by D N Meinster
She pressed her lips together and let out a high-pitched whistle, but the denhare ignored her. Usually an untamed denhare would bare its teeth after such a noise.
"Ji-Ji!" a female voice called out from the east.
Simma tucked her hands inside her tunic and grabbed onto her gloves. As the stranger neared, she saw that it was not a stranger at all. Rikki, the Kytheran mage, was chasing after the denhare. Her silver staff was swinging in her left arm as she ran to catch up, and she didn't seem to notice Simma until she was right in front of her.
"Lady Simma!" Rikki exclaimed as she fumbled to latch onto her staff with both hands.
"Rikki," she acknowledged her with a nod of her head. "Chasing denhares?"
Rikki pointed her staff at the denhare, which rose into the air while it tried to snatch onto the vestiges of fruit below. It subsequently shot straight through the air and Rikki caught it in the nook of her free arm.
Simma caught a better look at the animal as it lay in Rikki's grasp. Its teeth were still sharp. "Best be careful with that one," she warned. "You might want to shave its teeth if you're thinking about taking it home."
"There's no need for that," Rikki said as she stroked its back. "Ji-Ji's smarter than your average denhare."
Simma raised an eyebrow at her and realized that the mage must have done something to it. Magic certainly was a simple fix for every problem. Simma could've used some of that. With a wave of her staff, she'd end the war, or bring her father back to life. All would be as it was.
"Were you able to make peace with your brother?" Rikki asked, recalling the last time they had encountered one another.
"I was about as successful at that as you were at retrieving the Key," Simma responded.
"I'll have more success next time," Rikki stated with confidence. "I'm sure you will, too."
Simma tried her best not to roll her eyes. "The next time I see my brothers, they will be trying to kill each other on the battlefield." She gazed enviously at the staff. Unless this mage was willing to help. Rikki could use her abilities to do what she could not. She hated the idea of an outsider solving their problems, but to save the lives of both Kuwain and Luewen, how could she not try?
"Sorry," Rikki mumbled. "I’d better be going." But she stood exactly in place.
"Wait," Simma said. "Wait."
Rikki's eyes pierced her in a way that no golden eyes ever had. Those green eyes were so out of place in Faunli. "What is it?"
"I need your help." Simma sped through the statement like if it didn't come out fast it would not come out at all.
"You want to use my magic," Rikki understood. "For your ends."
"Not for me," Simma replied. "For the empire."
"I didn't come here to interfere in internal matters," Rikki stated. "I came for the Key."
"If you help me, I will give it to you."
"You don't have it. And I think I'll have a much easier time retrieving it now. Don't you agree, Ji-Ji?" She gently poked the denhare.
Simma did not want to beg this outsider. Her father had taught her to take care of herself, whether it be her defense or her own well-being. She could fight, she could hunt, and she could make peace. But her father had left her with the current state of affairs. Rikki had to be convinced to help. "Then I request your help not on my behalf, but on the behalf of all of Faunli."
Rikki did not say a word. Good. She was taking this seriously.
"Help me preserve this empire. Help me end this war."
"Magic is not the solution to every problem," Rikki replied.
Simma knew that it was going to take more to sway this mage. She was going to have to pull at one of the threads. She tried to think of the words. She had never spoken them out loud before. "But it is more than I have."
"You have the ears of both emperors. That is more than I can give you." Rikki was preparing to leave again.
Simma dropped to her knees. "Please."
This got Rikki's attention. She walked within inches of her and planted her staff in the ground.
Simma inhaled and then let out her family's secret. "Luewen and Kuwain are my brothers, but they are not my father's sons. They have no royal blood. They were adopted."
Rikki squinted at her, like she was trying to decipher if this was a trick of some sort.
"My mother could have no more children after me. But it is tradition that a male heir inherits the empire. So my parents adopted two boys. We were raised together. I've loved them like they were my brothers. But they are not. They have no claim to the throne."
