Michael Foster - She Who Has No Name

Paatin wizards, dressed in all the numerous ways of the desert people, sat about in the shade. They sheltered from the heat of the day, fanning themselves as they watched the strangers shamble along the boiling street. There were dozens of them sitting in clusters, smoking from chambered,multi-piped implements. Some played or gambled with wooden pellets that they slapped down loudly upon their tables. There must have been several hundred of them just sitting around, and who knows how many inside the buildings.

Most surprising of all was the number of women. They sat beside the menfolk, dressed modestly,quite unlike their promiscuous city-dwelling sisters. Samuel was shocked, for they had the nerve to sit in full view, unashamed of the shimmering fields of magic that surrounded them. Aseach one that gawked at him, he stared back in utter amazement. If only the Lords of the Order could have seen-they would have had fits!

‘They have witches!’ Samuel said to the Koian women behind him, for lack of anyone else to tell. ‘I was just getting used to their healers, but I did not think it would be as bad as this.’

‘You make it sound so terrible. What is wrong with women using magic anyway?’

‘It is forbidden; that is enough. It is against the very nature of magic.’

‘Then someone forgot to tell the Paatin. Perhaps it is your Order that is mistaken.’

‘You don’t know what you are talking about, woman. In your country, all magicians are forbidden.’

‘In my country, we recognise the strengths of men and women both. To us-and to the Paatin,it seems-the sexes are equal in manyrespects. It seems to be your people who are the ignorant ones.’

Samuel gave up arguing with her, as she would not listen to reason. Apart from that one problem, there was also no doubting Om-rah’s effect on the place, for the odour of the magic was tainted and sickly. Nearly every one of his underlings was also streaked with the same repugnant, corrosive stain.

‘This is Yi’sit, the Well of Tears ,’ Utik’cah called back as they reached a central square.

‘ Abut! Abut!’ called the camel wranglers, and the animals began settling down onto their bellies, forelegs followed by rear legs.

Cool,fresh water was pulled up from the depths of the well in wooden buckets and Samuel and the Koian woman quenched their thirst. Samuel let the water spill down his chest and emptied the last portion onto his head to cool himself down. After he had drunk again and wiped his chin dry, Utik’cah motioned for them to follow him.

‘The Empress spends little time out of her room, although she has the freedom of the village,’ the desert-man explained. ‘She does not seem very contented here.’

Samuel surveyed the bare,stone walls. Everything was purely functional, with very little to tempt anyone out of their shady refuges and into the sun. ‘I can’t imagine why,’ he responded.

Utik’cah led them into one the towers and they climbed the curling stairs that hugged the inside wall. They stopped on a small internal balcony, just beforeasingle door. ‘I will leave you alone,’ he said, quietly slipping away.

Samuel knocked tentatively and called within, ‘Empress Lillith. It is Samuel, of the Order.’

He heard feet padding towards them from the other side and the door swung in, revealing the wide-eyed Empress, safe and well.

‘Samuel!’ she declared. ‘What are you doing here? I hope you have come to rescue me. Although…well, Iwill leave it to youto tell me about it. Come in, come in.’

Samuel went in past her, with the Koian following closely. The door was quite small and they had to duck their heads, but the room was spacious inside, darkenedto protect itfrom the outside heat and surprisingly cool. Young Leopold was sitting on a pile of cushions, drawing on some papers. The floor surrounding him was covered in similar scribble-covered leaves.

‘Come, sit,’ the Empress said, directing the pair to aset ofthatched chairs. ‘I must admit,I am surprised to see you here, but I must assume from the lack of excitement that this is not quite the rescue I was hoping for. And who is this young lady accompanying you?’ She peered directly at the strange features of the Koian woman and ran her eyesover herfrom heel to head in the deliberate manner of evaluation.

‘This is an emissary from the Koian nation,’ Samuel explained. ‘She is their god.’

‘A god?’ the Empress repeated sceptically, before realising her manners. ‘Then I am pleased to meet you. Please, call me Lillith. What is your name?’

The Koian woman shied, castingher eyes aside.

‘She doesn’t actually have one,’ Samuel explained. ‘She also does not understand Turian, but it would be pointless to translate for you.’

‘Of course she has a-’ the Empress began, but Samuel cut her off.

‘Actually, she doesn’t. She has all manner of titles, but it’s probably better we just ignore her. She’s more trouble than she’s worth.’

‘Samuel! You should be ashamed!’ Empress Lillith scolded. She then curtsied formally and graciously before the Koian woman, still looking indignant at Samuel’s comments, before retaking her seat and addressing the Koian with a welcoming smile. ‘I’m most honoured to meet you. Please, make yourself as comfortable as you can.’

Still, the Koian woman was silent and straight-faced, staring back at the Empress as if in a stupor.

Samuel gave the Empress a brief I told you so look, before rotating in his seat and putting his back to the Koian woman. ‘Please, let us speak quickly. I am not sure how much time we will be given.’

‘Are you captives? How goes the war?’ the Empress asked.

Samuel took a moment to scan the room with his senses. No spells ofListening seemed present, and there was no one within earshot that he could detect. ‘Our plan to free you is not quite going as well as we first hoped, but we are working on a way to return you to Cintar. I have heard no word of the war since we left, except what the Paatin Queen has told me. I’m not keen to believe what she says, but I would guess that the war continues as expected. I must assume more towns have been lost, but I cannot imagine the stubborn Turians giving in, or that Cintar would easily fall.’

‘I agree with you in both of those assumptions.’

‘I have news for you that may be of a surprise, however. Your husband is alive, and he is with us in the Paatin Queen’s city.’

‘My husband?’ the Empress said with confusion. ‘Edmond? What do you mean, Samuel? The Emperor is dead.’

‘No. He is alive.’

‘What trickery is this?’ she said, suddenly looking pale. Her hand went to her chest and then she looked back to Samuel withdesperatehope. ‘Some kind of magic?’

‘So I believe, but not any magic I know or understand. It seemed Master Celios was expecting your husband’s demise. He preserved his essence and distilled it into the body of another. He is alive, but he is not quite the same man you knew-that any of us knew.’

‘For goodness sake, Samuel. Explain yourself. Whatever do you mean?’

‘He lives on in the body of another: a nobleman called Sir Ferse-’

‘Sir Ferse? I know him well. His wife and I are quite familiar with each other.’

‘Sir Ferse no longer exists, Your Majesty. At least, not as anyone knew him. He and your husband are now one. No one knows about this, as far as I know, except Master Celios and me. He has come here to save you-’ and he looked over to where Leopold was still playing, ‘-and your son. He sends you both his love and hopes he can be with you soon.’

‘This is a shock, Samuel,’ she said, standing and pacing the floor. ‘Magic is a strange and alarming thing. I had no idea such feats were possible.’