by Paul Heisel
They moved toward the front of the stables and Owori peeked out. The last assassin was moving toward them with his katana at the ready. The Furies remained where they were, watching the cottage burn. Owori latched down one side of the stable door, sliding the stout metal peg into the ground receptacle. This would force the assassin to open the half of the door that she wanted him to. She motioned for Yuki to hide in the first stall, then she took ten steps back so she was part way inside and to the right, so when the door opened no one outside could see her. The door came open and Owori tensed, gripping her blades. The assassin came into view, but instead of coming right at her, he turned to scan the areas he couldn’t see. Yuki came from the shadows and hacked down, the assassin only had time to block the heavy blow. The Warlord of Pyndira repeated, hammering him back. Owori slipped forward to assist, but before she arrived the Warlord killed him with a downward strike through the shoulder and lungs.
“Only the four Furies left,” Owori said. She pulled him out of view of the open door.
“What do you have in mind?”
“We have to get close to them. At a distance we’ll die.”
An explosion rocked the doors, shattering them off the hinges and sending Yuki to the ground. Shards of wood scattered and flames shot into the stables. Owori avoided the brunt of the fire with her shield and darted over to help Yuki. As she came closer, she could see a long spike of wood embedded in his leg. Another ball of fire streaked from the outside toward the stables. Owori stepped in front of Yuki and bent down on one knee, extending her shield forward, up, and over them both. She forced her chi out, gritted her teeth, and stared right into the face of the oncoming fireball. The explosion lifted the roof and sent dust and hay into the air, then secondary explosions rocked down the stalls boom boom boom. The horses screamed as they were showered with debris and flames. The front of the stables caught fire and the roof came down in front of Owori, dragging the heavy frame with it. Dust, smoke, and fire were in front of her and spreading. She was unhurt, though, and dragged Yuki to his feet. He had bits of wood covering him and the large wooden spike made his leg ooze blood.
“Out the back! Take the boys with you if they live – get to the forest and hide!”
“What are you going to do?” Yuki asked, groaning.
“I’m tired of letting them take shots at us,” Owori answered. “I’m going to end this.”
The two stable boys were alive, protected from the blast by the stall partitions – the stout planks had held. Yuki limped with them in tow, going out the back as ordered. Owori followed them to avoid the growing heat, opening the stalls as she went and trying to get the alive horses out of the fire. They reared up, some bolted past her into the fire and others away from the fire. She knew she didn’t have time to get them all out, so they would have to find their own way or die. She ran out of the barn and nearly slammed into the limping Yuki, who was helping and being helped by the stable boys. Behind her, horses were coming out, so she stood and waved her hands, trying to keep them from running down Yuki and the boys. The stables were fully engulfed in flame and the wood snapped as the rest of the roof collapsed. The horses scattered into the darkness.
“Get to the forest,” she repeated. She was aware of the pouring rain again, chilling her to the bone. Without waiting for a response, she blinked, intent on ending this. She jogged to the far side of the burning stables and stayed clear of the flames, within seconds the Furies came into view. They were still in defensive positions with their eyes upon the burning structures. The cottage was almost to the ground; the servants’ quarters were fully involved in flames and taking additional time to burn down. The servants who managed to survive the fire and get out of the building were stumbling in the rain, only to find strokes of lightning cutting them down. The Furies meant to exterminate everyone here. It made her angrier.
The Furies were spaced apart, so after the first surprise attack they would be on her. Up close, the only type of Fury she feared was one who could use frost. She had seen three of them show their talents, one fire, one lightning, and one telekinetic. The fourth she hadn’t seen and guessed she would use frost. The woman Fury would have to be the first to go. Owori swung her path wide and kept moving at a jog, at this point she didn’t care if they discovered her in the pouring rain. Furies not learned in swordplay were vulnerable in close quarters, so that’s where she needed to go. As she approached, she kept her blades sheathed. Frost was in the back of the group. If she could get behind her, she would have the advantage. To her right three horse demons came into view, their flames sending steam into the rain filled air. They were heading down the valley toward the garrison, ignoring what was going on here. She wasn’t sure how many of the soldiers were left at the garrison – she hoped there was enough.
