by C S Vass
“Stop it!” Godwin shouted. “Stop your mockery.”
Master Reinko persisted. “It breaks my heart to imagine what must have gone through their minds when they realized that all of that hope would turn to horror. When their precious baby boy was no Star-blessed, but a freak. An abomination born with the silver eyes of grace with no constellation to grace him. Star-cursed. Forsaken. Destined to live a life of darkness. No magical power and no hope of escape from the curse of the heavens. A heavy day indeed, for any parent.”
“Shut up!” Godwin shouted. He was on his feet. The room suddenly felt very hot.
“Looking to have your nose broken again, boy?” Master Reinko sneered.
“Why are you like this?” Godwin demanded. “Why are you so horrible? What did I ever do to you?”
“Again, you ask all the wrong questions, Godwin. An annoying habit. I hope to beat it out of you before our time together runs out.”
“You don’t answer even when I ask the right questions. Why would you take a Star-cursed?”
Reinko rose, but did not speak.
“You better get some sleep,” he said after a time. “You’re going to have a very rough day tomorrow. I don’t take kindly to runaways.”
“Godwin!”
The urgency of Yaura’s voice snapped Godwin out of his daydream. “What?” He turned. To his surprise he saw that Donald and Bellweven had their swords out, and Frida looked positively terrified.
“What’s happening?” he asked.
“Were you sleeping on your feet?” Frida asked. “Hurry! We need to run!”
“From what?”
“From that!” She pointed. In the distance in the hills he could see men rushing towards them.
“Who are they?” he asked.
“Trouble,” Donald said. “What more do you need to know? Come!” Sheathing his blade, Donald turned to run with Bellweven following suit.
“Godwin, come on. There’s at least a dozen of them,” Yaura said. “If they’re trouble, then we can figure out why after we get away from them.”
They took off. “I knew we shouldn’t have sold our mounts at the Shrieking Crane,” Yaura complained.
“We wouldn’t have had to if you had seen to get me a proper horse and not that fat pony. It wouldn’t have been able to bear my weight all the way to Ice Bay.”
“Stop your jabbering and come on!” Frida urged.
“No,” Godwin said, abruptly grabbing her.
“Are you mad!” Frida barked. “They’re coming.”
“Then talk fast. Who are they? We’re Shigata. If you’re involved in some conflict, we may not want to be a part of it. Or we may, depending on what’s happening. So if you want to go any farther, then you better start talking.”
“They’ve been following us,” Frida said.
“How convenient a detail for you all to leave out.” Godwin was growing angry.
“Listen, I thought we lost them back in the Southlands,” Frida said. “They haven’t been on my mind.”
“So who are they?”
“I’m not sure. Probably the Legion of Bandits.”
“The Legion of Bandits? A bit far from Killer’s Rest, aren’t they?”
“Godwin, you’re being stupid,” Yaura said. “We should keep moving.”
“Why would the Legion of Bandits be after you?” Godwin asked.
“Use your brain, man,” Bellweven shouted. “She’s an emissary from the Hall of Copper. They probably want to take her and demand ransom. These things happen. Are you going to sit there and question it until they come and take our heads?”
Godwin snorted. “I’m trying to figure out who it is that I should be more concerned about. After all, you yourselves were just strangers in the snow a few days ago.”
“Listen,” Donald stepped forward. “They’ll take her for ransom. There’s nobody out there willing to pay my ransom, so I’m as good as dead. How about you, Shigata? Do those Sages fork over gold every time one of you blunders into a trap? I didn’t think so.”
“I’ve dealt with the Legion before,” Godwin said. “Thieves and cowards. They generally prefer not to deal with Shigata. So don’t try to go and scare me into protecting you.”
“Enough!” Yaura shouted. “Stay here and make friends with the bandits if you want to,” Yaura said. “I told these people I would travel with them and I intend to do that. I won’t abandon them just because it gets a little inconvenient. Now come on!”
Without waiting for him to reply Yaura grabbed Frida by the hand, and they ran off into the hills. Sighing, Godwin followed. He didn’t like the smell of things at all.
Progress was slow and bumpy over the frozen hills of the Chillway. Stubborn rocks impeded their motion every other step, and the weaving and bobbing of the landscape kept bringing their pursuers in and out of view to the effect of creating an incredibly anxiety-ridden flight.
An hour after they had first caught sight of the pursuers they needed to stop to catch their breath. Their enemies had gained on them, despite their larger numbers. A bad sign, Godwin thought. If they can move that much quicker than us with a larger group, then they must be in decent shape.
“Perhaps we should make a stand,” Godwin said. “They’re gaining on us. We could hide here in the hills and attack them when they approach.”
“No,” Frida said. “There are too many.”
“I counted nine.”
Donald crossed his arms. “And we’re five. With only four fighters.”
“Two of whom are Shigata,” Godwin said.
“Even better,” Bellweven spat. “Why don’t we leave the two of you behind, and we can meet up again once you’ve slaughtered them all?”
Godwin grinned. “You have the money to pay for that, Bellweven? We have time for a quick haggle.”
