by JC Kang
Vyara City intrigued her not for its famous network of beautiful canals, nor for its importance as home to the Paladin Order. Rather, the city played prominently in recent Black Lotus history, when on a mission a year before her birth, one of three young Moquan masters perished while retrieving a secret artifact for the Tianzi. The other two died within the year; and the next generation of Moquan conjectured fanciful theories of how the mysterious artifact had been cursed.
The names of the three had been expunged from the monastery records, and all adepts who knew the young masters were forbidden to speak of the mission or their real names. Master Yan had gone so far as to block off the memory of some Moquan with the Tiger’s Eye technique. In tales of their other exploits, the three deceased masters were known by the code names Beauty, Surgeon, and Architect.
Though the ill-fated mission had occurred before her birth, it always piqued Jie’s interest. If circumstances permitted, she would investigate the three-decade-old cold case. Perhaps she could find someone in Vyara City, not bound by the Moquan rules of secrecy, who might tell her more.
CHAPTER 27:
A Hot Welcome
Abarrage of sound assaulted Kaiya’s ears as the barge approached the wharfs, which reached far into the waters like several dozen spindly fingers. Seagulls screeched in lazy circles above, occasionally swooping in to steal fishermen’s daily catches. Sailors joked and cursed as their barges jockeyed for docking positions. Even the din emanating from the city itself echoed over the water. If Jiangkou Port had been cacophonous, the Hua language didn’t have a word to describe the level of noise and chaos of Vyara City’s harbor. She rubbed her ears.
Master Sabal laughed. “You will find no noisier place on Tivaralan than early morning Vyara City.”
A smile! It befit him better than the gruff role of teacher. Kaiya nodded in time with the gently rocking boat. Jie edged up next to her.
Master Sabal gestured toward the skyline. “Vyara City was already quite a commercial center before the Hellstorm. Located at the confluence of two great rivers, where ocean-going vessels could no longer pass upstream, it prospered as a transit point between the river barges upstream and the sailing ships downstream. In one night, the ocean came all the way to its doorstep and transformed it into a peninsular seaport.”
Kaiya tried picturing the city as an inland river city, but the noise addled her imagination.
“Concentrate, young one.” The teacher’s tone returned, if only for a second. He pointed to other cityscapes in the distance. “When smaller nation states emerged from the ashes of the Ayuri Empire, they established national capitals there, there, and way over there. Each is less than an hour’s ferry ride from Vyara’s harbor. That is how it supplanted Ayudra as the economic and cultural heart of our people.”
Grasping the bulwark, Kaiya looked at the other cities before scanning Vyara’s waterfront. Block-shaped, flat-roofed shops, warehouses, and trading offices stretched as far as the eye could see, broken only by canals going inland. People crowded the streets, yelling and gesticulating as they went about their business. The noise rose to a roar as their barge docked. Her heart rattled at the dissonance. Reading about Tivaralan’s largest city was so different from experiencing it.
She disembarked, followed by her guards. Humid heat rolled over her almost as soon as her foot touched the quay. Paintings did the city little justice. A hill rose in the background. A single road spiraled its way up the slope, lined by dozens of white mansions with graceful columns and arches, and topped by elegant domes, spires, and minarets. At the very top, the Paladins’ Crystal Citadel sparkled in the morning sun.
If the Oracle truly knew the future, Kaiya would be visiting the citadel soon enough. “Why do the Paladin elders meet here, instead of Ayudra Island?”
“Ayudra may be the spirit of the Paladin Order, but Vyara City is its brain. It is in the center of Ayuri lands, within a week’s travel of every nation within the Paladins’ mandate.” Master Sabal gestured to the dock. “Here is where we part ways, Your Highness. It has been a pleasure. I hope our paths cross again.”
Hopefully. With the imperial guards drawing up around her, Kaiya pressed her palms together and bowed her head. “Thank you for teaching me, Master.”
He returned the gesture and disappeared into the crowds.
Without the foreign ministry official who was supposed to have met up with them on Ayudra, they were on their own. Kaiya drew her hood up, despite the stifling heat.
