by JC Kang
Aryn shook his head. “Not that way, Miss Jyeh. That’s mafia territory.” He pointed in the opposite direction. “It’s safer this way.”
Following his finger, Jie took in the cityscape. It looked no different from the supposed mafia territory—in itself, a novel idea, since in her homeland, the emperor held absolute power. “How do the Signores tolerate a challenge to their authority?”
Peris scoffed, looking at her as if she were an imbecile. “In the Estomar, authority only reaches as far as the tips of the Signores’ swords.”
Aryn chuckled. “There’s an unspoken understanding: as long as the crime families don’t meddle with the Signores’ affairs, the Signores won’t move against them.”
Jie nodded. It wasn’t that much different from the entertainment district in her homeland’s capital. As long as they paid taxes, they were free to govern their territory with their own conventions, and the emperor left well enough alone.
“The status quo might be changing,” Peris said in a low voice. “Our informants say the crime families are organizing and plan on making a move to seize the city.”
“In any case, everything we could possibly need is this way.” Without any sign of concern about political upheaval, Aryn gestured in the opposite direction and gave her a tug.
Jie followed along, but wondered. If she were in Aryn’s boots, instead of his pants, she’d be more concerned about the implications. Still, control of a faraway city had little to do with her own mission. She looked back to Peris.
Instead of chastising Aryn for his lack of interest, Peris kept flicking his eyes to a large man, with a jagged scar on his forehead, who stood in the doorway of an antique shop at the far end of the docks. A man who seemed to be looking at them.
“Oh, look!” Aryn pointed, jerking Jie’s attention away. In the direction he indicated, a crowd gathered around a street vendor of some sorts. “A fortune teller.”
Seriously? Jie looked back to the large man, only to find him gone. She met Aryn’s gaze and raised an eyebrow. “Do you really believe this?” After all, fortune tellers back home tended to find fortunes in the pockets of the gullible.
“Don’t you know? Estomari can predict the future, with magic. Come on!” Aryn’s face lit up like Black Lotus clan children when they received their first throwing star. With the marines clearing the way, he tugged her along through the masses of bodies to the vendor.
While everyone on Tivaralan knew the tales of Tatiana, the first Diviner, it took a special kind of naiveté to believe her predictions helped humans overthrow their orc masters a millennium ago. Rolling her eyes, Jie followed. No prophecies hung over her; she made her own destiny.
Still, with the mission on hold until they could catch up with the Serikothi ship, she might as well humor the prince.
At the front of the crowds, a brown-haired young man shuffled cards in his hands, flipping them in and out of his fingers with mesmerizing dexterity. The brilliantly painted cards matched his flashy orange long coat, puffy red shirt, and purple hosiery. “Come, learn your future from me, Roberto Romero, the best diviner in Tokahia! No, the best in all the Estomar! I predicted the rise of the Pirate Queen and the election of Haros Bovyanthas to First Consul of the Teleri Empire. My results are guaranteed!”
Aryn flicked a gold draka into the air. “A reading for this pretty young woman.”
Roberto swiped the coin out of the air. The smile which started to materialize on his face slipped as his eyes met Jie’s and widened. Blanching, he shook his head. “I’m sure your future hasn’t changed since the last time you came. No refunds.”
Jie cocked her head. “What?”
The fortune teller tucked away his cards and started folding up his table. He scowled at her. “If you haven’t succeeded in killing your father, that’s not my fault.”
Aryn gawked at her, while somewhere behind them, Peris chuckled.
Heat flared to the tips of her ears. The crowd gasped and stared as she shook her head incredulously. As satisfying as it would be to find the dastard who abandoned her as a baby, and stick a knife between his ribs, no one had ever told her her future. At least, not beyond the occasional, no alarmingly frequent, Prepare to die. Those fortunes had yet to come true.
“Come on, let’s forget about this.” Jie turned to Aryn, when a ghost from her past strode by.
Her jaw dropped. Princess Kaiya, the daughter of Cathay’s emperor, took uncharacteristically long steps and swung her arms in the most unladylike fashion. White silken robes with bright embroidery on the hems fluttered behind her. It looked nothing like a court gown; and instead of imperial guards, she was accompanied by a tall, middle-aged man and an attractive young woman, both with dark skin, coarse black hair, and similar but cheaper robes that marked them as Aksumi Mystics. Both the princess and the woman gesticulated with broad motions, while dismissing the man whenever he tried to speak.
No, it was impossible. Even though the Emperor gave the princess more leeway after she put down a rebellion with the budding magic of her music, he’d never let her come this far away from home. Certainly not without an army of Imperial Guards. Not to mention, she’d been in Cathay’s capital when Jie had departed. There was no way she could reach Tokahia first. Jie took a longer, more careful look.
While the young woman resembled Princess Kaiya, she was too pretty, too filled out, too— Jie sucked on her lower lip. The face and curvy figure was less like the actual princess, and more similar to the illusion from the magic bauble which the aforementioned rebel leader had used in plotting an assassination of the imperial family. Which meant, these mystics might be tied to the conspirator aboard the Serikothi ship, and the clan traitor she was tracking. In town, just as mafia might try to take over the city.
