Soldiers of the Crown
Page 36
“We’ll make do without him,” Kinsey remarked. “Aiden, if you could provide Nellise with half of the funds you were given by the Crown, I’m sure she could put them to good use.”
“I’ll be sure to do that before we leave,” Aiden replied, feeling a measure of relief after the tense situation. “So if there’s nothing further, I think we should all rest up before we head off.”
“A splendid idea, one that we should all take heed of,” the duke commented. “It has been a stressful time for all of us, but one I think you can all be proud of. You have ended the threat against the princess and saved the lives of many important people this evening, and for this we are eternally in your debt. Thank you.”
Aiden nodded his thanks as they started filing out of the royal court in two separate groups. Criosa caught his attention on the way out, offering only a forlorn look as she was escorted further into the castle. She managed to mouth two words to him before disappearing into the castle, however — “Thank you.”
It was small recompense, because for all of their achievements, the sentiment felt hollow to Aiden as the rift between his companions became greater than ever, and his simmering rage at Pacian did not relent.
Epilogue
After a brief word with the other three, Aiden decided they would move to a different inn for the night. At Maggie’s suggestion, they headed to another establishment in the southern part of the city called the Tradeway Tavern, where the raelani druid had first stayed upon her arrival. It was one of the few places in the city that catered directly for raelish men and women who visited Fairloch, even going so far as to feature half-sized rooms the little people felt right at home in.
The feeling of warmth from the fire as they stepped out of the cold weather carried with it the scent of exotic herbs from the kitchens, and before long the four of them were enjoying a hearty stew that was more than filling, with fresh buttered bread on the side. There was little talk among the companions that evening, for they were all exhausted from their efforts. Maggie touched Aiden’s hand briefly during the meal, offering silent comfort at the loss of his friend.
After his second helping of the delicious food, Aiden felt sleep slowly overcoming him, so he bid the others a good night and headed up to his room. It was smaller than the accommodation at the Fair Maiden, and the bed was noticeably less comfortable, but it was good enough for the weary young man.
After undressing he quickly dove under the blankets to escape the cold air. His thoughts drifted to the magnitude of the events they had dealt with that day, and he wondered if this “Sceptre of Oblivion” was going to be so easily recovered. The idea that Pacian would have gone to the dwarven city of Stonegaard to ask nicely if they could hand over the relic, if they had it, was laughable to Aiden. For all his cunning, Pacian was impatient and lacked subtlety.
Nellise would do a fine job and she seemed to have pulled herself together for that last battle, rising above the horrors of her past to regain her faith in a profound way. Taking on this challenge was a good sign, though he did wonder what Sir William thought of it. He would ask the knight in the morning, as they were gathering supplies for the journey south. They would have to deal with both Maggie’s sect and search through potentially dangerous ruins if they wanted to find this enchanted sceptre.
Sayana too had seemed to cross a personal barrier in the last fight, gathering her strength when they needed it most. The only thing that had Aiden worried was the smile on her face as she blew half the Senate’s wall to dust.
Tossing and turning with all of these thoughts crossing through his mind, Aiden opened his eyes, unable to sleep. He stared up at the ceiling and lamented he was able to see it, despite having blown out the candle he’d used to find his way up to the room. Glancing around, he saw a blue light coming from his belongings, inviting him closer to investigate.
He got up and opened the pouch, to see the glowing cube resting on a pile of coins, forgotten in the events of the day. Taking it in one hand, he held it before him and marvelled at the curious light softly emanating from the device. Out of instinct, he touched it with his thumb and almost dropped it when he saw the top panel of the cube pop open and light up.
It was a solid, constant light which outlined strange symbols and runes across its surface. He had seen these symbols before, inscribed on the side of the cylinders that both Dale in Bracksford and Desmond in the University had in their studies. The letters shifted and scrolled around, moving a little too fast for Aiden to make any sense of, even if he could read the language.
Several other dots of light had appeared on the side of the cube, and Aiden’s heart quickened as he realised that the cylinder had somehow repaired the ancient relic, and its secrets were now his to behold.
Touching one of the glowing dots, Aiden fell back in surprise as the flickering images of runes and symbols jumped out of the screen and hovered above the cube itself, far larger than before. Enraptured by the display, the hours passed by as Aiden delved into the mysteries of the strange device and slowly but surely, he began to learn.
About the Author
Stephen L. Nowland resides in Frankston, Australia, where he spends his time creating stories, games and art to astound and entertain.
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/sln
Further information on this novel and upcoming titles can be found at his website, and you can follow his progress on Facebook and Twitter.
https://www.facebook.com/stephenlnowland
www.stephenlnowland.com.au
@stephennowland
The Aielund Saga
Soldiers of Winter
Soldiers of Avarice
Soldiers of the Crown
Soldiers of Ruin
Soldiers of Legend
Soldiers of Tyranny
Soldiers of the Heavens
Other titles by the same author
The Ballard Trilogy
In the Wake of War
The Fortress of Gold
Upon the Ashes of Empire