The Warrior's Assault

by Kristen Banet

  He ran down another alley, cutting across a residential street and into a small, off-the-beaten-path market area. People were coming out of their homes to figure out what the commotion was. He ran down the street, ignoring them and hoping they ignored him. Sliding to a stop in front of his destination, he growled, finding the windows boarded up and the door locked. He jumped up, his wings taking him to the second floor. Finding footing, he held on to the black bricks that made up the tavern and inn, using one hand to open a window. No one ever worried about the second floor.

  Idiots.

  He pulled his wings in tight, squeezing through the window. It was a tight fit, leaving his legs hanging out for longer than he was comfortable. He fell onto the floor on the other side and closed the window with his tail, growling as he saw the dust covering everything around him. It seemed nothing had been tended for months.

  He checked every room on the second floor, climbing up to check the other inn rooms, finding no one and nothing. He frowned, thinking about the sort of things the Hornbuckles hid in their establishments. They always had a large, livable cellar with their supply. They had a back office, and he’d seen one dwarf who put a hidden room in hers.

  He trotted down the stairs into the back office first, seeing something that made him anxious. Leshaun gave out leather-bound books to his contacts, spelled and marked by his blood, a very advanced technique. Bryn was certain Leshaun was one of the last Blackbloods with both the skill and power to make them. Each book used a different glyph of Andena to make them unique, and Leshaun could write in his own to send messages to whatever book he needed to. Bryn was always impressed when he caught Leshaun with that thing.

  The book in front of Bryn, though, was burned. The pages were torn out, and ash covered the desk. The leather was ruined, and the mark was barely visible.

  They destroyed it to keep it out of the wrong hands—I hope.

  He looked around the desk, his heart sinking.

  The stain of dried blood told him a story he didn’t want to hear. He knelt, touching it for a moment before he clenched a fist. He had to find their bodies. He would do them that justice, then he would kill the Elvasi for this.

  He stomped out of the office, growling, unable to contain the rage that boiled in his blood. Skies damned Elvasi. Every time there was something good in the world, they worked their hardest to remove it. Everything kind and beautiful and perfect, they destroyed.

  He went into the kitchens, looking for the cellar door. It was always hidden, under a rug or a piece of furniture. He moved tables, rugs, and counters in the back, hoping to find it. He stopped at a large tank, looking down. Damn. They had hidden it under the heaviest thing in the room. He grunted and began to sweat as he pushed it. Dwarves were notoriously strong for their size. They could have done this single-handedly. He wished he had a friend, though. Matesh would have been a great help.

  It took time he didn’t think he had, but he eventually got it out of the way. He leaned down and grabbed the cellar door, yanking it hard enough to break whatever locks were holding it in place.

  A battle cry greeted him. He jumped back as an axe swung for him. A little female dwarf ran out from below, roaring in fury. Behind her, three more ran out, each carrying a weapon, ready to cut his fucking head off.

  “Stop! I’m Brynec of the Company!” he yelled, dodging another swing.

  The little female kept attacking, but the others paused, recognition dawning in their eyes. A large male grabbed the little one by the back of her shirt and pulled her back.

  “Lass, it’s an ally!” he snapped. “Stop!”

  “Kill them all!” she roared. Bryn nearly laughed as an older female slapped her. Blinking and dazed, the young one stopped screaming and looked at him with clear eyes. “Oh.” As things settled down, he put faces and names together, glad to see most of the Blackstone family was okay.

  “Aye, lass, oh.” He patted little Tarnie on the head. “Good try. Ya scared the shit out of me. What happened here, Bodie?”

  “The Elvasi and the city guards came,” the old male said softly. “Right at the beginnin’ of winter. Gollin told my wife and children to hide in the cellar and locked us in from this entrance and waited above. He never met us to leave.”

  “I saw a bloodstain in the office. I’m sorry, Bodie. He was a good man, yer father.”

  “Aye, well, this is what we signed up for. We’re deep in spring now, right?”

