Blades of the Old Empire (15 page)

“What will happen now?” Egey Bashi asked Raishan on the way back to the guest quarters.

Raishan walked for a while in silence, his smooth steps easily matching the Magister’s purposeful stride.

“You and I,” he finally said, “will travel to wherever it is you need to go, and hope that our trip doesn’t bring us into conflict with the Guild.”

Egey Bashi shook his head. “That’s not what I asked, Aghat, and you know it.”

Raishan turned his head to look directly at the Keeper.

“You’re prying into Guild business, Magister. Is this mere curiosity, or do you actually think you can do something about it?”

Egey Bashi met his gaze. “Personal feelings aside, Aghat, the order of Keepers – and myself – have invested
a lot
into keeping Prince Kythar Dorn safe and out of trouble. His fate is tied to the fate of our kingdom, and what happens to Kara now will affect him directly. Simply put, I want to make sure that when it comes to action, she’ll be there to protect him.”

Raishan’s gaze darkened. “Unfortunately, in all likelihood, she won’t. Not for long.”

The Magister stopped dead in his tracks. “
Tell me,
Aghat.”

Raishan shrugged. “I see no reason to talk about this. There’s nothing anyone can do to stop what’s coming.”

Egey Bashi moved his face closer to the Majat. “You want a
reason
? How about this one: I’ve devoted the last eighteen years of my life to keeping Kyth safe, and what happens now might well ruin all my work. That’s
reason
enough for me to know, don’t you think? And if no one can stop it, there’s no harm in telling me, is there, Aghat?”

Raishan hesitated. It seemed to the Magister that despite the Majat’s outward calmness, it was difficult for him to talk about this. Egey Bashi waited.

“As you know,” Raishan said at length, “being a ranked Majat is a privilege that comes with an exceptional fighting skill. We’re all proud of what we are. But this privilege also comes with a price. A ranked Majat can never leave the Guild. If this ever happens, a Majat of a higher rank is sent to track down and kill him.”

Egey Bashi looked at him in disbelief. “Do you mean to tell me that your bullheaded Guildmaster would send someone to
kill
Kara?”

Raishan stiffened. “I understand you’re upset, Magister. So, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that first bit. And yes, that’s exactly what he will do.”

“But why? Why have such a rule in the first place?”

“Two reasons. First, we don’t like to risk exposing the secrets of the trade. And second, it’s simply too dangerous. Having a warrior of this skill on the loose could seriously disturb the balance of power. The higher the rank, the bigger the danger. It’s the responsibility of the Guild to keep this danger under control.”

Egey Bashi stared at him for a moment as the words settled into his head.

“But Kara’s a Diamond. There’s
no one
higher in rank. Who could he possibly send?”

Raishan hesitated. “There’s a special mechanism in place to kill a Diamond. If such a thing is called for, the Guild sends two Majat. One – a Jade that could provide backup. And the other – the Diamond’s shadow.”

“Shadow?” Despite the warmth of the morning sunlight, Egey Bashi felt a chill run down his spine.

“Each Diamond,” Raishan went on, “receives what we call ‘shadow’ training, where we’re taught the exact fighting style and weaknesses of another Diamond in the Guild. In single combat, a shadow can get through the defense where other Diamonds can’t. The shadow, with the help of a Jade, is the only one who could kill a Diamond.”

Egey Bashi frowned. There
had
to be a flaw in this strange mechanism. “What if a Diamond you shadow doesn’t have a weakness?”

Raishan shook his head. “These weaknesses aren’t even known to the Diamond himself. They’re identified by the Shadow Master during training and kept secret from everyone else.”

“Shadow Master?”

Raishan nodded. “Everyone in the Guild secretly fears him. He knows everyone’s weaknesses. We all spend time with him after the ranking, but none of us knows who we’re shadowing and who’s shadowing us. He’s the one who does all the matching.”

“He must be a great warrior,” Egey Bashi said thoughtfully.

“No,” Raishan said. “He’s a great trainer. He doesn’t fight. He watches. And then, he
tells
a ranked Diamond how to beat his counterpart.”