The rain came down and Owori was invisible, chilled to the bone and her heart slamming in her chest. She approached Frost from behind and didn’t drop her chi until she was attacking. She got Frost around the neck and dragged her backwards, the splattering rain covering any noise they made. Frost struggled and the air became chilled, the Fury’s hands were covered with blue ice. Owori held on and didn’t give in, then the Fury went limp in her arms just as the other Furies were turning toward them. Up went her shield and out came the Dragonblades. Lightning cracked toward her and with a combination of her agility and the magic shield, she avoided the force of the attack, and she was upon the Fury with her glowing blades striking a defenseless person. The Fury tried to pull sais from his belt, but was too slow. Owori moved to the other two, spinning away as the Fury dropped to the mud, dead.
The force impacted her and it sent her back, her shield hadn’t been as effective this time. Owori fell on her backside into the mud, the cold seeping deep into her. She rolled and the thick mud grabbed her, and she stood just as flames were coming at her. Willing her shield into existence with the last bit of chi she had, the flames carried harmlessly over her. The fire subsided, and Owori charged headlong into the telekinetic Fury, who pushed her off course at the last possible moment. Swords came out, and Owori fended off two blows with her quickness. These Furies weren’t experts with swords, but they knew how to use them well enough. Like her, they looked tired and their magic was spent. There was an iota of her chi left and it became a growing seed, enlarging with every passing second. Though she despised the tattoos covering her body, Paq’s alterations allowed her to retain more magic. Perhaps that would save her.
They were circling as she was backing away. She was determined to not let them flank her. If she kept the angles correct, Fire couldn’t use his magic without hurting his companion. Fire came at her with his blade cocked back for a swing. Owori brought forth her chi and pulled him toward her. This was a move she had perfected while studying with Pearl. She launched forward as the Fury came at her off balance, closed the distance, and stabbed him in the chest with both blades. The sword missed her, but an errant elbow hit her head. She pulled the blades free and let the Fury drop to the mud, then she spun toward the other Fury expecting an attack. The last Fury was running toward the burning cottage, and had a good head start. Owori pursued, her fatigued legs feeling like lead weights. The Fury stopped near the conflagration, turned to face Owori, and began making hand motions, up down, side to side. He was going to transport! She sprinted and lunged at the Fury, swiping the Dragonblades. The Fury vanished. Owori looked at her blades, trying to determine if she landed a blow or not. The rain was rinsing fresh blood from the glowing steel. Wherever the Fury went, he would be dead soon enough. Legs heavy and lungs afire, Owori turned her attention down the valley toward the garrison. She could see flames. The horse demons. Taking one last look at the spot where the Fury disappeared, Owori forced her legs to move. Her only worry was the Fury returning from Malurrion with assistance, but for now she had to engage the horse demons before they destroyed anything that was left.
#
With the warm morning sun came a break in the stormy weather, the cold r
ains subsided after having poured all night. Owori was awake. She spent the short night huddling with the stable boys for warmth and now she was surveying the destruction. She was atop one of the recaptured horses. The garrison behind her was burned out as the structure had not withstood the horse demons and their fire. Makeshift shelters dotted the area, containing what remained of the soldiers, the stable boys, the Emperor, the Warlord of Pyndira, and the Fury brother and sister, Qio and Qia.
The soldiers beside her walked. They were injured and burned, but none of them complained or made comment. Her Dragonguard robe was in shreds, stained beyond what it was intended to endure. The black fighting suit was torn and singed in areas, as was part of her short hair. Her body was bruised and she had cuts as well as minor burns. Though stiff and sore, she could feel the magic healing her. She sent the magic coursing through her body and limbs, alternating, up and down, back and forth. It would heal her in a matter of hours. The horse was at a walk, clopping through the mud toward what remained of the Emperor’s cottage. The only thing standing were parts of a stone chimney, the rest was charcoal and rubble. Amongst the ash were numerous skeletal remains. It would be impossible to figure out who was who.
