by Paul Heisel
“I already have a security chief,” he said. “My son has seen to this task the past few years.” The Emperor rang a bell. Servants came bolting through a smaller door near the front and to the side.
“I’m sure your son has done an adequate job. You need to have a solid leader who is familiar with security running your palace. Does he run the palace?”
The servants came and took the Emperor’s order. Tea and fruit.
“He’s the Warlord of Pyndira, so no, he doesn’t run the palace. My Chamberlain, Yan, who you’ve met, is the one who runs the palace. My son, as well as the senior captains, advises him on security. Thus far it has worked well. I don’t know of any security issues.”
“What if I told you it could be better? What if I told you I can make your palace guards into the swiftest, deadliest, most feared warriors to ever set foot on these grounds?”
“That’s a bold statement,” the Emperor said, his voice cool. “I’m sure the Most Favored of Safun would argue with you about who has the most fearsome warriors.”
Her heart jumped into her throat. Feln!
“You think it can be done?” he asked.
“Only if I’m in charge. Your palace would be so secure no one would dare try anything. I promise you.”
“You’ve only been here a short time and you want to be in charge?” The Emperor laughed. “I like your spirit. The answer is no. Prove to me that you deserve to be in charge, then we’ll discuss it. Yan will not like it. My son may not like it either. You will have the second and third most powerful men in Pyndira to impress.”
She gave him a wicked smile. “I like a challenge. Tell me, though, do you want a couple of mice running this palace or do you want two dragons?”
The Emperor sat motionless content not to answer a loaded question.
#
Over the next week Owori threw herself into her new position to prove her worth to the Emperor, elated by the amount of energy that she found from willingly accepting her responsibilities to the Nutahi family. She knew the palace grounds well and had organized it into sectors based on what the areas were called. The grounds were expansive, including dragon caves, a crypt for the previous Warlords of Pyndira, barracks that could hold six thousand troops, stables for five hundred horses, warehouses, servant quarters, and a lovely walking forest. She found out that the area she thought was destroyed buildings were permanent foundations for structures that were only put up when it was time to find a new Warlord of Pyndira. She pretended she understood what that was, but didn’t know what it meant. Her daily routine began when dawn broke, first was training with the guards then having breakfast with them. After bathing, she checked in with the Emperor, then met with Yuki and Yan to go over the day’s schedule. She began making suggestions and tossing out ideas, half were rejected and the other half partially considered, and it appeared both Yan and Yuki wanted to run and protect the palace, but neither of them had the time to do it effectively. After another two days of resounding negativity from Yan, Owori decided to make her point. She told them she was going into the city for day, so she went beyond the palace gates with the Emperor’s permission. She changed clothes, put on a disguise, went back through the gates, and walked toward the palace to prove to them that palace security could be better. Though she didn’t make it to the Emperor, she made it far enough without blinking to force them listen to her.
Yan continued to protest, but Yuki’s open mind and changed heart silenced the Chamberlain quickly. Another two days later and Yan was relegated to the less cumbersome workings of the palace, duties more suited for his temperament and knowledge. She and Yuki bolstered the defenses of the palace as a short-term fix and went about reorganizing the guards, their equipment, their routines, and responsibilities. It was going to take time to do this right. All but forgotten was the demonstration of her magic, which she finally was asked to do. The other Furies, the Emperor, the Warlord of Pyndira, the Chamberlain, and the higher-ranking military gathered in an arena to witness her talents. Soldiers fought with her, shot arrows at her, attacked, and took her on hand-to-hand. No one could lay a hand or weapon on her, no matter how hard they tried. For each move, she had a physical or magical countermove.
The next days she spent with Yuki making final changes to the overall security of the palace. The guards were more mobile, now quick responders to any perceived threat. The armored guards with long spears were phased out in favor of roaming patrols that were agile and quick. It took time for the three shifts of guards, hundreds of them, to understand their new roles and how to work within the establish security framework and protocols. A third of them had to be replaced with new recruits, as they weren’t suited for this type of security or they couldn’t handle the complexities of the schedules Owori devised. Only critical areas maintained static guards all day and all night. The other areas were protected by constantly moving, watching, and protecting guards. Instead of standing around waiting for the danger to come to them, they were out roaming the palace uncovering the danger. In the first week of the new procedures, they had uncovered hiding places, indolent workers not doing their jobs, and ferreted out a small ring of insiders stealing from the palace. This was all to the Emperor’s delight.
In addition to these changes, she had new uniforms made for the palace guards. Everyone was given standard fighting clothes that they were familiar with from training, then provided with blood red robes. They were made of a light durable fabric that a seamstress suggested they try. It didn’t disappoint. This replaced the dark leather armor that was better for open warfare. The dragon emblem of the Emperor was sewn into the left shoulder, and each were given standard weapons to carry – a sword of their choosing, long knives, short stout knives, and a stubby heavy club for subduing. The red robes stood out amongst the black uniforms of the palace, and it distinguished the guards in a manner that it was easy to identify who was who. Owori wanted visitors and palace staff to know there were guards everywhere, moving in unpredictable patterns, and watching everything that was going on. The resiliency of the palace defenses was tested again and again until there was no doubt in her mind that the palace was secure.
