by Jon Bender
She stood there, watching the spot where he had stood until she felt the rubble shifting. Earth mages were trying to fill the gap as best they could. It would need to be rebuilt properly, but the repaired wall would hold against anything short of another full attack. Spotting the skull-pommeled sword, she rushed forward to grab it before it was buried. She had never used a sword before, and the heavy weight was unfamiliar. Besides the sound of grinding of stone, the night was strangely quiet now that the fighting was done.
“Do you intend to keep that?” Sagrad asked, coming up beside her. She felt a sense of relief at seeing him. She had not failed in her duty. “I saw what he did with it, and I would love to possess such a blade.”
His eyes were glazed with desire as he looked at the sword. “Yes. It will help me to better protect you, and I doubt you would be able to activate its enchantment.”
He looked crestfallen, but nodded. “Do you know what type of mage that man was? Or where he came from?”
“I have never seen that type of magic before. We can only hope that he didn’t create this,” she said, hefting the blade. “If there are others like him, we are in greater trouble than we thought.”
“You did well holding him. If you hadn’t been here, this night would have had a different ending.”
“He’ll be back,” she said, watching the stone shift and pile upon itself.
“Yes,” Sagrad agreed. “I have grown bored with hiding behind these walls. Get some rest. Tomorrow, we’re going outside for a stroll.”
Sagrad turned and began shouting orders to care for the wounded and bury the dead. Vaniece turned her attention back to the blade. She needed two hands to lift it. She truly hoped that its previous owner, had not been powerful enough to create it. Only circumstances and luck had allowed her victory today. If she ever met the sword’s creator in an even match, she was not sure she would walk away.
Chapter 11
The slanted roofs of the buildings would have been difficult for a man to traverse, but the emora skimmed lightly over the grey tiles. The sun had just begun its journey across the sky with promise of a warm day, but its light did little to reveal Jaxom’s presence to anyone not paying attention. The fluctuating color of the risen’s fur hid him from casual observers. On the street below, Nelix rode with a large escort making their way through the city. The common people pressed themselves close to the buildings as the Bruxan soldiers passed. As they neared King Alexar’s home, they found themselves riding into long shadows cast by the high towers that looked like fingers holding the people in a strangling grip. The large gate of the surrounding wall stood open, and Jaxom raced ahead, leaping down between two houses before stepping out onto the street. A dozen men in red livery were positioned at the gate, their eyes locked onto the approaching escort, which allowed Jaxom to slip in behind unseen. The emora’s camouflage was good but not perfect. The soldiers would not miss a pair of softly glowing eyes or the cat’s shifting of colors when it moved at speed. On the other side of the wall, he took a place amongst some bushes near the bottom of the stone stairs leading up to the entrance. Nelix rode in under the archway, the gates closing behind him with an ominous clank. As the general dismounted, he looked about the courtyard as if searching for something. The decoratively-carved, white wooden doors opened, and an older man wearing regal red robes and a silver crown stepped out. Flanking him were two young men and women similarly dressed in fine clothing. Jaxom assumed these were King Alexar’s children. Looking through the emora’s eyes at the man responsible for his brother’s abduction, Jaxom felt an overwhelming urge to strike now and kill him. He had placed one paw forward before thinking better of it, and he forced himself to step back deeper into the bushes, waiting for an opportunity to sneak in.
Alexar spread his arms wide in greeting as he stepped lightly down the steps, as if Nelix was an honored guest, long overdue. “General Nelix. I am pleased to finally meet you in person. I am dreadfully sorry that we missed each other in Azuria.”
“Your ransom has been delivered. I wish to speak with my King,” Nelix said, his scarred face emotionless. Nelix was never one to bandy words.
“Your reputation proceeds you—straight to the point,” Alexar said with an unconcerned smile at Nelix’s abruptness. “Please, follow me. Corin awaits us in the dining room where we will enjoy a fine meal and wine.” Alexar turned and walked back inside, his children on his heels.
Jaxom was careful not to look directly in anyone’s direction and moved slowly when he slipped through the doors just before they closed. Letting the procession get a short distance ahead, he slunk close to the walls in quiet pursuit until Alexar led Nelix into a room with two soldiers standing outside its doors. Unable to go any further, Jaxom retraced his steps to find another way inside. Doing his best to keep the unfamiliar place mapped out in his mind, he circled down several halls until he caught the scent of cooked meat. Following the smell, he found several servants hurrying down the hall carrying trays laden with food and drink. They led him to a small open doorway with one guard standing outside. Hugging the wall, he followed the servants closely into a large room with high arched ceilings. The only furniture in the room was a long, polished wooden table surrounded by high-backed, padded chairs. Alexar sat at the head of the table. To his left was Nelix, looking no less stern than before, and on the right was Corin. Alexar’s children filled the seats closest to them.
