by Cheree Alsop
I sat at one of the many empty tables and filled my belly while trying not to think of what waited ahead. We would be in Lysus soon, and there was no telling what we would find when we got there.
Footsteps walked to the table where I sat brooding and I looked up to see three Nathos soldiers looking down at me. I was so used to being around Luminos that their dark eyes, pale skin, and dark hair stood out sharp in the lantern light.
“Can I help you?” I asked, uncertain why they would seek me out.
One of the soldiers gestured to the empty chairs around the table. “May we?”
I nodded and the one that had spoken sat, followed by the other two. They watched me expectantly for a moment and I studied the table in front of them, curious as to why they sought me out, but waiting until they were ready. The man who had spoken before finally cleared his throat. “I apologize for our silence. This truce has been difficult in many ways, and letting go of past prejudices isn’t easy.”
I nodded and waited for him to continue, a pit of uncertainty forming in my stomach. He glanced at his companions, then swallowed. “We want to thank you, Commander Nexa.”
I looked up sharply and he gave a small smile. “We heard about what you did at dawn to save the ship from mutiny. Who knows how many of the other boats would have followed if you hadn’t stopped this one.” He looked at his companions again, obviously embarrassed by the rush of words.
The one to his left held up a hand and the first Nathos shut his mouth gratefully. “What my friend is trying to say is that your act of bravery in saving both the Nathos and Luminos aboard this ship has done much to ease the tension between our races and that of the Duskies.”
I stared at him. “Even after the attempted mutiny?”
He nodded. “You would be surprised. We come from a society where leaders are obeyed without question. It’s not often that a leader has to defend him or herself to the death against those underneath. We want to thank you for your bravery and let you know if you are ever in trouble, you can turn to any of us for help.”
He gestured to the man who had spoken first. “This is Lieutenant Jeromo, Dem, and I'm Jash. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask any of us.”
He rose and held out a hand and I took it, still in shock. He nodded to his companions and they stood and saluted me before leaving the room. I stared after them with a mixture of wonder and surprise. A throat cleared and I looked at the galley men. They stood by the now clean counter and saluted me with gray rags in their hands. I saluted back, then fled the room.
“What’s gotten into this ship?” I asked Axon when he awoke the next morning.
“What? Finding the men to be a little more amiable than usual?” he teased.
He had already anticipated it; I swept a strand of hair out of my eyes in annoyance. “Everyone’s saluting me. I can’t get used to it. Everywhere I turn, there they are, saluting.”
He laughed. “You’d better get used to it if you plan on sticking around with me for much longer.”
I glanced at him sideways. “What do you mean?”
He had just pulled on a pair of brown leather boots and turned his attention to polishing a scuff that wasn’t there. “Well, if you decide to marry me and become my queen.”
My heart slowed and I stared at him. He met my eyes, his own bright with a blush of color across his gray cheeks. “Are you proposing?” I stammered.
He stood and took my hands in his. “It’s not going to be easy, Nexa. Especially for us. But I love you and I can’t imagine living life without you.” He grinned sarcastically. “You’ve saved my life so many times you practically own me anyway, so why not make it official.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again and threw my arms around his neck. He laughed and spun me in a circle. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes,” I replied, laughing and crying at the same time. “A million times, yes.”
He set me down and looked deep in my eyes. “You’ll be the Queen, you know, when my parents pass on the crown. You’re more than capable of handling it, and I know you can do it; I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting into.”
My heart pounded and I took a calming breath. “If you believe in me, I can do it.”
He nodded and pulled me close to whisper in my ear, “I believe in you, and I love you so much every second apart feels like a million deaths. Never leave my side again. I don't ever want to worry that someone is hurting you or mistreating you. Promise me.”
“I promise,” I whispered back.
He kissed me with the passion of a thousand kisses I had never had. Any doubt in my mind washed away with his love and his trust, and I lost myself in the touch of his lips.
