The Desert Spear

fail in his duty, putting fighting men at risk. But if he did not, then Qeran would eventually declare the boy
khaffit—
a fate far worse than death. Abban’s spirit would sit outside the gates of Heaven, never knowing Everam’s embrace as he waited, perhaps millennia, for reincarnation.
    Ever since Qeran had made him
Nie Ka,
responsibility had weighed upon Jardir heavily. He wondered if Hasik, who had once held the same honor, had felt the same pressure. It was doubtful. Hasik would have killed Abban or driven him out of the pack long since.
    He sighed, resolving to send Abban on the next run. “Better dead than
khaffit,
” he murmured, the words bitter on his tongue.
    “Ware!” Qeran cried as a wind demon dove at them. He and Jardir got down in time, but Aday was not as quick. His head thumped along the wall toward Jardir as his body fell into the Maze. Abban screamed.
    “It’s banking for another pass!” Qeran warned.
    “Abban! Net!” Jardir called.
    Abban was quick to comply, favoring his good leg as he dragged the heavily weighted net to Qeran. He had folded it properly for throwing, Jardir noted. That was something, at least.
    Qeran snatched the net, never taking his eyes from the returning wind demon. Jardir saw with his warrior’s eye, and knew the drillmaster was calculating its speed and trajectory. He was taut as a bowstring, and Jardir knew he would not miss.
    As the
alagai
came in range, Qeran uncoiled like a cobra and threw with a smooth snap. But the net opened too soon, and Jardir immediately saw why: Abban had accidentally tangled his foot in one of the weight ropes. He was thrown from his feet by the force of Qeran’s throw.
    The wind demon pulled up short of the opening net, buffeting both the net and Qeran with its wings. The
alagai
dropped from sight, and the drillmaster went down, hopelessly tangled in the net.
    “Nie take you, boy!” Qeran cried, kicking out from the tangle to knock Abban’s legs from under him. With a shriek, Abban fell from the wall a second time, this time into a maze alive with
alagai.
    Before Jardir had time to react, there was a shriek, and he realized the
alagai
was righting itself to come at them again. With Qeran tangled, there were no
dal’Sharum
to stop it.
    “Flee while you can!” Qeran shouted.
    Jardir ignored him, racing for the nets Abban had folded. He lifted one, grunting at its weight. He and the other boys trained with lighter versions.
    The wind demon shot past in a flap of leathern wings, banking hard in the sky for another dive. For a moment it blocked the moon, vanishing in the sky, but Jardir was not fooled, and tracked its approach calmly. If he was to die, he would do so with honor, and take this
alagai
with him to pay his way into Heaven.
    When the demon was close enough that Jardir could see its teeth, he threw. The horsehair net spun as the weights pulled it open, and the wind demon hit the web head-on. Yanking the cord to tighten the net, Jardir pivoted smoothly out of the way and watched the creature plummet into the Maze.
    “
Alagai
down!” he cried. “Northeast quadrant! Layer seven!” A moment later there was an answering cry.
    He was about to turn back and free Qeran when movement in the darkness caught his eye. Abban hung from the top of the wall, his fingernails bleeding as they scraped and strained against the stone.
    “Don’t let me fall!” Abban cried.
    “If you fall, you will die a man, and Heaven await you!” Jardir said. He left unsaid the fact that Abban would never see Heaven any other way. Qeran would see that he ended his
Hannu Pash
as
khaffit,
and paradise would be denied him. It tore at Jardir’s heart, but he began to turn away.
    “No! Please!” Abban begged, tears streaming down his dirty cheeks. “You swore! You swore by Everam’s light to catch me. I don’t want to die!”
    “Better dead than
khaffit
!” Jardir growled.
    “I don’t care if I’m
khaffit
!” Abban said. “Don’t let me fall! Please!”
    Jardir snarled, disgusted, but he bent despite himself, lying flat on the wall and pulling hard on Abban’s arm. Abban kicked and strained, finally managing to crawl up Jardir’s back and onto the wall. He threw himself on Jardir, sobbing.
    “Everam bless you,” Abban wept. “I owe my life to you.”
    Jardir shoved him away. “You disgust me, coward,” he said. “Begone from my sight before I change my mind and throw you back.”
    Abban’s eyes widened in shock, but he bowed