by T B Phillips
Suddenly empowered, Robert sent out wisps of air of his own, trapping two of the Falconers and binding them to each other. Reaching out with as much power as he could muster, he managed to squeeze out another set of bonds, tying up two more in the same fashion. This fifth connection nearly broke him as intense pain shot through his temples and blood ran down his upper lip. Staggering in the mud and swamp he fought to right the spinning world around him.
Diving with his eagle, he tried to attack the four men trapped on the ground and struggling to free themselves. But the hawks swarmed, and the eagle broke connection as it fought nine birds to save its own life. Thinking fast, he used this newly freed connection to move the bonds around their hands. They slid up the bodies of the fallen Falconers like snakes until he moved them into place to bind their necks. These he squeezed, slowly and forcibly to choke his victims.
The other five Falconers stared in disbelief at what he had done. He watched as they quickly moved in unison and began waving their arms, weaving the air around them in an intricate pattern. Now able to see the individual threads as they worked, he recognized a very complex net forming before them. Obviously stronger than the individual ropes from before, his mind raced to find options. But he had maxed out his ability. He was split five ways and could not deflect or defend the net. Worse, he felt the muddy prison at his feet pulling him downward into the muck.
Robert panicked as defeat gripped his core. Closing his eyes, he reached out and allowed his mind to focus on the air around Sarai. Tears streamed down his face as he chose to die looking at her face instead of the Falconers before him. She was so beautiful, he thought. Despite her burns and scars she was the most beautiful woman in his world. Regret flooded him as he thought of the life that he would never spend with her and his gut wrenched his spirit.
“Robert, is that you?” She spoke her words into the air around her.
“It’s over, Sarai. I failed. There were ten Falconers and they were too powerful. I couldn’t split my power more than five ways.”
“It’s not over, Robert. You know what you need to do. Take this air off of me and use it to defend yourself.” He could sense the love behind her words, and he hoped that she could sense the same through their connection.
“That could kill you. Your body will go into shock, and you may stop breathing. I can’t do it. I won’t put you through that pain. I don’t want to lose you.”
“Sweet Robert. If you die out there, then I’m lost, as well.”
“No. I can’t. I won’t! I swore that I’d protect you until I die, Sarai.”
“And you have. Even in Weston after I told you to leave, you stayed. You remained and you saved my life. You gave me more time to realize that I was selfish and put the needs of others above those of my love. You are my betrothed, and if we survive this then I vow to stand beside you and back you no matter what. Love is unconditional, Robert Esterling. Please forgive me for not loving you that way before.”
“I love you too, Sarai.”
With a snap he let her connection go, just as the net flew toward him. His shield raised in time to absorb the blow, somehow strengthened by the impact. With a final squeeze the four Falconers on the ground shook violently, succumbing to their deaths. He let go of their bonds, empowering himself with two free connections to the air around him. In a flash he threw up a shield around the five remaining Falconers, completely encircling them as he did against Taros.
The air around the Falconers strained as if it were ready to explode from the force within. From inside he felt the force of ten connections fighting against the shield around them. He reinforced it with his remaining four connections, but it would not be enough. He looked toward the west, observing that what was left of the cavalry had reorganized. Their horses had been crippled, but the men stood ready to charge on foot as soon as the shield dropped.
Looking beyond the Falconers, he saw that the infantry was advancing with their shield wall. Behind the wall, archers stood nocked and ready to fire upon the defenseless prince standing in the swamp. Robert fought to hold the bubble around the five specters as it strained against their power. Reluctantly, he let the barrier holding back the cavalry drop and used the last of his power to hold in the Falconers. The men immediately rushed toward the shoreline.
Merrimac Lourdes watched the display of courage by the young man standing in the swamp. Somehow, beyond all reason or comprehension, he had singularly stood against overwhelming odds and decimated half of the Imperial forces that he faced. In doing so, he had killed five Falconers and trapped five more. He could see the boy struggling to contain them in their invisible prison, and compassion mixed with awe as the general fought his own internal struggle.
He watched as the barrier holding back his cavalry dissipated and his men charged on foot toward the boy. Turning to his aides, he quickly signaled the halt and horns blared. Mac prayed that the men were not in too much of a fervor to hear the call, and desperately hoped that they would pull back. When they finally turned and reformed a position on the bank, Lourdes let out a slow breath, watching as the boy still struggled with the hooded men inside of the bubble.
Spurring his horse, Mac approached the line of men. He rode past the infantry toward the Falconers, looking closely at their eyes within their hoods. Merrimac Lourdes had been a soldier his entire life, and if he knew one thing it was that fear always reflected from a man’s eyes. He immediately recognized that terror gripped the five specters.
He reached out and touched the field around them. It was cold to the touch. He marveled that his hand could somehow pass slowly into the bubble and safely out, yet it had completely trapped the men inside. You are afraid of him. There were ten of you bastards, yet you weren’t enough to stop a teenage Prince. Their eyes pled with him to help.
