Life

by Rosie Scott

  “How do you know this, Cy?” I asked, frowning. If intel had been gathered for Eteri revolving around Hammerton's knowledge, I hadn't heard of it before now.

  “Kirek mentioned it,” Cyrus replied. “Why?”

  I glanced over at Azazel, hoping he followed my line of thought. “I haven't been told any of this.”

  “Neither had I until our trip over here.” Cyrus frowned, sensing my suspicion. “Kai, I wouldn't lie to you. Use your illusion magic on me, if you like. I'm relaying what I know to you the first time I've been able to.”

  I shook my head, though I felt uneasy. “You haven't answered my question on how Eteri has this information. No one Eteri trades with should know the first thing about Hammerton's knowledge or suspicion. Every country in Arrayis is now split into two hostile sides. Unless Eteri has spies relaying information back from here, which I find unlikely.”

  Cyrus was silent a moment, thinking through my concerns himself. “You're right. Eteri has never used spies in Hammerton. We've never traded with them so there would be no easy way for us to get someone there without suspicion. As for how Eteri knows this, I don't know. Kirek was only relaying information from the queen. Which,” the Sentinel acknowledged, “isn't going to make you feel better.”

  Azazel asked, “How has Eteri gained information about its enemies in the past?”

  Cyrus hesitated, his ordinarily calm eyes gaining the edge of anxiety. “The only way we could without sending ships across the seas in harm's way,” he muttered, flipping a finger toward Azazel and Nyx. “The Alderi.”

  An aching wave flooded through my heart. I connected that knowledge with the fact that I'd never received a response from Calder. “Cy, I gave you that letter to Calder years ago because I trusted you with it more than anyone else. What did you do with it?”

  Cyrus's eyes widened, alarmed. “Just as you asked me to do. I sent it to Quellden with high priority. Please believe me. What would you think I would do?”

  “I want to believe you did as I asked, but given the circumstances I'm starting to believe the letters were compromised to give Tilda leverage in cutting her support,” I rambled, frustrated. “Calder may not be sending his armies here because he may not have gotten my letter at all. And all the while, Eteri could have been using my connections with the underground to use them against me while making the Alderi think I was privy to their shared information.”

  “Kai. Listen to me.” Cyrus reached over to me, grabbing both of my upper arms to make me face him. “I did as you asked. I promise you with my life. You are one of my greatest friends and one of the...” Cyrus paused, glanced up to ensure few listened in and lowered his voice. “...few allies I can say I truly and fully trust. I would never do anything to sabotage that. I have offered to sacrifice myself as an example in our plans to ensure you and the others stay safe. If you start doubting me now, I will be heartbroken.”

  “Fucking hell, Kai, let's get this over with,” Nyx muttered, thrusting a charm spell at the Sentinel. Cyrus noticed the magic, blinking a bit as he came under its effects.

  “I don't like resorting to mind control, Nyx,” I retorted, torn.

  “Well, you have before when you've needed it,” she replied. “Narangar, remember?”

  “That was to save you.”

  “And this is to potentially save him,” Nyx replied, motioning to Cyrus. “He's a nervous wreck. Ask him what you need to now before the spell wears off.”

  “Will he remember this?” I asked, finding Cerin's gaze. My lover was the only Renegade left alive who had ever been charmed, so he knew of its effects.

  “I remember everything I did while charmed,” Cerin replied, looking regretful as he thought back to attacking me in Quellden. “It's why I hated it.”

  “You can always use confusion afterward to make him forget it,” Nyx reminded me.

  Cyrus visibly swallowed before me, his Adam's apple bobbing. “I wanted you to do this, Kai. Don't be bothered.”

  Despite my friend's pleas, I was bothered, but I trudged forward anyway. “The letter to Calder, Cy. What did you do with it?”

  “I sent it with Uriel and his messenger when they left to go to Reva to recruit giants for our army,” Cyrus replied. “I knew I could trust him to see his messenger to the tunnel in the Pedr Crags. He made a special detour just to fulfill my request. It's why it took him so long to return when it should have been a relatively short trip.”

