Needs of the Empire

by Christopher Mitchell

  The two men smiled at each other.

  ‘We knew you could handle it,’ said the man whose mind Daphne had entered.

  ‘We had complete faith in you,’ said the other, sipping from a cup of wine.

  The woman scowled at them. ‘We’re just lucky they didn’t wake up you-know-who. She’s in a foul enough mood as it is. The last thing we need is her screaming at us about her sleep getting disturbed.’

  ‘It’s just as well we’re getting paid a small fortune for this job,’ said the other man. ‘I’m starting to hate the bitch.’

  ‘You got that right,’ said the man Daphne had linked to. ‘I can handle guarding her, but her temper’s out of control. She speaks to us like we’re shit.’

  ‘It’s not for much longer,’ said the woman. ‘Be patient, guys. Just think of what we’ll be able to do when she pays us.’

  ‘If she pays us,’ the man said. ‘I think she’s cracked. Maybe she’s been lying to us about how much gold she has.’

  ‘She’s cracked all right,’ said the other man, ‘but let’s face it, if she’s lying then we can always hand her over to the New Free. They’re bound to give us something for her.’

  ‘Think very carefully before you say anything else,’ said a voice from the corner of the room.

  The three Rahain turned to see another man standing by a doorway, a flight of stairs leading up behind him.

  Daphne felt fear rush through the mind of the man she was linked to. She looked out from his eyes at the man who had arrived, recognising him.

  ‘Jaioun,’ cried the woman. ‘We didn’t see you there.’

  The man smirked. ‘That’s clear. I doubt you’d be speaking treachery against her ladyship if you knew I was standing here listening. ’

  He walked over to the table, and the three Rahain shrank back in their seats.

  ‘So,’ he said, ‘which one of you little cowards has got any more suggestions?’

  The three others remained silent, lowering their eyes.

  ‘Thought so,’ said Jaioun. He picked up the jug of wine from the table and took a long gulp. He placed it back down, and shook his head at the three others.

  ‘Get to bed soon,’ he said. ‘We have a long journey tomorrow.’

  He walked to the door and began to climb the stairs.

  Daphne pulled her vision back from the Rahain man’s mind, and followed Jaioun. He reached the first floor landing and put his hand on the door.

  Daphne cried out as her vision powers failed. Her legs flailed on the roof tiles and she slipped, tumbling over the edge. She dropped through the air, falling three storeys, and landed on the cobbles next to the covered wagon, her right leg snapping above the ankle. She rolled over, winded, her mouth open in a silent cry. She tried to draw on her battle-vision, but there was nothing to pull on, and an empty void was in the place of her reserves of power.

  A pulse of panic surged through her.

  Where were her powers?

  The door to the building opened and the woman came out.

  ‘Who’s making that bleeding racket?’ she shouted, then looked down and saw the Holdings woman writhing in agony.

  ‘Yikes,’ she said. ‘Guys… come and see this.’

  Daphne tried to focus her eyes, but the pain in her lower leg was blinding. The fingers on her right hand clutched at the wound. A bone had broken above her ankle, sending spikes of agony shooting up her body.

  ‘Quick,’ said one of the Rahain men. ‘Get her indoors. Her ladyship’s going to want to know about this.’

  ‘Well I ain’t touching her,’ said the woman .

  ‘Fuck it, I’ll do it. Imagine the grin on Douanna’s face when she sees who’ve we got.’

  The man leaned over, and Daphne struck out with her right fist, punching him on the chin and sending him falling backwards.

  ‘Shit,’ the woman cried. ‘She’s still dangerous.’

  The other man pulled a short club from his belt.

  ‘Not for long.’

  Daphne came to with a new pain to match the one in her right leg. The back of her head throbbed as she tried to open her eyes, and she could taste blood in her mouth. Her body was seated upright, but her arms had been tied behind her. Her left leg had been bound to the chair, and her right foot hung limp.

  ‘Well, this is a surprise,’ she heard a voice say. ‘Coming to kill me, were you? I must say, I thought I’d trained you better than that. To allow yourself to be captured by those hired fools? I mean, really. I might laugh, had my life not fallen to ruins about me.’

