"Are they going to poison us?" Jason asked in a whisper.
"If they try, I'll smell it," Luther said. "I'll never forget that smell."
Women came out of the castle carrying trays of all sorts of things.
Quintak pointed at one of the stone tables. "Sit. You timed your arrival at lunch."
Something raged in Luther that he could not place. Every instinct told him he was in danger.
The Southlanders took seats. The four young men sat at a table and feasted. For Luther, it was like he kept seeing a snake out of the corner of his eye, but it was really a snake inside him, wrapping around his heart, slowly squeezing. The four men were careful to drink only a small amount. Quintak sat next to them and feasted alongside the men.
Luther slipped deeper and deeper into some kind of dark well. He didn't know what it meant.
All the men's eating slowed and stopped. Quintak stood up. "Let me show you my castle."
Quintak led the way, and the four young men followed like puppies. They reached the throne room. Luther tried to struggle or fight, but it was simply easier to go with the flow. Quintak wasn't such a bad guy. A coal fire burned under a pot. Quintak pointed at it. "With this pool of mercury and glass, I can see into my realm. Every one of my villagers you killed, I saw."
The young men didn't budge. Didn't draw a blade. Luther, Jason, and Timothy stood with smiles on their faces. Roger stepped away from them. "Your magic's fast, Quintak."
"It does take some time, my lord," Quintak said. "By this time tomorrow, they'll call me savior."
Roger's physical form began to transform. A bloodstained breastplate grew out of his shirt. The hair on his face turned red. His brown wavy hair on top turned red, too. "You've always said you just needed one bountiful crop to invade Lynken."
"Yes, we barely produce enough food to feed ourselves, and if we had enough extra, we could march."
Roger whistled.
A great mist formed at the opposite end of the room. A beautiful naked woman with green hair and wide hips stepped out of the fog. "The boys are ours?"
"Will be by sunset tomorrow," Quintak said.
The God of Nature stepped forward and caressed Luther's cheek. "Such subtle magic."
"Isher crafted the devices, not I."
"Tell your people to plant every seed in their stockpiles. The God of Winds will bring rain, and I'll make sure every seed bears fruit."
Quintak bowed.
Roger clenched his fist. "We'll have our revenge."
"I thought all you cared about was war," Quintak said.
"My trade's in chaos and carnage, but revenge is a close third."
Quintak waved at the young men. "Come along."
They followed.
Quintak approached an ornate wooden door. "My harem. Choose your mates."
Luther, Jason, and Timothy's eyes opened widely.
Women in their late teens and early twenties stepped through the carved door. One by one they approached the young men and kissed or caressed them gently.
Luther grabbed one and pulled her close. "You'll be mine."
Jason embraced another one. Timothy pulled one in close.
The women were wearing Bractar, and Luther began to say the words to shatter the chains. Jason and Timothy said the words, too. The Bractar chaining the women they were holding shattered.
"We choose to bed our equals, in Lynken," Luther said. "Not slaves."
The female looked into his eyes. "I'm Ash. You would make me yours?"
"If it is allowed," Luther said as he turned his eyes on Quintak.
Jason and Timothy looked to him as well.
Quintak smiled and nodded. "Not only is it allowed, but it is my wish."
Quintak pointed down the hallway. "Guest chambers. Make yourself at home, my children."
The three young men headed to the guest chambers with the women in tow.
"I must have this crown and great sword when you die," Roger said.
Quintak snickered just a bit. "They wouldn't work for you anyhow. You're a God."
"Say the words I want to hear."
"The first day of spring, a hundred thousand Southlanders will set foot in Lynken."
Chapter Forty-Eight
Juxta, Lisa, Simon, and the ten Rangers were three days ride from Juxta's fiefdom. Juxta withdrew his scrying orb. His voice carried, "They'll reach Quintak's castle today."
"We're too late," Simon said.
"They may still need our help."
