by Paul Heisel
“Kara, thank you. Please sit down,” the Grand Master said. “Seveth was murdered by means of magic, so our curiosity will take us there. He was frozen solid in the attempt to make it look like he died naturally, only he was discovered before he could completely thaw. These are facts we did not disclose.”
Kara sat down.
“Then there was an attempt to assassinate Caleth. This attack was different, but employed similar means. First poisoned tea was served to Caleth’s aid, who was posing as Caleth. Then they used magical fire and lightning to force Caleth out into the open so he and our brethren could be slaughtered. They failed, and a third assassin died before he could be captured. Magic was used. Yesterday two monks used magic to get on the roof. No, not Feln and Ash, they assure me that they trudged up the stairs, went out a window, and climbed to the roof. The assassin used magic, frost, to weaken the roof, broke through, and tried to take my life. Instead, Haworu was killed. The captured assassin was taken to the dungeons where he was tortured until he confessed. Mere hours ago, additional monks using magical lightning went to the prison, slaughtered the guards, killed my Dragonmasters, freed the assassin, and helped him escape. There were three survivors, monks spared from the magical path of destruction. Two of them are sitting here with us. Feln and Caleth. The other monk is gravely injured, but will survive. I’m sure the rescuers didn’t count on him surviving, nor did they know Feln and Caleth were there.”
“We all know the assassin confessed to assisting Caleth with this undertaking,” Kara said. “Caleth and Feln were conveniently in the dungeon when he escaped and they miraculously survived. The simplest explanation is they freed the assassin and constructed this lie for their own purposes.”
“The assassin’s name is Caji,” Tasha interjected. “I saw him in the prisons. He is one of Ash’s students.”
“You’re mistaken,” Ash said. “Grand Master, prior to seeing him on the roof, I had never seen that man before.”
“Tasha speaks the truth,” Pearl said, her voice cool and confident.
“I know Caji as well,” Hector added. “He was one of Ash’s best students. Good at freezing things solid.”
“Preposterous,” Ash said.
“Caleth, do you have anything to add in your defense?” the Grand Master asked. “It is word against word.”
“I don’t know Caji. Let’s look at this differently, shall we? I have nothing to gain by assassinating the likes of the Grand Master or a candidate for Master of Winter. I have already achieved a high station within the Accord of the Hand. I would not want to be the Grand Master, even if the position was within my reach. It’s obvious that Caji was instructed to confess, to implicate me, with the promise that he would be rescued by the real conspirators.”
“This monk confessed and was rescued by you,” Kara said. “That is obvious to me.”
“Your monks rescued him,” Caleth said. “We’ll question him again when he’s re-captured. He hasn’t gone far I’m sure of that, and you’re so arrogant that you didn’t have the foresight to murder him to keep him silent. When you leave this meeting, I’m certain that is the first thing you will do is tie up all of the loose ends we reveal.”
There was a retort coming from Kara, but the Grand Master stepped in before arguments could escalate. “One last fact that has been missing and I think it is the key to the truth. The reason Feln and Caleth were in the dungeons is because I ordered their incarceration there. It wasn’t by accident they were there when all of this occurred. Because of the confession the assassin gave, I was going to put them in the dungeon with their fellow conspirator. Luckily they escaped.”
Feln was watching the individuals seated there, noting the tenseness.
“Now that we have set the context for our next conversation, we can begin. These events of late can mean different things, all of them not good. The Accord of the Hand will not tolerate this disloyalty and the responsible parties will be punished harshly. As the leader of the Accord of the Hand, I have the power in times of dire need to suspend all laws to preserve our Empire. That time has come. I’m declaring War Measures to be enacted.”
“It has to be agreed by a majority of the leadership of the Accord of the Hand. You can’t take power on a whim,” Kara said.
“Are you suggesting we take a vote?” the Grand Master asked.
“There shouldn’t even be a vote,” she answered. “There is no need.”
“You don’t agree with me that the Accord of the Hand is in a dire situation? There are dead monks, assassins being freed, fires, and scorched Dragonmasters. If there is a time for me to enact War Measures, it is now!”
