The Vacant Throne: The Legend Of Kairu Vol 3

by Tim McFarlane

  “You had earned the respect of the king and my father, not an easy task for someone in your position. Unfortunately that respect resulted in Davenport being unleashed on the world, but when I found you in that forest, I knew that we needed a Mage to defeat a Mage.” She shook her head. “I hate magic more than anything else in the world, but if you are the Mage I have been hearing about, then we need you to defeat Davenport.”

  The guards and Ser Wilson looked at me in shock. Lady Sandra was very well informed, but the men wouldn’t have heard half of those stories nor would they have believed that the person she was talking about stood in front of them.

  Does this mean you are going to become egotistical? Cathy said.

  Not at all.

  Why not? Cathy suggested. It would be fun.

  “So you had to take a chance,” I said. “And here we are, knee deep in brainwashed Evenawks, hoping to catch him before he brainwashes the entire Evenawk race and turns them into a slave army.”

  “That’s what it looks like,” she replied. “I was really hoping we could catch him before he made it here.”

  “Then we have to hurry,” I said. “Scert’chak is in real danger.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” she said. “Lead the way, Mage.”

  “What of the bodies?” Bill asked.

  “When we reach the gate, we will let the Evenawks know of this site,” I answered. “They can take care of their own and bring our comrades to the city. We must hurry though before Davenport turns too many of them onto his side.”

  “If he hasn’t already,” Ser Wilson said uneasily.

  Bill nodded and I hurried down the road with the group falling behind me. Our numbers were thinning quickly and I started to fear that if we were stopped by another group, we wouldn’t fare as well as the first time. The only good news was that my magical strength was returning quickly.

  You’ve still got the non-magic loving giant too, Cathy pointed out. He’ll fight like five men if you don’t let him get swarmed.

  Hmm, if we act in the supporting role, he will look like the hero and maybe relax and respect us.

  Screw respect, Cathy said. We need him until we get to Davenport. After that, if he can distract Davenport enough so we can kill him. Ser Wilson becomes expendable.

  I know he’s not the most lovey-dovey person, but that is a little harsh. We can work out a way to do this properly.

  You know me, Andy, I like to prepare, Cathy said. Look at our group. Our ‘leader’ is the revenge obsessed psycho who will eventually lead everyone to their death. She will never make the proper call, especially seeing as she has feelings towards Ser Wilson. Bill won’t go against his ‘lady’ and the others are blind fools. It is up to us to be the clear headed ones. If Davenport is brainwashing an army, he needs to be stopped before he can start. We need to make the leadership decisions from here.

  I didn’t like the sound of it but due to our shared personalities, I could see Cathy’s side of the argument quite clearly. As the only Mage, I would end up fighting Davenport with the others fending off the brainwashed Evenawks. If I had to abandon them to focus on Davenport, then it needed to be done.

  We need to be smart about this though, we can’t just throw people away in this battle.

  Agreed, Cathy said.

  As much as it probably aggravated her, my personality would always have her see things my way too. All of our strategies, arguments and any general decision making worked like this. A back and forth until we were unintentionally saying the same thing. It was easier to just skip a couple of steps and agree with each other.

  We stepped out of the forest into the charred land surrounding Scert’chak. The land had been killed with the hottest fire imaginable by Mages during the Rebels’ first attack. The idea was to not only smoke out the ground troops, but to also prevent anyone from sneaking to the city in any future strikes. The land hadn’t changed since I last saw it and I was unsure if the Evenawks left it for a reason or never had time to try and fix it.

  The group couldn’t do anything but stare as they followed me out of the forest. I explained to them what had caused the devastation and they could only survey the area in silence. The ash and heat in the air made it tough to breath and Ser Wilson led the group in coughing as we approached the gate.

  “Who goes there?” a voice called out from above.

  That’s good news, Cathy said. Maybe he hasn’t reached the gates yet.

