The Blood Empress (5 page)

She listened to him closely and did not react to what he told her. She appeared disinterested in what he was saying but she was in fact thinking about it. After a long pause in which Kasaga exchanged a look with Verrad, she spoke.

"Lord Kasaga, I don't care about such trivial things. I want whatever ships and supplies you need for a full invasion of the human Alliance. If you, as Chief Strategist cannot make that happen, I shall have to replace you."

Kasaga thrust back his shoulders taking immediate offense to her accusation that he was not able to do his job. She watched his body language carefully and ventured cautiously into his mind. He was embarrassed and offended in equal parts.
Good. It meant that he still had the wherewithal to do his job.

"You have whatever Imperial decree you need to acquire your fleet. If the other Kastras ignore my wishes, I will deal with them myself. We are going back to Kerra-Jorro, or heads will roll from one end of this Empire to the other. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, my Empress."

Kasaga bowed sharply at his waist. Nykostra looked straight into the eyes of his second, Verrad. There was something about him that intrigued her although she could not pin it down. He was clearly ambitious but she also sensed a bit of daring in him. As if he would be perfectly willing to step out of his role and do anything, no matter how crazy he thought the task.

She filed him away for future reference. He was not the kind of warrior that made a good leader, unless you needed a loose cannon. She could relate to that on many levels.

***

Lord Ku'nar was in his room, sharpening his falchion when a knock came upon the old, wooden door. He grunted acknowledgment and went back to his sharpening steel.

The heavy door creaked open and a cloaked figure glided into the cramped room.

"Are you ready for the final test, Lord Ku'nar?" the Soothsayer said, his voice gravely and deep.

Ku'nar nodded curtly as he swept the steel along the medium sized blade. He worked quickly and with a precision that only came from years of sharpening blades.

"You will let Ketar think that he has the upper hand. This will gain his trust in you further. Only then do you have permission to strike him down."

Ku'nar looked up at the wrinkled gray face of the Soothsayer and nodded slowly. The Soothsayer's black lips parted in an evil smile that Ku'nar could feel deep inside his bones. He felt compelled to obey the old gray, despite having never met him before.

"Excellent," the Soothsayer said.

***

The duel was to be held in the main chamber of the Imperial castle. There were hundreds of attendants and dignitaries from every Kastra in the Empire in attendance.

Empress Nykostra had changed into her formal black gown that she always wore to official events that involved a killing. It was more ornate than even her red and black gown and consisted of many intricate layers of fabric. It took three women two hours to fit her into the gown and double to remove it properly.

She felt constricted and the fabric caused her skin to chafe in uncomfortable areas. It was her least favorite gown even though putting it on meant that she would soon witness a killing.

The two remaining contestants stood facing each other in the Circle of Honor. They wore resplendent armor with the colorful designs from their respective Kastra. Ketar's armor was engraved with ornate swirls and floral patterns and inlaid with gold. His Kastra colors were blue and black.

Ku'nar's armor was less ornate but boldly colored in burnt orange and black with images of fighting Votainion warriors from thousands of years ago when Voton was not a space faring civilization. The audience cheered loudest when he was introduced to them. Ku'nar's traditional armor struck a cord with more people than Ketar's had. Right from the start, Ketar was fighting more than just another warrior. He was fighting for respect from the crowd itself.

High upon her stone perch, Empress Nykostra's painted face and elaborate gown made her seem above the fray. She raised her hand holding the Imperial baton, symbol of the ruling house of Voton.

Both warriors flexed their muscles and readied themselves. The crowd of onlookers started chanting, "Long live the Empress, Long live the Empire," over and over in a fevered pitch that got louder with each repeating.

When the noise had reached a volume that not even Nykostra could stand, she lowered the baton and the crowd howled until she brought it to her side. It became incredibly quiet in the vacuous chamber and she could hear her own heart beat.

"Fight for your Empire! Fight for your Empress! Fight for your Kastra! And fight for your life!" she yelled.

The crowd roared back to life again as the two warriors charged at each other, swinging their falchions and locking blades in a fierce blow that nearly toppled both men.

