Akiri: The Scepter of Xarbaal

by Brian D. Anderson

  The man hesitated. “What happened?”

  “The same thing that will happen to you if you question me again,” Tuvarius snapped. “And once you’ve spoken to Lord Daresh, go to the stable and have a wagon prepared for me. I will be leaving at first light.”

  “Should I inform the king of this, My Lord?”

  “His Majesty is already aware of the situation.” He waved an impatient hand, jerking the men into action.

  As they carried away the bodies, Tuvarius glanced over to the window. The boy had vanished.

  Events had been set irrevocably in motion. Years of planning were finally coming to fruition. Unfortunately, the one thing he had not counted on was Akiri himself. This was no lost child searching for the meaning to his existence. He was all that was best in his father, combined with the high intellect of his mother. But his dealings with Akiri had come to a close for the time being. Whatever was to be was beyond his control.

  He was still thinking on this when the door flew open and Queen Chelia stormed inside. He cursed himself for forgetting to re-lock it.

  “Where is he?” she demanded.

  “If you are speaking of Akiri, he has gone.”

  The queen’s face was bright red with fury. “I don’t believe you. He would not have left without at least seeing me first.”

  “Take care, Your Highness. You cannot afford to allow your emotions to rule you. Akiri was a pleasure for you to enjoy. Your husband… and your king… that is where your heart belongs.”

  “Do not talk to me as if I am some lovesick child.”

  “That was not my intention, Your Highness. I was simply reminding you of your station. Passion can often be confused with true love. I assure you that Akiri understands this very well. Even if he felt something deeper for you, he would never allow it to interfere with his duty.”

  He looked her over carefully. Then a revelation washed over him. “Ah, I see it now. You are with child. Akiri’s child? Of course it is. What am I thinking?”

  Chelia said nothing.

  “I think it is for the best that he is gone, don’t you?” Tuvarius continued. “As for you… you must go to your husband’s bed as soon as you are able. This very night if at all possible. The king must believe the child to be his own.”

  “Will you at least tell me where he went?”

  Tuvarius smiled. “If you knew, would you seek him out?”

  “Please. Tell me.” Her voice had lost its steel, but she was not betraying the anguish Tuvarius knew she must be feeling.

  “Akiri hopes to return home,” he said. “More than that I cannot say. But should destiny be on his side, I suspect his name will be heard in these halls again… one day.”

  Queen Chelia stood in silence for several seconds. Then, slowly, acceptance washed over her face, and she nodded. “Thank you, Lord Tuvarius,” she said, her voice quiet. “I will say goodnight now. I am sorry if I disturbed you.”

  He rose and bowed. “You could never disturb me, Your Highness.”

  After the queen had left, Tuvarius considered how this could complicate matters for her. He was sure that the king knew of her trysts, but he had no idea how he would react to the possibility of another man fathering a child with his wife. Chelia was resourceful and clever and, in a way not apparent to most people, she was extremely ruthless.

  The older prince would need to step very carefully from the day the child was born.

  Chapter Fifteen

  With freshly purchased supplies, Akiri stayed on the road heading west. He could remain concealed far more easily if he chose to travel through the heavily forested areas, but speed outweighed stealth in a situation like this. It would take time for a search party to be organized, and more time still for them to determine which direction he had taken. Tamson was no fool, so any search party would consist of a dozen men at the very least, and the more men in the group, the slower they traveled. Akiri had seen maps in the palace and knew there were no garrisons between himself and the border, meaning that even though he would need to stop and rest his horse now and then, so would his pursuers. They would not have the advantage of simply exchanging tired mounts for fresh ones at each outpost.

  When he needed to halt, he found a small clearing a few yards away from the road. He had seen few other travelers, which was hardly surprising considering the number of people gathered in Vurna for the celebration. He was far from alone, though; he could still feel the dragon’s presence throughout. She was constantly there, circling high above him as he traveled.

