Alien Mask, page 21
I would find her. Now.
But before I could land, the bone-shattering thrumming grew even stronger. My braxilk suddenly ignored my commands, turning from the path I’d chosen for us.
I yelped, trying to command him back down as he started to ascend once more.
But I should have trusted the braxilk’s instincts. Because directly below us, where we would have landed a moment ago, something exploded into existence. I cried out in shock, raising my bow in front of my face as empty air transformed into... Something.
I could not name it. Long and large and silver, it was vaguely arrow-shaped, but not as pointed. The tempest-level winds and deafening, vibrating roar ceased. The sound of dozens of clattering arrows hitting its shining body filled the new silence.
Both armies had ceased fighting each other and were now focused on killing whatever this thing was.
I knew this had to be something to do with Priya’s people. She’d told me about the wingless corpses that helped her people travel through the skies. What had she called it? A skip?
Whatever it was, the thing’s side split open, drawing territorial cries and growls of shock from the warriors circling overhead.
I did not envy Gahn Thaleo in that moment. Not only did he have our army to contend with, but now also this thing that had landed directly at the base of his home mountain.
Evidently, he’d decided that Errok and I could wait for now. Like the others, he loosed arrow after arrow at the thing below us, aiming for the opening.
But the two creatures who stepped out of that opening proved completely impervious to the arrows.
I recognized their kind instantly. I’d seen one like them on the plains during the battle when I’d taken Priya. Bitter Sea men.
The one on the left was golden in colour, with what looked like a mountain fish’s scales all over him. He also had brown spikes extended along his arms, neck, and powerful tail. The one beside him had scales and spikes, too, but he shone a brilliant crimson, his spikes black. They both glittered like stone. It wasn’t just the quality of the scales that reminded me of stone, but also the strength – our arrows glanced off of them like the deadly weapons were nothing but wind-tossed grains of sand. Each of them raised an arm to protect their large eyes, but otherwise, they needed no shielding. They did not even wear cock cloths! I knew they could mate based on what Priya had told me, but they had no obviously visible genitalia.
The golden one began to speak, the powerful boom of his rocky voice stilling the arrows for a moment.
“I am Tok, here as emissary for the Bitter Sea King, Hakah Gog. With me is the warrior Grim. Our vessel carries two Gahns of the Sea Sands, Gahn Taliok and Gahn Fallo, as well as the Gahnala Chapman and warrior Valeria. We speak on behalf of three more Gahns – Buroudei, Baldor, and Razek.” His voice grew even louder. I could only imagine the irritation building in my brother at having this stranger address everyone with such authority here.
“We have come to reclaim the new woman named Priya,” the golden giant continued, “as well as the warriors Oxriel, Dalk, Bariok, and Vaxilkai. Whoever rules here, we bid you come down and speak with us in peace.”
They’ve come for her.
I wouldn’t let that happen. I’d already had her taken from me once.
No one will take her from me again.
My gaze skirted around the so-called vessel to the entrance into Gahn Thaleo’s mountain. But it was almost entirely blocked by the vessel. I’d never be able to get past it unnoticed to fetch her.
As I tried to figure out what to do, movement below caught my eye. Something, someone, shoved between the two Bitter Sea giants.
This was a man much more familiar than Grim and Tok. He resembled the four warriors who’d come for Priya – warm-toned skin, black hair tied into dozens of braids. He was large – easily as big as my brother, and had an extraordinary number of blades strapped to his body. From where I flew, not too far from the ground, I could see that his sight stars gleamed a vicious, poisonous red. He drew a blade and slashed it through the air in a pointing gesture, aimed up at us on our beasts.
“Who rules here? Come down and face me like a true Gahn!”
I did not like the look of this man. He seemed to pose even more of a threat than the gigantic, indestructible Bitter Sea men. Not because of his physical features – the Bitter Sea warriors were far more physically intimidating. But because of the feral glint of madness in his whirling sight stars.
