I’m battling my way through from the front line... you have to get to her, Tei.
Tei was already breaking through the milling ranks of Kalayans as news of Rathnor’s capture filtered back to them.
‘Save the Sentinel,’ Tei cried at the top of her lungs, raising her sword above her head.
She charged at the hillock, not turning back to see if anyone was following, too concerned with the Masked Riders already charging towards the Sentinel.
Tei screamed a battle cry and pushed forward, knowing with every step she was already too late.
The injured defenders who’d chosen to stand guard at the base of the hill valiantly fought and died against the surprise cavalry attack. Kalaya’s own cavalry were charging in, but a Masked Rider had already reached the line of Elders protecting the Sentinel.
Dillian stepped forward and stabbed the first horseman before his sword could sweep down. The Elder dragged the incapacitated rider from his saddle, leaving the horse to rear and charge back down the hill. It scattered the ranks of Masked Riders and allowed the Elders a moment to regroup around Callisa. Eight old men stood armed and defiant, ready to die for their Sentinel.
Despite their brave stand, the shocking truth ripped through Tei. She wanted to scream denial, but her voice was lost, suffocated by the pain of knowing what was about to happen. She stumbled, her sword arm sagging like a dead weight. Brogan slammed into her. He grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the fighting.
Tei watched Callisa discard her sword and stand at the centre of the hillock unarmed. She raised her hands to the sky, brandishing the Staff of Turrak aloft.
‘Stop!’
Callisa’s voice reverberated around them. Light grew from her palms, spreading to consume her body. Golden radiance pulsed out from her and cast them all in glowing light. The searing brightness concentrated on the enemy riders and they had no choice but to shield their eyes.
The island shuddered beneath their feet. All the horses stopped in their tracks and tossed the stunned Masked Riders from the saddles.
‘There will be no more bloodshed on Kalayan soil!’
The island shuddered again at her words. The enemy cowered, throwing down their weapons, while the watching Kalayans cheered their gleaming Sentinel.
The golden light retreated, sucked back into Callisa. For long moments no one moved, no one spoke. They all stared, awestruck by the magical young woman on the hillock and the patch of decayed blackened land by her feet.
Defenders rushed forward to bind the Masked Riders; not one of them resisted.
With tears streaming down her face, Tei ran up the hill to her friend. Thal was already at Callisa’s side and only up close was it evident the old man was holding her upright. A sheen of sweat covered her pale skin.
‘That was quite a display,’ Tei said.
Callisa grinned, looking breathless, her glassy eyes struggling to focus on Tei.
In the guise of a hug, Tei held the Sentinel, supporting her full weight, worried she would faint. ‘You’re something else,’ she whispered in her ear.
Callisa somehow found the strength to laugh. With it, Tei felt the tension leave her body.
Dillian coughed and stepped towards them, holding out the Staff of Turrak that Callisa must have dropped.
The Sentinel smiled up at the Elder and grasped his arm. ‘Thank you for your courage, Dillian.’
He met her gaze with a look of clear devotion on his face and beamed at Callisa as she took the staff and discreetly used it to support her weight.
‘Let’s go back to your tent,’ Tei said, gently taking her arm to steer her away.
Slowly they began to descend, moving past the dead, leaving the Elders to deal with the wounded. Then Hafender ran forward and skidded to a halt at Callisa’s feet.
‘Sentinel.’ He bowed low, relief written across his face.
‘General, I believe you have some prisoners to deal with.’
They laughed nervously. Tei still held Callisa’s arm, but she could feel the Sentinel’s strength returning as the people gathered before them.
Callisa surveyed the untouched battleground and the people still celebrating. She had a faraway look in her eye, but then she snapped back to them, looking between Tei and Hafender, before she focused on Brogan. ‘The foreign commander wishes to know what to do with his prisoner.’
All three of them turned to Brogan.
He clenched his jaw. ‘Let the Elders and Assembly decide Rathnor’s fate together,’ he said, his face a stiff mask.
