Until All Curses Are Lifted

by Tim Frankovich

  Seri shook her head.

  “Are you certain that was his intent?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Tell me.”

  Haltingly, she told the entire scene, leaving out Dravid’s part and the crawl tunnels. Master Hain’s face grew harder than she had ever seen it. When she finished, he looked away.

  “Come with me.”

  Master Hain led the way to the Lords’ quarters. Seri was terrified he would confront Lord Varioch, but instead he walked to Lord Enuru’s suite. He knocked and entered. She hurried to keep up with him.

  Both the Lord and Lady greeted them. In swift words, Master Hain related what Seri had told him.

  “Outrageous!” Lord Enuru slammed his fist on the desk. “Such a thing should not be!”

  Lady Lilitu’s responded in a different way. “Come, child.” She gestured to Seri.

  Seri approached her and started to bow. Before she could do so, Lady Lilitu grabbed hold of her and pulled her into a powerful embrace.

  “Your mother is not here, so I must suffice,” she whispered. “Have you cried yet?” Seri shook her head. “Then you must do so.” The Lady looked up. “Could you two excuse us for a moment, please?”

  Master Hain and Lord Enuru nodded and left the room.

  “Let yourself go,” the Lady instructed.

  Seri found herself amazingly comforted by the Lady’s embrace. Her muscles, so tense and trembling up until now, relaxed. A sob erupted suddenly from her throat. Her rational mind suggested this was unnecessary, but the rest of her immediately shouted it down. In a few seconds, tears poured from her eyes while her body shook. Lady Lilitu said nothing, but massaged her back and held her close.

  At last, Seri’s weeping subsided and she recognized the embarrassment of the moment. She pulled away. The Lady smiled and handed her a cloth to wipe her eyes and nose.

  “Thank you, my Lady,” she whispered.

  “I have no children of my own, you know,” Lady Lilitu said with a half smile. Seri was shocked to see evidence of tears in the Lady’s eyes too. “But I like to think I would make a good mother.”

  “I think you would be a wonderful mother, my Lady.”

  “Then think of me that way while I am here. Come to me, should you need anything.” She reached forward and wiped away another tear from Seri’s cheek. Then she raised her head and called, “You men may return now.”

  When her husband and Master Hain came back, she wasted no time. “Master Hain, what steps will you be taking to protect our acolyte from this monster?”

  “The Passing is one week from today,” Master Hain said.. “All of the Lords will leave within a day or two after that. Seri-Belit needs only to be protected for seven or eight days.

  “As I see it, your Ladyship, Lord Varioch is quite busy throughout most of the day. I believe Seri will be safe during that time, though I am going to insist that she never be alone. The evenings and nights are another issue.”

  Lady Lilitu tapped her fingers on the desk. “I am friends with Lady Ajaw,” she said. “I am sure she would be more than happy to send one of her personal guards to be with you each evening. I believe even Lord Varioch would find it difficult to tangle with one of them.”

  Seri’s eyes widened. The warrior women?

  “An excellent idea!” Lord Enuru agreed.

  Lady Lilitu turned back to Seri. “Is this acceptable, my dear?”

  “Yes, my Lady, only…”

  “Only what?”

  Seri looked to Master Hain. “Is there any magic you can teach me that would help me break loose from the power he used on me? That was the worst thing of all. I had no control over my body!”

  Master Hain frowned. “The power the Lords possess is almost insurmountable,” he said slowly, with a glance at Lord Enuru. “I do not know if what you ask is possible.”

  “The other Lords are already afraid of Varioch,” Enuru said. “He is the most ruthless of us all. It would be difficult to oppose him in his war against Rasna, let alone something like this. But… if the King has truly returned, then we might have a chance to force him down, in all things.”

  “One more hug, my dear,” the Lady said, beckoning. Seri allowed herself to be embraced once more, and again, the lady whispered for only her ears. “What you ask is possible. I cannot teach it to you at this time, but I will send for you when I have the time.”

  She pulled back and looked Seri in the eyes. She nodded and smiled.

