Setnana’s eyes opened wide. “THE Hand of Freedom?”
Preening like a bird again, the Exarch nodded. “The very same.”
Setnana deflated. She’d been robbed of vengeance. For over a year she’d hunted Anefet Frost. Ever since the woman, Adesh Hamada, and several other Blue Sky operatives had killed Papa when he’d cornered them in their hideout in the Ouroboros Mountains. She’d taken over from Papa then, becoming Nomarch, and had sworn to make Anefet, Adesh, and Blue Sky pay. In that, she had partially failed. Anefet’s death had not been by her hand.
The Nomarch let out a slow exhale. Other parts of her quest still remained. Adesh Hamada being one. Exarch Assam himself was another. His incompetence was the reason Papa did not have enough Battleguards on that fateful day. She ground her jaw. It took everything to remind herself in whose presence she stood and to fight back the inadvertent summoning of arcane lightning.
“She’d hidden among the sceeves.” Exarch Assam shook his head, disbelief thick in his tone. “Some claimed she’d gone so far as to become a whore and a beggar like them.”
Setnana cringed. She couldn’t begin to contemplate stooping so low for any cause.
“But one of our captives say her children escaped, most likely with instructions that can upset our plans.” His expression was ice once more. “He was certain they’d flee Niba by way of a Blue Sky captain. A so-called relic dealer who turned out to be a scavenger named Nebsamu Tadros.”
Setnana perked up, the news presenting certain opportunities. “I assume the Battleguards captured this Nebsamu?”
Exarch Assam scowled. “You assume wrong. He was one of those who escaped. A feat I’m sure you could’ve prevented had you been in Niba as I ordered. Instead, you were here chasing ghosts.”
“But it was Adesh Hamada!”
“I don’t care who it was.” Exarch Assam sneered. “I give an order; you follow it. I swear to Nif if you fail me again, I’ll have you stripped of all titles and your status. You’ll be just another sceeve.”
She made to challenge the Exarch, to tell him only the Vizier or the Kalarch had such authority. But Exarch Assam’s blue eyes were expectant little beads. Aishani gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. Setnana acted as if she hadn’t seen. Exarch Assam was daring her to make such a mistake.
Setnana took a deep breath and bowed ever so slightly. “Yes, Exarch Assam.”
“Good. I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself.” The Exarch’s expression softened. “That is the reason for your trip to Maelpith Island. As usual, draconids appeared in the wake of the last voidstorm. A Coalition expedition to the island discovered a draconid stronghold: Imanok Sanctum. Before the draconids wiped out the expedition, our people reportedly found two hierkas and hierka schemas.” He was smiling now, eyes shining.
Setnana’s mouth grew slack. “By Nif, such a find means the Sanctum is the only place outside the Akufa dominion with direct access to draconid advanced science. Assuming the stories of a Genesis Engine in the Aetherium are nothing more than rumors.” She shook her head. “There would be no immediate need to fight or sneak past the Front.”
“Exactly.” Exarch Assam nodded. “Believe me when I say no one really wants to be at the Front. Much less go beyond it. No one truly wishes to face draconid legions or fight the high-level void lords and void revenants guarding the Genesis Engines. But some brave souls like myself have done what they must.” A distant look encompassed his face before he caught himself. “Your mission is twofold. One is to search for hierkas or schemas for our hierkaneers. Second: Blue Sky is sending its best to Maelpith for the very same reason. They must not succeed.”
Aishani cleared her throat. “You can also be certain every dominion will be sending its own expedition to the island. As well as another large one from the Coalition itself. Not to mention mercenaries, relic hunters, and scavengers.”
Information Memory outlined objectives in a chain beneath Imanok Sanctum.
The implications were all too clear to Setnana. Anyone who came away with hierkas or schemas stood to either make a fortune or would have the upper hand against any other dominion lacking the empowered items and weaponry. So far, the Coalition had made certain such genesiswork items were spread evenly among the dominions, that the most powerful ones, those of genesis grade, remained with the Coalition forces in their fight at the Front and beyond. With the Void Legion having recently defeated the Coalition in several clashes, it was equally or even more important for the Coalition itself to retrieve schemas and weapons to stymie the Void Legion invasion.
