Regulators Revealed

by Toby Neighbors

  Dex reached out with the magic from the opal ring that was bonded with his skin. The ring and its magic had become second nature to Dex, and he found himself utilizing its power more and more. He wasn’t sure if that was a good idea or not. He was certain some Marshyls would frown on the practice, but Dex couldn’t take the ring off. The magic was part of him and had saved his life countless times. He took hold of his father with the magic from the opal, lifting him nearly ten feet off the ground and levitating him back to the camp. Dex let him hang for a moment, twisting and wiggling like a fish on a line, desperate to get back into the water. As the young Marshyl struggled to his feet, he let his father fall to the ground. Maslow landed hard enough to knock the breath from his lungs.

  The pain in Dex’s back was so severe he could hardly take a breath without it sending shooting pains through his neck and down his back. He wasn’t sure, but he feared that his father had cracked a rib in Dex’s back when Maslow kicked him off the wagon. The older man struggled to get up as Dex moved over him.

  “Let me go!” Maslow screamed angrily. “I’m not kidding, Dex. I’ll kill you.”

  Dex didn’t reply, he just pointed his sword at his father and cursed him with the paralysis spell. Maslow spasmed, his face contorted with fury, one hand stretched out as if to ward off the powerful spell. Dex moved to the wagon and sat heavily on the back end, moving carefully to keep the pain in his back under control. He was tempted to leave his father on the ground, wet and cold. He was so angry he even thought about just ending his father’s miserable life once and for all, but his quest was to bring the Executioner back alive.

  “I think you cracked a rib,” Dex complained. “I hope you’re comfortable because I won’t release you from that curse until we reach the compound.”

  Maslow couldn’t respond and Dex was grateful not to have to listen to his father’s non-stop complaining. He took his time catching his breath, before levitating Maslow into the wagon near the bench seat. He got slowly up and spread a blanket over his father. His quest was to bring the Executioner back alive, but there were no instructions given about what condition he had to be in. Dex was close to the fire, and he levitated snow into stacks around the blaze to channel the heat back toward the wagon. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than sleeping on the ground.

  The next morning Dex was in so much pain he could hardly get to his feet. The fire had died in the night, and the cold had set in hard. It felt to the young Marshyl as if he would never get warm again. It took nearly an hour to get the horses hitched to the wagon, and Dex had to use magic to get up to the driver’s bench. The wagon bounced and swayed, forcing Dex to stop almost every hour to rest. It was impossible to find a position that didn’t hurt. And by the time he stopped for the night, taking shelter in a small barn along the mountain pass, it was clear that a rib was broken.

  Bliss spent more and more time away from Dex, hunting in the mountains, or just exploring, the young Marshyl wasn’t sure. He wanted desperately to use one of her tail feathers to heal the fractured rib in his back, but he knew the feathers grew slowly and he didn’t want Bliss to think he would expect a feather every time he got hurt. Besides, he reasoned, they weren’t too far from the Marshyl compound where the Guild’s healers could mend the rib easily enough.

  At the slower pace, it took them three days to make it through the pass to the Marshyl compound. Dex released his father from the elvish ending curse once each day, to eat and drink. Then he froze his father, threw a blanket around him, and forgot about the man who’d made his life miserable. When Dex saw the wall to the Marshyl compound, he felt a sense of relief at last. He was hurting, exhausted from being unable to sleep, and so cold he didn’t think he’d ever get warm again. He was met at the gate by two Rangers, both looked skeptical as they peered into the wagon at Maslow. The Elusive Executioner didn’t look so frightening where he lay, unable to move, or even close his eyes.

  One of the Rangers went to take word to the Lord Marshyl, and when Dex’s friends arrived he let them help him from the wagon. Squirrel was back from Lawrenshire and started to embrace Dex but noticed he was moving with a stiffness that revealed his injury.

  “You’re hurt!” Squirrel said.

  “I can’t believe you’re back,” Kyp said, slapping Dex on the shoulder.

  “Don’t touch me,” Dex warned his friend. “I’ve got a broken rib.”