"Shouldn't you have revealed this right after your father died?" Rikki asked. "This whole civil war could've been avoided."
"Fauns would not follow a woman without convincing," Simma stated. "There has never been an empress. But now – "
"They might," Rikki finished the thought. "To avoid war."
It was out there now. The information that could save Faunli as much as it could destroy the Korona dynasty. And it was all dependent upon this outsider. One that she got the strange sense did not particularly like her.
"What do you think?" Rikki asked her denhare. It whistled at her multiple times. Could she understand it?
"If the families of Faunli recognize my claim as legitimate, I can end this."
Rikki looked up from her pet. "Do you have proof?"
Her only proof was the memory of her father's words, spoken to her shortly before he died. "No. That is why I need you."
"I cannot force them to believe you," Rikki responded.
"You don't have to," Simma said. She touched a finger to her temple. "I only need you to show them what's in here."
Chapter Twenty-Five
Infiltration
1 D.R.
"Prince Shine!"
Shine's shoulders drooped. He had almost made it through Treatis Square without being noticed. But as soon as his name was shouted, he felt the eyes of every busy shop-goer and entertainer focus onto him.
"Prince Shine!"
Shine had already stopped. Who was this person calling out his name? He searched through the crowd, his eyes making contact with onlookers who sped away as soon as he noticed them. By the time he realized who was coming at him, it was too late to run away.
Pushing through the throng was a man in a dirty amber coat whose fumbling made obvious his desperation. He no longer had his staff, and the years had not been kind to his face. There were as many wrinkles decorating his cheeks as there were gray hairs on his head. Even his eyes appeared to have lost most of their color. Shine had not seen Cillian in years. What did he want now?
His whole body tensed as the aging mage approached. Cillian had been barred from Castle Tornis after the expedition through the Enduring Mountains. King Aergo blamed Cillian for every death that happened on the journey, but even that was not enough to cause his excommunication. No, it was seasons later, when the Cartographer failed to return, that Cillian finally stirred up an ire in the King that had no other recourse. Aergo was willing to give Cillian a second chance, to go out and find what had happened to their missing vessel. The mage refused, believing such a rescue mission was merely an indirect means of execution. Shine's father was almost too kind, but he was not one to be disobeyed. Cillian lost his staff and his place in the castle after that. Ironically, he had been right. The mage they had sent out on a pegasus to find the Cartographer never returned.
Nevertheless, it wasn't Cillian's history with his father that bothered him the most. Shine had run into him many times in the castle when he was still there, and not once did he display any remorse for the lives lost on his expedition. He refused to take any responsibility for that tragedy. He knew people blamed him for their deaths, but he didn't care. A younger Shine had taken to wondering if Cillian had used his magic to remove his heart.
Shine wasn't surprised to see Cillian in Treatis Square. Whenever he saw him, Cillian was usually moping outside the castle. But they had seldom had any conversation up until now, let alone call
ing out for one.
Cillian had grown older since his time in the castle. Though Aergo had secretly seen that he didn't turn into a vagrant, the mage was indeed dressed like one. His shabby clothes looked even worse when contrasted with the light green garb of the Prince.
"What can I help you with, Cillian?" Shine asked in the most formal tone he could manage.
The mage tried to catch his breath while he patted down some wild hairs, as if he was suddenly concerned about his appearance. "I am so glad to have spotted you today. If I had not caught you out here, well...you know they don't let me into the castle."
Shine started lightly tapping his foot on the ground. He did not have time for this. "So what is it?" he asked, further hinting at his impatience.
"I heard what you are doing," Cillian stated, and he gave the Prince a wink. "I've come to offer my services."
Shine raised an eyebrow. There was no way Cillian could know what he was about to undertake. Very few in the entire kingdom knew. "I'm not sure what you're referring to."
Cillian glanced side-to-side before saying "Belliore."
