Bloodstone - Power of Youth (Book 3)

by Guy Antibes

  “Chika? Find Shiro and have him stop this.” Anchor turned to Antzen. “Your men have my permission to pick up their weapons and notify their reports. We must hurry.”

  ~

  Anchor sat on the camp stool, General Antzen had provided. It had taken half of an hour to stop the battle. Over one hundred more men lost their lives needlessly. The Dakkoran sorcerers had fought to the death. Shiro didn’t mind and neither did Anchor.

  “Are you sure we can return to Tassleton?” Colonel Baanth said. “These men…”

  “I trust General Antzen and I’ll know for certain in just a minute. Before the Band of the Red Rose returns the armies, we will make sure.”

  Shiro walked out of a tent and held the flap open for the general. They both strolled to Anchor, talking quietly. “He is an ally.” Shiro said. “I’m not so sure about Duke Jawell. I would say, by Antzen’s description, that he’s enchanted and has been for some time. If he is, I think I can undo the damage.”

  “I wish I had you in Beckondale the night I killed Peleor,” Lotto said.

  Shiro shrugged. “I was needed elsewhere. We can teleport to Hightown and see what we can do with the Duke. Antzen will legitimize our case.”

  “I will indeed,” Antzen said with a laugh. “Shiro knows too much about me.”

  Shiro nodded behind Antzen’s back that he agreed.

  “Then let’s put this camp back in order. I rely on you and your men to help reorient the men. You now know we only wish to throw out Histron and bring a measure of peace back to Besseth. These have been dark years.”

  “Years of the Dark Lord. You will take the fight to him?” one of the officers asked.

  Anchor nodded. He turned to Antzen. “You know that and Shiro might have let you in on some of our thoughts.”

  “I have heard of you, Anchor, when you lived in a different place and a different time.” Antzen said. “I am very impressed with what you have done and am yours to command, as my duke permits.”

