Page 12

Chapter 11

Sun

R iding into an active battle zone on the back of nocs was perhaps my first mistake. The second was not acknowledging the fact that after months in prison before beginning our journey, borders and locations had changed.

I was out of the inner military circle now. Where once I lived and breathed battle strategies on a large scale, now I had one focus, and it was on me and my plans with four noc companions.

That was why, as we continued toward where I thought the general and his battalion would be located, I was caught completely off guard as we were suddenly surrounded.

First, an arrow flew past my ear in a rush of wind. Still on Hadi’s back, I was unsure if the arrow was meant for me or him. Then, before I could do more than turn my head in the direction it had come from, Bracken shouted, “Down!”

He leaped into the air above us all, spreading his wings to shield us from the sudden rainfall of arrows.

The moment they landed, hitting the ground like thick balls of hail around us, there was a simultaneous war cry from the trees as more humans than should have been able to sneak up on us emerged.

Despite myself, I was proud.

These were General Hideyoshi’s warriors. That much was clear for they had not only managed to sneak up on me, but on each of my four nocs too.

A spear nearly wedged itself into my waist and I left being impressed for a later time as I only escaped being skewered by inhaling at just the right time.

I leaped to my feet atop Hadi, for a moment forgetting the fact that he would probably hate me jumping around on top of him as though he was furniture.

If he did mind, he did not say anything. All of his arms were held back to protect me as he dodged attacks.

Bracken was already fighting, but in the gentlest way the batbeast could, only sweeping the soldiers back with his massive wings every time a group descended upon him.

Clem was up in the air, diving anxiously out of the way of arrows and spears and Kiar was wrapped around a group of five, pinning their arms down so they could not hurt us. There were more though, and they were angry. I knew the fury in their eyes because I had always had the same feeling rushing through my blood all these years. Nocs meant savagery, despair, the end of humanity. If only I had known the truth sooner.

“It's me!” I shouted, nearly wanting to laugh at the severity of the situation. Being attacked–rightfully so–by the very people I longed to liberate was nearly too much. They should attack us. They should kill us in fact. Me, a human soldier with nocs was treason. I only hoped that my name held some weight here.

“I am Batu Sun! I come with news for General Hideyoshi!”

If anyone heard, they did not respond.

Bracken was getting fed up, now throwing the soldiers with too much force, hurting them.

On the other side, Kiar let out a shout as one of those he subdued freed his hand and sliced through his smooth tail.

I saw the blood and red flashed through me.

Without knowing I was moving, I was leaping from Hadi's protective back and in front of Kiar’s captives, fury coursing through me.

“Listen you fools! I am your superior! Surrender now unless you want to get hurt!”

“We will not listen to traitors!” one of them shouted and my heart sank.

But I had their attention–the ones in Kiar's hold anyway, so I pulled the god stones from my pocket and held them both up into the air.

“I was gifted the stones from the gods themselves!” I shouted. “If that is not enough to at least have your ears before you try to kill us, then keep fighting.”

A stillness fell over the group.

Stunned that had worked, I turned in a slow circle, looking at all the faces. There were about thirty of them. The battalion’s western security. Each of these men and women had been through hell, but they were listening. Good.

Taking a deep breath, I spoke in a loud, clear voice.

“The things that I have learned directly from the mouth of the gods will change the course of not only this war, but our very history.”

My words rang out and the silence was impenetrable. The weight of what I was saying was nearly too much to bear. It still hurt that we had all been betrayed for so long by our own emperor. I couldn't even bring myself to say it now. It was doubtful that they would even believe me. But as we had decided, if the news came from their very own general, perhaps they could be swayed.

“I promise that you will know everything that I know very soon, but I must speak with General Hideyoshi first. It is important.”

I exchanged a look with Kiar, who was still holding his captured soldiers tightly. He pursed his lips but released them without me having to say anything.

The group of them looked shocked and uncomfortable, exchanging looks and glancing at my nocs as though expecting them to attack.

I glanced back at Bracken, and he caught my gaze, grimacing but folding his wings back and taking a step back from his guarded position.

Hadi smirked, crossing both sets of arms and watching me with something like pride in his eyes.

I searched the gazes of all the humans next, trying to find someone with understanding or at least interest in their eyes. They were all so guarded, but one, I realized, stood slightly ahead of the others, his dark eyes fixed on my face. I assumed he was in charge of this platoon, so I stepped toward him.

“Will you take me to the general?” I asked.

He didn't answer for a long time, then glanced uneasily at Hadi.

“The nocs stay here,” he said sternly but I shook my head.

“They are part of this, I will not leave them behind. Besides, they follow my orders, isn't that right?”

The look on Hadi's face nearly made me laugh out loud. I had to bite my lip to stop myself. Luckily Clem, as always, was my ultimate supporter and immediately backed my brazen statement.

