by John O.
“Why, there you are, mother!”
“Welcome, dear son. How was your journey?”
“Tedious. Our lumber men seem to be in excess supply of absurd tales. Fortunately, I made it through without killing myself.”
The woman laughed joyfully before replying. “I can only imagine. I see you’ve met my friend here.”
“Indeed, I have.”
“Good. She is a kind-hearted one I tell you. She actually assisted me in preparing for your arrival and that speaks volumes. Why don’t you wash yourself while we set the table? After a healthy meal, you’ll have to rest so you can depart with her at nightfall.”
“I am not comfortable with night travel.” Surita interjected, a little annoyed that they discussed her as though she was not even present.
“Who says I am going to escort you? If I find it in me to oblige your request, we can always depart on the morrow once day breaks,” Sido teased gaily as he left the two women.
Surita caught and held Osaio’s gaze for five counts, making it clear without words that she did not take kindly to her ruse. The woman’s unapologetic countenance only irked her even more. With resignation, Surita turned around and proceeded to begin setting the table. As she went about her task, her mind occasionally drifted to the woman’s son. There was something oddly intriguing about him, she admitted to herself. Perhaps there was something to look forward to after all.
Yosi Sint was met with smiles and congratulatory words as he reunited with his former housemates. The Ispri, his assistants and the boy, Sly, were all standing with him at the entrance of the temple.
“Yesterday, your life as you knew it changed forever. How are you settling in?” asked the Ispri
“It is still early but I believe I haven’t done a bad job in my one day as HN,” Yosi smiled. “I am aware that it is almost time for prayers, so I will make this as brief as possible.” Taking a cue, the others left to give Yosi and the Ispri some privacy.
Yosi began, “Tell me, father. Do you know of anyone who can sustain themselves in flight and hide in plain sight?”
The Ispri looked intently at Yosi before answering, “When Ruki Sen told me of the assassination attempt on his life, I knew suspicion would inevitably fall on Prisca Foté. I am sure you know of her abilities already. If I’m correct, you learnt of her through Maya, and I’m certain she is innocent. There has to be someone else with similar abilities. You see, I did not think it necessary to inform Ruki Sen about Prisca because if she found out that the people whom she interceded for were now wary of her, she would fall to depression. She has already suffered enough having lost her twin sister at a young age. If you must consider her a suspect, do her the courtesy of keeping your suspicions from her.”
Yosi watched, realizing for the first time just how protective of the Ispris the Ispri was. “Do you know how she came to possess these abilities?”
“To be honest, I do not and neither does she. I choose to believe that it is a blessing from the Almighty Spirit. That girl is the most prayerful person I know. According to her, she first came upon these powers as she attempted to escape an attack by bandits. Cornered, she willed herself to fly, only to realize that it was working. Only the Almighty Spirit could have been responsible for such a timely occurrence.”
“Other than my sister, do you know if she has told anyone else of her powers? Her father for example?”
“I doubt she has told her father. The two are not close, and as far as I know, I am the only person she confides in. She only revealed it to your sister when she saw how inadequate Maya felt in comparison. That is quite understandable.”
“What about Raci Even, daughter of Aishe Even?”
“Raci undeniably looks and sounds like Prisca’s late sister. For that reason, Prisca found herself naturally drawn to Raci. She however once told me that Raci was not one to maintain confidentiality. She always took particular care to ensure that her secrets never came to Raci’s knowledge. Hence I do not believe Raci knows.”
“I see. HN Ruki Sen was convinced that Aishe Even, Aishe Foté or both were behind the deaths of Ishe Hinary and the others. I am curious to know if you can shed more light on them.”
The Ispri looked poignant as he replied, “That is quite an interesting question. What can I remember about the twins? Quite a lot but I will summarize.”
“Even was a loner. A man of few words, he is the only man I have ever met who has never smiled in all his years. It is virtually impossible to discern what he is truly thinking. Jokes are perpetually lost on him.” The Ispri laughed nostalgically before continuing, “I remember when he suggested to our father that anyone found guilty of rape be castrated and not killed. He is a man of extremities, that Even.”
