“That’s the stupidest shit I have ever heard, Cromwell, think about what you’re saying.”
“It is true. Vinteytium does exist and I will go there one day.” The Toran punched K’xarr in the face, hard enough to knock him down. Then he sat down on the rancid mattress like an angry child.
K’xarr rubbed his jaw. He was in no condition to fight with Cromwell, but he knew how to hurt him. “Pray all you want, see if the gods get us out of here, you over-sized boar.”
Cromwell hung his head, dirty hair falling down to cover his face. “Vinteytium is there, waiting for me,” he muttered.
K’xarr looked down at the Toran and smiled grimly. “If what you said is true, oaf, it’s the Reaper that waits for you. You won’t die in battle, your wounds will fester and you will perish shaking with chills and mad with fever. Then the Reaper will drag you to Hell and you will know agony and despair for all eternity.”
Cromwell said nothing. K’xarr knew he had said too much. Cromwell was his sword-brother and had always stood by him, and the fool truly believed in all that religious tripe. He had taken out his anger at being helpless and imprisoned on the big warrior. “Stop sulking, you overgrown child. If they won’t let you in to Vinteytium, we’ll kick the damn gate down and go in anyway. Maybe we’ll kick Fane in the ass and just take the place for ourselves.” K’xarr heard Cromwell chuckle. At least he could let the Toran die believing in his idiotic fantasies. He twisted his hands on the filthy bars of the cell, wishing he too had something to believe in.
The snow was almost gone but the cold mornings still froze the wet grass, making it crunch as her horse walked through it. Endra spotted the two men walking through a frosty field. She had been gone from Turill over a week now, the whole time wondering if Kian was alive or dead. Now she knew.
She rode towards the two men. It was not hard to tell it was Rhys and Kian, she would know them anywhere. Her belly had begun to hurt a bit yesterday and it was worse today. The child inside her was having a fit. She didn’t know who she was happier to see: Rhys or Kian.
This baby didn’t feel anything like the other three she had borne. She loved Kian, but Endra was becoming more and more afraid of what was growing in her womb. Her people were unaccustomed to magic and had a simple people’s fear of it. She needed to talk to Rhys about what was happening inside her.
She rode up in front of the two, smiling from ear to ear. “I knew you would find a way to escape,” she said, sliding off her horse. Endra could see both men were hurt. She took Kian by the shoulders, pulling him to her and kissing him fiercely.
Rhys cleared his throat loudly. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but what are you doing out here, Endra?”
She looked from Rhys to Kian, her smile fading. “Turill has fallen by now, Havalon’s entire army was preparing to attack when I left. He had called his sons back from the north. K’xarr sent me to find you, but I know he couldn’t have held the city for this long. The witches deserted us and he had few men left.”
“What witches?” Both men said at once.
Endra shook her head. “K’xarr had employed six sorceresses. I don’t know where they came from, but they were keeping Havalon out of Turill.”
“Dealing with witches can’t be a good idea,” Rhys said.
Endra shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now, they’re gone, and if the city hasn’t fallen, it soon will.”
Kian said nothing, he knew K’xarr’s witches had to be the ones he had seen before. He thought it best not to mention his encounters to the others.
Rhys clasped his forehead and closed his eyes. “What about the queen?”
“K’xarr sent her to Braxton Bluff with Rufio, her court, and a thousand men to protect them. I’m sure she’s alright, Rhys, it’s K’xarr and Cromwell I’m worried about. They stayed behind to defend Turill and give the queen time to get away.”
Kian looked at her, seeming to listen for the first time. “If they live, I will find them.”
“You can’t go back. If Havalon has captured the city, it's suicide,” Rhys said.
Endra just looked at Kian; she was starting to understand that if her lover decided he was going to do something, it was pointless to argue with him.
“If you go, I’m going with you,” she said.
Kian said nothing, just looked to the healer.
“Well, I’m not staying out here. I don’t know what good I’ll be, but I’m with you,” Rhys said with a shrug.
