Chapter 12--Ana-Srin

He was hungry.

This was not unusual; there would never, could never, be enough food on the edge of the Plains of Shadow to feed the small outpost. The group lived there for that very reason--there was no competition. No sane person would choose to live there. Except for them.

Few animals lived here on the edge of the plains; the border between the ocean of grass and the barren, rocky lands they lived on was home to nothing. There was no niche for a living creature to fill. They were forced to travel daily, hunting for food.

They defined "food" very loosely.

They could have chosen a more fertile area to live. They could have chosen a more populous area to live. They could have chosen not to live. They had unlimited choices, but they took only one. This was their choice; they felt no self-pity because of its difficulty. They would live because they were too stubborn to die. They would live because to die now would be to admit defeat.

They would live.

-o-o-o-o-o-

He glanced at his companion out of the corner of his eye.

The other had come to them only recently. He had staggered out of the Plains of Shadow, starving and bleeding from countless wounds. A mere human would have died long ago, but his will was too strong to admit defeat. Even in his condition, he was fighting to survive and nearly winning. They had taken him in, fed him, cared for his wounds. The crude outpost at the edge of the Plains of Shadow was far from the cutting edge of medical technology, but bandages and hot water were better than nothing. He would live; he was one of their people. He would not allow himself to die.

He had agreed to join them for a while, to work with them for their mutual benefit. It was always that way; the group was bound by necessity, not love. They needed each other to survive. Members would come, stay for a while, then vanish into the mist one night when they were ready to move on. It was dangerous to get too close to anyone; there were no constants in their lives. Attachment would only bring pain.

Still, he could not help but be curious about this one. There was something about him...something different from anyone else he had ever met. He might have used the word charisma, had he known it; but even charisma did not describe this stranger's presence. He was...a leader. Someone others looked to for direction, for stability, for certainty. Someone others felt they could trust, felt they could rely on. They had known he was special when he had the strength to look them in the eyes without fear even as he collapsed at their feet.

It didn't matter. For them, others were unimportant. He was a stranger, therefore his life was of no consequence. This was their way. This was the way they survived. And yet...

Looking into the stranger's haunted grey eyes, he could not help but wonder where he had come from, and how he had acquired the strange, almost tattoo-like scar on his arm.

Yuugi sat up, rubbing his eyes. He tried to remember his strange dream...in the dream, he had been looking at someone--someone with a familiar face...

"C'mon--we've got work to do," said Scat, standing with her hands on her hips and looking at Yuugi in perplexity. She moved to the door with Skitter at her heels like a devoted pet. They headed out to start their assigned tasks.

"Let's see...looks like we're...ah, hauling supplies for division 03 again...great..."

"Not again..." muttered Frac. Brell, standing next to him, sighed gloomily.

"Wait--why am I over there?" Yuugi asked, pointing to the notice board. His number was printed under division 14.

Scat frowned slowly. "14 is messengers, assistants, that sort of thing...we don't usually get assigned there...I wonder why you're on that crew?"

Yuugi shook his head. Whatever the reason was, he was willing to bet it wasn't good.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Chieftenn, with all due respect, I'm sure! More than sure--I'd bet my life on it, my honor, anything! It is him, and as long as he is here, he is in danger, the cause is in danger! We must act!"

The Chieftenn rubbed his temples, gazing in a mixture of frustration and sympathy at the woman before him. He agreed with her position, he agreed with her plan, he agreed with everything...except for one point.

It was too risky.

He despised himself for thinking it, for having to think it. He hated the knowledge that he had to be cautious, to hold back, to act, as he thought, like a coward. He was Chieftenn of a mighty Clann, and he did not like this new way. But if any were to survive...

"Rasuro, believe me, I see your position and I agree. It is simply that we cannot act yet--not while he is here, not while he is watching. If he finds us...it is all over. You know his reputation. We...would be hunted down like dogs. We must not risk the cause."

Rasuro trembled with impotent rage, knowing and hating that he was right. "Chieftenn...give me permission, at least, to speak to him. Let me at least tell him that we are here, that we are fighting! We must tell them that not all the Clanns have gone to the Overlord...that some still resist."

The Chieftenn bowed his head. It was for him to decide, for him to lay this doom or this salvation on his people. At last, he nodded his assent.

Rasuro bowed and left at once. She had much to prepare.

Yuugi walked slowly through the confusing maze of corridors, feeling on the verge of exhaustion. Lack of sleep and food made all of the Chaos slaves weak, and Yuugi was still adjusting. His own dim reflection, twisted and distorted, stared back at him from the metal walls, and his footsteps seemed magnified impossibly loud.

