The First Five Days: of the Lionean Saga

by John O.

  Johatsu stepped forward with an uninterested look as other Leades came to his aid. As they lifted Jetsi from the floor, Yosi covertly appraised him as one not to be easily dismissed. He seemed to be the type to dine with his targets minutes before they fell victim to his vicious bite. This one will probably wait for many years before suddenly striking out to avenge his brother, Yosi mused. At least, I know these two are definitely enemies. Heaven knows how many else are out there. Of the lot in the room, he was certain that only Maya could be trusted. He would definitely have to consult her on that sudden ill wind of a few moments earlier. Might be paranoia, but if Maya thought otherwise, then his fear that dark arts had been at play in the Helesp of late would be confirmed. He trusted her instincts completely and he reckoned that if he were to survive long, he would need to rely on those instincts even more.

  To the leader of the group charged with the protection of the Ishe, he said, “You may proceed to give our supreme leader an account of all you’ve witnessed thus far. Also, be sure to inform him that I will make my way to visit him at the Sun’s Hour on the morrow.”

  “Your command!” the highly ranked officer replied.

  “To everyone else present, what happened here is no State Secret. Freely and honestly give an account to whomever you please. However, the Rulers of each province must be informed in exact terms. Same goes for the High Priest and Priestess, Ispri and Ispris if you will. That task is yours, Maya. See to it that this is done before the Crow’s Hour.”

  “Your command!” Maya answered as though they were not kinsfolk. This was naturally to be expected, for any show of favoritism between the two would be greatly misconstrued, an outcome that would leave no pretty taste behind. Eager to end this meeting, Yosi looked to Ruki Sen, hoping he had lived to conduct his last formal act of dismissing the meeting. Ruki, despite his firmly shut eyes and the merciless potion’s effect, weakly signaled with his right hand. Having been given the approval, Yosi pronounced the meeting adjourned.

  2

  The Spyinmes were an ancient group of female covert operatives, formed long before the office of HN was conceived. Their maxim was simple: No honor in battle, no virtue in death. Espionage was their lifeblood. Although they were now firmly under the control of the HN, a word from a Spyinme still remained as to the hiss of the river serpent. Extreme beauty was a prerequisite to hold a position in this group. For this reason, only the most comely of daughters were taken from their mothers to serve in the Conclave, a section of the Helesp dedicated to these women.

  On this particular day, the group’s leader, Maya Sint, made her way towards the Conclave. She was a tall woman with brown eyes and dark long hair, which starkly contrasted her brother’s fiery red locks. Despite being a practiced swordswoman with years of experience in the field, she had a somewhat fragile look, which was, on many accounts, deceptive. As she approached the Conclave, she couldn’t help but wonder how she would inform her underlings that the new HN was her brother. He had left home at an early age to live in the temple of the Ispri. Not many knew of his existence and surely there were those who would insist that he was an impostor. This, however, was the least of her worries, as the Ispri’s word was Law. He could bear witness to the veracity of Yosi’s claim. What bothered her at the moment was how she would inform Beau that her husband, Marc, had been slaughtered at her brother’s hand. This was no easy task even for one as skilled with words as she.

  Inquisitive eyes greeted her as she entered the Conclave. Much to her relief, one of the girls approached her with a cup of water, anticipating that she would need it as she recounted events. Dear sisters, she thought, I hope you will understand why I hid my brother’s existence from you… Resigned, she took a sip from the cup and began. When she reached the part of Marc’s death, she slowly proceeded to hug Beau who, despite her firm demeanor, was clearly dejected.

  “Take some time off,” Maya said to her as hot tears trickled down Beau’s beautiful face.

  “You know I wouldn’t dream of allowing my loss to interfere with my job. I would rather be with you at this time, for I have none else. I no longer see my sons as often as I would like since they have became Studes. Please, do not order me home, Maya.”

  Admiration nearly consumed Maya as she watched the brave woman.

  Left with no other choice, she acquiesced with a caveat, “At least return home and mourn tonight. Be on your way now dear, and you can join us on the morrow.”