Chapter 30
We arrived at Lysus to find the streets empty and two damaged ships in the harbor. We didn’t dare leave our own boats at anchor, so we left skeleton crews in charge of the ships and took the rowboats to shore further down the coast. When everyone had landed, we formed battalions and marched through the empty town. Two of the skittish black and red foths ran past, but they were the only evidence of life along the streets.
Signs of a struggle met us at the castle gates. The Nathos castle sat as a pile of crumbled ash and fallen stone; heat radiated from the debris and smoke drifted slowly skyward. Bodies of Luminos, Nathos, Duskies, and Sathen told of a fierce battle. The twisted bodies of lamaks lay torn and impaled on the spikes that lined the metal gate. It looked as though the Sathen had stampeded the gigantic beasts toward the castle in an effort to break down the wall. The force of the lamaks had bent the iron inward so that the Sathen merely had to walk over the fallen bodies to reach the other side.
A chill ran up my spine at the thought that the Sathen were calculating enough to make such a thing happen. The attack showed a uniformity and enormity of Sathen unlike anything I had ever seen. The massive metal gates hung crooked on their hinges and Nathos, Luminos, and Duskie bodies had been impaled on the spikes that fronted them. We shoved the gates aside and filed cautiously through.
Bodies littered the courtyard; my heart slowed to see that most of them were Duskies. Days' old blood and carnage attracted flies and sent out a smell so strong I had to fight to keep my lunch from coming back up. We went to the massive metal castle doors and pounded with our weapons until our hands ached. Finally, a voice called from the parapets. “Who goes there?” The voice was so soft and fearful we barely heard it.
“Soldiers from Lumini,” Axon shouted back. “Open the doors.”
We could make out voices speaking behind the wall, then the doors opened with a groan of gears. Axon, Commander Jashen, and several captains went ahead, then Jashen motioned for the rest of us. We stepped into the inner courtyard to find women and children hurrying to meet us. Soldiers in bandages and splints limped forward, hope shining on disheveled faces.
“Do you have food?” one woman with an infant on her hip asked with a hesitant smile.
Axon immediately turned and sent several men back to the ships for supplies. Hearing the promise of food, the citizens of Lysus led us eagerly to the inner doors and through the castle.
“King Raden was injured, and his family tends to him in his chambers. They opened the castle to us after it was clear the first wave wasn’t going to stop,” a man wearing Lysus colors and a dirty bandage around his forehead explained as he led us forward.
We followed him down several flights of stairs to the King’s chambers. My heart slowed at the memory of walking the halls not long ago, when the woven carpets were bright and clean, not stained with dirt and blood. A memory of laughter echoed in the halls where now only quiet moans from the doors we passed haunted our footsteps.
A steward stood in front of the door to the King’s chambers and blocked our way.
“Let us pass,” Axon demanded. “We need to speak to the King.”
The steward paled when he realized who Axon was; he opened the door quickly and stepped inside. Several heartbeats lat
er, the door opened again and we were allowed to enter.
We passed through several finely decorated, elegant rooms to the King’s personal chambers. King Raden was propped up by several pillows on a bed big enough to rest ten men his size. Bandages covered his chest and torso, and his gray skin looked pale and sickly. The Queen sat at his side without touching him, her lips pursed and hands folded in her lap. Princess Tiseria rose from her seat near her father’s feet and ran to Axon.
“Prince Axon, you’ve come to save us!” she cried, throwing her arms around him.
Axon glanced at me, his eyes wide, and I had to stifle a laugh. He patted her head and met the King’s eyes.
King Raden quelled under force of Axon’s anger and dropped his gaze. Axon's voice came out in a growl, “You attacked my empire while keeping me here under false pretense.” He took a step forward and Princess Tiseria had no other choice but to step aside.
“I did what I had to do,” the King said; the weakness in his voice told of his dire condition.
