“Seems so,” said Senei, turning to Ursar. “Where about do they want us?”
“The western gate of the palace. Be on the lookout for a tree that moves. And of course, keep your heads down.”
Senei paled visibly.
“Don’t worry, we’ve seen their kind before,” said Rewebb. “This time we have a real Dawkun on our side.”
“I wish I could be more confident.” Senei indicated her crooked knee. “Trees that move are bad fortune for me.”
“I’ll protect you,” said Rewebb. “Always do.”
“Not always.” Senei turned to Ursar. “Let us go.”
He nodded.
“We’ll fan out. The Saales recognize me, but they don’t know either of you. Keep your weapons close in case we get a chance.”
“We were told to scout, right?” said Rewebb.
“I won’t hesitate to kill any of them if I get the chance,” said Ursar. “If you want a bonus you’ll do the same as me.”
Senei shrugged.
Rewebb grinned wider.
“I like you better and better, man from Roshi.”
They set off into the streets as more and more people began to emerge from houses along the thoroughfare.
The western gate of the imperial palace stood high and bright with banners when Edmath and Surba rode Rakoi to it, closely followed by Brosk who was too heavy for the tree, in his whale tosh. Edmath balanced on Rakoi's branch and watched the low road leading down to the city’s harbor for Zuria.
Birds called from the rooftops while people came and went below them. Edmath scarcely could remember the last time he'd watched a street so intently. Once, when he and Chelka were just beginning to meet outside of classes at Lexine Park, he had watched the small road leading into the village from Lexine Park, perched in the branches of a different orpus tree created by a different mage.
That day she arrived early, though not as early as he. She approached along the path from the college, a shimmering shawl about her shoulders. She had glowed at the sight of him.
Her warmth and her smile, remembered from their days as students, made him wish all the more she was here at this moment. How selfish she would think him if he fought alone once more. That, he would admit freely, was one reason he had decided to ask Zuria for help.
Brosk glanced up at him from the street.
"Do you see anything?" he asked.
"Not yet."
Edmath turned his gaze here and there, glimpsing a woman with a bamboo cane and a broad-brimmed grass hat haggling over a breakfast skewer with a cloaked shop owner, but no sign of Zuria. Edmath’s stomach rumbled, but he doubted he’d get a chance to eat anytime soon.
A slithering form detached itself from a wall on the opposite side of the street. Surba's ears twitched.
"Edmath," she said, pointing in the direction she looked with one paw. "Another Saale."
A snake of human size slithered from the shadows of a set of buildings and crawled across the open space in front of the west gate. Edmath smiled broadly as he recognized his adoptive sister's serpent tosh by the pattern on the head and shining dark scales.
"Good eye, Surba," he said.
As Zuria approached the base of Rakoi's trunk, she took hybrid form, then human form in sequence, a quirk common to serpent royalty. Unlike many royals, they sometimes assumed interim forms between human and hybrid. Few could manage the shape of a snake the way Zuria just had, however, and fewer still without losing their garments.
Zuria straightened her trousers and adjusted her tunic. She called to Edmath.
"Brother, I take it there is trouble about?"
Brosk turned and saw her, jaw hanging open in surprise.
"When did you arrive?"
"Just now." Zuria smiled at Brosk. "One can't stay among diplomats and courtiers for so long without learning to avoid sight."
Edmath grinned.
"It's good to see you, sister. But we are in danger here. Let us go."
"Go where?" asked Zuria.
"There is a shrine north of here," said Edmath, "one managed by Hesiatic monks."
"We'll explain on the way," said Brosk.
"Let us go," said Rakoi. "I am nervous, Edmath."
"Likewise," he said, "but Zuria, thank you for your speed."
She sniffed.
"As if I would miss a chance to help you after your winter adventure without me."
Edmath stifled a laugh.
"Thank you, sister."
A mile north of the western gate on a narrow promontory jutting over the rest of the hill on which it stood, they approached the Hesiatic shrine surrounding the remains of Borueln. They left Rakoi and Surba in an alleyway below the point, then climbed the narrow way to gates of the shrine, three Saales together.
