Shepherds of Wraith: Book One

by Nyssa Renay

  “Yes, Sire!” the horsemen shouted as they turned and made their way past Shepherd Talmari and through the archway. Instantly, the light enveloped both men and they vanished.

  When the horsemen arrived in the castellum, the sounds of large explosions thundered in the distance, and several vibrant flashes lit up the darkened hallway where they now stood. There were sparking electric cables swaying above their heads and thick chunks of plaster and debris scattered all around their feet. A gaping hole in the wall to their right let in a frigid breeze that smelled of burnt metal and smoke. Through the hole, the horsemen could see plumes of bright red fire engulfing several towering buildings nearby. With another gust of rancid wind, the smell of death was now heavy in their nostrils as the floor beneath their feet rumbled and quaked. Quickly, the horsemen ran toward the stairway at the end of the hall.

  They climbed the stairs and moved into the room just to the right of the staircase. Suddenly, another thundering explosion erupted from the ceiling above, sending large pieces of concrete and dust crashing down upon them and knocking them both to the floor. The two horsemen helped each other up and quickly sifted through the rubble to find the letters that were knocked from their hands. After they picked up the soot-covered letters from the wreckage, the two horsemen turned a corner and spotted the two representatives rushing around what appeared to be some sort of command post.

  “Are you sure it’s secured and on its way to Aytar?” Representative Novenai urged, his focus locked onto a computer screen as he continued to fiddle with the keys on the panel below.

  “Yes!” Zehn growled. “It’s gone! Now can we get out of here? I don’t know why you volunteered to watch over the damn thing in the first place.”

  “You know why, Zehn.” He glared at her. “Besides, you’re only here because the next savior is one of yours, and you know it.”

  “True, but I…” she started to reply but quickly noticed the two royal horsemen staring blankly back at her as she turned around. “What the hell are you doing here?” Representative Zehn growled, confronting the petrified messengers.

  As the female herald quickly advanced upon them, the horsemen dropped to their knees and held up the letters, heads bowed, hoping to avoid her wrath.

  “We don’t have time to waste on them!” Representative Novenai bellowed as he gathered up a large stack of files from the abandoned desks scattered nearby. “This building is about to collapse. Our work here is done! Let’s go. Let them die where they are!”

  “They have letters for us,” she snarled. Zehn grabbed one of the letters and tossed it at Novenai, who let the sealed letter fall to the floor at his feet without any regard for its contents. She ripped open her letter and began to read.

  “What the hell does that weasel want now?” Novenai grumbled to himself as he continued gathering the files. He stopped, irritated that she wasn’t listening to him. “Well? What does the damn letter say?”

  Representative Zehn quickly refolded the letter and addressed the two men who knelt before her. “Tell King Lexani we’ll do our best to be there.”

  “To be where?” Novenai growled. “We don’t have time to go anywhere! We’ve got shit to do!” Novenai rushed out of the room, leaving Zehn alone with the two horsemen.

  “Go now!” Zehn commanded, yanking each horseman to his feet. “Before the building is destroyed and you won’t be able to return at all!”

  The two horsemen turned and darted out of the room. They stumbled down the stairs as a heavy barrage of explosives slammed into the building. They ran as fast as they could back down the hallway toward the archway. As the floor started to crack and crumble away, both horsemen dove through the swirling funnel of light, away from imminent disaster.

  King Lexani was startled to see the two men come crashing onto the floor. “Ein have mercy! Did you find them? Tell me exactly what happened.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty…” the first horseman panted, quickly recapping the events of their journey. “…and she said they’d do their best to find a way to be there.”

  “Praise Ein!” The king breathed a sigh of relief. The delivery of the requests to the Council of Ten was now complete. The wheels were set in motion to find a cure for the blood croup and alleviate the suffering of his people. “You’ve done well, gentlemen. You’ve served the Church valiantly, and I will greatly reward you both for your bravery and dedication.”

  “Thank you, Sire.” The second horseman beamed as he caught his breath and rubbed a painful place on the back of his arm. Examining it, he saw a patch of bright red blood soaking through a hole in his armor. The king took immediate notice.

  “You’re injured!” Lexani exclaimed.

  “It’s nothing, Sire,” the horseman replied. “I’ll be fine.”

  “No, no, no. That must be tended to. And you,” he said to the other horseman. “You should be examined as well. I insist!”

  “Thank you, Sire,” the first horseman accepted gratefully.

  “Shepherd Talmari, please alter the archway’s path to lead these men to my private infirmary. I’d like them to be evaluated by Father Brach and my medical staff immediately.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty.” Talmari smiled and turned to wave his hand across the front of the archway. “The path is ready, Sire.”

  “Thank you again, gentlemen. Your service today is duly noted, and Telshakra will be forever grateful. Ein be praised.”

  “Praise be to Ein,” the men responded in unison and entered the archway, letting the light consume them.

