{"id":5669,"date":"2020-02-28T21:10:02","date_gmt":"2020-02-28T13:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.benjamincheah.com\/?p=5669"},"modified":"2020-02-28T21:10:02","modified_gmt":"2020-02-28T13:10:02","slug":"bayani-part-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/?p=5669","title":{"rendered":"Bayani Part 9"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Kerala,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They smelled the burning before they saw the smoke. In the ash was the sweet scent of cooked meat, and a blacker undertone of charred flesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Bayani whispered. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejandro gripped his shoulder. \u201cSteady, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaestro, we must\u2026\u201d He swallowed. \u201cWe must find out\nwhat happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejandro nodded, the ghost of a smile playing across\nhis lips. \u201cWe must.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raising his fingers to his lips, Alejandro whistled a\nsharp note. Capitan de Cruz trotted over to them, guiding his horse across the\nuneven jungle floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaestro, is that your village?\u201d de Cruz asked,\npointing at the pillar of black, greasy smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt lies in the same direction, yes. We need to scout\nahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d de Cruz said. \u201cDo you need any of my men?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are faster and quieter on foot,\u201d Bayani said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A glint appeared in Alejandro\u2019s eyes. \u201cYes, and you\nneed to prepare your men for battle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery well.\u201d De Cruz dismounted, extending his hand. \u201cVaya con Dios<\/em>, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejandro shook it. \u201cYou too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

De Cruz held his hand to Bayani too. \u201cGood luck to\nyou, young man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d Bayani gripped De Cruz\u2019s hand and\nimitated the Maestro, squeezing hard and pumping once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani was a son of the jungle. He knew every tree,\nevery rock, every pitfall around the village. And he knew there was a\nparticularly tall tree not so far from the village firm enough to hold his\nweight. Stalking through the undergrowth, his eyes and ears open, he led\nAlejandro to the tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can climb up the tree and observe from here,\u201d\nBayani whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejandro nodded. \u201cGood thinking. But I am old, and\nclimbing is a young man\u2019s game.\u201d He glanced at Bayani. \u201cThis is your spot. Stay\nhere and watch. I\u2019ll study the ground on foot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re leaving me here alone?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI will be back by mid-day.\u201d Alejandro raised his eyebrow. \u201cYou can<\/em> be alone for a while, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes Maestro.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejandro disappeared into the bush without a sound.\nBayani clambered up the tree, careful to maintain stealth. Little bits of bark\npeeled away as he hauled himself upwards, and he strove to be more careful. At\nthe crown of the tree, a collection of thick branches awaited. Moving slowly,\ncautiously, Bayani positioned himself on the lowest branch, grasping the upper\nones for balance. He shifted himself around and turned towards the village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the huts were gone. Burned to ashes. A dying\nbonfire dominated the central space, more smoke than flame. A pair of Inrun\ntossed a body into the fire. Nearby, tall cages held people. His heart\ncontracted, and he wondered if Perla were among them. He couldn\u2019t make out any\ndetails, just an undifferentiated mass of humanity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perla. If they had done anything to her, he would\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He swallowed. There was a time to act, yes, but that\ntime was not now. Now, he had to observe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty Inrun guarded each end of the road that ran\nthrough the village, armed with a mix of muskets and spears. Eighty, maybe a\nhundred, clustered around the cages, jeering and making obscene gestures. Some\ngathered in small clusters away from the festivities, cleaning weapons or\nresting. A small figure with a green and black headwrap mingled with the crowd,\ntalking to everyone he saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was the enemy headman. The same one Bayani had seen\nin the Abiguay village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His teeth clenched. He would answer for his crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani kept watch. The Inrun dispersed, laughing and chatting. The headman drew his keris<\/em> and rattled the bars of the nearest cage. Two minions opened the cage, dragging out a few wailing prisoners. Women. The headman shoved them towards his men and the Inrun\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani bit down on his tongue. How could they do such\nthings? He wanted to turn away, but his muscles froze and his eyes swallowed\neverything. When they were done the Inrun tossed the bodies into the fire.