The City of Zirdai

by Maria V. Snyder

  When Mojag yawned for the third time, Shyla ordered him to bed. Gurice moved to follow, but she asked her friend to remain. She explained what she’d been doing.

  “If it’s foolproof, we just added another weapon to our arsenal.” Gurice grinned. “That was worth making a million sand blobs.” Then her smile faded. “Does that mean Mojag doesn’t have the potential?”

  “Actually…” Shyla told her about the crack.

  “He’ll be thrilled.” Gurice cocked her head. “Though I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m happy for him but also sad because it’s a burden as well as a gift.”

  “And we need to decide what to do about it, and if I should try to open the rest of his magic so he can wield it with intent versus tapping into it unconsciously. I’ve no idea if it will work or what would happen.”

  “We should discuss this with Jayden and Ximen,” Gurice said. “I don’t want to hurt my brother, but I don’t want to hold him back either.”

  When they arrived in the common room, Aphra and Ximen had already returned from the dig. They sat around a table, talking intently with Jayden. Shyla and Gurice joined them.

  “What’s the bad news?” Shyla asked.

  “How did you know the news is bad?” Aphra asked. “Magic?”

  “No, your body language.”

  “Oh. Well, we uncovered the entrance to the grave diggers’ tunnel. About three meters in we hit a wall.”

  “A real wall or something not marked on the map?”

  “The tunnel collapsed,” Ximen said.

  “Can you open it up?” Shyla asked Aphra.

  “It’s soft so we can clear it. But, because it’s soft, we need to install extra supports as we go deeper or risk being buried alive. But there’s no way we can reach the crypt in eighteen sun jumps.

  Ten

  Just when Shyla thought something was finally going their way, they hit a wall. Literally.

  “How about if we remove the sand with magic?” Gurice asked Aphra. “Would that make it go faster?”

  “It’s not the sand that’s the problem, it’s the time needed to ensure our safety,” Aphra said.

  Which was important. Shyla slumped over the table and rested her head in her hands.

  “What do you want me to do?” Aphra asked.

  There really was only one option left and Shyla hated to do it. “We can sell the map to the Water Prince’s new archeologist.”

  “You want to sell the map to Rohana?” Aphra whistled. “Bold.”

  “Too dangerous,” Jayden said. “She’ll alert the guards.”

  “She won’t,” Shyla said. “The archeologist is under a great deal of pressure to procure artifacts for the prince.” And the thought of the prince owning more of Koraha’s priceless treasures made her sick to her stomach. But she had to feed her people.

  “Still too risky,” Jayden said. “Is there anyone else we can sell the map to?”

  “Not in Zirdai,” Aphra said. “Since we can’t get to the treasures before Professor Emeline leaves, perhaps we could take them to Catronia.”

  Not a bad idea. “How long before you reach the crypt?” Shyla asked.

  Aphra drummed her fingers on her thigh. “Twenty-five…maybe twenty-eight sun jumps. It’ll depend on how many booby traps we’ll need to disable.”

  If she added in twenty sun jumps of travel round trip and a couple more to find the professor and negotiate a price, it meant a total of fifty sun jumps. After they paid the travel fees, could they last on the coins they had until then? No.

  “Any other ideas on how to earn coins while we wait to sell Gorgain’s crown and torque?” Shyla asked the group.

  “What about selling water to Orla’s commune?” Gurice asked.

  “That pipe is in a remote location,” Ximen said. “Rendor warned us not to make too many trips down there or we’d eventually be noticed by the guards.” He rubbed his hand on the stubble on his chin. “We could divert a few bladders to Orla, but that’s not going to bring in enough coins.”

  “Is there another temple or site that has treasures that are easier to get to?” Jayden asked.

  “Wouldn’t you know?” Shyla asked. “You said the Invisible Sword members also worked as treasure hunters. Where did they get their information?”

  “I don’t know. Kantu, one of our commanders, used to handle that. Did you ever work with him?” Jayden asked Aphra.

