Fire Sower

by Callie Kanno

  The changing of the guard was taking place at the palace, resulting in a fair amount of bustle. Arminell and Zorina hid their faces once more, and Palti stood in the forefront.

  “Let us through,” he ordered the guards standing at the gate.

  “Who are you?” demanded one of the guards, looking affronted by Palti’s command.

  The second soldier appeared to recognize the Royal Guards, and he reached over to grip the other man’s arm. “Do as he says.”

  The first soldier looked at the second in surprise. “What?”

  “Just let them by,” the second insisted.

  Palti waved his companions through and murmured to the second guard, “Not a word of this to anyone.”

  “Where are we going?” Idris whispered to Farah.

  Farah didn’t look at him. Her eyes were scanning the area continually, searching for threats. “We must secure the queen and princess before we do anything else,” she answered quietly.

  Idris was going to ask how they were going to accomplish that, but it soon became apparent.

  Palti led them straight into the military compound next to the Water Palace. Their pace was so fast that little Zorina had to run to keep up. They kept to the outer wall to avoid any encounters with any soldiers who were out and about, and eventually they arrived at the administrative building.

  “This way, your majesty,” whispered Palti, gesturing down the stairs that led to the Royal Guards’ quarters.

  They descended to the lower level rapidly, and the senior Royal Guard pushed open the black door. Once they had all entered and Palti had shut the door behind them, Idris breathed a little easier.

  “Where are we?” Zorina asked, looking around.

  “This is where we live, your highness,” Idris explained. “Each of these rooms belongs to one of the Royal Guards.”

  “There are too many rooms for all of you,” the princess pointed out.

  Idris smiled. “Yes, you are right. Some of these rooms are empty.”

  Palti began removing the cover from his sword. “We need to warn the king as soon as possible.”

  “Are we to stay here?” inquired Queen Arminell.

  He nodded. “This is the safest place for you right now. Hildar will stay with you.”

  Hildar’s expression was a mixture of fear and outrage. “What if Savion tries to take control again?” she asked.

  Palti shook his head. “Savion will not be with you.”

  The look of outrage won out over the fear on Hildar’s face. “So I am to be pushed to the sidelines because I am of no use?”

  Farah frowned at Hildar. “Protecting the queen and princess is of no use?” she challenged.

  Hildar’s face flushed. “Of course not. That is not what I meant.”

  “You will do as you are told,” Palti said firmly.

  He walked over to the door that was his and pushed it open. Idris only got a glimpse of the interior, but it appeared to be filled with all sorts of interesting and exotic items.

  “You will stay in my room until I come to tell you it is safe,” Palti instructed. “Do not come out for any reason until you are certain the danger has passed, and please try to make as little noise as possible.”

  “What if we are attacked?” Hildar asked, her voice still angry.

  “There is a sword in my room that you may use,” Palti replied.

  “My husband,” the queen began, then she trailed off as if uncertain what to say.

  Palti’s voice was reassuring. “Do not worry, your majesty. We will go straight to him from here.”

  Zorina tugged on Idris’s arm. “Will you keep my daddy safe?”

  He looked down at her expectant face and suddenly felt overwhelmed by the trust she was placing in him on top of everything else that was happening. “I will do my best,” he stammered.

  With the queen and the princess as safe as they could be in Marath, the remaining Royal Guards walked briskly down the hall to the far end of the row of rooms. Another black door led out to the underground tunnel that connected the Royal Guards directly to the Water Palace. Idris had never seen the path before, even though he knew it existed.

  The passage was dark, and Palti and Farah lit the way with their glowing weapons. Idris glanced down at his partisan.

  Would you be willing to do that, too?

  Iona radiated surprise at his request. Idris realized he was not in the habit of asking for her help right away. He usually tried to do it on his own and complained that she wasn’t cooperating.

  Of course, she answered simply.

  The polearm began to glow as well, and Idris couldn’t help but grin despite everything. The glow was a reminder that he wasn’t alone in this. He had the heart of a dragon with him.

  Thank you.

  The tunnel had been built with blocks of stone, and their footsteps echoed as they hurried along. After a while the path began to angle upward until they came to another black door. Palti pushed it open, and they ascended the winding stairs that were just beyond it.

  Idris recognized the hall at the top of the stairs. They were in the passage between the royal chambers and the king’s receiving room.

  “Stop,” demanded Cowan’s rough voice. “Identify yourselves!”

  “It is Palti,” Palti answered. “And Farah and Idris. We must speak to the king.”

  Cowan stepped into view. The captain looked startled, then concerned.

  “Where are the queen and the princess?” he asked. “Where is Hildar?”

  “They are safe,” assured Palti, “but we need to speak to the king as soon as possible.”

  Cowan tensed. He looked like a man ready to dash into battle. “Why? What has happened?”

  In a moment, Palti related the events since they had left Marath. Captain Cowan didn’t interrupt, but listened with an intent expression on his face.

  “Are you certain it was safe to leave Hildar alone?” Cowan asked when Palti had finished.

  “We did not have much choice,” Farah explained.

  “Where is the dagger?” Cowan demanded.

