From Blood and Magic

by Dave Skinner

  “I wish you luck,” Arcan said. “I must return to work.” He stood and finished his ale. “A word of advice,” he added. “Do not attempt to take your boat past the Empire’s fortress at the end of the river. In fact, I suggest you leave the craft here and use horses for the rest of your trip. Also, fey and mixed-bloods are not free folk within the Empire. They are slaves.”

  After Arcan left, Nails turned to Brayson, “You should stay here until we come back.”

  “Or,” Shawn said, “you could pretend to be my slave. I could use someone to fetch my meals and tend to my belongings,” he joked.

  Chapter 44

  The next morning, they took the road south towards the Empire. After talking with Arcan, they had discussed his advice and decided to travel by horse. They used the afternoon to obtain mounts and to pack. On the road, they spent the time deciding on how to present their party to the Emperor. Andoo suggested that they keep their story as close to the truth as possible, so Shawn, as Crown Prince of Nadia, would be the leader of the expedition. Brayson would be his slave, and Reese would be his personal protector. Wizard Toran would be his advisor, and Nails and Feenatay would be Andoo’s apprentices. Because they had only three days of travel before they reached the border, Andoo suggested that they practice their parts in order to get into character. Shawn assumed the role of a privileged prince with relish. He had Brayson do everything for him, starting with the first meal on the road. Shawn was familiar with court protocol and how people should act around royalty. He took to it so easily that Nails believed there was some truth to his attitude. Reese suffered his instructions about where she should position herself around him and how she should act, but when Shawn had her check his bed for snakes the second night out, he made the mistake of patting her on the behind as she bent over, and she knocked him off his feet.

  “Do not play the boor, Shawn, or you will be the toothless Crown Prince of Nadia,” she advised.

  Nails and Brayson both had to turn away to hide their smiles. Nails figured Reese was the perfect person to play a protector. He believed the only thing that could hurt her was magic, and he was being extremely careful in that regard. His caution had cooled their relationship but having her safe was better than holding her close. After burning her arm, he had promised himself he would never use his magic again while his friends were around, but every time he had tried to control it in the past, he failed, so he promised this time he would control it.

  They arrived at the first Empire outpost close to the end of the third day. It was a fortress, much like the cities on South Lake, except it was made of stone blocks. Nails estimated they were three arm lengths long and two high. He had seen stone works like these when he visited Nadia with Shawn and Brayson before they started the trip. Unlike Nadia, this place was clearly not a city. The gates were closed, and soldiers patrolled along the battlements behind stone crenellations.

  “State your name and purpose,” someone called as they rode up to the gates.

  “Crown Prince Shawn of Nadia,” Andoo announced. “Here to pay his respect to the Emperor.”

  Nails could hear sounds coming from inside the gate, and then one side of the double doors slowly opened. They rode their mounts through in single file and stopped. Men with long, metal-tipped lances stood waiting for them. All were dressed in green uniforms. Crests and pieces of ribbon were attached to the hip-length jackets in a way that suggested significance. As they dismounted, a tall man with more ribbons and crests than most came forward.

  “Welcome to the Empire, Your Highness,” he said, bowing slightly. “The Commander will see you in his office. If you will follow me, the others will be shown to the stables.”

  “I want my advisor and my personal protector with me,” Shawn said.

  “Protection will not be necessary. We are perfectly safe within the fort,” the man replied.

  “Still, I would like her at my back.”

  Andoo and Reese handed their reins to Nails.

  “Your guard is a woman?” the man asked.

  “Yes, and I would back her in any contest of martial skill.”

  “Fine,” the man said. “Come this way.”

  The soldier led them away, escorted by six of the lancers.

  “So, you are a gambling man?” Nails heard him say as they left.

  A second soldier, with fewer decorations on his uniform, led Nails, Feenatay and Brayson towards a stable and corral off to the right.

  “Your mounts will have to stay in the corral,” he told them. “All our stalls are full, but you can put your possessions in the barn and find a place to sleep there. Someone will bring you a meal from the mess hall later.”

  They removed saddles and tacks from the horses, rubbed them down, fed them, then found a place to settle in the hayloft. As promised, a soldier brought them a meal some time later.

  Nails was up the next morning and had just finished his exercises when the same soldier brought them a morning meal. They sat outside in the sunshine as they ate. Nails heard two soldiers talking as they walked into the corral to take care of the other horses.

  “I’m telling you, she beat Conner and Bartlet together. The Captain lost a purse full to the Prince.”

  “Conner and Bartlet together?”

  “Yes, didn’t even work up a sweat. I heard Conner volunteered for the squad that will escort them to the city.”

  “Does he want another crack at her?”

  “Naw. I heard him say he thinks he’s in love with her.”

  The men started feeding the horses and Feenatay leaned closer to Nails.

  “I think Reese has made an impression,” she whispered.

  ***

  They set out shortly after the morning meal with an escort of ten lancers and an officer by the name of Conner. He was almost as tall as Nails, strongly built, with light blond hair and a smile he reserved for Reese. They rode together most of the time, talking and laughing easily. Nails was not impressed, and he mentioned it that evening as they were taking care of the horses.

