Blades of the Old Empire

by Anna Kashina

  Sunlight painted the stones of the fortress into a palette of reds and yellows, reflecting off the surrounding water and enfolding the massive structure in a radiant golden glow. The narrow vertical slits creasing the walls and towers looked like dark watchful eyes. As Kyth sat looking at the Majat Fortress from horseback, he couldn’t escape the feeling that the fortress watched him in return, alert like a powerful nesting beast.

  The road wound down the hill and around the city, across a drawbridge, to a tall double gate in the east wall. The bridge was lowered, but the gate was tightly shut.

  “Let’s go,” Raishan said.

  He took out his Majat armband from his saddlebag. The diamond glistened in its dark metal setting as Raishan clasped the band onto his upper left arm. Kara had already donned hers. Now she unfolded a piece of black cloth and pulled it over her head, covering her face all the way down to the neck.

  “I’m an Anonymous,” she said in response to Kyth’s questioning gaze. “Trained in the Inner Fortress. I can’t show my face anywhere in the outer grounds.”

  Kyth nodded. He heard of the Anonymous training before. Some of the Majat were raised separately from the others, so that they wouldn’t be recognized in case they ever needed to be pitched against each other on assignments outside the Fortress. The Anonymous Diamonds were special, even more feared than the regular ones. And now, her masked face made her so distant, a deadly warrior whose life belonged to her Guild. She looked ominous, an all-black figure with the only bright spot about her the diamond in her armband. When will I see her face again? He turned away.

  The road was wide enough for two horsemen to ride side by side. As they started to descend, Kyth took care to end up next to Kara.

  “What will happen after we get there?” he asked.

  “You will be taken to the guest quarters,” she said, “and eventually to the Guildmaster. You’ll explain your needs to him and present the payment. Then, he’ll send for me and we’ll get on our way.”

  Our way. The thought filled him with warmth. The sooner they got this over with, the sooner they could be on the way again, together. Then he could see her face again.

  “And you? What will you do in the meantime?” Kyth asked.

  She shrugged. “Both Raishan and I will report to the Guildmaster. Then we’ll be given time to check our weapons and refresh our travel gear. Raishan may be able to stay to get some rest, unless he has another assignment waiting.”

  Kyth glanced at Raishan riding in the lead. It all seemed simple enough, a mere formality. Besides, Egey Bashi was with them and he had dealt with the Majat before. Before long, he and Kara should be on the road again. But he couldn’t escape the feeling of danger that hadn’t fully left him since they first encountered Nimos.

  The main gate to the Majat Fortress was a tall wooden structure covered with sheets of metal for reinforcement. There was no grate or window on the gate’s smooth surface, and no other visible way to draw the attention of those inside. As they approached, Kyth was beginning to wonder how they were going to announce their arrival, and whether they would just have to wait outside for someone to notice their presence. But his worry was needless. As soon as Kara’s and Raishan’s horses set foot onto the bridge leading up to the gate, the heavy doors creaked on their hinges and slowly swung open.

  The entrance courtyard was packed with guards. Muscular men, whose graceful movements and plain-metal armbands indicated advanced Majat ranking, stood to attention, forming a corridor for the travelers to ride through. They pressed fists to their chests in a silent salute as they watched Kara and Raishan ride by.

  A man ran up to them from the entrance to the guard tower. Unlike the others, his armband was set with a stone, but not a shiny one. This stone was grass-green and non-transparent. It gave off a suffused surface glint that made the metal around it look brighter by comparison.

  The man pressed his fist against his chest and bowed his head. “Shelah, Aghat.”

  “Shelah, Gahang,” Raishan replied. Kara only nodded. They followed the man through the rapidly parting row of guards that continued to eye the two Diamonds with awe.

  Kyth, Alder, and Egey Bashi stood waiting, while Kara, Raishan, and the man with the green stone exchanged quiet words. Finally, Raishan turned back to them.

  “We’re all going to leave our mounts here in the lower stables and walk on to the inner grounds. Gahang Amir will send word to the Guildmaster of your arrival. I’ll show you to your quarters.”

