Trelech continued to scrutinise every little detail until he turned his attention to a modest-looking chest of drawers. A number of items had been neatly placed on its surface, including a comb and a series of handwritten letters. Trelech pushed these to one side with disinterest until a small artefact caught his attention. It seemed out of place compared to the rest of the paraphernalia of the chamber and it instantly piqued his interest. It was a small stone sculpture of a dragon and as the Sovereign passed a hand over it the gem shard crackled as if it were reacting to residual energy. Trelech passed his hand over it once more experimentally, experiencing the same sensation as before. He reached down and picked it up.
Suddenly, Trelech took a few steps back as if he had been struck by an invisible force and his head pounded, pain threatening to overcome him as it quickly became overwhelming. The gem shard flamed to life and the pain gradually subsided. While this happened, the gem accessed distant memories and the images of men and women taking hold of similar articles before pain quickly took hold and they collapsed, their final moments a torrent of agony. In that moment, Trelech knew that the trinket he held was designed to kill any other person who held it and that he had only survived thanks to the power of the gem shard. This only made him despise Kalythyll all the more. The King turned the oddity around in his hand when suddenly the ghostly apparition of Kalythyll was standing before him. Trelech waved a hand through it and it merely stood frozen and it was as if he was staring at the monarch from whatever hole he had fled to. As the Sovereign stepped in front of Kalythyll’s ghostly visage the apparition came to life and offered a bow to Trelech. This irritated him greatly as the mirage finished his display of mock respect.
“I knew you would come, just as I knew that the magical ward around this augur would most likely not kill you. I can live in the hope that it caused you some pain or a degree of discomfort,” Kalythyll’s shade began.
What an arrogant fool,” Trelech spat in response to this but the mirage continued speaking.
“By now you will know I have left Mal Ithir and your service, tyrant. You should know, the instant you killed my father and tried to take control of everything we have fought to protect, you became my enemy. You, who would unmake the world to fulfil your selfish and greedy ambitions. That is why I have betrayed you and kept you under the veil of ignorance. As long as I live, you will never achieve your goals and that is why I aided Barlech in his escape. I have gone to his side and together we will create a resistance to your reign and I will not sleep until you have been defeated.”
The spectral shape of the Draconis Legium leader fell away and silence lingered for a moment. Trelech screamed and howled, seething fury consuming the monarch as the red jewel hummed to life once more. Energy pulsed down his arms and the air tingled as his fingers sparked. Trelech relished the sight of it and watched electricity crackle between his fingertips for a few moments, revelling in the fact that he had unlocked more of the red jewel’s power as it gradually grew in intensity. Soon huge barbs of lightning streaked up his limbs in magnificent arcs until they formed a ball of electricity in the air in front of him. Trelech thrust his hands forward and the ball of destructive energy blasted the wall opposite, the crunch of mortar and stone being torn asunder and suddenly a huge hole had been ripped in the wall. A few seconds later there was a tremendous crash as the bricks smashed into the ground, followed by the startled cries of unsuspecting passers-by.
Trelech stepped up to the gap, gazing down at the wreckage he had wrought. Beneath him a huge pile of stones had tumbled out and had created a glorious mess. A woman had been crushed by the rubble and was absolutely still as blood began to pool around her lifeless body whilst terrified onlookers watched the grim display. Trelech began to laugh throatily, taking a perverse pleasure from seeing the devastation that had ended this poor woman’s existence so abruptly. As Trelech surveyed the carnage in the courtyard below he caught sight of the Temple beyond. From his vantage point he could just about make out the small neglected Chapel and a thought suddenly occurred to him. Trelech took another few seconds to gawp at the gruesome spectacle that he had created before turning on his heel and stomping from the room.
The tyrant tramped his way through the Keep and by now, word of what had happened in the courtyard had spread like wildfire. As such, the usually teeming halls of the Keep were almost virtually empty, save for the occasional guard or armoured knight who knew better than the servants around them to keep their station. Usually this would have earned the ire of the King but, on this occasion, he wore a smug grin on his twisted façade and he knew word would spread quickly about this incident and it would mean people would be even more fearful of their monarch. This had settled his mood and the anger within him was now simmering gently rather than threatening to burst.
A few minutes later Trelech walked out into the courtyard. A large crowd had gathered around the newly deceased woman and some of their number worked futilely to remove the debris while a few concerned onlookers shouted encouraging messages of support. This made Trelech laugh even louder this time since, even from this distance, he could tell that she had been killed from the impact and that their efforts were all for nought. He turned his back and headed straight for the chapel. Teams of workers had been commissioned to restore the previously neglected structure and they continued to work feverishly, lest they earn Trelech’s displeasure. They barely reacted as Trelech pushed his way past as he headed inside.
Inside the chapel more stonemasons and carpenters were hard at work restoring the splendour of the Chapel and they were like a hive of worker ants as they toiled in silence. Trelech shouted a command at them and within a few seconds and after many hurried footsteps, the workers had vacated the space and Akanthir’s King was now alone. Trelech strode up to the altar and held up an arm as he activated the gem’s power and the dragon snarled into life at his touch. In his mind he underwent the same journey as before and very quickly the form of Arlydd answered his summons, who immediately prostrated herself before him and waited for him to speak. She remained rooted to the spot as Trelech took a few moments to collect his thoughts before addressing his loyal follower.
