“I hope you come to realize that this foolishness must end, but I can tell some of you are prepared to take the poison. Fear not, if you wish to die then I’ll not stop you, but just know you’ll forever be forgotten and shunned from our minds.”
She then turned her back to the people and as her words sunk in it created more of a reaction than anything they had done since stopping the murderous priests. She then came up and embraced her nephew “Oh Calosh, you’ve grown into a lovely man.”
“Aunt Tilp, you still frighten me.” He remarked and they both laughed. “It is wonderful to see you alive. None knew, not even Father dared to hope. I wish to speak more, but there is much to do.”
“Worry not, I’m just grateful it is finally over and I can sleep peacefully in knowing that our people’s path will change into something truly worth believing in. Do what you must, but my words weigh heavily in favor of you. You are the rightful High Priest are you not?”
“He is.” Alex confirmed
“Then…” She slowly dropped to a knee in front of everyone, took his hand and kissed the knuckles. “High Priest Calosh, I welcome you to your rightful home.”
The day passed, but the city remained in turmoil after the fall of what they knew and felt to be true. Over three hundred decided life no longer meant anything when they learned from the true tomes what their religion believed and took the poison before throwing themselves into the pit. Tilp’s confession had the greatest impact after realizing their ideal leader did everything for personal gain and killed a good leader just for spite. On several occasions fights broke out, but were settled before any serious injuries could occur.
The Pack stayed near Calosh and aided the takeover of the city wherever possible. But they didn’t have to fight any more, especially with Shade deterring any inhospitable actions with just his size and looks alone. But besides helping they all got to see the inside of the high temple and were surprised go find many paintings depicting what the Ancients must have looked like and the gift they gave to man before they died out. The entire structure looked positively stunning and hauntingly beautiful. Many valuable gemstones were laid within the walls and roof, out of reach from thieves though, and they made the room alight in vibrant colors, but for so many years this place had been corrupted and soiled by murderers. Tilp said that this will be the last time she’ll ever step into the temple willingly and none could doubt what she has endured, but she gave the tour for her son and the men and women who helped free her.
Just before nightfall Lily, Krum, Marlin, Niranene and Clift returned with Isabelle to her father’s home for some much needed rest while Alex and his siblings remained behind to help Calosh solidify his position for a little while longer.
After night fell and plunged the canyon in darkness Shade stood and said he needed to stretch his legs. Alex too felt the need to go for a stroll and bid farewell to Calosh and his aunt Tilp. Together they left the temple grounds and decided to walk freely since a curfew was in effect and only priests and warriors under Calosh’s rule were allowed outside after dark.
Shade wanted to walk by the water so the three of them found stairs and walked among the neatly kept greenery and made it to the slow flowing stream. Several boats were tethered to a floating dock that moves up and down with the levels of the river. Very few were out or were near the lower area of the great canyon. They began walking and conversing on many subjects and topics, but Ava stood on her perch and had the most to say. She couldn’t believe how so much had been accomplished in such a short time, but the planning it took alone boggled her mind.
The wind seemed odd, but Alex couldn’t tell quite why.
During their content walk beside the cool water a pair of shadow disengaged themselves from a large wooden post. Firelight from torches did little to reveal their features, but both looked male and were exceptionally large. They stood casually and nonthreatening, but Shade and Alex stopped and a warning growl emanated from Shade’s thick chest.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but may I assume that you are Prince Alex?”
“I seem to be at a disadvantage, might I ask your name and what you are doing outside after curfew?” Alex’s keen vision recognized Royal Guard colors easily.
“Why we are here for you.” The larger figure said in a cool and controlled tone. “And as to my name you probably know it for your lovely wife was once my pupil. I was her Kings Guard master. My name is Peile.”
***
Chapter 20
Before the dawn even thought about presenting itself for another warm day of discussion over the new Jugo leadership and re-teaching of the Juguan religion Lily awoke from a unseen disturbance, feeling chilled in the darkness of the room she had been given. A sense of foreboding weighed heavily on her breast and beaded moisture on her brow gave warning that something didn’t feel right, but she didn’t understand why or the cause. The lone candelabra gave off just enough light for her to approach it safely and not succumb to tripping on the unfamiliar ground. She approached the silvery fixture and used a thin stick to catch the lone flame and transfer it to the other four wicks. Greater brightness illuminated the empty room with the combined candlelight and she searched the room to not find the cause making her heart race.
Quickly she dressed and belted the swords to her curvaceous waist before grabbing the candle holder and approach the door. She exited to find the hallway desolate except for a burning torch illuminating each corner and intersection of the estate. Lily confidently walked down the lifeless hall and a flight of stairs to find a serving girl sweeping the polished floor. “Pardon me, but have you seen my husband?”
“Nay, my lady.” The little woman replied meekly. “Has something happened?”
“I know not… Has Shade or Ava come?”
“The fiends?” She questioned with a tilt of her head. When Lily nodded she shook her head. “I’m sorry, but they haven’t. Master Wilo just returned from the high temple not too long ago. I presume he is still awake. I’ll go see if he might know where…”
“I’ll do it, don’t bother yourself.” With that Lily turned around and ascended the two flights of stairs to reach the third floor. She knocked three times on a large oak door to hear “What is it?” The voice demanded not harshly. “It’s Lily, Do you know where Alex is?”
