Yazwa followed Ca Rago out of the prayer tent with her head bowed. He led her past the lines to other tents that had only grown longer while they spoke. The three pyramids rose over the crowded, noisy plaza as Yazwa and Ca Rago weaved their way past the tents to one of the stone buildings on the edge of the platform. There was a door flanked by two guards and they stepped aside to pull the door open, revealing a long hallway filled with people scurrying from room to room carrying piles of papers. Candles flickered, the only light in the hallway when the door closed behind them.
“This is what you must do,” Ca Rago said, making his way into the hallway with Yazwa close behind. The candles snuffed out one by one as they continued on. “Hm. No matter. I know the way.”
“I’m sorry,” said Yazwa as she followed him. “This is why I tried to break the curse.”
"An inconvenience isn't worth the risks you took. You there!" Ca Rago called to a man in the hallway, who scurried over as quickly as he could. "Find someone to relight the candles, they've all gone out. Then send a message to Atig. I need to see him in my office as soon as he can manage."
“At once,” the man said, turning and jogging down the hallway.
Ca Rago pushed the door open, revealing a cramped room centered around a table with short legs. The room was bright, a pair of rectangular light wells cut into the ceiling let the sun shine down, and the walls were covered with bookcases and tapestries of the Chuxa among green forests. “This is where we will wait,” he said, sitting down on a cushion. “Atig is in charge of our food supplies. He will know the fastest way to get you home.”
“Do I have to?” Yazwa asked, sitting when Ca Rago pointed to a cushion on the other side of the desk. “I would be safe here! And I could... I could see if the Achali here might know how to lift my curse.”
“You must set that aside,” he said with a firm shake of his head. “This selfish journey must end. Your family has been deprived of your presence for far too long.”
Yazwa gripped her hands into fists under the table. “But I can’t do anything. Our forges snuff out like those candles when I get near them. How can I go home with nothing?”
“I am certain your family would prefer you coming home to dying in some foreign land,” said Ca Rago curtly.
A distant bellow drifted in through the light wells and Yazwa looked up through them. “Did you hear that?” she asked.
“Don’t try to avoid the subject,” he said, tapping his finger on the desk. “You act as if you have nothing to offer your family. You can care for your siblings, look after the household, clean, sew, marry well, and bring a good dowry. Be a mother and raise your children. There is so much you can do.”
Yazwa was silent, staring at the desk. “That’s not what I want,” she said in a small voice.
"What you want is glory," said Ca Rago. "Look what you've risked for it. Not only your life but your very soul. You're a false Achali! You've already sought out the forbidden Art of Purification. What if that fails? Will you break the Blood Taboo and go on the hunt for a heretical Achali to help you next?"
“I would never-,” she insisted, cut off by another roar of sound from the light well.
Ca Rago sighed. “Crowds get rowdy, that is all.”
“No,” Yazwa said, grasping her staff and rising to her feet. It wasn’t just the sound of an impatient crowd. She had heard it before at the inn when the summons attacked and at the Magistrates home when people fled the burning building. It was the same sound of panic and fear. “Something’s wrong.”
The door burst open, and a wild-eyed man looked in. "Ca Rago! The Bazad are armed! They're taking hostages! You have to--“ He was cut off by the sharp crack of a pistol, and bolted away down the hall.
An instant later two rough-looking men appeared at the door with pistols in their hands. "You come us!" one shouted, pointing a smoking pistol at the priest.
Yazwa lunged forward, thrusting the tip of her staff into the man's face. His head snapped backward, and he stumbled into the hall. The other man snarled a curse and pointed his pistol at Yazwa, but it didn't go off. She brought her staff down onto his arm, and he screamed as the bone cracked. With a hard shove, he was thrown onto his partner in the hallway. Yazwa slammed the door and grabbed the bookcase, pulling it down the ground to block the doorway. "We have to get out of here."
“That’s the only way out,” Ca Rago said, pointing at the door.
"We can go up!" she said, pointing at the light well as the men outside started to pound on the door. Yazwa flipped the desk on its side and climbed onto it, making a foothold with her hands. "You first, I'll follow you."
Ca Rago put his foot in her hand and she pushed him up until he could climb up on his own. When he was clear Yazwa jumped and hauled herself out, quite grateful for the low ceilings.
“Chuxa preserve us,” Ca Rago whispered, tracing a circle on his forehead. From the roof they had a front-row seat to the chaos. Many of the tents had been pulled down or collapsed, and men were running back and forth, carrying away tapestries or herding captives at gunpoint. “They’ve never attacked the temple before.”
"We have to move before they see us," Yazwa said, making her way over to the edge of the roof. "Why are they after you?"
“Leverage,” he said, following Yazwa. “Or ransom. It depends on if they want to loot the city or conquer it.”
“How often does this happen!?” she asked, peering over the edge of the roof.
"Og ada!" came a shout from behind them. A pistol bullet whistled over their heads as a pack of Bazad spotted them from the northern pyramid.
