Long corridors ran in every direction, lined by alternating doors and glowlamps on the walls. A girl roughly Cassie’s age stood at an intersection, dressed in the uniform of a student at the academy of magic and engineering. The girl seemed anxious and confused, her head on a swivel. She looked up and saw Cassie, who must have appeared like a floating head and arms.
The girl jumped with a start, her hand going to her chest. “Oh, my. You startled me.” The girl immediately recovered, as if Cassie’s appearance were normal. “Do you know which way I take to get to Master Alridge’s classroom?” She asked in panic while spinning about. “I’m late for Chaos Theory.”
“It’s all right,” Cassie said. “This is just a dream.”
The girl turned back toward her. “A dream?”
“Yes. This is all in your mind. Wake up and it will all go away.”
The bubbled popped, the girl disappearing and leaving Cassie back in the void. She turned toward the next bubble and hesitated as she recalled numerous times where she had entered dreams involving either private or lewd moments. Sometimes both.
“You won’t find him if you don’t try, Cassie.” The words sounded hollow, the sound deadened in the void.
She closed her eyes and thought of Firellus – the man’s grim expression, secretive nature, and mysterious past. When Cassie opened her eyes, she had again shifted, and a new bubble hovered before her. Dark reds and midnight blues swirled in the surface and gave Cassie the impression of a nightmare. Gathering her will, she told herself it would only be a dream. I have my magic if I need it. She pushed her hands and head through the surface and found another world.
Elias was there but a younger version of himself. His hair was tied in a tail, as usual, but it was completely black and lacked the gray that defined it today. He sat on a rock on an open hilltop while staring toward a red glow in the distance. A blanket of low, dark clouds hid the sky.
Cassie stepped through the bubble and dropped to the ground behind the man. He turned and she gasped. His eyes glowed red, as if he were channeling Chaos.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Elias stood with ease. There was no cane in sight. His clothes were old, the frayed edges billowing in the breeze. “Better yet, tell me how you got here.”
“Where are we?” Cassie asked.
Elias crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. Fearsome howls arose in the distance. Cassie looked around and found the land barren, as if a massive fire had destroyed everything. The sky was dark save for the direction of the red glow on the horizon, hidden beyond a line of black mountain peaks.
“You had better answer my questions,” Elias warned. “I called out to my army and they will return soon. You won’t wish to meet them.”
Cassie had always considered Elias mysterious and somewhat intimidating. Something about him had always given her pause, but she had never been able to define it. Such ambiguity did not exist with this version of the man. Instead, Cassie found herself terrified.
“I…my name is Cassie. You know me, Elias.”
Elias shook his head. “There are no females here.” He looked about, frowning. “This place is afflicted – the animals twisted, overgrown abominations. The plants are no better.” His eyes landed back on Cassie. “How did you know my name?”
“I told you. We know each other. You know my parents, Brock and Ashland.”
The man’s eyes narrowed, the screams growing nearer. Cassie searched her surroundings and tried to discern their origin, but a forest of twisted trees obstructed the hillsides below from her view.
“Those names are familiar, as if from a dream.”
Cassie found her gaze drawn toward the red horizon. “What is that glow?”
Elias turned toward it and sighed. “It marks the boundary. We cannot pass it, for it corrupts us more than we already are. Even we arcanists cannot control so much Chaos.”
The trees below began to shake, the twisted, dead branches becoming a wave rushing toward the hilltop. When the wave hit the last row of trees, monsters emerged. Like Elias, their eyes glowed red. That is where the likeness ended.
Pale white skin contrasted their long, black matted hair. Each monster appeared like a man, but stood ten feet tall. Tattered rags covered their bodies, and long, dark talons shone like onyx blades at the end of each finger.
“Banshees,” Cassie mumbled as terror forced her backward.
“Yes.” Elias sounded sad as he waited for the hulking beasts to reach the hilltop. “This is my army – my affliction. I made a mistake and find myself unable to escape the trap I unknowingly created.”
