Amazonia

  The Warghorse ran towards them across the platform, snarling as it spit out bloody froth, and Amazonia yelled, "Guard the prince." She leapt off the bier as Antonius began contracting her flesh into grey cords and skin. Pain ripped through her and she screamed in agony as she fell. But the shrieking stopped as she landed with both sandaled feet on the paving stones, the grey Rune sword in her hands as the slathering beast pounded down the platform stairs.

  Screams and shouts erupted from the people watching as it raced towards Az, swerving so it could pass by her and get to Timur instead. Amazonia slashed its side with the blade as it passed. The Warghorse howled in pain as it skidded to a stop, the old man no longer trying to escape but bumping along beside it as the beast turned towards her and charged. The old man needs to die, but not by my hand... remain still, let it come closer... now!

  The Warghorse leapt for her throat as she slid right, moving towards its uninjured side, the grey blade ripping through fur, flesh, and the leather cord holding the old man fast. He fell free as the beast howled again, sliding on the paving stones, and Az rushed over to his still form as if guarding him as the creature's back claws scraped stone turning its bleeding body around.

  Wary of her Rune sword now, the Warghorse slid to a stop just out of reach as it snarled, spraying red slather as it feinted left before lunging right. But faster than thought, the sword tip was in its face again and it backed away. It turned to look up at Prince Timur on the funeral bier and Az rushed forward.

  The crimson runes glowed as the blade sheared through its foreleg. The Warghorse shrieked in agony and snapped at Az as she danced back, then lunged forward again to slash at its face. The Rune sword tore through its skull, bones crunching as the beast gurgled on the blood pouring out of its mouth as it staggered away.

  Then the Warghorse collapsed onto the stones. Amazonia approached it one careful step at a time as Timur ran past her, Argat and Bogen right behind him as they raced towards the old man. Az’s attention remained focused on the beast, still twitching feebly, and she positioned herself along its side as she raised the sword. Amazonia slashed downward through the back of its neck, then grabbed the beast's head with one hand and cut away the tendons until the head was free of the body.

  She threw it to one side and turned around as Timur shouted, "Argat, run to Ishtar's temple and get one of the Celtic priestesses. My father's dying." Timur had the old man's head in his lap as his father gasped for breath.

  Argat turned and sprinted across the plaza, passing by Timur's brother Varsena who was running towards them. As he got close, Varsena called out, "How is father?"

  "Bad," Timur growled as Varsena slid to a stop. More people were racing towards them and shouting as Timur watched his brother kneel beside him. "Varsena, if we don't get a healer here soon or even a Blood mage, he's not going to make it. What in Tengri's name happened?"

  Varsena grimaced. "Wargsbane in a piece of fruit; I can't think of anything else it could have been."

  Shaking the drops of blood off her blade, grey faced Amazonia stopped beside them. "I thought Wargsbane only made animals too tired to move."

  "In anything except a true Warg or Warghorse," Timur answered, looking up at her. "In Wargs, it sends them into a frenzy, as if they were rabid."

  "This was more than just a frenzy, my prince. The beast was specifically going after you."

  "I noticed that as well," Varsena added. "Someone wiped the tainted piece of fruit with a cloth that had your smell, then somehow managed to sneak it into the feed the Warghorses ate right before the champions battle."

  Timur glanced down at the old man. "But why was father's Warghorse the one affected?"

  "Random chance," Az replied before Varsena could speak. It wasn't chance at all, of course, since I've got a good idea who's responsible. But Timur doesn't need to know that. "My prince, the poisoner likely placed the tainted fruit on top of the mixture during an unguarded moment, and since your father's beast was the first to be fed, got the Wargsbane instead of another."

  "What she is saying makes sense," Varsena said, "but I do not understand who would want to have you killed."

