The Aether Knight

by E A Hooper

  Valx nodded.

  “You should check on Roz. Just in case she doesn’t pull through. Besides, I’d like to be alone with my Mil’uuniqus for a moment.”

  Valx patted Barthlomex on the shoulder and then walked toward the castle. Halfway there, he passed the dragons’ temporary nesting spot. Seawing saw him and jumped around Valx, rubbing against him. He patted the slim dragon on its head, and Seawing gave him a curious look.

  “Hello, Seawing,” Valx said, gloomily. He tried to walk past, but the dragon stepped in front of him. “I know you haven’t seen me in over a year, but I can’t give you attention right now, buddy.”

  The blue dragon stared at him with confused, snakelike eyes.

  “You can’t understand what I’ve been through. What I’ve done. Do you think our travels together were for fun? You took me to kill my brother. You and the other dragons took Roz’s group into a trap. You don’t even know, you stupid creature.”

  Seawing rubbed its head against Valx’s arm and then lowered its body to the ground.

  Valx sighed. “You want to fly again? There’s only one place left for me to go. One last place to end all this.”

  Valx eyed a guard leaning against the nearest wall of the castle. He could see the guard keeping him in the corner of his gray eyes. That stance. That glare. It’s Shift. She’s still following me. Still watching me. She’s probably worried I’ll leave without my mother’s sword. If I don’t have that sword, then she can’t follow me. She can’t protect me—Good.

  He climbed onto Seawing’s back, and the dragon made a happy noise.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” the guard shouted.

  Valx glared in reply.

  “Seriously, Valx. What the hell are you thinking?”

  Valx steered Seawing toward the nearby forest and kicked his heels into the dragon’s sides. Seawing took flight, darting toward the trees. He swerved left and right around trees, disappearing into the forest. He followed the direction he had been going before losing Lilan in the forest and didn’t rise above the trees until he had left the castle’s sight to ensure Shift couldn’t change her shape and follow him.

  Dark, purple-tinted clouds appeared over Varsith as he flew away from the city. Valx could hear thunder in the background, but he ignored it. My father knows what I’m thinking. He knows I’m planning to kill his friend. That I’ll undo everything they worked for. I don’t care if the Feyans are real or not. I don’t care if Ter’al is in danger. I’ll kill Lilan and Reaper. I can never forgive them for what they’ve done.

  Chapter 22

  Radu and Lullum rode a horse together at the head of their forces. Vastalt and Gelmont followed on a carriage. Orphilm rode in the back of the carriage, listening to conversations throughout the Okamros capital of Fangthorn as they entered.

  Beldivare had sent back a courier to give them the okay a week ago, and the trip until that point had been rather boring. They had passed through part of Eldsworth’s territory with no problems, crossed the Meiha river over a drawbridge at its narrowest point, and then entered the remote domain of the Okamros.

  “Hear anything suspicious?” Radu whispered.

  “No,” Orphilm replied in a low tone. “The Okamros don’t seem to be plotting anything. If anything, they seem happy you’re here.”

  “Really?” Radu wondered.

  “Beldivare’s letter did say they were pleased with the peace summit,” Lullum noted.

  “They might just be happy we’re walking into a trap,” Radu huffed.

  A horse trotted to catch up with Radu and Lilan. Thelmia smiled at them from her horse. “You look very serious,” she told Radu. “Are you worried the Okamros will attack you? You should learn to relax. Not even Reaper is this paranoid.”

  “Does Reaper’s brow crinkle when he’s worried too?” Lullum asked Thelmia.

  Thelmia chuckled. “Sometimes, dear.”

  “So, are we stopping here for the day?” Vastalt called.

  “No, we’ll ride through,” Radu replied. “It’s only midday. There’s no point in wasting time and endangering ourselves here.”

  “I have friends in Fangthorn that would offer your army food and drinks,” Thelmia told him.

  “No,” Radu said, sternly. “We’re riding through.”

  “Ahem,” Gelmont coughed. “Maybe we should make a stop.”

  Radu looked back at the master of couriers and spies. “Is there something I should know, Gelmont?”

