Realms of Valen - Blasphemous Crusade (War of the Gods Book 2)

by Rickk Berry III

  “We don't have our armor on. I think that's giving them a false sense of security,” Echo said to Kaidia, chuckling softly.

  “They're about to get a rude surprise, aren't they?” Kai asked rhetorically.

  Echo and Kaidia took a few steps forward.

  “Come on. Going to talk all day or come get your asses kicked?” Echo shouted at the soldiers.

  Malcade leaned over to Rykar.

  “What are they doing?”

  “I don't know, my friend... but it's probably going to be amusing.” Rykar replied with a smirk.

  The soldiers took exception to Echo's taunt, but most seemed reluctant to charge headlong into a fight with the four, despite all their grinning. One seemed rather overconfident, however. This particular soldier, a human male with close cropped hair and the physique of a seasoned warrior took a few steps forward.

  “Ha! The two girls don't even have armor on! We'll make short work of these four!” he declared loudly, gesturing to Echo and Kaidia first, then to Rykar and Malcade.

  “Come test that theory, soldier,” Echo challenged, crooking a finger at him.

  The man drew his sword and charged straight at Echo. By the time he saw the smoke swirl about her body, it was too late to halt his charge. He swung his sword downward at Echo and nearly dropped it as the blade clanged against Echo's abruptly present armor. The man was understandably stunned and just gaped at Echo for a moment. That moment was all she needed to bat his sword arm away with her left hand and slam her right fist into his jaw. The man dropped his sword then and stumbled aside, falling to the ground, out cold. Rykar burst out laughing.

  “Told you, Mal!” he managed through his laughter. Malcade just chuckled. Echo's quick defeat of their comrade unsettled the group of soldiers. However, Rykar's laughter simply made them angry and they started drawing their weapons.

  Kaidia was suddenly engulfed in whirling smoke. When it cleared, she was clad, head to toe, in her black armor, sans helm. The four companions drew their swords and started walking toward their would-be opponents.

  “Think we can take them all?” Malcade asked.

  “You're our weak link and you're a few cuts above these jokers. I think we'll be just fine,” Rykar replied, giving Malcade a nudge with his elbow.

  “Thanks, I think,” Malcade muttered in response.

  “Anytime, old friend,” Rykar chuckled.

  The group of four had closed about half the distance between themselves and the soldiers who had so poorly ambushed them when said soldiers broke into a sloppy, disorganized charge, shouting a battle cry, and brandishing their weapons.

  The companions spread out and met their attackers with a clash of steel and more than one surprised cry of pain. Rykar cut down one soldier, then another, sinthite sword flashing in a ray of light that managed to find its way through the leaves of the trees above. Kaidia's black sword cut through one soldier as lightning from her free hand fried another alive.

  Malcade struck down a soldier with his sword, then smashed his armored fist into the face of another. Echo's short sword made quick work of detaching one man's head from his shoulders, as the claws of her free hand tore the throat out of a female soldier who had gotten too close for her own good. Soldier after soldier fell, none of the four companions taking so much as a scratch. The final soldier turned to run, only to be engulfed by flames from both Kaidia and Echo, who gave each other approving looks after the charred corpse crumpled to the dirt. The skirmish had been short-lived.

  Sheathing their blades, the four started going over the corpses, mostly searching for coin or valuable trinkets. None of them really had any need for such things, but old mercenary habits were hard to break. Rykar and Malcade stepped up to the man who had been burned alive and looked the corpse over.

  “Barbeque,” Rykar muttered.

  “I was going to say toasty,” Malcade replied.

  “Toasty? He's much to cooked for that.”

  “He's too dry to be barbequed. Barbeque has sauce; it's moist. This man certainly is not.”

  “Singed?”

  “Seared?”

  “Scorched?”

  “Crispy,” Kai said as she stepped up beside the two men. Rykar and Malcade gave the god a glance, then looked to the corpse, then to one another, and then back to the corpse. A few sounds of thoughtful approval followed.

  “You're an odd lot, you three. I like you,” Echo said with a grin.

  “Keep hanging around. Things just get weirder from here with these two,” Malcade said with a gesture to Kaidia and Rykar.

