Sui Writes

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  • 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.

    ****

    Previous | Blades of Ashes ToC | Next

  • A Thousand Years of Hope Ch 12-2

    At Elderwood, Anit stood in the middle of Tani’s bedroom, taking in his personal space. The large bed in the middle of the room was neat. The closet was open, so she moved closer to find the room filled with tall racks. Tani’s clothes hanging on the racks, and a collection of the same type of shoes in different colors. Anit touched a black pair of Vans and smiled at her son’s little quirks.

    “Your presence here kicks him out of his home,” Cale, the god of calamities, said behind her.

    She pulled away her hand from Tani’s shoe with a sigh.

    “Which puts you in a bad mood,” Anit stated. “You enjoy filling yourself up with his sadness, don’t you?”

    “If that’s how you want to judge it, then I gain more with your presence here. Your pain is far more infinite than his,” Cale said, giving a satisfied sigh. “I don’t agree with you punishing Tani this way. You’re his sore spot. Stop giving him unnecessary pain.”

    “Cale, I don’t want to hear a lecture on how to treat my son from you,” Anit said, stepping away from her son’s peculiar shoe collection. “When is his calamity ending?”

    “The mortal is almost thirty-six years old,” Cale said, shaking his head. “Tani stayed away too long this time.”

    “A broken heart will do that to you,” Anit said. “It would be insane to expect him to carry the same feelings after so much pain. Whatever the outcome, you pull Tani out of the mortal realm before the Septum gets to him. I will lock him away in our lands. The next Fox Lord will not be a pawn for the Immortal Clan anymore.”

    Cale sighed.

    “What?”

    “Sunu has asked Tani be returned to the Immortal Clan.”

    Anit scoffed.

    “My son will take on his rightful title. He is the Fox Lord, the only one in millenniums past. I will not hand him over to the Immortal Clan.”

    “He is also the son of the Immortal Lord,” Cale said.

    “Your people forgot that part when they chained him to the mortal realm for a thousand years,” Anit said, her green eyes filled with anger. “You tell Sunu I don’t care what he wants. He watched me leave the Citadel when Tani was five hundred and did nothing to stop us. He shall endure his choices for as long as I draw breath.”

    Cale studied her for a moment, and then scoffed.

    “Meanwhile, Tani suffers between you and Sunu,” Cale said. “You think Tani is enduring his sentence for love because of a human in the mortal realm. You’re wrong. It is because of the lack of love forced on him by you, and Sunu. Don’t ever forget that truth. You should have afforded him more care. Amu and Eren are ready downstairs.”

    Cale left the room and Anit fought the urge to fling Tani’s shoes after him.

    What did the god of calamities know? Sunu betrayed her first. He abandoned her and Tani first.

    Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath and let it out slow. Sunu would not get Tani to enter the Citadel.

    Tani belonged to the Fox Clan.

    Anit did not bother to go down the stairs. She shimmered out of Tani’s room and appeared in the living room where she had met Tani face to face for the first time in two and a half millenniums. She knew there were mistakes made, but Cale did not have to rub it in.

    Still, she would never forget how beautiful Tani’s amber eyes looked.

    Anit glared at Eren in the living room, and then sank into an armchair nearest the fireplace. She arranged her frock and rested her hands on the armrests.

    “What does the Septum want with my Fox Clan?” Anit asked of Eren.

    “Goddess Anit, Eren greats you. I heal the soils of our Immortal Clan lands. I would ask the Fox Goddess a question on the amount of Kara ot in your lands.”

    “The black weed is forbidden in my court,” Anit said. “I obliterate it as fast as it is detected. The weed is dangerous for the fox children born between mortals and those of our clan. Black weed infects them, bringing them unimaginable pain as it works to rob them of their abilities. We do not tolerate its presence in our lands.”

    “Are you saying you have allowed hybrid children to live in the fox clan lands? How is that possible?” Eren asked her eyes wide with shock.

    “We are not purists. It is not impossible in our lands to find children from the mortal realm,” Anit said. “Our fox clan does not punish our people for loving mortals when they visit the mortal realm. Our traits are strong. Children are natural consequences of a mating. When one of ours sires a child with traits leaning to our clan, we bring them back to our lands. It is acceptable to pull them out of the mortal realm in order to protect our Ekho Realm secrets. My council and I have worked hard to create guidelines on the matter. The Palladium Gatekeeper has the guidelines on our rules. She allows passage as needed.”

    “So, the foxes are visiting the Mortal Realm often,” Eren said, with a knowing nod.

    “You suspect one of our people of bringing the black weed to the mortal realm?” Amu asked, his gaze wide at Eren’s comment.

    “We can’t rule them out,” Eren said.

    “How bold of you,” Anit said, her voice heavy with annoyance at the audacity in the Immortal Clan. “My people are very careful. I just laid out to you how deadly the weed is to our children. Which of us would then dare to carry it around? How dare you look down on my people?”

    “Fox Goddess, I do not mean to disrespect you or your people. I am only pointing out that there is a break in the chain. This problem needs both our clans to find a resolution. The Immortal Clan is willing to help—”

    “Eren of the Earth. Our Fox Clan manages to solve problems without your help,” Anit said, slapping her right palm on her arm of her chair. “I have personally cleansed Kara ot from vast swaths of land not only in our Fox Clan but even in the Dragon Clan’s lands and the lesser clans’ provinces. How dare you imply we do less than your Immortal Clan?”

     Eren sighed and sat back in her chair. She had no words to use with this Fox Goddess. The woman somehow twisted her words no matter what she said. They seemed to have used up all their good fortune with her.

    “Eren,” Amu said. “What do you need from us?”

    “Access to the Inter Clan Court. Being one in the Septum, I do not know the members. I only know that the Fox Goddess has a large influence with the court,” Eren said.

    “I refuse to carry on the Immortal Clan’s chores,” Anit said, getting up. “Amu, don’t bring me out to handle such a small problem. I’ll go back to my planting now.”

    “Can’t you think of your son?” Eren asked.

    The Fox Goddess did not like her or the Immortal Clan so she was going to walk away without giving Eren a chance. Eren gave up on diplomacy and decided to sting the woman with words.

    “Every time there is an outbreak of Kara ot in the Mortal Realm Lord Tani is the first to know. He is the one to cleanse it, as his power demands it, unlike that of Cale. To cleanse black weed, the cuffs on his wrists have to come off. Surely, no one would wish such pain on their child.”

    Anit stopped her departure and her gaze fixed on Eren.

    Cale got up fast and stood in front of Eren.

    Eren frowned at his clear worry, and then felt the air pressure rise in the room and understood his concern. Cale started to shield Eren, but Anit waved her hand and pushed him away as though he were nothing, sending him to the living room entrance.

    At the same time, vines as thick as a hand pierced through the wood floors and wrapped around Eren in tight bands, giving her no chance to escape. Bright green leaves with sharp and deadly edges cut Eren’s skin on her arms and up to her neck.

    Anit used the vines to drag Eren closer so that she could look into her eyes.

    “You would dare poke at my weak point to get your way,” Anit said, her green eyes as turbulent as a storm in the deepest ocean. “Eren of the Earth, have you forgotten who placed those cuffs on my son’s wrists? Who voted to keep him here for loving a mortal? For daring to follow his Fox Lord heart, all because, he has Immortal Clan blood. You punished him for sharing his soul with a mortal and did not even care to ask me about it!”

    “Fox Goddess,” Eren started to say, and the vines around her tightened to the point of drawing a whimper of pain from her.

    “I loved your Immortal Lord with all my heart,” Anit said, the sneer on her beautiful face seemed to add to her power. She scoffed. “Your Septum conspired to pull us apart, saying a fox and the Immortal Lord cannot live in the Citadel. It will somehow make our clans imbalanced. Your Septum made it that I could not fight back. So, I left the Immortal Lord and took our son. The loss was difficult, and I dared to blink in order to mourn my sorrows, only to discover that you lot put my young son in a bind. Now, you, Eren of the Earth, dare poke at my inability to protect him after the criminal decisions you’ve placed on our shoulders. Do you not like living?”

    “You can’t kill me,” Eren said, straining against the vines wrapped tight around her.

    Anit laughed long and hard.

    “Oh, I know I can’t, but you are in the Mortal Realm. I can make you bleed so much that you will only be able to crawl to the Palladium Gates in order to heal. Don’t test me,” Anit said. “You’re the one who came to me to ask for help. I refused to help. You dared bring up my child. I retaliated. Don’t get the story wrong when you meet the Septum. I do hold deep grudges.”

