Gods of Samrasa

Months later, the invasion of Kulat had begun.

The justification had been an assassination, along with several other convenient attacks. These attacks could have been better executed and easily defeated. No prisoners were taken to tell any story other than what Samrasa wanted them to say.

Declaring war went very well indeed as well. People seemed enthusiastic about adding Kulat to the empire. It would be a great triumph for them. Nendas kept getting the urge to intervene and stop it.

But every time, he asked Jaha exactly what she wanted him to do. Samrasa wanted a war and was powerful enough to pursue it. At best, Nendas could convince him to delay it, and that could destroy him. He did try sending letters to Uncle but got no response at all. Nendas hoped this was because Uncle had some plan that required a lack of communication.

In all likelihood, it was probably that he was not reading them.

In fact, when the Hasafa Clan's troops arrived, there was bad news. It seemed things had all stopped running nearly as well since Father left. Uncle usually delegated things to him, and now that he had to do them himself, he was... inferior. Father had put things in place well enough so they could run themselves. But they would eventually need a leader.

Sarafi had tried to fill the place, but she was young, inexperienced, and needed more real legitimacy. She could sit in on meetings to represent the leadership when Munsuf was sleeping or drunk. But she could not speak with authority. He could only give approval to decisions made by her advisors.

Fortunately, Vandias had put in place competent advisors. So disaster was averted for now. Nendas had hoped, even expected, to be called in to fill in. Uncle would need someone there to avoid the place falling apart. However, Uncle made no attempt at communication.

Soon Nendas began to suspect he was being avoided and ostracized. Letters exchanged with other family members, however, told a worse story. Uncle held lavish festivals and parties often, the sort of thing Father had always reigned in. Word also came that he had forbidden many members of the Hasafa Clan from entering the war.

Instead, he gave them positions of influence handed by Samrasa. This gave a bad reputation if you spoke to most. Nendas often found himself having to mount a defense for a clan he was technically no longer a part of. All he was able to say, in the end, was that Jaha had chosen to use different agents than the Hasafa to prove her power.

Privately, Nendas began to suspect what should have been obvious from the start. Uncle was simply a hedonistic coward. He did not want to go to war, nor did he have the resolve to take up any manful deed. His only goal was to lead a life of luxury where everyone fawned at his feet. But he knew that if other members of his clan gained great power, he could lose that.

Head of the Clan, he might be, but accidents could happen.

So Uncle was not merely content to cower in a palace but also insisted that all of his relatives do the same. Lest one gains enough power to remove him. And only the terror of being disposed of himself could get him to loosen his grip.

Samrasa must have known that as well. He'd counted on it.

It was a trap, of course. Samrasa would arouse the jealousy of other houses toward the Hasafa. All while denying them glory in battle. Then when the war was done, he would dispose of them as he had the worshippers of Elranor. Nendas even risked writing a letter to Uncle saying this, in vague terms, and then to Sarafi.

That had scared him enough to take action, and Hasafa Clans were allowed to join the battle. Though some still took positions of influence, many more went into support roles. Uncle did not allow them to join the main battlefront. But they were dispatched to garrisons and sent to guard the border. Oftentimes bandits came out of the woods when the King was away, after all.

All things considered, war was almost a relief. Justice, after all, was the other quality of Jaha.

Nendas was eager to prove the valor of the Hasafa to whom he did not belong. And it got on well at first. Samrasa met the enemy in battle on the border. Ralign proved himself here.

They led the charge himself. Nendas and Rokas were with him on either side.

They shattered the enemy lines and drove them in. Many were killed, while others fled. Yet, the victory was not complete.

The Kulatian horsemen, under the command of the Prince Suruf of Kulat, were able to cover the retreat. The armies of Tarasif sought to pursue. But that was thwarted when the Kulatian horsemen, in turn, went to harass their supply lines. By the time the way was secure, the enemy had escaped and drew up fresh forces.

Taha had not directly participated in the fighting. Nendas had her act as a messenger and watchman. And also a companion now and then. Often they would discuss philosophy and the nature of reality in the waning hours of the night. Sometimes they had an audience interested to hear the discussions.

