Wardens of Archos

by Sarina Langer

  “Why don't you implement that idea, Cale?” Kiana nudged him with her elbow. “None of that running on the beach nonsense. Warrior names would be great for morale!”

  He smiled. “I’ll think about it.”

  Rachael laughed. “Thank you, Lady Olesya. I appreciate the insight.”

  “Anytime, Rachael. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I will see to my warriors. We’ll pass out rations an hour before we leave. Someone will find you if you forget. Make sure you get plenty of rest. We have a long night ahead of us.”

  Rachael sighed after Lady Olesya had left the tent. “I don’t even know enough about our own country. What are the Red Wastes?”

  “They’re not part of Rifarne, Rachael,” said Cale. “There’s nothing there. They form the other end of the Northern Wastes, but nothing has lived there since the old sorcerers burnt everything down.”

  “They were the seat of the old empire,” said Kiana, “but everything was destroyed in the war. They are nothing now but poisonous soil.”

  “Have you ever been?” asked Rachael.

  Kiana shook her head. “I never had a reason to. When the old empire was destroyed, Tramura and Vistria lost some of their northernmost borders. They say the destruction was so great its effects bled farther than the sorcerers had expected. Tramura and Vistria didn't lose much, but they aren't the countries they used to be.”

  “So Tramura is the only thing between us and the Wastes?” She didn’t like the thought of Arnost Lis being the only barrier between them and the poisonous soil Kiana had mentioned.

  “Yes, but putting it that way makes it sound worse than it is,” said Cale. “Tramura is much larger than Rifarne. You can walk into the Wastes from Tramura, but as long as you don’t get lost, nothing can happen to you. You won’t die because your feet touch the ground, or from breathing the air. I heard the air still smells burnt, and the ground is too charred for anything to grow there, but that’s it. There aren't even hostile animals to kill you.”

  Rachael struggled to imagine the Red Wastes—long stretches of black, dead ground, and not a ruin in sight. The ancient sorcerers must have possessed tremendous power to release enough magic to destroy a country beyond any hope for future life.

  One of those sorcerers—or his spirit—waited for her at the ruins.

  “But why did they destroy the old empire? What happened that left them no other choice?”

  Cale shrugged. “No one knows. They didn’t just destroy the buildings and the people. They destroyed all evidence, too.”

  “Whatever caused them to do this, we’ll never know the details,” said Kiana. “Unless they left all their notes behind in these ruins we’re going to, that is.”

  Rachael knew it was unlikely, but it would have been nice to finally have some answers.

  The day had passed slowly under the hot sun. Even with Kaida's gift providing a breeze and the shade the tent offered, Rachael had been too hot. She was grateful when sunset finally came. The Parashi handed out provisions and packed up as they ate. Rachael was relieved to be on their way again; spending the day sitting down, thinking about what was to come, had made her restless and sleep had been difficult in the heat.

  It was good to make progress again. Cale and Kiana took their positions by her sides, and Kaida made up the front guard on her own. Lady Olesya and her Parashi set a harsh pace, but Rachael wasn't about to complain. She could rest once they had whatever it was Kaida believed they'd find.

  The desert was a different place at night. Without the oppressing heat of the sun bearing down on her, Rachael could focus on other things. With the city lights long behind them, there was no light to illuminate their surroundings. The Parashi held torches lit with the gift, and Kaida had her own light to guide their way, but there was nothing in the distance. The night had closed in around them, and enveloped them in a never-ending black sea. Above them, the clear sky revealed more stars than Rachael had ever seen.

  Something flickered and caught Rachael's attention. Small blue and green lights danced nearby. They reminded her of the sei she’d seen in Midoka, but something was off.

  “What are they?”

  “They are the spirits I told you about,” said Cale. “The ones who lead travellers to their deaths.”

  Rachael gulped. That explained the difference she felt toward them. The sei were playful. They hadn't tried to kill her. She shivered. They were beautiful, but knowing what they were made it easier to look away. The longer she watched them, the harder it was to pay attention to where her camel was going. Even the ache in her behind slipped deeper into memory.