  “What happened?” Squirrel asked.

  “He happened,” Dex said, pointing inside the wagon. “Don’t turn your back on him.”

  “That’s the Executioner?” Squirrel said.

  “I told him everything,” Kyp admitted.

  “That’s okay,” Dex said. “We won’t have to worry about him anymore. No one will be able to hold my blood against me. We’ll let the Rangers deal with him. Kyp, will you see to Titan? I’ve got to see the healers.”

  “I’ll go with Dex,” Squirrel said. “I want to tell him all about Laskis anyway. Dex, you won’t believe what the Sylykron can do.”

  ***

  Maslow saw everything, the massive wall of the compound, the craggy-faced Rangers, even his son’s friends. He’d been honest about not wanting to go to the Marshyl stronghold. In his mind, he’d done nothing wrong. No one held the Marshyls to account for the countless lives they had taken, so it seemed hypocritical that they would blame him for taking the lives of their precious Marshyls. Still, Maslow didn’t fear the vaunted warriors, the so called protectors of the innocent. What he feared was the damage he knew he would do by being there. His master had never intended for Maslow to destroy the Marshyl compound single handedly. He’d been blind not to see it sooner. He’d been a fool for believing the lies that Master Crane told his followers about Maslow. He wasn’t their hero to be followed into battle, he was the sacrifice the old sorcerer needed to focus the courage of his followers so that they would do his bidding.

  Master Crane didn’t care who died, or how many of his own people perished, as long as he got what he wanted. For years the old manipulative snake had fooled Maslow. Perhaps his mind had been damaged in the storm, or maybe he’d been subjected to the sorcerer’s arcane powers, but Maslow had believed that Crane actually wanted magic for all. In truth, the old sorcerer just wanted the Marshyl Guild destroyed and the source of magical power all to himself. He’d said as much to Maslow, even revealing his inner cadre of devoted followers, wizards even more powerful than the Hammer.

  It didn’t matter that Maslow didn’t believe in his old master, or the promise of magic for all people anymore. No matter what Maslow tried to do, everything the old sorcerer had predicted still came to pass. Even after he waylaid and cursed his own son, Dex had still found him and carried him back to the Marshyl compound. And in his blind ambition or naive trust in the Marshyl Guild, Maslow’s son had played directly into Master Crane’s plan.

  The two Rangers at the gate were met by nearly a dozen more men, one of whom Maslow recognized as the Lord Marshyl. They pulled him from the wagon, his body stiff and cold, as if he’d been dead for a while, but the Executioner was far from dead.

  “Release him, Questor Dex,” the Lord Marshyl said. “He is our responsibility now.”

  Maslow felt his body sag, every muscle buzzing with pain, every joint screaming as gravity pulled his limbs from the position he’d been in for almost twenty-four hours.

  “With your permission, Lord Marshyl,” Dex said, “I’ll report to the healers.”

  “Of course,” the Lord Marshyl said, his attention fixed on Maslow. The leader of the Marshyl Guild had penetrating eyes and for a moment Maslow thought he might discover the secret he’d been carrying since Dex carried him away from Mygar’s Keep.

  “Take him to the holding cells,” the Lord Marshyl ordered. “We have to know everything he knows. And I want the guards doubled with staggered rotations. He isn’t to be alone, ever. Put him in chains until I arrive.”

  “Yes, Lord Marshyl!” one of the craggy-faced Rangers said.
>
  Maslow was half led, half carried through the gate and into a small building set just inside the compound. The building was nothing more than a facade that led into a series of rooms carved into the mountains. They escorted Maslow into a hallway, then threw him roughly into a tiny holding cell. It was small, and more like a horse stall than an actual room. The floor was covered with dry straw, and the door was made of iron bars. The Rangers slammed the door shut and locked it with a heavy chain. Then two Marshyls in full armor took up a position just outside the door.

