Sui Writes

Tag: MMFiction

  • A Thousand Years of Hope Ch 16-1

    Dante loved everything about the farmhouse in the middle of an apple orchard.

    From the kitchen filled with herbs growing in little pots on the window seal, the antique cooking range and the oven spelled into baking potatoes in the afternoon like clockwork.

    “What happens if I put in something else to bake?” Dante asked the first day when Tani pulled out a tray of four large baked potatoes. “Will it let me?”

    “It will,” Tani said. “This is Cale’s sense of humor. He thinks I will soon have potatoes growing in my stomach. I figure I have loved eating them so long, it is unlikely his thoughts will come to be.”

    “You and Cale sound close,” Dante said, as he sat at the kitchen table. He watched Tani pull out sour cream from the fridge.

    Tani found a bunch of chives from a vegetable holder on the counter and washed them. He chopped them on a board, then opened the sour cream container and got to work cutting open the baked potatoes. He took his time responding to Dante’s comment. Dante waited with patience.

    “Cale is family,” Tani said, as he found a tablespoon. He scooped sour cream and placed it on the top of the baked potato. Two scoops for each potato, then he sprinkled chopped chives on he sour cream.

    “He was assigned to watch over me when I was sentenced to stay in the mortal realm,” Tani said. “Through the centuries, we have come to understand each other better. Cale’s the master of calamities and he has ended up being the one to understand mine best. He helped me through the worst of it.”

    Dante absorbed Tani’s answer with a nod. His heart heavy at the thought of the pain Tani must have lived through to find comfort in the god of calamities.

    “Don’t think about it,” Tani said, bringing a plate with two baked potatoes and placing it on the table before him. “Cale is a friend. Don’t over think it.”

    Dante nodded, and accepted the spoon Tani handed him. He used the spoon to mix the sour cream and the chives with the soft insides of the potato. He took a bite of the result and smiled at Tani.

    “It’s delicious.”

    Tani smiled, sliding soft fingers over Dante’s cheek. He went to the counter and returned with two glasses of orange juice, and his own plate. He pushed the salt and black pepper shakers closer to Dante.

    “What would you like to bake in the magic oven?” Tani asked, with a wink.

    “Chicken,” Dante said.

    “Mm,” Tani nodded taking a bite of his own baked potato. He let out a soft moan of appreciation at the taste and Dante placed his spoon down to stare.

    The joy on Tani’s face at the taste of baked potatoes was hard to ignore. He filed the look away and reminded himself to discover new baked potato recipes for Tani to try.

    “We’ll have to visit my nosy neighbor for chickens,” Tani said. “This farmhouse has none. It would be cruel to let life grow here without a tender

    “Okay,” Dante said, picking up his spoon. “So, does this count as our second date?”

    Tani glanced at him then and chuckled.

    “When was the first?” Tani asked.

    “This morning when you met my parents,” Dante said, making Tani laugh. The sound filling Dante up with joy. “We can say the elephants in the forest in the middle of a jungle were the highlight of that date. This must be the second one.”

    “You’re impossible,” Tani said, continuing his meal.

    After lunch, Tani took him on a walk around the vast farm, to see the apple trees. They were blooming, ready to fruit soon.

    “Why apples?” Dante asked, when the sun started sliding down in the horizon. They walked back to the farmhouse at a slow pace. They held hands, and Dante felt like he was living a teenage dream he had forgotten. It felt exhilarating.

    “Will you laugh at me if I tell you why?” Tani asked, stealing a glance at him.

    “No,” Dante said with a small smile, as they walked along the grassy path between rows of apple trees.

    Tani nodded.

    “The first gift I ever received from a mortal was a bunch of apples in a bag,” Tani said. “They were delicious, and I became partial to the taste.”

    Dante’s eyes widened, remembering the bag of apples the original Durante brought to a wild forest for Tani. The start of a fate that tied them together for a lifetime.

    Dante tightened his hold on Tani’s hand and stopped, making Tani turn to look at him.

    “Is that why you’ve grown an orchard full?” Dante asked.

    “Perhaps,” Tani said, with a shrug. “It started out that way. I transplanted the original apple tree from Durante’s old farm. Then, in time, I grew more, collected others. Now…”

    Tani looked at the rows of apple trees around them.

    “Maybe I always liked apples. In any case, they have become my sanctuary,” Tani said, then resumed their walk back to the farmhouse. “It’s been too long. It’s hard to pull it apart to figure out the reason.”

    Dante held his comment on the matter. His anger at Durante growing again. Tani’s devotion was so clearly painted in the apple orchard. How did that fool miss it? Or had Durante simply chosen to ignore it?

    Breathing out the weight of their past, he followed Tani to the farmhouse in silence. Listening to Tani talk about their nosy neighbor who might visit them if she noticed smoke coming from the fireplace the next day.

    Falling into a domestic routine with Tani felt amazing. They took turns showering in the well-stocked bathroom tucked in the corridor. Tani summoned Dante’s clothing from Artri House. They both dressed down in sweats and t-shirts.

    Later, they ate sandwiches for dinner.

    Tani was careful to keep their conversation away from their heavy past. Pulling Dante into discussions about the archeological digs he had participated in around Europe. They ended up in the living room designed for comfort after a hard day’s work. Tani lay on the comfortable couch with his head resting on Dante’s lap as they talked. They watched the fire crackle away in the fireplace in the corner.

    “Do you miss spending time with April and Zach?” Tani asked at some point, late in the night.

    Dante combed his fingers through Tani’s hair. His fingers occasionally playing with the gold leafs on Tani’s right ear.

    “I do but my presence in their lives will never be prominent,” Dante said with a soft sigh. “There was a time Viola would get very angry when I told her that. She thought I had no love for our children, for her.”

    “And?” Tani asked, shifting on Dante’s lap so that he could look at him.

    “I do love my children,” Dante said, holding Tani’s gaze. “Because I do, I feel the best place for them to be is with Viola. My fire magic, my family legacy is too heavy for them to carry. It would only place them in harms way if they stayed with me.”

    “What if they had the legacy in their blood?” Tani asked.

    “Then I would bring them to Artri House without hesitation and teach them everything I know,” Dante said. “As my mother taught me. As Grandmaster Landi taught me.”

    Tani studied him for a moment.

    “None of them have the legacy though. They might never understand why you left them. Will you be sad if they never understand your way of thinking?” Tani asked.

    “Perhaps,” Dante said, his gaze shifting to the bright fireplace. “It is the price I have to pay as a warlock father to two pure mortals. I do hope, when they are older, we can meet and talk. I do want to see them achieve their dreams. I’ll always support them, if they let me.”

    “You’re a good man, Dante,” Tani murmured.

    “You’d be the first partner I’ve ever had to say so,” Dante said, thinking of Viola and the way she got angry with him.

    “I will remind you often,” Tani said, then got up and held out his hand to Dante. “We should sleep. I think we should prune the apple trees while we’re here. Make sure my nosy neighbor gets a good harvest.”

    Dante took Tani’s hand, and stood up.

    “Turn off the fire,” Tani murmured.

    Dante waved his hand at the fireplace, using his magic to snuff out the flames until the embers cooled. Then Tani led the way to the master bedroom with its large bed made of oak. They slid onto the comfortable mattress. The white sheets felt so soft Dante wished he could feel them on his skin.

    He imagined making love to Tani on the comfortable bed, even anticipated it. Then, once they were in bed, Tani gave him a chaste kiss, turned of the lights and promptly fell asleep.

    And so, a seven-day stay at the farmhouse started.

    Each day was filled with a lesson on patience and restraint. Dante was sure Tani was testing him. They spent their days in the orchard, pruning apple trees.

    Mornings at breakfast were light, their fridge refilled by the clever magic created by the god of calamity. Dante listened to endless praises for Cale from Tani. After breakfast, they started work. He loved watching Tani walk the grand apple orchard with a set of shears pruning apple trees. There was a love for the work in every action Tani did.

    In between the work, there were fond kisses and affectionate hugs, but their nights were filled with Tani going to sleep the moment they slid between the comfortable sheets. It was as though he had forgotten their promise to make love on their third date. Dante started a very regular sighing routine.

    Two days into their stay, Dante finally met the nosy neighbor.

    She was a Greek woman in her late twenties. She wore her blonde hair long, was dressed in a white cotton skirt and a blue blouse, her feet in flat sandals. The Greek woman brought two chickens for their pantry and a basket filled with an assortment of vegetables from her garden. She arrived right as they returned to the house for lunch.

    “Fox Lord, you should call to let your neighbor know you’ve returned to the farmhouse,” she complained the moment she saw Tani. “How long has it been since you dared to let your shadow darken our region?”

    “I don’t remember,” Tani said, opening the front door.

    Dante took the basket of vegetables from the woman and smiled in greeting as he hugged the basket.

    “I’m Selene,” she said in greeting. “Can’t wait for him to introduce you to me. He thinks I’m a nuisance. I’m glad he is staying with someone this time. I worry he might starve to death if he stays here alone.”

    “I’m Dante.”

    “I know,” Selene said with a small smile. “The last one of you.”

    “You know?” Dante asked, surprised as he looked at Tani.

    “Hard not to when Cale is his warden,” Selene said. “I thought the little lordling had jumped into the dark side the first time I saw the god of calamities aura in our region. I came to banish them both, only to discover Ekho royalty had come to search for solace in our quiet isle.”

    “You talk too much,” Tani said.

    “You barely talk, Fox Lord,” Selene said leading the way into the farmhouse. She headed straight to the kitchen. “Come on Dante, I bet you want to eat more than baked potatoes. I’ll teach you a special trick about the magical oven in the kitchen. Cale has a strange sense of humor. If you put vegetables into the oven, they cook in record time. One day I tried chicken and I swear to the fates that it makes the most delicious grilled chicken in the world. Otherwise, baked potatoes remain a boring staple.”

    “I like your neighbor, Tani,” Dante said, placing the basket of vegetables he held on the kitchen table.

    “Fox Lord thinks I’m nosy,” Selene said, as she pulled out a flat baking pan from a cupboard and took it to the sink. “Let’s make chicken, with grilled cauliflower and some wild rice. Dante, the rice bin in the pantry is refilled by Cale’s magic.”

    “Hm,” Dante winked at Tani who had sat down at the kitchen table with his arms folded against his chest. “I should explore this kitchen more.”

    “It will surprise you,” Selene said, coming to open her basket to find two heads of cauliflower. “In any case, I’m glad to see you here, Fox Lord. I worried that this would be the last—”

    “I’m already here,” Tani cut off Selene. “Stop talking so much. Why don’t you focus on making the chicken?”

    Tani stood up and took the cauliflower heads from her.

    “I’ll wash these for you,” Tani said.

    Dante frowned at how fast Tani interrupted Selene but did not pause to think deeper about the reason. He went to the pantry and found the rice bin filled with wild rice. Taking the scoop inside the bin, he measured a cup and returned to the kitchen to find Tani glaring at Selene.

    Tani sighed when he saw Dante and turned on the tap at the sink.

    “What now?” Dante asked, moving to join Tani at the sink so that they could wash the cauliflower and the rice. “Why does Selene annoy you so much?”

    “He can’t stand my sunny face,” Selene said, as she found a pan for the chicken.

    “You’re too nosy for your own good,” Tani grumbled.

    Dante kissed Tani’s right cheek, amused by Tani’s attitude toward Selene.

    “I like your annoyed face,” Dante said when Tani glanced at him.

    “I’m not annoyed.”

    “Yes, you are,” Dante said, leaning on the counter so that he could study Tani’s expressions.

    Dante stole a glance at Selene who was busy arranging the chicken pieces she brought on the baking pan. She salted and seasoned them with the attention of a seasoned cook. So, Dante leaned in and whispered into Tani’s ear.

    “She seems worried about you, you know,” Dante said. “I think she’s no different from Cale who spelled the house.”

    “Mm,” Tani said, biting his bottom lip as he washed the cauliflower and broke it into pieces.

    Dante placed a colander in the sink for the cauliflower pieces.

    “She’s the reason you want to prune the apple trees, right?” Dante asked, studying Tani’s face.

    Tani met his inquiring gaze and nodded.

    “She’s another Hera,” Dante said with a quick grin.

    “Not at all,” Tani said, shaking his head. He glanced at Selene and then scowled at the cauliflower. “Hera is a child I’ve raised. That one is Ekho.”

    “What?” Dante glanced at Selene to find her watching them.

    Selene grinned wide.

    “You heard everything I just said,” Dante said, knowing their hearing was sensitive.

    “Yes, handsome Dante. Have I told you that I think you’re the best version? I especially appreciate the fire brewing inside you for the Fox Lord. It’s spectacular to watch,” Selene said.

    Dante bit back a grin when Tani’s scowl deepened at Selene’s comment.

    “What kind of Ekho are you?” Dante asked, leaning on the counter, his arms crossed as he studied Selene.

    Strange, but had Tani not said it, he would never have known Selene was an Ekho. She did not look like one. Dante frowned thinking about the Ekhos he had met in the past few days.

    Tani’s uncle, Amu, and the earth goddess, Eren, had also looked quite plain. Why was it different when he looked at Tani? Was it because Tani’s eyes were amber?

    “I’m a half-breed,” Selene said, smiling at Dante. “Half-fox and half-dragon. My parents brought me to the mortal world to escape harsh criticism from the more cynical members of our clans. Don’t look so surprised. Prejudice grows in every society in some form.”

    “Why do you call Tani royalty?” Dante asked.

    “He’s the son of the Fox Goddess Anit and…,” Selene looked at Tani. Dante wondered if she was waiting for Tani to protest, but when he did not, she grinned and continued. “The Immortal Lord Sunu.”

    “Immortal Lord,” Dante said, his gaze returning to Tani. “As in the head of the Immortal Clan?”

    “Yes. Lord Sunu is the master of the Citadel and the emperor of our Ekho clan. He rules the Septum,” Selene said. “You’re well informed for a mortal.”

    “I’m a bloodborne warlock,” Dante said. “Ekho-blessed with fire magic.”

    “Oh,” Selene’s eyes widened with drama. “That explains the fire I see in your veins. You’re a mortal hybrid. Your kind is rare. Your mother must have come from a powerful warlock line.”

    “Yes. Her powers added to my father’s and made me. Why are your eyes different from Tani’s?” Dante asked, curious about Selene’s blue eyes.

    “My father is a dragon,” Selene said. “I get my eyes and blonde hair from him. Even my powers and love for beautiful things come from him. In our line, the more powerful parent leaves a mark on his or her children.”

    “So, Tani’s power and eyes,” Dante said, his sentence trailing off as he met Tani’s amber gaze.

    “My father’s mark on me,” Tani confirmed. “My hair is red from my mother’s side.”

    “Fox Lord’s parents are at the god level,” Selene said, her voice heavy with reverence. “It’s natural to have a mark from each one.”

    “Why do you call him Fox Lord?” Dante asked.

    “It is the easiest title,” Selene said. “I’m not shameless enough to go around calling out the name of the Immortal Lord’s son. I’m afraid he will come to find me.”

    Tani scoffed at Selene’s comment, his shoulders tense at the mention of his father.

    Dante noted the tension growing in Tani at the mention of his roots. He brushed his lips on Tani’s forehead and decided to change the topic. He asked Selene about her farm and what she was growing.

    Selene was fun to have around, once they got over her need to poke at Tani’s mood. She was lively and enjoyed sharing recipes. She shared the same aversion to Cale that Dante had for the god of calamities.

    “Don’t fight him if he shows up,” Selene said to Dante when she got up to leave after lunch. “He protects Fox Lord like a guard dog. It’s hard not to respect him for his dedication.”

    “Have I said you talk too much today?” Tani asked as he watched Selene leave the kitchen with a wave.

    “More times than I care to count,” Selene said. “I’ll bring you more veggies the day after tomorrow.”

    “I didn’t ask,” Tani said.

    “I’m telling Dante,” Selene said, blowing a kiss at Dante. “I’ll see you later, handsome Dante. I hope you smooth his edges by the time I get back.”

    Dante chuckled as a strong wind pushed Selene out of the house and slammed the door closed.

    “Your magic works well when you’re annoyed,” Dante said. “Selene is not so bad.”

    “She is an acquired taste,” Tani said, shaking his head.

    “I think you worry about her, but you don’t want to make it obvious. Why?”

    “I don’t,” Tani said, standing up. He took their used plates to the sink.

    “Tani.”

    “We should finish the row we started this morning,” Tani said starting the water to wash their plates.

    Dante bit his bottom lip to stop himself from pushing. It was interesting to discover that this house probably held the secrets of Tani’s core. Like the truth of Cale protecting Tani, and pushing him to live when he didn’t want to.

    This place was where Tani allowed himself to feel vulnerable. It held the truth of Tani’s true feelings.

    Later in the afternoon, Dante stood next to Tani looking at the dead branch Tani was pointing out.

    Dante held a hand pruner, poised to make a cut as soon as Tani showed him where.

    “We have to get rid of these dead branches,” Tani said, showing him the spot to cut. “I try to make sure there is enough light coming through. Don’t hesitate when you cut. We don’t want the branch to gain an unnecessary bruise.”

    Dante made the cut, holding the dead branch so that it would not fall on Tani’s head.

    Tani turned to him with a pleased smile, and Dante froze in place, his heartbeat speeding. Sunrays sifted through the leaves of the apple tree they were pruning, falling over Tani’s red-brown hair, turning it into a rich vibrant color. Tani’s amber eyes shone in the light making Dante’s heart squeeze tight.

    So beautiful, Dante was sure he would never tire of looking at Tani.

    Yes, these past two days had turned into an exercise in restraint.

    Dante waited every day for Tani to reach for him. To ask him for more than the kisses they shared, for more than holding hands as they sat watching the sunset. He wished and hoped for their kisses to turn into lovemaking, but Tani seemed content with the little they were doing.

    It was hell sleeping next to Tani and feeling so unsure—

    Of course, the sun would decide to push his limits. Painting this perfect creature with light, making him look so utterly stunning, it was hard not to want to kiss him until they were both naked on the grass under the apple trees.

    Damn. Did the sun forget he was a simple poor mortal soul?

    Dante dropped the branch he held in the wheelbarrow from the shed already half-filled with dead branches. He stole another glance at Tani and caught him frozen in place.

    “What are you thinking about?” Dante asked, closing the pruners he held.

    “I should ask you that question,” Tani said, turning away. He sauntered to the next apple tree.

    Dante watched Tani study the branches. Dropping the pruners into the discarded branches in the wheelbarrow, Dante followed Tani.

    “Your lips are pursed so tight, I want to kiss them into compliance. What are you holding yourself back from saying?”

    “I’m not holding back,” Tani said, touching a small bud on the tree. The white apple flower grew into a fuller bud before Tani let go of it and walked to the next tree.

    Tani’s magic seemed to work better in this place, Dante noted.

    “Yes, you are. Tani, you promised not to keep me at arms’ length,” Dante accused, following Tani. “I can barely restrain myself from pulling you down on the grass and making love to you. Yet, when I look at you, I think you don’t feel the same way.”

    “Who says I don’t? We’ve slept in the same bed for two nights. I must hold no appeal to you, as you have not attempted to reach for me at all. Dante Arturo, if you want me, you must tell me. How will I know if you don’t say it?” Tani asked.

    Tani abandoned his study of the apple trees and headed to the farmhouse.

    Dante gaped and then chuckled at Tani’s last question.

    “Then, I’ll just show you how much more I want with you,” he murmured and ran after Tani.

    ****

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  • Blades of Ashes Ch 3-2

    Arc 1- The Case of the Forged Silver Coins

    Chapter 3-2

    Raithion sat on the balcony on the second floor at the Teba Inn. He had a great view of the busy port city below. The main street connected the town with the docks. The balcony at the Teba Inn was the best spot to see who was coming and going.

    Sipping mild grape wine, Raithion thought about Basileus Dio and his father’s instructions. According to the findings of their ongoing investigation, the forged silver coins had ore that was only found in the Sura mines.

    The simplest way to end the case was to arrest the Sura Clan and have them confess their counterfeiting crime.

    This was the easiest end.

    However, when Raithion’s legion arrived at the Endless Port, they discovered a rumor. Someone had robbed six Sura cargo carriages. The clan had lost twelve skilled drivers and was now concerned about their safety on the road. Everyone at the port worried because they all made money through the Sura clan’s enterprises.

    From inns in the port town to fruit stands in the market, everyone had a small connection to the Sura. If the clan suffered, they did too.

    Curious about this development, Raithion asked Haedor to follow up on the robbery rumors with the magistrate. He hoped the Sura clan had reported a case of theft. These disruptions in their supply would exonerate the Sura Clan from the counterfeiting case.

    Raithion did not want to see an entire clan pay for the sins of the few.

    Shaking his head, he returned his gaze to the main dining hall beyond the balcony when he heard a commotion. Two of his main officers sat eating at one of the tables.  They were waiting for Haedor with him. The rest of their legion brothers were downstairs in various stages of rest.

    The two officers in the dining hall stood to greet Haedor, who had returned from his errand.

    Raithion watched them salute Haedor, and then return to their meal.

    Haedor crossed the dining room and came out to the balcony to pull out the seat opposite Raithion.

    “The port magistrate is a piece of work,” Haedor said as he settled.  “He was asleep when I arrived and had not heard the rumors of theft. He acts as though a robbery would inconvenience him if he were asked to investigate it.”

    Raithion poured a glass of wine for Haedor and pushed it across the table.

    “Take a sip. Relax,” Raithion said. “The manager of this inn says no one in the town trusts the port magistrate to help. He is a lazy, corrupt fellow. There is a possibility the Sura did not bother to report to him.”

    “They should,” Haedor said, after taking two sips of the weak wine. “It protects them later when we have to bring this case before the Basileus at the Imperial Court.”

    “First, we have to find them in order to convince them to make the report,” Raithion said. “I’ve yet to spot someone of consequence in the crowd. I hope the Sura Clan has not given up or gone into hiding.”

    Haedor’s stomach growled, and Raithion grinned.

    It was almost midday. Of course, his lieutenant was hungry.

    “Order food,” Raithion said, nodding to the interior of the inn. “I’ll have what you’re having.”

    “Yes, General,” Haedor said, getting up fast. “We should change the wine to tea, especially if we need to chase after the clan later.”

    “Do that,” Raithion said, drinking the last of the wine in his goblet. He handed over the goblet and the bottle to Haedor.

    Once his lieutenant left, Raithion returned to staring at the street. He gave his attention to anyone he saw with strawberry-blonde hair. So far, he had seen an old woman with two young boys following her. A young woman too focused on her destination as she carried a large basket on her back. And a blacksmith hauling his tools to the docks. None of them had seemed attached to the Sura cargo carriages or the transportation of burnt ore.

