DAWN OF THE PHOENIX

by A. J. STRICKLER

  The last of the storm was heading to the south. He watched the distant lightning crack across the sky. The cool, wet air felt good, it had been humid in the stable. He felt much better outside.

  The footfalls were muted by the wet ground, but he heard them before the woman came around the corner of the stable. She was dressed in a black robe. Her hair was a deep red, falling unbound down past her shoulders, and she left enough of the robe open to show her ample cleavage. She was an exquisite beauty, even with the look of surprise on her face when she nearly walked into the point of his sword.

  Kian saw the fear in her eyes and something inside him liked it. “There is no reason to harm me, swordsman, I’m not your enemy. I have come to try and help you.”

  Kian could smell her. Besides a hint of cinnamon, he could smell an unnatural sent. He had smelled it before in the Dark One’s tower… Magic.

  “I need no help from a sorceress,” he growled.

  “Very well then, will you accept help from a friend?”

  Kian looked at the beautiful redhead. She seemed believable, but he couldn’t take the chance. “I will heed my own council, woman. Perhaps you are a friend, but I don’t know you and for now, I think I will keep it that way.”

  “At least let me tell you about the sword you took from the tower. It’s a very dangerous weapon.”

  He had almost forgotten the strange sword he had found in the tower. He was curious about it. What could it hurt to find out about the unusual blade?

  “First your name, so if you lie to me, I know who it is I will hunt down.”

  “I’m called Scarlett and you are right, I am a spell caster.”

  “I already know that, witch. Say what you came to say. I have no time for magic or those who wield it.”

  An ironic smile came to her beautiful face. Kian found it hard to stay on guard and he lowered his sword. Her smile became one of genuine happiness, making her truly radiant. He knew he couldn’t harm her now and he could see she knew it too.

  “You have a right to hate magic. I know what happened to you, but Kian, you should make peace with magic, now it is part of who you are. You are an enchanted creature, swordsman. ”

  Kian lowered his head with a look of misery.

  “I didn’t mean that in an unkind way. You are unique, one of a kind, Kian. In the entire world there is no one like you. You must understand that.”

  He shook his head. “You think that makes me happy? I’m little more than a monster now, a freak. I cannot even pretend to be human anymore.”

  The witch put her hands on her hips. “You are what you make yourself. So you can be just a monster or you could be much, much more. Your actions will make you what you are, not a madman’s sorcery. You could be a warrior without equal, Kian. Think about what you could do with a sword now. There is a world of people you could help.”

  Kian couldn’t help but feel better when she talked. The red-haired witch sounded like his mother. He could almost believe what she was saying.

  “I must hurry before any of my sisters find out I talked to you. They would not like it. They already think I’m too much of a busybody.

  “First, I should warn you the weapon you now carry was never meant to be in the hands of a mortal. The sword’s name is Malice. You must take great care with it. It may look like a sword, but it is much more.”

  Kian looked at the blade. “It is magical then?”

  Scarlett rolled her eyes. “It was forged for a god, so yes, it is magical.” She looked over her shoulder as if expecting to see someone. “I must hurry. I will find you again when I can. Just know that some of the events that are happening now are being manipulated. Your friends with the blood didn’t meet by chance, but you, Kian, weren’t part of the plan. Take care of them, you may be the only one who can.”

  “What plan? What are you talking about?”

  “There is no time. I will find you again.” She took a step back and vanished. He could still smell the cinnamon.

  Kian eased himself back through the door. “Were you outside?” K’xarr asked. Kian nodded, but said nothing.

  “You should let us know when you go out. I don’t want anything happening to you, now that you have your senses back.”

  “As you wish, K’xarr. I just needed some air,” Kian said.

  “Let’s go over this one more time,” K’xarr said.

  The man he now knew as Ansellus started again. “It’s going to take me some time, but I can rally the rest of the nobles in Bandara to the princess’s cause. It won’t be many men, but it’s more than we have now. There are others who owe me favors. I will see if I can collect on those debts, but it’s going to take time, and I don’t know if we have enough of that.”

  “How long are we talking about?” K’xarr asked.

  “It depends on how long Cain can hold on in the north,” Ansellus said, scratching his head. “Months, maybe a year. I really don’t know. She needs an army and there isn’t one. If Havalon defeats Cain and takes Turill, we will be hard pressed to get him out. As much as I hate to admit it, he’s a fine commander. If Cain loses and the Abberdonians attack Turill, someone will have to hold on here while I gather the princess her army.”

  “I guess that someone would be us?” K’xarr said. “Listen, General, you said there is an army of ten thousand camped just a few miles from the city and I have the people you see inside this barn. How can I hold on with that? As of right now, we don’t even have anything to hold.”

  “You're right, the palace must be first. The men that Blackthorn has are still Bandarans. If we are rid of the duke, then I feel I could sway the men of Braxton Bluff to our cause. I know many of them from the past. If they know the queen is the true heir, I feel sure they will join us,” Ansellus said.”

  K’xarr shook his head. “It seems like a remote possibility that we can even secure the palace. There is the city watch, and the princess said there were several of the Royal Guard still inside the palace. That’s just the start of things. What about her brother’s army, and let’s not forget the Abberdonians?”

