by Pedro Urvi
“A beautiful ship,” Teslo said behind him.
His Champion was followed by six Custodians of Honor. The Prince could not take a step without being followed by the Guard, on his father’s orders.
He nodded. “Have you ever sailed, Teslo?”
“Yes. It is part of my training as a soldier. But never beyond the boundaries of the Five Rings.”
“Have you never left Alantres?”
“No, my lord.”
“There is a whole world out there,” said Adamis with a smile, “even though our people refuse to acknowledge it.”
“I know the geography of the known world.”
“Looking at maps and the archives of knowledge is not the same as treading the fresh grass of the east of the great continent. Nor smelling the sweet scents of spring in the pastures, or hearing the call of the white eagle as it climbs the skies. Those are fascinating things our fellow countrymen will never experience.”
“Even less live, I imagine…”
Adamis winked at him. “Indeed, much less…” and he smiled.
A slave approached the Custodians and remained prostrate a few paces away. “Go back to your duties, slave,” Teslo ordered her.
But she did not move. She laid her head on the ground and raised her left arm, showing her Ring.
“I said…”
But Adamis interrupted him with a gesture.
Teslo stiffened, and his eyes filled with alarm. “My lord Prince, remember your father’s prohibition. I will deal with this trouble.”
“I have not broken my father’s law. I am keeping away from the slaves. This one is several paces away, and I am not touching her. Check her Ring.”
“Yes, my Prince.”
Teslo made his way between the Custodians.
Adamis watched her in puzzlement. There was nothing special about her; she wore a faded brown robe, with an almost transparent white scarf on her head. She was young, and looked well fed.
The huge warrior reached the young woman and eclipsed her with his own body, then grasped her outstretched arm to check her Ring.
“She is a messenger, my lord. She has a Hare engraved on her Ring.”
Without raising her head, the slave girl held out her right hand. In it she carried a silver box. Teslo placed his great hand beneath the girl’s, and she dropped the box into his palm. She nodded in acknowledgment, stood up and left.
“Bring it to me,” Adamis said.
Teslo turned back with a frown. “She was carrying this box. I have looked it all over and it seems harmless. I do not sense Power in it either, although perhaps it would be better if a Custodian opened it. It might be dangerous.”
Teslo’s sudden concern reminded Adamis of something he must bear in mind: they were in the midst of the Higher Cycle. This meant that the five High Kings were in power again, and thus the game of politics and treason, two things which always went hand in hand, became highly dangerous, even lethal. The power-play for supremacy would reach unthinkable levels presently, and all precautions would be inadequate. I myself, with my exile, am the first victim of this cursed game of fools.
The box was completely smooth, with no sign to reveal who it might belong to, which did not surprise him. He closed his eyes and focused, then summoned his Power and studied it. He could not perceive a trace of any presence, but there was something more worrying: there was a tiny trace of essence of latent Power inside the box. Teslo had not been able to sense its presence, since his sensitivity to the Power was far less developed. He was a soldier, and that was what his Power had specialized in from childhood. Luckily Adamis had spent most of his life among Erudites and had had the privilege of working his Power in a range of fields, although always within the limits imposed on him by his basic element: Ether.
The box opened with a click. Inside he found a pearl. There was nothing else.
“A pearl… truly strange…” he murmured. He held it between his fingers and became aware that there was power in it.
Teslo frowned. “There is no message,” he said.
“That intrigues me. What is a slave doing delivering an anonymous message to the Heir Prince of the House of the First Ring?”
Teslo shrugged his enormous shoulders.
“We’ll have to find out,” Adamis said.
Night had fallen by the time he returned to his royal suite after dining with his mother Belai. All the love she had been unable to show in his father’s presence she had given him on that last evening. Adamis knew perfectly well that his mother doted on him, even though they did not always share the same views. Like his father Laino, his mother defended the old teachings and was never likely to change. But she loved him; of that he had no doubt.
Once in his rooms, he closed the door behind him. Two Custodians remained on guard outside. He went over to the balcony and drew the thick curtains to guarantee the privacy he wanted. He sat on the bed, brought out the pearl and stared at it for some time.
It has a tiny speck of power in it. I can feel it, as if it were alive. If I activate it, it might be dangerous, but if I do not, I shall never get to the bottom of all this. In fact, he was puzzled by it. His people rarely imbued an object with Power, as the mere act involved a measurable cost in Power, higher than what might be transferred into the object. As a result, it consumed life and hence was inefficient. The practice had long been abandoned, although in olden times it had been used. Nowadays we have discs specially alloyed for this purpose. And yet it is still a process which consumes power, although it is far more efficient. So we must decide when and if it is worthwhile. The more he thought about it the more intrigued he became, and at last he came to a decision. I am going to activate it. I need to understand what is going on.
