Dragon Emperor 18, page 12
“It seems like they might have been looking for something,” I mused and made my way toward one of the tall dressers. “Everything has been opened.”
“But most of it was just thrown somewhere,” Nike observed as he followed me into the room and looked around. “It’s just like the killer grabbed stuff and threw it somewhere else.”
“Like he hates magic,” Alyona whispered.
A hush fell over the room as the princess’ words sunk in.
I looked at the scene and realized she’d made a very good point. The focus of the destruction was everything related to magic. Spell books, magical history texts, and potion ingredients seemed to be the target of the killer’s rage. I walked around toward the kitchen and saw it was virtually untouched, and the same could be said for the shaman’s bedroom. A single drawer in the clothes dresser was open, and his mattress had been tossed from the frame, but it was almost as though that had been done as an afterthought.
“Look at this,” I said as Nike came into the bedroom behind me. “The killer basically flipped the bed but left everything else alone.”
“I’m going to check the perimeter for footprints,” he replied. “He had to be bloody from the attack.”
“Don’t bother,” Rebecca sighed and leaned in the doorway. “I just checked the bathroom. Bloody clothes on the floor and residue of blood in the tub. The killer cleaned up before he left.”
“And probably stole some of the shaman’s clothes.” I pointed to the open drawer. “So he could walk out of here and back into town without turning a single head. Bastard.”
“We’re looking for someone at least somewhat smart,” the lady bear said as she eyed the room. “A crazy person would have just left in bloody clothes.”
“I agree,” I murmured. “But it’s harder to find a smart person than a crazy person.”
“Unfortunately,” Nike agreed.
The three of us walked back into the living room, where Tecumseh and Nokomis still stood far from the body, while Alyona, Ravi, Isabella, and Skye carefully examined what they could see. Tawa and Isi were noticeably absent, and I started to ask where they were when Nokomis subtly jerked her head toward the front door.
It seemed the normally tough queen couldn’t stomach the scene of the murder, and I didn’t blame her for wanting to steer clear.
“The killer cleaned himself and changed clothes before he left,” I said as we walked over toward the rest of our people. “Have you found anything?”
“The few stabs have a distinct shape to them,” Ravi murmured. “It’s almost as though the blade is thicker close to the hilt and thinner at the tip.”
“Like an icicle?” I asked with wide eyes.
On Earth, using an icicle for a murder weapon was often joked about being the perfect crime since the evidence would melt away, but I’d never heard of it actually being used before.
“No.” Ravi arched an eyebrow at my apparent excitement. “I suppose the shape sounds similar, but this was most definitely a blade. You can tell by the way the wound is wider at the skin and narrowing as it gets deeper in the body.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” I replied with a grimace. “Anything else that will help us?”
“Not necessarily help with finding the killer, but I did find the shaman was also looking into issues with the barrier,” Alyona said as she gently turned a bloody page in one of the texts. “He was doing research into what can affect a barrier spell and how to cast a new one. It seems he’d figured out the barrier was weak or gone completely, too.”
“Does it look like he found anything to fix it?” I asked.
“No,” she replied and shook her head. “I think he’d only recently discovered the issue right before he was killed.”
“You should have the guards take the shaman’s body back to the castle,” Skye said to Tecumseh and then cleared her throat. “I mean, Your Majesty, I would suggest doing that. A medical professional can confirm the wounds Ravi found and see if there’s anything we’ve missed.”
“I’ll have the guards begin the extraction,” the king replied in a dull tone.
He turned around and walked out the front door, where the guards apparently waited with the queen.
“So, what happens now?” I asked Nokomis. “Do your parents pick a new shaman?”
“No, they don’t decide that.” The snow leopard frowned and paced back and forth. “The spirits decide the next shaman. The first shaman didn’t like the idea of people who don’t know magic choosing who was allowed to use it, so he made some sort of deal with the spirit world.”
“How long does that take?” I wondered.
