The next morning Samira got up earlier than usual. She had recuperated and finished setting up her new home. Today was going to be her first day of real work as a junior rishika in the royal court. She was dressed in the official uniform of head to toe black.
The black torso wrap, the kemban, exposed her milky shoulders, as her hair was done in a tight updo. She donned a lighter, semi-transparent cloth on her head, pinned into her hair bun, the black cloth partly covered her shoulders when she stood still but it fluttered with little movement. The all black uniform made her figure looked even smaller, more frail, and her skin brighter in stark contrast.
She looked at her reflection in the brass mirror and painted severe lines to frame her eyes with a thin brush dipped in scented kohl. Samira didn't want to look weak in this get up. A gold medallion, the symbol of a royal court official, fell on her chest.
"Oh wow... Now you do look like a powerful rishi."
Anika voiced out her surprise and her eyes were filled with admiration. Samira smiled and stood from her seat.
"Be good and take care of the house. I've left several coins for grocery and other necessities. Don't get lost this time and be back at sunset."
"Yes, yes, Samira. You sound like my mother," Anika waved her hand lightly. "And what would you like me to cook for dinner?"
"I'm not sure if I'd be back by dinner time. I'll eat at the palace kitchen. You don't have to wait for me."
"They're going to make you work after sunset? Heavens!"
Samira shrugged and said her goodbye. Outside the house, Érdé was thrumming with signs of life. Stores were opening up shops, women flocking around a travelling merchant, porters of all kinds were running about the streets. The capital was very much different with the places she lived before. Honta was a sleepy farming village, while Astravana where she studied were filled with ascetics and studious disciples.
She walked out of the residential blocks and found porters milling about near the entrance of the main street. Palanquin porters, offering short distance transport for the 'low price' of one copper coin. The cost of living in the capital was much higher, of course, but Samira paid the fee anyway and in no time she was carried to the palace.
The wicker palanquin was covered with thin white sheets that was almost see through. Samira took a peek on the ride, watching rows of workshops and storefronts. Wet markets, restaurants, and taverns. And everywhere the peoples' faces were quiet content. The kingdom was prosperous and the slums they had were hidden further out.
Life wasn't perfect, but it was good enough.
From afar she could already see the imposing figure of the Érdélin Palace. The Red Palace, was the moniker given by the common people. The palace was built with red sandstone and decorated in black and white marbles. It was placed on top of a low rising hill, surrounded by a moat and heavy faussebraye around the outer walls. A leftover of the old kingdom's fortification. The Red Palace was much older than the kingdom of Érdélin itself.
The palace guards recognize her gold medallion and let her in through the heavy fortified door. A maid was then called to assist and escort her. There were not many women employed as an official in Érdélin. Most womenfolk employed by the palace were to be maids and other similar positions. As for professional women employed to work on matters concerning the kingdom and its government, the number could be counted with one's hands.
The maid that came to her wore a much more colorful uniform than Samira. She bowed deeply and followed Samira, walking two steps behind the rishika. Samira could feel the maid stealing glances at her from behind. In fact, almost all of the people that she passed on her way to the office were openly staring at her.
How rude, she thought.
But it couldn't be helped. Among the guards and royal attendants, Samira saw some who wore different kind of attributes. Akataran guards and attendants. There were even some faces familiar to her, those who were members of the fourth prince's household. Farhad's men. They flustered and looked away when she passed by, not daring to meet her eyes.
It can't be helped that the beginning of her career would be entangled with shadows of her past.
That was the price for being involved with royal family members.
The office of Isvar Kaimana was located deep in the palace. The royal rishis were responsible for many powerful artifacts and maintaining many incantations of defense across the capital city, and especially the protection of the royal family members in the more... 'supernatural aspect' of it. There were not many rishis who didn't choose to become ascetics. Many despised the material pursuit of the mundane world. That was why a young woman like Samira could be easily employed here.
The office was in dire need of able bodied rishis.
Isvar Kaimana was drowned in a sea of lontar scrolls and books by the time Samira arrived. Kaimana was quite the handsome middle aged man. He has dark colorings and strong angular features, telling of his eastern root from Morro. No one really knew a rishi's true age, but it was rumoured that Kaimana has lived more than a century. He didn't look any older than 40, acted like a 60, and talk like an 80.
