The First Five Days: of the Lionean Saga

by John O.

  The trader dipped in and brought out another set of ground leaves. This time, they had an odd blue shade to them. “This is Guren, harvested off a set of unique trees. These do not need sweeteners and are quite medicinal.”

  “How so?”

  “Unlike fermented wine that inebriates, these leave you in a good mood without any associated side effects.”

  Yosi’s interest spiked, for it seemed that was exactly what he needed at this time. With a calm exterior, he motioned to Rosi to have a Spyinme bring some hot water and cups. Under the guise of tasting all the samples for due diligence, he hoped this Guren drink would help him through the night.

  “There’s one more, Lord HN,” the merchant said as he retrieved a set of red dry leaves. “These leaves are referred to as Zobo. An odd rich fermented drink that is compatible with most spices, it is used to grace elegant occasions strictly. Only the high and mighty of Wesoa have access to its pure form.”

  “Taverns are the main outlets for the beverage industry. If I understand correctly, these are all domestic wines?”

  “Not entirely, Lord HN. The Guren will prove to be an instant success at the taverns. The Kucha’s taste blends well with most additives. When mixed with fermented drinks, they produce a magical blend. They will fare well as a diluent at the taverns. The Zobo will command more gold, but sell in much smaller amounts. It is a niche product that could cater to those of fine tastes. Even the Korosh would rank far below in comparison.”

  Just then, Spyinme Mila Thorne emerged into the room with a tray containing petite cups and a jar full of steamy water. She had, on her own, assumed her beloved Maya’s role in the matter of serving the HN. She placed the tray on the table and left without a word. With a stab of regret, the HN knew that if it had been his sister, there was no way she would sit by the sidelines while he discussed with this trader.

  “Go ahead and brew,” Yosi commanded.

  The merchant did as he was bid and shortly after, two cups of each drink were placed before the HN.

  “The leaves aren’t edible?” Yosi asked upon noticing the man sieve out the leaves from the drinks.

  “They are, but they’ll only serve as a nuisance. The Zobo is best taken after it has cooled a bit. Perhaps you can have the lady place it in ice to accelerate its cooling.”

  Rosi immediately departed with the cup to see to it that it was done.

  The man was about to place sweeteners in the Kucha cup when Ron gave him a stern look and said, “No need for that.”

  The man laughed inwardly at the futility of Ron’s protective move. The deed was already done, he thought to himself. “However, you wish to have it, lord HN.”

  “Why don’t you drink first?” Ron suggested to the merchant.

  “Of course,” the man said and proceeded to drink from each cup while making appreciative sounds that affirmed his like for the drinks’ tastes.

  Twenty minutes after he was done, the HN judged that it was safe for him to taste, for most poisons would have begun to take effect and there was no apparent change in the merchant’s demeanor. Yosi began with the Kucha, which tasted plain to him. Because the man said it needed additives, he did not find that surprising. The Guren, on the other hand, appealed to all Yosi’s senses. It was such a sparkling drink that Yosi didn’t immediately realize he had drunk the entire cup.

  “You may have more of mine,” the merchant said with excitement.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Yosi replied despite his desire for more.

  Fortunately, Mila emerged with the Zobo drink only a few minutes later. It was only when Yosi took a sip that he realized why the drink was well suited to the elite. A divine drink indeed, Yosi concluded inwardly.

  “Well, emissary, you have wooed me with your fine tastes. However, I need to see the trade agreement that you have with the Wesoans before I make my decision.”

  “Of course!” the emissary beamed and handed a sheaf of papers to the HN. The HN realized that while the Guren may not have inebriating effects, the heightened feeling of happiness it engendered could impair his judgment. As a result, he sent for Zach Sen, whose judgment he trusted almost more than his own.