He continued, “Many a time, Even would remain aloof from the rest of us, behaving as if we were nonexistent, despite being in the same room with us. To be honest, other than his twin, I don’t think any of us cared much for him, primarily because he seemed not to care for us.”
“Foté on the other hand was quite sociable. However, at a point he had a reputation for telling jokes that amused no one but himself. He was not aware at the time, but some of us always laughed just to make him happy. The moment he realized this, he stopped telling jokes altogether. As he aged, he became more withdrawn, although he remained a kind person,” the Ispri said, reminiscent.
“As you are aware, both were quite fond of women. Other than Ni, they married more wives compared to my other brothers. The important thing I must leave you with is that it is not beyond Even to perpetrate these crimes in question. Of the two, he had shown himself to be unfeeling in his rationale and judgments. As a result, if you were to ask me who I think is responsible, my reply would be Even. That just about summarizes it.”
“I see,” Yosi said contemplatively. “I will definitely consider your words in my investigation, for they will help a great deal. One more thing before I leave; the deaths of Marc and Jetsi have opened up two slots in the rank of Leades. I wish to fill up one of these slots with Sly. Do I have your permission?”
“Permission? Yosi, you are the HN! You are free to appoint anyone as you see fit. In my opinion, Sly would make a great Leade, and as such, you have my full blessing.”
”Thank you Father. I will inform him right away and gather my remaining belongings. After that, I will leave with the boy.”
The Ispri nodded and smiled as he watched his former protégé disappear into the temple.
‘Four more days to Lionea,’ thought the man who was known as Set. It was a breezy morning on the deck of The Blue Whale and Set was enjoying the peace accompanying his solitude. He had his palette and paint brush in front of him, but his mind was elsewhere.
“My greatest fear is loneliness,” came the lovely voice of a woman unknown.
Set Yen turned around to see the beautiful lady that he had judged to be a Spyinme the previous day. Being a man of court, he knew there were three classes within the Spyinme. The first comprised those of the Helesp. They were essentially watchers, informants, and messengers. Despite their training in sword arts and espionage, they had little use of those skills in principle, as their stations were mostly within the safety of the Helesp. The second class comprised the field Spyinme. They fulfilled tasks similar to those of the Helesp, the key difference being that they were stationed in various places throughout Lionea. Another difference was that they often used secondary informants such as cooks, servers and gardeners to gather intelligence in addition to their own efforts. The third class was unique in that even men belonged to this group. They happened to be the deadliest, for their identities were concealed. Only key officers knew their true identities, for they were deeply embedded within the society of Lionea and beyond.
Looking at the lady before him, Set realized that he may have made a mistake. She was an officer, without doubt. However, there was something open about her that suggested she did not belong to the Spyinme. He decided to play along.
“It
seems you overheard us yesterday,” he smiled.
“Yes I did. Your group stands out because you are always painting. What are you, a team of artists?”
“Yes, that is exactly what we are. I am Set Yen, by the way. And you are?”
“Jessamine Sint, a Sentor from Lionea Island. Where are you from?”
“Gale. We are bound for Lionea to sell some of our works. Perhaps you can use your influence to help us sell at a good price?”
“It depends on the quality of your works.”
“Very well,” Set reached for a bag, retrieved some canvasses, and handed them over to her.
Jessamine could hardly stop herself from laughing out loud. “Have you ever seen paintings from Lionea?” she asked
“No,” Set replied, carefully concealing any expression that may betray his knowledge of Lionea.
“It is little wonder why you believe you can sell these there. I hope you have other business in Lionea, lest your trip be futile?”
“Are my paintings not good enough?”
Smiling softly, she replied, “I believe you should consider another occupation, Sire.”
Set laughed in good measure before saying, “That was blunt! I like that. What then do you think of these?” He gave her another set of paintings he had retrieved from another bag.
She was impressed. “These are beautiful! Who painted these?”
“Who do you think? Me of course!”
“You? That’s impossible. There is no way the same person painted both these and the previous ones.
