The Severed City

by Christopher Mitchell

  ‘All the men are out?’ Shella said.

  ‘Yes,’ Daphne said. ‘Even father.’

  Shella shrugged. ‘We going to pick up old snake-eyes on the way to yours?’

  ‘No,’ Daphne said. ‘The councillor is working again this evening. Said he had to finish off his new Rahain constitution.’

  ‘Another dreamer,’ Shella said. ‘In what possible reality does he think he’ll ever be able to implement his utopia?’

  ‘He has hope,’ Daphne said. ‘Let him keep that.’

  Shella smirked and looked out of the window.

  Daphne gazed out at the streets, as they passed through the completed area near the sea walls.

  ‘Wait!’ Shella shouted. ‘Stop the carriage.’

  The horses came to an abrupt halt. Shella opened the door and jumped down to the street. Daphne moved to the side and looked out, as Shella approached a black-robed man walking along the road.

  ‘Rijon,’ Daphne muttered, and climbed down.

  ‘Stay here,’ she said to Jayki. ‘That goes for you as well, Bedig.’

  She turned and walked up the street, the wrought iron lamp overhead lighting up the paved road. Rijon and Shella were talking at a corner ahead, in low voices, in a language Daphne didn’t understand.

  Shella stepped back, and put her hands to Rijon’s chest, pushing him away.

  ‘Well fuck you then,’ she cried, in perfect Holdings.

  Rijon said nothing as Shella turned and began walking back to the carriage.

  ‘You were right,’ she said as she passed Daphne. ‘He is an asshole.’

  Daphne paused, letting Shella’s footsteps fade away behind her.

  Rijon glanced up at her, and held her gaze. He looked drained and ill, a condition she remembered well from whenever she had over-used her vision powers.

  ‘Rijon,’ she said.

  ‘Daphne.’

  She walked forward.

  ‘Have you been looking into the Sanang camp?’ she said.

  Rijon’s expression remained blank.

  ‘I understand if it’s all a secret,’ she said. ‘All I want to know is, have you seen Chane? Is she alright?’ She paused. ‘She was my friend.’

  A faint smile touched his lips. ‘So now you want something from me, Daphne? Does this mean you don’t want to kill me any more?’

  Daphne said nothing.

  Rijon laughed. ‘Very well,’ he said, ‘I will tell you. I’ve seen Chane. I’ve seen much of her in fact, as she’s often with Agang Garo. They spend an awful lot of time together. She’s obviously in love with him, although the creator knows why, he never touches her. She’s a wretched creature, abased by her squalid treachery, a doll that he dresses up so his men can leer at her.’

  They moved closer together, their locked gazes never wavering. Daphne felt her battle-vision almost bursting to get out, and she could see from the tiny swirls in the corners of his eyes that Rijon was feeling the same.

  ‘It’s tragic, really,’ Rijon said.

  ‘Send in a mage squad to rescue her.’

  ‘Oh Daphne,’ Rijon smiled. ‘How naïve. He’s already offered her freedom, and she turned it down.’

  Daphne almost took a step back, her eyes narrowing. ‘No.’

  ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I know, because I’ve been in her head. Helps that she thinks in Holdings. My Sanangka is good, but…’

  ‘You bastard.’

  ‘I do what I’m ordered, Daphne,’ he said. ‘You should know that. Why don’t you take a look yourself, if you’re curious?’

  ‘You know why.’

  ‘Oh yes,’ he said, ‘because of the half–breed you’re carrying within you.’

  Daphne took a deep breath.

  ‘I’m going to go now,’ she said. ‘You’re not worth any more of my time. I’d stay away from Shella if I were you. She’s not pregnant.’

  She turned and walked back towards the carriage, as a low evening mist rose off the sea.

  Daphne kept a forced smile on her face as Shella opened another bottle of rum.

  Sami and Bedig had left to play cards in another room when Shella had told them she wanted no men around her for the evening. Daphne’s sister Ariel, and Vince’s wife Celine had joined them in her room, and the three women had proceeded to get drunk while Daphne sat and sipped her glass of water.

  ‘I love this city,’ Shella was saying. ‘Where else could you get Holdings, Rakanese and Kellach all speaking Rahain together?’

