Kethril

by Carroll, John H.

Liselle looked worried. She dashed by Sir Danth toward Tathan’s room. Vevin stopped and patted Sir Danth’s armored shoulder as he exited the room.

  Liselle dragged Tathan into the living room with Anilyia right behind. When they were all together, she confronted her cousin. “What did you do, Tathan? Why are troops surrounding the inn to arrest us?”

  “They’re surrounding the inn? That’s a bit extreme.” Tathan yawned and stretched before sitting with the princess on one of the couches. He avoided the question altogether.

  “What did you do, Tathan?” Liselle leaned forward dangerously with hands on her hips.

  Tathan stared at her with tired eyes and then sighed. The rogue looked around the room before resettling a guilty gaze on Liselle. “I killed the Holy Prophet of the Goddess Telemooo. He told me the fate of the world was in my hands if I didn’t save some sacred milk from carnivorous fairies. I just couldn’t handle it anymore, so I snapped.”

  “Tathan!” Disappointment washed over Liselle’s face. When he tried to explain, she held her palm up to his face and turned her head. Then she went to the door and stared at it, trying to decide what to do next.

  Sir Danth understood Tathan’s position. Priests were always difficult. Crazy priests were intolerable. He would have killed the man too. In fact, he wished it had been him instead of Tathan. It had been too long since he’d had some good battles. Perhaps he’d be allowed to kill the troops. His armor should enable him to take on an entire army single-handedly, but he hadn’t had the chance to test that theory.

  Liselle hit the door hard with the side of her fist. She turned and looked at each one of them with fire in her eyes. Sir Danth realized he probably wasn’t going to get to kill anyone after all.

  Tathan opened his mouth to speak, but Liselle narrowed her fiery eyes and he shut it. She turned and hit the door again. Fire was beginning to develop around her hands too. Liselle took a deep breath to calm herself. “Get dressed in travel clothes with weapons close. I don’t intend to fight, but they may not give us a choice.”

  A moment later, everyone was back in the living room, dressed and ready to go. Liselle scanned them. The worst of the fire was gone, but blue flames still ghosted behind her eyes. She didn’t say anything as she opened the door and entered the hallway, expecting them to follow.

  Sir Danth brought up the rear. He didn’t want to be in the way of Liselle or Vevin in case they decided to perform magic. Tathan was upset and Anilyia wasn’t a fighter, so it was best that he watched their backs to keep them from getting surprised. The fact that he could see through the back of his helmet made him the perfect candidate for rear guard anyway.

  Upon reaching the common room, they found it empty with the exception of two soldiers in front of the door. Those soldiers dashed outside at the appearance of the companions. Liselle stopped and looked back over her shoulder. Before doing anything else, she took a moment to cast a spell. Sir Danth’s armor recognized it as a beneficial casting and accepted the energy. It could have rejected the spell, but the armor was made to use anything beneficial. Liselle set her jaw and marched to the door.

  The day was overcast again and the drizzle seemed determined to show the peasants who was boss. Tathan and Sir Danth moved to either side of Liselle. Vevin stood behind her and the princess stood behind Tathan. The sight of troops lining the street greeted them. Archers with drawn bows stood to either side and in front, while swordsmen with blades drawn stood ready to rush after the first volley. Sir Danth thought it was a bit of an overreaction although he admitted to himself that they didn’t have enough soldiers.

  He scanned the troops and found four wizards. It was convenient of them to wear robes and stand in stances that indicated they were ready to release spells. By the tingle of magic in the air, they had already cast spells to protect their troops. That would complicate things. Sir Danth could tell when magic was being used, but had no idea what spells they were.

  Sir Danth guessed the person stepping forward was a general and the one behind him was a major. There were two captains shouting orders for men to hold steady on either flank. Most likely, there would be one or two around back as well. It wouldn’t be enough to overcome the companions, but it was a respectable showing.

