The veiled man launched into a speech that sounded like he’d given it a thousand times.
“Brotherhood Sanctums operate not only as contract issuers, but also provide armorer and lodging services to its members. Shadows, High Shadows, and Executors receive privileges such as superior lodging, discounted rates, and access to higher tier armor, weapons, and magic orbs. The Brotherhood offers rare and valuable equipment. Many covet this benefit.”
“If… if I wanted to set up a meeting with a Sawai, what rank would I have to be for that?” Vir asked.
“It depends on which of the Sawai aristocracy, and your standing within our organization, but Shadow is the minimum. If you pass your trial, you will join as an Initiate. From there, you would have to rise to Acolyte, and then to Shadow.”
“I see…” Vir said, disappointed. Unless he made an incredible impression on the Brotherhood, it sounded like the road would be longer than he’d hoped for.
Even so, this was still the best plan he had. He’d continue searching for others, but at least he now had a fallback.
Vir exited the Brotherhood Sanctum to find a market square buzzing with activity.
With a quick glance up at the Vimana that shrouded the city in shadows, he pulled out a piece of parchment and charcoal from his bag and left.
Time to chart out this city.
68BACKSTABS, BATTLES, AND BETRAYALS (MAIYA)
The capital city of the Kin’jal Empire defied Maiya’s expectations. She thought Sonam would be a majestic place, filled with beautiful architecture, sprawling wide streets that never seemed to end, and buildings that soared high into the sky.
Well, some of that was present, but it wasn’t on account of the Kin’jals. The Vimana that floated high above the city still shocked Maiya. She found herself unable to rip her eyes off the gilded magical palace that hung in the air in defiance of everything she knew possible.
Big cities are so wonderful, she thought, swooning dazedly.
It was only after peppering Tanya with questions for a good ten minutes that she regarded the city itself.
Built by a nation of battle junkies, she should’ve expected that the gates into the city led into the walls, and that the real checkpoint into Sonam was inside the absurdly thick and tall fortifications that protected the city.
It was as if the Sonamite city builders had said ‘Let’s build a wall no one could possibly ever breach… and then double it in every dimension for good measure.’
The ramparts atop those walls looked wide enough to be a city thoroughfare, though it was difficult to tell from ground level, owing to their incredible height.
Once through the in-wall checkpoint—and a swift, efficient inspection by the Balarian guard—Tanya and Maiya entered the city proper.
Clean and immaculate, it bustled with activity as warriors moved to and fro.
What it was not was wide, or in any way architecturally interesting. Sterile, and utterly lacking in soul, the only part that looked ostentatious and impressive was the enormous Vimana that floated on high—currently obscured by clouds, or Maiya would still be gawking.
“The whole city’s basically a fortress, isn’t it?” she asked from behind Tanya’s Ash’va. The woman had named the female beast Gaurey, but Maiya hated that name. She called it Dumpy, for obvious reasons. The long ride to Sonam was not a pleasantly odorous one.
“The design befits Kin’jali culture,” Tanya responded, maneuvering the Ash’va deftly around the crowd. “To them, military strength is everything. The streets are narrow to thwart attackers during an invasion. The fields outside the city, and the gauntlet itself, are killing fields. Traditional military strategy calls for three times the defenders’ numbers to successfully invade a city. In Sonam’s case, it is likely closer to six. This city has never once fallen, and it never will.”
There were no flags or decorations or paint of any kind. Just narrow gray cobblestone roads and equally dull stone walls.
“Sure, but doesn’t it make life horrible for people who live here?” Maiya asked. “I mean, just look at how narrow these roads are! It’s like Brij, but with a hundred times more people!”
It was only after they crossed through the Fire Fields, another set of gates, and yet another set of gates, did they make it to the Commons North district, where their inn was located. Sturdy gates and towering walls surrounded each district, allowing it to be sealed from the rest of the city during an attack. In such a situation, the soldiers would use the vast ramparts to navigate the city.
Maiya was beginning to think that even a sixfold numerical advantage wouldn’t take this place down. It was practically a castle, just on grander scale. The largest in the Known World.
When they’d checked into their room—a modest, single room with two beds—Tanya ordered Maiya to hand back all of her borrowed orbs.
“Why?” Maiya asked, growing suspicious.
“They are mine by right, and each are worth a fortune. Or do you intend to steal them from me?”
“N-no, nothing like that,” Maiya said, begrudgingly handing over the C Grade orbs she carried. The journey here, while uneventful, passed through Hiranyan territory. She’d learned after crossing the border that Kin’jali roads were far safer and better maintained than anything she’d seen in Hiranya.
“Now,” Tanya said, stowing all but a handful of orbs, “let me tell you the real reason we are here.”
“What do you mean? We’re here to meet your instructor, right?”
“Wrong. My instructor currently resides in the Altani capital city of Alt Ashani.”
“You lied to me?” Maiya went silent, all possible reasons for what was going on thrashing through her mind. “Why am I really here?”
“You are here to repay your debt to Riyan. You will infiltrate the royal palace as a handmaiden, and you will feed back information to me, which I shall forward to Riyan.”
Maiya’s face went white. “What? T-that’s impossible.”
“It just so happens that one of the junior handmaidens in Princess Ira’s employ has fallen terribly ill,” Tanya continued, ignoring Maiya’s tantrum. “She has been bedridden for months, and there is little chance she will recover. As such, there is a posting for her replacement.”
Tanya pulled out a writ and handed it to Maiya. “Riyan has seen to everything. You have an audition tomorrow. Do not mess this up.”
Maiya glared at her instructor. “I trusted you. I honestly thought I’d finally earned your respect.”
Tanya sighed, and Maiya thought she caught a flicker of anguish in her expression. “Look, Maiya. This is not a dangerous posting. As a handmaiden, your life will improve greatly. You will have more money than you could ever have imagined. Wasn’t this your dream? Didn’t you want to become a famous mejai in a big city? Well? Here we are, in the largest city in the Known World. Prove yourself to the princess, and you will receive mejai training second only to the Altani.”
“I don’t appreciate being manipulated like this. Why didn’t you just tell me? And besides, how long am I supposed to do this, anyway? This feels like you want me here for a lot longer than a few days.”
“Just one year. Truly nothing in the grand scheme of things. The gen—er, Riyan, is worried that the Kin’jals are plotting something behind the scenes. He wants to know what, precisely.”
“And if it ends up being nothing?”
Tanya shrugged. “Then you may go on your merry way.”
“I refuse.”
“Then I’m afraid Vir’s life is forfeit. One message from me, and Riyan kills him in his sleep.”
“You bluff. He’s invested too much into Vir to off him like that.”