Chapter 10:
Keeah groaned. Slowly she cracked her eye open. The intense pain in her ribs had lulled to a dull ache. She pulled herself up. Slowly her world came into focus. It appeared that she was lying inside a hall. It was dark except for the dull sunlight that came through the broken roof. The dust of many years had formed a carpet on the ground and cobwebs hung from the ceilings. Keeah winced a little watching her soiled dress and dusty hair.
' Oh what would I not do for a warm bath.' Keeah sighed wistfully pulling the cobwebs from her hair .
"You are awake " Keeah turned to see Sotisku's smiling face .
"What happened ? " She groaned . It felt as if every ounce of strength in her body had been sucked out !
" Nothing much really ." Sotisku said grimly " Your ribs are broken .Both you and Suraco overtaxed your strength ...and fainted !"
" I did not faint ! " Keeah said with offended dignity .
"Whatever !" Sotisku shrugged " I had to drag you both in here . And it is nearing dusk ! " He turned and pointed at Suraco "Look. He is still out cold ! And there is no way in hell we could find our way out of this jungle in so short a time especially with Suraco out of business ! "
There was a long pause .
' Sotisku is right ! We will not be able to find our way out of the jungle before nightfall !' Keeah thought grimly ' Especially with Suraco out cold .And I am in no condition to fight ...Not at least right now !' The dull throbbing ache in her ribs reminded her of that ' Not without making my wounds worse in any case . I don't have sufficient ki to open a portal out of this place either ! There is no other alternative . We have to stay here and hope to make it through the night ..."
Then Keeah spoke up ." We have to spend our night here !" She said gravely .
" What? Are you insane !"Sotisku jumped up agitated "God only knows what other things are out there !" He pointed outside .
" Have you got a better idea ?" Keeah asked calmly .
Sotisku looked crestfallen " No." He said in a small voice .
Keeah closed her eyes and concentrated . She shuddered a bit . They seemed to be surrounded by hostile kion all sides. But she could sense no malevolent aura in the hall she was presently sitting in .Gritting her teeth she stood up . The pain in her ribs came back with double the force . She bit her lips to hold back the involuntary scream that rose to her lips.
" Where are you going ?" Sotisku asked angrily " Those ribs are real bad shape ! I don't want you to aggravate your injuries further !"
" Sotisku , I have to put up a barrier around this hall...or whatever .." Keeah said tiredly ,leaning on a column for support " If we wish to make it through the night then we have to keep those creatures out there from getting in here !"
" I understand that ...but do you have strength enough to create a shield that will last through the night ?" Sotisku asked.
Keeah felt a dull ache form in a throbbing head . She rubbed her temples " I have strength enough for this!"
Sotisku bit his lips . "Wait a while ."
He returned to rummage into his backpack and returned with a delicate looking phial. How Sotisku managed to keep all these phials from breaking was still a mystery to her . It held an evil smelling viscous fluid . Its look was if possible worse than its smell . Keeah felt revolted to see the repulsive concoction thrust towards her .
" No way you are going to make me swallow that !" Keeah pointed an agitated finger at the phial , her face dreadfully white .
Sotisku gave a small chuckle " I know that this potion looks like shit ! And yeah it tastes like shit as well ! Still one must not judge a book by its cover ! " He held the phial under Keeah's nose who looked ready to gag " Drink . You need your strength ! "
" More likely I will choke and die " Keeah scrunched her nose and downed the potion in one gulp . The warm fluid burned her throat as it made its way to her stomach ,causing her to sneeze and cough and her tongue felt like straw .
Then she felt strength flow back into her limbs . Though the pain in her ribs was still there ,she felt that she could take on another of those giant snake things !
" What was that ?" She asked Sotisku .
" A minor restorative ." Sotisku looked very pleased with himself " It restores part of a person's strength ...But hurry the effect does not last long ! "
Keeah nodded and made her way out through the doorway. She found herself standing on the porch .She saw the scattered remains of the giant snake all over the yard . She saw some of the lizard creatures they had fought against creeping outside the perimeter ,circling the area like scavengers .
' Those things must have been attracted by the smell of blood .They must have been frightened at first to come where their greatest fear lies. But their innate want of food overcame their fear ... ' Keeah thought watching the red eyes that shone in the now almost imminent darkness .