  Raishan’s restrained look and Egey Bashi’s raised eyebrows told Kyth that they weren’t following the proper procedure, but no one offered objections.

  “What does Gahang stand for?” he asked Raishan when they were out of hearing range.

  “His rank. Jade.”

  Kyth nodded. He wanted to ask more about the Majat gem ranks and where a Jade stood in their Guild’s hierarchy, but the Diamond’s frown warned him off.

  At first glance, the Majat Fortress seemed just like any other city. Tall houses perched against each other, their walls connected to make best use of the space. Smoke rose out of the chimneys, tainting the cool gusts of mountain wind with a bitter tinge of burning. Smells of freshly baked bread, roast meat, and sweet medicinal herbs filled the air, mixing with odors of stale hay and road dust.

  The streets boiled with the normal activity of a busy afternoon. Women hurried by with buckets of water and bags of household goods, men stood in groups talking on the corners, and children ran around like flocks of restless birds. But, despite their ordinary looks, the inhabitants of the Majat Fortress weren’t like any other common townsfolk Kyth had ever seen. Every man, woman, and child had a weapon strapped to their belt or sheathed at their back. Everyone seemed to have a clear ranking relationship to each other, so that if two people collided on a corner there was never any question about which one should go first. As a result, the streets seemed much more orderly than in other cities Kyth had been to.

  There was another thing. As Kara and Raishan went by, all the activity stopped. People watched them in awe. Most gave a silent salute, with a fist across the chest. Others bowed, or even knelt on the roadside. An old woman with shaky hands flung herself on the ground in front of Raishan and tried to kiss his feet, and a girl of about Kyth’s age took her away, throwing wistful glances at Kara’s and Raishan’s diamond armbands. A little boy pointed at Kara’s mask and said something. His mother hastily grabbed him and carried him into the house.

  The Diamonds didn’t look surprised at this kind of welcome. They nodded to acknowledge the attention, but didn’t break their stride. Seeing it, Kyth started to realize what Kara meant when she spoke about her rank that made her so special among the Majat. Here in the fortress she and Raishan were treated like royalty.

  The street they were following ended with another gate. It opened as Kara and Raishan approached, timed so that the Diamonds didn’t have to slow down. Inside, men with non-gem armbands lined the passage, heads bowed, fists pressed to their chests.

  Across the wide courtyard ahead loomed another wall. Raishan stopped and gestured for the rest of them to stop in his wake. He exchanged a brief nod with Kara and she walked on alone. They stood and watched as she entered the low gateway at the end. A door swung open to let her through, as if whoever was on the other side had been waiting for her approach. She never looked back.

  Kyth swallowed, fighting a sinking feeling in his chest. He couldn’t escape the nagging sensation that something was about to go terribly wrong. Suddenly, seeing Kara’s face seemed to be the most important thing in the world. But he would never be able to do it without following her through the tightly shut door. It was up to the Majat Guild now to decide if he was ever going to see her again.

  Alder’s voice woke him from his trance. “I think we have to follow Raishan.”

  Kyth turned. Raishan and Egey Bashi were heading in the direction of a low stone building adjacent to the wall. He and Alder hurried to catch up.

 
; “What was behind that other wall?” Kyth asked Raishan as he fell into stride.

  “That’s the Inner Fortress, where the Anonymous are trained.”

  Kyth nodded. Everything was going to be fine. No Majat Guildmaster had ever refused to dispatch a named Diamond for an assignment. Not when the King did the bidding. Not if he was willing to pay the price.

  He was going to see Kara again soon.

  The guest quarters greeted them with a breath of old stone chill. Inside, a long hallway ran off to the left and a narrow stairway led up to the second floor. An open door on the right let in the clanking of plates and the rank smells of dirty wash water and food cooked in large quantities from very cheap ingredients. Kyth twitched his nose as they went by.

  They followed Raishan up the stairs to another long hallway that ran on both sides of the landing, lined with closed doors. Raishan pushed open the nearest one and led them inside.