  “Just that you might want to make a brief stop.”

  Thelmia glared at Gelmont and then turned back to Radu. “You know what? Never mind me. We should ride through like you said, Snake King.”

  Radu smirked. “There’s no reason we can’t do both. Gelmont, is there a particular location you wanted me to visit?”

  “The big tower over there,” the spymaster replied. “Third floor. My spies should have already reported of your arrival to the city. They’ll be waiting for you.”

  “Who?” Thelmia questioned. “That’s the pack hall. There shouldn’t be anyone important there besides the council that runs things for Cyril.”

  “And they want to speak to Radu,” Gelmont replied. “I wanted to tell you earlier, my king, but Reaper’s wife never seems to leave your side. So, I’m telling you regardless while there’s time.”

  “Is it safe?” Lullum asked.

  “Yes, I have spies in the building,” Gelmont said. “No one there is even armed. They spoke to Beldivare when he came through too.”

  “What are you up to?” Thelmia asked, narrowing her eyes. “The Okamros are our loyal allies. You shouldn’t make deals with them behind our backs. Especially while Cyril is away.”

  “They only want to talk,” Gelmont said. “To see what kind of man he is. You know how the Okamros are when it comes to a man’s character. If they’re to share the Beieo River with Kingsland, then they want to know what kind of man Radu is.”

  “Oh, that’s it?” Thelmia huffed. “Regardless, I should go with you.”

  “I’ll go alone,” Radu said. “Lullum, lead the army through the city. I’ll meet up with you on the other side.”

  Lullum nodded. “Be careful.”

  Radu hopped off the horse and fell into his shadow. He zipped across the city to the tower that Gelmont had pointed out. He rose from his shadow on the ground floor of the building to the surprise of several wyrgen.

  “I’m here for a meeting,” Radu told them.

  The wyrgen gaped at him. One nodded and pointed to the stairs. “Follow me, sir.” He led Radu to the third floor to a large council chamber. Several well-dressed wyrgen sat around the chamber, eying the human as he entered.

  A wyrgen that looked to be in his early twenties smiled at Radu. “Snake King! Welcome, welcome. I can only hope this meeting goes like our last with your friend Beldivare.”

  “Friend is a strong term,” Radu replied.

  The young wyrgen flashed a nervous look. “Well, your acquaintance thought you’d like the deal we’re hoping to make. But before I get to that, I wanted to ask you some questions.”

  “I don’t have time,” Radu said with an irritated tone. “My army is moving across the city. You have five minutes to make your deal.”

  Several wyrgen glanced at one another with worried expressions.

  “Maybe you aren’t the kind of man we thought you were,” the younger wyrgen said. “We had hoped you weren’t like Reaper.”

  “Aren’t you allies with Reaper?” Radu asked.

  “Lord Cyril is allies with Reaper.”

  The Snake King raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you serve Cyril?”

  “This council has been running the city for years. Most of this domain in fact. Cyril and Zanegarm practically abandoned the Okamros over the last twenty years. They only return to drain our wealth to fund the criminal organization you took over.”

  “So, you’re upset I took over the Dair Ro’duge?”

  “No, not at all. We were relieved to h
ear you usurped Zanegarm. You might’ve noticed that this council is made of mostly younger wyrgen. Our generation barely remembers the Clan Wars. We’re looking toward a new future where the Okamros can trade and cooperate with its neighbors. Cyril has forced the Okamros to be isolationists for centuries. It’s gained us nothing. You’ve accomplished more in one year than Cyril has in hundreds. My generation is tired of him and the old ways.”

  Radu smiled. “Then we have a lot in common. My kingdom is looking to the future. Not the past. We want stronger trade across Ter’al. Stronger alliances in case Reaper’s threat of Fey’al turns out true.”

  “That’s right. Ter’al should be united. Not divided. Not conquering one another.”

  “And shouldn’t the peace summit accomplish that? Why are you going behind Cyril’s back to make a deal with me?”