"Oh no…where am I now?"

The corridor had ended abruptly in a small hall with several rooms branching off of it. Most of their doors were ajar, and they were devoid of life—more cold metal, with the occasional furnishing (metal, of course) were their only contents.

One door, however, showed a faint light behind it, flickering slightly. A candle, perhaps…and was that a voice coming from it? A strangely familiar voice…

Yuugi hesitated a moment, knowing that he might well be risking his life. But he couldn't restrain his curiosity.

He crept toward the door to eavesdrop on Lieutenant Gash's conversation.

The Lieutenant was, strangely enough, speaking into a bowl of some translucent black liquid on a desk in front of him. Yuugi saw no other occupants in the room; what on earth was he doing?

"The search is progressing, but as you know resources are limited. We cannot spare too many troops to find it, and even if we could it would be inadvisable. We must maintain secrecy or the integrity of the mission will be compromised."

There was a pause, then to Yuugi's shock, the voice of the Chaos Oracle came forth from the bowl, echoing slightly as though the demon was in a tunnel.

"As you reported at our last meeting. Our master grows tired of waiting, Lieutenant. The search is your responsibility, and we must find it soon. Who knows what hands it might fall into, if not ours?"

The Lieutenant rubbed his temples. It struck Yuugi that Gash looked…tired. Worn out. Haggard. He looked almost old.

He's worried, Yuugi thought to himself. It's not fear—he has complete confidence in what he does, he's chosen this and he lives without regrets, but now he's doubting himself, and that's the thing he fears most…

Yuugi started; what had made him think that? He had no way of knowing what Gash's personal feelings about his job were. But somehow…he was certain he was right—he would have bet his life on it.

"Lieutenant, I grow concerned at your lack of progress. Could it be…that you are not motivated enough? Could it be, perhaps, that you have…other commitments? Other loyalties?"

Gash scowled, though the Oracle could not see him. "We have discussed this matter before. If you continue to question my loyalty, I cannot, in honor, fail to respond. Do not tempt me."

The Oracle's weird, mocking shriek of laughter rose from the bowl. "Honor? A worm has more honor than you, because a worm only obeys his nature. Your nature is a nest of lies. But you have your uses."

The Lieutenant's eyes narrowed. "Oracle…I could say much the same about you. About anyone in this army. We are the forces of chaos. What loyalty in anarchy? And it is no matter. I do what I say I will do, and I succeed in it."

Yuugi edged closer to the crack of the barely-open door, leaning forward to see better. A wave of sympathy for the Lieutenant washed over him; it seemed that Gash, who valued his honor above all else, was branded as untrustworthy.

I wonder why…? He may be trying to kill me, but whenever we've faced him, he's always come straight at us—he's never tried to trick us or trap us. Why should the Oracle question his honor?

Lost in thought, Yuugi absently leaned on the edge of the door—and it slipped forward, slamming into a large easel Gash had been drawing up battle plans on. Heart racing, Yuugi ducked back and pressed himself against the wall. There was nowhere to run, no way to avoid notice…

"Hm? What was that, Lieutenant? This meeting is confidential. No one may hear of this!"

The Lieutenant turned to examine the door. Yuugi held his breath and pulled even further into the shadows of the next room's doorway, not daring to duck inside lest the Lieutenant notice the movement. The Lieutenant turned this way and that, looking around…he was turning towards Yuugi…but Yuugi was relieved to see that the Lieutenant's eyes missed him as they swept the hall. He breathed a very quiet sigh of relief as the Lieutenant returned to his chamber.

To Yuugi's surprise, Gash did not close the door. Shaking with terror at his own foolish daring, he crept back to the door and listened.

"A messenger has come to deliver something—I must go. We have said all that needs to be said. The search will continue. I will find it, our Lord may rest assured. It is nothing to you, however. Keep your filth-stained claws out of my affairs."

"I will pry into whatever I please, Lieutenant—and I have every reason to keep an eye on you. As for the messenger…you know the regulations. No one may know what we have been speaking of. You must—"

"I know the regulations and am perfectly capable of carrying them out," Gash replied coldly.

With that, the Lieutenant thrust a small golden rod into the bowl, disrupting whatever spell was making it function. He seemed about to turn towards the door again, and Yuugi prepared to hide, but the Lieutenant turned away towards the wall.

"There is no need to waste an able soldier. I have not seen you; therefore, you need not die. There is no certain proof that you were or were not here. You were not present earlier, I am sure of it; and you have heard nothing of importance. Whatever message you have for me can wait until there is no need for me to find you guilty of spying, which regulations demand. Now leave this place, and go about your business."

