“Bargain with evil.” The Sheriff shook his head. “Where are you from?”
“From the Sevenlands.” D’Jenn raised his chin. “I was born in the Red Hills of Soirus-Gamerit.”
“And why are you here?”
“It’s like the coward said—I took a bounty.” D’Jenn gave Loke a rude gesture, though no one laughed at his antics. “We’re hunting the same culprit.”
“This Raven?”
D’Jenn nodded. “My partner and I tracked him here from Old Neleka.”
“Your partner, you say?” The Sheriff glanced at the crowd. “Where is your partner now?”
“Dead.” D’Jenn gave Jeravin an apologetic glance. “I’m sorry, Lady. I had to come straight here when I found him.”
“How did he die?” The Sheriff was interested, though the suspicion on his face was clear.
“Raven killed him.”
Mutters rose from the gathering once again.
“I see.” Robinton narrowed his eyes. “And how do you expect to catch this sorcerer if he killed your partner? You came here to wait with the prisoners on the chance he would show?”
D’Jenn nodded as the crowd grew more uncomfortable. “I figured I would speak with him. I owe Merrick—my partner—that much.”
“Speak with him?”
“Aye.”
“Not kill him?”
“Figured I’d do that, too, if necessary.”
“How?” The Sheriff took a step back from D’Jenn. “Tell me what you have to say about the charges Master Loke laid against you—that you’re associated with the Conclave.”
The grumbling from the crowd grew darker in tone. The people of Alderak held an ancient hatred for the Conclave, which had used magic in a war against them ages past. Things like that weren’t easily forgotten.
“I think the best thing you can do is get all these people out of here.” D’Jenn raised his voice over the crowd. “They should go to their homes, maybe head out of town for the day. Staying here will be dangerous.”
“I give the orders here.” Sheriff Robinton stepped forward again. “So, you don’t deny the charges?”
D’Jenn took a deep breath and looked the Sheriff in the eyes. “To be honest, I don’t think you care that much. I think you want to get everyone hanged, nice and tidy, and head back to your castle.”
Gasps went up from the crowd. The Sheriff’s eye twitched again and another smile flashed across his face. He nodded to himself and turned, hands raised to the sky. The people of Rockman’s Ford calmed, though D’Jenn could feel unease crackling in the air.
“Under the powers entrusted to me by the Crown, I hereby order the execution of Lady Jeravin and the Sevenlander! Seize them!”
D’Jenn didn’t bother to move as the men-at-arms grabbed him by the shoulders. They prodded Jeravin to stand near Aram and Kira but took the time to bind D’Jenn’s hands with thick rope. He scowled at the guards the entire time, wincing as they cinched the knots tight.
After he was bound, the guards led him to stand with the rest of the prisoners. D’Jenn gave Aram an apologetic glance, but the man only returned a scowl. When D’Jenn tried to speak, one of the guards growled a warning for silence.
This is going well.
“If this Raven shows up, as you say he will, then he’ll find my men waiting for him.” The Sheriff signaled something to his guards, and a few of them gathered together and moved down the street. “The town will be searched! Anyone else found to have worked with these conspirators will be brought here to answer the King’s Justice under the eyes of Bast!”
The gathered people turned to watch as the door to a nearby building was kicked open. The guards entered the place—which looked to D’Jenn like a large home—and soon the clatter of an authoritative search echoed across the street. People started to protest, but the anger died as the loudest amongst the dissenters were dragged from the crowd and beaten until they were quiet.
Chaplain Horis approached Robinton and bowed at the waist. “Lord Sheriff, if I may?”
“What?” Robinton glared at the old priest.
“Lord, might I share a moment with the prisoners? A last prayer before you send their souls into the Void.”
The Sheriff glanced from the prisoners to the priest and made an irritated gesture. “Very well. I suppose it is their right. Just a moment, though.”
Horis bowed again and tottered to where D’Jenn stood with Aram, Kira, and Jeravin. He gave Jeravin a sad smile and Kira a pat on the shoulder. For Aram and D’Jenn, he had only grim nods. Three guards stood close, but they took a few steps away at a glare from the priest. Horis sighed and reached his hands into the long sleeves of his robe.
