“The password and location of Galthor’s escape tunnel.” Arise’s amusement vanished as she spoke seriously. “My employers wish for the siege of Galthor to be over as swiftly as possible.”
“What? There’s no way in all the hells I’ll hand that over!” Farren retorted almost instantly, flinching at the request. There would be no doubt of who was responsible if someone found out that he’d handed over the escape route in question, and he shuddered to consider the consequences if he agreed.
“They offer to allow you to become the Adjudicator of Western Kelvanis, including the full region of Sifaren once it falls, as well as offering the hand of the former princess of Yisara, Jaine,” Arise replied as though he hadn’t told her no, and her words made Farren’s refusal waver slightly as she continued. “She’s been undergoing conditioning since she was captured, and it would be easy to make her extremely devoted to you, Farren.”
“That… how do I know they’ll follow through?” Farren paused, licking his lips and frowning. “With Phynis…”
“That was not within their control. They had no control over Sifaren’s actions at the time, and Phynis was too close to the border to fully secure,” Arise replied seriously. “Jaine, by contrast, has been kept in Kelvanath for a full year. There’s virtually no chance of her being rescued at this point. I must stress that His Excellency has stated that this will be the only time this is offered as well. I believe they were somewhat loathe to offer her to you to begin with, so think quickly.”
“One minute. Just give me a minute,” Farren told her hastily, his thoughts racing.
An Adjudicator would be like a duke, but if he was given control of the other lands as well as those of Sifaren, that would be nearly double the size of Sifaren! It was more power than he’d ever hoped for, and the temptation was powerful. The additional offer of Jaine… well, it would give him legitimacy that he craved. Even if she was a former princess, he wanted the power and respect her position at his side would add. It would mean betraying his father, but… well, Galthor was doomed anyway, so why not speed things up and secure a position for himself? It was better than losing his inheritance entirely.
His decision made, Farren nodded at last and told Arise, his eyes glittering. “I agree, on one condition.”
“What might that be?” Arise asked, tilting her head and frowning at him. “I have little ability to negotiate on behalf of my employers, you know that.”
“Oh, you’ll be able to handle this one, Arise,” Farren replied, baring his teeth at her as he grinned and replied. “I want you as well. Branded and everything.”
Arise paused, then flushed with anger. The woman obviously bit back a sharp comment before finally speaking icily. “I will have to think on that.”
“Well, think quickly. This is the only time I’ll make this offer,” Farren retorted, and the beautiful woman glared at him as he used her words against her.
It took a long minute before she scowled and replied shortly. “Fine. I will relay your words to them.”
Farren smiled broadly at that, his voice betraying his happiness. “Excellent!”
Chapter 4
“Your Majesty, I’ve returned.” Reva fell to a knee before Queen Calath, bowing his head deeply. The brown-haired young man looked well enough, and he’d taken the time to make himself presentable for court before presenting himself before her, wearing a plain but fine suit of blue and white.
“Sir Lucien, it is good to see you back safe and sound,” Calath replied, smiling as she sat in her throne. “Rise, please. I received your reports, of course, but I wish to hear the basics from you directly.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Reva acknowledged, rising and going to attention for a moment before settling into a more comfortable stance and asking, “Is there something specifically you wish for me to address first?”
Glancing at the nobles gathered around the throne, Calath considered a moment before speaking gravely. “I believe that addressing the golems and their capabilities is of the most interest to the Court, so please begin there.”
“As you wish. Some sixty golems were sent with us from Beacon, and they’re all under the command of Alissa and Helia, both of Beacon. The golems are made of granite sheathed in tempered steel, appear to possess a limited ability to repair themselves, and are each armed with halberds. Individually, each golem appears to be equal to fifteen to twenty soldiers, assuming the soldiers were properly equipped to face them,” Reva quickly explained, his back straight as an arrow while he ignored the murmuring from around them. “Their performance on the field of battle sharply outmatches those simple numbers, though. The golems feel no fear, and cannot be distracted into pulling out of formation. They don’t tire, and are more than willing to sacrifice themselves in the heat of combat if necessary. With them on the front lines, my expedition was able to use our ranged advantage and magic with far less pressure than ever before, allowing us to force several companies of orcs to break and run.”
