by Paul Heisel
“They’re going to kill everyone here,” Feln said. “Furies – we have to stop them. We must warn Caleth. This was what Suun must have discovered, but she thought it was going to be an attack at the pavilions! It was an attack at the funeral! We have to act now!”
Feln started forward, only to have his shoulders grabbed by Pearl and Ryl. They held him back. His insides tumbled again, why were they preventing him from stopping this? He imagined their steely looks, they were in on this. They were part of this… They were Furies…
“Get him to safety,” Pearl commanded. “I’ll get to Caleth and find a way to stop this. Go!”
Ryl pulled him back and she led him toward the aisle and to a long set of steps. The people in front of them peeled to the side and fell, Ryl using her magic to move them out of the way. He followed along, numb with dread of what was going to happen next. Thousands would die, including innocents. The crowd was still loud and cheering, unaware of the danger. Then there were screams and explosions. Ryl pulled him harder and they were running down the path toward the palace. The people in front of them scattered, both from panic and Ryl using her magic to sweep them aside. He turned to look at what was happening, but couldn’t view the area behind him well enough while he was running. Ryl slowed to a jog as they came to the palace. Soldiers were pouring from every direction trying to maintain control. Feln stopped and turned. He had to see what was going on.
Smoke was in the air and not from the funeral pyre. One side of the viewing platform was engulfed in flames. Bedlam ensued. The masses were trampling everyone; they were running toward the gates, collapsing the barriers, while others were running headlong into the soldiers. Many were dead already and more were going to die. Forked bolts of lightning cut swaths through the people, commoner and noble alike. Fire streamed as well, the screams around were deafening. Ryl yanked him into the palace and pulled him to a safer area within the walls. Panicked people followed them inside, and Ryl kept moving him deeper into the palace until they found a suitable refuge. Ryl barred the door and stood between it and Feln, her eyes focused on the ground, her body rocking back and forth in rhythm.
#
Pearl only knew of one way to issue warning, and that was to put a fright into everyone. She sprang forward and was shouting, her eyes fixed on Caleth. There were guards who stepped in her way to block her sudden advance on the Emperor’s section. Caleth caught her eye and she was shouting danger at the top of her lungs, but the crowd was so loud it was impossible for her to be heard. She sent a fork of lighting over the heads of everyone in her path, knowing that would scatter the Emperor to safety. When her warning was recognized as a threat, guards descended upon her. There was another bolt of lightning from beyond, not hers, that went into the main platform, causing it to shudder from the impact. Bodies flew into the air as another Fury used magic to fling them toward the funeral pyre. Flames came from the crowd, directed at the platform in streams and in concentrated fireballs. People fled in terror. When the stairs became clogged or collapsed, the men and women jumped from the platform to get out of harm’s way, smashing into the people below.
The guards tackled her, she anticipated that, and she let their momentum carry her to the wood railing. It snapped from the force and they fell the short distance to the paved ground. The impact knocked the wind out of her. The guards, like her, were slow in recovering. There were more screams and a fireball exploded in the crowd of onlookers, incinerating hundreds. Those who were able ran. Pearl regained her wind and her feet at the same time the guards were coming to their senses and drawing their swords. Her hands were white hot, and she struck the barrier underneath the platform. The force shattered it, and Pearl slipped to safety, found an exit on the other side, and took it.
It was madness. The crowd panicked and stampeded, leaving behind hundreds of dead. She could see Furies casting magic into the crowds, and their cohorts were firing destruction at the platform. Noble and commoner alike were running for their lives, dodging this way and that. She hoped Feln and Ryl made it to safety. The situation became worse as the platform collapsed in a heap. It was obvious to her the Fury rebellion was a reality, and it made her pause. They were here to instill terror and kill as many of the ruling class as possible, to cut off the head of the Pyndiran leadership in one fell swoop.
She ducked into the panicked crowds, moving away from the platform. Charred pieces of wood and flesh exploded around her, knocking her to the ground. Lightning streaked overhead, sending a wave of people to their deaths. A storm of ice came, pelting the area with frozen spheres. She could see six Furies in the distance, all using their magic to pound the platform mercilessly. The Emperor’s troops surged through the crowds, killing friend and foe alike, to get to the Furies. Other Furies were attacking the rebel Furies. It was chaos, and she knew it couldn’t last long. The rebel Furies would try to escape when their chi waned. What she needed to do was anticipate their escape route, intercept them, and capture at least one of them. The protection of the platforms was no longer present and Pearl couldn’t withstand the onrush of people who broke through the temporary barriers. She waited too long observing the Furies, and now it was a race. She tried to fight through the crowd, but the swelling masses moved her in the wrong direction and swept her up like a wave. Pearl lost her footing, went down, and became entangled in a thousand churning legs trying to get out of the area. She used her magic to clear the people, but for each body thrown to the side two more clamored into their space. Safety lasted only a moment, as there were too many for her advanced magic to contend with.
