Oath of the Thief

by Zackery Arbela

  “Dead or fled, for the most part. Those who weren’t killed by the militia were done in by the city mob. Many have escaped into the country, where they were quickly hired on by the Serenner nobles and their private armies. The city militia have pledged their allegiance to…” Sevvan checked his notes. “Captain Handar Oleyvac. He was Lord Mora’s second in command, and killed the General with his own sword. Lord Mora’s head is now on a spike by one of the city gates.”

  “The man always had more ambition than sense.”

  “The militia is behind Oleyvac, who has declared himself Prince of Kirondaal. The people of the city support him now as well, although our envoy says this is fragile and could turn at the first setback. The nobility in the countryside seem to be split. A few with estates close to the city have declared for the new ruler, others have denounced him, while the rest are merely waiting to see how it turns out. But all are summoning their men-at-arms, and it’s likely they will march on the city at some point. The question being, will they go to support Lord Oleyvac, or take Kirondaal for themselves?”

  Sevvan waited again as his uncle polished off a pair of sausages and cream. “Oleyvac knows his position is fragile,” he said. “His envoy arrived this morning. He seeks your friendship and protection, and aid to bolster his rule.”

  “What sort of aid?”

  “Money, I expect.”

  Markus wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Well,” he said, “we certainly don't want chaos on the other side of the lake. And it’s better to have a Prince of Kirondaal in out debt than...well, whatever the alternative is. Tell the envoy I will meet with them once I finish this breakfast...and we would certainly be willing to offer a loan to our brother in Kirondaal. At favorable terms of course.”

  A servant drifted in quietly and removed the empty places from the table, while another replaced it with a platter containing a few rashers of bacon and a bowl of boiled oats flavored with honey (at the insistence of his physicians, in the belief it would prevent any number of stomach ailments.) Prince Markus picked up a spoon, looking on the bacon with anticipation, and the oats with resignation.

  Then he looked up. “We had a man in Kirondaal,” he said. “Fenn Aquila. Any news of him?”

  “Holdenor mentioned something about it…” Sevvan looked down at his slate. “Ah..yes. Dead, I'm afraid. Killed in the riots, according to a witness.”

  “Who is this witness?”

  “Kord didn't say. A shame, that man...Fenn Aquila, yes. Seemed capable, if a bit dubious.”

  “Indeed a shame.” The Prince turned to his meal. “Though now his debt is paid, if nothing else. Still, keep an eye out. With a man like that, make sure you see the corpse before declared him dead. And burn the body, just to make sure.”

  The walls of Kirondaal receded in the distance. Fenn watched them go, watched the glimmering waters of the lake vanished behind the rolling Serenner hills. He winced slightly as the wagon bounced over a rut, the pair of horses pulling it whickering slightly at the sudden shift in load before Kalen brought them back in line.

  Four wagons in all, loaded down with goods pilfered during the chaos in the city (including the wagons and horses themselves) carrying the last remnant of the Red Shadows. Ten men and women and a few children. Fleeing Kirondaal as they did Galadorn. For his part Fenn was glad to be gone...he had no idea if Oleyvac would hold power there past sunset of the next day and had little interested in finding out. But he was Prince of the city now, and the militia was behind him.

  No one was pulling Fenn’s strings now. He lived by the leave of no Prince or spymaster. He was a free man, free to follow the wind and find his fortune. As far as Fenn was concerned there was no debt or obligation to a greater power, and that’s the way he liked it...

  “How far should we go?” Kalen asked, looking back at him.

  “Where do we go now?” Alyana added from the back of the wagon.

  Fenn was suddenly aware that every eye was on him, waiting for an answer. He looked at them, opening his mouth to say he had no idea, and it wasn't his problem…

  But he didn't say those words, because he knew them to be a lie. They were looking to him for guidance for orders. For leadership.

  And he knew this was one obligation he couldn't leave behind. But they had to be willing to follow.

  “North,” he said. “For now at least. Beyond that..well, I have two goals in mind, if you’re willing to share the journey.”

  “What would they be?” asked one of the Shadows, sitting next to Alyana.