#
Owori was inside her room getting ready for the rest of the day. Training this morning with her Dragonguards had gone well. She was teaching them what she could, but also learning more in return. These soldiers she commanded were well-versed in weapons and taught her to use her two blades with deadly efficiency. It was breakfast and bath as usual, and she was taking time to meditate and fill herself with magic. It flowed within her now, darting into the far reaches of her body and soul. The techniques Pearl taught her were invigorating, almost addicting. It amazed her how much chi she could create in such a short amount of time. She stood from her meditation and wandered to the mirror. It showed her an image of a woman she was getting to know. The tattoos were familiar marks on her body, the little touches of detail Paq had added increased the complexity of the dragons. She understood that the tattoos gave her additional strength, magic to tap when her internal reserves were low. She had yet to figure out how much energy she could expend and have enough left to maintain her shield for desperate emergency protection. Based on her activities of late, she would never find out, and unless she sought out danger, there would be no available test to push her limits.
The other Furies in the palace were cordial to her and asked the normal questions, to which she answered with rehearsed responses so no one would know too much about her or where she was from. She didn’t speak of her talents nor did she offer any demonstrations, and lastly, she didn’t reveal to anyone that she knew Feln, the Most Favored of Safun. She was irritated by the comments she heard about Feln and his family, and it was difficult to sort the fact from the rumor. It was clear to her none of the other families liked Feln or what he represented – a form of law enforcement that she didn’t quite understand. One family still held him responsible for the death of their Most Favored, even though the true killer had
been found and justice served.
From her dressing stand she took the tight fitting black outfit, holding up the small thing in front of her so she could gaze at it. She was amazed how much the fabric could stretch and how form fitting it was around her body. One advantage to being in the employ of the Emperor was not only getting what she needed, but what she wanted. Tailors made this suit for her and delivered it this morning. It was a costly amount that she convinced the Emperor to spend, that she was owed at least this amount for her services. She slipped into it, stretching it over her legs and hips, then her upper body. There were soft clasps from belly button to neck, and she did these up so none of her tattoos were showing. Over it she put on one of the red robes of the Dragonguards, a special one for her with a deep cowl so she could conceal her face if needed. She was the only one allowed a hood, so if anyone saw the cowl, they knew it was her. Around her waist went a belt containing the two sharp blades, the Dragonblades, and they were nestled into custom made sheaths that didn’t hinder her at all. Later that morning she took her usual unpredictable rounds, impressed with how well the guards had adapted to the complex rotations. She took a noonday meal and returned to her room for a short nap, then attended a meeting called by the Chamberlain that she didn’t need to be present for. Yan made her attend these meetings because he enjoyed showing her that he still had power and influence inside the palace. She knew the truth though; she was in charge now. Yan was just too slow to realize it.
She returned to her quarters and found the door partially open. Though she had no fear of what was inside her room, she remained alert as this hadn’t happened before. No one except the maids would disturb her room, and the maids knew enough leave the door wide open with a red placard indicating their presence. She pushed the door open, but didn’t enter, instead she remained near the threshold. Everything seemed to be in order except for the Warlord of Pyndira sitting in a chair in the middle of the room.
She bowed. “This is an unexpected visit.”
“As will be most of my visits now that things around her are operating well,” Yuki said. “The palace has no need of me. I’m thankful for the time you have freed up.” He stood and bowed. “Thank you. You have been a wonderful addition to the family.”
She understood the compliments were sincere, but that didn’t explain why he was in the middle of her room waiting for her. This had to be something personal. “What’s going on?”
“I have bad news. My father’s friend and former Fury, Isas, passed away in his sleep.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. He was a good man. I learned a lot from him.”
“There will be a private funeral and he’ll be cremated. Isas wanted his ashes to be placed at my father’s hunting lodge. We’ll respect his wishes and do that for him. It’s unfortunate he didn’t live a few more days and he could have seen the lodge one more time.”
“Why do you say that?”
“We never announce this, not to anyone except those who are closest to us. Tomorrow my father and I will be traveling to our cottage in the country – the hunting lodge I mentioned,” he said. “It is a couple of days ride out of city if you take it slow. There won’t be many in the group, but you’ll have to come with us for protection along with Qia and Qio. We will take Isas’s ashes with us.”
“What’s the purpose of the trip?”
“After my mother died we had her ashes buried alongside our ancestors. My father and I visit her grave once or twice a year. The cemetery is at our family cottage, or our hunting lodge – which you call it depends on your perspective. We go to our family cottage to celebrate her life and remember her. We pay tribute to the emperors who have gone before, as they are buried there as well.”
“Who else knows about this?”
“The trip?”
“And your tradition? And the location?”
“Few,” he said. “I know what you’re thinking. We take all the precautions and we’ve never had any incidents. We’ve already established misinformation to mask our movements and whereabouts.”
“Can you go another time? One day is hardly enough for me to prepare.”
“And hardly enough time for potential assassins to prepare. You worry too much.”
