An Emperor's Fury: Most Favored

by Paul Heisel

  "The doors in the manor were wedged shut. We had to break them down. By the time we got through the doors it was too late. We rushed in and found you."

  "You have to believe me," Feln said. "Why would I do this?"

  "I believe you," Heng said. He looked toward the door. "The guards outside don't. When I open the door to the outside, say to me, 'see to it'. You have to trust me." Heng stood rigidly and bowed to Feln. He went to the door and opened it, turning toward Feln.

  "Yes, Most Favored, it will be done."

  "See to it!"

  Heng went to the gaggle of guards. "The Most Favored of Safun requests hot water, fresh clothing, a fire, and means to clean the blood from himself. Now!"

  Two guards departed, two others stayed outside. Heng closed the door, leaving them alone. Feln surveyed the room and went to the balcony. The evening air was cooler, smelling of autumn and for a moment it reminded him of home. Waskhal. What he would give to be there now. The tower was tall, his prison, and he wondered if he would get out of this mess. They had to find the Fury! In front of him was the palace, ablaze with light. Soldiers were running everywhere, looking like hurried ants on the landscape. They must be searching for the Fury, and once they caught him, the truth would prevail. His word would be better than an assassin's.

  "Thank you Heng," Feln said.

  Heng came to his side. "I will see that Iristi is guarded and that she's safe. Is that what you wish?"

  "Yes. I forgot about her. Thank you. She'll be at the feast. Keep her away from this if you can."

  "Now listen to me. There are guards outside and on every level below, all instructed to kill you if you try to escape. So don't try anything foolish. The Captain will catch the intruder who murdered Chang. Everything will get sorted out. I will protect you with my life."

  "If only I had been there sooner, I could have prevented Chang's death." Feln pounded on the railing.

  "Or you would have been killed as well. If you were there earlier, you may have fallen into the trap too."

  "What's going to happen if they don't find the assassin?"

  "Let's not think about that," Heng said. "Servants will be here with water so you may wash the blood off. They will also bring clothes and wash yours, and I'll arrange for them to bring food."

  "Heng, let me know if they catch the Fury. I want to question him as well, or at least be present when they question him."

  "If it was a Fury assassin from another family, they'll find him. It's hard to hide tattoos."

  Heng bowed and departed, closing the door behind.

  Feln discarded his robe. Blood covered it. His fighting clothes weren't any better. He removed the Most Favored belt and set it on the table, and it left him feeling exposed. Unprotected. He had the urge to grab it and put it back on. Feln resisted the temptation, stepping away from the belt and moving to the balcony. He leaned against a railing and gazed at the soldiers below. They were still searching. He watched them until his vision blurred.

  They brought a wooden bathtub and hot water, bucket after bucket, so Feln could wash. Servants attended to his clothes while he stripped the blood from his body, and more servants came with wood and built a small fire. The room became crowded and he was treated well, at least he had that going for him. An hour later he was dressed in another robe and watching the fire as it dried his clothing. Not long after everything was ready and he put his things back on and made his way to a chair, where he sat down and tried to keep from being so anxious. He sampled the food, but found it difficult to eat. He was worried for Iristi, worried for the both of them because Heng hadn't come back. It had been hours, which meant they hadn't found the Fury.

  Feln rubbed his face, pacing around the room like a caged cat. One consolation was that Heng was on his side, as he would need all of the help he could get to manage the situation. Feln recounted the events, going over in his mind what had happened. He could still see Chang dead on the bed, his life slipping away. He could still see the Fury, so calm, so confident that he had taken the time to pick up his hat.

  You're early.

  It was all wrong. Feln felt ill. The timing of it all was unsettling. If he was early, then they meant for Feln to find a dead Chang. The assassins and Fury would have killed him, and presumably put the blame on him.

  The door opened. An exhausted Heng came in and he shut the door. Heng doubled over, waved to Feln, and fell to his knees. He looked to be in pain.

  "Let me help you," Feln said. "What happened?"

  Heng nodded but couldn't get any words out. He was breathing too hard.

