jubi gave one tiny sob. Her fingers tightened around Miiya¡¯s.


    Jubi¡¯s father stopped every few steps, peering and sniffing.


    Miiya held her breath. He knew; or perhaps he guessed. Her instincts told her to run, but she feared that any sound they made, any loose stone rolling down, would give their location and their destination away. She didn¡¯t think the Mere would pose a problem to the Tailosii.


    Jubi¡¯s father stopped again. He peered into shadows. He sniffed the air. He moved close to the wall and ran his hand along it.


    A scream rendered the air, the sound of a man in agony. The shout came before the scream ended. ¡°Here. They are here.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s father strode in that direction, his limp barely visible. The Tailosii trailed him.


    Miiya grabbed Jubi¡¯s arm and ran to the top of the cliff path. There were no guards there. She went down the rough hewn path, with Jubi following close behind. They reached the beach and ran towards the Mere. The spell had worn off and Jubi had begun to Materialize.


    They were within a few paces from the tree line when Jubi pulled her hand out of Miiya¡¯s grasp. Miiya whirled around, the question she was about to ask dying before she could utter it.


    Jubi stood still, her face turned up, her eyes trained on the cliff top. Her father was standing on the edge, gazing down at her. Six Tailosii guards stood behind him, fanned out into a half-circle.


    Miiya¡¯s heart was thudding against her ribcage, its sound deafening her ears.


    For a few seconds, father and daughter stared at each other. Then the man turned away and started walking in the direction of the Castle. The Tailosii followed him.


    A shattering sob escaped Jubi. Miiya grabbed her hand ran towards the Mere. Jubi didn¡¯t resist.


    The malignant aura of the Mere greeted them in unceasing waves. Jubi moaned and cowered. Miiya put her arm around her shivering shoulders and guided her to the cave. She pushed Jubi inside and started repairing the spell-cover. By the time the reweaving was complete, she could barely stand. She leaned against the mouth of the cave and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Miiya!¡±


    A cold hand took her still invisible arm and guided her into the cave. Miiya sat down.


    Jubi¡¯s face was pale and drawn. ¡°Will they come here, the...the...Human Husks?¡±


    ¡°I think they will, eventually. Once they are ordered they¡¯ll go anywhere. They¡¯ll comb the city and the outlaying areas for a day or two. So we have enough time.¡±


    Jubi nodded and moved away, swaying a little. Miiya leaned back against the rock wall and closed her eyes.


    That did the trick.


    The voice, oozing with smugness, was inside her head. Her eyes flew open. The dragonfly-buzzard was perched on a ledge, looking pleased with himself.


    What do you mean? What did the trick?


    I attacked one of the humans. Gave his eye a little peck. He¡¯ll be one-eyed for the rest of his life. .


    So that was the scream. Miiya took a deep breath. Her father saw her, and let her go. He didn¡¯t raise the alarm.


    The bird snorted. What makes you think he won¡¯t send the Human Husks after her? He knows where she is now.


    The thought had occurred to Miiya, and she had banished it aside.


    ¡°Miiya.¡±


    Jubi was kneeling before her, holding out a plate. ¡°It¡¯s nothing but leftovers.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. And we¡¯ll share it.¡±


    Jubi demurred for a second, and succumbed. They ate the almost stale food in silence.


    When that chore was over, Jubi said, ¡°Miiya! I have to talk to him.¡±


    Miiya¡¯s voice was dry. ¡°He is not likely to listen to you.¡±


    Jubi shook her head. ¡°But I must. I don¡¯t know what you are planning to do. But I don¡¯t want any harm to come to him.¡± She looked at Miiya, her eyes murky pools of pain. ¡°He is my father, Miiya. I can¡¯t abandon him.¡± She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself to utter the next words. ¡°I know he has changed so much. I mean... But even if he is the worst monster in the world, he is my father, my only family. I love him.¡± Her voice changed suddenly, turning tender. ¡°And he allowed us to escape. He could have raised the alarm, sent the Human Husks after us. He didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t.¡±


    Miiya sighed. How to tell Jubi that her father¡¯s forbearance might have been a trick?


