The Last Faoii

by Tahani Nelson

  “I never saw them mobilize. One day I just happened to notice there were fewer soldiers around than there had been the day before. I didn’t think it too strange at the time. We were at war, after all.”

  “You ‘didn’t think it too strange’ that you never saw an entire army move in or out of town?” Eili growled. The guard frowned but didn’t respond.

  “They must have used the horned god’s magic,” Tendaji said, furrowing his brow. “Which means your King Lucius has been out of power for at least five years.”

  “And that the Croeli have had at least that long to gather and mobilize the attacks that brought down the Faoii.” Eili’s glare was fierce as she spoke. Kaiya shook her head, still confused.

  “But why expend men to fight the nomads? The Danhaid Wars must have cost Thinir at least something, and he couldn’t have gained much. They still don’t follow Clearwall’s laws. They don’t pay taxes or farm crops. If the Croeli were planning to go against the Faoii, why sacrifice men in battles that they had nothing to gain from and then leave the Danhaid unconquered?”

  “Maybe to test their power before fightin’ true warriors?” Faoii-Eili shrugged. “Does it matter now? The Croeli are in control, and what’s left of the Danhaid don’t give a spit about us or the Goddess. They ain’t no concern of ours.” She caught Kai’s gaze with a hungry eye. “We got Faoii to find.”

  12

  Kaiya pulled uncomfortably at the neckline of her dress. Her flowing sleeve snagged on the unnecessarily slimming corset, and she cursed under her breath, trying to disentangle the ruinous parts of her ensemble. A passing dock worker glanced at her uncertainly before hurrying past. Kaiya took a deep breath and tried to center herself. Her ridiculous heels clicked on the pavement as she moved—Elegantly? I’m supposed to move elegantly in this death trap?—forward.

  The street was dark, the moon all but invisible in the misty air, crowded out by the looming buildings. Cailivale was smaller than Clearwall, but not by much, and Kaiya shivered again at the seemingly magicless streets that stretched out for miles all around her. Despite being almost two months south of the capital, the air was colder here. It was nearly the middle of autumn, and Kaiya was sure that the first snowfall would come soon.

  Cailivale was not quite like Clearwall in its emptiness. There was no gaping void where Illindria had been torn away. Instead, it was more like the Goddess’s presence was . . . covered. Kaiya could almost sense it there, hiding beneath the fog that pulled at her delicate heels.

  Kaiya felt more than saw the shadow that detached itself from one of the overhead eaves and oozed toward her like water through cracks in a stone wall. Clenching her teeth in what could possibly pass as some sort of smile while yanking at one of her sleeves, Kaiya growled at her brother.

  "What?”

  “You fidget too much.”

  “Do you want to wear this blasted dress?” Kaiya hissed as she tried in vain to pull down the immodest front hem of her skirt. She guessed that she might have been capable of walking well enough if the entire thing had been cut to this short length, but some apparently sadistic seamstress had gathered a long train at the small of her back, and it dragged across the cobblestones behind her, catching at her heels. She released a frustrated sigh. Tendaji chuckled under his breath.

  “Ah, pretty little Kai. Do you think Mother would be proud to see you now?” He motioned to her low-cut neckline and high-cut hem. His eyes twinkled with silent laughter in the moonlight. With tremendous willpower, Kaiya resisted the urge to punch him. In this outfit, she’d probably do more damage to herself anyway.

  She and Tendaji had been traveling together for two months now, and she had grown fond of her brother’s many indelicate remarks. They lightened the increasingly desperate situation somehow. But she frowned at him anyway.

  “You are making it exceedingly hard to stay in character, Croeli bastard.”

  Tendaji shrugged casually. “Nothing I do could possibly make you look any more out of character, anyway.” He paused, considering. “Faoii witch.” This time Kaiya did elbow him, but he slid out of the way. “It doesn’t matter. The Faoii know you are here. They are coming.”

  “How do you know they are Faoii and not regular whores?”