They rode on through the day. Juxta watched events unfold in the south. They stopped for lunch. "The boys are feasting with Quintak, with the intention to kill him when they get him alone," Juxta said.
"Do they even have an exit plan?" Simon asked.
"They're idiots," Lisa said.
A few moments passed. Juxta let out a sigh and put the scrying orb away.
"Did they kill him?"
"No," Juxta said. Stupid kids.
"Well, what?"
Juxta began to rub at his temples. "The man who joined them is the God of War. Quintak's crown and great sword give him the ability to control others' minds. They're under his control now."
"We've got to rescue them!" Simon shouted.
Juxta shook his head. "If you were to show up to rescue him, he would draw a blade on you."
"Jason would never—"
"He would. You'd be forced to kill him."
"So we kill Quintak."
"The thing is, in the spring they're going to come to us," Juxta said.
"Invasion?" Simon asked.
"One hundred thousand Southlanders."
"You're kidding."
"I'm not. We're going to have to rally troops from Nork, Weslan, maybe even Druidia if they'll fight."
Simon said, "We must inform William."
"We split up," Lisa said.
"Yes, we must continue to my fiefdom," Juxta said. "We need to see how much of this turquoise we have."
"According to an old prophecy of the One True God," Lisa said, "when the Southlanders rise up and invade, it'll be the end of days."
"We've all heard those prophecies before."
"Enough talk!" Simon said. "We ride!"
Simon and the Rangers hit the road traveling south. Lisa and Juxta put out their campfire and headed east and a little north. A few days later the couple arrived at their fiefdom. They tried to simply sneak into their house, but a man in the tower saw them and sounded a trumpet.
The people of the fiefdom prepared a feast of roast pig, bread, and potatoes. Monroe sat next to Juxta and held up a cup of the distilled cider. Juxta said, "The men play dice?"
"It's an ancient game," Monroe said. "Only the ones we brought back from Hell play it."
"The men play dice with cubes of rock that are bluish-green, and have black veins in it?"
"What of it?"
"We need to see these dice," Lisa said.
"It is a kind of rock called turquoise," Juxta said, "and it has anti-magic properties."
Monroe shouted, "Jared! Show Juxta your dice!"
A man looked up from eating a plate of food. He reached into his belt pouch and withdrew three small cubes of bluish-green rock with black veins.
Juxta said, "That's got to be it."
"Yes," Lisa said.
"How much of this rock do we have?"
The men laughed. Jared put his dice away. "This bluish-green rock is a plague upon us. We'll be mining a perfectly good silver vein and run into this stupid rock and have to mine through it or go around."
Juxta stood up and made sure his voice carried. "We need at least a thousand pounds! Maybe more! An ounce for every soldier in Lynken!"
Monroe said, "Every soldier in Lynken?"
"War's coming. We're going to be outnumbered. Turquoise will counter the enemy's magic."
"War and blood and pain?"
"As it always is."
The men began to grunt and cheer. Many of them drew blades and shook them at the heav
ens. Monroe said, "Tell us we're invited!"
Juxta shouted, "You'll definitely be invited!"
The men's cheers rose into a great thundering battle cry.
Juxta and Lisa retired for the night. Lisa said, "You enjoy that."
"What?"
"When the men cheer for blood."
"Let's sleep," Juxta said. "I still have no clue how much turquoise we have."
They slept. Juxta found Monroe in the morning. "Let's get a look at the turquoise," Juxta said.
Monroe rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "We don't have a thousand pounds, of that I am sure."
"I want to see."
"We should ride. It's just over in the Tercia side."
They hopped on horses and rode east.
Juxta said, "It's no longer the Tercia side."
Monroe laughed. "There are hills, is all. We mine into a hillside."
They rode up to a hole in the side of a hill. Next to the hole were seven large boxes made of wood six feet by six feet. Each box contained stones and rocks of a different color. Monroe pointed at a pile of bluish-green stones with black and white veins. Juxta looked in all the boxes. One contained rock that was white with blue lines drawn in it.
