by John O.
Sido was once again engaged in battle as a huge Sentor pounded his sword with multiple blows in succession. For a third time, Surita found herself looking for how to change the odds to be in Sido’s favor. She proceeded to retrieve her knife from the fallen Sentor, after which she launched it towards the giant. It didn’t strike as she would have hoped, though it impaled him near his shoulder. As though nothing had happened, the huge man continued to aim for Sido’s head. She was about to scream in a bid to distract the Sentor when she felt the hands on her hair. With a sharp tug, the man behind her dragged her to the floor as she realized that one of her victims was not dead as she had thought. As she tried to wriggle herself free, she came eye to eye with a man she had known as a Stude.
His eyes widened with shock. “Surrittaa…”
Surita used his momentary hesitation to deliver a strike, knocking him unconscious. Deciding that it was better if he was dead, she adjusted to a kneeling position and snapped his neck with her bare hands. The pain from her shoulder almost knocked her unconscious. She fell backwards as she winced with her eyes tightly shut as if to contain a scream.
“I’m here Surita,” came the voice of Sido.
Surita opened her eyes to find him helping her up. “Why, you look so haggard,” she managed to jest.
“I’m pretty sure I look much better than you,” he replied with a smile.
“We need to make a run for it now, Sido. We cannot survive this any longer.”
Sido only nodded as he pulled her along and turned south. The song of clashing swords pervaded the path ahead, and they managed caution so as not to get caught within. By some miracle, they succeeded in avoiding any other major encounter except the occasional stray fighter who, caught unawares, fell to the sword of Sido. As the noise from the fray reduced behind them, Surita began to feel the dizzying effect of the blood she had lost. She was going to beckon Sido to slow down but…
Prisca Foté awoke at what seemed to be one hour before the Hen’s Hour. She looked up to find that her Aisprises were already awake, seemingly waiting on her to say a brief prayer.
“Welcome back, Ispris,” one of the Aisprises said facetiously.
“Good morning to you too,” the Ispris replied with a smile. “It seems I overslept. Shall we begin?” The women then got on their knees and began to sing and pray to the Almighty Spirit.
Meanwhile, in the hallway, the Ispri lay awake in deep thought about Yosi’s suspicions. He tried hard to recall anything else that might lend more credence to the theory that Prisca was behind the unsolved murders. The women emerged into the hall after a few minutes, interrupting his thoughts which were yet to avail any new information.
“Good morning, Holy Father,” they chorused.
“Good morning. Did you all sleep well?” he replied as he forced a smile.
“We did, thank you,” Prisca replied on behalf of her entourage and walked closer to the Ispri. “Father, it is time for us to depart. Thank you once again for hosting us.”
“You’re always welcome here, Prisca. Always.” He held her by the shoulder before continuing, “Before you leave, however, we need to speak in private.”
Prisca frowned briefly and looked backwards to her assistants. “Ladies, give us a few minutes. The Ispri and I have something to discuss. You may wait for me here.”
With that, she followed the Ispri to his room and shut the door behind them. The Ispri sat on one of the chairs and beckoned her to sit opposite him.
“So, what is it that worries you, father?” she asked as she sat.
He observed her closely and began, “The HN was here late last night. He came to inform me that Ishe Fiten no longer lives.”
“Heavens! How? Oh no. Don’t tell me my dreams are already coming to pass!” Nothing on Prisca’s countenance betrayed any foreknowledge of the Ishe’s death, other than what she had seen in her dreams.
“He was murdered, along with his two guards as you rightly foresaw. The problem is, the time of death coincides with your trip to the Helesp.”
A look of realization came over the Ispris as she stared at the Ispri for what seemed like too long. She struggled against all odds to hold back the tears that were forming behind her eyes. “Let me guess, you wonder whether or not I might have had a hand in the Ishe’s death.”
