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A Soul Remembers: Chronicles of Akashi - Chapter 43


Belly of the Beast

The mountain cave was far deeper than Arrazanal had originally believed. No one had noticed they were gone for long and they traversed into the lower tunnels. There were fewer and fewer Ezoni wandering the halls, even the lights seemed to have been dying out. Finally, they reached a long tunnel; it went so far that Arrazanal couldn’t see its end.

“Where are we going?” she demanded.

“The Battlelord and I have been trying to determine where our people are being kept. He thinks they’re in the Druid’s Den, but the problem is the spirits seem to have gone quiet and reveal very little to the remaining druids,” Kai said.

Arrazanal kept quiet, listening intently to his words as her eyes scanned the tunnel. On either side of the walls, there appeared to have been archways carved from stone with thick wooden doors bolted to the sides. A tall guard walked from the shadows. He paused and looked to Kai. With a small bow, he placed his back against the stone, beside one of the doors.

“So, we had to make do with our own source of information: prisoners,” he said.

Sickness crept up from her stomach. Is this how low the Nalashi have gone?

“I don’t understand how this has anything to do with Dath…” she said, but the sick feeling only grew higher when she said her brother’s name.

Kaitajinal stopped. With his eyes to the floor he turned to Arrazanal. “Your brother and I were tasked to find someone – preferably a scout or guard. Dathazanal already had someone in mind.”

Arrazanal’s jaw tightened. “Was it a warrior with an ugly scar on his lips?”

Kai’s eyes darted to hers. “How did you know?”

“I saw him in a vision. A vision that Dath and I shared when we witnessed our father being butchered by a Noszarel warrior,” she whispered.

Kaitajinal sighed; his head slightly bobbed. “That would explain it…”

“He didn’t kill the guard, did he?” Arr said, saliva built at the back of her throat before swallowing it.

“I’ll show you,” Kai said. He walked over to the Nalashi guard and whispered something in his ear beyond Arrazanal’s hearing. The warrior grabbed the edges of the door and slid it across the dry dirt. Kaitajinal beckoned his head for her to follow and she did.

There, in the tiny and filthy room, a lavender-skinned male was stripped naked huddled in the corner with his back to them. The skin on his back was covered with old and fresh marks; the skin on the side of his buttocks was partially missing, probably caused by a serrated whip. The male quivered in the corner as mad ramblings came from his mouth. His hands covered his neck and head. She noticed two of the male’s fingers were missing, while other fingers had raw wounds where nails were supposed to be.

A horrible, burning taste came into Arrazanal’s mouth. She spun around and spat out the sickness from her stomach onto the dirt. This was too much for her to bear.

“Nai!” she called, but more fluid spilt from her mouth.

Kaitajinal patted her back as he handed her a piece of cloth. She snatched it from his fingers and wiped her lips from the disgusting taste.

“How could you let him do this?” she shouted, trying to stand.

“We needed information, and your brother had his justice. The Battlelord-,” Kai said.

Arrazanal’s hand came flying across his cheek. “Spirits damn the Battlelord! Damn all of you,”

The guard puffed his chest out as he walked over to her, but Kaitajinal shook his head as he rubbed his red cheek.

“I would’ve thought that you would be relieved to see the one that killed your father,” Kai said.

Arrazanal raised her hand up again. Her energy burst from her palms. She was tempted to roast him with it, but she closed her palm and dropped her arm to the side.

“Look at us, is this what we are now? We’re no better than the ones that took our home,” she said pointing to the Noszarel prisoner.

Kaitajinal sighed. “Dathazanal will have to answer for this, but right now-,”

“Dathazanal? Dath…” the male muttered, his pained blue eyes glancing to them.

Arrazanal strode in the cell. Its darkness gave her déjà vu, and it made her shiver.

“You know the name?” she asked the shaking male.

“He repeats it, every time he is in here. He asks me the same question over and over…” he said.

She turned around to the Nalashi guard beside the door. “Leave us.”

The guard looked to Kaitajinal, but he agreed with her command. When the guard disappeared from the doorway, she turned her attention back to the Noszarel.

“Do you know who he is?” she said quietly, trying to mask the growing rage within her.

The male jerked his head up and down, still with his hands clinging around his head.

“Then do you know who I am?” she asked.

He shook his head so violently that she was surprised he didn’t knock his skull into the walls.

She bent down, meeting his eye level. Seeing him in such a pathetic state sparked joy in her heart. “I was four when we met. I was the little girl whose father’s life you’ve taken and my brother’s soul you’ve stolen.”

The male closed his eyes, tears leaked down his cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t try to lie, I know better. You’re sorry because you got caught,” she said.

