The Lure of Fools

by Jason James King

  “Sorry,” Kairah caught herself saying aloud. Foolish, she scolded herself, but then realized her speaking an apology to a half-dazed student was the least of her mistakes. By now, dozens of people had witnessed the effects of her escape, even if they hadn’t seen her directly, and peacekeepers would be descending on the College of Disciplines at any moment.

  I have to lose them now or I will never make it out of the city, she thought.

  Aqueduct, Aeva suggested.

  She cast her eyes toward a public water well a hundred meters down the street. The well was a portal to the city’s aqueduct, the subterranean waterway providing a quick and secret exit from the city. She would be underwater for a while, but she could hold her breath for several minutes. Behind Kairah, two crystal golems clamored through the College’s front entrance. She held her breath, a single thump of her heart screaming in her ear, and one golem fixed his crimson jewel-eye on her.

  She was out of time.

  Kairah exploded into a renewed sprint toward the well and wove through people and statues, hoping to slow the golems down. She threw a look over her shoulder and smiled. The distance between her and her pursuers grew with every step. Thirty feet, almost there.

  She was going to make it.

  She winced and toppled to the ground, her side shrieking in pain. An angry welt hardened under her shirt, and, as she lowered the material, she noticed the chunk of marble resting in front of her, debris hurled through the air as the golems mowed over statues behind her. Kairah gritted her teeth and pulled herself to her feet. The pounding steps behind her were gaining, she couldn’t stop now.

  The well was now only twenty-five feet away.

  Then twenty.

  Fifteen.

  Twelve.

  Her lungs burned in her chest, the bruise on her side crippling, and Kairah felt lightheaded, like she couldn’t take another step. She huffed, her vision struggling to focus the blur of colors before her, and then she slammed into the circular lip of the well. Without looking back, she launched herself into the dark shaft.

  It took her longer than expected to hit the water and, when she did, the cold of it nearly drove the air from her lungs. Still, she held on, and, after a protracted three minutes, she surfaced in a dark tunnel. Gasping, Kairah swam over to the wall of the aqueduct and held onto a small protrusion in the otherwise smooth stone. She didn’t know its function, but didn’t care. For the moment she was safe.

  Kairah willed the illusion pendant to drop its cloak and, after taking a moment to spell cast her wound closed, began swimming against a mild current for another twenty minutes. Eventually, she was forced to re-submerge and when she surfaced again, she found herself in a dark chamber, the echoes of her splashing telling her it was massive. Must be some kind of underground lake, she thought. She swam to the rocky shore and climbed out of the water. Kairah collapsed to the ground and closed her eyes. She couldn’t hear anyone or anything behind her, but she doubted they gave up the chase. She just couldn’t go any further.

  Are you alright? Aeva asked.

  The Spirit Lily’s apprehension soaked through her. “Yes,” Kairah said, her voice hoarse. “That did not at all go as we had planned.”

  Life seldom does, Aeva said. Again she sounded like Kairah’s mother.

  “I meant to have time to return for you.” Her voice echoed through the cave, and she shuddered.

  Do not worry, Kairah, Aeva said. I will still be able to hear your thoughts so long as you do not travel too far away from Allose.

  “How far is too far?” Kairah asked as she rose to all fours and sat on her haunches.

  Aeva did not answer.

  After another moment of rest, Kairah stood and began working her way up a moss-covered incline until she was high above the water. She followed a constructed trail for what she guessed was a mile before light began to leak into the cavern. The tension in her shoulders eased, she was getting closer.

  After another mile, Kairah emerged from a small opening into daylight. She looked toward the mountains and saw—nothing. Allose was not there. She sighed. Somewhere behind her lie the boundaries of the city’s massive cloaking spell making it so that she could no longer see her home.

  Kairah settled on a nearby rock and gathered her thoughts. I did it! The first phase of the plan is complete.” The elation faded. Now what?

