Amidst the scattered puddles of melted candle wax, charred stone works and cindered wood, Princess Xiangfeng came to me with a look upon her face that seemed both shocked and disappointed. My own feelings were not far from hers, as just a moment before I had seen the very face of death reaching for my life. But after the fierce destruction I had caused, the only selfish thought that remained was whether or not there was any chance of getting my tamma back.
"He did what you asked, now give it to him," Kassashimei demanded, ignorant to the recent carnage. "He's lit all your candles. That was the deal wasn't it?"
"And he tried to kill me," she uttered in a shaky, but determined tone, all the while glaring and huffing fiercely.
"Give it to him," The Young Emperor said calmly.
She faced the young man whom she was to marry, opening her mouth as if she were about to blame him for my misdeed. But after a short, silent moment, she reached into a small velvet purse that hung from the belt of her robe, then pitched the crystalline object in my direction.
I caught it just as it struck my chest. Finally, the tamma I’d lost was back in my possession, but as I held it, I realized the horrifying truth of its condition. In my hand, was only a jagged, misshapen piece of what was once a complete sphere.
"Where’s the rest of it," I asked.
"My sister has it," she said. "The thing was already cracked, so we broke it in half and shared it. She won't give it to you though. She's not as generous as I am."
The half, orb-like shard leaped from my hand and arced high into the air where it levitated teasingly from my reach. It was Ai who approached from behind, using the soft, supple motions of her hand to spin the ether around my tamma, causing it to bob and weave as if it were a petal caught in some swirling breeze.
Her hand then clenched into a fierce-looking fist.
Suddenly, and without mercy, what remained of my tamma was crushed under the ether‘s force, then shattered with a sickening crack. With a flourish of her arm the pieces floated as a single stream of glass and crystal back down to the earth, where upon the ground, they settled in a single, perfect pile.
Suddenly, a great weight lashed down upon my shoulders as if someone had struck me with a heavy branch. I looked around, confused, but no one had touched me. I was struck again and again until I was on my knees. I quickly realized that it was the ether itself, pounding my body like a hammer. With a sweeping stroke of her arms, Ai brought down the final blow and pinned me to the ground.
I whimpered, trapped underneath what felt like some unseen boulder. My lungs were pressed, making it painful to breath. Ai stood beside me as if taking hardly any notice of me as she turned towards the Young Emperor who stood across the room.
"Do you feel yourself so privileged," she said, her voice most certainly directed at me. "That you could curry favors of the Young Emperor and endanger his life at your own whim? You will remain where you are for the rest of the night so that you may reflect upon the ruin you have caused."
"Then I will stay here too," Kassashimei uttered.
"No. Though you helped him, I know it was he who put you all up to this. This is his burden and not yours. Now all of you, please leave at once."
While the others left, the Young Emperor and Kassashimei hesitated and offered me a single, forlorn glance before leaving me alone amidst the ash and smoke.
In the darkness, the pungent smell of the room’s fiery remains was almost maddening. There was a creaking sound, then something fragile cracking, which left me wondering if the splintered wood in the ceiling was still groaning from the blazing creature I had created earlier that evening. A few candles remained lit far off in separate corners of the room. The shadows they played along the walls seemed to be my only comfort as I wheezed and moaned softly under my bindings.
There was almost no room to move.
The back of my head pressed painfully against the stone ground and the numbness in my legs had begun to grow. I closed my eyes in a vain attempt to calm myself. A tear trickled down my cheek as I stood on the verge of sobbing, but fought as hard as I could to keep what remained of my pride.
I heard shuffling at the doorway.
Unable to see who it was, I remained quiet, but as it came closer, my patience finally gave way to fear.
"Who's there?" I cried out.
There was no answer.
"Please, tell me who you are."
"Why I am just a blind girl," a voice answered. "And unlike a certain boy, I have nothing of importance to prove."
