OoOoO
After ten years spent alone in an Utunman prison, Vinie was nothing if not patient. It had taken weeks, perhaps months of careful planning and positioning to create this moment, all the while trying to coordinate the rapidly ballooning Factionist movement she, Gideo and her dad Bakko had created. There was only so far that they could go with public displays of disobedience, rallies and prison breaks though. This turning point had been a long time in coming, and Vinie knew there was only one road forward from here. They needed official support from the de-facto rulers of southern Goran.
That was why, on a blistering hot late summer day in Moaan, Vinie found herself dressed in heavy bronze plate armor and a red shoulder wrap; the official uniform of a Moaanese city guard. For the first time, she actually spared a flash of pity for the guards who had been constantly nipping at their heels for the past year. She would be ill-tempered too if she had to wear this miserable hot-house on her back every day. Even her arms which needn't have been covered to look the part were wrapped in cloth strips to hide the tell-tale scars crisscrossing her forearms; souvenirs of her very first rescue. Unfortunately, the magistrates were very, very detailed in their descriptions of Vinie as of late.
Vinie had never been inside the State Hall of Moaan before, and it looked even more impressive from the inside than it did outside. The walls rose soaring on all sides to round off into a polished dome so high overhead, birds might have flown inside with ease. The cylindrical hall was ringed with level upon level of walkways, all of which led off of the main dome into outer meeting rooms, offices and archives. All business and governance in the south converged here, in the State Hall.
Standing with her sandaled feet on the mosaic floor tiles, Vinie paused only a moment to look up at the highest ring. There, set perfectly opposite to the main entrance, was their destination. Even from down here, Vinie could see the gilt doors which led to the offices of the regents of southern Goran, Lord Xolani and Lady Oesu.
The shifting of armored plates to her side reminded Vinie of Reyson's presence. With a short nod up at the tall swordsman, Vinie set off at a brisk pace for the bottom of the sloping spiral walkway. Reyson moved at her side, stride synced to hers as a Moaanese guard would do.
"Oh, excuse me."
A courier with an armload of tightly bound scrolls nearly brushed into them when they reached the first level. Although not an intrusive presence, guards were always stationed in the State Hall, and so Vinie and Reyson passed without undue notice. Reyson attracted a quizzical glance here and there for the lightness of his face and broad arms, but nothing more. It wasn't until they reached the top floor that tension began to creep into their shoulders.
"You had word from Yidu, yas? Everyone is in place?"
Ignoring both Reyson's habitual double-checking, and his subconscious adoption of a southern accent, Vinie again jerked her head in a nod beneath her helmet, nearly causing the over-sized cap to wobble.
"It's only our people on this level," she assured him. Reyson's satisfied grunt confirmed that he had already known as much.
Trying not to pay too much attention to the vast openness of the State Hall past the railing on their right, Vinie and Reyson circled the walkway. Polished tiles clicked beneath their sandals, and tiny veins of gold leaf winked from the intricate patterns on the doors they passed. Only the highest ranked officials and states people had offices up here.
It had taken months for the Factionists to set up operatives this high into the State Hall. Thankfully, politicians were always looking for more clerks, and with the recent unrest Moaan was definitely always looking for more guards. What they didn't know was that several of their recent hires bore small black circles tattooed surreptitiously on their persons; the mark of the Factionists.
One such agent saw Vinie and Reyson as they passed on the walkway. Already on the move, she calmly ducked into her employer's office, closing and locking the door behind her. The guards they had planted wouldn't be able to remain in the State Hall after today, but the clerks would be. The information they had been passing to Vinie in Falerik was already to thank for making this day possible.
Through her spies in Moaan, Vinie had learned that Lord Xolani and Lady Oesu were, very guardedly, sympathetic to the Factionist cause. In fact, they had already succeeded in watering down or even blocking altogether some of the capital's harsher edicts concerning the Factionists. Execution upon capture, for example. No doubt King Mahir was getting fed up with Vinie's favorite hobby of jail-breaking her arrested supporters.
