A New Dawn Read online

  Roberto Ricci

  A New Dawn (The Red Harlequin #4)

  UUID: b64b61a2-8445-11e8-ac27-17532927e555

  This ebook was created with StreetLib Write

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  Table Of Contents

  Prologue

  29. The Chasm of Death

  30. Return to Samaris

  31. Lavenders and Butterflies

  32. The Magnificent Monarch

  33. A Dark Presence

  34. The Rainbow Army

  35. In the shadow of the Blue Pyramid

  36. A New Dawn

  37. Awakenings

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Prologue

  I am no longer afraid of the night.

  The night has no colors — only a dark mantle.

  It embraces everything;

  Chromes, territories, destinies.

  At night, wounds are healed and masks are removed;

  Dreams pervade the air,

  The night is a promise waiting to be fulfilled.

  For a new dawn is rising and nothing will be the same again.

  29. The Chasm of Death

  The war to end all wars had begun. I gazed down from a hill, watching Orange and Yellow chromes amass in front of me, with a hundred flags and banners flapping in the wind. Suddenly, I knew nothing would be the same in the territories, ever again. To my right, I had my good and loyal friend Daerec; he had saved me more than once and was someone I could kill for. To my left, stood Cestia; the beautiful Red princess for whom I would have died for. Oh, how the gods loved their irony! I marveled that, in the past, both of them could have been my enemies. We might have once killed each other for the sake of a color… Yes, the gods could be harsh on us mortals… or perhaps it was we mortals that had become too harsh with each other. Thankfully, those same gods that once divided us decided to bring us together for a reason: unite what had been separated for far too long.

  My path to unity had begun the day I had escaped from Axyum and turned my back to my own kin, the Black chromes. It continued during the battle of the Red city of Samaris, when I chose to impersonate the Red Harlequin, a nonexistent demon so feared by the chromes it had become a legend used to terrify them and keep them in line. My mission was reinforced when I journeyed to Everdia, where the Greens turned my wrath into love. And it was finally fulfilled when I came to the lands of the Orange and Yellow, two nations who lived in confined cities, so close and yet so distant from each other. Now, the chromes of these two venerable cities were mixed together — dots of shiny gold among the bright copper. If this was anything close to what the future held, I liked it.

  From this army, two chromes came forward: Brother Ddeko, the spiritual guide of the Yellow chromes, and Sister Sitria, one of the ruling sisters of the proud Orange chromes. After the victorious battle of the twin cities, both nations chose to no longer wear masks. And I was pleased to see an expression of satisfaction on their leaders’ faces. Twin grins of pleasure pervaded their eyes, the mouths and even the wrinkles that came with their solstices. Both had shared the fruit of freedom and savored its sweet taste.

  “We are ready to listen to you, Harlequin,” said Ddeko.

  I nodded and turned to Cestia, smiling. She reached for my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Her presence gave me strength. I felt as if the sun could no longer rise without her by my side.

  I turned to face the multitude of Yellow and Orange chromes staring at me. When I first arrived in these mountain lands, I had only seen farmers and cattle raisers. But now, fully equipped with swords and shields taken from the defeated Black legions, these chromes looked as battle ready as the soldiers of Axyum.

  I raised my sword and hailed them: “Sisters! Brothers! Today is a new day for us and our territories! Today is the day that marks the path to freedom — forever. Freedom from the masks that we have been forced to wear! Freedom from the colors and rites we have been obliged to follow since our birth! Freedom from the Blacks and any other oppressor who would dare to try telling us what to do with our lives! Today is your day!”

  The roar of the crowd washed over me like a crashing wave. It was exhilarating.

  “Let us not forget the deaths of those that fell with one goal in mind: to bring us to this moment. Let us march through the Territories for them as well. And let us embrace other colors and other chromes. Once we open our hearts to them they will surely join our cause!”

  Behind me, I heard Daerec say: “Mm, I’m not certain they’ll perceive our message as being one of love and peace after they see our swords.”

  Cestia shushed him. “They will also see elders and infants, not just warriors.” She murmured.

  I continued to incite the crowd: “It will not be easy. There will be moments when our courage will falter, and our doubt will overwhelm us, but remember this: you are the ones who started it all! May your hearts always guide you!”

  Another hurrah followed.

  As I spoke, I descended from the hill. I drew close enough to observe the unmasked faces of the Orange and Yellow making up the front lines. I could see the fierceness in their eyes and their growing self-esteem. I could sense equilibrium. They no longer feared rival territories or the gods. On the contrary, they were at one with both. I smiled and quickly returned to my friends. I gave one, proud final look back to this newly created army. Raising my sword, I shouted: “Onwards!”

  “Onward!” Everyone cheered. Their energy spread throughout the valley.

  Inside me, Chtomio’s voice whispered: “Unite the territories Asheva. Remove the symbol of hypocrisy and corruption that is the color of the chrome.”

  “I will, old friend, I will,” I mumbled as I mounted my horse.

  “You look pleased with yourself, Red Harlequin,” said Cestia, drawing close to me on her destrier.

