An Emperor's Fury: The Frayed Rope

by Paul Heisel

  “Do you think Owori is to blame? Hector insists she was spying on Jerr and he found her. That is why she killed him.”

  “Of course I don’t think Owori is to blame. I know Owori well…”

  “Then why doesn’t she come forward? Why has she gone into hiding?”

  “I don’t have all the answers,” Pearl said. “Where Owori is and why she is there has no bearing on what happened the other night. For all we know, whoever is responsible is shifting the blame to Owori because she can’t defend herself. Maybe they are trying to cover up what happened that evening. Maybe what she discovered was so dastardly that she had no choice but to flee into the countryside.”

  Tasha nodded. “Why did so many have to die?”

  The answer wasn’t on Pearl’s lips and she didn’t respond. She saw the bodies, all strewn about and mutilated; burned, scorched, crushed, and destroyed. Fifteen monks were slaughtered in one big group. Mixed in there were two of Ash’s monks. Not far away they found one of Hector’s Furies dead. Pearl closed her eyes, recalling the scene and trying to imagine what happened. The group of Tasha’s monks must have been in the courtyard together with common purpose. They ran into the Furies who were trying to leave the monastery, recognized it for what it was, and attacked. No, that didn’t make sense. More of Jerr’s Furies should be dead if that had been the situation.

  “Tasha, the question isn’t why did they have to die, it’s why were they all together? Why were those fifteen Orchids in the courtyard at the same time?”

  “I’ve asked myself the same question. Why they were together is a mystery to me. There was no event scheduled, they weren’t going to the bathhouse, and as far as I can tell they didn’t leave our quarters as a group. They must have left individually and grouped in the courtyard. For what reason, I don’t know.”

  Pearl closed her eyes again. She imagined Ash’s two monks meeting Tasha’s monks, gathering them, and leading the group across the courtyard under the cover of darkness. But leading them where? To a meeting? A meeting about what? Then they run into a Fury or Furies and a fight erupts? “The dead Orchids must have had ties to Ash’s group.”

  “You think that’s why they were outside?” Tasha asked.

  “My best guess is they were going to a meeting.”

  “About what?”

  “Don’t know. Whatever it was, it was secret. That should cause us worry.”

  Pearl submerged and let the water cover her completely, holding her breath and closing her eyes to keep the bath salts out. It was dark and warm, her hearing insulated. She stayed there, vulnerable, under the water waiting for Tasha to kill her by pressing her to the bottom with her magic, which would drown her. She held her breath until her lungs burned. Pearl pushed her head above water and used her hands to clear her hair away, then sucked in needed air.

  “I thought you were never coming up,” Tasha said.

  “Me too.” Pearl smiled.

  “Maybe they were headed to the meeting and ran into Hector’s Fury who was looking for them.”

  The most probable solution dawned on Pearl. “They were being followed. Hector’s Fury was following them. He was trying to find out what they were doing!”

  “You think so?”

  “Your Orchids were going to a meeting, being led by two of Ash’s monks. One of Hector’s monks was following them and was discovered.”

  “So he ran,” Tasha continued, “knowing if he was caught that they would kill him.”

  “In the confusion, they must have encountered the Furies who were leaving Bora, unrelated to the spying monk. Both were up to no good, so they fought. Hector’s Furies slaughtered them then fled, but not before others became involved when they came out of the quarters to see what was happening.”

  “What were they meeting about? And why did Hector’s monks leave?”

  “I believe Hector’s monks were leaving for Sabrin to finish a plan put together by Jerr. Fifty of them left.”

  “Fifty? No wonder the morning sessions have such low attendance. Do you believe they are going to Sabrin to kill the Grand Master?”

  “No. I believe they are going to defend him.”

  “What?”

  “We have this backwards.” Pearl paused. She was suspicious of the walls in the bathhouse, more so than ever before. With slow movements, she drifted over to Tasha and came to her side. She felt her hip and leg connect with Tasha’s tiny body. Pearl leaned close to Tasha’s ear, their shoulders touching. “Kara’s behind all of this,” she whispered.

  Tasha moved away. She looked shocked. “Not…”

  “Shhh,” Pearl said. “There’s nothing more revealing than a hot bath, don’t you think?”

