“None of it,” whispered Agia.
“That is in the past, my love,” said Rykon. “We must go. There are ships waiting in the harbor. We must reach them before…”
“Before justice is done?” said a deep voice.
Rykon spun, pushing Agia behind him, his sword raised.
A man in the gray-green robe of a stormdancer stood on the other side of the reflecting pool, sword in hand. A black cloak emblazoned with a golden Imperial eagle hung from his shoulders. Silver streaked his black hair, and his lips twitched with amusement.
“Mathanius,” said Rykon.
“Traitor,” spat Agia. “What are you doing here?”
“For your own good, little sister,” said Mathanius, striding around the edge of the pool. “Soon the Legions will break the inner gate, and the city shall be sacked. The men shall be slain, the women raped and sold into slavery. As you are my sister, I would spare you that.” His lip twisted with contempt. “Instead, you seem to prefer the company of this fool.”
“He did not betray his people to destruction and slavery!” said Agia.
Mathanius snorted. “Don’t be trite, girl. The Empire has eight times the population and territory of every Kyracian city, combined. Sooner or later we will be conquered. Better to join with the Empire on our own terms. Once Kyrace falls and the idiot Tyndaros is dead, I will be made Imperial governor over the Kyracian cities, and I will lead our people to new glory.” He smiled. “And the Emperor is old. Perhaps I will take his place upon the Imperial throne.”
“Or,” said Rykon, “the Emperor will have you killed, now that your usefulness has ended.”
Mathanius's smile faltered, just for a moment. "You speak of things above your understanding."
"Treachery," said Rykon, "is not so difficult to understand. Nor is jealousy."
"Jealousy?" said Mathanius. "It was my family that should have sat upon the Archon's throne." He shook his head, lifting his sword. A blade of storm-forged steel, similar to Rykon's. "And you had the temerity, the gall to ask for my sister's hand in marriage. Don't you understand? She belongs to me, and I shall decide her husband. Just as Kyrace belongs to me, and I shall decide..."
He struck in midsentence, his blade blurring with lethal speed. Among all the stormdancers of Kyrace, Lord Mathanius had ever been the fastest and the strongest. But Rykon saw the attack coming, and drew upon his own air sorcery. Mathanius's blade rebounded from his parry, and Rykon struck back, sword stabbing for the older man's heart. Mathanius slapped the sword aside and danced back.
"Brother!" shouted Agia. "Stop this! You have already stained your hands with treachery and murder! Do not soil them further with the blood of my beloved!"
"Be silent, Agia," said Mathanius, the point of his sword tracing lazy circles in the air. "And you, Rykon. Do you really think to fight me? I took up the blade and cast my first spell long before you were born. I slew my first man in a duel at the age of eleven. You cannot possibly defeat me."
"Perhaps not," said Rykon, calling lightning into his sword. The blue light fell over the Tower's top, brighter than the stars, brighter than the fires devouring the city below. "But I may yet keep you from reigning as a puppet over our enslaved people, murderer and coward."
A spasm of fury crossed Mathanius's face, and he sprang forward with a roar of fury, his sword spitting lightning.
The blades met and met again, a score of times in half as many heartbeats. Rykon drove at Mathanius with every ounce of strength he possessed, his sorcery giving his strikes the speed of a hurricane and the strength of a flood. But Mathanius met every blow, his lips peeled in a rictus of rage. Rykon's momentum played out, and Mathanius struck back, lightning snarling and sparking between their swords.
Mathanius's sword licked out, opened a cut on Rykon's jaw.
Another on his left forearm.
Rykon stumbled back, trembling from exhaustion. He had already spent much of his strength fighting the Legionaries and Corthios, and Mathanius was fresh. Then Mathanius's next blow sent the sword tumbling from his fingers, and Rykon dropped to one knee.
Mathanius's sword tip came to rest against his throat.
"I wish I had time to make you suffer," said Mathanius. "You deserve no less. But I suppose a quick death will have to do." He raised his sword high, ready to bring it crashing down upon Rykon's skull.