Jaxom felt a weight lift at the sight of his brother. Corin’s beard was gone, but he looked the same, otherwise, if a bit thinner. Jaxom again controlled the urge to leap for Alexar’s throat right then. He may be able to kill the man, and the four soldiers standing off to the side, but at too high a price. The men waiting in the barracks would be condemned to death even if he could get Corin away. Finding a place in a dark corner of the room, he lowered his head and listened to the conversation as the servants laid out plates of food and filled glasses of wine.
“How is Ale’adaria?” Corin asked Nelix.
“Much as you saw it last. Celia has assumed the throne while we await your return,” the general said, meeting Corin’s eyes with purpose.
“Celia? What of my uncle?”
“Lord Baldrin is too ill,” Nelix said, pushing away a glass that had been placed in front of him.
Corin nodded. “Celia has the kingdom’s affairs in hand?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I’m glad to hear it. What of my brother?”
“Jaxom is well. He is helping Celia and continuing his search for more death mages.”
“Ah, yes, your brother,” Alexar interrupted, “the lord of this rediscovered city. It is very progressive of you to ignore the law and do what your kingdom needs to survive. We are quite similar after all.” When neither Nelix nor Corin commented, Alexar looked to his children. “Ed’in, what do you think of King Corin’s decision to put aside the antiquated rules?”
One of the young men perked up and swallowed the wine he had been sipping. His features were far blockier than his fathers’, but he had the same dark hair and wore it long enough to brush the tops of his ears. “He made the correct move. From what I hear, these new mages can raise entire armies of the dead. Only his lack of courage to use them led to his stay with us. If he had met you with an army of the dead at his back, we may have had no choice but to concede.”
“Well spoken,” Alexar said, with a smile of twisted fatherly pride. “If I could trust those mages to obey me, I would have asked for their services as part of the tribute. Perhaps, with time, Ale’adaria will see that joining me is their only option.”
“My people will never submit to you, Alexar,” Corin said firmly.
Alexar smiled warmly, but his eyes showed his annoyance. “Your ten minutes is up, General. You must make your goodbyes. The captain of your escort will provide the list of what I require on your next visit, and when you should deliver it. I expect you to be out of Taurn within the hour, and I trust you can find your own way back” Ale
xar stood.
The general nodded and stood. Before he left, Nelix turned back to look at Corin while taking in the rest of the room. His eyes paused only a moment on the spot where Jaxom was hiding.
“Shana, please show our guest back to his room,” Alexar said after Nelix left. The king smirked at his daughter. Jaxom wondered what that was about.
“Yes, father,” said the younger woman with long black hair, rising from her seat.
Corin stood to follow, chains Jaxom had not seen clinking. Corin moved stiffly from the shackles locked around each ankle. Jaxom felt anger rising again at seeing his brother held like a criminal. He pushed it aside. Soon this would be over, and Alexar would understand his mistake.
Jaxom raced out the way he had come in, circling around to the main entrance of the dining room. Corin and Alexar’s daughter were already gone. Lifting his feline nose into the air, Jaxom followed his brother’s scent. The trail took him through a series of turns that led to a spiraling staircase. Above, he could hear booted feet on the stone steps. He followed the sound. At the top of the tower, he emerged on a landing near a table filled with empty plates and mugs. Down the hall, he saw four guards escorting Corin into the room followed by the princess. Creeping slowly after, Jaxom paused just outside the door to listen.
Amid the sound of dragging chains, he heard the woman speaking. “I will speak to my father about removing those. If you give your word not to try to escape, I believe he will allow it.”
“I don’t need your help. Your father is insane, and your word has no value,” Corin said.
“I understand you don’t trust me, but I only did as my king demanded. Can you truly fault me for that?”
There was a long pause. “I fault you for everything you have done and for everything your family has done.”
Jaxom slowly peeked around the corner. Thicker chains had been bolted to the outer wall of the room, and the guards were in the process of securing them to Corin’s shackles. Corin waited for them to finish, anger and hurt clearly etched on his face. Finally, the guards stood.
“It’s your choice,” the princess said flatly, before turning away.
Jaxom was already sprinting back to the landing and halfway down the stairs before they left the room. He stopped at the base and tucked himself into the space beneath the stairs before releasing his hold on the emora’s mind. Opening his human eyes, he found Laiden staring at him with a look of concern from the other bed. Cribble sat nearby, cleaning under his nails with a knife. He lifted his head when he noticed Jaxom had returned.
“Well? Did you find him?” Darian asked from behind.
Looking around, he saw the ice mage standing by the window. “Yes, and it won’t be easy to get him. He is chained in one of the towers and heavily guarded.”
“We didn’t expect it to be easy,” Cribble grumbled, returning his attention to the knife.
“No, but some of us were hoping,” Darian said with a sigh. “Do you have a plan?”
“The wall is too high to climb over. Did you and Laiden find another entrance?”
“There is a large gate that supply wagons go through, but it is just as guarded as the front.
“Then we have no other choice. We will meet Adriana outside the city and attack in two nights. That should give Nelix enough time to put some distance behind him.” If they were fast enough, they could drop behind the wall and get Corin out before Alexar’s forces came crashing down on their heads.
