Kyrianna glanced at him curiously but simply nodded.
Lucian watched the elders, trying to judge their emotions. The night had been a blur. He found himself fighting for a tribe that was not his own and wielding power he did not recognize. He now realized that what he initially hoped was a dream, could only have been truth. And now he felt a responsibility for Vorea, for all his friends, and all mankind who would not be ensnared by evil. “Your allies do come, I swear on this. If you were to flee to Kaheendra now, Thaluzont would impregnate himself within this city where he would be safe from any counter attack we could bring against him. From there he would wait, building up his force, regaining his numbers. He would strike out at our villages, our homes, attacking our women and children, forcing us to go protect them. And when we are all divided, he would sweep through and devour us in his wake one by one. All of Los would be lost to Thaluzont.”
The other elders stared intently at Lucian while he spoke but Tetsu was shaking his head. “You would lead our people to ruin, just to save your own. Maybe you think that Thaluzont would stop at Vorea, his lust sated, and not attack your cities? Maybe you—“
Kyrianna had heard enough. She slammed her armored fist on the table, nearly splintering the thick wood and causing the elders to jump. “Enough of your venomous tongue Tetsu, have you not watched the battle from the safety of your home? This man and his friends have risked their lives trying to save Voreans. They have spilled their blood in aid of our people and still you snivel.”
Lucian was beginning to see what was happening. Since the battle had stalled, he was not calling on his ability. He focused his thoughts now and let the righteous power flow forth. His vision shifted allowing him to see more than just that which was substantial around him. His eyes flared at the sight of the hooded figure that stood over the shoulder of Tetsu. It must have sensed his power because it snapped its head up to look at him.
The creature’s face was cast in shadow but its eyes seemed even darker in contrast, so much so that they seemed to glow with a blackness beyond that which seemed real. Lucian took a step toward the figure and the emblems on his armor suddenly ignited with a golden glow. The dark creature hissed, and vanished into a black mist. Tetsu pushed back in his chair, afraid that Lucian was going to attack him.
Lucian pointed at him accusingly. “You are allowing yourself to be manipulated because you do not have faith in your own people, and even less in those who wish to help you.”
The elders were all a bit shocked at the golden glow that emanated from the emblems etched into Lucian’s armor. They had not witnessed him in battle as the other had.
Kyrianna had already made up her mind about Tetsu, having heard enough. “You will be banished from this city. I will not have you infecting my people with your venomous words and cowardice any longer.”
Tetsu shot up from his chair and started to speak but Kyrianna’s sword suddenly appeared in her hand and the tip of the blade was resting on Tetsu’s throat. The move was so fast it even surprised Lucian.
Tarriel gave a shocked look to Solomon but he did not take his gaze from Tetsu.
“What say’s the council of my decision?” asked Kyrianna, even though she knew that their vote did not matter.
One by one the elders stood and turned their backs to Tetsu. He was outraged, but the blade at his neck kept him from reacting other than a contorted expression of anger.
“Guards, remove Tetsu from our city,” said Kyrianna, and they grabbed him and started dragging him from the room. “Allow him to take what he must to feed and care for his family on their journey, the rest of his riches are to be used to help those in need. Oh and if he heads in any direction other than south, put an arrow between his shoulder blades.”
Instantly, Tetsu’s expression went from anger to shock. His mouth was still hanging open when the door shut behind the guards that were dragging him out.
Kyrianna turned to the elders and bowed. “We have much to prepare, please see that you help in any way you can.”
The elders bowed back to their Empress with proud smiles on their faces. She was just like her father and he was a man whose tribe loved him. They gladly left the chamber to find somewhere that they might be useful.
Kyrianna looked to Solomon and Nenghao. “You have proven yourselves invaluable in leading our defenses. I would keep you here to riddle you with praise all night but there is much to be done. I thank you.”
They both bowed, Nenghao grinning from ear to ear, and then left the chamber to look toward the defenses, but not before Solomon looked back and winked at Lucian.
