{"id":5673,"date":"2020-03-01T20:56:25","date_gmt":"2020-03-01T12:56:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.benjamincheah.com\/?p=5673"},"modified":"2020-03-01T20:56:25","modified_gmt":"2020-03-01T12:56:25","slug":"bayani-part-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/?p=5673","title":{"rendered":"Bayani Part 10"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Kerala,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The battle ended shortly thereafter. Or maybe after a lifetime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panting, his muscles aching at a point beyond fatigue,\nBayani finally lowered his weapons. His sword and knife were soaked through\nwith the gore of who knew how many men. Blood soaked him head to foot. He\nwasn\u2019t sure how, but he had picked up a few cuts. Nothing fatal, perhaps\nscratches from jungle plants, or nearly-successful blows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time in Bayani\u2019s experience, the Maestro\nwas short of breath. Slowly, steady, Alejandro wiped off the blood on his\nblades and put them away. The Maestro would have fresh scars for his\ncollection, and Bayani shuddered. This was the true price of mastery of the\nblade, he realized. Either you learned quickly or you died. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you okay, Maestro?\u201d Bayani asked, his voice\nhoarse and dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejandro nodded, staggering over to where he had\ndropped his backpack. He pulled out a small tin canteen, popped the cork and\ndrank deep. Then he thrust it out at Bayani. \u201cDrink.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani drank. The potion spread a warm fire through\nhis belly, returning strength to his limbs. He could almost forgot the\nbone-deep weariness threatening to fall across him. He was almost disappointed\nto learn there was but a mouthful of the bittersweet liquid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have to find Perla,\u201d Bayani said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo. I\u2019ll be here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The air was thick with powder and blood. Voided bowels\nand burning flesh. The Hesperians were corralling prisoners in the center of\nthe village. Just a handful of men, mostly wounded. Their healers, medicos<\/em> they called them, sped around\nthe village, separating the dying from the merely wounded. He walked as though\nin a trance, his feet moving of their own accord, his eyes seeing but not quite\ncomprehending what he saw. Even now, in the distance, he heard isolated single\nshots, metal sinking into flesh, the odd grunt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBayani! Bayani!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hesperians were opening cages, releasing the\nvillagers and making room for the captured Inrun. Now his people called his\nname, motioning him over, and assaulted him with a barrage of questions. Most of\nthem were women, children, the elderly. None were men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou came back for us! You got help!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBayani, where\u2019s the Maestro?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you, Bayani!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere were you? Where did you go? You let us die!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani wiped the worst of the filth from his face. He\nwasn\u2019t sure if he\u2019d ever be clean again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Perla?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crowd hushed. A ripple passed through them, men\nand women and children stepping aside, opening a hole in the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Perla rushed out, arms outstretched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBayani!\u201d she cried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPerla!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She flung her arms around him, burying her face in his\nchest. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing her tight into him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBayani! You came back! I\u2014 I\u2019m\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stroked her hair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad your safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They held each other for a timeless moment. The world\naround them dissolved into blurs and whispers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s my mother? And yours?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perla choked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Inrun\u2026 they\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His blood ran cold. He held her by the elbows and\nlooked at her in the eye. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat did they do?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey brought her here. In their cages. Last night,\nthey dragged her out. She tried to fight back. They\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat did they do?\u201d he repeated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wordlessly, she pointed at a spot behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the embers of the pyre. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani stared, numb. His limbs turned to stone. The\nsmoking fire pit carried the scent of charred pork. He wondered if he\u2019d ever eat\nmeat again, and knew he would. The equation was simple. Eat or starve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were still recognizable bodies, curled and\nshrunken, cooked beyond recognition. If he had any energy left he might have\ntried sorting through them, tried to find his mother. And Perla\u2019s. But he was\ntired, and he knew in his heart of hearts that there was no point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They were dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she whispered. \u201cWe tried, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stared wordlessly at the ashes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Maestro shuffled up behind him, much louder than\nhe normally walked. Bayani glanced behind him, and Alejandro rested his hand on\nhis student\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe did our best, Bayani.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani didn\u2019t know. His heart felt like a freshly-drained\ncup. There was nothing left to feel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNumb,\u201d Bayani said, finally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry about Tula.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hot tears gathered around his eyes. Bayani blinked,\nwondering where they had come from, and wiped them away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid we\u2026did we win?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe defeated the Inrun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut did we win?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou and I are the only men left. Maybe some managed\nto flee into the jungle, but there wouldn\u2019t be many of those. Do you think the\nvillage can survive?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is your answer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy\u2026why do people do this?\u201d Bayani asked. \u201cWhy did\nthey do this to us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe answers died with the headman. Who knows what he\nwas thinking. But if there is one thing I know, it\u2019s that evil wears many\nmasks, and evil men don\u2019t always need a reason to practice their trade. At\nleast, not one we can understand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was nothing more he could say. Bayani stared at\na flickering ember. Watched it fade to black.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you feel like a hero, Bayani?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He blinked, wondering why the Maestro said his name\ntwice, before the rest of his brain caught up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood. You need to be a man. And, make no mistake,\nbeing a man is infinitely harder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur village is dead. We\u2014you and me\u2014have to resettle\nwho is left and find out whoever survived. We may need to integrate ourselves\nwith a friendly tribe, and that requires a lot of work and delicacy. The Inrun\nmay still be out there, and we have to guard against future attacks. The conquistadores<\/em> will want payment for\ntheir help, and perhaps they will call upon us in the future. There\u2019s no place\nfor a hero here. Only men.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani nodded. \u201cI\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome, then. We have men\u2019s work waiting for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayani stared into the dying flame a moment more.\n\u201cGoodbye, Mother,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He sheathed his blades and followed the Maestro,\nreturning to his people. Perla followed him, taking his hand. He squeezed it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The time of war was over. The time of heroes was done. Now was the time for men. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

To stay up to date on my latest writing news and promotions, sign up for my mailing list\u00a0here<\/a>! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The battle ended shortly thereafter. Or maybe after a lifetime. Perhaps both. Panting, his muscles aching at a point beyond fatigue, Bayani finally lowered his weapons. His sword and knife were soaked through with the gore of who knew how many men. Blood soaked him head to foot. He wasn\u2019t sure how, but he had […]<\/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-5673","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\/5673"}],"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=5673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5673\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}