The Severed City

by Christopher Mitchell

  ‘The honour is mine, your Majesty,’ she replied, bowing again.

  ‘Quite a few of our counsellors,’ the king said, looking amused, ‘were set against the very notion of inviting you into our presence.’

  Daphne said nothing, but noticed the glances being shared among the people who flanked the throne. To the king’s right stood his queen, Mirren Blackhold, with Chamberlain Prior and Field Marshal Howie. On his left stood the lord vicar, the prophet’s representative in Plateau City, and other church officials. Skulking near the back she noticed Rijon.

  ‘It seems, miss,’ the king went on, ‘that despite our late beloved sister’s pardon, and despite even the church’s official statement of reconciliation, there remain some here who will forever connect your name to infamy and scandal. And now, young miss, returning home in your… condition, has certainly set tongues wagging.’

  Daphne bowed again. ‘I’m sure your Majesty did not invite me here to discuss my reputation.’

  ‘Quite,’ the king laughed. ‘No, it was for a different matter altogether. We have learned that the commander of the Sanang forces currently ravaging their way through the Plateau is the same man who held you captive.’

  ‘Agang Garo, your Majesty?’

  ‘Indeed, it is he. Our mage-priests have confirmed it.’ The king’s eyes narrowed. ‘They have also confirmed something else. Namely, the presence in Agang Garo’s company of a certain subject of this Realm, someone the cavalry have identified as a Lieutenant Chane of Hold Clement.’

  Daphne lowered her head.

  ‘The recent heinous massacre of our border garrison,’ the king said, ‘had all the hallmarks of someone with intimate understanding of Holdings military tactics. Is it possible Miss Holdfast, that Lieutenant Chane has been collaborating with the enemy?’

  ‘It’s possible.’

  ‘And what of Agang Garo?’ the king said. ‘What is he like?’

  ‘Intelligent, your Majesty,’ Daphne said, ‘and organised, methodical. I was a captive for a few thirds over the summer of five-oh-three, and he attempted to subvert me a few times. I can only imagine he was doing the same with the other captives. His soldiers were already the most disciplined and effective of any in Sanang when I was there. By now, with nearly two years gone, and if Chane has been assisting him, then his army will be powerful indeed.’

  There were a few suppressed scoffs from those standing next to the king.

  ‘And,’ the king said, ‘what does he want?’

  ‘I don’t know, your Majesty,’ she said. ‘All he talked about with me were his ideas for uniting and civilising Sanang, schools, government, laws. He never discussed invading the Plateau, or any other military operation. If I had to speculate, I would say that, in Sanang a leader has to prove to the other chiefs that they are a warrior first and foremost, and that the others have pressured Agang into this invasion.’

  The king nodded. ‘Is he a mage?’

  ‘No, your Majesty,’ Daphne said. ‘In Sanang, mages are never allowed to lead. Memories of the soulwitches, I think, though they would never discuss this with me in any detail.’

  The king looked across to the lord vicar, who raised his eyebrows.

  ‘Soulwitches?’

  ‘Yes, your Majesty,’ Daphne said. ‘That’s their word for their highest ranked mages, I believe. Agang Garo told me that they used to rule as tyrants, and were overthrown a century ago. A civil war ended their rule, but also caused the anarchy they have experienced since.’

  The king raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Thank you, miss,’ he said. ‘That is all we require from you at present, but please feel free to remain, to witness the other business of the court, if you desire.’

  ‘Thank you, your Majesty.’

  Daphne bowed, and went over to where Shella and Laodoc were standing to the left, alongside a group of noble petitioners.

  A herald stepped forward.

  ‘Your Majesty,’ she called out. ‘Next to speak is the master of the Old Town Guilds, come to petition about the Sanang advance.’

  A man walked out from the group to Daphne’s left, and approached the throne.

  ‘Your Majesty,’ he said. ‘The Guild are looking for assurances that naval trade will not be hindered by the arrival of the Sanang, and have also asked me to voice concern regarding the course of the emergency wall currently being constructed. If the plans are correct, then both the peasant quarter on the East Bank, and the Kellach Brigdomin camp, will be outside the protection of the city walls when the Sanang get here.’

