Tear of Light

by Michael Edward Tenner

  Tear of Light

  Book One of The Sins of an Eternal Empire

  Michael Edward Tenner

  Copyright © 2020 Michael Edward Tenner

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Cover design by: Le Soldat Mort

  Map & Phoenix art by: Adela Petrilakova

  To Adi, my fellow overly self-critical artist.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Shadow

  Daybreak

  Verdant Night

  Justice of Old

  Light's Blessing

  People of Beria

  A'stri

  Cry

  Touched by Flame

  A Seal of Power

  Whispers and Liars

  Point of No Return

  A Fallen Angel

  Shattered Light

  Branded by Fate

  Set Ablaze

  Smaragdine Cruelty

  Secrets Below

  Alone Under a Night's Sky

  Kindness

  Scarlet Storm

  Prince's Pride

  Natind

  Scraps of Humanity

  Of Crimson and Gold

  The Moment

  A Story Worth Telling

  Light's Final Lament

  First Fire

  Scarlet Prelude

  Towards Better Shores

  A Recruit

  Inere

  Fires of the Everflame

  New Order

  Dragon's Shadow

  Wrath of the Phoenix

  Cinder of the Past

  The Line of Succession

  Shadow

  Efri was a woman blessed with merry dreams, but a loveless life lived in a shadow of a single day. But now a smile rested on her face. Even tired, she would not close her eyes for only this once reality was more exciting than the dreams.

  Sounds of a caravan moving on a tight dirt road, unused for many years, were strangely calming. The wooden wheels rolling through the mud, pushed by horses at the brink of exhaustion, the chatter of people in carriages before and behind theirs. Like a chaotic song with a disturbed melody, it played its tunes.

  She glanced over to Oren, the orphan boy of age neither of them knew, and her heart filled with giddy joy. Ever since she met him those many years ago, Oren was her most trusted friend, one she could always rely on, a brother regardless of blood. Soon they’d pass the old border and enter the ancient territory of the Empire and together start a new life.

  With a careful set of steps, quieter than Oren’s snoring, she climbed to the front of the carriage. In front of them was that of Riki, a girl of a similar age. She came from a family of wealthy merchants, and as such, theirs was the most expensive carriage. “Not sleeping, are you?” the third member of their group welcomed her to the front and shifted aside.

  Efri shrugged and shook her head. “Can’t and don’t want to anyway,” she replied and looked at the old man. “Say Rin, I haven’t got the chance to ask before now, but where were you on that day?”

  With a snarl, he answered, “Not where I should have been,” he replied with a painfilled sigh. The look on his face turned sour. “I was given an order to defend one of the smaller towns,” he sighed again, “I barely recall its name. Abrun? Abrin? Something like that.”

  “Abarin,” she corrected him. “My mother came from that town.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” he said, ignoring Efri. “There were two hundred of us there. Before the general rode away, he commended us for being the final line of defense against the oncoming storm.” He shook his head and laughed. “Twelve imperials appeared. One of them looked like he still drank mother’s milk. We ambushed them and lost forty men. They lost six.”

  “Before long all but that little brat were dead. Almost two hundred men died to kill, not even a damn dozen of imps. We rushed the kid; by the Gods’ mercy, he must have been no older than thirteen. I was in the back, and all I remember was a wave of fire. That kid was Nariel Ul Ren.” He began laughing so loudly he woke Oren and even earned a few shouts from the other carriages urging him to keep quiet. “I ran away,” he finished his monologue and gazed up to the sky.

  Suddenly, before Efri could reply, the caravan came to a halt. Rin pulled the reins commanding the old mare to stop. “What’s happened?” he shouted as the caravan woke around him. Yet a myriad of voices asking the same was his answer - nobody knew.

  “The forests are right before us, maybe Nika decided to camp for the night after all,” suggested Efri.

  Nika shook his head. “No.”

  A voice suddenly filled the air, “Inspection!” it shouted.

  “Inspection?” quietly wondered Rin. “What ungodly thing would force the imps to come this way?”

  Soon enough, yet later than any of them would want, a group of soldiers dressed in the shining imperial armor passed by them. They stopped by each carriage, looked at it, and the people there and then continued to the next without uttering a word.

  A good few minutes later, Norick, one of the caravan guards, rode by them, shouting, “We are camping for the night! Follow the caravan on the field!”

  Rin sighed in relief. “Finally,” he whispered to himself.

  Without a word, Oren jumped from the carriage. “What are you doing?” Efri asked.

  “I don’t feel like sitting,” he said with a cheeky smile. The cold evening wind stroking his hazel brown hair. “Need to stretch my legs before we lie down to sleep if we are going to do that.”

  Efri shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “I’d rather just keeping moving,” he admitted. “The sooner we are in the imp’s land, the better. Having to undergo an inspection is pathetic.”

  With a shake of her head, Efri replied, “A lot of contraband gets moved on this road, and I appreciate the time to rest. Not everyone can sleep when the caravan is moving.”

  “The horses need a rest too,” Rin joined in the conversation, but Oren only rolled his eyes.

