Hasik would be looking for any sign of insubordination, any excuse to kill him before he lost his bido and became an equal.
So Jardir embraced the insult as he did pain, letting it pass through him harmlessly. He would not be provoked into failure right when a chance for glory was in his grasp. If he made it through this night, he would be dal'Sharum, the youngest in memory, and Hasik be damned.
Their unit waited in the second layer, hiding in an ambush pocket. A hidden pit stood at the center of a small clearing, soon to be filled with alagai awaiting the killing rays of the sun. Jardir tightened his grip on his spear and adjusted his shield to ease his shoulder. But for all their weight, the tether was heaviest of all. Four feet of leather connected his ankle to Hasik's waist. He shifted his foot uncomfortably.
'If you do not keep up with me, I will spear you and cut the tether,' Hasik said. 'I will not have my glory cut short because of you.'
'I will be as your shadow,' Jardir promised, and Hasik grunted. He slipped a small flask from his robes and removed the stopper, taking a long swig. He handed the flask to Jardir.
'Drink this, for courage,' he said.
'What is it'' Jardir asked, taking the flask and sniffing at the neck. He smelled cinnamon, but the scent stung his nostrils.
'Couzi,' Hasik said. 'Fermented grain and cinnamon.'
Jardir's eyes widened. 'Dama Khevat says to drink of fermented grain or fruit is forbidden by the Evejah.'
Hasik laughed. 'Nothing is forbidden to dal'Sharum in the Maze! Drink! The night is almost upon us!'
Jardir looked at him doubtfully, but throughout the ambush pocket, he saw other warriors swigging from similar flasks. He shrugged, putting the bottle to his lips and drinking deeply.
The couzi burned his throat, and he coughed, spitting some back up. He could feel the strong drink burning his insides and roiling in his stomach like a snake. Hasik laughed and slapped his back. 'Now you are ready to face the alagai, rat!'
The couzi worked quickly, and Jardir looked up through glazed eyes. The Maze was filled with shadows as the sun dipped. Jardir watched the sky turn red, and then purple, finally becoming full dark. He could sense the alagai rising outside the city walls, and shuddered.
Great Kaji, Spear of Everam, he prayed, if it is true that across the centuries I come of your line, grant me courage to honor you and my ancestors.
Before long he heard the Horn of Sharak, followed by the retort of rock slingers on the outer wall. The cries of alagai began to echo through the Maze. 'Ware!' a call came from above, and Jardir thought he recognized Shanjat's voice. 'Baiters approach! Four sand and one flame!'
Jardir swallowed hard. Glory was upon him.
With a cry of 'Oot!' the Baiters ran full-tilt through the ambush point, veering only slightly to avoid the pits. Above, the Watchers lit oil fires in front of polished metal mirrors, and light flooded the area.
The sand demons ran in a pack, long tongues slavering over rows of razor-sharp teeth. They were the size of a man, but seemed smaller hunched down on all fours. Their long talons tore at the sand and stone of the Maze floor, and their spiked tails whipped back and forth through the air. Their gritty armor plates had few weaknesses.
The flame demon was smaller, the size of a small boy, with wicked talons and terrifying speed. Its tiny, diamond-hard iridescent scales overlapped seamlessly. Its eyes and mouth glowed with orange light, and Jardir recalled his lessons about the creature's deadly firespit. Across the ambush point was a pool in which the warriors would attempt to drown it.
Once again, the sight of the alagai filled Jardir with utter loathing. The creatures were a plague upon the Ala, Nie's taint come to infect the surface. And tonight, he would help send them screaming back into the abyss.
'Hold,' Hasik warned, feeling him tense. Jardir nodded, forcing himself to relax. The couzi continued to work its way through
So Jardir embraced the insult as he did pain, letting it pass through him harmlessly. He would not be provoked into failure right when a chance for glory was in his grasp. If he made it through this night, he would be dal'Sharum, the youngest in memory, and Hasik be damned.
Their unit waited in the second layer, hiding in an ambush pocket. A hidden pit stood at the center of a small clearing, soon to be filled with alagai awaiting the killing rays of the sun. Jardir tightened his grip on his spear and adjusted his shield to ease his shoulder. But for all their weight, the tether was heaviest of all. Four feet of leather connected his ankle to Hasik's waist. He shifted his foot uncomfortably.
'If you do not keep up with me, I will spear you and cut the tether,' Hasik said. 'I will not have my glory cut short because of you.'
'I will be as your shadow,' Jardir promised, and Hasik grunted. He slipped a small flask from his robes and removed the stopper, taking a long swig. He handed the flask to Jardir.
'Drink this, for courage,' he said.
'What is it'' Jardir asked, taking the flask and sniffing at the neck. He smelled cinnamon, but the scent stung his nostrils.
'Couzi,' Hasik said. 'Fermented grain and cinnamon.'
Jardir's eyes widened. 'Dama Khevat says to drink of fermented grain or fruit is forbidden by the Evejah.'
Hasik laughed. 'Nothing is forbidden to dal'Sharum in the Maze! Drink! The night is almost upon us!'
Jardir looked at him doubtfully, but throughout the ambush pocket, he saw other warriors swigging from similar flasks. He shrugged, putting the bottle to his lips and drinking deeply.
The couzi burned his throat, and he coughed, spitting some back up. He could feel the strong drink burning his insides and roiling in his stomach like a snake. Hasik laughed and slapped his back. 'Now you are ready to face the alagai, rat!'
The couzi worked quickly, and Jardir looked up through glazed eyes. The Maze was filled with shadows as the sun dipped. Jardir watched the sky turn red, and then purple, finally becoming full dark. He could sense the alagai rising outside the city walls, and shuddered.
Great Kaji, Spear of Everam, he prayed, if it is true that across the centuries I come of your line, grant me courage to honor you and my ancestors.
Before long he heard the Horn of Sharak, followed by the retort of rock slingers on the outer wall. The cries of alagai began to echo through the Maze. 'Ware!' a call came from above, and Jardir thought he recognized Shanjat's voice. 'Baiters approach! Four sand and one flame!'
Jardir swallowed hard. Glory was upon him.
With a cry of 'Oot!' the Baiters ran full-tilt through the ambush point, veering only slightly to avoid the pits. Above, the Watchers lit oil fires in front of polished metal mirrors, and light flooded the area.
The sand demons ran in a pack, long tongues slavering over rows of razor-sharp teeth. They were the size of a man, but seemed smaller hunched down on all fours. Their long talons tore at the sand and stone of the Maze floor, and their spiked tails whipped back and forth through the air. Their gritty armor plates had few weaknesses.
The flame demon was smaller, the size of a small boy, with wicked talons and terrifying speed. Its tiny, diamond-hard iridescent scales overlapped seamlessly. Its eyes and mouth glowed with orange light, and Jardir recalled his lessons about the creature's deadly firespit. Across the ambush point was a pool in which the warriors would attempt to drown it.
Once again, the sight of the alagai filled Jardir with utter loathing. The creatures were a plague upon the Ala, Nie's taint come to infect the surface. And tonight, he would help send them screaming back into the abyss.
'Hold,' Hasik warned, feeling him tense. Jardir nodded, forcing himself to relax. The couzi continued to work its way through
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