  ‘Unfortunately,’ the king replied, ‘there is no alternative. We have a limited amount of time before the enemy arrives, and that time is not sufficient to complete the full circuit of walls. Any Kellach that volunteers for our armed forces, and who is deemed to be of suitable moral fibre, will be integrated into the city garrisons. We can do no more.’

  The master of the guilds nodded, his head bowed.

  ‘As for your first question,’ the king went on, ‘we are happy to assure you that one of the main priorities of our government will be to maintain the current levels of naval trade. Indeed, with an army of Sanang barbarians at the walls, the harbour becomes our lifeline, our means to withstand any siege. While the savages hurl themselves in vain at our mighty walls, our ships will keep our people fed until the army I have summoned from the Realm arrives.’

  ‘Thank you, your Majesty,’ the master said, then backed away, returning to the group near Daphne.

  The herald stepped forward again.

  ‘Your Majesty,’ she called out, ‘next to speak is the most excellent ambassador of Arakhanah City.’

  Daphne heard Shella let out a sigh, as a Rakanese man approached the throne.

  ‘Your exulted Majesty and Holder of the Realm,’ he said, ‘the embassy of the Rakanese people asks you if a decision has been reached regarding punitive action against our oppressors, the Rahain Republic?’

  ‘Thank you for this question,’ the king replied. ‘Before I answer, may I ask if the latest supplies of aid to your stricken people arrived without hindrance or delay?’

  ‘They did, your Majesty, thank you.’

  ‘And the recent loan, of three million gold sovereigns,’ the king said, ‘is your government finding it useful?’

  ‘Yes, your Majesty, thank you.’

  ‘Good,’ the king said. ‘Now, this realm believes in dealing with one enemy at a time, and with an army of Sanang approaching, the fact is that the Rahain Republic will have to wait their turn.’

  The ambassador nodded.

  ‘We are prepared however,’ the king went on, ‘to offer you a small token of our intent. We hear that you are requesting the condemnation of the Kellach Brigdomin fire mage, one Keira ae Caela ae Kell, as the woman responsible for the incineration of the royal city of Akhanawarah, and the murder of its ruler, Queen Oblikanawara.’

  Shella glanced at Daphne.

  ‘I didn’t know about any of this,’ she whispered.

  ‘Therefore, we hereby proclaim,’ the king said, ‘that the aforementioned Keira, fire mage of the Kellach Brigdomin, is condemned as a war criminal for the genocide of the Rakanese people. A warrant shall be issued, and she will be arrested if she sets foot within the Realm.’ He gazed down at the ambassador. ‘We hope this pleases you.’

  ‘Indeed, your Majesty,’ he said. ‘The Rakanese are most grateful.’

  The king smiled. ‘As they should be.’

  Chapter 12

  The Severed Clan

  Mountains south-east of Rahain Capital, Rahain Republic – 5th Day, Last Third Summer 505

  Killop peered through the undergrowth, and across the dry dusty scrubland. Ahead rested a squad of Rahain scouts, sitting round a small fire next to an olive grove, eating and drinking.

  ‘We should take them out, Chief,’ Larissa whispered, ‘in case they see us.’

  ‘Too risky,’ he said. ‘There’s a winged gaien tied up behind them. If one of the soldiers m
anages to fly off on it before we get to them, then the entire Rahain army will be onto us.’

  Larissa frowned.

  Killop gestured to her, and they crawled back down the ridge. At the bottom they turned, and walked for half an hour until they reached a narrow valley, where over two hundred and fifty Kellach Brigdomin fugitives hid from the late summer sun, under a thick blanket of brambles and wild olive trees.

  Killop crouched and went under the branches of a squat and gnarly bush, where Bridget and Dominic sat. He was sweating from the heat, and covered in dust. Bridget handed him a skin of water, and he drank.

  ‘We saw them,’ Larissa said, ‘over the ridge three miles from here.’

  ‘We’ll leave them be,’ Killop said, ‘unless they venture any closer to the valley.’

  ‘Another day stuck here, then,’ Dominic frowned. ‘The map must be wrong. We arrived four days ago, and there’s been no sign of any city.’

