by Pedro Urvi
“Are you sure this is the tavern?”
“Absolutely,” Karm said.
“The last time it was a lot livelier,” said Honus as he looked around. “Still, the whores are the same, not much doubt about that.”
“It must be because of the clampdown by the Guard,” Karm said.
Ikai nodded. “We’ll wait.”
After the second round of beers he started to feel nervous. There was no sign of Gedrel or Albana, and the atmosphere at the tavern was too gloomy. Stay calm, they’ll come. It’s a matter of time. I must be cool, avoid taking any risks. But unfortunately time was precisely what they did not have. He tried not to look at the door of the tavern, to avoid raising suspicions, but with every moment that went by he found it harder not to look. Honus did not lose sight of the women, and smiled with each gulp of beer. Suddenly Karm pointed to the door.
“Look out,” he whispered, and Ikai hoped with all his heart that this was not the Guard looking for them. He looked casually over his shoulder. Two figures wearing dark hooded cloaks were coming towards them, heads down. They were not part of the guard. They came to their table and sat down without a word. Honus growled defiantly, and Karm and Ikai reached for their daggers.
“Easy, it’s me,” said a woman’s sensual voice. They all recognized it immediately.
“Black widow,” Honus said with a smile.
“Albana…” muttered Ikai. He sighed in relief. The brunette pushed her hood back to reveal her wild features.
“Did you miss me?” she said with a wink.
Ikai felt a wave of relief that she was back safe and sound beside him once again. She kept up her usual humor, that innate sarcasm which attracted him so much. That meant everything had gone well. He sighed, and her black eyes reassured him.
“I was worried about you,” he admitted. “It took you a long time.”
She smiled affectionately at him. “You worry too much. Anyway, I brought you a surprise.” She turned to her companion. “That’s why it took me so long.”
The stranger’s hood was pushed back. Ikai held his breath, hoping it would be Gedrel. But it was not, and he was left speechless. He was greeted by eyes turquoise as the sea and a wide smile in a face which had once captured his heart.
“Liri… ana…” he stammered.
“Greetings, Hunter,” she said with a nod, smiling broadly. Her short blonde hair shone in the candlelight and her eyes recalled the immensity of the sea. “It does my heart good to see you again,” she whispered, putting her hand to her heart and leaning over the table so only they might hear. “But it’d be better if we didn’t use names. There are plenty of indiscreet ears in this city, and the reward on our heads is very high…”
“Of course… excuse me… it was the surprise. I didn’t expect to see you.”
“My friend came for me,” she said, nodding towards Albana. “And when she calls, I come.”
Albana nodded. “We’ve been friends for a long time. Nothing will ever change that.” Her inquisitive eyes were fixed on Ikai as though she were measuring each one of his reactions. Her smile was neither friendly nor sarcastic, but something else, something that made him uneasy. He swallowed. I’d better tread carefully, or Albana’s quite capable of tearing my heart out if I put my foot in with Liriana… I must act cool toward her, or else I’ll be in a real fix. As he thought this he could not stop looking at Liriana. He remembered the ordeal they had shared during Kyra’s rescue. Everything that had happened, what they had lived through together, especially the night they had shared, and what it had meant for him. He remembered the absence that followed, and the discovery later on that she was sworn to another. He remembered the pain. All those memories, all those powerful and painful emotions, hit his mind and his stomach. He had to make an effort to hide the turmoil of emotions that surged up in him.
Albana arched one eyebrow. “Cat get your tongue?” she asked with an edge to her voice.
“No… no…. I still can’t believe it’s her,” he said in some confusion. “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other.”
“More than a year… a long, hard year,” said Liriana.
“A year in which you’ve done an incredible job organizing the resistance and preparing the people for the uprising,” an old voice said behind them. Startled, they all turned. All except Liriana.
“Relax,” she said. “He’s with me.”