  Daphne opened her eyes.

  Douanna stood before her, a long black robe over her shoulders and a cold smile on her lips. Jaioun stood to her side, his arms folded.

  ‘Whatever shall I do with you?’ Douanna said. ‘I confess that my first instinct is to torture you to death, slowly over a couple of days, then chop you up into small pieces and bury you in the cellar.’

  She smirked, but Daphne said nothing.

  ‘Alas my dear,’ Douanna went on, ‘I simply don’t have the time. And, more importantly, you’re worth nothing to me dead. I understand the One True Path in Rainsby would pay good money to get their hands on you. Or maybe I could use you as a hostage, to buy me safe passage to Plateau City, where I could present you to the Emperor in exchange for my life.’

  She paused. ‘Which of those would you prefer? Jaioun here disagrees with me over this, but his imagination has always been somewhat limited. He thinks we should simply cut your throat and move on. After all, the Severed Clan is nearby, and most likely won’t look too kindly upon me for making off with the chief’s woman. You are still his woman, aren’t you?’

  ‘My lady,’ Jaioun said, ‘we should hurry. Let’s kill her and get out of here.’

  Douanna frowned. ‘You’re not thinking ahead. Fate has delivered us a gift, and you want to throw it away? No. We keep to our plan except for two points. First, we’ll secure Miss Holdfast and get her and the rest of our things loaded onto the wagon. And second, we leave now. The queue at the gates will be short, and I’ll only have to share my hiding space with her until we’re past the fort.’

  Jaioun sighed. ‘Very well, my lady. I’ll get the others to start loading the wagon.’

  He turned and left the room.

  ‘Did you see what I did there?’ Douanna said. ‘I just saved your life. Well, prolonged it at least.’

  Daphne tried to draw on her battle-vision, focussing her mind despite the excruciating pain coursing through her. She remembered her terror at finding her reserves empty when she had fallen from the roof, but persisted.

  Something was there, a trace, a small amount of her power, not enough to use, but still she wept in relief. She could feel it growing at a gradual and slow pace, but anything was better than the void she had felt before.

  ‘Tears?’ said Douanna, raising an eyebrow. ‘Realising the error of your ways at last? Or has it just dawned on you that the rest of your life will be painful and short, and that you’ll never see your daughter again?’

  Daphne remained silent.

  Douanna tapped her foot. ‘Too injured to talk, eh?’ she sneered, her eyes full of bitterness. ‘You do look a little worse for wear. That leg is certainly broken, and my guards may have acted a little over-enthusiastically when they bashed you on the head. And your poor old left arm, crippled and useless, what a dreadful shame. Nice to see you kept the armour I gave you. Very expensive it was too, I’ll be sure to remove it before I sell you.’

  Her tongue flickered. ‘Right,’ she said, reaching into her purse and taking out a weedstick. ‘Some of this should loosen you up.’

  She lit the stick, and placed it on Daphne’s lips.

  Daphne inhaled with a hunger, feeling the keenweed and dullweed mixture hit her within seconds. Her pain faded away, and she panted in relief.

  ‘Good old Sanang, eh?’ Douanna smirked. ‘Where would we be without their narcotics? Whatever ails you, they’ve got a cure. And now it
looks like they might be the rulers of the world by the time we get to the Plateau. Their army must be reaching the imperial capital about now. I might be greeting Empress Keira Kill-Kill for all I know.’

  Daphne kept all emotion from her face, but her heart stirred at the words. Keira?

  ‘A mad fire mage on the throne of the world, imagine that!’ Douanna laughed. ‘You know, I still remember the day I discovered she was Killop’s sister. Your face when I told you! Happy memories of a happy time.’

  ‘I feel sorry for you.’

  Douanna’s face turned red.

  Jaioun opened the door.

  ‘The wagon’s ready, my lady.’

  ‘Excellent,’ she said, recovering her poise. ‘Please come in. I need you to prepare fate’s gift for her journey. Make sure you tie her up nice and tight. Oh, and knock her out first, would you?’

