Once We Were Kings (Young Adult Fantasy) (The Sojourner Saga)

by Alexander, Ian

  Nothing could move the petrified boy from where he stood, his feet planted into the ground and deep-rooted with fear. Not Render's words, not a strong yank on the arm. Nothing.

  But when Greifer leapt over their shoulders, following the great eagle's motion, as it let out a piercing screech, Branson ran straight for the nearest opening in the rock walls.

  // you TOO MUST SEEK SHELTER, RENDER //

  "Absolutely not!" He mounted a rock and stood above her, his hands pointed towards the eagle, which was diving straight at them. "I can handle this."

  // you have NOT YET ATTAINED SUFFICIENT CONTROL OF your ABILITIES //

  "It'll have to do!" Even as he said this, a surge of heat spread from the center of his chest and radiated to his fingertips. Webs of crackling lightning stretched between them. The very air around him smelled like the fields after a thunderstorm.

  Larger and larger the eagle's form grew as it blazed down at them. Both horses, still tied to a tree, screamed and reared up. Soon nothing could be seen behind the dark shadow cast by the eagle's massive wings.

  He thought he heard Greifer again, but the words were indiscernible. Nor did the voice bear even the slightest resemblance, save for the fact that it sounded female. But Greifer was standing on her hind legs, her claws out and ready. In just another second, the eagle would be upon them.

  Now, the ivory talons flashed into plain view, curved and savage looking, sharp enough to slice a horse in two. Render shouted to Greifer, "Run!"

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

  Before Render could summon the lighting, the massive bird swooped over his head, its talons grabbing at his neck. He leapt away and flew towards the trail.

  Griefer let out a panther shriek and took a swipe at the flying beast. But it soared back up into the sky, preparing for another attack.

  //TO THE TRAIL! WITH ALL HASTE! BEYOND THE HILLTOP, WE SHALL FIND SHELTER AT THE SANCTUARY OF THE COUNCIL //

  Following her, for she had already bounded up the road, Render shouted for Branson, but he did not answer. "Bother him!"

  Once again, the gargantuan eagle shrieked. But Render squandered not even a second to look back. At his side, the ground exploded sending pebbles flying into his face. Acrid smoke caused his eyes to water. The top of the hill stood less than twenty paces.

  An undulating breeze and low-pitched flapping sound told him that the eagle flew just above him.

  Greifer leapt over the end of the trail and vanished from sight.

  // QUICKLY! //

  "I can't—!"

  A series of fireballs shot down and hit the ground just before him, erecting a wall of fire which singed his face. Darkness fell over him like a heavy shroud.

  But it was not only his sight that became disabled. He could hear nothing but the beating of his own heart. Even the smell of burning branches vanished. All he could perceive was the pain of talons slicing his chest like daggers.

  He tried to call out, but his chest was too constricted even to breath. Then came the flapping of wings. The ground beneath him fell out. A rush of wind swept up from beneath him.

  The eagle cried out and lifted him higher still. If it were to release him now, Render would surely plummet to the ground and have his skull crushed.

  But he would not wait to be ripped to shreds by its claws or beak, only to be fed to its hungry young. Render grasped the eagle's leg. Its tough, leathery skin felt dry, but warm to the touch. With all the concentration he could muster, he focused on that skin.

  A loud crack, accompanied by a blinding flash of light. The eagle began to convulse. But it refused to release him. In fact, it clutched him even more fiercely.

  Once again, Render summoned the lightning. With a desperate shout, he released an even more powerful jolt. This time, black smoke flashed from the eagle's plumage. A lattice of white energy wrapped round the eagle's body like the legs of a spider.

  With great resistance, the eagle released him.

  Render almost laughed.

  He was free!

  And plunging to his death.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

  Tumbling through the air, Render could hardly see or breathe. Too much wind rushed into his eyes, his nose, his mouth.

  His entire body tensed in anticipation of breaking apart on the rocks below, or being impaled by tree branches. Squeezing shut his eyes, he braced himself.

  But nothing happened.