  “That’s right. Why are you still in Blackstone? Ya have another exit from yer cellar, don’t ya? Ya haven’t been down there the entire time, right?”

  “We couldn’t find the right time to leave and were still looking at our options. They had people comin’ and lookin’ for us, which made things too dangerous for dwarves in the city. What are you doin’ in Blackstone?”

  “Elvasi attacked one of our villages down in the mountains. We followed ‘em here, hoping to stop ‘em from leaving the Free Cities with our females. We sent you messages in the book, but Leshaun never heard back from you.”

  “No…Gollin would have burned it if Elvasi were comin’. So…” He waved around at their destroyed kitchen. “I guess it’s time for us to abandon Blackstone.”

  “I’m just glad yer alive,” Bryn told him honestly. “We need to find the rest of the Company and get out of here. I need ya to follow me.”

  “We’ll be right behind ya. We’re hungry, so the Company best have food. Our stores were runnin’ low, and we were rationin’ as best we could.” The older female, Tika, was wiping her hands clean of dust and dirt. “Ya hear me, Brynec?”

  “I hear ya. How long did ya have left?” He wanted to grin, but it didn’t seem like the right time. Trust dwarves to think with their stomachs.

  “Another month,” she answered. “Tarnie, Telik, grab our bags from below. Move. We don’t have all night.”

  “We don’t,” Bryn agreed. “I think Alchan let Rain loose on the city.”

  “What? Like…the little mutt? The Zira clan boy?” Bodie frowned.

  “Aye. He’s been with the Company officially for over a year now. Ya didn’t know?” Bryn shook his head. “Gollin didn’t tell ya, did he?”

  “He told us a lot like you had to rescue him last year from the Empire. Didn’t think he would stay in the fight after that.” The dwarf snorted. “So, where are we going and when?”

  “We’re going…” Bryn trailed off. He had no idea what the fuck the Company was doing now. He thought the night would be quiet, and the big things would happen tomorrow. Instead, his family was out there, getting into fights, and he didn’t know where to meet them or how. “We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry, I’m goin’ to keep ya safe.”

  “As long as we’re leavin’ this city, I don’t care where we’re going,” Tika muttered. “Fuckin’ Blackstone traitors, letting Elvasi in their port to cause problems. The Hornbuckles have been here since Blackstone was just a dream of a real city. We’ve seen other Free Cities rise and fall. We’ve seen humans come and go, then go and do this instead of respectin’ their damn elders.”

  “Tika,” Bodie whispered. “In a hundred years, this place will be completely different, and we can come back and try again.”

  “No! We’re not comin’ back to such a disreputable city. In a hundred years, I bet this place will be rubble under our feet. I might hate the Empire, but I hope they stomp this little shithole out of existence.”

  Bryn chuckled. Tika reminded him of Mave, or maybe Mave was a younger Andinna version of Tika—bloodthirsty monsters, females.

  The twins ran up from the cellar. Bryn took one of the large bags, throwing it over his shoulder. He wasn’t going to make them carry their lives on their backs without helping.

  Without another word, he walked out, knowing they would follow. He and Bodie unlocked the front door and kicked the boards out of the way. The streets were now flooded with people. Bryn looked up to the sky, hoping to see any of his people. He turned toward the docks and sighed.

/>   “They didn’t,” he mumbled. “They couldn’t have.”

  Rainev was flying over the water in the distance, dipping out of sight occasionally with fire billowing out of him. Bryn could hear distant screams and started walking toward the wyvern in the sky.

  “We’re goin’ toward the beast?” Tika asked.

  “Aye. That’s Rainev. We hadn’t had a chance to bring him this way yet. He’s a good young male, smart head on his shoulders and loyal. He just happens to turn into a wyvern, thanks to his mother’s blood.” Bryn wasn’t concerned about Rain hurting him or the dwarves. If anything, he could use the destruction and turmoil as cover to find the rest of the Company.

  As they drew closer to the docks, Elvasi and human sailors and soldiers were running for their lives, screaming, some with burns. He ducked behind a large pile of wooden crates before any saw him, motioning for the dwarf family to follow.