  Jaioun sighed and rubbed his knuckles.

  Daphne pulled free of her unconscious body, the dream skills she had learned from Kalayne unaffected by the loss of her other powers. She looked down on the wagon as it was pulled along the cobbled streets of the settlement towards the fort. Her body was in the hidden compartment beneath the floorboards next to Douanna. She had been bound up like a parcel, with a bag over her head, but Jaioun had also set her lower right leg, attaching a splint and bandaging it up.

  She looked out over the town. The queue at the gates of the fort was small, and moving. Once they got in line, she estimated that they would be through in under an hour.

  She turned to the west, and soared, flying over the miles between the tunnel and the fords where the Severed Clan were due to make camp. The long hours of practice she had undertaken in the Rahain Capital, when she had been covering the distance to Slateford, now made the trip to the river seem easy, as if her dream powers had no connection to her physical health, or her inability to use her innate vision skills.

  The fords glittered as she approached, and she hastened over them and beyond, scanning the roadside for signs of a camp. She found it, sprawling a few miles to the west, a mass of wagons. A few fires still burned, but the majority of the camp was dark and silent.

  As she began her search of the wagons, a voice cried out. Her daughter had found her.

  Karalyn’s dreaming mind rushed up from the camp and intertwined with Daphne’s thoughts. The child sensed her mother’s fear, despite her attempts to hide it, and Karalyn dragged Daphne’s mind down to the tent where her body lay in a cot next to Killop’s bed. Together, they entered his mind.

  Daphne, he said, his own dreams interrupted. What’s happened? Are you all right?

  She felt his love envelop her, and she held onto the embrace for as long as she was able. The pain in her body was causing it to awaken, and she knew she would be pulled back soon.

  Killop, she said, I lost my powers, and Douanna captured me.

  Where are you?

  Close to the tunnel entrance.

  I’m coming for you .

  Her body shuddered and she opened her eyes, gritting her teeth in agony. She felt for her battle-vision, and found it. The reserve was small, but she was able to draw enough to take the edge off the pain.

  She had been gagged, and the rough cloth was cutting into the sides of her mouth. She gasped for air in the dark, close compartment.

  ‘Oh, do be quiet,’ Douanna whispered. ‘I’m trying to get some sleep. Really, you can be so selfish at times.’

  Chapter 35

  Risen

  O utside Plateau City, The Plateau – 20 th Day, Second Third Winter 506

  The domes and spires of the imperial capital were swathed in smoke and flames. The clouds above were reflecting the glow of the burning city, and the night sky was lit up as if it were day. Keira had sent fireball after fireball over the walls, aiming for the palace complex and the area around the cathedral. Agang followed the firewitch as she made her tour along the northern side of the city walls. Flora went with him, cradling her crossbow, but her attention, like everyone else’s, was on the flames.

  The ranks of Sanang troops lined up in front of the walls stood back and watched as Keira pounded the city. A tower toppled, and crashed into the enormous silver dome of the palace, rending a great breach in the stonework. Flames roared up through the hole in the dome, consuming the interior of the massive building.

  ‘That’s the palace fucked,’ Flora muttered.

  ‘And the fires are spreading,’ Agang said.

  Leah approached. ‘You seen Kylon?’

  Flora shook her head .

  ‘Not for a while now,’ Agang said. ‘Not since the firewitch started the attack.’

  Leah frowned at him. ‘I’m still uneasy with you just walking around.’

  ‘The firewitch said it was fine,’ Agang said, ‘and Flora’s guarding me.’

  The Holdings woman shrugged, and they turned back to gaze at the city.

  A few yards ahead of them stood Keira, Fern by her side. The firewitch was flicking her right hand every few seconds, sending more fireballs from the nearby bonfires on their trajectories into the city.

  ‘There’s no doubt she can put on a show,’ Leah said.

  ‘And she’s kept her attacks to this side of the city,’ Agang said. ‘From what I remember of the layout, only the palace and cathedral are in this quarter. She’s not been hitting the main civilian areas.’