  For the first time in over a decade, she was away from the Mother Shard. The distance meant she’d have to ration her Apeiron reserve until she could find another Aeose. She chuckled. That means I am going to have to sleep, something Kairah had not done in years. Normally, it would be a difficult thing, as she was not accustomed to it, but the excitement and exertion of escaping Allose had primed her for it.

  Kairah checked the charge of the illusion pendant. Fortunately, it was still full, so she would be able to hide from danger or disguise herself when she found a human city. After about an hour of sitting, Kairah began walking across the sparse grass of the foothills until she found the lee of a small hill where she decided to spend the night. As the sun set, she tested her connection with Aeva and was glad to find it still strong. That brought her a measure of comfort, and she heard herself say “Good night, Mother” to Aeva as she drifted off.

  Good night, Aeva replied, and again she sounded like Kairah’s mother.

  Jenoc hoisted his blue robe higher on his waist, careful of the embroidered fringe as he toured Elder Tardun’s ruined lecture hall. The chamber looked as though a ground quake had ripped it open with chunks of marble strewn everywhere and the semi-circular benches riddled with cracks and breaks, others missing altogether. He grinned; the crystal golems were an impressive piece of talis craftsmanship to be sure.

  Jenoc eyed the two automatons flanking the chamber’s entrance at the top of the stairs. Looking at them patiently waiting in their dormant state, Jenoc was impressed at just how nondescript they appeared.

  It must have been a total surprise to Kairah when they awoke and began chasing her, he thought.

  Kairah.

  Jenoc was still trying to process the fact that his younger sister had been the one to rob the Historical Treasury. It certainly had been out of character for her; Kairah always being so careful to respect rules and observe traditions. The others, of course, had not yet realized who their thief was. Jenoc was only able to guess it was her when he found out what had been stolen—an illusion pendant.

  This is my fault, he chided himself. Had he not confided in her this never would have happened. Still, how was Jenoc to have foreseen Kairah would resort to such drastic means? He knew how she felt about his plans, for she had tried to persuade him to abandon his work. She never could understand. Bound by the traditions of their mother, that Apeiron actually had a sentient will, Kairah had always seen the world differently from Jenoc, some would say more benevolently. Jenoc had long tried to persuade his sister that the world was only a thing of forces and counter-forces, of varied life forms competing for survival. A contest that had no rules except one: the strong live and the weak die. “Master Jenoc,” a voice called.

  Jenoc brushed strands of pale, ice-colored hair out of his face as he turned to see one of the peacekeepers approaching him. When the man was within a few paces, he stopped and bowed. “Master Jenoc, Lady Kairah.”

  Jenoc looked to his right where the perfect apparition he created of his sister dipped her head in deference. Jenoc smiled, the illusion he conjured to protect Kairah appeared to be working. No one could suspect her involvement if they saw her touring the aftermath of the crime scene with him.

  The back of Jenoc’s head throbbed, no doubt from the strain of his concentration. It was a difficult thing to produce convincingly, even for a master of the Fourth Discipline. Every moment Jenoc had to sustain the phantom was like bearing a heavy load, made all the heavier any time he had to make the illusion interact with others.

  “Dear sister,” Jenoc spoke quickly. “I think you should return home. I fear today’s events have
left you exhausted.”

  The apparition nodded, flashed a smile at the peacekeeper, and then retreated from the lecture hall. Jenoc willed the phantom to turn down an empty corridor until she was out of sight and then he released the spell, wavering on his bare feet from the wash of relief.

  “Are you well, Master Jenoc?” the peacekeeper asked.

  Jenoc massaged his closed eyes and nodded. “I too am weary from the day’s events,” he lied. “Thank you for your concern, Captain.”

  “Elder Jariel said you wished to speak with me.”

  “Indeed,” Jenoc nodded. “I believe I can help with your apprehension of the Historical Treasury’s thief.”

  “How is that?”

  Jenoc turned to look up at the crystal golems. “I believe I can spell cast a way for those two talises to continue their pursuit, even beyond the confines of Allose, if necessary.”

  The peacekeeper looked surprised, “How?”