  Ansellus folded his arms. “One thing at a time. First, we take the palace.”

  K’xarr took a deep breath. “Look, General, I’m not a patient man and I understand this will take time, but we have nothing to start with but an old general and a young girl and a handful of mercenaries. How can we snatch a kingdom with that?”

  Raygan put her hand on Ansellus’s arm and stepped forward. “I know we didn’t get off to a very good start, K’xarr, but I hope you will help us. If God sees fit to let me ever come to power in Bandara, I will reward everyone who helped me very handsomely.”

  K’xarr looked at Cromwell, and the big man just shrugged. “Okay, I will try to help come up with a plan, but know this: I’m not going to sacrifice my men for nothing and I don’t fight for lost causes.”

  The princess covered her mouth and seemed to shake off a chill. “I agree to your terms, K’xarr.” Then she threw up all over the stable floor. “Oh, I am so sorry. I don’t…” Ansellus grabbed her as she fainted.

  She came to just as the sun was rising over the city. She lay in a pile of hay in a horse stall. Rhys sitting beside her. “What happened?”

  The healer wiped the sweat from her brow with a wet cloth. “You just fainted, Highness. You are going to be fine.”

  “I’m not sick, am I?”

  Rhys slowly shook his head. “No, Highness, you’re with child.”

  Delmar Hide had become Commander of the City Watch when King Cain took the throne. Everyone had praised him and told him how wonderful a job he would do keeping the city safe. He had proven them right, until last night. Now he waited in the throne room to face Duke Blackthorn’s wrath.

  Captain Hightower was the only other person in the huge room. Delmar thought that the Captain of the Royal Guard must have been summoned as well; at least he hoped that was why the captain was there.

  The door slammed open from the king’s private study
behind the throne. Duke Blackthorn came out with Delmar’s report in his hand. “Commander, I want to know why you didn’t bring the princess back here after I told you where she could be found.”

  Delmar’s eyes grew large, he had never seen anyone that furious before. “You were right, Your Grace, we found her at the healer's, but she had help. Warriors were inside this Rhys Morgan’s home. She escaped from us, but my men are still looking. I won’t rest until she’s found. You have my word on that, Your Grace.”

  “You lost twenty-three men last night and several more are still missing. How did that happen? Did she have a company of Asconan Knights with her?”

  “No, my lord, just a handful of fighters, but the men said one was some kind of demon.”

  The duke wadded up the report and threw it at Delmar, hitting him right on the nose. “You are going to tell me that your excuse for losing the princess is that your men were attack by a demon?”

  “No, my lord, that’s just what some of the men reported.”

  “Get out of my sight, Commander.” Delmar turned on his heel and left the throne room.

  “Captain, how many men do you have left in the city?”

  The captain thought for a moment. “Forty-two, my lord.”

  “How many does the city watch number?”

  “After last night, maybe one hundred and seventy, give or take.”

  The duke thought for a moment. “You take command of the watch and find the princess. Use the Royal Guard if need be, but find her.”

  The captain saluted. “It will be done, my lord.” He turned and started out of the throne room.

  “Oh, Captain,” the duke called out.

  Captain Hightower turned to face Duke Blackthorn again. “Yes, Your Grace?”

  “Please kill Commander Hide’s demon too, if you run across it.”

  Captain Hightower grinned at the duke’s wit. “Gladly, my lord.”

  K’xarr had been thinking on what Ansellus had said about taking one thing at a time. He had never led more than a five-man raiding party, but he wasn’t going to tell anyone that. This was his chance to make his mark in the world. He had thought of a scheme, though he had no idea if it would work. He decided he would keep up the front that he knew what he was doing. Motioning the old general over to him, he said, “I have a plan to take the palace, but I need a few things.”

  Ansellus looked surprised. “Well, everything I have thought of will get us all killed, so I am willing to listen to whatever you have come up with.”

  K’xarr felt a small wave of pride. His plan would most likely see them killed as well, but he relished the fact a seasoned general was going to listen to his proposed tactics. “Here is what we will need: a few horses.”

  Ansellus stroked his beard. “That should be no problem at all. I would say the ones we rode in on might still be where we left them. What else?”

  “Well, a lot of luck, enough spine to even try this, and Kian. By the way, how much do the people of Bandara like their little princess?”

  “They have always loved Raygan. Why?”

  K’xarr laid out his plan for the general. Ansellus just looked at the Camiran with wonder.

  “You are a madman. That is the most foolhardy plan I ever heard of. I unfortunately have nothing else to offer and I truly wish I did.”

  “There is no time for anything else, Ansellus. It won’t take the watch long to hunt us down. If we are going to do this, it must be now. To have any chance, we have to get behind the walls of the palace and put the princess in power, else we will be finished in a matter of days. “It will also give you a chance to sway Blackthorn’s men to our cause. Whatever you do, keep Blackthorn’s army out of the city until we take the palace. I’m sure they will listen to their old general.”

  “You might be right, but if this lunacy doesn’t work, we're all dead men.”

  K’xarr clapped the general on the shoulder. “Aye, but a quick death is best. Right?”

