Survivors: Book 4 Circles of Light series (42 page)

Kasheen glanced at
Jakri who shrugged. ‘If Your Greatness intends the Heads of the
Houses and their mages to meet these guests, there will be no need
for secrecy.’

The Empress clapped her
hands. ‘My private garden is close by – a passage beyond the dais
takes you to it. You would be most welcome to use it. And there are
bathing and resting chambers adjoining.’

‘Perhaps you could let
me see the place?’ Gan stood, taller than the Imperial
Blossoms.

‘I’ll show you.’ Sariko
seemed delighted that the rigid etiquette of daily life was quite
ignored by these people.

Gan waited for
Kasheen’s nod of assent and then he followed the tiny figure of the
Empress towards the dais.

‘I have ten warships
ready to sail and another ten being readied. Each carries one
hundred warriors, five Imperial Blossoms and three mages.’ The
Emperor caught a slight movement from the still standing
Lytzee.

‘Speak,’ he
commanded.

‘Imperial Wonder, where
will we sail for? Harbour City is many leagues from the desert
land. I think the captains might be asked to find somewhere to land
the warriors on the eastern coast of Malesh.’

Kasheen nodded. ‘Tell
the archivist to send maps to me – he may give them to a Blossom
outside.’

Navan coughed politely.
‘The Survivor Captain Sefri has maps sir Emperor. Maps of
considerable detail of all this world.’

‘Does she indeed? I
didn’t know that.’

‘Well you’ve never paid
a visit to her have you?’ Tika raised a brow at the Emperor. To her
surprise he looked somewhat abashed.

‘I believed she was no
more. Although we had heard no word from her, I did send a message
when I first ascended the Crystal Throne, but I had no
reply.’

‘Her Ship has been
close to death,’ said Ren quietly. ‘Captain Sefri dared not leave
her since your grandfather’s time I think.’

Gan returned with the
Empress. ‘The Lady’s garden will suit,’ he told Tika.

She nodded, pushing her
chair back from the table. ‘I should tell you Kasheen, that there
are two ships in the river close by Green Shade. Three left Harbour
City but one was lost on reefs in a storm.’

Kasheen was interested.
‘Ships of the Maleshan coastal defenders?’

‘Erm, not exactly. The
mage Taseen hired them – they are from the pirate islands, under
the command of Shipmaster Kasmi. One of the ships was badly damaged
and is being repaired now.’

‘I will send one of my
fast patrols to see how we may facilitate the repairs. Also, it
would be most helpful to have a Shipmaster’s opinion of Maleshan
coastal waters.’

‘Taseen told us that
ships of Malesh do not venture far up either east or west coasts.
He said there were unpredictable weather and sea conditions which
made such sailing dangerous.’

Kasheen nodded at Ren’s
comment. ‘Do all Maleshan ships carry a mage with them?’

Ren shook his head.
‘Unless a Wind Sister is a mage?’ He gave Tika a questioning
look.

‘Maressa said Culinth
could ride the air and foresee weather systems but she didn’t think
she could manipulate them in any degree. If she could, she would
surely have saved Kasmi’s ship wouldn’t she?’ Tika was on her feet,
moving towards Farn. ‘Did you know there are other Survivor
Captains, other Ships, Kasheen?’ she asked casually.

She was watching both
the Emperor and Master Jakri and saw astonishment on both
faces.

‘I did not,’ Kasheen
replied. ‘I am sure Captain Sefri never mentioned the fact to any
of my forebears. There are others then?’

‘Two others that we
know of, possibly several more. One is in the city in the desert.
The Ship is trustworthy but the Captain is not.’

Gan was opening a large
door behind the dais, the gijan following on his heels.

‘I will tell you when
the Houses have gathered,’ Kasheen called.

Sariko fluttered behind
Sket. ‘And I will make sure you have all you need for your
comfort.’

Lytzee had answered a
scratch at the further door and now approached the table with
several rolls of parchment.

‘May I stay and see
these maps sir Emperor,’ asked Navan.

