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Chapter 10. Descent

by Rekkua

The gold pine had been torn up by the roots, smashing several smaller trees and leaving a huge crater in the earth. Rekkua strode along the fallen trunk, inspecting it. Truly the ancestors provide! They must be as eager as I to rebuild the clan hall!

She sadly thought about Clan Jahk's beautiful hall now reduced to shambles by the storm. It was not the loss of the hall, itself, that Rekkua mourned, but rather the lore and history of her tribe that had been contained within it – all taken by the storm.

Rekkua thumped her spear butt against the sturdy trunk. But now with this we can start rebuilding…

The underbrush rustled.

"Who's there?" She crouched low among the branches of the pine. "Show yourself!"

The rustling grew louder, and Rekkua gripped her spear. It would be just like Clan Vai to attack now when we are at our weakest! A branch snapped. She flicked her tongue a few times, urgently trying to catch the creature's scent, but it was downwind, and all she could taste was trees and earth. Her muscles tensed as she prepared to hurl her spear. "Show yourself!"

A patch of tall ferns bent, and a gaunt rat staggered out. His fur was matted with dirt and blood, and his clothing hung in filthy rags. "I won't hurt ye!" he gasped in the mammal's language; then in the language of the Varan: "No harm!" He didn't look like a threat; he hardly looked as though he could stand.

Rekkua lowered her spear, but only slightly. "Why arre you on Clan Jahk land, rrat?"

"Rekkua! Yer Rekkua, aren't ye?" He steadied himself against a root and turned pleading eyes on the lizard. "Don't ye remember me? Colbarr! I'm Colbarr Limley!"

Rekkua blinked in recognition. The bones of the face were right, and he was the same height and color as the trader who showed up every few months, but when she'd last seen Colbarr, he'd been a plump, cheerful rat in a ruffled silk shirt. He'd had immaculate fur and jewels on his paws. The rat teetered and collapsed to the ground.

"Colbarr!" She dropped off the trunk and immediately took a step away. A vile taste of rotten blood and vegetation and weeks-unwashed rat wafted past. Her snout pulled back in disgust. "What thiz? We go to village! Can you walk? What iz happened?" Keeping her tongue firmly in her mouth, she knelt down beside the rat.

A grimy paw scrabbled at Rekkua's leg. "Are ye safe, Rekkua? Is Clan Jahk…what 'appened to Clan Jahk?"

"Clan Jahk iz zafe, but…!"

Colbarr let out a long sigh. "Safe! Thank th' fates! I thought…when th' city…but yer safe!"

"Yez yez, we zafe, Colbarr, but what iz happened to you?"

"Rekkua, th' storm 'appened! Smashed 'alf the city!"

It took Rekkua a moment to understand that. The city, built from rock and stone, built to tower above the trees, had seemed indestructible. It had changed their world forever, and yet it was destroyed by a storm? So the furbeasts were not invincible!

She thought of how many must have been killed. Stone buildings toppling, crushing hundreds of furbeasts, hundreds of those Zattaka now rotting in the sun. A delicious satisfaction welled up in her. "Colbarr." She tried to keep her voice from shaking, tried to keep her hopes from rising. "Arre you…lazt one living?"

The rat blinked. "Oh no, no no no. Not at all. Th' city might well survive this. But…we thought we were puttin' everythin' back t'gether, an' then…" His eyes widened and stared straight ahead. "Th' mouse demon! We thought we were safe 'ere, thought 'e wouldn' care 'bout us! But 'e…'e came…" His voice wobbled. "'E drives ye mad! 'E drove me mad fer days! Days! They put me in chains, an' creatures were tearin' each other apart an' I couldn't tell what was real an' what was in m'head an'…an' I made it through. I made it through. Martin couldn't get me." He looked at Rekkua in wonderment. "But 'e doesn't take lizards. 'E don't take lizards. Yer safe, an' I'm not mad anymore. Not mad…not…"

Colbarr's babbling trailed off as his eyes fluttered closed. He slumped over in Rekkua's arms, and, within seconds, was snoring softly.

Rekkua stared at the rodent, mouth set in a grim line. She didn't understand half the things he had said, but Colbarr was an old friend of Clan Jahk. He had always treated them as equals – never as savages. Not once had he tried to cheat or take advantage of them. "Don't worry. Clan Jahk will look after you. You are safe now."

"…please, Evnakt needs help of Clan Jahk." In halting Varan, Colbarr finished relating his sad tale in a much more coherent manner. He was still exhausted, and his tail kept jerking and twitching, but after a scrubbing, he at least no longer tasted of nauseating things.

