Rondel gestured to her left. Narunë let her guide him away from camp.
They’d walked in silence about ten minutes before Rondel said, “This should be far enough.”
“Did she follow us?”
Rondel’s Lightning Sight flashed. “I don’t see anyone else, and all the animals within earshot are native.”
Narunë nodded. “So what happened? A month is far too long to spend in Shikari.”
“It was necessary,” Rondel said. “The mission went as expected.”
Narunë pressed his thumb and index finger into the bridge of his nose. “I’d dared to hope that it wouldn’t,” he admitted. “Minawë believed so much in that young man. I wanted to think he would come back with you.”
“Melwar has twisted Iren beyond recognition. He’s become a demon obsessed with revenge.”
“Did you kill him?”
Rondel’s wrinkled fists clenched. “I had him in my grasp, but Minawë intervened and saved his life. He escaped.”
“So what will you do now?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I’ll carry out Okthora’s Law. Evil must be annihilated. If Iren isn’t slain, he’ll corrupt Divinion and throw all of Raa into chaos. I’m going back to Shikari to find him. Iren Saitosan must die, just like his father.”
Narunë folded his muscular arms. “How does Minawë feel about that?”
Rondel sat on a fallen log. She shook her head. “I’m sure you know. I originally recruited her to deal with the Stone Dragon Knight. That was before I knew what Melwar had planned for Iren. Had I known that, I never would have brought her along.”
“She cares for him.”
“Not that the boy deserves it. After Minawë went to the trouble of saving him, the fool turned his back on her. He up and left, saying he would kill her if she interfered in his revenge.”
“Is that why you were so late in returning?”
Rondel nodded. “Minawë thought Iren would change his mind. She thought he was just speaking out of anger, and that he’d come to his senses. We waited for a month, but he never showed.”
“Why come back at all then? Had you waited, he might have returned, and even if he didn’t, you would already be in Shikari. The trail will have gone cold by now. How will you find him again?”
Rondel looked up at him. There was an expression on her face he’d never seen from her. It was pleading. “There’s something I need you to do for me.”
Narunë pressed his fingers into his nose again. “Why do I get the feeling whatever it is will be unpleasant?”
Rondel grinned. “Oh, it’s not that bad. It’s—”
She cut off. Her smile disappeared. Her eyes swiveled across the jungle.
“You did better than I expected,” Rondel said. “Black cat on a black night. That was smart.”
A low vibration came from the forest. Narunë tensed. He knew that sound.
Then he saw them. A pair of yellow eyes gleamed through the brush.
The jaguar stalked up to them, teeth bared. It snarled, but it didn’t pounce. Instead, it reared up on its hind legs. As it did, those legs changed shape, lengthening and melting into brown leather with green embroidered leaves. The yellow eyes morphed into emerald ones, and the hair on the cat’s head changed to the same color.
Minawë stood before her mother and uncle. Though she was now a Kodama instead of a cat, she looked as close to lunging as she had before the change.
“Don’t think you can wander off,” Minawë growled. “Either of you.”
Narunë held up both hands. “Hold on, don’t lump me in with a troublemaker like Rondel!”
Minawë wasn’t in a joking mood. Her eyes fixed on her uncle. “You knew she wanted to escape. That’s why you told your men to keep such a close eye on me.”
Narunë gave his most innocent smile. “You’re their queen. There are a lot of dangerous things in this jungle. I wanted them to protect you.”
“Don’t lie to me. This jungle won’t hurt me. If you want to protect me, then don’t let Rondel out of your sight.”
“Why not?”
“Because I won’t let her escape. Iren’s beyond my reach, but Rondel isn’t. If they want to kill each other, eventually they’ll have to meet. I plan to be there when they do.”
Narunë frowned, his mouth a thin line. So that was the game.
“Let’s head back to camp,” he said, “and don’t worry about Rondel. I’ll make sure she comes back to Sorengaral with us.”
