Even the swiftest lark must stop to rest its wings
Sage Scholar
The Scith buzzed with anticipation and unconcealed smugness as all the lords and judges turned all the way around in their seats to gaze upon the gagged man being dragged into the court, his hands and feet bound. He was being pushed forward roughly by the stern cold-faced imperial soldiers behind him, who wore high pointed helmets with tassels. One of the man's eyes was swollen shut, and out of the other he glared at the lords with utmost loathing.
He was pulled to a halt at the dais, hit hard in the back, causing him to slump to his knees. Tez' Mu watched with detached emotion, even though he could see a few older lords who were clearly put off by the spectacle. He smirked inwardly. They were probably moaning in their hearts about the erosion of the sanctity and sobriety of the Scith, but in these times, that could simply not hold water.
"Who do we have here, Your Majesty?" Lord Nur was the first to speak, rising to his feet with a simpering smile. It was just a bait. Everyone knew who the man was.
"A traitor, Lord Nur," the Dowager responded, her voice cold but with an underline of satisfaction, "Will you tell me you can't recognize the governor of Uimal?"
"Ho ho!" Lord Nur stroked his beard, the small beads on his robe jangling as he turned his head again in the kneeling man's direction, taking in his blood-soaked body, "Ah! Well, I see it is Muyo' Ai! Ha-ha! Perhaps it's because the imperial soldiers have had some work done on him!" he chuckled again, and the Scith echoed him. Some judges waved their fists in mirth, chanting incoherently.
Tez' Mu closed his eyes, the afterimage of the map of Ochelon on the wall of Raq' Mu's study flickering faintly before his eyelids. The imperial army had reclaimed Uimal and pushed back the Kest Army, but only because the Rus withdrew by twelve leagues. Was it the appearance of the Ren army, or had Niari' Ru heard of her daughter's abduction?
His eyes flew open as one of the elderly lords hit his ivory cane on the marble floor.
"Where is his statement of confession!" he rasped, his grey eyebrows meeting at the center of his forehead in a deep frown, "Only then shall the Scith judge his case!"
"Yes, what is he guilty of?!" another old lord barked, not at all bothering to stand from his own seat. Those seated closest to him nodded, and murmurs filled the hall.
Tez' Mu let out a sigh. This was the part of Scith proceedings that he hated the most. However, Hu' Ran saved him the stress by raising his hand.
"Let him speak!" he commanded the soldiers, and Muyo' Ai's gag was loosed. He started to cough, wheezing as he drew in ragged breaths. Then he raised his head, his hair framing his face, and turned it slowly from the left side to the right as he gazed at the assembled lords and judges. When he reached the limit of his sight, he turned his head back and gazed at the person seated on the throne.
But his eyes only fell on the Dowager briefly. Instead, it rested with alarming alacrity on the one behind her.
Muyo' Ai looked out of his good right eye at Tez' Mu, searching until his gaze rested on Moonfire held at his waist. He nodded faintly, and then spoke.
"I am not a traitor."
Jeers erupted from the crowd. Hu' Ran did not bother to raise his hand. To their surprise, Muyo' Ai was able to raise his voice above the din, and slowly, it stopped, as the lords and judges, in spite of themselves, started to listen.
"I am not a traitor! I am a loyal true-born son of my father, and his father before him, all governors of Uimal, ruling in justice and fairness!" he paused, turning his head slowly to let his gaze rake over the seated lords again. "What right do you have to call me a criminal, and to treat me in the manner of one! What sin have I committed? The Ais of Uimal never swore loyalty to the Hezt, so what if I turn my back on one of them?! We serve the Han, the true ruling family of Ochelon!"
At this, one of the soldiers behind him kicked him hard in his back, and he fell to the ground.
"Let him speak!" the first elderly lord chastised the soldier sharply, and the Dowager also nodded softly. Bowing in apology, the soldier lifted the fallen Muyo' Ai by the scruff of his collar and set him upright.
"I shall give you an answer, Muyo' Ai!" the Dowager's clear voice rang out from the throne, "You say you are loyal to the Han, as if I am not one. I am Iris-han' Hezt, and not Iris-hezt' Han, as many of you rebels seem to assume. I am the first offspring to be sired by my father, King Hul' Han, at the peak of his strength. Undiluted royal blood flows in me, you traitor."
"Yes! That's right!" many a judge shouted in assent. The lords, especially the older ones, remained silent.
