Turning, the broken giant of a man strode down the wall in search of the stairs that he knew would lead him down to the ground level.
* * * * *
Sara was torn as to what she should do. She did not want to flee the scene as it could appear to Garret a betrayal. But then again, what betrayal could be greater than killing the woman the king loved? Scooping up the blade that had felled the foreign king, Sara was filled with guilt, but knew there was nothing she could do about it. She still had duties to attend to, and in the big picture she should not wait to do them. She would leave the fallen woman and Garret to be alone with her, and come to him later to give her condolences and apologies.
Decided, Sara sprang into action and raced towards the wall of the city. With a powerful leap she cleared the side and fell again to land lithely upon the cobblestone road beyond. Turning, she raced down the city street, careful to avoid those humans and her kind that inhabited the streets. Just one more task and the battle would be won.
Racing towards the center of the city, she slowed as she neared temple row, and her eyes fell upon the torture implement the old woman was trapped inside.
Dropping Sigrant’s head, she approached the device and kicked the giant steel object, rolling it over. The locks and cranks that were designed to keep the prisoner within were still intact. The old woman was still inside. Sara needed only to kill the woman, and the rest of the infected Valdadorians would be cured of the plague she carried. The only problem was that her original plan would not work.
She had hoped to simply build a fire around the giant metal sarcophagus, but she knew the woman would survive the fire. Her heart had to be destroyed. Nude, and with naught but an invading king’s severed head and a short blade she did not remember collecting, Sara had no idea how to approach dispatching the woman. She dared not open the device, even for a moment. There was no telling how powerful the old woman had become. Sara only received a portion of her power and it could be argued that she was the most powerful person upon Thurr. Granny in the box was undoubtedly much, much more powerful.
Without a solution at hand, it was not until the wings flapped from above her that she knew her husband had come to the rescue as usual. Too bad she couldn’t speak to him. Instead she simply stood still, and threw up her arms as he landed, a show of her dismay. He smiled knowingly, and removed his tattered but serviceable cloak and handed it to her to cover her nude body.
With no other means of communication, after donning the cloak Sara pointed to the torture device and drew an “X” over her heart. Seth nodded and placed his hand over the metal above where the heart of the inhabitant would be. The metal below his hand moved and flowed like fluid, creating a hole straight down to the old woman’s chest.
“Now you may do it,” Seth said, though to Sara it really took him an unnaturally long time, like several minutes, to complete the sentence.
Plunging her hand into the device she extracted a bloody heart and dropped it to the ground before she stomped upon it. Instantly the streets of the city quieted. Seth smiled then and Sara watched him come.
Gingerly, and carefully Seth pulled her into his arms. His touch felt so light it reminded Sara of spider webs. Tears streamed down her face, knowing not only that it was over, but also that she had done many a terrible thing. Redemption was beyond her grasp, of that she was certain. The king would never forgive her. Seth could never truly love her in this condition, and they could not even communicate properly. There was only one thing she could do. Lives and collisions.
Pulling back carefully she placed the handle of the short sword she carried in Seth’s hand and closed his fingers around it. Then moving quickly, as only she could do, she reached out with her free arm and pulled him to her as carefully as possible. She only winced slightly as the blade slid into her abdomen and up into her heart and lung. She clung to Seth, listening to his heart beat unnaturally slow, refusing to let him go against his struggles. There they sobbed, together, until the deed was finished.
* * * * *
Borrik and Zorbin saw to the prisoners. Without orders they knew not what to do with the tens of thousands of soldiers. Being that there was already a structure in place, they made the surrendered troops restore their camp, and there the blessed dwarves and Seth’s rat soldiers created a perimeter to keep them contained. The dire wolves, apparently deciding they were no longer in the debt of the dwarves, turned and sauntered off the field of battle.
Seeing their work done, the two decided to seek out their respective masters and see what orders they might be given. Together the Dwarven warrior and the leader of the wolf men walked back to the city they called home.
Chapter Eighteen
In the throne room of the palace inside the once beautiful city of Valdadore, King Garret Valdadore, so named after his kingdom, sat upon the throne, the broken corpse of the no longer beautiful Linaya splayed across his lap. With her death her beauty had faded, leaving behind a plain and common shadow of the vision she had been in life. Garret clung to her body and sobbed there uncontrollably, all doors to his location thrown wide and left open, a small trail of blood the only witness to his passage.
Though his heart was broken and all emotion within him was drained, one yet remained and filled him so completely that his vision saw only in shades of red. Staring ahead blankly, his tears having dried up long before his sobbing ceased, he saw movement ahead and willed his eyes to focus better through the haze that sought to shelter him from painful truth.
Seeing those who approached, he rose carefully from his throne and delicately laid Linaya upon its surface, before turning to face the open door. Summoning his blessing, the king of Valdadore exploded in size as he rushed headlong to exit the palace, smashing doorways with each passage.
