In southwestern Khadora along the Macara River, two rows of soldiers lined the long road leading to the Rican clan estate. The silver accents of their forest green uniforms glistened in the morning sunlight. Lord Padro, lord of the Rican clan, waited for his guests to arrive on the porch of the estate mansion. His mind wandered as he rehearsed the plan that he would present to the other lords.
Eventually, brilliant streaks of sunlight alerted the lord to movement near the road that ran past the estate. Lord Rican’s eyes rose to see the reflections from the polished pikes of the soldiers nearest the main road. The two rows of soldiers stiffened as a small army turned off the main road onto the smaller road leading to the mansion. Lord Rican nodded in confirmation as he recognized the blue and black colors of the Seth clan.
Turning to the marshal beside him, Lord Rican spoke, “Lord Sydar and the Seth have arrived. Make sure that their host squad is well prepared to accept them.”
“They are prepared,” assured Marshal Juan as he waved a signal to one of the squads stationed nearby.
Twenty Rican soldiers immediately straightened and moved to stand before the estate mansion. Their task would be to host the visiting delegation from the Seth clan. In peaceful times, this duty was considered an honor, but in Khadoran history, few times have ever been truly peaceful, and those few times seldom lasted long. The host soldiers were meant to ensure that the visiting soldiers were carefully watched during their brief stay.
Lord Padro looked up with surprise as he noticed a change of color near the main road. The blue and black uniforms suddenly gave way to uniforms of red and white.
“Lord Woroman and the Disina clan are here as well,” he stated to the marshal. “They must have traveled here together.”
“Does that surprise you?” asked Marshal Juan as he signaled the other host squad to get ready.
“In a way it does,” admitted the Rican lord. “Lord Sydar and Lord Woroman are neighbors, but they have never been particularly fond of each other. The fact that they are arriving together means that they have already discussed the reason for their trip here today.”
“And yet they still came,” remarked the marshal. “That bodes well for your plan.”
The Rican lord pondered silently for several moments before nodding, “It does indeed. If my plan did not have merit, neither one of them would have showed up. This will be an historic day.”
Within moments Lord Sydar reached the steps of the mansion. The host squad efficiently held the horses while the visitors dismounted. Lord Sydar climbed the steps of the mansion without an escort. Lord Rican smiled broadly at the gesture.
“Welcome to my home,” smiled Lord Padro. “I see that Lord Woroman is right behind you. Shall we wait for him?”
“We shall,” nodded Lord Sydar.
The Khadoran lords waited in silence as the first host squad ushered off the horses and escorted the Seth soldiers to an area where they could relax and eat. Rican servants hurried to groom and feed the horses and bring food and drink for the visiting soldiers.
By the time the Seth soldiers had left the steps of the mansion, Lord Woroman and his Disina escort had arrived. Their host squad also acted efficiently, and soon Lord Woroman had also climbed the small flight of steps without an escort. Lord Padro smiled and greeted the second lord and then led his two guests to the meeting room.
“I take it from your arrival together,” opened Lord Padro, “that you two have already discussed my proposal?”
“To some degree,” confirmed Lord Sydar. “While we concur that our new emperor is leading us down a dangerous path, we do not see the benefit of trying to fight him.”
“Yet you came anyway?” questioned Lord Padro.
“We will give you the opportunity to explain the benefits to us,” answered Lord Woroman.
“We agree that the Chula are our enemy,” interjected Lord Sydar. “You will get no argument from us about that, but to go against the emperor is extremely dangerous. It is said that he has unique ways of dealing with those who get in his way.”
“The point is, Lord Padro,” added Lord Woroman, “we are not prepared to stick our necks out for the chopping block.”
“Are you prepared to accept the Chula as your equals?” retorted Lord Padro. “Are you willing to bow before their radical god, Kaltara? Are you willing to cede land to the savages? Land that is rightfully yours to conquer?”
“If we were,” sighed Lord Sydar, “would we be here?”
