He followed the ramparts around to the east end of the castle, where the main entrance stood. Two lines of tall torch poles stretched far into the distance, their oversized torches giving off significantly more light than the torches in Atrum Moenia. Thankfully, they were nothing more than that. Had they been human torches like the ones he’d seen in his nightmares, he would’ve screamed with terror.
At the edge of the torchlight he swore he saw movement. He leaned over the parapet and squinted into the darkness. A figure staggered down the wide road toward the castle. Then another. And another. Hundreds of them. Possibly a thousand. He would’ve thought that the wind would’ve carried the noise of conversation to his ears, but he heard nothing but the scrape of sandals and pounding of boots on the compacted gravel road. The sight sent gooseflesh rippling across his arms.
Alderan located the nearest stairwell and traversed the stairs as quickly as he could. Even though many claimed that one could get lost for days within the castle, he found it simple to navigate. Certain patterns existed to its make up, and he’d memorized them quickly. He likened it to his ability to traverse the forests around Viscus D’Silva blindfolded.
By the time he reached the ground level of the castle and the massive eastern doors, they were spread wide. Pravus and Aria stood just outside of them, awaiting the approaching throng of people. Alderan walked over to them and stood next to Aria.
The air cracked like thunder, again and again. Alderan look up just as Cinolth flew around the northern corner of the castle and landed in the middle of the road. Smoke burst from Cinolth’s nostrils with each breath, his ribs expanding and contracting rapidly. Blood glistened on his lower jaw, and he picked his teeth with one of his massive claws. Alderan couldn’t imagine how much food it must take to fill a dragon’s stomach.
The first of the people arrived.
Pale white skin with black veins.
Black eyes.
They looked to Cinolth and spoke as one. “Command us, master.”
Alderan stuttered backward. “No, no, no.” He reached for Aria’s hand, but he’d retreated a bit too far.
Aria turned toward him, a smile upon her face. Her smile faded, replaced with a look of concern. “What’s wrong, Alderan?” She moved toward him.
He pointed at the gathering crowd of infected. “Do you not see what’s happening here?” Fear and anger drove his words.
She reached out and took his hand. “Yes. Cinolth has called his army to himself.”
Alderan couldn’t believe his ears. “His army? Look at these people! They are nothing more than peasants, merchants, and farmers.”
She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. “Don’t worry. We will provide them with weapons.”
What has happened to my sister?
“And who are they to fight? Just look at them. They’re sick, Aria. They need help, not weapons!”
Pravus glanced over his shoulder. “Do we have a problem, my queen?”
“Of course not. Alderan just needs some time to understand what’s happening before he can think clearly. He’ll come around soon enough.”
Alderan jerked his hand away from Aria and stormed over to Pravus. “What have you done to my sister?”
Pravus sneered. “I assure you that your sister acts of her own volition.”
Alderan turned back to Aria. “You can’t possibly be okay with this!”
“This was all my idea. How could I not be okay with it?” Her twisted smile left him cold.
Tears swelled in Alderan’s eyes. “I cannot stand here and take part in this like it’s okay. This isn’t right. You’re sick, Aria. What would Mother and Father think of this?”
“Red and Gretchen were never our parents. How could they have been? They’re nothing.”
Her words stabbed his heart. “You don’t mean that, Aria. Gretchen may not have birthed us, but her and Red raised us and gave us a home.”
“Enough,” yelled Pravus.
Pravus reached out and Alderan flew across the road and slid on his back. A rash of heat and pain swept across his back. Alderan sat up just as a flash of silver streaked from Pravus’s hand. The silver disc or ring flew straight at him. He’d never seen a weapon quite like it.
With little time to react, Alderan reached out to grab or block the weapon, but it sailed right through his hand and hit him square in the throat. He choked and coughed and gagged. He tried to rub his neck, but his fingers met smooth, cold metal, beveled on its edges. The metal disc encircled his neck like a collar and had no seams or clasp or anything. He tried to pull it off in the same fashion it’d been applied, but it only pulled against the back of his neck.
Ƨäʈūr, what’s happening? What is this?
Aria walked over to him and knelt. She smiled but her eyes were cold. “Don’t worry, the collar’s for your own good.”
“You can’t do this to me!”
“In time, you’ll come to realize that this was the only way to bring peace to the realm. We head for war soon, and the Three Kingdoms will fall.”
“This isn’t you speaking, Aria. He’s controlling you. Can’t you see that? The realm is at peace now. The only thing you bring is bloodshed.”
The red fringe around Aria’s green irises glowed like molten metal. “Justice. We bring justice, not bloodshed. If we stand by and do nothing, our kind will be eradicated.”
“Our kind? Those you seek to destroy are just like us!”
“You know nothing. The ʊnzhifʈäd plot and scheme daily to eradicate those of us who wield mezhik. Given time and opportunity, they will kill us all.”
“Even if that were true, war isn’t the answer. There must be another way.”
Aria backhanded him. Whack! The fact that it came from her stung far worse than the strike to his cheek.
“Your weakness blinds you,” snarled Aria. “Don’t be such a fool.”
