Chapter Four: The East
"Land ho!"
Lord Fernando, Praetor of Centralia and Chief Advisor to King Osman, glanced up into the rigging of the mainmast. Sure enough, the lookout up in the crow's nest was pointing off into the distance. He definitely saw something.
The Silver Arrow, one of the man-of-wars of the Centralian Navy, had been put to sea from Port Sarim two weeks prior. Lord Fernando had been dispatched by King Osman to carry out a diplomatic mission to Ainuido, the isolated island empire on the other side of the Vast Ocean. In lieu of the escalating war in Gielinor, King Osman had seen fit to ask the Sun Emperor for assistance.
'Asking the Sun Emperor for assistance'. Lord Fernando gave a cynical chuckle at the thought—if only it was as simple as it sounded. The Sun Emperor was many things…but one thing he was not was predictable. The Ainu people were reclusive, isolated folk. Lord Fernando already knew going in that they would require some convincing…seeing the bigger picture was never something the Ainu excelled at.
Lord Fernando could not see the land which the lookout had spotted; the world being round, the lookout was always able to spot objects before sailors on deck could. But the Praetor knew that it was coming…yes, he could see it, now. A nondescript line of black on the horizon. The rich, amber light of mid-afternoon reflected off the water, silhouetting the spit of visible land.
Unless he was mistaken, that was the easternmost coast of Oēn, the largest island of the Ainuido Empire. They were almost there.
Lord Fernando tightened the straps on one of his greaves. He wore leather armor instead of the heavier chain or plate mail; it was not very diplomatic to enter the court of a foreign monarch armed to the teeth. Satisfied that his leather was secured, Fernando turned on his heel and made his way across the deck.
The master-at-arms was bellowing orders at the sailors. Now that land was drawing near, people had to get to their posts in order to bring the man-of-war into port. Ratings climbed up through the hatches. The midshipmen—teenaged and adolescent naval underofficers training on the Silver Arrow to become Lieutenants—took their places along the gunneries.
Commander Naevius, the first mate, exchanged a brief nod with Fernando as he brushed past. Lord Fernando kept making his way down the length of the man-of-war until he came to the captain's cabin at the very stern. He pushed open the door and strode inside.
Arald Harcourt, Captain of the Silver Arrow, turned to glance at Fernando. Upon seeing who he was, the Captain gave a respectful nod. "Praetor," he said in greeting. The Captain strapped his pistol to his waist and shrugged on his blue coat and silver-fringed three-cornered hat. "What is our progress?"
"The shores of Oēn draw near," Lord Fernando informed the captain. As he spoke, the Praetor pulled out his weapons—a prized runite saber and a double-shot pistol—and slid the pistol into his belt. "You slept well, I presume?"
Captain Harcourt gave a low grunt. He had been running on very little sleep this past week—the Arrow had sailed through the edge of a hurricane, and then got into a short firefight with pirates off of Mos Le'Harmless. Though the crew had been rotating shifts, the Captain had been awake for the whole thing. He had then slept for two days straight to recuperate from the sleep deprivation.
"Well enough," Captain Harcourt replied.
"Well enough to handle a brush with the Ainu, I hope," Lord Fernando remarked, slipping into a ceremonial maroon overshirt, which he wore over his leather armor. Once he buckled his scabbard to his waist, he was fully dressed and armed.
Captain Harcourt spared a wan grin, glancing at the Praetor. "You speak as if you are going into battle."
A similar grin tugged at the corners of Lord Fernando's mouth. "I would almost prefer marching into battle."
That got a quiet chuckle from the skipper. "I'm sure the Warmaster would tell you otherwise."
"Old Athellenas hasn't tried to negotiate with the Ainu," the Praetor grumbled. "He has told me on several occasions that he would rather march into Zamorak's Necropolis and challenge the Dark One by himself than get involved in Forum politics."
