The Order of The Rose: Forsaken Petal (Book 1)

by Joshua Hoyt

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  The ropes bit into his wrists as Tom lay on his side with his feet tied at the ankles. He opened his eyes. He lay on a wooden floor connected to a plain white wall. He blinked the pain away and tried to get his bearings. Rolling onto his back he winced at the pain that shot up his wrists and arms from the tight rope. He continued rolling to his other side relieving some of the pain. A door stood closed only a few feet from him and he realized that he couldn’t be in a room much bigger than a large coat closet. As he lay on the cold floor Tom wondered about his friends and what had happened to them. He tried remembering anything that would help him understand better what had happened. There had been nothing special about the man who attacked him. His clothes were plain with no markings. He remembered seeing Cody struggle with the net, only getting more tangled and Aithnea screaming his name right before he passed out. Kristiana and Caspin seemed to be faring well, but he couldn’t remember if they had been successful or not. John, what had happened to John? There had been a loud groan from his direction, but Tom couldn’t tell if it had been John or someone else. I hope some of the others escaped. He groaned as he thought, But I bet we all got captured.

  The door opened and a woman entered carrying a tray of food and a cup. The woman sat the tray on the floor and pulled a small knife from her belt. She wore black leather armor with a white eagle emblazoned on the chest. She had a long sword strapped to one side of her waist and a long curved dagger on the other. She moved with the ease and grace of a cat. No fear showed on her face as she walked toward him, and he hoped that he would never have to face her in battle. “I’ll cut you loose but don’t do anything stupid or I’ll tie you back up and let you starve for a little longer,” she said. She cut the rope around his legs and then around his wrists. Tom sat up rubbing his wrists trying to get the blood flowing once again. “Here’s some food and drink.” She pointed at the tray and then squatted against the wall next to the door.

  Tom slowly pulled the tray closer to him and picked the cup up. It looked like water and he took a tentative sip. The water was cold and tasted good, relieving some of the pain in his throat. “Who are you?” Tom asked.

  “My name’s Tanya.”

  “Why did you attack us?”

  Tanya appeared to be thinking. “You and your group had entered into our territory without permission.” Tanya stood. “Who are you and your group? Where do you come from and what are you doing here?”

  Tom hesitated but figured she had answered his questions. “My name’s Tom and we’re traveling to Darthmoth.”

  Tanya’s brows furrowed. “Darthmoth? Darthmoth was burned to the ground several years ago. There’s nothing left,” she said.

  Tom stopped chewing on the bread. And looked up at her. “What? Who burned it down?”

  Tanya looked at him in surprise. “Where’ve you been? Everyone knows that the witches burned it down. The council refused their request for a greater voice in affairs.”

  What’s happened since we’ve been gone? Why didn’t Archelaus communicate with us especially about something like this? In fact, they'd had no contact with anyone over the time they'd spent at the cabin. He figured that they had been hidden and couldn’t leave for fear of being attacked again.

  “Why were you heading to Darthmoth?” Tanya asked.

  Tom shook his head. “We’re going there so that we could.” He hesitated for a moment, and looked up. “So that we could resupply.”

  Tanya studied Tom. “I’ll be back later. Finish your food and then knock on the door and a man will take the tray from you.” Tanya opened the door and walked out of the small room and closed the door behind her.

  Tom stood up, trying to get the numbness out of his feet and mind as he pondered the new information. He picked the tray off of the floor and sat down at a small table in the room and finished his slight meal. Still in shock, he finished his food, stood and knocked on the door. It opened immediately. A man entered and grabbed the tray. He barely glanced at Tom and said not a word. The jailor pulled the door shut behind him and Tom heard the key turned in the lock. Tom was once again caged in his small cell. Tom paced four strides from one wall to the other as he tried to think. Tom had heard that the witches had grown in strength but couldn’t imagine how they had grown strong enough to actually burn a town down. What about Archelaus? Where was he? Why hadn’t he come to get them when this all started? He looked around the room. Light came from a narrow slit high on the wall. The door didn’t look to sturdy. That’s probably why there’s a guard outside. The table and chair he sat on were made out of a light wood. Maybe if it comes down to it I could use a leg for a club. As the day went on it got darker until only a little bit of moonlight came through the slit in the wall and another sliver of light came from beneath the door.

