Amazonia - The Enemy of my Enemy

The weather that night was dark and nasty as the soul of the person we were supposed to meet.

The rain was coming down in an icy mix crusting onto our cloaks, hissing like a legion of serpents as it hit the ground. Our mounts, both horses and Warghorses, shook off the crackling ice as Karl pounded on the Caravansary's stout wooden door.

At eye level, a small wooden window opened like a doll house door. "State your business," a gruff voice said.

"We're travelers in need of shelter," Karl replied to the hard bitten face peering out. "Myself, my daughter," Lys poking her head out from Karl's cloak for a moment before ducking back inside, "my new wife," Zanzabel the dancer turned priestess waving her hand, "and my guard."

I nodded to the pair of dark eyes meeting mine. He nodded back, then scanned the darkness to either side of us. "We've room," the guard said with a grunt, "but I warn you: I've got stout lads with me if you're bandits, and more just a shout away."

"Considering what we left behind in Bukhara," Zanzabel said as both of the doors swung back, "the more the better."

"We've heard the rumors," the guard replied as we rode inside the Caravansary's gatehouse, out of the icy rain. Eight men in leather and chainmail peered out into the hissing darkness as I followed the others inside, and they visibly relaxed as the doors slammed shut again. I swept the icy crust off my cloak and swung down off my horse as I looked around.

The interior of the gatehouse was longer than the Dancing Direwolf, with a doorway to either side and a fortified guardhouse on the far end. The Caravansary itself was basically a square structure, hollow on the inside, with the outline of wooden stables visible on the right inside the open area. Karl's Warghorse crouched down so he could easily get off as one of the guards helped Zanzabel off her horse. She smiled at him. "Gratitude. Who do I speak with concerning lodging and stabling for our animals?"

As the guard opened his mouth to reply, a dark haired woman in a linen dress hurried through the open doorway to our left. "Apologies for interrupting, but are you Mistress Zanzabel?" The priestess nodded, and the woman, who had an iron collar around her throat, said, "Your father has made arrangements for you and your party, including the mounts. I am to give the gate guards this," holding out a leather purse which one of the guards took, "and escort all of you inside."

The guard opened the purse and grinned. He let a few silver coins fall into his palm, which he showed the others, then poured them back inside and drew the leather purse closed. "We'll get your beasts settled. Go on in."

Karl kept his hand on the Warghorse's neck as it rose and let a guard take its reins. The beast remained calm, and he let go as the man led the animal back into the hissing rain, while other guards followed with the horses. We turned and followed the woman, who was now walking back towards the doorway, and I murmured to Zanzabel, "Father?"

She gave me a sour look. "It was a game he played. However," she added, exhaling sharply, "it is also a code. He is alone." Without elaborating, Zanzabel raised her chin and strode on ahead.

We walked along a hallway of sorts, the air fragrant from the oil lamps set in recessed corners. To our right, we passed by closed wooden doors, while to our left were open areas separated by walls, with a round table in the center and cushions set around it. Most of the tables had men in merchant robes sitting around them, eating and drinking, the low hum of their conversations stopping as we passed them by. Then, after a moment, the low hum behind us would return.

The collared woman led us all the way to the point where the hallway, following the Caravansary's high wall, bent sharply to the right. She stopped in front of an alcove recessed deep into the corner. "Mistress Zanzabel," the woman bowing to the waist, "your father is here. There is wine on the table, and I will bring food within an hour, as per his instructions."

Zanzabel motioned for her to leave. The woman rose from her bow and continued down the corridor as several oil lamps within the alcove lit themselves without anyone's aid. Karl and I hesitated, but Zanzabel stepped into the alcove with her hands on her hips. "Muzen."

In the light of the oil lamps, which sputtered a moment before the flames grew steady, Muzen sat with his back against the stone wall, his bald head glinting in the lamplight. Instead of priestly robes, he wore those of a merchant. "Zanzabel", he said with a smile. "It is always a delight to see you."

