Having reached the edge of the cavalry protecting them, the man suddenly darted between two horses and tried to race around Alain’s mount, a knife in one hand. Alain urged his horse forward, the stallion’s chest striking the man and knocking him down. Alain vaulted to the ground, catching the man as he tried to rise and holding him in an iron grip. “Demon!” the man shouted at Mari. “Demon and spawn of demons!”
Mari stared at the man, wide-eyed, as she calmed her jittery mare.
Two of the soldiers had dismounted as well. One of them brought the hilt of her sword against the back of the struggling man’s head, knocking him out. The other searched inside the man’s clothes, pulling out a sheet of paper well worn from frequent folding and unfolding. He passed it to Colonel Tecu.
Tecu scanned it with distaste. “The Demon Mechanic, spawn of demons and pawn of the Great Guilds,” he read. “It calls you Mara, Lady.”
“The Empire is still trying to discredit me,” Mari said, her voice slightly shaky. “Its lies found a home in that man’s mind.”
“He must be ill in his mind, Lady,” Tecu said. “To believe that and try to kill you for it.”
“From his clothing,” one of the soldiers offered, “he must have come south recently. His accent sounded like what I’ve heard around Marida on the northeastern coast of the Sea of Bakre.”
"Working his way toward Pacta Servanda," Tecu agreed. "We met him before he could get there."
Mari turned a bleak look on Alain. He knew what she was thinking: that this man had left his home and braved the dangers of Tiae, all in hopes of finding Mari and killing her.
But before he could say anything, Captain Banda called again on the far-talker. “Those on the small craft must have seen how hopeless their position was, Mari. They are surrendering, wading and swimming ashore to where the Tiae dragoons are waiting. I saw two objects thrown out to sea from the boat. I am guessing they were rifles. We’ll mark the spot as best we can in case someone wants to try retrieving them.”
“Thank you, Captain,” Mari said.
“Three more boats tried to put out, but the Tiae coastal guard nabbed them. Just run-of-the-mill pirates, probably.”
“Hopefully no one I know,” Mari said. “Almost everyone left here on the waterfront seems to be trying to surrender.”
Alain saw another green and gold banner to the right and called Mari’s attention to it. She rode to meet it, Alain staying with her as the crowd gave way and a large group of cavalry circling Mari protectively.
The cheering that began and grew told them that Sien was riding with that banner. Between the ongoing pleas for mercy, men and women chanted “Tiae! Tiae!” Their voices held a fervor which Alain could tell was real.
Mari and the princess of Tiae rode up to each other, both breaking into smiles. “I have the honor to present you with the city of Minut!” Mari cried.
“Tiae is honored by your assistance in regaining this city,” Sien replied. “What can Tiae give you in return?”
Mari looked at the crowd, her smile fading. “Can you give them what they ask, Princess? Can you give them mercy?”
Sien studied the crowd, her own expression growing serious. Alain knew she was probably thinking of the hardships she had endured, and of whatever crimes those who had fled to the waterfront might have committed. “Tiae has had no luxury for mercy,” Sien said, her voice ringing across the waterfront as the crowd quieted to listen. “Tiae’s enemies have shown no mercy. Justice demands retribution for wrongs done. But justice also demands reasonable judgment and compassion. Tiae will this day once again open its heart to mercy. No one here shall be harmed without good cause and fair trial. No one here shall be harmed for reason of vengeance or in anger. This is my word as Sien, Princess of Tiae.”
If the princess’s words fell short of simple mercy, they were still far more than any of those listening had hoped for. The shouts of “Tiae!” redoubled as Sien leaned from her horse to embrace Mari.
Alain heard the cheers, but his eyes never stopped watching for danger.
* * * *
The building had once been the home of a well-off trader and, though stripped of anything of much value, had still somehow survived the years of anarchy in Minut almost intact. For the moment, the crowds and the armies and the aides were outside and a measure of privacy and calm reigned inside the second-story room. Alain, restless, remained standing as Mari and Sien sat in mismatched chairs at a battered table, still wearing their weapons. Mari in her dark Mechanics jacket contrasted with Sien in gleaming vambraces and chest armor as they shared a drink from the princess’s flask. “It’s arak. The national drink of Tiae,” Sien advised.