The old man drew a stool close to the table and sat down. Ikai had recognized the voice. There was no doubt it was Gedrel. The old leader of the resistance pushed back his hood.
“How are you, my dear young man?” he said to Ikai.
“Very well, old friend,” said Ikai, and gave him a warm embrace.
“Are you still that same poised, alert young man who saved the life of this crazy old poet?”
“I think so… maybe a little less calculating, a little more impulsive. Every man changes with the experiences he lives through… and you know very well I don’t like being characterized as cold and calculating.”
“I said poised, you have an innate calm which very few men possess. When our paths crossed by the grace of Oxatsi, I saw you fight and kill four men without flinching. Not everybody can do that.”
“Anybody trained to fight can do that. Remember, I was a Hunter.”
“And a very good one.” Gedrel smiled, and the creases in his face deepened. “You look good, which gladdens my soul, and at my age few things make me glad.”
“I’m still in one piece,” Ikai said with a smile.
“By a hair’s-breadth, according to what I heard… the Shelter…. You surprised me, very positively, I have to admit. Only a fool or a brave man who doesn’t mind dying would stand up to the Enforcers in battle. Only a Hero would come out alive… Didn’t your calculating mind warn you it was impossible? I’m sure it did… How is it you chose to fight?”
“I had no choice.”
“A man always has a choice. He can choose to follow his own heart and fight for good, or he can choose to turn his back and let evil triumph. But when all’s said and done, it’s always a choice each man must make. One that you made that day, which drove you to fight the Enforcers.”
“You always read too much into things. I just did what I could to save our people.”
“You tried to save the Shelter from the wrath of the Gods. You tried to protect the refugees with your life in the face of almost certain death. Those are the actions of a leader, of a Hero.”
“I’m no hero…”
“Are you sure? As I interpret it, a Hero, a symbol for the people, is that man who gives everything for his people with his generous, epic acts, with his sacrifice and devotion. I’d say you amply fulfill the definition of a Hero, for your own people, for those you’ve protected on so many occasions, putting your own life in danger without caring about the magnitude of whatever you faced. What you are is decided by your actions, not your words, or your vision of yourself, and your actions have spoken. Whether you like it or not, they’ve made you a hero for many. And I’m sure that very soon they’ll make you a hero for all the Senoca, and it’ll be on the basis of your own merits.”
Ikai shook his head, smiling. “I’ve missed your crazy philosophy of life. I see you’re still the same.”
“It’s the only thing we old fools have left, our philosophy, which we need to pass on to the young ones ‒” he looked at Liriana ‒ “so they can lead us into a new, glorious future: one which only I dare to dream about, and which I’ll certainly never get to see.”
“They say weeds never die,” Albana said teasingly.
“Very true, my lethal, feline child. But in my case, it would seem I’m not as bad as the Regent and the Gods want me to be, so in all probability they’ll end up pulling me up out of the earth, and then this crazy philosopher and poet will cease to exist.”
“Don’t say that,” Liriana scolded him. “We need you. Without you we’re lost.”
“Thank you, little
one, but you’re much better prepared for what’s coming than you think. You’ll be able to carry on without this old dreamer.”
“You’re our leader, the seed which has spread the message our people are now taking to their hearts.”
“I’m just an old dreamer, an epic poet who’s trying to strike the spark of freedom in the hearts of a hopeless people. If the breeze is favorable, that spark will become a flame which can never be extinguished: a dream of freedom for the Senoca, so we may go back to the Mother Sea and live in freedom and happiness for the rest of our lives.”
Liriana put her hand on her heart. “It’s what we all wish for, and that’s why we follow you. That’s why we need you.”
“Little one, the message is already flying over the Six Counties. The wind carries it to the hearts of all the Senoca. It can’t be stopped. My work is done. Now it’s the turn for strong young leaders, like those I see sitting around this table, who’ll finish what we started.”
