Loyalty and War

by Devon Vesper

“Can everyone see them clearly?” Aryn asked.

  Sounds of assent rolled over the group. Aryn nodded and motioned to Valis without looking away from the scrying bowl. “Go ahead. I have it steady.”

  “Can you enlarge sections as I point to them?”

  Aryn tilted his head. “I think so.”

  Valis pointed to one of the sketched-in entrances. “This one looked like it was blocked off. What do you twins make of it?”

  The mouthpiece for the twins stepped forward. “It has a gate, but it was open. It slides in from the left if you’re looking at it from outside the walls.”

  For the next half hour, Valis went through what he had seen while questioning the twins on their reconnaissance information. At the finish, Valis waved Shyvus forward. “Bring the labyrinth map.”

  It took a moment for Shyvus to find it in his pack, but he soon had it spread across the table with two daggers, a stone, and Valis’s hand holding down the corners to keep it from rolling closed.

  Valis waited until Aryn had the map up and clear, hovering over the table and looking as solid as if the map itself floated. There were several, as before. Each touching at the edges in an octagon formation. Once the image held steady, Valis pointed to where the traps were sketched in.

  “I know not all of you will be going into the labyrinth with me—”

  The circle erupted into a cacophony of the reliquary guards and leaders loudly arguing that detail. Valis raised his hand for silence, and when it was granted, he leaned forward, pressing both hands against the table as he looked around, meeting the eyes of his men and women.

  “I need you all to understand that I’m not a fragile doll.” He ticked his head toward the stronghold. “There are triple the forces in the stronghold according to our scouts. I’ll need a good number of you to remain behind to cover our rear. And if something happens to us, I’ll need another team to get my father out of their prison and to safety.”

  “But—”

  “No ‘buts,’ Shyvus.” Valis gave him a hard look. “Not a one. My father is my priority, but the Sovereign Priest of Qos is everyone’s priority. If there’s a chance for me to take out their Sovereign Priest, by my oath as an Aesriphos, and as the Grand Master of our order, it’s my duty to take him out.”

  A feral grin spread across his face. “And that means I’d be creating a very loud, very messy, very deadly distraction for a small extraction team to get in, secure Darolen, get out, and make it back to the safety of this camp.”

  “How small is small?” Venabi asked. As usual, she had her hand up by her face, idly scratching the pink scar that ran down her cheek. “We need to make sure to keep that team secure.”

  Valis held up two fingers. “Two Aesriphos, two mercenary assassins, two Kalutakeni warriors, one healer, one mercenary scout, four laymen.” He motioned his finger in a circle to indicate all the leaders. “I’ll leave it up to all of you to pick who is on this team. But for the laymen, I want two of them to be Jedai and Maphias because Darolen knows them, and they may be a source of comfort for him during his extraction.”

  Jedai nodded. “Maph and I would be honored, Valis.”

  “I want to make it clear that the extraction team may not be needed. I’ll be going from the bottom up, so we don’t get any surprises biting our asses. I want this done as systematically as possible.”

  The rest of the war council went smoothly, and once he dismissed everyone, Aryn pulled Valis aside. “Can I talk to you and Tav for a few minutes?”

  “Give us a moment to figure out accommodations for you and Aenali,” Valis said. “I—”

  Maphias came up and smirked. “’Nali will be sleeping in our tent. Otherwise, Jedai won’t sleep.”

  “He’s right,” Jedai muttered, his face shading to red.

  Sighing, Valis studied Aryn a moment. He didn’t want Aryn to sleep in his tent with Tavros. It seemed his thoughts made it to his expression because Aryn winced and motioned to Aenali. “We could go back and get a tent. Right, Aenali? We need bedrolls, too.”

  “You two go get supplies,” Valis ordered. “Bedrolls, tent, clothes, and anything else Thyran thinks we’ll need. Make it as quick as you can so we don’t worry about you.”

  Aenali wriggled until Jedai put her down, and once she took Aryn’s hand, they both disappeared, and Valis let out a small breath. They would be the death of him.

