by Choi, Bryan
“Beg your pardon. I didn’t expect you to…”
“Oh, Natalis.” She shook her head. “Tell me honestly. Do you think me a monster?”
Taki flinched. “No!”
“Many times, I’ve been given lives to spend. Every officer has. But I’ve spent frivolously. I’ve squandered. I can’t stop. I cost all of those garrison men their lives. One day, I’ll spend you.”
“That’s fine!” Taki snapped, despite his best efforts at restraint. “I owe you my life. Everyone else does, too. You’re my captain, and I’ll follow you to the end. Spend me without regret. I could ask for no more honor.”
Lotte fell silent but slid her hand over to rest on his. Their fingers intertwined. Overhead, the night sky seemed to swallow the earth and all of the people who lived and died upon it.
The next morning, a massive object in the sky darkened the Potala and obscured the sunrise for a wide swath of Lhasa. Taki stared up at it, agog, his watch duties forgotten.
“Marvelous, isn’t she?” Aslatiel said.
Taki nodded, his neck aching from tilting his head back for so long. “But just what is it?”
“A zeppelin. A secret of the old world brought back to us by the padishah’s wisdom. That one is the Lyudmila. She will take us from here to Sevastopol, as we are conveniently on the way.”
“Can it fight?”
“Yes, though she is better used for scouting. I’ve been told the crew is transporting a survey team sent to explore the waters east of the Goryeo Peninsula. Perhaps we will get to talk with them.”
Taki had to stop staring for fear that his neck would start to spasm. The ship was slowly descending, and the tiny forms of the crew were starting to become more visible. Mooring lines fell like silvery threads onto the roof of the palace. The Imperium had fearsome resources at its disposal. But they lacked a God Hand, and thus I’m still alive, Taki thought. He looked at Aslatiel. Normally unflappable and almost inscrutable, the man seemed anxious. Like everything else about him, however, the effect was subtle.
“Are you thinking of Lady Irulan?” Taki asked.
“I’m thinking of all who were injured in that battle,” Aslatiel said. “She is one of the severe cases.”
“I guess I meant on a more personal level.”
Aslatiel raised an eyebrow, and his lips thinned with a smile. “You’re very perceptive. I’m glad I didn’t kill you the first time we met.”
Taki’s scar throbbed. “You were close. I was worried I’d be crippled for life.”
“Being unable to eliminate your squad was a source of aggravation for my sister and me. We were convinced that you were all protégés of the Agia Triada. Imagine our embarrassment when we learned the truth.”
“That’s a bit unfair.”
Aslatiel bowed. “My apologies. I didn’t intend to demean you or your fellows.”
Taki cast his gaze downward. “No, it was I who reacted overmuch. It’s just that, in the past, we suffered greatly because of your actions. My captain most of all.” A shiver coursed through him as he recalled his hatred of Archangel Jibriil.
“Captain Satou is one of the most formidable warriors I’ve worked with in my career. You are lucky to be one of her soldiers. And I am lucky to have her on our side.”
Taki nodded and turned his toes inward. “Do you believe in fate?”
Aslatiel shook his head. “We make our own destiny, within certain limits.”
“I agree, but I also disagree. How would I have ever ended up here other than through some great design that I can’t even fathom?”
“Keep in mind that I’ve never claimed to have all the answers to those questions. Just because I don’t believe in a guiding hand that controls our destiny doesn’t mean I’m right.”
“May I speak frankly?”
“Always.”
Taki felt his cheeks redden and his heart quicken to meet Aslatiel’s gaze. “Part of the reason I believe in fate is that—I couldn’t have ever imagined myself saying this—I like serving with you. Now that I’ve seen what you fight against, perhaps the Way is something worth defending. I’ve never felt proud of my nation until now.” Taki paused and shook his head. “Then again, your nation really isn’t my nation, is it?”
Aslatiel placed his hands on Taki’s shoulders. “Wrong. You followed the Way long before you even knew it, and when asked to uphold our principles, you did so willingly. That means you are a true citizen of the Imperium, and I’m pleased to have you, and even your companions, as its defenders.”