Liriana clenched her fist. “We’ll rise up and bring down Sesmok and the Enforcers he serves,” she said with such conviction that Ikai could only admire her courage and faith in the cause. He knew she was a born leader.
Gedrel watched him for a moment. “You haven’t come because of the rebellion, have you, young hunter?”
“I’m here because of my family. They’ve been captured, along with those who were fleeing from the Shelter. The Enforcers took them and destroyed everything. A lot of people died.”
“That’s terrible news,” Gedrel said with a deeply-felt sigh. “The Shelter was a beacon of hope for everyone, for the cause. Losing it, losing the refugees, is a terrible thing. I’m sorry the dream came to an end. I know how important it was for you.”
“My family and my friends are even more so,” said Ikai.
“Your sister Kyra is very important for all of us. She’s the key to ensuring that this revolution which has begun and cannot now be stopped doesn’t fail.”
“Kyra?” Ikai asked in surprise.
“Indeed. You may not see it, but that young woman is very special, the personification of the fire which will take hold in the hearts of our people: the flame which will kindle the rebellion and cause the Regent and the Enforcers to burn.”
“Not if they kill her first.” Albana said.
Gedrel scratched his chin, and for a moment his gaze was distant. “This little meeting comes to a critical moment, not just for us here but for our people, for all the Senoca. The path to rebellion is becoming clearer. We’ll only reach freedom, justice and happiness if we all join together and fight for them, shoulder to shoulder, side by side.”
“I’ll do whatever has to be done,” said Ikai.
“I’m with him,” said Albana.
“Us too,” Karm and Honus put in.
“Excellent. In that case the first thing we have to do is find out where they’re keeping your sister and the others. It must be somewhere here in the city. Our agents would have let us know if they’d been taken somewhere in the counties. No, they must have brought them here. And I can only think of two places where they might be: in the cells at Sesmok’s palace, or in the Dungeons of Oblivion.”
“That’s the most likely thing,” said Liriana. “They’re definitely not in the Guards’ barracks. I’ve got people under cover there, passing out information.”
Ikai glanced at Albana. “If they’re in the Dungeons of Oblivion I can go there. I’ve already been inside once before.”
“I’m afraid, my calculating young friend, that won’t be possible now. Because of your break-in, the Enforcers have doubled their security. The place is swarming with Executors. You wouldn’t be able to sneak in.”
“He wouldn’t, but I would,” said Albana.
“It’s too risky,” Liriana said.
“It’s the only way of knowing whether they’re there or not, and what they’re planning to do with them.”
Ikai felt divided. He did not want Albana to risk her life, but on the other hand his mother and sister needed them both.
Gedrel intervened. “If they’re holding them in the palace, we’ll know. We have undercover agents in the service. I’ll let it be known among our agents that we’re looking for them. If they’re there we’ll soon know. As for the Dungeons of Oblivion, I fear they’re the domain of the Enforcers and we have no way of knowing what goes on there, or who they may be holding. What Albana’s proposing, though it’s heroic, is more or less suicide. If they’re holding them, they’ll know we’ll make an attempt to find them. They’ll be waiting for us. It’s risky in the extreme.”
“I realize that, but it’s the only way.”
“I need to think,” said Ikai. “Let’s not rush things.”
At that moment the inn-keeper approached Gedrel and whispered something in his ear, then went back to the bar straight away to carry on impassively with his chores.
Gedrel stood up. Urgently he said: “We have to leave. There’s a patrol on its way here. Follow me.”
They followed him to the back of the tavern. He opened a heavy wooden door with an iron key. Inside was a room with a staircase which led them down to the cellar.
“Make way for the Guard! We’re carrying out a search!” they heard.
“Come on,” Gedrel urged them.
“There’s no way out,” growled Honus.
Gedrel pointed, and they saw a trapdoor.
“Where does it lead to?” Ikai asked.
“To the sewers,” Gedrel said with a smile.
Honus twitched his nose. “Sewers? Ugh!”
