by Anna Kashina
“The challenge stands, Aghat Oden Lan,” Mai said.
The Guildmaster looked at him for a moment in disbelief. He did not look at Kara at all.
“So be it,” he said. Then he turned and strode away.
14
WOUNDS
Egey Bashi watched Kara and Mai led away, surrounded in a protective ring of the Jades. Mai was using Kara’s arm for support, but it took a man closely familiar with both of them to see the effort it was costing to keep him upright.
Kara marched with her head high under the stares of the crowd. Egey Bashi admired her for her composure. He knew that without Mai she did not stand a chance in hell of surviving what was coming tomorrow. Yet, he also knew that even with Mai’s skill they were likely doomed.
Still, he had to do everything in his power to help.
He looked at Kyth.
“Perhaps you could try to meet with the Guildmaster tonight,” he said. “Not much hope, of course, but if he does see us, something we say might help find a way out of this situation.”
Kyth nodded. “I already sent a request, but the initial response was not encouraging. I don’t think they even relayed it to him. I’ll try again, of course.”
Egey Bashi shook his head. Tomorrow this Guild might be witnessing the biggest bloodbath in the history of the Majat, at least in the count of the top gem ranks that were likely to perish in the mêlée. Raishan’s injury added to the numbers. He needed to see if he could do something, at least about this one.
“With your permission, Prince Kythar,” he said, “I need to attend to something urgent.” He signaled for Ellah to follow and set off in the direction he had seen the Jades carry Raishan earlier.
They slowed down as they approached the medical barracks. The Majat Guild had some of the best doctors for taking care of wounds, and Egey Bashi knew that over the years they must have developed many potent substances to make healing effective, but he also knew that the Keepers were far ahead of them. The small vial he was clutching in his hand could heal Raishan in no time, even if the wound was very grave. But it couldn’t be done unless the Diamond’s life was out of danger, and it certainly had no power to bring him back from the dead. The Magister had to hurry.
Inside, he easily guessed where to go by a trail of forlorn Jades lining the corridor and crowding in the doorway ahead. Egey Bashi made sure Ellah was keeping up as he pushed through into the room.
Raishan lay on a table in the center, his pale face showing no signs of life. Several men in medics’ uniforms bustled over him, and the middle-aged doctor with graying hair and thin, long fingers, gave quiet orders as two of his associates tied a white coverall over his clothes. The tart, metallic smell of blood filled the room. Egey Bashi heard Ellah stifle a half-gasp, half-sob as she pushed into the room in his wake.
When Egey Bashi stepped up to Raishan’s side all the action in the room halted, the concerned expressions around them turning to disbelief, then suspicion. The Keeper kept his eyes on the doctor. Master Lestor, if he wasn’t mistaken. In Egey Bashi’s dealings with the Majat Guild he did his best to put names to many important faces.
He felt somewhat relieved. Lestor was the best doctor he knew outside the Keepers’ White Citadel. He was also a reasonable man.
“How deep is the wound?” he asked.
Lestor surveyed him for a moment with an appraising glance, as if deciding whether to have him thrown out or let him speak. Egey Bashi hoped his expression was sufficiently determined to convince the doctor to settle on the latter option.
“Magister Egey Bashi,” Lestor said. “I’m about to remove the bolt. Perhaps this conversation can wait until after that?”
Egey Bashi took out the small vial and held it up.
“This substance,” he said, “can cure deadly wounds in a matter of minutes, helping them to disappear without a trace. It causes excruciating pain, but I doubt Aghat Raishan in his condition would even notice.”
Lestor’s gaze wavered, his eyes flicking to his patient and back to the Keeper.
“I fear,” he said, “the bolt might have penetrated the lung and its point definitely sits very close to the heart. Can your substance handle that, Magister?”
Egey Bashi let out a sigh. “He has to be alive and in no immediate danger before we can apply the substance.”
The doctor nodded. “I thought so. Perhaps you can step aside and let me do my job? If Aghat Raishan survives this surgery, I will welcome any cure you can bring.”
