The Blood of Kings (Book 4)

by Robert E. Keller

  Jace was a huge target, and he was forced to swat several flying snakes aside. Unfortunately, one of the snakes he swatted landed on a Blue Knight's shoulder and buried its fangs in the warrior's neck. The Blue Knight staggered, groaning with the realization that his life had reached an end, and then collapsed.

  "Sorry," Jace mumbled pointlessly, looking appalled at what he'd done. He didn't have time to lament, however, as more snakes hurtled at him.

  Shennen cut down several flying snakes with his Flayer, and Daledus stomped some of them beneath his wide boots.

  The snakes posed an even greater danger after they landed, for they slithered around striking at anyone they could get to. The Priests were also bitten, but they were immune to the venom. Three more Knights collapsed from snakebites. The two White Knights that accompanied the battalion were unable to get to the fallen, and instead busied themselves with smashing snakes with their clubs.

  And then Lothrin leapt out into the water and un-slung his bow, taking aim at the Priests who were hurling the snakes. It took two perfect shots to dispatch them, but the Birlote Ranger was up to the task. His arrows found their throats and the snake-throwing came to a halt, as the baskets dropped into the water and the snakes poured out, swimming in random directions.

  Some of the Priests charged at Lothrin, their orange faces twisted with fury. He put away his bow and drew his long dagger. The other Knights cut down three of them, but two reached him, swinging their iron maces. Lothrin dodged the blows and got around behind them with a swift spin move. He finished one of them with a thrust through the heart. As the other turned, Lothrin yanked his dagger free and caught the cultist in the throat in the same motion. The two Priests lay bleeding in the water, stunned looks on their inhuman faces.

  The remaining Priests turned and fled along the tunnel, flooding it with a thick blue smoke as they ran. Taris ordered the battalion to halt and wait for the smoke to clear, as snakes were still lurking about and the risk of moving forward blindly was too great. Two injured cultists finished themselves off with daggers before the Knights could interrogate them, leaving only the dead.

  The healers attended to injuries, and the Knights who had fallen in battle were laid on the walkways to await removal. At last the smoke cleared and the battalion moved on through the maze of tunnels.

  When they came to a long, straight passageway where the water ran beneath a stone floor, the City Guard took the lead and instructed the Knights to hold back. "There is a trap here," they explained. "It is very complex. It requires several of us to disable it. The cultists know how to avoid it, but anyone else who doesn't know of it is as good as dead."

  Taris gazed at them with a gleam in his eye, then said, "Very well. Yet I will accompany you in case you require my assistance."

  "It won't be necessary," they replied.

  "I must insist," said Taris, stepping forward.

  Suddenly, one of the Guardsmen turned and dashed off down the tunnel. The others formed a wall in front of the Divine Knights. "Die in the name of Tharnin!" one of them cried. "May the Divine Essence suffer!" another shouted.

  Enraged, the Divine Knights surged against the traitors and quickly cut them down--but the lone fleeing guard activated a lever further down the tunnel. Two heavy stone slabs descended from the ceiling, closing off the Divine Knights. A hissing noise arose as green vapor flooded the tunnel from slots in the stone walls. Soon the air was filled with it.

  "Toxic smoke!" Jace warned, racing to one of the stone slabs and smashing his bony fist against it. The slab refused to yield on that first blow.

  Prince Vannas took out the White Flamestone, but the vapor had already begun to overcome him. With a groan, he toppled over.

  Daledus reached the slab and swung his axe against it, but he was already too weak to do much damage. His legs failing, he slumped against the wall.

  The others were failing just as quickly.

  Aldreya watched as Taris staggered over and tried to help Jace smash through the stone barrier, and she saw both sorcerers falter and drop to their knees. In moments, everyone would be unconscious and would be an easy kill for their foes. Aldreya was flooded with despair, hating the thought that her life would end in these wretched sewers. In a panic, she fought fiercely to remain conscious, as Lothrin, Jerret, and Galvia fell around her.

  Vorden struggled forward, his face twisted with determination. But then at last he too went down, his lungs filled with the vile smoke.

  The last thing Aldreya saw before she slipped away was Jace rise once again and smash his fist against the door--a last desperate blow. The stone cracked, and a flicker of hope arose within her. But it hadn't broken through, and Jace sank down once again, his fingers dragging along the slab as he fell.

