Ancient Allies (The Malvers War Book 2)

by Tora Moon

  * * *

  After eating, Blazel made his way to Naila’s table and asked her about Rizelya.

  “She’s a good alpha,” Naila said, her voice rough. She swallowed several times, then continued, “Good leader. You want to know more ask Laynar. Hurts to talk.” She put a hand over the scar on her throat.

  “You’re not part of her pack,” Laynar said, “and so she can’t communicate mind-to-mind with you through the pack links. I’ve traveled with Rizelya from Strunheim Keep to Strunlair Keep, going the roundabout route so we could warn the other territories. She’s amazing. Rizelya is bright, resourceful, innovative, and most importantly, a compassionate leader.”

  Laynar went on to tell him several stories of their travels and monster battles. He learned that Rizelya was usually the first one to attack the control janack, and usually the one to destroy it. By the time Blazel finally went to bed, he was anxious to meet this amazing woman. He fell asleep with a smile on his face as he imagined her.

  But instead of dreaming of Rizelya, Blazel’s dreams were of Chariel. As he watched in horror, she morphed into a gaunt woman with pale gray skin, hollow eyes, and long black claws instead of fingers. The woman screamed in frustration at something he couldn’t see. She turned and her gaze burned into his, filling him with dread. “I’m coming for you,” she said. Then a meteor flamed through the sky, struck, and the land burned with blood and fire.

  Blazel woke with a start, sweating and breathing hard. It was still dark and everyone else was sleeping. He eased out of the safe house and peered at the night sky. He let out a breath of relief when it was clear. He sat on the well’s rim and continued to watch the sky until it began to lighten with the rising sun. Danger was coming, and it would come from the sky. But was it the madness Chariel had seen in her visions? And why was he dreaming about it when there was nothing he could do until he reached the Sanctuary?

  He hadn’t told anyone about his dreams; he doubted even his mentor, Histrun, would believe him that something horrible was coming. All of their attention was on the Malvers monsters and the new control janack. But Blazel knew in his bones they weren’t the only hazard to the Posairs’ survival.

  The next morning Blazel rode in a swirl of companionable chatter, his silence a quiet eddy in the stream of conversation. A frisson of tension ran under his skin making him irritable and jittery.

  “Hey,” Jaehaas said quietly, “what be wrong? You look like you be jumping out of your skin.”

  “Nothing. I just feel odd.”

  Jaehaas looked around at the forest on either side of the road they followed. “You hearing a hum? Be there monsters near?”

  “No … that’s not it …” Blazel paused. He hadn’t thought his jitteriness was caused by a control janack’s hum. He cocked his head to the side and listened intently to be sure. “No, there’s no hum, so I don’t think it’s because of monsters. I just had a weird dream last night.”

  “Let me know if you want to talk,” Jaehaas said, and then moved to walk next to Ambrelya, who was behind Blazel.

  By mid-morning Blazel felt better. He urged Lighzel forward until he was riding next to Laynar. He wanted to hear more stories about Rizelya. The forest thinned and opened to a wide valley and the road cut through fields and pastures.

  “We’re almost to Strunlair Keep,” Laynar said. “These are the Keep’s lands.”

  Here, each field was surrounded by high sheadash stone walls to protect them from marauding monsters. In each of the pastures where people were tending animals, a team of a young adolescent Red on a horse and a young wolf carefully stood watch.

  “What are they doing?” Blazel pointed to a pair.

  “Protecting the herders. The wolf can call for help, and the Red can help the herders escape to safety. We’ve had too many monsters escape us. Even worse, we’ve had nests throw out a single janack and a pair of brechas unexpectedly. There have been some deaths. It’s an innovation of—”

  “Let me guess, Rizelya,” Blazel interrupted.

  “No, she didn’t think up this,” Laynar said. “But she did make sure to spread the idea to everyone she saw. No, my grandmother Layhalya thought this up, or rather, remembered seeing it as a child. Histrun was quite chagrined when he found out. She isn’t much older than he is, and he hadn’t thought about setting guards.”

  Blazel grinned at the thought of his old mentor. “We have to remember he’s an old man and getting forgetful.”

