by Paul Heisel
“Yes, several weeks ago.”
“But when they went to investigate, they found no signs of the animals?”
“Yes.”
“Where did they go?” Owori asked.
“There’s lots of forest around here. Plenty of places for animals to hide.”
“That quickly? He said the patrol lit lanterns and chased after them, but they just disappeared. They searched and searched, but couldn’t find them. Do you know why they didn’t find them?”
“No.”
“Because those animals went inside the cottage and hid until the patrol moved off.”
“No animal can get inside here,” Qio said. “Not unless they can open doors.”
“Then perhaps they weren’t animals. What if intruders came here and were searching for a way to exploit the cottage, or use the servant’s quarters for a later date when the Emperor arrived. What if it was an advance party scouting the area?”
“We searched the grounds. There is no one hiding, not even in the forest. The soldiers searched.”
“Let’s go talk to Barka one more time,” Owori said. “Let’s probe this further.”
“I’ll go talk to him. I think you’re going to head off with the Emperor.” Qio nodded toward the open living space.
The group of celebrants were gathering lanterns and lighting incense. They were dressed in black finery, including the Emperor, who was walking over to them. The musicians were putting their instruments away for a needed break. Qia appeared next to Yuki.
“Go ahead,” Owori told Qio. “Talk to Barka.”
“We are going to visit my ancestors and my wife,” the Emperor announced. “There will be a procession to the cemetery and we will also put Isas’s ashes to rest. Owori, join us if you will. You’ll have to change out of your Dragonguard robe, though. Red is a happy color. This is a sad occasion.”
Grouped together, they filed out of the cottage and walked two by two down a cobbled path. The sun was setting on the horizon, complementing the surrounding trees that were changing colors as autumn took hold. The air was crisp and getting cooler. She followed the procession, taking up the rear. She discarded the red robe at the Emperor’s request and wore her tight fitting black fighting clothes, thinking though that she should have grabbed a black robe because it was colder than she first thought. The procession of people carried platters of food and drink to offer to the dead, as well as scrolls of prayers and small gifts. It was silent except for the sounds of birds and the rustle of the trees in the wind. It was thirty minutes of walking to the cemetery and by the time they arrived, the sun was just above the horizon. They brightened the area with lanterns and set out to climb the wide hill that made up the cemetery. The path was made up of wood timbers set into the ground to make steps, with rock fill to keep the weeds down. The path meandered up the side of the hill, crisscrossing the headstones and mausoleums. By the time they reached the top, the night sky in the west was a hazy orange. At this moment, the sky was breathtaking and beautiful. Servants spread out, lighting lanterns until the entire hill was ablaze with light. It was somber and beautiful at the same time. The group waited for the sun to set, all of them watching the glorious orange sky.
When the sun was gone and twilight present, the Emperor moved to the highest gravestone and bowed deeply. Everyone did the same, Owori mimicking their actions. She wasn’t familiar with how to pay tribute to their ancestors and hoped she wouldn’t do anything improper. It would be safe to sit still and not say a word, but that might be improper as well. At the grave marker, the Emperor put an offering of food, wine, and prayers at the base. He began to speak about the first Emperor of Pyndira and his challenges with bringing the lands together to fight off the barbarian hordes. After a few sentences he moved to the next one, then the next. This went on for thirty minutes, then they took a break. It enthralled Owori to hear the short history of each Emperor or family member buried here, and by the time they were halfway down the hill, she understood that the early history of Pyndira had been bloody. Between the barbarians and vengeful families, many Emperors died from wars and assassination. The Furies did their part in the decimation of early Pyndira, and thus the creation of the magic belts took place to balance the magical power.
It was completely dark save for the flickering lanterns. The wind kicked up and in the distance, there was a flash of lightning streaking across the sky. Owori counted until she heard the thunder. Minutes later another forked bolt jolted to the ground and she counted again. One number less. The violent storm was moving toward them from the west at quick pace. She looked at how many graves they had to cover and calculated, and she guessed they were going to get wet. Why hadn’t she brought a robe?
#
The garrison captain answered additional questions from Qio, but didn’t agree with what they thought about the animals hiding in the cottage, or the idea that mystery men were on the grounds. Qio discussed it further, but knew after a short while he wasn’t getting anywhere with Barka. The captain was confident they had done their job.
“Believe me, if assassins found their way here and were in the cottage, we would know about it,” Barka said. “I questioned each of those men on what they saw and what they thought they could have seen. It wasn’t a group of men that they saw. It was animals foraging for food.”
“I believe you,” Qio said. “I had to ask. I’m not questioning how you did your job. I’m making sure we’ve thought of everything.”
“Of course. Is there anything else?”
“No, I better get back to the cottage. Thanks for your time.”
#
When Qio arrived and went inside the cottage, he knew something was wrong. Outside of the kitchen numerous servants and cooks were bent over a prostrate woman. He rushed over to help, not sure he could assist with whatever was ailing her. The sea of servants parted for Qio and he knelt at the woman’s side. Her breathing was shallow and it didn’t look like she had external injuries.
“What happened?”
