“It is beautiful,” he said quietly.
“So what happened in there, Jonas?” Taleen asked. “We tried to get into the tent but the walls had been magically turned to stone.”
Jonas sat up in bed, feeling much better and rested. “When I ran into the tent I saw Prince Nelstrom kill the king. And then he transformed into this powerful demon, spawned by the power of the Forsworn.” Jonas shuddered at the memory. “I thought he had killed me.”
“He nearly did. We ran in as soon as we could and saw the remains of the spiders and the pile of ashes that must have been him. His armor was piled up near you,” Taleen said. “Jonas, I was so scared. You should have seen yourself. I was not sure I could heal you.”
The tent flap opened and everyone looked over to see Kiln approach them with purpose. He was wearing full battle armor and covered with the grime of battle.
“Jonas, good, you are awake. You had us worried for a while.”
Jonas looked at Kiln solemnly. “Kiln, I’m sorry about the prince. He had been corrupted; his heart was black and was beyond help.”
Kiln put up his hand to silence him. “Jonas, he was my son in blood only. I never knew him.” Kiln turned to both Fil and Taleen who stood staring with their mouths open. Neither of them was privy of the fact that Prince Nelstrom was Kiln’s son, or the details about Kiln and the scandal between Cassandra and King Gavinsteal. “I know neither of you knew this. We have kept it a secret for a reason and even though he is dead I’d like the secret to remain. Can I count on you both to stay silent?”
“Of course,” Taleen answered.
“I will say nothing,” Fil said.
“I’m sorry Kiln. In my exhaustion I had forgotten that they did not
know,” Jonas apologized.
“It is okay. Do not fret Jonas, about your actions or your words,” Kiln continued. “Who knows what cracks were formed in his heart to let that evil in,” Kiln sighed and shook his head sadly. “I wish I could have known him. Maybe my presence would have changed things.” He then appeared to force those thoughts from his mind and as he lifted up his head, smiled broadly. “I’m just glad you are alive. You did what you had to do. It is unfortunate you did not arrive earlier or maybe the king would be alive. The kingdom of Finarth is without a ruler now, and at a time when a strong ruler is most needed.”
“Can you assume that role until a solution is found?” asked Jonas.
“Aye, I will, and gladly. The commanders voted me to act as regent until we find Prince Baylin.”
“And if we don’t?” Taleen asked.
“We will solve that problem when we come to it. I am a man of war, not politics. I would like to hear what happened in that tent, Jonas. It pained me severely to know that we could not enter to help you. We had no idea what was happening and feared the worst.”
Jonas looked at them all as they gazed back at him, eager to learn what happened in the tent. So Jonas told them, not skipping a single thing, including what the demon prince had told him about his family and about what Shyann had instructed him to do. They listened raptly and when he finished Fil spoke up first.
“Jonas, I can’t believe that your family has been a target for that long. Do you believe what he said?”
“I don’t know, Fil. Just the idea of it makes me boil with rage. And if it is true then what happened to my father? I need to find out. I will find out,” Jonas said adamantly.
“That is how Naz-reen works. She weaves her webs slowly until she
snares her victims,” Taleen muttered. She looked at Jonas seriously. “Jonas, if you do find your father you must be prepared for the worst.”
Jonas looked away in thought. “I have thought about that. But I need to know.” After a few seconds of silence Kiln addressed Jonas directly.
“Jonas, it will hurt us that you will not be fighting with us. We have been slowly retreating back to Finarth but Lord Moredin has been attacking us with hit and run tactics the entire time. We do not know if he is being directed by Malbeck himself, one of his minions, or if he just decided to fight us on his own. Nevertheless, Lord Moredin is not making our retreat back to Finarth easy.” Kiln glanced at Fil and Taleen. “But your mission to save King Kromm and bring him back is sanctioned by Shyann and I will not interfere with it. When will you three leave?”
“You mean I get to go with them?” Fil asked enthusiastically.
“Yes, Fil. You heard Jonas. Shyann wants you with him. I relieve you from your duties here and expect you to watch over him.”
