VOIDWALKER

by M. L. Brooks

  “Go on to yer meetin’ now, and don’t forget about us little people!” giggled one of the maids as she ushered Adair back out of the room.

  Mitchel was standing outside waiting for Adair when the maidens pushed her out.

  “Umm were you there this whole time?” asked Adair.

  “Of course, I was. Someone has to announce you,” he said in a matter of fact tone.

  He picked her arm up in his and then lead her back to the main hall. The two ascended the stone stairs of the main hallway together. When they reached the big door at the top, Mitchel quickly pushed it open. Inside was a long and open hall leading up to a tall throne chair against a stone wall.

  The ceiling was a dome of glass panes that offered a beautiful view of the sky. Adair stopped and looked up, taking in the sight. There were two guards by the king and another two by the door. Two long tables were on either side of the room with a couple people eating and chatting. A purple rug ran its way up the center of the room and stopped at the king’s feet. The stone of the walls had been laid out in bricks that gave the shape of diamonds.

  An older woman wearing a silver and black gown similarly styled to Mitchel’s attire approached. She studiously scribbled away on a clip board she was carrying. Her nose had a small pair of spectacles sitting on the end of them that she looked down at her notes through.

  “Who is this?” asked the woman.

  As loud as he could Mitchel proclaimed, “Lady Adair Titanborn. Here at the behest of his royal highness!”

  The king sat on his throne, precariously slumped to the side of the grand chair. He was dressed in a dark purple shirt wrapped in a suit of fur and leather. Nestled atop his head of ashy brown hair was a simple golden circlet. His face was so used to scowling that Adair could see where wrinkles had set into the shape a permanent frown. When he heard Adair Titanborn was there to see him he corrected his posture and readied himself to meet her.

  Mitchel lead Adair up within a few yards in front of the throne and then he bowed. Adair glanced over and then bowed to the king as well. She had a respect for her lord but little knowledge of what the correct protocol for engaging with him was supposed to be. After bowing, Mitchel turned around and walked back out of the throne room.

  “How can I be of service your majesty?” she asked meekly.

  “Hmm. You clean up well enough,” said the king.

  “I uhh… Thank you your majesty,” replied Adair.

  “You can call me King Enzo. I’m going to be direct with you now. I’m looking for a wife for my eldest son. Your father is a lord and a Titanborn at that, which makes you of noble birth, and you would secure important military strength from the East. The Valarians won’t talk to us. They don’t much fancy men trying to tell them how to run their city. But if we sent a woman monarch to them they might listen to you. You could convince them that we’re worthy of being allies,” explained King Enzo.

  Adair stood there in the king’s presence. Her cheeks turned red as she thought about marrying the prince. Adair didn’t want to marry anyone, let alone someone she had never met. She remained silent, not wanting to say the wrong thing and damn herself in front of the king.

  “You’re not of many words, are you? That’s ok. The best women aren’t the talkative ones. My son needs to build his reputation as a leader. I’m going to deploy him to Fort Blackrun, and you’re going to be in his retinue. We will station you out there for half a year, give you a chance to get to know each other. When you come back, we can feed the city stories of his war acumen and how you two fell in love. We won’t plan the wedding right away, I’m thinking the long game here,” elaborated the king.

  Adair focused on keeping her lips from trembling. She didn’t want to get married and settle down and birth children. She didn’t want to be locked away in some tower living her life as a queen. It would have been enough of an honor simply being chosen to accompany the prince on his tour to Fort Blackrun.

  “Thank you, your grace, but even though I have the Titanborn name, my mother was lowborn. My father doesn’t care for me. I’m just a knight in your service. Surely there is someone who is a more appropriate match for a prince?” asked Adair, choking back her emotions.

  “I’m the one in control of what the public sees. If I tell them that the daughter of Duke Titanborn is a lady of my court then that’s all they’ll see. You should be happy, your father will welcome you with open arms in your new position,” said King Enzo. There was something in his tone that was almost encouraging. He genuinely thought he was doing something good for both his kingdom and for Adair personally.