    The vines disappeared as fast as they wrapped around Eren.

    The wood floors restored, Anit made sure to add her stamp in Tani’s living room.

    Anit then met Amu’s gaze for a full minute before she shimmered out of Tani’s sanctuary, her heart breaking at the thought of her son having to endure pain again.

    She left an Inter Clan Court badge on the coffee table next to Amu.

    Eren sank down into her chair and let out a long sigh after Anit’s departure. She reached up to touch the stinging cut on her neck and grimaced when her fingers came back with red blood.

    “She must be in a good mood today,” Cale said, coming back into the room. He sat in the armchair Anit had used. “Uncle Amu, should we thank you that she did not give Eren a thousand cuts?”

    “Eren, why did you mention Tani?” Amu asked, picking up the fox clan badge allowing entrance into the Inter Clan Court. “You should have given her a moment. We could have talked it out and gotten her to see your side. Anit does not take kindly to one who mocks her failures.”

    “Do you really think she was going to give us that badge out of kindness?” Eren asked, sitting back, her heart still beating too fast. “She hates the Immortal Clan. I should have realized it was incurable. When does one find Anit, and her son, Tani, in a good mood?”

    “It depends on who you are,” Cale said on a chuckle.

    “Cale.” Amu chastised.

    “Okay, I won’t tease Eren anymore. We should make use of the badge quickly and go to the Clan Court.”

    “Is this what you’ve been waiting for?” Amu asked.

    Cale nodded, getting up.

    “I have business in that court and we can only enter with her permission. Amu, sometimes you forget I’m also from the Immortal Clan.”

    “I truly do,” Amu said, narrowing his gaze at Cale. “What are you looking for in the Inter Clan Court?”

    “The same culprit you’re looking for,” Cale said. “We should go now.”

    Amu sighed and looked at Eren.

    “Cale is right. We should leave, otherwise Tani will never return home if you stay longer,” Amu said.

    Eren stood slowly, touching the cut on her neck once again with a hiss.

    “Why won’t it stop bleeding?” Eren asked.

    “Anit’s special power is nullifying our Ekho gifts in the mortal realm,” Cale said. “You won’t be able to heal that cut until you enter the Palladium Gates again. So, we should go.”

    “She’s so unreasonable,” Eren hissed, as they all left Elderwood and appeared in front of the Palladium Gates.

    ****

    At Artri House, Tani shifted on the large comfortable couch with the huge pillows facing the beautiful windows. He and Dante were watching the sun fade in the horizon. The sunset was especially beautiful this evening. He sipped his wine and returned his attention to Dante who sat next to him.

    Dante had changed out of his day clothes, and released his hair from the tight ponytail. He was now in a black t-shirt and matching sweatpants. His feet stretched out before him. He was the picture of relaxation.

    “Why did you study World History?” Tani asked, loving that Dante answered his many questions without hesitation.

    “I like learning about the past,” Dante said. “As you know our Artri House takes the education of its Ekho-blessed children seriously. Grandmaster Landi runs a successful institute in New York that trains those like us. Which also means he expects too much of the children coming from his house. The only outlet I had from the pressure was learning history. I liked discovering the rhythms of growing nations, people, cultures and languages.”

    “So what do you do all day when you’re not at Artri House entertaining a deviant Ekho?” Tani asked.

    “Hmm, not so deviant if you ask me. I was teaching the students you met today until two weeks ago,” Dante said. “My sessions with them are over. So, I’ve returned to my research work. We’re documenting an underground city discovered in Asikli. The dig is dated back to the Neolithic age. It’s an ongoing dig site. So far, we’ve uncovered painted churches and houses rebuild over time. It is slow tedious work, but I enjoy it.”

    Tani smiled at Dante’s clear infatuation with his day job. He could watch him talk about excavating dead cities forever. Sitting on a couch as the sun set and they shared a bottle of wine. This small pleasure was all he lived for when he could have Dante in his life.

    Why couldn’t life be this simple all the time?

    His heart squeezed tight and the familiar sting of tears at the back of his eyes had him blinking.

    “Tani?”

    Tani found Dante watching him.

    “You okay?”

    “Mm,” Tani nodded, bringing his glass to his lips taking a sip, he turned to look at the fading sunset in the distance. “These floor length windows are such a genius idea. You get a great view any time you take a look.”

    Dante placed his glass on the stool in front of them with their half-full bottle of wine. Dante closed the little distance they had maintained between them. He took Tani’s glass and set it on the stool too.

    “Look at me,” Dante said taking Tani’s left hand. “You were lost in thought a minute ago. I’ve talked myself thirsty this evening. You’ve just asked questions. Now, I have one for you.”

    Tani met Dante’s gaze then.

    “Ask,” Tani said.

    Dante cupped Tani’s right cheek and looked into Tani’s eyes for a moment.

    Tani’s heart thundered in his chest, wishing and hoping Dante would not ask him about his past. This was a beautiful evening and he did not want to think of their tragic past. It would ruin this…and he so wanted to hold on to this memory. Simply sitting here with Dante having a conversation.

    “Can I kiss you?”

    Tani bit his bottom lip and smiled in relief.

    “Dante, I have wished I could kiss you since the moment we met in the olive grove. I…”

    Dante leaned in and took his lips in a sweet short kiss that tasted of sweet rosé. He ended the kiss as fast as he started, but he did not move away.

    Tani kept his eyes open meeting serious brown eyes already wanting another kiss. Their breaths mingled and Dante’s gaze shifted to Tani’s lips. Tani took in a short breath, his heart racing again.

    “You are a dream to me,” Dante said, closing his eyes. “I’m half afraid I’ll wake up tomorrow and discover I’ve made up this encounter with you. Will you stay with me tonight? Let me hold you?”

    Tani breathed him in and leaned in to brush his lips on Dante’s cheek, smiling at the tickle of Dante’s beard on his own cheeks.

    “I’m already here with you there is no need to imagine it,” Tani said, closing his eyes when Dante brushed back his hair, sinking his fingers into his red hair and pushing it away from Tani’s face.

    “I’ve never been anyone’s dream. What do you picture about us?” Tani asked. “Will you tell me?”

    “I never thought anyone else a dream before you. When I saw you I wanted to experience everything with you,” Dante said with a small chuckle, shifting even closer so that he could wrap an arm around Tani’s waist.

    Dante maneuvered them until they were lying on the long couch, the pillows pushed and arranged for their comfort. Tani rested his head on Dante’s right shoulder, burying his face into the curve of Dante’s neck when strong arms rubbed down his back. Their feet tangled and Tani hummed at the warmth between them.

    “I never felt much before,” Dante said, his hand moving up and down Tani’s back. “But since I met you, I’ve felt helpless, jealous, angry, infatuated, almost all at the same time. It’s overwhelming.”

    “What kind of experiences do you want, Dante?”

    “Will you give them to me?”

    “Yes.”

    “All of them?”

    Tani grinned and leaned back to look into Dante’s eyes.

    Dante kissed him again on the lips. A lingering kiss, teasing, it warmed him up straight to his heart. He wanted more, because he did, he worried about how much time they had together.

    Tani ended their kiss and answered Dante’s question.

    “I will give you all of them,” Tani promised.

    Dante smiled.

    “Then, I’ll give you what you want too,” Dante said. “I have talked away the whole evening. I never gave you a chance to say what you think about us.”

    “You haven’t asked,” Tani said.

    Dante held his questions.

    “Are you scared to ask?” Tani asked when Dante kept quiet.

    “Yes.”

    “Why?”

    “Your memory is too long,” Dante said. “I’m afraid it is full of sad moments about us. I want to change those memories and fill them with good ones. So, I’ll wait a bit before I ask you what you want.”

    Tani bit his lip hard because Dante’s thoughtfulness threatened to undo the protective walls built around his heart. He swallowed the lump of emotion that rose up in his throat and let out a soft breath.

    “Then, you tell me a few things,” Tani managed to say. “We can do them while I think about what I will ask of you.”

    “Okay. I’ve already said the first one. I want to wake up next to you everyday,” Dante said.

    “I’m already here with you at Artri House for tonight, and tomorrow. I’ll try to make your wish come true, but it might not be daily. There is still Elderwood.”

    “Fair enough,” Dante said with a small nod. “If I’m welcome, I’ll sleep over at Elderwood with you then we can balance it.”

