Convergence

**

Zhura opened her eyes, unsure for a moment where she was.

The bedchamber flickered with light and smelled of the clean scent of beeswax. Keya, holding one candle, kneeled to light a few others on the floor. Her skin glistened, still damp, her hair still bound up in a linen wrap.

Zhura stood at the entrance to the balcony, though she hadn't remembered getting out of bed. Her legs were slightly splayed, her fingers wet from pleasuring herself.

"I dreamt that I was Anathe again," Zhura said.

Keya lit the last candle. She stood up. She was wearing the harness and wooden cock Omiri had gifted to Zhura. The stiff phallus bobbed with promise as the priestess climbed onto the bed.

"We were in the hills to the south," Zhura said, coming to bed and stretching out like a cat beside her lover. Her eyes tracked the wooden cock, but her mind was elsewhere. "At the camp of my mother's army upon Bandiri Slopes." She told Keya about Tswe, and the rest of the dream. "I felt how strongly she wanted to bring people together, to do what was right. People, animals, and demons too."

"Oh, Zhura, you are blessed! I have only read of such things!" the priestess said. "Your mother's uwa has heard your prayers. Reached out to you and told you her story." Keya grasped the herb-witch's hand, fingers entwining. "How do you feel?"

I feel... dread.

It was there, underneath the comfort and the relief of reunion with her father. A creeping sense of doom. A crisis was coming, and she was at its center. A conflict whose outcome could change everything.

Her hand, still clasped with Keya's, trembled. The priestess frowned, searching Zhura's face.

"I feel... afraid. Confused." Zhura blushed. "I feel like I am not entirely myself. She is my mother. But I felt as if we share a body. More than a body. We share a destiny."

"It's not wrong," Keya said, beginning to caress Zhura's neck and collarbone. "It is the power of the Ancestors. They watched over you at Kichinka. They allowed me to escape my golden cage. They saw spared us on the Night of the Forgotten. If, in their wisdom, the Ancestors chose us for some grand destiny, then we should embrace that destiny."

Zhura nuzzled against Keya's touch, leaning into it, letting it soothe her.

"Would you do anything to save me?" Keya asked.

Zhura frowned. "You know I would."

"I would do the same for you," the priestess said. "I am with you, whatever happens."

They kissed gently, Keya's soft body sliding against Zhura's.

"I was growing warm just watching you," Keya said. "That's why I put on the cock. It looked as if you needed a good rutting. But we can just-"

"I still do," Zhura moaned softly.

"Good," Keya said. She leaned over, reaching for something next to the bed. It was a small jar of coconut oil.

She sat up and straddled the herb-witch. "I'm going to rut you in every hole I can find, until you can't remember your name. Then I'm going to ride that lovely face of yours until I come all over it." She grinned, then added: "If it pleases you, that is."

Zhura giggled. She inhaled with relief. Keya could always make her smile, always give her a sense of meaning. "I always knew you were dangerous, Keya."

The priestess scooted forward, until the smooth phallus jutted over Zhura's lips.

"Suck my cock, whore!" Keya growled.

Zhura's eyes danced with mirth.

But suck Zhura did.

**

The next morning, Zhura rolled over in bed, a satisfying ache in her yoni and another in her ass, just as the priestess had promised. She heard a distant pounding, like drums. Rays of the sun streamed in from the balcony, lighting the backs of her eyelids like fire. She rolled back away from it, burying her face in Keya's soft shoulder.

"Someone's at the door," Keya mumbled.

"It's just drums."

"No... it's drums and the door," Keya replied.

Zhura swore, rolling off the bed. She stumbled to the door naked, rubbing her eyes. When she opened it, Ngo was waiting there, in scarlet trousers and sandals.

The warrior winked. "You smell like sex."

Zhura tossed her braids back from her face, letting him in. "Like you don't? I'll wager that if I sniffed hard enough, I could smell Lila on you. Musa too."

Ngo grunted. He eyed the discarded phallus and harness, and the spent candles lying on the floor. He nodded his approval. "Sorry I missed the fun."

Keya, naked too, sat up in the bed, golden locks askew. "What is it?"

"The drums," Ngo said, his expression growing serious. "I think they mean war."

They washed and dressed hastily. The five of them went down to the pool chamber outside the king's hall. Though Zhura expected the gathering place to be full, it was only sparsely populated, with a handful of nobles milling about speaking in hushed tones.

