He could not help it. He reached for the feeling and felt it splutter and die. The emptiness that followed was unbearable and drew him deep into despair. It was worse, he realised, than finding out Takado had died. At least then Hanara could have remembered his master with pride. But was Takado dead?
– No, the emperor replied. Though I would like the satisfaction of killing him myself, I must sacrifice that in the hope that handing him over to the Kyralians will save some of what survives of Sachaka.
– When he dies, will you tell me?
The emperor paused and Hanara felt a hint of surprise. And was that jealousy, too?
– I will give orders that you be present when he is handed over. That is all I can offer.
“Thank you,” Hanara whispered. But he did not know if the man heard. The sense of the emperor’s mind lifted and Hanara felt the man’s hands slide from his head.
“Take him away,” Vochira said, his voice hoarse with disgust.
Hanara kept his eyes on the floor as footsteps hurried close behind him. Someone grabbed his arm and drew him away. He did not resist, too caught up in the knowledge that his master had brought about the fall of Sachaka, and the traitorous hope that Takado would escape to retake his homeland from the Kyralians.
The Sachakan estates they passed had reduced in size in the last few days, Jayan noticed. He’d learned to identify the markers that indicated a fence was a boundary as well as containment for stock. However, though the land each estate covered was growing smaller, the buildings were growing rapidly larger.
It’s obvious we’re getting close to Arvice, but everything is deserted, he thought. The quiet is... eerie. He’d felt tense and uneasy since they’d set out that morning.
“I heard a rumour about you last night,” a familiar voice said from behind his shoulder.
Recognising Narvelan’s tones, Jayan resisted turning around to look at the magician.
“What this time?” Dakon asked.
Narvelan laughed. Jayan winced at the sound. Narvelan’s lightheartedness and joviality seemed out of place, and a painful contrast to the rest of the army. We’re about to fight our final battle with our ancient enemy, and he’s behaving as if we’re taking a nice ride in the sunshine.
“I overheard some magicians speculating whether you arranged for those two magicians to be poisoned,” Narvelan said. “They wondered if you’d heard the pair criticising you for being too scrupulous to kill slaves.”
“I see,” Dakon said calmly. “Did they see the irony in suspecting someone had done something so unscrupulous because he was accused of being too scrupulous?”
Narvelan chuckled. “I didn’t stop to ask. Have you noticed anyone treating you with increased, ah, respect?”
“No.”
Jayan shook his head. But then he remembered how quiet and obedient the servants had been that morning, as he and Dakon had supervised the preparation of the meal. As a precaution they’d kept a few rassook alive to feed samples to, watching to see if any poison affected the birds. They also mixed supplies from different estates together, in the hope that if one had been tampered with it might be diluted enough to not be lethal.
“Ah,” Narvelan said. “They have finally come out to greet us.”
The magician surged past Jayan, galloping towards the king and Sabin. Looking after him, Jayan realised the walls of the estates ahead were no longer a distance from the road, but instead hugged it. The roofs and upper floors of the buildings within were all that were visible and suggested that most of the area inside was filled with dwellings and other structures.
Where these walls started, a road bisected the one they were riding along. Along this stood a line of people. Sunlight glinted on jewelled and decorated clothing. Jayan counted and realised there were more magicians in this line than in the Kyralian army. He felt his heart sink.
But as he drew closer to the Sachakans he noted other details. Many were old, stooped and grey-haired. Others were as young as a new apprentice. A few were cripples, missing limbs or carrying walking canes. The few women among them looked either terrified or determined, most standing close to a man of their own age or one old enough to be their father.
Jayan exchanged a look of dismay with Dakon. Nearly a third of the enemy were clearly not suited to fighting.
This is a pathetic sight, Jayan thought. And yet instead of feeling relieved that we might have a better chance of winning, I feel sad for these Sachakans. And I can’t help admiring them for being prepared to defend their city.
