Loyalty and War

by Devon Vesper

  “I understand.” His amber eyes turned gold and glassy with the hint of unshed tears. “Promise me, though, that you’ll be careful.”

  “I promise, Papa.” Valis gave him a soft smile and leaned in closer to the bowl. “I won’t take any unnecessary risks. You and Father taught me well, and Roba will help keep me on track since you and Father aren’t here to do it yourselves.”

  “And I thank him for his guidance and any help he can give you on your journey,” Kerac said. “I also must remember that you have so many skilled warriors with you. I hear Brogan and Rylas are in your ranks.”

  “They are.”

  “Then, I shall try not to worry. They are capable, as are all of your team.”

  “They really are,” Valis said. “They have helped me so much during this journey. Especially Shyvus and Phalin.”

  “They are good, wise men,” Kerac said with a fond smile.

  “Yeah.” Then Valis perked up. “How is Aryn?”

  His papa laughed. “Inquisitive as anything. He is out of prison and has been trying to get updates on you and Tavros from both myself and Thyran. He is also putting on some good weight. He no longer has those dark bags under his eyes, too.”

  Valis sagged. “Thank you.”

  “Of course.”

  Then Kerac sat straighter. “What’s wrong? You are terrible at masking your emotions.”

  Valis huffed a laugh. “Give me a moment. I need you to stay in this scry.”

  “You have my word,” Kerac said. “Take your time.”

  Valis motioned to Tavros to bring the washbasin from the washstand and fill it with water. Once Tavros did as asked, Valis set that bowl next to the one that held Kerac’s scry.

  He’d never attempted this before, but he had to try. With part of his mind staying with Kerac’s scry to keep it open, Valis split his focus to start a scry with Darolen again. It took a few moments, but Darolen’s wheezing breaths let Valis know he had succeeded. “Father?”

  “Valis… you came back…”

  “Oh, Father. I promised.”

  Kerac’s eyes sharpened. “Darolen?”

  Darolen gasped, which set off a hacking cough. “Kerac… Love…”

  Kerac’s complexion turned gray the moment the words left Darolen’s mouth. Then his eyes hardened. “It’s me.” He sighed. “I’m not going to ask how you are, because I was there. But you must survive, my heart. Be strong.”

  Darolen sniffled as if he had been crying. But when he spoke, his voice was stronger with his renewed conviction. “I will try.”

  “Believe in yourself,” Kerac said, urgency in his tone as he brought the scrying disc closer to his face. “You are strong, capable, and you can make it. Valis is making great and swift progress toward your location. Believe in our son’s ability to get you out of there.”

  Valis surreptitiously wiped at his eyes, hoping not to alert either of his parents to his emotional state. Kerac caught it but thankfully said nothing about it. Instead, he focused back on Darolen. “Our boy has gone through trials to get to you. Don’t make his sacrifices be in vain.”

  Darolen’s breath shuddered, but his voice sounded more like himself when he said, “I’ll be here waiting. I won’t let either of you down. I swear it.”

  Kerac’s sad smile told Valis all he needed to know. He was worried but hopeful. “We trust in you. And you are always in my prayers.”

  “I feel them,” Darolen whispered. “Every single one.”

  “Good. I—” A knock sounded, and Kerac looked away toward his bedroom door. When he returned his focus on the polished brass disc, he frowned. “I am sorry to cut this short, but my physical therapist is here for my training session.”

  He sighed and stared into Valis’s eyes. “I love you, Valis. Be careful.” Then his eyes took on a faraway cast. “And I love you, my husband. Stay alive. Help is on the way.”

  Valis nodded, and he and Darolen spoke in unison, “I promise. I love you, too.”

  They wrapped up the scry, and Valis sagged in his seat. At that moment, Tavros entered from checking on their laundry and tilted his head. “You look gutted. What happened?”

  Valis shook his funk away and smiled at his husband. “Nothing. I just miss Papa and Father. I managed to do a three-way scry so Father and Papa could talk to each other.”

  Tavros nodded as he entered the room fully and went behind Valis’s chair to rub his shoulders. “How is Aryn doing? I miss my baby brother.”