  “No, I didn’t work with him. I didn’t know Kantu was an Invisible Sword. There were two…factions selling and procuring artifacts. Fadey’s and Kantu’s. I heard he disappeared soon after the Water Prince cracked down on the illegal treasure hunting.”

  Another dead end. Shyla gripped the edge of the table as a wave of fatigue hit her. Experimenting with Gurice and Mojag must have sapped more of her strength than she’d thought. Jayden glanced at her in concern.

  “Did Kantu have a storeroom or a place to hold the artifacts until he sold them?” Aphra asked.

  “We had a bunch of places to store things in our old headquarters.” Ximen looked at Jayden. “Do you think one of them could have something valuable?”

  “No. They were for food, water, and supplies. Kantu was very careful. All of the commanders were.”

  Which was why they could hide in the forgotten deep levels of Tamburah’s temple for so long without being discovered. That thought triggered another. When Banqui uncovered the building, only The Eyes remained. But they’d been fakes. What happened to Tamburah’s legendary riches? Had the Invisible Swords sold them all? She asked Ximen.

  “Yes, our predecessors confiscated all his wealth when they usurped him and spent it on helping the people recover,” he said. “The only thing they couldn’t locate was his vault.”

  That didn’t make sense. “But you found it. It’s where you put the fake Eyes for Banqui to find.” According to Banqui there’d been nothing else but a skeleton inside when he’d first opened it.

  “That was his personal vault. He supposedly had another one that wasn’t marked on a map.”

  Supposedly. One of the words Shyla hated most as a researcher. “Is its existence written on a scroll or tablet or is it one of those legends?”

  “It’s from our oral history,” Ximen said with an edge to his voice.

  Which tended to be exaggerated and embellished during each generation. Since the Invisible Sword was about five hundred thousand sun jumps old, that was a great deal of time for their history to change.

  “Don’t forget, Shyla,” Jayden said. “The Eyes are part of that history and they ended up being exactly what our history claimed.”

  True, but information about them was also written down. However, she didn’t remind him. Instead, she asked, “Did you explore all of Tamburah’s temple?”

  “Of course. The vault’s not there. Tamburah had a number of residences while he ruled. He was the king after all.”

  Yet, according to the records, he spent most of his time in his temple. He’d believed he was the Sun Goddess’s son and therefore divine. Again, it wasn’t worth arguing over.

  “Back to my original question,” Shyla said. “Any ideas on how to earn some coins now?”

  Jayden hunched his shoulders. “I can work for the black-market dealers. I’ve done it before. They appreciate my abilities to get around Zirdai unseen. It won’t bring in much, but enough to last until we uncover the crypt.”

  “Mojag can help you,” Gurice said.

  “The risk of getting caught by the guards or the deacons is high and I don’t want him in danger.”

  She glanced at Shyla who shook her head slightly in a we-can-discuss-it-later manner.

  Shyla said, “I can do some research and maybe find the location of the other vault. And while I’m at the monastery, I’ll look for another site that may have a valuable artifact we can uncover faster.”

  “Do you want me to continue clearing the tunnel at Gorgain’s?” Aphra asked her.

  “Might as well until we have another
possible dig site. But you’re not going to have the full complement of Invisible Swords.”

  “I figured. Better some than none.” Aphra stood and stretched. “I’d better get some sleep.”

  It sounded like an excellent idea.

  “What was that look for?” Jayden asked Gurice once Aphra had left. “Do you really want to endanger your brother for a few extra coins?”

  “Mojag might be better at avoiding the guards and deacons than you think,” Shyla said. She explained about her experiments.

  Instead of being happy, Jayden growled at Gurice. “And you let her do that to him? He’s just a boy.”

  “He’s old enough to make his own decisions,” Gurice shot back. “Besides, it’s a good thing. We need more people who can wield magic.”

  “He’s not mature enough. He’s already cocky and takes unnecessary risks. If he learned how to wield magic…” Jayden sighed.

