Aakuta: the Dark Mage (42 page)

Lord Chenowith closed his eyes and put his head down on the desk. The coolness of the wood radiated through his head and brought a surreal calmness with it. He sat immobile for a long time. Suddenly he raised his head and opened his eyes. His turned and stared at the metal box his father had asked him to bring home. He knew that Bagora would frown upon him opening it, but Lord Chenowith couldn’t help but wonder if Bagora had written anything that would pinpoint his assassin. His father did, after all, always know everything.

Lord Chenowith rose and walked to the metal box. He picked it up and held it as if weighing his actions. With determination and anger at the death of his father, Lord Chenowith placed the box on the desk and drew his knife. He nervously attacked the lock with his knife. The lock could not withstand the assault. It was never meant to. The lock was merely a reminder to anyone who would peer into another man’s belongings. Lord Chenowith did not care. He would never have done such a thing while his father lived, but things felt different now. The box might contain a clue to the identity of the assassin, and Lord Chenowith vowed to avenge his father’s death. 

Lord Chenowith opened the box and peered into it. The box was stuffed with papers. Lord Chenowith recognized some of them as Imperial decrees that should have been deposited with the Imperial archives.  He frowned at the thought that his father had taken the documents out of the Imperial Palace. Picking up the box he moved to sit behind the desk, but he halted as he began to sit. He stood there for a few moments before walking back around the desk to sit where he had before. Even after Emperor Bagora’s death, it felt disrespectful to sit in his father’s chair.

Lord Chenowith started lifting documents out of the box and reading them. He saw that most of the Imperial decrees dealt with an extensive network of spies. Names, locations, and compensation amounts indicated a spy network that was far vaster than anything he could have imagined. Lord Chenowith’s eyes grew wide as he read the secret documents. It suddenly became very clear why the Emperor had not entrusted the documents to the Imperial archive. Emperor Bagora had been spying on everyone. Members of the Lords’ Council, members of the Imperial troops, and even individual clan lords, Bagora had spies watching them all.

At the bottom of the box was a small journal. Lord Chenowith took it and held it for a moment before he opened it. He felt as if he were intruding into his father’s inner mind as he started reading the daily log of random thoughts, meetings, and conclusions. Hours later, Lord Chenowith had to light a new candle. He paused and stared out the window of his father’s study. He saw that the dawn was only hours away. He returned to his chair and sighed as he delved back into the journal. He was beginning to see the life of an Emperor in a way that few men could ever understand.

* * *

Lord Marak and Lord Oktar arrived at the Imperial Palace. Already other lords and their escorts were converging on the capital in preparation for the Assembly of Lords that would begin the following day. It had already become clear to Lord Marak that Khadora had a new Emperor. Word of the rise of Lord Mirakotto had met them halfway in their rush to Khadoratung. Lord Marak did not dwell upon the news. His mission was to secure help from the Lords’ Council for the coming battles with the Jiadin.

They entered the Imperial Palace. Botal led the Torak squad to the Torak quarters while the Balomar squad retreated to theirs. Only Gunta and Halman remained to escort Lord Marak and Lord Oktar. Lord Marak let the small group up to the Lords’ Council Chamber. The room was empty except for Katzu, a Lords’ Council mediator.

“Greetings Lord Marak, Lord Oktar,” welcomed Katzu.

“Greetings, Katzu,” Lord Marak replied. “I would like to call a meeting of the Lords’ Council. How do I do that?”

“Calling a meeting is fairly simple,” answered Katzu. “I can carry the word to the other members. They are all in residence today. It is most unusual though to call a meeting before the sixth member is elected. Perhaps you should wait until after the Assembly of Lords elects the new member of the Lords’ Council.”

“Time is not my ally,” replied Lord Marak. “Lord Oktar has the provocation needed to ensure help from the Lords’ Council. I fully expect the attacks to commence as soon as the Assembly of Lords is over and the lords make their way back home. I want our troops in place before then.”

“Then I shall contact the other members immediately,” nodded Katzu. “Lord Oktar should wait outside until the council calls for him.”

Lord Marak led Lord Oktar into the corridor outside the Lords’ Council Chamber as Katzu disappeared around a corner. The first member to arrive was Lord Patel and Lord Marak accompanied him into the chamber.

