Surrounding them were the primary captains of the battle scattered about feeding themselves thick slices of ham and mashed potatoes. Andron sat next to Etherond and talked about the creator while Sh’on and Karceoles spoke about magic on the other end. Karceoles only had a plateful of bacon and a jar full of peanut spread with a wooden spoon.
Starlyn seemed uneasy to be so close to the thick smell of meat, and yet it didn’t seem to bother her as much as she sat in Noraes’s company. Noraes didn’t have any meat on his plate in respect and only ate the bread, corn, and potatoes as she did. Searon hadn’t told him that kheshlars didn’t eat meat, although the folklore about the species stated it bluntly enough.
Most of the rest of the army was out in the streets in Legain, opening barrels of whiskey and ale to celebrate. Searon only hoped that their celebration wouldn’t be too hard in case there was trouble throughout the night. They had won the battle, but the war was far from being over. All of the human captains seemed content with talking about the war and different battle tactics they could use to destroy the savage beasts of the land. Searon lost focus and began eating. Nobody seemed to talk to him, and he didn’t much care for trying to talk to anybody. The only thing on his mind was food. He did begin tuning into his brother and Starlyn.
“Are all the kheshlars as beautiful as you?” Noraes asked.
“All kheshlars are a distinguished race of beauty,” Starlyn responded, yet she couldn’t help but to smile as she did.
“Still, I doubt any compare to you,” he smiled with his eyes fixated on hers.
“How would you know, have you ever met a kheshlar?” Starlyn asked. “You’ll just have to find out for yourself.”
“In fact, I have met a kheshlar, several of them, truth be told. Yet that is another story from a faraway land. I have not met any of your kin, and perhaps one day I will. For now though, my responsibilities of this city keep me here.”
Searon scowled at that as he lifted his glass of red wine and drank a mouthful. His brother never told him that he’d seen kheshlars before. He began to wonder what all his brother had been up to in the past few years.
“Can all kheshlars fight as well as you can?” Noraes asked.
“Most,” Starlyn confessed as she nibbled on a piece of bread.
Everything became a blur to Searon as he unfocused his attention from reality and let his mind consume him. Memories of his son and wife flooded into his mind like a downpour. Nothing around him seemed to matter at he focused on her face. He missed her so much, and some days were harder than others. When he fought, he was able to release his emotions once more as his blade slashed into the air and through bodies. It was his release of anger and frustration of his loss that kept him close to sane.
Forty-two months and eight days had passed since the slaughter at his home. He still didn’t know how the number stayed in his head. Somehow, he just knew, and that was the fact that scared him. No matter how much he could accomplish during the day and no matter how many of the creatures he slaughtered, he still could not forget exactly how long ago it was that he lost his family. That at its core was what tore him up inside. He thought if he could at least forget the number, the internal clock that continued to tick with each passing second, that he might be able to cope and move on. However, something in his mind wouldn’t allow him to do so.
He got to his feet, stumbling as if he was drunk, and yet it was only a bottle of wine that he drank. Everything swirled in colors around him as he wearily walked from his brother’s keep. People stared at him uneasily, and yet he did not seem to notice. Nothing mattered in his mind, nothing except for fresh air. He couldn’t breathe as the memories haunted him. His face turned red with the shortage of breath, and he stumbled from the room and into the brisk cool night air.
The stars were especially bright that night. They always seemed so every time Starlyn was in a bright mood. He wondered if there was any significance to that aspect and her namesake. Nobody seemed to be outside in the streets, and he wandered aimlessly until tripping over something and crashing to the ground. His stomach twisted as he released its contents. Everything he had eaten was now before him in a steamy pile that gave off an ill scent. He heaved two more times before crawling forward and resting his back against a short wall of stone brick.
Noraes walked up and stopped a span from Searon to stare in disgust. He walked around the bloody vomit until he sat down next to his brother. His hand clasped Searon’s back before he sighed.
“Is everything all right, Brother?” Noraes asked.
Searon coughed, “The memories…the nightmares came back. As they often do.”
“It is a terrible thing that you have gone through. I wish there were words I could use to ease your mind. All I can say is give it time. How much, I do not know. Yet I think this war will help you find the peace that you so desperately seek.”
“All I want is this war to be over; it grows tiring,” Searon confided, clasping his face in his hands and running them through his thick hair.
“I thought there was to be no rest for you until every last draeyk had been stricken down.”
“I still plan on it, yet I haven’t rested in so very long. I miss my peace, my family, but I will never have that again. What happens when this war is over? If I’m still alive after we’ve hunted down every last creature to see their dying breath? What am I to do then? Right now, this rage inside of me is the only thing that keeps me going. Without it, I would be consumed by the nightmares, curled up into a little ball, clutching at myself and never wanting to move. Will that be what I turn into once I’m done with this? Will all my energy be vanquished when I’m through? What could I possibly turn to in order to be all right?”
“I will always be here for you, Brother. When you’re done…come home. There will always be a place for you here. You have taken care of me for so long, don’t you think for a minute that I’m not here to help take care of you when you’re going through rough times,” Noraes said, squeezing his brother’s shoulder. “You know,” Noraes sighed, “when you left, I envied you for the longest time.”