A song rang out. A woman's voice, clear and high. Agia stood on the edge of the Tower, hands raised, gown billowing about her in a sudden wind.
Arcane power stirred.
Mathanius stared at her in shock. "Sister?"
Lightning exploded out of the sky, screamed down Mathanius's raised sword, and stabbed into his chest. The blast threw him to the ground, his sword bouncing from his grasp, smoke rising from his robes.
It was Rykon's last chance.
He seized his sword and buried the blade below Mathanius's ribs. He shrieked in pain, clawing at the sword, but his eyes turned towards Agia, not Rykon.
"Why?" he breathed. "Why?"
"For our people," said Agia, voice bitter. "For our city, which even now burns."
Rykon wrenched his blade free, and Mathanius, the traitor of Kyrace, shuddered and died. Agia bowed her head, fresh tears falling from her eyes. Rykon put his hand upon her shoulder, and she slumped against him, weeping.
A thunderous crash rang from the lower city as the Legions smashed their way through the inner gate.
"Come," said Rykon, "we must go."
###
The tramp of iron-shod boots echoed over the Tower of Storm’s courtyard.
Tyndaros looked up from the final statue, shaking with weariness. Eight of the nine statues had been shattered, lying in broken pieces across the courtyard. Arcane power hissed and snarled through the earth, the energy crackling along his skin.
It was almost done.
He lifted his gashed palm, let some blood fall upon the final statue, and began to sing.
Men in the black armor and purple cloaks of the Imperial Guard marched into the courtyard, accompanied by crimson-armored battle magi. Then came the high magi and more Imperial Guards, and finally the Emperor himself, proud and stern atop his horse, his black armor chased with gold.
The Archon of Kyrace stopped singing and looked at his conqueror.
Behind him, fine cracks spread across the final statue.
“So,” said the Emperor, “we meet at last.”
“Yes,” said Tyndaros.
The cracks widened. He felt the power shuddering, like a vast storm about to break. The elementals bound within the Broken Mountain were stirring.
“And it is over,” said the Emperor.
“Yes,” said Tyndaros. “For me. And for you as well.”
The Emperor sneered. “Kill this old fool. Make him suffer.”
The high magi and the Imperial Guards started forward.
Behind Tyndaros, the final statue shattered, and the elementals bound within the mountain were free.
The earth shook and sent men sprawling to the ground. The courtyard walls collapsed, and the Emperor fell from the back of his horse. The sound of cracking stone rang over the quaking city like thunder.
And the top of the Broken Mountain began to burn.
###
Even from ten miles away, the explosion almost destroyed the fleet.
Rykon stood with Agia at the stern of their ship, helping her stand as she joined the other stormsingers in throwing all her power into the fleet’s sails. He saw the top of the Broken Mountain explode, saw it erupt in a whirling storm of ash and molten stone.
The thunderclap reached his ears, enormous and deafening. The sea heaved and shook, the ships bouncing like toys, and Rykon just managed to keep Agia from falling over the rail into the gyrating waters.
And as he leaned against the rail, he saw the Broken Mountain collapse, saw the hanging towers of Kyrace vanish in the raging flood of molten stone, saw the Imperial fleet disappear into the billowing plume of the a
sh. Ancient Kyrace, in all its pride and beauty, with all its ziggurats, and temples, and libraries, and scholars and stormsingers and slaves, vanished in the Broken Mountain's inferno, never to be seen again.
Along with the Emperor, the Legions, and the high magi of the Nighmarian Empire.
A colossal wave spread from the island, a towering wall of water, and Rykon feared it would capsize the fleet. But Tyndaros’s warning had proven true. The northern face of the Broken Mountain had buried Kyrace and the Imperial Legions, but the southern side of the island had shielded the fleet from the wave.
“He knew all along,” said Rykon, staring at the burning island. “The great elementals within the mountain had kept it from erupting for all these millennia. He knew Kyrace would fall, so he waited until the Legions had entered the city…”
“And killed them all,” whispered Agia.
Together they watched their home, and their enemies, burn.
###
A few days later the fleet arrived at New Kyre.