But the campaign, after this, slowed to a crawl. Several skirmishes ensued between Samrasa and Prince Suruf. Each one saw the infantry of Tarasif break their Kulatian counterparts. However, the horsemen would often see their flanks. Kulatian archers are better than their Tarasifian counterparts. Of course, Tarasif had numbers and plenty more where that came from.

However, the swift victory Samrasa had hoped for never materialized. The open fields of Kulat were an ideal place for horsemen to ride. And as Samrasa gained ground, Kulat began to outflank his armies and strike at his long supply chain. A spell of miserable weather then ensued. It consisted of vast downpours, which shouldn't have happened this time of year.

Samrasa became irritable. Ralign was sent out on several very dangerous assignments and came back victorious. He fought atop a hill surrounded by enemy forces five times his number and won at one time. Nendas, Rokas, and Taha had been in that battle and done very well within it, but Ralign had proven a deadly warrior. Nendas had seen a chance to get him in the back but disregarded the move as suicide.

Fortunately, Samrasa seemed too pleased by the victory to be upset. Nendas suspected

Samrasa did not want to take responsibility for the murder himself. It would be less weight on his mind if Ralign conveniently died without his orders.

Nendas feigned obliviousness and cited that he was waiting for orders. That got him off the hook.

Jaha felt sympathy for Ralign. Nendas did not.*

One day, Nendas was walking through the camp when, by chance, he saw Lord Munsuf from afar. He had refused to go to the battlefront at all, assigning his clan to support roles and not taking any part. However, outrage at his absence had been steadily growing. So it appeared that he felt obligated to finally join the war.

The armor did not suit him, and not in the way it didn't suit the green recruit guarding him. The one was inexperienced but resolved to do his best. The other, Uncle, had plenty of experience in all the wrong pursuits. He had come to his rightful place as an unwanted chore, and he looked irritable.

He was also fatter, having put on more weight since Nendas had seen him.

Then Uncle saw him, and the second he did, his face went cold and furious. Then he checked himself and pretended not to have seen him. Then he moved into King Samrasa's tent.

A chance encounter.

But telling.

Nendas smiled. And he realized that news of his deeds had forced this unpleasantness on Lord Munsuf. No doubt the Hasafa would join the battle properly. Munsuf could not restrain them and go himself any more than he could cower and let them go.

Even so, Nendas decided to get out of the main army. Samrasa might look for a target to take out his anger on. And Uncle hated and feared Nendas if his reaction was any indication. The two were very close if the talk was anything. Though what Samrasa saw in Uncle was beyond him.

And that was why he went to Ralign.

"You want to guard the supply lines?" asked Ralign, polishing his axe. "There's no glory in that."

"Someone has to do it," said Nendas, who had learned to keep his hatred for the man in check. "And I don't seem to serve much purpose here. Moreover, I'm beginning to think I am attracting poor attention from my Uncle."

"Well, we are in need of someone good for that job," muttered Ralign. "Almost none of the nobles want it. I'd handle it myself, but the King has a lot of assignments he can't give to anyone but me.

"I could arrange for the position, but you'll find it even more miserable than here. Guarding merchants will win you no glory, and if things go badly enough, everyone will blame you for it."

"The way things are going now, I'm concerned that may happen anyway," admitted Nendas. "My Uncle seems to have become disenchanted with me. And he has King Samrasa's ear."

"Fair enough," said Ralign with a knowing laugh. "I wouldn't worry; he'll fall from grace soon enough. King Samrasa is practical in setting up his alliances. He needs him for something now; once he doesn't need him, he'll focus on something else."

Why did Ralign think he was exempt from that same use and disposal process? Because he had been with Samrasa a long time? So had the Hasafa. Was it friendship? No, Ralign wasn't equal to Samrasa by any means. He was simply loyal, completely and utterly to Samrasa.

And Samrasa was betraying that loyalty.

Samrasa would use Nendas to destroy Ralign and then destroy the Hasafa Clan in turn. Likely, he already had his real replacement lined up somewhere else. But would the person Samrasa replaced Ralign with really be as loyal or as powerful? Nendas found it very unlikely.

They'd be young, and Samrasa was not the same man he'd once been. This kind of behavior would have been unthinkable for him once. A man who behaved in this fashion would have never taken power. Samrasa would not be able to find someone as loyal and effective as Ralign.