    Raithion sighed and sat back in his chair. Maybe he should just knock on the Sura port station and see if any of them would answer his questions.

    He was pondering on the merits of this plan when he caught a shimmer of gold and white hair in the midday sun. The shimmer drifted between the crowds of people walking on the main street. Raithion sat up, focusing his gaze on the spot where he saw that distinctive color.

    The crowd parted to reveal a young Sura man standing by a fruit stand. Raithion could not help watching him with interest.

    The Sura man was on the short side, maybe five eight. He was lean, and his hair was in a messy top ponytail. His hair was long to his shoulders. He was dressed in dark trousers, a cream tunic, and a long leather coat. The sleeves of the leather coat were decorated with shiny metal. Raithion wished he could get a closer look at the designs.

    The young Sura man had a handsome profile. He smiled easily as he talked to his companion, a taller man with short curly hair, the same color. They browsed the fruit stand for a moment and then moved away from the stall.

    Raithion frowned as the young man tossed a silver coin into the air and caught it. He did it with ease, unworried that a passerby would steal it from him. He walked with ease, as though he had no reason to hurry.

    The young Sura man’s companion was the opposite. He looked nervous and kept glancing behind them. His glimpses back were discrete, but Raithion could tell an uneasy character from a distance. So, he too assessed the crowd behind the pair.

    “Interesting,” Raithion murmured when he saw two women who were following the pair without attempting to hide.

    They kept the same pace as the two Sura men, making sure to keep them in their line of sight.

    Haedor returned with a tray laden with food. He placed it on the table and got to work arranging a bowl of beef stew and bread for Raithion.

    “Look,” Raithion said, nodding to the youth who was getting closer to the inn. “The young man with messy Sura hair. He’s strolling in the inn’s direction.”

    Haedor found him and nodded.

    “Now, look fifteen paces behind him,” Raithion said. “What do you see?”

    Haedor watched the crowd in silence for a moment and then nodded.

    “He is being followed,” Haedor said.

    “Looks like we’ve found the start of our Sura case,” Raithion said with a grin.

    “Should our brothers get him?” Haedor asked, starting to turn to give the order.

    “No.” Raithion kept watching the young Sura man who was approaching the inn.  “Let’s watch for now. Sit, Haedor. Eat your food. Let’s not spook him.”

    Haedor frowned, but he nodded and sat in his chair. He picked up his spoon and ate, his gaze on the Sura pair walking toward them.

    Raithion watched the young Sura man approach the inn, ignoring his food. He frowned when the young man stopped at the entrance of the Teba Inn.  His companion followed suit and Raithion held his breath, hoping…hoping the young man would choose to enter the Teba Inn.

    “Why is he hesitating?” Haedor asked as he took a healthy bite of his beef stew.

    “Where did we leave our horses?” Raithion asked, curious.

    “Out front,” Haedor said, and then groaned. “The brothers are sitting on the chairs arranged at the front. They might look too fierce and sprawled around with their weapons. I’ll go—”

    “No,” Raithion said, returning his gaze to the young Sura man at the entrance of the inn. “Let’s see what he does.”

    “General, no civilian is willing to get that close to the legion when they’re so clearly armed.”

    “Isn’t it more interesting if a civilian were to enter this inn with all the brothers guarding the entrance,” Raithion said with a soft chuckle.

    As though to prove his theory, the young Sura man entered the small compound outside the inn. His smile was wide as he greeted the fifteen soldiers who were enjoying their food at the front tables.

    “Good day, gentlemen,” the young Sura man said. His voice was cordial, an enticing medium tenor, with a playful note. “Welcome to Endless Port.”

    The legion brothers nodded, returning the greeting with various nods, waves, and cordial greetings.

    Raithion smiled and picked up his spoon as the young man entered the inn.  He picked up his spoon and took a bite of his beef stew, waiting.

    The main dining room downstairs was not usable.

    Raithion’s officers had packed their luggage on the tables there.

    So…the Sura pair would have no choice but to come upstairs.

    Raithion grinned wider as he waited.

    ****

    Azula worked on controlling the anxious energy growing inside him. He truly did not know whether it was good or bad luck that made him think of coming to the Teba Inn. Usually, the place would be filled with travelers from other states on their way to the port or returning from elsewhere.

    Today, however, it looked like they had run into strange luck. The inn was filled with legion brothers and possibly their leader. Their uniforms were peculiar. Not the red and black colors prevalent with the port magistrate’s garrison. This new batch was dressed in greens and black.

    Azula shuddered.

    There was a common tale often heard in the beer inns in the evening. A tale about Legion Brothers from Draeya County. Strong and ruthless, they maintained peace in the main Naga State town.

    The Naga State King was so impressed with their valor, that he presented them with the mandate to cleanse the lands of any wrong without question.

    A fierce young general who had gained his rank at a young age led these fierce brothers.

    They called him the Draeya General. He was reportedly cold and fierce, just like his soldiers, but his loyalty to his family was faultless. Women in Naga wished to have the Draeya General as their brother or husband.

    Azula hoped the legion brothers at the front of the inn did not belong to the Draeya General. Meeting the Draeya General would be equivalent to facing a man with ties to the highest authority in the empire.

    Azula shuddered again at the thought. He loved his small existence. He prayed the legion brothers belonged to a small lieutenant who would not mind taking a few coins to protect a carriage.

    The inn’s main dining hall was filled with large crates, the tables moved to the side. Azula paused as he wondered if they could get a meal here.

    The inn’s manager hurried to his side from the kitchen.

    “Vandra,” Azula said, smiling at the inn manager. “Are you getting booted out by the landlord? What is with all the crates on the tables?”

    “Ay! Master Doriel, you left the island! I’m honored you would come for a meal in our inn,” Vandra said in greeting. “Don’t worry about these tables; let’s take you to the second floor. There is space there for you and Sennin. Why didn’t you send word that you would be coming to town today? We would have planned a nice meal for everyone in your crew. Are you here with Lord Magnus?”

    “The trip was unplanned,” Azula said, shaking his head, his gaze still on the crates on the dining tables. “Lord Magnus is still at home today, too lazy to cross the seas.  Our people will bring the fruit delivery cart later. We brought two crates of the mangoes you like.”

    “That’s good news,” Vandra said, patting Azula’s left arm. “I know you crave sweet and sour roasted chicken. I’ll make sure the kitchen makes you a good one for your lunch today.”

    “I promised Sennin fried fish and a sweet bun,” Azula said, as the manager led them to the stairs.

    “Fried fish and a sweet bun for Sennin,” Vandra agreed with a nod, “and a nice pot of fresh tea. It will fill you up.”

    “Vandra knows how to treat guests,” Azula said with a quick grin, then lowered his voice. “Who leads the legion brothers at the front? Is there a new lieutenant joining the magistrate’s office?”

    “Heavens, no,” Vandra stopped at the staircase landing, glancing at the second floor with a wary gaze. He gripped Azula’s left arm tight. “No matter what you do, don’t go to the balcony. The legion brothers downstairs belong to someone very scary. He and his lieutenant are having a meal up here.”

    “Oh?” Azula frowned, and then lowered his voice in a whisper. “Who could be so scary as to make you worry, Vandra?”

    “The Draeya General,” Vandra said, matching Azula’s whisper.

    Azula felt his anxiety rise another notch.

    Damn it, he would need to go to another place in search of an easy pack of legion brothers. His shoulders slumped with distress. There was no way to buy off a decorated general.

    Sennin, sensing Azula’s disappointment, stepped around to talk to Vandra.

    “No wonder you don’t have other guests in the inn,” Sennin said, urging Azula to move when Vandra continued upstairs. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll have our meal in peace and then head out. We have a lot undone and the sun won’t stay still.”

    “Yes, yes,” Vandra agreed. “Our chef makes the best sweet and sour roast chicken. Young Master Doriel will not be disappointed.”

    They reached the second floor, and Vandra led them to a round table on the opposite side of the balcony. He chose a table near an open window. Azula looked out and saw the magistrate’s compound two streets away.

    “You have a good rest. I’ll get someone to bring you water to drink, and warm towels to wipe your hands.”

    Vandra hurried away, leaving them to settle.

    Azula slid into the chair closest to the window, while Sennin looked around the empty dining hall.

    “Only the Draeya General would empty out such a popular inn,” Sennin sighed. “On the plus side, those two women will not follow us in here. No one in their right mind will want to provoke this wild pack. You know this places you in the mad case category. Why did you want to come in here again?”

    “I hoped the legion brothers were under a lieutenant. Lieutenants are easier to talk to. They also don’t mind making a little money,” Azula said, resting his elbows on the table. He placed his chin on his left palm and studied the magistrate’s compound.

    “Generals are harder to handle. You never know what side they stand on. Maybe I should do as Papa says. Then, I’ll have an excuse to run into a few officers at the magistrate’s compound.”

    “Azula, the lot in the magistrate’s compound is likely to stab us in the back before we leave the port heading to the capital,” Sennin sighed. “Why don’t we find Tingyu? He has a nice group of mercenaries that are quite good at defending.”

    “No,” Azula shook his head. “We can’t afford to owe Tingyu’s mercenaries a favor. Not when we’re facing thefts from an unknown person. Who knows, maybe some of the mercenaries he runs are part of the robberies.”

    “True, I hadn’t thought of that,” Sennin sighed and stared out the window too. His gaze was on the magistrate’s compound too.

    “I suppose our only option is as you say,” Sennin said. “Heavens, I hope we don’t have to deal with the port magistrate. Let’s hope we meet a nice lieutenant at the entrance into that compound.”

    “Mm, may our luck hold,” Azula said with a nod, as he stared out the window.

    The sound of a chair scraping the wood floor on the balcony drew Azula’s attention away from the magistrate’s compound.

    Azula sat up and turned in the direction of the balcony. The terrace doors were all open. There were no curtains or screens to hide any diners who chose to sit on the balcony. Azula caught a glimpse of rich black fabric hanging on the back of a chair.

    Draeya General was a mythical beast.

    People talked about him in tales and whispers, but none described his face or knew him.

    Azula frowned.

    Now that he did not need to ask for help from the legion’s head, he could take a good look at the mythical Draeya General. See if he was truly human, or if a horn grew on top of his head that made him so fierce. In any case, it would be a great tale to tell Alva, Kalas, and Alise.

    Curiosity drove him out of his chair, much to Sennin’s surprise.

    “Azula?” Sennin started.

    Azula waved him off and walked across the large second dining hall to the open terrace door. He stopped on the edge of the exit, checking the balcony. He paused when he saw the striking man sitting alone at a square table near the balcony railing.

    Green, green eyes met his. Azula forced his feet to keep moving, keenly aware of that green gaze following him as he stepped onto the balcony. The man at the square table wore a fine white tunic, with an unbuttoned black legion jacket over it. The heavy embroidery on the cuffs of the jacket was gold, with five lines of intricate designs to mark the wearer as a decorated general. The general had mink black hair. It was so dark it surpassed the jacket he wore. Long and neat, the strands were caught in a high ponytail with a sturdy large round gold clip secured with a thick pin.

    Azula took in the general’s face and felt eternally disadvantaged. He had a penchant for harsh-faced men. Chiseled jaw dusted with a dark beard shadow, sharp keen eyes, lips in a hard line, all of it put together in this harsh, cold forbidding face that made the strongest men shudder, or bend to the general’s will.

    One look and Azula knew this one never failed in ordering men to do his will.

    Which meant anyone Draeya General bowed his head to would have to be stronger, and much more powerful.

    Azula’s heart skipped with violence.

    Vandra was right.

    It was best not to engage. He could not walk into a pit with his eyes wide open.  He turned toward the terrace doors determined to run away.

    “Wait.”

    Draeya General’s voice was a booming bass. Unrelenting, and hard to ignore, the sound traveled to the core. So dangerous.

    Azula closed his eyes as he stopped. He took in a deep breath to calm his speeding heart and turned to face the general.

    “Yes?”

    “Are you leaving after having a good look?”

    Azula imagined Draeya General did not get people looking at him without a purpose. Pasting on a smile, Azula clasped his hands behind his back and shrugged.

    “They said Draeya General was having a meal on the balcony,” Azula said. “I heard Draeya General has a horn growing on his forehead that makes him fierce. I came out to have a good look.”

    Draeya General stared at him, green eyes wide with shock.

    “Now that I’ve seen there’s nothing to talk about, I’m leaving,” Azula said, and started to turn away again.

    “Wait. Stop right there.”

    Azula stopped and turned to face the striking general.

    “Are you always this bold?” Draeya General asked. “Walking up to a general and joking around like this, aren’t you worried I’ll arrest you?”

    “For what?” Azula asked, his right brow rising in question.

    “Being so outrageous?”

    “Then Draeya General would seem very petty.”

    “Insolent.”

    Azula grinned, gave Draeya General a wink, and started to turn away again.

    “Stop.”

    “What? What now?” Azula asked, looking at Draeya General. “I’ve already answered your questions. What?”

    Draeya General closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as though to keep his calm.

    “You’re from the Sura Clan,” Draeya General said. “What’s your name?”

    Azula debated lying about his name for a full minute. Then he thought of Vandra who was hoping to run a quiet business selling meals and good wine. He sighed. If trouble was to come from this meeting anyway, then it was better with him, than with Vandra.

    “Azula Doriel.”

    “You’re the Sura Chieftain’s son.”

    “Draeya General knows much,” Azula said, all sense of playfulness escaping at the mention of his father’s station. The general was well-informed.

    “I should know this much,” Draeya General said. “I have important business to discuss with your clan.”

    “What kind of business would we have to discuss the Draeya General?” Azula asked. “Our meeting is a coincidence. I might have decided to eat down the street for all you know. Then, you’d have met one of our people—”

    “Perhaps,” Draeya General cut him off with a nod. “I would still have found you for this talk, Chieftain’s son. I suggest you join me at this table.”

    “Or else?” Azula asked, frowning now, he unclasped his hands as anxiety grew.

    A strong hand gripped his left arm and Azula jumped as he turned to find a hulk of a man standing behind him. The new face was not as striking as the Draeya General. The new man held a sweet bun in his left hand. He ate it as though he had not had food for years. The enthusiasm with which the sweet bun was ending made Azula’s stomach growl in protest.

    “Excuse me, Master Doriel, I’ll help you have a seat at the table,” the newcomer said. “Or else, I’ll break your arm for being so insolent to the general.”

    “Oh,” Azula said, his gaze on the strong hand holding his upper left arm.

    After wielding a hammer for ages in his workshop, Azula could not say he was a weak man.  However, the hand holding his arm felt like it might break iron with a single twist. It was warrior-forged strength grown from a place of pure violence.

    Azula had no doubt the newcomer would follow through on his threat.

    “Okay, okay,” Azula said, smiling at the new face. “Let’s not get so serious. I’ll have a seat if you let go of my arm. You two already caught me. I’m caught between you. Where can I go?”

    “Indeed,” Draeya General said, with a small shake of his head. “Let him go. Chieftain’s son will have a seat.”

    “My name is Azula. Chieftain’s son sounds like a mouthful. Stop calling me that,” Azula said, shaking his head. “You who threatens to ruin my arm, you should at the least tell me your name.”

    “Why?” the hulk of a man asked.

    “So I know who to curse as I get through the pain,” Azula said with a glare at the new face.

    Draeya General chuckled drawing Azula’s gaze.

    “Are you going to watch him bully me?” Azula asked. “I thought you were a decorated general? Where is your care for the small citizens?”

    “The small citizen is a handful,” Draeya General said. “I need my lieutenant, Haedor, to help manage you.”

    Azula scoffed as Haedor pushed him to the empty chair at the square table. He cursed his curiosity when Haedor let go of his arm. Azula spent a few minutes adjusting his long jacket as he settled.

    “I don’t know about managing. I call this abusing the small citizens,” Azula said. “If I knew where they complain about you, I’d sent in my two cents on the matter.”

    “Thank goodness I have not heard of a magistrate’s office that will take a complaint against me,” Draeya General said. “Tell me something, Azula Doriel.”

    “What is it that you must know that you are pushing me around like this?” Azula asked, scowling at Haedor who stayed standing behind him.

    “The rumor is that the Sura is getting their cargo carriages robbed. Why hasn’t anyone from the clan reported the thefts to the port magistrate?” Draeya General asked, folding his arms against his chest.

    Azula stared at the Draeya General for a full minute and then broke out into a loud amused laugh. He laughed long and hard until there were tears in his eyes. Azula used the corner of his sleeve to wipe his eyes and shook his head at Draeya General’s joke.

    Azula looked at the Draeya General when he was calmer and blinked when he found the general frowning at him.

    “What?” Azula asked. “Do you know you frown often? It’s not good for your complexion. The lines on your forehead could turn permanent. Draeya General, you might not have a horn on your forehead, but frown lines will not serve you. No matter how striking you look.”

    “Insolent,” Haedor hammered the table with his right fist, and Azula jumped in his seat with a sigh.

    “That must be a favorite word,” Azula said, shaking his head with a sigh. “Listen, I don’t understand your question, Draeya General. What does the theft of our carriages have to do with the port magistrate? It’s not like he will help us find them.”

    “And how do you intend to find your stolen carriages?” Draeya General asked.

    “That’s my problem to solve, isn’t it?” Azula asked. “What does it have to do with Draeya General?”

    Haedor started to slam on the table again, but Azula grabbed the lieutenant’s thick right wrist.

    “Stop,” Azula said, mimicking Draeya General’s booming tone from earlier. He grinned when he nailed it right, and Haedor paused.  “Vandra spent a great deal of effort to construct these tables. You breaking them will only add to his expenses. Lieutenant Haedor, why don’t you reserve this effort for the legion’s arenas?”

    “Inso—” Haedor started

    “Insolent,” Azula completed for him, looking up at the great big giant of a man with a wide grin.

    Haedor’s physique was all thick arms, bulky chest, trim waist, and firm thighs. He was the perfect Legion soldier.

    Azula worried about his own sanity as he teased the seasoned warrior that could break his arms.

    “You might need to find a new word,” Azula said. “My parents have exhausted themselves with it since I was ten. It’s been a decade and I have only gotten worse. I’m afraid I thrive on insolence.”

    “I might really break him,” Haedor said, shaking his head. “I leave him to you, General.”

    Haedor walked away from the square table and Azula was left staring at the Draeya General. Haedor headed into the main dining hall and Azula hoped Sennin was not too nervous facing Draeya General’s lieutenant.

    Azula sighed and met Draeya General’s cold green gaze.

    “What now?” he asked when Draeya General stayed silent.

    “I’m trying to calculate how much trouble you get into in a day,” Draeya General said. “It surprises me that you’re alive.”

    Azula chuckled and shook his head.

    “You and my parents would get along.”

    Azula’s stomach growled and he brought his right hand to rub the ache of hunger with a frown.

    “Listen, Draeya General, no one in this Endless Port trusts the magistrate. He is more likely to help the thieves robbing us, than help my people find the missing cargo carriages.”

    “Then why did you walk into this inn?” Draeya General asked.

    “Huh?”

    “You saw my officers taking up the seats at the front of the inn. Most citizens walked on and went to find their meal elsewhere. Why did you not walk away? Why did you enter this inn despite the legion brothers downstairs?”

    “I’ll be honest,” Azula said, holding Draeya General’s gaze.

    “I’d like that,” Draeya General said, with an expectant nod.

    “It was an attack of insanity,” Azula said, keeping his tone very solemn. “Insanity took over and I led my best friend into a lair of alphas. I should have ignored the urge. Don’t worry, the insanity can be cured. I promise to mend my ways from now on. Can I leave?”

    “Inso—,” Draeya General started, and then cut himself off as Azula grinned at the reaction.

    “I could have you arrested,” Draeya General said, glaring at Azula.

    “On what grounds? Being hungry? How ridiculous of a legion general to bully a small citizen. I might live on Sura Island, but I know my rights. I have done no wrong—”

    “You’ve insulted me multiple times.”

    “Insulted? What insulted?” Azula widened his eyes. “Draeya General, the most I’ve done is called out your incurable need to bully people. My stomach is clearly growling with hunger as I sit here. Do you even care that I might need a meal the next minute? What if I collapse with hunger?  My people will blame you for letting me starve in front of your eyes. What noble career is this you’re—mm—?”

    A sweaty palm covered his mouth and Azula turned to glare at the person who would dare. He stopped struggling when he saw a petrified Sennin standing next to him.

    “Draeya General, I apologize for my best friend,” Sennin said, his voice shaky as he bowed his head low in the direction of the general. “He’s just worried about our clan. He doesn’t know how to filter his words. I’m sorry if he has insulted you. Please, let him off.”

    Azula tried to shake Sennin’s hand off his mouth to protest the apology, but Sennin would not have it.

    “I can let him off if you tell me what is going on with your stolen cargo carriages,” Draeya General said, after making Sennin stand with his head bowed for close to five minutes.

    Azula glared at the annoying general, and almost bit Sennin’s finger when Draeya General smirked at him.

    “Answering Draeya General, our clan has recently suffered six losses,” Sennin said, his voice shaky. “We are hoping to save our current orders by replacing the stolen cargo. Young Master Doriel is looking to hire legion officers who can help protect our convoy on our journey to the capital.”

    “You’re hoping to buy protection,” Draeya General said, his gaze knowing as he studied Azula.

    “Yes,” Sennin said, with a quick nod. “Master Doriel thought a lieutenant was the head of the legion downstairs. We are sorry. He did not mean to bother you.”

    Azula managed to fight Sennin’s palm off his mouth.

    “Draeya General need not bother with this information,” Azula said, pushing his chair back as he stood.

    “I can offer help,” Draeya General said, shocking Azula and Sennin.

    “Why?” Azula asked after a moment.

    “Why not?” Draeya General asked, a charming smile curving his lips.

    Azula could not help but stare at the enticing curve. How amazing. A simple smile transformed the Draeya General into a painfully handsome man. So handsome that Azula wanted to shift closer and touch the general’s smiling lips.

    Argh, why could he never find the will to ignore such striking, dangerous men?

    “Draeya General is very busy,” Sennin said. “Our Sura Clan cannot ask you to help us with this trivial matter.”

    “Trivial?” Draeya General asked, his smile disappearing, the expression on his face turning cold again.

    Azula sighed.

    “Theft is never trivial,” Draeya General said. “Theft of a cargo carriage carrying burnt ore is certainly not a small matter. You must report this kind of theft to the magistrate to protect yourselves. To hear that your clan has lost six carriages of burnt ore is very worrying. This is the ore that is then used for sinister means…like counterfeiting silver.”