Jie’s shrill voice answered her thoughts. “Shall we go to our embassy?”
“That would be the best course of action,” Chen Xin added. “Where is it?”
All eyes turned to Ayana, who shrugged. “It is your embassy.”
Jie sucked on her lower lip, and then pointed. “Near the hill. We could probably take a canal boat and avoid the masses.”
Not another boat. Kaiya shuddered. Her feet were just getting used to solid ground after so many days at sea. People jammed the canal boat quays, making the proposition even less appealing. “We shall walk, since we know the general direction.”
Despite their prior instructions, her imperial guards all knelt, fists to the ground.
Jie hissed. “On your feet, dunderheads! Don’t betray the princess’ identity!”
The men tentatively rose, heads bowed. So much for secrecy.
They set off toward the hill, pushing their way through the mass of humanity. Unlike the unified sounds on Ayudra Island, Vyara City was a disjointed screaming of Ayuri and Arkothi languages, with several other tongues mixed in.
Kaiya’s mind spun. Countless light-brown skinned Ayuri people negotiated trade terms with the many darker-toned Levanthi. A handful of fairer Nothori, Estomari, and Arkothi from the North mixed in with the crowd as well. The heavy scent of sweat, fish, and curry powder joined in with the bewildering sights and sounds to overwhelm her senses.
It didn’t help being bumped and jostled by people hurrying by, despite the imperial guards trying to provide a shield. Jie clasped her hand, like a mother keeping hold of her frightened young child.
A press of people pushed back from the middle of the streets, shoving her against the walls of a building. A firm hand rested on her shoulder, providing a comforting warmth. She turned to see Ayana looking back at her with knitted eyebrows. Heat flushed Kaiya’s cheeks. This three-hundred-year-old survivor of the Hellstorm was handling the crowds better than she.
“Make way, make way.” A voice shouted in Ayuri and accented Arkothi, carrying above the quieting crowds.
Kaiya pouted. Had they come with the rest of the diplomatic staff from the Golden Phoenix, they would’ve enjoyed the privilege of right-of-way, instead of being swept along in the tide of people. She craned her neck to see above bodies and heads. Rust-red banners emblazoned with a golden scorpion fluttered in her line of sight.
The Ayuri Kingdom of Madura. The rogue nation behind the attacks in Huajing. The ones who had invaded and occupied Prince Hardeep’s homeland of Ankira. She was supposed to meet with them the next day, and perhaps the one riding on the litter was her counterpart.
“Make way, make way for Prince Dhananad of the Kingdom of Madura!” the crier yelled again.
Copper coins rained from above, flung from the procession. Kaiya raised her hands to protect her face, but Li Wei snatched one out of the air. He handed it to her, revealing a scorpion stamped on one side.
She flipped it over. A faded image looked back at her. Despite the lack of clarity, there was something unsettlingly familiar about it.
Jie recognized the name Dhananad as a piece of the thirty-two-year-old puzzle—a survivor of the Moquan plot devised by the famed Architect in their quest to retrieve a secret artifact. She left the princess’ side, slipping through the wall of people to reach the front.
The procession stretched half a city block, with a crier at the fore, throwing coins into the crowds. Several dozen soldiers and ministers wearing rust-red kurtas followed, surrou
nding a gold-cloth litter.
Jie snorted. Such ostentatiousness. Still, it didn’t begin to compare to the man in his late thirties reclined on his side in the litter. Long dark hair hung loosely about his shoulders, merging with a pointed beard to frame a somewhat handsome face. Embroidered with gold borders, his rich burgundy robes brought out his light-brown complexion. A curved talwar sword dangled from his left hip.
At the side of the litter, standing almost a head above the other guards, marched six imposing men, all fair-skinned and fair-haired. Chainmail jingled beneath black tunics with gold-embroidered collars. A yellow sun was embroidered onto each left breast, and straight longswords hung from their sides.