  “Too many to fight. Stay close,” he ordered.

  He didn’t wait for an answer, creeping behind the crates and barrels, peeking out between them to see what was going on. He finally caught sight of someone from the Company. Alchan was standing on one of the Elvasi ships, Rainev in wyvern form lying on the deck behind him. Luykas landed a moment later.

  “Found them,” Bryn told the dwarves. “Time to keep moving.” He jumped out from behind the crates and checked for only a second to make sure the dwarves were following him. He had no idea why Alchan, Rainev, and Luykas were in the harbor. He had no idea where his love was. What he did know was he had to get the dwarves out of sight and safely aboard that ship. They would be safe with Rain, Alchan, and Luykas, and his mission would be complete—mostly. He was supposed to check the ports.

  When he reached the beginning of the pier, Mave walked out onto the deck, wiping her blades on her pants. He breathed a sigh of relief, then checked to see if any Elvasi were following them. Whatever Elvasi had been running earlier had decided not to come back. Humans were standing around uncomfortably but making no move to stop him or his charges.

  He missed what was being said by the Andinna on the ship, walking up the ramp and announcing himself.

  “Ya beat me here! I thought I was supposed to check out the harbor and report to ya.”

  “Plans changed,” Alchan replied, looking up from something in his hands. He shoved it into a pocket and sighed. “Our meeting didn’t go well. They tried to capture us, failed, then told us where our females are.”

  “And where are they?” Bryn asked softly. “Are they being kept here? In dungeons? Were they burned—”

  “They were smuggled out on a merchant ship, protected by Elvasi warships before we arrived. We missed them by a day,” Alchan cut in.

  Bryn didn’t stop his snarling reaction. He kept snarling as he stomped across the deck, forgetting the dwarves.

  “And we’re goin’ after them, right?”

  “We are,” Alchan agreed. “I see you found the Hornbuckles. Good. Bodie, I would like to say we’re taking you somewhere safe, but we aren’t—”

  “Alchan—” Bryn growled.

  “Brynec, go see your female,” Alchan snapped.

  Bryn stepped back, feeling the sting of Alchan’s tone. It was an order, and Bryn naturally bent to listen, looking to Mave near Rain. Andinna males were meant to submit to more dominant Andinna, male or female. That didn’t make them weak, rather gave them purpose—curbing their violent tendencies by giving them focus and dedication to those who led them.

  So, he looked to Mave, hoping she would give him something to focus on. That’s what Alchan had meant by ordering him to his female.

  “We’re getting them back,” she promised. He walked to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and leaning into her. “We’re going to leave at dawn.”

  “Good.” That was what he needed to hear. Then he needed to voice the things rattling around in his head and battering his chest. “The patriarch of the Hornbuckles here was named Gollin. He was a good man. He hid his family in their cellar, burned his message book. He’s probably dead,” he whispered to her. “This is what they do. They destroy everything.”

  “We’re not letting them get away with it. We’re going to get our families back. We’re not going to let this stand. We took Blackstone without trying. We’re going to take Ellantia. Nothing is going to stop us.”

  They stood there as the rest of the Andinna walked through the streets of Blackstone, making their way to the new ship. Alchan directed his people to places to sleep. Sen showed up with his crew close to dawn, excited to have a new ship and ready to go. Mat came directly for them.

  “I’ll find us a room before the stupid singles claim the good ones.”

  “We’re going back to the Empire,” Bryn pointed out to his family. “Are you two goin’ to be okay with this? The first time back ain’t easy.”

  “I’m always okay with killing Elvasi,” Matesh reminded him. “Mave?”

  “I would march on Elliar if I had to. Don’t worry about me.”

  Bryn could feel her resolve as if it was tangible, taste it like a flavor on the air. Her eyes were hard and cold, like steel. There was something other about her, though. Something that drew him in since the moment he met her, something he had no name for. He looked at Mat, finding him staring at their lover with a level of dedication that was inconceivable for how long they had known her. They had fallen in love with her, thanks to that deep personal power she had, that something that was forged in her in the pits of Elliar.