Heedless of Aryn’s protests, Jie slipped between the dispersing crowds and trailed the trio. How ironic it was, that the pretty pink dress that would make her stand out back home was actually quite muted compared to the flashy clothes the locals wore.
The fake princess tossed a glass bead over to the man, her image instantaneously shifting to a young, dark-skinned woman who looked so similar to the other, they had to be related. The second the man caught the bauble, he shrunk and transformed into the likeness of Princess Kaiya, only in the clothes he was already wearing. His form returned to normal when he slipped the bead into his pocket. Passersby gawked and pointed.
The magic couldn’t be a coincidence. This was a clue tied to her mission. It would be child’s play to pick his pockets once they got back into a crowd. After winding through the wide, stone-cobbled streets, the group came to what looked like a market square, with dozens of fortunetellers set up around the edges.
None of the dozens of people paid these charlatans any heed. Instead, they gathered around several huge, rectangular stones jutting out from the ground, forming what looked to be a circle. The three Aksumi jostled their way through the crowd.
Jie edged up to the closest spectator. “Why are there so many people here?”
The man looked down through his nose at her, his expression one of disbelief. “This is the Cassius Larusso. He’s a confirmed descendant of Tatiana, herself. The best Diviner in the Estomar. Protector of the pyramid.”
If she had a draka for every claim she’d heard in the crowds today, she could buy a ship and hire the crew to serve her for a year. Still, these Aksumi Mystics—the most powerful sorcerers in the world—had come straight to this Cassius Larusso. Maybe there was something to him.
She looked back the way she’d come. Aryn and his crew were nowhere to be seen. No matter, he’d said something about staying at the posh Regent. Surely it would be easy to find. She slipped through the people toward the front, to the edge of the megalith circle, right beside the Aksumi Mystics. Some exotic flower scented the females’ hair.
Inside the middle of the circle stood a short column that served as an altar. Beside it, a handsome Estomari man with dark curls twisted and turned the rings of a strange
metal device. With a green embroidered long coat over a black shirt and brown pants, it was clear his taste in clothes was much more subdued than his compatriots. His eyes—one brown, one blue—roved over a chart of some sort.
He looked up and gestured to three dark-haired, bronze-skinned warriors who wore high-collared long shirts. The heavy, curved swords at their sides marked them as Ayuri Paladins, the defenders of the South. This was the first time she’d actually seen one, up close no less, and they certainly didn’t look like the mythical warriors of legend.
They had ordinary builds, nothing remarkable. The eldest was a woman, whose wrinkled skin, grey hair, and thin arms brought into question if she could possibly lift that heavy, primitive-looking blade, let alone wield it. The other two were men, one middle-aged and the other young. How strange it was for both Aksumi Mystics and Ayuri Paladins—not to mention a Cathayi half-elf—to be in the same, otherwise ethnically homogenous city. This was either a strange coincidence, or the start of a bad joke with an equally awful punchline.
The magic bauble was in the male’s left pocket. Simple enough to retrieve. Sidling up to him, she started to tug the lacey gloves off for better tactile sense, but then thought the better of it. If it changed her image on contact, like the one she’d used back home, it would draw undue attention. She reached—
The female mystic in the cotton robes clasped a jewel about her neck. Her head turned and her gaze locked on Jie. “Why have you been following us?”
