The Wrath Of the Forgotten (31 page)

Tadaga Amori narrowed her eyes, and leaned on her desk. “What do we have here? I expected my wayward child, but I didn’t anticipate a crowd. I’m not in the mood to entertain, I’m afraid.”

Luxi planted her feet tightly and placed her hands on her hips. “Well, if you won’t meet with them too, then I’ll leave.”

Amori narrowed her eyes and stood up from her seat. “This is how you greet me after all this time? What have I done to earn this hatred from you? Answer me that!”

Luxi pointed at Amori as she got closer to the other side of the desk. “You allowed my father to die, all to feed your selfish ambition. His death was meaningless.”

Amori slammed the flats of her hands against the desk. A wild rage flared within her brown eyes. “Is that what this whole thing was about?! Is that what you think really happened? How dare you!”

Under the energy of the pirate queen’s anger, Luxi actually steeled herself and raised her shoulders a little higher. Flara and Apisa winced as they watched the altercation unfold. Rayko averted her eyes. Nori hid his discomfort behind a mask of neutrality, yet his soul writhed in sympathy. Vihori also appeared unmoved, yet his eyes reflected a greater degree of anguish.

“I loved your father too!” Amori said. “And I never pursued this path for my own sense of ambition! You left us when we needed you the most. Not only did your brother and I have to mourn alone, we had to face an entire city of enemies by ourselves.”

Luxi slapped her own hands down on the desk. She leaned over and glared at Amori. “I was thirteen years old, and you let me down! I trusted you to safeguard him against that kind of bullshit. He never wanted to get involved with that kind of twisted politics. He only stayed in the city because he loved you.”

Amori reached out and grabbed Luxi by the front of the shirt. “Yes, he did! At what point did you stop loving me? When you assumed I was a selfish power monger? Damn you for worrying me for so many years. Take your ship and your guests and leave. I’ve learned to live without you in my life, and you’ve done the same.” She pushed Luxi away.

Luxi didn’t back away from the desk though. “You need to listen to them. They have something very important to discuss with you. If you care about Gohoda, then you won’t send them away.”

Amori rounded the desk and got in Luxi’s face. Their chests’ pressed together, and their noses nearly did as well. Neither woman backed down, and they sent daggers out through their eyes.

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t have you thrown in prison?” Amori asked. “You abandoned us when we needed you the most. So why do you think I’m going to do anything you’re asking of me now?”

Vihori spoke up, “Mother, you really should listen to her. You know Luxi, she’s always been a great judge of character. Granted, she’s sometimes had errors in judging actions, but she’s always lived her life earnestly. Just like Father did.”

Amori whipped around and turned her brutal rage against him. “I can’t believe you’re taking her side.”

Vihori walked up and wrapped his arms around the both of them. He glanced at each one in turn, and he beamed a ridiculous smile. Some people might have found that grin charming, but Nori rolled his eyes at the sight of it. No Onistan would be swayed by such roguish tactics.

“Why don’t you hear them out first, and then you and Luxi can have private time alone?” Vihori said.

Amori’s lips curled to form a sneer. “My daughter died five years ago when she disappeared into the wide world. I don’t know who this impertinent little whelp is, but I have half a mind to remind her who the master really is.”

Luxi tightened her jaw for a moment, and she inched her face a little closer to her mother’s. “I’m not the same little girl who left port all those years ago. If you want to cross swords, then draw.”

Electricity zapped through the air, and Nori rested a hand on the hilt of a small dagger. Just feeling it under his palm made the blood in his veins a little less rapid.

Amori’s eyes narrowed. “Fine, little girl. After I hear what you’re friends have to say, you and I are meeting for a private duel.”

Luxi brushed Vihori’s arm off of her, and moved back toward where Nori stood. “Good. I can’t wait to finally beat you.”

The pirate queen pushed Vihori in the chest, and then leaned against her desk. As Vihori moved back to where he stood, he rubbed the spot where his mother had pushed him. A bit of tension swirled in his eyes. A smug smile remained just below his slender nose.

