August 15th, 1129
Amethyst held a thick leather plate to her chest. "How does this one look?" The plate was lined with thick leather along the outside. The inside was a woven fiber which offered a dense fiber pad.
"What does it matter how it looks?" Tenya chuckled as she examined the sword she had been given by Stochastís for their meeting with Wafi months before. "It's about how it protects you."
"I feel like the armor is going to be cumbersome." Amethyst said, while examining herself in a tarnished mirror of silver Ponáei said was "Sitting about somewhere." She turned to the side, then faced straight on. "I just feel like I'm extra exposed on the side."
"That is certainly a valid critique this time, how many have you tried on?" Tenya had been rustling through a table of weapons in Ponáei's armory. Tenya had swung several swords and thrust many more diggers and spears but returned to the sword she had been given.
"Well this is the fourth one." Amethyst unstrapped the large chest plate and set it gently on the table and moved on to the next one. "They are all way too big. Look at this one." She struggled to haul up a large metal torso covering. The armor made her look more like a child in stature holding up an adult's clothes.
"Well yeah, that is meant for one of the numerous bulky meat heads Ponáei has lurking about." Tenya had moved on to another sword which looked similar to her original. "This one is not close to straight." She dropped the weight onto the table which clattered aggressively. "This armory is a shithole. Nothing is in a usable condition." Tenya kicked the table which caused a bundle of Javelins to fall onto the ground.
"You should keep looking, it was kind of her to offer anything at all." Amethyst continued searching the pile of armor for anything that would fit her. "She has a lot of people to outfit, it is probably difficult to find good quality clothing."
"One must prepare their victory before the fight has begun. After all, the fierceness of a warrior means little if he is naked on the field of battle." Tenya's voice was monotone as she spoke. Her head remained down, her hand resting on the dagger which had been intended for Sven.
"That is... profound." Amethyst rested her hands on the table while her eyes studied Tenyas rigid form.
Tenya pulled the dagger fully out of the sash she wore around her hips. "My father said that to me."
"He sounds like he was a wise man." Amethyst stood in silence while Tenya examined the blade. Amethyst walked around the table to Tenya and stood in front of her.
Tenya remained entranced for a while; long enough for Amethyst to feel uncomfortable. Amethyst stepped around Tenya to a table that contained dozens of knives, and other short bladed weapons. She looked through and examined several of them before landing on a pair of old twin knives. They were in rough shape, but they were straight. The handles were wrapped in a dark scratchy linen, which felt secure, if not severely worn. Rust had eaten pits, but they had a beautiful swirling pattern, like the blade had been wrapped and twisted with light and dark slivers.
Amethyst also fell into her own world like Tenya. She imagined the forging of these blades, and wondered about the journey they had been on to get here now. Who had these blades saved? Who had they killed?
Tenya cut the silence, "Did I tell you about this knife?"
Amethyst hesitated, she took the knives and placed them in her bag, she would wrap them later tonight before the raid on Uongo. "Would it help to speak of it?" Amethyst turned back to Tenya and returned in front of her.
"Given to the first born of the bloodline." Tenya said with a deep inhale. "Given to my brother, who passed in battle." She stared deeply into the knife. "Never really knew my brother, so my father gave it to me after my sister was shipped across the sea."
"I didn't know you had siblings." Amethyst paused. "A family heirloom then."
"Yeah, I was going to give it to Sven, along with a book my father wrote for my first born." Tenya looked up to Amethyst. Her eyes were crested with water, but a quick wipe cleared them away. "Sorry, no need to get sentimental now."
Amethyst placed her hand on Tenya's hands. "You don't have to apologize. You can tell me as many times as you need to." Amethyst looked down at the dagger. "May I?" She then gestured at the dagger.
Tenya offered it to Amethyst who took it gently. "I'm going to look for Armor." Tenya stepped away to the far side of the room, She started picking through the offerings left there.
Amethyst looked down at the ornate designs. She unsheathed it to find a blade of silver, well polished, and seemingly sharp. The blade itself had what looked like scales carved in its center. The guard had small stamps which looked like leaves and along the hilt carvings of vines were wrapping around. The pummel was a snake head which circled back to the hilt. The head looked to be biting the hilt. As Amethyst studied this, a feeling of unease drifted into her. It reminded her of the symbol on Katili's door. A snake in a circle, devouring its own tail.
