Traveler of the Void
Part 3 - The Night of the Ceremony
Chapter 3 - The Banquet
The sun set over the ocean, streaming red and purple light
through the clouds. Excited guests hurried to the banquet in
the light of the setting sun. While the dignitaries from many
foreign nations said their farewells before their departure
the next morning, four of Prince Karnan's servants carried him
into the banquet hall on a litter, causing a stir among the
guests. Prince Karnan's face was very pale, but his eyes were
alert, and when guests asked after his health, he reassured
them with a solid wave of his left hand.
Decorations done in the style of flowers and vines hung from
the hall's window frames, casting their shifting shadows along
the walls. The chalk-white walls were patterned with designs
painted in gold. The sweet scent of hanoral flowers, which
bloomed at sunset, hung heavily in the air.
Karina took her seat casually, placing herself so that she was
surrounded by the monarchs of New Yogo, Rota, and Kanbal, to
make herself easy to defend in case the worst should happen.
Their seats faced the wall, so they couldn't be easily
attacked from behind. Karina had also prepared one additional
protective measure, but Chagum prayed that she wouldn't have
to use it. He'd never seen anyone die before.
The Eyes of the Nayugul Raita was also seated in the banquet
hall. This was the last time she would receive the King's
hospitality. The servants and priestesses that had been
entrusted with her care gently worked her mouth open to pour
in small quantities of fruit juice. It was strange to watch.
It was the first time the assembled guests had seen her
consume anything at a feast, and the special attention caused
people to look more closely at the child, who had become
utterly emaciated.
The magic weaver's soul was
still concealed within her. When Chagum realized this, he felt
as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over him;
goosebumps rose all over his entire body. In order to prevent
the magic weaver from suspecting his thoughts, he avoided the
gaze of the Eyes of the Nayugul Raita.
The sun completely set. As the
light streaming in from the windows dimmed, the sound of a
shaguram flute echoed through the hall. A singer entered
through the banquet hall's great doors. She was completely
naked save for the connected patterns of tattoos decorating
her skin. She was accompanied by a troupe of dancers, and
together they approached the banquet hall's stage.
Chagum smiled and clapped
politely while holding his wine glass, but his heart was
heavy. He knew that the defenses he'd organized were solid.
He'd done everything he could. But there was one life he
couldn't save with all his preparations: Eshana's.
“Shuga,” Chagum whispered. “I know you practice Tendo...”
Shuga looked at Chagum,
puzzled.
“Can you feel it when Nayugu and our world are touching? Feel
it physically?”
Shuga blinked. “
Yes. Like an ocean current, I can feel when Nayugu is
close—that's a strong current—or far away, which would be like
a weaker one. For me, it feels like rising to a great height
and looking down on my own littleness. When I'm in that state,
the pressures of government and the sacrifices I've made to
advance myself all seem like petty and foolish things.
”
He smiled bitterly and looked
at Chagum. “
But I don't often have the time to indulge such feelings. I
live in our world, which is full of the struggles of human
beings. I do not walk the path of the Holy Sage; I'm just an
ordinary Star Reader. Perhaps if I'd walked a different path,
I would have no time at all to contemplate the perspective
from the sky.
”
Chagum covertly looked out
the window while listening to Shuga's reply.
“But why would you ask me something like that?”
Chagum returned his gaze to
Shuga. “
I was just thinking that people are so strange. I'm largely
indifferent to the world, even though it's all around me.
That's what I think, anyway, but it's hard to express...”
Chagum scanned the faces of
the guests in the hall. “
Relationships between people, negotiations between
countries...most countries seem most interested in what will
make themselves rich, but there are some countries that
provide assistance to others as well. I think the latter have
the power to change the world.
”
Chagum's eyes shone brightly. “
I protected and hatched the egg of a water spirit from Nayugu
that brought forth the blessings of clouds and rain. But when
this role was thrust upon me, my father and the Holy Sage
secretly tried to kill me. They saw nothing but the human
world of Sagu. They were not able to grasp the meaning or
significance of the spirit, which was from a different world
than theirs. They didn't even think about me or my life.
”
Chagum stared at Shuga. “
You told me to live for my country. That living for New Yogo
was more important than anything. And I know that's something
that I have to do. But I'm wondering, Shuga...is that even
true?
”
Shuga felt the pressure of
Chagum's gaze upon him, but he did not give him an
answer.
“
I was only eleven years old. If I'd been killed then, I
wouldn't be here now. If there hadn't been people who
cared enough to protect my tiny, solitary life over
everything—over protecting the country, over money, over
themselves—I wouldn't be here.
”
“Your Majesty...”
Shuga's words were interrupted
by the tolling of a bell from above. The sound resounded from
a bell tower, once, twice...echoes lingered in the hall,
reverberating in the night air. This was the bell that
announced moonrise in the palace. The performers in the hall
ceased their playing and dancing. Silence fell over the hall.
The King of Sangal rose
languidly from his seat and said in a sonorous voice, “
The moon has risen. The time has come for the Eyes of the
Nayugul Raita to return home. Honored guests, please feel free
to enjoy the feast and its entertainments. Those of the royal
family, our Island Guardians, and their guards and retainers
must depart for Hosorou cape for the Soul Return Ceremony.