When Vinie and Reyson reached the regents' office, they were indeed met by a pair of familiar faces flanking the enormous, embossed doors. The undercover Factionist guards tapped the butts of their spears once, quietly on the floor, wordlessly indicating that everything was in place. Lord Xolani and Lady Oesu were at work inside their office, all guards on the top level of the State Hall belonged to the Factionists, and all of the other high-ranking politicians were safely locked away in their own offices. All that remained now was to begin.
Taking a deep breath, Vinie reached for the golden door handle. The metal felt heavy and warm under her palm. Aware of Reyson watching her, she steeled herself and pushed. Too much had gone into this plan to turn back now.
The regents of southern Goran looked up from where they sat at either arm of a half-moon desk facing the door. Lord Xolani's head, piled high with a colorful ochre wrap not unlike the ones Kiiss was fond of wearing, cocked in confusion.
"Is there something the matter?" he asked, setting down his quill and pushing his chair back from the desk. Lady Oesu glanced briefly at her husband, half-drafted letter still in hand.
"Not if you are open to hearing what we have to say, lord and lady regent," Vinie replied. At a nod from Reyson, the Factionist guards followed them inside and shut the office doors behind them.
Instantly Xolani and Oesu's expressions turned from benign curiosity to shock.
"You're the BlackPearl," gasped Oesu, not a question but a realization.
"I am."
"You should not be here." Xolani's jaw clenched dangerously, backing away from Vinie on an angle as if trying to put the most desk between him and her. "What in the depths makes you think we'd hear you speak?"
Out the corner of one eye, Vinie noticed the slender cord dangling beside the window where Xolani was edging toward. Sure enough, his hand was already drawing up to reach behind him...
"Stop him!"
Reyson was on the move even as the words left Vinie's tongue. He and the other two Factionists practically threw themselves straight over the desk as Xolani turned and bolted for the call bell. Papers and paperweights went flying all across the floor with a clatter, and a bottle of ink spilled. Tall and powerful as he was, Reyson just barely managed to tackle Xolani around the knees, pulling the regent down inches away from the cord.
Unfortunately, no one had been paying Lady Oesu due attention. Pulling a stiletto dagger from within her side of the desk, Oesu slipped around to make a break for the closed office doors. Vinie realized what the lady regent was doing only just in time to chase her down. Wiser and better armed than the last time she had pinned a knife-wielding opponent, Vinie drew her own short belawa knife. When Oesu, trapped against the bolted doors, spun around blade leading, Vinie was quick to strike hard at the other woman's wrist with the three-pronged pommel of her belawa.
With a cry, Oesu dropped her dagger, clutching her wrist. Despite that, she still fought like a wildcat, golden jewelry digging into Vinie's skin as they grappled. Only by forcing Oesu's injured arm behind her back and pressing her own blade to the regent's neck was Vinie able to finally subdue her.
"Stop! We did not come to harm you!" Vinie cried out.
Panting and gasping, slowly Xolani and Oesu grew still in their captors' grips. Reyson dragged Xolani to his feet by the front of his broad yellow sash, now thoroughly rumpled by their struggles. Xolani glared daggers at everyone, but stayed put when he saw Vinie with a knife to Oesu's throat. Knowing how things looked, Vinie decided to risk it and turned Oesu loose. The two regents immediately gravitated to one another's side, hemmed in at the center of the office with Factionists on all sides.
"Now, will you at least hear us out?" Vinie asked. "As much grief as we've just given you, you probably know even better than us just how much we're risking to do this."
"It seems you've given us little choice, BlackPearl," Oesu spat, still cradling her bruised wrist to her chest.
"The king has been warning us how dangerous you Factionists are becoming," said Xolani in an angry rumble. "You're not doing much right now to disprove him."
With a huff, Vinie sheathed her knife. Reaching up, she finally rid herself of the stifling metal guard's helmet. Xolani and Oesu's eyes immediately flew to the black pearl where it sat in the middle of her brow on its leather cord. Some people still whispered that it was cursed, having been created from nothing but magic and sea water. On the latter at least, they were right.
