"Speak for yourself," Azalea said from behind the Seeker.
Before Kaytlin could move, Azalea had her by the throat. The Seeker tried to swing her sword at the Yulari, but Azalea caught her wrist.
"Now that wasn't nice," Azalea purred.
The Yulari gave the Seeker’s arm a yank. There was a popping noise, followed by a scream from Kaytlin as she dropped her sword. Azalea released the arm and grinned as it dropped limply at the Seeker's side.
"Azalea, enough!" Ean dropped the shield.
"Enough? This human wants to kill us all. It’s only natural that we kill her first. If you want, I won't play with my food, but she needs to die."
"No, we aren't going to murder her."
"Murder? No, what she tried to do to us was murder. This is self-defense. And if I get to feed off of her to put her down, that's just an added bonus for me."
"Azalea--"
"I have to agree with your blue-skinned girlfriend," Dao said, walking up. "I've known some religious fanatics over the years, and she strikes me as the type that won't budge on her beliefs. If she thinks you have to be destroyed, she won't stop."
"That doesn't mean that we have to kill her." Ean glanced at the woman in Azalea's grip. Her eyes were locked on him. "Listen . . . Kaytlin . . . I . . . "
"Do not waste your breath. The Seekers and I won't stop until you all are destroyed. If your creature is going to kill me, be done with it already."
"Wait, don't include me," Dao said, raising his hands. "I have nothing to do with the Abyss. I'm from--"
"Quiet, you coward," Azalea barked. "Nothing you say will matter after I drain her dry."
"Azalea, I said we are not going to kill her."
"You know," Azalea said with a sigh, "sometimes your naivety is cute. But when it comes to our survival, not just my own but all of ours, it loses its charm. It’s time for you to be a true leader now and make the right decision."
"This," she gave the Seeker a shake," is an enemy. In the Abyss we do not offer mercy when we have the opportunity to destroy those that would destroy us."
"This isn't the Abyss . . . "
"Ean don't be a fool. You're more connected to the Abyss than you are to this world. You command creatures from the Abyss. Creatures that depend on you, myself at the top of that list. It’s time you realize you are above these humans and stop coddling them."
"Azalea, I'm ordering you to let her go."
"That's cute, but I think this time I'm going to have to do what’s best for you, even if you don't want to accept it."
Pulling the Seeker in close, Azalea began to nuzzle against her neck. Kaytlin lashed out at her, kneeing and striking the Yulari with her good arm, but she was too close and in an awkward position to do any real damage. After a few moments, Kaytlin's blows started getting weaker to the point that her arms and legs were barely moving. Through their bond, Ean felt a feeling of ecstasy wash over him.
"Enough, Azalea!" Grabbing the back of the Seeker's armor, Ean yanked her away with one hand while giving Azalea a shove with his other one. "You will obey me when I give an order."
The Yulari stumbled backwards a few steps before catching herself. Her eyes had somewhat glazed over, but by the time she got her balance, her dark red eyes were focused on him. Pure rage battered against Ean through their bond.
"You fool!" Azalea crouched down, her hands held out in claws. Ean placed the comatose Seeker on the ground and readied himself. From the emotions he was feeling from Azalea, he believed she might actually attack him.
"This probably isn't a good time to--" Dao tried to get out, but Azalea shouted over him.
"Quiet, ghoul! This doesn't concern you."
"Well, that was rude . . . " Ean heard Dao mumble. Risking a quick glance to make sure the Seeker was truly out, Ean cautiously approached Azalea.
"You want me to be a leader, Azalea, then you need to do as I say even if you don't agree with it."
"Not if it puts you in danger, you thick-headed baffoon!"
"If I might just offer my impartial opinion . . . " Dao said, walking over.
"Dao, we need to leave." Ean made sure his voice was as cold as possible. With the anger he felt towards Azalea, it wasn't hard. "Go salvage our things from the inn."
"Alrighty." Spinning around he walked with quick steps towards the inn.