  Tasha nodded as if she understood. They had already said too much.

  “Do you trust me?” Pearl whispered.

  “Yes.”

  “You will do what I say? Will you follow me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then let’s put an end to this madness and get answers.”

  #

  The most difficult aspect of their burgeoning plan was determining who was who. Pearl concluded that Ash was in league with Kara, and so were the monks who departed with them to Sabrin. If she remembered correctly, it was a total of twenty-five of Ash’s Zephyrs that left with Kara, along with numerous soldiers. That left Tasha’s Orchids, her Elites, and Hector’s Furies – she had to assume what remained of Ash’s Zephyrs were not part of Kara’s plan, perhaps one or two remained behind to keep a watch on things and support Tehari. She knew none of her Elites were part of the plan, and Tasha was certain those that remained of her Orchids were trustworthy. That left the Furies. Had one or two of them been spies for Kara, then they would have known about Jerr’s true plans and wouldn’t have needed Owori. So what it came down to was figuring out what Hector’s intentions were, both for the Furies that had departed for Sabrin and for the Furies that remained in Bora.

  Outside of the Fury’s quarters it was getting dark, the building’s position within Bora hid the late evening sun. Soldiers, not monks, were guarding the front and they let Pearl pass without question. Pearl entered through a common room, headed for their quarters, and marched right by monks who cast obvious glares in her direction. She went through another door and into the large barracks. The Furies were in various stages of dress, clothed and unclothed, men and women alike, and the conversations came to a sudden halt. All eyes stared at her with a coldness reserved for enemies. This wasn’t good, in fact, it was worse than she thought. She went to the end of the long room where Jerr’s private quarters was located, now occupied by Hector, and she rapped on the door. Behind her she could feel the eyes burning into her back, she could sense the careful movements of the Furies. The more powerful Furies, she was certain, were walking toward her, intending to make a statement. It would be her against fifty, an unwinnable scenario. She noted that she willingly had walked into a trap. The door opened and the satisfied expression on Hector’s face was telling. This had gone from worse to an impossible situation. Had Hector anticipated she would do this?

  “Instruct your Furies to back off,” Pearl said, staring into Hector’s face, voice strong and direct. “Otherwise you won’t be alive to hear what I have to say.”

  Hector looked away and moved his head to the side.

  There was movement behind her despite Hector’s signal.

  “Stop. Leave us be,” he said. He pulled Pearl into the room and shut the door, then directed her to a chair. Not sitting wasn’t an option. The room was undecorated and under-furnished. There was a pallet, two chairs, and one small table. Folded clothing was in piles on the wooden plank floor, robes were hung on pegs set into the outer stone wall. It looked like he had just moved into the room. She sat down as directed, planting her feet firmly on her toes and further back than normal. Her legs were coiled springs so she could launch herself at Hector if necessary. It wasn’t in her nature to be fearful, but the trap was about to spring. She hoped her trap within the
trap was going to be enough to get her out of this.

  Hector took a seat on the pallet, the piles of folded clothes at his feet not disturbed by his movements. Though not as tall or muscular as Jerr, he was equivalent in strength and speed. Hector could fight. As Pearl recalled, his magical talents were mediocre at best. He could move objects but nothing heavy. He belonged with Tasha for instruction in her opinion, but his physical prowess led him to Jerr’s group. He was a respected leader, and the last few days had proven that. Smart too. But he wasn’t Jerr.

  “You’re predictable,” Hector said, the words spoken slowly. “I knew you would come here.”

  “I’ve come to discuss what’s been happening. I’m going to tell you what I know and what I think happened.”

  “Isn’t that obvious? What else do we have to talk about?”

  It would get worse from here, Pearl told herself. His attitude would be a challenge for her to extract any useful information. It didn’t matter though, she had to try. She took note of how long she had been inside the room and how much time she had left. “Whether it’s obvious or not, we need to discuss what’s been happening here.”

  “Kara said you would come to me right after she left for Sabrin. She said you would come here to discuss matters to tell me ‘the truth.’ Predictable.” Hector leaned forward. “I want to see you talk your way out of this one. Kara and I had an interesting discussion.”

