Manifestation: the Coming Dark/Chapter 4

I found traveling by the sky carts to be a disconcerting experience. Never before had I been in such a heavily mechanized means of transport. The cart hurtled through the air, at times more than 100 feet from the ground, at incredible speed and at times I was certain that the thin guide cables would snap and I would plummet to the city streets below and my certain death.

When the cart finally pulled up to my estate, I was breathless and alarmed. The estate itself settled my alarm but did nothing to abate my breathlessness. The grounds and buildings were considerably vaster than even the palace at Deren. A single gate led through a wall built from mortared mountain stones. Immediately beyond the gate, an immaculately manicured orchard stood. The trees were carefully planned so that even as some were laden with a rich variety of fruits, the likes of which I had never before seen, others were just beginning to blossom.

Beyond the orchard, the estate proper began. To the west, sloping manicured lawns led to a vast flower and vegetable garden replete with statues and fountains and a series of unfamiliar structures that Kithia informed me were windmills. To the east, a similar lawn led to a wooded area which Kithia assured me was an elaborate hedge maze. Directly north, beyond a series of terraces, stood the main house: a long three-story center area and two attached two-story wings which terminated in tall towers. The house seemed to be constructed of the same stone as the outer wall but the architecture was like none in Vandar or in Deren.

I was eager to explore the house but given my deadline was shown only my private rooms, by all rights an estate all their own, and the main dining area. As we passed into the rear yard, I took note of a vast library stocked with shelves and shelves of books, many of which seemed to be many hundred years old.

The sloping rear yard was, if anything, more vast than the front and was given to entertainment even as the front was designed for relaxation and meditation. A series of interconnected terraces containing any number of tables and out structures led down the mountain to bodies of water. The first was a large man-made pool with sparkling waters. Used for both swimming and fishing, the pool was fed by a mountain stream that led to and from the far east and west walls. The other body bubbled rapidly and the stream rising from its surface suggested the water was quite warm. Inspection could not discern an obvious source of the water and Kithia told me that the bath was heated by a natural hot spring and fed by a steam-driven pump in one of the out buildings closest to the manor.

My revelry was short-lived as Kithia reminded me that Jano awaited our arrival.

"Your responsibilities as governor shall be extensive," Kithia said, "especially as this society has never had such a position before, but you will have large latitude in your work space and time management. I assure you will have a long time to explore the pleasures of your estate once we have begun, but now more pressing demands exist. If order is not enforced here soon, Tralin's work will prove fruitless. There are many who would have this society return to its ancient roots and prejudices."

In what seemed like a blink, I was ushered out of my estate and back into a sky cart that rocketed me toward another a far section of the city. Jano's residence was somewhat smaller than mine but, if anything, better apportioned. I noticed immediately the one thing Jano had that I lacked: people. His estate was filled with Drakel of all ages. Groups of children were engaged in a complex game involving a ball on the front lawns. I noted dimly that both genders actively were involved in the sport, while in Vandar, and even in Deren, such a game would almost certainly have been dominated by the males.

"Lord Jano enjoys having the children and staff living directly on property. He says they bring life to the estate," Kithia commented, seeing my interest.

"That's very much like him. He was always a people person, an expert observer too, it was why he was such a good spy," I said without thinking, and then was at a loss to take back the comment.

Kithia laughed, seeing my discomfort, and I recalled that Jano's skill at espionage had been a selling point with the Drakel people. Emissaries to other cultures were expected to possess the talent, it appeared.

"I have a hard time seeing your husband as a spy. Though he must have talents in that direction from what I overheard."

"Have you?" Kithia asked with a laugh. "Why, Lord Darin, I would think my husband's skill at gaining the confidence of those in leadership would be self-evidenced. He has been made Deren's king!"

I considered this briefly and laughed aloud for indeed, what she said was true. "What I mean is that I cannot picture him gaining information and trading it to an enemy for his own advantage."

"The best spies are often those who have no love of using the art for malice. I gather from what I have learned that Jano, too, shared a certain reluctance in that regard."

I reflected back on how I had used Jano in my plans to further my position and recognized the truth in what she said. In the end, Jano had even gone to Tralin and King Draynor to reveal my plans. The odd thing was that, in spite of all, Draynor had taken me into his confidence and made me a commander in his military. Further, after Draynor's death fighting the Brilhado, Tralin had placed me in charge of the entire military. For all intents and purposes, I was no longer a Vandarian. In a blessed irony, I had become not only a Derenian but also a leader in a social structure I had once strongly opposed. Once the militant force for democracy, I was now an agent of the very crown I had warred most strongly against. It was disconcerting for me: while I regretted the effects of the assault of the Devourer's forces on the world, I could not say that I would want them undone. Certainly, I would like it if Draynor had not died, if many people I cared for had not suffered for that matter, but had they not come, I would still be lost in my own machinations. I had thought I was free, but in truth I was a slave to my dogma.

I was brought short in my recollection by Jano's arrival from the main house. He was clothed in the manner of the Drakel and looked weary but more alive than I could recall in years. For the time period leading to Draynor's death, he had served in Deren as the king's regent and the task had left him drained both emotionally and physically. While his current task had some similar responsibilities, it was clear that he had found comfort in a niche here that he did not have while serving as the acting king in Deren.

"Gone native?" I asked as he approached.

"Darin!" He smiled and embraced me warmly. "Just relaxing and fitting in with the locals like the old days when I was a merchant. You know how it is."

"The thing is," I laughed, "you are a born actor and pretending you're native is the ultimate role."

"I can definitely say that playing the part of Deren's T'palo is rewarding."

"Gentlemen, I respect your desire to reminisce but we have business to attend before I leave to join my husband," Kithia said. "That is, if you wish your position to remain a rewarding experience..."

"Lead on, my queen," I said with a smile and followed her into Jano's house to begin my briefing as K'eld Ner's governor.