An Emperor's Fury: The Frayed Rope

by Paul Heisel

  Spread out were different groups. He stopped counting personnel when he reached the fifty mark. He went with the two Furies toward the table where Kara and Ash were seated, and he could see on the table they were using utensils, bowls, and plates to make a crude representation of the monastery. Kara, Ash, and their commanders looked up. There were no smiles this time from Kara.

  “He says he has a message from the Grand Master.”

  Feln held up the signet ring.

  “Leave us,” said Kara as she stood. “Ash, you stay.”

  The others departed. A moment of silence passed.

  “Do you have a message or don’t you?” Kara asked, her mood foul. “Are you the Grand Master’s lackey now?”

  “Well met,” Feln said, knowing it would irritate her. “I bring a message from the Grand Master. He asks, for the sake of all and the Accord of the Hand, we must stop hostilities. Monks and soldiers have been slain. There will be a meeting of the leaders in the old church in less than two hours.”

  “A trap,” Ash said to Kara.

  “Not a trap. The Grand Master wants to let the leaders speak their minds so we may figure out what is happening. If negotiation needs to take place, it will. As a sign of his good faith, he told me that each of you may bring a protector with you. All he asks is that your remaining personnel stand down and remain where they are.”

  “What is there to discuss? What is there to negotiate?” Kara asked. “We know as much as he does about what is going on! Nothing!”

  “The Grand Master will have to tell you that. I didn’t come here to debate with you or begin the meeting before it’s supposed to happen. As you said, I'm just delivering the message.”

  “What if we don’t show up? What are you going to do then?”

  “I’m sure whatever’s decided by the group will not include your input. Whatever points you wish to make will go unheard.”

  “Get him out of here,” Kara spat, pointing toward the far door that led into the kitchens. “You had your chance to join me, now suffer the consequences of your poor decisions.”

  #

  The cold reception from Kara was expected, particularly since he was the one delivering the Grand Master’s message. At least dealing with her was over and he hoped the army would surround the monastery soon. He was content that Caleth and the others from Waskhal were safe, and he didn’t worry about himself because he could blink and escape if needed. He admitted, though, curiosity kept him here. He was outside again, walking along the eastern part of the monastery grounds in a northerly direction. It was darker. There was only a few hundred feet of space between the buildings and the outer wall, and beyond the wall were more rocks, cliffs, and eventually the lake. On the north side of the monastery, he encountered a lookout. Feln identified himself and held his arms up and wide, calling out that he was here on behalf of the Grand Master. He showed them the signet ring, but wasn’t sure if they could see it at this distance. To his left, hundreds of feet away, were the patchwork buildings that made up the barracks. He was more than halfway around and only spoke with Kara, so he expected to encounter the other factions one after the other on this side. Though the lookout disappeared, he kept walking forward with his hands up.

  Feln estimated to his left, through outer offices and meeting areas, would be the great hall where the Grand Master was waiting. There was a shorter structure with a slight pitched roof that butted up against a taller wall – it was the great hall. He recognized the windows higher up, two circles with red stained glass. From within came the flicker of lanterns and candles, and he realized he was looking at Pyndira’s twin moons. The lookout appeared and escorted Feln along the length of the walls, where they came upon a large host of monks that Feln couldn’t see at first because of the low light. There were about fifty in number, all gathered in smaller groups and using the barrack’s walls for protection. Few were out in the open. In the distance, he could see the glow from a fire, the walking forest he presumed, where these monks had been hiding. He was brought forward to a waiting monk, a woman he had seen before in Bora. She had whisked by him into the battle between the Furies.

  The lookout departed and left Feln in front of the woman. She had a cowl drawn over her forehead, but strands of her straight blonde hair still spilled out. Her robe was golden and had a luster to it. Her face was round, small nose, eyes large, bright and discerning. Her feet were firmly planted. The golden robe hid none of her womanly features and accented them in a flattering manner.

  “My name is Feln,” he said. “I have come on behalf of the Grand Master.”

  “My name is Pearl,” she responded. She removed the cowl and flung her straight hair over her shoulders.

  “From Bora,” he stated.

  “Yes. I haven’t met you before, how do you know I’m from Bora?”

  “Ash told me you were an instructor there.”

  “Are you friends with Ash?” she asked.

  Claiming any sort of association with anyone besides the Grand Master at this time was unwise. For all he knew Pearl would support Kara, though, at this point it seemed unlikely because they were in separate groups. “Both Ash and I were considered for the leadership at Renk, the Master of Winter. The position is now his by majority vote. The other day we spoke about one of your students.” Feln saw a small reaction from her, surprise, but she hid it well. He could see that she was thinking, wondering what information Ash divulged. Now that he had her interest, he would ask about Owori.

  “First things first,” she said, interrupting his thoughts. “What is happening here? The guards won’t talk and they insist that we take refuge inside. The Dragonmaster who met my colleague, Tasha, is no longer here. Can you tell me what is going on?”

  The Grand Master hadn’t given him instructions in that regard, though it was inferred they were going to talk about what was happening at the meeting in the old church. He would have to navigate this delicately, yet this was Pearl who might know where Owori went. There was no reason he couldn’t address his agenda in this discussion.