Looking out over the water, he saw the Esterling boy struggling to contain them. He was determined and unafraid, despite that several thousand men stared him down from the bank. Blood ran down from both nostrils and from one ear, but the boy was unphased. Merrimac drew his sword and tapped it against the bubble which prevented a forceful blow from entering. A thought passed through him, and he slowly slid the sword into the field tip first. It entered as easily as a knife in butter. He pulled it back out and stared at the boy.
Beyond Robert, on the island, Maximus Reeves had moved out ahead of his own men and stood watching with wonderment at Lourdes’s next move. The older man nodded at his former protégé and then saluted the boy with this sword, demonstrating the respect and full honors that he deserved. Turning back toward the force field he slowly plunged his sword, piercing the heart of the nearest Falconer. As he drew it back, he saw that the field had compressed even tighter around the hooded men. Twice more he plunged his blade until finally the remaining two imploded from the pressure and the field disappeared.
“Your highness!” Lourdes addressed the boy standing in the swamp. “The blades of Eskera are yours to command.” Dismounting, he strode into the muddy water, splashing as he approached Robert. When he finally reached him, Mac knelt with his sword held up and presented himself and his service to his new King. “With my honor I accept you as my rightful ruler and swear to protect and serve you as long as I live.”
Robert reached out and took the sword, looking it over carefully. He recognized the markings that were deeply etched in the blade and pommel. “This was my father’s sword.”
“No, your highness.” The old general shook his head. “It was the sword of Charles Esterling, my friend and my sworn liege.” He indicated Max who had waded carefully through the water to stand beside Robert. “Your father holds his own sword. Like him, I am sworn to protect the rightful Emperor of Andalon. You may have the name of Esterling, but you certainly have the courage of a Reeves.”
“Rise up, General Lourdes. We have to get my infantry across this cursed swamp.” At that, a mighty easterly wind parted the waters on
ce more.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Braen stood on the pier surveying the damage around him. The sun had risen high into the noonday sky, illuminating The Cove in a way that he had never seen nor believed possible. Even with all of the destruction, the sight was magnificent.
All around him were men who had trusted him with their lives, believing that he would pull them through to the winning side. They were already picking up the pieces, salvaging what was left so that they could rebuild their lives. He looked at each man fondly, silently thanking him for the part that he had played in the morning’s battle. If it could even be called a battle.
Sippen and Krill picked through the wreckage of Ice Prince. The ship was beyond repair, the keel broken. Braen watched as the two men pulled several crates from the wreckage, each emblazoned with the numbers seven, five, and four. He smiled at their resourcefulness, pledging silently to open a bottle as soon as they could.
Eusari’s crew moved from house to house looking for survivors and relocating them to an abandoned inn repurposed as a hospital. Shon Wembley, the once constable and now freedom fighter, worked as a battlefield medic ensuring that all of the wounded from both sides of the battle were patched and given a chance to take part in the coming war against Fjorik.
Braen finally spotted Eusari, sitting away from the others, not in the shadows as when they first met, but seated on a rock facing the harbor. He marveled at her beauty as the breeze tossed her hair, revealing her pale face and rosebud lips. Her eyes were closed against the sun.
Samani Kernigan had noticed Braen and broke him from his thoughts. “Tough fight, but you did it.”
Shaking his head, the bearded captain corrected, “No, Kernigan. We all did it. The Cove belongs to everyone and all of us.” With a motion he gestured around him. “Sam. This little town is the only free place on the continent.”
Samani nodded. “Because of you.”
“I only had a part in it.”
“A part? Your humility is sickening, Braston. You’re the inspiration to these men. They followed the Kraken because he gave them something to believe in.”
“I never wanted to lead, Sam.”
“I know. But you have to. You’re their Pirate King, and now you’re going to lead them against your brother and the Esterling family. They won’t accept anyone else.”
“No more kings. No more emperors. I heard Amash say that The Cove is a symbol of justice and freedom. The people will choose our leaders and the leaders will answer to the people.”
“It doesn’t work that way. The people can’t lead themselves, and collectively they can’t agree on anything.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Sam. I believe in a world where they’ll at least learn to compromise.”
“Compromise means giving something up. That won’t be easy to get them to do.”
“They’ll have to see outside of themselves eventually. Mankind is inherently good, Sam.”
“Well, I beg to differ. I know of a group of peoples who tried the very system of government that you’re describing. They consumed themselves, Braen. Their pride and arrogance tore them apart and drove them farther from their central ideology.”
“Why? What happened?”
“They got too comfortable. Too complacent. There was no more adversity, so they created their own. They found turmoil in everything, forcing strife into every conversation. You can’t do this because it offends this person. You can’t do that because it takes away that person’s freedom.”
“Isn’t that contradictory? Preventing one person’s belief in favor of what you believe to be your right? That isn’t canceling out liberties?”
