Chapter 36
Thirty-Six
Ayla
While Tayle worked on Sylis, the Moles retreated.
I had no clue whether we'd won or lost this battle, but Tayle was busy stopping the bleeding in Sylis's belly, saying she didn't want to move him until that was under control.
While she worked, Tobias filled me in on his situation with Callah, and I told him all about Meri and how different things were with Dragons.
He should've left by now. He should've gone to catch up with the rest, but he refused to go until he was sure Sylis would be okay. Then, when Tayle said he could be moved, it was Tobias who bent to pick the guy up.
"This way," Drozel told him, gesturing toward the Reaper camp.
"Bad idea," Zasen warned.
"No, I think it's a good one," I told him. "Tobias, these people are going to be mad at you, but the more who can see you in the light, the easier it will be when you come back."
"But he took their loved ones," Zasen said.
I made a noise to correct him. "Not a Mole concept. Tobias, you took their wives. Their children. You killed their friends and brothers. They will be very angry."
"And I can tell them who is alive," he said. "I remember their faces. I don't know their names, but I know there were seven."
"More than seven went missing," Zasen countered.
"Only seven were taken alive," Tobias told him.
"I do not know about the rest, but I do know the hunters were told to bring back all the dead but ours.
Wild men are demons in disguise, we were told.
They shall be consumed because that is the only way to make them holy again, for the beasts of the Devil are beasts sure enough. "
"Wow," Drozel muttered. "How about we not tell Meri that part?"
"Agreed," I said, looking at Tobias. "Or Callah. She wouldn't handle it well."
"She does not eat meat," he reminded me. "I've made it clear that my wife will not waste the nutrition a hunter could use. It's been harder to explain my own meal choices, but I've managed."
"Meal choices?" Omden asked.
"He means that he doesn't eat meat either," I explained. "His mother was a Dragon, so he's probably never liked it."
"You were the same?" Tobias asked.
I nodded. "My mother said it wasn't right. It turned my stomach, so I only ate it when I had to. Usually when my father forced me."
"My father was not strong enough to force me for long," Tobias said, but his feet slowed and his eyes went wide.
I turned to see the Reaper camp spread before us. Fires were lit, people were being treated, and dogs were everywhere. They also turned, and a few dared to snarl in his direction.
"What the hell?" a woman demanded in Vestrian, storming toward us.
"Eriska!" Rymar called, moving to intercept. "This is our informant."
"Informants," I corrected, gesturing to Sylis. "One was wounded. The other wants to explain, but he only speaks English."
"Their way," Zasen added. "Mole English doesn't sound like you'd expect. Many of us can both understand it and speak it now, but we need a place for our informant."
"That big guy took my partner!" a Reaper yelled.
So I translated that for Tobias. He murmured, but Drozel was gesturing to where he could lay Sylis safely. Tayle was with him, saying something about how she'd take care of him now, but Tobias wouldn't understand that part.
Once he had Sylis comfortable, he stood back up and turned to the voice.
"I did not take anyone. I did my best to scare children so they'd run the other way.
However, if they knew I was helping you, they would kill me.
So the women who were captured? I did guide them back.
I knew I would not hit them, or shove them down.
I only turned them because I'm large enough to withstand what my people call 'demonic strength. '"
Zasen translated all of that, then added, "And he said there are seven captives. He has descriptions."
I translated that to Tobias, and he began describing each of the seven women who'd been put in quarantine.
A few people cried out in grief, getting confirmation their loved one was being held by the enemy.
Far too many waited, tense, looking as if they weren't sure if hearing the right description would be a good thing or a bad one.
Then, "That's all of them," Tobias said.
"The rest are dead. The ones missing were likely taken into the compound to be used as meat.
We're told you're demons. Wild men and Dragons, but all minions of the Devil, and our only hope is to kill you so God can inherit the Earth and we can return to the surface.
" Then he gestured around. "But the surface is fine! "
"And his mother was a Dragon," I said. "The mayor's sister!
Mine was also a Dragon. The Serpent. Some of us know things don't make sense, but the leadership down there lies!
They want to maintain their power. They're scared of losing control, but they never considered that our mothers would whisper the truth to us, and now that we're old enough to talk to each other, we're figuring it out! "
"And I want to stop this," Tobias said. "I want to free my wife and protect my friend." He gestured to Sylis. "So blame me. Punish me. What is happening isn't right - "
"No," Zasen said in English, refusing to translate that. "Do not give them the chance to act out in grief."
But the Reaper chief was making her way over. "I will handle my people," she was saying to Rymar in her own language. "You deal with yours."
"I want them all to see him," Zasen broke in. "This man needs to be spared in a fight. Captured is fine. I don't care if they hit him, but he needs to be alive and able to return or we've just lost our one remaining connection to what's going on down there."
So Eriska whistled shrilly. "Reapers! This man?
He is our spy into the Moles' lair. Look at him.
Remember him. If you see him, capture him and make it look good.
The Dragons will pay for his safe passage!
" She gave Rymar a smug look, then continued.
"But he cannot be seriously harmed. No stabbing, shooting, or serious mauling.
" She looked at Zasen next. "I'll need a piece of his clothing for the dogs. "
"I got it," I told them, explaining to Tobias what was needed.
"Do whatever works," Tobias said, holding his arms out.
