By the time we reached the stone stairs to the palace, the evening was coming to a close. We hoped the Empress hadn’t ended council and retreated for the night. Even if she had, I hoped she would make an exception for an old friend. The palace guards checked our weapons and asked their questions before granting us admittance.
When the door opened, it revealed the skill of the Nesqian craftsmen. The beautiful throne room was a giant circle with stone columns running around a large assembly area. On a balcony sat the Empress on her throne, overlooking a group of politicians and townsfolk bickering about their problems. From the looks of things, we still had lots of time before the Empress would be finished for the evening. Cathy and I approached the group, hoping to find the steward and record our request.
We found a couple stewards writing down on parchment and approached the closest one. “Nature of the business?” he asked, not looking up.
“War,” I answered, hoping it would get his full attention.
It worked as he looked up at me fully. “I beg your pardon.”
“I am Moumno and this is Lady Sandra Middleton of the Court of Balendar,” I started. “We need to speak to the Empress about forming an alliance with Balendar to fight the Evenawks.”
He studied us closely. “Moumno, you say. Very well, wait one moment.”
The steward hurried off, disappearing into a door under the balcony and reappearing next to the Empress. She listened with a bored expression on her face before standing up. “That will be all for today,” she shouted to the crowd. “We will pick up again tomorrow.”
The crowd was outraged, voicing their opinion loudly to each other. Empress Morowa didn’t seem to care and followed the steward down the stairs before breaking off and heading for a side passageway. The palace guard were already moving quickly to calm the group down and escort them out of the palace.
The steward headed towards us and bowed. “The Empress will see you in the War Room,” he said. “This way, please.”
He led us through the crowd and down a passageway towards the War Room. The noise from the assembly area faded the further away we travelled and by the time we reached our destination, we were surrounded by silence.
“She will see you now,” the steward said pleasantly before lowering his voice. “Good luck.”
He opened the door to the War Room and we entered. A large table was the focus of the room with chairs circling around it. Even in this simple room, the craftsmanship of everything was evident. The Emperors and Empresses of Nesqa were proud of what they had and were not afraid to show it.
It had been a couple of cycles since I had last seen Empress Morowa, then Princess, and it didn’t look like she had changed too much. Her face betrayed her age, making her look like a child in adult clothing. Her medium length hair was braided from the back and draped over her right shoulder. The only difference was the tired, almost vacant look in her eyes. I hoped the day of listening to her people hadn’t exhausted her and left her uncaring.
“Imagine my surprise when my steward tells me ‘Moumno’ is here to talk about war,” Empress Morowa said in a flat tone. “It’s déjà vu all over again.”
I chuckled and sat down close to her. “Yes, it would be nice to meet under normal circumstances.”
The Empress turned to Cathy. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Sandra Middleton of Davalin, Lady of the Court of Balendar, blah blah blah,” Cathy answered. “Too many titles to keep track of now. We are here to discuss an alliance between our two nations, Empress. I speak on behalf of the King.”
“My steward told me as much,” Empress Morowa replied in a bored tone. “Frankly I don’t see the need for such an alliance. The Birds are always a nuisance and their recent little aggression doesn’t need to be treated like a problem.”
“Balendar’s royal family lies in ruin, the capital is on the verge of falling and a wanted criminal is brainwashing the Evenawks into an army,” Cathy pressed calmly. “It has become a problem worth discussing.”
“Sounds more like a Balendar problem than a Nesqa problem,” Empress Morowa said. “Why should we care or assist in the matter?”
“The enemy we face isn’t planning on stopping after Balendar falls,” Cathy countered. “Nesqa will be next. He will ensure every man, woman and child has been enslaved and bows before him.”
“During our travels we have stumbled upon camps set up to increase his mind control power,” I explained. “He will march on Balendar to enslave it then send both armies into Nesqa. You won’t stand a chance against both armies. We need your help to stop them now.”
She looked at me, but I got the feeling she wasn’t really looking at me. She seemed to be staring past me at something that wasn’t there. “When it comes to that we have our armies and the forest to protect us,” she said dismissively. “Nesqa will not fall.”
“You will face an army that can fly and a man not afraid to burn a forest to the ground to get to you,” Cathy pressed. “Hiding here only delays the inevitable.”
“We have no reason to join you for this,” she said sternly, rising to her feet. “Balendar can solve its own problems. They always have. If any problems come our way then we will handle it ourselves. Like WE have always done. Our talk is over. Thank you for coming. I will have a scout escort you to the border.”
“Are you okay?” I asked the Empress, rising to my feet.
She was taken aback, but recovered quickly. “I’m fine.”
“If there is something bothering you, I’d like to help,” I offered, taking a couple of steps closer to her.
She looked straight at me for the first time and cringed like she was expecting me to hit her. “That won’t be necessary,” she answered weakly.
I raised my hands defensively. “I’m sorry. It’s just been a couple of cycles since we last saw each other and it just seems like something is bothering you. Please talk to me. I don’t mind helping if there is a problem.”
She looked down into her hands and started playing with her rings nervously. “That won’t be necessary. It’s...nothing.”