She concentrated . A faint swirl of energy circled around the building . Slowly the energy started to take form gathering like blue mist around the structure. Then it solidified into a solid shimmering blue sphere that encased the entire building . Keeah let out a sigh and relaxed . The strength she had felt in her was now gone and the ache in her ribs returned with double the force . Groaning Keeah made her way inside .
" Sotisku " She called .
" You called !" Sotisku looked up from his bag .
"Yes ! " Keeah snapped ,her lips blue with pain" Give me something for this pain ! " She let her legs crumple under her . She sank in front of the column letting it support her back .
" Three of your ribs are broken ! " Sotisku moved towards her holding a small cup "Drink this . It will lull your pain somewhat . But that is all I can do , you will have to grin and bear your pain ! "
" It will do !" Keeah said tiredly taking the cup from Sotisku's hand .
The liquid was warm and tasted a bit like honey . It dulled her ache somewhat .But it also made her a bit drowsy .
" How is Suraco ?" Keeah asked looking towards where her golden haired friend lay . Sotisku had put his cloak over him .
" He is sleeping ." Sotisku said quietly " I am no Mitsukake ...but don't worry. He will be all right ! "
" Mitsukake ? " Keeah searched in her memory " Was he not a Suzuku seishi as well ! "
" Yes ! " Sotisku grinned " But he was one of the best healers of his time ! "
" You idolize him ?" Keeah stifled a yawn .
" Yes ! " Sotisku nodded his head " It is said that he could use his ki to heal other people ! During the Great War it is said that he used the last vestiges of his ki to heal the mortally wounded solders of Kutou and Konon both ! But ,all his ki was expended in this and he died after he healed the solders ! But the solders that he healed immediately got up and started fighting again ! "
" Typical ! " Keeah said sarcastically "The scars of mistrust and hatred between Konon and Kuotu run too deep to be healed ! "
"How true ! " Sotisku sighed " But then the Suzuku seishi Chichiri told them not to dishonor the sacrifice made by Mitsukake by giving their life in so worthless a struggle ! "
" Told them !" Keeah gave a sly smile ." I don't think that simple kind words could work on people who thrive on the heady draught of war ! "
"I think he shouted as well ..maybe he even bonked them in their head with his staff ! "Sotisku agreed solemnly .
Keeah gave a lovely tinkle of laughter " That should have worked ! "
" It did ! " Sotisku agreed " The soldiers lay down their weapons very much ashamed of their actions!"
" Good for them !" Keeah grinned .
They sat in silence for a long time . Dusk was falling. The light that came through the holes in the ceiling was nearly gone now, throwing the room into near darkness.
Stretching Sotisku stood up . " Rest . I will see if I can conceive to light a fire and then try to cook some food ."
Keeah nodded and leaned back into the column letting her eyes drift close .
Sotisku got up .It would soon be too dark to see anything ! He did not want to spend the rest of the night sitting in the dark ...with an empty stomach at that .Sotisku looked around . He saw an unlit torch kept in an elegant bracket on the wooden walls .Carefully Sotisku brought it down.
' Maybe I could try to light this torch ' Sotisku thought grimly .
Carefully he rubbed the tinder stone to create a small spark . The combustible material put on the ancient torch must have been really potent . After sometime the torch burst into a cheery flame . Sotisku gave a triumphant smile as he held up the torch .Much of the now dark hall came into focus . It was pitch black outside .It seemed that the jungle had come to life . The cacophonic melody of the beasts of the night surrounded them. Sotisku shuddered a bit .
He turned to look at his slumbering companions . Keeah and Suraco . His two closest friends . His only family . He had been scared . Both Keeah and Suraco were out cold after their battle with that giant snake thing . All he could do was drag them into this hall , give them their medicine and hope that none of the other creatures out there would get too frisky ..or adventerous. But now they were safe . It was all that mattered anyway .
But still sometimes he wished that he were stronger . It was not that he could not fight, but his skills were more on a rudimentary level . He had the same training opportunities as Keeah and Suraco...but ...Keeah often told him that he never really put his heart into martial arts because he did not like fighting ..Which was true to a certain extent ...He hated war ...but as Keeah put it ,sometimes war was a necessary evil ! Necessary ...but evil ! This made him wonder if Keeah herself believed in her own theory .