  "Calm down," Feln said. "Take it slow. Easy. Long, deep breaths."

  As if a spell had been lifted, Heng found his voice. "Hiru has taken Iristi captive."

  "What?"

  "Hiru has claimed the belt of the Most Favored for himself now that Chang is dead! They're gathering soldiers to drag you to the gallows. They're going to behead you for killing Chang. They'll notify the guards in this tower in a moment!"

  "I didn't murder him! It was a Fury inside this palace! Chang recognized him as a Fury! It had to be one from the palace!"

  Heng shook his head. "Furies are bound by their magic to be loyal, it is impossible for one of the Ku family's Furies to turn on Chang. The magic that binds them won't allow it. I was told they didn't find a Fury in the palace or on the grounds that can't be accounted for."

  "It was a Fury! He threw me around like I was nothing with his magic!"

  "It doesn't matter. They're out for your blood. You must leave this tower, now. I'll help you escape. I'll create a diversion, lead the guards away or kill them, and you can leave this tower."

  "What route do I need to take to get out of the tower?"

  "At the bottom of the tower there's the door that we came in. If you follow the passageways and always take left turns at any junction, you will eventually end up in the deepest parts of the palace. Once there, you can make your way out and flee into the city. If you can get into the city, you can escape. You may be able to do it in the confusion. Or if you can find your way back to where Chang died, you can escape that way." Heng ran to the balcony with Feln in tow. "Over there, see that manor house that's dark and surrounded by hedges? The others around it are well lit. Do you see it?"

  "Yes, I see it. I know where it is."

  "That's where Chang was killed. If you can find your way back there, you can slip into the city through the neighborhoods and climb one of the outer gates. It would be easier than going through the palace. Yes, that would be easier."

  "Thanks Heng. You stay here."

  "No, I'll help you. They'll be coming in massive numbers. I'll lead them away or fight them."

  Heng handed him the Dragonfly blade.

  "I can escape by stealth. I can slip past the guards unnoticed."

  "I'll help with a distraction."

  "Just open the door and tell the guards I'm gone," Feln said.

  "How is that going to help?"

  "They'll come and see that I'm not here," Feln said, "then you'll need to get them to head down the tower to look for me. Then I want you to stay out of this no matter what happens. No sense in getting yourself killed. Go. Do as I say!"

  The soldier didn't question the orders and he went to the door and opened it. "The prisoner is gone!"

  Feln brought forth his chi and stepped near the door, invisible to the world. There was tension in the air no less disturbing than the anxiety building inside him. This had gone from bad to worse. He felt like a fool. They were blaming him for Chang's death and going to execute him, so the real killer couldn't be found and punished. It all stank of conspiracy. Ushisu was involved, as was Hiru if he had claimed the Most Favored belt so quickly. And Chang being ill the last two months was probably their first attempt at killing him, and since it had failed they decided a more direct approach was needed. They were going to eliminate him next, and he didn't even want to think about Iristi's fate. What would befall her?

  The two guard
s stationed outside the door came in and searched the room, inspected the balcony as well and the roof, but did not find Feln. They looked confused, as getting past them should have been impossible.

  "You should head down the stairs and inform the others that the prisoner is missing. Perhaps they have caught him." Heng sat on the stairs and relaxed for a moment.

  Down the steps Feln went, lightly treading so he wouldn't make much noise. He could hear a clamor of feet and the clang of weapons coming toward him. He went faster, hoping to get to one of the other levels in the tower before the soldiers did, but the two descending guards blocked his advance. There wasn't enough room and they were moving too slowly.

  Feln came to a halt. The two guards met the ascending group and explained the prisoner was missing. Despite that, they continued up - they had seen no one and they would find the prisoner or where he was hiding. Did they check the backside of the roof? They were winded and climbing at a moderate place to conserve energy. The men in the forefront held stout swords, those behind had an array of weapons, rope, and a black bag presumably to go over his head. Feln hesitated, trying to figure a way out of the tower. The soldiers would be tired from the ascent, that was in his favor, but there were too many to fight even in close quarters. He had to go back to the room and hide as long as he could, then devise another shaky plan.

