by E. M. Hardy
***
Four hours of furious debating, explaining, and sometimes even shouting passed before the four people and one construct finally had enough.
“So,” a thoroughly drained Ishida huffed, as he crumpled into his seat. “The captured Daimyo and officers ranking higher than colonels, those that arrived in the first wave, are to be summarily executed. The regular infantry and lower-ranking samurai are to be returned to their respective clans. In exchange, I and the other surviving Daimyo accept to implement this… what did you call it?”
“Constitutional Sovereignty,” replied Isin.
“Right, this Constitutional Sovereignty within the Isles. The League of Merchants will provide financial aid to fund this new government, while Martin’s constructs will assist with keeping the peace and building infrastructure to connect the Isles.”
“Yup,” replied Martin. “I’m talking with a few Imperial and Sahaasi architects right now. The bridges won’t be fancy, but at least my dolls and cowboxes can lug around the raw materials while I experiment with various designs. Might even be able to bridge the gap between the Isles and the mainland continent.”
Ishida stared at the clay construct with narrowed eyes. “And your obelisks?”
Martin nodded solemnly. “Obelisks included. I’ll need to install them on the Isles to expand the reach of my dolls, anyway. And I’ll definitely need them once the invaders arrive.”
Ishida huffed. Again with the talk of invaders. He didn’t care much for fanciful tales, but he did care for the potential of the obelisks to strengthen himself and his people. Generating prana, cultivating chi, and bonding with the jinn? He couldn’t imagine how much his people could achieve with all that power in their hands, especially when coupled with blood-binding!
“And one more thing.”
Ishida couldn’t help but groan in frustration. “What is it this time, Martin?”
The walker stood up and laid a hand on Ishida’s shoulder, the gesture surprising him.
“This system, this Rule of Law… you need something far more important to make it work.”
“NOW you tell me this, after we wasted all that time?”
“Trust me, Ishida. Once this system is up and running, four hours of debating will seem like child’s play compared to the amount of saliva and bad breath you’ll have to deal with during sessions.”
Ishida sobbed at the idea, no longer caring for shame. “Ancestors, Martin… if you’re trying to scare me, then let me tell you right now that you are doing a splendid job.”
The walker shook its head in a chuckle. “Yes, well… that important thing I mentioned is heart.”
“Heart?”
“Yes,” the walker confirmed with a solemn nod. “This Rule of Law? It is a system that worked in my world… but only if the people running this government cared for the future of the nation. Plenty of similar governments that were supposed to be ruled by law lost their way due to greed, cowardice, ineptitude, or simple apathy. Two hundred cowardly, narrow-minded Representatives and fourteen greedy, selfish Judges will not be enough to prevent another Inagaki Nobumoto from taking over.
“You need to instill the values of bushido in your people, Ishida. Teach the people of Taiyo to love something more than themselves, to aspire to bring greatness to themselves and their neighbors. If the clans carry the interest of the Isles as a whole, if they practice the ideals of nobility and commitment as your teachings hand down, then the Rule of Law will serve your people well.”
“All this talk of Taiyo pride and unity is nice,” interrupted Shen Feng, “But I am more concerned about achieving military parity with the Shogunates. Do not forget to uphold your end of the bargain, Ishida. The Empire teaches your people how to manipulate chi, the Isles teach the Empire how to bind blood.”
Ishida grimaced at the reminder, before nodding his agreement. Shen Feng just sighed and shook his head. “Then again, I don’t think I want to even learn this barbaric practice. Our soldiers can fight well enough with our chi and weapons… not to mention the sahir corps that acquitted itself well against the Shogun’s armies.”
Martin vehemently shook the head of his walker. “Not enough, Shen. Yes, blood-binding can be easily abused if turned upon the innocent, but trust me when I say your people will need every edge it can get when the invaders arrive. It’s also why you need the Isles of Taiyo to unite instead of fall into anarchy. They need to provide a unified front against the invaders; otherwise, they’ll just end up as easy prey to be picked apart clan by clan. You do not want the invaders finding easy pickings, sucking up their souls, and strengthening themselves before they turn their attention to the Empire.”
