by Joe Jackson
“Thank you, elf-friend,” the czarikk returned. “May the Lord of the Green guide you on your path. We will wait until you have passed to lead our people farther north.”
“May you find the bounties of the Earth Mother abundant when you reach your northern settlements,” Yiilu returned, and then she gestured for the others to follow.
Max paused only long enough to bow politely to the czarikk scouts, who returned the gesture. Galadon, Delkantar, and even Starlenia gave friendly waves to the lizard-folk as they passed, and the czarikk watched after Galrinthor with wide eyes.
“I shudder to think how ill-prepared they might be in the face of these troubles,” Galadon commented once they were out of earshot.
“They appear simple, but the czarikk are far from helpless or defenseless,” Max said. “Their holy men wield a true power, and their hunters and soldiers are capable warriors.”
“Good,” the human returned with a nod. “If this conflict goes the same way as the one Rexis spoke about, and the one your father and I fought in, we’ll need the scale-folk as well.”
“Without a doubt.”
~ * ~ * ~
Onward the party pushed until they came within sight of the outskirts of Solaris. There was no obvious damage to the city that suggested things were that much worse here, but they wouldn’t know for sure until they entered. Leighandra turned when Galadon pulled on the reins of his mount, stopping on a short rise.
“I’m curious,” he said, then swung down out of the saddle. He patted the side of his steed’s neck and stepped before the luranar prince. “Max, I want to see what happens if you ride through the gates of this city on Galrinthor.”
“You think they might see me as my father?”
“I think they may understand what’s about to happen,” the knight corrected. “Karinda never said to keep these things to ourselves. If we’re supposed to be leading the people, getting them ready for what’s to come, maybe it’s about time we got started on that. As it stands, I don’t think we said enough when we were in Dira Ch’Tori or Emerald City. If what we’ve heard of the Tempis’ra and Rexis’ suspicions are true, we need to start rallying the people the same way your father did so long ago.”
“Is that acceptable to you?” the luranar asked the horse, as if expecting a verbal answer. Galrinthor ducked his head down and bumped it into Max’s breastplate playfully, then nibbled on one of the luranar’s ears. “You honor me, old friend of my father.”
Leighandra’s breath caught for just a moment, and she marveled at the ease with which the fully-armored prince swung up into the saddle. “You’re a rider?” she asked him.
“As I said, my people raise horses for labor and trade. I was taught to care for and train horses since I was old enough to ride. In all my years, however, never have we produced such a magnificent beast as this.”
“Eh, careful now,” Galadon said, leaning to the side to meet the horse’s eye. “You puff him up too much and he may not let me ride him anymore.”
Galrinthor shook his mane and accidentally bumped into the knight, who laughed.
They went to the city gate with Max in the lead on Galrinthor. Galadon’s instincts had been on point. People everywhere stopped what they were doing, some dropping the things they were holding while women picked up their children and stared in wonder. Max certainly cut an imposing figure, this plate-armored wolf-man on a black charger. More than that, the people seemed to recognize him, or at least that they had seen this sight once before.
“Kalamaris! It’s King Kalamaris, returned to lead us against the undead scourge!” a man cried, and others began to come to the city gate to see what the commotion was.
The guards, too, came to look, but they made no move to welcome or bar the luranar from entering the city. Instead, they watched in amazement while the people continued to cry out support for the magnificent luranar knight.
“I will fight by your side again!”
“Long live the king of the wolf-people!”
“Gods be praised, he’s come back to save us!”
To his credit, Max kept his composure, guiding Galrinthor slowly through the throng and along the streets. He didn’t head to the inn where they’d stayed before, instead leading everyone to the keep near the city center, the home of the council. With much of the city in awe, the three members of the council were waiting for the luranar’s arrival when the companions reached the keep, and they stood expectantly on the stone pathway that led to the keep’s doors. The crowd stopped a respectful distance around Max and Galrinthor, but some were holding their hands out to him, as if hoping merely to touch him.
“Can it be?” Councilor Peters managed, his eyes wide, but then he saw what the other people had failed to: the golden bands. “Prince Auremax! You’ve returned.”
Many of the people looked at the councilman in confusion, their gazes whipping back and forth between him and the mounted luranar. Max took off the fanged wolf helm and hung it from the hook on his belt. There was a moment of disappointment that was palpable, and the chronicler wondered if the people might charge the imposter and abuse him for the deception.
“People of Solaris, our neighbors and allies: I am Prince Auremax Talvorus, the seventh son of the late King Kalamaris Talvorus,” he called out while he had their attention. “Many years ago, a great evil invaded these lands. Despite the differences between our peoples, you and yours answered the call of my father, and followed him into battle. The losses were great, but the victory was greater, and the demon was driven from our world.”
He turned his head slowly around, meeting as many of the surrounding gazes as he could. “Now, another great evil threatens our land, and I stand before you, the son of Kalamaris, and ask if you will follow me as you followed my father. These past several weeks my companions and I have been absent have brought to light many things… things we will share freely with your councilmen and all the ambassadors of our allies. But I must warn you: Another war is coming, and it will require all of our people to stand together again. I cannot promise you that I will prove to be the man my father was. But I will go before you, the Flame of the North, and stand against this darkness.”
