The Bird and The Dragon

Kvenrei looked at his sister who was planning something. “The dragon got what she wanted a century ago. Doesn’t it mean that the reason for the ainadu exodus has disappeared?” Kvenrei asked.

“The rebellion was caused by real grievances like those moral obligations and the unfair resource disposition you mentioned. Not to forget the slavery, the openly nepotic government, and the power disputes related to the great matrix. We have no place where to return.” Ikanji’s tone was sarcastic, just like Kvenrei remembered him to have often been.

“Is it Agiisha who thirsts for the war? Is she preventing you from taking action?” Jesrade asked.

“The dragon has her schemes, but she doesn’t share them with me. I don’t follow her orders, and neither should you. I once promised a wise woman to steer clear of politics.”

“Are you saying you live by a promise you gave to a woman who has been dead for a century?” Jesrade said but Ikanji only smirked.

“Not like that. Khiandri had it right, I have more to give to science than politics. If I keep out of the latter, I keep out of the dragon’s realm, and she keeps her claws out of my flesh. This arrangement keeps the peace in the New Freedom.”

“You are not going to help me?” Jesrade was disappointed.

“No, my beloved daughter. This is your fight.”

“Jessea, I will help,” Kvenrei started, but the woman signaled him to be quiet.

“Thanks, big brother. Nice that not everyone in the family is a slave to their past. I appreciate your support.” Jesrade’s eyes tried to communicate a hidden meaning, but Kvenrei didn’t catch it. He saw Jesrade touch Ikanji’s hand resting on the piano keys. “Father, I need you. I have always loved you. But I understand you are not changing your mind. Sorry, Dad, I do this for the peace.”

A black tentacle left Ikanji’s hand under Jesrade’s fingers throwing droplets of blood. A big, round amulet had been revealed under Jesrade’s collar, and it was greedily drinking the power in the man’s blood. Kvenrei felt the horror for he had seen this to happen earlier.

“Stop. You don’t know what you are doing.” Ikanji stood pushing Jesrade away and even Kvenrei sensed how his father and sister took hold of the resonance. The amulet heated and Jesrade screamed, yanking its chain, pulling the red-hot metal from her skin. Ikanji pushed her over and the two fell, blood splashing around when the matrix threw out the liquid emptied from the power.

Jesrade screamed in agony as the amulet turned liquid and metal poured into her chest burning her skin and revealing blood. Ikanji got his share of molten droplets, but the man didn’t notice them for he was fighting the matrix. For a moment the matrix design shone in the air, drawn with only blood, the metal having molten away, but the glyph worked. Jesrade kept screaming but held the matrix and Ikanji did the same. The strategej’s expression was cold when he pressed the matrix downwards, connecting it to Jesrade’s burned chest and pushing through it. Kvenrei had taken cover behind the grand piano, but he couldn’t help but stare.

“Kvenrei, this all is yours. Do not trust the dragon,” Ikanji said, locking eyes with his son.

Against his own will, Kvenrei felt his dragon sight opening to the chaos of colors filling the room. They were sliding through each other in a geometric turmoil, merging and tasting of earth and copper and the sea foam. Bile was rising in Kvenrei’s throat, and he felt the tightening of his temples signaling the migraine to come. Still, he couldn’t remove himself from the sight and the spiraling colors drew him, they went around like a vortex, faster and faster and the man didn’t know if he was spinning, or if it was the room or the matrix. Then it was over.

Kvenrei threw up. His eyes were filled with saw-toothed lines telling of the crippling headache to come. He crawled from his cover and saw the overthrown chair and blood on the floor. Father and Jesrade were both gone. Sensitized by the coming migraine Kvenrei felt the door opening and cold air flowing in the room. The room temperature had increased and the droplets of blood on Kvenrei’s brow were accompanied by sweat. There were steps and an amused exhaling.

“Look at this. You dog.” It was Jenet. The curly, brown hair had a new cut, and a short, tidy beard grazed his chin, but the old eyes in the young face were the same. His nearly singing way of pronouncing the ainadu language had also remained unchanged.

“To the dark water with you.” Kvenrei voiced the navigator’s curse with a devotion. “What did you do?”

“To be honest I am not sure,” Jenet said evading the drops of metal and blood.“ It was supposed to draw Ikanji’s memories. To kill him in the process, but not like this. The retribution was coming to him as it came to his mother and everyone who works to bind power from the great matrix to their personal use.”

Kvenrei didn’t even try to stand. His head was spinning, and he accepted his fate. “Were you killed just to have your memories to bring judgment to Ikanji?”

“Yes, and I did it gladly. I don’t even need to dirty my hands with Jesrade. But you…you are a useless vessel to the stolen power. You may live.” Jenet kneeled to touch the blood and drew a line over Kvenrei’s cheek. “Your father broke the matrix. Their memories flowed inwards.“

Jenet moved his finger along the grand piano and Kvenrei saw with his hazy eyes that the finger was covered in something red. The instrument, the floor, the roof, and every surface in the room was covered with thin red dust, but it was not dust. It was the remains of Ikanji and Jesrade. Kvenrei threw up again, but there was nothing left in his stomach.

“Their memories, skills, and power all flowed back to the great matrix. The dragons have drunken their share, the crimes are atoned.”

“You are a monster.”

“That is correct. I’ll leave you in your regret.”

“Wait…did you tell Jesrade about Giza?”