“So it has begun?” asked Lord Patel.

“It has,” nodded Lord Marak. “It is going to be much worse than I imagined. The Jiadin may be untrained as a group, but their skills are impressive. How did Bagora die?”

“An assassin while he was in bed,” frowned Lord Patel. “The knife was poisoned.”

“Has he been found?” asked Lord Marak.

“No,” Lord Patel shook his head. “He vanished without a trace. Marshal Chack is quite upset. Lord Marak, I tried to delay the vote for Emperor until you returned, but I was blindsided by Mirakotto. I left the chamber during the vote thinking that he would have to suspend the meeting. Instead he continued the vote. I am sorry.”

“It does not matter to me, Lord Patel,” replied Lord Marak. “I do not care who rules as long as we work together to defeat our common enemy. I do grieve for Bagora, though. He was a good man and a patriot. All of Khadora will miss him.”

The conversation halted as the other lords entered the chamber. Lord Quilo walked to the head of the table as the other lords took their seats. Katzu closed the door and stood near it.

“Lord Marak,” Lord Quilo began, “I understand that you have requested an urgent meeting of the Lords’ Council. For what purpose do you cause this body to gather?”

“Thank you for coming together so quickly,” Lord Marak began. “Lord Oktar waits outside this room. He would like to register a grievance and request the assistance of the Lords’ Council in preserving his clan.”

“Is this the same matter that you brought before this council before?” asked Lord Quilo.

“It is,” affirmed Lord Marak. “There has been an attack on the Balomar estate. An estimated five thousand Jiadin wearing the Glamaraldi uniform attacked the estate. They were repelled, but I fear that the defenses will not hold long.”

“Rather than sending troops,” frowned Lord Quilo, “shouldn’t we be trying to mediate the dispute?”

“I am afraid that Lord Yungis will not accept any mediation,” reported Lord Marak. “In my discussions with him, he showed nothing but contempt for the Lords’ Council. I do not believe that he would follow the rulings of this council even if we could get him to accept mediation of the dispute.”

“You have spoken to Lord Yungis personally?” questioned Lord Quilo. “Where was this? And when?”

“It was on the morning of the death of our Emperor,” answered Lord Marak. “He arrived unannounced at the estate of Lord Oktar. I was there at the time.”

“I have heard,” interrupted Lord Kiamesh, “that there are a number of clans assembled at the Balomar estate. Is this true Lord Marak? And if so, is this not in itself a provocation?”

“There are a number of clans present on the estate,” nodded Lord Marak. “Their presence there was unknown to Lord Yungis until he attacked. In fact, the large variety of uniforms confused the Jiadin when they attacked. I believe that is what stopped an all out assault. If their presence was not known, how then can it be a provocation?”

“A valid question,” nodded Lord Kiamesh.

“And what are they doing there, Lord Marak?” asked Lord Garic. “Maybe Lord Yungis did not know they were there, but that does not alter the fact that they were present. What clans are present there? And why are they there?”

Lord Marak sighed as he listened to the question that he had wished he would not have to answer.

“There are a number of clans present on the Balomar estate,” answered Lord Marak, “including the Torak clan. The reason that they are there is to repel foreign invaders from Khadora, an exercise that this body should be eager to aid. If the question of legality is an issue, I can assure this council that it is perfectly legal. My plan was presented to the Emperor before I instituted it. He approved of it and declared it to be legal. Still, that is not the issue before this council today. There has been a clear provocation, and Lord Oktar waits outside this chamber to seek help in preserving his clan. May I bring him in?”

“Are you sure that Lord Yungis would resist mediation?” questioned Lord Kiamesh.

“Positive,” nodded Lord Marak. “His contempt for our government is severe. I must make this council aware of the reasons for his contempt. He has five thousand Jiadin warriors at his disposal. That army would present a challenge to the mightiest of our Khadoran clans. Worse, he has allies who can quickly multiply his force by four. The Vessi and Lejune clans each have five thousand Jiadin warriors. You have heard of their recent conquests on the eastern frontier. There is also a fourth clan, the Pikata, who also have Jiadin warriors. My fear is that these four clans will join forces to sweep across Khadora. The Balomar estate is only the first of many conquests. If we do not make a stand now, Khadora as we know it will cease to exist. I implore this council to provide troops immediately.”