”
The Eyes of the Nayugul Raita
stood with help from her attendants. The King's household and
the Island Guardians surrounded the young girl and departed
from the hall.
After a short time, the guests
heard a strange sound from the window. It was like the cry of
a bird, but long-held; the sound changed pitch from low to
high, then faded, then sounded out once more.
Seeing the confusion on the
guests' faces, one of the King's servants said, “
That is the Song of Grief. It is a grievous thing for the
Eyes of the Nayugul Raita to leave us.”
Some of the guests, curious
about the song, stood up and gathered around the window along
the western wall, where it could be heard clearly.
After whispering to Karnan's
guards not relax their vigilance, Chagum faced the window as
well. The night air carried the faint tang of the sea. Salt
stung Chagum's eyes. In the enveloping dark, a flickering
light was visible in the courtyard gardens. The King's
procession passed through the palace gate in a long line.
Those that led the procession carried strange lamps aloft.
These lamps shone brightly for a few moments, then smoked and
fizzled and went out before being replaced with another bright
light.
“That is susuki fire,” one of the King's servants said softly. “
It burns swiftly and brightly, and then fades, representing
the sad and sudden passing of human life. Before they arrive
at Hosorou cape, a thousand susuki fires will have burned
out.”
The guests sank into a
melancholy mood as they contemplated the short-lived flames.
“Is Hosorou cape far from here?” Chagum asked.
“Hosorou cape connects to the very edge of the palace grounds.
It would take perhaps twenty minutes to walk there from
here.”
The procession passed behind
the shadow of a building and was no longer visible. The guests
returned to their seats, including Chagum. He couldn’
t get the image of the susuki fires out of his head. That
procession was winding its way toward Hosorou cape in the
darkness. The leaders of the procession carried flames that
continually flared up and burned out. He couldn't ignore the
symbolism there; the grief he felt for Eshana overwhelmed him.
He closed his eyes.
He felt like was about to cry
and passed his left hand over his face to conceal it. He heard
a faint rustling sound coming from his sleeve. Something was
lodged inside it. It was a wedge of folded paper, packed tight
with Sangalese writing. Chagum stealthily removed the paper
from his sleeve and hid it in his lap, where he unfolded it
and began to read.
As he read, his heart beat
faster; he could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Tarsan, what have you done?
The scribbly handwriting was
Tarsan's. He must have written this letter while he was
concealed in Chagum's closet, then slipped it into Chagum's
sleeve before he left for the banquet. He'd probably done it
last night, when Saluna had taken a bath and left Tarsan
alone.
Crown Prince Chagum,
Please forgive me for choosing a course of action that will
not allow me to repay your generosity in saving my life. I
can't let my soldiers be killed. They were raised with me on
the sea. They are my brothers. They have no bond of loyalty
to Adol, or to my sister Karina. Whenever I think of their
faces, I can't bring myself to let them die without at least
trying to help—even if their deaths would expose the Talsh
plot for all to see. My uncle Yunan, High General of Sangal,
often said to me:
“
A king defends his nation from the rear guard. It is
generals that ride at the head of the army, leading all the
soldiers. Soldiers risk their lives so that the life of the
king may be saved. Soldiers will only follow you if you are
prepared to die to protect them.
”
My soldiers' lives are in
danger, Your Majesty. I can't hide behind you and watch them
die. Forgive me. I entrust my sister Saluna to your care.
Chagum passed the letter to Shuga, who read it with a
mortified expression. “Do you think we have time to stop him?” Shuga asked.
Chagum shook his head. “Impossible. We can't leave now, and we can't make ourselves
conspicuous.”
He completely understood how Tarsan felt, but he also thought
his actions were alarmingly reckless—immature, as Princess
Karina might say. If he was only risking his own life, that
would be one thing, but he seemed not to realize how many
other people he'd endanger with his rash behavior. It was
likely that he'd gone against Saluna's wishes, too, and Chagum
couldn't forgive him for that.
While Chagum was getting upset on Saluna's behalf, Saluna was
assisting with Tarsan's escape. She'd known in advance what he
would do, and she hadn't stopped him. When she'd realized that
his desire to save his soldiers was stubbornly ingrained and
would not shift, a plan to support his had occurred to her as
well. It was an odd example of symbiotic synergy, as if her
plan and his had been designed to work together to support one
another.
Even if Karina's plans went well tonight, Saluna and Tarsan
had no immediate prospects. But if Saluna's plan worked, the
two of them might be able to live freely again instead of
fleeing and hiding in the shadows. Saluna chose to bet on her
brother.
When she'd told him her plan, his eyes had lit up in
admiration, and he'd sworn to her that he'd make the plan
succeed. After seeing him off, Saluna knelt down on the floor
in the light of the setting sun and prayed.
Mother of the sea, protect our small ship from stormy seas,
and make us a safe path through the waves. I beg you.