And for what? So Samrasa could justify destroying the Hasafa Clan? They had been loyal and sympathetic to his ideology. At least before he corrupted Munsuf?

How would that benefit Samrasa?

It would leave him without his best subordinate, with the surviving Hasafa out for blood. Not to mention the other nobles' families were paranoid. And Samrasa was getting on in years; he'd need a right hand to help him.

Who could that subordinate be? A creature like Munsuf? He was completely worthless for anything but weakening a rival? A social climber like Taha? She'd sell Samrasa up the river and take power when they saw the way the wind was blowing. Someone with genuine loyalty to Tarasif? They could be swayed against him. A member of a noble family? They'd put their own people in place and sideline him.

What someone like Rokas? Who had no other options but advancement through a benefactor but was moral and loyal.

An outsider with a sense of honor who would do a day's work for a day's pay? A mercenary with a sense of professional pride. Perhaps that could work, but mercenaries were unreliable. The person Samrasa needed in the aftermath of killing Ralign was Ralign himself. An accomplished enforcer with absolute loyalty to Samrasa.

So why kill Ralign in the first place? Why kill Father?

There was no need for any of this.

No wonder Jaha had taken no direct action against Samrasa so far. She didn't need to. He was ripping his empire into shreds. Every action Samrasa had taken had alienated allies. They had weakened his power and made him less secure.

Father had been completely loyal to Munsuf. Ralign could have been reigned in with a few harsh words.

His own evil deeds would consume him soon enough.

The only question left was why?

Then it dawned on Nendas. The problem was Munsuf.

Samrasa was not a fool, and he had many great victories. He might have feared the Hasafa Clan but would not have risked civil war in open confrontation. Munsuf, however, had provided him with an opportunity. The man's refusal to adhere to his responsibilities had given Samrasa his chance.

It was the opportunity to remove a dangerous rival.

Samrasa had come to power in some of the most vicious courts intrigues in Tarasif's history. Playing the game had been second nature to him. Just as Ralign did not feel at home in peace, perhaps Samrasa was not at home with security. He was likely looking for some plot at all times, and he was right to do so.

Just as Samrasa had corrupted Munsuf, so too had Munsuf corrupted Samrasa. Samrasa had not regarded Munsuf as a threat. But he had not considered the threat posed by using Munsuf as a tool.

Nendas considered what the plan here had been.

Uncle had wanted Nendas to become the Avatar of Jaha in Sarafi's place. If that had happened, Nendas would have been tied down as an advisor to Munsuf. It would have damaged the mystique of Jaha, and Samrasa would have had his puppet.

But Munsuf had bungled the whole thing, hadn't he? Nendas had argued against marrying Sarafi on principle. If Munsuf had just put his foot and told Nendas to know his place, the plan would have gone perfectly. But Munsuf only accepted this plan because he hated doing work and those who did it for him.

So he'd only gotten Nendas made Avatar of Jaha without the traditional marriage. Suddenly, Nendas was the Avatar of a God and a warrior with no official connection to the Hasafa. And Samrasa had just set his Father up to be murdered. So Samrasa compensated for Munsuf's failures. He took Nendas into his entourage. He had led them here with everyone plotting against each other.

Nendas found himself in awe. Munsuf had destroyed decades of careful planning with only a bit of malice apathy. Yes, Samrasa had bad intentions, but he might never have acted on them if the Hasafa Clan had stood ready to stop him. Tarasif might be burned to the ground because of the wretched creature.

But it did not really matter in the end. Nendas had to do what he could to keep the situation in control, and the first step to that was winning this war.

And that was how Nendas, Taha, and Rokas had gotten here to this well-paved road. A relic of the Old Sarafian Empire, it remained in perfect order even now.

The caravan moved slowly but surely along the path. Nendas walked alongside it while Taha sat cross-legged on top. Her knives were laid out before her on the wagon as she stood as a lookout. They'd driven off several attempts to waylay several such caravans.

Invariably, Taha would hear them coming on the winds. Rokas knew all the best places to defend, so they fought and won a series of skirmishes.

"Two months," said Nendas suddenly.

