“Answer the question, yes or no,” Donkor pushed.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because you are humouring me,” he said.
“So a chicken and a duck walk into a pub...” I started humourlessly.
“Respect the process,” he smiled.
I sighed. “Yes, I would stop you.”
“And if words couldn’t stop me and it became a kill me to save her scenario,” he started. “Would you kill me?”
I remained silent.
“I won’t be mad with your answer, Andy,” Donkor smiled. “Would you?”
“Yes,” I answered. “If you went crazy and started killing people with no reason, I would stop you.”
Donkor continued to smile and crossed his arms. “Based on how you answered everything, what do you think?”
“That the test didn’t prove anything,” I answered.
Donkor laughed. “It didn’t need to. I already know you love her. I’m just trying to get you to realise some stuff you’ve been afraid to admit.”
“I wouldn’t say afraid to admit,” I started.
“Just too foolish to realise that’s how you feel,” Donkor finished.
I laughed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you are secretly a genius.”
Donkor chuckled and stood up. “I’m just good when it comes to the little things people like to overlook.”
“So what am I supposed to do now?” I smirked. “If I’m in love.”
“Talking to her sounds like the simplest thing,” he answered, heading for the tent flap. “Should be an easy conversation. She’s as much in love with you as you are with her.”
My body started to tingle as my heart pounded in my chest.
Donkor smiled wider. “Judging by the look on your face, I believe you just discovered what love feels like.”
“A heart attack?” I asked.
“Yup,” he joked, leaving the tent.
My mind buzzed as a million thoughts raced around. My head was already hurting from the magic use but was made worst by the last ten minutes. I needed to go out and get some fresh air. I needed to see Cathy.
I jumped out of my chair and stretched my back out before leaving the tent. The Jaguar warriors had turned this dark camp into a lively place in such a short time. I actually had to stand still and stare in awe. Makeshift torches surrounded and brightened the camp, the warriors were playing games and carrying on, wine in hand and a giant bonfire raged in the centre of the camp.
I noticed Cathy at the bonfire, talking to a warrior stirring a giant pot. The warrior was our chef for the evening and Cathy’s interest in the preparation had intrigued me. Perhaps she was interested in becoming a better cook because of all our travels.
I shook my head and remained focused. Donkor’s talk had made my mind wander worse than before and I couldn’t distract myself with other thoughts. I needed to decide what I was going to say. Even if the thought of it had made me so nervous I wanted to vomit.
Part of me said ‘go for it’, grab Cathy, bring her aside and explain things. The other part was saying to wait until a better time. Cathy wasn’t Human and trying to deal with all these new emotions and situations would probably distract her during a crucial part of our mission. But then again, if she was already dealing with these emotions, they would be clarified by us talking.
My mind raced and my heart pounded as I approached her. She looked up and smiled and I opened my mouth to speak. Nothing came out.
“You okay?” Cathy asked. “You look like you are going to have a heart attack.”
I smiled and laughed in relief. “Close enough.”
“Barasa here is showing me some cooking secrets,” Cathy said. “Apparently you aren’t supposed to wait until stuff burns to know it’s done.”
Barasa laughed. “There’s no flavour in burnt food.”
“So what’s up? How’d your research go?” Cathy asked.
I shook my head. “Nothing that explains anything. Our hope is that Desroche is feeling chatty before we kill him to get any type of straight answer.”
“That’s my favourite way of doing it,” Cathy smiled. “Come on. Let’s get a good spot by the fire. The food’s just about done and the celebration is about to start. You can finally tell me why people were saying you flew in battle.”
I laughed. “It’s a good story.”
I pushed Donkor’s talk out of my mind. Cathy and I were already comfortable in whatever our relationship was called. After we were done in Ghanlar, we would have our formal talk and sort everything out. Until then, there was no reason to stress about it.
Chapter 30
When the sun rose over the horizon, everyone was up and ready to go except for me. I had slipped into the leader’s tent and claimed their bed as my own the night before and wanted nothing more than to lie in its warmth and comfort for the next cycle of the seasons. Cathy ripped the covers off of me and I decided it was time to get up.
“Come on,” she smiled. “Today’s the day. All the running and fighting has finally paid off and we can head back and prepare for more running and fighting. Only this time, we’ll be doing it up a mountain!”
I chuckled. “A change of scenery CAN be a good thing.”
“See,” she said, lightly punching my shoulder, “already optimistic for the day.”
“What’s got you in such a good mood?” I asked, swinging my legs off the bed and standing up.
“Oh, I removed your underpants last night while you slept,” Cathy answered. “You’re standing naked in the middle of the tent.”
I looked down at my bare skin. “That explains the breeze.”
“Your underpants are on the desk,” she said, heading for the exit. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
“I could make a joke about how eager you were to remove my underpants,” I called out to her.
She stopped and smirked. “When you finally think of one, let me know.”
She disappeared and I shook my head. Grabbing my underpants and armour, I dressed and gathered my belongings. One of Donkor’s men had found the short sword I dropped and returned it to me. I fastened it to my hip and slid the flowery staff into its sheath on my back. I exited the tent and Cathy and Donkor were waiting for me.
