It was quite an involved process. One that she’d long ago mastered. This time, she worked off an incredibly detailed canvas painting of Princess Kira’s likeness that Ira had given her when she’d visited Sonam. Maiya would be on the move and it would be dark, so the details didn’t matter overly much, but the closer she got, the more likely it was that Ira’s plan would actually work.
There was little time. The operation was due to commence in just a few short hours—assuming Ira’s handmaidens managed to break Princess Kira out from her house arrest. Maiya wouldn’t know until she met Ira’s agent at the meeting spot. Jatan Forest was convenient in that it was both close to the Children’s Sanctuary and also offered an ideal location for clandestine meetings.
With her makeup applied, Maiya was now the spitting image of Princess Kira, Ira’s younger sister. Beautiful, silver-haired, and slightly deranged. While she’d never seen the princess in person, Ira had provided a detailed dossier summarizing her character and her past behavior. She was, by all accounts, an epitomal Kin’jal. Despite being a mejai, she lived and breathed combat. Her technique was said to be superb for her age, and though she had little actual combat experience, her instincts were nearly feral.
She was also somewhat deranged, picking fights seemingly at random, mauling nearby guards when she got the fancy. And, crucially, she possessed a lesser affinity for Ice magic. It was one of the reasons Ira had chosen Maiya for this operation, despite the risk.
A wild princess. Wonder if we’d get along…
Envisioning Kira’s character, Maiya did her best to approximate the princess’ facial expressions, ranging from creepy smiles to battle-crazed laughter. She was thankful her room’s stone walls were so thick—though if she was honest, she was likely at one of the only places in the Known World where deranged laughter wouldn’t cause anyone to bat an eye.
When she was satisfied, she donned a plain black robe—the armor she was supposed to wear tonight would be provided by Ira’s agents at their rendezvous point. It’d have been far too risky to deliver the clothes to Maiya while she was sequestered inside the cult’s sanctuary, after all, so this was the next best option.
As for why she stripped off her clothes before applying makeup, it was a lesson she’d learned the hard way, long ago. Face paint had a tendency to get on to clothing, despite the care taken. Under normal circumstances, it would be an annoyance. Here? it might very well compromise Maiya’s cover, should any of the cleaning staff discover.
Donning light shoes, Maiya swiveled the bookshelf at the back of her room. For once, Maiya was thankful for the cultists’ paranoia. They had insisted on assigning their most precious member a room with not one, but two secret exits. They told her to use the passage only during emergencies, and Maiya had happily lied that she would.
She’d already used the passages several times, though usually just to get some fresh air and privacy. Her position within the organization afforded her precious little free time. Annoyingly, her hectic schedule was the best insurance the cultists could have bought to keep an eye on Maiya at all times.
Even at night, she’d have attendants knocking at her door to ensure all was well.
Which was why she’d arranged a countermeasure.
When Maiya exited the one-way door at the end of her secret passage, she held it open. The Kin’jal handmaiden who appeared from the forest was almost the spitting image of Maiya herself.
“The operation is on schedule,” the handmaiden said succinctly before stealing into the passage.
Well, alright then…
Ira’s handmaidens were all… well, they were like Neeti, the head handmaiden. As disciplined as they came. With all the emotions of granite, too, Maiya noted.
She seemed to be the sole exception, and on more than one occasion, Maiya had wondered if that was why the princess had taken a liking to her.
Shrugging, Maiya inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh scent of the forest. She peered up at the stars, peeking through the gaps in the canopy so high above, and took a moment to appreciate the sound of wind rustling through leaves.
Living underground was insidious. The absence of sunlight and natural sounds and smells slowly eroded one’s sanity, to the point where she wasn’t sure what was worse—that, or the cultists.
Maybe that’s why all the Children are so kooky, Maiya thought, running easily through Jatan Forest, relishing the feeling of the cold air against her cheeks. Then again, maybe not.
The Lighten Load orbs slotted into her magical robe reduced the normally arduous trek into something that was nearly effortless, and she wondered why more wealthy people and mejai didn’t use them more.
She soon arrived at the designated clearing, where another handmaiden awaited beside an Acira. A very familiar Acira.
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Frumpy!
Maiya ran up to the beast, hugging its snout. The great Acira purred in her arms.
At her request, Frumpy now belonged to her. She’d initially been ecstatic, but her happiness had been short-lived when she’d received word that Frumpy had fallen ill, being cooped up in her hangar all the time. Feeling bad for the beast, Maiya allowed the other handmaidens to ride her, on two conditions. Firstly, Maiya got top priority whenever she needed the beast, and Frumpy had to receive better than all the other Royal Acira.
Maiya needn’t have worried. It seemed a competition of sorts had cropped up amongst the other Handmaidens—Frumpy was the most in-demand and well-taken-care-of Acira in the entire royal hangar.
“Looks like they’ve been feeding you well, at least,” Maiya said, taking in the black beast’s muscular form.
Frumpy cooed in her ear, making her giggle.
“Milady, we must depart,” the handmaiden, a petite woman with a compact, muscular build and short black hair, said, handing Maiya her magical armor, as well as a sack containing her combat orbs. “Owing to the time-sensitive nature of your station, we have pre-positioned fresh Acira all along the route. We’ll be able to fly faster and without worry for our mount’s longevity. Frumpy will only accompany us for the first leg.”
And also minimize the downtime between stops. Smart. Ira’s really holding nothing back for this mission.
