-:- -:- -:-
A few tense days later found the diplomatic vessel finally pulling into port in Pahl’Kiar. Sulica stood on the deck once more, apprehensively watching the city grow closer as the tugs pulled the ship into port.
The cityscape was full of tall buildings reaching far into the sky. Several looked to be even taller than the Citadel in Res’Baveth. Birds swooped all around the harbor, calling out to one another in loud screeches. The pier bustled with people of all nationalities save her own. As they approached, Sulica could see the pier divided into two by a large stone wall, extending into the deep water. On the left were multitudes of merchant and trading vessels. She could not see the right side from their position, but the tugs slowly brought their ship around the wall.
She soon realized that a cove protected the Kiaran military vessels on the other side. They were sleek, steel ships, dangerous-looking and powerful. As a diplomat, it only made sense that Ekani and his transport would be protected just the same as the military. Their ship was moored next to a semi-submersible, its plating so dark it was nearly black in color. Even in the morning, when there was activity in nearly all the other areas of the port, nothing seemed to stir on board the ominous craft.
Ekani and Simtel joined her. They were both in full dress uniform, blue jackets covered the gleaming white shirt beneath, and the trousers matched. Each leg had golden trim along the side. The shoulder boards on Simtel’s were adorned with the outline of two golden circles while Ekani’s were nonexistent.
When the ship was finally moored to the pier, the two Kiaran men escorted Sulica down the gangplank. Ekani took Sulica’s elbow in his hand. She started to shake him off, but he gave her a look and she sullenly allowed herself to be guided through the throng of military men who were either preparing to depart or had just come home. She felt a twinge of homesickness as she witnessed the happy reunions. Small children screamed in delight at the sight of their fathers and happy shouts filled the area.
Ekani led her to the main entrance to the harbor, a large archway made of gleaming white stone. Something inside Sulica began to tingle. It took her several seconds to realize that it was her mystic. She took a deep breath and reached out with it, trying to soothe herself. There are no other Resarians in Pahl’Kiar, she tried to tell herself. Still, the nagging feeling lingered.
Suddenly she stopped in her tracks. Ekani tugged at her, but she didn’t move. The world began to spin as she sensed another mystic, a familiar one. As it started to grow weaker, Sulica broke into a run in the direction she felt it coming from. Ekani and Simtel called for her, but she ignored them. She stumbled on the skirt of her dress and fell to her knees. Cursing the impractical outfit, she tried to stand again. Hands grabbed her, hauled her to her feet, and began to drag her away.
“No!” she yelled.
Ekani’s face flushed as he gave Simtel an embarrassed look. They continued to pull the struggling woman out of the harbor amid stares. No one interfered, though, either due to the authority of the uniforms they wore, or because Sulica was not a Kiaran.
Angry tears stung at Sulica’s eyes at her own weakness as she felt the familiar spirit slipping farther away. “Ibrienne,” she whispered.
The drive to the Kiaran palace was very quiet. Sulica hadn’t even allowed herself to be impressed by the motorized horseless carriage that was waiting outside the harbor for Ekani and his prisoner. Simtel asked Ekani if he would be alright then departed their company. She realized the kindness the two men had shown her was just a facade, a front to get her to trust them. She wanted to kick herself for her stupidity.
Her stony face was reflected in the glass window as she stared absently at the passing city. She could see her disheveled golden hair framing her face but couldn’t bring herself to care enough to fix it. The feeling of Ibrienne’s spirit hadn’t left her.
After several more minutes of silence, Ekani finally cleared his throat and said, “What was that all about anyway?”
Sulica clenched her fist so tightly she could feel her fingernails dig into her skin. “Why didn’t you let me go?” she countered.
Ekani sighed heavily. “Look at it from my view. The moment we were out of the military sector, you took off. That is not exactly reassuring behavior.”
She considered his words, cautiously hopeful. Turning to face him, she felt her resolve melt away. His eyes seemed to be filled with real concern, despite the coldness with which he’d treated her on the remainder of their time on the ship. “Are there any more of my people here?” she asked quietly.
His brow furrowed in confusion. “There are a few Resarians in Pahl’Kiar, but all of them are housed in the palace for safety. That’s where you’ll be staying as well.”
Our safety or yours? she asked silently. Looking out the window again, she began to pay attention to the streets they passed in case she should need to an escape route in the future. It was late in the evening by the time they reached the ornate palace gates. Despite herself, Sulica couldn’t help but stare in awe at the gorgeous slate building lit by several glowing lights in the distance as they traveled up the long, winding drive. It ended in a loop surrounding a tall fountain directly in front of the entrance to the prestigious building.
A royal escort met their carriage. The uniform the escort wore was similar to Ekani’s, minus the jacket. His crisp white shirt was almost blinding even in the darkness. He saluted as Ekani stepped down and offered his hand to help Sulica.
“The Emperor is expecting you,” the escort said. “He would be most understanding if you wanted to freshen up after your long journey,” he added with a pointed look at the woman.
Sulica, who hadn’t understood all of the words but grasped the meaning, glared and opened her mouth to retort, but Ekani quickly interceded. “An excellent idea. Just a few moments should do the trick.” He ran his hand through his jet black hair then leaned over to Sulica after the escort turned his back. “Remember, women are not the same here as your home,” he whispered.
