Tell No One

Tell No One

Chapter 11.

Dishevelled and exaughsted, Vua Rapuung exited the shaper damutek, via a route Mezhan Kwaad had told him would be safest. The swim from the tepid depths of the succession pool had left him soaked to the bone, and more dishevelled than he had appeared to begin with. His hair clung damply to his face, obscuring his view as he had hauled himself heavily to the water’s edge – which he managed with as little noise as possible. Still all this brought a feral grin to his face, when he recalled the reasons behind his bedraggled state. So why was his heart so heavy? Why were his thoughts all accumulating together to tie themselves into painful knots of foreboding inside his head?

Wringing out the water-logged cloth of the standard loin cloth, worn by off duty warriors, he cast a cautious eye around thee huge vaulted area somewhat suspiciously – Hul Rapuung was not easily deterred, especially where he felt he should cast the lambent light of suspicion into the proverbial shadows of deception.
Satisfied that his crèche brother was not in the near vicinity of the damutek behind him, Vua Rapuung began a meticulous search of the immediate area, widening his surreptitious search. If anyone inquired about his activity, he would say that he had merely followed an errant shamed one here, with a view to punishing the timid brenzlit for daring to leave the worker grashals this late.
His worries, however, were for nothing, he found no one save for the scuttling creatures that all seemed to use this quiet opportunity to sneak out from coral crevices in the walls, collecting food from the minerals to be found in certain places of the worldship that were inactive at present.

The warrior breathed a sigh of relief – Hul Rapuung was nowhere to be seen and therefore, Mezhan Kwaad must have done a more proficient job of deterring him than he had originally thought. He almost felt a pang of guilt at disbelieving her, the shaper continued to surprise him even now.
Mind set partially at rest, Vua Rapuung began the long walk back to the warrior grashals.

Moments later, the membrane to his quarters snapped open at the touch of his palm against the worn nerve cluster that caused it’s action. Bioluminescent fungi illuminating the interior of the small sleeping chamber he called home, the incandescent blue light banished darkness, lighting up every object clearly as if the natural daylight of a distant world had been captured only in this diminutive space.
Yet one shadow did not diminish upon illumination.
It was tall, broad and, Vua Rapuung realized in the split second it took him to dodge a frontal attack, carrying a weapon!

The sharp edge of the coufee’s jutting blade skimmed his head, shearing off hair in the process of him dropping to the ground and spin-kicking out in order to kick his attacker’s feet out from under him.
The figure jumped, anticipating the move, just in time to watch his feet miss the would-be impact.
Vua Rapuung had already begun to rise, snarling maliciously in frustration. He reached for his own coufee, turning toward the attacker in order to slash him across the throat, when suddenly the warrior froze mid-action. Bearing towards him with all his fury, was none other than Hul Rapuung – a sinister intent burning in his obsidian eyes.

This time Vua Rapuung parried, the oncoming attack hard, vicious, sending his creche brother’s coufee flying across the threshold and into the open chamber beyond. Hul Rapuung did not halt there, despite his now seemingly weaponless state; instead he put his full weight behind his motion and shoved Vua back against the wall of the capillary-like corridor.
Coral shards flaked off in large clumps, some spattered with his blood, as the warrior tried to draw away from the potential trap he had just been so unceremoniously shoved into. But Hul Rapuung was relentless enough to pin him in place just in time, his clawed hands gripping hold of his brother’s arms in a vice-like hold.

“What sins have you brought upon us creche brother?!” Hul Rapuung spat,
“What atrocities have you partaken in, that will earn our domain the full wrath of the gods disapproval!?”

Vua Rapuung did not let go of his coufee, even as his brother accused him, he did not attempt to free himself either, a cold dread had taken a hold of his senses within it’s icy hold and momentarily shocked him to the core.

“I know of no such atrocities, what madness is this?” He hissed back, bearing his teeth through the veil of dread that had begun to descend upon his adrenaline saturated senses.

Hul Rapuung’s eyes burned anew, his voice icy and dangerous as he dug his claws into the newly scarred flesh of his brother’s upper arms. Among the scars Hul’s fleeting glance had allowed him, he recognized some as the marks acquired through the embrace of pain. Had he been wrong in his accusation after all? No, he couldn’t be, he’d seen through this deception with reason.

“Yun-Harla is not with you now, Vua Rapuung, do not take me for a fool!” Hul Growled menacingly, “What business do you have, sneaking into a shaper damutek!?”

Vua Rapuung’s eyesacs darkened to a deep purple hue, as he drew himself up in outrage. Hul Rapuung however, held him firmly where he was.

