The Way to Freedom: The Complete Season One (Books 1-5): An Epic Fantasy Action Adventure (The Way to Freedom Series)

by H. M. Clarke

  “Captain Jerant’s men have placed me in a difficult situation. I know being Hatar Kalar, your allegiance is to the Emperor and to the Provost Marshall.” The lieutenant paused to gather his thoughts. “They did not want Hatar Kalar involved because you would be required to report back to Provost Marshall Brock about their actions.”

  “What is going on here lieutenant?” Kalena could not help herself. Instantly she felt warnings from both Adhamh and Kral. She was taking a risk by speaking out of turn with an unknown Freeman but Kalena was beginning to tire of this dilly-dallying around what the lieutenant actually wanted of them. Whatever was happening had rattled lieutenant Ost so much that he seemed not to realize that they were Kalarthri who had committed a social faux pas. When Ost answered, he spoke directly to Kral.

  “I sent for you to either verify or dispute the claims made by Captain Jerant’s men. I am not satisfied that they are telling the truth. And if they aren’t…” Lieutenant Ost stopped mid sentence as if afraid to finish speaking what was on his mind.

  “What are we here to verify Sir?” Kral asked. Kalena sensed that he was getting a little tired of the lieutenant’s evasive answers as well.

  “You will understand when we see the prisoner. You will see the dilemma I am in.”

  Ost turned and opened the door and herded Kalena and Kral out of the mess hall. Outside they were joined by three other men (including the private they had met earlier) and were lead through several corridors to the rear blocks of the Post House. This area looked to be a much older structure, made of stone instead of wood and was blessedly cooler as well.

  The small group stopped before a thick, ironbound door with an impressive array of locks and latches.

  “Bayes, open the Strong room.”

  Lieutenant Ost flicked a finger at one of the privates who immediately pulled a large set of keys from his belt and started to unlock and unlatch all the fastenings.

  “The Payroll Strong room is the only place here to secure a prisoner. Normally prisoners go to Foxtern but Captain Jerant’s men did not want him to go there. That fact alone made me suspicious.”

  ‘This Lieutenant Ost is annoying me by not coming straight to the point!’ Kalena relayed to Kral through the Hatar. ‘Adhamh sensed someone with The Gift earlier and I think this prisoner is who Adhamh heard.’

  ‘Don’t get so worked up Kalena. Try practicing a little patience.’

  ‘I’ve spent ten years treated as a little kid who was told nothing and pushed around by a brother who didn’t like me. Wing Lieutenant Bessal has given me a taste for straight talking.’

  Kral shook his head. ‘Just be patient Kalena – and don’t say anything aloud that might get us jailed!’

  Kalena glared at Kral. She had only known him for a day but she already felt to have known him forever.

  Bayes removed the final lock and stepped back from the door.

  “I sent a request to Hered to send two Hatar Kalar to confirm whether this prisoner is the fraud they say his is.”

  “What fraud has this man committed that can only be confirmed by the likes of us?” Kral placed his boot hard on Kalena’s foot, distracting her from saying anything untoward.

  “You’ll understand when you see him,” the Lieutenant replied. He turned to Bayes. “Open the door.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  Bayes pushed down on the heavy steel handle, making a loud clunk, and pulled the door open. Kalena and Kral entered the strong room. A small candle flickered from a table just inside the room. Kalena could see assorted strongboxes and chests padlocked and stacked neatly against the room’s stone walls. And she saw a figure on the far end of the room swing itself up from a temporary bed made on a row of strong boxes.

  ‘Help me!’

  Kalena heard the voice echo through her mind as she stared in disbelief at the man.

  “You have a Pydarki imprisoned for fraud?” Kalena could not stop the words leaving her mouth. Kral stood in shocked silence beside her.

  What were once pristine white clothes were now dirty and torn, bells no longer tinkled in his braided hair and iron manacles dangled from his wrists and ankles.

  “Captain Jerant’s men said that he was no Pydarki, and that they had been on his trail for a while for defrauding the empire and placing the Pydarki in a bad light with civilians.”

