by Anna Kashina
Kaddim Cyrros. The former Reverend of the Church. Once again, Egey Bashi admired the lady’s wit. What an amazing Keeper Lady Celana would make. He searched around the rows, singling out Alder’s towering shape. But before the young man could approach, a low whistle echoed through the arena.
Everyone turned to see a black-clad figure run down the rows, holding a round object in his hand that emanated thick smoke.
As if in a bad dream Egey Bashi recognized the man’s gaunt features and his singular eyes, so light brown that they looked yellow.
Kaddim Tolos. Was this whole place creeping with the Kaddim?
“It’s him,” Kyth breathed out. “I could sense there was a third one, I just couldn’t tell where.”
Tolos stopped a few paces away from the Guildmaster’s group and broke off pieces of his smoking substance, throwing them at his two fallen comrades. The substance popped as it hit the ground, sending showers of blinding sparks into the air.
A blast hit the arena, pressing on everyone’s ears with smothering force.
Egey Bashi blinked. All three Kaddim brothers had disappeared without a trace. In their place smoke dissipated, leaving nothing behind.
“They’re gone,” Kyth said. “Just like before.”
Like before. Before, the Kaddim had used a similar smoke to transport away a whole battalion, after Kyth, with the help of three Diamond Majat, defeated them in the Illitand Castle. And now it had happened all over again.
Egey Bashi slowly released his breath.
“It seems we’re out of danger for the moment,” he said, “and in no immediate need of the spider venom.” He turned to Lady Celana. “How did you know which one of them to shoot, my lady?”
“His Royal Highness pointed him out, Magister.” She looked at Kyth fondly before turning to the Guildmaster. “Forgive me for opening fire in your arena, Aghat Oden Lan, but there was no time to lose.”
Oden Lan only shook his head. His eyes traced Kara, who gave him a brief glance before returning to the arena and taking her place next to Mai. He watched her for a long time, then stepped forward and took his seat.
“Is every man accounted for?” he asked into space.
“Yes, Aghat,” Abib said. “We lost over a dozen Rubies, but mostly to injuries. All the others are unscathed, I believe.”
“In that case,” Oden Lan said, “the challenge may resume.”
19
GUILDMASTER
“You can’t mean that,” Egey Bashi said in disbelief. “This is insanity, and you know it.”
Oden Lan measured him with a long glance.
“If you address me in that way again, Magister,” he said. “I’ll have you thrown into the dungeons.”
“Forgive me, Aghat Oden Lan.” Egey Bashi turned and retreated, seeking out Abib, who stood aside, watching the arena with an impassive face.
“We must stop this, Master Abib,” he said quickly. “If they continue, more lives will be lost. Is there something in your Code that could possibly enable you to resolve this standoff?”
Abib didn’t respond at once, his eyes drawn to the action below. Egey Bashi followed his gaze.
Once again all six Diamonds drew their weapons in what looked like one single move. But this time none of them rushed to attack. They didn’t look as dashing anymore as they had at the start of the tournament. Sweat-soaked hair clung to their faces. Each of them had rips in their clothes, with cuts showing through. Lance’s face was blackened on the left side where Mai’s staff had hit him near the temple. A nasty blow, Egey Bashi reflected, that could easily have been fatal even without involving a retractable blade, if Mai hadn’t controlled his force at the very last moment.
The Diamonds stood, watching each other wearily, the crowds above them so quiet that every sound echoed clearly through the large space.
After a long pause, Lance lowered his weapon.
“Aghat Mai,” he said. “You could have killed me when your staff came through. Yet, you didn’t.”
Mai shrugged. “I’m not here to kill anyone, Aghat. Not if I can help it.”
“But–”
Mai’s short glance stopped him. “My disagreement is not with you, Aghat Lance. We both know it. However, I am aware of your orders and don’t hold any of your actions against you.” He raised his staff.
Lance kept his weapon lowered as he threw a quick glance at the Guildmaster.
“Your integrity should be an example to all of us, Aghat Mai,” he said. “As far as I am concerned, you have already won this battle.” He threw down his weapon. “I surrender.”