    Tani grinned and nodded in agreement.

    “What else do you want us to do?”

    “I want to make love with you,” Dante said, leaning in to breath Tani’s scent in. “Not yet though. When we get to know each other better. I don’t want our first time to feel impersonal.”

    Tani hid a smile. He did not remember their sex life being fast and impersonal. Their lovemaking was consuming in the best of ways. He missed being close to Dante. Loved their intimacy, it was the one thing they never got wrong.

    “Let’s not wait too long,” Tani murmured.

    “Then after our third real date.”

    “Is this our first?”

    “No,” Dante shook his head. “You came to me when you were upset. This, here, is me comforting you. Our first date should be fantastic and memorable. We can go on it tomorrow.”

    Tani grinned at Dante’s enthusiasm.

    “I can work with that,” he said.

    “With what?”

    “Fantastic and memorable,” Tani said, thinking Dante’s wishes were very easy to fulfill.

    “About earlier,” Tani continued, pressing his face into the curve of Dante’s neck, he closed his eyes, as the sting of his mother’s slap finally faded. “Thank you for making me stay here with you. I had an unpleasant encounter. I cannot explain it yet, but you’ve healed the sting that I thought would stay with me.”

    “I’m a great listener too,” Dante said. “Whenever you’re ready to talk about it, I’m here for you.”

    “I know,” Tani said, grateful that Dante had not pressed him on the details of his encounter with his mother.

    “Should we travel?” Dante asked. “Let’s see the world together…”

    Tani and Dante talked into the night, they mapped dreams of traveling together, places they could visit, Dante’s interests mostly. They fell asleep on the comfortable couch, holding each other in a tight embrace as though an inch between them would be too much to suffer.

    ****

    <<Previous | Table of Contents | Next >>

  • 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.”

    ****

    Previous | Blades of Ashes ToC | Next

  • Blades of Ashes Ch 1-2

    Arc 1: The Case of the Forged Silver Coins

    Chapter 1-2

    The capital gained a different mood as night descended. Wives with families rushed home to tend to their households. Husbands who cared hurried along with them. The bachelors and revelers made their way to the many restaurants in the city or to livelier establishments hoping to socialize and find good company.

    In the garrisons, officers changed shifts, wrote reports, and upheld peace and civility in the capital city of Genad.

    Standing on the balcony outside the Inspector General’s office at the Counterfeit Inspectors Unit, Raithion Maenaer watched an attendant in the inn across light lamps to ward off the night.

    The inn was one of the cleanest establishments in the capital. He knew the inn’s dining hall was packed with people having a meal. Others migrating to the second floor of the inn to watch the dancers, and listen to musicians play.

    Raithion knew because he had rented a room at the back of the inn for the time being. Anyone who discovered this would think it strange as he had a perfectly good home on the opposite side of the capital.

    However, he did not intend to draw attention to his presence in the counterfeit inspector’s unit because his work was confidential.

    “General.”

    Raithion turned to his left to find a tall thin man standing a few feet away.

    The man wore silver green armor, his helmet held in his left hand. The silver-green armor was the uniform used by the exchange bureau officers. It was hard to reconcile it with his most trusted friend.

    “Haedor, you look like when we were still green in the training fields at the Naga garrisons,” Raithion said, grinning at his friend’s immediate scowl.

    “Don’t remind me,” Haedor said, adjusting the collar of his green armor. “This thing is too itchy. I’ll be happy when we leave here. We brought back the last of the counterfeit silvers from the exchange hall an hour ago. The two inspectors who went with me are in the main hall busy writing reports on the day’s collection. The master assayer has been working on the counterfeit silvers. He has news.”

    “How much did you collect today?” Raithion asked, a frown creasing his forehead at the losses the people were experiencing.

    “We are at a hundred thousand silvers this evening,” Haedor said, his tone heavy with anxiety. “There will be riots if the forced confiscation continues.”

    “That is what the person behind this plot is hoping for,” Raithion said, abandoning his view of the city on the balcony, he entered the office. “The faster we can solve the source of these forged coins the better for the people.”

    “Your father is waiting for a report on the composition of the forged silver coins,” Haedor said. “We find the source of the materials used, and we will have the culprit.”

    “True,” Raithion said. He retrieved his sword from the top of the large desk and led the way out of the inspector general’s office. “Still, this case feels more complex than simply finding the source of the forgery.”

    “Could you be over-reading their intentions?” Haedor asked as he closed and locked the door, leaving it as they found it.

    Raithion wished he were, but his gut feeling told him there was more to uncover.

    “We have no evidence to show there is more than a simple intention to ruin the economy,” Haedor said.

    They walked along the wide corridor to a staircase that would lead them down to a main hall. The main hall was a simple room with three desks manned by three inspectors. Each desk was laden with reports of the unit’s findings on the counterfeiting case.

    The true Inspector-General would then send the reports to the military general in charge of investigations in the palace’s military offices. This general would then present them to the Basileus at the imperial court.

    Raithion acknowledged the two inspectors who were hard at work with a single nod. He walked tall and with purpose. None of them doubted his position as the Inspector-General. He crossed the main hall to a corridor in the back. Haedor following him close.

    This corridor led to the most important room in the unit: the assaying room.

    Haedor knocked on the door, and when he got a grunt in response, he slid the door open allowing Raithion to pass him first.

    Raithion entered the laboratory-like space with apprehension.

    The imperial assayer had a bad temper. Most of the inspectors in the main hall had long decided the assayer’s exposure to the various metals and chemicals in this room was the cause of his bad temper.

    Raithion thought otherwise.

    He figured the wizened imperial assayer simply did not like people and preferred hunks of metal.

    “Inspector-General has arrived right on time. I, Sinsa, have found the source of the metal you have been looking for.”

    “I had no doubt,” Raithion said, smiling at the old man standing behind a massive worktable.

    Sinsa was over seven decades old, though he looked younger. He was dressed in a black leather apron that protected his comfortable cream linen clothes. A black metal mask rested on top of his head. He usually slid it down to cover his face when he was working. The metal mask had slits where the eyes were located. The slits were covered with light gauze used to protect the eyes. It took some getting used to when Sinsa wore it and looked at him.

    Raithion was glad it was pulled up for the moment.

    Sinsa’s gnarled and callused index finger pointed to a balance scale on the worktable.

    Raithion smiled and moved closer.

    “The forger is very skilled,” Sinsa said, his voice tinged with admiration. “He used iron to form the core of the counterfeit silver coins. Then, he adds bits of low-quality silver probably melted from a pure silver coin to fool the eye. He then plates the iron with a coating of more low-quality silver. In time, this silver coating will fade. At that time, it will be clear that there is iron underneath, but I doubt he’s worried about that. It is fine artisanship.”

    “He is more concerned for the outcome of this plot,” Raithion said, studying the liquid metals on the balancing scale’s holders. They looked like liquid metallic blobs resting in fine small measuring trays. He knew nothing of their properties, so he could only trust Sinsa’s explanation.

    “What am I looking at, Master Sinsa?”

    “Once I discovered how the counterfeit was made,” Sinsa continued, “I decided to identify the source of the iron ore they have used. The forger is quite clever. He chose to use ore with a high concentration of iron.  There are traces of titanium. The core of it is unique. So much so, that I can tell that it is only found in places where liquid fire erupts from the earth.”

    “What does this ore look like in its original form?” Raithion asked, glancing at Sinsa, a streak of excitement at this low-key breakthrough racing down his back.

    Sinsa reached for a small wooden box on the worktable and handed it to Raithion.

    “The only source ore with this level of iron and titanium is called burnt ore,” Sinsa said.

    Sinsa took a step back from the worktable and sat on a high stool studying Raithion.

    “If I give you the name of the people who mine this burnt ore, what happens to them?”

    Raithion opened the small wooden box and studied the burnt ore sample. He picked it out and held it to the lamp light. It looked rough and dull to his eye, harmless.

    Yet, the forger who turned this into counterfeit silver had done irreparable damage to people’s lives.

    “Master Sinsa, the imperial mint is very strict with counterfeiting,” Raithion said. “No one can tolerate damage to the mint. Counterfeit silver coins are ruining people’s lives as we speak. Our empire would fall if we let it continue.”

    “What if the miners are not responsible for the counterfeiting?” Sinsa asked.

    “I am clearly holding a sample from their product. We will have to determine their level of involvement,” Raithion said, returning the small stone of black ore to the box. He closed the lid and handed the sample to Haedor.

