Bastial Frenzy (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 4) (44 page)

She tried to get up as quickly as she could, but another tripped on her arm and fell over her back. A Krepp slammed into the ground just in front of her. Another jumped on top of him.

Whoever was on her legs wasn’t getting up. She looked behind her to find it was a female Krepp on her back. Someone else was over her knees, trying to pick himself up.

Zeti tugged hard, managing to get one leg free. She turned and grabbed the other, yanking. But someone bumped into her, threatened to fall, and grabbed her head for balance. A lurch of weight alerted Zeti to someone else ramming into the Krepp holding her head. One screamed as Zeti saw claws being dug into his arm. He punched his attacker with his other hand.

Zeti somehow got her leg free. Jumping to her feet, she tried to escape the ensuing brawl only to run into another female who’d come from the other direction. Zeti knocked her down by accident but pulled her back up just as quickly. They each sprinted forward, separating.

Running at near full speed, she reached the outskirts of the frenzy hastily. Krepps had formed a circle to watch. Many were fleeing the brawl as Zeti had, but there were some entering it from the audience, usually screaming the names of Krepps they recognized. Zeti figured they were jumping to their defense, as Zoke would if he saw her in there.

As she left the market, she wondered why she’d thought of Zoke instead of Keenu. Her brother could never be there, and Keenu would’ve jumped in just the same.

“Brawl at the market!” Zeti yelled in every direction as she hurried back toward Doe’s quarters.

Half the Krepps she passed began to run.

Soon she no longer needed to shout. The news traveled on its own, for the sight of hundreds of Krepps sprinting to get somewhere always meant a fight. Unfortunately, some of them would end up joining. At least it might extend the spectacle, hopefully giving Keenu the time he needed.

She hid behind huts when she found Doe wiggling toward the market, shouting for Krepps to move out of his way. With a burst of light, he would stop the brawl soon after he got there.

The entrance to Doe’s wooden building was vacant. Zeti stopped in the twisting hallway.

“Keenu, are you in there?”

“Yes, and I don’t know what to do about this.” His voice was muffled coming around the corner, but she still heard his frustration. “He left the scroll out on the table. It appears he was writing his response when he left.”

She heard paper being grabbed, then the sound of Keenu’s feet pressing against the dirt as he came closer.

“I’ll read both to you. We should have plenty of time, but watch for Doe or his guards while you listen.”

“I will.”

“First Nebre’s note: The King of Kyrro has been killed. Tegry Hiller wanted me to lie about how it happened, but I won’t do that.” Keenu wasn’t the most fluid reader, pausing between words at times. “He agreed to meet with Welson Kimard to discuss a new treaty between Kyrro and Tenred, but he had no intentions of signing one. Tegry’s people believe what he’s told them, which is that Welson’s men attacked his during the meeting. Tegry claims they fought back and won, killing Welson in the process. But those who were there know the truth, and some of them are honorable enough to have told me. Tegry killed Welson dishonorably by luring him into neutral territory where his men could kill Welson’s and escape.

"There are rules between Kyrro and Tenred. Kings have always needed to be able to meet with each other, and it’s unheard of for one to attack another during these meetings. Nothing in Human or Kreppen history has been as heinous as Tegry’s actions. He’s not to be trusted, and he must be punished with death for this dishonor. I cannot serve an army under his leadership. I know other Krepps will agree. I understand it’s not my place to recommend anything, but the only solution I’ve thought of is for you to bring your army here first and demand Tegry’s execution. They’ll select a new king, and then we can destroy Kyrro honorably. If we fight with Tegry Hiller, we’re just as dishonorable as he is.

“When you reply, I beg you not to say anything of the truth. Some Humans have been learning Kreppen, and I would be killed if they discovered that I got this message to you. I hope to see you and the rest of the Krepps here when you’re ready. I could translate when the time comes.”

Zeti cursed. “What did Doe write back?” she asked.

“Nebre, I won’t waste any more time getting to the Slugari. I don’t care what Tegry did. I’m not sending an army there, and I’ll kill you myself if you try to ruin this. Just translate what they tell…” Keenu’s voice became more fluid. “That’s all it says so far.”

“Put the pages back and come out,” Zeti said.

“Put them back?” Keenu was incredulous.

“Yes, so we can discuss this outside his quarters.”

“What’s there to discuss? I’m bringing both letters out to show every Krepp. Doe has always been a good leader, but this is unforgivable. Nebre is right. We need to kill Tegry before we fight with Tenred, otherwise we’re just as bad as the traitors. His dishonor must be punished.”

“None of that matters! Doe will kill you before you can tell five Krepps. Put the letters where you found them and hurry out here. We can figure out what to do later.”

“We’ll never have this kind of proof, Zeti. He’s going to burn Nebre’s letter and send the one he’s writing. It may even get Nebre killed. We can’t ignore this.”

Zeti contemplated trying to drag Keenu out, but she didn’t have the strength. He would overpower her easily. She squeezed the handle of her dagger, unsure how to save Keenu. “If you take those letters out, you’ll die! We both might!”

Keenu came out with both scrolls rolled together in his hand. Zeti reached for them. He moved away. “You would fight with Tegry Hiller after hearing this?”

“No, of course not. But we must figure out something else.”

“What else is there to do, Zeti?”

He waited for her reply.

“I don’t know.” She could feel anger telling her to tackle him, wrestle the scrolls out of his grasp. But she would probably rip them, and the evidence of what they did would be impossible to hide. “Just put them back!”

“Tell me what you would have us do first.”

She tried to think quickly, but nothing came. The worry of seeing the fat Slugari returning between huts had taken all her focus.

“We can’t convince Doe to change his mind,” Keenu said. “The first time he ever does won’t be now.”

“There must be something else.”

“If we fight with Tegry’s army without punishing his dishonor, then we’re just as bad. Humans are cowards, and it shames me to fight with them, but this is something else completely.” He shook the scrolls. “This is their
leader
we’re talking about. He’s supposed to be the most honorable, yet he allowed Welson to believe they were meeting for peace, only to kill him. This is worse than anything a Krepp has ever done, worse than anything a Human has ever done!” Keenu spat.

“I know.”

“All Krepps would agree.”

“Yes, but—”

“It’s our only choice. We can’t kill Tegry on our own. Doe needs to be forced into the decision. Or he has to be killed for allowing the lie to continue…and I will lead us.” Keenu straightened his back, lowering his voice. “I cannot serve under him any longer.”

“Keenu.” The anger had drained from her body, leaving her weak. “Just because you’re right doesn’t mean you have to do anything about it now.”

“Tell me what we could do after he destroys Nebre’s message and sends his back, and I will.”

“We can confront Doe about it.”

Keenu let out a quick snicker. “So he can kill us?”

“We can tell other Krepps.”

“Without the scrolls, no one would believe us. Look.” He unrolled Nebre’s message, pointing at a circular symbol at the bottom. “This is the mark that Nebre puts on all his messages to show they’re authentic. It’s created with a stamp pressed into ink that can’t be replicated. This is our only proof.” He shook the scroll. “It’ll be gone soon after Doe comes back.”

Zeti grit her teeth. “You really want to lead?”

“I do.”

“There must be another way.”

“None with honor.”

“This honor is going to get us killed,” Zeti muttered.

“You’re speaking like a coward.”

With her next breath, Zeti’s anger came back. She wanted to claw Keenu’s face and scream that she was only trying to save their lives. But everything he’d said was the truth. They had only one option.

“How will we notify the other Krepps? There’s too much to explain to simply run around screaming about it.”

Zeti froze at the sight of Doe’s blubbery figure maneuvering between huts. He was hurrying, wiggling at twice his usual rate.

“We’ll confront Doe while I hold the scrolls,” Keenu said, his tone determined.

“He’ll kill us.”

Zeti could see by Keenu’s face that he knew she was right. He came behind her and started to stuff a scroll into the back of her pants. “Take this,” he said. “It’s Nebre’s message. I’ll threaten that you’ll reveal it to all the Krepps at the market if Doe doesn’t agree to bring our army into Tenred and kill Tegry. Go.” Keenu shoved her. “Walk that way, away from Doe. If he calls your name, ignore it.”

Zeti only moved a step.

“Go!” Keenu said, Doe nearly close enough to hear them. “He won’t hurt me,” Keenu continued. “He’ll agree to kill Tegry. Their army is far smaller than Kyrro’s. It’s an easy decision.”

She couldn’t leave him. “He might kill you, instead.”

“He’ll certainly kill both of us if we have no leverage. Leave!”

Zeti ran, unable to think quickly enough to come up with something else.

“Zeti!” Doe called. “Zeti, stop!”

Fear gripped her heart, but her legs continued. She’d never disobeyed Doe so blatantly.

“Over here, Doe,” she heard Keenu shout. Zeti looked back to find him taunting the massive Slugari with a scroll.

Doe yelled something in Slugaren, adding Keenu’s name at the end.

Zeti became too far away to hear anything else. She changed her course toward her hut. There was time to get her bow and quiver first so that she wouldn’t feel so naked.

When she reached the market, she was panting and holding back tears of worry. Some Krepps were kneeling, picking up goods off the ground. There was more space, many paying more attention to where they walked.

Zeti wished there was a hill nearby, but most of the encampment was flat. There was nothing to climb up to watch for Keenu. Instead, she put herself on the outskirts of the market, watching in the direction of Doe’s quarters between bodies of Krepps passing in front of her.

As her breath came back and she began to hear her thoughts again, her worries worsened.

What if I see Doe without Keenu?
A tear threatened to fall. She wiped it.
It would mean Keenu was killed.

She waited, watching, desperately hoping to see Keenu. In brief moments of calm between panic, she told herself she needed to come up with a plan in case Doe came alone.

Saliva filled her mouth, so she spat. How could she have gone this long without realizing how dishonorable Doe was? Nebre’s message had stunned her, as it would any Krepp, but Doe’s response was even more shocking. Her plan came easily after that realization. The moment she saw Doe, she would take out Nebre’s message and announce loud enough for all the Krepps nearby to hear.
I have proof that…that…

What should come next? It was difficult to summarize everything Nebre’s note revealed quickly enough to hold everyone’s attention. And she would only have a few breaths worth of time once Doe was close enough to cast a fireball at her.

I have proof that…that…Tegry Hiller killed Welson Kimard dishonorably…

Zeti was stuck again. She cursed herself.
Just come up with something.

I have proof that Tegry Hiller has committed a heinous act of dishonor and needs to be punished, but Doe refuses to do so. He killed Keenu to cover up this truth.

That should draw everyone’s attention. Doe couldn’t kill her after that. It would be too obvious he was hiding information. Then she could hand the scroll to someone able to read it.

A burst of light came from behind her. It was hot, startling her into jumping.

“Clear out!” Doe shouted.

There was another burst of light. Zeti turned around as Krepps rushed out of the market.

“Get out of here!” Doe yelled. “Go back to your tasks.” He sent another burst of light from his black claws. Zeti felt it hit her face, the heat painful to endure.

Only then did she realize it was too late to get everyone’s attention. All the Krepps were fleeing as quickly as they could. Doe had come from behind. He’d taken away her leverage.

The fear of Doe propelled her away from him as fast as her legs could carry her. She cursed as she ran, not slowing for a look to see if Doe had found her yet. But she knew the guards wouldn’t let her over the wall. It felt like she was stuck in a nightmare, her heart racing.

She turned to run west. There was one guard that liked her. Maybe she could convince him to let her over.