  Laynar burst into a fit of laughter so hard her horse stopped in its tracks. Wiping her eyes, she said, “Oh, please tell that to Histrun. I’d like to see his reaction. He’ll bellow about insolent youngsters while he chases you.”

  “In his warrior form.” He shuddered. “A horrible sight to a six-year-old.”

  “He didn’t!” gasped Laynar.

  “He did.” Blazel nodded. “He made me mad, I don’t remember now what it was, and I called him a senile old man, and he chased me.” He thought for a moment. “He must not have wanted to actually catch me since I managed to evade him and hide in the hay loft. I’ve never been disrespectful again.”

  “No, he didn’t,” Laynar said with a chuckle. “As a warrior, he’d have caught you in two strides if he’d wanted to. The chase was the lesson. He’s here, you know.”

  “I know, I can’t wait to see him. It’s been a long time.”

  “How long?”

  “Fourteen years. I saw him the summer I turned sixteen. I left the Sanctuary when I was seventeen and have been a lone wolf ever since.”

  “It must have been hard.” Laynar’s voice was filled with compassion.

  Blazel shrugged. “I’m used to it. After I left, I spent five years with a Phengriff flight, having a glorious time.”

  “Really? Phengriffs exist? It must have been awesome to see them in flight.”

  “It is. And they are real. I miss them, especially my friend Graak.” Blazel sighed. Even though the Phengriffs were a different species, they had welcomed and accepted him. Well, he admitted to himself, eventually they had.

  Blazel looked up and his eyes widened. “What is that?” A huge stone wall reached into the sky and stretched in either direction as far as he could see.

  “Strunlair Keep,” Laynar said. “It’s the oldest and, I believe, the largest Keep in all of Lairheim.”

  Blazel nodded, still staring at the wall. In his travels he had seen many Keeps, but this was by far the largest one. They rounded a bend in the road to reveal the massive gate; four horses could ride through it abreast. He craned his neck to look at the top of the wall and saw yellow-haired women walking the battlements, eyes trained in the distance. With their air Talent they could bend light waves to see great distances.

  “What are they searching for?” He pointed to the women.

  “They’re watching for marauding monsters,” Laynar said. “This Keep hosts nearly six-thousand people and is a magnet for the monsters, especially now their behavior is changing. I was with Rizelya when we fought our way across Strunlair Territory. The moment we crossed the border from Strunheim, we were attacked over and over again by monsters. By the end, we were fighting five or six times in one day.” Laynar closed her eyes and shuddered. “The attacks have decreased back to almost normal since Rizelya left.”

  “Why do you think they’ve done that?” Jaehaas asked, trotting to ride next to them.

  “For some reason the intelligence behind the control janack wants Rizelya. No one knows why. It’s one reason she’s gone to the Supreme. We hope she can figure it out and help Rizelya.”

  “What intelligence?” Jaehaas asked, his face twisted in confusion. “The Malvers monsters be mindless beasts driven by hunger.”

  “You’ve noticed that the control janack is different?”

  Both Jaehaas and Blazel nodded.

  “From what Rizelya has said, there is someone—we don’t know who—controlling the janack. It, in turn, uses the strange protrusion to control the other monsters.”

/>   “Oh, I’ve seen it do that,” Blazel said. He cocked his head to the side and asked, “Is that what the hum is doing? Directing the other janacks and brechas?”

  Laynar turned to him, a quizzical look on her face. “You can hear it?”

  “Yes …”

  “I wonder why only Rizelya, and now you, can hear it.” She stared at him a long moment. “Although, I’ve seen her suffer from its effects. I’d rather not hear it if I had to deal with the debilitating headaches. Have you had any strange dreams?”

  Blazel gulped. He’d thought his strange dreams were the effect of Chariel’s calling. Could the strange, gaunt woman be the intelligence Laynar mentioned? If so, they were in trouble. She had radiated such menace in the dream.

  “The Supreme should be able to help Rizelya,” Blazel said. “The old woman knows more than anyone else, and if she doesn’t know, she has access to a vast library of history.”

  “How would—” Ambrelya started.

  “He was raised by her,” Jaehaas finished.

  The conversation stopped. They had crossed through the gates and were now in the keep’s vast courtyard.