  He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what it must be like to soar freely above the clouds. Tuvarius had described it as wildly exhilarating, yet at the same time gloriously peaceful. Sitting firmly on the ground, it was hard to comprehend a combination of such directly opposing emotions. Even so, when he recalled his uncle’s stories about the way the Tul’Zahar rode into battle astride their mighty dragons, his heart pounded with blood lust. Why would King Zemel not want such powerful creatures on his side? He cursed himself for the thought, even as it was still entering his mind. The king had his reasons. It was not for him to question them.

  Knowing that the sound of his horse might alert any passersby of his presence, Akiri decided he might as well light a small fire. At least that way he would not draw unwanted attention by appearing to be on the run.

  A few minutes after the flames had taken hold, he heard the beating of wings overhead A minute later, the dragon landed at the edge of the clearing. Her crimson scales shimmered in the light of the fire as she paced slowly about the perimeter, her eyes fixed on him.

  Akiri watched the creature intently. Her thoughts were a jumble of curiosity and trepidation. Just like himself, she seemed unsure of how or why they had become connected.

  “Come closer,” he said, a smile creeping onto his face.

  She ceased pacing and let out a low growl.

  “Yes. I’m sure you are fierce. But I need no warning.” He held out his hand. “Come.”

  This time the dragon took a cautious step forward, her serpentine tongue flicking from side to side. She circled again before eventually inching closer to the fire. Akiri could feel it relaxing… her relaxing.

  “Am I supposed to give you your name?” he wondered aloud. Tuvarius had told him that his father’s dragon had been named Ragnir, though little else, aside from Serhan’s great affection for the creature.

  The dragon shook her head, like a dog shaking water free from its fur. Akiri could imagine what she might look like once fully grown. He knew little about their life cycle. This one was clearly young, though how young he couldn’t begin to guess.

  Akiri regarded her, still smiling. “I think I’ll call you Kyra. It means fire jewel in the language of the ancients.” He nodded with satisfaction. “Yes. That suits you well.”

  Kyra cocked her head for a moment, then let out a soft purring grumble. Akiri took this to be a sign of approval.

  “So, Kyra, what do you want from me?” he asked. “You are free. Surely there are others like you somewhere in the world.”

  The young dragon merely blew a breath of hot air and dropped onto her side. Akiri continued watching her. Having a dragon with him would certainly have its advantages. Even a young one was a deadly foe. But there was a downside too. Her presence would make it impossible for him to pass unnoticed. The mere sight of Kyra would be enough to create panic. There was also the matter of King Zemel’s law to consider.

  Kyra soon closed her eyes and fell into a light sleep. He could feel that she was far more at ease now. He focused his mind on her, and for a moment, he felt something beneath the raw emotions, but it was elusive. Leaning back on his elbows, he rested his chin on his chest. One thing was certain – life had become rather more complicated.

  Later, with the sun beginning to peek over the horizon, he remounted his horse. Kyra took position beside him and kept pace as they moved back onto the road.

  “You should keep out of sight,” Akiri said. “You dra
w too much attention.”

  Kyra shook her head and grumbled a growl.

  He was about to speak again when the dragon abruptly halted, her body stiff. A split second later he heard it as well. Around a bend in the road a hundred yards or so ahead, men were approaching on horseback. Armed men. Kyra spread her wings and flew straight up in the air, disappearing quickly above the treetops. Akiri spurred his horse forward. It was too late to hide. In any case, the men were approaching from the wrong direction to be coming from Vurna. Best to simply ride on past them if possible.

  A few moments later, they came into view: six riders on horseback and an ox pulling a wagon. They were not soldiers, but all were armed and wearing chain mail shirts. As they neared, he could see that three of their number were badly injured, with blood soaked bandages wrapping their wounds. In the back of the wagon was a woman, shackled and gagged.

  Akiri recognized her.

  Rena.