"What are they for?" Monroe asked.
"I'm sure each has a purpose, but it's been long forgotten. I see maybe one hundred pounds of the turquoise."
"We aren't looking for it."
"What do you mean?" Juxta asked.
"I've been in the mine, taking turns. Often there are other types of rock to the left or right that we ignore."
"We must start mining the turquoise especially."
"Yes, my lord."
Chapter Forty-Nine
Luther lay awake. Ash sang a little tune of slight noises as if from an instrument rather than a person. It was their third day together.
"What do you wish for in life?" Luther asked.
"The truth?" She asked.
"Yes."
"I have everything I could wish for. I always dreamed a great warrior would come for me, free me from the Bractar, and make me his."
"I'm no great warrior," Luther said.
"But you are. And at Quintak's side, you'll lead us to greatness."
"Quintak is a savior to me. He has set me free. I'll fight."
Ash squeezed him tight. "Tell me again about the Northlands?"
"Well, in the rainy season, it rains for days at a time. Sometimes the rivers overflow, but not too terribly. In some places, we have built up earthen walls to contain the river."
"River?"
"I told you. It's where water runs free along the ground on a path. In fact, we often build our roads to follow the rivers and streams."
"And streams are like rivers, only smaller."
"Exactly."
Ash snuggled in close to him. "Thousands of years ago, my people lived in the Northlands. Cruel conquerors drove us south. Then when we tried to go even farther south, those lands were occupied by even more cruel animals of men."
"Quintak changed things?"
"Before Quintak there was no Bractar. No slaves. He has promised when we resettle to the north and have real lives again, he'll free everybody. No more fighting with the desert sand for every pitiful harvest."
"I'm ready for war. Quintak needs me. The Southlanders need me."
Ash kissed him on the forehead. "Sleep."
* * *
Simon and his ten Rangers rode into Lynken's castle. Simon said, "I'll inform the king."
He raced to the throne room. William looked up at him and snarled. "You don't look tan enough."
"We never made it to the Southlands. Juxta needed magic to counter their spell of sickness or rot or whatever it was they used on us last time."
"If you have bad news for me, it'll mean the gallows!"
Simon kneeled. "According to Juxta, on the first day of spring, one hundred thousand Southlander soldiers are going to march into Lynken. You're going to need my blade."
"Shit! Shit, shit, shit!"
"I have more."
"Guards, lock him in the dungeon!"
The guards didn't laugh.
Simon cleared his throat. "Timothy Drakkar, Luther, and my boy, Jason, are under Quintak's power and will be fighting against us. If Juxta's right."
William fell out of his chair.
Teresa stood up from her throne and stepped forward. "William has been in the wine today. We got a new shipment in from a brewer, and William sampled too much."
"I can't kill my son," Simon said with tears in his eyes.
Prince William stepped out from behind the throne. "I can kill him. I always wanted to see which of us was better."
"You bastard!"
"I'll just bleed him until he passes out, then we can find a counter to this dark magic."
"Juxta's sure it's a hundred thousand?" Teresa asked.
"He seemed sure," Simon said.
"And that they'll strike in the spring?"
"Juxta's words."
"We must send envoys as far west as Kergia and summon all the fighters across the free lands."
Simon shook his head. "Juxta isn't sure about the Druids, and if the Druids don't fight, the Cat Riders won't fight."
"Where's Juxta?" Teresa asked.
"At his fiefdom, trying to secure turquoise."
Prince William stepped forward.
Mathew stood up from a bench. "We cannot simply send Rangers as envoys and expect results."
"I agree," Teresa said.
Prince William said, "I'll go."
"It's an option."
"He's going to need a Magi," Mathew said.
"Yes, uncle, we can do it," William said. "Maybe I'll find a beautiful girl to marry on the journey."
"You better not dally," Teresa said.
Simon nodded feverishly. "I'll go to Nork. I can sway them, but it's going to take some effort to convince the Druids and Magi of Weslan."