And yet, despite all her reasoning, she did not want the mission. Perihy was all that mattered.
“I’m surprised the Coalition hasn’t put its foot down and declared the island off-limits as they did to Akufa after the first voidstorms.” Exarch Assam stroked his chin.
“They could try, but it would incur the wrath of the yurids and gargants,” Setnana said. “The Accords declared the Empyrean Sea and the Endless Ocean as neutral territories to appease both races and attain their help in fighting the draconids. It is mainly because of them that the draconids have not advanced beyond the Front in a century. Even if the Coalition formed a blockade around the island, does anyone really wish to fight colossuses who could walk the ocean floors? Or yurids who would swarm us from the clouds, more adept at sky combat than we could ever be on drakes, simurghs, and zephyrs?”
While Aishani nodded in agreement, Exarch Assam’s color darkened to a deeper purple. His nostrils flared. Setnana braced for an angry outburst that she’d shown up the man. None came.
“They could call an assembly and come to some agreement.” Exarch Assam regarded her with eyes like flinty pebbles. “It’s been done before.”
“True. A very astute observation.” Setnana inclined her head. She kept a straight face but chuckled inside at the man’s petulance and at having to educate him on politics he should have known. Why would you expect anything more? Unlike you, he hasn’t been educated at the Aetherium, the greatest Academia in all of Mikander. She flicked her hair behind her glorious horns.
“This works in our favor anyway,” Aishani said. Although Aishani’s expression was grave, she had a twinkle in her eye. One Setnana recognized. One that warmed Setnana’s heart.
“It does,” Exarch Assam said. “Setnana, gather a small group that would go unnoticed, perhaps twenty warriors, those you believe will succeed in the mission, and prepare to leave before nightfall.”
The Nomarch paused for a moment. She hadn’t expected the orders to be this soon. There had to be a way to change his mind, to make herself unavailable. Pressure tightened her chest. She couldn’t be away from Perihy right now. She tried to think of something even as Aishani shot a warning look her way.
Deflated, Setnana bowed. “Yes, Exarch Assam.” In the back of her mind, she swore to find a reason for Exarch Assam to pardon her from the mission before he left. She turned to depart.
His grating voice stopped her. “Have your servants bring me some of that creamed mango cake. And was that Kelsial Valley Blood Red, I saw?” Setnana nodded. “Great. Send a full bottle. Indulging myself before I go is the least I can do since your failure forced me to make this trip.” His attention turned to Aishani, who smiled with everything but her eyes.
Setnana’s insides curdled. She had the sudden urge to spit. Exarch Assam dismissed her with a wave.
She left the chambers, preoccupied with ideas that might result in her exclusion from the mission. Setnana ordered the servants to bring food and drink for Exarch Assam but stopped short of telling Ihuet and Khafra to assemble ten Blackguards, to prep the Sky Swords, and the next two best Azureguard companies. Instead, she had them keep an eye on the chambers with instructions to send runners should Exarch Assam leave.
Though deep in thought, she made a show of passing instructions to he
r servants as if she intended to depart within the next few hours. She often peered at her timeorb as she headed through the fortress making certain Exarch Assam’s people saw her go up to her quarters. She paid extra attention in long hallways, noting any vibrations, any forms behind her. No one was following.
Once inside her quarters, she found the nearest mirror. The one that encompassed the entire living room wall. She looked for a flaw. And found none. Not in the beautiful royal blue and white begemmed dress with its teasing V neckline that brought out the paler blue of her skin and her pure white hair, nor in her face, exquisitely powered and painted. Not in her satin slippers. Not her painted nails. Her polished horns completed the perfection.
The idiot let anger blind him.
Even as she thought of Exarch Assam, she remembered the lust in his eyes before she left. Lust not directed at her. She had that sickening feeling in her stomach again. Yet, there was nothing she could do but wait. She plopped down on a soft, cushioned chair and tried to ignore the images spinning through her head.