"A man of strong opinion," Harcourt observed, buttoning his Captain's coat and straightening his hat.
"A supreme understatement," Lord Fernando quipped. "If ever you have the honor of meeting the man, you will agree."
"I pray that I shall receive that honor sometime in the future," Captain Harcourt mused. "But in the meantime…"
The Captain and the Praetor left the captain's cabin and stepped out onto deck.
"Captain on deck!" the master-at-arms roared, his voice reaching to the most remote corners of the Centralion man-of-war's deck. Everyone instantly snapped to attention for a brief moment before returning to their duties at the Captain's behest.
Ratings who passed the Captain nodded to and saluted him as he made his way down the ship. Replying with identical gestures and niceties, Harcourt climbed the short flight of stairs that led up to the small rectangular platform that was the steering deck.
"Report, Mister Barret," Harcourt requested.
"Captain, sir," the helmsman pointed out beyond the ship's prow. "Bringin' us 'round yonder point. Perhaps an hour until we make it to port…maybe two, depending on what mood the winds are in."
"Excellent," the Captain nodded, satisfied. "Carry on."
"Sir," the helmsman nodded, returning his attention to the ocean out in front.
Lord Fernando stood back and let the Captain attend to his duties on the vessel. He corresponded with the warrant officers—the Quartermaster, the Master-at-Arms, the Bosun—as well as his first and second mates.
After the promised hour, the Silver Arrow was pulling into a large bay. Three cutters were sailing towards the Centralian man-of-war; smaller, faster ships with the trademark fin-shaped sails of Ainu vessels.
The Silver Arrow could have easily taken those three cutters in a fight, possibly sustaining moderate damage as a result. After all, she was a ship of the line—one of the most powerful in the Centralian Navy. However, thankfully, maritime warfare was not on the agenda.
The three Ainu cutters escorted the Centralian man-of-war through the bay, which was bustling with smaller fishing boats as fishermen tried to scratch out a living with their lines.
"Kātayō…" Lord Fernando hummed, gazing out at the city sitting on the far banks of the bay.
"Beg pardon?" Captain Harcourt asked.
"Kātayō," the Praetor repeated himself, nodding towards the approaching city. "The capital of Ainuido, the Empire Where the Sun Rises."
It was normally a large, shining city. The buildings were reasonably spaced from each other, and they all followed a similar architectural pattern; paper-like walls framed by wooden beams—doors were the same, only they were able to slide—with sharp, curved roofs that were peaked in the center and splayed out at the corners.
In the center of the whole set-up was the Ainuīn Palace, where the Sun Emperor ruled the islands of Ainudo.
The only difference between now and the last time Lord Fernando had visited Kātayō was that the city looked as if it had just been through a war. Many buildings bore scars and structural damage from obvious attacks. Columns of smoke rose into the sky from several places throughout the city, and a few buildings had actually been knocked down.
"Mister Forge! Cast a line!" Commander Naevius ordered one of the ratings who was manning the forward post at the ship's prow.
The rating cast the measuring line over the side of the ship and drew it back up. "Sand and broken shell!" he shouted back in response. "Five fathoms!"
The Captain nodded. The depth was good. "Drop anchor, furl the mainmast, and prepare to launch the boat!"
As the crew scrambled to fulfill their orders, Captain Harcourt beckoned the Praetor to accompany him down to the starboard side of the man-of-war, where one of the small, oar-powered boats was being lowered to deck-level.
"Your chariot awaits, Cap'n sir," one of the ratings operating the ropes quirked.
Captain Harcourt and Lord Fernando clambered into the small skiff, accompanied by half a dozen Centralian marines, broadswords and all. They lowered the boat down to the surface of the sea and detached the lines. Now floating free, the marines took up the oars and started to row the short distance from the Silver Arrow to the docks of Kātayō.
A man dressed in a formal orange kimono robe, flanked by two Ainu samurai warriors, waited for the skiff on one of the piers. When the Centralians climbed out onto the docks, he offered a sharp bow. The two samurai did likewise.