Rondel flashed him an aggravated expression. She opened her mouth, surely to spit some nasty comment, but Narunë stopped her with a look.
Minawë eyed the two elders for a moment. At last she nodded curtly. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll walk behind you two on the way back to make sure you don’t try anything.”
Narunë shrugged and motioned for Rondel to take the lead. After a few steps though, he came level with her. Without turning his head he murmured, low enough that Minawë couldn’t hear, “Give me until Sorengaral. She’s my niece. I can convince her to stay there. Then you can disappear without her following you.”
Rondel kept her body position unchanged as she replied, “I’m counting on you. I saw how Minawë reacted when Iren turned from her. She had an opportunity to stop him, and she let it slip away. I can’t risk her interfering.”
“Why?” Narunë asked. “Are you afraid Iren will attack her?”
“No,” Rondel whispered, “I’m afraid I will.”
CHAPTER FOUR
The Female Mayor
“There it is,” Dirio said from the head of the column of villagers, “Kataile.”
Balear crested the small rise so he could stand beside Veliaf’s mayor. It was a strange title, considering that thanks to Balear, Veliaf no longer existed.
“It’s beautiful,” Dirio breathed.
Balear frowned. From here he couldn’t even see the city itself. Kataile was built into the side of a white limestone plateau that jutted out from the Eregos Mountains’ northeast corner. The plateau curled around into a crescent-shaped barrier that surrounded the city and shielded it from view. From this angle, all Balear could see was the outside of the cliff and the ocean east of it.
But Dirio’s eyes were wide with hope, so Balear nodded. They had come so far, and they couldn’t go back. They could do nothing but hope.
The only way in or out of the city was along the beach that separated the cliff from the sea. Balear and Dirio headed down the hill toward it, the villagers following behind.
Despite his lack of a view, Balear couldn’t help but feel a small share of the balding fifty-year-old mayor’s excitement. Here was a place, perhaps alone in Lodia, untouched by the civil war. With Kataile’s natural protection, no other city’s army could invade it. In addition, the city’s port gave it access to the sea for food and trade with the Tacumsah Archipelago.
As Balear crossed onto the sand, though, his optimism fell. A driftwood barricade blocked off the beach, and armed guards stood behind it. Dirio motioned for his people to stand back. He and Balear approached the guards alone.
The men behind the barricade looked confident, but Balear could tell it was an act. Either that, or they were such complete novices that they really believed this shoddy pile of wood could protect them. It was barely four feet high and wasn’t even nailed together. Balear figured he could breach it with one swing of the Auryozaki strapped to his back. For that matter, he could probably crush the blockade just by setting the massive sword on top of the wood.
Not that there was a need to break it. The barricade extended to the cliff wall, but with the ocean’s changing waves, it couldn’t block passage on that side. As long as you didn’t mind getting your feet wet, you could just walk around it.
The barricade’s guards were no more formidable. There were six of them, each armed with a fishing spear. Only two had any armor, and that was boiled leather. Just one had a sword, and even with it sheathed, Balear could tell it was useless. The handle had too
much decoration. It was a weapon designed for parades, not combat. Balear doubted it was even sharp.
From back on the hill, Balear had thought Kataile impregnable. But if this paltry blockade was any indication, the city might be relying on reputation alone to secure itself.
“Welcome to Kataile!” one of the guards called to the newcomers. “We wish you a pleasant and peaceful stay!”
Balear cocked an eyebrow. Those weren’t the words a sentinel said to strangers during a civil war. The man’s tone was even less soldierly. What kind of guards were these?
Then again, it made sense. Kataile thrived on tourism, with visitors coming from all over Lodia to swim in the ocean and enjoy the views atop the plateau. These guards knew nothing of war. All they knew was how to welcome people.
In a way Balear found it refreshing. In another it terrified him.
Dirio took the unusual greeting in stride. “Thank you,” he said with a broad smile. “I’m certain we all wish for our stay to be pleasant and peaceful. My name is Dirio Cyneric, and I’m the mayor of Veliaf. I’ve come to treat with Lady Elyssa Orianna. Might I speak with her?”
