“Many call this magic. I do too, for lack of a better word for it. But I suspect it is just something beyond our ken. Perhaps one day Edward here will figure it out.”
I looked at Edward, but he kept intently writing.
“What can we do to help?” I continued. “There is much we can do and much we simply don’t understand, to be honest. At the Crossroads, we provided Gaea’s strength to those who fought in our army. By the Word, we even had bears and wolves fighting for the Realm. Gaea brought them. We healed those who were wounded. Eased their pain. You saw how successful that was. We turned the tide and started to push the enemy from the field of battle. Then the dead rose. Animated by Erebus.
“Against the fallen who rise, there is not much we can do. We cannot sense them except through a great use of power. You saw what that use of power did to us at the Crossroads. It knocked us senseless. We are not meant to use such power. When we face Erebus again, we will be challenged. The first time we defeated him with the power of your god. The second time it took the combined power of your god and Gaea. The next time…?” My voice trailed off.
Steve put down his teacup. “Why are only your draoi the ones able to use such power? Why doesn’t Gaea give the power to everyone? Imagine a world where everyone could fight as a druid.”
Nadine rolled her eyes, and I squeezed her hand on my knee in warning. “It takes time to learn the use of the power. And her power is finite. If everyone had access it would drain her, I think. The draoi are her chosen. We fight to restore the harmony in the world. We have for generations upon generations. There’s no telling just how far back her efforts go.
“We know that Gaea has been fighting Erebus for a long time. And she has been losing. Erebus has taken over everywhere except for here. I’ve gleaned that much from Gaea. It may be that Belkin is her last refuge. I mean to ask her next time I see her. What we believe is that Gaea changed her tactics recently. She put in motion events that led to the battle. She confronted Erebus directly and lost. We felt her sense of defeat at the Crossroads. She gave up. It was the draoi who refused to quit. We combined our power with Brent’s and vanquished the form of Erebus.”
“It was you, Will, who decided we could not stop,” said Nadine softly. “You are our Freamhaigh.”
I blinked at Nadine and felt the draoi stir at her words. The draoi were part of this conversation. We shared everything we did. It was our way and sometimes it bothered me. Like now. I sensed their devotion to me and I swallowed. Nadine smiled at my discomfort and a few draoi sent mirth across the bond. I squinted my eyes at her.
“Perhaps, Nadine. But our efforts did not destroy him,” I continued. “The fight is more complex than that. Erebus and Gaea are fighting within all life. Their presence is everywhere in the Realm. I am not sure how we defeat that, but I mean to try.”
Steve grunted. “Be that as it may, we will need to stabilise the realm first. If we cannot defeat Healy, we lose everything despite Erebus or Gaea.”
Brent nodded. “I agree. But, this fight is more than an army on an army. There is a deeper battle here that Will must win. I would like the Church to support that. God demands it, I believe.” He looked at Vicar Martin and he nodded in return after a moment.
“I believe that to be true,” said Martin. “The Church and the druids once fought together. You’ve shown me that, Nadine, and I thank you. It opened my eyes and strengthened my faith. At least it made me certain I was not working with pagans and losing my soul in the process. I’m afraid the Church is shattered now. What little clergy that remains is scattered across the Realm and with no leadership. Healy has the bishops and deacons sequestered in Munsten. No one has heard anything from them in weeks. I fear there is little the Church can offer in guidance.”
I had yet to see proof of this god of his, other than the light Brent seemed to wield. His Church had committed so many atrocities in the Realm it staggered my mind. The Archbishop had created a Sect which had systemically sought out and destroyed the draoi and their families. My mother, the former Cill Darae, included. Their cruelty had known no bounds. The Sect had the audacity to call us demons. I loathed the Church, but men like Vicar Martin and Brent Bairstow gave me pause and hope that the Church could be a force for good in the world. Nadine and I had talked often about this over the past week. The amulet Brent wore had the symbol for the Church on one side and the draoi triskele on the other. Even the Draoi Manuscript spoke of the Church and in favourable terms. If I was to be honest with myself, I would say there were three powers in the Realm. Gaea, Erebus and the Church. It was no coincidence the number three was important in draoi lore. And with the Church, too.
A stray thought passed through me and I tried to grasp it, but it eluded me.
Nadine sighed. “Martin, I’ve seen the work you have done with the survivors of the Crossroads. You lifted spirits and gave hope when many had none. I would not be so quick to dismiss what you can offer.”
Brent smiled at Martin. “You see? I’ve told you the same thing, my friend. Stay strong in your faith.” Brent turned his attention to me. “So, Will? What can the draoi do to help this fight?”
“Much and not much. We can heal the wounded. Strengthen the arm and body. We can sense much of the enemy and what they intend. We can spy where we have a need and give our people time to react. If this was simply about the people and the draoi, I would have high hopes. But Erebus is a complication. Against him, as we have found out again and again, there is little we can do. He is the shadow against the wall. How do you fight a shadow?”
Brent smiled. “By shining a light on it.”