"So go on," the Dowager said with a mocking smile, "We shall decide your fate today, so you better start beseeching your ancestors," her voice lowered to a steely glint, "that it is not death we choose for you," she concluded coldly.
Muyo' Ai started to laugh.
"Death? Killing me will not stop the rebellion," he declared with a sneer, "No, it will only push the rest of my brothers to continue to fight earnestly for the freedom of Ochelon!"
One of the soldiers kicked him again, and one of his injuries tore open, staining his back with fresh blood. Hu' Ran stepped forward, moving a few paces in front of the throne.
"What more are you expecting?" he cried out, pointing at the old lords, "This traitor has just confessed to working together with the rebels of the west! He confessed, while in custody, of leading the first attacks of the Keolyor, causing the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent citizens!" he stomped his feet as he slowly descended the dais, still vituperating, "Yet you, some of you still want to summon them to the Scith to hear them out! Hear who out?! Hear traitors out?!! Never!"
The lords quivered in their seats as Hu' Ran descended the last step. He glanced all round, and then looked down at Muyo' Ai.
"The Scith finds Muyo' Ai guilty!" Hu' Ran pronounced loudly, and the light coming from the windows glanced off the steel as he drew the swords of one of the soldiers.
"Stop!"
The echo halted the raised hand of Hu' Ran, and the eyes of the lords and judges all swiveled to the dais. Even Hu' Ran turned around, and frowned at Tez' Mu, who was surprised.
Then it dawned on him that he was the one that shouted.
Tez' Mu went pale.
Nothing gave him the power or authority to stop the royal steward.
Except..?
Muyo' Ai smirked as he raised his head, locking eyes with Tez' Mu again. And then he did something that shocked the crowd.
"Iy anern ren'Ai djahome wa'Hmu!" he shouted, and hit his head hard on the ground, promptly fainting.
"What did he say? What did he say?" the lords and judges turned to one another as they asked earnestly among themselves. Tez' Mu's heart had started to race. He could not believe Muyo' Ai would suddenly shout in Saor, mixed with ancient Esek, the dialect native to the east. He didn't even know such a merge was possible.
Muyo' Ai made it that only he, Tez' Mu, could understand what he said.
The Dowager turned around.
"Do you know the meaning of what he shouted, Tez'? It sounded like Saor," she asked, her eyes sharp.
Tez' Mu shook his head. Lying about this came naturally, because it was not even a lie.
"No, Your Majesty. That was not Saor. It was some kind of ancient tongue," but his heart drummed within him in ever increasing speed.
The spirit of the Ais rest with the Mu, was what Muyo' Ai said.
Were the Ais of Uimal, a very old and noble family, the same as the Ais that served the Mu, whose homeland was Taisu Village, Teazin?
"Take him away!" Hu' Ran barked to the soldiers. "Wake him up when you get to the cell and question him about that nonsense he shouted just now, understand?!"
"Yes, my lord!" the soldiers nodded, and then lifted the unconscious Muyo' Ai off the ground and dragged him back out the way they came. The Scith descended into murmurs anew, prominent voices being that of Lord Nur against Lord Sen.
"He cannot be killed!" Lord Sen slammed his hand on his table as he rose, pointing furiously at Lord Nur, "We can use him to give us insider information about the workings of the rebellion!"
"Only when he was tortured half to death did he open his mouth to request being tried by the Scith!" Lord Nur retorted, veins bulging on his forehead, "You must be foolish to think he would betray his sworn brothers!"
The shouting continued for a while, carrying on while Hu' Ran climbed back up the dais in deep contemplation. He shared a look with the Dowager, and then turned around abruptly.
"Enough!" he roared, and the noise ceased at once. "Who here speaks the language of Uimal?" he asked with a frown.
"The language of Uimal?" Muri' Ji raised his eyebrows, "what do you mean by that, steward? Ochelon only has two languages; Esek and Saor. If you're thinking about the traitor, that garbled nonsense he spoke wasn't any of them, as far as I heard."
"I know what he said!" a judge shouted, and Tez' Mu's blood ran cold. He located the bald judge within the crowd immediately, and fixed his eyes on him, his heart racing.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?" the judge chuckled humorlessly, at the silence that followed, "We all know what he said, if only we cared to think hard about it."
No, please no! Tez' Mu thought frantically.
"What did the assassin at the Dowager's revel say, when he was caught? What did those renegade lords who left the Scith say?" the judge continued, gaining confidence as all eyes were glued on him. "It's simple. They all had the same mind: Keol' Han must be king."
