Project - Prometheus Ch. 07

"Sareetahl clan?" Pree wondered. "Who are they?"

"Legends and myth! The Sareetahl clan were the finest warriors and one of the strongest clans of our people! They were great allies of the Ahl'kanin until they disappeared many seasons ago. It was believed that the snows had claimed them!"

"If they were such staunch allies, then why have they allied themselves with Yahk'shurt?" Inari asked. Valessa had just asked a similar question and was in the process of receiving her answer.

"The Sareetahl had left to find new lands and challenges to master. The lands beyond what we know are a mystery to us, so they left to unravel it. What they found was death and hulking beasts which had ended their greatest warriors as though they were untested youths. They returned recently to reclaim their lands, only to find the Yahk'shurt occupying them."

"They were attacked and many of them were killed before the Yahk'shurt realized who it was that they were fighting. They took their young and their women as prisoners and forced them all to teach them how to fight as they did," Luminia said as she translated.

Now everything made sense! For the longest time, Lumi and her mother had often wondered how the Yahk'shurt had elevated themselves beyond the simple brutes they often were. If this Sohlkris was to be believed, then he and what remained of his clan had actively colluded with the Yahk'shurt to bring down the Ahl'kanin. Though put in a difficult position, the law was clear to those who aided those who did wrong.

"I know what the law states about those who defy our mother goddess and that perpetuate such dishonorable acts. I ask only one thing before you pass your sentence upon us. Spare our children and we will gladly accept whatever punishment you deem fitting for our crimes," Sohl stated as he hung his head in shame. The rest of his fellow clan mates nodded and waited for the pronouncement of the punishment.

"Chieftaness, if I may speak?" Alex interrupted. Valessa took a single long look at Alex before nodding her assent. He then gave a pointed look at Luminia, who caught his intent and waited for him to start speaking.

"It seems to me that these warriors were given little, if any choice in the matter. From what I have seen and deduced, much of what the Sareetahl have done has been a matter of love. They love their families enough to do whatever is necessary to keep them safe and alive. Granted, they have done a great and grievous wrong here, but I am advocating for the sentence of death to be rescinded upon those who identify as Sareetahl."

"This is a case of what is known as extenuating circumstances. We can hardly fault the Sareetahl for doing what they were told, if they wanted their families to live. I am not suggesting that they be let go but that they be shown leniency in light of what they needed to do, to keep their loved ones safe," Alex orated as he gestured. He kept going as any semblance of noise or hubbub had died to where you could have heard a pin drop.

"This man was willing to sacrifice his own life in order to keep his daughter safe," he gestured to Tahreena, who was still crying but kept looking at the armored man. "A man with courage such as his is to be lauded. His sense of honor and his strength of character is not one that is easily found. Such men can be trusted with much if they you are willing to extend such trust. Therefore, I ask for you to consider my words and be merciful."

Many other chiefs who stood there looked thoughtful as though they were considering his words. Sohlkris and his clan mates also looked thoroughly shocked themselves. This alien didn't know them or who they were but he spoke as though he was a warrior himself and knew that sometimes you had to make difficult choices.

A loud scoffing sound came from the group of chiefs as one largish fellow, just a little below six and a half feet in height came in and talked in a harsh and what seemed to be berating manner. He went on for a good five minutes before stopping and gesturing to Luminia. The look on her face was woefully unpleasant as she spoke the words back to Alex in English.

"Vahlteim, chief of the Darhourt clan demands to know why you are placing yourself in business that does not concern you and asks if you have seen the horrors of war? He asks what right do you have to speak since you know little of what was done to our people? And if you could stomach what needs to be done? To show these who would butcher us in our sleep that they have no place here? Or be softhearted and let them stab you in the back?"

Taking a deep breath, Alex raised his hand to ask Lumi for a moment as he spoke into his suit.

"Jaesa, have you been listening in?" Alex subvocalized.

"Yes sir, I have."

"Do you have a baseline in which you can translate what I say to these people correctly?" he queried.

"I can sir, but it will be rudimentary, and the accent and idiom may be off," the AI replied.

"It will do. Translate everything I say and patch it through to my suits loudspeakers," the captain ordered.