  ‘That’s because it’s beneath our feet, dumbass,’ Bridget said. ‘We just need to find a way in.’ She picked up a stick, and began drawing in the dirt.

  ‘Look,’ she said, drawing a straight line. ‘That’s the far edge of the valley, to our east, where the entire mountain range drops away hundreds of feet. We’re here.’ She drew a cross. ‘And the city is here.’ She drew a half circle around the cross.

  ‘But we’re running out of food,’ Dominic said. ‘Not being allowed to move during the day means we can’t get enough from hunting or fishing.’

  ‘The chief’s right on this,’ Bridget said. ‘If a single winged gaien locates our position, then our entire plan for settling here fails. We need to collect all the food and water we can from sunset to sunrise, until we find a way into the city.’

  ‘Folk are getting restless,’ Larissa said, ‘and you’ve no idea how difficult it is to keep control of a hundred bairns. The teenagers are pretty angry with us for separating the two throwers from the others, and keeping them at the opposite end of the camp.’

  ‘Believe me,’ Killop said, ‘I know the problems teenage mages can cause. It’s for our own good that we keep the throwers away from any sources of flame.’

  ‘Lilyann is going to be trouble,’ Larissa said, shaking her head. ‘The cheek of that lassie.’

  ‘Let me know if she causes any more problems,’ Killop said. ‘We’ll tie her up if we have to.’

  Bridget laughed.

  Killop turned to her. ‘Get the scouts out at sunset.’

  ‘Some aren’t back yet from last night,’ Bridget said.

  ‘Then feed them, rest them, and send them out again as soon as they’re able.’

  She nodded.

  ‘We should get some sleep,’ he said, lying down in the shadow of the branches. ‘It’s going to be another long night of chasing rabbits and collecting berries.’

  Killop slumbered in a half-doze, his mind flitting from Daphne to the memory of the vast Rahain caverns he had seen while a slave in their capital. Daphne had lived there the whole time he had been a captive, and he tried to picture where she might had stayed, though he had never seen it.

  His heart groaned from the waste. They had been so close to each other for nearly a year, and he had only seen her twice in that entire time. He remembered he had avoided her when she had visited Laodoc’s mansion, to avoid upsetting Kallie. If only he had acted on his feelings, then they might have spent more time together, and she might not have died.

  Someone touched his arm.

  He opened his eyes. It was still daytime, though the sun was lowering in the western sky.

  ‘Scout’s have returned,’ Bridget said.

  ‘Good news?’

  She nodded, and grinned.

  ‘Thank fuck.’

  He followed her to where two exhausted young scouts were lying under the shade of a thick canopy of brambles, their clothes covered in dust and grime.

  ‘Chief,’ one of them gasped.

  ‘Don’t get up,’ Bridget said. ‘Rest, and make sure you get plenty of water.’

  They nodded. Killop noticed that they were twins, from the children’s camp, two of the oldest they had found, but still young. A flash of guilt passed through him at the knowledge of how hard he had been driving his people.

  ‘Tell me,’ he said as they gulped down water from skins, ‘what did you find?’

  As soon as it got dark, Killop set off, taking the young scouts, Bridget, Larissa and half a dozen warriors. The twins led them for several hours along a ravine that forked off from the main valley east of their camp.

  When the seven stars had passed overhead, the twins stopped, and pointed at the side of the cliff, where a small patch of deepest black stood out in the darkness.

  ‘Bridget,’ Killop said, ‘you’re a good climber.’

  She made a gesture in the dark that he couldn’t make out, and turned to the cliffside. She leapt, and scrambled up the rough slope, until she disappeared into the black void.

  Killop strained his eyes, and saw her head appear over the side.

  ‘It’s an easy climb,’ she said. ‘Even you should be able to manage it, Chief.’

  They took it in turns to scale the side of the cliff, up to the edge of a cave.

  ‘It goes straight for fifty yards Chief, then turns down and to the right,’ said one of the scouts.

  Killop nodded, and they began walking into the tunnel. The darkness within was utter, and he put his hand up onto the smooth wall to guide his way. He felt the turn, and the ground began to slope away from them. Once they had gone twenty paces past the corner, he stopped the others.