Amori crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, out with it. I’m a busy woman, and I have a city to run.”

Rayko started to move forward, but Flara placed a hand on her arm. Rayko and Apisa stared at Flara with wide eyes, but neither woman said anything. Luxi, Amori, and Vihori watched with rapped attention. Nori’s stomach clenched like a giant fist.

Flara walked up to Amori, and stopped when she was within arm’s reach. Her eyes had been averted while she moved, but then she slowly leveled her face. Their eyes met. Flara quivered in her spot.

“M-my name is Twisha Flara, and I am the youngest daughter of Empress Twisha Fausa. I have come t-to your city on urgent business. I …need your help.” She paused for a moment and swallowed hard. “The Empire needs your help.”

Amori never took her eyes from Flara, and she asked in a neutral tone, “Is she joking? If this is a jest, I don’t find it funny in the least.”

Vihori gaped at Flara’s back, while Luxi simply stood there with an unreadable facial expression. Her eyes danced between her mother, Vihori, and Flara.

This time, Nori had openly grabbed his dagger handle, but he kept it sheathed.

Luxi said, “No, Mother. She really is the daughter of the Empress. Her Onistan friend is her Qu-Tar.” She pulled out the jade imperial seal that Nori had given her at the beginning of the trip. “See?”

Flara gave Amori a bow. “I’m d-desperately trying to get home to my mother in order to warn her about a coming threat. This th-threat will endanger all of Korrine, including Gohoda. I would like to ask you for your help. Sp-specifically, I would like for you to stop piracy on the river until this matter is handled. Also, I would like to request that you please use your ships to help our imperial navy against the oncoming enemy.”

Amori placed her hands at her sides, and she regarded Flara with an appraising focus. “Why would I do that? You’re asking me to stop the livelihood of many of my citizens, and then dedicate their lives to some unknown enemy?”

Flara’s shoulders shook slightly. “If you would do this, I’m s-sure that my mother would send Gohoda imperial aid and support to offset any loss of …”

Amori scoffed. “Imperial support? You mean Imperial rule. There’s no way that I’m giving up my fleet of ships to your navy, just so you could come here at a later date and take over. I’ve worked too hard to stop the meaningless bloodshed that once occurred. If I followed your crazed plan, it would undue years of precious work. I’m not giving up my position to some hoity-toity noble who wants to play governor.” She slammed her fist into her chest. “I’m living it now! I am the governor of Gohoda.”

Flara winced, but then took a step forward and resumed her bold stance. “I understand what you’re saying.” She paused for a moment and allowed her gaze to fall for but a second. She bit the bottom of her lip, and then sighed ever so slightly. “Maybe I c-could offer you something in return for your support to my mother.”

Amori waved her hand at her. “I’m sorry, my dear. There’s nothing you can offer me to make me risk the lives of my citizens. We’re well entrenched here. Your Imperial military will either succeed without us, or you’ll weaken the enemy enough for us to somehow survive against them.”

Flara grasped her hands to her chest and gazed longingly at Amori. “Wh-what if I could legitimize your claim to your position? What if I could give you a direct tie to the Imperial Throne through…?” Flara took several rapid breathes.

Rayko gasped, and she grabbed Apisa’s hand. As dense as Nori was, even he knew what Flara was about to suggest.

Amori leaned forward a little. Her eyes took on the expression of a starving wolf. “Through what?” Surely Amori knew as well.

Flara swallowed hard. “Through marriage.”

Amori chuckled. “I’m flattered, but I’m not into women.”

“Neither am I,” Flara replied. “But am I to understand… that you have an unwed son? I didn’t see a ring on his finger.”

Vihori watched the whole scene unfold with an opened mouth. He kept switching his gaze between his mother and Flara. The degree of danger had diminished in the air, and so Nori took his hand off of his dagger handle. He shifted in his spot uneasily.

Amori peeked over Flara’s shoulder. “No, my son is not married at the moment. I mean no disrespect, but do you expect me to hand over my precious boy to a stranger?”