    “No,” Azula shook his head.  “Our ore does not make silver coins.”

    “Your people might not but others can,” Draeya General said, his green eyes glaring. “Chieftain’s son, don’t you know the consequences of counterfeiting silver? Do you know what happens to a clan found interfering with the economy this way?”

    Sennin shook his head no, but Azula did not need instruction on what counterfeiting cases dealt to the perpetrators.

    Draeya General did not wait for them to give him an answer.

    “Entire clans have been wiped out by the imperial court on suspected counterfeiting. What makes you think your Sura would be different?”

    Azula shuddered and wished he had not stepped out to the balcony to catch a glimpse of the Draeya General. This man was no fun at all.

    “No one in my clan would ever betray us that way,” Azula said, speaking from a place of truth. He trusted his family, his clan. They lived for each other. If one of them made a misstep, they all suffered.

    “You’re a very exhausting individual,” Draeya General stated. “I’ve warned you. I’ve asked you to report to the magistrate, and wasted words for your own good. Now, ask me for help.”

    “We can’t afford your help,” Azula said.

    “I won’t charge you anything,” Draeya General said.

    Azula narrowed his gaze, wary of gifts from a powerful general.

    “Why?”

    “Why can’t I help? Isn’t it looking after a small citizen as you put it?” Draeya General asked.

    Azula scoffed, studying Draeya General for a full minute, and then because he truly could not keep having words with this man, he sighed.

    “Draeya General. Do what you want,” Azula said. “I have no power to stop you. What I do have the power to do is leave this inn. I have not committed a crime. Your legion brothers cannot detain us. Do you agree?”

    “Yes.”

    “Good,” Azula said and took Sennin’s right arm. “We’re leaving. Please, excuse us.”

    Azula led Sennin back into the main dining hall. They found their table was laden with food. Knowing he could not leave Vardan with the expense, Azula led them to eat first. After all, they had come in for a meal.

    Sennin hesitated when they got to their table.

    Azula started to ask why but then Draeya General pulled a chair next to their table and he sighed.

    “What?” Draeya General asked, smiling at Azula, as he sat down. “You told me to do what I want. I want to follow you. In fact, I must follow you to learn more about these thieves.”

    “Then, it’s your choice,” Azula said with a nod as he watched Draeya General sit back and fold his arms against his chest.

    Azula sank into his own chair and reached for the platter with sweet and sour roasted chicken. He cut off a large drumstick and took a bite. Ignoring Draeya General, he smiled at Sennin who was watching the general with a wary gaze.

    “Sennin, eat your fish or you’ll be starving later,” Azula said, chewing on his drumstick with enthusiasm.  “Vandra’s chef does make the best sweet and sour roast chicken. This is very good.”

    Sennin opened his mouth to tease him, but then stopped conscious of the general sitting with them.

    Azula scowled at the general as he chewed.

    “Do you have to sit here with us?” Azula asked when he swallowed.

    “I’m afraid you’ll run out of here if I don’t keep you in my sight,” Draeya General said.

    Azula scoffed and glanced behind him to see Lieutenant Haedor return to the main dining room with three legion brothers.

    “I wonder how we would manage that with your lieutenant so enthusiastic.”

    Azula shook his head and concentrated on eating. He glanced out the window and caught a glimpse of the magistrate’s compound. At least with a general in tow, or following him, he would not have to worry about getting a lieutenant from the magistrate.

    A goblet filled with water was pushed to his right elbow.

    “Here, you should drink between such rapid bites,” Draeya General said. “It would be a disappointment to have you choke after we just met.”

    Azula started to curse at him, but then Sennin kicked his left foot under the table and he bit back the words with a grumble. He glared at Sennin and then reached for the goblet. He gave Draeya General a faux smile.

    “How gracious of you,” Azula said, as he sipped the water. “Don’t strain yourself.”

    “I wouldn’t,” Draeya General said.

    “Then don’t sit here, and let us keep you from your busy life,” Azula answered.

    “You’re the reason for my busy life,” Draeya General said.

    “We don’t even know each other,” Azula said.

    “I’m Draeya General. What else can I do but protect the small citizen in need?”

    “I’m not in need.”

    “Aren’t you? Or do you want to pay me a fee? How much do you offer the lieutenants you hire?”

    Azula frowned, wondering if it was legal to pay legion officers for security. Everyone at the port did it, but it was considered bribery in the capital. What would a decorated general think of the price he paid? Would it get him in trouble? Azula sighed and once again regretted approaching the stupid balcony.

    “I’m not telling you,” Azula said. “Since you’re following us of your own accord, why do I need to pay?”

    “Shrew.”

    “Tyrant.”

    “Insolent shrew.”

    “Can’t-come-up-with-another-word-idiot general,” Azula said and gained a kick from Sennin under the table.

    Azula groaned and glared at Sennin.

    “He started it. Why don’t you kick him too?”

    Sennin sighed and turned to Draeya General.

    “I apologize on his behalf,” Sennin said.

    Azula took a healthy bite of his chicken and ignored them both, wondering how it had come to this. He swallowed too fast and triggered a choking cough. The goblet of water was pressed into his right hand and he met amused green eyes with a put-upon sigh.

    What was he going to do about gaining the attention of a glorified Draeya General?

    ****

    Previous | Blades of Ashes ToC | Next

  • Blades of Ashes Ch 3-1

    Arc 1- The Case of the Forged Silver Coins

    Chapter 3-1

    Magnus rode his horse like a man possessed when he received news of Azula’s plan to counter the robberies plaguing the clan. He rode fast on busy cobbled paths, his assistant shouting out warnings along the way to save anyone who did not notice his haste.

    Yaitan’s workshop was where Azula managed his devious plans. The young man was probably stirring up a large force of trouble. The thought of the consequences had Magnus urging his horse into a faster pace.

    Yaitan’s workshop was hidden in a cave surrounded by tall evergreen trees. Azula discovered the workshop when he was twelve. He gifted the discovery to his master, Yaitan, and they bonded over the large deposits of ilmenite the two unearthed in the depths of the cave.

    Azula was twenty this year. These two, master and student, had built up Yaitan’s Workshop into an experimental, risk-taking, genius center. Magnus felt sweat slide down his back every time he thought of Azula and Yaitan making plans.

    Magnus jumped off his horse when he reached the cave entrance. The heavy wooden doors at the cave entrance were carved with intricate designs. A combination of Azula and Yaitan’s work. The doors were open and warm light indicated ongoing work. A strained shout reached him, and answering calls responded.

    Magnus cursed under his breath and hurried into the warm workshop. It was almost dinnertime, and he would have preferred spending the next few hours listening to beautiful Rara sing. He walked through a team of five men standing between two long workbenches. Their attention was on a huge passenger carriage in the middle of the open space deeper in the cave.

    The men moved when they noted Magnus, allowing him to walk closer to the massive passenger carriage taking up space in the middle of the large cave. The passenger carriage was built with a handsome mix of hardwood and iron. The iron twisted into intricate designs, weaving through the wood, making it look luxurious and sturdy at the same time. The four wheels on the carriage were doubled and wide. Strong enough to carry heavy weight.

    Magnus frowned when he saw his nephew holding on to the handle of a massive wrench. Kalas stood next to him, providing support as they tightened a bolt on the shaft and hitching parts.

    “That should hold it,” Azula said when they tagged once more and the bolt did not move. “I’ll make sure Sennin checks on it when we get to the Everlasting Port.”

    “Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you?” Kalas asked, taking the wrench from Azula and placing it on a holder on the table.

    “They are coming along,” Azula said, waving to the five men Magnus had passed. “They helped put this carriage together. Each one knows how each of the parts work. Plus, they are the ones who will know how to stock the undercarriage with the ore we need. Kalas, don’t worry. This will work out. We’ll get to the capital in no time.”

    “The in-between is what I’m worried about,” Kalas said, shaking his head as he reached for a cloth on the table to wipe the sweat off his forehead. “You’re not a warrior, Azula. None of us are.”

    “We’ll worry about that when the time comes,” Azula said, his focus on the shaft.

    “No wonder your Papa thinks I’ll spoil you to death,” Magnus said, drawing Azula’s immediate attention.  He turned around fast, his gaze widening when he saw Magnus standing a few feet away. “When were you going to fill me in on this plan?”

    “When the carriage was onboard the ship,” Azula said with a wide grin. “Magnus, don’t worry so much—”

    “What is the plan?” Magnus demanded, cutting him off.

    “Magnus.”

    “Tell me now, or I will lock you up in the main house for a month,” Magnus said.

    Azula studied him for a minute. No doubt trying to decide how much he could leave out. Magnus glared at him and fought a grin when Azula gave a resigned sigh.

    “You’re not going to like it,” Azula said. “It has to be done even though you don’t like it.”

    “Tell me,” Magnus insisted. “Then I’ll decide what has to be done.”

    Azula glanced at Kalas hoping for support, but Kalas shrugged and moved away from the carriage to join the five blacksmiths behind Magnus.

    “Really,” Azula said, shaking his head at Kalas’ obvious abandonment. He pulled off a white cloth tucked into the belt at his waist and used it to wipe off sweat from the back of his neck.

    “Fine,” Azula said, shaking his head. “Uncle Magnus, you come closer. I have to show you the inside of the carriage for you to understand the plan.”

    Magnus removed his heavy jacket and handed it to his assistant. He walked around an open toolbox on the floor and joined his nephew at the elegant open door into the carriage.

    Azula stood on the side, holding the door open with his left hand, and held out his right hand to Magnus.

    “Welcome aboard, Uncle,” Azula said, giving him a formal nod.

    Magnus bit back a laugh, his gaze on Azula’s callused hands, the palms covered with streaks of black and dirt. The more than capable hand so dear, he might murder anyone who dared harm this child’s hand. Magnus clasped Azula’s dirty hand with his, holding it tight as he climbed up the steps into the carriage.

    The interior was spacious. The walls of the carriage were covered with a deep blue velvet. The benches were upholstered with deep blue velvet and were button-tufted. It looked like a rich man’s lair. The cushions laid out on the benches were designed for comfort.

    Magnus sat on the bench facing the driver and watched Azula who chose to sit facing the door.

    The carriage provided them with privacy to have a talk away from the men outside.

    “What’s the plan?” Magnus asked, his gaze serious as he met Azula’s determined gaze.

    “This carriage hides secret storage within the walls and the undercarriage. The black ore Papa needs is hidden there. The five men in there are the only people who know what this carriage hides. I’m going to ride it to Genad,” Azula said.

    “Not alone,” Magnus said.

    “Of course, I won’t be alone,” Azula said, shaking his head as he sat back, stretching his legs out. He let out a soft sigh. “I’ll take Sennin, six horses, the five men out there, a driver, and his helper. It’s enough of a spectacle. The journey to Genad will take too long as it is.”

    Magnus studied Azula for a full minute, then looked at the luxurious carriage that now hid valuable ore. He could have never thought to do this to save the clan from thieves.

    “How long have you worked on this carriage?” Magnus asked, curious as to how such a large project had gone unnoticed.

    “This carriage is meant for Alise’s wedding,” Azula said, starting to touch the bench with his palm, only to stop when he noticed the dirt on his hands. “You know she’s going to bring Yemin to greet our parents. He’s her chosen mate and the next second to the chieftain. I wanted them to celebrate their day with style. I have been designing this carriage bit by bit. Too bad it’s now being used to save our ore.”

    Magnus smiled.

    “It’s good luck it will be used to save the clan’s ore,” Magnus said. “When you succeed, it will bring good luck to Alise and Yemin.”

    Azula grinned at the mention of his sister and her chosen partner. Magnus loved the easy support between siblings. Alise loved her younger brother even more. This was why Magnus worried about Azula’s safety. Nothing could happen to this youngest chieftain’s son.

    “You need protection,” Magnus said.

    “I will have our five blacksmith’s with me,” Azula said. “Sennin is there too.”

    “Not blacksmiths,” Magnus said, shaking his head. “You need warriors. Warmongers. People who are not squeamish about drawing blood. Our people are too soft. We have families and value peaceful existences. You need soldiers.”

    “We don’t have those,” Azula said.

    “Buy them at the port,” Magnus said, holding Azula’s gaze. “I mean it, Azula. Use the money I get from the mango selling if you don’t have spare silver.”

    “Uncle Magnus, it’s not about the money,” Azula said. “You know good lieutenants are not easy to find. The port magistrate is corrupt. We can’t trust them to get us to the capital. Let alone fight off determined armed robbers.”

    “They will fight them off for the right price,” Magnus said. “I’ll find you the gold to make sure it works out. Do this for me, and I’ll not oppose your plan.”

    Azula stared at his dusty boots for a full minute before he let out a sigh.

    “Finding a lieutenant will cost us time at the port,” Azula said.

    “It should,” Magnus agreed. “It will also give you time to understand what else we don’t know about the people coming after us.”

    “Okay,” Azula said, with a sigh. “I’ll do as you say.”

    “Can you pull this trip off?” Magnus asked Azula.

    Azula looked up then and met Magnus’s worried gaze. He smiled wide and nodded.

    “Yes,” he said. His confidence made Magnus almost believe it too.

    Magnus nodded and scratched his head.

    “I can’t wait to hear what your father will have to say about this when he sees you. He’ll blame me for indulging you again. I’m warning you early. I’ll make you drink two barrels of wine at your wedding to pay me back for all this trouble.”

    Azula laughed then, and Magnus grinned at the youthful sound filling the carriage.

    ****

    Two days later, two hours before noon, Azula’s ship docked at the Endless Port and the crew started offloading the easier packages.  Azula stepped out of the ship with a lazy yawn, stretching his arms above his head as he walked. He dropped his hands when a short boy blocked his path and handed him a folded scroll.

    Thanking the boy, Azula stepped to the side and unrolled the scroll to read the contents. It was a message from his father, asking him to visit the magistrate’s compound at the port.

    The Naga State port was an entry point into the empire. Traders, visitors, immigrants, and travelers from other continents filled the port. Its fame won it the unofficial name of Endless Port.

    The Naga State King tasked the port magistrate with the work of overseeing law and order in this vibrant port. He even handed over a military garrison and placed it under the magistrate’s direct command.

    The magistrate used the officers in the port garrison to maintain peace and punish anyone who tried to cause trouble at the port. However, his dedication to the job left much to be desired.

    Everyone making a living at the Endless Port knew not to trust the magistrate.

    Which was why Azula stood frozen as he read his father’s second message.

    “He wants me to report the theft to the magistrate here at Endless Port,” Azula said, turning to Sennin who joined him from the ship. “Has Papa lost his mind? What does he think the magistrate will do? It’s like asking me to confront the thieves in person.”

    Sennin took the note and read it fast.

    Azula looked around the busy dock. His frown depended as he wondered what had gotten into his father. A man with short strawberry-blonde hair carried a crate filled with mangoes into a large warehouse a few feet away.

    The Sura Clan ran this docking station at the Endless Port. It was where their ships offloaded and received the cargo. The men and women who operated the port were all from Sura Island. They packed the cargo into transport carriages and seasoned drivers took it to the capital city of Genad. They also arranged cargo from the capital into the ships for transport to Sura Island.

    This routine was ageless. Every member of the clan old enough to contribute had worked the system here at the Endless Port.

    Suddenly, Azula was sure their age-old traditions had somehow opened them up to a new threat.

    Sennin handed the note back, and Azula stuffed it into his pocket.

    Azula adjusted the leather belt holding his trousers in place. He took a good look at their ship. Inside, in the cargo hold, hid their first attempt at a new transport carriage.

    A transport carriage Azula hoped would fool the people doing their best to ruin them.

    Now, all they had to was fulfill his promise to Magnus. He needed to find a stronger force to deal with an aggressive attack.

    Magnus was always right. Their people were blacksmiths. They could beat iron, silver, gold, and any other metal into shape. However, they were no warriors.  Half of them were very softhearted. Their family life in the Sura village made it impossible to become cold warriors able to fight off a killing horde.

    “What do we do now?” Sennin asked.

    “Follow Magnus’s wishes,” Azula said, his gaze shifting away from their ship to the rest of the busy dock.

    Azula nodded his greetings to familiar faces, which was everyone here. He had grown up knowing everyone who worked or ran a business at the Endless Port. This was why he paused when he noticed a pair of women sitting at the end of the boardwalk.

    They looked too new, unfamiliar, and out of place. They sat on old wooden crates eating fried potatoes out of brown paper. A misshapen wooden stand was arranged before them, facing the main street. It looked like they were selling something, but their attention was on the Sura ship.

    “We should find somewhere quiet,” Azula said. “There are too many eyes.”

    Azula met Sennin’s gaze and nodded in the direction of the two women.

    Sennin waited for a beat then with grace and tact. He glanced at the end of the boardwalk.

    Azula noticed the two women had gained an interested customer.  The customer browsed their wares, but the two women made no effort to sell.

    “Maybe your father has the right idea,” Sennin said, shaking his head.

    His gaze shifted back to their ship.

    “I asked everyone to hold on moving the carriage. They are going to take out crates filled with the mangoes Magnus sells to the inns around here.”

    “Agreed,” Azula said. “Uncle Magnus was right. We need updated information. Let’s go to the nice inn in the middle of town where outsiders like to go. We’ll get something to eat. I’m hungry and they have the best sweet and sour roasted chicken.”

    “Azula,” Sennin started to add more.

    “It’s not like we can leave the port right now,” Azula said, using his thumb to point behind them. “They are probably going to follow us. There is a possibility they are with the people robbing us blind.”

    “You know Alva packed your food,” Sennin said, as Azula turned and headed along the boardwalk to the main road.

    “I will eat later when I’m locked up in the carriage we brought,” Azula said with a mischievous grin. “Come on, let’s head to Teba Inn.”

    Sennin let out a sigh and followed Azula, hurrying after him with a deep frown.

    “Our drivers have experienced twelve losses which have left their families devastated. Aren’t you worried we’ll endure a robbery?” Sennin asked as he caught up with Azula.

    “I’m worried. I am scared of riding that carriage all the way to Genad. But, we don’t have a choice. We need to stop the robberies from happening. I think my plan will help us discover who is doing this. In any case, I also agree with Magnus’s suggestion. We need to find someone strong enough to help us fight back.”

    “Someone like whom?”

    Azula reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver piece. It was a pure silver coin. The first silver coin Azula ever made from a blade he forged at sixteen years old. He kept it with him for inspiration and good luck.

    “Magnus suggested finding a lieutenant we can buy,” Azula said as he kept walking.

    The trick was to find the right person. A lieutenant who was loyal to the empire. One who would help them fight thieves without demanding more than their agreed price.

    Otherwise, Azula’s plan to catch the thieves would be for naught.

    They walked by the two women who were now actively selling the cheap beaded jewelry laid out on their wooden stands. Azula ignored the pair and joined the foot traffic on the main road leading to the center of the port town.

    “Sennin, don’t sulk,” Azula said when he glanced at his best friend and saw a visible frown and a pout on his lips. “I’ll buy you fried fish and sweet buns. Let’s fill our stomachs.”

    Sennin clapped in excitement at the mention of fried fish and hurried to keep up with Azula’s easy stride.

    ****

    Previous | Blades of Ashes ToC | Next

  • A Thousand Years of Hope Ch 14

    Christophe and Landi stood. Their gazes wide for different reasons as they took in Tani.

    “It is you,” Landi said in greeting, moving away from the island table, coming to face Tani. “You are Ryuzo?”

    Tani smiled.

    “Yes. It has been a long time, young Landi,” Tani said. “How have you been?”

    Landi took a few steps forward and took Tani’s right hand, holding it with both his hands as he studied Tani.

    “Extraordinary thanks to your help. You haven’t aged one bit,” Landi said.

    “What are we missing?” Nora asked, looking to her husband. “Christophe? Why are you standing there like a statue?”

    “Excuse me, it’s not everyday one gets to meet an Ekho in ones home,” Christophe said.

    Tani chuckled, glancing at Dante, who winked at him.

    “When did you meet Landi?” Nora asked.

    “He was a very young man when we met,” Tani said, not making an effort to remove his right hand from Landi’s hold.

    The grandmaster watched him with wonder. His eyes bright with recognition.

    Tani sifted through his vast memories, until his stint with Landi in Andalusia in the late eighteen hundreds returned to him.

    “We met when I was fourteen,” Landi said.

    Dante let out a short impressed whistle and walked around them to sit at the island table.

    “Grandmaster, were you ever that young?” Dante asked.

    “Even younger,” Tani said, smiling at Landi when the older man grinned back at him. “As reckless as you, Dante. He almost burned down an inn over brutal treatment by a gang leader at the docks where he lived at the time.”

    Landi chuckled and let go of Tani’s hand.

    Christophe pulled out a chair next to Dante at the island table.

    Nora then guided Tani to the island table and he sat next to Dante. She hurried to the cooking range to get him a glass of tea.

    Landi sat across Dante and Tani with Christophe joining him.

    “Why did you almost burn down a building, Grandpa?” Christophe asked, taking the glass of tea Dante pushed toward him.

    “Our family was going through a hard time,” Landi said. “My father passed away and we had creditors who wanted our very life. I had to protect mom, so I tried my best to make money and sometimes it wasn’t enough so I broke the law. Until I met Mr. Ryuzo. He changed my life.”

    “Please, Mr. Ryuzo sounds so formal,” Tani said, getting comfortable in his seat. “Call me Tani.”

    “I think we need to know more about this encounter. Don’t you think so, Dad?” Dante asked, accepting a glass of tea from Nora. He passed it to Tani and waited for the second one.

    “I have read the stories in your grandmaster’s journals,” Christophe said, sipping his tea. “Still, reading is not the same. He tells the story better.”

    Landi let out a soft sigh and looked at Tani.

    “There is not much to tell. I was born in a shabby house in the Seville docks in Andalusia. My dad worked in cargo ships, and often took voyages so we lived where he could find work. He had moved our family from Ottoman territory, hoping to escape the life of a farmer and make a fortune in a different region. The only work he could get easily was working on ships. He made good money, but he was not very smart with our family’s finances,” Landi said, shaking his head.

    “When he was not on long voyages, he ran destructive vices: drinking, gambling, and women…,” Landi sighed. “There was no way to cure him. Mom tried and failed too many times. She did her best to keep my younger sister and me safe. Mom worked in the laundry of a successful inn. She kept money aside to sustain our lives and pay rent. We tried to hide what she saved, but it didn’t always work out.”

    “Your father found it,” Dante said, tensing in his chair.

    “Most times,” Landi said, shadows in his eyes as he remembered his distant past.

    “Was he violent?” Dante asked, his tense tone drawing Tani’s gaze.

