The First Five Days: of the Lionean Saga
Page 42
“I see. Did you get us drunk on purpose?”
Jessamine sighed before replying. “Yes. I did. But it wasn’t part of this mission. It was my own initiative. I dosed the drink with a powerful potion my father made. It has the ability to dull one’s senses and elicit the truth even from experts at lying. Hence, I believe you told me the truth of what happened and I believe I may be able to help you during your retrial.”
“The betrayer cares after all,” he said drily
“You will cease from calling me that! My orders were my orders. Yet I’m making an attempt that may actually lead to your release.”
“I’ve heard enough. Leave us now Jessamine or I’ll force you to.”
Jessamine was hurt, but she knew it was best if she left him to his fate. She nodded to her leader and a group of Sentors approached and began to bind the men in chains.
She decided to tell him one last thing before she left. “Your men are only shackled for we fear they may attempt to rescue you. No harm shall come to them, and if they prove to be law abiding men, they shall be granted leave to remain and prosper on this Island. You can at least take solace in that.”
With that, she turned around and made her way off the ship.
Prisca Foté knelt alongside her Aisprises in prayer. Before her, in spirit, were the array of candles she usually used to observe the condition of those she prayed for. On this particular night, her focus was on the HN. She had been observing his light for almost two hours now and thankfully, it had burned, albeit a little dimly.
She was about to take a short break when she noticed the flame flicker. She looked more closely as she observed it fluctuate as though it was being perturbed by wind. Then suddenly, the light began to dim further and further until only a red smolder remained.
Her praying became so intense that her Aisprises paused and opened their eyes to observe. The red dot abruptly morphed into a small flame, causing Prisca to pause with hope, before suddenly extinguishing. Thirty counts… one minute… five minutes… By the sixth minute, the Ispris knew all hope was lost.
To the surprise of her Aisprises, she collapsed to the floor unconscious.
The loud wailing that emanated from the room announced the death of the HN to the occupants of the hall. Jorraine Sint was disconsolate, for his only son had died by his own hand. He had been so certain his antidote would work, that when Yosi began to shake uncontrollably, he could only stare wide-eyed.
The occupants in the room were just as traumatized. Tears silently flowed down Surita’s face, while Mila’s sobs were audible. Even Ron Riten’s eyes reddened as he struggled to fight back the tears. Aishe Thorne’s eyes were transfixed on the HN’s corpse, while the Legator could only shake his head in wonder.
Zach Sen covered Yosi’s eyes before departing the room to address his new subjects. It was unseemly for the HN to display emotions which were considered as weak. But Zach could not care less as he made no attempt to dry his eyes.
The hall fell silent in anticipation as HN Zach Sen began.
“It is with regret that I announce to you the passing of HN Yosi Sint. Although he was with us for a mere five days, his legacy will never be forgotten. He died from poisoning by the treacherous schemer, Johatsu Foté, who has been apprehended and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Before he died, he appointed me his successor. I have nothing more to say to you at this time, but be rest assured that I will bring all those who scheme against us to justice.”
As he returned to the room, the despair and sorrow he left in his wake was nearly palpable. Oblivious to the noise, he made his way towards the Aishe and said, “Aishe Thorne. Upon your coronation, I shall round up all the Aishes and begin an inquisition. Do I have your leave?”
Such a request was outrageous and unheard of. There was no telling whether the soon-to-be Ishe would agree or not.
After thirty counts, Aishe Thorne put his hands forward as if to submit himself and replied, “Arrest them all!”
“Those who trample on everything else in the quest for power fail to realize the colossal responsibility that comes with it. In time, the vile pillars of their empires will crumble and the just shall once more rise.”
- HN Ruki Sen
THE GLORIES
THE GLORIES are a set of eight Inter-Provincial annual games that are geared towards driving military and technological development within Lionea. In the absence of war, these games provide the platform for citizens to express their prowess and attain honor and glory. Thus, they constitute a vital aspect of the Lionea’s culture. They are described as follows:
Swordsman’s Glory: Involves the use of swords. Prior to the actual games, each province conducts a miniature version in order to select a representative. The first stage of the main game comprises of five matches, involving two provinces in each match. The match-up is selected through a random ballot process. The winners of the matches qualify into the second round where each fighter takes on the other fighters individually. Hence, each fighter fights four times and the total number of matches in this stage is ten. The two fighters with the highest number of points at the end of this round shall qualify to face each other in the final match-up. The winner obtains the Glory and will reign as champion for one year. The rules are simple: no major injuries, no fatalities. Each match shall last for no more than an hour. Within that time, a contestant can win a match by disarming his opponent and placing him at sword point; this merits five points. Otherwise, if the duration expires, the contestant who delivered the higher number of cuts wins; this merits three points. Points are only used as the selection criteria in the second round. The first and final round matches are determined strictly by winning.
Current Champion: Late Leade Marc Even
Spearman’s Glory: Other than the fact that spears are the weapon of choice, the rules are the same as those of the Swordsman’s Glory.
Current Champion: Sentor Jan Riva
Martial’s Glory: Similar in organization to the Swordsman and Spearman’s Glories, this competition involves hand-to-hand combat only. In place of cuts, hits are used, and in place of disarming an opponent, an outright win is achieved by one when his/her opponent fails to stand upright for ten counts.