    Jubi was gazing at her, her eyes questioning and pleading at the same time. Miiya said, ¡°I¡¯m not in a fit state to think of any plan; neither are you. We¡¯ll talk about this after we have rested for a couple of hours.¡± She paused, looking at Jubi, holding her eyes with her own. ¡°Can I trust you not to venture out on your own?¡±


    Jubi said, ¡°Yes, Miiya,¡± her face as solemn as her voice.


    Miiya curled up in her corner of the cave and closed her eyes, reaching out to the bird. Keep a watch on her.


    I will. Sleep in peace.

 Ask the sea

    Miiya woke up two hours after sundown. Jubi continued to sleep curled into a ball.


    She crawled over to the sleeping form. Jubi should be safe enough here, as long as the spell-cover lasted. The spell-cover would be functional for another day.


    Why do you have to go back to that place?


    I promised the woman Karila. And I need to find Jubi¡¯s father.


    Why?


    Miiya shut her eyes in annoyance. To persuade him to leave.


    Don¡¯t be foolish. He is eaten inside. He¡¯ll betray his own daughter to win a smile from the king.


    What are you? A bird of prophecy?


    I haven¡¯t allowed feelings to make me stupid. You have.


    Miiya felt a flash of anger and didn¡¯t bother to hide it.


    The truth can be irritating, right? The bird¡¯s words were sardonic, but the tone of his mind was not. It was solemn, even pitying.


    For a moment he reminded Miiya of Cillo. The bird seemed to possess the same ability to see through layers of pretence with which people covered themselves, into the essence. See the reality and accept it, though not with compassion as Cillo did. Cillo had so much love, even for the unlovable.


    She smiled. You are probably correct in your assessment. And yes, that kind of truth can be quite irritating. But I have to make the effort, for Jubi.


    She has no right to make demands on you.


    I have a responsibility to finish the task I began.


    First him, now you.


    I have to stop that king from putting his plan into action. I don¡¯t know if I can, but I mean to try.


    How do you plan to do it?


    Miiya smiled. Talk to the water.


    The bird¡¯s irritation was like claws inside her mind. What?


    She gathered the few things she thought she might need this night. You heard me. Talk to the water.


    You mean pray, like Jubi¡¯s people?


    No. I will appeal to the water. You see I had forgotten the lore I had learned as a child. Water is alive, just as trees are.


    I don¡¯t understand.


    You might, in time. Enough talking. I want you to stay here. Keep an eye on her for me.


    You¡¯ll need me. And I¡¯ve a score to settle.


    He died for her. If she comes to harm his death would be meaningless.


    The bird said nothing but his fury blazed inside Miiya¡¯s head.


    If it¡¯s any consolation, I¡¯m going to miss your company. But your task is here. Please understand.


    Once again there were no words. But Miiya could sense the bird¡¯s sullen consent.


    Miiya Dematerialized.


    Take care. Try to stay alive.


    She reached out with her mind and touched the bird¡¯s, a caress. I will.


    He snorted.


    The Mere called out to her as soon as she was out of the cave, offering her rest, forgetfulness. Miiya willed herself not to listen and hurried. Back on the beach, she drew in deep breaths of fresh air unsullied by human emotions. Then she strode towards the cliff and took the same overgrown path to the top.


    The Castle of Eternity was a giant luminescent pearl against the moonless night. She caught her breath at the aching beauty of it. How could something so pleasing to the eye contain so much evil?


    The confusion of a few hours ago seemed to have subsided. Everything looked orderly and normal, but for one glaring exception. The gate was now being guarded not just by Tailosii soldiers but also by a human, a middle aged man dressed in an officer¡¯s uniform. He wouldn¡¯t be able to see her. But if she climbed the gate, he might sense her.


    She circled the wall, trying to be as silent as possible. Human officers were stationed with Tailosii guards at every gate. Someone in the castle had understood the fatal flaw in the previous security arrangement and corrected it.


    An image flashed before her mind: a cobraline trees. She reached it soon, a hulking giant, its knotted trunk gleaming a ghostly red.


    Miiya hitched up her robe and began the climb.


    This time the climb was harder and once she almost fell when her aching hand failed to grasp a branch tightly enough. Halfway through, she was out of breath. When she gained purchase of a branch just above the wall, she rested for a few minutes before jumping. A human wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle the drop. She barely did, was badly winded.


