Kings of Ghumai- The Complete series Box Set

by D N Meinster

  Shine could feel the color drain from his face. Even with his tan skin, his company probably noticed. The way Olley put it, the entire arrangement was a mistake. Perhaps it was. It was his impatience that led to this in the first place. The King was planning military action to kick out the occupiers in Belliore. Men of all five kingdoms were being called upon to fight this new army. But it would take decks to gather the necessary forces. Shine couldn't stand thinking of Narai being at the mercy of this evil for so long.

  His plan was foolish, based on an old tale of King Iroh and his loyal guard. Maybe three paladins could successfully rescue the Princess. But the three men standing in this room? None of them were skilled fighters. Shine had never engaged a single person in combat. His guardians had made sure of that. Leaf was capable with his sais, but he was hardly a champion. And Olley was meant for retirement, not a dangerous mission. The only sensible course was to renege.

  Yet Olley had said that two Bellish had been executed for trying to escape. And if Shine knew Narai, he knew she would try to get out at some point. She was not one to stay still and accept her detention. He couldn't even get her to stay in bed when she was ill.

  They had to go tonight. It was the only choice, even if it was the wrong one. Shine shook any reservations from his mind and crossed his arms. "We're going."

  Leaf smirked. "I hope you have an inkling for where she might be, Olley."

  Olley didn't try to hide his displeasure with the decision. He shot a foul look at the Prince and his whole expression went sour. "Fine, get me killed." He stuck out his staff for the two royals to touch. "If they know she's a princess, she'll be near the one in charge: some fellow called Peransic."

  Shine grabbed hold of the tarnished metal stick. "I take it that's where you've been looking."

  "Yes, but perhaps you children will see what my old eyes cannot." There was no mistaking his scorn.

  Leaf touched his hand to the staff. "Let's get on the move."

  Olley cursed under his breath and then the entire room started to fade. The luxuriously painted swirls gave way to the darkness of the outdoors, lit only by the stars and moons above.

  There was a chill to the night in Belliore that was entirely absent in Kytheras. Shine took in his surroundings to try to get a better idea of where in Cortex they were. At first, he saw square trenches in the ground and figured that the battle had done a great deal of damage to the city. It wasn't until his eyes adjusted that he realized that those gaps were merely spaces between buildings. They were on the roof of one of Belliore's tallest structures.

  "I hate shifting," Leaf whispered as he tried to regain his footing.

  Shine approached the edge and looked down. The city below was completely dark. Only in the distance was there a hint of artificial light.

  Olley came up to his side. "Peransic's taken residence in that tower over there," he said, pointing with his staff. "I've only managed to search the first three floors. They keep heavy patrols. I can tell you she's not in any other tower around here. Nor is she in her house in the residential district. She's got to be in that one. But it could take days for us to sneak around there without raising alarm."

  "Who said anything about sneaking?" Leaf said, coming up to Shine.

  "What? You expect to fight your way through?"

  Leaf withdrew both sais in response, and Shine took out his sword.

  "Oh, I am so going to die," Olley whined. "Dear Goddess, save me from the idiocy of these royals."

  "So you're a believer, Olley?" Shine asked.

  "You've made one out of me," he replied.

  "Well, you might get to meet Her soon," Leaf said, twirling the daggers in his hands.

  "Take us to the fourth floor," Shine commanded.

  Olley held out his staff, and once they were all touching it, they shifted to the fourth floor of Peransic's tower.

  It was even darker within the building than it was outside. They were in an area without windows, and the only light was coming from two candles near a far wall.

  "I hope we're near the stairs," Leaf said.

  "How many floors are there?" Shine asked as he crept along, searching for a door.

  "Ten," Olley answered.

  Shine heard a soft pattering and shot a look back toward the candles. They appeared to be slightly closer than they were before. "Can you give us some light, Olley?"

  "Why not just scream that they've got visitors?" Olley griped as he lit up the channeling crystal on his staff.

