by J. A. Comley
The King glanced at Astria, who winced but nodded in confirmation.
“I am glad that you have come now, friends,” King Eldos said, giving a small bow in return, the others with him following suit. “We have dire need of your help. We thank Mistress Ezira for her gift of allied warriors.”
The beast suddenly snorted loudly, causing everyone to jump.
“Do not fear the elpion.” General Okano said, “They are true warriors, like us. They will not harm you. Only our enemies.” His teeth gleamed as he exposed them in a grim smile, pointed canines adding to the feral look in his eyes.
The two kings grasped hands and then led the way back into the Hall, heads close together as they spoke.
King Eldos faced his people once they had climbed the steps. “I need you all to pass on the message that General Okano and Queen Valana,” he nodded at the grave-looking man and woman, “have come to our aid with over fifty thousand Aurelian warriors.” He raised his hand to calm the exclamations. “Those who will not fight, prepare yourselves and your dependants to be in the bunker here by nightfall,” he paused and turned to look at the clock above the chambers doors. “today,” he finished. The hands stood at just past midnight. “I need the Duke and Duchess, the High Lady and the Captains of both armies to remain. The rest of you are dismissed.”
The people hurried to obey their King, a new hope shining in their eyes. In the commotion, no one noticed Ditte concealing himself behind the curtain to the side door. A nervous-looking page boy rushed out to collect the Aurelian Captains.
The King gathered everyone into a circle as the Aurelian captains arrived. Five women and four men, but all nine were white-skinned, well-muscled warriors. Most had the common sea-green eyes and black flowing hair common to their people. The exception came to stand next to the General of Aurelia. Her hair shone turquoise and her eyes gleamed silver, ringed in black.
“This is Thira, our daughter, heir to the throne of Aurelia and second-in-command of our armies.” General Okano introduced her in a formal tone as she took her place beside him, barely showing the well of deep emotion that burned in his eyes.
A powerful family. Three Nightstalkers of undiluted heritage, Naleiya thought, looking at their rare silver eyes.
“Firstly,” King Eldos began, exchanging a quick look with his grandson, “Starla has gone to Kyron's lair in Abyss Valley.”
“What!” spluttered Shaneulia before she could stop herself.
“Why?” Markis breathed, bewildered.
“Such a mission is suicide,” Queen Valana stated, her silver eyes curious at Starla's actions.
“She went for several reasons. One of the most strategic being that the High Lord is alive and being kept there.”
“Larkel is … alive?” Markis said in wonder, his heart filling up with hope.
“Yes, the High Lord of Galatia lives,” Naleiya said proudly, her heart leaping as the words sang inside her.
“The other reason?” General Okano enquired, breathing a thankful sigh that High Lord Jari's son still lived.
“Starla is a Soreiaphin. She carries half of her amulet. We are not sure of its power, but Ezira believes it to be unprecedented. One of the Earthlings who made up Starla's adoptive family has the other piece. She has gone not only to rescue our High Lord, but also to unite the amulet that may give us an unexpected advantage.”
Ditte slipped quietly out through the side door as the group expressed their joy and concerns. He had pushed his luck far enough. It was time to return to his master and inform him of the new developments.
Everyone suddenly quietened. The Queen and General of Aurelia seemed to be having an intense, yet completely silent, debate. The black-rimmed irises of their eyes bore relentlessly into each other's.
“Oh, no,”Astria breathed, a terrible thought occurring to her.
“Ezira did as you suspected, Queen Astria,” Valana finally said out loud.
“Astria?” The King said at the same time Niden said, “Grandmother?”
Astria sighed, her eyes cold. “Commander, please ask your captains to begin preparations. Either to help in training or evacuating the remaining villages and farmsteads. My Inagium will help with travel. I have sent a message ahead. They should be waiting.”
Valana narrowed her eyes but when she spoke her voice was calm. “We have brought Guiding Stones. We can clear all the villages by sun-up. We will require only one Galatian to use the stone and send the party to the right place. Each stone has magic only for two trips. If a village is empty, that team will return empty-handed.”