  “If Faoii-Eili is to be believed, most are one and the same in this area.” He glanced over just as Kaiya hid her smile. He frowned. “Please, Kaiya, don’t insult me. Do you think any mere street woman could move as a Faoii does? Can any untrained girl stalk the shadows like a panther? How do you spot a Croeli in a fight?”

  “I just look for anyone that looks like scum. Then I’m pretty sure.”

  “Well, then by that logic, I looked for whoever seemed the most pretentious. They were not difficult to find.” Kaiya rolled her eyes, but Tendaji continued, “I assure you, these women are Faoii. There are others, too, though they are inelegant in their strength, too sure of themselves to have seen battle. Acolytes, perhaps?” Kaiya shook her head.

  “Unascended, maybe. There are no acolytes in the Faoii Order.” Tendaji shrugged easily.

  “As you say. Just do not be surprised if they are overly eager to jump into battle. I did try to warn you.” He shifted away from her and melted into the shadows again. Kaiya lifted her eyes to the unseen moon above in a silent prayer before continuing her promenade through the dirty streets of Cailivale.

  It was not long before she heard someone turn onto the cobbled road behind her, the steps clear and intentional. Someone wanted her to hear the approach. Kaiya walked on with deliberate steadiness.

  “You there. Stop.” The words were issued by a soft, airy voice, but there was no doubt that it was a command. The sentence was laced with all the power of the Faoii. Kaiya squared her shoulders before turning around.

  The girl before Kaiya was young. Her deep black hair was braided in an elegant design—much too ornate to be considered proper for a Faoii, but normal for a Cleroii. She had a slight build and doe-like eyes, but she held herself with a strength that seemed unnatural in her petite body. The girl stopped a few paces away from Kaiya, arms crossed in front of her. Kaiya looked right through the seemingly casual stance and watched the young Cleroii settle her weight on the balls of her feet, ready to spring at a moment’s notice.

  “Hail, Sister.” Kaiya’s voice drifted over the cobblestones like smoke over a campfire as she fisted her hands one over the other. The fawn girl froze in place, eyes obviously wider than they should be, even without using the Sight. A long moment passed in silence. Then two. Then three. Kaiya grew irritated at the lack of response. Wasn’t she still an ascended Faoii? Didn’t she at least deserve the honor of a reply?

  Finally, Kaiya took a forceful step toward the young maiden, feeling the air charge around her as she drew herself up to her full height. The girl was almost dwarfish in Kaiya’s presence, but she did not shy away. She did, however, raise her arms in a defensive motion as Kaiya advanced. There was no fear in her eyes, and Kaiya flashed a wolfish smile at the sight of another warrior. The girl’s movements were so fluid, so perfect.

  “Why are you trying to hide yourself?” she asked, softening her eyes. “Look at you. You are true Faoii. One of the few left.” She hushed the girl quickly as she tried to speak. “No. Don’t lie. You may be Cleroii rather than Faoii, but you are of the Order, and I greet you as a sister.” Kaiya paused, sensing something in the air. “As do I greet you others, too.” The fawnlike girl gave her a strange look, and Kaiya smiled. “You have two companions who are closing in on us. One is coming from the market stall behind me, and the other is in the window to my left.” The faintest gasp came from the cracked pane.

  “Well. You are well trained.” The voice was young and smug, though it was obvious the speaker was trying to sound forceful. Kaiya sighed at the sound of the voice. So young. They—we?—are all so young. Kaiya turned toward this new voice and tried not to stumble in her heels. The smile she gave was genuine.

  “I am probably no better than you, Faoii.
” Kaiya fisted her hands once more. “Hail, Sister.”

  This new girl immediately fisted her olive-toned hands in the customary fashion. Long strands of silky, ebony hair fell across her face as she bowed her head. “May the Goddess guide your battles, Faoii.” She raised her head and stood with one hand on a leather-clad hip. Her breastplate had been switched out for a subtler leather jerkin, and, unlike Kaiya and the fawnlike Cleroii, she wore dusty, flexible breeches and sturdy boots rather than the obscenely short skirt and feminine heels. Her silky black braid was bound with iron rings. It reached the small of her back, and a glittering fantoii rested easily on one hip. She gave Kaiya a reproving look.

