Visions: Knights of Salucia - Book 1

by C. D. Espeseth

  She found herself once again proclaiming to the Gods how it wasn’t fair. Before her father was High King he had adventures, he had loved, and had fought for what he believed in. He had lived! And now somehow he had forgotten what it was like to be young, to be a person, not just a title. Now, her father was not just a man, he was the High King Ronaston, the ruthless warlord who had crushed the barbaric Navutians and forced peace on the warring nations of Salucia beneath the heel of his fearsome Syklans. Her father wanted to keep Echinni insulated and wrapped in cotton wool until she became Queen and could cement his legacy.

  But there was more to life, and she needed to experience it. At least, that’s what Halom’s Will was telling her to do, as best as she could interpret it. These strange feelings which were akin to a calling, an internal push, had continued to grow stronger within her over the last year, and had led them out tonight to that wonderful pub. Tonight was one more confirmation that this feeling was in fact what the Singers called Halom’s Will.

  If Echinni was honest with herself however, she wasn’t as sure about this sensation as the Tenents of the Elohim described in its voluminous text. Could the Father God really be talking to her and directing her actions to fulfil some divine plan? It seemed too grand.

  The Singers would say she was one of His chosen, that she was just like the Prophets, the Elohim, or even like Meskaiwa, the Raven, Halom’s holiest servant.

  All the signs were there, she had to admit. She had read the same scripture as they. The descriptions in the stories were similar and could not be ignored. She did feel the purity and goodness inside her when it came upon her, as if something divine were radiating through her.

  And yet it didn’t seem quite right. If it was Halom, why did he have to be so vague, so mysterious? Surely the god could find a better way than strange feelings to instruct his chosen. Most of the time, the feelings seemed to push her in a particular direction, like she had to be somewhere, or there was only one correct choice to be made from a dozen options.

  “Why would Halom want me to go and sing in a pub?” Echinni questioned aloud.

  Yuna sighed. “I honestly have no idea, but there have been too many miraculous coincidences for it to be random. There is something bigger at work. But if it leads you into harm, I will find the source and cleave it in two, god or no god.”

  Echinni could almost hear Yuna grinding her teeth in frustration. Yuna hated breaking rules, even if it made sense.

  Well, it made sense to Echinni, and Yuna was right, it couldn’t be random: tonight the feeling had been so clear and direct.

  “I hope it takes us back to another pub,” she said. “I like singing that way. There is something …” Echinni bit her lip trying to think of the right word “… earthy, something alive about it.”

  Just then, the Will began to grow inside her once more. A faint buzz began in her stomach and grew stronger. Echinni closed her eyes to concentrate on the sensation.

  Something was about to happen, here, in the street.

  She felt Yuna grab her arm to pull her defensively behind her.

  She watched as Yuna unbuckled Hunsa from her back, as the giant sword was too long to be unsheathed directly. The battlefield weapon would have room to operate in the street, and with the clasps and leather unbuckled, Yuna discarded the sheath and belts on the ground, then waited with the bare golden blade resting against her shoulder.

  Echinni had only ever seen Yuna use the short knives before, and she didn’t know if she wanted to see what was about to happen.

  Her heart pounded as she tried to think of what might be after them. Assassins? That’s what this felt like. Just like it had just over a year ago, when the feeling had suddenly spiked away inside her. It felt like something insatiable was hunting them down. Three masked warriors had attacked them from within a market crowd during a royal visit to Wadachi, in Xin Ya. One had touched her, but that been as far they got. Yuna had made an example of them, and none had tried since. Her father had not taken her on any more visits after that.

  The buzzing inside grew yet more, and began to pound through her mind. There was no way to escape. Whatever was chasing them was going to catch them.

  Yuna’s body was poised like a viper ready to strike as she stared back down the street.

  All was silence. A small breeze blew a wave of fine mist down the street, which glowed softly in the orange glow. A globe merchant's sign squealed on ungreased hinges in the wind.

  Runes of blue fire sprang to life along the length of Yuna’s giant golden blade, and the mist around her hand turned into tiny snowflakes as the big woman siphoned in a phenomenal amount of energy.