Mari choked, coughed, and managed to swallow. “That’s…strong.”
“We have to salute our victory.” Sien sighed, leaning her head back and looking upward. “Seventeen years ago, Minut was the last city held by the central government before the final breaking of the Kingdom. Six months ago, I stood on the walls of Pacta Servanda and contemplated my death, since it seemed our defenses were about to fall to a warlord’s band. And now I lead an army worthy of the name, and Minut is the first city to be reclaimed by the Kingdom. I cannot, ever, adequately thank you, Mari.”
Mari shrugged. “Don’t forget my Mage. Without him none of this would have happened.”
“True. My apologies, Alain.”
Alain gave her a small smile. “I am not the daughter. I only help her.”
“You mean the demon?” Mari asked, sounding bitter.
“I heard of that,” Sien murmured. “The daughter is at the heart of the hopes of many, Mari, but she is also the focus of the fears of others. I confess to not knowing much of Mara the Undying or how you and she became linked in the minds of some."
Mari waved toward the east. "It started when Alain and I escaped from Marandur. The Imperials have a lot of stories about Mara the Undying. She was supposedly the extremely beautiful consort of the first emperor, Maran, and wielded so much influence that she convinced Maran to make a deal with Mages to render her eternally young and beautiful. In order to stay that way, she needs to drink the blood of the young men she seduces, and according to superstition among the Imperials, Mara wants more than anything to regain the sort of power and influence she once had. Anyway, after we left Marandur we heard Imperials speculating about who had escaped from the city, because supposedly the Emperor Palan had sealed Mara into a tomb in Marandur. We heard all sorts of rumors that Mara the demon had escaped and was on the prowl again. That actually scared some of the Imperials I heard! Can you believe it? At some point, the Imperial government apparently decided to fan those rumors about Mara in order to keep their citizens from looking to me, Mari, as the long-looked-for daughter of Jules. Supposedly I'm the Dark One, a danger to young men everywhere."
"I see," Sien said. "It cannot be easy to know that some think of you as being such a creature. I do understand the feelings inside you. Some of those who tried to kill me during the breaking of Tiae believed that the royal family was to blame and that wiping us out would finally bring peace to the land. One of them actually explained that it had nothing to do with me, it was not personal, but she had to kill me for the good of others.”
“What happened?” Alain asked.
“While she was busy talking, I managed to get my hand on a rock large enough to end the conversation. I recommend that you use the same approach, Mari.” Sien took another drink from her flask, then held it out to Alain. “Drink with us, honored Mage.”
Alain rarely drank anything other than wine, but Mari had told him how to politely handle such requests, so he took the flask, touched his lips to it enough to drink a sip, then handed it back. The liquid burned a trail down his throat, but his Mage training suppressed any physical reaction.
Sien grinned as she took the flask. “If Mari ever tires of you, Alain, let me know. You and I could found a strong dynasty.”
“It’s a good thing I know you’re joking,” Mari said.
“How long do you think you’ll have to stay in Minut?”
“I’m not sure. We’re looking for leaders of the city, those who have somehow survived from the past and those who have developed in the forge of the years of anarchy.” Sien looked to the side, her mouth twisted in thought. “A couple of weeks, at least. I’ll have to leave a strong detachment of Tiae’s new army here to keep the city stable and at peace until things like a police force and city government can be recreated. I don’t think there will be any resistance, though.” She shook her head sadly. “The situation here is the same as in the smaller towns we have retaken. Everyone has suffered enough—has suffered too much. When they see we have the strength to stand, all grasp eagerly at the chance to see the kingdom reborn. Except for those who must be put down before they destroy again,” Sien added.
“Thank you for offering mercy,” Mari said.
