Skies Over Tomorrow: Constellation (24 page)

Groggy, Hieu sat up. “Has all been peaceful?” he said.

“Most peaceful. As matter of fact, the only excitement came when a shooting star landed over the horizon in the forest. If you should find it on your way to the temple, all of your wishes will come true.”

“Aye, but I have no time for such a fable,” said Hieu. “If Lord Shen is not here before first light, Lady Ayame shall have my head.”

“Then you best be up and on your way.” As the junior page left the room, he said, “You've quite a journey ahead of you.”

Hieu got up and washed his face, and afterward, dressed in his formal breakfast attire and arms. He grabbed up his satchel from the foot of his bed and checked the few items with in it, and sure of the equipment and supplies he would need for the trip, he left for the stable.

In the corral, Hieu opened the stall of his pack and greeted it, grasping the beast by the head and looking into its eyes. Telepathically, he told the catlike steed of their destination as well as the urgency of the venture. The pack animal licked his face, and he returned the affection with a pat and a rub on its head.

Hieu then inspected his pack's gear, after which he climbed onto its back and set off for the temple, across the vast grounds of his house and into the forest. He rode with his head low to the saddle, trusting the vision of the pack as it ranged the woodland under moonlight. It was hard to see how low branches hung over the thoroughfare, as when they whipped pass, the tree shadows seemed to come to life and want to snatch him from his mounted position.

They traveled far into the forest, and Hieu knew that wondering how much further until they reached the temple was a futile effort that would bring about worry and fear. Maintaining a high level of trust in his pack animal was all that he could do, for it sensed and performed to the level of his confidence. Nevertheless, the animal rode like a boat on choppy seas, and the obscurity of night even made the journey as never ending as an ocean voyage.

The seemingly nocturnal calm of the forest swayed time, and it seemed the pack galloped in place. Then it slowed to a trot, and then stopped. Hieu felt the presence, too; someone was near. He pulled a flare torch from his satchel and wrenched the cap from its end, igniting a flame. The presence felt evil as the torchlight urged darkness away.

“Show yourself, Shard,” Hieu said. “Your wickedness is like the smell of a decaying beast. It congests my senses with a rancid stench.”

“Tell me, are you from the House of Sarauniya?”

Hieu looked to see from where the voice came as he said, “Aye, now show yourself.”

“Tell me, whom do you serve?”

“Lady Ayame, First Knight of the House of Sarauniya. Now shall you show yourself, coward.”

“By no means am I afraid of a steward, especially one from the House of Sarauniya,” said Lord Garai, stepping from behind a tree, veiled by his faceless mask.

Hieu drew his short sword and, with it in one hand and the torch in the other, jumped down from his pack and engaged the Sharizardian. Lord Garai sidestepped the overhead swing of the knight-to-be and floated to his rear, and struck him at the knee and then fell him with a blow to the head. Hieu was unconscious before he hit the ground. The Shadow Knight turned and saw the pack animal in mid flight, and it pounced on him. The beast's claws ripped into his armor as he struggled with it. He flicked the pack off him with a finger snap at it, and then scrambled to his feet, and with one hand, summoned from thin air his sword-lance, as the pack recovered from being thrown. It charged again, and as it leaped into the air, Lord Garai lunged forward and swung his weapon up. The cry of the beast screeched through the forest and sent flocks of foul into the night sky.

Lord Garai stood over the slain steed, his breathing labored. While the forest earth imbibed the spilt life of the pack, he waved a hand before his smooth façade and uncovered his face. He then licked clean the blood of the animal from a segmented length of his weapon, after which he vanished it away.

The ominous noble then went to Hieu, knelt, and turned him over. He grasped the squire by the jaw, and as he stood, lifted him up. “Life for you has come to an end,” he said, and with a quick twist of his wrist, snapped Hieu's neck like a twig. Turning the head of the gentleman back upright, the Shadow Knight pulled the mouth of the body to his lips and exhaled into it. He then held the weight of the corpse back out before him, and said, “With the life of my breath, your soul serves me. The shell that was your flesh serves me. Be alive, and do my bidding.”

