Knights of Alcea

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “There is only one solution,” Rut-ki smiled thinly. “We attack the home of the Snakes that I found earlier. That should draw them all out of the woodworks and then we double back and get our unicorns.”

  “We don’t know anything about their strength,” frowned Tedi. “We could be entering a building with hundreds of Snakes in it. That is not accomplishing our goal of finding K’san.”

  “We don’t have to kill them all,” retorted Bin-lu. “We only need to get their attention. I think Rut-ki is onto something here. We attack their home base and cut off the attack once it has drawn their attention. While they all rally to defend themselves, we slip out of the city.”

  “It has potential,” agreed Natia. “Our only other option is to wait until all of the Snakes go to bed, and I don’t think that will happen this night. As soon as they can gain entrance to the ruins of the fire, they will be searching for any signs that they were successful in eliminating us. They will also be watching the animals from the stables to see if anyone comes to claim them. We have to draw them off.”

  “Alright,” sighed Tedi. “Rut-ki, you lead the way, but let’s not get carried away. Remember, our objective is to get out of this city alive.”

  * * *

  Button glided into the dark alley behind the Snake’s hideout and landed on Tedi’s shoulder.

  “There are two dozen Snakes inside,” reported the fairy.

  “Are you sure that they are all Snakes?” asked Tedi.

  “Of course,” balked the tiny blue woman. “Half of them are sleeping on the upper floors, but the others are gathered in a meeting. They are discussing the attack on the inn. Most of them fear that we escaped the trap, but others do not believe it is possible.”

  “That is more than I expected,” frowned Rut-ki, “but maybe they know where K’san is hiding.”

  “They do not know,” responded the fairy. “I heard them talking about where we might search next when we finally accepted that the priest was not here. They have no idea where K’san is, and it sounds as if they do not care to know.”

  “Inconceivable,” stated Natia. “The Snakes are supposed to be protecting K’san.”

  “Not these ones,” retorted Button. “Their assigned task is to kill the Knights of Alcea. They are hoping to kill King Arik, but they will settle for any Knight of Alcea. They talked as if they no longer communicate with the temples.”

  Tedi seethed as the fairy reported that the Snakes were tasked to kill King Arik. The thought of someone assassinating his boyhood friend made his decision easy.

  “We are wiping this nest of assassins off the map,” the gypsy prince declared. “We cannot afford to leave them behind when we leave the city. Are we agreed?”

  The other three Knights of Alcea nodded in agreement. Bin-lu slipped off his boots and tied them to his belt. He slipped off his gloves and tucked them in his belt. While the others watched, Bin-lu put his hands to the back wall of the house and started climbing upward. When he reached the roof, he put on his gloves and boots before extracting a rope from his pack and lowering it to the others. Within minutes, the Knights of Alcea were gathered on the roof. Natia immediately went to work on the locked door leading into the building. Silently, the Knights of Alcea crept into the enemy’s stronghold in Marchek.

  Once inside the building, the Knights of Alcea split into pairs. Tedi and Natia went one way, while Bin-lu and Rut-ki went the other. Rut-ki eased open the door to the first room while Bin-lu stood with a reed to his lips. No one in the room stirred as the Knights of Alcea entered the room. Two myric quills left the Snakes with no chance of making any noise. Rut-ki moved silently to the next room and eased it open. Again Bin-lu slipped into the room and delivered silent death to the two inhabitants. The Lanoirians turned around and headed for the staircase. As soon as Tedi and Natia joined them, they all crept downstairs to the next floor. Moments later, the second floor was cleared of living Snakes.

  As the Knights of Alcea crept down to the ground floor, voices drifted upward. They stowed their myric quills and prepared for battle. They were halfway down the stairs when a Snake walked out of the kitchen and saw them.

  “Intruders!” shouted the Snake as he drew his sword.

