Chapitre 2: Chapter 1: The Bonerunner
"Faster damnit, faster!" Ashur said to his Susa. It was a relatively new Susa that Ashur trained. Ashur always had a talent for capturing and training Susa, in fact it was his only talent. He wasn't sure how he managed to train the skeletal creatures so quickly. It would take months and sometimes years to train one wild Susa, but for Ashur, the longest he ever took was a handful of days.
Ashur hadn't named this Susa yet, and by how things were currently going, he doubted if he would actually get to. The smooth curvature of its bones and outer shell, along with the dip on the creature's back made it the perfect and more comfortable Susa Ashur ever had–or at least it should have.
"I will grind your bones down to dust damnit! Move faster!" The only issue was that this Susa was so damn slow. Ashur was a Bonerunner, a dangerous and often deadly job, but his only options in the Boneyard was this or to sit around and die. And right now, Ashur was about to die.
Ashur pulled out his dagger that he tied behind his waist. The band was made out of hair, tightly bounded together to form the perfect length he needed to hold his prized dagger. It was his father's dagger, made from the horn of a Ta'gru. The day his father gave it to him, it was the last day he ever saw him.
"And now I'm gonna die the same way he did," Ashur said to himself as he looked behind him. They were still running after him, three Ta'grus in all. Ta'grus where bipedal creatures similar to Susas. Made up entirely out of bones, both creatures didn't have any flesh like Ashur did. In fact, no living creature besides humans had their bones on the inside of their bodies.
One, two, and three. Ashur counted the creatures behind him again. Good, no redbones yet. It wouldn't matter even if there was a redbone in the pack. Three Ta'grus was a death sentence, even for the best Bonerunner–which Ashur was certainly not.
It was a miracle in itself that Ashur was still alive, though it seemed his time was finally running out. Most Bonerunners who were young and inexperienced died early and quickly. Only the best Bonerunners could live as long as he had. But Ashur had no skill as a Bonerunner. Sure he could tame Susa more easily than others, but that was it. He had no skulls to wear, trophies taken from Ta'grus that acted as armor. Skulls were the pride of every Bonerunner, but Ashur, he was naked. He barely had enough cloth to cover his groin.
He felt the raised scar that stretched across his chest like the horizon. It had healed well over the years, shining white like the bones of his Susa. It stung from time to time, when he was out deep into the Boneyard like he was now.
Maybe it was the deep breaths he took to steady himself or maybe it was the wind in his face that soothed his chapped lips. Whatever it was, Ashur was eerily calm for someone who was about to die.
"It's not the first time I've been at death's door," he mumbled to himself, kicking his Susa in hopes it would find a burst of speed. But it was no use, the Ta'grus were closing in.
He grabbed one of the hollowed out bones that held water that was attached to his Susa's side. How long has it been since I've had a drink of water? He thought to himself. Bonerunners were strictly forbidden to drink the water that they were transporting. Ashur had barely filled one of the bones before the Ta'grus descended on him.
Those monsters were getting smarter it seemed. Springs were few and far to come by in the Boneyard and that meant Bonerunners like himself had to venture deeper to find new sources of water. But now, the Ta'grus seemed to wait for their victims near water sources. It was like the Ta'grus were hunting them.
"Damn it all, damn it all, damn it all!" he said. "Listen you gods forsaken slouch of a Susa. If they catch us, we'll both die!" No response. The monsters were gaining faster and faster now, only fifty yards away.
In the back of his mind, he hoped that myth would come and save him again, though if he did save him again, the others would probably berate him even more than they already did. No one likes a liar, though, Ashur knew what he saw that day–who he saw that day.
"It doesn't matter now." He eyed the water even more. If he was going to die, he didn't want to die thirsty. Damn it. Ashur grabbed the bone jar, tore off the seal, and gulped it down.