    “When he was drunk,” Landi said with a shrug, looking at Dante. “It’s in the past.”

    “Either way, I’m sorry you had to live through that kind of situation,” Dante said, sitting back in his chair.

    Tani placed a hand on his right knee and warmth flooded him when Dante reached down to cover his hand with his right one.

    Landi studied Dante for a moment, and then his lips curved in a smile at the clear sympathy in Dante’s gaze.

    “Don’t dwell on it,” Landi said. “I don’t. In any case, Dad died after fighting with a man he owed money in a pub. His creditors soon came knocking at our door after his funeral. I had to start working to make money to help mom. The best place to do that as fourteen-year-old kid was doing odd jobs at the docks.”

    “We lived along a stretch dominated by a powerful gang that had its hands on liquor imports and all the pubs along the docks,” Landi said, staring into his tea. “As I said earlier, I was very angry at fourteen. Easy to trigger, and full of fire. A fire my mother called the devil’s gift because she had no idea why I had it in me. She tried her best to love me despite my strange gift. Still her discomfort with it made me angrier.”

    “We had to live. I had no scruples in making sure we had money for food. I overstepped and crossed multiple members of the gang, and even stole money from their leader if an opportunity presented itself. One bad night, the gang boss caught me thieving from one of his clients, and he made mom pay for the interest with money she had saved for our rent. Mom was at her wits end with me. She cried for a night and a day. So…I left the house the next evening determined to make the gang boss pay for making her cry.”

    “Not stealing would have made her cry less,” Nora pointed out, placing a platter filled with cured meats, tomatoes and lettuce, white cheese cubes, eggs, and more on the table. She handed Dante a glass of tea, and patted his shoulder.

    Tani studied the platter of food excited by the spread. He smiled at Nora in thanks when she handed him a plate and cutlery.

    “Stealing was the easiest way to keep our family living day-to-day, or so I believed,” Landi said, continuing his story. “In any case, I set about getting that gang boss back for making mom cry. I decided the best way was to burn down his most popular pub, which was where he had his office. I waited until it was late in the night. You see, I was skinny enough to slip through the alleys without people noticing me. I found the right spot to start the fire on the bar and lit up a beam with my magic, and…”

    Landi made a wave with his hands, soft harmless sparks falling from the tips of his fingers.

    “My fire died in a vacuum,” Landi said, shaking his head. “It shocked me because I had never experienced something like that. The fire always came when I wanted it. I looked up and Mr. Ryu—I mean, Tani was leaning on the wall opposite watching me. I thought he was one of the gang boss’s men. Though with his clean cut style of dress, he couldn’t have been.”

    “You tried to put me on fire,” Tani said with a short grin, as he took a slice of homemade bread, and covered it with a thin layer of cottage cheese. He took a bite, his gaze on an embarrassed Landi.

    “There was no chance I would manage it,” Landi said with a soft voice. “You turned my fire attempts into grape vines. Told me I should rethink my choices. That I should work to get my family to move back to our true home and start a new.”

    “I just wanted to give you a new school of thought,” Tani said, swallowing the delicious bread. He sipped his tea. “Had you continued as I found you, I fear this present existence would not have come to be.”

    Landi studied him, and then agreed with a single nod.

    “Yes. You are quite right,” Landi said. “The vines you made from my fire started this vineyard. I have always wanted to thank you for helping my family back then. Your support saved us, helped us return here to Artri.”

    “It was my duty,” Tani said, placing his slice of bread on the plate and sat back, his gaze on Landi.

    “Is it because of the promise you made to the original Durante?” Christophe asked, watching Tani openly.

    “No.” Tani shook his head, the importance of his meeting with Landi suddenly filling him.

    “No, that is not why I came for you, Landi. I was working under the Elderwood Conservancy. We were hidden in those ages, still are in a way. We are known now among modern scholars because we try to help heal the environment and protect wildlife. However, the core reason why Elderwood exists is to watch over the Ekho-blessed children in the mortal realm. Creating sanctuaries for the children powerful heretics insisted had the devil’s gifts, as you say,” Tani said. A deep frown creasing his forehead. “I was sent to check your case because of a rumor that there was a child who started fires when he was angry. I had no clear information on you until you wanted to burn down the bar.”

    “Oh,” Landi frowned. “So, it is not because of my connection to Durante? I heard you are sworn to protect his generations.”

    “I am sworn to this promise, but no, that is not why I came to you. Durante’s line had no power when you were young, Landi. His bloodline was pure mortal. You changed it though when you met your wife. She belonged to Durante’s bloodline.”

    “Wow,” Christophe said, his gaze shifting to Landi. “Here you thought it was because of our Artri bloodline.”

    “It seemed like it should be,” Landi said, shaking his head as he studied Tani. “Then…is it true our patriarch is a powerful ekho, a god of fire in the Ekho Realm?”

    “It is true. Kinon is his name,” Tani said, holding out his wrists. “Forger of these cuffs that ground me to the mortal realm.”

    “Is he a good soul?” Nora asked, her gaze on the cuffs on Tani’s wrists. “This Kinon who has blessed our Artri House with his power. Is he a good ekho?”

    Tani let out a soft sigh, and dropped his hands to his lap, a heaviness filling his chest. Dante responded to the sigh by taking his left hand and tangling their fingers. The warmth of his touch soothed the sting in his chest and he took in a lighter breath.

    “Your definition of good is different from mine, ours as Ekho,” Tani said. “In real truth, I am not old enough to pass judgment on Kinon, the Ekho god of fire. By all the rules governing my existence in the Ekho Realm, I am a deviant Ekho. One who has broken, defied, the accepted rules of our Ekho realm. So, I cannot answer your question, Nora Arturo.”

    The room went silent, and then Dante cleared his throat.

    “So, just how old are you, Grandmaster?” Dante asked. “Should I be calling the Guinness World Record? I’m very sure we are bound to win. What year were you born?”

    “You will do no such thing,” Christophe said, pointing a finger at Dante in clear admonishment. “This son of mine might actually attempt to do it.”

    Tani chuckled and glanced at Landi.

    “I should be a hundred and forty-seven or so,” Landi said. “The fire inside me keeps me young. It should be the same for those in our bloodline. We age slowly.”

    “How many are there like you?” Tani asked.

    “Our family is very old. Our bloodline dates back to the eleventh century. We here in this room are the last standing with power,” Landi said, his gaze lost in memory. “The first of our line was named Christophe Artri, he had a daughter named Nora Artri, and it continues. Those before me had passed on by the time we were able to return to Aretias Island.”

    “When my family returned from Andalusia, we only found my grandmother. Thank the fates for her. She helped me understand who I was, what I was. From her, I learned how to control my fire. She kept records of our family. It felt good to discover that a long line of Artri men and women had gifts like mine. I didn’t feel so alone, even though my power was decidedly stronger than all the others in our line were. I have helped document our line since then.”

    “How did you know your power was stronger than others?” Tani asked.

    “There were spells grandmother could not do and she was with power. I was stronger than she was, though that changed when Dante was born. He is stronger than Christophe and me. When my wife gave birth to our children,” Landi said. “I got one son and three daughters. My son had no magik in his blood because his mother was not ekho-blessed. The magik skipped the girls too, but that is common. However, it found my grandson because we made an effort to make sure his mother was ekho-blessed, Christophe, and his son, Dante. These two should have the same outcome with age as me.”

    “They should,” Tani said, with a thoughtful nod.

    Kinon had truly put a lot of thought into his interference. The question remained why.

    Had this been his intention to begin with?

    Tani studied Landi.

    Kinon had blessed the Artri nurturing a long line of warlocks. Then Landi’s father decides to break out of farming, ending up in Andalusia. He takes long voyages in search of a fortune, and Landi is born with the strongest power in the line. His bloodline then contributes to Dante’s current bloodborne warlock magik. It felt like a renewal of Ekho magik. Renewing the Artri line to keep it relevant.

    Tani bit back a scoff at the thought.

    For Landi to grow his power this much, then it should have been that his mother had an affair with Kinon. Landi’s mother would have no real knowledge of what Kinon was.

    Tani thought about the request to the conservancy to find Landi. It was also suspect.

    Could Kinon have pretended to be the owner of the inn…?

    Tani reached for his phone.

    “What is it?” Dante asked.

    “Now that I hear Landi’s story and remember his case, I have questions as to how Elderwood knew to find you in Andalusia,” Tani said.

    “Is it very unusual?” Dante asked.

    Tani wrote a message to Hera.

    ‘Visit the conservancy archives for me. Find case files for the Andalusia region, late eighteen hundreds. I need to know who sent the case to the conservancy. Also the lineage book with Artri House.’

    “Mm,” Tani said. “Not quite, we did get requests for odd occurrences around the world, but…Landi’s case was specific.”

    Tani’s phone pinged and opened the voice message from Hera.

    Sawa, Babu. By the way, the ghost of the fortress left a gift in the living room you should see. Tom and I have decided you should bring your new boyfriend to meet us. I’ll make him samosas with pepper.

    Tani grinned and glanced at Dante.

    “What are samosas?”

    “Triangle pastries filled with beefy yummyness,” Tani said. “Hera is a master with them. You’ll love them.”

    “Can’t wait to try them then,” Dante said.

    “Just so you know, she’s going to ask many questions,” Tani said, putting away his phone.

    “Does she know about our past?” Dante asked.

    “No,” Tani shook his head. “And, I would like to keep it that way. There are parts of my life that are difficult to share with Tom and Hera. Our long connection is part of that.”

    “I understand,” Dante said tangling his fingers with Tani’s left hand again.

    “Just how long has the Elderwood Conservancy existed?” Landi asked, sipping his tea.

    “Elderwood has been around in various forms since the thirteenth century. My uncle named it.”

    “Uncle?” Dante asked.

    “Mm,” Tani said turning to Dante. “He would have given you the tour when you came, but he had a pressing engagement. He’s my…guardian.”

    “Will I meet him too?” Dante asked. “Will he approve of me?”

    Tani chuckled.

    “I doubt he has a choice at this point. We’ve been—,”

    Tani broke off, biting his bottom lip his gaze on Dante.

    “He’s been part of us for a long time. He knows everything about you.”

    “Oh,” Dante said.

    “What kind of work does the conservancy do?” Christophe asked. “In this age.”

    “It has always protected your kind,” Tani said. “You’re not the only recipient of our care. Though, I wasn’t sure of your bloodline at the time. There are many like you who need our care, even now.”

    “Like my father?” Landi asked.

    “Your father was a mortal,” Tani cut in, studying Landi, wondering how to convey his suspicions without seeming callous. “If the power was in him, it remained dormant. Instead, he was a damaging force. I doubt anyone could have saved him from himself. Once his quest for fortune failed, it was not in him to return to his true family here, so he kept you and your mother in pain and poverty. In a way, he forged you.”

    Landi sighed and nodded in agreement.

    “I’ve always wondered if he had the gift.”

    “He did not,” Tani shook his head. His phone buzzed again and he reached for it to find a picture from Hera. It was the file he asked for and the book with Atri House’s lineage. They were on the desk in his private library.

    “Thank you. Will plan for you to meet Dante. Don’t give him a hard time. He’s my heart.”

    Tani messaged back to Hera and summoned the file and book to him. He moved his plate and teacup to the side so that the book and the thick folder could fall on the table. No one at the table flinched in surprise. They had clearly seen more elaborate designs of magik.

    “This book records your house and claims the current head of the house is Christophe Arturo.” Tani opened it to the fire element pages and held out the book to Landi. “I think it was recorded using hearsay. If you would help correct the record for future generations working in our Elderwood Conservancy.”

    “We will,” Christophe said, taking the book from Landi. He started reading the contents and paused. “This is fascinating. Are you saying Artri is the only lineage with fire?”

    “Yes,” Tani said. “There has not been any other. Any discovered anyway.”

    “Oh,” Landi said. “We’re so rare.”

    “I think your patriarch is very strict with himself. Your house should be the only one he created,” Tani said, opening the old file from the Andalusia period.

    He searched and found the name of the inn keeper who submitted a request to find Landi.

    It read, ‘Onnik Kinno.’

    Tani grinned at the god of fire’s clear originality.

    Onnik Kinno. First and Last name, each one an anagram of Kinon.

    “Must you reveal Master’s clear lack of originality?” Artri whispered in Tani’s head.

    “Not my fault he could not think up a good name for his mortal lover,” Tani replied. ‘Onnik Kinno.’

    Artri huffed and Tani bit back his amused laugh.

    Landi’s true father was Kinon, the god of fire himself. Tani sighed. Kinon must have been very invested in making Dante’s line strong to have renewed the bloodline.

    This…he would have to discuss with Dante later.

    He returned the file to his library and sat back in his chair to drink his tea. His gaze on Christophe and Landi who were busy counting down the number of generations they needed to add in the book.

    Dante used tongs to fill Tani’s plate with cheese cubes, grapes, toasted fresh bread and a mix of cold meats.

    “I have a question,” Nora said. She had settled in a chair at the head of the table on Tani’s side. “What is your Ekho clan, Tani?”

    “I am a hybrid,” Tani said. “Also, I’m a deviant Ekho sent to the mortal world to serve a sentence. My affiliations with any clan have ended at this point.”

    “Because of your beloved?” Dante asked, studying his plate of food with grat interest.

    “Partly,” Tani said. “I was still in the mortal realm even before my punishment. There are reasons for that too.”

    “Oh,” Nora said, nodding. “So, would you be willing to give us more information about the Ekho Realm?”

    “Yes,” Christophe said, looking up from the lineage book. “I mean, our institute is in dire need of information about your kind. What we know is like folklore. We teach it but it’s not the same as the offering truth. Is that something you would be willing to share?”

    “It would depend,” Tani said, accepting the fork Dante handed hi. “I might be a deviant but I am still sworn to the laws of our kind. They include not giving mortals too much information about our kind.”

    “It’s hardly fair,” Landi said. “Your kind has all the power. You come here and create the ekho-blessed. We now have to content with deadly parasites like Kara ot. Don’t you think it’s unfair to keep us in the dark about your kind?”

    Tani chuckled and sat back in his seat.

    “I suppose you are right,” Tani said. “Those in the Elderwood Conservancy have spent time with me and my uncle. What they know has been largely from dealing with us, and situations that crop through time. We handle the worst brought by the Ekho Realm. We don’t share the information with outsiders because it can also prove dangerous. I suppose it is because of Uncle Amu—”

    “Can we join the conservancy?” Landi asked. “Including us into Elderwood will mean you violate no agreements with your people.”

    “Who are us?” Tani asked, popping a grape into his mouth. “Artri House or the school you both run. The one that made Dante?”

    “Both,” Nora said, drawing Tani’s gaze.

    “Mom,” Dante started.

    “Artri House includes me,” Nora said, sipping her tea. “The institute does not. Tani, I saw how you were with Hera and Tom. Who is Hera to you?”

    “She is my ward,” Tani said. “Why?”

    “You respect her opinions,” Nora said. “I feel Elderwood does that for the women of our kind. I want to be part of it.”

    “Nora,” Christophe said, staring at his wife in shock. “You run Artri House, unfettered. Why would you say you are not included?”

    What did you do when I told you that Landi had placed a silencing spell on me?” Nora asked.

    Christophe stopped, his gaze shifting to Dante.

    Tani watched Dante sip his tea without pause. He decided to relax and enjoy breakfast too.

    “You did nothing,” Nora answered for Christophe. “Our son confronted Landi the moment he discovered the truth. So, I am no longer spelled thanks to Dante. This is why I am able to tell Tani that the Ekho I trade with is called Aero. He is from the Dragon Clan.”

    Tani placed his fork down and frowned.

    “Aero. I’ve know of him. He runs auctions across the world. Elderwood has watched him for some time now. The results of his auctions have been mostly harmless. But now with the wicked black weed…”

    Tani’s frown deepened in thought.

    The dragon clan was in peace with most clans in the Ekho Realm, but they were a cunning race. They were noble and ferocious. Dragon clan people loved wealth and precious jewels. They did not discriminate on the people they traded with especially if it meant attaining a coveted item. Which could mean Aero might have brought Kara ot for the right price.

    “Tani?” Dante touched his elbow.

    Tani met worried brown eyes.

    “Perhaps your grandmaster is right,” Tani said with a small sigh. “Our traits make us. In saying that, Aero’s dragon traits are important. He might have brought the black weed. I need to call in someone Dante. Do not lock them out.”

    “I don’t—”

    “It is your will that runs Artri House,” Tani murmured. “I won’t go with them, but we need to work very fast. Aero is dangerous. Trust me.”

    “I do,” Dante said. “Do what you need to do.”

    Tani smiled and turned to Nora.

    “Thank you for sharing the name with me,” Tani said. “I’ll bring someone who will help resolve this mystery. He can also accept Artri House and your school’s application to join Elderwood. I can only help you up to here. The rest is up to you.”

    Nora nodded her consent and Tani closed his eyes and reached out to Amu.

    ‘Uncle.’

    ‘Tani, where are you?’ Amu responded.

    ‘Please visit Artri House. Use me as an anchor to find it,” Tani said.

    Tani hesitated then clenched his hands into tight firsts as he added.

    “You may bring the Ekho goddess of earth with you.”

    “We’ll be there,” Amu answered.

    Tani ended the connection and swallowed down his annoyance with having to include Eren. The thought of helping the Septum left him angry but he could not leave the members of this house vulnerable.

    Dante’s warm hand covered his left fist. He looked up to find Dante studying him.

    “You okay?” Dante asked.

    “I’m fine,” Tani said, his heart skipping at the warmth in Dante’s eyes. He wished they were alone. He consoled himself with the fact that they would be sooner or later. Reaching for the tea glass before im, he took a sip. “Nora, the breakfast spread looks delicious. Atri House sure does have the best meals. Dante cooked last night and it was amazing.”

    “Meals are the soul of a house,” Nora answered. “It is good to have everyone in the house meet at the table to touch base.”

    “Meals are how you discover who has spelled who in the family,” Dante said, making Nora chuckle and Christophe and Landi scowled at him.

    “Then you serve tea after serious threats,” Nora added. “Grandmaster would know very much about such an incident.”

    “Really?” Tani turned his inquiring gaze at Landi.

    “Yes, Dante threatened to rip me to pieces with liquid silver on Wednesday. He wanted me to remove the spell on Nora. I did it and then Nora served us breakfast right here.”

    Tani chuckled at his beloved’s petty nature.

    “You have a mean streak, Dante,” Tani said, glancing at Dante.

    “I was protecting mom,” Dante said, holding out a piece of white cheese to Tani. “Try this, it’s delicious.”

    Tani took a bite and nodded in agreement, as he ate. He was sipping his tea when Amu and Eren shimmered in to the kitchen.

    The wave of white light that filled the kitchen surprised Nora. She dropped the butter knife she held to stare at the two Ekhos in her kitchen.

    Tani stood then, and Dante followed his gaze to Amu.

    “Uncle,” Tani said in greeting.

    “Tani,” Amu said, with a small nod in greeting. “So this is Artri House.”

    “Yes,” Tani held out his hand to a stunned Landi. “He is the eldest of the Artri line, followed by Christophe and his wife, Nora. They are Dante’s parents.”

    “Children of Kinon,” Eren said, her gaze fixated on Dante. “You…you’re the culmination of his power. How extraordinary.”

    Tani ignored Eren’s observations and faced Dante’s family.

    “May I introduce Amu Izuna, born of the Fox Lord Nua Izuna. He is brother to the fox goddess. He takes the last name Ryuzo in the mortal realm to honor my roots. She is Eren, the Ekho goddess of the earth. She is from the Immortal Clan and one of the Septum.”

    Landi, Christophe, and Nora stood to give their greetings.

    Dante’s came up much slower, his gaze on Eren.

    “She contributed to the cuffs on your wrist,” Dante said, still holding Tani’s left hand. “Why is she here?”

    Tani smirked, meeting Eren’s gaze.

    “It is unavoidable,” Tani said, moving closer to Dante. He squeezed Dante’s fingers. “We need her authority to control Aero.”

    “How should we address you?” Landi asked.

    “Amu and Eren,” Amu said, looking at the laden table. “Sorry for intruding during your breakfast.”

    “Not at all,” Nora said. “You are welcome to join us. Have a seat. I’ll brew some more tea.”

    “Thank you for the offer but not this time,” Amu said, shaking his head. “We have an appointment we must keep elsewhere. Cale waits for us.”

    “The god of calamity?” Dante asked with a frown. “Why would you associate with him?”

    “I would ask why we are associating with mortals.” Eren countered.

    Dante gaped at her.

    “These mortals are Ekho-blessed, guarded by Kinon,” Tani said, frowning at Eren. “I called you here because Nora Arturo has provided us with the name of the Ekho who visits this manor. He is Aero from the dragon clan.”

    “Aero, the owner of the Kur Auction,” Amu said, his right brow rising in mild surprise. “Why would he visit here?”

    Tani glanced at Nora and smiled when he saw her shiver with anxiety.

    “Uncle, you know Aero needs to source items for auction,” Tani said. “Artri House is filled with great magik. They will cross paths. It is not taboo.”

    “Of course,” Amu said, shifting his gaze to Nora, Christophe, and Landi. “Now that we know the possible source of the black weed, we can trace back his steps. We shall need help from the person Aero meets.”

    “That is me,” Nora said.

    Eren held out her hand.

    Nora walked around Dante and Tani to reach her. They shimmered out of Artri House the moment Nora touched Eren’s hand.

    “Don’t worry,” Amu said when Dante took a startled step forward. “They will be back shortly.”

    “Uncle,” Tani said, squeezing Dante’s hand. “Artri House would love to join the Elderwood network. Landi and Christophe also run a school they want to include. I told them you would hear them out.”

    “Artri House is included in our network without question,” Amu said, his gaze on Dante. “As it always is with one in his bloodline. His children and theirs after remain under our care.”

    Dante held out his hand to Amu.

    Amu took his hand in a firm handshake.

    “Thank you,” Dante said.

    “Don’t thank me,” Amu said, letting go of Dante’s hand after a moment. “I take care of what is important to Tani.”

    “I am grateful for your care,” Dante said.

    “Uncle,” Tani started.

    “The culprit responsible for the black weed is almost caught. We know where to start looking in order to resolve this incident. Leave the search to Cale, Eren, and me,” Amu said his gaze gentle when he looked at Tani. “The sand in the hourglass lessens. You should get on with it.”

    Amu was giving him time with Dante. Releasing him from the search for Aero so that the trial might end with no interference.

    “This is the last chance,” Amu continued. “Give it your all and make sure there are no regrets.”