“What do you want from me?” he mumbled.

“Come now, Arrazanal,” Kai said from the doorway.

She spun her head to him and shot him a menacing glare. She wanted to tell him to mind his voice but seeing his face returned her senses.

“What’s your name?” she said looking at the male.

“Rhysennos,” he whispered, his eyes locked onto the wall inches from his nose.

“Look at me, Rhys,” she said.

His eyes nervously darted to hers. They were ice blue. The bags underneath his sockets were sagging and were coloured in a sickly purple and black.

“I thought seeing you like this after all these years would bring me some relief after what you have done to my family, but I see nothing but a pathetic Ezoni. Why did you butcher a man in front of his children?” Arr said as she rose to her feet.

Rhysennos closed his eyes as he rocked back and forth against the stone walls. “All Noszarel must obey-,”

“But you aren’t mindless slaves! I’ve met Noszarel who are kind and decent, they would never even harm a moon-bee. You chose to do it because you wanted to,” she shouted.

Rhysennos covered his ears as tears rolled down his wrinkled face. “If I hadn’t done my commander’s bidding, then I would’ve ended up like your father…”

Arrazanal sensed Rhysennos’ pain irradiating off him, but it was far deeper than his physical wounds. She watched him shake in the corner of his cell; he was already broken and beaten long before Dathazanal ever put a whip to him.

“What are you planning on doing with him?” she said glancing over to Kaitajinal.

“He will certainly be executed, but the Battlelord hasn’t decided on how,” he said.

“Dead here, dead there…” she said, running her fingers through her sweat-soaked hair.

“Rhysennos, I know what you have told her brother, but she has a gift of truth-seeking. Please tell us if your people are holding any Nalashi prisoners in the village, and I will give you a swift death now,” Kai said.

Rhysennos’ eyes softened as he sighed in relief. “I saw three getting dragged from the forest, they must’ve tried escaping too late before we invaded. Like I told Dath…”

Kaitajinal bit his lip. “Were there any children?” he said.

“There was a child among them – a little girl,” Rhys said.

Arrazanal’s eyes widened, she felt her heart thump in her chest. “When did you see them? What did the girl look like?”

“A day after we took the village. I don’t know the fate of the others, they were taken to the den, but I saw her a few times…can’t forget her face-,”

“Tell me!” Arr shouted.

“She had violet skin, she had kind eyes, and her hair was all messy… I think there were teal flowers in her braid,” he said, clutching his shoulders.

“Rhys, I need you to concentrate. Where did you see her? Why was she not with the other prisoners?” she demanded.

“She was always close to the commander, I saw silver chains bound to her wrists,” he said.

Her heart pounded in her ears and her blood boiled. “Where is this commander?”

Rhysennos’ eyes fell to the dirt. “Only if you promise me something,” he muttered.

Arrazanal and Kaitajinal exchanged glances. “And what might that be?” Kai said.

“You let me go,” Rhys said.

“That’s ridiculous,” Kai said crossing his arms, “not possible!”

“Don’t just dismiss it,” Arr said, “he might be the key to finding Zjelazanal!”

“Arr, think about it – if we let him go then that risks us, Haven and all of our efforts,” Kai said.

“I’m not going back; they will kill me when they find out I’ve spoken to you!” Rhys screamed.

“Then where will you go?” Arr said.

“I don’t know, anywhere – somewhere where I can start again,” Rhys said.

“Someone will catch you, there’s nowhere on this peninsula that you won’t be discovered eventually,” Kai said.

“I’ll tell you where the girl is if you let me go. That’s my offer,” he said looking between the two Nalashi.

“Kai…” Arr sighed as she turned to him.

“We can’t risk it Arr!” he said.

“Take a chance for once in your life. You don’t have to listen to everything the Battlelord tells you to do,” she said.

“I’m not arguing with you in front of a Noszarel. We’re done here,” he said turning out of the cell, “you coming?”

Arrazanal bit her lip before she turned back to Rhysennos. “Did you tell Dathazanal about the girl you saw?”

“He never asked about her,” Rhys said.

With that, Arrazanal stormed out of his cell and down the dark tunnel. She heard Kaitajinal slamming the wooden door and clicking the locks into place before he jogged up to her.

“Arrazanal, don’t you see what’s going on here? He’s playing you,” he said.

“Nai, he isn’t, you know I can spot liars a forest away,” she said, turning through the gradually inclining mountain passages.

“He’s just using your connection to Zjel to get himself out of here. That’s what Noszarel do!” Kai said.

Arrazanal stopped and spun around to the young warrior. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, you don’t know them,” she said.

