Soldiers of the Crown

by Stephen L. Nowland

  Without pausing, the assassin brought his weapon up above his head in preparation for a killing strike. Aiden cried out in warning and charged across the distance, shouldering the priest before he could finish the job. The two men had dropped their weapons from the force of their contact and were reduced to punching and shoving each other around, until Pacian saw his opportunity and threw two daggers at the cultist, striking on his chest and slowing him enough for Aiden to grab both blades sticking out of the man and push them deeper, quickly ending his life.

  The battle between Nellise and the dark priest had been raging this entire time, and the light from Nellise was slowly diminishing as the lightning began to reach closer and closer to them. The battle ended abruptly as Valennia, having stunned her opponent with a crushing blow to the head, sent her axe hurtling through the air at the priest of death, striking him soundly in the head with enough force to break through his spectral armour and end the assault.

  Aiden, gathered up his sword and with a burst of adrenaline charged at the priest, catching him off guard and slamming his shoulder into the man. Both of them bore serious wounds from the fight, but neither was willing to concede defeat as Aiden focused all of his strength and wailed away at the priest like a man possessed. Valennia followed him in and retrieved her axe, fending off an assault on his flank as Aiden faced the priest.

  As Aiden raised his force shield to block an incoming strike, it shattered into a hail of blue sparks when the scythe hit it and continued through to cut deeply into his arm, almost severing it in the process.

  Staggering backward and trying not to pass out from the blinding pain, Aiden managed to keep his sword arm high as the cultist moved in, slashing back and forth with the weapon until it suddenly hit the shaft of Valennia’s great axe.

  Together, they scored several telling blows on the priest, who appeared to be about to topple over when he brought his scythe down upon Valennia in a devastating sweep, sundering the haft of her weapon and cleaving her breastplate. She dropped to the floor, bloodied and bruised.

  In retaliation, Aiden cut his sword across the body of the priest and dropped him, just as Sayana rushed over to help, finishing off the cultist with a swing from her axe. As they stood over the fallen man, Aiden noticed the slain cultists around him were beginning to stir, bringing back terrible memories of the crypts beneath the church. One of them, with several of Pacian’s knives sticking out of his body actually stood up.

  “Oh no,” Aiden groaned with dread as more of the priests began to stir. The senators screamed in terror and started clambering towards the blocked doorway in a panic. Valennia started frantically pulling herself away from the risen priests as they stood and Nellise gasped at the sight as she pulled Sir William’s unconscious form back toward the table in the centre of the room.

  Sayana saw this too and though she struggled for breath, raised her arms with the intention of creating something powerful. The faint light of energies surging along the markings visible on exposed parts of her skin flared, but faded again as she slumped, appearing too weak to complete the invocation.

  And then something astonishing happened.

  The feeble light in the room dimmed as Sayana lifted her arms again, and the dimming was accompanied by a strange tingling sensation in the air around Aiden that made the hairs on his neck stand on end.

  The lights on Sayana’s body began to coalesce once more and this time, as she began pulling in energy from her surroundings, including Aiden. He clasped her hand tightly and allowed her to tap into his strength until he fell to the floor, barely conscious. Sayana was able to stand now, the shimmering coming from the markings on her body growing brighter by the moment.

  A strange smile appeared on her face, right before she pointed towards the small army of undead assassins rising before them and sent a massive ball of fire in their direction. The detonation was like nothing else Aiden had ever felt, an impact of almost physical sensation rattled him to his core as smaller pieces of furniture were tossed aside in the explosion’s fury.

  A wave of fire engulfed the cultists as the ball of fire struck the far wall, blasting it to pieces and erupting over the street outside. Pieces of smouldering stone and debris showered the room as the air was burned out before him.

  Then, a stillness fell over the shattered chamber, accompanied by silence that was broken only by the crackle of flames from burning wood. The smell of charred flesh permeated the air as Aiden lay face down on the carpet, breathing heavily and praying the fire was enough to vanquish their enemies, for he had no more strength with which to fight.

