by Candy Crum
Finally, Elysia smiled. "Do you know how to fight?"
Celine's shoulders fell slightly, her eyes wandering to Cathillian for a moment before returning to Elysia. The young woman once again straightened her shoulders, then shook her head. "No. At least, not in the sense that you do. I do know how to throw a punch, I'm learning how to throw a knife, and if I do say so myself, I'm a damn fast learner. I don't care how many times you break my nose, if you have something to teach me and the patience to do it, I'll learn. I made a vow to that girl when she came back, and I'm not going to let her down because I don't know how to fight."
Elysia's smile grew. "Nika, please take the young woman to be fitted in proper leathers, then escort her to the Versuch pit and wait for me. I'm going to talk to my father, and then we're going to have some fun."
As Elysia walked off, taking her father's arm and pacing side-by-side with him, Celine looked at Cathillian, her eyes wide. "What the hell did I just get myself into?"
Cathillian laughed. "A world of hurt, that's what. She might not look it, but that woman hits like a war hammer."
"Is she pissed? Because she seems pissed," Celine asked.
This time it was Nika who laughed. "If she was angry, you'd already be nursing a broken nose. Come with me. It's time we dressed you like a warrior. Whatever you were before dies today, as long as you're serious."
"Emphasis on the death part," Cathillian added.
Celine punched Cathillian in the arm, shaking her head at him.
He grabbed his arm and rubbed. "You know, I'm really starting to think people don't like me. They're always hitting me."
Nika laughed again. "You’re just now thinking that?"
Cathillian looked at her incredulously. "And here I thought, Nika, that you loved me and we were gonna have a ceremony and have little, pointy-eared babies together."
Nika closed her eyes and shook her head, her smile fading. "Yeah, right. We both know that's not true. In fact, I'm pretty sure we all know you want little half-pointy-eared babies."
There was a pause and a knowing smile on both women's faces as Cathillian stared at the ground. "Hmph. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." He pointedly turned his nose into the air and turned to walk away with exaggerated movements, joking as always, of course.
Celine busted out in laughter. "It's okay, nephew. They would be incredibly beautiful babies."
"You know," Cathillian said in a dark, amused tone, turning his head just enough that his devious smile could be seen. "When Arryn gets back, I'm gonna tell her what you said. I'm gonna tell her you were suggesting she and I be together and have babies."
Both women's faces fell then, all amusement gone as they looked at one another and then back at Cathillian.
"Mmm hmm," he said, slowly nodding his head. "That's what I thought. Just as scared of her as I am. Don't make me tell on you! We all know I'm petty enough to do it!" He said that last bit with his finger pointed in the air as he turned and walked away.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The city of Cella had been overrun when the remnant had attacked. Their walls had been breached and more than half of their Guard had been killed. A lot of civilians had died as well when they'd decided to fight alongside the Guard. Everyone was afraid, and the governor couldn't blame them.
He felt helpless at the moment, unable to give the people what they needed, which was security. They had won, yes, but the cost had been very high.
When the governor had received a letter from Talia inviting him and the rest of the city to come to Arcadia, he'd been hesitant. Why take his people south to a city which had also been breached? What good could it possibly do?
But then his son, Nathaniel, had made the point that the Arcadian Guard’s numbers far surpassed their own, even though they lacked expertise. Taking their own guards there would allow the Arcadian Guard to be properly trained much faster than they could learn on their own.
"There will be safety in numbers. We didn't have many, but we had enough to stave off an attack. Do you really think that we could do it again?" Nathaniel had asked his father.
The governor had no answer. He only had worries. He was a good man who was concerned for his people. The idea of letting them down didn't sit well with him, and he would do whatever it took to keep them safe.
"Our men could help them rebuild the Boulevard," the governor had mused, his voice barely a whisper as he stared at his desk.
"Exactly," Nathaniel had replied. "Not only that, but if we took our resources down there, we could help rebuild their city entirely. It sounds counterproductive to work on their city while our own is partially in ruins, but the new Chancellor is a good woman. You said that yourself. Imagine what we could do here once they can spare the men."
The governor looked at his son. "I suppose I hadn't really thought of it like that."
Nathaniel smiled. "We have both the manpower and enough resources here to completely rebuild the part of the city destroyed in the explosions. If we do that, maybe work in their factory, and have our Guard train theirs, they will be up and running in no time. We can fortify their borders, make them stronger than they have ever been.
“Once they have everything they need, we can bring several hundred men back here with us. Our city is much smaller, so we could rebuild much faster with their help. We help them, and they help us. I'm no leader, but I've learned a lot. I think that is the best course of action."
The governor couldn't help but smile. With every passing day, he became prouder of his son. Strong and intelligent, he was wise for his age, and he valued Nathaniel’s counsel.
And that was why the governor had decided to call a town meeting and announce the big news.
At first, the city was just as apprehensive as he had been, but then he asked Nathaniel to speak. He wanted his son to talk to them as he had spoken to his father earlier, full of inspiration and wonder.
