by John O.
“How do you know that no such war took place?” asked another merchant who clearly did not appreciate Raiden ruining the amusement.
“Because if there was such a war, Souecon would no longer be an independent nation. They would have fallen to the might of Norwaland.”
“Do not be so confident in your theory. Is it not possible that the two nations could have come to some form of agreement? You never know,” replied the merchant.
At that point, a merchant who had long seemed to be suppressing his laughter spoke up with glee, “Penny, you gullible fool. The story I told you was more believable. You had to include your own twist of executions and now you’ve given us away!”
At that, another round of laughter erupted, the merchants clearly enjoying themselves. When the laughter waned, another merchant spoke, “I heard there is a new HN whose fighting speed is invisible to the mere eye.”
“HN Ruki Sen is dead?”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know. He died…”
Raiden Ni had had his fill of stories. He gulped down his last glass of wine and made his way out of the inn. The last statement concerning the new HN lingered on his mind. Then it hit him, The red-haired demon of the war! It could be no one else. Excited, he mounted his horse and rode away.
The dark skinned man surreptitiously stole another glance at the bald man who watched from the corners. Unsettled, but firmly keeping his cool, he, truly named Set, returned his gaze to the sea. He couldn’t let his men know what he suspected, so he decided to play along as though all was well.
“Ah, if the ladies of Lionea all looked like that beauty to your left, then I would be sure to have my cock’s fill of them shortly after docking,” Jin said to him with a lewd smile.
Set took a sidelong glance, appraising the woman’s features before ordering them to return to their paintings. The woman, who had on a tight-fitting dress that barely covered her thighs, strode past the men to join four other similarly clad women who stood amidst fifteen men. This was no common woman, Set observed. He drew the attention of his companions to the cross-shaped accessory that the lady wore on her back. Whispering, he cautioned, “Never let your guard down. Remain observant. That’s no ornamental accessory, lads. It sheathes two swords superimposed upon each other. Only a court lady, a Spyinme probably, would be armed with such.”
Loudly now, he continued in sudden laughter, “See what I said about the women of Lionea; beautiful beyond measure.”
The men laughed with him, understanding that this was probably an attempt to disguise the fact that they were now aware of the subtle danger of the armed ladies. As Set laughed, he took another surreptitious glance at the bald on-looker. The focused look on the man’s face seemed to confirm that he was indeed spying on them. He must have been trying to discern what I was whispering to my men, thought Set. Sickened with the realization, he decided to test his theory.
“Oi, men, gather around,” he called out to the rest of his crew. Nine other men proceeded to join them. “Time for a sharing session. Tell us, each of you, what is your worst fear?” To that the replies came in sequence.
“The unknown, when and how shall I die? What happens thereafter?”
“Illness and old age. I dread the day when I will be too weak to mount a pretty woman.”
“Death. Yes I know this shouldn’t be part of them, being that I am a warrior. But I fear it all the same.”
“Slavery. I will slit my own throat before I am ever taken captive.”
“Failure,” “Rejection”… As the list went on, Set observed the bald man as he scribbled a note, attached it to the pigeon and bid the bird into the darkness of the night. An informer, Set concluded. How long had he been spying on them? What exactly did he know? His other men. Had they revealed too much in his absence? Of these, the most bothersome question left unanswered was who was on the receiving end of that message.
DAY 2
10
Yosi opened his eyes to find that day had not broken. As was his usual routine, he prayed for a few minutes then proceeded to engage in a game to exercise his mind. The game was such that twelve different colored balls were covered by twelve cone-like white cups. He would start by swapping the cones randomly before attempting to discover the new location of each ball. He repeated the game about five times before proceeding to exercise his body. The physical exercise was simply a sword fight with imaginary swordsmen. Unlike his regular routine, he decided to practice with an imaginary enemy who could fly. After about an hour at constant swordplay, he began to hear noises indicating that the other residents had woken and were about their morning prayers and ablutions. Energized to near exhaustion, he decided it was time to shower and be about the business of the morning.
