“GENERAL STEFAN!” King Nerian bellowed.
Stefan started. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
Face dark, the King stared at him, his lips curled and his eyes steely. “Did you not hear my question?”
Stefan bowed his head as he spoke. “I apologize again, Your Majesty. No. I’m afraid I didn’t hear you … I was thinking about my family.” Stefan waited expectantly, but he knew the King would not repeat himself. In these moods, he never did.
“The King asked if your men are prepared to march,” Kahar said.
“Yes, they are,” Stefan replied.
“Good,” Nerian said, “you leave in the morning.”
“Yes, sire. What of the plan to find a way into Everland without discovery?”
“The Scouts have proved that to be impossible, Stefan,” Nerian said. “The entire range of mountains between Harnan lands and the Vallum of Light are guarded. Regardless, after tonight, I want them to know we are attacking and when. I want them to know they can do nothing about it.”
A bold maneuver that has worked many a time, Stefan thought. Yet, he could not shake the uneasiness clawing at him. Initially, he attributed it to him not wanting to be a part of this campaign. Now, seeing that the Erastonians employed shadelings and Forgers made him wonder if they used either in battle. It would only make sense if they did, and he wasn’t sure if his men were ready for that kind of a fight. Preparation and foreknowledge won battles. He preferred more time to plan and discover the strategies of his enemy, but the attack against him and his family deserved a punishment. Besides, once angered the King would not relent until they defeated the Erastonians. If indeed the Tribunal had taken part in this action, they too would pay a price for incurring his wrath.
“I’d like to take at least one Alzari cohort with me for our first crossing into Everland,” Stefan said.
“You? Taking Matii other than Dagodin?” Nerian smirked. “The man who always rails against, what did you call it again? A Forger’s instability on a battlefield?”
“My concerns were correct on more than one occasion in the past,” Stefan said. “The massacre at the Sands of the Abandoned for example.”
“Yet, without them, our land would not only be in chaos but under the shade’s influence,” the King countered.
Stefan almost reminded Nerian that according to history, Denestia had become the way it was—a land almost thrown into dark ages—because of Matii, but belaboring the point might lead to another argument.
“Nothing to add?”
“If the Erastonians are as desperate as they seem, it makes sense to take Alzari, sire.”
Nerian smiled. “‘Attack with what and how they expect, and at the most opportune moment, when they have settled on your predictability, strike in a way they cannot anticipate.’“
“Yes, sire.” Stefan matched the King’s smile with one of his own, but his uneasiness about the coming battle made him think more in terms of defense and survival.
Several hours later, after he discussed further strategy with Garrick and Kasimir, Stefan made his way home with an Alzari escort. The manicured gardens to one side of his home were trampled and blackened. Several soldiers with torches patrolled the perimeter, snapping to attention when he passed. He bid his guardians goodnight and trudged up the stairs. This would be the last night with his family for some time, maybe five to ten years. He let out a deep sigh.
The door opened and instead of Perta, Thania greeted him. She was wearing a pink nightgown with lace on the most revealing areas. Not waiting for her to say a word, he snatched her up into his arms and kissed her. When he let her up for a breath, a tear trickled down his face.
“How are the children?” he asked.
“Fine. Asleep. They didn’t see what happened outside.”
“Good,” he replied, wiping at his face.
You’re leaving aren’t you?” Thania’s eyes glistened.
“Yes.”
“When.”
“At dawn.”
“That doesn’t give us much time,” she whispered, pulling him closer and kissing him once again.
The heat of her body radiated through his uniform. His responded with warmth of its own.
The kiss ended, and Thania stroked his face tenderly, fingers soft and supple. “Well, the kids are asleep, but there’s another issue you need to address first.”
Stefan frowned.
“Galiana is here in the training room.”
He let out an exasperated breath and straightened. “How long now?”
“Ever since she and the Alzari fought the Ashishin outside.”
“Wait for me upstairs,” Stefan said.
Thania nodded, and he reluctantly released her hand. She strutted away from him in that seductive, swaying walk of hers. “I’ll be waiting,” she said with one last look back at him as she reached the stairs.
Taking a deep breath, he headed downstairs. The night’s events made him suspect a few things about Galiana, but first he wanted to hear her explain why Ashishin were at his home. He touched his sword’s hilt. When he stepped into the training room, Galiana was waiting near its center apparently lost in thought.
“Shouldn’t you be outside keeping watch?”
“No need,” Galiana answered. “They won’t return.”
“How do you—.” Stefan stopped himself. “No, don’t answer. You have been playing both sides. You’re actually working with the Tribunal, aren’t you?”
“Yes and no,” she said.
“Explain.” For a moment, Stefan was tempted to unsheathe his sword and attack. The power it released earlier added to his confidence, but until he understood more, he figured it was best to act normal. Over the past year, Galiana had many chances to kill him if she wanted him dead. Added to that, not only had she given him the sword, but she’d also revealed Nerian’s plans since. What was the woman up to?
“I am using the Tribunal so our people can have a place of safety when this is all done, but I do not support Nerian or them.”
