Chosen

by Jolea M. Harrison

  “Yes.”

  “Will it change them?”

  “A better question would be; will it change you, which is yes, probably, for a time at least. I don’t think it’s enough to change them, except to give them strength and us a better chance of seeing them through this.”

  “All right,” Maralt said. The High Bishop approached with his hand held out, touching Maralt’s face with two fingers to his temple to teach him what to do. “I’m ready.”

  ~*~

  Chapter 7

  High Commander Gloik left the King’s office and Ambrose Telaerin smiled after him in case the Commander glanced back. He resisted the urge to flop into his chair, turning instead to look out at the rising sun as light painted the eastern horizon red. Even the gray sea rolled a shade of magenta.

  “It’s going to snow again,” he said to the windowpane. There were mountains of the stuff already built up along the walks and roads. Winters in Rianamar were a thing of legend.

  Ambrose rubbed his eyes to ease his weariness. He’d been up half the night dealing with a crisis that shouldn’t have been considered one. A Murian patrol ship crossed the boundary into Cobalt territory. The latest incursion was a case of a poorly trained pilot misreading his coordinates. Nothing more. A number of military commanders didn’t agree with his assessment, but in the end they did as Ambrose said. It was getting to that agreement that he sometimes found annoying. He didn’t have limitless power as King even though the covenant said he did.

  The sound of someone’s thumping approach made him turn from the window. Roth Perquin, Brendin Moch and Melgan Lon hardly paused at the door before coming in.

  “There’s a problem,” Brendin said, while Roth was communicating through his comboard, tapping the face of it in rapid succession.

  Melgan tapped a comboard he held, his expression more dour than usual, and he reached across the black dreywood desk to synch the device with the comterm embedded in the surface. He touched a final control to complete the file transfer, set the comboard down, folded his arms and stood back.

  The image of a detention cell flickered into view. White cushioned walls and white padded floors reflected light back to the imager and cast a glare across the screen before it was filtered out. For a moment they were looking at an empty room.

  Ambrose was about to ask what this was all about, when he heard a low mutter, followed by a man coming into view. His hair was neatly combed. He wore clothes that were clean and well tailored. Magnetic cuffs bound his wrists and ankles, making it impossible for him to move at more than a shuffle.

  “What is...” Ambrose started.

  “The Demon Lord. The Demon Lord. The Demon Lord. He says...he says...he says...they have to die. The Twin Princes. They have to die. He says they have to die. He’ll drink their blood. The Demon Lord will rise. The darkness will come again.”

  The man’s head jerked, his body twitching in an uncontrolled spasm. He turned to the imaging node that was in the upper corner of the room. He stared into it as though he knew Ambrose was there, listening while his sons were threatened.

  “They have to die,” the man said. A chill crawled up Ambrose’s spine. He’d heard of the Demon Lord before, from his father, the day he died. “Dynan and Dain Telaerin have to die. They’re going to die. They’re going to die today.”

  The image flickered to black.

  “This morning there’ve been four other reports of this same threat, almost word for word,” Melgan said. The Captain glanced at Roth, who was finished with the comboard and shook his head at an unspoken question. “All of them have come from people who don’t have a history of any mental illness who are now just gibbering mad. One of them was up in the mountains with Dynan at the site where he fell.”

  “What?”

  Melgan nodded. “Ron Feldor. He's been on that project for years. Ever since Dynan found the place. At the moment, there’s no explanation for these delusions.”

  “We’ve already sent out extra patrols,” Roth said.

  Ambrose didn’t understand why patrols would be necessary since Dynan and Dain were upstairs asleep...

  “The boys are missing,” Roth said.

  “Missing?” Ambrose asked, a knot of fear centering in his stomach.

  “They snuck out,” Melgan said. “Again.”

  Roth nodded when Ambrose didn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe they’d do this again after what happened the last time, and the length of the resulting punishment.

