The Guardians (Book 2)

by Dan O'Sullivan

  ‘You can prove nothing! The Physician! She’s been feeding them!’ He stopped speaking and made a final attempt to gather himself. ‘Of course I assumed the water had been poisoned, Baron. It’s the most obvious way to kill them, especially if you were the one feeding them.’

  ‘Jastin, I didn’t actually say someone wanted to kill them, just that they had been poisoned, so it’s curious that you should see it that way. And equally as interesting is the fact that the Princesses seem to believe you are the person who is behind their illness.’ Dale decided not to tell Jastin about Callian’s assistance, as neither Princess was actually conscious enough as yet to verbalize this accusation. ‘Do you wish to have someone to speak in your defense?’

  ‘I haven’t done anything!’ Jastin spat the words. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about!’

  ‘I think I already know what you’ve done, but if you won’t tell me exactly what you did and why, I’ll ask Callian to make you tell me. And be assured, what he will take from you will be the truth.’

  Jastin fixed his eyes on the guardian with undisguised terror. ‘You can’t make me,’ he choked furiously.

  ‘Actually, I can,’ said Callian confidently. ‘And I will do as Dale asks unless you choose to tell him the truth. You must know that it’s given to the guardians to determine truth and deception.’ He turned to Dale. ‘Do you wish for the Judge and the citizens to be made aware of the Princesses’ memories?’

  ‘I do,’ said Dale emphatically. ‘But when you gave me Jade’s thoughts you placed your hand on my shoulder. Do you need to do that?’

  ‘No. It’s just easier that way. It’s a little more tiring without the contact, and with so many people, but it’s not a problem.’

  Judge Marsa stepped forward. ‘Baron Dale asked you earlier if you wished to have someone speak in your defense.’

  ‘You stay out of this Marsa!’ Jastin sneered. ‘Unless you think you’re some kind of guardian who can’t keep his sticky nose out of everyone’s business.’

  ‘Administrator Kyoredes please note that the Colonel has refused to have someone speak in his defense,’ said Judge Marsa formally. Kyoredes nodded in acknowledgement as he wrote.

  Colonel Jastin folded his arms defiantly across his chest and his eyes flicked towards the gates.

  ‘Callian?’ said Dale and the guardian moved towards Jastin. Jastin reacted by attempting to draw his sword and he found himself flat on his back with his sword missing. Rezon’s knee ground into his stomach and his huge hand squeezed his throat. Jastin grappled with the warrior for a second or two, but this barely seemed to bother Rezon. He seemed more concerned that Raline leapt up in alarm the second that he moved.

  Callian crouched beside Rezon and stared into Jastin’s eyes. Jastin tried to move his head away, which turned out to be a bad idea as Rezon grabbed a handful of his hair and dragged his face up towards Callian. Jastin screamed in anger and panic as Callian took his thoughts, and there were cries of surprise as people began to see events from the Colonel’s point of view and then from the point of view of the two Princesses. Several people fell to their knees in shock and emotional strain as they saw and felt what the girls had experienced. By the time Callian finished, sweat was pouring down Jastin’s face and his eyes were wide with terror. Eventually, Callian stood.

  ‘Stand,’ Dale ordered and Jastin scrambled to his feet. ‘Why?’ Dale asked wonderingly. ‘Colonel Jastin, there’s no question that you did this. Your own memories are all too clear. But why did you do this?’ Jastin refused to answer.

  ‘I think I know,’ said Judge Marsa unexpectedly, looking sadly at the Colonel. ‘You were in love with them, weren’t you? In love with both of them, but they refused you. They treated your advances as a joke and you were humiliated. So you thought if you couldn’t have them, no-one would.’ Marsa glanced at Callian who was staring at him in surprise. ‘Is that how you would have read it, guardian?’ Callian nodded, surprised by the astuteness of the shrewd judge.

  ‘They treated me like an old man!’ Jastin cried suddenly. ‘Like it was funny that I should…that I should love someone! They made me so angry! So angry!’ He was shouting and Dale eyed him with mixed feelings of disgust and pity. ‘And then they got sick,’ he said and his voice lowered to an evil whisper. ‘And it was good to see them weak and miserable. They deserved it.’ His eyes glittered coldly and his mouth turned into grim smirk as he spoke. What little pity Dale had felt vanished completely as he watched the Colonel. He caught a disturbing expression on the man’s face. There was a tiny piece of triumph glimmering in his eyes.