A surge of energy crashed into him, filling his whole body. He felt his weight fluctuate, one minute becoming heavy like stone, the next as light as a single hair. Was he really that thirsty? Then, all of a sudden, his Susa snapped its neck around, staring directly into his eyes. It's elongated neck, twisting itself to get a view of Ashur. The creature had never done this before.
"What are you doing! We need to go faster, damn it!" The Susa shot out a noise like a sneeze, slightly bobbing its head up and down. Did this thing just respond to me? Susa's can't respond, not even the trained ones can take commands like that. Just when Ashur was about to dismiss the creature's strange behavior, the Susa increased its speed.
"Hahaha, gods be damned, you beautiful, beautiful Susa!" Ashur exclaimed as the Susa gained speed. He looked behind him, the Ta'grus still on his tail, but now, they were slowly fading away. He was losing them–he was going to live.
But before the excitement could fully die down, Ashur realized something. The water. "Damn it, the water!" He had drank the water that he was supposed to deliver back to his village. If anyone found out that a Bonerunner–no–if anyone found out that he of all Bonerunners drank the water, he might be cast out if not killed first.
He looked at the now empty bone jar of water and tossed it aside.
"This will be our little secret, alright Susa?" The Susa sneezed again, almost as if the creature was in agreement. Can Susa even sneeze?
The sun began to set as Ashur rode towards the spiraling mountains of bone that marked his village's territory. It was almost nightfall and he had lost the Ta'grus a while ago.
Ashur was glad to be back home, even the torment from the other Bonerunners was preferable than being tormented by damned Ta'grus all day long. But he preferred the village at night. Not just because most of his tormentors would be asleep by now, but because of the light lines that filled up the sky.
Ashur's father once told him that the people in Al-Manula believe that the light lines that can be seen in the sky are where the city's people get their iron from. Ashur wasn't sure of that, after all, how can iron come from some light from so far away? But maybe it wasn't all that absurd, after all, the priestess believes that it just falls out of the sky in a ball of fire. Now that was crazy.
"Just as crazy as you understanding me, huh?" Ashur said to his Susa. No reply this time. Ashur shook his head, dismissing the creature's odd behavior as just a figment of his imagination and fatigue.
Ashur's village was just like any other village in the Boneyard. The entrance to his village was a carved out tunnel, about three large Susas in length with its ceiling stretching up high enough for Bonerunners to pass through with ease.
Two large slits which had been carved out on opposite sides of the entrance were usually manned by the village's guards, of which there were only two. How he wished he could have been a guard. It wasn't as luxurious and celebratory as NaSsir's job being the A'buta, but it was a much better fate than being a Bonerunner.
"Ashur-ilu-nadin, may your bones be of iron," coughed a voice from inside the guard post. It was custom to greet someone with their full name, though Ashur never liked hearing the full thing.
"Ahku-Ahki, may your bones be of iron as well. How were things when I was gone. Did anyone miss me?" Ashur said sarcastically. It was no secret that no one, maybe besides his sister, missed him.
"Ah, well I missed you dearly. You're the only Bonerunner that takes the time to talk to a dying old man like me," Ahku said, trying his best to suppress his cough.
"Don't say such things Ahku. By judging how today went, I will most likely be waiting for you in the fields of Per'desa," Ashur said with a smile. Ashur had never seen Ahku as he was always stuck behind a wall of bone, but he knew his voice instinctively.
It was true that Ahku was old and his coughing had worsened in the last few months but Ashur never liked hearing how the old man had given up already. He was the only one who treated Ashur kindly, the only one who claimed to believe what he had said all those years ago. Ahku was his only friend.
"By the light lines, what happened?" Ahku asked.
"I found a new spring near the edges, though a pack of Ta'grus set upon me before I could even fill up my bone jars," Ashur replied. That was a lie. He managed to fill up one bone jar, but even he could not confide in Ahku for such a crime he committed. The secret would stay between him and his Susa.