  Anchor smiled. “I appreciate your discretion and it’s time to get your duke’s permission. Now, enough of these pleasantries, we have a few more things to do to prepare for the spring campaign, I do believe.”

  ~~~

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  ~

  ANTZEN, SHIRO, LOTTO AND ANCHOR STOOD BELOW the ducal throne of Teryon. Duke Jawell, an old white-haired man, who appeared in good health, looked down on them. Anchor gave a sideways glance to Shiro who nodded. Daryaku did, indeed, control the duke.

  “We would like to present our swords to you as a token of our fealty,” Anchor said after Antzen had explained they were here to join Teryon’s forces.

  The duke smiled at them and slowly walked down the five steps representing each of the five duchies. He had recently had his artisans carve the names into the each of the steps. Teryon, of course, was inscribed on the top step.

  Lotto held out his sword. The duke touched it and stepped to Shiro’s sword. The Ropponi held the blade in his hands, with one underneath the Sunstone back in its place.

  “What a handsome stone,” Duke Jawell said. “This is an ancient design.” He put his finger to the stone and swayed. Antzen supported the duke as Shiro went to work, extracting secrets from the duke’s mind and unthreading the spell that held him in thrall to Dakkor.

  He opened his eyes and withdrew his hand, putting it to his mouth. “What have I done?” He looked wildly at Shiro and then at Antzen. “Forgive me.”

  His general guided the Duke back up the steps to his throne. “I am suddenly dizzy, but will meet with these gentlemen privately.” He stood up and leaned on Antzen’s arm as they walked back down and behind the throne. The duke led them to his study. Antzen helped Duke Jawell to his large, ornate desk chair.

  “I brought you here for your safety. There are four Dakkoran wizards in the palace. You must kill them all. They have made me think all the wrong thoughts and I’ve let my people down.” He put his hands to his head. “Oh, the deaths that I’ve permitted.”

  “Shiro, I don’t know what to say. Unca? I can’t believe what you’ve accomplished. I always wondered what King Billeas saw in you. Now I know. Teryon is behind you.” He put his hands flat on the desk and looked at his fingers. “You caught me in time, however. I would appreciate you taking me to Venato and Deshine. Those dukes are old friends and I’ve talked them into this, this folly. I can only hope they forgive me. The Five Duchies have co-existed for centuries. We’ve had our spats and squabbles, but this?” He shook his head.

  ~

  Anchor sat with the other members of the alliance. He now represented Learsea and the Five Duchies on the council. Winter had given way to an early wet spring.

  “We are ready to fight,” Anchor said. “The duchies have twenty thousand men ready to move to the Teryon border. Deshine has five thousand men prepared to invade Histron’s duchy in the eastern part of the Red Kingdom. Learsea has fifteen thousand troops poised at the Northeast border.”

  “I have seven thousand men just east of here,” Lessa said.

  Lotto took a drink of wine and cleared his throat. “Valetan has joined with Gensler.” He looked over to Duke Jellas. “Morio has assembled two thousand men at South Keep and the Gensler-Valetan contingent numbers ten thousand strong.

  Mander Hart smiled. “Intelligence from all sources indicates that Duke Histron cannot bring more than thirty thousand troops to battle. We don’t know how many protect his duchy. Five thousand are encamped at Foxhome. His northern army numbers ten thousand. He wintered twelve thousand in the south, presumably to crush your southern advance.” Mander nodded to General Antzen. “While you attacked Anchor’s rear.”

  “In military terms,” Chika said. Shiro grinned for an instant.

  Mander flashed his teeth and nodded. “In military terms.”

  “I don’t want Foxhome destroyed,” Princess Sallia said.

  “We will do everything in our power to accommodate your wish, Princess,” Anchor said. “We’d prefer you rise to the throne of a prosperous nation, despite the war.”

  Others around the room nodded in agreement.

  The time had come to take the war to the Duke. Anchor looked at the Alliance. He doubted that such an assemblage hadn’t occurred for countless years and here he sat, leader of the entire effort.

  “I stand in toast to Anchor, who has brought us together,” Antzen said as he stood.

  As they toasted, Anchor rose as well. “Heroic acts by many have enabled this meeting. Lotto Mistad’s rescue of Princess Restella and Valetan’s royal couple. Morio’s rangers as they broke into Happly Keep. Shiro and the Band of the Red Roses. Lessa’s sealing of the western ports. We have all fought and learned to rely on each other. May it always be so. I toast your accomplishments, but we have more goals, which I have discussed with all of you. Our present goal is to restore the Bloodstone and its heir to the throne of the Red Kingdom.” He put the wineglass to his lips and looked at Sallia. She nodded and took a drink. She smiled and sat with the others.

  “I wish to command the Learsea troops as is my right,” Prince Peeron said.

  Fifteen thousand men under Prince Peeron? Anchor didn’t plan on this.

  “With your father’s blessing?” Anchor said.

  Peeron nodded and sneered. “With my father’s blessing.” The words must have been hard to utter by the man.

  ~

  Anchor stood at King Willom’s thick glass windows trying to keep from sighing. The sun streamed in and the sea looked calm. The king shuffled about the room yelling at his son.

