The Glass Throne (Legends of Ansu Book 4)

by JW Webb

  “I’ll be back in a while to see how you’re getting on.” Gribble surged up into the night amid a hissing, whirling, flapping noise of wing and fumes. Rael closed his eyes but failed to find sleep. In the morning they had raised the island.

  “You asleep?”

  “What?” Rael blinked and saw Hagan leaning over him. “They’ve built some sort of defence on the ridge cresting that beach. Do you want to wait until Redhand’s other boys arrive?”

  “Nah,” Rael yawned. “Let the lads leap ashore and greet those tossers with steel. Besides, I’ll doubt you’ll stop Redhand seeking Barin out.” The king stood silent and tall at the prow, chewing his moustache and mouthing unmentionables.

  “We’ll slip away during the melee; the real fun will happen inside that mountain if legends be right.” Rael folded his arms and leaned back against the rail.

  “What aren’t you telling me, Assassin?” Rael didn’t answer, for the Serpent had just beached, and already his men and the king’s were leaping ashore and charging up to confront Barin’s noisy group huddled behind their shabby defences.

  “Cavan!” Rael yelled his second who glanced his way, axe in one hand, cutlass in other. “You’re coming with me and Hagan here. Bring six good lads and let the others get stuck in here. And tell them to stay away from Redhand, he’s off his bloody rocker!”

  King Redhand was halfway up the beach, his war-axe held high as he yelled out Barin’s name; his warriors were with him, but Rael’s pirates still lingered by the shore. Cavan yelled out orders and re-joined his leader.

  Rael soon found the tracks leading to the live oaks where the man had vanished twenty minutes ago. “This way!” Rael called cheerfully as he hopped and jumped toward the rough path showing in the sunny glade betwixt tree and moss.

  Hagan, walking behind, loosened sword in sheath. Whatever game the Assassin played, it needn’t involve him for much longer. Find Corin, kill him, get paid, and leave. Simple. Well, he hoped so anyway.

  ***

  Inside the door, they were hit by sudden light. Stabbing silver rays half blinded them as they staggered forward, shielding their eyes from the glare. Zukei saw the stairs first, a spiral steel construction hardly discernible in the whiteness of the cavern—or wherever they were, as it was impossible to tell.

  That glistening spiral led up into white nothingness. They reached the stair rail and Shallan, touching it, marvelled how it appeared hewn from pure white crystal. They took the stairs two at a time, their eyes slowly adjusting to the glare.

  After a long climb, the stairway opened on a wide chamber with vaulted ceilings that shimmered with veins of crystal. Corin recalled the tunnel under the Crystal Mountains, but this was ten times brighter, though small by comparison, and they soon reached the far wall where a second door stood half open, hinting at what lay beyond.

  Corin shoved his long frame through the entrance, Shallan and Tarin following close behind, whilst Bleyne and Zukei glanced back lest anyone follow. Satisfied, they too turned and made for the door.

  Bleyne smiled at Zukei and the woman grinned back. A strange moment passed between them, then Zukei resumed her customary scowl and vanished inside. Bleyne followed, his brown eyes lost in thought.

  Corin hadn’t known what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t this: a hollow tower where a breeze lifted his hair and the cry of birds calling filled his ears. There were six windows, high and arched, one in each wall, three overlooking the slopes and forest far below, the other three revealing sheer drops leading down to the ocean and its breaking tides.

  The tower was a hexagon of plain grey rock, and aside the window on each wall hung a weapon. Six swords hung there: five were gleaming, flawless shafts of crystal; the sixth was drab and shoddy, its worn steel half buried behind a rotten leather scabbard.

  Corin smiled as some part of his consciousness recognised the shabby sword as Callanak hanging there. As he did, the other swords chimed and fell away like crystal rain. A voice reached him from deep inside his head.

  You pass the test, descendant of Erun Cade. You are the one. Take the sword and claim your destiny!

  Corin, as one in a dream, reached for the now-gleaming glaive on the wall, transformed with a crystal hilt, but stopped as a searing pain lanced through his hand. Looking down, he was surprised to see a dagger had pierced his right hand, the point showing three inches clear of his palm.

  Rael smiled as he stepped forward into the light. “That was one of my better throws,” he said. Then the clash of angry steel announced his men were upon them.

