Chronicles of Death

Time passed and Cordelia was at last left to her own devices. The General flipped through parchment, smoke escaping from the corner of her lips after she took a deep inhale from a curved pipe. Confident her target was alone, Katya abandoned her raven form and walked just within the tent. She waited. Cordelia did not notice her at first and sat humming as she went over her parchments.

The Water General did not behave like a woman being hunted.

Weary of her work, Cordelia set aside her pipe and then turned at long last to where Katya stood, observing. Her dark skin drained of color and her pupils contracted with fear. Then Cordelia sat in her canvas seat and leaned back with a sad smile.

“I knew you would come for me.” Cordelia did not reach for any weapons despite the fact that there was a blade within her grasp. “They have nicknamed you Death.”

Katya said nothing, hand upon the hilt of her sword so Cordelia understood how foolish it would be to attack her.

“You’re a ghost. A whisper. A story. The only truth that I’m certain of is that you want my key. None of the others were found with my fellow Generals. And since you want those keys, I imagine you intend to kill Veran. Yes?” Cordelia was intelligent. Katya bowed her head in confirmation.

“In that case, I offer my key to you freely.” Cordelia stood and walked to a cot in the corner of the tent. “I have it hidden here beneath my pillow.” She turned in such a way to show Katya that she wasn’t reaching for a hidden weapon. Then she removed the key from beneath her pillow. Blue with a handle shaped like waves. She held it out to Katya, but Katya did not reach for it. “You don’t trust me. You find it suspicious that I would so readily betray the deity who gifted me with power and responsibility?”

“Yes.” She spoke flatly to disguise her voice. Cordelia’s posture shifted.

“Mahinaka is overdue for change. Lupinaio and its peoples deserve more than to live at the mercy of selfish Gods. We cower beneath oppressive regimes with the empty promise of care and freedom because they cannot be stopped. We are taught that without them, we cannot survive. That Lupinaio will fail without their leadership. Yet Lupinaio fails because of them. Only those willing to sacrifice their humanity thrive beneath them. Lupinaio needs no Gods, Death. And its people need no guidance from those who cannot possibly comprehend their needs. I have done terrible things under orders from Veran. Things I cannot undo. Yet, I hope for change. Kill Veran. End his tyranny. We stand no chance with him at the helm. They will destroy us if we do not destroy them.”

“And Lysette? Do you not fear what becomes of your people? Do you not fear retaliation? Without its leader, Mahinaka will be vulnerable to her wicked hand.”

“I’m afraid of a great many things but my greatest fear is that we will never be free. We don’t have a chance while Veran lives and breathes. I cannot pretend to know your motives, stranger, but I have gathered a few things about you from these reports.” She held up the parchments she’d been studying. “You have left little evidence behind. You have not harmed anyone innocent in the line of fire. The women from the pub that night were unharmed. Aither’s captive mysteriously disappeared. Not much was thought of those things by my fellow soldiers, but I saw your intent within the things you did not do.”

“And what if I were to tell you that it was not only Veran’s life I sought to end? But all the Gods.”

“I’d say good. We’d finally be free. No matter what you do, Death, Lupinaio is at a dangerous turn. The Gods have been failing for years, our resources running dry, our people dying. There is no greatness left except in old stories and new lies. Lysette is mad. And no matter what any of us do, she is coming. They all must die. All of them. Now that we know they are capable of death, it must happen.” Cordelia returned to her worn canvas seat. “What about Lysette? Do you intend to kill her too?”

“I do.” Katya looked again at the key that Cordelia offered her. “I do not trust you, Water General.”

“Good. I have not given you reason to.” The corner of Cordelia’s lip curled in the quickest smile. “Still, I offer news. Veran is frightened, by all accounts. He fears an army will storm his palace and claim him. You are no army. You are but a woman and while I do not doubt your skill, the task you wish to accomplish requires an army. Veran has gifted a substantial portion of his magic to his Generals but that does not make him weak. He is not to be underestimated.” Katya was grateful for the mask that would hide her surprise. None of this encounter had been what she’d expected. “You will need guidance. I can offer you a map. Airways, waterways, secret passages. When Veran had his palace locked away, I oversaw its fortification.”

“And you offer this to me? Freely?”