"That's not the only thing Mahir's been telling you lately, is it? He also told you to have arrested Factionists murdered on the spot, didn't he?" When neither answered, Vinie pressed them. "You refused to pass that decree on to the local magistrates. Why?"
"I presume even you have heard of a fair trial, yas?" said Xolani.
"Criminals or no, we will not authorize such brutality against our people," Oesu added.
That was it; her opening. Vinie pounced on Oesu's words almost triumphantly.
"Our people. In that we are agreed, my lord and lady regent. All the Factionists have ever wanted is to protect the people of the south, as you have been doing, even at the risk of disobeying the crown." Approaching the desk, Vinie traced a hand over a stray page bearing the royal seal of Amenthis. "Mahir is not invested in the future of Moaan, Utunma, Danitesk, or their people. All he cares about is ensuring Goran continues as a whole, regardless of the cost. You who have met him face to face must see that."
Xolani watched Vinie inspect the papers, arms folded across his chest. "Have you ever met King Mahir, BlackPearl? You have no idea-"
"As a matter of fact, I do," Vinie was quick to retort. "I have seen Mahir, I have heard him speak and I have watched him kill. I have watched him give the word to murder an entire family without pity."
"On the contrary, BlackPearl, by your own account the king showed you mercy and spared your life," said Oesu. The Factionists surrounding her bristled, but she did not flinch.
"He did, but only to condemn me to a living death. Tell me Lord Xolani, Lady Oesu, have you ever seen the inside of an Utunman prison cell? I have, and ten years of it nearly drove me mad. And all for the 'crime' of loving a SeaSon. Now you tell me, is that how anyone treats their own people, especially a king?"
When Xolani and Oesu did not answer, Vinie let that spark of indignant anger which she always carried in her heart flare higher. "Our people, you said it yourselves! You think I'm just doing this for my own sake, or any of us?!" She flung out an arm to the other Factionists in the room. "Mine isn't the only sad story in the south, but bury my bones if I'm going to let it keep being one among many. Mahir doesn't own us, we aren't his birthright! We could make our own way, on a new path, if someone would stand up and lead us. I've come as far as I can go with what I have. If the south doesn't rise up, now, together, then you both know that Mahir will make deadly sure we never get another chance."
"And when Mahir brings the royal army south, what then?" For the first time though, Xolani spoke in hypotheticals of a southern rebellion, and Vinie did not miss it. "What happens when he brings spearmen and archers and knights marching through the streets of Moaan? The Moaanese guard cannot fight the whole rest of Goran."
"Not alone, no, but the south may not need to fight alone. When I first came to Moaan, I met a pair of easterners who told me that separatist sentiments are already running high among the clansfolk. Even if it came to it that the east was not willing to openly ally with us, I am not the only one who believes that they would not fight for Goran."
"You have the optimism of a much younger woman, BlackPearl," said Oesu, not entirely disdainfully. "None of this talk even considers the damage that war with the capital will do to our trade and commerce system though. We cannot live on fish and seaweed alone."
Noting the abacus on Oesu's side of the desk, Vinie made a mental note of just who was in charge of the south's finances. An answer bubbled up in her mind, and it nearly gagged Vinie to say it. All things considered though, that infuriating art merchant was right...
"Perhaps in the short term, but again, we can always conduct more of our business with the east; wean ourselves off imports from western Goran. And then, afterwards, there is so much more potential gain to be had from independence. If the south were to break from the rest of Goran and become its own nation, then we could trade with the east and even one day Amenthere like equals. We could even benefit on the market by selling goods only found here, like pearls, at a profit."
Xolani's perfectly shaped brows had been climbing up his forehead the whole time Vinie spoke. He struck his palms together in which could have been either a sarcastic or sincere applause when she finished. Reyson clearly thought the former, if his scowl was anything to go by.
"I took you for an uneducated miscreant when first your warrant crossed my desk, BlackPearl," Xolani said. "Clearly I was mistaken. It seems you have some knowledge of what you intend...or at least have the good sense to consult people who do."
Silently Vinie swore up and down to herself never to tell Kiiss of Xolani's praises. She was about to dare approaching Xolani and Oesu to speak further when a heavy banging came at the office doors.