“We are willing to listen to your plan, Lord Padro,” interjected Lord Woroman. “That is why we are here. Show us how we can fight these reforms, and you will have cohorts.”
“Provided that your plan does not cost us our lives or estates,” added Lord Sydar.
“Fair enough,” nodded Lord Padro. “Please, sit.”
The three lords sat at one end of the long table in the meeting room. Servants brought in refreshments, and the lords discussed trivial matters until the servants had left.
“Emperor Marak is well known for unique ways of quieting dissent,” Lord Padro began, “as one of you said earlier, but he is also determined to rule according to the law. I believe that is his weakness. As long as we stay within the bounds of the law, he will be frustrated in his attempts to squash our dissent.”
“What can we do in a legal sense?” asked Lord Sydar. “The emperor has made it law that the Chula are to be regarded as allies. He has made it law that our armies must report to Khadoratung for training. He has made it law that our estate borders are frozen in place. What is the sense of ruling a clan these days when all of the decisions are handed down by Khadoratung?”
“You bring up interesting points,” conceded Lord Padro. “Allow me to address them. I think we should graciously accept the training offered by the emperor. It costs us nothing, and it teaches our army the methods of our potential adversary. I see the training as a plus.”
“But our officers are becoming influenced by those who train them,” objected Lord Sydar.
“Not just the officers,” Lord Woroman shook his head. “Even the ordinary soldiers come back from Khadoratung singing the praises of their teachers. For our armies to be efficient, they must not look upon our enemies with favor.”
“Soldiers are impressionable,” shrugged Lord Padro. “Their minds can be conditioned just as easily as the minds of servants. I am sure that we can find troops loyal to us that will visit each other’s estates and tell tales of how bad the trainers in Khadoratung really are. Peppered with enough truth to be believable, they can spread horror stories of the inadequacies of the trainers. Besides, our goal is not necessarily to fight the rest of the Khadoran clans. It is to change the foolish laws that this new emperor has foisted upon us. Perhaps we can even be successful in removing the emperor so he cannot cause any more harm to our clans.”
“What about the Chula?” asked Lord Sydar.
“Ah, yes,” Lord Padro nodded thoughtfully. “A particularly sticky point for those us who share borders with the barbarians. The law says that the Chula are now allies of Khadora. So what? Have none of us ever had war with allies before? If an ally attacks you, are you not justified in attacking back? And could anyone really expect a victorious clan not to annex those conquered lands into his own estate? If the Chula attack us, they will be the ones who broke the law, not us.”
“So attacking the Chula is not really out of the question,” summarized Lord Woroman. “We just have to make it look like the Chula started it.”
“Precisely,” smiled Lord Padro, “but let us not dwell so much on the warfare aspect of this struggle. Our goal is to return Khadora to the way it used to be. That means removing Marak or making it so his power is ineffectual. I think we can accomplish this through the Assembly of Lords.”
“You mean to debate it?” Lord Sydar asked with shock. “The first lord to stand before that body and criticize the emperor will be branded as a renegade. It would be safer to just handle things here on our own.”
“I disagree with your last statement,” Lord Padro shook his head. “I have laid out ways to get around the laws, but if we merely disregard the laws as things are now, Marak will concentrate his efforts on us. I do not want that kind of attention. You said that the first lord to criticize the government would draw the wrath of the emperor. I think you are positively correct in that assumption.”
“You are contradicting yourself,” frowned Lord Sydar. “Either way we draw attention to ourselves, but you still propose doing it through the Assembly of Lords?”
“In a fashion,” grinned Lord Padro. “I think we should band together and fight this through the Assembly of Lords, but I did not say that we should be the first to bring the issue up.”
“I am confused,” sighed Lord Woroman. “Explain what your plan is.”
“I propose to have a clan start a discussion about the unfairness of these new laws,” explained Lord Padro. “It will not be one of us who starts it, but as soon as it is started, we will immediately join the chorus of those protesting. Once that discussion is fully engaged, there will already be enough doubt about the validity of the new laws. Should one of us, or another clan, then be attacked by the Chula, who then can blame the ensuing fight on us?”