  And while they were gone, Valis focused on the bowl of water with Thyran in mind. The moment that man’s face appeared in the water, Valis railed on him, “What the fuck, Thyran? You couldn’t have warned me? Did Aenali and Aryn make it back to you? Did you really encourage them to come? Fuck! Thyran…”

  “Calm yourself before you give yourself an aneurysm, child,” Thyran said. His eyes were wide from the vehemence Valis threw at him. He took a second to recover and leaned forward. “I did not get the vision that they would need to be with you until today. I had no time to warn you. But rest assured that they are there on my orders, and they have skills to help you that you may well need.”

  “And they made it back to you?” Valis asked. The stress still hadn’t left his voice. “Did you realize you sent them here without proper kits? No bedrolls. No tents. No clothes. Just a satchel with scrying tools!”

  Thyran groaned. “They are here, so I assume that’s what they ran off to acquire. I’ll make sure their kits are ready before I send them back to you.”

  “Thanks. Now, do you have any news for me? Lunch is ready, and we’re all starving.”

  His mentor shook his head. “No, my boy. Eat. They will return shortly, and I’ll make sure they are fed before they come so you don’t have to worry about that.”

  Nodding, Valis wrapped up the scry, and after dismissing the leaders to lunch, Valis turned to Tavros and rested his forehead against his husband’s temple. “Think they’ll ever stop giving us heart failure?”

  “I doubt it, love.”

  Lunch was a tense affair. Valis kept expecting Aenali to phase back at any moment and feared she and Aryn would land in one of the fires, or even in one of the stew pots. It made eating interesting.

  A couple hours later, they returned, popping up right in front of Valis, so he had to stop so suddenly he almost ended up on his ass. “Gods, quit doing that!”

  Aenali grinned, unrepentant. “Sorry.”

  “Liar.”

  She only giggled, and Valis couldn’t even be mad.

  Phalin came over and unburdened Aryn, who had carried all their bags and camping kits. He smiled at them. “I’ll set Aryn’s tent up near yours, if you’d like, Valis.”

  Tavros shook his head and squeezed the back of Valis’s neck. “Not right next to ours. Let us have a little privacy, at least.”

  With a nod, Phalin turned, his raven hair shining in the sun, and headed toward a bare spot not far from Valis and Tavros’s tent, but far enough away that they wouldn’t hear each other if they spoke quietly. Valis couldn’t argue with that, and Tavros must have had the same thought.

  With Phalin setting up the tent and caring for Aryn and Aenali’s kits, Valis turned toward Aryn and offered a weak smile. “You wanted to talk to us?”

  Aryn blew out a loud breath and looked to the side, presumably watching Phalin erect his tent. Then he forced his shoulders down from around his ears and looked Valis in the eye. “I wanted to apologize. I know I have before, but—I just…” He groaned and pulled a chunk of his hair over his shoulder to nervously play with it. “It took a long time with Sister Qisryn. She’s a wonderful therapist, but I wasn’t ready.”

  “And you are now?” Valis asked gently. He knew how hard trauma was to overcome. And he had to admit that what he’d gone through was its own kind of trauma.

  Aryn nodded. “She helped me put a lot of things into perspective and helped me realize that my jealousy was more about Tavros ‘stealing what was mine, or what I had first,’ than it was about courting you.”

  He sighed and fidgeted with his hair more. “It sta
rted when we first took you to Cadoras. I’d seen the way he acted with you, knew he was interested, or at least guessed. So I went to get a more personal gift. Then he came up with one, too, that was perfect. And it snowballed from there.

  “The more I tried to get your attention, the more you gave your attention to Tavros. And… I blamed Tavros at first. Then… when I got really bad, I started blaming you, too. All because I was scared you’d stop loving me if you loved Tavros.”

  “Oh, Aryn…”

  “I know it was stupid, Valis.” Aryn wiped the unshed tears from his eyes. “It wasn’t your fault. And it wasn’t Tavros’s. I know that now. I just didn’t see it then. And I’m so sorry I made such a mess of things.”

  “And you know that it’s going to take us a while to fully trust you again,” Valis said. “Right?”

  Aryn’s breath hitched, but he nodded. “I know.”