Commander D'Ordeley nodded. “Go with the Aurelians,” she ordered her captains. “See to it that they have good men. If there are not enough Guiding Stones, cross out villages that are known to have been attacked, or that are unlikely to have survived the grobbler and ergothan hunts.”
They nodded and followed the Aurelian captains out of the doors.
“I must insist on speaking,” Okano said, turning again to Astria, his wife clearly impatient beside him. “If you do not trust these people, send them out.”
“We do trust them. Implicitly,” Prince Niden said, his blue eyes full of fire again.
Okano merely nodded to Astria, waiting for her to speak.
“Starla cannot unite the amulet,” Astria murmured, her tone disbelieving.
The others stood rooted to the spot, silent, waiting for the next wave of bad news.
“She does not have the true Star,” Astria finished, her voice still flat.
She knew she shouldn't have left Starla alone, even to get dressed. Isn't this what she feared? This was why she had taken the amulet and kept it under guard, never sleeping, while Starla recovered.
“What? Grandmother, what are you saying? How … why?” Niden asked, grabbing his grandmother's shoulders.
“It was Mistress Ezira's doing,” Valana said, her voice lacking any emotion. “She could not risk Kyron having both pieces should Starla fail. She ordered Okano to place it within the Lightless Tree.”
Naleiya felt faint. Her wife grabbed her waist to steady her as she wavered. The Lightless Tree was the name given to the giant mirrored tree on Aurelia where Kyron and Ezira had split. It creates a magical anomaly, concealing anything within it. Magic did not work within its influence. Creatures of pure magic, like Sacrileons and Demilain, could not even enter. It had been used to great effect by the group known as The Unseen Hand back before the Silver Alliance had been drawn up. Valana and Okano knew it well.
“But how does she expect Starla to get back out?” Shaneulia whispered, then her brown eyes lit up with understanding. “She doesn't even expect Starla to get in, does she?”
“You knew?” Naleiya had meant it only to be a question, but her voice was filled with muted anger.
Astria shook her head weakly. “I suspected. I knew the risk. We all know that Demilain can potentially alter the magic of an amulet. Imagine if Kyron did that to Starla's? He doesn't need more power.” She turned away to hide her tears.
“But she let our granddaughter take the risk and you did nothing?” King Eldos said, shock on his kind face.
“I didn't think she actually would. Not once Starla was awake. I don't know how she could have done it without Starla noticing the difference.” Astria moaned, clearly distressed. “I thought of warning Starla, but I didn't want her to anger Ezira.”
“Kyron will kill her if she is caught!” Niden shouted. “How could you let her go alone without even checking if Ezira had swapped the true Star for a fake?”
“Your grandmother did the right thing,” Valana said, her voice grave but full of authority. “Mistress Ezira is right, the risk could not be taken.” She pulled out a pouch from Okano's waist band. Carefully holding a small length of white wood, she lifted a silver chain from inside. The Star glittered faintly in the candle light. Quickly, she slipped it back into the pouch and sealed it.
“Without the amulet, what hope does she have?” hissed Naleiya, snatchin
g the pouch, ignoring Okano as he shifted protectively towards his wife, his ears laid back.
Valana waved him down, shifting uncomfortably as the Galatians reeled from the sting of betrayal. She was not used to the strong emotions these people were so blatantly expressing. Aurelians were taught from very young to channel all emotion into the void. Only a calm warrior could be undefeated. Emotions were private and of no use in situations like this.
“If you think she was right, why didn't you do as she ordered?” Zerina demanded.
“Because I don't believe the Star should be where it cannot be reached,” Okano said, calmly.
“Starla can summon it with the other half once she realises the one she bares is fake,” Valana added. “Or it will be waiting here for her return. It was too great a risk to send it into Abyss Valley.”
Naleiya breathed deeply, in and out, in and out. Her brother's survival was relying on Starla's success and Starla was now trusting to a plan that could never work.