“I move that this council immediately agree to take a stand on this provocation,” said Lord Patel. “We have lost several clans already to these Jiadin armies. How many clans must we lose before we awaken to the real threat they present to Khadora?”

“There is merit to your request, Lord Marak,” conceded Lord Kiamesh, “but you are proposing a solution that has never been used before. The Imperial troops are not numerous enough to halt the Jiadin. What do you want us to do?”

“I want armies,” answered Lord Marak. “Each member of this council could send troops in the very least. Optimally, other clans outside this council could be convinced to send troops. We need fighters, Lord Kiamesh. Lots of them.”

“And who will lead these troops?” asked Lord Kiamesh. “Are these great armies to be under your command?”

“Each clan could lead its own armies,” answered Lord Marak. “To be effective, there must be coordination among the clans. I would be willing to accept that responsibility and report directly to this council.”

“So you want our men for your own army?” asked Lord Garic. “That is preposterous.”

“That is not what I said,” frowned Lord Marak. “Look, I don’t really care who coordinates them as long as we succeed in pushing the Jiadin back into Fakara. This is not about me, Lord Garic. This is about preserving Khadora.”

“I am hesitant, Lord Marak,” admitted Lord Quilo. “The eastern frontier is quite a distance from Khadoratung and the Imperial Valley. While some minor frontier clans may indeed disappear, I really don’t think the Glamaraldi, or any other frontier clan, has the ability to battle its way here.”

“Are not the frontier clans part of Khadora, Lord Quilo?” posed Lord Marak. “Does the Lords’ Council exist only to serve the interests of the Imperial Valley? If that is the case, why should the frontier clans abide by your rules? Suppose other clans decide to take the attitude of Lord Yungis and declare that the government in Khadoratung is not relevant. Will Khadora then shrink to only those clans in the Imperial Valley?”

“If the frontier clans want to ignore us,” retorted Lord Quilo, “they will do so at their own peril. The Imperial Valley clans are the heart of Khadora. We have the armies to crush any opponent.”

“Then use them,” grinned Lord Marak. “That is exactly what I am asking you to do. The Jiadin are stealing portions of Khadora as we speak, Lord Quilo. They are using a few fool lords to accomplish their goal, but do not for one minute think that Lord Yungis really controls these men. He may believe it now, but I do not. When Lord Yungis has served his purpose, the foreigners will toss him aside.”

“We may have to in the future,” conceded Lord Quilo, “but I think you see this as a chance to seek power for yourself, Lord Marak. Do not take me for a fool.”

“Perhaps there is a way to resolve this,” offered Lord Kiamesh. “We could choose one of our marshals to lead this force. I think we should first vote on the proposition of supporting Lord Oktar, and later deal with what the force will look like and who will lead it.”

Lord Garic frowned and rose from his seat. “I request a short recess,” he said.

“Five minutes,” nodded Lord Quilo.

Lord Garic walked swiftly out of the room and raced to the Emperor’s office. He was immediately admitted.

“What is it?” Emperor Mirakotto asked distractedly.

“The Lords’ Council is in session,” answered Lord Garic. “They are considering a proposal to send troops to aid the Balomar clan against the Glamaraldi.”

“That nonsense again,” snarled the Emperor. “Why do none of them understand that the frontier just doesn’t matter in the overall scheme of things? Has there been a provocation?”

“There has been,” nodded Lord Garic. “It looks like a resolution will pass the council this time. Lord Patel and Lord Kiamesh appear to be leaning towards it. Lord Quilo and myself are against it.”

“Just let them do it,” smirked the Emperor. “Their armies will suffer loses, and they will be the weaker for it. I cannot believe that they are such fools.”

“Very well,” frowned Lord Garic. “I thought you would be opposed to it.”

“Why?” questioned the Emperor.

“There is talk that Lord Marak would lead the armies,” shrugged Lord Garic.

“What?” shouted Emperor Mirakotto. “You did not mention anything about Lord Marak.”

“Well he is the one presenting the plan to the council,” frowned Lord Garic. “I thought that I had mentioned that.”

“So Lord Marak is seeking yet more power?” mused the Emperor. “He is a threat, Garic. I know that he had meetings with Bagora, but I cannot find any record of them. I am curious what schemes they had planned together.”