“With my life,” Fil said seriously. Jonas smiled at his friend. It warmed his heart that Fil would be coming with him. Jonas had a feeling that his friendship and his spear would very much be needed on this mission.
“And I will be accompanying you as well. I have received no other calling, which means that Shyann’s wishes are in league with Bandris’s.”
“That is good. Jonas, I have one favor to ask of you before you leave,” Kiln asked.
Jonas did not hesitate in his response. “Of course, anything, Kiln. I owe you much”.
“I am going on a mission tonight, and I would like you by my side.”
“I will be there. What kind of mission?”
“Let us discuss it in more detail later. I must return to my men. Meet me in the king’s tent at dusk.”
“I will be there,” Jonas said.
“Good, I will see you soon.” Kiln smiled one more time. “I am proud of you, Jonas. You suffered a mortal wound in that fight and yet you persevered and managed to defeat that demon. It fills my heart with pride that Shyann has rewarded your courage and skill with another mark. There is no doubt that you are something special.” With a smile Kiln added, “I would not want to face you myself.”
“Yes, but you are over fifty winters old,” Jonas laughed.
Kiln smiled wryly. “I’ll see you soon.” He turned and walked from the tent.
Fil watched him leave before he turned and spoke to Jonas. “There is something about him, like a volcano ready to explode. I would not want to fight him, even if he is over fifty winters old.”
“Nor I, Fil. He is utterly fearless, and I cannot imagine someone skilled enough to best him. Now go get ready. We have a meeting very soon.”
Fil’s smile took up his entire face as he stood up and walked from the room, eager to begin the mission.
Kiln sat at the heavy wood table in the king’s tent looking over several maps when Jonas, Taleen, and Fil entered. Sitting with him were several commanders, third lance Lathrin, fourth lance Dagrinal, and three others that Jonas had not yet met. The first warrior, Gandarin, was a second rank general of five akrons. The tall lean man, sporting a graying beard and mustache, and still wearing his dirt and blood encrusted platemail, stood as the trio entered. Jonas immediately perceived an aura of strength and power in this man, a man obviously accustomed to commanding others.
The other two men were also second ranking generals and they looked equally disheveled. General Kuarin and General Ruthalis wore similar armor but that is where the similarity ended. General Kuarin was short and thick around the waist, a powerful muscular man. His chin was covered with a gray braided goatee and his head was completely shaven. General Ruthalis was of medium height and build with a thin waist and a handsome, tanned face. His shoulders were wide and his exposed arms were muscular.
Each of the generals wore a gold colored cape to mark their rank. Kiln introduced Jonas and Taleen to the three men. They all looked tired, their eyes red and puffy from lack of sleep.
Also sitting at the table was Alerion, the wizard. He sat, silently staring at the three, stroking his pointy beard in thought.
Jonas, Taleen, and Fil stood before them. The two cavaliers were attired in their full battle gear, the armor and clothes perfect and clean. Everything from their breast plates down to their buckles and belts shone and sparkled with brilliance.
Fil stood next to them wearing his infantry chain mail under a gray tunic. He ca
rried a stout spear in one hand and he wore a short infantry sword at his waist. He shifted uneasily as he looked around the room at all the important men. He was part of an audience with two cavaliers standing before Kiln, the legend, and Finarthian generals discussing an important mission of which he would be a part. He smiled openly but then quickly masked his smile, replacing it with a more serious demeanor, one more typical of a warrior standing before his commanders.
“Jonas, thank you for coming, we have something important to discuss,” Kiln announced.
General Gandarin then spoke. “Cavalier, I am glad that you are well and I would like to thank you for your efforts in trying to rescue my king from the treachery that has befallen him.” His powerful voice loudly resonated in the large tent.
“Thank you, General. I just wish I could have arrived sooner. I am sorry that I could not save him. And I am also sorry for the treachery that has befallen the kingdom.”
