Finally the man made his move, diving forward and swinging his sword at Mansel’s hip in a level slash that should have sank the blade deep into the young warrior’s bone. But Mansel moved faster. As the soldier jumped forward Mansel stepped up to meet him and punched hard, landing a straight right hand flush on the soldier’s nose. The blow knocked the soldier onto his back. He let go of his sword, which clattered to the floor as he grabbed his face and rolled onto his side.
Zollin thought the fight was over, but the soldier pulled a dagger from his belt and slashed at Mansel. It was a clumsy attack and Mansel had no trouble jumping out of the path of the blade. He then kicked the fallen soldier’s hand, sending the dagger flying toward one of the other soldiers. Almost without thinking Zollin caught the blade with his magic, stopping it in midair, where it hung as Mansel’s boot came down on the fallen soldier’s arm. The sound of the bone snapping was loud.
The other guards were torn between helping and staying alive, but Mansel moved back raising his hands. Zollin let the blade fall to the floor.
“You done?” Zollin asked.
“If he is,” the warrior said.
“Alright, get in here,” Zollin said, waving at the door to his suite of rooms. “I’ll take care of this.”
“Thanks,” Mansel said with grin. “It’s good to have you around again.”
“To clean up your messes, I know. At least this time it isn’t you I need to help.”
Mansel ducked into the room with Brianna as Zollin knelt by the fallen soldier. The others were watching him, which was what the young wizard wanted. There was something powerful about seeing a comrade healed, and not just the wonder of the magic. When the soldiers talked about Zollin after their watch ended, they would talk about how he saved their friend. If the young wizard was going to be their king, he wanted them to know he would be on their side, that he would use his powers for their benefit.
The fallen soldier’s nose was broken, that much was clear from the amount of blood pouring from his face. It only took a moment of assessment for Zollin to magically staunch the bleeding. He knew the soldier’s face was aching, but he focused his healing energy on the man’s arm first. Mansel’s stomp had snapped the bone just above the elbow, and the tissue all around the break was already swelling.
His magic moved quickly, almost eagerly into the soldier. The purple pendant around Zollin’s neck added to his own magic as he willed the invisible power to mend the bone. The spell took several minutes because Zollin wanted to ensure that he healed the man completely. After mending the bone, he coaxed the fluids that were flooding the area back into the man’s blood stream. Then, once the arm was healed, he turned his attention to the soldier’s broken nose. He was laying on his back, looking at Zollin with a sense of wonder and what the young wizard took to be trust.
Bone and cartilage were smashed together and the man’s sinus cavities were filled with blood. Zollin made sure his magic was gentle. Under other circumstances he might have simply healed the bone and left the rest to resolve on its own, but he wanted to ensure that the soldier was completely healed. He reshaped the cartilage and flushed the thickening blood from his sinuses. After mending the blood vessels and restoring circulation to the tissue in and around the man’s nose, Zollin stood up.
“There, I think that does it,” he said, offering the man a hand up.
“What did you do?” the soldier asked.
“I healed your injuries with magic. And I will keep my word. Mansel will pay reparations for the deaths he caused. It won’t bring your friends back, but it will help their families. There is no need for you to try and fight him again. Your grievance is over.”
“Alright,” the soldier said, flexing his arm and looking down at his blood-covered uniform.
“We aren’t going anywhere,” Zollin said. “Go and clean yourself up. And one of you,” he said to the other soldiers, “fetch someone to clean up the blood.”
Zollin went inside his room and closed the door, but he could hear the other soldiers asking their friend questions. They couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed. Most of them had seen magic, but it had been Branock’s vile power which he only used to harm others. Zollin’s healing magic awed them. And he hoped it would buy him a little good will too.
“That was interesting,” Zollin said as he moved over to a padded bench where Brianna was sitting.
Mansel had unbuckled his sword and leaned it against the arm of the chair he was sprawled in. He looked satisfied.