Wilo’s feet hit the ground and moments later he opened the door with narrowed eyes. “What do you mean? Hasn’t he and his creatures returned by now?”
“Nay. When did you see him last?”
“Hours ago… He said he and the other two wanted to stroll the city when the talks became tedious for him, but they should have returned by midnight at the latest. Would you like me to send out someone to look for them?”
“I’m sure there isn’t anything to worry about. Get some rest like Niranene ordered. Her skills aren’t a cure as you well know and if you keep pushing yourself your heart will deteriorate that much quicker.”
“Very well, but if you need assistance don’t hesitate. Our order owes a great debt.”
She shook her head. “There is no debt. Zawat used the remainder of his life force and saved a great many from an unjust death. We’ve simply upheld the agreement. We are on equal ground now.”
“Still, I feel much gratitude, especially being able to move around under my own power again.”
Lily smiled, nodded before turning around and heard the door close on silent hinges. Her pace quickened as fear made that feeling from before worse. Something’s wrong. She went down a floor and rasped the door beside the one she had been offered. When none answered she knocked harder and more urgently. Then the handle clicked and beady brown eyes looked up to find Lily’s. Krum whooped quietly and slung a tablet off his hairy shoulder and wrote with chalk before handing it up to her. ‘What is the problem?’ it read.
Quickly she replied ‘Alex, Shade and Ava haven’t returned when they should have, hours ago.’ Krum read and his Orggian expression hardened. Before he made loud sounds to alert
his partner, Lily raised her tone and both Marlin and Niranene awoke. It didn’t take her long to convince either of them to accompany her out for they knew Alex wouldn’t stay out so late and not inform them of his whereabouts. The four of them quickly left the building and found Clift asleep in a patch of soft grass. Starlight still dominated the overhead sky as Clift grew serious to the information and began using his incredible sense of smell to lead them outside the gate. Although a herbivores sense of smell isn’t as great as a predators, Clift caught the musky odor of Shade and Alex with little difficulty and followed it, all the while fighting a reasonable natural instinct to avoid a creature capable of making a meal out of him.
The chestnut warhorse led them down a flight of stairs and followed along the river. On two occasions they were stopped by watchers until they were recognized as participants to Yosh’s death and were allowed to proceed.
After an hour of searching, Clift caught a powerful and fresh scent on the cool breeze and began trotting, making the other’s nearly run to keep up. Then they saw a large black heap laying near the floating docks and all of them froze momentarily from fear, at recognizing the familiar form. Lily and all the others then ran with all they had to discover Shade crumbled in an unnatural position and Krum discovered Ava hidden in a high patch of grass. Both looked lifeless and Niranene pulled out her oval item and pressed it to Shade’s broad side to exclaim “He has a heartbeat!”
Krum gently reached down and scooped up a nonresponsive Ava, who didn’t even lift a wing at his gentle touch. The Orggian carried her over to his partner to verify if she also lived. Niranene checked and nodded.
Shade’s nose had been cut shallow and stopped bleeding, but the ground beneath his muzzle showed he bled there without moving for some time. He lay on his belly and all his legs splayed in painful angles. It took the efforts from them all to roll Shade on his side. Krum then laid Ava down after tucking her wings to her side to offer some comfort.
“What happened?” Niranene asked calmly while checking both fiends for further injuries.
“Something big.” Marlin stated ominously and when everyone turned to him he pointed to the devastated ground around him. “A short fight happened here, but I recognize those bare footprints anywhere.”
Lily moved quickly over to her friend’s side, with a torch they took from earlier, to guide them safely, and saw the damage left behind by a recent skirmish. Her tracking and warrior skills came forth to read the scene while also her heart beat frantically as a conclusion became apparent. They all waited while she walked around the ground, finding all the evidence she could. Then her fear became completely replaced by an anger she hadn’t felt in a long time as an understanding came to be. When she stood up and found her companions eyes they saw her in barely controlled rage.
Marlin took a chance and asked “Lily, what happened?”
“Two men came and kidnapped Alex!” She stated through clinched teeth.
“What?” Prompted Niranene. “How is that possible? Alex is more than capable of defending himself. How could two people even stand a chance with him let alone do something to Shade and Ava as well. Neither would stand by and allow something like this to happen.”
“Nevertheless, it happened. Look here.” Lily pointed to two pair of distinctive sandy boot prints. “The sliding and shuffling of these prints show they were waiting here for hours for Alex to arrive and when he did they stepped out in front of them. I can assume a short exchange of words happened and the pressure of Alex’s prints indicate he tried attacking first, but he was stopped somehow. He tried to kill these two, but couldn’t. Then before Shade and Ava could most likely come to his aid the pair also chose to fight Alex’s partners. Alex stopped fighting and the indent of that deep footprint says he tried picking up Shade and forcing him to flee. He tried saving his two partners when he realized the two were about to be attacked. The entire area shows disturbance emanating from the larger boot print and must have been strong enough to render all three unconscious.
