Mina lay in a puddle of bodies and twitching tails. It was almost morning and time for work. The warm, living mass moved, stretched, yawned. Mina felt blunt claws no longer good for hunting raking her back, arms, legs. Someone leaned over her head and began combing through her hair, tickling her ears.

"Mina," her best friend purred. "You're always the last one to get up." Kazi must have been the one attending to her head because sharp teeth nipped her ear.

"I'm up," Mina grumbled. She propped herself on one elbow and leaned over the closest Mikachiari to rake her claws along a body part. Her sleep blurry eyes couldn't tell exactly which area until a hand slapped her.

"Not there," a voice spat.

"Sorry," Mina said. Kazi giggled and pulled Mina up and away from the dissolving puddle of Mikachiari. All females, their bodies were barely covered with bits of cloth more for the sake of their Sayids and Ashihas, than any sense of propriety on the Mikachiari's part.

Mina let herself be half-pulled, half-dragged to the common washing room where stalls fit two at a time. The younger ones splashed water, snapped towels, their voices rose in volume until an elder hissed for quiet. Mina and Kazi hushed. When Mina drew a washcloth away from her, Kazi gasped. Red dots stood out on the light-colored cloth. Blood.

Mina froze, her eyes widening in terror. She fell to her knees before Kazi and pleaded, "Don't tell. Please, don't tell anyone."

***

G
umus Ay waded into the mine as he had for the past one hundred years. Stoic, solid, a wall of Kertenkele flesh surrounded by his brother Kertenkele, they broke rock, removed precious minerals and stones, the wealth of Dohla, and deposited it at the feet of their Elyun masters. The Kertenkele also broke up Padda nests. Any Padda unlucky enough to cross their path within the mines were exterminated. His elders did it with relish. Gumus Ay thought they were reliving the invasion of their homeland. The one they couldn't prevent. The one that destroyed their race. He was young then and didn't remember any of the mothers, wives, sisters lost forever.

The stone shattered, exposing the minerals he picked out of the debris. Gumus Ay felt... off. For a month now it felt as if a small fire burned underneath his skin, sending heat radiating through his large body. Working in the mines sixteen hours a day, almost non-stop, had not smothered the feeling. When he collapsed into his small stone cell the smoldering sensation barely let him gain one hour of sleep.

Hours into his repetitive job and the heat from the inside notched up. Kertenkele didn't sweat. Not that Gumus Ay had ever seen, but beads of moisture now formed on his upper lip. His thick purple tongue removed them. Toward the end of his shift Gumus Ay's large hammer froze in mid-stroke. He remembered what this inner fire meant, death.

***

M
ina's body trembled as Kazi ran and hid the bloody washcloth, the sign Mina would be subject to the Nodoshiku. All Mikachiari who reached this age entered the ritual with Tado, the high priestess. Tado stated the Nodoshiku ritual was necessary since the exile from their homeland in order to protect the Mikachiari. Hushed speculation circled among the younger Mikachiari as to the details of this 'protection'. The Mikachiari who returned from the ritual were silent, their eyes dark with a secret never shared.

Until recently or maybe the resistance had always been there and Mina and Kazi only noticed when they grew old enough for it to be relevant, Mikachiari questioned, in whispers, never out loud, of Tado's insistence on this ceremony. Mina and Kazi stayed up at night discussing as their time grew near. Their discussions resulted in a pact, they would stall the inevitable for as long as they could.

It was easy enough the first few months, Mina's period was light and the ache only annoying. The hardest part was hiding the rags until they'd found a system of washing and hiding the evidence themselves. Six months later the pain radiated down Mina's legs and her stomach clenched in cramps. When they were able to sneak a moment alone after serving lunch, Kazi rubbed circles on Mina's lower back.

"I don't know how much longer we can keep this up," Mina whispered to Kazi.

"I'll find something for the pain, surely the Ashiha has something."

"I'm sure she does but with what excuse? Ashiha's not going to just give it to us. Asking will raise suspicion."

Kazi bared her teeth in agitation. "I've been thinking, I'm bound to start soon and what will we do then?"

"You're a true friend for going along with this but maybe it's time to ask an elder sister for help. Whatever is done during the ceremony, it can't be that bad."

"I'm not willing to give up yet. I'll keep alert for something or someone to help us."

Ashiha Esarotarahis entered the large courtyard of the Mikachiari servants and the usual constant purr of conversation grew silent. "I need a Mikachiari to run an errand for me." Many ears pricked up at the chance of leaving the servant's quarters until the Ashiha explained. "It's in the Kertenkele market." At her announcement ears flattened and eyes wandered elsewhere.

