The Legacy (The Darkness Within Saga Book 1)

by JD Franx

  The stress of having to deal with the current situation was changing him and others were starting to see it, but things had to be handled that way. To have his daughter be stuck cleaning up the mess he made was something to be avoided at all costs. Most people who knew what happened twenty years ago now believed that they should have killed the infant DeathWizard. It couldn’t possibly have gone any worse if they had.

  His time alone in the roof-top garden lasted until just before dawn when his wife, having searched everywhere else, climbed the stairs to the flat roof looking for him.

  “I should’ve known you might be up here. It was the last place I’d think to look,” she said with a lot less malice than he had expected. “Would you like to talk about what happened in the armoury training room?” Releasing his pent-up breath he shook his head.

  “There is nothing to talk about. Once again your daughter was acting like a grunt, a common soldier. I put an end to it. There’s nothing more to talk about,” he said with finality, but the queen wouldn’t give up so easily.

  “By putting an innocent young girl to death, Joran? Alia and Corleya have become close friends. You’ll only hurt Corleya if you do this,” she reminded him.

  “What would you have me do? Allow servants to disobey orders from their king? Repeatedly?” he said, his voice rising as the earlier rush of anger returned. Touching her husband’s hands, she pushed to get to the real problem.

  “If you were that worried about disobedient servants, Joran, then why did you not have the Salzaran girl executed the first time she disobeyed the order? Or the second time? You haven’t been yourself for many months now, my husband. I know the DeathWizard worries you, but it will be taken care of. Have faith in Giddeon and Kasik, they won’t let you down. They’ve never failed you before. The DeathWizard will die, my love, just have patience and continued faith in them,” she reassured him as the cool morning air caused her to cuddle closer.

  “I should be with them, Vy. It’s our way. But if I had failed, then you and our daughter would have had to deal with a wizard of devastating abilities. I couldn’t do that to you,” he said, the truth of his own words making him wince with guilt.

  Moving even closer against him, she replied, “I understand, and I know that the pressure is tremendous, but please spare Alia’s life. Corleya will never forgive you if you don’t. Remember, love. Justice tempered with mercy shows the quality of a leader.”

  “Very well,” he agreed, and his wife smiled. “But I won’t change my decision on her fighting. She must learn to be more of a lady if the nobles are ever to respect her in matters of court. She needs a husband and war leader to fight the kingdom’s battles, whatever they may be,” he sighed.

  “Fair enough, my king. Let’s go tell her she can free Alia from the dungeon.”

  The queen put her arms around his waist as he led her to the stairwell back down into the main castle. They were met at the top of the stairs, however, by the captain of the royal guard. Captain Jannix Elroy was a big man; there was no one larger in the royal guard. His clean shaved head and face were recognized everywhere throughout Cethos. He was extremely kind, but incredibly ruthless to those who were a threat to the king or the royal family. He greeted his king and queen the moment he saw them.

  “Your Majesty,” he said, and bowed. “Your Grace. I have brought news about your daughter.”

  Clearly puzzled, the queen asked, “What news, Captain Elroy? What has happened?”

  “We were called to your daughter’s room over an hour ago, your grace. One of Princess Corleya’s maids sent for us when she found two unconscious guards at her door. I received your written orders late last night, your majesty, and posted the two guards myself,” he explained.

  “What happened to the guards, Captain?” the king enquired. His voice gave away the fact that he already knew.

  “When the guards woke, they told us the princess had rendered them both unconscious when she attacked them. I’ve put them on suspension pending further investigation,” he explained.

  The king shook his head and asked, “And the girl I sent to the dungeon last night?”

  “It appears the princess freed her, my king, also knocking the guards unconscious. Your healer is not sure if the second guard will survive his injuries,” Captain Elroy said, as he finished.

  Tossing his hands in the air, the king’s earlier anger returned. “Unbelievable. So a young guardsman might lose his life because my daughter, the princess, decided to have a temper tantrum? Where did you find them, Captain? I believe my daughter is long overdue for my royal boot in her princess ass.”

  “Stop it, Joran, you’ll do no such thing,” the queen said. “Captain? Where are they?” Tugging at the quilted wool gambeson under his heavy plate armour and clearing his throat, Captain Elroy finally answered.

  “I’m sorry, your Grace, but they’re gone. All four of the princess’ horses are missing from the stables, along with supplies from both the kitchen and armoury. As far as I can piece together, they have at least a six-hour head start. I’ve already sent a messenger to find the ArchWizard Zirakus or his adept, Miss Saleece. They may be able to help.”

  Nearly in tears, the queen praised his quick thinking. “Thank you, Captain. You’ve done the right thing, as always. Please notify us when Giddeon or his daughter has arrived, or if you uncover any new information.”

  The captain bowed and left, clearly determined to find out how the princess got away so easily and without anyone noticing. King Bale took his wife into his arms and held her, but said nothing. What was there to say? His daughter ran because he overreacted to what she said to him. An innocent man, a loyal guard, might die because of it. What his daughter hoped to prove, he couldn’t even begin to guess.

