Page 22 of Tethered Thrones

My nails dug into Atlan’s wrist, and he looked down at me expectantly. I brought his face closer, like him, having the urge to whisper even though their hearing was leagues better than our own.

“You will tell me everything in your own words, in your story, later. But for now, we need your help destroying Gaulu. Only important information, got it? Where is General Hideyoshi? Why do you believe he will follow me beyond the godstones?”

Noc and humans together. That’s what Tsuki had wanted. I guessed this was the test run, and Atlan was my guide to this brave new world.

Chapter 8

Clem

If Hadi could make daggers appear out of thin air rather than his spider’s web, he would.

He leveled a piercing, venomous glare at Atlan’s pale back as he shared a lingering hug with Sun under the growing twilight. The sun quickly lowering while they were lost in their conversation. The tension between the rest of us was palpable, to put it lightly. There were too many strange people and nocs to keep the story straight.

I fluttered about, worried our king would attempt to cut off Atlan’s head, but Atlan’s nocs circled him protectively. If Hadi got any ideas, there would be another, much deadlier and bloodier brawl, and Sun would have none of it.

Atlan’s nocs… What a strange thing to witness, but the proof was plain.

We stood around, Jia and the taller human, Krish, having already turned to pack supplies and sharpen tools for Sun’s journey, splitting them so they had some on the way back to Black Lantern. But us nocs? We were left to circle our humans like hungry predators, as they were lost in their own world, conversing in rushed whispers.

I teased my lower lip with my teeth and couldn’t help but laugh as Hadi’s attention was ripped away from his new mortal enemy by a screech of glee. The child crawler was attempting to crawl up one of his legs.

The strange noc-child, Thiên, squealed with joy every time Hadi attempted to shake him off until our king gave up, visibly bewildered as the boy crawled up to his back and lifted his six arms high in the sky towards his brethren as if to say, “Look, I have conquered a great mountain!”

Shizumi smiled sweetly at the boy, approaching Hadi without a shred of fear, “Now, now, naughty boy. Enough of that. TheKing of Nocsis not a toy you can play with or on,” he cautioned.

He used his proper title. However, it was evident to everyone how the rat noc truly felt, referring to Hadi mockingly.

Shizumi leaped into the air with surprising quickness, plucking the crawler off our king’s back. He landed near the panthera, Zihan, and twirled Thiên by two of his arms on the ground, spinning and spinning, those three now lost in their own little universe as well. They were carefree, as if a lowly rat touching Hadi wasn’t a big deal.

Hadi’s simmering anger boiled over, the total lack of subservience to him infuriating.

Shizumi ignored him, tossing the child to the panthera to look after as he joined Jia and Krish in their preparations. Thiên happily nestled in the panthera’s spotted white fur, rambling about how smooth the king’s butt was.

“What the hell is this?” Kiar hissed softly beside me; the absurd scenes unfolding before us distracted him from Atlan and Sun.

Bracken was quiet, pensive, which was an unusual emotion for him. Neither of us answered Kiar. How could we? We had no idea what was going on either. Nocs who disrespected Hadi weresimply not a thing before he was deposed. But this went further; it was as if Hadi was insignificant to them all, like dirt under their sharp nails.

And a child noc? It was inconceivable only hours ago. But it was undeniable as the five-year-old babbled to his older brother, motioning with all six arms simultaneously.

Maybe the world was healing, just as Tsuki had wanted from us. Noc and humans together. The only way forward. Yet, it was all so strange.

“Enough!” Hadi shouted as Sun pulled Atlan down to kiss his cheek.

Kiar’s chest flared, his jealousy tinging the air with something like acid, and Sun grimaced, snapping back, “What is it?”

Hadi’s lips flopped like a fish under Sun’s withering gaze, his lips finally twisting in a snarl as he gritted out, “We need to move. If this general can help us, we need not waste more time with farewells. And they have a mission to carry out as well. Remember, we are wanted men. We should not stay here uncovered for long.”

Sun couldn’t argue with that, though it was clear he didn’t want to let Atlan or Jia go. He didn’t seem to want to leave them again at all. But then, Atlan did the hard work for Sun, cupping his former master’s cheek, his smile radiant and overflowing with affection.

Friendship. Admiration. And yes, something like love shone in the warrior’s steady gaze. It was all visible, pure, sweet emotion as he whispered to him.

“Be well, Sun. Go now. We believe in you. And we will do all that we can so you can remove Gaulu’s rot from the throne. This war ends now.”

Sun nodded, clasping Atlan’s scarred triceps a little too harshly, as Jia and Krish approached, a hand on each of Sun’s shoulders. The humans were all united.

“He’s right… Sun,” Jia hesitated to say it. Sun’s command to call him Sun, not master, not by his army rank, was causing conflict deep in her soul. “We have to go. We’ve already lost sunlight, and it’s dangerous to move at night, even with nocs among us. We must set up camp, dig in, and fortify our defenses, then set out at first light in opposite directions. They will head south and I west to save Master Tao, and then we’ll join the war effort north. I will die beside you if I must during our final stand.”

Sun gritted his teeth, biting back tears as Krish offered him a satchel weighed down with weapons and foodstuff, “We will not fail you. We will not fail Naran.”

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