Ali-Ster looked disturbed and shook his head as he asked, “Why? Why would you let him leave the School?”
“He asked to leave by himself. I wasn’t going to stop him.” Sunny tried to defend his actions but Ali-Ster was still shaking his head and said, “Well, you should have. Is that what this is here? A desperate, hopeless search for a boy who is vital to the cause?”
Sunny said, “Don’t worry, we’ll find him. These are some of the best students from the School.” What is wrong with Ali-Ster? He sounds just like Dragon-Eyes.
Ali-Ster looked around at the small group of students and his eyes came back to Sunny as he said, “Best of luck, little brother. I’m sure you’ll find the boy in no time at all.”
Sunny nearly forgot in all the commotion that he was looking his sibling in the face. He still had mixed feelings about his birth and wasn’t sure he believed all the stories that the Imp Wizard had told him. Hearing the words ‘little brother’ added some legitimacy to the dwarf’s story. However, Sunny hoped he would live much longer than his dead eighteen-year-old brother.
“How did the meeting with the Triumvirate go?” Sunny asked.
Ali-Ster put his head down and replied, “I never got to see them. I did talk to a chancellor who seemed to take the message to heart but I didn’t get a guarantee that they would provide any men. I am going back later today to try again. As for the students, you need to bury the northern entrance to the School. The demons are too close and if they can get to that entrance, there will be nowhere to hide if needed. Use only the southern entrance but the demons know about that one too. Hide that one as much as you can too. They seem to have an inside source in your School.”
Sunny immediately thought of Kazu and didn’t want to believe that the old man could be in cahoots with the demons.
Ali-Ster looked Sunny in the eyes and said, “Be safe, little brother.”
He and the Army turned and marched away. Sunny called off the search and they went to the northern entrance of the School. It took two days and most of the students’ help to completely bury the northern entrance of the School in more than ten feet of sand.
They inspected more cave openings hoping to find Riceros but didn’t have success. The group made it back to the other entrance just before the sun went to bed for another day. Sunny walked along the straight corridor wearing a look of defeat. He looked in the library and caught the Imp Wizard sporting a look of anticipation. Sunny walked in with his head lowered and didn’t need to say anything. The wizard’s face went from hopeful to dejected within moments.
A-RUSSELL
Russell’s confidence soared as he bit into a wrinkled, dried apricot and looked at Lizeria. He wasn’t sure why he’d involved her in this, but it had felt right at the time to bring her. He looked around the vast sand pit bounded with hills and mountains to the east and west. An occasional cactus broke the pattern of pink and gray sand but Russell thought everything looked exactly the same. He didn’t have a specific plan but Shireez’ motivational talk had made him feel invincible. The Imp Wizard had tried to talk him out of going with only Lizeria even as Russell closed the door to the main entrance. He didn’t like the sultry weather of the Pearl Islands or Gama Traka. He dealt with the frosty cold much better. Lizeria seemed to be the exact opposite as her dark skin absorbed the sun well and she was barely bothered by the sweltering conditions. Russell thought she must be part dragon to not be affected by the heat. Russell knew she didn’t understand what they were doing, but the young girl would follow him anywhere. They didn’t talk very much and he tried to concentrate on figuring out the best places to find Riceros.
He assumed the help of the spirits would be vital and hoped they had made the trek from the Pearl Islands to join him here. They finished a meager lunch and searched the vast desert for several more hours. Impending darkness forced Russell to end the day of fruitless results. Russell pulled two thin sheets from his shoulder sack and laid one out for Lizeria. He rolled the other one up to use as a pillow and leaned back to look at a bright half-moon.
The longer this carries on, the lower our expectations should drop. I was confident when I left the School, but today we barely covered much ground with Lizeria lagging behind. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought her? Maybe I’m not going to find the Pearl after all?
He smashed his eyelids together and tried to force sleep but a thumping heart and thoughts of failure dancing in his head prevented any chance of slumber. The next two days yielded nothing promising and Russell started to get depressed. He decided he wouldn’t go back to the School as a failure and thought about how he could get Lizeria to safety.