  “This messenger of Uriel's,” Azazel spoke up. “They are trustworthy?”

  “Oh, yes,” Cyrus said. “He's the same messenger Uriel has used for—”

  “Stop there,” I warned, holding up a finger. Because of the illusion magic, Cyrus would have no qualms about bringing up the assassination contract loudly in front of our unknowing crew. “Did you receive news of the letter's successful delivery?”

  “Yes. Nearly half a year later when he returned. He said that he was originally instructed to deliver the message to a woman named Keket, but as soon as she saw it was from you, she instructed him to take it directly to Calder. He said he met Calder in person.”

  “Did he describe him?”

  “Not fully, but he did say he had red eyes. He found that surprising. Oh,” Cyrus lifted up a finger in memory, “he said Calder had a really rough voice. He thought the king might be ill.”

  I closed my eyes for a moment in relief. Everything Cyrus had said was honest, for the only thing I'd ever told him of Calder was about his red eyes. Cyrus couldn't have known about Keket or Calder's voice. “No,” I finally said softly. “Calder wasn't sick. He's a chain smoker.”

  “Who is Keket?” Azazel questioned.

  “She's a woman I suggested for Quellden's court after many interviews,” I replied. “I know who she is.”

  There was a short silence as I attempted to calm myself with deep breaths. The fear that one of my own friends had turned against me was one I'd not often had experience with.

  “Do you know more than what you're telling us about Eteri's intel of Hammerton?” Azazel asked the Sentinel as I was quiet.

  “No. If I knew more, I would tell you. I am suspicious myself, particularly after considering Kai's concerns.” After a few seconds of awkward silence, Cyrus added, “Do you believe me, Kai?”

  I finally opened my eyes, grabbing the Sentinel for another hug. “Yes, Cy. I'm sorry it came to this.”

  Cyrus patted me on the back as we embraced. “It's okay. I understand. Considering our situation, we need to be cautious.” We parted, and his blue eyes were warm and relieved in my own. “I will try to find out all I can about the queen's methods of obtaining that information, but I don't know that Kirek will know. She might not have cared enough to ask. You know she rarely speaks unless she deems it necessary.”

  “I know. Do what you can without putting yourself at risk.” I reached out and tapped him affectionately on the arm, still a bit upset.

  Cyrus sensed this and smiled warmly at me. “I meant every bit of what I said. I would defend you and your Renegades with my life. I never want you thinking I am against you. We have too many unknowns floating about as it is.”

  “I believe you, and I agree. Let's not dwell on this negativity.” I tried to redirect my focus. “You said we would be heading north from here.”

  Cyrus nodded and looked off over the ocean. “Yes. We can't risk the ships being seen by any Olympia patrols or the coast of Pisces, so we'll stay this far away and circle around to Monte. Those attacking Pisces will guard the waters just out of sight of the coast for a fortnight so we can attack at about the same time. Monte is a slightly longer trip, of course.”

  “Of course,” Nyx mused sarcastically. “Of course you would decide you wanted to force me to stay on the seas longer than most, Kai.”

  I chuckled softly, and some of the recent stress floated away with the laugh. “You could always jump overboard and swim the rest of the way, Nyx.”

  Cyrus huffed in amusement and put a hand over his eyes, act
ing as if he was inspecting the waters ahead. “If that's the plan, you'd better start now.”

  Eight

  2nd of New Moon, 427

  The metal of binoculars was cold in rings around my eyes as I surveyed the coast of Monte. Even though Dark Star had changed into the warmer season of New Moon, snow fell from the skies, drifting through my visibility as if attempting to shield the town from my view. It was possible the seasons were unwilling to change so quickly; it was also possible that because we were so far north, the cold stretched further into the year.

