The Last Warrior (3 page)

“U
HR
-T
AO
, U
HR
-T
AO…”

The cheering was thunderous as the army entered Palace Square. Tao looked up in reverence. He could see this sight every day and never tire of it. The palace was a visual masterpiece, a fantastical creation built in much darker times, perhaps as a testament to the power of hope, or a way to show the Gorr that it wasn't as easy as they might think to kill the human spirit. Balconies festooned in carved stone ringed the lowest floors, the entire building narrowing to four towers where blue-and-white flags of the kingdom fluttered. Underneath, invisible to all, was an elaborate system of drainage pipes, many wider than a man was tall, to divert the deluge from the yearly monsoon. They emptied into the vast expanse of the moat, home to a pod of voracious, deadly tassagators, reptilian water creatures native to this world. The moat was the palace's best defense against Furs and humans alike. If a human were to actually survive a tassagator attack, the venom would
kill, slowly and excruciatingly. There was no known antidote. No need for one, really. Anyone who fell in the moat was presumed eaten for dinner.

Before he'd been taken to train as an Uhr-warrior at age twelve, he, Markam and even Aza would explore the pipes on dares as children. They'd toss stones and the occasional dead rodent into the moat to attract the terrifying interest of the gators, then run, shrieking, into the deeper safety of the pipes. The humid and slightly sour air arising from the waters sparked memories of those carefree days.

My past, my present and my future, all meeting here and now.

He raised his hand to halt the army. As the men spent long moments soaking in their deserved acclaim, the royal family and various dignitaries awaited him across the drawbridge spanning the moat.

He let out a soft laugh of joy when he recognized his sister, her slender frame swollen with child, her bright gaze longing and urgent.
Aza.
A dazzling smile lit up her face when their eyes met, hers the vivid pure green of their mother's in contrast to his, the more hazel green of their father's.

Tao's combat-hardened heart softened at the sight of her. Too few moments in recent years had been spent together. That was about to change.

He dismounted and stroked a hand down Chiron's muscular neck. The great horse dipped his head, blow
ing softly. “Being put out to pasture won't be so bad, Chi,” he told the beast. “You'll see.”

He handed the reins to an aide. His armor was removed by his master-at-arms, Pirelli, his helmet given to yet another officer, his second-in-command, Mandalay.

“Sir, it's been an honor,” Mandalay said, emotion in his eyes.

Tao glanced from Mandalay to a clearly moved Pirelli. “The honor's mine, gentlemen.”

With emotion of his own swelling in his chest, he squared his shoulders. Standing tall, he strode across the drawbridge to the palace steps where the blessing ceremony would take place.

Although Aza smiled with love and pride and was as lovely as ever, up close he saw details he hadn't expected. Too-pale skin, lines where there hadn't been any before, tired shadows under her eyes. Where was the carefree girl he remembered? Palace life seemed to have sucked the spirit out of her as thoroughly as a Gorrish bloodsucker emptied a corpse. Two small children and another on the way—clearly his sister was exhausted. He imagined Xim was not an easy man to live with.

But it was Aza's duty to do so. Their family had always served the royals, from supplying commanders to lead their armies to providing beautiful wives for their princes.

Tao sought his brother-in-law's eyes and nodded. Pouting, as Markam had predicted, the man looked as though he'd swallowed a melon before finally acknowledging Tao with a reluctant lift of his brows.

Look within my soul, Xim, and you will see I have no interest in your throne.

As Tao approached the waiting priests, he tried to clear his mind of doubts, of hostile Kurel, weary sisters and impetuous kings, for he wanted to remember this moment for what it was. With all resentment purged from his heart and only the humility of a servant of the realm, he plunged to one knee.

The crowds grew hushed in anticipation. The hot breeze felt cool as it ruffled his hair. The picture of deference, he lowered his head in anticipation of Uhrth's blessing.

A priest sang as he dribbled holy water over Tao's head and neck. Liquid spattered and pooled like gemstones on the marble, a fitting nod to Uhrth's angels.

Born on their watery world beyond the sky, they journeyed across the mystical ocean of stars in great arks to the chosen lands of Tassagonia, thriving until the arrival of Gorr invaders. The two sides fought to near-extinction, until all the arks were destroyed on both sides, stranding the two enemies on Tassagonia forevermore.

They'd been fighting ever since.