  “From what I’ve been told, you’ve made a nuisance of yourself.”

  “Anchor has spread lies about me.” The prince stood tall as he made his accusations. Anchor tried to stay out of the father-son discussion.

  The king narrowed his eyes and raised a fist full of parchments. “Not from Anchor, my boy, but I had reports from just about from everyone else. I nearly expected your praises to be sung by Duke Histron himself.
You’ve done the Alliance no favors with your behavior.”

  That must have hurt Peeron. Anchor let the king continue berating his son with specific instances. Anchor hadn’t heard half of the disruption the prince had caused in Sally’s Corners.

  “But, you are my only son.” The king took a deep breath. “Despite my misgivings, I will let you ride at the front of the army if you commit to follow Anchor’s battle plan and Colonel Baanth’s advice. If you do not, I can promise dire consequences. Dire. Do you hear me?”

  “I do, father.” Peeron said. Anchor didn’t trust Peeron any more than Willom did. He was glad the prince wasn’t his own son. He might have throttled the whelp in his crib and wondered if Willom had ever thought the same. Peeron flashed a triumphant grin at Anchor who nodded.

  “King Willom. With the prince commanding all of Learsea troops, I will relinquish my position as Learsea’s Marshal.” Anchor said.

  “Goes without saying, Anchor. You are commanding the whole lot, not just us.” The king glared at Peeron. “Did you hear that? You ride under Anchor’s command, at all times. I will write out an edict so stating. You will still follow Anchor’s orders, not your own whim!”

  Anchor had no further reason to subject himself to this family squabble. “I’ll have a Ropponi transport the Prince to the army camped at the Northeastern border tomorrow. If I may be excused.” Anchor bowed and quickly left the room. The argument picked up again before he had shut the door behind him.

  ~

  The snow fields that had surrounded the Learsean northwestern border keeps had dwindled to patches underneath trees and the northern side of rocks and buildings. Anchor stood on the ramparts, as he liked to do, talking to Colonel Baanth, now General Baanth and General Leef.

  “I wanted to talk to you both while the prince is settling into his quarters below. You have my plans. See that you adhere to them. I am pulling out all but twenty Ropponi. They are to be principally used for communication and transportation when absolutely required. If the Prince becomes too irrational in his thinking, all of them have been given leave to depart.

  “You should know this. I have no trust in the Prince and I am sorry I must leave you to deal with him. Now that Daryaku can detect where the stones are, he won’t waste his sorcerers on your army, so that should limit Prince Peeron’s exposure. The prince is to take ten thousand troops along with you, General Baanth, which leaves Leef with a reserve of five thousand.”

  “The same border force that you had in reserve before,” Leef said.

  “But you do have four times more Ropponi, and Tishiaki, but I will take him back when I need when we begin our spring campaign. I don’t want any Ropponi under the prince’s command. He dislikes them intensely.”

  Baanth nodded, gravely.

  “I can’t underestimate the importance of your army’s movement south to Highfield, Histron’s center of power. I’m not sure how quickly the Deshine troops will arrive, but you are to secure Histron’s refuge and take care of any of Histron’s forces that wintered in his domain.

  “When that is done, you can take half of the force and move to Foxhome. The details are in the packets I left with the both of you and Prince Peeron.” Anchor clapped them both on the shoulder. “Good luck and I don’t know if I’ll see you until Foxhome. It was a pleasure to serve with you both.”

  ~

  Restella swept into the crowded meeting room at The Traveler’s Rest in Sally’s Corners. Lotto cringed at her appearance. She dismissed the Ropponi who had transported her and glared at Lotto.

  “Don’t you know how to move about like the Ropponi’s? Why didn’t you come for me?”

  Mander Hart laughed. “He doesn’t wish to show the Princess how inept he still is. Lotto has bruises to show from his efforts.”

  “I do indeed. I can teleport, but I always end up in some strange position, usually three or four feet above the ground. Shiro is baffled. I wouldn’t wish to subject you to my failure to learn.”

  “Oh, that’s what I’ve felt after you move from place to place. That’s an acceptable explanation,” she said, without changing her expression.

  Lotto yearned for the ardor they both had felt after their initial link to the Moonstone, but it had vanished completely enough. Now Restella had command of the Valetan troops and Lotto grasped at an offered position with Mander Hart’s more independent rangers, now reunited with his old friend Captain Gully and outside of Restella’s direct command. He had learned of the change the previous night and doubted if Anchor even knew, since he arrived in Sally’s Corners an hour ago.

  Anchor looked up from a stack of papers. He looked like a natural leader, gazing at the commanders of the alliance. Somehow, Unca and Anchor had blended together into a whole that must have been greater than either personality.

  “I’ve visited the Deshine army and given final instructions to Prince Peeron on the northeast border. Lessa will coordinate the northern alliance. I’ve just been told that Princess Restella commands the Valetans.”