“I see where you are going with this,” Lord Sydar nodded with appreciation, “but what clan would be foolish enough to be the first to speak before the Assembly of Lords?”
“I can think of four clans that would be prime candidates for such a plan,” smiled Lord Padro. “The Vessi, Glamaraldi, Lejune, and Pikata clans come to mind.”
“The four clans that hosted the Jiadin warriors?” asked Lord Woroman.
“Exactly,” nodded Lord Padro. “Of course as soon as they speak, many will write them off as being sore losers in their battle with Emperor Marak, but if we immediately jump in and agree with their complaint before the bickering begins, the complaints will appear to be valid.”
“You have given this a lot of thought,” complimented Lord Sydar. “Seven clans from opposite ends of the country banding together to voice complaints that may very well be common to many other clans. It just might work.”
“Especially if we can get others to jump in with us,” added Lord Padro. “We should not speak loudly about this plan to others just yet, but we should visit with other lords to see where their feelings lie. When it comes time to spring the attack, we will know which lords are likely to support us. We can prime those individual lords to quickly step in and support the complaints.”
“How do we do that without revealing the plan?” asked Lord Woroman.
“Talk to other lords,” suggested Lord Padro. “Just casual conversation at first until you learn where their sympathies lie. If they seem like they might be supportive, mention that you would consider voting against these laws if you ever had the chance. See what their reactions are. We do not need to actually speak of this particular plan to anyone. We just need to get other lords to promise to vote against the laws if given the chance. Leave the rest to me.”
“What will you do?” asked Lord Sydar.
“I am going to journey to the four clans that we talked about,” answered Lord Padro. “It will be just a neighborly visit to see if they need any help getting their estates back in order. Once I am invited in, I will sew the seeds of dissent and arrange for one of them to ignite the spark.”
* * *
The Imperial Guard marched along the corridor and halted in front of the guards outside the entrance to the Emperor’s suite. The two guards nodded perfunctorily and opened the door. The Imperial Guard marched into the office and halted in front of the Emperor’s desk. Emperor Marak looked up and smiled.
“How do you get away with impersonating an Imperial Guard?” asked the Emperor.
“Marshal Chack and I have come to an understanding,” grinned Fisher. “If he allows me to wear the uniform of an Imperial Guard, I promise not to assassinate any more emperors.”
“Well, that is a relief,” chuckled Marak. “What do you have to report?”
“I am concerned about the Island of Darkness,” admitted the spy. “Now that we know that Aakuta is the one who has been communicating with us, we can have a fair amount of confidence in the reports. The problem is, he has not been communicating since the rescue of the elf king.”
“Do you think he was killed by Vand?” asked the Emperor.
“No,” Fisher shook his head, “at least not yet. After a long period of silence, he finally did communicate recently. He had little to say except for apologizing for his absence. He also set up a keyword as verification that the communication is from him. That concerns me greatly.”
“Why?’ questioned the Torak.
“Because it indicates that he is in some kind of trouble,” explained Fisher. “I tried to put myself in his position to better understand his lack of communications and his recent message.”
“And what conclusions did you come to?” prompted the Emperor.
“He is either close to discovery,” declared Fisher, “or he is close to death. Either would do. He is also concerned about others using an air tunnel to impersonate him. Perhaps they would try to spread false information.”
“To what end?” inquired Marak
“I can think of many uses for disinformation,” shrugged Fisher. “If I was in Vand’s position, I could give you an early date for the invasion and then have my spies watch to see what your reaction is. I would then change my plans accordingly. Or I might give you a later date for the invasion and strike early. The possibilities are endless.”
“So I see,” frowned Emperor Marak. “From what HawkShadow and Rhoda told me of their escape from the Island of Darkness, I have no doubt that Aakuta’s life is in danger. He is a courageous man to stay on that island.”
“He has already accepted his death,” nodded Fisher. “I only hope it is swift in coming when it finally arrives.”
