Revolutions

91 - Haesan

Did I really just allow this to happen?

Scolding myself internally, I hold my breath as the army of warriors clad in black and gold make their way through the now-empty aqueduct channel. I may have made a terrible miscalculation and allowed invaders into the palace. I can only mutter a prayer to the Eleven or whatever deity will take pity on me for being so foolish.

At the front is a sight more peculiar than anything told by a folklorist near a campfire. A young girl and two men, all wearing contrasting factional colors, walk ahead of the nearly hundred or so Qantua warriors. It's as though they're leading the army of another faction. This unexpected vanguard challenges every notion of warfare and allegiance I've ever been taught. And in their silent march, there's an eerie resolve that chills my spine.

I push the dread to the back of my mind as I prepare for the possible consequences. The young girl and two men stop abruptly, a few paces away from me. They're a motley mix, and seeing the colors they don, it appears a warrior from the Tuatiu jungles is joined by an Ulxa warrior, and a high-ranking officer of Tapeu, brandishing the orange and deep red.

I'm most intrigued by the young girl, who seems to garner the respect of the others around her—the Ulxa, and even the Tapeu official, stand a few paces behind and appear to await her orders. Her hair is jaggedly cut short and fairly unevenly, as thought done by herself with the dagger at her waist. Being around nobility for so long, I've forgotten what short hair looks like, only seeing long hair tied in elaborate knots, braids, and buns. There's a power and command in her presence, as though she was forged from a life of battle, despite being so close to my age. I find myself drawn to her, compelled to understand the depth of her strength and the journey that has etched such authority into her youthful figure. There's an untamed, raw energy about her, a contrast to the polished grandeur of court life to which I've grown accustomed.

"Are you the one responsible for cleaning the streets of Qapauma?" the Ulxa warrior asks in a jarringly stilted tongue. When I nod cautiously, he smirks. "I commend you—that was very well done."

"The enemy still remains at our gates," I note, looking toward the stone walls as though I could see through them to find them there. I find it difficult to collect my thoughts, being flummoxed by the presence of so many different factions from far away lands, here inside the palace, and attempting to defend it. Or so I hope.

"What is your role in the city's defenses?" the Tuatiu warrior asks, more out of curiosity than accusation.

Still, I reflexively answer quickly and relatively defensively. "I'm not a warrior like you. I was trying to... help from above. Directing the Qente Waila, trying to save what's left of the city."

The three exchange confused glances. "Jade Hummingbird?" the Tapeu official questions. "That name sounds vaguely familiar. Are they–"

"Instrumental to the city's defense?" I interrupt, not allowing him to draw any unhelpful conclusions. "Their knowledge of the tunnels beneath the city has been crucial in navigating the chaos. They fight for Qapauma, just as we all do now."

He seems put off by my statement, but I pay him no mind. I refuse to allow the Qente Waila—who, at present, appear to be more effective in defending the city from the Eye in the Flame—to have their reputation besmirched. And judging by his reaction, I determine he must be a loyalist to the Arbiter. So I must tread carefully when speaking about certain matters when he is present.

"And a servant to the palace is given such freedom to divert the waters of the palace's aqueducts?" the Tapeu official inquires. "Would the Arbiter allow such a thing to happen?"

"She just prevented catastrophe by giving the palace defenses more time to regroup," the Tuatiu warrior asserts. "Perhaps you should be placing your judgement elsewhere."