Sisera's Gift 2: Sacred Blood

by Robyn Wideman

  29

  “This kind of insolence is outrageous and will not be tolerated!” Omar Huessein screamed and proceeded to throw an earthen pot, filled with flowers, from the table across the council chamber. The vessel smashed against the wall, sending dirt and foliage flying in every direction.

  Tarak Kader sat near the head of the long table that sat in the middle of the dark room. The chamber was decorated with old tapestries that represented mankind’s struggle to defeat the oppressive dragon hordes. Legends in the Castle say that these tapestries were created on tanned dragon hide. Tarak liked to believe that the stories were true but his gut told him that the creators had used elephant, or some other large beast.

  “Explain your defiance, priest.” Omar cast a harsh glare towards the High Priest.

  Tarak stood and looked around the table at his brethren. The Brotherhood was split into five divisions; the Builders, the Legion, the Seafarers, the Gears, and the Church. Each division was represented at the table by two of their leaders. Tarak had known and worked alongside each of these men for years. Of the nine other men, he had tolerance for only one, his brother Santaal. The rest were snakes.

  “I did not act out of defiance.” Tarak began slowly walking around the table, addressing each man individually. “I felt that the situation needed a quick resolve, so I went ahead and carried out the actions that this council would have decided on. Why bother with the extra expense while we have such an ambitious undertaking already?”

  He looked around as if expecting one of the men to answer. They all knew better. Most of them knew, anyway.

  Omar leaped from his seat and was about to comment when Tarak put up his hand and bade the man to stop. Omar stopped short, surprised by Tarak’s bravado.

  “What I did was for the good of the Brotherhood. If you will punish me for my loyalty to our cause then do so, but you must then also punish yourselves.” Tarak was sure to shift his gaze to each member of the council and make eye contact.

  “You are out of line, Priest,” Omar shouted, slamming his hand on the table.

  Tarak calmly looked at the Leader. Their eyes met and held. Omar was one of three men who would even think about standing up to the terrifying Tarak Kader.

  “Am I?” said Tarak.

  “That was a task for the Legion. I know it. You know it. And, all these men here know it.” Omar’s face had turned a deep shade of red.

  “That is just a matter of perspective,” Tarak said. “Dragons, and dragonbloods, are magical creatures. As magic is my department, it only stands to reason that the Church was best suited for the job.”

  “That doesn’t change the fact that you never thought to discuss it with this council,” Omar shouted.

  Tarak sneered. “This is a waste of time and breath. What’s done is done. Instead of praise for saving valuable resources that are needed much more in other areas, you stand here and berate me.”

  “That is not the point. You defied me and you must answer for it.” Spittle flew from Omar’s mouth as he shouted across the table.

  Tarak’s patience had run out and he could feel the frustration rising within his chest. He took a few deep breaths to try and calm his mind. He did not need to disrupt his well-laid plans on a whim.

  “If it will appease you, I offer you my heartfelt apologies.” Tarak kept his voice as calm and steady as he possibly could.

  Omar was about to retort but Cullen Davis, stood and placed his hand on the leader’s shoulder. He leaned in and whispered into the man’s ear. Omar’s face twisted with disgust.

  “Alright, I accept. For now.” Omar did almost as good a job at suppressing the anger in his voice as Tarak did. He stared Tarak in the eyes. They portrayed a silent warning that he would get his revenge for Tarak’s act of treason.

  Tarak nodded and returned to his seat next to Santaal, flashing his brother a slight grin as he sat.

  Omar composed himself and grabbed a cup of wine from the table, emptying its contents.

  “The plan to capture the dragon on Seron had come to head. After months of planning, the pieces have been slowly moved into place. We have received word that the dragon has left the island, with no known time of return. This could be our best opportunity,” Omar said. “The ships will soon be ready to start transporting the machines, as well as our soldiers. When can we begin?” He looked to the two men sitting to the left of Cullen Davis.

  One of the Brothers, a man named Paulon, sat up in his chair and said, “We can commence immediately. We have calculated that the optimum capacity will be thirty men per ship, plus the crew. There are three ships in the harbor right now, with two more expected within two days.”

  Omar thought for a moment. “Good. That will still work with our timeline. We will only have one chance to strike this blow. We cannot afford for there to be any mistakes.”

  Cullen made a motion to Omar that he wished to speak. Omar gave him the floor.

  “A report from the Builders. Those ships have been loaded with our newly designed weapons. They have been successfully tested and are ready for battle,” he said, a wide smile crossed his face.

  Tarak knew that Cullen was sucking up to Omar, as usual, but that was good news. Those machines played a big role in his plans as well.

  “The order for that south Parthian kingdom has been completed, but because we need the ships for other purposes, we have to make a decision,” Cullen said, then continued. “There are two options. We send the weapons overland on a wagon train or, the much smarter and safer method, would be to wait for the ships to return. We run the risk of arriving late if we wait for the ships but at least the cargo will arrive.”

  “Wait for the ships.” Another Brother spoke up. He was an older man, his head bald with wisps of gray hair around the sides. “If those ships don’t make it to south Partha then we will not receive payment. The castle cannot afford such a loss.”