Kyrianna turned to Tarriel. “The warriors of Culdora will forever hold a dear place in my heart,” continued Kyrianna. “Never have I seen such fury on the battlefield. I pray that your fallen will find their way quickly to the halls of your Ancestors.”
It was the noblest thing anyone could have said to Tarriel. Kyrianna knew of their pride and would not dishonor them by lamenting for their dead. Tarriel grew more respect for her that moment than a thousand battles would have proven. She allowed herself an appreciative smile and bowed to Kyrianna. “Any city with a leader such as you is worth dying for. I will prepare my warriors for the next assault, we will be ready.” She grinned at Lucian and gave him a small shove as she exited the chamber.
Lucian wondered what had come over everyone.
Eliath put his hand on Kyrianna’s shoulder. “You need not thank me. Many have fallen and many more have yet to die. I fight for a cause and a belief that outweighs us all. All those who are of good spirit, are worth fighting for. I will see to the injured, they may need more than bandages and ointment.
Kyrianna nodded, “Have Solomon check on that wound to your shoulder. You must mind your injuries as well.”
Eliath bowed and walked out of the chamber. As he was closing the double doors behind him, Lucian could help but notice the crooked grin on his friends face.
The doors shut and he was alone with Kyrianna.
“Empress Kyrianna,” said Lucian with raised eyebrows after staring at her for a short time.
Kyrianna felt ashamed. “Forgive me for my deception-“
Lucian cut her off. “I would have done the same in your position. I hold no ill will toward you.”
“You need not thank me either,” he said, stopping her short again.
“How could I not thank you,” she said. “You have done so much for my people. And what I saw tonight was beyond my comprehension. What power is it that you possess?”
Lucian smiled at her. The same warm smile she had first seen at the barn in Kaheendra. “It was a blessing, given to me for a purpose that I am only just beginning to understand. I have seen many disturbing things,” he said, and his voice trailed off as he remembered the images from his vision.
Kyrianna saw the pained look on his face and placed her hand on his cheek, gaining his attention again. He was pulled from his thoughts when Kyrianna reached up and placed her delicate hand on his cheek. Her touch sent heat waves over his flesh. He looked into her bright emerald eyes and became lost in a dream of being alone with her, away from all the violence and responsibility.
Kyrianna thought to ask him of the things he spoke of seeing but decided against it, realizing the pain it caused him. “Whatever the reason for your gift, Lucian, I am honored to have you with me in this struggle. I only hope that we both live through it, so that we might sit and talk. I have many questions.”
Lucian decided that he would make certain of it. “We will get through this, and I shall enjoy answering any questions that you have, if of course I know the answers.”
Kyrianna smiled and let her hand slide from his face. The feeling of each fingertip as it left his cheek became embedded in his memory.
He felt his cheeks heat. “I must go help Eliath with the wounded,” he said quickly, and turned to leave.
“What did Eliath mean when he said that the people would need something more than just bandages and ointment?”
asked Kyrianna.
Lucian gave her a boyish smile. “It is something that I could not describe. You will have to see it for yourself.”
He held his hand out and Kyrianna eyed him curiously at first, but then the corner of her mouth pulled up into an adorable smile and she reached out and took it. He led her out to where Eliath was kneeling over a man who had been run through by one of the Boroon and somehow still lived.
Lucian stood by with Kyrianna at his side and they watched as Eliath laid his hand on the ghastly wound and began to whisper something. Her eyes widened as a soft glow came out from under his palms and seemed to wash over the wound and soak into it.
Kyrianna stared in awe as the soldier’s injury closed up in front of her eyes.
“He is a healer?” she exclaimed.
Eliath rose from the man and addressed her directly. “He still needs to rest. The flesh is whole, but the organs need time to heal.”
Kyrianna immediately called out to some soldiers nearby and told them to carry the injured man to the infirmary. When they were away, she gave Eliath a perplexed look. “I have read that long ago, in ancient times, many had the ability to heal. But I have never known or heard of one with such power in my lifetime.”