‘A good idea – Navan
isn’t it? Sit here and see what you make of them.’

Storm settled back
again along the wall: if Navan was staying here, then so was
he.

Jakri bowed as Ren made
to pass him. ‘I would be grateful for the opportunity to speak with
you Master Ren, if you would allow?’

The Wendlan and the
Drogoyan followed Brin from the lesser Chamber of Audience, being
careful not to step on his tail. They emerged into a courtyard that
had an immediately different atmosphere to the Family Garden. That
had a stultifying sense of stillness and death: even the plants
there had seemed to be struggling.Here, everything was alive and
cheerful, reaching up the many stories of the palace to the open
sky with an eagerness and vitality utterly lacking in the Family
Garden. Windows and doors opened onto this courtyard, although no
windows punctuated the walls soaring upwards.

The gijan were
delighted to find tiny birds, brilliantly coloured, calling and
darting among the trees and shrubs. They were fascinated by clouds
of butterflies which drifted over a small pool. While Ren and Jakri
made themselves comfortable on cushions beneath a small tree
heavily laden with dark pink blooms, Sariko was bowing to
Tika.

‘If there is anything
you need, ring the chime as I showed you inside and I will
return.’

‘Stay for a while if
you will Sariko.’ Tika sat on the grey flagged stone and Farn
settled behind her.

‘You did not seem as
surprised as the Emperor to learn of the reality of the Bound
Ones.’

Sariko pulled a cushion
closer and knelt on it, sitting back on her heels. She offered Tika
a rueful smile.

‘I was brought up on
stories of the Elder Races and the binding of the Four. I was born
to House Garnet. Like House Jade, my birth House places great
importance on discovering how the past influences the present and
the future.’

Just before the fifth
bell sounded, the Houses, both major and minor, arrived outside the
lesser chamber of audience. Tika had learnt a great deal from
Empress Sariko. Likewise, Gan had joined Ren and had exchanged much
information with Master Jakri. They returned to the audience
chamber and found Navan still poring over maps spread across the
table. Imperial Blossoms were lighting lamps set all around the
walls and light seemed to emanate from the whole of the vaulted
ceiling.

Kasheen joined them
from a small door set to the side of the dais, resplendent in an
ivory gown, hundreds of diamonds stitched into spiral swirls down
front and back panels. He wore a chain round his neck, heavy gold
links separated by jewels the size of plums – ruby, emerald,
turquoise, citrine, amethyst, sapphire – jewels such as Tika had
never imagined. She was amazed too at how quickly the Empress had
changed into an equally glittering robe, garnets among the diamonds
and a veil hiding her face.

The three gijan were
yawning. Leaf scooped Khosa into her arms and joined her brother on
Seela’s back. The purple Dragon reclined to the left of the dais,
Brin to the right with Piper lying along his neck. The five
companions and the Empress stood between the adult Dragons, Farn
and Storm reclining before them.

Kasheen gave them a
broad grin and turned towards the great doors. He nodded to the
Blossom who swung the doors open then marched back to stand at the
Emperor’s shoulder.

‘Grek?’ Tika’s query
was the merest wisp of thought.

‘I am here.’

She drew a steadying
breath as brilliantly robed figures escorted by plain gowned people
she guessed to be mages began to enter. Strange, but she felt a
relief knowing the unbodied entity was with them when she had
abhorred the very thought of him such a short while ago.

Kasheen glanced behind
him with a frown as the first of the Houses and mages approached
then the grin returned even as Brin rumbled softly.

‘Grek has hidden us.’
The crimson Dragon sounded amused.

Farn’s eyes whirred
with glee. ‘Won’t they have a surprise!’

Sket grunted and Tika
felt a bubble of mirth rising within her. She watched as the
gorgeously attired Heads of Houses bowed low to the Emperor, each
one flanked by two mages. She noticed there were a few women
present: most were mages but she saw three were clearly Heads of
Houses.

