by Paul Heisel
The celebration was loud. Once inside he could see that the merrymaking had elevated. The musicians finished, giving way to groups of monks singing shoulder to shoulder, cups and bowls clanking together. Many of these songs were familiar, sung while they trained, as the rhythm kept them all moving together. This was the first time he heard them outside of training. It brought a smile to his face to see such joy. The groups of segregated monks dispersed and there were no more distinct groups. The celebration was truly underway. There were monks everywhere. Feln found Caleth in the crowd and went over to him.
#
Sondossasya grew impatient. The north barracks were silent as the recently arrived monks from Bora set out their things. They were dirty and worn down, and Sondossasya got the sense Tasha was stalling. Just as he was about to make demands, the diminutive woman came out of her assigned room.
“Is there a place we can talk?” Tasha asked. “Away from everyone?”
“Come with me.”
Sondossasya led her through the hallways to another part of the monastery, away from where anyone was quartered. He thought he could have insisted they stay in her room, but it felt right to be away from the occupied barracks and her followers. The situation was delicate and it weighed heavily on his conscience, as the monk they caught trying to kill the Grand Master had remained silent until a few hours ago. After excruciating torture, he had revealed who his master was. There was also the matter of the magic he could use and trying to determine how many others like him were out there. His stomach did a tumble as he led Tasha to a small room. If Tasha’s information corroborated with what the captured monk revealed, he would have to imprison an old friend. He didn’t want to do that, but it was his duty.
They were near the middle of the monastery structure where the administrators worked during the day. The room, dark and empty save for table and chairs, soon brightened as Sondossasya put down his lantern and focused the light on Tasha.
“What news do you bring?” Sondossasya asked.
“I have come from Bora with a contingent of monks,” she answered.
“How many?”
“There are fifty-four of us. The others are in the city,” she said before he could ask. “We came from Bora just as the Grand Master’s troops were approaching.”
Sondossasya sat there, impassive, impatient. He wasn’t about to let her get a reaction out of him. What he needed was her information. “This plot, this plan that fifty-four of you have come to tell me about, what is it?”
“Kara plans to kill the Grand Master,” she said in a flat tone. “She brought with her monks who can use magic. You can tell the majority of them by these.” Tasha rolled up her sleeve to show her tattoo. “Anyone with a tattoo on their right arm will be able to use magic. We know who these monks are and can tell you their capabilities.”
“You can use magic?”
“Yes.”
“Show me.”
“What purpose would that serve?” she asked.
“Indulge me.”
Tasha lifted a finger and moved the lantern across the table, sliding it into Sondossasya’s waiting hands. He stopped it from moving and put it back in the middle of the table.
“Do all the monks from Bora have similar capabilities?”
“Not all.”
“So, when is this assassination going to take place?”
“In order for me to be more specific, can you tell me if the new Master of Winter has been named?”
“He has, today.”
Tasha stood up. “It’s going to happen tonight,” Tasha said. “We’ve gone over the different scenarios, and it will be tonight. I can help you stop this!”
“How is it going to happen?”
“One of the monks will use his magic,” Tasha said. “We don’t know if it’ll be fire, ice, or what, but it will involve magic. Ice would be the most logical, as it is deadly and won’t destroy the buildings. Fire tends to spread.”
“That’s not specific enough. It sounds like you’re working off a theory, not anything based on hard facts. Thus far you haven’t given me anything that I can use to help us stop the assassination attempt. Are you suggesting we lock up everyone we find with a tattoo? Should we take all the visitors from Bora and haul them in for questioning? Tasha, I need more from you.”
“I have nothing else, but I can help you defend the Grand Master. We have talented monks who can protect him, and we can protect this monastery. If you’ll let us help you, then we will.”
