Soldiers of Avarice

by Stephen L. Nowland

  “I hear voices,” Sayana warned under her breath, standing ready with one hand resting on her axe. Aiden moved towards the other door until he, too, could hear the muffled sounds of people talking. He put an ear to the door while the rest of the group moved into position.

  “Can you hear what they’re saying?” Nellise whispered. “I can’t make it out.”

  “Not quite,” Aiden replied, and was gently pushed aside by Sayana. With her ear to the door, she began whispering what she heard for the benefit of the others.

  “‘...not part of the plan, Culdeny isn’t important,’ one man said. Another is replying... ‘Do you think they will simply let us walk in there with Criosa tied up, and allow us to board a ship? Securing Culdeny is paramount to our success, so follow your commander’s orders.’ Oh no,” Sayana added, catching Aiden’s eye with her own piercing orbs.

  “What is it?” Aiden hissed, sensing something amiss.

  “The way that man is talking is very familiar ... I know that voice.”

  “Who do you think it is?” Aiden asked in trepidation.

  “That man from the Gentleman’s Club in Culdeny. Ronald Bartlett.”

  “Heh, figures,” Colt grunted, a little too loudly for Aiden’s liking.

  “I think they heard that,” Sayana gasped.

  She pulled back from the door and preparing her protective magics. Aiden, for his part, drew his scepter and reflexively kicked the door in before anyone could come through it.

  He locked eyes with Bartlett, in the center of the room, with five armored men running towards them. Aiden only caught a glimpse of the room beyond, but immediately noticed an ornate door directly across the twenty-foot space and a hallway to the right. The five mercenaries would be on them in moments, and he braced himself for a fight.

  Before he could engage, Aiden was suddenly pulled to the side and replaced in the doorway by Colt, or more specifically, Colt’s blade. The big ranger leveled it at the charging warriors, who abruptly changed direction at the last moment to avoid a painful collision. They parted to either side of the five-foot sword, allowing Pacian to dart through the doorway.

  Bartlett, on the other side of the room, bolted for the far door. “Hold them!” a mercenary officer shouted to his men, then followed the startled businessman as he ran down the hallway. Pacian slammed into the front door and quickly locked it, preventing the two guards on the front porch from joining in the fight.

  As this was happening, Colt charged forward, crashing shoulder-first into two of the men, who fell onto the floor in a pile. Aiden followed him through, but didn’t stop to fight anyone. He ran straight between the disorganized mercenaries and set off in pursuit of Bartlett and his escort.

  Somewhere in this house Princess Criosa was being held, and it was a fair bet to assume the corrupt businessman was heading there as fast as possible to kill her or use her as a hostage.

  The hallway was dimly candlelit, not enough to make out fine detail, but more than sufficient to see the silhouettes of the men fleeing before him. Aiden was closing the gap when they split up at the end of the corridor. The officer went to the right, while Bartlett continued on down the passage on the left.

  A brief moment of indecision flashed through Aiden’s mind, but it wasn’t really a tough call to make — he wanted Bartlett, the man responsible for this entire situation, and the other mercenary would get what was coming to him soon enough.

  Aiden dashed around the corner in pursuit of the old businessman and saw him passing through a door at the end of the corridor. At that moment, a woman’s scream pierced the air from somewhere behind Aiden, bringing him to a screeching halt.

  Torn between catching Bartlett and going to the woman’s aid, Aiden froze in the middle of the hallway. The sounds of a desperate struggle nearby finally snapped him back to reality, and he spun around and rushed back up the corridor. He followed the sounds to a closed door, which he kicked hard with his heavy boot, splintering the lock and throwing the door wide open.

  The room was a small guest chamber with a bed at one end, and a dresser and wardrobe opposite. His dramatic entrance hadn’t surprised the mercenary officer, who had one arm wrapped around the neck of a slender blonde woman and a sword in his other hand. Aiden had never seen Princess Criosa Roebec in person, having only heard descriptions about her from time to time, but her fine features left no doubt he was looking upon royalty.

