by Paul Heisel
“So what are they trying to accomplish?” Caleth asked, giving Pearl a slight nod.
“I have thought about this and only have notions. You know there was an attack on the Emperor and Warlord months ago. I believe that attack was to kill the Warlord, to force the Crypt to open and bring all the families together where they could strike this horrific blow. Owori saved them from that attack, but the Emperor became sick and died. It had the same effect, a new Warlord was needed because of the line of succession. The Furies found a way to help Djaa become the new Warlord, and while all the families were together at the funeral, they were going to attack. Only we lucked out because Pearl realized the attack was happening.”
“What does killing the Most Favoreds do?”
“Destabilizes the provinces,” Pearl said. “It may also put inexperienced people leading the families.”
“If they had been successful in killing the Emperor,” Feln continued, “his staff, and members of the family, the Warlord in particular would have been in charge. I don’t know what Djaa would have done during that time. Maybe he would have put Furies in high positions or granted them their own province. Who knows? I believe they have a Most Favored belt and they’re using that to break the magic binding of Furies to their families.”
“How do we stop them? If this is their plan, what is their next move?”
“I don’t know. They’ve failed to kill the Emperor and the other Most Favoreds. Perhaps they will continue with that.”
“They will regroup,” Pearl stated. “If their elaborate plan has failed, they will pull back where they can reorganize and figure out where they need to strike next.”
“I have to go. I’ve stayed too long already. Thank you for your insight. I will send whatever information I’m allowed to disseminate. It has been made clear to me, though, that I’m part of the Nutahi family now.” Caleth went to the door. He turned. “Just so you know, I cleared Pearl’s name in all of this, so she’ll be able to travel with you.”
“Thanks,” Feln said.
“Many have accused her of starting this, but I know she was trying to stop it. She saved hundreds of lives, maybe even the Emperor’s life. For that we are grateful.”
“You know that members of the Sode family were escorted safely away from the funeral just before the attacks. That was why Pearl suspected an attack was imminent. That’s why she acted so quickly.”
Caleth’s face became pale. “They said the same thing about you, that your Fury escorted you to safety just as the magic started flying. I wouldn’t go throwing around accusations unless you want it to come back to you. These are powerful people, that was made clear to me.”
“Understood,” Feln said.
“I will always be your friend,” Caleth said from the door. “From that first day in Borgard when I met you until the day I die, you will always be my friend. I will try my best to muddle through this situation, to understand why I became Warlord. No matter what is happening, you can count on me to help you. I may not be able to send an army your way, but you never know until you ask. Farewell, Francis Eln Surrey. I hope we can see each other in the coming months.”
He opened the door and disappeared before Feln could say anything.
Feln sat down and Pearl came to his side. It made him feel good he had a powerful ally in Caleth, the new Warlord of Pyndira. He knew why Caleth was the Warlord; it was because he was the right person for the position. That wasn’t lost to him. He smiled.
“The other families are twisting the facts,” Pearl said.
“I can’t say that I’m shocked.”
Of course they would deflect the coincidence of their exit and say they suspected something bad was about to happen. Though it didn’t directly lay blame on him or his family, he was sure there would be inquiries and the Emperor would attempt to compare, contrast, and reconstruct the events from every story told. There would be questions why only he, Pearl, and Ryl had attended – and each of them had survived. Despite Caleth clearing Pearl from wrongdoing, hundreds of survivors saw her throw bolts of lightning over the Emperor’s head while Ryl took taken him to safety. He would have to stick with the truth, that was all he knew, and he would have to use his teams to investigate the Sode family in the coming months. If there were thousands of Furies working together, he was certain they could hold a province hostage. Next they would send Furies to infiltrate other families, like the Ku family in Emesia, so they could push forward their political agenda. That brought him to the next idea that they were looking for their own province, and he figured out that had to be southern Emesia, near Hou. The reason they were sending horse demons to Hou was to disrupt trade and frighten the population of the south. Rayu said that thousands had fled north. Feln imagined the Furies were trying to empty the south, making it the perfect place to set up their own province. To make it all happen smoothly, they helped Hiru become the Most Favored of Emesia. Hiru wouldn’t care if the south fell under a separate banner if it meant he was the Most Favored of Emesia. Kojo invaded Emesia as part of the plan, not to fight his way north, but to be driven south. It was no wonder Kojo didn’t fortify supply lines – they simply set up camp and were waiting for Hiru to drive them to the south and empty it further by military occupation. But with Kojo dead and the alliance broken, it never happened. The biggest hole in his theory was this; if the Furies held Shisaru captive, then why would they need their own province? Then, he wondered, what was so special about southern Emesia?