    “Master Sinsa, the empire is not without laws. If the miners are innocent, naturally they will come out of this unscathed.”

    Sinsa scoffed and reached up to remove his metal mask. His silver hair was tied in a neat bun at the top of his head. His gnarled hands untied the strings of the helmet before he looked at Raithion.

    “The last miners involved in such a case ended up dead,” Sinsa said. “The Inspector-General responsible was not conscientious. He added them to the list of the guilty and an entire clan disappeared. Are you going to do the same, Inspector-General Maenaer?”

    Raithion paused at the way Sinsa emphasized the title.

    The assayer was not blind after all.

    “I want to promise you that I will be responsible,” Raithion said, meeting Sinsa’s probing gaze. “However, you must understand that we all answer to someone higher in the chain. Such a decision does not lie with me. The matter of counterfeited silver coins must end. I’m already holding a sample of their ore. You cannot protect them, Master Sinsa. I can only promise to try to minimize the damage and get this mining clan a fair trial.”

    Sinsa placed the mask on the stool next to him and studied Raithion for a moment.

    “Strange but your face makes me want to believe you will try to do as you promise,” Sinsa said. “You are right. There is no turning back now. I have no choice but to trust you. The clan’s name is Sura. They mine this burnt ore from a mountain in their hometown, though I cannot tell you where. They are the only ones I have ever seen with it.”

    Raithion frowned.

    “You’re saying this ore can only be found with the Sura Clan.”

    Sinsa nodded.

    “Yes. There is no doubt. However, you cannot blame everyone in the clan for the counterfeiting. There is probably someone in the clan who is diverting the burnt ore during transit.”

    “Probably,” Raithion nodded in agreement. “Thank you, Master Sinsa. I’ll make use of this information. Do not share it with anyone else.”

    “Not even the team of inspectors out there?” Sinsa asked, giving Raithion a critical glance.

    “Especially them,” Raithion said, the glint in his eye when he met Sinsa’s gaze had the older man sucking in air.

    “You’re more than you seem,” Sinsa accused.

    “If you say so,” Raithion said, and then turned away from Sinsa, ready to leave.

    “Wait,” Sinsa said. “Who are you? I truly doubt you’re the new Inspector-General taking over this unit.”

    “I am who I need to be for the moment. Today, I need to be the new Inspector-General,” Raithion said. “So, I am.”

    Sinsa kept quiet for a moment and then sighed in resignation.

    “Whoever you are, please do your best to protect the Sura Clan,” Sinsa said. “They are good people.”

    “We’ll have to see,” Raithion said, giving Sinsa one last nod.

    Raithion left the assaying room followed by Haedor. He did not stop until they were outside the building. Raithion took in a deep breath glad that he would not have to be here any longer. He had needed a sample of the original ore used to continue his quiet investigation. Now that he had it, it was time to return to his place.

    One of the attendants at the stables brought their horses around.

    “Where to?” Haedor asked when they mounted their horses and headed to the compound’s exit.

    “We go to see my father,” Raithion said, as he mounted his horse. “We need to report the source of the burnt ore and get permission to start an investigation into the Sura Clan. Send someone to clear out my things at the inn across the unit.”

    “I will,” Haedor said.

    Raithion gave the inspector’s office one last glance, his thoughts lingered on Sinsa’s request. The Sura Clan was indeed in trouble if they had chosen to counterfeit silver coins. He was not sure what he could do for them.

    Raithion urged his horse forward in the direction of the private manors on the outskirts of the city with a soft sigh.

    ******

    Previous | Blades of Ashes ToC | Next

  • A Thousand Years of Hope Ch 12-1

    Tani frowned and Dante smiled, brushing a second kiss on Tani’s right cheek. Tani was cute when he was upset and unsure of himself. Dante decided to take advantage of the indecision. He led Tani to the front door of Artri House, and gave an approving nod when the house opened the door without his prompting.

    The manor felt empty.

    His grandmaster was out, and his mom was somewhere in the vineyard handling daily chores with the vineyard manager. His father had yet to arrive it seemed.

    The old grandfather clock in the main hall said it was fifteen minutes after four. Holding Tani’s hand tight, Dante led him up the staircase heading to the third floor where his suite of rooms was located. Dante opened the door to his rooms and turned to meet Tani’s gaze, knowing they were crossing an invisible line, one he wanted gone but needed Tani’s consent.

    Tani hesitated for a short moment, then he gave the subtlest of nods and Dante led him into his room. He closed the door, and they both stood at the entrance for a moment, Dante still holding Tani’s right hand. He used his left hand to sink his fingers into Tani’s wet hair.

    “You need a hot shower,” Dante said, then turned to lead the way into the bathroom on his right.

    Dante opened the sizeable shower stall and turned on the water, using his own temperature preferences. He stepped back out and turned to Tani who stood behind him seErming in deep thought.

    “Wanna talk about it?” Dante asked, letting go of Tani’s right hand. He stepped in closer and rubbed his hands up and down Tani’s arms, drawing his attention. He frowned when he noted the red mark on Tani’s right cheek. “You were smiling when I left you. Who ruined your mood?”

    “I don’t want to talk about it,” Tani said, shaking his head, and then looked at his wet shirt, and started unbuttoning it.

    “Okay, don’t talk about it,” Dante said. “I’ll make dinner for us, and we can spend the evening together. We can get to know more about each other.”

    Tani pulled off his wet shirt without unbuttoning it all the way and dropped it on the sink counter.

    “Sounds delicious,” Tani said with a small nod. He reached for the button on his trousers, and paused when Dante held his hands in place.

    “Thank you for coming,” Dante said, and smiled when Tani looked at him, amber eyes filled with surprise. “I’m really happy you came when I called, Tani.”

    Tani made a face at him, and Dante bit back a chuckle.

    “Take a shower,” Dante said, taking in Tani’s body naked as he removed his pants. “Have I told you how exciting it is to have you stripping in my bathroom? I don’t think I’ll forget this one for years. It is fantastic sexy.”

    Tani chuckled and picked up his trousers and boxer briefs. He shook them out and placed them on the sink counter. He blew a kiss at Dante before he entered the shower stall and closed the opaque glass door.

    Dante sighed wishing they were at a stage where he could follow Tani into the shower. It was a tragedy not being able to yet. He took Tani’s wet clothes and dropped them into the hamper. This was the second set of clothes he was going to have in his closet for Tani. The first set was from the day Tani healed their soil. Dante let out a happy hum and hurried to his closet. He found a t-shirt and comfortable grey slacks.

    Dante spelled them to fit Tani’s size and placed them on the sink counter. He found a towel and a new toothbrush. When he was sure Tani had everything he needed, he listened to Tani shower for a few minutes, then called out.

    “I’m going downstairs to the kitchen. Find me when you’re done.”

    “Okay.”

    Dante grinned and left his suite, heading downstairs. In the kitchen, he washed his hands and headed to the fridge. He took stock of the ingredients in the fridge and was happy to see his mother had the makings of chicken rice pilaf and a veggie salad.

    Dante pulled out shredded chicken in a sealed bowl, and another bowl with chicken broth. He carried them to the kitchen range counter and went in search of long-grain rice and orzo in the pantry. He measured enough of both to include his parents and the grand-master.

    Although, he and Tani would have a private dinner. No one was taking his time with Tani tonight.

    Besides, Tani did not look in the mood to socialize. His parents would have to wait until tomorrow for Tani.

    Dante wore an apron, washing his hands again, and got to work.

    Tani came downstairs when Dante was busy adding the required chicken broth to the sautéed rice and orzo. He looked calmer, and laid back in the borrowed t-shirt and sweatpants. His hair was dry and messy, as though he had finger combed it. A lock of it fell over his right eye, and all Dante wanted to do was reach out and pushed it back so he could see Tani’s eyes.

    Scents of cinnamon and all spice filled the kitchen.

    “It’s smells so good in here,” Tani said, walking on bare feet. He pulled out a chair at the island table, sat and watched Dante add a teaspoon of salt and then reach for the black pepper crusher. “You look at home in the kitchen.”

    “Mom made sure I knew how to cook,” Dante said, finishing with the black pepper. “She did not want to have a son who cannot take care of himself.”

    “Nora is admirable,” Tani said, with a small sigh. He rested his elbows on the kitchen table and watched Dante cover the pot, and lower the heat. “Do you have cousins?”