  "The answer is obvious," Amazonia said. "This was a Sasnayam plot to kill your brother. My prince," she said as she dropped to one knee on Timur's other side, "in my current state, I can see who is loyal to you and who isn't, and other signs as well. Grant me leave to walk around this assembled gathering and find the poisoner, who's doubtless still lurking about so he can report back to his Sasnayam masters about what happened."

  Timur gave her a sharp nod. "Do it, and if you're certain you have the right person, cut off their head on the spot and hold it up for all to see."

  "By your will," Az replied, getting to her feet as she glanced towards Porthos and the merchants around him. Time to find a scapegoat.

  Before she could take a step, Bogen hissed, "Az, behind you." She looked back over her shoulder.

  A pair of three-dimensional red line drawings about a foot tall, and in the shape of four armed Nomads, were racing towards her. The red runes on the Rune sword blade flared as if a fire burned within them, and as she held out the blade for the drawings to touch, the red glow transferred over to them.

  Then they turned around and raced towards the Temple district gate. Timur inhaled sharply. "Az, your Nomads, are they..."

  "Dead? They have to be, or else the tattoos wouldn't come off. Don't worry about it; the tattoos will now seek out new Chaldeans, either another set of twins or real Nomads, which would serve our needs better than the two I had before."

  Bogen gave her a strange look. "But... I thought the twins were your friends."

  Amazonia shrugged, her grey, skull-like face remaining indifferent. "When I return to being my weaker self, I'll mourn them, but right now I have a job to do."

  "Varsena," Timur said, "go with Az and if she executes this poisoner, tell everyone of the People why she killed him." Varsena returned him a suspicious look and Timur snapped, "I know we don't care a dog's ear about each other, but our people deserve to know what is going on."

  Varsena took a deep breath. "Apologies. You are right, they do deserve to know." He looked at Az and an uncertain expression slid onto his face. "Is she safe when she is like this?"

  "You aren't the poisoner," Amazonia replied before Timur could speak. “Your hands aren't stained and you have two small tusks coming out the sides of your mouth."

  "Tusks?"

  "You want her to see those," Timur said. "Trust me."

  Varsena shook his head in confusion, but walked alongside Amazonia as she started across the plaza towards the south pyramid. An idea began forming in her mind, and as they got out of earshot of Timur, she glanced Varsena's way. "I predict your father will be dead within a quarter-hour at most."

  He jumped as if she'd poked him with a red-hot metal bar. "Dead? But—"

  "The tusks coming out of his mouth were cracking and chipping away as I watched. My Nomad Chaldeans are also dead, which logically means that the merchant-spy Balthazar betrayed us, and took both the boy Paulus and Greywolf. He may have taken Wysper as well. Earlier, your brother Avitohol was sent to find Greywolf and hasn't returned."

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  Varsena sucked in his breath. "I think I see where you are going with this. Avitohol finds the twins down and Greywolf gone, asks the guards at the gate what they saw... oh no."

  Az nodded, resting the blunt edge of the back blade on her shoulder. "His cousin Hypam and her warriors are camped just beyond Bukhara. If your younger brother's fairly certain the merchant took them, he would see it as following your father order to enlist the group to go after them."

  "And he would insist on going along as well," Varsena said, shaking his head. "He would never dream that father could be dead... and Timur will use his absence against us."

  "Against him," Amazonia replied. "Prince Varsena, your older brother will take control of your people no matter what you do, leaving you and your wife homeless on the cusp of winter."

  "You forget I am a mage-crafter," he spat back at her. "Khor would find my skills of great value."

  Az raised her eyebrows. "Instead of a lapdog, the Lords of Khor are going to discover they've got a Direwolf living next door. So, they might decide not to risk the Direwolf’s wrath by taking you in. And while the Black Dragon clan would accept you, Timur told me they have peculiar ideas about sharing females not protected by marriage into the clan."

  Fear gnawed at his face a moment before he grit his teeth. "The woman approaching is my wife, Sorocan, and she is unafraid to face whatever dangers we have to brave if Timur kicks us out as he promised."

  Glancing at the approaching woman, Az remarked, "You do know she's bearing your child, right?"