  Palti gestured to his partner. “I gave it to Farah to put in her room.”

  Cowan sighed. “Well, I suppose that is all we can do for now. Come,” he barked, and turned toward the royal quarters.

  The quarters were empty when they stepped into them.

  “I will get the king,” Cowan said. “Palti, go get Drusi.”

  Palti headed directly for the main entrance of the chambers. The two Guards returned in less than a minute, engrossed in a murmured conversation that seemed more like an argument. Idris didn’t have the opportunity to hear what it was about, because they fell silent as they approached.

  King Nikolas appeared after several more moments, tying his embroidered robe with a golden cord.

  “Cowan tells me that you have come to warn me of danger,” he said to Palti.

  “Yes, your majesty,” he answered with a bow.

  “While I appreciate your efforts to return quickly,” the king said in a wry tone, “I already knew that I was in danger.”

  “Yes, your majesty,” Palti assented, “but we believe that an attack is imminent. We chanced to overhear a group of Roshumin soldiers plotting to murder your majesty and put a ruler of their choosing in your place.”

  Drusi’s grip on her weapon tightened.

  King Nikolas’s brow knit together, but he did not seem as alarmed as Idris thought he would be. “Are you certain they were from Roshum?”

  “Yes, sire,” Palti said. “We heard them say so, quite clearly.”

  “And they were not simply saying it to deceive you?”

  Palti shook his head. “They did not know we were listening.”

  “Sire,” Cowan stepped in, “according to what was overheard, several groups of enemy soldiers have been brought into the city by the traitor. For all we know, they could be inside the palace. We need to get you to a secure location where we can defend you while we search out those
that wish you harm.”

  King Nikolas looked more annoyed than anything else. “Oh, very well,” he grumbled.

  He returned to his room while Cowan began issuing orders.

  “Drusi, arrange for a squad of palace guards to join us in the council room. Farah and Palti, make sure that the council room is secure before we arrive. Idris, you will stay with me and we shall accompany the king.”

  Idris squared his shoulders and tried to look confident, but his stomach felt like he was on the fishing boat again.

  Calm down, farmer, Iona said. Your captain will keep you from doing anything too idiotic.

  Her words did nothing to still his fears.

  Eventually, King Nikolas returned from his bedroom. Instead of wearing his usual formal robes, he was wearing the same uniform as the Royal Guards. Idris couldn’t help but stare in surprise.

  “What do you think, old friend?” the king asked, clapping Cowan on the shoulder. “Will I blend in with the rest of you?”

  “It should be enough to give our enemies pause,” Cowan said conservatively.

  “Well, a pause is all I need.” Nikolas grinned savagely, buckling a jeweled sword around his waist.

  Idris studied the glittering hilt of the king’s weapon.

  It is not a weapon of power, Iona told him. It is merely a rich man’s sword.

  How can you tell? Idris asked her.

  Can you tell the difference between a living human and a rotting corpse? Iona asked tartly.

  Idris pursed his lips, but didn’t bother to answer her. He decided that he just needed to accept that she would always treat him like an ignorant bumpkin.

  The doors to the main entrance to the royal chambers opened and Drusi appeared. “We are ready, your majesty.”

  “Let us go,” Nikolas said calmly.

  The four of them walked out of the room and down the hall as if nothing was out of the ordinary. The palace staff was starting to move about, and servants were going about their duties. No one seemed to regard them too closely, and Idris marveled that the king went unrecognized.

  They reached the doors that led to the council room, and Idris noticed that the two guards standing outside were Piton and Revelin, the woman soldier that he had met on the training grounds. Idris barely had time to register that it was odd to see them again under the current circumstances before he had passed them to walk into the room.

  Something is not right, Iona said in warning.

  Idris agreed with her, but he could not identify what it was that filled him with a sense of foreboding.

  A dozen palace guards lined two sides of the room, waiting at attention to receive their orders. Farah and Palti stood at the far end of the room, appearing tense and expectant. They both looked relieved when they saw the king.

  Piton and Revelin followed them into the council room and barred the door behind them. Cowan turned to them with a scowl.

  “What are you doing?” he barked. “You are to stay outside and make sure no one enters.”

  A wide smile spread across the woman’s blunt face.

  “Oh, do not worry. The rest of my men will make certain that we are not disturbed. After all, one does not like a fuss when eliminating a king.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Traitors

  Idris felt as though he had been dropped from some great height. First his stomach rose to his throat, and then he found himself jarring back into reality. It took him several seconds to process what Revelin had said, and even then he could hardly believe what he had just heard.

  Cowan and the other Royal Guards were much faster to recover. They all drew their weapons and the sound of singing metal pierced the air.

  “Who are you?” the captain demanded.

  The woman’s face twisted into a sneer. “How typical of you Royal Guards. I have served in the palace for almost a decade, and you do not even know my name.”

  “I am asking for it now,” the captain said, unruffled by her accusations.

  “You may call me Revelin,” the woman said with a toss of her head.

  “What are you doing here, Revelin?” Cowan asked.

  She bared her teeth. “I am here to kill King Nikolas.”