  Monte was a town which reminded me a bit of Welkin. The comparison put an ache in my gut as I felt a new wave of mourning the friends I'd lost. If Jakan were still with us, he would have enjoyed seeing the town. Monte was nestled between two smaller mountains at the northeastern edge of the Quakes, and it was a gritty and dirty settlement due to hard living and a population of miners. There were homes and businesses dotted over the grasslands just next to the mountains, and all of the buildings there were built of stone and covered in snow. Smoke from indoor hearth fires rose from open chimneys, rising into the gray skies and melting falling snow.

  The town continued up between the mountains and over them. Wooden buildings hung off of mountainsides in boxes, supported by pilings which had been secured in the dirt and stone of the land beneath. It reminded me a lot of the buildings hanging from the tree of Tenesea and even Silvi, but those had been built out of the necessity to house as many people as possible in such a small space. Here, the dwarves seemed to thrive on constructing architecture in challenging locales, because the homes bubbling out from the mountainsides were sturdy and magnificent, some of them boasting more than one floor. The structures were connected by wooden bridges and walkways. Monte appeared to continue into the mountains past my visibility. Because the town dealt in mining, I was sure that much of it would also be underground. It was possible given the masterful architecture that there was even more of it in the mountains, connected to the buildings outside.

  “They are sounding an alarm,” Azazel commented beside me, where he also looked over Monte without any visual aids.

  I tried listening for it, but I heard nothing more than the brisk winds and the nervous chattering of the soldiers behind me. “I'm glad you can hear that because I can't.”

  “Perhaps we should reconsider using the war horns,” the archer continued. “I know we decided not to so we'd have fewer chances of being discovered, but in this weather, the dwarves are unlikely to hear it unless we are nearby. They do not have the senses of the Alderi.”

  I considered that idea as I scanned over the coast. Sitting up on raised stone platforms at various intervals were long-range cannons. Dwarves were scurrying around loading them with cannonballs, preparing to use them against the ships before we could unload our soldiers on their land.

  “Did you see the cannons?” Azazel asked.

  “I'm looking at them right now.”

  “Farther in the town, they also have onagers. Larger than the ones we used on the seas years ago.”

  I frowned, lifting up my view, my eyes biased for the siege weapons. I finally found some onagers slowly being wheeled forward through the snow of lower Monte. Carts full of clay ammo rolled up beside them.

  “The dwarves are known for their alchemy,” I mused. “Perhaps they seek to use calcint against our ships, or even our people. Magical shields will be useless against their fire if it is not magically created. We will have to rely on physical life shields to block the hits of the balls themselves.”

  “Kai, if I may...” Azazel hesitated. “Do not underestimate the power of alchemy. There is much more than calcint they could have loaded in that ammo.”

  “Examples?” I asked.

  “There are offensive and defensive alchemists,” Azazel said. “Defensive alchemists like me focus on aiding and healing. I am sure many of the dwarves here are the same way. But given their penchant for molding the land and their knowledge of our attack, I'd expect the worst. Poisons, nerve agents, explosives. You have come under the influence of such things before, I believe. The torturer of Thanati you told me about used a gray powder which kept your lungs from fully expanding. The dwarves will have access to such things.”

  “How do we defend against offensive alchemy?” I questioned.

  “There's only one way I know of: avoid it. Alchemy is an art of physical creation and cannot be defended against like magic. Many creations affect the air itself, which will probably infiltrate your magical shields with little issue. Physical shields will protect us from direct hits and shrapnel of explosions, but how does one protect against the air we breathe?”

  “Force it in the other direction,” I replied.

  Azazel chuckled. “It's worth a shot, but don't go into this expecting it to work. I'd rather you be safe avoiding it.”

  “I'll try, but trouble finds me.” I hesitated, pulling the binoculars down from my eyes. “Is it possible to combat alchemy with alchemy? Particularly the recipes which poison the air?”

  “Maybe. I don't know the recipes for such things, myself.” Azazel shrugged. “If the underground army shows, someone will know. You know how the Alderi love their poisons.”

  “It may be possible to create spells to combat it as well,” I commented, frowning in thought.