“He’s a dangerous man, your Shadow Master.”

“Yes.”

“But it seems to me that even if you knew another Diamond’s weaknesses, the chances you could kill him are still not high enough. From what I’ve seen so far, a Diamond’s virtually unbeatable. Even if you know his fighting style, there may not
be
enough weakness to defeat him.”

Raishan nodded. “That’s why a Jade is sent along. Jades are different from other gem ranks. Normally they don’t go on assignments; their job is to ensure the security of the Guild itself. Their special strength is in the ranged weapons. They can’t kill a Diamond, at least not one on one, but in a fight between a Diamond and his shadow they can give the shadow additional fighting advantage. The combination of a Jade and a shadow can’t possibly fail.”

“So, a Jade’s job is to
shoot
?” Egey Bashi asked in disbelief. “What if he misses and shoots the wrong man?”

“A Jade’s job is to do what the shadow tells him. To throw himself onto the Diamond’s sword and die, if necessary. And, I told you, they’re
good
with ranged weapons. They don’t miss.”

Egey Bashi paused. “So, you think Master Oden Lan will send such a pair after Kara?”

Raishan glanced at the tower behind them. “I’m sure he did it right after we left. This is high priority to the Guild and it takes precedence over everything else. Did you see the sealed packages on his desk? One of them must be the Black Diamond.”

“Black Diamond?”

“It’s a token,” Raishan explained. “Just like any other gem token, but its stone is black. It’s given to the shadow to symbolize the death contract. In exchange, the shadow brings back the Diamond’s armband.”

Egey Bashi shook his head. “You Majat really like tokens. So much craftsmanship, so many precious stones, just to maintain symbols.”

Raishan looked at him coldly. “These tokens are issued only for Diamonds. And each of them has a name on it. This is more than a symbol, Magister. Each Black Diamond means someone’s life.”

Egey Bashi paused. One had to be raised a Majat to understand the significance of these tokens that meant little to everyone else except for the glitter of their stones. But Raishan’s story went far beyond symbols. To think that someone with a deadly skill was being sent after Kara, and that they knew her weaknesses and was capable of killing her, was sobering.

“Who’s her shadow?” Egey Bashi asked.

“No one knows, except Master Oden Lan and the Shadow Master. Just like none of us know who we’re shadowing until the time comes. To my knowledge, nothing like this has happened in centuries.”

Egey Bashi kept silent for a while as he resumed walking to the barracks. Raishan fell in stride with him.

“Quite a mechanism,” Egey Bashi said at length.

“The Majat Guild doesn’t tolerate failure.”

Egey Bashi shook his head.

“Perhaps,” Raishan suggested, “we should talk about my assignment? You
did
hire me for an unrelated purpose, didn’t you?”

Egey Bashi turned, his thoughts slowly coming back to the present time.

“My way from here lies to Aknabar, where I must pay a visit to the monastery to find out more about Reverend Cyrros. Under the circumstances I felt that the help of a Diamond would be welcome. I couldn’t afford to hire you by name, but thanks to a timely hint from Master Abib it all worked out well. You’ve seen these men, Aghat. Your help against them would be invaluable. We’re dealing with a formidable enemy.” He looked ahead and froze, his feet coming to a halt of their own accord.

A lonely figure stood at the entrance to the guest quarters. The man wore light leather armor and a hooded black cloak thrown back over the shoulders. His easy, graceful posture suggested considerable fighting skill. It took a moment to recognize his face, a short mop of brown hair standing around his head, dark eyes, sharp bird-like features that, without the ominous hood, looked almost nondescript.

Nimos
.

“Magister Egey Bashi,” he exclaimed with a bright smile. “Aghat Raishan. What a coincidence. Fancy meeting you here!”

“What do you want?” Egey Bashi demanded.

Nimos shrugged. “Is it a crime to want to say hello to old friends?”

“Theoretically speaking, no. But I fail to see how it’s applicable here.”

“You break my heart, Magister. I thought we were bonded.”

“What a horrible thought.”

Nimos spread his hands. “Now that the boys and Aghat Kara are gone, do we really have a quarrel, Magister?”