    “I do,” Dante nodded. “My mother has siblings. Two sisters who have made their lives in Istanbul. Between the two aunts, I have five cousins who now have made families and are living in Greece, and Spain.”

    “Do you visit them?” Tani asked.

    “Yes, when they have occasions they call us. Mom makes it mandatory to attend so I cannot ignore them. They all come here for family celebrations too. Artri House comes alive those times. Those days we have almost a hundred people in these halls. My mom loves it.”

    “Do you love it?” Tani asked.

    “Sometimes,” Dante said, with a shrug.

    Dante got a baking pan from a shelf under the kitchen range counter. He greased the pan with olive oil and spread out the pieces of shredded chicken on the pan. He turned on the oven and got to work sprinkling the shredded chicken with chopped cilantro, salt and garlic.

    “What do you mean sometimes?” Tani asked.

    Dante met his gaze and braced his hands on the counter.

    “I do try to avoid spending too much time in the festivities. It gets noisy and I find the level of affection I have for everyone is not at par with theirs,” Dante said, and then stared at the shredded chicken on the baking sheet. “Viola called me cold. She believes my emotions are locked away behind a cold wall. I agree with her. I was locked away.”

    “Was?” Tani asked.

    Dante glanced at Tani.

    Tani’s gaze set his heart dancing in a wild rhythm inside his chest. He had never felt this surge of excitement over a person before. Not even with Viola. He was happy just having Tani sit across him at the island kitchen table.

    “Dante?” Tani’s amber gaze filled with concern.

    Dante smiled and picked up the baking sheet. He opened the oven and slid the baking sheet in to warm up the shredded chicken for ten minutes. He set the timer and closed the door. Wiping his hands on the hand towel in his apron pocket, Dante returned to the stove to check on the rice.

    “Are you saying you’re free now?” Tani asked, not letting the topic fade away.

    “Perhaps,” Dante said, getting a clean spoon. He used it to scoop out a bit of rice to check doneness. “I might be thawing out because of you. I feel too much when I’m around you, Tani.”

    Dante walked around the island table to where Tani sat and held out the spoon of cooling rice.

    “Taste,” he said, and Tani studied him for a moment before he took in the spoon into his mouth, and ate the rice. “Is it good?”

    “Mm,” Tani nodded when he swallowed.

    Dante leaned on the chair next to Tani, holding the empty spoon.

    “You should have been a chef.”

    “No,” Dante shook his head. “I’d be a terrible task master. I would chase away all the staff with a bad temper.”

    Tani grinned and rested his chin on his right hand.

    “What were you like as a boy?”

    “Full of myself and out of control,” Dante said. “I had to learn how to control the fire inside me. There were very many near misses. Mom had her hands full. One summer, I burned the grapevines closest to the manor when I tried to roast potatoes in the firewood pit in the back garden. Nora gained a few gray hairs that day.”

    “Were the vines saved?”

    “No,” Dante shook his head. “We only managed to stop the fire from spreading to the rest of the vineyard. We had to uproot the damaged vines, restore the soil, and plant a new batch. Mom and Dad punished me to work with the crew for a month. I helped with the digging, no spells allowed to make it easier.”

    “It must have been an adventure.” Tani chuckled

    “I did not think so at the time,” Dante said, shaking his head. “It was the first time I understood how tiring tilling the land can be.”

    He moved away from Tani and returned to remove the rice from the stove.

    “What can I help with?” Tani asked, as Dante picked up the pot and placed it on a wooden board on the island table.

    “I just need to put the chicken rice pilaf together. Then we can toss a veggie salad together. Give me a minute, I’ll bring the salad ingredients to you,” Dante said, checking the oven timer. He had five minutes on the chicken.

    Dante hurried to the sink. He had rinsed the iceberg lettuce and cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces. He added in a mix of herbs he had chopped into fine pieces: sorrel, parsley, dill, and fresh mint, and mixed them in with the lettuce.

    Dante took the colander to where Tani sat, together with a clean glass salad dish.

    Dante then went to the fridge and brought out lemon juice squeezed by his mother into a small jug and a slice of white cheese. Closing the fridge, he got the salt container and the olive oil. He carried everything to Tani.

    “What’s missing?” Dante asked, leaning on the table smiling at Tani.

    “Something to mix everything,” Tani said.

    “Okay, coming right up.”

    Dante found a tablespoon, and the wooden spoon they used to mix salads. He brought them back to Tani and stole a kiss on Tani’s cheek. Tani smiled, and it felt like a little win.

    Tani took a small clean bowl from a pile on the island table and got to work. He poured about three tablespoons of olive oil into the bowl, adding a pinch of salt and half the juice in the jug. He used the tablespoon to mix the liquids together.

    Dante returned to the other side of the table.

    “Did you get to eat your roasted potatoes?” Tani asked, as he put the lettuce mix into the glass dish.

    “I did,” Dante said. “I had gotten them from the vineyard manager’s patch. They were very big, and looked delicious. So, I ate them in the evening when my mother thought I was repenting my sins in my room.”

    “You didn’t even share with her after burning the vines. Sneaky child,” Tani said.

    “I was determined to keep my roasted potatoes to myself,” Dante said. “If I offered them, then I would have to explain how I got them in the first place. I didn’t want my potato supply cut off.”

    Tani laughed then, and Dante paused in the act of chopping up parsley and dill to stare at him.

    “What now?” Tani asked, when he noticed Dante staring.

    He was pouring the mix of olive oil into the lettuce in the dish. He used the wooden spoon to toss the salad and make sure every bit of the lettuce was covered with olive oil.

    “I should find more funny stories to tell you,” Dante said. “I love your laugh.”

    Tani took a piece of lettuce and popped it into his mouth. He nodded in satisfaction and reached for the slice of white cheese.

    “Your childhood sounds so interesting,” Tani said. “I wish I could have seen it.”

    Dante started to ask if Tani had tried to see him when he was younger, then stopped himself. He did not want to see Tani sad tonight. Their past was already so difficult to deal with, better to keep things light, cheerful.

    “Did you have a girl or boy you liked during your teenage years?” Tani asked, as though reading his thoughts.

    “There was one,” Dante said, finishing with the parsley and dill. He got four stalks of scallions and chopped up the green parts only. He left them all on the chopping board and went to check on the warming shredded chicken. Opening the oven, he pulled out the baking sheet without an oven mitt, relying on his fire magik to shield his fingers. In any case, heat had never burned him.

    Placing the baking sheet on the cooker, he turned off the oven and the timer.

    “Who was he?” Tani asked.

    Dante stole a glance at him and found Tani concentrating on breaking pieces of white cheese and tossing them into the salad bowl. He bit back a smile, remembering his torrid infatuation with Ermin, a boy whose family lived by the docks. Ermin’s family ran a tourism business, taking tourists on boats to see the surrounding islands. Ermin was handsome, and loved the waters too much.

    Dante always found him on a boat dressed in swimming shorts and nothing else. He could not be blamed for wanting to find out what a kiss between them tasted like, or all the exploration they did with each other on the beach of a small tiny deserted island where Ermin liked to fish.

    Dante grinned at the memory of Ermin now.

    “He must have been something if he still has you smiling,” Tani said, pushing the salad bowl to the middle of the table.

    “He was,” Dante said. “Ermin was a summer fling I thought I would never get over. We were experimental with each other. He taught me how to kiss, and how to make my partner feel good. We had a lot of oral sex. I was young, excited to be getting off whenever I felt like it. Ermin denied me nothing. We celebrated each other until my mother caught us in the fertilizer storage room.”

    “What did Nora do?”

    “Of course she was shocked,” Dante said, opening the pan with the rice.

    Dante added the shredded chicken on top, and placed the chopped herbs on top of the chicken. He took the chopping board to the sink, thinking about his mother’s wide gaze when she opened the store and saw him coming as he clung to a shelf as Ermin sucked him off. He could not have stopped himself if he wanted.

    She truly chose the wrong moment to check on their fertilizer stock.

    “Were you scared?” Tani asked, studying him now.

    “No,” Dante said, placing the chopping board on the drainage rack. “I didn’t really care about it, but Ermin did. He was mortified. I guess I was scared of losing access to him. Nora left us alone and we cleaned up in the shower behind the store. We found her waiting for us at the back of the manor. She gave us both a glass of lemon tea and made us sit with her. She asked Ermin if he was serious about me, and he got scared and ran off.”

    Dante wiped his hands on his cloth and leaned on the sink counter. He met Tani’s gaze and shrugged.

