Imperial Guard – 005 Ethos of Solbrecht
Chapter 4 Rite of Passage
Norgu and Hohra
Coming of age. An important tradition carried out in every single one of his people's societies, as far as he knew. The nature of the ritual was similar in every culture, though the means by which it was carried out was as varied as his species itself. Rituals differed between races, communities and even families.
It was on the third day of being home that Norgu's feeling of being part of a great family was the strongest, for all members of his close-knit community had taken time off work and other duties for this important event. It brought back memories of his own ceremony. Having his adulthood bestowed upon him at the end of adolescence. His body matured. His mind ready to take on adult life. This time he would witness and take part in the sequence of activities for another member of the family.
Laila was Jolrynn's sister, and her older brother and her parents had been taking care of her during the day, mentally preparing the girl for what was about to come and relieve some of the tension. Meanwhile, the other adults had been preparing fresh food and decorations, as well as materials for the ritual itself.
He had gone out in the early morning together with his father for another hunt in the forest surrounding the town for fresh meat. With their additional catch, they would be able to satisfy the carnivorous nature of his and Hohra's family, as well as provide for the protein needs of the other members.
Solbrecht's bright sun had brought another day of intense heat and with its circle having moved past the highest point, it had become a bit more comfortable even for him to go outside again. Having sought shelter from the sun under the tall hazaeht tree in the middle of his community's garden, the two parts of his poetyo were moist with sweat which he continued to wipe off his brow as he leaned into the giant trunk.
His race's arctic origins were tough on his and Hohra's family during the summer season. With temperatures soaring into forty degree Celsius territory, they had to put in some effort to keep their bodies from overheating. This heat in combination with the high humidity forced him to mouth breathe, his lungs struggling to extract oxygen from the air which felt similar to that in a sauna. Watching the children play with the garden sprinklers, frolicking in the fine mist of droplets in which the sun's rays painted faint rainbow effects, triggered the urge to join them.
And he was about to until he recognized the sound of his mate's footsteps coming from behind. Joining his side, Hohra blew out her breath in an exasperated sigh, then continued to pant softly as she sank against the rough bark of the tree, letting her well-built arms dangle beside her, her massive legs looking like they were about to give way.
"It sure is warm again today."
"Are you drinking enough water?" he asked, alerted by the weary sound of her voice.
His nostrils picked up the scent of fresh sweat from her poetyo. It pearled on her dark brown skin, forming larger droplets that rolled over the chubby, yet feminine curves of her body. Rolling her head toward him, her broad pink tongue lolling to the side, she still smiled, sharp carnivorous teeth glittering. Her big brown eyes sparkled at his show of concern for her wellbeing.
"I'm okay. I drink plenty, but it continues to be tough."
"They've forecasted a slightly cooler day for tomorrow. Solbrecht might even bless us with some rain."
"That would be great," she said with a sigh of relief. "As for the ceremony, all is set. We will begin when the last rays of the sun have disappeared behind the horizon."
"How is Laila? Still stressed?"
Hohra bit her lip.
"Hmm, yeah, but I think she's excited as well. It's to be expected. Remember my ceremony?"
"How could I forget? I was so proud of you."
His mate chuckled. Taking his hand into hers, she touched the palm to the rounded tip of her muzzle, taking in his scent.
"She mentioned you when I was with her just now. I think she looks up to you a little. She told me she's considering joining the Imperial Guard."
To hear her say that he had inspired a member of their small community to follow in his footsteps filled his hearts with joy.
"I didn't know that. I'll go check up on her in a millicycle."
"You should do that."
"Norgu! Hohra! Come and join us!"
It was one of the children who called their names. Not paying any attention to what kind of game they were playing, the cool water jetted into the air by the sprinklers would be reason enough to join.
"Sure looks more comfortable than standing here," Hohra remarked with a chuckle as she let go of his hand. "It's a bit more tolerable inside the house. All the panels are open and we've placed all the water gourds."
"C'mon, let's join 'em," he decided, lured by the occasional gust of cool water vapor brushing past his legs.
Pushing himself off against the tree, he commenced to join the rabble of kids running and prancing around the rotating sprinklers scattered around the garden. Looking over her shoulder to see if his mate was up for it, he watched her frown, flatten an ear and eventually laugh.
"You've never grown up, haven't you?"
Pushing herself from slumping against the tree to standing upright, she balanced on her stout legs. Swishing her short thick tail, she stretched out her arm to catch the stream of fine water droplets as the sprinkler's nozzle turned in her direction.
"And you have?" he teased, crossing his enormous arms over his damp chest.
"Nope," she answered, sticking out her tongue.