He put the pearl in the middle of the bed and moved back a few steps. He summoned his Power and raised a protective sphere of ethereal energy around his body. Better safe than sorry. He concentrated, then stretched out his hand to cause a thread of power to issue from his index finger. He directed it gently until it touched the pearl. When energy and object came into contact, there came a sudden soft gleam and the pearl became activated. Adamis watched an image being projected from it, taking shape before his eyes. The image was weak, with barely any noticeable color, so that it was hard to make anything out. He narrowed his eyes in an attempt to get a better sense of the figure which had formed. Gradually his eyes managed to make sense of the weak gray tones. He was looking at a golden woman, apparently young, but he could not see who she was, since over her nose and mouth she wore a mask in the shape of a tree. Its roots covered her mouth, the trunk her nose and the thick branches her eyes.
Uncertainly, he stepped forward to come closer to the image and try to see who it might be, or at least what the purpose of that strange visual message might be. At the same moment the image vibrated and emitted a sound like a shrill shriek. Startled, Adamis stepped back. But nothing happened. Once again he moved toward the pearl, and the image vibrated once more with that same shrill shriek.
This is something out of the ordinary, he thought. That sound is not natural… it seems to be something created on purpose, with a definite aim… Yes, it is definitely artificial. But why does it not reach me clearly? And then he realized. My barrier! It was not reaching him because the sound had an element of Power in it, and the protective sphere would not let anything with Power cross it. And what do I do now? Should I take the risk? The sensible thing to do would be to call Teslo and the Custodians. There is no reason to make it worth exposing myself, least of all now, when enemies are lurking. This might very well be a trap. But the woman intrigued him. I know I ought not, but I am going to. I hope I am not making a mistake. He lowered the protection of the sphere and stepped forward, ready to jump back.
The image vibrated.
A mental message reached him.
Adamis, Temple of the West, midnight. It is important. Come alone.
The mental communication reached him with absolute clarity and left h
im utterly bewildered.
He opened the bedroom door and addressed the Custodians on duty.
“Call Notaplo the Erudite and Teslo. Tell them to come at once.”
Teslo arrived in the blink of an eye, stern-faced, his eyes searching for any danger. Notaplo took a little longer. Adamis invited Teslo to approach the image on the bed. When the sound came, he could not help a smile.
“Did you get the mental message?”
“No, my lord. I only heard that annoying noise.”
Notaplo smiled. He was beginning to understand what was happening.
“Let this old scholar try.”
Adamis waved his hand. “Go ahead.”
Notaplo moved forward, and the incomprehensible sound came once again.
The Erudite scratched his head. “Curious and puzzling.”
“More so than you think,” Adamis said. He moved toward the object and the image vibrated.
Adamis, Temple of the West, midnight. It is important. Come alone.
He turned to both of them. “Did you receive the mental message?”
They looked at each other and shook their heads.
“No, my lord,” Teslo said, confirming what Adamis suspected.
“It is a coded message, for my ears alone,” he explained.
Notaplo’s eyes opened wide. The spark of curiosity gleamed in them. “If that is so, it has been done by someone with a great deal of Power. More than that, someone with a great deal of knowledge… Hmm… it is several millennia since the Erudites of the Houses stopped casting spells on objects, imbuing them with Power. That practice was discarded with the discovery of the Diamond Discs. Whoever has sent you this object, my Prince, is an expert in arts which are practically extinct among us.”
Adamis scratched his chin. “Which only increases my curiosity.”
“What is the message, my lord, if I may be permitted to ask?”
“It says: Adamis, Temple of the West, midnight. It is important. Come alone.”
“You are not thinking of going, are you, my Prince?” Teslo hastened to ask. “It is a trap, it must be.”
Adamis was silent as he considered what to do.
Notaplo went over to the image and examined it with the greatest care. His old eyes read every line of that enigmatic woman’s face.
“Teslo is right,” he said when he had finished. “I fear you are in danger, my Prince. You must be careful.”
Adamis smiled calmly. “Do not worry. That is something I shall certainly be.”
Chapter 16
Liriana stood waiting in the middle of the road which crossed the great beech forest. She looked into the distance, but could only see a couple of squirrels leaping from branch to branch and a skittish deer running into the depths of the underbrush. From all directions, she could hear the incessant tweeting of hungry fledglings calling their parents as they flew over the forest in search of food.
She bent her head to avoid the sunbeams which penetrated the foliage and wrapped the old hooded cloak around her. Her hands were sweaty, and she rubbed them on her tunic to dry. The armor she wore under her cloak and the weight of the concealed weapons hanging from her belt made her hot. Or perhaps she was more nervous than she thought. The tip of her leather boot tapped the ground of its own volition. I’m nervous all right. I’d better try and calm down. There’s a lot at stake. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, emptying her lungs. She felt better, more at peace, and repeated the exercise.