“You can’t be serious,” Yaura said, horrified.
“Relax. I’m not. But there are nine of them, and they’re gaining ground. Is it better to be caught by them when we’re both tired, or to let them wear themselves down?”
“Best of all is to not get caught,” Frida said. Her pale cheeks were flushed red and her hands were shaking. “Just give me a moment. I need to catch my breath, but we can keep going.”
“Fine but—”
Godwin was cut off by an enormous black arrow that sprouted from the snow not twenty feet from him. Cursing, he climbed up to see where the pursuers were. “Dammit! They’re still at least four hundred meters away and the bastards are taking pot shots at us!”
“That’s some arm their archer must have,” Yaura said.
“And not a fucking bow between the five of us to fire back,” Donald grumbled.
“Shigata,” Frida said to Godwin. “I would normally not be intrusive, but I have to ask. What constellation are you born under? We could leverage your power. It’s obvious they’re going to overcome us. Can you help?”
The question caught Godwin off guard. When he didn’t answer Frida’s eyes grew wide. “Shit!” she hissed. “You can’t be serious. You’re Forsaken? Damn you! You should have told us. I would never have agreed to travel with a Forsaken. This is why they’ve found us again after all this time. This is your fault!”
“Easy, bitch,” Yaura said. Her hazel eyes glowed dangerously, and her tone of voice made Frida take a step back. “You’ve been generously escorted by two Shigata and against our better judgement at that. What’s to say we can’t just hold you here until our friends ride over? Then we can see if they’re taking ransoms of their own.”
Frida’s already pale face whitened even further. “I’m sorry. I lost my temper. I was merely surprised. But, of all the ill luck! I thought maybe we had an ace in the hole that they wouldn’t see coming. But it seems we’re well and truly fucked.”
“We’re back to square one then,” Donald said seriously. “It’s fight or flight. We need to make a decision. There’s five of us. I say we put it to a vote and honor the outcome as a tie is impossible. I say fight.
”
“Agreed. Two for fight,” Godwin answered at once.
“Flight,” Frida said.
“I’m with Frida,” Yaura said. “There are better places to make a stand. Flight.”
“That leaves Bellweven as our decider,” Frida said. “Bellwe…” her voice trailed off.
Bellweven was on the ground, pale and shaking. A long black arrow was lodged in his shoulder, and the ground beneath him was pooling with blood.
Chapter 10
The city closed in around her like a serpent slowly coiling around its prey. Iryllium’s cold stone walls and unfriendly population made Faela long for Tallium’s open streets. People either bumped into her roughly without stopping to apologize or put their heads down and shuffled by without so much as glancing her direction.
They want to either get too close or keep their distance, she thought. And neither feels right.
The castle was positioned near Iryllium’s South Wall which faced the white waters of Ice Bay. To Faela it resembled a prison. Concentric stone walls swirled within each other to create a labyrinth of courtyard before reaching the inner structure. Gargoyles manned the crenelated parapets with gaping mouths that waited to pour boiling oil and tar on trespassers. Towards the central keep, tall blue towers with onion domes sprouted like massive icicles around the castle: a giant gable-roofed stronghold that looked almost friendly despite its threatening neighbors.
As she approached the first portcullis, a wolf with sharp blue eyes stopped her. “State your business,” he said in a throaty voice.
“I’ve been summoned to the castle. I’m a Dragon.”
The guard nodded. “Proof?”
“Excuse me?”
“Proof of your sign? Make some fire.”
“I can’t.”
“Then stop wasting my time.”
“You don’t understand. I was attacked. They—”
“I get it,” the guard spoke over her. “You heard the Dragons were assembling and you thought you’d sneak into the castle and try to beg from some nice rich lord. What are you really? Forsaken? We’ll have no beggars here. Be off with you.”
“I was told that if I fail to report the punishment was—”
“What part of shove off didn’t you hear, wench?” The guard roared while banging his spear on the ground. “You think they have me here just to let in every shivering tart with a sob story? Be off with you, now!”
Feeling dejected Faela turned to leave. She found herself facing a man wearing a blue lamb’s wool tunic underneath blue and silver robes decorated in elaborate geometric patterns. He had pale skin, thin receding hair, and pale blue eyes.
It was the eyes that startled her.
“What seems to be the problem?” he asked.
“Lord Nicolai,” the guard answered. “What brings you to the main gate, my lord?”
“I had a feeling that I would make a chance encounter if I wandered this way. It seems I might be right. Who are you, miss?”
Faela was unsettled by Lord Nicolai’s ghostly blue eyes. There was no trace of silver or magic in them, but all the same she felt as though those eyes could see right through her.
“Faela.”
“Faela of?”
“Faela of Tallium.”
“Why are you here?”
“Because the Dragons have been summoned to report to the King.” When Nicolai continued to stare at her she went on. “I’m a Dragon.”
“Yet you can produce no fire?”
“No, lord. Not now, that is. You see…”
“You were attacked. Harmed by rune magic?”
“Yes, lord,” she said, surprised. “But, how did you know that?”