Bovyans: the rulers and soldiers of the Teleri Empire. Jie sucked on her lower lip. After her last mission, she’d never expected—or wanted—to see one of those brutes again. Descended from the mortal son of their Sun God, the all-male race had devolved into conquering thugs and gang rapists.
One beggar apparently didn’t know of their reputation. He stepped toward the litter with an open palm, only to be launched back into crowd with a nonchalant shove of a meaty Bovyan hand.
Jie pulled up her hood and pushed back through one rank of spectators, then knelt to look between the people in front of her.
Interspersed with the Bovyans marched four smaller Ayuri humans. Their grace reminded her of the Paladins’ fluidity; but instead of white, they wore open-faced surcoats in a light bronze tone with intricate borders. Dark bronze-colored kurtas peeked out from underneath the surcoats. Most distinctive were their featureless masks, made of a bluish-grey metal. The nagas at their sides ended in the shape of a scorpion sting.
Maduran Scorpions.
Real ones.
Body language alone suggested they were more skilled than the three incompetents in Peng’s teahouse. The latter’s masks had been cheap facsimiles of the ones she saw now. Who were those three, and who had sent them, if not Madura? And as castoff Paladins, how deadly was a true Golden Scorpion?
After the procession passed, the crowds thinned enough to provide some breathing room. Jie headed back to where she’d left the others.
Chen Xin’s gaze was locked on the princess, his expression contorted with concern. “The princess looks pale. We should get out of this crowded area.”
It was a sound idea. There’d been a less busy side-street not far back, and Jie beckoned them. “Follow me. It’s only a couple minutes’ walk until things clear up.”
“If we aren’t crushed to death first,” muttered Li Wei.
The suggestion proved to be good. They made their way northeast toward the city center, with the density of moving bodies thinning the further they travelled from the docks.
Before long, Chen Xin called for a halt. He was looking at the princess again. He’d served her since she was a child, and even if all the imperial guards adored her, his paternal affection showed in small gestures like this. “Do not worry, Dian-xia. Once we reach the embassy, we should enjoy the same right of way afforded other dignitaries. We won’t have to wade through the masses.”
The princess afforded him a wan smile. It hid whatever silly ideas might be bouncing around in her pretty head.
Jie could guess, though. The princess’ expression was similar to when they had walked through the castle’s escape tunnel. Jie snorted, and then scanned the area to reorient herself.
White block buildings rose two stories above them, their first floors being storefronts. The Crystal Citadel still glittered from the hilltop, serving as a landmark. The Iridescent Moon hung high and to the southwest.
Ma Jun pointed northeast. “I believe our embassy is only half an hour away on foot.”
Li Wei shook his head. “The last time we trusted you with directions—”
Chen Xin shot Li Wei a glance, and all the guards chuckled. Perhaps they had shared some misadventure in the Floating World. Or maybe they were just being men.
Though showing no signs of fatigue in her old age, Ayana threw her hands up. “Have any of you been here before?”
Ma Jun grinned. “If we get lost, you can ask for directions. Now, with the princess’ permission, I will lead the way.”
Just like a man. For now, Jie would have to trust Ma Jun with directions. Her skillset was better used for another problem.
Someone was following them.
CHAPTER 28:
Stalker in the Shadows
Humidity hung in Kaiya’s lungs and her heart pounded in her ears as they headed from the docks toward the embassy. Throughout her life, she’d always been shielded from the masses—metaphorically by Hua conventions toward their royalty, physically by a line of imperial guards. She was just about wilting from the close quarters and incessant noise. Yet she put on her best face, mortified by the idea of her people seeing her as anything less than a Perfect Princess.
To hide her fatigue, she lifted her chin and lengthened her stride. If she was no longer a living metaphor for nonchalant grace, let them remember her gritty determination. Kaiya channeled her younger self, envisioning the inconvenience as one of the imaginary adventures she had shared with her childhood friend, Tian. A smile tugged at her lips.
With Ma Jun ostensibly in the lead, they stuck to the main streets, crossing several arched bridges which spanned the numerous canals. She observed the Ayuri people going about their daily lives and stole glances at stands outside storefronts.