    “Mom did not mind that I liked having sex with boys,” Dante said. “She just cared that the boy I was with was serious about me. He wasn’t. Ermin was terrified Nora would tell others about us. When the summer season ended, he moved to Istanbul.”

    “His loss,” Tani said.

    “Nora’s exact words to the whole incident,” Dante said with a small smile. “After that, Nora made my Dad have the sex talk with me.”

    Tani grinned.

    “Did he? What was it like?”

    “Christophe is not like my mother, or like the Grandmaster with many words,” Dante said. “He’s laid back with me. He took me out to the beach beyond the olive grove. He brought a pack of beer and a cooler filled with fish. We camped out, roasting fish, and he gave me my first beer. I told him I liked both boys and girls. I thought he would lecture me, but he gave me two rules. One, to learn how to commit when a relationship is serious, and two, to learn how to take responsibility if my partner gets kids.”

    Dante thought about his stint with Viola and his father’s eternal disappointment that his grandchildren were not Ekho-blessed.

    “I failed with the first rule, but I have learned how to take responsibility of the consequences to the best of my ability,” Dante said.

    “You’re a lucky man, Dante. Your parents are present for you, each in their own way. You should be proud of it.”

    Dante nodded, and wondered why he read a wistful note in Tani’s voice.

    “I am,” Dante said, pushing off the counter. He went to get two plates from the cupboard and two wine glasses. “Come serve food, Tani. We’ll leave the rest warming for Mom, and Grandmaster Landi. Dad might also be around, but I want to be selfish tonight and hide away with you.”

    Tani got up, bringing the salad bowl with him. They spent the next few minutes serving up plates. Dante cleaned up the remaining dishes and left the pot of chicken rice pilaf on the cooker. They sealed the salad bowl with cling film and left it in the fridge.

    Dante got a new bottle of a medium-bodied rosé from the wine cellar next to the pantry. He handed it to Tani, along with the pair of glasses.

    “I’ll carry the food,” Dante said, taking their plates and spoons now on a tray.

    “Where to?” Tani asked.

    “My rooms, no one will disturb us,” Dante said, leading the way out of the kitchen.

    Tani followed without question.

    “Artri House watches the happenings within its walls,” Tani said, as they went up the stairs. “Does it bother you?”

    “No,” Dante said. “I wouldn’t call it watching because that sounds creepy. I think of it as logging, like remembrance. The manor will let us know when something is amiss, or someone is in danger, or when an intruder comes in.”

    “That’s useful,” Tani said, as Dante’s door opened when he got close. “Very useful when you’re carrying stuff.”

    “Yes,” Dante said, taking their plates to a low table in the middle of the living area in his suite.

    His suite was his sanctuary. It was built with three major rooms. Two rooms on each side of the living area. Floor to ceiling windows filled the living area with natural light and a great view of the vineyard. Dante had decorated the space with an eclectic antique style. He collected pieces during his travels and brought them back to add to the comfort. His most exciting piece of furniture was the comfortable couch with large deep burgundy cushions facing the windows. It was the perfect spot to watch the vineyard, the olive grove beyond, and the seas in the horizon

    Dante could already imagine an evening spent sitting with Tani on the comfortable cushions watching the sunset.

    “My bedroom is to the right,” Dante said, pointing to the open door into his sleeping space. “The closed door on the left is a library/office/study/research room. I clutter it with a lot of paperwork on good days.”

    “What happens on bad days?” Tani asked, taking in the living area with an air of curiosity.

    “I fill this place with chests packed with artifacts and old papers. They spill over into this room, and my bedroom,” Dante said. “Mom calls them my obsession moments.”

    Tani placed the bottle of wine on the low table, and the wine glasses next to it. He reached for a cushion from one of the regular couches by the wall and dropped it on the floor near the table. He sat down and smiled up at Dante.

    “I can’t wait to discover those days for myself,” Tani said. “Let’s eat, Dante. I’m suddenly starving.”

    ***

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  • Blades of Ashes Ch 1-1

    Arc 1: The Case of the Forged Silver Coins

    Chapter 1 -1

    The air was rife with the scent of burning wood, baking bread, fried fish, and fresh wood shavings. All of it mixed in the wind, but the baker crossing the cobbled street paid no mind to these mixed scents. He was used to them having worked in the busy markets of the capital city, Genad, all his life. Instead, he hurried into the exchange bureau with a spring in his step.

    The baker carried four bags filled with silver from his baking shop to the first empty counter and smiled at the attendant.

    “I want to turn these into gold denaris.”

    “One gold denari is at twenty-five silvers.”

    “Wasn’t it twenty yesterday?”

    “You can thank the finance minister for the change,” the attendant said. “Do you want to make the exchange?”

    The baker studied his bags of silver for a minute, then nodded his head and pushed the bags to the attendant. He needed the gold denaris to purchase the piece of land his wife wanted for their home. They had worked a year and a half to save the silver. They made periodic exchanges with the bureau so that they would be able to pay the land broker.

    “Yes, I’ll make the exchange,” the baker said, with a soft sigh.

    He had no choice. Their land broker had insisted on gold denaris.

    The attendant took the silver bags and started counting them.

    The baker felt a tight string of anxiety rise when the attendant pulled out a weighing machine. This had never happened before. As though sensing his surprise the attendant glanced at him and smiled.

    “We have no choice these days,” the attendant said. “The silver coins have a problem. We need to weigh them to make sure they are not forged.”

    The baker frowned but did not move to leave. He watched the attendant start weighing his silver. His frown deepened when the attendant pushed ten out of his twenty silvers aside. The rejected pile grew even bigger it could fill a bag on its own.

    “Why won’t you use these silvers?” the baker asked, his voice shaking with a mix of fury and anxiety.

    “They are not silver coins,” the attendant said. “The weight of these rejected coins is too light. They do not have enough silver to be considered for exchange.”

    The baker slammed his fist on the counter and shouted.

    “I disagree!”

    The attendant continued his work, not moved or shaken by the baker’s protest.

    “I truly cannot change any silver coins that do not match the weight. This is the new rule.”

    The baker started to bang on the counter again but stopped when three bureau guards in silver-green uniforms came up behind him. Three tall and burly guards, each wearing a state-issued sword. Their silver-green uniform had fine chest armor and wrist bracers. The long skirts of their uniforms reached down to their fine leather boots. The silver-green helmets they wore made it so that no one could identify them.

    The baker gave them a wary glance. They looked too intimidating to face, to say the least. He had heard the rumors of how cruel their training was; he had no hope of surviving a fight with them.

    The baker sighed at the obvious bullying. He could only watch the attendant continue weighing his silver. Disappointment growing with every silver piece added to the discard pile. Discontentment rose, and it soon turned to anger.

    “You can thank the finance minister for the new laws,” the attendant said when he noted the ugly expression on the baker’s face. “He is only protecting the kingdom.”

    The attendant finished counting the silver pieces.

    “You have exchanged five hundred silver pieces into twenty gold denaris,” the attendant said, counting out the gold denaris.

    “The silver coins were one thousand to start. I should have forty gold denaris,” the baker complained, taking the bag holding his twenty gold denaris.

    “You should but you do not,” the attendant said.

    He bagged the rejected silver pieces and held them out to a guard the baker had not noticed before.

    “Why can’t I keep those if you’re rejecting them?” the baker asked. “I earned them fair and square. I can find some use for them.”

    “These forged silvers should not be in circulation. They will ruin our trade. Here is advice for you, Sir.  Weigh the silver coins you receive from your customers. Take forty grams for each silver piece and nothing less. Otherwise, you will be at a loss. Thank you for contributing to the well-being of our empire.”

    The baker glared at the retreating guard who carried his rejected silver pieces, then cursed the officials in the palace before he left the exchange bureau.

    He was the fifth such customer the attendant had seen.

    “We can’t keep this up. At some point, they will start a fight in our hall.  Trouble brews in our beloved Lyria,” the attendant sighed, as he watched the baker cross the street.  “These forged silver coins will ruin us.”

    ****

    Late in the afternoon, a cargo carriage left the bustling port of Naga State, situated on the east coast of the Lyria Empire. The cargo carriage raced to the capital city of Genad. The long-established main road was even. The empire’s Ministry of Works had rolled it with fine gravel. The Naga King was also very conscientious about maintaining it.

    Tall evergreen trees grew on each side of the wide road. They took up swaths of land that soon opened up to private estates and small villages belonging to the people who lived in the state of Naga.

