A Whisper of Wings Page 53

  A tall man burst his way out through the crowd. Harïsh gave a sob and crushed her husband hard against her heart while Keketál buried his face inside her golden hair, completely lost to the world. Harïsh wept inside his grasp, laughing as she wound her fingers through his fur.

  “I’m going to have a baby! A baby!” The girl tried to turn his face towards the Silent Lady. “Keketál! Oh Keketál, do you see? I told you she would come!”

  “Hush. Hold Keketál tight. Iss all over now.”

  The lovers clung and wept for joy, while out across the field, Shadarii approached a trembling figure hiding in the grass.

  Daimïru stared in horror at Shadarii’s great green eyes, holding up a hand to ward her away.

  “Get away from me! Don’t touch me! Don’t look at me!”

  Shadarii slowly shook her head, feeling the other woman’s pain. She looked down at her in pity, reaching out to stroke her face.

  Daimïru whimpered, then backed away with tears streaming from her eyes.

  A sudden hush fell across the field, and Shadarii felt a heat against her back. Warriors drew away as a deadly presence filled the air.

  “Cripple!”

  Shadarii gazed in sadness at the shrieking thing that once had been her sister. Serpent coiled and blazed about Zhukora’s soul, and Shadarii grimaced as she felt Starshine shriek in challenge. Zhukora hung on wings of fire and bared her fangs.

  “Shadarii. The cripple has come at last! Do you want it, sister? Do you feel my power?” Zhukora alighted to the ground, as naked and exquisite as a poisoned blade. “You have annoyed me, sweet sister! You have not stolen my power for long. I shall not let you have them. Their souls belong to me.”

  Mrrimïmei stared between the sisters, her eyes turning wild with hate. Daimïru clasped Zhukora’s thighs as though seeing her salvation.

  Zhukora sanctified Daimïru with her gaze.

  “I am absolute. I am perfection. I am The Dream! Now I shall kill you, sister. I shall drink your blood and snuff you out like a candle in the dark…”

  Tingtraka tried to drag Shadarii back into the crowd, desperately hauling at Shadarii’s arms. Her teacher gently slipped away, pushing back Tingtraka’s hands. She looked into her apostle’s eyes and slowly shook her head.

  Shadarii kissed her most precious followers on the eyes and mouth; the gesture of farewell. Shadarii drank in the growing sunset as the world turned hushed and still.

  Finally the time had come.

  Two naked sisters faced each other through air as sharp as knives as they gave themselves into a hidden world of power.

  A wind stirred Shadarii’s streaming copper hair. She reached out with her mind to feel the water and the trees; she felt the river at her back and the reeds dancing in the wind. Shadarii-Zha, the Silent Teacher, closed her eyes and opened up her arms.

  Starshine shrieked like a spiteful scorpion, then flung her energy into Shadarii’s waiting soul. Not the healing power she loved, but pure, raw force; energy to split rocks and tear matter into light. It was the means to strip the flesh from Zhukora’s smoking bones. Shadarii felt the power, and let it trickle from her grasp, simply casting it aside.

  Starshine gave a tiny wail of shock.

  Zhukora’s lethal power coiled about her like a storm; weapons gleamed and fur shone. And there, in the middle of it all, Shadarii stuck out her tongue.

  Zhukora gaped as Shadarii shot into the air and bared the backside of her tail. A lightning bolt sizzled across the sky, but Shadarii dodged the blast with ease. She posed and tossed her streaming hair, beckoning Zhukora to follow her across the stagnant swamps. The black demon snarled and instantly tore off in pursuit.

  The sun shone, the skies sang, and Father Wind laughed through Shadarii’s hair. For a little while the girl forgot the pain of parting. It had been too long since she had played her jokes; too long since wicked laughter filled her soul! The dancer sped across the streams and bubbling pools, leading her sister far away from helpless crowds. Zhukora laboured in her wake and shook her fist.

  “Fly! Fly you little bitch! It won’t save you!”

  Lightning raved across the swamps. Shadarii rolled away and felt the bolt stab into an old dead tree. Starshine thrashed in terror deep inside Shadarii’s head.