When all had entered
and the doors were closed again, Kasheen directed them to seat
themselves around the table where the maps still lay. Kasheen
remained on his feet.

‘We have much to
discuss my friends, but I would have you know there are other
guests in my palace this night.’

He extended his arm
towards the dais and Tika had time to wonder if Kasheen and Grek
had concocted this piece of melodrama between them. Grek released
the shielding and those around the table sat in stunned shock at
what was thus revealed.

Chapter
Twenty-Four

Kasheen introduced the
companions and explained as much as he knew of the situation in
Malesh. After the Wendlans had heard in their own minds, the voices
of the Dragons and then Gan’s calm recapitulation of the facts,
they had questions to ask. If Tika and Ren had been exhausted by
the questions of Storm’s Flight back on the Sapphrean coast, they
were nearly beaten to their knees by the Wendlans interrogation.
Almost at once House Chrysoprase demanded writing materials,
endorsed by House Carnelian. Seela half rose, prismed lavender eyes
darkening to violet.

‘Is it permitted that
these mages speak beyond the walls to their fellows outside?’ she
demanded.

‘What do they say?’ Ren
asked, looking round the table and noting which faces had flushed
or paled.

‘They describe this
place, they send images of us.’

‘And we – or I at least
– urge our fellows to begin checking spell books, medical supplies,
deciding which of us should travel to Malesh,’ one mage retorted
aloud.

Tika studied the stones
gleaming on the gown of the woman beside the mage: one of the three
female Heads of Houses. The woman caught Tika’s eye and
smiled.

‘I am Miako, Head of
House Carnelian. We are renowned as medical
practitioners.’

‘It might be wiser to
refrain from mind speech to those outside for now.’ Ren was calm
and polite but there was a suggestion of inflexibility in his
voice.

An elderly man in robes
as scarlet as Brin’s scales and with an enormous ruby glowing at
his throat, inclined his head.

‘Our Dragon guests at
least can obviously hear any mind speech from us, therefore as
Master Ren suggests, we should desist.’

There were nods around
the table and serious debate began. They talked long into the
night, discussing Wendla’s assistance to Malesh in regard to both
the sudden incursion of the desert tribes and the insane schemes of
Vorna the witch woman. Farn and Storm followed the example of the
gijan and were sound asleep before Imperial Blossoms brought
refreshments to the gathering.

At some point, Tika
realised Sariko had removed her veil and was talking animatedly
with another woman. There was a familiarity about the second woman
and when Jakri leaned across to say something, Tika saw the
resemblance. Jakri observed Tika’s attention and introduced
her.

‘Oniko, my mother, and
Head of House when I am otherwise engaged.’

Tika was surprised:
Oniko looked the same age as Jakri. Then she remembered that
apparently mages aged differently from untalented people. Jakri
named the two young men with his mother as J’Bak and Shek, his
apprentices.

Sket leaned close. ‘Is
this arguing going on until daybreak? For stars’ sake, you are as
tired as Farn – leave them to it and get some sleep.’

Sket’s words encouraged
an eye watering yawn and Tika managed a smile. She looked across
the table and saw Gan was watching her. He tilted his head towards
the dais and she climbed to her feet, Ren and Sket following suit.
Sariko reached for Tika’s hand.

‘My maid is within
hearing of the chime should you need anything. I will stay here a
while longer.’

Tika struggled with
another yawn. ‘You are more open to change than is the Emperor I
suspect.’

Sariko laughed. ‘Oh
most definitely. As a Head of House as Oniko is, I would have much
freedom, much influence, but as the wife of the Emperor I have
none. I welcome anything that might change that!’

Farn opened one eye,
the facets a soft blue. He rippled his wings and back muscles and
followed Tika from the chamber. Storm slept on and Seela and Brin
continued to listen to the words and thoughts of the Wendlans.
Khosa trotted behind Sket and reached the Empress’s courtyard just
as Farn settled around Tika. Khosa sat regarding them for a moment,
both already nearly asleep. She flicked a glance up at
Sket.