“Prisca, you should know that you are one of the few that I wholly trust. However, you’re the only one I know who has abilities that are consistent with the assassin’s mode of execution. The fact that you have no alibi−−”
“Father, I have always confided in you. If I had all these sinister plans to have people murdered, would I have told you or even Maya of my abilities? Tell me!” Prisca’s face reddened, indicating her weakening control over her emotions. “Has the HN become impatient that instead of looking for the person out there who has similar abilities, he is focused on apprehending an innocent? I am truly disappointed.”
The tears came trickling down as a disconsolate Prisca arose from the chair to depart.
“No child. Please wait. You have to understand−−”
“There is nothing to understand. All I can do now is pray that the real culprit is found. There is obviously nothing that speaks in my favor right now. What saddens me is that there is also no one who would stand by me in this. Not even you who knows me better than anyone else.”
“Prisca, you need to listen to me. I never said I believed you to be the assassin. Please forgive me if I ever insinuated that you might be,” the Ispri was desperate not to end things on a sour note.
Prisca took a deep breath and replied, “I hear you, Father. But now I must be on my way. I do not want to miss the morning prayers at my residence. Thank you for everything.”
The Ispri couldn’t tell whether she meant her words or if they were all but a brusque dismissal. One thing, however, was clear; she was no longer interested in remaining in the temple for a moment longer. With a deep sigh, he replied, “Very well child. May the Almighty Spirit see to it that you are vindicated.”
Prisca dried her eyes and departed without another word.
Out on the Main Road, Prisca and her Aisprises rode in silence. Dawn had not broken, much to Prisca’s relief; for she did not wish for her assistants to be worried at her distress. It was true that they had already sensed her sadness; but they would have become alarmed if they noticed the tears that still escaped her eyes as they rode in the dark. Her thoughts returned to Yosi Sint. For a man she was certainly in love with, he had no idea how much he hurt her by his suspicions. The worst part was, it seemed as though he had successfully turned the Ispri, who she looked up to like a father, against her. It was only a matter of time before an arrest order was issued, she reckoned. But who is the assassin? How is it that this person has abilities like mine? Why was the boy at the Helesp able to see me? Who is he? The questions burned through her thoughts like wild fire.
“Halt! Declare yourselves!”
Prisca adjusted her eyes to the lamp that was raised by two incoming Sentors. The Sentors stopped their horses a few meters from the women. The one who initially spoke took a good look at Prisca and her assistants before asking again in a much softer tone, “Who are you, from whence do you come, and where is your destination?”
“I am Prisca Foté, Ispris of Lionea. These are my assistants. We passed through the night at the temple and we are simply returning to my residence,” Prisca replied.
“Apologies, Your Holiness. I am Jan Riva and my colleague here is Raiden Ni. Please remember us in your prayers.”
“Be assured that we always remember all you courageous men of Lionea in our prayers. As a matter of fact, we are only departing this early in order to enable us meet the morning prayers,” Prisca replied with the hope that the Sentor would stop wasting their time.
“Sorry for the delay. Please continue your journey,” Raiden Ni replied to preempt any further discussion Jan may have been planning.
The ladies thanked the guards and continued on th
eir journey.
“The Ispris is the most beautiful thing I have ever set these eyes on!” Jan Riva exclaimed as he watched them leave.
“Yes, she is beautiful. But that gave you no right to delay them any longer than you had to,” Raiden Ni rebuked, much to Jan’s disgust. “Let us be on our way now. The HN needs to know about the skirmish as soon as possible.”
Sly Zozan awoke earlier than the other Leades to find Rosi Lite’s bed space empty. Intrigued, he hurried through his ablutions and set out to find the missing Leade. Before his search could begin in earnest, he found Rosi Lite in the yard enjoying the morning breeze. Disappointed at the ease with which his ‘mystery’ was solved, he approached and said, “Good morning, Leade Rosi.”
Rosi turned around and replied, “Sly! Up early I see. Interested in coming to sit by me? Or have you other plans?”
