He paused outside the entrance to listen and thought he could hear the great fortress slowly, slowly, exhaling.
“What, still awake, Wife?” Raidan said as he entered the day room and saw Taya sitting on the couch, a thick book in her hands. She laid the frayed volume down on her lap and silently watched as he crossed the room to settle at her side. “You look troubled,” he murmured, then brushed her lips with his. She sighed. “What is it?” he asked.
“You’ve come from a meeting with your supporters.”
“Yes,” he replied.
She frowned, angry now. “Husband, you are playing a dangerous game! If Keizo discovers you’ve been plotting against him…”
Raidan held up his hand to silence her. “I am not plotting against my brother. I’m putting into place a plan that just might avert a civil war.”
“Your plan calls for killing Keizo’s daughter. That, Husband, you cannot do. It would mean utter disaster!” Taya’s green eyes blazed with warning.
Raidan felt his temper give way. “Damn it, Taya!” he growled. “What would you have me do? Stand by passively while my brother disinherits me and our son? No, let me speak!” he demanded as Taya opened her mouth to respond. “You know I trust you completely, but the time has come when blind trust is not enough. I must have a sound reason for staying my hand. Jelena harbors important magic, and the Kirians need her for a vital ritual, one that will safeguard our world as we know it…This much you’ve told me, but I know there’s more to it!” He met Taya’s hard-eyed stare with one of his own. “If you want my cooperation, Wife, then tell me the entire truth now.”
Taya rested a hand on the book in her lap. She stared down at its faded brown leather cover for several moments before she spoke. “I will tell you everything now, because you have a right to know, but from this day forward, you are sworn to our cause.”
Raidan took a deep breath to both calm and prepare himself. He waited expectantly for Taya to begin.
“This book,” she tapped the cover for emphasis, “used to belong to a former head of our Society, someone who was once very powerful but is now departed. It is one of the oldest volumes of the chronicles of the Kirian Society that we have. It helped me put together the pieces of the puzzle, so I now know who, or I should say what, Jelena is.”
Raidan frowned. “I don’t understand. Jelena is my niece…”
“Yes, this is true…Your niece, Keizo’s daughter. But she is also something more,” Taya continued. “The girl we know as Jelena Onjara is a flesh and blood vessel-a container, if you will-for something very old and extremely powerful. This I’ve told you already.”
Raidan nodded. “The Key.”
“Yes,” Taya replied. “Jelena’s life force is intermingled with the energy of the Key, which is why she must die in order for us to remove it.” She paused for a moment, eyes pensive, before continuing. “Iku Azarasha, Master of the Kirian Society over a millennium ago, was a mage of extraordinary Talent. He was the greatest Kirian of his age…perhaps of any age. It was he who first constructed the energy pattern that allowed the Kirians to master teleportation.” Taya shook her head in frustration and regret. “Sadly, the knowledge of how to construct new portals has been lost to our generation, though we still know how to use the existing ones. There are two right here in Sendai Castle.”
“Wait.” Raidan interrupted. “You said Master Iku and the Kirians hid this Key inside Jelena, but how…how could a group of mages who lived a thousand years ago put a spell into a girl who is a mere eighteen years of age?”
“Patience, Husband. I’ll explain that part later,” Taya replied.
She lifted the frayed cover of the book and thumbed through the yellowed pages with great care, pausing at a spot about midway through. “This section chronicles the only time Alasiri was ever torn by civil war,” she explained.
“I’m familiar with the story,” Raidan commented. “We all are. My ancestor, one of the first Onjara kings, battled his daughter for the throne. He lost and his daughter had his name expunged from all official records.”
“Yes,” Taya confirmed, “but there is much more to the story than is widely known. For instance, why was the name of your ancestor wiped away, as if to delete his very existence?”
Raidan shrugged. “Vengeance?” he said.
“That’s the official reason, yes.” Taya paused, her eyes darting across the pages. “Princess Syukoe went to war against her father because of his plan to unleash a magical cataclysm upon the material world. The king was a powerful sorcerer in his own right, with a Talent that may have surpassed even Master Iku’s. The Kirians discovered what the king meant to do, and they set about trying to stop him. Master Iku was once the king’s most trusted councilor, but he threw his support behind the princess once he learned the full extent of the king’s plan.
“The king constructed a spell so powerful, it qualified as a Great Working. Such magic is hazardous in the extreme to anyone who attempts it. Many steps and safeguards are necessary to avert disaster, and even so, there is a significant failure rate. Part of the Working involved the very ring your family has used as a symbol of its royalty.”
“The White Griffin.” Raidan looked down at the copy adorning the third finger of his left hand. As a scion of the House of Onjara, he was entitled to wear an exact replica of the actual White Griffin, until the day came when he took the throne and replaced his copy with the real thing.
Taya nodded in affirmation. “The other part consisted of a smaller component spell, separate from the larger Working, but integral to its function. The Kirians separated this small piece of magic, this Key that unlocked the main energy of the Working, from its original vessel, the White Griffin Ring.”
