by Kris A Hiatt
“Where are you going from here?” Exodin asked.
“More time with Kint,” Treace explained.
“You spend too much time there.”
Treace didn’t agree. Kint had originally held back telling his full story until Kiril was returned to him. What the man held back was that when Treace, Kiril, and Moff had been captured, Kint had hatched a plan to free them from Shamir’s prison. Kint had used his knowledge of magic as leverage. He agreed to teach Destin, who was Brental’s assistant, how to use a distance barrier in exchange for help in breaking the trio out of jail. Destin was helping Brental try to find some different ways of learning magic and the man wanted to prove useful to Brental so that he could remain by the man’s side. By the time the trio had escaped, Kint had already taught Destin what he knew. While it was true that the man couldn’t have mastered it in such a short amount of time, Kint was certain that Destin would pass it on to Brental. So if Brental knew how to do it, by now there were others in Kadenton that could do so as well. The Church needed to have as many brothers as possible that could utilize that magic. An impenetrable magical barrier over any warrior was a scary thought.
The idea of anyone facing Disdane wasn’t just scary, it was frightening. He was a giant of a man that could move with the agility of a man half his size and with a flick of his wrist could make a two handed sword move faster than most could a short sword. The idea of him doing so while being protected by a barrier turned that frightening idea into a veritable nightmare. If that was the case, Treace feared the man couldn’t be beat. If Treace wanted to have any chance at beating Disdane, he needed to find a way around not only his giant sword, but also a magical barrier.
“How’s that going?” Exodin asked when Treace didn’t reply.
“Better than I could have imagined,” Treace replied. Thanks to Kint, Treace had already mastered Path of Tears and was confident that it wouldn’t be long before he mastered Path of Fire too. At the end of each session, Kint had Treace attempt to place a barrier over him. Treace hadn’t succeeded at that yet, but felt he wasn’t far off. “Kint’s techniques are amazing. He’s the Exodin of the magic world.”
“Is that a joke about my age?”
“It’s a compliment to a man that knows few equals,” Treace corrected.
“And here I thought you were always an ass,” Exodin told him.
“I’ll return to normal tomorrow, don’t you worry,” Treace assured him. “But first. Tell me how you’d beat him.”
“You worried about Disdane again?”
“His strength and quickness are like no other. I know my style should match up well against his, but he’s just so much faster than any other person using that weapon. I can’t match his strength, that’s for certain. But if he matches my speed and he has a barrier?” Treace asked, leaving the question hanging. He knew the answer. There was nothing he could do.
“Then you’ll have to beat him here,” Exodin said, pointing to his head.
It wasn’t the first time they’d had this discussion. It ended pretty much the same way last time. Except last time Exodin had also pointed out that he couldn’t be certain he’d even face Disdane when the battle came. It was true, but if Treace or Exodin didn’t face Disdane, who would stand a chance against the man? He didn’t say anything.
“Is he still teaching her too?” Exodin asked a short while later.
Treace was glad his friend had changed the subject. Exodin could have been asking about Kiril, but he had to have known that Kint would continue to teach his daughter. So that meant he was referring to Emiah. “Yeah, and from what I hear, she’s quite strong.”
“The women are going to take over,” Exodin said in jest.
Treace looked down at Kiril and didn’t doubt for a second that she deserved to be a part of this. There were many women in Liernin’s army. There were more than a handful in the Church, too. The overall size of both forces had increased dramatically, just as Exodin predicted. Treace hoped it would suffice. “Do you think it’ll be enough?” Treace asked.
“The women? I don’t think that hardly matters does it?”
“Do we have enough people? Can we stave off Shamir?” Treace clarified.
“If we get the wall built, stay smart, and don’t overextend, then yeah, I think we can do it. He has to march his army a long way to get here. They’ll be tired. If we can hold out long enough and cause enough damage so that his men start to question whether or not they’ll succeed, then we’ve got a good chance. Morale is a powerful tool. We need to keep that of our men high, and smash that of our opponent. Our men look up to you. More than you know. So you keep being The Wolf, I’ll keep training the men, and if we can instill enough confidence in our forces doing that, we may be able to outlast Shamir.”