  ‘I wouldn’t get your hopes up,’ Leah said. ‘At some point, Keira’s going to have to break into the city. The Sanang will rush in, and what do you think will happen next?’

  Flora shuddered.

  Leah gazed about. ‘Where is that arsehole Kylon? This is not the time to be wandering off.’

  Agang shook his head as he stared at the burning city. So much waste. He caught B’Dang out of the corner of his eye and tensed. The warlord was striding towards them, leading a small group of officers.

  ‘How long’s this going to take?’ he said to Leah, ignoring Agang. ‘The boys are getting restless.’

  Leah shrugged. ‘Go ask her.’

  B’Dang frowned, and turned to face the firewitch. With the eyes of his officers upon him, he began walking towards her.

  As he approached, Fern tugged on Keira’s sleeve. The firewitch turned, and gave B’Dang a look of contempt, a smirk on her lips.

  ‘Aye?’ she said, lowering her arms. She took an offered bottle of wine from Fern and gulped down half of it. ‘You want something? ’

  ‘A hole in the wall would be nice,’ B’Dang said. ‘The boys are all ready, just get us into the city and we’ll do the rest.’

  Keira stretched her shoulders and gazed at the flames rising into the night sky. The northern quarter of the city was engulfed in a raging conflagration and smoke was belching up from behind the walls in thick, black clouds.

  She turned to face Leah.

  ‘Where’s Kylon?’

  ‘Fucked if I know, boss.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ she said. ‘I did tell him to fuck off.’ She frowned at B’Dang. ‘Let’s get this done, but not here.’

  She nodded to Fern, and began walking east towards the corner where the wall turned south. The entire company of guards that were encircling the firewitch also began moving, keeping Keira and the others in the centre.

  The firewitch walked for several minutes, passing the corner tower, and continuing south until she reached a section of the wall where the city wasn’t burning. She halted close to a bonfire, and the guards formed a wide circle around her and the others, their shields facing out.

  ‘We’ll do it here,’ she said. ‘No point being subtle about this one.’

  She reached up with both hands and an enormous, surging mass of fire lifted into the air, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ashes where the bonfire had been. She grunted as she compressed the great mass of fire into a white-hot ball the size of a wagon. She heaved it at the walls, striking a section halfway between two towers. The wall exploded in a crescendo of fire and deafening noise, flinging huge
blocks of masonry into the air. Some crashed back into the city, while others landed in the muddy earth between the ranks of Sanang warriors and the gaping breach in the wall.

  The army let out a roar of triumph.

  The ground began to shake. A violent tremor shook the earth, sending warriors falling all around. Agang flew forwards, his left knee hitting a rock as he landed. He cried out in pain, and held on to his leg as the ground rolled and jerked .

  Agang stared at his knee, unable to comprehend what was happening. He was feeling pain, and blood was flowing from the inch-long gouge out of his flesh.

  Why wasn’t he healing?

  Leah grabbed him by the shoulders and hauled him to his feet as the ground stilled. He staggered, clutching his knee.

  ‘What the fuck’s the matter with you?’ she said. ‘That’s barely a graze.’

  He glanced up, trying to stand, but his mind was panicking. Around them, the warriors of the Sanang army were getting back on their feet.

  ‘Was that an earthquake?’ he muttered.

  ‘See?’ Flora said to Leah. ‘I told you he was clever.’

  ‘Maybe there’s a Rahain mage working for the Emperor,’ Leah said. ‘Crazier things have happened.’

  B’Dang walked out towards the gap in the wall. Rubble was piled high in places, but the breach was wide. Beyond, the streets and houses of the city lay waiting.

  The warlord puffed out his chest.

  ‘I am B’Dang D’Bang,’ he crowed. ‘Tonight, I will do what that coward Agang Garo was too weak to do. This city is ours!’

  He drew his sword and the army roared. He raised it high, and they charged.

  Agang staggered forward to watch, his mouth open. The warriors surged towards the gap, clambering over the strewn debris and racing into the streets on the other side. Thousands were gathering at the breach, ready to pass through.

  Keira approached Leah and the others, Fern by her side. The firewitch was gazing at her hands, a strange smile on her lips.