Being the huge Logri that they were, he wondered how humorous it looked from a distance to see them join the much smaller children of Sogowan, Goureg and Orkeht descent, dressed in a mismatched mix of poetyo, shorts and t-shirts. They were throwing and running after a small gourd wrapped with the tan-colored strips of poetyo cloth to give it a fluttering tail as it sailed through the air, giving it a similar appearance to the one used in the common game of toel.
He noticed his and Hohra's mother shake their heads and laugh at the sight of their grown-up children as they each carried a basket of fresh vegetables and fruit inside. With his poetyo quickly becoming drenched with water from the sprinklers, the wet strips increased his body's ability to lose heat, bringing surprising relief as well as curing his lethargy.
It did not take long before whatever game the children played turned into a challenge to keep the gourd out of his and Hohra's clutches. Being much nimbler than they were, taking it from them was easier said than done. His mighty roar was enough to send them running to the other side of the garden screaming, his mate waylaying to catch the one holding the gourd in her strong arms.
"Come here you!" she growled playfully.
Lifting the Goureg girl off her feet, Hohra hugged her against her chest and nuzzled her neck, the girl overcome with giggles. Their fun lasted for a little while longer until he and Hohra let themselves fall stretched out in the grass between the sprinklers, panting from exhaustion as well as laughing. Closing his eyes as a stream of falling droplets sprayed his face, Norgu felt his chest and belly rise and fall to the rhythm of his breathing. He had no idea where those children got the energy to keep going from, but he figured it had something to do with them not originating from an arctic environment like him and his mate.
"I'm gonna go check up on Laila," he decided, letting his head roll to the side to look into his mate's eyes, the right one of her longer ears folded against her cheek.
"Go to her. She should still be in her own room with her brother."
Taking a few moments to gather the strength to heave his exhausted body off the ground, he pushed himself up to sit on his rump first, his thick tail flat on the ground. Brushing his large hands through the short grass between his legs, he looked at his mate who continued to laze in the sun, squeezing her eyes shut as another curtain of fine droplets caressed her face. Letting himself get showered by the nearest sprinkler one more time he rose on his legs the size of tree trunks, to make his way to the house's private wing, which was the right one of the U-shaped residence.
His body and poetyo dripping wet, he was greeted by the mild but refreshing current blowing out through the right entrance, which led to the private rooms of the younger members of the family, careful not to knock over the large water-filled gourds placed at strategic points in the hallway. Aided by the open windows in the rooms, which stirred the curtains hanging to the side of their entrances, as well as the open panels in the tall gabled roof, the air inside the house was remarkably cool. His wet skin and clothing strengthened the effect and as he filled his lungs with cooled air, the difference it made in being able to breathe was very much noticeable.
Perking his small ears at the sound of voices coming from one of the few rooms with a closed curtain, he crossed the hallway in the direction of the solid wooden sliding door that separated the children's section from that of the adults. The thick polished wooden floor planks creaked and bent ever so slightly under his weight, though not to a worrying degree. Looking left and right, many of the children's rooms were filled with more than one bed, more colorful bedding, rugs and decorations, as well as toys littered around.
Having reached Laila's room, instead of stirring her curtain he gently shook the string of painted animal bones hanging next to the right post of her door frame, rattling them against each other.
"Come in," Laila's kind voice sounded from behind the curtain.
Heeding her invitation, he shoved her curtain aside, as he wouldn't be able to slip past it with his size, answering her and Jolrynn's smiles with one of his own. Laila had moved to her own room as soon as the available space in the children's section allowed it after experiencing her first heat cycle, which was customary. Sitting next to her brother on her bed, Jolrynn had one arm draped over his sister's shoulder as she huddled against him, their legs forming a series of large barriers as they kept them close to their bodies.
Laila was a bit smaller than average for her race, but strongly built, giving her a bit of a stocky appearance. Her almond-shaped eyes were a warm amber and set in a sweet face, showing a few teeth around the edge of her slender muzzle as she smiled. Her elliptical ears stood up firmly, the left one flicking as she nuzzled against her brother's shoulder. Being siblings, they had a bit of each other's features, though Jolrynn was taller and his legs were longer than hers.
Closing the curtain again to restore the air of privacy, Norgu smiled as the trophies Laila had decorated her room with brought back memories of the hunting sessions with him and his father which she liked to join from time to time. The empty eye sockets of the large churii skull hanging centrally on the wall to his left stared at him with the same intensity as if the eyes were still there. Little pelts in various shades of gray, black and brown with pieces of bone in between, attached to a string like a garland, hung across the wall on the other side.