  Chapter 38

  Kinsmen

  Corin tugged the dagger free from his hand and ducked as a second knife narrowly missed his left ear. Then Rael was on him, his rapier darting and flicking, and Corin struggled to free Clouter from its sheath.

  Close by, Zukei skewered a pirate but Cavan tripped her from behind and jumped on her back. She rolled to her back, brought a knee up hard into Cavan’s groin and he grunted but grabbed hold of her throat with a meaty palm.

  Bleyne had no room for shafts so worked his knife against the three pirates surrounding him. One got lucky and knocked the knife free of Bleyne’s hand. A second levelled his cutlass at Bleyne’s throat.

  Zukei bit hard into Cavan’s hand, but he clung on and clubbed her unconscious with the flat of his axe. Meanwhile, Hagan disarmed Prince Tarin and knocked him to the floor, where he lay still as stone, the scarlet blood seeping from his skull. Hagan levelled his broadsword at Shallan, who spat back at him, her horn in hand.

  Rael’s rapier pierced Corin’s leather and passed between two rusty links of steel. The Longswordsman cursed as the searing pain lanced through his shoulder; three inches closer and it would have pierced his heart.

  “Game’s up,” Rael said with a slow, serious smile. “You did well, peasant. But all good things must come to an end.”

  “He is no peasant, but rather your kinsman.” All heads turned to see a bloodied battered figure leaning in pain against the wall.

  “You?” Rael raised a brow. They’d found Tolemon halfway up the mountain. Rael had gutted him six times after questioning him and left him for dead. But now the bastard had showed up here. Things never failed to surprise the Assassin these days.

  “You should be dead! Look you, bitch-cow—your brother’s a walking corpse! Told me he was going to save you, so he did. So I took an eye and a finger and a few other bits. Gods alone know how he got up here; he must be nearly drained of blood.”

  “He is your kin,” Tolemon said again, as he half crumpled against the doorway. “Your kinsman.” Shallan gasped as she noticed the black seeping gouge that had replaced Tolemon’s left eye.

  “Kill that bastard, Cavan. He’s becoming monotonous.”

  “You nearly drowned that night, Rael. But you survived, as did your cousin, Lord Halfdan’s baby boy, the rightful heir to Kelsalion’s throne—though his wife and the queen perished in the storm.”

  “What’s this?” Rael’s green gaze narrowed suspiciously. Tolemon’s tone had changed, and now he looked stronger, his single eye gleaming silver with baleful spite. Rael reeled at that stare and the Wanderer’s rope-rough voice filled the cavern.

  “You are kinsmen, fool! Corin an Fol was assumed drowned, and thus the High King had no heir and lost all hope of his realms’ salvation.

  “You, Assassin, never accepted your station. For a thousand years, nephew has followed uncle in receiving the Tekara. But with Corin’s drowning, you resented the fact that there was no apparent heir, and yet still your father refused to name you in his stead. Thus you murdered your father on the premise of aiding Caswallon.

  “But you, Dark Prince, have lived a life of lies, hiding behind your cowardice and malice, ever resentful and spiteful to the last.

  “Take the sword, Corin an Fol—why make things harder than they already are?”

  Corin gasped in pain and reached for Callanak, but as he did several things happened at once.

 
; Bleyne snapped his arms free of his captor and slammed an elbow up into the pirate’s nose, snapping the small bone and killing him at once. He rounded on the other two, killing them in seconds. Three remained standing with their master, close to Corin and the hanging sword.

  Zukei blinked awake and saw Cavan turn to make an end to the wounded man leaning against the door. She rolled, found her axe, and hurled it deep into Cavan’s back. The blade buried itself between his shoulder blades, and Cruel Cavan pitched forward on his face before the wounded Tolemon’s feet.

  Hagan rounded on Corin and blocked him from reaching Callanak. Instead, Rael leapt toward it and grabbed the glistening hilt in his hand. Rael screamed as that crystal burned deep into his palm. He let go and gripped his hand in agony.

  “You are not the one,” the voice of Oroonin said through Tolemon’s broken lips. “And that is the wrong sword.”

  “Fuck you all!” Rael danced sideways and grabbed Shallan from behind before anyone could move; before she knew it, his dagger was pricking her throat.

  “Shallan!” Corin shocked himself into movement.