  ‘But we’re speaking Holdings, your Highness,’ Ariel said.

  ‘It was a fucking joke,’ Shella said. ‘I was making a point. Something Kylon once said to me, about cultural imperialism, and he was fucking right.’

  ‘You seem to have picked up Holdings quickly enough,’ Daphne said. ‘Especially how to swear.’

  ‘First thing to learn Daffers,’ Shella said, ‘so you can tell if people are saying rude things about you.’

  ‘And were they?’ Celine asked, rosy-cheeked.

  ‘They were,’ Shella said, ‘but only in that annoying polite way you Holdings do.’

  ‘You need to meet some people from the River Holdings,’ Ariel said. ‘The language they use, your Highness, would make you blush.’

  ‘I seriously doubt that.’

  ‘So what did Father Rijon say?’ Celine asked. ‘You said he upset you.’

  ‘Fuck him,’ Shella said. ‘I hope his dick shrivels up and falls off.’

  The room went quiet for a moment. Ariel looked a little shocked, while Celine sat smiling like a crow.

  Shella’s sneer fell away, and her face dropped.

  ‘Everything he said to me,’ she said, ‘about being friends, and how he would always be there for me. It was all crap. He didn’t mean any of it.’

  ‘I know what it’s like to be used by Rijon,’ Daphne said. ‘He played the part of friend to me as well, for thirds while we marched into Sanang, and when we occupied the forward fort. Right up to the day when Agang attacked. When I looked for him, he was gone.’

  Shella nodded.

  ‘He always says he’s just obeying orders,’ Daphne went on, ‘but it’s a game to him.’

  ‘Did father ever tell you,’ Ariel said, ‘that he tried to have Rijon investigated, while you were in Rahain? He delivered a whole case of documents, evidence that tied Rijon to the betrayal of your fort in Sanang. The prosecutor’s office refused to even look at it. They gave father some excuse, but he told me it just proved Rijon was a church agent.’

  ‘Course he’s a fucking church agent,’ Shella said. ‘I knew that right from the start. What’s he up to now, though? Did you ask him Daphne? Is that what you were talking to him about?’

  ‘You spoke to him?’ Ariel said. ‘Knowing your history, do you think that was wise?’

  ‘I wanted to ask him something,’ Daphne said. ‘I had an irrational hope that he might actually help me.’

  ‘Irrational?’ Shella said, drinking. ‘Downright fucking stupid, more like. And I say that as someone who has done the same.’

  Celine lit a cigarette, and poured herself another drink.

  ‘I hear the king has again refused to pay the gold the Sanang are asking for,’ she said.

  ‘That’s right,’ Shella said. ‘I was in court at noon today. Old Guilliamface was going on about it. The realm won’t hand over a single coin to an army camped at its gates, he said. I don’t know why not, the queen was wearing enough jewellery to pay the entire ransom on her own.’

  ‘I don’t think the queen has ten million in gold,’ Ariel said.

  ‘For fucksake Ariel,’ Shella said, ‘I was exaggerating. What I was meaning was that the Holdings could easily pay the ransom if it wanted to. Ten million is only a fraction of what must be sitting in the palace treasury. The city has probably spent at least that on the siege already.’

  ‘It’s the principle,’ Ariel said. ‘You don’t give money to bullies.’

  ‘The king is still offering to negotiate with
Agang,’ Celine said, ‘if he withdraws his forces first.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Shella said. ‘He kept saying “trust me, I have a plan”, though he wouldn’t say what it was.’

  ‘I’m sure his Majesty knows what he’s doing, your Highness,’ Ariel said.

  ‘It’s more a case,’ Daphne said, ‘that he knows what the enemy are doing.’

  Shella raised an eyebrow.

  ‘The creator, Shella,’ Daphne said.

  The Rakanese princess groaned.

  ‘The lord vicar can hear the voice of the creator,’ Daphne went on. ‘Through him, and his cadre of elite mage-priests, the king will know the position of every major army on the continent, and what the Sanang are thinking, and what they are planning to do next.’

  ‘Oh yeah?’ Shella said. ‘Then how come the creator didn’t warn them that the Sanang were going to invade?’

  Daphne shrugged. ‘Maybe he did. Maybe the Sanang are exactly where the king wants them to be.’

