Don jogged over and knelt the other side of Mathis’s prone form. “I know, man. You know, I bet he has someone dress him at the barracks.”
Nick snorted. Mathis had certainly never taken the armor off while they’d traveled with him. However, armor was fairly useless if it wasn’t being worn. If the knight got ambushed, he couldn’t say ‘Wait ten minutes, I need to armor up’ to his attackers.
A few minutes later, between them, Nick and Don managed to take off Mathis’s chestplate. There was a padded tunic underneath. When they finally exposed the knight’s hairy chest, there didn’t appear to be any surface bruising. That didn’t mean that there weren’t internal injuries.
Nick applied the salve to the knight’s chest, neck, and the back of his head. Less than a minute later, Mathis’s eyes fluttered as he woke up. He immediately tried to sit up. Don placed a hand on the knight’s shoulder.
“Easy there, take a minute. Didn’t anyone ever tell you knights can’t fly?” Don joked.
Mathis looked at Don curiously, and then his eyes fell on the corpse of the headless dragon. His eyes widened in disbelief. “Oh, by the spirits…I see it, but…you truly are warriors of great power.”
“It wasn’t acting on its own, someone had…spelled it,” Leo warned, stumbling over his phrasing.
Bizarre as it was, it seemed to be the truth, and magic was something the knight understood. Mathis likely wouldn’t have known what programming was.
“Now I suppose it’s possible that it happened by accident and no one was controlling it, but”—Leo shrugged—“I’m not a big believer in coincidence. You got any idea who would gain the most from a dragon terrorizing Kaslea?”
“I do not wish to believe it of any kingdom,” Mathis admitted grimly. “If the beast was being controlled, whomever is responsible is without honor. Ordering a beast to savage innocents is the mark of true evil. I would not wish to accuse anyone of such an act without just cause.”
“Fair enough.” Leo nodded. It wasn’t their problem anyway; they had done their part. “I don’t really want to camp here, but there’s a clearing half a mile back in the forest. That should do for the night.”
Mathis shook his head. “No. It is more than a full day’s ride back to the city. Prince Edmund must be informed at once that the dragon is no more. We must start back without delay.” He slowly got to his feet and pulled his padded tunic back on.
Leo sighed tiredly and looked at Don and Nick. They both looked ready to drop, and he was certainly flagging. The knight might have had an easy afternoon, but they had scrambled halfway up a mountain and back down again. However, Leo was as eager as Mathis was to return to the city as soon as possible. He really didn’t want to waste any time either. They could certainly stand to travel a few hours; that would ensure they arrived by nightfall tomorrow.
Within fifteen minutes, they were ready to ride. Mathis led the way back towards Termont. He picked the way through the shadows of the forest, the only illumination the silvery light of the moon that made its way through the canopy of leaves. After a couple of hours, they found a dirt path that led to the city. Just over an hour later, Leo was ready to call a halt, when they saw the warm glow of a banked fire a hundred yards from the path.
Mathis dismounted and strode towards the camp. There was one knight—another envoy of Kaslea, judging from the colors—sleeping by the fire. Before Mathis could get within striking range, the knight rolled over and drew his sword.
Ten minutes later, after much exclaiming, statements of disbelief, and to the three marines’ embarrassment, bowing, the other envoy was ready to depart. He was fresher than they were, and was willing to ride all night to get to the city. They would rest at his camp until dawn. He would carry the triumphant news to Prince Edmund that the dragon had finally been slain.
The next day, there was quite the celebration going by the time Leo and the others reached the city. They arrived just as the sun was setting, and the festivities had been going for hours. The envoy had arrived mid-morning, and the news had quickly spread.
When they reached the city entrance, they dismounted and led the horses by the reins. Leo couldn’t help but smile. Screams rent the air. These weren’t screams of fear; they were squeals of delight from overexcited children. They were dancing around small bonfires, holding streamers in their tiny hands.
There was nothing more to fear. The city glowed with light and happiness. The dragon was dead; they were finally safe. The joy was infectious, and it was like an infusion of hope. Today, they had brought freedom and safety to Kaslea. Soon, they hoped to see scenes like this replicated back on Earth.
Night might have fallen, but the path was lit bright as day, torches every few feet. The flag of Kaslea always flew from the palace, but Leo could now see the flag fluttering in the night breeze all over the city. Squires hurried over, leading the horses away to the stables and taking their heavy packs to the barracks.
Mathis led the way to the palace. It was becoming quite a familiar sight, although part of Leo hoped that this would be the last time. He just wanted to meet with Prince Edmund. They had fulfilled their end of the bargain; it was time for Kaslea to do the same.
Bunting had been strung around the courtyard. A footman met Mathis at the palace door, whispering intently. Mathis turned to the three marines.
