by James Wisher
Rain didn’t know if she slept, but the next thing she knew Col was shaking her again and the sun colored the horizon a purplish red. He helped her to her feet. “Pretty.” she said.
Col glanced at the sunrise and nodded. “Yeah, under other circumstances I’d take the time to enjoy it, right now, unfortunately, we need to get a move on.”
Rain shouldered her soggy pack and nodded that she was ready. They followed the sandy, tree-shaded shoreline in the direction Col had seen the boat last night. Rain guessed they walked less than half a mile before they reached the smoking husk of the fishing boat. Not much remained save the charred hull.
“Wait here.”
Col clambered over the side of the ruined boat. She lost sight of him, but heard him moving around, kicking debris aside. The sounds got closer then he hauled himself over the side, his blackened sword clutched in his hand.
He grinned. “Found it.”
“What about the body?”
“Skeleton now and it didn’t move when I pulled the sword free. Whatever it was it’s long gone. We need to follow suit.”
* * *
Zarrin strained to free his borrowed body from the boy’s sword, but he didn’t have the strength to manage it. He allowed the corpse to go limp. How had a mere boy beaten him in his undead body? Watching Zarrin shrug off his attacks and keep moving forward should have unsettled the inexperienced boy. Instead, he’d pinned him in place and escaped. Perhaps the fire had finished them, but Zarrin wasn’t counting on it.
He freed his spirit from the dead fisherman and drifted up, out of the burning boat. It took only a moment to spot the two nuisances swimming toward shore. They’d be weak and tired from their trial. He’d send a squad of beastmen to finish them. If that failed he still had his trump card. Zarrin willed himself back to his primary host.
When his spirit settled into the ragged collection of bones and dried flesh, he felt the magical bindings straining to hold the corpse together. As he’d feared, his frequent entering and leaving combined with the massive amounts of Dark energy he’d channeled over the past few weeks had damaged his host beyond repair. He needed to deal with the princess soon so he’d be free to focus on creating a new host.
Zarrin staggered to his feet then stopped. If anyone saw him in his weakened condition they’d think he’d lost his power. He needed to collect himself and strengthen the bindings before he left the safety of the casting chamber.
Four hours later he’d done all the repairs he could manage. He walked out of the ritual chamber with a firm, confident stride. No one would ever suspect how weak he was. He sent a mental summons to the Pack. He’d give them one last chance to finish their prey. If they failed again he’d kill them all as an example to the rest.
The wolfmen met him in an empty chamber not far from the dungeons. “I’m giving you one final chance to finish the princess. I’ll send you to their last location. Find the girl and kill her.”
Zarrin opened a portal and the wolfmen raced through. He closed the portal and found his bones vibrating. The strain threatened to shatter them to dust. When the trembling stopped he left the empty room and walked a short ways to another small cell, this one containing a single occupant, the obnoxious boy he’d spared earlier.
“Finally.” The boy got to his feet. “This cell isn’t at all acceptable, the food is worse, and the screams keep me awake at night. At least I assume it’s night.”
Zarrin flicked his wrist and the boy went sprawling on his lumpy cot. “I’m not here to listen to your complaints. I have a bargain for you.”
The boy looked thoughtful and sat up. “I’m listening.”
Zarrin shook his head. The boy spoke like he was in a position to bargain. “I will send you to the border of Celestia, where you will cross over and wait for the princess to arrive. When she does you will kill her. If she hasn’t arrived within two weeks you may consider the contract fulfilled. In exchange I won’t destroy your father’s lands. As one of the few intact realms in the kingdom you should have no trouble establishing control after my beastmen leave.”
“You’re offering to make my family the new lords of Corinthia?”
“Exactly. I don’t care about this miserable patch of mud. Kill the girl and what’s left is yours.”
“How will I escape after the deed is done?”
Zarrin reached into his robes and removed a small box. He opened it, revealing a small black sphere. “This is a Dark caller. When you’ve killed the girl, smash it and a portal will open and return you here.”
The boy accepted the case and studied the inky black sphere within. He slipped it into his pocket. “What else?”
“What else?”
“What else will you give me for killing Rain?” The boy leaned back on his cot, a cocky sneer curling his lips.
Zarrin gestured and a collar of Dark fire appeared around the brat’s neck, yanked him to his feet, and dragged him close enough that their faces were inches apart. “I’ve given you your life, boy. If you fail in this task I promise you’ll wish I let the beastmen eat you. Do you understand?”
The boy nodded, pale and trembling, his throat squeezed shut by the collar, all signs of arrogance vanished. Zarrin gestured again and he went flying. The boy slammed into the wall and slid down on his cot. Blood dripped from his nose and the corner of his mouth.
“Clean yourself up and follow me.”
Chapter Eighteen
“How far do you think until we reach the border?” Rain asked for the third time. He knew she was eager to end this little ordeal, but if she asked one more time Col feared he might lose his temper.
“Best guess between thirty and forty miles. Two days if we set a good pace.” He jumped over a log then reached back to help Rain. They were making good time despite the thick forest.
“Does anyone live around here?”