  Up the steps he went now, racing ahead of the soldiers. He tried not to make noise. At least he was staying ahead of them. Feln went past Heng, who was sitting on the stairs, stepped through the open door and closed it.

  "Heng, stay there," Feln said through the door. "Don't move. Stay where you are. And don't get involved."

  The door was designed so it opened to the inside of the chamber. Feln took small throwing knives that had been hidden in his clothing and jammed them along the seams of the door. It wouldn't hold for long. He pushed the table next to the door, knowing it wouldn't offer much resistance, but it was better than nothing. Once again he brought forth his chi and disappeared. Not much of his magic was left, though, and he couldn't sustain it.

  Feln ran to the balcony. There was enough hand holds that he would be able to get to the roof, and if he stayed flat, they wouldn't see him. If they inspected the roof as they had done before, he would use his magic to become invisible. That was his only chance. He'd have to remain on the roof for a long time, then find a way to get out of the tower or down without killing himself.

  Outside and below he saw a bright flame streak across the sky, originating from a location it shouldn't. Audible alarms came from below, hollers at the top of lungs calling for arms. A large shape drifted up from the ground toward the tower. Rushing to the tower on the ground were hundreds of soldiers. The air was suddenly thick with arrows. The dark flying shape banked, shot up, and came face to face with Feln.

  It was a dragon.

  This close he could smell the fetid breath. The dragon hovered there, beating its wings far too slowly to keep it aloft. Magic was at work, he knew it. The dragon looked right through him, eyes staring. Arrows flew up. A few found the wings, but most bounced harmlessly away from the tough armored hide. The dragon seemed content to hover and stare. It snorted as if confused. Feln didn't know what to do. Then he realized he was still invisible. In the back of his mind, the appearance of the dragon now made sense. Ever since he had come into possession of the belt of the Most Favored, a dragon had appeared. Was the dragon looking for him? Or looking for the belt?

  Dropping his chi, Feln appeared in front of the dragon. It was fearsome looking this close, and he could feel the magic emanating from it. It had red scales and sharp spiral horns long enough to skewer an elk. Countless rows of jagged teeth lined the insides of its mouth. It moved up and slightly forward, the dark red belly of the beast rolling by him. Scales, smelling of dirt, brushed by Feln. Its claws came up, eagle like talons that could easily grab a cow, nearly nicked him.

  Feln was back in the room, safe from the dragon for now. Had it tried to grab him? The door reverberated as the soldiers arrived and started pounding on it. There was a call for axes. The pounding resumed and the wood splintered. Feln stood up, Dragonfly at the ready. He glanced at the balcony and the door. What was he to do? Fight the guards or fight the dragon?

  The roof creaked and groaned. Years of dust and webs came falling down, filling the air. Bugs and spiders scattered. Feln looked up, batting away the descending detritus. The dragon had landed, and it would only be a matter of time before the roof collapsed under its great weight. Claws as long as short swords came through the roof, tearing shingles and supports away like it was paper. Across the room the door splintered. An axe head was clearly visible. The soldiers were almost inside.

  Above him, half of the roof peeled away. Dragon claws discarded the roof as if it weighed nothing. There was a hideous scraping noise as the dragon took hold of the tower walls. Some of the upper stone blocks fell away. The reptilian head came through the hole in the roof. Its eyes were dark, large pools of black set amongst a minimal amount of yellow. The tough bony skull was close enough for Feln to touch. The head and neck went to the floor. Feln could see a tarnished metal collar around the dragon's neck. It looked like silver. The dragon's maw turned to Feln. "Climb on my neck you fool!"

  The force of the voice reverberated. Feln's ears rang.

  The door burst open, the soldiers pushing through and knocking the table aside. When they saw the dragon, they stopped. Then they fled. Feln sheathed Dragonfly and jumped on the dragon's neck. The scales were hard and sharp, jabbing his thighs.