By the end of the announcement the small city had come together, cheering their loyal and faithful governor, the man who would uproot everyone if it meant keeping them safe.
But there was nowhere in the valley that was safe. Nothing was secure.
The warning bell in the town began to chime. The governor's heart immediately sank as he looked at his son, knowing that something bad was happening. The entire city was in the meeting, minus nearly the entire Guard securing their perimeters. They were all in one place, which put them at risk.
The governor jumped from his seat, instructing his son to take over in his stead. "Keep them safe and calm. I'm going to the watchtower to find out what's going on."
His son grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him closer. "Take guards with you. I don't want anything to happen to you."
The governor smiled at his son, nodding once before pulling his arm free and running from the building. As he did, he could hear his son’s voice echoing through the town hall, trying to keep them calm and reassure them that everything would be okay.
As the governor approached the watchtower, he heard fighting. Loud battle cries and the clash of metal rang in his ears. Looking down the street, he saw them. Dozens of them. No, even more than that. Twice as many as had attacked them before. The remnant filled the streets, easily taking their men to the ground.
He thought of the people in that building who trusted him. He had come up with a plan to secure their future, he and his son, and now it was going to crumble before it even began. Those lives could be lost.
He couldn’t let them down. Without a single idea of what needed to happen or what he could do, the governor began walking down the street, anger racing through him.
He'd attended the Academy in Arcadia many years ago, but he hadn't been the best student. Without a doubt, he knew his son Nathaniel would be much better at magic than he'd ever been when he was able to attend and learn.
But at that moment, he was desperate.
There weren’t enough men to fight off a horde this size, bu
t he wasn't going to let his people die if he could stop it. All he cared about was them living.
Nathaniel was smart, and a good leader. He would make an excellent governor, and he would treat the people right. At that moment, he realized he wasn't only willing to die for the people of Cella, he was willing to sacrifice himself if it meant their survival.
He began running then, letting the clang of metal and the screams of battle lead him in the right direction. As he got closer, one of the larger remnant saw him and laughed before cutting one of his guards down. He turned, his evil, red eyes focused on the governor, and charged.
The governor threw his hand forward, a large stone coming out of the street to bash the remnant in the head, crushing his skull and taking him to the ground. That caught the attention of many others.
Several other remnant turned, realizing they faced a larger threat. The governor stopped in his tracks, having just passed the body of the remnant he had killed.
He leaned forward slightly, one leg extended farther than the other, his fists clenched tightly at his sides as the stones in the street around him began to tremble.
He saw death in front of him. Not just his own, but that of his people if he didn't find the strength within himself to save them.
He should have brought guards with him as Nathaniel had suggested, but there would have been no chance of any of them surviving. They had barely survived the last attack, and that had been half the number of remnant here now. Since less than half their Guard remained now, they stood no chance of winning against a horde twice the size of the first.
The remnant staring him down cried out before charging forward. The governor's entire body flexed hard, his tightened fists rising from his sides as dozens of heavy stones were lifted from the ground.
He took a step forward, throwing his hands in front of him, and stones blew past him in a blur, crushing every remnant in their path.
The screams of the men and women dying in front of him caught the attention of the others, causing just enough of a distraction for the Cella Guards to let loose. They took down several more before the others charged the governor.
His vision blurred completely as something large landed only a couple of feet in front of him. He jumped back; the largest remnant he’d ever seen was standing before him.
Pulling back his hand, he prepared to use telekinesis to push the remnant backward to allow him the space needed to kill him, but the remnant had other plans.
"Enough!" the remnant shouted.
The governor tensed his body, unsure what to do. His adrenaline was still coursing hard, but he’d never expected one of them to speak, let alone fail to attack.
The sounds of battle behind the remnant had slowed, but hadn't stopped. The beast turned his back to the governor, shifting his battle axe in his hand before taking several strides forward.
"I said stop!" He swung his weapon, cutting one of his own men in half.
To say that the governor was surprised would have been an understatement. He'd never seen anything like it, and had certainly never expected anything of the kind.
The remnant lifted his battle axe in the air and arced it downward to get the blood off it. The rest, he wiped on holey pants, then he turned and took several steps toward the governor. Once again, the governor tensed, ready to fight.
The remnant gave him a dark smile. "Wanna end up like my brother over there? Put those hands down. I didn’t come to fight."
The governor's breath was still coming heavily, but he slowly relaxed his body and his black eyes returned to their normal color. He'd never used that much power before; he’d had no idea he was even capable of it. But for his people, for his son, he imagined he was capable of anything.
And now, he was doing the unthinkable—talking to a remnant.
"Forgive me for saying so, but if you didn't come here to fight, why are so many men dead? And did you say that was your brother?"
The remnant laughed, the sound low and terrifying. "That was my brother by blood. We don't care ‘bout shit like that, means you're lucky to be talkin’ to me."
The governor nodded. "Not so sure about the lucky-to-be-speaking-to-you part, but I'd definitely say I'm pretty fucking lucky to be alive long enough to have the opportunity."