    Inside the grounds, Tailosii guards were stationed at strategic points, each group accompanied by a human officer. Miiya walked towards the Castle trying to keep a safe distance between herself and the humans. Once she was close enough, she stood under the overhanging branches of a ginger-cat tree and used her Farsight.


    There was a faint indication of Karila, but it came not from the dungeons but from the topmost floor of the castle.


    Miiya slipped from shadow to shadow, looking for a door she could enter. Her search was fruitless. She counted twenty seven doors leading into the castle. Each one was guarded by a troop of Tailosii and a human officer. She¡¯d have to do something to distract them. The dragonfly-buzzard could have helped had she allowed him to accompany her. She could perhaps get-


    The idea came to her in a lightning strike.


    Miiya resumed her prowling, until she reached a narrow side door guarded by five Tailosii and one human officer. About twenty paces away, there was a grove of trees. The trees clustered round a marble replica of a sea dragon.


    Ideal.


    She stood as close to the door as she dared and threw her voice.


    The human officer, a man as tall as he was broad, looked up at the sound of the first grunt, but didn¡¯t move. She waited for a few seconds and threw her voice again, a louder grunt. The officer peered into the darkness, his body taut. A fortuitous gust of wind laced through the grove, rustling the leaves. She threw her voice again, a sharp short moan of pain.


    The officer pointed a finger at two of the Tailosii. ¡°Don¡¯t allow anyone to enter or leave.¡± He turned to the other three guards. ¡°To the grove with me.¡±


    Miiya threw her voice one last time, another grunt of pain. The officer broke into a run and the three Tailosii imitated him. Miiya slipped in between the two Tailosii guards and pushed opened the door. The guards spun around. She slammed the door in their faces and ran.


    The Farsight was tenuous. She had to stop several times to get her bearings. Her feet barely touched the ground as she tripped up the stairs, fear and excitement keeping weariness at bay. Once on the topmost floor, the trail was clear. It led her down a twisting corridor to a door guarded by two Tailosii.


    Tailosii did what they were ordered to do. Nothing more. She hoped this pair of guards had been ordered only to stop unauthorized egress.


    Her surmise was right. The Tailosii continued to stare ahead, as she opened the door and slipped in.


    With ordinary sight she would have seen nothing but darkness. Her witch-eyes saw a room, small and meagerly-furnished, a narrow bed and a curtained recess, walls and floor bare. No blue and silver here, just a dull brown. The room was windowless and the stale air was clogged with the ordure of human waste.


    The single occupant of the bed opened her eyes, trying to peer through the gloom. Miiya barely recognized Karila. The woman seemed to have aged by several decades. Her face was pale and pinched, almost skeletal. Her eyes were clouded and her tightly-pressed lips trembled as if something was pushing against them, a moan perhaps or bile.


    Miiya walked up to the bed. Karila¡¯s eyes darted about. She swallowed hard, opened her mouth and managed a word, even though it ended on a whimper. ¡°Witch?¡±


    Miiya bent over the bed and placed her hand on Karila¡¯s. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, Karila.¡±


    The woman winced, as if the touch was painful. She swallowed again and asked, ¡°Jubi?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s safe. Don¡¯t speak until I ease your pain.¡±


    Miiya closed her eyes, placed her hand on Karila¡¯s fevered brow and reached in. It took a lifetime of training not to react to the lightning strikes of pain which assailed her. Karila¡¯s arms and legs were broken in every joint: elbows, wrists and fingers, knees, ankles and toes. Not physically; physically they were whole, untouched; in her minds they were in tatters. Physically she was well; in her mind, her limbs floated on a sea of pain, like broken twigs.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Miiya drew out some of the pain; she wanted to take it all into herself, but feared it would immobilize her completely.