Thirty minutes later, Yosi Sint entered the great hall to find the Leades and Spyinmes assembled. They had gathered in anticipation of his address. It seemed he had made quite an entrance, for there were gasps of admiration that ensued upon the sight of him. Smiling, he received the crowd.
“Greetings, esteemed officers. Thanks to the Almighty Spirit for the privilege of another day as living beings. I am particularly grateful to behold the sight of you all before me.”
In unison, they expressed their gratitude for his kind words. Most seemed enthralled by his charisma, though a few remained skeptical. Beau Even in particular was not moved, for all she could see was the man who killed her husband. Rahel was not far behind, the nagging feeling that he was responsible for her grandfather’s death still plagued her. Her mother had thought that Zach Sen was the main impediment after HN Ruki Sen. However, the emergence of this Yosi Sint belied that theory, and now, things were bound to get more complicated, she thought as she watched him speak. Loila Even, who looked upon Yosi with a face that revealed nothing, was not far from Rahel. All she could do was wonder about what he knew concerning the foiled kidnap plot. When his eyes met hers, she could detect no form of recognition in them and that could mean that he indeed knew nothing about her involvement. Determined to keep it that way, she decided to blend in with the crowd by smiling in false awe.
“I have not yet had the opportunity to formally introduce myself to you all.” Yosi continued, “I am Yosi Sint, son of healers Jorraine and Sue Sint; brother to your leader, Maya Sint, and Sentor Jessamine Sint. Before now, I lived in the temple with Ispri Juck Rosento. In fact, I have been under his tutelage for most of my life. As a result you might find me somewhat too spiritual. But not to worry, I am well versed in the ways of the court, and I pledge to work with you in ensuring the safety and integrity of Lionea.”
Suddenly turning morose, he switched his gaze to Beau and said, “Beau Even, having lost my siblings at an early age, I would think that I can understand how sad you must feel at the passing of your husband. However, I acknowledge that I cannot even begin to comprehend the depth of your loss, nor how you must feel towards me, considering my part in it. I will say this, though, I am truly sorry and I hope you can find it in you to move past the circumstance and come to work with me as your HN. I will continue to pray that the Almighty Spirit grants you, your family, and that of Jetsi Foté’s family the fortitude to bear these losses.” At that, Beau nodded meekly in acknowledgement, though her countenance did not disclose whether or not she was moved by his words.
To the rest, he said in a much lighter tone, “Fellow servants of the Nation, though this may sound untrue, I know all your names and all that has been written down concerning every one of you. As a result, you will skip the customary routine of introducing yourselves to me. With time, we will get to know and understand each other better. Does anyone have any question, suggestion or complaint?”
“How old are you and are you wed?” came the voice of Mila Thorne, much to everyone’s surprise.
“No, Mila Thorne. I am not wed. As for your other question, I am twenty-eight years of age.” Yosi replied calmly as though she had not acted out of turn.
“What is my name and what are the names of the thr
ee others to my right?” another asked.
Realizing that this question was meant to confirm the veracity of his claims, Yosi smiled and answered, “You are Riya Senet. Magi Rukka, Lily Bent and Loila Even are seated to your right.” Observant as he was, Yosi did not fail to notice the ever so slight flinch of Loila, upon the mention of her name. He made a mental note to find out more about her as he replied to the compliments of those who were impressed at his knowledge.
“In line with Mila’s earlier question, do you intend to be wed someday?” Magi Rukka asked.
“If the Almighty Spirit pleases. For now, I have no intentions,” he replied much to the disappointment of some of the Spyinmes.
“Do you have any pastimes?” ventured Karl Izzy, the first of the Leades to so far ask a question.
“I enjoy reading and philosophizing,” he replied.