  On the gate, a single Evenawk perched with his bow aimed down in our area. The other guards would be hiding in the half repaired watchtower. Its twin lay destroyed and unusable after the Rebels attacked the capital with my help. It wouldn’t house anything living, let alone brainwashed, but I was still wary every step until I saw Chieftain Harkis.

  “I said who goes there?” The Evenawk asked again.

  Lady Sandra was about to answer when I shook my head. I looked up to the Evenawk. “Diason,” I shouted. “I am here to see Chieftain Harkis.”

  Silence filled the air before the Evenawk dropped off his perch and landed in front of me. His birdlike face scanned me over as his wings melded back into arms.

  “How do you know that name?” The Gate Keeper asked, aiming his bow at me.

  “Chieftain Harkis is a personal friend of mine,” I answered.

  “Not our Chieftain’s name,” The Gate Keeper asked, still scanning me. “Diason. How does a Human know of Evenawk folklore?”

  “Folklore?” I asked, chuckling a little. “It’s only been two cycles.”

  “Answer,” he pressed.

  “The name was given to me by Chieftain Harkis,” I answered. “Get Warlord Narrilok or Commander Bak to confirm my story, but hurry. This is very important.”

  The Gate Keeper looked at me one more time before squawking up to the watchtower. He relayed the message and an Evenawk launched out of the watchtower towards their city hall. The Gate Keeper continued to survey me, ignoring the five others that stood anxiously around me.

  “I heard that Diason was three metres tall and breathed fire,” The Gate Keeper said.

  So now we’re a dragon? Cathy asked.

  “I’m still taller than you, Shorty,” I said, summoning some power into my chest.

  The Evenawk shot me an icy glare and I aimed towards the ground and coughed. A small burst of fire escaped and disappeared into the air. “Excuse me,” I said, looking back to the Gate Keeper.

  His eyes had grown wide and he took a step back. I looked at all the shocked expressions from the group and laughed silently.

  It’s a shame the folklore didn’t say you shot rainbows out of your butt, Cathy said. That would have been fun to see.

  Two Evenawks appeared above the gate and one lowered to the ground. It was tough to recognise him from the others, but by the fancy clothes he was wearing, this had to be Commander Bak.

  He landed and extended his hand towards me before it had even fully melded back into a hand. “I wondered when you were going to show up again, Diason,” Commander Bak said, smiling as big as his beak would allow. “What took you so long?”

  “I’m afraid this isn’t a social visit,” I started and motioned to Lady Sandra. “This is Lady Middleton of Balendar. She has been tracking a rogue Mage and the tracks led right to here. Worst part is that we were just ambushed by a group of brainwashed Evenawks back on the road. We need to see Chieftain Harkis and Warlord Narrilok immediately.”

  Bak looked at the group and back to me, his smile slowly dissolving. “You’re being serious?” he asked worried.

  “I wouldn’t show up on your doorstep just to waste your time,” I replied.

  He nodded and turned to the Gate Keeper. “Check the roads for the bodies and lock this gate up after our guests pass through.”

  “Yes, Commander,” he replied, his arms already wings.

  Bak turned back to me. “The Warlord is in Fare’hack but The Great Chieftain is in the city hall,” he said. “Follow me.”

  The gate
started to open and Bak led us through the gate to the ramp up into the city. I was saddened by Narrilok not being here to help but Bak was a good leader who would help us as much as he could, even if he didn’t fully believe us. I had to assume it was our history together that had bought us entrance and not the fear of the Mage. Despite them overthrowing the Mages recently, they were confident in their new society and wouldn’t admit to any danger without proof. The bodies would have to be enough.

  As we entered the trees and into the city, I was taken aback by how much grander it was than I remembered. The houses in the branches were a shining example of how far the Evenawks had come since first evolving from birds. Bridges connected each tree and marketplaces were set up on the larger branches. It was a paradise in the trees.

  The citizens had a carefree air about them until they noticed us walking through the city. They couldn’t help but stare at the group of armed intruders being led through their city by a high standing official. The sooner we left the better, their eyes said.

  “Much has changed, Diason,” Bak said, breaking the silence. “The scars of our past still show, but we have been vigilant about who enters our lands. If a Mage is here, we would have seen him.”

