Wolves of the Gods

Safar had dressed with care for the occasion. He was wearing his most glittering ceremonial robes.

Never mind he no longer held the office, the robes were the ones he'd worn at King Protarus' most important court functions when Safar had been Lord Timura, the second most powerful man in all of Esmir. Upon his breast were all the medals and ribbons and awards Protarus had granted him for his many services.

He felt no sense of irony, much less guilt, as he raised his hands for attention, acting as much a king as Iraj. He'd forced himself to swallow a hefty draught of manipulative leadership. And now he had to act.

The late afternoon sun made his robes glow, leaping off his medals and dazzling the crowd. Instead of friends and family, he made himself think of the gathering as an audience, with a group attention he could capture, then form to his will like good Timura clay into a good Timura pot. Adding to his regal display was Leiria, who stood next to him on the raised platform, the steel and leather of her harness and weapons burnished to a dazzling gloss. Between them was Palimak. He was dressed like a little soldier, complete with toy sword, breast plate and helmet.

As Safar gathered his mental forces, Palimak sensed the crowd's bewildered mood and whispered, 'I like this father! I can make them do anything I want.'

Thank the gods he said it a bare moment before Safar cast the amplifying pellet to the stone. Otherwise everyone would have heard. Instead, all they noticed was Leiria clapping her hand across Palimak's mouth, saying, 'Sshhh!'

Just then the magical pellet burst and her admonishing 'sshhh!' echoed loudly across the field. There was weak laughter from the crowd, who assumed Palimak had merely said something childishly clever.

Safar grabbed the moment and built on it.

'If Iraj Protarus heard that laughter,' he proclaimed, voice resounding across the arena, 'he'd be quaking in his boots. After all he's done, the people of Kyrania can still laugh at the antics of a little boy.'

There were more chuckles, stronger than before.

Safar lifted his head as if to address the heavens. 'Do you hear that, O Mighty King?' he roared. 'Do you hear the spirit of the People of the Clouds? We are not afraid! We stand proud and defiant before you!'

Shouts of approval greeted this. Faces brightened, shoulders straightened and people lifted their children high so they could see better.

Safar smiled broadly at his audience, clapping his hands in congratulations. 'That's the message we want to send to Iraj Protarus,' he said. 'He may do his worst, but our spirits will remain unbroken!'

This time nearly the entire crowd roared in agreement. Some even shook their fists at the skies as if Iraj were hiding in the clouds. Only some of his enemies on the Council of Elder appeared unmoved. They were knotted about Masura, whose face was swollen with fury because Safar had upstaged him and gone directly to the people. Safar was determined to change that look.

When the noise died down he said, 'We're going to need that spirit in the days ahead, my friends. The future of all Kyranians depends on your strength.

'Nay, the world itself depends on it!'

There were murmurs and puzzled looks but Safar pushed on. His next words, he knew, would dash the little enthusiasm he'd won.

'Brave as you all are,' he said, 'you will need to be braver still. At this moment we are stalked by a great enemy. A royal enemy who has somehow escaped from the grave to become the king of the shape changers. He and his minions have killed innocent Kyranian children and young men.'

Safar gestured at Masura and people turned to look at him. 'I know you have all heard the controversy regarding those tragedies. It's said that the only reason Iraj Protarus brings such bloody actions to our peaceful valley is because he seeks revenge against me.'

Masura jerked his head in dramatic agreement. Safar ignored him, signaling Leiria to lift Palimak high for all to see.

'You've also heard that Iraj demands we hand over this child,' he said. 'This is a child you all know. A child who is an orphan of the storms that ravage the outside world.'

Not understanding the seriousness of the situation, Palimak kicked his heels in glee and shouted to the other children in the crowd-his playmates. 'Look at me!' he laughed. 'Look how big I am!'

Some people joined his laughter. But not enough, not nearly enough. Safar pressed on.

'It's true that Iraj demands my head,' he said, 'just as it's true that he requires you to hand over little Palimak. And if I thought for one minute that Protarus would spare you, pass the people of Kyrania by to savage other poor, helpless souls, I would march down the mountain to his camp and throw myself and Palimak on his mercy.'

A few people, Safar's family among them, shouted, 'No, no! We'll fight him. We'll never give you up!'

Safar smiled, pretending it was resounding chorus of majority approval. He took Palimak in his arms.

'I'm overjoyed by your support, my friends,' he said. 'Palimak and I thank you for your loyalty and love.'

Saying this made it so in many hearts and this time the cheers were louder as he passed the boy back to Leiria. When he turned back to speak the crowd grew quiet in anticipation.

'Unfortunately, the issues aren't so simple. The fact is, Iraj Protarus will not be satisfied until every Kyranian, from our oldest, most respected leaders down to our newborn babes are wiped from the face of Esmir. This is what we face, my friends. Not choices, but certain annihilation. This is how Iraj Protarus plans to repay you for your generosity to him when he was a boy.'

Murmurs of fear ran thought the crowd. Even Masura looked grim-faced with sudden worry. Harsh reality was gradually boring through his vanity.

Meanwhile, Palimak was greatly moved by Safar's words. 'Let's fight him, father,' he cried. His shrill voice carried across the arena as if he were a giant's child. 'To the death!' He raised his toy sword in defiance.

Fully half the crowd joined in the cheering that followed. Fired by a child's boldness, they roared for the chance to give battle and somehow bring Protarus down. Masura, however, seemed to have regained his composure and with it much of his former stupidity.

When the crowd sounds faded, Masura shouted, 'You have no right to speak, Timura! You and the boy have been banished by order of the Council.'

Since the vote hadn't been announced, some people were taken by surprise and started muttering among themselves. Masura and his supporters took advantage of the confusion, shouting, 'Don't listen to him!'

and 'He's just trying to save his own skin.'

Safar cracked another capsule of amplification, then spoke, voice so strong it drowned out his foes.

'People of Kyrania!' he thundered, flinging his arms high. 'Heed me!'

Everyone froze. Even Masura was cowed by the thunder of his voice. 'Whether I leave or whether I stay, Iraj Protarus will come this night to slay you in your beds! Unless you act with me now, that is your fate. If you doubt me … then witness this!'

He snapped his fingers and there was a crack! like a glacier rock exploding in a campfire. At the same time his other hand shot out, snatching at the air. There were gasps of amazement as he drew first one long yellow bone, then another, from thin air.

Safar made a great show of it, displaying the casting bones for all to see. He fanned them out and a thousand pairs of eyes were compelled to count them, one, two, three, four, five!

Safar chanted, feeling his power growing over them with each word he spoke: Has the day falsed us?

Promising nights

With strong shutting doors?

Did the light halt us?

From seeing skull eyes

Dark and void?

The bones made a ghastly rattle as Safar hurled them onto the platform. Two thousand eyes followed their progress, saw them bounce and scatter. The crowd was deathly silent as Safar peered long and hard at the ivory pattern.

'Will Iraj come?' Palimak asked, posing the question for all.

Safar raised his head. He looked first at the crowd, then Palimak, finally, straight at Masura. The man's eyes were bright with fearful suspense, his defiance smothered in Safar's hypnotic spell.