“And then they somehow placed it in Jelena.” Raidan nodded in understanding. “Just what was this Great Working supposed to do?” he asked.
“The exact nature of the king’s Working is not recorded here,” Taya sighed in frustration, “but whatever it was, Master Iku and the other Kirians deemed it so evil, they were willing to risk insanity and death to stop it from being carried out. According to this account, the Kirians joined for a Great Working of their own, and even after reading of it, even with the evidence of its success living and breathing before my very eyes, I still have trouble believing such a thing could ever have been accomplished!
“After the Kirians separated the Key to the king’s Working from the Griffin Ring, they somehow… reached forward a thousand years in time to this age, and hid the Key within the body of a living Onjara descendent: Keizo’s daughter, Jelena.”
Raidan stared hard at his wife’s face, searching for any evidence that she had the slightest doubt about her conclusions. He saw none.
“There is more to the story,” Taya said. “After Princess Syukoe defeated her father, she removed his name from all official records, not for revenge, but to prevent any adept with sufficient power and skill from using it to raise and control his spirit.”
“I don’t understand,” Raidan stated. “Are you saying the king was not slain?”
“The unnatural prolongation of life can be achieved by certain dark means,” Taya explained. “These are subjects never discussed with the uninitiated, and I shouldn’t discuss them with you, really. Through such magic, a practitioner can literally become immortal, though it’s an existence quite unlike life as we know it. The chronicle confirms the Kirians were unable to destroy the Nameless One completely. Only his body could be killed, but his spirit remained very much alive. The Kirians had to confine their enemy through magical means. They had to destroy all knowledge of his true name in order to prevent anyone with sufficient ability from releasing and controlling him.” Taya paused, then said slowly, “The true name of a thing is the ultimate key to its power.”
Taya laid the book aside and rose to her feet. She crossed the room to stand by the hearth and held her hands to the flames. Her auburn hair gleamed in the firelight and the heavy silk robe she wore couldn’
t quite hide the lush outlines of her body beneath. Raidan felt his own body stir in response.
After a moment, she continued. “Jelena harbors the Key to the Nameless One’s Great Working, a spell deemed so terrible, so utterly evil, that the greatest magical minds of the time were willing to risk everything to stop it. The Kirians were entrusted with the task of insuring that no one could ever make use of it again…” Taya’s voice trailed off.
“If the Nameless One, as you call this…this entity, is safely locked away, how can it be a threat? Jelena is well protected by a cadre of powerful mages,” Raidan said.
Taya shivered and for the first time in many years, Raidan saw fear in his wife’s eyes. His heart skipped a beat.
“The wards that keep the Nameless One confined are beginning to disintegrate-why, we don’t know,” Taya said. “The spirit is awake and gaining in strength. Soon, he will be strong enough to break free, and that we must not allow, not under any circumstances.”
“And he no doubt wants his Key back,” Raidan said.
“The Nameless One is searching for the Key as we speak, and when he locates it, as he most assuredly will, he’ll realize that its energy is inextricably bound to Jelena’s life force,” Taya replied. “He will need to seize her body and somehow bring her to him so that he can remove the Key from her. I’ve done my best to protect the Key by sealing it away behind magical wards, but any adept with enough skill could, given time, break them down. The Nameless One will try, and eventually succeed. Once he possesses the Key, he can use it for its original purpose.”
“Goddess’ tits,” Raidan swore softly.
The two of them said nothing for a time.
Finally, Raidan broke the silence. “What are the Kirians planning to do?” he asked.
“We are training the girl in the use of her Talent, but this is just a pretense. Our true mission is to prepare her for the Sundering. The Kirians must remove the Key from Jelena before the Nameless One finds her and secure it in a different vessel-preferably the White Griffin itself-which was, after all, its original vessel. Afterward, we must somehow find the necessary strength to re-imprison the spirit.”
“You don’t sound entirely certain you can do this,” Raidan said, frowning with worry.
“Our Society is not what it once was, Husband,” Taya sighed. “We are greatly reduced in both numbers and strength. Our chances of success would be much improved were we not missing one of our most Talented members, but unfortunately, she has been gone for some time and her whereabouts are unknown. Those of us who are left will have to somehow find a way.”
“Is there no way to perform this…this Sundering without killing Jelena?” Raidan asked. Curiously, he found the prospect upset him.
“Not that I know of,” Taya replied. “The only way to release the energy of the Key is to release Jelena’s life energy from her body.”
“Have you told any of this to Jelena? Does she realize she will have to die?”
“Jelena knows only part of the truth. We haven’t yet told her that her death will be necessary, but I’ve seen her courage. She won’t fail us when the time comes. What I fear is that we won’t be up to the task…that we will fail her and her death will be for naught.” Taya returned to the couch and sat beside Raidan. She laid her hand atop his. “Do you see now, Husband, why you needn’t stain your hands with the blood of your brother’s child? Jelena’s blood will be on our hands,” Raidan knew she meant the Kirians, “and if we are successful-pray Goddess that we are-then we will bear the brunt of Keizo’s wrath.”
“All of this must be very hard for Amara Sakehera… Sonoe as well,” Raidan commented.