“How do you see human life?” Zach Sen asked. The gravity of the question caused the room to go quiet. Leave it to Zach Sen to kill a good mood with his seriousness, Mila thought drily.
“To be honest, I am yet to fully understand all that encompasses human life. At the moment however, I see human life as an existence within the extremes of love and hatred, enlightenment and ignorance, humility and pride, peace and conflict, valor and cowardice, rationality and insanity, pleasure and pain, diligence and indolence, hope and despair…” Yosi’s voice trailed off as he drifted deeper in thought. Realizing, about ten counts later, that he was no longer speaking and was instead contemplating the question even more, he looked up and said, “To summarize, I see life as existence between extremities, and a lot remains to be discovered concerning what it all means. I will take one last question before I leave. Anyone?”
“Yes, if I may,” Loila Even replied as everyone turned around to look at her. “What is your stance on the natives that have chosen not to fuse into the society of Lioneans?”
Yosi Sint was aware of her blood roots with the natives, according to written accounts. Although it wasn’t an unusual question for someone with such lineage, he still decided to reply with caution. “I am curious as to why you have termed them natives, and the rest of us Lioneans. We are all Lioneans, and because there is no issue between the diverse peoples of Lionea, there is no need to take a ‘stance’ for or against any particular people. I hope I have answered your question, Loila?”
Loila felt like spanking herself for her folly. The political approach in his answer evinced his awareness of the fact that there was more to her question than met the eye. The last thing she needed was to draw undue attention to herself, and unfortunately, it seemed like that was exactly what she had done. “Yes, lord HN. I only asked because I am aware that some leaders in the past have had prejudices against certain provinces and peoples. It gladdens me that you have a mindset of unity and equality. Our Nation will prosper under you, Sire,” she replied in an attempt to explain away her behavior.
Smiling, Yosi concluded, “Thank you for your kind words Loila. Indeed I am glad that you officers have such thoughts concerning life and the existence of our Nation. With people like you as leaders, rash conflicts and wars will be nonexistent in this great Nation. I leave you now with this. Leade Zach Sen will from now on act in my capacity whenever I am absent. For all intents and purposes, he is my vice and shall be assisted by Rosi Lite. Do have a great day.”
With that, Yosi made his way toward the egress of the Helesp. It was time to visit the Ispri.
Aispris Cara made her way towards the Helesp as she reflected on the event that led to her mission of the morning. During their usual evening prayers on the previous day, a vision came to the Ispris. Just as she had seen it when Ishe Riva was murdered, she saw that the candles of Leade Marc Even and Jetsi Foté no longer burned. Worried at their sudden death, especially on the day that a new HN had been appointed, she had bid Cara to investigate. So here she was, now at the gates of the Helesp, wondering how best to make her inquiry.
She rode into the courtyard, descended from her horse and entered the Helesp hall to meet Zach Sen and Rosi Lite discussing. Taking notice of her, they stopped and greeted, “Welcome, Aispris. What brings you here today?”
“Thank you. I’m here on the Ispris’ bidding. She asked me to find out if Leades Marc Even and Jetsi Foté are well. She had a vision that suggested they might be hurt.”
A brief silence ensued before Zach proceeded to reply. “Unfortunately, they are no longer with us. They were killed in combat by the new HN, after they challenged his claim to the office.” He went on to recount the events in detail while the Aispris gasped repeatedly as she listened.
When he was done, Cara contemplated all she had heard before asking, “Did you have prior knowledge that your father was going to appoint someone who was not a Leade to be his successor?”
“Yes,” Zach Sen replied.
“Like your father, you are a genius by most accounts. Surely even you expected to succeed your father like he succeeded his?”
“I had no ambition for the office of HN. Even my father knew this. When he told me of his intent, and having heard of Yosi Sint’s qualities, I was, and still am, in full support of his decision. Yosi Sint is the best man for the job,” Zach Sen replied calmly.
That is because you did not know he was a murderer, Rahel who watched from her duty post thought to herself as the unrelenting Aispris continued her investigation.