Egey Bashi’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you look so pleased with yourself?”

“Because,” Nimos said, “I’m overall an irresistible man. Don’t you think so?”

Egey Bashi waited.

“And,” Nimos went on, “because it all worked out so well, don’t you agree?”

“What do you mean?”

“You wanted the boys to be under Kara’s protection, Magister, and you got your wish.”

“You seem to know a lot about this.”

Nimos smiled. “Your plans, Magister, weren’t hard to guess. Note that I’m not prying into where the Prince might be going so that he needs such an impressive escort.”

“I wish I could say I was grateful,” Egey Bashi said. “But I’m glad to see that the fact he’s under the protection of someone you tried to hire makes you pleased.”

Nimos’s smile widened. “Aghat Kara is truly the gem of gems. I wish I could spend all my time with her. But, alas, she has two unfortunate qualities. First, she’s in love with the boy, so she could never be trusted where he’s involved. And second, she seems to be immune to our powers. Which really left us with only one choice.”

Egey Bashi looked at him, feeling a chill creep up his spine.

“I see,” Nimos said, “you’re beginning to understand me, Magister. Want me to tell you all of it, or are you bright enough to guess?”

“You
bastard.
”

Nimos chuckled. “No need to be harsh, Magister. What else could we do? We can’t possibly kill a Diamond who is immune to our powers. At least, not yet. But the
Majat Guild
can do it for us. Personally, I think our plan’s pretty sound, don’t you?”

“You
made
her disobey her orders, you son of a–”

Nimos’s eyes gleamed with triumph. “Believe me, Magister. We wouldn’t be having this conversation if anything could be changed. But things are in motion now. The Black Diamond’s on its way. And there’s no one in this kingdom with the power to stop it. The Majat Guild doesn’t tolerate interference. And now, I feel I’ve imposed on your time far too long, Magister. Good day.”

He flung the trailing end of his cloak over his shoulder and strode away.

Egey Bashi turned to Raishan, unclenching his fists and forcing the pounding in his temples to quiet down. “We must do something, Aghat!”

Raishan shook his head. “The man’s right. The Black Diamond can’t be stopped.”

“We must see this Shadow Master. We must find out what her weakness is, and warn her.”

Raishan’s gaze hardened. “
No one
can see the Shadow Master. His identity is a secret.
He
sees
you
, not the other way around.”

“But we have to do
something
,” Egey Bashi insisted. “Can we at least find a way to warn her of what’s coming?”

Raishan’s lips twitched. “I assure you, Magister. She knows.”

When the Majat Fortress was well out of sight, Kara turned her horse off the main road to a small trail running through the thick forest undergrowth. Low branches hung across, making the trail ahead hard to see. Kara rode so fast it was impossible to keep up with her and duck the branches at the same time. Kyth grabbed the reins with one hand and held out the other to protect his face.

As night deepened, fog descended on the forest around them. It hung in tiny cold droplets that had a way of penetrating every gap in their clothes, making them clammy and heavy with water. The horses’ coats glistened with sweat, their vapors mixing with warm breath in the cold night air. Kara’s cloaked silhouette blended with her gray mount and with the forest darkness on the trail ahead. Only the movement of disturbed branches showed where she was and how fast they had to ride not to fall behind.

Kara didn’t slow until the air around them became gray with the first light of dawn. She changed to a walk and glanced back to oversee her following. Kyth’s horse slowed down to keep in step, and Alder’s mount almost ran into him from behind. Warning froze on Kyth’s lips as he realized in amazement that Alder had dozed off while they rode. His head dipped forward and jerked up as his horse slid to a stop.

“Are we there yet?” he asked sleepily.

Kara sided off the trail, letting them level up with her. Then she raised her hand and pulled off her black mask.

Her face was drawn and determined. In the dim forest grayness it looked hollow, like a ghost’s.

“There’s a clearing up ahead,” she said. “We can stop there for a short rest.”

Kyth nodded, too tired to speak. He used his remaining strength to take off his own mask. Cold air hit his skin. He blinked, shaking off the sleepiness, and grabbed his reins in a determined hold.