“Oh yes!” he said enthusiastically, still fluttering above the scene. “Sun is our light! We will follow him everywhere!”

That seemed to shock the humans enough that now no one knew what to make of me. The human soldiers all looked at the nocs one by one, and then at me. Finally , I saw more than disdain on their faces. Some of them looked confused, some impressed, some even looked hopeful.

Taking charge, their leader finally nodded.

“You stay in position,” he told the ones Bracken had been fighting. “The rest flank us.”

Then turning to me, he nodded.

“Follow me,” he told me.

He waved two others over and together they began to walk. My nocs fell into line behind me and the other humans around them.

For some time, we walked in silence until the patrol leader glanced back at me without missing a step.

“You know, we heard rumors that you had defected and joined the nocs.”

The very idea made me feel sick and perhaps he could see that on my face because he snorted.

“I should have known there was more to it than that. General Hideyoshi told us not to trust rumours, and I should have guessed that our most revered warrior wouldn't sway so easily.”

He glanced back at my nocs with great interest.

“Tell me, how did you come to get these nocs under your control? It could be beneficial in battle to make them fight their own kind.”

Kiar hissed softly behind me, and I shot him and the others a warning look.

“That is a story for the general's ears first.”

General Hideyoshi, my long-respected mentor and friend… I couldn’t believe I was about to reunite with him. My stomach knotted as we neared the camp. What would he think when he heard the news? Would he even listen, or would he order the entire army to descend upon me?

The answer became clear as we neared. The sight of us, humans and nocs–including the former spider king–walking straight into the human camp must have been too miraculous to be real.

Instead of a battle, a crowd formed, soldiers emerging from their tents and gathering to watch in awe. Perhaps me and my harem appeared to the others to already be prisoners.

I searched the faces as we were led through, recognising some, but not seeing the one I wanted most. Finally, I saw his tent before us, adorned in the green of the Naran flag.

My heart was beating hard as we drew near.

This could be a trap. It could be the end of our mission and the disastrous completion of our quest if he didn't believe me. Why had I listened to Atlan and come here?! I almost wanted to turn around and tell Bracken to carry us far, far away. Somewhere where the entire future of our land did not fall on our shoulders. But that wasn't me. I had been weakened by finding out the truth. Without my hatred of the nocs to fuel me, I was different. Now my strength had to come from the knowledge that no matter how this ended, I was doing the right thing.

The tent door flew open. General Hideyoshi stood there, right before me, older than I remembered. His hair was almost entirely white, and he looked so very tired, with bags under his eyes I could see even from a distance. He looked out in shock, his sharp eyes skimming the scene, not lingering on the nocs, instead settling on me.

Something crossed his face, and I was reminded of a father seeing his son for the first time in too long and my chest ached.

As long as I had been in this life, General Hideyoshi had always known me. He had taken me under his wing and given me respect simultaneously. I owed him so much and seeing him now, knowing with one look that he would at least listen to what I had to say warmed my heart.

Covering his expression, he lifted his chin and walked forward to meet us, this time focusing on the patrol leader.

“What is this?” he asked as we reached each other.

“Batu Sun has returned General, and he comes with the god stones and the power to control the nocs–”

“Sh!” the general chastised, glancing around. Others had clearly heard though and a murmur ran through the people now watching in awe.

General Hideyoshi met my gaze.

“Come, we must discuss what has happened in private.”

Relieved, I nodded, following him as he led me toward his tent. Only at the door did he stop and glance back, looking surprised to see that Clem, Hadi, Kiar and Bracken were also following.

“I said we needed privacy,” he said, giving them a suspicious look.

I grimaced.

“They really must remain near me,” I explained.

He paused, then glanced at his patrol leader.

“Be sure they don't go anywhere,” he ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

“You four may remain outside my door.”

There was a note of warning in his tone, and I knew that Hadi and Bracken were probably already grinding their teeth, but they were on their best behaviour because they only nodded.

Satisfied, the general entered his tent. I paused long enough to look back, somewhat anxious that they would be dragged away the moment I was out of sight. You must trust General Hideyoshi , I told myself.

“I will explain everything to him and hopefully gain his support,” I said quietly. “If not, then be ready.”

With that, I entered the general's tent, ready to make my case.

He stood, leaning back against his table, covered with maps and markers. For a moment, it was like I had never left.

His eyes were trained on me like a hawk.

“Tell me Sun,” he said, “have you betrayed us?”

I shut my eyes and shook my head, searching for words that could convey the truth of what I truly felt.

“All I have ever wanted–all I still want–is justice for our land. For this war to end. For peace... and I will not stop fighting until I have met my goal. Even if every man in the emperor's army is now against me, I will keep fighting.”

General Hideyoshi suddenly sagged.

He shut his eyes and held onto the edge of the table, and I realized that he was overcome with relief.

