The Ways of Mages: Starfire (18 page)

To be challenged to such a thin
g…
there could only be one ending; death to the challenger. 

Silence fell upon the courtyard. She
yé
v stood in sweat smeared training clothes across from Kaishan. She
yé
v lifted his head when Kaishan faced him. His face was a mask of bravado. Kaishan narrowed his eyes wondering why his brother was doing this. She
yé
v knew from practice that Kaishan was the superior fighter. Why was She
yé
v challenging Kaishan to a Blood fight? One of them had to die and it  was
n’
t going to be Kaishan. There were mutters about the court as trainees discussed this fact. All of them were asking the same questions as Kaishan himself.

Questions did
n’
t matter. Kinship did
n’
t matter. Kaishan had been formally challenged and he had to protect what was his. Kaishan inclined his head in acceptance of the challenge. Silence reined in the courtyard again.              

“
What weapon do we use
?”
Kaishan asked, giving up his right as challenged. Such a thing was rare. Briefly he saw a glimmer of worry in She
yév’
s eyes. To give up the Right of Challenged, Kaishan had said he was comfortable with anything that She
yé
v picked. She
yé
v was starting to second guess himself. A dangerous thing to do since it made one hesitant. Kaishan smiled inwardly. Hesitation was the point. Any weakness in or could be made in the opponent was to be fully exploited.

She
yé
v was stockier then his twin. Being so, he favored using his brute strength in fighting. It had never let him down. Granted, he did
n’
t have that much since they were both newly seven, but that was how he favored fighting. Kaishan had more finesse. Any small hesitation on She
yév’
s part would only give Kaishan more time to make She
yé
v trip over his own feet.

“
Fists
.”
She
yé
v replied knowing that his twin preferred using a weapon to his bare hands. Perhaps he was
n’
t quite as good with his bare hands.

“
That all? Any restrictions
?”
Kaisha
n’
s voice was calm. Even so, one could feel its subtle power. Its tone unsettled She
yé
v further. He was regretting issuing the challenge. He could
n’
t even remember what prompted him to issue it. She
yé
v knew better than anybody that Kaishan was a natural with a blade. Even without one he was dangerous. Something had clicked in his brother that day with the sovashatash.

A cold chill ran through She
yé
v. He knew he was about to die.

She
yév’
s brow furrowed
.“
Restrictions? You only use fists. No swords, no staves. You use your own self
.”
He said, displaying his fists for Kaishan.

Kaisha
n’
s mouth twitched in a small smile.

She
yé
v was about to die. He swallowed. Where was his twin? Where was Kaishan? Who was this stranger?

Golden sunlight glittered in a parody of cheerfulness. Kaishan eyed his twin knowing that he was about to take life. His twi
n’
s life. Something trembled deep within him. There was something wrong with this Coldness; this want to defend his to the exclusion of all else.

He is my twin. He thought, struggling against the Coldness.

No. He is just another male bent on taking what is rightfully yours. The Coldness whispered. This is how life is. Only the strong survive. He was foolish enough to challenge you. He must pay. Kaisha
n’
s mind focused on the fight to come.

The twins squared off, eyeing each other. Kaishan calm and calculating, She
yé
v looking for a way out. The moment stretched long. She
yé
v began to grow finicky. He launched himself at Kaishan, hoping that he could take his twin by surprise and shear force. Kaishan was
n’
t there. He had sidestepped, his hands raised in a double handed fist. He brought it down. She
yé
v grunted, his back throbbing.  He turned and glared at Kaishan. Kaishan who stood as if She
yé
v had
n’
t done a thing.

Kaishan watched She
yé
v come at him again. He saw the fear and pain in his twi
n’
s eyes. Knowing his brother might expect the same trick again, Kaishan stood his ground, his arms in a blocking position. She
yé
v saw this and sped up. He knew he had a better chance now. Or so he thought. At the last second Kaishan turned out of the way, leaving his leg out for his brothe
r’
s flying lesson.

The hard ground gave She
yé
v a warm welcome that hurt like face planting typically does. She
yé
v could hear the other trainees laughing. The laughter died a quick death when Kaishan eyed the trainees.  They backed away and kept their silence. Kaishan turned back to his opponent who was sputtering on the ground. The gritty texture of soil in She
yé
v's mouth was humiliating. Kaisha
n’
s foot kicked him onto his back, the foot coming down on She
yév’
s neck. Panicked eyes were caught in Kaisha
n’
s gaze. She
yé
v was sure in that moment that his twin was heartless.

“
A blade is a mirror reflecting its wielde
r
…”
Excerpt from the Niram
i’
s Verse

Behind the calm mask there was a storm. Kaishan looked down at his brother clawing at the boot against his throat. So fragile, so vulnerable. So easy to snuff out life. Too eas
y…
Kaisha
n’
s heart cried out. He is my brother! He is my flesh and blood! I cannot do this! This is not right!