  “I’ve recalled their guards,” Melgan went on. “Their regular complement, the only ones who’ve ever had any luck finding them were out on a training mission. I’m guessing that’s not a coincidence and the boys knew somehow, which means—”

  “Dain hacked into the mainframe,” Ambrose said and wanted to hit something. Instead, he put his knuckles onto the polished dreywood desk, tapping with increasing force before he stopped himself.

  “I’m sure they’ll be fine, Ambrose,” Brendin said. “They’re just in town like usual. Their friends are with them so they aren’t alone. All these people are in a cell.”

  “All of them?” Ambrose said. “Or just the ones we know about?”

  ~*~

  Chapter 8

  Dynan stood in a sitting room in Bronwyn Esrel’s three story home, listening to the party across the hall. A burst of laughter, a deep baritone voice - Ames Lithford it sounded like – bragging about some challenge or other he’d beaten Lyle Dowd at, followed by more laughter.

  Bronwyn’s home was a narrow building of stone, situated on a side street in Rianamar several blocks out of the central part of town with similar homes lined up on both sides of the road. Dain met her several months ago, fell in love with her - though he wouldn’t admit that to just anyone, like it wasn’t obvious to anyone with eyes - and decided he couldn’t tolerate the idea of her sleeping in a stairwell at a local pub.

  Girls, it turned out, were expensive. Dain meant well, but affording this place was beyond him. Until he broke into the Crown vault, anyway, and stole a handful of gold coins that would keep everyone plush for months. Dynan didn’t ask how Dain had gotten into one of the most secure places on the planet. Sometimes, it was better not knowing.

  After breakfast at the bakery, lunch at the Wagon Wheel and time spent in a few other shops around town, they spent the latter half of the day with Bronwyn in quiet comfort. With the assistance of a few merchants, they managed to avoid a lot of Palace Guards.

  Dynan rubbed his hand and the places where the talon cut him. The tiny wounds stung more today, bothering him much more than his back ever did. The hall faded and a dark shelf of rock opened around him, but another shout from the other room brought him back. Dynan reached back for the wall to steady himself. He felt in his coat pocket for the talon and wondered if he should get rid of it.

  “Maybe you should,” Dain said, coming out into the hall. “I told you not to pick it up.”

  Dynan had shown him the strange visions he kept having that seemed to coincide with finding the talon. He wasn’t ready to connect his blood dripping on the ground with causing a ground shift. Not yet.

  The question of what it all meant remained. By mutual agreement, they decided not to discuss it since doing so didn’t give them any answers. Spending the day in Rianamar with Bronwyn was a needed distraction. They’d planned this expedition long ago, well before the pod crash and the ensuing lock down, or Dynan falling through a hole in the ground.

  “Should what?” Bronwyn asked, as she joined them. “What’s wrong, Dynan?”

  He shook his head for an answer, wishing he could get rid of the terrible visions that kept playing through his mind. It was almost constant now.

  Except of course when Dain was undressing Bronwyn in his mind and sharing. She was a beautiful and well-endowed brunette with amber eyes.

  “I’m going out,” Dynan said silently. He knew he wouldn’t want to be anywhere nearby in a few short minutes. Sometimes, it wasn’t an entirely comfortable
sensation knowing every little detail of what his brother was thinking and doing.

  “Keeps the creepy crawlies off your mind, doesn’t it?” Dain said to him, and handed Dynan the sapphire sword.

  Dynan nodded goodbye to Bronwyn. She knew about their telepathy. Not too many people outside their close friends did. By Royal Order, they weren't supposed to talk about it, or let anyone else know about it. Bronwyn didn’t know just how much Dynan was aware when she and Dain were together. He didn’t want her to find out. He headed out the door.

  Outside it was cold and snowing. The heating elements in the road and on the walk hissed as the flakes hit and melted. He took a moment to strap the sword around his waist and then cover the weapon with his cloak. People didn't wear them in Rianamar, or anywhere else on Cobalt, except for guards. Sharp, but only ceremonial, Dynan brought his so everyone could see it up close, as had Dain. Generally, they weren't allowed to have them out. They were banned from ever using them, a rule intended to keep them from dueling each other.

  Dynan pulled the hood of his cloak up and trudged down the narrow street between houses to the next road, aiming back toward the center of town. After only a few moments, he heard running footsteps behind him and turned in time to see Ames and Lyle coming after him.

  They were an unlikely pair, from opposite ends of the social spectrum, and fast friends. They were taller, broader and more muscled than everyone else, though that didn’t mean they could beat Dain at anything except maybe arm wrestling. Ames’ father was Lord Solen Lithford, a close friend of Ambrose’s. Lyle’s was a farmer.

  “A little close in there,” Ames said, wiping his brow as if he’d escaped some danger while Lyle laughed under his breath.

  “You know he doesn’t like you out here wondering around by yourself,” Lyle said.

  Dynan rolled his eyes over Dain’s over-protectiveness. He was almost as bad as Colin. There were times Dynan appreciated it and others he didn’t.

  “Sorry, but we aren’t arguing with him,” Ames said, as they turned onto the main road. “Too much of a hassle, you know. So where are you going?”

  “The library.”

  Lyle groaned. “No, not today. Come on.”

  “The library?” Ames said at the same time as if he’d never heard the word.

  “I’m behind,” Dynan said.

  “Behind?” Ames said. “How can you be behind?”

  “Is this because of the pod crash?” Lyle asked and when Dynan nodded, the two looked guilty. There’d been some complicity on their part that they’d been protected from when the crap came down from on high.

  “How many more projects did you end up with?” Ames asked.

  Dynan held up three fingers and their eyes widened.

  “No way,” Lyle said. “That’s just not...I mean it’s impossible. How does he expect you to...It’s not like it was your idea. Dain didn’t get into trouble at all.”

  “That’s probably the point,” Ames said.

  “You really shouldn’t be out here today at all,” Lyle said. “You’re going to end up with five projects now. Or six.”

  Dynan nodded easily to that, well aware how furious his father would be. He knew there’d be even more work thrown at him. On some level, Dynan recognized the immaturity of his behavior in going along with this day, making his father worry on purpose, extracting payback for forcing the oath ceremony. Dynan knew he was acting like a petulant child. After this, he’d already decided to do a better job of staying out of trouble. Tomorrow, he told himself.

  They were back into the main part of town already, and had to keep a hand on their cloaks to keep their hoods drawn down. There were a number of other people dressed against the cold the same way. There were also Palace Guards everywhere, three times the number who’d been out looking for them this morning.

  Ames whistled. “This could be difficult.”

  “The library is the next street over,” Dynan said.

  He noticed a man then, walking a little ahead and entering something into a comboard before turning off the walk toward a house. The man used the optic function on the device, which allowed the user to input without using the keypad or even speak. Most people didn’t use that option, uncomfortable with it, since it seemed like the comboard could read minds, which is why Dynan noticed him.

  “They won’t suspect I’m alone,” Dynan said, watching after the man for a moment until they were by him. The man laughed about something under his breath. “I’ll be fine. Go on.”

  Ames hesitated only a second more and then Lyle agreed too. They turned at the next street corner, leaving Dynan to go ahead past the guards. Colin wasn’t there. None of them were the Hounds, who would have known Dynan no matter what.

  In the regular guards here, there seemed a level of tension that was unusual, like the number of them combing the streets. Dynan was close enough to hear them as he passed.

  “You better report in that they aren’t on this street either.”

  Dynan kept going, walking without hurrying and made it by them. The library, another enormous, echoing marble building was on the next street. Noted for its towering trees, Brescott Way was named after the man who’d given up his book collection to start the library a couple hundred years ago when he realized that printed books were disappearing. The street and library were two blocks off the main road that ran through the center of Rianamar.