  Jenoc flashed an indulgent smile. “Forgive me, Captain, but it takes my teaching an entire season here just to acquaint my students with the basics of such a spell.”

  The peacekeeper nodded thoughtfully.

  “Suffice it to say,” Jenoc went on, “I can set them to the task.”

  “You really believe the thief would leave Allose?” the peacekeeper asked, a touch of skepticism in his tone.

  Jenoc intentionally paused for dramatic effect and then leaned in closer to the peacekeeper. “Captain,” he began in a low, conspiratorial tone. “I met with the Synod earlier today, and, while I cannot say what we spoke of, I will tell you part of our discussion included rumors that someone was giving the human nation of Haeshala powerful talises.”

  The peacekeeper captain looked shocked. “An Allosian?”

  Jenoc slowly nodded. “If that is true, then we want to take every precaution to ensure this thief is apprehended, and we cannot discount the possibility that they will leave Allose.”

  The peacekeeper captain looked up at the two crystal golems. “Very well. Do what you need to. Just make certain they do not cause further mayhem or destruction.”

  “May I then have their command word?”

  The peacekeeper captain nodded curtly and whispered, “Elayse.”

  Jenoc nodded respectfully and watched the peacekeeper turn and walk away to rejoin a group of his subordinates. After lingering for a moment, Jenoc climbed the chamber stairs until he stood between the two motionless golems. He extended his arms outward to touch the talises simultaneously and then formed a mental connection with both of them.

  Elayse, Jenoc said with his mind.

  Both golems responded with a wordless acknowledgement.

  Jenoc projected upon them a memory of Kairah and showed them her distinct Apeiron aura. He then curtly commanded, Find this woman! She will be without the confines of Allose, likely making her way to one of the human cities. Split up and search to the east and west for her. She will be disguised by the illusion pendant she stole, so use all of your senses to locate her. When you apprehend her, alert me, but do NOT bring her back to Allose!

  Jenoc felt the crystal golems acknowledge his instructions.

  And one more thing, Jenoc added. Your new command word is Sirus. Forget all others.

  Both golems paused a moment before confirming they understood Jenoc was their new master.

  Now go, Jenoc ordered, and the two glass-like automatons exploded into motion as suddenly as a lightning strike. They left the lecture hall, their heavy footfalls mixing with the startled expressions from students.

  Jenoc lingered in the College of Disciplines for a few minutes and then purposefully made his way through the streets of Allose, heading for the large, ivory tower where he and Kairah lived. As he walked, his mind involuntarily manufactured a number of horrible things that could happen to his sister.

  She does not know the humans like I do, he thought. Her altruistic naiveté is bound to get her injured or killed. Sending the golems to apprehend Kairah had been as much about her safety as it had been to safeguard his plans. Despite their disagreement on rightful Allosian dominance, he loved his sister. She was his only family, after all, and they shared a closeness of the kind born of shared tribulation.

  Jenoc entered the ivory tower, began climbing the stairs to the fourth floor, and, in less than a minute, found himself standing in his living quarters. The large apartment was circular in shape with walls made of smooth seamless alabaster, as though the whole thing had been sculpted out of a solid piece of white marble. Several light talises woke as he walked through the apartment, casting the room in a soft, white light. Jenoc didn’t tarry or relax as he usually might, but instead went straight to the atrium located in the center of their apartment. He opened the glass door and stepped out into the garden—Kairah’s garden. Immediately, Jenoc was greeted by an aromatic cocktail of sweet smelling flowers. He breathed in the symphony of fragrances that Kairah had so carefully worked to produce. Mother’s Smile, she had called it.

  Jenoc followed a flagstone path as it wound through a tangle of decorative flora, emerging into a circular clearing with a shallow reflecting pool. From the center of the garden, one could be convinced that they were not inside a stone tower at all, so dense was the greenery. Yes, Kairah was superbly talented in the First Discipline—creation. Even more so than their mother had been, and she was considered great among the practitioners of botanical spell casting.

  Jenoc scanned the flora before fastening his eyes on a single, white flower. It was Kairah’s Spirit Lily.