The general quietly studied Martin’s walker, clearly considering his next words. “If power is so important, then why did you not raise the Shogunate dead like you did before?”
Martin’s walker visibly froze up at Shen Feng’s observation before recovering a moment later. Ishida knew about Martin’s capability to raise the dead, something about absorbing souls, but he never had the opportunity to witness it in action for himself. The expression on Shen Feng’s face told him he was lucky to never have done so.
“Because it was too dangerous,” Martin finally admitted. “I was ending up like the Shogun, seeing people not as individuals but as bags of loot for me to plunder. Eating souls felt so good, so addictive, that I almost lost myself in the ecstasy. If I didn’t change, if Ishida and Venkati didn’t help me find some way to deal with my weakness, I might have been unable to stop myself. Without them, without their guidance, I would probably have turned into the very thing I’m supposed to fight against. I would have turned against the Empire, the khans, the League, and everyone else on this continent.”
Martin’s walker turned to face Shen Feng, clasping its hands on its back while doing so. “This is why it is imperative that the peoples of this land come together, blend their talents together. Everyone needs to gather as much power as they can, strengthen themselves as much as possible, before the invasion begins. Blood-binding, pairing with jinn, conjuring sahir, cultivating chi, generating prana… your peoples will need all these and more if you want to stand a chance.”
The walker shook its head slowly, almost ruefully as it turned its faceless gaze upon Shen Feng. “This is also why I have convinced the Empress of the Ren Empire to offer protectorate status to the Sahaasi Dominion, the League of Merchants, and the soon-to-be-formed Taiyo Sovereignty.”
“WHAT!?” Ishida, Shen Feng, Bai Yu, and Isin shouted all at once as they jumped up from their seats.
Chapter 24
A few hours earlier…
“We see,” replied Empress Zi Li, without any real heat in her voice. “So comes the betrayal we have been expecting for so long.”
Martin would roll his eyes if he could. He didn’t have eyes though, so he settled for a simple shake of his walker’s head. “Just because I seek an audience with you does not mean I planned something nefarious.”
“You don’t?” the Empress replied, blandly, from behind the veil covering her throne. “You don’t plan to make demands, take control of the Throne using your new weapons that burned the Shogunate army from afar? You don’t plan to use the swelling number of your walkers to force your agenda upon our beleaguered people? You do not seek to use the power that you have right now—power that is enough to force your will upon any who dare stand in your way?”
Martin inhaled and exhaled to calm himself. His anger was not so great that he needed to lose himself in the endless spirals of a mandala, but he nonetheless felt that he would say something very stupid if he did not get a grip. The Empress’ paranoia was growing by leaps and bounds, and what he needed to say would not help dampen those feelings.
“No, Empress Zi Li, I intend none of those. I simply come to you with a proposal, one that will bring peace to this land if you so will it.”
“So you affirm your oaths as our vassal?”
&nbs
p; “Yeah, but that’s not—”
“Then as our vassal, we order you to take the Isles of Taiyo in our name, for the glory of the Empire, and in recompense for the Rape of Yan Bao. After you are done extracting vengeance from the Taiyo barbarians, you will then turn your attention to the treacherous Sahaasi Dominion. You will grind them to dust, force them to submit to our rule, and deliver this upstart Maharaja’s head to me.”
“This. This is the reason why nobody likes you, Zi. You get a little taste of true power for the first time in your life, and you let it go straight to your head.”
Martin groaned, instantly regretting the words he could not take back. At least, the Empress had dismissed her courtiers before taking his audience, though the Empress’ ever-loyal Balancers surrounded her. The elite agents of the Empress stood stoically by her side, their masks obscuring their faces, even as their hands crept slowly toward the hilts and shafts of their weapons.