  “First thing in the morning, my lady,” replied Beau as she gathered herself and departed the Conclave.

  When she was sure that Beau was well on her way, Maya turned to face the other girls and continued.

  “The new HN has asked that we deliver word of this morning’s events to our spiritual leaders. I’ll have Loila Even send word to the Ispri as soon as her shift begins. However, since the Ispris forbids pigeons in her residence, I’ll need to dispatch three of you to inform her in person. Ziri Lenny, Julya Rose and Surita Stone, this task is yours. The rest of you, please depart to your posts.”

  “My lady!” they echoed in unison.

  As they departed, Maya wondered what her parents’ reaction would be when they heard Yosi was now one of the most powerful men on the Island. Her father would be proud, she imagined. But her ever-calculating mother would surely suggest that the ramifications would affect them all. Whether they liked it or not, their family was now knee-deep in the ruinous politics of Lionea. “It has begun,” she thought aloud as she departed the Conclave to attend to other matters. Little did she realize that the light breeze she felt as she walked on was the traveling mind of Oracion, who was already formulating plans with far-reaching effects.

  In the now deserted room, Yosi Sint knelt beside Ruki Sen’s deathbed. The recent dramatic events had far-reaching implications that would need explanation by Ruki if Yosi were to deal with them effectively. Surely, Ruki’s enemies were now Yosi’s. With Marc and Jetsi’s death, his newfound position as HN was even more precarious.

  “I see that you are aware of your seemingly imminent demise, Yosi,” Ruki began. “However, you are not aware of the full truth. According to my father, Ishe Hinary Rosento did not die of an illness as the records say. He was poisoned. My father had the Sight, though not many knew of this. Through his powers, he recognized the contraband venom that ate at Hinary’s life from within. Although he was unable to identify the man behind this, he was certain it was one of the Aishes. Not long after his discovery, he contracted this strange illness that also took his life. On his deathbed, he entrusted me the task of rooting out this mysterious culprit. However, for nine years, the incessant attacks of the Norwan army occupied whatever spare time I had to fulfill this charge. Shortly after the attacks finally abated, before I could conduct a proper investigation, Ishe Riva, the second son of Hinary, allegedly committed suicide. I say the offense was alleged because it does not make sense for an accomplished man with no apparent dark secrets to kill himself without reason. Upon cross-examination, I concluded that the alibis of everyone in the Ishe’s palace were well substantiated. It could not have been any of them. Yet I was sure I was oblivious to some important clue obviously in my line of sight. No amount of cross-checking revealed to me what this clue was. What struck me as odd was that when I approached the Ispri on this subject, it became evident to me that he was withholding something. It was as though he was under oath to remain neutral.”

  “Resigned to figure out another way, I recommended that Riva’s successor, Fiten, be constantly accompanied by two guards. To make a case for this, I divulged my theories to Fiten, who, for lack of belief, told the Aishes of my suspicions. This would prove to be a grave mistake that would cost me my wife and daughter. You see, although the official investigation concluded that they were murdered by bandits on their way from the temple, evidence suggests otherwise. For example, the cuts on their bodies were not made by arms wielded by mere bandits. Also, though this may sound ludicrous, the assassins must have been in flight s
hortly before they struck my wife and daughter dead. I know this because no footprints leading to the spot of death were found, other than those of my wife and daughter. Dark arts were at play, Yosi. If not in flight, then the murderers were not in the flesh.”

  Ruki Sen could scarcely feel his body now as the death potion continued its course. “Since it was apparent that the mastermind behind all this was already aware of my investigations, I proceeded to discuss my conclusions with all the Aishes. As I spoke, I observed their reactions carefully. Of all of them, only Aishe Even and Aishe Foté did not flinch at the mention of dark arts. In effect, their motionless faces were more disguising than merely stoic. They were hiding something, those two. But I’m not sure which of them is the actual culprit.”

