Horizon (In the Absence of Kings Book 3)

by Lee LaCroix

  “Ah, Garreth. How glad of you to join us,” Ayden stated, his tense face braking into a smile.

  Garreth bowed, approached the desk, and began to look over the documents, which appeared to be information regarding registry for the militia and resources of coin, food, and trade goods.

  “I have sent word to my comrades. They should arrive at the week’s end,” Garreth explained.

  “Excellent. May they defend Andalvia as fiercely as they did that port city,” Ayden replied.

  An abrupt cough from the large man to Ayden’s left brought the young man’s attention upwards, and then Ayden nodded and hid his rolling eyes under his arching brow.

  “Garreth, these are my two aides. This is Dontas, the elected leader of the militia here in Andalvia. A skillful weaponsmith and also very astute with the arms he creates,” Ayden explained.

  Garreth nodded, and Dontas grunted as he shook the Malquian’s hand with an ironclad grip.

  “This is Merill, councillor supreme and voice of the people. Once the manager of a successful merchantry business that stretched across the continent, Merill is putting his skills to work with the tradespeople and the citizens to eek out every last bit of support possible,” Ayden introduced.

  A deep smile broke across the old man’s face as he bowed, and the two shook hands.

  “A pleasure, both of you,” Garreth told them.

  “Before we continue, I have some important news,” Ayden told him.

  “I can no longer access… the sanctum by the sea. I have been disallowed. I guess because I oversee so many responsibilities now. Rahven probably doesn’t want me to uncover anymore of Du…” Ayden began but was cut off by a telling glare by Garreth.

  “If you could go consult with them over the reason, I’d be in your debt,” Ayden explained.

  “Even more so? Quite a tab you are running up, young one. I suppose this is not too heavy a request,” Garreth replied as he crossed his arms and looked down upon the desk-ridden young man.

  “Until we meet again,” Garreth concluded, meeting eyes with Dontas and Merill before descending the tower.

  The smell of salt became heavy as Garreth took step after step down the ladder, securing his steps on the mist-soaked rungs, when he descended into the seaside cave which housed the shadowy Dusk. As he stepped off the final rung, he could feel the slight rush of wind, not from the sea, but from the shadowy defender come to escort him inside. Garreth made his way through the torch-lit hallways followed by a masked one at a distance and came to the inner sanctum once again where the Grandmaster was listening to another report. As Garreth entered, Rahven waved the acolyte away. The acolyte bowed his head and then retreated into the shadows. Rahven’s head cocked and settled with a weary gaze, only this time his brow seemed to be furrowed with an edge of annoyance.

  “Malquian,” Rahven stated.

  “Rahven,” Garreth replied.

  Rahven remained silent, waiting for Garreth to explain the meaning of his visit.

  “Ayden has sent me to find out why you have barred him from this place,” Garreth asked.

  “You are one of his lackeys now? Are you a slave like they were Vandar’s?” Rahven chided.

  “I am simply here to keep the peace,” Garreth stated.

  Rahven spat upon the ground, kicking up a small amount of dust.

  “I cannot allow that witless child to stumble around these halls. How he was elected to such power, I do not know, but he will not continue to disrupt our operations and reveal our existence to the rest of Kal’resh,” Rahven condemned, pounding a fist on the flat of his throne.

  “Preventing Vandar’s return will require the cooperation of all our allies,” Garreth advised.

  “We owe allegiance to no one like we have always done. Especially to you, Malquian, who let Malic the Red escape and who caused the entire war to come. If we had executed Malic when we wished, none of this would have happened. This rests on you,” Rahven accused.

  Garreth’s face was set and solid, but he refused to be driven into the man’s anger.

  “I may to be to blame, yes. But that… witless child has done more to free all of Kal’resh than those who cower in shadow,” Garreth replied before striding away from the inner sanctum.