    Tani smiled and stepped forward. He took Amu’s right hand, and pressed the back of it to his forehead. A show of respect for the man he considered his father in all the ways that mattered. He was keenly aware that his life would be miserable without Amu’s full support.

    Amu placed his palm on top of Tani’s head in gentle blessing.

    “Be careful out there,” Amu said. “I will let you know if any changes arise.”

    Tani stepped away from Amu, just as Nora and Eren returned to the kitchen. Nora sat in the closest chair when Eren let go of her hand and let out a relieved breath. Her eyes shining with excitement.

    “Mom, are you alright?” Dante asked, moving to Nora’s side.

    “I’m very fine,” Nora said with a happy grin. “The teleporting was exciting. Lady Eren is very powerful. She traced Aero’s comings and goings at the beach. We discovered he uses a ship that docks not too far from our beach and comes in. They’ll find out more.”

    “Mm,” Eren said, nodding as she turned to Amu. “I have marked his footsteps on the ground. I’ll be able to find him in this realm.”

    “You’re indeed of the earth,” Amu said. “Before we leave, there is the topic of Elderwood and this house. Mrs. Arturo, why don’t we get started on an agreement. Tani, don’t let us keep you here.”

    Tani looked to Dante with a small smile, relieved his uncle would take on the case with Aero.

    “You wanted to stop by your office,” Tani said, remembering Dante’s wish for time alone. “Do you still want to take the sabbatical?”

    Dante squeezed his mother’s right shoulder and moved away from the table to stand next to Tani.

    “Yes,” Dante said, taking Tani’s left hand. “I’d love it very much.”

    “Then,” Tani said, tightening his hold on Dante’s hand. “Let’s go.”

    Dante glanced at his family, gave them a short wave, before Tani enveloped both of them in bright gold light. Tani teleported them out of Artri House, heading to Dante’s apartment in Istanbul.

    ***

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  • A Thousand Years of Hope Ch 13-2

    Dante woke to sunshine flooding his bedroom, and the feel of Tani Ryuzo’s warmth in his arms. He lay still, taking in the scent of his own shampoo, mixed in with Tani’s clean scent. It filled his nostrils, permeated his cells, and his lungs, and filled his heart with joy. He could not remember feeling so content in his life.

    Tani shifted, snuggling deeper into his chest, and Dante smiled at the trust Tani was giving him.

    He rarely held his partners in his arms, not even Viola with whom he had children.

    Dante brushed his fingers through Tani’s red-brown hair and enjoyed the moment. They were on his bed, the covers wrapped around them after a night of hard sleeping. Tani breathed in gentle motion, deep asleep.

    Dante took the chance to sink his fingers into soft red-brown hair, allowing his fingers to memorize the texture of it between his fingers. He stroked Tani’s hair in absent movement and managed to uncover Tani’s right earlobe.

    The gold leafs lining Tani’s right earlobe drew his interest, and he shifted his fingers to the earrings. It took him only a second to discover the leaves were not earrings. They were part of Tani and could not be removed. They looked sealed into Tani’s skin. Five Elderwood leaves, their artisanship hard to copy, they looked real.

    Dante rubbed his thumb on the surface of each leaf, fascinated by their presence on Tani’s ear. Why five golden leaves on his ear? Did they represent something? Did he feel it when Dante touched them?

    Dante pressed a kiss on the top of Tani’s earlobe and leaned back to find Tani watching him. His breath caught when he looked into clear amber eyes. His cock filled in full appreciation when Tani pressed into him with a small smile.

    “Morning,” Tani murmured, burying his face into Dante’s chest.

    “Morning,” Dante said with a pleased grin, then whispered into Tani’s right ear. “I think I should let you know that I’m in trouble.”

    Tani leaned back, eyes wide with worry.

    “What kind of trouble?”

    “It’s very serious trouble,” Dante said, his tone grim.

    Tani frowned, and Dante grinned.

    “Now that we’ve spent this night together, I really cannot give us up. I slept so well, and then I woke up with you in my arms. It’s a gift. I have to keep you. Can I?” Dante asked. “You’re addictive.”

    Tani shook his head at Dante’s declaration and studied him for a moment.

    “I didn’t think you were so mushy,” Tani said, resting his head on Dante’s chest.

    “I can’t help it,” Dante said, running the palm of his hand over Tani’s back. Up and down, until Tani leaned back to look at him.

    “You’re not the only one addicted,” Tani said. “I love yo—this, I love this, too.”

    Dante smiled and leaned in to kiss Tani. Taking his lips in a sweet kiss that quickly turned possessive. The moment his lips touched Tani’s, he wanted more, wanted to feel Tani’s skin, explore, caress, and touch every inch of him. Discover what made Tani moan in pleasure and come apart in ecstasy. Tani returned his kisses with equal hunger. Dante wished they could stay in his bed making out the whole day.

    His phone buzzed on the bedside table and burst the bubble. He ignored it, kissing Tani, wrapping his arms around him, and rolling so he was on his back with Tani lying over him. Their kiss continued until they were both breathing hard. His phone started ringing again, this time in earnest and Tani broke their kiss to stare at the gadget on the bedside table.

    “Nora is calling,” Tani said, looking at Dante. “She seems determined.”

    Tani rested his head on Dante’s chest and let out a soft contented sigh. Dante sunk his fingers into his hair as he reached for his phone with his left hand. He answered the phone.

    “Morning, Mom.”

    “My son is finally awake,” Nora said. “I wanted to catch you before you decide to leave this morning. Your father is home. It will be nice to have breakfast together. I also have news from Aero. Will you come down?”

    “Yes, Mom. I am also bringing someone to breakfast.”

    “That sounds heavy,” Nora said. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

    Dante smiled as he hung up and looked down to find Tani watching him.

    “My family is downstairs,” Dante said, placing his phone on the bed so that he could wrap both his arms around Tani. “They want to have a meal together.”

    Tani nodded and held his gaze.

    “You want me to meet your family?”

    “Why not?” Dante asked, kissing the top of Tani’s head. “I want to introduce you to my family as my boyfriend. This way, they will not be confused. They’ll know what you mean to me.”

    Tani gave him a slow grin, his amber eyes shimmering for a moment with a beautiful ring of gold. His eyes were so beautiful; Dante took in a breath as his heart leaped in his chest. Tani lowered his gaze and shifted his head on Dante’s chest. Dante’s gaze caught on Tani’s right earlobe and he reached for the gold leaves.

    ***

    Tani closed his eyes and listened to Dante’s heartbeat. Tani’s heartbeat matched the rhythm. It was steady, assuring.

    “Your right earlobe is fascinating,” Dante said, his thumb stroking Tani’s right earlobe. “Why do you have five gold Elderwood leaves on your ear?”

    “They show my standing in my father’s family. To show that I’m his son,” Tani said, not liking the melancholy filling him when he thought about his father.

    “Your Dad?”

    “Mm,” Tani said, looking up to meet Dante’s gaze again. “Let’s not think about him. I don’t want to spoil this beautiful day.”

    Dante studied him for a moment then smiled.

    “Okay. It is a beautiful Thursday morning,” Dante said with a nod. “The best I’ve ever had. I lay here earlier, watching you sleep, and contemplated taking a sabbatical.”

    “Are you running away from work?”

    “It won’t be running away,” Dante said with a chuckle. “Just taking time off and spending a year with you. I don’t want to miss a moment with you, Tani. It occurred to me that I’m almost thirty-six years old. You are the first person in my life I want to give all my time. Maybe Viola was right and I am a cold bastard.”

    Tani’s heart skipped a beat and warmth filled his chest at Dante’s words. He had already given Dante all his time, his life. It felt good to have Dante want to give him back a little of the same. It was the first time his beloved had voiced even an intention of more than a dalliance.

    “I will cherish your time, Dante,” Tani said. “And you’re not cold, you’re filled with fire. She just didn’t know how to see it.”

    “Do you see my fire?” Dante asked, his brow rising in question.

    Tani sat up, his left hand resting on Dante’s chest. The warm fragment of Dante’s soul residing in his empty heart sent a pulse of heat through him. The gold mist swirling around Dante wrapped around his palm, responding to the obvious affection in Dante’s heart.

    Their connection was so very fragile, but promising. He wished there was more, but this felt enough for now. He had no words to describe the gift of having spent a night in Dante’s arms after decades of being without him. There were never sufficient words to describe this moment.

    He looked into Dante’s curious gaze and smiled.

    “You forget,” Tani said. “You singed me at our first meeting, Dante Arturo. I was so stunned that I ended up ankle-deep in marshland when I returned to Elderwood. You ruined a good pair of my favorite shoes.”

    Dante grinned, his lips curving in a handsome smile. Tani immediately wanted to kiss him again.

    “I promise to get you a pair to replace them,” Dante said, his grin turning into a short chuckle.

    Left with no defense, Tani kissed his beloved just to feel Dante’s smile on his lips and then scrambled out of the comfortable bed. Afraid they might linger and not leave at all.

    “I’ll wash up first. I can’t believe you have me meeting your parents when we haven’t been on our first date.”

    “It is part of my secret plan,” Dante said, making Tani pause at the bedroom door to look at him.

    “What secret plan?’

    “The plan to seduce you and keep you at Artri,” Dante said. “Before you showed up, I had planned on kidnapping you.”

    Tani laughed.

    “Does my staying here make me a willing kidnapee?” Tani asked as he opened the door.

    “Yes. Elderwood will have to be calling you to hear your voice,” Dante said. “I’m a very invested kidnapper and will entertain you until you forget you have them waiting.”

    Tani chuckled and shook his head.

    “Entitled warlock,” Tani said as he headed to the bathroom.

    “Dazzling Ekho,” Dante called back. “Come back to bed and make out with me all day.”

    “Your parents are waiting downstairs,” Tani replied and heard Dante let out a soft sigh.

    “They are clearly ruining perfect plans,” Dante complained.

    Tani smiled in amusement and closed the bathroom door.

    ****

    Thirty minutes later, they were both showered and dressed for the day. Tani had made friends with Atri, so he was able to teleport to his house for a moment for a change of clothes. He returned just as Dante was emerging from the bedroom.

    Dante stopped Tani by the door on their way out. He pressed him against the wall and kissed him making Tani chuckle, and wrap his arms around Dante’s shoulders.

    “We should stay in here,” Tani said, raining kisses on Dante’s face. “I love it in your suite of rooms.”

    Dante smiled and wrapped his arms around Tani, holding him close. He buried his face into Tani’s shoulder.

    “I agree.” Dante squeezed Tani tight, loving the fact that Tani was an Ekho and he seemed to love tight hugs, with no flinch at Dante’s strength. “But we should finish with my parents downstairs. My father must know all about the black weed in the olive grove by now. Mom wants to tell us about the Ekho she meets there.”

    Tani rubbed his hands over Dante’s back.

    “Dante. Let’s live your day today,” Tani said. “Tomorrow, we can live mine. I have lawyers to meet. Then we can deal with the rest after.”

    “Okay,” Dante agreed, pressing a kiss on Tani’s shoulder not making a move to open the door.

    Tani rested his chin on Dante’s strong shoulder. He rubbed his hand over Dante’s back, smoothing the pale blue shirt he wore. He liked the color on Dante. It brought out his eyes. Dante’s stomach growled and Tani chuckled.

    “Dante.”

    “Mm?”

    “You’re my beloved and I worry about you very much. We should leave your room so that you can have your morning meal,” Tani whispered into Dante’s ear.

    “I’m in love with the way you talk to me,” Dante said.

    Tani grinned when Dante let him go and took his right hand.

    “Let’s go eat breakfast,” Dante said. “The faster we get through it, the faster we can have time to ourselves.”

    Dante opened the door and led Tani out. They went down the stairs and Dante could not help looking back every few steps just to see Tani following him.

    “I won’t disappear,” Tani said when they got downstairs and Dante squeezed his hand, making sure to walk right beside him. “I’ve already thrown my lot in with you.”

    Dante stopped, bringing Tani’s right hand up to press a kiss on his inner wrist.

    “I just…I feel like I need a minute or two hours to process,” Dante said and then squeezed Tani’s hand, a kiss on his inner wrist. “Maybe twenty-four hours, or a few days…”

    “Months?” Tani asked, teasing.

    “Definitely months,” Dante said. “Years even.”

    Tani’s amber eyes gained a gloomy cloud that quickly disappeared. The shadow hidden behind the strange wall Tani was keeping up between them.

    Dante could not wait to break it down and discover what brought the shadows into Tani’s eyes. He wanted to obliterate it, replace the shadows with joy.

    “Your family fills the kitchen,” Tani said when they continued their walk along the hallway to the kitchen. “Your father doesn’t know I’m here, but your mother and the grandmaster might.”

    “Are you nervous?” Dante asked, surprised by the naked note of anxiety in Tani’s voice.

    “They are your family. Your closest ones. Of course, I’m nervous. What if they don’t like me for you?” Tani asked, anxious energy filling him as they approached the kitchen.

    Dante stopped their progress, brought their clasped hands to his lips, and pressed a kiss on Tani’s knuckles.

    “They should worry if you like them,” Dante said and kissed Tani’s right cheek. He clasped Tani’s hand tighter and did not give Tani a chance to think as he opened the kitchen door.

    Nora gasped when Dante and Tani walked into the warm kitchen. She sat drinking tea at the island table next to Christophe. Grandmaster Landi sat across them, arranging a salad plate.

    They all looked at Dante and Tani when Nora gasped.

    Tani tensed as Nora pushed her chair back and got up. Dante squeezed Tani’s hand as she crossed the room to meet them.

    “Dante,” Nora said, coming to kiss both his cheeks. “You look very happy this morning. Well rested. So very handsome.”

    “Are you saying I wasn’t handsome before?” Dante asked, giving her a scowl, as she let go of him.

    “You’re always handsome to me. I am only saying you look even more handsome this morning,” Nora said, turning to Tani. “Do I have you to thank for this change?”

    “I can’t take any credit. He got it all from you,” Tani said.

    “Aw, I like you very much,” Nora said, leaning in to kiss Tani’s cheek. “What is this?”

    She rubbed her thumb over a red spot on Tani’s neck.

    “I like kissing Tani,” Dante said, wrapping his arm around Tani’s shoulder, pulling him closer, making his cheeks fill with color.

    “Oh, that is the mushiest thing you have ever said near me,” Nora said and held out her hand to Tani. “You’re a miracle to have him announcing he likes you in our kitchen. Come, I’ll introduce you to Dante’s Papa.”

    Tani pulled his hand out of Dante’s and took Nora’s in a gentle handshake. She led him to the island table where two men stood looking at him, caught between shock and…surprise?

    Tani could not tell.

    “Christophe,” Nora said, leading Tani to the younger of the two older men. “This is Tani Ryuzo. He healed the soil in our olive grove. Dante is sweet on him.”

    ****

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  • Blades of Ashes Ch 2-1

    The Case of the Forged Silver Coins

    Chapter 2-1

    A majestic mountain stood in the middle of the Sura Island. Under this mountain, a series of tunnels existed. These tunnels were built in the hundreds of years the Sura Clan had called the island home. Generations came, passed their knowledge to the youngsters, and moved on. Youngsters grew up, taught their next generation. The cycle continued until mining and working with ore became a way of life for the Sura.

    The Sura Clan lived with deep loyalties to family. Theirs was a community based on family first no matter the situation. The members of the clan lacked for nothing. There were no restrictions on love and marriage, ambition or spirit. They supported each other without question.

    Hence, the Sura Clan nurtured skilled jewelers, tool artisans, weapon forgers, talented blacksmiths and many more. The only thing their chieftain, Marius Doriel, worried about was their small number compared to the other clans in the Lyria Empire. The Sura Clan was only two thousand, five hundred and twenty-three souls strong. Marius was in a constant bid to encourage marriage and child bearing to every Sura Clan member’s dismay.

    It was lucky the passionate chieftain had moved to stay in the capital for the sake of their trade.

    Marius lived with five hundred Sura people in the capital city. This group endured his constant nagging to procreate. Weddings were a usual practice during days of rest at Marius’ main home.  He even footed the wedding bill as long as a couple approached him with the intention to marry.

    The Sura who remained on the island had an easier time, as they lived as they wished. However, the marriage bug caught the Sura quite early. Every month, the assistant chieftain hosted a marriage ceremony at the main hall in the center of the Sura Village on the island. Everyone hoped their numbers would grow and allow Marius some peace of mind.

    Marius watched a young couple exchange rings before him and clapped when they smiled at each other before they kissed. He smiled wide too and nodded as the guests in his hall erupted into wild cheers, toasting the young couple’s happiness.

    The couple ended their kiss and their peers pulled them to the large circle made in the middle of the room for a dance. It warmed Marius’s heart to see a new pair start a family in his clan.

    “Have a drink, Marius,” Lasma said. “Come sit with me and let the young ones dance.”

    Lasma was his wife and they had been married for twenty-five years. They gave the clan two children. A girl named Alise who was the next chieftain. Alise was twenty-four years old. And their son, Azula who was only twenty.

    Of his two children, Marius worried about Azula most. His son was a skillful warrior and a talented blacksmith. Azula ran wild and preferred life at the Sura Mountain, swimming in the lake where their ancestral home stood, and eating sweet and sour chicken roasted by his dear godfather, Magnus.

    Marius sometimes blamed his second cousin, Magnus, for allowing Azula such unbridled freedom. He was convinced Magnus was the reason Azula shunned any attempts to civilize him. He could only dream of seeing Azula dress in formal robes and stand in a room like this without causing trouble.

    “Thinking about Azula?” Lasma asked, sitting next to him.

    “How did you know?”

    “You always have a frown when you think of Azula,” Lasma said, pressing the pad of her index finger on his forehead. “He is young, only twenty years of age. He does good work running our ancestral home and the mines without us. Give him time.”

    “I hope daily that he will be able to support Alise in her work.”

    “Alise is strong on her own,” Lasma said, her gaze shifting to their daughter across the room.

    Alise stood surrounded by the members of the chief’s council, two men and two women. They looked in deep discussion. Alise spoke and the others listened to her with rapt attention.

    “She grows to look like you every day,” Marius said, studying his eldest daughter.

    Alise, like everyone in the Sura clan, had thick strawberry blonde hair. It grew long and she kept it in a tight braided ponytail. She had green eyes, an oval face, fair skin and a slender figure. She was five foot three, but her personality more than made up for the lack of height.

    Alise was dressed in a beautiful light yellow dress with long skirts, and a gold knitted belt at her waist. The oval ilmenite jewel hanging at the end of the belt was the only indication of her station. Her smile was ready. Although when she was discussing business, it rarely made an appearance.

    “She is managing the clan’s affairs,” Lasma said, with a wistful smile.

    “Do you think she will choose her husband soon?” Marius asked, wondering when he was going to get to hold grandchildren.

    Lasma chuckled.

    “You told her you did not like Yemin,” Lasma said. “Alise and Yemin have been close for a year.”

    Marius let out a huff at the mention of the strong warrior who helped them run the workshops in the capital city. Yemin was tall at six feet. He forged the best swords, second only to Azula, but he was conceited.

    Marius worried he would make trouble for Alise, if they married.

    “Why can’t she choose Juya?” Marius asked, his gaze on the young man standing next to Alise. “He is smart, manages our accounts and can tell apart precious tones with a single look. He dresses well, and is part of the council so he understands Alise’s responsibilities.”

    “We are Sura, my love,” Lasma said, sitting back. She nibbled on carrot slice and smiled. “We follow our hearts when it comes to marriage. Don’t look down on Alise’s choice. She’s the only one who knows why Yemin is the right one.”

    Marius sighed and shook his head when Lasma handed him a fresh carrot stick from the platter on the table before them.

    “You’re right. Look at this, I’ve allowed you to turn me into a rabbit,” Marius complained as he ate the carrot slice.

    “I’m nurturing your health,” Lasmas said. “When Alise comes to you with Yemin, promise to give them your consent.”

    Marius grumbled but he agreed with a nod. The side door opened, and he turned to see his secretary rushing to him. He looked worried.

    “What is it, Torak?” Marius asked.

    Torak sighed as he came to a stop next to Marius. He was dressed down in leather trousers and a white cotton tunic. Noting the curious gazes everyone was giving him, he took in a deep breath and leaned in closer to Marius and Lasma.

    “There has been another robbery,” Torak said. “The third one this past week. This last one makes it six missing cargo carriages in total. We are running short of burnt ore here in the capital. The workshops are behind on orders. The robbers killed the drivers. We must plan two more funerals.”

    “Where is Yemin?” Marius asked.

    “Yemin is on the route doing his best to guide the search for the six missing cargo carriages. He is also handling the funeral arrangements for the two affected families,” Torak said. “He told me to mention that the thieves might have other motives. The carriages have not made it to Genad City.”

    A cloud of anxiety filled Marius’s chest as he glanced at Lasma. He was afraid Yemin was right. The uneasy feeling that had been plaguing Marius since the first robbery of their cargo carriages increased.

    “Send a message to Azula,” Marius said to Torak, holding Lasma’s gaze. “Have Azula escort the next shipment of burnt ore in person. Tell him to take precautions.”

    “Yes, Chief,” Torak said, starting to leave, but then he paused. “What about Yemin and the men on the route?”

    “Ask Yemin to concentrate on the funerals,” Marius said, his frown deepening. “They will not find the cargo carriages. Let Azula handle the robbery issue. When the funerals end, Yemin should bring me a report of how much black ore is left in each of our workshops. We need him here handling our failed orders.”

    “Okay,” Torak hurried off.

    Lasma took Marius’s left hand and squeezed.

    “This is not the first time we’ve encountered theft,” Lasma said. “But this episode is extreme and vicious. We also cannot find the cargo carriages. What do you think these thieves want?”

    “I’m afraid whatever it is does not bode well for the Sura,” Marius said, his gaze on Alise.

    As though sensing his unease, Alise excused herself from the council members and made her way to their table.

    “Another robbery?” Alise asked when she was close enough, keeping her voice low.

    “Yes,” Marius said with a grim nod. “We have now lost twelve of our seasoned drivers. The transport team is losing morale.”

    Alise leaned on the table. She picked up the tail of her gold belt and played with the woven gold. She bit her lip in thought, and then frowned.

    “Yemin suspects the ore thefts are tied to the cases of forged silver coins,” Alise said. “It’s a speculation—”

    “A dangerous one,” Marius said, sitting up straight as he studied Alise. “We cannot be implicated in silver coin forgery, Alise. Our clan will suffer enormous ruin.”

    “I know,” Alise said, shaking her head. “But what if the person robbing our black ore is helping the forgers? What should we do?”

    “Do the best we can to thwart the culprit’s plan,” Lasma said, answering for Marius. “Help the blacksmiths with inventory in all our workshops. Make sure the ledgers are completed. Melt any molds we have that make small coins. Your dad might need to visit the magistrate’s office to report this case.”