“I did no such thing! Who told you this un truth?” Vua Rapuung tried to continue, “I would see them – “

That was when his brother’s fist collided with his cheekbone, grazing it only to hit the warrior’s nose ridge. Blood spat forth from his ragged nostrils, coating Hul Rapuung’s now-tender knuckles.

“More lies! What have the shapers done to you?” Hul Rapuung spat, what had happened to the closes of his creche siblings in these past weeks? Had he been so powerless to stop it?

“If it is the truth you wish to extract, creche brother, I have already –“

Yet again Hul Rapuung cut his brother’s words short, he was enraged enough without hearing yet another lie fall from his brothers tongue.

“If I am unable to extract the truth from you, perhaps a more expedient way would be to extract these ‘elusive’ truths from the Shaper master of that damutek, myself?”

He watched Vua Rapuung’s eyes narrow to deep slits of purest anger, emotions boiling behind a mask of calm, born of the very same training he himself had undergone – he knew it well, yet was unprepared for what was to come.

Yanking one arm free, Vua Rapuung brought up the coufee he still brandished in his right hand, and sliced a large gash in the arm with which his brother still pinned him. Hul’s instant reactions kicked in as expected, forcing him to recoil momentarily as the realization of what was happening set in. In that instant, his brother was able to bring his leg up high enough to kick Hul Rapuung back and away from him, dislodging the warrior with one shove, another precise one as he tried to counter took Hul off balance, and a further spin kick from the opposite direction sent him crashing to the floor.

Vua Rapuung pounced upon the prone form before him, raining down a flurry of blows from above, with the intent to knock his creche brother out cold. If he could incapacitate Hul Rapuung, then he would have more time to decide what to do, but whatever that was, he should do it quickly.

Hul Rapuung took it as well as any Yuuzhan Vong warrior of his rank would do, an overt challenge. He fought back, returning glancing blows when he could in an attempt to get inside his brothers parries and dislodge the warrior enough to get to his feet. This myriad of squabbling went on for several moments, with neither party achieving their desired goals, and it was only when Vua Rapuung noticed that the hacking laughter, that he had previously been convinced had been his imagination, was actually emanating from his sibling, did he stop what he was doing.
Indeed, grasping his creche brother by the throat - a movement Hul Rapuung did not prevent nor try to escape with a flinch – and snarling down imminent death at him, did not seem to change his sibling’s manner much at all.

“This amuses you?” Vua Rapuung asked at last.

“Only that you fight as though we have returned to our creche days.” Hul countered, “And on the behalf of one who will lead you to ruin, how pitiful.”

Slowly, the ire and deep colour draining from him, Vua Rapuung loosened his grip on the other warrior, embarrassment etching the lines upon his face. Hul Rapuung did not have to say a word, his creche sibling was about to do all that for him, he had been right then, this shaper was of importance to him.

“Your ridicule spawns the truth I fear,” Vua admonished, “But it is not she who will be my ruin.”

He rose, allowing Hul Rapuung up after him, brushing the dirt and dried blood from his person.

“And the ruin of our domain?”

Vua did not like that question, not one bit. It was barbed as it was twisted, every which way you turned it, dishonour was sure to come. Hul Rapuung knew something was awry, he knew it had something to do with he and Mezhan Kwaad – a mere mortal had seen through their lies, what hope did he stand against the gods?!

“I….we…did not-“ Vua Rapuung tried, but the words remained elusive, and he should not speak them here.

He turned and entered his sleeping chamber, his creche brother following soon after. The membrane snapped shut, concealing them from prying eyes and ears.
Vua Rapuung took a deep breath, wiping the blood from his face with the back of one hand, then spoke,
“I must have your word that what is said within these walls must never leave.”

Hul Rapuung took a moment to consider, this was by no means a simple agreement, he too would be made to suffer the god’s wrath if his decision meant that he was forced to keep heresy from those who could deal best with it. Yet he found himself relenting, Vua was his creche brother, he owed him this much.

“It will be so.” He confirmed flatly, resting against a small coral plinth, the surface of which felt rough to the touch compared to the relatively smooth, worn floor of the grashal.

