by Paul Heisel
“I’ll go to the Crypt, I’ll find a way to get inside! Just give me the chance I deserve! I’ll find a way in!”
At this Qio stood up. His composure changed. Feln could see another message was coming. “After the Emperor’s funeral tomorrow, you’ll have one evening to gather your family and leave Daiwer-dar. The Emperor is requesting that all the families depart the palace promptly. Here,” Qio said as he put his hand inside his robe, “this is Caleth’s Favored One belt. It belongs to your family, and you of course may give it to a person of your choosing.”
“I don’t understand why I can’t at least try to get inside the Crypt.”
“The Emperor is having the outside of the Crypt sealed with stone blocks for one year. It will also be guarded day and night. After one year has passed, it will revert to its normal state. I’m sorry Feln. I wish I had better news for you.”
“Why won’t Yuki let me try? At least let me go in the tomb and investigate. What harm can come from that?”
“He’s concerned that you will fail to get inside the tomb, then you will resort to more desperate measures. In everything you have done so far, you have gone to great lengths to ensure success. The new Emperor isn’t willing to take a chance at endangering the Warlord’s life because his death is the only way the Crypt can be opened.”
“You have to be joking,” Feln said. “I wouldn’t harm Caleth.”
“It doesn’t matter what you say you would or wouldn’t do. I’m also reminding you that the kind judgment of the Warlord released you from responsibility for the acts you were accused of committing. The Emperor requests that you return to Safun as we have spoken about and he also asks that on your way home, you take time to reflect on your family responsibilities going forward, and for you to exercise better judgment with your personal actions.”
“Tell him I know what my responsibilities are,” Feln said, teeth gritting. He was getting angry. “If he wants to see what the Xialao family can do, then he shall. My personal actions and choices will be of no concern to him.”
“I will tell him that you understand then.”
“And you will tell him that no family will be above Pyndira’s laws, not even his or mine.”
“He knows that, but I will tell him anyway if that will make you feel better.”
Feln stood and ushered him out the door with a firm hand. After he left, Pearl came inside the room, followed by the unobtrusive Ryl. The two women Furies looked concerned.
“Anything we need to do?” Pearl asked.
Feln took the Favored One belt, the one he originally wanted to give to Owori, and flung it into one of the chairs. It unraveled and smacked against the soft blue fabric. He put his face in his hands, running his calloused hands over his stubble. He wanted to smash something. The shock of it all hit him and he sat down on a black leather bench. She was gone. Trapped in a tomb with those two Furies. Even if she survived, there was no way out of the tomb unless Caleth died.
“Feln,” Pearl said. “What’s going on?”
Starting the conversation about this dreadful news was the difficult part. Owori sacrificed her life so he could live. What did he do to deserve her love and devotion? How did he get a woman like Owori? And how did he lose her? She was trapped because of him and the problems he caused. The chain of events was long, confusing, and complicated. To make matters worse, they were being excused from the palace expeditiously. Yuki made a political move, abandoning their personal agreement by sending a Fury to talk to him. Well, it was over. The Emperor would receive no special consideration from him or his family or his judgments.
“Are you well?” Ryl asked as she inched nearer to him, eyes staring at the floor.
“No,” Feln answered. His outstretched hand stayed her advance. The next words wouldn’t come. He couldn’t say it. “Owori didn’t make it,” he blurted, holding in his tumbling emotions. “She’s trapped in the Crypt of Warlords with two other Furies. Twins. They were helping Djaa.”
“Twins?”
“Qio said they were like Owori. Dragons.”
“They are part of the Sode family, Shisaru,” Pearl said matter of fact. “But you already figured that out. They fetched a phenomenal price, but not as much as Owori.”
Feln glared at her.
“Perhaps we can discuss it another time. I’m sorry, that was insensitive of me. I wasn’t thinking.” Pearl sat by him despite him motioning for her to remain where she was. Ryl was just as quick and sat on his other side. She put her hand on his shoulder. She caressed it softly. Sorry, she whispered. He couldn’t hold back the tears. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried with such sadness, perhaps when his father had died.
Owori was gone.