  The Hunari Guild must have caught up with her, he realized. The cuts and bruises that covered her face and arms, together with similar damage showing on most of the men, said that she had not been taken without offering a stern fight. Akiri steered his horse to the side of the road to allow them a wide berth. The Hunari barely took notice of him. But Rena saw him clearly enough. She glared hatefully.

  Akiri looked back at her unblinkingly. It was a pity she would have to pay the price for Geridia’s greed. She had merely been a pawn caught up in the middle of events beyond her control.

  Once the procession had passed out of sight, he continued on. Not that he got very far. Soon Kyra swooped back down, landing in the road ahead and clearly intent on barring his path.

  “Move,” Akiri ordered.

  She gave a low rumble, but refused to get out of the way. Waves of emotion from her began passing into him, but he couldn’t understand what she was trying to tell him. Then, like a flash of light, an image of Rena popped into his mind.

  “What about her?” he demanded.

  Kyra hissed and spat, her tongue flicking back and forth. Akiri tried to move around her, but she nimbly kept herself in his way.

  He sighed. “What would you have me do? I’m probably being hunted as we speak. I cannot afford a delay. In any case, Rena’s fate is not my affair.” He looked down at the determined creature and grunted irritably. “Why do you care what happens to her?” Then it struck him. “Can you see into my thoughts?”

  The young dragon began pacing the breadth of the road, her eyes darting repeatedly from Akiri to the direction in which Rena had been taken. Could it sense his guilt? Was that how the great beast knew that he was partly to blame for Rena’s plight? Or was that just his guilt talking even louder than any telepathic link they might share?

  “I’m not going back for her,” he insisted. “Now move out of the way.”

  Kyra paused in her pacing to blow what sounded like an exasperated breath from her nostrils. Akiri saw the muscles in her legs tense for a moment. Then, in a flash, she raced past him, letting out a feral roar. It was clear what she intended to do. Spitting a curse, he turned his horse and spurred it to a run after her.

  The dragon was fast, easily faster than a human, but Akiri’s mount was able to catch up before they reached the Hunari.

  “I’ll do it, damn you,” he called out. “Stay hidden.”

  Sliding to a halt, Kyra allowed him to pass and then ducked into a nearby brush. A further string of curses flew from Akiri’s mouth as he galloped on. No man short of King Zemel could alter his path once he had set his mind to it, but somehow Kyra had managed to do exactly that without even possessing the ability to speak. This is just what I need, he thought savagely. A dragon with a soft heart.

  As the wagon and group of riders came into view, Akiri drew his sword. At least he would have the chance to use his magnificent new weapon. The prospect of this went some way to lessening his frustration.

  On hearing the beating hooves of his horse bearing down on them, the Hunari turned to face the potential threat, but Akiri was upon them before they could organize any kind of defense.

  He met the two riders on the right hand side of the wagon head on. One mighty blow from his blade almost cleaved the first man totally in half, clean from his shoulder to his hip. Even allowing for its maker’s reputation, Akiri was surprised at how easily his sword sliced through the thick chain mail and bone. For all the protection the mail offered, it might as well have been crafted from parchment. A similar thought must have been passing through the second man’s mind. A look of astonishment was still fixed on his face when Akiri jerked his blade free and then ran it through the center of his chest.

  With so much blood spraying through the air, Akiri’s face and arms were soon spattered in red dots. His battle lust surged. With his free hand he seized his dagger and hurled it at his next victim. With absolute accuracy, the blade flew over the top of the wagon and buried itself hilt deep into the man’s neck. Barely five seconds had passed since first making contact and already only three Hunari remained, two of whom were previously injured.

  These three were gathered just a few yards ahead of the wagon, all clearly still startled by the incredible speed in which their comrades had fallen. The only uninjured man held a massive hammer in his right hand. From his posture, Akiri guessed him to be the commander. He was about to spur his horse into a charge to deal with this opponent first when a shadow moved in the corner of his eye. Before he knew it, something hard struck him across the back of the head, sending him tumbling from the saddle. Though landing awkwardly, he was on his feet in an instant searching for answers.