  ‘Yeah right,’ Shella smirked. ‘Go on then genius, tell us why.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Daphne said. ‘Alright, even if you don’t believe in the creator, then you can’t deny the power of the Holdings mages. You know they can enter the minds of others from afar.’

  ‘Is that really true?’ Ariel said. ‘I’ve heard the stories, but…’

  ‘You mean,’ Shella laughed, sloshing drink over the lip of her glass, ‘that your own sister hasn’t told you what she can do?’

  Ariel’s mouth opened.

  ‘Thanks Shella,’ Daphne said.

  ‘Is it true?’ Ariel asked. ‘I know you have battle and line, I know that well, having heard about it every day since you found out. Do you have more?’

  Daphne nodded, frowning.

  ‘How much more?’

  ‘This goes no further,’ Daphne said. ‘Do you all understand?’

  Ariel nodded.

  ‘Celine?’ Daphne said.

  ‘I won’t tell anyone.’

  ‘Alright.’ Daphne paused for a second. ‘I possess six of the seven vision powers, all except being able to hear the voice of the creator, though I did speak to him one time.’

  Ariel stood, her eyes halfway between anger and tears.

  ‘Father knows, doesn’t he?’ she cried. ‘That’s why he’s been fawning all over you, that’s why he never stops talking about you. I’m so sick of hearing how wonderful you are, how damn perfect.’

  She turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

  ‘Oops,’ said Shella.

  Celine started to giggle.

  ‘I should have warned you,’ Daphne said. ‘Ariel has never forgotten the day the priests discovered I had powers. Up until then, my father had taken little interest in me, but from then on, I think I might have become his favourite. She’s never forgiven me.’

  ‘I can sympathise,’ Shella said. ‘Out of sixteen spawn siblings, I was the only one with any powers. I was singled out the day they discovered I was a flow mage.’

  ‘So I’m sitting in a room,’ Celine said, lighting another cigarette, ‘with two of the most powerful mages in the city, maybe the world.’

  ‘Your husband has powers, doesn’t he?’ Shella said.

  ‘Vince has battle-vision,’ she replied. ‘That’s why he’s been a cavalry lad since his teens. That’s why he’ll be on the front lines if the Sanang attack. Sometimes I wish he didn’t have it, but other times,’ she smiled at them, ‘well, it has its uses.’

  ‘You dirty bitch,’ Shella laughed. ‘What about you, Daphne? You ever used your powers in bed?’

  ‘It’s never occurred to me to try until now,’ she said. ‘It’s not like I’ve had much of a sex life recently. Once with Killop was enough for this.’ She pointed at her growing bump.

  ‘You only did the business with him once?’ Shella said. ‘Fucksake, I didn’t know that.’

  Daphne stood. ‘I’d better go find Ariel.’

  Shella and Celine nodded, and Daphne left her room, emerging into a well-lit hall at the top of a flight of stairs. She started to descend, when she saw her father coming out of a room.

  ‘Daphne,’ he said, ‘do you have a moment?’

  ‘I was on my way to see Ariel.’

  ‘Your sister can wait,’ he said. ‘This is important. It concerns Killop.’

  She followed him to his study, where he closed the door and lit a lamp on the desk.

  ‘Sit,’ he said, pouring himself a drink.

  She took a seat next to his desk, and waited, her heart pounding.

  ‘Father,’ she said, ‘if it’s bad news, tell me now.’

  ‘Are you aware,’ he said, ‘of Quentin of Hold Terras, our ambassador in the Rahain capital?’

  ‘Of course, yes.’

  ‘I’ve been keeping open a private line of communication with him,’ her father said. ‘I asked him to let me know if there was any word of Killop. Naturally, as the fire mage’s brother, finding his location has been a priority for the Rahain government.’

  He gazed at her. ‘There has been word of him.’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘The Rahain military picked up a few runaway slaves,’ her father said, ‘who claimed to have been freed by a Killop, brother of a fire mage. Then stories arrived in the capital, of camps being raided, Kellach slaves being freed. It seems that Killop is leading an armed rebellion in the mountains east of their capital city. In atonement, the prisoners told the Rahain, for the crimes of his sister.’

  Daphne sat back in the seat and closed her eyes.