"Well I am glad you are alright, Ashur. But the discovery of a new spring is a big accomplishment in itself," Ahku said.
"True, though I doubt I would get any credit or praise," Ashur said. Ahku was silent for a moment. "Don't worry, Ahku, I don't mind at all. As long as I have marrow to eat and bone over my head, I will be fine." Ashur heard a slight stirring form the opposing guard post. "And how are you today, Eilina?"
No response as usual.
"Ahaha, Eilina is fine, I checked on her earlier today," Ahku said.
"I'm glad to hear it," Ashur said. Ashur never met–or rather–spoken to the guard Eilina. She was always quiet, never making a sound or greeting. Ashur didn't know if she was like that with just him or with everyone for that matter. Ahku claimed she was quiet with everyone, though Ahku also had a habit of stretching the truth to make Ashur feel better. "I'll speak with you soon, Ahku, but I'm going to be returning this Susa to the stables," Ashur said as he waved goodbye to Ahku and imagined that he waved goodbye to him as well.
Ashur rode his Susa down the tunnel, the hallway gradually getting larger and larger until he reached the center of the village. A giant cavern that shot up all the way to the top of the mountain of bone. Ashur was unsure if this was a naturally occurring cavern or that all of the marrow had been drained out of this portion. Like many things, it didn't matter much which one it was. It was just home to him.
Small, box shaped homes were carved out on the sides of the cavern, some on the ground while others had steps carved out that led higher up. Most homes were all similar in size, except for where the priestess and the A'buta lived. The priestess lived at the very top of the cavern, far away from the people of the village. As for the A'buta, well he lived in a home the size of several homes.
Ashur, like most men in the village, wished he was the A'buta. But that job had gone to a man named NaSsir. He was only six or so years older than Ashur, but even as a child NaSsir was always stronger than the other children. That was the key for being an A'buta, being the strongest.
The A'buta's job was simple. They would go around and break the bones around the village and find the marrow inside, the only source of food. Not only was the A'buta's job to feed the whole village, but they had to use a long iron rod with a giant ball at the end in order to actually break the bones. Iron, or even any metal, was almost impossible to find outside cities like Al-Manula. A finite source of metal coupled with the fact that the A'buta was responsible for feeding everyone, made the position coveted by any man.
There were obvious perks to the job as well. One was celebrated and revered, depending how much marrow found, you could not work for weeks on end. And you could have your pick of the litter Ashur thought as he passed by a group of women who seemed to be leaving NaSsir's house. They narrowed their eyes at him and one scoffed as he rode by.
"It's good to be home, looks like nothing has changed," he mumbled to himself. Girls tended to ignore Ashur, even his sister barely acknowledged him. But what else could he expect? He was a Bonerunner and the worst one of all. And a liar he thought.
"Well, what can you do, huh Susa?" Ashur asked, expecting no response. No reaction from the Susa, today's events must have been a fluke. "Well anyway, I might as well give you a name since we're both alive." Ashur thought for a moment. "How about Laiz? Laiz the Susa. It had a good ring to it, huh Laiz?"
Laiz sneezed. "Laiz it is."
Ashur led Laiz towards where the other Susa for Bonerunners were kept. A small little section of the village where Bonerunners could grab a Susa and go. They were communal creatures, no one Susa belonged to any one Bonerunner, though it was an unspoken rule that some Bonerunners had a preferred Susa and others wouldn't take that Susa unless permission was granted. Though that never applied to Ashur's Susas. Everytime Ashur trained a new Susa, within the week someone else would have taken it for themselves or they would never return back.
In the back of his mind, Ashur was nervous the same thing would happen to Laiz. But there was no worrying about something he couldn't change. He could never change it.
"Alright Laiz, stay here until I come back," he said to his Susa. He didn't really need to tell the creature. After a Susa is broken and tamed, they would sit still unless ridden. "Good night Laiz, don't let anyone else take you," Ashur said, though he suspected he would be gone in the morning.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone