Divided (#1 Divided Destiny)

by Taitrina Falcon

  *****

  When they arrived at Termont, it was after nightfall, and too late for an audience with Prince Edmund. Mathis saw to it that the three marines were assigned quarters in the knights’ barracks. A squire roused them at daybreak the following day. Leo was nervous. What happened next depended on Prince Edmund. They’d now been in this world for a week, with no clear end in sight, and that weighed heavily on him.

  Mathis led them into the palace, through the winding corridors to the same room where they had met the prince previously. This morning, the throne room was empty aside from the young prince himself. The knight standing guard pushed open one of the doors. They strode in. The prince was standing at the war table, studying some maps. He turned at the sound of their approach.

  “Mathis, I was not expecting you back from the border so soon. What has happened?” Prince Edmund asked, concern etched upon his face.

  Mathis sank to one knee, bowing his head in fealty to his sovereign. “Your Majesty, I bring news of a small victory. The forces of Gatlan and Sintiya clashed again, their battle spilling over into another of Kaslea’s border villages. I was unable to evacuate all of the villagers in time, which is when these strangers stepped forward. These devices they carry”—Mathis gestured to the assault rifles clipped to their vests—“they have great power, and they frightened away the forces of Gatlan and Sintiya, saving the village.”

  “That is good news indeed.” Prince Edmund managed a faint smile. “I wish all the recent news could be that good; the dragon destroyed another village last night.”

  “Yes, we saw it flying. I had hoped…” Mathis trailed off, his head bowed in grief.

  “The attacks are increasing. It seems to be approaching a weekly occurrence, and there are far too many dead already. The situation grows desperate. Many brave knights have already given their lives trying to end this beast.” Prince Edmund raised his hand to forestall Mathis’s objection. “I know you would have volunteered, old friend, but I saw no need to add your name to the list of the sacrificed. I have called for assistance.”

  Then, as if Prince Edmund’s words had summoned him, the air next to the throne seemed to catch fire. There was a swirl and a flash—Sorcerer Cyrus arrived. Uncharitably, Leo wondered if the old man had been listening in for the most dramatic time to make his entrance. His appearance certainly explained the empty throne room. When they’d been here last, Leo had suspected from the court’s reaction that they weren’t comfortable with magic. Therefore, if the court wasn’t comfortable calling on the sorcerer, Prince Edmund would see him alone.

  People like Cyrus made their living through being a good showman, although Leo did begrudgingly have to admit his medicine at least wasn’t fraudulent. Plus, that entrance was certainly impressive. Transport beams were a staple of science fiction, and just last week he’d seen the aliens deploy their troops using that technology.

  Like everything else recently, fiction was becoming fact. How it could possibly work was beyond his understanding. If he didn’t know better, then he would have called it magic.

  “Sorcerer Cyrus, you honor my kingdom.” Prince Edmund inclined his head in a gesture of respect. He motioned for the old man to take a seat at the war table. “We are in great need.”

  “Of this, I am aware. You should have called on me before this, your Majesty. You know I live to serve the kingdom of Kaslea,” Cyrus chided him gently, almost like an indulgent father disciplining an errant son. There was no trace of the doddering old man persona present; he was cloaked in power.

  Leo looked at Don and raised an eyebrow. Don shrugged by way of response. ‘Live to serve’ was quite the statement, but then, Cyrus was likely laying it on thick for the sovereign prince. Rather predictably for royalty, he was accepting it as his due. Cyrus did obviously love his games, and anger started to burn low in Leo’s gut.

  They really didn’t have time for all these theatrics; they had a planet to save.

  “If you’re busy, I guess we’ll come back later,” Leo offered sarcastically, letting his annoyance shine through.

  It was petty and a little childish—he had no right to make demands of these people—but having been promised an audience, he wanted one. He was tired of marching from place to place with no end in sight. His panic and fear about what was happening back home was beginning to overwhelm him. Leo took a deep breath. He had to remain professional. He had to try and forget the big picture, and all the pressure that went with it. He would do them no favors if he burned bridges due to impatience.

  Cyrus gave a dry, warm bark of laughter, which chilled Leo’s bones. “Stay, heroes of Kaslea. You may yet be needed once more.”

  “Now, wait one minute…” Leo started to object automatically.

  Prince Edmund looked at him expectantly and Leo floundered. Capitalizing on hero status might get them greater cooperation, but ‘heroes of Kaslea’ sounded more like a responsibility than a reward. They couldn’t get tied down dealing with someone else’s problems.

  “Sorcerer, if you would pardon me just a moment.” Prince Edmund turned to the marines. “Knight Mathis brought you before me for an audience. Am I correct in assuming you wish to ask, once again, for Kaslea’s assistance in your battle against the invaders besieging your kingdom?”

  Leo nodded reluctantly, though he wouldn’t have phrased it quite like that. He would have tried to emphasize the village they’d helped a little more, so that it didn’t seem like they were just repeating themselves in the hope for an answer more to their liking.

  “Then stay. Perhaps we will be able to help each other,” Prince Edmund concluded.

  Leo nodded in acquiescence. They lost nothing by hearing this play out. Prince Edmund turned his attention back to Cyrus. Leo narrowed his eyes. There was a slight smile playing around Cyrus’s lips; the manipulative old goat was up to something.

  “Sorcerer, what hope can you offer my kingdom?” Prince Edmund intoned solemnly, his words ringing almost ritualistically.

  “There is a ritual. It will protect this land,” Cyrus promised. His gaze traveled over, landing heavily on the three marines and the still-kneeling knight. “However, it requires four heroes.”

  It was all Leo could do not to roll his eyes. The other shoe had finally dropped. While he understood the necessity of trading favors, he was all out of patience. It already felt like they had jumped through several hoops and not gotten anything close to what they had thought they had been promised.

  “You mean us?” Leo checked bluntly. Cyrus nodded solemnly. Leo shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we can. Time is running out for our kingdom; it may already be too late.”

  “Those that refuse to walk the path will never find enlightenment,” Cyrus warned. He raised a bushy white eyebrow as if questioning whether they dared disagree.

  Leo’s eyes narrowed as the hair on the back of his neck prickled. That felt almost like a threat. He’d really had it with this so-called sorcerer’s games. He looked over at Don, who was frowning. Nick’s expression, on the other hand, was verging on murderous.

  “With all due respect to…your Majesty,” Leo said, stumbling on the address, “we’ve already done one favor for Sorcerer Cyrus and received nothing…”

  “Not nothing,” Cyrus interrupted. “No, no, you have what you seek; you are on the path. Perhaps you just do not yet realize that, hmm?”

  Prince Edmund had been following their exchange like he was watching a ping-pong match. “Please, heroes of Kaslea. You have already proven yourselves brave and noble, worthy of this quest. If you perform this ritual, if you save my people, then whatever help we can grant is yours. I personally guarantee you, I will do anything I can, for nothing is more important than the welfare of my people.”

  Mathis rose to his feet and bowed his head. His gauntlet-covered hand clashed against his chestplate as he put his hand over his heart. “It is my honor to serve Kaslea,” he pledged.

  Leo looked at the others. Don gave a barely pe
rceptible nod; he didn’t see they had any choice. Nick shrugged, not happy about it, but he too couldn’t see an alternative. It was like Leo had considered earlier—they had spent the last several days building a relationship with this kingdom. It made sense to try and pursue avenues here rather than moving on, if possible, as moving anywhere else would mean starting from scratch.

  “Alright, let’s make a deal,” Leo agreed. “We need two things: a weapon to defeat those who are invading our world, and a way home.”

  “I’m afraid, as I already told you, that we have no such weapon. Sorcerer?” Prince Edmund looked at Cyrus expectantly.

  “In time, you will find what you seek,” Cyrus said solemnly, looking straight at Leo.

  Leo rolled his eyes. Yet more mumbo jumbo from the resident sorcerer. It was clearly designed to sound impressive and yet say absolutely nothing. Cyrus had misled them once with those tactics; he wouldn’t get a chance to do so again.

