Blood and Shadows (The Saga of the Seven Stars Book 1)

by Dayne Edmondson

  “I’d be honored to join you in battle, Dawyn.”

  “That’s good to hear. The four of us will watch the entrance to the inn and strike when all or most of the assassins are gathered. The rangers will enter at the sound of this horn being blown.” Dawyn handed his horn to Flynn. “Keep watch of this for me and be prepared to sound it.”

  “As you say, Dawyn,” Flynn replied. “I’ll go check on my men,” and he left the room.

  “I’ve solidified the air around the room to prevent any words we speak from escaping it,” Alivia said as the door clicked shut. “Dawyn, what are we going to do once we are inside the inn? There are going to be dozens of trained assassins in there. They will outnumber our rangers several times over, not to mention our small group of four people.”

  “We will kill as many of them as possible and hope we don’t die in the attempt,” Dawyn replied. “Between your magic, Anwyn’s animal forms and my ability I think we will stand a chance. With the rangers supporting us, the odds of survival for us increase.”

  “It is certain Lord Garik's personal assassin and mage will be at the meeting,” Anwyn observed. “How will you handle that scenario?”

  “I will handle the veiled woman; Alivia will take on the mage and when we are finished with them we will go after Garik. Or you and Flynn can fight him while Alivia and I keep his top lieutenants busy.”

  Anwyn nodded in acceptance of this. “It seems you’ve thought of everything this time.”

  “Yes, it should work…” Dawyn was interrupted by a massive boom that shook the inn. He looked at the two women, their eyes wide, and ran to the door of the dining room. Throwing open the door he was bombarded by tremendous heat. He tried to take a step forward but the heat was too much. He saw the bottom of his trouser legs beginning to smolder. He felt a hand on his shoulder tugging him backward and the door was closed.

  “It’s magic, Dawyn!” Alivia screamed. “You can’t go out there unless you want to be scorched alive!”

  Magic? Here, in the inn? “How?” was all he managed to say. He was in shock. As he watched, the walls around him began to burn away. A moment later a massive inferno surrounded the trio, swirling around them as if held back by an invisible barrier.

  “It must be Lord Garik’s mage. My wall of air around the room saved us,” Alivia shouted above the sound of burning matter.

  “But that means,” Dawyn began. “Flynn, Bernard, the other rangers….” He looked out into the inferno, shielding his eyes and trying to see through the flames.

  Alivia shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. “I don’t know, Dawyn. There’s a chance they’re still alive.”

  “Can you do anything to extinguish the flames?”

  She wiped at her eyes. “Yes, let me try.” But before she could bring any magic to bear on the flames, they had ceased.

  Dawyn looked around him. The three of them stood on a wooden floor surrounded by ash. It was as if a massive firestorm had struck just the inn. The roof, tables, chairs and everything else had been burned to ash. Window glass lay broken on the ground. The space that had been protected by Alivia’s wall of air to stop sound from escaping had saved their lives. If she hadn’t done that…his eyes were drawn to the space that had been the room next door, where Flynn and his rangers had prepared for the operation. Bones, white as ivory, littered the ground. Ash-covered swords, armor, belt buckles and other metal items were all that remained.

  A few meters away, the main street that had run out front of the inn was filling with onlookers. Dawyn looked to his left and right and noticed the buildings to each side were untouched by the inferno. The stables had been untouched as well, located a few meters behind the inn. No, this was no natural occurrence. Alivia was right – they had been struck by a mage.

  Turning back to his companions, Dawyn found tears in Anwyn’s eyes. She was sobbing. He rushed over to her and took her in his arms, placing her head against his chest as she clutched him. “How could this happen?” she sobbed. “Those poor men, they are all dead. And Bernice and Bernie, they didn’t ask for this, they were just trying to help.”

  “I know, Anwyn,” Dawyn replied as he stroked her hair. “I should have thought when Harrison and Jones didn’t come back that we might have been compromised. But I never imagined this would happen. Now is not the time for crying. Now is the time to be strong. Those men gave their lives for a purpose. Let’s make sure they did not die in vain.”

