Of Fire and Fury (Book 1: Light-Born Series)

Chapter 27 - Rabid

A throbbing pain greeted her when Rabid awoke. She was in a small, makeshift tent, barely big enough to cover her body. Wincing, she forced herself up—the bandages wrapped her stomach constricting her movement. It was dark, and she could see the lights of fires flickering through the trees. She coughed, and the movement sent pain shooting through her entire body. A groan escaped her through gritted teeth.

Slowly, Rabid crawled out of the tent and breathed in the scent of pine and earth. Ahead, through the branches around her, was a white wall of rock and a large oak door. Omari people wandered about her, glancing her direction but saying nothing. They didn’t even seem to have it in them to hate her Rabid racked her brain for memory of how she had arrived here, but all she remembered was blood and knives and the feeling of Stone’s heart thumping against her ear.

Rabid stood slowly, leaning against a nearby tree for support, and glanced around, looking for Stone’s massive frame among his people. Instead, she saw Black Bird and his woman, Mai, sitting outside a similar makeshift tent a few paces away.

“Hey.” she said, the frailty in her own voice shocking her. Rabid coughed again, and both her neighbors moved quickly to stand beside her. Mai was beaming as they each wrapped her arms with their own, supporting her weight.

“You’re awake!” Mai’s voice was soft and excited, almost soothing. This surprised Rabid. They had only spoken a few times before, as Mai was one of the only Omari who did more than glare at her. Yet during training, Mai’s intensity and drive was more vicious than all the others combined. But here, this close, Rabid could feel Mai’s soft skin. She had bright eyes and a glowing smile, making her look nothing like the ferocious fighter from their training.

“Thank you.” Rabid said as they gently released her, letting her stand on her own wobbly legs. Black Bird kept one hand on her shoulder.

“Stone should be back soon.” Black Bird said, then grinned his toothy grin and winked, “I saw you fighting out there, you really do deserve the name Rabid.”

Something inside of her swelled at his words and she grinned. But there was also the memory of the numbness—the blind fury that had blocked out even her own injury as she killed her attacker—it sent a shiver down her spine.

“What happened? I don’t really remember…” she started, gasping as a shooting pain ran through her stomach. Black Bird’s hand on her shoulder tightened, steadying her.

“Well you fought like a madwoman.” he said. “But when you got hurt, Stone ran, and he brought you here. We fought for awhile longer, but…”

“There too many of them, and they had black rock.” Mai sighed, shaking her head.

“Black rock?” Rabid asked, remembering the fear in Akecheta’s eyes when he had used the same term.

“It explodes when it’s lit on fire, it’s what blew right through our wall.” Mai answered. “Without the wall, we couldn’t hold them off.”

“Where are we?” Rabid said, looking back to the glimpses of pale stone through the trees.

“Reannihom,” Black Bird said. “but the bastards won’t open the gate.”

Just then, Kizi appeared from behind a tree and looked Rabid up and down.

“Rabid, I’m so glad you’re awake. Come with me.”

“Hey, Stone told us to watch her. Where are you taking her?” Mai asked protectively, crossing her arms.

“I need to check her wounds.” she said.

Kizi glanced over her shoulder as they walked away. Black Bird squinted after them, looking slightly concerned. When they were out of earshot, Kizi leaned close and whispered in Rabid’s ear,

“The Reanni want to meet you.” she glanced around, making sure no one was watching as she pulled Rabid into the shadows along the fortress wall. “They need to be sure of who you are, or they will not help us.”

They moved quickly, Rabid had to grit her teeth against the pain in her side as Kizi tugged her along. They paused, leaning against the wall where the moonlight was blocked out by trees.

“What are you doing?” Stone’s voice called after them and Kizi flinched, stopping and spinning around to face him.

“They want to see her.” she whispered, staring intensely as his shape appeared around the wall. His face was clouded in the darkness, but his shoulders were set and his arms crossed.

“Okay, but I’m coming.” he said. He took a step forward but Kizi stepped in his path.

“You can’t, they won’t let you in.” she said.

“If I’m not going, she’s not going.” Stone dipped his head toward Rabid.