“Please, everyone, join your hands in the center.”
D’Jenn wasn’t in the mood for religion, but he joined hands with everyone else at another glare from Horis. Aram’s hands were tight, his grasp angry. Kira’s were shaking and sweaty, and she sniffled as everyone gathered close. Jeravin only shook her head and scowled at the Sheriff.
After a moment, Chaplain Horis joined hands with everyone else. “I’m truly sorry this has come to pass. The gods give us many things, even pain and strife. Just remember that this life is not the end. Your souls will go to the Void, travel an endless expanse. You’ll see the gods at the end of your journey.”
I don’t plan on meeting the gods anytime soon, old man.
Kira gave a startled gasp, but Horis raised his voice to cover her exclamation. “The gods have many faces, just as the Sheriff said. The Song of Creation tells us many things. There are times in our lives when we must call on different gods—Devla, for births and plantings. Neesa, for mercy.”
What is the old man getting at?
Chaplain Horis leaned closer to Kira and looked her in the eyes. “Sometimes, dear girl, it is Aastinor who calls us. The God of War. His name should not be spoken lightly, but sometimes we must speak it. Sometimes he calls. Do you understand?”
Kira nodded, her eyes closed.
“Do you hear him calling, Kira? Can you answer him?”
What in all Six Hells is the old man talking about?
Kira nodded again. She glanced at the guards. A sob escaped her throat.
“Good girl.” Horis sighed and shared a glance with the rest of them. “I have lived a wonderful life here. The gods are calling my name now. I am just an old man, and there’s not much I can do.” Horis gave Kira one last meaningful glance. “But I can do something.”
A tone sounded through D’Jenn’s mind—the effect of one of his wards being tripped. “Chaplain—”
“No!” Horis gave D’Jenn an intense look. “Protect these people, do you understand? I know what you are, boy—I’m not stupid. Once it happens, it’s up to you to make sure they get free.”
D’Jenn glanced at one of the guards, who was looking off in the distance.
“What do you mean? When what happens?”
The Chaplain shook his head and backed away, holding Kira’s hands a moment longer and pressing them to her heart. Kira closed her eyes and sobbed, clutching her bound hands close. Horis patted her on the cheek and shared a nod with Aram.
Another tone warbled through D’Jenn’s senses. “Horis—he’s here!”
Kira looked up. “Who? Raven?”
“Then you know what you have to do.” Chaplain Horis took a deep breath and looked at the sky. “By all the gods—isn’t this place wonderful?”
D’Jenn got a sick feeling in his stomach. “Horis, don’t—”
The Chaplain turned to the closest guard and pulled a knife from the sleeve of his robe. With a full-throated battle cry, he launched himself at the guard, knife flashing in the air. The other two stood in surprised stupor, their hesitation allowing Horis to get a good cut on their fellow.
The Sheriff turned, his face going red with indignation. “What in the Six Hells are you doing?!”
A struggle ensued between the Chaplain and the other two guards. D’Jenn made to sum
mon his Kai and help the old man, but Kira surprised him by producing a knife. She moved to her father and started sawing at his bonds, sobbing.
The priest gave her a blade!
Another tone sounded through the ether, and itching erupted along D’Jenn’s arms and legs—the physical reaction a wizard felt when another was using magic nearby. Screams broke out from the crowd and D’Jenn turned to look at the gathering. People were scattering from the street in every direction, kicking up dust as they fled. A body hung in mid-air over the street, crumpled into a ball like a piece of trash.
Under the body stood a young boy. He was slight, with skinny arms sticking from a dark, dirty tunic. He wore a tattered black cloak with the hood thrown back, revealing a head of bushy black hair. His hand was stretched toward the body, fist clenched. A bloody cloth was wound around his hand, and dried rivulets stained the skin of his arm.
Raven—there you are.
Raven made a gesture, as if he was tossing something aside, and the crumpled body flew to land in the dirt. He turned toward the chapel, glaring at the Sheriff with large, angry eyes. Stepping to face the courtyard, he squared off with Sheriff Robinton.