"Jump!" Yazwa shouted, but Ca Rago hesitated.
The Bazad drew their sabres and leapt onto the roof, shouting battle cries and rushing towards them.
"Jump! I'll slow them down!" Yazwa cried, sprinting to close the distance.
One leaped at her, but she simply stepped aside, letting his momentum carry him over the edge of the roof. Another made a wild swipe at her head that she parried easily before slamming her staff down into his shoulder. He collapsed like a sack of bricks and the rest slowed, staring her down. Yazwa held her staff at the ready and glanced over her shoulder. Ca Rago had laid down and was slowly lowering himself down off the roof. If she could hold them off for long enough, he could get to the ground and escape.
"Cega!" one of the men shouted, shoving his companions to the side. They spread out along the roof, out of Yazwa's range in either direction. The man barked another command and they all moved forward at once.
Yazwa cursed and ran away, leaping over the edge of the roof and landing hard. She staggered to her feet and grabbed Ca Rago, pulling him down from the roof before the Bazad could grab him. “We have to run and find a place to hide!” she said, grabbing his arms and dragging him down the nine steps that ringed the platform.
“I can't,” he gasped, stumbling face down in the dirt as the sound of hooves thundered from their right.
A troop of horses and riders rode towards them, swinging into a semi-circle to pin them against the temple. Pistols and sabers were leveled until Yazwa threw down her staff. "Ca Rago," said a tall man with a scarred face. He smiled and his eyes lit up with the glow of an Achali. "So good to see you again."
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-
Saiyun paced back and forth, wearing a divot in the dirt road of the marketplace. The sounds of gunfire, horns, and screams drifted over the walls. Tsen busied himself sewing up a summoning doll and Cai was playing a game of cards against himself on the ground. "We shouldn't just be standing here, we should be doing something," Saiyun said, looming above Cai.
“How many times is that?” Cai asked, flipping over a card.
“Nine,” said Tsen, not looking up from his sewing.
Cai drew a handful of cards and started shuffling them. “Huh, I was sure we were up to ten at least.”
Saiyun bristled. “Stop ignoring me! This is serious! We have no idea where the rest of the crew is, Aven and Ji are heaven knows where, and Yazwa is alone where all this started!”
“Look,” Cai sighed, picking himself up off the ground and dusting himself off. “I guarantee you the rest of the crew spent their pay in brothels right by the docks. So, they’re all back at the ship by now. If there’s anyone who can sneak through a city being sacked, it’s Aven. He and Ji will be fine. Bill isn’t going to leave without Tsen, so we don’t have to worry about him leaving us behind.”
“What about Yazwa?” asked Saiyun.
Cai glanced to the south, then shrugged. “Can’t win ‘em all.”
“This isn’t some card game!” Saiyun insisted. “It’s her life!”
A cry of alarm sounded from the wall surrounding the market, followed by a deep thud.
“What was that?” asked Saiyun.
Cai reached for his belt and grasped air where his pistol would normally be. “It sounded like something heavy hitting the gate.”
“Hmmm,” Tsen said, pulling another thread through the doll. The thud came again, accompanied this time by the sound of cracking wood. “I believe you are right.”
“We need to find a place to hide,” Cai said, sticking the cards in his pocket and shuffling into an alleyway. “Right now.”
“Right,” Saiyun said, following him. “Tsen, come on!”
“I am almost finished,” Tsen mumbled, inspecting his work.
“Leave him,” Cai said as they turned a corner. “Safest place is going to be up high. We need to get on top of the wall around the market. Nothing to loot up there.” As they searched for stairs or a ladder, a terrible, guttural cry ripped through the air. At the same time, the gate was smashed to pieces.
“What was that?!” Saiyun cried as they reached a ladder up the wall. Cai got there first and raced up it, only to freeze halfway.
Above the wood and canvas stalls, a trio of monsters stood among the shattered remains of the gate. One had the body of a rhino but the head of a bug with giant mandibles. Another looked like a cross between a giant leopard and an armored lizard. The other had a massive, hairy body and long, serpentine neck with the horned head of a dog. The long necked monster reached up to the top of the walls and snapped at the soldiers guarding it. They leaped off in fear, one unlucky soldier was seized in its jaws and shaken to pieces
“S...summons?!” Saiyun gasped.
"Move!" Cai shouted, kicking until Saiyun climbed down the ladder. "So much for the wall, back the way we came!"
Roars echoed through the marketplace, joined by cries of glee from the Bazad as they started to ransack the stalls. Saiyun kept pace with Cai as they bolted through the streets and ran right into Tsen. "They've got summons!" Saiyun shouted as they passed him by.
Tsen turned and ran alongside them. “Summons? This far south?”
Cai threw out his arm and skidded to a halt, taking cover behind an empty stall. The ground shook as the long-necked creature thundered past them. “Looks like it.”
"Ah, no they're not," Tsen said, "These are Otzen, the work of a skilled Achali.”
Saiyun gasped and leaned against one of the stalls poles. “There are Achali that can make summons?”