“You have no choice, Stone.” Kizi pleaded. “We need them to believe that she truly is the natuna, or we will be dead before she can fulfill her destiny.”

“Why are you allowed in?” Stone asked incredulously.

“I’m a medicine woman.” Kizi said. “I don’t kill people. I guess they like that.”

Stone’s eyes flicked back and forth between the two of them. Then, he looked Rabid up and down.

“Rabid, are you okay?” he said, leaning slightly forward as if to inspect her better. 

“I’m okay.” Rabid said, nodding to reassure him. She winced as the movement sent another wave of pain through her.

“No.” Stone said when he saw it, reaching toward Rabid. “She needs rest.”

“Rabid.” Kizi squeezed her shoulder and ignored Stone. “I’ve already spoken with them. They need to make sure you truly are descendent of Khaya or they won’t help us.”

“I’ll be fine, Stone. Let us go.” Rabid said, forcing a smile to cross her lips.

Stone clenched his jaw and blew out a loud breath. He looked around before finally nodding swiftly and disappearing around the corner.

Kizi looked back at Rabid and squeezed her hand. Then, she rapped her knuckles on the rock wall. A sound like the scraping of blades came from the stones, as they began to shift. Large cracks appeared as several of the stones slid back and to the side, leaving a large open hole and darkness beyond it.

They stepped into the pitch black, the darkness engulfing them as the door slid shut behind. Once the door had latched closed, a torch sparked to life. The light seemed to explode in the dark room, and both women had to squint at its brilliance. After a few moments, when their eyes had adjusted, they made out the image of a man behind the torch. He had long silver hair that hung stick straight, covering part of his face. Rabid blinked at him in surprise, but he simply motioned for them to follow. 

Their footsteps echoed off the stones around them as they twisted and turned until finally the hall opened into a large room. Torches lined the walls, their shadows flickering along the floor and illuminating a circle of men and women. Most were covered from head to toe, with grey hoods and cloaks that touched the floor at their feet. 

A glint of light caught Rabid’s eye, she looked to see the curve of a bull’s horn against the dark. Underneath the bulls black eyes there was the face of a man. Three white streaks ran down his face: one ran down his forehead and nose to his chin, the other two crossing directly over his eyes, like some beasts claws had scratched down his face. His irises stood against the streaks like rocks in the snow. He had cropped grey hair, that stood out in tiny spikes beneath his wild headdress.

“This is her?” the man said, his voice ricocheting off the walls around them. It sounded like thunder caught in a drum. Kizi nodded, and motioned Rabid forward. Rabid took a step, limping slightly as her side was still protesting her movement.

“I am Arven. What is your name, child?” the man said.

“Rabid.” she said, willing a calmness into her voice that she did not feel.

“A strong Omari name.” he said, chuckling.

“I’m Napua.” Rabid said. His eyebrows shot up, his eyes glinted in the torchlight.

“Well, well. It seems we are getting many surprises this night. I had heard the Omari had taken a Napua bride, but I did not expect this.” he motioned her closer, the other Reanni taking a step back into a semi-circle behind them. As Rabid stepped closer, they began to chant a rhythmic song in the old tongue. Behind her, Kizi inhaled sharply, but Rabid did not turn: her eyes were fixed on Arven.

“We just need to make sure you really are a descendant of the light born.” he said softly, his eyes looking at her sincerely. Arven took hold of her hand, his calloused palms scratching against her own. He slid a curved knife from his belt, the white blade and hilt both carved from bone. Rabid recoiled out of instinct, but Arven’s fingers gripped her tightly. He leaned forward to catch her eyes again.

“Do not be afraid.” he said, as he pressed the blade into her open palm. The sharpened bone felt hot against Rabid’s palm, and the trembling in her skin seemed to explode at its touch. It was stronger than she had ever felt before, stronger even than when she had first felt it inside Salma Veth. When the blade met her blood, the room before them erupted into a blinding white light. 

A collective gasp rippled through the Reanni people. Rabid shielded her eyes with her free hand, staring between her fingers at the light that shone from her own body. The wound on her side shone through her bandages and skins, the blood on her palm exploded upward like lighting had struck and was frozen.

