Time of Shadows (The Saga of the Seven Stars Book 2)

by Dayne Edmondson

  “Take the rod,” the king commanded.

  As Jason and Bridgette placed their hands on the rod, Jason felt a prick on the index finger of both his hands. A moment later, a tingling began in his fingers and began to run up his arms.

  “A foreign program has been inserted into your blood,” a male voice came from Jason’s left. He whipped his head around to see a bald man dressed in strange brown robes looking back at him. “Please confirm you wish the implantation process to continue.”

  “Who are you?” Jason asked.

  “I am your human-implant relations manager. I monitor your body to detect foreign objects and carry out various other functions as I am programmed.”

  Jason looked around. The king was watching him, but no one had noticed the bald man standing next to him. “Can they see you?” He nodded toward the king and the others.

  The bald man did not look toward the king. “No other person can see me except you. I appear to you visually only through stimulation of your visual cortex. I am not physically present.”

  “So they think I’m talking to myself?”

  “What you hear is your sub-vocalization of your thoughts being relayed to you through your auditory nerves. You are not actually speaking out loud.”

  “Oh. Well, that is good. What is this implant process you refer to?”

  “The rod you touched inserted a series of nanites into your blood stream that are programmed to construct an interface in your brain that will allow communication between you and a linked partner. Are you aware of this request and do you accept it?”

  Jason looked again toward the king. If I say no, Bridgette could die or be imprisoned. Returning his gaze to the bald man, he said “I acknowledge this request and approve it.”

  The man nodded his head. “Approval noted and acknowledged. Implantation process will proceed as designed. Goodbye.” The bald man disappeared.

  That wasn’t so bad, he thought. Moment’s later, immense pressure built in his head, followed by blinding pain. He put his hand up to his forehead but the pain was too great. He felt himself falling forward and hitting the floor, darkness taking him.

  Chapter 22 - A New Day

  Jason again knew consciousness. Like climbing out of a deep well his mind stumbled awake and he opened his eyes. He was amazed he was still alive, for surely he had felt his life end. One hand lifted as he touched his face to confirm he was still in his body and the other pinched his arm to make sure he was not dreaming. Reassured that he was both awake and alive, Jason sat up and looked around, his vision swirling for a moment. Across from him on his right was Bridgette, still in her cloak and other clothing, though her boots lay at the foot of the couch. She still appeared to be fast asleep. Jason wiggled his own toes and realized his, too, no longer resided in boots. Jason turned next to where the high-backed chair closest to the hidden panel sat and found the king seated there, perusing scrolls containing a great deal of writing.

  The king, looking up and noticing that Jason was awake and looking at him began speaking, "Reports. They are quite boring, but since I cannot sleep I decided I would make good use of my time while I awaited the awakening of you both. Ah, she is awake, good." Indeed Bridgette had sat up as well and was looking around as dazed as Jason imagined he had been. So much for being fast asleep, Jason thought.

  "What happened to us?" Jason asked. He was alive, Bridgette was alive and not in chains, but what had happened to them?

  The king cleared his throat and took a sip from a cup of steaming liquid before answering. "Would either of you care for tea? It really is quite good," the king said as he lifted the tea kettle suggestively, his eyes passing between Jason and Bridgette. At the shake of their heads, he set the kettle down and leaned back in the high backed chair. "The two of you have been bonded to each other. Your minds are linked via a magic the Founders brought with them. With this bond you will begin to share emotions and feelings. When one feels anger the other will sense that anger; if one of you is in physical pain the other will feel that physical pain as if it were your own. The distance these emotions and feelings are felt at will increase the longer the two of you are alive. It will start that you will feel the other person only when you're in the same room as them, but then it will grow so that eventually you will feel it across the world. The bond also allows for you to communicate across vast distances."

  Jason was shocked. He'd never heard of such “magic”. Memories of the bald man speaking of nanites flashed before him. Could he have told the truth? Had some sort of interface been built in his brain? This was madness! To the king, and others in this place, it must seem like magic. But it was really technology. Tearing his eyes away from the king he looked across at Bridgette and found her eyes wide, whether in shock or disbelief, he did not know. He finally asked, "Why, my king?"

  “The reason is this: It is the only way I would allow this woman to be set free upon the world. I can see by your faces that neither of you are familiar with the bond that has been made between you, so I will give you a brief history of the bond so that you may better understand exactly what it is.

  “The Rod of Binding which you saw used today was brought to this world by the Founders of Tar Ebon. It is the only one in existence and utilizes magic that no mage thus far has been able to replicate. It was fiercely guarded by the Founders, and they determined in their wisdom to keep it secret. They decided the safest place for the rod to reside was with the royal family itself, for the royal family would survive as long as Tar Ebon stood. To that end, a tradition was begun. Each ruler of the kingdom is bonded to their spouse. This ensures that the rod is kept in use but not misused, for the effects are not something all people can handle. The king and queen are bonded in a private ceremony after their marriage.”

  “So you and your queen are bonded in such a way?” Jason asked.

  “That is correct,” the king confirmed, “we have been bonded for these last 20 years. And my daughter, when I die, will become queen and share a bond with her husband.”