    Karila exhaled in a sob. ¡°Oh thank you. I didn¡¯t want to give them the satisfaction of hearing me cry. This is how he makes us talk; mind-torture. You are whole on the outside and broken on the inside. He can do whatever he wants to you, without lifting a finger.¡± She paused for a second. ¡°I didn¡¯t mention you.¡±


    Miiya managed a smile. ¡°Thank you for that, Karila. I came to free you, but I don¡¯t think I can get you out of here.¡± She was pronouncing Karila¡¯s death sentence and wished she didn¡¯t have to. But after what the woman had endured, she had a right to the truth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to live. Even if you can get me out, I can never be free of him. A quick death is the only freedom you can give me.¡±


    Miiya gritted her teeth against the pain she knew would come and put her hand inside the pocket of her robe. Bolts of agony crisscrossed her arm. The pain felt so real, so physical. The witch-part of her mind assayed this new form of torture, trying to understand how it worked. The other part, clogged with human emotions, was horrified at what had been done to Karila.


    The witch and human parts agreed on one thing. It was an abomination that had to be ended. Other kings lived with the disappointment of not having an heir and died without turning into abominations. What made Iretsa different? She wished she had the time to find out.


    Her fingers found the tiny glass bottle and closed round it. The pain ebbed and flowed as she unstopped the vial and placed it in Karila¡¯s hand. ¡°Drink this. It¡¯s undiluted by a soporific. It¡¯ll cause you pain, but will bring death faster.¡± She paused and added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Karila¡¯s fingers closed on the vial. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the worse death. Compared to that, this would be heaven.¡± She carried the tiny bottle to her lips and drank, the way a dying woman would drink a life-giving draught.


    ¡°Miiya-¡± That was all she could say. Her eyes dilated. Her head moved from side to side with an almost inhuman speed. Her body writhed as if she was a sapling caught in a hard wind. She drummed her feet and lashed her hands. But her lips remained pressed tightly together. When the toxin raced to her lungs, choking her, she didn¡¯t emit even the tiniest moan.


    One last heaving shudder and Karila¡¯s body relaxed. Miiya closed Karila¡¯s staring eyes. A trickle of foamy saliva dripped out of the woman¡¯s mouth, but her face was peaceful.


    The empty vial had fallen from Karila¡¯s hand during her death throe and rolled into a corner. Miiya pocketed it and turned to leave.


    The door slammed open. Jubi¡¯s father rushed in. Three Tailosii guards followed him, one carrying a lamp. Jubi¡¯s father grabbed the lamp, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone out.¡± The guards formed themselves into a barrier, shoulder to shoulder, blocking the narrow doorway.


    Miiya¡¯s eyes flashed around. There was no other exit. She flattened herself against the far wall and waited.


    Jubi¡¯s father bent over Karila¡¯s recumbent figure. His indrawn breath was as sharp as a lance. The hand holding the lamp shook, causing its meager light to flutter like a desperate moth. He knelt by the bedside and caught Karila¡¯s hand, feeling for a pulse that wasn¡¯t there.


    The bellow could have come from an angry bull. It filled the small room.


    Jubi¡¯s father sprang up. His eyes were on fire, lips pulled back in a snarl. He stood still for a moment. Miiya could sense him fighting for control. When the light from the lamp ceased its wild flutter, she knew he had succeeded.


    ¡°I know you are there.¡±


    Miiya willed herself not to breathe.


    The man smiled, the way a predator would once the prey is cornered. ¡°I know you are there, witch,¡± he said again. His voice had enough venom to fell a thousand people. ¡°I let you go last time because I didn¡¯t want my girl caught. She betrayed me, she let me down, but I love her still. She is my daughter and I couldn¡¯t be faithless to her. Now she is not here. Once I hand you over to the king, his faith in me will be restored.¡±


    The door opened, slowly.


    Minister Bansham walked in. The guards parted to let him through and moved back to the original position.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked Jubi¡¯s father. His voice was cold, colder than the room. The smell must have hit him because he pulled a white handkerchief from a pocket and carried it to his nose with one delicate milky blue hand. His expression was one of distaste.


    Jubi¡¯s father pointed a trembling finger at the still figure on the bed. ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±


    Bansham moved with unimpaired calm towards the bed. He picked up Karila¡¯s arm to check a pulse. After a while he placed it back on her unmoving chest, with surprising gentleness. He stared down at the still form for a second or two more and turned around.


    ¡°You are right for once.¡± He paused and added, ¡°She must have had some poison concealed on her.¡±


    Miiya blinked, trying to summon a memory. Where had she heard that tone of voice before?