Zuria gazed at the high peak of the central building where it jutted toward the sky.
"Borueln was a great serpent," she said. "I'm sure his order will be of help."
"My thoughts precisely," said Edmath. "Prescience was his greatest quality, according to the Chronicles of Tokalgo."
Brosk nodded, solemn.
"If we can determine the identity of your earlier attacker perhaps we can uncover the nature of Kiet's threat as well."
Edmath shivered at the threats lurking in the city.
"I do not know which is more fearsome, a Dawkun out for revenge or a man who could approach my garden undetected except by the keen senses of my rat friend."
"I must say, your night gardening has given you an interesting new companion, brother."
"My good sister, I take it you find her distasteful?"
"More surprised she isn't another plant."
"I can converse with any animal. It is only natural I befriend a few."
Brosk lifted the door knocker between the bars on the gate and then let the heavy weight fall. It hit with a reverberating gong-sound.
A woman with petrified torite bundles woven in her hair appeared at the window behind the bars.
"Your business at this shrine, my good Saales?"
"We request an augury," said Brosk. "If possible, we would ask the heart of Borueln himself."
The Hesiatic nun opened the gate from the inside and let them inside.
"I will show you to Abbess Ganeth. She will decide your worthiness."
"Very well, and thank you good nun," said Brosk.
The Abbess of Borueln's Shrine met them in a cloister where she sat meditating, legs folded in a peaceable position. She looked at them with calm blue eyes.
"Young Saales, what brings you to our shrine?"
The three of them bowed. Zuria nearly fell over she dipped so low.
"We wish to learn the identity of a dangerous stranger," said Brosk. "This man attacked Saale Edmath Benisar last night."
"A serious accusation carries real danger. I will gaze upon the heart with him." Ganeth closed her eyes, then methodically straightened her legs and stood. "Follow me, young man. Your friends will remain here."
"As you wish, Abbess," said Zuria.
Brosk bowed his head.
Edmath followed the Abbess inside, then down a spiral staircase with a railing made from the backbone of a snake of seemingly infinite length. At the bottom, lit only by yellow candlelight, Edmath and the Abbess approached a tall box of polished ebony sitting on a stone altar, backed by dozens of candles encased in a variety of differently shaped glass boxes.
"Within is his heart," said Ganeth. "Simply laying our hands upon the box will be enough to conduct the augury. Focus your mind, young man."
Edmath extended his hands and put both palms against one side of the box. Ganeth did the same on the opposite side.
"We bow our heads and close our bodily eyes and pray to the spirit of Borueln who reaches beyond our paltry senses. May his wisdom pervade us."
Edmath did as she said, focusing his thoughts to reach beyond his body.
"Sight and heari
ng. Taste and touch." Ganeth chanted the words over and over.
Within the rhythm of her words, Edmath slipped into a trance, the core of hesiatic teaching. Images flickered before him, accompanied by other senses from outside of time. Sounds of the past, tastes of the future, and every sense and time in between seemed available to him. Borueln is a great spirit indeed, he thought.
A warm, almost smug sensation reached him from somewhere beyond the parade of other senses. He suspected it was a response from the spirit himself. Edmath delved deeper into the sense memories Borueln presented before him.
His mission was clear, present, powerful. He must reveal the name of his attacker. And with that thought, an image of a large, fierce man with his black mustache leaped into view.
"Santh," a woman said, out of the vision's reach.
"Lady Denyal," he replied. "What is your will?"
"You did well to drive Benisar out, but the longer he evades us the more dangerous our mission becomes."
"I understand, my lady."
"I know you do. What I require is the tree, Santh. My master wishes to know how he shaped this being to gain powers that could rival his own."
"Surely nothing the Zelians can achieve could threaten Master Kiniloth?"
"He does not share your confidence, Santh. To be clear, neither do I."
Then the vision ended. Edmath tried to return, but the Ganeth had ended her mantra, and the presence of Borueln had departed.