  “I don’t know anything of being a wife or a lady of the court. Please reconsider your highness,” pleaded Adair.

  “Enough of your nonsense. I want you ready to head out in a week’s time. Meet with my castle reeve and tell him you are to be fitted for your full knight’s regalia. When you leave with the prince and when you return with him, we’re going to make a spectacle of it,” ordered King Enzo.

  “Yes, Your Grace,” said Adair. She bowed again and then turned around to leave the hall.

  Her mind was racing with ideas. She needed to maintain her composure and at the same time come up with a way to get out of being betrothed to the prince. She took a deep breath and decided to take things one step at a time. As a knight captain she would perform her duty and protect her prince while on this mission. If the opportunity presented itself maybe she could find a way out of the matrimonial union the king had proposed.

  When she got outside, Mitchel was prepping the king’s next appointment. Adair stood to the side of the door, at the top of the landing, and continued to practice her deep breathing. She leaned her back against the stone wall to catch her balance. She repeated her plan in her mind, this time finding herself more comfortable with the situation.

  “Are you alright my lady?” Mitchel asked her, a puzzled look on his face.

  “Yes… I am… Sorry. I just needed to catch my breath. I think the king said that I need to be fitted for a full knight’s regalia,” replied Adair.

  CHAPTER 7

  Shea eagerly agreed to accompany Adair on her journey to Fort Blackrun. She saw it as an opportunity to continue developing practical uses for her magic. Raz was already in the employ of the king, and all it took was a command and he had to follow. Petra took a little more convincing but agreed to accompany her as far as Blackwall, the city near the fort.

  On the day of their departure from Guardia, Adair stood in front of the king’s castle. Nathaniel had been assigned to guard the young Prince Flavian, and they were loading up a carriage for their journey. Other soldiers were busy making their final preparations and then lining up to march through the city. They were bringing a small company to guard the princes and to reinforce Fort Blackrun upon their arrival.

  Adair shifted uncomfortably, adjusting her armor. The blacksmiths had made her a set of plate mail that sculpted and defined her breasts. A long, royal blue skirt wrapped around the lower part of her tunic. Draped down her back was a long blue cloak, clasped to her shoulders by rhombus-shaped diamonds. They had given her a set of armor to look sparkly and feminine, and it had little comfort or practicality to it. She looked around for the eldest prince, Abel.

  When he walked out of the open doors of the castle, Adair immediately recognized him from posters and artwork she had seen in the city. Prince Abel was tall and thin with ashy brown hair and pale brown eyes. He looked like a younger version of his father. He wore a suit of shiny armor and a silver crown with a single large diamond in its center instead of a helmet. Adair approached him and bowed courteously.

  “My name is Adair. I will be your personal sword from this day forward until we arrive safely back at this castle.” She attempted to introduce herself.

  “Indeed. Curious that my father would want me to marry you. I don’t need your sword or your help. Just follow along and try to make me look good,” replied the prince.

  Adair held her tongue and d
idn’t respond to the comment.

  The two walked down and a couple of servants brought them mounts to ride. Both of the horses were perfectly groomed and carried themselves with the discipline of war horses. Adair had some basic riding experience but horses weren’t suited to the winding stone streets of Guardia. The prince mounted his horse with ease. Adair copied his technique, throwing herself up onto the horse’s back.

  They rode up behind the soldiers. Shea, Raz, and Petra walked on foot behind Adair.

  “NOOOO!” shouted Mitchel from the castle steps.

  Adair turned around to look at him.

  “Mages don’t walk. This is undignified and the Mage’s Guild will have our heads if they see that. Put her on the carriage with the driver,” shouted Mitchel, pointing to the Prince’s carriage.

  “Right away!” chirped Shea as she ran over to the carriage and attempted to climb up to the seat next to the driver. She clung to the edge of the carriage, not quite able to lift her own body weight to pull herself over. Seeing her struggle to climb up, the driver threw an arm down and picked her up. He set her daintily in the seat next to him.

