The Vale: Behind The Vale

by Brian D. Anderson

  “Gunfire?” said Linx.

  “Yes, my father was demonstrating the cloth’s resistance to bullets,” explained Drake.

  Salazar feigned irritation at his interruption. “Would you like to tell the story?”

  Drake raised his hand for the prince to continue.

  “Anyway, when I went to look, one of the other children decided to try and frighten me. Well, he succeeded. He frightened me right over the edge of the railing. Drake was looking up just at the right time and ran over to catch me.”

  “He caught you?” She eyed the prince dubiously.

  “He did indeed. I fell fifteen feet straight into his arms…both of which were broken, along with several of his ribs.”

  Drake tapped the side of his head. “And a fractured skull.”

  “Ah, yes. I always forget the skull,” He reached over and flicked Drake’s forehead. “I, on the other hand, was uninjured. They rushed him to the hospital. My father insisted that they take him to the very best one in upper Troi. Along the way, he was asking only one thing: ‘Is the little boy who fell all right?’

  “You didn’t know it was the prince?” asked Linx.

  “I didn’t know he was even there. It wasn’t as big a deal as they made it out to be. But for about a week, I suddenly became quite famous.”

  “My father insisted that Drake come to the palace and play with me,” Salazar continued. “He said being around Drake would give me character.”

  “A feeling your mother didn’t share,” Drake added.

  “No. She thought a reward and a royal letter of appreciation were more than enough. Fortunately, my father did not agree and saw to it that, from then on, Drake spent at least three days every week at the palace.”

  “So is that how you ended up as a royal guard?”

  Drake nodded. “I didn’t have my father’s brains, but I did have a certain talent for magic. So it was either the mages’ college or the royal guard.”

  “Let me guess,” said Linx. “You couldn’t bear to leave your best friend.”

  “Oh, no, my dear,” Salazar told her. “It wasn’t me he was unwilling to leave.”

  Drake felt a cold chill in the pit of his stomach. “I wanted to stay near my father,” he lied. “He was starting to get sick by then.”

  Salazar gave him an understanding look and smiled. “Yes. That’s exactly right. He was a very dedicated son.”

  Drake was grateful that he didn’t mention his love for Lenora. Salazar had heartily approved of their romance, and had even offered to speak to the king about it. But they all knew it would have been useless. Certain rules not even the king could break, and marriage of a noble to a commoner was expressly forbidden.

  Clearly sensing Drake’s unease, the prince steered the conversation onto other topics.

  They skirted the border of the inner provinces, staying in the most out-of-the-way places they could find. Drake kept a careful eye on their fuel. They would make it to Antwerp, but not much further if it turned out they could not travel by train.

  The prince continued to pass the time talking to Linx. Drake noticed her to be exceptionally bright. She had learned to infiltrate a mana console simply by reading an old instruction manual she found in an abandoned building.

  “I relate to machines much better than people,” she told him.

  “You would have gotten along great with my father,” Drake responded.

  By the time they reached Antwerp, Drake could sense that Salazar’s nerves were on edge. By contrast, Linx seemed to be in high spirits, though this was hardly surprising. The prospect of leaving behind a life of hardship – not to mention receiving a pardon for her death sentence – was enough to make anyone excited.

  They stopped at a local store to buy some hiking gear and a fold-out tent. At the very least, they would look the part of holidaymakers returning home to Troi. The station was situated almost dead center of the province and just south of a stretch of low hills. With a large lake nestling between these, the area was a magnet for campers and fishermen.

  “Why can’t all of Vale look like this?” mused Linx.

  “Maybe one day it will,” said the prince.

  “Are you kidding? Too many people. Where would they all live? In the trees?”

  “Yes,” agreed the prince in a half whisper. “Far too many people.”

  The road twisted and dipped erratically as they neared their destination, prompting Linx to complain several times that she might be sick, though fortunately she was able to contain the impulse. The massive parking lot was virtually empty when they pulled in. This did not surprise Drake at all. The vast majority of visitors came from Troi, and very few of those chose to bring their own vehicles. Almost no one visited here from the provinces. This was where one came to relax, and who had time for relaxation when you were busy working yourself into an early grave?

  A large staircase led up from the lot to the rail platform. Just at the top of this was a small shop, where people could purchase last minute supplies and maps of the park. It was also where the guard would be positioned.

  The train ran only once a day in each direction, and unless its schedule had been recently changed – which was unlikely – there was still more than an hour to pass before it arrived and then headed back to Troi. The three of them got out of the car and donned their camping gear. Drake did his best to hide his sword, but it still poked out just above his shoulder. Not that it mattered much. By the time whoever was in there noticed, it would all be over. Still, he thought it best to leave it in Cal’s trunk.

  He handed Linx a scrap of paper. “This is the code for Cal. Just touch the mana pad and say it out loud.”

  She shoved the paper into her pocket. “Thanks. But I’m hoping I won’t be needing it.”