Endra pulled a soft deerskin shirt lined with rabbit fur from her pack and gave it to Kian. He took off the blood-stained shirt he had on and pulled the fresh one over his head, adjusting his sword belt.
“Do you have a plan, Kian?” Endra asked.
“No, but I will try and think of something before we get there. Let Rhys ride with you and I will run alongside.”
Rhys got on the horse behind Endra and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Let’s hurry, my dear.”
Kian started south. Endra turned the horse and followed him. He ran alongside the horse like it was a spring day and he had just gotten out of bed. She didn’t know how he did it. As beaten and battered as he looked, he had to be suffering. It was starting to scare her how Kian could just ignore pain and never seemed to be weary. She had defended his humanity and would still do so if it was questioned, but in her heart she knew the truth. Kian was not human or elven or a mixture of the two. It was causing a war in her heart between fear and love. She hoped love could hold the line.
Lord Dracen Milara and his company had ridden right into the back of the Bandaran Army. Prince Cain had halted his troops and bid them to make camp. Milara ordered his men set up his pavilion and stop for the night. He was preparing to meet with the leaders of the Bandarans. The lord justice thought he could make use of the young prince’s men. They were not engaged in a fight right now. So he thought, it should not be too hard to convince them to help him catch the half-breed. There was just one little problem. He was not his usual confident self. He needed to get a grip on his fears. He was Lord Justice Dracen Milara, one of the most powerful men of the Church. It was just the nightmares were so vivid. He had been having bad dreams since the monster escaped. Dracen had dreamt over and over that the devil half-breed had killed him and dragged his body to Hell. Was it a warning from God? Was the Lord of Heaven trying to tell Dracen to stay away from the half-breed? The lord justice didn’t know, but he was starting to have doubts about going to Turill. He had never feared anything in his life, at least not until he had run across this spawn of Hell.
He needed to complete his mission. He had to, the Holy Father would not be pleased if he failed. He just needed to find a way to do it without confronting the creature directly. The Bandarans might just serve his purpose.
Deverall walked into his pavilion, his armor heavily polished, the sun reflecting off it right into Milara’s eyes. “Eminence, the Bandarans await your presence.”
“Step to the side, Commander, the light.”
Deverall looked down at his breast plate. “Sorry, Your Eminence.”
Milara looked at himself in the mirror two young priests were holding for him. “Whom am I speaking with?”
Deverall cleared his throat. “Prince Cain Albana, who is claiming he is the rightful King of Bandara; Talorn Blackthorn, Commander of the Bandaran Army; and his father Duke William Blackthorn. They seem very anxious to see you.”
“As most people are, Commander.” The lord justice brushed the front of his robe and checked his hair. He thought the grey was getting a little higher on the sides of his head, but no matter, it was still perfect. “Let’s see what they have to say, Commander, it should be interesting.”
“That’s what I think happened, Your Eminence. The princess had her witches use magic to coerce Bishop Lyfair to seek approval from the Church for her to ascend to the throne of Bandara. I know the man, he would never willingly let that foolish child rule Bandara.” Duke Blackthorn had finished, and hoped he had convinced the lord justi
ce to revoke Raygan’s claim to the throne.
Dracen Milara sat with no expression on his face. The duke was good at reading men, but he couldn’t gauge what the Eye of God was thinking.
“Well, that’s quite a story.” The lord justice stood up and walked back and forth. The only sound that could be heard in the tent was the birds singing outside.
“Well, if a Church official was intimidated or charmed by magic, there will be a reckoning and I will have the queen removed and Prince Cain reinstated, of that you can be sure. The Church is here to see justice is done, and I can see that you are all devout men of God and dedicated to his purpose. I promise I will look into your accusations. However, I do have a problem of my own that will slow my investigation. I was sent on a mission by the Holy Father that I’m sure you men could help me with. If you agree, I can quickly complete my mission then I could spend all my time investigating your accusations against the queen. This would hasten a resolution to the difficulties in Bandara, which would be advantageous to all parties concerned. Unfortunately, without your help, I have no idea how long my mission will take.”
“We would be honored to help the Church in any way we can, Eminence,” Talorn said. Cain and William slowly nodded their agreement as well.