Egey Bashi gestured to his side. “Ellah is an apprentice Keeper who knows how to use the substance. I will leave her here. If the cure is warranted she’ll know what to do.” He met Ellah’s frightened gaze and placed a calming hand on her shoulder.
“It will be all right,” he said quietly. “Master Lestor is the best. He will do everything possible to save Aghat Raishan’s life.”
Leaving Ellah in a chair in the corner of the room he stepped outside and proceeded to another room down the hall, also attended by the Jades. As he strode in, he was met with more suspicious glances but no one tried to stop him as he approached the bedside.
Sharrim lay very still, but he was clearly awake, his eyes following the Magister’s approach with caution. Two medics bustled over him, dressing his bleeding chest wound. The bloodied throwing dagger lay in a metal dish on a side table and the Magister glanced at it with interest. By the look of it, the dagger had gone in at an angle, to about two thirds of its length, twisting toward the right side, which was probably what saved Sharrim’s life. It was a hell of a throw, one Egey Bashi had only heard about but never thought possible to witness in real life.
“I’m glad to see you are going to live, Gahang,” Egey Bashi said. “For a moment out there I feared the worst.”
The Jade’s gaze wavered and to his surprise Egey Bashi saw a tear standing in the corner of his eye.
“I never meant to hurt him,” Sharrim whispered. “I...”
“You wanted to kill Kara, didn’t you?”
Sharrim nodded. “It was our assignment to kill her, his and mine, together. His failure is my responsibility too.” His lips trembled. “I was so angry with him when I learned what he’d done. I couldn’t forgive him for deceiving me. But when I saw him today...” A tear rolled down his cheek as he subsided back into his pillow. A medic by his side glanced up at Egey Bashi with irritation.
The Keeper crossed his arms on his chest, thoughtfully looking down at the wounded man. He’d seen Mai stir up this reaction in women many times over. But to see a man feel this way was strange.
“How much Black Death do you put on your arrows?” he asked.
Sharrim looked at him in surprise. “Why?”
Egey Bashi leaned closer. “If you want me to try to help Aghat Mai, I need to know.”
The Jade nodded earnestly, causing another irritated glance from the medic. “Ten drops,” he said. “I coat the arrowhead and two inches of the shaft. This way even when the arrow goes through it still leaves enough poison to...” His lips trembled again. “What have I done, Magister?” he whispered.
Egey Bashi lightly patted him on the shoulder.
“Don’t think about it, Gahang,” he said. “Just focus on getting well. I appreciate your help.”
He turned and strode away.
Doctor Lestor stood outside Raishan’s room, surveying the crossbow bolt in a small dish pooled with blood. His arms were bloodied up to the elbows and splotches of it stained his white coverall. He raised his eyes in response to Egey Bashi’s silent question.
“He’s lost a lot of blood,” he said. “And he’s barely hanging on. I asked your apprentice to wait until his condition is stabilized.”
Egey Bashi nodded. “If you need my help, please don’t hesitate to call me. Aghat Raishan and I worked together on many assignments. His life is very precious to me.”
“As it is to all of us,” Lestor said. “This was a nasty incident getting out of hand, and everyone here is deeply regret
ting it. I assure you, Magister, I will do everything it takes.”
“Are you also going to treat Aghat Mai’s wound?” Egey Bashi asked.
Lestor lowered his eyes. The Keeper watched him with a sinking heart.
“Aghat Mai’s life is forfeit,” the doctor said at length. “By the Guildmaster’s orders. If I did anything to help him, I would share his fate.”
“But…”
The doctor’s eyes showed regret.
“I share your feelings, Magister. Believe me. This is all such a waste. And now, come tomorrow, we will lose two of the best fighters our Guild has ever known in this senseless challenge – along with Shal Addim knows how many others, if this fight indeed goes through as planned.”
“And you will just stand by and let it happen?”