    ¡°When she was arrested, she was stripped and searched.¡± Jubi¡¯s father hissed the words. ¡°She had nothing concealed on her. Nothing. If she did, and the guards failed to find it, our lord would have sensed it. It¡¯s a witch. She is here. She is here in this room. That¡¯s the only explanation.¡±


    ¡°I think there can be more than one explanation.¡± Bansham¡¯s voice was dry. ¡°Such as you and your daughter are acting together to undermine our master. Personally I find that to be a far more convincing. After all, everything was functioning normally, until your enterprising daughter¡¯s arrival.¡±


    The veins on Jubi¡¯s father¡¯s forehead bulged. But his eyes had narrowed into slits. His voice was steady. ¡°Your Excellency might not be aware that a security breach had occurred near the sea-dragon grove. Office Paenda reported to me of it just minutes ago. That¡¯s why I came here.¡± He started inching about the room, taking long breaths. ¡°I of course do not possess the powers you do, not yet. But I do sense something alien here. I think the witch killed Karila and I think she¡¯s still in this room.¡± He stopped to flash a smile of triumph at Bansham. ¡°I propose to appeal to our lord. He¡¯d be able to sense if the witch is still here.¡±


    There was a moment of silence. Bansham broke it, his voice as smooth as ever. ¡°That would be an excellent idea, as a last resort. I¡¯ll check the place first. Then, if the necessity remains, we can beg our lord to come here. I¡¯d be loath to disturb him at a time like this. He has had a trying few days and it is my intention to discommode him as little as possible.¡±


    Jubi¡¯s father bowed his head, mockingly.


    Bansham started prowling round the room, peeping and sniffing, the way Jubi¡¯s father did, the way a bloodhound would do. Miiya knew she had little choice left. She tried to weave a spell of concealment, but her mind was too tense and she couldn¡¯t focus.


    She¡¯ll have to stun the two humans and incinerate the Tailosii.


    Bansham continued his prowling. He stopped at the foot of Karila¡¯s bed, inhaled deeply and said, ¡°I believe you are right after all. Here...¡± His voice was no longer smooth. It trembled with a note of excitement.


    Jubi¡¯s father cried, ¡°Let me see.¡± He pushed Bansham aside and lunged at the space between bed and the wall. For a second he stood frozen in motion, arms stretched to grab the intruder. Then his legs buckled and he began to slide down. Bansham caught the falling form with one hand, the same time Miiya realized what had happened.


    Bansham had immobilized Jubi¡¯s father by pressing a vein on his neck.


    The old man lowered the still form of Jubi¡¯s father to the ground, straightened up and looked around.


    ¡°Witch?¡±


    Miiya responded at once. ¡°Why did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Because I hated him. Because he was planning to step into my shoes. Because he reminded me too much of the way I was once, at the beginning of my illustrious career.¡± The old man¡¯s voice was acrid. ¡°All of that is true. But none of that would have mattered, not as much as a grain of common sand, had it not been for the events of the last few days. With you here, I see a chance of ending this horror.¡±


    Miiya waited.


    Bansham shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe me. But if you do, I¡¯ll help you to get out of the Castle.¡± He turned his head to cast a glance at the inert form of Jubi¡¯s father. ¡°For a long time, I was as assiduous as he was in promoting the horror. You may not know this. It was my idea. But lately, I began to develop doubts. Now I fear it and loathe it. I wanted to end it, but I lacked the means. I definitely lacked the courage. Watching that girl did something to me, just as it did something to Karila. We don¡¯t have much time. Come with me. I¡¯ll get you out. The rest is up to you.¡±


    ¡°Why did you come here?¡±


    Bansham sighed. ¡°To give her death.¡±


    Bansham¡¯s reaction to Karila¡¯s death had puzzled her. Now she knew why. His had used the same tone of voice Karila had used when she informed Jubi of the sudden death of the king¡¯s last wife.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± she told Bansham. ¡°And I will accept your help willingly.¡±


    Bansham walked up to the Tailosii. ¡°Let us through. But let no one else out.¡± He turned towards Miiya. He couldn¡¯t see her, but his senses seemed strong enough to gauge her exact location. ¡°He¡¯ll come to his senses in a short while. I want to keep him in here for as long as possible. I suppose I can kill him, but I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    The old man walked briskly, traversing corridors, going down staircases. Miiya walked behind him, all her senses on full alert. She trusted him, but knew she could be wrong.