Nykostra remained standing, her eyes following Ketar, her mind surging forward to push him onward. Inside, he was calm as a still body of water, even as he traded powerful blows with Ku'nar. His inner peace impressed Nykostra.

She made her home inside his mind, keeping a watchful eye out for any Soothsayer influence. There was none. His mind was free from any influence other than her own. He was surprisingly free of thought. When he recalled a lesson from his past about how to parry a blow, his old instructor's raspy old voice dominated his mind.

The Kwizarra Lonn watched the fight from his position to her right. She couldn't see his face, hidden under the black cloak but she knew his mind was inside Ku'nar's. Guiding his moves, whispering evil suggestions like the snake that he was.

Ku'nar's blows were powerful, so much so that it was all Ketar could do to counter them. He was never able to go on the offensive. Not as heavy as his opponent, Ketar was forced to use tricks to leverage what strength he could muster.

Nykostra watched them fight, her own pulse rising as they got closer and closer to each other with their sharp blades. She had watched many a duel in this Circle of Honor and had never been this on edge before, never been this emotionally committed before. Now she understood the excitement and passion of organized sports. When you're this committed to the fight, it has more impact, more meaning. Especially when you know the person who is in the fight and you know that he will die, should he lose.

Her knuckles tightened around the staff of the baton. Beads of nervous sweat began forming on her blue-black brow as her chest heaved with shorter breaths.

Ketar fell to his knees after a powerful blow and lost his balance. He struggled for a moment to move out of the way as Ku'nar's blade fell to the stone floor with a clang. It was useless to wait for such misses to dull the man's blade. He had to get out of the way faster. Nykostra urged him on with positive thoughts.

Ketar looked directly at her for a split second as if he knew she were there inside his head with him. She realized that was impossible, still, it made her heart sing.

They had done well to keep their duel inside the spacious Circle of Honor, but they were both beginning to tire quickly. Ku'nar was beginning to become irritated that it was taking this long to kill Ketar. He started increasing his blows and wielding his blade more adeptly.

Ketar was sweating profusely and taking fewer thrusts at Ku'nar. The crowd had begun to favor Ku'nar. You could tell they sensed that Ketar was fading and would not last much longer.

That was when the first swipe cut into Ketar's upper arm. The falchion sliced right through the padding and his muscle. Ketar went down grasping his wound. Blood stained his fingers as he continued to hold up his blade in a weak defensive pose.

Ku'nar began to feed off the crowd and started posing triumphantly after each swing of his falchion managed to find purchase in Ketar's body. Nykostra's dark eyes narrowed as she forced Ketar to move with her own will power. Once and then again her sheer might moved him just enough to keep his head or arm attached.

It was taking too much out of her to continue for long. The Kwizarra Lonn turned to her and met her with his red, glowing eyes. He knew she was helping him. The two brave warriors were but puppets being manipulated by their masters.

The blood red eyes of the old man moved to the circle as his head remained facing her. She looked to the floor and saw that Ku'nar was ready to land a kill shot. All that Ketar could do was watch, panting from lack of air and tired muscles. He had several wounds on his arms and side and was slowly leaking his blood onto the ancient stone floor.

Nykostra was sure this was the end, she could not protect her Ketar from another blow. She watched Ku'nar turn away from his opponent and call out to the crowd.

"Let all who watch this duel know that I take no joy in ending this brave man's life today. He has fought hard and noble, but his time has come."

While Ku'nar was speaking, Ketar managed to struggle to his feet and then charged head long into Ku'nar's back side. His falchion entered the lower back and quickly severed the man's spine before exiting again training blood and entrails. Ku'nar fell to the floor nearly cut in half. He was dead before his startled face hit the cold stone.

Nykostra had never seen such savagery. Her mouth fell open and she let out her breath. The entire chamber sighed at once as Ketar pulled his heavy falchion above his head and screamed his victory cry.

Stunned to silence by the kill, the crowd surged back to life and howled their approval.

