by Pedro Urvi
Something’s crawling, or else dragging Martis’ body.
He turned and gestured towards the east, Isaz nodded, and the Arkens followed them. Ikai found himself liking the situation less and less. He stepped on something dark and wet, and stopped. He touched it with the tip of his fingers, then put them to his mouth to make sure.
Blood, he thought, deeply worried by now.
He went on with greater caution, trying not to make any noise, stepping warily. All of a sudden an opening appeared in the vegetation to his left with a creak, close to his face. His heart skipped a beat. He turned his bow towards the sound, ready to defend himself.
Beyond his raised bow, Albana’s eyes greeted him with a gleam.
“By all the…” he started to protest in a whisper, but Albana silenced him with a finger to her lips. With a gesture, the brunette beckoned him on.
He pulled himself together and went on slowly. He found more blood, this time a lot of it. The trail veered east behind a tree. He followed it carefully, in front of him the ground fell to a stream-bed. There under the stars, beside the water an enormous jaguar held Martis, dead, between its jaws. The cat, yellow with black spots and yellow-green eyes, was unnaturally large. The lethal bite had crushed the skull. The gigantic predator was dragging Martis’ body as if it were that of a rabbit. It took Ikai a moment to react and aim at the beast. Albana moved to stand beside him at once, and Isaz followed. Ikai looked for the Arken brothers and beckoned to them.
Massive and lethally beautiful, the jaguar left the body aside and began to drink at the stream. Ikai knew it would turn round at any moment and see them. He looked at the others and nodded slowly.
Five arrows reached the great jaguar. The beast, caught by surprise, crossed the stream in an astonishing leap. It turned its eyes on the group, who were readying their arrows to shoot again, then with a roar of rage and pain it disappeared into the forest.
Ikai turned to Albana. “Didn’t you tell me you’d explored the island? That you hadn’t seen anything strange?”
“That’s so,” she replied with a frown.
“And that beast?”
Albana shrugged. “The fact that I hadn’t seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t prowl around here. This is a very big island… and you’re the tracker, don’t forget, not me.”
“Damn! And what do we do now?”
Albana smiled. “I think we’ll have to organize a search. See what else we find. Tomorrow, when it’s proper light.” With an amused smile, she said goodbye and left.
Ikai sighed. The Shelter was not a completely safe refuge after all. Just thinking about what else they might find made his hair stand on end.
Chapter 3
Adamis strode determinedly into the High Chamber. They would not see him waver. Whatever the final verdict might be, he would obey it, even if he were sentenced to death.
“Who comes before the Five High Kings, Lords of the Elements?” the Alderman asked ceremonially. He wore an austere judge’s robe.
Adamis went to stand in front of him. The Alderman’s golden face was peaceful and his eyes shone with intelligence and knowledge. For over a month, since Lord Asu had recovered from his wounds and formally accused Prince Adamis, he had been conducting the trial on the orders of their Majesties. For over a month Adamis had had to defend himself against the accusations against him arising from the serious incident, accusations punishable by death.
“Adamis, Prince Heir of the House of Eret, of the First Ring, comes before you,” he said. He kept his chin held high and looked straight at the Alderman, for whom he felt no aversion. He was doing his duty, and indeed he did it very well,
“Accuser or accused?
Adamis swallowed, “Accused.”
The Alderman made a sign to one of the three Eyes-of-the-Gods, who made a note of it in his silver book.
“This Alderman recognizes Lord Adamis of the House of Eret. The Prince may take his place.” He indicated to Adamis that he should stand on a black circle to the right, beside an Eye who would take down every word when he gave his testimony.
With solemn steps the Prince went over to the place indicated and stood on the black circle of accusation. He bent on one knee and remained with his head bowed.
Today my fate will be decided.