“To what, kill my people and steal our land?” Axon accused more softly with the realization that he was talking to a dying man.
Raden shook his head. “To save us from the Sathen. It’s no longer safe here. Their attacks have become stronger and more organized. They’re united like they’ve never been before, and they are merciless. I knew eventually the only way to defeat them was to flee.”
“And you couldn’t just tell us of your troubles?” Axon asked. His jaw tightened with the effort of controlling his emotions.
King Raden smiled sadly. “That’s not our way. You know your father is the same.”
“It shouldn’t be that way,” Axon said quietly.
Raden attempted to push himself up straighter on the bed, but his arms shook and he gave up. Tiseria rushed over and helped prop him up with more cushions. The King spoke to her quietly and kissed her on the cheek. She hugged him gently, then motioned for her mother to follow her from the room.
“My place is at my husband’s side,” the Queen replied, though it was obvious her interest was more in what was being said than in her husband’s health.
“Listen to him on his deathbed like you never would in life, Mother, and give him some peace,” Tiseria said with a spark of willfulness that surprised me.
It must have caught the Queen off-guard too, because she stared at her daughter like she had never seen her before. After a few heartbeats, she glanced at us, rose gracefully, and exited the room without looking back. Tiseria shut the door behind them and left us with the King.
King Raden coughed and then groaned. Axon hurried to his side. “Is there anything I can get you?”
The King shook his head and dabbed weakly at his lips with a white cloth. It came away red. “I’m dying and we both know it. There’s no need to beat around the bush.”
Axon pulled up the chair the Queen had vacated and sat close to the King. “Whatever you wish.”
A smile pulled at the corners of the King’s lips. “What I wish is to be uninjured and on my way to conquer your empire.”
Axon’s eyebrows rose. “You call that conquering? Your people didn’t stand a chance against our soldiers.”
The King glanced at me. “And I suppose she’s the wench I have to thank for that?”
I bristled at his tone, but Axon grabbed my hand and pulled me closer. “It’s my fiancé you have to thank for that.”
Raden’s eyes showed true surprise and he stared at me for a second, then a chuckle escaped his lips and he started to laugh so hard he couldn’t stop until blood again colored the handkerchief. “Wait’ll I tell Tylitha our daughter lost the throne to a Duskie!” he gasped out.
Axon waited for him to finish laughing, his expression surprisingly patient even though I itched to get out of the dark room and figure out what to do about the Sathen.
King Raden guessed my thoughts. “Well, little Duskie. Do you have any plans that might rid us of this plague?”
I glanced at Axon and spoke the thought that had been bothering me. “Most of the bodies in the town and courtyard were Duskie. Where are the other soldiers?”
His eyes creased thoughtfully. “The other soldiers have been ready to fight, but the Sathen concentrate their greatest attacks at dusk and dawn.”
I bit my lip and could see the same surprise on Axon’s face. “They’ve learned our weakness,” Axon said, dread coloring his voice.
I stared at the floor, thinking. “Well, then let’s make our greatest weakness our biggest strength.”
Axon and King Raden both looked at me. “What do you mean?” Axon asked.
I spoke as I thought it out. “They’ve learned to attack when the Duskies are the only ones able to defend against them, so let’s give them a Duskie army fit for battle.”
Axon shook his head. “We didn’t bring enough Duskies to stand up against the number of Sathen who left the carnage out there. You would be slaughtered.”
“Not if we did the attacking or led them to a place where all of them couldn’t attack at the same time.”
Axon seemed to follow my thoughts. “But where could we find a place like that?”
My heart skipped a beat when the answered occurred to me. “Firen Caves. It’s perfect. There are only a few small entrances and I know them all. If we could lead the Sathen there, we could either defeat them a few at a time-“
“Or trap them in the Caves so they couldn’t harm anyone,” Axon hazarded.
I nodded and ignored the pit in my stomach that formed at the thought of returning to the Caves.
