by Jon Bender
Reaching slowly for the waist of the dead soldier, she pulled the key from the belt. Jaxom could smell the anxiety emanating off her. With the key now in hand, she returned to Corin and unlocked his shackles. “That’s your brother?” she asked.
“It is one of his risen pets. I doubt he would let anyone else try and rescue me. Though he has not done a good job of it so far.” Jaxom gave a low growl, earning a laugh from Corin. His mirth was interrupted by the sound of shouting coming from the stairs. “If you have a way to get me out of here, little brother, now would be the time.”
Jaxom tried to stand but gave up and abandoned the emora. When his own eyes refocused, he found Laiden sitting on the bed staring at him. “Corin is alive, but trapped. Be ready to move when I get back.”
He reached out with his magic and found the risen he was looking for. Warin was hovering above the palace, looking for another target, when Jaxom connected with the dragon. He felt a slight resistance before Warin relinquished control. The strength of the risen was shocking, but there was no time to marvel at it. Whipping his large horned head about, he found the tower. Flapping the great wings, he began circling the structure, looking through windows until he found the right one. He flew in close and heard a startled scream as he gripped the bars with his large claws. Bracing his hind legs against the tower, the powerful strokes of the wings ripped the metal and part of the stone wall away. The chains that had held his brother, snapping in the air and clipping the surface of the tower before falling away. Just inside the new hole, Corin’s jaw hung open in surprise. Jaxom placed his head near the hole and stared impatiently.
“What are you waiting for? Get on!” Warin shouted from his back. Jaxom could feel the punctures of several arrows piercing the dragon’s flesh, but besides minor tears in his wings, they had no effect. Corin boosted the princess before grabbing a horn and climbing up behind her.
Just as his brother was settling himself between Jaxom’s horns, Alexar and his mages appeared at the cell door. Warin unleashed the blight which was quickly countered by a burst of flame. Feeling that his new passengers were secure, Jaxom pointed his head at the Bruxan king. He opened his jaws and spewed flame, filling the room with such force that it rushed through the hall and out several other cell windows. When the last of the fuel was spent, the fires continued to burn. One of the mages was still alive but horribly burned, and Jaxom spotted the glint of a silver crown on one of the charred bodies.
“Why didn’t you do this from the beginning?” Corin shouted.
Jaxom snorted in amused annoyance at his ungrateful brother. He released control of the dragon and drifted back to his own body. While he was gone, Cribble had bound his and Laiden’s wounds. Somehow they had managed to wrap a strip of the sheet around Jaxom’s chest as well.
Darian still leaned against the door, looking to have regained some of his energy. “What happened?”
“We got him. Now we have to get out.”
“That’s good. I think the lad has had enough for now,” Cribble said. Looking at the Guard Commander, Jaxom could tell he was far worse off than the apprentice.
“What about Alexar?” Darian said.
“I killed him,” Jaxom said matter-of-factly. He thought speaking those words would bring him a sense of satisfaction, but the joy of knowing that his brother was safe far outweighed the Bruxan king’s death.
“Let’s hope that throws his men into confusion and lets us get away,” Darian said.
Jaxom nodded. Alexar’s daughters were still alive, including the one with Corin. His brother would have to explain what had happened in the cell, but he put the concern aside for the moment. They could deal with that once they had regrouped. After he led them out of the small room, they only ran into one patrol of soldiers. Without mages to aid them, they turned and ran after seeing Jaxom kill three without effort. He made sure to release the magic once it was over. They returned to the prince’s room where the young royal’s naked body had fallen to the floor, impaled on the partially melted ice shaft. He hurried out onto the balcony. Adriana and three other riders were circling overhead as Warin flew away from the palace with Corin and the princess. Seeing them below, Adriana flew and hovered just under the balcony, allowing him to jump behind her. When the other three were safely astride their durgen, they followed the shrinking shape of the dragon as it moved away from the city. The dragon’s relatively slow pace allowed them to catch up quickly, and for the first time in months, Jaxom was able to lay his own eyes on his brother. Corin looked back and smiled.
