The Last Empath of Doctsland

by Leah Putz

  “No, no you won’t,” Hope said, cutting in. “Clearly the two of you are up to some serious business if you came here to talk and you also need to bring Siofra in on her day off. You can get a head start while I go fetch her. It will send far too many tongues wagging if the prince is wandering around looking for his personal guard. His only female personal guard. There are enough rumors without you and Siofra meandering through the city together.”

  I opened my mouth to object when Jion spoke up. “Great! Thanks, Hope. We’ll see you back in a bit.”

  As soon as the door shut behind Hope I turned to Jion. “There’s nothing going on between Siofra and I. You know that right?”

  Jion scoffed. “Of course I know that. I’m around you two all the time. There’s no way anything could be going on. Plus Siofra takes her job way too seriously. It would be forbidden, a scandal, for the prince to be sleeping with a guard. She’d never let it happen.”

  “Nor would I compromise her job and her status by letting it. She’d be ostracized.”

  Jion shrugged. “You don’t have as much willpower as she does, but I believe you. People only think that because your mother was a guard when your father married her.” He didn’t sound as convinced as I was, but either way I was happy enough that although the whole country seemed to believe the rumors regarding me and one of my most trusted guards, at least my best friend was smart enough not to buy into the folly. I sighed, supposing it came with the territory of having a sordid past.

  “Siofra and I are barely even friends. I try to joke around with her and she never laughs,” I mumbled, pouting a little.

  Jion, on the other hand, did laugh, his signature high-pitched cackle in fact. “I know. I see it. And it’s painful. Why do you think I laugh extra hard? To try to mitigate the awkward tension that emanates from you when someone doesn’t find you amusing.”

  “You make me sound pathetic.”

  “You aren’t pathetic. You’ve just been raised around a bunch of people that will always laugh even when you’re not funny. Everyone caters to you when you’re the prince. I imagine it’s hard when someone doesn’t, even if that someone is focusing all of her energy on her duty of protecting you.”

  “Yeah, whatever.” I shifted uncomfortably. The conversation was getting a little too deep for my comfort, not one to delve into emotional matters often, so I shifted the focus back to the matter at hand. “We need to channel our energies into Bushand.”

  Jion ran his fingers through the waves of his light auburn hair, growing serious, “Right. What exactly have you heard that puts you in such an urgent mood?”

  “I’ll wait until Siofra gets here to go into those details, but the fact of the matter is we need a plan of attack before they are able to reach our shores with an army.”

  Inhaling, Jion’s doe-like eyes grew larger. “I didn’t realize that was actually a tangible threat. If so, you’re right, we do need to attack first. If they’re allowed to march here with the sort of army they are able to produce, especially with King Siglind’s iron fist, we won’t stand a chance. Our strength now, and throughout the ages, has always almost exclusively been in naval warfare.”

  “You bring up something else I’d like to discuss. We need a stronger force of foot soldiers. If whatever plan we come up with doesn’t work, we can’t leave the city practically undefended.”

  “If we move to begin gathering forces, don’t you think that will prompt Siglind to strike? He’ll know we’re weak,” Jion countered.

  I shrugged, staring at the table as my mind moved desperately. “He already knows we’re weak. Especially since by now he’ll have heard about his mother’s death. It’s a pretty common assumption, both in Doctsland and the rest of Lerashnaz, that as soon as I’m crowned, the country will all but fall apart. My father and stepmother ruled so well, and I’ve never had the reputation of being a good prince.” I fell silent for a moment, ruminating on my past. Jion didn’t interrupt, knowing there was nothing he could say that wouldn’t be a lie. Finally, after a minute, I sighed. “I should have prepared for this day, especially after my father died. I should have known, or at least suspected, that Siglind would claim this throne as his.”

  Jion spoke up, encouraging, “No, Vik. There was no reason for you to suspect he’d do this. He has no legitimate claim to the throne. Your father was the rightful King of this land, and you’re his only child. But anyway, how do you even know that Siglind has claimed the throne for himself?”

