Heirs of the Enemy

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “Why have you come here in uniform?”

  “It might be the last time I am able to wear the uniform,” snapped Kyrga. “Jaar has fired me.”

  “Explain,” the priest said calmly.

  “Jaar discovered my authorization for the raid on Elfwoods. He claims that Captain Kent is alive in Despair. I thought he was bluffing at first, but no longer. He was too confident of his position. The only boon from him is that I will still appear as Grand General until the end of the celebration week. Something must be done before then.”

  K’san did not reply. He sat staring at his desk as if the solution to the problem was imbedded in its wood. Kyrga fidgeted nervously as he waited for the priest to speak. He knew the usual punishment for failure, but that was for normal people. Surely, the Master would not kill someone who is able to control the emperor.

  “Go back to the palace,” K’san eventually said. “You are to act as if nothing is wrong, so calm yourself before you meet anyone. I will discuss your problem with the Master.”

  Kyrga caught the phrasing of the priest’s reply. The problem was Kyrga’s, even though it affected them all. He thought about arguing the blame for the problem, but one look at the priest’s face dissuaded him. He nodded meekly and left to return to the palace. K’san sat silently for several minutes as he contemplated the problem. When he was ready, he scribbled a note and sealed it, marking a name upon the outside of it. He then donned a long, hooded cloak. He left his office and found a cleric in the halls of the temple. He gave the cleric the note.

  “See that this is delivered to the Imperial Palace immediately.”

  The cleric nodded wordlessly and departed. K’san left by the rear door of the temple. He strolled casually along the city streets until he was a block away from the Imperial Palace. As he approached the palace, he slid into a dark alleyway and waited. An hour later, a noble left the front gates of the palace. Bodyguards did not flank him, nor did he leave in an ornate carriage. Uncharacteristically, he walked through the gates and onto the city streets. As he walked past the alley, K’san whispered to him. The noble slid into the alley.

  “This had better be important,” the noble threatened.

  “I would not disturb you otherwise,” apologized the priest. “Kyrga has been dismissed by the emperor. No one knows yet. Jaar agreed to let Kyrga keep the post until the end of the celebration, but this is going to hurt our plans greatly.”

  “Who is the likely candidate to take his place?”

  “He did not say. I doubt that the emperor would confide in Kyrga to that extent. Are you saying that we should wash our hands of Kyrga? We have much time invested in him.”

  “Who do you think will replace him?”

  “I cannot be sure, but I would wager on Tauman or Fortella.”

  “We could probably manipulate Fortella, but Tauman could be trouble.” The noble sighed in exasperation. “Why was Kyrga fired?”

  “The emperor discovered his part in the raid on Elfwoods. I suspect the emperor was troubled more by Kyrga’s deceit than the actual raid, but I am not sure. Perhaps this would be an ideal time for you to seize the throne.”

  “No,” the noble stated sternly. “To replace Jaar now would be a grievous error. Such a move now would only invite others to scheme against me. The war must be fought first. When both armies are totally devastated, the people will welcome me as a savior. No one will stand against me.”

  “You expect both armies to be destroyed?”

  “Of course,” sneered the noble. “A million tears are required for Alutar’s return. Do you think that will happen if we merely crush Alcea? Thousands upon thousands of Federation soldiers must die as well. Emperor Jaar will not be seen as the great victor, even though he will then control both Alcea and Zara. The deaths will be too much for the people to bear. No one will oppose me then. In fact, they will welcome me and cheer me when I depose Jaar.”

  “No Grand General will be happy with such results,” frowned the priest.

  “Kyrga must not know of our expectations,” warned the noble.

  “Kyrga?” questioned K’san. “Have you decided to keep him then?”

  “I think that is safest.” The noble nodded. “It is too late in the game to change horses. I want you to get back together with Kyrga and solve his problem.”

  “I told him to return to the palace,” replied the priest.

  “Take this.” The noble handed the priest an invitation to the celebration. “No one will question my going back there. I told the gate guards that I needed a walk to clear my mind. They will surely remember me.”

  “You want me to enter the palace?” the priest asked with a puzzled expression.

  “Of course I want you to enter the palace,” scowled the noble. “Did I not just tell you to take care of Kyrga’s problem? Take Kyrga to see the emperor and get our Grand General reinstated.”

  “Forcefully? We cannot hold him captive for the entire celebration. It would be foolish to attempt it.”

  “Do what you can for now. One thing I require from you is the secret location of Jaar’s family. Once we have them, Jaar will do anything we tell him to do.”

  “It shall be as you command,” the priest replied with a bow of his head.

  “There is one other item that we need to attend to,” the noble continued. “I want the war against Alcea unveiled during the celebration.”

  “Is that wise? Kyrga will protest. He is most adamant about keeping that secret.”

  “I do not care what Kyrga wants. He is a fool and a tool. We are dealing with what I want. The Alceans already know that we are coming. It is only our own people that Kyrga is hiding it from. I want all of the petty monarchs and generals to be in on the planning of this war. The more the merrier. Let them all sit down and decide how best to destroy the Alceans.”