  *Kill her! Fight! I have the power - use it! Burn the bitch-queen from the sky and take her subjects as your own!*

  Shadarii laughed her silent laugh and gave herself into her dance. Zhukora lashed energy uselessly across the sky. Shadarii gave a grin and dove between the trees.

  To use power, you must understand it. The dead, drowned trees were Shadarii’s weapon. Utterly devoid of ïsha, they sucked Zhukora’s energy down into their void. Zhukora was left to wonder why she missed and missed again; always her sister dodged from harm’s way. Shadarii offered up her life as bait to draw the demon on.

  Starshine lunged in panic as somewhere in the distance, Serpent screamed in lust. The air shivered to another ïsha blast. Starshine frantically crammed power into Shadarii’s mind, gibbering in fear as she felt Serpent close the range.

  *Kill! Kill them! Here is the power, now use it! Slay Serpent. Nothing else matters! Quickly, do it!*

  Shadarii simply let the power bleed off into the sky. It blazed out like a rainbow in the dancer’s trail.

  *Stop it! Thou’rt killing us! Thou stupid girl, we’re going to die!*

  Shadarii turned a barrel roll as a lightning bolt seared past her tail.

  ~Finally you understand! I will not hurt another living soul - not even her. Yes, we are going to die, Starshine. It will be very soon now. I will try to make it quick.~

  The Ka wept and tried to break away, but Shadarii clamped the spirit tight. The creature’s every nightmare finally come true; she was trapped inside a useless body while her enemy closed in for the kill. Shadarii saw the evil little being’s fear and laughed inside her mind. How strange that a being so very old craved life so uselessly.

  ~Why are you afraid of death, Starshine? Nothing can ever truly end. Feel the joy with me! Take one last flight and feel the wind flow through my hair!~

  The spirit screeched and lunged out at its prison.

  *Let me out! I forgo the bargain. The deal is off! Let me out!*

  ~Not yet, Starshine. Soon. Remember that you have ended our bargain. I kept faith with thee to the end.~

  *Let me go!* The spirit wailed. *I don’t want to die!*

  ~You are evil, Starshine. How many wars have you begun in the cause of ‘right’? Why don’t you stay with me, Starshine? Why don’t you stay and feel my death?~

  *No! I am the ultimate force of good! It is my destiny to scour the world of evil! Thou shalt kill us both for nothing, and all for this stupid pacifism!*

  ~Mother Rain sent me to create a legend. This is the ending of the tale. I must die and pass into the world of myth. It is what was always meant to be…~

  Zhukora was gaining; Shadarii heard her sister split the air with rage, and this time the blast caught Shadarii in the wing. Shadarii reeled away, pain blazing down her side.

  Warriors stared as Shadarii staggered overhead. The duelling figures swept across the clearing at the centre of the crowd. Tingtraka croaked in horror as Shadarii dodged another blast. The skinny huntress wept in fear, tearing at her hair.

  “Kïtashii, we have to stop her! Shadarii doesn’t have any power to hurt! Zhukora’s going to kill her!”

  “She-she’s where she is meant to be! It’s-it’s what she wants.” Kïtashii crammed her hands against her skull in pain. “I made an oath. I can’t fail her…”

  “Shut up Kïtashii! She can’t win! She’d rather die than hurt anything. She’s going to drain Zhukora’s power and leave her to us!” Tingtraka grabbed her friend and shook her like a sack. “We can’t just sit here!”

  “It’s a legend. Don’t you understand? She’s making a legend!“

  Shadarii’s one sided duel with death went on. Kotaru held his wife and gazed up in amazem
ent at the sky. He stared up at a perfect face and felt his whole world shine.

  Shadarii!

  Kotaru looked across the grass and met a familiar set of faces. He locked with Tingtraka’s eyes and saw her jerk with shock.

  Far up in the sky Shadarii climbed for height. The armies dwindled, the air turned still, the suffering of the battlefield faded far behind. Here there was nothing but the purity of silence; nothing but the soft caress of Father Wind…

  ~Look! See how beautiful it is! How clean, how wild, how free!~

  Zhukora shot up from below, her wake blazing with a stream of fire. Serpent lunged inside Zhukora’s mind and almost screamed in need.