Clearly, Gahn Thaleo did not like the look of him either. His face expressionless, he immediately shot an arrow at this red-eyed Gahn’s chest.
The new Gahn reacted with stunning quickness, knocking the arrow to the ground with nothing but the power of his own fist. A fist now badly torn and bloodied by the arrow’s edge that had caught him.
But he didn’t even seem to notice the injury. He picked up the arrow from the ground – and grinned. Then, he launched the arrow back at Gahn Thaleo as if throwing a spear. If Gahn Thaleo had jerked his head to the side even half a breath later, that arrow would have gone right through his skull.
I was certain he would command his men to attack once more.
But a sudden high, firm voice cut through the air, staying his words.
“Stop antagonizing them! We’re here to negotiate in peace!”
The red-eyed Gahn’s head jerked down forcefully, and I noticed a tiny white fist around some of his braids, pulling.
The voice, clearly a female’s, grew louder, calling out from behind the Gahn whose braids she held. Her hand gripping his hair reminded me of a warrior yanking on the training reins of a particularly feisty braxilk.
“Like Tok said, we are here for Priya and the others!” continued the hidden female. “We want to negotiate in peace. But you should know that if you continue shooting at us, or you do not release the people we came for, we will be forced to fight. We have powerful weapons – far worse than arrows.”
Gahn Thaleo remained silent on his braxilk, frowning down at the vessel.
No one needed proof of their weapons. The vessel proved their power, plus the Bitter Sea men themselves looked like they could shred through half the men and braxilk present without gaining a single scratch.
A moment later, Gahn Thaleo descended. He landed in the aguir circle and dismounted.
“I am Thaleo,” he called. “Gahn and ruler here.”
My brother suddenly jerked his braxilk into motion, too, landing and dismounting nearer the vessel.
“And I am Gahn Errok of the far mountains. If you wish to discuss the fate of Priya, you must discuss it with me. Because she is part of our tribe, now.”
I felt simultaneous swells of affection and irritation for my brother. Affection because of the way he’d so quickly and easily claimed Priya as part of our tribe. And irritation because if anyone was going to speak on her behalf, it would be me.
I dove downward, too, landing closer than any of the others, directly before the open side of the vessel. I stood so close I could see the single expanding sight stars of the Bitter Sea men fall upon me. And could count each tiny white finger wrapped around the braids of the Gahn in the middle.
“These two may be Gahns,” I said, pointing my bow backwards over my shoulder at them, “but if anyone comes for Priya, they must first get through me.”
The red-eyed Gahn snapped his jaws, fangs catching the light. I was sure the only thing that kept him from stalking towards me and gutting me for my insolence was the hand that tightened on his hair.
“Who are you to dare address us thus?” snarled the red-eyed Gahn.
I stepped closer, determination hardening my guts and lifting my chin.
“I am Priya’s mate.”
The Gahn’s sight stars pulsed and whirled. From behind him came a harsh sigh and a word I did not entirely understand but had heard from Priya many times before:
“Shit.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Thaleo
I stared at the strangers, wondering if this was all some impossible, terrible dream. But if it were a dream, it would have to have been days long, starting with the arrival of the strange new woman Priya.
Everything she told me has been proven true.
The evident power of her people. The alliance with the so-called Bitter Sea men, who looked more like monsters than any man I’d ever seen. There really were five more Gahns out there, one of whom was before me now, clearly itching to kill the first man who got close enough.
I’d thought Gahn Errok was irritating enough. If this red-eyed man was any indication of the others, I was due for many future headaches.
The high, clear voice, presumably belonging to the white hand that leashed the feral Gahn, spoke again.
“Will you command your warriors to land? Or at least to lower their weapons so we can talk?”
I considered her request. Every instinct told me not to do it. We were a small tribe, but mighty and fierce in our defences.
But I did not want to test the power of these people’s weapons on the backs of my men. There were too few of us to waste even one life.