  The speck of light was enough for Shine to tell that those weren't candles. "They already know." A creature with eyes like flames inched closer to them, revealing its short snout and baring its razor-sharp teeth. It barely made a sound before it pounced on the Prince.

  Shine stepped back and stuck out his sword. The vicious beast impaled its belly on the blade, and Shine swung it against the wall. It let out a whimper before it went completely still.

  "Demibeast," Olley remarked, holding a light near the creature. "We shouldn't dawdle."

  Shine crouched down to get a better look at the demibeast. It was more muscular than a velizard, with sharper claws and teeth, but there was an unmistakable similarity. He reached out to put his hand on it.

  "Maybe you didn't hear him," Leaf said.

  Shine's hand hovered above the demibeast before he stood back up. "What foul creatures has this Neanthal deposited in our world?"

  Neither Leaf nor Olley provided any sort of answer. The three of them went in separate directions as they scoured the floor in search of Narai. But behind every door was more darkness and no sign of life. It was completely empty aside from the demibeast. Shine stumbled back toward the dead creature and waited for his companions to return. He kept his sword out the entire time, afraid of what may be waiting beyond his sight.

  Olley shifted back to the location, and Leaf returned minutes later.

  "On to the next floor," Olley said, and he stretched out his staff.

  "We could just take the stairs," Leaf suggested.

  "We could just get caught," Olley retorted.

  Shine and Leaf both sighed before grabbing onto the staff and shifting to the next floor.

  The fifth floor was even more deserted than the fourth. There was not even a stray demibeast to give them trouble. Peransic had left the entire floor unguarded. As he searched, Shine got the terrible impression that he may have done so on purpose. What if they were expected?

  "I'm starting to think this may be a trap," Shine stated once they regrouped.

  "Starting to?" Leaf replied.

  "Was it usually this vacant, Olley?" Shine asked.

  "Only when I was lucky," Olley said. "Maybe the Goddess is with us tonight."

  Shine tried to repress a condescending laugh. He doubted this was the work of any goddess.

  As they shifted onto the sixth floor, they wound up between two armored Massku who were not prepared for the encounter.

  Leaf moved with a hurried grace to stick both his sais into the neck of one of these plated beings. It screamed and stomped around until Olley finally tripped it with his staff and Leaf was able to finish it off.

  Shine was not so quick to vanquish his opponent. His sword was too thick to penetrate the Massku's weak spots, giving it enough time to retrieve its jagged weapon. The two swords clanged against one another as Shine dueled the bulky combatant. The Prince was faster, but the hits he landed on the Massku left it unfazed.

  "I could use some help," Shine pleaded when he saw Leaf and Olley watching.

  "Go ahead," Olley croaked.

  Leaf launched forward and shoved his sai into a crack in the Massku's shoulder armor. It howled in pain and let its sword sag toward the ground.

  Shine took a swing at the plated helmet, dislodging it from the rest of the armor. With another swing, it went flying into the wall, leaving the Massku's entire head exposed.

  Leaf and Shine gazed astoundingly at the being. Its face was not unlike any other human. Its eyes, nose, m
outh, and ears were all in the right place. Only it's skin, which was whiter than a cloud, and its hair, darker than the blackest ink, provided any distinction between him and any other in Ghumai.

  The Massku joined in their hesitation, gazing them both in the eyes as he waited for their attack to resume.

  "Can you speak like us?" Shine asked it.

  "Did you think me a mindless drone?" the Massku responded before raising its sword. "We are better than you. And we serve one greater than you. I will spill your blood in his name!"

  Leaf's sai struck the side of his head, and the Massku crumpled beneath his own weapon.

  Shine looked back at Olley. "Did you know they were so human?"

  Olley walked up to him. "Were you expecting the face of a demibeast when you knocked off its helmet?"

  "Actually, yes." Shine stared down at the dead plated. Its blood was darker than any he had seen, but it was undoubtedly a shade of red. He had anticipated killing monsters all night, not this.

  "Come on," Olley said as he pushed his staff toward them.