* * * * *
Seth could not believe what she was doing. In his arms, Sara’s body fought to heal from the grievous wound she inflicted upon herself, yet she held fast to him, keeping the blade lodged firmly between them. For better than an hour they stood locked as such, her life draining away, expelled in the exertion of healing that could not complete. Every moment her life fled in a torrent and every moment it returned to the god she worshiped, the only god she had ever believed in.
With each passing second Seth’s power grew, but it was the power as a god received it, not the power as it was stripped from the life it belonged to. As such it was given to Seth freely, untainted, and joined with him freely, without the need to impose his will upon it.
Eventually her grip upon him slackened and he backed away quickly, drawing the blood-coated blade with him. Her injury healed in seconds, proof that she retained plenty of power.
“Thank you, love,” Sara grinned sadly. “Now we can still be together, and you can understand me.”
“How did you know when to stop?”
“Your heart told me,” Sara answered. “I’ll never forget your heartbeat.”
They hugged one another tightly, happy to have their lives to share with one another, and Seth could not help but pepper her forehead with kisses. It was some time before they released one another and spoke again, but when they did the mood was somber.
“I think something is changing in Garret,” Seth warned.
“I’ve seen it too. Especially in the way he looks at me, but I’m afraid I’ve made it worse.” Sara choked back tears.
“Do you mean Linaya?” Seth asked.
“How did you… never mind. Yes, I mean Linaya. It was an accident, but Garret has no one else to blame but me, and if it weren’t for me it would have never happened so it is all my fault!”
“What is all your fault?” a deep guttural voice came from the road behind them.
Seth watched as both Borrik and Zorbin approached from the darkness.
“Lady Linaya is dead,” Seth answered. He did not know what to do about the situation. It seemed Garret was already struggling with more than he could handle and yet here was another situation that could not be resolved e
asily.
After several minutes of trying to discuss options it was realized that there were none. Instead, it was Seth who had to make the call.
“We should go to Garret, and you can apologize and we can all be there to show him support,” said Seth. “He is nothing if not honorable and fair. Surely he will see that it was an accident, and he will forgive you. He must.”
So it was that the four companions walked the short distance to the palace complex where a guard was just being set, marking things as relatively back to normal. They strode through the gate to many bows and spoken titles, but Seth did not feel inclined to reply and neither were his companions in the mood for civilities.
Reaching the palace itself they were a bit surprised to find that no guards yet watched the gates, and the doors ahead stood open, directly into the chamber within. There sat the king, the broken body of Linaya upon his lap. Though they had paused briefly at the sight, Seth stepped forward again and those with him followed his lead. Garret too moved and as soon as he did, Seth knew that his intentions were not good.
Placing the maimed body of the woman upon the throne, Garret turned and charged, invoking his blessing as he smashed headlong through the walls and doors that separated Seth from his brother. Seth had no choice. He had to react.
Throwing up a wall of protective power, Seth blasted Garret in the face and chest as he broke free of the confines of the palace. Adding more and more strength to the power, he brought Garret to a seething halt just out of reach of those who cared for him the most. Still that did not stop the grieving king. Instead, he drew forth his massive broadsword and attempted to put it to use against those in front of him, but Seth reacted faster.
Seeing the sword, Seth pushed harder with his power, driving the king backwards and out of range. Even so, Garret raised the sword as if to throw it, his eyes locked on Sara. Seth had no choice but to try and make Garret drop the sword.
Lightning burst forth from Seth’s hand, arcing across the distance and licking the blade of the sword. There the bolt ran up the metal to arc into the metallic flesh of the blessed king, to no avail. Angered, or perhaps hurt, the king yelled unintelligible words of rage.
Seth could do nothing but look on, and hold his adopted brother at bay with his power.
“Calm down, Garret!” he shouted. “You are not yourself. Let us grieve with you.”
“You grieve with me? asked the king. “It is you that I grieve, brother.”
Seth stared at his supposed twin, confused by his words, but it was not long he waiting for his brother’s reasoning.
“I do not know who or what you are, Seth, or what happened to the brother I grew up with, but you have been tainted by evil. You surround yourself with demons and I can stand you no longer. Be gone from my kingdom, never to return, for you are not my brother. He died upon an artillery bolt days ago. If you should enter Valdadore again, I will see you killed myself. Leave my city and take your beasts with you, for those who remain will be put in irons and tortured to learn what evil guides you. I, King Garret of Valdadore, banish you from the lands of my kingdom!”
Seth’s heart stopped beating in his chest for longer than could have been possible. It was true he had made some bad choices and paid dearly for them. Many had died because of his actions. But this… to lose his brother too… it pained him beyond measure. He had thought them inseparable. But now he was being banished. Garret was not thinking straight.
“Garret, this is not what Father would want,” he pleaded.
