by David Wells
“We are in position, My Love,” Chloe said in his mind. She was with Isabel, Abigail, and Lucky. He didn’t want her in the midst of a crowd, especially when he planned to turn the crowd into a riot.
“We’re ready,” Alexander said to Anatoly and Captain Raisa. Almost on cue, Magistrate Cain came into the town square flanked by a dozen royal guards armed with short spears. Following behind him were five men in shackles and collars, chained together in a row. Alexander was relieved to see that their feet weren’t chained. That would make it easier to get them out once the fighting started.
The magistrate took his place behind the table while the dejected-looking and clearly frightened prisoners were brought up onto the platform to stand in front of the crowd. Alexander smiled grimly when he saw the Thinblade strapped to Cain’s waist. He took a mental image of the positions of the enemy soldiers. Without the crowd to provide cover, this would be a suicide mission, but with the chaos that would ensue once the fighting began, Alexander was confident they would be successful.
Cain held up his hand for silence, and the murmuring of the crowd slowly died out.
“These five men are traitors! They have betrayed Kai’Gorn and the rightful Sovereign of the Seven Isles, Prince Phane Reishi.” Cain spoke in an angry tone, spitting his words at the crowd.
“They helped the pretender escape after he murdered my brother, the protector of Kai’Gorn, with his dark magic. For their crimes, they will die.” With that, Cain sat down to watch the executions. He waved for the three guards on the platform to begin.
Alexander waited until one of the guards unlocked the collar of the first prisoner. The moment he heard the lock click open, he thought to Chloe, “Now.” A moment later the shriek of a whistler arrow streaked into the sky. The crowd turned in stunned wonder at the interruption. Soldiers looked around for a threat. The magistrate stood and his face went crimson.
A moment later, things started happening very quickly. The executioner pitched backward off the raised platform with an arrow from Abigail’s bow sticking out of his chest. Alexander threw a knife and buried it in the throat of the nearest guard, then swiftly drew his sword and charged the platform.
Anatoly whipped his cloak off his shoulders and brought his axe to bear on a guard standing in front of the platform. The young Kai’Gorn soldier was caught completely off guard by the sudden attack and barely had time to raise his spear to defend against the heavy downward stroke of the axe. The spear shattered and the soldier fell, with the axe blade buried from his right shoulder to the middle of his chest.
Commotion broke out all around as Captain Raisa’s men started attacking the soldiers stationed at the periphery of the crowd. A whoosh of fire from the port drew everyone’s attention as the sails of an Andalian troop ship quickly caught fire and sent a plume of black smoke into the air.
Alexander leapt onto the platform and pulled the first of the prisoners past him and into the waiting arms of Captain Raisa, then in one fluid motion brought his sword up and into the gut of the first guard. He looked the man in the eye for a brief moment before kicking him off his blade and into the line of the crossbowmen behind the platform.
Time seemed to slow down. Through his all around sight he saw everything unfolding around him. A crossbowman got off a clean shot that tore through his tunic but stopped cold when it hit his armor. Abigail and Isabel sent arrow after arrow down into the line of crossbowmen behind the platform. One by one they fell.
The crowd was deteriorating into the chaos of a riot as Captain Raisa’s men moved through the citizenry to strike at the soldiers and then retreat. The soldiers responded by attacking indiscriminately, which enraged the people and turned them against the greatly outnumbered soldiers.
Anatoly moved methodically through the crowd in front of the platform from one soldier to the next. He didn’t offer them a challenge or a fair fight. He simply killed them as efficiently as possible. Jack leapt up onto the platform from behind the two remaining guards and cleanly knifed the first in the back. He flickered into visibility for only a moment and was gone by the time the last guard looked over to see his comrade fall. Alexander used the line of four chained prisoners as cover from the last remaining guard as he moved with purpose toward Magistrate Cain.
The magistrate stood behind his table and worked his mouth apoplectically as his face turned a deeper crimson. Alexander fixed him with his glittering golden gaze and pointed his sword in challenge. Cain drew the Thinblade just as Alexander reached him and kicked the table toward the steps at the end of the platform. It flipped over and tumbled down the five short steps, creating an obstacle for the six soldiers rushing in from the side to protect the magistrate.
