Storm Holt (The Prophecies of Zanufey Book 3)

by A. Evermore

  ‘They have not fallen yet,’ the dark-robed being they called Ayeth said quietly. ‘They may never fall if we only help them. Just one last time.’

  ‘You must see that your love for Lona, pure and beautiful as it is, has blinded you,’ the same voice said from behind. ‘You risk all of us by being with her. We can all see the darkness that had entered your heart since you shared yourself with her…’

  ‘Enough.’ The dark-robed being spoke quietly, yet his command was absolute and everyone fell silent. ‘How can you heal the darkness if you do not embrace it and bring to it the light? Is that not what we have always said?’

  Nobody spoke, everybody frowned and looked at the ground or at each other.

  Ayeth continued, ‘All our powers are nothing, if we cannot help others. And what if it works? Imagine our two races pure and powerful once more, standing in the light together. Imagine how many others we could help heal if we combined our powers together. We could banish the darkness and forever eliminate the possibility of falling from the light again.’

  Freydel sensed the mood of the crowd lifting. The hope in Ayeth’s voice moved him.

  ‘There is hope, yes,’ the older being conceded.

  ‘Just one more chance,’ Ayeth snatched onto the change in mood. ‘One more chance to use the crystal pyramids. I will do it alone if I have to, but any others are welcome to join me in this grand healing.’

  ‘If it fails, Ayeth, you must be quarantined until you yourself have healed,’ the older being warned.

  ‘Of course,’ Ayeth inclined his head, feverish hope inflecting his broad smile.

  Freydel suddenly felt himself drifting, mentally and physically, and he felt beyond sick. He was somehow losing his grip on reality. Panic rose in his befuddled brain and he reached inside his robe to grasp the orb. Many almond eyes stared at him, clustering his vision. The world tumbled, and then there was nothing.

  Chapter 3

  To Be A Coward

  ISSA lay with her eyes closed for a long time. From the sound of the others sleeping, nobody was awake yet. A day had passed since she had returned unscathed from the demon world, but even now she was still shaken. The talisman had brought her back to the spot beside the stream, where a frantic Ehka flapped and a worried Palu’anth searched. He said he’d been searching for her for nearly half an hour.

  The whole of yesterday had been spent convincing everyone she was all right, and promising Asaph that she wouldn’t try that again. She wished there was someone she could talk to who knew something about the talisman or the sacred mound. Arla might know, she’s the one who found the talisman after all.

  Yesterday evening they’d rendezvoused with more karalanths of a different tribe. Rhul’ynth, Palu’anth, Diarc’ynth and Cusap’anth were now joined by four other deer people, all armed with quivers full of arrows and knives strapped to their bodies. They were keen to take up the rallying call and travel across Frayon to gather their exiled kin into one tribe once more.

  Issa sorely needed a decent meal, a bed and some new clothes - Asaph and Coronos wanted the same. So the humans had decided to walk the distance to the nearest city, Corsolon, some twenty-five miles east. Rhul’ynth insisted that they travelled together. She was right, there was safety in numbers, especially after the Life Seekers attack, and no one wanted to take any chances. But the karalanths would only go as far as the city, and so they’d camped out in a thick grove of oak trees a mile or so from Corsolon.

  Though it was warm, Issa’s back was stiff and sore from the hard ground, and this morning she really longed for a bed. A bed like the one she’d had on Little Kammy, or even better, the luxurious deep bed she’d had in Castle Elune on the Isle of Celene, a Celene that was no more.

  All gone…

  She kept her eyes closed. She didn’t want to face the morning. Already the sorrow for Ely and all those lost was creeping closer. Already she was struggling with a reason to carry on on this painful path. I should leave them, all of them. Slip away into the forest unseen, never to be heard of again. That is the only way they can be safe. Everyone that was close to her, or even knew her, was at risk from Baelthrom and his horde.

  She suddenly hated the Raven Queen, the Dread Dragon-armoured warrior who haunted her, who became her when the blue moon of Zanufey was at its fullest. It was the Raven Queen Baelthrom wanted, not her.

  I am Issalena Kammy from Little Kammy, and that is all. I should never have agreed to kill Keteth. I had no idea that I could. Now everyone is dead. Again. I risk the lives of all those close to me.