Nykostra's breath returned as she stepped down from her throne and strode past the Kwizarra Lonn. The old gray Soothsayer was already heading out of the great chamber. His man defeated by his own ego as much as his opponent.

Ketar lowered his falchion and took a knee before the Empress. She rested the metal baton on his shoulder and crossed it to the other shoulder, blessing the victor and selecting him as her husband.

She had to help him to his feet and they embraced. His arms were cut and bleeding but he still felt good against her. Ketar whispered into her ear.

"I love you Kaleen. I will love you till the end of time."

She pulled him away far enough to kiss him. His mouth was tinged with blood and sweat but she never had a more satisfying kiss.

Stepping through the narrow inner castle walls, the Kwizarra Lonn made his way back to the stairwell that led to the caverns beneath. He was met by another Soothsayer in a dark cloak. It was N'arvon, his second.

"Ku'nar is dead. Our plans have shifted."

"As you wish, Kasim," N'arvon replied.

They walked together for a moment before the master stopped. He lifted back his cloak and held his fists together while bowing to a statue carved in polished black stone. It was Kubidai, the Soothsayer spirit of guiding light.

"I can control Ketar's mind easily enough, so we will proceed with our plan. But while I was inside Ketar's mind, I learned something even more valuable."

N'arvon tilted his gray head slightly and waited patiently for his master to speak.

"He's more than just a friend to the Empress. He is in love with her."

N'arvon's brow arched.

"A fortunate break for us, Kasim."

"Indeed. Have the wine for tonight's dinner come from Surg."

"But Kasim, we have representatives from Vicar, including our new conquest..."

The gravity of the request finally hit N'arvon as he looked into the red eyes of his master.

"But that will take his life?"

The Kwizarra Lonn nodded. "It will also look like a Surg attempt at revenge for killing their man. The Empress will likely still blame us, but there will be no proof of our involvement. You shall put the change into the thoughts of a particular Surg on the dining staff."

N'arvon quickly developed a new respect for his master's gamesmanship. "Excellent, Kasim."

But then a thought occurred to N'arvon. "Kasim, what if that turns the Empress against us? She could refuse to mate and that will leave the Empire without a heir yet again."

The Kwizarra Lonn returned his cloak over his head and moved on down the hall. "Leave that to me," he said.

***

Later that day the Empress presented Ketar with his lordship and anointed him as a full Votainion warrior. The ceremony was short and to the point and was broadcast all over the Empire.

Nykostra in her formal black and red gown and intricate headdress and Ketar in his royal red uniform with a headband forged by the best armorer in the Empire. Usually the Empire was ruled by the family patriarch, but since Nykostra's family had been murdered, it had fallen on her to lead from a very young age.

The child Empress had been on the throne for nearly a decade and had earned a reputation as being ruthless and impatient. After she had slain the former Kwizarra Lonn and drank his still warm blood, she became known as the Kamsa-riecht. The God-Empress. Her name was spoken with a reverence normally reserved for a goddess. Her powers were considered heavenly. Most adults feared her as much as they adored her.

The man who stood at her side now, was the only person who had ever treated her like an equal and she respected and loved him for that. Ketar did not change his demeanor towards her once he took his place beside her. He held his head high and assumed his station as her most trusted friend as well as her devoted lover.

There was an immediate feeling of relief throughout the Empire. Soon there would be an heir and should anything happen to her now her husband could lead the Empire. Soothsayers from every Kastra in the empire made bold predictions that the Kamsa-riecht would rule for a very long time and her family would restore glory by expanding the empire to encompass half the known galaxy.

Nykostra reached out and grasped the strong hand of Ketar as they posed for formal portraits. His face was still scared and bruised from the duel, but it only added to his masculine features. She smiled pleasantly at him and he nodded firmly back. She knew he was holding a mask for the artists but she could see the spark in his dark eyes that told her how much he loved her.

As she looked at him she felt a cool, dark shadow pass by. It made her skin crawl and brought bumps along her arms under the silken gown. She looked around expecting to find the Kwizarra Lonn nearby. But he was nowhere to be seen and the cold feeling slowly subsided.