With its leadership dead, the Empire had erupted into civil war, the remaining Kyracian colonies overlooked.
Rykon led Agia into New Kyre with a sense of hope.
Together, they could make their people strong again.
THE END
Other books by the author
The Demonsouled Saga
MAZAEL CRAVENLOCK is a wandering knight, fearless in battle and masterful with a sword.
Yet he has a dark secret. He is Demonsouled, the son of the ancient and cruel Old Demon, and his tainted blood grants him superhuman strength and speed. Yet with the power comes terrible, inhuman rage, and Mazael must struggle to keep the fury from devouring him.
But he dare not turn aside from the strength of his blood, for he will need it to face terrible foes.
The priests of the San-keth plot and scheme in the shadows, pulling lords and kingdoms upon their strings. The serpent priests desire to overthrow the realms of men and enslave humanity. Unless Mazael stops them, they shall force all nations to bow before the serpent god.
The Malrag hordes are coming, vast armies of terrible, inhuman beasts, filled with a lust for cruelty and torment. The Malrags care nothing for conquest or treasure, only slaughter. And the human realms are ripe for the harvest. Only a warrior of Mazael’s power can hope to defeat them.
The Dominiar Order and the Justiciar Order were once noble and respected, dedicated to fighting the powers of dark magic. Now they are corrupt and cynical, and scheme only for power and glory. They will kill anyone who stands in their way.
To defeat these foes, Mazael will need all the strength of his Demonsouled blood.
Yet he faces a far more terrible foe.
For centuries the Old Demon has manipulated kings and lords. Now he shall seize the power of the Demonsouled for himself, and become the a god of torment and tyranny.
Unless Mazael can stop him.
Read Demonsouled for free. Mazael's adventures continue in Soul of Tyrants, Soul of Serpents, Soul of Dragons, Soul of Sorcery, Soul of Skulls, and Soul of Swords, along with the short stories The Wandering Knight, The Tournament Knight, and The Dragon's Shadow. Get the first three books bundled together in Demonsouled Omnibus One.
The Ghosts Series
Once CAINA AMALAS was the shy daughter of a minor nobleman, content to spend her days in her father’s library.
Then sorcery and murder and her mother’s treachery tore her life apart.
Now she is a nightfighter of the Ghosts, an elite agent of the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar. She is a master of disguise and infiltration, of stealth and the shadows.
And she will need all those skills to defend the Empire and stay alive.
Corrupt lords scheme and plot in the shadows, desiring to pull down the Emperor and rule the Empire for their own profit and glory. Slave traders lurk on the fringes of the Empire, ready to seize unwary commoners and sell them into servitude in distant lands. Yet both slave traders and cruel lords must beware the Ghosts.
The Magisterium, the Imperial brotherhood of sorcerers, believe themselves the rightful masters of the Empire. With their arcane sciences, they plan to overthrow the Empire and enslave the commoners, ruling all of mankind for their own benefit. Only the Ghosts stand in the path of their sinister plans.
And the Moroaica, the ancient sorceress of legend and terror, waits in the shadows, preparing to launch a war upon the gods themselves. She will make the gods pay for the suffering of mankind...even if she must destroy the world to do it.
Caina Amalas of the Ghosts opposes these mighty enemies, but the cost might be more than she can bear.
Read Child of the Ghosts for free. Caina's adventures continue in Ghost in the Flames, Ghost in the Blood, Ghost in the Storm, Ghost in the Stone, Ghost in the Forge, Ghost in the Ashes, Ghost in the Mask, and Ghost in the Surge, along with the short stories Ghost Aria, Ghost Claws, Ghost Omens, The Fall of Kyrace, Ghost Thorns, Ghost Undying, Ghost Light, and Ghost Dagger. Get the first three books bundled together in The Ghosts Omnibus One, and get the first four short stories bundled together in a World of the Ghosts Volume One.
The Ghost Exile Series
Caina Amalas was a nightfighter of the Ghosts, the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar, and through her boldness and cunning saved the Empire and the world from sorcerous annihilation.
But the victory cost her everything.