In preparation for her ceremony, Laila wore white poetyo, her brother dressed in common tan. Giving his sister a little lick on her cheek as goodbye, Laila answered the fond gesture with a soft purring. Letting his arm slide off her shoulder, Jolrynn rubbed between her ears after getting on his feet, crowding up the room with their Logri visitor still standing in the small space between the bed and the inner wall.
"I'll give you a moment," Jolrynn said while smiling, his tail stroking past Laila's leg. Looking over his shoulder one more time he brushed his tail against her leg again on purpose, his sister giving the top a playful rub. "I'll be with ahmo and erseh if you need me."
With Jolrynn giving him a light pat on the shoulder in his passing, Norgu was left alone with Laila in her room. Ceasing the act of towering above her, he kneeled on the thick square rug placed on the floor in front of her clawed feet, his hands placed on his massive thighs.
"Myrsya. For coming. I've missed you while you were away."
As he looked into Laila's eyes with their warm amber color, the girl copied his smile, her right ear twitching nervously. He had known Laila since her birth. Remembered holding her in his own small arms when she was but a baby, and he a young boy who had come to live with her family in this very house.
They had grown up so fast. The little boy became a man. The baby girl a young woman about to follow her dreams. Dreams that took her to the stars according to Hohra, pretty much like his own did at her age.
"I've missed home too. I'm happy and honored to be able to take part in your ceremony."
"Me too. I'm glad you're here."
"How's school going? I heard you've been studying hard."
Strain drew its lines on her face as she frowned. Shifting her position on the bed, her long tail rustling the sheets, she stretched one leg so its foot ended up near his left knee on the rug before she pulled it back.
"This final year is tough. Got my finals coming up in a few days. I'm confident though. I really wanna… I wanna do what you do."
"Hohra told me," he said, his voice coated with amusement. "So, you want to wear red?"
She nodded, a smile returning to her face.
"Yeah. I like hearing about your adventures so much. I wanna go see it for myself and help others like you do."
"That's a really beautiful incentive. It is true that helping others is a big part of my job."
Leaning back, Laila brushed her hands over her ceremonial poetyo, as if exploring it for any faults or loose ends, beginning with the top part and finishing between her spread legs. Her voice was full of confidence during her next statement, though Norgu did not fail to detect the light tremble at the end.
"But first… first I gotta do this. I'm just so nervous."
"Does the ritual frighten you?" he asked in a soothing tone.
She nodded.
"A little. Norgu? Some say that the venom of the no'ciht makes one see the future. Is it true?"
Taking a deep breath through his nostrils, he exhaled the same way, his enormous chest rising and falling considerably. Her ears sagged as her confidence was temporarily suppressed by concern, the edges of her beak curving downwards. The claws of her hands dug into her skin around her knees as she squeezed them.
"The venom induces powerful hallucinations and increases your fears. To face your fears and conquer them is your challenge." Reaching for the string of his necklace, he pulled it over his head and gestured for her to come closer as he rose up on his knees. His fingers brushing past Laila's large elliptical ears, he put it around her neck, briefly touching her shoulders before sitting back down.
Its string was a little too long for her, the tooth hanging on her belly, but the weight of the gesture was overwhelming, judging by her open mouth as she studied the large tooth in her hands, running her fingers across its natural engravings. "Keep it with you until the start of the ritual. May it give you the strength to overcome your fears."
"Myrsya."
"Laila. It'll be all right."
"Can I give you a hug?"
Nodding as he spread his arms, she got off the bed and kneeled in front of him. Throwing herself against his broad chest, her impressively muscled arms found their way around his neck. As she hugged him tight, he moved his large clawed hand over her back with gentle strokes as she purred.
"It'll be all right," he repeated. "You're young and strong. I know you've got it in you."
"Myrsya. You're all wet by the way," she laughed.
"Water from the garden sprinklers. It's not sweat." He chuckled. "Okay, maybe a little sweat too."
Releasing him from her strong grip, he felt her warm wet tongue against his cheek as she gave him a soft lick. Touching his beak to hers, she purred again, then continued to stare into his eyes as she sat back down on her knees, her tail making a tight curve in what little space was left between her and the bed. She almost felt like a sister to him, like the younger members of their community considered each other siblings as well. She could count on everyone for their support.
"It's almost time."
Her voice was little more than a whisper.
It was like Hohra said. As the sun sunk below the horizon in the distance, bringing the dark of night to the town of Wyroht, some twenty adult Mantrins had gathered on the ceremonial spot, their children, occupying the log benches which had been rolled further back, watching from a distance.