"Akai-Hanako, Marshal of His Excellency's Imperial Army," the Ainu said, introducing himself as was custom in Ainuido. It was considered impolite to not give a stranger your name when engaging in conversation.
Lord Fernando bowed and introduced himself as well, giving his name and position within the Centralian Kingdom. He said this to the Marshal in fluent Kurigana—the language of the Ainu. It was a clipped, rapidly-spoken language that unfortunately sounded stiff and formal, no matter how one spoke it.
"You honor me by addressing me in my language," the Ainu Marshal said, reverting to Fernando's native language of Commonspeak, heavily accented as it was. "Come, let us walk. The Sun Emperor has been expecting you."
Lord Fernando was not sure if this meant well or ill. He then shrugged and contented himself with the knowledge that, for better or for worse, he would find out soon. The Marshal beckoned for the Praetor to join him. Lord Fernando gave a quick nod to Captain Harcourt and his marines, who promptly returned to the skiff and started heading back to the Silver Arrow. That done, the Praetor started to walk with Akai-Hanaka down the small street and onto one of the main avenues that ran through the city.
"I must comment, and please do not assume that rudeness is my objective, but I find it unusual that you are the one appealing to His Excellency," the Marshal observed. "When you have visited our halls in the past, you have always come with King Alton. May I ask why you come alone?"
"King Alton passed away almost four years ago," Lord Fernando replied. "Our King is now Osman, his son. He would have come personally, but our kingdom is currently in a state of war; King Osman cannot afford to leave Centralia."
The Marshal gave an understanding nod. "This is only right. An emperor should never forsake his warriors."
"Especially if he has the capacity to send someone less as important as himself to carry out his wishes…securing the assistance of the Ainu, for example," Lord Fernando said evenly.
Akai-Hanako gave a wry half-smile. "We shall see. We have problems of our own, over here, as you have probably observed."
"Yes, I was going to inquire as to why your capital looks as if Zamorak has paraded through it."
The Ainu Marshal raised an eyebrow at the frankness in Lord Fernando's tone. "You put it very succinctly, Praetor. As it happens, there is a rebellion raging in our empire."
"A rebellion?" the Praetor echoed, not sure if he had heard correctly. "A rebellion? Now, of all times?"
"I'm afraid so," the Marshal confirmed.
From what the Marshal said, Lord Fernando learned that a resistance movement against the Ainuido Empire for the past few years. It had started as a series of minor brushes along the outlying provinces on the more distant islands. Now, it had blown up into full-scale war.
"We men need to be united to face the threat of Zamorak," Lord Fernando pointed out, speaking the obvious. "How can we be expected to win this war if we are still plagued by internal strife?"
"If we knew the answer to that, we would have defeated Zamorak centuries ago," Akai-Hanako replied. "And I have been overtaxed as of late, due to the absence of the Shogun, my immediate superior."
"What happened to him?" Lord Fernando asked.
All Akai-Hanako would say was, "He died."
The rest of the walk through Kātayō took half an hour or so. Lord Fernando had been offered a carriage ride, but had politely declined, preferring to walk. There would be plenty of time for carriage rides when the Praetor was an old man. That is, if he even lived that long.
Lord Fernando wiped the sweat from his brow as he ascended the last stretch of stairs that ran up to the entrance of the Ainuīn Palace—which was set on top of a man-made pyramid of sorts. The climb had been arduous, but he still had the stamina to complete it.
Four samurai warriors guarded the entrance, but they lowered their spears and gave short, stiff bows to the Marshal as he approached. The Marshal said something to them in rapid-fire Kurigana and they stood to the side, allowing the Marshal and the Praetor to enter the palace.
The two samurai who had accompanied Lord Fernando and Akai-Hanako from the docks remained outside as well.