    Alise pushed off the table and started to leave.

    “Alise,” Marius said, making her stop to look at him. “Yemin is a good man. Ask him to visit our manor for a meal when he has finished with the funerals. Tell him he will like your mother’s sweet and sour chicken. He had better show up if you’re ever to help him braid his hair.”

    Alise smiled wide and ran to kiss Marius’s right cheek.

    Marius grinned with pleasure.

    “Thank you, Papa,” Alise said, then hurried away.

    Lasma squeezed Mariu’s hand, and Marius glanced at her.

    “Forging silver coins is treason,” Marius said, hoping to ease her concern. “If someone is plotting against us, we need to be careful. Anything could happen. You are right. It’s best to report the matter of stolen black ore to the magistrate. Then, I shall reach out to the old Draeya general from Naga County. He may have a solution.”

    “He is a good man,” Lasma said. “I’m more concerned for Azula. He will have to face these thieves on the way to the capital. Do you think he will make it?”

    Marius smiled.

    “Azula outsmarts wild tigers in our mountain. He designed the tracks that run our mines and even the cargo carriages we use. Azula might not catch the thieves, but they will not rob him,” Marius said, his voice filled with pride. “He won’t give them the chance.”

    “So much praise, I almost can’t believe you were worried about him earlier,” Lasma said, grinning.

    “Azula is Azula,” Marius said, his voice wistful. “I’ll be glad to have him in the capital. Maybe we can get him to wear a nice pair of clothes like Juya. I think Azula would look better.”

    Lasma chuckled.

    “Azula is more likely to kiss Juya for dressing that well.”

    “If he would make an effort,” Marius said, “Juya might think of kissing him too.”

    Lasma laughed then and shook her head.

    “I bet he is neck-deep in mud at the moment, making trouble for Magnus,” Marius speculated.

    “Or climbing trees, and ripping his tunics,” Lasma countered. “Poor Alva is constantly sewing his clothes.”

    “And Kalas and Sennin are always chasing after him, hoping he doesn’t break his legs,” Marius said with a sigh that descended into a chuckle. “I truly do miss him.”

    ****

    Previous | Blades of Ashes ToC | Next

  • A Thousand Years of Hope Ch 13-1

    Anit Izuna returned to the Ekho Realm in a state of annoyance. The goddess of earth, Eren, left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. Eren’s words a pile of salt spread over her unhealed cuts. Tani’s predicament in the mortal realm always left Anit feeling incapable.

    She stood in the back gardens at the fox clan’s log house and stared at the thousands of apple trees she had planted these last thousand years. Thinking of Tani stuck in the mortal realm, unable to visit the Ekho Realm, or discover the extent of his abilities ate at her. Yes, she was the reason he was in the mortal realm to begin with, but in time, she would have returned him here. He was the next Fox Lord. His latent power greater than hers, even greater than her father, Nua Izuna.

    Tani was a nine-tailed fox at five hundred years of age. He was also blessed with Sunu’s gifts. In time, Tani would be capable of uniting the two clans and holding them together, becoming an everlasting Emperor. She hoped his reign would reduce the inequalities caused by the Immortal Clan’s absolute control of the Palladium Gates. Sahdrina was a just guardian, but she was still affiliated to the Immortal Clan.

    Shaking her head, Anit moved to the worktable laden with tools and sat on the bench. She shifted a few tools aside and paused when her hand touched the pot holding an Elderwood sapling. Tani’s shining eyes filled her mind’s eye.

    “You still can’t look at me.”

    Anit shuddered at the memory of Tani’s accusation and frowned at the Elderwood plant.

    Yes, Tani had inherited his father’s eyes, even his power presented in the same way as the Immortal Lord. She worried Tani would make a better Immortal Lord than a Fox Lord. Then his grudge against her grew, and she found a lot of herself in him. It was sad that she only managed to give him the bad parts of her soul.

    Now all she could think about was the ending of his calamity. She would know what to do for him, if he moved back to the Ekho Realm.

    She would have a chance to make it up to Tani.

    Shaking her head again, she stared at the Elderwood plant. She could not look at Tani’s eyes because they reminded her of her impossible love for Sunu Ryuzo. The most powerful Ekho in their realm. The man who saved her from an unprecedented misfortune. The father of her son. The one who kept half her soul safe, while she kept his. They were mated and separate.

    She let out a soft breath and closed her eyes when the constant pain of losing Sunu shifted in her heart, like an old friend. It should have eased in the two thousand years and change they had been apart. It should have, but the pain remained, grew and refined itself with every passing moment. She sometimes wished Sunu had not found her in the Zona Forest the night he saved her. They would have avoided this pain, but then…she opened her eyes and touched the petal of the small Elderwood plant. Without Sunu, she would never have gotten and loved their son, Tani.

    The memory of her first meeting with Sunu filled her mind, her thoughts lingering on the thick branches that had wrapped around her promising to squeeze life out of her. Sunu saved her but she never stopped to think of why she would be in such a position. So blinded by her love for Sunu, she had ignored the matter for some time.

    “Nela Bao,” Anit said.

    Nela appeared behind Anit. She was her most illustrious and loyal defender. She was the strongest in the Bao Sentinel Branch. The one who protected the oldest and the head of the sentinel branch. Nela was Anit’s confidant.

    “Lady Izuna, welcome back home,” Nela said in greeting.

    The only way Nela would know she wasn’t in, was if she had come looking for Anit earlier.

    “How is Gralia?” Anit asked, of the lands the Fox Clan called home.

    “The clan lands are calm,” Nela said. “Our capital city, Taesi, is sufficiently managed. The Inter Clan Court is commencing tomorrow for a period of thirty days to handle matters brought forward by the many ministries. They asked me to seek your attendance.”

    Anit nodded her agreement, caressing a delicate leaf on the Elderwood sapling before her.

    “As you make arrangements for my attendance, know that Amu will come to you for assistance,” Anit said, thinking about her brother, her son’s keeper. She wished she could have half her brother’s sense of justice. “Afford him anything he asks.”

    “Yes, Lady Izuna,” Nela said.

    “Is there anything else?” Anit asked, knowing Nela would not come looking for her for something as small as attending court. A note to the log house would have worked just fine.

    “My uncle asked me to convey a message,” Nela said, her tone hesitant. “I do not agree with it, but he is the head of our Bao Sentinel Branch. I am obligated to bring the message in confidence.”

    “What is his concern?” Anit asked, shifting so that she could look at Nela.

    “The Anael Sentinel Branch has been making unusual moves,” Nela said. “Our Bao has noted that the branch has retained the same man as head of the branch for nearly one thousand years. It is unknown the reason why it should be so when your office has mandated sentinel heads change every three years. Of late, those opposed to the continued reign of the same Anael leader have gone missing in mysterious ways. Their disappearances are tied to illness and/or accidents. My uncle is concerned.”

    “Why are you not concerned?” Anit asked, narrowing her gaze on Nela.

    “I believe the five sentinel branches have a right to run their houses as they see fit,” Nela said. “Our House of Bao has had the same head depending on strength and wisdom as guidance. We cannot dictate how the others choose to live.”

    “Hm,” Anit frowned and returned her attention to the Elderwood sapling.

    Eren’s suspicions about Kara ot in the Mortal Realm filled her head, and she bit back a soft curse. Mention of a problem among her highest graded officers made her unsure. She hated strife within her ranks most.

    “You are right but so is your uncle, Nela. A thousand years is too long for a Sentinel Branch Master. My father dictated a three-year term for each one. Someone has gone to great effort to keep the status of Anael’s current leader hidden from me. The Bao Sentinel Branch changes leaders depending on health and leadership capacity, even with your privilege of family. You house has had a hundred leaders in one thousand years. Your uncle is right to be suspicious of such unusual behavior. Your Bao branch shall investigate further. Tell your uncle he has my support.”

    “Understood, Lady Izuna,” Nela said with a swift nod.

    “Before you go, I have a task for you. The memory of the day I met Sunu is plaguing me,” Anit said, closing her eyes.

    She could picture the moment very clearly, as though it happened last night.

    “I was at a disadvantage three thousand and three hundred years ago. It was the first time it ever happened to me, but then I met Sunu and got distracted. I have always thought the goddess of fertility caused my misfortune in the Zona Forest. I thought it was the Immortal Clan weaving a plot for the sake of their future heir. Still, I cannot forget my misfortune.”

    “What was your misfortune, Lady Izuna?” Nari asked.

    “What was it indeed?” Anit sifted through her memories, searching for the moment when she felt Sunu’s power sing to hers for the first time. “It was triggered by a call for help from a desperate fox in the Zona Forest. Our fox clan lands share the forest with the immortal clan lands. The cry for help was unusual. You see, I felt the fox’s pain as though it were my own. When I arrived in the Zona Forest, all I remember is the strength of thick vines wrapping around me with a force I could not break. They were heavy with malice. I could not break them without Sunu’s help.”

    “Are you saying it was an attack?” Nela asked her eyes wide with shock.

    “Perhaps,” Anit said, with a frown. “Why have I not thought about this misfortune all these years? Perhaps being in Tani’s Elderwood triggered the memory. Seeing his pain or is it mine…”

    Anit trailed off, thinking about Tani’s disappointed gaze when he looked at her. The tilt of his head when she moved away from him at the sight of his eyes. The way he left his home, his sanctuary, because she was there. All of it was too much to bear. The pain should have triggered the memory.

    “It’s been a long time since I was in the Zona Forest,” Anit murmured. “I do not know what you will find, but I want to know what triggered those branches. The Immortal Lord bestowed good fortune upon them. They will have survived all this while. Trace the source of their malice.”

    “I will, Lady Izuna.”

    “Keep what you discover between us,” Anit said. “I will protect your mind from your uncle.”

    Nela gave Anit a short bow and shimmered out of the apple garden.

    Anit let out a soft sigh, and stood up, picking up the pot holding the Elderwood sapling. She headed toward the log house. She would find a place for it in the garden she kept in the middle of the log house. It was time to think of how she would heal the rift between her and Tani. She wanted him to return to his rightful place and learn how to smile without pain in his eyes.

    ****

    The Anael Sentinel Branch was third on the rank of importance to the Fox Clan’s log house. They handled policing of Gralia, with their efforts concentrated on the capital city, Taesi.

    The head of Anael was named Zal. His last name was not mentioned often, because it was similar to Lady Izuna, the Fox Goddess. No one wanted to call him Lord Izuna, it would seem as though he was married to Anit. No one wanted to bear the consequences of the insult. This was Zal’s greatest annoyance. Why? No one had ever stopped to wonder why his last name was Izuna too.

    Zal Izuna stared at a painting of Anit, the most powerful fox in their clan, a mix of envy and awe swirling inside him.

    Anit was three hundred and sixty thousand years old. He still could not believe she was ten thousand years his junior. She was the daughter of the previous Fox Lord, Nua Izuna. Nua gave her the right to succeed his leadership of the Fox Clan on the day Anit accumulated enough power to became a nine-tailed fox. She was one thousand years old. Already deemed remarkable and extraordinary by their clan’s elders.

    Most foxes in the clan only gained four tails at the most through their long lifetime. The more tails a fox had, the stronger it was. It took most of them tens of thousands of years to gain each one. Unless they were Anit or Amu, who was Anit’s younger brother. Amu had seven tails.

    Amu was three hundred and fifty-seven thousand years old, just three years younger than Anit.

    Compared to his extraordinary half-siblings, Zal had only managed to gain three tails in his three hundred and seventy thousand years of life. He was older than Anit and Amu by ten thousand years. He still could not measure up to them. Their difference in power was too clear.

    Anit and Amu were levels apart, which was probably why their father, Nua Izuna, had dismissed him as a mere servant of the people.

    The Ekho Realm’s fox clan was old and filled with troublesome and powerful magik. Bloodlines determined the weight and size of the magik, so the trouble always started with a fox’s lineage.

    Zal had spent tens of thousands of years studying why his power could never reach Anit’s level. It turns out his bloodline was his greatest weakness. To be Anit, he would need to be born of two powerful fox parents.

    Anit was born of the previous Fox Lord, Nua Izuna, and his beloved, Meljean. Meljean’s bloodline was as old as Nua’s family. Her ancestors had ties to powerful fox lords and goddesses long lost to the Ekho Realm’s timeline. Nua and Meljean’s powerful bloodline created Anit.

    There was no way to beat her strength. Thanks to her age, and her bloodline’s ability to accumulate power, she had joined the ranks of one of the most powerful Ekho in the realm, second only to the Immortal Lord, Sunu who was over four hundred thousand years old.

    Zal had no information on Sunu Ryuzo’s real age. The Immortal Clan kept his secrets well hidden.

    No one in the fox clan could beat Anit’s power. Well…perhaps there was one.

    Anit’s son, Tani Ryuzo. Another Ekho blessed with luck and infinite good karma. He was prime pedigree.

    What was it like to have the Immortal Lord as a father? Zal wondered with a wince.

    Zal hated the envy burning inside him. It was constant, unwavering. There was nothing to do for it but tend to the fire. He could at least console himself with the fact that he could call Nua Izuna his father.

    “Lord Zal.”

    “Yes?”

    Zal turned to look at the woman standing a few feet away. She was Tara, the vice head of the Anael Sentinel Branch. She rose up the ranks next to him. Now that he was the head, she worked right beside him as the vice. They had held same position for the past thousand years. With careful orchestration and iron will.

    “The Inter Clan Court has noticed Shugo’s disappearance. I’m afraid we have not been able to keep our movements as quiet this time. Election season at Aniel is approaching. We will have a few eyes on us. The Inter Clan Court is expected to convene tomorrow. What should we do?” Tara said.

    “Any word from the Mortal Realm?” Zal asked.

    “No,” Tara said. “There has been no tragedy with the mortal. Perhaps Lua is late making the delivery of black weed. I’ve met the Dragon clan’s Aero. He always has news of the hybrid Ryuzo. There has been nothing to report on Ryuzo’s return to the Ekho Realm. The mortal is living in his family home with no indication of returning to the Americas.”

    “Something’s shifted,” Zal said, with a frown. He had planned so carefully. Tani’s beloved always chose the mortal woman. If he refused to return to Viola, then the mortal would die at the hands of Lua. “Where is Lua?”

    “Our people have not been able to reach him these days. It looks like he has gone into hiding. I will ask Aero to find him,” Tara said.

    “Interesting,” Zal said, his frown fading. “Lua is quite shameless and hardly worries about being caught. Something must have happened if he is in hiding. Has someone noticed my plan?”

    “There is no indication,” Tara said. “The first to respond to suspicion would be the House of Bao. They are running as usual. The Fox Goddess has made no mention, and no sentinels have come by order of the Inter Clan Court.”

    “You are right,” Zal nodded, and let out a sigh. “I can’t wait for this to end. I was hoping a fight in the mortal realm for the mortal’s soul would occupy the clan for a time. Now, we must create a distraction of our own. Tell Aero to help find Lua. If he cannot find him, Aero will have to use the black weed spear himself if he wants to stay out of the Septum’s radar.”

    “I’ll send him a message,” Tara said.

    “Do it fast,” Zal said. “We need a commotion to distract them from our Anael House and what we’re working to achieve.”

    “I’ll take care of it, Lord Zal.”

    Zal watched Tara leave, and then turned to the portrait of Anit. His thoughts returning to the father he shared with Anit, and a past he wished was different.

    The previous Fox Lord, Nua Izuna was no saint, though the fox clan would fight Zal on the mere thought. Nua was a powerful man with a wandering eye before he mated Meljean. He dallied with women from the lesser fox clans often.

    One of those women was named Dran.

    Dran had enough power to keep her beauty, and run a cheerful inn in the picturesque district of Waterside Cross. Waterside Cross was found in the lower lands of Gralia, near the beach. Dran never dreamed of entering the Fox Clan’s great Log House hidden in the mystical Yesserin Mountain. No, she was happy with her life at Waterside Cross.

    When Nua spent two months at Dran’s family inn to fulfill a peacekeeping mission with the ocean folk in the lower lands, Dran grew infatuated with him. Though she knew Nua felt nothing for her, even as he spent time with her, her foolish heart could not resist his advances and she soon conceived.

    Two months ended too fast, and Nua soon left Waterside Cross.

    Dran asked nothing of him, though Nua presented her with a large chest filled with precious jewels to pave her way. They never met again. Nua returned to his life as the Fox Lord, and was soon after mated to Meljean, Anit and Amu’s mother.

    Dran gave birth to her child, a fat son she loved with all her heart. She was happy that he was born from Nua, but that was the extent of her ambition. She named her boy Zal and raised him in the small district of Waterside Cross. When her parents passed on, she took over the family inn.

    In time, Dran hoped Zal would do the same when it was her time to move on.

    Zal frowned thinking of his mother.

    Dran never understood his need for more. Not when he asked her if he could meet his father. Not even when Zal left Waterside Cross in search of his father. He could still picture her frown as she watched him board the magik coach to the capital city, Taesi.

    Zal moved from his mother’s small town to Taesi at the age of five thousand years. Ambition gripped him tight, fueled by the need to find and meet his Fox Lord father.

    Taesi was the capital city of Gralia, the Fox Clan Land.

    It was where all foxes who wanted more in the realm gravitated. Where the Inter Clan Court stood, and souls from the lesser clans came to stay and find work. Taesi was both majestic and pitiful, depending on which end of the city one ended up. There was good and bad luck, good fortune and bad. There were wealthy families and poor families, and some in between. All living in the grand city ruled under the Inter Clan Court, governed by the Fox Lord, Nua Izuna at the time.

    Zal arrived in Taesi in time to see the grand celebration arranged by the Inter Clan Court for his father’s marriage to Meljean. It was soon clear that to meet Nua, Zal needed power, or a connection to a powerful lord who could enter the sacred Yesserin Mountain.

    His grand wish looked impossible at the time.

    Zal made use of the precious jewels from his father to buy a modest house in the capital, and enroll into one of Taesi’s prestigious academies. His goal was to become a scholar and gain a place working under one of the Inter Clan Court’s many ministries.

    The Inter Clan Court ran Gralia’s main government. It handled finances, education, construction and works, medicine, magik registration and governance, and so forth. The court then answered to The Five Sentinel Branches.

    These Five Sentinel Branches were responsible for keeping the peace and mediated issues in the Inter Clan Court. The Five Sentinels were the closest post to the Fox Clan’s Log House. They had legitimate access to Yesserin Mountain.

    Ambitious foxes aspired to work in one of the Five Sentinel Branches. They were Sandu, Amyntas, Anael, Reima, and Bao. The Five Sentinels were considered guardians of the fox clan. They trained armies, policing sentinels, and managed border patrols. The sentinels provided relief when environmental events occurred. They fought wars when other clans challenged the fox clan boundaries.

    The Fox Clan’s Log House used their forces to accomplish tasks, as needed.

    The heads of these branches reported to the Fox Lord directly. Any capable fox could ascend to the leadership ranks in the Five Sentinel Branches. At some point before Zal, the Fox Lord insisted on three-year tenures for the top rank.

    With the exception of the House of Bao. Bao leaned heavily on family tradition, and the head was the oldest member in the family, supported by the strongest member of the family.

    Zal learned and memorized the hierarchy of power and forged a path to the Five Sentinel Branches. He studied hard and graduated with respectable scores. He made good friends with some of the plebes from elite families in his academy, so he managed a first placement into the Registry Department. From there, he worked his way up to the higher offices of the Inter Clan Court.

    It took him five thousand years to find a position affiliated to the Anael Sentinel Branch. It was a branch tasked with creating policing agents in the city, investigating cases, collecting and archiving information, and passing forward concerns to the Fox Log House.

    When Zal turned ten thousand years of age, Meljean gave birth to Anit.

    Zal had just qualified as a sixth level government official. He joined the Anael Sentinel Branch and became an inspector tasked with investigating cases brought forward by the Inter Clan Court.

    Days before Anit’s birth, Zal met Nua Izuna. It was the day he received his rank badge at the Fox Log House. The memory etched in his heart forever. His father might have left the leadership of the clan and moved on to traverse the realms ages ago, but Zal remembered him with clear memory.

    Nua stood at almost seven feet tall. He was strong, his body forged of hard muscle. Nua was dressed in a black sleeveless long tunic, dark breeches, and his feet in heavy dark boots. He wore his red haircut short, save for a long braid at the back that reminded Zal of a tail. His arms were thick with muscle as he crossed them against his chest.

    He stood on a short dais waiting to receive the new inspectors and hand them badges in preparation for work in the five sentinel branches. His sharp green gaze missed nothing.

    Zal remembered Nua’s presence engulfing the large hall. His power felt large enough to suffocate a roomful of mortals. It was easy to see how this man had suppressed the dragon clan’s fire during their last boundary dispute. The dragon clan dared not start another fight against the Fox Clan. Gralia’s borders were now secure.

    Each of the new inspectors stepped up to Nua, said their name and current rank. When it was Zal’s turn, he could barely get his name out as he faced his father.

    “What is your name?” Nua asked.

    “Z-zal.”

    “Last name?” Nua asked.

    “My mother did not dare give me my father’s last name,” Zal said, holding Nua’s green gaze with some trepidation.

    “She is a wise woman. I feel your blood calling to mine,” Nua said, stepping closer to Zal. He dropped his arms to his sides and leaned in closer to look into Zal’s blue eyes. “The blood is there, but not the power. I remember your mother. She is Dran. She remains a kind and sweet soul. I’m glad she has you to keep her company and look after her. Be good to her.”

    Nua stepped back.

    “You shall be Zal Izuna,” Nua said. “A son given to the clan, to work with them and live among them. Dran has raised you well if you have chosen to serve in the Five Sentinel Branches. May you find fulfillment among your equals.”

    Zal started to protest his father’s swift conclusion. He had hoped Nua would see more in him, but his father had already moved on to the next inspector.

    Zal scoffed at the memory of Nua smiling at the next inspector on the same line. Having dismissed Zal and moved on with a single nod. The encounter remained etched in his brain. It was the first and last time he met Nua Izuna. He never got another chance. Nua abdicated his position to Anit when she was ten thousand years old, and went on a pilgrimage with his dear mate Meljean. Zal did not know where he was now.

    Nua looked at him once and deemed him unworthy of entering the Fox Clan’s mystic Log House. Instead, he was only good enough to join ranks with those in the Five Sentinel Branch.

    Zal let out a soft sigh as he studied Anit’s portrait now.