\nThere and then Bayani decided that the Inrun would die. Every last one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Inrun were weak. He had to find more of their\nweaknesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smaller fires illuminated the village. The Inrun cooked\nmeat and stole fruits from the village\u2019s trees. Even the guards watching the\nroads settled down to rest. Where the jungle brushed up against civilization on\nthe east side, there were only two guards. There appeared to be only brambles\nand nettles in that direction, but Bayani knew of a secret way through them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the sun climbed overhead, he heard a soft hiss\nfrom below. Alejandro was there. Bayani climbed down and relayed his findings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExcellent work,\u201d Alejandro said. \u201cIf we hurry we can\ncatch them unaware.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you, Maestro.\u201d Alejandro grinned. \u201cNow, we will make them pay.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani steadied himself, slowly but inexorably drawing\nback his bow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plan was brutally simple. Eliminate the two eastern guards. Lead the conquistadores<\/em> into the center of the village. Wait for the Hesperians to fire a volley of shots to disorient the enemy, then close in for the kill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it meant Bayani had to hit the target. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His arrow notched, he pulled, pulled some more, as far\nas the bowstring would go. His target was oblivious, staring dead-eyed ahead of\nhim instead of above, where Bayani awaited in the trees. Bayani lowered the bow\na little, aiming for the man\u2019s heart. He thought of the arrows missing the\nbanana tree. The arrow that missed the macaque. He took a breath and breathed\nthe thoughts out. There was only the present. The target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A scrubfowl called. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The arrow speared the guard in the chest. The Inrun\nstaggered, blinked, looked down at the arrow, and slowly fell to his side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani checked the other target. He was slumped over,\nan arrow in his heart. Bayani heaved a sigh of relief. He\u2019d done it. Finally.\nStowing his bow, he slid down the tree, stepping carefully on its massive roots\nto avoid the worst of the undergrowth. He jumped, landing in the middle of a\nsmall path just wide enough to admit a man. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejandro was waiting for him. The Maestro nodded, Bayani\ndid the same, and Alejandro mimicked the call of a quail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The jungle rustled and crunched behind them. Conquistadores<\/em> emerged, armed and\narmored. Bayani led the way down the trail, the Maestro behind him. A\ndeceptively large bush blocked the end of the trail. Bayani brushed past it,\nand so did Alejandro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now was a time for speed. Not stealth. The men ran,\nheaded for the center of the village. They ran on swift and silent feet. The conquistadores<\/em> pounded and clanked,\ntheir heavy arms and armour betraying them. Hearing the noise, the Inrun roused\nthemselves. The Hesperians formed long thin lines in front of Bayani and\nAlejandro. Their commanders yelled strings of orders, and the conquistadores<\/em> brought their pre-loaded\nweapons to their shoulders, cocking them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Inrun jumped to their feet, picking up weapons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hesperians fired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a solid wall of sound, nearly stopping the\nInrun in their tracks. Many Inrun dropped immediately. As the Inrun recovered,\nthe Hesperians scrambled, fixing plug bayonets while their commanders covered\nthem with pistol fire. The Inrun headman yelled orders, rallying his men.\nDrawing his ginunting<\/em>,Bayani scanned the mass of men, looking\nfor the headman and his wrap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Inrun charged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hesperians counter-charged, yelling a\nblood-curdling war cry with their bayoneted muskets ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d the Maestro called, and joined the ranks\nof the Hesperians. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani followed. Or tried. When the masses of men\ncollided he lost sight of the Maestro. The Hesperians lunged forward, spiking\nthe Inrun on their bayonets. Some Inrun stepped away from the muskets, closing\nbefore the conquistadores<\/em> could\nreact, and fell on the Hesperians. Bayani caught a glimpse of the Maestro and\nfollowed his headlong charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brushing past a conquistador<\/em>, he saw an Inrun evade a bayonet thrust, stepping into Bayani\u2019s path. Bayani shifted his feet just so and cut. The Inrun stared at the stump of his arm, long enough for the Hesperian to gut him. Bayani kept running, not daring to stop. Where was\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There! Next to a hut, the Inrun headman was screaming\nand pulling men to their feet, shoving them towards the battle. Bayani ran, but\nkept his eyes open and swept the field and\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014jumped away as an Inrun thrust a spear at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Inrun roared, stabbing again with his sibat<\/em>. Sidestepping, Bayani parried the weapon across his body. The ginunting<\/em> skittered off the sibat<\/em>\u2019s rattan