Thread Skein (Golden Threads Trilogy Book 3)

by Leeland Artra

  He twisted and moved his sword around rapidly, trying to damage as much of the internal workings as possible.

  With a deafening boom, the sphere exploded into a fireball. Lightning sprayed out in all directions. The mage’s shields stopped most of the blast from getting to him.

  He was thankful the mages did their job, holding the shielding for the group. Once his eyes cleared, he saw that he was descending towards the interior yard. Guards were standing there slack-jawed, staring at him as if he were an avenging devil. The Daggers present recovered the fastest. The alarm bugles sounded a breached defense. Blades were drawn, and more combatants ran to the gate from every direction.

  As his feet touched down on the ground, he pulled healing energies from his odassi to relieve some of the muscle fatigue in his arms and legs. Both of his forearms were severely burned. Ignoring all of the pain, he brought his blades around, batting a guard out of his way with the sides of his odassi. The man fell, and Maru-Ashua started walking towards the palace as ten defenders ran to stop him.

  The first real defense group to reach him was four guards. Knowing it was going to be a long, hard fight, he used the energy from his odassi sparingly, only enough to provide restoration for his muscles and healing for the burns. The power flowed smoothly through his body as the magic washed away the fatigue.

  A senior guard led the group that faced him. He lunged in with no form. It was a desperate move, and both he and Maru-Ashua knew it. The look in the man’s face told Maru-Ashua how truly experienced he was, as well as how desperate he was to protect whoever was in charge.

  Out of respect for that loyalty, courage, and expertise, Maru-Ashua spun out of the attack and delivered a precise hit to the base of the man’s skull, rendering him unconscious.

  After that, he was under attack by too many to be so generous. Four Daggers and three guards surrounded him. The Daggers were the real threat. Two coordinated their attacks, lunging in together. Maru-Ashua calculated the exact distances. One Dagger was support, and the other was the spearhead.

  He twisted to avoid a feint and parried the real attack with enough force to knock the Dagger’s blade wide. He stepped in closer to the lead Dagger, coming face to face with her. Bringing his other hand up, he punched her in the throat, collapsing her larynx. Spinning away, he kicked the incapacitated Dagger into one of her compatriots. Those two warriors fell together, entangled.

  The other Dagger had recovered from his failed feint and, together with yet another Dagger, began a rapid series of attacks. Maru-Ashua parried and kicked, trying to disable them. More defenders were coming.

  I need to get past them to whoever’s in charge, if I’m to end this quickly.

  Behind him, he could sense his three support teams approaching. The Dagger finally overextended, and Maru-Ashua took advantage. Bringing his first blade around, he struck the Dagger’s arm hard enough to break the bone. His second blade knocked the Dagger’s other knife out of his hand. It flew towards one of the guards, and Maru-Ashua brought his own blade back around fast enough to catch, propel, and direct the knife into a guard’s chest. Pulling more power from his blades, he kicked the stunned Dagger away.

  His warriors worked in coordinated teams. Guards flew in all directions from kicks and sword strikes. He paid little attention, just enough to be sure the fight remained in their favor. The few Daggers concentrated on him.

  They know this is a lost fight, yet they fight with confidence.

  Two, three, and four fought him at once. He moved with precision. Each step planned, each strike deadly. The guards and Daggers fell.

  With his teams supporting him, he fought in a straight line for the palace entrance. The main courtyard filled with more of his warriors as the mages lifted the teams through the breached shield. The defenders’ bodies were strewn around like leaves in fall.

  At last they made it to the palace doors. They were sealed against the attack. Maru-Ashua moved up close to them and pulled as much strength from his odassi as he could. Spinning, he delivered a roundhouse kick that would’ve reduced any normal door to splinters. With an explosion of sound, the doors vibrated but didn’t break. Stepping back, he again drew power from the blades and kicked. The doors still did not yield.

  Summoning his mages, he pointed. “They’re strongest when pushed upon. Use all your powers combined to pull them open. The bolting mechanism probably isn’t designed to withstand force in that direction.”

