Risha Chapter 40

Risha set down the wooden arrow she’d been carving, and stood up. “Where are they?”

The Goblin Warrior held the flap of the tent open for Risha as he responded, “They’re waiting in front of the gate.”

Risha grabbed her sword and tied it to her waist, then grabbed a spear as she stepped past the warrior. 

He followed behind Risha as she made her way towards the gate. Klu and Glo found her moments later, silently falling into step behind her. Risha thought about Sun-Chaser, who oversaw their forces across the mountain. There was something about the fox that made Risha think she was suited to the intrigue and diplomacy that the coming conversation would require. 

The goblins on the walls around their camp spotted her, and the gates were opened. 

As the gates opened, Risha spotted the same pair that she’d fought all that time ago. How long had it been? Risha wasn’t sure, as the days seemed to blend together in her mind.

The human woman wore a brown cloak over her armor, the hood pulled up over her hair. Behind her, the drake watched the monsters warily. The hooks at the tip of its wings balanced it against the ground as it turned its head to examine the many goblins ready with bows.

Risha held out her spear and the Goblin Warrior took it from her. She stepped forward, and the human focused on her. 

The human held up her hand, and a small flame appeared in it, illuminating the darkness, and revealing Risha to her night-blind eyes. Risha felt the warriors behind her stir, but she knew that there was no aggressiveness in the action, so Risha motioned for her forces to sit still.

Risha didn’t wear her armor, instead wearing simple leather, furs, and her silk cloak where her thirty-odd spiders hung motionlessly.

The woman’s eyes focused on the eyes of Risha’s spiderlings, which gleamed with the glow of the fire.

There was silence as the two parties studied each other. Risha stood tall, copying Empress Shyanne’s imposing presence. 

They were two predators judging each other, and Risha would not be the first to break the stand off, because she knew that she was the one who held the power here. 

Finally, the moment broke as the woman bowed her head to Risha. “I am Lady Alexandra, First Rider of Alveron’s Imperial Academy. This is Saya, my drake and my bonded companion.”

Risha knew that those titles meant something, but she had no idea what. “I am Grand Mother Risha, Empress of the nation across the mountains.”

Alexandra raised her head, “Your Imperial Majesty, I’ve come here to warn you, the-”

“Call me Grand Mother Risha.” 

The woman paused, then nodded, “Grand Mother Risha, I’ve come here to warn you. Saint Christopher, the saint of death, marches with us.”

Risha focused on the woman. So a Saint had come, one who named themselves after death. Did Risha want to fight them here? There was some part of her who wanted to test her people against the strongest warriors of the humans. 

Klu shifted, and Risha saw the movement. For the stoic mystic to be unsettled by the name of the saint…. What did Risha desire from the humans? She’d captured the slaves of the Art clan, and bolstered her forces with her conquests. The humans held no slaves that she could free. 

There was nothing, except vengeance, that Risha could gain from fighting these humans. But she had no desire for vengeance against the saint. 

The drake behind Alexandra shifted, and Risha focused back on them.

“Why are you warning me?” Risha asked.

The woman shifted awkwardly, her eyes not meeting Risha’s. “I was blinded by hatred when I fought you. I owe you, for both my life, and Saya’s.” The Drake lowered its head, and Alexandra scratched its nose. “We’re only a day away from a war I don’t want. Please, leave. Return to your Empire. We will not follow you.” 

Risha didn’t know how to respond to that. She had no reason to refuse, but something in her still didn’t want to give before the humans. 

Risha turned around, “Come with me.”

The woman hesitated as Risha walked towards the gates of her wall. Still, Risha heard the soft footfalls of the woman as she followed her into the Goblin camp. Large rustling followed them both as the Drake moved after its rider. The gate was designed for some of the larger spiders to make their way through, which mean that the Drake had no trouble following after them. 

Glo and Klu fell into step behind the drake, and Risha spotted Klaz’zks watching from the shadows. 

Monsters of all kinds stopped talking around their fires as the procession came through, instead watching the human and her drake. 

Risha took a left, and walked up to the healer’s cabins. She turned to the Drake, “You’ll have to wait out here. My people won’t harm you.”

The drake looked to her Rider, and Alexandra nodded. 

With a huff, the drakes curled up on the ground. Risha motioned for Alexandra to follow, then stepped past the curtains into the cabin.

Tya looked up from where she sat at her medicine table, her eyes moving to the woman who followed Risha. Tya’s eyes narrowed, but she caught Risha’s gaze and stepped back. 

Risha walked forward, the soft scent of herbs reaching her. She stopped in front of another doorway, the curtains stopping them from seeing inside.

“Lower your hood,” Risha said, “I do not want to see you hiding from them.”

Alexandra looked confused, but she still did as instructed.

Risha opened the curtain, and stepped through. Inside, goblins, kobolds, orcs, and even some of the stranger races lay in beds, the occasional healer or family member sitting next to them. The monsters turned to the newcomers, their expressions darkening at the sight of the human.

Alexandra’s face hardened, but Risha continued on before she could say anything. Five beds down, she saw the face she was looking for. A female orc covered in bandages and scars, their body deflated from weeks of starvation and thirst. 