  Before I could reply, the front door swung open, revealing Hope, and Siofra right behind him. “What could possibly be so important that you have to drag me in on my day off?” She complained, though we couldn’t miss the worry thick in her voice.

  “Take a seat, Siofra.” I gestured to the empty chair at the table. “We’ve got quite a lot to discuss.”

  Siofra did just that, leaning her sword up against the table as she sat down. “Wow,” Jion said, snickering at the fact that Siofra was in riding gear as opposed to her signature armor. “I’ve never seen you without your armor before.”

  “Oh shut up, Jion. Yes you have,” Hope called, causing everyone to chuckle and lightening the mood somewhat. “Who wants a drink?”

  Siofra rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. “I’m not wearing my armor on my day off, idiot. And Hope, I will take one, thank you.” Without another word, Hope brought out three cups and filled them with ale before handing them to Jion and Siofra, keeping one for himself. I shot him a small smile of thanks for keeping the temptation out of my reach.

  “Alright, alright. Let’s get down to business,” I said, accepting a glass of water from Hope, ever the gracious host.

  Jion and Siofra immediately shifted into guard mode, growing serious and focusing entirely on me. “My step-brother has issued a claim for my throne. He’s threatened that if I don’t step aside before the new year, he will take the crown, which he sees as rightfully his, by force. To answer your question, Jion, Siglind sent a declaration of such to the council.”

  Jion slammed his hands on the table, stopping himself from leaping out of his seat and sending it flying. “He what?!”

  I pulled the letter in question from my pocket. It was official, sealed with the recently updated fire-and-axe emblem of Bushand, a symbol of Siglind’s growing affinity for industry. Tossing it on the table, I launched into my explanation. “He sent it to the council, probably assuming I would let everything go there without looking it over first, but he underestimates me, regardless of how neglectful I may have been in the past. As soon as the queen died, I ordered any royal decrees or messages be sent to me in her stead prior to reaching the council. When the messenger from Bushand arrived with this, he was loath to give it directly to me, but he had no other choice.”

  Siofra inhaled sharply as she read over the letter herself. “Before the New Year… That’s barely four months away.”

  I nodded, clenching my jaw. “Yes, it is.”

  “So,” Jion continued as he stood and began to pace. “We need a plan. Obviously Vik isn’t going to just give his throne away to this outsider, and we can’t wait around for Bushand to attack. We need to make the first move, or build up our defenses, or something... We need to do something.” He strolled into his bedroom, returning a few moments later with an old, weather worn map that he rolled out onto the table. The map focused on Doctsland and Bushand, Selky’s Sea lying between them and a small land bridge at the north which connected the two opposing countries. “I saved this from my journey to Bushand with my father, who accompanied your father as his guard on the to meet his possible new bride. It was my first trip I was permitted to go on as an early teenager, and my last trip with my father prior to his death, so I’ve saved it. I’m surprised he let me go if I’m honest, going to Bushand as a Doctslandian was dangerous then. Only the marriage between your father and step-mother united the countries, though it appears that was a temporary truce now. Regardless, this map may be of use now.”

  The t
hree of us sat in silence for a bit as we gazed at the map before us, each searching it as if it could provide a solution to our dilemma. The only noises in the room were the crackling of the fire and the occasional sound of Hope turning a page in his book as he tried not to eavesdrop on his husband’s conversation.

  “Could we lead an army to the Northern Pass? Surely that’s where he’ll attack. He doesn’t have enough of a fleet to attack from the sea. His strength is in his army,” Jion suggested, pointing to the mile wide stretch of land connecting Doctsland to Bushand.

  “Our army is not strong enough to hold that pass. We could keep it for maybe a few weeks, but Siglind would break through with his thousands, and then there would be nothing blocking him from taking Capital City and the rest of Doctsland,” Siofra said.

  “But that’s definitely our best chance. If we just wait for them to attack here we’ll surely be annihilated. The pass gives us a fighting chance,” Jion replied staunchly.