“Then the two came over, picked up Alex and took him to that dock which must have had a boat in waiting. They kidnapped him and left few traces. I can barely tell how long it’s been since the fight happened.”
“If the fight sounds as loud as you believe, why didn’t anyone else come to check out the battle? Alex would have tried making noise to alert anyone. He wouldn’t have sat idly by and fight with stealth.” Niranene asked.
“You know who did this, don’t you?” Marlin asked after realizing her reaction went beyond the kidnapping of Alex.
“I have an idea, but I hope my assumption is wrong.”
“Why?”
Tears began stinging her eyes. “Because if it’s who I believe it is we don’t stand a chance…”
“Who!” Marlin demanded.
Lily shook her head, unable to speak the words. “Come, we must wake Shade.”
He grew quiet and knew Lily was trying her best to hold everything together at the moment and not go insane. Together they walked over to Shade and tried nudging him with no effect. Krum, unable to understand what they were saying, realized they were trying to awaken Shade and untied the medicinal pouch from his upper left arm and began searching through an array of herbs and leaves till finding two lone leaves and barred his teeth at them, realizing they wouldn’t be nearly as effective as ones freshly picked. He moved over to the water, scooped some in a hand and tried rehydrating the leaves somewhat. Minutes later he returned, crushed them in a mess and placed it before Shade’s great snout to not have any success. The Orggian grumbled and tried the same with Ava, but she gave a slight reaction and sneezed once. He then whooped and told Clift the only remaining method of rousing Shade in a timely manner.
Clift neighed and tussled his mane to gain the human’s attention and wrote in the dirt. Niranene then read aloud “Shade’s fur is too strong to do any serious damage and to wake him, I must kick him. Krum says pain will pull him from slumber.”
Heeding the words, the humans stepped back and Clift aimed one back hoof and nudged Shade on his side. He increased the next strike and the next until finally kicking out with both hooves generated enough force to shock Shade from his unresponsive state.
Ever so slowly Shade’s eyes opened from pain that burned in every part of his body. Ava too roused with similar effects, but couldn’t wake completely. “Shade, Are you alright? What happened?” He heard Lily speak, but couldn’t understand more than his name. She began petting his cheek, but she watched as his intelligent golden eyes began clearing. Then he suddenly growled and jumped to his paws, wincing as the pain grew. His darting gaze and snarling weakened as he began to realize the situation wasn’t as it had been. He looked among those surrounding him and gasped before tearing into the earth with his right paw. ‘Alex?’ he wrote and stomped impatiently beneath the letters, hoping they would understand the urgency. He then watched as Lily knelt and used her finger to write ‘He’s been taken! Tell us what happened!’
They didn’t get an answer as Lily watched Shade forcibly wake Ava with his snout. Krum smacked his nose, began whooping till he caught the murderous look in Shade’s eyes and stepped back. Ava quickly blinked and found her way to her talons and swayed as if drunk for a few moments while orienting herself. Then he began to speak by growls and barks and she chirped in return till Lily realized Shade told her about the kidnapping and as she looked around, fear and rage filled her features and her feathers rose like her brother’s hackles. She opened her wings and tried to fly, but Krum reached out and caught her thin yellow legs and stopped her. The three humans watched as Krum obviously tried speaking reason to them, but Ava pecked at his hand with her sharp beak and hit their mark to draw blood. Krum released her in sudden pain and before anyone could stop Ava she had effortlessly righted herself and took to the sky with all haste in search of Alex.
Lily turned her gaze when hearing Shade tear into the ground again with rage and loss she hadn’t seen since Alex had nearly die
d. ‘We need to hurry! Ava has gone to find Alex. We must leave now and rip out those human’s throats…’ Then Lily noticed something foreign on Shade’s tail as he continued writing. He paused as she ran to him and noticed a roll of paper tied to his tail. She untied it and unrolled the letter. As she read her features grew grim as vengeful tears streaked her cheeks.
“What is it?” Marlin asked and Lily tossed it to him and began running with all haste to Clift. “Stay here, I’ll come back!” She mounted and forced him to charge away. Marlin quickly unrolled the paper and read aloud for Niranene’s benefit while Shade read over his shoulder. “Lily, if you are reading this then you must realize I was the one to capture the hidden prince. I believe congratulations are in order, Whore. I’m surprised anyone gives you satisfaction after all we shared as master and pupil. Just so you know, this wasn’t personal. Our king ordered me to capture this bastard nephew of his, who has been nothing but trouble. Fear not for his safety for he will remain alive till I deliver him to the king. You can try to stop us, but it will be futile. By the time you read this your beloved will forever be beyond your reach. Try as you might, he will reach the Royal City like how you enjoyed all those nights with me when you were under my tutelage. You know I always succeed in whatever I put my mind to. Forever your master, Peile…” Marlin finished reading, shaking with rage of his own.
“So that was the man who raped Lily as a little girl in the Kings Guard?” Niranene asked in complete shock.
Ra' van (Book Three of the Items Trilogy) Page 40