“I never said you murdered her prince. Her ignorance served my plans.”

“And what are those plans?”

“I serve the dragons and the ainadu as you should also do. Farewell, pray we will never meet again.”

“I’ll kill you.”

“I don’t think so. Goodbye Kvenrei, your father has paid for his sins.”

Kvenrei was in the dining room waiting for his children to wake up. He hadn’t slept anymore but had spent a few stunned hours medicated hoping to get himself operational again. The headache was bad, but at least he was able to sit. The estate staff had taken the incident with professional calm. Jesrade’s arrival with her servant was known and her horse was in the stables. No one suspected Kvenrei or voiced their mistrust.

The housekeeper Marie, a wiry woman with light brown hair set a cup of coffee on the table.

“I spiced it with honey and mixed herbs. It will make you feel better.”

“Thanks,” Kvenrei said weakly and sipped. Marie had spiced his coffee the same way since the migraines started. He imagined the taste to flood the pain away. Marie put her hands to his shoulders and hugged making Kvenrei’s eyes water. Marie was crying.

“Is he truly gone?” Marie asked. She was of the clan who had followed Ikanji to the rebellion.

Kvenrei nodded. The thought of the deaths was crushing. “I’ll bring revenge to that monster.” The patrols were out, searching for signs of Jenet’s passing.

“Hush, mister Kven. You must recover and the kids will wake up soon.”

Meina was not going to see her grandfather ever again. Kvenrei sobbed. “He is but bone and muscle. I’ll cut his throat and let his blood flow to the sea where behemoths will feed on it. He will not touch my kids.”

“Drink the coffee. The children are safe, I checked them a minute ago.”

Meina was the first to wake and Marie brought her to Kvenrei who hugged his youngest one. The girl looked around searching for Ikanji.

“Darling, grandfather is not coming.”

The three older kids arrived soon. Tiago saw his father’s expression and went to hug him, he was the most sensitive of the kids. “What has happened?”

Kvenrei had decided to tell the truth. “Your grandfather is dead, together with your aunt Jesrade.”

The kids seemed shocked.

“I saw a dream of him. Was it an omen?” Liida said. “He was in a restaurant and played a piano smiling. There was also a petite woman with an enormous hairdo.”

“In my dream, he was in military clothes and he was young. He had a friend called Kvenrei, but it was not you, but a dark-skinned man.” Ayu said slowly.

“Me…” Tiago started but hesitated. “I saw a dream too. But it was terrible. He was cutting a matrix to a little girl’s ribcage. The skin was opened and there was blood and there was the sound of the drawing tool when it contacted the bone…”

Kvenrei looked at the kids. “All those things happened to your grandfather. My namesake used to be his friend before the rebellion. The woman with the big hair is called Miss Ohanu and…”

“And the blood thing?” Tiago said quietly.

“The blood thing did happen too. That was why he was being followed, to deliver the punishment.” Kvenrei had picked the pieces of the story but was unsure about the details. “My grandmother created living matrixes with tendons, veins, nerves, and channels carved in the living bone. That was why her family was killed and Ikanji joined the rebellion to survive. But he was followed, over the stars and decades.”

“Is he a blood ghost?” Liida asked her eyes big and round. Kvenrei dropped his fork.

“He took Jesrade through the matrix, into the great matrix. He didn’t let it suck his memories, didn’t want to be prisoned.”

“Is he haunting us?” Ayu looked at Tiago who was very pale.

“I don’t think so. It is a genetic thing, his memories are drawn to you…just tell me if you see anything that doesn’t feel right.”

“Is he dead or not?” Ayu continued; she didn’t like the unclear answers.

“Practically yes. I mean yes. He is gone like my sister.” Kvenrei’s lip quivered, and he picked up the fork again.

“Is the killer following us?” Tiago asked.

“No. He said that everything is paid for. I’ll take care he doesn’t endanger you or anyone.”

“Is this our home now?” Liida asked her expression betraying the girl’s thoughts about the horses instead of their deceased owner.

“I’d like to hear that answer too.” A man wearing an armored vest over his dark clothes and carrying his weapons was standing by the door. He was Captain Pakhui, the commander of Ikanji’s small personal army and a cousin to Marie. Like his clan, Pakhui was blonde with sharp features, his long-limbed body born to ride.

”With his last words border lord Ikanji left the estate to me. This is where I was born. I am the legal heir to these lands.” Kvenrei gave a steady look to Pakhui. “Does someone disagree, captain?”

Pakhui returned the look. He was ten years Kvenrei’s senior and had taught him to ride. “No Kven, we will ride under your command.”

Kvenrei nodded understanding what he had just proclaimed. He had claimed his heritage and surely Patrik was also after it.

The children looked at each other except Meina, who was crumbling bread on Kvenrei’s lap.

“I would have preferred grandfather over this place,” Tiago said, his eyes glistening from tears.

“At least all his history is here,” Ayu said.

“The men are tracking the murderer. We will ride when we hear a word.” Pakhui reported he had never used titles except for Ikanji.

“Don’t hesitate when you find him, don’t try to catch him alive. He looks young but he is old and cunning.” Kvenrei didn’t believe Jenet would be caught. The memory was too skilled. But even if Jenet escaped today, he would eventually run out of luck. Then Kvenrei would drive the first metal utensil in his reach into the living memory’s eye socket, be it a knife, a spoon, a table leg, or a shovel. That he silently vowed to his dead sister.