Exatai of the North Part 16
Hynasf
Lexevh, 439 RM
The sweet scent of honey roasted meats filled the air of the Great Hall. Shouts of laughter and roars and cheers accompanied the smell, reverberating from the great stone walls like the pounding of a thousand drums at once. Three hundred or more of the highest ranked members of the ever . . . demanding nobility gathered themselves at the Palace on the Rock, night after night, to partake in the free flowing wine and entertainment. All of which, they said, was up to him, poor old Lord Hynasf, to find a way to finance. Hed lived these parties for longer than most men dreamed of living, and yet he had grown weary of them.
He opened his eyes to study his book once more. It was a foreign tomeas most werewritten in the hand of some scribe of the Exatai who had copied a text that, in all probability, was copied from another text. He dreamed of originals, but the life of a northern lord, no matter how wealthy, prevented such acquisitions.
He had propped himself in a corner of the Great Hall, along a wall not far from the three thrones of his liege, in a leather cushioned chair of his own design. At his feet sat a finely crafted bronze tub filled with warm water from the furnaces below. It was scented by lavender perfume. The smell, he noted, sadly found itself overwhelmed by odors of the hall. Beside him, as they ever were, his personal concubines tended to his legs with trained hands. They massaged his legs, parting the silk garments he wore to place warm hands against his flesh. It was a heaven better than any hed heard of.
The Fisheaters of the Nakalani, the book was titled.
A rather suitable name, he thought.
Perhaps . . .
He turned to his dark skinned concubineZai. She was from the far south, in the lands of the Moti Empire. Hed bought her when she was barely old enough to bleed, in exchange for a pearl hed been given by a diver from Udel. It gave him a chuckle to think of how useless that pearl had been for an old man like him. At ninety-three years he had little need for gems and precious things, but a woman of her youthsuch as Zaicould do many things for him that his peers only wished their wives could.
He lifted his liver spotted hand to her smooth, dark face. Her hair was unlike any hair hed found elsewhere, and she wore it such intricate braids down her back. He caressed her face.
My ebon beauty, he said. She smiled back at him. This book speaks of the Nakalani. Have you ever seen those waters?
She shook her head.
Tsk.
It was a shame that shed come so young. Perhaps, in another life, she could have told him of the colors of the seas of the south. Seas hed read about. Bright waters, hed read somewhere. Bright waters with fish of every color. He turned back to his book.
He read.
The tribes of the southern ocean, also known to the locals as the Nakalani, inhabit a great number of miniscule islands of no material worth. The peoples therein, often nude in their own savagery, have no form of agriculture or metallurgy to speak of. It is these people, to be known as Fisheaters in the tongue of the Opulensi, that sprinkle their seed across the far southern edges of the world. On their islands, it is known, they bathe in sand and have no form of legal code to speak of. The Fisheaters build long ships from hollowed out trees, just wide enough for one or two men to journey out into the shallow seas around their near barren islands. Here they fish with all manner of weaved rope, from vines that grow in the thick jungles, and small lures of worked wood to grasp fish in similar manner to civilized metal hooks.
Hmm.
A little higher, he commanded the Satar woman opposite Zai.
He smiled, knowing they could not go much higher than they already were.
And then, he heard the sound of an ox horn blowing beyond the walls of the Great Hall. It carried far across the city in the low ground beneath the Rock, up from the harbor. He turned his head away from his book to the triple thrones. There, seated in the middle, sat his Prince-Regent, Glynt, son of Fulwarc, who had grown to be a man of heavy proportions in his excess. On both sides were lesser thrones, carved of the same pure marble as the much large central one. To the left the wife of the Prince-Regent, Nekelia, sat, her heavily engraved mask appeared to be near black in the lighting. While to the right the young heir sat, the boy Ephasir. The bronze masked true born son of Glynt.
Five generations of kings, he reminisced.
Glynt of old, the Magnificent they call him now. That was a king. Mmm. And his son, and Fulwarc, all great kings and conquerors. He thought about the shame that had come to the family, then, as he watched the Prince-Regent Glynt wipe drool from his mouth as he fully removed the bronze mask from his face, tossing it behind the throne. Hed been sleeping. He downed a barrel of wine a night himself, and was drunk far before his guests arrived each night. And now the prince could hardly keep his image in line. Not even his wife, the young Nekelia, who was so proper in the Satar manner, could break Glynt of his rudeness. He did as he pleased.
The feast died down for a moment. Silence filled the hall until the drunken gesturing of the Prince-Regent coerced them back to their wine and conversations. Hynasf knew the sound that horn made to mean only one thing. The Prince of Bone had returned from the south. And, true enough to his thoughts, it was not long before the sound of horses by the dozens pounded on the grounds outside the Great Halls entranceway. The heavy wooden doors, in ill-repair for years, served to distort the ruckus into a jumbled mess of sounds that mingled with the cheerfulness of the hall. Servant girls in loose clothingor none at all, in some casesdashed about the hall with bronze and silver pitchers of wine to pour for their superiors. Hynasf even spotted one poor girl being ravaged by a low noble from the far north, or maybe the Frelesti conquest. They all dressed as poor as the Nechekt. She seemed less than enthused that the brute had overpowered her. His companions cheered him on.
Hynasf shrugged to himself.
Power has benefits. It was the way of the land in the absence of Fulwarc, which had been the norm for the past three decades now. It had never bothered him too much, himself a man of pleasure. He never had to rape, though. Women were better in bed, he thought, if one soothed them with riches, wine and the poets tongue. He couldnt help but wish for the energy of that young man, however. To be old was his greatest displeasure in life.