  Kalena could not take her eyes from the forlorn figure. Apart from moving to sit up he sat as still as a stone, but Kalena could still sense his presence in her head. There was something about the man, apart from his thought speech that kept her staring.

  “But it’s obvious he’s a Pydarki.” Kral visibly straightened, throwing off his shock of seeing such a revered person in chains.

  “Are you absolutely certain? I’ve heard that the Gift of a Hatar Kalar could identify a Pydarki.”

  Kral heaved a sigh.

  “I thought that the crystal the Pydarki put in your head would be able to… somehow authenticate that he is Pydarki.”

  Kalena barely listened to their exchange. Her eyes never left those of the prisoner. Then a memory came to her.

  “I know this man.”

  Without turning her head Kalena felt the eyes of both Kral and Lieutenant Ost burn into her.

  “He was one of the Pydarki who placed the crystals in mine and Adhamh’s head.” Kalena stepped angrily forward. “I demand this man is released immediately. The Pydarki are deemed sacred and come under the Emperors protection.”

  “That is all the confirmation I need,” Ost hurriedly said as he signaled Bayes to see to the Pydarki’s manacles. “I knew those men were lying. You will report this to the Provost Marshall?”

  “Of course,” Kral replied.

  Kalena sat next to the man as Bayes unlocked the heavy manacles.

  “Your name is Asnar isn’t it?”

  The Pydarki nodded.

  “You were the one who calmed me when I went through the Krytal.”

  “I remember,” he answered in the soft voice Kalena remembered. But Asnar sat as still as a statue, only moving when Bayes removed the manacles.

  ‘Help me get away from this place.’

  Kalena heard his voice, was on the verge of getting Adhamh to forward a reply but hesitated as she realized exactly what was happening. This man could mind talk! And mind talk to both her and Adhamh.

  ‘We will, just stay quiet and we’ll get you out of here.’ Kalena said as she made a show of examining the Pydarki.

  “Kral, Asnar needs to be taken back to Darkon where a Pydarki medical officer can look at him.”

  Kral gave Kalena an odd look but did not contradict her. Both knew very well that there were no Pydarki physicians at Darkon. But they had found a live Pydarki quicker than they imagined when they set out this morning and they were not about to throw this chance away.

  “Are we able to take him? What paperwork did Captain Jerant’s men leave you?”

  “They left me nothing except a compliant, manacled prisoner.”

  ‘What would Captain Jerant want with a Pydarki?’ Kral relayed to Kalena.

  ‘Why risk the displeasure of the Emperor by illegally taking a Pydarki prisoner?’ she relayed back to him.

  “There are no official records to hold him, so as a Pydarki he is free to leave. The Emperor has given them the right to free passage anywhere in the empire.”

  ‘Great, let’s get out of here before the expected Hatar Kalar arrive,’ Kral said in relief.

  ‘And now we have a Pydarki to take back to Darkon to help Holm.’ Kalena replied.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Honour Debt

  Now that the sun was down everything felt cold. Kalena huddled further into Adhamh’s neck feathers that felt comfortably warm against her face. A bag of provisions and a water bag was fastened behind her to the saddle. The Lieutenant had ordered it to be made up for them to help put him in a better light with the Pydarki and the Provost Marshall.

  The Pydarki himself was strapped in behind Kral
and he was a man of few words. Apart from consenting to be taken to Darkon he had said nothing. He was now fast asleep; Kalena had got the impression that Asnar had not slept properly for a long while.

  ‘Adhamh, I’m going to try and get some sleep it’s getting late and I want to have my wits about me when we get back to Darkon. Hopefully Gwidion will be in a good mood.’

  ‘I have some good news for you before you go to sleep. I was able to talk to a Hatar’le’margarten stationed at Hered. They had received Ost’s request and were going to send some Flyers out tomorrow. I’ve told them not to bother because we have dealt with it.’

  ‘What! You can do that?’

  ‘Yes I can.’

  ‘But how?’

  ‘I am Hatar nobility. Being a Kalar does not negate this. No Hatar would disobey an order from Hatar Nobility.’

  ‘You never told me this before.’

  ‘You’ve never asked.’