  “Hold it right there, boy,” the mercenary ordered him, his voice sounding hollow and metallic behind his visored helm. “The lady and I are going to leave right now, and you and your mates are going to let it happen. Understood?”

  “What’s the matter; you afraid to fight a boy like me?” Aiden jeered, hoping to goad the warrior into a fight. “A real man wouldn’t be hiding behind a woman, I think.”

  “In any other situation, I’d be happy to oblige you,” the man growled, “but right now, I’ve got places to—”

  His speech was cut off by a pain-filled shout. He flinched to one side as Criosa rammed her elbow into his side. It wasn’t much of a blow, but it was enough to distract him.

  The enraged officer swiped the princess with his mailed fist, sending her crashing into the wall, and from there to the ground, swinging his sword at Aiden in the same motion. Aiden was prepared for this, and managed to parry the blade, but was instantly on the defensive against the experienced warrior’s assault.

  Sparks flew from their weapons as he parried each attack from the mercenary, while trying not to be pushed back into a corner. He ducked underneath a wild swing from the officer and rushed around the side. Unfortunately, the warrior’s armored knee met his chest, propelling him into the wall.

  Discarding subtlety, Aiden picked himself up and lunged at the mercenary, crashing directly into him and bowling both of them over. The mercenary punched him in the gut and threw him to one side, sending Aiden’s scepter skittering across the polished floorboards and under the bed. His adrenaline pumping, Aiden tried to scramble away from the warrior, but one of his legs was held, and he couldn’t get away.

  In desperation, he reached over his shoulder and grabbed the scepter’s handle, pulling it out and swinging it at his opponent. The weapon impacted on top of his opponent’s head, connecting with his helm and leaving a sizable dent in it.

  The mercenary staggered backwards for a moment until he regained his footing, but it gave Aiden the precious time he needed to get back on his feet. Holding the scepter before him, he spoke the command word, and a brilliant shaft of light sprang forth, slicing through the armor protecting the officer and burning the flesh beneath.

  Roaring with pain, the mercenary charged, catching Aiden completely off guard. They crashed into a cabinet, toppling plates and cutlery over the floor as both wrestled for supremacy. Aiden was momentarily winded and tried to push the warrior out of the way, but he was held fast by a gauntleted hand.

  Panic began to set in, as the young man knew he was completely outmatched by his opponent. He started swinging the scepter wildly, hoping to do enough damage to finish off his implacable foe.

  Aiden was in mid-swing when the mercenary suddenly stiffened, giving him hope that he’d actually done some damage to the warrior. He watched in disbelief as the man suddenly dropped to the ground, revealing the rather battered form of Criosa standing behind him with a sharp carving knife in one hand.

  Aiden leaned back against the wall and slid to the ground, his breath coming in short gasps as he was flooded with relief. The young woman was trembling so hard she dropped the knife, which clattered off the breastplate of their fallen enemy before it came to rest. Her silky blonde, shoulder-length hair was unkempt and matted with blood.

  “Nice work with that knife — Princess Criosa?” Aiden said, seeking confirmation. The young woman nodded silently, her sight still focused on the body of her assailant.

  “Are you injured, Highness?” Aiden continued when no other reply was forthcoming.

  “I’m all right,�
�� she replied in a shaking voice. “I am more concerned about you at the moment, sir. Your chest...” Aiden looked down and saw that his leathers had been torn open and his shirt was soaked with blood.

  “Yes, I’m sure that’s going to hurt in a few minutes,” he remarked distantly, looking down at his fallen enemy. “Was this their commander?”

  “No, one of their lieutenants,” Criosa informed him. “Their commander left here a few hours ago, making for Culdeny. Something dreadful is going to happen there.” The sounds of heavy footsteps approaching could be heard out in the hallway and within moments, Colt and Nellise entered the small room.

  “Your Highness,” Nellise breathed, offering a formal curtsey to the young princess.

  “Oh, please don’t,” Criosa replied; “this is hardly the time or the place. Just call me Criosa.”