The stable to the left was in the same shape, a burnt smudge on the landscape, as was the servants’ quarters. Dead bodies, bloated from the rain, were prostrate. Flies and maggots had already found their way to the bodies. The dead Furies were there, and Owori dismounted and took the time to look at their faces and their tattoos. There was a tiger and two green snakes. They weren’t familiar to her. She did see that they were older, probably ten years older than she if not more. Before they took care of the bodies, she would have Qio and Qia look at them. Perhaps they knew who these Furies were and what family they were part of. When she returned to give her report, she found the makeshift camp was breaking up as she had ordered. The soldiers were cooking what food they salvaged from the garrison. The few items that were undamaged from the attack would be used up immediately. The Emperor was sitting near the fire, keeping warm. He was pale and coughing.
“We should get back to the palace,” Owori said, dismounting from her horse. One of the soldiers took the reins and led it away. “They may come back to confirm the kills. I don’t want you to be here when that happens.”
“I agree,” the Emperor responded. He coughed. “How many horses do we have?”
“Four,” she said. “The rest ran away or were killed. We don’t have time to chase the others down. They can fend for themselves until we send a sizable force here to collect them and clean up the area, as well as guard against additional intrusions.”
“Hook them to the wagons. We’ll go back immediately. How many soldiers do we have?”
“Ten,” Owori answered. “Five are wounded and will need to be transported in the wagons. They can’t walk.”
“Arrange the wagons,” the Emperor said. “Fit all of us in the best you can.”
“Only two wagons are salvageable, so those who can walk must walk. We’ll make due. As soon as everyone has eaten, we’ll get organized.”
“We can rebuild our property. Yes, we can rebuild.”
Owori wanted to tell him to abandon the area, but she knew they wouldn’t because of the cemetery. It would be dangerous because the Furies had figured a way to use transportation between Pyndira and Malurrion to stage an attack, an assassination. Since she knew the Emperor wouldn’t abandon the area, they would have to come up with a solution to prevent the last Fury, if he survived, from returning. It would be harder to defend against other Furies establishing a connection if they could make their way to the property. Favored Ones could come here too, she thought, as their belts allowed transportation as well.
“We should dig a large hole where the Furies transported,” she said, thinking out loud. “Make it deep and line it with stone, so anyone transporting to that spot will be trapped deep down. The rest of the area, we’ll have to think about. Whoever did this was creative and cunning.”
“Do you think they knew about the trip?” Yuki asked.
“No,” she answered. “They were appearing at intervals to see if the Emperor was here.”
“We’ll have to investigate this further,” he said.
“We can talk about that later,” Owori said. “It may be better to not let anyone know this happened.”
“I don’t understand. We have to find out who did this!”
“Those responsible will be punished, in time. What would be best is to not let anyone know what happened here. When we hear rumblings of it, wherever it comes from will be where we start to look. For now, it never happened.”
“What about these soldiers, those boys?”
Owori could see that Yuki was upset. He wanted revenge, to fight, and he wanted to find who was responsible for this and destroy them. Inside she could feel her anger smoldering, just as Yuki’s was, and she was ready to burst because of it. They tried to kill the Emperor! The cool air tempered the surge of energy. In time they would find who was responsible for this. “The soldiers will have to come to the palace and they can become Dragonguards. The boys can work at the palace stables. Their families are dead and we need to take care of them. Everyone else here will keep silent. When we find out who is responsible, we’ll make sure they pay in blood. Believe me, this is the best way.”
“How do we explain all of the dead? Our friends?”
“Forest fire,” she muttered. “To keep things quiet you may have to open up your treasury to the families whose relatives died. Before we depart, we will go over the story with everyone here. No one will stray from it. Understand?”
Yuki nodded his agreement. “When we find out who is responsible, we will turn them over to the Xialao family for punishment. The law demands it.”