The remnant laughed again and nodded, lowering his battle axe to the ground. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be," he said, looking around with a nasty smirk on his face.
The governor's eyes narrowed a bit as he thought over the beast’s words. It was becoming blatantly clear that he was alive for a reason. "You need my help with something?"
The remnant nodded. "Don’t bother bitchin’ about the death of your people. I get what I want, or the extra hundred brothers I have outside’ll be excited to come in here. They’re pissed and want revenge. And if they don’t get it, I have to give them something."
An extra hundred remnant.
He couldn't imagine what a remnant would want him to do, or what revenge he would seek, but it appeared the governor had no choice but to find out.
The governor nodded. "There is no need for threats. I am a good man, and I am responsible for the city. You are indeed talking to the right person, so let's converse peacefully."
A few moments passed before the remnant slowly nodded his head. "Betray me like the last shit, and I promise there’re things far worse than death. We’re experts in all of ‘em."
The governor smiled, deciding to play his game. Remnant didn't respond to mercy. They only respected power, though even that was chancy. "And if you decide to break the peace and shed even one more drop of blood in the city, the power you saw me use today will be the least of your worries. I will teleport to the rest of my citizens, and we will send all of you screaming out of here with your flesh melting from your bones."
To drive his point home further, he lifted one of his hands to his chest, slowly arcing it downward as a good-sized fireball appeared in his palm. "You caught us off-guard the first time. I assure you that this time we are ready. The warning bells sounded several minutes ago, and people are all safely in hiding."
With that, the governor closed his hand, extinguishing the fireball. He was lying out his ass, but he hoped his confidence covered that fact. The logic was sound, and he anticipated it would work.
The remnant turned to his men. "I will have my revenge, and I ain’t dyin’ before I get it. If any of you shits put that in danger, I’ll gut ya myself."
The remnant turned back, his red eyes focusing on the governor’s. He lifted his hands to the side in a questioning manner, and the governor nodded.
"What can I can help you with?" the governor asked.
"Some bitch came to the Madlands, trespassed on my territory, demanded I help her, and even killed some of my men. I don't give a damn about that, but I do care about not getting what the fuck I set out to get. I kept her alive to get what I wanted. That's about to change."
The governor nodded. "I understand so far. If you’re asking me to hand over this woman, I hope she’s not one of mine. If she's making deals with the remnant, deals that resulted in the death of so many of my people, I'm not so sure I can give you what you want. I'd have my own revenge to take."
Once again, the remnant laughed, amused by the man before him. "Maybe we could take ‘er together. There are two of ‘em." The remnant took a step closer. "The bitch is from the bigger city. Arcadia. Talia’s the name."
The governor's eyes widened, his jaw falling slightly open. He shook his head slightly, unable to believe what he just heard. "What did you say? How do you know that name?"
"So, you do know the bitch! She wanted my men to attack the Valley. Go after the areas she wanted us to. I have a message for her. We’re comin’ for her. I’ll show her exactly who she fucked with."
The governor was completely confused, and he wasn't quite sure he believed the words. "This doesn't make sense. Talia grew up in this area, in a small cottage on a farm a few miles outside this city. Altho
ugh she grew up farming, she also spent a lot of time here in the city. Made a lot of friends, myself included. From what I know of your people, you don't make deals with anyone. You certainly don't take orders from anyone. Why would you take them from Talia?"
He smiled. "Arcadia. She promised me Arcadia, the biggest city in the Valley."
The governor's head was swimming at that point. Everything he’d said made sense, but it also didn't. He'd known Talia for many years. It was hard to believe, to say the least.
"You mentioned someone else. Who else do you want?" the governor asked.
"A month or two ago, some witch bitch, Scarlett I think, came to see me with a few friends—they were strong enough to make it to my seat alive. Most don’t. It was her idea first. Planned to take Arcadia, but had some fucked-up plan to get it. I don’t understand you people. If you want something, take it.” He shook his head. “Talia was part of the plan. I never would’ve agreed if her friends didn’t have some power behind ‘em. I found ‘er amusing. Talia, too.”
The governor nodded in understanding. "When you came to take the city, their Guard defeated you."
The remnant nodded. "The bitches told me how many men to send. But they were wrong. No one fucks me over and gets away with it."
"You came here because you assumed we would be the easier city to get into. You knew there was no chance in hell of getting into Arcadia and finding Talia yourself. You would've lost all your men again."
Smiling, the remnant said, “I can't get in the city, but you can."
The governor sighed, thinking how best to handle the situation. Finally, he said, "I don't trust you anymore than you trust me. In fact, I'd have to say that you can trust me far more than I can trust you."
"Unlike the scum in Arcadia, I'd have to say that's true."
The governor nodded. "Good, we're on the same page then. I will help you, because helping you helps me. If what you say is true, Talia not only broke my trust, she caused the deaths of hundreds of people. I will find what information that I can, but in the meantime, you cannot attack Cella or Arcadia. I have literally nothing to offer you except Talia and Scarlett, the other woman you mentioned. If I'm to do this, I want the safety of my people assured.”