  “Permit me to interject, sire. Of the Aishe’s, has any shown signs of a higher level of tolerance for the Island’s original dwellers? Since they are the ones who seemed to be well versed in dark arts, any Aishe who seems a bit more in tune with them would be a suspect worth investigating,” remarked a calm Yosi who was simultaneously processing and ruminating on the information thus far.

  “That’s a viable angle to pursue. However, before you get ahead of yourself, let me finish for my end is nigh.” Ruki coughed drily before continuing, “The twins are a difficult pair to read. Aishe Even reacts to nothing. His ever-still countenance masks his true feelings on any matter. Aishe Foté, on the other hand is more peculiar, for lack of a better word. A trained actor, he can put on moods as the situation demands. According to my father, who, as you know, was their elder brother, the seemingly ordinary personality Even exhibits is a guise that conceals his intelligence; remember this as you conduct your investigations. To the matter of my ill health, the fact that it is no ordinary one is clear, I believe. Contrary to popular belief, I know from where it came. Two days after my last meeting with the Aishes, as I read an ancient manuscript on this very bed, a perfectly and decidedly thrown knife barely reached my head as I docked in reflex. Before I could recover from the shock, additional darts came flying in from several directions. I did my best to avoid some while striking others down with my short sword. Alas, despite my best efforts, I was ultimately struck. As you will suspect, the dart was poisoned. I immediately contacted your father to see if he could brew an antidote, but his efforts proved ineffectual.”

  “Why my father? Why not the healers of the court?” Yosi wondered aloud.

  “It is he I trust. Unlike me, my father wasn’t struck by poisoned darts, yet he died of poison. I was left to conclude that he must have ingested it in some way. It could not have been through his meals, since none of the attendants who are made to taste each meal before serving the HN developed any such illness around the time of his death. I therefore surmised that it must have been through his personal poultices made by the court healers. For this reason, I could not risk going to them. When your father’s efforts failed, I maintained an impression to the rest of the court that I was ill and not poisoned. Having nothing else to lose, I began taking healing potions made by the court healers. When those too yielded nothing positive, I made my peace with the death goddess. The least I could do was take the death potion, avoiding me the pain and misery that the poison would bring before eventually bringing my life to an end. It is my hope that you are not cowed by these revelations. By now, even you would have acknowledged your own preternatural abilities. Be it or not as a result of your time in the temple, no ordinary human would have wielded swords in the manner with which you slew those dissidents. My instincts tell me that you will somehow be immune to dark arts. With that, there are few people you must keep close.”

  Ruki Sen continued to his calmly intrigued audience, “My son, Leade Zach Sen is the first of them. You may have met him by the door when you arrived at the Helesp this morning. He is blessed with a photographic memory. As we speak, despite having seen you just once, he is already painting your portrait, which will be hung beside my own in this room. That memory of his will prove handy in the times ahead.”

  “Leades Ron Riten and Rosi Lite − these men will guard your back unto their death. Spyinme Rahel Ni is also an asset you must keep close. She possesses the ability to link a perpetrator to a crime. As far as I know, when she comes in contact with the perpetrator, having previously observed the crime scene, she is overcome by an intense connecting feeling. Odd as it may be, her ability has never failed. However, I must say that when I took her to the spot where my wife and daughter were killed, she fainted. The same thing happened when I took her to the Ishe’s palace. As a result, I did not trouble her when I got struck by the crow-begotten dart. In my opinion, her experience further confirms that dark arts are the main means by which the enemy strikes.”

  Yosi maintained his gaze in anticipation.

  “Ah yes. Lest I forget, there is something else you should know. Are you aware that your sister, Maya, and the Ispris, Prisca Foté, are quite close?”

  “It’s possible. While I never met the Ispris, she was once my father’s apprentice. Maya must have gotten close to the Ispris prior to when she departed my father’s house to become the Ispris. I didn’t visit very often so I’m largely unaware of the details. What of it though?”

