Dhanurana

Chapter 30: The Herald

***

Gehsek rubbed his eyes with almost enough force to pop them before letting out a long and animalistic groan. He ascended the stairs up to the Keep's white walls and southern entrance. Pulling a comb from a pouch on his belt, he neatened his hair. It had become frizzed from spending the day among the dust of the Capital streets supervising the beautification of the city. Servants who held his colorful parasol against the setting sun or carried the day's record tablets ran into the garden the moment the gates opened. The entrance through which the Gwomon would enter had become one of the most polished places in the city with gems being wedged between the bricks, carvings being gently ground into the walls with them, and the doors being painted with Daksin's glorious subjugation of Uttara by the best artisans the Keep could offer.

The reluctant replacements for Gehsek's day shift waited for the commander to approach and those touching up the gate or tending the much more ornate garden with the best plants from the other entrances took an undue interest in their work. One replacement summoned up the courage to approach Gehsek. She was holding more tablets and stammered as she rattled off how other sections of the Capital were faring or how small cracks in the city's walls were being patched.

Gehsek barely heard her. Instead, he looked past them to General Malik standing straight backed behind the crowd. The rising moon gave his bronze armor a purple glint.

"Commander." He put his fists together and bowed.

Gehsek waved him off.

"We've had a preliminary report from the north. We don't understand fully but something happened near Vatram."

"Are the clans at war?" Gehsek asked, looking up almost pleadingly.

"No, commander. We lost a few patrols this month but a few of the scouts were near Vatram, no reports of anything traveling from the jungle in case you were wondering, but they were keeping watch and a horrendous noise came from the mountain temple there. Like a battering ram or the like. There was Light, sir, like the Ascetics there were fighting, but it stopped soon after. No report of the northerners marching up to oust the Ascetics either. After, there was an off pressure, or aura, whatever you want to call it coming from there. All we know is it was magical in nature, perhaps spirits or perhaps... Something else." He scowled.

Gehsek furrowed his brow. "Can we confirm it's Deiweb?"

"One scout says she saw a person walking through the air, but none of the others can confirm. They can confirm that Dhanur was spotted leaving it."

Gehsek rubbed his eyes. "Confirmed?"

"The scouts swear by it. A couple fought along with her in the war. They can confirm."

'A sacrifice and he can't even kill a single person?' Gehsek thought then said, "the Malihabar girl, the one with the seal. The dhanur was traveling with a young woman. Wild hair, a torn sari, a parasol most likely."

"They said the dhanur was slumped over a bull with a temple Ascetic and a girl as such, Commander."

"He can't even wound them all," Gehsek sighed, pounding his fist into his sword's pommel.

"The Lord made a dowsing mistake, Commander," General Malik said curtly and turned, briskly returning to the Keep.

Gehsek was taken aback by his tone. He gripped the pommel of his sword and narrowed his eyes, ready to come nose–to–nose with his subordinate, but instead released another sigh and rubbed his eyes again. He hadn't been able to oil his hair yet and it had already lost its shape. He tried to run his hand through it, but it caught on his gloves and he nearly tore them off in frustration.