  “What’s really bothering you, Jay?” Gurice asked in a soft voice.

  “When I was the priestess’s…prisoner…one of the things that got me through their…questioning…” He swallowed.

  Ximen put a hand on Jayden’s shoulder, squeezing it in support.

  Jayden gave him a wan half smile that quickly faded. “I endured because I knew Mojag escaped. I thought the Invisible Sword was gone and that he would be able to return to the commune and not be recruited. He’d have…well, not a normal life, but a safer one.” He swept an arm out. “And here he is. Still in danger.”

  It was obvious that Jayden and Mojag were more than friends, more than mentor and student—they were brothers of the heart.

  “I’m glad you’re worried about him, but that’s not for you to decide,” Gurice said. “It’s his choice. He knew he could have returned to the commune back when we were hiding at the monastery. At any time, really. Unlike us, no one knows he’s involved with the Invisible Sword. He’s chosen to stay with us despite the danger. If Shyla can unlock all his magic, that will make him safer.”

  Jayden’s shoulders sagged. “You’re right.” He focused on Shyla. “You said you could see a glowing ribbon of magic inside him when he tried to wield magic. Did you see it with The Eyes?”

  “Yes. I had to lower my shield.” She described what she had done in more detail.

  “And you think you can unlock the rest of his magic?” he asked Shyla.

  “As I see it, it’s more like…opening it up to its full potential. Like widening that crack. I’ve no idea if it’ll work, but I think it’s worth the effort if Mojag agrees.”

  “When are you going to…you know…try?”

  “Not for a couple sun jumps,” Shyla said. “I need to recover.”

  “All right. I’ll take him with me to the black-market dealers while you rest.” Jayden glanced at her. “What about your ideas to recruit more people?”

  Ximen straightened. “You have ideas?”

  “A few. One of the reasons I experimented with Gurice and Mojag was to see if The Eyes could recognize a person’s magic. Since they can, I thought I’d start with the deacons who’ve been tortured. Perhaps some cracked while being rehabilitated, and they might be interested in joining us.”

  “And if they’re not, they’ll alert all their deacon friends,” Gurice said.

  “Of course there’s a risk,” Shyla said. “I’m hoping once I read their souls, I’ll know the likelihood of them joining. And if they’re truly devoted to the Heliacal Priestess, then I’ll erase their memories before they yell for help.”

  “How are you going to find them?” Ximen asked. “It’s not like they have ‘I’ve been beaten into submission’ written on their robes.”

  “I know they’re not the ones guarding the chapels or the dining cavern or working in the confession rooms. They tend to hold the lowly jobs. They’re the gardeners, the cleaners, and the kitchen workers.”

  “What about the people you freed from the confession rooms?” Gurice asked her. “They’re probably grateful.”

  “That’s a possibility.”

  “We could free more,” Ximen said.

  She’d like to rescue them all. “Not for a while. The deacons will be on guard for another ambush.”

  “What are your other ideas?” Jayden asked.

  “The vagrants. We could recruit from the communes.”

  “You mean I could,” Jayden said. “They won’t trust an outsider. Well, most won’t. Orla’s know what’s going on with the Invisible Sword. They’re already helping us, but I guess it won’t hurt to ask if anyone wants to join. With Orla’s permission, of course.”

  “Of course. Did the Invisible Sword ever recruit from the communes?” Shyla asked.

  “Only a select few who could be trusted. And those who had the potential for magic were kidnapped and put through the test.”

  Which, if she learned how to unlock a person’s power, wouldn’t be necessary.

  “I’ll make some inquiries while I’m working for the black-market dealers,” Jayden said.

  “Thanks. And I also thought about recruiting from the guards.”

  The response was instant and unanimous—it was a terrible idea.

  “I’m sure there are many guards who are unhappy with the state of affairs,” she tried.

  “There may be, but they won’t let you get near them to ask,” Jayden said.

  Still worth the effort. But Shyla realized they’d never agree, so she moved on. “What about the citizens? Will some of them be willing to join?”