  Valis stood, rounded the chair, wrapped his arms loosely about Tavros’ waist, and let out a soft sigh. “Aryn has apparently been doing great in therapy and has been released from prison. He’s gained a good chunk of his weight back. Papa said he doesn’t look ghostly anymore. Not as gaunt. No bruises under his eyes.”

  Tavros relaxed and hugged Valis tight. “Thank you.”

  “Always, Tav.” He knew Tavros wasn’t thanking him for the report, but for demanding Aryn get regular therapy. And now that there was proof it worked, Valis wondered if he would ever soften his heart to his former best friend again. He hoped he could.

  “And how are Kerac and Darolen?”

  Valis couldn’t help but grin. “Father is much the same, though he sounds more alive since he spoke to Papa. Papa, though—he almost looks like he did before he left for duty. He’s getting stronger, has put on good weight, and he’s regaining his lost muscle mass. He says the only thing wrong with him now is that Father and I aren’t there with him.”

  “Hopefully, that will change soon.”

  Valis leaned his head on Tavros’s broad shoulder. “Hopefully.”

  Tavros gave him a brief, warm squeeze and nuzzled into the side of Valis’ head, breathing deep since they were able to bathe properly that afternoon, and their hair smelled like sandalwood soap. “Anything I can do?”

  Smiling, Valis nuzzled into Tavros’s neck. “Just… hold me?”

  “Now that I can do,” Tavros said as he led Valis to the bed. “We have nothing left to do until lunch.”

  Chapter Seven

  Twelve days after they acquired the maps and left Neri City, Valis and his army drew close to the halfway mark through the country of Endyer. Valis took a moment’s break from melting snowdrifts to uncork his extra water skin and take a long sip of his spiced milk. It never before occurred to him that milk would keep in the cold, and would keep even longer with the help of magic.

  And the best part? He spelled his water skin to both keep his spiced milk fresh and keep it warm. Now, he just had to ration himself, so he didn’t deplete the sachets of spices Brother Bachris had given him as a parting gift when Valis and his army had left Avristin.

  Drinking the spiced milk brought Valis a wellspring of longing for warm hearths, warm, soft beds, and even warmer hugs from those of his friends he had left behind. But as he ruminated on that, he corked his water skin and turned his attention forward.

  The moment his eyes focused, he gasped and lifted his fist to signal his army to stop while cursing under his breath. “Fuck.”

  “What is it?” Tavros asked.

  “There’s a shimmer on the ground,” Valis said. He leaned over his horse to try and get a better look. “There must be a base nearby for there to be traps in the middle of nowhere.”

  “You’re sure they’re traps?” Brogan asked. He squinted at the vast fields of snow that stretched out before them. The only difference in terrain was the steep hill they were about to climb. “How can you see anything in this shit?”

  Valis shrugged. “I can see the dark shimmer over the snow. And spells on the ground? Screams ‘trap’ to me.”

  Shyvus and Phalin rode up beside Tavros. “You see something?” Phalin asked.

  When Valis told them what he saw, both men nodded and let out a sigh. Shyvus grunted and shifted in his saddle. “Why do I feel like this means we’ll be in a dire battle of some sort before the end of the day?”

  “Probably because you have great instincts,” Valis said. “Traps
like this mean there’s a good chance an army of Qos adherents isn’t far ahead.”

  “What’s the plan?” Tavros asked. “I can already see your mind plotting.”

  Valis stared out over the pristine snowdrifts and up the hill. Anything could be behind it. With a sigh, he turned in his saddle and spoke to the mercenary woman behind him. “Fetch me Jintas, please.”

  She gave a sharp nod and turned her horse about. As she rode off, Valis turned back around and glanced over at Tavros. His husband narrowed his eyes and pointed at Valis’s chest. “No. Whatever you’re thinking, the answer is no.”

  Valis blew out a breath and went back to staring at the hill. “I have to, Tav.”

  “You have to what?” Jintas asked as he rode around the line and stopped his horse in front of Valis and Tavros.