  “As well as the reputation that will come with it.” The man next to him piped up. He was a little bit younger but not by much.

  Omar nodded. “Brothers Hant and Kalvan are both correct in their assessment. Our campaign on Seron has cost us greatly but when we are successful, it will usher in a new age for our Brotherhood.”

  The nine men all at the table, including Tarak and Santaal, smacked their palms on the table in agreement.

  Omar looked around. “Alright, that is settled then. The ships will return after delivering their cargo to Seron. Any other pressing business?”

  The nine men at the table all shook their heads.

  “Well, in that case, we will adjourn.” Omar lifted his hand. “Garron save us.”

  “Garron save us.” The reply was unanimous.

  Tarak rose to leave the chamber and found Omar staring him down. The leader was speaking with his Legion second, a giant of a man named Harcus, who was one of the most impressive warriors Tarak had ever seen in his life. Harcus looked over at Tarak and scowled.

  “They are talking about you.” Santaal pointed it out, obviously amused.

  “Let them. The plans are much more important than my personal ego.”

  “True. But isn’t it your ego that is driving the plans?”

  Tarak turned to look at his brother, who offered a mischievous grin.

  “Yes, you are hilarious, brother,” Tarak said dryly. “Let’s go talk in private.”

  Tarak made his way to the entrance of the chamber. Omar was staring him down the whole way. Tarak reached the tall double doors that led into the main hall and turned to look at the leader. Omar was still staring at him.

  “You will soon see true power,” Tarak whispered under his breath, his eyes matching Omar’s.

  Omar looked away.

  Tarak smiled and walked through the doors into the hallway.

  “Basilica or chambers?” Santaal asked, referring to their destination.

  “Basilica. We have work to do if we are to leave at a moment’s notice.”

  The brothers walked in silence
through the wide hallways of Castle Pornoux. They left the main keep and entered the courtyard. On the other side of the yard stood the tall, arched apse of the basilica.

  “Are we going to leave Pornoux?” Santaal asked as they crossed the yard.

  “That has not been determined yet,” Tarak said. “A lot depends on how the campaign on Seron goes.”

  The men entered the holy building and made their way into the private studies. Santaal immediately went to a cupboard and produced two cups and a large pot of wine, while Tarak retrieved a tome from a stack on his desk.

  “Any word from Seron?” Tarak asked as he opened the book and began to thumb through it.

  “This morning,” said Santaal, reaching into a pouch for a small slit of paper. “Received and completed. That was the message. What does that mean?”

  Tarak nodded his head and returned his focus to the book.

  “Still not going to tell me, huh?” Santaal said, shaking his head.

  “When the time is right,” Tarak said, nonchalantly.

  “Hmmm. Well, anyway, our other sources there have also reported that the plans are falling into place. It will be fully prepared for when we arrive.”

  “Excellent.” Tarak grinned.

  30

  “It has been two days. Is there nothing else we can do?” Kai asked Rosalie.

  They had almost all the patients moved into the quarantine area. With the entire force of the Daxrah, as well as the patients themselves, the move did not take long. The only patient remaining in the infirmary was Raven, who still showed no sign of change.

  Rosalie gave Kai an exhausted look and wiped the sweat from her forehead. “There is nothing more I can do until I do some research. Adina will be back to the tower once she is satisfied that everything is running smoothly. She knows better than I do, and she has no idea. We need some time to figure it all out.”

  “What if she doesn’t have any time?”

  “Adina is confident that she is stable and not in any danger. It is like she is sleeping.”

  Kai paced back and forth. “Was this an attack? Why Raven? Why not anyone else? I just don’t understand what is happening now. Amelia is pushing again for us to build a fence. I find myself becoming inclined to the idea, even though I was the one who opposed it.”

  Rosalie finished packing the rest of the supplies. She looked around the bare infirmary and sighed. “Well, we will look to her well-being, Kai. Don’t you worry. Please, I am tired and I still have a lot of work to do. Just stay here with her while I take the rest of this stuff down to the village.”

  Kai nodded and watched Rosalie carry the load away. He looked at Raven’s still form and panic overtook him again. He resumed pacing the room.

  One of the Daxrah recruits came to him once to report on their progress and it gave him relief to know that everything was going according to their plan.

  He paced for what seemed like hours but could have well only been minutes. He wasn’t keeping track of time.

  “How is she?” Amelia entered the room, carrying two cups and a pot of wine.

  “The same,” Kai said solemnly.

  Amelia nodded and filled the two cups, handing one to Kai. He looked at the cup nervously, vague memories of Shelby passing through his mind.

  “Go on,” she said, thrusting the cup in his direction. “You’ll be fine. You need it. Trust me.”

  Kai took the cup.

  “To no more hardships.” Amelia toasted the air and took a deep drink.

  Kai stared at the cup for a long while, swirling the rich red liquid around the edge of the carved stone vessel. He placed the cup on a counter, untouched.

  Amelia shrugged and poured herself a refill.

  “Are you reconsidering my idea?” she asked after an extended period of silence.

  Kai did not respond. He sat, staring off into space, his mind racing.

  “You’re changing,” he said finally.

