“Commander LaChance, you should have summoned me,” the first man said, as if he were scolding a child. “I am the mayor, after all. I should be present to greet any guests of importance. So who do we have here? Message riders from Ruatha?”
LaChance regarded him calmly. “Mayor Humphrey, this is Lord Reishi, Sovereign of the Seven Isles.”
The man blanched slightly, but very quickly regained his composure. “Lord Reishi, what an unexpected surprise.” Within a few words he seemed completely at ease. “I must thank you on behalf of all Andalians for your valiant efforts to free us from the yolk of Acuna tyranny.”
“Please, join us,” Alexander said, motioning to an empty chair while appraising the man’s colors. He found them wanting.
“How kind of you, Lord Reishi,” Humphrey said, turning to the second man before taking his place at the table. “Go see to the preparations for Lord Reishi’s quarters.” The second man didn’t hesitate, scurrying out of the room before Alexander could object.
Humphrey sat down, placing his hands flat on the table. “This is very exciting,” he said. “We’re so proud of our burgeoning little community and the important role we have to play in the war effort. I trust that Commander LaChance has informed you of our progress, but I wonder if he’s made you aware of the many supply shortages our good people are suffering with. I would list the items we’re in need of but I’m afraid that would take too much of your time. Suffice it to say, we are short of everything … from food to iron.”
Alexander got the impression that the man could talk for an hour without taking a breath, so he stopped him with a gesture.
“Mayor Humphrey, I’m sure Commander LaChance is allocating his resources as best he can.”
“Oh yes, of course, I don’t mean to diminish the important work the Rangers are doing here, and Commander LaChance has been more than fair … on most counts, anyway.”
Alexander waited without responding, watching a hint of duplicity ripple in Humphrey’s colors. When it became apparent that Alexander wasn’t going to inquire about his concerns, he continued.
“You see, we have an opportunity that Commander LaChance has been reluctant to take advantage of, and I was hoping that you would see the wisdom—”
“What opportunity?”
“Ah, yes, well … for quite some time, a resistance organization has been working against the Andalian government and the Acuna. Of course, the Babachenko labeled the leader of these freedom fighters an outlaw and a brigand, but now that open war has come to Andalia, they seem like a natural ally. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to persuade Commander LaChance of the value of such an alliance.”
“What I told you, was that I’m not making an alliance until I meet the man first,” LaChance said firmly.
“While I see the potential value,” Alexander said, “I agree with Commander LaChance. What’s this man’s name?”
“He’s called Nightshade,” Humphrey said.
Alexander schooled his expression, nodding to himself while watching the mayor’s colors intently. Anja started to blurt something, but stopped when Jack spilled his drink, standing so quickly that he knocked his chair over. In the ensuing commotion, Alexander silenced Anja with a look.
“I’m so sorry,” Jack said, hurrying to clean up the mess he’d made while Humphrey looked on disapprovingly.
“Have you met this man?” Alexander asked, drawing the mayor’s attention back to him.
“No, never,” Humphrey lied.
“I see,” Alexander said, feigning disappointment. “That’s unfortunate. We can use all the allies we can get. Do you have a way to get word to this Nightshade? Perhaps he would agree to a meeting with me.”
“I do have a contact, but I won’t be able to meet with him until after dark,” Humphrey said.
“Also unfortunate,” Alexander said. “I have urgent business elsewhere, so we’ll be leaving shortly.”
“Surely your business could be delayed for a day,” Humphrey said. “Nightshade could provide us with supplies and silver. His assistance might make all the difference in the fight for Andalia.”
“I’m afraid not, Mayor Humphrey,” Alexander said. “However, I’m sure Commander LaChance would be happy to meet with him.”
“As I understand it, Nightshade is extremely cautious,” Humphrey said. “So far, he’s been unwilling to meet with the commander … but I’m certain he would make time for you, Lord Reishi.”
Alexander pretended to weigh the man’s words but then slowly shook his head.
“I’m afraid my business is too urgent to be delayed. As much as I’d like to meet him, I need to be on my way.”