Each shivering droplet reflected the sky. The holy
water used in the ceremony came from the only artifact to survive from the days of the Old Colony: the Seeing Bowl. It was said that within its waters the rightful ruler of Tassagonia could be viewed and the future revealed. Tao couldn't help but wonder what Xim saw when he stared into its depths.

 

“I
DON'T KNOW WHAT
to do, Elsabeth.” The queen was pacing nervously after returning to her private apartments to change clothing for the banquet. Several handmaidens waited in her chambers next door for her to return, but she'd sought out Elsabeth in the adjacent nursery classroom as soon as the blessing was over.

The room was darkened with thick curtains, the children playing with their toys as naptime approached. “Xim is so jealous of Tao,” Aza said. “He's always been. Since they were boys. Tao was always stronger, better at everything, but my brother is Uhr-born and bred, you see. Born to do battle.” She swallowed hard, whispering, “Born to die for us, Elsabeth. But Xim, he was born for another path. Only, he's never been able to value what qualities are his alone.”

“Hush, now. Sit.” Elsabeth helped Aza onto a chair as a maid bustled around the room, pretending not to eavesdrop. The servant was Tassagon and not to be trusted.

“There.” Elsabeth moved the queen's hand to her
rounded belly. “Reach deep for calm. Being upset isn't good for the baby.”

Aza nodded, trying to slow her gulps of air. She took Elsabeth's hand and briefly squeezed it in hers. Once, years ago, it would have been an overly familiar, inappropriate gesture. By now it was automatic. They were friends across classes, across cultures, Kurel and Tassagon. But would Aza feel the same if she learned her children's tutor was a Kurel rebel with the goal of seeing her husband deposed?

“Miss Elsabeth. Pick me
up!
” Prince Maxim held out his chubby hands, and Elsabeth pulled him up to her hip. Drowsily, Max snuggled close, smelling of powder and milk. Little Princess Sofia climbed onto the queen's lap, to play with a strand of enormous pearls the color of her skin.
Oblivious to the danger swirling around them all,
Elsabeth thought, envying the babe's utter innocence. The maid left, but Elsabeth still could not relax.

“I didn't know the depth of my husband's jealousy at first,” Aza said, absently stroking Sofia's golden hair. “One day, not long before King Orion died, Xim was in an awful rage. He told me that the king, his own father, loved Tao more. He recited a dozen incidents he thought proved it. At the funeral, he showed no grief, none at all. He seemed…” Aza's gaze drifted away, darkening. “Victorious. It was so odd, even horrifying, as if by dying, his father had lost and Xim had won. I
wept that day for Orion, and I wept for my husband. I weep every day for him, Elsabeth. Hate is rotting his soul, Uhrth help me. It's putrefying his humanity like a dead body left out in the sun. I fear he'll do harm to my brother, and he'll do it without a care.”

Elsabeth crouched next to her. “Please. The baby. Go, get dressed for your party, laugh with your brother. Don't worry about anything. Others will make sure the general is safe.”

“Others will? Who?”

Wrenching hope glowed in the queen's anguished stare, making Elsabeth regret the words that had just spilled from her lips. She had to be careful or Markam would be executed, Tao would be captured or killed, the ghetto burned and Tassagonia would be no closer to ridding itself of its parasite king.

Elsabeth tried to keep her voice and words as neutral as possible. “Everything will work out, My Queen. You'll see.”

Their eyes met, and a sort of understanding passed between them. Aza's shoulders lost some tension, and she drew her daughter closer. Whatever the queen had gleaned from Elsabeth's gaze was enough.

Elsabeth hoped the knowledge didn't kill the woman.

“Don't forget to come fetch me from dinner before the night nurse arrives. I want to see the children before bedtime.”

“I will,” Elsabeth promised.

The queen started to leave, then stopped. “And Elsabeth…?”

“Yes, My Queen?”

“You're a love for listening to me.”

A pang of guilt. Everything Aza confided went straight to Markam.

The queen left to change gowns and prepare for the banquet. The children were carried away for their naps. Elsabeth remained in the classroom, pulling out a forbidden book and cracking it open to read, as she did many a quiet afternoon in the palace. After all, the children were still too young to endure long hours of learning. Often Aza would find her and ask for a lesson in reading, but always when Xim was far from her chambers. Elsabeth would fill the rest of the boring hours with her nose in storybooks, getting lost in other people's adventures.