After the King and his procession left to travel to the site
of the Soul Return Ceremony, the banquet revelers picked up
where they left off. The first group of singers and dancers to
enter the hall were replaced by a fresh troupe of
entertainers. The dancers were as lithe and supple as whips
and capable of great feats of acrobatics. They soared through
the air, tumbling and flipping from their hands to their feet
before rising through the air again as if in flight.
From the edges of the hall to its center, fifteen men danced
in unison, often crossing by one another in midair.
Surrounding and complementing the male dancers were an equal
number of beautiful female dancers.
The thirty dancers used their entire bodies and all the
available space in the hall to whirl around the banquet's
guests in a stunning display. The dancers wore bells around
their wrists and ankles that glittered and tinkled as they
moved, creating a cheerful song to encourage Prince Karnan's
renewed health. The singers matched their song perfectly to
the rhythm of the tinkling bells.
The assembled guests broke out
in loud and prolonged applause. They seemed to completely
forget about the King's solemn procession with the Eyes of the
Nayugul Raita, so lost were they in the lavish richness of the
performance.
Then the bell in the
watchtower tolled again, signaling that the Eyes of the
Nayugul Raita had arrived at the edge of Hosorou cape. The
Soul Return Ceremony was about to begin.
Sitting in the seat nearest
Prince Karnan, the first of the King of Kanbal's Spears, Kahm
Musa, suddenly felt uneasy. This premonition of coming trouble
was a well-trained bodyguard's trait.
Without showing even the
slightest hint of exhaustion, the movements of the dancers in
the hall became rougher and less coordinated. The bells
jangled. Kahm saw one of the men face Prince Karnan before
leaping into the air with one hand extended. He left his seat
and stretched his own arm out over Prince Karnan's litter to
protect it.
Something glinted in the
dancer's extended hand. The dancer flicked it and sent it
flying in a straight line right at Karnan.
Kahm grabbed his short spear
from its hiding place beneath Prince Karnan's litter and waved
it aloft. There was a high keening sound of metal striking
metal. Something small struck the ceiling and fell to the
ground.
At the same moment, all thirty
dancers—the men as well as the women—pulled out daggers
concealed beneath their belts. They adjusted their grips on
their weapons and threw them at Prince Karnan at the same
time.
“Assassins!”
Kahm called out. His declaration was echoed in the same
breath by warriors of Rota, Kanbal, and New Yogo. The mats
beneath their seats concealed shields and weapons, which the
warriors took up before running toward Prince Karnan and
forming a solid wall of protection around him.
Two warriors from Rota took
daggers to the throat and chest and fell dead to the floor. A
warrior from New Yogo was injured in the side and
collapsed.
The door to the banquet hall
slammed open, revealing Karnan's personal guards. They entered
the banquet hall and stood before the King of Sangal's
terrified retainers and the foreign guests with their swords
raised, blocking any possible retreat for the assassins.
It was all over in a few
moments. The assassins gathered in the center of the hall and
gave themselves up.
The banquet hall lapsed into
sudden silence. Prince Karnan sat up and said in a
surprisingly robust tone of voice, “Throw these people out.
”
The assassins' expressions
became ones of wild desperation. They had failed to kill Crown
Prince Karnan, so now there was nothing they could do except
wait for death. A muffled cry of despair echoed in the hall.
Then the assassins produced more daggers from beneath the
decorations covering their chests and attacked the men
blocking the exit of the hall.
Screams came from every
direction as weapons clashed together, shooting sparks. Blood
sprayed everywhere until the air was thick with the stench of
it. Some of the assassins managed to break through the line of
defenders at the door and escape, but most were cut down where
they stood.
The guards and the allies of
Prince Karnan also suffered casualties. Many brave soldiers of
Sangal were stretched out on the floor, groaning as they bled
to death. Some had died instantly from their wounds.
Chagum looked around the room,
trying to process the situation. It didn't seem real. So many
people had died tragically and needlessly. He didn't even know
their names. Men and women laid scattered on the floor of the
hall, along with their possessions. There was so much blood.
Some of the corpses had been disemboweled; the smell of the
blood and fluid leaking from their wounds made Chagum want to
vomit.
Why would anyone do
this?
Chagum thought. When he'd first conceived of this plan,
he never thought that it would turn out like this. He had not
expected the hidden weapons of the assassins, or that the men
in the hall would be armed. He had considered the arrangement
of protectors for Karnan largely as a precautionary measure.
Around him, men and women
groaned and gasped as they struggled to breathe. The light in
their eyes dimmed and went out as he watched. Chagum shook
from head to toe. He couldn't understand what he was looking
at. He felt like he was witnessing life itself disappearing.
What was he supposed to think at a time like this?
Shuga was giving first aid to
injured soldiers. Chagum heard Shuga call out to him, but his
voice seemed impossibly far away. The entire world felt far
away. Chagum realized dimly that the bell in the watchtower
was ringing again. When it stopped ringing, Eshana would be
thrown into the ocean.
Will the same violence that
happened here happen at the ceremony, too? No,
he thought decisively. Enough. This is more than enough.
As the bell tolled, Chagum
felt rage and despair fill him, piercing him through. And
then, he felt a splitting, agonizing pain in his
forehead...
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