“Really, Lord Reishi, you must reconsider,” Humphrey said.
Alexander held the man with his blind eyes until Humphrey’s colors started to show discomfort.
“No,” Alexander said, waiting for the man to open his mouth to protest again before continuing. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, I have some military matters to discuss with Commander LaChance.”
Humphrey looked taken aback. “But … I’m the mayor. I should be present for—”
Jataan took a step forward and Humphrey stopped talking.
“Yes, well, I do have many other issues to attend to. Lord Reishi,” he said curtly before turning on his heel and shuffling out the door.
“Follow him, Little One,” Alexander said silently.
“Yes, My Love.”
“He’s not really as insufferable as he made himself out to be,” LaChance said. “Truth is, he’s been a real help managing the day-to-day operations of the town.”
“I have no doubt,” Alexander said. “Unfortunately, he’s working for one of my enemies.”
“What?” LaChance said, genuinely surprised and a little flustered by the revelation. “Who?”
“I’m pretty sure that Nightshade is a man named Titus Grant. He’s stabbed me in the back both literally and figuratively. If he’s here, we need to deal with him or he could disrupt this entire operation.”
A wyvern roared, fury and pain echoing into the sky. Alexander bolted for the door and set out at a dead run toward the aerie. His friends fell in behind him. More sounds of battle reverberated through the trees as they neared. A wyvern leapt into the air, coming into view only briefly before a shadowy creature of almost translucent darkness latched on to its wing and tore the thin membrane to tatters. The wyvern snapped at the shadowy attacker and it vanished, leaving only wisps of darkness fading like smoke on a breeze. But the damage was done. The wyvern crashed to the ground, its wing no longer able to support it in flight.
Alexander arrived to find all eight wyverns injured and a number of handlers dead or dying. Kiera stood in the middle of the aerie, flanked by several Sky Knights looking for any further threat, but the forest fell silent save for the sounds of wounded wyverns.
He stopped several feet from Kiera, her colors roiling with rage. Outwardly, the only indication of her feelings was the ferocity in her eyes.
“Report,” Alexander said.
She took a deep breath to steady herself before speaking.
“Shadows came out of the forest and attacked the wyverns. We fought as best we could, but there were too many of them. They didn’t attack us unless we got in the way … they were just after the wyverns.”
“Lita, tend to the wounded. LaChance, I need twenty Rangers and horses for all of my people.”
Lita went to work immediately, caring for the wounded Sky Knights. LaChance pointed at one of his men. The Ranger turned on his heel and ran for the stables.
“Who do you think did this?” Jack asked.
“Probably Yasim,” Alexander said. “This sounds like a spell I’ve seen him cast.” He opened his Wizard’s Den with a gesture and went to his magic circle, while Jataan stood just inside the doorway, his hands casually clasped behind his back.
Alexander slipped into the firmament and thought of Yasim. Sure enough, he found the Royal Assassin in a steep ravine
not half a league from the aerie. He was accompanied by the same four men who had guarded Alexander’s tent during their journey to the Western Province. A dozen assassins were with him as well, the very same men that the Babachenko had threatened to send after Abigail. Alexander rose into the sky and mentally mapped their location.
He emerged from his Wizard’s Den to the sound of horses approaching at a gallop.
“Stay mounted,” he said to the Rangers, as he took the reins offered to him and hoisted himself into the saddle.
“Listen up. We’re going after the Andalian Royal Assassin and his men. All of them are dangerous, so don’t hesitate to strike.” He turned to LaChance. “Have your fastest ship made ready to sail.”
LaChance saluted and started issuing orders.
“I would join you, Lord Reishi,” Kiera said.
“Good. Mount up,” he said, spurring his horse toward the forest.
Chapter 5
The terrain was rough, but not unmanageable for the nimble horses favored by the Rangers. As they reached the ridge looking down into the ravine, Alexander dismounted, signaling for silence.
“Send me your mind,” Chloe said.
Alexander gestured for everyone to hold their position and obliged his familiar without a word. Humphrey was speaking to a tradesman, a man with questionable colors.