"Apologies for not feeling the same, considering that I would be dead right now had Greywolf not saved us."

He raised one painted on eyebrow. "Considering you were spying for Osiris, I feel I was justified. However," Muzen making an open gesture with his brown hands, "I am glad we both remain among the living."

Lys poked her head out from beneath Karl's cloak, and as we reached the round table, leapt out of his arms towards its surface. The ceramic pitcher and wine cups didn't even rattle as she landed. "Before we discuss the reason you asked us to meet you here, know that the minor Lich Cermet's listening to everything we say, and at the first hint of trouble, she will storm this building with our legion of the dead."

Muzen calmly grasped the pitcher and began pouring wine into several cups. "The Shambler army, as I believe they are referred to now, that you have positioned at the ruined temple-fortress of Pakhar, in anticipation of the attack on Amul. That legion?"

Lys folded her arms over the leather chest armor she wore in a design similar to Karl's. "That knowledge is supposed to be a secret."

"It still is," Muzen replied as he finished pouring wine into the last cup. "Understand, I plan to keep that knowledge close to my chest... for I want Timur to succeed and conquer the Sasnayams." He began pushing wine cups across the table. "Sit, all of you, so we can speak like cultured folk." We exchanged a look, then Zanzabel sat close to Muzen, with Karl beside her and me beside him. As Zanzabel settled in, he said to her, "I assume you have a way to communicate with Timur?"

Zanzabel reached underneath her cloak and pulled out an amulet, which she set down on the table. "Timur has its mate, which will allow him to see and hear as if he was actually with us."

Zanzabel reached for her cup of wine and took a sip as Muzen leaned forward. "Ghost-glass? I thought all of it was lost after the Prince's war."

As Lys touched the amulet's blue mana stone beside the smoky glass dome, Karl said, "Evidently Yasataar had a cache of old Artifacts that have been passed along from wise woman to wise woman for centuries. So, now that Yasataar's gone, Varsena took possession of the cache, including the ghost-glass." As Timur's foot tall image appeared over the amulet, Karl shrugged. "Varsena told me ghost-glass is easy to work with."

Muzen raised one painted eyebrow as Timur's image did a complete circle, looking up and down at our surroundings before focusing on the Celestial. "So you did make it after all. I'm surprised; I never thought I'd see you again after you vanished, and certainly not here."

Muzen made an open gesture with his hand. "Nor did I expect the Khanate of the White Horde to fall into your lap the way it did." He raised his cup towards Timur's image. "Congratulations, and admiration as well... though I am sure you are upset over losing Greywolf to those barbarians."

Timur's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?"

"My khan," I said, "he knows where the legion of the dead is waiting, and why we're here." I gave Muzen a dark look. "I thought for sure I'd flushed all the Sasnayam rats out of Bukhara."

"You did," he replied. "My contact in Bukhara is loyal to Timur, yet also knows me well and what I am capable of." Muzen leaned forward. "I want what you want, Khan Timur. I want the White Horde to bring the Sasnayam empire to its knees."

"Interesting." Timur regarded Muzen as he stroked his beard. "Ishtar, through her Daemo priestess Sybil, was able to make a brief contact with the Celestial Acan-"

Muzen sniffed. "That drunkard."

"Ishtar says the same... and that he's gotten worse now, because Yun-Kax is no longer the chief twin-gods of the Sasnayam empire. Acan claims your temple's in trouble these days."

"Oh, it is far worse than that," Muzen said as he leaned back. He was trying to keep his face expressionless, but there was a tightening around his eyes and a grim set to his mouth. "When the Gem of Return destroyed the head priest of Chaac's temple in Bukhara, it missed the head priestess of Ix-Chel. Before your Shadow Knight here," motioning at me with his hand, "chopped off her head, she sent a frantic message back to Tesiphon. She told Ix-Chel the plot against me had failed, and that I had thrown in with the White Horde against the empire."