A gasp went through the crowd, and Egey Bashi saw Oden Lan rise in his seat, but before the Guildmaster could say anything, Shebirah stepped forward to Lance’s side.
“Likewise, Aghat Mai,” she said. “I am familiar with your staff. Your hand was right on the spring mechanism when you hit me in the chest. I expected you to release the blade. I thought I was dead when you hit me. Yet, you spared my life. I know I wouldn’t have done the same in your place. You are a great man, Aghat Mai, one that our Guild cannot possibly afford to lose.” She threw down her weapon next to Lance’s. “I surrender too.”
All eyes turned to the other two Diamonds. They stepped forward in unison and silently threw down their weapons.
Egey Bashi let out a sigh.
The Guildmaster’s face contorted in anger.
“Very well,” he said into the silence. “If no one in this Guild can stand up to your challenge, Aghat Mai, I will fight you myself.” He drew his sword and stepped into the arena, approaching the group at a fast stride.
Mai lifted his head. “Master Oden Lan–”
“Draw your weapon, Aghat Mai!”
“But by the Code the Guildmaster cannot–”
Oden Lan charged.
He was an old man long past his prime, but Egey Bashi knew that in his day he had been one of the Guild’s best. It showed, as he wielded his weapon with speed and precision that left everyone gaping. The Diamonds in the arena backed off, their faces frozen in shocked fascination.
Mai used his staff only for defense, dodging and parrying the blows without making any attempt to attack. He stood his ground, but, after the deadly mêlée he had just fought, it was clear that it was costing him a lot of strength. If they kept this up, the Guildmaster would eventually come through, Egey Bashi realized. Along with everyone else, he held his breath, watching.
“Fight me, Aghat Mai!” the Guildmaster barked. “Fight, or surrender.”
Mai’s movements accelerated as he dodged the blows. The air around him whistled as he spun around with a speed that made his slim shape blur. He swung his staff in a wide arc, a streak of black wood sweeping underneath the Guildmaster’s blade, coming up in a spot where it was expected the least. It hit Oden Lan’s wrist at full speed, sending his sword flying.
Mai kept his arm moving as he completed the spin, pressing the tip of his staff against the Guildmaster’s throat.
Oden Lan’s chest heaved as he steadied his breath.
“I taught you that move, Aghat Mai,” he said in disbelief.
“You taught me many important things, Aghat Oden Lan,” Mai said. “But the one I value most is standing up for what I believe is right.”
Oden Lan’s eyes flicked to the staff point at his throat. “Is this what you believe is right?”
Mai lowered his staff.
Oden Lan’s lips twitched. “Do you wish to continue the fight?”
“I had hoped we could talk, Aghat Oden Lan.”
“I thought I told you before. There is nothing for us to talk about. You’ve made your choice. And now, you are the one who issued the Ultimate Challenge. It is fought to the death.”
Mai shook his head. “Not against the Guildmaster. Once you stepped into this arena, the rules changed. Please hear me out. That is all I ever wanted.”
Oden Lan shrugged. “You have me at a blade point, Aghat. I don’t believe I have a choice.”
&n
bsp; Mai held his gaze. “I was hoping I could make you see that we have no quarrel, Aghat. The Kaddim Brotherhood orchestrated all this, and nearly destroyed our Guild’s top ranks in easily the most senseless battle in our history. If they’d had their way just now, we would have lost all our on-hand Diamonds and Rubies in one blow. This must stop, before it goes any further.”
Oden Lan’s lips trembled as he glanced at Kara.
“I don’t see a way to stop this, Aghat Mai,” he said, “unless you surrender first.”
Mai hesitated.
Please don’t do anything stupid, Egey Bashi prayed. “We must do something, Master Abib,” he said urgently. “Or else this will get out of hand again. If they surrender, their lives are forfeit. I know your Guildmaster enough to predict what he will do to them. This would be no solution at all.”
Abib nodded. “You are right, Magister. This is our time to act.”
He strode out to the arena and stopped in front of Oden Lan.
All eyes followed him, the expectation in the air so charged that it threatened to explode.