“Partially your home too,” she hissed sullenly.
Ekani chose to ignore her and followed the other man up the sweeping staircase.
As austere as the Citadel was, Sulica found the Kiaran palace its complete opposite. Kiarans seemed to take great pride in their craftsmanship. Portraits of former prominent leaders lined the entry hall in ornate frames. She stared at each one as they passed, feeling as though she was traveling through time. The escort explained some of the pictures as they passed, introducing some as Presidents and others as Emperors. After the tenth or eleventh one, she finally asked why there were so many.
The escort paused mid-sentence and looked from her to Ekani in disbelief. Ekani flushed and said quickly, “Kiarans don’t have the same lifespan you do. There have been many wars fought internally to determine who will rule and for how long.”
Sulica felt momentarily embarrassed, but that shortly turned to indignance. How was I supposed to know? she fumed silently as they continued down yet another hall.
Soon they came to two separate doors marked in figures she recognized. Without waiting, Sulica hurried into the one for women. Marble counters and bright silver piping met her eyes. She half-reluctantly walked forward to the mirror. Her heart sank at the sight that met her eyes.
Eyes red, hair a mess, and her face streaked with a little dirt on one side, and so far from home, she almost began crying again from the sorrow she felt. After two deep breaths, she held her head high and stared obstinately at the reflection she did not even recognize. She scrubbed her face until it was pink and felt raw. The dirty water swirled in the sink. Immediately, she felt better than she had in weeks.
Sulica studied her hair for a moment, wondering how to salvage the style. It was a little thicker since leaving Lantheus but months of travel had given it an oily feeling she hadn’t had since the Expedition. Finally, she took out the pins that were still struggling to hold it in place. She used water and her fingers to rake out the knots and twisted
it back up onto her head, pinning it in place.
Her dress was dusty too, and there was a small tear in it from when she fell. Using her hands, she beat most of the dust out of the sweeping skirts and used a leftover pin to pierce the fabric together to hide the hole. Before leaving, she took another look at herself at the mirror. She smiled to herself reassuringly. No matter what else had happened, she was her father’s daughter and would survive at any cost.
Taking particular satisfaction at the stunned faces of Ekani and their escort as she exited the room, she swept past them majestically, leaving them to catch up to her. A few moments later, they reached the end of the hall. “Please wait here while I announce you,” the escort said and departed through the door.
Sulica rolled her eyes, already bored with the whole affair. Ekani tried giving her advice on how to speak to the Emperor, but she ignored him, picking at her nails. He eventually lapsed into silence, much to her relief.
Their escort still hadn’t returned after several minutes, so Sulica began to walk around the enclave, examining the paintings. At some point, they had given way to scenic pictures rather than portraits. One depicted a beautiful blue lizard-like creature with fierce eyes and leathery wings flying in a bright sky, its body winding around and diving through clouds. “Is that-” she asked, trailing off.
“A dragon?” Ekani supplied as he stood beside her. “Yes. There are many who believe what Simtel told you about the Kiarans and the dragons.”
Sulica suddenly recalled the burnt body her companions had found years before during the desert training. The memory of the charred bones made her shiver.
“Are you cold?”
“No,” she said. She considered telling him about the encounter but decided against it. “Do you believe in dragons?” she asked instead.
“I believe they once existed, but they are long gone.” He looked as though he was going to say more, but they were interrupted by the door opening.
“The Emperor will see you now.”
-:- -:- -:-
Sulica could hardly believe her luck, standing in front of the mirror in the room she’d come to call hers. Her golden hair was long and shimmery. She felt stronger than she had in months, and her toned body fit smoothly into the clothes she wore, having filled out and toned up in all the places that had been so sickly-looking before.
In the past several weeks, she had been given as much food as she desired, mostly nutritious, and given the freedom to roam half of the palace, including the gardens, the library, and the training field. Never one for the books, most of her time was dedicated to physical conditioning. Her physical abilities came back to her like a long-lost friend, and she soon found herself bored with the solo routine.
Having grown tired of admiring herself, she set about roaming the halls. That was when she ran into Ekani, who had been away on leave for several weeks since he’d been in Lantheus for over a year and finally returned to the palace. Sulica hardly recognized him at first, his already tan skin even darker than before. He was in civilian attire once more, a button-up blue shirt with the sleeves pushed up and black slacks.
“Looks like you had a good vacation,” she remarked after greeting him.
He gave her a lopsided grin. “I spent some time on the islands with my father.” Then he was all business. “What kind of training have you been doing in my absence?”
She pouted briefly at his short demeanor and gave him a detailed account of her daily workout routine.
Ekani nodded approvingly. “What about your other training?”
Sulica raised her finely shaped eyebrows at him. “Who exactly was supposed to give me that other training while you were gone?”
His face briefly turned red. Wordlessly, he led her to the library. It was a large room with shelves of books lining every single wall and row. Light streamed in through the tall mosaic windows, casting colorful beams all around the room. In the middle was a large mahogany table where several books and scrolls were already laid out as though Ekani had anticipated her answer.