    One final flight of steps, a narrow corridor, a door and they entered what looked like an anteroom. Two male Tailosii stood on guard; a female Tailosii was arranging flowers and fruits on a large flat-bottomed cane basket. Bansham went up to the woman, inspected the basket and nodded. The woman picked it up with two slim hands and placed it on her head. She was dressed in a silvery robe made of some translucent material. Pearls adorned her hair, throat, ears and wrists. She didn¡¯t look a day older than twenty.


    Bansham opened a door at the far end of the room and went out, nodding in Miiya¡¯s direction. She hurried to his side. The female Tailosii came next, followed by the two guards. One more door and they were out in the garden. Miiya closed her eyes as the salty night air enveloped her in a cold embrace.


    If only she could fly one more time!


    Bansham walked with ponderous grace towards the closest gate. The human officer on guard came up to the old man and saluted. Bansham said in clipped tones, ¡°There is a traitor among us. Karila has been killed. I have been instructed to make a special offering to the God. Open the gate.¡±


    The young man hesitated for a fraction of a second, his eyes dashing from Bansham to the Tailosii woman. He bowed his head and barked an order to the guards.


    The gate opened. Miiya stepped out in tandem with Bansham. The human officer ordered the gate to be closed, but stood behind it, his eyes full of unease.


    Bansham circled the wall until he was out of the watching officer¡¯s sight. He glanced in Miiya¡¯s direction and whispered, ¡°I think whatever the spell is beginning to wear off. I can see a shimmer.¡± He smiled suddenly, an old man¡¯s smile spiced with a hint of triumph and a hint of mischief. ¡°I¡¯ve done my part. Fire or water, that¡¯s up to you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything so long as the humans remain in the castle. I need to get them out. Not the king of course. The others have to be saved.¡±


    ¡°There are no humans left here.¡±


    ¡°Karila changed. You changed. The same can happen to the others.¡±


    Bansham stared at her for a second. Then he walked towards the cliff edge, motioning the female Tailosii to follow him. Once he reached the edge, he took a step back and made a gesture.


    The Tailosii walked up to the cliff edge and jumped, her hands never letting go of the fruit basket.


    The sound of the Tailosii¡¯s body hitting the water brought Miiya out of the stupor. She ran to the edge and peeped ¨C and saw only the waves.


    She turned around and faced Bansham. ¡°Will you come with me?¡¯


    ¡°Like Karila, I crave for oblivion far more than I once did for immortality.¡±


    Miiya touched his arm, briefly, with a partly-visible hand. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Good luck, witch.¡±


    Miiya hurried towards the cliff path and clambered down, going through the water-lore in her mind. Once she was on the beach she looked up. Bansham was kneeling on the edge of the cliff, head bowed, hands held out to the sea in gesture of supplication.


    A sudden vision of Terryc flashed before Miiya¡¯s eyes, kind, warm, smiling, human. She embraced that memory and walked into the sea.


    The waves wove round her ankles, her knees, her waist, rising higher with each step until they were splashing against her shoulders, their foamy touch a fleeting caress on her face.


    She knelt, immersing herself in the sea, and reached out, touching each drop of water with her mind, telling her story, pleading for help.


    A great stillness fell over the sea.


    The Tailosii can be stopped only with fire and water. I don¡¯t have enough power left in me for fire.


    The sea was silent.


    I¡¯m weak. The fire might escape my control and spread to the Mere and even Draca.


    A wavelet rippled above her.


    What is in the Castle is outside humanity. It is beyond nature. It must not prevail.


    The ground trembled beneath her. The water churned around her.


    Miiya stood up and turned towards the cliff, her eyes passing over the still-kneeling Bansham and resting on the Castle of Eternity. She marshaled her powers, gathered them into one central point and spread out her hands.


    The sea heaved, disgorging two waves. Miiya stood motionless in the eye of the storm she had summoned until the waves grew into two walls, vertical and gigantic. She moved her hands slowly, as a dancer would, bringing them together until they met high over her head. The waves followed the path of her hands, moving towards each other and forming a mountainous arch over her.


    She brought her tightly clasped hands forward and pointed them towards the Castle in one swift movement.