#
The aftermath saw thousands dead, including two Most Favoreds and many Favored Ones of the families. The Emperor’s Fury and secret love, Qia, was killed protecting Yuki from the flood of magic attacks and the stampede of panicked people. While Furawa and Hikimi were lamenting the loss of their Most Favoreds, Feln was stunned by the loss of Pearl. They hadn’t found her, dead or living, and thus she was counted among those lost in the dastardly attack. He guessed she was crushed to death like so many others. He found out that two attackers were taken prisoner and were locked away, and Feln was sure they were going to be tortured until they talked. He thought about confronting the Sode family, asking them how they escaped unscathed except for a few dead nobles and Furies. Feln hesitated in making the accusation, though, not having any solid evidence other than his observations wouldn't work. Based on his past experiences, no one would believe him anyway. His hope was the captured Furies would implicate the Sode family, but he couldn’t be certain they wouldn’t lie and try to blame this on another family or him. No matter what happened, though, it would be his job to punish the wrongdoers, and punish them he would, not only for Suun, but for the missing Pearl and his lost Owori.
It was night and Feln drank spiced tea, he was unable to eat, and throughout this, Ryl maintained a close but inconspicuous presence. He knew that she and Pearl saved him, and had both not acted quickly, he was certain he would be dead. The palace was locked tight and more troops were brought in to assist with securing the areas around the palace, removing the dead, and searching for any remaining attackers. Within the halls of the palace there were soldiers at every junction, and the Dragonguards roamed the halls on an enhanced schedule. In the morning, they were supposed to finish packing and depart for home. He doubted that would happen as planned, and depending on what the Emperor wanted, they would be here longer. His family would have to manage their departure carefully, as he was convinced an ambush was waiting for him. This wasn’t over, at least not for his family.
He sent messages to his teams in the magic book, letting them know what happened. He put the team in Shisaru on heightened alert, telling them to continue investigating the Furies there. He was sending the team based in Safun to Shisaru assist with their investigation. If they were fortunate, they would turn up evidence to support his notions. Intuition told him there was a relationship between the Sode family and the unmarked Furies. What he didn’t kn
ow was what the relationship constituted or who was controlling who. He couldn’t answer the question why they would help the Furies or why they would allow an attack on the Emperor to occur. Maybe there was an aspect of this he was missing.
Across the room Ryl sat impassive, staring at the ground as usual. He wasn’t sure what sense the girl used to navigate, as he was certain her eyes suffered an affliction. Marginal sight, apparently, had been replaced by an otherworldly sense of where she should go or what she should do. At once she sprang to her feet, head still downcast, startling him from his sitting position. She took a step towards the door as the handle turned. He heart fluttered as the door opened. What now…
In strode Pearl. Her long blond hair was singed on one side, burned short to the length of her jaw, uneven now. She was bruised, cut, and looked drained, her normal tall presence was compressed, her shoulders hunched. Ryl launched into Pearl’s waiting arms.
“Pearl! Pearl! You’re alive!”
Feln came forward. Pearl winced from the monstrous hug she received, closed her eyes, opened them, and gave Feln a half smile. Ryl peeled away as if sensing what Pearl wanted. She straightened, threw her shoulders back, and grasped at empty air where her hair used to be. With an empty hand, as if nothing was wrong, she tossed the invisible hair over her shoulder.
“You look terrible,” Feln said. In the seconds that followed he thought he was going to regret that statement. We’re going to have to work on your compliments, rang inside his head.
Instead she smiled and came forward with arms open and embraced him. He felt her great strength falter almost immediately. With gentle direction, he sat her in a chair and grabbed one for himself. Ryl was back in her usual seat, staring at the ground.
“What happened?” Feln asked.
Her hand went to her worried brow, lightly caressing a bruise. He could see she was shaken by the events; the stalwart Pearl was unsure, hesitant, uncertain. “I saw Furies senselessly murdering innocents. I’m ashamed of their actions.”
“That’s not you,” Feln said. “Just because you're a Fury doesn’t mean you’re like them.”
“But I was like them,” she said, her tone harsh. “I killed…I did what I had to…to survive. The Emperor’s soldiers slew everyone in sight. Blood is on their hands, my hands as well.”
“I know that doesn’t justify it in your mind, and I can’t offer any expert advice. There are thousands dead and the numbers keep rising. Nobles are dead, the Emperor’s Fury Qia is dead, and two Most Favoreds. There is no way you will be associated with those who planned and executed this plan. Tell me, what happened?”
“After I got everyone’s attention the guards came for me,” she said. “They overpowered me and we fell off the platform. I escaped under the platform – it was the only way I could get out of there. Instead of fleeing, I started looking for the Furies who were doing this and I got caught up in a wave of people. I fought, but I went down. I thought I was dead. I survived, I don’t know how, and I was told that I was found unconscious among the dead, probably counted as dead initially. A soldier realized I was alive and they took me captive because of my marks. Caleth and others questioned me, then released me not long ago. He knew I was trying to warn them and knows had I wanted to kill the Emperor, I could have done it. Caleth released me in your care, but he said I may not be allowed to leave the palace if he can’t clear my name. The Emperor was devastated by the events.”