The doctor sighed. “Following orders is the price we all must pay for being the Majat. The best I can do is treat Aghat Raishan before I receive orders to the contrary. Given the Guildmaster’s feelings in the matter and the circumstances of Aghat Raishan’s injury, I wouldn’t be surprised to see such orders forthcoming. I am trying to do my best to give him a chance.”
“But Aghat Mai–”
Lestor’s glance cut him off. “Even if he was in top shape, I see no way he and Aghat Kara could win this challenge against the entire Guild. But I also know more. Gahang Sharrim’s arrow that shot Aghat Mai was coated with Black Death. Even my skill cannot save him now.”
Egey Bashi nodded. He knew better, but telling that to the doctor would serve no purpose except to put him into a precarious position.
As he strode back to the guest quarters, he heard hasty footsteps behind. He turned, watching a lean, wiry man with large dark eyes approach. A crossbow protruded from above his left shoulder and a suffused green jade glistened in his armband.
“Magister Egey Bashi,” the man said. “I overheard you back there, talking to Gahang Sharrim, and later to Master Lestor. Is there anything you can do to help Aghat Mai?”
Egey Bashi stopped, looking at the man keenly.
“Why?”
“I…” the man hesitated. “You probably know what I’m risking by saying this, but I don’t believe it would be right to stand back and let current events run their course. Not if anything can be done about it.”
Egey Bashi peered into his eyes, seeing nothing but honesty in the man’s urgent gaze. He was impressed. With people like this, the Majat Guild had hope indeed.
“You’re a good man,” he said.
The Jade lowered his eyes. “I love my Guild, Magister. I cannot possibly stand by injustice.”
The Keeper nodded. “Do you know where Kara and Mai are kept?”
“Yes, in a cell by the east courtyard. They’re under lock. The whole courtyard has been ordered off limits until tomorrow’s challenge.”
“Do you think you can find your way in there?”
The Jade hesitated. “I can always go into that courtyard to check on security, yes. I cannot get the key to their cell, though.”
“Can you get anything to them?”
The Jade nodded. “The cell is protected by a grate, large enough to pass things through.”
“Good.” Egey Bashi rummaged in the pouch at his belt and brought out another small dark vial, similar to the one that he had just left in Ellah’s care – his private stash even Mother Keeper did not know about. He pushed the vial into the Jade’s hand. “Give them this. Aghat Mai should know what to do – if he is still conscious. If not, tell Kara to coat the arrow shaft with this liquid and pull it through.”
The Jade’s hand quivered. “Master Lestor believes Aghat Mai will die of poison. I heard your conversation. Do you know something he doesn’t, Magister?”
“Yes, I do, Gahang, even though I’d appreciate it if you keep this knowledge from circulating. Aghat Mai is far more resistant to Black Death than anyone else. With the amount he had, he should be able to recover by morning, assuming that his wound is treated within an hour or so.”
The Jade put the vial into his pocket with great care.
“You should also give them some lanterns,” Egey Bashi said. “It’s getting dark and Kara will need all the light possible to do what’s needed. And… I’m not sure how Majat prisoners are kept, but it would of course be good to make sure they have food and water. They need to replenish their strength. Walk with me; I’ll tell you more details.”
The Keeper parted with the Jade at the entrance courtyard, watching the man retreat in hasty steps. He hoped this man would do what he promised. So fortunate that, back in the Grasslands during their fight with the Kaddim, Egey Bashi had used a small dose of Black Death on Mai, to treat a seriously infected wound. Very few knew of the medicinal properties of this poison – or the fact that small doses of it made a man resistant to Black Death for life.
He hoped, with the Jade’s help, Mai would give a nasty surprise to their Guildmaster by appearing in the arena in top shape tomorrow. This still didn’t leave much chance for him and Kara to win the challenge, but at least it somewhat improved the odds.
15
SHADOW MASTER
Oden Lan looked out of the window of his study over the rows of warriors assembled in the courtyard below. Even though most of the top gem ranks were out on active assignments, the display still looked impressive. Over two hundred people, the deadliest fighters in existence, formed row after row, the gems in their Majat armbands glistening in the torchlight.
