Leviathan's King (The Search for the Brights Book 3)

by Aaron Thomas

  It didn’t take long for a second smoke stack to climb up and join the first. More bells rang out, and finally, some people started to scare and leave the merchants on the street to pack their things. The citizens weren’t quite running, but they were more urgent about their business. The street started to clear out, and more leather armored men came out to battle the flames. The second group was at a trot, still in formation as they jogged to the fire.

  When Yurin’s head was turned, he heard a thunk. He glanced over his shoulder to see Eley amongst the men in the back. His wide grin gave away the success of his mission; he went unnoticed as being one of the fire starters. He gave a lazy yawn as the cart rocked back and forth as if taking a city couldn’t be easier. As they neared the inner city gates, Yurin began to get a bit worried. Duri hadn’t returned yet.

  When they got closer, Yurin noticed a man walking at a quickened pace down the street. He smiled, it was Duri, and he was about to cross into the noble’s portion of the city. Horns began to blow behind them as they crossed under the gate. Duri ignored them as they passed. Yurin heard the enormous gates being lowered to keep out an attack. Soldiers now ran through the streets, forming ranks at the gates behind them.

  “Get this cart out of the streets, were being attacked!” A ranking officer said as he marched his men.

  Yurin gave a salute and turned his cart down the side streets. The officer ignored the salute and continued to give commands. When the cart was behind the corner, Yurin saw Duri ahead, waiting beside a couple of beggars. Yurin pulled the cart to a stop beside him.

  “They know they’re under attack, it’s about time to reveal ourselves,” Yurin said.

  His four followers grunted and dug weapons out of the cart. Forgetting the bag’s contents, Haric tried to pick up by the rope preventing the chainger from touching the rodent's skin. Eley tried to stop him from releasing the small beast but was too slow. The creature engulfed itself in flames, catching the cart filled with straw as well.

  Eley leaped to safety but twisted his foot as he hit the ground, clutching his upper arm. His arm was blackened and charred. The squirrel dashed from the burning cart and landed amongst the beggars. They stumbled and scrambled as they tried to run. The small creature was more effective than Yurin had thought it would be. He backed away a small bit, fearful himself. The creature’s work was short with the helpless men as they tried to escape.

  Yurin held his double bladed axe in front of himself, ready to fight. The others helped Eley to his feet as they backed away. The squirrel finished taking out some rage on the helpless men and turned to see Yurin backing away down the street. The creature was fast, almost too fast for the eyes to follow and the flames that trailed his path made it hard to focus on its body. The flames made a swerving line, and the beast ran up the wall and down again, leaping from object to object.

  “Get back. Hurry!” Yurin yelled as he tried to follow the creature.

  What use to be a furry animal turned and focused on his voice and the source of noise. With three large jumps, it came at him. A wild swing with his axe batted the creature away with the flat side. The creature rolled and left flames on the stone-covered alley street. The hairless rodent was left steaming and unconscious next to a building.

  “We have to hurry, before it wakes,” Yurin said, snatching Eley by the waist and carrying him through the streets. A couple of streets away they ducked into another alley.

  “Heal him enough that he can move on his own,” Yurin said as he held his axe at the ready. He knew that if the creature could find him, he would be the next target.

  The term, “Heal him enough” was often used with the Fire Realm’s Crimson. It meant to help them enough to fight, but no more. Yurin didn’t want to waste a healthy man’s energy to heal another when they may need it to keep themselves alive. Jarvis healed Eley enough that his skin was pink when the broken and charred pieces fell away from the wound. He stretched and rotated his arm and flexed his foot.

  “The skin is tight, but I’ll be able to swing an axe,” Eley said, standing and thanking Jarvis.

  A bark from Jarvis’s sack made Yurin turn and grip his axe tighter. He didn’t quite know why the little beasts frightened him so. He was sure it would be one more nightmare to add to the list of many.

  “It’s time to show them who is attacking. Let us get rid of these restricting clothes,” Yurin said, pulling off the cotton shirt he had been wearing. He examined the stitches in his arm, they were holding together for now. He knew as soon as he encountered a man with a blade that would be a different story.

  “The wall is just up the street,” Haric said, looking anxious to start the attack.

  Yurin stuck out his chin in acknowledgment and started bounding towards the wall. He saw people squeak as they dove out of their way into shops and houses. Their once-safe city had been invaded.

  Checking over his shoulder, he saw the third column of smoke. This one was smaller than the other two, but it gave him chills. He started running a bit faster in hopes he would not encounter the enraged rodent again.

  They came near the wall, and as if he had practiced, Jarvis tossed his bag over the wall holding the rope’s far end. It didn’t take long for screams and yells to erupt from the other side. Yurin waved his men forward along the wall. No wonder one has defeated Deuterium before, the walls are seamless stone, he thought.

  They approached a side gate barred with a large wood door and iron hinges. He knew it would take an hour to break through, so instead, he took a step back launching himself over the wall. With all attentions diverted, no one noticed him cut down two of the guards at the gate.

  Yurin slid the bar to the side, unlocking the door. Haric and Jarvis were the first two through. Hanging their axes, they picked up the two guard's crossbows. Eley and Duri snatched up the bolts, and they looked around to see their best avenue of attack.