  “First, to hunt down the Shadowy Sun, wherever they may be, so that they never threaten me and mine again.”

  “And the second?” Kalen asked, flapping the reins.

  “Wealth, fame and fortune for us all.” Fenn laughed. “Where we began in life is not where we have to end. The world is filled with treasures to seize and wonders to behold, so long as one has the will to see it through. If that’s a path you want to follow, say so now!”

  The Red Shadows looked at one another, Kalen glanced at Alyana, and both shrugged,

  “Lead the way, Fenn,” Kalen said, turning back to the road.

  It wasn’t quite ab oath of allegiance. But it was enough and it would do. And for the first time in ages, Fenn felt the lightness that came from the lifting of burdens. Of hope for the future.

  “Why did you pick this spot?”

  “Again you complain about my choices.”

  “You give me reason too. We are ten miles at least from the nearest village. Bandits infest these hills. We might greet the morning with our heads far away from our necks.”

  “I have an understanding with the local brigands to give this patch of ground a wide berth. No one will bother us.”

  “Good. Because this fire is a beacon for every eye out there.” A hand waved at a blazing bonfire. A man stood by it, feeding in bundles of twigs.

  “That’s the whole point. They need to see us.” A moment passed. “Look there.”

  A dark shape moved against the night sky Over the wind they heard the flapping of canvas and the creaking of wood. A moment later the ship came into view, headed towards the fire. Voices came down from above, orders to slow their descent. A moment later the ship touched down on a level area jutting out from the side of the hill, kicking up a cloud of dust as it landed and causing the flames of the fire to waver for a moment.

  The cargo door opened in the back. Serrana and Miro emerged, stepping onto the ground and walking past the fire. She approached the two men, looking them both in the eye.

  Then she bowed her head. “I failed,” she said. “Kirondaal…”

  “A hand raised. “Do you have the item?”

  She glanced at Miro. He handed over a small wooden box. Eager hands took it, and opened the top. Inside was...something, an angular device with many sides, some of which held round, oval-shaped depressions.

  “Well done.” One pair of hands held the box, while another took out a small cloth bag from a pocket. Inside that were three stones, glowing faintly with their own light. Serrana’s eyes widened.

  “The eyes of the Winter Horse?” she asked. “But…”

  “Hush.” The stones were taken out of the bag and placed one by one in the round openings. Each one snapped into place with a soft click, their glow turning brighter.

  Illuminating the faces of the two men...Kord Holdenor, the Spymaster of Galadorn, and the humble innkeeper and underworld fixer known as Red Eye, whose red eye squinted and looked away as the glow grew so bright it overwhelmed the fire burning nearby.

  Kord closed the box, and the night returned, the firelight seemingly diminished by comparison. “You did well to get there,” he said. “A shame Kirondaal had to turn to chaos to get it done.”

  “The device was deep in the vaults of the Chrysanthemum School,” Serrana said. “They knew it was powerful, and given enough time would learned its true purpose. There was no chance of getting it willingly, so a coup was the only other option. But the rev
olt...I failed in the other task. Kirondaal is not ours. We sought to make it a stronghold of the Shadowy Sun in the east, and now…”

  “It doesn’t matter. Taking Kirondaal was always a secondary goal.” Kord slipped the box under his coat. “There will be other places suitable to our needs. The Plan proceeds as it should, there is no need for the recrimination on your part, Serrana.”

  “And Fenn, he is still alive?” Red Eye asked. “You spared his life, as requested?”

  “Yes, though I don’t see the reason why. That bastard is a pestilence, and there were so many chances to cut his throat...instead I spent a small fortune paying Longhand Luuk and his wretches to keep away the assassins sent by the Crescent Lords and every other swine in Galaforn who wanted him dead!” Serrana’s face twisted sourly at the thought of it. “He is alive because of me...and now he knows about the Shadowy Sun. He will be looking for us sure now we can kill him…”

  “No!” And Red Eye’s seemed to glow. Serrana took a step back, openly afraid for a moment then just as quickly hiding it.