Magician Sabin and Dem Ayend were riding close on either side of the king now. King Errik was looking from one to the other as they talked, his brows lowered into a frown. The army slowed as it approached the line of Sachakans, finally coming to a halt less than twenty strides away. By then the leaders had stopped talking. They sat, regarding the enemy in silence for a long moment. Then the king nudged his horse a few paces forward.
“Magicians of Sachaka,” he called out. “We know not all of you supported Takado’s invasion of Kyralia. If you surrender to us, if you can prove you were no supporter of Takado and his allies, if you co-operate and show no resistance, we will spare you.”
No voice rose in answer. No Sachakan stepped forward, or left the line. Jayan watched and waited.
“Get on with it, then,” one of them shouted. “You came for a fight. So fight. Or are you going to wait until we die of old age?”
A faint sigh of nervous laughter spread across the enemy line. Jayan saw a few strained smiles.
“Do you speak for the emperor?” the king asked.
“The emperor is waiting at the Imperial Palace. If you get that far he might spare a moment to see you.”
Magician Sabin rode forward to join the king. “I don’t think we have any choice,” Jayan heard him say.
“No,” the king replied. “And we didn’t come all this way for nothing.”
He raised a hand, palm outward, to signal that the army should move into position. A flash seared Jayan’s sight as one of the Sachakans took this to mean the start of the battle. The strike scattered off a shield and Sabin sent off a strike in return. As the Kyralian army spread out into formation, groups forming out of habit as much as intention, the air between the lines filled with flashing, vibrating magic.
As Dakon moved away to take his usual place among the advisers and leaders, Jayan found Everran and Avaria nearby and lent his strength to the pair. He realised he felt neither fear nor confidence. All he felt was the same disquiet that had nagged at him all morning.
At about the same time as the first Sachakan fell, Jayan’s strength ran out.
Unlike the rest of the army, he’d only taken part in one attack on an estate. Even Dakon had more power, since he’d taken the strength of the magician who’d died from poisoning. I am probably the weakest Kyralian magician here. Strange that nobody questioned my decision to not kill slaves, when they clearly questioned Dakon’s.
He remained in the shelter of Everran and Avaria’s group. Instead of feeling useless, as he’d feared he would at this point, he felt as if he wasn’t really there. Absent. An observer at most.
The Sachakans were not protecting each other, he noticed. The lessons Takado’s army had learned had not been taken back into Sachaka. Where is Takado? Jayan wondered. Why isn’t he leading this last, desperate force? I can believe Emperor Vochira is hiding away, letting others fight for him, but I think Takado would face us if he had the choice. For all his nasty ways, he did have pride in himself and his homeland.
If the king had been correct about the number of magicians in Sachaka before the war, then there must be more of them elsewhere. The force facing the army was large, but it didn’t approach a hundred. And some of them looked like unlikely candidates for being taught magic. They might only have had their power loosed and been taught to strike in the last few days. If so, then they might not even have achieved full control yet.
Looking over his shoulder, he saw the appr
entices and servants waiting several paces behind, as close as they dared to come to the battle, but not so far away that the army couldn’t protect them if they were attacked. Between them, the apprentices had probably recovered enough power overnight to ward off a few strikes, but not a concentrated attack from higher magicians.
“What are they...?” Lord Everran exclaimed quietly. Jayan glanced at him, saw he was looking at the Sachakans, and followed the man’s gaze.
The enemy line had fragmented. Sachakans were dashing sideways, or back along the main road. Disappearing into doorways, though a few were caught by strikes before they could reach them.
They’re running away.
From the bodies on the ground Jayan guessed about a third had fallen. He saw that the leaders and advisers of the Kyralian side were talking, and strained to hear.
“I guess that’s it,” King Errik said, looking at Sabin. “Shall we go after them?”
Sabin shook his head, his voice too low to hear.
“So on to the Imperial Palace,” the king concluded.
Everran straightened, then looked down at the ring on his finger. “We’re to maintain shields. Keep alert and be ready in case of ambush.”