  “You want the portals revealed as well?”

  “No,” answered the noble. “The generals will need to know of them, but not the others. I am willing to suffer tremendous losses on the battlefield, in fact, I encourage it, but the Federation must win the war in the end. The portals must remain secret from any Alcean spies, but the war itself is to become public knowledge. Let Jaar and Kyrga delight the masses with their predictions of untold wealth and conquest. The more they build it up, the easier they will fall when the time comes. Then I will step in and rule the whole world and Alutar will reign supreme once again.”

  “It shall be as you wish, Master.”

  “Let me return to the palace before you. Wait here for a while.”

  The priest bowed, and the noble stepped out of the alley and headed for the palace. K’san waited for half an hour and then followed in his master’s footsteps. The gate guards looked surprised to see the priest with an invitation, but they passed him through without question. Once inside the palace, K’san avoided the rooms full of people. He made his way up to the Grand General’s office, although he knew that Kyrga would not be there. He asked one of the guards to summon Kyrga and waited in the corridor for him to arrive. When Kyrga did arrive, he opened the door and ushered the priest inside without saying a word.

  “I thought we were not supposed to be seen together?” Kyrga asked softly once they were safely inside the office.

  “There is little time for subtlety tonight. Do you have men that are proven loyal to you above all else?”

  “A few,” frowned the Grand General. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Summon them. Four will be sufficient, but they must be loyal, or you will die this night.”

  Kyrga swallowed hard and nodded. He stuck his head out the door and ordered one of the guards to summon the four men he needed. He closed the door and retreated into the office. “What are you planning?”

  “We are going to pay a visit to the emperor,” smiled K’san. “I think he might just relent on the matter of his Grand General.”

  Kyrga was speechless. He wanted to say that he thought the idea implausible, but he was uncertain
of the priest’s powers. In the end, he decided to say nothing. A few moments later, the four chosen men arrived.

  K’san simply said, “Let us go now.”

  The four soldiers looked to Grand General Kyrga for instructions.

  “We are going to see the emperor,” Kyrga announced. “Lead the way.”

  The four soldiers asked no questions. They opened the door and filed into the corridor. Kyrga and K’san followed. When they approached the door to the emperor’s office, the emperor’s guards moved to block the door.

  “They must have been warned about me,” Kyrga whispered to the priest.

  “Call your men back and stay at a distance from the guards,” instructed K’san.

  Kyrga issued the commands, and K’san continued forward. He halted directly in front of the two guards.

  “I have been asked to bless the emperor. Will you announce me?”

  “Emperor Jaar is seeing no visitors at the moment,” replied one of the guards. “Perhaps tomorrow.”

  “I see,” smiled the priest. “Tomorrow it will have to be then.”

  The guards relaxed just a bit with feelings of relief at avoiding a confrontation. Their feelings were premature. K’san’s arms streaked out, each large hand grasping one of the guards’ necks. He lifted the guards off the ground and shook their bodies until he heard their necks snap. He dumped the bodies on the floor.

  “Have two of your men dispose of these bodies,” K’san said softly. “The other two are to remain on guard here and admit no one.”

  The eyes of the four soldiers were as large as coins. They stared at the bodies and then at the priest as K’san opened the door to the emperor’s office and strode inside. Kyrga quickly followed the priest and closed the door behind him.

  “What is the meaning of this intrusion?” snarled the emperor. “I left instruction that you were not to be admitted.”

  “Silence!” snapped K’san.

  Emperor Jaar’s face reddened with anger as the priest’s words. He rose to his feet and reached for the cord to summon the guards. Unexpectedly, an invisible force picked him up and slammed him into the wall. His body slid down the wall and crumbled to the floor. K’san strode across the room and picked the emperor up with one hand. He shoved the emperor into his chair.

  “What are you?” the emperor asked fearfully.

  K’san put one hand on the emperor’s head, and Jaar’s eyes closed immediately. Kyrga watched the display with disbelief. He had heard stories of the priest’s power, but he had not truly believed them. He stared with a lack of comprehension as to what was taking place. Neither K’san nor the emperor appeared to be moving.

  “What are you doing?” Kyrga asked softly.

  “Reading his memories,” K’san answered distractedly. “There is something that I need to know.”

  “Find out who investigated me,” urged the Grand General.

  K’san merely nodded. A few moments later, loud voices came from outside the door. K’san halted his probe and started towards the door. Kyrga held his hand up to stop the priest.

  “It is Colonel Taerin,” Kyrga said softly. “You have no need to interfere. He will leave when the guards tell him that the emperor is not accepting visitors.”

  K’san nodded in understanding. “The emperor will waken soon. I want two of your men in here at all times until I say otherwise. The emperor is to believe that he will be killed if he defies us, but your men must be told differently. Jaar is not to be killed under any circumstances. They may wound him or bind him, but he must remain alive. The master will not tolerate any deviation from this. Do you understand?”

  “Perfectly,” Kyrga replied, “but we cannot keep him locked up forever. If he does not make an appearance during the celebration, questions will be asked.”

