Temple of the Traveler: Book 02 - Dreams of the Fallen

by Scott Rhine

  In her best ‘closing time’ bellow, Anna proclaimed, “All hail Emperor Pagaose!”

  People, drawn by the rising sound of the blade, gathered and stared at the man standing under the corona of light blazing from the sky. Pagaose lifted the One True Sword toward the Door and the feedback brought everyone still standing to their knees.

  The stories around the coronation event were many and exaggerated. Everyone on the islands claimed to have been there when the new emperor appeared. All agree that as his first official act, he lowered the sword to the brewer’s shoulder. “Rise, Lady Anna, founder of House Brewer, family of the first tier.”

  He was able to dampen the awful noise of the sword to a dull hum by lowering the sword and stepping away from the light. Realizing his mistake, Pagose detached the tuning fork from the hilt. After helping Anna up, he handed her the sesterina tuning fork with the leather thong attached. “Not much as necklaces go, but would you hold onto this for me?”

  Later, playwrights and composers made this into a long betrothal soliloquy.

  As his second decree, Pagose announced, “Send for members of all the royal houses, including Legato, the new king of Kiateros. Gather them in. I would include all in my council. Tell the House of Serog the Dragoness that they and their heirs will also occupy the first tier and have a place on my council. The wrongs of the past are forgotten. The world is waking from history.”

  When the buzz subsided, he said, “Invite Sarajah the Seeress from Mud Springs and her bodyguard Tashi if they still live. Send forth the fastest ships to spread the word.”

  Chapter 52 – The Last Battle

  Pinetto’s troops crossed the bridge. The remaining archers crouched behind the buttresses to get the best view of the enemy while keeping covered. The other men hid in the rushes to avoid the fireballs. Pinetto stood in the middle of the easternmost plank

  of the bridge, in plain sight. He etched a protective triangle around himself and used his newfound power to charge it. Invisible Dawn creatures stood to each side of him. “Listen up. This is the border; my magic is the strongest here. I’m going to draw their fire and hopefully deflect both arrows and magic. Each team, spot your mage and take him out. I don’t know how much abuse my shields can take. Once their wizards are dead, the rest of you form up ranks in front of me, four abreast.”

  “I’ll take point,” announced Baran Togg, unsheathing his god-forged sword.

  “Right,” Pinetto said, sweating. “The archers and I will keep sniping at the enemy’s back ranks. Our allies will push them off the bridge, just like we practiced before.”

  “And when we see barrels?” asked the smith.

  “Run like hell is on your heels. The spirits and I will guard your rear for as long as we can.” The smith bumped fists with his skinny friend. “But drop your packs now and lighten your load.”

  “You heard him, shit now if you have to!” bellowed the smith. Pinetto winced. “What? This is great. You wouldn’t get this excitement sitting in a classroom or even at court. We’re going to be heroes.”

  “All things considered, I’d rather be in a tent with someone smaller and less hairy.”

  “For the Royal Vizier and the glory of Kiateros!” the smith roared.

  The men cheered like maniacs.

  ****

  Sarajah caught up with the prince. Legato’s progress had been stopped, mere yards from the border, by a landslide blocking the wagon. Simon was using a block and tackle to move huge boulders out of their way. Brent and Owl were already there helping. But repositioning each rock took ten beats.

  “This is going to take all day,” Ambassador Sajika complained.

  “Clearing away the avalanche is tricky. If we move too fast, more might slide down,” the architect reasoned. “I have to build a reinforcing wall as we go.”

  “Our troops are going to die while we shovel!” Sajika insisted. “And then the fire mages are going to come after us.”

  “Why not just carry the throne across the border?” asked the seeress. “Hell, you have enough men over there that you could take the wagon apart and carry it over, too.”

  “Thank you!” exclaimed the other woman.

  “Who is this insolent wench?” asked Legato.

  Simon blinked. “She’s a genius.”