"Hmm?" asked Taha, looking up.

"We've been at this task for two months now. We have been guarding caravans while King Samrasa fights his battle," said Nendas. "He's taken three cities and conquered dozens of villages. The banner of the King has been cheered by some and is a source of terror for many.

"It seems like it only happened a few days ago. The funeral, I mean." Nendas still remembered the sight of his father being consumed in flames. Samrasa had made a martyr of him against the Gods. Speeches were made in the streets, condemning the insurgents for misusing their faith.

At the same time, Nendas, Taha, and Rokas were raised as heroes. Positive examples of what people ought to be. And Nendas simply remained silent and let people think whatever they wanted. To do otherwise would endanger himself.

Which was the real trick.

Samrasa almost never directly condemned a religion. Rather, he would have his minions make scathing commentary. They would condemn every crime committed by the religious. Each and everyone would be exaggerated. Then, in order to prevent people from accusing him of persecution, he made role models.

Nendas, Taha, and Rokas were paragons of a sort.

Nendas was a 'good' religious person who did not allow his faith to interfere with his actions. Rokas was the 'good' Kulatian who had come over to Tarasif's side. They were paragons of what Samrasa regarded as the ideal religious citizen. Someone who claimed to be religious. But they would never let their religion influence their actions.

But such religion was nothing but a worthless facade. Faith that did not influence your actions was but a lie—the sort the Urishia had always used.

What did that make Taha? The 'good' non-religious citizen? Surely not. If every person in the world were like Taha, society would collapse. Parents would abandon their children, and the old would be treated with contempt.

No, Taha was the representative of an ideal.

She was Samrasa's ideology, after a fashion.

"Well, the dead don't exactly keep in touch," said Taha after a moment.

Paragons or now, however, Taha, Nendas, and Rokas had been sent to the caravans. The ones' that carried supplies.

Nendas and Taha's debates had begun to attract audiences, of course. He'd seen them looking at the two. Even so, Taha seemed oddly contemplative now. "Have I ever told you what happened to my village? I remember looking out from a rooftop when dozens of riders came over the dunes. All the militia were called up with their spears, and everyone was terrified.

"But I was excited.

"I remember watching as the gates were smashed open and spear-to-spear combat began. Some of the enemies slipped past our main defense and started looting. It was the most exciting thing I'd ever seen."

"So what happened?" asked Nendas.

"Oh, we won," said Taha. "The Lord arrived, and we killed off the raiders. Their leader got off, though; he was a noble, so he got special treatment. They didn't even get to my house. Hardly anyone died.

"It was very disappointing."

"What were you hoping for?" asked Nendas, well used to this kind of inverse. Taha existed as a mirror to everything his society representative.

"I don't know," admitted Taha. "Being kidnapped by a dashing rogue with plans of revenge? Having my village burned down except me, so I'd have to plan revenge? Some sort of change in my life.

"But, the only damages were swiftly repaired. I wasn't expected to help with the repairs, and when I offered to, I was firmly declined. I wanted adventure and excitement, for my existence to have meaning.

"I waited for the call. But the call never came."

"Is our present situation to your liking?" asked Nendas, who had been hoping to see direct combat.

Taha smiled. "Oh, definitely. I'd much rather guard caravans than fight on the front lines."

"You may speak for yourself, Taha," said Rokas. "When I joined the King's entourage, this is not how I hoped to spend my time. We won great glory on the battle field earlier; I wish we could have had more battles like that."

"You were a very good guide for the first few weeks, Rokas," said Taha. "Samrasa just found others who could fill the role. So he gave you a position of greater responsibility.

"Just be glad we're doing supply train duty. It's a lot safer this way."

"Perhaps, but there is little glory to be had ferrying supplies," said Rokas.

"I have no interest in glory. And inglorious jobs are often the most important," said Nendas. "If this shipment does not arrive, King Samrasa's army may run low on food. If he runs low on food, our army will go hungry. If they are hungry, they won't fight well. If they don't fight well, we lose this war.

"And if that happens, Tarasif will probably be sacked." The Avatar of Jaha was more suited to support roles anyway.

"It might have been given to others if you and Taha hadn't been debating philosophy," said Rokas.

