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Authors: Jonathan Moeller
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nodded. “Like the Huntress.”
“We shot her with a ballista bolt and she fell off the side of a mountain,” said Martin. “It is hard to see how she could recover from that.”
“The Huntress’s nagataaru could rebuild her,” said Claudia. “Caina thought it could, anyway.”
“She thought it would take several years,” said Martin.
“Apparently, she was wrong,” said Claudia. “Did she tell you why she was leaving Istarinmul?”
Martin shook his head. “She told me the same thing she told you. She had found something that would disrupt Callatas’s Apotheosis, and had gone to find it. If the Huntress has been advising Cassander, she must have sent him after her. I suppose there is nothing we can do to aid the circlemaster. It is out of our hands, and we have our own problems.”
“How was the day with Erghulan?” said Claudia.
Martin’s mouth twisted with disgust. “Gladiatorial games. The realm of Istarinmul totters upon the brink of ruin, and the Grand Wazir decided to spend the day at the games.”
“Likely he sponsored them to appease the populace, to keep them from rioting,” said Claudia.
“Likely,” said Martin, “but Tanzir and his allies are marching for Istarinmul. If Erghulan is not careful he shall find himself deposed as Grand Wazir and his head upon the executioner’s block. He ought to be gathering troops and allies. Instead he spent the day at the games with all the ambassadors and wazirs, telling his interminable hunting stories over and over again. The man is a fool.”
“A fool, perhaps, but a confident one,” said Claudia. “He will not act because he believes Callatas’s sorcery will destroy the rebels utterly.”
“He may be right,” said Martin. “If he is, then we are the fools, not Erghulan.” He sighed. “Yet perhaps that will aid our mission.”
“How?” said Claudia.
“With Erghulan and Callatas focused upon the rebels,” said Martin, “they have paid no heed to the civil war within the Empire. The Starfall Straits have remained closed to the Order. Cassander has been gone for nearly two months now. Without Cassander whispering in the Grand Wazir’s ear every day, I doubt Erghulan has spared the Umbarians more than a thought since the destruction of the Inferno. Our task was to make sure that the Padishah did not ally with the Order.” He shrugged. “If Cassander gets killed chasing Caina, we may succeed through Erghulan’s sheer laziness.”
“Unless Cassander slays Caina,” said Claudia, “and Callatas keeps his promise to open the Straits in exchange for her death. Or Callatas finishes his Apotheosis and destroys us all.”
“Sorcerous catastrophes are beyond my authority,” said Martin with a flicker of humor. “Let us hope that Caina kills Cassander, or that he chokes upon his dinner.”
Claudia laughed, harder than she expected. The image of Cassander Nilas, the grim lord and magus of the Umbarian Order, choking to death on a piece of fruit was more absurd that she would have expected. “We are not that fortunate, husband. If we were, then…”
A spasm went through her back muscles, and she grimaced, grabbing at the edge of the table for support.
Martin was at her side in an instant. “Is it time?”
Claudia blinked. “What? No, no. The baby’s not coming. Not yet, anyway. My back seized up a little, that’s all.” She sighed. “I wish the baby would come already. Gods, but I want to get this over with.”
“I wish you were safe back in Malarae,” said Martin. “I wish I had not brought you here.”
“No,” said Claudia. “If you hadn’t brought me, the Silent Hunters would have killed you months ago. No, we shall see this through to the end. Together.”
Martin nodded and took her hand, and she squeezed his fingers.
She left unspoken the very real possibility that they might die together.
Chapter 4: Victorious
Cassander Nilas felt…off. As if he had been shattered and put back together
“We shot her with a ballista bolt and she fell off the side of a mountain,” said Martin. “It is hard to see how she could recover from that.”
“The Huntress’s nagataaru could rebuild her,” said Claudia. “Caina thought it could, anyway.”
“She thought it would take several years,” said Martin.
“Apparently, she was wrong,” said Claudia. “Did she tell you why she was leaving Istarinmul?”
Martin shook his head. “She told me the same thing she told you. She had found something that would disrupt Callatas’s Apotheosis, and had gone to find it. If the Huntress has been advising Cassander, she must have sent him after her. I suppose there is nothing we can do to aid the circlemaster. It is out of our hands, and we have our own problems.”
“How was the day with Erghulan?” said Claudia.
Martin’s mouth twisted with disgust. “Gladiatorial games. The realm of Istarinmul totters upon the brink of ruin, and the Grand Wazir decided to spend the day at the games.”
“Likely he sponsored them to appease the populace, to keep them from rioting,” said Claudia.
“Likely,” said Martin, “but Tanzir and his allies are marching for Istarinmul. If Erghulan is not careful he shall find himself deposed as Grand Wazir and his head upon the executioner’s block. He ought to be gathering troops and allies. Instead he spent the day at the games with all the ambassadors and wazirs, telling his interminable hunting stories over and over again. The man is a fool.”
“A fool, perhaps, but a confident one,” said Claudia. “He will not act because he believes Callatas’s sorcery will destroy the rebels utterly.”
“He may be right,” said Martin. “If he is, then we are the fools, not Erghulan.” He sighed. “Yet perhaps that will aid our mission.”
“How?” said Claudia.
“With Erghulan and Callatas focused upon the rebels,” said Martin, “they have paid no heed to the civil war within the Empire. The Starfall Straits have remained closed to the Order. Cassander has been gone for nearly two months now. Without Cassander whispering in the Grand Wazir’s ear every day, I doubt Erghulan has spared the Umbarians more than a thought since the destruction of the Inferno. Our task was to make sure that the Padishah did not ally with the Order.” He shrugged. “If Cassander gets killed chasing Caina, we may succeed through Erghulan’s sheer laziness.”
“Unless Cassander slays Caina,” said Claudia, “and Callatas keeps his promise to open the Straits in exchange for her death. Or Callatas finishes his Apotheosis and destroys us all.”
“Sorcerous catastrophes are beyond my authority,” said Martin with a flicker of humor. “Let us hope that Caina kills Cassander, or that he chokes upon his dinner.”
Claudia laughed, harder than she expected. The image of Cassander Nilas, the grim lord and magus of the Umbarian Order, choking to death on a piece of fruit was more absurd that she would have expected. “We are not that fortunate, husband. If we were, then…”
A spasm went through her back muscles, and she grimaced, grabbing at the edge of the table for support.
Martin was at her side in an instant. “Is it time?”
Claudia blinked. “What? No, no. The baby’s not coming. Not yet, anyway. My back seized up a little, that’s all.” She sighed. “I wish the baby would come already. Gods, but I want to get this over with.”
“I wish you were safe back in Malarae,” said Martin. “I wish I had not brought you here.”
“No,” said Claudia. “If you hadn’t brought me, the Silent Hunters would have killed you months ago. No, we shall see this through to the end. Together.”
Martin nodded and took her hand, and she squeezed his fingers.
She left unspoken the very real possibility that they might die together.
Chapter 4: Victorious
Cassander Nilas felt…off. As if he had been shattered and put back together
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