“None really. I was hoping to not find you so easily,” he laughed and continued. “Before we break our fast and begin training, it would have been nice to exercise my mind in my own way.”
“That means you must like puzzles.”
“I actually do. However, that does not necessarily mean I am a genius in that regard.”
“You have a propensity to downplay yourself don’t you? You claim to be just above average in swordsmanship and intellectual prowess. Why then did the HN appoint you a Leade? I am not falling for your modesty,” Rosi Lite replied with a smile.
“I keep asking myself the same thing. Why would such an average fellow like myself be made a Leade?”
A flying dart suddenly made its way towards Sly who aptly dodged in time.
“Hey! Why in the world did you do that?” Sly was wide-eyed with shock.
“An average fellow would not have escaped that dart from such close distance. So yes, I did it to prove a point,” Rosi was nearly laughing.
Sly could only shake his head in resignation as he sat beside Rosi. The morning breeze was indeed fine and Sly wondered if he could share this routine with Rosi on a daily basis. It would not hurt to have one’s personal routine in an already heavily regimented place as the Helesp, Sly reasoned. In addition, Rosi seemed to have a nice heart, as far as Sly could tell. With the way the HN kept him around, it was evident that he made for good company.
The sound of hooves on the cobble-stoned pathway signaled the arrival of Sentors Raiden Ni and Jan Riva. It was unusual to have visitors so early in the morning. As a result, Rosi stood to approach the arriving men with a look of concern. “Good morning. What brings you here so early?” he called out.
“I am here to inform the HN of an incident at the Main Farm,” Raiden Ni replied. My colleague, Jan Riva, came as my escort. The men reached where the two Leades stood and alighted from their horses.
“Jan Riva will wait outside while I extend my report.”
Rosi Lite was well aware of Raiden’s clandestine role of managing the offshore Spyinmes and, as such, he reasoned that Raiden’s statement about Jan waiting outside was intentional so as to enable him discuss other matters with the HN.
“Very well Jan, wait here. Leade Sly and I will escort Raiden to the HN.”
“As you wish,” replied Jan, whose mind was still preoccupied by the beauty of the Ispris he had seen previously.
The two men and the boy proceeded into the Helesp and climbed the stairs to the HN’s room. Rosi Lite knocked calmly, aware that it was rather early in the day to beset the military ruler with matters of State.
“Who knocks?” Yosi replied.
“Good morning, lord HN. I have with me, Raiden Ni. He is here to deliver an urgent message.”
“Let him in.”
Raiden Ni entered the room and shut the door behind him.
“Who is he?” Sly inquired of Rosi.
“Oh Raiden? He is a cousin to Rahel, Roy and Remy and an excellent swordsman. He is the only person working under the HN who is not bound by the ‘celibacy until marriage’ rule.”
“Why is that?”
“HN Sen Rosento met Raiden Ni about fifteen years ago in the East Forest. Raiden was only eighteen at the time and had resorted to woodcutting as a profession after he was expelled from Studeship due to sexual relations with some of the female Studes. The efficiency with which he cut the wood led HN Rosento to believe the man had more talent than his profession allowed him express. To test his theory, HN Sen had Marc Even and Jetsi Foté challenge Raiden in a battle of swords. Not only did Raiden defeat the pair, he went on to challenge the HN himself to a duel. Of course he was no match for the HN, but the impression he made caused the HN to offer him a position as a Sentor.”
“To his surprise, Raiden Ni refused the offer outright on account of not wanting to be bound by the celibacy oath. He saw no reason why he should risk his life for others while being deprived of his pleasures. Moreover, since he never intended to wed, to be bound by that rule meant eternal misery for him. Always the bargainer, the HN made him a curious offer: Raiden would be paid half of the wages that were due the position if he was to work without being bound by the rule. Content with the deal, Raiden acquiesced.”
“Seems to me a fair compromise,” Sly replied thoughtfully.
“Not that you are thinking of asking for one, right?” Rosi raised an eyebrow at the boy.