He glanced furtively at the Five Kings. He froze, such was the power they emanated, the sense of intimidation they provoked, even the one he knew so well: his own father. On a circular golden platform which levitated above the crystal clear floor, their all-powerful Majesties presided from intricate silver thrones. They wore rich yet sober gowns of the finest silks, embroidered in silver, each in accordance with the element which represented their power: the color of their family and realm. On each of their chests was embroidered the emblem of the House they ruled. They also wore jeweled crowns, magnificently crafted with precious stones which marked them as leaders and monarchs among the Golden. On their chests hung the five ancestral pendants which showed they were Masters of the Elements as well as High Kings, the highest expression of Power among their people. Their shriveled golden bodies, sprinkled with copper spots, shone now with a faint sheen of rejuvenation.
Youth robbed from the young girls who were sacrificed to this end, for the greater glory of our civilization. Adamis could not help a grimace of disapproval as he looked away.
There came a shrill vibration announcing the arrival of the accuser, and the doors of the chamber opened. Lord Asu walked into the hall arrogantly, as if wherever he stepped belonged to him. He gave Adamis a glare of pure hatred, a hatred so visceral it seemed it might burst into flames at any moment. But not there, in front of their Majesties; it would be the end of him. He went up to the Alderman and stopped, without taking his furious eyes off Adamis, as he had done all through the trial.
Adamis ignored Asu’s glare. He is no more than a raging bull, and as such is very dangerous. I must be cautious. This situation is very volatile, and I must deal with it delicately. The day will come when he gets his due, he thought to himself, ignoring the glare.
“Who comes before the Five High Kings and Lords of the Elements?” the Alderman asked once again.
“Lord Asu, Heir Prince of the House of Aureb, of the Second Ring.”
“Accuser or accused?
“Accuser,” Asu barked angrily.
“This Alderman recognizes Lord Asu of the House of Aureb. The Prince may take his place.” With a gesture he indicated that he should stand on a white circle to the left, beside an Eye who would take down his testimony.
Hastily and vigorously, Asu went to his position and sank to one knee before their Majesties.
“Accuser, accused and High Court,” the Alderman said, addressing first Asu and then Adamis, and finally, with an elaborate bow, the Five Kings, “the trial is renewed.”
The Five gave their consent with the trace of a nod. Such was their power that the tiny gesture completely disrupted the atmosphere in the chamber and a wave of energy reached Adamis, as if a great wave of the sea had broken against his body. It was hard to believe that only months ago the Five had been hibernating in their sarcophagi in that same hall. But much had changed since then; the sarcophagi had now been removed, and in their place rose five thrones with their almighty Majesties ruling from them.
A cycle of power ended with the Ceremony of Vivification, and a new one begins. The cycle of lower power has now passed, the cycle in which the High Kings rested to extend their already long existence in a desperate race against death, while we, the Princes and Regents of each House, ruled while we waited for them to wake up. Adamis sighed. Now the cycle of higher power was beginning, in which the Five High Kings woke from their repose to lead their civilization to new glories: a time of advances, conquests and discoveries was beginning under the rule of the powerful Kings. During the lower cycle an intense struggle for power had broken out, both between the Houses and within them, for the leadership vacuum was obvious and there were many who vied for position
. It was a time of in-fighting, of petty spats and treason. The rulers devoted little time to the search for grandeur and progress, being much more concerned with more down-to-earth things like survival. Adamis snorted: I am glad I do not have to rule my House, do not have to look over my shoulder constantly in case a dagger is on its way. But my father’s return worries me. I very much fear it will bring consequences… ones I do not wish for… His vision for our future and the means to achieve it have always been different from mine, and a source of argument. And after all that has happened, all that I have experienced and discovered, it is even more.
The Alderman cleared his throat. “Lord Adamis, you are accused, in the first place, of treason: of interfering in the sacred ritual of Vivification and helping the Selected to escape after the ritual. Secondly, you are accused of breaking the Law of Blood: by shedding royal blood, that of Lord Asu of the House of Aureb. And in the third place, you are accused of having provoked a diplomatic incident with the exiled House of Hila on their own island of Hiltok. Each and every one of these crimes carries the death penalty. Do you still maintain your innocence of all these accusations?”