So I used my krael to cut a piece of cloth from his sleeve. It was long and narrow, but would look like he'd been attacked. I also had a feeling Callah would be the one to mend it, so I allowed my fingers to trail along the edge a moment too long.
"Tell Callah I'm proud of her?" I asked. "Make sure she knows I have not given up on her?"
"I swear," he said softly. "Ayla, I know she was your friend first, but she's my best friend. Now that Sylis..." He glanced at the man again.
"He's been given something," I explained. "He's probably conscious, but his mind will be wandering and sluggish. The medication numbs the pain and soothes the body so it won't make healing worse. He will be fine."
"Can I say one last thing to him before I go?" he asked.
"Yeah." I led him over to where Tayle was busy cleaning the wound properly. "Can you pause a moment?" I asked.
"Yeah, he's stable," she promised. "Not even worth bothering the doctors."
"Thanks." And I told Tobias, "She said his injures are classified as minimal."
"But it's a gut wound," he said, clearly struggling to make sense of that.
"Medicine is an amazing thing," I told him.
I wasn't sure if he'd heard me, because he'd already bent so Sylis could see him. "You're free," he said. "I'll tell Felicity you died, if that's okay? Only Callah will know the truth, but Ayla will save you. Trust her and her friends. Tell them everything, because it might help me get out."
"Is this because..."
"It's because I want you to live," Tobias insisted.
And Sylis smiled. "I feel weird."
"That's the medicine," I promised.
His smile grew a little more. "I don't have to marry her, Tobias?"
"No, you do not," he said. "And Ayla told me men can kiss men up here. Sylis, this is where you belong." And he palmed the side of Sylis's head. "I want you to be happy. If you become a Dragon, choose a good name, but don't kill me?"
"I would never hurt you," Sylis promised.
"Good." Tobias said. "Thank you for being my friend, Sylis. Please recover?"
"Mm..." Sylis murmured. "Okay. I like your eyes." And then his eyes slipped closed.
"The medicine will make him sleepy," I explained. "He's fine."
"Yeah," Tobias breathed, allowing me to lead him away. "I should probably try to catch up before I'm locked out."
"Might get you the code," I pointed out, steering him back toward Zasen.
He murmured. "Okay, that's a good point."
But Zasen wasn't alone. Lansin was there, along with Irrik and three different dogs. Shadow turned first, lifting his lips in a snarl. The other two were only a bit slower.
"Dogs, stay," I ordered in Vestrian, the language they'd been trained in.
"I don't think they like me," Tobias said.
"They don't like Moles," I explained. "You smell like the compound, so you get put in that group." But I kept going until I could ask Zasen, "Do you need anything else? Tobias needs to get back before he's missed."
"I need to know when you're coming back," Zasen told him.
"I don't know," Tobias admitted. "This mission was announced last night.
The elders told us we'd have weeks without needing to hunt because we had enough meat for all the weddings.
Then, without warning, they sent us here - not to you.
Now, only a few days later, we were told to come back.
It doesn't make any sense, and the only warning we get is enough to have us ready to leave before the main lights come on. "
"The days and nights are flipped," I explained to Lansin in Vestrian. "In the compound, they sleep when it's daylight, because the sun is too bright. That means the hunters are awake when it's dark, so they can travel without burning their eyes."
"Gotcha," he said. "Sadly, that does make sense."
"But we can't prepare now," Zasen grumbled.
"Actually," Lansin said, switching to heavily accented English, "I have um idea."
"An," I corrected without thinking.
Tobias chuckled. "He speaks weird."
"I rarely use English," Lansin explained as he offered something to Tobias. "This is a whistle. It sound loud, but we cannot hear it."
"Sounds," I mumbled.
Lansin grunted. "Right. The dogs hear it, though."
And he pulled out a matching one and blew in the end. I could hear the sound of the wind rushing through it, and there was a hint of something else, but it wasn't what I'd call loud - yet every dog, including Holly, whipped around quickly to look at Lansin.
He gestured to the animals. "Dogs hear better than people.
This?" He blew two short bursts and the dogs all sat down.
"Two means sit. All dogs from here will sit when they hear it, no matter who blows it.
They can hear that for..." He made a face and asked me in Vestrian, "How do Moles measure distance? "
"In time," I explained.
Lansin nodded and switched to English again.
"They will hear that an hour's walk away.
Three blasts?" He blew three sharp bursts and the dogs all around us lay down.
"That makes them lie down. Blow two times if you are coming here, and we will be ready.
Three times if you are not coming here, and we will come stop you. "
"How do I explain having this?" Tobias asked.
"A thing you took from the man who cut your shirt. You killed him, but the rest had already left, so you couldn't take his body. You didn't want to be stranded out here, alone with the Devil's minions."
"I can do that," he agreed. "But will you be here, Ayla?"
"We'll be here for a while, I think," Zasen said. "If not, Lansin will make sure we know anything you need to pass along."
"I'm Lansin," he said, offering his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet a friend of Ayla and Meri."
"He gave me the dog," I explained. "Mostly because I used her to stop you."
Tobias looked down at Holly. "And they work, Ayla. The dogs? We call them beasts, but the hunters are scared of them. Callah doesn't use the ethanol on most of them."
"Good," I said, "because dog bites can easily get infected."
"I'll make sure she knows that too." And his lips curled into a smile.
Behind me, Lansin chuckled and mumbled in Vestrian, "These Moles are ruthless."
"Yes," Zasen agreed. "That's why we need a few on our side."