Emmi was one of them, the brass on his meaty forearms glinting in the overhead light. When he saw the herb-witch, he bowed away from his conversation with two older women in resplendent red dresses.

"Morning o'," he said to them in greeting. "You've heard the news?"

"We only heard the drums," Zhura said.

"They are the signal drums. Calling soldiers from outposts in the north and south," he said. Seeing the blank look on the others' faces, he added: "The king's spies in Chide reported that Prince Kandu is there, betrothed to a Vong princess."

"The Vong don't rule in Chide," Keya said.

"It appears they do now. There's been a revolt."

"What does that mean?" Zhura asked. "Kandu is the heir to the throne of Morore."

"He is calling for the reunification of the kingdoms. Under him, of course."

"What has King Yende said?" asked Ngo.

The big, bearded man shrugged. "He will refuse. But he has been secluded with his closest advisers for much of the night and morning. He has arrested Vong Clan members here in the Upper City. That's why this place is suddenly so empty. Many people are suspect."

"Have they done anything disloyal?" Zhura asked.

"It doesn't matter," Keya said, sadly. "Even if they are loyal, they can be held as hostages for negotiations. An Ikanjan Great House would do the same."

"That makes it less right, not more," Zhura muttered.

Emmi's look was apologetic. "You have come at an unlucky time, Zhura. Your father is truly in a difficult place."

"I need to see him," Zhura said, to no one in particular.

"Aren't you afraid of being arrested too, Emmi?" Keya asked.

"I am of Busara Clan," Emmi said, as if that explained everything. "War is bad for trade and worse for most people. But I would fight to keep King Yende in power, if he would allow it. The Casters' Guild will back him. He and Yamou have been wise rulers. Kandu would not be."

Zhura scanned the room again. She noticed the blue in Emmi's tunic, and thought back to the hues she had seen in Yende's court. Busara Clan's colors were blue. Malindi was red. The missing green must have been Vong.

"This is stupid," Zhura said. "What does being part of a Clan even matter?"

"It matters. Everyone knows the lineage and kin of the noble Clans," said Emmi, gravely. "It is the way of things."

"It is senseless! It's as if nothing has changed. You people still squabble over who gets to rule, while others suffer and die." Zhura shot back. Her burst of anger, even her words, surprised her.

Keya and the others looked at her with concern. "It is the way of things everywhere, Zhura," the priestess replied softly. "Until the fight over who has power is decided, there is no peace."

Just then, with the jolt of a sliding bar, the double door to the court shook and swung wide. The meager crowd of colorful nobles gravitated towards the door like iron filings to a lodestone. They stopped when scowling red-plumes placed themselves squarely in the entrance. From behind the guards, the grizzled Speaker pointed at Zhura and Keya.

"You two. Come," the old man said.

A chorus of protests welled up from the nobles, including Emmi. A guard cut them off with a bark.

"Wait until you are called," the Speaker said.

Zhura glanced at the others as she and Keya squeezed by the guard and into Yendi's court.

The hall was nearly empty in comparison to two days before. Several red-plumed guards stood around the perimeter of the circular chamber. Only the King and Queen on their thrones occupied the center, with two advisors beside them.

As they approached, Keya briefly dropped to a knee and bowed her head. Even she seemed to know the proper etiquette. Zhura, wondering how much disrespect she'd shown in her first visit to the court, mimicked the bow.

Yende regarded the pair sullenly. Yamou's gaze was sharp and unwavering. "First, let us be clear who stands before us," she said.

Behind them, the Speaker called, "Zhura, herb-witch and daughter of King Yende. Keya of the Ikanjan House Oko." He paused for emphasis. "Fugitive, rumored to be dead."

One of the advisors, a mirthless man with a sprinkle of white in his goatee, turned to the King and Queen, the scarlet of his tunic gleaming in the firelight. "Before anything else is said, I oppose this audience. Under our current circumstances, neither of these people should be trusted."

"We know you do not approve, Chiso. Yet we will listen," Queen Yamou said.

"I am the King's daughter," Zhura said simply.

"You have no path to the throne. Neither do your children," said Yamou.

The herb-witch resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I know that."

"Zhura didn't even want to come to Morore, Queen Yamou," Keya interjected. "Except so that she could learn of her ancestry. It had been kept secret from her, for her entire life. That is a curse no one should endure."

"And you," Yamou turned her attention to the priestess. "We have learned much about you. Why are you here?"

