The Gaellean Prophecy Series Box Set

by C S Vass

  “Lord Dantos has made certain we can expect the highest levels of privacy,” Nicolai said.

  “Well, let’s get on with it then. My father has breached public trust at every possible turn. Hiding his plans from the country’s leadership, summoning the Dragons without any word of explanation, and not lifting a finger to fight against the Tarsurian threat on our shores. He must be stopped.”

  “A difficult realization, but one that I am happy you have come to. You are, of course, quite right.”

  “Nicolai,” Benjiko said after a pause. “Is he even alive? I haven’t seen him in so long. Is it possible that some shadow forces have taken over completely and are masking his death?”

  “I have confirmed that the king is still alive,” Nicolai replied. “As to his current condition… I cannot say.”

  “Do you have agents close to him?”

  “Not close enough. And none that we need to discuss now.”

  “Fair enough,” Benjiko said. “So what now? Even if we’re in agreement that it is time for me to rule, then how would we make that happen. I announce myself king? Do we charge the gates of Iryllium demanding allegiance and killing any who refuse to give it?”

  Nicolai frowned. “Hopefully it will not come to that. You must stay here for now. Let me work. I’ll send my agents and see what kind of support we can expect from the lords of the West. If we are very lucky, then it is entirely possible that many of them who have been offended by your father will be persuadable. It will take time.”

  “Time,” Benjiko scoffed. He suddenly felt very hot around the neck. “What if we don’t have time? What if he’s doing something truly crazy or dangerous? What if the Tarsurians are planning something as they slide through the woods and we’re not ready for it?”

  “Believe me, Benjiko, it relieves me greatly to know that you worry about such things. The Tarsurians are certainly the wild card in all of this. We know that they attacked Unduyo and that they have soldiers on our soil, but right now it is impossible to say exactly what they are trying to do. I admit that I’m surprised we have not heard of their actions by now.”

  “Why aren’t we hunting them down?” Benjiko snapped, rising out of his chair. “The West is not an infinite expanse. Men could be sent to find them.”

  “Men are in short supply for everyone these days,” Nicolai replied in his same monotone drawl. “The lords are all more concerned with the threat they can feel: the demons that plague us. I hear that there are sightings farther and farther north with each passing day. With the Shigata order effectively destroyed, nobody is keen to send a man capable of wielding a sword on a wild goose chase through the wilderness.”

  “Damn it all,” Benjiko said. He drained his wine cup, thought about pouring another, and decided against it. “Are the Shigata truly finished? I can’t believe Unduyo has been destroyed.”

  “Well, don’t go telling our bald friend that, but I don’t see the organization returning. Not in a meaningful time frame. I have gathered reports from various cities about how many Shigata are returning to their island. Nobody seems particularly eager to trudge back to Black Wolf. It’s not hard to see why. Blake Wolfbane never granted them proper respect, and their location on the island essentially made them involuntary doormen to greet invading Tarsurians. We all see how that went.”

  Benjiko nodded. He could hardly blame them there. “Without the Sages to lead them, there should be some sort of official proclamation demanding their return, not just sanctioning it. We need to make it clear it is not a suggestion. The Sages will have to be replaced. The crown should replace them.”

  “A wise sentiment,” Nicolai agreed. “Although I’m afraid not many of your subjects will agree to it. Even if the Shigata are not totally demolished, even if they seek to rebuild their organization, the chance to relocate will prove too tempting. I happen to have inside information that Lord Shade in Valencia is eager to have them form a stronghold in his city.”

  “Lord Shade,” Benjiko spat. He had never met the man, but good men did not have reputations like Sylvester Shade. “What do they call him? The Danger in the South?”

  “The Demon of the South,” Nicolai corrected. “A vicious reputation. One well-earned in my opinion. Sylvester Shade is a ruthless man.” Nicolai’s eyes flashed, and Benjiko had the distinct impression he was supposed to say something, but he did not know what. “A ruthless man who knows what he wants. Perhaps if we were the ones to offer it to him, he could be encouraged to support a change in leadership.”

