by J J Moriarty
“Really?” Safia said.
“I thought you’d leave. When I refused to take Iset’s offer”, Hyzou said.
“I should have”, Safia said.
“Why did you stay?” Hyzou asked.
“Because I love you”, Safia said.
“I love you too”, Hyzou said. “This escape plan, we should work it out tonight.”
Safia stared at him, waiting.
“I want you to stay here. When we march to Khemmis. You’re the Queen, people won’t question that decision. Once you’ve heard we’ve lost I want you to run, take the children and run. Don’t try and find out what happened to me. If I survived, I’ll come and find you. But you must leave”, Hyzou said.
“I can’t leave you like that”, Safia said.
“By then it’ll all be over. We have no more allies. If we lose in the Khemmis, Piquea is doomed. You must go. Head south, to the boundaries of the rainforest. Can you live off the land for a while?” Hyzou asked.
“I remember my training”, Safia said.
“Good. Take the children, and you, and flee. The Pharaoh will be coming after you, so you’ll have to pretend to be a common refugee. Maybe go to the Mountain Cities, home to CaSu”, Hyzou said.
“You won’t die. You can’t die. Your plan will work”, Safia said.
“I hope so”, Hyzou said.
“You said you’d never leave”, Safia said.
“I’ll find you. Whatever it takes. But you and the children can’t be here when Piquea falls”, Hyzou said.
“I’ll go. But you’d better find me. Even if you do die, you can’t leave”, Safia said.
“I won’t”, Hyzou said.
“Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma”, Hetep said.
He began to lean away from Hyzou, gesturing over to Safia. Hyzou handed him over. Hetep began playing with her ear.
“He needs to grow up, and he needs his mother to be with him as he grows”, Hyzou said.
“And his father”, Safia said.
“And his father”, Hyzou said.
Hetep kept babbling.
“There’s something else”, Hyzou said.
“Oh?” Safia asked.
“There’s something you should know. No one else knows, but we make decisions together”, Hyzou said.
“What is it?” Safia asked.
“Kyrios Harkhuf told me something strange”, Hyzou said.
“Who’s he?” Safia asked.
“A Noble from Yobo. He’s a prisoner we have”, Hyzou said.
Then Hyzou proceeded to tell Safia everything Kyrios Harkhuf had told him, about how the cause of Orman’s death was Luan, plotting with the Divine Master. Safia had a sceptical frown on her face by the time Hyzou had finished.
“How can you tell that he wasn’t lying?” Safia asked.
“The vision”, Hyzou said.
“The vision?” Safia asked.
“I had a vision. A new one”, Hyzou said.
“What happened in it? Not the children?” Safia asked.
“No. I saw it. Exactly as he said it happened. I saw Luan stab my father in the back and leave him to die by the roadside. I saw Luan cut Orman down like a fucking animal, then crucify him by nailing him to a tree. Then Luan took a long time to set the scene up. He arranged them, all of them, he got local villagers and killed them and arranged them to look like they were tribesmen and had ambushed the three of them. It was brutal”, Hyzou said.
“Hyzou. I’m so sorry. That must have been awful”, Safia said.
She rubbed his shoulder. He didn’t know why, but it made him feel better.
“It makes sense now. Luan thought my father was dead. If he knew my father survived he’d hunt Mygst down and try and silence him. It’s why my father hid from the Servants, gained a new identity, hid me and my sister from the Servants”, Hyzou said.
“I can’t believe he did that”, Safia said. “It’s unbelievable.”
“I keep seeing my father, dying by the roadside. I get so angry”, Hyzou said.
“Hyzou, it’s ok”, Safia said.
“I can meet him tonight”, Hyzou said.
“Who?” Safia said.
“Luan”, Hyzou said.
“What? How?” Safia asked.
“It’s only if you agree that I should meet him. Otherwise I won’t”, Hyzou said.
“How are you going to meet him? Is he here?” Safia asked.
“No. Twenty miles west from here. There’s a peculiar land formation, where what once was a quarry has been flooded by rainwater, so that, only in the rainy season, a farm becomes an island in the middle of a giant lake. Luan will be there tonight”, Hyzou said.