  “Me too,” Drake said. “Make sure you stay where you can see her. If guards show up for you, they’ll be holding their weapons above their heads. If they’re not, then we didn’t send them and something bad has happened. You should run.”

  “And what if no one comes?”

  “Someone will, one way or another. But if for some reason you don’t see anyone by this time tomorrow, take Cal and get as far away as you can.”

  They climbed the stairs and approached the shop. Drake peered inside the glass door. A young woman in a magistrate’s uniform was reading behind a small counter. She gave them a welcoming smile as they entered.

  “Just returning?” she asked. “Or just heading out?”

  Her smile instantly turned to fear as Drake drew his P37 and pointed it at her head.

  “You’ll be fine so long as you do as you’re told,” he said in a level tone.

  “There’s nothing here to steal,” she said. “I swear that’s true. Only about twenty in notes. That’s all.”

  The prince stepped forward. “Young lady, do you recognize me?” Drake caught his shoulder, but he held up his hand. “It’s fine.”

  The girl ran her eyes over Salazar’s face. The swelling had gone down considerably, though many of his bruises still remained. Nonetheless, after a few seconds her jaw went slack and she covered her mouth.

  “Are you really him?” she gasped.

  The prince smiled. “I am. And I need you to do exactly as you are told.”

  “Did they do this to you?” she asked, nodding her head at his injuries.

  “No. These are my friends.”

  “But how –?”

  “I want you to listen to me very carefully,” he said, cutting her short. “This young lady to my left is going to tie your hands. After that, you will go with her and do exactly as she says. You have my word that she will not harm you. Understand?”

  “But, Your Highness, if you need help…”

  “I need you to obey me; that is all. Do so without incident, and you will be well rewarded.”

  Her eyes shifted over the group. “Of course, Your Highness.”

  Linx immediately bound the young guard’s hands with rope from her pack an
d moved her from behind the counter.

  “How long until the train arrives?” asked Drake.

  “Half an hour,” the girl answered.

  Linx set to work on the console. “Press your thumbs down on the center of the card,” she told Drake and the prince. After they had done as instructed, she took the cards back and continued pushing buttons at a furious rate.

  “Last time I wasn’t fast enough,” she said through gritted teeth, while still working away feverishly. “But…not…this…time.”

  “Got it!” She handed them back their cards, grinning from ear to ear. “Good for one trip only.”

  “What happens then?”

  “After one time, it gets run through the system for a check. Any new card does. They’ll know which terminal it was entered from, and that I didn’t have authorization to issue it. But that won’t happen until you try to use it twice.”

  Salazar took Linx by the hands. “You have done very well. I see a most promising future ahead for you.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness.” For a moment or two she blushed. Then she glanced over to the girl. “Come on. We should get going.”

  Drake and the prince waited until they were well away before exiting the shop and heading along the platform.

  “I’m glad the girl cooperated,” Drake remarked.

  “As am I.” Salazar gave a reflective sigh. “I have not spent nearly enough time cultivating proper relationships amongst the magistrate’s people. It’s the minor players in a game who often make the vital difference. That is a lesson my father tried to teach me when I was young, and why he insisted you and I become friends. The truth is, it’s not the nobility who keep a king in power. It’s those who protect him. And I’m not talking about the captains and high-ranking officers. Without their subordinates, they are nothing.”

  Drake nodded his agreement. “A smart way of thinking.”

  He had always maintained a close relationship with his men. It was what had made him such an effective leader.

  “Take that young lady Linx is holding, for example,” the prince continued. “Lowly, ignored, and made to serve in a post that keeps her far removed from her home. Her commander probably doesn’t give her a second thought. But show her a bit of kindness and respect – make her feel like she really matters in the overall scheme of things – and you will have earned her undying loyalty. Repeat that enough times, and before long you have yourself a secret army. One that can lurk in shadows, hidden from sight until you need them.”

  By now, he was talking to himself as much as to Drake. “That’s how my father does it. That’s why he’s king, and I’m…” He nodded his head as if a decision had just been made.

  All along the platform, the walls were covered in green tiles with various posters advertising the amenities of the camping park. After a few hundred yards, the rail tracks disappeared into the blackness of a large tunnel. From within this dark void, a constant rush of musty air swept over the platform, and the low rumble of the approaching train could be heard, even though it was still some distance away.

  “What will you do once you are home?” asked Salazar.

  Drake shrugged. “I haven’t really given it much thought. I suppose I’ll need to find work. But what kind, I don’t know yet.”

  Salazar laughed. “You have rescued the Crown Prince of Vale. You cannot seriously believe you will need to work?”

  “I don’t think I could just sit around doing nothing for the rest of my life.” He gave a lopsided grin. “Then again, I suppose it would be nice to relax, at least for a little while.”

  “No one deserves it more.” He paused to look Drake directly in the eye. “Tell me, if you were able to… Would you return to the royal guard?”