  “Excuse me?” Amelia chuckled.

  “You as a person. You are changing. I’m not sure I like the person you are becoming.”

  “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”

  “You seem cruel. When we first met, you were not like that. You were a loving, caring person. Now you want to imprison a good number of people because of fear.”

  Amelia thought over what Kai had said.

  “I am in fear,” she said. “We have worked hard to restore this place and keep it safe. Isabella lost her innocence when she slaughtered all those people at the gates. We need to protect it at all costs. This is our home. If we lose our home, then we have nothing left. I will not allow it to be overtaken by some group of foreigners. I lost one home that way. I will not lose another.”

  “I agree we need to keep it safe but that is a little extreme. Many of these foreigners are good people. They have helped us immensely. This is how we are going to repay them? By locking them up behind a fence, restricting their freedoms?”

  Frustrated, Kai slammed his hand on the counter causing Amelia to jump.

  “We are not going to discuss this anymore. There will be no fence. That is the end of it.”

  Kai threw up his hands and resumed his pacing. Amelia remained, seated next to Raven’s bed, holding her unconscious friend’s hand.

  It was nearly nightfall when Adina and Rosalie entered the room. Kai and Amelia looked at them expectantly.

  “Well, we have some good news. I believe the poison was from the fruit of a kinrod tree. It causes indefinite paralysis.”

  A look of disbelief crossed Kai’s face. “How is that good news?” he asked.

  “There is an antidote. Unfortunately, I do not have the necessary ingredient. It is a bug that is native to the north of Partha, called the Panther Beetle. It is, however, available from a shop in Bridgewater.”

  Kai’s face lit up. “I will leave immediately,” he said, then he added, “What do you know about this poison?”

  “Well for one, it is not really a poison. It is used in small quantities by many healers on the mainland when performing amputations,” said Adina. “I find it to be barbaric. I prefer that my patients are awake when I cut off their appendage. I find that they appreciate the fact they are alive after enduring that level of pain and become less concerned that they are missing some body parts.”

  “You’re sick,” Amelia said.

  “So, what are you saying? Can we find out who did this?” asked Kai.

  “No. It is such a common thing on Partha, that it would narrow our list of suspects to about three hundred people. Or more. Given how many are arriving daily.”

  Amelia looked smugly at Kai. “Seems that leniency will be our downfall after all.”

  Kai gave her a glare. “We will deal with that later. Right now, we need to get that antidote.”

  “There is a shop in the waterfront market called Loerel’s. She carries a great number of import ingredients. I normally visit her for supplies once a month. She will have what we need. Ask for crushed. I hate doing that myself.”

  Kai nodded and prepared to leave.

  “Also,” Adina said. “Bring your purse. It is not going to be cheap.”

  Kai turned to Rosalie and wrapped his arms around her. At first, she pulled away, then after a hesitation, she leaned into his chest and returned the embrace.

  “What is it?” he asked quietly.

  Rosalie shook her head, refusing to meet his stare, but then raised her eyes to meet his. “Would you do this for me, if I was in her place?”

  Kai looked at her in shock. He was speechless. Of course, he would. Wouldn’t he? She continued to look at his eyes, waiting for his answer.

  “Of course, I would.” He looked deeply into her eyes so that she would know that he was being honest. She smiled and hugged him tightly before leaning up to give him a passionate kiss.

  Kai stopped by his quarters to grab his gear, armor, and weapons, then headed directly to the stables to fetch his horse. He mounted his beast and headed f
or the gates.

  Before he could leave, Adina came running out into the yard, calling his name. He reared his horse and waited for the old woman to reach him.

  “Here. Take this.” Adina was running with her arms outstretched, holding a small object. When she reached Kai, she thrust the object into his hands.

  Kai was holding a vividus crystal device, much like the one she gave to Isabella.

  “I call it Adina’s Box,” she said. “It’s pretty, and handy.”

  “Thank you, Adina,” Kai said as he opened the box to reveal the dormant crystal.

  Adina held her hand up and cast a spell. The crystal began to glow brightly. “That will last for three days. I trust you won’t take that long anyway.”

  “I will be back tomorrow night,” Kai said, with resolve.

  He pulled opened the bottom of the device and extend thin arms from inside. He looped them around until he had the appropriate size. He then placed the device on his head, with the crystal facing forward, lighting his way. He kicked his horse and they rode off into the not so dark night.

  31

  Isabella slowly opened her eyes. It was a bright and sunny day. Her ears were filled with the sound of a thousand different birds singing all at once. She yawned and stretched out her arms.

  “Ah. Oh good,” Sisera said.

  Isabella lifted her head and looked around. She was lying on the ground under the overhang. Sisera had managed to build a new fire.

  “You have been sleeping for the better part of the day.”

  “Was that real? The fight with the dragon?”

  “Very real. I had a lot of cuts and bruises. They are all healed already, though. It seems you also share my regeneration abilities. I figured after the beatings you took that you would be down for at least a few days. But, here you are awake already.”

  “So, was I actually surrounded in purple flame?” asked Isabella.

  “Yes. It's gone right now, but it appears when you need protection.”