Luxi spoke up. “She’s the sweetest person I have ever met, and I’ve met a lot of people. She reads all of the time, and she has the magical ability to communicate with kami spirits. Though she may be shy at first, she’s courageous when she needs to be.”

Amori glared at Luxi.

Luxi returned her mother’s hard stare. “You may hate me for leaving you, but you know me. You know I would never vouch for anyone unless I really believed in them. Miss Flara would make a great bride for Vihori. I swear upon Father’s soul.”

For a moment, Amori looked as if she might lunge across the floor and attack Luxi right then and there. Nori crouched ever so slightly and braced himself.

“It looks like the Onistan watches out for you too…” Amori said. She reached out to touch Flara’s chin. Their eyes met again. “If I agree to do this, you’ll talk to your mother on my behalf? I have to be recognized as Governor of Gohoda. There will be little direct Imperial alterations to how I do things, are we clear… my future daughter-in-law?”

Flara swallowed hard. “Yes, my f-future mother-in-law.”

Amori gently caressed Flara’s cheek. “You don’t have to be nervous around me in the future. If you are true to your word and your mother protects my people, I will be a loyal governor.”

Vihori cleared his throat loudly. “Excuse me, don’t I get any say in the matter?”

Flara and Amori gazed over at him.

Amori gestured to Flara. “Are you saying you’re opposed to such a union?”

“Well, I would like to get to know her before I agree to marry her,” Vihori said. “I’m not a prize to be won, or a commodity to be traded. Miss Flara is quite beautiful, and I’m sure that I would find her interesting…”

Amori shrugged. “Then go with her. Get to know her. Announce your engagement to the Empress. I will not give up my ships until a deal has been struck though.” Amori frowned at Flara. “I’m sure you understand.”

Flara gave her a weak nod. “I do understand. I h-hope that something can be worked out. The Empire needs all of the allies it can get if we are to survive the horror that is to come.”

Vihori asked, “What is this horror exactly?”

Flara looked back to where Nori, Apisa, and Rayko stood. Apisa gave a gentle nod of the chin. Rayko did as well. Flara’s attention finally drifted to Nori.

Did she really want his input too?

Apisa nudged him in the ribs and made a strange noise in her throat. Nori nodded.

Flara told Amori and Vihori everything.

THE COOL NIGHT
air sent rippling chills down Nori’s back. A star-filled sky stretched overhead, and the moon shimmered with a luminous radiance. Nori leaned over the railing of a balcony and beheld the mystifying splendor of the river. Most of Gohoda had been blanketed in darkness, but a few lights beamed out of windows like fireflies in a field.

Thank Saito he didn’t have the nightmare again.

Nori scanned the serenity of the city once more before staring at the celestial orb that hung in the heavens.

“Mesmerized, are we?” a voice called out from behind.

Luxi moved up beside him and leaned on the railing like he did. She gazed at the moon. A large smile creased across her face. She didn’t have her sword by her side, and she was dressed in a loose, baggy shirt and a pair of light brown shorts. A dark bruise sat right under her right eye. She also placed more weight on her left leg

He said, “Watching the moon helps me process my thoughts. Are you okay? You’re hurt.”

Luxi relaxed her shoulders and breathed in the night air deeply. Her eyes closed before she exhaled. “I’ve really missed this place. I never realized how much I did until just now. My father and I used to sit on one of the piers at night and gaze out into the harbor. My mother used to get so upset; she said it was dangerous for us to be out when our enemies were still in power. Back then, we didn’t care about that.”

“How did the duel with your mother go? I see that you’re still alive,” Nori said. “Does that mean…?”

Luxi chuckled, and then shook her head. “We didn’t duel to the death. It was merely to demonstrate superiority. Damn that woman… she hasn’t changed a bit. It’s okay, I still got her pretty good. I broke her nose, among other things.”

Nori shifted so that he faced her, but he still leaned against the balcony rail. Whenever Luxi breathed in, Nori found himself alert in anticipation for her exhale. She drummed her fingers against rail, and the soft
thump thump thump
encouraged his heart to beat in time.