“Some are saying they think we should face them far outside of the city,” Treace mentioned.
“And those people are idiots,” Exodin replied. “We will have a defensible position. We aren’t giving that up.”
“What about the posts to the south?”
“Reconnaissance only. Once his army is spotted, they’ll retreat to the safety of the city.”
“What about the men and women of the smaller towns?”
“They’ve been notified of the possibility of an attack. They are encouraged to move north or come to Haven,” Exodin explained.
“I know that,” Treace replied. “I was part of that discussion. I’m just worried that some will refuse to leave their homes.”
“They’ve been warned. We’ve sent men to every town to convince them of how serious this is. It’s up to them to decide now. We can’t divide our forces between every town and expect to have a chance to win. Trying to defend so many spots would be suicide.”
Treace nodded his head. His mentor was right. He didn’t like it, but he was right. With the amount of men they had on hand, it was the best he could hope for. He didn’t like that people were left with the choice to either leave their homes or defend themselves without the full support of Liernin’s army. If the people decided to leave, they were practically giving territory to Shamir. He glanced at the sky to try to tell the time. As best as he could tell, it was time to go learn from Kint. Path of Fire was waiting for him. “I’ve got to go,” Treace told him.
“I know it’s tough,” Exodin said. “But there’s no other choice.”
Treace paused long enough to nod before he climbed down from the observation deck and walked toward the priory. It was still odd to him that he was considered a member of the cloth. There were a few rumblings from folk that didn’t like that he was both a warrior and a member of the Church, but he didn’t care much what they thought. Now was not the time for politics.
“What did you think?” Kiril asked, jogging to catch up.
He thought she’d be more excited given her big win, but the way she asked it seemed as if she had other things on her mind. “You’re a natural,” he told her. He did see a few openings that he would have tried to exploit, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings by saying so. She had performed wonderfully. Considering that she’d only been training for a handful of months, he thought her skills were beyond belief.
“Why is it you think she volunteered?” Kiril asked.
Even though it was a surprisingly awkward way to change the subject, it was clear that Kiril was referring to Emiah. That must be what Kiril was thinking of instead of her victory over Timin. Treace wasn’t sure what everyone’s fascination with Emiah was. Yes, she was talented. She was different. But why all the interest? “I’m thinking she had nothing to lose. She hated who she was back in Lake City and wanted the opportunity to do something with her life that would lift her past the mistreatment she received in the hands of her husband.”
“I think Drevic likes her.”
“I think you’re right,” Treace replied. He hadn’t seen them being intimate with each other or anything, but he’d heard those two spent about as much time together as Treace and Kiril did. I
t made sense.
“Of course you do, you’re smart,” Kiril teased.
“That’s what I love about you. You’re so grounded.”
“Does it bother you?”
“That you joke with me? No.”
“Her and him,” she clarified.
He wasn’t sure where these questions were coming from. He had thought Kiril had gotten over her the fact that Treace used to have a childhood crush on Emiah by now. “No,” Treace said honestly. Drevic was a better man than most. Emiah deserved to be with someone like him. “If it’s true, then I’m happy for them.”
“Are you mad that it isn’t us?” she asked.
There was the real question. She wasn’t jealous or thinking of Treace and Emiah. She was worried Treace would feel bad that their relationship hadn’t moved forward yet. She’d been asking him more and more as of late if he was tired of waiting for her. He always said that he wasn’t. He didn’t understand why she wouldn’t openly admit that she loved him. Her father had returned. She didn’t need to grieve. That was her reasoning before. He didn’t press her on why she wouldn’t commit to him now. There was too much going on, he didn’t think they’d have time for a true relationship anyway. “Kiril,” Treace said, stopping and making her face him. “This war is happening. We rarely get time together where it’s just the two of us. When we are with each other it’s usually when we’re training. But, even though I know we won’t be able to fully enjoy a true relationship, I want us to be together. I love you. You know that. But it’s not just up to me. You have to want it too. And until you do, I’ll be here.”