I too was overcome.

I swallowed and approached him, and he reached out, clasping my shoulders tightly, searching my face.

“My boy,” he said kindly. “You have no idea how happy I am to see that they did not break you. That you are still the remarkable young man I always knew.”

He shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and visibly collected himself before releasing me, ready now for business.

“Now,” he said, “tell me the rest. How did you come to be controlling the nocs who followed you here?”

“You are not going to like anything I have to say,” I admitted. “But please, be open minded as I explain.”

He graced me with a nod, and I began, flying over the details in the prison, the tortures, the shadows in my cell. I told him of Clem's magic, how he attached them all to my soul. I told him that we were bound as one and it was all to save the noc king who now stood outside his tent.

General Hideyoshi went pale as I explained. When I got to the part about making a deal to visit Tsuki, I finally faltered.

“What is it, Sun?” he pressed. “You have not held back yet, what is making you hesitate now?”

I shut my eyes.

“What I discovered has been hard to accept,” I admitted, “for there was a betrayal in all of this, one much bigger than any of us could have imagined.”

“What, Sun?”

Swallowing, I forced myself to go on.

“Tsuki did appear to us,” I admitted, “and she was angry.”

General Hideyoshi wasn't breathing now, hanging on my every word.

“Her powers have been diminishing, as she is now so rarely worshipped. She used what was left of her strength to explain that she did not call upon the nocs and bring them to our land. A human did twenty-five years ago, and she has suffered ever since. Me, Hadi, Kiar, Bracken and Clem... she tasked us with restoring balance to the land.”

“Sun,” General Hideyoshi said, frowning. “Don't leave out the most important detail. Who could have done such a thing to us, and why ?”

“Only someone in possession of both of the stones would have had that power,” I hinted. “And back then, the only person who had it was–”

“Emperor Gaulu,” he realized.

All remaining color left his face as I nodded.

“Apparently there was political unrest at the time. He wished to keep his throne. A war–”

“What a perfect distraction,” he whispered. “What a perfect way to force unity. Us against them.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “And we are all his victims. Humans and nocs alike.”

“If you are saying to suddenly befriend the nocs–”

“No. Not that. They have been fighting us for years. But, they were put into this position too. I don't know the solution yet but–”

“But it is up to you to find it.”

I nodded, watching General Hideyoshi closely.

“So does this mean that I have your support?”

He shut his eyes.

“Let me think, Sun... I need time to decide what comes next.”

I did not want to push him. I wasn't sure exactly what he could do. Could he sway his entire army? Could he spread word to the rest of the human army and to the rest of the people of Naran? Coming from the revered general, combined with the striking vision I had now become–the noc killer, now with four noc “pets” and a mission from the gods themselves… perhaps, it would make a difference.

Maybe, just maybe, we could make this work. That was, if the general deemed it a worthwhile cause and not an unnecessary reason to create even more unrest.

But if it took a civil war to get our corrupt king off the throne and to make real changes, then wouldn’t that be worth it?

When I stepped into the outside air not long later, there were people guarding the tent. Others sat nearby, waiting to hear more.

To my relief, most of the soldiers were spread out again, carrying on the daily grind of being at war, but I knew that all were on edge, waiting to hear their general's words for how to proceed. After all a group of nocs were sitting amongst them and I knew from experience, it took time for that to feel in any way normal.

My nocs were sitting together on the hill overlooking the soldiers. They were surrounded by guards even though I doubted anyone could stop them very easily should they decide to attack.

All four of them had their eyes fixed on me from the moment I emerged into the daylight. Seeing their forms waiting for me soothed me.

Taking a breath, I went past the guards to be with them rather than with the humans.

Clem rose as I approached and took my hand, simply to hold it. His wide eyes bore into mine.

“What did he say?” he asked quietly.

I shook my head, glancing between all of them.

“We will have to wait and see. He wanted time to think about it.”

It wasn't the best of news, but we knew that none of this would be easy.

Clem pulled me to sit in between them all and I didn't bother to resist. The soldiers looked but no one said anything to us. Whatever they thought, for the first time, it didn't matter to me. I wanted their support, but I was too tired to want their approval as well. These four nocs, I accepted them unapologetically for now.

Perhaps later, after all was said and done, if Hadi betrayed me the way I had always thought he would, then I would change my mind about them all. The thought alone was suddenly gut-wrenching in a way it hadn't been before. I hadn't cared much about his opinion of me but at some point, that had changed. At some point, seeing his massive form in the dark, pincers and all, had ceased to be intimidating and instead had become comforting.

Huh . It never failed to amaze me how much change I was capable of in such a short time. Life had turned completely upside down, but I had transformed most of all.

Here, sitting amidst the same battalion I had often been a part of, it was especially obvious. I was not the same Batu Sun who had been captured months ago. I was less rigid. My eyes were more open.