Can I count on you, Elsabeth?

She closed the book and flattened her hand on the cover. The memory of Markam's request for help ended all hopes of reading. She should be living a safe life as a nice Kurel accountant's wife, spending the afternoon curled up in a cozy cottage with a favorite book and a cup of honey-tea. Instead she was biding time in a stone fortress, at risk of getting caught in a crime that could see her executed for treason.

At least she'd give them a reason for her execution. Her parents had given them none.

Yes, you can count on me.

A
FTER WASHING THE ROAD
dust from his skin and changing into his formal uniform, Tao arrived in the banquet hall. The bracing days of winter seemed a long way off with such intense light and heat pouring through the windows. Servants had drawn heavy drapes against the suns, blocking out the light but holding in the dense air. A veritable army of other servants perspired as they operated giant cogs and wheels to spin ornate fans overhead, creating a much-needed breeze.

Savory scents made Tao's belly grumble and his mouth water. He'd eaten reasonably well in the encampments in the Hinterlands—plentiful game, fruits, nuts and vegetables—but it was a soldier's diet prepared by his men or one of the female camp followers, not palace chefs who'd outdone themselves preparing a boggling array of delicacies. Snatching a piece of pastry-encased roasted meat off an offered tray, he popped it in his mouth, chewing contentedly. Aza was
at his side, cheerfully filling him in on the passage of time, the children, her hobbies, yet only the barest details of her marriage, keeping her arm linked with his in the endless crush of well-wishers at the party.

“Savior of us all…”

“Thank you, good sir.”

Dancers spun close. “Warm your bed tonight, sir?” offered a dulcet voice.

“A scented-oil massage,” tempted another with a glimpse of kohl-lined dark eyes.

“I expected gratitude,” Tao confided to his sister, “but they're treating me like a demigod, for Uhrth's sake.”

Markam overheard and chuckled. “I told you, Tao, but you wouldn't believe me.” With a nod at Aza, he turned to leave them. “I will see you later, Tao.”

“You can't escape, Markam,” Tao said. “Not if I can't.”

“Some of us still need to work for a living. You, however, are on vacation.”

“Get back here and help me through this.”

Aza pretended to be indignant. “You make my parties sound no better than going to the dentist.”

“Both are a necessary pain, my dear sister.”

Aza pushed at him playfully, her laughter sweet. It did his heart good to see her this way. He couldn't put a finger on it, but she seemed more relaxed than
earlier. “Not to worry,” he assured her. “I'm enjoying myself immensely.”

Markam nodded at Aza, his smile for her gentle, then he strode away, careful to circumvent a troupe of musicians. The singers were belting out a ballad about Tao's exploits.

They were escorted to a table seating hundreds, Xim at the head, Aza at his right and Tao to the left. Down each side were Xim's loyalists. The banquet commenced, a circus of food and drink, marred by shallow conversation, overly long stories and competition for the king's favor amongst those retainers already favored enough to be seated in the hall. Platter after platter was presented, picked over and stuffed into hungry mouths. Limbs from roasted and smoked carcasses were ripped apart and slathered with gravy, and washed down with ale and wine.
The pointless excess of palace life,
Tao thought, while pretending to enjoy the event for his sister's sake.

Aza was in her element, making everyone laugh, while Xim alternately tore at his food and studied Tao. Hunting for malice in every word, every action, Tao was sure. As the evening wound down and the amount of wine consumed went up, the king grew more talkative. Out of the blue, he rested his weight on his arms and leaned forward. “Tell me, Tao. You've accomplished at twenty-eight Uhrth years what most
men haven't at eighty. What does a man do when he reaches the zenith of his life at such a young age?”

Tao almost choked on the wine he'd just sipped. “I would hope my life is anything but over. While the days of racking up military victories are behind me, the years ahead promise much to look forward to.”

“Like what?” Xim leaned back in his seat, his index finger curving under his chin. “You've driven back the Gorr and won me all the lands of the realm. What is left for you to do?”

“I'll settle on my family's ancestral lands outside the city.”

“In the hills,” Aza murmured, nodding. “We spent our summers there as children, to escape the monsoon. So lovely.”

Xim scoffed at Tao as if Aza hadn't spoken. “I can't see you farming.”