Alderan took her hand and pleaded with her. “You don’t have to do this, Aria. This isn’t you. I’m your brother.”
“Relax, Alderan.” She bent over and kissed his cheek, and then she whispered in his ear, “You’d be dead already if you weren’t my brother.”
But you’re not the sister I’ve always known.
In her cold eyes, Alderan found nothing of the brave and selfless sister he remembered.
Does any part of you still remain?
The question crushed him and threatened to drive the life from his lungs. His head raged with pain, but it didn’t compare to the pain that rended his heart and soul. He lay back and cried.
Why is this happening to me? How can Aria be the evil that fuels my nightmares? How can I save the world from her? She’s my sister, not my enemy.
I can’t. I won’t.
I’ve failed you, Ƨäʈūr. I’ve failed. The world will soon be damned.
† † †
Pravus stood tall, his chest swollen with pride. He’d never been prouder of Aria than the moment after she’d backhanded her brother and put him in his place. Any doubts he still harbored of her dedication and resolve to help him bring down the Three Kingdoms and rule the Ancient Realm dissolved in that moment.
He couldn’t love her more. It wasn’t physically possible. She captured every piece of his heart that he didn’t hold for himself. A mere fraction, perhaps, but still all that remained of it. She completed him.
Aria rose and stood next to Cinolth as throngs of infected people continued to arrive outside the castle gates. Those at the front settled on the ground and awaited further instruction from their master, Cinolth. Pravus hated that Cinolth controlled so many—far more than he did—but knew the war would be shortened by tenfold with Cinolth’s help. He could almost grasp his father’s kingdom. His hands closed around empty air at his sides, but not for long.
Hundreds of other people accompanied the horde of infected, most lost in fear, anger, and grief over their plight. None comprehended the situation at hand, but man
y began to gather before Pravus. Soon, the situation would get out of control if Pravus did nothing. But what could be done?
Most of the people seemed too scared to address Pravus directly, but one man in particular found his voice. He held a scythe in his hand and shook it as he spoke. “We give fealty, food, and coin to House Rosai in exchange for protection from all types of threats, but what has it gained us? Nothing.”
Mezhik arced across Pravus’s fingertips, ready to lash out and incinerate the man, but Pravus held it back. The crowd had quieted and looked to the man as though he held their fates in his hands. Killing him might incite a riot and that’s the last thing he needed right before marching toward war.
I’ll let the man finish his speech, and then I’ll show him the truth of what is happening.
A plan began formulating within his mind. A grand illusion to settle their minds and send them back to their homes. He had the perfect, brilliant idea.
The man spread his arms wide and turned in a circle as he continued, “Look around! Our sons, daughters, husbands, wives, parents, and friends have been stricken with incurable illness and have forgone any and all protections against the elements as they traversed all types of landscapes to assemble here at your doorstep.”
The man turned and addressed Pravus directly. “Lord Rosai, explain to us the meaning of all this. What have you done to our people?”
Several people in the crowd echoed the man’s words as they began to talk amongst themselves. A few began shouting threats. Aria glanced over at Pravus, malice in her eyes. He raised his hand toward her and nodded.
I’ve got this under control, my love.
Pravus eyed the crowd and raised a fist in the air. Slowly, the people settled. Folding his arms at his back, he drew a deep breath and turned on the charm. “Citizens of the south, it is with deep regret that I must inform you that your family and neighbors are not only gravely ill but also highly contagious. If you continue to be around them, you will surely suffer the same fate.
“I have identified the unique properties of the illness they suffer from and have determined that they will require a deep cleansing of body and soul to rid them of their affliction.”
“Vines of Diƨäfär,” hollered a stout woman. “Seen ‘em with me own eyes I did.”
Pravus glanced up at Cinolth and continued, “Yes, Diƨäfär is the one behind this, not I. But I swear to you that they will be healed if the gods allow it. The process to heal each of them will require a great deal of mezhik and rest. In order to achieve this, they must stay here at Galondu Castle for several months. Perhaps longer.”
Several people in the crowd gasped. One woman toward the front fainted.
“And how’ll we get along without ‘em?” asked a tall, skinny man. The breeze lifted his thin, silvered hair from the top of his bald scalp.
Pravus cracked his knuckles and steepled his fingers. “Simple. Do the work needed to be done.”
The first man spoke up again. “And what assurance do you offer us that you will be true to your word and help these people?”
Pravus drew upon his mezhik and the power of his mind. He pictured three massive tents full of beds, supplies, and attendants. Soldiers standing at the entrances to the tents, helping the influx of infected get processed so that they could be assigned a bed. Every last detail passed through his mind’s eye, down to the itchiness of the wool blankets that covered the beds and the succulent aroma of rabbit soup wafting from the tents.
He swept his arm to the left, and the peoples’ gazes followed. Just to the north of them stood the three tents he’d pictured, as real as life itself. “See the preparations we have made for them? I will spare no expense satisfying their needs and bringing them back to health, the gods willing of course.”
“Let us stay with ‘em,” cried a young girl. “Or take ‘em back home.”