    The wave obeyed her command. It reared over the cliff like a ravenous beast, swallowed the still kneeling Bansham and rolled towards the Castle of Eternity.

 Jubi

    Jubi


    In the beginning, there was nothing but the sea. Samudra, the Divine Mother, slept and she dreamed. From that dream three giant butterflies were born. They fluttered their wings, working together, working alike until the Isle of Draca rose from the sea. When the kings came, they made the Book of Taboos and used it to make us believe what they needed us to believe. At first no one would believe. But belief grew with each generation, until one day, it became the one and only truth.


    The Song of Creation


    I had no idea what woke me up, whether it was the tremor that vibrated through the forest, and through my body; or the bird¡¯s mad screams.


    The dragonfly-buzzard flew out of the cave, still screeching. I ran behind, weaving my way through the trees. Perhaps the Mere was still malignant, but I felt nothing. My own fear made me numb to everything else.


    We reached the beach, the bird and I, just as dawn was breaking, just as a huge sheet of water swept across the cliff and crashed into the sea.


    I sank to my knees, closed my eyes and tried to pray to the Divine Father. Somehow the words wouldn¡¯t come.


    The roar of the wave receded. A deep silence fell.


    I opened my eyes. The sea was as calm as a pond.


    I looked at the cliff. It was as bare as my palm.


    The bird¡¯s screech broke my trance. I got up and ran towards the cliff path.


    Miiya... and Papa.


    I was almost there, when something barred my way. The light was still weak. All I could see was a darker shadow, and two gleaming orbs. The eyes came towards me. I stood, caught in their yellow glow, unable to move.


    Then I realized.


    The bird screeched, the same time I screamed.


    ¡°Sabha.¡±


    *


    Sabha led us to Miiya.


    She was lying in a heap at the bottom of the cliff, small and withered, like the oldest woman in the world. I knelt by her, crying her name.


    She opened her eyes, their glance as sharp as ever. A smile played on her lips, the smile I had seen so many times the last few weeks, at once warm and mocking. She grabbed my hand, her fingers digging into me like claws.


    ¡°Open up your mind.¡±


    Sense returned to me, and with it determination. She cannot die. I will save her.


    ¡°No! You need to conserve your strength.¡±


    Her eyes were like traps; they wouldn¡¯t let me go.


    I tried to keep my voice steady.  ¡°We need to get you to a warm place. Then you can rest. You need sleep, Miiya. Lots of sleep. And then...¡±


    Her voice cut into my babbling. ¡°Open your mind, Jubi.¡±


    I tried to resist. But her eyes defeated me. I tried to struggle, but they pulled me in.


    Time ceased to exist and I ceased being here.


    I was on the road to Sammalore. I was abducted. I was in the slave colony. I was beaten. I hurt. I was hungry. I was thirsty. I was terrified. I was weary. The faces, the lashes, the hands; the terror, the agony, the shame, the despair ¨C they were not memories of a time past, but experiences of a time present. I lived through each moment.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Suddenly there was emptiness, a blessed, blessed void. It vanished even as I clung to it.


    And I was back.


    The memories were there, but they didn¡¯t lacerate. They were there, just pictures in a book.


    ¡°Now you can face the future.¡±


    Miiya¡¯s voice was barely a whisper. Her hand was slack in mine. I kissed it, and kissed it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t save your father.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I know you tried.¡±


    Miiya breathed deeply.


    ¡°Jubi.¡±


    I could barely see her through the tears. All I could say was, ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°You owe Cillo and me a life.¡± Miiya¡¯s voice was almost normal, almost steady. ¡°A life lived and lived well. That is your debt to us. And debts must be paid. Cillo paid his. I¡¯ve paid mine. We earned our rest. You must earn yours.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°And I love you, my darling. Thanks to you and Cillo and that dratted bird, my life had a grand finale.¡±


    There was so much more I wanted to say. I tried, but every time, my tongue could manage only three words. ¡°I love you.¡±


    Miiya smiled and closed her eyes. I kissed her hand again and touched her face. My fingers felt a raindrop. I looked up. The sun was shining. There were no clouds. The sky was clear. .


    ¡°Miiya, you are crying!¡±


    There were no words. She didn¡¯t open her eyes. Her fingers tightened on mine for a second, and slackened.