The Lieutenant had mistaken him for one of the Chaos Army…! Yuugi, amazed at his good fortune, ran off at once. Back in his chamber, the Lieutenant remained standing at his desk, his hands clenched on the back of his chair.

"What am I doing? Am I going mad? Or…am I becoming sane again…?"

He sighed wearily and left the room to continue his inspection. He would not try to answer his own question. He didn't want to know, because if he did know…

He wouldn't know what to believe in anymore.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Yuugi hurried along the corridor again, trying to keep to the right direction this time. He was already late in delivering his message…there was certain to be trouble. He swallowed nervously, wondering what would happen to him. Scat had told him a number of horrible stories about her own "punishments" for various minor infractions, and he didn't care to experience any of them for himself.

"Ah…here it is!"

Yuugi opened a steel door into a different section of the base…and was shocked to find himself surrounded by stone walls, with tapestries hung on them, and a rug beneath his feet. He wondered vaguely if he might have somehow left the Chaos fortress entirely.

But no—there was a Chaos troop now, a strange-looking creature with taut gray skin, snake-like fangs, and large, pale eyes; Yuugi thought it looked like one of those fish from nature films about sealife at the bottom of the ocean. Spotting him, it walked over, its stride awkward. Its knee joints weren't placed for walking on the flat, smooth floor, it seemed.

"Kssss…what are you doing, sssslave? It makessss this one wonder, yesss it does! You should not—ksss—be here…this is the Clanner'sss domain…kssss, kssss, cursssse them! You are…tresssspassing!"

"No, I have a message—" Yuugi started to say, holding up the scroll in his hand, but his words were choked off in a shout of pain as the creature leaped at him, a wild gleam in its bulbous eyes, and sank its fangs into his shin.

"Ah…marrow, marrow and blood, kssss, ksss!"

"Leave me alone!" Yuugi struck it in the back of its neck as hard as he could, but the angle he was at took most of the force out of the blow. The creature slammed a webbed fist into his stomach, and Yuugi collapsed as the air left his lungs.

"Ksss…it isss good…prey cannot sssstruggle now…!"

The only good thing was that the pain was so intense, it was almost beyond feeling anything. Yuugi thought he might pass out. This creature was strong for its size, and it was easily larger than him anyway.

Am I going to die…?

"Ksss…it will be tasssty…"

No…NO…I won't die—not here, not like this!

Yuugi kicked out as hard as he could at its face, and it fell back, burbling in pain and shock. But the blow was costly—white-hot pain shot through Yuugi's legs. He saw to his horror that one of his bones—the femur, he thought idiotically, stupefied by the pain—was protruding through the skin.

This is it, I'm dead, there's no way I'll live through a wound like that! Blood was already pumping out onto the floor. He was going to die here, far from his home in this horrible spic-and-span hell, in this steel and stone nightmare…

"What's going on here?"

Just what he needed…another Chaos soldier. But it wouldn't matter soon…things were starting to go black.

"Damn you, Grisshk—what have you done?"

Rasuro struck Grisshk over the head with the hilt of her rapier, knocking him unconscious. Almost sick with fear, she ran to Yuugi's side and took a deep breath. There was no other way…

Rasuro was a warrior. She had seen men's blood and guts spread out on the battlefield before. And so without flinching, she pressed the femur back into place and focused on her inner light—the unseen flame of her magic.

A soft white light shone, and slowly, the terrible hole began to close. The bone began to knit, the deep gashes left by Grisshk's fangs scabbed over and then formed scar tissue. Yuugi's breathing steadied; the pain was receding.

Rasuro was only a novice healer—her Clann felt that a warrior's place was in battle, to live or to die by their skill with a blade, not to be coddled by the knowledge that a healer was ever

at hand. But Rasuro had the healing talent, and so she had received minimal training. It was enough to save Yuugi from bleeding to death, enough to keep him from being maimed, but not enough to restore the injuries completely. Scars would remain.

This was nothing to Rasuro—in her Clann, a scar was a badge of honor.

Yuugi's eyes snapped open. The pain was gone, he could move again—he scrambled to his feet, wincing slightly as he put weight on the newly healed bone. He stared at Rasuro in wary surprise, but before he could ask her why she had helped him, she bowed courteously.

"You have recovered? It is good—my healing skill is small. I thought it might not be enough…but that is past. What were you doing, you imbecile?"