“How do you know?” Safia asked.
“Because I’ve arranged for him to be”, Hyzou said.
“How?” Safia asked.
“There is a spy I’ve placed among the Pharaoh’s armies, a Servant of Qi pretending to be a beggar. I contacted him with ekstasis and told him to remove his disguise and reveal who he really is to Luan. So Luan, about a fortnight ago, was approached by a Servant who had some choice information about me”, Hyzou said.
“What was that?” Safia said.
“That I’m going mad and am convinced the only way I can win is by giving birth to a new god. That I believe the only way to do that is by impregnating Kyria Iset in the middle of a lake during a full moon”, Hyzou said.
Safia laughed.
“Wait, you said that?” Safia said.
“And Luan bought it”, Hyzou said. “It makes sense, see, because it’s what he’s always wanted. Kyria Iset removed from the bowels of the Palace and only guarded by one individual.”
“Tonight’s a full moon”, Safia said.
“He’s near that quarry house now, I’d say. He must have a nice vantage point and is waiting for me to arrive with Kyria Iset. He won’t strike early. He’ll be patient and wait to make sure I haven’t brought any backup. But he’ll strike”, Hyzou said.
“And you want to kill him”, Safia said.
It wasn’t a question.
“I want to kill him, yes”, Hyzou said.
“Did you see that in a vision?” Safia asked.
“No. But I remember another vision I had, years ago”, Hyzou said.
“Oh? And what was that one?” Safia asked.
“It was soon after I was taken from Piquea. I was alone with The Whisperer, remember I told you about him?” Hyzou asked.
“Yes”, Safia said.
“While I was talking to The Whisperer, I had a vision. It was one of me, riding through a forest. At my side is a woman who looks just like me. I thought it was a vision of what would have happened if I had been brought into the Servants as a child, and the woman to my left was my sister, if she hadn’t been in Piquea for the sack. But I was wrong”, Hyzou said.
“Wrong how?” Safia asked.
“It was Kyria Iset. I realised that when I saw her for the first time, which was…”
“When she came to deliver the message. THAT’S why you kept her here”, Safia said.
“I knew she would end up being my ally, and that she would become a Servant of Qi. All because I’d seen her in a vision”, Hyzou said.
“It’s her destiny to join us”, Safia said.
“And it also means that I won’t die tonight”, Hyzou said.
“Not until Kyria Iset joins the Servants of Qi, at least”, Safia said.
“So whatever happens this evening, I will return. So long as I breathe I’ll always return to you Safia”, Hyzou said.
“And me to you Hyzou of Nuyin. Only death will do us part”, Safia said.
“You agree I should fight him?” Hyzou said.
“I think you should kill him”, Safia said.
Hetep gurgled some more.
“Look at him, desperate for some attention”, Hyzou said.
“Ba-da-da-da”, Hetep said.
“Just wants someone to notice him”, Hyzou said.
He kissed his son on the head.<
br />
“If you’re going to ride to the quarry by nightfall, you’ll want to set off soon”, Safia said.
“I’ll be back”, Hyzou said.
“I know. Go, get her”, Safia said.
“Can you have a horse ready?” Hyzou asked.
“This mare is the fastest we have”, Safia said. “She’ll be waiting for you by the south exit.”
“Da-da-beee”, Hetep shouted.
Hyzou kissed Safia, then kissed Hetep again.
He left them and returned to the Palace. There were guards posted around the Palace as always, but no one questioned what he was doing when he rushed to Kyria Iset’s quarters.
Hyzou stormed through the antechamber. It was full of Kyria Iset’s guards, and they leaped to their feet when he entered, but he ignored them.
Kyria Iset was further into her quarters. She was lying on her bed dozing when Hyzou barged in on her. She woke up the moment he entered, rather like a cat.
“Hyzou?” She said.
“Sorry, my Kyria, he rushed in and…”
One of Kyria Iset’s guards had followed Hyzou into the Kyria’s room. Hyzou used his Qi to invade the mind of the guard and leave him frozen where he stood.
“What?” Kyria Iset said.
“Don’t worry about him. He can’t move”, Hyzou said.