“She yelped, saying she saw a ghost,” one of the cooks said. “Then she fainted. She probably hit her head on the floor.”
“Ghost?”
“You’ll have to ask her. She may have turned quickly and saw one of the boar’s heads. They’re scary enough in the daylight.”
She woke up moments later, disoriented.
“What happened?” Qio asked as he helped her sit up.
“I saw a ghost, over there, near the roasting pit. It was standing there, plain as day!”
Qio looked that way. There were chairs and tables, along with different colored robes draped over the chair backs. Maybe she saw one of the robes out of the corner of her eye and thought it was a ghost. It was true, the dead did appear from time to time, and being this close to a cemetery made it plausible that she saw a ghost, but it seemed unlikely. The simpler solution made more sense that she saw one of the robes out of the corner of her eye.
“I think you may have seen one of the robes,” he said. “Rest until the procession returns. The Emperor will be at the cemetery for a while longer.”
“Yes, I’d like that. Thank you.”
Qio stood up and went to the door, then thought twice about reporting this to his sister and Owori. The garrison captain was unable to give him additional information on the animal sightings, and now one of the servants hallucinated a ghost. None of it was good news and it bolstered the bad feeling he had in his gut. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a small loaf of bread. The taste of it was good and it filled his nervous belly. The false ghost sighting could wait until they were back from visiting the ancestors, plus he didn’t want to wander out in the cold rain.
#
The storm would reach them in a matter of minutes and they were in for it. Owori was cold and used her magic to keep out the wind, which was the real culprit making her shiver. They were to the last collection of ancestors, the more recent interments including Isas, and at his wife’s grave, the Emperor spoke eloqu
ently about her love for him, Pyndira, and their only boy Yuki. He put gifts at the base of her monument then turned to his son. It was Yuki’s turn to speak, and the Warlord of Pyndira talked about his mother as if they were best friends. Owori noticed that there wasn’t a dry eye among them, including herself. Even the serious Qia was wiping away tears. They exchanged frail smiles, then Qia’s expression became serious and her eyes narrowed. Qia made her way over. Owori wondered what spawned the serious expression, so she looked over her shoulder. To the west, in the trees, was a fire. Lightning had struck and started a fire before the rains could come to snuff it out.
“Do you see it?”
“I see it,” Owori answered. “Most of the land here is clear of brush and trees, so the fire can’t advance all the way to the cottage. Rain will dampen everything. Have there been fires here in the past?”
“Not that I recall or know of,” she said.
“We should have part of the garrison come up here on the hill and monitor the fire. If it’s in danger of getting too close, we should evacuate.”
“Agreed,” she said. “I know fire. It’s unpredictable, even when controlled. I’ve seen fire leap hundreds of feet across open space.”
They finished just as the rains were coming. Large cold drops inundated all of them. They hurried down the path as a group, knowing that shelter was still distant, pulling their robes tighter. Servants moved about trying to keep everyone as dry as possible with black umbrellas. Owori hung back and brought up the rear, not because she wanted to, but because she could put up a shield and deflect the powerful raindrops. At least she and those near her would stay dry. They reached the cottage out of breath, and Owori told Qia that she would go to the garrison and have soldiers stationed on the cemetery hill to watch for the forest fire. After retrieving her red robe, she went to the stables and grabbed one of the horses. It wasn’t a great distance to the outpost, but her legs were fatigued from standing so much. Besides, the horse would be quicker and shorten her time in the bad weather.
The rains were coming down harder and she maintained the shield, extending it and keeping off the wetness. She was damp, but not soaked, and was looking forward to warming herself near the fire and having a taste of the roasted boar. At the garrison, Captain Barka gave her a handful of soldiers who, despite the bad weather and their desire to stay indoors, understood the need to monitor the fire. They mounted horses and went up to the cemetery with lanterns in hand, Owori leading so she could show them the danger. As they neared the hill, Owori could see the fire to the west. It was strange – the fire had progressed in a straight line toward the cemetery, as if it were a river or stream. She pushed the horse harder, taking it farther ahead of the soldiers and diverting them to the west. Pulling up, she motioned for them to halt. She had to drop her shield and the rain soaked her instantly.
“What do you make of that fire?” she asked.
“Strangest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s not spreading. It’s moving.”
Owori stared into the darkness, watching the light of the fire come straight at them. It made her curious and wary; it was moving toward them as if it had a mind of its own. She wasn’t sure because of the darkness, but it looked like the fire was close. With this rain, she didn’t think the fire would propagate, certainly not in a straight line. Her horse neighed, startled from an unseen force. The fire burst through the darkness in a blaze and a creature slathered in fire lumbered toward them. It was tall, she could tell even from this distance, and it was moving fast. Over the sounds of the storm she heard arrows slicing through the air. All hit their mark, but the beast kept coming. Owori jumped down from her horse and took out her short blades. They glowed ominously. It was the first time she had seen them glow.
“Horse demon! Shades!” one of the soldiers yelled. “Get off the horses! Now!”