  Benjiko sighed. He didn’t like that Nicolai’s first inclination was to go after the support of Sylvester Shade. But he would eventually need every lord in the West to kiss his ring. Who knew what that would take when it was all said and done?

  “I won’t do this half-arsed,” Benjiko said. “Nicolai, if we’re in this together, then I will do whatever it takes to ensure that we win a crown and restore some order. If you can make that happen without bloodshed, then you will have a place of highest honor by my side until the end of your days.”

  “I’m eternally grateful,” Nicolai said. “As far as what comes next, I have some recommendations. The work of king-making is long, tedious, and largely done with the pen by candlelight. It will take some time. Meanwhile, you should reveal yourself to the population. Do not let them throw around rumors of your death. Be a bold leader here in Frost. Assist Lord Jeri Dantos with his problems and let the rest of the West know that you were the one who did it. Start earning your reputation. Before long, there will be a time to call swords to deal with the Tarsurians. We may find that sudden battle with the sun warriors puts all of this on hold.”

  “I’ll do that,” Benjiko said. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he said, “Nicolai, what should we do about the Temple of Ice and Shadow?”

  Nicolai’s mouth wrinkled like he had just bitten into an apple and found it rotten. “The Temple as an institution will not support you, Benjiko. Not unless your father is dead. Even then, they will reject you unless you become their puppet. I don’t know exactly what they whisper in his ear, but they have him under control right now, and I don’t think they intend to relinquish that. It is a serious obstacle. One I will dedicate great resources to overcoming in the following weeks.”

  Benjiko nodded.

  Nicolai rose. “What is it, Prince Benjiko, that you want to ask me but are refraining from?”

  Benjiko chuckled. Nicolai was nothing if not perceptive. “It will sound foolish,” he said.

  “That is why we are speaking in private.”

  “Very well. I just keep thinking about the day I left Iryllium. About the demons that have appeared. About the changes that are taking place in the stars. About the monks that my father is surrounded by. Is it possible that there’s something… bigger at play here that we don’t know about?”

  Nicolai smiled. “A shifting of the heavens to herald in a new era?”

  “I told you that it would sound foolish,” Benjiko grunted.

  “Prince Benjiko, I do not pretend to traffic in Old Magic or sacred knowledge. I will leave that to men more informed on such things.”

  “I see. So—”

  “What I can tell you,” Nicolai said, his eyes flashing again, “is that only the arrogant spit on such notions. They think the ridiculousness beneath their attention. In my experience, the arrogant are always fools.”

  Chapter 16

  A sharp, sickle-shaped moon hung in the sky as Godwin moved through the tall grass by the silent water. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance that comes with the first awakening of spring as well as the nighttime chirping of cicadas, crickets, and ten-thousand other tiny creatures lost in the fray of life. He moved soundlessly through the reeds, listening carefully for any unnatural noises that might present themselves.

  It didn’t take long before the demon revealed itself.

  She emerged from the clear waters of the river, moonlight dancing in her yellow eyes. Half her face was a ruin of bloody tis
sue and protruding bone surrounding a feverish eyeball that swiveled sickeningly, unhindered by any retinal attachments. Wet strands of stringy hair slapped against her purple, bloated face. She shuffled forward under the weight of a twisted back that protruded like a reverse-pregnant belly wobbling on top of her.

  Godwin eyed the demon seriously. This was no bandit fight, and he did not intend to treat it as such. The Darksword hissed from its sheath. Fiery runes rippled on the sides of the obsidian-colored steel that reflected a ghost of Godwin’s face as he raised it. Power both euphoric and enraging surged through every fiber of his being. He had not remembered the intensity of that grim pleasure.

  She attacked.

  Godwin leapt aside—just in time to avoid being cut down. Snarling, the demon had slashed through his shirt and padded leather armor with a speed he would never have believed possible from a creature that moved so clumsily moments ago. Not giving him time to react, she flew at him again. Hot, rancid breath seethed in his face as he barred the creature from tearing his throat out by using the Darksword as a barrier.

