The Mercenary Prince (Legends of Windemere Book 9)

by Charles E Yallowitz

  “I have you,” Dariana whispers as she hurries to her friend’s side. Placing her cool hand on the other woman’s forehead, she relaxes Nyx’s body and helps her breath through her narrowed wind pipe. “My brother left some magic in your neck. It’s strangling your vocal chords and making it hard to fully heal your throat. Until we remove it, you can’t talk and trying will aggravate your injury. I’m sorry, but you have to remain calm and depend on me to be your voice. I promise only to relay what you wish me to say.”

  Nyx is on the verge of tears and points at Delvin, her finger turning into a fist when he comes close. She gingerly hits him in the stomach and scowls while the warrior tries his best not to laugh. The others take seats around the bed with Timoran anxiously fiddling with the Compass Key that dangles from his neck. Nyx notices that Sari is meticulously adjusting her skirts, the gypsy blatantly making sure that her hip is covered. Remembering the injury, the half-elf reaches out to her friend and does her best to smile warmly. The response is Sari lifting her skirt to reveal a faint scar that she routinely lathers in a medicinal salve. Fizzle lands on the channeler’s pillow and peers into her eyes, his pupils dilating as he examines her aura.

  “Nyx lose magic again,” the drite announces, patting her on the head with his tail. “Not last too long. Big strain to hurt Stephen. Not sure what she do.”

  “My brother is dead. Delvin finished him off after Nyx removed his aura,” Dariana answers, sensing the question from her friends. She moves her hand to touch the channeler’s stomach, blushing when she realizes that a few of the half-elf’s memories are mixed up. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you nervous. To put you at ease, Stephen did not have his way with you. Your natural defenses and Queen Trinity repeatedly intercepted him. He came close several times though and . . . no need to cry.”

  Luke gently moves Dariana away before taking his best friend’s hand and moving some hair out of her eyes. “We were worried about you, but now you’re safe. Stephen is dead and won’t be coming back. After you and Delvin passed out, Trinity took his body back to the Baron. She said he would be destroyed for having turned on his father. I’m willing to believe her considering she was a prisoner too. Not sure what else to tell you. Just be happy that it’s finally over and we can continue without Stephen lurking in the shadows.”

  “The Compass Key is working again,” Timoran says while offering a glass of water. He goes back to examining the relic, aware that all eyes are on him. “Yet there are more important events to mention before getting to this. Delvin has been regaling us with tales of his adventures in the Yagervan Plains.”

  Nyx turns quickly and whimpers at the pain in her throat, the sensation making her think she swallowed tiny knives. She sits up in the bed and peers curiously at the unfamiliar silk gown that she is wearing. Sniffing at her arms and running her fingers through her hair, the half-elf realizes that somebody recently bathed her. Nyx stops herself from laughing at the bizarrely childish concern since she has more important things to worry about. Crossing her legs and getting comfortable, she stares at Delvin with eager eyes and puts her finger on Luke’s mouth when he attempts to speak.

  “Well, I know my parents are alive and my mother is the leader of our tribe,” the nervous warrior explains, unable to look directly at Nyx’s face. Part of him still feels guilty for leaving his friends, especially when he sees that some of them have been permanently scarred. “The bullies that left me on the ice floe became Dawn Fangs and tried to conquer the plains. My old mercenary friends died helping me, except for Tavris, who is now a vampire. He’s being taught their ways by this woman named Mab, which is really complicated. Uh . . . I’m considered a hero of the region and promised to return to introduce you to my parents. As a friend, unless we’re more than friends at that point. The only other thing that happened is that I found out I’m something called a fount. The best explanation I can make is that I’m a repository of aura even though I can’t cast spells. I’m still experimenting with ways to use it, but I can kill Dawn Fangs in one blow and can stop myself from bleeding. At least I could before, but this power doesn’t seem to be consistent. I’m sure we’ll learn more when I get to my temple and face my challenges. Timoran is next, right?”