  And then Aldreya was gone into blackness.

  Chapter 14: The Mouth of Madness

  While Taris and his Knights were fighting for survival in the tunnels below Kalamede, Lannon and Dallsa rode into the city streets. This was Lannon's first voyage to Kalamede, and he wasn't impressed. Everywhere he looked were ugly, decaying buildings and people with bitter or hostile expressions. He did not receive the royal welcome the others had. No one was expecting Lannon, and due to his concealing cloak and lack of visible armor, no one knew he was a Divine Knight. He could have been any rogue or traveler on horseback.

  "We need to find the City Council," said Lannon. "They should be able to tell us if Taris has been here yet and where we can find him." From the shoddy look of the area, Lannon doubted the City Council was anywhere close by.

  "Ugh!" said Dallsa, glancing about. "Kalamede seems worse every time I see it. I hate this city. There are thieves and violent people everywhere who love to prey on the weak. Don't leave me alone for a second, Lannon."

  Lannon sighed. "And that's exactly what I was afraid of--having to guard you every second here. You can't possibly follow me into the sewers, if that's where I end up going, yet I fear leaving your side."

  She bowed her head. "I am sorry to have placed such a burden upon you. Perhaps I should have remained in Rogue Haven. Obviously, I can't do much to protect myself. Of course, a White Knight isn't expected to fight."

  "That's not correct," said Lannon. "White Knights do have combat skills. They fight with clubs or staffs, mostly. Some of them carry shields. They tend to avoid combat when possible, but when they have to defend themselves or others they're actually quite good at it."

  "I didn't know that," she said, looking unhappy. "I wasn't expecting to have to learn any fighting techniques. Maybe I'm not fit for the role."

  "The combat skills are secondary," said Lannon. "It's really your healing ability that counts. I didn't have any combat skills when I first went to Dremlock, but I learned quickly enough. You'll get a lot of training."

  "That's wonderful," said Dallsa, "but right now I'm just in your way. I guess I was being selfish in wanting to travel with you."

  "Don't worry about it," he said. "I'll figure something out."

  They rode around a bit through the streets and then spotted a Guardsman on horseback who gazed at them with suspicion--a lean, black-haired man with bushy sideburns, battered chain mail, and a dirty green uniform. He looked to be a few years older than Lannon. They asked for directions to the City Council. He told them the Council was off limits except by appointment and demanded to see some credentials. Lannon had two sets of Knightly credentials (or scrolls signed by Cordus Landsaver), one of which bore the fake name of Jalvan Redhelm. One of Lannon's duties as a Blue Knight (and the Bearer of the Eye of Divinity) was to maintain secrecy whenever possible, and Lannon was under orders to show his fake credentials most of the time; so he produced the bogus scroll and handed it over.

  "Jalvan Redhelm," mumbled the Guardsman, reading the scroll. "Master Red Knight of Dremlock." He looked Lannon up and down and frowned. "Very well. Are you here concerning the business with the cultists?"

  Lannon nodded.

  "Then you should see Vanaxe, the Cit
y Lord," said the Guardsman. "He is handling all of that. I'll escort you to his mansion."

  "Thank you," said Lannon, relieved that he was at last making progress in Kalamede. He wondered if Bellis had already begun advancing on Dremlock, and he guided his horse along anxiously behind the Guardsman, wanting to go faster. The Guardsman seemed to be in no hurry, however.

  "Could we speed things up a bit?" Lannon asked. "This business is quite urgent."

  The Guardsman turned and glared at him, then nodded. "Okay, not a problem." However, he didn't appear to speed up any.

  As they rode along the streets, Lannon's gaze passed over crumbling houses and rat-infested alleys. Garbage lay everywhere. Homeless people slept in the streets, and shady-looking folks ducked into back alleys as they spotted the Guardsman. Window shutters banged shut as they passed by.

  "Is this your first visit to Kalamede?" asked the Guardsman.

  "Yes," said Lannon, wondering how a city in Silverland could exist in such a dreary state. This was vastly different than Knights Welcome.

  "Not a pleasant area of town, obviously," said the Guardsman. "It's ugly and it stinks. But soon enough you'll get a glimpse of what Kalamede used to be like, before Dremlock turned its back on us and crime took over."