  “Then how about the way home? Sorcerer Cyrus mentioned the legend of the light in the darkness,” Leo said calmly.

  Prince Edmund nodded. “I have heard of it.” He looked uncomfortable. “If you agree to help Kaslea, I will send envoys to all the kingdoms, and have the libraries scoured for all information on this legend.”

  Leo let out a sigh of relief. That was something concrete—finally. Although it was only the promise that they would try and find information, not that they would actually find anything. Prince Edmund was clearly holding on to what little he knew of the legend as a bargaining chip. Besides, having heard of something was different from knowing actual details about it. This was quite the leap of faith; they’d need something else before he committed them to yet another quest.

  “We’d also want your goodwill and support in approaching other kingdoms for help,” Leo added.

  “Of course,” Prince Edmund replied quickly. He almost looked surprised that they had asked, like that had been a given already.

  “Then we have a deal.” Leo held out his hand, and Prince Edmund shook it.

  They could be throwing good time after bad, but there was no guarantee that the next kingdom would have anything more to offer. He supposed that when he had first learned of the dragon, he’d had the idea that they could destroy it to earn favor with the Kaslea government. He just had to tamp down his frustration and impatience; Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither would Earth be saved in a day. However hard that was to accept, it was the truth.

  Prince Edmund beamed in relief. “Thank you,” he murmured. “Sorcerer, please explain the ritual that our heroes have to perform.”

  “Ah,” Cyrus noted regretfully. “Before the ritual can be performed, there is a condition. An offering must be collected.”

  Leo sighed, and he heard Nick swear under his breath. The other shoe hadn’t dropped at all before—it had dropped now. This was the catch they had been waiting for. There was always just ‘one more thing’ with this guy.

  “Alright, what offering do we need, and where do we find it? Be specific!” Leo demanded.

  Cyrus’s eyes twinkled knowingly. “To start, you will need a boat…”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Staff Sergeant Ortiz hadn’t been nearly as forthcoming the previous day as Eleanor would have liked. She had interrogated him until nightfall, and eventually he had let slip enough that she had an idea.

  It had been his fear, his desperation, that had been the key. He was such a soldier, so resolute in his duty, so afraid for those left behind, so nauseatingly determined to save them. The word ‘hero’ was something fools aspired to. Despite their reckless actions, which got so many of them killed, there were always more ready to volunteer. It seemed that Earth was no different in this respect.

  Eleanor swept into her throne room. For the moment, she had exhausted one source of information. It was now time to use what she had discovered to investigate from other angles. The knowledge Ortiz had imparted was enough to begin finding leverage to turn them to her cause.

  “You.” Eleanor pointed imperiously at the knight on duty at the door. “Fetch the knight commander at once. I have orders for him.”

  “Yes, your Majesty.” The knight bowed and hurried away.

  Eleanor swept her long skirts and took her rightful seat on the throne. She did hate to be kept waiting, a fact her knights were well aware of, and so it was only minutes later that the knight commander appeared. He strode into the throne room, sank to one knee, and bowed his head to await her orders.

  “Have you heard of the legend of the light in the darkness?” Eleanor began.

  The description that Ortiz had given of what he called a ‘transport platform’ had sparked a memory of the old tale. It was a tale steeped in superstition. She had heard more than one version over the years, told in hushed tones in dark corners.

  The knight commander shifted uneasily. “Whispers, perhaps, your Majesty. No more than that; it is but a legend.”

  “All legends start somewhere; there will be a grain of truth in the stories. It is my wish that your knights investigate this legend. I wish to know everything that is known about it,” Eleanor ordered, before waving her hand to dismiss him.

  “Yes, your Majesty, by your command.” The knight commander rose to his feet and bowed once more. He then left the throne room as fast as decorum allowed.

  Eleanor stood and stepped forward to the window. She had been standing here when she had first been informed of the strangers’ arrival. Yannick had slipped from the shadows then; she had felt his presence before he’d moved behind her. She did not feel him now, but she wished to speak with him.