“I’m telling my father tonight,” Kiril informed him with a beautiful smile on her face.
“Telling him what exactly?” Treace asked.
Kiril put her hands on the back of his head, pulled him in close, and kissed him passionately. She didn’t stop for a long time. When she did finally stop he could hardly breathe.
“That I’m in love with you,” she answered.
Chapter 7
“I don’t need your magic,” Disdane complained as they walked.
“It is not an insult to your abilities,” Brental reminded him. “Think of it as unleashing your full offensive capabilities without having to concern yourself with defense.”
“A true warrior does both,” the large man replied.
He wasn’t making much progress with his companion, but Brental needed to demonstrate this magic for Shamir. Thanks to Destin, he was able to place a barrier over not only himself, but also someone else at the same time. If he could prove to Shamir that his warriors would be protected by the magical prowess of Brental’s brothers, he’d be ensuring he was useful. He couldn’t wait for the day that he no longer had to prove himself to the King. Someday, soon he hoped, his usefulness would outlast the King’s life. But, until then, he needed to be in Shamir’s good graces to keep that possibility alive. Since Disdane was the leader of Shamir’s forces, it only made sense to utilize the man for his demonstrations. But the gifted warrior didn’t want to rely on magic to win a fight, even a mock one. The demonstration wouldn’t be as impressive if he had to use Destin instead of Disdane. “I only need your help with the demonstration. It won’t be a true fight.”
“Even more of a reason not to do it. But, I will help you,” Disdane told him.
“Thank you,” Brental replied. It was good to hear the large man would help him. With this and all the other things going on, the past several months had been taxing on him. It started when the King said he wasn’t sure if Brental would be needed or not, making his place within the King’s forces tenuous at best. Then that idiot Drevic had absolved himself from the order saying he wouldn’t follow a murderer, which was ironic. Everyone thought that Brental had killed Nimbril, yet the old man had actually thrown himself from the window. And long before that, Nimbril had murdered his best friend, who was also the Archmagister of their order, Truntil. Whether anyone else believed Nimbril had killed Truntil or not didn’t matter. Brental knew it was true, even if he couldn’t prove it. And that imbecile Drevic had followed Nimbril for years. What an idiot.
“How long do you need to work your magic?” Disdane asked as they neared the doors to the King’s hall.
“A handful of seconds. Just let Drokier slash at you a few times to show the King that the barrier is impenetrable.”
Disdane pushed open the door and Brental followed him into the room. It was quite large, and mostly empty. At the far end of the room was a table in which the King was already seated on one end, with Drokier and Destin on the other.
“My King,” Brental offered with a bow.
“How long will this demonstration of yours take?” King Shamir asked.
“A handful of seconds,” Disdane replied quickly, striding toward the table. He removed his large sword from his back as he walked.
Except he wasn’t headed toward Drokier. He was walking right for the King.
“What are you doing?” Shamir asked in a trembling voice.
Brental knew exactly what the large man was doing. That devious bastard! He closed his eyes and concentrated on The Calm. He knew he needed to find it quickly and then bring forth the barrier. He hoped he had time.
“Disdane! No!” Drokier cried out.
Brental ignored him.
“Guards!” Shamir yelled out as loudly as he could.
To Brental it sounded like a whisper. There was no way the guards or Drokier could get to the King in time.
He concentrated on the fear he could feel emanating from the King. He used that fear, along with his fear of failure, to help build his magical barrier. Then he recalled the suspense of opening a birthday present as a child. He could feel the anticipation and wonder of what he’d get. He added it, quickly, yet carefully, allowing him to also place his barrier over Shamir. He brought them forth as swiftly as he could, hoping he was fast enough.