It dawned on him, and it was no wonder the rebel Furies were trying to kill him, and why they sent a horse demon to his manor house. He interfered with Chang’s assassination, killed Hiru’s unbound Fury, and upset their plans to take southern Emesia. By killing Kojo, he also upset Hiru’s obligations. Now Hiru had to go through with granting them southern Emesia, but the south wasn’t empty. If he was right about this, then a formal political move would happen soon. He didn’t know what the process was, but he was certain it would begin with Hiru. The Furies worked to manipulate the outcome of the selection for the Warlord of Pyndira, to put Djaa in charge, a man they could control, thus controlling the Emperor’s army and putting him on the temporary throne when they slaughtered everyone at the funeral. They failed, and again, he had a hand in their failure. Caleth, from his family, bested Djaa, and Pearl issued warning during the attack. If they wanted him dead before, they probably wanted his whole family wiped out now.
What he needed to do next was get home to Safun, and he had to protect the Furies – Pearl’s Furies – to make sure they didn’t suffer in Yuki’s search for those responsible. They would have to give up their freedom, which he disagreed with, but the alternative was death. They were living on their own in his province, not bothering anyone, not destroying. It made him wonder why the Furies didn’t try to establish their own province through peaceful means. He knew the answer to that – the establishment wouldn’t have listened to them. They became violent to manipulate what they could, but also to make a peaceful solution look attractive. He wondered what Yuki would say when Hiru was going to help the Furies establish their own province, and what conflict that would bring about. Feln rubbed his face, feeling the stubble. One thing was clear; he needed to get out of here and do it as soon as possible.
“You seem lost in thought,” Pearl said. “Talk to me.”
“This is going to get worse.”
“I know, but I have a plan," she said. "It probably won’t work and it has a lot of risk.”
“I don’t care about the risks. I need to act on my plans instead of reacting to theirs. Let me hear it.”
Chapter 6 - Alive
The Emperor released the families one by one, letting them depart in stages over several days. With their release went an official decree announcing that any family member harboring unmarked Furies would suffer punishment and death, and the same would happen to the unmarked Furies. By law, a Fury must be taken to Salt Island to be marked. As they were leaving, the Emperor’s troops were gathe
ring to disperse into the provinces to find the unmarked Furies. Feln wondered if Caleth told the Emperor about the Furies he had in Safun, and if he relayed any of the information they had discussed. There was nothing he could do about it, so he didn’t dwell on it. He needed to get back to Safun as fast as he could and carry out Pearl’s plan. Ahead of him went a detailed message to his administrators, for them to contact Tasha and give her the second message they weren’t supposed to read.
Because of the potential for an ambush, Feln had his family support rumors that they were going to gather in the heart of Amuyakin to obtain supplies, mercenaries, and other necessities that were lost when their manor house burned to the ground. For this they rented a sizeable hostel for two days. The group arrived at the hostel nearing dusk, pretended to occupy it, paid the owner a substantial amount, then departed in the dark. The family left for Safun, moving as swiftly as they dared in the night. Feln felt better now they were on their way, and he hoped the slight deception was enough to delay anyone trying to waylay them. They were going to take a less traveled road, would go south for many days until they passed over the mountains, then cut across to the east toward Safun by going through Hikimi. It was the long way around, tough going through the mountains too, but would be safest to avoid Shisaru as much as possible. As soon as they reached the coast, they would drive north into Safun.