“Your wife was worried about me,” he said with a smirk.
“She has more sense than you,” Zollin said. “Tell me what that was really all about.”
“I told you. I came back to the city to help Danella. I couldn’t leave her here to be forced into a marriage with that monster.”
“You mean Branock?” Zollin said.
“That’s right. Like I told you, she wanted out but he had plans for her. I sent word to her through a stableman that I know. She and her beau went to the Copper Pot where I was waiting, only Branock sent three of his lackeys to watch her.”
“They are Royal Guards,” Zollin said. “You’re on the other side now, so get used to showing them respect. You’ve got a lot of ill will to make up for.”
“Alright,” Mansel nodded. “You’re right of course. I’m sorry. I didn’t think I had a choice but to kill them. If they reported back that we were missing, Branock was sure to send the entire troop after us.”
“So you killed three soldiers,” Brianna asked. “For my sister.”
“She helped me when I needed it. I owed her. We took passage on a barge out to Tragoon Bay and from there we were able to get on a ship going south.”
“Without being caught?” Zollin asked.
“That’s right. I didn’t know if Branock sent men after us, so I got us on a ship sailing south as soon as possible. It was no easy task, either.”
“Why?” Zollin asked. “Surely there were dozens of ships sailing south to deliver goods.”
“You’d think that, but pirate activity is increasing and most of the ships are stuck in harbor. I met a brave captain on a fast ship. He took Brianna and her beau, a young guy, big as an ox and quiet, on as passengers in exchange for gold and my coming along for the voyage.”
“You?” Brianna asked.
“He wanted a swordsman.”
“In case of pirates,” Zollin said.
“That’s right. We sailed south a good ways and then we were attacked by Roleena. She’s a pirate now, you may have heard that, but she’s also something more.”
“What do you mean?” Zollin asked.
“I mean she’s not all human. That leg the ship’s doctor cut off has grown a strange-looking tentacle and she’s in league with that huge sea monster.”
“I don’t understand,” Zollin said.
“What sea monster?” Brianna asked.
“It’s a huge beast with massive tentacles. The same creature you summoned to fight the dragon, Zollin. She controls it now. The creature pulled her ships through the water so they could catch us. We managed to fight one of the ships off, and even tricked the other into running aground, but then she came up out of the sea with her monster. It took hold of our ship, cast our captain in the briny deep, and would have ripped me to pieces if I hadn’t lied and told her I was looking to kill you.”
“Kill me?” Zollin asked.
“She hates you. Remember that if you have to go to sea. She’ll stop at nothing to kill you.”
“I’d have something to say about that,” Brianna said darkly.
“She’s got power,” Mansel exclaimed. “Not like the two of you, but she’s been touched by some form of magic. And now Branock is with her. She took our ship and sailed north again, taking Danella and Vyctor as her prisoners. When we got to Tragoon Bay again we found out that Branock was in the village and looking for Roleena. I managed to slip away and get the prisoners free, but they caught up to us as we were leaving t
own.
“I got a little cut on my leg fighting off a few more guards,” Mansel said in a sheepish tone.
“Let me guess,” Zollin said. “They didn’t make it.”
“We were fighting for our lives. I had no choice. Then Branock attacked and if not for Vyctor throwing himself between Danella and the wizard we might have all been killed. The bastard used magic and burned the poor lad up, but he was big enough to knock the wizard down. I used the distraction to get Danella away and we came back to Orrock. We had only been in the city an hour or so before you two arrived on your dragons.”
“They aren’t our dragons,” Brianna said. “They aren’t pets.”
“But that brings us back to the question of the day,” Zollin said. “What made Branock leave the city.”
A slight knock at the door was the only notice given before Homan came into the room with three servants. They had trays of food, wine, and ale.
“Dinner, my lord,” the steward said.
“Where is Danella?” Brianna asked.
“She wasn’t feeling well,” Mansel said. “She’s grieving and wanted to be alone.”