“Yes, it is a gift that at one time, many could harness. But over the decades the faith of man has grown weak and their ability to draw from the powers that they have been blessed with has faltered. Solomon is another who has learned to harness this gift. Did you not see him on the battle field?”
Kyrianna shook her head, baffled. She had not been able to see the waves of light reaching out from Solomon to the Culdoran warriors.
When Lucian saw the way Kyrianna was looking at him, he laughed. “It is as much of a surprise to me as it is you. I only just recently learned of this ability that my friend has. I fear that he has many wondrous secrets left to be discovered.”
Kyrianna looked at Lucian curiously. "Can you heal as well?"
Lucian shrugged. "Eliath says that I can, but there has been no time to even try and learn how to harness it."
Kyrianna stood mystified, unsure if what she had just seen was real. "You said that many people have the ability to do this?" she asked Eliath.
"Not everyone, but yes, others are capable. But the belief that such a thing is probable does not exist in their minds. So thinking that it is impossible has truly made it so. It is that way with mankind. Their own minds are often their most formidable enemy."
"How did you learn to do this miraculous thing?" asked Kyrianna.
Eliath shared a knowing smile with Lucian, "Since I came to be in this existence."
"You mean since you were born you could heal?" she tried to clarify.
Eliath chuckled, realizing that Kyrianna was trying hard to understand something that was beyond her normal realm of understanding. "Yes, I have known how to heal from an early age."
She shook her head and looked back and forth from Eliath to Lucian. "Maybe with men like you at our side, we can survive this."
Eliath gave Kyrianna a short bow. "Your people will survive this. Lucian will make sure of that. Now I must be off, there are many more wounded that need healing."
Lucian stopped Eliath short. "Just be sure to get some sleep before daybreak."
"I will be fine,” said Eliath. “But you must heed your own advice. Get some rest or you will be worthless come morning."
"Will you be by my side in the next battle brother?" asked Lucian.
"Of course I will. And I'll not be letting you run off to try and get yourself killed as you did this night."
Lucian chuckled, knowing that Eliath would have done no such thing but rather would have charged right along with him, had he the chance. Given Eliath's obvious care for Tarriel, Lucian was surprised that he was not already fighting his way to her when Lucian arrived. But his lifelong friend had promised that he would watch over Kyrianna and would not abandon that promise, even if it meant watching someone he cared about die. And although Lucian would have wanted him to help Tarriel, the fact that Eliath's loyalty to him was unshakeable, made him realize even more just how special a friend he had.
Kyrianna grabbed Lucian's arm after seeing that he was finally alone and pulled him along with her down the cobblestone road.
Soon they were at the steps of the Imperial Palace and Lucian had to stop and look up at the spectacle. He had come into Vorea and immediately plunged into battle, not taking in the beauty of the city at all. Now he stood astonished at the palace, home of Kyrianna's late family.
She laughed at the look on his face and pulled him along. "Come, we have no time to waste, we must get this over with so that you can get some sleep before the noon."
Lucian gave her a perplexed look. "What is it that we must do?" All of a sudden he was nervous, anxious, and mortified. He had no clue what Kyrianna was talking about but if it had anything to do with her chambers, he didn't know how he would handle it. Although she intrigued him and was stunningly beautiful, Lucian would not break his vows. He hadn't thought Kyrianna the type to act this way but he had heard that war enacted emotions such as this in people. His face turned red with embarrassment at the thought of denying her, a Princess…an Empress. How would she take it?
She pulled him into a large beautiful room that he could only assume was her private chamber and shut the door behind them. Before Lucian could say anything she started to un-strap his shoulder pauldrons and then his chest and back piece. When she had taken them off, Lucian grabbed her by the shoulders and stopped her.
"This can’t happen. Not like this. Not now," he said.
Kyrianna gave him a puzzled look, gathered up his armor, and walked into the wash room with it. He heard her dipping something into water and a moment later he heard a scrubbing sound. Curiously he walked into the washroom to find Kyrianna cleaning the blood off his armor. He erupted in laughter at how foolish he had been. She was startled at his outburst and gave him a hurt look. Lucian realized that he was laughing at an Empress, who was humbling herself by cleaning his armor.