  ‘Torch,’ he said.

  One of the warriors pulled out a long bundle from a bag he was carrying.

  ‘Cover your eyes,’ Killop said as he took the end of the torch.

  He brought his hands close together. Sparks, like small streaks of lightning, arced out from his fingers, the blinding light filling the tunnel. He aimed the sparks at the torch, and it burst into flames.

  ‘We might have to pair you with Lilyann, Chief,’ Larissa said, leaning back against the wall. ‘You’re probably the only sparker who could control her.’

  Killop grimaced.

  ‘I’ve seen what he’s like with women,’ Bridget said. ‘She’d have him wrapped around her little finger in no time.’

  ‘Don’t tell me ye used to go out with him?’ Larissa said. ‘I thought there was something between the two of ye.’

  ‘What?’ Bridget cried. ‘Fuck no. He’s shagged two of my best friends. Do you think I’d go near him?’

  Killop heard some of the warriors snigger.

  ‘Fucksake you two,’ he said. ‘I know you love talking about my sex-life, but not in front of the scouts.’

  Larissa started to blush, then scowled instead, while Bridget bit her tongue.

  Killop looked around, his eyes attuned to the light. The walls were smooth, like underground river channels.

  He turned to the twins. ‘How far did you get?’

  ‘Not much further than here, Chief,’ one said.

  ‘We recognised it as a tunnel,’ said the other.

  ‘And came back to report.’

  ‘Well done,’ Bridget said.

  Killop passed the torch to a warrior, and they made their way down the tunnel. The slope went on for a few minutes, then opened out into a vast chamber, carved out of the rock. The torchlight did not extend up to the ceiling, which hung in the gloom above their heads. Broken fragments of stone lay scattered across the ground, each coated in a thick layer of dust.

  One of the warriors coughed.

  ‘This will take some cleaning,’ Bridget said.

  ‘The whole clan could fit in this room,’ Larissa said.

  Killop nodded at Bridget.

  ‘You two,’ she said to the scouts, ‘go back to the camp and tell Dominic to bring the whole clan up here. Tell him to send groups of thirty, spaced out. Take two nights if necessary, but secrecy is the priority. You got that?’
/>   They nodded.

  ‘And you,’ Killop said to a warrior, ‘go with them.’

  ‘Aye, Chief.’

  The three padded off back through the tunnel, disappearing into the darkness. Killop turned, gazing around the hall. Much of the broken stonework littering the floor appeared to have come from a giant statue, the pedestal of which stood in the room’s centre.

  Killop examined the inscription, engraved into a smooth stone plaque.

  ‘Grand Mage Moatoahan, Mother of Agonite City,’ he read.

  ‘Killop,’ Bridget said, from the far wall.

  He walked over. She was standing by a series of three enormous archways, which led from the hall in the opposite direction from where they had entered.

  ‘Which one shall we try first?’ she said.

  Killop shone his torch down each. The left went up, as did the right, but the central opening, which was by far the widest, sloped steadily down.

  ‘The middle one.’

  He turned, and beckoned the others. He took a fresh torch from a warrior and lit it from his own.

  ‘Larissa,’ he said, ‘you and the squad stay here. Start clearing up, and keep a torch lit. See if you can find any ventilation shafts. A cavern of this size must have a few.’

  ‘Aye, Chief. What will you be doing?’

  ‘Me and Bridget are going to explore.’

  ‘Have fun,’ Larissa said, a slight smirk at the corner of her lips.

  Bridget rolled her eyes, and followed Killop, and they entered the central tunnel.

  Together, they walked down the wide passageway, until the light from the hall behind them faded into darkness.

  ‘She fancies you, did you know that?’ Bridget said.

  ‘Larissa? No way. She barely likes me.’

  Bridget laughed. ‘That’s just her way. She’d never let on in front of you how she felt.’

  ‘I’m not thinking about seeing anyone else.’

  She nodded. ‘That’s what I figured.’

  The wide corridor levelled out. Ahead of them, the walls were marked with a long series of openings on each side. The ceiling of the main tunnel rose high above them.