The clearing was so small they probably would have missed it if Kara hadn’t pointed. A pond of dark water glinted at its side. Kara stopped her horse by a gnarled tree at the edge of the pond and jumped down.

“We can rest until dawn,” she said. “We move again at sunrise.”

“But it’s
already
nearly dawn!” Alder protested, scrambling down from his saddle onto the soft, damp turf.

She measured him with her gaze. “On this trip we do what I say. No questions asked.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “Because, I’m here to ensure your safety, and neither of you have any idea what we’re up against.”

“Then why don’t you tell us?”

Kara didn’t hurry to answer. She took her time in unsaddling her horse and set the packs and gear against a tree trunk.

“For one,” she said at length, “you two are no good against orbens. If these men attack, you’d be in real trouble. Our best chance is to outrun them.”

Alder looked at her in disbelief. “But you’re with us. You can handle these men, no problem, right?”

This time she took so long to respond that Kyth began to doubt if she was going to speak at all. She busied herself with setting camp on the higher ground at the edge of the glade, where the grass was shorter and the earth didn’t look too damp. Kyth tethered his horse to a low oak branch and joined Kara in spreading their bedrolls on the ground.

Only when they were all done and ready to sleep did Kara raise her head again. “You must learn to take care of yourselves, if need be. I may not always be here to protect you.”

“What do you mean?” Kyth asked, alarm rising in his chest. There was something different in her voice, or maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him after a sleepless night?

She gave him a long look. Her eyes gleamed, but the rest of her face was barely visible in the dusk.

“Nothing,” she said. “Now, get some sleep. I’ll wake you up soon.”

She wrapped into her cloak, stretched on the ground and went still. Kyth looked at her for a moment, but she didn’t show any intention to speak again. Her eyes were closed and her breath even, as if she was fast asleep.

Kyth lay down onto his bedroll. The ground was covered with twigs and branches that dug painfully into his back. His cloak was damp and the chill crept through to his skin. He wished they could light a fire, but he knew that, with the little time they had, fire was out of the question.

Alder next to him was already asleep, his mouth half-opened and his face happy and innocent like a child’s. Kyth lay there for a moment, looking at him, then closed his eyes. He was so tired his head swam and his entire body ached. It seemed as if he wasn’t lying on the ground but still rocking with the measured sway of his horse’s fast trot. He had time to wonder if, with such a short sleep, he would still have time for one of his nightmares. Then he remembered nothing more.

It seemed to Kyth that he had just closed his eyes when he felt somebody shaking him.

“Kyth. Wake up.”

He opened his eyes to see Kara leaning over him. The beams of the rising sun lit up her golden hair, leaving her face in shadow. Her eyes were hollow, as if she’d had no rest at all. Kyth wondered if she actually slept or kept watch without telling them. But before he could ask she slid away toward their horses.

Kyth sat up, wrapped in his cloak, and looked around. Alder was still asleep. The horses wandered off to the ends of their tethering ropes, munching on the thick grass of the glade. Kara crouched on the ground, rummaging in one of her saddlebags. As he watched, she took out a small package and turned back to Kyth.

“Wake your foster brother,” she said. “We must go.”

Kyth struggled out of his cloak. “What is it? Why’re you so…” he paused, unsure how to say it. He had never seen her so tense. It was as if her incredible inner balance was disturbed, leaving her fragile and vulnerable. It looked frightening. But how in the world could he say this to her? And, what would be the point?

She averted her eyes. “I’m fine. It’s just that I’m not sure I can handle whoever’s coming after us. We must do our best to beat them to the Grasslands. But since we only had a few hours’ head start, I’m afraid this means lots of riding and very little sleep, at least for the next few days.”

Kyth nodded. Her words made sense, but he still had an uneasy feeling she wasn’t telling him something. Maybe he was too sleepy to think straight.

He shook Alder awake and went to pack his bedroll. Kara handed each of them a flask of water and a small pack.

“The Majat travel rations,” she said. “Eat quickly and saddle up.”