With all her ambition, Kara was too reckless, thought Feln. He saw the trap was closing tighter, yet it appeared that Kara was unaware of it. If it was put to a vote, it would make each Season declare their allegiance. Yes votes would stand with the Grand Master, no votes would stand against. With Djaa absent and only four votes, it would be tied. They would have to find Djaa, eating up more time and giving the Grand Master a better chance to bring his army into play.
“If we must vote, yes, then so be it,” Kara said. “We will have to find Djaa, so this meeting is pointless. Again, you have held another pointless meeting.”
“Regardless of when this vote takes place, I have taken steps to insure the Accord of the Hand will survive through this time. Caleth, you do not know this, but I sent soldiers to Waskhal to maintain order. My army occupies both Bora and Tyilip, and both of those monasteries will come under my command until new leadership can be set up.”
“You’re bluffing,” Kara said, laughing.
Caleth said nothing. He figured as much. This was why the Grand Master couldn’t crush the opposition here – his army was fragmented, away, controlling the other monasteries.
“The army has already occupied Bora,” Hector said. “When we left they were at the gates. I doubt it’s any different in Tyilip. Your army and Tehari won’t go against the Grand Master, no matter how much you’ve twisted their thinking.”
“The only Season who will remain in power will be Caleth,” said the Grand Master. “For now,” he added, “but he will be replaced in the coming months when a suitable monk has been found. As for Renk, Abram will assume command there until the other monasteries are clear of conspirators. Bora and Tyilip will be under my command until appropriate leadership can be designated. Those of you assembled here will remain in Sabrin under my watchful eye. If you act as guests, you will be treated as such. If there is any use of magic or any show of force, you will get to see what our prisons are like. Now, before we move on to the next subject, are there any questions?”
No one spoke. Kara and Ash were pale, squirming like trapped rats.
“And what of us?” Hector asked. Feln could see that Pearl was about to ask the same question.
“I was getting to that,” the Grand Master answered. “First, what is it you want?”
“We have outgrown our teachings in Bora,” he spoke, giving Kara a sideways glance. “There are many of us who want to begin on our own monastery.”
“What you suggest is not that simple,” said the Grand Master. “Besides the request, your timing is ill advised. Don’t you see what is going on around you?”
At this Hector looked perturbed. “You asked us what we wanted, I was truthful. We wish to remain part of the Accord of the Hand and further our ideals and our way of life.”
“And learn your magic, unabated, uninterrupted, unsupervised, uncontrolled? Is that what you wish?”
“Magic has nothing to do with it,” Hector said. “Many feel the same way as we do, and practicing magic is not the deciding factor.”
“Magic has everything to do with it. There is no way to control it.”
“Then you would ask us to go back to Bora?”
“Not a chance. Any monk who has shown these magical capabilities will become part of the monastery here in Sabrin, to support the Accord of the Hand in the way that I most see fit.�
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“You may be the Grand Master, but you don’t control our will. We won’t cooperate,” Hector stated.
“We’ll see about that.”
Feln saw a hint of recognition in Pearl’s expression and it made her uncomfortable in her seat. It had to do with control. He knew that the marks on the Furies could be used for control, the magic making a Fury loyal to a family. Was that what the Grand Master would do? Force all of them to become part of the Yokai family? Could he do that? Was there a means to do this? To force them into servitude?
“Putting us together in a cage to control us is not going to work as you suggest,” Pearl said. The woman stood to address the group. “I came to Sabrin to make sure that Kara paid for her lies and didn’t harm the Grand Master. She has twisted every truth and fashioned every lie to her advantage. She used all of us to work towards her goal – to take control of the Accord of the Hand. I once called her friend, but no longer. After this council, I will leave this place with my students. I will not be controlled or subjected to your laws any longer.”
“All of you will stay here,” the Grand Master said.
“We’re leaving with Pearl,” Hector said. “There is nothing you can do to stop us.”
The Grand Master stood. “Pearl, Hector, please sit down. My soldiers are now ensconced in strategic positions within the walls of this monastery. Thousands of experienced warriors have surrounded the outside. If you try to leave, then you’ll have to fight through the Accord of the Hand soldiers. Despite your talents and affinity for magic, you won’t overcome such a large determined force. It would be suicide and the losses would be great on all sides. My suggestion is that you cooperate. This monastery will be secured and each of you will be confined to separate quarters until further notice.” He remained standing and looked to each person in the room, awaiting responses.