Current Champion: Lector Joni Thorne
Archer’s Glory: Ten contestants, one from each province stand on a line at the same level and aim for a target, fifty deer-runs away in the first round. Each archer has only one shot per round. Those who fail to hit the target do not qualify for the next round. The target will continuously be shifted further away by twenty-five deer-runs in subsequent rounds until only one archer remains.
Current Champion: Sentor Marco Fiten
Rider’s Glory: Accuracy and speed are tested in this challenge. In the first round, ten contestants, one from each province, circumnavigate the Outer Main Road. A thousand hurdles per lane are placed throughout the course. For each failed hurdle, the rider loses one point. At the end of the course, the top five contestants with the most points qualify for the next round. Let no rider be fooled into thinking he or she can take the course slowly, for the course must be completed in no longer than six hours and this is no small feat! The second round is focused on speed. The five qualifying riders shall compete for glory in a two hundred deer-run sprint race. The contestant who crosses the finish line first wins.
Current Champion: Sentor Jessamine Sint
Diver’s Glory: Resilience during under-water covert operations is tested in this challenge. In the first round, five hidden treasures are buried on the sea bed in a selected area in the shallow offshore region of Lionea. Of ten contestants, only the five who retrieve the treasures qualify to the final round. At the start of the final round, the qualifying five submerge themselves in water. The one who remains longest wins.
Current Champion: Spyinme Riya Senet
Strag’s Glory: A Strag competition involving one representative from each province.
Current Champion: Healer Sim Hans
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br /> Craftsman’s Glory: Similar to a technological exhibition, craftsmen, one per province, display innovative creations at a trade fair. The craftsman whose product records the highest number of sales wins.
Current Champion: Craftsman Shin Masuri (an Icasa of the Even Province)
Ultimate Glory: Achieved if one contestant wins all eight glories. Not one has ever achieved this feat.
Still on the
fifth day…
34
Zach Sen rode the chariot on the Outer Main Road. It had been two hours since the passing of his predecessor, and as was customary, he was in the process of conveying the HN’s body to the Ice Hall of the cemetery.
Two HNs in five days; HN Ruki had not even been buried yet. The boldness with which treason was being committed evinced the need for drastic measures. Even the incoming Ishe had no illusions at what needed to be done, and the crackdown would begin with the Aishes. Lionea was sure to roll over its head by the time he was done. His only hope was that the Norwans would remain oblivious to the high level of internal strife that threatened to tear the nation apart.
Zach was just about to detour onto Cemetery Street when he heard the sound. He paused for a few counts and listened carefully. Nothing. Perhaps even a rational man like him was now given to wishful thinking, he reckoned. Feeling a little abashed, he returned his thoughts to his plan for the Aishes. It no longer made sense to observe the forms if premature death was now an integral part of the office of HN. There would be outrage, he knew. But there would also be blood; for he would explore Ron’s interrogative ability to the full extent. The risk of a backlash was high, but…
He heard the sound again. This time around, he stopped the horses and alighted. With urgency, he rushed into the compartment and began to loosen the white cloth that enwrapped Yosi Sint. Halfway through, he saw it with his own eyes as the dead man coughed.
THE SAGA CONTINUES…
For the Valiant
The complex riddle used by the HN to assess a person’s intellectual prowess has been modified to suit our world and is presented thus:
Six comely ladies, Callula, Eleebana, Jamilee, Joan, Magumi and Shakina were presented before a king. His task: to choose the most beautiful among them for a wife.
On a scale of 10, he ranked one of them 7.5, another 8, another 8.5 and so on till the last whom he ranked 10.
One had black hair, another red, another brown, another golden, another ash-blonde and the last white.
One wore a Kalasiris; another, a Peplos; another, a jeweled Sari; another, a Cheongsam; another, a Kimono; and the last, a Sarong and Kebaya combination. Of these dresses, one was blue, another pink, another red, another yellow, another white and the last purple.
The king eventually chose the one with a rank of 10.
What was the name, hair color, dress type and dress color of the lady of his choice if the following holds true:
1. The lady with brown hair wore the purple dress; 2. The king gave the red-haired lady a rating of 8.5; 3. The black-haired lady stood beside the lady who wore the Sarong and Kebaya; 4. Joan had golden hair;
5. No one stood to Eleebana’s right;
6. The second closest lady to Eleebana wore the jeweled Sari; 7. The lady with a rating of 9 stood beside the lady with brown hair; 8. The Cheongsam was a blue dress;
9. The lady with ash-blonde hair wore the Kimono; 10. Magumi wore the Kalasiris;
11. Eleebana stood beside the lady who wore the yellow dress; 12. The king gave Jamilee a rating of 8;
13 The lady in the blue dress stood to the left of the lady in the red dress; 14. Shakina wore the pink dress;
15. The black-haired lady stood beside the lady with a rating of 9.5; 16. The lady in the white dress stood to the left of the other ladies; 17. The lady in Peplos had white hair;
18. The king gave Callula a rating of 7.5;
19. The lady in Kimono was given a higher rating than the lady in Peplos; 20. Jamilee stood beside Shakina.
Good luck!