“Exactly. It is another form of oppression, and it’s no different than what the Astians are doing to Andalon. Eventually, these people gave away their own liberty by building philosophical cages around themselves, forcing everyone to submit until too much power was given back to the government.”
“Well, no more. We’ll find a way to get free of the Astians, just like we toppled Nevra’s grip on The Cove today.”
“But you’ll have to lead these people until we learn how to do that. If you want elections, then we’ll have to rig them. That is the only way that you can keep Creech from beating you. And I guarantee that he’ll try to cheat.”
Braen thought for a long time, taking in the words. He did not want to waste all of their efforts just to make Creech the new Pirate King. Finally, he sighed. “Alright, Sam. I will. But I won’t do it alone. I want a three-part leadership. You, me and one other until honest elections can be held.”
“I won’t do it, Braen, I’m not even from Andalon. I do promise to help though. But not as front man. I’ll guide and mentor you and whoever you choose, but I’ll do it from behind the scenes. Who do you want? I’ll ensure that all three of you win.”
Braston paused, still afraid to fully trust this man, but realized that he had to start. “Have it your way. Who do you suggest?”
“Shon Wembley.”
“No. He isn’t ready. He’s too aggressive and full of hate.”
“Then you tell me.”
“Well, Amash Horslei, for one.”
“Another noble-born? Your idea of democracy might be a little different than the people’s if you keep stacking the deck with nobles.”
“Amash has the right mindset. He’s intelligent, well-schooled and will uphold the law at any cost.”
“Understandable, but you may have to choose another. Who else?”
“The best woman for the job.”
Samani looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded, a smile curling up on his lips. “Good choice, Kraken.”
Braen excused himself and left Samani, walking toward Eusari. He climbed on the rock beside her and said nothing, just stared at the harbor and thought about all of the rebuilding they had before them.
She broke the silence. “I can’t do this with you anymore. I won’t.”
“What part can’t you do? The freedom fighting or the relationship?”
She looked up at him with a glare. “Relationship?”
“Well, what is it? You tell me.” He braced himself for the letdown.
Releasing a breath, Eusari let herself be vulnerable for the first time Braen could remember. “I’ve never had a relationship, Braen. This concept is new to me, but I’m willing to try.”
He felt the knot in his stomach let go. “Then what can’t you do?”
“You’re a good man. No, you’re a great man. But you’re so selfish at times. Every time I turn my back, you’re doing something your way because you think it’s better.” Tears formed in her eyes. “And then you brought these kids along and look what happened! Niko died, Braen. They just told me. So did Suzette.”
“I. I’m sorry.”
“That makes two. I asked you not to involve them, but you did. You’re responsible for their deaths because I won’t have them on my conscience.”
“Eusari, I…”
“I’m not finished.” She glared at him, her green eyes burning with flecks of gold. “There are certain things that I’ll never tolerate from anyone.” She drew a deep breath and released it. “Breaking promises tops that list, Braen Braston. I can’t let you lie to me ever again.”
Braen sat for a while, taking everything that Eusari had said to heart. “I don’t mean to break my promises. I get caught up in doing what I think is right. I guess I just push my way through.” He paused again, searching for the right words to say. “I’m going to change things. Samani and I were just discussing that we plan to have more than one leader of The Cove. We need that system if we’re to have checks and balances and prevent tyranny. Eusari, I want you to be one of those leaders.”
“I thought we were having elections.”
“We are.”
“Do you think I would stand a chance
in an election? Adamas Creech is more popular than me.”
“Trust me. After what you did to help those people today? You will be their first choice.”
“I will do it if the people choose me. I won’t take part in any system that forces our will on the people.”
Braen felt a piece of him break. He had just promised not to deceive her, and he had already lied less than a minute later.
“Eusari?”
“Yes, Braen?”
He felt her relax as she answered, resting her head on his shoulder as they sat. “I. I just. I don’t know. I just want you to know that things are going to be different from now on. I promise.”
Eusari smiled, fully trusting the words of a man for the first time in her life. “I believe you, Braen.”
Epilogue
Fatwana Nakala felt exhausted. The Council was corrupt. Her brother had died trying to convince her of that, but she refused to believe him. That he had run off and joined The Society without a thought of how she and her sister would fare from his treason made her angry, even to this day. She was a reasonable woman, but she had refused to accept his words as truth until the latest transcriptions.
All four elemental latents had awakened. Water, Earth, Fire and Air. Most astonishingly, they had awakened with such power that each was five times stronger than anything science had been able to reproduce with their experiments. She stared at the parchment in front of her, wishing that she had acted sooner to help her brother. Perhaps she could have even prevented Ashima’s death.
Tears flowed down her eyes as she saw inside of the Rookeries, rows and rows of people stolen and turned into farms. She had known that the beads came from human subjects, but she had not realized that her people farmed unwilling and enslaved subjects for their powers. That was a detail that the Chancellor and the Council had failed to share with the Oracles. Surely a mistake had been made. But she knew the answer immediately.