Managing the Shadow

Chapter 12: Death and Sorrow

Chapter 12: Death and Sorrow

The two Psadan brothers circled each other. Around them the soldiers continued their low humming chant. Each brother’s steps thumped to the rhythm of the hums coming from the Psadan soldiers. As the Psadan brothers moved, they began to beat their sticks together.

Each brother had his own rhythm. Dha’ndi’s sticks thumped with a quick triplet followed by a steady beat. Ti ki ti tum, ti ki ti tum, ti ki ti tum.

Rathu tapped with a slow, but steady intensity. He beat his sticks together with each foot step. Ta, ta, ta, ta. Suddenly both sticks stopped tapping.

Dha’ndi’ launched forward first, bringing both Daats’i overhead with a forceful two-handed downward attack towards Rathu’s skull.

Rathu parried with his right stick while using his left for support and then countered slamming both of his sticks into Dha’ndi’s body. The attack would have debilitated a human being, leaving them with numerous broken ribs. However, Dha’ndi’s stocky frame seemed to withstand the impact with minimal damage.

Dha’ndi’ began to level a relentless barrage of attacks, constantly putting Rathu on the back foot without a chance in the slightest to counter. As the attacks continued Rathu was pushed backwards time and time again.

The way the Brothers fought with the sticks wasn’t just unique because of the weapons themselves, but also because of their footwork. Lightsaber duels normally were fought along a relatively straight line. The footwork these two fighters used almost had a sense of swaying side to side. This allowed Rathu to not just defend into the spear wall behind him, but begin to retreat in an almost circular manner, allowing him to avoid the spear wall.

Yet, with each rotation, Rathu did seem to be spiraling outward, inching closer and closer to the wall of sharp weapons that surrounded the brothers.

“You’re running out of space, Rathu,” Dha’ndi’ sneered.

“Don’t count your Malkloc eggs before they hatch, Brother.”

As well as Rathu was defending, Traya realized that Rathu couldn’t continue this forever, and Dha’ndi’s attacks were so ferocious, only one mistake could be fatal for Rathu. Traya also began to notice something else. Although Rathu was slowly inching closer to the wall, the wall seemed to also be getting closer to him as well.

It was then that Traya noticed that every few hums the Psadan soldiers would take one step inward, shrinking the circle ever so slightly.

With the spears closing in around him, Rathu made an attempt to finally counter one of Dha’ndi’s attack. He parried to the left and began to swing forward, aiming for Dha’ndi’s head. Yet Dha’ndi’ was ready. Instead of continuing his attack, Dha’ndi’ simply stepped back.

The abrupt change in fighting pattern caught Rathu completely unaware. As Rathu’s strike missed its mark, Dha’ndi’ caught Rathu’s attacking stick in the crux of his elbow, and used his Daats’i Ateen to leverage Rathu’s forearm into a tight hold. Dha’ndi’ took the stick in his free hand and swung it down on Rathu’s arm that was now locked in place, prepared to shatter Rathu’s outstretched elbow.

Rathu dropped his fighting stick in the locked arm and managed to wriggle it out of Dha’ndi’s grip just in time for Dha’ndi’ swing to miss Rathu’s elbow, but he wasn’t quite fast enough.

Rathu let out a blood curdling howl as his forearm snapped under the impact of Dha’ndi’s attack.

Out of instinct, Rathu swung the stick in his free hand at Dha’ndi’s head. Although he didn’t make contact, the strike was successful in that it created some distance between the two Psadan.

Traya grew nervous. The state of the battle was bleak. Rathu had his one good arm raised, using his stick as a barrier to keep the distance between him and Dha’ndi’. The battle had been close before, but Traya couldn’t imagine what it would look like now that Rathu only had one working arm.

Then something Rathu was doing drew Traya’s attention. Instead of putting his strong arm forward to maintain space, Rathu turned, putting it behind him. In a regular fighting stance you would want the strong arm behind for a stronger finishing blow, but with his weak arm the way it was the stance left him wide open for attack.

Without hesitation Dha’ndi’ launched on the mistake. Traya began to reach for her lightsaber. If Rathu died here she needed to be ready.

Traya braced herself as Dha’ndi’ launched his attack. Yet his sticks never met their mark. Rathu gracefully pivoted on his back leg. His front leg swung behind him in a kneeling position. The leg was so close to the spear wall that the top of his calf grazed the sword of the soldier behind him.

Now it was Dha’ndi’ who was off balance in an over-confident attack. Rathu pounced off of his crouched back foot, ducked under Dha’ndi’s incoming attack, swung himself behind the Psadan and launched onto Dha’ndi’s back.

Rathu wrapped his legs around Dha’ndi’s waist and his still working arm, around Dha’ndi’s throat. As he did this he took the end of his Daats’i Ateen and locked it against the side of Dha’ndi’s throat. Traya was amazed that with one arm broken, Rathu managed to still lock Dha’ndi’ in a chokehold, using only his free arm.

“It’s over, Dha’ndi,” Rathu grumbled, praying that his brother would relent. He knew he would kill him if the stick stayed on his Brother’s artery too long.

Dha’ndi’ let out a deep growl and began furiously swinging his sticks over his shoulders trying to land a hit on Rathu’s head. A few of the blows made contact, but Rathu held strong. And then, the strikes began to grow weaker and weaker, until, finally, Dha’ndi’s body went limp.

Rathu rolled Dha’ndi’s body off of him and got to his feet. The Psadan in the circle were still humming. Rathu began walking back to where he had met the Psadan who collected his armor at the start of the battle.

