by M. L. Forman
“And the city?” Shelnor asked. “How many of my people were lost in the attack?”
“Few were lost,” answered Alex. “The rain helped to put out the fires, and the people of the city worked hard to rescue the trapped and injured. The healers of your city and I were able to help the injured as well, and I believe that most, if not all of them, will recover.”
“I am in forever in your debt,” said Shelnor, bowing to Alex. “I will try to find some small way to repay the great kindness you have done for my family and my people.”
“As will I,” Rallian added. “It seems that all of Nezza will be in your debt before I sit on my throne.”
“I am happy to have been of service,” said Alex, bowing to both Shelnor and Rallian. “Now, if you will excuse me, I should like to check on my adventurer friends and see how Hathnor is doing.”
Colesum led Alex to his friends, and Alex was not surprised that they were telling stories and that Hathnor was with them. They were all excited and happy to see Alex and quick to ask about his journey to Ossbo and what had happened there. Alex told them what he could as he checked to make sure Hathnor was recovering from his wound.
“So, will we have to fight the army in front of us to reach Karmus?” asked Virgil. “We’ve done little enough on this adventure after all.”
“I don’t think we will have to fight yet,” said Alex. “Rallian wants to talk to the lords of the inner kingdoms first. I think they will believe what he says, and I think they will join him against Lazar and Magnus.”
“A hardheaded lot, these men from Nezza,” Dain commented. “Rallian is king; they should follow him without explanations.”
“Rallian is not yet crowned as king,” Alex pointed out. “There has not been a true king in Nezza for a long time. I doubt even the dwarves would be quick to accept anyone claiming to be king in this situation.”
“The dwarves would take a hundred years to decide,” Skeld teased. “Then they’d take another hundred just to make sure they’d done everything right.”
“Enough,” said Virgil. “When will King Rallian ride forward?”
“They are preparing the horses now,” said Colesum.
“Then I should speak to him,” said Virgil. “I believe I should ride with him, just in case.”
The rain was still falling as they moved forward, the blue-and-white flag of truce leading them. Alex hoped that the lords of the inner kingdoms would believe what he and Rallian would tell them, and that there would be no need for a battle now that they were so close to their goal.
It wasn’t long before the lords of the inner kingdoms rode out to meet them. Alex suspected that the appearance of the dragon over their camps might have had something to do with their quick response.
“Hail, lords of the north, Prince Rallian,” one of the lords said as they rode up. “A day of strange happening, and stranger news.”
“You will address Rallian as king,” Talbot said hotly.
“That is a claim not yet proven,” the lord answered, bowing slightly. “There are other matters we should discuss, however. We have asked you to return to the north as we do not wish to fight you, yet you show no sign of moving.”
“We will return north when King Rallian orders us to do so,” Talbot answered, his anger getting the better of him.
“It is poor weather to fight in, Talbot. Be careful what you say,” said the lord.
“My lords, hear what I say,” said Rallian, stepping forward. “I have news of the captives—those that Lazar claims to hold in Karmus.”
“What news?” asked the man.
“The young lords of your lands, my friends and my cousin, have already died at Lazar’s command,” said Rallian. “I have seen the creature—a desert serpent—that Magnus used to destroy them. Were it not for Master Taylor, who rides with me this day, I would also have been destroyed by that creature.”
“Ah, the wizard,” said one of the lords, turning toward Alex. “We have been told that a wizard has come to Nezza and that we should be careful of him. Lazar told us he would spread lies and bring war to all the land.”
“You would believe Lazar?” said Rallian, his own anger growing. “Be careful, my lords; the dragon you saw this morning is not that far away.”
“You claim that your wizard controls it?” asked the lord.
“I know that he does,” said Rallian in a confident tone. “His dragon has already destroyed Bray and scattered his army to the winds. Take warning, or the same may happen to you.”
“Idle words,” said another of the lords, but there was a nervous tone to his voice.
