A Whisper of Wings (28 page)

Shadarii smiled and swept down into a reverent bow, her fluffy tail sticking high up in the air. She raised herself again and plunged her hands into the water, reaching down to rub the monstrous catfish on the chin.

Kotaru kept well and truly clear. The catfish disdainfully ignored him, far preferring to bask in Shadarii’s glow. The fish gulped water with its yellow mouth and stared unwinkingly up into the world of light.

Shadarii turned towards Kotaru and shaped clear patterns in the air.

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The girl looked down at the hideous fish and smiled. The creature could have swallowed her with a single bite. She pointed fondly to white scars behind the creature’s neck.

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Kotaru looked aghast.

“Y-you mean you went into the water with this thing?”

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The young hunter swiftly did as he was told. The catfish swirled its huge fins back and forth, unmoved one way or another. Shadarii girl sent her thoughts towards the giant fish.

Grandfather catfish, here is everything that is precious to me. This is Kotaru, a good, kind man.

The great fish twitched his whiskers, and only Shadarii could have seen the subtle icons in its aura. She bowed in gratitude as the fish swam slowly back into the dark.

Shadarii turned her face towards Kotaru and shaped words upon the air.

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It was time to let the river flow; Shadarii slowly closed her eyes and tilted up her mouth. Her lips parted as she drew Kotaru down into her arms. Kotaru gently laid Shadarii in the grass and lost himself inside her embrace.

Far above them, sharp eyes glittered in the twilight. Kïtashii perched high up on a rock, watching out for spying priests. The little girl peered down at the lovers cuddling in the grass, then gave a sniff and turned away, going back to her silent sentry duty.

It was all really very silly. So much pain and worry, and all for that? If they’d simply kissed each other to begin with, all this nonsense could have been avoided. Kïtashii would never understand adults; puberty seemed to put a mildew on the brain.

Maybe…

The little girl hugged her skinny knees and stared out into the darkness, feeling strangely young and free.

Notes:

1) Dak dak: A chess-like game played on a board which is made anew for every game. Colours on the board indicate ïsha flow, effecting the possible movement of the game pieces.

Chapter Ten

It was a dreadful morning for a jiteng game; fog hung sullenly between the trees and turned the whole world ghostly white. Even the brave uniforms of the players seemed strangely sad and dull. The audience shivered and peered fearfully about the field. It seemed almost as though Prakucha’s Ka still moaned across the grass.

The Skull-Wings hovered in the mist like evil spirits as cold light fell into the blank eyes of their masks. They hung like corpses in the trees and waited for their prey.

A crowd of ten thousand had come to see the game. Even so, the players could almost have been alone upon the field. The audience lay hidden in the gloom, felt only as a restless ebb and flow of sound. The Wrens shivered in the cold, swinging their staves as they tried to ease their nerves.

Kotaru gathered up his team, trying to keep the tension from his voice.

“Alright people, we’ve seen the way the locals play. My only priority is to get my team out of here unhurt. If they attempt one of those crash attacks, you will dodge aside. You will not pursue attackers. You will not be provoked into a brawl.” Kotaru’s held his listeners firm and calm beneath his spell. “We’ve all heard about the death upon the field here yesterday. This is what can happen if we don’t all keep our wits. So stay cool, stay fast, stay safe.

“Another problem is that we’re missing Mrrimïmei, so we no longer have our fast strike ability. Shadarii will try to shore up our ïsha defences. She manoeuvres better than we do, so we can use her for tight flying and sudden double backs.”

Kotaru removed the mask from his helmet. Today protection took second place to calming his team’s fraying nerves. They needed to see his face.

“We’ve seen them at work. They don’t use pre-set patterns like the Mantises used to. So stay with your mates and work with one another. Sing out if ye have any bright ideas!”

Kotaru scratched his snout and sighed, unable to think of anything more to say.

“Well - well that’s it I suppose. ‘Cept to say… Well, we’ve all worked real hard an’ all. I know how much you’ve dreamed of doin’ this. I just have to tell you…” Kotaru looked down at his feet and gave a sigh. “Awwww skreg it! I love you bastards!”

Kotaru threw his arms about his team mates, and the Wrens clasped tight. Kotaru hid his eyes and turned back towards the playing field.

“Now come on! Let’s get out there and show them how real artists play the game!”

The players cheered and thundered up into the air. Kotaru lingered on the ground with Shadarii; she came into his arms and kissed him as he ran his fingers through her hair.

“What I said goes doubly for thee, my love. Stay well clear of the Skull-Wing’s. They’ll try to hurt thee if they can.”

Kotaru bent to kiss her once again, sighing as he felt her perfect touch. She pulled away from him and carefully mastered his attention.

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Kotaru felt mystified.

“What do you need to say, my love? There’s no need for words between us. I always know just what you mean.”

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“Aye…” Kotaru swallowed. “I just haven’t thought… About you and I, I mean. I’m not leaving you! Not now, not ever!”

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“You’ll come with me? You’d do that? I have nothin’ to offer a fine lady. Nothin’ save a poor man’s love…”

Her whole being seemed to yearn up towards him. Shadarii carefully mimed her next few words, her hands trembling in fright.