"Did you see him?" asked the abbess.
"I did, my good abbess. His name is Santh and he serves a woman he calls Lady Denyal."
"You have your answer, young man. I am glad Borueln saw fit to help you."
"I am grateful to you and to him," said Edmath.
"As is proper." She lowered her hands from the box. "Let us return to the surface so we and your friends may plan what to do. These names you have heard are strangers to me, and I suspect, to this city."
"They are not Zelian," he said as they started to climbed the stairs.
"Roshi?"
"Likely," he said, "but I do not know for certain."
"Who else commands mages who can rival our Saales?" asked Ganeth.
"I do not know any other," he said.
They emerged into the light of the courtyard where Zuria and Brosk waited beneath a solitary tree, leaves deep green and branches in flower. Abbess Ganeth returned to her meditation nearby, folding her legs below her.
"We have our answer," said Edmath. "The stranger is called Santh."
"Any idea how he connects with Kiet?" asked Brosk.
"A Lady Denyal is Santh's master. But she has a master of her own," said Edmath. "Someone named Kiniloth sent her to capture Rakoi."
"From Roshi I take it?" Brosk scowled. "Such duplicity."
"Perhaps not Roshi," said Zuria. "When I spoke with the high ministers a month ago they seemed determined to seek peace, at least for the moment."
"There is another possibility," said Edmath.
"What is that?" asked Brosk.
"At Beliu the former Worm King told me of an enemy who exists beyond Zel and Roshi. My father and mother fought this foe, an enemy the Worm King thought a true threat to the empire."
Zuria frowned.
"And what is their nature?"
"Our time was limited, but for now our true goal is to protect ourselves and this city from this malicious pair."
"Indeed, and now it seems foolish to leave our young tree outside," said Brosk. "Let us hurry. I will go fetch Rakoi. You two can consider our next move. Then, we should leave this place together."
"A clear plan for the moment," said Edmath. "We will be close behind you, Brosk."
The sun crept toward its zenith as Brosk and Zuria made their way through the shrine’s small gardens after Brosk. They left Ganeth behind in the garden, though she offered to go with them. Edmath and Zuria refused. Hesiatic Saales tended to lack combat training.
“Whoever this Santh is, he lacks magic of his own,” said Edmath. “Perhaps he is relying on Ursar or Hyreki for support on that count.”
Zuria scowled.
“Yet she seems confident to give him the lead. That is odd if he is the least dangerous of them.”
Edmath folded his arms.
“Odd wouldn’t begin to cover it. However, he is as quick as he is stealthy. I didn’t have time to strike when I encountered him last night.” He stifled a yawn. “Still tired from being up so late,” he said.
“This is our situation then, brother,” said Zuria. “We have three real threats as I see it and an unknown number of lesser ones in the form of whatever mercenaries Hyreki can gather.”
“You really think she’ll employ Zelians to attack us?”
“If not Zelians, there are many travelers from Palatan and even further south in Diar, including from Roshi.”
“A good point, sister.”
They reached the front gate, but its doors stood closed. A lone figure stepped into their path. Edmath shuddered as he recognized the fierce mustache and cold eyes of Santh.
“Speak a foe’s name and he appears,” Edmath muttered, slipping a striker over his finger.
“Santh?” said Zuria, falling a step backward and sliding into a survival art stance.
“Indeed,” said Edmath. “An inauspicious meeting.”
Santh cracked his knuckles, meeting Edmath’s gaze. He made no move to draw any of his weapons, swords, daggers, even a coiled whip as his waist. Yet he carried them all openly. He showed no concern for being spotted, or for facing down two mages. He grinned and his hand moved to the hilt of a dagger at his waist.
Zuria struck with her double ring. The curtain split and magic poured forth. Santh drew the dagger, it’s blade was of black metal but somehow shiny as a pearl. The magical current flowed directly toward Santh.
Edmath stepped in front of Zuria and drew in as much as he could as it rushed around him. He made the sign of the thorn. Vines covered in prickly growths shot from him to wrap around Santh.