The Coldness responded.
Right? This is life. This is Sheyestiva.

His heart struggled and struggled, yet the boot remained. Slowly She
yé
v started to turn blue. His struggles became weaker and weaker. His eyes met Kaisha
n’
s; and should Kaishan live forever, he would never forget the look in his brothe
r’
s eye.  Impulsively Kaishan reached for his twi
n’
s mind. He needed to know what She
yé
v thought. He dove into his brothe
r’
s mind and met no resistance.

“
She
yé
v
?”
He asked a slowly fading light.

Something responde
d“
Why
?”
The response was like a wisp of fog.

“
She
yé
v, I ca
n’
t stop it! I ca
n’
t
!”
Kaishan felt his brothe
r’
s confusion
.“
Why did you Blood Challenge me
?”
He begged She
yé
v to answer.

“
I do
n’
t kno
w
…
”
She
yé
v opened his mind to Kaishan one last time. He would
n’
t need mind walls soon. He was dying as it was; his throat was crushed. Faintly, Kaishan felt the compulsion that his brother had been under. It was a sloppy working, but it had been enough. She
yé
v had only needed to state the challenge. After that, it would be too late.

Kaishan stared at his brothe
r’
s lifeless face and he felt something die within him. He glanced up at the spectators with eyes as cold as ice. His two remaining brothers stared at him, caught in his gaze. He knew he could break into their minds to know who made She
yé
v do this, but then they would know of his gifts. Instinctively he knew that was dangerous.

Kaishan swept his gaze over all of those who were present. All flinched back.
 “
Let it be said that She
yé
v Varcress, a prince of Sheyestiva, honored the Blood Challenge and died with valor. Let him receive a burial worthy of an honorable warrior
.”
He said. He turned then, sickened by what he had done, what his culture had forced him to do, and sick of those eyes watching him. His strides carried him toward the door quickly. It was the longest moment of his life.

“
Imasevi
!”
My Prince! Doesha
n’
s voice halted him before he could get out the door. Kaishan stopped dead. He closed his eyes. He wanted to leave, wanted to escap
e…
All of his thoughts he hid quickly behind a mental wall before he turned to Doeshan. He saw Doesha
n’
s wary eyes flick between him and the corpse.

“
Viya
?”
Yes? Kaisha
n’
s voice was soft and slightly dead.

“
His Imperial Highness descends
.”
Doeshan replied, gesturing to the eagle circling down into the training yard.

Kaisha
n’
s gaze locked upon the formidable form of his sire. Shan
té
v was the model of Sheyestivan brawn.  The emperor had lived a relatively long life on the throne. A life filled with battle. Scars received from long dead adversaries were mapped upon his skin. None had ever lived against Shan
té
v.

Shan
té
v took his time landing. His massive wings became the makers of a dust storm. When the dust settled, the emperor had returned to his true form. The empero
r’
s eyes glanced fleetingly at She
yé
v before turning his gaze upon Doeshan.

“
Who did this
?”
His voice held no remorse for his lost son, instead there was only curiosity.

Doeshan bowed to his leader before he opened his mouth to answer.

“
He Blood Challenged me
.”
Kaishan spoke before his trainer. All eyes went to him again. Kaishan met his fathe
r’
s gaze before looking down submissively. In that moment of eye contact, Kaishan felt his fathe
r’
s touch in his mind. It brushed through the mind of a young lad who only wanted to please his father and uphold the customs of his land. Shan
té
v did not see the confused thoughts of a boy who was sickened by what he had done, by what his lan
d’
s customs commanded that he do. Shan
té
v did not see that Kaisha
n’
s command of telecy was greater than others of his age.

The emperor saw only the perfect heir in this world of Sheyestiva. The boy had obviously proven that he could not be pushed around by those less than him and who knew who was boss.

Kaishan approached Shan
té
v and knelt before him with his head touching the floor; the kneel of an obedient child. Kaishan sat back on his heels
.“
There could have been no other outcome
.”
Kaishan continued without meeting Shan
tév’
s eyes.

“
There was none
.”
Shan
té
v said, a kind of pride coloring his tone
.“
Do not regret his death. He was a weakling. You did the Varcress line a favor
.”
Kaishan closed his eyes, letting the words wash over him, wanting them to erase his sense of guilt and betrayal. Why he felt those things, he did
n’
t know. He had done what his forefathers believed was right. All of his countr
y’
s laws supported him.  She
yé
v had challenged him. He had deserved death. Half of Kaishan stated.