  Lifting his head, he surveyed the scene and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw nothing moving amidst the smoke and debris. Slowly rising to his feet, he looked to his companions and saw they were all still breathing. The remaining senators slowly peeked out from behind the enormous table with Criosa standing before them, clutching her sword with white-knuckled tension and her skin and dress partially covered in soot and dust.

  Aiden slowly limped through the decimated ranks of the cultists to the far wall, which was now more of a balcony than anything else. There were no intact bodies to be found, but oddly, there was a small circle on the carpet that was free of debris or scorch marks. The cultist leader’s scythe lay on the floor next to the circle, and looking around, Aiden couldn’t see any sign of his body.

  He felt a calm detachment from the scene, and noted that his numerous injuries weren’t causing him any pain. This might be a bad thing, but right now he was just glad to still be alive. Looking down at the street below, he saw a huge crowd of citizens who had gathered to see what was going on.

  A light snowfall drifted down from the sky as he spied Maggie, wrapped in a tourniquet and blanket that had been provided for her. She waved up at him with her remaining arm and he sighed with relief, noting the large bank of snow surrounding the building which must have cushioned her fall.

  The sound of a sword being dropped on the floor near the senators brought Aiden’s attention back to their situation, and with one glance he saw Senator Augustus Johnson, clad in an ornate breastplate and wielding a long dagger, slowly making his way towards the huge doors with Criosa held before him, his weapon poised on her throat. She barely breathed as she was led across the room, her blue eyes looking at Aiden in desperation.

  “You think you’ve won here?” the senator uttered in cold rage. “All you have succeeded in accomplishing is the assured destruction of our Kingdom. There are forces at work beyond your comprehension while we squander our resources on a pointless war in another land.”

  “That is for the king to decide,” Aiden rasped, attempting to distract the man. “It isn’t your place to make decisions for him, let alone seek the assassination of the elected body. We’ve been following your trail for days, Senator, and with the evidence piled against you, you’ve no choice but to surrender.” All he cared about was getting that weapon away from Criosa’s slender neck.

  “I’m afraid I won’t be around to find out, boy,” Augustus replied caustically as he started kicking furniture away from the door. As he did so, the sounds of banging could be heard coming from the other side.

  “This is the City Watch! Stand clear!” came the muffled words as the doors started to buckle inwards.

  “You’ve nowhere to go,” Nellise remarked between breaths. “Best you surrender now rather than injure the princess and damn yourself in the process.” Augustus seemed to consider this for a moment, as Pacian crept closer and closer to the man. Finally, the dagger came away from Criosa and she was pushed free.

  “A wise move,” Aiden told the senator as the man dropped his weapon and put his hands behind his head.

  “More than you know,” Augustus replied haughtily. “I have powerful allies, and I can assure you that I will not be hanged for this.”

  “I’d be satisfied with life in a dungeon for your troubles,” Aiden muttered darkly.

  “I will be imprisoned, certainly,” the senator a
ttested, “but my allies and I will be freed by my master long before the Ironlord defeats the king’s army and comes to seize the throne. You have achieved nothing here today.” Aiden stared at him in shock, alone amongst the people present in understanding that reference.

  “How do you know that name?” he whispered, barely audible over the sound of the Watch breaking through the doors. Before Augustus could answer however, Pacian stepped up behind him and slashed a dagger across the Senator’s throat.

  “No!” Aiden gasped in disbelief as the senator fell to the floor to the screams of the people watching nearby. Nellise, aghast at the sight, ran forward to try and save the man. Pushing a stunned Criosa aside, Aiden limped up to Pacian, pure rage giving him a final burst of energy and stood there, nose to nose as he yelled.

  “What the hell were you thinking?”

  “Did you hear what he said?” Pacian yelled back, standing his ground. “Bastards like this always have a way of avoiding the consequences for their actions, but I made sure he paid the price this time.” The doors finally gave way and a dozen watchmen burst into the room, weapons at the ready as they took in the incredible scene. Sensing the guards had their weapons pointed in his direction, Aiden calmed down somewhat.