The King’s eyes tightened. “The last we heard from the Caves, they'd been hit pretty heavily by the Sathen as well. Most of their Duskies were killed and they didn’t know how long they could last without them.”
“Great time to realize what an asset we are,” I mumbled bitterly.
Axon squeezed my hand. “When was the last time you heard from them?”
Raden shut his eyes. “A few days ago, but I’m not sure exactly. Time has flowed together here. A runner made it through, but he’s been killed since then.” He lifted a shaky hand to his forehead. “The Nathos castle was attacked yesterday by a full force of Sathen. They hit during the day as if they knew the Nathos were sleeping and we didn’t have enough men to defend both castles.” He gave Axon a sad look. “We saved what Nathos we could, but it wasn’t many. I wish you better luck at the Caves.”
Axon rose and bowed. “Thank you, King Raden. We will do what we can to save your city.”
The King caught his arm before he could turn away. When Axon looked back at him, tears glistened in King Raden’s eyes. “Thank you for trying to save my people. It was wrong what we did to you and you deserve a queen worthy of your gallantry.” He nodded at me, his gaze admiring and kind. “I’m glad to see that you found her.”
I touched the King’s hand, but a reply escaped me so I leaned down and kissed his cheek. He smiled and gestured for us to leave. “Take care, children. Our empires are in your hands.”
Axon led the way from the chamber and we walked silently down the stairs past Raden’s gaping mother and daughter. I wondered if Axon still held my hand to prove a point, and really didn’t mind. He tightened his hold on my fingers slightly before releasing them, and we went into the inner courtyard to meet with the captains.
“We’re going to Firen Caves. It’ll be a rough journey, so make sure we’re prepared for anything,” Axon told his waiting Commanders.
Commander Jashen saluted. “We’ll be ready to leave at your orders, my Prince.”
A group of Lysus soldiers came forward when Commander Jashen left. “Sir Prince, may we have a moment to talk with you?”
“Certainly,” Axon replied.
A soldier with light green eyes touched a hand to his heart. “Prince Axon, we request permission to go with you to Firen Caves. We have family there and are anxious to see if they are safe.”
Axon thought about it for a moment. “Lysus is severely sh
ort handed and needs every soldier we can spare, but I understand about your family. I’ll ask for volunteers in our ranks to stay so that you can go with us.”
They expressed their gratitude and left to the armory to help with weapons and supplies for the trip.
Axon's soldiers waited at the edge of the city, ready to send a warning if they saw any sign of the Sathen. The Lysus soldiers had come up with a simple way to warn the city of attack. If dust was spotted in the distance that didn't dissipate and continued to grow larger, a torch was set to a shallow trough that had been dug in the dirt along the main road and layered with the same flowers that were used at the funerals in Lysus.
The fire would then spread rapidly up the trough to the edge of the gate where the awaiting troops assembled. It was clever, and Axon commended the three soldiers who had come up with the system that had saved many lives in the past few days.
Commander Jashen divided up the supplies between our men and King Raden's people. I walked slowly down the trough, making sure that the flowers overlapped so that the fire would spread quickly when lit. I had passed several blocks when a soft whimpering sound caught my attention. I turned warily down the next alley and followed the sound to a dead end where two walls and the edge of a building met.
Petrified lamak refuse, scraps of cloth, and the broken remains of several boxes cluttered the end, all covered in the endless sands of the surrounding desert. I was about to turn away when the whimper sounded again. I knelt down and peered between the boxes. A pair of yellow eyes stared back at me. I stood and carefully cleared away the boxes to reveal one of the small black and red foths.
The animal's long fur was slicked back like the one I had seen in the market, but it gave no attempt to open its mouth and try to spray me. There wasn't a collar around its neck, and I remembered Dathien's warning about the collarless ones still having their acid sacks intact. I backed away, wondering what I should do. Blood caked the foth's side and it whimpered when it took a breath.