  Surely, he would have struck the ground by now.

  // IT HAS BEGUN //

  Render opened his eyes and found himself staring at the sky. The dark outline of the eagle fled into the distance behind the clouds that adorned Mount Handara.

  When he rolled over, his entire body jerked again in anticipation of the fall, for there was nothing solid beneath him. Instead, as he opened his eyes, he saw and felt his feet hovering above the ground. It was as though he had merely jumped up and never landed. He blinked, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

  Shielding her eyes, Greifer gazed up into the sky. She had assumed her human form and was clad once again in her black warrior's outfit.

  "What happened? What's begun?"

  "You have begun to manifest."

  "Manif—?"

  "Quickly, we must take refuge with the Council." She pointed to the entrance of the building—no doubt the Sojourner's Assembly Hall.

  Render spread his hands to balance himself as his feet touched the ground, alighting with the grace of a butterfly. The moment he stood steady, Greifer grasped his hand. "The eagle shall return before long."

  "But why? What does it want?"

  "Quickly!" She pulled him towards a towering archway in the stone wall. In a distinct sequence, she touched several of the manifold symbols carved into the rock. Symbols he'd seen in his visions, in Sir Edwyn's books. When she finished, she stepped back.

  To Render's amazement, the heavy slab vanished with a deep yawn. No door impeded their entrance, but a sense of dread seemed to restrain him as Greifer stepped forward.

  "Why have you stopped?"

  "I don't know...Something feels wrong. As though... I should not go in."

  "Tarry longer and the eagle shall return, perhaps in greater force and number." She pulled his arm again.

  "No, please. I... I'm.."

  "I beseech you, Render, come."

  There was no better way to say it. Render backed away, lowered his gaze to the ground. "I'm afraid."

  She padded over and lifted his chin. "Courage." Her very touch soothed him as did her maternal voice. "For I am with you. Moreover, there shall be safety amongst the Elders. They have anticipated your arrival."

  The portal wound like a maze and would have been completely dark if not for the strange golden light of torches that hung upon the walls. They seemed to glow, but not burn.

  Finally, they arrived at the end of the hallway. An opening to an inner courtyard. Trees lined the perimeter and bright sunlight filled the entire area. He could not see over Greifer's shoulder. But he knew something was amiss when she gasped. "It cannot be!"

  "What is it?" Render tried to peer over her shoulder, but she slumped against the narrow doorway, blocking his view.

  "No!"

  Finally, Render pushed past her and stumbled out into the sunlight. Strewn about the ground were the bodies of several large men, each dressed in peculiar clothing, somewhat warrior-like and resembling Greifer's. Each lay dead. Each twisted into an unnatural position that testified to a writhing, painful death. Frozen upon their countenances was the look of surprise and dismay, most incongruous for warriors as they appeared to have been.

  He took a sharp breath and turned to Greifer. "What's happened?"

  But she could only stand there, back against the wall, hand on her chest and breathing frantically. "No one could have...it is not possible."

  To see her this way, unbalanced, immobilized by confusion and shock, only made Render more anxious. The grotesque state of the bodies spread around a huge tree stump urged him
to run. But the threat of the returning eagle outside gave him pause.

  And presently, the shrill cry of that very bird startled him. The courtyard darkened under its growing shadow. Before he could speak, a barrage of fireballs hit the ground, causing the entire yard to burst into a quick burning flash. Like dry flames.

  Alerted, Greifer transformed into a panther again. "We must depart from here."

  He snatched a longsword from one of the fallen Sojourners, whose face was planted into the dirt, and ran after her towards the Assembly Hall's entrance. Behind him, something heavy hit the courtyard floor and rocked the ground. Flames exploded behind him showering sparks and heated pebbles at his back.

  At last, he and Greifer found the door and exited the building. Render stopped at a tree, turned and said, "Can you shut that door again?"

  With great panther paws, Greifer stood up and hit the etched symbols in sequence again. Flames lapped out of the doorway. The footfalls of several echoed from within.