“You envied me?” Searon asked.
“I saw how happy you were with Victoria, the joy that she brought into your stone heart. I envied the love that you two shared together. I’ve never thought I would be able to find such a thing, such passion.”
“There is someone out there for you, and one day, you will meet her.”
“I hope so, Brother,” Noraes said, “I grow tired of being alone. I think I’m about ready to find myself a wife and start a family.”
“That is something I never thought I’d hear you say,” Searon laughed.
“I never thought I’d say it either.”
Searon got to his feet and stretched out his arms. Noraes followed his example, and they both stood there for a moment in silence. Finally, Searon stepped forward and grabbed his brother in his right arm and brought him in for a hug.
“Thank you for being here for me,” Searon said.
“Come, Brother, it’s time for us to get some rest.” Noraes smiled.
Chapter 36
Searon woke up early as he always did without much sleep between the nightmares he had throughout the night. He yawned, wishing he could get a full night’s sleep at least in the comfort of his brother’s home. Yet he didn’t know if he’d consider lounging on some fancy furniture in the main room comfort. Still, it beat sleeping on the hard ground, which he’d grown accustomed to during his travels. Nobody seemed awake, and he wasn’t too sure where Starlyn had run off to, and so he decided to step outside and enjoy some fresh air.
The air was crisp and almost bit through his white button-up cotton shirt and brown breeches. He almost considered turning around and seeing if his brother had anything warmer to wear. Imagining himself in blue silk made him quickly dismiss the idea. Most of his brother’s things were more elegant than he liked due to Noraes’s position as duke. Outside was peaceful as he wandered from the stronghold
toward the city. He found his stallion in the stables and rode into the city he once called home.
Nobody roamed the streets except a few peasants. A near-total silence pervaded the air, and he enjoyed nothing more. Searon liked the peace and quiet; it gave him more room to think. He wasn’t sure what he liked thinking more about, his past or his future and heading into the war. Neither appealed him much more than grief.
As he walked, he notice a few of the stores were open, and he came to a stop in front of one that intrigued him. Vines cascaded from the top of the building only a few spans tall and veered into every crack of the brown stone. Hanging from the door was a large red sign with carved letters that read, Magical Enchantments. He slid from his horse and tied the reins to a post outside before pushing through the swinging stone doors.
Inside, the shop seemed plain enough with a bunch of mechanical gadgets hanging on hooks up the walls and a few thin metal shelves with knickknacks. The floor seemed worn from generations of travel, almost as if the shop had been there longer than the city itself. Behind a marble countertop he saw an elderly man fiddling with some sort of mechanical device with a screwdriver. His head was bald except for the sides where long strands of white hair tangled down to his shoulders. Suddenly, a spring from the device slipped from his control and shot out and hit Searon in the center of the forehead.
Searon nearly lost his balance from the impact when it hit him. He stumbled and grabbed onto a shelf in the story to keep himself balanced. A large welt formed on his forehead where he had been hit. It pulsed rapidly until he rubbed it.
“Oh, I’m sorry, sir,” the old man said with a deep voice through his large spectacles.
“Just don’t do that again,” Searon said as he rubbed his forehead.
“I won’t, at least not to you. Is there something I can help with you today?” the old man asked as he pushed his spectacles up his large nose.
“I’m just looking around. I have never seen a shop such as this before.” Searon glanced toward the gadget still in the old man’s hands.
“Ah, a newcomer, and by the looks of you I’d say you are a warrior, cunning and proud.”
“I am leading a force to strike against the draeyks.”
“Ah, a leader,” the man said as he rubbed at the white stubble at his chin. “There are plenty of things we have in here that you may find useful. Tell me, do you have a ranged weapon, or only that gangly claymore.”
“My claymore is the only weapon I need,” Searon said with aggravation.
“Yes, yes, of course it is. However, there may come a circumstance where you might be in a bind and in need of something with more…range. Here, let me show you something,” the old man pleaded.
He walked out from behind the counter until he reached a shelf on the wall. On the shelf were various shortbows, crossbows, throwing axes, and daggers. He searched through all of them carefully until picking up a medium-length dagger in a thin leather scabbard and handed it to Searon.
Searon studied it carefully, feeling the tip of the titanium blade that was a span long. There was no handle to it, and the curves fit perfectly into his hand. Its balance was near flawless, and the rubies sparkled almost as bright as Searon’s own.
“That is a nice throwing dagger, but I’m afraid it only has a one-time use. I am not going to be able to retrieve it after a throw,” Searon commented and attempted to hand it back.
“Ah, but that is the beauty of it. The blade and scabbard are enchanted; you will not lose it so long as the scabbard is secured to your sash.”
“How much?”
“Seven gold coins.”
“Seven? You are trying to rob me. I can sleep in a good inn for half of that.”
“Yes, you can. But can you sleep in an inn every night that comes back to you with an enchantment?”
Searon sighed, knowing the price was bloody high, and yet if the old man’s story were true, the dagger could prove useful. Normally, an entire throwing dagger set cost only a quarter of the price. He grabbed his pouch full of gold coins and set seven on the counter. It had been so long since he’d spent any of his money that losing a few gold coins didn’t matter.