  Idris looked over his shoulder at King Nikolas, wondering how he would react to those words. Nikolas’s face was nearly expressionless. His eyes darted around the room, but he showed no hint of what thoughts and feelings were passing through him.

  Palti and Drusi shifted to either side of Nikolas, shielding him from the rows of enemies with their own bodies, and Farah moved to stand in front.

  Keep yourself between Piton and the king, farmer, Iona warned.

  Idris followed her advice and fixed his eyes on his former instructor, making certain that there was no clear path to King Nikolas.

  “Why would you wish harm upon our king?” Cowan went on, keeping Revelin’s attention on himself.

  She shrugged. “It does not matter to me who sits upon the throne of Calaris. I only care about the mountain of gold I have been promised if I make certain it is empty before the new monarch settles in.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Idris could see Cowan shift his weight subtly. “And who is our new monarch to be?”

  Revelin raised a finger. “I am not stupid, Captain. I know better than to give away such information.”

  “Would you be willing to sell it?”

  Revelin smirked. “Not to you.”

  Cowan slowly brought his hands down to rest on his thighs. A year ago, Idris wouldn’t have given the movement a second thought. However, his training as a Royal Guard told him that the captain was about to draw his weapon.

  Revelin’s expression became smug. “Now, now, Captain Cowan. Do you think I have allowed this conversation to take place merely to gloat? I am not so foolish as you believe.”

  She held up a long, burnished rod that looked like it was made of copper.

  “This delightful little object was given to me by the king of Roshum,” she purred. “It has to be within a certain distance of its target for a period of time before it can activate. Once it does…”

  Revelin gave the rod a flick, and the next thing Idris knew he was sprawled out on the floor. He looked around, dazed, and saw that he was not the only one. Every Royal Guard had been knocked from their feet. And he saw something else, too—something that sent a jolt of panic through him. One of the enemy soldiers at the side of the room was holding his partisan.

  Somehow, that rod had ripped Iona away from him.

  Farmer, Iona cried in alarm.

  Revelin was basking in the astonishment she had caused. “You see, the rod can call or banish magical items,” she exulted. “And when paired with the rings worn by my companions, the items cannot be taken forcefully from the person who now holds it.”

  Idris and the other Guards slowly got to their feet. He felt incomplete and vulnerable, with no means to protect himself or the king.

  King Nikolas cleared his throat. It seemed that witnessing all of his Royal Guards being disarmed had finally been enough to provoke a response from the proud ruler.

  “Surely there must be some way for us to come to an arrangement,” the king began.

  But Revelin was not interested in anything he had to say.

  “I have already found the arrangement best to my liking,” she spat.

  “Do all of your fellow soldiers feel the same?” Nikolas inquired, looking around with a knowing smile.

  Idris looked around as well. None the soldiers surrounding them looked very encouraging. He looked back at the king, who appeared much less certain now. Idris didn’t blame him. The young Royal Guard had no idea how they were going to keep the king safe from so many enemies, and he couldn’t help but fear for his own life as well.

  “King Nikolas the Bold,” Revelin spat. “If only your people could see you now.”

  The enemy soldiers began moving in on the king, and the three Royal Guards closest to Nikolas closed ranks around him. Palti looked jus
t as impressive with his bare hands as he did with a weapon, and the expressions on Drusi and Farah’s faces were enough to give anyone pause. Even so, Idris could feel his heart pounding out of fear for the king’s life.

  Cowan straightened his back and looked as if he was gathering his strength. “Idris,” he said softly, “I believe that it is up to us.”

  Idris fixed his eyes on his leader, and the young man could feel his desperation mounting. “Sir?” he asked, bewildered.

  “One cannot forcefully take an item that is already in one’s possession,” the captain said cryptically. He glanced over at Idris and met his gaze for a moment as if he were willing Idris to understand something in those words.

  Idris searched his mind, trying to understand what Cowan was trying to tell him. He was about to cry out in frustration when he recalled something Iona had said to him.

  Call me to you. That is where I belong.

  His eyes widened as he finally understood, and he looked at the captain of the Royal Guard with one question on his mind. Was it possible that Cowan possessed skills that the other Guards thought to be lost?

  Cowan seemed to sense that Idris had understood him, and he nodded in response. He held out his hand and thundered, “Fenris, come!”

  His golden bo staff appeared in Cowan’s hand.

  Idris grinned as a wave of excitement rushed through him. He held out his own hand and called, “Iona!”

  It was as if she had already been in his grip. He simply had needed to recognize that she was there.

  Cowan was moving even before Idris hand a good hold on his weapon. The captain spun his staff and lightning crackled outward.

  The unfortunate soldier standing in front of Cowan didn’t have time to react before Cowan jabbed the end of the staff into the man’s chest, sending electricity coursing through his body. The soldier dropped to the ground, releasing Farah’s battle axe.

  Cowan swooped down to pick up the weapon and threw it to where Farah stood waiting. She caught it with a look of fierce satisfaction, and then she sprang into action.

  Revelin waved her copperish rod, and four unfamiliar weapons of power came crashing through the windows next to the ceiling. Two of them flew into the hands of enemy soldiers facing Farah and Cowan. The other two headed straight for Piton and Revelin.