by Jon Bender
“Bruxa,” Jaxom answered. “We are heading to Kilreth to stay with some family I have there.”
Gasto’s hand stopped over an open barrel of dried meats. “You don’t want to be heading south right now. I don’t know what it’s like in Bruxa, but if you haven’t heard, we are at war with Rilnorm, which controls most of the south. It’s not safe down there.” He let out a wheezing, ironic laugh. “Come to think of it, it’s not safe up here either with the damn De’Varan raiders.”
“What can you tell us about it?” Darian asked absently. He had been poking around near the wall holding the knives.
“Not much,” the old man said, resuming his work. “Last I heard, Kilreth was under siege, and a lot of them lords and generals have been murdered. Rumor is, some kind of priests in black have been helping the Rilnormans.”
Jaxom shared a look with Adriana. “What is your king doing about it?”
“Ostega ain’t got no king. We have only ever had queens since before anyone can remember,” he said firmly, pride evident in his voice. “She is in the south even as we speak, throwing the bastards back where they came from.”
“What about the murders?” Jaxom asked. The old man spit on the floor. Something about the disgusting display felt familiar to Jaxom.
“I’m not one to be judging what royalty does, but she has been using mages to try and hunt them down. I don’t care much about that, but I heard the queen used that dirty grave robber death mage as well. At least that’s what my son, one of the guard here in town, says. He heard it from a soldier coming north to deal with the raiders.”
Jaxom was too busy trying to understand why this man felt so familiar to take offense. Glancing at Laiden, he could see the apprentice had indeed been offended. Unfortunately, it was something he was going to have learn to deal with. “A death mage? Are you sure?” Jaxom asked, forcing himself to sound both surprised and disgusted.
“Sure I’m sure. I remember when I first heard about her around twenty years ago. I thought it was just some bad rumor that was going around to tarnish the queen’s good name, but it’s true. The queen has always had a soft spot for her, and only the gods know why. But as I said, it ain’t for me to be judging what royalty does.” He turned around with three loaded bags and passed them over to Laiden and Brenin. The two shoved them into the saddlebags.
Jaxom pulled ten silvers out of his purse and passed them over. The old man’s eyes widened, but he took the coins silently and nodded his head in thanks. “Do you know where this death mage is now?”
Gasto eyed him suspiciously. “Why you want to know?”
“I don’t want anything to do with a death mage. Knowing where one is lets me know where not to be,” Jaxom said. He heard a grunt of a laugh from Darian.
“That be the right thing to do, but I don’t know. Don’t want to know what a filthy creature like that is up to. But if you are keen on avoiding her, you can ask my son Merdith. He should be off his shift by now. He spends an hour or two over at the Whistler’s Tune Tavern before heading home,” Gasto said.
Darian perked up. “Is the wine at this tavern any good?”
“How about the food?” Laiden asked, forgetting his annoyance.
Gasto gave another wheezing laugh. “You have been on the road a long time, huh?
Darian let out a long exaggerated sigh. “It seems like years. My friend here does a lot of traveling and drags me along with him.”
Gasto’s wheezing turned into a coughing fit that ended in him spitting again. Jaxom looked down and curled his lip at seeing the many dark stains beneath his boots. “The wine and food are as good as anywhere else in town,” Gasto said.
“Thank you,” Jaxom said, moving towards the door quickly. “We will be sure to talk to him if we see him.” Gasto bobbed his head again as they moved out onto the street.
It took half an hour and asking directions several times to find the Whistler’s Tune among the dizzying array of colorful streets. The building itself was painted a bright blue with a white door. Inside, they found the place mostly empty, except for a few patrons scattered at the tables and one guard at the bar staring into his mug. It was the same guard who had eyed them at the gate. Jaxom was about to turn around when Darian pushed passed him, pulling Laiden along by an arm to get a better look at the place.
“What do you think?” Adriana asked.