“No,” said Alex, moving forward. “If you will not accept Rallian as the king, and if you continue to stand in our way and prevent us from reaching Karmus, then I will summon the dragon and destroy you all.”
“Enough of this,” said Rallian. He lifted his right arm, plainly showing the great ring of the kings to the lords in front of him. At that moment, Alex magically shifted the clouds above them. A single beam of sunlight broke free of the clouds, falling on Rallian. The ring looked like a circle of flame on Rallian’s finger, the black stone a dark mirror, reflecting the magical light.
“I swear by this ring—the great ring of the kings of Nezza—that all I have told you is true,” said Rallian in a loud voice. “Your lords, those you loved—they are lost to us. I beg you—do not make that loss worse by serving the one who destroyed them.”
“My lord . . . my . . . my king,” the first man stuttered. “Forgive my doubts. I cannot speak for the others, but I and my house stand ready to serve you.”
“As do I,” called another of the lords, moving forward. “Only the true king of Nezza could hold the ring.”
“And I,” called another. “I will do as you command, my king, and hope that you command the destruction of Lazar and the evil Magnus.”
It happened in an instant. Alex was both surprised and relieved as all five of the lords of the inner kingdoms came forward, dropped to one knee, and bowed to Rallian. Each of them swore his allegiance and then waited for Rallian to command them.
Something else happened, something only Alex noticed. The magic of Nezza, the magic that had waited for more than five hundred years for a true king to appear, was waking up.
“Rise, my noble lords,” Rallian said, overcome by the show of support. “Rise and join with me. We must reach Karmus before Lazar knows what has happened. We must not allow him to destroy more of our people.”
“We hear and obey,” the five lords of the inner kingdoms answered.
“We need a plan,” said Rallian. “Lazar still has an army in Karmus, and it will not be easy to take that city, even with this host.”
“King Rallian,” said Alex, “this very morning I saw the city, and there are few guards or soldiers anywhere but on the island at its center.”
“A careful man, Lazar,” Talbot commented. “The island will be difficult to take, and the bridges are easy to defend.”
“We must find a way,” said Rallian. “I know that my uncle will never accept me as king, and he must know by now that his life is forfeit. If he holds only the island, things will be easier. I would not risk this army without good reason, and I fear that storming the island will cost many lives.”
“My lord, if you will permit me,” said Colesum. “If Master Taylor is correct, and there are only a few soldiers in the city, then we can capture the city and lay siege to the island fortress. Why risk storming the island when time and hunger will deliver it to us?”
“Yes, that might work,” Rallian said in a thoughtful tone. “My uncle still has a sizeable army at his command, though it seems that the army is not in Karmus. We should send out scouts to try to discover where his army is. While our scouts look for answers, the rest of the army will move into Karmus.”
“I will have men out searching within the hour,” said Colesum. “If what remains of the army of Karmus is near, we will find it.”
“Very well. How
soon can all the lords of Nezza be ready to march?” Rallian asked.
There was some discussion about how soon the combined armies could start moving toward Karmus. Supplies were the main concern, as nobody believed there would be much to eat inside Karmus. Though the lords all wanted to move as soon as possible, they agreed that most of the army could move forward at first light, while a part of the army would remain behind to protect the supply wagons that would follow as quickly as possible.
“Now, my lords, prepare your men to move,” Rallian commanded. “Tonight I ask you all join me for our evening meal. At first light, we will free Nezza from the evil that has lived in Karmus for too long.”
There was a great cheer from all those present. Alex thought that if their luck held, Nezza would have a new king by morning. Lazar and his army would be trapped and unable to cause any more trouble. But what about Magnus? Alex knew that Magnus still had at least one plan, even if it was only a plan to escape.