Sien waved away her words. “Thank you asking it for them. I looked upon those and saw none who were well-fed and well-clothed. I wonder how many committed crimes in order to put food in the mouths of their families? We will take justice slowly in Minut, looking for those who preyed on others for profit. Some will have committed crimes that we cannot forgive. Others will be judged, I hope, appropriately. Speaking of others, I understand that there were Mechanics in that boat that tried to escape the city?”
“Yes,” Mari said. She rubbed her eyes, grimacing. “They’ve refused to tell anyone anything about why they were in Minut. None of them seem to be Guild assassins; they’re just run-of-the-mill Mechanics. From what the Mages could tell from their reactions to our questions, they were sent into Tiae to get more detailed information about what I was doing.”
“They certainly found out where you were,” Sien commented with a smile. “What do you intend doing with them?”
“I have half a mind to just let them go,” Mari admitted.
“Why?”
“Because holding them prisoner would be a pain in the neck, and if I set them free it will help counteract the Mechanics Guild’s propaganda that I’m a danger to all Mechanics and out to enslave everyone.”
“Since these are Mechanics, the decision is yours,” Princess Sien said. “But I think your ‘half a mind’ is correct. Consider this also: If you release these Mechanics, set them free to go back to the Guild, those who run the Mechanics Guild will wonder why. Why is Master Mechanic Mari freeing these Mechanics? Did they make a deal, perhaps? Can they be trusted any longer, can anything they report be believed, and should they be punished for the crime of being caught and released?”
Mari paused, thinking. Alain could see her reluctance, but eventually she nodded. “All right. I don’t like sending people to be punished for acts they didn’t do, but that sort of thing is what is needed to undermine the Senior Mechanics, and if the Senior Mechanics get undermined enough maybe the Guild will collapse from within. Sien, I asked how long you’d have to stay here for two reasons. The first is that General Flyn says the food and fodder my army brought will last us about another week. There are some ships bringing supplies on the way, but even with them Minut can’t handle feeding all of us, so we’ll have to either disperse through the countryside or head back to our warehouses in Pacta Servanda. The other reason is that the general thinks the campaign to retake Minut went well enough that we should seriously consider trying to gain control of Tiaesun as well before the rainy season hits. The strength of my army and your own are growing rapidly enough that Flyn thinks we would not be overextending to do that. But decisions about how and where to employ the army of Tiae remain with you.”
Sien inhaled deeply, gazing into the distance. “I do not trust my own instincts on this, Mari. Tiaesun was not just the capital of Tiae, it was the jewel in the crown of the kingdom. My heart longs to see it again, though I am certain the Shining City must be much diminished. Over the years, different factions have fought for control of Tiaesun, each siege and each conquest doing more damage. To rule Tiaesun again, to begin rebuilding it…” She shook her head. “I will speak with my advisors. I want this too badly to make the decision on my own. What do you see in me, Alain? Am I lying to myself?”
Alain inclined his head respectfully toward her. “You are speaking truth to yourself. Like Mari, you do not take the easy path.”
“Now you flatter me, Alain.” Sien smiled at them both. “Our aides and advisors wait outside, doubtless frantic to ask our guidance on matters large and small. Are you ready to face them?”
“Our friends wait outside, too,” Mari said.
“A princess cannot afford friends,” Sien said. “I learned that the hard way. It is too dangerous for the princess and too dangerous for the friends. But, despite my resolve to have no more, I have two, and they are here with me now. Come, Lady Mari and Sir Mage Alain! Our people await!”
Alain felt himself smiling slightly as he walked with the two women out of the room and into a gaggle of eager men and women with dozens of questions that had to be answered. But the smile vanished as his foresight suddenly showed a vision of mobs rampaging through burning cities.
A small victory had been won, but the Storm still threatened the world.
* * * *
Four days later, Mari led her horse to where Alli was supervising her guns being lashed onto large, flatbed wagons. Mari dismounted stiffly, her bruised thigh better but far from healed. “How are your girls, Alli?”