It was strange really . There seemed to be no long lasting peace between Konon and Kutou ...it was as if rivalry ran in their blood ! Every step either country made towards peace somehow snowballed into an issue of discontentment . And the last time when the sovereigns of Kutou and Konon actually made it to a peace conference ...Sotisku shuddered ...
Emperor Kaminari was a warrior of great might and a good king ...But more than that he was a doting father It had been a very nasty shock to the young Princess .The day the king's body had been brought to the capital, all of Kuotu had mourned . The proud blue flags were lowered ..The princess walked alongside the coffin like a commoner's daughter ,her head bent ... Everybody was crying ...Everybody had lost somebody that day ...Among the two hundred elite troops that went with the emperor none had returned ...
Keeah had not cried . It had disturbed him greatly. She seemed to be frozen ... There were no tears in her eyes from the time they had brought in her father's body to the time they cremated him .Her face was pale and her eyes that were usually wide and expressive were shuttered . She attended to the duties of the court calmly arranging for the funeral of the soldiers who had accompanied her father to the so-called peace conference. She also met the grieving widows , mothers...children of the dead solders and comforted them . Her voice was smooth and low ...soon the loudly wailing widows were reduced to hiccupping dabbing the corners of their red puffy eyes .
She did not cry ...and it scared the shit out of him ! After the funeral everybody had retired ,the inner palace was quiet and the city slept blanketed in exhaustion and grief ...he decided to face Keeah .
Keeah was sitting at her usual place ,under the shade beside the lotus pond . She had taken off her heavy dress and was wearing a light gray sleeping robe . Suraco was already there , sitting on the railing staring out at the moonless sky . He had walked up to her and sat down beside her ...
' Are you all right ?' Sotisku asked ,mentally smacking himself for asking so stupid a question.
Keeah looked at him "No."
Sotisku was startled to see the grief in those unfathomable eyes and the paleness in her rosy cheeks .In front of her closest friends and playmates her mask had fallen off revealing her inner self .
" Why don't you cry ? " He said softly " It will make you feel better .."
" I dare not ! " Keeah's eyes shone with unshed tears .
" Why ?" He was confused .
" If I cry then it will show that I am weak ." Keeah's voice shook a little " I dare not show any weakness!"
" It is okay to cry Princess " Suraco spoke up " I also cried when my mother died .Tears don't do any good . They don't bring back the one for whom the tear is shed ...But it helps the heart to heal ..."
" Grief is like the foul humor of a disease in our hearts " Sotisku agreed "Tears cleanse our soul ..It helps us to move on .."
" I understand all that " Keeah's bangs cast a shadow on her face " Sometimes I wish that I was a peasant girl . I wish I could fall on the ground and weep ... But I ...am Princess...I am my father's daughter ...And my Father was emperor of Kutou ...My duty lies with Kutou first ...I dare not mourn...not with the vultures that hover around my lands ...I dare not show any weakness ...or my country will be torn to pieces by the jackals that will come out of their holes now that the lion is dead ...and the den is leftto be protected by a mere cub ! I ..dare not weep ! "
Suraco came down from his seat and kneeled in front of Keeah " Princess" He held both her shoulders and jerked her hard .
" Cry ! " He commanded .
All that restraint she had been putting on herself melted away . Like a torrent pearly tears escaped her eyes and fell down her cheeks ." Why did they do it ? My father wanted peace ...Why did they murder him?"
" Your father was attempting to do the impossible " Suraco ran a hand through his hair " Trying to bring peace between Konon and Kutou !"
" They are saying that my father betrayed them ! " Keeah's eyes flashed like lightning behind raining thunderclouds " He would never do anything so base ...so cowardly ...How could they even say such a thing ?"
" Isn't that obvious ?" Sotisku gave a dry chuckle " We are the people of Kutou ! We are all supposed to worship the Dark forces and ritually sacrifice virgin maidens and new born babes on our macabre altars!"