The Dowager drew in a sharp breath almost as Tez' Mu released the one he had been holding. The judges and lords started to nod amongst themselves.
"That's what the west wants, and that's what they'll keep harping about, so we shouldn't be surprised anymore," the judge concluded, smugly.
"Well, I am glad that is what he said," The Dowager's cold voice replied, "Because we all here know the answer to that. Is Keol' Han not king? He was crowned in 1718, or was he not?" She chuckled dryly.
"To me, this rebellion is foolishness. Offal' Kest and his henchmen are killing themselves over something that is already done. They keep demanding for Keol' Han to be king, but, by the ancestors, is he not king?!" she shouted as she rose from the throne, her hands fisted. The lords and judges lowered their heads. Breathing deeply, the Dowager swept off the dais.
As Tez' Mu descended the steps of Scith,the chill of the stone beneath his boots sent a shiver up his spine. As he marched across the grounds to his horse, he was cornered by a helmet wearing Onan Desar guard.
"My lord! There's a runner from Najan, and a letter for you!"
Tez' Mu's throat constricted. A runner from Najan? Could Raq' Mu be in need of reinforcements? The thought ignited a flicker of panic within him.
"Where is he?" he asked, lengthening his stride.
"Awaiting you at the Mu Manor, my lord!'
Tez' Mu rode faster than he ever had in his life, steering his horse ever so often into side streets almost as soon as he sighted any hold-up ahead. The sun was setting over the city now, casting long shadows across the tarmacked roads. His mind whirred as he thought through the many possibilities that might have made Raq' Mu send a runner to the Mu Manor rather than the Scith. Only one idea kept coming back to him.
Primary loyalty.
Raq' Mu wanted the report to be heard by his son first, even if it would later reach the ears of the Scith.
And that could only mean something was wrong.
Gravely wrong.
The Mu Manor gates loomed up and Tez' Mu jumped off his horse and made it up the stairs before the guards could register his presence. Seeing his urgent expression, they quickly pushed the gates open.
Tez' Mu burst into the courtyard, his eyes scanning for the runner. A stout faced Mu soldier was standing near the fountain, holding firmly onto two pieces of a torn scroll. He had teleported. Tez' Mu walked up to him immediately. The soldier sighted him and bowed.
"Young master, there's urgent news from my lord general—"
"Study," Tez' Mu snapped, beckoning him along.
Sari was waiting in the study with Kal' Yu and Yanak, conversing in urgent hushed tones. They turned around when Tez' Mu entered, and bowed.
"My lord, the Ru butler sent you these—" Kal' Yu began, holding out a roll of parchment. Tez' Mu's heart skipped a beat, but he glanced black at the Mu soldier.
"Wait a bit," he said to Kal' Yu, then turned as he took his seat, "Let's hear the report from Najan first."
The soldier stepped forward, but just as he opened his mouth Annir burst in, followed by a few constables dressed in imperial army uniform. The Mu soldier paled.
"They're here to see you, my lord!" Annir gasped, all out of breath. The constables parted and from behind them emerged Han' Ji, Muri' Ji's third son. Tez' Mu narrowed his eyes as the young man and his men filed into the room, filling up the space quickly.
"What are you doing here?" Tez' Mu asked brusquely.
"Delivering her majesty's order," Han' Ji replied pompously, "The runner of the Mu Army from Najan is required immediately in her majesty's chamber!" he proclaimed, "Han' Ji, titled captain of the Imperial Army, shall escort him to the palace!" he grinned at Tez' Mu provocatively.
Tez' Mu's stomach twisted, a dark premonition stirring within him. The Dowager's interest in the runner could only mean trouble.
"He carries vital information," Tez' Mu protested, stepping forward, his fists clenched at his sides, his tone a mixture of authority and desperation. "I must hear it first."
Han' Ji's lips curled into a thin, humorless smile. "Who are you to decide who hears it first?" He raised an eyebrow, his expression one of mockery. "The Dowager's command comes before your curiosity, Tez' Mu. You should know your place by now."
Almost immediately, the constables descended on the Mu soldier, laying their hands upon his shoulders and steering him out of the room.
"What's the meaning of this?" Kal' Yu barked, "Aren't you just escorting him! He's not a criminal!"
Han' Ji's grin widened.
"The manner of handling the runner shall be determined by the captain," he pointed at himself, gave a flowery bow, and departed.