She
yé
v had been used. The other half of Kaishan argued. Used by someone who wanted to get closer to the throne. Kaishan glanced briefly at his brothers. Shandova and
Té
shev stood watching their father. Kaishan would have to be very careful around them. Them and everyone els
e
…

“
Rise Kaishan, Our son and heir
.”
Shan
té
v instructed
.“
Go and refresh yourself. We will send for you. Doeshan, walk with Us
.
”

Kaishan watched the two men walk toward the door he had tried to flee through. The training court was silent until Doesha
n’
s second, Meiyan, turned to a young girl who saw to the drinks for the trainees.

“
Tessasigh, take care of that
.”
Meiyan indicated She
yé
v. In a loud voice he ordered the staring crowd to get back to work. Most of Kaisha
n’
s gaze was on the now shut door, but a small bit focused on Tessasigh as she dragged She
yév’
s body out like trash. They had
n’
t listened to him and his father did not care. He could say nothing more without drawing unwanted attention to himself. He bowed his head briefly in thought. His heart clenched uncomfortably, Kaishan shifted into his eagle form and launched himself into the sky.

Once clear of the training court Kaishan forced his wings to beat harder. The low burn felt so good he became lost in the sensation. The air became thin, forcing his laboring lungs to work harder. The cold air nipped his throat. Kaishan angled his body into a backward dive. He plummeted to the earth, his wings drawn tightly to his sides. Breath was stolen from his lungs, his passage was so swift. Wind tugged at his closed lids, weeding out tears.

“
Are you suicidal
?”
A mental voice called along the open bridge that Sheyestivans used to communicate upon the wind.

“
No
.”
Kaishan replied.

“
No? You have less than ten seconds before the earth kisses you
.”
There was dry amusement flavoring the voice.
 “
Besides, you are a youngling; a fledgling attempting to play as an experienced flier. For your age, you cannot be that experienced
.
”

“
I
t’
s a dive
.”
Kaishan explained.

“
A dive that requires skill and speed to pull out of before i
t’
s too late
.
”

“
Ah, but the feel of the wind is wonderful and with its currents one can feel the shape of the land below
.
”

The voice chuckled approvingly
.“
That is true
.
”

Kaishan laughed with him. A moment later he snapped his wings open, angling them to carry him back to the heavens. His momentum carried him swiftly away from the waiting, patient earth. Twisting and turning, Kaishan spiraled up. He spied the Sheyestivan whose voice he had heard. The eagle had landed upon the main entry platform which was a giant ledge protruding from the cliff. Two large black granite, delicately carved doors stood open all day. They were the black maw of the labyrinth of Kikel Varcressi, the seat of power of Sheyestiva, Kaisha
n’
s home. Kaisha
n’
s watcher shifted to his true form and vanished into the Kikel.

Kaisha
n’
s mouth went dry. He thought he recognized the man as Veirsha Merrendi. Kaishan nearly tumble back to earth, his shock was so great. Veirsha Merrendi was a hero to all of Sheyestiva. He was the Winged Dagger; the greatest of warriors, of blade masters. There was no one greater. And there was only one such warrior at a time. The succession was like that of everything else in Sheyestiva. The previous holder of the title had to die.

Veirsha Merrendi. The empero
r’
s right arm, his First Sword. There was no place of greater honor. Veirsha was even above Kaishan, himself, who was the High Prince. Only Shan
té
v was above the Legend.

And Veirsha had spoken to him!

“
Kaisha
n”
The empero
r’
s imperious voice called moments later.

Kaishan found his way to his imperial father. Emperor Shan
té
v was sitting at his desk in his study. Veirsha was standing before his lord with a thoughtful look upon his face. Beside the window was the Training Master, Doeshan. Kaisha
n’
s eyes fell toward the desk. It was a dark mahogany that had seen many years; many changes in ruler. A wonderful Sheyestivan custom dictated that the blood of the previous ruler must be poured over the desk. That was the reason for all the dark murky stains upon the wood.

So much bloo
d…
the desk was laden with it. Kaishan felt the Coldness lift its head in satisfaction. All is as it should be. It whispered to him. Kaishan shut his eyes to escape the desk. Nothing helped it his fathe
r’
s study. Blood was everywhere. It could only be expected of a war leader. Crimson tapestries hung upon the walls. Rust colored carpet covered the floor. The furniture was all mahogany.
The room was often referred to as the Room of Blood.

Kaishan bowed before his father, only looking up when his father acknowledged his presence.

“
Kaishan
.”
Shan
té
v seemed to be in a good mood today
.“
Merrendi has agreed to take you on as an apprentice
.”
Kaisha
n’
s surprise must have been written on his face for Shan
té
v chuckled benevolentl
y“
Why are you surprised, my son? You have proven that you have the raw talent for blades in training. Doeshan tells me that you have much potential
.”
Kaishan saw Doeshan nod his head with his lor
d’
s words
.“
Merrendi can take you farther than Doeshan could dream of taking you. And only today, you have shown your dominance to your lessers and submission to your betters. There is no reason not to reward you
.
”