  “Take the sword,” the voice inside Tolemon said.

  “You leave her be!” Corin spat at Rael, but the Assassin’s three surviving guards closed on him with their cutlasses.

  “You’re no fucking kinsman of mine!” Rael taunted Corin as he made ready to slice Shallan’s throat. Zukei yelled and levelled her Karyia, but Cavan, not quite dead, rolled over and then shoved a knife in her calf. Zukei cursed and stabbed down with the Karyia. Its thin steel entered Cavan’s mouth and passed clear of the back of his head. He shuddered once, then slunk prone.

  Rael caught Corin’s wild stare and smiled. “It’s over,” he said, as he pricked the knife deeper into Shallan’s throat and the first beads of blood stained her neck. But Rael’s hand froze. Instead and looked down in puzzlement, seeing Hagan’s broadsword sticking in his thigh.

  Rael dropped the knife and Shallan half-fell sobbing into Corin’s open arms. Corin kissed her and wiped the blood from her neck. Meanwhile, Rael kicked Hagan in the face with his good leg, sending the Morwellan sprawling.

  Bleyne and Zukei each took a pirate, and Shallan grabbed Rael’s abandoned knife and shoved it hard into the back of the last of Rael’s men as he rounded on Corin.

  Hagan rolled to his knees, trying to find his feet, but Rael’s rapier slid deep into his neck, and Hagan gurgled and slumped twitching to the stone floor.

  Rael, seeing he was surrounded, stepped back to the closest window. He placed a foot on the ledge and smashed the crystal glass with his elbow.

  “What a merry dance!” Rael swept his audience a contemptuous smile, and made to jump, but Tarin, rolling to his feet stopped him.

  “You are my brother!”

  “Half brother,” Rael’s green gaze fell on the prince whose head still bled profusely but who seemed to have recovered enough of his wits to confront his kinsman.

  “Corin is our cousin, and you are my lost older brother! I always thought you were dead. We are kin and yet you wanted to torture me to death in that dungeon. Why?”

  “Why? Why not?” Rael laughed bitterly. “When you were gifted everything, and I was abandoned and left to die? I was the High King’s son, and you a bastard turd spat from one of his many whores. He hated me, yet loved you instead, you useless little cunt! Yffarn swallow you all!”

  Rael turned and leapt from the window. Corin reached the ledge first and watched the Assassin’s body fall for several moments before vanishing into the cool blue water far below.

  “Take the sword,” Tolemon’s mouth was leaking blood and his knees were buckling. Shallan rushed to support him.

  “Oh, brother, I’m so very sorry.” But Tolemon wasn’t there, and instead the Wanderer’s crow-rough voice addressed Shallan.

  “He is dead, but he played his part well enough, and now rests with your other brothers and father in the halls of peace. Be content, he died well!” The silver light flickered out in Tolemon’s alien eye and Shallan’s eldest brother slumped dead to the floor.

  Oh Tolemon, I was so cruel to you. I’m sorry, brother!

  “CORIN AN FOL! TAKE THE SWORD IF YOU WANT TO SAVE EVERYTHING YOU LOVE INCLUDING HER!” Oroonin’s voice echoed around their heads then silence followed as His presence vacated the tower. “I MUST DEPART! I AM NEEDED ELSEWHERE.”

  “Take the sword, Corin, for fuck’s sake just do it!” Zukei held Shallan as her ward pooled tears upon her lifeless brother’s ravaged face.

  “They are all dead, my kin. All dead!” Shallan wept. Then Corin reached up and unhinged the blade from its anchor on the wall.

  Callanak!

  ***

  Wyrmfang caught Daan Redhand’s sword mid-swing and snapped it in two, but Redhand wrenched his arm back and lashed out with the other hand, his mace narrowly missing clipping Barin’s ears. The king was foaming at the mouth and Barin was making small animal noises—this scrap had been a long time coming.

  The barricade had held off three charges but then Redhand’s ships had beached, and now they were hard pressed as the king’s main force fell upon them. To Barin’s left, Ulani hewed and slew any man daring to come close to the barricade, using his multiple array of weaponry.

  Further along the barricade, Olen and Arami, joined by Arac, Sir Greggan, and those still left of Valentin’s volunteers, loosed the last of their arrows into the foe. But there were too many enemy men, and the barricade was giving under the weight of sweating armoured bodies.