“Just because you met one good Noszarel doesn’t mean they’re all like that. We aren’t at war with them just because we had nothing else better to do,” he said.

She pulled out Yas’ pendant from her tunic and held it to Kaitajinal’s face. “They’re people too, Kai. Some of them have lost as much as we have.”

“They still have their village and now ours. Tell me, what would you have done when they attacked the first time? How would’ve you respond when they destroyed our northern forests for their selfish expansions?” he said.

“Anything would’ve been better than war, Kai, but your precious Battlelord sought to keep this nonsense going for so long that we had forgotten our spirit. If you truly believe that Nalashi are better than the Noszarel, then show them something that will prove it,” she said.

“And what might that be?” Kai said furrowing his black brows.

“Mercy,” she said, before tucking the pendant back into her tunic and turning away up the tunnel.

“Where are you going?” he called to her.

“To punch my brother!” Arr replied.


~

The night was late. Many people had retreated to their sleeping quarters, but Dathazanal sat with a small group of other young warriors in the main chamber when she spotted him. Her heart was filled with so much rage that she was shocked that her emerald energy wasn’t bursting from her eyes.

She stood over him. Her hands clenched in fists so tight that her nails dug into her skin as the feeling of empowerment came over her. Dathazanal looked up, but his smile quickly vanished when he noticed her stance.

“We need to talk,” Arr said through her teeth.

“What’s this about?” he said.

“You know what it’s about,” she said as her nails dug deeper.

Dathazanal scanned across his sitting group. His comrades had their eyes down into their laps. He stood up, taking a deep breath. “Look-,”

Before he could finish, Arrazanal threw her closed fist against her brother’s jaw. He spun around and collapsed to the ground. She almost lost her own balance, but quickly regained her footing.

“You dumb benor’e! What in the spirits were you thinking?” Arr howled as she tried shaking the pain in her hand off.

He rubbed his jaw as he carefully climbed back onto his feet, holding a greater distance from her. “You hit a lot harder than I thought you ever could,” he said.

“So, you’ve become the village torturer now?” she continued. Arrazanal couldn’t even begin forming the words in her mind to explain her rage.

“I was interrogating a Noszarel prisoner for information!” he said, glancing over to the other warriors trying to seek their support.

“But the information wasn’t your priority. You could’ve picked anyone other than him, but instead you picked him,” she said.

“He killed our parents, this was justice!” Dath called.

“Have you seen him? That’s not even revenge, Dath, that’s evil. I cannot believe you didn’t tell me about him, you had ample opportunities to speak up, and instead Kai had to show me,” she said.

Dathazanal looked to the other warriors. Their faces were cold and apathetic.

“We’ll talk somewhere else,” he said as he took her arm and moved to an empty cave’s entrance, “Kai knew the Noszarel’s fate before we got him, don’t believe his naivety for a second,” he whispered.

“You should’ve told me, I thought you were trying to be better than that,” Arr said.

“That was before you came back, but I should’ve told you right then and there,” he said as he rubbed his jaw, “I didn’t think it had affected me as much as it did.”

“Did you feel good hurting him?” she said looking into his eyes.

Dathazanal sighed. “At first it did, but I stopped feeling – I just stopped thinking halfway through. I’m sorry, Arrazanal,”

“You’ve apologised before…” she said leaning against the stone wall.

“I know you don’t trust me; you have no reason to, but please let me make this right,” Dath said holding up his hands.

Arrazanal bit her lip. “You can help to get him out of there,” she whispered.

Dathazanal’s eyes widened and his lips parted in shock. “You can’t be serious?”

“I’m very serious. He has information about Zjel, but in turn, he wants to be free,” she said.

“That’s a lie, he’ll just run back to his tribe and expose us,” he said.

“He won’t go back, he’s as good as dead if does, and he’ll be dead soon if he stays here. And I honestly don’t want to speak to a wraith,” Arr said.

“We’ll be as too if the Noszarel captures us or if the Battlelord finds out. Besides, we have plans of attack to get our people from there,” Dath said.

“They might kill them long before our warriors even step foot into Nal’asha. We need to do it tonight,” she said,

“You’re mad, the Noszarel are crawling all around the place, there’s no way we can sneak past them all,” he said.

“We don’t have to,” she said as her hand felt for the tiny pouch of powder in her satchel, “we just have to draw them away.”

“How? There’s not a psychic strong enough to compel so many away,” he said.

“Nai, but we can do it with this,” she said pulling out the pouch, “in small amounts, this powder can make it look like there’s a thunderstorm.”

Dathazanal reached out his hand to grip the bag, but she quickly pulled it away. “And it explodes on sudden impact,”

His hand quickly retracted. “Where did you get that?”