  “You’re strong,” Godwin grunted with pleasure. Pivoting on his right foot, he managed to untangle himself from her deathly grasp and shoulder-roll to brief safety where he reassessed the situation. She has speed and strength, a formidable combination. But what about endurance? Do I wear her down or simply go for the quick kill?

  The Shigata’s mind was not made up, but the demon’s was. Briefly dropping to all fours, she came at him like a rabid wolf and tore into the flesh of his unprotected leg with her teeth. Godwin screamed as he brought the Darksword down in a sweeping blow. It was mere inches away from tearing into the demon’s rotting flesh when she shot back and landed on two feet. Tilting her head skyward, she shrieked in the darkness.

  “You’re no banshee,” Godwin said. “Not with a voice like that. But that doesn’t mean I can place you. Do you talk? Are you sentient? Speak!”

  The demon stared at him, but its gaze was cold and reptilian. He had seen more of the divine flicker of life in the eyes of a lizard. Not wanting to give her the chance to take the offensive this time, Godwin charged. He unleashed a series of slashing attacks—left, right, left, left, right—each one leaving a trail of fire shimmering in the air from the Darksword’s magic.

  The demon dodged every one.

  She did not move skillfully or with grace. She was simply faster than him. Many times faster. He jabbed after her clumsily while she backpedaled, snarling all the while. Desperate to catch up and land a blow, Godwin placed his left boot in a clump of mud and slid painfully by the bank of the river.

  It was more than enough time for the demon to take advantage of his lapse. Launching herself at his head, she crashed into his body, exposed, dead breasts flopping wildly all the while, and started clawing at his face. Cursing, Godwin abandoned the Darksword as he struggled to thrust the demon off of him. Saliva flew in his face, stinging like a hornet’s prick where it landed.

  The demon pressed forward. She opened her great snarling mouth far wider than Godwin would have thought possible and snapped less than an inch away from his nose. The Shigata roared and with all his might launched his muscular legs upwards. They landed hard in the demon’s stomach. Thrusting himself backwards, he sent her tumbling behind him. They rolled in the grass in opposite directions as the world blurred around him. The Shigata’s hand found the Darksword as soon as he reached for it. Its touch instantly soothed him, cooling his body and clearing his mind.

  Godwin prepared himself for another attack by the foul creature when something wet and burning crashed into his shoulder. Flailing backwards, he screamed as he processed that the demon had just flung something that resembled burning mud at him. Patting wildly at his right shoulder, he tried to scrape it off but only succeeded in burning his fingers. Fear flooded his body as he realized that the substance was not coming off, but eating into his skin.

  The demon lurked in the distance snarling wickedly while she bided her time. He locked eyes with her for a moment and then charged towards the river. Sheathing his blade, he leapt in headfirst and started pulling the burning muck off of himself. To his great relief, it came off without further damage, though it had burned his shoulder badly and his fingers to a lesser extent.

  The demon allowed him no more respite. Godwin watched as she rushed towards the water, scrambling like mad in an attempt to reach him. The Shigata swam desperately for the shore hoping to reach it before the demon made it into the water, but she was there in an instant. Crashing into his body, Godwin felt the weight of the beast pulling him down. His boots touched the bottom which was not so very deep, but it was deep enough that his head was totally submerged and at the moment, that was all that mattered.

  Yellow eyes glistened gleefully as Godwin struggled to claw himself to the surface. Pressure mounted in his lungs building to a seething pain that rippled through his body. Claws slashed at him all the while. His vision swirled as the shrieking creature continued to tug on him, her shrill voice distorted by the water. Somehow it had gotten behind him and had one hand around his braid of hair, the other digging painfully into his side.

  I’m totally trapped, he realized as dread crashed over him. He knew it was true. There was nothing to even fight against at this point. He couldn’t even get more than a weak backwards hand on the demon. His lungs felt like they were filled with hot coals. For one odd moment, clarity came back as his vision increased. He thought he saw the sky lightening through a lens of water, but it only lasted a few seconds. His vision darkened.