The zombie that was Hieu opened its eyes.

Lord Garai lifted his free hand, as he rested the resurrected gentleman on his feet, and dangled a purple pouch between them. “You shall proceed with your duties, and when you next encounter Lady Ayame, you shall blow this powder in her face and say to her: Emperor Ohin is master.” He placed the small bag in Hieu's satchel, and then said, “Upon completing this task, you shall throw yourself upon your sword.” The Shadow Knight walked off, covering his face. “Be on your way,” he said, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.

Hieu awakened to a blurred vision of the star-filled sky; and he sat up in a panic after focusing and realizing the heavens' shift westward was considerable since he left his house. Then a foul smell took hold of his attention. He looked and saw his pack animal lay slain before him. The flare torch burned near his feet, and his sword had been drawn. He stood and retrieved and sheathed the rapier, and then picked up the torch and looked about. He heard the scurrying of creatures beyond the light; their shadows darted for cover whenever he confronted them. There were too many stalking him, and so he ran. He ran fast and scared. He thought not of what might have happened, but only of getting to the shelter of the temple.

When the sanctuary came into view, Hieu drew upon what energy he had left and dashed up the winding trail to its gate. At the entrance of the temple, he pounded, punched, kicked, and even screamed at the barrier doors of wood. The ruckus brought two monks to the entryway. One opened its peephole.

“Please, I beg you to open your door,” Hieu said. “I've been attacked. My pack was slaughtered.”

“Aye, we heard its cry,” said the monk. The peephole closed and the gate-locks turned open. The two monks pulled open the left hinged cordon of logs, and after Hieu went in, one said, “Why are you traveling at such a time?”

“Milady—Lady Ayame—sent me. She has beckoned Lord Shen to join our Madam Nariko for breakfast. She wants him in attendance before first light.”

“Go awaken Master Shen,” the monk said to the other.

“There isn't much time,” said Hieu. “If I do not return with him before dawn—”

“There is time,” the monk said. “You're pale. Come in and rest, and to make yourself warm.”

The monk escorted Hieu into an aula of the temple, off from its main vestibule, and there the head squire sat on the lip of a shallow window cove and reclined against its framed panes of glass. His respite was short, however, as Shen and the second monk entered from the foyer. Hieu was quick to stand and bow his head to the priest-monk.

“Are you well?” Shen said.

“Aye, milord. I do not know what happened. My pack is dead now. Something must have attacked me.”

“It's understandable. Most predator beasts roam the forest this time of night.”

“Aye, I should have been more careful.”

“Lady Ayame should not have sent you alone.”

“Aye, Lady Ayame. I am to deliver a message from her to you. She shall not meet with you here before your departure tomorrow, for you are to be in attendance at our morning's feast. We should leave now. I am to have you at our house before first light.”

“Why?”

“She wants you rested for the trip, and our madam. Your unorthodox way of taking Lady Ayame as your mate does not sit well with our Madam Nariko, nor our house.”

“I understand, but you need rest.”

“Leave now, Shen,” said the high priestess.

Everyone turned to see the divine matriarch standing with a lit candle at the entrance to the orison hall.

“High Priestess, I apologize if we have awakened you,” Shen said. “You should return to bed.”

“I cannot sleep. Evil has intruded upon this holy place. It has encroached upon my sleep to which I shall not return until it is gone.”

“I know not what you mean, High Priestess,” said Shen. “What evil?”

“As with the others who have gone before in search of the Holy Orb, a warning appears,” she said, nearing the head squire. “This gentleman is cursed, Shen. Sinister magic has consumed his soul.”

“Lord Shen, what is she saying?” said Hieu.

“He's just tired from his travel,” the priest-monk said. “He was attacked and is in shock.”

“You, and you,” the high priestess said, “gather and ready Shen's belongings and have them moved to the Sarauniya House tomorrow.”

Shen looked at the two monks and nodded; they left for his quarters.

“Milord, does the High Priestess walk in her sleep?” Hieu said. “Anyone can see that I am fine. Frightened and tired, aye, but fine.”

“Indeed.”

