Chapter VII - The Scent of Rebellion

Returning to the markin camp at a rapid pace, the balmaks advanced with vigor, showing no signs of fatigue in their six limbs. From where Gakeh stood, he had an unobstructed view of the warriors Kalah designated to stay behind and aid him in burning the corpses of Ozin. Ever since they departed from the massacre, not even a word has been spoken. A sense of urgency gnawed at him, though it paled in comparison to the intense fury he had felt mere hours prior. The markins marching alongside him was an opportunity he could not miss. A rebellion would not spontaneously materialize, particularly given the obstinate nature of the markins. The level of discretion required of Gakeh felt increasingly burdensome. He privately lamented that if he were capable of experiencing any sensation as profoundly as his anger, he would be overwhelmed by the weight of the intricate plan he’s been trying to make come true.

There were moments when Gakeh felt like speaking, interrupting the silence that loomed over them like a dark cloud. Those moments quickly dissipated into thin air. No concise words seemed to come to him, ones that would not automatically draw their attention in the manner in which he strived to avoid. Simply put, the situation was far too dangerous to traverse. But still, Kalah could not be allowed to remain in charge.

The Ozin slaughter must have stirred some doubt into the other markins. Gakeh could not accept the idea that he was the only one thinking about the wrong ways Kalah has been leading the markins ever since their inception. It didn’t make any sense. How pitiful was the situation his brethren found themselves in without even knowing it. And yet, no one seemed to actively care or do something about it. The nature of the markin race both intrigued and frightened Gakeh in a way he did not think possible.

Such devotion to someone else that it makes you completely oblivious to the real nature of that specific individual was tragic to say the least. Not to mention how easily influenced by anger they were, how effortlessly they were ensnared by the intoxicating effects of it and how tiresome snapping out of it felt. He shifted his eyes downcast. Why did his nature not allow for tears to emerge? That was the only thing Gakeh presently desired. He’s seen humans do it before and it looked… liberating in a weird way. Liberation from the turmoil inside him sounded too good to ever become true.

How can one approach the markins without being suspicious? Gakeh’s given it quite a lot of thought and yet, no clear answer came to him. This shouldn’t have even been a problem in the first place. Markins shouldn’t be so blinded by dedication that they cannot think, see or do things their own way. Our strength is above anything humans can comprehend, but great is the cost with which it comes.

A glimmer of light attracted his attention. He glanced above with a sudden swirl, noticing the sky getting less dark. Day was arriving soon which meant trouble. They already endured enough casualties for one night. Refocusing his eyes on his brethren, Gakeh gestured the balmak to gallop faster, bringing him next to the other markins. They glanced to their respective sides, acknowledging Gakeh’s arrival with a slight nod. He did not respond back. Instead, he withdrew once again in his own mind, contemplating upon how to finally start putting his plan into motion. He recalled the brief interaction he had with the group of markins that accompanied him on the task given by Kalah to steal human women. Gakeh was rather defiant back then, refusing to attack head on as the captain would normally instruct the markins to do. And while they eyed him suspiciously at first, the idea that Gakeh held an important position within their hierarchy made them cease any effort to question him further. Which was precisely the point. Being the second in command to Kalah gave him authority over his brothers and when the captain was nowhere to be seen, the leadership status would fall right into his lap like a lost feather. Still, caution had to be exerted to a certain extent, but maybe not as much as he was inclined to believe. Turning briefly, Gakeh took in the markin’s faces, no emotion emanating from them. Looking upward again, the sky began to transition into shades of blue. A great opportunity for him to test his newfound knowledge.

“Markins! Up above, there’s a clump of trees huddled together. We stop to allow the balmaks to rest for a while.”

They both peeked at one another and back at Gakeh.

“Sir… the sun is rising soon. We will be burned to ash if we-”

“I am aware of our current situation, markin. Which is precisely why we won’t stay long. If we are caught by the sun, we can still cover ourselves until we reach the camp. We are close to it anyway.”