The heavy doors of the Great Hall swung open by the hands of four of Fulwarcs prince-guards. Cool wind rushed in to flicker the candles and chandeliers overhead, and in doing so, pulled the spirit of the feast from the room. Through the door he could see the walls around the city that Glynt had built. They wrapped the entirety of Lexevh, which sat far downhill from them. Standing in the yard, over the yellow-green grasses that withered in the fall, were some thirty or more horses. On the back of a great white steed was his king, his prince, Fulwarc II cuCyve.
His princes beard had gone gray with age. The bone mask that sat across his face was stained by the sea winds and blood of many battles and raids. He dismounted. The Prince of Bone walked with a noticeable wobble and did not put weight on his left side. What had happened? Hed request to examine his king at once. If it was gout, he could tend to it. Fulwarc stepped into the Great Hall with an air of annoyance about him. He had not been back to his palace for most of the last decade. Off in the south, fighting the Aitahists in the Lovi Sea.
Beside him a new red-masked Satar man walked, spear and shield strapped to his back. The man was far too young to be Artaxeras.
A new tarkan? Interesting. And a half dozen more prince-guards in silver-plated scale armor, a group of many races.
The hall fell silent.
Hynasf used his feet to slide the bronze tub away from him. He nudged his concubines to lift him from his seated position. Standing gave his old bones a horrible grind. He stifled a moan of pain.
He cleared his throat to gain the attention of his king.
Prince of Bone, he said to Fulwarc, across the great expanse of lords and servants. He bowed deep.
Fulwarc tilted his head to Hynasf. Youre still alive, old man?
Very, my prince.
Fulwarc laughed. Others joined in, but stopped when he did.
By heaven may I drink from the same well as you, Hynasf, said the Prince of Bone.
Fulwarc turned his attention to the three marble thrones, whereupon his family was seated. He walked forward, not minding his path for othersand even pushing one lesser lord aside without a second thoughtas he made his way towards the stairs that climbed the raised platform of the thrones. It was there that Fulwarc had kicked the Satar liaison down without a care all those years ago. Fulwarc was a young man back then, a black haired wild man of the north, and now he was a Satar Prince.
Fulwarc climbed the steps, leaving his new tarkan behind on the main floor of the hall.
Father, cheered Glynt in a drunken mumble. I have kept your throne warm.
The fat prince tried to stand, but fell back into the throne, laughing to himself. Nekelia stood from her seat and bowed to the Prince of Bone, but he acted as if hed not seen her. He turned his cold gaze to the young Ephasir for a moment, until the boy shied his face from his grandfathers stare.
Your seed was not worthless after all, said Fulwarc. I see youve managed to mount your wife at least once since shes been here. The Prince of Bone paused for a moment to look back across the Great Hall. And what have you all done to my city?
Improved it, said Glynt, trying to stand, still, and somewhat succeeding by leaning against the marble arm rest. Ive built walls.
Look at yourself. You disgust me.
Glynt shook his head as if to make sure hed heard his fathers words correctly. Hynasf began to make his way to the base of the stairs, and once there, dared not climb them. He was supported by his Satar and Moti beauties.
There are a great many things of importance that I must tell you, Prince of Bone, said Hynasf. He looked up, heavy wrinkles pulling his face into a droop. Things must be put into order now that you have returned.
Glynt moved from the throne, wobbling under his own weight and drunkenness. He moved to the seat where Ephasir sat, but the boy did not move at first out of confusion. Glynt grunted at the boy to move, and in anger at his slowness, swung a heavy hand to strike the child. Fortunately, the boy was small and quickand accustomed to beatingsso his reflexes were enough to allow him to duck underneath his fathers arm. Unfortunately for Glynt, in his state he found no balance and toppled over the small throne and to the stone floor beside it, nearly rolling down the stairs before he caught himself.
Fulwarc let out a great laugh at his son. Ephasir scurried down the steps of the thrones and dashed out of the Great Hall, up the winding stone stair to the royal quarters far above.
Stay if you want, woman, Fulwarc said to Nekelia. The rest of you, he spoke loudly, leave.
He took a seat in the larger throne, turning his head towards Hynasf below him. The partygoers behind him had dropped everything to leave the hall. Some went up the stairs to their quarters above, as many lived in the Rock itself, but others found a multitude of ways out of the hall and to wherever they thought to continue their entertainment. The servant girl hed watched before limped her way into the arms of another and together they left the hall through a special corridor to the kitchens far below.
The treasury is near empty, said Hynasf, coughing a bit as he spoke. Your son, as regent in your absence, has spent no day without a full belly of wine and entertainment of the highest cost. I have been a man of pleasure my entire life, but I have also made my mark as a merchant in the northern seas, and at no time have I taken pleasure over business. But I do as my lord commands, he admitted, bowing.
Youre not to fault, replied Fulwarc. He looked at Glynt, who seemed unaware of his surroundings as he leaned back in the small throne, his large gut jutting from beneath his silken shirt. Two true born sons and not one of them are worth a damn. Unger died as a woman would, and his daughter shames my name. Glynt is unworthy of his own name, let alone to be my seed. Their mother was a Nechekt. That was my fathers mistake.
Neither spoke for a moment.
What would you have me do? said Hynasf.
Sell the ships to the Redeemer. Ive brought back near ninety ships of tribute from the Carohan cowards. Sixty should recoup some of the losses.
It shall be done.
And your woman, he said, pointing to Zai as she held Hynasf steady. Where did you get her?
You cant have her until Im dead, my Prince. I apologize.
Hah, find me one, then. And fix this mess while youre at it. Youre never going to die.
Some days, Prince, it feels as if the world refuses to let me.