Taki felt a strangely pleasant heaviness in his chest. He always knows what to say at the right moment. Dassa was right: he really is a gigolo.
“Of course, while you are very perceptive, Natalis, I am as well,” Aslatiel said. “I’ve noticed that Shpejtspate harbors some affection for you.”
“Did—did she go around spreading rumors?” Taki said indignantly.
“She comports herself better than that. But it’s quite obvious when she pines. I haven’t intervened because nothing has happened yet. However, keep in mind the fact that you are a junior officer and she is merely a kadet. Such an imbalance in rank makes for an exploitative relationship.”
“I’m not exploiting her,” Taki grumbled. “Besides, I wish she’d lay off me. I’m not even sure I really like her in that way.”
Aslatiel chuckled. “I know you mean no harm, and I know you haven’t inflicted any. It’s just that you’re both very young. Though we may compel you to fight and kill, we also want you to lead fulfilling lives, as hypocritical as it may be. You don’t have to grow up too quickly.”
“With all due respect, how old are you, sir?” Taki pouted. Gigolo, my ass!
“Twenty.”
“I’m seventeen, you know.”
“And cute as a button.” Aslatiel walked away and left Taki fuming.
A fortnight later, cabin fever had dampened everyone’s spirits. Taki had taken to spending long hours on the top deck practicing his swordsmanship, which he had come to realize was lacking. If his track record from before wasn’t proof enough, having Aslatiel as his opponent was.
“Argh!” Taki grunted in pain as the kriegsmesser scored a hit on the meat of his shoulder. A blotch of crimson stained his padded jerkin. Aslatiel had volunteered to teach both him and Enilna the finer points of blade combat, and Taki soon found that his teacher had no compunctions about cutting flesh to teach a lesson. The wounds were all superficial but stung fiercely, and the itching from his scabs added to the torment.
“Focus on me, not my blade,” Aslatiel said. “You tripped up and got lost in the footwork, and you didn’t see my hips telegraph the strike.”
“Sorry, master,” Taki said.
“No apologies. This is to aid your own survival. Again.”
Aslatiel drew back into a low posta coda. They had been at each other for a full hour by now, but Taki’s desire to score even one hit overpowered his urge to rest. This time, he approached head on but feinted first, as if he were trying a wide slash. Midway, he drew back against the expected counterstrike and pirouetted to close the gap and try to nick his teacher’s thigh. Aslatiel twisted aside and smashed his fist into Taki’s solar plexus. Taki collapsed, sputtering for air.
“You…you didn’t say we could use fists.”
“I did not. You must be ready to use every weapon at your disposal, including your bare hands. Still, the fact that I was forced to use mine means that you are doing better.” Aslatiel offered his hand. Taki took it, considered trying a throw, and decided not to. He was tired and did not want to turn a small victory into a major defeat. Despite overwhelming soreness, he smiled at the compliment.
“Natalis, take a break. Shpejtspate, your turn,” Aslatiel said.
Breathing heavily, Taki reclined against the deck railing and watched Enilna spar. For a mere kadet, she was surprisingly adept at swordplay, more so than he. This only meant that Aslatiel could lay her out in six seconds as opposed to three. How did I ever surv
ive the likes of him, he wondered. Enilna’s rapier clattered to the deck, and she raised her hands to yield.
“The enemy will give no mercy if she disarms you! Fight!” Aslatiel said, and came after her with his sword. Enilna scowled, hopped to her feet, and charged. She dove under the arc of his blade and tried to tackle him by the waist. Aslatiel drove an elbow between her shoulders, and she convulsed and dropped to the deck. She had barely rolled over before he threw her across the deck to skid next to Taki.
He sheathed his sword. “That’s enough for today. You both need to concentrate on the fundamentals, though your blade control has improved. You’re at liberty until supper.”
“You okay?” Taki asked, and extended a hand to Enilna.
“Ugh, I think he broke something I can’t even name.” She struggled to her feet.
Taki smiled. “At least he didn’t nick you this time.”
“I thought Irulan was a hardass, but Aslatiel’s a sadist.”
“He’s a hard taskmaster, but I’m also getting fewer scratches these days. Here, let’s go back to quarters. This canvas is itchy, and I’m getting blood everywhere.” Taki chuckled as he led Enilna below decks. At her quarters, he was about to take his leave.