That was enough to convince Shine. Somehow Cillian knew, which meant someone he trusted was spilling secrets. And if this mage could know, then the enemy could know. The entire mission might be compromised before it even started. "Who told you?"
Cillian's lipless smile was unnerving. "Does that matter? I've only come so I can help."
If Shine were to invite a mage to join him, this would be the last mage in all of Ghumai he would ask. Not only was Cillian staff-less, but he did not trust him at all. "Why would you want to help?"
"I've got a lot to make up for," Cillian said, feigning regret. "If I can help the Prince, perhaps the King will forgive me."
All this mage ever cared about was looking out for himself. Shine would've spat on him if he wasn't already so low. "I appreciate it, Cillian, but we're keeping the group small and we've already got everyone we need. I'm sure if you search hard enough, you'll find a better way to get back into Castle Tornis."
Cillian's face fell; his eyes unable to hide his contempt. "Do you think it will be easy? You will be sorry that you've refused my offer."
Shine turned his back on the mage, refusing to give him any more of his time. "Goodbye, Cillian."
He took off for the castle without giving the mage further scrutiny, though he was sure he would've seen him seething. The fact that Cillian had even known what Shine was up to was disquieting. There were only five other people in Kytheras that Shine had discussed it with, and two of those people were the King and the Grand Mage. He hadn't even told his brother about it.
His mother knew. And the two people that were accompanying him knew. He trusted them all without hesitation. So how had Cillian known? Maybe he was making a guess. Every citizen knew what was happening in Cortex. If Cillian realized who had been there when it had happened, he could have assumed Shine would be going there.
But that wasn't a neat explanation. There were too many ifs and assumptions. The simplest explanation was that someone had told him. Had he been overheard in the castle? Was an untrustworthy guardian spreading the information? Shine might've considered canceling the entire mission. But he couldn't do that. Not to his wife.
If the plan was going to move forward, they were going to have to expedite it.
Shine headed straight to Leaf's quarters as soon as he entered Castle Tornis. Leaf had been like an older brother to him, and, truthfully, he enjoyed his company much more than he did his actual brother. He was also an able fighter and an honorary guardian. His father had refused to let him actually join the guardians. Leaf was treated like a blood heir and had even adopted the family name.
Shine didn't bother knocking before he entered Leaf's room. Leaf was at his desk, counting gemstones over untidy piles of paper. He threw one at Shine as soon as he walked in.
"You could knock," Leaf grumbled.
"No time," Shine replied.
Leaf shook his head and went back to counting stones.
"I'm serious," Shine stated. "We're going to have to leave sooner."
Leaf dropped all the stones onto his desk and gave Shine his full attention. "Why?"
Shine went on to explain what had just happened in Treatis Square, all while Leaf rubbed at the uneven brown hairs on his face. His attempt at growing a beard wasn't working.
"When should we go?" Leaf asked when Shine finished.
"Tonight," Shine said. They could not spare another moment. If they waited any longer, they could be expected, though that was probably the case already.
"That's a hasty decision," Leaf replied. "We still don't know enough of what's going on there."
"It doesn't matter. When Olley comes back, we leave." Olley was conducting daily reconnaissance in Cortex at the Prince's orders. He'd known the former Grand Mage all his life and trusted him more than a mage in exile.
"I'll get my sais," Leaf said, and he pulled open a drawer in his desk to reveal the daggers.
"You can put those away until nightfall." Shine made to leave.
"I hope you realize this could be a trap," Leaf spoke. "We do not know this enemy. Cillian could even be part of it."
Shine looked back at Leaf. "Then you’d better be damn sure you want to go with me, trap or not."
"As long as you don't mind having my death on your conscience. Or Olley's." Leaf scooped up the gems on his desk and began counting them again.
Shine bit his lip and stormed out of the room. For the first time since he'd put this plan into motion, he had doubt. It was supposed to be simple. Olley would search Cortex until he found the most likely location of his wife's detention. Then he would bring the Prince and Leaf to that area and they would retrieve her. It might take decks to find out where they were holding her, but that was the easy part. Getting her out of the occupied city had always presented the most risk.