  “Don’t stray from us and you’ll be fine,” said Kiana. “We’ll all be safe as long as we stick close to Lady Olesya and her small army.”

  Lady Olesya rode over to them. “My scouts tell me we have another two hours ahead of us. We should see the ruins and its wardens soon after.”

  Rachael nudged her camel to move faster. The wardens from her vision still made her shudder, but they hadn't come across as hostile and she wanted answers.

  The moon stood high in the sky when Lady Olesya stopped and raised her hand. Their small procession came to a halt. Rachael jumped off her camel and ran to her.

  “What is it?”

  “Look.”

  Rachael followed her nod and gasped. Before them, larger than expected, were the hidden ruins of Archos. She knew now it wasn’t the ruins themselves that were hidden, but the secret chambers beneath. The ruins were large enough to have been a small town at one point, before history forgot about it. While their inhabitants were long gone, the walls still looked intact for the most part. Roofs had caved in and wall segments had crumbled, but Rachael could still make out single houses and where roads might have been. She wondered if magic had been used in their creation, to preserve them for longer.

  But it wasn’t the architecture that caught her eye. It was the two blue figures that stood atop the front gate, their eyes locked on Rachael and the Parashi.

  “What do we do?”

  Lady Olesya hesitated. “We proceed with caution. They will recognise me and my warriors, but there’s a chance they’ll perceive the numbers I brought as a threat. If we all go together, we risk an attack.” Lady Olesya turned to Cale. “You and I will go with Rachael. The others will stay here and await further instructions.”

  “I should come with you,” said Kiana. “I'm her bodyguard, too.”

  “No,” said Cale. “It’s better this way. Lady Olesya is right, the more of us go with her the more likely they'll be to defend themselves. I won't let them harm her.”

  “Neither will I,” said Lady Olesya.

  “Good,” said Kiana, her eyes locked with Cale’s. “If she has one scratch when you get back, I'll hold you personally responsible.”

  Cale grinned. “That seems fair.”

  Rachael was aware of the arrows pointed at her head as they rode to the ruins. As they got closer, the wardens glowed with an iridescent light. It was faint, not bright enough to cut through the night but strong enough to make them look like spirits. Was that what they were? But ghosts were dead, and these sentinels looked alive as they watched her approach, their eyes not wavering once. She watched them with just as much curiosity. If this was a test of her resolve, she wouldn't fail.

  One of the wardens lowered his bow when they were halfway to the ruins and said something to the other who disappeared. Did this mean they hadn't been perceived as a threat?

  Rachael tensed when three wardens exited the ruins and walked toward them. Her breath caught, her heart racing.

  “What do I tell them?”

  “The truth,” said Cale. Rachael was glad he was there with her. He made her stronger. “Tell them about your vision. Tell them who you are. The Rise of the Sparrows prophecy was written in their time, chances are they know who you are.”

  Rachael took a deep breath in, but it failed to calm her. This was it, whether she was ready for it or not.

  They dismounted w
hen the wardens met them halfway between the Parashi and the ruins.

  They gave a brief courteous nod to Lady Olesya, and regarded Rachael and Cale with interest. Seeing them up close sent shivers through Rachael. They were no longer alive, that much was obvious. Wherever their once mortal bodies were now, they were skeletons. Maybe dust. Their every movement caused small laces of mist to whirl up behind them and follow them like the mist itself was part of their bodies. It was eerie how clear their faces were. She’d expected their glow to distort their features, but nothing of the sort happened. Their eyes were sharp, but not malevolent.

  “Lady Olesya. To what do we owe this honour?” Every word had an echo, their sounds fine whispers on the breeze. Here one moment, gone the next.

  “I've come here with three Sparrows. They need to get inside the ruin and recover an artefact.”

  His spectral eyes settled first on Cale, then on Rachael.