  “Fenn plays a part in this,” Kord said, stepped forward. “He will be useful to the Shadowy Sun...indeed, I imagine when it is done, this world will be changed beyond recognition because of the choices he makes.”

  “I don’t understand,” Serrana protested.

  “You don’t need to understand,” Red Eye said. “You only need to obey. Return to the Twilight Hall and rest. We will have need of your services soon enough.”

  “The plan is accelerating,” said Kord. “Faster than we expected.” He pulled out the box again, light leaking out from under the lid. “What should have taken a century will now be done in a few years.”

  They looked down at the box, and the way the light seemed to pulsate within. It was beautiful...and unnerving.

  “And when it is done,” Red Eye said, “the Shadowy Sun will rule this world. Forever.”

  GAEBREL'S GAMBLE

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  The Nine Suns...a universe of wonder, where tall ships sail across the Boundless Empyrean between worlds, where ancient magics and the roar of musketry determine the fate of empires. Where fortunes can be made to those with the steel and strength to seize them...or perish at the wrong end of a cannon.

  Gaebrel is a wandering rogue, living by his wits and the edge of his blade. Taken prisoner by a cruel pirate queen, he bargains for his freedom by promising to steal for her a mighty treasure. With a motley crew of desperate men, he sets sail across a universe of high adventure...and into a world of trouble.

  Sword in one hand, pistol in the other, Gaebrel faces his greatest gamble. He will turn the tables on his captors and steal the fastest ship in the universe. He will charge headlong onto the killing fields of a war-torn world to save the life of a comrade...where he will face down a legendary evil seeking universal war and carnage.

  And the cost Gaebrel faces may nothing less than his immortal soul...

  To get your FREE copy of Gaebrel's Gamble, CLICK HERE!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  The physical body of Zackery Arbela lives somewhere in the wilds of New York City. The mind of Zackery Arbela can be found wandering the various planes and adornments of the temporal spheres, from whence he sometimes returns with new and fantasickal tales to tell.

  Discover other titles by Zackery Arbela

  THE NINE SUNS

  Gaebrel's Gamble

  The Nine Suns. Where empires rise and fall in a storm of gunpowder, swords and sorcery. Where fortune awaits those with courage to seize it. It is an age of adventure...and an easy place to die.

  Gaebrel is a wandering rogue always one step ahead of death, living by his wits and the edge of his blade. Taken prisoner by a cruel pirate queen, he bargains for his freedom by promising to steal a mighty treasure. With a motley crew of desperate men, he sets sail on the boundless Empyrean, sword in hand and betrayal all around.

  Sword in one hand, pistol in the other and a smile on his face...Gaebrel faces his greatest gamble. He will turn the tables on his captors and steal the Sparrow, the fastest ship in the universe. He will face betrayal and charge headlong onto the killing fields of a war torn world, risking his immortal soul to save the life of a comrade. A desperate gamble, GAEBREL'S GAMBLE...and the winner takes all.

  Storm Over Olysi

  It was a simple job. Deliver a crate to the city of Iremnik. Try not to get killed in the process.

  But for Gaebrel Harrn and the crew of the Sparrow, things are never that simple. For inside that crate was a sleeping princess and a Universe of trouble. Now they are caught in a convoluted plot to use dark magic and twisted technology to overthrow a kingdom, igniting a war that would leave a world in flames.

  On the run, they're chased across the Olysi system by their old enemy Ulzarad the Neverborn, who desires nothing more than to consume their souls. To restore a Princess to her rightful throne - and save their own necks - Gaebrel and his companions will do battle against a mighty warlord who has never known defeat, face certain death in the arena against creatures unknown even to legend and escape the soulless clutches of the Neverborn.

  Yet Gaebrel and his companions have never let the threat of utter annihilation stand in their way. With swords and gunpowder and reckless courage they will bring a storm over the worlds of Olysi...and the Suns and Spirits help those who get in their way!

  The Burning Mountain

  The moon of Ygul...once the seat of a mighty empire, now lost in a violent dark age. It is the last place any traveler would go, but for Gaebrel it is the one place he needs to be.