  She should disappear. Asaph would find another to love, maybe a nice Draxian woman living in exile. Otherwise he’d end up like Rance. Dead. If she went now no one would hear her leave, no one could stop her. She could change into a raven and fly far away. Live out her life somewhere remote. And watch the world around me be destroyed by the immortals. Baelthrom would destroy them all, no matter where she lived, whether he had her or not.

  She clenched her eyes shut tighter, felt a tear run down her cheek. That left only two choices, to run, run forever, or seek revenge for those murdered. Soothe her anger and helplessness with retribution until her own life was taken. No matter how painful, an early death in battle would be better than watching all those she loved die around her. I would be a coward if I ran away.

  A long sigh escaped her lips, and she wearily opened her eyes. The light of dawn was slowly brightening the quiet forest, illuminating the mist that clung in tendrils to the long grasses. Duskar lifted his head from a few yards away, mouth full of the grass, ears pricked forwards. So trusting. Even though he was still wary of Asaph, sensing keenly the dragon blood that flowed in the man’s veins, they didn’t need to tie Duskar up. He wouldn’t leave her side now. Not since the horrors he’d survived on Celene.

  Did you know I had another horse, Duskar? She was taken from me too. Her eyes misted over. Memory of Haybear’s gentle nature was replaced by the vision of a charred carcass in the smoking ruin of her home. She could not let it happen again. Ehka shifted his weight in the branches above, catching her attention. He looked sideways down at her, ruffled his feathers and yawned.

  Asaph was asleep beside her. He sighed, the growing light dragging him from his dreams. As if sensing her eyes upon him he rolled over and blinked back at her. He must have seen the concern on her face, for he smiled encouragingly, a smile that always made the butterflies in her stomach flutter. She managed a weaker smile back. She couldn’t bear the thought of him being with someone else.

  How can I run? How can I turn away and leave them all to their fate? I will stay with them. I will die with them.

  That left only the one choice. Revenge.

  ‘Ow, I need a decent bed,’ Asaph groaned, wincing as he stretched his sore back muscles.

  Everyone was awake now and busy pulling food from their packs. Coronos nodded, but said nothing. His face was pale and drawn, and Issa felt his pain for Ely’s death alongside her own. She hoped he did not blame her for Ely’s death, even though she blamed herself.

  ‘You two-feet are soft,’ Cusap’anth commented as he checked the string of his bow. Asaph snorted.

  Everyone was tired and sore from travelling, and the recent exhausting battles. The harpies had almost cost Issa her life, but thanks to Ely’s bracelet her wounds healed quickly when she slept. As long as she got enough sleep, that was. The bracelet could not heal her magic reserves though, and she dared not even think about touching the Flow yet. She still felt lucid and not fully in the present after over-using magic in Celene.

  They ate a breakfast of dried apricots, black berries gathered en route by the karalanths, and nut-buttered bread, which happened to be the last of their pack food. They planned to get more supplies in Corsolon, and decide from there what they should do.

  ‘We should see the Mayor and city council, tell them what has happened to Celene,’ Issa said and swallowed the last of her nut bread with a gulp of water from her flagon.

  �
��They’ll probably already know from their wizards,’ Coronos said, puffing on his pipe. ‘But we can give them the full details. To attack so far south… they must have a base somewhere.’

  Issa’s eyes went wide, ‘Of course. They must be on the Isles of Kammy. I never thought of that before. How dare they be there,’ she chewed her lip. The thought of those bastards on Little Kammy made her feel sick to her stomach.

  ‘They won’t stop at Kammy or Celene, and there is nothing but towns and fishing villages along the west coast of Frayon. Easy pickings should there be an attack,’ Coronos said.

  ‘Our northern cousins say the Feylint Halanoi are concentrated in the north,’ Rhul’ynth said.

  ‘There is nothing we can do but warn everyone, anyone,’ Issa clenched her fist.

  ‘We can tell the Mayor of Corsolon to send carrier pigeons, or something faster, to the Halanoi at Port Nordastin,’ Coronos nodded.

