The Alabaster Throne (The Fall of Atlantis Book 1)

by Wilson Harp

  The throne was carved from a single piece of alabaster which had been brought back from Sais by Atlas himself, he presented the throne as a gift to his brother Mestor. It was one of a handful of items which had come down from the son of Balket and had stood in this spot since the founding of the kingdom.

  “It is beautiful, isn’t it?”

  Tal looked into a dark corner and saw his father.

  “Come, sit next to me and we can enjoy a few minutes of quiet. No one knows where I have slipped off to.”

  Tal joined his father in the dark recess and looked at the throne. The formidable chamber was silent except for the occasional whisper of wind which brought the dying sounds of the celebration from the courtyard. Long minutes passed before the king spoke.

  “I understand you almost came to harm today.”

  “It was a battle, father. Harm surrounded me, but I was well trained and skilled enough to avoid taking any real risk.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I feared your return would be like that of Galius. I asked the priests to make special blessings and commitments to the gods to keep it from happening. I’m glad I did, for I have been told an arrow from one of my own men almost took you.”

  Tal remained silent as he considered how much he should say.

  “Meleus saved me,” he said. His voice was low and it wavered. “The arrow was meant for me. It was fired by… someone who is dead.”

  “Yes, Brotin. I understand Praset cut his throat just after he fired. Is that what you were told?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you see it?”

  “No, Meleus pushed me aside and I fell into the chariot.”

  The king nodded and stroked his beard. “I wish you had seen it. It would tell me true what to think.”

  “Do you… do you really think…?”

  “No, my boy, don’t voice that thought. What cannot be said with surety should never pass my lips or reach my ears. If I heard you say it, I would be compelled to get answers. Either way, Mestor would lose its great general.”

  “What should I do, then, father? I can’t imagine a betrayal could run so deep nor believe I can have full confidence again.”

  “There is no answer we can find on our own, my son. You must seek this answer on your own. I know my mistrust would grow beyond what I could see, if I were in your circumstance. I would not seek to ask the gods in a place I did not feel safe. I would seek somewhere else.”

  “Where would you seek if you were in my place, father?”

  “A difficult thing to say, for a royal prince would need to be escorted and guarded wherever he traveled. And in those circumstances, I would not want my purpose known. Nor would I want word to reach my father’s court of where I had traveled. So that would seem to limit my options for resolving this question. It would take a prophet of unquestioned vision to see clearly the things I would seek. And that is the burden I would have to bear on my own.”

  Tal kept his mouth shut as he thought of the places he might go. He knew he could not mention them, or his father would be forced to send messengers to report back. If his father intended Tal to go, then he intended him to go in secret, and without aid.

  “It is a burden I feel, father. And I will sleep on it for a few nights.”

  “Good. Good. Return to me in this room when you have an answer from the gods. It is late, my son. I leave the hero of Mestor to linger in this room and consider his path. Rest when you are ready.”

  It was another hour before Tal could rise from his seat and go find his bed. He stared at the throne and knew the next time he saw it, he would know what had happened on his field of victory.

  Chapter 8

  Tal slipped past the sleeping guards who watched over his door. He had given them a skin of wine each to help them keep the chill off and they had dutifully ignored any regard for moderation. It was still a good hour before the sun would rise and they would rouse themselves.

  Meleus waved him forward in the dim light.

  “You didn’t try to sneak, did you?” whispered Tal. “Nothing draws the eye more at night than someone trying to move quiet and unobserved.”

  “Just walked right past the guards and right through the gate.”

  “Good.”

  They pulled their cloaks tight around their shoulders and headed for the stables.

  “Are you sure the shrine of Llystam will have the answers? Daelcor hasn’t even been there, and from what I’ve heard, the Prophet may only be a story.”

  “Don’t say anything, if someone hears, they could recall it when questioned.”