The sword came in, aimed right for Shamir’s head. The King tried to raise his hands defensively, but he was too slow. The sword would hit home long before they got in the way. Just as the sword reached him, a barrier shimmered around Shamir’s skin and clothes.
Brental opened his eyes and let the barriers fall.
“Are you mad?” a very confused and angry Shamir asked a few moments later.
Brental sighed in relief. He was fast enough. He was lucky.
“Stand down,” Disdane commanded the guards.
Brental thought the guards were as relieved as he was, except he guessed they were more relieved they didn’t have to fight Disdane than anything else.
“You better explain yourself,” Drokier commanded from a safe distance.
“It’s his demonstration,” Disdane replied, pointing a finger at Brental.
All eyes turned on him. Brental was again reminded that Disdane was not just a mindless brute. Quite the opposite, in fact. It wasn’t Brental’s idea, but he needed to act like it was if he was going to make the best of this. “Forgive me, my King,” Brental said bowing yet again. “But I thought this was the best way to show you just how valuable this magic could be. Not even the powerful stroke of Disdane’s sword could penetrate that barrier. You were completely safe.”
“Completely safe? I thought I was about to die!” Shamir fumed. “I’ve half a mind to have you hanged!”
“My sword would have severed your head. Instead, it connected firmly with the barrier and you don’t have a scratch on you,” Disdane told him. “I’d say we’d be wise to utilize the Archmagister and his magic.”
“Very foolish,” Drokier said. “You shouldn’t have put the King’s life in danger.”
“He was never in any real danger,” Brental told him.
“The Archmagister’s barrier is impenetrable,” Disdane added.
“As impressive as the magic is,” Shamir began with a red face and piercing eyes. “I don’t take kindly to being your test subject. Never again, do you hear me?”
“Of course,” Brental replied.
> “Good. Now get out of here!” the King commanded. “All of you.”
The King was furious, and Brental didn’t blame him. He was quite angry himself. He didn’t like being used and Disdane had done just that. He bowed again before leaving.
“That worked out,” Disdane remarked when they were out of the hall and well away from the others.
“You played me,” Brental told him as they walked. He didn’t bother trying to hide the fact that he was angry.
“The King values your magic more now than ever, wouldn’t you agree?” Disdane asked calmly.
“Yes, but that’s not how it was supposed to work,” Brental argued.
“But it worked,” Disdane replied in the same calm manner.
“Don’t think I don’t understand what just happened. Had I not been successful you would have killed the King.”
“I would have, yes,” Disdane agreed, nodding his head.
“And you would have blamed it on me. You were just going along with my plan for the demonstration. It was my fault the magical barrier didn’t protect him.”
“Makes perfect sense to me,” Disdane told him.
“I thought we had an agreement?” Brental asked. He couldn’t believe it. The man didn’t even try to lie about it. He openly admitted what he had done and he didn’t appear to be bothered by the fact that Brental knew the truth.
“We do. Look,” Disdane said, grabbing him by the shoulder to stop him. “I had every confidence that your magic would work. But if it didn’t, then so be it. You’d be to blame and I would be exonerated. I would most likely be named the King. As King I would have ensured that you were safe from harm. You’d be back at my side in no time. Worth the risk.”
“For you, yes. But for me?” Brental asked. “If that happened I might have been executed before you were named King.”
“Like I said, worth the risk,” Disdane told him as he began to walk again.
There was finally a hint of emotion in Disdane’s words, but Brental thought it came more from being annoyed with him than anything else. He decided it didn’t matter. He couldn’t change what had happened and he didn’t want to lose Disdane as an ally. He’d find a way to pay the man back, but now was not the time. He also had to contemplate whether or not Disdane was bidding to be King. If Brental had failed in his barrier, that most likely would have happened. Brental had originally wanted Disdane to be King. He felt like he could control the brute and lead from the shadows. But now, Disdane was proving to be much more intelligent than he let on. Brental had to wonder if he wasn’t the one who was being played.