Behind him with his all around sight, he saw the last guard on the platform fall from Jack’s knife. A moment later the collar of one of the prisoners clicked open and Captain Raisa stepped up onto the platform to help free his men.
Alexander smiled as Cain slashed at him with the Thinblade and calmly stepped into the attack, bringing his arm up to meet the ancient blade. It turned just before it hit him, as he knew it would. The Thinblade was his. It was bound to his line. It wouldn’t harm him no matter who wielded it. The Thinblade stopped cold as it hit his arm and squirmed out of Cain’s grip. With his left hand, Alexander snatched his magical sword from the air. In the same moment, he drove his ordinary steel sword into Cain’s heart and looked him in the eye as his life faded away.
As Cain slumped to his knees, Alexander let go of the ordinary sword buried in the tyrant’s chest and grabbed him by the hair. With the flick of his wrist, he took Cain’s head off with the Thinblade and turned to face the crowd with the head of their dead tyrant raised high. He pointed the Thinblade at them and all of the fighting and commotion stopped. Everyone in the town square turned to look at Alexander.
“I am Lord Alexander Ruatha and I serve the Old Law. Kai’Gorn will submit to my rule or fall.”
With that pronouncement, he casually tossed Cain’s head into the crowd, collected the Thinblade’s scabbard, and stepped off the platform. The crowd parted for him and his men as they made their way out of the town square. Only once did a soldier attempt to challenge them, but he fell with an arrow through the chest before he could even get within spear range.
A cheer began to build behind Alexander as he reached the edge of the square and rejoined the rest of his friends. It seemed the stories of discontent with Cain’s brutal rule were well founded.
“Captain Raisa, I suggest we make haste to your ship,” Alexander said. “As soon as the Andalian Lancers and the Reishi Protectorate get wind of this, they’re going to throw everything they have into finding us.”
They fled down the street and into an alley. Captain Raisa led them through a confusing maze of back streets and alleyways until he came to a nondescript door. It opened to a staircase leading down into a cellar. As they started to file down into the dim light of the underground, Alexander heard a guard shout from the end of the alley, “There they are!” only to be silenced a moment later by one of Abigail’s arrows. The next men to round the corner were far more cautious. By then the alley was empty.
Raisa led them into the cellar and through a door in the back which opened into a dirt tunnel supported by wooden beams and boards. Alexander presumed it was a smugglers’ tunnel. As he moved through the dark by lantern light, he could hear the enemy soldiers in the distance giving chase but they were far behind and represented little threat. The tunnel seemed to go on for miles. Occasionally the floor became damp but mostly it was dry powdery dirt that floated up into the air to form a brown haze.
When they emerged to the light of day, they were in a secluded little cove. Anchored not far from the bank was a swift-looking midsized ship. Captain Raisa waved and the man in the crow’s nest waved back. Before they headed down to the water’s edge and the longboat tethered there, Captain Raisa found the end of a sturdy rope that led back into the tunnel and gave it a mighty heave. The soun
d of wood scraping against stone was followed by the collapse of the tunnel and a whoosh of dusty air.
By nightfall they were several leagues away from Kai’Gorn and making good time sailing up the southwest coast of Ruatha. It was the first time Alexander had ever been aboard a ship and it took some getting used to. After spending the afternoon fighting the nagging feeling of nausea, he decided that he would much rather have solid ground underfoot.
Captain Raisa was another story. He seemed to be more at home aboard his ship than he was on land. His crew was a motley bunch but they obeyed his orders without question and ran the ship with skill and precision. They treated Alexander and his friends with respect and camaraderie. The story of the rescue of their shipmates and the death of Magistrate Cain swept through the ship with great joy and enthusiasm.