  Hope suddenly jumped up from his seat, slamming his book. “Jion,” he scolded. “Siofra just said that’s basically a suicide mission. I’m sure the three of you can come up with another plan. One that doesn’t end with your death and the absorption of this country into whatever Siglind is making Bushand.”

  “Dear, I’m a soldier. Part of my job is possibly dying for my country.”

  Hope put his hands on his hips, fixing his husband with a sharp gaze that had me wincing. “I know that but it doesn’t mean you go off on the first bad plan you think of.” Jion bristled at his plan being called ‘bad,’ but knew better than to argue, especially with Hope and Siofra on the same side.

  “What if…” Siofra began, then hesitated.

  “Go on,” I prompted, eager to hear her thoughts. She’d always been the smartest of the three of us; the most tactile.

  “If the rumors you mentioned about Siglind experimenting with dark magic are true, then we can’t face any kind of outward attack from him. We have no defenses against such a thing. Our only chance would be to take him unawares. So what if we break them down from the inside?”

  Jion, who had been standing in the corner, half leaning up against the wall, came forward and placed his hands on the table, causing the muscles in his forearms to bulge. “What do you mean, ‘break them down from the inside’?”

  A small smirk grew on my lips as I pondered her words. “Not everyone in Bushand is entirely happy with Siglind’s reign since his mother left ten years ago. In fact, whispers have been growing of resistance, the possibility, however slight, of rebellion. Whispers strong enough for me to catch wind of them here.”

  “Exactly,” Siofra said, nodding and returning my smirk. “If we infiltrate the country, perhaps we can feed into that growing resistance.”

  “Why would the people of Bushand aid us in a war to keep Siglind from taking power over Doctsland? It’s not as if it has all that much to do with them. Would they risk being traitors to their own country to help ours remain independent?” Jion countered.

  Siofra sighed. “I hadn’t thought that far.”

  We grew silent once more, all deep in thought. Finally I spoke up. “Siglind won’t give up. He won’t surrender, possibly unless he faces total annihilation, and even then I’m not positive he’ll give in. He will continue to reign as a terror to his people, and a threat to ours unless we remove him from power.”

  “But then who will be king of Bushand?” Jion asked the question we all wondered.

  “It certainly won’t be me. I don’t want that kind of power. I’m not sure I’m even ready to take over my own country. This has all just happened so quickly.”

  “Siglind has a sister, right? She hasn’t been seen publicly much since their mother came here, but she exists. And she’s next in line. Perhaps she will be able to take over.”

  “Yes, Lura,” I said, remembering my step-sister. I had only met Lura and Siglind once, during their mother’s coronation as Queen of Doctsland when I was twelve. Siglind had been fairly timid, and didn’t speak to me much until we grew to know each other better, but Lura had been kind and outgoing. While the pressure of ruling a nation at a young age had turned Siglind into someone cruel, I hoped the same could not be said for Lura, and that she’d be willing to take up her brother’s mantle. “We’ll have to hope so,” I sighed.

  “Alright, so we infiltrate the country. Stoke the fire of resistance. Promise them a new leader, so long as they help us to dethrone Siglind. Will that be enough? Can we win with this secrecy and resistance alone?” Siofra spoke everyone’s thoughts aloud.

  “No, we can’t. Even if all the people of Bushand joined us in our fight. It’s a struggling, farming nation. The majority of its people are not warriors, they don’t know how to fight, and their weapons will be merely the supplies of their houses, for the most part, especially since Siglind came into power. He doesn’t allow the common folk to keep weapons for fear of an uprising. I am sorry to be so blunt, but we need our army,” Jion said somberly.

  “You’re right,” I said, nervously fiddling with my now empty water glass to keep my hands busy. “And don’t apologize for being blunt, you never have before.” I shot a sad grin to my friend before continuing. “Jion, you’re the only one of us that has been to Bushand. How much time do you think it will take us to make our way to the countryside rallying people to our cause before we make it to Nul?”

  “Hmm,” Jion said, strong brows creased with deep thought. “It depends on where we’re starting from. But I would guess two, maybe three months. That’s if nothing waylays us.”