"It's not my fault we attracted an audience," said Taha. "And anyway, I don't see why Samrasa had a problem with it. His ideals are winning."

"No, they weren't," said Nendas, looking at some of the guards. "And even if they were, Tarasif as a whole would have lost the debate."

"What do you mean?" asked Taha.

"Not again," muttered the caravan master.

"Taha, your ideology is one of absolute nihilism," said Nendas. "In your mind, nothing has any value save what we put into it. If, indeed, we can put any value into a thing. You have taken the ideals of King Samrasa to a logical extreme. One that, if brought into full flower, would destroy all creation.

"A son could murder his father and mother and be as morally pure as a saint.

"However, the ideals of the Gods are likewise extreme. No one deity's ideals can be allowed to remain unchecked. Peace, if allowed to reach its zenith, will become stagnant. That will cause a collapse into far greater chaos. Healing, if focused on above all else, will lead to altering things that need no change. A fast breeze can be a miracle to men but turned into a hurricane; it destroys everything."

"What's your point?" asked Rokas.

"King Samrasa is the King," said Nendas. "His purpose is to act as a divine mediator between the deities. He rules with their blessing, and in turn, he ensures that their temples are protected. Sometimes, there is a conflict between god and mortal, and King Samrasa must take sides.

"It is a similar position to my own. Just not aligned with any specific religion."

"So, how does that mean Samrasa would lose if you were to win such a debate?" asked Taha.

"'Winning' in this situation would require proving one ideal to be true," said Nendas. "If an idea were to be proven absolute, then all other ideals would simply be pale shadows. Things that take from the perfect idea and create a mockery.

"In which case, all other religions would be wrong, and avatars would be a moot point."

Of course, Nendas wanted to say that King Samrasa derived authority from gods. If Taha was victorious, then King Samrasa had no authority as King. If Nendas had proven Taha wrong, then Samrasa was a rebel against the rightful rulers of Tarasif. Only by the continued conflict between the two ideals could he have any authority at all.

But one could not say such things without being executed.

Nendas decided to change the subject. "Taha, do you see anything?"

"Actually, yes," said Taha. "I can hear on the winds about... thirty horsemen coming toward us from the north. Heavy armor, lots of swords based on how the wind cuts them."

Nendas motioned to his men before pointing north and reforming. Their spears were readied, and they held themselves in check.

"How can you tell in such detail?" asked Rokas, who drew up a spear.

"It's all about wind currents," said Taha. "You feel the wind and match it against the scent. You cannot describe it, but anyone can do it if they learn the knack."

"Form up," said Nendas. "Be prepared to repel them when they come. When they appear, we'll lock our shields and repel them. Stand your ground, and they may be repulsed. Run, and they'll cut you down as you flee.

"In the name of Jaha, die before you yield," Then he planted his own spear.

"I've heard rumors," said a man. "Of a troop of horsemen who raid our supplies. They slaughter everyone they lay hands on."

"Well then," said Taha. "I guess we'd better kill them first. Nendas, I'm going to throw knives as per usual."

Nendas heard them.

The hoofbeats.

Horses were not a common thing in Tarasif; you rarely saw them. Nor were they in Kulat until a few decades ago. The King had chosen to introduce horsemen to flank his enemy. Kulat had been a menace, and several other caravans had been intercepted.

And then they came.

Nendas had never seen a horse before now, but the sheer scale of the beasts was breathtaking. There were thirty of them, all larger than a man, and each one with an armored soldier on it. The ground shook beneath their coming as the men wavered.

"Stand your ground!" said Nendas. "Lower your spears! Taha, if any one of these men turns their back, kill them immediately!"

That steadied them. The armor they bore did not extend to their backs. They knew perfectly well that if they fled, they'd take a dagger to the back. And the caravan behind them would make flight difficult.

Nendas had heard several stories.

These cavalry, when they hit a line, caved it in.

"Stand your ground!" said Nendas. "Taha awaits the man who abandons his line!"

The shaking of the ground became worse and worse. The creatures seemed even more gigantic up close. Nendas lined his spear up to stop the coming onslaught. One of the men backed away to try and slip out and took a dagger to the back.

And then came the crash.