  “What purpose?” Alivia asked, her voice harsh. “It seems to me they died for nothing.”

  “Their death served to convince Lord Garik that he eliminated the threat to his meeting,” Dawyn said. “It will make him overconfident and cause him to lower his guard. We now know he will be at the meeting for sure. We need to get into hiding now, before word of our survival spreads to Lord Garik.”

  “How do we know one of Lord Garik’s people isn’t out there watching us as we speak?”

  Dawyn shrugged. “We don’t, but we just have to act as though they aren’t and strike hard and fast. Let’s go.”

  The trio gathered their belongings that had remained in the dining room, said a silent goodbye to their fallen comrades and headed to the stables to retrieve their horses. Shadow and the other horses had been spooked by the flames but calmed at seeing their owners. The trio mounted their horses after feeding them each a treat and set out into the crowd. The onlookers on the street parted as they approached, looking at them as if they had just seen a trio of ghosts. It was very rare that people saw anything like what had just occurred, and even rarer that anyone survived such destruction.

  They were midway through the crowd when a hooded man approached them from the side. Dawyn looked over, hand on his sword, and recognized the face of Favio beneath the hood. He reined in Shadow and waited, removing his hand from his blade.

  “Thank the Founders you survived,” Favio said as he approached. He looked over the three of them with anxious eyes. “When I learned of what they were going to do I rushed right over, but I was too late. I saw the mage, Nikki, cast her foul magic and saw the inn go up in flames. Nikki commanded me to remain behind and report back to her if anyone survived.”

  “So the mage, Nikki, did not remain to confirm whether we were dead or alive?” That was good news. It meant Lord Garik remained ignorant of their survival.

  “She did not. She was confident no one could survive the inferno. How did you survive?”

  “A chance use of magic at just the right time,” Dawyn said, gesturing to Alivia. “We have Alivia to thank for our lives. Come, let’s get your horse and you’ll come with us.” Together the four of them returned to the stables to allow Favio to mount his horse and they rode down the street, heading east.

  As they rode Dawyn turned to Favio. “How did they find us? Was it the rangers Harrison and Jones?”

  “Aye, it was them. I was there when they were caught at the Fiver Daggers and dragged before Lord Garik. He had his head torturer begin torturing them. They held out for a time, but then Lord Garik offered a chance to live to the first person who told them where to find you and those with you. Lord Garik heard a Shadow Watch Guard was hunting him. I’m sorry to say Harrison spoke the name of the inn. It did not save him, however. Both men were given blades and told to fight to the death. It was terrible to watch. Jones survived and was then forced to fight Lord Garik himself and told if he killed Garik he would be free to go. Needless to say, Jones died a quick death.”

  It was hard to hear, but Dawyn couldn’t blame the two men for cracking under pressure. They hadn’t asked to be in that position. Dawyn added their names to the list of the dead and vowed to avenge them tonight. “Then that’s where we are going. I have a score to settle with Lord Garik. Do you have any idea how many assassins and thieves he has gathered at the inn?”

  Favio stroked his chin. “I saw over a hundred gathered there when I left to find you. It may have grown by nightfall. It will be no easy task to defeat them.”

  �
��We will do our best or die trying,” Dawyn said, his resolve growing.

  Chapter 23: The Five Daggers

  The four remaining companions of what had once been over forty stood across the street from the entrance to the inn named the Five Daggers, hidden in an alleyway. The sign out front showed five bloody daggers protruding from a body. The inn, like most inns in town, was two stories high. All of the shutters were closed, though a light shone under the doorway. Two heavy built guards stood outside of the doors. The street itself was devoid of people. Word had spread to not be anywhere near this inn tonight, and people had heeded the warning.

  “So, what’s the plan now?” Alivia asked as she stood behind Dawyn and Anwyn. “Just charge in the front door?”

  “Is there any chance you could do to this inn what Nikki did to ours?” Dawyn asked. “That would be true retribution.”

  Alivia shook her head. “No. She may be expecting it, and I fear my control of such power would be unstable. I could possibly burn the entire town down. However, I can try to do something once we’re inside to even the odds.”