Ai leaned over me, pretending as if she could see the details of my face. The candles lit only her eyes and the outlines of her cheeks, but it was enough to hint at the beauty that lay within the shadows.
"That is what you were trying to do was it not?" she said.
"Your tamma. It was stolen. I wanted to get it back." As I spoke, I began to realize that I was admitting my stupidity. My face felt hot with the indignity of my predicament.
"That tamma was special to you wasn't it?"
"No. The person who gave it to me was."
She sighed.
"Punished by me and yet you continue to blurt such careless words. What I gave you was an object. Nothing more. The hand that carries it so much more valuable."
"I thought you would be angry at me for losing it. I thought that if I didn’t get it back, I’d dishonor your trust in me."
"I’m angry now Terr, angry that you did not trust me enough to understand the situation you’d gotten yourself into. Imagine if you’d gotten hurt, or if the Young Emperor had risked his life to save yours?"
"He would never do that. My life can't possibly be that important."
"Do not underestimate his fondness for you Terr. In such times as these a friend is worth more than any kingdom." She placed a long, thin shard in my hand; another piece of what was once my tamma. "Even worth more than a silly glass ball."
She left me alone in the room once again.
Gripping the shard, I gazed up at the ceiling and I felt a small measure of comfort. It was difficult at first, but I finally understood why she had to leave me there. She had to punish me, or face a much worse fate from Dae Jung.
Today, there is a glass case in my home. Displayed within is that very shard, the same one which was once part of a sacred ball that had both cursed and blessed me. As a young man, those that had seen it would have marveled at its delicate complexity and the cryptic remains of its carvings as a relic of some mysterious past age, one whose secrets I would never reveal. But as an old man, the few that visited my home paid hardly any attention to it, brushing it off as nothing more than an elegant looking crystal whose only value was one of nostalgia to its aging owner. Ever since that evening, bound to the floor of that palace room I’d so carelessly destroyed, I kept it with me. It was a gift given to me again by a blind, captivating girl, and whenever I looked upon it, I couldn’t help but remember that gentle expression on Ai's face as she placed it in my hand.
I awoke to feel the weight upon my chest lifted. Etsu and Lai were standing over me, their faces both concerned and anxious. As I wearily propped myself to my feet I noticed that the Young Emperor was at the doorway surrounded by his personal guards, their expressions also wary and impatient. He nodded, all-too relieved to see me again.
"Come with us, we need to hurry," Lai beckoned.
"Why, what's happening?" I asked.
"There's no time for questions," Etsu said. "We need to go right now."
As we exited the room, I noticed Kassashimei waiting for me around the corner. She strode towards me, grabbed the cloth of my shirt, then shook me as hard as she could.
"Tell me you're okay," she demanded. "You're not hurt or anything are you?"
"Kass, I'm all right." I brushed her hands away and smiled broadly.
"That stupid witch," Kassashimei muttered under her breath. "Ai will pay for leaving you there like that."
"Kass, I'm all right," I repeated.
The Young Empe
ror placed his hand on my shoulder as he walked by, all the while his guards ushering us down the hall. Lai and Etsu followed close behind them.
"Why is everyone in a hurry?" I asked.
Kassashimei's expression hardened. The shock of her piercing gaze immediately told me something was wrong. She took me by the hand and lead me through the hall, down the steps of the palace towards the outer courtyard.
There was a small shake followed by a hiss and a distant rumble. I shielded my eyes from the morning sun as we proceeded outside.
Then, as my sight adjusted to the light, my eyes widened at the ominous spectacle before me.
Airships covered the sky. Like vast lumbering flocks of birds, steaming and groaning hulks of metal and wood hung high above us. Banners of the Rui Nan Empire waved menacingly in the cold, morning breeze. Far to the edge of the Eastern Kingdom Capital, fires were raging as bombs were dropped upon farms, bridges and factories.
"The war has begun," Kassashimei uttered.