After raising the timeorb from her neck to take another look, she left her rooms by way of the secret passages within the walls. Making certain to use the reverberations of her steps in utter darkness for echolocation rather than to issue her natural clicks, she made her way down several floors and emerged in a spacious guest room that smelled of orchids. She hoped to find the room occupied. It was empty.
Disappointed, she took a seat on the large feather bed with a view of the room’s main door by way of a mirror. She settled in to wait. It was not long before the door swung inward.
Aishani entered. The woman pressed the door shut, turned to face the room, and let out a deep breath with her eyes closed. She proceeded to disrobe immediately as if the clothes were the last things she wished upon her body. She hurried to the bedroom.
“You did it again, didn’t you?” Setnana scowled at the woman for whom she’d come to care deeply. The areas where Exarch Assam’s filthy hands had touched Aishani’s buttermilk skin were bruised and glaring.
Aishani stopped and regarded her with a smirk. Her hairy ossicones twitched in annoyance where they poked through her red hair. “In Jerad’s Light, what choice did I have? You disobeyed his orders. And then you weren’t at the Aviary. I did it to save you from his wrath. Despite what he said before you left, he fully intended to send his personal guard after you and have you thrown out on your ass.”
“I-I apologize.” Setnana hung her head.
“As you should. Dressing as you did in a vain attempt to seduce him… like some young slut who knows no better.” Aishani snorted. “As if he wouldn’t see through the ploy. He laughed at you after you left. Called you a fool. At first, I thought you’d worn the dress for me. Only to be disappointed.” Aishani grimaced and shook her head.
Setnana’s shoulders slumped further. She averted her eyes from Aishani’s condescending glare. The same piteous expression from earlier.
“And then you wish to be upset with me for doing what I had to?” Quiet anger filled Aishani’s voice. “For protecting you? Tell me, if he’d accepted that which you so obviously offered, how would you have handled the situation? Considering the very reasons we’re here, why we’re doing as we are? You would be praying to Nif and Jerad right now had he accepted.”
If she’d felt horrible before, Setnana was absolutely miserable now. She would have done anything to be in Exarch Assam’s good graces and to stay with Perihy. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to cry. Never show weakness. Strength always. You’re a Botros.
“I would have done as you do… allowed Exarch Assam to have his way, thinking it is all his plan, and that he stands to benefit most.” She straightened and looked into Aishani’s eyes. “Until the day I killed him and was named Khertahka’s Exarch.”
“Praise be to Jerad. There she is.” Aishani’s loathing became a smile in an instant. “The fiery woman I adore. I was wondering when you would show up.”
Setnana returned the gesture. And then frowned. “Why didn’t you send warning of his visit by way of our Orbs?”
“Too risky. The man watches everything. Now, come, wash my back. And rub me where I like it most.” The ossicones twitched with Aishani’s longing. The Exarch headed toward the bath, her red braids falling past her shoulders.
“Did you manage to convince him to let me stay in Aprunis?” Setnana followed, admiring Aishani’s willowy curves and the intricate braidwork, which appeared to have gold strands woven within them.
“No.” Aishani shook her head. “Unfortunately, your mission hasn’t changed.”
“But Perihy!”
“I know. I will have Citri and the others stay and take care of him.” Aishani climbed into the large tub, which the servants kept filled with warm water in case of surprise visits such as this one. She sat a little forward and leaned. “This is for the best and works in our and Perihy’s favor.”
“How so?” Setnana took the long-handled sponge, dipped it in water, and proceeded to scrub Aishani’s back.
Aishani took a bar of perfumed soap and lathered herself. “The power we lack to cure Perihy can be found on Maelpith Island. In Imanok Sanctum, to be exact.”
“The hierkas?”