  Early on in their acquaintance, he had told her that, to summon him, she only needed to speak his name. Such magic was beyond her abilities and comprehension. She had tested it by having a knight speak his name outside of her presence. Yannick had not arrived, which was a relief—he did not have the ability to bespell the entire kingdom. However, it was also worrying that he did have some kind of monitoring spell on her.

  It was something that she had not managed to detect or remove. She only knew what he had taught her; she did not know all he knew. It would make moving against him difficult, but she had survived so far because everyone had underestimated her. Yannick would likely be no different.

  “Oh, Yannick,” Eleanor called.

  With a flash of flame and the swish of his cloak, Yannick appeared behind her. He bowed in an exaggerated fashion. “You called, your Majesty?”

  “Yes. Yesterday afternoon, I interrogated the prisoner from Earth. Tell me, what do you know of the legend of the light in the darkness?” Eleanor asked.

  Yannick shrugged, adopting a casual air. “I have heard of the legend, as you obviously have, but nothing more. I know I am old, my dear, but that is well before my time,” he said, smirking. “Why a sudden interest in an old legend?”

  Eleanor frowned and ignored his question for the moment. Yannick was so well traveled, his knowledge seemingly infinite, that she didn’t quite believe his statement of ignorance. However, there was little point in saying she didn’t believe him. If he didn’t wish to tell her, then he wouldn’t; there was nothing she could do to get him to talk. It rankled that she just had to be grateful for what he chose to share.

  “Is there any magic that would free their world from what threatens it?” Eleanor continued, moving on to the next big question.

  Yannick’s face twisted in amusement, so she decided to cut him off at the knees. She was in no mood to indulge his depravity, and it was important that she told him what he wanted and expected to hear.

  “It would be a useful bargaining chip. The more leverage we have, the better. Not that I have any intention of saving their world,” Eleanor sneered. “That would hardly be of any benefit to us.”

  “I did find one of these visitors from Earth,” Yannick admitted, a malicious grin spread across his face. “He proved quite loquacious once properly inspired.”

  “I’m sure you learned everyth
ing he knew before you killed him,” Eleanor said dryly. She knew Yannick well enough to know that whatever poor soul he’d captured was no longer living, and probably thankful for that.

  “There is no spell, no magic that would free Earth, because Earth has no magic,” Yannick revealed with a dramatic flourish.

  “How is that possible?” Eleanor asked automatically, struggling to comprehend what such a reality would look like.

  Magic was so woven into the fabric of their world; it had been present since the dawn of their time. Some said that their world came into being with the birth of magic. How a world could exist without it…it just didn’t seem possible.

  “I do not know, and I do not care,” Yannick said dismissively, for once telling the truth.

  When he had first learned of another world, he had felt such glee. He would become greater than the Emperor ever was; he would rule over not just all of this land, but all of another. Finding that Earth had no magic had thoroughly ended his interest in it. If he traveled there, then he would be powerless, just another nobody, and that was something he could not abide. Power was everything.

  “I suppose we do not need an actual way to help them, just so long as they believe we can. I just prefer to control all the angles. The best lies always have an element of the truth. That is why it is important to discover more about the legend of the light in the darkness. I believe it is connected to the method by which they traveled here. If we control their route home, that is all the bargaining power we will ever need,” Eleanor pointed out.

  Her eyes scanned Yannick’s expression, but he still didn’t give anything away. Instead, he bowed low in exaggerated fake deference.

  “I will endeavor to find out all I can, your Majesty.”

  In a flash of flame, he was gone as suddenly as he had arrived. Yannick had far more sources than her knights could ever dream of, but he was slippery, and wouldn’t volunteer anything unless it benefitted him.

  Eleanor hoped her knights would find the answers she sought; she couldn’t trust her mentor in this matter. In fact, as much as it chilled her to admit it, she had long known she couldn’t trust Yannick in any matter. With the introduction of these strangers, she feared that the time for them to part ways would come sooner than she had thought.