  “Sparrows, you say?” He raised one eyebrow as he observed them both, then stepped closer to Cale. “May I?” He held his palm close to Cale's chest.

  Cale nodded, but the movement was tense. “Of course.”

  The warden placed his hand on Cale’s chest. Under his palm the spot glowed with the same blue light. It was over as soon as it had started. The warden smiled while Cale looked shaken. His eyes were wide, and Rachael thought he was holding his breath.

  “I apologise for the unpleasantness. I needed to verify who you were before deciding how to proceed.”

  Cale nodded, but the movement gave him trouble.

  “You say you’re a Sparrow, but you’re not like us. You and your Sparrows aren’t the same Sparrows we were.”

  “Much was lost when your empire was destroyed.”

  “I feared as much. I had hoped some of our traditions might survive, but Felan and his sorcerers were thorough.” The warden turned his attention to Rachael. “And who are you?” He moved his hand toward her, but Cale interfered before the warden could touch her.

  “She’s the Sparrow that sees ahead. The one the prophecy spoke of.”

  The warden looked bewildered. “We weren't told about a prophecy.”

  “What if the prophecy was written after they arrived here?” said Rachael. “They wouldn't have known about it.”

  “Yes, that makes sense,” said Cale. “We can fill you in, it’s no trouble.”

  “No need,” said the warden, and placed his hand right over Rachael’s heart.

  It was like she’d jumped into a lake in the height of winter. Her entire being flooded with ice. The shock made her gasp. Her body was frozen in place, and inside her small tendrils of frost snaked around her core. Heat flooded her so violently she feared she’d burn from the inside out.

  “I apologise, I understand it’s an unpleasant sensation.”

  “You needed to know who I am.” She understood necessity, but wished he’d just asked.

  The warden smiled his approval, and gave her a courteous nod.

  “Indeed I did. It seems you’re the one we were promised.”

  Behind him the two other wardens shifted, and vague flashes of excitement ghosted across their faces.

  “What does that mean?” asked Rachael.

  “It means you’ve come to liberate us.”

  “We’ve come for the relics,” said Cale. “That’s why we’re here.”

  “Of course. Follow me. Your army is welcome to join us in the ruins, but they may not enter the hidden chambers. The relics are too important to be disturbed by so many.”

  “Go ahead,” said Lady Olesya. “I will gather my warriors and join you at the ruins.”

  Rachael and Cale followed the three wardens. More awaited them inside the ruins. All wore the same armour except one. The runes inscribed in his long robes glowed against his own light. Amongst the others, he stood out like a beacon. Rachael remembered him from her vision; the only sorcerer amidst warriors.

  He broke into a wide grin when they entered, and rushed to meet them.

  “Vail here will explain everything you need to know,” said the wardens’ leader. He walked away to leave them alone with the sorcerer.

  “Call if you need me,” said Cale, and turned to follow the warden. “I have a few questions for him.”

  Rachael took a deep breath in. She was the queen of Rifarne—the first gifted without royalty in her blood to ever hold that title. She didn’t need anyone’s approval. She didn’t need anyone’s help.

  She could do this, too.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Vail’s grin was infectious. “Truly, just marvellous!”

  “And you.” She was lost for a proper greeting. In a way, meeting the ambassadors after her coronation had been easier. She knew nothing about this sorcerer, and she couldn't lean on Kiana this time. “Do you know why we’re here?”

  “I do indeed! The real question is, do you?”

  “Of course I do. We’ve come for the relic.”

  Vail tapped his nose with one finger. “Ah, yes, but that’s not all you can do.”

  “He mentioned something like that.” Rachael nodded toward the wardens’ leader, who was speaking with Cale. “He said I’ve come to liberate you.”

  “But you don’t know what that means. My, my!” He chuckled. “Felan was thorough.”

  “He mentioned something like that, too. Who was Felan?”

  Vail sighed. “Why, he was the best of us. He was the one who destroyed the old empire.”