“Yes. One is a mystic’s zhua, called Benediction, said to have been crafted by the titans while they drew directly from the Aetherstream. It is kept in Emperor KiGyaba’s treasure room. The others are rare shards to empower Ameliorate, Suppression, and Rejuvenate. They can be had from the GUMs and treasure chests before the emperor. The Coalition hierkaneers believe the boosted spells combined with the zhua will solve the recent Gray Death outbreak, but they wish to keep it secret to prevent thousands of people from flocking to the island.”
Information Memory added an objective for the spells and one called Benediction. Setnana immediately saw the zhua, a long stave topped by a clawed hand, all made from polished korbitanium. The mystic’s weapon was breathtaking.
Setnana stopped scrubbing. “Empowered Ameliorate and Rejuvenate would mean bringing in one of the Vindicators. Can they be trusted?”
“Leave that to me, my love. I have one in mind. A grand kora who will be in my service by the time I’m done with her.”
“I do not know–”
“Trust me, dear.” Aishani turned so she could peer over her shoulder. “Perihy means as much to me as he does to you. We will see him well again. He is the key to our desires, our dreams of becoming Kalarchs. As is your mission.
“Think it through. Don’t let emotion blind you. Our names will ring out across Mikander if we cure the Gray Death. With this zhua in our hands we can see our dreams of ruling come true. Most overlook us because we are young. More so because we’re women. Let them make that mistake.
“Now, come, join me. I’ve washed myself of Exarch Assam’s filth. We can discuss our plans among pleasure.” A longing smile graced her lips.
Setnana slipped out of her clothes, all the while wondering if she was making the right decision. When she climbed into the water and caressed the ossicones on either side of Aishani’s head, and Aishani stroked Setnana’s horns in return, all was forgotten.
CHAPTER 12
They rode nonstop for hours, alternating between gallops, trots, and walks until afternoon’s milk-soft clouds molted into evening’s fiery sky. Frost was only too happy to find that riding basic mounts had not changed. He’d retained memory of his old ability. He also noted an increase in his endurance due to the length of the ride.
Despite the long travel without incident, he still stole looks over his shoulder from time to time. Noobstick was in a special harness within easy reach if he slid his right hand to the side and a bit behind him. The weapon’s presence was a comfort.
Nebsamu had sent riders off in three directions to confuse any pursuers while he kept their original gr
oup together. He had a chestnut dresdor marksman named Saba Nerubi follow in their wake to hide the group’s actual tracks. They avoided any major roads and kept to the shadowy uncharted foothills of Apep’s Belly, a wall of slopes and peaks clothed in greens and browns to their right as they headed north.
Frost remained a bit off to the side from the others. He stole a glance at Gilda. She was riding up ahead, talking to Tia. He couldn’t help thinking it was one hell of a coincidence to have met her at Odds and Ends. Was she an NPC added by Sidrie as a challenge? Or a spy of some sort?
Yet again, he wished for some way to immediately tell the difference in characters. At the same time, he had to admit that not knowing added to the game’s intrigue. With questions in mind, he dug his heels into his crevid’s flanks and sent the beast lumbering forward to catch up to Nebsamu. The one-horned erada was atop a black crevid, having a chat with Melori, who rode a lupine.
“Nebsamu, can I ask a question?” Frost fell in beside them.
“Certainly.”
“What’s the deal with this strange story I heard on my way to your shop? A few stragglers were claiming none of this was real, that it was one big game. Even my sister mentioned something about them.”
Nebsamu hawked and spat to one side. “Damned dreamers. Nif blind them. There’s been too many of them lately.”
“Second time I’ve heard about dreamers,” Frost said. “Care to explain?”
Melori spoke, voice like a deep bass drum. “Over the last year there’s been talk that Mikander is a plaything for the gods. A shevla board. And we, the cards. Dreamers believe this with all their hearts. They’re fervent in their worship of the gods and their game.”
Frost frowned. He could understand such an interpretation of the trading card game. A shevla board was a map of Mikander, the game itself consisting of cards representing creatures and peoples of the world. He’d been a decent shevla player in the old Ataxia. Some players used the game to gamble and win tons of various dominion credits.
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