"Done sir, you may proceed," Jaesa informed him. With that, Alex brought his hands up to a couple of depressions and pressed hard upon them. Automatically the front of Alex's Phalanx suit opened, allowing the big man to step out of his battle suit. Though he seemed slightly smaller outside of it, he was no less impressive in his vacc suit, a fact that several of the Ahl'kanin females watching had noticed.

"Luminia, I will speak for myself now," Alex stated and Jaesa analyzed what he had said, translated it and fed it back through the loudspeakers in Alex's voice. His voice carrying across the settlement caught everyone by surprise, but they still listened. The arrogant and somewhat pudgy chief looked down his nose at Alex as best he could. But he found it was useless as the man looked as fearsome outside of his suit as he did in it.

"I know exactly what it is to endure the horrors of war! I was but a child of three when I saw my own parents murdered right in front of me! The killers thought it was funny the way they died! How they begged and pleaded for their lives before they were so callously cut down! In a city where we sought sanctuary and hoped for peace gave us nothing but blood and death! I was one of nine hundred and thirty-seven survivors, in a city that once held millions!"

Alex's anger knew no bounds and the ferocity that now blazed in his eyes was enough to melt the ice and snow that surrounded them. Vahlteim shrank back from the raging human as he was no warrior and had seen this man fight firsthand. Even without his suit, the way Alex carried himself showed that he was not a man to be trifled with.

"What is Alex talking about?" Taal'ani asked Natalya quietly. The rest of the group, except for Kasumi looked at her expectantly.

"He was one of the survivors of the Toronto Massacre," Nats stated sadly. The eyes of her friends widened as that was one part of human history that almost everyone knew about. One of the worst records of genocide that was known of in living memory. Only the Black Crusade of the Xuul'khan had been more brutal and savage. The ladies turned back to look at Alex with a newfound sense of respect for the man. That he had lived through such a tragic and horrific event and still retained his sanity was a testament to his mental resilience. They watched quietly as he continued to rant at the chief.

"Many years, before the Perseus came here, I witnessed my crew mates and friends die in front of me. They were poisoned in such a way that they were reduced to muck in a matter of minutes. Everything that they were, was gone and again, I was one of the few survivors!"

"I have fought in war for over a decade, serving my people and saving those whom I could. I have seen far more battle and death any man or woman should in a lifetime. I know firsthand what true dishonor is and the Sareetahl, are the furthest thing from it. They are true warriors, to the very bone and because of what they did to preserve the lives of their families, they are deserving of mercy. Honor demands it!" Alex finished, stomping back to his suit.

Valessa did everything she could to suppress a smirk that wanted to erupt into a full on grin. It had been too long since Vahlteim had been so thoroughly cowed and she hoped that he would remember it for a while! A tangy and acrid smell reached her nose, and she inclined her head around for a moment, looking for the source of the smell.

Maybe several feet from her, a small yellowish stain had spread on the snow. Had Valessa not been schooled to maintain a calm façade at all times, she would have burst out laughing at what she saw! The pompous ass had pissed himself when he faced Alex as the human blew up at him! She allowed herself a small smile as she saw that her honor guard and several other chiefs had noticed! No way was Vahlteim ever going to forget this! No one would ever let him!

Though at this point, Valessa was at an impasse. She was torn about what to do concerning the Sareetahl. If she exiled them into the snows with the Yahk'shurt, then she would be seen as a cold-hearted and merciless butcher. Though if she spared them and granted them mercy, then she would be seen as weak and soft-hearted, like that now dead warrior had claimed her of being. Her musings of indecision were interrupted before she could think on the matter further.

"May I have a knife?"

The voice had come from Sohlkris who was standing there, with his palm upraised and open. Alex, who was standing by his suit, cocked an eyebrow before pressing a panel on the battle suit, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside, a black combat knife rested in its sheath and he pulled the weapon out. He then drew the knife out as he approached Sohlkris and flipped it in his hand to catch it, blade first, before handing it to the man.

As he took the proffered weapon, Sohl nodded curtly to Alex, a nod which he reciprocated, as a gesture of understanding and respect. The defeated man walked past the warriors and honor guard, to stand in front of the chieftaness and her assembled group. The honor guard fingered their weapons but otherwise let him approach. He stopped barely a meter in front of the woman, well beyond her reach.