“This is the Ultimate Challenge, Aghat Oden Lan,” Abib said, his voice ringing clearly in the silence around them. “You must surrender, or continue your fight. Given that Aghat Mai has just disarmed you–”
Mai moved to speak, but Abib stopped him with a short glance.
Oden Lan swallowed, his eyes darting among the fighters in the arena. Egey Bashi marveled at how everyone returned his gaze impassively, even though he could guess the turmoil within.
“If you won’t surrender, you must continue the fight,” Abib pressed on. “To the death. That is the Code.”
Everyone held very still, watching Oden Lan. Despite his skill, he was no match for Mai. It was clear that if the fight continued and Mai chose to participate in it fully, it would be a very short one.
The Guildmaster’s eyes slid over Abib with regret. He let out a sigh as he turned to his opponent.
“I surrender, Aghat Mai,” he said.
For a moment, the arena and the rows around it kept deadly silent. Then, a hail swept over it. People were jumping to their feet, all eyes drawn to the group in the center of the arena.
Abib lifted his hands to signal silence and waited for the sounds to die out completely. Then, he solemnly stepped forward and lowered to one knee in front of Mai, bowing his head and pressing his fist to his chest in a Majat salute. All the Diamonds and Rubies in the arena followed suit, Oden Lan and Kara the only ones to remain standing.
“Hail, our new Guildmaster!” Abib shouted.
The roar that enfolded the arena this time was so deafening that Egey Bashi resisted the urge to cover his ears. Some stood up, pressing fists to their chests; many lowered to one knee, their faces showing such fervor that, against reason, Egey Bashi felt caught up in it. He looked down to the arena where Mai stood in the center of the action, with a stunned look on his face.
“What just happened?” Kyth asked.
Egey Bashi heaved a breath. “According to the Majat Code, the man who accepts their leader’s surrender becomes the new Guildmaster.”
Kyth’s eyes widened. “Mai?”
“Yes. And by the looks of it, his people are just fine with this change.” Egey Bashi looked at Abib with wonder. He had always had the utmost respect for the old weapons keeper, but had no idea what the man was truly capable of. The Majat Code was a tricky thing. It took a devious mind to navigate events and force Oden Lan to surrender, when it was clear that it was the farthest thing from the Guildmaster’s wishes and from everyone’s minds.
Oden Lan had made a mistake when he stepped into the arena. From what Egey Bashi knew about the Majat Code, this action halted the Ultimate Challenge, giving Mai the choice to follow the rules or to strike him down and face the ensuing consequences. Once Mai showed no intention of taking the Guildmaster’s life, a normal turn of events would have been for the senior Majat to remind Oden Lan of his duty and persuade him to return to his seat, allowing the challenge to resume. If it had, everything would have come down to the Rubies and Jades, who hadn’t yet surrendered and were likely up to the task of finishing the job.
Abib had played it differently, forcing everyone to overlook the fact that Oden Lan was in the arena in error and using the heat of the moment to make it seem that the fight must continue to the death. Even if the legitimacy of what he had done was very much in question, no one had called him on it, making Egey Bashi feel that more of the senior Majat were likely in favor of this change of command. And of course, none of it mattered now. Once the Guildmaster announced his surrender, it made the result as irrevocable as if the succession had happened in the most proper way.
Egey Bashi’s skin prickled at this glimpse into the depths of Abib’s mind. The weapons keeper had clearly seen Mai’s potential before anyone else, and waited for the right moment to facilitate the takeover smoothly and without drawing any attention to himself.
By the stunned expression on Mai’s face as he stood accepting his people’s greetings, Egey Bashi knew the Diamond had no idea his challenge could end this way. But Egey Bashi was glad it had. For the first time in centuries the Majat Guild had a reasonable man in charge, one who could be trusted to do the right thing.
And now, for better or worse, Kyth had to negotiate his alliance with Mai. Egey Bashi hoped both men could put their feelings aside and wouldn’t let their prior disagreements drive them to do anything stupid.