Despite his desire to have more resources, Sondossasya resisted the temptation, plus Tasha’s responses felt scripted. This could be Tasha’s plan, to appear to help and in fact use this to gain access to the monastery and the Grand Master. To make matters worse, he had let her inside the monastery when he should have left her outside the gates. There were too many facts missing, and he had one failed attempt on the Grand Master’s life already that hadn't been completely solved. The real reason he let her inside the walls was so she could help them with their prisoner.
“Would you care to take a walk?”
“You don’t believe me, do you?”
“I wouldn’t be a good captain if I believed everything I heard. I have to sort the facts from the guesses, even when it comes to the safety of our Grand Master. Most threats come from outside these walls, from afar. These internal threats are giving me sleepless nights.”
“Where do you intend to take me?”
“We captured a man who was…suspicious. He won’t give his name and we don’t know who he is, but he has one of those tattoos you mentioned. Can you look at him and see if you know him? He won’t be able to see you if you are concerned about that.”
“Certainly. I probably do know him if he’s from Bora.”
“Good. Now I have one more question.”
“I’ll answer it as best as I can.”
“When we’re done here, can you introduce me to your leader?”
Tasha pointed toward the door. “Shall we walk?”
“Will I get to meet him? Her?”
“Her,” Tasha answered. “Pearl is her name. She told me that if you were smart enough to figure out I was the messenger, then I was supposed to tell you one more thing. There is another group of monks traveling from Bora who believe our leader, Pearl, is the source of the assassination attempt. They have been blinded by Kara’s lies. They will arrive soon, maybe even later tonight. When they arrive, they will tell you the same story I have, yet they will tell you that Pearl was the mastermind.”
“Why should I believe you and Pearl over this other group? Just because you traveled faster and arrived first?”
“If Pearl wanted the Grand Master dead, then there would be nothing you could do to stop her. What we suggest is that you let the remainder of our monks come inside the walls – put them in the stables if you must or away from the monastery if you don’t trust us. But keep Pearl inside these walls, because when the conflict begins, you’ll want her on your side.”
“Let me think on it. Follow me.”
#
It was challenging for Tasha to play the part Pearl asked her to, but she knew overcoming her fears of the situation would ultimately help their monks survive. Pearl told her to be honest, but not open, to answer questions, but not volunteer all their information. Along the road to Sabrin, they rehearsed what she would say, and Tasha was sure the practice helped. They were walking down a corridor, twisting and turning many times along the inner walls. Then they went downstairs into the solid earth beneath the monastery. It was musty and rank, Tasha could tell they kept prisoners here just by the smell. The next area they came to was heavily fortified and guarded. They went into another hallway where there were cells. At a solid wood door, they stopped. Sondossasya slid back a hatch and motioned for Tasha to look inside.
She was too short to look through, even on her tippy toes, so Sondossasya had a bucket brought in and put against the door. Now too tall, Tasha crouched down and gazed into the room. T
he horrors of what she thought happened fueled her imagination. There was blood on the cobbled stone floor, fresh it looked and the room smelled strongly of it. The body was limp and face down on the floor, a sucking noise the only indication the prisoner was alive. He was naked, stripped bare, and had been lashed with a barbed whip until his skin flayed off and the flesh tore from his body. Along the right arm was an orange snake. Tasha looked at the swollen face. Though battered and bloody, she knew the monk.
“His name is Caji,” Tasha said. “He trains with Ash, a group called the Zephyrs. His specialty is cold, ice. He's talented at freezing things solid. What did he do to deserve such punishment?”
#
Sondossasya’s heart rate elevated as he listened to Tasha. This result was unexpected, but it would exonerate his boyhood friend, Caleth. Though still not clear, Ash, the new Master of Winter, was responsible for inadvertently killing Haworu while trying to kill the Grand Master. Or did he have it backwards? Was Ash simply trying to kill off his competition? He was conveniently there to assist in the capture – so was Caleth’s monk, Feln. The simplest explanation had to be the truth. The only people who would gain by killing Haworu were Feln and Ash. What he didn’t understand was the brashness, the boldness of these attacks. First Seveth dies, frozen solid, presumably by this Caji monk who was commanded by Ash. He then moves on to Sabrin, awaits his instructions, tries to kill either the Grand Master or Haworu, and upon capture he convincingly implicates the wrong person while being tortured mercilessly.