“There is still hope.” Astria finally spoke, answering Naleiya's earlier question. “She did not go alone. The remaining five Guardians are with her. Ezira constructed Darkness Mantles for them to be able to pass through Abyss Valley undetected. They have a chance. The Guardians' Sacred Stones are there. They'll be stronger on the way out.”
The others seemed a little calmed by this revelation. Perhaps there was hope after all.
“Perhaps, if they are lucky enough to get in, they will be lucky enough to get back out,” Medara said, trying to boost the calm, add a little hope.
Prince Niden finally spoke, though his blue eyes still looked haunted. He held Zerina's held tightly in his. “Commander—” he cleared the lump from his throat, “Commander Medara, General Okano, Queen Valana, we have a City to prepare for war and a battle to plan. We have only a day in which to do this. Please go. Co-ordinate your troops.”
“What of Starla's mission?” Markis softly interjected. So much depended on her success. He knew what her death would do to the people before him. Her death would also mean Larkel's, again. He wasn't sure Naleiya could bear that.
“We will hope that she is successful but we must plan as if she has failed,” Queen Zerina said, softly, when her fiancé didn't speak.
The Prince shot her a sharp glance, grimaced, then nodded. “Yes, go,” he said again.
Okano and Medara left the Hall at a trot, Valana loping gracefully a step ahead.
“High Lady Naleiya,” the prince continued as his grandparents went up to the high chairs, heads close as they whispered, “will you see to it that your Order further expands and fortifies the bunker before sun-up?” his formal tone cracking a little as she locked eyes with him. “I want it ready before the first civilians arrive.”
Naleiya shifted back into her level-headed mode with difficulty.
“Yes, my Prince,” she bowed. “We will give it every form of protection we can muster.”
“Good. Markis, Shaneulia, keep working on that mystery potion. I want a trial run by noon at the latest. Dismissed.” He turned away from them, pulling Zerina close to his side as he went to join his grandparents.
“I hope she makes it,” Shaneulia murmured as she followed her husband back to their little corner of the hall.
“She will,” Naleiya said, striding past her towards the doors. “She has to. For Galatia. And my brother.”
***
Father Joe bundled away the white shawl he had been waving in Larkel's direction as two drodemions walked in, the door screeching. Larkel's eyes had fluttered open a moment ago and he had been trying to get his attention. They were shut again.
The drodemions both wore the black sash and he watched in silence as they chanted together, slowly floating the young man across the pit and laying him on the ground before them. His chains receded until they only bound his arms and torso. One of them lifted the man up with a wave of its burnt hand, charred finger bones curling, while the other came up to Father Joe's cage, placing its hands against the bars. Two bars glowed red, then disappeared. Larkel was unceremoniously tossed into the cage, landing with a low grunt at Raoul's feet. The drodemions watched with blind eyes until the bars reformed, then marched silently from the room, the door squealing shut behind them. Elise grabbed Antonio's handkerchief and dipped in the bowl of drinking water in their cage.
“Here,” she said, handing the dripping cloth to Father Joe through the bars.
Something cold and wet was pressing against Larkel's face. He tried to wriggle away from it and found that his body seemed to be in contact with something more solid than air.
He jolted upright, setting his head spinning and his burnt skin screaming.
“Easy! Don't over do it now, son,” Father Joe cautioned as the man's indigo eyes flashed open, looking everywhere, taking it all in. Pain suffused every part of his body.
“You've been dangling like a dead pheasant for a day. But at least you didn't get eaten,” Pierre interjected, eyes still vague as he spoke to the ceiling.
Larkel shifted so that his back was against the back of the cage in the corner next to Elise's. The smell of waste, sweat and blood were much stronger here on the ground. He leaned his head against the bars and looked up through the oculus at the deepening red sky. His arms were still chained to his sides from shoulders to elbows, the spell restricting his powers. It would be difficult to heal himself, slower than usual, but not impossible. He shut his eyes to concentrate.
“Son,” Father Joe was squatting in front of him, his dirty, bloodied clothes reminding Larkel of the first time he had seen Starla, “you know who we are, so you must know that we love Starla. Please tell us where she is. Is she safe?”