Sulica felt a headache begin to bother her when she looked at the spread. “Why does it have to be books,” she groaned.
“There is much to learn from those who preceded us,” Ekani lectured.
She rolled her eyes and flopped into the armchair on one side of the table. Ekani raised an eyebrow and picked up a book, tossing it in her lap. She glared at him then looked at the cover. “The Origin of the Great War,” she read aloud then yawned. “I already had to learn about this in school.” She put it on the table and picked up another. “Now this one looks interesting.”
Secrets of Spiritual Mystics was in her hands. Then it was Ekani’s turn to roll his eyes. “That one was Simtel’s idea. I figured you might already know enough about mystics.”
“But not all of them, and not how they all work,” she said, browsing its pages.
Ekani looked at her thoughtfully. She felt his stare and looked up into his eyes. “What?” she snapped.
“I was just wondering if your abilities would be better if you were able to understand the mechanics behind them.”
She shrugged, turning back to the book. “Possibly, but I’d have no way to test it. I haven’t even seen another Resarian in so long, I’m not sure I can even still do it at all.” She didn’t like lying to him, but she was even more curious about his reaction.
Ekani looked alarmed. “The Lantheuns should have stopped before stripping your mystic. But I suppose we’ll have to give it a try. Come on.” He hurried back out of the library, leaving Sulica to catch up.
He was silent as he made his way through the halls, thinking quickly. There could be no way his first important mission would turn out like this, it was impossible. He felt so foolish for not checking her abilities before they arrived. But, he argued with himself, there hadn’t been anyone around to check her against.
After they had traveled across the entire length of the palace, Ekani stopped at a heavy oak door guarded by two of the royal guards. They regarded Ekani suspiciously, but a quick conversation granted him access. He was about to enter when he turned to Sulica. “It’s probably best if you wait out here,” he said, avoiding her eyes. Without waiting for an answer, he passed through the door.
Sulica opened her mouth to protest, but Ekani was already gone. She didn’t care for the disdainful way the guards eyed her, so she moved further back down the hall to wait for Ekani. It was then that she realized she had carried the Secrets of Spiritual Mystics with her. Unsure of how long she would be waiting, she sat down against the wall to read.
There are several different types of mystics, ranging from elemental to spiritual in nature. Additionally, there are varying degrees of power within each of the elements.
She skimmed over the rest of the chapter, much of which she had learned during her school days. Skipping ahead, she stopped at a chapter called Light and Dark, two that she hadn’t heard of before.
Much of mystic use is based on balance of power. For every fire spirit there is a water spirit. Similarly, when a set of twins is born, they are uniquely gifted with light and dark mystics. Darkness cannot exist without the light, and the light is not light without darkness to compare it to.
Dark mystics can be manifested in a number of ways, but distortion and stealth are among the most common. They are primarily defensive spirits. In order to retain the balance, light mystics are generally offensive, manifesting in the form of solar-based powers such as blinding and light rays. They often have similar effects as fire.
When light and dark are paired, their strength is often unbeatable. However, they are also opposites in every sense. One is blessed by the spirits, while the other is cursed by the Gray.
Sulica leaned back against the wall, pondering the words. “If this is true,” she said to herself.
“If what is true?” Ekani asked.
She looked up to see him standing nearby and quickly closed the book. Standing, she saw someone behind him. At first, th
e woman seemed to be around her own age. A closer glance revealed shadows and faint age lines on her tired face. She was bound in shackles and kept her gaze on the floor.
“Who is that?” Sulica asked.
“A test.” He gestured for Sulica to follow him and went back down the hall, past the guarded door. Sulica noticed how the woman pressed herself against the wall as they passed the guards, as though trying to get as far from them as possible.
Ekani led them out of a door to a training field slightly smaller than the one Sulica had been using. It was large but still surrounded by palace walls on all sides. There was only one other exit. There were obstacles on one side of the field and a clearing on the other. Ekani paused in the middle of the clearing and faced Sulica.
“When I say go,” he directed, “she’s going to attack you. You will do what you need to do in order to stop her.” He sent Sulica off to one side of the clearing while he took the woman to the other. Sulica couldn’t help but feel like she was back in Sariadne doing combat practice. She saw him say something to the woman. At his words, the woman’s head snapped up. Ekani stood a couple paces back and yelled, “Go!” while simultaneously releasing the woman from her chains.
The woman moved faster than Sulica thought possible. She sped toward her like a lightning bolt. Dimly, Sulica realized she should move. Her body barely got out of the way of the first attack. The other woman flashed by her then stopped on a dime and took off just as quickly. Sulica was too stunned by the woman’s speed to remember to move. The fist that hit her was full of strength that shouldn’t have existed.
Staggering from the blow, Sulica felt the anger in her begin to bubble. When the woman turned for another strike, Sulica sidestepped it and slammed into her with her own fist, but the woman dodged easily, moving with lightning quickness. They danced like that for some time, Sulica always a fraction too slow until finally she screamed in frustration just as the other was coming back for another round. She suddenly slowed as Sulica’s scream pierced the air.
Spirits of Falajen Page 44