“You are telling me this for an explicit reason, Fisher,” Marak said. “What is it?”
“I think we need another set of eyes and ears on that island,” declared Fisher. “We can no longer depend on Aakuta as our sole source of information.”
“And just who would you suggest that we send to their death?” questioned the Emperor.
“I have never been one to offer up the life of another,” stated Fisher. “I think that I should go myself.”
“Out of the question,” Marak shook his head. “You are vital to my needs here. I just cannot afford to lose your services, Fisher.”
“You cannot afford to be blind as to what is happening there either,” countered Fisher. “There is no one capable of performing that task besides me.”
“Aakuta is still in the game as far as we know,” replied the Emperor. “Let’s discuss this again when he no longer contacts us. For now, I would be lost without your eyes and ears right here in Khadora.”
“You sound as if you are expecting trouble,” frowned Fisher. “I have not picked up anything of that nature. What troubles you?”
“What troubles me?” echoed the Emperor. “I really do not know, Fisher, but something is gnawing at me. Perhaps it is the fact that nothing seems to be going wrong. If I was Vand, I would be trying to create all sorts of chaos to keep us off guard, yet everything is running smoothly. What does that suggest to you?”
“That we are missing something,” nodded Fisher. “I have been feeling that way myself, but I guess I have not dwelled upon it. You are right. Vand should be up to something, especially after the rescue of the elf king.”
“I want you to find out what we are missing, Fisher,” instructed Emperor Marak. “I know that is asking you to do the impossible, but if anyone can do it, you can.”
“I will do my best,” offered the spy. “I will be gone from Khadoratung for some time. When is the best time to contact you?”
“Early morning or around the evening meal,” suggested the Emperor, “but if you need to contact me at other times, do so. I want to know what you find out.”
Fisher nodded and left the office. Marak stared blankly at the closed door for a while, his mind lost in thought. Eventually the door opened and a guard stuck his head in. The Emperor nodded and waved dismissively as he rose from his desk. It was time for the meeting of the Lords’ Council.
Marak left his office and proceeded to the chambers of the Lords’ Council. An extra chair had been brought to the table in anticipation of his arrival, and the Emperor sat down. Lord Chenowith was chairing the meeting, and he began as soon as the Emperor was seated.
“This is an historic moment for our country,” Lord Chenowith began. “I was notified this morning that Khadora is now completely slave free. For the first time in the history of our country, there is not a single slave within the boundaries of Khadora.”
Murmurs of accomplishment rippled around the table. The lords were pleased.
“Where do we stand on resolution of border agreements?” asked Lord Patel.
“Over ninety percent of clan borders have been officially agreed to,” answered Lord Chenowith. “Most of the remaining disputes are between two rival clans and each clan has agreed to resolution of the problem by the Lords’ Council.”
“What cases will be left unresolved?” asked Lord Kiamesh.
“Cases that involve borders with the Chula,” replied Lord Chenowith. “That is one of the reasons that I have asked the Emperor to join us today. I am hopeful that he can lead a delegation to the Chula to help solve these last problems. Emperor?”
“I will need to review each border dispute before discussing them with the Chula,” answered the Emperor. “As you are all aware, Khadoran seizures of Chula territory have been a problem for centuries. There is no record of the Chula ever seizing Khadoran land. The Chula will be reticent to give up land that they believe is theirs.”
“You can’t just ask each estate to forfeit what they believe to be their land,” frowned Lord Quilo. “That would not sit well with the Assembly of Lords.”
“I am aware of that,” nodded the Emperor. “That is why I want to review each dispute first. I have little doubt that most of those claims will be outright attempts to claim Chula land as the borders are officially set, but I want to look for valid claims first.”
“How will you tell the difference?” asked Lord Quilo.
“I will ask the Chula,” replied Emperor Marak.
“That’s it?” frowned Lord Quilo. “You will just take the side of Chula? What does that say about your Khadoran lords?”