The lords of the inner kingdoms rode back to their camps, and Rallian led the lords of the north back to theirs. Alex rode beside Rallian. The news that they would move forward was greeted with many more cheers from the men in Rallian’s camp, but Alex did not join in with the cheers. Thoughts about Magnus filled his mind, and he racked his brain, trying to think about what Magnus would do now.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Black Guard
The armies of Nezza spent the rest of the day preparing to move and preparing for a grand feast. A massive tent was set up in front of Rallian’s tent so that all the lords of Nezza could sit down and eat with the king that night. Alex didn’t think a grand feast was a good idea, but with Rallian being accepted as the king, a customary feast was expected.
As the sun was setting, Alex made his way to the giant tent. It was large enough for seventy or eighty people to sit in comfortably, and there would still be room for the people serving the food to move without trouble. To help, Alex conjured up a few dozen weir lights and placed them inside the tent to keep things well lit.
The feast began with Rallian welcoming his new lords. Alex sat near Rallian, but his mind wasn’t on the food. The lords of the inner kingdoms were all talking about how things would change now that Rallian was king. They talked about trade and the division of lands that had been fought over for years. They all seemed to think that Rallian was already crowned and sitting on the throne in Karmus, and their talk troubled Alex.
Lazar still had an army, and Alex didn’t know where that army was. If Lazar’s army was already moving, they could cause a lot of trouble before Rallian’s army could track them down. Lazar’s army, however, was not Alex’s biggest worry. Magnus was still out there, somewhere. Alex knew that Magnus was more dangerous than any army Lazar might command, and not knowing where the old man was or what he was doing troubled him.
“Magnus,” Alex said to himself, staring at the food in front of him.
He thought about what he would do if he were in Magnus’s place. There should have been some kind of attack, or some magical barrier to slow Rallian down. Magnus had worked for years to keep the kingdoms of Nezza divided and fighting, and yet he had done nothing to stop Rallian from becoming king of Nezza. It didn’t make any sense, and Alex was worried.
As the feast went on, Alex slipped out of the tent unnoticed. There was too much talking and noise for him to think. As he prowled around the camp, Stonebill landed on his shoulder, but the raven had nothing to say. Alex checked everything he could think of. He made sure the guards were in place and alert, not off celebrating Rallian’s acceptance as king. Everything was as it should have been. Finding nothing wrong and unable to come up with any ideas about what Magnus might be up to, Alex went to the tent he shared with his adventurer friends.
“Well done,” Virgil said as Alex entered the tent.
Alex looked to see what Virgil was talking about and smiled when he saw Tom next to a large tub of water, practicing his magic.
“Your student is learning quickly,” Virgil said, looking up at Alex. “I have a hard time breaking his rafts apart, unless I manage to hit them directly.”
“Even then the rafts don’t break apart as they once did,” said Tom with a touch of pride. “They move a bit and then come back together.”
“You are doing well,” said Alex. “Don’t let me interrupt your practice. I just need a quiet place to think.”
“You’ll have a hard time finding anything like a quiet place in this camp,” said Virgil. “There are too many happy soldiers and too much work to finish before we move in the morning.”
“At least it is quieter here than outside,” said Alex, sitting down. “Please, continue what you were doing. I wouldn’t want to keep Tom from practicing.”
“We were almost finished. Perhaps we should get some sleep,” said Tom, glancing at Virgil.
“Yes, we should,” Virgil agreed. “We need to relieve Dain and Skeld later tonight, so sleep would be a good idea.”
“Relieve Dain and Skeld?” Alex asked.
“They are keeping an eye on Rallian,” said Virgil. “With so many new faces in the camp, and now that we are so close to Karmus, I thought it best for two of us to remain close to the king at all times.”
“Yes, that is a good idea,” said Alex. “Thank you.”
“It is what you asked us to do,” said Virgil.
Alex smiled. “I’m glad you all stayed in Nezza to help Rallian, and to help me.”
“It is an honor to be of service,” said Virgil. “But now it will be an honor to get some sleep.”
