Disclaimer – The characters belongs to Tamora Pierce, the violence is my own twisted creation.
Warning: This chapter is extremely violent. If you have a weak stomach you might want to skip.
Chapter 18 – Execution
When Numair awoke he knew immediately that something was wrong. A very large, out-of-focus Lindhall was crouched before him whispering, "I'm sorry to wake you, but the emperor's guard is coming. It is just as well that you couldn't shift back, because I think you are safer this way. I have hidden you in the aviary, but anyone who knows anything about birds will recognize that you are too big to belong. I've brought you an invisibility charm. Save your magic. We will likely need it."
This explained pretty much everything. Lindhall seemed large because Numair, who was used to towering over everyone, was still small – an oversized hawk, but much smaller than he was used to. Hawk's eyes, while very sharp for finding prey on the ground while they flew, were not made for close up examination. He felt Lindhall attach the cat's eye agate to his leg.
Lindhall whispered, "I believe they will search here first. Rest up while you can. When they find your simulacrum we may need you to make the fight look convincing."
Numair tilted his head and hopped forward. "Oh, yeah," Lindhall said, "I moved the other Numair to a storage room next to Chioke's workroom. The emperor won't believe Chioke' invited you. This keeps any innocent bystanders from being punished for helping you hide."
Numair, the hawk, nodded. Lindhall held out a strip of bacon, which Numair took with his beak gratefully. Then Lindhall stood up with a bowl of bird seed in one arm to feed the other occupants of the aviary. Seconds later the emperor's guard pounded on his spelled office door.
"Let them in, dolt," he shouted to his door, and walked toward it with the bird seed bowl still cradled in one elbow. "Good evening, how can I help you?"
The lead guard marched in authoritatively and stated, "His Imperial Highness has commanded us to search the university for the fugitive Salmalin." Seven soldiers followed along with four mages.
"Of course, of course, my boy. There's no need to press. I am a loyal subject of Carthak. I haven't seen Salmalin since the Tortallans sailed, but I do know he is rather sneaky and very powerful. If he is here, you'll find him. I am confident.
Numair heard the whole thing. He began to see how Lindhall had managed to fool the emperor all of this time. While he was scattered with his friends, he was focused where it counted. By allowing them in to his office in such a gracious way, Lindhall guaranteed they wouldn't upend things. And they were less likely to stumble across any hidden secrets when they were being polite.
The guard swiftly searched the rooms without disturbing the various animals and books. Numair was not found and the guard were convinced of Lindhall's patriotism. They apologized and left.
Once they were gone Lindhall asked quietly, "Are you up to following?" In answer, Numair flew after them, brushing Lindhall with one wing as he left.
The guard systematically searched floor after floor of the university. Chioke's offices were put off until last since he was a loyal servant of the emperor. But, they felt they couldn't ignore it when they had searched everywhere else.
Inside, the other Numair was crouched in a storage area, shielded by a gem spell. The mages spotted it. Whistles blew and guards closed in, shadowed by the unseen invisible hawk. The simulacrum stood and held its hands open. The invisible hawk bounced the black fire across its palms to make a concussive explosion. One guard was felled by the blast and one mage was severely injured. Chioke' appeared from somewhere down the hall and with the help of his Gift, seven hematite stones and four black opals surrounded the simulacrum. This was more than enough to trap any mage. The guard removed the simulacrum to the dungeon.
Numair flew back to the Lindhall. When the last of the Guard were gone from the university, he turned back into himself. He told Lindhall what had happened and how the guard had captured the simulacrum.
"They have been fooled," Lindhall said, "But I don't think it is safe for you to continue to hunt right now. You will need to lay low. My Banjiku friends will look for Daine. And we could let Kaddar in on our secret."
"No," Numair replied. "There are many reasons not to tell Kaddar. I know you trust him, and you know I trust you, but there are things about Kaddar I'm not sure about yet."
"Kaddar is…"
"I know what you're going to say," interrupted Numair, "but you know as well as I do that trust is not given that easily. Besides, it isn't safe for him. His uncle's favor is shaky at best. His friendliness toward my countrymen probably did not go unnoticed. He may already be in danger and it makes no sense to give him information that could further put him at risk. It is bad enough that I have endangered you and Daine. There must be no more innocent blood on my hands."
"Do you think she may be dead?"
"No, she is not dead. If she had died every animal in this Kingdom would have mourned her. And I cannot see her held prisoner while conscious without sending the animals into hysterics. Somewhere she is unconscious. I have a good idea where too, but it won't be safe to send the Banjiku there. Ozorne will have spelled the area. It may take a powerful mage to break through. If I'm wrong, and you think they can find her, then maybe the are the best choice. But if you ask this of them, please ask them to be careful and not take unnecessary risks. I won't lie to you. I am concerned about what will happen when Daine wakes up. If she goes after Ozorne…."
Lindhall gripped Numair's shoulder. "We will find her and we will take her back to Tortall in one piece. But for now, you need to eat a little more and rest a lot more. We need your power at full strength."
The next time Numair awoke it was a three hours past dawn. Lindhall was talking in a low voice to a Banjiku slave. Numair realized that he was once again invisibly cloaked with an agate tied to his wrist. His gift seemed to be mostly replenished. He waited until the slave left and then removed and pocketed the charm. "What news, Lindhall?"
"I am afraid you are to be publicly executed in three hours. Ozorne is taking no chances."
"That was to be expected. I admit I didn't think he would rush it this much, but he probably doesn't want to risk a second escape."
"I suppose. You realize that everyone will believe you dead except myself, right? Kaddar, Varice, the slaves –you did tell Daine about your simulacrum, right?"