  "How did Dremlock turn its back on Kalamede," asked Lannon, "when it has sent Knights to weed out the cultists? Also, we recently defended the city against a massive Goblin attack. That latter effort cost us many Knights." He knew he shouldn't haven taken the bait and responded, but he had a burning desire to defend his kingdom whenever someone spoke ill of it.

  The Guardsman shrugged. "Dremlock does only what it has to do--because your kingdom does business with us. Otherwise, it would ignore us completely. I'm not trying to insult you, Master Jalvan. I'm just speaking the truth."

  Lannon, who didn't fully understand the politics behind Dremlock's relationship with Kalamede, fell silent. He had no desire to argue about something he understood so poorly, but he was irritated by how ungrateful this Guardsman acted toward Lannon's beloved kingdom--as if he wanted to blame anyone except the leaders of Kalamede.

  After that, the Guardsman took to whistling and seemed to go even slower, which annoyed Lannon greatly. But he held his tongue.

  ***

  After navigating the wealthy area of the city, Lannon and Dallsa were escorted into the mansion and up three flights of stairs to the City Lord's office. They passed marble floors, suits of armor, elegant sculptures, and life-sized paintings. There were lush rugs and chandlers, and servants wandering to and fro.

  They found Vanaxe within studying a stack of papers on his desk. His office was a large room with oaken walls lined with bookshelves. Open window shutters revealed a view of a stream lined with trees in the backyard. A mild, pleasant-smelling incense burned in a holder on the desk.

  "Greetings, Lord Vanaxe," said the Guardsman. "I present to you Jalvan Redhelm, Master Red Knight of Dremlock." He glanced at Dallsa. "And I wasn't yet introduced to his friend."

  She bowed. "I am Dallsa, his...travel companion."

  Vanaxe raised his eyebrows. "Travel companion? Well, it's always a bonus to have one of those. The road gets lonely sometimes in Silverland, with the long stretches between towns and all. Pleased to meet both of you!" Flashing them a warm smile, he extended his hand.

  Lannon was instantly put at ease by the City Lord's pleasant demeanor. Vanaxe was a handsome, clean-shaven fellow with eyes that were very alert and engaging. He seemed to know his business (whatever it happened to be), instilling confidence in Lannon that he would work hard to get things done.

  Lannon shook Vanaxe's hand. "To get to the point, I am here seeking news on Taris Warhawk and his battalion."

  Lannon continued to glance about, impressed by the appearance of wealth around him. Everything looked extremely expensive and was polished to a shine. Although this mansion could have been the residence for anyone holding the office of City Lord, Lannon got the impression that Vanaxe had done very well for himself. Vanaxe emanated an aura of wealth, power, and confidence.

  "Ah yes," said Vanaxe. He dismissed the Guardsman, who stepped out and closed the door, leaving them alone. He organized his papers into a neat stack and sat them aside, while Lannon looked on impatiently. "Taris arrived several hours ago and has gone below to deal with the threat of the cultists."

  Lannon's heart sank. So he'd been that close to catching up to the Tower Master. Now he would have to search for him in the sewers--which meant Lannon also risked falling into whatever trap Bellis had set.

  Vanaxe lit a pipe and puffed away at it, looking quite relaxed. "Would you care for a smoke? I have some of Borenthia's finest leaf on hand, which I reserve for Divine Knights when they visit."

  "I need to contact Taris immediately," said Lannon, ignoring the question. "It is a very urgent matter concerning a threat to our kingdom."

  "Can you tell me the nature of this threat?" asked Vanaxe, frowning. "I'm guessing it has something to do with the Blood Legion or Bellis--hopefully not the latter. Any news concerning Bellis these days is quite unsettling. I fear greatly for this city, which is certain to be a major target for King Verlamer."

  Lannon wondered if there was any harm in revealing the truth. With all of Silverland at stake--including Kalamede--he decided the City Lord should know what was going on. Also, perhaps Vanaxe could send a message to Dremlock by means of an Elder Hawk. "Bellis is planning to attack Dremlock," said Lannon, "and has set some kind of snare for Taris here in Kalamede."