A week ago, that would have been a joke, but now Tei wondered if things were truly set to change on Kalaya.
Callisa nodded and then she took a deep breath. ‘Hafender, set up a separate camp to hold the prisoners. Thal, I entrust you the task of guarding Rathnor. I want him under constant watch by magic and sword. Brogan, gather the Assembly, tell them to organise the camp and treat our new allies well. The Elders will assist you in the arrangements.’
Callisa turned back to Tei, a sparkle in her eye. ‘You can come with me, I have need of my Confidante’s counsel.’ Then she pulled away from Tei and, with head held high, walked back towards her tent.
Throwing Brogan a smile over her shoulder, Tei hurried after Callisa.
As she rushed to catch up with her friend, she considered the events of the last hour; the war was over, Kalaya was safe, and a true and worthy Sentinel had been born and accepted by her people. There couldn’t have been a better day in all of Kalaya’s history, and it wasn’t even lunchtime.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Brogan finished mopping up the soup with bread and then set aside the empty bowl. He leant back on his elbows and glanced across at Tei as she swirled her spoon through the soup. Her expression looked troubled as she focused on the camp below their vantage point on the hillock.
He followed her gaze but the burnt patch of ground beside him caught Brogan’s attention again; Tei had said the Sentinel had drawn on the magic in the earth to stop the horsemen. The hairs on Brogan’s neck stood on end as he remembered the awe-inspiring sight of Callisa glowing golden and dangerous. Her power was undeniable and no one in Kalaya would forget that moment in a hurry.
He turned back to Tei. ‘You seem distracted, is something wrong?’
‘They’re feeding the prisoners,’ she said.
‘Prisoners need to eat.’
‘But they’re murderers.’
‘Not all of those men are necessarily evil. Rathnor could have used mind control on them as he did with the Assembly and Commander Farrell.’
‘How can you be so rational? You’ve lost people you love too.’
The remark stung him and he could see by her downcast eyes that Tei knew it.
‘Sorry,’ she whispered.
Brogan reached out to take her hand, wanting to make her understand. ‘Rathnor’s the one to blame; those men down there acted on his will.’
‘They still killed our people… our friends.’
‘I know.’ Brogan tipped up her chin and forced her to look at him. ‘But we can’t allow that anger to cloud our judgement. You shouldn’t condemn them without knowing the facts. If only you would talk to them, Tei, maybe then you’d see the truth.’
She shot him an icy stare.
He sat back and looked down at the prisoners. ‘I can’t hate them, not anymore.’
With a sigh, Tei closed her eyes. For a long time she remained quiet and still. Brogan watched her shifting expressions and wished he knew what she was thinking.
At last, she opened her eyes but took a moment to gather herself before she spoke. ‘You were right, at least about some of them.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’ve always hated Nadan, but Rathnor manipulated him the worst of all. He had a family once… Rathnor had them killed.’
Brogan didn’t know who Nadan was, but he understood what it was like to be on the receiving end of Rathnor’s scheming. He shook his head sadly. ‘Who knows how
many of Rathnor’s victims we have yet to hear about. You should tell the Elders about them; maybe some of those men can be helped.’
Tei stood and looked down at the prisoners. ‘I don’t think Nadan wanted to remember,’ she said and then headed to the Elders’ tent.
Brogan watched her go, contemplating her words. He waited until she’d moved out of sight before he headed back to the supply line.
‘If you’re back for seconds, I’m afraid it’s the last slops.’ The cook scraped the bottom of one of the cooking pots.
‘The more unappetising the better.’
The cook shrugged and filled a bowl with grey watery mush.
‘Perfect.’ Brogan selected a hard piece of bread to complete the meal. Smiling to himself, he walked to the isolated camp holding Rathnor captive. Armed guards surrounded him, and the Elder, Thal, was there too, keeping an eye on the prisoner.
Thal intercepted him, barring his path. ‘Are you sure this is a good idea?’
Brogan grinned. ‘Even the condemned deserve a last meal.’
‘But what do you expect to gain by seeing him?’