They flew for several hours into the night until one of the scouts retuned with a safe place for them to land. Adriana set her durgen down beside a small, wood-lined stream, and he kissed her on the cheek before jumping to the grass. The dragon was just laying down to let its three passengers dismount. Corin slid down the beast’s side and met him with a look of stern disapproval on his face.
“Do you know how long I was held by that mad man? I expected you over a month ago, at least,” Corin said, staring hard into Jaxom’s eyes.
“You’re lucky I decided to come at all,” Jaxom shot back, without missing a beat. “To be honest, things have been going a lot more smoothly since Celia took the throne.”
“Well, then maybe I’ll just head off into the mountains and let you two deal with Or’Keer,” Corin said, laughing.
Jaxom ran a hand through his hair and shook his head before looking up again with complete seriousness. “That might be best.”
Corin laughed and moved forward. Picking Jaxom up in a great bear hug, he laughed as he swayed him back and forth. “It’s good to see you again.
Setting Jaxom down, he looked to Adriana who had moved nearby and repeated the process with her, if a bit more gently. “I hope you’ve been keeping him from doing anything foolish. I’m afraid to think of what he has gotten himself into without me around,” he said, once her feet were again firmly on the ground.
Adriana endured being handled like a child with grace and continued to smile at his exuberant brother. “You have no idea. He almost got himself killed twice while you were gone.”
“One of those times was just now, trying to save him,” Jaxom objected.
Jaxom did not believe Corin’s smile could get any wider. “Thank you. I never doubted you would come.” He turned to the small group of riders that had been gathering around their returned king. “Thank you all.”
A cheer erupted from the men. “Let’s set up camp for the night. There is much to do, and we are going to need what rest we can find. I’m afraid there will be precious little of it in the coming months.” Corin said, once the noise had quieted down. Almost as one, the riders saluted their king and moved to carry out his command. He spotted Brenin in the group with Lexa beside him and motioned them over. “Captain, get a guard posted and the men settled.”
Brenin saluted and started barking orders as Corin put his arm around Jaxom. “Let’s get a fire going, so you can tell me what I missed.” As they started walking away, Corin looked over to the princess and waved her to follow. Before they settled down for the night, Adriana insisted on cleaning and redressing the cut on his chest, then having him change into a shirt that was not crusted with blood. A short time later, they were all sitting around a low fire eating a simple meal of dried food. Corin washed down a hard biscuit with wine before looking at everyone around the flames.
“I want to formally introduce Princess Shana of Bruxa. She was instrumental in both stopping me from escaping and then helping me do so,” Corin said, with what Jaxom thought was a mixture of humor and anger. Corin grinned at the puzzled looks, but did not elaborate. Jaxom thought he saw a hint of shame on the princess’s face. Something odd had happened, but if Corin accepted her, Jaxom would as well. All that mattered was that Corin was back.
“Shana, this is my brother Jaxom, the powerful mage your father was so concerned with. He was a bit furrier the last time you met.” Shana nodded to Jaxom, and he returned the gesture. “
And these are some of my trusted friends and advisors,” Corin said, introducing the others by name and title, all but Cribble and Laiden, who were resting from their wounds.
With the introductions finished, his tone became stern. “Where is Nelix?”
“General Nelix and his men are riding hard to Ale’adaria, Your Majesty,” Brenin said. “It was part of the plan. I have sent two riders to act as his eyes.”
“Tomorrow, send two more. I will not lose any more men over this. Jaxom, I saw what happened in the tower. Is there any way Alexar could have survived?”
“No,” he said, with complete confidence.
“What about Shana’s siblings?” Corin asked.
“Her brothers are dead,” Jaxom said, gaging the princess’s response. He found no remorse or loss there, but perhaps a bit of relief.
“And her sister?”
Shana spoke up. “If Deena lives, she will be even now consolidating her power.”
“I guess it was too much to expect they would all get caught up in the fight,” Corin said. “We need to discuss our current strategy and whether we are going to take Bruxa and put Shana on the throne.”