  The mages nodded, and so much power flowed from their hands that it was visible to all. The doors glowed a brilliant blue that brightened until it was almost as bright as the white-hot sun. A creaking sound was followed by the doors bursting open, revealing several Dagger warriors with bows. Bow strings rang out as arrows flew at Maru-Ashua and the other warriors standing at the front of the line.

  He reacted faster than the arrow, willing his odassi to shield him. Two arrows bounced off thin air before him. All but one arrow were also deflected. One of the mages wasn’t fast enough, and took an arrow in the arm. His scream was echoed by both the Nhia-Samri and the defenders in the palace foyer. Both sides ran at each other to the sound of dozens of blades striking armor and other blades.

  The other mages waited only a second before they released wave upon wave of power that threw the defenders away like small papers in the wind. In a short time, Maru-Ashua was walking boldly through the palace, looking for whoever was in command there. His men were also searching.

  The fighting drew him, and he joined a strike team who’d found a gang of guards and Daggers. The defenders were extremely competent, but what he was most interested in was the girl in battle armor who fought with them. She wasn’t as good, and they were trying to protect her.

  His men had caught her and her guards as they were heading towards a doorway on the third story of the palace. As they fought, they worked their way backwards until they opened the door, revealing a large balcony.

  Three of the Daggers broke away and practically dragged the woman with them. They had ropes and were securing one end of them to the balcony’s balusters. Before they’d finished, another team of warriors arrived with one of the mages.

  Pointing to the remaining group, Maru-Ashua ordered the mage, “Stop them!”

  His necklace glowed with power as he weaved his spell. Maru-Ashua wasn’t sure what it was going to do, but he took his original instructions into mind. The six surviving defenders, including the young lady, let out startled squawks as they all fell to the floor with their arms and legs held out as if tied to posts.

  His warriors disarmed them. Maru-Ashua walked over to the woman and motioned for the mage to release her. Bending down, he pulled her up to stand before him as he regarded her.

  The armor she wore was not her own. Someone had given it to her, but she moved comfortably in it. She had also fought exceptionally well, so she had superb weapons training.

  Something about her tugged at his memory. He couldn’t place her, but he knew she was important and could be trusted to keep her word. Her head was down, and her hair was matted with sweat and fell forward to hide her face. He grabbed her chin and tilted her head up to study it. Her countenance did not reveal a defeated woman — her eyes burned with rage and defiance. He still couldn’t identify her.

  “You’re obviously the leader here, but you’re not of Baron Allornia’s line. Who are you?”

  She stared at him, and her lips tightened as she steeled herself against him.

  He grabbed one of the older men who had not fought well and pulled him up. He was also dressed in borrowed armor. The man tried to fight him, but Maru-Ashua easily held him in check as he removed the man’s armor, revealing a set of fine robes underneath. The robes were torn and stained with sweat and blood, but he could see they were high quality.

  Holding the man before the woman, he demanded, “Who are you? You
have to be somehow in charge here to activate the defenses. Or is the baron still hiding somewhere?”

  The woman stood stiffly and refused to answer.

  Maru-Ashua pulled one of his odassi. “I don’t have time for this.”

  He stabbed the man, careful to not strike a vital organ. It was effective. Blood ran, the man screamed, and the woman collapsed to the floor, crying out, “Lord Anduelo, no!”

  Maru-Ashua released the man’s arm, letting him fall to the floor dramatically. The woman slid over to Lord Anduelo and tore some of her sleeve off, twisting it into a wad, and then applied it to the wound. Lord Anduelo put his hand over hers and shook his head.

  Lord Anduelo is the privy councilor for King Laeusia!

  Then it struck him. He recalled his visit to Laeusia, a number of years back, when he was inspecting the northern outposts. He had observed the royal family at their famous horse races.

  He laughed. “You’re one of King Laeusia’s daughters! You have your mother’s fine features. You’re too old to be his youngest, so you must be Princess Sheila, heir apparent to Laeusia. Where is Baron Allornia?”