As the heat of the blade filled her body, a fuzzy memory sprang to her mind. Rabid was laying beneath Rheo, watching Stone’s back as he moved toward enemies at the gate. The gaping wound in her side, the exhaustion of battle draining her energy, rain drenching her to her core; yet, everything felt different. The energy she was growing accustomed to had shifted, shaking her body with a violence and forcing her up onto her hands and knees. Water splashed against her, creating little pools below her hands. She looked down at them, and in her reflection she saw fiery red eyes, like flames had taken over her eye sockets. When she looked into the light where her eyes should be, the throbbing of her wound had vanished, and was replaced by a stillness that willed her limbs to move.

There, the memory ended. Under the electric light and surrounded by Reanni, Rabid felt panic welling up inside her. Rabid pulled at her hand and frantically looked around. The old man gripped harder, his face was lit by the white light, a grin cracking his face with weathered lines. Arven finally dropped the blade from her palm, and the light was sucked back into her body with a hiss, leaving them standing under torch light that now seemed far too dim. When Arven held the blade up before her, she could see the glowing liquid still clinging to its edges.

“What… what was that!?” Rabid gasped, pulling her hand to her chest and clutching her stinging palm closed. The room was silent as dozens of eyes stared at her, full of wonder.

“You truly are the blood of Khaya.” Arven said, his voice low, eyes still wide and excited. A wild grin pulled at his cheeks.

“Kizi?” Rabid exclaimed, spinning to find her gaze. Their eyes met, and Rabid saw tears streaming down Kizi’s cheeks. Her hands were pressed to her mouth as she shook with joy.

“What is happening?” Rabid whispered. The trembling in her body had receded when Arven removed his blade, but a new shaking had taken its place. While the light had brought joy and excitement to those around her, inside all she felt was dread.

She was different. She was the outsider, the wayward one, the one everyone avoided. That, at least, she had always known. That she had been coming to accept. But now? Now she had no idea what she was. That question was almost harder to stomach than the certainty of never being understood.

“Khaya was the first, and we thought only, ez·räkh ohr among us.” Arven said.

“What does that mean?” Rabid asked.

“We called her light born, because of the power in her veins.” Arven said, his eyes twinkling. “The power in your veins.”

“Rabid.” Kizi stepped toward her, grabbing her by the shoulders and looking her dead in the face. “You are the one destined to save our people. All our people.”

“That’s not possible, Kizi. I am Napua!” her voice was nearly a high pitched squeal.

“You know as well as I that that is not true. You cannot hide behind your birth anymore, it is not who you are.” she said sternly. “We all just bore witness to that truth.”

Rabid turned to face Arven. He had wiped her blood from his blade, and it no longer glowed the eerie white. Her eyes caught the glimmer of the bone blade.

“Why is my blood doing that? What is that blade?” Rabid asked, as though the knowledge would steady her. The older man’s genuine smile seemed to settle the chaos inside her body. 

“Still, child. Your questions will be answered before the night is over. Firstly, let us discuss how to keep you safe.” he replied.

“Safe from who?” Rabid said nervously. Kizi grabbed her hand and stepped beside her.

“There is a large world outside of Napuahom that you’ve been sheltered from, Rabid. There are many who would stop at nothing to keep the clans apart. Those who would kill you without hesitation. Others are simply afraid, and would destroy what they don’t understand.” Kizi said, her voice forcibly calm and cool. She took Rabid’s hand in an attempt to comfort her.

Rabid shuddered inside, remembering the many hateful eyes of the Omari. She thought of Stone, when he pulled her from the crowd the first night in Omarihom. 

“You will not be safe here.” he had told her. The memory tugged at her chest.

“Come.” Arven said, as he turned and led the way through a different exit and into another narrow passageway. As they walked, the sound of their footsteps mingled with chatter and laughter from somewhere ahead. Eventually, soft firelight illuminated the opening where they entered a large hall.The ceiling was several stories above them, held up by beautifully carved stone pillars that shone under the light of hundreds of candles.