  The officer raised a hand. In a powerful voice, he bellowed, “Tathan of the Shadows and companions, you are hereby ordered to appear before his royal majesty, King Cranwer. We are aware of your reputation, Tathan of the Shadows, and are prepared to subdue you if necessary.” He gestured toward the troops and wizards.

  Tathan took a step forward. “All that for me? I’m flattered, General . . .”

  “I am General Bormann, Commander of the Fourth Regiment of Kethril.” He snapped his heels together and gave a nod. The general looked to be in his late thirties with a touch of grey beginning to show in his light brown hair. His uniform was immaculate with the exception of mud marring his black boots. Sir Danth was pleased to see that the general was fit and stood with the casual confidence of a trained swordsman. Lazy, out-of-shape officers irritated the knight.

  Tathan nodded in greeting. “Nice to meet you, General. While I’m honored that the king would like to chat, I’m a bit busy at the moment and can’t spare the time.”

  General Bormann was very serious when he responded. “You are ordered to present yourself before King Cranwer. I will make every attempt to take you by force if you do not proceed willingly.”

  “I see,” Tathan replied while rubbing his chin. Liselle glared at him with arms folded. Sir Danth didn’t know how his friend was going to react. On one hand, the knight wanted to try his hand at taking them on. The inclusion of wizards made it all that much more challenging. On the other hand, he knew that Tathan would not want to endanger his cousin or the princess.

  “General Bormann!” The companions and soldiers turned toward a grey-haired wizard who was staring at Vevin. His voice was deep and filled with power. “You are not seeing everyone there. One of them is using an insidious illusion spell.

  “Remove the illusion immediately,” the general commanded. Sir Danth knew it was Vevin hiding his presence from the soldiers and that the wizard had a strong mind to see past it.

  Tathan turned and nodded to Vevin. The soldiers gasped when the illusion dropped. A younger wizardess spoke. Her voice was clear and rang like a bell through the air. “A dragon in human form! It is forbidden to kill a dragon.”

  As one, every soldier took a step back. The wizards stayed where they were, but looked nervous. Sir Danth was a bit jealous if he was being honest with himself. He liked to intimidate people, but in the company of his current friends, it was hard to do anything as impressive as they did and there was no way to top being a dragon.

  The female wizard spoke again. She was pretty, with silken brown hair and pink eyes. In his lifetime, Sir Danth might have courted her. He liked pink eyes the best and they had been rare in Morhain, though they were common in many other countries. “Humans and dragons have a treaty that requires them to act peacefully with each other. If we harm the dragon, it will bring a horde down upon Kethril.” She lowered her arms and released the magic she was holding into the ground. All attention was on her. “I recommend treading with utmost care, General.” She curtseyed to the officer.

  Vevin turned to Tathan and whispered, “I can’t kill them either. I’m not allowed to kill humans.”

  Tathan sighed. “General Bormann, I would ask why the king wants to see us. I don’t want to cause trouble, in spite of what you may have heard about me, but I’m not willing to rot in a jail or be hung either.”

  The general looked to either side and saw that the wizards had all released their gathered energy and that the bowman and swordsmen had tentatively lowered their weapons. “I understand your position, Tathan of the Shadows.” My regiment is prepared to fight you and your knight.” He gestured towards Sir Danth, who considered shifting and killing him for the easy dismissal. “However, no one is prepared to fight a dragon. I cannot tell
you what the king wants, as I do not know. I can tell you that he doesn’t like hanging people because it makes him queasy.” A few of the soldiers rolled their eyes. “I can also tell you that he puts very few people in prison due to the fact that it costs money and he likes to keep a tight budget.”

  “Take me then,” Tathan said. “Leave my companions as they have committed no offense.”

  The general shook his head. “My orders are to bring you and your companions, though I was only told of two, the knight and a woman with hair and eyes the color of yours. I am willing to let the dragon and other woman go free in order to keep the peace.” General Bormann looked hopeful at the thought of not having to escort a dragon.