“Made it on Emasaran, but there isn’t enough in this pouch for what I’m thinking. But this mountain is full of the stuff,” she said.

Dathazanal pulled away from the wall and glanced around the cave.

“Relax, when the ingredients are separated: they’re harmless. I need you to go outside and scrape as much of the black dust of the rocks as you can and bring it back to me. I’ll be in my quarters,” she said.

“I still haven’t agreed to any of this,” he said.

“Do you want Zjelazanal back or not?” she said.

Dathazanal rolled his eyes as he turned up the tunnel and silently jogged to the vine curtains. Arrazanal sped down to the dungeon entrance. She sensed that nearly everyone in Haven was in a deep sleep and fortunately even Dath’s friends had retired. She turned to the cave wall with the richest of the creamy mineral and ran her fingers along with the hard stone. Arrazanal looked down to see there were jagged pebbles littered on the ground. She snatched the sharpest looking one, held her satchel under the thickest vein and began scratching against the stone. Tiny specks of dust showered in her bag; the sound of grinding stones made her skin tense. She lost all focus on her surroundings as she kept mining for more.

“What are you doing back here?” Kai said appearing behind her.

Arrazanal had almost let the bag slip through her fingers when she heard him. “I thought you’d be on the night shift,”

“I thought I’d do some thinking,” he said eyeing her bag and stone with suspicion.

“Well, a first time for everything,” she said.

“What in the spirits are you doing?” he said trying to ignore her remark.

“I’m collecting some of this dust so I can make blasting powder to draw as many Noszarel guards away, break Rhysennos out of here and get Zjelazanal back,” she said turning to the wall again and continued scraping more into the bag.

A moment of silence past. She had expected Kaitajinal to pull her away from the wall or say something, but there was nothing but the grinding stone sound.

“The dagger hilt will get more out,” Kai said. He unsheathed his blade and started scarping its metallic hilt against the stone.

Arrazanal smiled. “We need to fill the bag up halfway, I sent Dath to get the other part of the powder.”

“So, did you end up hitting him like you promised?” he said with a sideways smile.

“Oh yes,” she said brushing off the last bits of dust into the satchel, “you aren’t going to tell on me, are you?”

“If you don’t say anything about this,” he said holding up a handful of tattered clothes.

A bigger smile stretched across her face that it almost hurt her cheeks. “Thank you,” she said.

“We've got to try to reclaim our loved ones, they would do the same for us,” Kai said.

“I’ll come back, with our combined psionics, we can mask Rhys out of here,” Arr said.

Kaitajinal nodded and planted a peck on his cheek before speeding up to her quarters. Most of the candles in the sleeping chambers were out, so her eyes struggled to feel out for her mat. Fortunately, her mind’s eye sensed the various objects around the quiet stone room. She saw the auras of two Nalashi rolled up in blankets against the walls, they shuffled at her presence, but she focused her psionics to keep them in a deep sleep.

Arrazanal heard footsteps coming around the corner of the chamber. Her third eye sensed Dathazanal’s aura drawing near. He was holding a bulging sack in his hand.

I’m here. She transmitted to him. Immediately his pace quickened and aimed to her.

“This is all I could get without getting spotted,” he whispered holding up the make-shift pouch made from cloth he ripped from his baggy leggings.

“That’ll do. Put it here,” Arr whispered as she patted a wide wooden plank on the floor. She tossed out the potion vials, the tiny velvet pouch and her green journal from the satchel before carefully adding the black dust by the handfuls into the half-filled bag.

“What’s that?” Dath whispered as he crouched over the plank.

“It’s the other ingredient to make blasting powder from,” she said, sliding her hand into the bag and beginning to mix it with her palms.

“I mean the notebook, it has a Noszarel rune on it,” he said.

“I got it from a friend,” she replied, carefully twisting her wrist as she mixed the powder.

“So, you’ve got secrets of your own too,” he said with a smirk, “what do we do now?”

“Kai is getting Rhys dressed before we can leave,” Arr whispered.

She sensed Dathazanal ease back. “Do you really think you can trust him?” he uttered just above his breath.

Arrazanal shot her eyes to him. “I trust him more than you.”

“Your call,” he mumbled.

Satisfied with the now grey dust in the bag, she pulled her hand out and tied the opening shut with the straps. “I need you to take this. Meet us at the first pass and do not be seen.”

Dathazanal nodded and snatched the bag from her fingers.

“Careful! That’s enough to bring the mountain in,” Arr said.

Her brother glanced down to the bag with big eyes before bolting up to Haven’s entrance.



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