“Let them go!” Raven’s voice cracked with youth. “If you let them go, I’ll leave! I swear it by all the gods in the Void! We’ll leave this place, and no one has to get hurt. Just let them go!”
The Sheriff glanced to his men, who were staying back from Raven. The two who had struggled with Chaplain Horis were holding him at spear-point, eyes darting between him, Raven, and the Sheriff. Kira had stopped sawing at Aram’s bonds, and for the moment, no one moved to take the knife from her. The whole courtyard went still.
Sheriff Robinton put his hand to his sword. “Kill the prisoners! Kill the sorcerer! Kill them all!”
Losing Control
The courtyard erupted.
One of the guards stepped forward and thrust his spear through Chaplain Horis, staining his gray robes with blood. The second guard came forward, hefting his weapon, but Jeravin let out a vicious howl and flung herself upon him. The old woman was a flurry of snarling nails and flailing arms, but the guard tossed her aside with little effort. She went down with a cry.
Kira brandished the knife, but Aram was faster. He rose from the ground with a roar, tearing the rope free from the section Kira had damaged. He slammed his body into the guardsman, knocking him to the ground in a tumble of spear and gambeson. The third man-at-arms, who had been injured by Chaplain Horis, stepped up beside Aram and made to skewer him with his spear.
D’Jenn opened his Kai and lashed out with his magic.
An invisible force slammed into the guardsman and flung him aside, leaving his spear to clatter to the ground. The other two guards shied away, yelping in surprise. D’Jenn sent them tumbling to the dirt with the same flick of his power—injured, but still alive. Aram turned a shocked look on D’Jenn, but D’Jenn answered it by pulling more power from the ether and directing it into his bonds. The ropes wiggled, shifted, and sprung free of Aram and Kira. Both regarded D’Jenn with mystified expressions as he saw to his own ropes.
“Grab a weapon!” D’Jenn glanced between Jeravin and Horis. “Help them up and get clear of this place!”
“But Raven!” Kira turned to the street, but Aram grabbed her by the shoulders.
“He’s right, Kira!” Aram gave D’Jenn a silent nod of thanks. “We have to move!”
“But, father—”
“Now, Kira!”
Aram snatched one of the spears from the ground and tugged his daughter toward the courtyard wall. They helped Jeravin stand and the three of them wrestled the weak form of Chaplain Horis from the grass. The priest cried out as they moved him, and his hands clutched a bleeding wound in his guts. Once the four of them were moving, D’Jenn turned back to the street.
Raven stood in the middle of the road, surrounded by a squad of the Sheriff’s men-at-arms. Some of them leveled spears at the boy, but D’Jenn counted six crossbows amongst them, bolts loaded and ready. Raven’s eyes darted between the soldiers, the woodcutter and Kira, D’Jenn, and the Sheriff. Robinton stood a small distance from the boy, his longsword held in one hand.
“Surrender, boy!” Robinton pointed his blade at Raven. “This will go much easier for everyone if you stand down. No innocents need to die.”
Raven scowled at him, eyes still darting between the gathered men. “You’re going to execute my uncle!”
That’s it—the boy’s connection to the woodcutter! It all made sense—the toy, the reason for Raven’s presence in Rockman’s Ford, and Aram’s silence on the matter. Kira wasn’t called upon by a stranger in the night. Raven tracked her down—his cousin!—and came to her for help.
He probably didn’t expect Rulon. Kira said Rulon didn’t like visitors, and D’Jenn doubted if exceptions were made for cousins from out of town. Rulon must have taken issue with Raven’s presence, whether or not he knew about his magic. Merrick was right—Raven used his power to protect Kira.
“Your uncle?” The Sheriff didn’t check the courtyard over his shoulder, for which D’Jenn was thankful. “They have broken the law, just as you have broken the law.”
“I didn’t mean to break any laws!” Raven spun as one of the men-at-arms inched closer with his spear. “Stay where you are! You won’t like it if you move! Stay there!”
“You’ve killed people in this town, boy!” The Sheriff stepped closer. “You attacked a caravan on the road! Your intentions don’t matter. The law is clear.”