  Valis held out his arms, and after a brief pause where Aryn seemed to vibrate in place, he closed the distance fast and pressed his face into Valis’s neck. “I’m sorry.” He sobbed in a breath. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I forgive you, Aryn,” Valis said. “As I said before we left, I forgive you. But can you forgive yourself?”

  The boy shivered and nodded. “I’m trying. Sister Qisryn is helping me.”

  “I forgive you, too,” Tavros said. He pressed a kiss into his baby brother’s hair and sighed. “It’s not fair that we stink, and you smell like blueberry soap.”

  Valis barked a laugh. Aryn chuckled as he pulled back and wiped his eyes. “Yeah. Valis is kind of rank. You both need baths.”

  “Such is the life of the journeyman,” Valis muttered.

  He cracked his neck and took a step back. “Now, you two will stay in this camp when we go into battle. Is that clear?”

  Aryn nodded. “I’ll be using my ability to project my scries to confuse their forces. I can easily do that from camp.”

  Aenali broke off from her brother and put her fists on her hips. Gods, she’d grown, coming up to almost Valis’s armpits. “I’m not promising anything.”

  “Aenali…”

  “No, Valis. If you need me, or if I can help, I’m going to help. You’ll just have to deal with it.”

  Valis groaned. He knew, just from the stubborn tilt of her chin and the defiance in her eyes, that he would lose this fight if he kept going. So, all he said was, “Can you at least agree to stay here unless you’re needed and to come right back here the moment you’re done?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe.”

  Groaning, Valis covered his face with both hands. “Fuck my life…”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dawn had yet to arrive. Valis cringed, blinking rapidly as he cast a mage light to brighten the too-early morning and light his way to where everyone was assembled. Tavros stuck close to his side, and just as they made it to the makeshift command center, Aryn ran full-pelt with a cry of, “Wait! I’m coming!”

  “What the fuck?” Tavros asked. “You never get up this early.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve learned. Let’s go.”

  Valis raised an eyebrow at him, but rather than poke fun, he herded Aryn to the command table where it looked like everyone was already assembled, armored, and their weapons at the ready.

  “Shyvus, I want you and a team you trust to oversee Avristin’s layman force.” He looked around with a wry grin. “I am well aware of my faults, and I want the laymen to be used to their best effect. Jedai tried to teach me, but I fear I was never very good at Harbinger’s Way.”

  Chuckles arose, and Valis lifted his hand for silence. “Venabi, Vodis, and Jintas, will you give the reliquary guard control of your forces?”

  “You know I will,” Jintas said. He smiled, his red goatee bristling. How he kept his hair and beard trimmed was a mystery Valis wished he had the time to ask about. Tavros kept complaining about how long his hair was getting. But, he pushed that thought aside to ask about after the war.

  “We will,” Venabi said. She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded toward Shyvus. “My tribe already respects the reliquary guard, so they will follow their orders without issue.”

  Valis smiled at her. “I knew we wouldn’t have a problem, but I’d rather be safe than have confusion in the ranks.”

  Shyvus nodded. “This is wise. We’ll do you proud, Grand Master.”

  Valis gave him a fond smile. “I know you will.”

  He sighed and looked around, taking count of all his friends, some closer than others, but all his brothers and sisters. Gods knew who would fall in the battles to come. The thought made Valis’s heart ache in a way that made his breath hitch and his eyes burn.

  He blinked the hint of tears away. With his voice magnified to reach everyone in camp, Valis called out to his army.

  “All too soon, we will put our lives and loves on the line. The Sovereign Priest of Qos sits in that mountain, thinking he’s untouchable. He knows we are coming. He is stronger than any of us have before seen. And he is holding my father captive.

  “Some of us may not live to see tomorrow. Some of us will look around when the dust has settled and miss familiar faces. Some of us may head home with hearts broken and weary souls.

  “But we will succeed. Today, we will see this war ended. Today, the Sovereign Priest of Qos will know the true might and light of Avristin through us. Today, one of us will see his hope rewarded.

  “Today, we will persevere.”