The captain thought back to the conversations he had with the Grand Master. This whole ordeal was a scheme for power and wealth. The Grand Master suspected Kara and Djaa, but the revelation from the prisoner that it was Caleth hadn’t surprised the Grand Master either. He was supposed to take Caleth and place him in the dungeons, then sort through all the Waskhal monks, including Feln, for other conspirators. The Grand Master didn’t care if all the monks went into the dungeon. He wanted them purged from the Accord of the Hand. To make matters worse, Caleth voted for Ash to become the Master of Winter, and that helped convince Montishari Gatôn of his guilt.
“Punishments in Sabrin are harsh, no matter what the offense,” Sondossasya said. “I do agree his interrogation went too far, but that is the price of justice, the price we must pay for the information he gave. Remember that.”
“We?” Tasha asked. “It looks to me that Caji paid the price, not you or anyone else. I’m…shocked.”
“There are others who will join him and meet similar fates. That I promise you.”
“I don’t like what I see.”
“If I find out you or your contingent, or this Pearl have anything to do with the problems we have here, you’ll get to see this firsthand. That is not a threat, it is the truth.”
#
Across the room, Feln watched as Kara enjoyed the evening. He wondered if she knew what was waiting back in her barracks. She seemed so casual and aloof to all the tension on the perimeter of the room. He could sense the Dragonmasters watching all of them. Caleth reacted with questions to the news that Sondossasya was waiting for him, to which Feln said he was sure other Dragonmasters were waiting for the other Seasons as well. At Feln’s urging, Caleth finished up for the evening and told the other monks from Waskhal it was time to retire.
The room was still noisy and Feln scanned his surroundings one more time. The Grand Master was at the head table, still, looking like he was having a serious debate with Ash. Both were animated. Behind the Grand Master was Akuka, watching, waiting for a fool to make a bold move against their leader. Feln wanted to go over and tell Akuka it wasn’t going to happen here, that with so many of the loyal Accord of the Hand present, the Grand Master couldn’t be safer. Just as that thought trickled away, there was a resounding boom. The force from a distant incident caused the interior walls to shake, and Feln was certain it wasn’t thunder. Dust came down from the rafters, and when a second boom resonated, the room fell silent. The Grand Master stood up, shouting orders to a nearby monk.
Remaining motionless was one of Feln’s talents, but this wasn’t one of those times. Everyone in the room was urged by the Grand Master to remain calm until they could find out what was happening, and for everyone to remain where they were. The Dragonmasters went to the doors of the main hall and barred anyone from leaving or entering. Feln’s instincts told him to run, but it was too late for that. The boom reminded him of the exploding fireball he heard during the battle in Bora between the Furies. Was a Fury attacking the monastery? Monks started talking quietly now that the celebration had halted. The room became a collection of whispers. Minutes passed, then five, and at ten minutes a monk came scrambling into the room and went straight for the Grand Master, where he relayed a message. The Grand Master called for quiet.
“Everyone, please return to your barracks,” he said. “The disturbance is coming from an armed group who are trying to get into the monastery. Sabrin’s monks and soldiers are handling the intrusion at the moment. Should we need your assistance, we will call for you. Please, return to the safety of your barracks and remain there until we notify you that all is well. Please don’t wander inside the monastery, as I have instructed the Dragonmasters and guards to imprison anyone not in their proper place. Go.”
Caleth was next to Feln, his eyes shifting this way and that. Everyone made their way to the doors. “I don’t like this,” Caleth said. “He was too quick to dismiss help from the visiting monasteries.”