At the mention of Starla, fresh tears came racing to Larkel's eyes. He felt them spill over unbidden, their salt burning his wounded skin.
“That … man—” Raoul's voice came from Larkel's right, his tone making it clear that 'man' was not the word he would prefer to use, “Kyron. He said that he'd killed your girlfriend. Did he mean Starla?”
Larkel turned his head to meet Raoul's accusing gaze. His voice had broken not on the word 'killed' but on 'girlfriend'.
“She had the amulet,” Larkel's voice seemed to come from far away. “He ki… killed her for it.”
With those words, the accusation vanished and he saw his own pain mirrored in Raoul's eyes. He felt the sobs building in his chest, the utter denial of every cell in his body. The deep hurt rang through him, threatening to shatter him.
Suddenly, he bellowed, a wordless cry of rage and pain. Elise screamed in fear and Father Joe jumped away from him. The High Lord noticed none of this as his heart twisted, like it wanted to rip itself from his chest.
“No! I don't … I won't believe him!” Larkel scolded himself, sounding demented even to his own ears. “I will not let him break me. I will not believe his lies,” he said, calming himself, stilling his chaotic mind. “I will believe she is alive until I have seen proof that tells me otherwise. The Baron could have stolen her bracelet just as he had the bird book.” His voice became a whimper. “She can't be dead, she just can't.”
Pierre was nodding sagely. “Angels never die. They never die.”
As if the other man's madness had squelched his own, Larkel concentrated on his breathing, concentrated on the miniscule trail of magic he could get past Kyron's chains and started healing his broken body.
After he was certain that he was in complete control again, he opened his eyes and looked around. They all looked frightened. Each watching him apprehensively, through wide eyes, as he collected himself. All except Pierre, who had a soft smile on his lips, his eyes shut, as if he were lost in some pleasant memory.
Great first impression, Larkel, he thought, bitterly. These people all looked haggard, haunted, terrified. They all wore ragged clothes, stained with blood and vomit.
“Forgive my outburst.” He kept his voice low and even, demonstrating that there would be no more. “Starla and I got separated, so I
cannot tell you where she is or if she is safe. But I have to … I do believe that she is alive. Kyron is lying.”
Raoul's eyes narrowed, though Larkel guessed the suspicion was not for his assertion that Starla was alive.
“Do you know where we are?” Elise asked, timidly, her ginger hair falling in a tangle over her dirty blue dress, her skirts torn. Larkel tried not to think of why that might be.
“Yes, Mrs Salso, oh and congratulations on your wedding. You are—” Larkel began, keeping to his professional voice, calm and reassuring.
“Wait,” Antonio said, his eyes betraying his wariness of Larkel, “I would first like to know who you are.”
Larkel smiled. “I am Larkel Dios.” Not wanting to sound self-important, but realising they might have picked up on the term when Kyron or the Baron used it, he added, “High Lord, well, former now, I suppose, if they believe me dead, High Lord Larkel Dios.”
Antonio looked confused, but nodded at the open sincerity in the stranger's eyes.
“You are all in the Trianon System.” Despite the fact that they all wore a dumbfounded look now, Larkel ploughed on. “On a planet called Galatia.”
“Galatia!” Raoul and the old priest choked out together.
Larkel remembered from Starla's memories that the word had been a conundrum to them. “Yes, the same as on Starla's baby bracelet,” he confirmed. “Cosmaltia is another planet here.”
Father Joe rocked back until he was flat on his rump, mouth agape. Raoul just stared at him, shaking his head, in suspicion or denial, Larkel could not guess.
“Unfortunately, you have come here at a bad time. We are at war, with Kyron.” Larkel continued, his light manner sounding mad to his own ears but he didn't want them to be afraid of him too.
“It's not like we had a choice, mister,” Davan muttered sourly.
“Yes, we'd much rather be home,” Orla added.
“Davan and Orla, I presume?” the High Lord said, trying to keep his light tone even as he remembered all the nasty tricks these two had played on Starla.