Women picked through fruits of exotic colors and shapes lying perfectly stacked in bins, making her wonder about their flavor and texture. Young ladies ran their hands through multicolored sari dresses that hung from poles, piquing her imagination. How beautiful she’d look in a dress like that! Perhaps this negotiating trip wouldn’t be so bad, after all.
On a couple of occasions, Paladins walked by, marked by their white kurtas with gold embroidery on the cuffs and collar, and the curved naga sword hanging at their side. They paid the Hua no mind.
Bins of deep green tea leaves lined the front of one store, and a dark trail of smoke billowed from its open door. The merchant standing by the entrance beckoned them in. “Come in, come in! Take a puff of the finest gooseweed you will find in all of the Ayuri Confederation.”
Despite their haste, Kaiya approached, curiosity getting the better of her. The dried weed’s curled appearance and sweet aroma seemed almost identical to the leaves from the tea shrubs on Jade Mountain, picked by the nuns of Praise Moon Temple for the Imperial Family.
“Do you drink this?”
The man’s eyes widened. “No, no. It will kill a man’s seed. No. It is for smoking. Very rich flavor, and incomparably relaxing! Come in and try it!”
Images of emaciated addicts straggling out of opium dens formed in her mind. With a bow, Kaiya backed away.
“Please, try!” The man moved to follow, motioning toward her.
Hands on sword hilts, Chen Xin and Li Wei formed a wall between them.
Scowling, the merchant raised his hands and retreated several steps. “Who do you think you are, the Queen of Vadara? Don’t smoke, then!”
Kaiya glanced back at him before they resumed their walk. He stood halfway inside the store, talking to someone while pointing in their direction. It was too early in the day to make an enemy.
Almost three-quarters of the way to the Hua embassy, Jie inserted herself between Kaiya and Chen Xin. “Keep walking, don’t look back, don’t act surprised,” she whispered in the Hua language. “We are being followed, by someone who knows how to follow without being noticed.”
“You noticed him.” Chen Xin kept his attention forward, but his tone carried an audible smirk.
Jie grinned. “You should know I’m better than he is. He is trailing about a hundred feet behind us, on the other side of the road, trying to keep lots of other people between us. A large Ayuri man wearing a dhoti skirt and shawl.”
Kaiya fought the urge to look back, and twirled a lock of her hair instead. Someone sent by the scorned gooseweed merchant,
perhaps.
Chen Xin nodded. “This is a good time to take a break.” He opened his pack and drew out a waterskin, which he offered to Ma Jun. He whispered a warning about the stalker. Ma Jun passed both canteen and message to Li Wei.
Jie sucked on her lower lip. “I am going to find out why he is following us.”
“How do you plan on doing that?” Kaiya raised an eyebrow.
The half-elf pointed down the street. “Keep walking and turn onto a quiet side street. In the meantime, I will go back to the last fruit seller, let him pass me, then tail him.”
Li Wei coughed. “That seems very elementary. Are you sure he will fall for it?”
Jie shrugged. “Only one way to find out. If it doesn’t work, at least he’ll stop following us.”
Kaiya played with her hair. “Very well. Proceed as you see fit. Meet us at the embassy if we get separated.”
Jie bobbed her head and turned back. So cavalier. The half-elf’s confidence bordered on foolhardiness.
From the corner of her eye, Jie watched the spy’s reflection in a storefront window as they passed each other on opposite sides of the street.
He continued walking with almost admirable stalking skills.
When she reached the fruit store, she took her time choosing a perfect mango from the stands out front, all the while keeping an eye on the interloper. It was time to practice her Ayuri.
And the fine art of haggling.
She scrunched her nose and held a fresh mango up to the vendor. “How much for this rotten one?”
“Rotten?” The man placed his hand on his chest. “It was just picked today. You cannot get any fresher. Ten copper rupayas.”
“Ten?” Jie feigned outrage. “This fetid piece of slime would only bring three coppers in Cathay.”
“But you can’t get it in Cathay,” the vendor said with a sly grin. “However, the gods favor the magnanimous. I offer it to you for eight.”