Strangely enough, Martin’s words caused the fledgling Empress to blink in surprise. She looked… shocked. Oh well, Martin thought to himself. Maybe she’ll listen to a little bit of reason now.
“Empress Zi Li, my constructs coupled with your armies are now powerful enough to guarantee the safety of the Empire. You don’t need to worry about an attack from the Sahaasi Dominion, the Isles of Taiyo, the various khans from the Grass Seas, or even the League of Merchants. Might not it better serve your rule, your legacy, if you were known as the Empress who managed to bring peace to the land through friendship instead of force?”
This question seemed enough to shake the Empress from her surprise, bringing her back to the present. “I… we do not see the point of this. You have the strength to unite this land, to bring it under the Imperial banner.” The Empress thought for a few moments before continuing with a nod. “Do you not think a united land would stand stronger once these invaders of yours arrive?”
Martin shook his head. “Unity won’t matter if resentment festers within the conquered people, Your Highness. Take myself for example. You broke your oaths to me the moment Imperial troops attacked my pyramid—the same pyramid that you recognized as belonging to me under the terms of my vassalage.” The Empress was about to raise her voice in protest, but Martin just barreled on. “It does not matter who you blame, for the fact of the matter is that Imperial troops assaulted my pyramid. I greatly resented that turn of events, Empress… especially after I learned that you, not Ye Heng, gave the orders to attack.”
That little revelation caught the Empress off-guard. “You believe wrong, Martin Fuller. That traitor Ye Heng was the one who—”
“The only reason I did not take your throne after that,” Martin interrupted, “is because of the faith one little girl placed upon you.” One of the masked Balancers twitched, and Martin suspected it was the woman he knew as Cui Dai. “This little girl stared death in the face, pleaded with her would-be executioner to convince you to hold off any further attacks against me. The words of an inconsequential girl convinced me to abandon any idea of reprisal. Instead of joining with the traitors to claim your throne, I chose to support your rule and protect your people.”
Martin’s walker raised its hands with its palms facing forward as the Balancers drew their weapons. “Peace. I still have no intentions of turning against the Empire. I am simply stating an example of how far a little goodwill can go when it comes to staying one’s desire for death and destruction.”
Martin lowered his walker’s hands as he turned to focus once more upon the Empress. “Your Highness, you are right in saying we have the power to unify this land. My constructs and your soldiers can grind away any resistance in our way. Any who attack you will find themselves cut and burned down for their insolence, but the Empire is still shaky as it is. The flooding in your lands has passed, but the fields still need to be drained and dried before crops can be replanted. People are only now recovering from the plague that ravaged towns and villages. The refugees from Wu Er and Yan Bao need to be returned to their homes, which also need to be rebuilt. The Empire needs time to heal, and this is the perfect time to do just that.
“The Sahaasi Dominion holds at the borders it has claimed, and expresses its desire to reestablish connections with the Empire as long as its independence is recognized. The League of Merchants is testing a new style of governance in the Isles of Taiyo, one that will unify the disparate clans while making it very difficult for another despot like Inagaki Nobumoto to come to power. The khans have turned inward, fighting one another instead of breaking themselves on my walls and constructs. This is the perfect time to sue for peace, to fix the problems within the Empire, to—”
The Empress grimaced, her face contorted in anger and fury. “You swore to serve us not one year ago, Martin Fuller! We offered you our protection, our friendship, when we could have so easily quashed your fledgling forces. You gave your oath to serve as our vassal until we release you from our service, and you have the gall to order us… to order me around as if I were your vassal and not the other way around!?”
“ARE YOU A SPOILED BRAT WHO’S GOING TO BREAK HER TOYS IN A TANTRUM, OR ARE YOU AN EMPRESS WHO’S GOING TO LEAD HER PEOPLE TO PROSPERITY!?”