  The very air began to crackle.

  Then, footsteps.

  A man-shaped shadow jumped onto the building across from them in the light of the street lamp.

  He was just around the corner.

  Yuna breathed in deeply and the santsi globes in her leather armour glowed white as they too filled to capacity. Small lines of static began rolling along the length of her golden blade.

  Echinni felt as if the very world would explode.

  A second shadow joined the first.

  The sword dipped slightly, ready for the strike.

  The man rounded the corner.

  “Not the sword!” Echinni screamed as the Will surged within her, bringing blazing clarity about what was happening.

  “Princess Echinni! Princess Ech –” The words turned into a gurgle as Yuna’s free hand grabbed the man by the neck and lifted him off his feet and then slammed him down against the cobblestones. Lines of blue electricity exploded around her as Yuna touched the energy-charged sword to the ground beside the man.

  Echinni gasped in horror.

  Yuna stood and rounded on the second man.

  “I did tell him not to run up on you like that,” the second man said, and walked slowly as into the light with empty hands held high.

  It was the drummer from the pub!

  “Hello again, Your Highness. Bet you didn’t think you’d see us again.” He smiled nervously. “Surprise. Please don’t kill us.”

  Echinni looked down at the stunned man on the cobblestones at her feet.

  “I’m Kai Johnstone, and my friend there is Jachem Sanders. Once he can speak, he wants to ask you a question, Your Highness. That is, if he is able to speak, and if it’s alright to do so. I’m a bit terrified right now, and seem to be blathering like an idiot.” Kai stood with his hands up, and looked very concerned about whether his friend was still a young man or a new and permanent feature of the street.

  “Help him up, Yuna,” Echinni said, still having no idea what was happening, or why the Will still pounded within her. The one thing she was sure of was that these two were no threat.

  “He is alive, isn’t he? I didn’t think he was going to run all the way here. I’ve never seen him do that before. I should have stopped him from getting so close. Oh, please tell me he’s alright. I’m an idiot.” Kai took a tentative step forward.

  Yuna grabbed the lapel of Jachem’s jacket and launched the man back into the air before setting him on his feet.

  “Why?” Jachem’s breath finally returned, though “ragged” only began to describe it. “Why did … why did you do that?” Jachem looked at Yuna with such bewilderment it actually looked genuine. “That really hurt.”

  “People like us cannot just run up to a Princess, Jachem,” Kai said patiently. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I’m just glad he’s not dead. I honestly thought I’d have no trouble catching up with him. He’s much faster that he looks. We’ll leave now, if it pleases you, sorry for the inconvenience.” Kai began trying to pull Jachem away with him as he bowed his head again in deference.

  Jachem found his breath and glared back at his friend. “No, Kai, let me go. Right, excuse me, Princess –” Jachem held up a finger to ask a question.

  “No!” Kai insisted as he pulled at his friend. “Come along now, we’re in enough trouble as it is.”
Kai was eyeing Yuna, noticing how she had taken a dangerous step towards Jachem again.

  Echinni found herself struggling to hold back laughter, but didn’t want to upset Jachem. He genuinely didn’t seem to understand that what he was doing was very inappropriate. “No, it’s alright.” She smiled teasingly at Kai. “He can ask his question; he’s already been through a trial of pain to ask it, hasn’t he? A princess must reward such acts of bravery.”

  “I suppose so,” Kai said, obviously unsure of the right response. “But, Your Highness, you really don’t want to hear this.”

  “I’ll hear it anyway, Kai Johnstone.” Echinni used a hint of command in her words and it seemed to settle the matter.

  Jachem was finally somewhat composed, and he bowed to her with an over-dramatic flourish. “Your Royal Highness, Majesty, Grace, Loveliness and Princess Echinni,” he began.

  Kai grimaced and closed his eyes in embarrassment.

  “We, the glorious, innovative, nefariously and aptly named Banditos, whom you have just sung with, and, to be perfectly honest, whom you stole the show from, would like to invite you to join our band!” Jachem said, and spread his arms out like that of a posturing eagle.