“We would be better off getting information somewhere else,” he said. From the look of Merdith, and their earlier encounter, Jaxom did not think he would enjoy being questioned.
Brenin started toward the bar with a wink for Jaxom, his smile as wide as ever. “Let me handle it,” he said.
Jaxom sighed and looked at Adriana, who shrugged. With no other choice, he followed Darian and Laiden to an empty table. Arguing would only cause a scene, better to just go along and hope for the best. When a man in a blue shirt that matched the building came over, Darian ordered wine and a plate of food for each. At the bar, Brenin was talking to Merdith and nodding his head in an understanding way. The Guard Captain waved two fingers at a man cleaning mugs behind the bar. A short time later, the wine arrived with plates of pork and steamed portions of the strange yellow vegetables. Risking a bite, Jaxom found it to be good, tender with a subtle sweetness. Darian ignored the food until he had drunk his first cup of wine and refilled his cup.
His friend stabbed a piece of pork and waved it at Jaxom. “With Ostega at war and Kilreth under siege, do you really think we will find your sister?”
“I have to try,” Jaxom said. If he could not find his sister, he would open the portal again to speak to his parents. Maybe they would be able to help.
“You heard that old man, a woman death mage serves the queen. What are the chances that is anyone but Vaniece?” Laiden said.
“Let’s just see if Brenin can learn anything helpful,” Jaxom said, trying not get his hopes up. If Brenin was not able to gather any information that would lead them to Vaniece, they would keep going south until they found this war. If this death mage was his sister, she was likely going to be somewhere in the middle of it. If not, they would continue on to Kilreth and try to track her from there.
They ate in silence for a while until three men mounted a small stage in the corner carrying instruments. As they struck up a merry tune, Darian turned to Adriana. “Do you know this dance?”
Adriana narrowed her eyes. “I don’t dance.”
“No problem,” Darian said gallantly, “I’ll lead.” Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out of the chair so suddenly that she had no time to resist. The look she shot back at Jaxom pleaded for help. All he could do was shrug and smile.
Darian led her to a clear area in front of the stage. Taking one of her hands, he placed the other on her waist and led her into a bouncing side step that ended with him twirling her. The look on her face screamed how out of place she felt. Jaxom saw that other people were watching, some clapping their hands in rhythm to the music. He was smiling until he noticed that Laiden was staring at his untouched food.
“Something wrong?” Jaxom asked.
Laiden looked up as if surprised to see Jaxom. “Nothing, Magus.”
Jaxom considered letting the matter rest but decided against it. He had not paid the attention Laiden deserved as his apprentice. If he was truly going to mentor him, he had to take a more active role. “If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine. Just know you can ask me anything.”
Laiden looked up again. Jaxom could see his mind working. “Is it always going to be like this?”
“Like what?”
“We are constantly fighting. We were attacked twice on the way to Bruxa and then I thought we were going to die in that hall. I was afraid each time,” Laiden said.
Since they had left to find Jaxom’s sister, Laiden had not spoken much. During their journey, he must have finally understood what being a death mage truly meant. In peaceful times, other mages could use their abilities to help others, though few did. A death mage’s m
agic was only good for fighting and killing. Jaxom searched for the right words to reassure him. The look in Laiden’s eyes told him that was exactly what the apprentice wanted: Someone to tell him it would be all right.
Jaxom sighed. “We are, perhaps, unfortunate to be what we are in this time,” he began. “A hundred years ago, the fifteen kingdoms were not destroying themselves with some god pulling the strings to hurry it along. But here we are. In some ways, you are luckier than most. You can make a difference, but because you can make a difference, you must choose. You can do what you can, or you can stay out of it and hope for the best.”
Laiden grunted. “That’s not much of a choice.”
Jaxom grinned in agreement. “No, but it’s the one you have.”
“It feels like the decision has been made for me,” Laiden said solemnly.
“Somewhere inside, you already knew everything I just told you. That’s why you are here. At first, you may have thought of this as an exciting adventure, but when it became real, you made the choice. You continued even though you were afraid.,” Jaxom said.