The rations were made of salted meat, mixed with dry raisins, nuts, and a strange herb with a strong, heady smell. Alder twitched his nose as he took a bite, but to Kyth anything tasted good after the crazy gallop of the previous night. Besides, the rations were surprisingly filling. After finishing his share and washing it down with water from the flask, Kyth felt refreshed and strong.

They saddled the horses and rode out onto the trail.

Kara kept the pace at a fast trot. The forest around them gave way to lower bushes, no less capable of slapping the riders in the face, but much better at letting the sunlight through. After an hour of riding their clothes had dried and Kyth finally felt warm enough to let his cloak trail behind.

By the afternoon the road began to descend downhill. The bushes ahead cascaded downward from the ridge. The slope was getting steeper as they rode, giving them an open view of the hills ahead. Below, the valley subsided into mists, bluish haze merging with the distant eastern sky. Beams of the setting sun touched the blues of the landscape with a reddish tint, blending into a deep purple haze further at the horizon.

Kyth paused at the edge of the ridge to take a full breath of the cooling air, and peered into the valley. Up ahead, the bushes opened into a winding line, running along the bottom of the deep ravine. On the southern side of the clearing a jagged line of roofs submerged into the greenery. Thin columns of smoke rose up to the sky.

Kara followed his gaze. “Foggy Meadows. The first outpost from the Majat Fortress on the road to Aknabar. There’s an inn there, but we’re not stopping. We still have a good five hours ahead of us before the moon sets.”

Kyth nodded. He longed to ask her more about the danger they were facing and the reasons for such a rush, but he knew she would probably avoid a direct answer, just like before. Besides, with the pace she set, there was never enough time to talk.

The descent into the valley took longer than anticipated. Closer to the bottom the road became so steep that they had to dismount, leading the horses along the winding trail that creased the side of the hill. Kara’s posture was tense as her eyes darted from the slippery trail down to the outskirts of the village below. A group of reddish lights flickered and moved about. Torches? They were too far away to tell.

The main road running along the bottom of the valley was wide enough for four horsemen to ride side by side, and surprisingly well maintained. The village gate ahead stood open, flanked by a tall fence of thick logs sharpened at the top, strong enough to withhold a minor siege. Sounds of voices from inside carried clearly through the damp evening air.

A crowd of men inside the gate held lit torches and bore weapons. Their faces were grim and determined as they silently watched the approaching riders.

Kara directed her horse toward the middle of the blockade and pulled to a stop a few paces away from the front line of men. “What’s going on?”

A tall bearded man at the end of the line stepped forward, urged by prompting gazes of his comrades. He was wearing a blacksmith’s apron and held a huge hammer in his lowered hand.

“We’re under orders from the Majat Guild,” he said.

Kara’s face remained calm as she held the man’s gaze. “Orders?”

“Yes’m. They wants ye t’return to the Guild. We was tole not ter let ye pass.”

Kara turned in the saddle, her cloak folding back to reveal an array of throwing knives at her belt. The men facing her exchanged uneasy glances.

“How do you know we’re the ones to look for?” she asked.

The spokesman shifted from foot to foot. “The message said: two men, one woman.”

Kara laughed. “That’s all? Do you know how many travelers come this way?”

“But no’ many women,” the man told her firmly. “Especially Olivian.”

She nodded. “I can see you have it all figured out, don’t you?”

The man swallowed. “Yes’m.”

Kara leaned forward in the saddle. “Did they also tell you my rank?”

“Them said, ‘gem’.” The spokesman glanced around at the other men.

“Which gem?”

“Them didn’t say.”

“And my companions?”

The man’s face relaxed into a smile. “Them’s no Majat, only dressed like ones.”

“And you think your men can take down a gem?”

Faces around her showed hesitation, but no one moved.

“There’s fifty of us out ’ere,” the spokesman said. “And given tha’ ye gems don’t kill unless you’re paid fo’ it–”

She sat up straight. “Did it ever occur to you men that if I’m an outcast I may not be too keen on following the rules? Or that a ‘gem’ might mean something more bright and glittery than you hope?”

The men exchanged glances.