  “It’ll be Pitros who figures out you’ve left. He’ll come looking for me to find you before he reports to the king. How long before he realizes we aren’t going to be back?” Meleus asked.

  “I’m not sure. I told him to leave plenty of food for me as I wanted to spend the morning alone to rest. Hopefully it will be tomorrow morning before he comes and finds the food untouched.”

  A few young boys were in the stable area. They had been pushed out of bed early by their elders to go do the simple chores of the day, such as bringing water and food for the horses from the barns. Tal and Meleus made sure they were seen by several of the boys and found Daelcor near the royal riding horses.

  “I’m glad you didn’t oversleep,” the priest said. He pulled his cloak closer around his shoulders. “There’s a cold wind off the sea this morning. I fear we may have some storms in the days ahead.”

  “Some omen you’ve seen?” asked Meleus.

  “Observation,” said Daelcor. “We always have a cold wind off the seas in the days before a large storm. It’s the trumpet to announce its arrival for any who’ll listen.”

  “Are we ready?” Tal asked.

  Daelcor nodded to the packs near the back entrance to the stables. “Everything you told me to bring. I still think we should take the horses.”

  “Jubaas said they’d be too easily noted. Let’s put on the cloaks he brought us. We should be able to slip out the north gate without notice.”

  “A prince dressing like a field hand to leave his own city,” Daelcor muttered. “What a truly stupid idea. Do you think none of the guards will recognize us?”

  “I’ve worn clothes of poor quality before and slipped through the city unnoted,” Tal said. “I will just keep my eyes on the ground and not draw attention to myself.”

  The young men donned their cloaks and lifted the heavy bags onto their shoulders. Tal forced himself to slouch and keep his eyes downward the way he had always seen the poor laborers move around the city. He let Meleus take the lead and stayed in the rear.

  The passage through the gate was easier than he feared, the guards didn’t even glance at the three as they fell in with a few others who were leaving the city in the pre-dawn hours.

  “Where do we meet him?” Daelcor asked.

  “We just keep going down the road. He said he’d see us,” Tal said.

  The late stars shone down as the land woke. Small creatures moved in the darkness and birds called to one another to start the day. When enough color touched the sky to rid the world of its gray ensemble, a man rose from where he sat behind a low stone fence.

  He didn’t greet them, he just slipped in front and led them.

  “This way,” he said as he left the road and headed toward a small stand of trees near a wheat field.

  They followed him and found a well-tended camp. Two serviceable tents had been set up, a couple of camp chairs were set around a smoldering fire, and the remnants of an evening meal had been tossed to the side. Four short throwing spears were bundled by a tree. They were serviceable weapons in case they met with trouble and would double as walking staves for the days ahead. Tal noted Jubaas had two bows and quivers full of arrows near the tent. One of the things Jubaas asked Tal was if he could shoot. Tal said he could, so Jubaas told him they would hunt for small game on the way.

  “What’s this?” Meleus asked.

  “If anyone were to
follow you, we could claim you had camped here last night with me. As long as they didn’t know one of you personally,” the man looked at Tal when he said this, “they would have scant reason to doubt the tale.”

  “You must be Jubaas,” Daelcor said.

  “I am. And who are you?”

  “Daelcor, priest of Hondre.”

  “Come, let’s sit by the fire,” said Tal. “If anyone followed, they’ll make themselves known soon.”

  Jubaas motioned to a metal pot nestled inside the coals. “I have a stew cooking if you would like to have something to eat while we wait.”

  “That is the best idea I have heard in weeks,” Daelcor said.

  The men sat around the fire and each pulled a small wooden bowl from their pack. Meleus took Tal’s bowl and filled it with stew. He then filled his own bowl and took a bite. Although Meleus was no longer his body servant, he still tasted all food before Tal. It wasn’t a service Tal liked for his friend to perform, but it was necessary as many assassins used subtle poisons in their trade.