  The pounding of his heart nearly caused Render to stop breathing. "Hurry!"

  Just then, a backlit figure emerged from the smoke. It was not the form of that giant eagle, which could never have fit in the narrow corridor anyway, but that of a person, slightly smaller than himself. Before he could say anything, a rush of wind and light came in from where Greifer had stood. The stone door remained open.

  // NEVER MIND! RUN, QUICKLY! //

  As fast as his feet could carry him, Render followed Greifer out. He turned his eyes back into the corridor just in time to see the dark shadow raise its hand. A bright glowing circle pulsed from it, each time growing brighter, from red, to blue, to white.

  // STAND ASIDE! //

  Frozen in place by the fear that had preceded his entry into the massacre scene, Render opened his mouth, but not a word came out.

  At his side, Greifer was once again manipulating the controls.

  The circle of white light burst and launched forward.

  Straight at Render's face.

  He raised his arms in a feeble attempt to shield himself, but it was too late. He felt the searing heat of the oncoming fireball on his arms, heard the rumbling of the conflagration.

  Then came the sound of a muffled explosion. And a sudden cooling of the air. Render lowered his arms, forgetting any shame, and blinked. The stone door had materialized again. He struggled to catch his breath. "Whoever...whatever that is in there, it must have killed the Elders."

  // I HAD NOT ANTICIPATED THIS. WHAT SHALL WE DO? //

  "I don't know, I've been following you. You're supposed to know!" How could she be so uncertain?

  But it was a futile debate.

  From the inner courtyard, at the center of the building, more fireballs launched out and arched down towards them. The eagle's shriek resounded over their heads.

  This time, there was no escape.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

  The only warning came from the fiery projectiles, but even those were not enough to prepare Render for what happened next. So quickly had the eagle swept down upon them that he could not warn Greifer.

  The bird fell upon her, knocking her to the ground, her paws making a heavy thud.

  Render leapt forward. But before he could reach her, two projectiles struck him simultaneously. One in the belly and one in the head. He fell to the ground, his newly acquired sword clanging onto the cobblestone.

  His shirt had been singed, his head a bit burned as if by standing in the sun too long. But he was still alive.

  From the ground he could only see and hear Greifer shuffling about and snarling. When he looked up, he marveled at how she had overcome the eagle's clutches and had sunk her fangs into its neck.

  "Get up!" Someone said, apparently a second assailant standing above him. Young but fierce, she spoke in a strange accent. Furtively, he reached for and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the sword. Then he leapt up, and to his amazement, flew well over the trees, and landed a short distance from his attacker.

  An exotic young lady, who stood poised to strike.

  From her open palms, a circle of white flames smoldered at her fingers. Raven hair fell half over her face. Her chest rose and fell, anger seething in her large, almond-shaped eyes. Somehow, he felt captivated by her. But then she let out a shout and hurled another fireball at him.

  Barely reacting in time, he ducked. The fireball screamed over his head and struck a tree trunk, splitting it into two. The burning halves hung limp as they disintegrated into ashes. Greifer's struggle and the brown-eyed beauty—every bit as mysterious as she was dangerous—vied for Render's attention.

  Now, the girl, whom he surmised was Tianese—for the Tianese, he'd been told, were darker of skin and peculiar in an alluring way—approached him in a threatening posture.

  Render raised his sword. To his surprise, it crackled and glowed with energy. "Who are you?"

  "Murderous barbarian!" She hurled another fireball at him, this time aimed straight at his face. Render swung the lightning-charged sword and deflected it. Her entire body began to glow. Hot red, then blue.

  Then white.

  "I should have known it was a Torian swine!" She stretched out both hands and shot a line of fire onto the ground. The flames circled around him and rose up as a wall, entrapping him.

  Apparently, she knew not the extent of his abilities. Render smirked and leapt straight up out of the blazing snare.

  Only to meet her fist.

  The blow to his jaw surprised him almost as much as her deadly beauty and strength. Dropping his sword, he hit the ground with such force that he slid across the ground, stopping between Greifer and the eagle. Still fighting, the giant bird's talons flew straight down at his face.