  “Come, Seri,” Master Hain said. “We will find your fellow acolytes and I will leave you with them.”

  Seri could not hide the enormous relief she felt, leaving the Lord’s chambers. They had all believed her and wanted to help. She couldn’t imagine what would have happened if they had thought she was lying.

  •••••

  Seri’s new bodyguard met her at the evening meal. She arrived at the acolytes’ table, looked them all over critically, then addressed herself to Seri.

  “I am here as your guard, my lady.”

  Seri laughed nervously. “I’m not a great Lady. You don’t have to call me that.”

  The guard inclined her head. Her rounded face had twin black stripes painted on either cheek, quite distinctive against her light brown skin. She appeared somewhat younger than Seri. She dressed in a similar fashion to the Lady Ajaw: calf-length skirt, bare stomach, tight wrapping around the chest, no shoes. Two green feathers hung from a tight braid on the left side of her head. Her round shield, painted orange with three green stripes, was somewhat smaller than her Lady’s had been. A short sword hung at her side.

  “I am assigned to guard you,” she said. “That makes you a lady. We guard no others.”

  “Lady Seri!” Jamana mocked. “Who would have thought it?”

  Seri scowled at him, then turned back to the guard. “Thank you for being here. What is your name?”

  “I am Ixchel.”

  “Well, Ixchel, I am very pleased to meet you. Would you like to eat with us?”

  “No, my lady. I am here to protect, not eat.”

  Seri wasn’t sure how to respond to that. She introduced each of the three boys to Ixchel. All were suitably impressed, but Jamana couldn’t keep from grinning.

  They tried to include Ixchel in their conversations, but she had little to say. She stood near Seri, upright and alert, paying attention to everything that took place in the dining hall.

  Seri caught Adhi’s gaze fixed on Ixchel’s bare midriff. She rolled her eyes. Men. At least Jamana and Dravid weren’t… well, at least they tried to be subtle about it.

  Seri finished eating and told the other acolytes good night. Ixchel walked side-by-side with her back to her room.

  “Have you been guarding the Lady Ajaw very long?” Seri asked.

  “I am the newest,” Ixchel said. “Only six months.”

  Fascinated, Seri listened intently every time Ixchel spoke. Her voice had an unusual cadence to it. She spoke in short sentences, and her voice seemed to rise every so slightly through each word.

  “That’s probably why you’re the one assigned to me,” Seri said. “I hope it’s not a boring duty for you. I’ll do what I can to keep things interesting.” She chuckled, but Ixchel did not smile.

  “Duty is duty,” she said. “Boredom matters not.”

  Seri raised and eyebrow. “We’re going to be together for a week, you know. We might as well become friends.”

  “I am your guard. You are my Lady.”

  “All right, then.”

  Seri stopped trying. This was going to be interesting. At her bedroom door, she paused. “How will this work? Will you be coming in or…”

  “I will stay out here.”

  “When will you sleep?”

  “When I am not guarding you.”

  Seri nodded. She didn’t know what else to say. “I… hope you have an uneventful night and are able to sleep well tomorrow.”

  Ixchel gave a curt nod. “As do I.”

  “Good night.�
�

  “Good night, Lady Seri.”

  Seri closed the door behind her and tried not to laugh. A Lady? Her? How ridiculous would that be? An image of the handsome Volraag popped into her head. Hmm. Maybe it wasn’t so ridiculous.

  She almost slapped herself for that thought.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

  OVER THE NEXT few days, Seri slowly got used to the idea of having a bodyguard. To her surprise, Ixchel not only slept during the day, she did so in Seri’s bedroom. She went to bed when Seri got up, and rose sometime in the afternoon. She met up with Seri in the early evening and followed her around until she went to bed herself. Seri appreciated it, and slept much better for it, but the arrangement felt strange.

  As much as she appreciated it, Seri couldn’t help wondering what good Ixchel’s sword and shield would be against the power of a Lord. Perhaps the concept alone would be enough to discourage him?