“I do so maintain.”
“You do? How dare you?” Asu barked furiously.
A dull, threatening murmur descended from the Five and enveloped Asu. He was quiet at once, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably. There was pain on his face.
“Lord Adamis, you have the right to make a final statement before the High Court,” the Alderman said, with a wave in the direction of the Five Kings.
Adamis took a deep breath, quelled any trace of nervousness in his body and drew himself up to his full height. “As I have consistently maintained before this court during the trial against my person, I did not interfere in the ritual of Vivification. The Ceremony was carried out according to tradition and with complete purity. The Five Houses were present and bore witness to that. Furthermore, the Five can attest that the vital essence of the Selected was passed on to their bodies in its entirety.”
“In that case, how is it possible that several slaves survived? And what were you doing with them?” Asu’s finger jabbed at Adamis. His eyes flashed furiously and his body was hunched and trembling.
Adamis ignored Asu and went on with his statement. “As my Erudite Notaplo has already testified, the slaves do not always die in the process of Vivification; there have been cases in which they survived. This fact is precisely what Notaplo wished to study with this batch of Selected, since like any great scholar he is always in search of knowledge which might lead us to immortality. That was what we were doing there: picking up the corpses and possible survivors for further study. Luckily it turned out that several Selected still had a residue of life in them, and Notaplo revived them.”
“You cannot seriously believe we are going to swallow such nonsense!” Asu shouted.
“Whether you believe it or not is not my concern. As to the accusation of shedding royal blood, as I have already stated, I simply defended myself from Lord Asu’s attack. I did not begin the hostilities, and I must remind the court that Lord Asu’s attack on me cost the life of my Champion Rotec. That is why it is he, not I, who must be accused of shedding blood.”
“You denied me my slave. Mine by right!”
“Once selected and sacrificed, a slave does not belong to anybody,” Adamis went on, keeping his voice calm and deliberately ignoring Asu. “And finally, regarding the diplomatic incident, I must point out that I negotiated the rescue of the living slaves with Lord Woz and obtained his approval, so there would have been no incident had Lord Asu not attacked me.”
“Damn you!” Asu yelled, beside himself with rage.
“Keep your composure, Lord Asu, you are in the presence of the Five High Kings,” the Alderman reminded him.
Asu glanced aside at the Kings, then immediately shrugged and lowered his eyes.
Adamis noticed his rival’s fear, and rejoiced in it. He was afraid of the Five, and he was right to be. They were powerful, as well as implacable and ruthless. They would not tolerate the slightest slip, the slightest offense. Not even his own father would allow that of him. To dishonor a House, still more in the presence of the other Royal Houses, was considered the greatest of insults, something unpardonable, even more so in a Prince.
“Does the accuser maintain the charges, then?” the Alderman enquired formally.
“By the fire! Of course I do!”
The Alderman nodded and bowed. “Both parties have made their cases, the facts are known, the accusations and defenses have been made before the Five. As the accusation has not been withdrawn, the accused must be judged by law.” He gave an elaborate bow and remained with his head bent before their Majesties.
The Five exchanged glances. A funereal silence descended upon the chamber, and they began their deliberation.
Adamis tried to listen to what they said, but he found it impossible, as they had closed their thoughts to the others so that the conversation was for themselves only. While he awaited a verdict which might very well cost him his life, he pondered on the succession of events. He looked at the floor of clear glass and the hall around him, the very one in which the ceremony had taken place. Everything started here. I do not regret doing what I did. Far from it: I believe I did what I ought. I could not let Kyra be consumed and die… Notaplo’s plan had worked; the developed catalyst he had used had allowed them to keep a trace of life-essence in their organisms. Yet despite that, the subsequent turn of events on the island of the dead had been tragic, something he had not foreseen and would have to live with. I am sorry, Rotec, deeply sorry. Nobody could have wished for a better friend, a more loyal defender. You gave your life for me, through my own fault, through my own actions. I beg your forgiveness, for your life is irreplaceable. I shall always carry you in my soul as the brother I lost.
