Gods of Nabban Read Free

tribes of the jungles and highlands of Darru and Lathi; human-born daughters of the god Tai’aurenlo.
    The Wild Sister—The greatest of the rivers of Nabban, and the goddess of that river, absorbed into Mother Nabban.
    Willow (Daro Willow)—Illegitimate daughter of Daro Korat’s youngest daughter.
    Wisan (Lai Wisan)—A wizard of the Plum Badge rank; the diviner who testifies at Kaeo’s trial.
    Wolan (Daro Wolan)—A Nabbani man in Kharduin’s gang, originally from Choa Province.
    Yao—Late emperor of Nabban, called “Bloody Yao.” Father of Otono, Buri-Nai, An-Chaq, and Dan.
    Yeh-Lin—A wizard of Nabban; formerly an emperor’s wife, usurper, empress, exile, and conqueror. Bonded with the devil Dotemon.
    Yuro—Daro Korat’s slave-born master of horses and later castellan; the man largely responsible for what upbringing Ghu had before he fled.
    Zial and Wujian—Legendary lovers in a quite-probably tragic Nabbani epic.

PART ONE

CHAPTER I
    Something stalked him through his dreams. She was hungry, reaching . . .  Hyllau, reaching for him. The Lady of Marakand, but her face was burnt black, charred and flaking away like Hyllau’s and she closed her mouth over his, pressing down on him, tongue forcing . . . He caught her by the throat, to choke and throttle, to end this one slavery, at least—
    There was more strength than one might think in Ghu’s compact frame. He jerked Ahjvar’s arms open, away from his neck, and pinned him to the ground like a wrestler. Ahjvar woke as his head thumped the earth and the ground hit him hard in the back.
    Bunched muscles turned to water, as if he had run to the point of exhaustion. Ghu’s fingers bit into his wrists, forcing Ahjvar’s arms down as he leaned over him, a knee heavy on his chest. The blind dark of a cloudy night wrapped them; their fire was nearly smothered in its ashes.
    â€œAwake?”
    He couldn’t answer yet. Breath wheezed and sobbed in his throat.
    Ghu released his grip, cautiously, and Ahjvar rolled away, arm over his face, shaking, teeth clenched on the plea. He could not ask to be set free; he had promised, so he would not, not yet. But he had to swallow the words, choking on them. Let me go. Let me die now. I can’t do this.
    Ghu put an arm over him, pulled close and held him tightly, till his shuddering eased to mere shivering against a cold that was not the autumn air.
    â€œHush.” The command was hardly more than a stir of air against him. “Listen. I was going to wake you before long anyway. They’ve caught up. We’re watched.”
    There was nothing to hear but his own harsh gasping, still too fast, too shallow, too loud.
    â€œShh, shh. It’s all right, Ahj.” A hand on his chest, breath in his hair. Encircled, safe. The Lady was dead. Hyllau’s very soul was destroyed. He caught at Ghu’s hand, gripped it, but didn’t push him away. Lay still that moment longer, being safe and trying to settle his breathing, to be awake and sane and of some use.
    He remembered. They had been stalked through the hills all that day, since early in the morning. Six riders on horseback, never closing in, never letting themselves, they thought, be seen. Ghu had kept the dogs, white and grey Jui and dun Jiot, in close, though they had been alert and bristling, wanting to investigate. Most likely the six were after the camels and, if they had seen it, Ahjvar’s sword and the rings in his ears; they couldn’t think Ahjvar and Ghu had any other wealth, just two more masterless wanderers come east from the defeat of Marakand’s mercenaries at the Orsamoss. They might be ragged and growing gaunt with short commons, but to such men they would still be worth robbing. There was the gold and sea-ivory of the sword’s hilt and the camels were still in good condition, better fed than their masters. Ghu cared for them well