  “I'm trying to decide if that's a compliment or an insult,” Rykar said, giving Malcade a look.

  “Both, coming from him,” Kai said, counting out coins she'd lifted from the dead soldiers.

  “She's right,” Malcade admitted.

  “Well thank you and fuck off, then,” Rykar said with a smile.

  “See?” Malcade asked, giving Echo a smile.

  “Yep,” the kyrian confirmed before heading back toward her panther.

  Chapter IX: Arrival

  Kaidia and her companions traveled throughout the night and arrived at Silver Lake mid-morning. They paused at the crest of a hill, taking in the sight of a city of tents outside of the city walls. Silver Lake was built into the foothills of a small, forested mountain range long ago. Rivers from the mountain flowed down into the city, forming a lake in the center. The water was clean and clear. A massive grassy field spread out in front of the city, dotted with trees and farms.

  Silver Lake wasn't as large as Vortha, Corrana, or Mehroth and its residents were almost all wealthy, but even those counted among the poor of Silver Lake lived comfortably. Someone had to work metal, run the inn, oversee the taverns, work the farms, buy and sell goods, staff the city guard, and any number of the normally unseen jobs that keep a city running. The rich paid well for the best of the best, so even the humble metalsmith and the tavern workers lived well. All told, it was a happy, ideal little city. The city of tents that was nearly bigger than the city of Silver Lake itself was a bit jarring for those who recognized the field of tents for what they were.

  “Hm, I could live here. Though, we'll see if it's still so pretty after the coming battle,” Rykar muttered.

  “They'll have good mulch for the farms and food for the pigs,” Kaidia said, alluding to all the corpses that would be littering the field after the conflict was over.

  “You're as cheery as ever, my dear General,” Rykar quipped with a chuckle.

  “Yeah. I'm a ray of fucking sunshine,” Kai agreed, a faint smirk on her lips to compliment her sarcasm.

  “I hate to interrupt this heartwarming display of affection between comrades, but we should probably get down there. We've all got work to do,” Echo interjected.

  “Right. Meeting with the Lord or Lady of the city is probably considered proper, right?” Rykar asked, glancing to his three associates. Malcade shrugged, so did Kaidia. Echo arched a brow and then nodded slowly.

  “Right,” she confirmed.

  “Right! Well then, Kaidia and I shall go do that. Malcade, you check on the Scorpions and what's left of the Royal Army that managed to show up,” Rykar instructed. “Echo... you do whatever the hell you please, of course.”

  Echo chuckled and the four warriors urged their mounts forward and rode on toward the gates of Silver Lake. The city of tents was bustling with activity. Soldiers of various races were milling about, running between rows of tents. There was much to be done in a military camp, after all. Gathering wood for cooking fires, running messages back and forth between commanding officers, and working in general to make everything in the camp run smoothly.

  The dwarven section of the camp was orderly; the tents all the same uniform squares that housed several dwarves each. The kyrian section was wildly disorderly and boasted more banners than any other place in the city of tents - one for each clan present. The kyrian tents were all different sizes, shapes, and materials. The human, Selvath, an
d Sorku camps were all a mixture of orderly and chaotic. The remnants of the Royal Army, as well as the Scorpion Company camps, were nearly as orderly as the dwarven camp. However, the human mercenaries were nearly as seemingly disorganized as the kyrians.

  “It seems the Esmera, orcs, and troops from Anklis have yet to arrive,” Rykar observed as they paused outside of the city gates.

  “They'll be here,” Kaidia assured him. The four slid off their mounts. Malcade took the reins of his horse and headed for the Scorpion Company banner a short distance away. Echo tapped her panther on the ear and gestured to it, and Kai's panther. The large cat growled and laid her head on Kai's shoulder. The god arched a brow and looked to Echo, seeking a translation.

  “She wants to stay with you,” the kyrian explained.

  “Oh. Well, that's fine by me,” Kai responded.

  Echo nodded and walked off toward the kyrian section of the camp. Kaidia looked to Rykar and gestured toward the open city gate.

  “Shall we?” she asked.

