The Crown Of Yensupov (Book 3)

by C. Craig Coleman

  “What’s this?” Saxthor asked.

  “That’s not right,” Tournak said. “People are spilling out all the gates in swarms, streaming away in all directions. They’re not merchants, some are prodding donkeys straining to pull over-laden carts. Others are carrying sacks, their children, straggling along behind. It’s a panicked exodus.”

  “No one seems to be entering the city,” Saxthor said.

  “They’re terrified,” Bodrin said. “Look at their faces, fear evident even from here.”

  “We’ll hike to the main road and see what’s going on,” Saxthor said. “We’re farmers from Botahar with satchels of goods for the Sengenwhapolis market, if they ask.”

  As they come near the capital, Saxthor approached an old man sitting hunched over at the side of the road, trying to catch his breath. “Excuse me Sir, what’s going on?”

  The old man looked the three over with a suspicious eye. “Go back where you came from. Don’t go into the city.”

  “What’s wrong?” Saxthor asked.

  “King Calamidese made a treaty with Dreaddrac that allowed their creatures to pass through the kingdom. Then he closed the borders to them and Dreaddrac’s ambassador had some sort of fit. There were fireworks shooting around in Sekcmet Palace last night. The light flashed all over the city. There’re many orcs in the city already. Rumor has it; the orcs to the south are marching here now to sack Sengenwhapolis.” He looked back with watery eyes at the metropolis. “You better take your friends and hide in the hills, too.”

  “We’ll come later, but first we must rescue my sister who lives near the palace,” Saxthor said, noting suspicious looks from the fleeing horde. Saxthor saw the old man’s eyes twitched. His hands trembled as he lifted the handles of his small, two-wheel cart. Filled with his few worldly possessions, the man strained to pull it back on the road. Saxthor picked up a box and secured it back in the cart. He pushed the cart to start it rolling, and the refugee trudged on up the road.

  “That old man had his entire world in that cart,” Bodrin said.

  Saxthor looked up at the city towering over them. “What do you know of Sengenwhapolis, Tournak?”

  “Sengenwhapolis is a major city packed in behind her high walls said to be thick enough for carts to travel along the top. King Calamidese V built these new walls after the Neuyokkasinians’ victory. The king feared your grandfather would continue to march north and seize the capital. These walls were a last defense against the expected invasion that never came. The Neuyokkasinians didn’t seek territorial expansion and stopped at the present border.”

  “The walls aren’t much use now that Dreaddrac forces are already in the city,” Bodrin said.

  “We have to get into Sekcmet Palace,” Saxthor said.

  The adventurers worked their way against a streaming current of fleeing civilians. No one stopped them at the city gates, and once inside the walls, the congestion got worse. It was difficult to make any headway against the surge.

  “Cut over to a side street,” Bodrin said.

  Tonelia asked directions to the Neuyokkasinian embassy.

  “You mean the old Talok-Lemnos embassy,” the man said. He pointed then hurried on his way, with pack over his shoulder. The troupe kept close together and worked their way along the streets, where people darted out of buildings and up or down streets.

  Groups of heavily armed orcs marched this way up a street, and troop of Sengenwhan soldiers sprinted that way. When the sounds of sword battles rang out in the distance, the crowds would press forward. Dust rose everywhere from falling stonework. The iron smell of blood spread with it. The clang of swords and shield thuds rang out from all over the city.

  The adventurers turned a corner and saw a group of orc soldiers, sacking a shop with the merchant, lying slain on the street. The further they moved into the city, the more chaotic the activity. As the civilians massed at the gates, the abandoned inner city teamed with looters and troops. They made their way past broken windows and smashed, empty packing crates.

  When the group got to the former Talok-Lemnos embassy, they pounded on the gate beneath the new ‘Neuyokkasinian Embassy’ sign. After repeated hammering, a soldier opened the viewing port.

  “What you want? We aren’t taking in anyone here.”

  “We’re Neuyokkasinians and demand to see the ambassador,” Saxthor said.

  “Wait here,” the soldier said. He closed the port.

  “Even in peaceful times it must be rare that anyone comes to the embassy claiming to be a Neuyokkasinian in Sengenwhapolis,” Tournak said as they waited.

  The ambassador himself opened the port to view the strangers.