B-RICEROS
A fluttering candle lit up the dark, dreary cave and magnified the floating dirt and dust particles. Riceros leaned back against the wall and tried to loosen the silk cords that had been expertly looped around his wrists and ankles. He had been forced to bend down with his hands on his feet and both had been tied together to keep him balled up. He couldn’t sleep being curled up like this and his back felt like it carried the collective pain of all the people in the world. He looked at Kazu and didn’t see the old man with tattoos on his neck. Instead, he viewed a lanky man with deep purple skin, yellow eyes, three ears and a distinct tail. Kazu had transformed into a demon as soon as they got inside the cave.
He spoke to Riceros in the common tongue, “I still cannot believe you are the one. The chosen one is smaller than the human version of me. All these years, everyone thought you needed a Pearl to summon the dragons when all you need is this.”
The demon threw the gleaming golden whistle that would summon the Noble Dragons into the air. It captured most of the light the dim flame could provide before landing in his left palm. He tossed it slowly back and forth as he spoke, “The plan is perfect now. I blow a little flute and your dragons come to save you and the humans. However, the trap will be set by Damian and the demon dragons. All your dragons will be killed and that should all but assure victory for the coldomores. Have you ever smelled the sweet scent of burning dragon flesh, I must ask you?”
Riceros shook his head.
“Unfortunate, because it smells delicious, I tell you. When I took over this body almost one hundred years ago, I never realized it would climax here, in a dark cave. The Pearl of Wisdom landed in my hands. How could you be so careless? Leaving the School alone was so foolish. I assumed you were setting me up. I’ve been at that School for nearly a century, waiting and waiting for the right moment. I had to first let Kazu control his own thoughts and actions as I sat inside his body and observed his actions until I learned enough so as not to sound or look strange. Then I took full control and wallowed in the weeds, waiting.”
“So you can just transpose from demon to human and vice versa?” Riceros asked.
The demon said, “Yes, you are a wise little boy. I am going to especially enjoy drinking your blood. I bet it makes me smarter as soon as I sip that delectable nectar. I’d love to always look like a demon but duty prevailed and I’ve been in the uncomfortable skin of a human for far too long. The special kids, Muriel and Sunny, they almost walked into my quarters when I looked like this. I dove behind a desk and never forgot to lock my doors after that episode. To my surprise, no one else even suspected the slightest problem.”
Riceros interrupted, “So you’ve been sabotaging the School for hundreds of years now?”
The demon stopped tossing the whistle back and forth and said, “No, in fact, quite the opposite. That School has progressed past the point of anyone’s highest expectations. But I know the force of coldomores and Damian Doome’s crossbreeds and nothing short of a miracle will stop them. This was your only hope, you stupid human.”
He waved the flute in the air and Riceros asked, “Why do the demons hate the humans so much?”
The demon let out a laugh and said, “Why? Ha, why, he asks. Why do the poor citizens hate the nobility? We’ve cowered in caves in the ground for far too long. You humans have lived in ca
stles, palaces and the like. You can frolic in the sun whenever your heart desires. We’ve had to hide because of lies perpetrated by Esogenus. We never resorted to cannibalism first. We learned that from people like you. I’d love nothing more than to end your life right here, yes I would, but you will be a grand gift to Damian Doome. I hope he grants me a meeting with the Plades for this. Yes, I wonder what he will do with you? Feed you to the dragons? Perhaps, but only if you are lucky. He’ll probably rip off all your finger- and toe-nails and make you eat them before moving on to some real torture. Personally, and this is just me, but I hope he stabs you one thousand times and slowly drains out all that blood for us to drink.”
Riceros interrupted again, “I thought you weren’t cannibals.”
The demon responded in an angry voice, “We have been persecuted for thousands of years for the offense. We might as well do it.”