  “There was an attempt on the Grand Master’s life, and during the attempt a monk named Haworu was killed. The assassin was caught and put in the dungeons, where he gave a false confession.”

  “The assassin’s name is Caji,” Pearl said. “He’s one of Ash’s students. No doubt the false confession was given to throw the Grand Master off the trail of the real conspirators. What else happened?”

  “Ash was named Master of Winter earlier today, and during the celebration there were explosions outside. We were all sent to our barracks, then the entire monastery was locked down. May I ask, what do you know about the explosions?”

  “We know for sure a group of monks from Bora climbed over the wall, hid in the gardens, then attacked,” she said. “I don’t know who they attacked or why. Whoever they attacked is dead.”

  “Are they Kara’s monks?” Feln asked.

  “Ash’s monks from what we’ve gathered. Ash and Kara are working together, for what, I don’t know. I don’t suppose you know where they are? I’d like to speak with them.”

  “I know where they'll be in an hour,” he said. “The Grand Master has called for a meeting in the old church, which is in the front of the monastery. He’s asked for the leaders of these different…groups, to meet to discuss what is going on, to find out what started the violence, to find out what everyone wants.”

  Pearl laughed. “So I’m to walk into this trap?”

  “It’s no trap. You may bring one protector with you. The Grand Master is as anxious as you are to find out what is happening, and more importantly, why this is happening. He is greatly concerned.”

  “I’ll be there,” she said. “If it’s a trap, I’m going to be looking for you.”

  “You won’t have to look for me. I’ll be at the meeting to represent my monastery, Waskhal. If there is deception, then it’s not my doing. I volunteered to deliver the Grand Master’s message to all of the groups, that’s all.”
>
  “Around the corner you will find the forest is smoldering. Farther down, in the gardens is Hector. He’s also from Bora. What he’s going to tell you is that I’m here to assassinate the Grand Master, and he’s here to stop me or warn Kara, or both. But he’s as blind as we are, awaiting information, otherwise he would have attacked us by now. He’s loyal to the Accord of the Hand as far as I can tell, but he’s been manipulated by Kara into believing I’m the source of the problems.”

  “Who are you loyal to?”

  “Myself,” she answered without hesitation. “And my students, my Elites.”

  “You’re not loyal to the Grand Master?”

  “Not exactly. His role serves a purpose that helps my purpose. But the lack of my direct loyalty doesn’t mean that I’m against him, now does it?”

  “I suppose not. It’s not me you have to convince.” There was a moment of silence between them, and Feln figured he should be moving on, but he couldn’t. “I was a good friend of Owori’s,” Feln said.

  “So was I.”

  “Where is she? What happened? I was told by Ash that you could enlighten me.”

  “I don’t know where she is,” Pearl responded, clearly irritated by the question. “She’s gone. Probably went back home. Who knows?”

  “Waskhal was her home and she didn’t go back there. I just came from there.”

  “Maybe she went to another city, another town where no one would find her in. She ran away because she had to. I don’t have time to explain it to you anyway.”

  “You didn’t know her well, did you? She lived all her life in Waskhal. Her parents died when she was a youngster, leaving her an orphan. The monastery raised her and taught her to be a warrior. The Owori I know would never run away from a problem. I’ve known her since I was ten years old. She loves to put purple ribbons in her hair and prefers to fight with two short curved blades. She has a temper, boy does she have a temper. Tell me, how long did you know her?”

  “Two months,” she answered, glaring at him.

  “Where did she go?”

  “I told you that I don’t know.”

  “You’re keeping information from me. If I find out that you know her whereabouts, then I’m going to be looking for you.”

  Pearl threw back her head and laughed. She was confident, as if she was daring him to do his worst. It made him tingle because he was certain she knew where Owori was, and he felt a sudden rush of excitement. She knew!

  “Go, deliver your message to the others,” Pearl said, dismissing him, waiving her hands.

  “What happened to Owori?”

  “Nothing more than what you’ve already heard.” The lighthearted tone transformed into one of irritation.

  “We’re going to have another conversation soon,” Feln said. “You’re going to tell me where she is, or I’ll find a way to make you tell me.”

  “Veiled threats from the Grand Master’s lackey don’t intimidate me. Run along errand boy.” Pearl shooed him away.

  “You don’t intimidate me either,” he said, blood boiling. If she was trying to get him angry, it was working. “I don’t care how many of your,” he thought better of saying Furies, “Elites you have.”

  “I can take care of myself and I don’t need assistance to deal with…a lowly monk from Waskhal.”

  “I know you can wield magic. Your kind has fallen to my blade before and will again if necessary.”

  “My ‘kind’?” she replied.

  “You heard me,” he said, not willing to take it back. “It’s not meant to intimidate you. What I’ve stated is fact. You are a kind.”

  “You better depart errand boy before...”

