Veil Of Lies

The day Veli expected comes sooner than he would have thought as he is hauled, by Yarra and Omin, out of the cell. Veli doesn’t know which of the elven guards is which, but the taller of the two has advised that Veli is going to be sentenced.

Veli would be lying if he said he didn’t feel a wave of panic surge through his body to hear those words and being right does nothing to ease that feeling.

He isn’t sure how long he’s been in the cell, but as the gleaming rays of the sun reach his eyes he assumes that it could easily have been days. Perhaps weeks, though that seems unlikely for a reason Veli can’t give.

Before long, Veli finds himself standing at the centre of the circular courtyard that lies at one end of the manor house. It isn’t in the pristine state he remembers it being in when he’d been a child. Instead, weeds have started to sprout between the bricks of the courtyard. Though, it is otherwise unchanged from how it had been when he’d been a boy rushing around with Tarin and his other cousins playing tag and other such games without a care in the world.

Veli wonders where Tarin is. He doesn’t remember seeing his cousin in their cell, but he was awoken so suddenly and then forced forward that he hadn’t had time to search for him. There is clearly no blood on the courtyard stones, so Veli reasons that Tarin is likely still alive. He can’t be certain, but he is inclined to cling to that hope as Polita appears on the upper floors long balcony.

Polita is wearing a figure hugging pair of navy blue trousers along with a loose fitting blouse. However, she wastes to time as she almost immediately proclaims, “You are here today to face judgement for your crimes. Confess them and your punishment will be lessened.”

An evil smile tears across her face as her eyes burn brightly with rage. She feels pleasure to have the man, who she doesn’t much know but hates passionately because of his family name and the fact that his relations failed her at a time she needed help most, before her.

Veli, for the first time, wonders what became of her own clan and their estate. He has no intention of asking though. To do so would be to indulge her and he has no intention of that, so simply responds with, “I have no crimes. I am innocent.” His voice is sure and strong as he speaks. Though, he’d be lying if he didn’t admit he’s terrified.

Polita scoffs and then begins to list off apparent crimes, “Conspiracy, embezzlement, counterfeiting, smuggling, and larceny. Seem to be but a few of your discretions.” She giggles cruelly then, while Veli’s jaw hangs in disgust. But his silence is brief and he soon roars in defiance, “Lies. All of them. Those are fabricated charges and you haven’t a lick of proof to back them up.”

“I don’t need proof on MY estate.” Polita says making sure to emphasise that Qos is hers now. That causes Veli’s blood boil. A snarl emerges on his face in response to her words as he stares up at her.

Veli isn’t a violent man but right now he would give anything to choke the life out of Polita for all she has done. But the young elven woman simply chuckles and then passes judgment. “I find you guilty on all charges. Punishment for your crimes is…death.”

Veli growls and spits, “You won’t get away with this.” And it is at that point that Polita bursts into raucous laughter. Then a few moments later Tarin appears at her side. He had been waiting just on the otherside of the balconies doorway for exactly the right time. Now, he is smiling slightly at the sight of his cousin, Veli, who has been condemned.

“You bastard! You betrayer! Is this how you treat family?” Veli shouts at the top of his lungs as Polita gives the nod that sees him forced to his knees in preparation of his execution.

Veli’s heart thunders in response and his subconscious tells him he is going to die. But just as Veli drops to his knees, which bolts of pain jolt through, Tarin pulls a knife from his waistline and holds it to Polita’s throat. The woman’s eyes go wide in response. She considers trying to wriggle free but Tarin makes sure to tighten his grip on her and so keep her in place. Nevertheless she tries to struggle against Tarin but her attempts are futile. She can’t break free and so simply spits, “Scum!”

“Leave your insults Polita. I just want the truth. Speak it. Or I’ll open you like a pig.” Tarin responds without a hint of remorse in her voice. Though, he is surprised that this has all gone to plan. He was sure when Veli had detailed it to him that it would fail almost immediately. In fact, he had even said as much, but his cousin had persuaded and assured him of their success. And he’d be remiss to admit that his cousins’ enthusiasm is infectious.

After this is all over Tarin swear he will have to commend his cousin in a manner befitting, a celebration. It will be one unlike has been seen for a century. There will be mountains of food, gallons of ale and endless songs. But first they will have to get there, Tarin knows.

“You want the truth…fine. I’ll give you the truth. When your clan failed to aid mine they all perished. I’m all that’s left. Are you happy? Does it make you proud to know that you are the cause of a half dozen deaths?” Polita spits while still struggling. She isn’t trying to break free, at least not at the moment. Instead, she is making a point.

“So you killed more than a dozen of our clan in response? You really are a monster.” Veli fires back angrily whilst still on his knees. Though, he doesn’t feel as though he is in any immediate danger of being beheaded. Or whatever it was that Polita intended for his form of execution to be. That surprises Veli but he has no intention of questioning Yarra and Omin’s pause as Tarin demands, “And the crimes levelled against our clan, Bintoro?”

At first Polita refuses to answer. Instead, she simply sneers but as Tarin presses the thin blade of the knife against her throat panic set in, she gulps and then admits, “Fabricated. All lies. I wanted you to suffer for your greed like mine had suffered because of your refusals!”

Suddenly Polita drives something sharp into Tarin. He’s shocked and with a howl of pain releases his grip on her. As soon as he does he tries to reach for her, to restrain her again but she slips through his fingers. Though, not before he manages to slice a thin cut in her neck.

Polita spins round to face Tarin who seems to falter in the moments before Polita throws herself at him with a wild crazed scream and a rapid volley of stabs. Several of the stabs make contact with Tarin’s skin and puncture deep wounds into his gut. However, Tarin himself manages to drive the blade of the knife in his hand into her side. Polita roars with a mixture of pain and anger before spitting “Help me.”

