Those who have tried to take advantage of our tribe have all been smote down by the Orb-God in the past. Few dare to consult our deity for fear of what could happen if they are judged unworthy. Only those who are truly pure in their purpose – like a triad seeking a fated mate - have the courage and conviction to face the pulsating, sinister entity.
I now have that courage. In fact, I have no such fear. There is nothing the Orb-God can take from me that the poisoned mushrooms and the fish-eaters are not already threatening to.
I walk towards the back of the cavern, and the fish-eating triad moves to block my path.
“You would halt me from my blood-born right to consult our God?”
“Aye,” says Ton, staring with hatred towards Hadone. “I would. This one will die at my hand first.” He turns to me. “Damn it, put your wench down. I care not for what the Orb-God says. We fight, and we bleed today.”
I am painfully aware that I have no weapon. My Orb-Dagger is tucked away in Tammy’s robe. I could reach for it, but it would do little against the three full Orb-Blades of the fish-eating triad. Hadone and Darok are unarmed and would be cut down in seconds.
“She died.”
Hadone’s voice is cold and emotionless. I can feel nothing from him through the Bond. It is as though his aura is suddenly a piece of ice.
“Don’t speak in riddles, boy. What do you mean?”
24
Hadone
I hate that I have to dishonor the dead woman’s memory, but I must do whatever it takes to keep Tammy safe.
I can remember Ginger’s face as she begged me to love her back. We stood on top of the mountain, on a hunting trip far north during the lean times one hundred years ago. My whole tribe was forced out of our jungle home after the game dried up, and we were forced to compete with the northern tribes for resources.
She’d stood there, with her red hair burning in the sun. Ginger was a beautiful woman- one I’d thought too good for me, with a heart of pure gold. She’d been taken from some far-off world by the fish-eaters, snatched away by Ton’s triad and her life here had been one of heartbreak ever since. At first, she’d seemed content – but the moment she’d laid eyes on me, she’d never looked away.
As for me? I felt nothing for her.
When I refused her, she snapped. I spurned her love, and Ginger threw herself from those cliffs right in front of me. She snuffed out her existence, no longer able to bear the pain of rejection.
Her loss still haunts me. I used to see her face before I slept every night. Only now, after meeting Tammy, have the horrid visions stopped. I look at Tammy, held so close by Forn, and I know I do not deserve her, either – and yet the fates chose her for me.
But for how long? She is rasping – her breathing harsh. Tammy is dying. I failed her.
My whole triad need not die. It is only I that the fish-eaters truly hate.
“What are you doing, fool?” Telepaths Darok, and his aura pulses with fear for my safety.
“What I have to,” I whisper, and step into the fighting circle. My mind instantly focuses. When two Aurelians enter the circle, only one ever leaves.
There are gasps from the rest of the tribe, at least from those who are healthy enough to spare the breath.
“She died. Your fated mate, Ginger, did not leave you through the portal. She’s not living her life in the city you took her from, back on her home world. She is buried here, in an unmarked grave.”
“No! No!” Yells Ton, the grief obvious in his face. I hate that I have to say the words so scornfully, but for me to have any chance of defeating him, I’ll have to cause his anger to rise so overwhelmingly that he cannot beat me with skill.
“She died. She did not love you, Ton. She loved me – and when I told her that I felt nothing for her, she cast herself off the cliffs. I buried her. You don’t hate Darok and Forn. You hate me. It’s I who must pay this price; not my blood-brothers.”
Ton’s face goes blank. His neck starts to twitch, his carotid artery pulsing. I touch the tips of my fingers together and imagine the feel of his neck under my hands. I might not deserve life, but I will cling to it as long as Tammy lives.
“You lie,” says Ton, his voice a rasp. “You lie to hurt me, damn you. Damn you to hell!”
I stand in the circle, my hands open. “I do not lie.”
“Then today, you die. I challenge you, Hadone, to unarmed combat. I will rip your eyes out and eat them. I will bite your tongue off. I will feel your life’s blood warming my skin.”
Ton steps fearlessly into the ring.
Our fate is sealed.
When two men enter, only one can leave.
Aurelians of my tribe press forward. Those who are too sick to stand themselves are held up by others. Mothers shoo their young children away, but those near fighting age clamber up to see the spectacle. It has been many years since combat was fought in these hallowed battle grounds.
How many of my ancestors fought and killed here? Or fought and died here? Do I stand in the same spot as my forebears? Do I think the same thoughts?
Death was supposed to be a release. Now it’s the greatest loss I could experience.
“Brother, do you wish me to join you?” Forn’s voice enters my head.
I turn and smile at him. Seeing him holding Tammy is all I need. I might die, but he will take care of her. I know that the fates would not be so cruel as to give him such a love and