“It seems Prince Edmund is throwing a ball in our honor. First we shall feast.” Mathis smiled jubilantly. Leo frowned, and Mathis held up his hand. “Have no fear, friends. Prince Edmund will meet with you after the feast. You will have what you have been promised.”
Don shrugged. “Everyone’s got to eat.”
The castle ballroom was decorated elaborately. There were hundreds of candles in an extravagant display. Great tables with clean white tablecloths and more silverware than the three marines had ever seen. Why was there a need for so many forks?
In the corner, an orchestral band was starting to set up, readying themselves for the ball later. The footman led the ‘four heroes of Kaslea’ to the main head table. The rest of the seats were already filled. The table contained Prince Edmund, his betrothed Princess Maria, the dowager Queen Isabella, and a couple of important-looking people Leo didn’t know.
When everyone was seated, a bell was rung by a liveried footman and Prince Edmund stood to make a speech.
“For many moons, this kingdom has lived in fear. Besieged by a dragon, a foe we could not reason with nor defeat. Many brave knights gave their lives attempting to slay this beast. Three strangers came before me, envoys from the unknown regions. They are strangers no more; they have become true friends of Kaslea…”
*****
After the feast, once the food was cleared away and the dancing began, the three marines were led to the library. When they arrived, Prince Edmund wasn’t yet there. However, the sorcerer Cyrus was in the corner, eyeing them with amusement.
“Your ritual was a load of crap,” Leo told him boldly, breaking the silence.
Cyrus smirked. “Really? I thought it worked perfectly.”
“You bastard,” Don exclaimed. “You meant for us to deal with the dragon. You manipulative son of a bitch.”
“Was there ever any ritual, or was it all just a lie?” Nick asked quietly.
Cyrus shrugged. “There are many rituals. Many rituals that do many things, many sources of light and magic, much belief. Oh yes, the rituals do not lie.”
“Don’t you get tired of doing that?” Leo rolled his eyes.
Cyrus had pulled his confused old man cloak on again, but they were no longer biting. It was just his way of getting out of questions he didn’t want to answer. It was irritating, but they’d come to expect it. Leo just wanted Cyrus to know he wasn’t fooling them anymore.
The door opened. Prince Edmund had arrived.
“We owe you a great debt,” Prince Edmund started. “Words alone cannot convey my gratitude. Our problems were not yours. You could have returned after the ritual failed; you had done as you h
ad been asked, and I would have honored our agreement. Instead, you acted with honor and you saved my kingdom. I have what you asked for.”
Prince Edmund walked over to the small table at the end of the library. It was nestled between two armchairs, the right height for drinks to be placed. However, today its surface contained several scrolls. Prince Edmund picked them up and handed them to Leo.
“The longest scroll contains all the information that could be found in five days on the legend of the light in the darkness. It is possible more information may yet be discovered. The envoys from the furthest kingdoms have not yet returned,” Prince Edmund explained. “I must caution you, the origins of the legend are steeped in darkness. We do not speak of it. It was a dark time in our history, and we have tried our best to forget.”
Leo nodded, unsurprised. The platform would have been discovered on Earth long ago if there had been a lot of traffic through it. It only made sense that on this side it was hidden under a web of superstition.
He opened the scroll. It was written in beautiful calligraphy, but unfortunately the details were decidedly sketchy. A cave of light, a story of how a group had found it on a trek. The light had skewered a knight and taken him away. The other knights who had been with him had hacked at the pedestal with their swords, but hadn’t even scratched the metal.
A grin spread across his face. They were definitely talking about the platform. That meant it did exist and it could be found. There was a way home—not that he had ever really doubted that. The next part talked about the beliefs people had held about this cave of light. For instance, the legend had begun as that of the ‘legend of the dark light,’ the tale being it would pierce your soul and damn it forever.
The final part of the scroll mentioned ‘the Emperor.’ People had believed that this cave of light was a torture device he had left behind. It was unnatural and unholy, its immense power a reminder of the Emperor and his evil.
Leo frowned. A key piece of information was missing—the location of the cave of light.
“Did your people not discover where this cave is?” Leo asked. He handed Don the scroll to read.
“We do not speak of it,” Prince Edmund said firmly. He paled and shook his head. “The evil blighted the land. It is far from here. I know not where, and I do not wish to know.” He cleared his throat. “The other scrolls are signed letters to all the surrounding kingdoms, asking them to give you what aid they can manage.”
“Thank you,” Leo murmured, accepting that they would get no more out of Prince Edmund regarding the Emperor or the cave of light.
They could ask in the next kingdom. This cursed land had to share a border with somebody’s kingdom. It shouldn’t be hard to find. People might have wanted to forget the dark time; they might have tried to bury their past. However, no history could be completely erased.