  ‘What are you hiding?’ Dale demanded.

  ‘Nothing!’ Jastin declared adamantly and Dale wondered if he was telling the truth.

  Rezon didn’t wait to be asked. He grabbed Jastin once again and dragged him to Callian. Callian frowned as he studied Jastin’s face once again.

  ‘Where did you get the poison?’ he asked.

  Jastin laughed maniacally. ‘Where did you get the poison?’ he mimicked nastily. ‘From them,’ he said nodding towards Lias, Eibhear and Rudiger, and there was another gasp of surprise from the citizens. ‘Ahh…don’t be stupid, you brainless fools,’ Jastin snarled. ‘They’re not the ones who gave it to me. You can’t think the guardian wouldn’t already know if they had? But it came from their land!’ He laughed menacingly. ‘You’re too late. They want this town, they want this land. And when they come I’ll be given charge of this place. You’re too late!’

  ‘When are they coming?’ asked Rudiger, stepping forward.

  ‘Soon,’ said Jastin gloatingly.

  ‘You are human, Colonel,’ said Rudiger. ‘The only thing they’ll give you for your help is a quick death – if you’re lucky.’

  ‘When are they coming?’ Dale repeated Rudiger’s question.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Jastin admitted. ‘What are you going to do to me?’ He glanced towards the gates once again.

  ‘You could let him go to Nyinaku,’ Lias suggested.

  ‘What!’ Dale said incredulously.

  ‘You could let him go to Nyinaku,’ Lias repeated, ‘if you’re planning to execute him anyway. The instant they find out he’s no more use to them, he’s dead.’

  ‘You might as well kill him now,’ said Eibhear.

  Dale stared sadly at Colonel Jastin, and everyone waited silently, wondering what the Baron would do. He turned to the small group of citizens who were a little overwhelmed by the events. ‘You are aware of what’s happened,’ said Dale. ‘Please state the man’s crimes.’

  One of the citizens spoke up timidly. ‘Seeking to kill,’ she said. ‘He tried to murder our Princesses!’

  ‘Getting poison from the fallen,’ another person added.

  ‘Treason,’ a third person stated calmly. ‘Our city is going to be attacked and he’s supposed to be protecting us, and he’s been helping the enemy!’

  ‘And is this man innocent or guilty of these crimes?’ asked Dale.

  ‘Guilty,’ the citizens replied as one. ‘He is guilty.’

  ‘How is this proven? I must have absolutely unquestionable proof.’

  ‘We’ve heard it from his own mouth,’ said Judge Marsa and the citizens nodded in agreement.

  ‘And what penalty is due for seeking to kill and for treason?’ Dale asked emotionlessly.

  ‘He dies,’ said the Judge calmly. ‘The penalty for treason is death.’

  ‘Now what do I do?’ Dale muttered.

  ‘Under Alkiran law, as senior noble, you can appoint an executioner or you can carry out the execution yourself,’ the Judge advised.

  ‘Wait!’ Jastin gasped, as he seemed to fully grasp his precarious situation. ‘I can tell you things. I can tell you what the fallen said and what they are doing! I can tell you what they are planning. And more!’

  ‘Callian?’ said Dale and Callian moved forward once again. He gripped Jastin and hauled him away from the crowd until they were standing alone. This time many minut
es passed before Callian released Jastin from his gaze and Jastin’s voice rose from low groan to a high pitched scream as Callian rummaged mercilessly through his memories. Eventually a glazed look came over Jastin’s face and one side of his mouth seemed to droop. A trail of drool ran from his mouth onto his shirt, and Dale felt sure that Callian’s scrutiny had been too much for the man and that his mind would never be normal again. Dale felt only coldness, knowing the man’s treachery left very little chance that Emerald would remain safe. He wondered if Callian had managed to make enough sense of Jastin’s memories and thoughts before they became unintelligible.

  Callian nodded once towards Dale and stepped back. Dale took an arrow from his quiver. With speed and skill, he nocked the arrow and drew his bow. Jastin stood frozen like a startled hen as the arrow flew towards him and drove into his chest. His eyes widened in shock as he fell backwards to the ground. Dale walked over to where he lay. He drew a knife and slashed it across the Colonel’s throat. The citizens watched in stupefied shock as Dale turned his back on the body and walked towards the new keep.