20
NEW COMMAND
Egey Bashi had never been to the Majat training grounds and now, standing at the edge of the large sunlit plaza, he knew that he was witnessing something not normally intended for outsiders. But above his curiosity about seeing the place which had trained so many unmatched warriors since the days of the Old Empire, he knew that what was about to happen was even more special. Watching the new Majat Guildmaster take command at a full parade was the event of a lifetime. During his long life, the Magister had seen many important gatherings, but he knew this was a memory he was going to carry to the end of his days.
The giant plaza accommodated row after row of black-clad warriors, separated into ranks identifiable by their armbands. The gems lined up in front, with thousands of non-gem ranks covering the rest of the large space behind them. They all stood perfectly still, like silent statues, the only movement about them the shifting folds of their long cloaks disturbed by the light morning breeze.
Egey Bashi gaped as he surveyed the assembled ranks. He had only a vague idea how many Majat warriors the Fortress housed, and seeing them all at once made his heart quiver. This force seemed invincible. If they could only get the Majat on their side, the battle with the Kaddim was all but won. He hoped that yesterday’s display of Kaddim power had made it obvious to everyone here that destroying the Brotherhood must stand very high on the Majat’s list.
It seemed unthinkable that a member of the Kaddim Brotherhood could occupy one of the highest posts in this Guild for over ten years. And now, this man was on the loose in the enemy camp, possessing full knowledge of Majat operations and the exact weaknesses of each of its top ranked warriors.
Egey Bashi was surprised to see that each rank, starting with the Diamonds, seemed more abundant than he had believed. Over thirty men wearing Diamond-set armbands lined up at the side of the courtyard closest to the gateway, through which the Guildmaster was about to make his entrance. Looking more closely, he realized that most of them were not that young. The top gem ranks retired in their forties but continued their duties at high command posts, which required experience rather than active weapons skill. They also made indispensable trainers, especially for those warriors who were going for the Diamond rank. Normally, the post of Shadow Master had also been selected from retired Diamonds. How could this Guild have become so messed up that they put a Kaddim Brother into the post?
The Keeper glanced at Kyth and Lady Celana standing at his side in the full regalia of their royal houses, and Alder and Ellah, one step
behind. They all looked solemn, caught in this moment, easily one of the most historic ones in the existence of the Majat Guild. Mai’s Ultimate Challenge not only made him legendary because of his unprecedented victory, but also because he was, by far, the youngest Majat Guildmaster in the history of the Guild, and the only one ever to assume this post in his prime.
A horn rang through the yard. None of the Majat moved or changed position, but Egey Bashi saw many eyes dart to the courtyard entrance, alight in anticipation that made the air over the giant plaza seem charged as if a thunderstorm were about to erupt. Even the Keeper himself couldn’t help but gape as he watched Mai’s entrance.
He looked so natural as he walked with swift, powerful grace at the head of his ceremonial escort. The Guildmaster’s cloak, black with a Diamond Majat token embroidery over the back, draped all the way down to his boots, its folds wavering in rhythm with his measured steps. The cloak was thrown back over his left shoulder to expose his diamond-set armband shining against his black sleeve. Its gleam added to his aura of power, making all eyes watching him narrow, as if blinded by the glamor.
Mai still wore his staff, strapped at the back, with its tip protruding over his left shoulder. His calm face spelled confidence and quiet challenge, making every man in sight pull up, even though it didn’t seem possible for anyone to stand any straighter. Eyes followed him with admiration and awe as he approached the assembled troops.
Egey Bashi held his breath. Dear Shal Addim, this man was born to command. He wore his mantle of station like a second skin, so natural in his new role as if he had always occupied it. By winning his challenge, he had found himself in charge of the largest military force since the days of the Old Empire, making him more powerful than the King. He who commands the Majat commands the Empire. Looking at Mai, this couldn’t seem truer.
The sight of the men walking in parallel formation in Mai’s wake made Egey Bashi’s skin prickle. The Majat Guildmaster’s Emerald Guard. He had read about it in old chronicles, but had never before seen them march at a full parade. Twelve men, clad in all black, stepping in perfect unison, their armbands glittering with clear green gems, their cloaks flapping in the breeze in fascinating synchrony. They were taught to fight in unison, too, or so Egey Bashi heard. It was nearly impossible to withstand their combined power.