“Can I walk with you today?” Aralim asked.
Miresh stood in the foyer with her orange lantern staff and her folded linen wrap keeping her shape looking small. Narr looked up at Aralim, and Aralim matched his gaze. It was not a glare on either of their parts—Aralim did not dislike Narr. He did not see any hostility between them, just continued analysis. Aralim looked back at Miresh. The young girl smiled, “Of course!”
They set out side-by-side. Ko bade them good-day, the guards smiled and bowed, the regular passersby watched their lantern staves tapping the stones as the two walked down West Corid Avenue toward Iron Way. “Can I ask you something?” Aralim looked down at her as they walked.
Miresh nodded.
“Why did you change your mind about a cat?” Aralim asked. “You said only that you walk the Path.”
She nodded once more. “I didn’t change my mind. I just didn’t meet my cat yet.”
Aralim grinned, but looked away from her when he did. She didn’t need his pride or his happiness in her seeking of the Path—she sought it to her fullest already. She might need his concern, he pondered. He looked back at her and kept his bearded mouth flat as he spoke. “How will you know ‘your cat’?”
“I’ll know the right cat when I meet it,” Miresh piped as they wandered through a fishery near the river.
After they passed through a busy throng of people, Aralim said, “I’m glad you haven’t given up on finding a cat. You make a fine walker, but you’re still young, and I am not the most youthful company.”
Miresh grinned. “My other friends are 117- and 275-years old.”
Aralim chuckled and jokingly skipped a step to show off his youthful agility. They had just started up a hill, and Narr was closer than usual, so Aralim looked back at him. “And Narr? He won’t tell me.” The big man looked at Aralim with wide eyes.
“I don’t know,” Miresh said. “Narr, how old are you?”
The Emperor’s Blade looked down at the little girl. “Thirty-six,” he said.
“An elaborate reply as always,” Aralim said, and was rewarded with another glare. The Iron Way crested the hill—the Palace was straight ahead now. Aralim looked down at his young friend and asked, “Seriously, Miresh, how will you know your cat when you meet it?”
“When it feels right, I guess,” she said. “Those pampered kittens in the pen didn’t feel right.”
They had reached the Iron Palace now, and stood just outside the line of the Aura to conclude their conversation before dealing with the noise of commotion of the royal court grounds. Aralim nodded again to Miresh, and glanced back at the Palace once more. He froze. Brallo Ma’kreo had just crossed through the line of the Aura, heading into the Palace, with his private, leather-clad guards on either side of him.
“Wait,” Aralim said, to no one in particular. He walked through the guards and past the Aura, following Brallo from a distance as the man joined the short line for the Third Court’s amphitheatre. He was seeking an audience? Aralim turned back—Miresh had followed him into the stone courtyard—and said, “Go ahead. I’ll wait and watch.”
“I’ll tell Rattar.” Miresh nodded and her lantern staff clacked away.
It looked to be a long wait, and Aralim milled about the crowd to avoid being spotted by Brallo. The merchant had seen his face when they first questioned him. As he rounded the courtyard for a second time, he saw four members of the Aura approaching Brallo and his escort. Aralim froze, and watched.
The guards stepped aside when the Aura touched them, and neither of Brallo’s two hired men dared draw a blade against the Emperor’s own. When the Aura put their hands on Brallo’s arms, he tried to withdraw. When they persisted, he cried out. “Unhand me, I have done nothing wrong!” Screeching protest, Master Ma’kreo was hauled across the yard toward the corner of the Iron Palace. Aralim followed without bothering to remain incognito, but paused when they descended a small flight of stairs inset into the side of the storey-tall base of the Iron Palace. As Aralim understood it, the platform of metal pillars was built atop a floor of housing dormitories for the Aura. But what was below? Two royal guards—one with scorpions stingers rising from his metal pauldrons and another with an iron visor across his chin—stood blocking Aralim’s way.
Brallo had already gone in, with the assistance of the Emperor’s orange Aura. “May I enter?” the Walker asked.
“You may not,” the scorpion guard said. “Emperor’s business only.”
Aralim pursed his lips and climbed back up those stairs to ground level. By the time he rounded the front of the Iron Palace again, he found Rattar, Miresh, and Narr looking into the crowd from the first few steps toward the Second Court and the Palace floor. He walked up next to them and said, “Brallo was taken below.”
Rattar nodded. “The Emperor has summoned us. Miresh has the day off now, so the Emperor’s Blade can take her home if she desires. Aralim, you and I will attend his Ascendance within the Palace.”
“Can Miresh come with us?” Aralim asked.
“I haven’t heard anything,” Rattar said, “So I suppose she can.” Without waiting, Rattar started to climb the steps. He wore a long black robe, made out of thin linen. A few red beads hung on a long necklace around his shoulders, and he walked with a small black cane today. He had spoken several times of weariness, but never of anything more severe.
A man with a small black beard and deep set blue eyes waited near the top of the stairs. He wore an orange robe, and led them into the Palace without a word. They passed a group of men playing cards. “Grandfather Athanu’s children. You stayed with one of their sisters,” Rattar said. They passed another pair of men who appeared to be engaged in a drinking game of some kind, and Rattar did not comment on them.
The Eternal Emperor sat in a pile of cushions in a remote corner of the massive square platform of the Iron Palace. Aralim saw him before they reached him, through the opening between metal columns whenever the angles allowed it. When they reached him, the Aura quickly brought out seats for them to lounge upon too.
“Welcome, Aralim. Miresh,” the Emperor said. His hair seemed a little curlier than normal, but that might have just been because it was not clasped behind his head.