  Rachael stared at him, lost for words. She’d imagined the destruction had been forced upon them, not that it had been decided in a civil meeting. “And you agree?”

  “Of course! We faced destruction from far worse enemies. We chose to go on our own terms and to take all knowledge with us.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the evil that threatened us couldn’t possess our wisdom. It would have done terrible things with it.” Vail's eyes glazed over for a moment before he continued. “But that you’re here and that you don’t know anything means we’ve succeeded. We didn’t die for nothing.”

  “We are threatened by a great evil now. That’s why I’m here—I need the relic to defeat it.”

  Vail's eyes went wide. “Is that so? May I see?” His hand moved forward, and Rachael took a step back. Vail snickered. “Commander Kavan did the same already, I take it? My, but he’s an impatient one! His gift isn’t sufficient to do it comfortably, you see. Mine, on the other hand...mine is quite outstanding! May I?”

  Rachael nodded, certain she didn’t have another option. He placed his hand over her heart and Rachael braced herself.

  The flood of ice didn’t come. Instead, a wonderful warmth spread inside her. She felt comforted. Safe. Strong. All too soon, it was over.

  Vail's boyish grin had disappeared. “So it’s true. We feared this would happen.”

  “What is it?”

  “The same evil that fought us is now fighting you. I will give you the relic, but I’m afraid it won’t help you. You can’t have the one thing you truly require.”

  “What else do we need?”

  His smile was haunted. “A dragon.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Rachael recognised the underground chamber Vail had led her into from her vision. Now that Vail had ignited blue flames all around the room, Rachael could see. Five skeletons lay in the centre. The natural decay of time made it impossible to see who had been warrior and who had been sorcerer, but Rachael knew who they were nonetheless. They were the bodies of the wardens who had greeted them. She thought back to her vision and the ritual they’d spoken of. If she had stayed any longer, she’d have witnessed their deaths.

  “Mourn us not, Rachael. We knew we would die when we came here.”

  “Why? Why do this?”

  “Because what we came to hide needed to be protected no matter the consequences to us. We knew it was unlikely anyone would find this place, bypass us, and figure out what was hidden here or where it was hidden, but we couldn’t t
ake the chance.”

  “And death was the only option?”

  “Yes. Our life force powered the ritual needed to seal the tome. Because we’re connected to the barrier through our deaths, we’re the only ones who can remove it.”

  “Then I hope it was worth it,” said Rachael.

  “Me, too. Come. It’s time I showed you what we died for.”

  Her heart was racing as she watched Vail touch the wall in the same place her vision had shown her a separate room. He began reciting an old incantation, his voice a low murmur that reverberated in the silence of the chamber.

  “How is it that you understand us?” asked Rachael.

  “Hm?”

  “I have the Tome of Ar’Zac Dar. It’s in—”

  Vail ceased the spell and turned around to face her. “The Tome of Ar’Zac Dar survived?”

  “Yes, but I can’t read it. It’s in an ancient language. No one alive today speaks it.”

  Despite this, Vail smiled. “We didn’t think it would survive the destruction.” His brows creased into a frown. “This isn’t good. If the tome survived, other things might have done, too.”

  Rachael understood, and shuddered.

  “The evil will be looking for it. You can’t let that happen.”

  She didn’t need to be told twice.

  “My armour is a relic. My sword, too, and my necklace. To take those off me the Dark One would need to kill me.”

  “And He won’t hesitate to do just that.” Vail turned back toward the door and placed his hand on the wall. “Now, be quiet. I’m trying to work.”

  Rachael took a step back and watched as Vail began reciting the spell once more, and the wall morphed into a door. It glowed the same blue as the wardens and the lights in the room; small runes and sigils covered its entire surface, and Rachael observed in awe as the spell dissolved them one by one.

  Vail looked tired when it was done, his breath coming in short gasps. “What you seek is in here.”

  A large volume was resting on a small stone pedestal. Its once brown leather had faded and was covered in dust, the golden lettering cracked and pale. It was the only thing stored inside the room.