"Might I ask of you two favors, Linaya?" Garret asked.
"That depends," Linaya responded a grin upon her lips again. Garret found pleasure in making the young woman smile.
"Might I join you in the kitchen? I honestly cannot recall the last time I ate," Garret replied.
"Absolutely, I should love to have some company as it is a very rare occurrence these days," Linaya answered. "And your second favor?"
"Would you accompany me in the parade and funeral later this morning? I am to ride directly behind the cart that bears your parents and I think they should like you to be there," Garret asked hesitantly.
"Indeed I think they would. I would be honored to join you, Lord Garret," Linaya said accentuating his title.
"Just Garret please, I shall never grow used to the lord part," Garret chuckled.
Garret and Linaya strode side by side quietly down the empty corridors of the castle, taking their time to reach the kitchens and speaking of their childhoods and various other memories. They spent the pre-dawn hours in the kitchen talking happily like old friends of subjects both amusing and serious. They joked about what an odd pair they made, and Garret made it his point to bring a smile to Linaya’s lips as often as he was able. After a few hours of smiles and laughter, Garret walked Linaya back to her chamber so she could prepare herself for the parade and funeral, and Garret too left the castle to visit the knights' garrison to get ready as well.
For the first time in entirely too long Garret found himself in a hot steaming tub of water and allowed himself to relax. He let his mind drift briefly, though not too long as to fall asleep. As his mind drifted he could not help but think of his parents, back when he was a child in his home in the sleepy village of Vineleaf. He wondered how his father fared without him and Seth to help with the chores, though he imagined James was well and made due with the help of the neighbors. Garret’s mind continued to drift to thoughts of Seth, his own twin, who had been missing now for near a week, though Garret could not be completely sure as all his days seemed to bleed one into the other as of late. Even though Seth was missing, Garret believed him to be alive. Although he could not imagine how his brother might have managed such a feat, he still believed it to be true, though wondered what kept his twin from returning. Perhaps Seth feared that the people hated him for the death of the king, or perhaps Sara had been lost and Seth was out there alone somewhere suffering in grief. Garret had no way of knowing. But be that as it may, decided to rouse himself. Garret washed his hair and face quickly, and drying off with an overly large towel, grabbed a bar of soap and a razor on his way to his personal quarters.
Standing in front of the mirror that had been provided for him for exactly this purpose, Garret first set about trimming his hair, not a lot, but enough to keep it up off his shoulders. Due to a cowlick on the top of his head it was more of necessity that he keep it long than a matter of style. After he was satisfied he had not missed any stray clumps of hair, and that it was fairly even, Garret set about shaving away nearly two weeks of facial hair. The process was completed in short order, and Garret was satisfied that he had only drawn blood in a dozen or so different locations. Inspecting himself in a brief attempt at vanity, Garret was both amused and horrified to find that in the span of weeks it appeared he had aged several years. This he finally attributed to the dark circle around his eyes due to lack of sleep, and assured himself that once rested he would again be the strapping muscular man he had been a few short weeks ago.
Still looking in the mirror Garret began to relive the hours previous, going over the words Linaya had spoken to him in the corridor leading to the stairs. Though he could not figure out why, he could not help but shake the thought that perhaps she was correct in thinking that Sirus had somehow molded him to be exactly who he was today. Sirus had taken him in a mere boy with illusions of becoming a fierce warrior, and had guided him down the very paths required to perfect his good traits. Through study and training he had shaped Garret like a lump of clay into a man respected by those upon the high council. If Sirus and Sasha trusted and believed in him enough to leave him to look after their daughter, then why was it that he could not himself see the man that they saw in the mirror? It was a line of thought that would not last as Garret’s musings were cut short by an interruption from the hallway.
"Yer not gettin' any prettier no matter how long you look in that mirror," Zorbin said with a wide grin spreading beneath his bulbous nose.
Zorbin Ironfist was the single knight Garret had come to know as a brother thus far into his career with the order of the Knights of Valdadore. Zorbin was a dwarf born of the Rancor Mountains, and it was he who had been chosen with Garret in the last Choosing ceremony to join the order of knights. They had trained and studied together from day one. Together they had met every challenge and were blessed by the god Gorandor within a day of one another. Zorbin was short by human standards, though he was tall for a dwarf. He had a giant braid of hair down his back and kept his beard fashioned likewise.
Zorbin was a welcome sight.
"How are you Zorbin? I trust everyone made it back to the city unharmed?" Garret asked.
Zorbin had stayed behind with the common troops, the battle mages and the healers to lend a hand should they need protection on their return trip from the southern reaches of Valdadore.
"Aye, we made it all right," Zorbin replied in his deep guttural voice. "How fares the council?" the dwarf asked.
"It is well. All positions have been filled and I am happy to report that neither you nor I have been elevated to a position above our status," Garret said in his most regal tone causing Zorbin to chuckle deeply.
"’Tis a shame Lord Garret, I had so hoped to spend my days arguing about the cost of manure upon the eastern fields with all the muckity-mucks of high society," Zorbin said mimicking Garret’s tone.