  * * *

  The party rode into a large plaza. Above them stood the Clan-house. Built from granite flecked with mica, it sparkled in the sun. A sweeping white marble porch skirted the front of the building. Black marble columns held up a balcony. Dark ironwood double doors were polished to a glossy shine and had wide bands of helstrim affixed to them, giving them added strength against the monsters. The huge building could hold a thousand people or more in case of an attack on the keep.

  Standing on the porch were several people. A huge man, nearly seven feet tall with broad shoulders and thick legs, stood with his arms crossed, watching the fighting-pack’s arrival. His red close-cut hair had streaks of green and he seemed to exude power. Next to him was a compact woman, who seemed small next to the giant man. She had deep, dark red hair and very pale skin. Blazel bet they were the clan-pack alphas.

  Just behind them was an old man leaning on the porch rail. His red hair had turned dusky, and his once-powerful shoulders were now stooped with age. His mentor, Histrun, had grown old since Blazel had seen him last. The old man squinted and then slowly stood up straight. His advanced years didn’t slow him down as he quickly brushed past the alphas to stand at the top of the steps.

  “Well, well, well,” Histrun said, staring down at Blazel, his voice still strong. “I heard rumors you still lived. Didn’t I teach you better manners, boy?”

  Blazel slid off his horse and rushed to the steps. He stopped, kneeled on one knee on the bottom step, and bowed his head. “My apologies, master.”

  “You were supposed to wait for me boy, not run off and worry me. What are you waiting for? Come here and say hello.”

  Blazel looked up to see Histrun’s arms opened wide. Blazel raced up the stairs and found himself enveloped in Histrun’s strong embrace. He was surprised to discover he now stood several inches taller than Histrun.

  Histrun patted Blazel’s back and said in his ear, “Good to see you, boy.” He pushed Blazel away and held him at arm’s length. “You’ve grown well, a bit thin and scraggly looking though. And you’ve found new friends. Good for you. It’s not good to be alone.”

  “You look good too, old man,” Blazel said, his throat tight. He’d missed Histrun and his gruff affection. “Seems like you’ve managed to find yourself in the thick of things again.”

  Histrun laughed. “Of course I have. Introduce us to your friends.”

  Blazel turned to see Ambrelya was off her horse and standing next to Jaehaas, both of them were waiting at the bottom step. Laynar stood on the other side of Jaehaas. Naila and Kelstrun had reached the Clan-house before the others and were already standing with a large group on the porch.

  “Alphas,” Laynar said, “may I introduce Ambrelya de Haasneh and the centaur Jaehaas de Haasneh.”

  The alpha couple stepped forward. Blazel could now see the woman was a rare double Red. Not only did she have red hair, but she also had red eyes ringed in gold.

  “Welcome to Strunlair Keep,” the woman said. “I am Beladi, and this is my consort, Nestrun.”

  “You have news for us?” Nestrun asked, his deep baritone reverberating in the enclosed space.

  “We do, and an offer of skills,” Ambrelya said, with a bow.

  Nestrun waved them up the stairs, then gestured for the others gathered in the courtyard to disperse. He then led the way into the Clan-house, Beladi at his side. The rest followed them. Blazel wished he’d had time to wash the travel grime off before having to meet with the clan alphas. He was glad Laynar walked beside him and that they were in the rear. Nestrun turned and went through a door.

  The room was occupied by a large group of people, all of whom had the air of powerful alphas. They stopped chatting and stared at Blazel and Jaehaas when they entered. Blazel’s stomach dropped. There were too many people, too many powerful people, for him. He took a step back and ran into Jaehaas.

  “It be okay,” Jaehaas whispered to him. “All be friends here.”

  “There’s so many,” Laynar added, keeping her voice down, “because a clan meeting is in progress. These are Clan Strunlair’s territory alphas. None of them will harm you. Histrun will make sure of it.”

  “That I will, boy,” Histrun said. Even though he was no longer a clan or keep alpha, he had followed the group into the meeting room. No one seemed upset by his breach of etiquette.

  Histrun glared at the alphas and they turned away from Blazel.

  “I need to talk to my grandmother,” Laynar said. She patted Blazel on the shoulder as she walked away.

