Page 35 of Shadow Wings
“Tamah, Makoa, please resume your posts here,” Kamoi ordered. “Akani will escort us in and return tomorrowmorning.”
The two Phaetyn dipped their heads and strode out toward the edges of the forest, facing the deadly wall and the brutal landscape justoutside.
My horse trotted after the others with Dyter plodding behind on hishorse.
“Dyter,” I called back. “What do you know of the Gemond King?” Now that the danger to Tyrrik had passed, and we were heading toward safety, my mind wandered back to what had caused all of this trouble in the firstplace.
“Can’t say I speak to many Gemondians, but those I do make no complaint against him. Their kingdom is a hungry kingdom, as Verald was. Those of their people who joined the rebellion were those wishing to overthrow theemperor.”
There he went again with the talk of overthrowing the emperor. I’d seen hundreds of rebels die in a single jet of Drae flame. How could Dyter even talk about another attempt so soon? I had just transformed, and Tyrrik—being nearly one hundred and ten years of age—possessed much more control and power. How much control and power did the emperor possess? If power increased with age, he would be tough tobeat.
“I saw something before we fell,” I said, running my thumb over Tyrrik’s back. “There was a tribe of elderly Gemondian women fighting over a male, and the others . . .ateone of the women when she tried to take the man for herself.” Bile rose in my throat just thinking about it. “How could that happen? How could a king allow that kind of atrocity? Does he know that happens, and he does nothing? And, if he doesn’t know . . . how could he not know? They are his people,Dyter.”
Dyter took a deep breath, forehead wrinkling. He pursed his lips while he contemplated and then said, “We do not know much of Gemond, Ryn. We do not know thecircumstances.”
I blinked several times as his words sunk in. I set my jaw, and with a shake of my head, I said, “I know what Isaw.”
I thought of the people of Verald, and I couldn’t conceive of any reason they would debase themselves to cannibalism. But the women in the Gemondian camp didn’t seem to share my view. I couldn’t make sense of theirmadness.
The smaller trees disappeared as the canopy grew thicker from the foliage of the larger trees. Our horses wound between the enormous trunks in single file. I assumed the Phaetyn knew where we were going because the spots of sunlight beaming through the canopy disappeared, and only filtered light trickled through. It was impossible to use the sun’s position as a guide, and that would only help if I knew which direction we were supposed to begoing.
I checked Tyrrik and shifted my legs as much as his weight allowed. The restlessness of my mind made no sense. “Tell me of Gemond, Dyter.Please.”
I couldn’t shake my repulsion over what I’d seen, and to me, the Gemond King and the emperor were pretty much on equal footing in terms of horrors induced on the helpless. Dyter couldn’t ask one villain to join his team againstanother.
“You know their kingdom is nestled deep in the Gemond Mountains at the northern tip of therealm?”
I nodded as his voice carried forward tome.
“They’re miners. They excavate everything from minerals, various rock, and precious gems. But, like we in Verald, the hunting of the Phaetyn resulted in the slow death of their kingdom. Their land is stripped just like Verald. Their population has also suffered loss—there are more women thanmen.”
I nodded. I understood all of that. We might grow some plants on our own, but the way Dyter spoke of Gemond, it didn’t seem that much different thanVerald.
“Their society does have some distinctdifferences.”
“You mean besides eating each other?” Imuttered.
Dyter continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “Gemond is a polygamous society. Rather than have large numbers of single and widowed women, they adopted polygamy. It’s been that way for years . . . as long as I canremember.”
That was nothing like Verald. The idea of sharing—I sucked in a deep breath and realized I was gripping Tyrrik’s aketon. I forced myself to relax my hold as I thought of the rationale of that type of society. Was that worse than what I’d seen growing up? With the ratios of men to women, maybenot.
“But you’re referencing their eating habits, Iassume.”
Eating habits?“That’s putting cannibalismmildly.”
“As I understand it,” he said, ignoring my quip, “In a bid to keep his people fed and his kingdom viable, King Zuli decreed women over the age of fifty and men over the age of seventy would have to leave the kingdom proper. Only those who can reproduce are kept fed by the kingdom; the rest are escorted into the depths of the Gemond Mountains to live out their remaining days as best theycan.”
My mouth dropped open. “That’shorrible.He throws out the old people? How could he do such a thing? How can their families bearit?”
“I don’t know, Rynnie,” Dyter said softly. “King Zuli was the first king to institute the practice, and he left when he turned seventy, just like the others. His son, Zakai, is the kingnow.”
Obviously the king of Gemond was a monster, and his son was equally insane. Just as ours had been, a power-hungry tyrant who cared for noone.
As I sat simmering in anger, Kamoi called back to us, “Another two hours, and we shall reach the heart of Zivost and ourpeople.”
Our people. The two words pulled me from my darkening thoughts. I was going to meet my people and learn Phaetyn ways. Maybe Kamoi could teach me how to make things grow without my spit or blood. That would be handy when I went back to Verald . . . or maybe while I was here by Gemond. “Will you teach me how to do the plant stuff?” I called ahead. “Like how can I make things grow, and how do we replenish the land? Oh, and can you explain the healing mojo, how thatworks?”
The two Phaetyn winced though the prince turned to me. With his features settled into a weary expression, he replied, “Yes, Ryn. Power like yours could do much good if properly honed. We will teach you all wecan.”