Before either of the Furies could say or do anything, he stood up and ushered them out of the room. When they left, Feln went into the bedroom and collapsed on the soft bed, memories flooded him with pain and he wept into his hands. When he regained his composure, he summoned Pearl and Ryl to tell them that the family was being asked to leave after the funeral, and they would do so as directed by the Emperor. Care needed to be taken with Suun to ensure she could survive the trip back to Safun. They would also take Nar's body with them, so he could be cremated and buried properly in his home province. He asked them to make the arrangements and make sure the family was aware they would be departing. His spirits dipped further when he remembered the Most Favored belt was locked in the Crypt of Warlords, around the waist of the woman he loved. There would be no way to retrieve it until the Crypt opened. The Most Favored belt of the Safun family was lost again, and even if the Crypt opened, he wasn’t sure how they would retrieve it.
#
Preparations for the Emperor’s funeral continued through the night, into the morning, and past midday. Much of the idle time Feln spent alone, lost in his thoughts, unwilling to talk with Pearl or Ryl. The rest of his family expressed their sadness at Owori’s death, those who knew her wept with him. Feln’s world was spiraling down and he hardly noticed the passage of time. He couldn’t eat and he couldn’t sleep, so he passed the time pacing in his room, going over every detail he could remember about Owori. He wrote down his thoughts, sketched a picture of her from memory, and composed a love letter to her, along with a goodbye. He never wanted her life to be sacrificed for his.
Later Emato arrived with formal wear for the funeral. He gave Feln rich robes of dark blue with gold trim. It was a compromise between a stiff two-piece uniform and a common robe. Feln appreciated Emato’s attention to his needs and thanked him, then after Pearl and Ryl were fitted with the matching robes and uniforms, Emato was dismissed. The remainder of his family was going to watch the funeral from the palace balconies, and Feln told them that they couldn’t attend the funeral, that only he, Pearl, and Ryl would represent the family. No one questioned his orders, or reasons, and they went about their business of preparing to leave.
Feln admired the new robes in the mirror, distinctly aware that his Most Favored belt wasn’t on. It was lost with Owori and it would be a long time before it was found again. He could feel the magic of it linger, integrated with him forever. He wasn’t sure how he was going to explain that the belt was lost, and the fact that he allowed it to get into the hands of a Fury probably violated some law. Would that haunt him? Would it be another crime he could be accused of? For now, they needed to keep it quiet and he assumed that only Suun knew what had happened. Pearl knew as well, but didn’t express any opinion about it. He was thankful, though, that Pearl offered to take a handful of Furies to the Crypt to force their way inside to see if they could get to Owori. It was a blunt plan, but after considering it briefly, he couldn’t do it. The repercussions would be monumental.
While his family toiled away with the preparations for departure, Feln, Pearl, and Ryl walked through the palace and out the front doors. Common people gathered around the funeral pyre, having arrived early this morning when the front gates opened. The army was there, lining the barriers and keepin
g control of the masses. There were thousands assembled in the clear area, now Feln understood why it was all paved and open – this was so they could conduct ceremonies such as this. There had to be multiple thousands of people in attendance.
To the side of the pyre there were elevated platforms, each had designated areas for the families to gather together and watch the funeral from a close, but safe distance. Feln stood at a railing, noting they were on the farthest edge of the viewing area. Closest to the Emperor were the families from Shisaru and Emesia. Though he hoped the placements were random, he was learning that power and political might mattered in this world. His family, their responsibility, was an annoyance to many. It was clear to Feln that he would never gain trustful allies, nor would he get fair treatment as long as his family was policing the other families. This he understood. They would have to continue, fighting for everything Safun deserved or wanted.