  Natia’s knife sailed through the air and struck the Snake in his forehead. His body crashed loudly to the floor as shouting erupted in the other room. Bin-lu and Rut-ki immediately leaped over the banister while Tedi and Natia raced down the stairs. The Snakes surged into the entry foyer brandishing their weapons. Natia’s knives flew from the bottom of the stairs while Bin-lu threw stars from the other end of the room. Rut-ki moved halfway between Bin-lu and Natia and began tossing her stars. While the others blocked the way to the front door, Tedi slipped into the kitchen. Six Snakes charged into the hail of projectiles before they grew cautious. A voice shouted for the Snakes to regroup, and the doorway to the entry foyer remained empty. The house fell deadly silent as everyone waited for someone else to make a move. Tedi’s acute hearing picked up the whispers of the Snakes and then he heard a window being opened.

  “They are going out the windows!” Tedi shouted as he used his staff to bash the wall between the kitchen and the room where the Snakes were gathered.

  Rut-ki raced towards the doorway with Bin-lu on her heels. The female Lanoirian dove into the room and rolled across the floor. The Snakes turned first towards the sound of the destruction of the wall and then they saw Rut-ki rolling across the floor. As the Snakes were frozen by the confusion, Bin-lu entered the room and tossed two Lanoirian stars. Natia followed him closely and let fly two knives as soon as she had targets. As Tedi came blasting through the wall, Rut-ki bounced to her feet and threw stars into the two remaining Snakes.

  “Did any escape?” Natia asked as silence reclaimed the room.

  “No,” answered Tedi.

  “Then we need to leave one body half in and half out when we leave,” stated Rut-ki. “We need to make sure that the attack is noted. Otherwise, the other Snakes in Marchek will not leave their posts to come here.”

  “We should check the bodies first,” suggested Natia.

  “And retrieve the myric quills,” nodded Tedi, “but let’s make it quick. We still don’t know where the unicorns are, and I want to be out of Marchek before dawn.”

  “I will send Shrimp to look for the unicorns,” offered Bin-lu as he headed for the stairs.

  The Knights of Alcea split up and searched the bodies. They took what gold they found and stuffed papers into their pouches for later perusal before dragging one of the bodies to the front door. They opened the door and gazed into the street. Seeing no one around, they exited the building, leaving the body draped over the doorstep. They were half a block away before they heard someone shout in alarm. Turning at the next corner, they headed quickly towards the burned-down inn as a shrill whistle split the air. Within moments, the night was alive with whistles and running feet as word of the bodies spread throughout the city. Before they were halfway across the city, Shrimp returned and landed on Bin-lu’s shoulder.

  “The unicorns are stabled a block away from the inn,” reported the fairy. “There are four unsavory archers keeping an eye on the mounts.”

  “They are probably Snakes,” sighed Tedi as he watched soldiers racing towards the scene of the slaughter. “I am not anxious to have another battle in this city. We may soon find the gates closed to everyone.”

  The others nodded silently as they made their way towards the inn. Well before they reached the scene of the fire, a squad of soldiers rode up to them from behind. The Knights of Alcea moved out of the way to let the horses by, but the squad stopped alongside the Knights.

  “It is late to be out for a walk,” the officer said a suspicious tone. “Where are you going?”

  “We were staying at the inn that burned down,” Bin-lu offered with a smile. “We went out to find another suitable inn, but I am afraid the search took us farther than we had hoped. We are now on our way back to get our horses
so that we can finally get some sleep. What are all the whistles for? Has there been another fire?”

  The officer frowned as he inspected the four travelers, but he eventually shook his head dismissively. “Not a fire. There was a gang war in another part of the city. Did you see any large groups of men on the streets tonight?”

  “No,” Bin-lu replied. “Marchek seems to becoming more violent than I remember from my other trips. Perhaps we are better off leaving the city once we find our horses. I will not sleep well if I have to fear for my safety.”

  “Suit yourself,” scoffed the officer. “You will find your horses stabled a block away from the inn.”