  “You’ve just crossed a line, Pace,” he muttered quietly. “This wasn’t some bandit leader or even a mercenary commander — you just killed a senator of Aielund in cold blood, and now we’ll never know who was really behind all this. Remember ‘Number One’? His ‘master’, as he just explained? This isn’t him!”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Pacian shrugged, keeping an eye on the guardsmen as they escorted the shaking politicians from the chamber one by one. “We’ve eliminated the assassins, and all the people he was relying upon to carry out his plans. We’ve cut off all his arms and legs, and there’s nothing more he can do against anyone.” Nellise, still kneeling over the remains of the Senator, looked up at Pacian with a combination of outrage and sadness.

  “Aiden Wainwright and company?” A heavily built man with an impressive moustache asked, catching his attention. It was a senior officer of the City Watch and his expression did not bode well for them. “You’re all coming with us until we can figure this out.”

  “We just saved these people’s lives,” Pacian retorted. “Ask them.”

  “The senators have vouched for you, as has Princess Criosa, sir,” the guardsman explained, “except for the part about you stabbing one of the senators to death right in front of them. I’m not paid enough to figure out something as big as this, so take a few minutes to pull yourselves together, gentlemen, as I’ll be taking you to see the duke so he can make a judgement.”

  Aiden gave Nellise a knowing glance, but she seemed unfazed by the implications. Nothing further was said as Nellise conducted some simple healing on everyone present, and once Sir William, Ronan and Valennia were back on their feet they were marched downstairs through the cold night towards the castle.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Flanked by what appeared to be the majority of the City Watch, Aiden and his companions trudged through the cold streets on the way to the castle, stopping only to pick up Maggie on the way past. She sat in Valennia’s arms, the Akoran warrior-maiden struggling with the load at first, but growing stronger with each passing minute as Maggie continued to treat her injuries even while she herself was terribly maimed.

  The poor little raelani had managed to staunch her wounds after landing in the snow drift, but her right arm was completely gone. She seemed to be in mild shock, so she conducted her healing through a sort of hazy detachment.

  Criosa had insisted on accompanying the weary group despite the reservations of the Sergeant of the Watch, and her presence was probably the main reason for the elaborate escort. She was an angel of mercy, moving amongst Aiden’s battered friends to help tend to their wounds or offer simple words of gratitude and encouragement. She insisted the Watchmen relinquish their long cloaks to cover the injured group as they were marched through the streets.

  Everyone but the Watch kept their distance from Pacian, who hobbled along oblivious to their shunning, proud of his deed. Aiden thought he’d be arrested on the spot, but Criosa convinced the guard to hold off until they had spoken with the duke.

  The relative warmth of the castle beckoned as they crossed the drawbridge and were led directly through to the King’s court, to be greeted by Sir Godfrey. He had been conferring with one of the City Watch who had run ahead to pass on the news.

  Valennia put Maggie on the floor, where she was able to stand without any difficulty. While she was crouched, Aiden noticed the Akoran had acquired a new weapon which was strapped to her back. It was the cultist leader’s scythe, still covered in blood from the battle.

  “Are you sure you want to be carrying that thing around?” Aiden inquired, his voice weak and quiet. “For all we know, it’s tainted from some kind of dark magic.”

  “I will purify it if necessary,” she replied, “but I will not relinquish it, for it is a trophy of our glorious victory this night. I would have preferred to take the head of their leader but I could not find it.”

  “How about we get you a nice big axe instead,” Aiden suggested. She answered with a shake of her head that had an air of finality to it. Further conversation on this topic was interrupted by the approach of Sir Godfrey, who was doing a very good job of keeping calm despite the grim news.

  “Sir William, it is a pleasure to see you again,” he greeted the old knight after spotting him in the group. Sir William had been silent since the fight, his greyish skin and drooping eyelids made him look far older than usual, but he seemed to perk up at the sight of the other knight.