Raven scowled at the Sheriff and squared his shoulders. A song lilted through the ether—silent to anyone without the gift for magic—and dark energy gathered around him like clouds of shadow. The itching sensation across D’Jenn’s extremities was uncomfortable.
The boy’s magical strength is impressive.
“I’m sorry about Hellyanne’s family,” Raven said. “You don’t know how sorry I am. I don’t want to hurt anyone, I swear it by all the gods. But I will. If you don’t move out of my way and leave us alone, I will.”
Robinton snorted. “Why did you do it, if you carry such regret?”
Raven clenched his teeth. “It…it gets away from me sometimes. It’s like a storm. If you don’t move away, I’ll let go. Then you will have the storm to deal with. Move away!”
Robinton raised his sword. “I can’t do that, boy.”
A cry rang out from one of the guards and everyone in the street glanced around. The troops who had been ransacking the house across the street had emerged and spotted the escaping prisoners. After a moment of confused shouts and shuffling feet, they took off in pursuit.
“No!” Raven raised one of his hands.
The Sheriff rushed forward, sword raised high. “Kill the boy!”
D’Jenn cursed and summoned his magic, but he was too late. The spearmen around Raven stepped forward on cautious feet while the Sheriff let out a battle cry. Crossbows thwacked as the archers loosed, getting off a volley before Robinton could close the distance. Raven screamed and raised his fists.
A vindictive melody played through the ether as Raven’s power rose to the surface. A noise like twisting steel assaulted D’Jenn’s ears, and the image of Raven warped behind a disturbance in the air. The bolts met the shield and were redirected, zooming off on random headings. One of them hit a spearman, who went down screaming from a wound in the thigh.
“I told you to back away!” Raven emerged from the shield and punched out with his empty hand. The Sheriff was slammed backwards by something unseen, his body letting out a crack as he was struck. His sword flew from his hands and wobbled as it hit the dirt. Robinton’s body tumbled over the street and made a sickly crunch as it hit a nearby building, leaving a bright splatter of blood at the impact. He settled into a lifeless heap.
“Lord Sheriff!” One of the spearmen threw his weapon on the ground and fled, his boots kicking up clouds of dust. His comrades glanced around in fear.
“Stand and fight, you cowards
!” Another guardsman raised his spear and moved forward. “Kill the sorcerer!”
A high, feminine scream drew everyone’s attention.
The men-at-arms pursuing Aram and the others had caught up to them. Four of them surrounded the haggard group, one with his spear stuck through Aram’s side. Another guard stepped forward and thrust into Aram’s leg, bringing him to a knee.
Kira screamed again, her voice full of desperation. She launched herself onto one of the guardsmen’s backs, stabbing at the man’s neck with furious motions. He went down in sprays of blood, gurgling with surprise. Kira turned to find another one, but the next guard shoved the butt of his spear into her stomach. Kira fell to the street with a pained grunt, her arms clutched to her midsection. The guardsman drew back for the killing blow.
“Kira!” Raven raised his hand in their direction, but this time, D’Jenn was faster.
He pulled power through his Kai, bringing magic twisting up from the ether. Dirt leapt from the street at D’Jenn’s feet and rushed toward the guardsman standing over Kira, solidifying into a shard of hard stone as it flew. The rock smacked into the spearman’s chest with a thud, sending him for a spiral before he landed a short distance away.
Raven turned a shocked glance to D’Jenn.
D’Jenn split his consciousness, readying another stream of magic, and gestured with his left hand. The guard stabbing at Aram screamed and put his hands to his head, letting go of his spear. He stumbled away with his hands pressed to his ears and fell to the dirt in a heap. The other two guards fled, tossing their weapons aside.
“Father!” Kira crawled to where Aram lay in the dirt, bleeding from the wound in his side. “Father, no!”
“Uncle Aram!” Raven made to run toward them, but the spearmen still stood around him. He paused as one of them got in his way, skidding to a halt in the dirt. He raised his hand again, and D’Jenn felt another strike building in the ether as Raven’s Kai uttered an angry tone.
D’Jenn filled himself with magic. “Raven!”
Defiant Guardians Anthology Page 15