  Vanaxe nodded, his face grim. "That is indeed urgent news. I suspected this issue with the cultists could be some kind of elaborate trap, but I had no idea Bellis was behind it. When it comes to the threat of The Golden Kingdom, Kalamede is totally helpless. We have no army. Bellis could just march in and own us. In fact, I have no idea why it hasn't done so already. Hasn't it conquered every other city and kingdom outside of Silverland?"

  "Most of them, yes," said Lannon. "Right now I believe Bellis is too focused on Dremlock to worry about Kalamede."

  "I certainly hope so," said Vanaxe. "But if Bellis should march on us, I do hope that Dremlock would come to our aid."

  "Dremlock cannot protect Kalamede from Bellis," said Lannon. "We can defend you from the cultists--possibly--but not from Bellis. If they choose to send warriors here, Kalamede will be occupied. At the moment, we're reduced to simply protecting Dremlock from invasion."

  "So what are you saying?" asked Vanaxe, looking displeased.

  "I'm saying," said Lannon, "that Taris needs to leave immediately for Dremlock. The issue of the cultists will have to be abandoned. And if possible, I need this information to be sent to Dremlock by an Elder Hawk."

  Vanaxe groaned and rubbed his forehead. "My good Knight, you truly bring wretched news! But I understand the bind you're in. If Dremlock falls, then Kalamede certainly will end up occupied by Bellis. So rest assured, I will send the message to your kingdom immediately." Vanaxe's friendly, confident demeanor had disintegrated. He seemed suddenly on edge.

  Lannon bowed. "Thank you. Now I must go and search for Taris. Can you escort me to where he entered the sewers?" He glanced at Dallsa, still wondering what he was going to do with her. He decided she would be safe with Vanaxe and his Guardsmen. "And can my travel companion remain in this mansion under your protection until I return?"

  "Certainly," said Vanaxe. "I welcome her." He gazed at Lannon for a moment, chewing his lip anxiously as if deciding something, then asked, "How did you learn about Bellis' plans? I simply must know."

  The question instantly provoked Lannon's suspicions. Something about Vanaxe's behavior seemed off--as if he'd been thrown into a panic. The City Lord's knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the desk.

  "I cannot reveal that," said Lannon.

  "I understand," said Vanaxe, though his face darkened. "You have your secrets, of course, that you will never share--even if keeping them would cost others dearly. Such is the way with Divine K
nights."

  Lannon probed him with the Eye of Divinity, and it revealed that Vanaxe was hiding some dark secret. The Eye was not able to reveal the true nature of that secret, but it detected traces of malicious sorcery. It wasn't proof that Vanaxe was corrupted by Tharnin, but it made Lannon's suspicions grow by leaps and bounds. The Deep Shadow could disguise itself in a human--even from the Eye of Divinity--but sometimes hints of its presence were revealed. Those hints were enough for Lannon to grow alarmed and decide to take action. He was in Kalamede--far from Dremlock--and he didn't need the High Council's approval to act. It was left to his judgment to decide how best to deal with the City Lord.

  Lannon stepped closer to him. "Are you sure you're telling me everything about this situation, Lord Vanaxe?"

  "Of course," said Vanaxe, his eyes cold.

  Lannon hesitated. "I don't think you are being honest. I sense that you are hiding something important."

  Dallsa gazed at Lannon with wide eyes.

  "We've discussed the issue enough," said Vanaxe. "I've revealed everything I know. I find your attitude to be rude and insulting, and I must ask that you leave this mansion and go about your business. Good day, Master Jalvan."

  Lannon didn't move. He reminded himself what was at stake--that this wasn't the time to back down. "Not until I learn the truth."

  Vanaxe glowered at him. He was trembling. "Very well, I've heard enough. If you doubt me, then I doubt you! Show me your credentials, Master Jalvan--if indeed you are a Red Knight of Dremlock."

  Lannon produced the fake credentials and handed them over. Vanaxe studied the scroll with a sneer. "Show me your real credentials," the City Lord said. "I've dealt with Divine Knights for many years, and you don't look or act like a Red Knight. You are slender of build--like one of Dremlock assassins!"

  Lannon hesitated, then produced the scroll that bore his real name. He opened it wide for Vanaxe to see. "Now that you know who I am, you might also realize that I can see you're hiding something."