There was an unspoken question there, a dip of the queen's head that acknowledged rumor that the king's daughter was the lover of this albino fugitive from a far land. Fortunately, it seemed the king and queen were too preoccupied with other matters to pursue the rumor.

"I am her chronicler, Queen."

"She is a recognized scholar on infernals," Chiso said. "Another odd twist of fate that she would arrive here and now."

"Why?" Zhura asked, looking from the advisor to Yende and Yamou.

The king shifted on the throne. "Zhura, yesterday you told me that you faced a demon in the Chidean village, Kachinka. You were one of the survivors of an attack, along with the merchant Ranthaman San."

"Yes, father."

"San will confirm this?"

"Of course."

Yende glanced at his advisors. Both men shook their heads. The king's wife, however, nodded.

"You've made your point, Chiso," the king said. He turned to the second advisor, a bald, bearded man in black and yellow garb who had said nothing yet. "Warchief, explain our circumstance."

"Within the Lower City, our position is... ominous." The Warchief's voice boomed, as if he had honed it on battlefields. "Dozens of wardens were murdered last night. Folk have begun to flee, and there have been claims of demon sightings throughout the Lower City."

"What kind of demons?" Keya asked.

"Spooks," the Warchief said. "Hyena-men."

"How were these spooks described?" Zhura asked.

"Apelike, with masks. They vanish at will, like ghosts in the night."

"They are sanju demons," Keya remarked. "The hyena-men are called bajari."

"The Thandi, my mother's people, may be behind these sightings," Zhura said. "They are using summoning stones to bring the infernals inside the ancestral wards. We have... seen this before."

Yende gazed at her for a moment, a glint of pride in his eye. "I will need your counsel in fighting the infernals. But I have another task for you. You know Ranthaman San. He is in his home in the Upper City. I want you to persuade him to throw the support of the Ikanjan House San behind our kingdom."

**

A couple of hours later, Zhura and Keya walked through the Upper City, following the directions Advisor Chiso had given. The streets were eerily empty. Dark faces peered at the women through wooden shutters. Where Zhura could glimpse the Upper City's outer walls, red plumed soldiers stared down. More soldiers gathered around one building, ushering out a whole family, including crying children.

"This is disgusting," Zhura said. "I have to make Yende stop this."

"Consider what influence you could have over your father if we could help him get the support of House San," the priestess said.

"You're forgetting that Ranthaman is now working with your former lover."

Keya shook her head under the wide brim of her hat. "On the contrary, I am counting on Jinai's sympathy."

"I see. This is the woman you lied to. The woman for whom you faked your own death." Zhura nodded in resignation. Keya had a talent for persuasion, and it wasn't as if there was a better idea.

They had to consider fleeing Morore. The kingdom was on the brink of war. And yet, Zhura couldn't shake the feeling that her task was unfinished. Nor could she escape the fear that history was repeating itself, as the Kingdoms once again succumbed to political infighting.

Like the buildings around it, Ranthaman San's Morore home was a nondescript block of brown mud brick. It was three stories high, with a notched parapet at the summit and wooden shuttered windows. A green and black banner of House San flew from the roof.

Two children squatted at the dusty entrance to an alley around the corner from the house, with a sorry-looking bowl of kola nuts between them. It seemed strange to be peddling anything on the deserted streets.

"Kola, Mah?" the taller of the children offered. At second glance, it was a girl with her hair cut short. She gazed evenly at the women.

Keya smiled at the girl. "What's your name?"

"I'm just a drongo," the girl replied.

"You're a bird?" Keya frowned, taking a few of the pebble shaped white nuts, handing the little boy a copper bit in exchange. She had almost certainly overpaid.

"You really need to stop being kind to strange children," Zhura said, cocking her head at the nuts as they walked away. "Those things will stain your teeth red." While bitter in taste, the nuts had a pleasant stimulant effect and some medicinal value.

Keya stripped off the shells, exposing the rose-colored insides. "I know. I'm craving the sharpness. And they're cute kids."

Zhura shrugged. As they approached the double doors to the house, the herb-witch took one of the nuts from Keya. She gave it a test sniff and popped it in her mouth, knowing that the acerbic flavor would mellow and sweeten as she chewed. She knocked. A portly attendant greeted the women and invited them inside. When she glanced back at the alleyway, the children were gone.

