“They’re near!” Shari howled. “I smell them. They’re close! Tear up every tree.”
Rune ducked and grasped a rock, as if tossing it could defeat dragons. He snarled and prepared to die.
“There!” Kaelyn whispered in triumph. She straightened, holding a rope that rose from the fallen leaves.
“Kaelyn, we need an army, not a rope—”
Before Rune could finish his sentence, Kaelyn yanked the rope, and a trapdoor opened upon the forest floor. Leaves and grass covered its top; below, a stairway led into darkness.
“Well, go on!” Kaelyn said. “Close your mouth and get down there.”
Rune dutifully closed his mouth. Just as another dragon dived, he rushed forward, passed under the trapdoor, and leaped onto the staircase. Kaelyn jumped down beside him and tugged the trapdoor shut.
Before Rune could examine his new surroundings or even take another breath, thuds sounded in the forest above. Even through the trapdoor, Rune knew that sound: dragon claws landing in the forest. Flames crackled outside, wings flapped, and dragons screeched.
“They were here.” Shari’s shrill voice rose above. “I smell them. I see their prints. They ran here moments ago.”
Great nostrils sniffed above, loud as a bellows. Kaelyn cursed and gripped her sword. With her other hand, she drew her dagger from her boot. For an instant, Rune thought she’d threaten him with the blade again. Then he saw that she was holding its hilt outward, offering it to him. Rune took the dagger and gripped it.
Shari screamed above, a sound of fury like storms and mountains cracking.
“Uproot every tree!” she cried. “Spread across this forest and find them. If you cannot, I will decimate you. Spread out! Find the whore and the boy.”
With that, wings beat, fire crackled, and Shari’s shrieks faded into the distance. The other dragons seemed to follow her.
Rune let out a shaky breath. He lowered his head, breathed raggedly, and tried to calm his thrashing heart. His muscles cramped, his breath sawed at his throat, and his skull felt too tight.
At his side, Kaelyn too breathed in relief. She wiped her brow again, only smearing sweat and mud across it. She released her grip on her sword.
“Come, Rune,” she said. “Down the stairs and into the darkness. We’re safe—for now.” She managed a weak glare. “No thanks to you; you almost got us killed. You’re more trouble than you’re worth, if you ask me. From now on, you listen to me, and you follow my every order—no questions. Is that clear?”
He grumbled under his breath. “You sure have a way with people. But I’ll listen to you for now, at least until I can rest and eat. You do have some food and drink squirreled away down here, right?”
She gave him a withering stare, then turned and began walking downstairs. He followed. The steps were dug into soil and rock, reinforced with planks of wood. Roots thrust out from the walls, and a family of mice huddled in a hole. The air was colder down here, and the place smelled of moss and soil.
After descending twenty steps, Kaelyn reached into an alcove dug into a wall. She produced two candles and a tinderbox.
“Here,” she said and passed him a candle. “Hold this and do try not to set yourself on fire.”
She opened the tinderbox and rubbed flint against steel. Sparks flew and Kaelyn lit their candles. The orange light flickered, and they kept descending.
The stairway led into a narrow tunnel. A wooden framework held the walls and ceiling; the floor was mere soil. The tunnel was so narrow it pushed against Rune’s elbows. Kaelyn walked ahead and he followed silently. He wanted to pester Kaelyn for answers, but her talk of fire reminded him of that morning. The Old Wheel burning. The charred corpse of his father. Rune lowered his head and walked silently, candle in hand.
The tunnel took them to a round chamber; it was roughly the size of Rune’s bedroom back at the Old Wheel. Kaelyn moved about the room, lighting more candles in alcoves. The light fell upon casks of wine, shelves of preserves and sausages, a rack of swords and bows, and chests of tunics and cloaks.
“Do you live here?” Rune asked.
“I live nowhere,” she replied, not turning to look at him. “This is what we call a gopher hole. Stop—don’t go looking around for gophers, you won’t find any. It’s just what we call these hideouts. They’re safe places we can use when traveling.”
She rummaged through a chest and produced some bandages. She closed the lid, sat upon it, and peeled back the rents on her legging. Grimacing, she examined the cut along her hip.
Rune knelt before her and reached for the bandages.
“Let me take a look,” he said. “I know a bit of healing; I stitched a wound on Scraggles once.”