The assassin darted forward, stepping through the vines without making any move to cut them. They simply blackened and evaporated where they came near his reach. He lunged at Edmath. Zuria shouted in alarm and tugged him out of Santh’s lethal path. The man sidestepped and started to the circle them, his black-bladed dagger in one hand. The flow of the magical currents shifted to follow his movements, dragged toward the killer.
“Did you see what happened?” Edmath asked.
“The magic went out of your vines,” said Zuria. “I couldn’t tell why.”
Santh smirked.
“You mages always think you are so clever, that you master the world. Foolishness.”
His dark eyes glinted as his gaze shifted from Edmath to Zuria, then back again.
The gates of the shrine flew open, cracking against the hinges and walls on either side. Brosk seethed, stepping forward in his whale tosh. His striker chain opened tears with every step, and all the magic flowed straight toward Santh.
“Assassins,” said Brosk, his lips trembling. “I have neither patience nor mercy for your kind.”
“Together then.” Santh licked his lips. “I’ll send you all to the creator’s gates at once.”
Was he nervous? Perhaps, Edmath thought.
Someone laughed from the promontory of the shrine’s main building, behind Edmath and Zuria.
“Such confidence. But remember, Benisar is mine.” Ursar Kiet leapt from the curled peak of the rooftop and landed beside Santh, a spear in his one hand. Edmath prepared the sign of the branch to create barriers to protect him and Zuria from the Dawkun’s death gaze. But the man’s eyes did not turn black. Yet.
“I take it the others are on their way?” said Santh.
“They are,” said Ursar with a smirk. “But they are unnecessary. The two of us are plenty.”
“Now who is overconfident?” said Brosk. He formed a hand sign and conjured the same
obscuring black water wall he had used at the restaurant.
Edmath started growing a miniature tree in one hand, prepared to defend as Ursar and Santh both looked at him and Zuria.
“We must destroy Benisar first,” said Santh.
“Oh, on that we agree,” said Ursar.
Edmath shook with equal parts fear and frustration. He completed the sign of the branch and focused all the magic he held into the attack. Viciously pointed spikes of twisting, sharp-tipped wood shot from his small tree, growing many times longer than their source’s limbs in an instant. Every spike angled to strike Ursar from a different direction.
Santh abandoned the Dawkun and thew himself toward Edmath. Brosk bellowed in anger, a rare sound from Edmath’s friend. Lashing lengths of bone shot through the black liquid shielding Brosk and raced to intercept Ursar. Ursar readied his magic-eating dagger, but Zuria was already stepping into the magic flow to shoot venom from her open palm in his direction. The moment seemed frozen.
Santh could have been barreling toward Edmath with his blade poised for an hour or a day, but in reality, it only took seconds. Brosk’s whalebone projectiles wrapped around one of Santh’s legs, then embedded in the tile of the courtyard. Zuria’s spray of venom flew as Ursar retreated from Edmath’s deadly branches. Santh caught the brunt of the serpent’s poison on his raised forearm. Black droplets speckled his tunic and neck to the chin. He grunted, slashing his dagger at the bones pinning his leg.
They pale white links cracked in one instant, then turned to dust the next. Santh staggered out of another volley of venom, then ducked raking branches Edmath pulled back toward him. Ursar’s spear flew and smashed the little tree from Edmath’s grasp. He dropped it in surprise, then whirled as the doors of the shrine building opened.
Hyreki Denyal met his eyes with a smug smirk. She leveled his own stethian at him while making a sign he did not understand with her other hand. A torrent of blackness erupted from the end of the stethian and hurled Edmath into Zuria, then carried them both through the open gates and out into the street. They tumbled over the stone, but thankfully the blast pushed them rather than throwing them.
He gasped in pain as he pushed himself up from the paving stones. Zuria sprang into a crouch, then threw away her broken striker. Edmath’s back ached where he had hit stone, but oddly the place Hyreki’s spell had struck him barely felt any pain as if he had been—
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