“That’s why you were chasing after me. What about you two?” the Captain asked, pointing to the two guards who stood at the entrance to the meeting hall.
“If a meeting or trial is in session, it is not to be disturbed under any circumstances. We should have asked for documentation for appointments or summons papers.”
“Make sure you check next time I arrive. I taught you to be disciplined guards, not creatures of habit.”
“Yes sir!” they all said in unison, saluting the Captain.
“Back to your posts,” the Captain ordered. Peteir ran back to the entrance while the other two stood at attention on either side of the entrance to the council hall.
Once outside the meeting hall, the Captain motioned for the stable boy to bring him his horse. Her coat was mildly damp with sweat. Brush marks coated her neck and sides. The Captain walked up to the filly and slowly stroked her nose with the palm of his hand.
“Why the hard run through the city Captain?” the stable boy asked.
“Appearances in places like this are everything. Someone racing through the city on horseback with a look of determination carries more authority with it than any paperwork or official dress.”
The Captain placed his foot in the stirrup was about to mount when someone called him.
“Captain, Captain, wait!”
It was the man who stood with the councilors in the dark blue cloak. The Captain stepped down and turned towards the man.
“Captain, I am Representative Jaiken of the School of the Faye,” the man said.
“Conduits wore white, unless I’m mistaken,” the Captain said, eyeing the man’s clothes. The man removed his cloak and folded it in his arms. He did indeed where the customary white shirt and trousers, with a purple stripe down the side.
“Sir, if I could have a moment of your time.”
“What do you want?” said the Captain dismissively the Captain mounted the filly and took up the reigns.
“Captain, please, it’s about your son.”
“Leave us for a while,” the Captain said to the stable boy. The boy walked into the stables and started mucking out the stalls. “What about him?”
“The figure that attacked your son has killed nomadic tribes in the past for no apparent reason. He does not plunder or trade, just destroys. Children lie dead, next to their mothers. The men of the tribes were… it’s too much to say, except they were killed in the most violent of ways. Our Seer saw where he was going to be this morning and arranged a trade to be conducted that would intercept this figure a few days previous. We sent so few along with your prized student because he stood the best chance of survival, and if he failed, the consequences would be… um… minimal.”
“What do you mean Kosai stood the best chance for survival? Your decision almost cost my son his life! How is that minimal?” the Captain roared.
“The option of assigning you to this task was brought forward,” Jaiken said, “but was decided against. Your loss would be too much for the city to bear. The information that Kosai gained from his brief encounter is vital to our continued survival and the survival of our trade routes. Our Seer told us that if Kosai survived, it would lead to the eventual downfall of this figure.”
“What does the council know of this?” the Captain asked.
“Just as much as I have told you now,” Jaiken said.
The Captain shook his head and turned the horse down Capitol road. Jaiken ran up and stopped a safe distance in front of the horse.
“Captain please, I need to explain a few things to you.”
“Explain how my best student’s survival will lead to the death of this figure.”
“I can’t,” Jaiken said.
“No, you can, you choose not to.”
“No, really, I can’t. I don’t know anything more about it. Our Seer was completely silent and said that he would not release any more information unless Kosai survived. His survival means we have a firsthand account of this figure. Tell me Captain, has Kosai spoken to you about what happened to him in the desert?”
“Briefly and at my request, but I ordered him to speak to no one else of the matter until further notice.”
“Good!” Jaiken said and smiled. “If you could come with me, I will take you to meet our instructors. They will be able to give you more information. You can return the horse too; it isn’t that far from here.”
The Captain turned the horse back to the stables. The boy came out and took the reins as the Captain dismounted.
“Give her another brushing and you’ll get a piece of silver,” the Captain said to the stable boy. He smiled and returned the horses. “How long is the walk?” he asked Jaiken.
“Across the courtyard, into that domed building,” Jaiken said, pointing to the structure. It was a smaller, one story building with five stairs leading to the opening. The Captain had passed by this building many times but never entered.
They walked through the pavilion and stopped at the fountain. Both the Captain and Jaiken scooped their hands into the pool to take a quick drink and then walked towards the building. The Captain was looking up at the entrance as he approached the stairs. The building had a dome top with pylons around the perimeter that supported an overhanging roof. It was as brown as the sand and barren as the desert. There were no banners, flags, or windows. It had only one open entrance that was the size of a normal door. Two beggars sat in front of the steps. A metal pan was in front of each of them. Their heads were down and arms outstretched. Jaiken stretched his arm in front of the Captain to stop him.
“Wait here,” Jaiken said. He walked up to the beggar on the right, squatted down next to him and whispered something in his ear. The beggar nodded and gestured for him and the Captain to walk up the stairs.
“What was that about?” the Captain asked.
“I had to tell our guards that you are on an errand to visit the Seer.” The Captain looked back over at the beggars.
“Their appearance is extremely deceiving,” the Captain said.