  “Was the amount of energy required enormous enough to leave Nikki weakened now? Perhaps weakened enough for you to challenge her?”

  Alivia nodded. “Yes, I think I will be able to stand toe to toe with her and defeat her if she is weakened. I have to be, for if I fail we all die.”

  “If any of us die the plan will be in jeopardy,” Dawyn said. “All right, let’s go.” Standing up straighter, Dawyn strode straight toward the entrance to the Fiver Daggers, the others behind him.

  The two men outside of the inn saw him and the others coming and drew their blades, glaring. “Leave if you know what’s good for you,” one of the men growled.

  Dawyn ignored their threats and drew his blades. The eyes of the men grew wide and they advanced on him. As they approached, Dawyn struck with rapid strikes that took first one and then both of the men down. They dropped dead to the ground, their chests opened up, and Dawyn sheathed his swords before reaching for the door handle. His hand on the door handle, Dawyn looked behind him to ensure his companions were there. They stood behind him, ready to follow.

  Pressing down on the handle, Dawyn shoved the door open and walked into the common room of the Five Daggers. Inside, he found a large open area that was crammed with men and women in black. Had there been no illumination within the inn it would have been difficult to see any of the assassins or thieves. A man stood at the far back of the inn, on a raised wooden stage. Lord Garik, Dawyn thought to himself. The man was tall, at least as tall as Dawyn, with long black hair that came down past his shoulders and what appeared to be dark brown or black eyes. He possessed a hooked nose and a small mouth that looked as if it were made to always wear an angry expression. He wore a black cloak as most assassins did, though the hood was down. The cloak was done up, with black boots showing through at the bottom. He had been speaking animatedly, gesturing with his hands, rallying the morale of his forces. “...together we will make Tar Ebon burn, my brothers and sisters! All the spoils of their vaults shall be ours!”

  To the left of Lord Garik stood a tall, regal-looking woman in a white dress. She had long blonde hair that went down below her shoulders and wore a silver headband on her head that possessed a diamond in the center of it, similar to what Dawyn had seen Alivia wearing the first time he had seen her. The woman had a perfectly shaped nose, what appeared to be blue or green eyes and ruby red lip stain. She wore white riding boots that peeped out from beneath her white dress which was stained with soot. Dawyn knew this was Nikki.

  To Lord Garik’s right stood the unnamed veiled assassin of the shadows. Not much could be said about the woman, except that she was shorter than Lord Garik and Nikki. She wore her hood up and her veil covered all but her eyes. Her cloak was drawn back to reveal a form-fitting black tunic and black trousers with knee-high boots. A long dagger sat at each hip and Dawyn was certain he saw a dagger strapped to the side of each of her boots. Despite everything about the woman, it was her eyes that drew Dawyn’s attention. They looked more dangerous than either of the other two people combined.

  The veiled assassin’s eyes locked onto Dawyn the moment he stepped into the room, though it took Lord Garik a moment longer to recognize that an unauthorized visitor had entered the establishment. Lord Garik ceased speaking and watched the four companions enter the inn. Nikki noticed a moment after Lord Garik and her forehead creased with a frown. Dawyn imagined that she must have been trying to imagine how these people had survived the inferno which had consumed the Bald Chicken. Surprise was good, and worked to their advantage.

  Lord Garik stepped forward and called for silence. Several assassins near the entrance to the inn had turned to face the newcomers, many drawing their weapons. “So, the great champion of the king arrives to face me. When I heard you were coming, I admit I was worried for a moment, but when I learned you were accompanied by women and a storyteller, well, I laughed, thinking it could not be true. I thought Nikki eliminated you when she incinerated the inn you were staying at, but I see you somehow survived. You should have taken the hint and left then. But now it is too late and you will die here. You were a fool to come here alone thinking to best me, Shadow Watch Guard.”

  “Garik,” Dawyn said, ignoring the man’s words, “my name is Dawyn Darklance, commander of the Shadow Watch Guard and hand of the king. I have been charged by the king of Tar Ebon to bring you to justice. I have been authorized to take your life if necessary, though I do hope for your peaceful surrender. All who stand in my way will forfeit their right to life. Do not stand in my way.”