Now she is exiled and alone in the city of Istarinmul, far from her home and friends. Yet a centuries-old darkness now stirs in Istarinmul, eager to devour the city and the world itself.
And Caina is the only one that stands in its way...
Read Ghost in the Cowl, Ghost in the Maze, Ghost in the Hunt, Ghost in the Razor, and Ghost in the Inferno along with the short stories Ghost Sword, Ghost Price, Ghost Relics, Ghost Keeper, Ghost Nails, and Ghost Lock.
The Third Soul
RACHAELIS MORULAN is an Initiate of the Conclave, the powerful order of mighty mages. But to become a full Adept of the Conclave, she must first survive the Testing. Those who survive the Testing never speak of the trials they endured.
Those who fail the Testing are never seen again.
And now the Magisters of the Conclave have come to take Rachaelis to undertake the Testing. And there she shall face perils to both her body and her sanity.
And creatures that yearn to devour her soul.
If Rachaelis survives the Testing, she will face even more dangerous foes. The demons of the astral world watch the world of mortal men, desiring to rule it for themselves.
And some Adepts of the Conclave are eager to help them.
Read The Testing for free. Rachelis's trials continue in The Assassins, The Blood Shaman, The High Demon, The Burning Child, The Outlaw Adept, The Black Paladin, and The Tomb of Baligant. Read the entire series in The Third Soul Omnibus One and The Third Soul Omnibus Two.
The Frostborn Series
A thousand years ago, the last grandson of Arthur Pendragon led the survivors of Britain through a magical gate to a new world, a world of magic and high elves, of orcs and kobolds and stranger, darker creatures. Now the descendants of the exiles rule a mighty kingdom, peaceful and prosperous under the rule of the High King.
But a shadow threatens to devour the kingdom.
RIDMARK ARBAN was once a Swordbearer, a knight of renown. Now he is a branded outcast, stripped of his sword, and despised as a traitor.
But he alone sees the danger to come. The Frostborn shall return, and unless they are stopped, they will cover all the world in ice and a neverending winter.
CALLIANDE awakens in the darkness, her memories gone, and creatures of terrible power hunting her.
For she alone holds the secret that can save the world…or destroy it utterly.
The secret of the Frostborn.
Read Frostborn: The First Quest, followed by Frostborn: The Gray Knight, Frostborn: The Eightfold Knife, Frostborn: The Undying Wizard, Frostborn: The Master
Thief, Frostborn: The Iron Tower, Frostborn: The Dark Warden, and Frostborn: The Gorgon Spirit, along with the short stories The Orc's Tale, The Mage's Tale, The Thief's Tale, The Assassin's Tale, and The Paladins's Tale. Read the first three books combined in Frostborn Omnibus One.
Mask of the Demonsouled Trilogy
MAZAEL CRAVENLOCK has prevailed over terrible foes and now rules the Grim Marches with firm justice. Yet ancient evils are stirring in the shadows, freed at last by Mazael's own hand. Unless Mazael fights with all his strength, the world will fall.
SIGALDRA is the last holdmistress of the Jutai nation, the final defender of her people. Now the darkness comes to devour the final remnant of Sigaldra's home and family. Even Sigaldra's courage may not be enough to turn aside the darkness.
Read Mask of Swords along with the short story The Ransom Knight.
The Tower of Endless Worlds
THOMAS WYCLIFFE just wants to finish his dissertation in peace and quiet. So when a man in a black robe appears in his closet, claiming to be the last of the Warlocks, Wycliffe figures it is a bad joke.
But he soon realizes the last of the Warlocks can give him power beyond imagining.
And all it will cost is his soul.
SIMON WESTER needs a job. Badly. So when a rich and powerful Senator offers him employment, he jumps at the chance. Sure, Simon expects to find some corruption, some shady deals.
He doesn't expect to find black magic.
LIAM MASTERE is a Knight of the Sacred Blade, defender of the mortal races. But can swords stand against guns? As bullets and bombs destroy his kingdom, Liam must risk everything to save his homeland's one chance of salvation.
The Ghosts Omnibus: The Kyracian War Page 95