The clear night sky with Solbrecht's two moons, disturbed only by a few shreds of cloud, gave the skin of each one of them a faint glow before they moved into the light of the eight standing torches placed in a circle around the firepit in the center. The pit was closed by its wooden lid, which was in turn covered by a thick circular rug. The tan-colored rug was embroidered with Preidogian phrases bidding health, strength and happiness in their characteristic spiraling arrangement.
The shadows thrown by the flickering light of the torches danced over the faces and bodies of the Mantrins forming a circle of their own. Laila stood in the very center of the rug, her back straight, her tail moving with slow controlled lashes. Her white poetyo was decorated with tiny flower arrangements in different colors fitted to the strips on her shoulders and breast.
(How I love this sequence.) Hans Zimmer - Dune - Paul's Dream: youtube /sHAMoVI3qpw?t=280
Sitting on his rump onto the soft grass, his mighty legs folded around the set of ryl'agri hand drums he had borrowed from his parents, Norgu struck the drumheads with the same determination that radiated from every cell in the body of the girl that was about to become a woman standing right in front of him. He was accompanied by Hohra's father, who sat on his right with his own set, the other community members sharing the circle with them, their thumping feet and tails shaking the ground, attuned to the tribal rhythm.
The mighty sound filled the air together with that of three much larger drums belonging to the Goureg and Orkeht families, the sticks with which they were played made out of the larger bones of churii and rehkaana, as well as the sitar-like drone of the pair of joyts belonging to the Sogowan families, including Laila's own. Played by claw, the sound of the spiraling tube-shaped harps carried far and wide into the night, echoing between the walls of their communal home with the same energy as the drums.
Finally, the women contributed the powerful sound of their voices, making the shivers crawl down his spine to the very tip of his tail. His own mate was among them, Hohra's voice being among the most impressive, her Logri descent granting her the ability to produce deafening roars as well as some of the longest and loudest chants.
Strong incense tickled his nostrils, produced by the burning contents of small ceramic fire bowls placed near the entrances of the house. It drifted through the entire garden, filling it with a smoky mixture of sweet and herbal.
Facing her parents, Laila continued to stand strong and unwavering, like a rock in the sea, letting the different components of the ritual wash over her like the waves of said ocean. It was Laila's grandmother who stepped forward out of the circle, carrying a small ceramic bowl containing a slick black substance in her left hand.
The old Mantrinesse showed very little signs of her age, the wrinkled skin around her eyes and neck as well as the hanging ears offset by considerable muscular strength and a steady walk, her tail whipping the air with powerful lashes. With the chanting women falling silent, the music shifting to a slower and quieter rhythm in the background. The older woman's voice, though a bit raspy, sounded firmly above the residual sounds.
"Laila, daughter of Kohyu and Sehrra. You stand here before us to prove yourself worthy. To be granted the privileges of adulthood as well as carry the responsibilities that come with this status. I will ask you on behalf of all of us who have gathered here around you. How do you respond?"
Taking a breath, Laila squared her shoulders, shifting her feet as she rose a little higher on her legs.
"I deem myself worthy," she declared.
Norgu caught a glimpse of a smile on her grandmother's face, as well as a sparkle of pride in her copper-colored eyes. The same feeling of pride took hold of him, inducing a warm feeling in between his hearts. Dipping a pair of fingers into the contents of the bowl, the older woman painted her granddaughter's face with black stripes under her eyes, as well as a small spiral on her forehead.
"Excellent." Resting the palm of her hand between Laila's ears for a brief moment, she walked backwards to rejoin the circle. "Let us continue."
The music changed again, alternating between singular notes and moments of deep silence in which the quiet of night seeped into their circle. It was disturbed only by the occasional light crackle of a torch's flame. The rustle of tails over the grass. The deep breathing of some due to the humid air that continued to form a blanket over the planet's surface long after the disappearance of the sun.
Although the torches did not provide much warmth, Norgu felt the occasional drop of sweat rolling over his rich black skin due to all the excitement, as well as the tension that began to build as Jolrynn stepped backwards out of the circle on the opposite side of which his sister faced. His hands were wrapped around a blowgun he held to his chest, parallel to his spine. The family members around him parted to form a corridor, through which Laila's brother would have to take aim for the next segment of the ritual.
Focusing on his part, Norgu continued to strike his drums in unison with those of the others as well as the pluck of the lowest strings of the pair of joyts. The very mild breeze that seemed to come and go brought little relief, feeling like the warm breath of the planet, being held and expelled in an uneven rhythm like their own. Not even the children, watching the ceremony from the log benches while holding each other's hands, dared to make a sound.
