The Marenon Chronicles Collection

by Jason D. Morrow

  “You’re right,” Inga answered. The green shield instantly turned into a bright red fireball in her hands and she shot it straight at the assassin, landing it on his left side, setting the bandaged wound on fire. The masked man shouted out in pain as he tried to extinguish the flames. Judoc yelled for his minions to charge, and the group was instantly attacked on all sides. They were outnumbered heavily, but their fighting skills far surpassed the vicious dogs. Lorcan slashed through two of them at once, sending them to the ground. Silas and Kaden had their own hands full trying to keep the dogs off of Jessup. Two ran to Silas’ right and he stepped over to confront them. As he was about to swing his sword, it abruptly turned into a bow and arrow. Frustration and anger came over him as he was about to make the kill, but when he turned he saw the assassin taking aim at Inga who had her back turned, electrocuting an attacker with her blazing magic.

  “No!” He knelt to one knee as Kaden dispatched the dog-men Silas had meant to take down. He took careful aim at the assassin. Before the assassin released his arrow, Silas let his fly. He missed the assassin by a foot, but the distraction was enough to make the assassin’s shot toward Inga go wide. Silas leapt from his spot and charged after him, his staff turning from a bow to a sword. Their blades clashed and sparks flew. The assassin used only one arm to deflect Silas’ blows, but it was enough. He was a skilled fighter and would not be taken down easily. Even with one arm he was able to go on the offensive and Silas found himself struggling to maintain his balance. He parried one blow after the other. His attacker didn’t even look as though he was trying. Silas was outmatched and he knew it. It was all he could do to deflect. Several swipes came too close to ending his life in Marenon. Lorcan, Kaden and Inga had their hands full with Judoc’s minions, so no help would be found there. With every deflection, Silas found himself stumbling. The masked assailant was unrelenting, and finally, Silas’ foot caught on a rock beneath him and he fell to the ground. The assassin stood silent, staring at Silas for a moment. Silas was defeated and it was now over. Any attempt to get back up would only cause the enemy to lop his head off. It was over. When the assassin stepped forward, he was stopped by a warning voice behind him.

  “The Meshulan will not be killed by the likes of you!” It was Jessup. He stood ready, holding a small sword shaking slightly. “He is the prophesied Deliverer and I won’t let you take his life!”

  The black-clad warrior took a step toward Jessup and gripped his sword tighter. Silas seized the opportunity and jumped to his feet. With his wounded arm, the assassin deflected Silas’ blow, and with the other arm, he pulled out a dagger and sent it sailing to Jessup’s chest. The dagger sliced through cloth and skin, and Jessup slumped to the ground with the impact. Silas went at the assassin with everything he had, but it wasn’t enough. The masked soldier easily blocked his every move.

  Silas’ eyes lit up at the sight of four sarians flying in, smashing the dog-men into trees and rocks. Skarret swooped down at the assassin, and he swung his sword to try and kill the bird, but Skarret dodged the swing and came back down in an attempt to slice him through with his large talons. The assassin took off in a sprint, knowing he was not equipped to fight a sarian and Silas at the same time. They had not been ready for the birds. Judoc’s minions scattered in all directions, fleeing from the ferocious animals. The assassin disappeared into the woods, but Silas didn’t doubt he would be waiting nearby.

  Silas rushed to the dying Jessup, thankful the man had saved his life. The three others joined him at his side, and Kaden placed a hand on the man’s bleeding wound, hoping he could help him, but one look showed that the man would be dead any second.

  “The Gatekeeper wanted to leave behind a vision for you, an apparition,” he said. “He told me not to stay behind, but I wanted him to conserve his strength. The apparitions he leaves drain his power.” He took a deep breath, trying to stay alive long enough to tell them what they needed to know.

  Apparitions? Visions? Silas’ thoughts instantly went to the moment he had fallen over the cliff in Mudavé, only to be caught by Alric in the last moment. He had seen a vision, a faceless, ghostly figure telling him to choose the right path. He never knew what it meant, and he had never told anyone about it, but could that have been a message from the Gatekeeper?