Amethyst became lost in a trance, but she wasn't imagining anything. She blankly stared into the eyes of the snake. They were detailed, uncomfortably so. It was as though this was a snake petrified into silver. She slid the sheath over the blade. Uncomfortable, she walked to Tenya, placing the blade on the table In front of her.
"I'm sorry about your family." Amethyst let her hand linger on the dagger. She considered taking it back, going out to the river, then throwing it in. She removed her hand and looked at Tenya, the feeling of unease melting away.
Amethyst quietly returned to her search for armor. They sorted through the remainder of the armory in silence.
*
"Your part in the raid is simple." Ponáei said, pointing to Amethyst's group. "Myself and a few of my warriors will accompany you. We will hop over the wall here." Ponáei pointed to a detailed map of Uongo's home. "Busara?"
"Yes I placed the ladders along the outside of the walls, you will be able to cross over them." Busara was sitting in a chair in the far corner of the room. He had no view of the map, but also was not joining the raid itself.
"We know that Uongo is staying in his study chamber in the center of his home. We know that he will be there. We also know that... Ebba... is there also." Ponáei spoke smoothly and confidently. She paused as she looked around the table. Her eyes fell on Wa Chini first, then Nuru, Amethyst and finally passed over Tenya. "We will take care of Uongo, and retrieve Ebba." She stabbed a knife into the house which was stuck firmly in the wood. "Questions?"
Everyone remained silent. Amethyst reviewed the plan in her mind. Simple enough, but not easy. Ponáei had just finished going over the security for the place. If it weren't for the distractions around the city, Serpent guard would be slithering around too. The main force taking on the front gates also provided some cover for their hidden entrance. Amethyst hoped that the plan worked. She looked to Stochastís, who had assisted in the strategy. He had a smile as he nodded looking at Hofu. His smile brought some comfort to Amethyst. If Stochastís wasn't worried, why should she be? Even so, a small pit remained tight in her belly.
As everyone departed the room, Amethyst remained. The man who had carried her out of the snake's den after the abduction had sharpened her new knives and rewrapped the handles for her. He didn't speak to her, as it turned out, he had his throat slit sometime before he had joined Ponáei. His voice was gone, but his life remained. He had left those knives on the table next to Busara. Amethyst went to retrieve them, and found herself leaning on the wall next to Busara instead.
"Thank you for your hard work my friend." Amethyst had not spoken with Busara for a couple weeks as he spent a majority of his time under cover at Uongo's. "You made this much easier for everyone."
"I would be glad to do it again. We will soon have Ebba in hand. Then Uongo will be gone as well." Busara inhaled slowly and rubbed his hip.
"You should have Nuru assist." Amethyst knelt in front of Busara, taking his hands in hers. "You did a lot of hard work, you--"
"Will be here when she returns." He interrupted. "She must keep up her strength, even the perfect plan, like a river, shifts. Do not allow yourself to fall into the trap of false security. " He grasped her hands with his, then rubbed them in a comforting way. "But, you already know that."
"I do. Rest my friend, we will return by dawn." Amethyst let his hands go. She smiled at him, and took her knives. Busara offered a bowed head in acknowledgement, then shifted in the chair.
Amethyst navigated the corridors of this now familiar abode. She walked with purpose to the courtyard. Her companions had already gathered and were entering a covered wagon they would use to pass undetected through the streets. She felt herself becoming a little light headed in this surreal moment. Everyone was talking to each other with the exception of Ponáei, who had already entered the wagon and Tenya who was leaning against the wagon away from the others. Amethyst didn't hesitate in walking to Tenya, though the knot in her stomach had certainly been trying to root her in place.
"You ready?" Tenya asked at Amethyst's approach. Tenya's arms were crossed and her left leg was hiked up with her foot pressing against the small well that had so readily offered itself up to them during the hot sessions of training.