Masters of Deception will be released later in 2018
Appendix
Who’s Who in Songs of Insurrection
Imperial Family:
Wang, Zhishen:
Tianzi (Emperor)
Wang, Kai-Guo:
Crown Prince
Zhao, Xiulan:
Crown Princess, of Ximen Province
Wang, Kai-Wu:
Second Prince
Wu, Yanli:
Second Prince’s fiancée, Zhenjing Province
Wang, Kaiya:
Princess
Hereditary Lords and Families
Chen, Qing:
Yu-Ming heir to a Jiangzhou county
Lord Liang:
Tai-Ming heir to Yutou Province
Lord Liu:
Tai-Ming heir to Jiangzhou Province
Lin, Ziqiu:
Kaiya’s cousin, daughter of the Lord of Linshan
Peng, Kai-Long:
Second son of Tai-Ming Lord of Nanling Province
Peng, Kai-Zhi:
Tai-Ming heir to Nanling Province
Peng, Xian:
Tai-Ming Lord of Nanling Province
Tong, Baxian:
Yu-Ming Lord of Wailian County
Wang, Kai-Hua:
Kaiya’s cousin, daughter of the Lord of Jiangzhou
Lord Wu:
Tai-Ming Lord of Zhenjing Province, father of Yanli
Lord Zhao:
Tai-Ming Lord of Ximen Province, father of Xiulan
Xu:
Elf counselor
Zheng, Han:
Tai-Ming Lord of Dongmen Province, father of Tian
Ministers, Secretaries and other Officials
Geng:
Minster of the Treasury
Hu:
Minister of Appointments
Hong, Jianbin:
Secretary of Appointments
General Shan:
Minister of War
Song:
Foreign Minister
Tan:
Chief Minister
Yan:
Deputy of Information, Black Lotus Clan Master
Chu:
Harbormaster official
Military:
General Lu:
Commander, Army of the North
General Shan:
Minister of War
General Tang:
Commander of the Huajing Division
General Zheng:
Commander of the Imperial Guard
Chen, Xin:
Imperial Guard Captain
Zhao, Yue:
Imperial guard
Xu, Zhan:
Imperial guard
Ma, Jun:
Imperial guard
Li, Wei:
Imperial guard
Spies
Yan, Jie:
Half-elf Moquan adept, adopted daughter of Master Yan
Zheng, Tian:
Planner, fourth son of the Lord of Dongmen Province
Master Yan:
Master of the Clan
Feng, Mi:
Moquan initiate
Huang, Zhen:
Moquan initiate
Chong, Xiang:
Moquan adept
Wen:
Female Moquan adept
Bu:
Moquan adept
Li:
Moquan adept
Qu:
Moquan adept
Others
Ding, Meihui:
Princess Kaiya’s pipa teacher
Fang, Weiyong:
Imperial Physician
Fu, Jinxian:
Owner of Golden Fu Trading
Gu:
Agent for unknown conspirator
Han, Mei-Ling:
Handmaiden to Princess Kaiya
Jiang:
Victorious Trading Company manager
Little Ju:
Tian’s messenger
Song, Xingyuan:
Son of Minister Song
Doctor Wu:
Head Imperial Physician, master of the Dao
Yong, Shu:
Princess Kaiya’s erhu teacher
Foreigners:
Aryn Corivar:
Second Prince of Tarkoth
Captain Damaryn:
Koryn’s aide
Peris:
Aryn’s aide
Koryn Vardamcar:
Crown Prince of Serikoth
Hardeep Vaswani:
Prince of Ankira
Legendary Figures:
Aralas:
The elf-angel
Avarax:
The Last Dragon
Yanyan:
Slave, founder of musical magic
Who’s Who in Orchestra of Treacheries
Imperial Family
Wang Zhishen, the Tianzi (Emperor)
Wang Kai-Guo, the Crown Prince
Wang Kai-Wu, the Second Prince
Wang Kaiya, princess
Wu Yanli, wife of Kai-Wu, from Zhenjing Province
Zhao Xiulan, wife of Kai-Guo, from Ximen Province
Kaiya’s Friends
Lin Ziqiu, Kaiya’s cousin, from Dongshan Province
Wang Kai-Hua, Kaiya’s cousin, married to the heir of Jiangzhou Province
Han Mei-Ling, Kaiya’s Handmaiden
Kaiya’s Mentors
Lord Xu, Elf Lord of Haikou Island
Doctor Wu, Taoist from Haikou Island
Expansionist Lords
Jiang, Lord of Nantou Province
Lin, Lord of Dongshan Province
Peng Kai-Long, nephew of the Tianzi, Lord of Nanling Province
Royalist Lords
Han, Lord of Fengu Province
Liu Yong, Lord of Jiangzhou Province
Wu, Lord of Zhenjing Province
Zhao, Lord of Ximen Province
Zheng Han, Lord of Dongmen Province
Zheng Ming, Kaiya’s main suitor
Zheng Tian, Kaiya’s childhood friend
Ministers
Fen, Council Minister
Geng, Treasury Minister
Hong Jianbin, Minister of Household Relations
Song Henglin, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Tan, Chief Minister
Conspirators
Leina, half-Ayuri from Ankira
Liang Yu, former Moquan
Song Xingyuan, Liang Yu’s apprentice
Soldiers
Chen Xin, captain of Kaiya’s imperial guard detail
Li Wei, Kaiya’s i
mperial guard
Ma Jun, Kaiya’s imperial guard
Xie Shimin, mounted archer from Huayuan Province
Xu Zhan, Kaiya’s imperial guard
Yan Jie, Moquan spy, Kaiya’s bodyguard
Zhao Yue, Kaiya’s imperial guard
Zheng Jiawei, General of the Imperial Guard
Foreigners
Aelward Corivar, Prince of Tarkoth
Ayana Strongbow, Prince Aelward’s bodyguard
Benham, Levastyan Empire ambasador
Devak, Paladin elder
Dhananad, Prince of Madura
Gayan, the Oracle’s apprentice
Hardeep Vaswani, Prince of Ankira
Mehal, Paladin elder
Piros, Teleri ambassador to the Ayuri Confederation
Sameer Vikram, Paladin apprentice
Sabal, Paladin master
Thielas Starsong, elf prince
Legendary Figures
Aralas, elf angel
Avarax, Last Dragon
Celastya, Guardian Dragon of Hua
Yanyan, founder of musical magic