  The iron hinges to the door, chalky and lightly rusted, creaked as Garreth opened the door to the room at the Cliffside Corner. He was glad to see that Ilsa had returned from the market, and Novas and Kayten had joined her after Novas’ archery tutorial in the courtyard. Kayten motioned to the bread, fruit, and cheese at the table where Garreth found himself a pear. He sat down on the bed beside Ilsa before unleashing a sigh and leaned against the wall, tiring of these foreign squabbles. They all ate in silence but everyone’s eyes fell upon Garreth, and he was called to speak.

  “Can you feel the palpable tension in the city? From the anxious people in the street watching the militia marching by in formation, to their leaders on the verge of panic from Vandar’s return. These Kal’reth have been segregated to their families and their small communities, but this is the first time in decades that they have had to work together as one. With their independence at stake, their ability to meet the upcoming confrontation will determine their rise or fall,” Garreth explained.

  “I overheard a pair of merchants talking in the market. They were packing up their stands and getting ready to flee from the Vandari as if they knew about Malic’s threats or retribution was already predetermined. I wonder if word has already gotten out,” Ilsa told them.

  “Probably from chatty ol’ Ayden up in his tower,” Kayten remarked with a smirk.

  “Now, now,” Garreth murmured, rolling his eyes.

  “Why can’t we just go back to Malquia now? They already seem to have their act together. Berault might have finally gotten better, and we could just bring a variety of medicine back from the city with us,” Novas explained.

  “We’re staying because the Kal’reth’s struggle against Vandar is not something I want to leave to chance. If the Vandari are not repelled here, then they will retake all of Kal’resh. As Malic said, they will not stop at Nacosst or the eastern shore but will continue right to Amatharsus. Their problem is our problem,” Garreth explained.

  Novas sighed and tapped his fingers along the table but could not disagree.

  On the third day since he had sent Ilsa to the market with the letter, Garreth began to stare over the sea from the cliff side steps, waiting for the red-sailed ships to arrive. Only the tiny fishing vessels braved the sea that day and lurked forth in the water; they were never out of sight of the city, for Vandar’s scouting parties always loomed upon the horizon. Garreth had spent his fair share of time in the courtyard with Novas as they trained the new recruits with the stances and stretches of archery and helped Kayten assemble newly fashioned bows. Garreth had been turned away at the door to the commander’s office, for the guard explained that the councillors were having a private discussion, but Garreth was sure that he was kept out for a reason. Like the Kal’reth that stared at him as they walked up from the docks into the city, Garreth bargained the new leaders could not completely trust the foreigner and would not include him in their plans. However, Garreth was not sore with Ayden. After all, the young man had journeyed to unite his people, and he should be working with his people first and foremost. If anything, Garreth was relieved; he was no politician and could use some rest before his skills would be called for again.

  It was not until the next morning when Garreth leaned under the archway to the docks. He was eating a breakfast of chicken-filled bun, bursting with spicy gravy, when the flag of the Malquian military appeared from around the bend in the northern cliffs. Garreth savoured the last of his breakfast, knowing that this was to be last of his rest now that his comrades had arrived. A pair of merchants stood on the edge of the stairs near him and pointed to the ship below.

  “Those are… the Malvians? Marquians?” the first stated, scratching his head.

  “Malquian
s, Nahed. They are the same soldiers that freed Nacosst, killing a division of hundreds of Vandari,” the other one explained.

  “Malquians, right, right,” Nahed replied, “Aren’t we just trading occupiers for allies?”

  “Perhaps. The Malquians have shown themselves to be liberators, but only time will tell of their true intentions,” the other one said.

  “My wife doesn’t trust them, I tell you. Sure, they may be trusted in Nacosst, but Andalvians are different. This isn’t a town, it’s a city. Everything is different here,” Nahed exclaimed.

  Nahed’s friend nodded and proceeded to shepherd Nahed down the stairs. Garreth decided to follow them and listen on curiously, but the two discussed his people no further. Garreth was cleaned and ready when the gangplank of the Windwalker slapped against the wood of the dock, and the sailors ran across it, tying the ship to the mooring.

