The Sirens of Thayra

Matron Taiyah stood at the rail of the grand balcony high atop the central spire of Thayra-Lossa. A cool breeze whispered softly on her face, blowing a few stray dark hairs across her face. She brushed them aside as she gazed down into the courtyard below. She frowned as she made out Matron Hathra's caravan entering the gate.

“Matron...”

Taiyah turned, spotting a woman slip onto the balcony. “Iyl. I take it you have an answer for me.”

Iyl stepped out of the shadows. She wore a simple black robe tied close to her body; traditional of a high Matron's spies. The most loyal, trustworthy, and deadly of her clan, Taiyah owed much of her dominance over Thayra-Lossa to her dedicated black handmaidens. So when Taiyah received news that Hathra was the first to learn of and capture the trespassing party in their city, there would be a price paid.

“The information originally came to us via a trainee who claimed she could not find her mistress to relay word of the travelers to. She has been dealt with.”

“And her mistress?”

“I have sent her to the maternity wards. She was of good stock, it would have been a shame to loose that in our clan.”

Taiyah nodded. As always, Iyl knew what punishments she desired for mistakes without asking her. “Find out what Hathra has done with the other males she captured. I want to know what kind of skills they have. I will not have her gaining advantages over me because stumbled upon something valuable.”

“The lead male, Kirk. She has brought him here.”

The matron smirked. “Did she...”

“From what I can tell, she thinks that having him alone is enough to regain power...and more.”

Taiyah looked back over the city again and snorted. “We shall see about that.”

****

Two soft-featured women stood at the end of the hall leading up to the council chambers deep within the central spire's belly. As attendants to the council, they were expected to have no loyalty to any one of the three clans allied in Thayra-Lossa. Katre knew that, Aitra, the one with short cropped black hair and dark eyes was more partial to the Shindra clan. Katre had recently seen to it that Aitra's younger sister was made a high priestess in Katre's personal temple and her sources told her that Aitra was proud of her sister's rise in power. It would not be long before the impartial collective of attendants would ask Aitra to step down because of the way favor was shown on her family; but for now, Katre had a loyal spy in the Spire. It was far too precious a commodity to leave untapped.

Katre waited among her handmaidens and guards at the opposite end of the hall, listening to her sisters talk in hushed titters about what plans Matron Hathra might attempt to put into motion that day. They were all confident that Hathra was not clever enough to gain the upper hand over Katre, let alone Taiyah, who currently sat at the high seat in the council. The three leaders were in constant contest to attempt to navigate the complicated laws and rituals agreed upon over a hundred years ago when the city was founded.

Taiyah had risen to her position as head of her clan fifteen years ago after carefully planning the deaths of all the matrons who preceded her to the leadership of the Koryah clan. With her ascension she inherited the previous Matron's high seat. That woman, High Matron Yasori had been old, but wise and clever. Yasori had spent decades maintaining her place at the high seat as well as keeping the Koryah clan in power. There were many who believed that as Taiyah's plans first began to fall into place Yasori had allowed it to happen, thus secretly planning whom her successor would be.

Katre was not sure she believed the rumor, but it was precisely the kind of intricate political intrigue she strived for to maintain the Shindra's place just above Hathra and her militant Hath-Menda family.

Matron Hathra arrived with her envoy, doing her best to look as though she were as refined and beautiful as Katre as she passed the other Matron. Katre smirked at her rival, giving a respectful nod of the head but laughing inside at the silken dress Hathra wore. It hung poorly over her square shoulders and did nothing to give her the kind of allure the gathered midsection was meant to. Instead the gown only enhanced Hathra's bulky build.

At the back of her group three guards followed a man dressed in Hath-Menda colors with a control collar about his neck. Katre assumed that this could only be one of Hathra's captives and was impressed with the expression on the male's face. It was clear that Hathra had managed to seduce him using the old ways, something she did not think Hathra was capable. A tingle of worry struck her as she realized she may have been underestimating Hathra as nothing more than the strongest arm in her clan. The bulky warrior woman was quite new as Matron of Hath-Menda and Katre was still looking for the best ways to keep her and her clan at bay.

When the Hath-Menda clan members were out of earshot Katre's handmaidens barely stifled their giggles. Katre allowed herself to smile back at them and entertained them with a joke about Hathra resembling a bull trying to wear lace.

The Hath-Menda envoy disappeared into the council chambers. Katre watched as the guards turned the captured male over to one of the Spire attendants. She was pleased to see Aitra casually let her partner take the male aside into a side room. Males were not allowed in the council chamber, but Hathra clearly had to parade her new prize about.

Moving quickly, Katre crossed the hall to approach Aitra. In one swift motion, the attendant opened the door for the Matron of the Shindra clan and took the small bundle from Katre's hand. “On that one,” Katre said, her eyes flickering in the direction of where Hathra's male captive was being taken. Then, Matron Katre and her envoy slipped into the council chambers, leaving Aitra at the door.

Looking down, Aitra immediately recognized the tiny transmitter that was secretly used by the Shindra to spy on their enemies. Aitra slipped the device into her belt and needed only wait for the opportunity to plant it on the male whom Hathra prized so much.