Rabid paused and the entrance, marveling at the stones high above her. She had never been inside a dwelling that was not made of cloth, and the sights, sounds, and smells made her head spin. Against the far wall, several spiral staircases twisted upward and led to various doors. Where they left space on the wall, large green and yellow tapestries wider than Rabid’s wingspan covered the grey stones. The floor of the hall was filled with long wooden tables and benches, where hundreds of Reanni were gathered. Men, women, and children bustled about and stuffed their faces, laughed and drank ale from large wooden cups. The smell of cooked pheasant rose into the air, mixed with spices and fermented wines. 

When Rabid and Kizi entered, the entire room fell silent. Hundreds of grey eyes locked onto them. Rabid swallowed, her stomach tightening at being looked at by so many people. Kizi pushed Rabid in the small of her back so the trail of Reanni behind them could exit the dark tunnel. When she stepped out of the way, several of the little troup joined the ranks of those on the benches. Though they began to whisper and eat, their eyes remained on Rabid.

Arven turned away from the crowd of people and instead opened the door to a small room on the side wall nearest them. The small door creaked open, revealing a dark room that was full of must and dust-covered cots. With a wave of his hand, servants appeared and the candles at the wall flickered to life, bathing them all in a warm glow. Rabid and Kizi glanced at each other. Kizi’s brow was furrowed, something glinted in her emerald eyes.

“I must apologize for the state of the room, we have not needed to use it for a long time.” Arven said. “Now, let us get you better.” 

Arven motioned to a cot next to him, and Rabid sat down. The cloth beneath her was scratchy, and she worried that her entire weight would snap the aging planks beneath it. Two silent Reanni knelt before her, their grey robes and hoods shielding her from their view. All she saw was the edges of white and green paint on their chins. One placed their hands on her knees, the other placed hands gently against her side, sending a shockwave of pain through her body. Rabid gasped the pain barrelled through her at the touch; yet, within a few seconds, the pain faded to a heat that spread from the hands on her side. It slowly grew and filled her entire body. Rabid looked down at the hands on her body, a green glow under their fingers pulsing like a heartbeat. After several long breaths, the two stepped away.

Rabid touched her side, but there was no pain. She met Arven’s eyes, her heart pounding. She stood, and unravelled the old cloth that was still wrapped around her. Her bare skin was perfectly healthy—not even a scar marred the smooth flesh.

“How is this possible?” Kizi gasped. “I thought you had lost this power long ago?”

“We did, but over time it was given back.”

“If you have power like this, why didn’t you use it on the people outside? Why dress in sticks and mud like medicine men and pretend you are little better than us?” Kizi’s arms were crossed, anger drawing her face into a strange contortion. “Why didn’t you let us in?”

Rabid’s own anger began to grow. She thought of years of death and pain, all the while this power was hidden away. This power, that could save thousands, was fabled to have died alongside the unified kingdom.

Arven raised his hands in defense, and pressed his lips into a straight line. He sighed.

“I owe you answers, I know. But please, try to understand. We did lose our magic.” he said softly. “Like you, we do not know why the Great Spirit took our powers, though we knew we deserved that punishment and more. Our leader made a grave mistake, and we spent hundreds of years begging for it back.”

“How long?” Kizi said, her voice still dripping with accusation.

“It has only been with us sixteen… or… seventeen winters.” he said. His hands still raised between them, as if it was calming everyone down.

“Seventeen winters?” Rabid choked out. The image of her parents flashed to her mind. White Fawn, Teeda, every Napua who had been murdered, or worse, while the power of healing was buried in a mountainside fortress. The Reanni could have saved them. They could have saved Alea, saved Stone from his lifetime of heartache and regret. They could have saved everyone. Instead, they hid in their hovel, letting their healing rooms fall into disarray from lack of use.

“Why didn’t you help us?” Rabid whispered, her sorrow threatening to strangle her.