“I couldn’t let you and Magus Alimar down, not after all you have done for me.”
Jaxom took a deep breath. “If you don’t want to be a part of this, I will send you back to Terika once we are done here. You can remain in the city and help Kasrick until this whole thing is finished.”
Laiden blanched with shock, his eyes going wide, then narrowing as the boy contemplated. “I don’t want anyone thinking I am a coward. Magus Warin lost his arm fighting, and he keeps going.”
“I can’t speak for anyone else, but I will never hold it against you if you decide to go back.”
Laiden slumped, his face a mixture of shame and guilt. “Do I have to decide now?”
“Not until we return. Until then, I need to know you will do what is needed. We will face dangers before we get back, and we have to be able to depend on each other,” Jaxom said.
Laiden nodded. “I won’t let you down.”
Jaxom smiled and gave him a confident pat on the shoulder. “I’m glad to hear it. Now, eat. We have a long journey ahead of us, and you may be dining on salted meat and hard biscuits for a while.”
The music stopped, and Jaxom looked up to see Darian and Adriana heading back with sweat beading their brows. “Did you enjoy yourselves?” he asked.
Darian filled his empty cup again before answering. “Your wife could use a few lessons. It sometimes seemed like I was dragging her along.”
“You wouldn’t let me figure out the steps,” Adriana said, annoyed. Darian shrugged and took another sip. She looked over at Laiden before giving Jaxom a questioning look. He shook his head slightly.
Brenin pulled out a chair and sat down wearing his usual smile. “Your sister was in Kilreth, but she’s not there anymore,” he said.
“Was the city taken?” Adriana asked.
“No, it still stands. Remember this is all second hand knowledge from a soldier sent here to deal with raiders who heard it from somebody else. I don’t know how reliable it is,” Brenin said, looking over his shoulder at Merdith. The guard was slumping forward slightly and muttering to himself. “That is one unhappy man. His older brother, who is a member of the council, orders him about, and he thinks his wife is visiting a tanner when he’s on duty. Something about the way she smells when he comes home.”
“I’m glad you made a new friend, but what did he know about Vaniece?” Jaxom asked.
“Queen Laness had her hunting down those responsible for the murders, but then she sent her south to protect the prince. Before the soldier arrived, a messenger from the prince reported that he had broken the siege and was chasing the Rilnormans north,” Brenin said.
“They could be anywhere between the Queen’s army and Kilreth,” Darian said.
Brenin nodded and looked at Jaxom. “What now?”
“It can’t be hard to find an entire army,” Jaxom said.
“When we find this prince, how do you intend to introduce yourself?” Adriana asked.
Jaxom stood and looked around at his friends. “I think hello is a good place to start.”
The others laughed, and even Laiden managed a grin. When they finished eating, Darian bought two full wine-skins for the trip, then they picked up their saddle bags and followed Jaxom to the door. During the walk back to the durgen, Jaxom saw Laiden’s stride lengthen and his chin lift a little. He hoped their talk had been enough to strengthen the boy’s resolve. Time was limited, and Jaxom was eager to bring his family together again. The sun was only hours away from setting by the time they got back to the durgen. Mounting up, they lifted into the air.
Chapter 14
The column was twenty horses wide and stretched out of sight over the rocky hill Corin had descended half an hour ago. He had arrived only three nights before on the back of the dragon, a creature he still had a hard time believing was real. Once they had flown into Ale’adaria, it had taken them over a ten-day to find his army marching through Dradon toward Azuria. Celia greeted him with a hug that she was reluctant to release, unshed tears filling her eyes. She gave him a quick report on the state of their forces once he managed to extricated himself from her hold, laughing at the undignified show of affection. She had brought the entire Ale’adarian army along, with the exception of the Guard and soldiers needed to keep order. Also with them was the whole of the Terikan force, including over a thousand risen soldiers and near fifty durgen riders, not counting those who had arrived with Corin. Among them was Magus Alimar, their newly proclaimed Mage Kasrick, and the twin apprentices. King Dillion had kept his promise by sending ten thousand men, led by the famous Bandit Lord, a mage who had befriended Jaxom during his time in Kelran. Most surprising was that Enrick had also brought with him thousands of militia from Denra under the leadership of the Warlord Darat. The same man who had defeated Cribble in battle only months ago.