  “I need you to get two scouts ready to follow me,” Valis said. “I’ll be going forward to disable the traps since I’m the only one here capable of doing so. Then I want the scouts ready to go out once I’ve cleared the way unless they lead to something that they’re not equipped to deal with.”

  “Valis…”

  Valis shrugged. “It needs done, Tav. I’ll be careful.”

  Jintas scratched at his thick red beard and sighed. “What happens if you accidentally trigger one of those traps instead of disabling it?”

  “The last one I stepped on put me in stasis.” Valis glanced over at Tavros and offered him what he hoped was a confident smile. “I was able to break free within minutes. So, let this be a warning: if I go down, do not follow me. I’ll be working on the traps from my back if I have to.”

  Jintas frowned, his auburn brows bunching and his lips thinning into a tight, white line that looked like a gash across his face. “I don’t like this.”

  “I don’t, either,” Tavros said. “But my husband knows what he’s doing, and the scouts will be there to alert us if something happens to Valis. They shouldn’t go in front of him, but they can ride close behind.”

  “Agreed,” Jintas said on a sigh. “Let me go fetch the scouts.”

  As Jintas rode off back down the line, Valis rolled his neck until a satisfying series of pops relieved some of his tension. Then he reached over, and Tavros immediately grasped his gloved hand. “Thank you for taking my side.”

  Tavros offered him a wan smile. “It’s about time I start trusting your judgment more. If we’re really going to do this Grand Master Aesriphos shit, we should put up a united front.” He sighed and looked down as if ashamed, though the shirt he wore as a scarf hid any blush Tavros may have sported. “I’m sorry I hadn’t done so sooner. We’re meant to be a team, and I had my head too far up my ass to see that I needed to step up as half of that team.”

  Grinning, Valis gave Tavros’s hand a tug until he looked up again. “That you’re working on it is proof enough that you’re learning, and that’s all anyone can ask of you. I’m proud of you, Tav.”

  Tavros’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “I’ll keep learning. I promise.”

  Then he looked forward and groaned. “Be careful. I still don’t like it.”

  “I promise,” Valis said. A gust of wind chilled Valis’s face, and he readjusted his shirt-scarf to cover more skin. “I’ll be filling myself up with gold magic—just letting it sit just under my skin and around my internal organs—so that if I do fall for a trap, it won’t disable me for long. That’s how I did it when I rescued you and Aenali from Vohan and Xetar. I suffused myself with gold magic just before they laid the stasis spell.”

  “What about the traps?” Tavros asked. “Are you sure they’re just for stasis?”

  Valis shrugged. “They might be there to slow us down and alert those ahead of our presence. That’s why I need to be diligent about disabling them discreetly.”

  Tavros sighed but nodded. “Be careful,” he said quietly, his voice wavering with emotion, and his eyes betraying his worry. “I can’t do this without you.”

  “You won’t have to,” Valis assured him. “I’ll be extra careful.”

  The two scouts rode up the line and stopped in front of Brogan and Rylas. With their fists clenched over their hearts, they bowed over their horses’ necks. When they righted themselves, Valis leaned over. Tavros pulled his shirt-scarf down to his chin and met Valis halfway for a brief, chaste kiss. Their lips clung to each other for a breath as Valis tried to pull away. When he finally managed, he took a deep breath and turned back to the scouts.

  “Stay at least a horse length behind me. The traps are spread out, and I want to make sure we stay hidden.”

  He glanced out and up the hill, following the shimmers that just barely radiated up over the snowdrifts. “I’ll be casting a shield over us to make us invisible. But it won’t disguise the path I’ll be creating in the snow. Be wary, and if I fall to a trap, wait for me. I’ll let you know if I need help.”

  “And if you can’t?” one of the two scouts asked. “What if it actually disables you?”

  Valis wrinkled his nose. “Give it two minutes or thereabouts. If I don’t say anything within that time, call for Tavros.”

  Then he turned his attention toward his husband. “Tav, if they come to get you, trust in yourself to get me out. Okay? You know how.”

  Tavros looked confused for a moment. Then it seemed to click in his mind about their “intent training,” and he nodded. “I do.”