  He stopped and gaped at her for a moment. "Child? But how－"

  "She's got a tiny infant attached to her chest like a parasite. Now, you could risk their safety on the open road, or you could take charge of your people when Timur moves them to the sheltered place he has picked out for them. Think about it: when Timur leads the army south in the spring, he isn't planning to take your people with him."

  "But... that is not the traditional way we fight."

  Amazonia raised her eyebrows. "Is anything that's happened over the last several days traditional?" Varsena opened his mouth, but then closed it again as he shook his head. "Exactly my point,” the Shadow Knight said. “Now, since he plans on leaving your people here while he leads the army, which of the tribal khans should he appoint to lead the people in his place?"

  Varsena frowned. "If he appoints one over the others, there will be a great deal of tension." He took a deep breath. "Amazonia, I see where you are going with this; I could sit on the chair of the Great Khan in his place without the other khans being jealous. But he will not do this. Timur hates me."

  Az put her grey, skull-like face near his, smiling as he shuddered. "Prince Varsena, your brother wants your respect. Give it to him today when you speak to your people, do not fight the inevitable, and I will advise him to bury the dagger between you both. I will be honest: I don't care whether you and your family live or die, but as the highly intelligent brother who cannot usurp Timur's position because he's a mage, you're in a unique place to help us. I want you with us." Varsena stared at her uncertainly as Az pulled back. "Go to your wife and discover whether or not I'm telling the truth. Then join me."

  Amazonia left him and headed toward Dancer and Fox, who were hurrying her way, Karl with Lys on his shoulder striding close behind. "Domina," Dancer called out as they got close, "the Nomads—"

  "Yes, I know. However, I need you both to run to the main gate and find out from the guards if they've seen Prince Avitohol, and if so, where he went and with who. Fox, you run back here and give the information to Prince Timur. No one else." Az grabbed her arm. "Do not use the Shadowlands. I don't want anyone associating you with being a Shadow-walker until long after today is over."

  Fox nodded. "Yes, Domina."

  "Good. Dancer, after you send Fox on her way, head to the inn and see what happened. Take your time searching... there's no reason to hurry, now."

  Dancer took a deep breath and nodded as well. "Yes, Domina."

  "Good. Now, before you leave, I know what both of you did today in my service." They both went still as field mice until Az placed a hand on Dancer’s, then Fox’s shoulder. "Your actions may well have won us the war, though we'll see in time. Regardless, I won't forget. Now, go." They traded a look and took off running for the Temple gate as she walk over to Lys. "You took a chance, making Timur the target."

  Lys gave her a sly smile. "I had faith in your martial prowess."

  Az inclined her head, sharing the smile with Lys for a moment as Varsena hurried over, holding his wife's hand in a firm grasp. "Amazonia, I... Apologies for doubting you."

  Amazonia’s expression turned serious as her eyes met his. "Remember what I told you and follow me." Striding towards Porthos and the merchants all standing around him in front of the pyramid, Az took the Rune sword off her shoulder and held it in her right hand. "Porthos," she called out, "the merchant there in the red robes is an agent for the Sasnayam Empire."

  Porthos and the other merchants gasped and drew away from the dark haired man, whose mouth opened and closed like a gasping fish. "This is an outrage," he finally spat out. "I am a loyal citizen of Bukhara."

  "Then why do I see wings of the Sasnayam lion sticking out of your back?" Sweat popped out on his forehead and she snarled, "Answer me!"

  Amazonia stalked forward until the tip of the grey blade hovered less than a foot from his throat. "I... no, please, it is not my fault." The man dropped to his knees. "They threatened my family if I did not cooperate."

  The tip of her blade moved to the hollow spot at the base of his throat. "It seems you have a choice to make. Name names, and die fast, or refuse and see your family thrown into the charnel pits for the dead to play with." Az peeled her lips back in the rictus of a smile. "I will make sure the dead are... creative with them." He hesitated and she snarled, "Speak nothing but the truth, for I will see their lion wings as clearly as I see yours."