  “I’m the Pirate Queen. Avast ye. I come on behalf of my people to aid your just cause.”

  “She’s daft,” muttered Legato.

  Recognizing her voice and clothing, Brent said, “Speaking as a lawyer, she is the high priestess of a kingdom, chosen by the god Archanos himself.”

  “Author of the holy tome, champion of the oppressed, blah, blah, blah . . .” the seeress said, waving her hand. “My boyfriend and I are the ones who sabotaged those ballistae for you. So you’d better be nice to me today.”

  “Or what?” the prince challenged.

  She held his crown over the river. “Or I send this as the signal instead. Move! Does a god have to come kick you in the pants again?”

  “I like her,” said the ambassador.

  The architect crafted a palanquin out of the mining beams, and twenty northern smiths were called over the border. “I need men of the same height.”

  Together, they crossed the border to the shores of the enormous Kiateran lake. His followers gathered around Legato to admire the restored throne. “Now how do we get it to the capital?”

  Sarajah rolled her eyes. “Duh? A boat! Do I have to think of everything? Hurry up and throw the barrels in. Men are dying while you dither.”

  Sajika didn’t wait for the order, but ran back to the wagon. She cut the ropes and rolled the first empty keg into the water on her own.

  “What about my coronation?” asked Legato.

  The seeress blew out an exasperated sigh. “Did you call one of your own priests?”

  “No.”

  “Are there any other holy people here at all?”

  “No.”

  “Then I’m it.”

  “Yes,” Legato admitted reluctantly.

  “Do you promise to abide by the laws of your own country, not steal people blind, and not torture your own citizens?”

  “I guess.”

  “Congratulations,” the green-eyed priestess said. “By the power invested in me by two gods, I name you King Legato.” Placing the crown on his head, she kissed him on each cheek.

  “That shut him up,” whispered the ambassador, pushing more barrels in.

  “How can we possibly repay you?” asked the new king.

  Sarajah grinned wickedly at the open-ended offer.

  Then, Brent asked, “Where’s everyone else? Where’s Mom?”

  Her smile faded.

  ****

  When Pinetto saw the enemy’s front lines, he waved the flag of parley to delay. A single man strode over to discuss the situation, Lieutenant Camembert. Eyes sparkling silver, the wizard said to the Intaglian, “We’ve all lost too many men. Even the temple has been overrun. Why don’t we all take the rest of this day and honor our dead.”

  “Our orders are to report to the Marchion,” the lieutenant said stiffly.

  “He’s not in charge anymore.”

  “I’ll speak to the garrison commander.”

  “Lord Yondir left us this morning. We control the gatehouse now.”

  “Yield control of it to my men, and I’ll send an emissary to the temple.”

  “I’m sorry. As representatives of Queen Lavender’s army, we can’t allow that. This is her kingdom.”

  Camembert seemed shaken but persisted. “Intaglios and Semenos are sworn allies. This is the Friendship Bridge. As an Imperial, you owe your allegiance to Emperor Sandarac. Step aside and you and the Semenosians can live.”

  “What about the Kiaterans?”

  “We need slaves to haul our equipment and clear the roads.”

  Pinetto searched the river and the sky for any sign of rescue. Deciding there would be none, he shouted, “After we kill you, we’re going to t
ie rocks to your bodies and sink them in the lake. Then we’re going to catch the fish that eat your flesh and feed them to the lepers of Jerack Bay.” Denial of proper cremation was the most severe insult he could come up with.

  The lieutenant trembled with rage and shouted to his compatriots, “No prisoners.”

  The dog-headed man knocked him off the bridge into the rapids, and then materialized for all to see.

  Not two, but five fireballs arced toward them. Pinetto gestured, and the two aimed at him skittered off the protective triangle. The three aimed at the dog, however, sent him into the river to put out the flames. Though the panther claimed it hadn’t been fatal, the dog didn’t resurface.