  “Let’s just get to it then,” Pearl said. “We’re wasting time you don’t have. I’ve found out that Kara is the driving force behind all of this, just as Jerr suspected.”

  “What a coincidence. Kara told me that she found out you were the one with the master plan, and that you know where Owori is, that Owori was acting on your instructions to kill Jerr. She asked me to watch you. She also told me that after we had this discussion, you would try to leave Bora with your Elites. But what I really want to know is; where are you hiding Owori? Pyndira?”

  “Owori’s gone. She doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “She matters to me. She killed Jerr.”

  “In self-defense. She told me herself.”

  “I’d like to hear that from Owori directly. Care to indulge me?”

  “No, you’re not going to see Owori ever. I told you, she’s gone and won’t be coming back.”

  “There are fifty Furies out there,” he pointed at the door, “who’ll do anything I say. You know that. You aren’t leaving this room until you deliver Owori or take us to her. Even if you kill me, my Furies will carry out my orders.”

  “I didn’t come here to kill you. I came here to explain what is going on. If you’re foolish enough to believe Kara, then you don’t need to know the truth.” Pearl stood up. Hector mirrored her movements. “I had hoped to reach an agreement with you so we can help each other. Kara put the blame on me because she wants this chaos to happen. She wants the conflict to escalate with the hope of me being killed in the process. Kara has left for Sabrin with half of Ash’s Zephyrs. One way or another, they are going to take control of the Accord of the Hand. Now, whether or not you care about this makes no difference to me. I do know that Jerr wanted to set up his own monastery to help the Accord of the Hand Empire grow. This desire was misconstrued as dissent and a prelude to civil war, when in fact it should have been considered by the Grand Master.”

  “All of us share Jerr’s vision,” Hector said.

  “Then you should be worried. If Kara gets control of the Accord of the Hand, she will be your leader. Her rule will be different from the current Grand Master, and it may not be pleasant. You have a better chance of negotiating a new monastery with the current regime. I guess you had that all figured out. Or didn’t you think about that?”

  “Kara said you are the one who desires power and who wants to destroy the Grand Master.”

  “Tell me, who is marching to Sabrin with twenty-five dangerous monks, who have a variety of talents that an army couldn’t stop? Is it me or Kara? If you’re too blind with rage or too stupid to see that you have been fooled by a masterful liar, then I don’t want your assistance. I’m better off without you. Now, it’s time for me to go.”

  “You’re not leaving,” Hector said. “Please sit. What you say makes sense and yet it doesn’t. Give me Owori and I’ll let you go. That is the price you must pay.”

  Pearl finished counting in her head. It was time. “Do you think I would come here, alone, and not come prepared for a trap? If I’m not outside of this door in ten seconds, those fifty Furies you’re so proud of will be incinerated, burned, crushed, frozen, and sliced into pieces. A few will survive the initial attack, then my Elites will destroy what is left, leaving nothing but blood stains on the floor. I might remind you that before the Furies resided here, that this was my barracks. I know all its hiding places, its secrets, certainly better than you. What you don’t know is my Elites have already slipped inside this building and are waiting. Don’t waste time. Just like your fifty Furies will do anything you say, my Elites will carry out their orders precisely on time.”

  Hector became rigid.

  “Five seconds. You better decide. You better get me outside of this door.”

  He opened the door and stepped out. The barracks were in a state of caution. Many of the Furies had gathered closer to Hector’s room in a protective ring, awaiting the conversation to finish and so they could take Pearl captive. Others lingered by their pallets. Down the length of the center hallway were six Elites, their gold robes shining in the lantern light. The mob of Furies looked to Hector for instructions while the more alert ones had weapons ready and were moving into better positions. Others dispersed for cover. Elites appeared from hidden spots near Hector’s quarters. Despite being outnumbered, the Elites had the advantage.

  “Halt,” Hector commanded. “Make no move toward Pearl or the Elites. Let them go.”

  Pearl slipped out of the door and near the mob. They looked angry. She heard them growling about Owori and threats were uttered. Without hesitation, she walked toward them. Inside she called upon her magic, ready to blast a hole in the human wall if she needed to. Her Elites down the center were ready to unleash mayhem at the slightest twitch.

  “Step aside,” Hector said. The Furies complied. “Pearl, I’ll be watching you.”