Whatever response the guards had been expecting, that wasn’t it. They huddled and conversed among themselves.
At length the man with the parade sword turned to Dirio and Balear. “We’re used to guests here, but not this many. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to turn back.”
Dirio frowned. “We’ve come a long way. We’ve traveled through deep snow and chilling cold. Many of our women and children are starving and on the verge of frostbite. Surely the famed hospitality of Kataile is not so poor as this?”
The guard stiffened and spun back to his men. The conversation this time was more heated. Balear half-smiled. Dirio was mayor for a reason.
“We apologize for any rudeness,” the guard said. “Please come with me. We must ask that the rest of our new guests wait outside until we decide how best to accommodate you.”
“That will do,” Dirio replied. “Of course as mayor, I’ll need an honor guard.” He gestured to Balear. “This is General Balear Platarch of the Castle Guard. He’s here to ensure my safe passage.”
When Dirio said Balear’s name, the guards blanched, and Balear winced. Everyone in the country knew him. Unfortunately, they knew him as the traitor who had tipped off the Kodamas to King Angustion’s invasion. In so doing, he’d allowed them time to prepare for and defeat the king. For many Lodians, Balear was the reason the country was in this civil war in the first place.
“We have orders to bring General Platarch to the mayor immediately, should he come,” the guard said. He walked around the barricade and up to Balear. “Sir, I’ll carry that sword for you.”
Balear grinned despite himself. “No you won’t, but please feel free to try.”
He grasped the weapon with his lone hand. It no longer felt strange to have only one arm, even though it was his left one.
The Sky Dragon Sword came off its specially designed harness on Balear’s back without trouble. The weapon was huge; the blade portion alone was seven feet long, six inches thick, and a foot wide at the base. In Balear’s hand, though, it weighed no more than a grain of sand.
Not so long ago Balear would have declared the weapon and its bizarre powers “devil magic.” He knew better now. Then again, considering the monster sealed inside it, perhaps that description was accurate after all.
Balear set the Auryozaki on the beach and stepped back. The guard knelt, grasped the weapon with both hands, and tugged.
It didn’t move. The Katailan yanked with all his might, veins popping on his forehead. The sword refused to budge. Two more guards came to help, but even three of them together couldn’t lift it. Though weightless to Balear, the Auryozaki maintained its original, mammoth weight to anyone else who touched it.
“I have no intention of using it,” Balear said. “For the sake of all your dignities, please permit me to carry it. It shouldn’t block up your city’s otherwise fine entrance.”
Even these amateurs knew enough not to be happy letting an armed stranger see the mayor, but they knew they had no choice. Considering that stranger could swing the heavy weapon as daintily as a dagger, there was nothing they could do to stop him. The guard with the parade sword nodded, and Balear returned the blade to its harness.
That harness was a miracle of craftsmanship, and like so much else in his life, Balear had Dirio to thank for it. Rather than use a sheath or loops that would make drawing the sword impractical for a one-armed man, the harness had a magnetic strip between the shoulders that held the weightless blade in place.
“I’ll take you both to the mayor,” the guard with the parade sword said. He gestured for his men to step aside. Dirio and Balear waited for an ocean wave to retreat, then walked around the barricade with him.
The guard led Dirio and Balear past the cliff wall, and at last Balear could gaze upon Kataile itself. It had been worth the wait. He’d traveled through most of Lodia during his time with the Castle Guard, but he’d never had occasion to visit Kataile. He regretted it now. The city rose in a sweeping arc up the cliff face, the whitewashed buildings almost invisible against the limestone.
In the lowest level of town sat the docks. Balear could see from the beach that the ocean curved inward to form a round, deep-water bay where even large ships could dock. Several masts rose above the buildings surrounding the pier. Most flew Lodian colors, but two sported Tacumsahen flags.