  No one liked his plan or thought it would work. K’xarr didn’t care, he had bullied all of them into it anyway. When he thought something was right, there was no changing his mind. Besides, he couldn’t think of anything else and he wasn’t going to tell anyone that either. He had never planned something like this. Ansellus just assumed he knew what he was doing. The old general putting his faith in him had fed his ego, but now he realized that people were counting on him and it made him a little apprehensive. After all, he was just a Camiran, a warrior from the Harsh Coast, what did he know about leading anything? It was too late now anyway, he was going through with it no matter what the others said.

  Kian had been the only one who had not tried to change his mind. The half-elf seemed undaunted by the others’ reservations. K’xarr felt a little guilty about Kian’s blind faith. He hadn’t told the swordsman or anyone else the extent of the half-breed’s part in the plan. If he had, no one would have agreed to it.

  Rhys knew an elderly couple that had agreed to take care of Endra’s children for the day. They had also left Nick Nock behind to help watch after them. The cook had become the children's unwilling keeper. The portly young man wouldn’t be any help to them today anyway.

  K’xarr told Nick and the older couple that someone would come back for the children by nightfall. He didn’t tell them that if this didn’t work, they would have the children a lot longer than just a day.

  Rhys started out that morning on the north side of town where he had practiced his medicine. The healer began gathering as many people as he could. It had gone well. Rhys was very respected and most of the people he talked to owed him for helping them when someone in their family had been sick or injured. K’xarr had been right about Rhys. He was charismatic and well spoken, the people of Turill would listen to him. It also didn’t hurt that most of the city was unhappy with the king’s new taxes. Within a couple of hours, a large crowd had gathered to listen to the healer.

  By noon they had acquired enough horses and people to start out for the palace. Only the citizens of Turill and Kian were on foot, the rest of them were on horseback. Endra had found Kian a leather vest and a pair of riding boots from somewhere. Being fully dressed made him look a little less wild. His golden eyes darted back and forth. K’xarr didn’t think he would miss any threat that might approach them.

  The princess had issues with her attire, complaining that she was not wearing the right clothing for riding and needed at least a day to prepare for the procession. Raygan told them there was no way she was going to ride through the city after spending the night in a barn. She was relentless about it. K’xarr had held his temper as long as he could. In the end, he had finally told her to shut up and do as she was told. Of course, that had set her off with threats and a lecture on how to speak to royalty.

  He had laughed at her fit and that had not gone over very well either. K’xarr had told her it was her and not what she was wearing that would win over the crowd. She seemed to take that as a compliment and let the matter drop.

  K’xarr was glad he didn’t have to deal with the princess every day. She was a beauty to look at, but ugly to listen to. Maybe that would change when this was over, but he had little hope of it. The warrior tried to remember she was little more than a girl, and if they were successful, the weight of a kingdom at war would descend onto her shoulders. It was just hard to have much sympathy for her when she opened her mouth.

  K’xarr was also a little worried about Vandarus and Rufio being wounded, but both men swore they could handle the ride. He was proud of them. They were men of courage and the longer he travelled with them, the more he realized how much he could count on them. Trust was a rare thing among mercenaries, but Vandarus and Rufio had earned his.

  Within minutes of starting out, their small group was surrounded by a cheering mob of well over a hundred people, and every street they passed added more to the princess’s swarm of well-wishers. They chanted and yelled for their princess. They really loved the young woman. K’xarr couldn’t f
igure out why, but they did. Ansellus told him she was popular with the commoners, but K’xarr had been unprepared for the reception the city gave her.

  He had to give it to Princess Raygan. She played the part well, waving and smiling to the crowd, touching the hands of those that reached out for her. As he observed her with her people, it occurred to him that she might not be playing a part. She really seemed to care about her subjects. It surprised K’xarr because she was such a little harpy most of the time.

  They had encountered a few of the city watch, yet none had offered to even approach the princess. It was either fear of the people or of the man that walked in front of the princess’s horse that held them back.

  Kian stalked through the crowd with his sword unsheathed and held low. If he was nervous or afraid, he didn’t show it. His expression was severe. With his black hair hanging down in his eyes, he looked completely untamed.

  K’xarr knew Kian was playing no part and the fear and unease that they all felt seemed to have no hold on him. He knew the half-elf that he met in Thieves Port was gone.

  No fear showed on K’xarr’s face either. It was there, but he hid it well. He had a right to be a little afraid, though, because what his plan really hinged on was a crazy half-breed and a very young princess. If they couldn’t pull off their parts in this little play, they were all dead.

  The two women were watching the procession make its way through Turill from the roof of a tailor’s shop. The sign on top of the building hid them from the crowd’s view. The princess had just ridden into the Great Market. “Look at their courage, Raven, how bold they truly are.”

  The woman turned to her companion. “I expected no less.”

  “The barbarian woman is much more beautiful than I had heard, don’t you think?”

  “You think he would have chosen an ugly woman, Shamira? Where is Scarlett? I told her to meet us here.”

  Before the other could answer, a redheaded woman appeared beside them. She shook out her auburn locks and addressed the other two women. “You wanted to see me, Raven?”