  “Hanzad,” Jessup said. “Go to Hanzad. Look at the… at the… the root of dwelling.”

  “The root of dwelling?” Silas asked. He looked from Jessup to Kaden who shook his head.

  “What do you mean? What’s the root of dwelling?”

  “Judoc knows Hanzad is the place… he… he just doesn’t know how to…”

  Jessup’s eyes closed slowly and they were all left with the same lingering confusion.

  Judoc knows Hanzad is the place? The group exchanged confused glances.

  With Judoc still alive, that meant the assassin would also know Hanzad would be the next stop and would probably be on his way now. Silas and the others just needed to get there first.

  Chapter Eight

  The revelation that the bartender was Wilkes came as a surprise to both Julian and Robin. He led them out of Homestead and into the woods telling them that the key belonged to a prison cell. When Julian asked what was in the prison cell, Wilkes looked at him strangely. “A prisoner.”

  “Are you really the king, or are you two just a couple of numbskulls who came across this key, and now you’re looking for trouble?” Wilkes asked them.

  Julian first thought it might be better to tell Wilkes that he was just a numbskull, but he decided on the truth.

  “Can’t say I cared much for your brother,” Wilkes said. “Hope you do better than he did.”

  “Me too,” Julian said.

  Once Wilkes was assured that Julian was actually the king, his demeanor lightened a little, though his harsh tone remained unchanged. The prison was a mile or two outside of Homestead, and it held some of Marenon’s most vile criminals. It had been kept a secret for the most part. No doubt, some may have heard of it before, but most had never bothered to confirm the rumors, so its existence remained hidden. Julian had expected the proof of the council’s betrayal to be in some sort of locked vault; he hadn’t expected this key to lead him to yet another person he would have to question. He growled under his breath at the memory of his last meeting with Spencer. He hated Spencer for everything the man represented, and he hated the meeting he had with the man. It left Julian feeling like he was the bad guy, but he knew he wasn’t.

  The thick woods were dark despite the cloudless summer sky. Julian didn’t like the idea of walking with a man who would so readily kill another for not saying the right words, such as “I’d like a water with lemon.” Robin walked directly in front of the king and for the first time on this journey, Julian was truly happy to have the man with him. Julian had too often found himself in dangerous situations where he could have used a fighter like Robin. He was beginning to see the benefits of having a personal guard.

  They eventually made it to the prison. It was old and almost looked abandoned. The decrepit, crumbling walls barely stood around it, and just a few guards could be seen walking the perimeter. Seeing the place in such disrepair, and knowing that it held the most dangerous criminals in Marenon was a little unsettling. Wilkes apparently noticed the expressions of his new travel companions.

  “It don’t look like much, but it’s secure,” he assured them.

  Most of the cells were on the inside of the small fortress, but there were several lined up outside, exposed to the elements. Each cell was tiny. It was tall enough for a man to stand, yet so narrow that it only allowed enough space for the prisoner to sleep in the fetal position. Inhabited only by the broken and battered, the stench from the small prison was horrific, and Julian had to cover is nose and mouth to keep himself from gagging.

  “You get used to it,” Wilkes said, glancing at Julian. “Every prisoner is provided with a meal and a bucket each day. That’s it. That’s more than they deserve too.”r />
  “What about the one I’m looking for?” Julian asked, not wanting to see anymore of the prisoners.

  Wilkes stood silently for a moment, studying the king, probably wondering why in the world a person such as Julian would be out in the dumps of Marenon at all. Julian didn’t expect Wilkes to believe him, and he probably didn’t. But Julian carried the golden key that he had taken off of Holden’s body. The key was all the proof Wilkes needed. With the key, he got no questions. Without the key, he was a dead man.

  Wilkes spat on the ground and sniffed. “Yours is a special case. His name is Daniel and he’s been in that prison cell for two years.”

  “What did he do?” Julian asked.