  Eight archers replied, but only one fire mage died. Four more balls launched at Pinetto. “Keep firing!” he ordered his archers, charging his wards till they shimmered in the air.

  Two fiery projectiles missed, one exploded in midair against the shields, and the final one bounced against the wooden bridge. The planks caught fire, the smoke obscuring the defenders from view. The already loosed arrows claimed two fire mages this time. Pinetto’s last sight was of enemy troops covering the remaining wizards with an umbrella of shields. “Thank the gods they can’t lob any more.”

  Then they heard the roar of a hundred offended soldiers charging the bridge. Only a hand stayed behind to guard the wizards.

  “Form a protective wedge!” the smith shouted to the swordsmen, as the archers shot as fast as they could into the horde. Fortunately, they had the full quivers from the dead bowmen. No one would run out soon.

  Just before the armies clashed, a giant, winged form swooped from the sky and dropped something man-sized onto the fire mages’ shield umbrella. The impact stunned two men. Before they realized he wasn’t a rock, Tashi scooped up a sword and shouted, “Second battalion, advance!” He skewered an enemy mage with his first thrust.

  The charge halted as the Intaglians searched for other attackers. That was all Bagierog and his armadillo friend needed. The panther leapt into the center of the fourth row and knocked men over with abandon. The armadillo snuck in at knee level and flipped three men off the structure before anyone knew what was happening.

  Then Baran led his swordsmen into the fray. He bellowed curses against the enemies of Kiateros, the sword thirsting for revenge. No one ld touch him, but Kiaterans fell just as often as Intaglians on the front line. The flames were extinguished by bodies and pools of blood. The second eagle dropped a headless form on the back row to prevent men from swarming Tashi.

  The Intaglians at the rear of the column pushed forward and the men at the front pushed back. People slipped off the edge or were crushed in the confusion.

  The last living fire mage detonated his staff in an attempt to eliminate the half-troll killing machine. Tashi covered his head with his arms and dove. Only the honor guard died; however, the ex-sheriff lost considerable hair and part of his shirt putting out the flames.

  A troll appeared beside him. “Bagierog didn’t say it was going to be this fun. I want to play, too.”

  Tashi said, “Only if you throw me into the rear ranks first.”

  “Deal.”

  Tashi bowled into the troops from behind like he did on the parapet. Minutes later, he was scorched, scratched in a dozen places, and grinning like a fool. The troll stood back-to-back with him, tossing men like rag dolls. The eagles dropped still-living men on their comrades from above. At one point, the troll shouted, “Down in front!”

  Tashi dropped to one knee, presenting his own rocky back as a ramp. The troll leapt off him, soaring onto the heads of unsuspecting enemy soldiers. “New money,” Tashi exclaimed, watching the chaos.

  “There’s something you don’t see every day,” the smith mumbled. “Looks like I made the right choice about which side to be on.” But the man next to him sprouted arrow shafts before he could reply. Baran Togg had traveled too far from Pinetto and the cover of smoke. The enemy archers peppered his group, scoring most of the swordsmen, and forcing the smith to retreat. One arrow took him through the skin of the armpit while a second tore a shallow wound through his side. The archers might have split the difference and hit the heart on the third try. However, a white bolo streaked out of the hazy battle, wrapped around the center archer, and erupted in a flash of blinding light.

  There were only twelve Kiateran men standing when the farsighted Imperial wizard saw the barrels. There were still over fifty of the enemy. Taking his last spear, Pinetto stopped powering his arrow shield and put everything into the shaft. Chucking it into the lead Intaglian, he caused the man to explode.

  In the moment of awed silence that followed, the lone wizard shouted, “Our boatmen are coming. Surrender or die!”

  The Intaglians, already demoralized and terrified, broke ranks and fled. Tashi sustained his worst injuries of the day as he was trampled by the horde. Since his back armor was so heavy, he flipped belly up like a turtle on the uneven ground. Several people stepped on his limbs, bending one leg backward.