  ‘Dale?’ Lias called after him, and he stopped walking.

  ‘No burial for one who commits treason,’ said Dale coldly, before Lias could ask. ‘Burn his body.’

  Chapter 38

  Aftermath

  Kelian looked sadly around at the mass of bodies littering the banks of the lake. The attack had happened so quickly, they’d not had time to discuss strategies in any depth. Lady Karrijeuiga had made her way to the Western Tower only minutes before the alarm was raised. And now so many of Kelian’s soldiers lay dead and so many of the Daoine Maithe had been returned that he felt certain no-one would survive if they were attacked again. He walked to the water’s edge and waded into the cool water. There were bodies everywhere. He grabbed the one nearest to him and dragged it up onto the grassy bank. He turned the body over and his heart despaired. Bright blue eyes stared back at him unseeingly. Kelian glanced towards Timbul and he moved to Kelian’s side. Without a word they lifted the guardian’s body and carried it up the embankment to the central courtyard. They placed it alongside the others who had fallen in the battle. At the rear of the courtyard the wounded were being attended to, and Kelian could see Araas leaning over Milgorry’s body. He watched for a second, hoping that Araas’ attention meant the warrior was not dead. Araas looked up to confirm Kelian’s hope before returning to his work.

  The speed and ferocity of the battle astounded and horrified him. Tiernan had warned them that the Nailmarni might leap from the cliffs and attempt to swim the lake, but it had still startled Kelian when they did. They surged over edge of the rocks and threw themselves into the water in such numbers that it was impossible to hold them back, even with every available bowman raining arrows upon them. More than half had managed to make it to the shore and when they drew swords and moved forward they showed no sign of fatigue.

  Kelian could see the bodies of Duke Li and Princess Elizabeth. Duke Li had been fighting alongside Prince Irwin and Admiral Stork and now he lay beside their bodies. He had no idea how Princess Elizabeth had come to be amongst the dead. He walked slowly across the central courtyard. He recognized many of the soldiers from Castle and quite a few from other garrisons. He stopped for a moment beside the body of Kitchen Master Tolly. He had been first into the water brandishing his machete and had managed to kill at least three of the Nailmarni before he was overwhelmed by the surge of bodies. Kelian wondered if he had simply drowned under the mass of Nailmarni as there were no visible wounds on his body. He turned away and made his way towards the lake once again. There was a body lying sprawled in the trampled grass half hidden under a dead Nailmarni. A guardian who Kelian didn’t recognize appeared beside him and dragged the Nailmarni away from the small body, and Kelian gave a sharp cry of anger as he saw it was Cam. The child couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen years old, and Kelian knew that his father’s body also lay amongst the dead soldiers. A small part of Kelian felt bleak relief that he wouldn’t have to tell the child’s mother. The woman had died in childbirth and Cam had never known her.

  ‘He will know her now,’ the guardian stated, picking up Cam’s body and turning towards the courtyard. ‘Are you clean?’ he asked and Kelian nodded. Quite a few soldiers had been splattered with Nailmarni blood and were being treated. ‘Your Highness, Tiernan feels you would be far safer inside the western tower.’ The guardian stared into Kelian’s eyes and the Prince suddenly found himself wishing he was indeed inside the western tower.

  ‘Nice try!’ said Kelian, perceiving that the guardian was manipulating his emotions. ‘But Araas has already tried that one on me.’ The guardian’s face flushed pink and he turned away.

  Kelian moved across the ground feeling like he was trapped in a horrible nightmare. Bloodied bodies lay sprawled in every direction. His stomach churned as his eyes fell on the body of a soldier. He had the hands of a young man, but Kelian could not tell who he was as his face had been slashed away by a heavy blow from a sword, leaving the pulverized inside of his head exposed. Kelian vainly tried to wave the flies away from his body. A guardian ran past, carrying a man who was gasping in pain. Even with the guardian’s hand wrapped tightly around the stump of the man’s severed arm, blood poured from the injury and Kelian knew instinctively that it was unlikely the man would survive. He turned as a soldier bumped into him whilst groping his way up the slope. The man’s face was covered with blood from gruesome open cuts. He had obviously fallen at some point and his wounds were filled with dirt and crushed leaves and grass, and for a moment Kelian thought he had his eyes closed. The man reached towards him and gave a cry as Kelian caught his arm.