  What had happened was soon apparent.

  Rena leaped down from the wagon and grabbed the sword of a slain Hunari. Akiri kicked away the shackles she had thrown at his head. For a moment he thought she was going to attack him, but then she let out a primal scream and charged at the remaining enemy instead.

  The Hunari commander urged his horse forward to meet her, but Rena ducked just as he swung his weapon. Sliding past on her knees, she rose up and shoved the tip of her blade into his rib cage. Without pause, she was on her feet and headed straight toward the remaining two men.

  Akiri saw that the commander, though injured, was far from finished and already turning his horse to attack Rena from behind. He rushed in, swinging his sword with tremendous force. The Hunari was able to bring up his hammer in time, but it did nothing to save him. Akiri’s steel bounced off the weapon, sending a shower of sparks flying. Even before the last one of these had faded, he had spun to one side and rammed his sword through his enemy’s back.

  Rena was already engaged with the final two. Desperately, they hacked down at her, but their injuries were slowing their actions. She easily avoided the strikes, lithely ducking and weaving around their horses, her blade slashing and finding its target virtually at will. Akiri could see that she did not need any assistance and was intrigued as he watched her skillful attacks. He had seen a fair few women wield swords in the past; some had been quite good. But Rena carved her foes to pieces with a precision and power that rivaled the skill of any man he had faced save his own Dul’Buhar when sparring with them. The two Hunari were ultimately sliced to ribbons, both succumbing to their mounting injuries and blood loss. They slid from their mounts within moments of each other.

  With victory complete, she spun to face Akiri. “You killed Geridia,” she spat at him. The air of menace in her voice would have frozen the hearts of most men, particularly after having just seen her in action.

  “No,” he corrected. “I did not kill him. You have my word on that. But nor did I do anything to save him. That much I admit to.”

  His words did nothing to calm her anger. “You think by helping me I will spare you?” She looked down with scorn at her slain victims. “I would have escaped and killed these inadequate fools without your assistance. They only managed to capture me in the first place through sheer luck. And even then I dispatched three of them for their trouble. So I owe y
ou nothing.”

  Akiri gave her a half smile. She was fierce and brave. And what she said about escaping was probably true. He guessed she had slipped her shackles some time ago and had only been waiting for the right time to strike.

  “I had no intention of saving you,” he told her. “The decision was made for me. So you are correct. You owe me nothing. Should you seek to avenge your master, I am here.”

  With a snarl on her face, Rena took a pace forward. “You ruined my life. And now I will take yours. I only regret there is nothing you love that I can take as well.”

  As if in response to this threat, a piercing cry came from above. Rena jumped back, sword at the ready. Knowing what Kyra intended, Akiri groaned. A moment later she flew in from over the treetops, landing heavily between the pair of them with teeth bared. The muscles in her shoulders rippled, ready to burst into life.

  Rena nearly fell over as she quickly jumped back. Her eyes grew wide and her jaw fell slack. At first, she was completely dumbstruck and only slowly regained her composure. “What is that… beast?” she gasped.

  “You don’t recognize a dragon when you see one?” asked Akiri, slightly amused.

  “There are no dragons in Galfaria,” she said, still backing away.

  “Clearly this is not true. Now it seems you have a choice to make. Though my companion insisted that we save you, it is obvious she has no intention of allowing you to harm me.”

  “Your companion?” she repeated incredulously. “That’s impossible.”

  Akiri scowled. “Why do you insist on stating what is plainly incorrect? I had given you credit for more sense than that. Or has grief for your friend dulled your wits?”

  This was enough to bring Rena’s aggression surging back. Spreading her stance to form a solid base, she held her sword out in front of her. “If that thing comes at me, I’ll gut it like a fish.”

  Akiri chuckled. “She means you no harm. Though I can feel that she intends to protect me. As long as you do not attack me, you will be quite safe.”