  The man began to cry, names flowing from his lips as fast as the salty water streaming from his eyes. The names mean nothing to her, but they did to Porthos, for he grimaced. "May sand blast their eyes and close their mouths. They were trusted men."

  "Have someone take me to them and I will sort out their guilt or innocence. Now, all of you stand back." Behind her, sandals and boots scraped stone in the merchant's haste to get away, as the Shadow Knight Amazonia took the sword with both hands and held it up. "I pronounce you guilty of the poisoning of the Great Khan's Warghorse and attempted murder of Prince Timur."

  The man's eyes widened. "Murder? But—"

  Az swung hard, cutting off his words as the blade sheared through his neck. His head fell away as blood spurted from the severed vessels, his body collapsing a moment later as his life flowed onto the paving stones in a growing pool. Amazonia shook the blood drops from the blade as Varsena cautiously walked over. "Was he truly the poisoner?"

  "To my sight, his hands are stained red as the berries of the Wargsbane plant," Az told him, pointing towards the twitching fingers with her sword. His light brown hands were unstained.

  Varsena nodded. "Then I will tell the People," he said, picking up the dead man's head by its hair. "And Amazonia?" She raised her eyebrows and he sighed. "My child will be born in the spring."

  Varsena walked away, tapping the device in his ear before speaking to the crowd in their harsh language while holding up the severed head. His wife fell in beside him, her expression fearful while his became grimly determined, as if he now knew what he had to do.

  "Porthos," Az said as she turned towards him, "can you find me someone who knows the people the poisoner named?"

  "I will come with you and point them out myself," he replied in an indignant voice. "This nest of vipers must be eradicated once and for all."

  Az nodded as his own tiny lion wings shriveled up and disappeared. "Excellent. Let me tell the prince what we intend first, and then we'll go."

  Karl, with Lys still on his shoulder, fell in beside them. "Argat's coming with the older Celtic priestess. I wonder if she'll make it in time."

  From the place where a crowd had formed around Timur and his father, a keening wail began. "I believe her services are no longer needed," Lys said. "I recognize the voice as Khingla's wife."

  They continued walking as Timur, with Bogen beside him, left the crowd and joined them. "Az, you were right. He called for Avitohol at the end, then choked on his own blood."

  Porthos, Lys, and Karl expressed their sympathy as Varsena continued speaking, the crowd erupting in wails of their own. "My prince, I believe your people now know as well."

  "They do," he said with a sigh. Then his gaze sharpened. "Az, what did you tell my brother? He's spoken of me to the crowd more respectfully than he's ever done in his life."

  "Merely helped him understand he has more to lose than he realized, and much to gain as the one person who can sit in your chair and dispense justice in your name, without being allowed to take the throne himself. If you both can overcome your differences, he will make a valuable ally."

  Timur blinked, then began stroking his beard. "It would solve a great many problems. To be honest, I had not thought that far ahead."

  "But we have," Lys said, standing up on Karl's shoulder before stepping gracefully over to Timur. "My prince, Amazonia has a list of Sasnayam agents still remaining in Bukhara. While she, Porthos, and Karl go after them, you and I can plot out our next move."

  Timur nodded. "Az, do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of this plot against me. I want to see all of those who are guilty in the death of my father, brought to justice and executed."

  To Amazonia’s sight, Lys' hands were stained bright red as the berries on a Wargsbane bush. "By your will. Porthos, will you command the guards to seal all the gates so no one can leave?"

  "At once." Porthos hurried over to several guards in brass armor as Karl and Az took their leave of the prince and walked away, Az slowing her pace enough to sheathe the sword. Karl said, "Should I find a couple Warghorses to speed up our search?"

  Amazonia shook her head as her lips peeled back in the rictus of a smile. "There's no need. Walking is fine, because we have all the time in the world, now."

  All the time in the world.