Lifting the blowgun with great care, Jolrynn took aim. Made of a thick hollow piece of reed, the weapon was painted with a number of colored rings and tiny inscriptions all over its length of about one step. Bringing the mouthpiece to his beak, his right hand wrapped around the pipe close to his mouth to keep it pressed against his lips, he supported the brunt of the weight with his other hand, steering the weapon's muzzle toward its target, which would be the back of the youngest member of his family.
As Norgu knew, the dart inside, its sharp tip dipped into the venom of the no'ciht, a small reptile with the appearance of a snake walking on six legs and possessing a lethal bite, symbolized the unexpected dangers and challenges that Laila would have to face in her adult life. She could not see it coming, just like she would not be able to see the bumps in the road ahead. She had her whole life in front of her and she had a responsibility to herself to make the best of it, no matter the odds.
The instruments fell silent. It was as if the planet itself held its breath in the moment that Jolrynn filled his lungs with the air that would propel the projectile to the target. His ears lowered to the back of his head as his muscles tensed, his aim steady without as much as a shiver. He was like a living statue, focused in a single moment that could spell death for a dear loved one if his aim was but a finger's width off.
The burst of compressed air expelled from his lungs pushed the tiny dart out of the end of the pipe with a light plop. The slight whistle as the projectile left the weapon's muzzle lasted for a fraction of a second. Laila's response when the dart's needle penetrated her flesh with a light 'chok' sound, was a short groan between gritted teeth, her legs trembling for a brief moment as she took a single step to keep her balance.
The music and chants returned in full as Jolrynn lowered the blowgun and closed the circle with his neighboring members once more. Little beads of sweat pearled all over Laila's skin as the aggressive venom worked its way into her body to produce its hallucinogenic effects. Twisting her arm, she pulled the dart out of her back by herself and threw it away. Her legs quaked once more, the small dose attempting to paralyze her muscles. As her eyes rolled into the back of her head, she fell on one knee on the rug, supporting her torso with one fist planted on the ground as she gasped for breath.
This was the critical moment. She would have mere millicycles until death was a certainty. In these millicycles the effects of the venom would induce hallucination. Visions which many believed were glimpses of a possible future. At the end of her ordeal she would be able to tell everyone about them. To resist the venom, until the contents of the small fire bowl ignited by her grandmother in between them had been burned up, was her challenge.
"You can do it, Laila," her grandmother grunted.
The older woman remained in a kneeling position, trying to look into the girl's eyes as her granddaughter's claws tore audibly at the rug. Her legs had succumbed to the venom, forcing Laila down onto her knees, supporting her body with both arms. Her sweat started to moisten her poetyo, the greasy black substance painted on her face unaffected by the droplets that collected at the tip of her beak. Gasping for breath with intermittent wheezes, her eyes showing little more than the yellow color of her sclera.
The fire inside the bowl continued to burn as the group watched, not allowed to interfere in any way. Laila's parents stood at the ready with the antivenom for when the flame extinguished itself due to a lack of fuel. Everyone was focused on what this girl was going through on her way to become a woman, until the rough disturbance by a group of unexpected visitors.
"Okay people, time to turn it down! Break it up!"
The one giving the orders was a human man, part of a group of police officers that entered the premises via the part of the house that served both as an entrance to the house and garden, as well as forming a roofed connection between both wings. Among the six police officers in total, there were four humans and two Mantrins. One Mantrin was a Sogowan male, the other a Goureg female, both towering and broadly muscled, and wearing body armor like the humans. All were armed with blasters which were still in the holsters on the belt around their waist, the leader of the troop gesturing with his arms in an attempt to drive the family apart.
What Norgu noticed immediately were the looks of contempt thrown in their direction as the light of the torches lit up the faces of the officers on their approach. They wore standard issue navy blue police uniforms under their black utility vests and the two humans in the rear let the bundles of their flashlights explore their surroundings.
It was his own father however, who took offense. With his heavyset appearance, being the largest member of their community made everyone look up to him like some kind of authoritarian figure, even though they didn't have a real leader. Gahru's opinions during discussions often tipped the scale and even though he rarely showed his anger, it was feared by many.
Taking heavy steps, the huge Logri positioned himself between the group of family members and the approaching squad, his voice carrying a growling undertone as the humans took a step back. Meanwhile Laila continued to fight the venom, the flame still burning for her to hold on. Her mother held on to the subdermal injector containing the antivenom, ready to administer it when the moment was there.
"What is the meaning of this?" Gahru demanded to know. The sharp black claws of his feet dug deep into the ground as he curled his toes, his colossal biceps bulging as he balled his hands to fists. "You just interrupted a ceremony."
"How dare they."
"No respect."