The heavily armored creatures crashed into the line of spears. Nendas saw him knock a man off his horse but was forced to dodge aside. Several horses were knocked over as their riders were cast to the ground. Others among the men were cleaved down, but the line.

Then all became chaos as dirt and grime kicked up. Nendas stabbed down with a spear to get a fallen foe in the chest. However, the armor caused it to glance off. Even so, his enemy was knocked back. An armored soldier fell with a knife through the weak point in his armor, then another. Rokas could be seen fighting with a well-armored figure.

One of the Kulatian warriors cleaved down a militia. Nendas watched him scream as he raised the stump where his hand had been. A moment later, he was dead. People were dying all around Nendas, and looking up; he saw a knight going after one of the merchants. Drawing his sword, Nendas shouted in challenge to the man.

He turned and went at him, and Nendas parried a blow. Disarming him, he struck him across the helm with the flat of his blade. The man fell to the ground in a stupor, and Nendas kicked him while he was down. Turning, he saw a man coming for him, parried his blow, and drove a sword through his throat on reflex.

It was not the first person he had killed, but the deed made Nendas all the more miserable. Around him, he saw the fighting winding down as the Kulatian nobles were found and pulled down. No one seemed particularly keen on killing them for... reasons beyond Nendas' comprehension. Granted, he knew that the blood of a noble was worth more than a peasant or merchant, but...

All the blood around him looked the same.

However, Rokas was fighting with his enemy, and they were going at it with real fury. Blade glanced at the gauntlet before Rokas bore him down and slammed him against the ground. The noble struggled to rise, but men grabbed him first.

"Avatar of Jaha," said a man. "We are victorious."

"We defeated the nobles of Kulat," said a man. "Where is their vaunted gods now?"

"They are with us!" said another.

"Peace," said Nendas. "I must heal the wounded, and then you must ensure our enemies are disarmed. We may need them as captives."

There weren't many wounded foot soldiers. Nendas had been given control of a group of inexperienced levies. Time and again, he'd heard of slaughters of said levies while the nobles emerged unscathed. It was not so this time.

They'd lost six of their number and several horses. Many of the beasts had fled; others were being rounded up. Even so, they seemed stunned, evidently have not expected to lose.

"Honorless Tarasifian bastard!" said the one Rokas had fought. He had a very fine appearance in his armor. "You shame the one you are pledged to by your actions!"

Nendas ignored him until he finished healing. Once done, he decided that the Prince of Kulat was not among these as had been rumored. A Prince would surely make himself known.

"I need prove nothing to you," said Nendas, wondering at the noble's identity. The others seemed to defer to him. "Rokas, do you recognize him?"

"Yes, Nendas. He is..." Rokas paused.

"Rokas, you accursed bastard! You betray your family, your faith, and your nation for these animals!" said the man. "You serve these desecrators of temples? And walk among a common levy?!"

"One has to eat, brother," said Rokas simply. "And I have advanced a great deal in this time."

"Brother?!" said the noble. "You are no brother of mine! You worthless, depraved homosexual! Your spirit is as corrupt as your flesh!"

Murmurs of the men. Nendas turned to a man. "Gag him. I've heard enough of this slander."

"I can't gag a Prince!" said soldier.

"A Prince..." Nendas confused. "Where? Beyond the brute?" He didn't see anyone with the appearance of royalty here.

"You dare insult my caste, traitor to the gods!" said the man. "I am Prince Suruf of Kulat, Rightful Heir to the Throne! I have joined the battlefield and destroyed five caravans of your minions!"

"All of whom had families and friends," said Nendas. "Why do you make a boast of atrocity?"

"You didn't even have the guts to fight us directly," said Taha. "You came at us with horses and armor, and you still used hit-and-run tactics."

Suruf fell silent. "You should have been grateful to have been shown what mercy you were. Instead, you repay Father's kindness by serving a Hasafa?"

"A man without any family must take any company he can find," said Rokas. "If you did not want me to walk into the hands of your enemies, you should not have left me with no friends.

"I hold my family in no hatred, however-"

"Rokas, how many brothers do you have?" asked Taha suddenly.

"Two," said Rokas. "But why does it matter?"

