by Jason Tesar
Who are these people? What are they doing out here? Are they looking for something, protecting something, hiding from something? It is an outrage that a citizen of the Empire would be attacked like this!
As they passed the attack area once more, Bahari hoped to come in contact with some debris that he could hide behind, but the ship stayed just barely out of the wreck area. Then, as they moved farther to the south, he noticed a barrel floating a few yards away. The sky was still mostly dark, offering a small measure of concealment. And the opportunity would not present itself again. So, taking a deep breath, Bahari ducked under the water and pushed off of the boat. The saltwater stung his eyes and it was too dark to make out the barrel. He continued to kick his good leg and paddle with one arm while the other was outstretched, feeling for the barrel. At first, he thought that he had passed it and started to panic, knowing that he couldn’t go to the surface to look. But then his hand touched something firm. Swimming underneath it, he surfaced, taking caution to keep the floating barrel between him and the enemy ship. He waited for what seemed like an eternity before risking a peek from behind the barrel. When he did, he saw that the ship was only a dark silhouette on the brightening horizon. For the first time since the attack began, Bahari breathed a sigh of relief.
He floated in the water for a moment, clinging to the barrel, trying to make sense of what had just happened. His most immediate threat was now sailing to the south, but in many ways, his current situation was worse. Now what do I do? I’m floating in the middle of the ocean!
He shook his head to clear his thoughts, then retraced the events in his mind. He had been heading south along the coast from Nucotu when he missed the turn and ended up on the west side of the reef. As close as he could figure, he was still well north of the halfway point between the two cities, and many miles west of the shore. With a dangerous reef in between! He would have several days’ journey before he could reach land. That’s if the tides don’t carry me past the southern tip! For that amount of time, he would need food and water.
Then, as the sky continued to lighten in the east, a smile formed on Bahari’s face. All around him, scattered in the dawn light, were crates of fruit drifting away from the site of the attack. If the gods are merciful, I should reach land within a few days. And then the governor will know about this!
CHAPTER 3
The rectangular peephole slid open momentarily, revealing the eyes of an elderly woman. A few seconds later, the large door opened inward and the nurse of the temple of Adussk, the Orudan god of healing, bowed in reverence before the governor of Bastul.
Adair Lorus walked through the door and motioned for the woman to rise. Although it still made him uncomfortable, he had come to expect this reverent behavior from his subjects. Each of the royal guards at his flanks carried spears in their right hands and torches in their left, casting a flickering orange glow around the trio, barely fighting back the darkness of the night.
“I was told you have a man in your custody. A sick man.”
“Yes, my lord,” the old woman responded. “He has been here since yesterday morning, unconscious and silent until a few hours ago. But then he started moaning your name, so I sent for you. I hope I have not disturbed you,” she added quickly.
“Not at all. Thank you for notifying me. May I see him?” he asked unnecessarily.
“At once, my lord.” The woman turned and began walking down a long hall. The dark green fabric of her veil and floor-length tunic billowed as she hurried through the dark passage, restricted only by the leather apron tied at her waist. The sound of their footsteps echoed off the stone floor as they passed numerous doorways and candles burning in sconces along the walls. The hall turned to the left and continued for another hundred feet before it ended at a door. The woman pulled a set of keys from her apron. With a nod of confirmation, she unlocked the door and pushed it open.
Adair walked slowly into the room. The guards followed closely, their torches adding to the light from a small lamp hanging on the wall. The soft illumination showed a man lying on top of the sheets, covered in bandages and throwing his head back and forth. If he had been moaning before, he made no sound now.
“Where did you find this man?” Adair whispered.
“A soldier brought him to me. He said they found him on the western shore.”
Adair wrinkled his eyebrows as he walked over to the bed. “Is he awake?”
“No, my lord. It only appears that way because he moves so much.”
Adair stood over the bed with his hands clasped behind his back. It was plain to see that the man was badly injured. He had a large bandage around his left thigh and the skin on his face and arms was burned and peeling. His hair was gray, flecked with brown, and matted on his head. Adair looked at his face but didn’t recognize him.
“No …” the man mumbled and then flinched as if dodging something.
Suddenly, a memory sprang into Adair’s mind. He had dealt with this man before on the matter of neglecting to pay a shipping tax. Any crime against the Empire, no matter how small, was punishable by death under Orudan law. Adair had shown mercy on the man and let him live. After that, the man tried to repay Adair’s kindness by sending word of any criminal happenings around the city as he became aware of them. Adair had to admit that this man had proven to be a useful informant on several occasions, but he hadn’t heard anything from him in almost a year.
As the man’s name came back to his memory, Adair said it aloud. “Bahari.”
“Do you know him, my lord?” the old woman asked.
“Yes,” Adair answered, wondering why Bahari would be moaning his name. “You said he was found on the western shore?”
“Yes, my lord. That’s what the soldier told me. I’ve …” she started before trailing off.
Adair turned to her. “What is it, woman? If you know something, tell me at once!”