There was silence for a stretch, and Leighandra wondered if the people still felt let down by the fact that it wasn’t Kalamaris. She was about to step forth and bear witness to the things she’d seen, when the call came from near the back of the crowd.
“All hail Prince Auremax, the Flame of the North!”
“Hail, Prince Auremax, Flame of the North!” Councilman Peters called. Though his two fellow councilmen looked surprised, the people soon took up the call.
Max held up his hand for quiet, and the cries of the people slowly came to an end. “I say to you also, good people, that by my side is none other than King Galadon Tercullin, my father’s greatest ally, the Flame of the East.”
“All hail King Galadon and Prince Auremax!” came the excited shout from the back. Tears were shed, hands pressed together in thankful prayer, and the crowd’s excitement reached nearly a fevered pitch. Thankfully, they kept their distance, but any concerns Leighandra had about their reaction to Max were dissolving.
“Don’t forget, my friend, that my sword lies in pieces,” Galadon said quietly up to the mounted luranar. “The Flame of the East is broken.”
“Then we will find someone who can repair it,” Max said confidently, and he swung down from the saddle and turned the reins over to his friend. He patted Galrinthor’s neck and ran his hand along the underside of the charger’s jaw. “Thank you, my friend. It was an honor to be carried by one such as you.”
Galrinthor whinnied and pawed at the ground twice. Councilor Peters came forward among the cheers and shook Max’s hand. “We have much to discuss. Please, come inside.”
“Have the other ambassadors returned home?” the luranar prince asked. “I know we have been gone for some time.”
“They have, but they are scheduled to return at their convenience,
that our plans and lines of communication are kept fresh.”
“Max!” came a shout from the left, and the people there parted to let someone through. It was another luranar, a woman, her long ebon mane braided with beads. She had the salt-and-pepper coloration like Max, and the same icy blue eyes. She wore a riding outfit, but looked to have been in the city for some time, free of the dust and dirt of the road.
“Audrei,” Max breathed, his ears angling back.
She approached and gripped the sides of his face, ignoring the cheers, the questioning glances of the councilors, or the companions who stood by Max’s side. She touched her forehead to his, their noses coming together, and Leighandra watched tears run unchecked from the eyes of both luranar.
Delkantar leaned in between Leighandra and Galadon. “I guess this will save him the cost of a box and a messenger,” he whispered.
Leighandra had to put her hand over her mouth to stop from snickering, but Starlenia and Galadon didn’t bother.
Chapter X – Seven
“What are you doing here? Where are the children?” Max asked breathlessly.
The luranar woman looked at him curiously, but then answered him in the common tongue. “Shadra and Delilah have them. They’ll be well cared for. I had to come and find you! There was little news to why you were gone so long, and it was near-impossible to get word of where you’d gone. What have you been doing?”
The prince gestured toward the councilmen. “That is what we were about to go and speak with these gentlemen about. Come with us. I will introduce you to my companions, and you can hear about what we have been doing.”
Audrei backed away a couple of steps and finally looked her husband up and down. “Is that your father’s armor and sword?” she asked, and Max nodded solemnly. “Where did you get them? Did you find your father’s grave?”
“What do you mean?” Delkantar asked, stepping up beside Max.
The luranar woman waited for her husband to speak, but he kept silent, his gaze distant. “King Kalamaris’ body was never found after the battle,” Audrei explained. “We never knew if he was brought back to one of our allies’ kingdoms for burial, or if perhaps the silver dragon that was said to have fought beside him may have taken him.”
“Is it possible he’s still alive?” Starlenia offered.
“May we have this conversation indoors?” Max broke in. “I do not mean to sound testy or impatient, but this is something these folks need not concern themselves with. It is better if they remember things the way they choose and avoid some of the harsher reality.”
Galadon patted Max’s back encouragingly, and they followed the three councilmen into the keep. Leighandra smiled when Max stopped at the door and bowed his head politely to the watching masses before he, too, stepped inside and the doors were closed. He and Galadon had taken a bit of a risk to potentially rile up the masses, but it seemed to have worked – for now. The question remained whether Max could live up to his father’s reputation. Thus far, the chronicler thought it was a role he would fill well.
Time will tell, she thought.
Once the doors were shut, Max took Audrei in a tight embrace. “My love, how I have missed you these last few weeks.”
“We’ll see you in the council chamber,” Councilor Peters said. “Take your time.”
“We won’t be long,” Galadon said with a grateful nod.
“I was so afraid when I arrived here and you were gone,” Audrei said. “I could hardly get anyone to speak to me, much less tell me where you’d gone or what you were about. Who are your friends?”
“These were some of the other men and women that came to speak of the undead,” Max answered. “We have since uncovered some of what lies behind the façade. These are Starlenia Wineseller of the hill country; Delkantar Clintarrin of Chandler’s Grove; Yiilu ’n’Torae D’ansu of Laeranore and her companion, Vo’rii; Leighandra Evenstar, chronicler of Solaris; and, not the least, Galadon Tercullin of Dira Ch’Tori. My friends, this is Audrei Talvorus, my wife.”