“This a dream, Elias,” Cassie blurted. The banshees were drawing close, and she had no place to run. “Please, wake up! It’s only a dream!”
Elias shook his head. “I don’t deserve to wake. This nightmare is my penance.”
Panic drove Cassie as she used a fingernail to carve a rune in her hand. She reached out for Chaos and was thunderstruck. The magic raged into her like never before, taking her breath with it as the energy threatened to tear her apart. She pushed it out, eager to be free of it before it was too late. The rune glowed brightly before pulsing and fading.
Cassie staggered and fell, the world gone white. She gasped for air, her vision slowly returning. She was on her hands and knees. The banshees were mere strides away. One blasted a blood-curdling scream that was returned by the others, the sound forcing Cassie to cover her ears. The entire time, Elias stared at his feet in resignation.
Hurriedly, Cassie got her feet under her in a squat, and she leaped.
Cassie had experimented with a Power rune numerous times. She knew what to expect and how to handle it. After all, it was easy to hurt yourself or someone else while you were twenty times stronger than normal. In this case, she must have been a thousand times stronger.
Up, she flew. High above the hilltop with the monsters and Elias falling away until they appeared as ants. At this height, she could better see the glow on the horizon – a distant peaked mountain of glowing red crystal, the land around it glowing similarly and appearing like a massive field of crimson ice.
And still, she continued rising until dark clouds engulfed her, blinding her from the twisted world. A pop sounded, the nightmare disappearing as she emerged in the void with Elias’ dream bubble now gone.
Cassie withdrew from the dream realm, back through the rune gateway and opened her eyes. Her room was dark and silent save for the rapid thumping of her pulse and her rasping breath. Covered in sweat, she sat up and turned toward the Atrium window. It was still dark and morning was likely hours away, but she knew she couldn’t sleep after the harrowing experience. Despite the bizarre nature of what she had witnessed, she felt there was more to the dream than a simple nightmare. It had seemed more like a memory in the way Elias framed it, in the way he held onto it as a form a self-punishment. Enough, Cassie, or you’ll have nightmares about it yourself.
With slippers on her feet, she grabbed her robe from the hook beside her door and padded across her dark apartment, pausing to gaze into Rena’s empty room. I pray she is alive. Rena seemed unwell before she left on her mission – a mission Cassie knew little about.
Pale blue light from glowing floor tiles and ceiling beams illuminated the corridor outside Cassie’s apartment. She descended three levels and headed toward the kitchen.
The kitchen fell dark when the door closed, save a sliver of blue light leaking beneath it. Another slice of light came from the closed door across the room where Irma, the head cook, lived. Cassie had discovered that Irma was protective of the kitchen and paid close attention to the food stores. It would be unwise to be caught digging for food in the middle of the night.
With soft steps, Cassie crept across the room, toward one of the metal cabinets opposite from Irma’s room. She opened the door carefully and swirls of white came out, giving her a chill. The cold boxes were still a marvel to Cassie, able to keep meat and other perishables fresh for extended periods. It
was an example of Infusion she thought should be shared with the world. A few businesses in Fallbrandt possessed a cold box or an enchanted oven, but it was rare to see Chaos-infused creations elsewhere in Issalia.
Digging, she found a bowl and smelled it. Beans, she thought as she put the bowl back. The next item she found was more interesting. She closed the door and began to unwrap the sausage, eager to eat after her exhausting evening. Who knew dream walking was so much work?
The sliver of light across the room became a beam as the door opened. Cassie ducked and hid behind a counter. The door closed, taking the light with it.
Someone was in the room, and Cassie feared her pounding heart would draw their attention. She sought her center and focused on the Order rune within herself, seeking calm in meditation. Her pulse slowed and her breathing calmed.
She opened her eyes and peered around the counter. Although she heard no sound, she spotted a shadow slinking to the storage room door. The door opened, the shadow disappearing into it. Moments later, the shadow emerged and closed the door, the latch barely making a sound.