  A few people sat at a large table in the center of the room. A smaller table placed along the wall held refreshments. Blazel longed for a glass of cool water to cut the dust from his throat, but the alphas guarded the table.

  “There’s nothing to be afraid of, boy. I bet you could use a drink.”

  Blazel nodded. Histrun gripped Blazel’s upper arm and led him to the refreshment table. As they approached, all but one couple left. This pair was old, but not ancient like Histrun. The woman’s copper hair had faded, and wrinkles lined her dark brown eyes and face. Her companion looked to be a few years younger and had faded brown hair with red streaks and green eyes.

  “Blazel,” Histrun said, “these are Strunell Keep Alphas Keshanal and Bestrun.”

  They murmured greetings and then moved away. Blazel sighed in relief and poured himself a glass of water from a pitcher covered in condensation. He drank it in one long gulp and refilled it. Jaehaas and Ambrelya joined him at the table.

  “This spread looks delicious,” Jaehaas said as he filled a small plate with food.

  Blazel looked at the food and then back at the group of people. His stomach roiled. “I think I’ll wait.”

  Once everyone, except Blazel, had filled plates, Histrun led them to the table. A wide space was left open for Jaehaas with a tray set to the side where he could comfortably put his plate. Blazel’s heart warmed to have his friend’s needs met by these strangers. Even Histrun was a stranger, after being away for fourteen years. He was grateful his chair was next to someone he knew recently, Laynar.

  On the other side of Laynar sat an ancient woman. Her red hair had faded to a pale pink from age, and she sat stooped in her seat. When she smiled at Blazel, her emerald-green eyes shone with intelligence and humor. Next to her was a man many years her junior. He was only several years older than Laynar. He had cinnamon-red hair and brown eyes flecked with green.

  “Blazel, Jaehaas,” Laynar said, “this is my grandmother Layhalya and her second, Selestrun.”

  They nodded in greeting and Blazel sat down.

  A bell rang through the room, cutting through the conversations. Beladi stood at the head of the table, ringing the bell. When everyone’s attention was on her, she said, “It’s time to reconvene our meeting. Come, sit down.”

  A few moments later, ever
yone was seated at the table and looking expectantly at Beladi and Nestrun.

  “We have visitors who can add to what we know of the change in the monsters,” Nestrun said. “Anything we can learn can only help us in our struggle to survive.”

  “Welcome, Blazel, Jaehaas, and Ambrelya,” Beladi said, smiling at each one in turn. “We are anxious to hear your report. Blazel, we are most eager to find out what has happened with you. Why were you so far south?”

  Blazel gulped, his mouth dry. “I … I …” He took a long drink of water. Laynar gave him an encouraging smile and Jaehaas patted his shoulder. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and began again. “Histrun, I am sorry, but I was unable to wait for you. If it had been my choice, I would have gladly left the Sanctuary to live with you. But that wasn’t what the Goddess had planned for me. Instead, my friend Chariel, had a vision that sent me to the Deep Mountains.”

  “Who is this Chariel and why would you listen to her?” Nestrun asked, leaning forward.

  “She is a Gray,” Histrun answered, “an Oracle gifted with visions from the Goddess. The Supreme listens to her, as all her prophecies come true. She’s not one you ignore.” He leaned back and tipped his head at Blazel.

  Nestrun nodded, apparently satisfied.

  “Why were you sent there?” Beladi asked.

  “Perhaps to meet and become friends with the Phengriffs.” Blazel shrugged.

  A collective gasp followed the mention of the mythical Phengriffs. Everyone’s eyes turned to Blazel.

  He swallowed hard and continued. “But that isn’t important for now. What is important is she had another vision three years ago and sent me to the swamps. I spent the last year in the great swamp south of the Barrens. She told me I would return when the madness was near.” He held up a hand to forestall their questions. “No, we don’t know what it referred to. I’m guessing it is this new control janack that has shown up and the Malvers monsters strange behavior.”

  A flash of a meteor flaming through the sky bringing with it blood and death intruded into Blazel’s thoughts. He shook his head. They’d just think he was crazy. Chariel, or even the Supreme, might know what his dreams meant. But with this group, he’d stick with the facts.