“Is that so? I have heard it said that the largest room in the world is the room for improvement. The paintings you saw earlier were produced seven years ago. The painter you see before you now is one who has grown and is still growing. Do you still think I should consider another occupation?”
“No,” she laughed. “As a matter of fact, I would like for you to make a painting of me, if you don’t mind.”
Prisca Foté sat on her porch with a red apple in hand. The fresh air was all that relaxed her at this time, for she was anxious to be briefed by Cara on her findings at the Helesp. Just then, the Aispris at the gate announced Cara’s arrival as she opened the gate much to Prisca’s relief. Cara alighted from her horse and made her way near to Prisca with mild haste, her gait evincing that she was eager to reveal what she had discovered.
“You were right. Leades Marc Even and Jetsi Foté passed on yesterday.”
“How did they die?” came the Ispris’ reply.
“Yosi Sint slew them in combat. They challenged his claim and that was the outcome thereof. It seems this must have occurred before he visited you.”
“Challenged his claim… Why would they do that? If anything, I expected Zach Sen to be the aggrieved one, being that he is Ruki’s blood son.”
“According to Zach, Marc Even had nurtured an ambition to succeed Ruki Sen. As was evident in their relationship, Jetsi Foté was his ardent supporter. Marc was quite an ambitious man, according to the reputation which preceded him. Since the titles of Aishe and Ishe were well beyond his reach, he must have been aware that the title of HN was the only higher office he could aspire to.”
“I see. Still he did not have to…” Prisca quickly refrained from completing her statement, so she did not speak of matters she knew relatively little about.
“You were saying?”
“Never mind. Meanwhile, if you do not mind me asking. Did something occur between you and Zach Sen at the Helesp?”
“Why indeed do you ask?” Cara’s cheeks reddened.
Prisca gave her a knowing smile before saying, “The sudden red roses on your cheeks at the mention of his name suggests you are ashamed of something. Cara, do tell me what happened.”
Resigned, Cara yielded and briefed the Ispris on the little drama which had occurred as a result of her unseemly questioning. Laughter ensued, for some other Aispris who were close by had listened to the entire conversation. As the ladies laughed on, Prisca found herself recalling the seemingly harmless countenance of the HN during their brief encounter. You slew two men and yet betrayed no sign of sorrow or regret. Why? If not for the men, at least for the families you have now rendered bereft. Yosi Sint, just what exactly are you capable of?
Yosi Sint had packed up his belongings and was ready to make for the Helesp. With him was Sly Zozan with a bag in hand, the Ispri, and his assistants. Yosi had been ready to leave for a while, but he noticed that Sly was having a hard time coming to terms with living apart from the Ispri. So he allowed the goodbyes to linger on for more time than was necessary. With a quick nod, he turned around and began to make his way towards the temple exit. Taking the cue, Sly bade the Ispri a final goodbye before hurrying to catch up with Yosi. Placing their bags on the horse and deciding to walk rather than ride, they proceeded in silence until Yosi asked in a calm tone, “What is it that you want to know?”
Glad that Yosi had understood, he answered, “I was wondering when you would tell me about the missions you carried out as aide-in-field to HN Ruki Sen.”
“Oh that. In time you will come to know of them all. For now, I will just provide a summary of the very first mission.”
“Twelve years ago, I was in the temple library just after sunset when Leades Ron Riten and Rosi Lite had arrived to summon me. You see, it had come to HN Ruki Sen’s attention that Lector Myles Thorne had been killed by a Stude named Jamie Thorne. Jamie, who was eighteen years old at the time, and his younger brothers Jeri, Jesse, and Joni were quite gifted at the sword. In fact, other than Joni, they were convinced that they had no more need to study under Myles and repeatedly petitioned him to recommend them to be progressed to the office of Sentor. Myles didn’t budge, because he knew that they had scores to learn where controlling their emotions were concerned.”