"I…" Yuugi had no words. He was completely taken aback by Rasuro's sudden appearance and help. He studied the Clanner closely; her tattoos were unfamiliar to him. Crossed blades were tattooed on her forehead, and on one cheek was a stylized claw.

"Come with me—quickly," Rasuro said, glancing about to make sure no one could see or hear them. She grasped Yuugi's wrist and pulled him after her down the hall and into a small chamber. She slammed the door and bolted it fast.

"You idiot—you could have been killed! You need to be more careful!" she shouted, rounding on Yuugi.

Yuugi stood staring at her, nonplussed. "But you're…one of the Chaos Army…"

A shadow passed over Rasuro's face. "I am loyal to my Chieftenn and to my Clann—no other. The Overlord is my foe, but to survive as a people…we must join his army. It is…the greatest shame for our people."

Rasuro sat down on the simple wooden bunk that served as her bed, gesturing for Yuugi to sit beside her. "Do you understand? We do not side with the Overlord out of choice. We dishonor ourselves because we see that our deaths, however honorable, will serve no one. It would be…selfish."

"I don't mean to be rude, but…doesn't serving the Overlord not serve your cause either?" Yuugi said cautiously. He didn't want to offend this woman; he sympathized with her. She and her people were forced to make a difficult decision, and it seemed that every possible choice was the wrong one.

Rasuro shook her head. "No—we do not serve the Overlord. I and many of my Clann have joined the Ana-srin."

The term sounded familiar to Yuugi…whatever you do, the Ana-srin are with you. The Clanners who had fought with them after they found the Key had said that to him.

"What are the Ana-srin?"

"Not what, but who. The Ana-srin are Clanners who have not sided with the Overlord. All of my Clann are members, although some Clanns have only a few dissenters in the Ana-srin. We oppose the Chaos Army from within, acting as spies, disrupting the work as best we can…it carries great risk, and we can do little, but…we must do what we can."

A smile slowly spread across Yuugi's face. "Then…not all the Clanners with the Overlord are our enemies! We thought there were so many with the Overlord…this is great! We're not fighting alone anymore…"

Rasuro regarded Yuugi intently. "You know why I am telling you this, don't you?"

"Er…because we're on the same side?" Yuugi suggested tentatively.

Rasuro shook her head. "Because you are the one the Overlord fears…the one he would give anything to find, to destroy. We may not know why he fears you so, but if he does, then we must make sure that you remain alive and free. It is the best way to thwart his plans, because your capture seems to be one of his primary goals. There is little I can do to help you escape from here, it is too risky, but…"

Rasure hesitated. She hated herself for what she was about to say, for being helpless, but…there was no other way. "We…cannot help you. We cannot give ourselves away. You must find a way out of here on your own--you must live, whatever happens. If the Overlord captures you, he will have achieved his goal, and that is what we risk our lives to prevent. So…you must go free. You must go back to your people and tell them that we are fighting, that we have not all gone over to the Overlord's side. You must tell them…please."

Yuugi looked at Rasuro's stern face, her clenched fists. She's giving everything—her honor, her home, maybe even her life—to stop the Overlord…she feels ashamed of herself and her Clann for what they're doing, but she knows it's the only thing they can do, and she feels trapped. And…guilt. She feels she's betraying her people…because…the Clanners are siding with humans and Darklings to stop the Overlord.

Yuugi felt for her, even as he wondered what made him think that at all. A no-win situation…truly, they were between a sword and the ground.

"I…I'll do it. I'll find a way out, and I'll tell them…I'll tell them that you're still fighting. That we're not alone."

Rasuro nodded, and for the first time, a faint smile crossed her lips. "…thank you. Now, you must return—they will be suspicious if you are gone too long, they were already so when I asked that you deliver a message to me, but there was no other way for me to talk to you…"

"Oh yeah—I have it here," Yuugi said, pulling out the slightly bloodstained scroll. Rasuro smiled more widely and unrolled it, showing him a page covered in Clanner script. "It's an old children's rhyme—I just needed something to put on the page in case they asked to see it, most of the Army cannot read Clanner script. But thank you anyway, little messenger. You are very lucky—this message almost cost you your life. Now go, quickly. I will remain here."

Yuugi nodded and went to the door. Peering out, he was relieved to see that Grisshk was gone. Before he started off for division 24's dank cell, he turned back.

"...we'll win. Maybe I don't know how, but…we will."

Rasuro shrugged. "Perhaps. Then again, perhaps not. Only time will tell."

"No."

Rasuro looked up, surprised. She had not expected such determination from a human. "And why is that, child?"