  As the barricade collapsed, Olen tossed his bow aside and unsheathed his sword, Arami followed suit, and both Rorshai set about slicing, stabbing, and hacking the heavy press of men surrounding them.

  Arac crumpled with an axe beak in his skull, and his killer leapt on Olen’s back, but Arami’s scimitar ran him through. The two were surrounded with furious men, but then Sveyn and Taic crashed through the circle and killed half a dozen in the process. Sveyn took a slice through his left eye, but so enraged was he that he hardly noticed and slew just as savagely with one eye as he had with two.

  Daan Redhand’s mace batted Wyrmfang aside and impacted Barin’s chest, knocking him backwards. The king roared and leapt on top of what was left of the tree-barricade. Barin kicked up hard with his boot, catching Redhand in the balls. The king yammered and stumbled on top of him and the two huge men commenced rolling and biting and pummelling each other into the ground.

  Daan freed a knife from his belt and stabbed at Barin’s eyes. Barin jerked his head back and then bit hard into Redhand’s knife bearing knuckles. The blade sliced Barin’s cheek wide open but his teeth sank deeper until the knife dropped, alongside three of Daan Redhand’s fingers.

  But the king had found his feet again and retrieved his mace from the bloodied ground. Barin leapt up at him, but Daan’s steel boot struck him square in the jaw and knocked him back down.

  Close by, Cogga held off three Leethmen with a sword in each arm. There were already six dead around him, but a sword got through his flailing blades, and Cogga fell amongst the bodies of those he’d slain. Close by lay Haikon and Norman surrounded by the corpses of Leethmen. Wogun fought on alone for several minutes until a spear cast brought him down and the men surrounding him kicked him to death.

  Barin tried to rise again but again Daan kicked him flat, and then a rush behind announced the king’s men had him surrounded. Daan grinned like a rabid wolf and readied his mace for the deathblow.

  Barin closed his eyes, which was fortunate because the entire beach chose that precise moment to erupt in an explosion of white light.

  Men screamed and bodies flew everywhere, noises like rushing wind and thunder battered Barin’s ears. He rolled to his feet and opened his eyes blinking. The beach was empty save the tall figure of a man standing over him with a diamond bright sword in his hand. The world reeled and lurched and Barin spewed bloody phlegm onto the sand.

  “Corin?” Barin croaked but the vision faded as the bea
ch started sinking beneath the water. Laras Lassladden was returning to the ocean.

  “Corin!” Barin yelled but his head spun and darkness fell upon him, and Barin knew no more.

  ***

  Old Night laughed as He broke the body of Scaffa the Giantess into two pieces and hurled her torn flesh down upon the trembling city. Already His horde were bubbling like blowflies around a corpse as they clawed and scraped their way up the walls of the Silver City.

  Queen Ariane watched from her high window as the plague army approached. It was over. She’d seen her Goddess fall and now the end would come. Beside her Cale wept and Silon comforted the boy.

  “All things must pass,” Silon told Cale. “Nothing lasts forever.”

  Ariane wept too, she wept for her protectress and her people and those whom she loved. But as she wept she thought of her vow, and it suddenly came to her that there was still one left who might help. She stood trembling at the window and called,

  “Sensuata, have you forgotten your betrothed? Will you let the Night steal away your queen?”

  Again she called. Nothing. But after a third summons, the armies felt a tremor in the fields surrounding Lake Wynais. Ariane collapsed on the floor weeping. He has come!

  “I WILL NOT!” The voice echoed an answer from far, far away, a sound like the surge of water rushing through dark tunnels far underground.

  The towering white figure of Old Night or Cul Saan paused in his pursuit of destruction and turned slowly toward the lake, His fire-clad eyes watching as its waters started to ripple, then bubble and then explode, as a huge head broke free of their surface. Sensuata had come.

  Ariane, ignoring shouts from her captains and friends, leaped to her feet and grabbed her two swords and sprinted out onto the walls. Tarello followed her, as did Galed and Cale, Jaan and Valentin, and eventually Silon too.

  And then people kept coming until the silver walls of Wynais were filled with folk, all come to stand and die beside their queen.

  The white towering figure turned toward the giant facing Him from the lake.