God killer

Guest rites

We had been a scant week into our journey through the western jungles when we were ambushed by a local tribe unfriendly to foreigners. My sister had taken an unfortunate nap during her watch and we all awoke to our weapons and rations confiscated, our limbs bound, and tied to stakes pitched in the center of their camp. We had tried negotiating but it was futile, neither of us spoke each other's languages. My temper flared and I screamed not believing that this was how my country's war would end. My siblings attempted to calm me down, used to managing the hot tempered heiress, but even they gave up once the tribes people stuffed rags into my mouth wanting some quiet.

We stayed bound for two days and two nights, the tribes people providing no clues as to their intentions with us. On the third day the sun rose with commotion around the camp. There was mass panic, a sudden strong voice commanding and everyone efficiently packing up and fleeing.

We were forgotten.

My siblings and I surveyed the clearing frantically. We were still bound and weary, whatever the tribe had fled was likely still coming for us and we were sitting ducks. Three successive twangs sounded and we instinctively flinched hoping it wasn't a kill shot. They hit the stakes instead, snapping our bindings free. We didn't wait for our savior as we tumbled to retrieve our weapons where the tribes folk had discarded them. It had taken a clumsy few seconds to regain use of our limbs and to assume formation. We took a few wary steps scanning the quiet woods.

"Who is it?" my sister sounded.

I yanked the rags out of my mouth with my free hand as we circled the enclosure.

"Show yourself!" I grunted.

A deep chuckle sounded. "No, please hold your applause. Thank me later."

A hunter rounded the tree, clad in loose trousers, a belt for his quiver and bow running across his bare chest. "My people are creating a big enough distraction for you to escape," he stated, his eyes dancing with amusement.

I didn't trust him at first. Who did kind things and demanded nothing in return? My siblings thought the same, we kept our weapons trained on him as I deepened my scowl.

"Escape? You expect us to believe that you and your people are doing this out of the goodness of your own hearts?" I asked skeptically.

He sighed. "I have no intention of harming you. My people live close by and we sometimes stop to help foreigners stupid enough to get trapped by the local tribes."

I cocked my head. His accent sounded familiar. "Who are you?" I asked.

"They call me Devu," he smiled, turning his already handsome face radiant. I scrunched mine in response, some people were too happy for their own good, and I did not return the emotion.

"Do they?" my sister asked, reading that I was irked and sliding in before I lost my temper again. "And what are you doing so far west, fellow Amaran?"

His posture stiffened. "I left Amara a while ago in penance" he said, all amusement and smile leaving his face.

"Our country has been ripped to shreds. Our capital is barely standing. Surely, anyone you're penitent towards is now gone," Aman seethed. "You could be helping us fight."

An overstatement, but my brother was right.

"I could ask you the same. You three clearly know how to fight, why aren't you in Amara if the war is so bad?" Devu responded.

Cautious silence enveloped us all before I stepped forward and made a show of sheathing my knives.

"You're right," I said. "We..." I began unsure. "... are on a mission. One that could save our country."

Devu now looked curious. Good. If he was curious, then he would have reason yet to keep us alive. Despite his reassurance, I was skeptical that he planned on just letting us.

"We don't have rations and need somewhere to stay for tonight to recover. Do you still follow Amaran guest rites?" I said, noting the hunger that was now a continuous gnawing in my midsection. It was a risk, but an enemy I understood was better than one I didn't. In our current state, we were more likely to be recaptured by another unfriendly tribe anyway.

A smile returned to Devu's face.

"You are welcome to stay with us as long as you like. But it won't be free," he said, noticing me tensing. "Don't worry, it's nothing nefarious, everyone at our camp contributes in whatever way they can."

I looked at my siblings exchanging confused looks.