On the way out of the city, Feln and Ryl stopped by the Xialao manor house to say goodbye to Emato. The grounds were alight, brightened by all the red lanterns that he had salvaged from their pavilion. He did it to honor Nar and Suun. They wouldn’t withstand the elements, and no doubt they would fall apart and disintegrate. It seemed like such a long time ago since he had arrived. Ahead of him were the beginnings of a new manor house, and despite the snow and cold, there was progress. There were temporary structures dotting the area – presumably to keep the weather off important tools and materials – and the buildings that survived the attack were filled to the brim with workers resting for the evening. They met with Emato and learned it would be another nine months for the manor house to be finished, and given the resources required, it would be ready by next autumn. Feln thanked Emato for his assistance, then he and Ryl went to join the others at a predetermined location.
They acquired horses and wagons for their group, so travel would be tolerable. Though he desired to walk, it didn’t make any sense to move any slower than they had to. Inside he felt hollow, still stunned from the events of the past weeks. He lost his friend and love, again, this time she was truly dead. It hadn’t settled in that she was gone, not yet. Nar died too and his daughter Suun was injured terribly. All of it broke his heart. He was determined to make sure everyone returned to Safun safely, and his intuition told him that it wouldn’t be an easy task. Already he felt as if eyes were watching him. They were traveling the darkened streets, walking close together with the cowls of their robes pulled up over their heads. Even with their clothing gathered about, Feln knew that Ryl was looking toward the ground. She was aware of her surroundings, her perception different from what he termed normal. That was why he brought her and kept her close, as she had the ability to sense danger and magic. She rarely wanted to be away from his side anyway, so the companionship fit with her needs as well. Pearl’s original plan had her serving this role, but he changed his personal guard to Ryl because he needed Pearl for a different assignment. Despite her objections to not being at his side, she had obeyed his orders.
There was regular activity in this part of Amuyakin. Local establishments were hosting out of town travelers who came to the capital for the Emperor’s funeral, as well as accommodating their regular patrons. There were neighborhoods, businesses, streets and alleys. Light poles were lit; others had been extinguished or were without fuel. The night air was cold, dampening their spirits as they walked to the meeting place. Remnants of snow reminded Feln that it was early winter. Safun was farther north and east, so he expected more snow to be awaiting them. He checked his blade sheathed on his left hip, the light and strong Dragonfly blade ready to be drawn if needed. The blade’s siblings were nestled comfortably in their sheaths on his other hip.
He felt Ryl’s hand touch his arm, holding him back, and he stopped in concert with her.
“What is it?”
“Ahead. Magic.”
There wasn’t much light here and it was hard for Feln to see the figures coming from the shadows. They were robed as he and Ryl were, cowls drawn to hide their faces. The clouds passed by, creating an opening for the light of the twin red moons to shine down. It was a sick glow, garish against the black robes of the people approaching them. Feln heard doors shut along the street. Shutters slammed against window panes. Barking dogs were silenced. Stragglers in the avenue fled for the indoors.
“Where are the others?” Feln whispered.
“Not here,” Ryl said. “I don’t feel them.”
“Shades.”
The robed gang came forward. There were ten in all. He could see they were armed with a variety of weapons, and he suspected a few of them, if not all, were Furies. This was what he had anticipated, a last attempt to get rid of him before he left the confines of the city. At Pearl’s suggestion, he had put his own Furies along their route to protect them. Help would be coming soon, yet he had a feeling they wouldn’t. His deception would be his undoing.
“Where are they?” Feln asked quietly. The group would be close enough to attack or talk – now he wasn’t sure what they were going to do. No weapons were drawn, though he suspected these Furies didn’t need weapons.
There was no response to his question. Feln could feel Ryl tensing.