“I think it is clear what it says,” answered the Emperor. “I have first hand experience dealing with Chula boundary disputes. If Khadorans have any type of claim at all to the disputed land, I expect the Chula to honestly tell me so. I wish I could say the same about my Khadoran brothers, but we all know that is not possible. Maybe someday it will be possible, but that day has not yet arrived.”
“So all of the disputed claims will be disallowed?” asked Lord Chenowith.
“I did not say that,” replied the Emperor. “I fully expect the Chula to recognize the situation that I am in. I believe that they will give up some of the disputed land to ensure peace with the Khadorans, especially in cases where any type of validity can be attached to a claim.”
“You have a lot of faith in the honesty of the Chula, don’t you?” asked Lord Patel.
“I do,” nodded the Emperor. “When one considers that this entire country used to belong to them, one can understand their hesitancy to give up more of it, but they are also a practical people. What they desire most is to halt the incursion into their lands. I am confident that some small portions of land will be forfeited to achieve that goal.”
“I want to meet the leaders of the Chula,” declared Lord Chenowith. “I want to speak with the people that you think so highly of. Can you arrange that?”
Emperor Marak remained silent for a long time. He wondered how these high lords would react to being in a Chula village. How would they react to a Chula shaman who had the face of a lion? He remembered his trip with Axor through Fakara, and how the Fakarans received the Chula shaman. Initially there had been fear, but the Fakarans grew to accept the shaman. Slowly, he nodded and smiled.
“I think it is time for all of you to meet the Chula,” smiled Emperor Marak. “Some things about our neighbors will amaze you because they are so different; other things will amaze you particularly because you will find that they have many of the same thoughts as you have. They are like us in many ways, yet very different in others. You should be informed about your new allies. I will see to it.”
The lords looked at Marak suspiciously for a moment, but Lord Chenowith chuckled at the Emperor’s ability to leave things unsaid and continued with the meeting.
“The Emperor’s edict regarding temples to the god Kaltara is well under way,” he continued. “Each major city in Khadora now has a temple to Kaltara, although those temples remain unused. Would the Emperor care to tell us what he has planned for them?”
“This is probably the hardest part of my reforms,” admitted the Emperor, “but it is also one of the most crucial. Whether or not you understand it, Kaltara guides our fate. The great battles that are about to befall us will be a battle between good and evil, between Kaltara and Dobuk.”
“Dobuk is the god that Vand follows?” asked Lord Jamarat.
“Dobuk is the Great Demon,” corrected Marak, “but yes, that is who is driving Vand and his minions. Khadorans must learn that we are fighting for more than just ourselves. We are fighting for Kaltara and all that is good in this world. Our enemies are strong and powerful, but Kaltara will aid us if we ask him to.”
“Can’t you ask Kaltara to aid us?” asked Lord Jamarat. “I heard that he talks to you.”
“He does,” smiled Emperor Marak, “and He does help me. Look at the remarkable path my life has taken, from the son of a slave to the Emperor of this great country. Kaltara has guided me all of the way, but should he aid thousands upon thousands of others who do not even believe in him? I want all of our people to know Kaltara. I want all of our people praying to Kaltara for help with the coming struggle. Can any of you tell me how to accomplish this?”
Most of the lords had blank stares on their faces, but Lord Chenowith was smiling. Emperor Marak looked at the Walkan lord with curiosity.
“To many people in Khadora,” Lord Chenowith volunteered, “this Lords’ Council is the most respected body in the world. To untold thousands of Khadorans our new Emperor is the hero of legends. I think the answer to your problem, Emperor Marak, lies within this room. We set the example for how we want our citizens to behave. If we want them to believe in Kaltara, then we must believe in Kaltara.”
“And if our Emperor believes in Kaltara,” Lord Jamarat quickly added, “then I want to believe in Kaltara. How do we learn?”
Emperor Marak grinned at the simple solution presented to him by the lords. He rose from his chair and addressed the Lords’ Council.
“I suggest that we immediately retire to the newly built temple in this city,” declared Emperor Marak. “There I will introduce you to Kaltara.”