  The carriage began to move. “Finally,” said Efri. “Look, Oren, it should take no longer than half a day to get through the forests, and Natind lies not far from the edge. We both should be well-rested before we get there. I don’t want to run around a new town without getting a good night’s rest.”

  “It’s not about that,” Oren retorted. “I don’t want to listen to that scum.” He gestured to where the group of soldiers went.

  So many times, Efri and he had that exact same argument that never really came to a conclusion. “Are we arguing about this again?” she asked, defeated. “I really don’t wan—.”

  “If we need to!” he interrupted her. “Half of the city was butchered by them; you should hate them even more than I do!”

  “My parents died fighting in a war that our king started Oren.”

  “What about the other orphans? When Vikar came and commanded his men to slit the throats of the youngest of us, and then, after we had to watch, they offered us a quick death. Was that the doing of the king?”

  Efri shook her head. “No. Do not blame the Empire for Vikar’s actions, he’s a despicable criminal, but the people did not command it, nor did the soldiers.”

  “You are so painstakingly naive. They all had a part to play.”

  “Cut it out!” shouted Rin, and in a whisper added, “They are coming
back.”

  Oren and Efri ended their debate by jumping back onto the carriage and turning their back on one another. The soldiers passed them, and the argument began anew.

  After some struggles, the carriages were arranged in two circles with a lit campfire in the center of each. The spaces between the individual carriages were blocked and guarded by Nika’s own men. All the caravan’s members gathered near Nika’s carriage, asking for instructions.

  He stood in the center of the circle, right next to the campfire. “Listen, everyone!” he shouted in his unnaturally high-pitched voice. “We won’t be here for longer than the night and early morning. By noon tomorrow, I want us back on the road. We should reach Natind come sundown.” A few moans were heard, but nobody opposed Nika. “The reason is the company of an Imperial Archon that stopped us!” He gestured towards the soldiers gathering outside of the circle. “We have been commanded to remain here and submit ourselves and our property to inspection. Commander Zerick of the Imperial Inquisition will tell you more in a bit.

  “In Natind, a warm tavern is waiting for us all. A lake is nearby; if necessary, you can go and gather water for the rest of the journey. If you decided to venture away from the camp, you must be accompanied by a soldier, tell them, and they will do so.”

  Next to him came up an old man in leather armor, decorated by the royal insignia. “Good evening folks,” he said in a kind grandfatherly voice, “I am commander Zerick of the sixth regiment of the Imperial Inquisition. The reason you have been stopped is your presence on the old road. Please understand it is often used to move unlawful materials, and reports have been heard human trade has flourished in Beria because of the lack of security. Please accept my sincerest apologies. While we conduct the inspection, you may rest.”

  Oren bumped into Efri’s shoulder. “See how he’s pretending?” he asked venomously.

  “Stop it,” she snapped back. “It’s not funny.”

  The crowd dispersed each going to their own carriage. Rin grabbed the shoulders of both Efri and Oren, “Now come, you two can help instead of arguing again.”

  As they approached Rin’s carriage, they noticed a man with a limp next to a scrawny man pushing a carriage with four buckets. “Who are they?” asked Oren. “And what are they doing?”

  “Merchants, had some trade dealings with them before,” Rin was quick to answer. “Why don’t you two go and offer some help.”

  The two shrugged and ran towards them. “Want help?” unenthusiastically asked Oren.

  “We could use some,” said the thinner of the two with a chuckle. “My partner ain’t exactly the best one for the job.”

  “Aye, we need water,” said the one with the limp and greasy hair. “Norick told us to get it, but you see we need help. This cart ain’t gonna move on the hilly terrain too well, and all the water would spill. The two of us can’t carry all four.”

  Efri, wishing to escape another confrontation with Oren, volunteered and they gladly accepted, their eyes inspecting her. The two men introduced themselves as Maki and Iri. Efri grabbed one more bucket from Rin’s carriage while the two approached a soldier who would accompany them to the lake.

  Not too long, it took for them to reach their destination. The imperial soldier kept a few steps behind them, holding the torch to light their way. For the entire journey there, Maki and Iri were glancing at Efri, making her more and more uncomfortable. At times she felt they were taking measurements or worse imagining things she would rather not think about. Yet in the end, she decided to ignore their gazes, it was not the first time men were looking at her like hungry animals.

  “Let’s go,” said Iri grabbing a bucket and rushing to the lake to scoop up water. “This should last for the entire night!” he added joyfully.

  Efri reached for one of the buckets, but Maki stopped her hand. “That one’s mine,” he said with a twisted and perverted smirk and touched her hand, rubbing his finger against Efri’s skin. Then he quickly grabbed the bucket. “Take another.”

  “Protective of a bucket are you?” snapped Efri, disgusted and even slightly scared of them. “You should sign it next time.” Maki laughed and did not respond, yet as he moved a step away from her, she noticed a glint of something in that bucket.