  Bin-lu thanked the officer, but the squad was already moving onward, the fearful travelers dismissed from his mind. When the Knights of Alcea got within two blocks of the stables, Bin-lu sent Shrimp out to investigate. The Knights of Alcea split into pairs again and split up so that they could approach the stables from two directions at once. Tedi released Button to coordinate the two groups, but it proved to be unnecessary. The Snakes who had been guarding the stables had left. The Knights of Alcea mounted their unicorns and headed for the city gates. When they reached the gates, the soldiers did not open them. Instead, and officer approached the group.

  “Rather late to be leaving the city,” stated the officer. “Where are you heading?”

  “Somewhere where we can find a restful night,” retorted Bin-lu with a tone of annoyance. “Our inn was burned down tonight, and now the city is alive with whistles blowing and soldiers shouting orders. I don’t think anyone will get any sleep here tonight.”

  “I would rather sleep on the side of the road than endure any more of this,” added Rut-ki. “At least we would be able to get some sleep.”

  “Ah.” The soldier nodded sympathetically as he signaled for the gates to be opened. “You should dwell on your blessings. At least you survived the fire.”

  “That is true,” smiled Bin-lu. “Maybe we can find a temple or something to give us shelter.”

  “I doubt that,” replied the officer. “The closest temple outside the city is over ten leagues south of here, and it hasn’t been used in years. You are better off just making camp alongside the road.”

  The officer backed away from the group, and the Knights of Alcea rode through the gates. They did not speak until they were out of sight of the gates. At that point, Bin-lu turned off the road and led the group into the forest in search of a suitable campsite.

  Chapter 33

  The Last K’san

  The four Knights of Alcea halted on the summit of a hill south of Marchek and started setting up camp. They worked quietly and efficiently and soon gathered around the campfire for the evening meal.

  “Perhaps we should return to Marchek,” Rut-ki said softly. “It feels as if we are wandering aimlessly.”

  “Not aimlessly,” replied Tedi. “We are heading south, not that it really matters which way we go, but staying in Marchek will not help us in the search for K’san.”

  “I agree,” responded Bin-lu. “If the Snakes could figure out that the Knights of Alcea would return to Marchek after the temple assault, K’san will realize that, too. He will take steps to avoid being seen. We are better off outside the city while the fairies scout the surrounding countryside.”

  “The fairies can find anyone,” Natia offered cheerily. “We just need to give them some time. Lanoir is a big country.”

  “Very big,” chirped Button as she swooped down and landed on Tedi’s shoulder, “but not too big for the fairy people.”

  “What did you find today?” Tedi asked the tiny blue woman.

  “Nothing,” frowned Button. “I completed the search north of Marchek as far as Pog near the Southern Mountains. If K’san is north of the city, he is hiding well. Perhaps Shrimp will discover something.”

  “Perhaps not,” chirped Shrimp as he glided to a landing on Bin-lu’s shoulder. “There is nothing but farms to the east of Marchek. Unless the priest has decided to grow crops, he has moved on to another area of Lanoir.”

  “How far did you go?” asked Bin-lu.

  “As far as Quesig,” answered the tiny green man. “I also swung down to Sarid.”

  “That only leaves the south,” stated Natia. “We luckily chose the right direction.”

  “Unless he left Marchek by ship,” retorted Rut-ki. “He could be anywhere.”

  “That is something we didn’t think of,” admitted Bin-lu. “We will send the fairies southward tomorrow. If they do not find the priest by the end of day, we will return to Marchek and concentrate on the docks.”

  The other Knights nodded in agreement and returned to their meal in silence. Button leaped off Tedi’s shoulder and landed on Natia’s.

  “I saw Adan and the gypsies,” she reported cheerfully.

  “Where?” Natia asked excitedly.

  “Forty leagues to the southeast.”

  “I wouldn’t mind seeing them again,” the gypsy princess said to her husband.

  “I would like that, too,” replied Tedi, “but not until we deal with K’san.”

  “You could visit them while Rut-ki and I go back to Marchek,” suggested Bin-lu. “The two of us can question people on the docks alone.”

  “No.” Tedi shook his head adamantly. “If we must return to Marchek, we will do so as a team. We may have dealt a big blow to the Snakes, but I am sure that there are more of them hiding there. That city is too dangerous right now for Knights of Alcea. We stay together until K’san is located.”

