She sat in a comfortable chair overlooking the city. She’d dozed off while reading her book on war strategy. She smoothed her hair. Her parents had been dead for a decade, and even with the emperor’s efforts to find the murderers, the killers could not be found. It was if this demon mage disappeared with the fire. However, in her heart, she knew this dark wizard lived. She was going to find and kill him.
"Madam," a servant girl said, "the emperor wants to see you."
"Thanks, Reidden," the princess said. Still shaken from her dream, she waved the servant girl away.
She hadn’t had this nightmare for a few months. Seeing Cyrus must have brought back those haunted memories. After her parents died, he was there to comfort her—until they had their fight.
She got dressed and walk toward the emperor’s war room. She knew the emperor was meeting with his generals and counselors to discuss plans to crush the rebellion. She caught sight of the unfinished castle looming outside through her window. The sounds of the men working came through the walls. The princess knew the unfinished castle would be larger than the Royal castle the Rowans had always lived in. She loved this citadel. This was home to her. It reminded her of her parents, especially her mother. Memories were all she had left. She tried to remember everything, except time had wiped out some of her memories.
Royal guards stood at the doorway to the war room. They opened the door and lowered their heads. The princess found Emperor Hawkney standing in front of a large table with scrolls scattered on top. His hawk like features were prominent in the weak light. He was tall and broad shouldered. He wore a rich black cape and a golden tunic.
A general said, "We will get the rebel leader, Darrin Masters."
Hawkney nodded and said, "Yes, General Toby. You have been saying that for years. However, he is still alive."
The emperor turned and said, "Ah, Princess, you look like your mother every day. Gentleman, let’s take a short break."
The generals and their aids walked out of the room. She said, "I do not want to interrupt you."
He smiled and hugged her and said, "What is so urgent? You are not scared for your upcoming marriage?"
"Uncle, I have heard some disturbing news. Murders have been happening at a small village name Plathos. Children have been massacred. And the local magistrate is not doing anything," the princess said.
"Princess Narah, how did you come into this shocking news?" the Emperor said.
"Cyrus told me."
Hawkney looked up toward the windows and said, "He is here?"
"Is it true?"
"If I knew about these killings, I would do something. Do not worry, princess, about these rumors," the emperor said.
"I believe in Cyrus. He wouldn’t come back here for some tales," the princess said.
Hawkney said, "Cyrus could be making these stories up just to see you. Isn’t it odd that Cyrus has come back to the capital after you accepted the marriage proposal to Prince Kraven?"
"I still believe him."
"Princess, do not be so naive," the emperor said.
The princess abruptly turned and walked out of the chamber.
•••
"Did you hear everything, Barthrow?" the emperor asked.
Out of the shadows, a man shuffled into the light. His hair was white and clung to his forehead. His face was wrinkled beyond any man the emperor had ever known. Barthrow smiled. Hawkney glanced away. His counselor, Barthrow, always made him uneasy. However, he could not function without him. Barthrow used his walking cane to move listlessly into the war room.
"Yes, sire," Barthrow said.
"What do you think?"
"Clearly, the princess still has feelings for this young man. I do not like it. Everything, we have planned can be undone," Barthrow said. "One of the towers is located at the Fantuar Kingdom."
"To they suspect anything?" Hawkney said.
"No, I do not think so. However, let us consult the scrying globe," Barthrow said.
"That is dangerous. The scrying globe is sometimes false. It only sees what we want it to see," Hawkney said.
"Yes, but we can glimpse the future," Barthrow said.
Barthrow led the way into the secret chamber hidden in the walls of the castle. The emperor watched him go without comment. They strolled down a narrow stairway into a large room. On top of a high pedestal was a deep black round object. It reflected no light and nothing shone on its surface. Barthrow sidled up next to the sphere. He intoned a few spidery words of magic. The emperor stood away. The black surface of the scrying globe changed into a milky white viscous liquid. Barthrow hunched over and spoke more words of magic.
"Hawkney look into this sphere. Tell me what you see," Barthrow said.
He hated doing this because when he viewed into this globe, he felt part of himself being sucked in.
"Concentrate on Cyrus," Barthrow said, "Tell me what you see."
"I see a little boy running through trees while his parents watched him. It is Cyrus. His father radiates power and commands a vast army," the emperor said.
"What else do you see?" Barthrow demanded.
"A large battle ensues. Huge bolts of magic tear open mountains and castles."
"Open your eyes. Who is Cyrus’s father?" Barthrow said.
"I do not know the face," Hawkney said.
"What is his father wearing?" Barthrow asked.
Hawkney was confused but said, "He is wearing a black robe with a sigil written on it. It is sharp lines in a shape of a dragon."
"The enemy is among us," Barthrow said.
CHAPTER 9
Cyrus touched his chest. The medallion was becoming more flesh than metal. On his fingertips, he felt an imprint. He had a small mirror in his traveling pack and took it out. A picture of a tower was on the surface of the charm.
"What's wrong?" Meza asked. He was carrying a tray with bowls of beef stew, ale and bread.
"The Rathraka has changed," he said.
Meza said, "Cyrus, I am getting concerned. We need to get that thing off your chest."
"Do you know this tower?"
"I am not sure. I think if we consult with the witch, she can tell us. However, I think we have other pressing matters," Meza said.
"The children."
"What should we do?" Meza asked.
"I think we can find this killer."
"Do you remember anything about the murders?" Meza said.
"We should eat before I tell you what I saw," he said.
After they were done eating, Meza said, "Just tell me something you remember. Maybe there was some type of magical symbols written on the altar or the body."
Cyrus said, "Yes, I saw something. It was all scribbles."
"Can you describe them?" Meza said.
"I only got a glimpse. I noticed these symbols were written on the altar and also on the bodies."
"Anything else?" Meza said.
Cyrus body tensed and shook. He had to hold the table to steady him.
"What’s the matter? Is it the medallion?" Meza said.
"Something's happening," he said while pointing outward. He stood and started walking. He felt foolish but decided to follow this feeling. He stopped outside the tavern. He closed his eyes. He heard voices chanting and then a high-pitched scream. Cyrus ran toward the direction of the noise.
"Do you hear that?"
"No," Meza said.
Cyrus started to run. Meza followed. He hurried through the streets bumping into people. Nobody seemed to feel or hear what he was hearing. He dashed through city blocks. Thousands of voices hissed in his ear. Cyrus bent over. The pit of his stomach felt like rocks.
Meza said, "Cyrus?"
He gazed up and pointed toward a shabby building. The noise and voices started to reach a loud crescendo. As they approached, the noises ceased, leaving him light-headed. He did not know what to expect. The building was abandoned and was used for storage. Wood boxes were stacked in rows. Huge gaping holes were all over the walls.
Yellow light filtered through.
He gasped when he saw more of the inside. At the very end of the building, debris and crates were pushed away. A large pentagram was drawn on the ground. Cyrus didn’t want to look, but he had to. He conjured a glowing sphere. A figure lay still on a makeshift altar. It was a child dressed in undergarments. Cyrus observed the face and recognized the red spiky-haired boy he saw that afternoon. The boy’s face was frozen in pain. Blood was everywhere flowing in rivulets down the altar. The stench of death hung in the air.
"Can you understand any of these symbols?"
"I’m not sure. There are also sigils written on the boy," Meza said.
"Meza, the pentagram has scorched marks around it," he said.
Meza said, "Something evil was summoned."
Voices came from the entrance of the warehouse. Cyrus extinguished his globes. The building was thrown into darkness.
Meza said, "Cyrus, we’d better hide."
Cyrus peered through a small opening. Several soldiers walked inside.
A soldier said, "I heard something coming at this end."
"You are hearing things," the other soldier said.
They moved into the building. Their torches shed light through the interior. Their shadows danced along the walls and crates.
"Do you smell that?" a soldier said.
The soldiers gasped when they saw the grisly remains of the dead boy.
The guard said, "Another murder. The Magistrate is not going to like this."
Cyrus couldn’t see Meza. He heard his voice.
Meza said, "There is no exit behind us. We have to sneak behind the guards."
The soldier said, "The Magistrate does not care."
He said, "Meza where are you?"
As he moved, he touched a box. Cyrus grabbed it but the damage was done. The crate fell off and tumbled to the floor. The sound echoed in the warehouse.
"Who's there?" the soldier said.
Meza said, "Just follow me. Stay in the shadows."
Cyrus saw Meza standing next to him staying close to the darkness of the crates.
"Come closer. We know you are there," the soldier said. "Do not try anything. We have a disarming stone." The soldiers held their torches higher.
Meza said, "When I tell you, run between the soldiers."
"What are you going to do?"
"Come out now!" The soldier said.
He heard the sound of flint and stone. A small light was produced and then came the sound of something sizzling.
"Cyrus, look away," Meza said.
A large blinding explosion erupted in front of the soldiers.
"Run now," Meza said.
Cyrus and Meza dashed between the soldiers. Both guards were holding their eyes with their hands. One tried to grab Cyrus, but he shrugged him off. They ran into the night.
•••
The Shade was perched on a tall building of the Collegiate University. Black leather encased her body. She moved with catlike precision and had the moves of an acrobat. The wind blew around her. The yellow fog hung below on the streets. She had no worries here. She could be anything or anybody. The Shade ran across the rooftop and flung herself across to the adjacent building below. She gracefully landed at a complex that housed the teachers of the University. She kept on moving along the rooftops feeling the freedom of the night.
She stopped and stood motionless. Several royal guards ran toward a seedier part of the city. One soldier pointed to a structure. The Shade landed on the top of the building and peered through a gaping hole. What she saw confirmed her worst nightmare. A kid was slaughtered. How can she not have seen this before? She was in her own agenda that she didn’t see what was in front of her. Below, a group of twenty of soldiers stood not wanting to go inside as a tall ghoulish officer was giving orders. It was the Royal Magistrate. The Shade had tangled with this man before. They almost caught her several times, but she always eluded them. The soldiers fanned out and searched the perimeter. Guard dogs sniffed the ground. One of the guard dogs found something and followed the scent.
The Shade jumped toward the adjoining rooftop and proceeded ahead, following the guard dog’s path. She used her tracking skills and found the trail. It was easy. She saw the telltale signs of a hasty departure from the warehouse. It was two men running back toward the merchant district. She covered the ground and found the path ended at the Whisper Inn. Cyrus and his companion lodged there. She jumped down toward the street and entered the inn. Nobody paid attention to her. She walked up the stairs toward his room. She heard voices inside, talking loudly.
It was Cyrus’s voice. He said, "Meza, we need to find the murderers. Did you see who was killed? It was the boy we saw this morning."
The Shade wanted to talk to them, but she had to stop the guards. Cyrus was not the killer. She went outside and somersaulted up to the rooftop. She remembered during her nightly sojourns the royal winery was located near the mouth of the merchant district. Several soldiers protected the structure. She jumped in front and kicked the closest guard. The other two guards tried to attack her. She kicked the lead soldier in his stomach. The other came out with his sword in hand. With a few swift punched and kicks, she knocked the guard unconscious. She didn't even work up a sweat. From a distance, she heard the sounds of the royal canines coming toward her. She took the guard’s keys and opened the door. The room was stacked high with barrels.
She jumped on top and pushed a few down. They crashed but did not break. Ten barrels scattered on the floor. She rolled the first cask toward the exit and cleared a path toward the next street where the guard dogs would pass. She took out one of her daggers and punctured a hole on the side of the drum. She kicked it and watched it roll down the path. She went to the next barrel and did the same thing. When she was done, the Shade viewed her handy work. Barrels littered the avenue and wine sloshed along the cobblestones. She heard the sounds of the guard dogs getting louder. The Shade hid. She spied the guard dogs stopping. The soldiers swore. The Royal Magistrate yelled orders.
Out of the alleyways and corners, people alerted to the commotion scrambled forward. They sat down slurping the wine trying to get every bit of the liquor. These people were a sorry lot, beggars, mostly. The dogs stopped sniffing and started slurping up to the wine. The soldiers were confused. They did not know if they should continue or stop the homeless from drinking. The soldiers took their weapons out.
The Shade jumped down and stood between the beggars and the soldiers.
"The Shade," a soldier said.
"The wine is for the princess’ wedding," the Royal Magistrate said.
"I do not think the princess would mind if a few barrels went missing. She would not drink this sullied wine after it fell in the street," the Shade said.
The Royal Magistrate said, "We do not have time for this. Where are the dogs? Can they find the scent?"
"Sir, we lost it," a guard said.
The magistrate shot back at the Shade and said, "You did this."
The Shade stared at him. She was ready to protect herself and the people behind her, when the Magistrate motioned for his soldiers to leave. She held her breath until the soldiers left her sight. The poor and the downtrodden were sulking around the wine getting broken pieces of earthenware to drink.
CHAPTER 10
Darrin Masters read his correspondence. He was tall and broad shouldered. His hair was graying at his temples. He pounded his hand against the table. Another group of his men had been arrested and sent to the prison camps up north.
Eamos said, "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," Darrin said.
The cave they stood in was besieged with letters, correspondence and maps. Darrin’s second-in-command, Eamos, eyed him curiously.
Eamos said, "How did the Royal soldiers know our positions?"
"I don’t know," Darrin said. He scanned his map. They had been almost captured a few days ago north from here. Something was not right.
"Darrin, the tracke
rs are here," a soldier said.
"What do they have to report?" Darrin said.
A slim tracker name Charles said, "No Royal troops are within leagues of here."
"Good," Darrin said, "How about near the mountains."
A small lady approached him. She was dressed in the usual garb of the green tracker but her movements suggested she was elven.
"There is nothing around here. Except a few dwarves and goats," she said.
"Good, then we should proceed with as planned," Darrin said.
Charles said, "Sir, under the circumstances, maybe we should wait."
Darrin thought the same thing, but he knew he had to find this traitor soon.
"I think we should go ahead with the plan," Eamos said.
Darrin nodded. He was surprised at Eamos’ answer. He was always so careful in planning.
"We need to send out notes to all the head commanders. We will meet two weeks henceforth," Darrin said.
•••
It was night along the southern deep woods of Palacitino. Large rhododendron trees and willow trees swayed with the breeze. A slight mist permeated the air. Crickets sounded their songs. Dark figures wrapped in capes sneaked among the woods casting furtive glances along the shrubs. A large barn came into view. The lead figure knocked at the entrance. The door opened a cracked and light spilled into the forest. Soft whispers were exchanged and the dark figures entered.
Darrin sat on a small wooden platform. Eamos was sitting next to him, as well as a few guards. The barn swelled with men and woman of the revolution. In this room was the core group of the Freedom Fighters. He united them to overthrow Emperor Hawkney. His hold over these commanders was tenuous at best. Yet, nobody here would sell him out to the empire. He felt his suspicions were unfounded and foolish. The noise of men and women buzzed around the room. Darrin eyed the large giant of a man named Raul. His group issued fear through their stances and stares. Raul boasted to his men about a fight he had last week with a Royal sergeant.
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