“I have no magic left,” Jayan told Everran quietly.
The magician nodded. “Ride in front and I’ll shield us both.”
Jayan nodded to show he understood. The army formed a protective ring around the servants then started forward, apprentices riding as close as possible to their masters.
Once again, they travelled in an eerie silence. The high white walls loomed over them, stark and threatening, and Jayan knew he would not be the only one worried about what they could be hiding.
“How are you doing?”
He turned to see Tessia riding beside him.
“Fine,” he said. “Other than having no magic left. How is Dakon?”
“Better than he expected.”
The army proceeded slowly and cautiously. The road stretched on, the white walls continuing towards hazy buildings in the distance. They crossed several intersecting roads, all deserted. At first there was the occasional shout as someone caught a glimpse of a face, an arm, or a human-like shadow above the walls, but eventually no further signs of life were seen – or else nobody bothered to draw attention to them any more.
The buildings in the distance grew larger and sharper. They gave a hint of impressive size and grandeur. Tessia wondered aloud if one was the Imperial Palace.
Then everything exploded in a rush of light and roar of sound.
There were shouts of surprise, and screams from both humans and horses. The wall beside Jayan bulged outwards, and he felt himself thrown sideways. As his mount toppled he fell with it. Something heavy landed on his leg as he hit the ground. He tried to pull free but could not. The horse lay still, either stunned or dead, pinning his leg under it.
Trapped under my own horse! he thought, amused at the situation he found himself in despite the deadly magic sizzling through the air around him. And with no magic to free myself with.
Smoke billowed out from beyond one of the broken walls. “Ride!” a voice bellowed, and was taken up by others. Hoofs rapped on the road. Carts rumbled by. Jayan felt hands grasp his shoulders. He looked up. Tessia frowned at him, then began pulling. After several heaves she managed to drag him out from under the horse. They collapsed, leaning up against an upturned cart.
The eerie quiet of the city had returned. Looking down the road, Jayan saw the rear of the army hurrying away.
Thin cheers rang out from the houses around them. Tessia turned to look at Jayan, her eyes wide. His heart was racing. Should we run? From behind the cart came voices.
“Did we get any of them?”
“Nah, just those over there, and I think they’re servants.”
“We’d better hurry then, or we’ll miss the next one.”
The sound of running followed, fading into silence. Tessia let out a long sigh of relief. They both got to their feet. Jayan tested his weight on the leg that had been stuck under his horse. It felt bruised, but wasn’t broken.
He peered around the cart. He had no magic and Tessia did not have enough to defend herself against a higher magician. If Sachakans were lurking behind the walls, waiting to ambush the Kyralian army, then an exhausted magician and an apprentice had no chance of catching up with the army alive. They would have to hide.
There were gaping holes in the walls around them. Behind one a house was burning, though not as much smoke was billowing out now. The closest gap was a few steps away – where the blast that had killed his horse had come from. Hopefully whoever had sent the strike had left to continue the fight elsewhere.
If he or she was still here, they’d have seen us already. “Let’s get out of sight,” he said.
Tessia followed as he dashed towards and through the gap, and then they both skidded to a halt.
Lush greenery surrounded them. Wide-leafed plants fanned out over paved pathways. Vines clung to a lattice roof. In the centre a large stone-edged pool brimmed with water.
“It’s beautiful,” Tessia whispered.
They exchanged a look of wonder, then moved further into the garden, moving as silently as they could. Jayan hoped that the owners of this place, and their slaves, were gone, or staying as far from the battle as possible. They found a small, sheltered alcove and slipped inside, then sat down to wait.
“What do we do now?” Tessia asked.
Jayan shrugged. “Wait.”
She nodded. “Do we wait until night, or until someone comes back for us?”
“Whatever comes first.”