She gave him a sidelong glance. “Scraggles?”
“You met him.” He gave her a wan smile. “He barked at you.”
She yanked the bandages away from him. “I will tend to my own wound, thank you. You go… go look at the swords or something. I hope you know how to use one.” She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Of course you don’t know how to use one. You were an innkeeper. I suppose that if Emperor Cadigus ever attacks us with a mug, you’ll know how to clean it.”
She began to tend to her wound, wincing. Rune grumbled and paced the chamber, this “gopher hole”. He felt less like a gopher here and more like a trapped dragon; fire fumed inside him. His boots thumped against the earthen floor.
“You’re right,” he said. “You’re right, Kaelyn, I’m no warrior. I don’t know how to use a sword. And I’ve cleaned a lot of mugs in my day. I am an innkeeper and a brewer; that’s all I want to be. You’re the one who dragged me here at dagger-point. You’re the one who got me into this mess.” He stomped toward her, grabbed her shoulders, and glared at her. “Why, Kaelyn? Whatever feud you have with the Cadigus family, why did you drag me into it?”
She looked up from her wound and laughed mirthlessly. “Feud with the Cadigus family? Boy, did you not hear Shari call me her sister? I am the Cadigus family.”
He frowned. He gave her a piercing stare, taking in her golden mane of hair, her feline features, and her sharp hazel eyes. Then he barked a laugh.
“You?” he said. “You are nothing like Shari Cadigus. Shari is… well, first of all, she’s much taller than you. And she has dark hair and dark eyes. And, well… she’s more of a warrior. You’re kind of small and sneaky. Aren’t the Cadiguses supposed to be big and tough and scary?”
Kaelyn glared at him. “I didn’t say she was my twin sister. I have one twin already, a madman of a brother, and pray you never meet him. And no, I’m not like Shari. I’m not big, or tough, or particularly cruel.” She sighed. “Why do you think I ran away?”
Rune stared at her with narrowed eyes.
Stars, he thought, she’s serious.
He clutched his head.
This is bad.
He had heard of Kaelyn Cadigus, of course—the princess who had escaped the palace and joined the Resistance. But Kaelyn was a popular name, and somehow—with all the fire, running, and blood—Rune had not pieced things together.
His head spun.
“This is bad,” he muttered. “Oh stars, this is bad.” He pointed at her. “You are Kaelyn Cadigus.”
She raised her hands to the heavens. “Stars bless us, he can be taught! What gave it away?”
Rune resumed pacing the room, tugging at his hair. He remembered that winter two years ago, the winter Kaelyn Cadigus was said to have escaped the capital, flown into the forest, and joined the rebellion against her father. Soldiers had stormed through every city, town, and farm in Requiem that season, tearing through homes, burning farms, torturing and killing and seeking the girl in every last hovel. They had never found her, but some whispered that Kaelyn Cadigus had risen high in the Resistance, ranking second only to Valien Eleison himself, the uprising’s leader.
“Oh bloody stars,” Rune said. “I’m here with Kaelyn Cadigus. No wonder they were hunting me. They must have seen you sneak int
o my tavern. Stars, woman, you’re the most wanted soul in Requiem, do you know that?”
She gave him a wry smile. “No, Rune, I’m not the most wanted soul in Requiem—maybe second or third. Most wanted? My dear boy, that honorable distinction goes to you.”
It was his turn to raise his hands in frustration. “Me? Merciful stars, Kaelyn, your sister didn’t even know I existed until you sneaked into my tavern. Why did you drag me into this?” He shook his head as he paced. “That’s it. I have to turn you in. No other choice. I’ll fly to Shari, and explain that this was all a mistake, and—”
“And she would break your every bone, and flay your skin, and disembowel you alive, and laugh as you scream and beg,” Kaelyn said. “I’ve seen her do it to others. Rune, come here. Sit down beside me. I have some things to tell you. You’ll want to sit down for them.”
She wriggled sideways on the chest, making room for him. He glowered down at her, but she only looked up with large, sad eyes, all their mockery and anger gone. Suddenly Rune again realized how beautiful she was, and stars damn it, he was a young man, and a beautiful woman still muddled his mind and dissipated his anger. With a sigh, he sat down beside her.