"We're on good terms with Weslan," Mathew said. "If nothing else, some will want to fight for the blood."
"We're going to need soldiers, too," Teresa said. "Even an army of Magi cannot stop a hundred thousand men."
"At best, Weslan can field one hundred and fifty masters and assorted apprentices. They won't commit that many for fear of their own border."
"Simon, are you aware that my drunken husband has received four Cuts-metal blades recently from Juxta and assigned them to Rangers?"
"That was last year," Simon said, "but I know the men you speak of. Two of them just got home from Weslan with me."
"Take those two men to Nork with you and assign the other two men with these blades to the prince's group."
"Those two men and I have traveled for almost a month straight. If we were horses, we'd get a week off."
Teresa reached over to Prince William and touched his shoulder. "What's your excuse?"
The prince's eyes lit up like gems. "I know the men with those blades. Let's ride, uncle."
The prince and Mathew ran off.
Chapter Fifty
William was ahead of Mathew. The Magi shouted, "We need warm clothes, coins, food, grain."
"Ranger's leather will keep us warm," William said.
"It'll be freezing long before we return. Nights are already getting cold."
William stopped running. "Fetch a few blankets. Coats. I'll find our Rangers."
Mathew took off in the other direction. William headed to the barracks. He banged on their door. A cadet opened it and saluted. "We ran ten miles today, my liege."
William returned the salute. "I'm looking for Clark and Adam."
Both men jumped out of bed and bowed to the prince.
Clark had a scar on his left cheek. Both men had brown hair cut above their brows and the brown eyes common in Lyken. They had broad shoulders and well-formed midsections.
"We're leaving," William said. "Bring a coat. We're going to Kergia, and it'll be snow and ice before we return."
Both men smiled
. Clark raised his eyebrow. "What's in Kergia for us?"
"Southlanders are coming in the spring. We need the Cat Riders, Druids, and Magi of Weslan. Simon is summoning Nork."
Adam got a far-off look in his eyes. "You want us to help you rally the free lands?"
"Aye, and the time to get moving is now. We need to get the horses ready, fill grain bags, each of us needs a wineskin. Mathew is getting stuff ready right now."
Clark and Adam looked at each other and smiled.
"Unless you're turning down this mission?" William asked.
Clark shook his head. "Oh no, we wouldn't turn down this mission, no matter what."
The cadet pushed forward between the two men. "I'm coming, too."
William glared. "Hell, no. Find something else to do."
"You might need my blade."
"That's a pretty big if."
"I don't fancy wine, but I could carry a skin."
Adam raised one eyebrow. Clark said, "It's true, he doesn't drink."
"My name's David, and my blade's just as fast as Adam or Clark's."
Clark reached over to smack the kid. He couldn't be a day over seventeen. He grabbed Clark's hand at the wrist and palm, twisting everything until Clark was bent over, helpless.
Clark snarled. "Let go."
David pushed him away. "Please? It'll be a story I can tell my grandkids."
"You'll never have kids if you try that shit on me again."
"I promise I won't, next time you try and smack me, I'll just let the blow land."
Really, the kid was not that much younger than William. He had yellowish amber eyes and blonde hair. David said, "We should bring a draft horse for coats and blankets. Plus, it'll give us an extra horse if one falls."
William looked to Adam and Clark. Both men nodded their heads. Mathew appeared from inside the castle, arms laden with blankets and jackets. William said, "Five is a good number, I guess."
David hollered!
They picked out six horses and loaded supplies. William hesitated. They had about four hours of daylight left. Time to ride. Following in father's footsteps. Would he tell his children the story a hundred times?
William kicked his horse into a trot and steered them west.
Adam shouted above the horses' thunder. "Do we hunt?"
"I don't want us splitting up," William said. "One man keeps a bow ready, and if it crosses our path, it'll be dinner."
Luther, Magi: Blood of Lynken II Page 15