The shock on the princess’s face could not have been more absolute. Whatever had happened between them, she had not expected Corin to offer her the throne. Jaxom would wait to ask his brother about the conversation he had overheard in the tower. He did not want to bring it up in front of the others if it was a sensitive matter. Instead, with the help of the others, he began explaining everything that was happening. He told Corin that Celia was moving toward them with the entire Ale’adraian army, including all of Terika’s troops, both alive and risen, and the forces supplied by King Dillion and led by the Bandit Lord. Corin asked about Azuria and Dradon, and Jaxom did his best to explain the situation. His brother was not happy that the two kingdoms had yet to offer aid, but he also did not seem surprised.
“Tomorrow, we head out to meet up with Celia,” Corin said. “I will handle Rupert and Sanra once I have my army behind me. From there, we move into Bruxa.”
“Do you think this Deena will move to fight?” Darian asked.
“My sister has wanted the throne for a long time. She won’t yield it easily.”
Corin nodded and looked back to the rest. “That is enough for tonight. I have a feeling we have a long campaign ahead of us, and I want to get some rest.”
As the others got up to leave, Corin waved for Jaxom and Adriana to stay. “I know I already said it, but thank you,” Corin said.
“Wasn’t my idea. I thought we had better things to do, but Cribble insisted.”
Corin grunted a laugh. “Did you hear what Shana said to me in the tower?”
“Yes. And after what you said, the others won’t fully trust her.”
“We have a complicated relationship, but you saw her save my life. Because of that, she deserves another chance,” Corin said, looking at her.
“If you’re looking to me to keep an eye on her, I can’t,” Jaxom said.
“What do you mean?” Corin demanded. “We have a lot to do. I need you by my side.”
Jaxom looked to Adriana, who nodded. “I have a sister, and she’s alive. We leave tomorrow to look for her.”
“A sister? How did you find out? Where is she?” The questions spilled out of Corin. He seemed ready to jump up and start pacing.
Jaxom held up a hand to stop the stream of questions. “Alimar learned an ancient cast that allowed me to get the information when we were still in Kelran.”
Corin stayed quiet for a long time, then smiled gently. “I am happy for you, Jaxom, truly. I know how much it has bothered you not knowing what happened to your family, but how can you be sure?”
“The source is trustworthy, and I was told she was last in Ostega. That is where I intend to search,” he said.
Corin nodded. “You are going to leave? So soon after freeing me from imprisonment?” Corin said softly. Looking away from Jaxom, he stared off into the night.
“I know it seems soon, but you’re safe now and…” Jaxom trailed off when he saw Corin trying and failing to hide a grin. “I knew rescuing you was a mistake,” he finished.
Corin looked back, his grin now a full smile. “Of course, you must go look for her. I am capable of dealing with a dark god and countless enemies on my own.” Jaxom just stared at him, unwilling to fall for the bait twice. “Who, besides Adriana, is going with you?”
“Nobody. This is personal, and I won’t risk anyone else,” Jaxom said firmly.
“What about that young death mage…Laiden? Warren mentioned that he was your apprentice now,” Corin said, scratching at his stubble.
With a pang of embarrassment, Jaxom realized he had forgotten about Laiden. The boy was now his responsibility. “Yes, he’ll be coming as well.”
“I think Darian will have to go, too. You should have another full mage you can depend on,” Corin said.
“Hold on,” Jaxom said.
“Also, it would be better to have another good sword or bow to watch your backs, and Brenin is good with both,” Corin said, riding right over Jaxom’s protest. “Adriana, I assume you have other riders who can take command while you’re both gone?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” she said innocently.
“He is needed here,” Jaxom said standing, as if getting to higher ground would help him win the argument.
“We can make do without him,” Corin said. “Just be glad I’m not sending half the riders with you. I will never again make the mistake I did with Alexar. Now, sit. You look foolish hovering like that.”
Jaxom did not sit so much as flop to the ground. Brenin would happily obey his king in this, and Darian would love the idea of going off on another adventure, no matter how much he complained about it. “Fine,” he said. “But no one else.”