“And the Erastonians and the sha—”
“Do not be a fool,” Galiana snapped. “I had nothing to do with their assault.”
“Did the Tribunal?”
“I am not certain. There are several opposing factions within the Tribunal. One of which I am sure has a following of cultists who worship Amuni.”
Stefan raised an eyebrow. Ashishin who worshipped the god of shade? Streamean worship supported unity of the gods, and shade was an essence of the Streams, but did it include Amuni’s malevolence?
“I see the surprise on your face,” Galiana said. “I felt the same way. That faction is a well–kept secret. I happened to stumble across it myself in an obscure tome in the Iluminus. I believe they were the ones who attacked your home tonight. They suspect I took the sword, but then they think so of a few other people as well. They will chase down any lead no matter the risk.”
“The Erastonians know,” Stefan said. “They recognized the sword.”
Galiana’s shoulders slumped, and she shook her head. “That is the last thing we needed.”
“So what now?” Stefan asked. “I leave in the morning. Any special protection afforded to my family won’t go unnoticed.”
“We will manage,” Galiana said confidently. “Thania is stronger than anyone suspects. With a few well–placed wards, she will be fine. I doubt the Erastonians or any of theirs will come after her. My worry is for you.” She met his gaze. “One of the Ashishin was a plant by Nerian himself.”
“Are you sure?”
Galiana nodded.
“Let me guess. The one that escaped?”
“Yes.”
He scratched at his chin. “Do you think he knows about the sword?”
“No.”
; “Then the attack on my home could have been Cerny’s doing. If so, chances are, things may we worse tomorrow.”
“How so?”
“Well, you are already aware of Cerny’s maneuvering. If he’s willing to act as he did tonight in Benez, starting tomorrow, I’ll be surrounded by several legions and a full cohort of Nerian’s Alzari. Some of them probably belong to Cerny.”
“Hmmm, that may be for the best,” Galiana said. “You will have protection from the Erastonians and I will be able to slip a few of mine among them to thwart anything Cerny or Nerian tries.”
“I still don’t think Nerian has anything to with all this. He was as upset as anyone was tonight. Cerny, on the other hand, wasn’t at the meeting.”
Lips pursed Galiana shook her head but said nothing. Over the past few months, they argued several times about the matter. Stefan agreed Nerian was a bit unstable, but he believed Cerny was directing the King’s actions. “So what’s your plan from here?”
“To sneak as many of our people as we can to safety over the next few years,” Galiana said. “Then bargain with the Tribunal for sanctuary in exchange for our help in defeating Nerian.”
Stefan nodded. Allowing Galiana to think he was completely on her side was better than the alternative. The night’s attack and Cerny’s absence cast little doubt that the Knight General was responsible, but until he was certain of the man’s influence on Nerian, he needed to keep his options open. ‘A good leader is adept in the art of deception.’
For the next hour, they decided on the best routes and methods to funnel people from the city, starting with the family members of his most loyal soldiers. This proved to be an agonizing process as Stefan realized he would lose many in this endeavor.
All their plans hinged on what the Tribunal would require in exchange for their help. Stefan put himself in their place. He would start by requesting easy access into Ostania. The problem there lay in the major ports closest to Granadia. With the Barrier Mountains blocking western Ostania, the closest harbors were in Felan. Not only had the Setian not been able to conquer or ally with the Felani, but the Felani secession from the Tribunal was still an area of contention. Sure, the Setian now controlled the Cardian ports, but those were thousands of miles east, past Felan. No smart captain risked sailing out into the Sea of Clouds in an effort to bypass the Felani coastline. Those who attempted to do so in the past never returned. He wished they could somehow gain Felani support. If wishes had wings.
“We could offer them total rule within the government,” Galiana said.
Stefan shook his head. “They will have that anyway. When the Granadians assume control, the rest of Ostania will abandon us. There’ll be civil unrest and the other kingdoms will marshal forces against us. We at least need the Felani. The Harnan would be a plus, but …” He let the words die.
“True,” Galiana said. “I believe I can convince the Felani that the only course of action left to them is to ally with the Tribunal and allow the Granadian forces to pass.”
“You do?” Stefan strode to a map hanging on the wall. He pointed out the capital of Felan. “Surrounded by the Barrier Mountains and the ocean, Felan Mark’s position is almost as impregnable as Harna and the City of Stone. In addition, since they’re within the Vallum of Light, they have little to fear from the shade. The only way I can picture them agreeing is if Nerian wins against the Erastonians.”
“By then it will be too late.” Galiana let out a frustrated breath. “I will see how soon I can put my idea into place after I speak to the Tribunal.”
They continued for a few minutes longer, rehashing what plans they had before they parted ways. Not wanting to wake any of the servants, Stefan let Galiana out the side entrance and headed upstairs.
Dim light from over a dozen candles suffused the bedroom in a warm glow. The sweet scent of bellflowers lit up the air. On the bed, in a diaphanous shift, lay Thania, her chest rising and falling expectantly, her hair spread in silky waves around her.