Samurai lined the long entrance hall on either side, golden-red standards hanging from the tips of their spears. They stood as still as statues. The only time Lord Fernando saw any of them move was when they blinked.
Another great door lay at the other end of the hallway. Smaller halls leading to other parts of the palace branched out from this main one, but Lord Fernando kept right on moving forward.
The Samurai guarding this last doorway turned on their heels and pulled the two doors apart, revealing a dimly lit chamber beyond.
The Marshal exchanged nods with the warriors as he brushed past, the Centralian Praetor right behind them.
A path of yellow fabric ran down the length of the throne room to a canopy. The canopy was set up like a tent—a cloth roof complete with sides and a back. The front was drawn open like drapes, through a curtain of thin, transparent silk still hung down to the floor. Inside the canopy, Lord Fernando could see a tall, thin figure of a man who was sitting on a simple low chair of wood, his feet resting on a blue pillow. The man was dressed in a ceremonial golden kimono, a simple circlet of pure gold resting on his head, and a katana hanging from his waist. His face was obscured in shadow.
The Sun Emperor of Ainuido in the flesh. Lord Fernando was all too aware how rare it was for an outsider to so much as look at the ruler of the Empire Where the Sun Rises.
The Marshal and the Praetor stepped forward several paces, then stopped and bowed down low.
The Sun Emperor uttered a command in Kurigana. Rise.
The Marshal straightened up and took his place to the left of the Sun Emperor. Lord Fernando stood up, but remained where he was.
"Fernando, Lord and Praetor of Centralia, emissary of King Osman," Akai-Hanako, still speaking in Kurigana, addressed the Ainu leader.
The Sun Emperor uttered something in Kurigana, speaking to his marshal.
"His Excellency would like to be informed as to the nature of your presence here today," Akai-Hanako translated the Kurigana into Commonspeak.
"Akitsukami arigato…" Lord Fernando bowed out of respect as he spoke, switching to Kurigana himself. "Thank you, Emperor, but I need no translator."
The Sun Emperor said nothing, so the Praetor took it upon himself to continue speaking. "The Dark God Zamorak has stirred once more. Even as we speak, his filthy hordes defile our lands. If we do not unite, if we do not come together to face this threat…the Dark One will end us all."
"I fail to see how the woes of Gielinor pertain to me," the Sun Emperor said in a low, scratchy voice. It was the voice that did not seem to be used very often.
"They do not pertain to you in particular, Akitsukami," Lord Fernando countered. "They pertain to all of you. The entire Ainu people; if Zamorak crushes the Centralian Army in the west, you and all of Ainuido will burn."
The samurai in the room quietly sucked in breath through their teeth. Lord Fernando was acutely aware of their hands drifting down to the hilts of their katanas. Akai-Hakano made no move, nor did his face betray and form of emotion. He was a statue.
"You speak…boldly, Praetor…very boldly."
"I speak truthfully."
The Sun Emperor shifted in his seat, rising to his feet. "A man of strong opinion, they told me," the Ainu leader mused in Commonspeak, though Lord Fernando was ill at ease from the Sun Emperor's tone of voice. "I asked my advisors to describe the Praetor of Centralia, so that I might better know who I am dealing with. When King Alton visited my halls, you remained in the shadows, now you stand in the light. You were an enigma to me, and so when I asked my advisors to describe you, they merely stated that you were a man of 'strong opinions'."
"They are not the first to have said that," the Praetor replied hesitantly.
"No, I am sure they are not," the Sun Emperor agreed. The Ainu leader pushed aside the gossamer curtain, stepping into the light. Lord Fernando kept his face neutral and concealed his surprise at the Emperor's appearance.
The Sun Emperor's face was gaunt ghostly pale. His lips were blood-red, and his wrinkles were much more pronounced than the last time Fernando had encountered him. The most unnerving were his eyes…there was a gleam in them, or…well, something was off about the Emperor, something that couldn't be explained in physical terms.
