The Pinnacle Of Empire (Book 6) (12 page)

A picture of a wizard began to form in the pool. The long, rune-edged robes formed then the conical rune covered hat. As the face began to form and the great hooked nose appeared, something interfered with the vision. The water bubbled and a great ripple destroyed the vision before the face formed. The sudden destruction caused Zirkin to jump back. One of the golden fish floated to the surface, belly up, seriously stunned.

When Danik spoke, his voice was deep and low. “The evil has taken form now. It knows you’re searching for it.”

“I’ve no power to confront such as that,” the king said, “but I can give warning.” The stunned carp came to consciousness, shook herself, and swam back down into an underwater recess.

“She was beautiful,” Danik said. He watched the pool, but the golden carp wouldn’t return.

Zirkin turned to Danik. “I must have an amulet, Danik. The evil has taken form. He knows I sought his identity. He’ll prevent any future attempts to discover who he is. We know he is a wizard. It’s the Dark Lord; I’m sure of it now. No one else has the power to disrupt this elfin pool from such a distance. He’ll be seeking vengeance for the destruction of his physical being”

“An amulet, yes,” Danik repeated. “I’ll fashion such a thing for you, but it will only be able to warn of a dangerous presence. It won’t have sufficient power to stop that one.”

“Will it take you long to make this amulet?” Zirkin asked.

“I’m the last of my kind in these mountains; I work alone. I’ll return to you in a fortnight. You must not attempt to follow me.”

“I understand.”

The elf left Zirkin by the pool.

* * *

Not far from the enchanted spot, Danik slipped back into the mountain to his modest chambers a dwarf he’d befriended had chiseled from the rock. He moved through the dark recesses, deep into the rock to an abandoned treasure hall. There he gazed across the room and sighed, remembering the dwarf. Left lonely when the other dwarves abandoned their halls, he had no one to appreciate the craftsmanship of his treasures.

Danik took down from its wall niche a small wooden chest. Finely wrought silver bound it this way and which looked, even up close, like silver tree roots clutching the rich warm walnut. Tapping specific knots in the roots in the correct sequence, he unlocked and opened the chest with care.  The sudden burst of brilliance lit the room as light struck the fantastic metal and gemstone creations, dazzling him for a moment. Danik searched through the treasures for amulets and broaches. Finally, he selected a cloak clasp of delicate gold in the form of a phoenix rising in flight. Encrusted with seven golden beryls, yellow sapphires, they caught any light and reflected it through innumerable facets, making the ornament glow like the sun.

“This has the correct crystal structure and it absorbs light energy to power it, but it will require elfin magic to detect the evil and disseminate a warning.” He looked all around the room, closed the chest and returned it to its recess in the granite wall. With clasp in hand, he went to a workroom and realigned the jewels in a pattern to harmonize the elfin magic resonance. He then implanted the clasp with a power that would cause the golden beryl in the phoenix’s eye to glow red in the presence of extreme danger.

Danik returned to the elfin pool with the charmed amulet, now able to double as clasp or talisman, in time to meet King Zirkin at the next full moon. Zirkin exchanged a great treasure of foods for the ornament. Zirkin’s appreciation for the dwarf’s craftsmanship and elf’s power, and generous rewards kept their relationship strong after other men’s greed had alienated the dwarves and elves, causing them to abandon the mountains.

* * *

King Nindax was conferring with Xthilleon, who now seemed a constant at court. Gray dusk began seeping through the retreating orange sunset as they stood looking out from a high palace tower’s windy turret. They were discussing recent proposals Xthilleon had made to the king.

“Clever idea, the letter and broach,” Nindax said. “You think that broach will delight the dowager and plant the idea of me as a potential suitor?”

“It’s a small investment with a potentially large pay off,” Xthilleon replied without further comment.

“Yes, if I could marry the dowager, it would give me a connection to both the Velstorbokkin and imperial thrones. Of course, the current occupants would have to be eliminated.” Nindax chuckled, looking at the wizard’s sinister grin. There was silence, then Nindax cleared his throat.

“It was unfortunate King Nemenese didn’t die in Engwaniria,” Xthilleon said.

“You said you would dispose of him there, that it would be blamed on the emperor,” Nindax said.

Xthilleon’s face darkened into a frown. “I hadn’t counted on Wizard Memlatec interfering.”

“Memlatec, who is this Memlatec?”