  "Hold tight!"

  Feln lurched forward, banging his chin on the beast, and gripped as tightly as he could to a tarnished metal collar, the scales pressing into his body. They rushed up, the wind tearing at him. It was disorienting as the dragon took to flight, dropped a hundred feet, and unfurled its wings. They caught air, soared up, and flew into the sky. Feln was keenly aware of arrows zipping around them. A sick feeling came to his stomach. A few arrows stuck in its wings, but the dragon didn't seem to notice. The palace passed below and it was a reprieve from the arrows. Feln wasn't sure if the dragon could hear him, so he yelled at the top of his lungs through the whipping wind. "We have to go back!"

  The dragon continued to fly forward. It turned its head.

  "Why?"

  "There's a woman in the palace, we must save her! We have to go back!"

  The dragon banked over the palace's protective walls and reversed course at an incredible speed. The dragon jerked to the left and banked again, pulled up, and beat its wings furiously so they were moving backwards. A stream of fire shot by them, lighting up the sky. The fire exploded and showered them with orange and yellow sparks, the full brunt of the blast missing them. They accelerated forward, spun to the left, and glided toward the palace on a different approach. A streak of blue came from the ground, found the dragon's wings, and sent them spinning out of control. Feln desperately held on, his grip slipping. They descended at a dangerous speed and he knew they were going to crash. The dragon recovered, shot up, and beat its wings with great ferocity so they were moving backwards again. Feln looked below as the dragon hovered. The ground was but a few yards away, and gathered in a line were what looked to be Furies ready to attack.

  Feln felt pressure underneath his legs. The dragon's neck swelled as if something was coming from inside the dragon and trying to get out. Fire spewed forth from the dragon's mouth, shooting liquid flames at the Furies. They dove in all directions. Only one remained undaunted though, throwing up his hands in defense. An invisible wall of force directed the fire harmlessly away from him.

  Feln locked eyes with the Fury.

  It was the Fury who had helped to assassinate Chang, arms extended, tiger tattoo showing.

  You're early.

  The Furies found their feet and recovered, and Feln knew there were too many of them even for this great beast. Though he didn't want to abandon Iristi, he had no other choice. They had to get out of here. "Flee!" F
eln screamed, fearful the dragon couldn't hear him. "Flee!"

  The dragon accelerated forward and lifted higher into the air, racing over hundreds of soldiers assembled on the palace grounds. Spears came at them, as did hails of arrows. Few met their mark, the majority went by harmlessly or bounced off the dragon's tough, scaly, armored hide. They climbed high into the sky, banked, and flew with great speed in the cooler air.

  Grip tightly.

  That was Feln's primary thought as they went higher and higher. Wind tore at him, drying his eyes. They began to water in response, so he closed them and held on tighter. The motion of the dragon was rhythmic now, interspersed with long periods of soaring. Time passed, and Feln was certain they were miles from Hiru. The thought of Iristi being a prisoner made him ill. He felt responsible for her, and had he not gone to Chang, he would still be with her. Chang's murder would have been a mystery and not blamed on him. Now she was stuck there, a prisoner, a known associate of the Most Favored accused of killing Chang. Anger replaced the hollow pit in his stomach. How could they get away with this? No one would see justice done and the real murderer would get away. Now he would be implicated in Chang's assassination, and he didn't know what that meant. They would hunt him, wouldn't they? What was going to happen now? Whatever it was, though, it was better than being back in that tower awaiting swift execution.

  He opened his eyes and gazed out across the darkness. The sky was clear. Stars shined and Pyndira's twin moons cast a supernatural red glow across the landscape. Below them the surface was dark and empty, for all Feln knew it was an ocean or lake. The dragon steadily descended into the darkness, turning left and spiraling on a gentle path to the earth. The wings caught the air with jolt, slowing them down. The dragon pulled up by flapping its wings hard and they landed on the ground. They were in an open, undulating parcel of land with grass, shrubs, and weeds. Solitary pine trees were here and there. Feln had no idea where they were. At least they were safe.