The Sun Emperor smiled. It was a cold smile, though…not the kind that reached the eyes. "Unfortunately for you, strong opinions are dangerous. I sense that you will not leave here until you get what you want, but I am afraid you are too late."
A shiver ran up Lord Fernando's spine, but the Praetor still forced himself to remain neutral. "Too late for what, if you don't mind my asking?"
"I'm afraid I do mind your asking," the Sun Emperor sighed. "The Shogun was similar to you…stubborn as mithril, and a perpetual thorn in my backside…always spouting off about honor and absolute loyalty to this husk…"
Lord Fernando stood upright, his hand straying down onto the hilt of his mithril saber. He had been in the presence of the Sun Emperor in the past. In body, it was the same man, but deeper than that… The Sun Emperor would never have spoken like that. "Akitsukami…" Lord Fernando found himself without anything to say. He did know one thing, though; he would not gain the assistance of the Ainu in this manner. "I will take my leave."
The Praetor bowed low, turned on his heel, and headed back for the throne room entrance. He never made it there.
The Sun Emperor gave another order in Kurigana. The samurai warriors guarding the doors blocked the Praetor's path, crossing their spears. The others leveled their spears and quickly formed a semi-circle around Fernando.
"What is the meaning of this?" Lord Fernando demanded, stopping dead in his tracks.
"Your precious kingdom's time is limited," the Sun Emperor leered. "Soon, that damned Warmaster of yours will be broken. King Osman and the remnants of your armies will be pushed back further and further until Tethys itself burns bright. You came here seeking aid in order to forestall this fate…" the laughter that came from the Ainu leader's throat was enough to make the Praetor's stomach quiver. "So ignorant. This so-called Empire fell to me even before anyone realized. In the meantime, you are a loose end which must be silenced."
The Sun Emperor gave a nod to the Marshal.
Akai-Hanako issued an order to the samurai in the throne room. "Take him."
Lord Fernando was in his forties. He could not be considered truly young any longer, but conversely it would also be a mistake to call him old. He snapped out his mithril saber in an instant, twirling it around his wrist and fingers, familiarizing himself with the grip and balance. After all, it had been some time since he had used it in a real fight.
Still…he hadn't become Praetor of the Forum and held the position for so long by not knowing how to fight when needed. It would surprise people how many of the Forum Consuls were actually accomplished swordsmen.
The samurai were driven back initially as Lord Fernando sliced through their spears like they were made of paper. Dropping the now-useless weapons, they all gave a guttural cry in unison and drew their katana, rushing the Praetor all at once.
Lord Fernando sidestepped the first swipe, bringing his blade around and clocking the first samurai on the head with his hilt. He then flicked the saber up and blocked another strike aimed at his neck.
However skilled Lord Fernando was, though, nothing changed the fact that there were a dozen blades to his one. He put up a good fight for a solid ten seconds or so, but was quickly overwhelmed.
One of the samurai managed to twist his blade around the Praetor's saber, ripping it from his grasp. As he struck forward, the samurai twisted his wrist so that Lord Fernando was struck in the head by the flat of the katana.
The Sun Emperor seemed to change his mind after Lord Fernando went down. For a moment, his face contorted in what looked like mild pain or discomfort. His eyes, for that one brief moment, returned to normal. But just as quickly as it had come, the moment passed. "Wait," he held up a hand. "Take him to one of the holding rooms. We shall deal with him after we deal with his men in that ship down in the harbor. In the meantime…"
Akai-Hanako issued more orders to the samurai. They all bowed and returned to their posts. One of them picked up Lord Fernando's unconscious form and slung the Praetor over his shoulder. The Marshal picked up the mithril saber and, after bowing once more to the Sun Emperor, strode out of the throne room, the samurai carrying Lord Fernando in tow.
All else finished, the Sun Emperor returned to his seat under the canopy. "Politics…" he muttered.