The Fortress housed thousands of ranked Majat, but it was senseless to throw all of them into the challenge. Only the top gems could stand up to Kara for any length of time, given appropriate instructions. She had no chance with what the Guildmaster had in mind. With Mai out of the way, the challenge was bound to be a very short one.
Oden Lan knew he had to go down there and address the troops, but seeing the display from above enabled him to think through the battle plan in more detail before giving them specific instructions. He watched the trainers rush between the standing warriors, checking weapons and gear.
“Impressive, isn’t it, Aghat?” a voice said from behind.
Oden Lan turned to watch the old weapons keeper, Abib, enter the room and approach at an unhurried walk. He silently stepped aside, letting the man stand next to him by the window with a good view of the courtyard.
Abib had been one of the few in the Fortress left from the old guard, trained at the time when Oden Lan himself had gotten his Diamond ranking. Abib’s quiet humor, the ever-shifting expressions of his long, animated face, had always been comforting. And now, despite his stern composure, Oden Lan was glad of the company.
He had mourned Kara’s death once before, and then lived through the relief that she was still alive and through the knowledge that, despite that, he was unlikely to ever see her again. And now, he was about to order his best warriors to do everything in their power to bring her down, and then witness her execution with his own eyes. He almost wished that he was the one to face an impossible fight tomorrow, and that it was his life that was forfeit, not hers. Being a Majat Guildmaster had always suited him. And now, he was finding it more of a burden than he could bear.
“You can still stop this madness, Aghat,” Abib said quietly. “It’s still in your power to pardon them. They don’t have to fight to the death against the entire Guild.”
“Pardon them?” Oden Lan sharply lifted his head. Against reason, Abib’s words hit him harder than they should have. He had always prided himself on doing the right thing, no matter what. This meant giving no consideration whatsoever to his personal desires, even if doing so killed him inside. What could Abib possibly know about the sacrifices it took to uphold the Code? His lips twitched in a bitter smile. “You know that if we let their disobedience go unpunished we will throw away everything our Guild has built over centuries.”
Abib shook his head. “These are not regular circumstances, Aghat. Like it or not, the lands around us are at war, and we must stand united.”
“We are united,” Oden Lan said. “Look at that force down there. They are the best warriors in existence and they all follow my command. Nothing can possibly stop us.”
The weapons keeper’s lips twitched into a distant smile.
“If you let this unravel, the ranks down there might look far less impressive only a day from now. You are pitching two of our Guild’s best against them.”
“One,” Oden Lan said. “I see no possibility Mai can appear in the arena tomorrow. With the kind of wound he received, he’s as good as dead. He will be, by morning, or so Gahang Khall tells me. He knows exactly how much poison Gahang Sharrim puts on his arrows.”
“And you’ll stand there and watch Kara face them alone?” Abib turned and looked into his face. “Come, Aghat, I know you don’t want to do this.”
Oden Lan’s lips twitched. “It’s not about what I want, Abib. If I did what I wanted…” He paused, his face contorting into a grimace.
“What is it, Oden Lan?” Abib asked quietly.
The Guildmaster clenched his teeth. “Mai. He… He touched her. I know it. I can see it in their eyes.”
Abib chuckled. “Come now, Aghat. You can’t possibly be upset about that. Have you forgotten what Mai was like in his teens? One way or another, he probably laid his hands on every woman between thirteen and thirty who was attractive enough to catch his eye and resourceful enough to find her way into the Inner Fortress. And if he missed any, it certainly wasn’t for lack of eagerness on their side. Don’t you remember how bad it was? It almost threatened his training, having all these women follow him like snakes follow a charmer, especially after it became clear he was going for the Diamond ranking.”
Oden Lan shot him a side glance. “It’s different now. Mai is not in his teens anymore. He’s a grown man responsible for his actions. And Kara…” He paused again, controlling an annoying twitch of his mouth.
Abib shook his head.