Xthilleon ground his teeth, but then he stood erect. “He’s a primal wizard, a very old and meddlesome primal wizard who protects the emperor.” His expression brightened. “I sense Memlatec is no longer in Engwaniria.” The wizard looked past Nindax to the horizon through the smokey light of dusk.

Nindax saw the wizard was looking at something and turned round too.

“I see you have company,” Xthilleon said. “I think that’s your would-be victim coming to visit you.”

“Nemenese? You think it’s King Nemenese?”

Xthilleon smiled, said nothing, and withdrew.

Retainers lit torches at the gate when the escort Nindax hurriedly sent led Nemenese’s band into the palace-fortress. The gates clanged shut behind the men before they could dismount.

“Welcome to our court,” Nindax said, standing in the courtyard with the chatra. “We’re sorry for our poor reception, but Your Majesty sent no advance notice of your coming.”

“We were in rather a hurry,” Nemenese said. He looked around at each face surrounding him. “You have heard someone tried to kill us at Engwaniria, we suppose. I’m certain it was Saxthor. Come, let us talk inside where there are less ears to hear.”

“You think the emperor was so daring?”

“Indeed.”

The two kings went to Nindax’s private audience chamber where Nindax dismissed all the retainers.

“Come have a cup of wine,” Nindax suggested. “You must calm yourself.” He poured wine for them both, offering Nemenese his choice of goblets with a smile. Nemenese hesitated at first then took the goblet, looked into it, hesitated again, and exchanged goblets with Nindax before taking a deep draft.

“Now, what is it that brings you all the way from Varnakak and through the Urgenak Mountains, no less? I can’t remember when anyone came through those mountains.” Nindax placed his goblet on a table and faced Nemenese.

Nemenese put down his goblet and faced his former nemesis. “Separately, we’re both vulnerable to imperial conquest. I think this new emperor, though he seems complacent enough, intends to make a name for his new dynasty by conquering our kingdoms and adding them to the empire.”

“Yes, I see. You think the attack on you in Engwaniria was a first strike meant to decapitate and disable Velstorbokkin as a prelude to invasion?”

“Exactly!” Nemenese said, moving closer to Nindax. “Had he succeeded, he would have sent the imperial army into Velstorbokkin before my son could have ascended the throne and known what to do to ward off the invasion.”

“And what do you propose we do about that?”

“Nindax, we must form an immediate alliance such that if either is attacked, the other comes to his aid. That way the emperor will think twice before taking on both kingdoms at once. In addition, I propose we form a trade alliance. You cannot now trade with Tixos since my fleets prevent your sailing into the Tixosian Sea. I’ll open my ports to your ships and the sea lanes to Tixumemnese. In return, I would but ask that you open your ports for trade in your mineral and timber riches in exchange for Velstorbokkin’s agricultural products.”

Nindax smiled. “You could be right, of course. We really don’t know about this emperor’s intentions as yet. It makes sense that he would try to solidify support for his throne among his people and ward off other claimants by starting a war. We shall have your alliance and trade agreements as proposed.”

“Excellent.”

The kings drank to the agreement. Nindax saw Nemenese’s confident smile, jubilance at the ease of accomplishing his mission. The old king took up his goblet again, downing the remaining wine. Nindax refilled the goblet, careful not to reveal any response in his expression.

Two days later, after feasting while officials drew up the alliance documents, the kings met again. This time Xthilleon joined them.

“Permit me to present Your Majesty with this medallion in honor of this new alliance,” Xthilleon said. He bowed only slightly. The wizard handed Nemenese a simple, black stained wooden box with a silver catch. Smiling, Nemenese looked at Nindax before accepting the gift. The old king admired, then pinned the jeweled medallion on his chest. Xthilleon nodded and withdrew.

“Splendid gift,” Nemenese said. “I have been suspicious of your wizard, but he seems quite harmless.”

“Yes, harmless indeed,” Nindax replied. He glanced at Xthilleon in the hallway behind Nemenese’s back and noted the sinister grin.

*

The day after Nemenese left to return to Velstorbokkin, Nindax met with Xthilleon alone in the palace courtyard where they would not be overheard.

“Congratulation on your new alliance,” Xthilleon said.

“I must begin building a war fleet in secret. That fool has played into my hands better than I could have hoped. He’s opened his ports to me. His powerful war fleet has long prevented my invasion of Velstorbokkin. Now, he’s invited me to seize his throne.”