“If Nightshade wants the Stone, he has to move now,” the mayor said. “The pretender plans to leave soon.”
The man nodded, handing Humphrey a pouch. “I’ll deliver your message. Are the strike preparations on schedule?”
“Yes. With the silver you’ve provided, we’ve been able to get nearly half of the shipwrights on board, but we won’t be able to keep them if the supply ships from Ruatha get through.”
“We’ll take care of that,” the tradesman said, stepping back into an alley and disappearing into the shadows.
“Follow Nightshade’s man, Little One.”
“I will, My Love.”
“Looks like I was right about Humphrey,” Alexander said, looking down into the ravine with his all around sight. Yasim’s men were well hidden but they were also boxed in. They had only two directions to retreat—up the ravine or down the ravine. Even better, they didn’t seem to be aware of Alexander and his men.
“Any idea what Nightshade’s up to?” Jack asked.
“Short term, he’s organizing a strike. Long term, I suspect he wants to rule Andalia. But we’ll deal with him later.”
“What do we face, Lord Reishi?” Kiera asked, a hard edge in her voice.
“Yasim is a necromancer mage. Some of his men are very skilled assassins. The rest are killers for hire. I suspect all of them are far more comfortable stabbing people in the back than they are in combat. A few have magic, but Yasim is the only wizard in the bunch—and he’s the one I want dead the most.”
“He’s the one who wounded the wyverns, yes?” Kiera said.
“Yes. I suspect the Babachenko sent him to make sure that I don’t leave Andalia.”
“What’s your plan of attack, Lord Reishi?” Jataan asked.
Alexander opened his Wizard’s Den and retrieved Luminessence. “We move quietly. The archers will attack by surprise from the high ground, then we’ll engage the rest. I suspect Yasim’s magic will fail under my light, but he’s still dangerous. He wears enchanted armor and his dagger is dark and powerful.”
They set out, moving slowly down the steep slope, sacrificing speed for stealth. Every ten steps or so, Alexander stopped and looked through the trees, checking on Yasim and his men. They seemed to be preparing for battle, yet didn’t appear to be aware of Alexander’s presence.
When Alexander and his people reached a point just a hundred feet above the secluded camp, they could see Yasim and his men setting out toward the town, traveling single file along the little stream that had carved the ravine. Alexander looked to his Rangers—all had arrows nocked and ready.
He lifted Luminessence and raised its light, harsh and glaring to his enemies but illuminating and revealing to his allies. Arrows sailed through the trees a moment later, catching many of the hired killers by surprise, killing more than a few.
Yasim and his assassins quickly found cover, avoiding the rain of arrows falling into their midst. It didn’t take the remaining mercenaries long to gather their senses and seek refuge behind the stout trees growing along the stream banks.
Alexander shouted, “I just want Yasim! The rest of you are free to go if you leave now!”
One man stepped out from behind a tree, showing his hands, looking at Alexander with suspicion and hope, furtively glancing down the ravine.
“Run,” Alexander said. The man turned and ran, but a moment later an arc of inky blackness leapt from behind the tree where Yasim had taken cover and struck the man square in the back, blasting him forward onto the ground. His skin turned dark as his colors faded.
“That looks like eight dead, Yasim!” Alexander shouted. “Surrender and put that collar around your neck and I’ll let you live.”
His offer was met with derisive laughter.
“Yeah, I didn’t think so,” Alexander muttered, motioning for Jataan to take half of the Rangers and flank to the high side of the ravine.
Dark tendrils began moving away from Yasim’s position, creeping along the ground toward his fallen men.
“I don’t like the looks of that,” Jack said, pulling his hood up and flickering out of sight.
When the tendrils reached the fresh corpses, the dead arched their backs, shaking as if in excruciating pain before springing to their feet with far more agility than the dead should be able to muster. As one, they turned toward Alexander and howled. A moment later, they were frantically charging toward him. The Rangers’ colors rippled with fear.