  “Of course,” he replied and started to walk. Kaidia fell into step beside him, her panther following behind.. The strange pair, king and god, hadn't walked ten paces past the gate when a city guardsman got in their way.

  “You cannot bring that beast into the city!” he stated, quite loudly.

  Kaidia stared at the man a moment, then glanced back to the massive panther, then looked to the guard again before jerking her thumb at the feline.

  “You're welcome to try and stop her if you like. I'll even speak at your funeral,” she replied. Rykar laughed aloud.

  “Wh-what?! I ought to arrest you for threatening a city guard like that!” the man exclaimed. Rykar laughed harder.

  “You're welcome to try that, too. Your eulogy will be distinctly less complimentary, however,” Kaidia retorted. Rykar turned and walked away to keep from doubling over in a fit of laughter.

  “Who are you to speak to me like that?!” the guard demanded, hand resting on the hilt of his sword, expression stern. Rykar walked back over upon hearing the question.

  “She is Kaidia Valengaard, Dragon God. I am King Rykar Vaikos of Haelstross, if you're interested,” he said, a smirk tugging at his mouth. Both Kai and Rykar enjoyed watching the color drain from the man's face. A flash of Rykar's ring made the guard whiter still.

  “I... I... I... I'm terribly sorry, Mistress Kaidia, King Rykar. I had no idea,” the guard stammered.

  “Obviously,” Kaidia muttered.

  “Be a fine man and fetch whoever it is you serve under... the Lord or Lady of the city, that is,” Rykar requested, an almost too pleasant smile on his lips.

  “R-right away, Sire,” the guard stuttered before scrambling off, all but running.

  “I suppose we wait here,” Rykar said as he watched the guardsman leave.

  “Best not make it too difficult for them to find the king, the god, and the giant kitty,” Kaidia quipped as she stroked her hand down the panther's neck.

  “Hm, indeed,” Rykar replied, fixing Kaidia with a studious gaze. After a moment she tilted her head.

  “What?”

  “I'm never sure which one of us to introduce first.”

  “Huh?”

  “Well, I'm a king but you're a god,”

  “Yes, but gods don't exist. It's just a title and not even an official one at that. My only real title is Lady of Vortha. I'm a noble, not royalty, so you should be introduced first.”

  “A fair point, but the people care not for such semantics. They see you as Mistress Kaidia, God of Dragons and all that. In their eyes, you a more important and revered than even I, the King.”

  “Introduce yourself first.”

  “But then I seem self-important, introducing myself ahead of a god.”

  “I'm not a fucking god!”

  “For all intents and purposes you are.”

  “I'm going to sic my new panther on you.”

  “That's not a threat.”

  “How so?”

  “I like cats.”

  “Son of a...”

  Kaidia was cut off by the clanking of armor as a group of guards approached, marching in formation around a single man. She arched a brow as she looked the man over. He was a bit overweight, clean shaven, balding, and in his middle years. His clothing was the finest cloth one could find, in dark, rich colors. Exactly what one might expect of a noble. The guards stopped in front of Kaidia and Rykar, parting to let the noble through. He eyed the two briefly but he seemed preoccupied with the towering panther.

  “She won't hurt you if you don't try something untoward,” Kaidia said with a faint smile.

  “I do hope you're right. That's an awful big beast,” the man remarked.

  “Who might you be?” Rykar asked.

  “Hm? Oh! Me. I'm Lord Cantus Wythnold of Silver Lake. If I'm informed correctly, you are King Rykar Vaikos and Dragon God Kaidia Valengaard,” Cantus said, looking between Kai and Rykar.

  “Correct,” Kai confirmed.

  “Am I correct in assuming that you two are responsible for the multifarious army outside my walls?” Cantus asked.

  “Partially. The rampaging army that wiped out Corrana and Sarkos had something to do with it too,” Rykar informed Lord Wythnold.

  “So I've heard. I was told they attacked Vortha as well, but were thwarted,” Cantus said.

  “They did and they were. My sister turned them back,” Kaidia replied.

  “Your sister? By herself?” Cantus asked, eyes wide.

  “Yes. She's much like me, though not as powerful,” Kai answered.

  “A unique pair of siblings,” Cantus stated.