  “You look ridiculous.” Kaiya looked down at her awkward gown.

  “It’s . . . hard to openly search for Faoii these days. It’s not like I could simply ask around until I found you. So I gave you a reason to seek me out instead.” She shrugged one bare, dark shoulder. The leather-clad girl’s almond eyes sparkled in wry amusement.

  “Well, it worked. Who are you?”

  Kaiya smiled and fisted her hands again. “I am Faoii-Kaiya of the Monastery of the Eternal Blade.”

  “Kaiya. Pretty. I’m Faoii-Lyn of the Unbroken Weave. This is Kim-Cleroii, and the one hiding behind the windowpane is Mei-Faoii. And before you ask, yes, Mei and I are biological siblings, not just sisters of the Order.” A smallish girl with the same silky hair and almond eyes stepped out of the house she had been using for cover. A weather-worn crossbow hung lazily from one hand. Its bolt had not been removed. “Welcome to Cailivale, the last Faoii bastion.”

  Kaiya looked to Mei and Kim. Both wore the deep-cut dresses that whispered of . . . purchasable affection. And neither looked older than ten or twelve.

  Faoii-Lyn followed her gaze, apparently using the Sight to read her thoughts at a glance. “Do not judge us, Faoii. We do what we must in order to put food on the table. We know how to defend ourselves, and the other girls in this town do, too, and there’s no shame in that.” Kaiya opened her mouth to speak, but Faoii-Lyn stopped her. “And besides, men’s tongues grow loose when their blood rushes from one head and into the other. I’m willing to bet my fantoii that I have at least some information that you want, all of which was given willingly and received readily.”

  Kaiya spread her hands, surprised at the younger woman’s pride and strength. “I misjudged, Faoii. I apologize.” Faoii-Lyn’s gaze immediately softened, and she grinned as she slapped Kaiya lightly on one shoulder.

  “No harm done. We’ll discuss it when we get to the enclave. Your awkward soldier friend is already waiting for you there.” Kaiya cocked her head to one side.

  “You already picked up Emery?”

  “Yeah. He was almost as out of place as you. We stopped him and found Faoii armor in the wagon, so I locked him up in the enclave. He’s not hurt or anything. We knew pretty quick that he didn’t kill anyone to get that armor. And he said ‘ma’am’ so many times I thought I’d go crazy, so we left him there and went looking for the Faoii he claimed was his companion.” She shrugged and gestured around her. “And here we are.”

  “And here you are.” Kaiya tried to imagine the nervous but kindhearted Emery being accused of murdering a Faoii by a bunch of dangerous and beautiful women. Poor Emery.

  “What about my other companion?” she finally ventured. Lyn noticeably froze, her entire body straightening. The look on her face was not one of amusement.

  “What other companion?”

  Kaiya sighed in muted relief. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if the women of Cailivale had already discovered Tendaji. She took a step closer to Lyn with her hands raised. No more repetitions of what had happened in the sewers.

  “I need you to hear me out, Faoii. Please. I’m here with someone else, and I’m not surprised that he’s eluded you. He’s greatly skilled, and all but the most perceptive Faoii would pass him by without a second glance. That’s valuable in times like these.”

  “If he has to hide from us, then we can’t trust him.” Kim-Cleroii seemed nervous as she spoke. Kaiya tried to make her voice as soothing as possible.

  “I know. But that’s my fault rather than his. Please, sisters. I need you to trust me. I swear on the Tapestry that we’re not a danger to you.” Lyn eyed Kaiya closely, measuring her words. After a moment, she gave the other girls a nod. Kim pulled a long dagger from her sleeve and tucked it into her belt where Kaiya could easily see it. With an aptitude belying her small hands and young age, Mei unloaded her crossbow.

  “Fine. Lead us to him.” Kaiya gave a soft sigh and made sure her hands were nowhere near her fantoii as she spoke.