  “Cyril barely gives us any information. He keeps secrets from his own people. In fact, this council was forced to keep his existence a secret for generations. Most of us felt betrayed upon joining the council and learning that Zanegarm wasn’t even our true leader. That everything we’ve done is to serve some man in the shadows. And now, he’s plotting with Reaper and giving us no information. I don’t even know if this peace summit is a trap or not. Cyril only took those loyal to him and the old ways to Reaper’s territory. He doesn’t even trust this council outside of letting us run day-to-day operations. But the people of this domain rely on us. They trust us. They don’t know if they can trust Cyril. They didn’t even know he existed until you killed Zanegarm.”

  “Your time is running out. Get to the point.”

  “We want to work with you, anyway we can. We want an alliance. We want trade routes. But most importantly, we want to offer a deal in case the peace summit fails. If things turn bad at the summit and fighting breaks out, I ask that you use the opportunity to assassinate Cyril.”

  “You want me to kill your own lord?”

  “Only if he sabotages the summit. If he does, he’s proven that he doesn’t care about peace. Doesn’t care about the well-being of the Okamros. That he and Reaper only care about dominating Ter’al. Only if that happens do we ask you kill Cyril.”

  “This is a favor. Not a deal.”

  “If you kill Cyril, the Okamros will split off from the Northern Republic and join Kingsland. That’s the deal we’re offering you.”

  Radu paused to think. “That’s a nice deal in theory, but we’re separated by Eldsworth’s territory.”

  “We have forces prepared to take the cities between us and you. The only difficult one will be Melmar, but the Ninnan barely have anyone defending it right now.”

  “This is a dangerous deal for you to make. Why shouldn’t I use this knowledge to gain Cyril and Reaper’s trust?”

  The young wyrgen sighed. “I suppose you could. However, we know your brother lost a close friend to Cyril. Not to mention, Cyril kidnapped Pyre and handed him to Eldsworth to be tortured in his arena. You’ve surely heard the rumors of how he’s suffered there. It’s all Cyril’s fault. You know you’ll never be able to trust him.”

  “You’re right. I could never trust Cyril. I’d love to cut his throat for what he did to my brother. However, if this summit is legitimate, I’ll have to accept that Cyril might get away with what he’s done. Peace is greater than my own grievances.”

  “We understand that. We’re not asking you to sacrifice the chance for peace. We only ask when the peace summit fails—and we suspect that it will—that you ensure Cyril is never a problem for anyone ever again. He’s lived for centuries, Radu. His time needs to come.”

  “Agreed.”

  All the wyrgen in the room smiled. “We have a deal?”

  “Absolutely. I want Cyril dead. Even if there’s a treaty, I might wait a couple of years and assassinate him in secret.”

  “We’ll help you if it comes to that. But if there’s a treaty, it’ll be difficult for us to separate from the Northern Republic.”

  “At least you’ll be free of Cyril’s rule. That’s a good start for your people.”

  The young wyrgen bowed low to Radu. “Thank you, King Radu. Despite your title and your heritage, you’re a man with tremendous character. We Okamros respect that. Above all else that might be the reason so many of us are dissatisfied with Cyril and Reaper. They’re wicked men.”

  “Is that why you think the peace summit will fail?”

  “Partially. However, there was something else that made us worried the summit was simply another scheme. Something I would only tell you if you agreed to our deal. You aren’t the only one with spies, Radu. This council has worked to get spies into most of the other lords’ domains without Cyril’s knowledge. One of our spies discovered that Lord Cire has been sending many letters to Vassal Tyunna.”

  “Weren’t they childhood friends? I’m sure they’re talking and trying to work something out, so they don’t have to go to war with one another.”

  “But we heard a rumor that Lord Lito has had a lot of correspondence with Vassal Xinto. They might share a border, and their ships cross each other’s waters often, but it’s worrying that the two lords and two vassals nearest to Eyl’Bell are communicating so much.”

  “You think the vassals would turn traitor?”

  “Last we heard from our spies, the two vassals sent urgent messages to those two lords after Eldsworth took Eyl’Step. Eldsworth only held it a short time, but it showed the vassals the Eastern Kingdom isn’t invincible. The world is changing. The old ways are dying. Even the East’s thousand-year history can’t protect it from the future or the Feyans.”