“It is a fine thing to find men so pious. Many rulers aren’t, should we say, so affable.”
Milara pulled his chair out and sat down. “Let me explain what I need of you. My mission has to do with an enchanted half-elven creature, which is very capable with a sword.”
Duke Blackthorn’s eyes widened. “I know of whom you speak, Eminence, he is in league with the princess.”
Milara's stomach got queasy at the mention of the half-breed, the images from his dreams popping into his head. “You’ve seen the devil?” he said, looking at the duke.
“I have. He slaughtered a troop of palace guards in Turill without cause. That thing is very dangerous, a killer, and he serves Princess Raygan. I know this to be God’s own truth, Your Eminence.”
Milara was afraid he would lose the help he had just attained. He would need to try and down play the monster’s abilities. “You have an army, Prince Cain, surely you can handle one half-breed, no matter how dangerous he is?”
Prince Cain smirked at his duke. “I believe we can. General Talorn is the finest swordsman I have ever seen,” Cain said, patting Talorn on the shoulder. “This abomination will stand little chance against him. We will handle the half-elf, Your Eminence, if you see to removing my sister from the throne of Bandara.”
Lord Justice Milara grinned. “If the charges are true, I am sure she will be discredited and stripped of her title, maybe even imprisoned if her crimes are severe enough.”
Cain stood. “I thank you, Your Eminence, I knew I could count on the Church to see God’s will done.”
Lord Justice Milara stood up slowly. “On behalf of the Holy Father, I thank you, Prince Cain. Now all you have to worry about is King Havalon and the Abberdonians,” Milara said as he walked out of the prince’s tent.
“That bastard,” Cain whispered to William and Talorn.
“Eminence, wait, I have a question,” Cain shouted as he followed the lord justice out.
Talorn made to follow his king. He had taken two steps before his father grabbed him by the arm. “What is it, Father, I need to see to Cain before he insults the lord justice. We pledged to help him and we must, it is a Church matter and that must come before Bandara. I also must ask for his lenience with Raygan. I will not see her imprisoned.”
“That’s not what I want to talk to you about, this is more important,” William said, still not releasing his son’s arm.
“Father, let go,” Talorn said, pulling at the older man.
“No, you must listen to me, Son.”
Talorn looked into his father’s eyes. There was something there he had never seen before; fear.
“What is it?” Talorn asked as he pried his father’s hand from his forearm.
“The half-elf, or whatever it is... Never cross swords with it, Son. If we go after it, never engage it in personal combat. Let other men handle it.”
Talorn looked at his father like he was mad. He was by far the best swordsman in Bandara, Cain had become a distant second, but no one could match him. “Father, don’t be silly, I can manage one mongrel half-breed.”
William lowered his voice but the dread did not leave it. “I tell you, never go near it. It’s not natural. I have seen it for myself, Son, I ask this one thing of you. Promise me you won’t face it.”
“Fine. I promise I won’t seek it out, but I don’t believe it can beat me and if God sets me against it, I will not shirk my duty.”
William looked into his son’s eyes. “It won’t just beat you, boy. God or no, if you fight the half-breed, it will kill you.”
Kian had pushed them until the horse was so winded, Endra didn’t think they could go on much longer. Finally, the walls of Turill were in sight. Abberdonian banners flew from the battlements. It was over, the city had fallen.
“Do you think they might still be alive?” Rhys asked.
Kian scanned the wall. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. If they still live, it won’t be for long. Havalon will execute them.”
“Havalon may just hold them. He might want to question them about the queen or something,” Endra said.
Kian looked at her and smiled, a rare thing these days. “K’xarr and Cromwell won’t be model prisoners. Trust me, King Havalon will kill them eventually, they will make him.”
Endra sighed. “I have to agree with you. They would make very unpleasant captives. What do you think, Rhys?”
Rhys shrugged but said nothing, he seemed lost in his own thoughts.