  Dynan walked along thinking about one of the three projects he needed to work on. He had a list in his head of the people he had to research; Polen Forb, Faulkin Yeld, Grint Heddly to name a few. They were all close compatriots of Alurn Telaerin, who helped the First King win any number of battles and then secure the Throne. Dynan meant to prove that Alurn wasn’t the true hero of the realm everyone made him out to be, but an immature, reckless leader who, without those faithful men, would have led Cobalt to destruction.

  Needless to say the topic wouldn’t be a popular one, since pretty much everyone on the planet held Alurn up almost as a God. Because of the controversy calling him an idiot would cause, the piece was unlikely to be read by anyone but the King.

  After this long day of playing truant, Dynan thought about facing his father for a second, and decided he didn’t want to envision the coming bellow-fest, or the punishment he had coming. He’d regret it all - then. Now though, walking down the road without a guard or anyone else came with a sense of complete freedom he rarely had. It felt great.

  He noticed one of the side streets near the library was barricaded. Maybe there was some work being done. The gray was heavy enough to turn the street lamps on.

  He heard movement from the other side of one of the mammoth trees as he went by it. The next second, a man abruptly stepped out, and startled him badly. Dynan knew him. He groaned as he was grabbed and shaken.

  “You know your timing is just for crap,” Dynan said as he was let go. “Hi, Colin. How are you?”

  “I’m getting a little tired of freezing my ass off for you. I guess you forgot that conversation about acts of complete stupidity.” Colin Fryn took Dynan by the arm, very obviously unhappy, glancing back at the barricaded road and then started down the street toward the next alley, almost yanking Dynan along. “Where is Dain?”

  “I didn’t forget,” Dynan said, trying half-heartedly to pull away from him. Colin was acting a little odd, moving the way he was without stopping. “Who won the pool this time?”

  “Today, we all lost. Where-is-Dain?” Colin Fryn repeated, emphasizing each word.

  When Dynan hesitated with the answer, Colin stopped. He looked up and down the road. Two men who were coming down the walk toward them from the library that Dynan guessed he wasn’t going to get into today. Otherwise the street was empty. Everyone with any kind of sense was inside out of this weather.

  “What’s wrong?” Dynan asked to avoid answering him. “When did you get back from training?”

  “You knew we were training? Been breaking into encrypted files, have we?” Colin asked,
and shook his head over it. He seemed almost angry. “There’s an alert. I need to know where Dain is right now.”

  “An alert?” Dynan said. “What?”

  “Is he with Bronwyn?”

  Dynan froze for a second. “How did you—”

  “It’s my job to know what you’re doing all the time, not to tell your father about it. Is he?” Colin didn’t wait for the answer, taking out a comboard while he kept looking around. “Station two. Sheed, check with the occupant on Amber Place.”

  Like Colin, Sheed Lasser was another of the Hounds. “I’m already on my way,” Sheed’s voice came through the comboard.

  “Station one is on his way home,” Colin said and took Dynan by the arm again, still looking in every direction. He put him into the wall by the alley that was the closest cut-through to the next street, peering cautiously around the corner before pulling him along.

  “What is going on?” Dynan asked, tripping a little as Colin led him into the narrow street.

  “You picked a bad day to sneak out of the Palace,” Colin said tersely. “Tell Dain to stay where he is until Sheed gets there. Please.”

  At the moment, Dynan was doing everything he could to be as distant from his brother as was possible, but Colin didn’t need to know that. Dain wasn’t going anywhere. Dynan only nodded. “What kind of alert?”

  “The kind that means you aren’t supposed to be out in the open,” Colin said, looking around when he heard a noise behind him, though when he turned there wasn’t anything there. “The next street over, I’m putting you on a transfer for the Palace. I’ll go back for Dain so he gets home not too far after you. Otherwise you’ll end up taking the brunt of it. You can thank me later. Your father is in a state I know I wouldn’t cross. He’s about to stroke out, so, game’s over.”

  “Right,” Dynan said quietly. “Thanks.”

  “I said later. Might not work.”

  Dynan looked up as they made their way down the narrow walk between the buildings. It was darker than it should have been. Several of the usual lights weren’t working.