  “That is where things get confusing,” Luke replies, gesturing for the barbarian to activate the Compass Key. The awkward tension causes him to rub his palms against his saber pommels until Nyx pinches his arm. “Personally, I think we’re being punished. Although the gods haven’t turned up to answer our questions or respond to our blatant insults.”

  Timoran holds out the relic and runs his thumb over the central pearl, the magical heat making him edgy. Taking a deep breath, the nervous barbarian focuses his energy on the obsidian orb. The black piece glows as the image of an upside down hill with a door appears above the Compass Key. Before anyone can speak, the amber orb shines and fires a beam at Delvin. The energy passes through the warrior and returns to the pearl, which is rapidly spinning in the silver setting. Another image materializes next to the first, this one of a towering mountain surrounded by jungles and waterfalls. The top of this second location is covered in clouds that shower illusionary rain onto the Compass Key. At the base of the mountain are what appear to be huts, but only the peaked tops can be seen.

  “Two temples are active or in danger or something,” Dariana says, breaking the silence and putting a cool hand on Nyx’s arm. Reading her friend’s surface thoughts, she does her best to help the half-elf remain calm. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know if this is normal. No champions have ever made it beyond their first temple. We have until Nyx is healed to decide on a course of action. She shouldn’t be moved until her voice is back and her throat has been completely healed. At this stage, even a glancing blow to the area could kill her.”

  “I have offered to put my temple on hold since it is my fault that this happened,” Timoran announces while letting the Compass Key drop against his chest. He is unnerved by the images remaining instead of vanishing like they have done in the past. “Aintaranurh is open and part of my people’s culture. It is not a hard place to find or access, so it can wait. Delvin’s temple is more mysterious and unknown.”

  “It’s obviously in the southern jungles,” Sari states while examining the illusions. She tries to part the clouds at the top of the mountain, but stops when a jolt of pain knocks her out of her chair. “I can’t manipulate them for more information, but I recognize the trees from traveling along the jungle’s northern edge. Maybe Queen Ionia has a map of the region and we can locate this mountain. At the very least we can learn the names of a few places and avoid getting lost. I hear there are outposts throughout the area and it’s divided into several provinces. Though the rumors say that these territories are constantly shifting because of wars, marriages for peace, and local disasters. Anyway, once we get beyond the coast, those names will help a lot.”

  “Then we go to hot jungle?” Fizzle asks as he zips around the illusions. He notices that Delvin is stroking his chin and muttering to himself. “Do we agree on plan?”

  “We go for Aintaranurh first,” the warrior claims while undoing his bandages and revealing he is fully healed. He holds up his hand to stop Timoran from arguing and offers his friend a crudely made flask full of a mild wine. “Your temple is nearby while mine is on the other side of Ralian. It makes no sense to go to the jungles and then come back to where we are now. Since we don’t have to search for Aintaranurh, it won’t take that long.”

  “There are other factors that will delay us,” the barbarian argues, a chill running up his spine. Not wanting to argue with his friends and say something he will regret, Timoran sighs and takes a small sip from the flask. “Yet you do have a point. The Compass Key is warning us that two temples are in danger and we must face the nearest threat. To do otherwise would be foolish and run the risk of giving the Baron an even greater advantage.”

  Nyx slips out of her bed to get a closer look at the temple illusions, her bare feet p
adding across the warm floor. When she reaches out to touch the Compass Key, a burst of magic races along her arm. A tattoo of the relic appears on her chest and can be seen through her clothes even when she tries to cover up with a sheet. When the illusions fade away, the marking vanishes from sight, but Nyx checks down her shirt to see that it is now a tattoo on her skin. Crossing her arms and tapping her foot, the annoyed half-elf is about to try and speak when she remembers her injury. The air in the room gets heavier as the channeler remains frozen with her toes off the ground and not even the movement of her chest can be seen. A trickle of blood runs out of her nose and weaves around to her ear, the liquid flowing back into her head. Minutes pass before Nyx is freed from the disturbing paralysis and abruptly punches her bed. Grinding her teeth, she kicks the metal frame and gurgles in pain while Timoran helps her limp to a chair.