  “Don’t get too relaxed with him,” he advised.

  “Why not? He is friendly and nice to talk with, and I am learning a lot about the country.”

  “I don’t trust any of them.”

  “He is a good man,” Reese claimed.

  “Take a look around you, Reese. Good men don’t keep people as slaves like they do here.”

  Nails had been impressed when they first set out. The road cut a swath through manicured fields of vegetables and grains. He could see farmers working diligently far out in the fields, but as the day wore on and they came closer to the workers a few times, he realized they were supervised by men with whips, dressed in rags, their backs crisscrossed with red welts and most of them were little-people. He was sure the few who were not fey were mixed-bloods. That night, as he and Brayson rubbed down the horses, his friend spoke quietly to him.

  “Nails, will you promise me something?”

  “Of course,” Nails said.

  “If something happens, promise you will not leave me here.”

  “Nothing is going to happen, Brayson,” Nails told him, although he felt less than confident about that. “But I promise. I will not leave you here.”

  They spent the first night camped between the road and the lakeshore. The second night they camped again. The third night, as they were settling in, Nails realized one of the things that was bothering him.

  “Where are all the towns and inns?” he asked.

  “The city is another two day’s ride from here,” Conner answered.

  “What about smaller towns?”

  “Why would we have small towns? The City of Shining Light is the centre of culture and life. Everyone either lives there or wants to live there. Soldiers and overseers live where they are assigned, but no one would willingly live outside the city.”

  On the morning of their fifth day on the road, a glimmer of light could be seen on the ho
rizon. By the time the sun had reached its zenith, the spires and towers of a magnificent city were visible. The afternoon was well-worn when they reached The City of Shining Light. It was the grandest place Nails had ever seen, but it gave him a sick feeling. It was the city Andoo had shown him in the Seeing Pool.

  Conner guided them to an inn. “Someone will collect you here tomorrow. Do not wander around the city without an escort. If the Emperor sees fit, you will be given a tour of the City before you leave. For tonight, enjoy a meal and a clean bed in a comfortable inn.” Conner turned his attention to Reese. “I have enjoyed our time together, Reese. We will be heading back tomorrow, but I hope you will stop and say hello when you leave the Empire.”

  Chapter 45

  As they came into sight of their destination the next morning, Nails felt sparks jumping across his fingertips. This was the square, two-storied building of his dreams. He stopped walking and someone prodded him from behind.

  “Keep moving,” one of the soldiers escorting them told him. This was a different squad from the one who had brought them to the city. They were prettier for one thing. Their uniforms sparkled in the sun, and their hats were shiny metal with spikes on top. More ceremonial than functional, as far as Nails was concerned, unless you were going to charge your enemies with your head down like a buffalo.

  “Sorry,” Nails mumbled an apology. “It is so impressive.”

  It was an impressive building. It seemed to stand alone in the sky, as all other buildings around it were only a single story. The Emperor’s palace, an impressive array of golden spirals, sat atop a square base made entirely of pillars that held it up. In his visions, Nails could never make out what was in the base along with the columns. Now, in the morning sunshine, he could see soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder in the shade.

  “The nine hundred,” the guard said. “The ultimate defense.”

  Nails realized the guard thought he was impressed by the soldiers standing among the columns, not by the architecture. Probably a simple misinterpretation for a soldier who took pride in the Empire’s military might, as these men clearly did. It took him a moment to think through the “ultimate defense” reference, and he might not have gotten it if he hadn’t seen the stairway in the centre of the base, rising up to the palace proper. Any enemy trying to reach the Emperor would have to fight their way past nine hundred soldiers. It would be an impossible task unless you had a force of equal size. As they drew closer, they were met by a group of nine men holding staffs, and Nails felt magic. They were wizards.

  “You must leave your staff and your weapons here,” one of the wizards informed them. When no one made a move to comply, he continued. “They will be returned when you leave.”

  They placed their swords, knives and Andoo’s staff on a platform before one of the wizards led them forward.

  Nails had been correct. Fighting your way through the soldiers arrayed throughout the base area would be next to impossible. A pathway was opened for them as soldiers stepped backwards into spaces created by others turning sideways. Even if all of these soldiers were struck blind, it would be impossible to pass through their ranks without being noticed.

  In the centre, they climbed the stairway to the next level. The room they entered into was large with a high ceiling. There were no windows, but light came in through openings in the roof. Andoo had said that he got an impression of opulence when he saw this building in his vision and Nails saw wealth all around him, but his impression was one of fear and distrust. He thought back to meeting Brayson’s father at the inn in Upper Thesia. Bray had sat at one of the inn’s tables along with everyone else. He did not fear the people around him. Nails didn’t think the same could be said of the Emperor, who sat on a high-backed golden throne, encrusted with gems that sparkled in the light from above. A few guards were dispersed along the walls of the room, and two massive figures stood at both sides of his throne. Nails couldn’t tell if they were metal statues or men encased in metal until he got close enough to see the eyes that watched them through slits in the headpieces. The Emperor seemed to shimmer, and Nails rubbed his eyes, but the shimmer was still there. It was some type of magical barrier that encased him. A man in a fancy robe stood slightly in front and to the side of the Emperor’s throne. He carried a long staff topped with a large gem.