“What happened to him?” Kyria Iset said.
“I froze him. Him, and the rest of his guards”, Hyzou said.
“You can do that?” Kyria Iset said.
“It’s sorcery”, Hyzou said.
Kyria Iset looked frightened for the first time since Hyzou had met her.
“Come on, we have to go”, Hyzou said.
“Go, go where?” Kyria Iset said.
“I’m going to release you”, Hyzou said.
“You are?” Kyria Iset said.
“You just have to come with me, and be discreet”, Hyzou said.
“Are you going to kill me?” Kyria Iset said.
“If I was going to kill you I’d do it now”, Hyzou said.
Kyria Iset nodded.
“Very well then, lead on. Where are we going?” Kyria Iset said.
“Out the southern entrance. There’s a horse waiting for us there”, Hyzou said.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Hyzou placed her down against the rotting wood of the wall. Kyria Iset removed her hood and shook her head to try and get rid of some of the rain.
“I have waterproof clothes”, Kyria Iset said. “If you’d given me some warning I could have avoided being soaked.”
“It was a snap decision”, Hyzou said.
“I’m confused how bringing me here is releasing me”, Kyria Iset said.
There were pitter-patters sounding in the darkness.
Rats. Hyzou thought.
Hyzou began to pace around.
“I can’t see much”, Kyria Iset said.
“You can see enough”, Hyzou said.
And she could. The moonlight reflected off the water outside and lit up the inside of the barn. The light was dim, and it threw up shadows everywhere. But Hyzou didn’t need the light. It only helped Kyria Iset watch the outline of what happened.
“Is this some kind of ceremony? Are you going to sacrifice me?” Kyria Iset asked.
“Priests are the only ones who think sacrifices change anything”, Hyzou said.
“You’re scaring me, Hyzou”, Kyria Iset said. “What are we doing here?”
Hyzou kept pacing around the barn, testing the ground for whether any of the rotten wood was about to fall through.
Hyzou sensed that Kyria Iset was tensing, ready to run.
“Don’t think about trying to run”, Hyzou said.
“Hyzou what are you doing?” Kyria Iset said. “What are we doing?”
Hyzou ignored her. Then he sensed it. Another presence, jogging towards the barn.
Luan. Hyzou thought.
Hyzou sensed as the person jumped into the water outside. He swam across the quarry, reaching the grassy knoll on which the barn was built.
Hyzou drew his sword.
“Hyzou? Hyzou what are you doing?” Kyria Iset said.
“Madness”, a voice said.
It came from the entrance of the barn.
“Luan!” Kyria Iset exclaimed.
“Iset, stay there”, Luan said. “He’s dangerous.”
“Your rescuer has arrived”, Hyzou said.
“You’ve been betrayed”, Luan said.
“No. You’ve fallen into the trap”, Hyzou said.
“Trap? I don’t sense anyone else here”, Luan said.
“Only me”, Hyzou said.
Luan unsheathed his sword.
“Luan, don’t hurt him”, Kyria Iset said.
“You’ll have to hurt me, because if you don’t, I’ll kill you”, Hyzou said.
Luan stepped forward. It was too dark to see much of the man, but Hyzou could make out the essentials. Luan was aged, with a giant bushy beard and an easy gait.
“Why? Hyzou, he’s your uncle”, Kyria Iset said.
“He murdered Orman”, Hyzou said.
“What?” Luan said.
“You murdered Orman, and you stabbed my father in the back and left him to die on the roadside. It was you, and you did it for a place of power in the south. You sold the lives of your own brothers for silver”, Hyzou said.
“Luan?” Kyria Iset said.
“It’s a lie. Why would I have protected you for all these years if I didn’t love your father, love our family? Hyzou wants you to turn to him, it’s manipulation”, Luan said.
“You arranged it with the Divine Master. He was in love with Ahmose and couldn’t stand the fact that she was married to another man. You got power, and he got to isolate the woman he was obsessed with”, Hyzou said.
“Lies”, Luan said.
“Not lies”, Hyzou said.
“If you don’t stop I will hurt you. Just give me Kyria Iset, and I’ll leave you in peace”, Luan said. “I’m only here for her.”