“Beats me. Since Kenten fell into chaos following the beastman invasion eighty years ago we’ve had little contact with the people here beyond the occasional border raid. I hope we can avoid the locals as odds are anyone we meet will want to rob and kill us.”
“Charming. Is this what will happen to Corinthia?”
“Not if I can help it.”
They continued on in comfortable silence for the next few hours. He figured they had covered about six miles when Rain said, “I’m hungry.”
“Me too.” Col found a small clearing and set his pack down. Most of their provisions had been ruined in the lake. The sole surviving bit of food was some jerky they got in Pike’s Cove that came wrapped in a water-resistant cloth. It was a little damp, but edible. He handed her a couple of strips and took a pair for himself.
Col finished his first strip and was starting on the second when a long howl echoed through the forest. He recognized that howl: it sounded the same as the wolfmen that had chased them from the castle. He got up and slung his pack over his shoulder.
Rain looked at him, eyes wide, lip trembling. “They found us again.”
“Yeah, sounds like they’re three, four miles back. The darkcaster must have sent them to the boat. They’ve got our scent now.”
“What do we do?”
Col helped her up. “We run and keep our eyes open. Maybe we can find somewhere to make a stand.”
“What if we can’t?”
“Best not to think about that. Come on.”
They set out at a ground-devouring jog that Col could maintain for hours and he hoped Rain could manage. Wherever Col found rocks jutting up out of the ground he ran across them to confuse their trail. They even ran a couple hundred yards down a brook, every trick Col had learned they used, to no avail; the howls kept getting closer.
Col stopped short when they crossed a well-worn trail. Rain gasped for breath while he bent down to examine the tracks. No animal made them; men used this path, often too. Col bit his lip as a desperate plan formed. Another howl, this one only a mile behind them, convinced Col to go for it.
“Where does
this lead?” Rain asked when they turned down the trail.
“To help, I hope.”
“You said we should avoid the locals.”
“We should, but I prefer to take my chances with humans than beastmen.”
They jogged down the trail for ten minutes meeting no one. Col feared he may have miscalculated when three men with crossbows stepped out on the path. Two more appeared behind them. The bandits must have set up blinds; Col had run right past them without noticing.
“Throw down that sword and your packs,” said the man in the center, directly ahead of them. “Do as you’re told and you might live a little longer.”
Col did as the bandit bid without complaint. The howls had stopped, that meant the wolfmen were close and they didn’t want to alert their prey. They just needed to survive a little longer.
“What are you two doing here?” the leader asked.
“We’re refugees, my sister and I. We’re trying to escape the war in Corinthia. I hoped we might find somewhere safe here in Kenten.”
The bandits laughed. “What’s happening in Corinthia that you thought Kenten would be safer?”
“Beastmen attacked. The capital has fallen and Rel burned shortly after. It seems we’ve been running from monsters for weeks. Just seeing a human face, even one aiming a crossbow at me, is welcome.”
The leader’s expression softened. “It’s that bad?”
“Yes, sir. We lost our parents, many friends, our home. All we have left is these few items, the clothes on our backs, and each other.” Col noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. The wolfmen were working their way into position. “Please, sir, we’re both hard workers. All we want is a safe place to live.”
“You know how to use that sword, boy?”
“Yes, sir, my father taught me.”
Branches crunched and snarling wolfmen surged out of the undergrowth. The bandits swung to deal with the new threat. Crossbows thunked and hungry snarls turned to howls of pain. Col recovered his sword and tried to figure out where the worst threat lay. A bandit went down under the claws and fangs of a wolfman. The rest of bandits tossed their spent crossbows and drew an assortment of rusty swords and axes.
They fought well, but the wolfmen had size and surprise on their side. A second bandit went down under a wolfman who died a moment later when two of the surviving bandits ran it through on both sides. Col watched the three humans face down two beastmen. It appeared they’d all forgotten about Col and Rain.
“We should run,” Rain whispered.
Col shook his head. They couldn’t run, he needed to finish this now. Both sides seemed reluctant to attack for fear of leaving themselves exposed. That wouldn’t last. The wolfmen’s savage nature would compel them to attack no matter the odds.
Sure enough, as soon as the thought went through his mind the wolfmen surged ahead, trying to overwhelm the bandits with raw strength. The humans hacked and slashed while the wolfmen bit and clawed. Col pulled Rain against his chest; she didn’t need to watch the slaughter.
It didn’t last long. In less than a minute all the combatants lay bleeding on the ground. “Stay here, Princess.”
Col left Rain facing away from the massacre and moved closer. One of the wolfmen still drew breath so Col ran it through and twisted his sword. The other one had at least a dozen deep cuts in its hide. Two of the bandits had also succumbed to their wounds, but the leader remained alive.
“You led them to us.” The bandit coughed up blood. He must have a punctured lung.
Col nodded. “I couldn’t take five beastmen on my own. When I crossed your trail I hoped it would lead me to a bandit group. Thank you for your help.”
“You killed us as surely as those monsters.”
“Consider it my good deed for the day.” Col rested his blade across the bandit’s throat and yanked it across. A cleaner death than the man deserved, but he didn’t want to risk someone finding him alive.