Whispers of protest erupted from some of the other adults, but the human man did not seem to be interested in the least. He ignored the black behemoth in front of him, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on behind Gahru's back. He could not be considered short for his own species, yet he and his human subordinates looked puny next to their Mantrin colleagues as well as everyone else in the garden except for the children.
"We received a number of complaints about the noise. You were told to keep it down last time. Now would you please step aside, sir?"
After a moment of hesitation as well as a loud derisive snort, Gahru reluctantly stepped aside to let the officers continue their inspection, but did not lose sight of them for even a tick. In fact, some of the other adults formed another wall between Laila and the unwanted visitors.
"We have a permit," Gahru stated, crossing his enormous arms over his equally enormous chest.
"You have a permit for performing a ceremony. You do not have a permit for producing this level of noise. This is your second warning."
The man looked straight ahead, not in the least intimidated by the wall of Mantrins in front of him, his hand already resting on top of his holstered blaster. The Goureg female backed him up, though Norgu, who had leapt to his feet in the meantime noticed the hesitation in her movements. The other squad members covered their flanks, the other humans looking much more on their guard than their leader, like soldiers entering an enemy encampment.
Gahru growled and Norgu watched his dark brown eyes flicker. There were few things that would truly draw out his father's anger and this would be one of them.
"Your people have no respect for our culture!" he bellowed. "You never had!"
"For the last time, would you keep it down?" was the man's response, his raised voice no match for Gahru's roar. Directing his eyes forward as the parting wall of Mantrins revealed Laila to him in her poisoned state, it added to the confusion that manifested itself on the human's face. "What is going on here?"
At that moment the flame in the fire bowl that burned for her died. The maximum allowed time had passed and Laila's mother moved in to administer the antivenom.
"She has completed the trial," Laila's grandmother stated, completely ignoring the police officers. "Give it to her."
"Nobody moves!" the human man yelled. Drawing his blaster he pointed it at different family members, forcing them to step back. Eventually he pointed the weapon at Sehrra after spotting the injector in her hand. The other humans drew their weapons as well. The two Mantrins refused to take up arms, still trying to assess if it was absolutely necessary to point a weapon at their own kind. "What is that?" he asked, gesturing to Laila's mother with his gun. "What is wrong with her?"
"My ahmyr is under the influence of the venom of the no'ciht. She has completed her rite of passage. Now let me give her the antivenom!"
"Substance abuse. That's illegal. Arrest that… woman and the girl."
"Don't you dare touch them!" Gahru roared.
The officer instead gestured to the Sogowan Mantrin of his squad, who hesitated at first, then commenced to carry out the order. Norgu could feel the tension rising to tangible levels. Laila was unable to resist the venom for much longer. Her gasps for air became deeper and more constricted, strings of drool hanging from her beak. Falling on her side, her body began to spasm, her tail beating violently on the rug.
"Please! Let me help my ahmyr!" her mother panicked.
"Laila!" Jolrynn shouted.
Running toward his sister, he crashed on his knees on the ground away from her kicking legs, lifting her head to prevent her from drowning in her own saliva.
"If you do this you're a traitor to your own kind!" Gahru bellowed, his words halting the Sogowan squad member in the middle between his colleagues and the woman and her daughter he was supposed to arrest.
"I beg of you. My ahmyr is dying!" Sehrra cried.
"She became a victim of your own savage practices," the human snickered. "Now do as I say!"
Not only did his last remark, and thereby his complete disregard for the wellbeing of a teenage girl, spark a shouting contest among the group. The Mantrins in his own squad now gritted their teeth, turning toward their superior with a look of contempt on their faces that equaled those of Laila's own parents. Gahru's anger finally got the better of him.
"This is our world! You don't have the right to order us to do anything!"
With a growl he charged at the human, yelling at Sehrra to proceed with the antivenom. Shaking off his confusion, the man turned toward the black behemoth barreling toward him.
"Erseh!" Norgu heard himself yell.
Time appeared to slow down at that critical moment. Sehrra dropped to her knees next to her son and daughter, the latter who was writhing like a frenzied serpent while foaming at the mouth. With Laila's family doing what they were supposed to do, Norgu watched the police officer take aim and fire a shot at his father's chest. The mighty Logri let out a gargling roar before his colossal body came crashing down knees first.
"Gahru!" his mother shouted.
Having sparked the anger of his own squad members, the Goureg Mantrinesse who was supposed to back up her superior knocked him out instead with a blow to the back of his hand with nothing but her fist. Barking at the other humans who had already dropped their weapons to stand down, she raised her wristcom to her beak. With the situation getting so out of hand in such a short amount of time, and threatening to unleash the anger of the entire group, there was little more they could do if they wanted to escape with their lives.