General Gandarin waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal. “You did your best, young cavalier. I am glad that you slew King Gavinsteal’s murderer. I’ve known something was wrong with Prince Nelstrom for years. I think the Forsworn have been working on him for a long time and finally his heart and soul could not fight them anymore. What you killed in that tent was not my prince, but a shell of his former self. You killed a demon that used to be Prince Nelstrom,” he said sadly.
“General, I think you are right,” Taleen agreed. “Of all the Forsworn, this incident stinks of Naz-reen. She works slowly, over many years, bending someone’s will until they break and become her puppet. I, too, believe that is what happened to the prince. Moreover, Jonas fought two Urlikes, agents of Naz-reen that take on the shape of a giant spider. There can be no doubt that Naz-reen had her claws into the young prince for many years,” she concluded.
General Gandarin shook his head sadly.
“Enough of this,” General Ruthalis interjected. “High Commander Kiln informed us that you will not be with us much longer, and that you are taking one of our warriors with you, one who is already developing a reputation among the veterans.”
Fil tried not to smile as he concentrated on maintaining his warrior appearance.
“Yes, General Ruthalis. I received my calling last night. I am to take Taleen and Fil with me to Tarsis and find King Kromm and what is left of his army and bring him back here before he is caught and killed.”
“I see. Did Shyann inform you where he was located?” General Ruthalis asked.
“No, but she told me Tulari, my steed, will guide me to him. I was informed that King Kromm’s presence will be needed here if we are to defeat the Dark One.”
“Well, I can certainly say that any presence will be helpful, especially a mighty warrior like King Kromm. I’m disappointed that we will be losing both our cavaliers but I’m sure that Shyann has her reasons for taking you from us. Jonas, Kiln has informed us that you will be accompanying him on his mission tonight. I am glad that you agreed, your presence will help ensure our success.”
“My sword is yours,” Jonas replied easily, bowing slightly.
“Jonas, we have found Prince Baylin, and he is still alive. I plan on getting him back and killing Lord Moredin in the process,” Kiln interjected.
“What happened to the messenger?” Taleen asked.
“His head was returned to us with his genitals stuffed in his mouth,” replied Kiln.
“Sounds like the work of a Dykreel agent,” Taleen muttered, openly disgusted by such barbarity. Dykreel, the third ranking Forsworn, had an affinity for the implementation of torture and his followers were experts at the craft of pain and suffering. The three generals all crossed their chests with Ulren’s four pointed star at the mention of the dark god’s name.
“Kiln, how do we know that Prince Baylin is still alive?” Jonas asked.
“Alerion has magically located him, and he is alive,” replied Kiln. “Jonas, your presence will be needed in case there are any other surprises from the Forsworn. I do not know if Prince Moredin is acting alone or if there is another Banthra with him. There may be other agents of the Forsworn with him as well. We just don’t know. But we need Lord Moredin dead to halt their attacks on us as we retreat to Finarth. We are losing too many men and the retreat is taking too long. It will be done tonight.”
“And I will be at your side,” Jonas confirmed.
“I am glad you agree to come with me,” Kiln said. “I just hope we arrive in time to find the prince alive. Alerion, will you please explain to Jonas how this will work.”
Alerion looked at Jonas and spoke for the first time. “The spell I will be using is a teleportation spell. I have enough power to teleport four people only. I will get us three inside the tent where the prince is being held. From there we will have to work fast. When Moredin is killed and the prince is freed I will teleport the four of us back.”
“Alerion, I thought that in order for a teleportation spell to work you had to have been to the location where you are going. Have you seen Lord Moredin’s tent?” asked Taleen.
“You are correct, cavalier. And no, I have not seen Lord Moredin’s tent. But I have scryed his tent and learned its location and lay out. That is how I learned that Prince Baylin is still alive and located there. The spell shouldn’t pose a problem.”
“Scryed? The word is unfamiliar to me,” Jonas said.
“Scrying is a magical means to find someone, to spy on them. It is very taxing and you need to have an article that belonged to the individual you are trying to find. The spell is very useful, but it requires a lot of energy,” answered the wizard.
