The Glaciermen #18: Meditation & Fist (part 1)

Early access prepublication manuscripts of "The Glaciermen"

Hello readers,

Let’s just jump in today—things get hairy.

(Link to previous segment if you missed it, and a link to the beginning, if you’re new).

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Meditation

Aguta pulled in a deep breath, then released it as a slow sigh through his nostrils. Legs crossed and eyes closed, he was sitting on the mat in the center of his chamber attempting to meditate. The boy was due back soon, and Aguta needed to prepare for the next lesson. It would be an important one, the first preparations for the Second Trial.

He pulled another breath, holding it in his lungs. A sudden pang of memory sparked in his mind, bringing him back to his own trial. The bitter wind stealing the warmth from his limbs, the stinging flakes of snow battering against his face. The cry of the bulltooth as his blade loosed its lifeblood onto the ice. The howling of the wolves, their snarls as they gored his catch, leaving him nought more than stripped bones to prove his worth.

And the jeering. He had expected to finally earn his place, to be welcomed as one among the many, but they merely scoffed as he dragged the grisly, half-eaten head back into the village. Stole from the wolves, did he?... what did we expect?…liar… outsider.

Lee would have to be prepared. There would never be an easy day in this life, and he would never be welcomed. But he could be respected. Perhaps even loved, as Aguta had been loved once.

Outsider.

The word stung in his mind. How many years had he labored beside these people? He pushed the thought away, trying to bring himself back to his breath.

Outsider!

There it was again, that word, as if someone was yelling it from a great distance. Was that the shouts of a crowd too, now? Was he reliving the memory in his mind? Aguta cracked an eye open to check if had been burning godseye and somehow forgot. The air in his chamber was clear—no incense.

Something perked Aguta’s ear, then his eyes shot open, and in the next moment he was on his feet, running down the stone stairway toward the village, toward the distant shouts echoing out into the chasm.

• • •

Fist

Stars sparkled in Lee’s vision as he staggered backwards, stumbling over the loose stone to fall back forcefully onto his butt. He blinked away the stars as pain began to throb in his jaw where Nantuk had just struck him. As he got back to his feet, Lee saw that a handful of observers had gathered to see the source of the commotion. More were already on their way to watch. None of them made any move to intervene.

“I told you to stay away from Mika,” Nantuk said.

Lee wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. He glanced down at it and saw that it was smeared with blood. That idiot had split his lip. He looked back to Nantuk. The other boy stood with his hands at his sides, both balled into fists, chest heaving from the excitement of having punched Lee in the face. 

Lee was getting tired of putting up with this petty tyrant just so he could try to fit in. It wasn’t working—Lee was never going to be accepted by these people. He could see in the way the small crowd was looking at him, like some kind of circus show. Then he got an idea.

“Actually, Nantuk, I can’t recall you ever telling me such a thing,” he said, feigning a mocking ignorance.

Nantuk’s eyes flashed with anger. Lee let himself enjoy a satisfied smirk. It was so easy to goad this rockhead—plus, Nantuk had not, in fact, given him a warning about the girl before. Mika? Who is she again? Lee asked himself. That’s right, she’s that fisherman Sugu’s daughter. I probably looked in her direction or something when I dropped his nets off. I bet Nantuk has a crush on her. I could care less, but this is kinda fun.

Lee continued, “What is it? Does it bother you that her eyes are drawn to me?”

That did it. Lee’s words struck gold—Nantuk looked absolutely livid. Lee was about to start laughing, but Nantuk let out a guttural shout and charged at him. 

Oh shit.
“Outsider!” Nantuk yelled as he slammed into Lee’s side, knocking the wind from his lungs. Both boys tumbled to the ground, Nantuk shouting more insults as they tussled. Lee felt a fiery anger rising in his chest. The pent up frustration of weeks of harassment fueled his rage, and he let out his own furious yell.

Grunting with effort, both boys rolled around aimlessly on the stones, each trying to gain some advantage. The small crowd began to make noise, some jeering at the fight, some yelling for others to come watch the show. Still no one made any effort to break it up.

Lee cried out as Nantuk’s fist found his side, punching into his kidney. Nantuk took the opportunity to roll on top of Lee, pulling back his fist for another punch at Lee’s face. Lee responded by throwing his knee into Nantuk’s crotch, a pained grunt confirming a direct hit. Nantuk hunched over from the blow, shoving his shaven head hard against Lee’s face, sending shooting pain up Lee’s tender jaw while the scratchy stubble tore his split lip further, smearing blood on the boy’s scalp. Lee borrowed the move, pulling his own head back and then slamming his forehead forcefully into Nantuk’s nose.

The other boy let out a cry of pain, instinctively sitting back and clasping his nose with both hands. Blood poured past his fingers. Lee took the opening, planting a firm kick on Nantuk’s chest, sending him onto his back. Lee climbed on top of him, then, grabbing his neck with one hand, slammed his fist into the boy’s already bloody nose. There was a sickening crunch, and the force of the blow sent blood spattering onto Lee’s chest and face. Lee pulled his fist back for another punch, but then Nantuk’s eyes rolled back and his head lolled to the side.

The unsettling site jarred Lee from his rage. He paused, chest heaving as his senses backed off from the hyper-focus of the fight to take in the rest of his surroundings. A rank, metallic smell filled his nostrils. Nantuk’s head and face were covered in blood, and so was Lee. A stream of it had poured from his lip and had smeared all over his chest and arms along with the spatter from Nantuk’s nose. Lee was still holding his fist back in the air. He let it fall limply to his side. The gathered crowd was silent for a moment, the only sound being the bubbly rasp of Nantuk’s unconscious breaths.

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And that’s it for now folks

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