"My lord and lady regent, are you alright in there? Where are your guards?"
"Help us!" Oesu was quick to scream. "There are Factionists in here!"
"You cowards!" shouted Reyson, already on the move. They had planned for this possibility. Ripping aside the gauzy red curtains at the window, he and the others set to work pulling up the ropes their best climbers had stashed beneath the sill a few days prior.
"Listen to me!" Oesu hissed, darting out a manicured hand to grab Vinie by the arm. Her glittering nails pricked Vinie, and she started to pull away. "Listen!" Oesu insisted. "We cannot openly support the Factionists, not if we wish to remain in a position of power in the south. But..."
"But what?!" Vinie urged, waving off Reyson's urgent motioning for her to join them at the window.
Xolani leaned in to be heard over the shouting and battering coming from the other side of the office door. It sounded like at least a dozen of the actual Moaanese guards were trying to break in.
"If we had some insurance against Mahir, to keep him at bay at least long enough to solidify an alliance with the east, then Oesu and I will publicly defy the king and declare the Factionist movement legitimate. Find us something we can use against the king and the south will rise."
Xolani offered Vinie his wrist as Oesu released her. It would be all too easy for the larger, stronger man to get a grip on Vinie like that and possibly even hold her until the guards broke in. Reyson was shouting for Vinie to come away. They were running out of time. An ominous squealing of metal rose from the door.
Determined, Vinie clasped Xolani's wrist and he hers. They met one another's eyes in a delicate, fledgling trust. Then to Vinie's relief, Xolani released her.
OoOoO
Their escape from the State Hall was quick and chaotic. Seabirds took off from window ledges in little clouds of pinfeathers as they rappelled past, the bright morning sun shining translucent through their white feathers. The gleaming metal sheeting of the dome was hot enough to burn straight through their sandals, urging them downward even if they had been inclined to linger.
Pushing off and dropping down in long, hurried arcs, the four Factionists rappelled down as fast and far as they could. If the guards above decided to ignore the 'Alive' part of 'Dead or Alive', they could just cut the ropes from which Vinie and the others hung at any moment. Vinie sincerely hoped that Xolani and Oesu would prevent that.
The colorful canopy of the market stall below was a welcome sight, even as it bowed flimsily beneath their weight when they landed. The owner of the stall was one of theirs, and the fellow waved them behind a lacquered wooden screen out of sight. There they shed their armored disguises, leaving the guards' uniforms in a pile at the back of the stall before sliding out into the bustle of Moaan's streets. As an added precaution, Vinie wrapped a thin grey shawl around her head and shoulders. Bakko had been the first to warn her against walking around openly, and these days even the most rebellious of daughters in Vinie's position would have been a fool to refuse.
It wasn't until they had found their way to the northern gate of Moaan and stowed aboard one of Kiiss' art shipments that they had a chance to debrief. The covered wagon rattled and rumbled down the road out into the jungle, and the sound of toucans calling to one another was reassuring to the fugitives as they spoke.
"If Xolani and Oesu do declare for us, it'll be a blessing in more ways than one. We can work openly in Moaan, without all this trekking back and forth to hide out in Falerik," Yidu, one of the youngest of their recruits at sixteen was saying. The girl's solid, muscular frame made her good for impersonating guards though, even if it was paired with some of the sweetest features and largest eyes Vinie had ever seen.
"It could have gone worse," Resyon admitted. "At least they gave us a way forward, instead of fighting us."
Resting with her hands steepled in her lap and her lanky legs propped up against the corner of a covered statue, Vinie considered the 'meeting' they had just had. "The question is now Reyson, which way?"
"Xolani said that they need insurance..." Dhalad, the fourth member of their party was thinking aloud, as he often did. "Something to blackmail Mahir into keeping the royal army at bay..."
But what? That was the question which kept the four of them pondering in silence for nearly the rest of the day. The wagon's journey along the twisty dirt road north to Falerik was slow, made even slower when a banyan tree's roots stuck out and got caught up in the wheels. Every once in a while Reyson or Dhalad would have to hop out to help the driver get them unstuck.