Trying his best to ignore her for the moment, but finding himself still sneaking a peek her way, he strode to the small bed in the corner where the children slept. He marveled at how much they resembled both him and his wife. My children. Without realizing, he found himself touching the pendant around his neck. It felt oddly warm. My children, he thought again. The words still seemed foreign, unbelievable as if murmured in a dream from which he would soon wake. He bent and gave each of them a tender kiss on the cheek.
“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Thania’s arms snaked around his waist.
“Yes, very much so. Just like their mother.”
Her face moved from where she’d snuggled against his back to rest on the side of his arm. “No. They look more like you. My features help to smooth them out a bit. Celina has your nose.”
“Maybe, but they both have your eyes. Well, your eyes before they changed.”
“Hmmm,” Thania said in agreement. “Anton already looks as if he’s going to be as tall as you are.”
“Runs in the family.” Stefan unclasped her hands and faced her. “This first strike is more of a test before the main campaign begins. I intend to return to spend at least a little more time with you all. But—”
Thania placed a finger to his lips, cutting him off.
After kissing her finger, he gently removed it. “I need to say this.” He stared into her golden eyes. “Teach them who and what they are. Never let them forget me even if I should be away for years. Above all, regardless of what happens, what Nerian does, do not leave them alone with him.”
“The only way I will ever leave them is if I’m imprisoned or dead,” Thania said. “Our pendants, the pieces of us I imbued into them, now also contain a part of the children’s essences. The day you do not feel its warmth, our love, when within its presence is the day you will know something is amiss. But even then, there will be hope.”
Stefan couldn’t help his frown. The words seemed an odd thing to say. In ways, they reassured him, but the end sounded almost prophetic. Her hands stroking his face chased away the thoughts.
“Come, my love,” she said, golden eyes shining, voice husky with need. She headed for the bed, hips swaying seductively.
A grin on his face, Stefan shed his clothes and followed. At dawn, he would spend some time with the children. But right now, all he wanted was to chase away his worries, all the plots, and make love to his wife.
CHAPTER 17
A relentless march past the Sands of the Abandoned then through the Everlast Mountains into Everland brought Stefan’s forces to this rock–strewn pass. With Harnan territory due east of the Sands, this was the only route left to them. As usual, he’d made sure his soldiers feasted the night before. Men should not battle on an empty stomach. They needed their full vigor when they went to greet their gods. To either side, rock faces and slopes rose to sheer heights. His cape billowing behind him, Stefan surveyed the Erastonian army. Through a wavy haze of heat, black armor glinting, they spread below in an unmoving mass half the number of his forty thousand Unvanquished.
Stefan wiped sweat from his brow then raised the looking glass to his eye. The men of the Erastonian vanguard wore dark, shiny leather armor and bore short dual swords, one on each hip. Behind them stood infantry in black plate mail, either with two–handed great swords or tasseled polearms. Inside each helm, he made out faces so pasty white they gave the impression his men faced walking corpses.
Battle standards flapped above the Erastonian army, displaying a gray fist enclosed around a black lightning bolt—the Searing Fist. Against the backdrop of the valley and the mountains behind the enemy, a storm boiled. Lightning flickered among the gray clouds like some daemon’s eye opening and closing quickly. With each flash in the puffed quilt, thunder rumbled. At a slow roll, Erastonian drums joined the bellows. Their trumpeters blared in unison. F
rom over two thousand feet away, the enemy ranks rippled as they began their charge.
What do they hope to accomplish? They have no archers or cavalry, and we have the advantage of higher ground. This is going to be a slaughter. Still, something about the way they charged gave Stefan pause. He frowned, took the looking glass from his eye, and wiped away sweat once again. The Erastonian infantry appeared closer than they should be for men who ran. He scanned the field through the bronze tube. The Erastonians had covered over half the distance in moments. In Ilumni’s name, how is that possible?
“Tell the men to fire the scorpios,” Stefan yelled, hand clenched around the looking glass.
Both Kasimir and Garrick started at the order, but they passed it on. Trumpets along the Setian lines blew.
The Cardian slaves cranked the drays into position. Operators turned the loading mechanisms on the scorpios.
By the time Stefan brought the tube to his eye once more, the charging Erastonians were within five hundred feet. In a black avalanche, they swept down the pass, the rumble from twenty thousand boots shaking the ground. The absence of a single battle cry among them was more than disconcerting; it made Stefan’s heart hammer. Good gods, they’re fast. Too fast.
“Fire,” Stefan shouted as he fought down the dread that threatened to become panic. “FIRE—Gods damn it—FIRE!”
Three thousand scorpios loosed their projectiles. The din of oncoming boots washed out the twang of the weapons’ release. Through the looking glass, a nervous tingle rippling within him, Stefan followed the bolts’ flight. Zipping sideways like rain showers whipped by the strong winds, the steel–tipped projectiles flew true.
Within a foot of striking their targets, the bolts rebounded as if they struck some unseen wall. They fell to the ground. Not one struck their intended targets.
Aegis of The Gods: Book 00 - The Shadowbearer Page 14