“Finally. I’m tired of sneaking around. Since we may be dead soon, I’m going downstairs to enjoy myself,” Cribble said, standing. “How about it, lad?”
Laiden looked to Jaxom questioningly. Jaxom nodded.
“I’m not sure Cribble will set a good example for the boy,” Darian said when the door had closed behind them. “What are we to do in the meantime?”
“First, I need to speak to Adriana, then I want to have a closer look at the palace. We need to find a way in once we are over the wall.”
Darian let out another long sigh. “I was afraid you were going to say something like that. We travel to such interesting places, and all you want to do is get killed.
“We are here for Corin, not so you can enjoy yourself,” Jaxom said and instantly regretted it. He knew Darian joked to keep the mood light in dangerous situations.
Darian grunted but did not seem put off by Jaxom’s criticism. “Then I am going to join Cribble.”
After he left, Jaxom raised the whispering stone to his lips. “Adriana, I found Corin. We will need your help to get him out.”
“There is no way to sneak in?” the soothing sound of her voice came through the stone.
“No. We are going to look for a place to drop in near his cell. Meet us north of the city tomorrow. We will get him after dark.”
She paused for a moment. “I will tell Warin and the others. Just be careful,” she said.
“Always.”
Dropping his hand, he sat awhile going over the plan in his head. There were too many unknowns, too many things that could go wrong, but he did not see any other options. When he finally headed down to the common room, he found Darian already on his second glass of wine. He let his friend finish his drink, then they made their goodbyes to Cribble and Laiden, the former acknowledging them with a dismissive grunt. Taking the quickest path, they soon stood before the tall, white walls of the palace. From their place on the street, it was difficult to determine which of the towers held Corin. But after retracing his path from the front entrance through the large structure to the tower, Jaxom was fairly sure it was the southwestern spire.
“We may be in luck. There appears to be a balcony we can get in through,” Darian said, looking up over the outer wall.
Jaxom found it, a stone-railed platform just large enough to fit half-a-dozen men. It was still a good distance from the tower itself, but he could not see a more accessible egress. “It will be a tight jump from the durgen, but it seems the closest.” Spotting a small patrol of soldiers heading toward them, Jaxom led Darian away to avoid being questioned.
“It will be just the four of us?” Darian asked as they turned down a street lined with large and lavish-looking houses.
They walked by finely dressed people who sneered openly at their plain garb. Jaxom realized they were obviously out of place in this part of the city and should not stay too long. “Yes. Adriana and Warin will keep the soldiers busy outside while we push our way into the tower.”
His friend gave him a surprised look. “That leaves a lot to chance.”
“If you have a better idea, I’m listening.” When Darian did not reply, he continued. “I know it’s risky, but we are not leaving without Corin. Alexar has never faced a flying opponent, and he will be forced to send his mages out to deal with them.”
“Is there time to at least look around the city a bit?”
Jaxom shrugged. “We have until tomorrow.”
“Good. I promised Danika a souvenir. Since I’m risking my life, the least you can do is help me find something appropriate,” he said, slapping Jaxom on the back.
Jaxom rolled his eyes but nodded. They spent the day walking the streets, stopping in jewelry shops and visiting tailors who displayed expensive dresses in their windows. After hours of hiking through the more affluent shops, Darian was seriously considering a pair of silver earrings encrusted with rubies and a matching necklace. Jaxom looked about the display case as Darian haggled with the shop owner. It occurred to him that he had yet to offer Adriana a ring to seal his commitment. He wondered what she would like. He had never seen her wear jewelry before and had no idea what she preferred. In the end, he settled on a simple gold ring set with a large diamond. The shop owner did not look happy about the price he had settled on with Darian and was even less so when his friend started in on the ring Jaxom had chosen.
“I think she’ll like it,” Darian said as they walked out of the shop.
Jaxom looked at the ring one more time before returning it to
the small wooden case and placing it in his pocket. “I hope so.”
Back at the inn, the four men enjoyed a large meal, shadowed by the feeling that it could very well be their last. They spoke little. Jaxom reflected on what had brought them to this point and what the future might hold. Tomorrow could determine their chances in the battle against Or’Keer. If they lost Corin, he and the others would fight on, but their chances of winning would suffer greatly. They finally stood to return to their rooms, leaving their plates only half-empty. Even Cribble left ale in his mug.
The next day, they left the city and headed north. Several miles from the houses at the edge of the city, Jaxom got directions from Adriana on how to find their camp. They followed a small stream through the woods for several hours before a rider appeared from the brush with drawn bow in hand. Recognizing them, he lowered his weapon and guided them through a densely treed area that suddenly opened into a clearing. The first thing Jaxom noticed was the dragon. The huge risen took up a majority of the space, and he wondered how Warin had managed to land the creature in such tight confines.
“I was wondering when you would show up,” Adrian said, approaching with a wide smile.
Jaxom returned the smile and the kiss that followed. “This place was not easy to find.”
“That was the point.”
Jaxom considered giving her the ring then, but decided against it. Everyone was watching them. “We should go over the plan,” he said.