  Chaos had erupted as soldiers scrambled to put down the tiny beast. It ran along the wooden thatched roofs of what looked like barracks around the wall. A small trail of flame became an inferno as it chewed into the wooden roofs. Haric and Jarvis released bolt after bolt into men that were unfortunate enough to cross into their sight.

  Yurin saw his entrance. A tiny wooden door where servants were escaping the madness into the castle. He pointed to his companions and picked up a shield. Running just fast enough so his friends could keep up, he made his way to the door. He saw a life-sized statue surrounded by cooking stoves and nearly lost his balance at its likeness to wielder Kilen. After slowing for only a moment, Yurin saw movement in the shadows at his feet.

  Looking up, he saw a man in a green robe jump from a window high in the castle's tower. Vine after vine lining the tower reached out to grab the wizard’s limbs as they slowed his descent. A pile of sand rose up out of the ground to cushion his fall.

  “Wizard!” Yurin shouted to his men.

  He and his men braced for an attack. Instead, the wizard focused on the burning animal. A crevasse opened beneath the building it was running along and sent the entire structure into the ground. The fire disappeared along with the boards into a smoking hole that snapped shut. The ground shook, nearly sending Yurin and his men off their footing.

  When they regained their balance, the wizard was already walking towards them. The young brown-haired wizard held a hand out to the soldiers that were gathering. The soldiers rushed away to continue their fight with the now burning buildings.

  “I have sent the guard away. Go get your king and get out. On your way out of the Earth Realm, do not kill anymore or I will make it my goal to grow a thornbush in each one of your bellies,” The wizard said with confidence that said he could probably make it happen.

  Yurin pointed his axe at the entrance he was going for only to have the wizard point to another. They gave each other a nod and ran to free their king.

  As they ran through the door he heard the wizard shout in a disdainful voice, “I will deal with Atmos. You go and put ou
t the fires and save the city like you’re supposed to. If I were you, I would stop standing there looking at me like I am a traitor and thank me for saving your lives.”

  Chapter 16 - Rising Sun

  The sun was just a bit lower than the horizon, allowing Mary to finally see her feet. Most of the night she had run, trying to follow Pada’s silhouette in the moonlight. She loved this part of the day now; when she could look down and block out everything in the world except the rhythm of her feet matching the pace of Pada’s footprints in the sand.

  Her legs ached and burned from running each morning and the weapons practice each night. It had taken weeks, but her body was starting to take a shape similar to that of the Crimson. She smiled at the distinct muscles that showed under her sweat-slicked skin as she ran. She glanced down at her stomach and saw individual muscles as she twisted back and forth throwing her arms forward on the run. She was strong now, stronger than she had thought possible.

  The sand started to incline, so Mary looked up to see Pada and the rest of the men standing on the dune’s peak. She let out her stride and pushed to the top stopping beside them. Pada offered her a water skin, but she was too busy catching her breath to drink. She put her hands on her legs and breathed hard, causing more noise than the entire lot of men. Pada had only let them get away with teasing her about it once.

  Raising her head, she saw the city of Muana. Finally, she had made it, and the sight gave her the energy to stand. The low clay walls and red fabrics blowing in doorways and windows made her smile. After so many years she would get to fulfill her dream of meeting the queen and training amongst other Fire Wizards.

  She took a long drink and out of the corner of her eye, saw Pada looking not at the city, but at her. She lowered the water skin and replaced the stopper.

  He cleared his throat, “Once we return to the city things will change.”

  “Yes, I know women are in charge there,” Mary said, rolling her eyes.

  “No, you do not understand. They would flay my skin if they found out my men talked about you or laughed at you in any manner. My life is in your hands, Wizard Krape. I have punished my men for their laughing at your ways, weakness, and inability to survive, but not enough for it to save my life.”

  Mary nodded her head, “I will not say a word if you don’t.”

  “My honor says that I must unless you order me not too,” He replied.

  Without hesitating, she gave the order, “I order you to not speak a word of you or your men’s disrespect.”

  He nodded and smiled back, “Also, I am not supposed to train you with weapons. Only our queen has the right to train beside the Crimson. If she finds out that you have trained, she will think we want to replace her with you. She will kill you first and us next. This is the only reason I have let my men be disrespectful to you. If they disrespect me and you then they will be found innocent if the queen should find out.”

  Mary understood and gave him a smile, “I am no stranger to politics. I am, however, a stranger to your laws. I order you as my escort to give me instruction as we enter Muana. You will give me orders so that I don’t offend your people.”

  Pada’s hand went to his chest as he lowered his head in a salute. Mary still thought it strange that she was to be giving orders to men. She had a hard time trying to figure out her feelings without the interference of magic and now had to figure out the Fire Realm’s customs.

  The men followed Pada down the slope the way they had come, and Mary stood in confusion.

  “Are we not going in?” She asked.

  Pada turned his confident eyes at her with a look that said follow me.

  Mary strode down the dune to catch up with the men. Pada took a look around and pulled a cloth out of his pack. The strip of cloth was pure white except for a small streak of bloodstain.