  Feln darted past her and through the groups of Furies, not hearing her threat. He went around the corner, moving swiftly to expend the energy he felt. He could feel the eyes upon him as he left, and he wasn’t sure if he had helped himself by making her angry. He had irritated Pearl and most likely she wouldn’t talk to him about Owori. She knew where she was, though, and he wouldn’t stop until he got answers. Down the length of the monastery on his left, Feln could see the long buildings that made up the barracks. They extended for thousands of feet. To his right, the walking forest was smoldering, the fires put out by what means he didn’t know. Minutes later he came upon the gardens. The ancient oaks lining the front were smoldering. The fire had been extinguished and from here it looked like hail and ice had done the job. The damage to the trees from the hail, though, was nearly as bad as the fire. Limbs were torn off and bark stripped, leaving the trunks exposed to the elements. The ground was covered with piles of ice intermixed with dirty chunks and green leaves. Lurking in the thick hedges were monks watching and waiting. He did the same as before; he raised his hands into the air and repeated that he was an emissary from the Grand Master and needed to speak with their leader. The ring dangled in front of him.

  From a hidden spot two monks came, then they directed him into the gardens along the defined pathways. There were winding stone paths, green shrubs, manicured hedges, flowery trees, and every sort of exotic plant imaginable. Fire had damaged much of the area, and it looked as if a herd of bulls had stampeded through the smaller plants. Patches of ice were in spots, covering shrubs that had been on fire.

  He stopped counting at seventy. There were so many monks here and there wasn’t a one without a mark. There had to be a hundred Furies assembled. They looked worn out, ragged, and on edge. Their orange robes were dirty and stained, Feln was sure they spent a week or more in bad weather traveling from Bora. They stared at him, impassive, unconcerned with the threat of a solitary presence. It made him shudder to think what this group could do with magic. Whatever the Grand Master had in mind for the meeting, he had little bargaining power if this force was against him. Even if the army did come in the next hour, surround the monastery, and prevent anyone from leaving, these Furies could use their combined magic to kill every soldier. Or they could reduce the monastery to rubble. Ahead of him was a group of four sitting on stone benches. Underneath his feet were pavers leading the way toward the seats. The area was forty feet in diameter, all paved with the stones. Different colored stones intermixed with the pavers made up a pattern, probably only recognizable from the sky. He wondered what it was. They brought him to a broad-shouldered monk who looked fit and powerful. Without asking what had happened, Feln could see that he had survived a fire, most likely magic from a Fury. His skin was red in areas and his hair and eyebrows were singed. His robe looked new – the other one must have been damaged by the fire.

  “I’m Hector from Bora,” he said. “I hope you’ll explain all of this.”

  “My name is Feln, I hail from the Waskhal monastery. The Grand Master has sent me to invite you to a meeting in the old church. Once the meeting starts, all the different parties will have the opportunity to discuss their positions. The meeting will take place in about an hour. You may bring one protector with you if you desire.”

  “What’s going on here?”

  As with Pearl, Feln didn’t know what the Grand Master wanted as far as disseminating information. He would have to improvise the best he could with the truth he knew. “There was an attempt to kill the Grand Master,” Feln said. “Although it failed, one of the candidates for the Master of Winter died during the attack yesterday. This led to Ash becoming the Master of Winter. The celebration was tonight, interrupted by what was happening out here.”

  “Was this assassin caught?”

  “Yes, a man named Caji. He has escaped with Kara’s assistance; her and Ash may be responsible for all of this, we don’t know. This is what the Grand Master wishes to speak with all of you about.”

  “Kara, are you sure it was Kara’s doing?”

  Feln reflected on the question. To him it was clear that Kara or Ash orchestrated the death of Haworu, even if it appeared to be an attack on the Grand Master. Feln knew why the Grand Master still lived – it had to do with the secret vault below the monastery. Once Kara found how
to get in there, there would be no reason to let the Grand Master live. So the next move, he thought, would be to take the Grand Master prisoner and force him to reveal his secrets. “I’m certain it was at her direction or Ash’s. Other monks from Bora came over the wall.” Feln pointed toward his singed hair. “Looks like you found them.”

  “When I arrived, the captain and I were going into the monastery to speak with the leadership to figure out what was going on. We were attacked. I thought it was Pearl’s Elites.” He paused. “Or I hoped it was her Elites. Now I’m not so sure.”

  “You said you were with a captain?”

  “Sondo something.”

  “Sondossasya,” Feln said. “Where is he? Did he survive?”

  “No, he’s dead.” Hector pointed in the direction of the attack. “I have knowledge and skills, to avoid magical fire. Sondossasya didn’t. After the two fireballs, I played dead until they were gone. They were in too much of a hurry to notice I was still alive. They went inside the monastery.”

  Feln wanted to ask more questions, but he was already running short on time. The meeting in the church would be in less than an hour. By the time he found Djaa, if he found him, there would be little time prior to the start of the meeting. “Before I depart to inform others, may I ask you a question?”

  “Yes?”

  “Why have you traveled from Bora to Sabrin?”

  “That will be answered at another time, perhaps at this upcoming meeting,” Hector said. “I won’t speak to a messenger about this. Sorry.”

  “Very well. The old church is in the front of the monastery. So that way,” he pointed, “the same direction I will be walking. Around the corner and past the main entrance to the monastery will be the old church. It has four tall towers, you’ll see it, there's no mistaking it.”