“We’ve neutralized your family,” a man said. He stopped out of sword reach of Feln. The mob behind him spread out in a fan to either side, taking up positions of strength. “You are about to meet the same fate.”
The voice wasn’t familiar. Feln didn’t believe the stranger had neutralized everyone put out here to help. More unexpected help was on the way if he trusted Caleth and Pearl.
“Same as Keme?” Feln asked. “He’s a victim in this too.”
“That was his own doing,” the man replied. “But not unexpected. That man could never handle the anxiety we caused him.”
“Is that why you killed his wife and spared select others at the funeral? To remind him of who was in charge?”
“‘Is in charge’,” he corrected. “You’re intelligent for a dead man.”
“You think I didn’t predict this?”
“You’ve been one step behind the whole time. Lucky is what I call it. If you would have figured this out, you would have been more creative in your departure from the city.”
“So you think you’ve cleared away the members of my family I put along this route to protect me?”
“Indeed. They are elsewhere.”
“There are others coming up behind us for support. The Emperor’s troops are marching here at the command of the Warlord of Pyndira. You’re running out of time, whoever you are. If you don’t leave, then the troops will take you and it won’t matter what happens to me.”
“The troops have been ordered elsewhere, to the same area your faithful have gone. Again, you are one step behind.”
Feln nodded, not replying. He had managed to appeal to Yuki and Caleth, a last desperate cry for assistance to trap the Furies responsible for this. Only at Caleth’s strong urging had Yuki agreed to provide a large force that would come to his side when the ambush happened. They weren’t too distant, but Feln was sure he didn’t have much time. There was a tug on his robe. Ryl was trying to pull him backward for protection. She got in front of him, her head downcast.
“Don’t protect him,” the leader said. “Most Favoreds like Feln are enslaving Furies, buying them like cattle. It’s time for that to stop. It is time for you to join us.”
“I haven’t enslaved anyone,” Feln spoke. “They joined my family of their free will. I haven’t forced anyone to serve, nor have I paid any
coin for their services.”
“How many did you get from Bora?” asked a familiar voice. From the shadows on the side of the street came two robed figures. One was gigantic in size, the other of normal size. The tall man was Gargam and the man talking was Djaa.
“Why are you helping these Furies?" Feln asked. "All they have done is brought destruction.”
Djaa stepped forward, closer, moving deliberately. His left arm was immobilized in a sling. His face was still bruised and puffy from Caleth's lasting kick. “You are such a fool. You have power, blessings of a Most Favored belt, and you squander it thinking you’ll uphold Pyndira’s laws. These belts are meant to rule Pyndira. The Xialao family has been hated for centuries, their righteousness spitting in the face of the true power of Pyndira. When you die today, we will have done Pyndira a great service. I promise you, the Most Favored belt of your family will never be found...”
“Enough Djaa. You have had your promised say. Now leave before I count you among the casualties. You have served your purpose.” The leader made a motion with his hand. Bows appeared and were pulled taught, long thick arrows nocked into the strings. Djaa walked away with Gargam in tow, disappearing in the shadows beyond Feln’s sight.
The timing of the encounter was the one variable Feln couldn’t control, and now it was going to be the end of him. The Emperor’s soldiers hadn’t arrived, though he was confident they were on their way. Even though the Fury leader thought he had misguided the troops, Feln had insisted that any orders to stray from the plan would have to be accompanied by an unprompted phrase known only to Pearl. Only at her direction would the troops go elsewhere. Still, they weren’t here. Unless the army hurried, they would only be in time to pick up their dead bodies.
A wave of silent thunder spread out from Ryl, catching their attackers with moderate force and knocking them to the ground. Arrows fluttered into the darkened sky and landed harmlessly away. Those who resisted her magic let their arrows fly, the missiles darted across the short distance in the blink of an eye. The air tingled with magic. None of them found their mark, bouncing harmlessly away from an invisible force.