"’Tis a shame indeed," Garret agreed. "Well, you have arrived just in time it seems. Why don’t you get cleaned up and ready for the parade and funerals. You've but a few hours. I'll brush down Zanth if you have brought him with you," Garret offered and just as he finished the sentence the giant wolf stuck his head in the room with his tongue lolling out to one side.
"Well met Zanth. I trust your pal here isn’t gaining more weight than you can bear?" Garret asked the giant dire wolf in jest.
Though the beasts could not talk, they were very intelligent creatures and after so many years amongst men, they had a moderate understanding of the language, and as such Zanth shook his head from side to side.
"See? Zanth knows the truth of things. Ye may be gettin' fat an’ old Garret, but I am as solid as the first day Gorandor blessed me. Pah, you must be gettin' soft sittin' around on yer arse with that council and all," Zorbin laughed as he turned to stride down the hall to his own chamber. Zanth simply sat himself in the doorway, waiting for Garret to dress.
As Garret said he would, after dressing himself he removed the dire wolf's armor and stacking it neatly, he brushed the great wolf down from head to paws, un-matting the beast’s hair and removing any loose fur from his undercoat.
"I hate to do it to you, Zanth, but we have to honor the king, so I'm afraid we have to put the armor back on. You should be able to relax tonight," Garret said.
Working the pile of armor in reverse this time, Garret strapped each piece back on the large wolf, checking and double checking every strap and buckle for a secure fit. Once finished he found a rag and quickly oiled Zanth’s armor in an attempt to remove any scuffs and return the shine. Noticing through a window that the darkness of the night was beginning to fade, Garret left Zanth to his own devices and strode down the hall to the armory to retrieve his own armor. Zorbin was already in full armor, and with time growing short, Garret asked if he would go collect Garret a pair of mounts from the stable. Zorbin of course obliged after thanking Garret for Zanth’s care. Watching the dwarf trundle down the hall, Garret entered the armory and began suiting up himself.
Garret heaved t
he great door to the knight’s garrison open with a single hand and strode out into the crisp early morning air. Zanth came padding out the door behind him, licking his chops having apparently found something to eat all by himself in the kitchen. Taking a deep breath in anticipation of the day to come, Garret could not wait for it to end so things could return back to some semblance of normalcy. The knights' number had been cut drastically by the battle with the black horde to the south and for that reason each of their duties would have nearly doubled, but even so, it was still a routine, and Garret liked the comfort that came with knowing what to expect next. Routines were a good thing.
As Garret exhaled his deep breath in a sigh, Zorbin came through the nearest gate leading a pair of white imperial war horses. These were a breed above anything else called a horse upon Thurr. The magnificent beasts were already groomed and saddled, their manes plaited neatly and their tails braided for the parade. Taking the reins from the dwarf, Garret bid him a short farewell, assuring the dwarf he would see him at the parade line-up. Mounting one of the great white steeds, Garret led the other at a comfortable gallop up the tiered courtyards of the castle, past the various other buildings and towers, to the castle proper.
Linaya awaited his arrival, standing alone in the shadow of the castle wall in an attempt to hide her face. As Garret approached the woman blessed with inhuman beauty, he slowed his horse, dismounting even as he brought the giant beast to a halt. Then leading the pair of beasts Garret walked the remaining distance with the horses trailing behind him.
"Why do you hide in shadow, Linaya?" Garret asked. "I know you feel your blessing a curse, but today ignore those who drool over you and pretend the spittle dripping from their gaping mouths are tears for the loss of so many good people," he added, bringing yet another smile to Linaya’s lips. "There, see? Embrace your beauty and use your smile for good such as making me feel better about myself," Garret added in jest.
"I am so happy to amuse you, Garret. How quickly we have become friends of the like to pick on each other’s flaws and fears," Linaya replied, adding to the joke.
"Indeed your beauty is hideous, so much so in fact that you may never know if I stare in adoration or horror," Garret said.
"Says the man who shaved himself with a pitchfork," Linaya riposted, now openly laughing.
With that Garret helped Linaya to mount her steed, careful with the placement of his hands lest they stray of their own free will. Once Linaya was comfortably upon her horse, Garret too remounted and together they turned the great beasts to take their places in the parade line.