It was upon them, a beast maddened beyond anything Owori had ever seen. It was covered in flames. Fire turned the rain to steam and white plumes licked up from its mane. Dark coal skin, corded muscles, and broad shoulders made this fearless creature imposing. It stood tall, many feet taller than her, and it had wicked claws. Fire sprang all around it as it charged headlong into them. The horses bolted at the sight of their demon kin, scattering in panic. Her horse disappeared, galloping up the hill into the cemetery, while the four soldiers in various stages of dismounting managed as best they could. It came at them, screeching, and swiping the razor claws. One of the soldiers went down and managed to get a sword on it before perishing. The three soldiers sliced at the demon, landing blows that simply annoyed it. Owori maintained her distance, circling, heart pumping anxiously. Her shield was up and blades out. Another soldier went down, his head half torn from his neck by the beast’s claws. The demon leaped forward and swiped, undaunted.
Owori stepped in the creature’s path. It had been a long time since she had been in a real fight, and though she had practiced with the Dragonblades, she had no idea how they would perform against demon flesh or otherwise. As she neared the vulnerable side of the creature, the blades lit up more, one searing red and one intense green. She brought the two short blades down in quick succession and slashed the horse demon’s side. It didn’t feel like she had touched it – how could she miss being this close? The horse demon screeched and turned toward her. Slashing down its back, she cut three foot gashes that would have slain a bull. Still she didn’t feel significant resistance. It was as if she was pulling the blades through water. The monster fell to its knees, wicked fingers dropping a third soldier to the ground. The fourth soldier dived to the side to avoid the falling demon. It expired and a column of flame erupted, sending the magical fire in all directions. Owori’s shield protected her from the blast, and the force sent her sprawling backward. Ash was all that remained of the horse demon and soon that became intermixed with the rain and washed away as if it had never existed.
It was dark except for one of the lanterns they brought with them, the other lanterns went out because of the storm or wet fuel. Owori hoisted the remaining soldier to his feet, aware of the storm raging around them. Lightning flashed and the thunder came immediately. They were in the heart of the storm. “Find one of the horses,” she said. “Warn the others of what just happened. I don’t know if this is random or not.”
“Horse demons are sent,” the soldier stated. “This isn’t random. No one has seen a horse demon in hundreds of years.”
“Warn the others and make sure the Emperor is safe.”
It took ten minutes for them to get one of the horses back. The soldier took it and went at a full gallop to the cottage. Though she wasn’t explicit, she was sure the soldier would go to the garrison as well and get more troops. Owori, lantern in hand, jogged up the path that wound through the cemetery. She could see her horse up there, tramping through the headstones, still spooked by demon. It was climbing higher to her dismay. As she moved, she called out for it, trying to get the horse to come to her. It refused. Higher she went and about three quarters of the way up she managed to grab the reins. She mounted the horse in a smooth, graceful motion, pulling the reins close so the beast would stay under control. Though the hill partially obscured her vision, she could see a halo of light coming from the north. Digging into the horse’s side, she ascended until she was at the top, next to the grave marker of the first Emperor of Pyndira. Her horse stamped.
Through the darkness she saw four columns of flame moving through the forest, leaving a trail of trees on fire. Two came from the north, two from the west, each moving toward the narrow valley. They would come near the cemetery or over it if they continued their straight-line course. One demon she could handle, two would be a challenge. But four? Four of these creatures? At the rate they were moving, she estimated they would be here far in advance of when the troops could arrive from the garrison. Her options were to retreat and engage them near the cottage with the help of Qio, Qia, and whatever soldiers they could muster, or she could fight them here and delay their progress toward
the Emperor. There was no question what she had to do. She had to stay here and keep them from advancing toward the Emperor. Maybe she could delay them long enough for the troops to arrive. The question was, would they attack her or keep moving along the valley right toward the Emperor? What was to stop one of them from engaging her while the other three headed to the cottage? The best place for her to fight them, she thought, would be on top of the hill. She looked at the moving fires and figured there was only one way to get their attention. After setting the lantern on the roof of the mausoleum, Owori kicked her steed hard and charged down the hill intent on harassing the demons to make sure they came after her.
She took a wide sweeping turn so she would intercept the horse demons, then she ventured as close to the advancing beasts as her horse would let her. The demons came out of the forest screeching and flinging fire in her direction. The speed of her panicked horse and her shield protected her, and she was successful in getting two demons to chase her right towards where the other two were emerging from the west. They too lumbered after her, four columns of flame pursuing. Now what was she going to do? Her horse was running scared and getting difficult to control, so she tried to use magic to calm her mount. It seemed to work. How long it would last, she didn’t know. What she needed to do was get them to follow her up the hill, where her beacon of light was awaiting. Once up there, she wasn’t sure what she was going to do against the four of them. The horse responded to her command and started up the incline, now slick with rain water. Behind she could hear the screeches of the horse demons as they pursued.
At the top she dismounted near the mausoleum, and with a slap she sent the horse down the opposite way. With blades out, she turned to meet the oncoming foursome. The demons were slathered in fire and steam rose into the sky and made it misty. They were staggered in their approach, but the distance wasn’t enough so she could fight them individually. Eventually it would be four of them against one of her. Terrible odds.