A noise came from outside the cave and the demon closed his eyes. He transformed back into the human body of Kazu. He ran over to the small opening and stuck his head out. Riceros struggled with the bonds but couldn’t loosen any of them. He twisted his aching body around, desperately trying anything to get free. He stopped when Kazu pulled his body back in and changed back into demon form. He thought about how Brehan had escaped from the Fox Chapel farmers. Brehan had never revealed how he had gotten free and Riceros could have used any insight right now. He started to think about the Colbert family and wondered if he would ever see any of them again. Riceros lost consciousness and fell onto his left side.
He woke up in even more pain. More than anything in life, he would have loved to stretch out. Instead, Kazu propped him back up and fed him some mysterious meat from his hand. Riceros didn’t want to eat it but needed the sustenance to survive. He closed his eyes and chewed on the tough stringy meat that he hoped was ostrich. The hunger and exhaustion started to play with Riceros’ mind.
I’m going to die. I’m going to die at the hands of a demon. I need to make this demon kill me before Damian Doome can parade me around like a prize. I came all this way to die like a fool. Why didn’t I take Dioneer when I went to see the dragons? Why did the dragons tell me to come alone? This doesn’t add up at all. Why did Ikeros tell me to come alone? Is he in cahoots with Damian Doome to help rid the earth of humans? Is this all a giant ruse or a dream? But why me? Why am I involved in all this?
ELISA
“What do you mean, he defeated the Goldenfield army with ease?” Elisa asked in an angry tone.
Her new Master of Defense, Lord Paler Remeby, responded, “Precisely that, your highness. He suffered substantial losses early on but a second unit of cavalry arrived to attack both flanks of Queen Leimur’s advance. They caused enough chaos and disarray to send Goldenfield running back to their homeland. The Queen had launched a surprise attack with almost twice as many men, but the King’s side wouldn’t break. It would appear he’s staved off another stiff assault. Impervious, so far he is.”
Elisa said, “That’s quite a lovely endorsement for our King, but what do you propose we do?”
Lord Ichibod spoke up, “Siege. A siege is our only option. We can run a supply line to Lightview. I’m not sure King Colbert has the complete backing of Fox Chapel yet.”
Lady Victoriah responded from behind her veil, “He certainly had the backing of Lord Nanbert without even asking for it. I think you might overestimate our reach amongst Fox Chapel. Every moment he remains king further solidifies his support in Fox Chapel. We need to get to the Capitol posthaste.”
The Master of Defense asked, “Do you really think we can cut off their supply line from Mattingly?”
Lord Ichibod unconfidently nodded and replied, “It shall be a struggle for the storybooks, but we can starve them out. We have the upper hand in this matter, trust me.”
The sun beat down on the weather-beaten coach’s peeling red and gold paint. Small flakes started to fall in front of Elisa’s eyes and she could feel the stiff breeze even inside the luxury coach. As autumn wound down and winter threatened, everyone bundled up in various forms of complete fur layers or fur lining.
The overcrowded coach didn’t even have an open spot for a small brazier as the lady asked, “Do we have any options other than camping outside during winter to execute a siege on the King’s warm Castle?”
Ichibod answered, “Unless you can come up with another, better plan, for right now, that’s our best option.”
The coach came to a sudden halt and Elisa became nervous about another ambush. She strained her ears for the sounds of fighting from a distance but couldn’t hear anything. Every passenger tentatively got out to investigate the situation. Two messengers raced up on light brown chargers.
One man shouted to Lord Ichibod, “My lord, we’ve run into a stone wall. It’s like a double wall in fact, and must be fifteen feet high at the least. Stretches north and south far as the eye can see.”
Lord Ichibod looked stunned and responded in a monotone, “Are we talking about the Falconhurst city wall or are you simply speaking metaphorically? Please tell me you’re speaking metaphorically.”
The messenger said, “I don’t know what that means, my lord, but I’ve seen them city walls before. These is different, it’s like a double wall. Two stacked stone walls with some space between ‘em.”