They looked up as Risha approached, their teeth drawing back as they caught sight of Alexandra.

Risha motioned for the human to stop, then walked close to the orc by herself. 

“I am sorry, Lala,” Risha said as she knelt next to the orc, “I have a lesson I wish to teach the human. May I?”

The orc glared at her, but slowly nodded. 

Risha bowed her head, “Thank you.” 

Risha stood up, then motioned for the human to step closer. Alexandra slowly stepped up to the orc.

“Human, do you know who this is?” Risha asked. 

Alexandra shook her head.

Risha motioned for the orc to speak.

“I am Lala of the Kol Clan.” The orc’s voice was strong, despite her weakened body. “I was your slave, human.”

Alexandra looked to Risha, who stared back with an expressionless face. 

The human turned back to the orc, and bowed low, “I am sorry for what you had to face.”

“Do you know exactly what it was she faced? What tortures she suffered?” Risha turned to Lala and bowed her head again, “Forgive me Lala, but this human has previously called me a monster. I want her to know what true evil looks like. How many lashes did you suffer?”

“Ninety four.”

“How many times were you burned with fire?” 

“Tw-” The orc's voice caught, but she continued all the same. “Twenty three.”

“How many fingers did they take?” 

“Three.” An ancient anger filled Lala’s voice at the question.

“How many did you have to watch die, unable to do a single thing. Forced to watch as they suffered under even worse tortures, their minds and bodies crying, begging, for death?” Risha growled the words, then raised her hand before the orc could actually respond. The look in her eyes was all Alexandra needed. Risha turned to the human, her lips pulling back as she bared her teeth. “These are the humans you fought for. These are the lives you so readily took before I spared yours. You ask me to leave, because you believe I should fear your saint.”

Alexandra gulped and took a slight step away from Risha.

“If Risha was ruled by hatred, if Risha gave into her instincts, Risha would not stop until every single torturer faced their own horrors.” Risha turned back to the orc, and placed her hand on her forehead, a concentrated burst of [Mother’s Care] washing over the bandaged orc. It did little against the tortures that wrecked her body, but it took the smallest bit of pain away, and that was the least Risha could do. “I do not fear your people, because I’ve seen horrors beyond any war.”

Risha let out a breath as Lala’s eyes slowly drooped and she fell asleep. Risha continued in a softer tone, “I do not keep a single slave here, even our human prisoners are given food and water.”

Risha stepped away from the sleeping orc, then continued through the tent. Alexandra fell into step behind her. “Kero, Aviro, Rina, Reylo, Sol, Gira, Yana,” Risha said their names as they passed their beds. “Every single one of them still suffers from the tortures your people put them through. Do you think I should allow such evil to continue?”

Alexandra didn’t respond for a long moment, until finally, she whispered, a small “no.” 

“I do not wish to.” Risha said, “But I also know where my anger belongs, and it is not you, or your saint, or the man I am forced to kill on the battlefield. My hatred must be so much greater than that.” 

Alexandra didn’t respond, not that Risha had expected her to. Instead, Risha let her [Mother’s Care] flow through the building. The injuries here were not so simple to heal, but Risha would do what she could.

“I will leave,” Risha said. “But this is not the end.” 

Risha had already cried for them, she’d already killed for them. But as she’d told the human, she could not be blinded by her hatred. She had to be better than that, she had to be more than that. 

For all of her children, she had to stay strong.

They left the room, Tya’s glare following Alexandra as they returned to the cool night air. Neither of them spoke for a long time. The monsters who surrounded them in the dark kept quiet, waiting for the two to say something.

“Let me come with you.”

Risha turned to the woman in surprise.

“I don’t want to fight for monsters.” Alexandra’s gaze was hard as she spoke.

“I am a monster,” Risha answered.

“I don’t want to fight for evil then.” Alexandra took a deep breath, “And I know others who would follow me… if you’ll have us.” 

Risha didn’t answer right away. That was not why she’d shown the human the former slaves. No, instead, she’d just wanted Alexandra to understand the depths of her responsibility. Why the answers were not always as simple as they seemed. And perhaps, some part of Risha wanted the human to feel guilt, to recognize her own part in those horrors.

Risha looked up to the drake who rested nearby, “Do you want this too?”

The drake bowed her head, “My vision was one with my riders. Alexandra’s and my wishes are the same.”

Risha looked to Glo, Klu and Klaz’zks. The three of them bowed their heads. Her gaze moved to the other monsters nearby. One by one, they all bowed, waiting for her decision.

She turned back to the Drake Rider, assessing the woman she’d met in battle. 

“Very well. Be here tomorrow, and you may leave with us.” 

Alexandra placed her fist against her chest in a salute, “Thank you, Grand Mother Risha.”

The woman walked to her drake and mounted the flying warbeast in one smooth movement. 

“We’ll be here.” The woman shouted out.

The Drake’s wings spread out

Risha motioned for Klaz’zks to open the webs that covered the top of their base. The spider climbed up, opening a spot for the drake to fly through.

With a rush of wind, the drake took to the sky, and flew through the darkness. 

Risha watched them leave, then turned her gaze to the waiting monsters.