Chapter 9

I arose on the morning of the fourth day, stiff and out of sorts. Reena was already pacing the room, which may have explained my rising early. Guilt flooded every pore of my body as I stared at her.

"Reena," I called out. She came and sat on the edge of the bed.

"You're home in your own world. Do you want to stay? If it is in my power, I will make it happen if that is what you want," I offered.

Her eyes filled with tears. "No, I hate this world now. I see too much and I don't like what I see. I want to return to the human world." She was emphatic.

"I'm not sure I believe you, Reena," I tested. "This world seems so intoxicating; the jayda impregnates every rock, tree and being. You were born here"

"I wanted to believe that you were wrong, Master, but you were not. They are cowards and they sicken my janeeda." She wiped away her tears with angry shakes of her hand. I took her hand and kissed each tip of each finger. With her hand in mine, I grabbed my sword and went down to the meditation rock.

I moved slowly through the seven movements, allowing my abused muscles to pull and stretch back into place. When the exercise was done, I wiped the sheen of sweat from my forehead and asked Reena to sit down in meditation with me. I gently grasped her proffered tendril and sailed effortlessly through all of the fascinating sights and passages that I had encountered during the last three days. Her moments of elation were mine and her exclamations of wonder were mine as well. When we were done, I let go. I stared into her face as she emerged from her trance.

She came up on her knees and prostrated herself before me in complete obeisance, "Thank you Master for your magnificent gift."

I fumbled forward in embarrassment and lifted her shoulders back until she faced me. "You never have to bow down to me again, Reena, never. I don't want that. I brought you here to see the beauty of your world so that the bitterness wouldn't darken your janeeda."

"Beautiful words, Rohanan," Tali commented dryly. I hadn't seen or heard her come near. "If you truly meant them, you would release the slave bond."

"I don't know how. It is purely Eldenhaun magic. Do you know how?" I snapped testily.

"No. No one living knows." I twisted away from my inquisitor because I didn't want the priestess to see the tears in my eyes. Reena saw them though and smiled.

"Reports have come in from all corners of the kingdom," Tali offered changing the subject, "and the oozing death has disappeared from the land. You have kept your side of the bargain and now we will fulfill our duties. My father will meet us at the Cavern of Convocation this day. We need to leave soon."

I waited inside the same deep hall in which we had arrived. This time, half of the hall was empty, only a few hundred people milled about the lighted space. A flourish of horns sounded and the king and his retinue swept into the cavern. His cabinet was dressed is colorful finery and their staffs were presented with severe cuts of official looking garb. When the last had entered the hall, every person present bowed down before his majesty except for me and Reena. He was quick to notice my lack of respect and tried to glare me into submission. I stared back but kept my mouth shut as per Tali's request.

Tali presented herself in the center of a circle of polished black stone, before her father who greeted her with a touch of his cheek against her cheek. It seems that Eldenhaun didn't believe in kissing. She stepped back as the retinue formed a semi circle at the edge of the white stone that bordered the polished circle, and the meeting transformed into a formal audience. Chairs were brought and the court sat after the king situated himself. His great beard bloomed off of his jaws and flowed halfway down his chest. His hair draped as fully down his back. His crown was enhanced with two horns that curved upward.

'This was the monster who slaughtered my people, ' I ruminated under bent brows. I checked myself, "not millions but billions of humans.' Here was the master of our genocide and I was unsure what I wanted. Before this moment I wanted to slit his throat, but I scanned his retinue and knew that it wouldn't be enough for they were all murdering bastards. Reena stroked my back once with her hidden arm and I remembered to breath.

The princess-priestess stood with her staff of office in the middle of circle. I stood opposite the king on the other side of the circle. The pompous jerk refused to acknowledge my presence; barbarian humans must have been beneath his regal notice. No one even offered me a chair; I recognized the slight and regretted for a moment purging the virus from their hides, even though my people's future was at hand.

Tali announced that the curse had been wiped from the land. Her announcement was met with the pounding of spear butts on the ground and hoots of approval. With a deep breath she went on to explain that Eldenhaun was now responsible for meeting their two terms of the agreement. The rise of anxiety in the room was palpable as the seated court leaned forward.

She explained the first term: No more hunting of humans. The crowd responded with cheery complaints and calls, but no regrets. My anger seethed and my jaw clenched.

After a moment's dramatic pause, she announced the second term: Teach the humans to survive, giving them the secrets of jayda and janeeda. Silence met her pronouncement followed by angry hisses and calls of obscenities. The guards came to full alert and their swords and spears came to the ready. The anger on the king's face was easy to read. He leapt from his chair with his finger pointing at his daughter. "What did you agree to?" he roared.

Tali repeated her words. His face changed from red to white while his body began to shake.