"This is Yola calling in. I need two ambulances at my current location and be quick about it!"
With Laila's family taking care of her to the best of their abilities in the meantime, Norgu rushed to his father's side, trying not to stumble over his own legs, or step on his mother's tail as he trailed her. Gahru had rolled on his back, his one hand reaching for his chest at a sizable black mark on his poetyo. The Goureg Mantrinesse dropped to her knees on his left side and started talking to him as he groaned loudly, while he and his mother sat on his right side. The stench of burned flesh and charred poetyo fabric stung in his nostrils. The heat of the bolt had cauterized the wound, leaving little in the way of blood, but the real damage would be on the inside.
"I'm so sorry about this. Ambulances are on their way," Yola assured them. "That racist p'rat!" she hissed. "Get him outta here! Take him back to the car!" she shouted at the three human officers who kept their distance, while their leader laid motionless in the grass with his face down.
"Myrsya, for helping us," Norgu said, grabbing his father's hand.
Yola nodded, a look of remorse on her face, her small ears drooped down.
"If I get fired for this, let me tell ya it was worth it."
His mother repeated his name, trying to divert her mate's attention away from his agony. He seemed aware of their presence, but his breathing sounded very hoarse and constricted, his overweight body not helping him in the current situation.
"I'm… I'm here Marrah," he rasped. "Norgu…" He let out a gurgling cough, a trickle of blood running down the side of his beak. "Help Laila first."
"Erseh."
"My ears may be small, but I think she's calling your name."
"But-"
"I've got a thick hide, son. Quite literally. I'll be all right."
"He's bleeding internally," Yola concluded with a worried look on her face. She checked her wristcom. "Got confirmation. Ambulances are on the way."
Squeezing his father's hand one more time, Norgu got up on his feet. He swallowed, which took some effort as he forced his legs to take him away from his father's side and to Laila's. The family members tried to give the wounded some air by keeping their distance, while staying close enough to offer their moral support. The musical instruments and other materials used during the ceremony had been left for what they were, the torches continuing to provide light. The children had been taken away by their parents, some of them shocked by what they just witnessed.
Returning to what had been the circle, he lowered himself on his knees next to the members of Laila's family. The young woman laid with her head in her brother's lap, her body weak, her breathing shallow, although her eyes found his. Tears had added gleaming trails on the cheeks of her brother, and her parents and grandparents tried not to show how upset they were by staying as calm as possible.
Her mother held on to her right hand, with Jolrynn resting his hands on her shoulders. They had done their best to wash off the black symbols on her forehead and cheeks with a wet cloth which hung in a bowl of water and soap, faint little smudges being the only traces of it. Her poetyo had lost all of its flowers, their colorful petals scattered all around her on the rug.
"Norgu," she brought out. "I-I saw…"
"Shhh, don't speak."
"I need to," she grunted in a fit of mild panic.
"Easy, girl," her father insisted. "Take a moment to calm down."
"I had a vision. I was scared. It felt so real."
"Stay calm," Norgu said, using his deep voice and soothing tone to convince her to do so. "Help is on the way. What did you see?"
She swallowed. Her lower jaw quivering as she opened her mouth to speak.
"I saw… cities burning. Bodies… of dead people on the ground. Is that going to happen?"
Four pairs of eyes were now directed at him. As if he knew the only truthful answer to her question. Laila didn't even seem aware of everything that happened outside of her own ordeal and he decided not to tell her about his father. Gahru's condition was worrying, but he didn't want to add to Laila's worries.
"No," he answered. It came out with the certainty of a fact, though he could not possibly know that. In case she was still able to doubt his words in her dazed state of mind he quickly added, "No Laila. What you saw are images created by your own fears. Are you afraid that something like that is going to happen?"
She nodded weakly.
"You might have seen similar images at school during your history lessons. What you saw sounds very similar to what happened during the Uhna'hir conflict. That was terrible, but it's in the past. Don't worry."
Although he expected her to be on the verge of losing consciousness, she managed to smile, a remarkable feat given what she had been through.
"I… I guess I'm worthy."
"Yes," Jolrynn said resolutely. "You are more than worthy. You're my ahmi. You've always been worthy."
Removing his necklace from around his neck, Norgu once again hung it around hers. Laila smiled.
"Keep this with you. I'll make one for you for when you return."
"Myrsya." Not long thereafter the ambulances arrived, announced by the whine of their anti-gravity drives. There was more than enough room in the garden for them to land safely, so they did. A mixed team of paramedics, dressed in teal-colored jumpsuits, spilled out of the back of the vehicles when the backdoors opened, rushing toward the wounded Gahru first while rolling out a stretcher that would be able to carry his weight.