“Do you suppose I could have sent Nemenese home in a ship and you could have arranged for his ‘unfortunate’ loss at sea?”

“We must not alienate the Velstorbokkin court, Highness. There would be suspicion if the king were lost at sea on a Senoshesvasian ship. Allow him to return to Velstorbokkin as he came. There is a very good chance he will ‘expire’ in the Urgenak Mountains. No one would blame you. If Nemenese were to die in the clutches of Senoshesvas, his son would immediately call upon the emperor for assistance in defending Velstorbokkin against a perceived invasion. That would forge an immediate alliance between Velstorbokkin and the empire, playing into the emperor’s favor. We must have patience.”

“Yes, yes. You’re right in that.”

The wizard returned to his tower. In his workroom, Xthilleon cast a spell over the basin of moon water. From a tiny drawer in a wall unit, he took a small tuft of Nemenese’s hair he’d had a servant collect daily from the king’s bed pillows. He touched it to the water and watched Nemenese in the pool as though through a window.

“Now I can follow all your activities so long as you wear that medallion, and you do wear it constantly as a trophy of support,” Xthilleon mumbled then laughed. “Even Nindax doesn’t know about the medallion’s ability to see and hear around the wearer.”

“I must make a tour of the provinces to show my support for the imperial governors and them for me,” Saxthor said to Tottiana in the empress’ apartment. Fuming, she laid prostrate on a divan. “It has been too long since I assumed the throne. I can’t delay any longer. I shall return before the baby is due. I’d hoped you could make the tour with me, but we must not risk endangering the baby.”

“What do you care for the baby?” Tottiana grumbled.

“Tottiana.”

“What’s my baby to you? What difference does it make to you if your heir is born well or not?”

Saxthor sat beside her and took her hand. She jerked it away and rose from her divan with difficulty, moving away from Saxthor. Saxthor got up and walked up behind her as she wiped a tear. As delicately as he could, he put his hands on her shoulders. She shook them off, but he gently embraced her again.

“I shall be here when you need me, Tottiana.”

“All men say that.”

“I won’t leave you alone long. I must undertake this tour. Boktorian has warned me repeatedly that I must not delay longer. The governors are skeptical of my support. They may become susceptible to rebellious thoughts and suggestions if I postpone the trip longer.”

“Go ahead and desert me, then.”

“I’m not deserting you, my dear.”

Tottiana returned to her divan, stretching herself out and smoothing her gown. She put her hands on her tummy. “He’s moving about. He’s protesting your abandoning us.” She reached out to Saxthor, who rushed to her side. She took his hand and put it on her abdomen.

Saxthor felt a rush of excitement as he felt the movement in Tottiana’s womb. He beamed at the empress and her face lit up at his response.

“He’s going to be a fighter, like his father,” Saxthor said.

“How do you know it’s going to be a boy?”

“I know.” Saxthor said. He strutted around the room.

“You men are all alike; you’ll make the world as you would like it.”

“It’s a boy.”

“What if it’s a girl?”

Saxthor stood up, his face slightly frowning. “Well, I suppose we’ll have keep her,” he said but then beamed a great grin, watching for her response.

Her face darkened and lines crackled her pinched face. “Of course we’ll keep her! What’s that supposed to mean? I suppose in Neuyokkasin, you’d abandon her in the hills, you barbarian.”

Saxthor took no offense. He broke up laughing at the empress’ burst of maternal furry.

“Yes, we’ll keep her and love her as much as a boy. We’ll name her after my late sister, Queen Nonee.”

“I was thinking of naming her after mother, Helgamyr.”

Saxthor felt a sting. He again sat beside Tottiana. “Not Helgamyr, she hates me. You may name her Tottiana if you like, but not Helgamyr. I would prefer to name her Eleatsubetsvyertsin or Nonee, after my mother or sister, but I shall let you select her name if it pleases you.”

“I suppose you’d like to name her Dagmar?” Tottiana spouted.

Saxthor’s heart jumped in his chest. He looked away then faced the fuming empress whose face was flushed. He rose but stood by the divan. “If the child is a girl, you may name her anything but Helgamyr.”

“I’ll think about it. What if it’s a boy?”

“I think it would be best to name him Augusteros or Saxthor to augment the new dynasty’s position,” Saxthor proposed.