It took Alexander a moment to fully process what he was seeing. He sent a surge of light into the world, flooding the forest with such pure radiant brilliance that Yasim’s dark spell broke and his dead fell once again, crashing to the forest floor in midstride.
Darkness began filling the ravine like smoke, thick and impenetrable to normal sight. Alexander raised his light, but it wouldn’t penetrate the darkness. He raised it brighter still, another pulse of the purest light, washing away the unnatural darkness but only after he drew power from the realm of light itself. A wave of weariness flowed into him, forcing him to lean on his staff for a moment.
The Rangers with Jataan loosed another volley into the enemy, felling three more. Yasim sent a number of shadow creatures at them, wing and claw and fang taking form in midflight. Alexander tried to raise his light again but all he could muster was natural illumination, bright and blinding to his enemies, but with little power to dispel Yasim’s dark magic. He drew the Thinblade and charged into battle with Anja close on his heels and the Rangers advancing behind them, bows at the ready.
The first shadow reached Jataan. He slipped aside and cleaved through it with a sword that seemed to materialize in his hand. The creature vanished in a puff of foul smoke. The remaining shadows swept into the Rangers, tearing into flesh and killing three men in as many seconds, then vanishing. Kiera killed one with a light-lance spell. A Ranger killed another with a hasty, but lucky, swing of his sword.
Alexander reached the closest assassin, sliding out of the path of his sword and sweeping through the man with the Thinblade, killing him almost as an afterthought on his way to Yasim. Anja killed another man with a brutal hack of her oversized sword. The courage of the enemy seemed to break all at once and the remaining killers turned and fled down the ravine. The Rangers took them down with a continuous barrage of arrows, dropping one after the next in rapid succession.
Alexander reached Yasim just as the Royal Assassin unleashed another spell. In the space of a heartbeat, Alexander felt all of his strength fail. He went to one knee, unable to stand, debilitating weakness filling every recess of his being. He tried to raise his light, but didn’t have the strength.
Yasim smil
ed down at him, the look of triumph frozen in place when Jataan decapitated him with a stroke from behind. In that moment, Alexander’s strength flooded back into his body just as quickly as it had left him. He stood, scanning the carnage and finding only his people still breathing.
“Well done,” he said to Jataan as he knelt beside the Royal Assassin’s corpse. He took the slave master’s ring from Yasim’s finger and the slave collar that was looped around his belt.
Alexander slipped the ring on and touched it to the collar. A moment passed before the clasp opened with a click.
“Have someone particular in mind?” Jack asked, flickering into view.
“No, but I’m hoping Kelvin can figure out how to remove one of these collars without using a master ring.”
A Ranger sergeant approached. “I have four dead and three injured. The area is secure and all of the enemy are dead.”
“Tend to your wounded, bury your dead, and collect the enemy to be burned,” Alexander said.
“Yes, Lord Reishi,” the sergeant said.
“I don’t understand why we don’t just go kill the Babachenko,” Anja said. “They’re not that tough. The last two fights have been easy.”
“Tell that to them,” Alexander said, looking at the dead Rangers. “Without Luminessence, this would have turned out very differently. And we had surprise and the high ground on our side.”
She frowned, looking a little sheepish at the sorrow creasing the brows of the Rangers as they prepared to bury their fallen.
Alexander opened the Wizard’s Den and locked Yasim’s enchanted dagger and armor in his strongbox, along with the collar. After a moment’s thought, he put the ring in his pouch. The wounded Rangers were helped into beds while everyone else tended to the dead. After a brief but somber funeral, they mounted up.
They were nearly back to town when Chloe reached out to Alexander.
“Send me your mind, My Love.”
He reined in his horse and closed his eyes. A moment later he was perched on a rock outcropping near the apex of a cave. Titus Grant and his wife Joss were there, seated at the head of a finely crafted table that looked remarkably out of place in the unfinished cavern. A wizard and a number of diverse yet quite competent-looking individuals shared the table with them. The tradesman who’d spoken to Humphrey sat toward the far end.
Sovereign of the Seven Isles 7: Reishi Adept Page 5