    The cargo carriage ran smoothly. The skilled artisans who built it had forged strong steel frames that secured thick solid blocks of wood to make up the body of the carriage. The carriage had no windows. It only had one solid steel door with an intricate lock. One needed a long key to open the lock. The person who locked the carriage and the one who would open the carriage at the destination each held a key.

    These two people belonged to the Sura Clan. The Sura Clan made a living off mining, smelting, and blacksmithing. They had done it for so long that they had established a way of life, and grown into a culture like no other in the empire.

    A seasoned driver and his assistant sat at the front of the cargo carriage. The seasoned driver knew to keep the carriage going without stopping.  The four horses leading the carriage would get to the midpoint of the journey where the midpoint stationmaster would exchange them for a new set.

    The horses ran along, fast-paced, confident…

    The wind changed direction.

    A tall heavy tree fell across the road blocking the way. The horses broke speed, and the driver did his best to calm them. Too occupied with controlling the horses, the driver did not notice the ten men on horses surrounding the cargo carriage.

    One of the men pulled the driver’s assistant off his perch. The second man sunk a sword into the driver’s shoulder, pulling him down too. A third man jumped on the driver’s seat and took control of the horses, bringing them to a full stop.

    “Should we check the cargo?”

    “Not here. Naga has too many guards loyal to the inspector’s unit and someone might find us. We need to head northeast to the border of Storait Province and Naga. Our blacksmith will know how to handle the lock.”

    “Very well. In any case, this last amount of black ore should be enough to serve our purpose.”

    “You had better hope so. Otherwise, if the plan breaks, Lord Hulan will not spare us.  Move the tree, get rid of those two, and let’s get moving.”

    *****

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  • A Thousand Years of Hope Ch 9-1

    The evening after Tani left Artri House, Nora led Dante to the basement. Nora led the way to the bookshelves and stopped at one written Artri Lineage. She held out her left hand to Dante.

    “I need to borrow your power,” Nora said.

    “Why?” Dante asked.

    “Mine is checked by your grandmaster. I have secrets I have hidden here,” Nora said. “I believe it is time to give them to you.”

    “After this, will you approve of me pursuing Tani Ryuzo?” Dante asked, meeting his mother’s gaze.

    “You may do as you wish, Dante,” Nora said.

    “Alright,” Dante said, taking his mother’s hand.

    He felt it the moment she tapped into his well of power. The connection binding them by blood warmed his blood, his power flowing to Nora like a big fat river. She held out her right hand and pressed it to the wood of the bookshelf. The shelf split into two shelves and separated.

    A thick book flew out and dropped on the floor at Nora’s feet. She nodded in approval and restored the lineage bookshelf to its original size.

    She let go of Dante and bent down to pick up the book. It refused to budge so she sighed and straightened to her full height. Dusting off her hands, she placed them on her waist and faced Dante.

    “Stupid book still views me as an outsider. The blood in the family is too thick,” Nora said, in annoyance. “You pick it up.”

    Dante bent down and to his surprise, the book leaped into his hands and the lock snapped open.

    “Discrimination,” Nora hissed, glaring at the book. “I will burn you up one of these days.”

    Dante chuckled and stroked the spine of the book. The cover opened and he took it to the closest table. He pulled out a chair for his mother and was surprised when she shook her head, declining his offer.

    “My part is to give you the journal when you were ready,” Nora said, her gaze on the black leather covering the old journal. “Your grandmother wrote this journal without telling your grandmaster. She hid it in the shelf and placed it under my care because she thought you were the one who would get the warning.”

    “So, you knew the moment the grimoire opened up to the Ryuzo warning,” Dante said.

    “In a way,” Nora said. “As you know, we have an Ekho in the family that is how our family is Ekho-blessed. This Ekho encouraged your great-grandfather’s marriage to a mortal woman. Meaning the generation coming from your great grandfather, his children, would have no power until the next: your father and then you.”

    “As my children will remain until the next generation,” Dante said, thinking of Zachary and April.

    “You chose a mortal to sire them. It is what it is,” Nora said, stepping closer to place a reassuring hand on Dante’s shoulder. “We have all made arrangements to make sure they are taken care of in the future.”

    “Is this journal the reason why grandmaster spelled you?” Dante asked.

    “No. The name of the Ekho who sired the first of Artri House is the reason why they spelled me. I cannot say his name, though your grandmother met him and talked to him. What he told her had her worrying about finding a resolution for Ryuzo. She was sure you would be the one to bear the burden.”

    “Grandmaster needs to understand he cannot go around harming my family,” Dante hissed.

    “It’s not his fault,” Nora said, shaking her head. “In any case, the Ekho in question helped your grandmother ward Artri House. The story he gave her, made her write the stories of Ryuzo and his fate with a soul named Durante. The woman your great-grandfather married is from the same lineage as Durante.”

    Dante blinked, his gaze dropping to the journal on the table. Durante was the man who loved Ryuzo in his dreams. The man who broke Ryuzo’s heart, three times so far, as he chose a life with Viola instead of Ryuzo. He had hoped they were only dreams.

    Dante dropped into the chair he pulled out for his mother, opening the journal to the first page.

    “Your grandmother said you cannot move on without finding a resolution for Ryuzo. She hoped these stories would benefit my child. I have kept the journal a secret from you because I worried it would interfere with your life. I did not want you to have to follow her wishes. She had good intentions but I wanted you to make your own choices when it came to love. Still…”

    “This journal is why you were always against Viola,” Dante said, tracing the title on the yellowed page of the journal. Duante and Ryuzo, 16th century, Spain. “You knew we didn’t belong.”

    “Belonging is a perspective, Dante,” Nora said with a sigh. “For a time, you did belong to Viola. For the duration of their lives, you do belong to Zach and April. You should have named April, Nisan, as I told you. She would have a deeper connection to our family here.”

    “It wasn’t my call,” Dante said, shaking his head. “Viola preferred April. You can call her Nisan whenever she visits you.”

    “If ever,” Nora said with a sigh. “The journal should explain why Ryuzo is important to you. Why the grimoire opened, why the house likes him.”

    Nora started to leave, and Dante reached for her right wrist, stopping her exit.

    “Thank you for the journal, Mom. But you still haven’t answered Tani’s question,” Dante said. “Surely, you can tell me which Ekho you’ve met outside of Artri House. He or she might have brought us the Kara ot that damaged the vineyard.”

    “His name is Aero,” Nora said. “I did not share his name with Tani because Aero asked us never to tell another Ekho he visits us. Because of this, the spell your grandmaster placed on me always activates. I am not the only Artri matriarch who has known Aero. Aero used to deal with your grandmother before me, and your great-grandmother before her.”

    “What is his purpose?” Dante asked.

    Nora hesitated and then shook her head.

    “We trade with Aero,” Nora said. “I give him spelled objects as he needs, and he brings herbs and spells ingredients from the Ekho Realm or around the world. It has always been this way. I only continued the tradition.”

    “The vineyard makes enough money to sustain Artri House,” Dante said, letting go of his mother’s hand. “Why would you need to supplement income?”

    “I keep reminding you, I’m your father’s wife,” Nora said, narrowing her gaze at Dante. “I might run the vineyard, but the manor’s money goes to the family accounts. Christophe runs the accounts, and checks statements to the account he’s given me to use. It’s been the same for all the wives of this manor forever. Your great-grandmother discovered a way for us to make extra money away from the family. She showed your grandmother, who showed me how when I married Christophe. I like having extra money to do whatever I please without having to explain myself. So, I kept up the relationship with Aero.”

    Dante bit his bottom lip hard because he had no comeback for his mother’s finances. It was not his place to talk to his parents about how they managed their money. He too received a paycheck for his work as a professor. With the money he got he made a life in Istanbul and paid for his children’s trusts.

    “Still—,” Dante started.

    “We’re not having a conversation about where I get money to spend,” Nora said. “You don’t worry about Aero. I’ll have a good talk with him the next time we meet.”

    “Mom—”

    “I gave you his name, Dante,” Nora said, glaring at him. “The rest is up to me. The vineyard’s health is important to me. My income with Aero is in question, so I will handle it and make sure there are no issues. Trust me.”

    Dante let out a sigh and nodded.

    “Don’t look at me like that,” Nora said, reaching out to caress his jaw, her fingers smoothing his beard. “I love my life in this manor. I’ve also been a bit of a rebel and ended up raising a son like you. Don’t look at me with pity. I’m happy.”