As we came to the palace gardens Master Ichiro, the Boar, was there to meet us.
"Already General Fung has begun his campaign of imperial expansion," the Boar said. "I thought it would be at least a year before he’d consider doing something so bold."
"Why doesn't he bomb the capital itself?" I asked.
He looked on at the pillars of smoke that towered far against the horizon. "Because, he knows the Young Emperor is here."
"What? How?"
"The general knows that the Royal Family is one of our closest allies. It’s only natural that he’d assume we’d be at the palace. After all, being a member of the Imperial Family, the general knows us quite well."
"So he shares their blood?"
"No, but he was close enough to the old Emperor that he considered him his brother. So much so, that he was entrusted to care for a certain Emperor’s son. That’s why he’s here, he's come in search of his young protégé, his nephew."
"He's not my uncle anymore," The Young Emperor growled.
"But you were raised just as much by him as you were by your father," the Boar said. "He was your trainer and your teacher. He‘s much closer to you than you imagine, and he wants you back; perhaps even to groom you to become his successor."
He drew his eyes to the ground, then grunted in disgust. "He betrayed my father. I will never be his."
A number of airships had already landed among the open spaces of the palace. Imperial soldiers disembarked and fired with long rifles at the palace guards, ending many of their lives. Such were the first victims of a war that would eventually engulf the entire world.
We hurried to our waiting airship, hoping that it had not yet been seized. Etsu screamed as several bullets zipped by. The shuffle and shouts of imperial soldiers could be heard coming from the hall just around the corner. Our own guards stood at the ready. Suddenly a crack of steel echoed nearby, followed by a few muffled cries for help. A moment later, Ren Tzu came around the same corner, sheathing his sword.
"The way is clear," he said simply.
The most direct path to our airship was already littered with soldiers, so we took a longer route; up the stairs through the old palace walls flanked by stone ramparts. Far below us was the main courtyard where the flagship of the Imperial Air Navy sat. At the base of the ramp were row upon row of the stalwart invaders. At the head was General Fung surrounded by his staff, coming up the steps to the main palace entrance.
The doors opened and out came the stoic king. Though far away, I could still make out the bewildered, yet unflinching look upon the old royalist’s face.
A shot rang out.
General Fung had pulled out his pistol and the king, perhaps hoping to negotiate, fell to his knees in shock. Shortly after, his court staff hurriedly came to his side to tend to the wound on his leg.
General Fung waved his hand and the soldiers that waited eagerly at the base of the steps came charging through the palace doors. Terrible shouts and sullen cries soon echoed from within the palace interior. Slowly, the general approached the fallen king, and threatened him with the muzzle of his pistol. He was making demands. Though it was impossible to hear what he was saying, we knew he was asking for the whereabouts of the child emperor.
A young man came charging down the steps and stood between the king and the general's pistol. He seemed several years older than I, just barely coming into adulthood. I could only guess that he was his son. He exclaimed angrily at the general then pointed off in the direction where our airship stood waiting.
"Hurry," the Boar said. "We’re out of time."
We went down a long series of steps that descended the palace walls. Going through the royal gardens, we came upon a small trail deep inside a mammoth grove of trees at the base of a hill where our airship waited, hidden beneath a thick canopy of long, outstretched branches and heavy leaves.
"This is exactly how it was when I was smuggled out of Rui Nan," the Young Emperor said, a sullen look on his face.
"Do not worry yourself your Imperial Highness." The Boar maintained a comforting tone that tinged with such confidence, I wondered if he was faking his sincerity. "We are not as helpless as you imagine."
As we proceeded through the woods, a small contingent of the Young Emperor's personal guard greeted us. They bowed as we approached. They were still dressed in their ceremonial armor, but instead of spears, they carried rifles at their sides. How strange it was to see them dressed in such ancient attire while carrying modern weapons in their uncertain hands. Still, they looked upon us with unrelenting conviction. To them, this was their moment, the one absolute test of their loyalty and devotion to duty.