  “She did more than turn them back. She killed them all,” Rykar added.

  “I am very glad that we're on the same side, Mistress Kaidia,” Cantus said with a nervous chuckle. “So, why is my city a target?”

  “You have a temple to me, apparently,” Kaidia said.

  “Yes, we do. It's on the edge of the lake in the center of the city,” Cantus said with a gesture.

  “Well, this army is rampaging for some deity known as Khamora. They're attacking any city or town with altars, shrines, or temples to other gods. We're not sure how many small towns and villages have been wiped out,” Kai said with a soft sigh.

  “Well, Sarkos and Corrana definitely make sense then,” Cantus said.

  “Right. And Vortha because they recently constructed a temple to Kaidia, what with her being a native daughter and all,” Rykar added.

  “And you're probably the biggest threat to them, Mistress Kaidia, being a real, living god,” Cantus surmised.

  “A good guess, but any god's temple is a target,” Kai responded.

  “We have three temples. One to you, one to the ancient god Zebelous, and one that has altars to all the currently popular gods,” Cantus explained.

  “Your city would be targeted, regardless of Kaidia then,” Rykar said.

  “Well then, I suppose I'm glad you're here. I don't even want to know how you got dwarves, elves, humans, and kyrians to all work together,” Cantus chuckled.

  “We have orcs coming too,” Rykar said cheerfully.

  “Orcs?!” Cantus asked, alarmed.

  “Troops from Anklis too,” Kaidia added.

  “That's... quite a feat,” Cantus said, appearing rather impressed.

  “You don't want to know what I had to go through to get Anklis to assist us,” Rykar muttered.

  “Getting the kyrians on board was pretty simple,” Kai said, clearly just to irritate Rykar. The king gave her a glare that just made her smile.

  “Considering your history in battle, I feel confident in your abilities to defend the city,” Cantus stated, clearly intending his words as a compliment.

  “We will be outside the city with the army, fighting at the front,” Rykar said with a nod.

  “I assume you will be in the city with the guard, just in case there's a breach of the wall?” Kaidia asked.

  “That was what I was go
ing to propose,” Cantus confirmed.

  “Just as well. You know the city better than we do,” Rykar said.

  “Indeed. You two should come to the palace for dinner this evening. Bring your first officers as well,” Cantus suggested, changing the topic of discussion.

  “Of course. We'll be there,” Rykar said with a nod.

  “Splendid! I will inform the cooks,” Cantus said, then gave a slight bow, and headed off toward his massive manor in the wealthiest neighborhood in the city.

  “You wanted him in the city because he'd be all but useless in battle, right?” Kai asked Rykar as they watched Cantus walk off with his honor guard.

  “Exactly. If that army gets through us, this place is finished anyway,” Rykar replied.

  “Oh, they won't get through us,” Kaidia said a somewhat sinister grin curving her lips.

  “I do love your confidence, General,” Rykar chuckled.

  “Well, they may have the advantage in numbers, but if you think about it, we have the advantage in raw power,” Kai reasoned.

  “Well, we do have your abilities, Echo's, and mine. We also have some mages to counter any sorcery Khamora's mages might throw at us, leaving us to wreak havoc,” Rykar said, tone thoughtful.

  “Don't forget my dragon,” Kai added.

  “Indeed, but we can do planning later. After all, we're still waiting on a lot of soldiers and their commanders and we have a dinner for which to get ready,” Rykar said with a nod.

  * * *

  Kaidia followed the city guardsman over the cut, relatively flat, brown, tan, and black stones that paved the streets in the richest neighborhood of Silver Lake. Behind her came Echo, who was busy taking in the sights, scents, and sounds of the area, ears twitching, eyes glancing around, and tail flicking lazily. Rykar and Malcade followed behind Echo, discussing strategy and troop morale. The guardsman led the group up the stone walkway to Lord Wythnold's large manor where they were met by a pretty young woman in simple clothes that were, in contrast, made of rather fine material. Fine boots and pants made of soft leather and a dark tunic made of velvet.

  “Thank you, guardsman,” she said with a soft smile. The guard nodded, then turned and nodded to the group before he walked off, back to attend to his duties.