“I don’t expect you to trust me. But we are ready for change.” Cordelia picked up the blade atop the parchment on the table and set it aside. Then she unraveled another parchment atop it. It was, as she claimed, a map of Veran’s fortified palace. Katya took only a step closer, keeping as much distance as she could between her and Cordelia. She’d learned her lesson with Torrance. There was no honor left in Lupinaio.

“This is the central entrance. The only one still accessible by any means. Obviously, you know that four gates were built in the foyer and that our keys unlock them. Not only were keys given to us Generals, but guards and trials are set between each gate. The remaining entrances to the palace were sealed with Veran’s magic. Only he can release them.” Cordelia showed her the other entrances to the castle that were now marked with an X.

“The second floor is dedicated to him and his wives. His wives live in the eastern wing. They are permitted access to the entire wing but only with a guard. They are kept under lock and key but are to be available to him at all hours.”

“How many?”

“27.” Cordelia’s eyes were dull, and her shoulders dropped. “Be kind to them. None of them were given a choice to marry him. They did so under pain of death for them and their family.” She tapped the map. “Before the war they were allowed many privileges for their service but since he locked himself away, they have become prisoners. I do not know if they are even being fed. I do not know if they will still be alive.”

“Tell me, General of Water, how is it you came to power beneath a tyrannical King?”

“I won’t pretend I’m not proud of the tale.” Cordelia grinned but avoided eye contact. “In an attempt to raise morale, he held a great tournament of champions. A tournament of battle and skill. Women were not permitted entry, of course, so I disguised myself as a man. I’m tall and my shoulders are broad. I was not questioned. Because I was skilled, they all assumed I could not possibly be a woman in disguise.”

Katya had dealt with that a fair number of times in Mahinaka. She’d had to remind herself repeatedly that not everyone in Lupinaio was like this.

“When I won the tournament and my identity was revealed, Veran was furious, but the people loved it. A woman! It surely had to be a stunt planned by Veran. He did not wish to look the fool. So, I was given the title and a pact as promised. Then treated terribly in hopes I would resign. They thought me frail, but they were wrong. I survived them all. As war heightened, it did not matter what my gender and sexuality were. I proved I was capable in battle and leadership. My men trust me. Not all who dwell here are like what you have seen, Death. Most do not know better. Most are complacent. But change will save many. I have faith in that.”

“I see.”

“I will not pretend to mourn the loss of my fellow Generals. Do you think that makes me a bad person?”

“No. It makes you a person.”

“You are wise, Death.” Cordelia’s guilt hung around her like a heavy weight. “I know that the continued war will mean the loss of life. War is terrible for all sides. But it is also the only chance we have at freedom.”

“May I take this map?”

“Yes. It is yours.” Cordelia rolled up the parchment and offered it to her. Katya took it. “Veran is on edge. He knows someone is hunting him. I will send word to the palace that Death came for me, and I slayed him.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I know that you do not trust me. I have sacrificed my morals for my position of power. But I have been using that position to create opposition. A quiet rebellion stirs within Mahinaka. Our numbers were never great enough. Until now. In the morning, I will march my troops to the capital. We will be ready to storm the palace gates if you require. Is there a signal of some kind you could send to me?”

“I can send you a raven.”

“Perfect.” Cordelia’s curiosity got the best of her. “A raven?”

Many considered the bird an ill omen, but Katya had always thought they were kind of cute. Sweet. They were intelligent. She’d fed them on her farm, and they had never bothered her crops. In the old stories, they were associated with Vrana, the God who had proclaimed he was a demon so that he would not be worshipped. He was known for his love of birds of prey.

“I cannot trust you, General. Perhaps someday I can after you have proven yourself. I will assume that you will alert Veran to my coming.” Expect the worst and hope for the best. It was the only way.

“I will earn your trust, Death. We are ready for war. We are ready for change. Kill him. Free us.”

“I will take what you have offered to me freely.” Katya held her palm out to Cordelia who placed the small key within it. Katya then held it beneath her cloak in her fist. She would wait until she was alone to place it with the others. Once Veran was dead, she would know where Cordelia’s loyalties truly lied.

“It will take half a day for word to reach Veran. Wait an entire day just in case.”

“That is all I will grant you.” Katya then left the tent and the encampment, making certain she wasn’t followed. Once out of sight, she became the raven and returned to town. She landed on the window of her room at the inn and crept inside. Once within her room, she released the magical form of the raven and admired the final key. She would take Cordelia’s words to heart, but she would not put stock in them.

She crawled into bed. Rest was needed before the final stretch.