* * * * *
Seth and Sara scanned their surroundings for any signs of the enemy whilst the miniature men, led by their chief, prepared themselves for battle. Where the grasses ended and the barren stretch of dry soil began, the small warriors had hidden a large cache of shields. The shields were formed of wood and bound in leather with a notch in one side, and in comparison to the size of the men who wielded them they were quite large, more than half as tall as the little men themselves. Seth watched as the warriors fitted the shields to their arms and worked to help each other tighten the straps that held them in place. Seth and Sara waited patiently, scanning the no-man’s land ahead for any sign of life as a sound somewhere between a hiss and a buzz lent itself to the nighttime air from somewhere beyond the darkness. Slowly but steadily the sound grew louder and closer, growing at an incremental rate until Seth could no longer hear the ramblings of the chief giving what Seth assumed to be orders to his soldiers. Though the obnoxious sound continued to increase in volume and intensity, still neither Seth nor Sara could locate its source. Thinking Sara ill prepared for any battle, even one with insects, Seth pulled his long slender sword from its scabbard at his hip and with a motion offered it to Sara who was only armed with her small crossbow and a dozen or so bolts. Taking his meaning Sara accepted the sword, tossing her crossbow back into the grass where it would not hinder her. The noise grew more and more until the buzzing and hissing seemed to be coming from within the skulls of all those who awaited the arrival of the insect army. Patiently still, Seth peered, straining his eyes, into the darkness and finding nothing he reached out with his senses to find something both odd and familiar.
Racing towards Seth at immense speed were a pair of auras of the like that Seth knew to be of his own creation. There were only two such persons upon Thurr and Seth had created them both using the life of a large plains cat and two teenage girls. Seth could not even begin to comprehend how the girls had located him here, but saw it as a good sign. What was odd was the roiling mass that trailed them like a tidal wave rolling across the vast barren stretch of land ahead. Seth knew this to be the horde of enemies but had no way to distinguish their numbers. So many there were, and so closely packed together, Seth could not differentiate one aura from the next as they appeared to climb over and around one another with no sense of discipline or order. As Seth watched with his vision of the gods, the feline sisters of his creation broke from the darkness with long graceful strides belaying their size and anatomy. Racing nearer to him the pair slowed, a sheen of moisture hugging their downy coat of fur that covered their bodies in entirety minus their very human and very bare breasts and abdomen. The girls came like cats to their master, rubbing their bodies against his, purring softly and spreading their scent upon his armor.
"How did you two come to be here?" Seth demanded, happy to see them yet constrained by time and the approaching enemy.
"We could feel where you were," the older of the sisters said.
"Yes, and we didn't come alone," added the younger sister.
"Who have you brought with you?" Seth questioned quickly hoping it was a substantial force.
"Your dogs come to join you as well, though you will have to hold off the little buggies until they arrive," replied the older sister, while the younger was curiously eyeing the miniature soldiers as if she might pounce upon them.
"Good girls," Seth said causing both girls to again purr and begin rubbing upon him anew. "Though I know neither of you is prepared for such a thing you must fight," Seth commanded as his attention was again forced upon something new.
While Seth commanded his feline sisters to stay and fight, the congregation of miniature men began to form up in small battle groups of the like Seth had never witnessed before. Each group comprised of near twenty men who formed a small circle, the outer ring facing outwards in all directions. An inner ring was within the first ring and it too faced out in all directions at the back of their comrades. In the center of each group were three more of the small men who also faced outwards. Just as Seth began to wonder at the tactic the tiny men were employing, he was amazed at their brilliance. Seth watched as the men clustered together in their small circles, those in the outermost ring crouching and lowering their shields close to the ground so creating an impenetrable wall of wood around the lower half of their bodies. The second ring of little men raised their shields and held them above their crouching comrades thus creating another row of shields above the first. The innermost three men in the circle raised their shields above their heads, completely sealing off the group of small men from their attackers. Together each of the groups of men became an armored unit protected from attack on all sides. What impressed Seth further as the little men completed their small armored formations was the way the tip of a spear lanced out from within the armored dome through the notch in each shield. These little men had found a way to not only defend their units from assault on all sides, but also in which to attack as well. Though Seth was stunned by the ingenuity of the small race, at least concerning battle, he had no time to express his feelings on the matter for as soon as all the units were completed, the opposing insect army swarmed from the darkness leaving not a bare patch of soil between them. The number of enemy was so great Seth could not believe the small race of men had survived a nightly attack such as this.
Seth stilled his mind and reached out with tendrils of his consciousness to exa
mine the vast enemy. Much to his liking, he assured himself that these enemies were very much akin to insects. They were short-lived creatures whose lives spanned only a couple of years and as such their individual auras were small. Seth had grown much in power with the loss of his troops at the battle with the black horde. As his troops had fallen in battle, their souls sworn to him, Seth’s capacity and understanding of his power had increased exponentially. With the enemy having so little life power within each of their small bodies, Seth knew he could lay waste to them in vast numbers.
Preparing himself for a sudden influx of power, Seth tore away the life force of tens of thousands of the small skittering creatures and languished in ecstasy as the power rushed into him whilst those he drained vanished into a cloud of ash. Focusing his newly acquired power Seth unleashed a torrent of green and yellow fire racing across the no-man’s land before him, sweeping the torrent in one direction then another to great effect. He had not expected that very much like heating dried corn kernels in oil, the small shelled creatures began popping and sputtering. Their insides became superheated and expanded with explosive force, breaking through their outer shell only to cool rapidly in the night air, leaving bloated insect carapaces by the tens of thousands in all directions. Yet the wave continued to come.
Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) Page 76