“I have no idea,” Nokomis admitted. “Ubira was already the shaman when I was born, so I’ve never seen a new one get chosen.”
“It can take days,” Isi said as she strode in through the door with the guards right behind her. “Some say it has taken weeks before.”
“That’s way too long,” I muttered.
The guards continued toward the shaman’s body and began to carefully wrap him up in a large, gray cloth. They were careful not to touch his wounds, but even with their caution, all four men had blood on their hands and clothes when they finally finished wrapping up their mummy-like creation.
“Well, we don’t have much choice,” Tawa said. “We have no say in the choosing of the shaman.”
“You can’t just find someone who has magic?” I asked. “I mean, I know they aren’t allowed to use it, but surely, some people were born with it anyway, right?”
“If such a person did exist, they’ve hidden it well,” Isi replied and pursed her lips. “As they should. Catahe’s trial is the first use of magic trial we will have had in decades.”
“What about the barrier?” Isabella pointed out. “Are you just going to deal with not having one?”
“Can’t you fix it?” The queen turned to Alyona with a slight accusation in her voice.
“I would have to know which spell was cast,” Alyona explained carefully. “I can’t just put another barrier up without knowing what has been done or undone here. It’s more dangerous to guess.”
“Can’t you see it in Ubira’s journal?” Isi’s voice raised a few octaves as she pointed to the heap of bloody papers on the floor. “He had to have written it down somewhere!”
“I’m sure he did,” Alyona assured her. “And perhaps I’ll be able to find it once the pages are, ah, dry.”
“Oh, gods,” the queen groaned. “Whoever killed Ubira will face the full wrath of the palace! I want his head!”
“Mother, we’ll find who did this,” Nokomis said in a soothing voice. “Just stay calm.”
“No, whoever did this has put our entire kingdom in danger!” Isi continued to get louder with every word. “I will not rest until this killer is brought to justice, and only then can we all sleep in peace!”
“And until the next shaman is chosen, I’m afraid you don’t have the magic prevention in place,” Alyona said with a frown. “Are you certain no one else can perform the spell you requested or knows which spell the shaman used?”
“Of course, we can’t guarantee Ubira never spoke to anyone about his work,” Isi grumbled. “We didn’t keep him under any supervision.”
“And we can’t overstep the rules of the spirit world to choose the next shaman,” the king added. “With our city already on edge, we could tip the scales in a terrible direction and lose favor with the gods.”
“We’re better off being patient,” his wife agreed. “Though I hate the idea of leaving the city unprotected from magic, we can’t risk upsetting the agreement already in place long before our time.”
“We just have to pray no other Vis Imperio groups come on the rise,” Tecumseh said and looked down at his hands. “We must trust in the shaman process and wait.”
“Or just not put up the barrier,” I muttered.
Either the royals didn’t hear me or chose to ignore me, but I knew the barrier was wrong. It wouldn’t stop anyone who really wanted to use magic from taking over. Only the defenses of the Nobles of the Sword would be able to protect the castle, even if the king and queen didn’t want to admit it.
For now, I wondered what magic would be accessible to the twins without the barrier to stop them. Nokomis had been curious about being able to use her sword’s power, but we hadn’t had a chance to look into it yet. Maybe with the gap between shamans, we could find something out.
Tecumseh and Isi followed the guards carrying Ubira’s body out of the igloo house, and I hesitated to walk out behind them.
“What’s wrong, my lord?” Nokomis asked with a grave look of concern.
“I was just thinking about the best thing to do without the barrier,” I mused. “I think we should figure out what magic you can use. Then, if it does take a few weeks for the shaman to be chosen, you at least have some magical defense knowledge.”
“Wait a second, what are you talking about?” Tawa cut in before Nokomis could respond. “What magic? We aren’t shamans!”
“I know, but you’re Nobles of the Sword,” I answered. “That means you can use your sword’s magic. Maybe you didn’t know because of the barrier, but--”
“But nothing, Lord Evan,” the snow leopard hissed. “We aren’t above the law, and the law says only the shaman can use magic.”