“Well, it’s about damn time you told me what’s going on here,” he said. “So talk. I’m listening.”
She placed a hand on his knee and looked at him softly. Her fingers were slim and warm; her eyes were warmer.
“Rune,” she said, “do you know how my father came into power?”
He nodded. “Of course I do. We had to sing his songs every harvest fair. Requiem was weak in the old days; the Aeternum Dynasty had weakened it. Griffins ravaged our kingdom. Phoenixes burned us. Desert warriors rode wyverns to shatter our halls. We were hunted, afraid, dying. And then… Frey Cadigus flew to the capital, a great general leading a host of loyal dragons. They took the throne. They cast aside the weakness of the old dynasty. They hunted and slaughtered the griffins, the phoenixes, and all those who had hurt us. They turned Requiem from a frightened, crumbling kingdom into an empire. Requiem is strong now; Frey Cadigus made her strong.” Rune’s lips twisted into a grimace. “At least, that’s what they taught me as a boy. That’s what they forced us to sing. If you ask me, your father is a right bastard.”
“That,” she said, “he most certainly is. And yes, I too heard the stories of how weak the Aeternum Dynasty was. I grew up hearing horrible stories, Rune. My father would relish in telling them. Stories about how the griffins tore apart our children, spilling entrails and blood; how phoenixes burned our people so that their skin peeled and they ran flaming; how wyverns invaded from the south, how their acid melted flesh and left us deformed and forever screaming.” Kaelyn sighed. “Those stories might be true; they are written in books from before my father’s rule. But those books grieved for our fallen, for all the wars we fought. My father did not grieve; he raged. He blamed the Aeternum Dynasty for weakening Requiem, for allowing our enemies to kill us. He would mock the old dynasty’s compassion and righteousness, spitting out those words like insults. He told me that he delighted in killing them. He told me how he slaughtered the old Aeternum king, his wife, and his children. When telling these stories, his eyes would light up, and he would lick his lips, and he seemed almost in rapture.”
Rune nodded. “Like I said—right bastard. But I know all this. Stars, Kaelyn, the whole empire knows that the Cadigus family hated the Aeternums, that they are… how does Frey put it?” Rune puffed out his chest and spoke in a deep, bombastic voice, imitating the speeches he had heard soldiers delivering at Cadport. “We are strong now. We will never fall. We are mighty and powerful and no enemies will threaten us again, and any weakness within us must be crushed.” He rolled his eyes. “I’ve never met your father, but stars, every soldier of his I’ve seen repeats the same thing. An army of parrots, he has.”
“Deadly parrots,” Kaelyn said. “Big ones who can blow fire.” She smiled and lowered her head. Her hand still held his knee. “Rune, you said I don’t look like my sister; that is true. Did you ever wonder why you don’t look like Wil Brewer, the man you called father?”
Rune had smiled at her jest about fire-breathing parrots; now his smile vanished, and pain twisted his chest. My father. Again Rune saw it: Shari rising from the burning Old Wheel, clutching the charred corpse in her claws. She killed him. She killed my father. He clenched his fists and tears burned in his eyes.
All his life—gone. His kindly father. His home. His books. All burnt and gone. He wondered if his dog, at least, had fled the flames; yet even if Scraggles had escaped, would Rune ever see his pet again?
Everything is burnt, he thought and a lump filled his throat. Everything is lost.
“Oh, Rune,” Kaelyn said, voice soft. “I’m sorry. Truly I am. I didn’t mean to… I…” She touched his hair. “I know this is painful. I know this is confusing. But hear me now. There will be time to mourn, but first you must hear everything I say.”
He looked at her, silent. His eyes stung, and tears blurred his vision. He nodded, unable to talk.
“Rune,” she continued, “this is going to be hard to accept. You might not believe me, but you must hear this. When my father took over the throne, he slaughtered the Aeternum family, every last one—the king, the queen, the princes, the lords and ladies… all but one Aeternum. All but the babe of the family. All but you.”
Rune rubbed his eyes and sighed. “I had a feeling you were going to say that.” He gave her a sidelong glance. “And damn it, you didn’t disappoint. Yes, I’ve heard of this missing Aeternum babe. I realize he vanished around the time I myself was a baby. Stars, Kaelyn, every boy in Cadport my age was mocked for being the missing Aeternum.”