  Maslow didn’t do anything more than lay still for a long time. He was face down in the hay, but his body was slowly responding to his commands again. Eventually he was able to roll over onto his side. It was warmer than being out in the weather, but Maslow was so cold he shivered for a long time. When the Lord Marshyl finally arrived, Maslow was able to sit up as more Marshyls came into his cell and dragged him out to another room. It was a simple space with a stool in the center. Maslow would have feared torture by anyone else, but the Marshyl Guild had a code of honor and they wouldn’t soil their hands by forcing information from him.

  “Tell me about your master,” the Lord Marshyl said. “Give us the information we need and we can commute your sentence to life in our dungeons.”

  Maslow didn’t respond, but he saw the look of shocked surprise on the faces of the guards just inside the door. The Marshyls had a code of honor, but that didn’t mean they weren’t eager to see him die. He had killed their brothers and sisters without mercy, and it was obvious they expected the same treatment to be shown to him. But Maslow understood the Lord Marshyl’s desperation. If Maslow had been powerful enough to strike him down and bring the entire Marshyl Guild to their knees, what could the man who taught Maslow do? The Lord Marshyl was no fool, Maslow had to give him that, but he wouldn’t betray the Sage Regulators, even if they had tortured him.

  “Tell me what you know!” the Lord Marshyl shouted.

  “I know the time of the Marshyl Guild has come to an end,” Maslow said in a croaking voice. “And I know you will never kill me, Lord Marshyl. You’re too weak.”

  The Lord Marshyl didn’t respond, and it took all the self-discipline of the men behind him not to intervene on their lord’s behalf. Maslow needed time for his body to respond to him again, to shake off the days of being held in the grip of the elvish ending curse, but he decided that things could have been worse. He could have been injured. That would have made it impossible for Maslow to act. For the moment, all he needed to do was wait. The Marshyls would give him everything he needed in due course. Then the end would begin.

  Chapter 30

  Dex spent an hour with the healers. They used magic to mend the bone that had been fractured in his back. The muscles were still sore, and the bruising remained, but he was able to breathe easier and move without being in too much pain. He wanted to find his bunk and sleep. The exhaustion of his trip was so severe from the stress and the pain from his injury in the mountains, but his friends wouldn’t hear of it. They wanted every detail of his adventure. Dex was halfway through the story when Outrider Reegan found him.

  “I’m beginning to think you enjoy proving me wrong,” he said, trying to sound casual.

  Dex stood up and turned to his mentor, who held out a hand. It was a sign of respect, from one man to another. Dex shook Reegan’s hand, and the older man pulled Dex into a hug.

  “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” Reegan said.

  “I’m stubborn, you said so yourself,” Dex replied.

  “I just can’t believe you pulled off the quest. The Lord Marshyl has sent for you. For all three of you really. He’s going to make you full knights I’m sure.”

  “Well, what are we waiting for?” Squirrel proclaimed.

  There was still construction taking place all around the Marshyl compound, with stacks of materials and mounds of rubble making the open area just inside the great wall a crowded place. But a section had been cleared, and Dex was surprised to see nearly a hundred Marshyl Knights all in armor waiting for them. He realized that his ultimate dream was about to come true. All the sacrifices, all the hardships, everything had led him to this moment. He had done everything that was required of him, and he was finally being rewarded as a full member of the Guild.

  Dex looked over at Kyp. The big boy looked more like a man than Dex remembered. He had stubble on his square jaw, and his shoulders were thick with muscle from pounding metal in the forges all day long. Yet there were tears in Kyp’s eyes. Dex remembered when his friend’s parents had died in a fire. The two boys had been sleeping out under the stars that hot night, hoping to catch a breeze off the ocean that might relieve the sweltering heat. Kyp’s parents and younger siblings had been inside their small cottage. They were all lost to the searing, insatiable flames that had consumed the small house completely. Kyp had been devastated and shortly thereafter the two boys had fled to Rycaster, hoping to improve their lot in life. They had almost no prospects in the large city, but neither relished the idea of becoming fishermen. Dex had kept them alive with his wits and ambition. The boys had stayed together through the difficult times, but more than once Kyp had bemoaned the hopelessness of their situation. It seemed as if they would never have a home or a family again. Yet they had jumped when an opportunity presented itself and they were both becoming Marshyl Knights, together. They were right where they belonged and no one could take it from them.