  Zach Sen emerged a while later and took his seat beside the merchant. He began to peruse the document line by line. From what he read, the Weseoans seemed to be in desperate need for revenue. In addition, they were foolishly bent on remaining a close-knit nation, so much so that they had proposed to trade with the rest of the world only through their kin in the Foté province of Lionea. In other words, all exports to other nations shall effectively be controlled by the Lioneans. It was a rip-off by all accounts, and a pity that the Weseoans had not realized it yet. Zach had always been a fair man and he realized the downside of all one-sided deals; sooner or later the cheated would awaken and the partnership would die an instant death. Should that outcome be realized, there would be no room for renegotiations and hence, the cheater would lose in the long term. Perhaps this case could not be helped though, for it was the stipulate of the Weseoans themselves. If the deal was to be sanctioned by the HN, then there would be immense short term benefits. Having concluded that Lionea had nothing to lose in any case, he returned the papers to the HN and gave him a slight nod.

  Yosi proceeded to look through it himself and came to the same conclusion. With a satisfied look, he brought out his seal and sanctioned the deal.

  “You’ve made a wise decision, Lord HN. With this deal, Lionea’s fortune would be bolstered even further. My guild impressed it upon me to have you understand that by signing this agreement, you’ve effectively given the guild sole trading rights as requested by the Weseoans. Are you fine with this?”

  “I am well aware. Besides, your province has need of such revenue so I have no problem with it.”

  “Thank you,” the man replied with a bow. “I believe my task here is complete. If you wish, you may have the samples.”

  The HN nodded and accepted the box. He also asked Zach to make a copy of the agreement for he would need them all to appease Aishe Thorne when he was finally inaugurated. When all was complete, the merchant thanked the HN once again and proceeded on his way.

  Mission accomplished, the Kawachi agent thought with satisfaction. As he walked through the hall, he didn’t notice a man looking at him intently. The man who watched had seen the agent’s face before, although he couldn’t immediately remember where. The only thing he was certain of was that the face meant bad news.

  Yosi was surrounded by his trusted Leades; Zach, Ron and Rosi. The Guren had left behind a wonderful feeling and, as such, he was no longer maudlin. He simply dismissed the Leades’ condolences when they had tried to share them and proceeded to discuss more pertinent matters.

  “I noticed an unknown man in the hall when I returned from the cemetery. Who is he?”

  Ron replied, “His name is Sido Minabi, an extra-provincial dweller who aided one of the missing Spyinmes on her quest to return home.”

  Yosi’s eyes widened. “I see. I recall seeing Surita Stone beside him and it didn’t immediately register that she was among the missing girls. What happened with her?”

  “First off, it’s Surita Minabi now. The two wed on their way back.”

  “He must have made quite an impression on her,” Yosi remarked with amusement.

  “He is an infectious man indeed. A few minutes around him and you’ll think you’ve known him since birth,” Rosi ventured before continuing. “We are still trying to verify the details but the summary is Loila Even was an accomplice in the sordid kidnap affair. She’s being held in the cells below. Surita and her husband had to fight on the wrong side during the Main Farm raid, for they ran into it during their journey to safety. An interesting tale, I can assure you. You will have to make some judgment on how their crimes in the raid will be handled. One thing I can say though is that Surita has an indomitable will. The way she apprehended Loila who tried to flee upon her return is a testament to her inner strength. I believe she
has the capacity to take on more responsibility, if you get my meaning.”

  The HN understood that he was referring to Maya’s now vacant position as leader of the Spyinme. He however declined to comment, for it was a decision he preferred to make in the morning. “Have those two see me in the morning, Surita and this Sido. I would like to hear from them personally. Their marriage may be short-lived, if he is to return home while she remains here.”

  “If he’s willing to move here maybe you can find something for him to do?” Rosi asked to Yosi’s amusement. Perhaps the man was indeed that infectious, Yosi reckoned.

  Sido Minabi’s eyes widened suddenly as he finally recalled where he had seen the merchant’s face. On one of his journeys as a caravan escort, they had been ambushed and his client’s wares looted. It was no random attack, for the client was in a fierce rivalry for supremacy with another. The matter had become so severe, that the Nimushan council had to summon an emergency meeting to douse the roaring flames of conflict. He had almost lost his life in that encounter and that man had been one of the attackers. Sido reasoned that it could only mean one thing; the man had once again been hired to do someone else’s bidding.