“It could mean one of the other monasteries is responsible, but he doesn’t know which one. He’s guarding the barracks anyway, so he’s just funneling us where we can be watched as separate groups. Plus, if the leaders go back to the barracks they can be taken into custody.”
“We should go to the barracks,” Caleth said.
“Agreed. We should go back to the barracks and speak with Sondossasya. I suspect the attack has come from Kara’s Furies. They’ve probably figured that the Dragonmasters are going to take Kara captive and have decided to take matters into their own hands. The rope binding the Accord of the Hand together is starting to fray.”
#
The windows they walked by revealed nothing specific about the conflict that was going on outside. They could see soldiers and monks traveling in groups around the grounds. Trees in the gardens were on fire, flames licking high into the sky. There was a call for buckets of water. Though Feln tried, he couldn’t see any fighting. Inside the hallways there were monks and soldiers gathering, making sure everyone returned to the barracks. Feln and Caleth walked up the stairs to the second story where their rooms were located. The collection of monks that followed them went to their respective rooms and shut their doors as instructed. Near Caleth’s room were two Dragonmasters waiting. Sondossasya was nowhere to be seen.
“Well met,” the Dragonmasters said in unison.
Caleth and Feln replied in kind.
“Come with us.”
“We were just told to remain in the barracks by the Grand Master,” Caleth said.
“We have other orders.”
“Let me speak with Sondossasya then.”
“The orders are from him. If you don’t come willingly, I’ll have to put you in chains. Please come with us peacefully.”
Up and down the hallway soldiers appeared, blocking off any escape. They had shortswords drawn and ready. In the cramped space, they were trapped.
“What’s this about?”
“Sondossasya will explain.”
“Take command,” Caleth said to Feln. “Make sure nothing gets out of hand and keep our monks safe. Find out what that disturbance was and what’s happening outside, use your judgment on what you should do.”
“He’s coming with us too,” the Dragonmaster said. “Both of you will submit to questioning.”
“Where are we going?” Feln asked.
“Give us your weapons. They will be returned to you when we’re finished.”
At that request, Feln knew the
y were doomed. What happened?
#
For the second time in the span of two hours, Sondossasya was summoned to the main gate. As before, there was a group of monks demanding to be let inside. Leading the group was a muscular man who was wearing an orange robe, and he was impatient. Monks in the group wore the same garish orange robes and were spread out in even columns. He didn’t count them, but figured there had to be more than fifty present.
“Well met, my name is Hector,” the monk said. “I’ve traveled from Bora following another group of monks who are also from Bora. I believe they may have come to do harm to the Grand Master.”
“Believe?”
“They are led by a monk named Pearl. Have they come here?”
Gazing across the assembled monks, Sondossasya could see they were on edge. They were out for blood, he had seen it before, and this didn’t bode well for anyone, regardless of who was against who. Tasha was in her barracks under guard, angered that he wouldn’t allow Pearl and the remaining monks to come within the walls. Because of that, he wouldn’t allow Hector and his monks to come in either.
“My name is Sondossasya, I’m head of security. There is no monk by the name of Pearl here.” Sondossasya got that out of the way first. He purposely neglected to say anything about Tasha. “With all the Seasons here, our security is of great importance. I would ask that you come back tomorrow, during the daylight, when we can bring you inside the monastery.”
“We have nowhere else to go,” Hector said.
“If you’ve traveled from Bora, you’ve camped along the way. One more night will not inconvenience you. The militia won’t expel you from the city. Explain to them your situation and they won’t think you are vagrants.”
“May I speak with Kara then?”
This was one request he didn’t anticipate. He was about to put her in chains and throw her deep below the Sabrin monastery, along with Ash. He thought that Hector would start spouting about his knowledge of threats to the Grand Master, but apparently, he wasn’t going to say anything in the open. Discretion meant seriousness or he was unsure how to proceed. Based on the collective nervousness he saw, they were unsure about what they were doing.