“My focus will be on the vineyards, overseeing the production of wine.”

“And heirs,” his sister put in with a wink. “I want many nieces and nephews to spoil. But first we'll have to find you a wife.” She squeezed his arm lovingly. Her perfume enveloped them. “There is no shortage of lovelies in the kingdom, but how will I find one to enchant you long enough to commit?”

“I've already had this talk once today,” Tao said. “Markam cautioned me against the hazards of marriage.”

“Did he?” A funny look came over her. She shifted her attention to pushing food around on her plate with a crust of bread. She'd hardly touched her meal. “What does Markam know of that?”

Xim watched them like a brooding hawk. “A wine-maker,” he sneered. “The Butcher of the Hinterlands, of all people.”

Tao bristled at the slur as Xim lifted his goblet to the light of a chandelier to study the burgundy liquid. “I wonder, will your wine be sweet…or taste like vinegar?” He narrowed his eyes at Tao.

“My estate will never be able to produce anything to compete with what your sommelier has served us tonight, Your Highness. That is a certainty. Your wine is like silk on the tongue. In a word, magnificent.” Tao lifted his goblet in a toast.

“Hmmph,” Xim said.

Eyeing each other warily, the two men emptied their glasses. Tao's didn't have a chance to land on the tablecloth before it was refilled. He waited for Xim's to be poured before he reached for his. An intricate game, politics was, but in a tedious, manipulative, unfulfilling way. Tao preferred battlefield planning, where the aim was for the greater good, not to further one man's ambitions.

With dessert, the dancers returned to entertain them. Barely a shred of clothing covered their gyrating bodies. A curvaceous dancer, with her jeweled skin
glistening and her eyes glowing with erotic promise, came spinning into his lap and kissed him.

Perhaps some bed sport was what he needed to reacclimatize to Tassagonia. Indeed, followed by a long soak in a hot tub, a massage and the remains of a good bottle of wine, all to be enjoyed without having to worry about Gorr slipping past the defenses to strike while he wasn't looking.

Tao murmured in the dancer's ear, “Find me after dessert,” and sent her away with a playful swat on her backside.

He stretched and leaned back in his seat, determined to enjoy himself. As he inhaled, he detected a new scent wafting over him, as fresh as dawn dew, in contrast to the spicy aroma of the entertainer. He twisted in his chair to see a woman with distinctive copper-colored hair walk up to the king and queen.

Well, well. She who thinks me a monster.

She stopped in front of the royal couple, hiking up her skirt hem to curtsy, revealing a few inches of white stockings. As she dipped low, the bodice of her dress gaped just enough for him to glimpse the swell of her breasts cradled in filmy white cotton.

That modest peek did more to fan his desire than any of the dancers in their provocative, barely there costumes. He was utterly aware of this female, who alone amongst the guests in attendance paid him no
regard at all, who treated him as if he were as compelling as an ant.

That was the Kurel for you.

She rose and released her skirt, ending Tao's casual appraisal of what was a very nice set of slender ankles.

“Ah, Elsabeth,” Aza said excitedly. “I want to introduce you to my brother, General Tao.”

Elsabeth's focus shifted to him. The expression on her face was typically Kurel, as impenetrable as a Barrier Peaks ice cave in winter.

“Hello, Elsabeth,” Tao said dryly, with a hint of a conspiratorial smile. She'd be forced to interact with him now.

“He won't bite,” Aza teased with obvious affection for the silent girl, “though sometimes he acts it.” Her warning glance at Tao clearly said,
Be nice.
“Miss Elsabeth is the royal tutor. An extraordinary one at that.”

“I believe it, Aza. We've actually met, this morning while Miss Elsabeth was on her way to work.”

“Wonderful!” Aza clapped her hands together.

“Elsabeth was in a hurry. There was no time to stop and talk. But,” he said dryly. “I hope I kept her from being late.”

Everyone was listening now. Elsabeth's blue eyes bored into his for one brief, dismayed moment. And then she actually blushed. When was the last time any
woman turned red around him? The camp followers certainly hadn't seemed capable, no matter what feats his fellow officers suggested they perform.

Elsabeth explained to the queen, “I was stopped on my way to the palace for a random security inspection. The general graciously shortened the process.” She faced him. “General Uhr-Tao, please forgive my belated thanks. My gratitude is genuine.”

Her cool eyes told a different story.