Cai peered out of the stall. The coast was clear, but the sound of looting and screaming surrounded them. “That’s impossible. You can’t be a Vao and an Achali.”
“While they may resemble summons, Otzen are something different entirely,” Tsen said placidly. “The process involves gathering many types of essence into a liquid medium. Anyone who drinks it will become that combination of essence. I had no idea an Achali of this skill was active in this city.”
“I don’t care what they are,” Cai snapped. “We need to get past them to get out of here.”
Saiyun winced, clutching a pain in his side as sweat poured down his face. “I don’t think…I can run…anymore.”
"You have to if you want to live," Cai said, looking out into the street. Men ran by, arms full of plunder. "Looting’s started. They're focused on what they can grab, not people. If we move quickly, we might be able to run out of here."
“I would like a chance to examine those Otzen closer,” said Tsen, drawing symbols on his arm in ash. “While they may made differently, Otzen and summons can both be neutralized in the same way.”
“Do whatever you want, we’re getting out of here!” Cai said, trying to pull Saiyun to his feet.
“I can’t, I need to sit down,” Saiyun said, staggering to the ground. He leaned against one of the stalls, taking deep breaths and looking back to the wall.
The reptilian leopard looked back, slowly sneaking forward.
Saiyun screamed and rolled away, barely avoiding the claws as it pounced. He scrambled on his hands and knees, but the monster grabbed his ankle and dragged him out into the street. “Help!” he cried, frantically kicking at the monster's face as dust stung his eyes and clogged his nose. The monster released him and Saiyun jumped to his feet, but it lunged and knocked him to the ground face first. Through his watery eyes, he could see Bazad gathered around, shouting encouragement while the reptilian leopard circled him. A chill went down Saiyun's spine when he realized the thing was toying with him. Once more he tried to rise, but his strength failed him and he flopped to the ground. The creature stalked over to him, baring its sharp, gleaming teeth.
Then, with a sharp pop, it was replaced by a man crouched on all fours with his mouth open, Tsen standing behind him with his hand pressed to his back.
Tsen lifted his palm, marked with an ashen symbol of purification. "Are you the one who made this Otzen?” For a few heartbeats, silence reigned as the dust settled, then the man scurried away, and the rest of the looters bolted with him, screaming something in their language, leaving the street empty.
Saiyun lay on the ground, hacking and coughing as he tried to breathe. “How?”
“What are you offering?” Tsen asked.
Saiyun replied with another coughing fit.
Cai ran up and tried to pull Saiyun to his feet. “You should have told me you could do that,” he snapped, throwing Saiyun’s arm over his shoulder.
A scream split the air as the long-necked Otzen spotted them over the stalls. The ground began to rumble as it moved towards them.
“Hmmm,” Tsen said, squinting at the oncoming creature. “This one will prove more difficult. We should find more cover.”
“Now you start agreeing with me,” Cai grumbled, hauling the limp Saiyun into the alley.
Saiyun groaned as his feet dragged along the ground. Every muscle in his body burned and his vision rippled. “Are we out yet?”
"I wish," Cai said, laying him down on the ground in a stall. The long-necked creature's head whipped through the air as it searched for them. It darted down and seized the awning of a nearby stall, ripping it apart and throwing it into the air. Shouted orders echoed through the side streets as the looters spread out.
“What are they saying?” Saiyun wheezed.
“They’re not happy about Tsen’s little trick,” Cai said, picking up a scrap of wood and slamming it into his palm.
Tsen frowned as the creature’s head snapped down again, ripping another stall to pieces as it searched for them. “‘Little trick’ does not do my skills justice.”
The long-necked creature let out a screech as it thundered around a corner and spotted them. Quick as a snake its head darted forward, jaws wide and aiming to take a bite out of Tsen.
Tsen lifted his marked arm to meet the creature. The second he touched it there was another loud pop and it disappeared. A man fell to the ground where the main body was, letting out a bewildered shout.
“Quicker than I anticipated,” Tsen said, glancing at the mangled fingers on his left hand. “I haven’t seen Otzen of such quality in decades.”
Saiyun stared in disbelief as Tsen started snapping his fingers back in place. All around them the Bazad cried out in shock as the creature vanished from sight.
“We have to keep moving, this won’t stop them for long,” Cai said, reaching down to grab Saiyun off the ground. A figure appeared behind him suddenly and he spun, swinging the chunk of wood as hard as he could.
Aven barely ducked under the blow in time. “It’s me!” he shouted, holding up his bloody knife. “Relax, it’s me!”
A wave of relief rushed over Saiyun’s body when he saw Aven. “You made it, where’s Ji?”
As if to answer Ji darted out from behind a stall with an older man tagging behind her. “They are closing in behind us quickly. We must hurry
“Go without me,” Tsen said with a wave of his hand. “I have more research to do here.”
“Tsen, wait,” Aven said, pointing at the stranger. “I can guarantee that you want to hear what this man has to say.”