  “Certainly, Highness,” Nellise said, apparently not having heard the previous sentence. Again, she suddenly became distressed, struggling to breath as she looked down at the fallen soldier.

  “Nellise, stay with us now,” Aiden gently reassured her, trying to keep her focused. The poor woman had been thrown into this situation with hardly any time to recover, and it seemed like the constant challenges had actually done her some good, keeping her mind busy. But in all the confusion and conflict, Aiden had almost lost sight of the fact that such traumas are not so easily forgotten.

  “Are you not well?” Criosa asked with uncertainty, looking back and forth between Nellise and Aiden, trying to ascertain what was going on.

  “We’ve had a rough week,” Aiden explained in a soft voice. “Some of us, rougher than others.”

  Nellise wiped a tear from her eye and managed to compose herself, noticing Aiden’s injury. “Let me take a look at that,” she offered, kneeling beside him as Sayana joined them.

  “Where’s Pace?” Aiden asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Sayana answered as she inspected her wounds, “but he said he was going to secure the outside of the house when I last saw him. The inside of this place is clear, though.”

  “Okay, everyone sit back and relax,” Nellise instructed. “I shall perform a group healing.”

  “Oh, you’re that proficient?” Criosa remarked, sitting down at a small desk. “How fortunate; I didn’t realize Lachburne had any gifted people at their local chapel.”

  “No, I’m from Culdeny,” Nellise clarified. “Perhaps Aiden can explain while I heal.”

  “Sure,” he agreed. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but we don’t represent a large, armed force that was sent to rescue you. We’re a group of people caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, but with the right skills to make a difference. I’m Aiden Wainwright, and this talented young lady is Nellise Sannemann. Over there are Sayana Arai and Dante Colt.”

  “It is a pleasure to meet you all,” Criosa replied warmly, “and you have my deepest gratitude for your timely intervention.”

  “Timely?” Colt asked politely, while also glaring at Aiden since his taboo first name had been mentioned.

  “Yes; later today, they were going to move me to Culdeny after seizing control of the port. Heaven knows what they had planned for me.”

  “It’s a shame I had to let Bartlett go,” Aiden mused, feeling more relaxed as the healing energies did their work, filling the air with the pleasant aroma of summer breezes. “He probably could have told us everything we needed to know. What happened out in the main room, anyway?” he asked Colt.

  “We won,” he said with a shrug. “The ones we locked outside ran around the back, but they never came in. Not sure what happened there, but I’m guessing they probably ran off with Bartlett. Pace is checking it out.”

  “I know where they’re going,” Criosa said ominously. “I overheard the cads who kidnapped me; they are even now heading to Culdeny with the intention of laying siege to the town.”

  “What do you expect us to do about it?” Sayana asked “They’ve got lots of armed men, and we’re just five people.”

  “Six, for I would accompany you,” Criosa corrected.

  “You?” Aiden exclaimed, suddenly fully awake. “We went to a great deal of trouble to get you out of harm’s way, and you want to head straight back into it?”

  “Given the choice, I would, of course, prefer to remain someplace safe,” she explained, “but I will not sit idly by while treasonous men like Ronald Bartlett plot to take my father’s kingdom away from him.”

  “I like her,” Sayana remarked as she turned to look at the princess with admiration. “You have spirit, but can you fight?”

  “I have been trained by experts in swordsmanship, magic, and a few other skills for most of my life, so I assure you, I can hold my own,” Criosa answered her. “May I ask what your capabilities are, miss?”

  Sayana answered by snapping her fingers and creating a plume of fire above her hand, which seemed to impress Criosa. “Well, regardless of your training, Highness,” Colt grunted, “you should be escorted back to Bracksford. We’ve have seen more than our share of battle in these last few weeks, and I would not wish it upon anyone, especially one so young.”

  “I’m the same age as some of you, surely,” Criosa protested, managing to sound a little like a spoiled twelve-year-old in the process. “That is precisely the attitude my father had, leaving me at Fort Highmarch for months while he went off to wage war.”