  “I will not leave Liselle,” Vevin insisted in full dragon voice. It echoed off the buildings on either side of the street, shattering glass in a few of the nearby lanterns. He tended to be a bit protective. “She is my mate and I will fight to the death anyone who tries to harm her, regardless of the consequences.” The soldiers took another step back. Some took three or four. A child cried in the distance.

  The general wiped a hand over his face. “And what of the other woman? Who is she?”

  The woman in question stepped out from behind Tathan and raised her chin. “I am Princess Anilyia Felicia Romenia Illiath Turllisa Wannita Ullbra of Mayncal. These individuals are my rescuers and have been charged with returning me to my father, who will be very upset if we are delayed.”

  General Bormann was beginning to appear pale and nauseated. The female wizard who had recognized Vevin as a dragon stepped forward. “Dragons eat princesses. How is it that you travel with one?”

  Vevin raised a finger. “I promised not to eat her. It’s been difficult as she looks and smells very tasty, but I’ve succeeded.” Anilyia took a step away from Vevin, then she took another larger step, and then she moved around to the other side of Sir Danth for protection. He patted her on the shoulder in comfort while Vevin pouted at the distrust.

  “This is a bit more than I bargained for and a matter above my rank,” General Bormann said. “You will all come with me to appear before the king. He can make the decisions.”

  Liselle put her hand on Tathan’s shoulder. “We’re not going to fight them. Unless you have some other way for all of us to escape, I think we should take the offer.”

  Tathan sighed and nodded. Turning to the general, he said, “Very well, but we’ll need horses to ride and will be treated as guests of the state, not prisoners.” The rogue had to bargain even when in an un-winnable situation.

  “Yes, of course,” the general agreed, happy to get off so easily. The soldiers and wizards visibly relaxed. “I will escort you to get your things and we will leave right away. It’s a nine-day journey to Tillg by horse. May I trust your honor and the honor of your companions not to attempt an escape?”

  “You may,” Tathan responded, speaking for the group. Those words put Sir Danth in the position of being honor bound to do so. He hoped Tathan realized that. They led the general along with the older wizard up to their rooms. A couple of soldiers came to help with the bags.

  When they were ready to go, Tathan asked the general, “You said you don’t know why I have to see the king. Don’t you have any idea at all?

  General Bormann held his arms out to the side. “I really don’t know. Technically, I’m not arresting you. I’m escorting you as the guest of the king.” His mouth twitched in a restrained grin. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a willing or unwilling guest. I’m to use force if necessary. I must tell you that I’m extremely grateful I don’t have to try. Your reputation precedes you.”

  “What reputation?” Liselle and Anilyia asked in unison.

  “I must admit curiosity as to the details.” Sir Danth had asked Tathan about his past but the rogue always left out details. There were many mysterious things about his friend.

  The officer raised an eyebrow. “You mean you don’t know?”

  “Never mind that,” Tathan interrupted. He pushed the general out the door, leaving the companions to exchange glances. The older wizard followed to make certain his officer stayed safe.

  When they went outside again, the soldiers were all on horses. Five more were waiting for the companions. Sir Danth was impressed by how efficiently the entire regiment seemed to do things.

  As they rode off, patrons began to re-enter the inn, all the while staring at the departing riders. They would have quite the tale to tell about Tathan of the Shadows and his companions.

  Twenty minutes later, they were on the road to Tillg, ducking their heads from the rain that had begun to fall in earnest. More troops of the regiment joined as they rode. Sir Danth realized that a thousand soldiers had been sent throughout the city to capture Tathan of the Shadows and he began to wonder just who his mysterious friend really was.

  Chapter 10

  The rain stopped that evening and a tent was set up for the officers in a large meadow. General Bormann ordered another pitched for the companions while the troops pitched smaller ones throughout neighboring fields. There was laughter and talking while the encampment was set up in a flurry of activity. The grassy field was turning muddy from all the movement and rain had strengthened the smell of chainmail, leather and hair. Cooks made quick meals for the rank and file out of chuck wagons. It was a well-run regiment as far as Liselle could tell.