The interior was pleasantly furnished, with white-washed walls, wooden trim, and a scent like old resin. The ground floor seemed to be mostly for servants, with arched entryways into pantries and storage space for linens. Several bundles were stacked near the doors, as if someone prepared for a journey.

The attendant showed them up a wide staircase to a sitting room. He opened the shutters, letting in midday light, and left them there.

Zhura noted a vu'ela board made of brass on a table, wicker chairs, fine skins on the floor, and baobab wood carvings on the wall. All items that would naturally be collected by a merchant as well traveled in the Kingdoms as Ranthaman.

Keya was trying to teach Zhura how to play the game of stones when San, followed by Jinai, came into the room. Both were swathed in light robes of dun and black.

Not for the first time, Zhura wondered about the relationship between the two. She knew from Keya that Jinai was an exceptional bodyguard. But could that be Jinai's only purpose here? The notion seemed unlikely.

While the two took chairs across from Zhura and Keya, Ranthaman was all gracious smiles. Jinai's expression was flat.

"I did not expect this visit," the merchant said. "Rumor has it that you have found even better accommodation than I could offer. Daughter of a king! Zhura, you never fail to surprise me."

Keya set down the vu'ela stones she had been holding. "Surely you have also heard the news about Prince Kandu, and the possibility of war."

Ranthaman nodded grimly. "Also unexpected."

"What is House San's stance on the unification of Morore and Chide?" Keya asked.

"You mean what is my stance? It will be two weeks before anyone in Namu learns of this," San's lip curled. "I am a merchant, Lady Keya. All I care about is the freedom to buy and sell goods. It is not in my interest to take sides."

"You have traded under King Yende's rule for many years. He is respected by his people, and by many Clans," Zhura said. "Prince Kandu is not."

"So you would have me side with your father? If he is overthrown, then House San loses as well."

"Then do not side with King Yende," Keya said. "Take a position in support of peaceful negotiation. You are the closest thing there is to an ambassador of the Ikanjan State in all of the Kingdoms. Even Prince Kandu would respect that."

Ranthaman glanced at Jinai. The woman did not meet his gaze, instead staring at a point in the center of the room. Zhura sensed an unease there, some uncertainty or dissent between the two Ikanjans.

"I sympathize with you, Zhura. Truly I do. At the moment that you reunite with your father you find him possibly losing his throne. You must want to defend him," San said. "But this strife is the nature of the Nubic Kingdoms. Even the factions here have factions. The wisest course for outsiders like you and I is to stay far from the fighting."

"Or," Zhura countered, "to try to bring the factions together. That is the only way the Kingdoms survived the Sizwe invasion."

"That should matter to you, Ranthaman," Keya went on smoothly. "Both you and I know that the Ikanjan State fears the Sizwe. Yende is the only King who stood firm against the Sizwe that remains in power. Don't pretend that his fall will mean nothing to Ikanjans."

"That is for the Magisterium to decide," Ranthaman said. "Not me."

Keya regarded her fellow Ikanjans. "Let's address the issue we have been dancing around for too long. Why are you here, Ranthaman? If it is only for trade, then how did you find us so easily, and why are you in the company of my former handmaid?"

"Lady Keya, you were once one of the leaders of a Great House," San said. "But you are no longer. The world you fled no longer revolves around you, if ever it did. Jinai has many talents, as you well know. House Oko was foolish to release her."

Keya paused, resting her chin on her hands before speaking slowly. "Ranthaman, if you are here to obtain and learn about summoning stones, know that you risk more destruction than any war between Chide and Morore could cause. The idea of the most powerful demons under the control of Barasa San causes me nightmares. To say nothing of possibly upsetting the balance of power between the Ikanjan State and the Sizwe Empire. If trade is what you truly care about, you must forswear Barasa's reckless plans."

Jinai only stared at the floor. Ranthaman's smile was wearing thin.

He sighed. "Events in Morore move quickly. If the gates to the Upper City are closed, you will soon discover the horrors of life in a city under siege. If you are not arrested, or killed by competing factions, you will face thirst and starvation."

The merchant's face was grim, and he stood, followed by Jinai. After Keya's near accusation, it seemed the meeting was at an end.

"I am quitting the city for Mibega," Ranthaman said. His attendant entered to show Zhura and Keya out. "I advise you to do the same, and soon."

"Before we leave," Keya asked, "may I have a word with Jinai? Alone?"

Ranthaman glanced at Jinai. He nodded and left the room.