  The door opened and Tom blinked from the sudden change in light. “Follow me,” a woman's voice said. Tom couldn’t quite tell, but he assumed it had been Tanya who had spoken. He stood up and blinked several times trying to adjust to the bright light. Tanya had already left the room and started down a long hallway. He hurried after her afraid that if he didn’t catch up he would be locked in his cell for who knew how much longer. The two walked down the hallway past several guards who stood at attention as Tanya passed. Every wall was white. Strange lights dotted the plain walls. Their unnatural glow casting weird puddles on the floor. He kept pace with Tanya, counting the doors and guards that he passed, in an attempt to keep his bearings as they walked. They went around a corner and continued along the hallway for another fifty feet before coming to a door with two guards standing stiffly before it. When the guards saw Tanya they quickly stepped aside and opened the door for them.

  Tom followed Tanya into a large room that held three tables in a U shape. Behind the tables sat many men and women who talked quietly to each other. As she entered, the room fell silent as the congregations attention became focused on the new comer. Tanya walked to the center of the U. Head held high. Allowing no anxiety to show on her faceas she faced the people staring at her. Tom stood a foot or two behind her, and gazed at the floor, feeling the weight of the stares. “Tom, is that your true name?” A man asked. The man who spoke wore red robes a white eagle gleamed over his left breast. He sat in the center of the tables with a paper in front of him. His glasses sat low on his nose and he looked over them at Tom.

  Tanya motioned for Tom to step forward and he did. He looked at the man who had spoken then looked down again. “Yes sir, that’s my name,” Tom replied.

  “And you say that you were traveling to Darthmoth with your companions. Is that also true?”

  “Yes sir.”

  The man sat forward in his chair, taking his glasses all the way off. “Where’ve you been for the past few years?” Tom looked up at the faces around the tables hoping for some support. Finding none he looked down again. “Where have you been?” The man asked again, a little louder.

  Hesitating, Tom looked at Tanya as he felt her hand on his shoulder. “It’s all right to speak truthfully. We’ll not harm you,” Tanya spoke softly.

  Tom looked back at the man at the table. “We’ve been in hiding from a group that attacked us.”

  “Who attacked you?” The man asked.

  “I don’t know exactly, but they were from the red dragon clan. Or at least they had the red dragon symbol on their cloaks.” Tom’s brow furrowed trying to remember more information about the group that had attacked them at the orphanage, then the mansion and most recently at the cabin.

  The man sat back after Tom had spoken and the others talked to one another loudly. He held up his hand and looked back at Tom, more at ease. “We had heard reports of them but did not believe them. It’s been a long time since they’ve come to the main land. Why are they after you?”

  “I don’t know sir?” Tom responded. Tom looked up, feeling more confident. “Sir, where are my friends?”

  The man studied Tom before replying. “They’re taken
care of and as long as they,” he pointed at Tom, “And you cooperate, no harm will come to them.” Tom nodded and the man continued the questioning. “So you say that you were attacked and hid from the red dragon clan. Where did you hide from them, and why were you wandering in our territory?”

  “We were at a cabin and after several years they found us again and burned us out. A witch accompanied them,” Tom said. The group of people talked amongst themselves again, even louder than before. The man at the center hushed them several times before order returned. Tom looked at Tanya who continued to look straight forward, not wavering at all.

  The man leaned forward. “How did you escape the witch?”