  All was black.

  Godwin’s eyes flickered open. The first thing he noticed was that the sharp pain in his lungs was gone. Not dead then. Not yet at least.

  His muscles were stiff and sore, and his shoulder burned with discomfort. Looking around, he recognized that he was back in his room at the inn, though he had no idea how he might have gotten there. Not many men could boast of opening their eyes on dry land after being shoved in the water to the point of losing consciousness.

  “You’re alive,” Robert’s voice said. Turning, Godwin saw his worried friend standing over him.

  “So it seems,” Godwin said. “But how that came to be, I have no idea.”

  “I followed you. Shortly after you got up, I grabbed my boots and crept behind you. It wasn’t difficult. I knew you would go down to the river.”

  “You?” the Shigata scoffed. “You were drunk enough last night that you could hardly stand. I don’t think a group of trumpets would have woken you.”

  “How little you know about the seriousness with which I take my new role in with the White Dragon,” Robert said quietly. “Besides, you remember the incident with the vampire, do you not? Do you really expect me to display such carelessness with regard to drink after you used me as bait?”

  Godwin scowled as he felt guilt coiling in his stomach. The Tarsurian had a fair point there.

  “It was a mere act so that our mayor wouldn’t feel too embarrassed as he careened into drunken oblivion. Think no more of it.”

  “Very well,” Godwin said. “So did you finish the job then? Is the demon dead?”

  “Is it not enough that I saved you?” Robert asked.

  “Of course. Thank you. So what did happen?”

  “Well to be perfectly honest, I was on the verge of panicking with indecision when I believe you were saved by the good golden eye. Daylight broke, and the creature fled downriver. It was a simple matter to fish you out of the water, though the gods know that I thought I was too late.”

  Robert paced across the room and poured himself a cup of wine from the table.

  “A little early, no?” Godwin asked.

  “Early? You’ve been sleeping all day. It’s nearly nightfall.”

  The Shigata sat up. Slowly he tested his limbs while Robert drank. He was sore all over. More likely than not he had a few fractured ribs, not that there was anything to be done about that. More seriously, his sword arm was compromised from t
he burning on his shoulder. His range of motion was limited, and even the slightest test of those boundaries caused searing pain that made his mouth tighten and strength vanish.

  “You’ll be fine in no time,” Robert assured him. “I’ve spoken with Rolph. This is the first time anyone has actually caught sight of the creature, so he’s happy to hear that there’s been progress. Well, at least he should be. Truth be told he’s in quite a foul mood. He wants to speak with you when you’re awake.”

  Godwin nodded. “Would you mind fetching him then?”

  “Of course. There’s just one other thing.”

  “Which is?”

  “When I was retrieving you from the river, I noticed that something had fallen from your possession during the fight. It looked important, but I don’t quite know what it is.”

  Robert produced an item from inside the folds of his jerkin and held it up. Godwin gasped. In the Tarsurian’s hands was the prize that Godwin had won from his fight with Yegvellen, the sorcerer from Saebyl who had nearly ended him. Liquid uranium, shining devilishly in its metal vial.

  Robert’s expression at seeing Godwin’s was a mixture of uncertainty and anxiety. “Like I said, it looked important. I’ll just leave it here for you.”

  Godwin nodded. “Thank you, Robert. Once more I’m in your debt.”

  “Never fear, I’ll be sure to come around and collect payment when the time comes.”

  It didn’t take long for Robert to fetch Rolph. The dwarf marched into the room, grim-faced and truly looking like a dwarf who had drank a barrel of rum the night before, and told Robert to leave them be.

  “You didn’t kill the demon?” Rolph said seriously. “You’re positive about that?”

  Godwin immediately took issue with the dwarf’s tone. “I don’t know about you, but where I’m from being dragged back unconscious is not usually a sign of victory.”

  “Don’t get snippy with me, Shigata. I’ve got more woes than you know of, and you’re making a proper mess of everything that I’m trying to accomplish here. I expected more from you.”