  Valis laced his hands with Tavros’s, pausing as his men and women cheered.

  He lifted a hand for silence. They instantly obeyed his request.

  “My friends, may Phaerith guide our decisions and reactions this day. May Karei and Sotec fill your souls with peace enough to see us through this battle. May Vorik and Xysoz guide our swords and magic as we wage our final battles in this millennia-long war. May Asenth and Delys protect us with the fury and heart of their motherly love. And may Dapen and Racal guide our way and lead us home.”

  Valis drew his sword and held it aloft, pouring his magic into it so that it almost lit up the entire camp. Within two breaths, every Aesriphos in his army had their swords raised, holy light glowing brightly until the area grew blinding.

  With emotions threatening to choke him, Valis called, “Blessed are our brothers and sisters, and blessed are we to fight by your sides. Let us fight, as family, and show this dark plague the Light of Phaerith!”

  The cheers of his army shook the ground. Horses snorted, startled by the intensity of the cacophony that arose from every throat within the shield. Valis pulsed the blinding glow from his sword, then doused his light and sheathed it at his hip. His men and women took his cue and did the same, throwing the camp into near-complete darkness save for the gentle glow of the fires that dotted the area and a few wispy mage lights.

  After a quiet moment, Shyvus called for Brogan and Rylas, and after a brief word, they went off, calling to the laymen leaders.

  It was almost time.

  Valis called out one last time. “Break up into your teams. There are two entrances. I want a team at each entrance. Shyvus, Phalin—your team takes the north gate. Cassavin, Nevesar—your team takes the south gate. Those with the translocation ability, I want you to take your teams of ten and phase to strategic spots of bare ground. Create as much controlled chaos as possible. The moment you see an opening, assess the risk, and take the chance.”

  He glanced around. No one seemed to have any questions. They had gone over this the night before, but he wanted to make sure everything was clear before the battle got underway. Confusion would lead to death. Valis couldn’t afford that outcome. Not if he wanted to end this war and save his father.

  Valis checked the time on his pocket watch, casting a mage light so he could actually see the hands and numbers. It was only three in the morning. At this hour, they would have the element of surprise well in hand.

  With a deep breath, Valis motioned toward the stronghold. “Mount up. We leave the hors
es fifty yards from the stronghold. I’ll erect a shield to keep them contained, safe, and invisible. Their gates are probably down. I want two reliquary guards to remove the gates completely.”

  “Won’t that fuck with our element of surprise?” Seza asked, hands on her hips. Her eyes were bright in the mage lights. Her fists clenched and flexed as she dropped them to her sides.

  Valis shook his head. “I’ll be levitating myself enough to see over the wall. Then I’ll be translocating a third team inside to start with the chaos. While all the attention is on us, I want two reliquary guards to use the concussion spell to blast the gates off. The teams outside waiting will have a shield over them to ensure the doors don’t take out our own men and women. Is that understood?”

  “SIR!”

  “Mount up and move out!”

  Valis and Tavros mounted up, and soon Valis was down and casting the shield over the horses. Everything went like clockwork. Valis lifted himself, and with a spell to reach every one of his team through their personal shields, he whispered just loud enough for them to hear. “Everyone touch the person beside and in front of you. Those in the front touch me. We’re going in.”

  The moment he felt a loop in his shield from everyone touching, Valis phased. They landed in the center square around the pole that Valis had seen Darolen chained to in his dreams. They spread out on silent feet, their shields keeping them invisible and soundproofed while erasing their tracks.

  Valis raised his hand for attention and gave the signal to start killing. For long minutes, Valis and his team systematically killed sentries. They died before they could even gurgle with daggers to the backs of their necks, severing their spine just below their nape.

  They headed into buildings, killing those asleep. It seemed too easy, and Valis’s stomach felt like it would pit at any moment.

  Then the bottom dropped out of Valis’s stomach so hard he fell over the man he’d just executed, waking his partner. She screamed so loud that Valis’s eardrums ached. He dispatched her swiftly, removing her head from her neck in a single strike. Blood spurted everywhere, but Valis couldn’t care. Because her scream seemed to have woken the entire compound.