  Tom hesitated, knotting his hands. “We ran from her. She didn’t get there until later in the fight.” Tom worried that the man would see through his lie. “We ran from them and headed toward Darthmoth hoping to resupply and find a new hiding place.” The man looked Tom over for several minutes. He waved his hand and Tanya turned motioning for Tom to follow. They walked toward the door which opened as they approached. The two guards stood to the side allowing them to pass, closing the door behind them. They walked down the hallway for several yards when Tanya suddenly stopped and turned to Tom.

  “I need you to trust me,” Tanya said. She spoke quietly and looked up and down the hall. “You and your friends are in grave danger. The man you were speaking to is the leader of the Aetos clan. His name is Cedrick He’s a very powerful man who sits on the council. The council has become even more corrupt and many of them have aligned themselves with the witches. If witches are after you then he’s probably one of the men who sent them.” Tanya turned and continued down the hall. Then a few paces on she turned and led him along a different corridor than the one they had followed before. They walked a little farther to a place where there were no guards and stopped. “He’ll send word to the counsel letting them know that he has caught you and your friends. They’ll be here soon,” Tanya said.

  “Why would you help us?” Tom asked.

  “The council is destroying my people because Cedrick is misguided and follows blindly.” Tanya paused for a moment, thinking. “There must be someone in the counsel bringing witches in to do his bidding and using them to take control of the other councilmen.” They continued down the hallway until they reached a well-guarded hall. The guards snapped to attention as Tanya approached. She walked up to a door and the guards stepped aside. She opened the first door and Tom saw that Aithnea sat on the floor against the wall. She must also have been bound because her wrists and ankles were red with raw burns.

  Tom started toward Aithnea. “Are you all right?” The guards immediately stepped in between him and the open door. He stopped. Aithnea pushed herself up the wall, her eyes on Tom. Tanya walked quickly to her. She said something to Aithnea that Tom couldn’t hear, and then the two of them walked toward the open door. The guards looked confused as Tanya led Aithnea from her cell. There confusion grew as Tanya revealed each member of Tom's group, until they stood unified in the hall. Tanya led them through a maze of corridors until they reached the outer doors. There awaited several guards. As they approached the closed doors a side door opened and Cedrick stood at the head of a large group.

  A woman wearing a long black gown stood behind Cedrick. Her hair and makeup was jet black. The woman looked at Kristiana and suddenly chanted mystical words of magic. Cedrick looked back at the woman in surprise. Kristiana and Aithnea, sensing the danger, chanted as well and John rushed the guards by the door. Cody and Tom, taken aback by the sudden action, broke their befuddlement and rushed the nearest guard as he pulled a pistol and sword from his belt. In his periphery Tom saw Tanya pull the long sword and wicked looking dagger from her belt. Then Tom and Cody hit the guard. At the same time, a black web spewed from the hands of the woman in black. The web spread out as it approached the group. Caspin stepped in front of the web to shield his friends from its ill effects. As it hit him, he held his symbol high and the web turned to nothing more than black smoke that vanished. Bolts of light flashed from Aithnea and Kristiana’s hands at the same time, shooting toward the witch. Striking short of their mark, and then hit an invisible barrier that the witch conjured seconds before the onslaught.

  The guard fired and missed. Tom and Cody hit him and plowed him to the ground. His discharged weapon lay harmlessly on the ground beside him. “Try not to hurt them,” Tanya shouted. She swung her sword in an arch toward the guards warning them back. Many of the guards fell back in confusion. Cody held the guard's head and hit it against the ground knocking him unconscious. Tom grabbed the knife on the guard’s belt and scrambled to his feet. A thunderous noise echoed behind him and he heard Aithnea scream out in pain. Tom whirled towards Aithnea and Cody stepped in front of him facing the guards. “What does she mean don't hurt them?” he yelled above the din. “They're hurting us!” Aithnea lay on the ground unconscious. Kristiana cast yet another spell toward the witch as John wielding a captured sword, tried to cut his way through the guards toward Cedrick. Cedrick held a large staff loosely in his hand unconcerned at John's approach.