Pravus stood tall. “Make no mistake. These people have no alternative but death. Do not allow yourselves to join them in their demise. See yourselves home this very night, or you will tax our resources and ability to help the infected. Staying here will hinder our progress, not help it. These people still need food and other provisions, so you must go back home and continue to work your fields, tend to your flocks and herds, and press on. Also, remember to relay this message to all those you encounter on your journey home.”
Cinolth’s deep, gravelly voice rumbled the ground when he spoke. “Do as Lord Rosai has requested or face my fiery wrath.” He roared and spewed fire high above the gathered crowd.
Shrieks and cries filled the night, and the crowd quickly disbanded. The first man who had spoken stood his ground for several moments, eying Pravus intently. Finally, he dipped his head ever so slightly, turned, and walked away.
“Captain Vignar,” said Pravus.
A soldier from the castle guard ran up to Pravus and tapped his right fist over his heart. “My lord?”
“Station archers around the castle. If anyone else approaches come morning light, shoot to kill. And burn the bodies.”
Captain Vignar nodded once. “As you say, my lord. I will see to it personally.”
“See that you do.”
Captain Vignar tapped his fist over his heart again and ran off, immediately barking orders to the other guardsmen.
Aria approached Pravus, her face contorted with a scowl. “Why spare their lives when they’ll all face death in the end?”
He cocked his head. “And who will be left to rule over if we kill everyone in our path to the throne?”
Aria walked her fingers up his torso and poked his breastbone with a long fingernail. “I will still have rule over you.”
Pravus swallowed hard, not because of Aria or her words, but because he feared the woman he’d grown to love would continue to slip between his fingers no matter how hard he held fast to her. In the end, would anything remain of her, or would she be nothing more than Cinolth’s puppet?
Pravus took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “As you say, my queen.” He turned and walked back toward the castle gates.
Cinolth must be dealt with, but not until the war is guaranteed.
But will Aria survive that long?
† † †
Aria lay atop the southern rampart, staring up at the vastness of space. As the hours and days passed, she found it increasingly difficult to separate herself from Cinolth. At times, she didn’t know if her thoughts were solely hers, his, or a mixture of the two of them. To be honest, it scared her to death.
Am I losing myself?
The stars shone bright in the night sky, tiny beacons of light so many used to navigate the land and seas. Other people used the stars to read the future, but Aria had a use for them all her own. When alone and underneath the night sky, she used the stars as a gravitational device, pulling herself toward them and away from the bond she shared with Cinolth.
In those moments, clouded thoughts became clear, and her connection with Alderan grew stronger. But those moments never lasted. Cinolth wouldn’t let them. He sensed the disconnect as well and rushed back to her side before long.
It made her wonder if the bond they shared could be broken, given enough distance, but those thoughts always faded into background noise when he returned. Afterthoughts in her mind.
Cinolth landed in front of her on the southern rampart and laid down with his massive head next to her. Sulfur and the stench of death permeated his breath.
“I take it you found a meal,” she said.
His mind entered hers, and his words rang in her head. “For now. I will require more soon.”
“I’ve been thinking about the war and the fact that all soldiers and all those people you control must march hundreds of miles and still have the strength to fight when we arrive south of Elatos. Not just the distance, but the time it will take to get there. We will lose months and the element of surprise. King Zaridus will have plenty of time to gather his forces and bolster his defense
s.”
“And where is it that you’re going with these thoughts?”
Aria sat up and leaned against Cinolth’s neck. Heat radiated from between his scales and chased the chill from her bones. “There must be a quicker way to move our forces such a great distance. Perhaps some sort of portal or gateway.”
“Like the mirror portals?”
Aria frowned. “I’m not sure what those are.”
“Just as they sound. Mirrors imbued with mezhik that allow the zhifʈäd, those who can wield mezhik, to move through them.”
Aria patted Cinolth’s neck with excitement. “Exactly like that, but on a much, much larger scale. Plus, it’d have to allow the ʊnzhifʈäd through as well.”
“You are far cleverer than I’ve given you credit. I believe we can achieve building a gateway. It’s been done before. But we will need the help of Fizärds Ōírdh. Several of them.”
“Earth wizards?” asked Aria.
“Correct. You’re a quick learner. Reminds me of Magus.”
“And how long do you think it would take to create such a thing?”
“I’d say seven days. But we will need at least two of them.”
Aria twirled her finger in her hair. “Fourteen days then… that will still save us several months and many resources.”
“For certain.”
Aria rose and dusted off her trousers. She’d ditched wearing dresses after her first flight with Cinolth. Her legs still hadn’t grown used to riding on him, but she didn’t have much choice. The war would come sooner now.
“Good,” she said. “I will explain the plan to Pravus and find us some Fizärd Ōírdh.”
“Very well. I will return to the hunt. We will start building Zhäíʈfäí Dhä in the morning. And preserve your mezhik. You’ll need all that you can get.”
Aria nodded and headed for the western stairwell.
Zhäíʈfäí Dhä. She liked the sound of it.
Rended Souls Page 25