  “Where is Kairah?” he demanded.

  The Spirit Lily did not respond.

  “I know that you are still in contact with her,” he warned.

  Again, there was no response.

  “Very well,” he said as he drew closer. “If you will not tell me where Kairah is, then at least relay this message to her.” Jenoc shifted to communicating solely with his thoughts to ensure the Spirit Lily understood him. Tell Kairah I am not angry, but that I am afraid for her. The world is more dangerous than she realizes, and humans are not to be trusted. Return now and all will be as it was. Only I know she stole the illusion pendant, and if she will return, I can return it to the college without them having to know who took it. He hesitated and the added in complete sincerity, Please.

  Although the Spirit Lily didn’t respond, Jenoc felt it acknowledge his message and was certain it was relaying it to his sister.

  He lingered a moment, awaiting a possible reply from Kairah, but none came.

  Very well, he thought to himself. Perhaps this experience will open your eyes, sister. Perhaps seeing the depravity of mankind firsthand will awaken you to the truth of things. Perhaps you will come to see the need for their removal from Shaelar.

  Yes, he nodded as he left the atrium to fix a remedy for his lingering migraine. He would allow his sister to wander the world of the humans for a short while, at least until the golems found her. Maybe that was the only way she could be made to understand.

  Night had fallen on the well-finder’s camp and Jekaran found himself stretching out on his bedroll somewhat earlier than usual. He yawned, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. The grueling, monotonous walking of the day only broke for brief moments when Gymal needed to relieve himself. Six or seven breaks lasting a mere five minutes hadn’t done much to relieve his aching feet.

  Jekaran snorted a laugh to himself as he rubbed his reddened toes. Rumor had it Gymal, although only a score of years older than Jekaran, had developed the Old-Man’s-Pissing Disease at a young age. Contrary to its name, the malady made it difficult and painful for a man to relieve himself, resulting in more frequent and urgent trips to the latrine. Or, in this case, the trees on the side of the road. In retrospect, Jekaran supposed the number of times they halted had amounted to about the traditional length of a worker’s noon-day break. That, combined with Gymal’s expressions of discomfort, and the occasional yelp from behind a curtain of trees, more than made up for the lun
ch Jekaran had missed.

  Uncle Ez would have a hearty laugh at Gymal’s expense when Jekaran shared the story. He smiled as he rolled over to find a position comfortable enough to invite sleep, but the thought of his uncle quickly pushed away any good humor he had been feeling.

  Was Ez safe? He wondered, and not for the first time.

  Since leaving Genra, Jekaran’s fear that the man with mismatching eyes was following him retreated into the background, as he hadn’t seen any sign of pursuit. Of course, these were Rikujo elite. The very word Rikujo meant shadow, so Jekaran couldn’t be sure if he would even know they were coming for him, but still the fear faded the further his company traveled.

  But the concern for his uncle’s safety grew. If no one was following him, did that mean they followed Ez? What if they caught up to him? Did the Invincible Shadow have any tricks left?

  Jekaran grimaced. His uncle had implied as much.

  He rested his hands on his palms and glanced toward the cook-fire where some men were finishing their dinner of chicken legs and overcooked rice. The dry sawdust taste lingered on his tongue; if he wasn’t so hungry, he would have tossed his plate in the fire. Definitely the worst part of the well-find, even worse than dealing with Gymal.

  Jekaran smiled ruefully, and then noticed the boy, Lyam watching him from his spot around the fire. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes just as Lyam diverted his eyes to the fire and shifted his weight on the log.

  Does he know me? He had caught Lyam staring at him periodically ever since they left Genra. Something in the boy’s eyes resonated as familiar with Jekaran, but, for the life of him, he couldn’t decide how he knew him. He shrugged. Maybe it was just a case of natural gravitation, they were the youngest in a company comprised of grown men. Jekaran sat up on his elbow and locked eyes with Lyam. The boy started, stood from the rock where he sat, and hurried away from the cook-fire, leaving his half-eaten drumstick on the ground.