“It’s my job, my life, to worry. What precautions have been taken?” she asked.
“We have a garrison stationed at the access point to the land. It’s a well-established base with our best warriors. The entire area is consumed by thick black forests; basically unapproachable except from where the garrison’s fortifications are. An army would have to invade there to harm us.”
“It’s not an army I’m worried about. It’s a single assassin with a blade sharp enough to pierce the Emperor’s heart. Any threat you must assume the enemy is willing to trade a life for a life.”
“Understand.”
“Have you heard from the garrison?” she asked.
“Two days ago. All is well. They know we will be arriving.”
She frowned and she could see by Yuki’s reaction that he wasn’t happy with the questions. What bothered her was the non-redundancy built into how the palace did their communications. Had she known about this, she would have required the garrison commander to insert a key word or phrase in the communiqué so they would know it’s genuine. Most likely is was a scroll with chicken scratches saying ‘all is well’ from a den of assassins lying in wait.
“Let me send Dragonguards ahead to do an independent assessment,” Owori said. “If they encounter any problems at all, they’ll let us know before we leave. How are we traveling there?”
“By cart and horse.”
“I’ll help organize that. Does anyone other than the closest people to your father know of the location of this cottage?”
“Few. It’s off the main roads and not on any map. It was built as a retreat for the Emperor’s family long ago, nestled into a forested valley – like I said, it is difficult to get to from any direction, and to get to it from the road, an entire army would have to fight past the garrison, find their way to the cottage, then survive our Furies. Only an army could do that. Further, a person bringing an army covertly into Daiwer-dar would be unthinkable.”
“As I said before, one clever assassin could do the job,” she said, her voice cool. “I nearly got to your father when I first arrived.”
“There’s no way to get past the garrison. Anyone not supposed to be there would be taken or killed immediately. Trust me. It is secure.”
“I’ll send Dragonguards ahead. If they return with bad news or if this garrison isn’t up to the challenge, we aren’t going until they’re prepared. If you want me to keep your father safe, you’ll have to listen to me. Have I been wrong yet?”
“No, you’ve been flawless in your implementation of everything.”
“Good, then let me handle this.”
“I’m not sure my father would agree with that, but I’ll make him understand. I’ll make him listen.”
#
With the best of her Dragonguards headed to the Emperor’s retreat, Owori spent the remainder of the day seeing to it that whatever went with them was necessary. She didn’t want to be fleeing potential enemies with anchors attached. Some of her suggestions the Emperor heeded, most he deemed unnecessary. Her arguments only made her red in the face from talking, so she conceded on minor points, insisted on others, and left it as best she could. When she couldn’t take any more, she went back to her quarters to look over today’s reports. Afterwards she turned in early, figuring the next few days away from the palace would be more tiring than her normal days of dawn to dusk activity. Though it was a task seemingly mundane and boring as visiting a cottage could be, she didn’t want her first trip outside of the palace with the Emperor to be his last or even remotely eventful.
#
Four Dragonguards took the concealed trail from the main road, careful to travel into the forest once the road cleared of travelers. They were on horse, the only indication they were from th
e palace was their red Dragonguard robes concealed underneath their traveling cloaks. It was nearing midday – they traveled through the night by lantern light and into the morning at a brisk pace to arrive as quickly as possible. They were tired from the travel and looking forward to getting sleep once they completed their task. Traversing the forest took an hour. It was along a wide but challenging path that meandered through the trees. The horse drawn carts coming with the Emperor would have a difficult time, as it had been a while since the path was cleared sufficiently. Once through the forest, they discovered a small river that was shallow enough to wade, but instead of a water crossing they went downriver to a stone arch bridge that connected the two sides. After another meandering path, thankfully clear of obstacles, they came to a structure that looked like a hardened and fortified outpost. There were two guards near the front, and as they approached one disappeared inside and returned with another soldier. As instructed, only two of them approached the garrison, the other two stayed at what they thought to be a good distance.
Out of the stand of trees to the side came soldiers, bows held steady on them. From the fortification came additional troops and they collapsed on the two, spears extended, cavalry swung from behind moving swiftly to outflank them. In moments they were surrounded with no means of escape. Demands of identification were met while the soldiers took the Dragonguards prisoner. The ensuing conversation and matching key phrases Owori insisted on confirmed they were all on the same side. The Dragonguards questioned the garrison leaders and sent their report back to the palace via falcon that all was well, but not in those exact words because they knew Owori would discipline them for not following the new communication protocol.
#
Owori imagined the trip differently and her suggestions of moving light and fast went unheeded. She thought they would depart under cover of darkness, unnoticed, with a few wagons, the Emperor, and the guards. They did leave in the morning when it was dark, but the caravan of servants, provisions, Furies, and guards was enormous and even larger than what she argued against the previous day. To make matters worse, helping to organize the obvious train of wagons was the Warlord of Pyndira who pretended to agree with her. He was dressed in full armor, black as pitch, with his array of weapons on his decorated horse. His two Furies were on horses as well, ready to follow him into battle. The Furies were dressed in matching robes and carried short blades.