‘Peace,’ Brogan said, meeting the old man’s eye.
Shaking his head, Thal stepped aside and Brogan moved through the ring of guards. He sat on the ground opposite Rathnor, putting the bowl between them. ‘This could be your final meal, so make the most of it.’
Rathnor didn’t take his eyes off Brogan. ‘I didn’t know you cared.’
‘I care enough to see you swinging, like so many of the innocent victims you put to death.’
Rathnor smirked. ‘The Assembly put them to death, not me.’
‘No one believes that anymore. I could kill you right now and no one would care.’
‘So brave suddenly, Brogan, now that a score of men are here to back you up. I would kill you the moment you reached for your sword.’
The need to follow through with his threat almost overpowered Brogan, but he caught Rathnor watching him, and forced his hands to relax in his lap. ‘I’m surprised you’re so accepting of your fate.’
Rathnor leant in close. ‘That’s because it’s not over,’ he said and laughed in Brogan’s face.
Brogan realised Thal had been right; there was no satisfaction in seeing Rathnor as a condemned man.
Clenching his fists, Brogan walked away with the sound of Rathnor’s laughter ringing in his ears.
***
Tei wandered through the expanding camp, thinking on the Elders’ reactions to her revelations about the prisoners. Most had been willing to listen, but they did not hold to Brogan’s belief of a blameless crime. When the Assembly arrived and joined in the debate, Tei was glad to escape the heated talks.
That had been an hour ago and she was still searching for Brogan to apologise for her earlier bad mood.
She spotted him lurking at the edge of the camp near the horses. ‘There you are.’ She fell into step beside him and immediately sensed his agitation. ‘What’s wrong?’
Brogan took his time to answer. ‘I went to see Rathnor.’
‘What, why?’ She glared at him. ‘Have you lost your mind?’
‘It doesn’t matter why... he says it’s not over.’
‘Of course it’s over; we have him under constant guard, by sword and magic. Rathnor can’t do anyone any harm now.’
Brogan shook his head, his jaw set in a hard line. ‘I know Rathnor, there’s more to it than that.’
‘He has no more secret alliances or guards stashed ready to come to the rescue. He’s just toying with you.’
She had no further reassurance to offer so they strolled around the camp, the silence brewing tension between them.
‘You won’t let it drop, will you?’ Tei said at last.
‘Not while Rathnor’s still a threat.’
‘As soon as The Sentinel has finished her talks with Commander Farrell, Rathnor’s fate will be decided.’
‘Then I hope they finish soon.’ Brogan’s expression remained brooding.
‘I’ll speak to her and try to hurry things along,’ Tei said, but when she tried to contact Callisa, her friend refused to talk. ‘Why do peace treaties have to take so long?’
Raised voices drew their attention. Tei steered Brogan towards the Elders’ tent, already knowing the reason for the conflict, but she hoped it would take Brogan’s mind off Rathnor.
Outside the tent, a line of Masked Riders and their guards were waiting, while inside, Tei glimpsed both Elders and Assembly members locked in impassioned debate.
‘What’s the problem?’ Brogan asked a near-by soldier.
‘They’re trying to sort out who amongst this lot of miserable scum is innocent.’ The soldier hawked and spat. ‘Kill the lot of them, I say. Can’t never trust them again.’
‘There’s more to it…’ Tei began, but Brogan dragged her away.
‘Now’s not the time to be picking a fight,’ Brogan warned, leaning in close. ‘He’s bigger than me.’
She snorted at the unexpected jest, relieved to see a little of Brogan’s humour had returned. Snuggling up against him, she led him away and they sat in an open space where they could keep an eye on the drama around the Elders’ tent.
‘I’m glad I’m not a part of that world anymore,’ Brogan said, picking at the grass.
‘Callisa will disagree... she’ll want trustworthy people on the new Assembly.’
Brogan groaned and lay back to look up into the early evening sky. ‘Thanks for the reminder.’
Tei looked at him and saw the lines of tension on his face. ‘It won’t be forever; soon we’ll get to be together and we’ll have the rest of our lives to make each other happy.’