Amethyst sat on the edge of the well across from Tenya. "No." Amethyst looked up at Tenya, She was radiating confidence. The darkness of night had long since devoured any semblance of light. The frigid night had taken its hold over the city.
Tenya had her cloak over one shoulder, exposing her arms that were chiseled with well defined muscles. Her leg, which was hiked up, supported knee high boots, and short pants, which she had tied just above her knees. The flickering light was dim, with long casted shadows that highlighted each curve in her skin.
Amethyst realized she was staring. She cleared her throat and looked around, before landing on Tenya's face. It too was highlighted, defining her cheeks and brow. Although she was attracted to those features, it was the reflection in her eyes that drew her admiration. She had always imagined seeing the fire of passion in Tenya's eyes. In that moment, those passionate eyes were ablaze. They housed not only the fire in her heart, but also the fire of the night. Amethyst was convinced she was again looking at an angel who would burn Uongo's ilk with hellfire.
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"Yes, I am ready to follow you anywhere." Amethyst spoke again, this time in a confident tone.
Tenya then cleared her throat. She removed her powerful leg from the well wall and dropped her cloak, pulling the hood over her head. Nervously she said, "Good cause we're fucking going." She swiveled around and entered the wagon from the back.
Amethyst felt her stomach release for a moment, her confidence was secure. Before she could even stand, a gentle, yet certain anxiety tugged at her. She knew something wouldn't go according to plan.
She used the crank on the well to let the bucket down, then drew it back up. She sipped lightly from the water which at this time of night warmed her if only just a little. She sat the bucket on the wall of the well and climbed into the back of the wagon.
A snap and a jerk sent the wagon into motion, there was no backing out now.
*
The streets were quiet, unusually so. The city could feel something would happen. Their shutters were closed, and those that walked through the streets hurried away at the sight of them. In silence and without delay, the wagon crept through the streets. At the front, Stochastís and one of Ponáei's men guided the wagon safely along the route Stochastís had chosen for them.
Inside the wagon everyone had remained quiet, save for the light rumble of Wa Chini's faint purr. Ponáei had refused to look at anyone during the trip. All of her men similarly remained stoic. Nuru had grabbed Amethyst's hands, holding them tightly as she pressed into Amethyst. Despite the cold, Amethyst noticed how warm Nuru was, the light stick of Nuru's clammy hands denoted the fear she must have been feeling.
The wagon came to a slow stop, a light knock from the front indicated that the wagon had arrived. Efficiently and quietly Ponáei and hers exited the wagon. Slowly, Amethyst's group followed suit. Ponáei's men had already identified the ladders Busara had hidden. They were setting the first of four up. The man with white hair climbed up the ladder. He peaked over then looked down and made a hand gesture to the others. Amethyst couldn't tell what the man had indicated, but the others started moving the next ladder over the wall.
Amethyst stood back from the men as they worked to set up the ladders to climb over this wall and the inner wall. The thumping in her chest drummed loudly in her ears. Could the enemy hear her heart beating so loudly like she could?
"Be weary." Stochastís whispered to her from the driving seat. He leaned his head down close to Amethyst. "The night is quiet for now. We will remain until we can't anymore, best of luck my friend, and don't forget what we learned about your magic." Stochastís didn't wait for a reply as he drove the wagon forward into an alley, hidden in the darkness.
Amethyst nodded to herself as she stepped out of the street taking position at the back of the line to go up the ladder. She could see the rungs of the second ladder, and a man held the third ladder in anticipation, the fourth adder still at his feet. The man with white hair was already on the second ladder, but remained primed to move.
A loud whistle sounded at the front gates of the home. Similar whistle sounds began to blow from streets around them. Followed by the flickering of large fires peeking up over the cityscape. The crew hung back waiting. Amethyst felt her heart racing, her vision was focused as she waited in silence for a second whistle.
A second whistle was let out, like clockwork. The third ladder was already going over followed by Ponáei's men, Then as the last one went over, he grabbed the fourth and final ladder and they were gone over the wall. Ponáei waited here with Amethyst's group quietly. It felt like another eternity had passed. before a head popped over and gestured to follow. Amethyst waited in the que. Her thoughts were racing at the what ifs. Sounds of screaming began shortly after with the clang of battle echoing up from the house.