  “I am pleased,” I replied. “I am following both my heart and the hearts of thousands of other chromes.”

  “I hope you will be as convincing with the Red as you were with the Yellow and Orange.” she fretted.

  I could understand Cestia’s preoccupation. The way we had been banished from the Red camp did not make things easy for us. The nobles had ousted her in a coup and now we were going back to seek their support and alliance.

  It had been an ugly parting. We had found the last soldiers of the mighty Red army hiding in a mountain pass. They had been glad I’d saved the life of their princess, but when Cestia ordered them to fight under the command of a Harlequin, they had turned their backs on her. A group of hostile noble Ashis – members of the Red’s highest caste – didn’t make things easier. Led by Erai, a spoiled, privileged chrome whom Cestia rejected in favor of me, the group set out to smear my name and make me appear untrustworthy. This had led to a brawl in which Erai attempted to assassinate the princess under the guise of saving her from herself. She was able to stop him with the help of her loyal Parabathai warriors, but she had still been discredited. We had barely escaped with our lives, choosing to do so rather than see Red fight Red.

  “They will understand,” I reassured her. “And if they need convincing, this time around, you are returning to them with an army of supporters behind you.”

  “This army is behind you, not me.” She murmured, with a slight bit of envy. Part of me wanted to reassure her but I knew she had her own demons to fight so I chose to remain silent whilst we rode.

  We followed the familiar range of the Orange mountains in search of the secret creek that would lead us onto the Red’s camp. I could not think of any reason why the Reds wouldn’t want to ally with us, given our recent triumphs. We both had a common enemy, the Blacks, and they certainly wanted Axyum defeated once and for all — more than any other chrome nation. The Red and th
e Black shared a long history as enemies.

  The Blacks…

  Our victory over their army in Crodya must have sent a strong message to Axyum by now. The thought that their elders were most likely busy plotting harsh revenge made me feel uneasy. Or perhaps it was the fact that, thinking about Axyum and the Black Nation, I no longer felt Black. I did not view them as the nation that gave birth to me but rather as the one main obstacle left in my mission to unite the Territories. I saw them as the problem to which I was the solution. These calculating thoughts took me by surprise. I had spoken of the necessity of cultivating a merciful heart to those who followed me, but was my own still tempered into a dark instrument of vengeance?

  In spite of all my intentions, I still felt a sharp twinge of wrath mounting within me; love and wrath, wrath and love. Those two feelings churned inside my soul in an endless embrace. I looked at Cestia and, for the first time, I felt scared about my feelings for her; scared she might discover how dark my soul could become and leave me.

  “I still think meeting the Reds now is a mistake. A big mistake.”

  It was Daerec talking. He was uneasy about reuniting with those who once ruled over him, and who could blame him? Daerec had been a Janis, an outcast in the Red Kingdom. Every Janis led miserable, low caste lives under the harsh rule of the Ashis. It was a bone of contention that cost me my friendship with Chtomio, he who later emerged as the king of the Reds himself. As much as I had grown fond of him for saving my life and teaching me the ways of the territories, he had failed his subjects. He had failed innocent infants like Tiara, whose short life ended tragically after solstices of misery. And by failing her and others like her, he had failed me.

  “The Reds are the easiest of the other chromes to convince,” I reminded Daerec. “They have everything to gain from an alliance with us and nothing to lose.” I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt.

  “Perhaps, but based on what you told me, and based on what I know about the nobles, Erai and his boot lickers will definitely try to stop you. They will try to convince the Orange and Yellow that they are better at leading the war against the Blacks.”

  “I was not born a ruler and I have no intention of becoming one,” I told him. “If all these nations decide that someone else can better lead our fight, then so be it.”

  “Don’t be so naïve, Asheva,” commented Cestia. “The Red nobles are hungry for power and they couldn’t care less about your ideals or what’s good for the territories. If they obtain the leadership of this army, you can rest assured they will lead it toward destruction.”

  “Having three nations join together against one common enemy is also a strong argument for the other chrome nations to join the fight,” I explained, “and once an alliance is made between all the colors, there is no telling what it can lead to.”

  “Exactly!” Added Daerec. “But in this case, I agree with Cestia. There is no telling what will happen. Your dream of unity may not be the final outcome of this war.”

  “For all we know, we may die fighting it. Or you may die. Or… I may die.” Said Cestia. “I don’t want to die. Now that I found you, I want to live.”

  “I don’t want to die either,” I said, reaching out for her hand. “But I will not live enslaved by codes someone else has decided for me. That is worse than death.”

  “Hear, hear!” added Daerec. “And I’ll make sure he lives on so that you lovebirds can do a pygma or two every now and then!” Both Cestia and I blushed thinking about the Yellow and Orange mating ritual while Daerec burst out laughing.

  ******

  Two nights passed before we reached the secret passage that led to the Red’s hideout, deep in the Orange mountains. Cestia led the way and, as we drew closer to their lair, I remembered the howling wind that preceded the chasm’s entrance. Very trained eyes were needed to spot the passage because it was camouflaged by seamed red and orange rocks, which were confusing for the eye to read.