"You have no brothers, animal! You have no kin or nation! You will-" Suruf fell short as Taha drew out her last dagger. "You wouldn't dare... these meaningless threats have no terror to me." Taha, however, continued drawing forward.

"Taha, wait," said Rokas. "What are you doing?"

"If we cut his throat, you'll only have one brother to worry about," said Taha. "Kill off your brothers, and we can get Samrasa to get you reinstated. Rightful king returns after the convenient death of his Father. Then history goes how we want."

Murmurs of horror came from the men.

Did Taha even know what she was suggesting?

"Oh, what," said Taha. "Nobles do this kind of thing all the time. All these rules and regulations are only important to them when applied to other people.

"Tarasif needs a friendly ruler on the throne of Kulat. Rokas knows the place and is a pretty good choice. How many of your friends did this brat kill anyway? Why are you defending him? Do you think he'd defend you if your positions were reversed?

"He'd probably slit your throat with a smile on his face."

"I do not want to kill my family, Taha," said Rokas. "However hateful they have been to me. To commit an evil deed is no less wicked simply because one has wronged you."

"In any case," said Nendas. "Killing him could cause serious unforeseen problems. And Samrasa may have a problem with what you are doing now."

"And what about someone who has wronged the gods?" asked Taha. "He's been pretty disrespectful to Jaha, Nendas. Someone of lesser rank could be executed for speaking to you like that in a heartbeat."

"That may be so," said Nendas. "But I would not order their execution simply to avenge wounded pride."

Taha sighed and sheathed her knife. "Fine, whatever you say. If you don't want to take vengeance, I won't do it for you." And she walked past Suruf.

Suruf took a moment to confirm that Taha was walking past. His expression grew to one of contempt. "Is this what the Jaha is capable of, now? Restraining a deluded peasant whore from atrocity?"

Taha halted and turned, dagger being drawn high. However, she halted as Nendas looked at her. After a moment, Nendas considered things. Then reflected that this man was overtly hostile. If he responded to mercy with further mockery, he would turn on Tarasif if he ever got the throne. Moreover, he had committed blasphemy against Jaha. He believed his status as a Prince would protect him.

But he was wrong.

So much for the legendary religious fervor of Kulat, this man was no more than a petty raider.

"Taha, he is yours," said Nendas. "I give him into your hands." And it was not him speaking.

Turning on the Prince, Taha was at him from behind. Dragging off his helm, she slashed his throat. The man gurgled, blood spilling out as Taha held him in place. Taha grabbed him by the neck.

"When you get to hell, inform Diabolus that Taha will be coming for him," said Taha, and then she snapped his neck.

The men stared in shock and incredulousness. Nendas walked before them.

"Nendas..." said Rokas. "That was not necessary."

"It was," said Nendas. "Ask me to forgive an insult to myself or a friend, and I shall do so gladly. Ask me to forgive the wrongs he dealt you, and I shall do so gladly. To forgive the slaughter of so many soldiers and caravans is all possible. For this is war, and such things happen.

"But to forgive blasphemy against Jaha herself?

"That is not within my power to forgive. He had already spurned her mercy several times, confident that mere rank made him above her." He looked to his men. "Well done, all of you. This day you have proven yourselves, warriors, in both spirit and body."

"What will we tell Samrasa?" asked Rokas.

"The truth, of course," said Nendas. "Your brother was an evil man who had the misfortune to be useless to us. But, we will arrange a proper funeral, of course."

Nendas decided that Jaha acted differently through him than she did through women.*

The point, however, was made. No one was above the gods.

*This sequence was taken from a brief history of the conflict. I added it to the beginning of the second half to provide context. I should note the existence of horses is one that has almost gone out of memory. Anoa killed them all, and I did not know about them until Kiyora spoke of them.

A regrettable oversight in my education that has since been corrected.

*This statement is a bit redundant, as are several others in this chapter. Often they restate things that have already been covered.

Bear in mind; this is taken from a different text than those we have seen earlier. Virtually all of them make a point to note that Nendas channels Jaha's differently. Tarasifians do not seem to have any warrior tradition for women. Taha appears to have walked in by virtue of sheer audacity. So this may have been an attempt to explain his different actions.