  This time, the horsemen’s bodies shook violently as their arms and legs flailed erratically. Their pain-filled screams echoed in the room as the light tore the flesh from their bones like a starving animal devouring its prey. The blackbrass armor quickly rusted and decayed, breaking down into a fine dust that whipped violently all around them. The light began to smoke and hiss as the temperature rose and exploded the remnants of the horsemen’s bodies, reducing them to nothingness. The air in the room was thick and humid as the light slowly calmed and all grew silent once again.

  “That was a bit harsh, don’t you think, Your Majesty?” Shepherd Talmari waved at the dust in front of his face.

  “It had to be done. It was too risky to let them live,” King Lexani said as he unlocked the door. “Come. We must prepare for the arrival of the Council of Ten.”

  -11-

  Built into the very rooftop of the Rectory, high atop the Divine Mountain, there was a rotunda with a dome made of the finest blackbrass and clearest crystal. It was built centuries ago by the royal family and specifically designed for the gatherings of the Council of Ten. Apart from the royal family and the council representatives, very few were permitted to set foot within the extravagant hallways of the Great Pavilion.

  Usually, the council arrived through the Great Ring of Ein and was announced with overelaborate fanfare. But today, Lexani had arranged for the members of the council to enter in secret through an ancient priest hole, hidden behind the opulent walls of the pavilion. The timeworn tunnel was dimly lit and wide enough for only one person to pass through at a time.

  Paintings along the walls of this secret passageway depicted scenes of the most sacred beliefs held by the Church—the birth of Ein’s Children and their creation of the universe. Time had eroded these beautiful paintings; what were once grandiose images of Ein and His children were now only faded imprints clinging to the crumbling walls.

  An archway was carved into the far wall at the end of this decrepit place. It didn’t appear to be much affected by the passing of time. While the structure sat caked in dust from years of isolation, the runes and symbols carved into the face of the arch were still clear and legible. The light that churned within its frame glowed softly as one by one, the silhouettes of each representative appeared through it.

  Although King Lexani knew this was the best way to bring his guests to the rotunda in private, it wasn’t a very glamorous way for th
e heralds to arrive. The walkway of the priest hole was dusty and undignified, and the representatives were not pleased.

  “I can only hope your business is as severe as you say, Lexani,” Representative Dreia grumbled as she made her way out of the passageway. She slapped at her robes to make sure King Lexani took notice of their now dreadful condition.

  “Keep your thoughts to yourself, Dreia,” Representative Otta snapped as he walked through the grimy passageway behind her, seemingly more forgiving about the state of his own robes.

  “Hurry up and take your seats!” Representative Unum interrupted from the top of the stairs near the entrance to the Great Pavilion.

  Dreia muttered something inaudible at Otta and quickly made her way toward the stairs, leaving him with the king.

  “We know you wouldn’t have called us if it could have been avoided,” Otta said supportively to the king. He extended his hand, palm down toward Lexani. A bright gold ring with the emblem of the goddess Idol circled his middle finger.

  “Yes, that’s true. Thank you for your compassion,” Lexani said as he reluctantly bowed to kiss the ring. Although he was tremendously grateful for help from the council, he detested being forced to grovel like this.

  When the last of the representatives had made their way into the pavilion and sat down, King Lexani took one long, deep breath, gathered his thoughts, and stepped inside to address the council.

  “Council of Ten,” Lexani began. “Thank you answering my summons. I understand that your time is precious, so I’ll be quick. I’ve gathered you here to help us find a cure for the blood croup. As you all learned from my letter, Telshakra was attacked during the Festival of Ein. Gas weapons were detonated, and the virus contained within is killing my subjects at an alarming rate. There is no cure. This is why I’m asking for your assistance.”

  “What do you know about this disease thus far?” Representative Unum asked.

  King Lexani cleared his throat loudly. “The only pattern we’ve been able to identify is that the blood croup only affects children.” There was an awkward silence.

  “My master has blessed this realm with many, many useful plants,” Representative Sieben stated arrogantly. “Surely there must be something to remedy the afflicted.”

  “None that we could find,” Lexani replied, his tone on the verge of hopelessness. “Our shepherds searched the furthest reaches in the realm of Ein, seeking anything that might help us, but nothing has worked to quell this new plague.”

  “Who do you believe could have done this, Lexani?” Representative Novenai blurted out, impatient to have his own concerns addressed.

  “I believe it may be the same enemy our shepherds have been at war with for centuries—”

  “Impossible!” Representative Novenai snapped. “That war has been contained to the farthest edges of the realm of Ein and is nowhere near Telshakra! How could they have attacked your world without our knowing about it?”

  “I don’t know, but somehow they did,” the king protested.

  “Your words are ignorant, Lexani,” said Unum. “I’d advise you to choose your statements more carefully as you address this council.”

  “I’m sorry. I just don’t understand how none of you know anything about the attack on Telshakra…or the blood croup.”

  Unum leaned forward, eyeing the king angrily. “I hope you’re not suggesting that one of us had something to do with this.”