"I’m so sorry," he said. "I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at how much of a fool I am. I had no idea that this was why you were bringing me here." He bent down and stopped her from scrubbing. "Please, you honor me by this act, but I can’t have the Empress of Vorea cleaning my armor."
Kyrianna slapped away his hand and continued to scrub at the dried blood. "Every leader should stand out to his men so that all can see where you are and rally to your power. Today I heard the people of Vorea singing praise to your name. I want the army to see that you are among them and in all your glory." Her voice softened to a whisper. "And I wish to be able to spot you among the chaos as well."
Lucian heard what she said but was still thinking about how close he had come to utterly embarrassing himself.
The look on his face was not missed by Kyrianna and a smirk pulled at her lips while she scrubbed. "Now go lay down on that bed and rest."
"But where will you sleep?" Lucian asked, not wanting to take her bed.
"I will be in my own chamber, this was my brothers." At the mention of her brother, a tumult of emotions rushed through her and a tear rolled down her cheek.
Lucian brushed the tear away with his thumb. "You are truly an amazing woman Kyrianna. Your tribe does well by you. I envy your strength." He walked over to the bed and slumped down onto his back. He felt as though he were lying on a cloud. "I do not think I will be able to sleep. My mind is a raging storm that threatens to keep me awake forever. I fear that I may never sleep again."
Kyrianna didn't answer him but instead started to hum a song of her people as she worked at the armor.
Lucian listened to her beautiful voice and shook his head. "When first I met you, I knew that you were a skilled warrior. Then I find out that you are also a leader, an Empress no less. And now to discover that your voice is equally as beautiful as you are. I find myself believing that you may be something I have imagined."
Kyri
anna smiled at the compliment and continued to hum while she scrubbed at his armor.
Lucian felt his eyes pulling shut and before he could think about how awake he felt, he was fast asleep. Kyrianna continued the song and when she was done cleaning the chest piece and pauldrons she went to work removing the rest of his armor.
Lucian was deep into his sleep and was unaware of Kyrianna's maintenance to his suit. As she washed away the blood she realized that there were no nicks or gouges in his armor, nowhere did a blade touch him. She was amazed by this and wanted to ask him about it but when she looked at the peaceful expression on his face, she couldn’t bring herself to wake him. She finished cleaning his armor and went to her own room, fell onto her bed for the first time in weeks and instantly drifted into the realm of sleep.
Darkness Descends
Lucian felt like he had just closed his eyes when the door to his room opened and startled him awake. Eliath stood in the entrance. The armor he wore and the look on his face told Lucian that it was time.
“The attack has started?” asked Lucian.
“Not yet, but the sea of enemies churns. They will attack soon.”
Lucian found his armor placed on a wooden stand, shining brightly. Kyrianna’s song still lingered in his head. He didn’t even remember falling asleep. Eliath helped him put the armor on and the two men marched down the halls of the palace, toward the courtyard.
“Kyrianna is awake?” asked Lucian.
“Yes, she was summoned just before I came and woke you. She waits for you.”
“Did you get any sleep?”
“Some.” In truth Eliath had only slept for an hour, but he didn’t need much sleep and didn't want to worry Lucian.
“And what of Solomon and Tarriel, have you spoken with them?”
“Tarriel yes, she is awake and anxious for this fight to continue. I have not seen Solomon.”
†††
Solomon sat in full battle armor, which consisted of nothing more than his fine robes and twin, beautifully crafted gauntlets, and shin guards. His legs were crossed and his hands rested on his thighs as he drew in deep, slow breaths. His eyes were closed and the lids fluttered as a vision unfolded in his mind. This was a clouded vision, one that did not foretell an exact end. But what he did see left him with little doubt as to the outcome. When his eyes opened, his expression was grim.
Revelations of Doom Page 47