The servants set several platters on a nearby table. There was roast fowl, bowls of steaming vegetables, round loaves of bread, and cake topped with fruit. Food had not been high on Zollin’s list of priorities for a long time, but he was hungry and the meal looked like a feast fit for a king. Of course, he was in the castle and would essentially be the king of Yelsia, at least for a while. He told himself he would have to get used to such rich fare.
“I’m starving,” Mansel said.
“Have you ever said no to a meal?” Brianna asked.
Mansel patted his stomach. “No ma’am.”
They gathered around the table to prepare their plates, while Homan stood in the corner. The other servants left the room, but the chief steward would stay, normally serving and ensuring that the king and his guests had everything they needed. Zollin fixed a plate of food and carried it to the steward.
“This is going to make you uncomfortable,” Zollin said.
“Is something wrong, my Liege?” the steward asked, looking nervously at the food.
“The food is wonderful, but I’m going to insist that you eat with us.”
“My Lord!” the steward said, sounding aghast.
“I need to talk to you, Homan. I don’t want to offend you, but I need to speak to you. And I need you to speak to me as an equal.”
“But we are not equal,” Homan said the last word as if it were distasteful.
“I understand, but please think about what is best for the kingdom. We are surrounded by enemies and I truly desire to set things right. To do that, I need your help. I need you to sit and eat with us.”
“I do not like this,” the steward said.
“We’re not so bad,” Mansel said. “This should help.”
He handed the steward a cup of ale and patted the older, slightly overweight servant on the shoulder. Homan took the cup and the plate of food Zollin offered but didn’t move. Zollin fixed himself a plate of food and then returned to the bench by the fire. Brianna had already sat down and Mansel moved a chair so that Homan could sit with them. The steward was hesitant, but he eventually sat and picked at his food.
“We were talking about Branock,” Zollin said. “Specifically about why he left the city. Do you have any thoughts about that, Homan?”
“No, my Lord.”
“Please, call me Zollin. I know it is hard for you to speak to us as equals, or to share the common gossip among the servants, but Branock is a formidable man. He would not have fled the castle for no reason. He wants to be king of Yelsia, so there must have been a convincing reason why he left the city.”
“I was not in his confidence, my Lord,” Homan said. “He preferred Loman as his chief steward.”
“Loman was a bottom feeder,” Mansel said. “A sycophant if ever there was one.”
“I don’t remember this Loman,” Brianna said.
“Of course not, my lady,” Homan said. “He was a lowly servant in the castle, usually tasked with menial jobs.”
“How did he win Branock’s confidence?” Zollin asked.
“He was crafty,” Homan replied. “More so than I ever gave him credit for. He let his responsibilities go untended while he saw to Branock’s every whim. I admit I didn’t like the wizard, so I didn’t mind Loman serving him. In fact I thought them quite a pair, if you take my meaning.”
“You had no idea that Branock was planning to take over?” Brianna said.
“No, I admit I did not,” Homan said, sipping from his cup.
Zollin smiled as the chief steward slowly loosened up.
“So you have no idea what made him leave?”
“I can only guess,” Homan said. “I do not partake in idle gossip, but I have heard things, my Lord.”
“Such as?” Zollin prompted.
“Well, the wizard had an episode. The night before he left the castle he was meeting with the other ministers when he was struck with some sort of ailment. At least that is what we thought it was. He refused to see anyone. Wouldn’t eat. Didn’t want help. Loman skulked outside his door all through the night, but he was silent in his rooms.”
“When was this?” Zollin asked.
“Five days ago.”
“And the ailment struck him when?”
“Just after sunset, my Lord. I know because I was overseeing the evening meal preparations when I was told the king wasn’t going to join the ministers. They’ve been feasting each night since King Hausey died.”
Zollin looked at Brianna. “The same night we pulled that thing off my father,” he said.