The shadow moved across the room and a rune appeared to Cassie, bright red and floating in midair. She gasped, the sound barely audible. Yet, the shadow froze. Neither Cassie nor the intruder moved as one waited for the other. The rune remained between them – a rune Cassie had never before seen. She stared hard at the symbol, memorizing the curves, the lines, the pattern.
Finally, the door opened, casting just enough light for Cassie to identify the man before he slipped out and disappeared. Darkness reclaimed the room.
Cassie remained there alone for a long moment, wondering why Delvin was sneaking into the storage room. More importantly, she wondered if the rune she discovered meant what she suspected – what she hoped.
A new use for Chaos, she thought. I must find a way to test it.
14
Shock
Wincing from the pain in his ribs, Iko slid his practice sword into an open slot in the weapon rack and turned toward his opponent. The man’s face was covered in blood, his arm hanging limp.
“Thanks for the match, Tarvick,” Iko said. “You tagged me pretty good.”
Tarvick grunted. “A glancing blow. Not enough to win.”
Berd called from the side of the sparring yard. “You should be proud, Tarvick. You’re the first to hit anything but his shield, sword, or empty air.”
The comment elicited another grunt from the muscular guard as he turned and headed toward the barracks. Iko watched him retreat and imagined what would have happened if the match were one of life and death, with true blades in hand. Iko would have a slice across his ribs – one that would require healing or at the very least a bandage. Tarvick would have a bloodied face, much like he did now, but he also would be missing an arm and would have a hole through his stomach. The thought left Iko wondering how many healers their army would include. People sufficiently skilled with Order were rare. His mother had the gift, but Iko did not. I failed you in that regard, Mother. She never said it, but he knew she was disappointed by his inability to manipulate Order.
Iko removed his helmet and ran a hand through his damp hair. It felt good to let the chill morning air cool the sweat. Crossing the yard, he opened the door and climbed the stairs. The door to Sculdin’s office stood open. Inside the doorway was a travel-worn man, waiting while Sculdin read over a report.
Sculdin’s gaze flicked from the man in the doorway, to Iko, and back. “Thank you, Beadles. Go get some food and rest. I will share this news with the Archon.”
The messenger bowed and slipped past Iko.
“Your timing is good, Ikonis,” Sculdin said as he exited the room. “Follow me.”
Iko did as requested, following the captain while still clutching his sparring helmet under one arm. “What is this about?”
“You will find out in a moment.”
The man took a stairwell down to the main hall and approached the closed Council Chamber door, where two guards waited.
“Hello, Tarshall, Vlick,” Sculdin gave the guards a nod. “Is the Archon still in there with the Council?”
Tarshall nodded. “Yes, Captain. Both she and General Kardan.”
“Good. I have news to share with them all.”
Vlick glanced toward Tarshall and cleared his throat. “The Archon demanded they not be disturbed.”
Sculdin patted the man on the shoulder. “They will make an exception in this case.” Without waiting for a reply, Sculdin opened the door and led Iko in.
The Council Chamber was a rectangular room with arched windows along one side. Sunlight streamed in, the beams shining on the back of the four thrones nearest to the windows. On the room’s other side, four more thrones faced the windows. Each of those eight thrones was occupied by a wizened man dressed in a white cloak with blue trim. At the far end of the room, on a throne standing higher than the others, was Iko’s mother. As usual, she wore the white and gold marking her station. Opposite her, with his back to the door, was General Kardan in his dark blue uniform. Unlike the others, he sat in a simple chair with wooden arms and midnight blue cushions. The floor was a mosaic of blue tiles with a white Order rune at the room’s center.
The sound of the door opening stopped Councilman Vildardi in mid-sentence. All faces turned toward Sculdin as he strolled into the room, passed Kardan, and stopped atop the order rune.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Council member Ruelin demanded in outrage, his tone matching his expression.
