Eudaimonia: Maya's Journey

Sunu

Sunu, Anishi's capital was a radiant city, full of curves and life. The prisoners were taken to the dungeon and Yoshi, Maya, North, Beramute, Utaka, and Melo went directly to the Samourais' temple, located in the heart of the city. They received a warm welcome, with the Empress herself coming in person to greet them at the entrance of the palace. It was a sumptuous place, with statues made of gold, marble pillars, and gigantic ceilings covered with paintings depicting nature.

Yoshi kneeled in front of her. The rest of them were surprised to see the Empress was so young. In fact she was only eleven. Her mother had been poisoned when she was five and her father, a renowned and fearless warrior, had succumbed on the battlefield a year ago. Despite her young age the monarch possessed a disconcerting maturity and wisdom and she spoke in a soft but authoritative voice.

While Maya and the others were meeting the Empress, somewhere in a rough neighbourhood in downtown Sunu, an evil plot to assassinate the Empress was being formed and discussed. The subjects of the crown were not unanimous in their approval that someone so young had such power and there were people putting a lot of effort into trying to discredit her. As power was transmitted through filiation, they saw an opportunity for a change of dynasty, and an opportunity to fulfil their ambition and have a new bloodline sitting on the throne.

Three men were talking in the half-light of a sordid flat. One of them was wearing a scarf around his face; he was the instigator of the plot to conspire against the young ruler.

"Here's the poison you will administer to the Empress during the next royal dinner."

"But how to approach her?" answered one of the other men.

"I had you hired as waiters. When you serve her water, you will also add this colourless substance to it," said the mysterious man holding a test tube filled with transparent liquid.

Puzzled, the two men looked at each other. One was tall and slim, the other small and fat, and they were both missing teeth. They whispered to each other so they couldn't be heard.

Then the tall and slim man called Ashu spoke up, "It is not a small job, it will cost you a hundred gold coins."

The man with the scarf around his face reached into a pocket inside his long dark robe and drew a purse from it. He shook it and the noise of metal on metal resonated around the room.

He opened it and emptied it on the table that separated them.

The sight of the gold made the large man called Mohit sneer. Ashu elbowed him in the ribs to make him stop.

"Here are twenty coins. The rest when the job is done."

"Very good Tanaka," said Ashu.

The man was surprised they knew his identity, but before he could say anything, Ashu added, "No funny business, we're pros. The dinner is in two days, the job will be done in two days, and we're expecting the money then."

At that, Tanaka opened the door and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

"Do you trust him?" Mohit asked Ashu.

"Not at all, but we know his identity, so he has to take us seriously. We're holding an ace and he knows it."

Tanaka was the prime minister and he was responsible for administering the political affairs of the country until the Empress, Momoko, turned thirteen, which was the legal age for a ruler to officially take control.

In the palace, the companions had been lodged into luxury quarters where they would spend a few nights. Beramute and North were in one room and Maya in another at the opposite end of a very long corridor. It was not to North's liking, because he hadn't been separated from Maya since they took the road from Ecclesia. He felt uncomfortable that he was not able to keep a close eye on her.