  *After them! They mustn’t have any power. She hasn’t flung a single spell!*

  Shadarii shot downwards like a bolt of flame. Zhukora pushed her endurance to the limit, ramming power behind her wings as she tried to gain more speed. The ground blurred, and air screamed past Zhukora’s ears. She saw her sister’s naked back and stretched her spear out for the kill. Her mad eyes were fixed only on a fluttering orange tail.

  Suddenly the tail whipped out of sight. Zhukora wrenched her head back, blinking in amazement as her enemy swerved away.

  * Zhukora, NO!*

  The girl whipped her face around in shock as she ploughed into a tree. Wings dissolved in fragments as she plunged towards the ground. Zhukora tried to blast herself a path; power blazed out from her flailing hands, and a trail of lightning slashed across Shadarii’s wings.

  Zhukora blurred to earth and smashed to the soil. Limbs snapped and bones splintered; in a single horrid instant Zhukora shattered into ruin.

  Shadarii tumbled helplessly in the smoke of her own blazing fur, and with a silent scream she skidded down to earth. The woman rolled in agony, one wing blasted to a bloody stump, then staggered to her feet, holding up a hand to keep Tingtraka far away.

  The teacher dragged herself towards her sister’s shattered body. ïsha wildly arced into the mud around Zhukora, sizzling as it burned the broken reeds; Shadarii limped closer, pity and revulsion shining in her eyes.

  Serpent ripped free from Zhukora and sped towards the swamps, only to be pierced by a blazing shaft of light. Shadarii trapped the creature with her power, and Starshine burst from her hiding place to loop and wheel in victory. The creature laughed, only to turn her mirth into a shriek of fright as Shadarii blasted her out into the sky.

  A globe of force crushed the Ka together in a screaming heap. With a mighty flash the energy stabbed down into an empty skull. The prison was plunged ten thousand spans into the molten earth. Starshine and Serpent screamed a final time before the gates closed behind them with a crash. The two spirits could battle one another to their heart’s content, forever buried deep inside the mud.

  The little teacher fell down to her hands and knees. She coughed and trembled, suddenly ripped by the agony of her severed wing, and ïsha dripped from her soul where she had torn the evil spirit free.

  “Zhukora!”

  Daimïru shot through the air to hurtle herself beside Zhukora’s shattered body. The girl screamed in pain and held Zhukora’s bloody head against her breast.

  “No! Not her! Take me! Take me instead!” Daimïru rolled mad eyes and stared up at Shadarii. She reached out a bloody hand and pleaded through her tears. “Please! I love her! Please, take me. Don’t let her die!”

  Shadarii retched in pain. She had caused hurt - she who was sanctified to life. Shadarii somehow dragged herself up to touch Zhukora’s broken hand. The Teacher sobbed and opened her soul up to the world, and the power tore her own wounds even as it blazed and healed. Light shone forth beneath her hands to fill the world with love.

  Daimïru stared as broken bones smoothed beneath Shadarii’s touch. A black hand reached up to clutch Daimïru’s breast; the torn hide healed, the fur regrew. Shadarii flung herself into a sister’s pain and made the girl anew.

  Zhukora lived, and the evil spirit inside her had been purged. Shadarii dragged herself away; she tasted blood upon her tongue and felt the touch of death.

  Zhukora’s eyes opened. She stared up at the sky and blinked as Daimïru held her, kissing her, adoring her. The blonde warrior wept into Zhukora’s face and caressed her with a cloak of golden hair.

  Somewhere in the background, something small and fragile slowly scraped across the ground. Zhukora smelled Shadarii’s scent and instantly lifted from the ground.

  Shadarii!

  Zhukora lunged towards her sister while Daimïru desperately fought to keep her beloved in her arms.

  “NO! Zhukora, stop it! It’s over. She’s won! She’s won!”

  Zhukora screamed in rage. She marched across the grass only to have Daimïru stumble in her path.

  “Zhukora, it doesn’t have to be! Come away with me. I’ll love you forever! I can make you happy!”

  Zhukora looked in longing at Daimïru’s eyes, then wrenched har gaze aside. Black hair rippled as the evil figure flowed towards its prey.

  “NO!”

  Something screamed in challenge, and Zhukora snarled as a new challenge stood in her way.

  Kotaru!

  Zhukora laughed and smashed out with her power. The man span aside, falling to the ground.