“I’ve seen this type of thing before,” she answered, her body language more timid than before. “A man gets in a drunken fight and finds himself washed up on the beach. I thought this was another such occurrence,” she said, her voice lowering to a whisper. “But when I cleaned the wound on his leg I pulled this out.”
Reaching into the pocket of her apron, she produced what appeared to be the dangerous half of an arrow. She handed it to Adair and he took it carefully. The craftsmanship was similar to what the Orud military used, but he couldn’t place it.
“How was it positioned in his leg?”
“May I …?” the woman asked, motioning for the arrow.
“Please,” Adair said, handing it back to her.
“It entered from the back,” she said, holding it up to Bahari’s leg. “But it wouldn’t come out, so I had to take it out from the front. It wasn’t easy, but he didn’t even seem to notice.”
Adair looked at Bahari face and shook his head. What did you get yourself into this time? “I am leaving for a while, but I will be back,” he said to the woman. “While I am gone, keep his door locked and let no one else see him.”
“Yes, my lord,” she said with a nod.
Adair strode out of the room with the guards following. When he reached the front door of the temple, he called over his shoulder to the old woman, who was struggling to keep up. “If he wakes up, try to find out what happened.”
* * * *
The sun had just become visible over the mountains to the east, and the bay of Bastul glittered with the first rays of the morning sunlight. Maeryn stood on the balcony of her bedroom with her hands on the stone railing. Her nightclothes and long blonde tresses swayed in the light breeze as she inhaled a deep breath of the salty air. Adair wasn’t in bed when she woke, and the sheets were cold. He had obviously left sometime during the night, and it was bothering her. It wasn’t as if this was the first time. Actually, it was a regular occurrence for someone of Adair’s position. But Maeryn was finding it harder and harder to deal with his absences. When you’re the governor of Bastul, everyone ne
eds something from you. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned, walking back into the bedroom.
The house was already alive with activity. The servants had been awake for a couple hours and were scurrying around the house, busy with their duties. Maeryn pulled a fresh white tunic from her closet and slipped it over her head. The purple thread sewn into the hem dragged on the floor until she gathered the tunic at her waist and fastened it with a matching purple silk belt. She walked barefoot to the mirror set against the wall and sat down in the chair that faced it. Voices drifted to her from different parts of the house as she combed her hair, but she hardly heard them. She was unable to stop thinking about Adair, and her thoughts turned from irritation at his increasing responsibilities to worry about his safety.
After combing out a night’s worth of tangles, she wove her hair into a simple braid that hung down to the middle of her back, tying the ends of the thick locks with a narrow ribbon. On the table next to her comb were two elaborately decorated glass bottles of rose oil, a rare treat in her culture. Adair had purchased each of them on separate occasions from a merchant friend of his that passed through Bastul only a few times a year. She pulled the glass stopper from the older of the two bottles and applied a drop to each wrist and one on either side of her neck.
Now ready for the day, Maeryn left her bedroom and descended the stairs leading toward the center of the house, remembering Kael’s excitement about a new project that he and Saba were going to start in the morning. As she reached the first floor, the garden courtyard came into view between white stone columns that supported the overhanging roof. She headed through the two center columns and down a circular set of stairs that led to the gravel floor. The bright morning sun reflected off the top of the house to her left, leaving the rest of the open area in morning shadows. By noon, the sun would be shining straight down into the garden and the many trees and flowers would bask in the warmth.
Just as she suspected, Kael and Saba were at the other end of the garden. As she approached, Saba stood from a kneeling position at the base of a small tree.
“Good morning, Maeryn,” he said in a soft voice.
“Mother,” exclaimed Kael, running toward her and throwing his arms around her waist.
Maeryn reached down and stroked Kael’s shoulder-length blond hair. His blue eyes were bright, especially when he was excited about something. Most boys his age would be embarrassed to hug their mothers. But not Kael. He was different—special. “Good morning, you two. What are you working on now?” she asked.
Kael answered excitedly before Saba had a chance. “Saba is going to show me how to graft a branch onto this tree. They are different species, but he says they will grow together if we are very careful.”
Maeryn smiled at his excitement, then looked to Saba. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“My pleasure,” he whispered back.
Saba was an old man—old and wise. He was tall, with silver hair that fell past his broad shoulders and a beard that was just as long. Between the beard and his thick eyebrows, most of his features were covered, except for his straight, sharp nose and bright blue eyes.
Adair had first met him seven years ago when he needed some information. He didn’t tell Maeryn much, except that he was impressed with Saba’s wealth of knowledge. They had discussed what to do about Kael’s education only weeks before and hadn’t come to a decision. They both agreed that the usual Orud upbringing did not interest them. Most of the education revolved around the history of the Empire and the lineage of emperors, from the first to the most recent. Beyond that, the education was simply a preparation for becoming a soldier.
And then Saba came into their lives. He was knowledgeable about many different cultures, history, religions, economics, nature, and weather. Actually, Maeryn couldn’t think of a single thing that Saba didn’t know about. Not once had he ever answered a question with “I don’t know.” Yet, he wasn’t arrogant in any way. In fact, he was one of the most humble people that either of them had ever met. That, combined with his patient and kind personality, made him the perfect tutor for their son. Adair wasted no time approaching him on the matter, taking great care to emphasize the fact that the pay for tutoring the governor’s son would be quite handsome. They made sure there was no way he would refuse. And he didn’t.