It was almost sundown when they stopped for the night. Pulling into a cleared turnout on the side of the road, they worked together to get the wagon's ox team settled before getting a campfire for themselves going. The fire pit in the turnout was well used, and it didn't take long to clear aside the ashes and get a strong blaze going.
They were all just about to get started on their dinner of dried fish and fresh fruit when their driver gave a start and cried out.
"Oh! I forgot!"
Everyone relaxed the hands that had already been halfway to the hilts of their belawas. Letting out an exasperated half-chuckle, Vinie pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Forgot what?"
The man was already digging into his satchel, oblivious to the glower Reyson was sending his way.
"There was a letter for you, all the way from Utunma. It came to us through our traders out by the coast, and I was told to pass it along to you, when we met at the gate, you know. I meant to give it to you then, but what with wanting to get on the road and all, you know. I mean, for all we knew the regents could have sent guards to-"
"Oh for Amenthis' sake man, give it here!" Reyson lost his already finite supply of patience and bellowed, his deep voice reverberating into the darkened jungle all around.
"Here you are," the driver said meekly, passing the sealed scroll to Vinie. Cracking it open, she took a moment to read it herself before repeating the contents aloud.
"Vinie,
I'm writing this to you from the front stoop of Gideo's old skin-painting shop, with the sun overhead and no need to hide. If you're thinking this means good news, you're right. I don't know how things are going in Moaan for you at the moment, but everyone still remembers you and Zaneo and old Wasani here in Utunma. They remember all of you so well in fact, that they were only too happy to answer when I spoke out in your name.
Last night there was a fight at the Skinny Dipper between one of Zaneo's dad's old friends and one of the town guards. One thing led to another, and a brawl became an all-out war. We routed the magistrate's office (yas, that magistrate), and this morning the men took him out to sea and dropped him overboard.
Utunma is free, Vinie. Not a single one of the king's men remains within the town limits. Don't worry; we set the survivors out on the road to walk back to Amenthere unharmed. Everyone here is celebrating like you've never seen...I wish you, your dad and Gideo were here. My husband and the boys send you all their love though.
P.S. Tell Gideo that I got rid of all of his silly candles. They were so covered with dust it had melted right into the wax and turned them from red to grey!
Yours always,
Sahar"
When Vinie finished reading, she realized that her hands and voice were shaking. Reyson held out a hand for the letter and she passed it over without thinking.
"Utunma ousted its magistrate and the guard then?!" Yidu exclaimed, clearly elated. "That's incredible! And just in one night, without any planning or anything!"
"Yas, yas it is," Vinie smiled and meant it. Already though, thoughts were swirling through her mind like eddies in a tide pool. It wouldn't be long before word reached Mahir in Amenthere. From then, how long until he sent the army to attack the south in earnest? They needed Xolani and Oesu, and they needed them now. Whatever insurance the regents of Moaan wanted, Vinie would have to think of a way to get it, and fast.
For tonight though, she decided to be happy instead. Sahar had done a wonderful thing in their hometown, and Vinie too wished she were there to see it. More than anything, she wanted to give her oldest friend the biggest, tightest hug the world had ever seen. She wanted too to tell Gideo that Sahar had thrown away his precious strawberry candles, and watch the ensuing fight. Vinie dared for a moment to dream of a day when they could all be together again in Utunma. Gideo could touch up the marriage knot on her palm once he reopened his skin-painting shop, and Bakko could live with them upstairs. They would all grow old together, and watch Sahar's boys grow up. Vinie especially wanted to see young Zaneo become the man her Zaneo had barely had the chance to be.
There were so many things that Vinie wanted but could barely imagine having for herself, so many things that had been stripped from her over ten years ago. It had been a while since she had last heard Zaneo's voice, she realized. The first time she had heard it, alone in her cell in prison, she had thought she was going mad. Now, if only for a moment, Vinie wished to be a little mad again so that maybe she could hear Zaneo. There was only the happy banter of her fellow Factionists though, and the night-time noises of the jungle around them. Smiling quietly, Vinie contented herself with raising her water canteen in a toast around the fire to the future.
OoOoO