  He rolled out of the way, but could not escape without incurring a gash in the ear by the bird's razor claws. He gasped in pain. With his eyes shut, began breathing rapidly.

  And then stopped.

  His vision blurred. A burning sensation gripped his throat, cutting off his breath. All he could see was the white hot figure of the Tianese girl standing above her. Pushing down on his throat with force.

  Greifer growled and snapped her jaws. The bird let out a shrill cry. Not far from his bleeding ear, claws and talons scraped on the ground seeking purchase. The sounds of struggle began to fade. Nothing stood in his vision but the blazing white before him.

  Even that faded.

  Weakly, he reached out clutching for his sword. She pinned his wrist down as well. Searing pain coursed through his entire body. For a moment he heard that voice. His own voice. His doppelganger. The curse.

  // YOU CAN'T BEAR THE PAIN. END YOUR SUFFERING BEFORE YOU ARE BURNED TO DEATH. GIVE IN, COWARD! DIE QUICKLY! //

  CHAPTER SIXTY

  // DIE...//

  That ghastly voice. Most frightening to Render was that it was his own, only darker. It echoed in his head, knew intimately his thoughts, his fears. Knew just how to accuse him, reducing him to a frightened child.

  // DIE!//

  No! Render struggled to speak. But the Tianese fighter's hand clutched and pressed down on his throat with even more force. It felt as though his eyes, his blood, his innards were boiling. Was this how she had murdered the Elders in the Assembly, burning them from the inside? Then Greifer's words came to him: Even His name hath power...

  The Tianese continued to send searing heat into his body. He could not die here, not when he had come so close to meeting his destiny.

  // DESTINY? THEY ARE ALL DEAD! THAT IS YOUR DESTINY //

  Even his name...

  And then, from deep within, it emerged. Flooded Render's thoughts. The words formed. And a tingling surge enveloped him. The ground trembled and the rolling of thunder filled the sky.

  Stop.

  Stop!

  "In the name of Valhandra!"

  A blast of pale blue light.

  A roaring crash.

  As if swatted away like a gnat, Render's attacker flew off of him. For a moment, a blin
ding wash of light and floating sparks flooded his vision.

  He rubbed his eyes and blinked.

  All fell silent.

  When everything cleared, he found the girl lying on her back, stunned and moaning. Her hair bloomed outwards, smoke rising from her clothes. Render got up and grabbed the sword. Before she could arise, he pressed the tip against her throat. "Be still, treacherous assassin."

  She gasped and hissed and spoke through clenched teeth. "Blasphemer of His name! You killed them!"

  "I've killed no one..."

  She tried to lift her hands, but Render pressed the sword in ever so slightly.

  "...yet."

  Rising to her feet—human feet—Greifer brushed the long black hair out of her face and gazed with amazement down at the ground. The giant bird of prey was gone, but in its place... "Wait, both of you!" Greifer shouted. "Strive no further."

  At her feet, an old Tianese man, perhaps this girl's grandfather, sat, rubbing his bald head, his eyes wide and staring up at Greifer. "Is it...?"

  Her mouth fell open. An incredulous smirk stretched across her face. "Lao-Ying?" She reached down and helped him to his feet.

  "So it is you, Greifer!" They were holding each other's arms now. "I cannot believe this. We had all thought you'd—" He turned to Render and then back to her. "Is that him?"

  Greifer nodded. "Render. Pray release the girl. Methinks a grave misunderstanding hath occurred."

  The girl turned her eyes to the old man. "What's the meaning of this, Lao-Ying?"

  "They are not our enemies," he said. "We share a common cause."

  "But they killed—"

  "No, Ahndien." The old man sighed. "That is not possible."

  Render withdrew the sword and offered a hand. "As I said, we killed no one."

  She glared at his hand as though it were a fetid piece of carrion, then by her own efforts stood up. "Nor did we." Like the final flames of a log, flickering and refusing to die, the anger in her eyes continued to burn.