  “That’s just it,” Wilkes said. “Some old guy comes in with Daniel and tells us to lock him up. No questions asked. He has his own guys put a lock on it that can only be opened by that key.”

  Holden, Julian thought.

  “Daniel kept screaming that he never did anything,” Wilkes continued. “Over and over, that’s all he would say. I talked to him about it one night, and I believe him. The man’s got a wife and was a farmer. I don’t think he did anything.”

  “Then why is he in prison?” Julian asked.

  Wilkes nodded. “Daniel’s got a scar on his chest, like a surgical thing. I’ve been told that kind of scar is from the implantation of a memory orb.”

  Julian shook his head confused.

  “I’ve heard of some people having memory orbs implanted in themselves when they have memories that need to be recorded, but also need to be hidden. Looks like Daniel is the victim of someone’s personal diary,” Wilkes continued, appraising Julian with a condemning look.

  “I assure you it’s not mine,” Julian said quickly. “If what you say is true then that man carries everything that I need.”

  “Yeah well, where it’s inserted it looks like it might be fused with his heart.”

  Julian wasn’t sure what this meant or how it even worked, but Wilkes seemed sure.

  “Only way you’re getting that orb is if you cut it out.”

  “Cut it out?” Julian asked.

  “Of his heart,” Wilkes nodded. “That might not go over real well when you ask him for it.”

  Julian placed a hand on his forehead. Holden. He was a genius, taking an innocent man and fusing his life with proof of the council’s treachery. He had no doubt done this to cover his own back. Julian had heard of memory orbs before. With an orb one could simply take hold of it and it would record every memory the person ever had. The only hitch was that it wouldn’t accept specific memories alone. It would record everything a person had ever known without exception. Using such a magical item was considered dangerous, especially for those who took part in governmental affairs or had any sort of secretive life. A memory orb could always be used against another in the courts, but it could also prove one’s innocence.

  “Daniel was never convicted in any court, but that’s not our concern. We get paid by you to keep the criminals we’re sent.”

  Holden must have posed as a servant of the king, and for all Julian knew, his stupid brother Morgan might have unwittingly given Holden the credentials to have this operation done. If Morgan didn’t do it then Spencer did. Either way, Daniel had suffered for their little game, and Julian had no way of getting to the proof. Holden had been smart to do it this way. He knew Julian wouldn’t kill an innocent man just to get to the truth. To do such a thing would make him less than Human. He looked at Robin then to Wilkes.

  “Show me to the prisoner.”

  Wilkes led them down a path and to a prison cell that was set apart from the others. He wasn’t sure what he should do after this. He didn’t know why he wanted to speak with him. Daniel would live, go back to his family and that was that. What could he do now? He supposed he could question each of the council members one by one, but that would produce nothing. None of them regarded Julian as superior, even with his new status as king. He had been a scrub on the council, the least of any of them. And of course he couldn’t try to torture the information out of them because he only had the word of a traitor and a dead man. The only proof of any sort of betrayal by the Dunarian Council he held was fused to the heart of an innocent man that Julian would never touch. The thought only made him angrier with Holden and Spencer. They knew this chase would only leave him in the dark and drive Julian to madness.

  Standing in front of the cell, Julian could only feel pity for the man. He was balled up like a cat, sleeping his day away, for there was nothing else to do. In Daniel’s case, sleeping would be a better life than remaining awake in his misery. Julian yanked the key from his neck and handed it to Wilkes. “Set him free.”

  Wilkes moved forward without question and slid the key into the lock and opened the cell door. Daniel didn’t even move. The movements going on outside his tiny cell had long been mushed into background noise. The opening of the door didn’t even register until Wilkes called his name a third time. He looked up from the floor with a slightly confused look on his untrimmed face. The clothes he wore hung loosely around his skinny frame. He said nothing but waited for an explanation.

  “You’re free,” Wilkes said. “Time to go with the king here.”

  Daniel looked toward Julian and Robin. “Are you here to take me away and kill me? Can I please see my wife before you do?”

  “You don’t let him see his wife?” Julian asked Wilkes.