  “Over there!” Cestia cried, pointing to a thin gap in the rock, right in front of us. For a moment I thought she was mistaken – it was only when we rode butt up against the wall that we noticed a part of it overlapped the wall behind it. We jogged our horses to the left and entered this hidden gap.

  “Let the infants and the elders remain here with the bulk of the army. We’ll only take one hundred soldiers inside with us.” I told Ddeko. I wanted to take even fewer but, given the belligerent attitude of the Red during our previous encounter, it was better to be prudent.

  The Yellow brother and the Orange sister quickly gave the orders and a small legion of male and female cavalry was formed.

  We moved slowly inside the narrow gulch and I felt like a mouse in a trap. If the Red spotted us and decided to attack now, our situation would turn ugly quickly. But Cestia was guiding us and I doubted anyone in the Red camp would dare raise a hand against their princess.

  The wind died down, just like on the previous occasion we entered the passage. An eerie silence hung around us. I held the reins of my horse with one hand, nervously cupping the pommel of my sword in the other.

  “Perhaps we should call out to them,” I whispered to Cestia. “Just in case they are hiding in the nooks and crannies above us.”

  She nodded and shouted: “Red chromes! It is me, Cestia! Your princess! I bring good news!” Cestia’s voice echoed inside the gap, but no one replied.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a shadow pass over us. I instinctively unsheathed my sword. Upon second glance, I discerned it wasn’t a chrome at all. It was a vulture, which landed on a ledge above us. I shouted at the ungainly carrion feeder and it flew away.

  “Red chromes! We are coming to see you! We come in peace!” I cried.

  But the only response we obtained was from other vultures. Several of these large birds soared over us, wheeling around in circles and filling the air with their harsh cries.

  “I take it these Reds don’t trust us,” commented Daerec. “Typical of the Ashis and Sayis.”

  “Maybe they didn’t hear us,” Cestia said.

  “The vultures will have given away the fact that someone is here,” I told them.

  We continued to move at a snail’s pace inside the narrow chasm. Just then, we were assaulted by a terrible smell. It was an odor so fetid it smelled like a thousand animals had been butchered on the spot and left to rot. I thought of the Orange’s cattle. Would the Ashi have killed a herd out of spite? I remembered when scores of rats invaded Axyum. I must have had seven or eight solstices. I remembered the fires burning in the alleys and our pathetic attempts not to breathe in the death and disease that those rodents brought with them.

  I turned to see Cestia grow pale. “What happened?” she said.

  I did not reply. Instead, I ripped a piece of red cloth off my sleeve and handed it to her. “Cover your mouth and nose with this,” I told her. I did the same for Daerec. Our fellow chromes followed my example.

  We finally emerged from the passage, into a canyon. There, we bore witness to a tragic spectacle: the ocher and orange canyon wall was awash with red. There were corpses… corpses everywhere. And they were surrounded by scavengers! Vultures tore the flesh from hundreds of decomposing bodies with their sharp beaks. Large, scruffy canines — wild beasts of a kind I had never seen before, were doing things that no fallen chrome should suffer. They reminded me of the wolves in Axyum’s forests. Every last male and female chrome was a fallen Red. I spotted Erai, still mounted on a horse, his mask on the ground; half his face eaten away down to his skull. His mouth was twisted into a rictus grin – triumphant in death in his bid to rule. The saddest sight of all was that of a pile of infants who’d been tossed like rag dolls before the opening of a sacred cave. The pile moved, mimicking life as startled rats swarmed out of it.

  “Noooo!” someone screamed. It was Cestia.

  Hearing her scream, the scavengers instinctively started to back away from the sea of bodies, snarling and squawking in fury.

  “W
e must light a cleansing fire!” I yelled. “Bring oil and torches!”

  “May the gods damn those who committed this atrocity!” screamed Cestia. “May their sons and daughters no longer see the light of day!”

  Cestia’s screaming further scared the beasts who now fled from their abominable feast as Daerec and I began to swing our swords to scatter them.

  The stench of death was so strong I almost passed out. Finally, a group of Yellow chromes from the tail end of our line brought forward cowhide bladders full of oil. We poured it onto the ground and lit it up. Wind rustling through the narrow rock passage did the rest and soon the flames licked their way to the entrance of the temple. Many beasts had hidden inside it and we heard their laments as the flames too made their way violently into its entrance. No one felt pity for them as they burned.

  The fire surged throughout the gorge, forcing us to evacuate fast. We feared the flames would spread within the passage and choke off our only route away from the devastation. The smoke, combined with the smell of rotten flesh dogged us all the way out of the Orange Mountains. I carefully watched Cestia who was doubled over with grief, to make sure she would not fall behind. I was afraid that she could do something to harm herself but, to my surprise, she took control of her feelings. No doubt her upbringing as Chtomio’s daughter had taught her how to be strong, even during the worst of circumstances.

  Her face, however, grew still and expressionless as any mask. Her eyes were fixed in front of her, dead. She did not respond when I called her name.

  “At least we know who did it,” said Daerec, also full of concern for Cestia. He handed me a bronze mask. I recognized it immediately as belonging to a Black warrior.