"Azalea, if you want to discuss this once we put a good amount of distance between ourselves and Rensen, that’s fine."
"I can handle the simpletons that live--"
"No! We are not hurting anyone. Not the Seeker, not the people in this village, not any human if we can help it. Do I make myself clear?"
"We will discuss it later," Azalea growled at him.
"Good. Then go help Dao get our things, please."
"Aren't you afraid I'll scare your pure humans still hiding in the inn?"
"You can make yourself look human again. And I'm certainly not leaving you out here alone with her."
"Fine." Azalea's form shimmered for a moment, and then reappeared in her human disguise. "I need to get away from you for a few moments anyway."
Lifting her chin, Azalea walked into the inn, her shoulders stiff. Ean watched her disappear through the entrance before shaking his head. The Yulari was not going to let this go. But that was a problem for the future. He had enough to worry about in the here and now.
Turning his attention to the Seeker, Ean grabbed her sword and tossed it further away before kneeling down at her side. He had no idea how much Azalea had fed off of her, and his argument to not kill her would be moot if she ended up dying from weakness anyway. Kaytlin's eyes were closed and her face was considerably paler than it had been. Her breathing seemed regular, though, and she wore a peaceful expression on her face.
"You know the Yulari was--"
Ean lashed out at the voice before he realized who it was. Thankfully, Zin was able to dodge the blow.
"You know," Zin said. "After almost a decade of being together, I would have thought I couldn't surprise you like that anymore."
"Sorry. I'm a little tense at the moment. Can I assume you saw the whole exchange?"
"Every moment since you blew up the doors of the inn. I was poised and ready to jump in to help if you needed it, I hope you know."
"I believe you Zin."
"Good. Then believe me when I say, I agree with Azalea."
"You have to be joking."
"Ean, the Seekers are a danger to all of us. They're fanatics, and now that they know you exist, they won't stop hunting you. I would be surprised if they haven't been searching for you since the first time we ran into them. If you were to eliminate one of them now . . . "
"Murder an unconscious woman . . . "
"Whatever you want to call it. I'm sure she wouldn't hesitate to kill you in your sleep. If you make it so that there is one less Seeker in the world . . . ”
"I'd be no better than them. And who is to say that killing one wouldn't bring all of the temples against us?"
"I doubt Alist--"
"Don't say his name!"
"Right, sorry. But I think you are ignoring the big picture here. The Seekers will try and destroy all of us. You, me, Azalea, everyone back at home."
"I am thinking of the big picture, Zin." Ean grew quiet for a moment. "I'm worried that if I start killing anyone that stands against me, I'll become . . .
" . . . like my old master?” Ean sighed at hearing Zin say it out loud. His whole body drooped with the weight of it all. “Oh.” Zin replied, his voice growing softer. “I didn't realize you were so worried about that."
"Do you understand now?"
"Yes. I'm not sure if I agree with you, but I understand. I'll support your decision."
"Thank you, Zin."
"So then, what’s the plan?"
"Simple. We get out of here before she wakes and the rest of the village gathers the courage to try and stop us. I'm fairly certain that Azalea dislocated the Seeker's shoulder. Even if she get
s it put into place, the injury will be painful and should slow her down. Either way, we need to get as far from here as possible. We'll take the road for a while then move off into the woods. If we head northeast from the road, we'll eventually hit the Melcoi river. We can follow that north to Lurthalan, purchase some additional supplies, and then continue on north."
"That actually sounds like it might work. Or a hundred things could go wrong. I guess we'll see, Ean."
"Yes, we will. I hope you got a little bit of rest, Zin. We're going to move as fast as possible without any breaks.”
"Sounds like fun," Zin grunted. "I can't wait for another casual stroll through Rensen forest. It worked out so well for us last time."
Ean ignored the sarcasm. After all, there was no way things could go as poorly as they had the last time they had trekked through the forest.
Chapter 14
Water sloshed inside Ean's boots with each step on the cobblestone road as he slogged towards the east gate of Lurthalan.