  ‘I was stupid,’ she said, ‘to think he would abandon his people for me.’

  ‘He’s the fool, Daffie,’ her father said, ‘but his rebellion might be the only thing stopping the Rahain from taking advantage of our weakness. For that, I can forgive his foolishness.’

  Daphne glanced away, unable to decide if she agreed.

  Chapter 16

  Shafts of Daylight

  Severed City, Rahain Republic – 18th Day, First Third Autumn 505

  ‘We built a cairn over his body,’ Killop said, keeping his gaze on Dyam, who sat motionless in the front row, her eyes red with tears. Draewyn crouched next to her, an arm over the young woman’s shoulder.

  ‘I fought by Dominic’s side a dozen times,’ Killop said, speaking to everyone in the hall, where his raiding officers and warriors had crowded in. ‘He was brave and loyal, and knew how to lead. He did the Domm proud, he did the Severed Clan proud, and he did the entire Kellach Brigdomin people proud. All over Rahain our folk are slaves, and it’s our job to set them free.

  ‘Four days ago Dominic fell fighting for our cause, and a part of him will live on in us forever.’

  He raised his mug.

  ‘Let us mind Dominic ae Dominie ae Domm.’

  He drained his ale, and watched as everyone else did the same.

  When they had finished, he stepped down off the stone bench, and leaned over to Dyam.

  ‘Take all the time you need,’ he said, then backed away to allow the others to pay their condolences.

  Bridget moved to his side, a mug of ale in her hand.

  ‘Poor lass.’

  ‘She’s strong,’ he said. ‘She’ll come back from this.’

  ‘Aye,’ Bridget said. ‘It’s being a single, it’s made her tough.’

  Killop nodded. The idea of growing up in Kellach Brigdomin without a twin was almost unthinkable. Every aspect of their youth had been connected in some way to that of their twins. Childhood was spent in each other’s company, and Killop couldn’t imagine being alone, in the way Dyam must have been.

  ‘With my sisters being identical,’ Bridget went on, ‘even though I was part of triplets, I always felt like an outsider growing up. They would share everything, sometimes it was like they could read each other’s minds, and they made my life a fucking misery.’

  ‘I remember them betting,’ Killop said, ‘to see who could bag Conal first.’

  �
��And I stole him out from under their noses,’ Bridget grinned. ‘I can’t tell you how proud that made me, even though wee Conal followed me about for ages like a lost kitten.’

  ‘One of the worst days of captivity,’ Killop said, ‘was when the Rahain separated me, you and Kallie from Koreen and Conal. I miss those bastards.’

  ‘I miss them all,’ Bridget said, ‘but here, Killop, we’ve started again. I knew you’d make a good chief. All these folk, they love you, but they don’t know you like I do. We went through the war together, and then lived in each other’s pockets for a year in captivity. I know how hard it’s been for you losing Daphne, but since we got here, I think I’m starting to see signs of your old self returning.’

  He shook his head. ‘I still wake every morning thinking of her. Still run over my life as it should have been, with her.’

  ‘I’m not saying you’re heartless,’ she said. ‘It’s obvious you’re still mourning her. It’s just that this place has given you a purpose, and seeing that in you makes me happy.’

  He frowned. ‘How much ale have you had?’

  ‘A fair bit,’ she said, ‘but it’s only bringing out the truth. You’re doing a decent job. Daphne would be proud.’

  He looked at Bridget. ‘Thanks.’

  The noise in the room dwindled away as his officers left to begin their day’s work. Someone opened the hall’s shutters, and the morning sun streamed in, sending a ray of light across Dyam, making her hair glow like gold.

  Killop saw Larissa at the other end of the great table.

  ‘See you soon Bridget,’ he said. ‘Don’t get too drunk.’

  He walked towards Larissa. She saw him coming, and frowned.

  ‘Need to talk to you,’ he said.

  ‘I’m already late for a meeting with the hunters,’ she said. ‘I need to give them tonight’s routes.’

  ‘I’ve asked Brynt to go in your place.’

  ‘You what?’

  ‘Let’s take this somewhere more private.’

  She scowled, but followed him into a side room.

  ‘You putting Brynt in charge of my hunters?’ she said, her face reddening.