Tom and Alex both laughed. The two adventurers moved to one side of the tent, and Alex put out the lights so they could sleep. Alex left only one candle burning and sat looking into the flame. His mind was filled with questions, and they all came back to why.
“Why?” Alex whispered to himself.
Why had Magnus done nothing? Why had he not killed Rallian when he had the chance? Why had the serpent let Rallian live? What was Magnus’s plan for Nezza? The questions kept coming, but Alex couldn’t find any answers. He took a deep breath and remembered what the retired adventurer Savage had said.
He will have at least three plans, Savage’s voice echoed in Alex’s mind. One to defeat you, a second one for his own escape, and a third one that you never thought about.
Leaning back in his chair, Alex closed his eyes. His head hurt and that made it hard to think. Magnus might have three plans—he might have even more—but knowing that didn’t help. Alex desperately wanted to discover just one plan, the one that Magnus was working on now.
The pain in Alex’s head continued to grow, and then, all at once, he felt peaceful. He looked around, realizing he had slipped into a dream. A warm light shined from behind him. Ahead of him was the gentle slope of a hill and a low stone wall. He was at the edge of the shadowlands, at least in his dream.
He stood looking down at the wall, trying to find some meaning to his dream. For a moment he thought he saw someone just beyond the wall, and then he realized there were two people, but Alex couldn’t make out who they were. As the figures moved deeper into the shadowlands, Alex felt a mix of sadness and joy, but he didn’t know why.
The dream shifted, and Alex found himself in a dimly lit corridor. Torches burned along the stone walls, but there was nothing to see. He moved forward, but the stone walls went on and on, unbroken and unchanging. There was something he needed to find, something he desperately wanted. He started to run, but running didn’t bring him closer to his goal.
Finally, when he could run no more, Alex stopped and reached forward. An invisible barrier stopped his hand. He pushed against the barrier, and it seemed to bend, just as the barrier around the great arch had done. He leaned forward, pushing as hard as he could, and slowly the barrier moved.
Alex continued to push, and, inch by inch, he moved forward. He knew the thing he wanted most was just beyond the barrier. If he could only bend it far enough, he would find what he was looking fo
r. He struggled for what felt like hours, never reaching his goal. He thought one more step would be enough, one more step and he would have his answers. He pushed with all his might and then fell forward into darkness.
Alex woke with a start. His candle was still burning, but there wasn’t much of it left. He rubbed his eyes and listened. He could hear Virgil snoring softly on the other side of the tent, and he let his own eyes close. Almost immediately his eyes snapped open again, and he knew something was very wrong.
“What is it?” Stonebill questioned.
Alex held up his hand to silence the bird and then placed it over Virgil’s mouth before shaking him awake. Virgil looked lost for a moment but regained his senses quickly. Alex woke Tom as well, muffling Tom’s yelp of surprise when he woke.
“What is it?” Virgil whispered.
“Listen,” said Alex.
“I don’t hear anything,” said Tom.
“When was the last time you didn’t hear anything at night?” Alex asked.
“Before we started traveling with the army,” Virgil answered, understanding what Alex was telling them. “It is too quiet. Something is wrong.”
“We need to get to Rallian’s tent as fast as we can without making any noise,” said Alex.
“What do you want me to do?” Stonebill questioned.
“Search the camp and the land around us,” Alex answered. “Look for anyone or anything that is out of place. If we are about to be attacked, it would be good to know from which direction the attack is coming.”
Stonebill flew out of the tent as soon as Alex finished speaking. Alex put out the candle and led Virgil and Tom into the darkness. Torches and campfires were still burning, filling the spaces between tents with strange shadows. The silence pressed in on them, and every move they made sounded far too loud. Alex looked at the places where he knew guards had been, but there was no one to be seen.
It only took a minute or two to reach Rallian’s tent, and they all froze in the shadows a few yards from the entrance. Someone else was moving toward the tent, coming from the opposite direction and moving almost as quietly as they were. Alex put his hand on his sword, ready to fight if he needed to.