  Zhukora ignored him, her aura blazing as power thundered back into her soul. Her sister had done too fine a job! Zhukora flung back her hair and howled in joy. The glorious madness would go on - she would follow it into the depths of death itself!

  Shadarii heard the laugh and dragged breath into her lungs. With one almighty heave she staggered to her feet. The girl stared about herself in pain; a warrior lay on the ground clutching at his skull, and the little plainsgirl healer was frantically dragging him away. Warriors stood watching; sea people, pilgrims. Mrrimïmei stood waiting, but her time was not quite yet…

  Zhukora met Shadarii’s eyes, and her face lit up with a strange emotion. They looked into each others hearts and finally began to understand.

  Zhukora raggedly drew breath and rode the Dream.

  “So powerful! You’re like a God! Could you be the one I need? Could you? Well it’s not that easy little sister! You’ll have to prove that you are worthy! Fight me! Pull me down. Purify my dream or die!”

  Zhukora snatched a spear up from the ground; Shadarii’s world dissolved into slow motion as her sister charged. Silent Lady raised her great, sad eyes and read Zhukora’s soul.

  So be it. Let us dance the story to its end.

  She began to run. Zhukora’s naked body blazed like darkest night; she spread her wings and launched herself towards Shadarii, screaming for her blood.

  The women raced together at blinding speed. Zhukora stabbed her spear for Shadarii’s heart, when suddenly the wooden spearhaft exploded into life. Flowers bloomed, tendrils writhed; Zhukora gasped and let the spearpoint gouge into the ground. Shadarii felt the shock of impact as their bodies rammed together, then span away and crashed into the earth.

  Behind her, Zhukora still flew above the grass. Her wings folded up with agonising slowness, the broken spearshaft jutting out between her shoulderblades. The girl arched up in release and slowly came to rest before the crowds.

  There was a long, slow scream of agony. Daimïru hurtled herself beside Zhukora’s corpse and howled in soul-destroying grief. Shadarii staggered back and turned away, slowly raising up her eyes to meet a gaze deep in the crowd.

  Mrrimïmei.

  The huntress sobbed, her eyes mad-bright with tears while Shadarii bathed the girl in perfect love.

  I forgive you…

  Mrrimïmei gave a sob and finally hurtled her spear. Shadarii opened up her arms as the shaft rammed home.

  The little teacher sighed and softly laid herself down to die.

  “Shadarii!”

  Tingtraka tore herself from Hupshu’s arms and ran to her teacher’s side. Kïtashii sobbed and stared in horror at the spear jutting through Shadarii’s chest.

  Mrrimïmei laughed and stared wildly at th
e crowd, but the smile fell from her face as she saw her husband’s eyes. Thousands of faces gazed at her in revulsion. The girl began to shake her head and pull at warrior’s hands.

  “We’re free! I had to do it, don’t you understand? Free! She was evil! Anything with power like that must be…

  “Must be…”

  Her voice faded as she saw the faces of her friends.

  Shadarii felt her body die. It was beautiful; an ending to all pain. She rolled her eyes to stare into the sky, gazing up in thanks to Mother Rain.

  I will die pure! Poison shall not have me. I have served you with all I have to give.

  For the love I shared, I thank you.

  For the joy I gave, I thank you.

  For-for this release from suffering, I thank you…

  It was close. Shadarii waited patiently; she felt her friends around her and was glad.

  Someone held her head. There was a smell, a touch, a tone of voice that had so long lived inside her dreams. Shadarii stared up through a mist and gave a loving smile.

  Kotaru…

  He was here, just as had been promised. Mother Rain had blessed her with this final gift. Shadarii lifted up a hand to touch a face long lost and gone. She drew him down and kissed him, just as they had upon their one short night of love. She felt his aura twining with her own and was at peace.

  I love you Kotaru. I love you…

  Kotaru ripped himself free of Shadarii’s arms and frantically searched for help. He suddenly locked with a pair of horrified golden eyes.

  “Harïsh! Harïsh, quickly! You have to help her!”

  His wife stared at him and wept. Kotaru simply didn’t understand. He held Shadarii in his arms and screamed out to his wife in agony.

  “She’s dying! She can’t die! Don’t you understand? Help her!”