“Wait. Help me, and I’ll help you,” Enilna said. She pointed to the back of her training jerkin. Designed to protect vital organs from an errant sword thrust, the jerkins laced up in back and were as cumbersome to remove as they were to put on.
“Fine,” Taki said, and started to undo her knots. Halfway down, he realized that she wasn’t wearing a camisole underneath. He averted his eyes, and his fingers became clumsy as a result.
“I’ll take the rest. Here, turn and I’ll get you started,” Enilna said. Relieved to not be facing her anymore, Taki acquiesced and let her fingers work at the cords. She was far more dexterous than he, and the vest was off before he knew it.
“Thanks, I’ll see you,” Taki said.
She stopped him. “That’s a nasty one.” Her finger traced the cut over his shoulder. “Here, an old-fashioned remedy.”
Taki’s eyes widened as he felt her place her lips to the wound and start to suck. “What are you doing?” He turned and stumbled when he saw her vest was off entirely.
“Isn’t it obvious? I like you. I want you,” she said. “And I’m sure you’re tired of being a virgin.”
Taki felt his heart thump in his chest. A pleasant, irrational fog suffused his brain. It was unlikely anyone would catch them, and there was no telling when another opportunity like this would come up. She was beautiful and willing. Now he would really become a man. He hoped he wouldn’t finish too early and disappoint her. He stepped closer and placed his hands on her waist. She raised her head and closed her eyes for a kiss.
She was trembling. Aslatiel’s words from earlier nagged at Taki and wouldn’t let go. But even more than that, he sensed something strange, whether from her demeanor or her touch. What was the best word for what she emanated? Fear, he realized.
“No. Not like this.” He backed away and hurriedly gathered his jerkin up. Enilna opened her eyes and blinked in confusion.
“Don’t you like me?” she asked, looking wounded.
“I think so, but I want to do this right.” Taki clenched his teeth and left without a word.
The next time they trained, Enilna didn’t speak with him once. For the rest of the journey, their exchanges were terse at best, and she chose to spend all of her spare time anywhere but with him. Taki considered talking with Aslatiel but decided not to. He didn’t want to see her disciplined or pulled from a choice apprenticeship. And he didn’t want to arouse suspicion of being—how had Hadassah put it?—a “Chomeo.” Fuck my life, he thought to himself as he gazed over the wastelands.
“I never thought I’d see it in my life, and certainly not from on high,” Lotte muttered as she surveyed the city below from the top deck of the Lyudmila.
Taki raised a brow in concern, for his captain seemed apt to pitch over the railing she leaned over. He considered grasping the back of her shirt to steady her, but reasoned that there was an equal chance of mistakenly pushing her to her doom by mistake. “Captain, is this really Sevastopol?”
“Aye,” Lotte said, and pointed. “See the white obelisk rising from the water, near the harbor mouth? Do you see the stone griffin perched atop it?”
Taki squinted at the monument. “I…I’m sorry, but I can’t make it out from here.”
“Where’s Emreis and his spyglass when you need them?” Lotte said. “You’ll just have to take my word for it. The griffin is the city mascot, and the the symbol of the Imperial spetsnaz. No Argead has ever seen this place and survived. The city’s a giant fortress entirely dedicated to rearing soldiers like von Halcon and his ilk. If there’s any place the Imperials consider sacred, it’s here.”
“Like their version of the Cloud Temple, then?”
“You could say that, though the Imperials are a godless bunch, in case you haven’t noticed. They don’t think they need to repent.”
Taki found himself reflexively shaking his head. Polaris like him or Lotte were the descendants of the demons who’d ended the golden age of man. It was impossible to absolve such a crushing burden of sin within one life, let alone a thousand. Thus, it was only right that the demons’ children paid for their parents’ sins. The fact that the taint of prana had grown so weak over the ensuing centuries of Polaris existence was proof that little by little, the debt was being repaid. But then why would God let us lose to the Imperials?