A distant sound reached her on the gentle breeze which came from the road. She strained her hearing and identified the sound: horses’ hooves and military boots. Here they come. The information our spies brought us was correct. It was not long before she saw several riders, the advance guard of the group, approaching at an easy pace. They were led by a Captain of the Guard, and a Proxy in his characteristic blue and white robe. But that was not what she needed to see. She waited for them to get closer, forcing herself to stay calm, until she saw a long line of large carts with canvas coverings, pulled by Percheron horses. There they are! she thought with a sigh of relief. The carts were escorted by two score soldiers of the Guard, half of them on either side, in a long line. She could not see the end of the huge convoy which disappeared into the forest, but she calculated there would be another score in the rearguard.
“Some sixty soldiers in all, counting those at the front…” she muttered. It was what she had expected. She knew the Guards’ method perfectly.
For the rebellion! For freedom! she said to herself, to raise her spirits. She clenched her fists tightly under the cloak and stayed where she was, unmoving.
She let out a long sigh, releasing all her tension and anxiety, and stood up to face the riders.
The Captain of the Guard stopped his black courser and raised his arm to signal the column to stop. Brown eyes gleamed from under the plumed helmet. The look he gave Liriana was clearly one of annoyance.
“Move over, you halfwit!”
One of the riders behind the Captain readied his spear and shield. “How dare you interrupt the Guard’s progress?” he called out.
Liriana’s reply was deliberately casual. “Why should I? I was here first.”
“Have you lost your mind?” the Captain demanded angrily.
The Proxy brought his white mare forward to the officer’s side, and the armed riders came with him.
“What’s the problem?” he said. “We can’t waste more time, we’re late already. The Eyes are waiting, and you know they don’t understand anything about delays …”
“I would say you’ve got about a hundred carts with you,” Liriana observed.
“And what’s that to you?” the Proxy said disdainfully.
“It must be the Cereals Quota. Are you taking it to Urasis, the capital of the County?”
The Captain and the Proxy exchanged suspicious glances.
“You’re well-informed,” the Proxy said distrustfully. “I’m Proxy Alius, in charge of the Cereal Quota of the Third County, and this is Masium, Captain of the Guard of Urasis. Who are you?”
“Me? Oh, I’m nobody important. I don’t have a title. I’m just a Senoca slave, like you, like all of us.”
“You look more like a Pariah who’s lost her wits,” Masium said. He flipped his cloak back and drew his sword.
Liriana pushed back her hood and revealed her face. Lazily, she let her cloak fall to the ground. Masium was astonished to see she wore officer’s armor and blue and white tunic underneath it.
“What’s this? That’s a Guard Captain’s uniform and insignia you’re wearing!”
“I was one a long time ago, just as you are. But now I serve another cause, a much nobler and more important one.”
“Get out of our way this minute, Pariah, Captain, fool or whatever you are,” Alius snapped out, “or it’ll mean your life. I won’t allow any more delays.”
“Oh, I see. You must run to bring your masters, the Enforcers of the Gods, the fruits of your people’s labor, while the victims of your robbery die of hunger.”
“You’re a fool. I serve Regent Sesmok and I obey the Law of the Gods. You’ll pay with your life for this insult. Masium, get rid of her!”
The Captain gave her a final glance, as if he did not quite see the meaning of all this. What was this lunatic doing in the middle of the road, confronting the Guard?
Liriana remained firm, her face calm, her hands by her weapons.
Masium shook his head and came to a decision. “Kill her!” he ordered.
The first two riders spurred their mounts and charged. Liriana drew sword and dagger and took two steps back. The first soldier aimed his spear at her heart, and she took two more steps back. Suddenly three whistles sounded sharply. She got ready to deflect the spear, but it never reached her. The soldier fell from his horse with three arrows in his body. He writhed on the ground, moaning, while his horse ran off along the road. With a bitter groan, he died.
“By the Gods!” Masium cried.
“Ambush!” cried Masium.
Proxy Alius hunched down on his mare’s neck. In his eyes was bewilderment and disbelief. How could anyone dare to attack them. “It’s impossible! This can’t be happening!” he cried.
“Everybody to arms!” Masium yelled to the rearguard. “Pass on the order!”
Liriana raised her sword and dagger and crossed them above her head. At her signal there came a mighty roar from among the beeches. Other shouts of fury joined in all along the road, growing in strength until they were like thunder. Hundreds of throats shouted in unison.
And the din came to life as hundreds of men fell on the column, as though two waves of death had closed in over the soldiers. From both sides of the road they came, as if the forest were sending its sons with axes in their hands, possessed by the wrath born of a thousand years of slavery and suffering.
The giant Rutus appeared at Liriana’s side with his great two-headed axe raised above his head, yelling like a madman. Behind him came his two cousins Usom and Turos, carrying woodcutters’ axes and hunting knives.