My tail jerked in acquiescence, and I called the command to my men, telling them to land.
Gahn Errok did the same. His men crowded together on the other side of the aguir circle. My men flanked me, a much thinner crowd.
We all watched each other, tension roiling as we waited for someone to break the temporary ceasefire.
But no one did.
And soon enough, the hidden figures from the vessel emerged.
The red-eyed Gahn stepped forward and the Bitter Sea men moved aside to make way.
First came the white-handed woman, who now released the hair of the Gahn from her grip. Her appearance shocked me. I’d assumed Priya’s kind would all look like her. But this woman was frightfully pale all over, and had hair like orange flame, pulled back from her face. Another woman exited the vessel. Her hair was more familiar – dark like Priya’s, also tied tightly back. There was one more man, the other Gahn they’d spoken of. He was scarred even more severely than me, with ragged stripes dragged down one side of his body, from his face all the way down to his cock cloth.
Such an odd band they presented. A mixture of shapes and sizes and colours and kinds. But they all stood together as equals, allies.
I broke the silence.
“Priya told us of the proposed alliance. We would hear your terms.”
The red-haired woman opened her mouth to speak, but Gahn Errok cut in first.
“Alliance? Why would they ally with you? My tribe is larger and stronger, clearly the better ally. Besides, my brother is mated to one of their new women. And not only that...”
I watched him step closer, his white sight stars vibrating with intensity.
“I have a mate from among the new women too.”
I breathed out tightly through my nose.
This was not good news. Having not just the brother of the Gahn, but the Gahn himself mated to some of their women would cement their alliance and leave my people vulnerable to a newly strengthened enemy.
I could feel a thunderous growl building in my chest, but I bit it back when the flame-haired woman spoke again.
“We actually want to ally with all of you.”
Gahn Errok and I spun to face her again in unison.
Both of us? Both tribes of the Deep Sky join this alliance?
“Never,” I hissed. The condition I’d had to join their alliance in the first place was having them help me kill Gahn Errok. I’d hoped that by killing him and destabilizing their tribe, I’d get what I wanted. What my people needed.
But perhaps there is another way...
“Unless,” I said quickly, changing tactics, “our conditions are met.”
“What conditions are those?” came the question, this time from the scarred Gahn.
“We want more territory.”
Gahn Errok’s tail snapped aggressively.
“You cannot be serious. You think I would agree to this? You are the smaller tribe. You have no right to expand further into neutral territory, even though your men have apparently already been doing so.”
I remained still and stony, not wanting to say any more. I wouldn’t give away too much to Gahn Errok or these strangers. I would not reveal our weaknesses.
But Gahn Errok, though he often appeared to be a mere cocky buffoon, was actually ruthlessly clever. He saw through my request almost instantly.
“The storms have been raging heavily over the plains and on your side of the mountains as of late,” he said slowly, his sight stars boring into me. “I imagine it makes hunting and foraging difficult.”
I tensed, gritting my fangs.
My people were not to the point of hunger.
Yet.
But he was right. The storms had been unusually merciless in our lands, often trapping us inside our mountain for days upon days upon days. There was only so long felkora and eggs could sustain us, only so long we could venture out to hunt and gather supplies in the narrow bands of lands not ravaged by the frequent storms. We’d exhausted much of the hunting areas here. Thus, my men had expanded out into neutral territory. I knew Gahn Errok would not have permitted such actions – no Deep Sky tribe had ever been granted hunting access in the neutral territories close to the Vrika. But I’d vowed to kill him before I’d let my people starve.
“Alright. So, you’re saying you need more territory, to what, hunt? Feed your people?” the flame woman asked.
“Yes,” I ground out, still staring at Gahn Errok.
“And what about you guys? Any conditions?”
Gahn Errok whirled on her, earning a warning growl from the red-eyed Gahn. I realized then that those two were mated. He was too protective of her, and she too confident in controlling a man who otherwise did not seem easy to control. They had mentioned one of the women was a Gahnala. Gahnala Chapman.