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Kotaru‘s jaw dropped down in shock. Shadarii swallowed hard and tried to keep the fear back from her eyes.

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The young hunter’s eyes filled up with tears.

“Oh! Oh Rain! Oh sweet Mother Rain!” He flung his arms around her in delight. “Oh of course I will, you silly girl! Oh…” Oh was about as far as the poor lad’s tongue could get. Shadarii was in paradise; she grabbed him and she kissed him, pouring burning energy through his soul. Hand in hand they sprang into the air.

“Wings spread, ball high!”

The game of the century had begun.

The crowd’s cheers shook the mist like a mighty storm. One point up! One point to the Skull-Wings. The Katakanii tribe went wild, and high up in the tree line, the observation platforms shook with the people’s laughter. Nobles slapped each other on the backs, howling praise for their champion team.

Amongst all the revelry, a single figure sat in silence. Prince Tekï’taa looked pale and wan; he had passed a grim night on the latrines, wildly praying for a tree to fall upon his head. Even so, he had managed to crawl out to see the game. It was a moment he had planned for so many weeks, and no illness would come between him and his triumph.

Play began. The Skull-Wings snatched the ball with a surgical slash clean through the Wrens’ formation, and the Katakanii crowd cheered as their team raced for the goals. Tekï’taa struck while the elation still filled the air, leaning across his father’s ambassador to raise his voice above the noise.

Down on the field, the Wrens tore free of the Skull-Wing team, swirling up to hover in the branches of a tree. Tingtraka held the ball aloft, grinning as she shook her catching staff.

They had the ball! The Skull-Wing’s weren’t invincible. The Wrens gave a whoop of joy and gathered about their captain. He made a few brisk signals with his hands and rallied them for the attack. Heavy men like Totoru were placed high above the others in the team.

Why? Shadarii barely understood. Her breath rasped painfully beneath her mask, and the catching staff felt awkward in her hands. She felt like a third leg - a useless encumbrance to the others; how stupid to have thought that she could help…

Kotaru swooped in close and clasped an arm about Shadarii’s armoured shoulders.

“Alright everyone! Take your cues from the ball handler. Everyone stay close to Shadarii. She’s our best asset once we get in close!” He gave the girl another hug. “We need that sorcery of yours! Just tell us how you want us; we’ll listen!”

She blinked up through her mask holes in amazement; he trusted her. He trusted all of them…

“Tingtraka, we’re all yours!”

The skinny scholar climbed high above the field. The others followed, fog streaming from their wings, and with a howl of rage the Skull-Wings rose up in pursuit.

Zhukora’s team were deployed in depth, expecting one of Mrrimïmei’s famous fast attacks. In the fog, one girl with red fur looked much like another. Tingtraka split off from Shadarii, her copper tail gleaming in the gloom, and raced towards the flanks. The Wrens broke into two swirling streams behind them as Shadarii folded up her wings and dove down into a screaming storm of enemies.

Black shapes flashed past; Shadarii ducked as a staff lashed past her ear, then punched out with a plane of ïsha, shearing an enemy from Tingtraka’s path. More creatures raced to block her. The little dancer dove at breakneck speed between her enemies, curled into a ball and tumbled past a skull-faced helm. The Skull-Wing gaped in amazement, slamming into a team mate in a grisly shower of wings. Shadarii flipped out of her tumble and rolled away with a dancer’s easy grace.

They were through!

Zhukora’s team snapped into new formations with terrifying precision, and suddenly the Wrens were being torn out of the air. Tingtraka hurtled away the ball just moments before being clubbed across the skull. Shadarii gave a gasp and lashed out with her mind, dragging the ball up into her catching staff.

She had it! She had the ball!

So what now?

A predatory howl rose from the Skulls all around her. They hurtled past their opponents and flung themselves towards Shadarii. The girl fled in panic, coincidentally racing straight towards the enemy goals.

A snarling pack of demons raged behind Shadarii’s tail. The girl grimly whirred her wings and closed the ïsha shut behind her like a clap. Skull-Wings tumbled down in ruins as the ïsha left their wings. Shadarii looked across her shoulder and stuck out her tongue, flipping up her tail to show the Skulls her furry backside.

Ha!

There was a piercing scream of fury from above. Shadarii felt her bladder clench in fear. She rolled aside, feeling a breeze rip past her wings.

Zhukora snarled and stabbed into the attack. The girl lunged her staff towards Shadarii’s throat, and Shadarii lashed out with her mind to blast the thing away. The catching staff suddenly exploded into fragments, and Zhukora gasped in shock as Shadarii whirred on her way.

Kotaru plunged between the sisters, rolling up into a ball to crash into Zhukora’s back. She hit the ground and plunged shrieking through the grass as Shadarii dunked the ball clean through the goals.

A goal! The Wrens swirled through the air and cheered. Shadarii’s head swam. She had finally done something right. She threw her arms about Kotaru and hugged him tight, thrilled to be sharing in his victory.

“The Vakïdurii must have kept her hidden from us. We should have known no tribe would field a team that lacked a noble! She’s a surprise, and I hate surprises.”