  “Who are you? You there, the older, bearded man; didn’t I see you once at court with Wizard Memlatec?”

  Tournak moved closer; the others listened. “Why, yes, I used to serve as apprentice wizard under Memlatec. It’s been many years now.”

  “And who might these people be?” the ambassador asked. “Under the current circumstances, I can’t take chances on admitting Dreaddrac sympathizers to the embassy.” Guards stood on both sides of him.

  “This is Lord Bodrin Vicksnak de Vicksylva,” Tournak said, pointing. He turned to Tonelia, “And this lady is Miss Tonelia Tezentok of Hoya.”

  “Yes, and the other one?” the suspicious ambassador asked.

  “Well I think you might want to ask him that yourself, in private,” Tournak said, smiling at Saxthor.

  “You’re all Neuyokkasinian,” the ambassador said. “I suppose I should admit you, but don’t touch your weapons.” He turned to the guards. “Let them in, but maintain a tight watch on them. These people might be part of a plot to seize the gates from within and admit others to sack the embassy.”

  “Are things that bad?” Saxthor asked, passing through the gate.

  The ambassador looked hard at Saxthor, clearly wondering who would ask such a question. “The city has been in absolute turmoil since last night when a wraith appeared at court and threw another fit in the audience hall.” He turned to the captain of the guards. “Admit these three only.”

  Behind the travelers, the soldiers resealed the gate. Soldiers surrounded the troupe, while others stood ready to repel an attack on the gate.

  “Come with me,” the ambassador said. He led them into the embassy to the official reception hall, where he offered them seats and ordered some refreshments. The ambassador seemed to calm down and took his seat at a large desk.

  -

  “We need your assistance, ambassador,” Saxthor said, standing.

  Before he could say a word, the ambassador again looked at Tournak. “Who is this man?”

  “I am Prince Saxthor Claremendak Calimon de Chatronier of Neuyokkasin,” Saxthor said. He stood straight, facing the ambassador, his tone regal.

  The ambassador’s mouth dropped open, staring at Saxthor. He then looked at Tournak. Tournak turned up the palm of his hand and pointed to Saxthor, nodding to the ambassador. The ambassador’s eyes seemed to swell with the realization that his prince was standing before him. He studied Saxthor’s features, then jumped up before falling on the floor, groveling.

  “Your Highness, you must forgive your worthless ambassador for not recognizing your personage. No one’s seen you since you were a child. Have mercy.”

  Saxthor bent down, lifting the ambassador from the floor, and brushed him off. He patted the ambassador on the back.

  “You mustn’t apologize so. You’ve done nothing wrong. I thank you for your steady nerves in this crisis and for your kindness to strangers.”

  The ambassador continued bowing, asking for forgiveness, all the while blotting his sweating brow.

  “I’m so sorry about your mother, the queen,” the ambassador blurted out.

  Saxthor’s eyes flashed and he grabbed the ambassador with both hands. “Sorry? Sorry for what about my mother?”

  The ambassador paled, looked at Tournak, then at Bodrin, and back to Saxthor. “Could it be that Your
Highness doesn’t know about the queen?” He looked back again to Tournak, his eyes, pleading for help.

  “Of course he doesn’t know, we’ve been away for years,” Tournak said. He went to the ambassador and Saxthor released him. “What’s happened to the queen?”

  The shaking ambassador took Tournak aside. “Now I’ve blurted it out, and someone will have to tell him. In his pain, he’ll have me executed.” The ambassador turned back to Saxthor again and fell to the floor, “I’m so sorry, Your Highness.”

  “Stand up man, what’re you sorry about?”

  Bodrin stood up beside Saxthor putting his hand on his shoulder.

  “I am so sorry to be the one to tell you, Your Highness,” the ambassador said, through chattering teeth. “The queen -- your mother just passed away. We’ve just received the news here. Your Highness’ father, Prince Augusteros is Prince Regent in Konnotan now.”

  Saxthor stumbled, falling backward into a chair.

  “Mother died?” Saxthor stared at the ambassador, his eyes searching for a mistake.

  The ambassador nodded.

  Saxthor’s wet eyes blurred his vision. My memories of her show so much vitality, he thought. She can't be dead. I’ve not seen her since I was a child, and now I’ll never see her again.