  It was a few hours after midnight when Kalena awoke with a start. At least this time she did not fall off as Adhamh began his descent. His black feathers merged into the blue black of the night sky and occasionally they would pick up the clean light from the stars burning brightly above them.

  Growing slowly below them was the orange glow of Darkon. From above, the place looked so large, it was larger than she imagined with buildings and roads radiating in all directions – she had only experienced the city from the ground and had only had limited access at that.

  As Adhamh dropped quickly from the sky, Kalena was suddenly able to spot landmarks from the spread of buildings and light. She could spot the Hatar Quarter, the large barracks built for the Hatar was an easy give away and the large black square that was the Flying Field. The rest of Darkon’s buildings she did not recognize.

  ‘Pretty isn’t it.’

  Kalena turned back to look at Kral and Trar.

  ‘It’s different,’ Kalena replied. ‘I only recognize the Hatar Quarter, the rest is completely foreign to me.’

  ‘I can make out the Children’s Quarter and the Hatchling’s Quarter,’ Kral relayed through Trar. ‘The rest of what’s left is for the Freeborns.’

  ‘How is your passenger?’

  ‘He’s still sleeping. In fact he snores so loudly that even the wind can’t cover it.’

  ‘I didn’t know that someone that young could snore.’

  ‘Wait till you have to sleep in the same room as Holm – then you will know snoring.’

  ‘That will only happen if Asnar is able to repair his crystal.’

  ‘Let’s hope he can. He hasn’t said much has he?’

  ‘Let’s see how talkative you are after spending a week in chains with Jerant’s Henchmen.’

  ‘Point taken.’

  Adhamh banked sharply, distracting Kalena’s attention from Kral. They were now descending directly towards the Flying Field, which now was lit up with lanterns and brazier fires for any night flying Hatar Kalar messengers.

  ‘Did you see that?’ Kral’s question pushed into Kalena’s thoughts. Trar was now directing Kral’s thoughts directly to her instead of through Adhamh. How she wished to be able to just talk straight to him….

  ‘No. What is it?’ Kalena glanced at the ground below but could not see anything unusual.

  ‘Someone just bolted from the head of the Flying Field towards the main barracks.’

  ‘Great’. Kalena thought to herself. Gwidion had posted someone to watch for their return. It probably means that they are in deep trouble; hopefully Asnar’s presence will get them out of it. After all, today is a Free day where people were free to do what they pleased.

  Let’s hope the Wing Lieutenant sees it that way.

  Both Hatar landed perfectly in the centre of the Flying Field. Kalena sat up to unbuckle her straps, grimacing as her stiff aching muscles protested at the movement.

  ‘He’s coming.’ Adhamh let loose a low rumble that Kalena felt through the soles of her boots as she slid down the Hatar’s shoulder to the ground.

  “Are we here?”

  Kalena looked up to see Asnar unbuckling himself from Trar’s saddle and, ignoring Kral’s helping hand, hiked a leg and slid gracefully down to the ground.

  “Gwidion’s on the way,” Kalena said to Kral.

  “Is he in a good mood?” Kral asked hopefully as he pulled his hand quickly away from the Pydarki and gave Kalena a sour look. Kalena felt a flare of annoyance mixed with embarrassment from Kral, Asnar certainly is not Kral’s favorite person at the moment.

  ‘I don’t like this man.’

  ‘You don’t have to like him Kral. Just be nice to him. I’d worship the ground Jerant walked on if I thought it would help Holm!’

  Kral grunted and turned to ease Trar’s girth strap as Asnar stretched after the long flight.

  “Asnar, our Wing Lieutenant is coming –“

  “And your Wing Commander Kalena. Make sure of your information before you repeat it.”

  Kalena jumped at the unexpected voice and turned guiltily to face both Harada and Gwidion. In Harada’s hand was a crumpled piece of paper.

  “Who gave you the impression that this-” Harada held up the crumpled paper for her to see. Kalena recognized the letter she had written that morning to the Wing Lieutenant. “- Expedition would be sanctioned? What would possibly put it into your head that a Cadet Flyer would be able to find someone to help Holm Lunman when we have already sent a request through official channels?”

  Kalena shrank back from Harada’s onslaught. The Wing Commander was not yelling but Kalena could feel his anger burning hot as if it was a bonfire.