  The stew was hearty and warm, though light on meat to Tal’s taste, and calmed the nervousness as they started the journey. When breakfast was over, Tal and Daelcor rested in the camp chairs as Meleus and Jubaas cleaned up the campsite.

  “Are we taking the tents?” Daelcor asked.

  “No, another will come to take them later,” Jubaas said. “But for now, a horse approaches.”

  Tal slipped from the chair and stood in the heavy morning shadows of the trees. He wanted to see who approached, but it was more important he wasn’t recognized.

  Meleus and Jubaas walked toward the road as a single hooded rider appeared and turned toward the trees.

  “Meleus!” the rider called.

  Tal jerked his head into view as he heard Siande’s voice. He saw Meleus arguing with the rider, whose hood was still in place, but he recognized Siande’s slim figure perched on top of one of her father’s riding horses.

  Meleus and Siande yelled at each other as Tal left the shelter of the trees and trotted over to the horse.

  “Both of you be quiet,” Tal ordered. “You’ll draw attention and that’s the last thing we need.”

  Meleus snapped his mouth shut.

  “I was trying to explain,” Siande continued.

  “I said be quiet.”

  The girl glared at Tal but held her tongue.

  “Good, now get down from there before you hurt yourself and let’s get to the trees. A well bridled horse will draw attention from the road.”

  Tal stalked back to the trees, he controlled his temper, but it simmered under the surface.

  “She sits the horse well,” Jubaas said as he caught up with the young prince. “Not much more than a child, but she has been taught the proper way.”

  “Women shouldn’t ride, it’s too dangerous,” said Tal. “Even for an experienced horseman, riding is dangerous. Much safer to be in a chariot with a harnessed team.”

  “Is that Praset’s girl?” Daelcor asked Tal as they returned to the camp.

  “Yes.”

  “Will she cause problems?”

  “No. I’ll send her back home as soon as she has rested.”

  “Will she tell people she saw us?”

  “I’ll order her not to.”

  Jubaas coughed and looked away. Daelcor laughed at him and looked back at Tal. “You tell a woman she isn’t to say anything, and the first thing she thinks is who she can share the secret with.”

  “Then I’ll have to do something with her, like tie her up and leave her here. Someone will find her soon enough and untie her.”

  “More likely cut her throat, take her fine clothes and horse,” Jubaas said.

  “They wouldn’t,” said Tal. “She’s helpless and a member of the king’s household.”

  Jubaas shrugged his shoulders and looked out across the field beyond the trees.

  “They would,” Daelcor said. “But it likely wouldn’t happen. In a few hours, Praset will know his daughter and one of his horses is missing. We may have left the gate unnoticed, but I’m pretty sure a girl on a fine horse was noted by the guards. They will start a search on the way north with chariots and riders. They’d find her soon enough and then find us a little bit longer.”

  “Then what should I do?” Tal asked.

  “Find out from her,” Daelcor said.

  Meleus and Siande approached the camp leading the horse. They both looked upset and glared at each other when they came near. She had pulled her hood back, and her raven hair was put up in an intricate braid with a silver cord interweaved. Yes, she would have been noted by the guards and her description easily remembered.

  “What are you doing here, Siande?” Tal asked when she stopped in front of him and looked up into his eyes.

  “I was looking for you,” she answered.

  “Is it often your habit to go looking for me north of the city while riding?”

  “No, I saw you leave the gate this morning and had to find out why you left.”

  “That’s none of your business,” Tal said. “If I had wanted you to know, I would have told you.”

  “And what of Pitros?” she asked. “He said you were sleeping off a long night. But when I arrived at your room, I noted you had packed several things. And then Meleus was gone, too. I thought he might be one of those who accompanied you.”

  “How did you recognize the prince, but not me?” Meleus asked.

  “Tal walks like a nobleman. Even when he hunches down and tries not to be noticed, I could recognize him.”

  “Why were you watching the gate?” Daelcor asked. “It was early when we left.”

