Yu Yu looked at him, but made no response. Despite the attempted lightness of his tone, Ren Tang looked bone weary. Song Xiu leant on his sword and swung to assess the remaining warriors. Yu Yu did the same. There were just over a hundred Riaj-nor left standing, and many were wounded.
‘Can we beat them?’ asked Yu Yu.
‘We don’t have to beat them,’ said Song Xiu. ‘We just have to get through them and reach the gateway.’
‘We can do that, though, hey?’
‘It is why we came,’ said Song Xiu.
‘Let’s do it,’ said Ren Tang. ‘And then I want to find a town and a tavern and a fat-arsed woman. Maybe two.’
‘Taverns or women?’ asked another warrior.
‘Taverns,’ admitted Ren Tang. ‘I’m a little too tired to want more than one woman.’ Putting aside his sword, he lifted the bloody flap of skin back into place, pressing his hand against the wound.
Song Xiu moved alongside him, drawing a curved needle from a small pouch tucked into his waist sash. Swiftly he stitched the upper section of the wound. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘if you don’t want both women I’ll take one.’
‘Aye,’ answered Ren Tang, with a quick grin. ‘So let us not waste any more time. Let’s sweep away these ugly vermin, then get drunk.’
‘Agreed,’ said Song Xiu, with a brief smile. Then he took a deep breath and swung to Yu Yu. ‘I heard what your friend told you earlier. He was wrong then, but his words are right at this time. You cannot come with us on this last fight. We will not be able to protect you. And once we break through we will not be able to protect ourselves.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘As our swords touch the gateway they will simply cease to be. They will be absorbed by the spell that was placed there.’
‘Then you will all be killed,’ said Yu Yu.
‘But the gateway will be closed,’ pointed out the Riaj-nor.
‘I will not stay behind,’ insisted Yu Yu.
Ren Tang stepped in. ‘Listen to me. Despite my hatred of them, I have to admit these Kriaz-nor are great fighters. We cannot battle them and look after you. Yet if you come we will be forced to try to protect you. You see the predicament? Your presence will lessen our chance of success.’
‘Do not be sad, Yu Yu,’ said Song Xiu. ‘It was for people like you that Qin Chong and I, and the others, surrendered our humanity. It is pleasing to me that you are here. For it shows that we did not take this path in vain. Your friend Kysumu can come with us. He will represent humans in this encounter. It is what he wants. He has no true love of life. He knows no fears, as he knows no joys. That is why he can never be the hero you are. And that, my friend, is why you were the pria-shath. Without fear there can be no courage. You have fought beside us, ditch-digger, and we are proud to have known you.’ He held out his hand. Yu Yu blinked back tears as he shook it. ‘Now we must fulfil our destiny,’ said Song Xiu.
The Riaj-nor formed a fighting line, Ren Tang, Song Xiu and Kysumu at the centre.
Yu Yu stood by wretchedly as they walked slowly towards the ancient enemy.
Waylander looked into Ustarte’s golden eyes. ‘You are telling me that I am dying? I feel fine. There is no pain.’
‘And no heartbeat,’ said Ustarte sadly.
Waylander sat up and felt for his pulse. She was right. There was nothing. ‘I do not understand.’
‘It is a talent I did not know I had until we crossed the gateway. One of my companions, a lovely child named Sheetza, was stabbed. Her heart, too, had stopped beating. I healed the wound — as I have yours – and sent a surge of my power into her blood, causing it to continue to flow through the body. She lived for some hours, but then, as the spell faded, she died. You have a few hours left, Waylander. I am sorry.’