The guard took them into the city and up a long staircase. Balear looked on either side as the buildings rose in levels around him. Those closest to the water were small and simple. The higher they climbed, the bigger and more intricate the structures became.
As much as the architecture itself, Kataile’s cleanliness impressed Balear. Most cities were grimy and smelly, but Kataile gleamed like someone had scrubbed the place down just this morning.
Balear paused on a landing to catch his breath and examine the view. They were three quarters up the cliff face now, and the sight across the ocean astounded him. Even the view from Haldessa Castle hadn’t been this grand. This place was perfect, an island of untouched peace and beauty. Standing here, it was like the war didn’t even exist.
The people gave that impression too. Even though it was the middle of winter, they all looked well fed. Children ran in the streets, shouting and playing as they surely did every day. Merchants and shoppers wandered around the markets of the lower levels.
Dirio and Balear’s escort motioned for them to continue, and they resumed their hike up the cliff. Dirio wiped his brow as they ascended, and despite his military training Balear could feel himself tiring as well. He wondered how often the people up here descended to the docks, and how often those below rose to the upper levels. He doubted it happened much.
The guard with them stopped at last before the tallest building at the city’s highest level. This structure was the only one in Kataile to reach above the plateau, though several staircases led up to the cliff top.
Balear once more turned his head to face the ocean. From here he could see all of Kataile laid out below him. With a wary eye, he looked up at the building the guard had led them to. It had windows on every exposed side. Nothing happened in this city without someone up here seeing it. Balear wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
When the guard opened the building’s door, Balear had to duck to get the Auryozaki through the opening. Once inside though, he had plenty of space. The ceilings were ten feet high, and all the doorways were wide, curved arches that allowed several people to walk through them at once.
Like the building’s exterior, the inside walls were white. Murals, tapestries, and sculptures lined them to break up the otherwise blinding appearance.
Dirio and Balear’s escort led them to a flight of steps. Together they climbed to the building’s third and highest floor.
“Wait here,” the guard said when the trio reached a pair of carved wooden doors enclosing an arch even wide
r than the ones they’d passed through on the first floor. “I’ll inform Lady Orianna of your arrival.”
The man tapped on one of the doors. A moment later it opened inward, and he entered. The door boomed shut behind him.
Balear looked at Dirio. “I never want to see another step in my life,” he said. “This place is exhausting.”
“But secure,” Dirio replied, “and that’s why we’re here. By the way, please keep disparaging comments like that to yourself when we meet the mayor.”
Balear flinched. Kataile was a tourist town after all. He wouldn’t win friends by speaking ill of it. “So,” he said, hoping to change the subject, “have you ever met Lady Orianna?”
“Until two years ago, I was an underling at a mine in a backwater village on the northern frontier. I didn’t get out much.”
“I feared so,” Balear said. “I’ve never met her either. But I do know that Lady Orianna has been Kataile’s mayor since before I joined the Castle Guard. She’s also Lodia’s only female mayor.”
Dirio pursed his lips. “This could be interesting.”
The wooden door opened again. The man with the parade sword appeared and motioned for them to come in.
Balear walked into the room and suppressed a gasp. The space rivaled the glory of Haldessa Castle before its destruction. A plush seafoam green carpet with an intricate wave pattern covered the floor; Balear had seen its equal only in the late King Azuluu’s throne room. Four clay pots dotted each of the room’s corners. Balear wasn’t familiar with the style, but judging from the pair of soldiers stationed by each one, he guessed they must hold tremendous value.
Most impressive, though, was the entire wall devoted to a mural of Kataile at dawn. Far from the blinding white Balear had anticipated, the painting showed a glittering mix of yellows, reds, and oranges as the early-morning light reflected off the limestone cliff and cityscape.
The painting was so realistic Balear at first mistook the wall for a gigantic window. Then he saw the prominent “Feidl” signature in the painting’s lower right. He shivered.
The Flames of Dragons Page 3