They had cleared the forest after four days of travel and then moved east to the river. The plan had been to cross the river a day or so south of Lurthalan. They had thought about trying to lash together some branches to form a makeshift raft, but decided it would take too long. So instead, they opted to swim across at the narrowest section they could find, using a few branches to keep them and their supplies—and Zin—afloat, since he had never been in water any deeper than his ankles.
They eased themselves into the water. Even though Ean was well aware that it was the Freeze Season, the cold was a shock. By the time they were halfway across, he had lost all the feeling in his hands and feet. Azalea and Dao seemed unaffected, but Zin was sitting atop the floating branch, teeth chattering uncontrollably. At least the current was gentle, taking about half the day to carry them to their destination. By the time they emerged, Ean’s skin had turned blue. He didn’t have to be asked twice when Azalea asked if he wanted her to start a fire. They spent the remainder of the day huddled around the flame, thawing out. Now after almost a day of travel, and still in clothes that never seemed to get completely dry, they finally reached Lurthalan.
Only a few people moved about near the east gate. Most people entered and exited the city through the west gate, which was closest to the docks, Merchant's Circle, and where a majority of the residential areas were.
Before reaching the gate, Ean's group had to pass the temple to GanZroe. One of the smaller temples, the brick structure's red tile roof still sat higher than the city wall. Trellises, snaking with vines of flowers and fruit, covered the brown and green outer walls of the temple. Despite the occasional window, the temple looked more like a giant climbing garden than an actual building. The surrounding land was tilled into small farm plots, each one containing a different type of edible plant. Breaking up the plots was an interconnecting set of decorated ponds, the surface of the water occasionally broken by a fish moving along the surface. It really was a beautiful area.
And if Ean wasn't afraid of running into the Seekers, he might have spent some time examining the different types of plants. He considered himself a healer, so plants and their medicinal properties continued to fascinate him.
Zin said he was going to scope out the area on his own and promptly turned invisible. Ean trudged on, Azalea and Dao on either side of him. Dao was quiet, a marked change from his usual chatty personality. Azalea walked along, her arms crossed and a scowl darkening her face. Anytime Ean tried to engage her, he received an icy stare for his trouble. He was not looking forward to the next “discussion” she had promised him.
They passed through the gate easily enough. The two guards in leather armor stationed outside were conversing between themselves and didn't give them a second glance. The few locals entering the gates at the same time seemed to be there to sell things. Some pushed carts of fruit, canned vegetables, or grain. Those without carts were all dressed in nondescript clothes which didn't give Ean a hint of whether they were workers or simple folk visiting one of the many temples.
Passing under the portcullis, Ean's and his companions’ eyes were drawn to the second largest construction in all of Ven Khilada, a massive domed building called The Endless Tombs.
Dao gave a low whistle and commented, "It's been a long time since I've seen the tombs. I almost forgot how impressive they were in person."
"Let me guess," Azalea said in a surly tone. "You were here when it was built."
"I'm not that old," he replied with a laugh. "Especially considering most people say the tombs were here before recorded history. No, I traveled here when they took my father's body down into the crypts. The only things that were here back then were the temples for Ze'an, Iaradune, GanZroe, Kaz'ren, and of course, the Endless Tombs. And now, two out of the four temples are in ruins and the rest of the deities’ main temples are here as well."
"Well, you're just a fountain of knowledge." Azalea snarled. "Lucky for us, your brain hasn't rotted as much as your nose."
"Azalea, enough." Ean was getting tired of the Yulari's attitude. "I actually find the history interesting."
Especially when it came to the time around when Zin's old master was alive.
"You would . . . " she mumbled as they continued following the street through the city.
Ean ignored her. "Was the city very big back at that time?"
"There was no city. The only things here were the temples. The majority of people would travel from the north down here on pilgrimages. Visitors stayed in rooms inside the temples. The priests and priestesses lived in the temples all year round, eating the food brought as offerings or grown around the temple of GanZroe. It was a much different place."
"And then the Plague occurred."
"Yes."