  Nodding, I stood and examined the map from above, eyeing the stretch of sea between Doctsland and Bushand closely. “It will take approximately two weeks to for us to sail to Bushand. We’ll need a small vessel, one that won’t attract any notice. We won’t be able to fit very many people on it. The three of us, certainly, but perhaps only a small crew in addition. Right before we leave, I’ll issue a command for our entire naval fleet to launch exactly three months after we depart, leaving only a few hundred foot soldiers behind to protect Doctsland. With any luck they’ll reach Nul around the same time we do for a join attack on the city.”

  “It might work,” Jion said, gazing intently at the map. “But I don’t think you should go, Viktor. If this were to fail, we can’t afford to lose you.”

  “If this fails, it won’t matter if I’m lost. The country will be lost anyway,” I pointed out.

  “We could stand a chance if you were still in Doctsland. There would still be hope.”

  “Jion,” I said somberly. “If this mission fails, we will lose our entire fleet, not to mention two of our best fighters.” I glanced between Jion and Siofra. “All that will be left for Siglind to do is set sail and arrive here. Nothing will stand in his way. My presence in the capital won’t change that. I will be of more use coming with you.”

  Siofra bit her lip, hazel eyes burning into her ale as she spoke. “As much as it pains me to say this, I have to agree with Viktor. He knows Lura, and he may be our best shot at convincing her to join us and stand against her brother.” My eyebrows shot up and I couldn’t keep the shocked, yet smug smile from my face. I had somehow gotten Siofra’s approval.

  “It may work, but it’s leaving a lot up to chance,” Jion pointed out.

  There was a moment of silence, each pondering the plan and how to improve it. Finally, Jion broke it. “What if we try to beat Siglind at his own game? What if we were to get magic involved as well?”

  Siofra replied slowly, confusion etched on her tanned face. “What… exactly do you mean by magic? What kind of magic?”

  “I’ve heard rumors, and if I’ve heard them, I’m sure you all have to, of a magical family in Doctsland, near to the Loch, far from the city.”

  “The Manyeo family, yeah. Everyone knows about them. They’re always held together by a matriarch, usually a healer,” Siofra explained.

  “A healer would be helpful on our expedition, in case of any skirmishes, or acc
idental injuries,” I said.

  Jion put up his hand to still me. “Not the healer. Rumor has it the granddaughter is an empath.”

  Jaws dropping, both Siofra and I remained silent in shock. “The empaths are gone. There hasn’t been an empath in almost a thousand years.” Siofra spoke in quiet shock.

  “Apparently not anymore.”

  “I’ve never heard this rumor. How do you know this?” I asked. I knew I’d been a bit out of the loop in the last few years, absorbed with women and gambling, but I didn’t think I was so out of touch that I would miss a rumor like this.

  Jion shrugged. “I don’t know, that’s the issue. It is but a rumor. We have to travel to their village to see for sure. But I’m not sure we can waste that trip if the rumors are unfounded.”

  “Do we have any other choice?” I asked, though everyone in the room knew it was rhetorical. “How long will it take to get there? I haven’t traveled around the country as much and the two of you. I don’t have a great concept of our geography.”

  “The quickest way will be the river. If we push off here in a small, quick ship, we can be there in two days. Coming back will take a bit longer as we’ll be going against the current, but we can make it in three.”

  “That’s a week wasted if we’re wrong,” Siofra said.

  “But an empath gained if we’re right,” I said softly, a determined edge to my voice. “Think of what that could do for us. As it stands now, we’re going to be walking into Bushand blind. Yes, we know there is unrest, but we don’t know who or where that may be. We’d be wandering around with no guidance, hoping to come across someone that will help us. If we don’t happen across anyone that will join us, or enough anyone’s, before the fleet reaches Nul, we’ll be defeated, no question. But with an empath, we will have the guidance that we need. She can tap into where there is unrest, and lead us to who may be inclined to join our cause. It could be the difference between glory and annihilation.”