  The troll and the panther rushed to his side. “After all that,” Tashi moaned. “I broke my leg in a rout.” As he tried to stand, his left elbow gave out. “And arm. Next time, I’ll ask her to design the joints better.”

  The Dawn creatures supported him, one on each side. Bagierog asked, “Did we take the temple?”

  “My lady closed the gate. I saw the lightof beacon die,” he replied.

  “The Traveler, Kiateros, and Archanos are victorious. This is a great day for the Fallen,” said the panther.

  The troll clapped Tashi on the back, but that, too made the ex-sheriff wince.

  The smith swaggered, adjusting his sword belt. “We just faced down over two hundred men and lived. Who would dare fight us?”

  They were celebrating for a moment when the armadillo’s chest burst. Standing over the body, now visible, was the six-armed fury from the cave. Eutheron stood four paces from Pinetto, inside his wards. He had no weapons remaining. “I told you I’d eat you last.”

  The troll and the panther bounded off with the ex-sheriff between them. “Go back,” Tashi demanded.

  “Orders from the witch and her patron,” said the panther. “Your safety was her price.”

  “Feeding on the dying should slow her,” the troll observed.

  “That’s not very heroic,” Tashi complained.

  “When you live as long as we do, it changes your perspective,” the panther insisted.

  All the men, except for the smith, fled.

  The wizard grabbed the last pinch of Emperor’s Sand and empowered it. The monster charged him like a bull. Baran Togg growled and intercepted her. The force knocked the smith to the rocky ground. However, Pinetto distracted her before she could take advantage. He tossed molten glass at the creature’s head. This time, however, she ducked. The former goddess clucked her tongue. “Fool me once . . .”

  Someone invisible whispered to Baran, “Chest plate.”

  The sword forged by Kiateros darted upward, ripping open the beast’s chest armor like a cocoon. Her green-tinted breasts were exposed, as was an amorphous, black stone, caged by a helix of silver metal.

  The object of her rage shifted. The scratch in her abdomen knitted rapidly like before, but the armor remained broken. He swung for the breach, but her bottom-left arm blocked his sword arm and held it fast. Her bottom-right arm grabbed him under his shirt of mail.

  The eagles each seized one of Pinetto’s arms and carried him off. “No!” he bellowed.

  “This battle is not for mortals to witness. This is the business of the gods.”

  “But my friend,” insisted the wizard.

  “Is blood of the Traveler. Else he’d have never been able to wield that blade.”

  “How did she find us?”

  “Drawn by the slaughter. Fear not. It ends soon.”

  ****

  Eutheron held him there, savoring the smell of his fear and recovering her strength. She gripped his head with her top
two hands, forcing him to watch. “This is going to hurt.”

  She clawed upward, cleaving his armor open in the same way he had hers. But his stomach injury didn’t heal. Blood sprayed out over her front. That’s when her smile changed. She screamed as the liquid burned her, releasing him from her lower hands.

  Archanos ripped the amulet from her chest as he materialized. His right hand hissed and smoldered at the contact, but he clenched it tight. The artifact tried to return to its master, but he used all of his power to constrain the writhing stone. He wanted to gloat over her, the one who he’d been plotting against all those years in hell. He’d figured out where she got her healing from—a portable gate. But without it, she was mortal. Even with his magical arts, the helix began to bore through the flesh of his palm. It would bend the universe to be with her again.

  “Now!” shouted the archfiend.

  Seeing white spots from blood loss, the smith let the sword of Kiateros use him one last time. The Defender thrust through her heart as she closed her hands around his skull. They died together in that embrace. When the demoness passed, the artifact stopped struggling. It accepted Archanos, the victor, and healed its new owner. The shape of the helix became permanently lodged in his hand.

  He knelt beside the smith and kissed his forehead. “I’m sorry. You were the last evidence of the Traveler. No trace of him could remain to bind him here, but you will be mourned.”