    The painting on the high wall was one of the many found in the capital city, Taesi. They were in memorial halls, in the Inter Clan Court halls, in small shops and large ones. Every fox in the realm knew what Anit Izuna looked like, gave her respect at the mention of her name. They thought her a deity, placed in Gralia to guard the fox clan with her life. They expected her son to take over when he was old enough.

    Zal hoped to change that expectation in time. He bit his bottom lip to stop his smile at the thought of his coming triumph.

    The only weakness Anit had was in the mortal realm and named Tani Ryuzo. The son she could not control. A son Zal helped her abandon for nearly three thousand years now. His plans were developed quite well thanks to Anit’s unique flaw of holding a lasting grudge.

    If his plan were to play out right, Tani Ryuzo would end up in the Citadel in the Immortal Clan, or in the god of calamity’s domain. He would be too broken with loss to think of his birthright for centuries, and Anit would have no heir to take on the fox clan.

    Amu had long abandoned the ruling of the clan. Zal would be the only option left to take over from Anit. Anit would have no choice but to turn to him to take over leadership. He dreamed every night of entering the Fox Clan’s Log House as its master.

    Zal could not stop his smile as he looked up at Anit.

    “You’ll have no choice but to reach out to me, Fox Goddess,” Zal said with a small chuckle. “I will be the only relative you can turn to. Wait for me.”

    ****

    Sunu Ryuzo stood at the largest waterfall in the Citadel thinking about the night he met Anit. The memory lingered in his thoughts. Triggered by his strained bond to Anit. She had to be thinking about the past too.

    When Sunu first met Anit, he had thought the incident a machination of the Fertility Goddess. Helia was known to encourage love matches among those in the Septum. To ensure stability of their court, and make sure the Immortal Lord had an heir.

    Yet, the sinister way he found Anit would not have been Helia’s style.

    Sunu saved Anit’s life. He should not have needed to; she was strong enough on her own, that he had needed to save her made him pause. Closing his eyes, his memory returned to three thousand and three hundred years ago, on a moonlit night.

    Sunu walked in the Zona Forest after a grueling day of subduing disagreements between the god of air, Mizian, and Rianon of the water. Their fight had caused a major flooding event in a village in the mortal world. Sunu was not looking forward to Cale’s report on casualties in the Mortal Realm. It would be long and tedious trying to restore balance and push out misfortune in the village.

    Sunu walked through thick vibrant bushes, hidden under tall canopies. Birds chirped in their nests, the forest alive in the afternoon light. Sunu loved the rhythm of life pulsing in the thick wilderness. A thick vine slithered on the forest ground, brushing over Sunu’s dark boots. He glanced down, and the leaves of the thick bushes around him shifted away to show him the branches path.

    His long dark tunic caught on pine needles. He swept his hand to free the pine needles and a chameleon jumped on his dark sleeve.

    Sunu chuckled and touched the chameleon’s head. It changed colors from a muted green to match his dark tunic. Sunu changed the color of his tunic to a dark green and grinned when the chameleon stared at him with its large eyes and promptly turned back to its green color. Sunu returned the chameleon to a sturdier branch, his attention returning to the slithering branches on the forest floor.

    The branches were fast crawling in the thick foliage.

    Sunu followed them out of curiosity and found a thick cocoon made of thick vines wrapped around a body. All he could see between the branches was deep red hair. Surprised, Sunu reached for the closest branch, even as the rest tightened, strangling the person wrapped deep inside.

    Sunu frowned when the branches ignored his touch, and did not stop their task. It was rare. It meant the branches were under someone else’s command. Someone with deep malice.

    “Unwrap your prize, break the malice,” Sunu murmured. “I, Sunu, will gift you good fortune.”

    The branches tensed, tightened one last time, and then unwrapped their prize.

    Sunu traced his fingers on the bark of the branches as they retreated. Gold specks sinking into the branches as he made good on his promise. When the branches were gone, Sunu stared at the beautiful woman lying on a patch of stinging nettle, her soft skin mottled with red rashes. She wore nothing but her long thick red hair. The branches had ripped at her dress and torn it to pieces. Tears filled her green eyes when she looked at him, frustration and pain clear on her face.

    Relief flooded her when she could breathe again.

    Sunu fell in love.

    He never stopped to wonder why his beloved was wrapped in an air-robbing cocoon or why she was hidden in a thick forest to die. All he knew was that her name was Anit Izuna. She was a nine-tailed fox, and she made him happy. Their love was obsessive and intense. It grew fast and Sunu soon discovered that he had a great weakness when it came to Anit. He gave her part of his soul, as she gave him his, then…they made a life together.

    Everything else faded away and their child became all that mattered.

    Tani became their greatest joy, and their mightiest failure.

    Sunu sighed and focused on the moment in the Zona Forest. The thick branches heavy with malice wrapping Anit in a tight cocoon. The magik in the crawling branches felt dark, similar to the kind found in black weed. He had touched the branches, broken the malice and infused the crawling branches with good luck. Perhaps the malice clung to him, and fell on his child, tainting Tani’s future.

    The thought made him sick to the stomach. Cale was looking into Sahdrina’s concerns, which might help release Tani from his calamity. Still, the Zona Forest needed a deeper look. He needed to know who had placed Anit at a disadvantage.

    “Kinon.”

    “Lord Sunu,” Kinon said, coming to stand right next to Sunu.

    “The night I met Anit, there was malice in the Zona Forest. I cannot appear in the forest, as it will hide from me. You do well with tracking what darkness has touched. Do you think you can trace it? The tracks should still be there. I have never directed anyone to the spot where I found Anit. I need answers.”

    “Understood. I will go right away, Lord Sunu.”

    “Let’s keep this between us,” Sunu said, meeting Kinon’s gaze, he gave in to curiosity. “How is Artri House?”

    Kinon smiled.

    “Happy for now.”

    Sunu returned the smile.

    “I’m glad.”

    “Lord Tani is almost returning home,” Kinon said.

    “Cale thinks he won’t want to stay at the Citadel,” Sunu said on a soft sigh. “I gave it some thought, and perhaps my brother is right. I have decided to grant Tani a home of his own. If we clean the Zona Forest, I’ll build him a house there. It will be at the boundary of both the Immortal Clan and the Fox Clan. Anit won’t have reasons to complain. I will let Tani stay there as long as he wants. What do you think of this?”

    “It is a fair plan, Lord Sunu,” Kinon said. “I will get the members of the Septum to help.”

    “Tani’s house will be auspicious. He has only faced calamity, and I want him to heal. I hope they only bring good fortune befitting my son.”

    “I will make it clear,” Kinon said. “I’ll visit the Zona Forest now.”

    “Thank you, Kinon.”

    ****

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  • Blades of Ashes Ch 1-4

    Arc 1 – The Case of the Forged Silver Coins

    Chapter 1-4

    A month later, Raithion Maenaer stood next to his parents watching his second sister’s lavish wedding unfold.

    Guests filled the large front hall of his father’s new manor in the capital.

    There were familiar faces, relatives, and friends from Draeya. Those Raithion welcomed with a full smile.

    However, the unfamiliar faces, like the prime minister and his band of allies, those Raithion approached with caution.

    Each one of them attended the wedding to see the generous event prepared with the help of Basileus Dio’s full support. They wanted to get a glimpse of General Maenaer and understand the reason why the general was now favored.

    Noriel’s wedding was playing the part of introducing their Maenaer family to the capital.

    Raithion wished they could avoid the extravagance, but it was difficult to pull his father away from a chosen path.

    Noriel and her groom entered the large hall accompanied by the sound of melodic string instruments. They walked along the aisle formed between the seats, their steps slow and steady.

    Noriel’s wedding dress was made using the finest red silk they could find in the imperial workshops. The colorful butterflies embroidered by the palace embroidery were stunning. The most skilled Sura artisans created the gold pieces arranged in her long mink black hair.

    Festival managers in the imperial palace chose the assorted flowers arranged on stands in intervals on the path to the dais. The banquet to come after was prepared by the palace kitchens. This wedding fit the word extraordinary.

    Raithion could only hope his sister enjoyed extraordinary happiness in her marriage.

    Noriel’s groom was handsome in red. The palace had also prepared his wedding clothes. The red cloak on his shoulders trailed behind him embroidered with the same butterflies on Noriel’s train. The groom smiled hard at Noriel in clear happiness, holding her right hand with his left as they approached the dais.

    Raithion liked Noriel’s husband-to-be.

    Even though he was sure that some of the groom’s happiness came from the minor title he would receive from the Basileus. It wasn’t every day a common man became a viscount on the merit of marrying a Marquis’s daughter.

    Raithion sighed at the Basileus’s clear extravagant treatment of his family.

    Basileus Dio was painting a clear target on their faces and backs. The political class in the room watched Noriel and her groom with interest and intent.

    Raithion’s worry grew another inch.

    “Smile, Raith,” Thanir said next to him. “Noriel is watching you. She will be anxious if you don’t look happy at her wedding.”

    Raithion pushed away his misgivings and his lips curved into a smile when he met Noriel’s wary gaze. He winked at her, and she smiled. Her lips curved into a beautiful smile under the sheer red veil she wore. She clutched her bouquet of wild red flowers tighter.

    Raithion chuckled and glanced at his new brother-in-law.

    Hujan gave him an acknowledging nod when their gazes met.

    Raithion returned the nod knowing that he would now have to include Hujan in his list of important people.

    A list that included his mother and father, Thanir and Silveren. His younger sisters, Noriel and Soriel. His mother’s two brothers and their families. Thanir’s three sisters and their families, and his brothers in arms.

    Now, Noriel’s husband, Hujan would join their Maenaer Clan.

    Thanir and his wife, Silveren, moved to stand at their table arranged to the right of the dais. Hujan’s parents also stood at a table to the left of the dais.

    Basileus Dio stood at the highest point of the dais between the parents.

    Noriel and Hujan reached the front and stopped.

    Noriel held her husband’s left elbow tight as she looked up at the Basileus.

    Basileus Dio stepped down from where his chair was arranged on the high dais and faced the couple. He looked especially handsome in the midday sunlight. His Adertha brown hair was trimmed to his shoulders and fell in healthy waves.

    A gold crown that looked like woven leaves was wedged tight on his head.

    His tunic was red with gold embroidery on the hems. He wore fitting dark trousers that disappeared into handsome burgundy boots decorated with intricate gold metal engravings. A long rich burgundy overcoat topped the outfit. The length of it sweeping the ground. The embroidery on the hems and cuffs would have taken ages to complete.

    Basileus Dios wore his imperial clothes with ease. He looked comfortable in his own skin and rank. He faced Noriel and Hujan with unending confidence.

    “Lady Noriel Maenaer, are you willing to tie your fate to Hujan Draug for the rest of your days?” Basileus Dio asked, his voice solemn enough for the occasion. His voice rang in the large hall, holding the attention of all the guests in the room.

    “Yes, I am willing,” Noriel said, her voice shaky with nerves.

    “Lord Hujan Draug, are you willing to tie your fate to Noriel Maenaer? To protect her, the children you make together, and the family you forge for the rest of your days?”

    “Yes, I am willing,” Hujan said without hesitation.

    The strength of his voice as he made the promise settled some of Raithion’s concerns.

    “Bring the rings,” Dio said, his gaze shifting to the young woman standing behind Noriel.

    Raithion smiled as he watched his little sister, Soriel, hold out a small silver tray holding two green jade rings. Hujan took one and with Dio’s nod, slid the ring onto Noriel’s left index finger.

    Soriel grinned when Noriel’s hand shook when it was her turn. She murmured a few words to Noriel, and then stepped back behind Noriel. Dio’s gaze followed her and Raithion tried to ignore the Basileus clear interest.

    Dio returned his attention to Noriel, and gave her a clear nod. Noriel smiled as she slid the ring on Hujan’s left index finger. They clasped their left hands for all to see the union, as Dio spoke to the room.

    “I, Dio, Basileus of the Lyria Empire, do hereby bind your fates and declare you wedded. Two turned to one for the rest of your days in the viscount house styled Draug. Forever, Lady and Lord Draug to the empire. Hujan and Noriel, bow to your parents thank them for their care, and face the world as one from this day forth.”

    Noriel and Hujan turned first to Hujan’s parents and gave them a formal bow.

    They then turned to Thanir and Silveren and bowed.

    Raithion hid a smile when he saw his mother wiping away tears.

    Silveren nodded in approval when Noriel and Hujan straightened up and faced Basileus Dio. To Dio’s surprise, the couple bowed to him too.

    Then, Hujan lifted his wife’s sheer red veil over the crown of jewels in her hair, before they turned to face their guests as a married couple.

    Raithion clapped in congratulations. He grinned at his little sister, Soriel, who winked at him from her position next to Noriel. She was helping Noriel with the long train of her dress. She looked just as happy seeing Noriel find her place.

    An attendant brought Raithion a goblet filled with sweet wine made from grapes.

    Raithion was to make the first toast to his sister’s happiness and open the wedding’s festivities. He waited until Basileus Dio settled in the chair on the dais, and then the parents sat at their designated chairs behind their tables.

    Noriel and Hujan remained standing looking at Raithion with expectant gazes.

    Raithion took the goblet from the attendant and stepped up to stand on Noriel’s right side, facing Hujan. He held his new brother-in-law’s gaze.

    “My name is Raithion Maener. I am Lady Draug’s big brother. I stand here to thank you all for attending this happy occasion as my sister marries her beloved, Hujan Draug. Our family is most grateful to Basileus Dio for the kindness he has shown us.”

    Raithion looked to Basileus Dio and lifted his goblet in a toast.

    “Long live, Basileus Dio.”

    Raithion was glad when the room repeated the toast after him.

    “Long live, Basileus Dio.”

    Raithion gave the Basileus a formal bow, bringing his right hand to his chest, and bowing his head. Dio lifted his hand with an acknowledging nod in answer, releasing Raithion’s formality.

    Raithion continued his speech, knowing to keep it short when Noriel gave him a discreet glare.

    “I’ve looked after Noriel since she was born. I’ve been her guardian for twenty-four years now,” Raithion said, meeting Hujan’s gaze again. “It is difficult to know that she will no longer live under our Maenaer house. I must tell you, Hujan. I have considered stealing her away from you these last few months and hiding her away. You see, as the eldest in the family, I’ve been afraid our family will miss eating the delicious mint toffee Noriel makes. You would have to taste it to understand my concern for this imminent lack in our Maenaer house.”

    The room erupted into chuckles and Raithion grinned when Noriel threatened to pinch him. She looked radiant today, even as she attempted to glare at him and failed.  Her dark hair shone in the light, held in place by beautiful gold pins. Noriel made a beautiful bride.

    “Brother, you will always be welcome into our home for a taste,” Hujan said in answer to Raithion’s lament.

    Raithion let out a dramatic sigh and pressed his free hand to his chest.

    “I’m very relieved to hear you say so, brother,” Raithion said, staring into his goblet of wine for a moment.  “Still, I felt I had to let you know that I have worried about Noriel leaving our home and moving into a new one. Our family has protected her. Guarded her smiles and joys. We are a big family: our parents, my youngest sister and I, Maenaer uncles and aunts, our brothers in service, we’ve all given the best to Noriel. We hope she remains happy in every thought and action we take, now and forever.”

    “Your care has turned me into the luckiest woman in this empire,” Noriel said, looking at Raithion, her green eyes bright with tears.

    “We’re the lucky ones to have you,” Raithion said. “This brings me to the point of my speech, Hujan. You see, as a family, we agreed to come to terms with the imminent lack of mint toffee in our house.”

    “Raith,” Noriel said, her tone complaining, as everyone chuckled again.

    “This is because, I, being one of the many guardians of Noriel’s joys, cannot in good conscious keep her away from Hujan. Our family noticed how you make her smile and laugh. We chose to listen when she made the choice to stand next to you for the rest of her life. We understood that she has decided you are the keeper of her future. So, our Maenaer family can only support her wholeheartedly.”

    “Hujan Draug,” Raithion held his goblet up in a toast. “Today, you are wed to Noriel Maenaer. She enters your family, but you enter ours too. We give you a treasure, and we hope you cherish her as she is, as she will cherish you. I, Raithion Maenaer, promise to stand as your brother, as I am hers, and to protect your family’s happiness as I’ve always done for Noriel. A toast to your happy marriage.”

    Raithion drank the wine in the goblet until it ended. He turned the goblet over to show that it was empty. He then held out his right arm to Hujan and pulled him into a warrior’s hug.

    Hujan returned his hug with a wide smile and held Raithion tight before he let go.

    Raithion turned to Noriel and sighed when he saw tears in her eyes.

    “Don’t cry, Nori,” Raithion said and leaned in to kiss both her cheeks. “You make a beautiful bride.”

    “I love you, Raith.”

    “I love you too.”

    Raithion hugged her for a moment and then turned her over to her husband.

    The room erupted into applause as Raithion stepped aside to allow the couple to greet their guests as a married pair. An attendant touched his left arm, letting him know that Basileus Dio wanted a word with him.

    Raithion looked up to the dais and found Dio watching him with expectation.

    Raithion walked up to the dais and stood on the right side of the massive chair the Basileus was using.

    “Your love for Noriel is touching,” Dio said, his voice wistful. “I am jealous of her. You make me wish I was part of your Maenaer family when I hear your loyalty to them.”

    Raithion held his tongue unsure how to respond.

    Basileus Dio was a man he wanted to consider a friend, but their difference in status made the thought seem absurd.

    Dio was an emperor, a king of kings, so powerful that he could hold the fate of Raithion’s legion in the palm of his hand with a single word.

    They were unequal and could never be friends, only master and servant.

    Yet, Dio persisted in the pursuit of friendship. He had not given up since their first meeting. The first time Thanir brought him and his sisters to the palace to meet the Basileus. Dio called him brother that day. Raithion could only see the head of the empire.

    “Lord General Draeya, do you still not consider me your brother?” Dio asked, his gaze on Noriel and Hujan who were greeting the prime minister’s family.

    “You are Basileus,” Raithion said, his tone respectful.

    “Your tone suggests otherwise. I suppose it will have to be enough for now that I consider you my brother,” Dio said with a soft sigh. “Lord General, I have a task that is making me worry. I don’t want to send you out there in pursuit of Gesi Ajai’s accomplices but I can’t trust anyone else.”

    Raithion held his words again. He lived a life of orders. His commanders gave orders and he executed them to perfection.

    Basileus was the highest office in the land.

    Raithion had no choice but to follow the man’s orders.

    “Be at ease, Basileus,” Raithion said after a moment. “I promise to complete the task you give and return to give you a report.”

    Dio looked at him then, his dark gaze unreadable.

    Raithion wondered what Dio was thinking when a little frown creased his forehead.

    “It looks like we still have time before you consider me one of the ones close to you,” Dio said with a small smile. “I wish to earn your trust faster. I want the right to call you Raithion, Lord General. Or even Raith as your beloved sisters do.”

    Raithion lowered his head unsure how to respond to Dio’s words.

    “What is your order, Basileus Dio?” he asked instead.

    Dio cleared his throat and sat up in his chair. His right hand resting on the arm of his chair. The red jade ring on his right thumb was the absolute symbol of his station.

    “A message from one of your father’s people arrived last night. An unknown player is watching the Sura clansmen at the port on the southeast coast. I would like you to find out why and if possible capture one of these unknown players. I grow anxious thinking about the results of the counterfeiting case. Do you think you can manage this task?”

    “Yes, Basileus Dio,” Raithion said with a single nod. “I’ll head out this evening after the festivities and my sister’s wedding is over.”

    “Thank you,” Dio said, giving Raithion a small smile. “Be careful out there, I don’t want to have to watch your family worry about you. I will look after them while you are away.”

    Raithion nodded his agreement and started to step away but Dio continued.

    “If you are worried about eating mint toffee in your Maenaer house, I can have one of the attendants learn how Noriel makes it,” Dio said. “Then, your house will not be without it.”

    Raithion could not help his chuckle.

    “What?” Dio asked, glancing at Raithion.

    “Noriel learned her skill from our mother,” Raithion said, looking to his parents who sat watching their daughter mingle with the world as a married woman. Their expressions were a mix of happiness, relief, and sadness.

    “I told Hujan of the scarcity to remind him that Noriel would always have a place in our house. If he wrongs her, we’ll take her back.”

    “Do you think he understood your intention?” Dio asked, amused.

    “If he did not understand, I will help him understand if it comes to it,” Raithion said, making Dio laugh.

    The sound drew interested gazes. Raithion was quick to note the Prime Minister’s clear interest in him.

    “Now I truly want to make you my true brother, Lord General,” Dio said, when his laugh ended. “What about you? When do you plan to marry? Or do you want to take in your father’s choice for you?”

    “I don’t have plans to marry yet,” Raithion said, shaking his head. He never thought about marriage. “Lately, I have all these orders to carry out for Basileus Dio. When can I get married?”

    “It’s good to dream of having someone you can return home to, call your own,” Dio said with a soft chuckle. “Someone to guard your smiles and happiness, as you said earlier. If you have no time, I’ll take responsibility and help you find someone.”

    Raithion nodded his thanks. He had long understood that he was not one of the lucky ones who married for love. Like Noriel and even his youngest sister. His marriage would be designed to help defend Basileus Dio’s position.

    Raithion was part of his father’s promise to Basileus Rokas.

    Raithion clasped his hands at his back and turned his attention to Noriel and Hujan who were now heading down the aisle to the open doors. They would start a procession that would end at Hujan’s manor where a party would continue until the late hours of the night.

    “The wedding is done. Hujan and Noriel are bound. I know your parents planned a celebration to honor the accomplishment. Your guests will not be free if I’m still here. I should return to the palace,” Basileus Dio said, getting up. “The rest is up to you, Lord General. Your father will have the details of the suspects. I look forward to your news.”

    “I thank you for blessing my sister’s marriage,” Raithion said.

    “It was my honor,” Dio said, then stepped down from the dais and followed the couple out of the hall with a small smile on his handsome face.

    Raithion frowned when Dio reached the exit and paused next to Raithion’s little sister, Soriel.

    Soriel held her sister’s bouquet of red wildflowers and her own, which was full of purple flowers.

    Dio took a good look at Soriel, and then plucked a red flower from Noriel’s bunch.

    Raithion froze when Dio then tucked the flower behind Soriel’s right ear, his fingers brushing the soft strands of her jet-black hair out of the way.

    Dio winked at Soriel, who blushed hard and stepped back. The Basileus chuckled and then stepped out into the sunny afternoon.

    Raithion shuddered. It scared him to think of Dio making Soriel his Basilinna.

    Soriel was too young to take on that monstrous position. She had just turned twenty this year. The Maenaer family was not strong enough to cope with the pressure.

    Raithion needed a lot more power than he had now to be able to protect a Basilinna.