“They may look like they are begging with their arms outstretched, but one is actually casting a spell of sorts to dissuade people from entering the building. If someone happens to break through the barrier and is not a member of his school, he or she is followed into the building by the other beggar, the one I talked to, and killed.”
“Spells? And so much secrecy… what do you have to hide?”
“You will see in time,” Jaiken replied.
Torches lit the inside of the building, giving a gentle but penetrating light. The cement floors were not painted or decorated in any way. The hallway was wide enough for a caravan to pass through and curved in both directions.
“The hall to the right leads to our sleeping quarters, library, garden, teachers’ offices, classrooms and conference room. You will see more of those later I would imagine. You are wanted however in our arena.” Jaiken and the Captain turned left. After twenty paces, the hallway changed into a long, shallow stair that turned sharply to the right. After twenty more paces, the hallway opened up into a large, dome like room.
Like the council room, the room had two levels. The lower level had a dirt floor with a high wall that surrounded it. The second level was filled with rows of chairs. Each chair was carved from a dark brown wood. The backings of the chairs alternated between the two symbols of Tessír, the hammer and anvil and the fist holding two strands of wheat. The top of the backings was slightly rounded and the seats had a flat salmon colored cushion.
“This is our arena where we test students,” Jaiken said. “You will be meeting our Seer here. Ah yes, there he is.” In the center of the room was short man in a heavy brown robe that wrinkled and folded over his joints. A triple-coiled rope was wrapped around his waist and tied in front of him in a thick square knot. The ends of the rope were capped in gold. He also wore a rope necklace adorned with a large, polished white bone that looked like an oversized metacarpal.
“What for?” the Captain asked.
“A continued commitment to serve I believe were the words of the council,” Jaiken said.
“And the service we are able to provide as of late lacks utility, doesn’t it, Jaiken? Captain, it’s good to see you,” the Seer said, chuckling to himself as the Captain and Jaiken stepped into the arena. He favored his left leg as he walked towards the Captain, extending a hand in greeting.
“Likewise,” the Captain said shortly, shaking the Seer’s hand briefly. His eyebrows were well trimmed and his head was completely bald. Age spots and freckles covered his tan skin.
“I know that you are here to relay what Kosai saw in the desert and of the figure that attacked him.”
“And to relay my frustration. Kosai came to me, near death, for what? What makes an encounter with this figure worth the life of my son?”
“I have my reasons,” the Seer said softly. The trio stood in silence for a moment.
“Jaiken, please tell the others that I will be late. You are dismissed,” the Seer said. Jaiken bowed and exited through a plain brown door with a brass handle on the back wall of the arena. When the door closed, the Seer shook his head.
“I apologize for not being able to tell you sooner Captain, but the walls seem to be growing ears as of late and trust in this school is as thin as parchment.” He paused and wiped the back of his neck with his hand. The Captain scowled mildly, keeping his eyes on the Seer. “The orders for the routes always come from me, as well as the number of guard to escort the caravan. You would do well to remember that attacks used to be far and few between. Some days I would plan an entire month and not foresee an attack. Now, there is an attack every journey. I thought of everything except a reduction in the amount of guard sent on the escorts. I planned it in my mind, Saw into the future, and Saw the attack from the hooded figure.”
“Seer, I did not come here for rationalization, I came here for answers,” the Captain said. The Seer sighed.
“Captain, I fear that someone close to me is leaking our trade route orders to a group that may want the capitol and the Guard to, well, disappear. That is why I asked Jaiken to leave. On top of that, the hooded figure that Kosai encountered is an old enemy of our school with a dark and bloody past.”
“Help me understand then how all of this is pulled together. Tell me that Kosai’s injuries were worth something.”
“First, let me explain one detail. Your son will survive his injuries, and I never intended that he would be in such critical condition as he is now. As to the worth of the experience, that will be determined in our next meeting,” the Seer wiped a thin layer of sweat from his forehead. “I would like for you to share what Kosai saw with us then. Before then, you need to know a few things. First, know that the figure that Kosai encountered is known to us as the Dark One. He is an old enemy who killed many of our teachers in a way more violent than any of us could imagine. Recently, I was asked to foresee the Dark One’s demise, and I saw your Kosai destroy him. The method was peculiar. The two battled first in the desert, and then the city, and then a cave, and then the desert again. The scenery continued to shift and change as they fought. In the end, everything went dark. When the vision returned to me, Kosai stood over the Dark One, holding his sword triumphantly. Only on very rare conditions do I See things that are so unclear. This morning, I sent Kosai on the caravan thinking and hoping that he would destroy him. I suppose he is to encounter him a second time. ”
“Why is the Dark One a threat to your school? Besides murder, what else do you have against him?”
“I think that answer would be best given in the next meeting,” the Seer said, “but that is not what I wanted to talk to you in private about. I need Kosai to help me expose the one leaking the information about the trade routes. This school will also train him in our ways. In exchange, I will pay Kosai double his average monthly earnings.”
The Captain remained silent.