    I kissed her face, my lips lingering, lingering on her tear-drenched cheek.


    *


    I wanted to find the cave with Cillo¡¯s body. I wanted to bury Miiya and Cillo side by side.


    But the cliff path was gone, washed away by the wave. The wave had also changed the shape of the cliff. It was now near vertical. It was inaccessible. At least from the sea-side.


    We found a little dale at the edge of the Mere, where a stream emerged from the forest and ran into the sea. A place of grass and wild flowers, sheltered by a single damin tree, its long satiny leaves a perfect backdrop for the tiny purple fruits.


    We buried Miiya there.


    Grief welled within me and I allowed it free rein. Miiya, Cillo, Papa, Karila... So many lives lost. So many deaths to grieve.


    *


    She summoned me.


    The voice was deep, and unfamiliar. I jumped up and looked around. Nothing had changed. There was no new presence. I was still in the grove, still huddled by Miiya¡¯s grave, still alone except for Sabha and Seedevii.


    It¡¯s me.


    I looked at Sabha. His tawny eyes gazed back at me.


    Jubi, you can hear me.


    I closed my eyes and covered my ears. Sometimes in the slave colony, when I was lying on the floor, used and broken, I would hear mama and Papa, the songs they sang when they put me to sleep.


    Perhaps I was hallucinating again. Perhaps I was going mad.


    Don¡¯t be daft, woman. This was another voice; sharp like a well-honed blade. You can hear the wolf¡¯s thoughts in your mind. I think you can hear me too, if that inane expression on your face is anything to go by. The words ended with a cackle.


    I tried to speak, but my tongue had turned into a flame of ice inside my mouth.


    Speak with your mind. Don¡¯t need a tongue for that. A brain would do, assuming you have one of course.


    I don¡¯t understand.


    Ah, that¡¯s the way. See it is not difficult. As for understanding, well neither do I. Don¡¯t think the wolf can enlighten you either. We need her to explain this. The bird¡¯s voice broke for a second. For some reason you can reach into our minds and we can reach into yours.


    But? How?


    Stop asking silly questions, woman. This gift might last or it might not. Use it while it¡¯s there, instead of babbling nonsense.


    I gulped. The bird was right.


    The cackle startled me. Of course I¡¯m right. I generally am.


    This must be the way babies learned to walk, slow, tentative, scared, but also eager. I stumbled, and stalled and suddenly felt it, Sabah¡¯s mind, a whorl of colors, warm yellow, bright blue, with touches of brown. Full of affection. Full of concern.


    Why did she summon you?


    She said you¡¯ll need me.


    I think she knew how it would end. Wanted to give you an extra reason to live.


    That was the bird. I reached out, this time more sure of what I was doing, and found his mind. Red like blood, white like ice; angry and sharp.


    I¡¯m sorry.


    I could feel the softening of the red and the white. I know you are.


    I will do what she wanted me to. It¡¯s just that...


    It¡¯s hard. Sabah¡¯s mind embraced mine. But you are not alone.


    No. I could feel the bird¡¯s hesitation. She wanted me to be around too. Asked me before she died. His mental shrug was as clear in my mind as if my eyes could see it. What are you going to do?


    My eyes moved, from the forest to the sea. There was Draca beyond the forest, and the world beyond the sea.


    I¡¯ll have to make a decision, pick a path, soon. But not right now. This was grieving time. I needed to deal with what I had lost, if I was to find a reason to live.


    I choked back the tears and settled myself besides Miiya¡¯s grave. Sabha sat next to me, his warm presence a barrier against the pain that weighted down on my heart, like a boulder upon boulder, Miiya, Cillo, Karila, and Papa. Betrayal doesn¡¯t kill love, not always.


    The bird¡¯s voice pricked my mind. Do you want to know how I met Cillo?


    Yes.


    The bird began. I listened, my arm round Sabha. And realized that I too had a story.


    Stories mattered. Everyone had a story, and every story deserved to be told. Stories helped you to see and feel other lives, not just lives you loved and liked, but also lives you feared and hated, or were indifferent to.


    Perhaps that was a way to keep the beast in us weak and chained, a way to cleave to the human condition even in inhuman times.