  “No,” Gurice said. “Those that are disgruntled enough to do something usually become vagrants, refusing to pay taxes and the tithe. The others are either content, complicit, or not miserable enough to make the effort. All useless.”

  “Let’s start with the vagrants and see how many are willing to join us,” Shyla said. “Ximen, you keep working with Aphra to ensure the dig stays hidden. Take half of our members. Gurice, I need you to organize the other half and start excavating a tunnel to Zirdai.”

  “What are you going to do?” Jayden asked.

  “I’m going to do what I do best. Research. I’ll search for information on Tamburah’s other vault and look for another dig site that might be easier to access.”

  Shyla started with the First Room of Knowledge. After collecting all the tablets and scrolls with any reference to King Tamburah, she piled them on a low table in the reading area along with four druks. She squirmed into a comfortable position on the cushion and set to work.

  After the meeting with her…lieutenants, Shyla had returned to her room. She’d slept until angle zero then packed enough supplies to last her a couple sun jumps. Stopping to say hello to Hanif, she’d informed him that she planned to spend a significant time in the two Rooms of Knowledge. He’d already known that she’d arrived. The monks on guard had beaten her to his office.

  When she had researched Tamburah for Banqui’s mission to uncover The Eyes over a circuit ago, she had gone to the University of Zirdai’s library. The resources there hadn’t mentioned or implied there was another vault.

  And, as she slowly lost feeling in her backside during the dozens of angles she spent reading, she failed to find any reference in the monks’ collection to a second vault or to another building that Tamburah might have lived in or frequented.

  Shyla stood and stretched, rubbing her stiff muscles. Time to explore the map room. Taking a druk, she found the hidden opening and wriggled on her stomach through the small half-moon gap. She’d recently rediscovered it. A sharp pang of loneliness gripped her. Rendor had been with her. He’d stuck his head into the gap, all that he could fit. She wished she could go back to that moment and start over with him.

  Focusing on the task at hand, Shyla brushed dirt and sand from her clothes and straightened. None of the monks, including Hanif, knew about this shortcut and she hoped they never did. Otherwise, they’d seal it up and Shyla would be out of luck. No doubt getting permission to enter the map room would be difficult.

  A large
domed ceiling arched over the octagonal room. Shelves filled with maps lined seven of the eight walls. Beautiful stained-glass doors comprised the final side. Standing in the middle, she held up the druk, illuminating the stacks of scrolls.

  The good news—one or more of them was bound to be a map of an ancient site filled with treasure.

  The bad news—she didn’t know which ones.

  And she wasn’t going to find one just by standing there. She strode to the closest shelf, grabbed the first scroll and examined it. One down, a couple thousand more to go.

  She lost track of time as she studied map after map after map. None of them met her criteria: close to their headquarters, shallow enough to be accessed in a reasonable amount of time, and allegedly filled with treasure. If she found a structure that met the first two, then she would investigate its history to determine the possibility of the third.

  When her vision blurred with fatigue, she returned to the First Room of Knowledge for a break. Research was not for the impatient. She returned the materials she’d collected on Tamburah and decided on a change of scenery…well not quite as the layout of the Second Room of Knowledge mimicked the First. Only the information held inside was different.

  As she crossed to the northwest corner of the monastery and descended two levels, she recalled that Banqui had only been focused on Tamburah’s temple when he had worked to uncover The Eyes. And not for the first time, she wished she could talk to the archeologist. Shyla would bet he’d know the location of a few nearby treasures. She hoped he was well and not imprisoned in a black cell.

  All this hoping and wishing and yearning for both Rendor and Banqui drained her energy. She had people depending on her. As much as it tempted her, she could not wallow in self-pity. Instead, she pushed those complicated emotions deep within her. She would deal with them later. Much later.

  She entered the Second Room of Knowledge and collected all the tablets and scrolls that might contain a reference to Tamburah’s vaults. It was quite a large pile and bigger than the one in the First Room. Sighing, she settled in and read.