“Earlier you were verbose in your defense,” the Grand Master said, motioning toward Kara. “Now you have nothing to say. Are you staying true to your claims or are you wavering?”
“I’ve committed no crime against the Accord of the Hand,” she said in response. “There’s no need for me to defend what I know is true. These flimsy accusations are false anyway. Am I to argue, word against word, with others who seek the power of the Accord of the Hand? Where is the hard evidence, the proof of all this? Where can we find these assassins? You questioned one of them and he implicated Caleth. Is that not who your anger should be directed at?”
“We will have plenty of time in the coming weeks to discuss assassins,” the Grand Master said. “We will cover the subject in great detail. If what you say is true, then you have nothing to fear.”
“We are leaving,” Pearl said, standing up again.
“Sit down.”
Everyone, despite the Grand Master’s plea, stood. The tension was thick. Everyone eyed the door. “Sabrin’s army has cut you off from the rest of the world,” he reiterated. “Even as we speak they tighten their grip on the buildings. There is nothing left for you to do except surrender. My Dragonmasters and soldiers are outside and will escort all of you to safer quarters. No violence will come to you unless there is provocation.”
Feln drifted closer to Caleth, looking for an avenue of escape. Across from him balls of flame appeared in Ash’s hands. The group reacted. Akuka’s hands turned blue and the air became cold, Tasha and Pearl shrank away but didn’t bring forth any magic. Hector and Ryl acted similarly, but Ryl began rocking back and forth on her feet. Feln put his hand on the Dragonfly blade. As he recalled, Furies were generally immune to their own magic. Ash could wipe the church clean with fire if he wanted to and not be harmed, which was why Kara and their two bodies guards were walking toward the front door. Fire wouldn’t hurt any of them!
“You may cover their retreat,” the Grand Master said to Ash, “but through that door they will be walking into a hornet’s nest of warriors.”
There were several resounding booms from the outside that rang with enough force to shake the stalwart building. Dust came down from the rafters and the chandeliers swayed. Ash didn’t react to the sounds, it was as if he expected them, then there were screams and shouts. More booms echoed, and from the high windows in the front Feln could see flashing lights. Sounds of steel upon steel echoed, more booms came, thunder and crackle of lightning, then there was silence. Ash was moving to the front now, hands alight, threatening to burn all of them.
Kara made it out of the door with the bodyguards. The fire swirled in Ash’s hands, then there was a sizzle from the right that Feln recognized. Lightning forked from Pearl’s hand and crossed the church in a blink, sending Ash diving for cover. An invisible force hit Ash at the same time and spun him away. Feln grabbed Caleth’s arm and pulled him behind a bench just as the air became frigid. A hail of ice went toward the entrance, then orange flames rolled up on the apex of the ceiling and knocked the candles from the middle chandeliers. The flame stopped at an invisible wall and was forced back.
“I told you we should have left,” Caleth said, gripping his katana.
“At least we confirmed who is who. I think the attempts at deception are over now. The trick now will be getting out of here alive.”
Feln heard the heavy front doors creak open and benches slide across the floor. Feln crouched until his head was just over the bench. Hector and Pearl took cover behind the wood benches, while Tasha and Ryl were using their magic to move the furniture to the front of the building, piling it to block anyone trying to enter the church. The Grand Master retreated to the side of the church, a protective barrier of ice stood directly between him and the door. The front doors were wide open. Monks ran across the entrance to the church, and Feln wasn’t sure what was happening outside. He could see bodies of Dragonmasters on the steps. Ryl, head down, thrust her arms out. The doors slammed shut with so much force they nearly shattered the old hinges.
“Keep blocking the door!” Pearl screamed. “If they get in here we’re dead!”
Tasha responded, hurling benches through the air toward the vestibule and front door. Ryl assisted. The heavy benches twisted and twirled, smashing into a pile of obstructions in the front.
“That’s not going to stop them,” Hector said.