  The seventh and eighth floors had more Massku, but no one else. The three of them dispatched their opponents after protracted battles, leaving piles of dead Massku as they made their way up the tower.

  They were ambushed when they arrived on the ninth floor. There were at least twenty demibeasts and plated Massku waiting for them. This was the trap Shine had been anticipating.

  A pack of demibeasts rushed at them first. Shine was able to cut them down with only a few slight movements of his sword. Leaf and Olley had a harder time. Olley bashed them on the head with his staff, but that wasn't enough to take them down. And Leaf could only take them on when they were close enough to tear at his frock.

  Shine ran over to help, but a plated got in his way. "We can settle this with words," he suggested. "I know you can understand me."

  The plated tried to slash him with his jagged sword in response.

  Two more plated Massku came up behind him. Shine effectively kept their swords from making contact with his limbs, but there was no way he could take them down alone. His weapon took the brunt of every hit, and he pushed back against the massive brutes with each block.

  The entire hallway shook for a second, enough to throw everyone off balance. When Shine steadied himself and prepared to strike, he saw a silver staff break through the chest of one of the plated Massku like it was made of brittle wood.

  Olley pulled the staff out and smacked the Massku again, breaking it into tiny pieces that crumbled to the floor. The old mage was moving with the agility of a much younger man. With every hit, his staff turned the plated into a pile of black rubble. He outsped the demibeasts and turned them into nothing but a pile of ash when he was through.

  Shine gawked at the mage, impressed by his performance against their enemy. Suddenly he could understand how this man had once been the Grand Mage.

  Olley took a seat on the floor, between the remains of his opponents. He was out of breath, his age overtaking the vigor he had cast upon himself. He placed his staff in his lap and closed his eyes. "You'll have to go forward without me. I can't do much more if you expect me to shift you back."

  Leaf gave Shine an amazed look before speaking. "Thank you, Olley."

  "I would've told you to bring Amelia if I knew there would be this much fighting. Even Azzer would be a better choice."

  "I would've had no one else," Shine said, proud that he had brought Olley in on his plan.

  "You are idiots," Olley said with a hint of delight. He pointed straight ahead. "The stairs are over there."

  Shine and Leaf turned around and headed for the stairs. Their weapons were at the ready as they ascended, both prepared for a trap and terrified that they no longer had a mage to aid them. As they neared the opening to the highest floor, they heard voices. Shine put his hand on Leaf's shoulder and they both stopped.

  "I told you they would come," said a voice that was unquestionably Cillian's.

  "You've done well, mage," a voice replied that Shine could only guess was Peransic's. "Neanthal may restore your staff yet."

  "Aergo is weak. He will surrender when we have one of his children."

  Shine had never felt a fury as the one that suddenly consumed him. His body grew hot and his chest tensed up. He wanted to strangle Cillian; cut him to pieces and feed him to the rattipedes.

  "Then this one has served her purpose," Peransic said. "Kill her."

  Shine broke away from Leaf and sped up the remaining stairs. He went through an open doorway and emerged into a room as wide and deep as the tower itself. Standing amongst the long windows and groups of Massku was Cillian, in the same shabby outfit Shine had seen him in earlier. Beside him was, he assumed, Peransic, who was pale to the point of almost being transparent. And wrapped in chains and hanging from the ceiling was his wife. Narai did not look well, but she was alive.

  "The Prince of Ghumai!" Peransic shouted his welcome. "Well, most of Ghumai. You seem to have lost Faunli and Belliore." He took hold of the sickle on his leg. "Oh, and your wife."

  "Traitor!" Shine screamed at Cillian. He knew Peransic was going to lash out at him, but he truly wanted to kill Cillian where he stood. If he could provoke him, perhaps he could fulfill his desire.

  "Stay," Peransic ordered the mage like he was a pet. He raised his sickle and took off for the Prince.

  Sword and sickle clashed and bounced off each other. But they were soon joined by sais.

  Peransic did not appreciate the intrusion. "Take care of this one," he ordered the Massku.