The stray thought flashed past me once again and I failed to grasp it. “Hmm. Perhaps. We know that Gaea and Erebus are present in all life. It seems the world is infected with their presence. How do you fight something like that? I have no idea. But what of your powers, Brent? You’ve been healed rather dramatically. You’ve sent the light beam into Erebus and destroyed him once. What control do you have over it? Can you wield it at will?”
Brent shook his head. “No, it comes only when it is least expected. I have my faith and I believe the power comes from that. I was dying in the gaol cell in Munsten. The murder of my brother almost shattered me, but I held on to my faith and the conviction I would persevere. When we were rescued, I heard the noises outside in the corridor. I lay there broken unable to rise and then suddenly I was hale. I had prayed for deliverance. I had asked to be able to rise and help and my prayer was answered.”
“In words?” I asked. “Was your prayer answered in words?”
“No,” replied Brent smiling. “I felt my body shake and tremble. A feeling of thousands of tiny pinpricks covered my skin and suddenly I was healed of all wounds. My fingers were returned, and I stood up, strong and full of God’s love.”
“A miracle,” murmured Martin. I could see the look of awe on his face.
I stole a look at Nadine. What Brent described sounded a lot like the power of Gaea to me, but I kept my opinion to myself. She grimaced and turned to Franky.
“What do you think, Franky?” she asked.
Franky looked up in surprise. She had been staring at her hand for the last little while. She looked at Steve before replying. “The crew remains with the draoi. We are sworn to protect the draoi. Where Will goes, we go. We have no say or opinion in any of this.”
I frowned, annoyed. “Not true, Franky. I value both your and Steve’s opinion. This is not me in charge of everyone. People have free will.”
Steve laughed out loud and everyone looked at him in surprise. “That’s rich, Will! You are the Freamhaigh! It is your will that drives your people. Do you not see how they look to you? You are the calm in this storm. People flock to you for comfort. For protection. They believe in you. Your draoi have it in handfuls. But did you not see Brent’s army and the way they reacted to you? They all followed you with their eyes. They listened to every word you said and believed in you. It was a wonder to see. You wanted to exp
ose the draoi to the world and, by the Word, you did!” Steve laughed again. “You are no longer that wide-eyed boy in Jaipers. You are a leader in this world. Your opinions matter greatly. More so than what Franky and I want. We can only advise you.”
Nadine looked at Steve in annoyance. “Don’t say that! You understand little of the draoi. We are not leaders. We have a purpose in this world to maintain the harmony and balance of nature. Nothing more.”
The table erupted with everyone talking at once. Each raising their voice louder to be heard. Then a hand slapped the table hard.
“Enough!” injected Edward. We all snapped our attention to Edward, forgotten until now. “The draoi are the fulcrum in this world. Where you push, the Realm is moved. No longer can the draoi sit back and pretend it is just about harmony and balance. You are a part of this world. The fight we are in is between Erebus, God and Gaea. It seems to me the Church and Gaea must unite to defeat Erebus. So, enough about politics and who can do what. Work together. Unite the Realm against this demon. We fight, and we win or lose. Either way, it is a fight we must win. So, figure out how and do it.”
We stared in silence for a long moment before Brent rose and bowed deeply at the waist. “It shall be as you command, your Highness.”
Edward blinked and then sat back in his chair. He stared at Brent until he stood back up. The sincerity on Brent’s face was plain to see and Edward seemed to sit a little taller. “Good. Brent, return to Jergen. Take charge of the army. Get it ready for a siege. Do what you can to increase our numbers. All that matters is defeating Healy and restoring my Realm to order. I leave the problem of Gaea, Erebus and God to the experts. Come up with a plan and make it work.”
Brent sat and stared at Edward for a moment before turning to Will and Nadine. “We really need to confirm he is who we believe him to be.”
I nodded. “That will require a sample of the remains of the King. We need something to compare him to.”
“I don’t understand, but if you say we need it, then we will get it.”
“Do you know where?”
“Yes, the King’s tomb. Where all the previous kings and queens were entombed. Behind the Munsten Castle.”
“I see,” I said. “And then what? Who will believe the draoi when we declare him the true son of the late King? Even then how do you crown him?”
Brent fumed. “First things, first. Prove he is who he says he is.” Brent rose and bowed to Edward. “Your Highness, I will be off first thing in the morning before dawn. Any messages for Jergen?”
“No, safe travels, Brent. Say hello to James for me.”
Brent looked at Martin. “Will you be coming?”
Martin stirred and looked over at Nadine and me. “No, I think I will stay here for the winter. I have much to learn from these draoi. Plus, the food is exceptional.”
We all erupted in laughter, and laughed even harder at his hurt expression. Martin was starting to swell a little in the middle. Whatever his excuse, we knew he was talking with Edward quite a bit. For Edward to be king he would need to accept the Church as its head. As a wordsmith, Edward was having a hard time accepting anything religious. I didn’t blame him.
Three
Jergen, October 901 A.C.
COLONEL ROBERT SIBBALD looked up from his desk and the latest supply reports when a light knock sounded at his door. It was late in the evening, but he was expecting Major James Dixon. They had much to discuss, and he looked forward to the subject.