Tottiana sat up, crossing her arms in front of her. “I insist the first boy be named Engwan, after my father and my dynasty.”

“Tottiana, that would only create a rallying point for opposition. It could divide and destabilize the empire later. It would make the boy the focus of those that wanted to restore the old dynasty.”

“That old dynasty, as you refer to it, is
my
dynasty, Saxthor.”

“I know that my dear, and I know you loved your father, but we must not create a potential rallying point the opposition could use to destabilize the empire.”

“Well, if it’s a boy, I’m naming him Engwan, come what may.”

Tottiana’s face was dark; her lips were pursed and her features hard as she stared Saxthor in the face. Seeing her stress, Saxthor patted her hand. “We shall talk of this at a later date. We’ve still time to think on it.” He started for the door.

“Engwan and that’s final.”

“You must rest now, Tottiana. Don’t stress yourself. I’ll send your ladies to attend you.”

Worried, he soon sent a courier to Bodrin requesting that the governor and his wife, Tonelia, leave Neuyokkasinian affairs in the care of Chatra Lemnos and attend the imperial court at Engwaniria. In the confidential enclosure, Saxthor asked his closest friends to come and watch over Tottiana and the baby in her confinement. ‘I must have someone I trust with her,’ he wrote, ‘someone I know I can trust in this nest of vipers.’

What will Tottiana think of Neuyokkasinians attending her in her confinement? he wondered as he sealed the letter with wax and pressed his crest ring into it. I hope she will accept Tonelia and not see her as a spy, or worse.

*

Saxthor left on his tour of the provinces two day later. The court had chattered about the tour for months. No advance notice was given, but all knew something significant was about to happen when Ossenkosk was a beehive of activity the week before Saxthor left. His itinerary was kept a state secret with the governors only notified just before Saxthor left one province for the next. He traveled through the first three provinces without incident, greeted enthusiastically along the route between capitals. Then he left for the fourth province, Mendenow in the state coach with his escort. He crossed into the forest just inside the border of Mendenow Province, arriving at one of his innumerable, but heretofore unseen estates, in late afternoon. The staff lined the avenue leading to the impressive manor, which was polished for the imperial visit for the first time in a generation. Clearly the imperial retainers were anxious to please and, though exhausted, Saxthor obliged the estate’s manager to give him an extensive tour of his holdings before nightfall. Then Saxthor ate a bit of the substantial feast laid out for him. His knife seemed to clang when laid on his plate in the dead silence of the great dining hall. He grew sad and lonely amid a dozen servants standing frozen at attention to serve his slightest whim.  Tired and melancholy, he sent his compliments to the kitchen staff and insisted on retiring for the evening.

Saxthor had just settled down into the sumptuous bed linens under an elaborate canopy, and was studying the elegant carved bear and eagle conflict of the bedposts, when Delia sat up with ears erect staring at the window. She jumped off the bed and stood pointing at the window.

“What is it, Delia? What’s the matter, girl? It’s just someone in the courtyard.”

At the window, she glanced back at Saxthor and whimpered, and then again, staring out the window, she growled.

Saxthor rose and started for the window. Harsh metal smashing below in the courtyard shattered the night’s peace. He slipped on his shirt and pants, and was closing the clasp of Sorblade’s belt buckle when the estate’s manager banged on the door.

“Enter,” the emperor said.

“So sorry to disturb your rest, Majesty, but armed intruders broke through the manor gates, taking the guards by surprise.” The bowed man was trembling and dropped to the floor, pressing his forehead to the carpet.

“No need to prostrate yourself. Let’s see what this is about.”

“Please, Your Majesty, don’t go down there.”

“Nonsense, no one knew I was coming but the two provincial governors and their staffs. This must be a misunderstanding or mistake.”

The initial banging of metal grew to a full battle roar. Saxthor went to the window and looked down on the courtyard to see his entire escort embroiled in hand to hand combat with a substantial attack force. He turned and rushed past the man still kneeling on the floor.

When Saxthor reached the manor door, he met his retainers retreating before the attackers surge. He turned to the estate manager, who’d followed him. “Quickly, send a servant through the back gate to ride for the garrison at the border fortress!” An arrow flew just past Saxthor’s ear as he ducked. The manager disappeared in an instant. Saxthor drew Sorblade and, to his relief, it didn’t glow green. At least the assailants were sent by men and weren’t wizard creations. The emperor jumped into the foray and, seeing him among them, his guards redoubled their courage and pressed the aggressors into retreat. Before the soldiers could reach the manor, near dawn, the attackers had lost half their men. The remaining enemy turned and fled at the imperial troops approach. Saxthor looked over the courtyard littered with dead and wounded.