  “What would make you do such a foolhardy thing?”

  “We went with her, so you should yell at us as well.” Kral now stood next to Kalena, head up and shoulders braced. He had not officially met his Wing Commander. Hopefully Kalena had not ruined his career in the Flights forever.

  “Yes I should,” Harada glared at both of them. “You don’t know how lucky you are that it was a Free Day today. I would have had no choice but to report you all absent without leave to the Provost Marshall’s Office-.”

  “But Wing Commander-” Kalena cut of Harada’s harangue; she was in trouble already so this blatant interruption would not hurt her prospects. “-We found a Py-“

  “I don’t care what you found Kalena. Your actions very nearly placed Provost Marshall Brock in a precarious position.”

  “Excuse me Wing Commander.” Asnar chose this moment to step out from the darkness of Trar’s wing and stand behind Kral and Kalena. The expression on Harada’s face did not change. If possible it looked to become stonier.

  “Who are you?”

  Kalena was not surprised at the question. In the dark and lacking his tinkling hair bells and still wearing his dirty suede, he looked no different from any other Suenese citizen.

  “I am Asnar and I owe both these young Flyers an Honor Debt. To repay that debt I will physic the young man called Holm Lunman.”

  Harada exchanged a surprised look with Gwidion.

  “And how are you able to do that? Only a Pydarki has the skill to repair damage to a crystal,” Gwidion said. It was clear to Kalena that the Wing Lieutenant did not believe Asnar.

  “I am a Pydarki. You have spoken to me before, after I implanted this girl’s crystal.” Asnar stepped between the two Flyers and stood more in the warm glow of the beacon flames in the tattered, dirty remains of his Pydarki garb. “I am Angrave’s novice.”

  Gwidion stared at the man as the light from the fires lit Asnar’s face. “I remember.” The Wing Lieutenant placed a hand to his heart. “Please accept our apology, we meant no offence.”

  “I have heard nothing that offends me. But from what I understand, your Cadet Holm Lunman is suffering from Crystal Shock and needs attention straight away. If he is left much longer, the damage will be irreversible.”

  “Gwidion, take him to Holm,” Harada ordered and stood silently as the two men left the Flying Field and headed tow
ards the Flyers Barracks. Once the two men had disappeared into the darkness of the buildings Harada turned angrily on Kalena and Kral.

  “The four of you are going on punishment duties as of now-”

  “But Commander-“

  Harada cut the air angrily with his hand. “Kalena do not interrupt.”

  Kalena bit her tongue and tried not to look at Kral. She had never seen the Wing Commander so angry. In fact the only other people Kalena could remember burning anger from is her brother Videan and Captain Jerant.

  “Leaving Darkon, much less the Hatar Kalar Quarter without permission was a reckless thing to do. Especially now.”

  Kalena’s head jerked up, but she had to stop herself from saying anything. After all, the Wing Commander had told her not to interrupt.

  “We apologize for our actions Wing Commander,” Kral said in a rush. “We weren’t thinking-“

  “Obviously.”

  But the heat in Harada’s voice had died out. “A delegation from the Provost Justicary is in Darkon to determine whether to increase their presence here.”

  “The Provost Justicar? Here?” Kral looked appalled.

  “What’s wrong with having the Justicars here?” Kalena could not understand Harada and Kral’s reaction. The Justicars are entrusted with keeping and upholding the Book of Law which holds every law and decree that has been issued by the Emperors since Suene was raised as a nation from the Endless Sands.

  Both men looked at her incredulously. “Where have you been all your life? Under a rock?” Kral finally spluttered out.

  “Not a rock but in the coastal mountains,” Harada said with a smile.

  A wave of relief swept over Kalena. A smile meant that he was no longer angry with them.

  “Oh,” was all Kral could say when he realized that Harada was not joking.

  “The Justicars do not like Hatar Kalar Kalena,” Harada said. “They think that Hatar’le’margarten are animals and should be treated as such; that any Kalar that shows signs of the Gift should have it burnt out of them. They mistrust any form of communication that they cannot control or overhear – The Justicars mistrust anything that they do not have direct control over.”