“Rise,” Trelech instructed simply.
“How may I serve you today?” Arlydd asked loyally as she rose to her feet. She still had her head bowed respectfully, not daring to gaze upon the face of her God, made flesh.
“Have you heard any word about the pretender from Maleardhus? Did you execute my plan?”
“I did sire, though there was a complication.”
“A complication!” Trelech snarled as he balled a fist in anger. “I do not expect complications, particularly from you. Speak and pray I still have use for you.”
“I laid out our trap as intended and that Ythelian fool took the bait. He believed that I intended to kill Prince Ferilan and he came to save him. They were arrested and this has been perceived by the Tirgaalians to have been an attempt to assassinate the Prince. Word has spread about the attacks in Ciphearyn and Ljarthaal so now the populace is firmly against them and thoroughly believe that there is a Ythelian plot to assassinate the crowned heads of Efealtor.”
“That is exactly what I wanted. I fail to see the complication.”
“While the Ythelian prisoners were being taken to the dungeons, they escaped and there has been no sign of them since. A week has passed and I have received no word of where they might be.”
“I see,” Trelech responded. He said nothing and there was an uncomfortable pause. Even Arlydd felt a shiver of doubt run down her spine as Trelech merely looked off into the middle distance and the longer the silence dragged on, the more unsettled she felt. “I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed so I warn you, do not do it again. But you have done fine work. You will continue to propagate the fiction of the Ythelian plot and keep my part in these events hidden. The Ythelian’s escape will mean nothing if we keep to the rest of my plan.”
“It shall be as you command,” Arlydd
swore, bowing her head once more.
“There is one more thing we need to discuss.”
“Yes, my lord. What is it?”
“Kalythyll, your former master, has been working with my brother, Barlech, for some time and has fled to be at his side.”
“That cur!” swore Arlydd.
“I have not finished speaking,” Trelech admonished.
“Apologies, lord.”
“Your apology is accepted, this time. Kalythyll has proven to be the traitor that I knew he was and I will need someone to take his place. Do your duty to the order and to me and you shall become my second. Do well and together we shall reshape this world how we see fit. That is all.”
Trelech dismissed the Cultist Mage with an offhand wave of his arms. Arlydd bowed to her liege lord once more before the magical energy from the Dragon altar immediately ceased. Trelech was left alone in the Chapel and a new calm had settled his mind. He turned on the spot, his brain awash with all sorts of cruel and imaginative tortures that he would subject Kalythyll to as he marched from the hall.
Chapter Thirteen
Ydari relaxed his mind as he waded through a sea of memories that were now almost personal to him and yet, not his own. The turmoil of recent weeks had settled down but events across the Efealtor had become anything but. These thoughts threatened to consume Ydari once more but Raelynne’s stern voice cut through this and he found himself focusing on her dulcet tones. He raised his arms and held them out horizontally in front of him as he listened intently to the ancient whispers from the blue jewel. Ydari was vaguely aware of Raelynne’s movements as she walked in circles around her student, interjecting occasionally as they practised conjuring different effects from harnessing the power of the gem.
“You have been chosen as the champion of the gem of creation. This means you have to understand how to balance your mind with its power to use it to create whatever you can imagine. Nature’s true power is being able to endure and weather whatever destructive forces that can be thrown at it, like how a forest can be reborn from a fire that burns it to cinders. Once you understand that you will know how to use it as both a shield and a weapon and you’ll be ready for the battles ahead of you.”
Ydari closed his eyes once more and concentrated on the sound of Raelynne’s voice. His hands came alive, tingling and vibrating wildly as he felt a hidden power begin to build up deep within him. In his mind’s eye he imagined mighty oaks towering over the landscape along the shoreline as a wave of tremendous proportions smashed into them, standing firm against the destructive onslaught. As Ydari held onto the image a buzzing filled his ears and he heard Raelynne gasp in surprise. He kept his eyes closed tightly and held onto the image that he had conjured. As the seconds passed, his upper body resonated with the power of the gem until it threatened to overcome his ability to control it.
In that instant Ydari opened his eyes and gaped as a shield shimmered around him with a faint green glow. From his palms two faint beams of greenish light floated upwards and shimmered with the same otherworldly essence that had formed a ball around him. Raelynne came into view as she walked and she circled him. Abruptly, a fireball formed in her hands and with a grunt of effort she hurled the missile at the Watch Captain. The flames licked around the edges of the shield before burning away to nothing. The mage smiled happily as Ydari let the images of nature fall from his mind and the shimmering green light fizzled out.
“You didn’t tell me you were going to hurl magical projectiles at me,” Ydari shrilled at Raelynne.
“You were doing so well holding the shield I thought I would test how strong the magical ward was. I have to say I’m impressed by how much you’re learning.”
“There’s little else to do,” Ydari whined in an ill-tempered tone. “And warn me before you do something so foolish next time.”
“That’s enough for today I think.”