Amethyst stepped up the rungs of the ladder following Nuru. The wall had to be nearly twenty feet tall, but was still one of the shortest, only being two thirds complete. Amethyst rose up to see the flames that engulfed parts of the city. The night air had a glow about it and parts of the city burned. Amethyst had no idea how deep this went. She knew that Ponáei had spoken of a change and distractions, but she failed to mention the entire city would be set aflame.
The screams echoed all around her now. Amethyst could hear people from every direction. The clash of battle grew as she stepped up to the top of the ladder. She could tell there was combat all around the city. This wasn't just a distraction, it had to be a revolution! She had little time to consider what was happening in the city as she looked at the battle of the front gates on the far side of the property. She could already see the bodies piling up in the entrance. The door was missing the bottom half and a crowd of people tried pushing through each other. She couldn't tell who was who from there except that one side desperately went one way, while the other pushed in the opposite direction.
"Let's go!" Tenya called up to Amethyst. Everyone had already gone up and over the second wall, only Tenya and Amethyst remained.
Amethyst honed in on the mission at hand. Retrieve Ebba, no matter the cost. Amethyst quickly descended the ladder and ascended the inner wall. As she climbed over, she could see a few bodies had already fallen here.
Nuru was looking down at them, She was wanting to help, but they weren't on the right side, whatever that meant.
Amethyst hit the ground, immediately going to Nuru. "They are dead, we are here for Ebba." Amethyst turned away from Nuru and saw Tenya along with Ponáei's men heading to the back side of the main house.
Wa Chini gestured for Amethyst to go on ahead while he wrestled with Nuru to move.
Amethyst darted alone through the garden to catch up to the rest of the group. When she arrived at where they entered, she could see they were quietly waiting in the hall. There was little light inside, except for the reflections of fire from the distant battles.
Once she came through the back door, the pandemonium of the battle at the gates nearly disappeared. Only the muffled cries remained. The inside of the house was mostly silent as well save for a few scared voices and stomping footsteps. The occasional clatter made each tense muscle jump in Amethyst. They waited until Wa Chini and Nuru entered. Slowly the man with white hair opened the door. Ponáei's men rushed out while he and Ponáei with a couple others remained. Then They made their way forward into the dimly lit house.
Amethyst didn't take in any of the décor when she was here the first time. It was in an odd style that was vaguely familiar to her, though she couldn't place it. She heard a commotion coming from the hall ahead. The men had killed two servants that had knives in their hands. One looked to be a young man at nearly seventeen. Amethyst let her eyes linger on the boy, but there was no time for thought, a group of Uongo's men burst through a door that led to an adjacent room.
Tenya screamed as she engaged against a man that had at least a head over her and maybe weighed twice as much. Amethyst could tell immediately that he would over power her. So with little hesitation, she gripped the hilt of one of her knives and let out a scream of her own as she rushed into the man's exposed side.
She couldn't tell whether she had hit him at first. The blade felt like it hadn't passed through anything. Amethyst had closed her eyes at the moment of impact. She didn't want to but couldn't help herself. She slowly unclenched her eyes to see that she had stabbed the man. Her knife had not only stabbed the man between his ribs, but he had slid off at some point. His body lay decapitated as Tenya slammed her sword repeatedly into the body.
Tenya was screaming as she chopped at the dead man. Amethyst dropped her knife and grabbed Tenya around the arms and spoke quietly to her. Amethyst's mind had gone blank in her rambling, but Tenya slowed regardless. Tenya was covered in blood which had splattered from her rampage.
A scream pulled Amethyst back to the battle, she looked to its source. One of the enemies was charging Amethyst and Tenya. Amethyst fumbled for her remaining knife as the man approached at lightning speed. She dug through the bag, her fingers wrapped around the knife. She pulled up on it hard, but it wouldn't budge. It had slipped perfectly into a grove and was now locked away until she could empty the bag. Right before the attacker collided with them, he was intercepted by the man with white hair.
