Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Chapter 2
When Kodi regained consciousness, all was as she expected. Her body was asleep on the rooftop, but her spirit was outside it. Kodi would remain that way until she had seen a vision from the past or present. It was Kodi's secret power, and one she'd had as long as she could remember. Even now she could feel a familiar tug, pulling her to wherever she was supposed to see. Kodi relaxed with a sigh and let herself be carried away.
The breeze bore Kodi up into the sky until she was floating above the streets of Hajra. Without a solid body, she was pulled by every gust of wind. Twice she had birds fly through her. It didn't hurt, but it was very disconcerting.
Soon Kodi had passed Hajra's main square and was traveling above the wealthy part of town. Kodi felt an ever increasing sense of foreboding the farther she got from the familiar slums of the city. Rarely had her visions taken her out of Deadman's District; she'd never had to go past the city square.
Kodi realized her misgivings were founded when she landed at her destination- the King's castle. The building was a huge fortress. Every stone on it was placed to scare and intimidate. It did its job well. Staring up at the castle, Kodi felt as small and insignificant as an ant. The vision's pull grew more insistent. Kodi knew from experience that fighting it would do no good. She gritted her teeth and walked through the thick stone wall.
Kodi's eyes widened as she was pulled through a seemingly endless maze of rooms. Everything from the rich imported carpets on the gold-gilded ceilings screamed wealth and power. Just one of the pictures on the wall would feed a family from Deadman's District for a year!
Finally Kodi entered the room she was meant to see. On a raised dais sat King Rididar, draped in a cloth-of-gold robe. Kodi recognized his sharp nose and beady eyes from Beltane, when the King would descend from his fortress to greet the common folk. Around Rididar were a dizzying array of dignitaries and viziers that Kodi half-remembered from various holidays. They were all dressed almost as richly as the king.
On the other side of the room were a group of people Kodi couldn't place. The stranger's clothes were well-made, but plain. The men favored baggy breeches and shirts covered with colorful overrobes over the velvet robes and colorful jewels of the Sotatens. They made a sharp contrast to the gaudy dress of the King's advisors.
Also, as Kodi was shocked to see, they had women in their company. Women at an important meeting? It was unheard of on this part of the Pebbled Sea. She was surprised they hadn't been laughed out of the audience chamber. Kodi had always felt that women were just as good as men, but very few people shared her view.
The King opened his mouth to speak and Kodi pricked her ears to listen. These mysterious strangers had sparked her curiosity.
"Welcome! Welcome, friends from the west~" His voice was dripping with joy and greeting, but this didn't spread to his face, which remained cold.
A man walked forward from the westerners' party. He gave a bow as shallow as etiquette allowed.
"Your Majesty, we come as representatives of Her Grace Duchess Sandrilene, ruler of Emelan and all that is within her borders." His voice thundered with respect for Her Grace as he spoke. It seemed like the westerners actually liked Duchess Sandrilene.
The man continued his speech. "I am Baron Erdogun fer Baigh, Her Grace's chief advisor, and this," -he pointed to a lady, who stepped forward- "is Lady Ailsa fa Rotneg, ambassador to Sotat."
"Enough with the formalities," Lady Ailsa commanded crisply. "We are here for a reason."
"Obviously," King Rididar replied dryly, all trace of welcome gone from his voice.
"As you know, Emelan's coast, and the rest of the Pebbled Sea shoreline, is being attacked by bandits of a most despicable nature. Namely, pirates."
"Yes, I do know that," the King interrupted.
"What you don't know," Lady Ailsa continued, "is that these pirates are using advanced weaponry, and they are obviously being supported by some outside force."
"And you think I am that force?"
"Someone is funding them." This voice was younger then the others. Its owner, a handsome man with gray-green eyes, stepped forward to face the King. "If it isn't you, then why hasn't Sotat been attacked, when all its neighbors have?"
King Rididar didn't even blink. "Maybe they are Sotaten rebels," he replied smoothly.
"Then I suggest you get your rebels under control," Lady Ailsa told him firmly. The "or else" hung unspoken in the air.
"Yes, yes of course!" the King replied hastily. "I wouldn't want to fight a country with such great armies- and mages." He looked nervously at the green-eyed man, who grinned wickedly. Then almost to himself, Rididar added, "I suppose I shall have to raise taxes to pay for all this."
"No!" the green-eyed man replied angrily. "The common folk're poor enough already!" Kodi noted with interest that a bit of a street accent crept into his voice when he was angry. It was gone though when- after a hasty look at a furious Lady Ailsa- he added, "Not, of course, that it's any of our business."
He stepped back, and Kodi heard him mutter something that sounded an awful lot like "Silly bleater!" Curiously, he then looked over at her and- winked? It was as if he knew she was there. But that was impossible. Wasn't it?