Owori nodded absently, reminded of Feln for a moment. Thoughts of him warmed her. “Of course, if you’re assuming it was another family,” she said. “Who has the most to gain by the Emperor’s death?” She looked straight at him. “Besides you?”
“No one,” he answered not taking offense. “Unless they killed me too. Yan would be our leader until one of the Nutahi family could take ownership of the Emperor’s belt. We can discuss it at length at the palace. It’s not simple.”
“Nothing is simple. Let’s get the Emperor home.”
Chapter 2 - Arrest
It was in the dead of night when Feln and Caleth arrived in Hou. The streets surrounding the square were empty and only the twin moons gave them light. All the lanterns on light posts had been extinguished save for a few spread down the main avenue. Caleth was off balance, the effects of transporting didn’t agree with his insides. Feln wondered if the feeling was different for those brought as passengers. It didn’t matter, he was elated it worked so Caleth didn’t have to make a connection, and they were in Pyndira where Owori was. They walked down the main avenue toward the lighted areas, intending to find a place to stay. Feln retrieved his book and opened to the page with the red marker. He wrote in it while he walked, we’re here. He didn’t expect an immediate response, so he marked the page and closed the book.
“Let’s find a place with food and ale,” Feln said. He breathed in the air, wondering if others could discern the differences between Malurrion and Pyndira. The air here was fresher, more nourishing.
“What do you have in mind?” Caleth asked.
Feln pointed down the street. “I’m sure we can find an inn that can accommodate weary travelers at this late hour.”
The next morning Feln and Caleth were up at dawn, hardly rested from the short night. As Feln expected, there was an entry in the book from Suun. Without delay he arranged a time and place for them to meet, briefly explaining to her what was going on. After having a hardy breakfast, they went to their meeting place in the center of the city where there would be people, activity, and noise.
Suun looked the same as he remembered. She was dressed as a commoner, though, and the clothing hid her dangerous nature. She expla
ined that the other seven were outside of Hou and they would meet her replacement wherever he ordered the team to go. He told her to instruct the team to go to Hiru, give them the book, and meet him back at the inn. The three left Hou later that evening after supper, the book securely with the seven who were headed for Hiru. Feln told Suun what happened in Malurrion and why Caleth was here. He spoke as well about Pearl, the Furies, and the agreement he made. Though not outwardly against what he did, Suun disagreed with his decision regarding the Furies. She stated to him, more than once, that Furies couldn’t be free, as it was a violation of Pyndira’s laws. Feln told her they would deal with that when the time came. For now, he would have to keep to his promise and find a way to change the laws, or perhaps, bend the rules.
The trip ahead was long and it would take them partway through Ashimo, into Furawa, across the southern regions of Daiwer-dar, into Hikimi, across the southeast of Shisaru, then into Safun. They had good strong horses, Suun had enough money for them to stay comfortably along the way, and Caleth had enough questions to keep the conversation lively. Feln knew it would take weeks, if not a month, to get to Safun where Owori would be awaiting him. He longed for that day. Thinking of her made him smile. Soon they would be together. Finally.
#
They were in Hikimi camping for the evening because no town was convenient. Feln helped set up the shelter, while Caleth and Suun made sure the horses were taken care of. He watched the two, now friends from the weeks of traveling together, talking and joking. It occurred to him that they were closer than friends, and there were times he felt left out. It didn’t matter, he was happy for the friendship they had found, and soon he would get to see Owori. It was autumn and the leaves were turning, this area of Hikimi was full of deciduous trees and it was colorful. The nights were cold though, so Feln spent time searching for dry wood. It was plentiful and he had no trouble gathering enough to last them through the night. During the journey, they had shared the cooking duties and tonight it was Caleth’s turn to make dinner from the provisions they had. While Caleth decided what they were going to eat, Feln made his way into a clearing. He took out the Dragonfly blade and began exercising with it, as he did every evening while they were traveling. He heard a twig snap behind him.