  “Soldier,” Iri called out as Efri made a few steps away from the cart. “Come closer, we could use at least some light.” With a stoic face, devoid of emotion, the soldier came closer and stood beside Iri yet with his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “Scared of us, are you?” The soldier did not respond, but his eyes did as they frantically jumped between the two men.

  Maki chuckled and said, “Let him be. We’re Berians, that’s gotta be scary for them imperials.” He eyed the soldier with a look not that of a jester but by far a more villainous one. “Maybe he feels guilty,” with a crackle in his voice, he added.

  “What is in the bucket?” the soldier asked Iri, who froze in place.

  “Is it not a beautiful day to begin a new life?” Maki blurted out less than poetically. “I would say so.”

  The soldier ignored him and asked Iri again, “What is in the bucket?” The tension between the three grew with Efri right in the center. “I shall not ask again. Refuse to answer, and I will take action.”

  Maki burst out laughing and, with a lean forward, threw one of the buckets at the soldier who, with the utmost haste, drew his sword. The bucket met the blade, and it shattered with a spark of pure lightning. Then Iri’s hand rose from below the water with a sharp knife in hand. The soldier was too slow to react, and Iri buried the blade deep in his neck. Blood came rushing out of the soldier’s mouth as he fell to the ground. The flaming torch touched the water, and they were thrown into darkness. “Run!” she heard the soldier call out through the blood in his mouth.

  But she froze in place. Like a flash of lighting, Iri appeared before her, his limp absent. Maki grabbed her from behind. “Like he said, good day to begin a new life,” whispered Iri with a venomous laugh.

  They left the dead soldier and their cart, the buckets behind, and set out in the direction of the forest. With no strength left, Efri did not protest or tried to run. The image of the soldier’s neck pierced by that thin blade echoed in her mind sending shivers down her spine.

  What will happen to her; what are they planning to do with her? She was trembling, scared for her own life. This wasn’t the excitement that she sought.

  Soon they arrived at the edge of the forest. On the way Iri, who tied her hands, kept touching her behind and Maki her side. She wished to cut their hands off, to run and escape but feeling her knees weak and her hands trembling she knew in the open field they’d catch her instantly.

  When the tall trees of the forest loomed above their heads, she finally gathered the courage to ask, “Where are taking me?”

  “Beria,” Iri replied with an amused chuckle. “We’ve got an order for a young lass to serve, what was his name again?” he asked, turning to Maki. “Doesn’t matter some former lord with a bald head and an unkempt mustache. Don’t worry, he’ll be gentle.” The two men laughed.

  As even the light of the camp’s torches disappeared, Efri realized just how far they were.

  With no torch the forest was dark, one could barely see. It was now or never. Efri’s legs were not tied, and the knot on her wrists was loose. With little effort, she freed herself, still keeping hold of the rope.

  Then, when the moment was right, she let go of it and rushed to her right. Consumed by adrenaline, she barely noticed their reaction, but their shouting soon echoed through the dark forest.

  As much as it helped her, the darkness made running unwise and difficult, and so, after getting far enough, she began slowly jumping from behind one tree to another, hiding behind their mighty trunks.

  One tree then the next and seven more until she leaned on one letting out a sigh of relief. Yet then someone or something kicked her ankle and made her fall.

  “Keep still,” shouted the attacker.
It was Maki, who else could have it been? She tried to get up and run but Iri appeared standing above her. “Stop it, or we’ll test you out before the lord gets his hands on you!” he shouted. Hearing the horror of his threat, being almost entirely sure it was a lie, she still stopped fighting them.

  “I’m sorry,” she said and got back on her feet with an audible shout of pain. “My ankle is broken,” she whispered a lie she just thought of.

  With all of his strength, Maki slammed her to the ground. “That’s your fault!” he screamed and turned to Iri. “We can’t deliver her with a broken foot.”

  “Then why did you break it?” Iri shouted at him. “It’s not the first time you screwed up!”

  Maki threw his hands up in the air. “Like it’s my fucking fault, she ran! You’re the one who tied the knot.”

  Now! This was her chance. She jumped up, ignoring the mild pain in her ankle and began to run. Yet, mere moments later, Iri appeared beside her, his long legs making each step count for two. He smiled at her and as he was about to grab her something struck him. It made him fall while retaining all of his speed. He fell right in front of Efri, causing her to trip.

  Ready to run again, she looked around but then noticed an arrow buried in the back of Iri’s head. She looked around but saw no one. Then the sound of her breath was interrupted by Maki’s scream, “Please no!” the man shouted. Efri focused and, through the dark, saw a man holding a blade. With a quick slice, he cut Maki’s throat.

  With her breath spent, she stopped and looked at the mysterious figure. “Thank you,” she shouted as the man slowly walked towards her. In her mind, thoughts were racing, fighting for control. Should she run, hide, or stay? An archer she could not escape, and so she walked towards him, her knees weak.

  Before long, the man stood before her. “Hello,” he said and took off his hood, revealing a most unexpected sight. The man was no man but a young woman; almost too much, she reminded Efri of herself in both age and looks. “Tarell,” she introduced herself. “Seems you were in a bit of pickle, but no worry, I am here.”