“The way to freedom is not a pretty one. Let’s go!”
Chapter 27
Kyra yelled with rage and ran to her friend.
The Oppressors were controlling Urda by tugging the whips they had coiled around the brave woman’s neck and arms. She was resisting as best she could, her face purple for lack of air, her brow furrowed with frustration at being unable to use her arms.
Two Executors blocked Kyra’s way and held her firmly.
“Let me go, you bastards!”
“It would be better if you didn’t resist,” Oskas said. “What’s about to happen is inevitable.”
“If you hurt her I’ll kill you! I swear I’ll kill you!”
“That’s precisely the spirit I have to subdue. You must learn that resistance ‒ confrontation with the Gods ‒ leads only to pain and death. If I have to break your spirit to teach you, I will.”
“Please let them go,” Solma pleaded.
“That I cannot do. My Lord Asu has charged me with a mission, and I must see it through.”
Urda had turned her head towards Kyra. “Don’t… give… up!” she managed to stammer.
“No! Leave her alone!” Kyra cried, and fought back so hard she almost broke free.
“Let her watch what’s about to happen,” Oskas said.
The Executors forced Kyra to kneel. Each placed one hand on her shoulder and pushed her down with brutal strength, while with the other they held her arms behind her and twisted them so that she could not move out of pain.
“Put her in the pod,” the master spy ordered them.
The Oppressors led Urda to one of the pods. In a last attempt to free herself she pulled with both arms and two of the Oppressors lost their hold on her. But the third gave a tremendous yank on the whip coiled round her neck and brought her down. They pushed her inside the pod, freed the whips from her body and closed the lid.
“It’s time to start,” Oskas said to the two Eyes-of-the-Gods who were waiting impassively beside the central monolith. Although they wore the typical helmet of their kind, their clothes were black and silver, something which Kyra had never seen before. On their hands they wore golden gauntlets. The purpose of these Enforcers was different, specialized, and she felt it would bring only pain and suffering.
The two Enforcers nodded and turned to the pod. Urda hammered on the cover with all her strength, but it was unbreakable. The two Eyes calibrated the artifa
ct by moving different levers on the metal sides. When they activated runes of Power on the upper part, the pod began to glow with a soft silver light. When they had finished, they turned to Oskas.
“The pod is ready,” one of them shrilled.
Oskas nodded.
The Enforcers now stood on either side of the monolith and placed their gloved hands on the shining surface. Two golden circles surrounded them, rotating over them, and began to interact with the object of Power. A low buzzing filled the chamber, like a distant litany. Kyra felt goose-bumps. Silver flashes were emitted from the monolith at different levels and intervals. Incomprehensible runes slid along the four surfaces in all directions.
“What House, my lord?” the Eye asked.
“The House of Aureb, the House of my Lord Asu.”
The two Enforcers manipulated the monolith, and suddenly the symbol of the House of Aureb appeared on it. It gleamed with the golden sheen of the Gods.
“What are you doing?” cried Kyra.
Oskas ignored her.
“What Class, my lord?”
Oskas looked at Kyra, then at Urda. “Such a magnificent specimen… we can’t afford to waste it. It’s unusual to find someone so strongly-built among the slaves. Class: Custodian.”
The Enforcers manipulated the monolith again, and under the symbol of the House of Aureb there appeared a new symbol, that of the guardian.
“Leave her alone!”
“It’s useless to shout and resist, child.”
The buzzing intensified until it was disturbing, then finally downright painful. Kyra bowed her head and shook it, but the sound pierced her ears and she could hardly think. The pod began to fill with a greenish liquid which first covered Urda’s feet and ankles, then slowly rose to her neck. She kept beating on the lid and walls of the pod with all her might, but to no avail. Finally a gas came to fill the pod, clouding her neck and head. Her resistance began to weaken, her arms fell to her sides, until in the end her eyes were half-closed, her jaw slack.