Most of the murmurs went still at Reva’s words, and Calath smiled in satisfaction. At first she hadn’t thought that a mere sixty golems would make a difference, yet obviously they were more important than Calath had believed. She nodded to him encouragingly. “I see. That is excellent to hear. What of this new city, Beacon? I’m given to understand that Phynis Constella, she who removed herself from my House, now rules it?”
“She does. The kingdom is founded on the ruins of Everium City, and a number of ancient buildings have been incorporated into the city during its construction,” Reva began, only to pause as Duchess Elina stepped forward, the petite woman stunning in a white gown trimmed in silver.
“Duchess? Do you have something to say?” Calath asked, some of her pleasure fading. Elina was power-hungry, but had proven to be a staunch ally now that she was engaged to marry Zanath. Even so, Calath couldn’t bring herself to like the noblewoman.
“I merely wished to ask how it was that this city was constructed. Rumors abound, but nothing firm has been explained,” Elina stated pleasantly, nodding gracefully to Calath. “Could you enlighten us, Sir Lucien?”
The question was a fair one, Calath thought, and when Reva looked at her, she inclined her head slightly. He cleared his throat and explained. “I’m afraid I do not have the full story, Your Grace, as I was in Beacon for only two days. Also, there was a temple of Medaea attended by senior priestesses of the faith, the better part of a hundred strong. From what information we gathered, a temple of theirs was sacked and used to raid Golden Vale. The priestesses were rescued before they could be taken back to Kelvanis, but not before being branded. They, along with a handful of survivors from Everium, managed to aid in casting the high magic that constructed the city in a single night.”
Shock rippled through Calath at his explanation, and the Queen raised a hand, even as mutters broke out among the crowd. “One moment, Sir Lucien. I do not recall hearing mention of survivors of Everium among your reports. Did you misspeak?”
“No, Your Majesty. I must have neglected to mention that piece of information.” Reva paled slightly, bowing his head. “There was so much shocking information in Beacon that I’m not surprised I missed something. My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“It is fine, so long as you rectify the matter. What can you tell me of these survivors?” Calath asked in fascination. “How can there even be survivors?”
“There are two survivors I was made aware of, named Cortin and Nora. They were students at the Everium Academy of Magic, and were somehow placed in a stasis spell that managed to endure until near the beginning of the winter,” Reva quickly explained, glancing around nervously. “Those in the dungeon managed to release them from stasis and help them adapt to our modern tongue. While they were merely students in their own time, by our standards, they’re master-ranked magi. Much of the school library is intact as well, and I’ve heard that they, along with some of Queen Phynis’ guards, are taking charge of the city’s magical defenses. Those the dungeon did not take ca
re of, that is. Even they were shocked by the scale of the spell that crafted the city.”
“If neither they, nor the priestesses, were behind the spell, who was?” Elina asked, frowning. “We could see it from here, Sir Lucien.”
“The dungeon itself cast the spell, Your Grace,” Reva told her with a shrug. “I got this information second-hand, I must admit, but that’s the word among those that live in the city, and the manifestation of the dungeon, the dryad Sistina, appeared to be almost deathly tired when we arrived.”
“Did that answer your question, Duchess?” Calath interjected.
Nodding, Elina smiled and bowed her head graciously. “It did, Your Majesty.”
“Good. Now, if you would continue to explain the city, Sir Lucien?” Calath inquired gently. It wasn’t necessary to do this entirely in front of the full court, but it would help raise morale from everything she’d read in the reports. The news about survivors from Everium itself rocked even her own heart, stunning her with the possibilities that it raised.