  “Gabriel sent her a brief message. It appears we have to split up,” Dariana says as she hears the god’s voice in Nyx’s head. She picks up on the urgency of securing the temples along with the anguish of her friend. “The incident with the dolls and Yola Biggs along with this most recent delay has given my father a chance to increase his influence over the temples. He is still searching for mine, but the ones connected to Delvin and Timoran are in danger. Both need to be located and cleansed immediately, which is why Nyx has been turned into a temporary Compass Key. Once she is used to open a temple and we are reunited, the blessing will be lifted. So some of us go with Timoran and the others go with Delvin. I’m sorry, but we don’t have a choice unless we want to risk my father breaking his seal before we’re ready.”

  “Can we wait for Nyx to be healed?” Delvin asks, kneeling in front of the half-elf. He gently touches her bruised neck, pulling away when he sees tears in her eyes. “I think I know how to divide our forces, but I need to know if we have any time to wait. If we do then I can make an even better plan.”

  Dariana stares apologetically at the anxious channeler, knowing that the woman will hate the answer. “Gabriel does not recommend it. In fact, he is already angry with you for causing the most recent setback. Yet the final decision is in our hands. We’re afforded some free will after all, which means you can wait for her to heal and take her with you.”

  “But we don’t know if her magic will be back too,” Delvin replies, turning away to sit on a nearby windowsill. With so many ideas buzzing in his head, he gazes at the midday sun and nearly loses his train of thought. “I’m going to take the real Compass Key because Nyx will go with Timoran. His group can wait for her to heal because they have less distance to travel. Once you’re done with his temple, you can come to the jungles and track my shield’s magic. I’m sure Nyx has a way to reverse the enchantment even from a distance. That’s if you can’t simply ask around for information. Dariana and Sari will go with Timoran too. That gives him a well-rounded group in case of a fight. I plan on locating my temple and waiting for the rest of you to arrive, so all I need is a tracker and Fizzle’s magic.”

  Sari sneaks over to Nyx and leans over to whisper, “Have Dariana tell Delvin that you love him. I know it isn’t ideal, but you have to say something.”

  “I already tried to convince her,” the telepath states in the gypsy’s mind. Both of them see the frustration etched on the channeler’s face, the image of the Masterson ring flickering in all of their minds. “She’s wishing she could kill my brother again since he seems to have gained a minor victory. After all, her words coming through my mouth wouldn’t be the same. She only gets one chance at this and she’s determined to have her voice be the one to speak from her heart. There’s nothing we can do.”

  “I’m not going to let it end like this,” Sari growls, cringing when Nyx pinches her arm. The blue-haired woman smiles and pats the half-elf on the cheek. “Luke should go with Timoran and I should go with you, Cunningham. The jungles tend to require river travel, which means I’ll be of more use. Luke is much better suited for the mountains and forests of the North due to his experience. Honestly, I could list many other reasons why you should take me along. Not the least of which is that I need to make sure you don’t disappear on Nyx again. Call it a little sister’s irritating duty.”

  Luke looks hurt and confused as he walks over to Sari. “Are you doing this because you want to get away from me?”

  “We just spent a long time apart, lov . . . Lu . . . dummy,” the gypsy answers, stumbling over her own words. She playfully smacks him across the face before giving him a hug. “This isn’t about you or me. We’re heading in the right direction, so we don’t have to worry. My reason for going is because Nyx needs you and Delvin needs me. It’s all about them, so don’t disappoint me by letting our big sister get depressed. Even if you have to piss her off every few hours, get the poor thing to laugh. You know, talking about Nyx like she isn’t here doesn’t have the same amount of fun when she can’t talk.”

  “Then I guess everything is settled,” Dariana states, putting an arm around Nyx. She sighs at the sensation of the half-elf’s misery and frustration. “I will help keep Nyx’s spirits up even though I’m not as funny as Luke. Is there anything else to discuss or can we enjoy what little time we have left?”