    Worried, Raithion glanced at his father. He was not shocked to find his father watching Soriel too. What did surprise him was the clear pleased anticipation he read on his father’s face.

    Thanir Maenaer’s clear ambition made Raithion’s heart shake.

    “Raith,” Silveren called to him.

    “Yes, Mom,” Raithion hurried down the steps of the dais to stand next to his mother.

    “What a lovely speech you gave,” Silveren said, taking his right hand, her fingers soft on his callused ones. She squeezed his hand. “I promise to make an even better one when you wed. I don’t know who will be deserving of you, but I am grateful you will not be leaving our house and will instead be bringing back someone. I’ll miss Noriel, but I’m glad she is married. Now, we just need to worry about Soriel.”

    Raithion grinned at her and relaxed at her clear joy. He decided to enjoy the festivities for the next few hours before he started the dangerous journey to the port on the southeast coast of Naga State.

    “Get a chair, child, sit next to me,” Silveren said. “Let’s have wine to celebrate Noriel’s wedding.”

    Raithion pulled a chair close to her and sat, accepting a goblet of wine from her. He pressed the rim to hers and sipped with a smile.

    Outside, the fiddlers started a lively tune as the procession started.

    Raithion toasted his sister with their guests for the rest of the afternoon.

    At midnight, he changed into his travel leathers, donned a dark cloak over his shoulders, and left Marquis Draeya’s manor in the cover of darkness. His most trusted legion brothers joined him after he left the capital city, led by Haedor. They formed a team of fifteen as they took the main road riding to the port found at the coast of Naga State.

    ****

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  • Blades of Ashes Ch 1-3

    Arc 1 -The Case of the Forged Silver Coins

    Chapter 1-3

    Three weeks later, Dio Adertha, the fifty-first Basileus of the Lyria Empire, paced the length of a small room waiting for an unexpected visitor. Each step he took was with purpose. He clasped his hands behind his back as he cultivated patience.

    Soon, his thoughts lingered on the past instead of dwelling on the waiting.

    Dio thought about his father, the previous Basileus.

    At the end of the Lyria Imperial Year 1335, the reigning Basileus, Rokas Adertha, abdicated his throne due to health concerns and made Dio the new Basileus.

    Then, on the first month of the Imperial Year 1336, a year into his reign, Dio was still learning the imperial court’s in and outs when his father called him to his residential chambers. He remembered the moment as clear as day.

    Rokas was ill but still able to move around on his own.

    Dio found his father sitting up in a chair by the large windows in his chambers.

    Rokas gave Dio a solemn cryptic warning that morning.

    ‘Beware of Witia,’ Rokas said. ‘The sugarcane state in the Southwest. If trouble starts, call on Maenaer of Draeya. He is your strength. Lean on his marquis house for support. His loyalties belong to Adertha. He shall help you stabilize the empire. Trust only Maenaer. Don’t share my warning with your retainers.’

    Rokas’s warning left Dio unnerved.

    More so when Rokas died two months later. His father was not one to leave unimportant words.

    Yet, Dio could not share them with anyone in his palace, not his secretaries, least of all his prime minister. Endless sorrow and worry descended on Dio.

    However, this worry started to fade, as the pressures of his role as Basileus grew heavier.

    Dio soon came to realize that the politics in his capital city of Genad had changed after his father’s death.

    A clear struggle for power was brewing between two powerful political parties: the prime minister’s libert, and the opposition party named populi.

    Populi had a hidden master, one that worried the prime minister.

    The two parties were locked in a vicious fight for control of important government offices, ministries, and industries.

    Dio could only focus on the constant tide of mediation between the two parties in his parliament. Soon, he forgot his father’s warning

    Two years passed in this constant turmoil.

    Until three days ago, on the sixth month of the Imperial Year 1338, when an interesting request for a meeting made its way to Dio’s office.

    A general with the last name Maenaer sent a note wanting to meet Dio and reminisce about the past.

    Dio had no reason to grant the request. He would have refused it but then he remembered his father’s warning. The name Maenaer filled him with speculation, and so, he agreed to meet the mysterious general.

    It was mid-afternoon.

    Dio stopped pacing and stood next to a white marble statue of one of his more illustrious ancestors. He studied the armor on the statue and wondered what his ancestor would say of the current rule in the kingdom.

    In his ancestor’s time, the people respected the strong warriors. A struggle for power between soft imperial courtiers would not exist. This ancestor of his would probably think the current Basileus had gone soft too.

    Shaking his head, Dio turned when the door opened and one of his bodyguards led in his strange guest.

    The older man who walked in was tall and filled with the aura of a seasoned general. He was dressed in a long black coat with a peculiar finish. The heavy fabric shone in the sunlight as he walked as though the black thread was inlaid with silver strands. Intricate silver wire designs decorated the cuffs and lapels of the general’s coat. His knee-length black books were made of fine leather, their soles thick, and durable.

    This old general looked in his late sixties.

    Yet, he stood tall, his back straight. His hair was the only part of him that showed his age. It was shoulder-length and as white as fresh snow. The long strands were held back with simple braids at his temple. The braids were tied together at the back with a silver clip to match the silver on the cuffs.

    Dio met the general’s gaze and surprise filled him when he looked into light brown eyes that looked at him with challenge. The general stopped a few feet away from him and lowered his head in a short bow.

    “Thanir Maenaer from the Draeya Clan greets the Basileus. I am honored you agreed to meet me.”

    “I’m more curious about you, General Maenaer,” Dio said, studying Thanir’s bowed head. “What is your relationship with Basileus Rokas?”

    Thanir responded by dropping to his right knee. He brought his right hand to his chest in a show of loyalty.

    “I owe Basileus Rokas a debt of blood. He saved my wife’s life when she was pregnant with my first-born son. In turn, I pledged my life to the Adertha House. He never gave me a chance to repay this debt when he was alive. He only made me promise to find you, Basileus Dio, two years after his death.”

    “Why?” Dio asked, a deep frown creasing his forehead. “Why would he ask you to find me?”

    “This subject will answer the Basileus with a story. Twenty-seven years ago, Basileus Rokas stayed in my clan’s home during a great flood in our small Draeya County in the Naga State. Our county is named after the lake that sustains our lands. When it rains, the river that feeds the lake overflows. Basileus Rokas visited our county to help us find a lasting solution.”

    “He tasked me with the job of constructing dykes, and dams, adding vegetation, and cutting terrace slopes to help us reduce damage. We even built a reservoir the county now uses for growing rice. While I was out working with his forces, my wife fell into danger when I was not home.”

    “Basileus Rokas saved her and my unborn son, going to great lengths to find skilled doctors to save her life when she went into labor. Soon, I returned home. Basileus Rokas awarded my clansmen for the good work of controlling the overflow of water. He styled my house a title, making this small official and his wife, Marquis and Marchioness Draeya.”

    “Basileus Rokas praised me for my service but I was too grateful for his unprecedented efforts to save my wife and child.  I swore a blood oath to protect his Adertha House should he ever need it.”

    “Lord Draeya,” Dio said. “My father valued officials who performed great feats for our empire. Please stand. I cannot be responsible for making your knees hurt in my hall.”

    Thanir dropped his hands to his sides and rose to his feet.

    Dio indicated for them to sit on the two armchairs a few feet away from the white statue.

    Thanir waited until Dio settled before he sat.

    “Four months before Basileus Rokas abdicated the throne to you, he wrote me a letter,” Thanir said, reaching into his coat pocket. He retrieved a tightly rolled paper tied with a red string. The royal seal on the paper was long broken.

    Thanir handed the letter to Dio and fell silent waiting for Dio to read the contents.

    Dio felt his heart squeeze in excitement when he recognized his father’s handwriting. The elegant strokes of Rokas’s handwriting, so sure and seasoned. His heart skipped with joy at the pleasure of reading his father’s words after a long time.

    Warm greetings filled the first paragraph of the letter.

    Dio noticed that his father called the Marquis by his given name, Thanir. They were old friends. Then, there was a paragraph asking about the Marquis’ children, and the oldest Maenaer son named Raithion.

    Dio assumed Raithion was the heir to Thanir’s title.

    After the greetings, came a paragraph of concerns…

    ‘…Thanir, I write you now at the sunset of my illustrious life because I worry about Dio's future. I worry about the Lyria Empire's future. People from Witia State have made troubling moves of late.
If you remember, Dio's mother is a daughter from Witia. To my greatest worry, Basilinna Olneth has been tolerant of her brothers in Witia.
In her complacency, she has encouraged her brothers to support a cobra-like courtier named Gesi Ajai. He is an ambitious man working against the Prime Minister in the Populi party. For now, he plots to join the imperial court in any capacity. I've been unable to stall his efforts, as there are no obvious reasons to do it.
I'm also afraid Ajai has noticed my dislike of him.
Adding to my suspicions, of late, I have developed stomach pains that leave me bedridden for days. The physician cannot find the cause, which has made me come to my own conclusions. I worry Ajai's ambitions are now targeted at the palace. I have no proof for you, only speculation.
Dio is still young. He is twenty-five years of age. Two years younger than my adopted son, Raith. Dio has not chosen a Basilinna to bring into the palace. He tells me he hopes to marry for love. I worry Ajai might try to interrupt or manipulate his choices.
Old friend, I never once wanted to take advantage of your blood oath. I have always considered you my brother. However, I am left with no choice. Allow me to invoke old debts, and ask you to protect my son when I'm no longer able. I hope I can remove Ajai from Dio's path before he has to take my place.
If I fail, I ask you to take my place and help my son protect Lyria.
Attached find an imperium to assist you in the hard work you will surely have to face in my absence.
Use it if I'm gone and you discover Gesi Ajai making things difficult for Dio. I wish you and Silveren all the best. It is my hope and wish that my son, Dio, will find the same friendship I found in you with your son, and my adopted son, Raithion.
I thank you in advance, Rokas.'

    Folded under the letter was an imperium with the imperial insignia, signed and sealed by Basileus Rokas Adertha.

    This imperium is given by Basileus Rokas Adertha investing power in the Marquis Draeya, Thanir Maenaer, and his family, to form a private army and have undisputable power to act in the defense of the Lyria Empire, and Basileus Dio. Maenaer will protect the empire's best interests as directed by Basileus Dio.

    Dio stared at the order for a moment caught between relief and fear. His father’s concerns were heavy and heartbreaking.

    Rokas’s last words finally gained meaning.

    Dio almost wished the order in his hands did not exist. That it did exist meant the empire was going to endure a period of turmoil. Worry and relief filled him up, fighting for dominance.

    He sighed when relief won over.

    Dio looked at Marquis Draeya to find the old general watching him with a wary gaze.

    “Who is Raithion? Does Marquis Draeya know that my father’s adopted son is my brother?” Dio asked, smiling at Thanir’s concerned expression.

    Thanir let out a relieved sigh and returned his smile.

    “Raithion is waiting outside with his younger sisters,” Thanir said. “We are walking around the capital in the pretext of buying jewels for my second-born daughter. Noriel is getting married. She is hoping for your blessings for her wedding. If you grant the blessings, we can then return to Draeya without rousing Gesi Ajai’s suspicion.”

    “Well thought out,” Dio said with an approving nod. “Tell me, Marquis Draeya, what made you seek me out?”

    “I have much to confess, Basileus,” Thanir said, and stood. He reached into a second pocket hidden in his coat and produced two more scrolls.

    Dio took the scrolls, making sure to hand back his father’s letter and the imperium to Thanir for sake keeping.

    Opening the rough scrolls from Thanir, Dio found two notes.

    “Counterfeit silver coins are creating sporadic unrest in the capital. The guards stationed in the exchange bureaus are doing their best to keep the citizens in check, but the tension is on the verge of breaking into protests. A solution is needed to handle the influx of counterfeit silver coins,” Dio read.

    He looked at Thanir.

    “I have received the same reports,” Dio said. “I ordered the Prime Minister and one of my generals to take the matter in hand. They have appointed an inspector general to take on the case. I understand they are collecting the counterfeit silvers with the intention of finding the source. When did their efforts lead to the point of clear upheaval?”

    “The exchange bureaus are confiscating hard-earned silver coins from the people,” Thanir said. “There is no easy way to soothe the people’s anger unless we stop the counterfeiting. This case has pulled me back to this capital. I need your authority to find the true culprit behind the counterfeiting case. This incident is not so simple.”

    “Other than damaging our economy to gain wealth as the courtiers often do, what else could be the goal?”

    “My suspicions are not solid enough,” Thanir started.

    “Marquis Draeya, tell me anyway,” Dio insisted. “I would like it very much if you were not afraid to share your opinions with me.”

    Thanir paced away from the chair next to Dio. He rubbed his forehead with his right hand for a moment. He stopped and seemed to make a decision before he turned to face Dio.

    “I have acted without permission and asked Raith to seek out answers. We have collected evidence that leads us to the conclusion that someone is working to destabilize the imperial court. Most of the counterfeit silver coins are forged using iron extracted from burnt ore mined in the Sura Mountain. This burnt ore is found on an island called Sura. The people living on this island are a clan of two thousand, five hundred and twenty-three strong. They call themselves the Sura Clan,” Thanir said.

    Dio sat back reviewing the same information from his days in the classroom under his tutor’s watchful eye.

    Sura Mountain once spewed liquid fire in the distant past. It had turned dormant for a long time. The people who lived on the island formed by the explosions had learned how to mine. They developed a strong clan filled with miners, refiners of metal, blacksmiths, and artisans.

    The Sura had a unique trait. They were all born with strawberry-blonde hair. The color marked by the sheen of gold and a mix of white. It was easy to identify them in a crowd. It was even easier to spot their talent while looking at the metal items they made.

    “The Sura are well known for their talent with manipulating metal. They run metal workshops that contribute to the creation of farming tools, and any items made with metal including jewelry,” Dio said. “The gold swords my father carried were crafted by one of their artisans and gifted to my family by their chieftain.”

    “Yes. The current Sura Chieftain is Marius Doriel,” Thanir continued, despite Dio’s comments. “Basileus Rokas granted the Sura Clan a home in the capital where Lord Doriel and his fellow clan work and trade. They manage three large smelting workshops in the capital city. They also manage a residence by the port on the Southeast coast of Naga State. That is where the burnt ore enters Lyria.”

    Dio frowned, studying Thanir, trying to understand why the general was fixated on a mining clan. They were common enough. He knew two other mining clans based in the State of Storait in the northeast, and there was one in Brusan State. The Brusan clan mined precious jewels, their value far more larger than the Sura.

    Witia State also had a gold mine, Dio thought. His grandmother’s clan managed one. It was how she managed to marry the Basileus.

    Naga State was the only state that did not provide mined products. Instead, they produced most of the rice in the empire.

    Why would the Sura island clan become so important?

    Thanir sensed his doubt.

    “The Sura Clan specializes in the development of steel. Our Draeya Clan has commissioned its seasoned blacksmiths countless times. They make strong swords, and other types of weapons,” Thanir said. “They are an important part of the empire. Their wealth grows, and their purpose changes depending on the client. If I were Gesi Ajai, I might want to curb their influence or take it over for myself. The workshops held by the Sura in the capital are on a granted lease. The lease agreement is controlled by the Ministry of Finance.”

    Dio stood too, his eyes wide with shock.

    His father had been worried Gesi Ajai was targeting one of the important ministries in the imperial court. The ministry of finance was a powerful weapon. The empire flourished in trade and agriculture.

    If a villain tampered with either…

    Dio hissed. Why had he not seen it?

    His father was right. His gaze shifted to the old general. Thanir Maener was the most valuable advisor Dio would ever have.

    “Marquis Draeya,” Dio said, considering what to do to make the man move to the capital on a permanent basis. “Do you live here in the capital city of Genad?”

    “No, we don’t,” Thanir said with a small chuckle. “My wife prefers a quiet life in our small Draeya County. We rent a manor in private residences on the outskirts of the capital. It has allowed us to move around unnoticed.”

    “I wish to disappoint your wife,” Dio said, moving to stand before Thanir. He met wary brown eyes. “Will you hold it against me?”

    “Basileus Dio,” Thanir said. “I disappointed her first by coming to you with this imperium. There was no choice. After what I have uncovered, I must fulfill my promise to your father.”

    “It is lucky we are in agreement,” Dio said, with a single nod. “I cannot make you an official in the government yet. The haggling parties in my imperial court are holding the reins of government. The prime minister’s people are running most of the important offices, like finance, laws and rites, and the collection of taxes. I cannot interfere with that wiry man either. The Populi party has gripped the ministry of agriculture with its hands. They are using it to win the people’s favor.”

    Dio sighed as he thought about his government. He wished daily for a stronger force. One that would come in and upset the delicate balance between the prime minister’s Liberat and the Populi.

    Shaking his head, he glanced at Thanir once more. Perhaps, Thanir Maenaer was the answer.

    “I wish to pull you into the spotlight using the offices I control. The military office and the government administration office,” Dio said. “Once I do so, I hope you are able to penetrate the swirling storm between these two political parties. Are you willing, Lord Draeya?”

    Thanir took in a deep breath and then nodded.

    “I’m willing, Basileus.”

    “Then, I’m relieved. We shall start by installing you as a military advisor in my office. This will give you a reason to enter the palace at will. It also allows you to grow acquainted with the courtiers,” Dio said. “As for the army forces my father helped you grow in your Draeya County…”

    “This matter is well organized, Basileus,” Thanir said. “I come to you with an offering. My eldest son, Raithion, joined the Naga State military when he turned sixteen. He forged relationships and grew his career in a clean manner. These past ten years have seen him rise in rank.”

    “Quite industrious,” Dio said, curious about his adopted brother.

    “At twenty-seven, Raithion has risen up the ranks with his own effort. He is a full-fledged general. He commands twenty thousand men within our Draeya County. The Naga State King has named him Lord General Draeya as he is the son of Marquis Draeya and comes from a military-grade family. He is the reason I have been able to collect the information on the counterfeit silver. I have held off his marriage in case it is of help to you.”

    “All the men under your direct command must be under Raithion’s care,” Dio said, impressed by Thanir’s ability to plan.

    “Yes, three thousand strong from our Draeya clan,” Thanir said. “Raithion will station them with me if I move to the capital. They will support you in any way you wish.”

    Dio smiled as he stared at Thanir. The heavy burden of dealing with his court had left him constantly anxious.  Even the attendants working next to him belonged to either Libert or Populi. If he could gain someone outside the circus…

    How wonderful! His father seemed to have found him a very valuable chess piece. It was better to hold him very close.

    “When you move to the capital,” Dio corrected, excited by this turn of events. “Your presence in the capital will make it easier to look into Gesi Ajai’s movements. The faster we understand his plans the better. Now, for where you are to live in the capital.”

    Dio frowned in thought, and then grinned, snapping his fingers in excitement.

    “We’re in luck. A year ago, old Princess Andong died. She was my great-aunt. Her grand manor in the capital reverted to me, and it is mine to do with as I wish. I will present it to a meritorious officer.”

    “Thank you, Basileus.” Thanir brought his right hand to his chest and nodded his thanks.

    “You will find this manor useful. It has high privacy walls, discrete exits and is closest to my palace. I will have my retainers repair the property and make it Marquis Draeya’s official residence. I would also like to introduce you to the courtiers in the capital. It will please me to support your second daughter’s wedding.  I promise to officiate her wedding in person in your new home.”

    Thanir stepped back and gave him a formal bow, his head lowering an inch more than earlier in respect and gratitude.

    “Thanir thanks you for your gift to my daughter, Noriel. I look forward to serving you, Basileus Dio,” Thanir said.

    “No thanks needed, Lord Draeya. You are helping me more,” Dio said, placing a gentle hand on the older man’s shoulder. “Now, I will walk you out and you can introduce me to Lord General Draeya. I would love to meet this adopted brother of mine. The generals I have met so far are very stern. Is your son just as fierce? What does he like to eat? Do you think he will mind exploring the city with me? I have never had a brother before.”

    Thanir chuckled as they headed out of the little hall.

    “I will let him answer all your questions, Basileus.”

    ****

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  • Blades of Ashes – Intro

    Part I

    Troubles in Serene Waters

    An Introduction

    Once upon a time, there existed an empire named Lyria. The Empire of Lyria was a progressive collection of six states, governed by a Basileus1, named so for he was a king of all kings. An illustrious parliament in the capital city of Genad helped the Basileus manage the empire and its people.

    The prime minister, assisted by fifteen cabinet ministers, led Lyria’s imperial government and answered to the Basileus. The imperial parliament had almost two hundred members sourced from the six states of Lyria. Each member represented a county in their state and was elected by the people of their state. Mostly, they hoped to send more resources to their State King and better their communities.

    The Basileus devolved governance, as he could not be in each state at the same time. The six states each had a State King who ran a state government that answered to the Basileus’s imperial parliament.

    State Kings forwarded pressing troubles at the state level to the imperial parliament in the capital city called Genad.

    The imperial parliament also handled matters of the empire’s general infrastructure, diplomacy with neighboring kingdoms to the west, the empire’s financial health, and the empire’s security.

    The imperial parliament also offered aid to the states in the empire, as needed. Politics under the State King were mild and easygoing depending on the people’s ambition.

    The capital city of Genad was a different beast altogether. It was the center of power in the Lyria Empire.

    The place that nurtured wealth and influence. A prime minister was viewed almost in a matching status as the Basileus in his imperial palace. A member of parliament could aspire to join the prime minister’s cabinet and with it, have the right to move billions of gold denaris to their home state at will.

    The Capital City, Genad, had grown into a whirlwind of constant power struggles among the different political allies and military officials.

    In the background of this progressive and active governance, Lyria remained an empire. The people called the leader of their empire, the Basileus, a king of kings. He had the power to protect the people by commanding the armies and bringing justice to the people by punishing those who broke the laws. Even the prime minister was wary of the Basileus’ latent power and did not push his greed too far.

    Lyria’s Basileus came from the House of Adertha. Adertha had produced fifty Basileus.

    At the end of the Lyria Imperial Year 1335, the reigning Basileus, Rokas Adertha, abdicated his throne due to health concerns and made his son, Dio Adertha, the new Basileus.

    Dio was only twenty-five years old. He was young by any courtier’s standard, but he knew how to forge powerful alliances and grow the military. He was confident his alliances would help him retain his power and grow the Lyria Empire.

    As his reign grew, a sinister plot hatched in the dark gained momentum placing the empire in dire straights. A plot that would strain Dio’s friendship with his strongest ally…to the breaking point.

    Bladed of Ashes ToC | Next>>

    Footnotes

    1. Basilieus – Emperor or King of Kings | origin of the title roots to the Roman empire. The Basileus was the ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire.