Legends of the Saloli: Vengeance and Mercy (8 page)

“Blaze, I’ve just received a report that two outsiders have been taken captive within our territory. Perhaps you’d recognize them. My scout says that they both look very odd.”

Blaze remembered back, almost a month now, when he had been washed away in Cyclone’s river. He’d nearly drowned, but had been rescued by two outsiders who turned out to be from a massive tribe of outsiders called NoTribe. It was led by an albino saloli named Specter, and his right hand saloli, Mask.

“How did he describe them?” Blaze asked.

“He said that one was completely white, and had blood red eyes. The other was gray, but had a black patch of fur along her eyes.”

“Specter and Mask,” Blaze said, confirming his suspicions.

“Friends of yours?” Rust inquired.

“Hardly. They’re the two leaders of NoTribe.”

“I’m having the patrol that caught them bring them in for questioning. Is there anything I should know?”

“Nothing I can think of.”

It was at that moment that a patrol of ten saloli came into Icefire’s camp, circled around the two outsiders. Rust walked over to get a closer look at the two unusual saloli, “Did they put up a fight?” he asked.

“No sir, they came quietly. They said they wanted to speak to Blaze.”

Blaze came forward, “Well, here I am, Specter. What do you want?”

“I’ve come to collect your debt, Blaze.” Specter said, casually.

“Debt?” Rust repeated, “What is he talking about?” Too late, Blaze remembered the agreement he’d been forced to make to Specter and Mask before leaving.

“They saved my life once. Now I owe them a debt.”

Rust turned to face the intruders, “What is it that he owes you?”

“Anything I want.” Specter replied, smiling malevolently.

Eyeing the outsiders suspiciously, Rust said, “Very well, what is it that you want?”

Blaze wasn’t very worried about this. Specter would probably demand food, something that Icefire was not yet in short supply of. Things would work out fine.

“I want a son,” Specter answered.

Rusts’ eyes widened in disbelief, “What?” he demanded.

“I want a son,” Specter repeated, “I’ve been thinking. It would be nice to have someone to take my place as chief of NoTribe after I’m gone. I want a son for that reason, which means. . .” He paused dramatically, “I’ll need a mate.”

“Why don’t you choose one of your outsiders to mate with?” Rust challenged him.

Specter shrugged, “None of them strike my interest.”

“What about her?” Rust motioned towards his companion.

“Mask? She’s far too aggressive to be a mother. No, I will choose one of your saloli, and you will give her to me.”

Without another word, Specter’s eyes began to travel around the assembled saloli. To Blaze’s horror, they came to rest on Sunbeam.

“I think you will do fine, my dear,” He said, smiling in a cruel manner and taking a step towards her. Without thinking, Blaze dashed forward to stand between the two.

“You will not touch her!” He yelled, baring his claws threateningly.

Specter’s eyes flashed with anger, and then went neutral again, “I don’t think you’re in any position to refuse me, Blaze.”

“I don’t care. If you touch Sunbeam, I’ll kill you!”

“But your debt. . .”

“I don’t care!” Blaze said again, “I’ll fight you if I have to, but you will not have her!”

“We all will,” Rust agreed. “You will not take anyone from our tribe to use as a slave.”

Specter gazed around the tribe, as if weighing his options, “From what I understand,” he said, turning to Rust “You are already in a war. Do you think you can handle being in two?” Rust’s eyes widened in shock. “My tribe is large enough to slaughter yours without breaking a sweat. Give me that saloli, or you will all die.”

Rust’s mouth fell open at Specter’s words. Blaze felt himself go numb. A war against NoTribe? Rust had never seen it, but Blaze had. Specter was telling the truth, NoTribe’s numbers clearly outmatched any single tribe’s. Blaze wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that they outnumbered all four tribes at once. Icefire was strong and well trained, but they simply could not win against such impossible odds. But to give up Sunbeam would almost be just as bad.

“Give me that saloli, and NoTribe will leave you in peace.” Specter said once more, “Refuse me, and prepare for war.”

“No,” Rust replied, “you can’t have her.”

Specter curled his lip in disgust, and nodded, “Very well, then. I will give you two weeks to reconsider. If you know what’s good for you and your tribe, you will do as I say. You know the alternative.” Without another word, he turned and left Icefire’s camp, Mask following closely behind him.

Blaze felt an icy chill run down his spine. What had he just gotten his tribe into?

Chapter
Fifteen

Goliath stalked back and forth across Darkcover’s camp. He clenched his teeth, and his claws dug deep into the earth floor, two signs of strong anxiety. He muttered something under his breath about “only two more days.” He broke, momentarily, into a wicked grin, his eyes shining with maniacal glee.

“I take it you are looking forward to the attack?” Mordred asked, amused by his chief’s antics.

“And why shouldn’t I be?” Goliath chuckled, “My victory is drawing nearer every day. I can hardly wait to see the dirt stained red with their blood. I will finally have what I deserve!”

“What you deserve?” Mordred repeated.

“Of course, I am the strongest saloli in this forest. Everything in it is mine by right of Blood Way! Or, at least it will be. It would have been, if Rust hadn’t interfered that day. Well, he’ll get what he deserves too. A nice, slow death!”

Mordred chuckled quietly, catching Goliath’s attention, “What’s so funny?” he demanded.

“You think your birthright ends where the forest recedes?” the prophet asked, “Oh no, my chief. What belongs to you spreads far and wide beyond the trees of this forest.”

Confusion clouded Goliath’s eyes, but there was also a hint of interest. Mordred’s words had caught his attention.

Chapter
sixteen

The sun finally set on what had been a long day. As Icefire began to make their way to the resting trees, Blaze found himself thinking about the morning’s occurrences. Blaze had, almost singlehandedly, put Icefire into a second war, and there seemed to be no way out of it. Guilt crept through his fur, into his skin, weighing down his bones and making him wish that he could simply disappear. Many saloli could be killed because of his decision. Still, he couldn’t give up Sunbeam! She may have been strong, but she wasn’t used to the hard lives that NoTribe saloli led. Icefire saloli didn’t exactly have it easy either, but they, at least, had territory that was indisputably theirs, and it was full of food. Any food that an Outsider needed had to be stolen, oftentimes putting themselves at risk in doing so. Because of this, they frequently would have to go hungry. No, he told himself, there was no shame in protecting Sunbeam from such a life. As he walked, he felt another saloli bump into him. Looking up, he nearly gasped when he saw Sunbeam herself standing there, looking slightly nervous.

“I just wanted to thank you for standing up for me earlier today.” Sunbeam said, tentatively. “I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving with that creature.”

“You’re welcome,” Blaze returned, his chest filling with warmth at her words.

“It was very brave of you to do so.”

Blaze sighed, a bit of his guilt creeping back in, “I just wish I hadn’t gotten Icefire into so much trouble by doing it. Not that I regret doing it,” he backpedaled, “Just what came of it.”

“I understand.” Sunbeam nodded, “that saloli, what was his name?”

“Specter.”

“Yes, there was something wrong with him.”

Blaze recalled Specter’s white fur and red eyes, “He’s what is called an albino,” he explained, “It means there’s something wrong with his body that makes him look that way.”

“No,” Sunbeam corrected, “I mean on the inside. I looked into his eyes today. He acted polite and a bit kind, but his eyes were empty. There was no happiness in them, or any sort of contentment. I saw only greed.”

Blaze nodded in agreement. He’d noticed this as well, “The thing about outsiders, Sunbeam, is that they don’t believe in Valde Abbas.”

Sunbeam only looked mildly surprised at this, “Yes, that makes sense. Without Valde Abbas, there can be no happiness. If they truly do not know our creator, how could they be content? They would naturally search their entire lives for something that could make them happy, but they’d never find it. Only Valde Abbas can grant you true, everlasting happiness.”

Sunbeam’s words sparked Blaze’s interest, and brought a question to his mind that he had been pondering for quite some time, “Sunbeam, are evil creatures allowed into Valde Abbas’ castle?”

A shiver ran through Sunbeam’s body, and a fearful look could be seen in her eyes. She looked at Blaze, warily, “No,” she told him, “but we don’t like to talk about the other place.”

“Other place?” Blaze parroted, “You mean there’s another place creatures can go when they die?”

Sunbeam nodded, slowly, “Do you really not know?” she asked. Blaze shook his head, “Then I suppose I had better tell you. Come with me, I don’t want the others to hear me talking about it.”

Blaze’s curiosity was piqued. Following Sunbeam away from the Common’s Tree, they stood together in the shadow of the night, “The place is called Helm,” Sunbeam whispered to him, “and it is a terrible place. After the Dragon revolted against Valde Abbas, the creator built an immense dungeon below his castle. It is filled with all the most horrible things you can imagine, and many that you can not. Valde Abbas also created Helm so that once you enter, you can never leave. It was to be where the Dragon would be kept once he was defeated.”

“So it was made for the Dragon, then.” Blaze acknowledged, “Why would all the evil creatures on earth have to go there too?”

“Because,” Sunbeam continued, “Valde Abbas can not stand evil. It revolts him. If a creature comes into his castle, and is tainted by evil, Valde Abbas will have no choice but to cast that creature into Helm.”

Blaze’s eyes widened in horror, “But you told me before that every creature is tainted by evil! Does that mean that nobody can enter the castle?”

Sunbeam shook her head, “No, because Valde Abbas is willing to forgive us for the evil acts we commit. If we ask him to forgive us, he will, and our transgressions will no longer matter. It is those who do not accept his forgiveness that are cast into Helm, never to return.”

Now Blaze shivered as well. If Sunbeam’s words were even half true, Helm’s terribleness was far beyond comprehension. To be cast in there, and never be allowed to leave. It was unthinkable, especially when the creature would know just how close he was to Valde Abbas’ castle.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Sunbeam said, and walked away.

There and then, without a word, Blaze bowed his head and began to speak to Valde Abbas, “I know I haven’t known about you for very long, and that I probably don’t deserve it, but I’m sorry for all the wrong things I’ve done in my life. Would you please forgive me?”

Though he heard nothing in return, it immediately felt as if a terrible burden had been lifted from Blaze’s heart, and he knew that Valde Abbas had, indeed, forgiven him.

Chapter S
eventeen

The time draws near.

Startled, Blaze raised his head, but saw no one. The ground he lay on was gray and hard. It stretched on for what seemed like eternity into the distance, until it met the black night sky. An eerie silence hung over the dismal scene, without even a breeze to disturb the stillness. It was cold, but not uncomfortably so. Blaze’s mind was not on his surroundings, though. He was still trying to discern where the voice had come from. He was alone.