“Your Ascendance,” Aralim said. “Good to see you’re… are you ever not doing well?”
Tag’na parted his lips. “My health is never an issue,” he said. His words seemed always well chosen, though he never needed to pause and find the proper ones. He had learned the proper ones many years ago, likely.
“That makes sense, I guess,” Aralim said, tilting his head.
“I wanted to thank you all for bringing this whole business with Yakalaka to light.” The Eternal Emperor folded his hands in front of him.
“I’m not certain what I brought to light,” Aralim said.
It was Rattar who spoke next, his old voice cackling. “We learned she owed a debt to someone who wanted to know about the Blades training, or in the very least wanted to stop Brallo’s usefulness to his Ascendance.”
Aralim shrugged. “I wish we could have done more.”
“In either case,” the Emperor said, “You went above and beyond your responsibility. You proved to be a real friend.” He looked away from their ring of cushions and said, “I’d like some wine.”
Wine was promptly served, and their conversation fell silent for a moment. It was strange, because most people assumed the Aura knew what the Emperor did, or vice versa. When they had been left in private again, Aralim asked, “So, what next? I saw Brallo carried off and was unable to follow him.”
“He’s been taken care of,” the Emperor said, with a wave of one hand. He took a sip of his wine, then glanced at Rattar with a frown. “That was sloppy, questioning him like that. He came here today to tell my enemies all about it.”
Rattar shrugged. “We needed to know what he knew.”
A moment of awkward silence followed. The Emperor had known most of what they learned already, but Aralim was learning of a strange disconnect between what the Emperor knew by his semi-magical presence and what he knew as a friend and a man in their presence. The rules of his game were strange enough to make him seem as omniscient as his worshippers believed.
“Are you going to have Brallo killed?” Miresh asked. “Isn’t that exactly what your enemies wanted?”
Aralim smiled. This is why I bring her places, he thought.
“Brallo helped me, when I wanted help. My enemies thought killing him would cost me that usefulness. They were wrong.” Tag’na again lifted his wine to his lips. He kept his head down after that, and muttered, “Besides, all of this has happened before, and all of it may happen again.”
For a moment, Aralim regarded him with skepticism. The Emperor tilted between god and broken man, sometimes. It made Aralim remember the words of the mysteriously strong attacker on the Palace that one evening: “All of this is a lie.”
Tag’na recovered quickly enough and looked at the twelve-year-old wizardess. “Miresh, I’d like to ask something of your friend, but I do not wish to distract from your training. Would you mind?”
“It’s time for the old men to talk,” Aralim said, with a wink, referring to their earlier dialogue.
Miresh tossed her shoulders and smiled. “I’ll see you at home,” she said to Aralim. Narr stirred among the iron columns and followed her as she left.
No sooner had she left than Tag’na looked Aralim in the eye and held his gaze. “Ovoe leads a conspiracy against me. Yakalaka and Aglo support him, as well as several lords and ladies from the lesser Courts. Aralim, you have proven your loyalty to me, but I now have a strange request. Join the conspirators.”
Aralim blinked. “Yakalaka is still under the impression her attack on Brallo’s life was a success?” There was no way he could go to her if she suspected he had betrayed her, as he had.
Rattar leaned forward. “Until the fool merchant decided to march onto our front step, everyone assumed he was dead. Now we cannot be sure,” the Grand Mage said.
“Rest assured, you will be accepted by them,” the Eternal Emperor told Aralim.
“How can you be so sure?” Aralim asked.
Tag’na looked him in the eyes again, without blinking. “I am.”
They remained silent for a moment and sipped from their glasses. The Emperor ran his hand through his black hair again. “Do not report to me. Do not take risks. For all relevant purposes, you will be one of them. You will keep up appearances—we’re training your close friend in magic, of course.”
“Of course,” Aralim muttered. He blinked and thought through what they were asking of him. He was to conspire against the Emperor, the Aura, all of it. Sounds like the Path, he thought, and smiled to himself. “Do you have a plan, or am I free to join them as I see fit?”
“Join them as you wish,” Rattar said, and the Emperor nodded.
“Thank you,” Tag’na said. “Rattar, thank you also.” The Grand Mage stood up and took a step away from his pillows. His cane clipped the stone floor as Aralim rose to his feet. The Eternal Emperor spoke up once more. “Aralim, another moment.”
Rattar paused and obstructed his view for a moment. “Ascendance—”
“That will be all, Rattar,” the Emperor said. Rattar sighed deeply and walked into the shadows of the nearest column. Tag’na rose to his feet and stepped closer to Aralim. “I do not know what powers you have found on your Path, but I ask you this on our friendship, Aralim. Do your very best to destroy me.” He spoke with a low voice, and when he finished, he turned to walk away.
“Wait,” Aralim said.
The Emperor paused, his back to Aralim. He looked over his shoulder.
“You are a true friend,” Aralim agreed, “But you should know. If the Path dictates the conspiracy works, it will be so.”
Tag’na turned half a step back, and a big smile sprang to his face. He seemed to weigh less than he had throughout the whole conversation. With a stronger voice, he said, “I yearn only for things I haven’t experienced already in my centuries. You and Miresh… none quite like you two have ever come my way. Good day, Aralim.”
Aralim walked out of the Palace on his own. Just before he reached the Second Court and their massive staircase, he found Rattar leaning against a column. “Aralim,” the Grand Mage said, quietly.
“The Emperor is an interesting man,” Aralim said. He didn’t stop walking. He walked right past Rattar, and down the stairs into the crowded courtyard.