“On a fateful day, Jamie, who was sated with frustration as a result, inflicted serious injuries on his training partner at a practice session. He had hoped that the display would force Myles’s hand but instead, Myles issued him a two-week suspension and ordered him to vacate the training premises. Jamie refused and instead attacked Myles unsuspectingly. To the surprise of everyone present, Myles could not recover himself in time and he ended up with Jamie’s sword fatally embedded in his chest.”
“Incensed, other Studes immediately attacked Jamie, but as expected, his brothers leapt to his defense. Together, they slew fifteen of them and severely injured the rest. When Ruki Sen heard, he pronounced them guilty and undeserving of a proper trial. That was where we came in…”
The four brothers, Jamie, Jeri, Jesse and Joni waited in front of the hall, the carnage long cleared by the remaining Studes and servants. It had all happened so fast, and now they had no idea what would become of them.
“What do you suggest we do now, Jamie?” Jeri asked as he paced to and fro.
“I have said it many times over; let us submit ourselves to grandfather. He is Aishe and will be able to protect us,” Jesse interjected.
“Idiots. Do I have to keep repeating myself? Grandfather will not protect us. Knowing the kind of person he is, he will have us executed on sight.”
Joni, wisest of the four, spoke, “Jamie is right. There is nowhere to run. All we can do now is remain here and prepare for the worst. The fact that six hours after the fracas, no province guard has come to arrest us suggests that we have been deemed unworthy of a trial. My guess is, an execution squad is on their way as we speak. Heaven knows how long before they get here.”
“Not long!” snarled Jamie, as he unsheathed his sword at the sight of three men walking towards them. His brothers followed suit and together, they formed a defensive ring as they watched the hands of judgment reach for them. Jamie recognized the two of the three men as they came closer. “So this is the HN’s hand of justice. Ron Riten, Rosi Lite, and whoever you are. I am honored he thought us worthy to be executed by Leades. However, he would have to replace you two with me and one of my brothers by the time we dance in the pool of you
r blood.”
Yosi Sint listened patiently with a calm expression on his face. With disinterest, he spoke, “Jamie, Jeri and Jesse Thorne. The three of you have crossed the red line. For that, you shall fall on this night. Joni Thorne, fortunately, you killed no one; only inflicting injuries. As a result, you shall go to prison. Please stand aside.”
“You speak as if you were the HN himself. Yet we have never seen or heard of you. These men are my blood. How is it that you expect me to stand aside at the word of a nameless fellow? I will readily give my life for them,” Joni replied despite the chill down his spine at the calmness of the man.
“Suit yourself,” Yosi Sint said as he and his companions drew their swords.
Jamie Thorne stepped aside and said, “Fighting any of you is but a waste of my time. I guess I’ll sit back and watch my brothers.”
Rosi Lite launched his attack on Joni Thorne, who defended himself well through side steps and effective parries. Jesse also fared well enough against Ron, although he could not find an opening through which he could launch his counter-attack. Jeri was about to launch an attack when he noticed Yosi move towards him with such astonishing speed that he could not parry in time. With precision, Yosi impaled his chest, stabbing right through the heart as Jeri let out a feeble scream. Distracted, Jesse briefly looked away from Ron, giving Ron all he needed as he struck Jesse’s side, rendering him handicapped and with a gaping wound. Out of reflex, Jesse tried to stop the blood flow with his hands only to look up and see the graceful slice of Ron’s sword bear down on his neck. Head severed from body, Jesse’s arms twitched three times before the lifeless body dropped to the floor.
By this time, Joni had run to Jeri’s side in horror while Rosi Lite stood and watched. He had no intention of executing him, for his orders did not require him to do so. Yosi was already making his way towards Jamie, who was now white-faced with fear. For the first time since he had picked up a sword years earlier, Jamie was not sure what to do. Attempting to turn the situation, Jamie suddenly launched a forward stab at Yosi’s chest. Yosi was not caught unawares, for he sidestepped while delivering a kick to Jamie’s shoulder, disarming him in the process. Kicking the sword beyond Jamie’s reach, Yosi walked towards Jamie who was now backing away from Yosi as he scrambled on his knees. With cold efficiency, Yosi severed his head from his body, leaving Joni gasping in shock as he witnessed the execution.