I shook my head. "That's absurd."

Muzen gave me a sardonic smile. "Agreement, but Ix-Chel thought it the truth. The night of the raid, while you were hunting down Sasnayam spies, Ix-Chel went straight to Emperor Yazdegar and made a convincing case that I had turned against him." He stopped to take a sip of wine, and I did the same as he continued. "Sasnayam emperors have always gone in constant fear of betrayal, and since he was part of the original plot against me, to him it made perfect sense. So that night he ordered his soldiers to sack all of my temples in Tesiphon."

"The night of the long knives," Karl remarked.

Rage flashed across Muzen's face. "His soldiers pulled my priests from their beds and slaughtered them, raped my priestesses and either slit their throats, or turned them into temple whores. They stole everything they could lay their hands on, and the next day Ix-Chel and her priestesses swooped in and took all the Artifacts and scrolls of lore the soldiers had missed. Since that night, the emperor has issued an edict for the other provinces to destroy the rest of my temples throughout the empire, as well as offer a sizable reward for my head."

"What about the blood-corn?" Timur's image asked.

Muzen raised his wine cup again towards Timur. "Gratitude for taking it, and I truly mean that. The blood-corn in your vaults was meant to replenish the stock my temple had in Tesiphon, which is almost depleted." Timur's eyebrows raised, and Muzen smiled. "Right now, you control the only significant supply of blood-corn in the civilized world."

Timur slowly nodded as he stroked his beard. "The Sasnayams will have to go back to ripping out hearts on top of their temples and eating the mana nodes, like they did before you took over."

"Or cut them out in secret, midnight rituals, as they did before I introduced blood-corn and the practice stopped." Muzen leaned forward again. "People in the empire, especially those in the satrapies, are beginning to murmur against the emperor, but especially against Chaac, who the emperor has returned to the supreme position of the religious hierarchy."

"Not Ix-Chel?"

Muzen shook his head. "She is far too clever to desire such a position. She has faded back, letting Chaac take the blame for the instability starting to ripple through the empire, as he imposes his own harsh religious laws and nights of terror."

"Interesting indeed," Timur said. "A pity I cannot march my army now and take advantage of the situation."

"You already have one army within striking distance of Amul, with a general to lead them," motioning at me again, "and fully provisioned."

His hand moved to indicate Lys as Timur frowned. "Amul will have to be taken by siege, and the Shamblers are little better than the manikins the mages here construct to do simple tasks. Also, if anything happens to Amazonia, my Shamblers become useful as a herd of goats."

The shadow of Muzen's surprise flashed on his face for a heart's beat and then vanished. "There will be no siege, Khan Timur, because I am going to open the gates of Amul for you. I fled Tesiphon ahead of the Imperial messengers bearing the emperor's decree, and gathered as many of my useful servants as I could along the way. They will seize the gates and hold them while I distract the people, including the guards, allowing your vanguard to enter. Once inside, turn the dead loose upon the people, sparing no one. Make it seem as if the dead have risen from their graves to take vengeance upon the living for the terrible crime Chaac and the emperor have committed against me."

"We'll drive the people screaming from Amul." This is a horrible idea, and I'm not going to let myself feel guilty about it, either. Not when it may well help end my mission earlier than I'd hoped. "Karl, where's the map?"

He knew what map I meant, and he glanced at Lys as he hesitated. "Go ahead and bring it out," she said, giving Muzen her glittering shards of black ice smile. "If he's truly with us, he needs to know how well prepared we are... and if this is all an elaborate trap, Timur will find out sooner because of the same."

"There will be no trap," Muzen said, "because Yun will not be joining you." Seeing our puzzled expressions, he grimaced. "If Yun was going to be with you, then yes, you would need to watch your backs. I am two separate people living in one body, blending them together when I am Muzen. Yun is the trickster, the clever one, yet also the one who desires peace and harmony among those who he considers to be his children. Kax is different."