She returned her regard to Aza, and her expression warmed considerably. “Your Highness, I have come to inform you of the night nurse's arrival.”

Aza started to rise. Xim's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist to jerk her back into her seat. His sister's swift, frightened gasp almost had Tao on his feet, ready to intercede, when her quick glance warned him not to.
It's all right,
her eyes said.

Tao's muscles remained coiled. It was not
all right.

“Leaving, Aza?” Xim's smile was at odds with the tautness of his body. “The party isn't over.”

“It will soon be time for Elsabeth to go home. I wanted to check on the children before the night nurse takes over.”

“That worthless Kurel will go when you tell her to go.”

Elsabeth stood with her eyes meekly downcast, but Tao wagered they were filled with fear and venom.
What terror had Xim roused in his own kingdom? What hatred?

“There's a sunset-to-sunrise curfew for Kurel-Town,” Aza said quietly, “which
you
imposed, Your Highness. She cannot be out after dark.”

Xim made a disdainful sound. “I suppose if we let one of them circumvent the rules, they'll all want to.” He waved irritably. “Go then.”

When Xim made no move to help his pregnant wife to her feet, Tao stood and moved behind the king's chair to reach his sister's, but Elsabeth had started to assist the queen at the same time. Aza waved him away. “I'm fine,” she whispered.

“You're lying,” he whispered back.

Stubbornly, she pressed her lips together, appearing more embarrassed by Xim's treatment of her than afraid. As a little girl, she'd been fearless. She still was, it seemed.

“I'll see you on the morrow, dear brother. Go, enjoy the wine.” Her gaze darted to the entertainers. “And maybe a dancer or two.” She bent down to Xim, taking his startled face in her hands, and kissed him on the mouth until his resistance melted into passion. To the delighted applause of those at the table, she smiled down at him. “Thank you, my husband, for this wonderful feast and for welcoming my brother with such generosity.”

Her eyes flicked to Tao, willing him to remain, then
she walked away, holding on to Elsabeth's offered arm. Astounded, Tao watched her go. It seemed his sister was better at politics than he was, by far.

Aza's departure stole all the levity from the meal, and certainly from Tao.

“Help me up,” Xim demanded of those who seemed to have no more purpose in life than to hover in the vicinity of their king. Aides who had ignored the queen now hastened to pull back his chair and brush crumbs from his clothes.

The king was unsteady on his feet as Tao followed him and the other revelers to the ballroom, scouring the area for Markam. First, violence in K-Town. Now, Aza's welfare. What else was his old friend keeping secret out of some misguided need to protect him?

Politics,
Tao thought with renewed distaste.
Too many shades of gray here in the capital.

On the battlefield, life was simple. Everything was black and white. Yes, and red. Memories rippled through his mind, the night shattered by screams…the stench of death, and of the Gorr…

Someone tugged at his sleeve, startling him. “General! I thank you. All in my home thank you.”

A paper-wrapped cake was pushed into his hands as he blinked away the waking nightmare. Peacetime would take some getting used to.

“If not for you, General, where would we be?”

“Dead, I tell you,” said another.

Adoring fans clustered around him, all hoping for a private word or simply a chance to touch his uniform. They pressed him for war stories, tales of heroism and combat with the Furs. What few questions he answered terrified them and only made them insatiable for more. A few even offered their daughters' hands in marriage, which would have pleased Aza and amused Markam, all while Xim alternately conferred with his cronies and glowered at him. In that moment, Tao would have traded life in the city for one more night under the stars in a Hinterlands encampment.

Firmly declining further pleas for his attention, he escaped the ballroom's thick, oppressive murk of perfume, sweat and smoky oil lamps, and went in search of fresh air.

 

E
LSABETH CLOSED THE DOOR
to the nursery behind her, pausing for a moment to search the shadows and gather her thoughts before leaving for the ghetto. The queen had acted both sad and determined, leaving Elsabeth certain her intent was to lure Xim into her bed tonight to distract him, insurance against potential harm to her brother.

Maybe it wasn't necessary. Tao wouldn't be alone tonight. The giggling dancer he'd played with on his lap would be playing in his bed before too long. Many more females would frolic on his lap and between his sheets tonight and in the nights to come. It was
rumored Uhr-warriors had sexual appetites as voracious as those of the beasts in the animal kingdom.