  “Did you learn anything in Eteri that could help?” He asked. Azazel spoke of our years of downtime between the Great Glacial Flood of 423 and our departure from Eteri in 426. Because there had been spells I'd known that the Eteri Army hadn't had access to and vice versa, I had done a lot of studying in the military library of Mistral, learning Vhiri spells I had never known before while recording the ones I could teach them. I'd also developed new spells using words of the magical language I'd never had access to after finding them in old texts or creating them using my knowledge of the language itself.

  “I know a life spell now that is able to bleed poisons out of the blood and through the skin,” I said, “but that affects edible and liquid poisons. I've also learned a life spell that is supposed to degrade the make-ups of viral threats, which might work against such air attacks. The only problem is that I'm assuming if the poisons travel as gas, they can reach many people at once. Healing groups of affected soldiers one at a time will be time-consuming and dangerous, particularly considering the threat could still be in the air.”

  “But you have an idea,” Azazel said, sensing my direction of thought.

  “Yes. Perhaps it is possible to create a spell I could use to protect the people en masse,” I rambled, deep in thought. “I now know the magical language revolving around protection from poisons. If I could find a way to make a combination spell...”

  “Air and life?” Azazel suggested.

  “That's what I was thinking. Some way to force this protection into the air itself. Remove toxins from the environment.” I chewed on the inside of my lip in thought as I watched Altan give the order to raise the red attack flag on his ship far ahead. “But there is no use thinking on it now. We have to prepare for battle.”

  I turned and started toward the poop deck, but Azazel reached out and grabbed my arm halfway there. “What are you doing?”

  “I need to inform the giants what to expect on the coast. There are no windows on the front of the ship. They'll be going in blind.”

  Azazel shook his head. “I'll do that. The others need you up here.”

  I nodded, relieved by his offer. “Thank you, Azazel.” The archer hurried off to the stairway leading to the giants, disappearing below deck.

  “Kai. We movin' in?” Maggie asked me, one large hand on the wheel and the other on the engine pump.

  “Not yet.” I watched the three navies start moving before ours. They were led by Altan, Kirek, and Zephyr. As I'd requested weeks ago with Cyrus, both Dax and Leura would be fighting separately from their mentors in Pisces with Cyrus and Uriel. Hopefully, Kirek would listen to Altan and Zephyr when it came to their requests to leave the dwar
ven civilians be. For now, Altan led his navy to my left, with Kirek in the center and Zephyr covering the ocean nearest the mountain range. “We need to give Altan time to disembark some of his ships on the coast. We need room to unload these beauts.” I patted the wheel.

  “Aye. Don't know that the giants will get the chance to do much here,” Maggie commented, pointing one large finger at the sliver of land between the two mountains. “Can't tell from this distance, but fittin' between them two might be difficult.”

  “We'll have them focus on the grasslands,” I said, pulling my hood farther over my head to protect my face from the biting snow. It was now so thick that my view of the navies before me was compromised. Through the whipping, thick snowflakes, I only saw the slight glistening of life shields as the galleons of the other fleets disappeared through the blizzard and neared the coast of Monte. I heard the echo of dwarven cannon fire, and a flash of lightning brightened up the clouds ahead in hot purple, proving the battle had begun.

  An audible reverberation met my ears from somewhere to the right. It was so low and hidden by the howling winds that I wasn't sure if I had truly heard it. Nyx rushed up to me with Holter on her heels, pointing off through the falling snow and toward the northwest.

  “War horn, Kai,” Nyx informed me.

  “War horn?” I questioned, confused. “The Sentinels agreed not to use them.”

  “Then Zephyr must have a damn good reason for it,” Nyx replied.

  “Can you see anything?”

  “Not in this blizzard,” Nyx said.

  I squinted off through the snow and winds, trying to ascertain anything. The raging blizzard lit up in flashes of light as Zephyr summoned a lightning storm over the ocean, and my heart fell into my stomach.