  Radu fell silent in contemplation. If I was Reaper, I’d surely be making a secondary plan if the peace summit fails. Lunori and his forces are likely following a day or two behind us. Queen Zelbith’s closest vassals could easily take Eyl’Bell with help from two lords. But would they be that traitorous and daring? I don’t know enough about them to know for sure.

  “You’re right to be suspicious,” Radu told the wyrgen. “Even if the Northern lords are honest with their intentions, they might have a secondary scheme in case the summit fails. So, it only makes sense we have a secondary plan as well.”

  “Exactly,” the young wyrgen replied. “I knew you’d understand.”

  “We’re overdue for time, so I’ll make my leave. Whatever happens at the summit, I hope we can work together in the future.”

  “We do too.”

  Radu fell into his shadow and raced across the city. He found his army and rose from the ground beside his horse.

  “That took a long time,” Thelmia said, her voice full of suspicion.

  “You know how these Okamros are,” Radu said. “They wanted to get to know me if the North and Kingsland are to be friends.”

  “You should focus on befriending your father, Cyril, and Eldsworth. They’re the ones you’ll be dealing with.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Thelmia struggled to keep her forced smile. “What does that mean?”

  “It means, there’re always unaccounted-for variables.”

  “Excuse me?” Thelmia said, her voice cracking with anger. She looked toward the carriage. “Orphilm, you must’ve listened. What did they say? Tell me.”

  “They simply judged his character,” Orphilm lied. “Pretty boring meeting if you ask me.”

  “Oh, really?” Thelmia said, seemingly content. “What did they think of you, Snake King?”

  Radu smiled. “They think I’m not like Reaper.”

  “And you took that to be a good thing?” Thelmia teased.

  Radu ignored her and rejoined Lullum on their horse. She smiled at him, and he smiled in reply.

  People keep comparing me to Reaper for better or worse. Smarts and schemes. Looks and personality. But I’m happy to hear at least one group thinks I have good character. That I’m not like Reaper. Hopefully, I’ll prove them right. I’m sure my mother wouldn’t have wanted me to become like him.

  Chapter 23

&
nbsp; Pyre spent the next two weeks making new friends around the castle. He quickly figured which of his half-siblings respected him and which hated him, and he worked to get on their good side. He visited Aque and Jace sparingly but found it difficult to accept he was a father just yet.

  He tried to befriend Reaper’s wives as well, however, most seemed to look down on him. Tachios’s mother, Lady Anabella had turned out to be pleasant when she wasn’t distracted watching the city, and she even invited Pyre to eat with her in the garden.

  “Most of them don’t like me either,” Anabella told him as they sat in the garden, eating food a servant had brought. “My husband’s wives and children. It annoys them that Reaper considers my power important for the welfare of Varsith. The rest of them have little responsibility beyond spreading his bloodline.”

  “Does he treat you well?” Pyre asked her.

  She smiled at him. “Yes, actually. I know he seems distant, even cold at times, but he’s never treated me with disrespect.”

  “But have you seen the way he treats Tachios and his other children?”

  “He doesn’t mean to be so cold. He has the weight of Ter’al on his shoulders.”

  “Yeah, everyone here keeps saying that.” Pyre paused. “Did you see what happened two weeks ago? I know no one in the castle is talking about it, but surely you know.”

  Lady Anabella gaped at him. “You mean his visitor?”

  “Yeah, Bastion. I followed him and heard their conversation.”

  Anabella smiled at him. “Bastion must’ve let you follow him for a reason. You haven’t told my husband, have you?”

  “No. Bastion told me to stay quiet. He doesn’t want Reaper to know.”

  “Then I won’t tell him.”

  Pyre leaned back in surprise. “You won’t tell Reaper?”

  “It’ll be our secret. I trust that fate is using my husband for greater things. It must have some use for you to have overheard, and I’m not one to cross fate.”

  “Thank you. I was worried you had seen me with your power or even saw me talking to Tachios afterward. Rather than hide it, I thought I should tell you directly. Keeping secrets makes me nervous.”