  He wore such a genuine smile on his face that it gave Echinni pause. He was being completely honest. This was not some sort of joke.

  “Well, I …” She quirked a questioning eyebrow at Kai.

  “Yes, he is serious I’m afraid.” Kai reached for Jachem, bowing his head apologetically to her. “I’m very sorry to have wasted your time like this. Thank you for singing with us. I do recognise that this is no way to repay you for that honour. Please accept our sincere apologies.” Kai was pulling Jachem away with him once again, his face flushed red with embarrassment.

  Echinni could not help but giggle slightly. “I’m flattered, truly.” She put her hand to her chest forcing herself to give this strange little man a kind answer. He had apparently thought there to be a real chance. “And I had the most fabulous time tonight, however …”

  The Will rushed through her with incredible clarity, akin to diving into an ice-cold lake. The moment hung, waiting for her to take it, and Echinni knew exactly what it was guiding her towards; she just couldn’t believe it. “Yes,” she said.

  All heads snapped to look at her. Even the tattoos on Yuna’s face looked surprised. Echinni laughed at the sight, and her laughter echoed back at her from down the lantern-lit street.

  “Did you just say … yes?” Kai squinted at her with unbelieving eyes. He had stopped pulling at Jachem, frozen in his tracks.

  “Yes … I did … and somehow ... I’m sure.” Echinni couldn’t believe it herself. It was right. The Will was without doubt in on this. This confluence of events had been what the entire night had been leading to. “How bizarre,” she whispered to herself.

  “Why do you look confused?” Kai was still squinting at her, trying to figure out what had just happened. “Did you say ‘yes’ but mean to say ‘no’? I do that sometimes. That must be it. It’s alright, I’ll explain to Jachem later.” He shook his head. “Come on, Jachem, let’s leave these two lovely people to their evening.”

  “No,” Echinni said, testing the feeling of the Will yet again – and the certainty remained. “No, I did mean to say ‘yes’. Yes, I am joining your band.” The words still felt incredibly bizarre to be saying aloud.

  “Huh,” Kai said as he dropped Jachem’s hand, “that is not how I saw this playing out.”

  “Excellent,” Jachem said. “We practice on Shirasday and Halomsday nights from roughly seven to nine. That’s when Kai has his early shifts at the docks. Come to the door at the back of the Elohim Jonas’s Church next Shirasday, it’s the door beside the vegetable garden.”

  Kai’s jaw dropped further. He looked mortified and asked Yuna, “Did he just tell the High Princess Echinni what to do?”

  Yuna nodded, and Echinni had never quite seen such a look of utter bewilderment on the big woman’s face before. If she hadn’t been so shocked herself, she would have laughed.

  The moment had passed, the Will was quiet again, but Echinni knew what she had to do, for despite her confusion she still trusted in the Will’s guidance. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to leave the Red Tower that often.”

  Kai nodded with a knowing look. “Ah, I understand.” He bowed and gave a placid smile and reached for Jachem’s hand to pull him away.

  Echinni hurriedly continued, “Which means you’ll both have to stay near the Oratorio. If I arrange some positions of work at the Academy for you both, we will be able to practice more often, as I spend much of my time training at the Oratorio anyways.” She paused briefly at the once-again stunned look on Kai’s face. “Is that suitable?”

  “W-What,” Kai stammered, “sort of position did you have in mind, Your Highness?”

  “Well …” Echinni started. Yuna was glaring at her with such anger it nearly made her gasp, but Yuna would not dare reprimand her in public. “Well, Jachem said you worked at the docks. I’m sure I could find you a similar position at the royal dockyard. Would that be suitable?”

  “The royal dockyard?” Kai asked. “Yes,” he laughed, “yes, more than suitable, Your Highness. It’s just –”

  “Let me arrange the details.” She cut him off but gave him a reassuring smile, or as reassuring as she could muster. She couldn’t quite believe all of this herself. “Don’t worry, I’ll arrange everything. I’ll have a coach sent over to fetch your things.” She paused. “Shall I send the coach to Elohim Jonas’s Church?”