  With urgency, he ran to his wife who was preparing a guest room where they would sleep. “Surita!”

  “What is it, love?”

  “There is a man who just left the HN’s room. I need to trail him; he must be up to no good.”

  “Trail? Why not alert the Leades to apprehend him? Besides, how do you know he is up to no good?”

  “Apprehending him would be as futile as with Loila. He’s a man for hire and would likely not be forthcoming, despite intrusive investigation. We need to find out where he’s going, such that there’s some hope to discovering his lair and what he may be up to.”

  Sido then proceeded to inform Surita of the ambush where he had seen the man, and the logic with which he knew the man was for hire. Surita’s face became lined with worry as she listened to his tale. When he was done, she beckoned him to come with her to the HN’s room.

  “Come in!”, Yosi Sint called out upon hearing the fervent knock on his door. On seeing Surita and Sido walk in, the HN wondered if they had known they were the subject of his discourse with his Leades.

  “What is it?” he asked with narrowed eyes.

  “What business did you have with that man who just left?” Sido asked.

  Yosi Sint was visibly surprised to be questioned by this man who had no respect for authority. Not one to take offense at such things, he replied with a smile, “I cannot tell you at this time. Confidential matters.”

  Sido’s eyes widened as he reckoned the HN had hired him to do a dirty deed, “Oh,” he gasped, “I didn’t realize men for hire were used by the Island’s military leader.”

  “Men for hire? What do you mean?”

  “Don’t think you can fool me, Sire. That man and his crew were hired by a Nimushan chieftain to loot the goods of another he was in contention with. I happened to be escorting the caravan on the night the attack occurred. Many lost their lives and I barely escaped with mine. So fierce was the rivalry that our local rulers had to intervene. That was how we knew the attack was not random, for there was a confession as to the hire. I never forget a face, Lord HN, and that face was among those who attacked us. So yes, I didn’t realize one as noble as the HN would stoop to use such men.”

  Surita almost punched Sido for his insolence. His reddened face however evinced his anger and disappointment at his suspicions about the HN. With an apologetic countenance, she interceded, “Forgive him his manners, Lord HN. He has little understanding of how things work here.”

  Yosi hardly heard what she said for he was stupefied that he had just been played.

  “Believe me, Sido, when I tell you that I had no idea he was for hire. If what you’ve said is true, then perhaps I was his target, or more accurately, the target of who hired him. We need to trail him to his destination; that is if we can still find him as he’s been on his way for nearly twenty minutes now.”

  “I’ll go,” Sido replied impulsively, abashed at his vindictive outburst.

  “No Sido, I’ll go,” ventured Rosi Lite who went on to say, “Sire, it is safe to assume that you’ve been poisoned. You should begin taking antidotes.”

  “An antidote can be a poison if taken wrongly, Rosi. I’ll need to display the symptoms in order for a healer to prescribe one.” Switching his gaze to Zach, he continued, “Have a healer on standby tonight, and then summon my father on the morrow. I also want you near, should things escalate.”

  Zach nodded and proceeded to depart the room. Rosi Lite, an established tracker, also departed the room with haste in order to catch up with the supposed merchant. As he left, he knew he had a long night ahead of him.

  DAY 5

  29

  Set was deep in thought while sitting at his usual spot on the deck. He had been anticipating a pirate attack since he saw the tattooed man roughly four days ago. It was just past the Crow’s Hour and they were sure to dock on the shores of Lionea before the new day was over. To rob a ship near the shores of a powerful nation like Lionea was folly unto itself. If there was going to be an attack, it should have happened days earlier when the pirates would have been more able to arrange an easy getaway. The other oddity was that there didn’t seem to be any escape ship, boat or even raft in sight and that should form a vital part of a pirate’s plan. Did they intend to sink the ship without attempting an escape? Was to spy simply their mission? Perhaps he was worrying too much, he reasoned.

  The sudden blaring sound jolted him out of his deliberations. Before he could make out what was happening, he heard the words.