  “According to Maya, both of them dueled occasionally whenever she visited your parents. Prisca would always defeat Maya and this unnerved her greatly. That a student of medicine would triumph over her at something that was an integral part of her job was irksome; so much so that during their last duel, Maya battled as though it were a real fight. On seeing this, Prisca confessed to her that she was not entirely normal. Upon further probing, Prisca suddenly levitated and became momentarily invisible. Maya, surprised beyond measure, made an attempt to flee the yard, but Prisca appeared directly in front of the exit. While there, she pleaded with Maya, telling Maya that she had only discovered her abilities accidentally as a teenager. She made Maya promise to reveal this to no one. However, Maya felt compelled to tell me soon after I informed her of the mysterious flying knife that attacked me. While she maintained that the Ispris was not capable of such treachery, she hinted that Raci Even, the daughter of Aishe Even who bore close resemblance to the Ispris, might also possess similar powers. I would have attempted to use Rahel to confirm Maya’s suspicions but I have no desire to put her in further harm’s way until she fully recovers. There are those who already question why I keep her close. If the enemy understands even an inkling of the true reason, Rahel would immediately become a target. Heaven knows if she isn’t already a target. In any case, watch over her, Yosi.”

  “About the original dwellers, or Icasa as they call themselves: that lot hardly holds any goodwill for the people of Lionea. How can they, after having been subdued by Hinary and his men during the founding of this Nation? They will align themselves with whoever seeks to bring strife to Lionea. You will need to discover a way to infiltrate their core. This will be no small feat, considering the dark magic they wield. You will also need to consider a strategy for Norwaland. That northern beast of an empire is keen on subduing the might of Lionea. We were only able to ward them off during the nine-year war through the strength of our espionage, and obviously, the superiority of our forces. But their army outnumbers ours by far. Should their spy network become as powerful as the Spyinme, it will become increasingly difficult to survive another war with them. You will need to find a way to have their king assassinated, while planting evidence to suggest that his death was as a result of internal squabbling. Sentor Raiden Ni, a first-rate swordsman, who forms part of the escorts for the tax courier, will aid you in this. He has proved to be a dependable channel between me and our Spyinmes in Norwaland. I believe those are the essentials you need to know. Have you any questions?”

  “Just one, sire. Does the Ispri know of Rahel’s ability?”

  “Not that I am aware of,” Ruki replied heavily. “I never relayed the details of her special qualities to him. However, as you must know, that man also has the Sight so it should come as no s
urprise should you discover he knows.”

  Barely audible now, he labored on, “Yosi, I know you choose to focus on the positive side of people. However, now that you are the HN, you will become the object of envy. You mustn’t make up for this by attempting to please people. Remember that your sole objective now is to serve the Nation, no one else. The Ishe will inform you of all the benefits that accompany your new office. In the meantime,” his eyes slowly scrolled to Yosi’s right, “that box to the left contains all remunerations due to you since you took up service as my secret aide-in-field. I can barely feel my face now. My end must be here. The journey ahead will be rough. You will suffer great losses…but despair not... Yosi Sint…”

  Yosi Sint watched expressionlessly as his predecessor took his last breath.

  3

  Spyinme Loila Even sat in front of the mirror as she preened herself for her scheduled rounds. As usual, she was enveloped by dark anger whenever she viewed her true image. Her cheekbones were too high for her oblong face and her jaw was also longer than necessary according to the standards of the settlers. The fact that she had to put up a semblance in order to further the Great Cause only reminded her of the injustice done to her ancestors. She could vividly recall the tales of how Hinary Rosento and his throng of followers arrived in their great ships and subdued her people. It was barely seventy years since his arrival and so there were still some pureblooded Icasans scattered over Lionea, who bore ill will for the Nation as a result of their mistreatment.

  Hinary was a genius by all accounts. Unlike most conquerors that subdue their opponents by force of arms alone, he was wise enough to also institute a cross-breeding campaign effort which resulted in few pure bloods now remaining. Unto himself, he wed the daughter of the chief ruler of the then Nukamchi cluster. Having converted that cluster to a province, and foisted upon it the name of one of the twin sons brought about from that union, there was hardly any reason left not to embrace the change. And so the name Even was adopted, being ruled directly by the Ishe until the son came of age and assumed the title of Aishe.