Yama's Festival
Excerpt:
Dolls in the shadows… books open, huge hands flipping through the pages… Swords clashing… a tomb… a red-haired sorcerer shouting…a symbol burnt on the floor-
Flashing purple eyes, black cat-
Screams, laughter-
And burning. Fire. Flames. Laughter until the body turned to ash…. But the soul was alive; the soul remembered...
"Fools…"A small boy with black hair and sapphire eyes- There was a shadow, a darkness, seeping through the air-
AN: There is a new girl in the page's wing and, unfortunately, her life isn't any easier than her idols', Alanna the Lioness and Keladry, Protector of the Small, even with relatives and a rather odd sort of Gift at her side.
INCLUDES Kel's son, Neal's daughter, Rikash (Numair and Daine's son), Sir Myles, Irani (the seer from POTS), Owen of Jesslaw's son, and many others!
This really is the accompaniment to the Jaguar Goddess. I promise those clamoring for a sequel, that it does fit in. However, anyone else can read it and understand perfectly, too. ;D
Prologue
Blayce the Gallan's heavy breathing was clearly audible as he fumbled through the parchment before him in the dimly light room. Like a rodent, his dirty fingernails scurried across the papers, never staying still. Even if he was reading a note, his fingers trembled with some sort of nervous energy. With anxiety. He needed to find it-!
One candle illuminated the room, a small white melting piece of wax perched on the desk. With his clumsy, hasty movements, Blayce nearly knocked it over. Swiftly, he grasped it, steadying it for a moment before letting go cautiously.
Then he laughed, nervously.
It would not have been a good thing, had that light fallen and lit the papers on fire. No, indeed, it would not have been!
Sweat slipping down his temple, he licked his chapped lips and pulled out a sheath of papers. As he bit his lip, his eyes- flickering from side to side- caught sight of a dark figure.
He yelped, whipping around. Then he sighed as he saw only his lackey in the shadows. He relaxed slowly.
"Stenmun!" he complained in a thin whine. "I was working. You cannot just-" The giant Scanran ignored him; stepping forwards, he eyed the parchment shrewdly.
"That is the information?" he asked in a low, flat, clipped voice. Blayce nodded, turning back around to roll the papers up. Then he sealed the makeshift scroll with hot wax from the single candle, and handed it to Stenmun.
"Careful," he ordered imperiously. "It is not dry yet." The blond, bearded man gingerly wrapped his enormous, callused hand around it.
"This goes south, then?" he asked. Blayce nodded, then handed a small package to the giant, too.
"As fast as possible."
"I shall leave after I hang the head of that fool maid outside," the man answered.
"But swiftly- hurry, Stenmun-" But- as Stenmun turned to leave, Blayce called him back. "Wait!" The warrior obeyed, freezing in his place.
Blayce's whisper was clearly heard, echoing throughout the huge, empty workroom.
"This must be done with the upmost secrecy. Understand me, Stenmun? Not even King Maggur-" The mage fell silent, listening to his words as they faded. "Tell no one."
Tell no one…. Tell no one….
After Stenum nodded and left with the packet and scroll, the words continued in Blayce's mind, long after they stopped bouncing about the cold, stone walls of the forlorn fortress.
à
"No!" Blayce sat up, gasping. He looked about the room frantically, his dream already dulling in his mind.
He had fallen asleep in his workroom, imprisoning the last child soul he had taken within the huge, metal monsters.
But that was not important now. He sensed that soon, he would forget the warning burning in his mind entirely.
The mages had taught him, long ago, about such dreams, in the City of the Gods. A prophecy.
Wiping sleep from his eyes, Blayce stumbled out of the room, calling for a sentry. It was only a moment before a young man jogged up to his master. He stopped and saluted.
"Never mind that!" the mage blustered. "Send for Stenmun!" The guard looked at his lord oddly. He had never seen his lord so out of sorts. Though he often had a shifty look about him- as if he feared the ghosts of the children he slaughtered- Blayce had never shown actual fear... The sentry pushed the thought away idly; it was none of his business. Lord Blayce must have had a missive from the king. That was enough to send anyone scampering.
"He ought to be only a few days away, milord," he said in a heavy northern brogue. "Bringing those refugees." Blayce scowled.
"Not good enough," he said firmly. "He must be sent for- swiftly! I must speak with him." He glared at the confused man, who had yet to blink.
"Go and send someone for him! Now! Before I turn you into a- a frog!" Surely the man knew he had no such powers-
-but all the same, the soldier saluted smartly and dashed off, leaving Blayce to blearily wander back into the room and slump over on his deck, rubbing his face.
He had made a mistake, a terrible mistake. The things he had seen-
If the plan he had set into motion succeeded-
In fact, even if it did not work as well as he had hoped-
If his man in Tortall was not stopped-
If Blayce's orders, given from his own hand, could not be taken back-
Only Stenmun could fix this now.
And even the cold-hearted, insane Blayce felt a cold pit of fear roll around in his stomach, paralyzing his mind and body, at the thought of what would happen otherwise.
à
A few days later, both Blayce and Stenmun were dead, slain by Keladry of Mindelan. They had been boxed in; there had been no chance of escape.
And, now, as Blayce departed into the Black God's Realm for the harsh judgment awaiting, he could only give thanks that he would not have to live and face what his failure had set in motion-
Now, no mortal power could stop the turning tide of destruction that loomed before all the Known Lands.
AN: Eee. Guess that's not good, hmm?
... I mean the predicament laid before us. Hopefully the writing bit was good.
Please review!
BTW, if you have not read the Jaguar Goddess and think you might like this story, go and read that, too. The JG and this story happen at the same time, so there aren't any spoilers or anything if you read them out of order, but I have a trilogy planned; the Jaguar Goddess, this one, and then one more. The final one is a sequel to the first two.