  “Does the bond allow me to control her or something?” Jason asked.

  Bridgette snorted, “Just like a man to think of ways to dominate women.”

  Jason blushed.

  The king chuckled but shook his head and answered, “No, the bond does not grant any powers of domination over the other person, other than any powers of manipulation that are granted by knowing another person's thoughts and feelings so well that you know how to make them do something they might otherwise not have done.”

  Jason pondered what the king said and opened his mouth to ask again why the king had bonded Jason and Bridgette when Bridgette spoke up.

  “So then why did you place such a collar around my mind?” Bridgette demanded. “What will the two of us being able to sense each other’s emotions and hear each other’s thoughts do to stop me from walking away and continuing my previous career path?”

  “When two people are bonded, they cease to be who they were and become something - someone - new. In essence, it changes them because they are no longer exactly who they were the moment before the bond was applied. For example, if a brutal man who seems not to have a shred of compassion in him were to be bonded to an innocent young woman, the man's temper would be tempered by the pure compassion of the woman. The bond works both ways, however. The young woman would find herself becoming more coarse and brutal at times, unlike the pure innocent compassion she had exuded before.”

  “So the idea is that being linked to Bridgette will make her less inclined to be an assassin?” Jason asked, risking a glance sideways at Bridgette to see her glaring in fury at the king.

  “Yes. I saw such pure compassion in you today that I knew you could be the temper to this young woman's anger and aggression. Like a freshly-worked iron blade being plunged into a barrel of water to be quenched. The blade will still come out warm and it will retain it's shape, but it will no longer burn anyone who touches it.”

  Jason, grasping the analogy that the
king had used, pondered further, “And likewise, the water the blade is quenched in becomes warm and steams and boils, though water is calm by nature.”

  The king smiled widely. “Yes! That is precisely what happens. You will find your normally calm and composed personality at times boiling and steaming because of the influence of her mind on you. It is for precisely this reason that kings or queens often choose a spouse who is their opposite, so when the bond has been enacted they will be the stronger for it.”

  The king once again turned his gaze upon Bridgette and asked, “Did that satisfy your question, my dear? You are bonded to this young man to keep your aggressive nature in check so you can escape the life you've found yourself in,” the king's smile vanished. “However,” he said, menace in his tone, “should you ever be caught within this kingdom committing murder or any other criminal act you will both be sentenced to death. Consider that not just your own life relies on your actions, but also the life of this man who was so selflessly willing to make any sacrifice to save your life and let you be free. Bonding was the only price high enough that would not require you to serve prison time or face the hangman's noose.”

  Bridgette's gaze had turned fierce and angry, but at those last words from the king, the anger began to fade and she averted her eyes from the king. After a few moments, she spoke. “Yes, you have answered my question. Are we free to go?”

  “Wait,” Jason said, “Is this bond permanent? Is there any way for it to be removed?” Perhaps if he asked the bald man - if he could find him again…

  “So quick to give up on her, are we?” the king asked and chuckled when Jason blushed and shook his head, opening his mouth to explain. The king forestalled him with a raised hand. “Calm yourself, I jest. The bond is permanent until death. In this way it shares a bond with marriage where those being married swear to be faithful to and stand by each other’s side until death takes them. However, unlike the bonds of marriage that are recognized by the kingdom, this bond of minds cannot be shattered. Only when one of you dies will the bond cease to exist.

  “When one of the two individuals in such a link perishes the survivor experiences agonizing pain. They feel as though a part of themselves has been lost and they begin to lose the will to live. The longer the bond existed the more painful the loss is felt. There have been cases of a partner falling over dead when they felt the bond shatter.”

  The king stood. “And in answer to your question, young Bridgette, the two of you are free to go whenever you would like. You may feel light-headed and thirsty for the next several hours as your bodies adjust, but the symptoms should pass.”

  Jason and Bridgette both stood up to leave. The king must have given some sign to one of his guards, for the door was opening just as they stood. The king's daughter, Coryn, walked into the antechamber, dressed exactly as she had been before, only her hair was neater, making it clear that she had been woken earlier upon hearing the news of an intruder and had since then had a chance to ready herself for the day. She bowed to her father and kissed him on the cheek before composing herself and beckoning for Jason and Bridgette to follow her.

  As they were about to vacate the antechamber, the king said one last thing. “One thing, young adventurers. Should you ever require the aid of my person or my crown, you need simply announce your persons at the gates and you will be admitted to see me, be it day or night. What aid I can provide, I will. You two are the only people in a thousand years on whom the Binding Rod has ever been used that were not royalty.”

  Jason nodded, understanding the honor that had been bestowed upon them. “Thank you, my king. I am honored at having been allowed to experience the bonding of my mind to another, something so few have. Your hospitality and mercy have both been greatly appreciated.” And, bowing one last time, he followed Bridgette and the king's daughter out the door into the same hallway they had traversed before.

  The journey through the halls this time was equally as silent as their journey to the throne room. They lacked the guards who had followed closely behind the last time, as it was only the three of them that walked down the halls toward the main entrance of the palace. There were many twists and turns, but at last they came within sight of the massive doors which led into the courtyard of the palace ground and traversed the paving stoned path to the door that led through the outer wall and onto the street.