  The room had a low ceiling and at least a dozen beds occupying most of the free space. There was a washbasin in the corner and a weapon stand by the far wall. A small window covered by a thick, cloudy pane let through very little of the afternoon light. Everything was spotless, but Kyth couldn’t escape the feeling that this room had been empty for a very long time.

  Egey Bashi threw his travel pack onto the nearest bed.

  “When I was here last,” he said, “I was offered better accommodation.”

  “I have very little experience with our guest quarters,” Raishan said, “but I must admit, this is not what I imagined when Gahang Amir relayed the Guildmaster’s instructions on where to take you.”

  “So, he knew we were coming, did he?”

  Raishan shrugged. “As you saw for yourself, no one can approach the Majat Fortress in secret. In addition to the guard towers, the road can be clearly seen from the Guildmaster’s study. He had an hour between the time he saw us descend into the valley and the time we reached the gate.”

  The Keeper shook his head. “Master Oden Lan and I have done a lot of business over the years. I expected the sight of my face to bring a better welcome. Or is it the fact that this time I’m escorting the royal heir?”

  “I can only hope he didn’t recognize Prince Kythar,” Raishan said. “Still, it doesn’t seem right. But I’m sure Master Oden Lan will see you right away to offer his explanations.”

  “Let’s hope, Aghat.”

  Raishan had another look around the room.

  “I don’t know about you all,” he said. “But I’m starving. Why don’t we go downstairs and grab a bite?”

  “Are you sure you want to eat here with us, Aghat?” Egey Bashi asked. “I couldn’t help but notice that the gourmet chef in this dining hall seems to be on leave. If you show up, the cooks would have a fit. Apart from the quality of the food, they’d probably have a hard time finding a throne to put you on, or a golden plate to serve your meal on.”

  “I’m sure they’ll come up with something,” Raishan said.

  Egey Bashi was half right. When they entered the large chamber filled with the clanking of dishes and the smells of cheap stew, there was a feeling of indrawn breath that momentarily froze all activity. A large man in an apron and a tall chef’s hat approached them from the depth of the room, maneuvering between the long tables.

  “Shelah, Aghat,” he said weakly, fumbling with his hands to produce a Majat salute and settling for a very deep bow instead.

  “Shelah.” Raishan looked past the man at the scarce inhabitants of the hall.

  “Such an unexpected honor, Aghat,” the man went on in a trembling voice. “Please, come in. The stew is not our best today, but surely you’re not here to eat–”

  Raishan met the man’s eyes. “My friends and I’d like to have some food, thanks. Unless, of course, it’s a problem.”

  Color drained from the man’s face. He grabbed a corner of his apron as if searching for support.

  “Of course, Aghat,” he bleated. “Of course. Please, take a seat wherever you like.”

  Raishan dismissed him with a wave of a hand and walked between the tables in his smooth, springy steps. Kyth followed, Alder and Egey Bashi in his wake.

  There was only one other group in the dining hall. About a dozen men wearing road cloaks over leather armor sat at the far end of a long table. As Kyth and his friends walked past, the men stopped eating and watched them in a tense silence. They looked like mercenaries. It was strange to see them here in the guest quarters of the Majat Fortress, where people normally came to hire mercenary services rather than to offer theirs.

  Raishan settled in the corner with his back to the wall, a position that gave him the best view of the entire room. Kyth took a place by his side, keeping the group of men in sight. Something about them bothered him.

  They barely had time to settle when the cook rushed out of the back door with a tray holding four steaming bowls, a jug of brew, and four mugs. He set the table, then took out a warm loaf of bread from the bundle tucked under his arm and placed it on the table between the mugs. Smells of yeast and hops filled the air, mixed with a heady aroma of spiced meat, much more appetizing than anything they sensed when they entered the hall.

  “It pays off to come here with you, Aghat,” Egey Bashi observed.

  Raishan shrugged.

  The stew had more potatoes than meat, but showed a clear effort to whip up a decent meal in a very short time. The brew was sour, but flavorful. It was also unexpectedly strong. Kyth took a big gulp and felt his head swim.