The gathered Clan Jahk muttered back and forth, debating amongst themselves for several minutes. When one monitor turned to ask Colbarr a question, it was realized the rat had again drifted off to sleep.

Rekkua stepped into the lull that followed. "Clan Jahk!" She spread her arms wide in supplication. "It is obvious what we must do. The fates are kind to us. We must act now to wipe away the furbeasts from our island for all time!"

"No!" It was Zavak, a respected member of the clan. Rekkua hissed in distaste; if it were up to Zavak, all the Varan would go and live in cities, wearing useless fabric over their scales. "The furbeasts have not all been kind to us, but they are not all evil. There are many who treat us as well as Colbarr does."

Rekkua glared at Zavak. "Would you have us lick the tails of all furbeasts for the sake of a few of them?"

"Enough!" Both Rekkua and Zavak fell instantly silent at their chief's commanding voice. "Colbarr is tired and his tongue wags much. We must send a scouting party to discover if he speaks the truth. Speak to Nakat or whoever is now in charge. If they need help, we help. Who will go?"

Rekkua leapt forward instantly. "I will go!" If someone was going to have the chance to put the furbeasts in their place, she wanted it to be her.

"And I." Rekkua looked at her brother, who smiled.

"And I."

Rekkua scowled at Zavak, but had no chance to argue.

"The three are chosen. May the ancestors go with you and keep your claws sharp."

The city was as awful as Rekkua had hoped. The three Jahk warriors spent more time climbing over heaps of rubble than they did walking, and Rekkua took particular pleasure in tasting the air full of rotting meat, savoring it like a roasting fish.

There was a fox curled up beside the road, shaking and shivering, large gouges through her flesh.

Rekkua strode past her, but Kiaza stopped beside the poor creature. "I am frriend. I help?" He set aside his spear and knelt.

The vixen raised her head. Her eyes were wide and unfocussed, the slit pupils dilated to pools of black.

Rekkua watched, unease creeping through her. Something about the Zattaka wasn't right. "Wait…"

The fox screamed and lunged with teeth bared.

Kiaza let out a cry and stumbled backwards, arm up to protect his face.

"No!" Rekkua charged, spear thrust forward, but before she could make contact, the fox crumpled to the ground, neck spilling crimson. Rekkua stopped short and blinked.

Zavak's bloody knife glistened in the sunlight. "You okay, Kiaza?"

Kiaza stood up, licking his right arm. "The furbeast scratched my arm, but I'm fine."

Rekkua prodded at the corpse with distaste. "Looks like Colbarr wasn't exaggerating."

They passed a lot of furbeasts after that. Some were dead and rotting. Others were twitching, or turning their heads to look at the passing lizards. One, a young cat singing a song about death and blood, smiled at them.

The Jahk warriors stayed well clear.

It was all upside-down; as though an entire forest had been turned up by the roots, or a grassy knoll trampled by an entire tribe. Rekkua doubted the city could ever be salvaged. But if they rebuild it, they'll need our help. Then, we'll be the ones in control. She smiled at the thought.

"Hsst! I hear something!" Zavak motioned for silence, and all three listened. The sounds of marching pawsteps floated over the wall next to them.

"I'll investigate!"

"No, Rekkua. Wait…!"

Before Kiaza could protest further, Rekkua clambered up the wall to a small ledge. Peering over the other side, her breath caught in her throat. A group of – somethings were marching past. They tasted of weasel, and they were almost the right shape, but they were far taller and heavier than any she had seen. And their tails were completely wrong for a furbeast! As thick and powerful as her own! Weasels were supposed to have pathetic, shriveled tails. What are they?

"Rekkua!"

Rekkua jerked her head around and stared in horror as more weasel-things, weapons drawn, surrounded Kiaza and Zavak.

"There's another one! Ashtwig, Garri, get up there!"

Two red blurs dashed from the group and, next thing Rekkua knew, were standing on either side of her. Rekkua hissed and leveled her spear. There was something wrong about these creatures, too. They looked almost like rats, but their faces were a little too flat. They climbed faster than even she did, and their tails were huge, bushy clouds as thick as their waists.

One spoke. "Surrender now, and you won't be harmed."

She laughed. They hardly came to her chest. She could taste their fear. "Zee if you can hurrt me, Zattaka!"

A weasel-thing repeated what the not-quite-rat said. "Surrender now, and you won't be harmed. If you don't, we cannot promise the safety of you or your companions."

"We zurrrender! Rekkua! Don't do anyt'ing brrash!" Kiaza had already dropped his spear. His voice was pleading, fearful. "T'erre's too many!"

Rekkua despised the furbeast language. It sounded so light and unsubstantial; as if a stiff breeze could blow it away. She hated it even more hearing her brother using it to admit such a thing. But – she glared at the swords pointed at her from either side – he spoke the truth. She reluctantly tossed down her spear.