  Tom ran toward Aithnea. But stopped short when he felt her life force begin to fill him. He knew then what he had to do. He turned and looked at the witch focused on Kristiana. Now’s my chance. He focused on the life-force inside of him, Aithnea's blending perfectly with his own, and aimed at the witch. The magic spewed out of his very soul. The witch shrieked in pain as she flew against the wall, hitting it with a thud. Tom walked toward the witch, pinning her to the wall with the spell, not allowing her to move. Several more missiles shot from Kristiana’s fingers. They hit the witch square in the chest, and she shrieked even louder as her flesh burned.

  “Get the boy,” Cedrick yelled above the battle.

  Tom saw many guards hesitate only a moment before they surrounded him. I can’t worry about the guards. Focus on the witch. The guards continued to close around him. Tanya rushed in front of him swinging her sword at the closest man. The guard barely had time to block the long sword before she sliced her dagger toward his arm, her aim deadly. The man dropped the sword as the dagger cut across the top of his right forearm. He fell back, and the guards stopped moving forward. Tom closed his hand as if he physically gripped the witch’s throat. The witch gurgled and gasped for breath. You’ll pay. Rage filled him. He wanted this witch to pay for all the pain he had ever felt.

  “Stop him! He’s killing her,” Cedrick yelled. He charged John and swung his staff high then down toward him. John easily side stepped the heavy staff. He brought his knee up to Cedrick’s gut, knocking the wind out of him. Cedrick fell to the ground hard. John slapped the flat of his blade down across the side of Cedrick's head, and he lay unmoving on the cold floor. Tom continued to hold the witch to the wall until a force hit him hard, knocking him back several paces. His concentration broken, the witch fell to the ground gasping for air. Slowly, she rose to her feet. A chilling hatred gleamed in her eyes. She lifted her palm toward a guard next to her. He fell instantly, his lifeless body twitched in death spasms with the life-energy he once possessed now passed to the witch. Behind Tom, Kristiana started to chant. Aithnea struggled back to her feet and stood fearlessly next to her. The witch looked at her enemies. Rage twisted her face. Then with a wave of her hands, she disappeared. Kristiana's lightning bolt hit the wall where she had been seconds before. The guards all backed toward the door, dropping their weapons as they went. There they stood in confused frustration, waiting to know their fate.

  Tanya stepped toward Cedrick and checked to make sure he lived. “He’ll be awake soon, and I don’t want to murder a council member or we’ll have the whole country after us,” Tanya said.

  Caspin walked over to Cedrick and laid his hands on him. “He’ll be fine.”

  Tanya walked toward the door and as the guard opened the door for her, he said, “We'll give you some time before announcing your escape.”

  “Thank you. I’ll miss you all and I h
ope to see you all again soon,” Tanya said. Tom's group ran quickly across a small courtyard toward a gate house. The gate rose as they approached and no one stopped them as they passed through. Once outside the gates, Tanya headed toward the undergrowth. There she pulled out several packs and their old gear.

  “We must hurry. Cedrick will not wait to send others after us,” Tanya said.

  John strapped on his sword and pistol, threw his pack on to his back, then faced Tanya squarely. “Why are you helping us?”

  Tanya stopped and looked at John. “Cedrick is a good man, and he has a good heart but the council has corrupted him. He’s being controlled by someone. Until we find out who that person is, many will suffer.” Tanya looked at John steadily and then continued softly as she looked away. “I’ve seen what those witches can do to people. They’re cruel and they’re destroying the country I love.”

  John put his hand on Tanya's arm. “Thank you,” he said simply.