"Dae Jung has commanded that we assure the Young Emperor's escape," the senior of the soldiers said. "As is our oath, we shall delay any pursuers and protect him until the end. We shall make sure that all of you have time to escape."
The soldiers bowed again, this time deeply and with grim certainty. They knew they would not be returning. Afterwards, they hurried on without so much as looking back.
"How could they throw away their lives like that?" The Young Emperor muttered.
"Because, your Imperial Highness," the Boar replied, “you inspire them.”
"I'm not worthy of such devotion."
"If I might suggest, it would be prudent to avoid saying such things in the face of your subjects. Take great care that you do not shame the memory of those who sacrifice for you and your family by grieving in self-pity."
The airship sat huddled against a tightly packed group of trees. Banners bearing the imperial family seal hung from the boarding ramp, beckoning our approach. Dae Jung waited with eagerness as we arrived and quickly approached the very boy he sought to protect.
"You seem uninjured," he said examining him carefully. "Are you hurt anywhere? Have you been shot?"
"No, I have not," the Young Emperor answered.
"Are you sure you feel no pain? Amidst all the chaos you might be bleeding and not even know it."
"I told you, I’m fine." The boy sounded annoyed.
Dae Jung, seeded deep in his worries, seemed to doubt him.
"I assure you," the Boar said reassuringly. "He is unharmed. He was with me, and nothing of great consequence happened."
Dae Jung nodded, overcome with relief, then turned his eyes to me.
"You, you were the cause of all this," he said harshly. "Against my request he left the ship and put his life in danger because of you."
"Dae Jung," the Young Emperor interjected, stepping in front of me. "Do not scold him because of me. I am the one who should be punished not him. If we had left him behind, he may have very well died."
"Some of your subjects will die in your name today no matter what you do. This boy is but one life. But because you thought it important to go after him, the lives of several of your loyal soldiers, which I have dispatched to assure your safe return, will end today." The glare in Dae Jung's eyes pierced deep into mine, stirring feelings of guilt. I looked away,
but I could still feel his gaze’ like needles pressed into my skin. "His Imperial Highness has traded the lives of people of greater worth than you. You owe him and the rest of the Imperial Court your eternal devotion. Be grateful for I would leave you here if not for his mercy."
A steady crack of gunfire erupted nearby, heralding the enemy‘s approach. The pit of my stomach turned to ice as I imagined the imperial guard’s valiant stand, fully knowing how short their fight would be. Soon they would be overwhelmed and General Fung's men would quickly make their way here.
We were ushered aboard while the hiss of steam and the grind of gears retracted the ramp behind us.
Just as we were prepared to leave, a group of royal soldiers and officials emerged from the woods. They shouted for our attention, pleading to take them with us. Standing at the top of the half-closed ramp Dae Jung shouted back, apologizing profusely. The helpless party still approached even as the guard captain standing from the rails of the upper deck commanded them to stay back. A few of the royal officials shouted accusations of betrayal, cursing the Imperial Family.
I looked up at Dae Jung, whose face was filled with a cold resolve, as if he were atop a mountain, paying little regard for the suffering peasants residing in the valley below. His stone-like expression softened only when the Young Emperor approached him and expressed his concern for the incessant shouts, pleads and insults outside the ship.
"We have no more time to save anyone else," Dae Jung said to him. "There is nothing, absolutely nothing that takes greater importance than your safety.
There was a sickening, metallic thud when the ramp finally sealed. In sheer desperation and selfishness, we had shut out the world, intent on leaving behind the very people that had given us shelter and safety.
The hull rattled for a brief moment as the steam engines came to life. Any moment now we would be departing. I could not bear the guilt any longer and beckoned for the Young Emperor‘s attention by brashly placing my hand on his shoulder.
Sky of Paper: An Asian Steam-Driven Fantasy Tale Page 40