Page 64 of The King of Koraha
The King let out a long breath. “All I have are my guards. Are they even trustworthy?”
“They are,” Shyla rushed to assure him. “And you need them.”
He jumped to his feet and paced with short, agitated strides. “You are basically telling me that I’ve no one other than a handful of monks. Is that correct?”
Yes, and as much as she’d love to walk away from this mess, she couldn’t. Not if she wanted to have peace of mind. She met Rendor’s gaze, seeking his input. This wasn’t just her decision. He nodded.
“No. You have me, Rendor, and the Invisible Sword. You have the monks and the Arch Deacons.”
“Arch Deacons?” Surprised, he skidded to a stop.
He wasn’t the only one. Shyla couldn’t believe she just suggested going to the Heliacal Priests and Priestesses for help. “They’re an elite fighting force in Zirdai. I’m not sure if they’re in all the cities.”
“They’re in some,” Rendor said. “The last Water Prince sent a couple squads of guards to other cities to train with them. He wanted us to be able to defend ourselves if we ever had to fight the Arch Deacons in Zirdai.”
“And I’m just learning about them.” The King fisted his hands in his hair. “That spiteful old bastard kept so much information from me. How am I supposed to fix the mess he left?” Then he drew in a couple deep breaths and lowered his arms. His sharp features softened as he visibly relaxed. He shot them a wry grin. “Sorry. Najib isn’t here to remind me that complaining isn’t kingly.” The King resumed his seat. “Even with you, the Invisible Swords, the monks, and the Arch Deacons, we’ll still be outnumbered.”
“Yes, but we’ll have the element of surprise,” Rendor said. “And we’ve already proved a smaller force can beat a bigger one.”
“Even with that advantage, I doubt I’d get those cities with mercs back. What can we do?”
“We can stop the spread. Limit the number of cities and monasteries under their influence. Once that’s done, we can take back one city at a time.”
“Lonato said the Monks of Lyons were next,” Shyla said. “We can travel to Apanji and stop the visiting monks from converting the Lyons monks.”
“We can also determine if the mercs have set up shop or are in the process of doing so,” Rendor said. “And start recruiting Arch Deacons.”
“And the Invisible Sword?” the King asked.
“Can meet us in Apanji.” Shyla considered having them go to Nintri. But if Xerxes was still there, they might be spotted. No doubt the man was dangerous and by then he would know Shyla and Rendor were no longer under his influence.
“It’ll be a while before I can pay you.”
“The Invisible Sword doesn’t work for pay.”
“That’s very noble, but I’m sure you have expenses and people to feed.” He ran a hand through his thick hair.
Shyla remembered his comment about his crown and wondered if, even though it wasn’t on his head, the heavy weight of responsibility still pressed down on him.
“Not all the cities are under Xerxes’ influence,” he continued. “Is there a way to get their taxes before the mercs steal them?”
That was a good question. “Do you know whose turn it is to guard the wagons?”
“The Monks of Dunnar, but they’re part of the conspiracy.”
She swallowed a curse. “What route do they take?”
“They start in Ginda and travel counter-clockwise until they loop back to Qulsary.” He drummed his long fingers on the table as he stared into the distance. “Najib would know for sure, but I believe the caravan will reach Apanji in roughly one hundred and sixteen sun jumps.”
“If they’re in the process of converting Apanji, then Xerxes would most likely go there next,” Shyla said. “He and Lonato have converted four cities in about two circuits, which means they’re averaging half a circuit per city. The timing works out that he’ll be in Apanji when the caravan arrives. Also I don’t think he’d delegate picking up the taxes to anyone else.”
“We could try to intercept the tax caravan,” Rendor said. “Ambush them in the desert before they reach Apanji.”
Robbing the mercs of their income would certainly slow things down. “It’s worth a try.”
“What do you need?” the King asked Shyla.
“We need to send a message to the Invisible Sword. And we can’t wait if there isn’t a caravan heading to Apanji, we’ll need to hire a guide. Rendor, do we have enough coins?”