" Is it war they want ?" Keeah's eyes were now practically giving off sparks "Is it death and destruction they want ? Then by the Gods above and below me I will give them war ! "
Her hands were balled into fists and her eyes blazed with an anger that rivaled her grief " I will make Konon weep tears of blood ! I will make them regret this day ! They will regret the day they crossed my path ..."
Sotisku returned to the present brought out of his thoughts by a long mournful wail that echoed through the night .
' What the hell was that ?' Sotisku shuddered
' Who cares as long as it is out there !' His self-preservation instinct spoke up .
" I totally agree !" Sotisku nodded ruthlessly crushing his curiosity that was piping ' Lets go and see what that was !'
Still sitting alone in the semi-darkness he couldn't but let the thoughts of the bygone years crowd his head . Sotisku looked at the single torch that he held and understood that it would not last the night .
' Enough of this idle thought !' Sotisku got up ' this torch will not last long ! Maybe if I explore the rest of this hall I will find some more torches ...Maybe I could salvage some of the broken wood work here to start a fire ..'
Holding the torch high he proceeded to investigate the rest of the hall . The beams that once held up the roof had collapsed in some places and strange creepers had grown around the columns . But strangely enough this building was pretty much untouched compared to the rest of this accursed city . He climbed over the fallen beams as he proceeded to the inner recesses of the hall .
Once again his mind strayed to the situation between Konon and Kutou ...this war ... He couldn't remember who made the first move ...it did not matter anyway ...the war was on ! In the beginning it was a few skirmishes ...the loss of life was relatively little ...But then as time passed the situation got progressively worse ...and bloody ...And there seemed to be no hope for peace whatsoever ...
They had left the capital on horseback before the first birds of dawn sung .During the course of their journey here he remembered asking Keeah whether they would ever have peace ..And he remembered her frank but somewhat depressing answer.
" I wish I could say that there will be a time of peace between Konon and Kuotu ,but I can't ! I can now understand why my father was so desperate for peace ..of any kind ..Remember the night after my father's funeral I had sworn that I will make Konon weep tears of blood ...I was a fool then ...blind with the thought of revenge ! It was my anger and hatred that led me to become the black warrior ...But that was before I actually saw war ! Perhaps I may have succeeded somewhat in my aim to make Konon regret the day they crossed me ...But somehow I cannot find any joy in the fact that some other daughter in Konon is grieving for her father who was slain in battle, in the same way as me ! Revenge is overrated ! "
Keeah paused a while before continuing .
" This fight is not about revenge Sotisku ..and I wish I could say that this fight is for the survival of my country ..which I cannot ...This war is killing both Konon and Kutou ! Then why do we still play this game of self-annihilation ? You could say that this war is more about ego ...Neither Konon nor Kutou is willing to step down ...Moving back even an inch would be considered a weakness by its rival country. And no country would want that ...not at least now ! "
She looked at the dancing mane of her hose frowning deep in thought .
" As I told Suraco the other day I would make a move for peace if we had sacred warriors " Keeah said at last " I would swallow my ego and make an effort towards peace if we were on an equal platform with Konon . Which we are not ! They have the sacred warriors ,the sacred scroll ..and as much as it galls me to admit this ...but they have the better army ! Until we figure out why we don't have any seishis ...or somehow balance the equation of power between us we cannot make a move ! "
Sotisku sighed reliving that particular conversation .The chance they had of balancing the ' balance of power' between Kuotu and Konon was highly unlikely . They had been here for a day and they had found nothing ..except for life endangering situations . Sotisku frowned .The hall led into a smaller hall . Sotisku entered the room nervously . It was dark and melancholy and the small torch held in Sotisku's hand did little to dispel the darkness . But in the flickering light of the torch Sotisku could see braziers lined up on either side of the room .Some of the braziers were overturned .But some were still intact . With some trepidation Sotisku applied the torch to one of the braziers .
Surprisingly it blazed to life .
' Great !'Sotisku grinned .
He then proceeded to light the remaining braziers . The room was still dark lighting up gradually as Sotisku proceeded onwards lighting the braziers .
Suddenly he feet caught on something and he stumbled landing quite disgracefully on his face . Mouthing a curse he hobbled up swinging his torch towards the cause of his undignified and painful fall .
He froze " Holy shit ! "
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