“Are you...?” I started.
“I SAID I’M FINE!” she shouted, heading for the door. A guardsman opened the door to check on the noise. “The meeting is over. Please see our guests out.”
She hurried past the guard and he turned to us with a sympathetic look. “This way, please,” he said.
I was really concerned for the Empress now. After I rescued her from bandits, our time together was short, but she seemed to be alright. After her little display, I think maybe she was holding everything in. Throw in the death of her father and the stresses of the job and she has become the person I saw today.
If I had time I would stay and try to help her out but our mission was too important though. Based on our limited interaction with Nesqian warriors, they were itching to fight the Evenawks. If the Empress was going to hide in her palace as the world burned around her then we needed to go behind her back and rally some volunteers.
And there was only one man that could help us out.
The guard led us out of the palace and we began the long descent down the stone stairs. The sun had disappeared over the horizon completely and it was time to grab a Nesqian dinner while we planned our next move.
“That could have gone better,” Cathy said.
I sighed. “Everything she had been through seemed to have a more negative effect than I thought.”
Cathy nodded. “Looks like it but what could you have done? She looked and acted normal. We couldn’t stick around here and play babysitter. Her family should have been able to help her through stuff.”
“Yeah, a part of me still feels guilty though,” I answered.
Cathy laughed. “You’re too caring for your own good sometimes. What’s the next move? I assume you have been working on something.”
“What? You aren’t three steps ahead of me?” I asked with a smirk.
“I never said that,�
�� she smiled. “I just want to see how far behind you are.”
“We need volunteers,” I replied. “Meaning we need to find Donkor. If there is an Evenawk camp on the border, you can bet he is investigating it. Meeting up with him and getting a volunteer army together will help us stop Douche-roche.”
Cathy laughed. “Douche-roche. I like that.”
“If I remember correctly,” I said thoughtfully, “Donkor’s mother lives close by. She can point us in the right direction and maybe tell us a good place to sleep for the night.”
Cathy jumped the last couple of steps and turned to me. “Lead on then.”
Chapter 25
Donkor’s mother lived in a secluded bungalow along the shore. Despite being the Empress’s aunt, she wanted to get away from the life of politics and focus on raising her son. Given the special nature of her son and what he had become, it was a pretty sound strategy.
Getting to the bungalow had been tricky. Without Cathy in my head, I had to dig through my own memories and find the right path. We eventually arrived, but only after circling the docks a couple of times.
Ms. Okoro was sitting close to the bungalow, staring out onto the ocean. It was a shame to disrupt her peaceful meditation, but she turned her head towards us as we approached. She smiled warmly at me when she recognised me.
“It has been a long time, Andy,” she said.
“An equally long time since I have heard that name,” I replied, shocked at hearing my own name. “How are you, Ms. Okoro?”
“I am fine,” she smiled, standing up to face us. “But do you not go by Andy anymore?”
Ms. Okoro was a petite woman with a fragile frame. How she had given birth to a man like Donkor makes my head hurt but she always says that ‘everyone was small once’. I still think she has some secret magic she isn’t telling anyone about.
“That name,” I started, “is for a person who no longer exists in a place that is no longer there.”
“How mysterious,” Cathy said sarcastically.
“I’m sorry,” I said, getting a little embarrassed. “Lady Sandra Middleton of Davalin, this is Ms. Okoro, aunt to the Empress and mother to the man we are looking for.”
“Please just call me Elbele, my Lady,” Ms. Okoro said with a slight bow. My embarrassment grew at realising I had never known her first name. “Is there something this humble, old lady can do for you two? I’m assuming it has something to do with the note I have received recently from Donkor.”
“It is possible,” Cathy answered. “We came here to discuss an alliance treaty between the two nations because the Evenawks have been brainwashed into going to war. Our reception at the palace was a bit...chilly, but Kairu has informed me that he knows someone who can help gather a volunteer army.”
“Kairu?” Ms. Okoro asked intrigued.
“It means the same as Moumno in the Nao language,” I answered.
“It sounds like it would fit in perfectly around here,” Ms. Okoro replied before turning to Cathy. “You are right about the palace, my Lady. Things have been...difficult since my brother’s passing. Morowa has been strange since you saved her from her kidnappers.”
“After seeing her at the palace, I had a feeling it was that. What has happened since I was last here?” I asked before remembering I still had to play a role. I turned to Cathy. “I know we have to hurry, but could we spare a minute, my Lady?”
“Of course,” Cathy nodded. “She was a friend of yours and I would be equally as interested if the roles were reversed.”
“Come inside then,” Ms. Okoro said. “If we are going to speak ill of the Empress, it is best to do it indoors. Treason is treason, after all.”
She led us inside and offered us a seat at the thin, wooden dining table. When we sat down, she hurried to the kitchen and filled a kettle with water and offered us some tea. We both accepted and Ms. Okoro sat down at the table while the water was on the heat.
“Now,” she started, “what do you remember about Moro after you saved her?”
I shook my head. “Very little. I was more focused on getting her back than checking on her condition. I remember her cracking a couple of jokes with Donkor, I think.”