"Damn!" Yanak slammed his fist on one of the bookshelves in the room.
"But I thought the Ji family were your vassals, my lord?" Kal' Yu frowned, "Why is this boy behaving like this?"
Tez' Mu did not reply, only rising and striding out of the room. Annir ran after him.
"Fetch me my horse!"
A foreboding feeling was creeping up Tez' Mu's spine, and, as he mounted his horse once more and raced out of the manor, he understood what had been nagging at him ever since he witnessed the slaughtering of the runner from Darin, and the subsequent politicking over who attacked the west.
I must make it to the palace in time.
He owed Raq' Mu that much.
Tez' Mu slipped into the shadows, his heart racing as he trailed the troop of imperial soldiers through the winding streets toward the palace. The clinking of armor and the thud of hooves echoed in his ears, a grim reminder of the power that loomed over him. He kept his distance, moving silently, his mind racing with the implications of the Dowager's summons.
As they approached the grand palace gates, Tez' Mu's breath quickened. He watched as the soldiers dismounted, their expressions stern and resolute. The runner, now bound and struggling against his restraints, was dragged forward. Tez' Mu's stomach twisted at the sight; he had hoped to hear vital information from the soldier, but now it seemed that hope was slipping away.
With a surge of determination, Tez' Mu crept closer, slipping through the shadows and into the palace grounds. The opulence of the palace contrasted sharply with the tension in the air. He found a concealed spot near the window of the chamber where the Dowager had reposed to, straining to hear the muffled voices within.
At first, all he could discern were the low murmurs of conversation, punctuated by the occasional rustle of fabric. Then, a sound cut through the air—a sword being drawn. The sharp metallic ring sent a jolt of fear through Tez' Mu. Silence followed, heavy and suffocating. His heart raced as he realized the gravity of the moment; something terrible was unfolding inside.
Tez' Mu clenched his teeth.
Without thinking, he ran around the building, not minding the guards at the entrance, and burst through the door. The sudden movement startled both the Dowager and Hu' Ran, who looked up from a mounted strategy board on the table before them. Tez' Mu's eyes widened in horror as he took in the scene before him. The Mu soldier was nowhere to be seen, but on the floor was a streak of liquid that must have been hastily wiped by a servant.
"What have you done?" Tez' Mu's voice trembled with a mix of anger and disbelief, his gaze locked onto the Dowager's face, searching for answers.
The Dowager's expression shifted from shock to a practiced calm, her eyes narrowing as she quickly composed herself. "Tez' Mu! You shouldn't be here," she said, her voice smooth but laced with an undercurrent of tension.
"Where is he?" Tez' Mu asked, his voice low.
"Who, Tez'?" the Dowager's asked with a suspicious frown. Tez' Mu raised his head to stare directly into her eyes.
"Who did you send Han' Ji to fetch?"
Hu' Ran started forward, but the Dowager raised her hand.
"I sent the runner on his way already. Raq' Mu is fine, if that's what you're worried about," she said, putting her hands in her lap
"Sent him on his way?" Tez' Mu echoed, disbelief flooding his senses.
"Yes. He should be almost out of the capital by now," the Dowager replied, maintaining her neutral expression.
"I didn't see him leave, Your Majesty," His tone came out colder than he intended it to be, but Tez' Mu could no longer contain the raw anger coursing through him.
"What?" the Dowager frowned, and exchanged a quick glance with Hu' Ran. But Tez' Mu had no intention of explaining. He took one glance at the strategy board, at the external forces holding off the three major armies while the fourth one was open to be easily attacked, and he nodded slowly.
"I understand now," he said, more to himself than to them, "I'll take my leave," and he bowed and turned around, his mind already on the letter from the Ru butler.
"Tez' Mu," the Dowager called, and Tez' Mu turned slowly, but not totally.
"Do you have any further need for me, Your Majesty?" he asked, his tone cold as ice. She hesitated, and then let out a soft sigh.
"No. It's late. I'll send for you tomorrow."
Tez' Mu nodded, and crossed the room quickly, pulling open the door without looking back anymore.
Returning to the Mu Manor, Tez' Mu's heart was heavy with uncertainty. The loyalty he had once felt for the crown now felt tainted, marred by the blood of the innocent. He had entered the palace seeking answers, but instead, he had found betrayal.