“Yes, I think I’ve had enough deadly fireballs hurled at me for one day,” Ydari commented sarcastically.
“Would you stop already,” the mage almost pleaded.
Ydari turned his back on Raelynne and turned to survey the long hall that now lay disused. The furniture had been neatly stacked on the edges of the voluminous space under a mound of sheets and dust covers. The sheer scale of the room was such that Ydari had seen nothing else like it to compare it to. He had learned that it was used for state functions such as receiving high-level diplomats or officials for state dinners but evidently had not been used in this manner for quite some time.
The current state of the chamber gave it an abandoned quality which was reminiscent of the emptiness that the Ythelian Captain was currently experiencing. He had wallowed enough in the seclusion of the embassy and the urge to get back into the real world and chase down leads presented itself often and, the fact that he couldn’t, made him more irritable with each passing day. As such, he had resigned himself to learning how to control the artefact that had set him on this course of events.
Ydari and Raelynne left the huge chamber and returned to what passed as the embassy’s entrance hall. A note of familiarity crept across the Watch Captain as his eyes passed over the room. A fire still crackled warmly in the hearth and the same three individuals that usually camped out in that spot were there once more playing a card game. A particularly portly man in the centre of the group stood up suddenly, slapping a card down on the table emphatically and cheering a hearty victory cry as he did so. This raucous display was accompanied by the defeated groans of his companions.
Ydari grinned and shook his head as he passed by. The portly victor saw this small sign of amusement and called after the Watch Captain enthusiastically, shouting out an invite for him to join in on their next game. Ydari threw up his hands and politely declined the offer as he noticed a man bearing the gruff features of an irritable Lothram with Idrahil and Teobrin not far behind. As Ydari got closer he could hear the Sergeant grumbling loudly and arguing with Idrahil. The spectacle increased in volume until it caught the attention of almost everyone within earshot and they craned their necks to catch a glimpse as the squabble intensified. The diplomat, Kythrol, marched swiftly over to them and beckoned furiously for them to follow. From one side of the room an audible groan was heard when they realised that the officious man would soon be settling affairs and that the show would be short-lived.
“Could you please not quarrel like a pair of children. This is where we receive dignitaries and settle affairs of state on behalf of Queen Elhara, not brawl like those drunken swine out there,” Kythrol reprimanded in a stern tone with a gesture to the world at large.
“You can be quiet as well,” Lothram bellowed.
“If you must make a scene could you at least do it in private?”
“Simmer down Sergeant. You’re not in a brothel,” Ydari yelled. “Now what is going on?”
“It’s pandemonium out there, sir,” Lothram reported with a hard edge to his voice. “There’s a lot of dissent amongst the people and hatred at Ythelia. There are mobs out there lynching anybody they think is a traitor to Tirgaal because thanks to you they believe we murdered King Aynhar and that we tried to do the same to his son.”
“Watch your tone Sergeant.”
“Just like you should have watched your surroundings!? It’s your fault you blundered into a trap.”
“You’ve gone too far. We all agreed on that course of action. I’ll give you one chance to walk away and calm down,” Ydari said softly.
“Or what!?”
“Have it your way.” Ydari looked to one side for a moment and bowed his head as his jaw clenched almost imperceptibly. The Sergeant’s grim visage remained one of firm resolve as he watched his Captain. Abruptly, Ydari swung a fist into Lothram’s chin. The sudden impact of the blow sent the Sergeant careening to the floor with a crash. Lothram sprang up to his feet and glared daggers at Ydari who merely rubbed his knuckles and made a display of stretching his limbs as if he were getting ready for a brawl. “You want to wal
k away now.”
“Like hell I do,” Lothram spat venomously.
“That’s enough you two,” Idrahil shrieked as she stepped between the two men. “If you insist on battering each other take it outside. Meanwhile the real enemy is out there doing Azreus knows what.”
“She’s right you know,” added Raelynne as she joined the spectacle at Ydari’s side. “You can tear each other to pieces or work together to undo this.”
“I can do that, just as long as he settles down,” Ydari remarked, pointing an accusing finger at Lothram.
“As can I,” replied Lothram, though his features had turned crimson with rage. “You’d better tell him, Idrahil,” the Sergeant finished as he turned on the spot and walked away.
“What’s he talking about?”
“Well sir, we did some scouting as you asked. It’s pretty bad out there at the moment; roving gangs taking it upon themselves to exact justice on the enemies of Tirgaal, namely anyone hailing from foreign shores. They have a special hatred for Ythelians however and they reserve their most brutal displays for them. There’s quite a crowd outside the embassy too and I don’t know how long the soldiers can keep them at bay before they get bold,” reported Idrahil.
“It’s alright,” Kythrol assured them. “Those men and women are soldiers of Ythelia. They have faced greater challenges than that rabble out there.”
“You may well see how they stand up against mob mentality if it gets any worse. There’s something else though. Lothram and I were able to scout around without too much difficulty and we think we found the hideout of the Dragon cultists.”
“You did?” Ydari asked with surprise.
“We saw hooded figures entering a while back and more suspicious activity going on but it’s been quiet for the last couple of days.”
The Fractured Heartstone Page 25