  “Early for men, but women are up at that hour to prepare the morning meal, tending to the wash, and feeding the animals. I was getting fresh hay from the barn when I saw the three of you approach the gate from the stables. I wanted to call out, but it was clear you didn’t want to be seen. So I went to find Pitros and asked where you went, but he wasn’t at his house. His wife said he had accompanied you to the temple. I found him there with the serenes and woke him. He said you had left the evening before and went home to sleep.”

  “He said I was at the temple? I haven’t been to the temple in close to a year.”

  “Yes, you have the serenes brought to your room now,” Siande said.

  “Mother sends them and I send them away. They are her spies. Pitros must have used his night off to sleep with the serenes rather than go back to his wife.”

  “Men will often lie to women to be with other women,” she said.

  Jubaas grunted in agreement and Daelcor frowned at the scout.

  “Why did you want to find me, Siande?” Tal asked.

  Siande chewed on her lip for a few seconds. “I just… I wanted… What are you up to? You’ve been secretive these last few weeks. Meleus pretends like you aren’t, but I knew he would know and he isn’t a good liar.”

  “We’re on a mission from the King,” said Tal. “Sent off as an emissary to Evaemon.”

  Siande laughed. “No you aren’t. The king isn’t going to send you with only Meleus and a young priest on a mission. He would send a group of soldiers with you if you were traveling that far.”

  “It’s true,” said Meleus. “We had to sneak out of the city because the king wants it to be secret.”

  “Okay,” said Siande. “I’ll go back to the city then. I’m sure the king will explain it to me. Or if not me, then my father.”

  “No!” said Meleus. “I mean, we don’t have time for this nonsense and it would be a waste of your time because the king wouldn’t say.”

  “The girl’s right. You’re a horrible liar, Meleus,” Daelcor said.

  “Siande, it’s just something I have to do. I’ll be back in a few days.”

  “I don’t like this, my prince. You shouldn’t be running around without people knowing where you are.”

  “I’m a grown man, Siande. I can go where I please. Just don’t tell anyone.”

>   “Why can’t I tell? I worry for you. You’ve been acting strange.”

  Tal sighed and turned away from her. “What do you want Siande?” he asked.

  “Maybe I could go with you. It would be fun.”

  “This isn’t a trip for having fun.”

  “Please? I wouldn’t be a burden. I can act as a servant. I can cook for you and keep your camp.”

  “What do you know about being a servant?” Meleus asked.

  “I can cook, sew, clean, and tend wounds as well as anyone here.” She looked at Daelcor. “Well, the priest probably tends wounds better.”

  “And I can cook, sew, and tend the camp better than you,” Meleus said.

  “Yes, but aren’t you a soldier now? Your days as a servant are behind you, right?” she asked.

  “Well… yes. But Tal needs someone on the trip who can do those things.”

  “With your wound? I see you wince when you step wrong, Meleus. It hasn’t healed yet. And I can be of use.”

  “Siande, you can’t come,” Tal said.

  “Then I feel obligated to tell my father so he can inform the king one of his sons have decided to just leave the city for an undetermined length of time headed toward an unknown location.”

  “My prince, if I could speak,” Jubaas said.

  “Of course.”

  The scout nodded to the trees and Tal joined him a few steps away.

  “I’m assuming you wish no harm to come to her, so we really have but one option here. She is grown enough to serve us in camp, and she knows her mother’s eyes would tear up at her reputation of traveling with four men and no husband or brother, so if we allow her to go, it will be in her best interest to maintain secrecy as well as ours.”

  “Let her go with us? I don’t want to burden ourselves with her.”

  Jubaas looked over at Siande. “She seems capable enough.”

  “She’ll slow us down. She isn’t used to a hard life.”

  “Neither is the priest, and she shouldn’t slow us more than him.”

  Tal turned to the others. “Meleus, Daelcor, I want to speak with you. Siande, you just stay over there.”