  “And look what happened when you decided to leave,” Colt responded. “At the first opportunity, you got kidnapped by an enemy of the Crown. Nice work there; I’d love to have you on the front line with us.”

  “Sarcasm is the refuge of the simple mind,” Criosa replied archly. “Now, I need you to come with me to Culdeny. If they haven’t been attacked already, they soon will be. They don’t have the manpower or the defenses to withstand a concerted assault.”

  “Funny, neither do we,” Aiden mumbled tiredly.

  “We can disrupt their operations,” Criosa persisted. “If they’re attacking a city, they have siege equipment we can destroy, supplies we can sabotage. They’re mercenaries — we make it cost them more to stay than they’re willing to spend.”

  “She’s right about that,” Colt remarked, leaning against the doorway. “If we wreck their ability to quickly end the siege, there’s a good chance they’ll back off.

  “We’d have to hit them from behind, of course, but if we go straight there, and make sure the attack is underway before we strike ... you know, we could probably do it. If we time it right, we could hit them at dawn tomorrow.”

  “All right, you’ve sold me on the idea,” Aiden finally said. “But I can’t speak for the rest of you. I made a real mess of things back at Ferrumgaard, and it nearly got us all killed. I want you to understand that I will never lie to you again, ever. If you want to get involved in this, the choice is yours.”

  “It’s my duty to do as the Crown bids,” Colt responded, “and she bids me to go save Culdeny. So that’s what I’m gonna do.”

  “Culdeny is my home,” Nellise said quietly. “I will do my part to defend it, and if that requires me to give my life, then I do so gladly that others might be saved.”

  “You will need me,” Sayana said. “How else do you expect to slay so many warriors with so few of your own?”

  “I was rather hoping you’d say that,” Aiden replied, genuinely pleased she had chosen to come along. Though she still seemed wary about him, she was at least prepared to fight alongside him one more time, despite whatever risk she thought he posed to her.

  “Well, I guess you have your answer, Highness,” Aiden told Criosa with a smile.

  “Smashing,” she remarked with satisfaction. “Let us have a quick meal, then embark. The longer we wait, the greater the risk to Culdeny.”

  The sound of something being dragged along the floor outside room interrupted their conversation. Pacian, completely out of breath, leaned against the door, and behind him was the body of Ronald Bartlett.

  “I was starting to worry
about you, mate,” Aiden said as he approached and quickly went through the body’s pockets, hoping there might be a scrap of information. What he produced was a short note on a folded piece of paper. He read it through and instantly knew it was important.

  “Looks like Ronald was taking orders from someone else,” he said to the others. “I think we’ve just found a crucial piece of evidence.”

  “This almost makes up for the other crap you’ve done,” Colt mumbled to Pacian, who simply grinned as he caught his breath.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  They left via the rear door of the manor, attempting to keep a low profile in case any mercenaries lay in wait. After a cursory search, Colt found the trail left in the snow and followed a course directly for Culdeny. The big man stressed they should travel the eastern highway instead of taking the direct route, as that reduced the chances of them encountering any ambushes as they approached the town.

  The sight of the horses brought a smile to Criosa’s face, particularly the white mare they had brought along. It was the princess’s own horse, and she was happy to see her again. The mounts were still spent from their long ride, so Aiden and the others were forced to walk them through the night.

  Colt stayed in the lead, keeping the Stonegaard Mountains to their right as they traveled briskly across the snow-covered plains of north-central Aielund. The air was crisp and cold as the terrain slowly began to ascend into the foothills.

  Shortly thereafter, Colt steered them away from the tracks they had been following, which must mean they were only hours away from the besieged town. To their dismay, a dull red glow lit the sky to their northwest, an ominous sign of events transpiring in Culdeny even now.

  The waning moon provided only just enough light to see by, so Colt was making good use of Aiden’s goggles as he and Sayana lead them onward. The dull roar of the sea could be heard somewhere up ahead, but it was a different sound that caught Sayana’s sharp hearing, stopping her dead in her tracks.