“Your Majesty, the city is almost impossible to describe. When we left, there were merely five hundred residents, but the city is carved from a mountain and is nearly five miles across. There are underground caverns suited for growing crops year-round, hot springs that well up from under the city as well as normal springs for drinking water, and enchanted stone walls. There were murmurs of a magical shield for the city, but no one knows if such actually exists,” Reva told Calath, his voice sober. “While there are currently only those few residents, the dungeon has pledged to continue building golems for the city’s defense. Tens of thousands of individuals could live in the city, and taking it via military conflict would be extremely difficult. They’ve already said they welcome immigrants, and they intend to forbid serfdom or slavery in their borders.”
“Perhaps all of this is true, but I’m told that Queen Phynis is willing to ally with us?” Calath continued her inquiry, ignoring the court.
“Against Kelvanis, yes. However, if we wish a full alliance, the dungeon has demanded that when you are able, you yourself must come to Beacon and apologize in person, Your Majesty.” Reva wilted as the other nobles all but exploded at the demand.
“Silence!” Calath’s voice cracked like a whip as she stood, and in moments, the room was quiet again. Calath let her gaze wander over the nobles for a long moment, many of whom looked outraged.
“I have known of this demand for some days, and have considered it carefully. Queen Phynis has good reason to hold a grudge against me and Sifaren, and has chosen to set it aside. The dungeon has similar reasons, yet it does not make demands before contributing to the war against Kelvanis.” Calath’s voice rang out through the throne room, and her eyes settled onto Duchess Elina as she finished. “I consider a mere apology to be well worth an alliance. When it is safe for me to travel to Beacon, I will do so. This matter is closed.”
The sound of a pin dropping could have been heard in the throne room, prompting a smile from Calath.
“It truly is good to see you, Sir Reva. What can you tell me of what wasn’t in your reports?” Calath asked. They were now in private, with only her personal guards present. The Queen was sitting, and Reva could only see the faintest hints of lines at the corners of his monarch’s eyes, betraying the strain of her position. She wore a simple presence crown of thin gold that held back her silver hair, and she looked almost at ease as she sat back in her elaborate green gown.
“There were so many oddities along the journey that it’s difficult to speak of all of them, but I’ll tell you what I’m able to remember, Your Majesty,” Reva replied with a bow of his head, feeling faintly embarrassed at the admission. While it was truthful, it wasn’t something he wanted to admit.
“That is fair. What can you tell me, though?” Calath asked in a pointed tone. Reva nodded quickly, getting his thoughts in order.
“First, the golems I brought back are not the only type Beacon possesses. These were made specifically to defend the city, but there were others built with huge arbalests that I saw as well. I did ask why none were sent with us, and the reason I was given was that they doubted that we could resupply their bolts, so they went with melee weaponry,” Reva explained, frowning as he continued. “Sistina was very short with us, but Sergeant Berys informs me that she seemed more listless than she previously was. During our initial meeting, she said something about almost entirely draining herself to construct the city, so I’m not certain how much more they will be able to do. Not that what she’s done was unimpressive, simply that Beacon may be vulnerable at present. I may be wrong, since they didn’t seem worried about an immediate attack, but I thought I should mention it.”
Calath didn’t interrupt, instead leaning forward as she listened closely. Reva took a breath before continuing. “In other news, we learned that one of Phynis’ guards, Farris Skyblessed, was slain by one of the prisoners who was taken just before the researchers were expelled last fall. Her soul was somehow transferred into a strange golem body that looks entirely like that of an elven woman, save that it’s made of metal and stone. I’m told she’s otherwise unchanged. Farris is now functioning as Phynis’ Court Mage, while Desa Iceheart is her Captain of the Guard.”
The explanation made Calath’s guard captain shift, and the handsome woman frowned. Laila Steelguard was tall and had an athletic, toned body that Reva rather admired as she murmured, “Farris? Farris was merely an adept-ranked nature mage and healer. Why would she be the Court Mage instead of Desa? Desa is far more skilled than she is. I’d almost think that Farris would be more suited to the position of Captain of the Guard, if she was given a golem body like you claim.”