He promptly forced himself to ignore his own question. One of the unforeseen downsides of spending time with Aslatiel had been an increased propensity for blasphemous thoughts. Draco was already a lost cause on that front and Hadassah was given a pass because she was one of the chosen, but Taki was resolved not to fritter away everlasting life for stupid reasons. “It doesn’t look like a fortress from here,” Taki blurted out. “Hell, it looks like any other burg viewed from a mountainside. I’m sure we’ll live.”
Lotte chuckled. “I won’t let them murder us before we’ve sampled the famous pump showers.”
“What’re those?”
“I don’t actually know. I was hoping to find out, myself.”
As they conversed, the Lyudmila began a rapid descent toward the city, into a large clearing encircled by a high curtain wall backed by an imposing keep that bristled with cannon and overlooked the eastern sector of the city. Before long, the zeppelin was securely moored to the ground by lengths of braided metal rope. Crewmen delicately lowered the ship’s ramp to the ground, taking extra care not to let the metal slab slam against the packed earth. Taki and Lotte moved toward it when Aslatiel tapped their shoulders.
“Hold, you two. Do you not see what’s before us?” Aslatiel pointed. “We’ve got an honor guard. And not just any honor guard. Those are attendants of the Imperial Cult.”
Standing in perfect formation nearby were dozens of soldiers armored in shiny black plate and veiled by crimson niqab. Each hefted an ahlspiess taller than a man, and slung on their backs were pristinely-cleaned and oiled rifles. And each one was completely silent and still, to the point where it was hard to tell if they breathed. Taki whistled softly to himself. “Did you just say ‘cult?’”
“Aye, though it’s an archaic and outdated name for the padishah’s personal guard. Remember, he isn’t a god and doesn’t wish to be thought of as such.”
Taki bit his lip. “If they’re here, then is the padishah with them?”
“Yes,” Aslatiel said. “And I need you to answer me sincerely. Will you bend the knee to His Majesty?”
Lotte raised an eyebrow. “Do we have a choice?”
“No. But I don’t wish to pick needlessly at old wounds. If any of your number are thoroughly opposed, then I will give them leave to stay aboard the ship until the padishah has departed.”
Lotte smiled. “That’s…kind of you, Aslatiel. If our positions were reversed, I’d make you kowtow to t
he basileus whether you wanted to or not. You’d also be in chains, and quite possibly naked. I will bend the knee, as will my men. We’ll do anything to find Mezeta.”
Aslatiel nodded. “I thank you for your cooperation. I only hope that one day, you’ll kneel out of love of the Way, and not lust for revenge.”
“Get us our woman, and I’ll love whatever you want me to,” Lotte said.
Taki’s cheeks reddened again, and he turned and made his way to the ramp. Despite Lotte’s sentiments, Taki was flush with anticipation. He’d known and served two Argead basileioi, and had even killed one of them, but the Imperial padishah decided the fate of millions across a land the size of hundreds of Dominions. And unlike the basileioi, the padishah seemed to hold the welfare of his subjects close to his heart. Perhaps one day, Taki hoped, Lotte would find happiness in her service as well.
The two squads slowly marched their way toward the Imperial Cult until Aslatiel stopped, thrust out an arm, and knelt with a flourish. Taki immediately followed suit, as did the rest of the Alfa. The remainder of Tirefire the Lesser gracelessly got to their knees a moment later.
The Imperial padishah sat on a gilded, velvet-upholstered throne that glided along on spoked wheels. He wore a mink greatcoat draped over the shoulders of an Imperial officer’s dress tunic, and on his head was a thin circlet of unadorned white gold. His features, however, were anything but elegant or imposing. A pair of sunken and clouded eyes spoke of blindness, and the skin over his drawn features was thin to the point of translucency.
Yet it was not the decrepit Imperial ruler that set Taki’s heart pounding, but Chronicler, who pushed the man’s wheeled throne. The mere sight of the wizened easterner made Taki’s throat want to close, and he quickly averted his eyes. He’d not yet forgotten what it had felt like to stand in the man’s soul-draining shadow.
“His Imperial Majesty wishes to commend you, Aslatiel, for a job well done in Xizhang,” Chronicler said. “He wanted to personally view the heroes who punished the vile rebels who threatened our honored teaching men and women.”