  CORTINA MONASTERY,

  INITIATE DORMS

  Giddeon woke for only minutes around noon the day after the confirmation spell, long enough for a few bites of food, before exhaustion forced him to sleep again. It was pre-dawn before he woke again, rested from the powerful spell that had taxed his strength to its very limits. The sound of his daughter arguing with the king’s royal messenger and his guards woke him from a deep sleep.

  “I don’t care what the king’s problem is right know, until he wakes on his own I will not disturb my father’s rest. He is only one man and his magical energies need to recover first,” Saleece informed the messenger.

  “I understand, Miss Saleece, but the king’s captain said to come immediately should we find either of you. If your father cannot come, then you must come in his stead or you will be charged with disobeying the king’s direct order,” he persisted, with little patience. Giddeon spoke up in order to stop the argument before it went too far.

  “It’s all right, Saleece. I’m awake. I feel much better. We can both go see what the king needs,” he suggested, in order to make everyone calm down. “Please tell King Bale that we will be only minutes behind you.”

  The messenger shook his head in disagreement. “I was told not to return to the castle without one of you, Sir. We’ll wait until you’re ready.”

  “Well then,” Giddeon chuckled. “I guess it must be quite important, young man. Lead the way if you will.” Giddeon smiled as he held his hand forward for the messenger to go ahead. With Saleece at his side, they followed the king’s messenger while the two royal guards brought up the rear.

  SOUTHERN CETHOS

  Corleya and Alia had rode hard those first few hours away from her father’s castle. They had pushed the four horses to the point of exhaustion, knowing it would give them the advantage of staying ahead of her father’s men. If she was to sit on the throne and have the respect of the Cethosian people then she must prove to her father and to herself that she was worthy of it. Eavesdropping on her father’s meetings from the time Giddeon had returned to the capital city, she had learned exactly where they must go.

  The Ancients’ word for the creature her nanny used to call a DeathWizard was Kai’Sar. If she were t
o bring this Kai’Sar to her father in chains it would show him that she could handle all aspects of governing Cethos as well as fighting on the Blood Kingdoms’ front lines when needed. With no doubts about being able to catch this rogue wizard, the princess and her lady-in-waiting rode with everything they had. Well aware that all myths and stories were exaggerated to great lengths, Princess Corleya believed that the stories about the DeathWizards were as well. And, if not, she still had Giddeon’s charm that protected her from the effects of all magic, though she no longer wore it around her neck.

  CASCADE CITADEL, CORYNTH

  With Lady Cortina’s temple being on the opposite side of Nobility Row from the royal castle, it took several minutes for Giddeon and Saleece to walk to the castle grounds. The messenger led the way just as the sun showed its top half in the eastern sky. The king and queen were brought from the banquet room where the dawn’s meal was being served. They were already seated in the audience hall when Giddeon and Saleece entered. It was obvious to both that the queen was upset and that the king was in a foul mood. The wizards bowed to one knee as the king told them to rise.

  “We may be in the audience hall, Giddeon, but we don’t have time for formalities. You must gather your group and head after my daughter. She has left the castle accompanied by her lady-in-waiting. You will bring them both back to us,” the king commanded.

  “Do you know where they have gone your majesty? Or how we may find them?” Giddeon asked. The queen looked at Giddeon as if he should know the answer already.

  “We had assumed, ArchWizard, that you would be able to locate her using magic,” the queen replied, obviously not impressed by the ArchWizard’s question.

  “Of course, your Grace, but I assumed that she still wears the protective charm she was given at her birth. The one that protected her against Lord Azmerack’s mind attacks,” he offered in defence of himself.

  “Yes, she does. She wears it around her waist now so it doesn’t get in the way of training. Why?” the queen enquired, prompting a grunt of indignation from the king.

  Saleece decided to take over before her father and the queen butted heads landing him in the dungeon. She had noticed his lack of patience with the royal couple as of late.

  “Your Grace? If I may?” Saleece asked. She continued in a calming tone as the queen nodded to her. “The charm your daughter wears wards against mystic energy. It will protect her from all magic, even the kind we use to find her. I’m sorry, your Grace, but we can’t find her that way,” Saleece apologized.

  “Would someone please tell me the good of such a charm? One which we were told she should never remove?” the queen yelled, as her frustration grew. Not deterred by the outburst, Saleece carried on speaking.

  “We were in the middle of trying to suppress a rebellion by the most powerful necromancer of our time. You know that, your Highness. That same charm saved her life and yours before the princess was even born and at least once when he tried to take over her mind just after her birth. You know well the power of possession he had, your Grace. We barely managed to extract him from your mind. We never found Lord Azmerak’s body, which is why we asked that she wear it at all times,” she explained.

  Leaning forward in her seat, the queen radiated with a calm fury. “Then how, Miss Saleece, will you find her? Everyone calls you the prodigy. You held an adept certification sixty years before anyone your age will ever even test for it. How do you recommend finding my daughter when she now has a seven-hour head start on whomever may follow her?”

  “I know you are upset, my Queen, but we have a companion who is an excellent tracker. If your stable hands can provide us with a sample of the shoes her horse wears, I promise you, our tracker can follow, even if it rains,” she offered, hoping to calm the queen down.