“Then I suppose we should talk to him,” Garret replied. “Oh wait, that’s right, you killed him!” Garret spat. “Now be gone with you, demon!”
Seth did not know what to think. His head lowered in defeat, he released his control on the magic and let it fade as Garret dropped his sword arm and turned his back on them to rejoin the dead lady Linaya, dragging the blade behind him. Seth watched him go a moment before he turned and began to walk away from the palace. Sara reached out and grasped his hand in comfort, and Borrik placed one giant hand upon his shoulder as well.
“I’ll inform the men that we are leaving, and have them gather provisions.”
“Very well, Borrik,” Seth muttered.
“Don’t ye go too far, Prince Seth,” began Zorbin. “He’s justa hurtin’ and he’ll be regrettin’ his words soon. Ye’ll see. Send message of where ye’ve went to and when he calms down a bit, I’ll send ye word.”
Seth simply nodded halfheartedly in reply, so Sara spoke on his behalf.
“That is very kind of you, Zorbin, you are a good friend to the king. I pray that you stay by his side and help him through these dark times.”
“Oh I will, m’lady. The light is easiest to seek when surrounded by darkness. We dwarves know this well. I’m sure Garret will bounce back quickly. Just give ’im some time.”
And that was farewell. With nothing further, the dwarf spun on his heel to return to the palace. Seth, Sara, and Borrik strode through the city, three beings that everyone cheered and feared just the same. When they reached the wall of the city they found the gate still closed, so instead they turned and climbed the rubble of the crumbled wall to look down upon their waiting contingent of troops. All of Seth’s wolves had survived the ordeal, and nearly eighty percent of his young rat soldiers as well.
He did not bother to stop and address them; instead he walked past, and the contingent of mutated soldiers who fell in behind their god, their master, and followed him obediently.
“So where do we go, love?” Sara asked, a sad quality to her voice.
“We go to claim Sigrant’s kingdom for our own. We have a lot of work to do and it is just as good a place to start as any.”
-End
But Wait! There is more you need to know!
I need YOUR help before I can begin writing book seven of the series! You see, at this point, I have two different paths to choose. From here forward, the stories of Seth and Garret will be divided into two separate trilogies, one following Seth’s story, and the other, Garret’s. But before I continue writing, I need to know which story line you want to read first!
What do you need to do? Come and visit me on The Blood and Brotherhood’s Facebook page here : http://www.facebook.com/bloodandbrotherhood
Like the page and simply let me know that you have read The Crowned and which storyline you would like to follow first. Also, you should know that I do contests and giveaways on the Facebook page regularly. Past prizes have included cash, Kindle Fire tablets, armor (yes actual armor), and signed copies of my books, including very rare publisher proof copies! So stop by, say hi, and tell me what you want to read!
MORE NEWS!
Available RIGHT NOW is a new Blood and Brotherhood trilogy called Orc Destiny. It parallels the timeline of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga, but introduces new characters, races, concepts, and plot lines you will want to be familiar with in books to come. Come and visit the lands of the Orcs, Trolls, and Goblins with me as another champion of the gods is born. Beware, here you find beasts with dark abilities!
Click here to begin TWISTED FATE
(Orc Destiny, Volume I)
More About the Author
As many of you know, I am just another blue collar guy with a passion for writing, that I one day hope to make a full time career. I have four daughters, an amazingly supportive wife, and a son who is due to join our family in February of 2014. We live in southern Louisiana in a small town where nearly nothing exciting occurs. But considering the hurricanes that harass the area year after year, it is probably a good thing.
My dream becomes more and more a reality every time one of you buys one of my books, and for that I am eternally grateful to you. I do appreciate the time you have spent with me on this journey through Thurr, and hope to have you along for the ride when I write the conclusion. It is you, not me, who makes Thurr possible. So it is with that reality, that I have to ask of you a favor that will only take a few more moments of your time.
&nbs
p; Though I love writing to no end, it is hard to sustain not only the associated costs, but also the time involved in writing each book with my large family and my normal day job as well. But if you would just take a few moments and return to the retailer where you have purchased my books, and leave a candid review just two sentences long for each book, not only would you be doing me (and my books) a great service, but you would also be helping me to complete the next book in the series, by allowing me more time to write.
Now back to my wife’s “honey do” list….Thank you again!
Books by Jeremy Laszlo
Clad in Shadow (Poetry for a Burdened Soul)
The Choosing (Book One of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)
The Chosen (Book Two of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)
The Changing (Book Three of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)
Crimson (Book 3.5 of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)
The Contention (Book Four of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)
The Champions (Book Five of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)
The Crowned (Book Six of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)
Beyond The Mask (The Beyond Book One)
Beyond The Flesh (The Beyond Book Two)
Beyond The Soul (The Beyond Book Three)
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
The Crowned (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga, Book 6) Page 18