  Bodrin, Tonelia, and Tournak rushed to Saxthor’s side as the ambassador collapsed prostrate on the floor. Saxthor recovered his composure and stood up. His cleared his throat, but spoke in a broken voice. “Please get up ambassador; it isn’t your fault that mother passed away.”

  Hesitant, the ambassador rose, watching Saxthor. Bodrin remained by Saxthor as Tournak and Tonelia sank back in their seats.

  “Did she suffer?” Saxthor asked.

  “We think not.”

  There’s nothing I can do for her now, Saxthor thought. I’ll do as mother would want me to do. I must concentrate on my responsibilities and my mission for her and our people. Success on this mission is all I can do for her now. I’ll double my efforts to succeed, honoring her memory.

  “Are you okay, Saxthor?” Tonelia asked.

  “All these years and I never got to see her again… We must complete our mission and return home as fast as possible.”

  “What may I do to help you, Your Highness?” the ambassador asked.

  “What’s the situation in the city?”

  “Last night the nobles and ambassadors assembled at the king’s dinner, when the banquet hall doors flew open, revealing the dead guards sprawled there. Dreaddrac’s ambassador stormed in with the most horrible of wraiths. The phantom seized the ambassador’s body, demanding to know why the king closed Sengenwha’s borders to his ally’s troops. The king wasn’t intimidated but restrained his anger behind narrowed eyes and pursed lips, facing down that hybrid monster.”

  “The king faced down a wraith?” Bodrin asked.

  The ambassador nodded, took a deep breath and continued. “Facing the wraith-ambassador, the king said he didn’t answer to anyone. He told the wraith he’d closed the borders and that was final. The wraith sizzled. It was as horrible a sight as I’ve ever seen. We were all terrified, but no one dared move. The wraith shot a wizard-fire bolt at the king, who dodged it, but panic erupted and guests raced for the doors.”

  “Having finally returned, the king’s wizard stood between the king and the wraith. He shot a fire bolt at the ambassador-wraith, but the specter deflected it and it hit a Sengenwhan merchant, killing him. The wizard held up his hand, mumbling some incantation. The wraith laughed and shot a fire-bolt at the wizard, whose power was no match for the wraith. The wizard fluttered to the floor as ash. I’ve never seen anything like it. Well, the rest of us jumped up and ran for the exit. You can well imagine.” The ambassador looked at Tournak, and then turned back to Saxthor.

  “What’s happened to King Calamidese?” Saxthor asked.

  “As I was leaving, I saw King Calamidese rushing from the banquet hall by another door. The king’s personal bodyguards tried to restrain the wraith, but it slaughtered them. I think the king escaped, but no one knows for sure.”

  “Is the king still in the Sekcmet Palace?”

  “The wraith released his fury around the banquet hall, hurling wizard-fire, creating total chaos. The king took advantage of the delay to gather his family. Rumor has it they fled the palace with the dignitaries.”

  Tournak and Saxthor exchanged worried looks. The ambassador continued. “Word spread about the guards’ destruction and the banquet hall chaos. The royal family’s escape and the palace panic spread turmoil through the city. Everyone packed and is now fleeing. The last to leave are looting the city, with the orcs just behind, sacking what’s left. It’s the end of Sengenwhapolis.”

  “And the wraith-ambassador?” Tournak asked. “What of him?”

  “No one knows where the wraith is. Reports have him all over the city. I think he’s still here.”

  “And the orcs, how did they get into the city to sack it?” Saxthor asked.

  “Many were already in the city. Dreaddrac’s ambassador requested that orcs be admitted to guard their embassy long before the wraith arrived.

  The ambassador walked to the window.

  “King Calamidese had permitted two cohorts as for any embassy, but as soon as Calamidese granted permission, the ambassador began bringing in large numbers of orcs every few days. No one knows how many got in. Orcs continued to enter the city until the wraith and ambassador made their demands known to the king. The king didn’t close the city gates to them until just days ago. Now it’s too late. The city’s defense is crumbling. We must all leave soon or be trapped here.”

  Saxthor turned to his companions. “Bodrin, take the ambassador and try to find the royal family. If you can, bring them here and hide them until I return. Tournak, you come with me to the palace. I must get to the queen’s apartments and find the Pool of Truth there.”