  Once outside, Coryn bid them farewell and reiterated that should they ever need protection or assistance they could return to the palace and they would be admitted on basis of their name alone. As they walked away from the gates, Coryn raised her hand one last time in a gesture of parting as the captain general of the king's bodyguard turned and began the walk back to the palace.

  Jason turned to Bridgette after the king's daughter had passed out of sight. She was looking at him, a look of disgust on her face. “What?” he asked.

  Bridgette sniffed, “You are pining after a woman you can never have,” her eyes snapped to the entrance to the palace they had just exited, indicating the princess. “No, instead you only have me, a vicious wild dog instead of a fine swan.” Turning, she angled toward a street off toward their right, “Come on, you said you would lead me to my brother and I plan to hold you to that oath.”

  Jason sighed and followed. It was going to be a long day.

  Chapter 23 - A Howl in the Night

  Dawyn stood facing one of the largest men he had ever seen. Golivar towered above him, a thick oaken shield held in one hand and heavy iron sword held in the other. In his own hands, Dawyn held a sword and shield. All around the makeshift arena, men shouted insults and screamed for blood, sounding like a pack of wild animals. The arena consisted of a wooden fence encircling a depression. There was only one way out of the arena, a now-closed door at the other end, and it was through the giant man.

  Without waiting for approval from Ferdinand to begin, Golivar charged forward, issuing a guttural roar that reminded Dawyn of a dragon of legend. He swung his iron sword overhanded toward Dawyn.

  Dawyn raised his shield, using it to the brunt of the blow. His arms strained under the force of the blow, his legs threatening to buckle. Mustering his strength, he thrust the sword backward and leapt aside, swinging his own blade in an arc toward Golivar, which he caught on his shield with ease.

  The big man pursued him relentlessly, never ceasing his strikes. Dawyn continued evading, but felt his shield arm growing tired. What strikes he was able to direct toward the giant man were deflected, with the exception of a stray strike against his ankle, which drew blood and caused the large man to grow enraged.

  Dawyn’s time-bending ability lay in the back of his mind, waiting like a coiled snake, ready to strike. As the blows became more fervent and his defense grew weaker, he considered drawing on his ability. It would take only a heartbeat. With time slowed, Dawyn knew he would have a significant advantage. No blows would strike him, and he would be able to run circles around the larger man. But to do such a thing would be to draw the attention of the gathered crowd, which he was not prepared to fight in their entirety. He wanted to defeat the man fair and square, in the hope that Ferdinand would do the honorable thing and submit to his will.

  All thoughts of honor fled, however, when the brute’s blade connected with Dawyn’s shoulder, causing him to drop his shield from the pain. He gritted his teeth and raised his sword in anticipation of a follow-up strike. Golivar’s oak shield began moving toward him, seeking to knock him down, spelling near-certain doom, when Dawyn unlocked the part of his mind that held his ability in check. In the space of a heartbeat, the forward movement of the shield had been slowed to the point where movement was barely discernible.

  A burst of energy surged through Dawyn as he moved forward. Slipping around the almost-stationary shield, Dawyn bit into the thick tendons at the back of Golivar’s legs. His blade sliced through the muscle with ease. He repeated the motion with the other leg, before releasing the dilation field and turning to witness the results.

>   Golivar, the tendons in his legs severed, could not support his weight and fell to his knees. As Dawyn circled around to see him, he saw bewilderment evident on his face. “How?” he rumbled.

  Dawyn pointed his sword toward Golivar and looked to where Ferdinand had bolted up from his throne and stood, astonished. “Do you surrender?” Dawyn asked, his voice raised to shout above the tumult of the crowd. Even shouting, he was not sure Ferdinand had heard his words.

  He must have, for he raised his hands for quiet. It took several moments, but the crowd quieted and looked toward Ferdinand. “You ask for my surrender, yet you cheated in fighting my champion?” He spit onto the sand of the arena. “Magical coward. You could not defeat him with strength of arms, so you turn to your foul magic to defeat him. You will receive no surrender from me, wizard. No, you will face mob justice.” He pointed at Dawyn. “Take him, my followers, and…” he was interrupted by a noise next to him.

  Beside Ferdinand, Anwyn transformed into a panther and leapt onto him, carrying both of them to the ground. He shouted in surprise and tried to fend off her razor sharp teeth, but she ignored the blows as her mouth closed around his throat. With a crunch, she bit into his neck. Blood gushed from the wound. A tug followed, ripping his throat out. Ferdinand jerked a few times, before falling still, his head nearly detached after the brutal assault. Before any of those around Ferdinand could react, Anwyn transformed into a large hawk and flew into the center of the arena, where she became a gray wolf next to Dawyn.

  The enemy mercenaries, though slow to realize what was happening, were rallied by the cry of rage emitted from Bertram. He and several of the mercenaries who had burst into Dawyn’s room earlier that night began rushing toward them, swords drawn. Two of the men fired their crossbows, the bolts of which Dawyn blocked as his newly-emitted dilation field slowed them.