Voice of the Gods

taking a parallel route to the servant’s along roads to his east, in case the Pentadrians and helpers on the route saw them and suspected pursuit.

“No,” she said. “It is better we wait than take the risk they will discover us.”

Yem rolled up the map and slid it back in its case. As Ella’s gaze shifted to the distance again, Gillen raised his eyebrows at Danjin. Smiling, Danjin brought out his counters set. It was a finely crafted set for travellers. Each piece had a peg at the base which slotted into holes in the board - but the drawer in which the pieces were stored had warped and would no longer open fully.

“Care for a game?”

Gillen nodded. “I thought you’d never ask.”

The town of the bird breeders was nestled high in a steep-sided valley and was surrounded by caves. It was called Klaff. Auraya had read the name from the mind of an inhabitant, but she couldn’t tell the Siyee without risking the gods guessing how she had learned it.

It was getting close to the hottest part of the day and the Siyee scouts that had watched the town yesterday had noticed that the inhabitants were quietest at this time. Locals were inclined to retreat inside their houses or nap in a shady place. The birds were safely caged. Hours had passed since their morning flight and more would pass before their late afternoon one.

Mischief was huddled in the shade of a boulder, panting. Auraya’s pack was not a pleasant place to be in the heat of the day. She poured water into a small depression in a rock and he lapped it up thirstily.

The Siyee were waiting just over the ridge on one side of the valley. A few were keeping watch on the town while Sreil addressed the others.

“The birds are kept inside caves,” Sreil told them, “with only iron bars holding them there, so we can shoot them with arrows and darts without even going inside or letting them out. There’s an empty space in front, surrounded by buildings, where we’ll land. There weren’t any guards there yesterday, but they may have been inside. If we are quiet we may get out of there without anyone noticing, though I doubt the birds will stay silent.

“I want six warriors to land in a half-circle and ready their bows. They will deal with any landwalkers that emerge.” He paused, looking expectantly around until six hands rose. “The rest of us will land between them and the wall. We’ll go to the cages and kill all of the birds. If there are eggs, smash them too.”

Auraya had suggested she provide some sort of distraction for the townsfolk, but Sreil had decided against it. He wanted to take advantage of the inhabitants’ sleepiness; any distraction she arranged would make them more alert.

Sreil straightened and looked around at his force of Siyee warriors. “We must work fast. Don’t stay any longer than you must. We are not landwalker fighters. If we meet any resistance we must leave. We’ll meet back here.”

The Siyee whistled an acknowledgment. Auraya bade them good hunting, bringing a few grins to otherwise grim faces. Then Sreil flexed his arms, sprang into a run down the steep slope and leapt into the air, and the rest of the Siyee went surging after him.

Auraya watched them swoop away and then wheel toward the town. She climbed to the top of the ridge, finding a boulder to crouch next to that would prevent her silhouette being visible against the sky. Her heart was beating quickly and as the Siyee began their descent she felt her stomach clench with anxiety.

Looking around the town, she searched for anyone who might have noticed their approach. The streets were empty.

Heat radiated from the boulder. She hoped the citizens of Klaff were soundly asleep.

The Siyee were a swarm of distant figures just above the town now. They abruptly dived downward into a courtyard. Buildings surrounded three sides and on the other was a rock wall dotted with dark holes, just as Sreil had described. Auraya held her breath as they landed, but no figures rushed out to attack them.

... must still be asleep, she heard Sreil think smugly. She felt his pride in his warriors as they took their places as he’d ordered. Then from all the Siyee came a jolt of surprise and fear.

From her vantage point, Auraya saw something dark spray out of one of the holes to cover the Siyee. She leapt to her feet as she sensed the Siyee’s surprise and confusion. Their thoughts were an incoherent jumble of terror and dismay. She could not work out what was happening.

Looking down, she realized the ground was far below her. She had lifted herself into the sky without intending to. Now she deliberately flew out over the town until she was above the courtyard. Understanding finally came as she made out Siyee struggling to free themselves from under a heavy net.

A net?

Cold rushed through her as she realized the Pentadrians must have known the Siyee were coming.

How? Did someone betray us? Who?

Some of the Siyee were thrashing about out of sheer panic but others had brought out knives and were sawing at the thick cords. Auraya felt her stomach sink as she saw men and women in black robes hurrying out of the buildings to stand on the edges of the net, preventing Siyee escaping. A couple of Siyee scrambled clear. The escapees darted toward the cages, leapt up onto the rock wall and used their momentum to help them scramble higher. Springing out into the air and flapping hard, they managed to pass over the tops of the buildings and swoop away across the town.

At the same time, other Siyee had given up the struggle and Auraya felt a surge of pride as they used their pipes and harnesses to shoot poisoned darts at the landwalkers. A few of the Servants slowly collapsed onto the net, but their weight only served to hold the Siyee more firmly. The rest were unaffected.

They’re shielding themselves with magic, Auraya realized, her heart sinking. The Siyee can’t hope to fight off Servants.

:Auraya!

Her heart skipped as she recognized Juran.

:Yes?

:What is going on? I can’t make any sense out of what Teel is showing me.

:The Siyee attack failed. The Pentadrians knew they were coming, and have captured them.

Auraya felt a pang of hope from someone below and realized that one Siyee, held down by the net, was staring up at her.

Help me, he thought at her.

She felt guilt, frustration and then anger. I can’t, she thought at the trapped Siyee. She clenched her fists. The gods had forbidden her to fight. There was no way she could help the Siyee without fighting.

:What do you want me to do? she asked Juran.

:The Pentadrians aren’t killing the Siyee?

:No.

He fell silent - probably deliberating. At his question an idea had come to Auraya. If the Pentadrians had known about the attack and intended to kill the Siyee, they wouldn’t have used the net. They intended to capture them.

And a captive could always be freed. Perhaps I won’t have to fight the Pentadrians in order to free the Siyee.

Looking into the minds of the Pentadrians, she saw both triumph and surprise. Yesterday she had seen nothing in the thoughts of the townsfolk to suggest they were expecting an attack or planning an ambush. Now she saw that they had been ignorant of the ambush until moments ago, when they had been called here for a meeting only to witness First Voice Nekaun net the flying people.

First Voice Nekaun? Auraya felt her heart sink even further as she saw that one of the Pentadrians was looking up at her. She searched for his thoughts and sensed nothing.

Memories rose of Kuar, the former First Voice, holding her imprisoned with magic. She pushed them aside. Kuar is dead, she reminded herself. Still, this new First Voice may be as powerful as he was.