Daniel Abraham - The Tyrant's Law

He struggled like a drunkard to gather the pieces of his shattered mind, and felt them slipping from his grasp. Felt the silence reaching up to take him again.

It’s time to wake up.

He grabbed for the voice. The words were strangely inflected, as all slave tongues were, but they existed. They were real. He could actually feel the words in the dreamed flesh of his claws, and he dragged himself along them, up into the realm of mere slumber. He managed enough awareness to know that something was wrong. He was ill or drunk or poisoned. He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t let himself sleep.

You need to wake up now.

He breached from dream to the world. The light became real. A torch in a slave’s hand. And another behind it. His body felt wrong, sluggish and dim. The straw he’d slept upon was gone and he felt grime and filth on his scales and in between them. The slave was wrong too. It carried a culling blade, though. The one behind it smelled corrupt. He reached out with his mind and felt Morade’s weapon writhing in the slave’s blood, but it didn’t move to attack.

“Drakkis?” Inys managed, and his voice sounded weak and cracked in his own ears.

The nearer slave shook its head.

“I’m Marcus Wester. That’s Master Kit.” It was the same voice. The one that had called him back.

“Morade,” Inys said. “Does Morade live?”

“No,” the slave said. “I’m going to have to go with no on that.”

Inys felt the relief pour into his soul. He tried to rise, but his body felt so weak. So heavy . The air smelled of rot and ice and the sea. He shook himself, trying to bring his mind to bear, and reared up on his haunches. Every muscle in his body was stiff, slow, and unresponsive. The sense that something was wrong grew.

“Where is Erex?” he asked. “And Drakkis? What’s become of Drakkis Stormcrow?”

“Well,” the slave said. “I may have some bad news about that.”

Dramatis Personae

Persons of interest and import in The Tyrant’s Law

IN SUDDAPAL

The Medean bank in Suddapal

Magistra Isadau, voice of the Medean bank in Suddapal

Kani, her sister

Jurin, her brother

Salan, his son

Merid Addanos, her cousin, and

Maha, her daughter

various cousins and servants of the house

Cithrin bel Sarcour, apprentice to Magistra Isadau

Yardem Hane, personal guard to Cithrin, also Enen

Roach (Halvill)

Kilik rol Keston, a merchant

Samish, a rival of the bank

Karol Dannien, a mercenary captain

Epetchi, a cook

IN IMPERIAL ANTEA

The Royal Family

Aster, prince and heir to the empire

House Palliako

Geder Palliako, Regent of Antea and Baron of Ebbingbaugh

Lehrer Palliako, Viscount of Rivenhalm and his father

House Kalliam

Clara Kalliam, formerly Baroness of Osterling Fells

Barriath

Vicarian, and

Jorey; her sons

also Sabiha, wife to Jorey, and

Pindan, her illegitimate son

and various former servants and slaves, including

Andrash rol Estalan, door slave to House Kalliam

Benet, a gardener

Alston, a guardsman

Steen, a guardsman

Vincen Coe, huntsman formerly in the service of House Kalliam Abatha

Coe, his cousin

House Skestinin

Lord Skestinin, master of the Imperial Navy

Lady Skestinin, his wife

House Annerin

Elisia Annerin (formerly Kalliam), daughter of Clara and Dawson

Gorman Annerin, son and heir of Lord Annerin and husband of Elisia

Corl, their son

House Daskellin

Canl Daskellin, Baron of Watermarch and Ambassador to Northcoast

Sanna, his eldest daughter

Also, various lords and members of the court, including

Sir Namen Flor

Sir Noyel Flor

Cyr Emming, Baron of Suderland Fells

Sir Ernst Mecilli

Lord Ternigan, Lord Marshal to Regent Palliako

Sodai Carvenallin, his secretary

Sir Curtin Issandrian

Sir Gospey Allintot

Fallon Broot, Baron of Suderling Heights

and also Houses Veren, Essian, Ischian, Bannien, Estinford, Faskellan, Tilliakin, Mastellin, Caot, and Pyrellin, among others

Basraship, minister of the spider goddess and counselor to Geder Palliako

also some dozen priests

And also various thugs, workers, tradesmen, and thieves, including

Aly Koutunin, mother to

Mihal, a criminal, and also

Sarai, a recent bride

Ossit, a thug with three friends

IN SARAKAL

Mesach Sau, representative of the traditional families in Nus

Abden Shadra, head of a traditional family

Silan Junnit, member of a traditional family

Sohen Bais, member of a traditional family

IN BIRANCOUR

The Medean bank in Porte Oliva

Pyk Usterhall, notary

Maestro Asanpur, a café owner

IN NORTHCOAST

The Medean bank in Carse

Komme Medean, head of the Medean bank

Paerin Clark, bank auditor and son-in-law of Komme

IN HALLSKAR

Milo of Order Murro, a young man

Kirot of Order Murro, an old fisherman and keeper of secrets

Ama of Order Murro, keeper of the lodge house

THROUGHOUT THE GREATER WORLD

Marcus Wester, mercenary captain

Kitap rol Keshmat, former actor and apostate of the spider goddess

The Players

Cary

Hornet

Smit

Charlit Soon

Mikel

Sandr

Dar Cinlama, a hunter of ancient treasures and seeker of lost places

also his lieutenants, Korl Essian

Emmun Siu

Merrisen Koke, a mercenary captain

also, his men

Callon Cane, a convenient fiction

THE DEAD

King Simeon, Emperor of Antea, dead from a defect of the flesh

King Lechan of Asterilhold, executed in war

Feldin Maas, formerly Baron of Ebbingbaugh, killed for treason

Phelia Maas, his wife dead at her husband’s hand

Dawson Kalliam, formerly Baron of Osterling Fells, executed for treason

Alan Klin, executed for treason

Mirkus Shoat, executed for treason

Estin Cersillian, Earl of Masonhalm, killed in an insurrection

Magister Imaniel, voice of the Medean bank in Vanai and protector of Cithrin

also Cam, a housekeeper, and

Besel, a man of convenience, burned in the razing of Vanai

Alys, wife of Marcus Wester

also Merian, their daughter, burned to death as a tactic of intrigue

Lord Springmere, the Mayfly King, killed in vengeance

Akad Silas, adventurer, lost with his expedition

Assian Bey, collector of secrets and builder of traps, whose death is not recorded

Morade, the last Dragon Emperor, said to have died from wounds

Inys, clutch-mate of Morade, whose manner of death is not recorded

Asteril, clutch-mate of Morade, maker of the Timzinae, dead of poison

Drakkis Stormcrow, great human general of the last war of the dragons, dead of age

An Introduction to the Taxonomy of Races

(From a manuscript attributed to Malasin Calvah, Taxonomist to Kleron Nuasti Cau, fifth of his name)

The ordering and arrangements of the thirteen races of humanity by blood, order of precedence, mating combination, or purpose is, by necessity, the study of a lifetime. It should occasion no concern that the finer points of the great and complex creation should seem sometimes confused and obscure. It is the intent of this essay to introduce the layman to the beautiful and fulfilling path which is taxonomy.