Once again, they looked at one another, Gakeh sensing another protest was about to come his way. But it didn’t. Both of them chose to nod and return their gazes on the road they traversed. No markin dared test the sun. Once high above, it would burn them so intensely, that they would first become husks before crumbling to ash. Everyone knew how dangerous it was to be caught by it in the open. Which was precisely why they carried black robes with them in case such situations presented themselves. It was not foolproof though. The sun could still manage to find their skin and burn it alive, but in dire situations, the robes proved helpful until they could get shaded. Still, Gakeh hoped it wouldn’t come to that, his proposition was merely an experiment meant to test their reactions. The doubts which bickered him seemed to have been somewhat in vain. He succeeded in subduing them without even the faintest of efforts. His face twitched as it tried to form a smile, only for it to quickly vanish.

Reaching the trees, they dismounted the balmaks, giving them the opportunity to feast on some well-deserved fruits. They had been galloping for a while, not to mention the terrifying situation they endured back in Ozin. Conflict was not their forte. Gakeh fell onto the tall brown grass with his back against one of the trees. Catching a glimpse of the other two, they simply stood, looking at him expressionless.

“Sit down, markins. Enjoy the scenery. Look at how beautiful the flowers behind you are.”

Both of them turned towards the indicated spot. A plain filled with flowers dancing carelessly in the slight breeze captured their attention. From blue to red and even green, their palette of colors attracted even the least enthusiastic about the world he inhabited. Markins fell into that category pretty well. Which gave Gakeh a new thought to dwell upon. They seemed more interested in destroying rather than building. Or maybe that was simply the effects anger had on them. He sensed it too. Only thinking about Ozin and the sheer scale of intoxication he sensed, made Gakeh fall back into fury. He shook the scenes away, rebalancing himself and proceeded to gaze back into the open plains. The towering markins before him muttered no word. They seemed to admire the beauty in their own, strange way. Or they were thinking about something else. Discerning what a markin thought or felt was easily the hardest puzzle to figure out. Cursed be their inability to showcase emotions.

Gakeh patted the ground, his strong palm caressing the soft leaves next to him. The thumps gathered their attention.

“The view is better from where I’m sitting. Join me, markins.”

Exchanging glances, the two seemed unsure of what was transpiring. And indeed, Gakeh’s actions were unnatural to them. Never before has Kalah told a markin to simply sit and admire the environment. He was too busy instilling fear and respect into them, turning them into minions rather than proper beings. Too busy using them for his own wretched benefit, hunting down humans for sport, pillaging just out of fun. Disgusting he thought, rage brewing within him as the face of Kalah materialized. Eventually, they joined Gakeh, sitting down next to him. The trial was working surprisingly well. But then again, to understand how they actually felt was still challenging. Maybe when they reach camp, word will reach Kalah about their small change of course and how instead of heading straight for camp, he forced them to stop in their tracks and admire flowers. That would surely make the captain lose his mind even more than it already is and most likely get Gakeh either killed or tortured. Such a scenario had to be avoided at all costs.

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Yet, how could one understand what they actually felt? Questioning them? Perhaps. But that carried with it huge risks. Testing them that much would certainly gather unwanted eyes. For as long as he could remember, Gakeh’s been a markin and a part of the company and he still knew almost nothing about them. Their personality seemed to be modeled around the sole idea of serving Kalah, no matter the cost. From the brief encounters Gakeh had with humans before inevitably slaughtering them, he noticed how much… different they were from the markins. Mankind seemed more free, independent, capable of showing emotions of any kind. They worked together to create a better environment for all, not just for a single individual. While the markins had one goal – bring Kalah whatever he desired or face the ugly consequences of disobeying his will. Pitiful.

How then was he supposed to spark rebellion in them? To make them see how terrible their situation was? To make them question what they’ve known ever since their inception? Was it truly that dangerous to begin talking about Kalah? Gakeh sighed deeply as the thoughts scrambled in his mind, giving him no rest.

“What is it, sir?” one of the markins asked

“I’m tired, markin. I need to get some rest.”

“I agree, sir. Ozin has been tiresome.”

Gakeh ceased to breathe in an instant as his ears picked up what the other markin said. Tiresome you say?

“Yes, warrior. Tiresome is the right word. Our captain surely made us work.”

He eyed them both, patiently waiting to see what kind of response they would give him. Would they see it as a mere conversation or an attack at Kalah’s rulership? Their blank stares gave off no concise answer. However, Gakeh noticed one of them twitching slightly. The markin was struggling to form a smile.