“A fair point,” Calath agreed, and raised her eyebrows as she asked Reva. “Do you have any idea why they chose those roles, Sir Reva?”
“I didn’t have time to speak with her myself, but Berys talked to her. According to the sergeant, Farris claims to have learned a great deal about magic before she gained her new body. I’m not sure exactly how it worked, but apparently her soul was… in Sistina’s mind, somehow,” Reva replied uncertainly, shrugging. “I wish I could tell you more, Your Majesty.”
“There’s no need for apologies. You’ve served immensely well thus far, and I truly appreciate it,” Calath assured Reva, with a smile that put him at ease. When she took a deep breath he tensed, though, and she spoke again, her voice growing serious. “Now for a more personal question. How was Phynis, Reva? Not the queen, the person?”
“Queen Phynis was…” Reva’s voice trailed off as he thought back to the former Princess’ appearance and attitude, frowning as he tried to decide how to answer the question. After a few moments he spoke, a bit uncertainly. “At first she seemed stunned, but happy. She grew more confident as I saw her more, though she seemed extremely concerned about Sistina’s lethargy. I’d only seen Phynis a few times before she was captured, but I think she seemed about as vibrant as I remember her being back then, Your Majesty.”
“I see. Thank you, Sir Reva,” Calath replied, a slow, gentle smile growing on her face, and she nodded. “That will be all. Please, get some rest. While we’re going to need your services soon on the field of battle, I think we have time for that.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Reva bowed his head and clasped his hand to his heart before rising and turning to leave, his spirits brighter than they had been.
Chapter 5
Shoots of grass were barely beginning to poke their tips from the earth, and Major Thompson could hear the distant cry of a hawk. Far louder were the sounds of boots stomping into the recently thawed ground, grinding the grass into the earth and churning the wet dirt into mud.
Major Thompson looked on his force with a smile of satisfaction. After the success of his raid into Yisara, he’d been given the honor of launching one of the first attacks on Sifaren, and was acting in the place of a Colonel, as he commanded three full companies in the attack. The brown-haired, burly man had hopes of being promot
ed permanently if his attack went well, and his smile widened as he thought about the small town they’d chosen as a target.
Glancing upward, he could only faintly see the figure of one of his wizards, a man named Andrew. The man was the only one of his magi who could fly for long periods of time, and he was acting as a scout at the moment. Andrew hadn’t reported any large troop concentrations that could challenge his attack force, which only improved Thompson’s mood. This was going much better than the debacle that had been the attack on Golden Vale.
Looking at the soldiers move, Thompson’s dark eyes gleamed as he murmured, “It’s time for this war to come to an end, and I get to strike the first blow.”
“Captain, Kelvanis forces are confirmed to be five miles from town!” the scout reported, her gray hair unkempt as she rushed into the command post of Redcrown. Named for a massive, ancient oak which was believed to have survived the Godsrage and had brilliant crimson leaves in its uppermost branches, the town wasn’t large, but it was reasonably well-defended, and the vast majority of the townsfolk had been evacuated over the winter.
Captain Talphan looked up from the map and nodded grimly. “As expected, the previous reports were right. What are we looking at?”
“Our sentries report three companies, sir. In the lead are slaves, followed by orcs, then Kelvanis regulars. It looked like they had a few magi, one of whom was flying as a scout outside of the range of bows,” the woman replied quickly, glancing at Talphan’s lieutenants nervously.
“Damn. Well, it’s a good thing we weren’t planning to hold the town, isn’t it?” Talphan replied grimly, shaking his head and absently flicking a pale strand from his eyes. He missed having Captain Vendis in charge, but he had good assistants of his own, thank all the gods. Unfortunately, this wasn’t going to go as well as the rescue of the then-princess Phynis.
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