The flickering torches along the manor's path cast long shadows, mirroring the darkness that had settled in his heart. Tez' Mu knew he stood at a crossroads, but he did not know that the choices he made from this point forward would shape not only his destiny, but the fate of Ochelon itself.
As Tez' Mu entered the Mu Manor, the weight of the night's revelations clung to him like a shroud. The air was thick with tension, and he could sense the unease among the guards and servants. Kal' Yu, awaited him in the main hall, two letters clutched tightly in his hand.
"My lord—" Kal' Yu stepped forward, then paused seeing his master's expression. Tez' Mu turned to look at him, his face shrouded in darkness.
"Speak," he said, in a low voice that was not his. Even Kal' Yu noticed that he was different. Whatever Tez' Mu had seen in the palace tonight had changed him, and he appeared stronger for it.
"These arrived while you were at the Scith," he held out the two parchments. Tez' Mu took it, and glanced at the first one. It was from the Ru butler, and he had wrapped another envelope with his own letter. His message had been written in a clear hurry, with ink drops splattering the page.
This arrived today, my lord. You are lady Keiran's only hope now.
The coordinates of the teleportation scroll found in Keiran' Ru's room were copied underneath the plea. Tez' Mu handed the butler's letter to Kal' Yu, and with his heart hammering in his chest tore open the envelope. It was addressed him, to his surprise.
To Lord Mu,
We hold Keiran' Ru in our custody. If you want to see her alive again, make the Rus return their support to Darin within two days, or your beloved dies.Enclosed is her signature as proof of our claim.
Tez' Mu's breath caught in his throat as he read the final line, where Keiran' Ru's name was scrawled in a shaky hand. Desperation clawed at him as he pored over the letter, searching for any hidden message, any hint of her location. But the words were cold and devoid of hope, leaving him with nothing but a gnawing sense of dread.
He flipped the letter over, scanning every inch of the paper, but found no additional clues. The silence in the room felt suffocating, the weight of his failure pressing down on him.
Kal' Yu watched him, concern etched on his face. "My lord, we must act quickly."
Tez' Mu nodded, but his mind was racing. He needed to find her, to save her from whatever fate awaited her at the hands of her captors. With a shaky hand, he reached for the second letter, this one bearing the familiar seal of his cousin, Huiran' Kest. He opened it with a sense of foreboding, and the words inside were stark and chilling.
It's one month away.
The message hung in the air like a death knell, the implications crashing over him like a tidal wave. One month. One month until the Breakthrough Matrix Season came and went.
One month to find Keol' Han.
One month to overcome his bottleneck.
Tez' Mu felt the ground shift beneath him once more, the urgency of his quest now intertwined with a countdown that threatened to consume him. He looked up at Kal' Yu, determination igniting within him.
"We must gather our forces. I will find her. I will find him."
'"Him', my lord?" Kal' Yu had started to leave but he paused as he frowned, looking at Tez' Mu curiously. "Who else are we searching for except lady Keiran'?"
Tez' Mu locked eyes with him, assessing his deputy strongly. Slowly, he opened his mouth and spoke, each word carrying weight.
"Do you want to avenge Mi' Huan?"
Kal' Yu raised his eyebrows. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Answer me," Tez' Mu pressed, reaching out and grabbing Kal' Yu's hands. The deputy flinched at the contact.
"Of course," he replied, still unsure of what was happening.
"Will you swear your loyalty to me, then?" Tez' Mu asked, his voice deep. "I assure you that I will help you in your revenge."
In spite of himself, Kal' Yu raised his head upward and shook it, chuckling mirthlessly.
"Are we seriously doing this right now? If there's anything you want me to do, you just have to order me," he said, pulling his hands out of Tez' Mu's grip. "My life," he lowered his head again, staring straight into Tez' Mu's eyes, "has been yours ever since you saved it outside of Darin."
Tez' Mu let out a turbid breath. "Then tell me: who is in charge of the king's safety?"
Kal' Yu raised his eyebrows, then frowned slightly. "No one that I know of, my lord. He must be protected by covert guards."
"Covert guards?" Tez' Mu repeated. "You mean the guards who wear a sword and crown sigil on their uniform?"
Kal' Yu was surprised that Tez' Mu knew about them. "Yes, my lord. That unit reports directly to the Dowager."
"I see," Tez' Mu sighed. "Well, I have one month to worry about that. First, let's rescue Keiran'," he glanced at the coordinates in Kal' Yu's hand. "As soon as you can tomorrow, summon me a matrix practitioner from the Palace Mages' Tower."