  “You didn’t see me until I was at your doorstep calling your name,” I pointed out, hoping to convince him before meeting with the Chieftain.

  “Hmm,” Bak said thoughtfully. “If what you say about the patrol being brainwashed is true.” He shook his head and scoffed. “It can’t be. He’s dead.”

  “Who?” I asked intrigued.

  We were approaching the city hall when the two guards squawked eerily at us and charged with their spears at the ready. Lady Sandra and Ser Wilson grabbed for their weapons, but I reached out and power surged through my hands in the form of a Lightning Bolt. It shot through the air, striking one guard in the chest and jumping to the other. They twitched and collapsed to the ground before anyone could get their weapon ready.

  Bak readied his bow and approached the dead Evenawks slowly. “It can’t be,” he muttered, turning to me. “You saw their eyes too, right?”

  “Yes, glossy and empty,” I answered. “They’ve been brainwashed.”

  What could be the point of coming here? Cathy asked.

  Holding the Chieftain hostage?

  Or brainwashing the Chieftain into making him an advisor. Just like in Balendar, Cathy suggested.

  Could explain how he got the part, but it wouldn’t work here.

  We also thought he wouldn’t make it this far, Cathy pointed out.

  A group of five Evenawk guards approached from behind and looked at us, the bodies, then towards their Commander.

  “Inside the city hall, now,” Commander Bak ordered. “The Chieftain is under attack from the brainwashed.”

  The guards immediately followed Commander Bak as he charged into the building. Not wasting a second myself, I charged in after my friend with the group behind me.

  Inside the city hall, bodies of guards lay scattered around the ground. Some of them still burned while others were stuck to walls, impaled by spears. Davenport had been through here with a couple of brainwashed soldiers. There were no clues as to how he snuck into the city hall undetected.

  “What is this?” Bak called out from the next area.

  I hurried through the main hall to the seating area where one of the bookshelves had been moved to reveal a door with stairs leading down.

  Oh, how cliché, Cathy said.

  “This wasn’t here before,” Bak said, turning to me.

  Cliché for a reason. It worked.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “We checked the entire building to remove any traps the Mages placed,” he explained, turning back to the stairs. “We never found these.”

  “It may have been magically sealed,” I said. “Something a non-magic person wouldn’t have picked up.”

  He shook his head. “There are usually marks, runic looking shapes wherever something is hidden.”

  “Only for something dangerous,” I said. “A staircase isn’t exactly dangerous.”

  Except for the tripping hazard, Cathy said. Quick, get a banana peel!

  Now THAT’S cliché.

  An Evenawk appeared from the second floor looking worried. “The Chieftain isn’t in his room.”

  “Okay, down the stairs,” Commander Bak ordered. “Now.”

  The Evenawk hurried down the stairs and I looked back at the group. They were looking a little shocked and disorientated from being dragged through everything at hyper speed. I motioned for them to follow and we travelled down the stairs after the Evenawks.

  The staircase wound down into the tree itself. This staircase was clearly an addition built by the Mages but I couldn’t shake the suspicion that even some of the Mages didn’t know about this. Something sinister was going to be at the bottom.

  As I emerged from the stairs, I was proven right.

  In the large, darkened room, along the far side, an Evenawk was suspended by magic above a glowing red runic symbol on the ground. On a pedestal beside it, a glowing crystal was connected to a staff and a beam of energy connected the crystal to the Evenawk. Two of the brainwashed guards protected the set up.

  “Chieftain!” Bak called out, releasing an arrow at one of the brainwashed.

  The arrow pierced the Evenawk in the neck and it dropped to the ground. The other brainwashed Evenawk squawked at us, but didn’t move. Bak readied another arrow.

  “That’s enough,” an eerily familiar voice called out.

  A barrier appeared dividing the room and separating us and the Evenawks from Davenport. Bak released his arrow and it deflected off the barrier and fell to the ground. The Mage, Davenport, stepped out of the shadows and towards the barrier. The barrier lit up his face and I could feel the look of shock slowly spread across my face as he smirked.