“It’ll give us a few moments,” Pearl responded. “Tasha can keep any fire from coming in if need be.”
Tasha acknowledged with a nod. The diminutive woman picked up every object not connected to the ground and added it to the pile.
Feln could no longer see the door. Benches, spun into a massive heap, blocked the vestibule and door. More pieces of furniture were headed that way.
“Ryl, hold it there,” said Hector. “Keep the door shut until we can find a way out.”
The woman, head down and looking at the ground, kept her hands thrust toward the door. The pile of benches quivered from the force. The weaker ones collapsed into pieces, then clanged through the pile to find their resting spot. She was crushing the furniture like it was kindling. Pearl strode to the middle where Feln and Caleth were still crouched behind the only bench not headed toward the pile. She looked angry. “This didn’t go as you planned messenger boy,” she said. “I knew this would be a trap.”
“My name is Feln,” he replied. “This was no plan of mine. I was here representing my monastery with Caleth.”
“We’re going to die here. Your kind, my kind. It’s only a matter of time before Ash and Kara burn that door off the hinges and sweep this room clean with their fire. Ryl and Tasha can keep the fire back, but not indefinitely. If you have any brilliant ideas, now’s the time to unleash them.”
“That door is the only route in and out.” Feln turned to where he had last seen the Grand Master and Akuka. The wall of ice was still there, but the two men were gone. “Akuka! Grand Master!”
No response.
“Shades!”
“They can’t just disappear,” Pearl said. “There must be a basement, cellar, or crypt for them to hide in.”
Pearl a
nd Feln ran to the back of the church behind the dais. There was a worn staircase leading down into the darkness. It was cold here, freezing, and Feln went down until the steps ended. The space felt like it opened, but he couldn’t tell because of the dark. A light provided by Pearl came behind him, brightened, and revealed a ten by ten entrance that contained broken tables. At the end of the room was a passageway that led to the unknown, and he found the reason it was so cold here. The passageway was filled with solid ice, blocking the way. Akuka and the Grand Master had escaped and left them there to die!
“This just gets better,” Pearl said, her raised left hand glowed a searing hot white. “By the time we hack through that ice, the whole church will be in flames.”
“You’re presuming that’s what Kara will do. I think you’re wrong.”
“How so?”
“She wants this monastery for herself,” Feln said. “She’s not about to burn it down. This church is close enough to the rest of the monastery that she risks burning down the whole thing if they don’t control their fire. They may use fire to burn us out, but she isn’t going to torch everything.”
“If that’s the case, then she’ll use magic to get inside, then attack with her…followers. I would use lightning and ice as they would be less destructive to the structures. Tasha and Ryl can block the magic for a while, but they will tire.”
Feln tapped the wall of ice. It was solid as rock. “We need to melt this or smash through it.”
“None of us here can use fire,” Pearl said. “My lightning will rebound off solid ice and do us no good. We’ll have to smash through, use brute strength.”
“With what?
“Hector,” she answered. “He’s our only hope.”
#
Only part of Pearl and Feln’s guesses were correct. The front of the church was on fire from the outside as Kara and her Furies began burning off the door being held shut by the magic. It smoldered, then burst into flames on the inside, flames licking up along the walls to the roof. Smoke filled the roof to the rafters. The wood benches caught fire from the radiant heat, filling the air with more smoke. The collective effort of Ryl and Tasha kept the fire tame and the smoke confined, but they were tiring. Soon they would have to give up. They would most likely perish because of the smoke. Pearl ran to the front of the church, signaled for Ryl and Tasha to stop, then sent a stroke of lighting toward the upper glass windows. They shattered upon the impact. Ryl and Tasha resumed pushing, now the smoke was venting to the outside. Below Feln could hear Hector smashing the ice, making progress but not quickly enough. His magic augmented his strength and toughness, and that allowed him to hammer the ice with his bare fists. Caleth was in the crypt with him, assisting by clearing away the ice and flinging it into the corner of the room. Feln moved what remained of the benches, creating obstacles between them and the door. They had it well jammed up, and the church was bare on the sides now. Pearl came back from the front of the church, face red from the heat.