“Better ter ’ave it out with ye,” the spokesman said, “than with the Majat Guild.”

She shrugged. “Have it your way.” She lifted her leg over the horse’s neck and jumped to the ground, handing the reins to Kyth.

“Stay out of range,” she told him quietly. “We don’t want the horses to get hurt.”

“But we can’t let you fight all of them alone,” Kyth protested. “There’re fifty of them out there!”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry. There isn’t going to be a fight. All they want is some bruises to show off, so that they don’t get in trouble with the Guild for letting us pass without resistance.”

“Maybe we could take some road around the village?” Alder suggested.

She shook her head. “The valley is narrow and steep here and the hills around it are practically impassable. Believe me, if there was another way, we wouldn’t be wasting our time right now.” She took off her cloak and flung it over the saddle. Then she approached the blockade and stopped.

“All right,” she said. “What’s the plan?”

The spokesman handed his torch to the man behind him. Then he raised his hammer and threw it from hand to hand with disquieting ease.

“We thought,” he said, “with yer bein’ a woman an’ all, we could just knock yer out. Gentle, like.”

“Fine,” she said. “Go right ahead.”

“Why don’t yer make it easy on yerself and surrender?” he asked. “We won’t molest ye or anythin’. We don’t want no trouble with the Guild. We just want ter send ye back.”

She laughed. “Much as I’d like to help you out, I am in a real hurry. So, why don’t you men just get on with it?”

The men stood for a moment exchanging glances. Then the front line advanced, fanning out so that they could surround her on all sides.

Kyth held his breath.

Kara drew her weapon from the strap at her back, but didn’t bare the blades. Sheathed, it looked like a short staff, thick enough to do serious damage, and yet small enough to wield with one hand. She held it by the end, lowered at an angle to the side of her body.

One of the men swung his club. Just as it was about to hit, she whirled around, her shape a streak of black. Her weapon thrust forward and up, catching the man’s wrist in a precise blow that knocked the club right out of his hand. Another blow, and the man collapsed on the ground in a messy heap.

Five of his neighbors jumped at Kara, aiming their clubs. Kara moved between them like the wind. She swung her weapon in a figure eight, high and then low, dropping to a crouch as the clubs whizzed over her head. Her arm moved so fast it was hard to trace. There was a thud each time her staff connected, each blow sending one more man down. It took seconds for her to complete the sweep, straighten up, and go still, her weapon lowered at an angle to her body. She wasn’t in the least bit out of breath.

She ran her eyes over the six bodies at her feet and turned to the remaining villagers.

“Who’s next?” she asked.

There was silence.

“Come now,” she said. “You do want to show the Guild some effort, don’t you? Or, are you going to tell them that you gave up after losing just six men?”

The man with the blacksmith’s hammer licked his lips nervously. “What’s yer rank?”

She smiled. “That’s the question you should’ve started with. And yes, it’s a gem, just like you were told.”

“Which gem?”

Her smile widened. “With your fighting skills, it really doesn’t matter.”

He eyed her with caution. “Yer no’ a Jade.”

“No. Not a Jade.”

“Emerald?”

She laughed. “Why don’t you just let us pass?”

The men exchanged glances. There was a commotion in the back rows, which suddenly looked a lot less dense than before.

“If you want it to look believable,” Kara said. “I could knock out a few more of you. Any volunteers?”

The men lowered their weapons and began to move sideways, forming a corridor for them to pass. Kara took the reins from Kyth and swung into the saddle in one quick move.

“Let’s go.”

She kept her weapon in hand as they rode through the gauntlet. The villagers eyed them fearfully and drew back if Kara glanced their way. They rode at a walk up the street, past the inn with its brightly lit windows, and over to the other side, where a fence and a gate similar to the first one marked the edge of Foggy Meadows. The few men at the back gate hastily flung it open as soon as they saw Kara approach.

Kara flicked her weapon back into its sheath and turned to Kyth and Alder. “We must hurry. The Guild will now know which way we’re headed. We must not let them catch up.”

She sent her horse into a gallop and there was nothing left to do but follow.