  They would follow her anywhere.

  Even to Ellantia.

  Even to their deaths.

  26

  Shadra

  Angry didn’t begin to describe what Shadra felt when she walked into her throne room that morning. Fury was closer, more apt, but not good enough.

  Enraged—that was a good word for it. She was enraged.

  “One of you better start telling me what happened in Blackstone, or I’ll start causing heads to roll!” she screamed as she stopped in front of her advisors. There were eight of them—three Generals, an Admiral, two sorcerers, and two nobles—all Elvasi, all supposedly the best of their peers. All supposedly loyal to her. “Sending me a foot soldier before dawn is a coward’s way of addressing failure. You’ve all failed me. Again.”

  “Empress, we were still able to get the cargo out of Olost. What we lost were four noncombative ships that were docked and holding—”

  “A thousand men,” she snapped. “That’s how many men four ships of that type carry, correct? A thousand men, who are now either dead, missing, or stranded in a hostile land. That is not acceptable under any circumstances, Admiral. You were in charge of ship movement. Why did you leave those ships?” She was asking a question she already knew the answer to for a reason. She had led that deal, came up with the plan to use Blackstone and their greed against them. She was involved in every aspect except one—one very important aspect.

  “We promised Blackstone’s leadership military training, Empress,” he said patiently—as if she was a petulant child.

  She hated this man. She had for the last five hundred years he’d been her Admiral at the behest of his predecessor. For years, she had looked for a way or reason to throw him out. Now she had one.

  “Yes, we did,” she agreed. “Why did you leave them undefended?”

  His mouth opened, but she didn’t hear anything. Leaning closer, she turned an ear to him.

  “Well? Care to explain?” she asked, wondering if the Admiral would ever grow a pair of balls and give an explanation.

  “Um. Empress, I didn’t think—”

  “Exactly. You didn’t think,” she sneered. “We knew Alchan and his little band of bastards were going to follow. We know what sort of warriors he has with him. We know he has a Ziran mutt from the godsdamned Clans! Andinna mutts with that race turn into one thing. Who wants to tell me what that is?” She threw her hands up, the rage beginning to seep out.

  “Wyverns, Empress. Due to their bloodli
nes and the history of Andinna, wyverns, and their dragon gods, when an Andinna and a member of the Clans produce a child…that child becomes a wyvern,” one of the sorcerers dared to answer. She smiled indulgently at him. Her sorcerers—they were her people, her favorites. It was fact around the Empire—she loved them.

  “Thank you, Cicero,” she said prettily. “Wyverns. Rainev, the little blue mutt, can turn into a wyvern. We have already lost two thousand men to this freak of nature during their escape out of the Empire. Do you remember that, Admiral? You lost…seven ships, was it? Eight? You promised to stop them at any port city where they might appear. My sorcerers worked day and night to spread the word for you, yet your ships burned, and my property got away.”

  “Yes, Empress.” Oh, now he was scared. He looked like he wasn’t even breathing. Shadra knew she held all the power in the room. In a blink of an eye, she could have this man’s head, and she wanted it. She was going to need it because she obviously couldn’t trust him.

  “So, why did you leave those ships defenseless?” she asked softly.

  “I…I wasn’t thinking. I thought protecting the cargo on the water was important. I didn’t think the men would be a target, that the Blackstone guard would stop them. I didn’t think they would attempt to take on a thousand men.”

  “A wyvern can take a thousand men without a worry if they're not equipped to fire on it, Admiral. After last summer, I had our warships equipped with the ability to handle the wyvern. Remember? We couldn’t afford another loss like that. I couldn’t afford another loss like that.” She paced in front of her advisors, unable to bring herself to sit down on the throne she worked so hard for. Years of magic, spies, and planning to get that throne, to rise above everyone who thought they were better than her because they had a cock.

  And now these incompetent fools are going to lose it for me.