  “Very well, Miss Saleece, the stable hands will provide you with what you require. Bring my daughter home!”

  Giddeon stood quietly as his daughter handled the queen with a lot more tact than he would have, but then her respect for the king and queen hadn’t slid like his had.

  “Your Majesty?” he asked as he stared at the king. “Why did your daughter leave? Do you know what she plans to do? Did she take anything out of the ordinary?” King Bale gave Giddeon a frown that made it clear he was overstepping his position, yet again.

  “Not that the royal family’s affairs are your business, ArchWizard, but she did take an outdated map of Yusat. Other than that I don’t know,” the king said, his reply testy and short.

  Giddeon’s mind began to work the possibilities before he finally asked, “How outdated your majesty?”

  “It was before the last Wildland Treaty.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness. At least we have an idea were she is headed,” Giddeon said.

  The king frowned. “Find her, Giddeon. I know the timing is not the best. You should be hunting down someone else, but she is my daughter and the only heir. So please, bring her home. Once the other nobles hear of this, you know what will happen. Even the Pillars of Rule won’t be able to help,” the king warned, with a sense of desperation. Giddeon and Saleece bowed and then turned to leave, a stop at the stables planned before going back to the mansion.

  Once back at his home, Giddeon went to see his house staff to tell them he would be leaving in a few hours, while Saleece went up to Ember’s room. She found Max and Yrlissa still there.

  Tossing the horseshoe to Yrlissa, she asked, “Twelve hour head start by the time we leave. Can you follow them?”

  Confused, Yrlissa stared at the metal shoes in her hand. “Ah... If we find the trail before it rains, then yes. Why?”

  “We have been ordered to track down and return the king’s daughter. It was not a request and it wasn’t asked politely. A royal command from the king and queen cannot be disobeyed.”

  “Ember shouldn’t be moved yet and you know we can’t leave her here. We’ve made too many enemies. She will be in danger without us to protect her,” Yrlissa stated, but Saleece was not convinced.

  “My father may be too preoccupied to notice certain things, Yrlissa, but I am not. If you have a way to help Ember, then you should. You’re right about her being safer with us, so do what you can. I will make arrangements to have a supply wagon ready like we did with you. Will that suffice?”

  Max spoke as he stood, trying to head off an argument. “We’ll have her ready, Saleece, but it could take her a month to recover, or more. That is, if there’s no permanent damage to her heart.”

  “I understand.” Saleece sighed, her voice softening. “Just do what you can. She won’t be safe here even with you to protect her. We must go, so she has to come with,” Saleece explained.

  Ember had been listening, her croaking whisper drifted from the bed. “It’s okay, Max, I’ll be fine. The fresh air will be good for me,” she smiled, as she looked at Yrlissa and nodded. Saleece left and Yrlissa did everything she could to progress Ember’s healing. It would help her enough so she could travel. Yrlissa’s powers of healing were far more advanced than anyone else, but Ember was still very weak. She was lucky just to be alive.

  NORTHERN WILDLANDS FOREST

  For twenty days, Corleya and her lady-in-waiting, Alia, had been riding for the archaic lands of the extinct Dwarven race. Having taken one of her father’s maps of the country of Yusat, the princess wasn’t aware that it was outdated. Approaching the Wildlands, the two young women figured they were still a good thirty miles north of its borders. It was unfortunate for her and Alia that the map showed the border before the last war with the Wildland tribes.

  Due to the heavy casualties on both sides of the fighting and in order to restore an uneasy truce, the Blood Kingdoms’ Elder Council had ceded fifty miles of the borderland back to the tribes so they could expand, recouping the numbers lost in the fighting. King Bale and the monarchs had sworn and signed a treaty stating that the Wildlands would never be entered without official consent. Corleya and Alia were already twenty miles inside the Wildlands and
getting deeper as the forest got thicker. It was a direct violation of the treaty that ended the war twenty-five years earlier, and treaty violations were the only cause that would unite the aggressive and territorial Wildland tribes.

  After spending the night under the forest trees, Corleya was sure the time to turn towards the small port city of Dasal had come. They packed up camp and mounted their horses. Corleya’s choice of direction, though heading for Dasal, still lead them further inland in a southeasterly direction. The warriors of the Wildland’s northern clan, the Taktala tribe, had been following the two young women from the moment their boundary was crossed. Like phantoms amongst the trees and underbrush, the two women had no idea they were there.

  The leader of the tracking party carried many old scars from the war against Cethos, Yusat, and Ta’Ceryss, but still he tried to give the two young women every chance he could for them to head away from their camp. He had been fighting his own men for two days over his refusal to capture the trespassers, but when Corleya and Alia turned towards the Taktala’s hidden encampment, his options were quickly running out.

  War was easily sparked among the Wildland tribes, especially amongst their own kind, and he wanted it to be clear that the Taktala tribe had shown patience with their northern neighbours. The other tribes deeper south weren’t as politically minded and either captured or killed without warning or mercy when their territory was entered by anyone not carrying a peace totem. That being said, however, forays deep into the Taktala lands by northerners would not be tolerated. Now only miles from their main camp and moving closer, with a nod to his warriors, he gave the wordless order to bring the girls down.