  Princess Sheila didn’t answer.

  “Your Highness, Lord Anduelo will live if I get him treated.” He looked back at the other prisoners; at least one of them was another adviser. “I suggest you start cooperating. I don’t need all of these people alive.”

  He bent down and picked up the other man who was not a career warrior. The man whimpered.

  Princess Sheila stood and faced him. “Leave them alone! Baron Allornia is taking his family to the capital, and then he’s bringing back part of our army.”

  Dropping the whimpering adviser, First Warlord Maru-Ashua gazed down on the burning city below. He sighed, being careful to not let it show on his face.

  Time to end this.

  He grabbed the young princess’s neckline. With a jerk, he picked her up off the ground and held her before him, so she could see her burning city. She had blood on her face and down her front from the floor. Tears ran over her cheeks, washing the blood into a series of slim red stripes, yet she didn’t make a sound. Maru-Ashua admired her strength.

  She has been well trained. She must see they have lost. He reconsidered his plan. He had decided to not follow the original spirit of the orders. He wanted to spare as many people as he could, and unfortunately, the intent of Shar-Lumen’s orders was to kill every person in the city and surrounding areas.

  Urdu, I’m second-in-command. I’m supposed to have nearly equal authority. These people are not at fault, nor related in any way to the deaths we’re supposedly avenging. This is a dangerous move. I hope it doesn’t get me executed.

  “Princess Sheila, you can end this now and spare your people. Surrender the city and province of Allornia to me. I promise that you and anyone who desires to go with you may leave peacefully for your father’s remaining lands.”

  With her feet dangling a full hand off the ground, being held aloft by the scruff of her neck, she still managed to turn her head enough to spit at his feet. She glared at him. “Laeusia will never surrender to mercenary terrorists.”

  “I did not ask for Laeusia to surrender. I asked for you to surrender Allornia to me.”

  Princess Sheila’s tears and stare continued, yet she said nothing.

  You’re strong, but you are not without feeling.

  Turning, he held her so she could see the dead guards and Daggers that had fought so valiantly to protect her. Pointing to the bodies, he shook her like an errant child. “Cast your eyes on what your father’s vote has produced! These noble and honorable warriors have laid down their lives for you.”

  He then thrust her out over the edge of the balcony, so she was looking down, unhindered, at the full sixty meters to the flagstone courtyard of the city palace. She squeaked at the sudden and dangerous position, whether in fear, surprise, or both, he didn’t know.

  Another fire flared with pitch black smoke as a warehouse was attacked. Behind him, the whimpering man found his courage and tried to get up to stop him. His honor guard hit the man so hard, he dropped like a sack of flour.

  “This is only land, stone, and wood. It is all replaceable. Your kingdom has many thousands of square kilometers of empty and fertile land for these people to build a new home on.”

  Pulling her back, he set her down in front of him, still facing the burning city. He put his mouth to her ear and pointed at the fires over her shoulder, whispering, “But those lives are your true kingdom, and you alone can save them.”

  She finally broke. With a forlorn wail, she covered her eyes with her hands and started shaking in violent sobs. Through the anguished bawling, she managed to cry, “Yes, yes! It’s...yours! Spare them! Oh.... Lords and Ladies, forgive me! Spare my people!”

  He pulled his odassi and held it before the princess. He willed it to broadcast his voice to all the odassi present. “All combatants cease hostilities immediately. Princess Sheila has surrendered unconditionally to the Nhia-Samri. All Laeusian defenders, tie your blades. All soldiers and lawful citizens who request to join the princess are guaranteed safe passage.” He heard his own voice echoing back across the city as it came from every odassi in the area.

  Holding the blade before the sobbing girl, he said, “Princess, please confirm your surrender and my guarantee.”

  She stood straighter, and through pained cries, she said, “Stop fighting. We’ve lost the city. I will not allow further loss of the lives of my people. The Nhia-Samri commander has promised that any who wish to come with me will be allowed to leave in peace and with what they need. Allornia belongs to the Nhia-Samri.”