  After another hour of packing, positioning, and preparing for the journey, the entourage began to march. Infantry led in the front with Adair and the royal princes following. Adair rode closely with Prince Abel. People lined the streets to watch the procession head through the city. Prince Abel had perfect posture as he rode through the streets, waving at the people.

  “Smile and wave,” he whispered to Adair, through smiling teeth.

  Adair perked up her posture a little bit and attempted to wave at the people. She didn’t have the same enthusiasm as the prince did, but the city folk didn’t seem to mind. After the tournament and now being sighted with the prince, Adair was becoming a recognizable face to the city. Shea didn’t pay much attention to what was going on. The young mage just sat calmly with her driver as the carriage strolled down the street.

  After leaving the city, their march was largely uneventful. Outside of the city were farmers working hard in the fields. The farmers would pause to watch the procession, some of them even cheering. Miles past the farms were green hills, speckled with trees and occasionally dirt roads leading up to the more secluded homesteads. The kingdom had a serene beauty to it that put Adair at ease during their travels.

  Most nights they found accommodations in a nearby hamlet or inn. These rest stops, while not quite large enough to support their full company, were spaced with enough consistency that they were never more than a day’s ride from some kind of settlement. Petra told stories and recited poetry of her exploits around the campfires. Some of them seemed too outlandish to believe but most of the soldiers were eager for some form of entertainment.

  Raz followed Petra around like a lost puppy. He was eager to find a mentor of some kind on his first official outing, but Petra spurned his attempts to talk to her. Shea always had a book in her hands. She rarely left the carriage except to take care of necessities such as sleeping, eating, and other bodily functions. On the fifth day, they approached the city of King’s Cross.

  King’s Cross was a large city that was built in a square formation. The city lacked formal walls and instead was secured by four stone towers. Hanging from the towers was the King’s Cross banner. The towers served as checkpoints, with major roads running to the west, north, and east. The South tower did not have any roads leading away from it and was used to monitor the city below. Adair’s company was approaching the Western tower.

  Guards from the tower trumpeted the arrival of the prince and escorted them into the city. The market was full of traders from Guardia in the West, New Valar in the North, Bosh Ragan to the East, and even a few caravans of traders from Ingress to the South. With all of the different cultures from across the country meeting in King’s Cross, their market was far bigger than even Guardia’s market. They were led to the Merchant’s Guild Hall, a lavish palace in the middle of the city.

  A man wrapped in gold robes and furs stood in the courtyard surrounded by guards that looked to be hired mercenaries, and servants. He was clearly the lord of the palace. When the princes and Adair finally pulled up to the courtyard, the man approached Prince Abel. Abel dismounted and the two embraced each other. Adair dismounted and followed behind Abel.

  “My what a fine young man you’ve grown into!” said the man as he clapped Abel on the back. “Hmm, and who is this exotic beauty you’ve brought with you?” He continued, taking Adair’s hand and lifting it to his lips.

  “Oh, this is Lady Adair. Lady Adair this is Baron Gaspar. Our families go way back. He’s the guild master of the Merchant’s Guild and holds lordship over King’s Cross for us,” introduced Abel.

  “Nice to meet you.” Adair smiled, trying to be polite as she withdrew her hand.

  “HELP!” echoed a curdling scream across the courtyard.

  Two guards were holding back an elderly woman. She had blue tattoos up her hands, and her knotted hair spiraled down her shoulders in gray twists. She tried to push through the guards but they held her in place. Adair turned to the woman and started walking over.

  “What are you doing?” asked the Baron.

  “I’m going to see what’s going on,” replied Adair.

  “She’s clearly mad. The guards will take care of her,” said Gaspar, waving them away.

  “There’s demons in the Rohista!” cried the old lady.

  “You mean that disgusting bog trap by the Spiral Lakes?” asked the Prince.

  “Let her speak to me! I will help her!” shouted Adair.

  The guards holding the woman stood there, confused as to how to proceed.