  Clearing his throat, Timoran hands the Compass Key to Delvin and nods his head toward the table. The shorter warrior notices a pile of papers, a battered quill, and an unopened bottle of wine. Pretending to yawn, the barbarian smiles and turns to silently usher his friends out of the room. With a pout, Sari slips under his arm to give Nyx a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. A gentle smack on the butt makes the playful gypsy laugh before Luke and Dariana hook her arms to lead her away. The door closes with a soft click, leaving the pair alone and in awkward silence.

  “So I have some magic rings that make coffee,” Delvin says while walking to the table. He pushes the paper in front of a chair, which he pulls out for his sullen companion. “You can write to me and I’ll talk. The others know the basics, but I’m more than happy to tell you everything until dinner. Gabriel won’t mind if we rest up and leave in the morning. I promise that I won’t make you cry this time.”

  Nyx smirks and takes a seat to write the message ‘I will never forgive you if you do that ever again’. The warrior chuckles while pulling out the box of enchanted rings and choosing the brew that tastes like chocolate. Over the next few hours, the pair enjoy their drinks and catch up on the time they lost. Through it all, Nyx never gets to tell Delvin how she really feels and fears that she may never get another chance.

  *****

  There are no prayers or funeral rights as Baron Arthuru Kernaghan drops the remains of his son into a swarm of young demons. Lightning dances across the dark clouds of the Chaos Void and the land rumbles whenever a crack of thunder erupts from the storm. Screeches and squeals rise from the darkness as the evil larva feast on the unexpected meal. Many of them abruptly grow into adulthood, their aura affected by Stephen’s potent energy. The newborn Spurges and Eblems wander into the gloom in search of someone who can explain why they are suddenly in their mature forms. Lesser demons crawl out of the swarm and quickly escape, their primal minds fearing that they will be robbed of their power. The Baron quietly watches the creatures and listens to them devour the rest of his son’s corpse.

  “I don’t like to see him in pain like this,” Yola whispers while she sits in a crimson rocking chair. The former goddess rubs her bloated belly and reaches out with extra arms to do the same to Trinity. “We get to be birth sisters. I’ll make sure to time mine for when yours is ready. That way we only have to plan one party a year and the cake can be the size of an elephant-sized mouse. You know Windemere used to have those before my brother complained that they made no sense. Apparently, the world couldn’t produce enough cheese and seeds for them to stay alive.”

  “Is he really hurt?” Trinity asks, backing away and slipping behind her friend’s chair. A plush sofa appears beneath her and she gladly lays down. She glances at her stomach that has grown since her connection to
Stephen was severed. “I know he loved his son even though they were at odds a lot of the time. There was the betrayal and Stephen’s overall behavior, which explains why he wasn’t revived. Do you think the master is going to take his anger out on me since I didn’t save his son?”

  Yola opens her belly to take a peek at the developing child, her attention trapped by the curious creature inside. She closes her stomach when she senses Raksha slipping under the rocking chair. The black and orange cat weaves around the woman’s legs until a bolt of lightning sends the beast racing through the nearby portal. With a pout, the green-haired immortal gets to her feet and creates an extra pair of legs out of her bulging midsection. The four limbs move in unison as she sits next to her friend, who is clutching her own stomach.

  “That child is growing very quickly,” Yola says, plucking off the new limbs and tossing them over the cliff. She slips her hand through the chaos elf’s bellybutton to tickle the squirming baby. “It’s because of Stephen’s aura and him being a Chronos. I don’t know if you can survive a child like this. To be honest, I can’t even tell if the baby will survive.”

  “I guess Stephen gets a final shot in and takes me with him,” Trinity laughs before a wave of agony runs through her gut. With a calming breath, the channeler uses her own magic to slow the baby’s growth and give herself some peace. “That bastard ruined everything. He left our side of the game weakened and in chaos. The champions can get ahead of us and the only field agents we have are pregnant. Do we even know where we have to go next?”