“They’ve been better.” Alli hopped down off one of the wagons, dusting off her hands. “Number one may be a total loss, though I might be able to salvage the barrel. Number two can be fixed. When are you going to need them again?”
“Maybe in a month.”
“A month?” Alli raised her eyes to the sky as if pleading. “It’s a good thing you’ve got me working for you.”
“I tell myself that every day,” Mari said. “Alain and I are going to be heading out tomorrow for Pacta Servanda.”
“With an escort? Because I’d like one for these wagons.”
“Yeah. Four troops of cavalry. We’re going to sweep the countryside for bandit gangs on our way east and south. You and Calu and the girls are more than welcome to come along.”
Alli leaned back against the wagon, crossing her arms as she eyed Mari. The dozen cavalry troopers who were guarding her waited at a discreet distance, one holding the banner of the new day. “You’re riding everywhere these days, your daughterness. And soldiers follow you around waving your flag. Very glamorous.”
“Don’t call me that,” Mari said. “You know why I have to have the escort, with assassins from the Great Guilds and random killers of other kinds coming after me, you know how little I like it, and you’re one of the people who insisted that I needed a banner. As for riding, I have to ride to get everywhere I need to go. I love horses, but I don’t love what riding them does to my butt. And speaking of pains in the butt, Alli, I’m worried that the Great Guilds may be working together more frequently.”
“Senior Mechanics and Mage elders talking to each other?” Alli asked. “If you’re responsible for that, you’ve got another miracle to claim credit for.”
“Gee, thanks.” Mari yanked the reins to stop the mare’s attempt to nibble on her hair. “Asha thinks the Mages had foresight warning that we’d come to Minut and that they tipped off the Senior Mechanics. That was how that assassin and the other Mechanics could get here.”
“That’s plausible,” Alli agreed. “They already cooperated that way at Edinton. Speaking of those other Mechanics the Guild sent, I think I recognized one of them, and I’m pretty sure he recognized me. If he’s who I think he is, I knew him from the weapon workshops in Danalee.”
Mari jerked the reins again, wondering why this mare was so attracted to her hair. “Those Mechanics definitely weren’t trained killers. It sounds like our guesses from questioning them were right. They were sent to see what we’re building.”
“The Guild must have heard rumors about you having access to banned technology. The Senior
Mechanics would want to know if that was true. But we threw off their plans to carefully study the situation when we hit Minut and overran the city so fast. Still, those Mechanics would have seen some of the new rifles, and probably saw how we used them against the warlords.”
“Yeah, but they didn’t get to examine any of them closely, and there’s very little chance they saw any of our new far-talkers. I wonder if they were able to pick up how we were using the Mages to support our attack?”
“I doubt it,” Alli said. “I don’t believe that stuff, even though I’m using giant imaginary birds to help spot for my artillery. Calu doesn’t haven’t any problems with it, because he goes off into la-la-theory-land and doesn’t concern himself with whether or not anything makes sense. How did a greasy-handed Mechanic like me ever get involved with a theorist?”
“Are you asking me? The girl who married a Mage? We’ll be meeting up tomorrow at the east gate just after dawn. See you there.”
“Sure,” Alli said. “Hey, you know I tease you to keep your head on straight, right?”
“I know it and I love you for it, when I’m not mad at you for it,” Mari said.
“Aw, I love you, too. How are you sleeping these days?”
Mari paused, and sighed heavily. “About as usual.”
“That bad? I wish I could do more to help with that,” Alli said, all trace of levity vanished for the moment.
“I’ve got Alain,” Mari said. “My dreams aren’t so bad when his arms are around me.”
“Then spend more time that way! Hey, try to look up Bev when you see Flyn. She’s sort of gloomy.”
“More than usual?” Mari said, trying to get the mare to stand still so she could get into the saddle. “Why do mares always give me so much trouble? Maybe I should try a stallion.”
“Get a gelding. Once they’re castrated, males behave a lot better.” Alli grinned. “Male horses, that is. I’m not sure anything can make male humans behave better. Oh, hi, Alain!”