shaft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Inrun retracted the spear, then shifted and swung the\nbutt at Bayani\u2019s face. Jumping back, Bayani gripped his weapon hand with his\nlive hand and brought the blade down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stopped the sibat<\/em>, barely, but the shock of the impact vibrated through his bones and the ginunting<\/em> bit fast into the staff. Bayani yanked the sword free, and discovered that his left hand was at his baraw<\/em>. He drew the knife, holding it in pikal<\/em>, the reverse grip, and closed in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Inrun stepped back, raising his weapon above his head. Bayani dodged just as the sibat<\/em> came crashing down,<\/em> and hacked out with his baraw. <\/em>The knife scored across the Inrun\u2019s right hand, forcing it open. The Inrun stepped back, but Bayani was already closing, bringing his sword back around. Bayani slashed, and blood spurted from the Inrun\u2019s neck. The Inrun dropped his weapon and collapsed, hands desperately plugging the wound. Bayani ran past him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Maestro just ahead of Bayani, rushing for the\nInrun headman. The headman yelled orders at his three remaining minions.\nAlejandro swerved, running towards the trio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet the headman!\u201d Alejandro shouted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jumping in, Alejandro flashed his blade. The Inrun\nswordsmen jumped back. Then they closed in and the Maestro danced back, luring\nthem away from the enemy leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Inrun headman sneered, drawing his keris<\/em>. He uttered something in his native tongue. Bayani did not understand a single word, but even if he did, he would not have replied. This was not a time to talk. This was a time to kill. Bayani thrust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The headman stepped away, slashing out. The swords clanged<\/em>. He was fast<\/em>; had Bayani been a moment slower his hand would be on the ground. The headman stepped in, flicking his keris<\/em> up for a return thrust. Bayani stepped in and scissored his arms outwards. The baraw<\/em> parried the keris<\/em>. The ginunting<\/em> sought the headman\u2019s throat. The headman arched back, just barely dodging the sword.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The headmen stepped in and kept low, driving a\nrock-solid fist into Bayani\u2019s stomach. Then a knee to the groin. Bayani\nstaggered back, gasping, then took a step back and solidly planted his feet on\nthe ground. He looked up, just as the headman slashed his sword down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani replied with an upward diagonal slash, deflecting\nthe blade. His sword flowed through a tight arc, going for the headman\u2019s\nthroat. The Inrun crashed his forearm into Bayani\u2019s, blocking the blow. Roaring\nthe headman pressed into Bayani, pushing him back, his hand sliding down to\ngrasp Bayani\u2019s wrist with an iron grip and\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Bayani remembered the counter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani snaked his knife hand under his sword hand and\nhacked out, simultaneously kicking at the Inrun\u2019s lead leg. The blade bit into\nhis wrist and stripped his grip, and the headman dropped to a knee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani brought his ginunting<\/em> up and around his head, and split him from left shoulder to right hip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani panted. Was it\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No. It\u2019s not over. Glancing around, he saw the Maestro\ncut down an Inrun swordsman. There were two more bodies nearby. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And a fourth one was sneaking up behind Alejandro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaestro! Behind you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejandro spun around. His left hand flashed, sending\na knife towards his opponent. The Inrun dodged, barking a loud \u201cHah!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the distraction bought time for Alejandro to slip\nup to the Inrun\u2019s side. As the enemy turned towards the Maestro, Alejandro cut\ndown, dis-arming him, then cut again and took his head off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejandro recovered the knife and nodded at Bayani. Bayani nodded back. Together they returned to the swirl of combat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Faith, firefights and monsters in neon-drenched streets!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To stay updated on my latest news and promotions, sign up for my mailing list here<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They smelled the burning before they saw the smoke. In the ash was the sweet scent of cooked meat, and a blacker undertone of charred flesh. \u201cNo,\u201d Bayani whispered. \u201cNo.\u201d Alejandro gripped his shoulder. \u201cSteady, boy.\u201d \u201cMaestro, we must\u2026\u201d He swallowed. \u201cWe must find out what happened.\u201d Alejandro nodded, the ghost of a smile playing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[69,136,143,208,253,289,306],"class_list":["post-5669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fiction","tag-bayani","tag-fantasy","tag-free-story","tag-martial-arts","tag-pulprev","tag-singlit","tag-steempulp"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5669"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5669"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5669\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}