Rhythmic drums began, the intent was less musical and more so they could quiet the thousands present. Pearl pulled him back to their seats. The crowd was complying with the drums and Yuki stood up. He was dressed in black, waiting patiently for the noise to subside so he could speak. Not many of the commoners would get to hear the speech – his voice couldn’t carry that far into the masses. Along the grandstand were the families, each present, each with their representation. He could see Iristi and Hiru sitting close together with other members of the Ku family. It pained him to think that because of his heroic efforts, Iristi had survived, yet the one he truly loved, Owori, hadn’t. The Yokai family was next to them, a large contingent, and he knew their secret – they were hiding their fortune in Sabrin underneath the monastery there. He doubted Kara had discovered the key that would open it. It was reasonable to assume that the Grand Master destroyed or damaged the key before his death. The vault was still accessible from Ashimo, though. It made him curious about the Accord of the Hand, who they were and who they would become now that Kara was leading them. The Nomu family from Furawa was on the other side of the Yokai family, effectively hemming them in. He found that ironic that the secret alliance between Furawa and Emesia was coming to the surface in conversations, and it would soon cause political unrest. Most likely, the alliance would dissolve. The Sode family was seated nearest the Emperor and the Emperor’s hundred or so administrators, protectors, and soldiers. His boiling blood was at a simmer; they were responsible for Suun’s condition and for Owori’s death. It took all his strength to remain calm about it. Seated next to them was the contingent from Hikimi. The Most Favored, Niki, gave him a nod when their eyes locked. He was enormously fat, and adorned in his warm furs, he appeared to be larger than a bear. He nodded a second time, as if he approved of Feln, then went back to gazing at the new Emperor. Next to him was a lovely young woman, slender with dark hair, who shared the same facial features as the Most Favored. She smiled at him. As he recalled, she was Niki’s daughter. Her name escaped him... Chizu was it? She kept staring at him and smiling. He waved to her and frowned back, and much to his surprise her face lit up and her cheeks became fiery red. Shades, what did I do now? He turned toward Pearl, pretending to ask her a question.
Feln learned that after the funeral they would conduct the rite of ascension for Yuki, and he would officially become the Emperor. He didn’t know what the rite entailed. What he heard was there would be a presentation of family heirlooms, objects handed down from Emperor to Emperor as a tradition. Yuki began the funeral by speaking eloquently about his father and his father’s life. Feln was trying to pay attention, but he didn’t know the Emperor except for his one meeting with him months ago. His eyes wandered through the assembled nobles again. He could see Hiru and Iristi among the Emesia privileged, the monkey Watahon was nearby and what appeared to be numerous Furies, a few of them had tried to kill him. It made him wonder what was in his future and what obstacles he would have to overcome so his family could do their job effectively. No matter what, he was determined to succeed.
After Yuki’s speech others who were close to the Emperor stood and spoke of the man. Yuki digressed to the background, Qia consoling him with gentle caresses to his broad shoulders. Caleth was there, dressed in light ceremonial armor, standing stiffer than a tree. Feln smiled, he was sure Caleth was despising having twenty pounds of useless armor weighing him down. Next to Caleth was Qio, who helped Owori in the Crypt of Warlords. She saved his life by pushing him out of the Crypt. It hadn’t completely sunk in that she was gone, and he was certain in a day or two after they were on the road for Safun it would hit him full force. He would be lost. What would his life be like without her? The Accord of the Hand wasn’t an option for him, and he wouldn’t run away from his responsibilities here. Suun, his protector and advisor, was recovering from torture at the hands of the Sode family. That point, in all of this, he would not forget. They suspected her of being a spy no doubt, and that told him they had secrets worth knowing. Secrets about the Furies. His other close advisor, Nar, was dead. Again, at the hands of the Sode family by cheating and putting two Furies in the Crypt of Warlords to assist Djaa in his quest to become Warlord. The clashes would continue, he was sure of that, and he would make sure they were punished for their crimes one way or another. Now that their plan to make Djaa the Warlord had failed, he wondered what was next. What was the Sode family going to do now?
Yet as he looked at the Sode contingent attending the funeral, they acted as if everything was normal. That made him wonder; did they know Djaa had assistance? A select few perhaps? He needed the advice of other people, and the two he depended on most in Pyndira couldn’t help him – Nar was dead and Suun was months away from a full recovery, if that could be achieved. Pearl was semi-knowledgeable, but not well-versed in the politics of Pyndira. When he got back to Safun, he would spend additional time understanding the political landscape, and he would use the map room to follow important people’s movements. Those movements could be more indicative of who is helping who, and give him the edge he needed to uncover who was behind the horse demon attacks and the attacks on his family. He almost forgot his manor house was in ruins, destroyed by the two Furies. To make matters worse, he wasn’t looking forward to the long trip to Safun, as he didn’t have the dragon Sli at his disposal any longer. He was sure Pearl managed to damage that relationship, and besides that, he had others to think about. He had to see them safely back to their homeland. What worried him now was an ambush waiting for them along the way. What was to stop one of the other families, Shisaru in particular, from attacking him as they traveled? He would have to come up with an unpredictable plan to prevent falling into a trap.