  ‘Where am I?’ the soldier gasped, and as he gazed at the man’s face, Kelian saw he was blind. ‘I’ll take you to the courtyard,’ said Kelian, grasping the man’s arm more firmly. He started to walk towards the buildings, guiding the man through the maze of bodies. He stopped as he noticed one of the bodies was moving slightly. ‘Don’t move,’ he instructed the blinded soldier, and he quickly knelt beside the body. He took hold of the man’s shoulder and his belt and rolled him over. The man gave a whimper of pain and clutched his slashed stomach as his intestines began to slide from the massive wound.

  ‘No!’ Kelian cried in horror and he reached out to try to help the man. Tiernan appeared beside him and he pushed Kelian away as he leaned over the body. Tiernan placed his hand on the man’s forehead. Kelian saw the man’s eyes open wide for a brief instant, then his hands fell to the ground and he lay immobile, staring blankly but peacefully in death. Tiernan picked up the blinded soldier and carried him away. Kelian crawled a few paces forward as he saw the body of Squire Luke of Sunrise. His legs were missing and Kelian knew that he probably died of shock very quickly as there was less blood than he would have expected to see from such an injury. He stared across the lake. As he watched, he saw several white figures slip from beneath the waterfall, scramble over the rocks at the top of the cliff and disappear into the trees. His heart sank. He had no doubt they would try use the stairs to their advantage in their next attack. He wondered if they would try to get most of their forces into the caverns beneath the rocks and stage their attack from there, but he decided this was improbable as they would be sure to know they could easily be trapped beneath the rocks. ‘If only we could confine them in there,’ Kelian thought to himself. He turned as Danil appeared beside him.

  ‘Your Highness, Tiernan asked if he might speak with you please,’ said Danil, looking at Kelian curiously.

  ‘Danil, is this another attempt to get me to stay in the western tower?’ said Kelian wearily.

  ‘No sir,’ said Danil sadly. ‘This is an attempt to put our heads together and find a way to stay alive.’

  Kelian said nothing but allowed Danil to escort him to the Western Tower. He stopped in surprise as they neared the tower. A massive iron portcullis barred their way. Behind the portcullis, iron clad, bloodwood doors blocked his view i
nto the tower. Kelian waited patiently and a moment later the doors were opened and the portcullis rose. There were footsteps behind him and Kelian turned as Tiernan crossed the courtyard. Seconds later Borgulnay and Gilgarry appeared followed by Timbul, Araas, Milgorry and General Marnol.

  ‘Follow me please,’ said Tiernan and he led them up the spiraling stone staircase. He stopped at the first level of the tower, where there were stone steps below slit windows around the walls of the tower but no other adornment. Everyone stood and waited patiently.

  ‘Please sit,’ said Kelian hastily and he sat himself on one of the stone steps. ‘Tiernan, you wished to speak with me?’

  ‘Yes Highness,’ said Tiernan. ‘Danil?’ Everyone turned expectantly towards Danil.

  ‘Prince Kelian,’ said Danil cautiously, ‘I apologize if you are offended by the intrusion but I caught a little of your thoughts just now when you were near the lake.’ Kelian raised an eyebrow but said nothing, so Danil continued. ‘You were wondering if there was any way of trapping them in the caverns on the far side of the lake. I think with a little planning it might be possible.’

  ‘I can’t imagine they’d be stupid enough to get trapped in there,’ said Kelian. ‘Which I’m sure you know, since you were wandering around inside my head,’ he added sarcastically, wondering if any of his thoughts were ever private any more.

  ‘I’m sorry sir,’ said Danil, his face turning red. ‘Your grief was intense. It was impossible to ignore. I’m sorry,’ he repeated sincerely.

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ said Kelian. ‘How exactly do you plan to get them into the cavern Danil?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Danil admitted. ‘I wish I knew more about them. I wish I could sense what they were planning.’

  ‘Callian said the Daoine Maithe can’t sense the Nailmarni and the Nailmarni can’t sense Daoine Maithe,’ said General Marnol.