“Give me a moment and I will explain.” Sculdin bowed toward Iko’s mother. “I apologize for the interruption, Archon. However, I have news most urgent to share with you and the Council.”
“I trust your judgement, Captain Sculdin,” Iko’s mother said. “Please continue.”
The captain, turned slowly, his eyes shifting from one face to another. All attention was focused on him. Scowls remained on some faces while others appeared intrigued to hear what the man had to say. None were prepared for what came next.
“We have lost Wayport.” The words hung in the air, lingering like the scent of spoiled meat. “A trio of my spies just arrived with the news. Chadwick is dead, and Wayport is again in the charge of our enemies.”
“What happened? Was there an assault by sea?” Kardan asked.
“There was no assault. The city was retaken by subterfuge. Chadwick was publicly hanged as a traitor, clearly an act intended as a message to any who might side with the Empire.”
“No assault? No siege?”
Sculdin shook his head. “None. In fact, my men believe Captain Sharene was the only casualty other than the duke and duchess.”
Iko’s mother spoke, drawing everyone’s attention. “Who could have pulled off such a gambit? It would require unspoken loyalty from the Wayport guard.”
The captain nodded. “You see to the heart of the issue, Archon. That brings me to my next piece of news, something perhaps more dire than losing Wayport.” Again, a heavy silence claimed the room and held it hostage.
With his jaw set firm, as if he were gathering resolve, Sculdin said, “King Brock lives. He now holds Wayport and the troops stationed there.”
Captain Jamison Sculdin knew his statement had taken the Empire leaders by surprise. Even Kardan’s face reflected shock at news. The plans the general had made counted on King Brock’s death and holding Wayport.
Sculdin’s noticed that Iko’s face had gone pale. After being sent to Kantar with the task of killing Brock, Iko had returned and reported his mission a success. In all the years Sculdin had known Iko, he had never known him to lie to his mother. He suspected Iko had honestly believed the king and prince dead.
Archon Varius leaned forward in her throne, her knuckles white as she gripped the ornately carved chair arms. “You know this for sure, Sculdin?”
“All three of my men reported the same thing, Archon. King Brock and his men disrupted a public hanging with thousands present. The men on the gibbet were K
ing Dalwin and Parker Thanes.” His face darkened when he considered his next statement. “Brock and others were charged by Chaos.”
At the mention of the forbidden magic, the room fell silent.
Varius narrowed her eyes and leaned back in her throne. “Brock faked his death and waited to make his move.” Her nails continuously tapped the chair arm as she spoke, reasoning through the scenario. “The timing was perfect. He foiled a hanging but appeased the blood-thirsty crowd with another, all the while making it clear he would suffer no traitors.”
Unexpectedly, Iko asked, “What of Prince Broland? Is he alive as well?”
“Yes.”
Sculdin noticed a flicker of something cross Iko’s face, the expression seemingly one of relief.
“This changes everything.” Everyone turned toward Kardan as he stood and began to pace. “We were counting on holding Wayport to protect our army’s rear flank during our campaign to capture Fallbrandt. We dare not head north while Brock holds the city.”
The conclusion was the same Sculdin had come to when receiving the news. “Yes, General. We must alter our strategy. Wayport is critical to our success.”
Kardan said, “I have already sent word to Olvaria. While she is to continue patrolling the west coast, additional Ri Starian longships should arrive soon. With their help, we can plan a sea attack. If we time it right, a strike from land could overwhelm the city. With our superior numbers, Brock’s troops won’t be able to stand against a two-fronted assault backed by flash powder.” His face twisted, as if the words he was about to say were sour. “Not even with their dark magic.”
The room settled as the Council members looked at one another, most seeming unsure.
Varius spoke, her voice firm. “I agree.”
“Wait,” Councilmember Brighton stood and held his palms out in appeal. “Perhaps we should reconsider our course. Having Wayport fall into our laps was a huge stroke of luck and paved the way for a much less complex campaign.”
A Kingdom Under Siege Page 10