Yuugi gazed calmly back at her. "If we lose, it's the end—of everything. We'll win...because there's no other option. We must."

Rasuro frowned, disconcerted. Then, to Yuugi's surprise, she laughed. "When you say that, child, almost I can believe there is yet hope."

Yuugi turned and walked back down the Clanner's hallway, back into the endless monotony of the Chaos fortress, back down the cold, silent halls. He went back to the cell division 24 lived in when off duty. The other slaves greeted him dully, exhausted from their day's work.

Yuugi curled up in a corner, shivering. As he fell asleep, he thought of his friends, far away. Did they have any idea what had happened to him? Were they worried?

They must be looking for me…I know they would. We've never abandoned each other, and we never will.

"I'll get out," he whispered. "I'll get out, and get home, and together, we'll find a way to stop this…we'll find a way. There's no way we'll give in…never!"

And with that, he fell asleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-

A worm has more honor than you.

Gash sat at his desk, the Millennium Puzzle lying in one corner. He had intended to study it further, but he couldn't concentrate.

A worm only obeys its nature. Your nature is a nest of lies.

Scowling, he rose and began to pace the small chamber. Honor…what did honor mean to him?

"I sacrificed my honor for the sake of my goals long ago," he whispered bitterly. "And what does honor matter to me if am successful? Who is there left to care for my honor but me? There is no one worthy of honorable behavior in this den of serpents…"

A face flickered in his memory, a face that smiled too much, that laughed too often. An idiotic face, a face of foolish optimism.

The face of a man worthy of honor.

"Are you confident or merely a fool?"" Gash asked, raising an eyebrow at the crouched form before him. The other man was examining a set of tracks, fairly recent.

Gash was inclined to say fool. What kind of idiot asks a near-stranger to hold their only weapon for them while they kneel in the dirt and scrutinize the ground—leaving themselves open to attack all the while?

The man shrugged. "You're on alert. Why should I be worried?" He laughed, a strange, jarring sound in this bleak landscape.

Gash scowled. That laugh…! It was worse than the smile, if anything. He had never met someone who acted so strangely. One would almost think he was human

"We have only known each other a few months. We are almost strangers." It was shocking how trusting this man was. He had faith in Gash to an almost suicidal degree.

Gash knew the man was smiling, although he couldn't see his face. It irritated him anyway. "Strangers? I'm hurt, sa-chan."

"We two are wanderers; our lands are as distant from each other as the stars. Don't be so familiar with me."

He waved his hands placatingly. "As you like, of course...but I trust you, ka-san."

"What fool trusts someone they barely know?" Gash said bluntly, his lip curling in disgust—an uncharacteristic display of emotion. This idiot was getting to him…
He stood, brushing himself off. "They're still traveling toward the Plains…these tracks are a few days old, perhaps. But we may yet catch them."

"Answer me."

He turned, that idiotic smile on his face. He was so...so naïve, so ridiculously incautious! "Forgive me; I didn't realize it was a question. I was under the impression that you were simply mocking me." And his eyes took on a sharper, more penetrating look, a look that made Gash uneasy. It gave him the impression that this man could see through him, within him. It made him look much less like a trusting, gullible idiot and more like the shrewd warrior Gash knew he was.

Or at least, thought he was. Gash had seen him fight, seen his skill, he knew that kind of skill was achieved through years of experience, and yet…sometimes he could be so disarmingly foolish.

"Is there a reason? Just tell me that."

"A reason for what?"
"For why you act like an idiot—like you know nothing," Gash snapped, finally losing his temper. He was normally an extremely controlled, reserved person, but this man was getting to him.

He shrugged. "I act like nothing—I am myself. But as for why I trust you…anyone would. You would never take advantage of a turned back, even an enemy's. You would never betray your companions or use deception to gain an advantage. It is not your way, and so I can trust you."

"You do not know me. What makes you so certain?" Gash said coldly.

He laughed again, and his face was once more benign, yet maddeningly unreadable. "Because, ka-san…you are a man of honor."

Gash sank onto his sleeping shelf, his head in hands. "You could always read people. It was what made you so skilled a warrior—you could predict an opponent's attacks, knew what he would do and when, knew how to counter him. I have rarely seen you mistake a person's character and motives. You only looked simple on the surface…underneath, you were too complex to be fathomed."

He sighed and lay back, shrouding himself once more in his cape. He must rest; it was useless to brood like this. An utterly inefficient use of time. Above all, Gash was pragmatic.

As his eyes closed, he sighed in bitter frustration.

"But in the end, you were wrong about me."