“Because others who have arrived spoke of similar mishaps. You are the first to continue here straightaway before recovering your fire. The others all waited until their abilities came back to them.”
“I see.” She furrowed her brow. None of this boded very well. Faela was tempted to tell Nicolai about the letter she discovered on the body of the dead bandit, but thought better of it. It seemed there would be time to decide who her allies were later on.
“You have nothing to ask me?” Nicolai said. His voice held no surprise. It was a simple question.
“No, lord. I imagine you will tell me all you wish me to know when you’re ready.”
Nicolai smiled. The sight did not make her feel better. “Indeed I shall. But first let us continue to the castle. Did you not hear me, oaf? Open the gate. It’s cold and our Dragon has no fire to warm us.”
Without so much as glancing at them the guard scrambled to raise the gate. Nicolai marched within. Faela hesitated and then ran after him.
Nicolai moved quickly up the sloped courtyard. There were many other gates. All of them were attended by wolves, but they were also all open.
“You must forgive the guards,” Nicolai said as he walked on. “I scold them when they delay me, but when they let in undesirables I toss them from the towers. Surely you understand his use of caution?”
“Of course,” she said uncertainly. She was beginning to feel very stranded in the large courtyard with this lord after making her way through the tight streets of Iryllium.
“You didn’t keep the parchment with the rune that took your fire by chance, did you?” His voice was hopeful.
“No, lord. I didn’t think to do that.”
He sighed. “It’s no matter. Runes are of a special interest to me. They have all the signs of new magic. The technical aspects. The physiological and chemical requirements. The geometry they must take on. Yet any guardian will tell you that runes are old magic. Elves have used them since before men had the written word.”
“I did not know that.”
“Then you’ve learned something for the long trip you’ve embarked on. Let no one tell you that you’ve made this journey for nothing.”
Faela couldn’t tell if Nicolai was making a joke, being sincere, or something else entirely. She felt confused by the tone in which he spoke to her with. The soft, playful voice he used that had the whiff of something more subtle and dangerous underneath. She did not want to admit it, but he frightened her.
“In any case,” Nicolai went on, “the effects will wear off soon, and if you’re lying about being a Dragon, you had best hope you achieve whatever ends you have before long or else I’ll have you thrown from the tower along with the guard.”
“The guard? The one who let me in?”
“Yes. Did you not hear me when I said I throw them from the tower when they allow undesirables to pass through?”
Faela shuddered and was glad that Nicolai was not facing her to see it. He seemed like a man who lived to sense weakness. And exploit it.
They made their way into the second to last courtyard before reaching the central keep. Nicolai turned and moved towards a wood door. Before opening it, he stopped. “It will do no good to house you with the other Dragons for now. They are…a motley bunch. If you stay with them without your fire, we’ll likely have to send someone to sweep your ashes out of the barracks come dawn. You will have your own personal chambers near the inner keep. Be honored. Not every guest gets to sleep so near to the King.”
She nodded. “Thank you then, Lord Nicolai, for escorting me into the castle and seeing me safe.”
“Your discipline is remarkable,” Nicolai replied. “You are the first to not immediately ask why you’ve been brought here. Still, I suppose you would like to know?”
“Please.”
“You are summoned for an opportunity to grow stronger. King Mexdon has sent envoys to an ally from across the Dark Sea, an elf Dragon who is a renowned master with respect to the sacred art of fire magic. He has agreed to share his knowledge with the Dragons here in the West.”
“Then that is truly the only reason? To make our nation’s Dragons stronger?”
“Just so.” He smiled with his pale thin lips.
Liar, she thought, and then realizing the expression on his face and yo
u know that I know you’re lying. Well what of it? I’m the humble elf from Tallium and you are a lord. You can lie to me all you want.
She smiled. “The King must be very wise to convince someone of the East to come here and share their secrets.”
“Needless to say, this elf master will not be returning to his homeland,” Nicolai said.
“Will I?” the question escaped her lips before she could stop it. “Return to Tallium, I mean.”
Nicolai’s eyes shone like sapphires. “Dear Dragon, it is quite rude to speak of home when you have yet to see the accommodations that we have made for you.”
She bowed her head. “Of course. Forgive me. It was a silly question.”
“It was not, but you still shall not get an answer to it now. The King’s will has not been made entirely known to me. I suggest you adopt your earlier attitude of assuming we will let you know things as we wish you to.”
Without another word he opened the door and walked inside.
Within the wall Faela immediately felt a surge of warmth. There were clearly many fires inside the structure, the heat from which traveled down the hall like hot air down the throat of a dragon.
Nicolai showed her to her room which she was somewhat disappointed to see was on the very first floor. Its location, though securely tucked inside an innermost wall of Iryllium’s castle, felt somehow vulnerable. Still, it was more than she had expected. There was a merry hearth in the wall opposite her straw mattress, a jug of water and a jug of wine, several cups and plates, a chamberpot in the corner, and even a few books on a shelf.
“Someone will be around near dawn and dusk with meals,” Nicolai said. “I don’t recommend you wander too much. We want to be able to get ahold of you when the time comes. If you need anything, tell the attendant who brings the food.”