  “The Broken Clock is better,” Kai said. “We don’t really have that many things, and Hanson keeps all our instruments safe there.”

  “It’s settled,” Echinni said. “Noon tomorrow, at the Broken Clock Inn.”

  The Will stopped buzzing within her and left her with an overall sense of satisfaction.

  “Thank you, Your Highness,” Kai said, bowing now and grabbing Jachem just as the shorter man was about to speak. “Thank you.” He bowed again and made Jachem thank Echinni before they left, looking as if they had just stepped out of a dream.

  “What was that?” Yuna demanded.

  “I don’t know.” Echinni stared after her two new band members. “It was the right choice somehow. It spoke to me again. How am I to know the mind of a god?”

  “How is this going to be kept secret?” Yuna growled.

  “We’ll find a way.” Echinni smiled up at her. “Halom shall guide us.”

  Yuna sighed and rolled her eyes. “He better, otherwise I’ll be guiding us to another country once your father finds out.”

  They slipped back into the Red Tower as silently as they had left, both pondering how on earth they were going to pull this off.

  Halom was unhelpfully silent on the matter.

  17 - Mother - Matoh

  The First Knights of Salucia stand to attention.

  In Spring we open to the hope of the future,

  In Summer we live, shelter, fight for growth and provide sanctuary

  In Autumn we cry tears of pink upon green fields to remember those not here.

  In Winter we cast shadows of duty, of honour, and of sacrifice.

  We stand so you might remember today’s peace is born of battles past.

  - On the plaques upon entering Sentinel’s Woods

  The enormous gates of the Academy were open and Matoh strode past them, not for the first time, and yet today there was a difference. Today he wore the black and silver uniform of a recruit, and was not visiting. Today he belonged within this hallowed institution rather than without.

  Matoh joined the rows of new initiates flooding beneath the towering outer gate as they walked down the paved stone path between the trees. Fifty rows of towering red-spade beech trees stood on either side of them in Sentinel Wood, the main entrance to the Academy.

  Matoh looked up to see giant red leaves and spiky green fruits upon silvery-grey limbs. The colours were so vibrant. I love this time of year, he
thought as he sucked in the fresh morning air and took a sharp turn only a few rows of trees in.

  The rest of the initiates streamed along the path behind him, gawking up at the rising golden towers of the Oratorio and the massive bulk of the Red Tower, home to the Singers and the Syklan Order respectively. To anyone who had not set foot inside the Academy before, the sights would be overwhelming, and to this day Matoh still found it awe-inspiring; but he had a very special place to visit before he joined the others.

  He ducked under a low-hanging branch and went deeper into the wood, passing row upon row of beech trees. He looked at the stones at the base of each tree and the names engraved upon them. He walked past another tree and saw again how each one was planted in perfect formation with the next. Straight rows of trees could be seen down each major and minor axis of the compass. They stretched off into the morning mist, and for a moment Matoh felt as if he were the only one in the subdued silence beneath the red canopy.

  Some people said these particular trees had been picked because the red leaves represented the blood of the soldiers, or that every autumn the trees would cry for the fallen. Matoh liked to think both were true.

  His slow, solemn trek came to an end beside a very familiar tree. It had the same smooth bark and bright red leaves as every other tree in Sentinel Wood, but this one was special. Matoh caressed the smooth bark and felt something wide and flat fall onto his shoulder. He looked at the leaf on his shoulder, feeling his throat tighten for a moment as he smiled and said, “Hi, Mum.”

  Natasha Spierling. Matoh looked at the name carved into the stone. A leaf obscured the ‘Na’ of his mother’s name, so he brushed the large, tear-shaped stray gently aside. He knelt down and put his hand on the curved trunk, and the contact felt good, reassuring.

  “I wish you were here today,” he said. “It’s my first step to becoming a Syklan, like you were. I’ll carry on the legacy. I’ll make you proud.”

  A branch rustled to his left. He knew it was Wayran without turning, as he had felt, rather than heard, his brother’s approach. He couldn’t let me have a moment. Lady take him.