  “I agree,” stated Natia. “While I am anxious to see my people again, it can wait until we have accomplished our mission. We stay together.”

  The group lapsed into silence again as they finished the evening meal. After the meal, Bin-lu and Tedi sparred with staffs while Rut-ki instructed Natia in the various techniques of martial arts. Two hours later, the group returned to the campfire and sipped tea for an hour before deciding to get some sleep. As the others headed off to bed, Tedi doused the fire and left the campsite for a final security check before retiring. As he was checking the perimeter line, he noticed a glow on the horizon to the south. Intrigued by what must have been a huge bonfire, he stepped over the trip line and made his way to the edge of the hill where he would have a better view. He stood for several moments staring at the glow and then sent Button to gather the others. The other three Knights of Alcea soon joined him. Tedi pointed to the glow without comment.

  “Are there any cities down that way?” asked Bin-lu.

  “It is farming country,” answered Natia. “The closest city besides Marchek is Tanek, and it is to the southwest from here. The city is also too far away to see any glow even if the entire city was burning down.”

  “It might just be a forest fire,” suggested Rut-ki. “It is certainly too large to be a campfire.”

  “Maybe,” Tedi replied skeptically. “Button, I hate to send you out after such a long day, but will you go check on the fire?”

  “Flying is no effort for a fairy,” chirped Button. “I shall return before you fall asleep.”

  Button leaped into the night air and powered upward to a lofty height. She caught a favorable wind and glided southward towards the distant glow. The western area of Lanoir was hilly, and the fairy watched the land rise and fall beneath her as she glided over hill after hill. As she drew nearer to the glow, she angled downward and eventually lighted on a branch of a large tree on the side of the hill. Spread out before the fairy was a broad valley that was closed off on one end, and campfires were dotted across it. An old stone temple stood at the closed end of the valley and right before it was the largest fire of all. The fairy squinted her eyes as if not believing what she was seeing. Wanting a closer look, Button leaped into the air and glided into the valley.

  The diminutive woman aimed for the roof of the temple and landed silently on its peak. She stared at the large fire and cringed with horror. In the center of the fire was a stone pedestal, and a large flat ro
ck was balanced atop it. On top of the flat rock were three men with their hands tied behind their backs. The people surrounding the fire shouted taunts at the three captives as the men screamed for mercy. As Button watched, the captives began to dance, but it was not a dance of pleasure. As the rock heated up, the captives moved their feet in a futile attempt to avoid the pain of scorching. One of the captives screamed hysterically as he threw himself off the rock and into the fire, and the other two moved to the edge as if they were contemplated a similar maneuver. The fallen man’s screaming continued for several long minutes, and the other two captives backed away from the edge of the rock.

  “There is no escape from the justice of Balmak,” boomed a deep voice. “You men have spoken to nonbelievers about the location of this temple. This is Balmak’s reward.”

  Button glanced straight down and saw the tall, black priest below her on the steps of the temple. Two black-cloaks flanked K’san, and Button shivered with fear. Worried that the mages might detect her, Button backed away from the edge of the peak and leaped into the air. She soared upward until the warmth of the fires no longer reached her. She circled the broad valley once, her eyes scanning the multitude below, before returning to the Knights of Alcea. She found the Knights of Alcea sitting around the unlit campfire. She swooped down and landed on Tedi’s shoulder.

  “We have found K’san,” she announced with a tremble. “He has may people with him in a big valley, and he is torturing three men who spoke to someone about the location of the temple.”

  “Now we know why no one would talk to us,” frowned Natia. “How many men are with him?”

  “Perhaps two thousand,” frowned the fairy. “Maybe more. I did not wish to stay and count them.”

  “But you saw K’san?” Bin-lu asked for clarification.

  “And two black-cloaks.” The fairy nodded. “The valley is only open on one end, and the temple is at the other end. I do not see how we can get to K’san without going through his entire army.”