  “He’s already here.” The girls all tensed as they looked around warily. Then, slowly, one of the shadows in the rafters of a nearby building disjointed from those around it and dropped silently onto the cobblestones. Tendaji glided into the street, tucking a throwing dagger into his leather belt pouch. He stopped several strides away, eyeing the pack of Faoii with wary amusement. The street had all the commotion of a cemetery.

  Mei’s trembling voice finally broke the silence. “Lyn, it’s one of them.” Lyn gave her little sister a sharp glance before turning back to Kai.

  “You travel with troubling companions, Faoii.” Faoii-Lyn’s voice was hard and cold as she crossed her arms. Kaiya noted that the stance brought her right hand closer to the fantoii hilt.

  “Then you know what he is?” Kaiya’s question was simple and held no implications.

  “Of course. No one burns a monastery full of Croeli to the ground without knowing the enemy first.”

  “And yet there is no fear in your eyes. His presence does not bother you?”

  “Don’t be stupid. Of course it bothers me. But I do not fear him. You’ve given up your advantage by bringing him into the light. We’ll watch him.” Lyn took a quick step toward Kaiya and looked up into her eyes with a deathly stare. “Just be aware of this, Faoii-Kaiya: if you betray us, I will kill you. And I’ll do it slowly.” The amount of power that Faoii-Lyn was able to put into that simple statement was enough to charge the air and make the hair on the back of Kaiya’s neck stand on end. Kaiya nodded.

  “I know. But if it ever comes to that, I don’t think I would try to stop you.” Lyn held Kaiya’s gaze for a moment longer, then turned away.

  “Okay then. If that’s settled, let’s get going. Time to show you the Faoii enclave of Cailivale.”

  13

  The enclave was really two adjacent warehouses that had been connected over time. Its many exits made it easy for the women inside to avoid the scrupulous gazes of what authoritative figures Cailivale had to offer, but for the most part, the enclave was Cailivale’s most open secret. Commonly viewed as an elaborate brothel, the women of Cailivale had their own brewery, barracks, and chapel hidden amidst the training dummies and weapon stands that filled the massive warehouse situated behind the “entertainment” plaza. Women of all ages and all manners of dress sauntered through the building as Kaiya received the grand tour. Some looked like common street women, shameless and proud as they stretched their long, bare legs with each step. Others were dressed in the more modest and battle-ready leather jerkins that matched Faoii-Lyn’s. None wore the bronze breastplate and ivy-covered helm that came with ascension, and except for Faoii-Lyn’s glittering weapon, no fantoii were present.

  “Only Kim, Mei, and I actually grew up in the monastery,” Lyn said as she led Kaiya and Tendaji through the twisted “rooms” created by hanging rugs and beaded curtains. “The rest are girls we found on our way here. They were all either too weak and afraid to stand up for themselves or too proud and headstrong to be anything other than dangerous. Until we came along. We gave them a home and we taught them how to fight the Croeli.” She lowered her voice. “None of them are true Faoii, but they don’t know that. And they need this.” She gave Kai a hard look, daring her to shred the fantasy they’d built around themselves. Kaiya thought about her own “ascension” and everything she’d le
arned since the beginning of her journey and smiled sadly.

  “I think we all do.”

  Lyn grinned as they continued. Most of the women bowed their heads or gave long-legged curtsies to Faoii-Lyn as she passed, and she sauntered through them proudly, leading Kaiya to a changing screen set up near an iron tub toward the back of the building. There was no question that Faoii-Lyn was in charge as she called over a nearby harlot.

  “Bring me the armor that the scared boy had with him. Oh, and let him out, too. He’s harmless.” The woman moved to obey, and Lyn turned back to Kaiya. “I’d ask you what happened to the Eternal Blade Monastery, but I’m pretty sure I already know. Croeli appeared on your doorstep out of nowhere, broke their way inside, and slaughtered everyone they came across? Maybe holed up for a while to rest and heal before moving on?”

  “Yes.” Kaiya was slightly hurt by how glibly Faoii-Lyn was able to discuss the situation, though she’d had more time to cope with it. “But they didn’t stay in the monastery. They were gone before I woke up.” Briefly, Kaiya described the fall of her monastery.