    Dante nodded and pressed a kiss to her inner wrist. She smiled and turned to leave.

    “I’m going out with my friend Lily. We’ll hang out at the bistro in town,” Nora said. “Warm the baked potatoes if you get hungry. There is a veggie salad in the fridge and cheese.”

    “Thank you, Mom,” Dante said.

    She waved at him and left the basement.

    Alone, Dante stared at Tani’s last name written on the yellow page of the old journal. He started to turn the page, only to pause when he saw a foreword appear on the inner page of the cover.

    “A strange love story began six centuries ago,” Dante started to read.

    A strange love story between an Ekho and a mortal, two souls that should never have met, but did. Durante, the son of a farmer, met Ryuzo in a wild forest on the outskirts of his home in a great moment of crisis. It is said that wild wolves chased Durante in the forest until he was on the brink of losing his life. The half-immortal lord/half-fox lord, Ryuzo, intervened. Ryuzo saved Durante’s life and gave him a second chance. In so doing, Ryuzo tied their fate together.
    Durante returned to find Ryuzo, to thank him, and Ryuzo crossed the invisible line and took a step into the mortal world. He started a romantic relationship with Durante. Their connection grew so deep that not even Ryuzo’s uncle could stop him from seeing Durante. Never had an Ekho loved a mortal in the way Ryuzo loved Durante. Soon, unknown to his brethren, Ryuzo bound his soul to Durante. He promised to love only Durante for the rest of his days. His many, many days.
    Ryuzo’s promise was soon discovered by the Septum. The grand council dragged Ryuzo back to the Ekho Realm, and forced him to break his promise to Durante. Ryuzo refused, claiming Durante was his soul’s other half. He could not break a promise already given. The Septum tried everything to get Ryuzo to break his vow. Still, Ryuzo stayed loyal to his Beloved. He kept his vow forcing the Septum to punish him for his grave transgression of binding his soul to a mortal.
     Ryuzo, believing his beloved would love him the same way, stood by his decision and claimed that his beloved would choose to bind his soul with Ryuzo. For the Ekho Realm carries secrets of bound mates. Secrets, not even I who writes this tale knows. Worried the little lordling was blinded by love, the Septum chose to let Ryuzo prove his words. They gave Ryuzo one thousand years to show that his beloved would choose him. If his beloved chose him even once, then the punishment given would be void. Ryuzo and his beloved could continue together, undisturbed. However, if Ryuzo were proved wrong, then he would have to give up his beloved, take back his bound soul, and return to the Ekho Realm, promising never to return to the mortal realm.

    Dante stared at the last paragraph, his heart beating too fast when he remembered his dream.

    Ryuzo standing by the fence staring at Durante who was now married to a woman of his mother’s choosing. What had Ryuzo said in the dream…?

    “You are bound to another this eve.”

    “She is a good woman,” Durante said. “My mother needs a helper and grandchildren.”

    “I cannot give these things,” Ryuzo whispered. “I cannot take them from you either if you want them.”

    “I’m sorry.”

    Dante scoffed and closed his eyes. Fool! Durante had no clear understanding of Ryuzo’s commitment. Shaking his head, he continued reading.

    When Ryuzo returned to the mortal realm, he discovered his beloved bound to another. A woman was chosen by his mother to push the line down to the next century. Ryuzo was disappointed, but he did not lose hope. He waited. Waited for Durante to live out his current life, and took care of Durante’s descendants until Durante’s soul was reincarnated again, and a new chance to love would begin. Ryuzo approached Durante, now going by Dante—

    Dante hissed, pressing his index finger on the name. A frown started as he continued reading.

    Dante of the twelfth century was easygoing. He was the first in the thousand-year cycle Ryuzo faced. He fell in love with Ryuzo on a whim. His heart was strong but his family was stronger. He broke Ryuzo’s heart in the space of two years after they met. He married Violet at his family’s insistence.
    Dante wanted to keep his relationship with Ryuzo despite his marriage. Believing Dante would change his mind and give him a chance, Ryuzo allowed the infidelity. All was stable until Violet discovered them. She made their village rise up and chase out Ryuzo with an accusation of adultery.
    Ryuzo’s love found a fast end in the second cycle because Dante did nothing to save their love or hold on to him. And so, Ryuzo’s tragic love continued…repeating cycle after cycle, until the sixteenth century. Duante and Ryuzo almost made it in Spain. Duante loved Ryuzo with all his heart, but still, his ties to his family crippled them. Ryuzo left Duante when he married Violetta over land disputes. It was Duante who pleaded for help on how to help Ryuzo. He received advice from an unlikely ally, our Ekho patriarch. Find Artri House and merge blood. It was advice that took two precious centuries to complete.
    The Ekho who told this tale insists Ryuzo wears his punishment on his wrists. The Septum bound his powers with thick gold cuffs forged by the Ekho Realm’s god of fire. Should he choose to break his vow to his beloved, all he has to do is remove them. Otherwise, he must keep them on for one thousand years…or until his beloved chooses him.
    You are reading this journal because you are Durante’s soul reincarnated for the last cycle of Ryuzo’s thousand-year punishment. I tell this tale for you who are last in line, hoping you will not make the same mistakes as your predecessors. One of you must break the cycle, either convince him to take off the cuffs or give him what he granted you when this first started. This is the debt of karma you owe each other.

    Dante stood then, bracing his hands on the table as he stared at the journal. He remembered watching Cale remove Tani’s gold cuffs in the olive grove. He remembered with clarity the scream Tani let out when Cale returned the cuffs on his wrists.

    “Why does he have to wear the cuffs? Can’t we take them off?”

    Dante scoffed and pressed his fists to his eyes. He was a stupid idiot.

    Stupid, stupid!

    How could he ask such a question when he was the reason why Tani wore the cuffs?

    Tani.

    Dante reached for his cell phone in his pocket and found Tom King’s number. He dialed it fast and waited with impatience.

    “King.”

    “It’s me, Dante. I want to talk to Mr. Ryuzo. Can you forward me to him?”

    “No.”

    “Please,” Dante said, moving away from the desk, he started pacing on the aisle between two bookshelves.

    “I can’t,” Tom said. “He asked not to be disturbed this afternoon. It’s been rough, as you know.”

    “Please, Tom. I need to talk to him. I have questions.”

    “I’m sure you do,” Tom said.

    “Then, give me his cell phone number. I’ll text him.”

    “No.”

    “You’re not going to think about it?”

    “Nope.”

    Dante rubbed his eyes with his free hand and shook his head. He had no idea where Tani lived. He doubted very much it was in the fortress.

    “And before you ask, no you can’t visit his house,” Tom said, as though reading his thoughts. “He will find you when he is ready.”

    Tom was a very skilled gatekeeper. There was no foolproof way to find Tani without Tom’s help.

    Think, think…

    “That won’t work for me,” Dante said, dropping his hand. He turned on the bookshelves aisle, his gaze going to the journal on the desk. He needed to confirm the reasons why Tani wore the gold cuffs on his wrists. If they were there because of the beloved with his name.

    “I am putting in a request to visit the fortress,” Dante said. “You said you would ask.”

    “I will ask,” Tom said.

    “Okay. How long do I wait for an answer?”

    “I’ll let you know,” Tom said.

    “Tom,” Dante said through gritted teeth. “I know we don’t know each other well, but this is important to me. I have something to say to him.”

    “Dante, I hear you,” Tom said. “It’s just…Mr. Ryuzo does what he wants. You will have to be patient as I ask and get an answer.”

    Dante remembered that Tani had teleported out of Artri House without warning after promising to stay.

    Tom was right. Tani would do what he wanted.

    Dante cursed under his breath and wished he knew where Tani actually lived. He would drive there right now. He closed his eyes fighting back frustration.

    “Please, Tom,” Dante said, trying to remain cordial. “I really need to see him.”

    “I won’t forget to mention your request. Is that all?”

    “Yes.”

    “Have a good evening, Dante.”

    Tom ended the call.

    Dante cursed under his breath loud enough to make the shelves shudder. He returned to the table and stared at the open journal. The grimoire warning made sense. His past self was a disloyal dimwit. They all chose a family with a version of Violet. His frustration grew with each word he read.

    Bracing himself, he decided to discover in detail all he could about his apparent past lives, and the wrongs done to Ryuzo. Tani, where did he take all the pain his past dealt him?

    ****

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