“Rathu!”

Rathu froze as behind him Dha’ndi’ slowly got back to his feet.

“You think I was just gonna roll over?” Dha’ndi’ yelled with a chuckle. “You have grown weak, brother. You are no longer Na’atani! You are no longer suited to lead our people. This is Anga da’a Hee! You know how this ends, Brother!” He let the last word hang in the air, mockingly.

Rathu refused to turn around. The humming around them grew louder.

“I am trying to save you brother.” Rathu let out in a low growl.

Dha’ndi’ let out a bellowing laugh.

“You are not trying to save me, Rathu. You are trying to save her!” He lifted his finger in the air and pointed at Traya with murderous intent.

“Me or her, brother. You need to choose!”

Rathu stood stone faced and refused to turn around.

Dha’ndi’ let out a blood chilling battle cry and charged, weapons ready to strike.

Rathu still refused to move. Although Traya didn’t feel any danger in the Force, she still couldn’t help but grow nervous listening to the war cry of the Psadan hurtling towards an unflinching Rathu. Then, at the last possible moment, with more speed than Traya had seen any Psadan move before, Rathu lowered his shoulder, turned to face Dha’ndi’, and swung his Daats’i Ateen upward. The swing was so fast and well placed that it soared right through Dha’ndi’s two stick attack and struck him squarely under his jaw.

On impact, there was an awful crunching sound as the stick most certainly shattered Dha’ndi’s jaw. This was followed by another terrible cracking noise as Dha’ndi’ head flew backwards, the impact of the stick carrying his body into the air. As his body hit the ground Traya noticed how Dha’ndi’s neck bent in an angle that it shouldn’t. The humming stopped.

Rathu turned in a circle making sure all his troops saw him. “Traya a Shi’keh!”

Roars and joyous bellows erupted from the crowd. The cacophony of sounds made Traya smile. This was a good moment.

“We will head back to the village now. The light grows short. Prepare to march.”

“Aah oo, aah oo” his troops chanted as they began to pack up their things and prepare to march.

Rathu then turned to two Psadan and commanded them. “Prepare the body.”

Traya climbed down the tree and ran over to Rathu who was retrieving his armor from the soldier who had collected it before the battle. She went to speak, but realized she didn’t know what to say. Although he had won, he was clearly solemn. Traya thought she was happy, but seeing Rathu, she couldn’t help feeling awful. She found it very confusing. Winning wasn’t supposed to feel like this.

Suddenly a Psadan came bursting out of the forest. He looked exhausted, as though he had been running for a while. He hustled over to Rathu. “Excuse me, Rathu-”

He paused, looking at the ceremony around Dha’ndi’.

“You have a message for me?” Rathu asked the Psadan.

The soldier refocused his attention to Rathu, “Yes, I-”

He then looked at Traya, “it is he for your ears alone, sir.”

Rathu sighed and turned to Traya, “during the trip home, you will march in the front, with me.”

Traya nodded. Rathu then beckoned her to leave him and the other Psadan alone.

Traya found herself wandering over to Dha’ndi’s body. Something about her conflicting emotions led her here…

She watched curiously as the two Psadan that Rathu had commanded to prepare Dha’ndi’s body put all of Dha’ndi’s armor back on him.

Before they put on his gloves, the two Psadan meticulously cleaned his hands. When they were done they crossed his arms across his chest. Traya assumed they did it now before rigor mortis set in. Then, across his body, they laid down his bow. Traya wasn’t sure why, but there was something unspeakably beautiful about the way they handled Dha’ndi’.

The two Psadan then moved down to Dha’ndi’s feet and began to wash them as well. Traya moved closer and nudged one. She put her hands forward, offering to help. At first the Psadan frowned at her, but the other quickly whispered something into his ear. Traya recognized that this was to be a near silent activity.

Once he finished whispering, the other Psadan looked back at Traya and, with a smile, handed her a rag. As he handed it to her, he poured some water from his waterskin onto the rag. He then motioned for her to follow him.

Traya watched closely as the Psadan carefully cleaned the Psadan’s two-toed left foot. He then motioned for Traya to do the same to the right. When they were done the Psadan beckoned her to Dha’ndi’s head.

Dha’ndi’ had a helmet on, so the Psadan bent down and gently removed Dha’ndi’s helm. When Traya looked down she suddenly saw Leesh’s contorted face looking back, his throat oozing blood.

Traya lurched backwards gasping. She was about to scream, but managed to cover her mouth before she ruined the ceremony’s quiet.

She quickly picked up the rag and handed it back to the Psadan who had handed it to her. She tripped backwards, as she turned, mouthing to the Psadan before she left, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.

She then proceeded to run back to where she had seen Rathu before. She almost ran into the large Psadan.

She was breathing heavily now.

“What is Little One?”

Traya shook her head. “I’m fine- It’s nothing, it’s nothing.”

Rathu looked her up and down. “Okay little one. I have sent word back now. Food will be ready.”

Traya suddenly brightened. “Food?”

“A feast will be ready for the newest a Shi’keh!” Rathu then looked suspiciously over his shoulders and then leaned in. “Stay near me, though, our common enemy has whisperers in our village. We must be weary.”

Before Traya could ask more, Rathu had already moved to face the troops who had been gathering nearby.

“Psadan, are we ready?”

“Aah oo! Aah oo!”

And with that, Traya and her new friends were on the march deeper into the Deadlands. Traya was ready for food and sleep, but felt that it was more than a little too soon to let her guard down in these foreign lands.