Two of the paramedics, a human woman and a male Sogowan Mantrin tried to assess Laila's condition, before deciding that moving her was safe. She wouldn't be able to on her own, but that was where Norgu decided to come in when she asked him for help. "I can barely feel my legs," she panted, a soft groan escaping her mouth. "Norgu, will you help me?"
"No'ciht venom?" the Mantrin paramedic asked with an amount of certainty that made Norgu suspect he was familiar with the ritual.
"Yes," Laila's mother answered with a trembling voice. "I gave her the antivenom, but I was too late."
"Second stage symptoms had already set in," Norgu added.
"We'll get the stretcher," the human paramedic decided. "She looks stable and she should be safe to move."
"I'll do this," Norgu said, letting Laila's shaking arm find its way around his neck.
With nods of approval from both her parents and Jolrynn, he scooped an arm under her legs, the other underneath her armpit supporting her back, heaving her considerable weight off the ground with little more than a soft grunt. Laila let her head fall against the right side of his chest, murmuring softly.
With slow controlled steps, his legs spread wide, he proceeded to carry her toward the ambulance, surrounded by Laila's family and further accompanied by other community members, all of them wishing for her quick recovery. He watched his father being lifted onto a hovering stretcher by no less than four strong Mantrins and pushed into the back of the ambulance. In there, he was hooked up to a series of sensors and an oxygen mask. A shiver that went through his entire body made him hug Laila a little tighter to his chest.
The ambulance personnel did their best to try and calm down his mother, who tried to stay as close to her mate as possible. Gahru's body left little room for her to fly to the hospital with them, but the thought of leaving him alone was too much. It was Hohra's mother who seemed on the verge of convincing her that he was in good care, hugging her from behind as Marrah let herself be guided away from her mate.
Having reached the other stretcher in front of the ambulance, he lowered Laila's body on the cushioned bed with the utmost care, making sure her legs and arms did not dangle over the edge and that her tail did not get caught underneath her body. Resting his hand on her brow for a brief moment, she smiled again, her hand still holding on to a strip of his bottom poetyo. Taking her hand into his, he brought it to the tip of his beak, warming it with his breath as he rubbed it with his fingers.
"You're going to be fine," he assured her.
She nodded, before looking at her older brother.
"Jolrynn?" He nodded. Biting his lip, his ears still looked like they were going to disappear into the back of his head. "It's not your fault. Remember that."
"I know," he whispered.
"We're right behind ya, Laila," her father promised. "I'll take your mother and Marrah to the hospital first. Norgu, do you want to go with us right away?"
It being the polite thing to do, he wasn't surprised that Laila's father asked him to drive with him before he asked his own son. Their entire community owned a single car that offered four seats and they still used it sparingly. Despite his father's worrisome condition he was going to decline, Jolrynn being the reason, if only because of the guilt that dripped from his face.
"Take Jolrynn first."
He nodded.
"I'll go get the key. I'll come back for you."
Subtly urging them to let go, the paramedics pushed Laila's stretcher into the patient compartment of the vehicle in fluid motion, hooking her up to monitoring equipment and extra oxygen like Gahru.
"Don't worry. She's in good hands."
After closing both sets of backdoors, everyone backed off as the ambulances rose up into the clear night sky with a soft whine of their gravity-countering drive systems, signaling with their flashing lights and activating their sirens after reaching standard cruising altitude.
What they left behind was a moment of relative silence, with everyone being too overwhelmed by what just happened. The two Mantrins were the only members of the police squad who had stayed to offer their apologies to everyone, even though what happened wasn't their fault. It was nonetheless appreciated.
The situation on Solbrecht had already grown so tense. Racist acts of violence by law enforcement personnel only served to further destabilize the situation, by making people lose faith in their ability to protect citizens and keep the peace. He could feel the anger radiating from a number of members of the family. Right now, revenge wasn't on his own mind. Stepping up to Jolrynn he gave him a firm hug. The Sogowan's voice was close to a whisper and trembling.
"I almost killed her."
"It wasn't your fault, Jol. And she'll be okay."
Placing his massive hands on the tips of Jolrynn's shoulders he squeezed firmly while giving him a light shake. Laila's brother nodded, taking a quivering breath before looking him straight in the eyes.
"Your erseh. I heard them talking about his left lung. You should take my place."
"Are you sure?"
He had overheard the same thing and he would be lying if he said to Jolrynn that he wasn't worried about his father. The Sogowan grabbed his upper arm and squeezed him back to add strength to his words.
"I insist."