  Drake lowered his head. “You know, I’ve thought about that countless times since my exile. During those first years I would have said yes without a second thought. But now… The truth is, I don’t think I’m cut out for it anymore. Too much has happened. I’m not the same man I was. In any case, even if Xavier is behind this and arrested, I’m still a convicted murderer. I would never be accepted back.”

  “I see.”

  Drake gave the prince’s arm a fond squeeze. “Hey. Don’t you worry about me. I’ll be fine. If you really want to give me a reward, just make sure I live somewhere near a manga juice shop.”

  Salazar chuckled. “I had almost forgotten your love for that dreadful stuff. But if it is manga juice you want, then manga juice you shall have.” He spread his arms wide and threw back his head. “Do you hear that everyone? I, Prince Salazar, heir to the throne of Vale, hereby decree that Drake Sharazi is to receive all the manga juice his heart desires, even though it is vile tasting and will likely send him to an early grave. In fact, I also hereby decree him to be the new Minister of Manga Juice.”

  Drake bowed with exaggerated formality. “I accept the position with all due humility and gratitude, Your Highness.”

  At this, both men burst into uncontrollable laughter. Drake hadn’t felt this good in a very long time. It was if the years had melted away and they were young again; transported to a time before the weight of adulthood had come crashing down on their lives.

  They were still laughing when the rush of air from the tunnel began to increase, the approaching rumble grew significantly louder, and a light appeared in the darkness.

  A minute later there was an ear-piercing screech of brakes as the train began to slow. The first car appeared, silver and polished with a thin red stripe down the center of both sides. The conical nose of the first car shimmered and sparkled from the tiny streams of mana dancing along its surface. There were ten cars in all, each one with an oblong door that rose outward the very moment the train came to a complete stop.

  Only two people got out: a middle-aged couple, both of them carrying sizeable packs on their shoulders. Drake and the prince stepped quickly into the first car before the approaching pair had an opportunity to get a close look at them. There was no point in risking recognition.

  Inside were rows of plush seats, two per side, with an ample aisle down the center. Small screens were set into the backs of the headrests so that passengers could watch holovids to pass the time if they wished. A door at the rear led through to the other cars, while at the front was a large panel with myriad buttons and flashing lights, though a clear screen was fastened over this to prevent anyone from touching the controls.

  The two of them settled in and waited. The train was on a timer and would leave precisely ten minutes after its arrival. If you missed it, then you would be stuck there until the following day. Drake recalled one occasion when he and his father had been racing full tilt to make the train. They’d jumped onboard literally as the doors were closing. Time always went by so quickly then, and he’d never wanted to leave. This time, ten minutes felt like ten hours before there was a soft chime and the door eventually closed.

  “There’s no turning back now,” said the prince, a slight tremor in his voice.

  The engine hummed to life. It reminded Drake of Cal. But not even she could match the speed that this train was capable of. Five hours; that was all the time it took to travel a distance it would take at least two days to complete by any other means. His body pressed into the cushion of his seat as the train began accelerating. He shut his eyes, enjoying the sensation.

  After a minute, he cracked open one eye and turned his head. The prince was watching the holovid.

  “You should try to sleep,” Drake suggested.

  “I was just checking to see if there was any mention of my absence.”

  “There won’t be.”

  The king would not allow it. And those out to kill Salazar would not risk exposing themselves. As far as anyone knew, the prince was still safe and sound in the palace.

  For now, that was an advantage.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Drake tried to take his own advice and get some sleep. Not that he was successful; his mind was racing far too much. Once the
y stepped from the train, they would be exposed and vulnerable. If Linx were unsuccessful, or if someone recognized the prince, they would have to decide very quickly indeed how to react. On one hand, it was possible that they could simply enlist the aid of whoever was on duty at the gate. But that would be risky. Those after the prince would almost certainly be watching every point of entry, and to be caught by them without enough witnesses to ensure that the king would be made aware of their arrival back in Troi could easily spell a death sentence.

  Of course, all this subterfuge and caution might be for nothing. He only had the word of the treacherous Bane that the device installed inside Cal had indeed been a bomb. For that matter, he only had the man’s word for it that he was even Dorn’s son. Drake sighed. None of this could be allowed to change things. He’d damn sure rather look stupid by acting overly cautious than end up getting himself – and the prince – killed.

  Resigned to the fact that sleep would not come, he went over the different possible courses of action in his head. They would need to steal a vehicle. But that might not be so easy. The lot was guarded, and to start a vehicle without the proper codes or being mana linked would take a fair bit of time.

  He was still going over this in his mind when he felt the train beginning to slow. The prince was already awake.

  “Are you ready?” Drake asked.

  Salazar gave him a nervous grin. “Of course. I have every confidence in your ability to get me home safely.”

  “That makes one of us, then.”

  They gathered their packs so they’d look as if they had just returned from a camping trip. These were cumbersome, but would only need to be carried as far as the gate.

  The chimes sounded to indicate that the train had almost reached its destination. Both of the men moved to the door. Drake’s heart was pounding furiously. This was it. The final obstacle to overcome. After this he could return home to his former life; the very thing he had yearned for during all those lost years.