“I find it odd that you have no intention of becoming the HN. The office is revered all through this Nation and beyond. Only the office of Ishe can boast of higher prestige. How is it that a Leade of your talents can have such slight ambition?” Her hope was that his pride would be wounded by her comment, forcing him to reveal even more. Unfortunately, it only worked in part; for while he felt slighted, he instead grew cold.
“I have told you all you need to know, Aispris. If you have no other business at court, perhaps it is time for you to be on your way.”
His curt remark made it all too clear that she had crossed a line. To defuse the current situation, the Aispris hastily apologized and announced that she would be on her way.
“Goodbye.” Zach Sen replied without a glance, while Rosi Lite, who had been smiling all through the exchange, nodded politely at the girl.
With an awkward gait, the Aispris made for her horse.
Surita Stone awoke to a loud banging noise at the door. Disoriented, she wondered who could display such unsuitable manners in the Helesp. As that thought occurred, the painful itch on her cheek brought forward memories of the previous day, and with them came the realization that she was far from the Helesp. Where was the old woman? They had waited endlessly for her son to no avail. With disappointment, the poor woman had left to preserve the meal she had prepared. Surita had ventured to help but the woman had turned her down despondently. Another loud knock forced Surita out of her grogginess. With caution, she made her way towards the door, reached for her short sword with one arm and proceeded to unfasten the door with the other.
“Woah, who in the world are you and where is my mother?!” Before her was a tall, breathtaking man whose tanned skin color suggested that he spent a great deal of time outdoors.
Losing her balance, Surita realized who the man was and replied, “You must be the man who kept us waiting all night! I am your mother’s guest, though I am not sure where she is at the moment.”
“You haven’t answered the first part of my question. Who are you?”
The fact that this man’s eyes were transfixed on her hideous scar, caused her to be quite self-conscious as she replied, “I am a passer-by through your village. Your mother promised that if I helped her prepare for your arrival, she would bid you to help see me through to the Main Farm.”
“You are clearly not from around here,” he shrugged. “Is that scar self-inflicted? Perhaps a feeble attempt to disguise yourself as one of us?”
The mocking tone only served to anger Surita. “How this scar came to be is none of your business. I have no wish to be he
re any longer than I have to. Keeping your mother waiting was rude enough. Perhaps you will atone by ensuring you uphold her end of the bargain!”
“Easy miss. Don’t be so curt. Besides, it is my mother you should direct your ire towards. She is well aware that I prefer to journey in the darkness as most Nimusha do. I suspect that she knew all along I would not be here till morning. For some reason, she tricked you to stay through the night.”
Surita reddened at the revelation and wondered why the woman would think to trick her. With squinted eyes and gritted teeth, she growled, “I do not know what you people are up to, but you would be wise not to dare me further. I may not make it out of your village alive but be assured that you and your mother will lie with me in a grave if you continue at this rate.”
“Relax! My mother has been trying to find a mate for me for as long as I remember. She is a picky one, that woman. That she found you worthy enough to attempt this ruse only means that you must have made quite an impression when she first encountered you.” the man replied.
“Do you think me to be some little girl who craves the approval of a man or his mother?”
“No. I was only laying out the facts. But if you feel you must go, the door is wide open. I have had a long journey so of course I will not be escorting you in my condition.”
Surita was, once again, made aware of her hopelessly dependent situation. Calming herself, she stepped aside and allowed him into the house. She was not convinced that the only game being played was matchmaking, but in light of her situation, she had no other choice but to play along. Despite his mischievous manner, he was handsome and evidently even-tempered. Many men would have lashed out at her for her impudence, especially as she was the real intruder in his home. On the other hand, why would a grown man still be living with his mother? Filled with disgust at the thought, she followed him closely behind as he searched for his mother, Osaio Minabi. Upon opening a door to an inner room, Sido Minabi exclaimed in delight.