  “Suit yourself,” she said, turning, her voice loud and firm. “When news comes from Sabrin of the Grand Master’s death, and that Kara has been named the new Grand Master, you’ll realize it was within your power to stop her. But you did nothing but listen to her lies.” Pearl strode through the mob and made it to the front. Once outside the door and into the darkness of the evening, they went directly to their quarters.

  She had no intention of staying in Bora, not while those fifty Furies wanted her to hand over Owori. The safest thing to do would be to take the Elites to Salt Island. She was certain Paq would help her hide them on the island until she could figure out what to do. Despite her duty to her Elites and Tasha’s Orchids, she felt she had to confront Kara, or in the least spoil her attempt to become the Grand Master. The Accord of the Hand was falling apart, in transition, and it meant disaster for her plans here. With Kara spinning lies and blaming her, there was no hope for her future if Kara became the leader of the Accord of the Hand. There was only one thing for her to do. She had to catch Kara in the act, expose her, discredit her, and kill her if necessary. They had to go to Sabrin immediately.

  At their building she assembled the Elites, telling them that it wasn’t safe for them to remain here. She told them of Hector’s accusations and Kara’s intentions, and that they were trying to blame her for the recent problems. After a short discussion, the group reached the logical conclusion they had to go to Sabrin. They would have to leave right away, so all the preparations would have to be made tomorrow. The following night they would depart under the cover of darkness. Anyone wishing to stay behind could and she wouldn’t hold that against them, but no one was interested in abandoning Pearl. She was their leader and th
ey would follow her anywhere. That evening Pearl went to Tasha and explained what they were doing. Tasha agreed and the Orchids decided they would leave as well to confront Kara.

  The next day it rained hard. From her room, Pearl could hear the rain pounding down. Through the window, she could see the lightning strikes which were followed by violent claps of thunder. The Elites prepared to leave, assembling supplies and necessities. That afternoon Tasha spoke to Pearl, expressing her reservations about leaving Bora. She was having second thoughts given the level of inexperience many of her students had. Pearl didn’t object if Tasha wanted to stay, but she did warn Tasha that their lives would be in danger if they stayed in Bora. Outside of the walls they would have a better chance of survival, as any conflict would be on their terms. Inside the walls, they would be trapped. The little Tasha acknowledged that with a nod and decided they would all leave. That evening, as the night became black and the ground was soaked with rain, Pearl went about securing her quarters. It was a complicated use of her magic and it weakened her, but it was necessary to seal her secret room. The only way they would get in there was to tear down the building – counterproductive in her view. The magic would keep things safe and hidden until she returned. If she survived.

  They met on the far side of the monastery away from the walls that faced the city. They used ladders and natural land features to get up and over the outer walls, ropes and strength were used to get their supplies over as well. They were dressed as travelers now, covered with traveling cloaks and carrying packs and their weapons. Pearl watched as her Elites took charge of Tasha’s Orchids. There were fifty-four of them, all soaking wet and drenched before they had taken one step down the road. At the wall she split them into six groups, four Elites and five Orchids in each, including her and Tasha in one group.

  With the rain hammering down and lanterns guiding them, they took a wide berth and made sure they were well away from the monastery in the shortest time possible. Pearl guessed Hector knew by now that they departed, and she figured he would try to follow. It didn’t matter, they wouldn’t catch them. As she trudged ahead into the night and out of the city, Pearl had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Behind her was her most recent home, the place where she taught her Elites about their gift and kept them safe from harm. Now she was leading them away from certain danger and into unknown danger. They weren’t battle tested or accustomed to fighting. Not that she was a great veteran of wars. Yes, she had been in her share of fights before relocating to Malurrion, but the violence awaiting them in Sabrin would be of the worst sort. She hoped their mere presence would send Kara on the defensive, or in the least, cause her to make a mistake. The question was, would the Grand Master believe her? Would anyone believe what she had to say? She would find out. Ideally she would get rid of Kara’s threat and would be able to return to Bora and continue teaching, but she knew it wouldn’t be possible if this didn’t go well. That was why she was headed to Sabrin now to sort things out before Kara sorted them out for her. This was her fault, trusting Kara, and she would fix it.