“What thing?” Mansel asked.
“Quinn had some sort of amulet around his neck,” Brianna explained. “We think it gave Branock control over him.”
“That would make sense,” Mansel said. “Quinn certainly wasn’t himself. He would never hurt you Zollin. That much is certain.”
“Perhaps,” Zollin said, “removing it the way we did hurt Branock somehow. The amulet was stuck to Quinn’s chest when we intervened. At the very least he might have known we were in Ebbson Keep helping the army.”
“This doesn’t really explain why he would have left the city,” Mansel said. “But Danella was certain that Roleena had magical books for Branock. Something she retrieved from the ruins of the Grand City.”
“That would mean something she got from the Tower of the Torr. Perhaps Branock knew she was coming somehow. How long did it take you to travel overland from Tragoon Bay to the city?” Zollin asked.
“Two days,” Mansel said. “We really pushed it, but we avoided the road for the first day, just in case we were being sought by Branock’s men.”
“Did Branock travel by land or down the Tillamook?” Zollin asked Homan.
The steward had finally started eating and had to swallow before he answered.
“Overland… with four guards and Loman.”
“It does seem a little too convenient to think that he was in Tragoon Bay when Roleena returned with books from the Torr for him,” Zollin said. “I don’t suppose they were set to meet on that day.”
“He could have sent a message,” Homan said. “But the wizard had been in the city for nearly a year. He never left once he arrived.”
“And Roleena didn’t seem to be on a schedule,” Mansel said. “She took the Sea Arrow because it was fast, but it was the fact that she had captured Danella and Vyctor that made her want to return to Tragoon. And she did stop long enough to sell the goods she had captured.”
Zollin nodded. He hadn’t felt magic from the pirate, but Mansel insisted she was using magic of some sort to control the sea monster. Perhaps Zollin’s own containment made him less sensitive to magic around him. Yet he could feel the evil magic that was spreading from the east, from Baskla. It didn’t make sense that Branock would know what Roleena was doing, but he had taken control of Quinn and perhaps he had magically
enhanced Roleena. Perhaps whatever he had done to the noble woman turned pirate gave him insight to what she was doing.
“It could be as simple as the fact that he lost one weapon when we freed Quinn from his control and sought out another in Roleena,” Zollin said.
“Whatever his reason for leaving,” Brianna spoke up, “he won’t be gone for long. If he has something from the Torr, he’s planning to use it. Probably to try and kill you again, Zollin.”
“That has been his goal all along,” Zollin said. “Which means that we need to be ready to stop him.”
“You want to go after him?” Mansel said.
“No,” Zollin replied. “We’ll have to wait and see what he does. In the meantime we need to deal with the threat from Baskla. Once things begin to warm up, I fear that Amvyr’s gargoyles will cross the border.”
“Gargoyles?” Mansel said.
“The ugliest creatures I ever saw,” Brianna said. “Impervious to fire.”
“Doesn’t that just figure,” the young warrior said.
“We have to find a way to stop them,” Zollin said. “King Ricard said he was marching south to attack Lorik in Ortis. Which means we may have an ally.”
“You want to petition Lorik to join our fight?” Brianna asked.
“We have a mutual enemy, if he survived King Ricard’s invasion,” Zollin explained. “We can go and meet with him. But that means we’ll need someone here to keep things running smoothly.”
“Don't look at me,” Mansel said. “That’s not what I’m built for.”
“No,” Zollin said. “In fact I was thinking of sending you to Ebbson Keep. I don’t think you getting a little distance from the Royal Guard is a bad idea, at least until things cool down.”
Mansel nodded approvingly and Brianna gave Zollin an impish grin before they all turned to look at Homan, who was tearing meat off of a plump leg bone with his teeth. He looked up, his mouth full of food, and his eyes wide.
“Homan,” Zollin said. “I have a task for you.”
Controlling Chaos (The Five Kingdoms Book 12) Page 2