  ‘It may already be too late. How can they send an army so far west in such a short time?’ Issa asked, but no one answered her. She sighed. At least there was no one left on Little Kammy for them to murder, but she still felt dreadful. ‘I guess all we can do is warn the people.’

  They packed up their things in silence as the sun finally tipped the treetops and began dissipating the morning mist. The sky was clear blue, and it was already hot in the sub-tropical forest. Duskar refused to carry anything but Issa, despite her and the karalanth’s coaxing him with their Daluni talents. Instead he would prance and rear if anyone so much as tried to put their small packs on him. Asaph scowled at the horse, even without holding a menacing pack he couldn’t get near the damn thing.

  In the end Issa got Duskar take two packs instead of carrying her and they finally made their way through the thick green trees following narrow animal tracks. Four karalanths led the way and four others trailed behind, all listening for danger and checking that nothing followed them. Issa prayed they didn’t suffer any more attacks from foltoy or worse. She doubted she could even swing her sword right now.

  Coronos said nothing the entire journey, and though he forced himself to move faster, everyone moved more slowly to match his pace. Issa caught Asaph frowning. Usually he commented on the flora and fauna, pointing out what was different in the Uncharted Lands, but this morning he’d hardly said anything.

  ‘He’ll be all right after proper rest and food,’ Issa said. ‘It isn’t far to Corsolon.’ She nodded at Coronos ahead of them and squeezed the younger Draxian’s arm.

  Asaph smiled at her. ‘But only time can heal his heart, if it can at all when you lose a daughter.’

  He took her hand in his, taking her by surprise. Tarry was the only boy who had held her hand before, but this felt different. Yes, Asaph’s hands were bigger and stronger, a man’s hands and not a boy’s for sure, all calloused and rough from manual labour and sword fighting, but why did she blush and feel self-conscious? She dropped her eyes and carried on walking, surprised again when he didn’t let go and instead matched her pace.

  What if they could forget this whole thing and the war? Find a house somewhere in a nice village in Southern Frayon. They weren’t warriors or trained Feylint Halanoi, they were just people who had been forced from their homes and lost those they loved.

  ‘We don’t have to do this,’ she started and then wished she hadn’t spoken.

  ‘Do what?’ Asaph’s blue eyes looked at her intently.

  If she stared hard enough she would see the dragon sleeping within. She swallowed and looked away. He was a prince of a once great and noble country, how could she expect him to live in a hovel with her? And what would they do? Toil the land day and night to feed their children and then die of old age? How could a prince, an exiled king, ever be satisfied with that?

  ‘It’s nothing, I meant nothing,’ she sighed and looked up at the sunlight falling through the leaves.

  ‘Tell me,’ he urged, a frown creasing his brow.

  ‘It’s a silly thought. We don’t have to do this, fight the enemy like vigilantes and warriors. We are so few and they are so many, we cannot make a difference… Unless we join the Feylint Halanoi. I was thinking we could find a house somewhere in a nice village and live like everyone else does…’ she trailed off, feeling foolish and weak.

  He smiled. ‘I like the sound of that, especially with you.’ She blushed. ‘But I don’t think that will ever be enough for the Raven Queen, for one chosen by Zanufey.’

  ‘I’m not the Raven Queen, I’m Issa,’ she said abruptly and stopped. She tried to pull her hand away, but he wouldn’t let go. He turned to face her and waited as the others passed until they were alone.

  ‘I will not leave your side, no matter how hard this gets,’ he said, his face serious. She looked at the floor, feeling like a coward running away, and ashamed to have mentioned such things. ‘Zanufey calls to you whether you want it or not, and I think in your strongest moments you really are the Raven Queen - you’ve always been the Raven Queen, whatever that ends up meaning. Besides, for all that I want a quiet life with you, Feygriene calls to me also. Drax calls to me. The exiled sleeping dragons all call to me. I know they are out there, somewhere. I would not be content in a quiet boring village either.’

  Issa nodded. He was right, they would grow bored and old and probably go senile. He stroked a strand of hair back from her face. Whether she wanted it or not they were warriors now. He bent to kiss her then, his lips touching hers gently, taking her by surprise a third time that day. She responded without pause, almost instinctively, and definitely too eagerly, or so she thought. It wasn’t like the first kiss they’d shared, all fire and energy and passion. This kiss was soft and gentle, nourishing. For a blissful moment all her worries and sorrows were washed away. He pulled her closer and her heart began to flutter.