  “It’s been too long, old friend,” Sir William replied, his voice cracking with exhaustion. “I fear that affairs of state have conspired to keep you from the company of your peers.”

  “’Tis the burden of leadership I suppose,” Sir Godfrey shrugged. “I am well-pleased to see you back in action in spite of your advancing years.”

  “Balderdash,” Sir William scoffed, “you’re only two years younger than I, so save your piteous sentiments for someone more deserving. I’m not quite ready to be put out to pasture quite yet, My Lord.”

  “Well spoken, sir, and it is tremendous to see you back in the thick of things. I only wish it was not under such dire circumstances.”

  “With respect, My Lord, it is the dark times that truly test who we are,” Sir William replied solemnly. “It is only through challenge that we grow, even at our age.”

  “Quite so,” Sir Godfrey nodded, smoothing his moustache in what Aiden would describe as a ‘nervous fashion’. “I’m afraid we must talk of more pressing matters. The Watch has informed me of what has transpired at the Senate, Aiden.”

  “With respect, My Lord, they did not fully interview me on the spot,” Aiden explained. “There is a lot more to be told.”

  “I should hope so!” Sir Godfrey bristled. “An attack of this scale on a major institution of our government is appalling, not to mention the death of one of our most prominent Senators.”

  “Pardon me for intruding,” Criosa interrupted smoothly, “but will the duke be present for this meeting?”

  “After he received word of the attack, I advised His Grace to put on his breastplate, Your Highness,” Sir Godfrey replied in a more composed fashion. “We must take every precaution to ensure the safety of our leaders, and needless to say I would strongly urge you not to leave the castle again, Princess.”

  “Yes, I was expecting this,” she sighed, resigned to remaining a prisoner here for some time.

  As she spoke, a door on the far-left corner of the room opened and the duke strode out, clad in an ornate breastplate similar to that which Augustus Johnson had been wearing at the time of his demise.

  Castellan Hodges scurried along behind him, trying to finish off attaching the straps to secure the armour, and a white-robed man Aiden recognised as a prelate of the Church hurried i
n to check the health of Aiden and his companions.

  “Mister Wainwright!” the duke bellowed from halfway across the room. “I trust you can shed some light on the attempted assassination of over twenty members of parliament, not to mention the king’s own daughter!”

  “Things took a turn for the worse, Your Grace,” Aiden began delicately, glancing at Pacian briefly. “A thorough search of Senator Johnson’s house yielded no real evidence of wrongdoing on his part, until we discovered that he had been harbouring at least a dozen people in his basement.” Aiden went on to describe how they had followed the trail which led to the Senate building, and the beginning of the attack upon the people therein while the prelate and Nellise began to heal their more extensive wounds.

  He kept his remarks on the fight itself brief, as he was still coming to terms with the ferocity of the battle and the fact that they had won, despite the odds. Criosa had other ideas, however, and embellished their parts at appropriate intervals, making them out to be far more heroic than Aiden recalled. The duke seemed impressed, but when the discussion turned to the death of Senator Johnson, things became strained.

  “Clearly the man was in league with, and possibly even organised the assassination plot against the Senate,” he began in a measured voice, “and no one would have been enraged more than myself at the sight of the blaggard holding a weapon to our beloved Criosa’s throat. But once he chose to surrender, it should have been plainly obvious to you, Mister Savidge, that he was no longer a threat, and indeed, could have provided further information as to the identity and whereabouts of this ‘Number One’ who continues to elude us.”

  “You’re assuming he would have been co-operative,” Pacian pointed out. “He was gloating at the thought of being released in the near future by his ‘powerful friends’ and I for one wasn’t prepared to let that happen. Perhaps you wouldn’t be dealing with a conspiracy like this if you had the guts to do what was necessary to protect your kingdom. The way I see it, this ‘Number One’ bloke has lost his key ally in the government and his organisation of expensive assassins has been killed. I don’t know what happened to their leader, but if he’s alive he’s on the run now. In any case, the rest of them are dead and that’s a win in my book.”