Ichibod ordered, “Bring us riding horses. We need to figure out this conundrum. He couldn’t have already built a wall around the city wall. That would make it nearly impossible to get through both.”
Elisa followed Ichibod east with the rest of the Ellsworths. She rode up and stared at the menacing gray wall. Huge rectangular stones, one stacked on top of the next, reached high into the air. It looked higher than fifteen feet to Elisa. How did he build a wall like this already? He’s only been king for about one month. Can I really defeat a man who is so organized?
“Send men north and south. Let’s find out how far this extends. There’s no way the wall can surround the entire Capitol,” Sir Anderley instructed and several men sprang into action.
Lord Ichibod spoke in a whiny voice, “The first wall around the Capitol took seventeen years to complete. I know he has heavy resources and manpower, but can a king build a secure wall in this short a time? There must be one or two cracks of penetrability in this wall. This should only be a minor setback.”
Another delay! Maybe this is a sign to give up? They’re fully expecting us now. Even if we get around this wall somehow, the loss of life would be extreme. Then we have to get past the most heavily guarded area of the kingdom to even get close to the Castle. I’m not sure the men will keep lining up to die for their queen. A few honorable men will, but most won’t.
They set up camp for the night and awaited news about the length of the wall. Elisa bit into a slow roasted pig shoulder and noticed the food wasn’t as good as castle food, but she had been hardly suffering the rigors of war. The Ellsworths had brought the most talented cooks from the castle kitchen and they did quite well given the limited resources. Most of the fare consisted of various forms of fire-roasted meat, some slow roasted or fully cooked and the rest was charred black on the outside and red and raw in the middle.
The table setting for the queen and the Ellsworths housed numerous spices and salts. The silver spoons and knives twinkled in the afternoon sunlight. Wiping linens had been folded into the shape of a bird and placed in front of every hickory chair. The dark red tablecloth made her think about the blood of her soldiers. She hadn’t liked that shade of red when the Wamhoffs had forced her to wear it and she especially avoided deep crimson now. Elisa had also started to tire of always wearing black as per Lady Victoriah’s advice. She planned to forge her own style once she became the officially recognized Queen of Donegal.
I just need the real crown on my head and the power paradigm shifts in my favor. I still have that one problem to take care of.
She glared at Lord Ichibod as he bit into a burnt black chop of spotted mountain lamb. Elisa knew he preferred the y
oung animal to mutton because every single time they had lamb he made sure to tell everyone how much he hated the tough texture and off flavor of the older animal. The queen couldn’t believe how small the animals were when she had witnessed her first slaughter. Lord Ichibod whispered something into Lady Victoriah’s ear and Elisa’s mind began to race. The lady looked over and Elisa quickly turned her head away after making brief eye contact.
I think I have my answer. That was the look of pure guilt. You shouldn’t have taken your veil off to eat. I can see through your empty act now. I need to move quickly. My value is starting to lessen by the day.
Later that night, Elisa sneaked away to see Brehan. She had to wake him up again and they took some blankets over to an empty field and had sex. This time felt more comfortable than the last, but still not totally right. The two lay on their backs and looked at the glowing stars.
Alright, if I am going to sleep with this beast, I need him to take care of something for me. It’s only reasonable. Now it’s time to plant the seed.
She said, “This could very well be the last time this ever happens, so savor the moment.”
Brehan turned on his side to face her and asked, “What? Have you changed your mind again?”
She smiled on the inside and responded, “No, that will never happen again. My mind isn’t clouded any longer but I’ve heard that our good lord’s plot against me has been accelerated. I don’t have a proper claim any longer. It should seem he has no use for me anymore.”
Brehan leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek as she continued to look skyward. He whispered, “We can take care of this problem. Don’t fret.”
She asked, “But how?”
Brehan rolled onto his back again and grabbed Elisa’s hand. He kissed her cold fingers and said, “I don’t think you want to know the details involved.”
Six Heads One Crown (The Pearl of Wisdom Saga Book 3) Page 30