Mina and Kazi exchanged a glance and both shot forward. With a bow before the Ashiha Mina replied, "We'll go."

The Ashiha's eyebrows raised for a moment before handing over a medium-sized package with the name of the merchant to look for in the market. She spoke the words Mina needed to hear, "Take your time."

Kazi jumped forward to follow Mina but Ashiha Esarotarahis motioned her back. "I just need one to go."

Mina hung back hugging the package.

"Go," Kazi mouthed.

Mina tilted her head in apology to Kazi and slipped through the door and out into the streets of Rasima.

***

S
ince the day in the mine when Gumus Ay realized his condition, he had redoubled his efforts to control the fire flowing through his body. They were trained from early childhood by Onyx Ay himself to prevent this very thing, the Cinsel Iliski. Warned repeatedly of the dire consequences facing all his brothers if the Ofkelenmek were unleashed upon Rasima again. With a heavy face, he slowly lowered his hammer. He was losing the battle over the control of his own body.

Should he turn himself over to Onyx Ay? Maybe he hadn't studied hard enough, concentrated on Onyx Ay's lessons long enough, wasn't strong enough. Gumus knew a death sentence hung over his head at this display of weakness. Shame made him sag forward. Gumus was from the same clan as Onyx.

"Gumus?" Buclu Okuz asked. The question was hesitant since Kertenkele never sickened or weakened or tired. They marched on for hundreds of years.

Gumus looked up.

"Are you... sweating?"

Gumus's tongue darted out to remove the sweat. He shook his head 'no' and opened his mouth to speak when the klaxon bell for break rang out through the mines.

"Drink," Gumus muttered and stalked out of the mine. He continued past the others where they stopped to eat. He ignored Buclu's calls. Soon every Kertenkele was watching as he left the mines and headed toward the Kertenkele market.

***

G
umus was the only Kertenkele walking around the market at this time of day. He felt the eyes of the Sudawas on him as he passed. Gumus was as conspicuous as a hill with wildflowers sprouting from the top taking a stroll down the street. He would have to weave through the back alleys to his small, single room. He ducked through a stone archway when a hot, rolling wave surged through him. He stumbled against the stone wall, sweat rolling down his face and
plunking
on the pavement under his feet.

Not here, not now.

Gumus Ay had to barricade himself in his room until he could bring himself under control. Each step sent another wave crashing through him. No exact explanation of the Cinsel Iliski was given except that at the last stage it resulted in a rampage of such destruction, death was the only way to stop it. This was supposed to be a phase only possible in those Kertenkele who did not mate. The females were the key but the Kertenkele were a dead race, their females eaten up from the inside out by the Bocek. His giant chest heaved and he stumbled into a pile of stacked crates.

A high-pitch yelp shot out from behind one of the crates that had tumbled down. Gumus recoiled at the thought of being caught during this fatal weakness. He flicked the crate away and revealed a Mikachiari crouching in the darkness.

Female.

His mind registered this much right before an opaque veil dropped in front of his eyes. He reached a massive arm down and clamped his hand across her entire face. Her terrified eyes peeped through the cracks between his fingers.

A rumble rose from his chest as he picked her up and hugged her to his chest.

Female.

Squeezed against him, she resembled a furry package with a dangling, ribbon of a tail. Tension eased out of his body just enough for him to move his legs forward, weaving around the deserted back alley ways until he reached his room.

A kick sent the wooden door clanging against the stone wall. Kertenkele were too massive for beds. Woven mats were on one side of the room and a small kitchen on the other. He dumped the Mikachiari on the mats and closed the door. There was no way she could escape with one tiny window at the back and Gumus filling the rest of the living space.

Gumus was safe here. There were no other Kertenkele around at this time and no reason any Elyun would wander into the living spaces of their willing slaves. The Kertenkele had no vices and could offer no entertainment to the Elyun. Kertenkele lived as monks, the perfect working machines, the perfect guests in a foreign land.

The Mikachiari stared at him with wide eyes. Kertenkele and Mikachiari did not mix. This could be the first time she'd ever seen one up close. Mikachiari barely spoke the language of their masters, Loha. She had backed into the corner and made herself as small as possible. The veil that had fallen across Gumus's eyes lightened and his mind reeled in horror at what he'd done. The Kertenkele were to harm no one. Ever. Such was the penance for the slaughter of their females. His knees buckled and he fell on them with a thud.

Gumus flattened one palm against the wall. The burning so strong he thought he would burst into flames. His thick fingers pulled out his coarse shirt from leather shorts. A glow like embers from a fire fanned down from his belly to just above his knees.

"Help me," Gumus said, bewildered at the pleading in his voice.

BOOK: Crowning Fantasy Book 1

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