“We will also be feeding him and providing lodging. I will personally see to his safety.”
The Captain didn’t respond.
“I can’t afford more than double without it looking suspicious. And I have the perfect cover for him as well that would fit both our school’s needs and my own. You would also have access to him if required, as well as to our facilities,” the Seer said earnestly.
“You seem quite desperate to have him,” the Captain paused, but did not give in to the offer. “Do you have a suspect?” The Captain asked.
“It could be a number of individuals,” the Seer said. “When I plan a route, I dictate the route, a teacher named Mearto transcribes it and Jaiken sends it to the Council, which then forwards it to you.”
“It is you, Jaiken, Mearto or a member of the Council that is using this information for gain,” the Captain said cuttingly.
“Rest assured Captain, I have no reason to do such a thing. I am very young and at the same time very old. A seer’s life is much shorter than most,” he said as he grabbed his left knee and rubbed it gently.
“I don’t understand,” the Captain said.
“When a Seer looks into the future, a portion of the Seer’s life is taken. I have Seen many caravans, wars, ambushes, storms, and a variety of other things.”
“How old are you then? Fifty? Sixty?”
“I am thirty-five,” the Seer said softly, “And already I look as if I could be your father.” There was a mournful pause. “I cannot stand to see people dying from starvation in the streets while I am dying as I try to save them. I hope and pray to the Faye that the betrayer is found before it is too late for me.”
“Do you have any suspects yet?” the Captain asked.
“A while ago, during the evening as I was retiring to my room for the night, I noticed Mearto heading out. She was dressed rather casually, almost as if she would want to blend in with the poverty. I didn’t think anything of it until the next week when she left a second time. I began to take a note of it, in my journal, of when she was leaving and noticed that it was on the same nights that I had planned the caravan routes. It wasn’t long after that when the almost daily attacks from the nomadic tribes began. I can’t imagine a woman such as her going and talking directly with the nomads, so she must have a contact who has connections to the tribes.”
“And why would a high member of your school do such a thing?” the Captain asked.
“Could be anything, could be nothing for all I know. This is where Kosai comes in. I am going to assign Mearto to train Kosai. She will think that she is training him to defeat the Dark One, and he will learn if Mearto is the one leaking the information and if she is, why. If not her, he may be able to find out who is. What do you say Captain? Will you lend him to me?” The Seer’s arms were outstretched, and sweat rolled down the side of his face.
“The money is not what entices me. It is the oath that each Guard takes to protect the city and its people. The protection of the caravans means the sustainability of the citizens. Kosai will agree to it,” the Captain said. The Seer sighed in relief. “However, I will still expect payment at the first of each month. I will also do some digging and see what I can come up with.”
“Do you have any idea who she might be leaking this information to?” the Seer asked.
“The Three Brothers syndicate pays well to those who remain loyal to them. They are wealthy, suffer no attacks on their caravans, and have more than they need. The lack of attacks on their caravans makes me think she is telling them, and then they are buying off the nomads as mercenaries to attack the government caravans.”
“I will arrange a summons for you to request a few warrants,” the Seer said. “But the Capitol enjoys the taxes from the Three Brothers so it will be difficult to persuade them to s
ign the warrants,” the Seer said. The Captain nodded his head slightly.
“Can’t you look into her future and see if she is the one betraying the city?” the Captain asked. The Seer chuckled.
“I wish it were that simple. The strain from Seeing a specific individual for an extended period of time is great, and I don’t have the strength to withstand it as I once did. But events such as planned patrols, Seeing a persons death, a child’s birth, what an individual’s spouse might look like, things that have no specific time restraint are much easier to See. It is much easier to See if an event will happen, rather than when an event happens.” The Seer leaned in slightly, biting his bottom lip.
“Then tell me Seer. Can you tell me if Mearto will share the caravan routes with someone outside this school and the Council?” the Captain asked slowly.
“Yes I can. I have been waiting so long to see if someone would ask me that question,” the Seer said.
“Then why didn’t you see it in the first place?” the Captain said, confused.
“I can only See when I am asked to See by another. It is one of the many rules for my talent. Even if I wanted to See something on my own, I couldn’t, the Faye would not allow it.”
The Seer smiled and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, they were covered in a gray film. “It is early in the morning, just before the sun rises. The moon is a waning crescent. Mearto is standing outside a building. It is not unique. It is a square cement house with one window. The door opens. The light from inside illuminates a sign above the door. The name is hidden but there is an emblem of two golden snakes twirling upward around each other. She and this man sit at a table. He is average height. His face is shrouded by tan cloth. A map is placed on the table. She is telling them of where the caravans will travel. The man nods and gestures to the door.” As the Seer finished speaking, the grey film faded from his eyes.
There was a slight change in his appearance. More age spots appeared on his face. The veins in his hands and neck seemed slightly more prominent and a few more wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes. It was as if he had aged a few years in a matter of seconds.
Emblems of Power Page 5