It would be a good five days to Southport if they had favorable winds. That evening Alexander stood at the railing of the ship with Isabel and Chloe, watching the sunset. He still had more than his share of worries but in that moment he was content. They were safe and making good time. They’d dealt a blow to the enemy and sowed the seeds of fear and doubt in the populace of Kai’Gorn. If he could capitalize on that fear, he might be able to bring Kai’Gorn under his control and stop Andalia from sending any more of their Lancers. With Kai’Gorn under his banner, he would have control of all of Ruatha.
Chapter 35
Half a day out, Jataan P’Tal saw the smoke rising from Kai’Gorn. He cursed under his breath. He was down to nine soldiers in addition to Boaberous Grudge, Rexius Truss, Vasili Nero, and Elred Rake’s court wizard, Dagon Cade. Wizard Cade was a summoner who had proven to be very useful; his ability to call on the creatures of the wild to do his bidding had been instrumental in capturing the pretender.
Now that he saw smoke rising from the city, he wasn’t so sure he’d made the right decision. He started to think he should have had the Andalian Lancers hold the pretender where they found him until he could arrive and take command of the unit. He had a sinking feeling that his quarry had escaped yet again. It was becoming an embarrassing pattern that was no doubt beginning to wear on Prince Phane’s patience.
Every time he thought about his master, a sense of uneasiness settled on him. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It was almost like serving the Prince made Jataan feel as if he was defying his own conscience. The messages that were delivered periodically by Kludge, Phane’s imp familiar, only served to magnify that discomfort. Jataan reminded himself again that he was Reishi Protectorate—his purpose was to preserve and protect the Reishi line. He had to trust that Phane would rule with justice once his challengers were neutralized.
An hour away from the city, they came upon a company of Lancers. Jataan took command and ordered them to send word out to all the other Lancers in the vicinity to make a cordon around Kai’Gorn and converge on the city. If the fires burning in the southernmost city of Ruatha were the pretender’s doing, he didn’t want to chance his escaping again.
Jataan P’Tal entered a city in chaos. Soldiers were moving in large groups, trying to quell the violence that seemed to be directed everywhere at once. Gangs of men armed with farm implements roamed the streets looking for anyone wearing the crest of Kai’Gorn and tearing them apart when they found them. They stayed clear of the Lancers who moved in larger units and remained mounted on their giant steeds but called out the soldiers of Kai’Gorn in open challenge, especially soldiers of the royal guard. Gruesome displays of mutilated soldiers hung from lampposts. The city was in open rebellion.
Jataan made his way through the streets with a company of Lancers surrounding him. He paid no heed to the violence going on all around but instead moved steadily toward the central fortress and the dungeon where his prize was supposed to be waiting for him. The fortress was locked down and the soldiers manning the gates refused to allow him entry. They were clearly terrified of the mobs of angry citizens roaming the streets, but they relented when Captain Tate came running up and countermanded his previous orders to keep the gates closed.
Jataan P’Tal rode into the courtyard and dismounted in front of Captain Tate. He could tell from the man’s expression that the news was not good, but he was in the habit of reserving judgment until he heard the facts. He appraised the man for a moment before sighing and shaking his head.
“Report.”
Captain Tate swallowed hard. “The pretender murdered the magistrate and General Cain and then escaped. The port is on fire and the city is in a state of open revolt.”
“Has he left the city?”
“Yes, General Commander,” Tate said. “Soldiers reported that he fled through a smuggling tunnel that led to a nearby cove. When we sent a platoon to investigate the area, they reported evidence that a longboat had recently launched. Additionally, the pretender freed five prisoners who were known to crew for a local smuggler named Finley Raisa who assisted in his escape two nights prior.”
“So the pretender has a sense of loyalty to those who help him,” Jataan mused. “Any indication of where he was headed?”
“No, but we presume he would head north along the coastline.”
Jataan nodded absently at the obvious suggestion. “Captain Tate, have the fastest ship in the harbor supplied and ready to depart tomorrow morning at first light. Issue curfew orders to the citizenry; anyone out after dark will be killed on sight. Call the Lancers into the city and put down this revolt. Have a hot meal and suitable quarters prepared for my soldiers and officers.”
“Right away, General Commander,” Captain Tate said with visible relief.