“Certainly not. I am temple trained, so I have no use for such bodily gratifications.”
“Raiden Ni. I haven’t set eyes on you since the war. I doubt you remember me. As a matter of fact, I intended for us to see each other today but this is quite early don’t you think?” Yosi remarked.
“Lord HN. I do remember the red-haired demon of the nine-year war. I would not bother you at this time if it were not urgent. I bring news of a dastardly affair at the Main Farm. Extra-provincial dwellers have struck again. At about three hours after the Crow’s Hour, men clad in black attacked the Sentors at the farm. What the guards did not realize at the time was that another set of men were pillaging our storehouses while the Sentors were engaged in battle. As it stands, we lost about twenty guards in the melee. Around thirty among the thieves also lost their lives.”
“Unacceptable,” Yosi interjected. “Was any among the outlaws apprehended alive?”
“No. The men were extra careful not to be caught alive. When cornered, they took their own lives.”
“Are your fellow Sentors scouting the area for any clues?”
“I should think so. Word only got to me about half an hour ago, and I came here straightaway.”
“Fair enough. When we are done here, I will have Leade Dan Thorne ride with you to the Main Farm. You two will investigate the true extent of the damage.”
“Your command,” Raiden replied.
“What news do you have from Norwaland? HN Ruki Sen informed me of your unique role in that regard.”
“As you may already know, I receive messages from our spies via the vast network of merchants that trade with our neighbors. Over the past few months, the amount of information they receive has been on a steady decline, primarily due to the fact that the spies have been vanishing without leaving any traces. The last information I received came through a shipping tycoon, Ryan Reed who handled a spy in a whorehouse. Unfortunately, even that link has now run cold. Effectively, it is safe to say that we have no more eyes or ears on Norwan shores; we are blind and deaf as it stands.”
“You believe the identities of the spies somehow became compromised?” asked Yosi.
“Even more, I believe they have all been terminated.”
Yosi was silent for several moments. He had dreaded this conclusion as soon as Maya informed him of the dwindling level of information. Coming to terms with the situation, he asked, “What was the last piece of information you received?”
“The Norwan army has increased the frequency and intensity of their drills. Many young men have been drafted into the army, and it’s as though they are preparing for an offensive. Considering their obsession with our Island, it is safe to assume that we are once again the ta
rget.”
”Any ideas as to how we should respond to this ongoing threat?”
“None for now. One thing is certain, the sooner we are able to restore our sight in Norwaland, the better off we are. At the moment, it would be difficult to rebuild the network we had. Still, if we can have one or two spies in strategic positions, it would do us a great deal of good.”
“Thank you. I will consider your words during the course of the day. Is there anything else?”
“No, lord HN.”
“Very well. Inform Rosi Lite to relay my orders to Dan Thorne. Do not leave the Helesp without him. Once again, thank you for your diligence, Raiden Ni.”
“My pleasure,” Raiden replied with a smile and proceeded to leave the room.
Prince Reign, fifth and youngest son of King Franz the Great awoke at the Hen’s Hour. He looked at the hand on his chest and frowned. The hand belonged to a young lady he had lain with the night before. Tapping her softly, he woke her up and bid her on her way without allowing her the chance to wash herself. With the girl gone, he proceeded to his lectern, lit up a candle and regarded a painting that he had grown attached to. The painting depicted a multitude of people bowing before a young man, who was no doubt, a pictorial representation of himself. In time, the Norwans and the people in its annexes, the Lioneans, the Souecans, and the Wesoans would come to bow before him, he believed.
Just as he was meditating on his lofty ambitions, a knock on the door distracted him. “Come in,” he barked without looking to see who it was.
“Master Reign, good morning. Your humble servant brings you information that may be useful to your cause.”
Prince Reign turned around and beheld a truly loyal servant. The feeling he had for this man was one no other could surpass. With interest, he replied.
“Janes; it pleases me always to have you in my presence. What news have you for me?”