He fastened the dagger to his sash and headed out of the door. Outside was no longer so quiet, and people walked about from every direction. It seemed a busy day for the shops. Strangely, he didn’t notice any of the commotion while he was inside of the shop. He turned around only to find out that the building he had just been in was no longer there. Somehow, the shop had vanished from sight, and he didn’t know if he would be able to ever find it again. Only an empty space stared back at him, and when he felt the space where the building should be, his hands only passed through air.
Searon shook his head and found his horse wandering toward him. The post that he tied Stripes to had vanished along with the shop, but at least his horse had somehow found him. He sighed and mounted his stallion before trotting back out of the main city toward the country and his brother.
Chapter 37
“Where did you go?” Noraes asked.
Searon already brought his horse to the stable and was walking up the steps to his brother’s home. Noraes didn’t seem worried, but only mildly curious. He had been out and about for half the day, and it already approached late afternoon as he sat next to Noraes.
“I went for a walk this morning. The air was refreshing.”
His brother looked at him with genuine concern, and Searon began to wonder what was so strange about his whereabouts. He started for the door but was blocked by Noraes. The look on his brother’s face was stern and stubborn.
“You have been gone for half of the day…are you all right?”
“Have I?” Searon responded, still distracted from the events of the day.
“Yes, you have.”
“I found a shop called Magical Enchantments,” Searon claimed.
“Magical Enchantments? There is no such shop in the city. In fact, I have never heard of such a shop.”
“I think what I need is a drink,” Searon murmured.
“I concur, come inside.”
Searon nodded and walked inside the house. He took off his scabbard and placed his helmet on an end table before he noticed Starlyn sitting at the dining table. She wasn’t wearing her typical steel armor or even her leather armor, but instead wore a dress of light blue that fell just above her ankles. Her feet were bare, and it was the first time Searon had seen her perfectly shaped toenails. He wished his were as clean and trim as hers as he stared in bewilderment. The dress was most likely of human make because Searon couldn’t imagine where she would stash such a thing. It was made out of the finest silk he’d ever seen and he could only assume that Noraes was the one who found it. Her hair was tucked behind her ears and for the first time Searon was able to study them carefully. They were similar to human ears but the very tip had a slight point, and unlike the rest of her pale complexion, her ears were slightly pink.
“Searon, we have been worried about you,” Starlyn announced and got to her feet.
“I am fine; I was only wandering the city for some fresh air.”
“Would you like to join us for some tea?” Starlyn asked.
She stepped from her chair and opened the cabinet to grab some fine china that Searon hadn’t even realized his brother had owned. Her mood seemed abnormally happy compared to how he’d normally seen her, and he took notice right away. He watched as she fiddled with the china with a grin upon her soft face.
“What is going on?” Searon asked. “You’re not normally this chipper, Starlyn.”
“Is it noticeable?” she asked with concern spread across her eyebrows.
“By the brightness of your face and the gracefulness in your movements, it is quite noticeable.”
She blushed and whispered. “Don’t tell anyone. I have lost control of my emotions as of late.”
He smirked. “I am glad to see you happy, Starlyn.”
“It is wrong for a kheshlar to lose co
ntrol like this,” Starlyn confessed.
“It is all right, Starlyn. I understand that it is hard to suppress your emotions.”
“It isn’t only that…kheshlars are forbidden from being with humans,” she cautioned.
“Ah, I see. Do no fret, Starlyn; nobody will know,” Searon said, taking his tea and blowing on it lightly.
Starlyn gently sat back down in her chair, but her hands shook lightly as she held her cup of tea. Noraes walked over to her and rested his hands on her shoulders for a moment. He bent down to kiss the top of her head before walking away to his bedroom. Starlyn’s face noticeably lit up with a small toothless smile as he did, and she blushed. Searon scooted his chair closer to Starlyn and whispered in her ear.
“I know this is more than only losing control of your emotions.”
She turned to him with eyes wide in horror. “Excuse me?”
“The way you look at him – the way your face lights up when he is around.”
“It is not allowed,” Starlyn argued with panic reaching her voice.
“Rules cannot prevent what the heart wants, Starlyn. Every rule I knew told me I should have left Victoria in that village…yet I could not.”
Noraes walked back out from the bedroom in a change of clothes. He no longer wore his casual home clothes but had a formal blue silk shirt and black slacks. Starlyn stood up as he walked over to her, but when he tried to put his arms around her waist and kiss her, she pushed him away. She quickly dashed out of the way and turned to face him.
“I must go,” she squeaked as she looked deep into his eyes.
She walked over to grab her armor while trying her best to avoid Noraes’s gaze. Her wide eyes met Searon’s for a moment as she gathered her things. Noraes walked up closer to her and grabbed her arm.
“Not so fast,” he said.
Noraes ran his hand through her hair as he kissed her lips. She tried to pull away at first, but he wouldn’t have it. Soon, she sank into the kiss, and the two were caught up in passion. She cut it short and stepped back in a flush.
The Crimson Claymore Page 27