  “They really do treat you like royalty here,” he said to Raishan.

  “It’s more practical than that,” the Majat said. “A Diamond’s assignment can support the entire fortress for half a year. These people have food and shelter because we earn the money to keep this all going. So, the respect we get is proportional to the worth that we are to the Guild. You can call it royalty if you like, or plain wealth.”

  “A diamond,” Egey Bashi intoned, “is the costliest of gems.”

  Raishan nodded. He glanced over to the other table and Kyth suddenly realized that the Majat’s thoughts were no longer on the conversation. His eyes followed the other men who had just finished their meal and were rising to leave.

  “What is it?” Kyth asked quietly.

  Raishan shook his head. “Probably nothing. It’s just… there’s something familiar about these men. I keep having this feeling I’ve seen them before.”

  Egey Bashi turned and watched as the last few of the group disappeared through the open doorway.

  “Do you think they could handle orbens, Aghat?” he asked.

  Raishan shrugged. “I wouldn’t be surprised, Magister. Not surprised at all.”

  16

  GUESSING GAME

  Ellah sat on the windowsill in the Keeper’s quarters, looking down into the lower castle courtyard. It was empty. From her place she could see the white stone basin over by the far wall. She thought it looked like the water in the basin was pink with blood, but she knew this couldn’t be true.

  The rest of their party had gathered in the King’s quarters to discuss the situation, but she couldn’t bring herself to get up and go. She was too exhausted. Her fight with Kaddim Tolos had taken away all her strength. Or was it the way she felt Mai’s pain, as if it was her own?

  She suddenly became aware of someone standing by her side. Startled, she turned and came face to face with Mai.

  He had changed into a clean outfit. His hair was damp, but bore no trace of blood. He looked just like always, elegant and composed, dashing in black. There was no way to tell he had recently fought twelve men and had miraculously recovered from a very serious wound.

  “How long have you been standing there?” she asked weakly.

  Mai didn’t respond. He approached and lowered himself onto the other end of the windowsill across from Ellah.

  “I wanted to thank you,” he said, “for your help today.”

  She stared. It was nice to hear him say it, but in truth t
here was no way in the world she could possibly do anything to help him in any way.

  “I don’t think I made a difference,” she said earnestly. “You didn’t need my help with the wound. All I did was cause you more pain.”

  He smiled. “You did more than that. But I was actually talking about the fight. Given the odds, what you did was damn brave.”

  She continued to stare. Did he just call her brave? Did he just thank her for helping him in a fight?

  “And reckless,” he went on. “What were you thinking, attacking a man so much more powerful than yourself?”

  Ellah looked at him, so amazed that she even forgot to blush. “I wasn’t thinking,” she admitted. “I just… did it. So…” She took a breath, keeping her eyes steady on his face. “I guess it means there’s no need for you to thank me.”

  He smiled and leaned back against the windowframe. “I guess it means we’re even.”

  She nodded.

  He continued sitting there looking at her, but she felt too weak to be flustered by it. It was so much better to try to relax and pretend that nothing in this conversation was out of the ordinary. He was her travel companion, and lately they spent a lot of time with each other. They could just act like friends, couldn’t they?

  She made an attempt at it.

  “This man’s power,” she said. “What did it feel like?”

  Mai appeared to consider it.

  “It was strange, nothing I’ve ever felt before. It seemed that I was still able to move but unable to… to focus, I guess. There was a mist in my head, and every movement I wanted to make came too late.”

  She kept her eyes on his face. “It was so scary when they hit you,” she said, her voice sinking to a half-whisper.

  His fingers traced the smooth skin of his cheek in an absentminded gesture. For a brief moment he looked vulnerable, like a child. Ellah had a sudden urge to hold him and stroke his hair, to touch his face and feel for herself that the ugly, deforming scar wasn’t there, that all this had been no more than a horrible dream. She couldn’t forget the way his face had looked, torn flesh caked with oozing blood. She would never forget the pain that echoed in her own body through their touch. So much pain. And such incredible control. What kind of training could form this ability to remain so still under such excruciating pain?