“Enter,” he called out, and the doorknob turned, and the door was pushed open. The familiar face of James looked in and then entered and sat down in the chair across from the desk. He dropped a leather-bound briefing case on the edge of the desk in front of him and leaned back and exhaled loudly. He lifted his feet to prop them on the desk and then thought better of it and dropped them to the floor.
“Sir, we have to stop meeting like this,” he said and leaned his head back to stare up at the ceiling.
Robert laughed and put aside the report inventorying the amount of grain in the storehouses. It looked like they would have barely enough food to last the winter. It will have to do, he thought. He looked hard at James then, studying him. When James lowered his face to look back at him, Robert could see the lines of fatigue that etched his face. He was a young man, but he appeared to have aged years in the past couple of weeks. He found it hard to believe it had only been less than a month since they had retreated from the Crossroads. They had much to do and these evening sessions helped clear his head and focus on the task at hand. James Dixon was a boon to him. He understood how to get an army working together and training to a common standard.
“Hmm,” he murmured when a glint of humour appeared in James’ eyes. “One second.” Robert reached down and opened his lower right drawer. He pulled out a crystal decanter and two chipped and aged glasses. He thumped the glasses on the desk and then unstopped the decanter and poured a healthy amount of the best Cala whiskey to be had in Jergen into both glasses. He made a show of making sure the levels were the same and then stoppered the decanter and pushed one glass toward James.
James reached forward and snatched the glass from the desk and raised it. “Slainte mhaith!” he toasted and then took a large swallow. He grimaced and then shuddered. “The first taste is always so strong.”
“That’s Uisce Beatha, the best single malt whiskey from Cala. You’ll build a tolerance one day. You’re a lightweight, Major.”
James didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he reached over his shoulder and with his fingers pushed the door to the office shut. It shut with a click and James smiled at Robert. “Be that as it may, we have a few things to discuss. The Admiral came ashore this afternoon and spoke with me.”
Robert took a sip and swallowed the peaty liquid and savoured the gentle burn as it descended to his stomach. “Funny, he was supposed to meet with me this morning. He sent word he was delayed.”
“So he said. He sends his apologies. He has been working on sorting out rumours from Portsmouth. He fears for those in the Navy still loyal to him who are trapped there. He mentioned an island in the Portsmouth harbour: Georges Island. He says the Realm has taken control of it.”
Robert raised his eyebrows and then motioned for James to continue. “What of it?”
“It seems that’s the island where the secret to the black powder is held. The island stores several tons of the stuff. Healy now controls it and has the secret of how to make it.”
Robert froze. “Truly? Why are we only hearing of this island now? What was the Admiral thinking?”
“He was thinking to keep it a secret from everyone. He hates the stuff. Hates the power of it. Says it isn’t natural. What was it he said?” James thought for a moment. "Sorry, I want to get this right. He said it is ‘the destroyer of worlds’, or some such nonsense."
“You didn’t see what it did in the harbour against those bastards from the East.”
“No, I didn’t, but I saw the damage. Truly, anything that can help us defeat Healy is something we need to embrace.”
“Regardless of the cost?”
“What cost? It saves lives. That’s what we need to focus on, Robert.”
“Yes, I know the arguments. I argue with myself about this all the time. For what it’s worth, I can see both sides of the argument: The Admiral’s and yours. I favour the latter.”
“Well, good. You had me worried. Anyway, Admiral Kingsmill says he needs to take the island back. He was meeting with his people this afternoon. He wants to meet tomorrow to discuss details. He wants Brent available. Have you word?”
Robert rummaged through his papers and pulled one free and slid it across his desk. James grabbed it and read it quickly.
“So, Brent expects to be here tomorrow. Good timing,” James took a sip of his whiskey and returned the missive to the desk.
“Yes, what would you do?”
James smiled a dark smile. “We take it back or destroy it. Either way, we can’t le
t Healy have it, that’s the truth. The Admiral says the makers will have been captured. This means Healy will learn how to forge the cannons. And more.”
“More?”
“Yes, he says his top fellow invented a smaller version of the cannon.”
“Small? How much smaller?”
“Small enough for a soldier to carry it.”
Robert thought for a moment. “What? Well, that means…oh, by the Word. That’s terrible.”
“Yes, terrible. Hence the Admiral’s view on the subject.”
Robert sat in silence soaking in the news and sipping his drink. He grimaced and set his glass down. “I’ve changed my mind. Destroy it. We need to wipe this black powder from the Realm. Healy will abuse it. You know it, and I know it.”
“So says the Admiral. I’m not sure I agree. The Admiral wants to discuss it with General Bairstow. He wants his approval before he does anything.”
“Humph. Fine. Then that can wait until Brent arrives. So?”
James finished his glass and pushed it back across the table. Robert refilled it and pushed it back. James pulled it closer, but then reached for his leather satchel and unwrapped the leather thong that kept it tied up. He reached in and pulled out a journal. He flipped through it and stopped on a page.
“As of this afternoon, we number just under six hundred new recruits. Men and women continue to pour in from all over the Realm. The word has gone out and the people are responding. Estimates have us at a strength of one thousand by first snow. However, we expect recruitment to drop during the winter. Travel will be impossible.
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