  “Has the battle started? Are we too late?” Behn asked as he paced down the plank and met Garreth, shaking his hand before craning his neck to look at the towering city before him.

  “Surely, you jest,” Garreth stated as he motioned to the men who fished from the dock.

  “This looks like quite the city. The battle must have been something,” Eyrn greeted.

  “It wasn’t quite like our rebellion, but it was revolution all the same,” Garreth explained.

  “Well, let’s form up. I need to have you meet Ayden and his councillors now,” Garreth said.

  Behn nodded and began to yell out formation commands. After the Crown Aegis had formed up on the dock, local mercenaries from Nacosst scrambled off the ship.

  “We’re going to see Ayden? He has councillors now?” Eyrn asked as he bent his brow.

  Garreth nodded and waved them on, and he led Behn, Eyrn, and the rest of the Crown Aegis up the steep stairs to the city. There was a gathering of citizens as the Malquians reached the top of the stairs and broke the borders of the city, entering the archway and making their way onto the harbour-bound street. The citizens on the road divided as if a boulder pushed apart water on a stream, and the Crown Aegis marched through, drawing the attention of people on the streets and in their homes. As they turned to head to the fortress, business at the market stopped completely when many merchants and customers veered through tents to see what the commotion was about. The sharp gasps and not-so-subtle whispers were drowned out by the rhythmic stomping of the Malquian soldiers as they made their way from the streets into the courtyard. The grating of the sword-sharpening grindstone, the buffing of armour-polishing rag, and the quivering of arrows in their targets fell to silence as the militant Kal’reth watched their new allies march into their training ground.

  “Hold here! Captain Eyrn, keep the men at at-ten-tion!” Behn ordered as he turned to them.

  Eyrn offered a quick salute, and Behn and Garreth made their way into the tower. Well-rested Behn did not tire on his lively jog up the winding stairs, and the two made their way unimpeded into the commander’s room. Behn’s armoured appearance and tall height immediately brought all of Ayden and his councillor’s attention to him, and Behn and Garreth strode towards Ayden’s desk.

  “Captain Behn, a pleasure to see you well,” Ayden offered, extending his hand.

  “My, how you’ve grown,” Behn stated, cracking a grin and shaking the hand.

  “Behn, these are my councillors prime… Merill, master of opinion and coin, and Dontas, the commander of our native soldiers. You’ll be working alongside him in the days to come,” Ayden explained, motioning left and then right.

  Behn brought his eyes up to the equally large man at Ayden’s side. Dontas’ work as a smith had tanned and shaped his muscles into rigid definition from his bulging chest to his wide shoulders and rippling arms. The look upon Dontas’ face was as steely as the weapons he created and as firm as the grasp he put on them. A growl rose between them, not from their throats, but from their eyes.

  “Must we rely so much on foreign aid, Ayden? You have seen our soldiers as of late. They were strong enough to free Erawal, and now they will defend Andalvia with might and honour,” Dontas questioned, a brief scowl forming on his face.

  “Forgive me, comrades, but was it not ‘foreign aid’ that gathered the first of you in Nacosst and marshalled the leader that sits here before you? Had the battle in Nacosst never occurred then Erawal would have never been liberated, and Garreth would have never ventured here to take this fortress in the first place. I’d be mighty skeptical of a defense that does not take this into account,” Behn explained.

  Dontas breathed in deep and moved to speak before Ayden raised his hand for silence.

  “No, you are quite right, captain. Let us not forget that Malquia needs the Kal’reth as much as we need you. As nations apart, we all can fall under the collective power of the Vandari. Together, we are allies against them, and I believe we have a chance to defeat them,” Ayden explained, which drew a faint smile and a stern nod from Meril.

  “You’re quite right, Ayden. I think we should tell the soldiers below this as well. I think the new arrivals also have them on edge,” Garreth suggested.

  “Quite right. Let us go,” Ayden stated, pushing away from the table and standing up.