  “Wait for me.” Valis gave him a smile that he hoped would be comforting, then headed for the first shimmer, melting the snow so he could see the magic trap.

  He glanced behind him and found the two scouts a horse length behind. They both half-bowed over their horses. “We are ready.”

  With a deep breath, Valis turned back to the task at hand and drew on his power. It only took him a few breaths to suffuse his entire body with his comforting golden magic. Even though he was still chilled to the bone, the golden waves that fused with every cell of his being lent his soul a bit of much-needed warmth. And Valis waited until he was certain everything was in order before putting out his hand and feeling for the trap’s energy.

  You did not meditate this morning, Roba said in low tones, as if afraid of disrupting Valis’s concentration. Make sure you are careful in that regard, too. Your magic well may need to be expanded again before you continue with your journey.

  Thanks, Dad. I’ll keep that in mind.

  Valis began the drain, and soon he had worked through ten traps and made good progress up the hill. When he reached the crest and looked out, he did a mental count of the shimmers he saw spread out before him. There was nothing in sight except what seemed like endless snowdrifts, mostly buried tree skeletons, and those shimmers that Valis hoped to dismantle before they were noticed by any Qos adherent that might happen their way.

  “How many more do you think there are?” asked one of the scouts. He urged his horse a little closer so they could speak without their voices carrying too far. “It looks like any dangers are far afield other than these traps.”

  Sighing, Valis patted Rasera’s neck as he searched the expanse before him. “I see traps as far as the next hill, so I’m not certain. I don’t see any shimmers of magic that would indicate hidden adherents.”

  “Are they constant, or are there spaces between where we can maneuver around them?”

  “There are spaces,” Valis said. “You intend for me to grant you the ability to see the traps so you can scout ahead?”

  “That was my thought, yes.”

  Valis let another sigh warm his shirt-scarf. “Let me clear until the crest of the next hill. Then if we don’t see an enemy camp or stronghold, I’ll let you go on ahead with the ability to see the shimmers of magic.”

  The man made an affirmative sound, and Valis went ahead to the next trap. He made it halfway to the next hill when Rasera stumbled and almost went down. He floundered for a moment before hitting his knees as if he were about to lie down. The horse struggled for a moment, trying to get back up, but he let out a soft neigh that
sounded like defeat.

  Valis jumped off Rasera’s back. The moment his boots hit the ground, his entire body tingled, forcing a gasp that chilled Valis’s lungs. He winced as he watched his horse lie down and flop ungracefully onto his side. He let out a distressed whinny that broke Valis’s heart.

  “Valis?”

  Valis struggled to raise his hand, but it wasn’t working. It took everything he had to stay upright when the trap kept trying to get him flat on the ground like his horse. He managed to say through clenched teeth, “Give me a minute.”

  “Trapped?”

  “Yes.”

  The scout let out a loud sigh and said, “I thought you said you could see magic. How did this catch you?”

  Good question, Roba mused.

  “It’s underground,” Valis muttered. “It was too deep for me to see the shimmer.”

  “But it still works? Interesting.”

  Valis barely managed a small shrug. “At least I can still dismantle it.”

  Even as he spoke, Valis carefully drained the spell of power, drawing it into himself and tucking it away while keeping himself suffused with his holy gold magic. When it was done, Valis stretched and patted Rasera’s neck. “Come on, Ras. Time to get up. No more naps.”

  Rasera snorted, but with a jiggle of his bridle and a fond stroke down his face, he rolled onto his legs, getting them underneath him, and soon stood tall and proud.

  “The unfortunate thing,” Valis said with a glance at the two scouts, “is that there’s a chance this trap alerted the mage responsible for it of our presence. Be prepared for an attack.”

  “We are too far away from the army,” the second scout said, a note of worry in his tone. “We should return, yes?”

  Valis peered between the two and sighed. They really were far away from the army. He hadn’t realized just how far they had gone.

  “Let’s get back to work,” Valis said as he mounted his horse. “I want to get this done as fast and carefully as possible.” With a thought, he re-erected their invisibility shield and led the way forward.