“Heard you had a nasty wake up,” Donkor smiled, crossing his arms.
“Something like that,” I said.
“I lost five gold pieces because of you,” he continued.
“I’m sure you’ll get them back,” I replied.
“Seriously, how do you not know you’re not wearing clothes?” Donkor asked, throwing his arms up in confusion.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” I said, walking past them.
The Jaguar warriors had already packed up their belongings and were heading out. Donkor moved ahead to lead his men and Cathy joined up with me. The warriors were excited to head back to the outpost and I had to admit that I was a little bit as well. The novelty of the Nesqian forest had worn out and the thought of the open grasslands was appealing.
“You’re not upset or anything... are you?” Cathy asked, studying me closely.
I chuckled. “No, still trying to wake up a little bit.”
“I thought I might have gone a little too far this morning,” Cathy said.
“It was certainly something different,” I admitted.
She giggled. “You did look funny standing there without clothes.”
“Oh, look, there goes my self-confidence,” I said sarcastically.
“Oh, like that’s going anywhere,” Cathy said. “I’ve trained you too well.”
I laughed. “That you have.” I walked in silence as I thought. “You don’t normally worry that you’ve upset me. What’s different this time?”
“Emotions, I’m sure,” she said with a hint of annoyance. “I was hoping that this would be a good way to start a friendship with Donkor too. You know I’ve never really trusted him and now that I am my own person and your friendsh
ip with him continues to grow,” she shrugged, “perhaps I should actually get to know him and have some fun.”
I looked at her for a second then laughed. “Well look at you being all Human; developing friendships, caring about people. Next you’ll want to settle down and start a family.”
She groaned. “Don’t even. I’m still an evil and powerful demon. Demons don’t ‘settle down and start a family’.”
“I don’t know,” I said playfully. “Lately you’ve been more Human than most Humans.”
She squinted as she studied me. “I’ll let you know when I decide if that is a compliment or an insult.”
We remained silent after that, enjoying the rest of our journey. The need to discuss the feelings of love for Cathy continued to grow in my mind, but after the display of trying to build friendships with my friends, she already had enough to worry about. I continued to push it down and wait for the right time.
When we arrived at the outpost, the warriors immediately joined the other soldiers to share their stories of the previous night. Donkor led us straight up to the command centre. General Kobo was already outside and strolled over to greet us.
“The enemy camp is destroyed?” he asked.
“Never stood a chance,” Donkor answered.
“Excellent,” General Kobo said, turning to Cathy. “Everything is set. Messengers have been dispatched. Word is already taking seed in the hearts of all Nesqians. The war is on. We will not be able to join you at your king’s camp, but tell him not to worry. The plan is still the same?”
“Yes,” Cathy replied.
“Good,” General Kobo said. “Tell your king we’ll be there when they retreat. This battle is as good as won.”
“I wish I had your confidence, General,” I said.
“If anyone can pull off running into the heart of an enemy’s camp, it’s you,” General Kobo said. “You have just the right amount of insanity for the job.”
I chuckled. “Thanks, General.”
“Good luck. I hope to see you after we’ve won,” he said.
“General, I wish to travel with them to the camp,” Donkor said.
“I know, Head Trainer,” General Kobo said, unfazed. “I’m making you my Ambassador for this alliance. You know how I work and will make sure we are properly represented.”
“Thank you, General,” Donkor saluted. “You can count on me.”
“I know, my friend. Dismissed,” General Kobo said, heading back to the command centre.
It was no secret how much trouble he would be in by helping us. The capital and its people would declare his actions treason, but it didn’t seem to faze him or those who helped him. He was doing what was right. The fallout of his actions will be dealt with when it was time. My only hope is that I can help him in some way.
“You ready to head to King Markus’ camp, Ambassador?” Cathy asked Donkor.
He smiled childishly at the mention of his new title. “No time like the present.”
*****
There was a different feeling in the air when we walked into the Balendar army’s camp. The Nesqian soldiers were full of hope and optimism for the future. The Balendian soldiers wallowed in fear and reeked of desperation. It made me wonder if the Nesqian soldiers had just been putting on an act.
Many soldiers turned their attention towards Cathy and Donkor and a bit of hope returned. The Lady of the Court has returned with a Nesqian Ambassador. Reinforcements were on their way.
The murmurs and attention drew the interest of the new Lord of Malkia. He broke away from a group of his soldiers to approach us. He studied the happy giant beside us before turning his attention to Cathy.
“Welcome back, my Lady,” Lord Kyle said. “I take it you’ve got good news?”
“You can drop the whole ‘my Lady’ bit now,” Cathy said. “You’re a member of the Court too now.”
“The title still doesn’t sit right with me,” Lord Kyle said. “Come, King Markus is preparing the offensive.”
We followed him through the camp. The city guard were all spread out getting ready for the upcoming battle. Despite being a shadow of its former size, the camp was still large, resting right on the border of Balendar and Archanion. If Desroche sent out scouts, there would be no hiding our numbers. But then again, that wasn’t our plan.