  “Attack! Attack! We are under attack! I repeat; we are under attack!!”

  With survival instinct in full gear, Set dashed to the cabin where his men slept and woke them saying, “Swords! Take up your swords!”

  The men clearly understood the import of the words, for they had found themselves in similar situations many a time in the past. After every man had picked up arms, Set gave a quick address.

  “Good men. I have been anticipating this attack for a while now. The men are likely to be much taller and huger than every single one of us as is typical of pirates. Despite this, do not be daunted; for they are still just men. The Sentors are likely engaging them as we speak. That should provide ample opportunity to strike from behind. Stealth will prove to be a deciding factor in how easily we dispatch them. Should stealth become impossible, face them head on as I’ve taught you to do. Now let’s go.”

  The men roared in anticipation as they emerged from the cabin, led by Set, who quickly assessed the situation. On the top deck where they stood were men that could only be described as giants. Two of them singlehandedly faced five Sentors who evidently had not been able to strike true at both men. Another seemed preoccupied with something as he strolled towards the bridge on the far opposite side of where his counterparts fought. Set reasoned that the pirates were likely present in similar numbers on all decks and, as such, he distributed his men accordingly.

  “Jen, go along with Sayan and Tim to the lowest deck. Assist the Sentors there. Dean, Bru, and Mika, to the second lowest. Jin, Roy, you two head for the middle deck while Sin and Tent man the one just below us. Randy and I will remain here. Go!” he barked and watched the men scramble. He then motioned for Randy to go after the lone pirate while he proceeded to lend a hand to the beleaguered Sentors. By the time he got there, only three of the five Sentors still lived. As Set approached, one of the pirates turned around and caught sight of him. Before the pirate could react, Set immediately launched forward into the air and pierced him in one eye. Set’s full weight behind the sword caused the stab to deepen further into the giant’s brain, rendering him a sacrifice to the goddess. Set retrieved his sword from the fallen giant’s head and turned around to face the other pirate who was strangling the Sentor that had once been rude to Set with humongous hands. Set took advantage and e
xecuted a fine stab from behind. The pirate could only watch his own blood drain from him as the tip of a sword protruded from his chest. Set removed his sword from the giant’s back and regarded the Sentor.

  “Where is Jessamine?” Set asked with a tone that did not permit anything other than the truth.

  “She is guarding the bridge,” the Sentor managed to reply as he felt about his neck to observe the severity of the bruises.

  Randy had made no apparent headway with the pirate he faced. Using a spear, the pirate had parried away all Randy’s strikes. When the pirate noticed that Randy’s strength had flagged, he laughed and said, “Done so soon? You’ve not met my kind before it seems… Allow me to show you how we handle prey.”

  The pirate assumed an attacking stance and ran towards a fleeing Randy who judged that it was better to run and fight another day. The tip of the pirate’s spear barely missed the tip of Randy’s hair; for Randy had jumped over the bulwark and was descending towards the lower deck. He landed to meet the corpses of five Sentors and two giants. Tent was injured while Sin fought alongside two Sentors as they battled the remaining giant on deck.

  A wise man, the pirate thought to himself as he watched Randy fall. He then looked towards the bridge to find a female Sentor armed with swords on both hands. With a surge of lust, the giant walked towards the blonde woman.

  “Don’t come any closer, pirate! You fight a futile cause. Look around, your colleagues now lie dead. Except if you intend to join them, surrender!” Jessamine called out to him as he approached.

  “You fool!” he replied with a laugh. “Before this night is done, my cock will see to it that you’re split apart in two.”

  Provoked, Jessamine launched a series of attacks on the pirate who parried them all with ease. She tried all the battle tricks she could remember but still, she discovered no weakness in the giant’s stance. Then he suddenly moved from a defensive position and launched himself towards her while rotating his spear in a clockwise manner such that the weapon’s ends hit her forearms, causing her to drop her swords. Before she could regain herself, he turned around and kicked her in the stomach. The force caused her to stagger backwards till she tripped and fell.