  Dontas gave Behn a brief look as he walked on by, and Behn just rolled his eyes at Garreth, who could only shrug. The two Malquians followed Ayden and his councillors to the courtyard where Dontas rallied his soldiers in front of Ayden. With the Crown Aegis on the one side and the Kal’reth on the other, they each stood in formation with rows of ten and listened to the young leader speak.

  “I would like to welcome these brave soldiers to our stalwart city of Andalvia. These very same souls have fought the Vandari in their homeland and put an end to an entire invasion before sailing here to assist us in our struggles. With the leadership of Garreth and Behn and the martial prowess of Eyrn, my hometown of Nacosst was freed from the grip of Vandar and allowed me to venture forth to Erawal and to Andalvia to rally you all but not before leaving more than two hundred dead Vandari in their wake. Aided by Malquians Ilsa and Kayten, we were able to disable the bloodfire mines outside of Erawal, leaving that most precious oasis untainted for generations to come. And as most of you know, their help was critical in the taking of this fortress from the Vandarian force… from the terrible skirmish below the gate to the grounds and all the way up to Garreth’s battle against Rakash Dommath, the Light of Judgment,” Ayden began.

  “I do not ask that you embrace them as brothers or as family today, tomorrow, or the next day, for we are all weary of foreigners on our sand and soil. But when battle finally calls upon us, you will see which side of the battlefield they stand upon. When you find yourself beside them in the blood, the sand, and the heat, you will know that they have come here to fight the Vandari, and that common goal will unite you,” Ayden continued.

  “Lastly, let me tell you of this man. It was this man, Eyrn, who taught me how to take up a sword and allowed me to lead you to this point in our liberation. I am honoured to say he has volunteered to train you all in the ways of combat, battle, and war, so you may also have the chance to rise above the Vandari. If you had not the chance, your vengeance will surely be quenched. Please open your eyes and your minds to his words and his teachings, for it will benefit us all before the end,” Ayden explained, motioning to Eyrn, who now stood at the front of the Malquian formation.

  “Train hard and steel yourselves. No one can deny Vandar’s return, but we can deny them victory. That is all. Dismissed!” Ayden shouted and saluted the soldiers.

  The two brigades responded in turn and walked off in different directions, separating the Malquians on one side of the courtyard and the Kal’reth on the other. Their leaders watched in dismay but knew that battle would unite them.

  “Garreth! Before you go, we must speak,” Ayden called out to him.

  Garreth nodded and walked over, and his councillors gave them some distance.

  “About Andalvia, and our defenses…” Ay
den began.

  “The defenses are looking fine. The siege from Nacosst is being unloaded from the Windwalker as we speak, and the Crown Aegis will be able to pass along their know-how before the time comes. As long as the scouts are still reporting in, the soldiers are still training, and the siege is placed on the walls properly, we should be ready for them,” Garreth explained.

  “The forward scouts across Vandar’s border have yet to return. There is a fork in the major highway that connects the southern and western regions, and they should be found there. I can’t spare any more men as we prepare the defense, could you assist us with this matter?” Ayden asked.

  Garreth agreed and turned back to the city gates. As he walked back to the Cliffside Corner, he could not help but lower his gaze and brood. Malic would be a fool to come back to Andalvia after his defeat, imprisonment, and near execution. Garreth felt he was being mighty optimistic in believing that Berault could still be well, but he couldn’t give up hope while his strength was needed there and here. He felt spite for himself as he willed this war into action and wanted to put this conflict to an end, so he could finally sail home to the green and golden wood.

  As Ayden released his hands from his hair, a few long strands came with them. As they floated to the stone floor below, he wondered if stress was sending him to an early grave, for it felt like old age had come upon him shortly. Ayden was unhappy because his people were unhappy, and they were unhappy because everything had become so expensive in the absence of Vandarian trade. The merchants had had to raise their prices because of all the provisions they were giving to the Kal’reth army had left them short of coin. The Kal’reth army was still disjointed and ill-equipped because they still had not the resources or the management to fight the Vandari on such a large scale so soon after its formation. Ayden could see the veins of progress begin to clot in the fair city and felt there was little he could do to save it now.