Taya’s eyes narrowed. “Sonoe has become very close to Jelena of late… too close.” Taya tapped her cheek with a forefinger. “I’ve never trusted her, as you well know, despite our long association. I believe that if she could find a way, she would extract the Key and use its power for her own purposes.”
“I find that difficult to believe!” Raidan exclaimed, mildly shocked at his wife’s allegations. “Sonoe has been devoted to my brother for many years. Such a betrayal seems totally out of character. Really, Wife, you need to let go of this old grudge.”
“Believe what you will,” Taya replied.
Raidan slipped his arms around his wife’s waist. He could feel the power of her Talent humming within her like a hive of bees trapped beneath her robe. He kissed the back of her neck and spoke soothingly into her ear. “Time for bed, my love. We can put aside all of this until tomorrow.”
Taya swiveled in his embrace and kissed him. “You are right,” she agreed.
Arm in arm, they rose and retired to their bedchamber.
~~~
Later that night, as Taya lay sleeping beside him, Raidan stared at the bedroom ceiling, thinking.
It seemed that no matter which way his mind turned, the same conclusion confronted him, dressed in all of its grim repercussions. He tried to imagine Keizo’s horror and grief upon learning the how and why of his daughter’s death.
But what greater horror will befall all of us if Taya and her colleagues fail? If there were any way to spare you that pain, I would, Brother, but there’s just too much at stake!
The elven people were beset on all sides, from both known and unknown enemies. Though not especially pious, Raidan nevertheless found himself wondering what terrible crime the elves had committed to cause their One Goddess to forsake them.
He continued to stare into the darkness until daybreak.
Chapter 28
Allies And Enemies
"Gran, this is Ashinji. He has just arrived,” Aruk-cho said. “I will leave you two alone. You will, no doubt, have much to discuss.” The akuta turned and lumbered off. The old woman disappeared from the window and a heartbeat later, she emerged from the doorway of the barracks.
“Ai, Goddess…I am so sorry to see you here, my son,” she said in Siri-dar. She held out her hand to Ashinji, who clasped it in his. “Who are your kin, young Ashinji?” Gently, she removed her hand from Ashinji’s grasp and patted his shoulder.
“My parents are Sen and Amara Sakehera, Lord and Lady of Kerala,” he replied.
The old woman gasped. “Amara Sakehera is your mother?”
“You know my mother?”
The old woman bobbed her head. “Amara and I were colleagues, many years ago.” She waved her hand, indicating that Ashinji should follow her. “Come. We’ll go sit, and you can tell me your tale. We still have some time before the afternoon training session begins.”
She led him to where two rough stools leaned against the barracks wall. Ashinji waited for her to sit before he settled beside her.
“Once upon a time, I was known as Chiana Hiraino,” the old woman said.
“Are you kin to Tesuka Hiraino, the famous historian?” Ashinji asked.
“Tesuka was my father. You’ve studied his writings in school, no doubt. Well, Chiana Hiraino no longer exists. The woman you see before you now is known simply as ‘Gran’. The Soldarans tend to call every woman past her childbearing years by this name. It’s a term of affection for them.”
Gran was, indeed, well into her elder years. A fan of creases set off her clear blue eyes, and silver frosted her pale blonde hair. Bony hands, roughened by hard work, rested in her lap; still, her lean body gave the impression of strength rather than frailty.
Ashinji wondered how the daughter of such a renowned man as Tesuka Hiraino had come to be in this place.
“Are you a slave, Lady Chiana?” he asked.
Gran chuckled. “Yes, my son, I’m a slave, and please, don’t call me by my old name. I’m “Gran” now, and just that. Now, tell me how you ended up here.”
Ashinji gave her an abbreviated account of the battle that had ended in his capture, omitting the part Sadaiyo’s betrayal had played.
“I’d heard rumors the Soldarans had already launched an attack on our homeland,” Gran said, “and now I know the rumors are true.”
“I remember the day Sen Sakehera married your mother,” Gran said. Her eyes grew wistful as she recounted the memory. “By the One, but he was handsome! I can see a lot of him in you. Your mother gave up a great deal to be his wife.”
“You said you and my mother were colleagues once.”
“Yes, indeed. We went to school together. We are both graduates of the Kan Onji, also known as the Red Order.”
“You’re a sorceress? But then…”
“I was a practitioner once, but I gave that all up long ago,” Gran interrupted. “So did Amara, but for very different reasons.” Her voice had taken on a note of sadness, and Ashinji sensed something painful hidden behind her simple statement. Gran reached out and laid a hand on his forearm. “Your Talent is quite strong, young Ashinji, but it is still largely dormant. No…wait.” She paused and her eyes fluttered closed for a moment, then opened again. “Your Talent is not dormant. It has been blocked, and by someone quite skilled.”
“Blocked? Are you certain?”
“Quite certain,” Gran replied.” Do you have any idea who might have done this to you, and why?”
“Yes, sadly, I do. My mother.”
Gran frowned. “But why would Amara block her own child’s Talent, particularly one as strong as yours is?”
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