  “I don’t exactly run the place,” Wilkes said defensively. “The wife is allowed in once a month to talk for a few minutes.”

  “What do you do exactly?” Robin asked Wilkes.

  “I’m a bartender,” he said. “Can’t really tell you what Wilkes does though,” he winked slyly.

  Julian looked back down to Daniel. The man was as good as dead. It would not come as a surprise to anyone waiting for him on the outside that he had died, exposed to the weather. Perhaps his wife would think that the heat got to him. No. Daniel had done nothing to deserve this fate, and too much of his life in Marenon had already been taken away from him. It was time for Daniel to go home.

  “You’re free to go to your wife,” Julian said. “You can go there and stay.”

  Daniel’s eyes widened and he pulled himself up to his feet. “Are you the one responsible for my imprisonment?”

  “No,” Julian said. “I only learned of it today. I am the Human King of Marenon, Julian Hobbes.” He motioned to Robin. “This is the captain of the Royal Guard. We’ve come to release you.” Julian took a deep breath, disappointed. He thought he had finally found the proof of the council’s deception, but he had nothing.

  “All I ask is that you answer some questions about who brought you here,” Julian said.

  Daniel scratched at his long beard, no doubt filled with fleas. “Do you think I can get a bath?”

  Of course, Julian thought. He had been so thoughtless. How could he just start asking a man who had been wrongfully imprisoned for two years to sit under the questioning of a king he had never heard of? The man had not even flinched at the declaration of the king standing in front of him. He didn’t care. The man just wanted a bath and a shave before he met his wife in his newfound freedom.

  “Wilkes, make sure the man gets a new set of clothes, a bath and a clean shave,” Julian said.

  Wilkes nodded and took Daniel away while Julian and Robin waited just outside of the prison complex. There was a set of chairs normally used by a few guards, but they were obliged to allow the king and Robin to rest undisturbed. Julian looked at Robin, knowing something was on the man’s mind, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear it. But Julian knew he needed to listen to people around him more. He was too self-reliant.

  Begrudgingly he asked Robin what was on his mind.

  Robin didn’t answer for along moment, obviously trying to choose his words carefully.

  “I just wonder,” he said, “what is your plan? I doubt Daniel has much more to say. You aren’t going to try to get the memory orb
are you?”

  Julian couldn’t believe his ears. “What do you take me for, Robin? Do you think I’m a savage?”

  “Of course not, Sire! I just don’t know what is to be done. It’s such a delicate matter.”

  “Robin, you have known me for along time. Please do not take me for a cold-blooded killer. You know that I could not do it.”

  “What if he was a true criminal? A murderer perhaps?”

  Julian looked at the man, surprised by his bold questions.

  “I hope I have not overstepped my boundaries,” Robin added humbly.

  “You have,” Julian answered. “But to answer your question, I really don’t know. That sort of information may very well be worth the life of a criminal, but I can’t justify it being worth the life of an innocent man.” Julian stared at no spot in particular. “Even if it could save the lives of thousands.”

  The two sat silently for nearly an hour. Daniel was no doubt taking his time getting clean and trimmed for his wife. When he came out from his bath, he was dressed in fresh clothes and he looked like a completely different person. His sunken eyes and emaciated frame still showed that he had been a victim of a terribly long and uncomfortable imprisonment, however. Julian and Robin stood to greet him, and probably for the first time in two years, Daniel was smiling with true joy. He walked to Julian and fell down to his knees, muttering over and over his thanks and appreciation for what Julian had done for him. Julian glanced at Robin feeling awkward. Robin grinned.

  “Please, stand,” he told Daniel. “You don’t need to thank me.”

  Daniel stood reluctantly and wiped a few tears away from his now bare cheeks. His clear blue eyes were bright with anticipation. “You must meet my wife. She must know the man…the king that saved my life.”

  Julian started to protest, but Daniel wouldn’t hear it.

  “Please. You must be a great king. My wife is a wonderful cook. She will make you the best, heartiest meal in all of Marenon.”