“Okay, so what if it takes a year to find another shaman?” I pointed out. “What if another Vis Imperio or something like it decides they’re going to attack the castle with their magic?”
“Then we’ll defend it as our ancestors did,” he replied through clenched teeth. “They didn’t need magic.”
“That was before it was banned,” I argued. “How do you know they didn’t use any to win the fight?”
Tawa stared at me in a stunned silence. If using magic had been part of their ancestors’ game plan, it wasn’t part of the story, but it seemed there also wasn’t any indication they had only used their swords to win the fight, either.
“We need to know what all we can do,” Nokomis said after a moment. “Why should we hold ourselves back if we can do even more for our people?”
Her brother still didn’t say a word, and I wasn’t sure if he agreed or just didn’t know what else to say, so I motioned for everyone to follow me outside. The king and queen were just far enough ahead to not see us take a different path to a wide-open space behind the icy walls that surrounded the shaman’s house.
The snow was a little deeper away from the buildings, but it wouldn’t be a problem.
I opened my mouth and blew a column of flames over the snow, and it melted down to a thin layer of flakes to give us plenty of room to work. Tawa trudged outside behind us and stood with his arms crossed over his chest, but I focused on Nokomis.
“Alright, so, your sword is the Sword of Mercy, but we don’t really know what magic that could entail,” I said as I tugged on my beard in thought. “When I use my sword’s healing power, I basically just talk to Miraya. Then we join together, and I use the sword to enhance my healing magic to heal things.”
“Okay.” Nokomis arched a doubtful eyebrow as she pulled the Sword of Mercy from her scabbard. “So, I just talk to Gratia and work together. Sounds simple enough.”
The snow leopard Demi-Human aimed her blade out into the field and closed her eyes.
Gratia is excited about this, Miraya mused. I can feel it. I wonder if she’s been trying to activate her power this whole time.
Maybe so, I agreed.
“Nothing is happening,” Nokomis said after a few moments, and her shoulders slumped. “I don’t know what else to do.”
She turned around to face us, and I could see the faintest stream of gray and white smoke curl from the end of the sword.
“Wait, you’re doing something,” I said and took a step forward. “I’m the least destructible person here. Try it on me.”
“What if my power is to obliterate you?” she asked as she pointed the blade to the ground at my feet. “I would kill you!”
“Your skill is mercy,” I reminded her with a grin. “I doubt the power that goes with mercy is obliteration. Besides, I can regenerate. Come on, just do it.”
Nokomis’ furry ears flattened against her black hair as she gnawed on her bottom lip with doubt. Then she sighed and nodded her head.
“If you think it’ll be okay, I’ll try,” she agreed.
“Okay, I’ll go away from everyone else, just in case,” I chuckled as I jogged past her and stood with my arms wide open. “Hit me with your best shot.”
Nokomis stifled a smile as she lifted the Sword of Mercy again and took slow steps toward me until the tip of the blade was only inches from my chest. I saw the pale smoke begin to make its way toward me, and it seemed Nokomis finally noticed it, too. She started to pull back, but I shook my head and grabbed the blade to pull it against me.
“Oh, gods,” the snow leopard whispered as her eyes rolled back in her head. “I-I feel it.”
“What do you feel?” I asked.
“You.” Nokomis’ voice was barely audible, and her eyelids flickered for a few seconds before she pulled back the sword and looked at me. “I feel your confidence in me, your love for your women, your desire to heal the kingdom, and a sense of longing for someone you’ve never met. I think it’s your father.”
“You felt all that?” I breathed.
“The Sword of Mercy must have the power of empathy,” Alyona said. “An empath can read emotions like that. What a brilliant ability.”
My lovers crowded around Nokomis as they congratulated her on finding her power, while she looked around with hazy excitement. Then the celebration was cut short.