  “After the battle, I saw that you had some cuts on you. I saw you come to fight on our side against a king with unfathomable power. You turned traitor and did your best to rescue a man that was my responsibility. With that act, I took this cloth and wiped one of your small wounds clean before you stopped me. You wore your blood as a badge of honor just like our crimson warriors,” Pada said, pointing to the red strips of cloth each of the men wore on their arms.

  He continued, “I cannot give you this as it would be against our customs. I wanted you to know that we think of you as one of the Crimson in training. If you wish, the men here with me now will come to you at night to continue your training in secret.”

  “Isn’t that against your laws?” Mary asked.

  “It is, and each of us is willing to risk our lives to see that you are honored for your courage in battle. If you were a man, you would have been wearing this before we left the mountains. Since you are not I will hide it until you have earned the title properly, then it will be yours to hide.”

  Mary reached out and took the small strip of white cloth and looked at it. Pada had been carrying this since the battle. The small mark in its center had meant so much to him, but she didn’t remember anything of the moment. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up to see the men laughing at her.

  “The Crimson don’t cry?” She asked.

  Pada let out a small laugh, “Only when a child is born.”

  “I am sure somewhere a child is being born, so leave me alone,” Mary commanded.

  Each of the men smiled but stood their ground. She cleared her face of tears and felt a sharp pain as she pushed the cloth into her hand against Pada’s stone-like chest. It didn’t take but a moment for his hand to cover her fingers and the cloth, but to her, it felt like an eternity. It had been a long time since she had kept Pada warm in the tent, and having his hand touch hers brought all the same feelings forward.

  She pulled her hand free and refused to shake the pain out of her fingers in front of them. She turned away and headed back up the dune, “Let’s get going. We are wasting daylight.”

  With so many feelings welling up inside of her, she could almost completely ignore the soreness in her legs as they made their final jog into Muana. The city was full of activity, merchants were shouting in the market, camels and sheep were herded or being watered by the cupful to prevent over watering. Mary stopped at one of the pools and held her hands out. Water pulled from the air gathered on her palms and slid down her fingers, dripping off back into the pool.

  Women dressed from shoulder to foot in silks came to thank her. Every head was covered in silk, covering everything but the eyes. The men only bowed their head as, who she assumed were their wives, walked away after they complimented her. She thought it odd for a man to follow a woman in this way, probably because it was so different from the Earth Realm’s culture.

  She turned to see the entire group of the Crimson standing in rank with heads lowered behind her. She was one of the women now. The power gave her an odd exhilaration in her gut as if a butterfly fluttered about inside her.

  Instinctively, she lifted her head and asked the next woman to pass, “Where does the queen reside?”

  The woman pointed at the largest building in town. The high arched doorways covered with long, colored silks was the obvious answer. Since Pada wasn’t leading the way, she thought she had better ask before she walked in a noble’s house without an invitation.

  She set the pace at a slow jog, not because she didn’t want to alarm anyone, but because she wasn’t sure she could keep a faster pace with her sore legs. People moved from their path as she led the group to the queen’s front door. Looking around as she jogged, she began to notice the difference between wielder and those that possessed no magic. Only a few of the people wore the clothes that the Crimson did. She was one of them, and even the women gave way to those wearing the leather straps.

  She slowed as they crossed into the courtyard, frustrated by having already winded herself. She did her best not to give in to the fight for breath that everyone else seemed not to need. Two females wearing the strapped clothing approached her. One filled
her body with energy, giving breath to her lungs. The second healed all the wounds on her body leaving her feeling stronger than she had ever been. The Crimson received the same treatment only from men that followed the two females.

  Mary recognized some of the men as wind wielders that had departed in the mountains bearing Pada’s news of defeat. Seeing them alive and well meant that the queen wouldn’t always kill the messengers. Although, King Atmos didn’t kill them every time either. She knew she would have to choose her words carefully until she became accustomed to the queen.

  The female earth wielder smiled at her from behind a shade of yellow cloth, “I am Cynthia. You may call me Cynth. I am very happy to finally hear of your arrival, Mary. Queen Rekkan has heard many things about you. A great thing recently about your heroism during battle. She requested that I be here to meet you and bring you to her at once.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cynth. I’m very anxious to meet the queen. Shall we?” Mary asked, gesturing Cynth to lead the way.

  Cynthia bowed her head and took Mary by the arm. “You’ve spent a lot of time amongst the Crimson. I hope their presence didn’t vex you. Sometimes their crude demeanor and muscle-bound confidence can make them quite unbearable,” Cynth said, giving a small chuckle.

  “They treated me well. They said they respected me because of my heroism in battle,” Mary replied.

  “See what I mean? They should have respected you because you are a woman. The one fact alone should have made them carry you here. You know they could have right? They’re strong, but lack the manners of a proper man,” Cynthia said.

  When Cynthia spoke, it was almost as if she was testing how Mary felt about men. She did the only thing she could do, pretend that she knew more than she did.

  Mary gave a small smile, “I take pleasure in knowing I am superior to them in all areas. I had to show them how little I think of them by not letting them carry me.”