“What are you thinking?” Clem asked curiously.

I noticed the other three also watching me and realized they were all worried in their own ways. Yet they were keeping it to themselves. It was so unlike them to hold back in any way that I smiled at their good behavior.

“I'm thinking of myself,” I finally answered. “I'm sitting right where I used to be, eager to do nothing but kill your kind. Now, here I am again, not only with you as my friends and allies, but willing to risk all our lives by turning against my own emperor.”

I shook my head and a strong, sinewy limb pressed comfortingly against my back. I didn't have to look to know that it was Kiar's tail. On either side, my largest nocs, Bracken and Hadi both swelled up as though to offer me their own type of comfort in safety.

It helped. Having such an entourage was not something to bat your eye at. With them, I was protected.

Suddenly, my attention was drawn to the general's tent just as he emerged. He did so silently but commanded such presence that I wasn't surprised that everyone in the vicinity turned to watch and see what he would do.

He didn't look towards me, and my chest tightened with nerves. My entire body was strung tight as a drawn bow as I watched General Hideyoshi move to the front of the hill his tent was erected upon.

Below, the soldiers began to gather even before the horn was sounded for attention.

Despite the number of people there, the air was thick with the silence. The sound of my own tense breathing was nearly all I could hear.

“It has come to my attention that all is not what it seems.”

General Hideyoshi’s voice rang out over the crowd, loud and clear as a bell. I had no doubt that it was heard on all corners and that each person hung on every syllable he said just the way that I did.

“From the mouth of someone I trust with my life, I have learned of a great betrayal that shakes the ground I walk upon.”

He paused there, to think of how to word what he was going to say next, I thought. My hands shook, the string ready to snap with relief because it seemed like maybe this was going to work in our favor...

“Our emperor has betrayed us all by bringing the nocs into our world, bastardizing the goddess’s own powers and beginning an unending war.”

A murmur ran through the crowd. Disbelief and shock radiating throughout them all. General Hideyoshi did not speak until silence fell again.

“In all my years knowing him, Batu Sun has been unwaveringly just and loyal to the cause. He has fought to find the truth and has proven that the nocs are not always what we have believed them to be.” He waved towards us, clearly indicating that I sat surrounded by four who were not trying to actively kill or torture me. “He is no liar. I believe him. I will be working with him to stop Emperor Gaulu.”

This time, a cry of disgust and betrayal rang through the air, but I didn't care. The general believed me . He supported me. He was on our side!

“You have a choice!” He shouted over the commotion. “You can leave here now, turn your back on this battalion, find a new one to join, and carry on with what you have been doing for years to no avail. Or! You can stay, join me and Batu Sun, in finally ending this war.”

Again, a pregnant pause.

No one moved.

“He has come with proof from the goddess’s mouth herself. He was chosen and I will not betray the Goddess Tsuki again. She and the sun god Taiyo himself have given Batu Sun this mission. If you trust me as you have all these years. Then you will stay and hear my plan.”

General looked out over the crowd, seeming to pierce each soldier with those sharp eyes.

“Choose now.”

With that, he glanced at the man with the gong and nodded.

He hit it again. The loud note reverberated over the field. For a minute, no one moved and then, one by one, people started to leave.

I couldn't breathe as the ones against us began to file off the field, probably ready to run to the other battalions to tell them what had transpired here today. But then... the stream of people stopped and I realized in awe that nearly every one of them had stayed.

It couldn't be... and yet, only a handful of people had left.

Gratitude and amazement nearly choked me.

Finally, General Hideyoshi glanced back at me, and the smallest hint of a smile touched his lips.

“Come,” he told me. “Tell them what you did for your meeting with the goddess and what she told you.”

Trembling, I stood and walked to him.

I was handed a bull horn to speak into which I was glad for. My voice was not as strong as General Hideyoshi’s was to begin with and especially not now when I could scarcely contain my emotions.

Somehow, when I began to speak, my voice was surprisingly steady though. I didn't give much details, less than I had told the general, but I told them what mattered. That me, Clem, Hadi, Kiar and Bracken were given this shared task.

And then the General began to speak on what was to come next. He was the one who knew war inside and out. There was no need for my council. I agreed with him entirely.

He wanted to send word to the other battalions, to gain more followers and to spread word amongst the people before storming Kari, the capital. We would meet the opposition of those who remained loyal to the emperor, but we would be ready because we had the truth on our sides.

The general turned to me and whispered under his breath, “You five are the key. Go ahead of everyone. Remain hidden as best you can. Keep safe. I will send soldiers to protect you from behind. And an army of your supporters will meet you at the doors of Kari.”

I stood there listening, trembling with excitement and disbelief as he elaborated on all the plans he had so quickly constructed.

For the first time, none of this seemed like a lost cause.

Perhaps it wasn't as impossible as I'd thought it would be.