‘I long for that day,’ he said, winking at her before closing his eyes. The tension lines remained around his eyes and mouth, but she sensed Brogan’s mood had calmed and that he’d accepted Rathnor wasn’t a threat to anyone.
Tei smiled as she imagined her future as Brogan’s wife. Where would they live? How many children would they have? She almost laughed aloud as her thoughts ran away with her.
Brogan seemed to be dozing, so she turned her attention back to the camp and ran her gaze across the long line of prisoners. What would become of them now? Even if they could be saved, what future did they have on Kalaya?
As she pondered the difficult questions, she realised something was wrong. She scanned the faces of the prisoners a second time.
‘Oh, no,’ Tei whispered.
‘What’s wrong?’ Brogan asked, sitting up and reaching for his sword.
‘Nadan’s gone.’ She looked back at Brogan. ‘I set his mind free from Rathnor’s spell; I wanted him to suffer…’
‘Where is he, Tei?’ Brogan asked, jumping to his feet.
‘He’s going after Rathnor.’
‘Warn the Sentinel.’
She watched Brogan sprint away.
‘Oh Callisa, what have I done?’
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Callisa shook Commander Farrell’s hand, binding their spoken agreement. ‘Things may have begun on difficult terms, but I’m glad our people met and had the chance to form this alliance. I’m sure we can help you restore Stone Haven.’
‘There’s no harm in trying,’ Farrell agreed as he returned to his meal. ‘It’s good,’ he remarked.
‘It’s stone cold,’ Callisa said, forcing down a mouthful.
‘After weeks at sea with nothing but stale ships biscuits and salted fish, this is a delight.’
She smiled at the foreign commander.
‘Now all this is over, I can’t wait to get back to my ships and head home. I don’t know what kind of reception I’ll get though.’
‘Your wife and son will be ecstatic to see you.’
Farrell’s worried expression softened at the mention of them. ‘And the little one will be arriving in a few months.’
‘You have plenty to look forward to. The people of Stone Haven will be pleased to see the safe return of their men and to hea
r about the new alliance with Kalaya…’ Callisa broke off as a sharp pain pierced her chest.
‘Sentinel, are you alright?’
She couldn’t answer him as the spasm spread through her body. It seized her throat, constricting her breathing. She tried to scream, but had no voice. She tried to stand, but the room spun, and she fell to the floor.
Hands turned her over and Farrell’s concerned face loomed above her. He was speaking but her senses were fading. Then her vision went black and she felt her spirit ripped from her body. Flung violently into the Astral Plane, Callisa registered Rathnor’s presence too late.
He struck out and a bolt of magic slammed into her. She had no time to defend against the blast of fire, which hit with terrifying force.
‘You really thought capturing my body and tethering my spirit with puny spells would be enough,’ he said, attacking again.
This time Callisa managed to block the blast, but she stumbled, every fibre in her being hurting, knowing even as her strength ebbed, that Rathnor was holding back. He was playing with her.
She took her chance and fled deeper into the Astral Plane. The mists swallowed her, the magic knitting together behind her to cover her tracks, but it wouldn’t be enough. Rathnor had grown stronger than ever off the proceeds of war. They should have killed him outright and be damned with the noble gesture of a trial.
As Callisa darted away through the mists of her island, a figure materialised in front of her. She stopped short, preparing a counter attack until the features of the figure came into focus.
‘Master Gohan, I can’t believe you’re still here.’ Seeing her mentor drove all thought of flight from her mind.
‘There’s no time for explanations.’ Gohan’s tone was urgent. ‘Rathnor still has the spirits, only his death will release them and save Kalaya’s magic. You have to defeat him.’
‘How?’ she cried, but the image of her mentor was already gone.
Before she could attempt to pursue him, she sensed Tei’s questing spirit searching for her and raced to her friend. ‘Tei, you have to leave here.’
‘What’s going on?’
‘Rathnor’s coming, leave while you still can.’
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