  Maru-Ashua nodded and announced, “This is First Warlord Maru-Ashua, the new ruler of Allornia. Any lawful citizen who desires to stay in Allornia will be given full rights as a Nhia-Samri provisional citizen. The city guard is now under the command of the Nhia-Samri officers. Any crimes shall be punished according to Nhia-Samri law.”

  He pulled the princess along with him. “Bring them,” he said, indicating the prostrate defenders. “And see to Lord Anduelo’s wounds.”

  He marched the princess back to the throne room. Once there, he stood with her before the throne. “Now, say, ‘Allornia, hear me: I, Sheila Laeusia, name Maru-Ashua, here before me, as the ruler of Allornia. I relinquish all authority for both the royal and regent lines of Laeusia to the city and province of Allornia to Maru-Ashua. Me ut hic coram Sheila Laeusia nomen Maru-Ashua rector Allornia. Remitto etiam potestatem omnis gubernator, et de semine regio, et familias suas, civitates et provincias Laeusia Allornia ut Maru-Ashua, secundum omne tempus.’”

  She did as instructed. She didn’t even try to mispronounce the command language words. Maru-Ashua felt a small tingle in his chest at having captured not only the city, but also the entire region.

  “Whisper to me the commands to activate and deactivate the palace and city defenses.”

  She whispered the phrase. Stepping over to the window, he saw that the palace defenses were still active. He said, “Allornia excitant, omnia praesidia.”

  Nothing happened.

  He pulled the princess over to the window. “Why did it not stop?”

  She looked out. “Did you expect it to stop?”

  “You lied.”

  She held up her hands. “No, I didn’t. Watch. Allornia excitant, omnia praesidia.” The lightning stopped, the walls began to settle into the ground, and the palace gateway door slid down, into the ground.

  “It should have worked. Why didn’t it?”

  “Are you going to change our agreement?”

  He thought about it and then shook his head. “No; you and those who wish to leave with you may go. This is Nhia-Samri territory now, and at the moment, you are not welcome here.”

  Chapter 6

  Batt
les Won or Lost

  Ticca

  Ticca stood next to her blindfolded horse, holding its head, gently patting and reassuring it. While she tended to it, she also tried to keep her own emotions under control. It was all she could do to not jump up and race after Lebuin to make sure he was okay. Tears kept threatening to break free, and her heart couldn’t make up its mind if it wanted to hammer its way out of her chest or strangle off her breath.

  Not too far off, most of the team were doing their best to keep their own horses calm and under control. A few of the horses weren’t trained and needed a lot of handling being blindfolded. Illa walked over to Ticca, her blindfolded horse docilely following her lead even though it had initially resisted the blindfold.

  She’s only been riding that horse for a few weeks. I wonder when she had time to train it to trust her so well.

  “Illa, what happened to Lebuin?”

  Illa looked off in the direction Lebuin had fled, her smile looking a bit more prideful than usual. “I’m not sure. He’s finished his task, and I feel he’s safe and unharmed. I wanted to ask if you’d agree to go to him now.”

  Ticca shook her head. “That isn’t what I meant. I know you saw what I did. His eyes looked like glowing cat’s eyes, and his face was more like a reptile than a man. What happened? Are we at risk if we go find him?”

  Illa turned her head back to Ticca, her eyes going wide as she stared at her. Her mouth dropped open for a second before she replied. “Lebuin would never harm you or any of us here.” Her normally musical tone had shifted up slightly. “When he fled, I felt his fear that he wouldn’t be able to contain the Nhia-Samri magical attack. His only thought was to protect us,” she said reproachfully.

  Ticca took a deep breath and held her hand up to Illa. She looked at where the glowing dome had been. A tower of fire had risen from that half sphere, which she figured Lebuin had been at the center of. The tower blasted a hole in the clouds, leaving a clear view of the stars. The clouds had shifted back now, and the odd glowing from that direction had ceased.