  But things don't work out as planned and Gaebrel finds himself trapped on Ygul, cut off from his crew and pursued by a relentless hunter, a servant of his greatest enemy. Aided only by his sharpshooter friend Yasinnic and accompanied by a bounty hunter who lusts for the heavy price on his head, he faces mayhem and betrayal from all sides, as he comes face to face with the terrible secret at the heart of this fallen world...

  Revenge of the Winter Queen

  The worlds of Fhirial. This is the realm of the mysterious and powerful Valarei, who guard their secrets closely. Yet they are the only ones who can free Gaebrel from the curse that haunts him and his comrades – an ancient medallion bound to him by enchantments unbreakable, created by a lost race and the key to unimaginable power.

  But freedom comes at a price. Gaebrel finds himself caught in a web of intrigue, and strikes a dangerous bargain: kidnap a Queen and he may earn his salvation and untold riches in the bargain. With his future at stake, Gaebrel and the crew of the Sparrow dive into the murky depths of the Four Courts, where nothing is ever as it seems. For the Winter Queen has plots of her own – she will have dominion over all the Four Courts, even if it destroys the lives of millions.

  But nothing goes as planned in the Nine Suns. For the Neverborn are here as well, a dark race of soul-consuming abominations that have hunted Gaebrel and his friends across the universe. They have come at the behest of the Winter Queen, her dark allies in this war. And as the fires of civil war burn, they will stop at nothing to hunt down Gaebrel Harrn, to claim his soul and the prize he carries...

  People of Judgement

  “Save the Young King!”

  War has engulfed the worlds of the Four Courts, and the one man who can stop it is now a prisoner of the mysterious anrei, who intend to sacrifice him on the bloody altars of their gods. To save the lives of millions, Gaebrel Harrn and his crew are commanded to save the Young King before his heart is torn from his body and cast into the hungry flames. Their reward: a fortune in gold and freedom from the curse that has tormented Gaebrel for years and left him a target for fell powers.

  In the city of Vaxamaac, on the mysterious home world of the anrei, Gaebrel and his compatriots find allies in their quest: a merchant prince of f
abulous wealth with his own agenda, an outcast boy seeking a better life, and the Dark Lady of the Forest Mists, a legendary witch who seeks nothing less than the salvation of her people. In a city riven by political intrigue, religious tension and conflict between the rich and poor, they will scheme and struggle to free the Young King before the fires of rebellion erupt around them all.

  Yet they are not the only ones with plots afoot. Ulzarad, the Neverborn sorcerer, has followed Gaebrel to this world, intent on destroying his great enemy once and for all. Yet even his power is nothing compared to the ancient evil stirring in the heart of this world, awakening from a slumber of ten thousand years, intent on consuming the soul of every creature in the Nine Suns. And only Gaebrel and his crew stand in its way...

  Across the Empyrean: The Collected Nine Suns: Volume One

  Gaebrel is a wandering rogue, living by his wits and the edge of his blade. With a motley crew of desperate men, he voyages across the Nine Suns, bound by an ancient secret he cannot escape and chased by a dark and sinister evil that seeks nothing less than to devour all life.

  Sword in one hand, pistol in the other, Gaebrel will begins his greatest adventure. He will steal the fastest ship in the universe and risk the killing fields of a war-torn world to save the life of a comrade. He will travel into mythic realms no man has ever escaped to restore a Queen to her rightful throne. And seeing the truth of the curse that holds him, he will liberate a world trapped in the dark age of a fallen empire and oppressed by the insatiable hunger of the Master of the Mountain.

  Now collected in a single volume, the first three thrilling books of THE NINE SUNS. If you like sword and sorcery action and adventure set in a fantastical universe of mayhem, intrigue and heroism, then you will love this series from Zackery Arbela!

  THE LEGEND OF FENN AQUILA

  THE THIEF OF GALADORN

  It was supposed to be an easy job. Steal a magical amulet and receive a bag of gold. For Fenn Aquila, a thief with debts to pay, it's an offer he can't refuse.