  And Squirrel was there too, the smaller, more studious boy was the reason Dex and Kyp had passed the intense academic portion of Marshyl training. Squirrel was a courageous and loyal companion through all the hardships they had endured. Dex had never known anyone as mentally strong as Squirrel and he was so happy that they would all be promoted to full Marshyl Knights at the same ceremony.

  Outrider Reegan walking beside Dex made the day all the more sweet. The older Marshyl had been their advocate right from the start. If Dex and Kyp hadn’t saved Reegan’s life, they would still be in Rycaster. And the Outrider had never forgotten their service to him. He had been there to support and encourage the boys as they struggled with the rigors of Marshyl training. He had taken Dex on his first apprenticeship, and even been there for Dex just recently in the Greeg Lands.

  The Lord Marshyl stood waiting on a small platform. The leader of their Guild still needed the aid of a cane to steady himself after Dex’s father had crushed his knee in a fight just beyond the great wall that was such a vital part of the Marshyl compound. Ranger Saul, their instructor throughout their training cycles, was standing just beside the Lord Marshyl, a look of pride on his stoic face. And there were dozens of other people, some Dex knew and others he had yet to meet, still they were all brothers and sisters, fellow Marshyls. They were men and women who had committed themselves to the same ideals and principles that Dex held so dear. He finally felt like he truly belonged.

  They were ten feet from the small platform where the Lord Marshyl waited, when the distress call rang out through the compound. It was the blast of a horn, and suddenly bolts of deadly light shot through the crowd. Dex saw several Marshyls fall to killing spells cast by someone from behind a large pile of stones. Most of the other Knights had on their armor, but Dex had taken his off when he had been with the healers, and all he had was the Lord Marshyl’s sword strapped around his waist.

  “Get behind me!” Reegan ordered.

  The boys complied, although Dex felt a fury rushing through him that he could hardly control. There was no doubt about who was attacking them. It had to be Maslow, but Dex couldn’t conceive of how his father had managed to break free. Bringing him back to the compound alive was a mistake, Dex realized that but it was too late to second guess the decision. The only thing left to do was to strike his father down once and for all.

  “Get to cover!” Dex shouted. “Your armor won’t protect you.”

  There was shouting and screams of pain. It seemed that Maslow was as powerful as he’d ever been. Direct hits from
his killing curse were deadly even if the Marshyls were armored. Glancing hits were debilitating, and the space cleared for the knighting ceremony had been thrown into chaos.

  “The Lord Marshyl’s down,” Reegan said, as soon as they were safely behind a pile of freshly milled timber beams.

  “Is he hit?” Squirrel asked.

  “I can’t tell,” Reegan said. “Stay here.”

  “We can’t,” Dex said. “That’s Maslow. We have to stop him.”

  “He’ll kill you if you try,” Reegan said.

  “Just give me a distraction and I’ll take him out,” Dex said.

  “No Dex, can’t you see that he wanted to be brought back here,” Reegan said. “That was his plan all along. He’s too dangerous.”

  “But we have to do something,” Kyp said.

  “Save the Lord Marshyl,” Squirrel said. “We can do that.”

  “Alright, get him inside the wall and stay with him,” Reegan said. “I’ll distract the Executioner. Be careful.”

  “We will,” Dex said.

  Reegan turned and unleashed a series of spells from his sword that caused several piles of debris to explode outward. Dex, Kyp, and Squirrel sprinted for the Lord Marshyl. Dex and Kyp bent low in front of their fallen leader, placing their bodies between Maslow’s deadly attack and the Lord Marshyl.

  “He’s breathing,” Squirrel said.

  “Let’s get him out of here,” Kyp said.

  “Get the door to the great wall open,” Dex commanded. “I’ll levitate him inside to you.”

  Kyp and Squirrel went sprinting across the open ground toward the wall. Dex cursed himself for not having his armor and swore that he would never be caught without it again. There were more deadly spells flashing around him. It was almost as if Maslow were cursing without even caring where the devastating magic went.