They wrestled each other, trading blows between them. Amethyst scrambled to the ground to retrieve her dropped knife in lieu of the one stuck in her bag. She gripped it and stood quickly, It was too late, as she watched the man with white hair be impaled. The man with white hair grunted as the blade slashed through him and was ripped away. Amethyst remembered back to when she was eight. The man with white hair had made the same noise as the man who tried to save her before.
Finished with the man with white hair, the attacker resumed his attempt. Amethyst realized that Tenya was shouting next to her. Tenya was in a defensive form just ahead of amethyst. The man swung, Tenya hit the sword from his hand, taking a thick chunk of the same hand with it.
The man screamed as he gripped his hand. Blood pooled on the floor as it gushed out of holes where his fingers once were. In his panicked pain he didn't see Wa Chini, who pounced on the attacker's side. The man was falling over and Wa Chini had buried his claws deep into him. Wa Chini's mouth was clenched around the attacker's throat. Though Amethyst assumed he was dead by this point, Wa Chini tore at the man's neck. He clawed like a ferocious animal as he ripped the man apart.
The battle had stopped. The last of the attackers backed away in shock. Wa Chini looked up at them. and growled as he slowly let the eviscerated body fall from his mouth with a splat. The squelch of his body as Wa Chini slowly set himself into a prowling position. The watching attackers turned and fled away. Wa Chini Started to give chase, but stopped himself. He looked back to Amethyst, his blood covered face as gentle as his heart. "Are you okay?" His voice chirped as normal.
Amethyst had a difficult time reconciling the animal she saw attack those men, and the kind soul before her. But she left that to another time, for now the attackers were defeated and they needed to get to the room that Uongo was staying in.
*
"Fuck!" Ponáei shouted. The makeshift bedroom had no one in it.
Amethyst looked out the door to the battle raging in the courtyard. It had only been minutes since the fighting started, but it felt much longer. She could see that their time was almost up. Through the gates, groups of Serpent Guard were being held back, while Uongo's defenders had been defeated. Amethyst could see behind the wall of the Serpent guard, they were gathering in force before one solid push.
Amethyst turned at a loud crash. She saw that Ponáei had begun ripping furniture apart and tossing everything to the ground. The last of Ponáei's men returned at the same time, no Uongo, no Ebba.
"What now!" Tenya shouted looking Ponáei in the face.
Ponáei looked at her with a scornful gaze. "Shut up princes, I need to think!" Ponáei's voice was filled with venom.
Tenya still couldn't speak the language, and Ponáei didn't understand Tenya's words, but that didn't stop Tenya from shouting back. "Well where is my daughter? Your plan failed and my daughter is still missing!"
Ponáei had no interest in a screaming match, instead she started to move aggressively towards Tenya. Tenya responded in kind and shouted at Ponáei, moving closer to her. Amethyst stepped between them facing Tenya, while one of Ponáei's did the same for her.
"Hey!" Wa Chini screamed.
His sharp voice was like running a blade on Amethyst's ears. The roof of her mouth burned with how badly it itched from the translation rune.
"Look here." Wa Chini pushed a section of book shelves out of the way. "A passage."
Tenya wasted no time before she ran through the doorway.
"Tenya!" Amethyst called.
Ponáei and her men followed quickly after. Amethyst was about to follow but realized Nuru wasn't standing. "Nuru?" Amethyst turned and looked at her.
Nuru had tears streaming down her face. She was mumbling and speaking incoherently, rocking slightly.
"Nuru!" Amethyst shouted.
Nuru looked up and into Amethyst's worried eyes "This is awful." Her despondent tone hardly carried any weight of the Nuru that Amethyst had grown to care for.
Amethyst looked up to see that the Serpent guard were making their push through the gates and were hardly being held back by the falling defense. "You need to move, either back to Stochastís or forward. The Serpents are coming!"
Nuru looked away. Wa Chini, pulled her up onto her feet. He looked at Amethyst with wide eyes. She knew without words what he meant. She made her way quickly to the staircase on the other side of the hidden door. She stopped and turned back to see Wa Chini pulling her along. As she turned to go down the stairs, she noticed something on the wall.
Etched into the wall at the entrance of this hidden passage, was the depiction of a snake, devouring its own tail.