  “I had a feeling it was you that was chasing me, ‘Diason’,” he said, staring right at me with hatred. “Do you recognise me?”

  “Desroche,” I whispered.

  Chapter 7

  Desroche was the Mage in charge of Scert’chak while the Tower still controlled the Ghanlar Plateau. He had given himself the title of ‘The Great Desroche’ and, I was told, ruled over the city with an iron fist. It also appeared that he was a master Mind Controller, something I should have connected last time I was here.

  I had left him alive so the Evenawks could put him on trial and execute him. By the look on Bak’s face, they had done just that. Or at least he thought they did.

  “You were Davenport?” I asked, unable to form an intelligent question.

  “Genius isn’t it?” he replied. “After my escape, I headed back to the Tower to report my failure, but it wasn’t there. Your handiwork, I’m assuming?” He paused for me to answer but I stayed quiet. “Well if it was you, you did me a favour. My goal was to get rid of the Tower and unite everything with me as the ruler anyhow. I wanted to have the Evenawks as my backing army when I marched on the Tower, but plans have a way of changing.”

  “So you went to Balendar?” I asked.

  “Indeed,” he answered. “Balendar’s armies are the strongest in the land. The Evenawks have their purpose, but they are not a sufficient fighting force to take on Balendar.”

  Bak stiffened at the insult. “We overthrew you.”

  “Your spirit is wonderful, but against the heavily armed troops of Balendar, well, there is a reason the small group of Humans made it this far,” he said, looking over the group and stopping when he saw Lady Sandra. He smiled. “It is good to see you again, Lady Middleton. Have you come back for another game?”

  I was expecting her to snap at him but when I turned to look her in the face, I could only make out her fear. After the entire journey and all that tough talk, she was paralysed by the sight of her target. I turned back to Desroche as he chuckled in triumph.

  “We had a lot of fun with your dad last time,” he continued. “I thought you had
learned your lesson but here you are again RUINING MY PLANS!” He started pacing back and forth along the barrier. “FORCING ME TO COME BACK HERE AND ACTIVATE THIS BEFORE IT WAS TOO SOON!”

  Aww is someone upset? Cathy mocked. Maybe we should get him a cookie and lay him down for a nap. I’m sure he’d feel much better.

  “How’d you escape?” Bak asked, still baffled.

  “More importantly, what are you doing to the Chieftain?” I asked.

  Desroche smiled and stopped pacing. He was no doubt excited to be able to talk about himself again.

  He sure does love the sound of his own voice, Cathy agreed.

  “Escape was easy,” Desroche answered. “I’d experimented with suggestive phrases in Mind Control for years. I have sleeper agents all over this city. Even in the daze caused by the magic sucking powers of the Red Jacket wasp honey, I was able to activate a couple of the guards you had sent to execute me and was able to Mind Control the others. At the cost of my loyal servant Spencer, I was able to send you a jar of ashes that bought me my freedom. Sneaking back into the city was just as easy. What I really want to know is how you, Diason, escaped.” He turned to me. “Why, that’s the answer right in your name, isn’t it, Demon? Only a demon can escape the Binds of Silence. Am I right?”

  I crossed my arms and smirked. “A secret is only valuable if it remains a secret.”

  “How cryptic,” Desroche smiled. “But you are mistaken in thinking that you have any value to me.”

  “Are you going to explain what you are doing to the Chieftain or do we have to listen to you droning on all day?” I asked.

  Desroche’s face hardened and he walked back to the Chieftain and grabbed the staff. “This is my crowning achievement; the result of decades of Mind Control research. Using the blood of the Last Great Chieftain and this focusing crystal, I will control the entire Evenawk species with one spell. I may not have seized Balendar, but I left it crippled.” The more he talked the more excited he became. “I will march and reclaim Thurlborn Peak and with the combined power of the Evenawks and Balendar, the rest of Kalenden will fall. And it starts today, with the fall of Davalin.”