Under a Starless Sky

Chapter 22

Before light, in the calm of the morning, Shen had stealthily deployed chimes. They started moving

slowly after sunrise. The noise was gentle at first, but it was enough to draw people’s attention. In

darkness, hearing is enhanced. Deploying chimes was the last thing he did. He planted a bamboo torch

near a sleeping tree, and lit the pitch in the top cell with his snake. He then retreated and waited for

morning. When he reemerged from the forest they were oriented on the torch. He came out, notched

an arrow. His arrow wasn’t sharpened, but had a small ball at the end. It was notched, but he didn’t

raise it. Three rows of men. An archer in the second row, holding a cross bow, let an arrow fly. It hit the

sleeper tree. Shen went down. The first row of men ran to get his body. Before they arrived, Shen stood

up, hit the tree with his knife, and the whole row fell, even while running. Not one of the first row

remained awake.

His immunity to the sleeper tree mesmerized them. Not a sound was heard, minus the chimes. He

smiled, lit the ball on the end of arrow. It flamed like a marshmallow. Shen launched it. It landed

between the second and third row of men. The field caught fire. A flash fire that flared and began to

spread, expanding out in all directions. It spread like a fire on kerosene. Indeed, the ground had been

seeded with snake venom. The second row of men’s only escape was to come towards Shen. He took

the knife out of the tree. Waited, stabbed the tree, dropping them near the first row. The fire ended at

their feet. The third row of men had to retreat. She came forwards, notching arrow, and letting it fly. A

thigh shot downed one of the retreating men. It caused the fire to catch him and he screamed. He tried

to get up, and Shen hit him again, ending his pain. His third arrow scored Kole in his thigh, dropping

him. The fire came right to his feet but did not advance, but continued around circling the men ,

blocking them from retreating further.

The nine guards, plus Tien, came out to meet him even as he notched an arrow.

“Will you come to the circle?” Tien asked. “Please.”

Tien surrendered his bow and the quiver. He was protected by the circle, Tien walked with him. The novelbin

gathering at the circle was huge. He imagined there were people from West, East, and Middle Midelay.

He recognized some folks from Lakewood Province. Tell, Neva, and Lanore were there. He entered the

circle and bowed to N’Ma.

“Do you wish to speak first?” N’Ma asked. The tone was reverent.

“I surrender the honor of first voice to you,” Shen said.

“We concede. This must end,” N’Ma said.

“With all due respect, it my understanding you cannot interfere in the affairs of men,” Shen said. “What

does Kole want?”

Kole was brought over. The arrow was still in his leg.

“He is a monster! Kill him,” Kole said.

“I was called monster because of my lack of skin coloring. I was called monster because I did not want

to kill rabbits. I was called monster because I did not want to fight. I was called a monster for not

wanting to be fucked by men. Compelled to fight, I am now a monster because I won the battle?” Shen

asked.

“You fight with sound and fire and weapons…’

“You and me, on the field, no weapons, I will win, but I cannot fight every man at once without a scale

to balance. Fire is a great equalizer,” Shen said.

“Shen, please, end this,” N’Ma said. “We concede…”

“You can’t speak for us,” Kole said.

“His tactics are beyond you,” Gittan said. “You have lost.”

“He’s immune to the sleeper effect,” someone said.

“Not mine,” Lanore said. “Command me, and I will sleep him and this will be resolved.”

“Do it,” Kole said.

“Now you want intervention?” Shen asked.

“How are you immune?” N’Ma asked.

“Gift of the trees,” Shen said.

“Men don’t get gifts…”

“Why bother asking me if you want hear me? I am a Shaman…”

“You can’t declare yourself Shaman,” Lanore said. “It is earned…”

“I have died and been reborn. I have plunged the depth of ‘between’ and tasted its water, and assumed

a prankster. I am immune to the sleeper trees. I have been given gifts of true sight. I handle fire snakes.

The fire today wasn’t magic. I milked fire snakes for their fuel. I have jars full of it.” He removed an egg

from his pocket and tossed it to a rock. More than one person jumped. “Sand, soaked in fire snake

venom, mixed with dung beetle balls. Pitch burns, except after it has been rolled in Irk poop. The trees

are protected from forest fires by dung beetle balls. But it smells nice when you force a burn and makes

a nice puff of smoke.” He gave them another egg. “Unpack it gently. It’s bright. And yes, I can speak to

the trees…”

“Lies!” Kole said. “He’s a monster and needs to be killed.”

“If you count the men left standing, you don’t have enough people to enforce that,” Shen said. “Killing

the burning man was an act of mercy. Tomorrow, every man but you dies.”

“Shen!” N’Ma said. “Shaman Warrior. The war is over. You have won.”

“The war is not over!” Kole said.

“Shen,” N’Ma said, gently. She was actually tearful. “The reason for you fighting is no longer. Endel is

dead.”

Shen clenched his first. Tears fell. “What the hell! You promised me.”

“You’re a fool. A Shaman who doesn’t know people! Endel was sent here to learn to be a man, but you

made him a girl, gave him protection status,” Kole said. “He hung himself because he was too

embarrassed by his weakness and the fact a third gender came to his rescue. You killed him!”

“Or you punished him!” Shen said.

“We didn’t touch him!”

“Did you talk to him or ignore him? Not communicating with a person, man or woman, is a death

sentence. And you call me a monster?” Shen said.

“His death is yours!” Kole said, laughing in a taunting manner.

Shen raged, took hold of the arrow in Kole’s leg, flexed it causing him to scream, fall to his knees, and

then he pulled it out. One hand on Kole’s neck, he brought the arrow up as if he were going to plunge it

into his eyes. Every guard near the circle rose their staff to intervene.

N’Ma stepped forwards.

“He is in my light. He still holds my protection. Everyone in my light is protected, even you. But do this

here, like this, you will die. Please, stay in the light,” N’Ma said.

“You protect him like you protected Endel?”

“I failed Endel,” N’Ma said. “I have failed you, son of my sister’s light.”

“Go ahead, do it,” Kole said. “We will both die here today…”

Shen swallowed. He closed his eyes. He dropped the arrow. He put his hand in his pocket. His hand

closed around the gift. Kole went to sleep, falling prone. Weapons came to bear.

“Hold!” N’Ma said.

N’Ma knelt to examine Kole’s thigh. It was healed. She took the bandage off and found the shoulder

wound was fully healed. She touched his chest, her hand rose with his inhale. She stood.

“How did you heal…”

“I did not,” Shen said. Indeed, he hadn’t healed him. He intended to kill him.

“I don’t understand,” N’Ma said.

“Women are not the only one carrying gifts,” Shen said.

“I want to ask you…”

“No!” Shen said. “I am done. The war is over. I will not fight you or your people further. Allow me to

withdraw to the forest, and you will not see me again.”

“You are not banned from my light,” N’Ma said.

Shen tears came harder. “I have no friends here. Friends protect friends. Family protect family. I have

tried to connect with you, with others. I saw Endel as a friend. I wanted that friendship. I don’t know why

I am here. None of this is right. There’s a better way. I… I… I am just done.”

Shen turned away from N’Ma and exited the circle.

“Shen, friend of the forest,” N’Ma said. “Return when you have recovered from this present darkness.”

Shen returned to the forest. He freed the hanging and told them to return, the war is over.

“Who won?” Shyo asked.

“No one,” Shen said.