“Understood,” Feln said. “He’ll get it done so you can leave. Have faith. What did they ask you?”
“The sequence of events that I just described to you,” Pearl answered. “They had me look at two Furies to see if I knew who they were. I didn’t know them. After that I told them that I suspected there was a Fury rebellion happening and that it was coming from Shisaru, but I didn’t implicate the Sode family directly. I’m not sure if they listened to me, but I told them what I thought. Plus Caleth has been part of our conversations, so he knows what you know. The horse demons, all of it.”
“Anything else?”
She shook her head, then she tossed her invisible hair over her shoulder again and laughed. “I don’t suppose you have any shears?”
“Better,” Feln said. He unsheathed the small Dragonfly knife. “Beyond sharp.”
“Well, don’t just stand there, get to it!” She flipped what remained of her hair to her back, stood up, and spun around.
Feln took the knife and cut off part of her hair with ease. “If you tell anyone about this I’ll have your head,” he said.
It was the first time he had heard Ryl laugh, and it made him feel better. He knew, though, that things would never be better. Owori was gone and nothing could fill that void. Nothing.
#
The next day he was told by a messenger that guests in the palace would be allowed to depart in two days, then after sufficient time had passed, the Most Favoreds would travel to Hikimi and Furawa for the funerals of their dead leaders. Given the terrible events, it could take months before the funerals would take place. The messenger had no other news to offer, nor did the guards posted at his door tell him anything useful. The guests in the suites near him were getting restless, he could feel it, and that put everyone on edge. He visited Suun during the day, only to find that she had not improved and was still unconscious much of the time, and when awake, was incoherent. His family was taking good care of her and he was hopeful that she would awaken soon and be on her way to a full recovery. Without her and Owori, he felt as if he had no one to talk to except Pearl. Ryl remained close, but she didn’t enter into conversations or respond to him initiating a discussion. She answered questions curtly and didn’t comment, was content to look at the ground. Pearl was recovering on her own, quiet in his estimation, so he didn’t bother her with his thoughts. Food was brought to them, this must have been a huge undertaking by the palace, and Feln guessed it was done to keep everyone apart. He was certain the Emperor was questioning each family, trying to piece together what had happened and trying to determine if anyone had conspired with the attackers. What worried him was why no one had talked to him yet. It was nearly time for their release.
Later that day a knock came at his door. It had to be a guest, someone other than members of his family, as he had told the family to come in no matter what the time or urgency, or lack thereof. Through the door came Caleth, dressed in black robes with gold dragon accents and the red belt. The Warlord of Pyndira.
“Caleth, well met!” Feln said. Across the room Ryl made a slight motion with her hand. Acknowledgment.
Caleth shut the door. “Well met Feln. I don’t have much time, so I need you to listen to what I have to say.”
“Of course. Should I summon Pearl? She’s close by.”
“No time for that. Feln, the Emperor is angry beyond reason. If he finds out I came here, I don’t know what he’ll do to me.”
“Ryl, go fetch Pearl!”
Ryl shuttled to the door and slipped outside.
“Is Suun going to survive?” Caleth asked.
“I think so,” Feln replied. “We’ll take good care of her, I promise.”
Caleth nodded. “We are going to hunt down those responsible for this, but we are also going to find every Fury in Pyndira and put an end to this terror. Unmarked Furies are to be destroyed, marked Furies regardless of station, loyalty, must go through a series of tests designed to trap them if they have broken the magic. He doesn’t care if he kills every unmarked Fury or disloyal Furies, he wants them dead. First his father died, now his love Qia has suffered at their hands.”
“Then he must have a notion of where these rebel Furies are. What do you know?”
“Shisaru is the where. Those caught after the attack died in the Emperor’s dungeons before they could reveal all they knew though.”
“What does the Most Favored of Shisaru say to all of this?”
“He took his own life.”
“What?”
“He took a short steel blade
and ripped his guts out with it. He bled to death. If you’re wondering, it wasn’t staged. He did it right in front of seven witnesses.”
“He took the easy path,” Feln muttered, “rather than face the problems ahead. I suspect there is a bigger issue than the one we’re envisioning.”
“How so?” Caleth asked.
“These Furies have integrated into the Sode family. Look what happened to the Accord of the Hand. Despite the Grand Master’s inklings of problems, he was unable to avoid disaster because the Furies were too well integrated into the other monasteries – Bora and presumably Tyilip. What if the Furies control Shisaru and the Sode family? What if they are holding the Sode family hostage, forcing them to cooperate?”
“It makes sense. That would take an enormous amount of effort, time, and numbers.”
“Yes and no. All it would take is the Furies controlling the Most Favored, then threatening the family. Once they accomplished that, they could continue along as if nothing was wrong. They could work in the background and do as they pleased. Who we’re looking for is a person who is connected to the family on the periphery. A person who knows about Furies, or is a Fury, and can lead them into this reign of terror.”
The door opened. Ryl shot through first, went to her seat, and resumed her normal awkward position staring at the floor. Pearl followed, shut the door and sat at Feln’s side.