  Duke Jellas broke in. “There is a change. Lotto will command the rangers of both Valetan and Gensler. Morio Jellas will command the forces along the southern border keeps.”

  “So be it,” Anchor said.

  Restella cleared her throat. “Why was I not told of this?”

  Anchor raised his eyes. “Why was I not told that you would replace Lotto as commander of the Valetan troops? You were assigned to the Oringian border at your own request, as I recall.”

  He had never heard Anchor’s voice carry so much steel. The joint command seemed to take the humor out of him. None had expected Prince Peeron to lead Learsea troops. What happened in Learsea? It certainly put Anchor in a bad mood… no, an imperious mood.

  “Lotto has too much experience to waste on a ranger unit. That was his assignment. Princess?”

  “It was and is,” she said, her face beginning to flush.

  “King Goleto has given me command of all Valetan forces. I try to accommodate the wishes of our members and that’s why Prince Peeron commands the Learsea contingent. I do not question your valor or capability to command the Valetan army, but Lotto is a resource I have used before. After the initial shock of the change of plans, I am gratified to have him reporting directly to me, through the kindness of Duke Jellas and Mander Hart.” Anchor nodded to the duke, who appeared to be stifling a grin.

  Lotto had to do the same. He could feel the anger roiling in Restella and for once he enjoyed it.

  “You think it’s funny, don’t you?” Restella glared at him.

  “Come on, Restella. You know what’s best here.” He could feel that she did and her anger lowered just a notch.

  “Fellow members of the Alliance,” Sallia stood and said. “We shouldn’t bicker. Who else could unite the five duchies and have the perfect trust of all of the kingdoms of Besseth, save Oringia and Histo? We must fight together. Anchor leads us and we must let him do that. Let’s focus on Duke Histron and ending the conflict on Besseth soil. We can restore order to our lands and still allow all of our countries to plant before the end of spring.”

  Good for her. Sally had grown up as well as Anchor. Lotto remembered her as they walked to Crackledown together, traumatized and needing a secure refuge. Now she gave all the glimpses of the queen she would soon be. Lotto had no question that the alliance would prevail.

  ~

  Shiro leaned against a corner of the meeting room behind Chika. He didn’t agree with letting Prince Peeron command the Learsean troops and General Baanth now served as a nursemaid to the Prince. But he had already let Anchor know of his displeasure at the Learsea border keep.

  Anchor readily agreed to his only demand of permitting his Ropponi to withdraw from the Learsea army should Prince Peeron overreach. He considered that event a certainty and he knew that Anchor felt the same way. Anchor could deal with dukes and kings and Shiro would do his part a bit more behind the scenes.

  He appreciated Anchor’s allowing him to tag along
on his journeys. Shiro had learned much more about the interaction with nobles and their subjects. There actually was more give and take in Besseth than in Roppon. He still hadn’t found a comfortable place for his Ropponi in Besseth, however the time hadn’t come for him to actually look. He had made friends with a lot of important people and didn’t worry like he once had.

  Princess Sallia’s comments heartened him. He now knew nobles who had the power to find a home for his Red Rose with whom he had mutual trust. That would have never happened on the Roppon Isles.

  ~

  The burn of anger still worked its way through Restella as she sat, listening to Anchor lay out their strategy. How dare he overturn her decision! But then as she listened to Anchor’s work, she could see the strategy unfolding on such a grand scale that it took her breath away. She knew her abilities as a commander allowed her to react to the situation presented to her, but she grudgingly admitted the scope of the spring offensive was beyond her.

  Her eyes turned to Lotto. He quickly looked back. He felt the same that she did. Lotto had studied military strategy in the Mander Hart’s ‘bookstore library’. Hart could rival Anchor, but he didn’t have the spark and determination that she saw in Anchor’s eyes. The man grew into his position. She remembered Lotto’s description of Anchor as an eager, but mediocre fighter when he saved Sallia from Histron. Now the man’s prowess with his sword and his mind were legend. She’d seen it herself when he fought in the sorcerous attack in Oringia.

  She still had nightmares of specters grabbing her arms and legs, although she knew all they wanted was the Moonstone on her sword. The dark mist had magically paralyzed lotto. Restella had to admit to herself that fear had frozen her limbs, a fear she had never felt so viscerally before.

  She’d let Anchor have his way. He’d saved her from an extended period of proximity to Lotto, anyway. She hadn’t thought that through when she had made her demand a few minutes ago.

  ~

  Armand Lessa rubbed the back of his neck. He knew what he had to do with his troops. Anchor had consulted with him a few days before and nothing had changed. He observed the interplay in the room with his usual amusement. What thoughts ran through the minds of those here? Restella’s face had finally eased from the pinched anger he had seen moments before. The woman, young as she was, had a pretty look when it wasn’t screwed up in some kind of expression of distaste or anger. He wondered what she would be like if the Moonstone hadn’t made her into a most formidable and angry warrior.