  There came a loud stamp, a rustle of leaves, and a cough. They pulled away reluctantly to gaze at Palu’anth. His majestic antlers looked rather impressive against the backdrop of the green forest. She steadied herself against Asaph, feeling dizzy.

  ‘Love might have to wait,’ Palu’anth winked. ‘We’ve reached the edge of the forest, and the city is in view.’

  They clustered at the forest edge, the karalanths stayed back behind the humans to keep out of sight. To ensure their own survival they kept themselves as secret as possible, encounters between humans and karalanths rarely turned out peaceful.

  Patchy sunburnt grass stretched down a long sloping bank towards Corsolon’s city walls. In the distance within the walls stood a wide squat castle on an elevated position atop a gently rising hill. Surrounding it was a dense array of buildings with slate roofs, tall thin chimneys and round turrets. The light grey walls gleamed in the sunlight, and above the west gate the city’s flag depicting five white crosses on a royal blue background swirled in the breeze.

  Asaph turned back to the karalanths, ‘I guess this is where we part once more, though I’d prefer not to. Good luck in finding your cousins. Feygriene protect you.’

  Cusap’anth nodded and then smiled. ‘We will meet again, Draxian. Our totems will let us know where you are and if there’s trouble.’

  ‘Likewise the ravens,’ Issa added, coming to stand beside Asaph. If she needed the karalanth’s she could send Ehka, maybe even other ravens if they came when she called like before.

  Rhul’ynth embraced her roughly and she returned her friend’s hug. ‘I too would rather we didn’t part,’ Rhul’ynth said, reluctantly letting her go, ‘but we must gather our kin. Those immortal bastards are everywhere, and who knows what they are up to.’

  ‘At lease we both know we have friends amongst our races,’ Issa said. Rhul’ynth grinned.

  Not wanting to draw attention to themselves they hid their weapons. Issa hid her short sword as best she could in her pack on Duskar’s saddle, but Asaph’s long sword was a trickier affair. Rather than put on his cloak in the sweltering heat he instead wrapped it around his sword and Issa sneaked it under the other packs on Duskar
’s back whilst he was busy chomping on grass.

  They didn’t have a bridle, and instead tied a piece of rope around Duskar’s neck. He didn’t need a halter since he never strayed too far from Issa - but a horse without a harness, and a fine looking one at that, was ripe for stealing. The rope made them look poorer too - that and their dirt-stained, travel-worn and torn clothes hopefully meant no unnecessary attention would be drawn to them.

  After a brief farewell the humans departed from the karalanths and headed towards the city. When Issa glanced back there was nothing to see but the thick foliage of trees. The karalanths had already melted back into the forest. She immediately missed Rhul’ynth’s company. The karalanth woman’s wit and warrior spirit had taught her much, but the karalanths would be safer the further they were away from her. She turned back towards the city.

  Issa stared at the thick line of people queuing to get into the city’s West Gate. She felt nervous faced with such a throng, and following Coronos’ lead, nonchalantly joined the long trail. She noticed Asaph looked equally uncomfortable. They had all been away from large groups of people for a long while, living as they had amongst the karalanths in the middle of the forest.

  As they moved closer to the gate, it got even busier. She realised she had never seen so many people or been to such a big city. Even Kammam, what she thought was a busy bustling port on Little Kammy, was only a tenth the size of this. Given the number of people flooding the gate, the city must already be bursting at the seams, and many more now joined the queue after they had. She found herself gawping up at the high walls and trying to glimpse that huge castle beyond them.

  Asaph seemed to be gawping as well. Perhaps he had never seen a city or even a town before.

  ‘They live in there? Within bricks and stone?’ he said. Issa giggled. He looked at her. ‘It just seems so unnatural, especially when you’ve lived a lifetime in tree houses. And look how many people there are. So many all crammed together and cut off from nature. How do they see the stars above? I guess it’s exciting though, being around so many people from all over the Known World.’