  In addition, Ixchel did not seem interested in any conversation topics. She spoke as she had the first evening: short sentences, and as little as possible. Seri grew frustrated. She wanted to know more about the girl, her training and upbringing, and Ch’olan in general.

  Two days after promising it, Lady Lilitu sent for Seri. It was early evening, so Ixchel came along. She checked to be sure Seri and the Lady were alone in the suite, then left them to wait in the hallway.

  “How is she working out?” the Lady asked.

  “Well, I suppose,” Seri said. She related her frustration.

  Lady Lilitu chuckled. “Ch’olanites are notoriously close-mouthed with strangers,” she said. “Give her time. Eventually, you may win her over.”

  “We don’t have that much time,” Seri grumbled.

  “You may be surprised. Now, about the reason I summoned you.”

  “You’re going to tell me about the other power?” Seri snapped her mouth closed. She was speaking too fast again. She should not be so familiar with the Lady.

  “I’m afraid that I cannot tell you what you want to hear.”

  Seri opened her mouth, but stopped herself this time.

  “You must be patient. I do not wish to interfere with your current training or disrupt that learning process.”

  Seri nodded her acceptance, though she wasn’t sure what to think.

  “What I can tell you is that there are other sources of power beyond Antises itself.”

  Sources? Seri’s mind raced. More than those she already knew?

  “I have not received permission to tell you of my source, but as your own skill and power grows, you will discover it on your own. Of that I have no doubt.”

  Seri wanted to ask so much more, but it seemed she wasn’t going to get answers today. More than that, it seemed she wouldn’t have a way to protect herself from Lord Varion’s magic.

  “I know you are disappointed, but I cannot help you further at this time. That is why I am pleased to hear how your new bodyguard is working.”

  Seri nodded again. As talented as Ixchel appeared, she doubted her efficiency against the magical power of a Lord.

  “Keep her with you at all times, and I think you will have nothing to fear. The busier this island becomes, the less likely Lord Varion will even have an opportunity to bother you. I intend to take a hand in that, as well. I will send him messages every hour or two, asking for obscure details on trade agreements and such.”

  “Thank you, my lady.”

  Lady Lilitu smiled again. “I know this isn’t what you wanted. But you must trust me, Seri. Someday, we will have a much longer talk about the sources of power in this world.”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  “We will speak again before I leave. I promise.”

  Seri nodded, bowed, and left the room. Ixchel joined her immediately. Seri smiled half heartedly. She didn’t have what she wanted, but perhaps she didn’t need it yet. Her curiosity about the Lady’s words kept her up late that night. Someday, she would know all of these things. Someday.

  •••••

  The following day was another Rest Day. Seri was actually surprised to see the assembled Lords observe it without fail. They held no meetings or negotiations through the day and mostly kept to themselves in their rooms.

  Seri spent much of the day with the other acolytes, who all appreciated a break from their work. Ixchel insisted on staying with her most of the day, as the situation differed on Rest Day. Lord Varion would not be busy. Seri was grateful, but felt guilty that Ixchel missed some sleep. At least they weren’t running around everywhere, wearing her out. It was supposed to be a day of rest, after all.

  In the mid-afternoon, the sleepy island woke up. A large ship approached, but anchored about two hundred yards from the island itself. Those in the know identified it as belonging to Lord Tyrr of Rasna.

  “That means the new King is on board!” Dravid told them.

  “The supposed King,” Jamana said.

  “They must be waiting until after Rest Day to come ashore,” Seri said. She looked over the ship and wished she had studied more about them. This was certainly much larger than the boats in which the other Lords had arrived. Was it intended to impress, or was there another reason?

  “Lord Tyrr wants to create the most dramatic entrance possible, no doubt,” Dravid said.

  “Anticipation is a clever tactic,” Adhi said. Seri jumped. How did she keep missing that he was present?

  They all stood silent for a moment, staring across the water. Even Ixchel looked interested.

  “Nothing much we can do about it today,” Dravid said finally. He hobbled back around and started toward the citadel. The others followed.