Endra could tell he was nervous. She also knew he wanted to get back to the queen as soon as he could. Kian should have sent him on to Braxton Bluff. Maybe he could have gotten there before the city was under siege. Havalon would most likely be marching on to the Bluff now that Turill had fallen. If he wanted all of Bandara, he would have to take Braxton Bluff and the queen.
“We will leave the horse and move closer to the city,” Kian said. Endra and Rhys climbed down from the horse and the trio moved toward Turill under the cover of night.
There were few guards on the battlements and the night was dark, the moon hidden behind a thick bank of clouds. “Wait here,” Kian told his companions.
He ran as fast as he could and leaped up on to the wall, climbing quickly towards the top. The sentries didn’t see or hear him and no alarm was raised. Rhys and Endra sat in the pitch dark waiting for him to return.
Endra could feel the tiny life inside her body move. She was growing more uncomfortable by the day. She tapped Rhys on the shoulder and pointed to her belly. The healer reached under her mail shirt and felt her stomach. “It won’t be much longer.”
Endra and Rhys both jumped as Kian just seemed to appear out of the night. “We didn’t even hear you coming,” Endra said, startled.
“I think the main army has moved on. Most of the Abberdonians here are on the north side of the city. Let’s move to the south side, we should be able to get in there much more easily.”
Rhys looked around in the dark. “You think it will be easy to get into the city?”
“Yes, getting back out might be the problem.”
They made their way to the south side of Turill. “You two wait here.” Kian went over the wall again. Endra and Rhys could hear the bodies of the guards as they hit the ground near the foot of the wall. Rhys counted eight.
It was only a short time before Kian found them again. “I have a rope waiting. Let’s go, we don’t have long before day breaks.”
A rope hung down the wall, Kian had tied it off at the top. The three began to climb, Kian going first. Rhys struggled but Endra helped the healer make it up. Kian knew Rhys was not accustomed to this kind of work. If Rhys was going to stay with them, he might need a little training.
When th
ey made it to top of the wall, Kian caught a glimpse of Endra wincing. “Are you hurt?” he asked.
“No, it’s just a twinge, it’s nothing.” Kian touched her and moved on along the top of the wall.
“Endra, is it the baby?” Rhys whispered. Kian’s head whipped around. He was back beside them before Rhys realized his mistake, having forgotten how acute the swordsman’s hearing was.
“What baby?” he asked
“It is ours, my love. I didn’t want to worry you…” Endra got no more out before she was crushed in his embrace.
“I was always told half-elves could not father children,” Kian said, looking at the healer.
Rhys patted his friend on the back. “They can’t, they are hybrids. I believe it must be due to your brother’s magic and the fact you aren’t truly half-elven anymore. There could be some issues with…”
“We can talk about this after we find out about K’xarr and Cromwell,” Endra said, gently pushing Kian back and giving Rhys a hard look.
“You should stay here. I wouldn’t have brought you if I had known. We can’t risk the child,” the swordsman said.
“Where you go, I go. We are bonded together, Kian, no matter what. We will do this together.”
He looked at her. Kian knew there could be no arguing with her. Besides, now wasn’t the time. “Please be careful,” he said, cupping her face with his hand.
“I will. Now let’s go before the sun comes up."
They had to kill seven guards before they got to the palace, Kian five and Endra two. “Even with child, you’re handy to have around in a tight spot,” Kian told her.
A big smile spread across Endra’s face, the compliment had pleased her. Kian knew sometimes she felt like a burden to him.
He helped Rhys and Endra over the small wall and into the queen’s garden. Kian neither smelled nor heard any guards. He wished he could stop thinking about Endra and the baby, he didn’t want to make any mistakes because of a lack of concentration. It just made him so happy. He didn’t think he would ever be a father, so the thought of a child brought him a great sense of peace. He felt Malice stir in his hand. Kian could feel the evil in the blade, the hate. It would never let its wielder know peace. It only wanted one thing: death. He could tell the sword longed for nothing so much as to be drenched in blood, and Malice was not particular about whose blood it was. Kian vowed then to shed himself of the evil blade. His child would never be safe as long as he possessed it.
DAWN OF THE PHOENIX Page 51