A Game of Chi Book III: A Sword of Dust

Chapter 24: Li'ella III

LI'ELLA

After Eris and Foltrax had finished their handshake, the latter pulled back and stood next to Trakkar. "Tormak," he said, looking at the tiger. "I haven't seen you in years."

"That would be my fault," Tormak conceded. "I failed to protect you during the Sack of the Citadel. How Trakkar got you out of there, I have no idea." That's right, Li'ella thought. How the hell did they escape? Maybe this isn't the real Foltrax. She held her tongue as Trakkar hugged Tormak, which surprised everyone watching. Even more surprising was Tormak reciprocating. "Thank you for fulfilling the duty I could not," he said to Trakkar. "You can't blame yourself," the other tiger replied. "None of us were prepared for the lions' betrayal. I just happened to be closer to Foltrax when it happened. And my condolences for the losses of Flinx and Panthar," Trakkar added. There was a brief moment of silence. Then, since Foltrax and Trakkar had already seen Lundor when he went into the manor to inform Spinlyn of their arrival, they turned to Li'ella. "And you must be Li'ella," Trakkar said. "Tormak has raised you well. You're strong and disciplined, just as he was." Li'ella nodded, accepting the praise. "Thank you. And you've done your duty by raising Foltrax into adulthood." Foltrax smirked at her, but bowed his head respectfully. He remembers the Sack of the Citadel, she realized. He's older than I am, so he'd have been older than me when we were attacked. He probably doesn't take kindly to the fact that I'm a lioness. "That leaves Eris," Trakkar declared. He turned to the eagle and studied her with a strange expression. "That's phoenix armour, alright," he confirmed, eyeing her red armour. "But you're an eagle."

"An eagle with the blood of the Phoenix Tribe," Eris replied. "Make no mistake, I am the Queen of Fire."

"How do you know?" Foltrax demanded. "How do you know it's you? Perhaps there's another female phoenix somewhere out there in the world." How do I know it's not you? Li'ella caught herself thinking. Since the Old Dialect character could also mean a male. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. I don't think that, she thought. I just think something's up with Eris. There's something she's not telling us, and I'm worried that it'll come back to bite us. "Trust me," Eris said, her wings flaring slightly, causing the temperature to rise. "I'm sure that it's me."

"Respectfully, that's hardly confirmation," Trakkar retorted. Before Tormak could move forward, Lundor stepped between the groups. "Why don't we move this elsewhere?" he suggested. "We were invited to talk, so let's do that. But in a more comfortable space, with chairs and no slav— no labourers." Foltrax and Trakkar looked at each other before nodding, and Spinlyn soon did the same. "Very well. I'll lead them further inside. Sparacon, lead the labourers back to work." The spider began scuttling further into the dome, and Eris, Tormak, Lundor, Li'ella, Trakkar and Foltrax followed her.

They found themselves in a spacious room with just a table and several chairs. The sandstone room felt incredibly bare, and Spinlyn explained that this was one of her many spare rooms, which was why there was nothing else inside. It'll get the job done, Li'ella thought. On one side, Li'ella sat down between Eris and Tormak, with Lundor on Tormak's other side, while on the other side of the table, Foltrax and Trakkar sat down. "Shall I leave, or..." Spinlyn trailed off. "We won't make you leave, but I'd prefer it," Trakkar said. Those on Li'ella's side nodded in agreement, so Spinlyn nodded and scuttled out of the room, shutting the door. "Okay, I've waited all night," Lundor began, leaning forward. "Trakkar, how the hell did you get Foltrax out of the Citadel ten years ago?"

"I'd like to know too," Tormak added. "As far as I know, they found the prince's body there. So how is it that Foltrax sits in front of us today?"

"I had been close to where Foltrax had been that fateful day," Trakkar explained. "Unlike Tormak, who had been near the emperor, I had been elsewhere, so I happened upon the prince on my way back. I saw Foltrax in a courtyard, playing with his friend Flavix." I've never heard of Flavix, Li'ella thought, but judging by Tormak and Lundor's nods, she understood that he had indeed been Foltrax' friend. "I knew that the usurpers would try to kill the emperor and his heirs, so I had to make a decision on how to get Foltrax out of there immediately." Li'ella frowned. "You knew you had to leave even before Fluminox was killed?" she demanded. "It had to be before that, because Foltrax was reported dead prior to the emperor's death, and we would have seen you as we fled."