He could be scatterbrained and forgetful at times, the other rishis had informed Samira on her introduction day. It was from the years of informations crowding the old man's head. There was no room in Kaimana's mind other than his work.
"Mr. Kaimana. I'm here," called Samira.
"What—oh, thank Heavens you are finally here, child. Quickly, come and help me with this."
"Of course, sir. What troubles you?" She walked around the desks to see what Kaimana was working on, totally forgetting to dismiss the maid.
The dutiful maid didn't dare to leave. It was trained into her to follow any guest or master she was assigned to until she was personally dismissed. When she was called to serve the infamous Samira of Honta, her friends squealed excitedly, reminding her to keep her eyes and ears open in case of new scandals and gossips. The maid thought today was her lucky day. Soon she would regret her foolishness.
"KYAAAAAAAK!" The maid screamed in horror at the sight that awaited them in front of Great Kaimana.
"Who let a girl in—and now she passed out. Splendid. This is why I forbid palace girls into this office. This is no place for a woman! No offense, Samira. You are a rishika, it matters not your gender to me."
"None taken, sir."
The thing that made the maid fainted was the decapitated head of some kind of monster, laid out on a stone table, all bloodied and mangled. The monster's eyes were sewn shut with metal wires. The wire sewn on the monster's lips had been pried open by Kaimana, revealing rows of serrated teeth. Its hair were bluish green, as well as its skin. Scaly skin. A humanlike face.
"An aquatic monster." Samira frowned. "From the Southern Sea?"
"No. It's a freshwater creature. It was from the west, washed ashore on the banks of Yamuna River on our side. Similar sightings were reported from as far as Hookeun Reservoir."
"From Hookeun? But that's in Akatara, and there were no such kind of monsters in..."
"Exactly," Isvar Kaimana nodded gravely. "The water nymphs in Akatara are very protective. In the location where this creature was sighted, there were corpses of some nymphs."
"And the men who saw it?"
"Only one left alive to tell the tale. He was the first to run."
"Lucky bastard," Samira walked closer to examine the decapitated head. The head was large, if she approximated the size of its body according to the head then this monster would be more than 2 metres long. The site of decapitation was clean, it was made by human sword.
"If it's sighted as far as Hookeun Reservoir, then it's impossible for this kind to come from our side of Érdélin," said Kaimana.
"Water creatures wouldn't be able to climb over the dam at Hookeun, nor could they cross over the Great Wall. Fractures on the skull, crushed fine bones and contusions. It's washed or swam over the dam and fell to the Yamuna." Samira finished the hypothesis.
"There were no written records about this specimen. I've checked everywhere." Kaimana sighed and took a seat, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "This is where you need to come in."
"I understand," she nodded.
The reason she was so sought after was because of this. Samira took out a piece of charcoal and a vial of decoction from her work bag.
"Do you think it can be done?" Kaimana looked worried.
"If it's a sentient and intelligent being, then yes. It's humanlike so it's highly probable that it's capable of speech."
Samira crushed the charcoal into fine powder and looked towards Kaimana for approval. The older man nodded and she proceeded with the ritual. Her voice started soft, whispering the Elder Speech fluently to each ear holes of the head. She then dipped the charcoal on her fingers to the creature's blood and painted lines on the creature's face—and also on her own face.
[Heed my call.]
She invoke the incantation and her voice turned strange with a metallic notes in it. There were invisible whispers in the air, the spirits seduced by the fragrance of her oil decoction.
[By the grace of Batara Guru, I saved you from destruction.]
Samira took a ceremonial knife and cut her open palm, dripping droplets of blood upon the head. A change could also be seen on Samira's face. Blue veins appeared on her skin and her eyes turned milky white.
[Upon your blood and mine. Come.]
The head was trembling on the table. Then the wire on its eyes were ripped open and a pair of yellow eyes darted around looking at the people in the room. A vicious smile appeared on the monster's face, then the horrible sound of the monster's language echoed in the room.
[So you're the necromancer who summoned me.]