"And you knew Zin's--"
"Ean, we can't talk about that." Dao's usual cheerful disposition disappeared.
"What? Why?"
"I was ordered not to discuss that period of time. You just have to wait until you've spoken to the Silent King."
"But--"
"Sorry, Ean. Really I am. You'll get your answers; they just can't be from me."
"I see."
Ean tried not to let his disappointment show. He had been hoping to learn a little about Zin's old master and how he went from being a hero to a tyrant. He could not let the monster he was in those nightmares become a reality.
"Do we go this way?" Azalea said from just ahead of them.
They were almost past the Endless Tombs and could now see Kaz'ren's temple attached to the north side of it. On its own, the marble structure would have been impressive in its own right. A rectangular building, the backside of the temple rested against the Tombs. Stained glass windows ten times as tall as an ordinary man were equally spaced along the other three walls. Thick, white pillars held up the lip of the roof. Small gardens ran along the walls, their crimson and azure petals a sharp contrast to the bleached white walls. Near where they had reached on the street, a path ran up to the front of the temple.
"I guess," Ean replied as he moved past her towards the temple. He was tired of traveling, tired of Azalea's attitude, tired of Dao's secrets. He just wanted to enter the temple, rest his soggy feet, and find some peace and quiet.
The two stone doors, twice as large as a man, sat open at the front of the temple. Glancing inside, Ean was surprised to find a mostly modest sanctuary. A black rug with gold trim ran down the center, rows of pews on each side angled towards the front of the room. At the opposite end sat a single altar, a stone statue of Kaz'ren behind it. Long blond hair framed a face with petite features other than her eyes. Even made of stone, those large, light blue eyes drew your attention. She was clothed in a simple blue shirt and shorts that rested just above her knees. Carvings ran up and down the walls, the most prominent being a pair of hands, palm up, holding an orb with a swirling design across its surface. Other than that, the room was bare. Only a few people sat amongst the pews, their focus on the statue up front or bowed in contem
plation. Men in sky blue robes with a golden trim walked amongst the people, sometimes pausing to speak to someone, other times picking up a discarded piece of paper or wiping off a seat. Every now and then, regardless of what they were doing, they paused and bowed towards the effigy behind the altar. It was a peaceful scene, the quiet of the room more comforting than intimidating.
It was as good as any place to rest his weary feet.
He waited for Dao and Azalea to catch up, then he spoke to Dao.
"We'll stay here while you go and buy the supplies." Holding out a small purse of coins, Ean held onto it for a moment as Dao grasped it. "Only supplies. Food fit for travel. Water. Maybe a little extra canvas in case our tent rips. Nothing more."
"I understand. Just supplies."
"Necessary supplies."
"Of course, necessary supplies. I just have to head over the bridge, and the Merchant's Circle is easy to find?"
"Yes, that’s where most of the people will either be heading or leaving." Ean released the purse, allowing Dao to take a few steps back.
"Wonderful. I'll return with our supplies by nightfall."
"At the latest. We should be ok in the temple here for a time, but we are still in a dangerous situation. Best to be on our way as soon as we have what we need."
"Yes, yes, I understand. Stick to my job, no sightseeing, fun is for fools. Got it."
Giving a low bow with his hands spread wide, Dao spun on his heels and strutted away.
"That man's arrogance is going to get us in trouble one of these days," Ean mumbled.
Azalea let out an overly loud laugh. "That's like a Togorath calling a Brayurat ugly."
"Wait . . . a what and a what?"
But Azalea had already moved off into the temple. Ean watched her strut towards one of the pews on the left side in the middle and take a seat. In front and behind her were three empty rows of pews, giving her plenty of space away from anyone there to pray. Glancing around the room, Ean waited a few moments to see if her entrance elicited any kind of reaction from the robed figures moving about the room. The priests at the temple he had tried to visit the last time he had been in Lurthalan had stopped him from passing through the front doors. They had even threatened him until he left. He couldn't really afford that kind of attention at the moment.
Enemies and Allies (Bound to the Abyss Book 3) Page 11