He then took the knife and drew it across his chest, causing blood to ooze out of the wound. Tahreena cried out at the display but was quickly shushed by Lumi. Sohl then placed his right hand over the wound, covering his hand in his blood. After his hand was dripping, he removed it and placed it at Valessa's feet, staining the once pristine snow.

"I, Sohlkris of the Sareetahl clan, offer my service and my life to you Valessa, chieftaness of the Ahl'kanin clan. I will be your weapon and your shield, in times of peace or that of battle. Call when you have need of me and ask what you will of me. My life and weapons are now yours. This, I pledge to you, before the mother goddess and all who stand here. May I be damned to the Darklands, should I not uphold this vow," the man intoned with his eyes cast down at her feet.

For a brief moment, panicked shock flitted across Valessa's face as she registered the gravity of what exactly Sohlkris had promised to her and her clan! No one had sworn a Blood Oath for a very long time! Certainly not in living memory and now here was a man swearing it to her!

Her mind raced at the potential of what was being tabled as others amongst the Sareetahl came forward. Like Sohl, they also asked for a knife of some sort of weapon and some of the surrounding warriors, even some various honor guard had given it to them. They themselves also swore the same oath of loyalty to both her and the Ahl'kanin clan. She couldn't believe what she was seeing!

Alex had since gotten back into his suit, as the cold was affecting him, and he walked over to stand with his crew. As the translation program was still running, he had Jaesa dial it down so both he and the assembled ladies could hear it, but on one else. He smiled in satisfaction and understanding as he realized what Sohl and his warriors were offering.

"Like Bushido," he remarked as he stood next to Nats.

"I'm guessing that what they're doing isn't done often?" Natalya asked Luminia as she helped her mind the children.

"Or lightly!" the Ahl'kanin woman rasped, shocked to her core at what she was witnessing. "A Blood Oath is sacred amongst my people. Once sworn, it can never be taken back, unless the one you are sworn to releases you from your pledge. To dishonor it, is to damn yourself to the Darklands, away from the light of the mother goddess," Luminia explained.

Sohl and the warriors of the Sareetahl clan waited for Valessa as the next action was on her. She could either accept their oath and they would be spared or refuse it and they would face the same fate as the Yahk'shurt. Valessa stepped away from her cadre of bodyguards and waved her hand, in a gesture for them to stand fast. Standing in front of Sohlkris, she bent over and helped him to his feet. As he stood, she moved her hand to his chin and tilted his head up, so he could look her in the eye. She then clasped his hands in hers, blood welling between their fingers as she spoke.

"Welcome, warrior."

Sohl let out a breath of relief and sagged a little, relaxing his posture. Valessa went around from one warrior to the next, welcoming them into her service and her clan. Once she had finished with the last warrior, she then commanded them to kneel and listen. Raising her voice so that it could be heard, Valessa spoke once more.

"The Sareetahl have pledged themselves to the Ahl'kanin by our most sacred oath, done in their heart's own blood!"

Shock and appreciative murmurs rippled throughout the gathered crowd as they all nodded in recognition. A Blood Oath would not be something that anyone in any clan would violate, not if they wanted to ensure the safety of their very souls. The murmur quieted as soon as it had begun, allowing Valessa to continue.

"Because of their pledge, the Sareetahl are spared the penalty of death. They will stand with us as we seek to rebuild what was lost tonight," she said to more nods and assent from her people. "The Yahk'shurt, are unrepentant however and have been sentenced to death, by the Long Walk!"

"The Long Walk?" Talon wondered, thinking such a sentence was light, given the circumstances.

"The Long Walk is where they are stripped of everything they own and wear and sent out to die in the snows," Luminia clarified. "Only those who are guilty of the worst crimes imaginable, are sentenced to such a punishment."

"A fitting one, considering what I witnessed these bastards doing," Inari said with no emotion in her voice. Pree shuddered at the memory of what had almost happened and burrowed herself into her lover. They witnessed the guards walking up to the Yahk'shurt and taking their items one by one. Several of them resisted, which prompted both Alex and Korsa to walk down the hill and join the guards in keeping watch.