“From this moment on, Shen, life for you is coming to an end,” said the high priestess, and she walked away. “Leave now.” The aula was quiet, as she retreated back to the orison chamber.

“Do you feel well enough to ride?” said Shen.

“Aye, milord. I can ride.”

“Then we shall be on our way.”

The priest-monk led the squire out to the stable of the temple, and on to the stall of his pack animal. It jumped when it saw Hieu. They entered the pen, and Shen moved to calm the beast by rubbing it on the neck and ears. He proceeded to gear it up while continuing the reassuring strokes. Once mounted on his pack, he went to pull Hieu up onto it, but struggled to keep his steed steady. Shen calmed it again, long enough to reach and grab hold of Hieu. When the riders settled, the pack, agitated with carrying an undead on its back, trotted out of the corral and into and across the courtyard. Hieu looked to the sky and saw the stars had moved further westward. The hours before daybreak were short.

When the pack passed the gate of the temple, it carried its riders into the forest at full gallop. For Hieu, the return ride did not seem as long or as lonely. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what had happened, and as they approached his slain pack, forest scavengers fled from its carcass. Shen compelled his pack onward through the reek of death, pungent in the crisp, tacky air, and onward through the sylvan night.

Lord Shen and Hieu, atop the steed of the spiritual noble, emerged from the forest at the twilight of early morning, just when daylight started to creep up over the horizon. The panting of both riders was just as heavy as the pack's deep gasps for air; they also seemed just as tired as the beast. Hieu pointed to the stable of his house, and Shen wheedled his pack to halt. They dismounted, and Hieu took the reins and walked the animal to the hutches, as Shen followed. “Are you all right?” he said.

“Aye, milord. You need not worry for me.”

Shen felt something was wrong. He never saw his pack act so nervous. Nevertheless, the walk allowed each of them to catch their breath.

Just as they arrived at the corral's front entry, Hieu said, “We'll enter the house from the rear.”

“Very well.”

“Brother,” a voice then said, “you've returned safely with Lord Shen. Lady Ayame will be pleased.” A subtle light budded and bloomed, and it illuminated the shadows of the first pen right of the corral's main entrance. It was Ume; she walked out from the open enclosure with a lantern in hand and a warmhearted smile.

“Why are you up this early?” said Hieu.

“Lady Ayame asked that I look out for your return. You do not look well. Have you fallen ill?”

“I am fine. Are you to show Lord Shen to his chamber?”

“Aye.”

“Good.”

“Lady Ayame wants to see you as well,” she said.

“I shall see her once I've secured Lord Shen's pack. Now take our lord in from this brisk air so that he may be rested.”

“Milord,” said Ume with a bow.

Shen tilted his head, and gestured for her to lead the way.

Hieu led his lord's pack into a pen, and set about to remove the harness, saddle, and gear from it; however, the animal would not let him near. It cowered away so many times that he gave up, cursing the beast as he enclosed it within the stall, and then he went inside.

From the stable's house entrance, Hieu entered the back hall of the estate, into the main hall, up curving stairs, and down the main corridor to the east wing, and as he neared Lady Ayame's chamber, he began to get lightheaded and nauseous. He started to sweat profusely. He stopped and held himself up against the wall for a moment. Curiosity beset him when he reached into his satchel and pulled from it a purple pouch; he looked it over and felt it was for his lady. Pushing himself off the wall, he lumbered on to her chamber. The door was open, and he saw Lady Ayame sitting before a warm fire. He knocked.

“Come in,” she said, and stood to face the entrance of her quarters. “Hieu, you've done well. I thank—”

He coughed as he lingered in the doorway.

“Are you not well?”

“Aye, milady.” He coughed again, as he manipulated the pouch behind his back. “I must tell you something.”

Lady Ayame walked over to her head squire, touched his neck, and said, “You're cold as ice. You've fallen ill.”

“There is something you need to know,” he said, and coughed.

“What is it?”

Hieu drew and presented a fist to his lady, white dust seeping from its grip, and turning his hand up while drawing in a deep breath, he opened and blew from it ashen powder. The fine particles flew into Lady Ayame's eyes, nostrils, and mouth.