“Galadon Tercullin?” Audrei echoed.
“The same,” he answered, taking her hand and kissing it lightly.
“I thought… our people believed you were killed in the Great War, Your Majesty.”
“Just Galadon is fine,” he said. “I am no longer king of Dira Ch’Tori for the time being, and like your husband, I prefer to stand on my merits, and not a title. My return is a long story, one we’ll have plenty of time to discuss if you are to come with us.”
“What?” Max balked.
“Come with you? What use could I possibly be to you?”
“Eh, we found something your husband’s decent at,” Starlenia quipped with a gesture toward the prince. “I’m sure we can find something for you to do. Even if it’s as simple as sparing us from Delkantar’s cooking.”
“Hey now,” the ranger protested. “I haven’t heard anyone complain until now…”
Leighandra chuckled. “Nor should you have. The cooking’s good enough, but the coffee is exceptional.”
Max snorted and turned back to his wife. “Well, you are one of the best caregivers among our people, and we do get wounded often enough,” he said, though he had to make a placating gesture afterwards.
“We could teach you to defend yourself as we travel, though this is a rather important decision,” Leighandra said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “We’re supposed to go meet with a dragon soon. And things are getting dangerous between the nations. It’s a tense time.”
“Husband?” Audrei prompted. “I would stay by your side if you permit it.”
“We can discuss it after this meeting,” Max said. “I would prefer to accompany you home, but there are things that must be done. I am simply hesitant to keep both of us away from our daughters for too long.”
Audrei ran her hand down his snout and across his cheek. “They’ll be fine. You know how they love visiting with your brothers and sisters, and with their cousins. If anything, I would worry that they don’t miss us.”
Max forced a laugh; was Audrei’s statement perhaps not a joke? “We should see to stopping home at some point regardless. There are things I need to speak with Terist about. For now, though, let us not keep the council waiting.”
The companions made their way toward the council chamber, and Leighandra moved up beside the luranar woman. “Audrei?” she prompted, and the woman nodded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Max has only told us a little bit about you, so I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”
Audrei smiled. “I’m pleased to meet you as well. I suppose we’ll have a bit of catching up to do, but apparently plenty of time to do so.”
The councilmen were waiting for them when they entered the assembly chamber, its confines feeling a bit eerie now, vast and empty compared to the first meeting. Max led his wife by the hand to stand before the council’s podium, where he introduced her. The council greeted her warmly, and the companions stood all in a line before them, waiting as the councilmen took them in with studious gazes. They had, after all, only seen Leighandra’s friends once before.
“It’s astounding,” Peters said at last, rubbing his chin in thought. “Until I saw the golden bands around your arm, I thought you were your father, returned to lead us once again. But you wear his armor and carry his distinctive blade now; what exactly has happened since the lot of you left for the forests of Laeranore?”
Leighandra glanced to her friends and then stepped forward, all too happy to consult her notes and lay the story out in proper fashion. She spoke plainly, but spared no details, letting the council get as clear an idea of what had happened as possible. She mentioned nearly everything, leaving out only personal details and the teasing humor the group was growing accustomed to in their travels. Most notably, she included the words of the guards at Emerald City, curious if the same held true here in Solaris.
“Unfortunately, yes, we have seen the same things here,” Councilor Morgan said. “We have had ext
ensive help from Kaelariel’s priesthood, but even they are becoming over-taxed by the incessant nature of these events. I don’t have the personal experience of having known King Kalamaris at all; Councilor Peters? Have you any thoughts on the young prince’s theatrics?”
“Theatrics?” Peters blurted. “Let’s not get insulting, Reed. None of us knew whether we could trust his father when King Kalamaris arrived at our gates. Now, we have the benefit of more open minds, and experience with the luranar people as allies. If I’m honest, I’m still a tad skeptical about Prince Auremax’s ability to rally the nations the way his father did, but dressed as he is, and with what he and the others have accomplished so far… I’m inclined to give him every benefit of the doubt I can.”
“And the fact that he has former king Galadon by his side will only amplify the effect of his steadfastness and valor,” Councilor Mitchell put in. “Chronicler Evenstar, would you care to expand upon what you know of this… Tempis’ra you say is behind these events?”
Leighandra told them everything they’d learned from Rexis and Karinda. The way the three men’s’ faces fell as she went into detail mirrored how she felt reviewing it all. This was a most dangerous game they were caught up in, and it wasn’t until Leighandra went through her notes and laid it out for others that she truly began to appreciate it. It was terrifying; there was no other way to describe it. She had confidence in the strength of her friends and their ability to rally the nations, but a deeper part of her wondered: Will it be enough?
“They buried a demon god?” Councilor Morgan muttered.
“We’re not sure exactly what it was they buried, only that it was beyond their ability to destroy at the time,” Galadon corrected. “But if this… thing has reawakened, then this time, we’re going to make sure we finish the job.”