Still Vua Rapuung did not speak, was what he had to say so terrible? Hul supposed so – his brother’s words had troubled him greatly, but Vua Rapuung’s silence troubled the warrior more. A warriors place was to be dutiful, adhere to the strict doctrine of the true way and devote their life to serving the gods. Secrets such as this had the potential to burden a whole domain with an unsightly shame. Finally, Vua did indeed break the silence,

“Neither of us intended this to happen, I thought that the gods would never dare weave such intricacies between castes…but they did, and they have allowed the seed they planted to grow, flourish like surge coral, yet now…” Vua Rapuung paused, noting the look of confusion in his brothers eyes – or perhaps it was denial? He had gone through the same thoughts himself days ago.
“Yet now the gods seek to unravel what we have done.”

Hul Rapuung’s expression suddenly regained some of its composure, darkening considerably,

“Intricacies?” He asked, his voice a restrained hiss, “What have you done?”

Vua Rapuung nodded once, and was able to fix his brother with a baleful stare.
Eying up the chances of another attack? Hul wondered to himself.

Gnashing his teeth with tension, Vua Rapuung recalled he had given his word, that no word of this would pass his lips, no other must know of their affair or it would lead to the ruin of them both. But now it was abundantly clear to him, the gods had begun to reveal their secret to all who mattered, begun to pick apart their deeds as a warning to them both of the disapproval and shame that awaited them and their domains. At best their entire domains would be sacrificed en masse. If Hul Rapuung did not know now, then he soon would! And that would bode ill for them both. He had a chance to fix this, to heed the gods warning and spend as long as was necessary in atonement for his misdeeds.

“I lied to you, about Suun Esh” He admitted, this was the beginning of the end.

Hul Rapuung gave a chop of his head in the affirmative, and grunted a sharp acknowledgement,
“This I already know.”

Vua Rapuung’s dark eyes went momentarily wide, would he be confessing to something his brother already knew entirely? Was a warrior death-squad assigned to infiltrate this grashal upon Hul Rapuung’s order? Such things conjured up images of the raid on the shaper damutek, though he had not witnessed its results, something still did not sit right with him on that particular matter.
The warrior tensed, uncertain that he should go on, but something, some compelling sense of allegiance to the gods, to Yun-Yuuzhan the all seeing creator, told him he must.

“I was with her, the shaper master.”

His voice left no doubt as to what ‘with her’ meant, exactly. Hul Rapuung was certain he’d heard right regardless, this was merely worse confirmation than he had expected. He gave no reaction initially, nothing for his creche brother to judge in terms of how he had taken the news. His square-cut features remained impassively still and the commander was eerily quiet with it.
If it had not been for the subtle darkening of the warrior’s eyesacs, nor the tension that sent a ripple through his shoulder-implanted iifii spines, Vua Rapuung would not have been able to pre-empt the blow to be dealt his way without warning.

Seeing his brother duck his fist, Hul Rapuung turned his fist into an outstretched ‘claw’ in order to swipe-grab at him.
Just quick enough to avoid the motion, Vua dropped low and rolled skilfully out of the way, but not before his brother had torn out a clump of his dark hair.

To Hul Rapuung’s horror, when he turned, Vua Rapuung was now rising next to the small wall cavity that served as a warrior’s amphistaff vivarium. Surely his brother had not sunk so low as to attack an unarmed man, instead of fighting him as an equal?

Perhaps he had seen the fleeting sense of betrayal in his brother’s eyes, but Vua Rapuung did not reach for the living serpentine weapon, and he was certain he then saw mild relief cross Hul’s face. This would not stop him from attacking again though, he knew his brother too well, and so he stood his ground, waiting for the opportunity to strike.
To his surprise, instead of attacking again, Hul Rapuung sneered,

“You fool, do you know what you have brought upon our domain?!”

The disgraced warrior tried to respond, but was promptly cut off as Hul continued his barrage of verbal assault,

“And you say here, tonight, that you fear the gods have discovered your little, indescression? Are you mad?!”

Hul Rapuung had taken several slow, menacing steps forward, Vua Rapuung did likewise, he might have been disgraced by the sickening truth, but he was not going to back down from a challenge of any kind.

“Perhaps,” he began, voice no less threatening than the one that had just spoken, “Perhaps I have, I cannot describe what it is that ails me.”

To Vua Rapuung’s surprise yet again, his brother clasped him firmly by his still-tender shoulders and made as if to shake the other warrior hard.

“You are a warrior of domain Rapuung! A warrior of the glorious Yuuzhan Vong, ailments are but a lesser pain to be embraced, they are nothing to you!” he growled disbelievingly – what had happened to the proud warrior he had grown up with? He now seemed to Hul Rapuung, a mere shadow of his former self. It was both disturbing as it was saddening all at once. He continued,

“This is no ailment, it is as I said, a madness, one you must face or face shame!”