CHAPTER 47
It seemed like years since Stara had been in a crowded room. Nine women sat around her, some chatting, some quietly listening. The youngest was only twelve, though far too wise and self-possessed for her age. The oldest was near Vora’s age, with more grey in her hair than the slave had, but an energy Stara envied. Stara suspected she would have found it hard to keep her entertained if it weren’t for the work the women had brought with them.
Since the Traitors treated all women as equals, free women had contributed in practical ways to the running of the Sanctuary. They were not given unpleasant or physically demanding tasks, however, as that would have been too great a shock to women who had never worked before. Instead they were taught skills like sewing and weaving, cooking and preserving foods. Though they’d fled the Sanctuary in a hurry, they’d each managed to pack tools for their work among the clothes and food they’d brought, and soon took up new projects when they arrived at Kachiro’s house.
Talking Kachiro into letting the women stay had been easy. She’d told him they were friends of his friends’ wives who had fled their estates in the country, and would leave when the Kyralians had been dealt with. Since his friends didn’t seem to know or care exactly how many friends their wives had, he had accepted the half-truth without question.
She’d had to gamble that he wouldn’t recognise Nachira, but he tended to avoid the women as much as possible and had barely spared her brother’s wife a glance. He was distracted by the news that the Kyralians were nearing the city, and often disappeared for hours to discuss plans with his friends.
Nachira had been distraught when she’d learned that Ikaro was probably dead. They’d wept together, Stara surprised at the extent of her own grief. She’d expected to have to soothe and reassure Nachira constantly, but the formally passive woman appeared to have gained some confidence now that she wasn’t under the constant threat of murder. The loss of her husband clearly hurt deeply, but she was alive and determined to stay that way.
Stara looked at her sister by marriage. What will I feel, if Kachiro doesn’t come back? He’d left a few hours before to join his friends, who were all determined to do what they could to defend the city. He said the Kyralians haven’t got a chance, but I can’t help worrying. After all, they wouldn’t have come here if they didn’t think they could defeat us. I hope he’s
careful. He may not have been completely honest with me, but he’s not a bad man. Just a man surviving in an overly judgemental society. Like me – and I haven’t exactly been honest with him either.
She’d never been so tempted to tell him about her magical ability. If it weren’t for her obligation to protect the women, she’d have left with him to throw what little magic she had at the invaders. When loud booming and cracking noises had penetrated to the room it had taken all her willpower to stay seated. Slaves had reported that they’d heard fighting a few streets away, but it had moved on.
“Are you worrying about Kachiro again?” a voice said at her elbow.
Stara jumped and looked down. “Vora! You’re back!” The other women looked up and exclaimed, saving Stara from answering Vora’s question.
“Yes.” Vora moved into the circle of women. “And I have news.”
“Tell us,” one of the women murmured. All were gazing at Vora eagerly.
“The Kyralians have entered the city,” Vora confirmed, her expression grave.
“No!”
“But... how?”
“Are many dead?”
Vora raised her hands and they quietened. “A third of the defenders fell.” She looked at one of the women, her expression grave. “I am sorry, Atarca.” The woman hung her head and nodded, but said nothing. “The rest . . .” Vora continued. “When it was clear they would be overcome they retreated. Fortunately they’d planned for such a situation. They started attacking the Kyralians from hidden positions. I followed at a distance for an hour or so. When I knew they were getting close to the palace I came back here.” She stopped to take a deep breath. “I think we should leave the city while we can.”
The women stared at her in silence, then broke it with question after question.
“So the enemy has won?”
“Where will we go?
“Does Tavara think we should go?”
“What would happen if we stayed here?”
Stara felt a chill run down her spine, then another. The women were already in danger of being discovered and recognised by those people in the city they’d fled from in the first place. Now there was the possible threat of the invaders taking their revenge upon the people of Arvice. Without magicians to enforce laws there was the danger of attack from lawless free men taking advantage of the chaos, who would rape and rob them and later claim it was Kyralians. And slaves might stop working once there were no masters to order them about, and with nobody raising or delivering foodstuff Arvice would eventually starve.