Ms. Okoro nodded. “That was Donkor’s assessment too. She seemed relieved to be saved and back home. Sadly though, it didn’t last long. The poor girl started having nightmares every night. She wouldn’t talk about them and got extremely defensive when asked about it, but you could tell they were taking their toll on her.”
“How long was she held prisoner?” Cathy asked.
Ms. Okoro shrugged and the kettle started whistling. “A week, maybe two. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact day her caravan was hit.”
She stood up and crossed the kitchen to the kettle. She poured us our tea and returned with the cups. We exchanged thanks and waited for Ms. Okoro to sit down and get comfortable again. When she settled, I motioned for her to continue.
“It was around that time the Emperor got sick,” Ms. Okoro said. “People say it was his worry for his daughter that made him ill, but Nali never took care of himself very well to begin with. I told him, Nassu watch over his soul, that his unhealthy ways would catch up with him, but he could be a stubborn old mule. Anyway, Moro didn’t take his death well and started to believe those silly rumours about her being the cause. She is now a tangled web of guilt and grief wrapped up in the shell of a traumatised little girl.” She shook her head. “I want to help her but there’s no getting her to open up. She immediately starts shouting that she is fine and storms out.”
I sat in stunned silence for a minute as I tried to absorb the story. So much had happened since that day I had brought her home and it didn’t help those guilty feelings of mine. I regretted never coming back and visiting her.
“I know that look,” Ms. Okoro said. “You feel guilty because you think you failed her. But ask yourself this; what could you have done that would have been different from me or anyone else that was close to her? She needs to open up but it has to be in her own time. She has to make the first move and I pray she does it soon. Until then, we have your business to discuss.”
“Yes,” Cathy said. “We need to find Donkor.”
“At any other time I would say you’re in luck, but we live in interesting times,” Ms. Okoro said. “Donkor still comes and visits me every other week and this is usually the time he visits, but I received a letter instead. When you showed up at my door, Andy, I knew something big was happening.”
She stood up from the table and disappeared into the back of the house. I put down my half drunk, cold tea and leaned back in my chair. Cathy finished her drink as Ms. Okoro returned with a piece of paper. She handed it to me and I studied its carefully handwritten message.
To Mom,
I am sorry but I cannot come home. I will come home twice next week to make up for it. The Birds are building something strange close to the border and attack everyone that gets too close. I need to stay here and keep everyone safe.
Stay safe yourself. I love you.
Donkor
I handed the note to Cathy and she read through it quickly. “It’s just like we thought,” she said. “And now we know its position.”
“The Evenawks have been building these...things that help spread the brainwashing signal,” I explained to Ms. Okoro. “We figured they would have one close to Nesqa and with Donkor’s help, we can remove it.”
“General Kobo’s men at Ghanlar Outpost would then join your volunteer army,” Ms. Okoro smiled. “I knew I was right to wait for you.”
“You knew we were here?” Cathy asked.
“Just because I’m out here on the coast doesn’t mean I don’t hear whispers in the wind,” she said.
“We should probably head out now then,” I said. “Get a head start, camp for the night and make it to the outpost in the morning.”
“What’s your rush?” Ms. Okoro asked. “Stay the night here. You’re less likely to be eaten by predators. The outpost will stil
l be there in the morning.”
“We’ve been running around like crazy hoping to get everything ready before the Evenawks try to invade Balendar,” I explained.
“Bah!” she exclaimed with a dismissive wave of her hand. “You kids and your rushing around everywhere. When are you going to learn to relax and enjoy the small things? You can still get everything done without constantly being in a rush.”
“It’s hard when everything can feel like it’s weighing you down,” I responded.
“Here’s the best advice I can give you,” she started. “Take time to enjoy the little things in life because if you keep rushing, you are just going to leave everything and everyone behind.”
I was silent at her choice to say ‘everyone’ and thought about what would happen if I left Cathy behind. Already I regretted not getting to know Empress Morowa better so I could help her. What about the others I consider my friends? Were they actually friends or just travelling companions? How well did I really know them?
Cathy turned to look at me before turning back to Ms. Okoro. “Looks like we’re staying the night,” she said.
“Good,” Ms. Okoro smiled. “I’ll get the guest beds ready.”
*****
The night had been restless, but short. Thoughts and images plagued my mind for most of the night until I finally crashed from the exhaustion. I was awoken by Cathy when she sat on my chest. After throwing her off with magic, we enjoyed a small breakfast before saying our goodbyes to Ms. Okoro.
The mighty forest awaited us as we started on the path up to the small farming community of Bauda. From there we could find a safe haven before starting towards the Ghanlar Outpost. I predicted we could be there by the end of the day, but part of me was hoping to run into Donkor sooner. I had that story about me dropping the axe in battle to tell him.
The trip through the forest was pleasant as we travelled more slowly than we had been. We debated topics and I avoided walking into any of the trees after the first time. I had quickly healed myself with magic before determining that I hadn’t hit anything toxic on the tree and would be fine. My pride, however, was a different story.
The Vacant Throne: The Legend Of Kairu Vol 3 Page 20