“I won’t argue anymore. You always seem to get your way,” Corin said, barely surpassing a laugh.
Letting the matter drop, Jaxom stayed only a short while longer, going over the details of what Corin had missed and answering questions as best he could. His brother, in turn, told him what it had been like as Alexar’s captive. Jaxom was sure he left a lot out, including how he met Shana and what had transpired between them. He did not press further on the subject. Corin would tell him when he was ready. All that mattered was that he was safely back where he belonged, with the people who cared for him. Seeing that his brother wanted to speak with the Bruxan princess alone, Jaxom stood and offered Adriana a hand. They said their goodnights, and she slipped an arm through his as they walked toward their own fire. When he changed direction, heading for the small stream, she gave him a questioning look but did not speak. Stepping carefully down the gentle slope, he listened to the calming sounds of the night and bubbling of water. After crossing the shallow stream and making their way up the other bank, they came upon one of the perimeter guards who wore the black cloak of Terika. The man brought a fist to his chest in salute. Jaxom nodded and continued on.
They silently walked for another ten minutes in the moonlight before Adriana finally spoke. “I enjoy a romantic walk through the night as much as any other moonstruck girl, but don’t forget that we are still in unfriendly lands,” she said, looking over at him.
Meeting her eyes, he took the time to appreciate the beauty of her gently curving features and long dark hair tied back in a ponytail. Her grin reminded him of the small box still resting in his pocket. “Something is happening to me. I have to get some answers before it gets any worse.”
Her grin slipped away. “What’s happening?” she demanded.
“It’s something about my magic. I’m feeling things I never have before. These feelings make me act in ways that are…not myself. It’s been going on for months. It was subtle at first, but now I can barely control myself when I cast,” he said quietly.
“I don’t understand. Acting how?”
He told her everything. How he had started to enjoy fighting, the exhilaration of taking l
ife, the pleasure he felt when they were ambushed in the woods and then again on the trip down the river. He described how he had nearly gotten everyone killed in Taurn because all he could think of was destroying his enemies, knowing he could draw even more power from their deaths.
When he was finished, she remained quiet for a long time. Her silence sent a shiver of panic through him. Would she see him as a monster? “You’re sure this is connected to your magic?” she finally said. Her voice had lost its gentle tone, becoming harder and determined.
“I only feel that way when I draw upon it.”
Gazing out into the hills scattered with trees, she nodded. “You must try not to use your magic until we find a way to fix it.”
He felt a wave of relief wash through him. He knew she loved him and would be there to help him through this, but he had needed to hear her say it.
“That doesn’t explain why we are out here,” she continued. “We should be back in camp talking to Warin or checking to see if Alimar knows anything about this. That man always has secrets.”
“I don’t want the others to know. If they think I can’t control myself, they may not trust me to make the right decisions,” he said.
“That’s foolish. You need help, and they might know something,” she said.
Stopping, he gripped her shoulders gently and turned her to face him. “If I can’t find the answer on my own, I promise I will ask them. For now, you’re the only one I want to know.”
He could see the hesitancy and worry in her eyes, but she gave a slow nod. “Fine. We’ll do it your way… for now. Who do you intend to ask?”
He smiled. “My parents.”
“That’s why you brought us out here,” she said.
Jaxom looked around. They were in a small dip between two hills and completely out of sight of the camp. “This seems like a good spot.”
Adriana still looked unsure, but she stepped away to give him room to cast. He hesitated before reaching out for the power to create the portal, mentally preparing himself to wall away the emotions as they flooded his mind. When he felt ready, he drew the power of death in slowly, letting the magic trickle throughout his body. He felt his will slipping away. He wanted more. Through pure force of will, he held on and pushed the hunger to the back his mind, forcing it to obey. He had what he needed to form the portal, but he realized it was not all he could hold. The realization that he was more powerful than the last time he had performed the cast sent a shiver of excitement through him. The last time he had opened the gateway, it had taken all the magic he could summon. Now, it took only half the effort. He held out his hand and began.