“See to the wounded,” Saxthor said to the estate manager, who had found his courage. “Have the men find any wounded assailants. I want to know who sent them.”

The manager bowed and rushed among the soldiers with their instructions. He reached one staff member who was among the fighters just as the man raised his spear and thrust it through the heart of a wounded enemy.

“Hold there!” the manager yelled a second too late. “Do not execute any of the wounded. The emperor wants to question them as to who’s behind this.”

Saxthor studied the frenzied staff member. Wonder how a groomsman got into the battle? he wondered. Why did he look so menacing? His eyes gleamed at having killed the wounded man.

Only one other attacker survived the battle, but he died before Saxthor could question him. Two cohorts from the border garrison on frothy, sweating horses rode into the courtyard just as dawn cracked the cold night. The estate manager was clearly traumatized by all that happened. Saxthor wanted to dismiss it as an attempted robbery, but it kept troubling him. Something wasn’t right. With order restored, he went to bed and slept until noon, then examined the dead attackers in the light of day.

“Any idea who those men are?” Saxthor asked the manager and the captain of the Mendenow forces from the border garrison. The men shook their heads. When Saxthor examined the bodies himself, he noted that, though the men wore no insignia or indication of their allegiance, two had imperial daggers which are issued to the imperial troops, and the men didn’t look foreign.

Saxthor rode on to the Mendenow provincial capital under heavy escort, including a cohort from the border garrison. Governor Hedrak led a delegation from the city, embellished with fresh troops, to greet the emperor as his carriage rolled over the hill above the city.

The governor was sweating profusely, bowing again and again. “Welcome, Your Imperial Majesty,” Hedrak said, quivering. “We were horrified to learn of the attack on Your Majesty’s person. My troops are scouring the province to determine the perpetrator of this unimaginable treason. We were greatly relieved to learn no one injured Your Majesty.”

“Yes, yes, Governor Hedrak. We’re certain the perpetrators will be found,” Saxthor said, staring at the governor who bowed low, not facing the emperor directly. “Is our residence by the sea you spoke of in Engwaniria readied for our visit?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, we have prepared everything for your visitation.”

“We will house our personal escort on the estate as well.”

“It shall be as Your Majesty commands.”

With Hedrak leading the way, the imperial party rode on, stopping in the provincial capital briefly to speak to the gathered throng, before the imperial entourage rode on to the emperor’s seaside estate. Unable to discover who was behind the attack, whether foreign or domestic, Saxthor continued on his tour of the provinces but shortened the visits and retained the cohort from Mendenow in addition to his personal Tashian bodyguards.

* * *

At Ossenkosk, Helgamyr paid a rare visit to her daughter now that Saxthor was away from the palace.

“You see, just as I warned you. That barbarian abandoned you just when you need him,” Helgamyr blurted out to Tottiana a month before the baby was due. “And what those Neuyokkasinians are doing here, claiming to have come to your assistance, is beyond me. The chatra tells me they are Saxthor’s closest friends. All the more suspicious, I say.”

“Yes, Mother,” Tottiana said. “But Saxthor did promise to return before the baby is due. The Vicksnaks are most patient and attentive.”

“That Tonelia woman… she insists on checking everybody and everything that comes around you as if I couldn’t protect my own daughter.”

“Tonelia has been most helpful and supportive, Mother. She did leave her own children to come to our aid. I must admit I was most apprehensive of them when they first arrived. They seem genuinely interested in me and the baby’s welfare.”

“Oh, Tottiana, you’re just too trusting.”

Tonelia knocked on the door and attempted to enter.

“Go away,” Helgamyr shouted at her. “I’m here now and can attend to my daughter’s needs without your help. I’ll send for you if I need you.” Endaquac brought Tottiana a cup of some herbal tea Helgamyr had researched in one of her spell books to ward off evil.

Tonelia glanced at Tottiana, who nodded back. Tonelia bowed to each of the ladies and withdrew. 

“Don’t be rude, Mother.”

“When is this husband of yours supposed to return? I’m sure he will find some reason to delay until after the birth of the child.”