  A lieutenant escorted them to the officer’s mess tent on the other side of the camp. Liselle wondered why they were so far away. Perhaps the thought of having a dragon in camp bothered them. Liselle was curious why so many troops had been sent for her cousin.

  A few of the men stared at her and Anilyia. The princess seemed upset that they would dare to look, but Liselle wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She knew how Vevin felt about it though. He was doing an angry jig and glaring at every single man there. Upon seeing his sharp teeth, they became very industrious. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that either.

  Eight tables had been placed together to make one long dining table inside the tent. General Bormann was at the head and the grey wizard at the foot. Other officers sat on the right side of the table and six open seats were on the left side next to the female wizard who was thoroughly cleaning a fork with her napkin. She was the only one who didn’t stand when the companions entered.

  Tathan was about to sit next to the wizardess, but Anilyia firmly directed him away, ignoring his look of innocence. Liselle sat next to her instead. Vevin whispered in a way only Liselle could hear. “She smells yummy. I think she might have royal blood, but I promise not to nom her.”

  Liselle studied her as inconspicuously as possible. The wizardess’s robe was rich burgundy with pink stars and runes that matched her eyes, whereas the other wizard’s robes were the same blue as the uniforms the armed men wore. She was average height and had high cheekbones and a strong jaw. Liselle had seen a few people in Puujan and Alluu who had pink eyes and she liked the color. Tathan had told her they were common in northern kingdoms.

  “Thank you for joining us,” the general said as he and his men sat. “And thank you for your cooperation.”

  Neither Tathan nor Sir Danth responded. They weren’t happy about the situation and had been sulking the entire ride. Liselle responded to the thanks. “We appreciate your hospitality, General. You’ve been very gracious.”

  He beamed a surprised smile. “But of course. It is the least I can do under the circumstances. The dragon called you Liselle. That is your name then?”

  “Yes, and the dragon is my mate. His name is Vevin.”

  A few officers choked on their food. General Bormann paled. The only one who didn’t react was the wizardess who was wiping her plate before putting any food on it. “I’ve never heard of such a thing,” the older wizard said. “Does it violate the treaty?

  “No,” the wizardess replied. Everyone turned to her. It took her a moment to realize they were staring. She set the plate down and waved at Liselle even though they were sitting next t
o each other. “Hi. I’m Emmaoen. There’s no provision against dragons mating with humans, although it’s never done. It doesn’t matter since you’re not human . . . not completely human anyway.” She started putting food on the plate.

  The officers were looking very uncomfortable. Liselle didn’t like the attention being on her, so she cheated by turning to the general and asking a question that had been bothering her all day. “What has my cousin done that you had to bring a regiment?

  “Tathan of the Shadows is your cousin?” the general asked in surprise. “He is the most notorious criminal in the western kingdoms. I find it hard to believe you don’t know his reputation. Have you lived in a secluded valley all your life or something?”

  “Why yes, yes I have.”

  “Oh.” The general stabbed a piece of meat, stared at it and then set the fork down without eating. “I didn’t realize. Well it makes sense. You’re obviously too fair and innocent to travel with him if you knew.”

  That made Liselle angry. “I do know that only fools go out of their way to insult him, even if they have a thousand troops at their back.” She knew it was a stupid and bold statement, but she hated hearing her cousin insulted.

  The color drained from Bormann’s face. “You are correct, Liselle. My statement was unacceptable and I apologize to both you and your cousin.”

  “Thank you, General.” She took a bite of her food and concentrated on making the flames in her eyes settle down.

  Anilyia wasn’t satisfied though. “We’re still curious. Please tell us about Tathan’s escapades.”

  Tathan narrowed his eyes at the general. “Please don’t.”

  General Bormann gulped. He stared at both the princess and Tathan. Then he looked at his officers who found their food fascinating and refused to make eye contact. “Ahh . . . I think perhaps it would be best if you heard it directly from him.”

  “Your refusal says a great deal in and of itself, General.” Anilyia rested her elbows on the table and put her chin in her palms. “You’re not an especially brave officer, I must say.” The color came back to General Bormann’s face in anger.