“How is that supposed to help us defend our kingdom?” Tawa grunted. “She can touch someone and know their feelings, but that won’t stop anyone from attacking us.”
Before I could answer, Nokomis strode over to stand in front of her brother with her hands on her hips.
“I can determine who is actually here to harm us, so you don’t go killing everyone and everything you want,” she said firmly. “Now, are you going to figure out your own magic or keep whining about mine?”
Tawa pursed his lips as he pulled the Sword of Strength from his belt and gripped it in one hand. Then he marched past his sister and pointed the blade out in front of his body. He seemed to think for a moment before he let his hand drop, and I waited for the clanging sound of his sword hitting the ground.
But it didn’t happen.
Instead, the Sword of Strength cut through the snow, ice, and dirt at his side like they were made of butter, and Tawa let out a yelp of surprise before he went into a frenzy. He jumped and chopped the ground around him until I could no longer tell one slice apart from another, and his doubtful grimace had turned into a gleeful smile when he turned around and held his sword triumphantly above his head.
“By the gods, you were right!” he cheered. “My sword has magic, too!”
It was past nightfall when the snow leopard twins were ready to return to the castle after experimenting with their new powers. Neither of them could believe what they’d been missing out on for so long, but Tawa surprised me more than anything else as we walked back to the palace for the night.
“So, maybe magic isn’t so bad, right?” I asked with a casual smile.
“No, it’s not,” he agreed and shrugged. “I think I was scared because I didn’t know about it, but if I’ve had it this whole time and haven’t lost my mind, then magic isn’t the problem.”
“What do you think is the problem?” Nike wondered.
“People,” Tawa said after a moment. “Some people just think differently than others. Take the mob issue, for example. Not everyone in Narsglow wanted to attack the ox Demi-Humans, just a few. And even some of those were quick to stop when we told them to.”
“Mob mentality,” I said. “When someone’s part of a group, they feel invincible, but then reality sets in, and they know the shit’s about to hit the fan.”
“You say the strangest things,” Nokomis giggled.
“You get used to it,” Alyona laughed.
“Mostly,” Nike added with a smirk.
We chatted all the way back to the castle, and I was relieved to see the tension between us and the twins seemed to have disappeared. I only hoped we could eventually have the same effect on their parents, who may not be as easily convinced to accept magic into the kingdom.
When we walked into the palace, it looked like only a few members of the staff were still awake. The king and queen had apparently gone to bed, and Tawa gave a quick wave before he headed off to his chambers. His parents had mentioned his children, but I’d yet to see them running around the castle, so I wondered if they had their own wing like we stayed in ours.
I decided against asking right now and walked toward the stairs that would take us to our chambers. Nike yawned as he stumbled into his room, and Ravi and Rebecca made their way into another room. Isabella and Skye giggled together as they found their room, and Alyona and Nokomis looked at each other and then at me as though they waited for me to make a decision.
“You’re welcome to sleep with us again,” I said to Nokomis as I opened the door to the large bedroom. “Alyona won’t mind.”
Nokomis hesitated and looked at Alyona again.
“No, I enjoy the company,” my wife agreed with a slight nudge to the snow leopard. “Come on. Be with us tonight.”
The lady leopard finally nodded and followed me into the room with Alyona right behind her. I kicked off my boots and looked at the bed with a happy sigh. It had been a long, magical, and murderous day, and I was ready to relax for a while.
“Are you, ah, just…” Nokomis trailed off and then cleared her throat. “Are you just planning to, um, sleep?”
I looked up to see the snow leopard biting her lower lip as she watched me with hungry eyes, so I kept her gaze as I walked over to Alyona and untied her robe. The white silk fell open to reveal her smooth, porcelain skin and the swell of her breasts as she took in a sharp breath. Then I slowly pulled the robe from her shoulders and stood behind her as it fell to the floor, and Nokomis let out a soft purr as I dipped my head down to kiss Alyona’s neck.