Inari descended with the two of them as well. She wanted to make sure that these men, if they could be called that, made no further trouble. Secretly, she hoped that they would and give her an excuse to put any of them down like the dogs they were. Seeing the sky warriors come down to assist the Ahl'kanin, sapped any remaining will to resist. Valessa and several of her honor guard came in behind them, as she was the chieftaness, it was her duty to see them to their sentence.

The defeated prisoners knew that the Long Walk was a death sentence, but there was always a chance. At either finding some shelter out in the icy tundra or maybe something to eat. If they got lucky, they could find both and survive at least another day. They allowed themselves to be stripped of anything that would be of use, weapons, clothing, everything. They were left with only a loincloth to cover their modesty.

Once every last one had been stripped, they were told to stand and march to the edge of the settlement. Some of them took on a muley look and almost refused. Until Inari cocked her auto rifle, pointing it at several of them. They looked to Alex, as they had overheard that he was their 'Captain', their chief and hoped that he would see the indignity of this. He merely looked on passively as though disinterested in their plight.

Inari took their hesitation as defiance and squeezed off a few rounds at their feet, sending snow and ice up in a spray. Those she had fired at danced an impromptu jig as they moved along, not wanting to have holes in their feet. They all quickly moved as it was clear that this woman was looking for an excuse to use her weapon again. Not wanting to give her one, they followed the Ahl'kanin guards to the edge of the village.

"Inari..." Alex warned as he fixed her with a look.

"What? They weren't moving, so I thought I'd provide some 'motivation'," she shrugged, looking as innocent as she dared. Shaking his head ruefully, the big man chuckled as he lit up his axe again, providing some additional incentive for the departing warriors. Korsa was a few moments behind him, breaking down her sword into four separate blades and going through a few complex forms as she moved.

The incentive worked as the remaining prisoners hurried along and found themselves at the edge of the village. They looked back at the settlement forlornly, some angry while others cried openly. Everything that they had been promised and hoped to attain was taken away and there was not a damn thing they could do about it. Slowly, one by one, they turned away and walked into the dark, taking themselves to their own deaths.

"Aren't you afraid that they will try to come back here and fight or hide?" Alex wondered out loud.

"Though they are Yahk'shurt, even they know the penalty for violating the sentence pronounced upon them," Valessa stated, the translation program reworking her speech. "Any who return as they are will be killed on sight, with their souls damned to the Darklands. They may only seek to return if they come back, having survived seven seasons in the snows, alone."

"A brutal punishment but also a proper one. To weed out the weak and the honorless," Alex agreed.

"Yes... you know much of what it is to be honorable. You walk and fight as a warrior, but speak as a high chief," Valessa observed.

"Any who hope to hold a rank as high as mine must be so. If they are not, then they are undeserving of holding it," he replied as he turned away from the darkness with the rest of the people. Valessa walked alongside him, with Korsa and Inari flanking them.

"I must say though, I am curious about you and your people. How is it you have survived here, on such a desolate planet?" he asked.

"That is a tale that will be told in full, but first, I must see to my duties as the Chieftaness of the Ahl'kanin," Valessa stated as she walked back to where the rest of the visiting chiefs had gathered. She addressed them quickly as the trio escorting her rejoined their friends. Luminia had relinquished her charge of the throng of Sareetahl children and they were busy hugging and crying with their parents.

Lumi was busy speaking to Sohlkris and directing him to the lodges that were reserved for guests. They were vacant now as the Yahk'shurt 'guests' had been happily ejected. Sohl thanked Luminia for her hospitality and bowed to her in deference. Lumi then tapped him on the shoulder and bid him to situate his clan.

Nodding, he gave the orders to his clan mates, and they herded the children towards the lodges. He then saw Alex rejoin the main group and approached them hesitantly, almost like he was fearful. Smirking, Alex gestured for the man to approach and he did, with a bit more confidence than he showed. Bowing his head, he then spoke to them.

"Thank you, Flamebearer. You have saved not only my life but the lives of my people and my daughter. We all owe you a debt we can never repay," the man said in a baritone voice.