Jataan turned to Wizard Cade, “I believe we could use the assistance of your birds again.”
Cade nodded, “I will begin the summoning at once.”
Before Jataan could turn to head into the keep, a cloud of dark black smoke began to form several feet away. He drew himself up and faced the swirling darkness. A moment later there was a loud clapping noise and the smoke faded to reveal Kludge, his wings beating furiously to keep him floating at eye level. His row of sharp teeth and his hateful yellow eyes offered clear insight into his malevolent character. Jataan P’Tal didn’t like Kludge and he never turned his back on the little monster.
“Master is most displeased,” Kludge said in his raspy, whining voice. “Make haste to the Reishi Keep. When the pretender retrieves the Sovereign Stone from the aether, you will kill him and his companions and return to Tyr with the Stone. Do you understand these orders?”
Jataan P’Tal nodded slowly.
Kludge smiled with malice. “Master says this is your last chance to prove your worth. Do not fail him again.” Smoke began to form around the little demon until he was completely shrouded in the dark vapor. There was another loud clap and when the smoke cleared, Kludge was gone.
Chapter 36
Alexander coalesced his awareness in Kelvin’s workshop deep in the bowels of Blackstone Keep. He scanned about until he saw the message board, then moved closer so he could read the writing. There were three numbered items. The first explained that they had a platoon of Rangers assigned to sleep in shifts to ensure that there was always someone asleep for Alexander to dream-whisper with. The second revealed that Headwater had fallen and was in the process of being reorganized to ensure that trade would flow and people would be able to work. The third said that they were working on the problem of the shades.
Alexander drifted through the Keep to the chamber where his sleep messengers were housed. There were three Rangers asleep. He drifted into one of them and insinuated his awareness into the sleeping man’s dreams. A moment later he found himself standing in a field of wildflowers with the barrier mountains of Glen Morillian all around. Alexander smiled when the Ranger noticed him with a start.
“Lord Alexander, is that really you?”
“It is. I’ve bonded with a fairy named Chloe. We’re aboard a ship a few days from Southport. Once I arrive there, I’ll commandeer a warship and head for the Reishi Isle. Send wo
rd to my father that I’ll be ordering Southport and Highlands Reach to move south and engage Kai’Gorn. If he can spare a legion of cavalry, have him send it south with haste. I’ve killed the magistrate and their commanding general, so Kai’Gorn is in disarray. The time to strike is now.”
“Understood, Lord Alexander, but I believe General Valentine has already dispatched a legion of Rangers led by Commander Kevin Alaric to support the southern army. Will that be sufficient or would you like another?”
Alexander smiled. “I think one will do. It’s good to see my father hasn’t lost his edge. Send word to New Ruatha that we’re all alive and will return as soon as possible.”
“By your command, Lord Alexander. Best speed.”
Alexander withdrew from the Ranger’s mind and into the firmament. He floated there on the ocean of possibility for a long time before returning to his body. He was becoming more accustomed to his clairvoyance and felt more in control each time he used it. When he opened his eyes, Chloe was floating around his head and Isabel was sitting at the little table in their quarters watching him.
Chloe stopped and flew up to within a foot of his nose and gave him a stern look. “You were gone again. I was worried. I can’t find you when you’re away from your body like that.”
Alexander shared a smile with Isabel. “I was looking in on Blackstone Keep. Headwater has fallen to us and Kevin is leading a legion of Rangers to Southport. Maybe we’ll have a chance to see him.”
Isabel smiled excitedly at the prospect of seeing her brother. “Really? That would be wonderful. It feels like it’s been so long since I rode with my brothers. Now they’re scattered all over Ruatha and I hardly get to see them anymore.”
Despite the uneasiness Alexander felt at being on a ship, the trip to Southport was blessedly uneventful. After so many days spent traveling by foot or horseback, it was a welcome change to be making good speed while having the opportunity to rest. They spent a fair amount of time talking and planning their strategy going forward. There were still many obstacles to overcome but their goals seemed more achievable now that they’d eluded Commander P’Tal and were no longer being chased.