“You know what we’re looking for: a superweapon to defend our world. What kingdom do you suggest we start with?”
Prince Edmund shrugged helplessly. “I know of nowhere that has what you seek. That does not mean it does not exist, for such an advantage would be kept secret.” He hesitated. “Gatlan is the closest kingdom. As you are aware, they are presently at war with Sintiya. It is a dark time, but perhaps you should start there.”
“Then we’ll leave at first light.” Leo held out his hand for the prince to shake.
Their business was concluded; the deal was done. With these letters, Kaslea would be a friend to their quest. They now had support so that they could traverse this strange alien world—so like their own, but still different—with less fear. They had a benefactor, a patron, someone to legitimize their standing. They needed that. Not all kingdoms would welcome strangers, especially one that was at war.
It was past time they came to terms with the reality. It had been two weeks already. This quest was not going to be over quickly. So rather than focus on speed, they needed to focus on getting it right. When they returned to Earth—and they would return—it would be to strike a decisive blow. They only had to pray that when they returned, there would still be something left to save. But that was out of their hands. They had a job to do, and worrying about what they couldn’t change wouldn’t help them.
The fact that Gatlan was at war was troubling. The last thing they wanted to do was pick sides. What if Sintiya had what they needed? However, the longer they stayed there, the more likely it was that they would be forced into the middle of the conflict. War made men desperate. If Gatlan was losing, they would be even more desperate. Prince Edmund had made his help conditional upon the dragon’s demise, ensuring the safety of his kingdom.
Leo didn’t know what they would do if Prince Oswald tried to make the same demand. They had no right to interfere in the politics of this world. It was a concern, but one for another day. All the clichés came to mind—they would cross that bridge when they came to it, there was no use borrowing trouble, etc.
It was time to move on. The three marines were going to Gatlan.
Epilogue
“These so-called marines are more formidable than I could have ever possibly believed,” Yannick acknowledged.
Eleanor didn’t blink at his arrival. He ghosted behind her where she stood on the balcony of her chambers. It was not so long ago they had both been here. The dragon’s spells had needed constant refreshing, and at the time their victory had seemed assured. Kaslea had been terrified; soon Prince Edmund would have been ready to promise anything to those who would save them.
She would have let the dragon’s spell lapse, and the sovereign prince would have handed over his kingdom, would have bowed down before her. She wouldn’t have had to send her army against him, to lay waste to what one day would be hers. That was why the dragon had been spelled not to touch the forest. She had wanted it to be as efficient as possible in its destruction.
Just a few more attacks and Kaslea would have invited her in. It would have been delicious; it would have been the perfect victory.
Ruined by these unknown strangers.
Her plans to have the dragon dispose of those knights who had failed her would now also need to be changed. She would need a different but still suitable punishment for them. That was a small matter, one easily dealt with. Formulating a new plan of how they would conquer Kaslea, though…that was going to be much more problematic.
Eleanor had thought on these marines many times since their arrival. She had always known they were dangerous, but she had hoped that they would be useful. She had tolerated them while she decided the best plan to get them working for her.
Now, they had interfered with her plans. Now, they had to pay. They would bow, or they would die. She would no longer tolerate their existence any other way.
“They are leaving Kaslea in the morning,” Yannick offered.
Eleanor turned and looked at him. He was being surprisingly subdued. There was none of the anger she had expected; there were no quips or calculating cackling laughs designed to make her doubt his sanity. He was in the guise he had first appeared to her as: the clever strategist.
They had made this plan to conquer the known kingdoms together. She supposed she should have expected that not everything would fall into place exactly as it was supposed to. However, Eleanor had hoped that the delay in victory with Gatlan would be the only setback. Everything else had been proceeding so smoothly—until now.
“Where are they heading?” Eleanor asked, unsurprised at his knowledge. Yannick always knew everything; it was something that was both wonderful and terrifying.
“Gatlan.”
Eleanor blinked hard. “That is simply unacceptable.”
Finally, Yannick smirked, the cruelty she was used to seeing on his expression finally making an appearance. He had a plan. Of course he did.
“Actually, it will win us the war.”
*****
To be continued in Justified, Book Two of Divided Destiny…
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Taitrina Falcon is a passionate author who writes and dwells in England, U.K. She may have studied Computing Programming at university, but the art of writing has been her number one passion since she was just a kid. Taitrina began storytelling before she even jotted down her very first word.
When she's not creating, Taitrina Falcon is a gamer, swimmer, Star Wars fan, and DVD collector. Music is one of her many muses, and she never leaves the house without her iPod. The coast is also an inspiration of hers, with the calm crashing of the ocean waves and the salty tang in the air.
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Divided (#1 Divided Destiny) Page 23