It was also how they’d reach Kartara—Sai’s capital—and return by morning. The journey of a thousand miles would ordinarily take a day or more, with breaks. With this strategy, they could be there in only six hours.
Six hours to cross half the known world… Incredible.
Until recently, Maiya would’ve thought such a feat impossible. Depending on the route and season, it could take weeks to attempt such a journey on Ash’va.
Frumpy nuzzled Maiya, bringing her attention back to the Acira.
“You haven’t overworked her, have you?” Maiya asked, frowning.
“No, milady. We’ve seen to it that she’s been exceedingly well taken care of.”
“Good,” Maiya said, finishing changing into her armor and slotting her orbs—only C Grade Ice Affinity orbs this time, to emulate Princess Kira. “Then let’s be off.”
Flight without Magic Heat would’ve been torture at best, and deadly at worst. Frumpy’s thick scales might’ve protected the beast from the elements, but her riders were far less fortunate.
Luckily, Ira’s handmaiden had brought along more orbs than they’d need, and the nighttime journey was comfortable.
Maiya relished every moment as the forest fell away from beneath them and the city lights of the distant Sonam came into view. Even as far as they were, it shone like a beacon in the darkness. Humanity’s largest bastion of civilization.
Though she’d only recently visited, she yearned to be back there, amongst its people. Her people. She might’ve grown up Hiranyan, but her soul was now dyed Kin’jal crimson and black, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
They rose even further as they flew northwest. To Sai.
Even now, Maiya knew little of Sai, other than of their support for Imperator Andros. They were a smaller nation to the north of Hiranya, which itself was located to the northwest of Kin’jal, and both Hiranya and Sai shared a border with the Inland Sea, as did The Altani.
Like Hiranya, Sai was far from the Ash. Worse, their country’s northerly locale meant the place was frigid, and its weather austere.
Perfect for an Ice and Wind mejai like me, I suppose, Maiya thought wryly. Despite her affinities, she hated the cold.
Given their inhospitable climate, Sai’s economy was built on ore mining and the crafting of non-magical weapons. The latter was like Hiranya, though Sai was better known for their quality craftsmanship. Saian blacksmiths were to steel what Altani Thaumaturges were to orbs.
Of course, Sai, like Hiranya, was also under the thumb of the great powers. In their case, they’d allied with Kin’jal, putting them at odds with both The Altani and Hiranya. This, however, gave the Kin’jal presence to the north, splitting their enemies in two.
It was a delicate political and military balance, and Maiya wanted nothing to do with any of it. Her orders were simple. Get in, light up a few buildings, cause a ruckus, then get out.
With any luck, she’d be returning home before the break of dawn. She’d claim she’d had nightmares and would shirk her duties for the day to catch up on sleep.
Duties, Maiya scoffed. Animal sacrifices, blood rituals, and profane worship.
Maiya felt tainted. The longer she spent among their ranks, the worse the sensation became. Like she was being dyed with a substance that couldn’t ever be washed off, regardless of how much soap she used.
The switch-off points allowed Maiya a much-needed chance to stretch her body… and to clear her mind. At each point, another handmaiden awaited, ready with fresh water and food for the avian beasts, ensuring they’d be ready for the return journey.
In scarcely any time at all, they crossed the Kin’jal border with Hiranya, with the lights of Hiranya’s northernmost city—Bram—shining far below them, to the west.
She’d never visited, though she doubted there was much to see there. It was a Hiranyan city, after all. She said that not with condescension, but an acute understanding of where the countries stood. Hiranya was poor. That poverty was evident in every nook and cranny of the kingdom, with one glaring exception—Rayid’s palace.
The temperature plummeted soon after they crossed the Hiranyan border with Sai, and Maiya found herself activating more Magic Heat orbs to stay warm, continuously moving them to the parts of her body that needed them most.
Maiya breathed in relief when Sai’s capital of Kartara came into view, nestled against the soaring Glacial Alps, their black silhouettes blotting out the sky.
I’m getting cold just looking at them, Maiya thought, shivering.
Their glossy peaks were frozen over and reflected the starlight with an immense coating of ice and snow.
The city itself was no less impressive. Ablaze with light, it resembled a large slice of a multi-tiered cake—the kind often seen at Sawai balls and banquets. Each tier was walled, and ringed the tier above it, making Kartara one of the prettiest cities Maiya had laid eyes on.
She wished she could spend more time there one day, exploring the city’s shops and inns and attractions. Maybe with Vir. Maybe even romantically.
Maiya blushed, a sudden warmth filling her chest and driving away the cold.
The handmaiden ordered their Acira to descend rapidly, overflying the outer rings of the city before landing in what must have been the Sawai district.
Yet even before they landed, Maiya knew.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
Despite the frigid nighttime conditions, tiny dots ran chaotically, this way and that.
The people are panicking, Maiya thought, her concern growing with each passing moment.
And then finally saw it. The lights that had blazed so brightly weren’t all the same. Some were steady, while others danced, shining a redder hue.
Fires! Maiya realized.
Fires blazed through the Sawai district, and when they finally landed, it wasn’t to frigid cold, but searing heat.
“I can’t land here!” the handmaiden said, tying a handkerchief around her mouth to ward off the fumes. Maiya did the same.
“It’s fine. Leave me here and set down where you can. I’ll contact you via the communications orb when I’m ready to be extracted.”
The handmaiden nodded. “Then may Vera be with you, milady.”
The Acira took to the sky, leaving Maiya alone in a burning city, saddled with an impossible goal.
How in all the realms am I supposed to make sense of this mess?