People around him were wiping away tears as they said goodbye to the Emperor of Pyndira, Toro-et-Nutahi-Shimoyu, a man who hadn't been able to reach the latter years of his life. Below them, soldiers with block and tackle lowered the stone cremation platform and body into the log structure, followed by what looked to be a heavy stone sarcophagus. It would keep the wood ash from mixing with body’s ashes. The burnt remains would be smashed into smaller pieces later, put inside an urn, then turned over to family members for burial or display. A soldier lit the pyre, firing the twigs. It caught fire and it grew rapidly, the logs set in an alternating pattern were expertly set. Heat radiated, cutting through the cooler air and warming everyone. The fire burned hot and it would burn until only ashes were left.
The crowd began singing a funeral song, their voices were strong and loud. Feln sat forward and rubbed his face, he was tired, and he figured it would take an hour or more for this to burn down. After that they would begin the ceremony to welcome Dett-al-Nutahi-Shiyuki, the Emperor’s son, as the new Emperor. Feln looked at Pearl, her cheeks rosy from the cold. She seemed to be just as disinterested as he. As the pyre burned down to charred coals, the drums sounded again to quiet the crowd. The drummers began a sequence that wasn’t unpleasant to listen to, Feln was surprised at the musicality of it, and he perked up. With the crowd quieted and the drums no longer beating, Yan, the Chamberlain,
stood on the extended platform and announced they were bringing forth the regalia, ancient objects of wonder to be presented to the new Emperor.
Feln could see a procession coming from the palace. There were guards in red robes, along with three men dressed in black with deep cowls who were carrying felt lined trays of various sizes. They came closer – the man in the lead was carrying a thick blade on a stand, the middle one had an old book, and the third had a jeweled necklace. They made the long walk up the platform steps. Everyone’s eyes were on the procession. Yan continued his speech, Feln caught a little of it – the blade represented the Emperor’s might, the book his wisdom, and the necklace the wealth of Pyndira. He watched, wishing the formality would be over. He wanted to get home.
He felt a tap on his shoulder.
“What are they doing?” Pearl whispered. She directed his attention to the section nearest the Emperor.
Feln found what she was talking about. A hooded figure had the Most Favored of Shisaru by the arm and was leading him toward the stairs. “Maybe he doesn’t feel well,” he said.
“I don’t like it.”
Yan continued with his speech. A huge cheer went up from the crowd. He was about to declare Yuki the Emperor and urge everyone to welcome their new leader.
“Look, another is leaving,” Pearl said.
Feln watched as a Shisaru noble walked to the stairs. Moments later another went, then another. The crowd cheered thunderously as Yuki was announced as the new Emperor. The sound was deafening and the drums began to beat a traditional song, adding to the noise. Yuki stepped forward to the platform. People surged. There was additional movement among the Shisaru contingent. It was as if select members of the family were exiting in an orderly fashion.
“Why are they leaving?” Pearl asked. “The ceremony is almost over.”
“Magic…” Ryl whispered. “Oh no.”
Over was correct. Feln’s insides turned over. This was their plan all along and they were going to go through with it, only now they wouldn’t protect the Warlord because it was Caleth. In one fell swoop they had hoped to put Djaa on the throne of Pyndira, a puppet for them to manage and control. The key was to become the Warlord of Pyndira, who would become the temporary Emperor should the Emperor’s immediate family and the Chamberlain die. The Shisaru people were departing because something bad was about to happen. If it were up to him, he would have Furies use their magic to blast the platforms to smithereens and include attacks into the crowd to cause utter chaos. That’s what was happening. And at the same time, they were going to destroy the heads of the other families. More chaos. More terror.