A disturbance in the atmosphere around him made him shiver painfully. He came back to reality. The Five had finished their deliberations and were watching him with deep eyes, lacking any empathy. They sat in the order of their Houses, from left to right.
“Have your Majesties reached a verdict?” the Alderman asked. His head was still bowed.
We have, the five replied in unison. The mental message was so thunderous and powerful that Adamis’s mind was on the point of finding itself unable to bear it and collapsing. He closed his eyes and contained that explosion within his head, in agony. Asu too was suffering the same torture.
Kaitze, the High King of the House of Aurez, of the Third Ring, rose and took a step forward. He was dressed in white, his body wasted by the thousand years and more during which he had been the ruler of his House. He moved slowly, but every move revealed the enormous Power stored within him, undeniable and portentous. He passed his hand over his cheek, where the copper spots brought by the passing of time were noticeable on the dark gold of his aged skin. The eyes of the Lord of Air, a bright gray, watched the accused for a moment, studying him carefully. Adamis swallowed and prepared for the worst.
“Concerning the accusation of treason, for having interfered with the ritual of Vivification,” came his voice as a distant whisper, “we have not found irrefutable proof that this was so. We therefore decree that it has not been proven before this court that the law was broken. Prince Adamis’s word is accepted.”
Asu glared furiously at the King, and opened his mouth to protest, but the King raised his finger in his direction as a warning. He would not tolerate any contempt of court, however slight. Asu was forced to stay silent and accept the verdict.
Adamis exhaled with relief. He had avoided the first lethal arrow.
“I humbly accept the judgment of the High Court,” he hastened to say, and lowered his head.
Asu was pressing his jaws so tightly together that they were all but dislocated. It took a moment before he could swallow his anger. Adamis found himself wishing it would poison him. Finally he gave way.
“I humbly accept the judgment of the High Court,
” he said, staring at the floor. His voice shook with fury.
Kaitze sat down on his throne once again and Lur, of the House of Idnem of the Fourth Ring, rose and stepped forward. His long brown robe looked plain in contrast to the rich crown he wore on his head. His brown eyes stared first at Asu and then at Adamis.
“Regarding the second accusation, that of breaking the law of blood,” he said in his rasping voice, “there is no doubt that it was broken. Prince Asu suffered severe injuries, and the Champion Rotec died in combat.” Lord Asu’s face lit up and his eyes shone exultantly, foreseeing victory. “Nevertheless, it has not been established irrefutably and with absolute clarity which of the two parties was to blame for the event.”
This time it was Adamis who glared at the King. Lord Asu had been the guilty one, there could be no doubt about that. He was about to say something when he noticed his father’s gesture: seated on the first throne, he shook his head almost imperceptibly. Adamis understood the meaning: do not oppose the verdict. Incipient fury gnawed at his stomach like a rabid animal, but he pushed it down and quieted it. It was neither the place nor the moment for demonstrations of any kind. They would not be tolerated.
“This was an incident between two of the Royal Houses, between their heirs,” High King Lur went on, “and that is why it is extremely grave: more so taking into account that it occurred during a low cycle, where the priority of both heirs, as de facto regents, was to put the wellbeing of their Houses before any conflict, still more a personal one. For this reason, after lengthy consideration, and at the request of Laino, King of the First Ring, and of Gar, King of the Second Ring, members of this High Court” (he waved his hand at them, while they saluted deferentially) “the accusation will be ignored, and there will be no further investigation into the matter. The balance between the Houses must endure and be safeguarded for the good of our civilization. A war between Houses over an insignificant matter like this must not be permitted. For this reason, too, the behavior of the two Princes cannot remain unpunished, since they ended up by shedding blood, which might have brought about a war between both Houses which could easily have dragged the others into the conflict. The punishment for this temerity will be imposed by the High King of the First House on his son Adamis, and by the High King of the Second House on his son Asu.”