I slowly began to nod. "Yun must've been stabbed to the heart when he learned of the betrayal."

"More than you will ever know," Muzen said, staring at me with eyes like twin pits of darkness. "Yun would want to make things right with the emperor by delivering all of your heads to him on a platter. Yet, Yun is also clever enough to now that, in the end, it would make no difference. No, Yun realizes it is no longer his time. Yun knows this is the time for Kax."

Muzen stood up as his face began to change. It became more angular, yet feminine as well, while reddish-orange hair started sprouting across his bald head. Her eyes turned the yellowish-white color of molten steel. "Yun was once known as the Lord of Corn," she said in a husky voice, "while I was called the Lady of the Harvest. Now is the time for fire, and for the sword. Now is the time for reaping the bodies of those indifferent to our cause, and seeing them rise up and join your swelling ranks." She gave us a terrible smile. "Now is the time of Kax."

The rest of us exchanged a look before Karl reached into the pouch he carried and pulled out the map. "This has all the locations where the dead, grey trees mark the Shambler way stations," he said as he unrolled it. "And before you ask, we weren't the ones who drew this."

"It was found in the temple of Ghash-Kimil," Lys added.

Kax slowly nodded. "Much becomes clear. So, you who are Timur's Shadow Knight, what is your idea?"

I rose to my feet as well and leaned over the table. "Alright, the city of Amul is here, with lands extending westward, with Merv to the south and Nisa to the southwest. What if instead of just sacking Amul with the Shamblers, we press on west-"

"Flooding Nisa and Merv with refugees," Kax said, leaning over the table as well. "Oh, very good." She looked up at Timur's image. "Will Merv ally with you, as I assume Maracanda to the southeast will?"

Timur's expression turned smug. "Baktra as well. Eucrat to Baktra's east will likely hold out, so if Amul falls to the Shamblers and Maracanda is loyal, I can swoop down to Eucrat before anyone expects it. As for Merv?" He shrugs. "As I understand things, the city could go either way."

"I have a way to push them into your arms. So, the Shamblers press on, attacking the western towns and villages of Amul, which will push more and more refugees south, while I rally the priestesses of Kax to begin terror campaigns of their own. Nisa, which is nestled against the inland sea to the west, and Sasnayam lands to the south, has not had so much as a raiding party invade their lands for centuries. They will run towards Sasnayam faster than the people of Amul will."

"I can divert Warg-lancers to help," Timur said.

Kax shook her head. "You need the southern satrapies with you. Take Eurcat, and the rest will likely fall into line."

"Sooner or later, the Sasnayams will send an army against us," Karl said.

"Against Khan Timur, certainly," Kax said. She gave him an evil smile. "But who wants to lead an army against the vengeful dead? The elite will not believe the tales at first, until the refugees begin flooding in, and once they do, the generals will all want someone else to lead the soldiers. They are superstitious to a fault."

"My army will be a different story," Timur said, "once they realize they're losing their satrapies." His image motioned at me. "Amazonia has assembled a strong corps of Shambler-soldiers, and when the Sasnayam attack comes, I want her leading them alongside my men."

"That won't be a problem," Lys said. "If all we want the Shamblers to do is terrorize the people, Cermet, or one of the Necromantic mages, can herd them in the right direction, turn them loose, then collect them once the people are dead or fled."

"I'll keep the best of the Shamblers in reserve," I said to Timur, "and add more as we go. Once you've got the satrapies on our side, I can move them to one of the larger ruins listed on the map."

Karl cleared his throat. "Kax, I'm going to play Hel's emissary for a moment. If this plan works, we will likely destroy everything you've built up over the years."

Kax's evil smile returned. "Yun's 'cleverness' brought us to this place, and he can sort it all out once there is no one left to kill." She looked past us, staring into some unseen future as she made a fist. "Right now, all I want to do is watch everything burn."