  “We will distract everyone,” smiled K’san. “You are to reveal the truth about Alcea this week.”

  “No,” Kyrga protested. “We must not divulge that yet.”

  “The Master has spoken,” retorted K’san. “Do not mention the portals except to the generals who need to know about them, but the coming war with Alcea is to become public knowledge. I suggest you inform the monarchs first and then the generals.”

  “They will all want a part in planning the war,” frowned Kyrga. “I already have it all worked out.”

  “Let them get involved in the planning if they want to. Your word will be final in the end, but they will be kept occupied in the meantime. Go instruct your men. When they understand the limits placed on them, bring two of them inside. In here you will tell them in front of the emperor to slay him if he strays from your desires.”

  Kyrga nodded and left the office. K’san watched as the emperor woke. Jaar glanced around the room. When his eyes landed on K’san, he trembled in fear. Kyrga and two soldiers entered. The emperor quickly focused on them to avoid looking at the priest.

  “You two are to guard the emperor night and day,” Kyrga instructed his men. “If he makes any move to leave his quarters or summon guards, he is to be killed. No one will be permitted in to see him without my express permission.”

  Kyrga expected Jaar to threaten revenge or death, but the emperor did not even protest. He remained silent and cowed. K’san walked out of the office, and Kyrga hurried after him.

  “What now?” asked Kyrga when he caught up to the priest.

  “Now you go back to your party,” replied K’san. “I am going back to my temple.”

  “That’s it?” frowned the Grand General.

  “For now. There will be a more permanent solution before the week is out. Do not worry. The Master has planned for such a problem.”

  “What about the investigator? Who was it?”

  “General Forshire.”

  * * * *

  Clint mingled with the Federation generals. General Marashef introduced him to a few, and so did General Antero. Being introduced by a fellow general made it easier for him to gain acceptance from the other generals. Most of the generals had heard about A Corps, and Clint took quite a ribbing about his misfits, but the banter was mostly good natured, and Clint took it in stride. After several hours of talking and memorizing names and faces, Clint was ready for a break. He decided to check in with his men, but once he left the palace, he found himself heading towards the waterfront and ended up on the bench he usually sat upon to think. He learned that there were thirty-one full armies in the Federation. That added up to over three-hundred-thousand fighting men. It was the largest army ever assembled, and it was pointed at Alcea. It was a sobering thought.

  “I thought I might find you here,” Colonel Taerin said as he approached and sat down next to Clint.

  “It was getting a little stuffy in there,” chuckled Clint. “You did a fine job today with taking care of the arrivals. It was very efficient.”

  “Thank you,” the colonel replied in a depressing tone.

  “Is something the matter?” Clint asked.

  “You read people well,” Colonel Taerin replied distractedly.

  “You have always had an ear when I needed one,” smiled Clint. “The least I can do is return the favor.”

  “I am worried about the emperor,” Colonel Taerin admitted.

  “I can’t imagine that he became ill in the last few hours,” Clint replied. “I saw him soon after I arrived and he seemed well enough.”

  “I think your conversation might be the cause of problems.”

  “Oh? And do you know the nature of the conversation I had with the emperor?”

  “I do,” admitted the colonel. “Emperor Jaar asked me to speak with Captain Kent and verify what you had told him.”

  Clint was surprised, not with the emperor sending Taerin on the mission, but rather that Taerin would know where to find Kent. The surprise must have shown on his face because the colonel continued.

  “I saw Captain Kent disembark with your escort when you arrived. It didn’t take much to figure out that you were hiding him in the barracks. D
o you really plan to let him go free?”

  “I would not lie to a man like that,” answered Clint. “Kent did his duty to the best of his ability. He should not be punished for that. Did Kent tell a different story to you than the one I told to the emperor?”

  “Not at all,” answered Colonel Taerin. “He confirmed everything.”

  “Then what is the emperor’s problem?”

  “The last I saw him, he planned on firing Kyrga. In fact, he requested that I send Kyrga to see him. I was also supposed to bring General Ross to see him, but the general had not arrived in Despair yet. It took a couple of hours before I could complete my task. When I took the general to see the emperor, the usual guards were not on duty. In their place were four new guards.”

  “I would not be surprised,” stated General Forshire. “If I was planning to fire my Grand General, I would double my guards, too. Kyrga might not take kindly to being fired.”

  “The guards that were posted are known followers of Kyrga.”

  Clint frowned heavily. “Are you sure of this?”

  “I have a knack for remembering names and faces,” replied the colonel. “General Ross and I were refused entry, yet the emperor was expecting me to bring the general to him.”

  “Is General Ross to be the new Grand General?”

  “I suspect that to be true, but it would be in poor taste to mention it before it was announced.”

  “I am not one to spread gossip.”

  “Anyway, I became somewhat alarmed by all of this. I told General Ross that I would arrange the meeting for another time and sent him down to party with the rest of the generals. I then snuck through the servant corridors to spy on the entrance to the emperor’s study. I saw Kyrga leave the office, and the priest was with him.”