Col cleaned his sword and found a sheath on a dead bandit that almost fit. He liberated it; the idea of stealing from a bandit brought a smile to his face. He collected their packs and rejoined Rain.
“It’s done.” He handed her a pack and slung his over his shoulder. “Ready?”
“More than ready.”
* * *
No line in the dirt marked the border between Kenten and Celestia, but when they reached a well-maintained road two days after the battle with the wolfmen Col figured they’d crossed over. They followed the road at an easy walk, feeling safe for the first time in a long while. Col hoped it would last.
“Where are all the people?” Rain asked.
“I doubt we’ll find any villages this close to the border; too much risk of bandits. My best guess is this road leads to one of their border forts. Celestia built half a dozen of them not long after Kenten fell.”
Rain smiled and shook her head. “It never ceases to amaze me how much you know. If anything, I should be the one to tell you about that sort of thing, but I knew nothing about any forts.”
“We studied all defensive positions used by all the Lake Kingdoms. The theory was if we could figure out what worked and what didn’t we’d use the good stuff and ignore the rest.”
“Didn’t help much.”
“No, no one allowed for the possibility that the enemy could just appear anywhere and anytime. Pretty hard to defend against that.”
The clink of armor reached them before they saw the source: a dozen mail-clad soldiers carrying spears, swords belted at their waists, and shields slung from their backs marching in a neat column down the road. They looked like they knew how to use their weapons. Col kept his hands well clear of his sword. Even if they didn’t have him outnumbered, these didn’t look like the sort of men he’d want to fight.
The soldiers spotted them and double timed it in their direction. They formed a semicircle across the road. Col didn’t recognize their insignia, but he assumed the man that stepped forward was in command. “Speak and be recognized.”
“I’m Col, the last surviving squire of Corinthia and bodyguard to Princess Rain, sole heir to the throne. We seek sanctuary.”
“You two hardly look the part. Your amulet?”
Col removed both his bronze squire’s amulet and the gold amulet Sir Geris had given him and let them hang on his chest. “Please, sir, we’ve been running, dodging beastmen and bandits for weeks.”
The commander frowned. “What’s a squire doing with a knight’s amulet?”
“He probably stole it,” one of the soldiers said.
Col bristled, but fought down the urge to argue. They would either accept his story or throw them both in a cell. Either way he couldn’t fight his way past them.
“Probably best if I relieve you of that, boy.” The commander reached for Sir Geris’s amulet. The moment his fingers touched it a crackle of golden light sparked. He jerked his hand back and rubbed it. The soldiers leveled their spears.
“A knight’s amulet can’t be taken,” Col said. “Only given.”
The officer met his gaze and nodded. “We’ll escort you to the palace. It’s a ways, but we can get horses at the fort. I’m Lieutenant Miles. Sorry about that.” He pointed at the amulet around Col’s throat. “But I had to be sure.”
“No harm done.” Col held out a hand and they shook.
Rain slumped against his back. “We made it. We’re finally safe.”
Miles bowed. “You certainly are, Highness. Welcome to Celestia.”
* * *
Col’s mare pranced and he fought to get her under control. Miles insisted she was the calmest horse in the fort’s stable, but Col doubted it. She certainly didn’t have the brains of his little pinto. The mare settled and he patted her neck. They’d ridden for three days, but the mare still didn’t seem to trust him. He felt the same about her.
Rain laughed beside him. “So we finally found something you’re not good at.”
Col shrugged. “I’ve been riding for a few years,
but I never got comfortable at it. I prefer to fight on my own two feet rather than depend on an animal’s good will.”
“Not a very knightly sentiment.”
“I suppose not.”
They rode through Celestia, a beautiful country of rolling hills, farms, and forests. It wasn’t much different from home, save for a distinct lack of marauding beastmen. It felt like forever since Col had relaxed and enjoyed a moment’s peace. Riding through the countryside, surrounded by soldiers, he allowed the muscles in his back relax.
“How much farther to the capital?” Rain asked Lieutenant Miles.
“It should be in sight by midday and we’ll arrive before dark tonight.”
Rain sighed. “I can’t wait for a proper bath.”
As Miles predicted, a little after noon they topped a hill and, settled down in a valley, a river running through the center of it, was the Celestial City. The city sprawled along the river with no sign that the designers gave any consideration to defense. They had no wall or other visible protection. The palace nestled in the center like a jeweled egg in a nest. Even from a distance Col saw gleaming towers, green gardens, and little streams running all over the grounds. It made a marked difference from the impressive, but more utilitarian Finegold Castle.
“Where do the soldiers live?” Col saw nothing that looked like a barracks on the castle grounds.
“You can’t see it from here, but on the opposite side of the palace is the army barracks. Several thousand soldiers live only seconds from the palace and at any given moment two hundred patrol the grounds.”
“It’s beautiful.” Rain stared at the sparkling city, enraptured. “Father used to say Corinthia was the strongest of the Lake Kingdoms, but after seeing this I think he may have exaggerated.”
Col smiled. What could her father have said, that Corinthia was, at best, the second strongest kingdom? He said what he had to as ruler, but Col suspected the king knew full well that Celestia was the strongest.