“I see. What if we appear in his tent and Lord Moredin is not alone?” asked Jonas.
“Then your swords and my magic will have to be enough,” replied Alerion matter-of-factly.
“When will we do this?” asked Jonas.
“Late tonight, when he should be alone and asleep,” replied Kiln.
“Very well, I will be ready,” Jonas said.
“I will send a messenger to your tent when the time is upon us,” added Kiln. “Now go, get some rest. We have other plans to discuss and not enough time in the day to discuss them.”
Jonas, Fil, and Taleen turned and walked from the tent as the military leaders continued to discuss strategy and peruse the maps on the table.
The three comrades talked for hours around the campfire as they waited for the messenger to come. The sounds and smells of the Finarthian army blanketed the hills around them. Yesterday had been a bloody day of hardship as they tried to retreat back to Finarth. Lord Moredin’s men, including thousands of tribesmen, made constant hit and run attacks on the retreating army. Kiln was forced to stagger their retreat in groups, several akrons moved back while others stayed and protected the retreating groups. They did this all day. It was very tiring and casualties were high on both sides.
Most of the men were sleeping while the trio stayed up and discussed the adventure ahead of them.
“I wonder why it is so important to find King Kromm and bring him back?” Jonas said as he stirred the fire with a stick.
“I’m not sure. Not being from here, I am unfamiliar with who he is or the history of these lands. But Shyann must have her reason,” Taleen replied thoughtfully.
“I have heard men talk of the king of Tarsis,” added Fil as he looked at both his companions. “He is always spoken of with respect and awe. He is known by all warriors as a warrior king, unstoppable in battle and strategy. Men speak of him as if he is a god. It is said that he can fight all day and never tire and his colossal size makes a boarg shake with fear. It is likely he will be needed here to help King Baylin.”
“If he was already defeated in Tarsis then why would his help be needed here?” Jonas asked.
“We do not know what happened in Tarsis,” Taleen answered. “There are many variables in war, Jonas. Maybe he was surprised, maybe there were spies within Tarsis, maybe he finally made a mistake, or maybe the army that faced him was just too
powerful. Maybe we will need to combine all the strength of Tarsis, Finarth, and their vassals, to defeat the Dark One.”
“Why can’t Shyann just tell you why Kromm is needed? I fail to understand the games gods play,” Fil asked.
“It is easy to feel that way, Fil. Perhaps she is being ambiguous for a reason, to protect Jonas.”
“How do you mean?” Fil asked doubtfully.
“What if he, or we, are captured by agents of the Forsworn. They will do whatever they can to learn of Kromm’s importance. If we don’t know the exact reason then we cannot divulge the information, no matter what they do to us.”
Jonas stirred the hot coals with his stick as he thought about what Taleen had said. “I’m sure that this mission’s purpose will be revealed to us as she sees fit. There must be a good reason…”
Some commotion to their left interrupted them and all three turned their attention to a rider who appeared from the darkness. He was a Finarthian Knight riding a large chestnut warhorse.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, cavalier,” the man said, addressing Jonas. “The high commander is ready for you now. If you will please follow me.”
Jonas looked at his friends and stood up smoothly. Tulari, understanding that it was time, rode from the darkness to nuzzle his head on Jonas’s shoulder.
“May Bandris be with you,” Taleen said as she shook his hand in the warrior’s grip.
Jonas shook her hand and smiled warmly. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be with Kiln.”
“You’re watching his back, but who will be watching yours?” asked Fil as he, too, shook Jonas’s hand.
“Why, Shyann of course.” Jonas smiled at them both, mounted his horse, and with a soft touch of his heel, Tulari was off into the night, leaving his two friends staring into the darkness.
There were only three people in the king’s chamber, Kiln, Jonas, and the Finarthian wizard, Alerion. Alerion had explained to them the process but Jonas was a little apprehensive. Disappearing and then reappearing in an enemy tent wasn’t something that most people did. Stepping into the unknown concerned him. But he would be ready to fight next to his friend if need be.
The Cavalier Page 47