Kaelyn’s eyes narrowed and flashed. “Well, he really is you. Your true name is Relesar Aeternum, son of Ardin, heir of a dynasty four thousand years old. My father hates you—he hates you more than all the griffins and phoenixes that ever flew. He’s been hunting you for seventeen years now, since I myself was only a babe. Why do you think Shari showed up in your city?”
“To enlist recruits? To behead a girl and terrify us into obedience? Because she likes the seaside air and the mild southern winters?”
“Because she was looking for you.” Kaelyn jabbed him sharply in the arm. “You look like your father, the old king. Damn it, you’re the spitting image. I’ve seen the man’s paintings. People noticed. Soldiers noticed. You have the same dark hair, the same gray eyes, the same straight nose…”
“Kaelyn, that describes about a million people in Requiem!” He laughed. “So the old king Aeternun had brown hair and gray eyes—stars above, that proves it!”
Kaelyn looked at her feet; she twisted them uncomfortably. “Well, I… might have had something to do with Shari showing up. We’ve known about you all your life, Rune. Our leader, Valien, is the one who placed you at the Old Wheel Tavern; you were only a few moons old. Since then, the Resistance has been watching you. We’d visit the tavern. We’d drink your ale. We’d make sure you were safe, that the Cadigus family hadn’t found you. And, well…” Kaelyn bit her lip. “I’m sorry, but we grew careless. Shari’s soldiers saw our movements. They knew we were visiting Cadport. They followed me one day to the Old Wheel, and they saw you there, and they put two and two together.” She looked back at him, her eyes rimmed with red. “I had to look after you, Rune. I had to. You understand, right?”
For the first time, Rune realized where he had seen Kaelyn before. Of course!
The young, demure priestess had visited the Old Wheel the last two winters, claiming to be on a pilgrimage to Ralora Cliffs, the place where Requiem had fought a battle hundreds of years ago. The priestess would wear a headdress, heavy robes, and a hood, but Rune remembered her large, hazel eyes.
Kaelyn’s eyes.
He rose to his feet so suddenly he nearly knocked the chest—and Kaelyn—over. He rushed toward a wall, grabbed a sword that hung there, and sliced the air. His jaw clenched and anger constricted his th
roat.
“Shari followed you!” he said, staring at Kaelyn with burning eyes. “I knew it. I knew it! And now my father is dead, and I’m stuck in this hole, and if they catch me, I’m dead too. And… stars, Kaelyn, how could you…”
He let his sword drop; it thumped against the ground. He fell to his knees beside it, covered his eyes, and felt Kaelyn’s hands in his hair.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. She knelt before him and embraced him. “I’m so sorry—for everything. But you’re safe now.”
He lowered his hands and stared at her. Her face was inches from his, soft with concern.
“Am I, Kaelyn? Am I safe?”
“Safer than you were.” She touched his cheek. “Believe that, at least. You are safer here.”
He let out a long, shaky sigh. He felt too weak to stand up again, to ever leave this hole.
“What now?” he said and lowered his head.
“I will take you to see Valien, our leader. He has known you all your life; he smuggled you out of the palace when my father killed your parents.” She nodded. “He is wise, the wisest man I know. He’ll know what to do next.”
“Valien Eleison,” Rune whispered.
Like everyone in the empire, he had heard of Valien—the disgraced knight turned resistor, the silver dragon with one horn. Some called him a hero. Others called him a brute, a drunkard and thief and murderer. And some, Rune knew, said that Valien Eleison himself was the man who slew Tilla’s brother.
And I will meet him, Rune thought and swallowed. I will meet the man who crushed my best friend’s soul.
Kaelyn nodded. “But for now, eat and drink something. There is food and wine here. It will be a long journey, and you’ll need your strength.” She looked at the fallen blade. “And you’ll need that sword.”
“I thought you said I wouldn’t know how to use one.”
Though her eyes were still damp, Kaelyn managed to flash a grin. “You wouldn’t, but I’d like a spare, and I’m not carrying two.” She stood up, grabbed an apple from a shelf, and tossed it toward him. “Eat this. And kick your boots off. We’re staying the night. You’re stuck with me in this hole for a while longer.”
Magic, Myth & Majesty: 7 Fantasy Novels Page 36