“You cannot be seriously considering this,” Gahn Errok seethed. “They have no right to expand into neutral territory. This would be a grave insult to our tribe.”
“Well, why don’t you expand too, then?” the Gahnala asked. “If both of your tribes submit to our alliance and there’s peace, why don’t you both just expand into the neutral territory and use the resources you need? That’s what we’ve done in the Sea Sands. All five Gahns now live and share resources in the neutral territory of the Lavrika at the Cliffs of Uruzai.”
“That would not work,” I said, slashing my hand through the air. “The grievances, the histories between our two tribes are too deep. Too bloody.”
“And you believe our grievances are not?” asked the scarred Gahn, his voice dark with barely-controlled rage as his sight stars flicked to the other Gahn. “But we have agreed to put everything aside to protect the new women and face the oncoming threats their people pose our world.”
“Then there is more pride in the Deep Sky than the Sea Sands,” snapped Gahn Errok. “I refuse to bend myself to another Gahn the way you all have.”
Gahnala Chapman’s face smoothed into a calm, impassive expression.
“Fine. Then you won’t have access to your mate.”
Gahn Errok’s younger brother Lerokan made an expression that could only be described as now you’ve done it.
Gahn Errok’s eyes darkened, and he stalked swiftly forward. The red-eyed Gahn stepped in front of his mate, drawing a black blade in each of his hands.
“You can draw a hundred blades against me,” Errok hissed. “It does not matter. I have waited for a mate. Waited and hungered and yearned for far too long. Now that I have seen her, now that she is within my grasp, I will not lose her. If you deny me, we will fly to you. Will fight. We will take her by force.”
“No, you won’t,” said the Gahnala coolly, her voice barely audible above her mate’s warning snarls. “You may be the larger tribe out here, but you’re not larger than our alliance. You would not be successful, and even if you were, human women do not take kindly to being abducted.”
Lerokan stiffened oddly at that last statement. Gahn Errok’s chest heaved with barely controlled rage. Finally, with a growl, he turned from the red-eyed Gahn and prowled back to his brother’s side.
“And what of my mate?” Lerokan asked, stepping forward. “Unlike my brother, my mate knows me. Even now, she is likely waiting for me in Gahn Thaleo’s mountains. I must get to her.”
Gahnala Chapman peeked out from behind her mate, looking at Lerokan.
“Fine. But Gahn Taliok, Grim, and Valeria will go with you.”
“I did not agree to this!” I thundered. All eyes swept to me.
Gahnala Chapman’s were very odd – white and grey and black in colour.
“It doesn’t matter what you agree to or not,” she said. “Whatever happens, you can’t keep our people prisoner.” Her eyes narrowed, and her mate slashed his blades through the air. “If you don’t give Priya and our four warriors up without a fight... Well, let’s just say we will win that fight.” Her hand drifted to a black object at her hip. A weapon?
It is not worth putting my men at risk for the female and her four escorts. She was not my mate, nor that of any of my men. She had proven to be no threat on her own. Her people, though, and this alliance, was the real threat. Even greater a threat than Gahn Errok’s forces.
“Fine,” I agreed, waving over one of my warriors to show them the way. “Consider this an act of my good faith in our negotiations.”
Despite Gahn Errok’s protestations, I was still willing to consider this alliance, with him or without him. If it meant more territory, more hunting grounds, for my people, it would be worth it. And maybe a few of the new women would be mated to my men, too. That would be a bounty indeed. The last female of mating age in our tribe had just been bonded to a warrior, leaving many other men without hope for a mate.
The scarred Gahn, whom I now knew to be Gahn Taliok, Grim the red Bitter Sea warrior, and the dark-haired new woman called Valeria went with my warrior and Gahn Errok’s brother to the entrance into the mountain. Aware that once they had Priya back, I’d lose some of my leverage, I turned my focus back to Gahn Fallo and his Gahnala, speaking quickly.
