The Spirit of Wrath

Chapter Five: Succession and Tea

The tea was excellent, as was usual. Kushina used the right mix of herbs so that it woke one and soothed the nerves just by the aroma. The presence of lavender on one side in boiling water soothed the nerves. As they kneeled within the shrine's great hall, Kushina brought her tea to her lips and sipped it. Sahshir allowed his mask to fall and swallowed it, careful not to look at his reflection.

After a moment, she set down her cup and smiled. It was a stern, controlled smile as she usually did. Kushina had never been one for open displays of emotion. "I must admit, I'm surprised you made it back into the city without anyone knowing. I suppose Tuor did well by you in training."

"He did," said Sahshir.

There was further silence as she seemed to contemplate her response. "I'm sorry about what Asim did," said Kushina. "I'm afraid that one of his spies overheard my conversation with Tuor. I believe he became afraid of this very thing."

"He should fear me," said Sahshir. He brought up one gloved hand and looked at it. How long until the skin beneath it withered away?

"Are you here to kill him?" asked Kushina. "To stand on your rights and cut him down?"

"I have been forbidden from ending his life or the lives of any of his subordinates," said Sahshir. Why? Why should Tuor insist on that?

"So then you are looking for a means to remove him from power. All while making him wish you could have killed him," guessed Kushina.

"I may not be," said Sahshir.

"I know you, Sahshir," said Kashina with a laugh. "You have a vengeful streak a mile wide. You've never forgiven Sushaki, even though he only did his duty. But, unfortunately, there are better times for you to act. If you move against him, there may be a kin slaying.

"And the armies of Dinis are moving."

"Armies?" asked Sahshir, raising an eyebrow beneath his face. "You mean the legions? Or one of their vassals?"

"The legions," said Kushina, shaking her head with closed eyes. "I spoke with the birds. They tell me of vast hosts of legionaries marching toward Zigilus. That is just over the border. Using the airships of Zigilus, they could move very quickly to our doorstep."

"The airships fail when they go too far, however," said Sahshir, remembering what he had learned in his youth. "They cannot go far beyond the source of demonic energy."

"True," said Kushina. "But it gives them a unique capability to move within that area. This is the first time anyone has managed to win a battle against the defenders of that place. Or have you forgotten your grandfather?

"He was a great leader of men who had won many battles. Decades ago, at the zenith of his power, he boasted that he would seize Dinis and quench the flow of monsters. He led a great host. But even as his armies met Garacel's, the airships came from above. The Battlelusters of Zigilus fell upon them, and he was routed. Without Asim covering the retreat, our armies would have been annihilated.

"We owe him an outstanding debt.

"Even so, it was the worst defeat we ever suffered. That day, the territory of Zigilus expanded by ten miles, and now they are very near our towns. King Aresh spent most of his time leading the recovery from that disaster. And we have only just stabilized. The western Kalthakians under King Belosh look down on us scornfully.

"It is written-"

"'The fool seeks battle on the demon's own ground,'" Sahshir finished for her. "I know the texts."

Priestess Yuna had drilled the matter into him for years and years. He looked on those earlier days with some fondness.

Then the door opened. A young, black-haired girl rushed in. She was clutching her broom. "Big sister, big sister!"