That was seven years ago, when Kael was only three years old, and Saba had since become part of their family. Maeryn watched as he knelt down and talked to Kael. He was so patient and gentle, and Kael’s eyes lit up with excitement every time Saba was near. The agreement had always been that he would tutor Kael in a variety of subjects for several hours each morning. The hours would get longer as Kael got older, but at the beginning the tutoring was to end by midday so Kael would also have time to play like every child should. The tutoring eventually evolved into something much less formal. The two became friends and did everything together. Whether play or work, every situation became a teaching experience and Kael thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
“Have you seen Adair this morning?”
Saba looked up and shook his head. “He was gone before I woke.”
Maeryn smiled nervously. “Have fun, you two,” she replied, turning to leave.
As she reached the steps to the house, she turned around to watch them from a distance. They were both kneeling by the tree. Saba was pointing at the peeling bark and probably explaining some incredibly detailed information. Kael was enthralled. As she watched, her thoughts returned to her husband, and she wondered how long it would be until she would see him again.
CHAPTER 4
The carriage bounced and creaked in response to the stone road underneath as Adair watched the scenery pass by the window. To the east, rolling meadows stretched from the road to the mountains, the land rising sharply as it drew close to the foothills. Occasionally, a tall row of trees would divide the land, designating a property boundary. To the west, the cobblestone road gave way to patches of grass clinging stubbornly to the shoulder, which ended abruptly at a steep cliff. The ocean, which was hundreds of feet below only minutes ago, was getting closer now as the carriage descended into a valley. After a few minutes, the road ended at a sandy beach and the carriage came to a halt. Adair quickly opened the door and stepped out, happy to be rid of this method of transportation. He preferred to ride a horse, but because of his position, he was expected to do otherwise for safety reasons.
A hundred yards away, at the opposite side of the beach, was a wooden guard tower clinging to the side of the cliff like a vine in one of the surrounding vineyards. It reached from the beach floor all the way to a lookout perch fifty feet above the top of the cliff. Two of the four soldiers that had been accompanying Adair rode up and began to dismount, intending to follow him inside.
“I’ll return shortly,” he said to them.
They each glanced at the other before looking back to Adair, conceding with a nod.
Adair turned away and walked toward the guard tower, leaving the men with the carriage. It took him several minutes to reach the lower entry. Two guards on either side of the door tipped their spears in salute. They were otherwise motionless, staring straight ahead without making eye contact. Adair never ceased to be impressed at the discipline of his soldiers, especially those who were stationed at posts far away from the scrutiny of their colonel. It was a small sign, but it confirmed his success at ruling the city. He smiled as he walked past the soldiers and through the stone archway. This room was one of many making up the lower level, serving as an entrance to the enormous staircase carved into the rock. Around the other side of the building, facing the ocean, were other rooms for supplies and stables for the mounted patrolmen who rode up and down the coast at scheduled intervals. But this one was completely empty. Adair waited for a few seconds, studying the construction of the building as a matter of habit.
To his left, a door opened and another soldier walked through. As soon as he noticed Adair, his casual demeanor disappeared. “Colonel
, it is a pleasure to have your company.” The man bowed his head in respect. “How may I be of assistance?”
“I am here to see your lieutenant.”
The soldier motioned to the stairs. “He is up above in the observatory. I will go fetch him for you.”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I don’t wish to keep him from his work. Just take me to him.”
“Certainly,” the man bowed. “Please follow me.”
He led Adair up the stairs, which switched back and forth across the cliff face. The soldier climbed slowly out of courtesy for his superior. After five floors they reached the observatory, which stood even with the top of the cliff. The stairs ended at a spacious room with a balcony overlooking the ocean. From there, a ladder extended through the ceiling, leading to the upper lookout. The lieutenant was standing at the railing of the balcony, looking north along the beach. He was dressed much the same as Adair, with a hammered metal cuirass and a short red cloak gathered at one shoulder by a silver torc. Though he was younger than Adair, he looked ten years older. His sand-colored hair was starting to thin on the top, and his weathered skin had seen too many years of sun. Adair walked up behind him, but the lieutenant was deep in thought and didn’t notice.
“Lieutenant,” Adair said softly.
The man turned his head, startled. It took him only a second to realize who was standing before him and he quickly bowed. “Colonel … what brings you from the city?” he asked, unable to hide his nervousness.
“I came to inquire about the man that you found on the beach yesterday.”
“Yes, my lord,” he replied.
“Tell me everything you know.”
“Well,” the man started, “I don’t know who he is, but I can show you where we found him.”
“Please,” Adair said, his curiosity piqued.
The lieutenant motioned for Adair to come farther out onto the balcony before pointing to a sandy finger of land to the north that jutted out from the rocks into the ocean. Adair judged it to be just over five miles away.