  Lord Garik stared at Dawyn for a moment and then threw back his head, his laugh echoing through the inn. “You must be more delusional than I had heard, Commander Darklance, if you think I will surrender to you or kneel before your wretched king. No, I kneel for no man, and soon I will make the whole world bow to me.”

  “The world will bow to you over my dead body,” Dawyn replied. “You have refused surrender and so by the ancient laws of Tar Ebon you are hereby sentenced to death.” Dawyn drew his dual blades and took a balanced battle stance, ready to both attack or defend at a moment’s notice.

  “I shall enjoy watching you be gutted, commander,” Lord Garik said, anger in his eyes. “Ladies and gentlemen, as you no doubt have noticed, we have uninvited guests. They have made it clear they wish to die, so please oblige them.” He pointed toward the back of the room at Dawyn and his companions.

  Around the room, there were ripples as assassins and thieves drew daggers and other weapons. The ranks nearest the four companions began to turn and move forward, like a tide sweeping toward shore.

  Dawyn looked to his sides and found Alivia, Anwyn and Favio standing there. “Alivia, I want you to do what you can, but you must stop Nikki. Anwyn and Favio, hold the door and let none escape. Play defense for as long as possible. I will wade into this mess. Oh, and the veiled assassin is mine to fight.”

  “It has been a pleasure,” Favio said, “to fight alongside such brave souls. If we die this day I pray we shall meet again in the afterlife.”

  Chapter 24: The Battle Commences

  As the first rank of assassins closed in, Alivia raised her hands and imagined the air being superheated. She poured energy into the air in front of them until the very air seemed to catch fire. Then, solidifying the air behind, below, above and to the side of the superheated air, she shoved the wall of fire forward, to devastating effect. An effect similar to what had happened at the Bald Chicken occurred; any flammable object, be it flesh or clothing, was instantly incinerated and turned to ash. Metal turned to molten slag. The screams of the dying men went unheard as their lungs withered before air could be expelled from them. The wave of fire swept across the inn, contained between the floor, ceiling and walls, torching everything in its path as it went.

  The fire had gone halfway across the inn before it met resistance. The wall of fire stopped as it became clear that Nikki had cou
ntered it with her own wall of air. Sweat began to bead on Alivia’s forehead as she exerted her will in an attempt to overcome Nikki’s magic, but in the end she was forced to withdraw her energy that was maintaining the fire, causing the flames to extinguish.

  “That is the best I can do to help you, Dawyn,” Alivia said as she bent over panting. “I will face Nikki now. You’re on your own with the rest.”

  Dawyn nodded in thanks to her. “What you’ve done was amazing, Alivia. Thank you.”

  The wall of fire had shaken many of the remaining assassins, for they had watched many of their comrades’ burn to ash before their very eyes. In the time it took for them to recover, Dawyn had broken into a run and went charging toward their ranks. The remaining assassins and thieves were still several dozen strong. Reaching the first of the men and women, Dawyn slashed in controlled fury and cut down several before they even knew he was there. Blood spattered and seemed to wake many of those who had been in shock. Assassins began to turn toward him, trying to defend, though he overpowered them with his long swords.

  Again and again Dawyn slashed, striking flesh and bone. Assassins wore little in the way of armor, for it was too cumbersome for the work they did, and Dawyn’s long swords took full advantage of this. Within moments of reaching the enemy ranks he had killed or wounded over a dozen men and women. The shock had worn off the remaining fighters, however, and Dawyn found himself surrounded, with blades pressing in from every side.

  As three blades approached him at once Dawyn fell into the part of his mind where his ability lay and expanded the time dilation field around him. The blades slowed to a snail’s pace and Dawyn was able to bat them aside while slashing and stabbing at their owners. In the space of what to Dawyn seemed several seconds, though it appeared to those outside of Dawyn as a mere moment, Dawyn had killed or wounded three assailants. This display of incredible speed caused the next wave of assassins to be more wary. They drew throwing knives and sent them tumbling through the air toward Dawyn. As they reached the edge of his time dilation field, the knives slowed and he was able to bat them aside with his blades while pressing forward to strike at yet more assailants.