  The group hurried down the path with Tanya leading the way. Tom made his way in his usual position at the rear with Cody. How can we fight the council and the witches? How did the council ever allow them to become so strong? Who’s helping them? Then a painful thought worked its way to the surface. Could it be Archelaus? The group walked for several hours coming slowly closer to a chain of mountains. When they finally reached them, Tanya headed toward a mountainside. Where’re we going? He groaned I hope we're not climbing over the top. Suddenly Tanya disappeared right into a rocky ledge. Tom stopped. His mouth dropping open. Tanya reappeared looking at the group. “This way. It’s an illusion that few know about.” Tanya disappeared once again and John followed her. The rest of the group approached the mountainside and, in turn disappeared into the mountain face. Once Tom got to the point of disappearance he saw how the wall of the mountain shimmered. He put his hand through the swimming wall of stone. He felt nothing but his hand dematerialized as it passed through the strange curtain. He walked through the mountainside and into the passage beyond. There he followed the others into a large cave.

  Tanya started a fire. “This is a good spot to hide for the night,” she said.

  Tom set his pack down beside Aithnea's and stood close beside her. “Are you feeling all right?”

  “Yes, I’m doing ok. That witch was powerful. She batted away my spells like they were nothing,” she replied.

  “Yes, she is powerful…” Kristiana walked up to the two, “…but she has shown us that she can be overcome. We’ll need to prepare better for her. I had the feeling that she knew what we were going to do before we even did it. It’s a good thing that she didn’t expect the attack to come from you.” She said as she looked at Tom. “Don’t expect her to be caught off guard again.”

  Tanya looked up from her fire building. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you do that?” Tanya asked looking straight at Tom.

  Kristiana regarded Tanya for a thoughtful moment then said, “We believe that, for whatever reason, Tom’s able to use the life energy inside of him as they did in the olden days.”

  “So, he’s an enchanter?” Tanya asked in surprise.

  “Yes, a sort of an enchanter. We were headed to Darthmoth so that we could meet a friend who could help us understand better what’s happening. But it seems that we’ll not be able to get in contact with him as we’d hoped,” Kristiana said.

  “Who’s this friend you’re trying to meet up with?” Tanya asked.

  “Tanya, we appreciate all your help, but you can understand how we’re not quite ready to trust you completely yet,” John said.

  “I understand,” Tanya said. She looked at Tom for a second longer then went back working on the fire. After the fire strengthened, Caspin prepared a meal for the group. They ate in weary silence with only a murmur here and there. Caspin banked the fire, and the group rolled out their beds around its warmth. With muffled good nights they slid into sleep.

  They sat next to the mouth of the cave with their blankets wrapped tightly around them. Cody and Tom had first watch. The shimmering illusion of rock did not ward off a chill northern breeze. “It’s sure strange how things have gone since I met you,” Cody said. He drew in the sand haphazardly with a stick. “I planned on working for Archelaus as a guard and then a trainer when I got older.” He stopped drawing and looked up at Tom. “It’s odd how things have changed with no warning.”

  “That’s the truth. A few years ago I sat in an orphanage getting beat up every other day. I just wanted to get out alive.” He kicked at a stone. “And not get bought by a witch.” The stone didn't move so he kicked again. “Did I ever tell you, they sold kids to the witches?”

  Cody gaped at him. “Nope. You left that tidbit out.”

  Silence drew itself around them filled with the smell of old smoke and wet brush. Tom thought vaguely of the orphanage. He smiled as he looked down at the ground. It’s crazy how all of these bad things are happening around me, and I’m still happier than back at the orphanage. Glad I met Cody. Really glad I met Aithnea. “Tom, do you think we’ll ever figure all this out?” Cody asked.

  “I hope so. I’m getting tired of having to look over my shoulder wherever we go.” Tom looked out the cave mouth thinking of the cabin. “The cabin was a nice rest. I felt like I had a family for the first time in my life,” Tom said.

  “Me too,” Cody replied softly. Tom sat thinking about the friends that he now had. Friends he considered family. He would give his life for them. He wondered about Tanya, and what she had given up to come with the group. Had she given up family and friends? What about how the soldiers looked at her with absolute respect and loyalty. How they had half-heartedly raised their swords against her. They looked like they would prefer dying to harming her in anyway. The time passed softly through the first watch.