"Yes, of course I…" But Numair stopped mid-sentence. He wasn't sure if they had talked about it. She knew he had used a Simulacrum before and that he was able to do things that Ozorne wasn't. Daine was his closest friend. He had to have told her. He just couldn't remember the actual conversation. "I'm not sure," he finally admitted.
Numair kept thinking back to that conversation as the two headed for the city center two and a half hours later. He did not know what Daine would do if she woke up and heard about the execution. He knew that her mother's death had sent her into a vengeful rage that nearly cost her identity and humanity. But Numair was merely her teacher, and she had the shield now, which she did not have before. Moreover, the Badger was watching out for her now.
He wished so much that he could call on the Badger to lead him to her. But he knew that the Badger wouldn't answer. The events set in motion by the gods could not be stopped. Numair could only be there to pick up the pieces when it was over.
In the meantime, he had to watch his own execution. He was sure the sensations would be the most curious of his life. He had to be there to make it look real. He wasn't sure what tortures the emperor had in mind, and while the simulacrum was very, very good, it held only limited gift. If the opportunity presented itself, the real Numair would try to escape and would certainly put up a fight. The simulacrum would have to do the same.
When the simulacrum was brought forward and tied to Thak's gate, Numair was perched above the opposite stone gate post, disguised as a hawk and charmed to be invisible. This time he would not be as drained because the stone charm didn't require continued gift to maintain the illusion. His view allowed him to look at most of the crowd, as well as his seeing most of his simulacrum. There was also no chance anyone would trip over him. Lindhall, Kaddar and Varice were seated within view of the Emperor. Behind them sat the rest of the university personnel. This was Ozorne's requirement. He demanded they show their loyalty as witnesses.
The other Numair was not just bound with ropes. He was surrounded again by seven hematite stones and four black opals. No mage, no matter how powerful would be able to use magic in that circle and the real Numair would have to be careful to stay out of the circle of influence.
When the midday chimes rang, the huge crowd assembled fell silent. Charges of treason were read to the crowd and archers approached. Numair was surprised. It seemed very unoriginal for Ozorne to execute by arrow. These would be precision archers, able to hit their mark without question.
But when the first arrow was loosed, it stabbed through the fake mage's right hand. With direction from the real Numair, the imposter cried in surprise and then his face set in a look of pained defiance. Ozorne stood and walked closer. He glowered at Numair. "Draper," he said, eyes amused, "You have thought much of yourself. You have broken the laws of our empire." He gestured broadly. "You have killed members of our guard without regret." He pointed to several young soldiers in crisp uniforms lined up to the right side. "And you have sought to destroy us. Now, you face your own destruction. That arrow will strip you of your power."
The emperor leaned down and picked up one of the hematite stones. "The powder that tipped that arrow was discovered by you I believe, while you attended the university several years ago – soatrine. As you know it cancels the Gift. It is quite rare and very expensive. One small bit in the blood stream is probably sufficient, but you aren't just any mage are you?" Another arrow was loosed. It struck the other Numair in the right forearm. Again the mage cried in pain but stood as straight as possible in defiance. "So we must make certain that no trace of gift is left." Ozorne leaned down and picked up a second hematite stone.
The third arrow hit the simulacrum's left hand. Again Ozorne leaned down and picked up a hematite stone. He carried these to his three witnesses, all of whom took them with shaky hands. And when the forth arrow struck, the simulacrum's cry of pain was louder and his resolve weaker. Ozorne's diatribe continued, "We are not a weak empire. Our people are loyal and brave. They will not stand for treason."
Ozorne motioned Kaddar forward and ordered him to throw the small stone at the prisoner. The stone would hardly hurt as is, but Kaddar had studied enough magic and had lived under the dictatorship of Ozone long enough to know what would happen when it struck. He knew it had been spelled by the emperor. The boy was pale and looked nauseated. He closed his eyes for a long moment and mouthed "forgive me" to the fake Numair. Then he threw the stone. The fake Numair screamed when the stone hit him and flashed. Flames shot from the impact and died after thirty seconds. It was a terrible torture. It would be better to burn someone alive and have it be over, then to burn through their organs in small bursts and leave them to endure it over and over.
The real Numair felt sympathy for the three witnesses. It was bad enough to be ordered to watch. It was ten times worse to be forced to participate. He watched with sympathy as the prince walked back to the line, trembling, and turned to face the rest of the execution.
Varice was already in tears. But they turned to sobs when she was ordered to take her turn. She weakly threw the stone, and it wouldn't have hit the mage at all if not pushed there by a flash of green light from the emperor. It struck the simulacrum in the groin and the impact ripped through the mage in a shuddering blast. The scream echoed in the square. A low murmuring spread through the crowd and many of the women turned and ran in horror. Varice fainted outright and was carried away by one of the guards.
Lindhall was brought forward. This man knew this wasn't really Numair, but clearly the situation felt real and he too was pale and weeping. He threw the stone at the simulacrum's neck, clearly intending to put the man out of his misery. But again, the emperor interfered and stone struck his left hip. The simulacrum sagged in his restraints as blood gushed from open wounds and vomit hung in a line from his mouth.
"Now you feel the folly of your ways," the emperor taunted. "Have you anything to say before I send you to your death?"
The simulacrum merely hung there. There was a shot of green from the emperor mage's hand and fire consumed the man attached to the stone gate post in front of him. A sickening scream of death followed and the body was reduced to a small pile of ashes.
"Thus ends the traitor Numair Salmalin, born Arram Draper," the emperor hissed. With a skip in his step he walked toward the palace.