“Because she ensures your safety. Your political ambitions in the south crumbled to ruin, and the only way you can avoid your enemies is by using Kyria Iset’s political power” Hyzou said.
“Iset, don’t listen to him. You’re the daughter I’ve never had. Why would I have stood with you after the Divine Master had stripped you of your title if all I wanted was your political power?” Luan said.
“He wanted safety, Iset. He’ll kill you the second it suits him to”, Hyzou said.
“That’s a lie! I love you Iset, like a child”, Luan said.
“Even if that were true, Iset, he killed your father. Search your feelings, you know it’s true. You know it makes sense. It’s why my father went into hiding, he was afraid of Luan. And who are you, Iset, if you can’t avenge your father’s death? It’s your duty”, Hyzou said.
“Now you’ve said enough”, Luan said.
Luan stepped forwards, ready to fight. Hyzou sensed the strength, the old man moved like a panther.
The greatest warrior the Servants ever produced. Hyzou thought.
Luan threw a simple attack at Hyzou, cutting his sword at Hyzou’s torso. Hyzou recognised the manoeuvre, it was one Sparrow had thought him. Hyzou blocked it with his own blade.
Luan began to circle, sword in front of him, studying Hyzou, hoping for an opening. He jabbed, and Hyzou stepped out of the way. Then with a complicated flurry, he tried to cut Hyzou’s leg out from under him, only for Hyzou to block him.
Then Luan unleashed combination after combination. He was aggressive to a fault, attacking at speed and trying to bash Hyzou into failure. Hyzou understood now. It was a clash of fighting styles.
Hyzou, as always, was cautious and defensive to an extreme. Luan was fast and aggressive, looking to end the fight with one brutal blow.
When Luan’s attacks came, Hyzou was able either to block or step away from all of them. Finally, after one large swing towards Hyzou’s neck, which Hyzou ducked
under, Luan stepped back and began to circle again.
“I was afraid of you, I saw you beat the Colossus”, Luan said.
Hyzou didn’t reply. Though he knew he should begin to harass Luan, Hyzou was too afraid. Luan was moving quicker than anyone Hyzou had ever fought before. This was a foe even more powerful than the Colossus Hyzou had once killed.
“But you’re slow. Slower than I thought you’d be”, Luan said.
Luan attacked and Hyzou blocked them all. Luan rushed him and up close tried to run Hyzou through. Hyzou diverted the attack then kicked Luan in the shin, a blow he knew Luan felt. Hyzou jumped to Luan’s side and swung his sword towards Luan’s back. Luan blocked the blow then began a flurry of attacks, Hyzou dodging and blocking them all.
As he blocked them, Hyzou realised something. Luan was leaving himself very open to counter-attacks. Such was the nature of a man who attacked with all that ferocity. He took huge risks and seemed happy to leave himself open to Hyzou’s counters. Why would Luan worry, he was attacking so often that Hyzou was too busy dodging and blocking to counter.
But it gave him an idea.
“Iset”, Hyzou murmured.
She heard him. Luan kept attacking.
“Iset. Iset please”, Hyzou said.
Luan didn’t let up. The man was demented, determined to see Hyzou dead.
“Iset make him stop”, Hyzou said.
Luan jabbed with his sword several times. Hyzou flicked the sword up over his shoulders every time.
“He’ll kill me. Just like he killed Orman”, Hyzou said.
“LIES!” Luan said.
Luan went wild, striking Hyzou however he could.
“Luan stop. Don’t kill him!” Iset screamed
Hyzou ducked and dived. Finally, once he’d leaped away from Luan far enough away to avoid the blade, Hyzou threw a half-hearted slash Luan’s way. Luan slashed upwards in response. The force disarmed Hyzou, sending his sword up into the air. Hyzou himself was thrown away from the collision. He fell off his feet and slid across the floor.
Luan couldn’t believe his luck. He pounced, and brought his sword, which was in his right hand, down in a crazy swing. Luan had lived his whole life fighting people who were slower than him - no one could beat him for speed. Even when he met an opponent like Hyzou, he just slowly broke them down until they made a mistake. He was unbeatable because no one was as fast as he was.