"Your name is Rekkua?" It was one of the rat-things. He smiled encouragingly. "Don't worry. We're woodlanders, not vermin. We keep our word."

"This way, lizard." The weasel-thing sounded bored as he led Rekkua down a passageway. His spear was leveled, but he wasn't paying much attention.

Rekkua looked around suspiciously. After being separated for questioning, she had not seen a single scale of Kiaza or Zavak. "My frriendz iz thiz way?"

"Yeah, sure, yor friends are this way. I'm sure you'll get along real well." They stopped in front of a door. Her captor jiggled something into the wood and swung it open.

Rekkua tasted the air. There was no trace of other Varan anywhere. She turned to the weasel-thing, anger growing. "What iz thiz? My frriendz iz not herre!" Her lips pulled back in a sneer. "You zay you iz honorable, but you iz no more zo t'an ztinking verminbeastz!"

The weasel-thing's eyes narrowed. "Don' compare me t' you scum!" he spat. "Jest get in there!" He shoved her.

Caught off-guard, Rekkua tumbled to the floor inside.

"'Nother one fer you, boyos!" The door slammed shut.

For a moment, Rekkua simply remained on the cold floor, seething. Ancestors give me strength to slay those furbeasts a thousand times over! Feeling beasts watching her, she slowly pulled herself to her footpaws and looked around. Her eyes weren't used to the dim light, but she could make out three dark shapes. She flicked her tongue, tasting the scents. The taste of rat was obvious, as was that of stoat. The other, though…

Before she could figure it out, one spoke. "Greetings, sir. I am Antonio Calceterre; who might you be?"

Well, at least they were being polite. Probably the best thing to do given the circumstances. Drawing herself up to her full height, Rekkua faced Antonio. "I am Rekkua, Varan of Clan Jahk. Iz a…" she paused, searching for the right word. "Iz a pleazure." She glanced at the other two. "And you?"

"Brull."

"Aras."

Rekkua focused on the last one, still trying to distinguish his taste. "Are you…woodlanderr?" She colored that last word with as much distaste as she could manage in the furball language.

Aras snorted. "Hardly. If I were, do you think I'd be stuck in here?"

"Just a second, ladies! Let me move the crate out of the way." Antonio slid something along the wall, and instantly, new voices floated into the air.

"…do you think it is?"

"Probably just another poor soul."

Rekkua stared wide-eyed at the wall. "What iz thiz? Magic?"

Antonio chuckled. "No. Just a hole in the wall."

"But holez don't zpeak!"

It was hard to see in the gloom, but Rekkua could just make out the stoat's smile. He obviously didn't think she was very intelligent. "No, of course they don't. This one just connects to the prisoners in the next room over."

"Is it another prisoner?" a voice from the other side.

Rekkua strode over to the hole. Crouching down, she tried to peer through. "I am Rekkua, Varan of Clan Jahk."

'He just got thrown in here," Antonio offered.

Rekkua stiffened. He? She stood up and glared at Antonio. "You t'ink I am…male?"

"Uh, are you not?"

She lowered her head until it was level with Antonio's face. "Iz you too ztupid to tell?" For a moment, she simply stared at the stoat, eyes wide and unblinking. "I am not male, Zattaka!" Anger laced her words, turning them into more of a snarl than a sentence.

The stoat seemed at a loss for words. She could hear his teeth clicking as he opened and closed his mouth.

A voice through the hole filled the sudden silence. "Miss Rekkua, you said you are Clan Jahk?"

Rekkua turned away from Antonio with disgust and again crouched down. "Yez, I am Clan Jahk."

"And are you angry about our city being here?"

Rekkua frowned. Where was this going? "Yez, of courze I am! You…"

"Us Zattaka really muddied up the island for all Varan everywhere."

Rekkua's mouth hung open. That was the exact phrase her uncle Zaika had always used. The only non-Varans who knew that would be…

"Iz you…Iz you friend of Zaika?"

"You're Zaika's niece, correct? I met him…"

"Can we please get back to talking about how to escape?"

"Rea's right! Save your reunions for later. We should get back to…"

Brull pounded urgently against the wall. "The guard's coming again!"

"We'll talk later, ladies!" Antonio shoved the crate back across the hole and sat down.

Rekkua rubbed her tattoo in agitation and leaned back against the wall. Maybe they're bringing Zavak and Kiaza.

Antonio glanced up at Rekkua and spoke in sincerest tones. "My apologies for mistaking your gender, miss Rekkua."

Rekkua flicked her tongue. "Iz okay. Not your fault you iz ztupid."

The door opened.