Shana road next to him, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. When they had first come into view of the snaking army, she had gawked at the size of the force Celia had assembled. They had not spoken much during the journey. Every time he looked at her, he felt a surge of affection. What stayed his tongue was the warring sense of betrayal and anger he also felt. After they had passed through Azuria and into Bruxa, he knew he would place her on the throne, and she had already agreed to lend the full weight of her people to the war against Or’Keer. Many nights now, he lay awake wondering why he could trust her to join the alliance, but he could not seem to rekindle the flame they had shared during his captivity. Rationally, he understood why she had done what she did, but he could not get past the feeling of her blade against his neck. He shook the thoughts away. There were more important issues to deal with.
Durgen scouts had reported that King Rupert was assembling his army on the other side of the massive bridge spanning the river between Dradon and Azuria. When the scouts had landed to inquire into the reason, they had only been told that Rupert wanted a parlay. The message had put Corin on edge. The army behind him far outnumbered Rupert’s, but the king had close ties to Dradon. If Rupert went back on the treaty he had signed, Queen Sanra might do the same. Her forces had joined his own without incident once Celia entered Dradon, but Corin had no way to really know how deep the alliance between the two ran. Additionally, if Rupert decided to oppose him, the king of Azuria would hold a significant advantage on the other side of the bridge. Fortunately, Corin possessed a new weapon that would render that advantage useless.
The quick trot of hooves on the road alerted him to someone coming up from behind. Celia reigned her horse next to his. Her long, blond hair was plaited into a single braid that ran down her back, and she wore simple brown pants and a blue shirt. Corin had already thanked her for carrying on in his absence, but it did not feel like enough. Not only had she tended to the affairs of the kingdom, which were now in the hands of a trusted second cousin, but she had continued on with his plan to seek out Or’Keer and those who served him in the e
ast. He had always thought her a reluctant Lady of the court, but lately she had proven herself far more than that. She was a strong leader, capable of making hard decisions that affected the lives of thousands.
“We should set up camp for the night. We are close enough to the bridge that we can reach it tomorrow by midmorning,” she said. He caught her staring at him. It was something she did unconsciously of late, as if she still could not believe he was safe.
“I was thinking the same thing. I want a full guard tonight, with mages. I doubt Rupert would send anyone over to try a surprise attack, but there is no reason to risk it,” he said.
She nodded in full agreement. “Has there been any word from Nelix?” she asked, concern heavy in her voice.
The plan to rescue Corin had always included the general leading the wagon escort out of Bruxa. It had been Jaxom’s plan and Nelix had agreed, but she had been the one to approve it. She felt ultimately responsible for anything that should happen to him or his men. It was a feeling Corin was all too familiar with. In the past year, he had sent Jaxom on several dangerous missions, sometimes because he was the one he trusted most and sometimes because his brother was too stubborn to listen. In either case, if anything had happened to him, or to any of the others, Corin would bear the weight.
“Try not to worry,” Corin said. He knew instantly it was the wrong way to start by the worried look that appeared on her face. “A rider came while you were checking on the column. Nelix reports that they were overtaken by word from Taurn about my escape. Units are searching for them, so he has decided to stay hidden until we get there or they find a way to slip away. He has been using the riders to draw the enemy away, and some of his men have disguised themselves as commoners to keep an eye on what is happening in Bruxa. Alexar’s eldest daughter Deena has claimed the throne, and most of the kingdom has fallen into line. She is marshalling her army in preparation for us.” Out of the corner of his eye, Corin saw Shana stiffen.