“Oh, my dear.” Arven said, his hands falling to his sides as his grey eyes softened. “We could not have saved them. By the time we heard about Napuahom, it was too late. Just like you, Rabid, if people knew what we held, we would be cut down before we could bring healing to the land. And Kizi,” he turned to face her storm-cloud glare,

“We did help the Omari, for years. We fought alongside Blood Wolf when he risked all our lives chasing down the Hauks after his daughter died. They left our lands, and he still pursued. His own vendetta against them killed nearly everyone who held this power. Everyone who mattered to us, even my own wife. But did he care?” he scoffed, then, the sound like an explosion in the tiny room. “He didn’t even know what we had, and still he forced us to the ends of the earth for the chance to spill just one more drop of Hauk blood.”

The hall behind them had fallen deathly quiet, dark eyes staring into the dimly lit little room where Rabid, Kizi, and Arven stood shaking and staring and crying. The silence fell thick and heavy, and they let it for several long moments. Then, Arven took a step closer to Kizi, his voice softening, even as his eyes didn’t.

“I swore I would never help him again.”

“And what about me?” Rabid said, drawing his gaze back to her. “Would you help me, even as I live with the Omari?”

Somehow, courage had found its way through the grief swirling inside of her, and she stood a little taller. In this moment, she looked less like the frightened Napua bride and more like the beginning of a warrior. Arven’s face fell slightly as guilt marred his features.

“I would not fight only for Blood Wolf, either.” Rabid continued. “I don’t care if he gets revenge or not. But there are other people inside of Omarihom that did not deserve the fate they got. They will want vengeance. They will fight with us.”

“The Omari will not follow you, Rabid.” Arven said, sadly. “They follow a man who lost his faith long before the Hauks tormented him. He will never believe in what you are, so neither will they.”

“Then let us change his mind!” Rabid said.

“Arven is right, Rabid.” Kizi said, her voice constricted. She touched Rabid’s arm with her fingertips. “He is too proud.”

“How do you know?” Rabid said, spinning. 

“I know.” Kizi said as she shot a dark glare at Arven. “I don’t want to forgive letting our people suffer, but I understood why they did it. Blood Wolf would rather kill you than reunite with the clans. If it were my people, my family…”

“You do not know the extent he will go to to defend his own pride.” Arven said, shaking his head. “When he learns you are with us, I fear he will not respond well.”

“Why? Can’t he see what good this could bring?” Rabid said, frustrated.

“This act alone, us coming here and hiding this from him, will put us both before his blade. I’m sorry, I…” Kizi sighed heavily, shaking her head. “You do not yet understand the Omari way. Honor above all else.”

“Honor?” Rabid scoffed. “You and Stone speak of honor as though you are the only ones who understand it. Is it honor to go back on your alliances? To refuse to fight when he’s taken me in, made me one of you?”

“His honor doesn’t work like that. It is blood and blood alone that he holds in regard.” Kizi said, bristling at Rabid’s accusation. “Honor and pride are two sides of his blade, and he doesn’t not know how to separate them.”

“What about you?” Rabid challenged. “What about Stone? Are you too going to follow your honorable leader? Are you going to kill me for him?”

Kizi’s eyes widened and she crossed her arms.

“Do not speak to me like you know me, you know nothing.” she spat. “I honor the will of the spirits above all else. Just like Red Moon. Just like Stone.”

“Then why do you say it is hopeless for the Omari?” Rabid said. Kizi looked at the ground guiltily. Rabid glanced between her and Arven, their eyes reddening from unshed tears. Rabid could already feel fear trying to steal her voice. It whispered into her heart, telling her to shrink back behind Stone and his people and to let all this die. To forget all she had seen and go back to hiding in her teepee. The blood in her veins spoke something else—Khaya’s voice in her mind refused to let her stay silent. Rabid swallowed the fear down and looked Kizi in the eyes. 

“We have to try.” she pleaded.

“Fine.” Kizi agreed. “There may be more like me, but I have never seen them. So you need to know, if you do this, you are painting yourself a target for those who already hate you. They will see this as going against us, dishonoring to the tribe, to their leader. They will try to kill you for this.”

“I already made myself the enemy when I married Stone.” Rabid forced a grin, though she did not feel it. “If we can get the warriors of Minaloa on our side, it’s worth the risk.”

Arven shook his head and let the breath he had been holding watching the women’s exchange.

“Alright.” he said. “We’ll tell them the truth, and see what happens.”