  “State your business,” the man with the staff ordered.

  Andoo had given them all instructions about how to act. They came forward and bowed to the man on the throne.

  “Your Majesty,” Andoo began. “I am the wizard Andoo Toran, advisor to his royal highness, Crown Prince Shawn of Nadia. We come from a land far to the north. Due to research conducted by Prince Shawn, we recently learned that our people came to our lands many generations ago from an Empire far to the south.” Andoo continued on and then Shawn was presented, and he rattled on for some time. Nails lost interest quickly. He had heard it all before. He was more interested in keeping his anxiety under control and clenched his fists so that any sparks that occurred would go straight into his palms. He took deep, slow breaths and let the magic inside of him rest undisturbed. If anything untoward happened here because of him, he was sure all his friends would suffer for it. Shawn and Andoo must have finished their presentation because suddenly a voice boomed out as the Emperor spoke. Nails realized that the shimmer around the throne was not just for protection, it also projected his voice.

  “We are happy that you have come to pay homage to us,” the Emperor stated. “We will have our historians check on how we lost track of you. In the meantime, you will pay a tax of one gold coin for every person in your domain. Payment will be made twelve moons from today. In addition to the gold, you will send any fey slaves you have to us. You will also pay a penalty of one thousand gold coins for having the audacity to bring a filthy crossbreed into our presence. Guards! Take that filth out of my sight.”

  Two guards stepped forward and grabbed Brayson. He attempted to struggle, but a third guard slammed the hilt of his sword into the back of his head. Brayson collapsed and was dragged away.

  Nails stiffened. He could feel sparks on his finger tips as he clenched his hands, but the vision of carrying Brayson’s broken body from this building made him control his reaction.

  “You may leave,” the Emperor said.

  “Your Majesty, we had no idea my slave’s presence would be a problem,” Shawn said. “Please consider allowing—”

  “You may leave,” the Emperor repeated.

  Nails followed the others as they were led back down the stairway and out of the building by the same wizard who had led them in. The other eight wizards were waiting for them. They picked up their weapons and started buckling them on. Andoo went to reach for his staff, but a wizard blocked his way.

  “The Emperor wants us to impress upon you how important it is to follow his instructions,” the man said.

  “I think we un—” Andoo started to say when a blast of magic slammed into his back. He countered the magic with some of his own, but all nine wizards brought their staffs to bear on him. Feenatay started towards Andoo. Two wizards turned and blasted her, and then returned to attacking Andoo, who was now curled up on the ground. Nails felt the magic around him, and his core started to react, but he grounded himself and held back. He kept his eyes on his feet and tried to stay calm. All his friends’ lives depended on it. He was sure of that.

  The wizards stopped. “Now you may leave,” one said as he threw Andoo’s staff to the ground beside him.

  Chapter 46

  Nails walked to Andoo’s body. He was still alive, Nails could see that much. He knelt beside him and slipped his hands under his uncle. Lifting him carefully, he settled him in his arms. No one else had moved.

  “Shawn, pick up Andoo’s staff,” he ordered. “Reese, help Feenatay.” Without waiting to see if they obeyed, he started back towards the inn with soldiers walking on both sides of him. When he reached it, he found their horses saddled, load
ed with their possessions and waiting. Conner’s men stood by their mounts, also waiting. Nails didn’t bother looking at them. Shawn came up behind him with Andoo’s staff in his hand.

  “Wait until I am mounted before passing that to me,” Nails said. Reese was supporting Feenatay as she walked. “Can she ride?” he asked.

  “Yes, I can ride,” Feenatay snarled. “What about Andoo?”

  “I will hold him in front of me,” Nails said. “Shawn, you will have to pass him up.” He passed Andoo to Shawn and then mounted. Shortly after, they were all being escorted out of the city.

  As they rode, Nails pulled magic from Andoo’s staff and fed it to him in a trickle. It seemed to stabilize his heartbeat, which had been erratic as he carried him through the city.

  Andoo was still unconscious when they stopped for the night. They made a bed for him beside the fire, and Feenatay did her best to tend to his needs. Shawn and Reese responded to Nails’ requests but never said anything directly to him. After the meal, he heard Shawn mumbling to himself. Nails slid closer.

  “What have I done?” Shawn was repeating over and over.

  In the deep of the night, Nails awoke to the quiet sound of Feenatay crying. He went to Andoo’s side and checked him. He was still alive.

  “Why did you not try to help him?” she asked from beside him.

  “It wasn’t the time,” he whispered.

  Andoo’s condition didn’t improve the next day, but it also didn’t get worse. Nails took that as a good sign. He continued to feed magic to Andoo as they rode while he thought through his next moves. That evening, as Feenatay knelt over Andoo, trying to feed a broth to him, Nails knelt next to her.

  “Do you have the Sword of Sacrifice with you?” he asked.

  “It is in my pack,” she said. “Why?”