  The ambassador’s head jerked around, staring at him. “How do you know about the Pool of Truth in the queen’s apartments?”

  “He has friends in high places,” Bodrin said, before anyone else could answer.

  “I have so many questions, Your Highness,” the ambassador said.

  “I’m sorry, I must leave soon,” Saxthor said. “You must go ahead to locate the king and his family. You would know where to search.”

  Saxthor nodded to Bodrin, who took the ambassador by the arm and led him to the door. Saxthor took Tournak and they made their way through the streets, past the looting, to the palace. Twice they had to defend themselves with their staffs from parties of crazed looters, but mostly those people were interested in grabbing what they could, without confrontation.

  A block from the Sekcmet Palace, Saxthor and Tournak rounded a corner to find a group of orcs loaded down with plunder. When they saw two men with staffs, they were at first wary. In a hurry, Saxthor tried to avoid them, but the orcs decided to take on the two men. They dropped their loot and came after Saxthor and Tournak.

  Citizens, who had hidden in terror only moments before, rushed out to grab and run off with the treasures. That only infuriated the orcs more. Half the orcs took off after the spoils, and half stayed with the ogres in charge to attack Saxthor and Tournak, who unsheathed their swords, defending themselves.

  Sorblade’s glow terrified the orcs, and they fought half-heartedly. The men dispatched six before the remaining orcs gave in to their fears and fled. The captain, an ogre, was twice Saxthor’s size and he wielded a large rapier. He had a nasty scar across the left side of his face that had just missed his eye. An evil grin showed his large, yellowed teeth. His red eyes indicated he was either hyped in some spell’s aggressive trance or under the influence of some powerful herb. The creature was going to fight to the death, but Saxthor wouldn’t back down either.

  The two of them charged each other. The clanging of steel rang up and down the street. No one dared set foot in the road as the fight raged. One orc returned to help his captain, but Tournak shot an arro
w, and the orc fell in the street, as Saxthor and the ogre fought to exhaustion.

  Eventually, the ogre’s spent energy caused him to hesitate a fraction of a second, when withdrawing from a sword lunge. Saxthor took advantage of the exposure and drove his knife up into the ogre’s gut while forcing the ogre’s sword aside with Sorblade. A surprised look flashed on the ogre’s face. He looked down at the blood pouring down over his belt then looked up at Saxthor and struck once more at the prince. Saxthor was prepared and drove Sorblade into the ogre’s chest. The ogre stood there for a second. Saxthor jerked back his sword, and the ogre fell forward, dead, on the street.

  Sword in hand, Tournak came up beside Saxthor, looking down at the monster.

  “Where were you?” Saxthor asked, hunched over breathing hard.

  “I was right behind you,” Tournak said. He grinned. “After sneaking around the country, it was good to see some action.”

  “Great help there,” Saxthor said, “Next one’s yours.”

  At the palace gates, guards held back the crowds, but most people were jostling past. In the confusion, Saxthor and Tournak slipped by the guards, engaged with the crowd. The two men hurried through the deserted palace. They occasionally passed servants, trying to hide valuable treasures from orcs and other looters, but most servants had abandoned the palace after the royal family fled.

  Saxthor stopped one woman, scurrying past with a vase. “Where are the queen’s apartments?”

  Restrained by Saxthor, the woman struggled, refusing to give out any information to strangers.

  “I assure you I don’t mean to harm anyone or plunder the palace,” Saxthor said.

  The woman was shaking, and finally gave Saxthor directions. Released, she disappeared down the corridor.

  Saxthor and Tournak hurried up the grand staircase to the next level. They went through the demolished banquet hall at the head of the stairs. True to the rumors, there were several sprawled bodies around the room amid lots of overturned and charred furniture.

  The two men rushed through the banquet hall to the lesser of two doors at the back, leading to the women’s quarters for her entrance. They followed the corridor through the keep and up levels to the royal women’s enclave. The queen’s apartments were at the very end of the gallery. Saxthor and Tournak entered through the previously guarded door. Delicate treasures that had adorned the entrance hall were shattered or missing from their niches. Rich garments and other larger valuables were scattered through the rooms. The long-gone servants had taken the finer, smaller things with them.