  Seri paused. The cypress trees reminded her of her encounter in the Otherworld. She was about to say something, then remembered Adhi and Ixchel would not know what she was talking about. She didn’t want to explain it, either. Enough people knew her secret already.

  Early the next morning, virtually every resident and guest at Zes Sivas assembled on the shore, watching Lord Tyrr’s ship. A longboat was lowered and began moving toward the dock.

  “Master Korda says that arrivals always used to come on the other side of the island,” Jamana said. “There was a large quay in front of the Citadel of Kings.”

  “What happened to it?” Adhi asked.

  “It collapsed during the first earthquake. But almost no one had been using it, anyway. Not since the King left.”

  “Maybe they’ll rebuild it now,” Dravid said.

  “There’s a lot of people in that longboat,” Seri said, straining to see. “I can’t tell anything more yet.”

  “There are twelve,” Ixchel said. Everyone turned to look at her, but her eyes remained fixed on the longboat. “Six of them are working the oars. Probably sailors. Of the others, I can only tell Lord Tyrr. He is the large man in the front.”

  “You can see that?” Dravid said.

  Ixchel’s eyes darted toward him, then away. “Yes.”

  A few moments later, they could all see. The longboat came nearer and nearer. On the dock, the five Masters waited. The five other Lords stood on the shore, along with the two Ladies that had come. Behind stood their retainers, assistants, bodyguards, and so on. The remaining population of Zes Sivas had to wait further back.

  The sailors brought in their oars as the longboat reached the dock. One of them jumped out and quickly tied it off. He then knelt out of the way.

  Lord Tyrr stepped onto the dock. A powerfully-built man, he was around the same size and appearance as Lord Varion, but not as corpulent. He gave a quick nod to the assembled Masters and Lords, then immediately turned and knelt as well, facing the longboat.

  All eyes fixated on the young man who stepped somewhat awkwardly onto the dock. He regained his balance and stood tall and straight, looking over everyone. Like all the people of Rasna and Varioch, he had wheat-colored skin. His hair was reddish-blond and curly, with a light beard decorating his chin.

  “He looks like a Rasnian,” Jamana said. “Is that how
the King is supposed to look?”

  “I… don’t remember,” Seri said. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything about the King’s appearance.”

  Lord Tyrr and the sailor remained kneeling. Master Plecu joined them. Then, to everyone’s surprise, Lord Rajwir, Lady Ajaw, and Master Tzoyet also knelt.

  The King made a gesture of some kind. Lord Tyrr stood, as did the others. Tyrr stepped up beside the young man and turned to face everyone else.

  “I present to you, at long last, the lost ruler of all Antises, King Tezan!” he proclaimed in a voice that carried to all the listeners. “Let all the lands rejoice! The King has returned!”

  A significant number of people, especially among the workers, applauded. A few others made some polite clapping. Most remained still, waiting for confirmation of some kind.

  Tezan put his hands together in front of him and appeared to concentrate. Everyone watched. Seri was surprised to realize she was holding her breath. Tezan pulled his hands slowly apart. A collective gasp erupted from dozens of mouths. Something glowed between Tezan’s hands.

  He spread his hands further apart. Between them, a bright yellow fire pulsed and moved. He lifted it high so everyone could see.

  “The Heart of Fire!” Master Plecu exclaimed. Other voices picked it up, echoing and repeating. This time, loud applause erupted.

  Tezan pulled his hands apart and the fire exploded into cinders that floated in the air before vanishing completely. Seri couldn’t see his face, but his body language made him look pleased with himself.

  Jamana’s brow furrowed. “I thought the Heart of Fire manifested during the Passing,” he said.

  “That’s what Master Hain told me,” Seri said. “But he didn’t say it wasn’t possible outside that. I don’t know.”

  “How else could he do that?” Dravid said. “From what I’ve learned so far, I don’t see any way to create that kind of thing with any ordinary magic. None of the Masters have done anything like that.”

  Seri’s eyes watched the longboat already on its way back to the Rasnian ship. Like all the others, it would soon pull away, leaving Zes Sivas and its occupants alone.