  Multiple demibeasts pounced on Leaf and dragged him away.

  "Leaf!" Shine cried and watched as they chewed on his flesh. When he made to go after him, Peransic got in his way.

  "He's going to die," Peransic said plainly. "You get to live a smidge longer, but I promise you'll see him again soon."

  Shine's fury ebbed and gave way to panic. Not only was he outnumbered, but a man he had considered a brother was being devoured right before his eyes. Meanwhile, his wife was hanging helplessly above him, and their only hope was a tired mage who had already exhausted his energies.

  But he would not be their pawn. Shine lifted his sword and charged at Peransic. If he was going to be defeated by these monsters, he would die before letting them use him.

  Peransic wasn't even trying to hit him. He knocked Shine's blade around but left him unharmed.

  "Olley!" Shine bellowed and hoped his voice would carry to the floor below.

  "No one is going to – " Peransic looked down and saw that Leaf had wrapped his arms around his legs.

  The momentary distraction was enough for Shine to shove his blade through the middle of the sickle and into Peransic's shoulder. It felt like it was only piercing air, but Shine knew he had made contact when Peransic's shriek echoed through the room.

  Olley shifted right next to Shine. He somehow looked even older than when they had set out earlier in the evening.

  "Narai!" Shine pointed to her.

  Olley directed the chains to drop her, while he saw Cillian coming at them. As the chains let loose the Princess, they reached out and ensnared the disgraced mage, lifting him from the floor and toward the ceiling.

  Shine ran over to Narai and took her in his arms just as they were surrounded by Massku. His sword was by his side, but he refused to pick it up. He swaddled himself around his wife so he would be her shield.

  "You can't leave!" Peransic hollered as he kicked free of Leaf's grasp. He made for the Prince, but Olley got in his way. "You can do nothing for them, mage."

  "Can't I?" Olley shifted until he was right next to Shine and Narai. He touched his staff to both of them and they faded from Belliore and into Castle Tornis.

  Olley shifted back to the tower in Cortex, only to find Peransic holding his sickle to Leaf's neck.

  "Bring them back," Peransic demanded.

  Olley wiped a tear from his eye. He knew what was about to happen, even though he was going to try to
prevent it.

  As soon as Olley began to fade, Peransic sliced Leaf's throat.

  Olley grabbed hold of the boy and shifted to Castle Tornis, but he knew he would only be bringing them the body. Leaf was already dead.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  A Momentary Break

  Clouds finally passed in front of the sun, giving Aros a momentary break from the unrepentant heat. Though the seasons had yet to change, this day felt as much like a Summer day as any day in Spring could. Aros' black shirt was already damp with sweat. The golden M around his neck was hot to the touch. And the sunlight was angled in such a way so that none of the nearby trees cast a shadow.

  Aros stopped to enjoy the relative cool. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and took a glance over his shoulder. Magenine's Haven was somewhere behind him, though he'd traveled a good deal since stepping out of its borders. He wished he had grabbed a meal before he left. His stomach had been growling for the last hour. Maybe that's why Pudo had given him coins: to buy some food. Why didn't he think of eating before he left?

  He should go back. He wanted to go back. Now, he was surrounded by endless fields and patches of trees. Faunli had a plentiful amount of this type of landscape; almost as much as Kytheras had desert.

  There was the occasional berry lying in the grass, but Aros wasn't sure if they were safe to eat. As his stomach continued to make noise, he considered taking a chance.

  But if he got sick after eating them, it would cause another delay. He was already late. Doren could have been taken anywhere in the empire. And he had no idea where Rikki ended up. He had only kept walking in the direction that weather vane had pointed. What if that had been a mistake? What if it wasn't the Goddess he was following, but the wind?

  Aros kicked at nearby fruit and resumed his quest. He was more sluggish than before, as he intended to enjoy the atmosphere while it was not cooking him alive. He would've appreciated some rain or even a small pond. After his talk about not being ready with Pudo, he should have tried to be more ready this time. Why was he in such a rush?