Lord Kyle pushed through the flap into the king’s tent where King Markus was bent over a map with Lord Kent. The soldiers inside were shocked when Donkor squeezed his way through the small opening. King Markus turned towards us with a smile.
“It’s good to see you again, my friends,” he said grandly. “I was beginning to think you’d miss out on all the fun.”
“Did you have a stroke while we were gone... my Liege?” Cathy asked.
Markus chuckled and approached us. “As you’ve seen outside, things are a little desperate around here,” he said quietly. “I remember my uncle telling me that a proper leader is the one that looks confident and optimistic in the face of all danger. No matter how delusional he might seem.”
“Is it working?” I asked.
“That remains to be seen,” he answered with a sudden lack of confidence. He turned his attention to Donkor. “I’m glad you are here. I am King Markus of Balendar. I trust you bring me some good news.”
“Very good news, King of Balendar,” Donkor said happily. “I am Donkor, Ambassador of General Kobo. You have the support of him and his friends and he promises to bring reinforcements for this battle. Unfortunately, because of the timing, you will have to start the attack without him. Based on your plan, he will be ready to assist you during your retreat.”
“Not the greatest news, but better than before,” King Markus said, heading back to the table. “Ambassador of a general, not the empress. The empress will not support us?”
“That’s a whole mess of eggs we don’t want to get into right now,” I said.
“Eggs are delicious,” Donkor said.
“I’ll agree to that,” Cathy added.
“Indeed,” King Markus said. “So the plan is still on then. We charge in, draw the fire, pull back and Nesqa will be waiting for the assist.” He crossed his arms and rubbed his chin. “It will work. Anything my Court wants to add?”
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Cathy said. “We don’t need to go on another quest to find a new king.”
“Seconded,” Lord Kyle said.
King Markus laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Were you able to track down the last member of the Court?” Cathy asked. “I’m sure she would have something to add too?”
King Markus shook his head. “Elizabeth isn’t a fighter. She is watching the land and helping to rebuild the economy. Don’t worry. She gave me the ‘don’t do anything stupid’ speech too.”
“It’s a good speech... my Liege,” Cathy said, shooting me a look. “One I’ve perfected over multiple tellings.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I said. “Let’s get to the planning. Have your scouts found a good spot for us to hide so we can sneak up the mountain?”
“That they have,” King Markus said, looking for it on the map. We approached the table as he found it. “You’ll be right up against the mountain. The formations of the rock offer excellent hiding spots and tend to be overlooked by air patrols. There’s no guarantee they won’t see you as you climb the mountain though.”
“That’s why we’re bringing a team,” Cathy said. “We’ll handle it.”
“It’s not going to be easy to find people willing to volunteer for this mission,” Lord Kent said.
Donkor cleared his throat and flashed me a smile and a thumb up.
“There’s one,” Cathy said.
“I’m still hesitant about you going up there, my Lady,” Lord Kent said. “You have Davalin’s troops to command.”
“I’ll transfer command over to Lord Cook,” Cathy said. “Aside from Kairu, nobody knows how to get to Scert’chak. If the group gets separated or Kairu doesn’t make it, w
e need someone who can still get there and stop Desroche.”
“Yes, but I’m not partial to all or nothing plans,” Lord Kent said. “If you both die up there, we’re back to square one. If Kairu fails then we can at least regroup and try again with you at a later date.”
“There won’t be a later date,” I said. “For good or bad, this is Balendar’s last stand. Failure here means you are forced to give up ground inch by inch as Desroche marches across the continent. The plan is desperate, the plan is foolish, but it is the best way to occupy the enemy army long enough for us to break Desroche’s hold on the Evenawks. The war ends the second that happens. It has to be all or nothing.”
Lord Kent sighed. “My Liege. You get final say.”
King Markus thought carefully. “Kairu and Lady Middleton are a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. There is no one else I would trust to make it up that mountain. If the Ambassador is as strong as he looks and they can get a good team together then I don’t see why we shouldn’t do it. Our resources are too thin for a long war. We have to end this before it starts. I’d rather know we died trying than fall back and watch Desroche walk up the Stairway of Kings while the world burned behind him.”
“Time to get a team together then,” Cathy said.
“Leave early in the morning to get in position,” King Markus said, handing us a quickly drawn map. “We attack at dawn.”
“Will that be enough time for the Nesqians?” I asked Donkor.
“General Kobo has scouts watching the camp,” Donkor said. “He’ll be ready for anything.”
“Good,” King Markus said. “See you all after the battle.”
“Good luck, my Liege,” I said.
He shook his head. “If anyone needs luck, it’s you.”
Cathy, Donkor and I left the others in the tent to prepare for the main battle. Finding volunteers for a suicide mission was going to be tough but if there is one thing you can always count on, it’s that there are always crazy people ready for an adventure.”
“Where should we start looking?” I asked.
“Davalin’s area of the camp,” Cathy said. “I should let them know they need to follow Malkia’s orders.”
The Vacant Throne: The Legend Of Kairu Vol 3 Page 24