Martin’s bellow came out louder than he anticipated… much louder. It didn’t help that the skin of his walker cracked as mandala lines came to life. The Balancers sprang into action, unsheathing their weapons as they rushed to defend the Empress against a perceived attack. Frustrated, Martin stepped aside to prevent fine, chi-infused threads from entangling his walker. He stepped again, dodging a Balancer’s thick blade and striking at the man’s grip with the knuckles of his fist. The tip of another Balancer’s throwing knives skirted against the skin of his walker as he ducked in the nick of time while diffusing another Balancer’s wave of force with a wave of his own.
All this in a matter of moments before Martin managed to control his outburst, raising his walker’s hands in surrender as the other Balancers brought the walker to its knees—their weapons poised to ruin its neck and limbs at the slightest provocation.
“Pardon my outburst, Your Highness,” Martin said, even as chi-enforced threads wrapped around his walker’s limbs. “But I refuse to be a vassal that sits idly by and watches his liege destroy herself. I will not allow you to turn into Inagaki Nobumoto, into another Ye Heng.” He inhaled deeply, focusing on the calming spirals of the mandala to focus himself once more.
The Empress seemed to regain her bearings as well, and stood as regally as a young maiden barely out of her teens could. “Do you seek to insult us with such words, Martin Fuller, or is there a point to your provocations?”
“I provoke you as such because nobody else will tell you these things. Shen Feng, Bai Yu, Lian Lin, your Balancers… they will only nod and obey everything you tell them to do, even if it means the death of the Empire. I do not want to act like the Sages, whispering sweet nothings into your ears while plotting behind your back. I will tell you what you need to hear, shout them at you if I need to, if I believe that it will help your people and the people of this land.”
Martin’s walker shifted slightly, and the Balancers leaned in with their weapons. “And I am telling you right now, Empress Zi Li, that you have a peaceful way of regaining the strength of your Empire. Your borders may not be as wide as they once were, but the Empire will be much stronger and more secure than it once was. More importantly, your people will be more loyal to you now. You might even win over genuine support from your former vassals—more than you could have expected when they were under the thumb of Imperial rule.”
The Empress gave Martin’s walker a blank stare. A few moments later and she waved her hands, enjoining the Balancers to release their various weapons and resume their positions around the Empress.
“Very well, Martin. You will have an opportunity to convince us of your position.” She returned behind the thin veil covering her throne and sat back down, daintily and with as much dignity as she could salvage. “Now�
� convince me.”
***
An hour later…
Zi Li sat on her throne, shaking her head at the audacity of Martin’s plan, when one of her Balancers approached the throne. Agent 42, Si Shi Er, walked with her head bent low and holding her fists in a formal salute.
“Speak,” she said tiredly, caring enough only to maintain a modicum of formality.
42 hesitated for a moment before speaking, her head still bent low. “Your Majesty… this humble servant must profess that the Balancers may not be able to adequately protect your person if Martin decides to attack you with a walker.”
“Truly?” Zi Li couldn’t resist raising her brows at that before schooling her face back to neutrality. Just because she hid her face behind a veil didn’t mean she could afford to forget controlling her tells.
“Truly, Your Highness. This humble servant and her fellows could barely react in time to the walker’s speed, despite our numbers and our arms. The glowing patterns on its surface appear similar to the mandala tattoos of the Sahaasi, and your humble servants fear that Martin has somehow obtained their ability to generate prana within his walkers.” 42 shook her head, her mask gently swaying from side to side. “And if reports from the eastern front are to be believed, this version of Martin’s walkers are actually inferior compared to the ones he possessed while he was still consuming souls.”
“Hmm,” the Empress hummed.
“Your humble servants are currently rectifying this shortcoming, Your Majesty. We have recently discovered that we can enhance our abilities, cultivate new techniques, if we train under the shadow of Martin’s obelisks. Until we attain enough power to defend your person, this humble servant recommends, ah, caution when it comes to dealing with Martin.”