And what exactly were these creatures that occupied Cortex? Whenever he thought too hard about it, he got dizzy. It had something to do with Faunli's new emperor and a goddess that everyone was suddenly worshipping. But these were matters for his father and the Grand Mage. His only concern was Narai.
He wished he had been able to convince her to stay with him in Kytheras permanently. She had split her time between him and the project she was leading in Belliore. A project that was decks away from launching and was now unquestionably canceled.
Shine fell face first onto his bed when he returned to his room. He held in his tears and his screams as he lie there, thinking of nothing but his wife. Why did she have to be there at that moment? Why couldn't it have been one of the decks when she was here?
And now he might cost Leaf and Olley their lives, all in search of someone they had no guarantee was alive.
Shine's stomach went in knots with the brief consideration that Narai was no longer in the world. She was still alive. He knew it. It wasn't merely intuition, but Olley had assured him there were no executions going on in Belliore. She was there. They simply had to find her.
He flipped over and took a few deep breaths. This room had always provided him tranquility, with the soft white and pink swirls painted on the walls. Most of the furniture shined, be it wood or metal. The only room grander than this was the King's.
Shine pushed himself up and sauntered to his writing desk. He grabbed a slip of parchment and stuck his pen in the inkwell. The Prince could not disappear in the middle of the night without causing a stir. The King had to be informed. But where to begin. Shine scribbled a few sentences, and then, after rereading them, added a couple more. When he was done, he dropped his pen and studied what he had written.
This morning I encountered Cillian in Treatis Square. He had knowledge of our plan. I have since moved up our timetable. We leave tonight and will not return until we are successful. Please inform the Queen and the Grand Mage of this development.
It was short, but no more than the King would need. And if it was intercepted, not many would understan
d what it was referring to. That was, unless every castle occupant suddenly knew what they were planning.
Once the ink had dried, Shine rolled it up and tied it closed with string. He stepped out of his room for only a minute so he could send it along with one of the castle servants. The rest of the day he would need to spend in his quarters, getting ready for what he was about to undertake.
Olley returned later than he had expected. It was well past dusk, and both crescent moons were already brighter than the stars. The frail old mage shifted into the Prince's quarters, wearing only a simple gray sheet and carrying his tarnished silver staff like it was a crutch. His face had been worn away with time, and only a few stray hairs were left atop his head. But the look of shock was unmistakable when he realized why Shine was dressed in a black frock.
"I haven't found her yet," Olley said in a high-pitched voice that had once been less grating. "We can't rescue her if we don't know where she is."
"Then we have to find her tonight," Shine replied. He went on to tell Olley about the day's events.
"I agree with Leaf," Olley stated. "It's probably a trap."
"I don't care. We are bringing the Princess home, no matter what it takes."
There was a singular knock on the door before Leaf entered the room. "See? It's not very hard to knock. Good evening, Olley."
"Leaf," Olley acknowledged him in return.
Leaf was dressed in a black frock that matched the Prince's. "Might want to darken your attire, there," he said, pointing at Olley's chest.
Olley grumbled before touching the staff to his sheet and darkening it until it became black. "You agree with this nonsense?"
"I do as my prince commands," Leaf said with a sarcastic bow. "We don't have much choice."
"You fools must want to die young," Olley said. "You have no idea what it's like there. Beastly creatures. Men built like boulders. They go on patrols because they have nothing better to do. They're waiting for idiots like us to make a mistake. It provides their only form of entertainment. I've seen them. A couple Bellish tried to make a run out of there today. They didn't even make it a hundred feet. Think our clothes give us cover? Their armor is black. They blend in with the night. What we are doing is reckless. I suggest you two turn in and we stick with the original plan. Who cares if Cillian knows? He's insignificant. We need to do this right if we plan on getting the Princess out alive."