  “You’re supposed to be watching the Prince,” chided Nathaniel as he and the younger prince exited their carriage.

  “Petra and Raz, stay with the Prince. Shea and I will investigate what’s going on. We’ll meet back up with you in Bosh Ragan,” said Adair.

  “Hmph! I honestly cannot be bothered with your trivial ideas. If you want to traverse the dangers of a swamp for some forsaken old bat then I have better things to do than stop you,” said Abel as he waved Adair away.

  “Thank you, your grace,” said Shea, curtsying by the prince as she followed Adair to the old woman.

  The guards let her go.

  “You’re all I’m going to get?” scoffed the old lady.

  “I’m the muscle, and she’s a mage,” said Adair, waving a thumb at Shea.

  “Rohista has one of those already. But I guess we’ll take what we can get,” sighed the elder.

  “What’s your name?” asked Shea.

  “My name is Broadleaf. Please hurry with me.” The words rushed out of her mouth.

  “Should I grab a horse?” asked Shea.

  “The horses won’t be any good in the wetlands,” said Adair.

  Broadleaf waved them forward, and they followed her. She moved at a quick pace.

  “And what do you know of the wetlands?” asked Broadleaf.

  “My father had a lot of respect for your people. He said one of your fishermen were worth five in the capital,” replied Adair.

  “Your father sounds smarter than most men then,” said Broadleaf, giving a huff that almost resembled a laugh.

  After a couple hours of walking, they started heading around a large lake. The green grass started mottling with peat and the trees became denser. Vines grew all around and pulled down at some of the trees, almost creating a canopy. As they entered this forest, the air felt thicker and warmer. The air had a subtly foul smell from decaying vegetation and other things that Adair couldn’t even guess at. Bodies of water were everywhere, some running around like slow moving rivers and others sitting like stagnant ponds.

  “Keep close, if you stray off the path there’s all manner of beast that will take you,” warned Broadleaf.

  As if to punctuate her point, a snake slithered beneath Shea’s feet. Shea squealed and grabbed onto Adair’s back. Adair covered Shea’s mouth and shook her hea
d as if to tell the young mage to knock it off. The two followed slowly behind Broadleaf. Eventually they reached a less dense area in the swamp. It seemed to be illuminated by a bright magenta light from somewhere.

  They approached Rohista, a small settlement built on stilts and the few patches of dry land around them. They walked up wooden planks into the town, black water swirling below them. Adair noticed that the sounds of cicada and frogs and other swamp wildlife had faded completely. Reaching the center of the village, they saw what was causing the illumination.

  There was a breach that looked to be tearing open the very air itself. The edges of the breach pulsed with bright purple lightning. The center of the tear was open and seemed to lead into another world, but the view of it was hazy and Adair couldn’t make out the details of what was inside. The tear was a few feet above the wooden planks of Rohista. Beneath the tear was a man who was waving his arms and chanting.

  His head was adorned with a headdress made from the antlers of one of the bucks caught in the swamp. His skin was covered in blue tattoos much like Broadleaf’s. Runes were carved into the wood beneath him and the breach seemed to be responding to him, shivering with the changes in his words and intonations. Shea and Adair both paused, having never seen something like this before.

  “This is Heron the Woad. He’s the chief of our village and a damn good druid. Whatever sorcery caused this, he’s been holding it in check for the past day. He hasn’t moved from that spot,” said Broadleaf, pointing at the man.

  A young girl, about Shea’s age, ran up to them. Her skin was dirty and her fingers were stained blue. She had a large dagger at her waist and a bow across her back. Tangles of brown hair were pulled back into a ponytail that bobbed with her as she ran up to Broadleaf.

  “Thank the gods you’re back!” cried the girl as she hugged Broadleaf.

  The old lady softened to hug the girl.

  “I’m Cattail, you can just call me Catt. I’ve been trying to take care of my dad while he closes the breach, but I think there is something on the other side preventing him from sealing it,” said the girl.