  “Of course not.” Lexani forced a humbled smile. “All I’m saying is if none of you knew about the attack in the first place, I’d think you’d be a bit more concerned. It’s obvious the enemy is trying to eliminate all future shepherds from making it to the academy, so I can only assume you’d want to do something about this before we don’t have any soldiers left.”

  The council members sat in silence, staring at Lexani for several moments before calmly debating the issue among themselves. Lexani watched as they deliberated for what felt like an eternity.

  Representative Unum raised his hand, silencing the room. “King Lexani, we’ve agreed to look into the origins of the attack as well as pray to the Children of Ein to ask them to provide us with whatever blessings or gifts they can offer to help the people of your world find a cure for the blood croup. However, be warned. The answers you seek may come at a heavy price. Are you prepared to accept such a risk?”

  “I haven’t much of a choice,” Lexani grumbled.

  “Do you accept?” Unum repeated, unwilling to discuss the matter further.

  The king sighed heavily. “Yes…I accept.”

  “We’re in agreement, then,” Unum stated coldly. “We shall return in two days to deliver their offerings.”

  “Thank you,” Lexani said, bowing as the representatives slowly filed out of the room, barely acknowledging him as they exited the pavilion.

  Left alone, Lexani couldn’t help but think about the countless children who would perish in those two days. Their deaths would forever weigh heavily on his conscience for not putting aside his pride and contacting the representatives sooner than he did. And although the king had confidence that the representatives would be able to cure his people, Unum’s warning left him with a nagging suspicion that things wouldn’t work out as smoothly as he’d hoped.

  ***

  While the king waited anxiously for the council’s return, Linna’s condition intensified to dangerous levels. Even though my parents kept a diligent watch over both of us, Linna seemed to bear the heavier burden of the sickness. She was already coughing up large amounts of blood, which she spat into a damp rag my mother held to her mouth. She had grown so weak that she could barely move from her bed without my mother’s help.

  I, on the other hand, was still strong enough to move and walk without any assistance. I had yet to see blood on the cloth I held to my mouth each time I felt the urge to cough. My parents didn’t have to tend to me as constantly as they did Linna, and I think they were grateful for that small blessing. I offered to help them care for her, but my parents didn’t want me anywhere near Linna, fearing I could still get worse.

  One night, I heard my parents talking in the hallway. I rose from my bed and walked quietly to my door. The light from the hallway beamed through the keyhole as I peered through it. I could only see the bottom halves of my parents as they stood there.

  “How long can we continue like this?” my father sighed, his tone desperate.

  “I don’t know, but praise Ein that Vigil isn’t as sick as Linna,” my mother replied in weary tones.

  “I’m worried, Irenea. The streets are so quiet. I haven’t seen a single person outside in ages.”

  “Just means people are being extra cautious, that’s all.”

  “I know, but for how long? We’ve been fortunate enough to have food and water to last us through all of this, but I’d imagine others haven’t been as lucky. It’s only a matter of time before people start to really panic; maybe even riot.”

  “Still no word from the Church?” my mother asked.

  “No.”

  “We just have to have faith, Vim. I’m sure they’ll let us know something soon.”

  “I don’t feel right just sitting here helplessly while Linna and Vigil suffer. There has to be something we can do. I mean, maybe we’re missing something.”

  “You know as well as I do the Church is working on a solution. It’s not our place to take on public emergencies like this. The Church will come through for us. They always have. We have to trust them.”

  “We can’t wait for the Church! Linna’s getting worse every day. By the time they figure it out, it might be too late!” my father urged.

  “What do you suggest we do?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe go out there…ask around…see if anyone has found anything to help their children.”

  “Don’t you think we would’ve heard about it by now if they did? Besides, we still don’t know if it’s even safe to go outside yet.”

>   “Oh, come on. We’ve been with Linna and Vigil for almost two weeks now, and neither of us has so much as sneezed! I think we’re okay.”

  “You said it yourself, Vim. You haven’t seen anyone outside in ages, so there’s probably a good reason why.”

  “Our children are dying, Irenea! Don’t you understand that?”

  “Of course, I do! But what if you go out there and something happens to you? You said people might be getting desperate by now, right? What if the riot starts while you’re gone? I can’t keep the kids safe without you. I need you here!” My mother’s voice trembled as if she were near tears.

  “There has to be something we can do!” my father argued, his tone on the verge of defeat.

  “We can pray, and we should pray because right now that’s about the only thing that might work,” she said exhaustedly.

  Up until that moment, I’d been oblivious to the true danger I faced, and that was the first time I’d even considered the fact that Linna or I might be dying from the disease. I was terrified. I didn’t want to hear another word. I ran back to my bed and cried, panic-stricken, into the folds of my blanket. It was hard to stifle the coughing, but I didn’t want to wake Linna up or make my parents’ situation any more stressful than it already was.

  My entire family desperately needed a rest that would never come to pass.

  -12-

  The sun set on the second day following the initial assembly of the Council of Ten. One by one, the representatives returned to the Great Pavilion. When all were seated, they called King Lexani to the rotunda.