But the only aid Polita gets is a quick slash of a knife across her throat. Her free hand shoots up to her throat as blood spews from the long shallow wound. The blood spills down her blouse and all over Tarin.

Veli who is now back on his feet tries to race off but the shorter elf grabs hold of him and prevents his advance. He kicks and thrashes but his attempts are in vain. Somehow he fails to voice his anger and demands to be released, though it never dawns on him that he does. Instead, he simply grunts and groans as though he intended to offer words but hasn’t.

As a result he is forced to watch as Polita takes another stab at Tarin. She misses as a result of her blood loss and that allows Tarin to deliver one final jab of his knife into the side of her neck. The thin short blade of the knife, which he stole from the kitchen, disappears into her neck leaving only his blood smeared hand within which is grasped the bland handle of the knife.

In response to the stab Polita’s eyes go wide and a gurgle of blood spills from her mouth. She gurgles twice more as the last breaths escapes her body.

Tarin watches her bloody form drop away from him only to crash to the balcony with a wet thud in the moments before he staggers backward. The knife, which is free of Polita’s neck and caked in red, drops out of his hand. Then Tarin sags to the floor, exhausted and mortally wounded.

“Tarin!” Veli screams as he manages to stumble forward.

Suddenly Veli realises that he is no longer restrained, or being held in place, by Yarra or Omin. His head whips round to glance at the faces of Yarra and Omin. Neither offers a response to his silent query, so Veli hurriedly climbs the white trellising that covers this entire wall of the manor house.

He can’t remember the last time he dared to climb the thin slats of wood nailed together. Though, he is thankful to find the wood takes his weight all the way up to a point from which he is able to drop onto the balcony.

The whole space is a mess of thick dark crimson blood that Veli nearly slips in as he rushes to Tarin’s side. It smells of iron, he notes.

“Cousin, I’m here. I’m sorry. So very sorry. I shouldn’t have involved you in this.” Veli blurts without thought while staring down at the wounds in Tarin’s body without a clue of what should be done.

“D-don’t worry cousin. A-all is well. Y-you are here now. T-that is all that matters.” Tarin struggles to get his words out. The pain in his gut is immense and he is sure there is no way that he is going to make it out of this alive. Before he dies however he has one final thing to tell Veli, “I-I was the cause of our families deaths. I fell for Polita. I promised her what could not be given. T-that is why her wrath was unleashed upon us. I-I’m sorry cousin. I should have told you, but I-I could not bear the shame of it. F-f-forgive me.” Tarin’s stutter is getting worse and he can feel his extremities growing cold. He knows there isn’t long now, but at least he managed to clear his conscious. He knows he should have done it earlier, but hadn’t been able to bring himself to. He understands that Veli might hate him now, but he is willing to accept that.

Veli knows he should be angry, but he can’t bring himself to be. So instead he cradles his younger cousin until finally he breathes his last breath. Then Veli eases Tarin’s lifeless eyes closed before laying him flat. Finally Veli rises back to his full height. To his surprise Yarra and Omin are still stood exactly where he’d left them. It’s like they’re waiting, but for what the merchant elf cannot say, so he simply asks, “What are your intentions?”

Veli expects them to announce that they will still be taking his life. Instead the response from the taller elf is, “Nothing. We intend nothing. Do we Yarra?”

“We do not Omin. We do not. In fact, we are not what you believe us to be.” Yarra, the shorter elf, says.

“What?” Veli utters confused, exhausted and lost. He has no idea what the pair are on about and only hopes that this isn’t part of some game. Veli is in no mood for games.

“We are, in fact, elder guards. Sent here to put an end to Polita Emersentice’s Dorir counterfeiting operation.” Omin explains without a change in his expression.

Veli feels he should say something but he is completely lost for words. That’s why a sense of relief hits them when Yarra continues to speak.

“You see there were suspicions that her antics had been criminal. But the elders wanted proof to refute that which had been brought against your family. That is why we were put in the employ of Miss Emersentice. You see she was forced to return to Qos because of an issue.” Yarra sounds overly careful in his use of the word issue and that is why Veli cannot resist the urge to ask, “What sort of issue?” He doesn’t know why he felt the urge to ask though.

“A rumour really. One stating that evidence had surfaced that would compromise her operations and see her landed in prison. Though, I will admit that it was Yarra and I who started that rumour seeing as no such evidence existed. Still, it was more than enough to bring her back here, ahead of schedule.” Omin explains before his stern expression finally breaks into a ruthless smile. The expression unnerves Veli but he doesn’t dare show it.

“And my appearance?” Veli queries wondering if he was always part of the plan.

“Entirely accidental.” Yarra answers before Omin adds, “And very unfortunate.” The smile is gone from Omin’s face, which pleases Veli. Though, the merchant elf is still lost for words. And isn’t even sure if he believes what he’s been told by the pair. He does however, have to admit that all he feels is, empty. It’s not a feeling he thought would ever invade and afflict his soul, but it certainly does now.

What Veli says next however, is surprising even to him. “What happens now?”

Veli doesn’t know what he expects the response to be or why he has asked. He has several dozen other questions, but Omin answers. “Qos is yours again. To do with as you wish. The Bintoro clan name has been acquitted of all crimes as per the right bestowed upon us by the elders.”

“You may live your life as you wish.” Yarra states and then the pair of elder guards turn and walk away leaving Veli alone to whatever future he deems fit for himself and his estate. The merchant does not what life that will be and at this moment cannot comprehend thinking about it. So instead he just stands frozen in place, staring as Yarra and Omin get further and further away.