“Indeed he did. But we are meant to follow his orders, so I’m not complaining. As long as the captain is satisfied, so am I.”

Dammit. Not the answer Gakeh wanted. Perhaps if he were to toss them something to latch onto, maybe things would start coming together then.

“His command is our law, markins, that is true. However, he often mentioned how much he wished to hear what the company thought of him as a ruler.”

“He… did?”

“Plenty actually.” Gakeh replied, scratching his hair “He is never going to outright ask anyone for it though. Which I wholly respect, let’s be clear on that. He is the captain after all.”

Once again, they glanced at one another, absorbing the knowledge they just received. In contrast to other markins Gakeh encountered, the two he was left with appeared to be not the most intelligent out of them all. Perhaps a little bit of lying would actually do the trick with them. Hopefully at least one would bite the bait and let his mouth run wild.

“He’s a great ruler.” one of them finally replied after some time with certainty in his low voice “I admire the fierceness with which he leads us and the strength he showcases every time we are in battle. Ever since our birth, he’s been the one that made us what we are today. And Ozin was a marvelous idea. Mankind needed to be taught a lesson and I was dying to bring my mace back into action. I missed the anger and the blood.”

Not a great start. Maybe the other one is more eager to express his doubts.

Gakeh nodded and eyed the other markin, forcing the one that just spoke to shift his gaze onto him as well.

“I agree with what Vaham said. I trust Kalah as a leader and I’m fortunate enough to serve him.”

There was doubt in his words. Gakeh felt it and perhaps Vaham did as well. He decided to keep silent for a little longer, forcing some more words out of the skeptical markin.

“You sound conflicted, Dagham.” Vaham noted

“I… don’t know why we’re doing these raids. What was the point of Ozin?

“What do you mean what was the point? To feast! We are meant to do so. We are meant to rule Galaria and step on mankind’s disgusting and unworthy flesh.”

“I suppose you’re right. However, does murdering random humans give us any more advantage than what we currently have? Does it show our strength even further than it has already been proven?”

Surprisingly, there was more than mere doubt. Dagham actually seemed to question the very foundation of Kalah’s rule over the markins. Gakeh scratched his jaw to avoid showing his face jolting. How he wished to be able to smile widely at the moment.

“Are you questioning our captain, Dagham? That is treason!”

Vaham sat, unsheathing the mace attached to his back, ready for battle.

“Don’t call me a traitor, Vaham, or I swear I’ll chop you off into pieces! I was simply expressing the fact that Ozin was meaningless. Feasting on the blood of innocent humans is not going to bring anything of value to our race.”

“Yes, it does! Anger, Dagham. You know how good it feels to be overcome by it.”

“You’re making me angry right now and I’m not so sure it feels that good anymore.”

As soon as Gakeh noticed Dagham unsheathing his axe he stood up, interrupting their quarrel.

“Markins! Control yourselves! Put down your weapons and hop on the balmaks now. We return to the camp at once!”

They studied one another with intensity, fury brewing in them both. The scent of rebellion in Dagham gave Gakeh a vague sense of… excitement. He finally found someone resembling him! Gakeh was not the only markin who viewed things differently. That was something he ought to exploit further. Dagham, I’m so glad to have finally met you.

“Drop. Your. Weapons.” Gakeh huffed, scaring nearby birds enough for them to leave the branches in a hurry.

Eventually, they lowered their weapons, sheathing them and made way for their respective balmaks. Gakeh glanced above, noticing the sky brightening even further, the sun preparing to become visible in the horizon. They were almost out of time. He grabbed his balmak, mounting him and gestured to resume their course back to the markin camp. Dagham and Vaham kept at a reasonable distance from each other, not even acknowledging the other’s existence anymore. It was almost like they never met. Such separation from a minor dispute was troubling to say the least. But then again, it wasn’t just any dispute they engaged in. Kalah was stupidly sensitive to talk about. Gakeh could still not believe what his ears heard moments ago. Someone openly defying the captain and his choices was suicide and still, Dagham admitted Ozin was a terrible idea. A dream was finally coming true right before his very eyes. The dream of leading his brethren. Now, there was one simple question remaining – just how many more Dagham can Gakeh find to seize control of the markin race?