Hul Rapuung was now literally shaking with the fury spawned from an all encompassing shock. He looked as though he were about to explode, at any moment, into a fiery battle rage.
Vua Rapuung wanted to deny his brothers words, to strike out and make him understand. In his heart he knew he loved Mezhan Kwaad, he had wanted nothing more than to give into her askance of him and stay with her in the damutek this night. Even now, with shame staring him right in the eyes, the warrior longed to be with her again, craved her attentive touch. Yet what Hul Rapuung said made more sense than he cared to admit. Sometimes, the truth was the worst pain of all to embrace.

If he remained like this, kept things as they were, then it would be a direct challenge to the very gods he sought to serve. He and all those around him would be shamed, and both he and Mezhan Kwaad would be sacrificed to the lover gods, they would die dishonourably. Could he do that? More importantly, could he do this to her?
Was he as surreptitiously selfish, as the lowliest caste intendants, that he could bring that stain down upon his own domain?
The shaper seemed to find little fault in the same prospect, but Rapuung supposed that this was only because she had not thought about it thus. Indeed, they had discussed it scantly.

Staring back at his brother, with as much confidence as he could muster, he knew in his breaking heart what was best. Yet ignorant denial still found it’s way through his lips.

“I cannot do what you ask.“

Hul Rapuung did not hold back, dealing out a punishing blow to his creche brother’s head, that sent the other warrior staggering back, blood spilling from his already battered nasal cavity, as he struggled to keep a hold of his balance, his sound and vision clear along with it.
Hul took a few steps after him, as if to ward off the threat of rebuttal,

“No, Vua Rapuung, you will end this, or I will end you both!” Though the words sounded painfully wrong to his ears, Hul Rapuung meant them no less, he would gladly sacrifice his brother to spare their domain the hideous shame he would bring upon them!

Even now the warrior growled and challenging at the disgusting sight of his sibling languishing on the floor like some senselessly beaten shamed one – an ironic premonitional embodiment of what they would both become if Vua Rapuung persisted in his trysting with the forbidden.

The fallen warrior remained silent for just a moment, wiping the blood from his ragged half-nose in an ebony smear upon the back of his hand again. Slowly he rose to his feet with purpose. Hul Rapuung was correct, he was a warrior of his respected domain, a warrior of the glorious Yuuzhan Vong, and as such, he would deliver his next words on his feet.

His mind quaked with the truth, torn between his honour and his love for someone he could never truly have. One had greater risks than the other, yet one beheld the key to a deeper part of himself – one he feared could not be reached by another.
He would, perhaps, come to look upon his memories of the shaper with disdain in later times, wisely so, he would learn from his wrong doing. But now all he felt was sadness in pain. One he would have to force himself to embrace, to revel in when this love, no, madness left him.

“Then I shall end it, not for my life, nor hers, but for our domain.” The words fell from his mouth, heavy and soaked in ruin – no words he could think of, no image or action he could envisage, even began to tell how much he regretted what he was about to do. Vua Rapuung was silently broken, he realized with enough disgust for one whole lifetime.

Hul Rapuung’s hand clamped down upon his brother’s shoulder and Vua barely managed to suppress his surprise, yet he did not flinch once.

“Then some part of my creche brother still remains?” Hul intoned, much calmer than he had been previously, “Pray to the gods, that it is enough to see you through this heresy.”

He then proceeded to push past Vua Rapuung, heavy on his feet as he went. Neither warrior turned to face the other, even as Hul Rapuung paused to deliver parting words,
“I will tell our superiors that the priests have asked that you pay devotional sacrifice within the next day cycle, you will end it then.”

Vua Rapuung forced down the urge to revoke all he had said and end all those who stood in his way. But there would always be some, those who’s control over his fate held sway over him and all Yuuzhan Vong alike.
The gods.
They knew, and that should have been enough.

“When next the morning cycle arrives, it will already be done.” He responded in kind, adding a slight edge to his voice as if it made him sound more convincing.

He wanted rid of Hul Rapuung now, he needed this time to himself, time to cleanse and pay in small offerings to the very gods that had seen fit to warn him of his erroneous ways. Even as he heard the entrance snap open with a wet pop, then shut again, the warrior drew his coufee with a heavy heart and dragged it across his palm to sanctify the blade.

Then it was to the silence of the night-cycle that he said his goodbyes to the shaper in blood and pain, in his now unfaltering devotion to the gods that had sought to put him in his place. His only regret was that Mezhan Kwaad might never know how much he truly loved her.

He would do this for them both.