A Crumble of Walls (The Kin of Kings Book 4)

by B. T. Narro

  “Just because she has a Hiller name,” complained one of the dirty women. “That isn’t fair.”

  Basen almost started chuckling. Something good happening to a member of his family because of their Hiller name? Completely absurd.

  The indignant feeling was gone in an instant as he embraced his mother and was filled with emotion. He longed to bring her back to the Academy where she’d reunite with Henry. It had been far too long since they’d been a “happy family.”

  Juliana looked even worse than when Basen had been here last, her black hair crimped and long overdue for a proper wash and comb. She looked thin to the point of weakness, moving slowly as Basen led her out of the suffocating group of armored men.

  “Why would Crea let me out?” Juliana whispered.

  “I’ll explain everything on the way.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “For now, all of us are going to Corin Forest.”

  The freeing of the many Krepps captured everyone’s attention. The creatures had been dueling each other when Basen arrived, but the guards had taken their swords before opening their cell. They celebrated their freedom with an amusing display of dancing to a chorus of grunting and humming. They squatted up and down, jumping off the ground upon rising and throwing out their arms in rhythm to the coarse music.

  “What will we be doing in Corin Forest with Krepps?” Juliana asked.

  His poor mother; she must be so confused and worried about all of this. He tried to think of the single most important thing he could tell her to ease her mind.

  “We’re headed back to the Academy, where Henry awaits.”

  She threw her arms around him and wept.

  She would be sad when she found out Basen wouldn’t be taking the journey back with them, but she deserved this happiness in the meantime.

  CHAPTER NINE

  These Krepps were better behaved than the last to come out of Tenred’s castle alive. Basen didn’t know how long ago they’d come here looking to retrieve their dead, but their time in the dungeons had given them whatever peace they’d needed, as they now left without argument. Annah was the only one of their group who tried speaking with them, asking around if anyone knew common tongue. They didn’t.

  But Vithos spoke Kreppen better than common tongue, and even though he didn’t seem to be liked by any of these Krepps, he took it upon himself to explain why they were walking free now. Hopefully they would choose to stay with Crim and return to the Academy.

  Now that guards had escorted them out of the territory, Basen had time to explain to his mother what he would be doing, and more importantly, why they would be separating soon.

  “But we will see each other again at the Academy,” he assured her at the end.

  “Are you sure it’s necessary for you to go to Merejic?”

  “No, I’m not sure, but whether it’s necessary doesn’t matter anymore. What I am sure about is it’s the best decision.”

  It had been difficult to explain the progress of the war without giving his mother an idea of how terribly outnumbered they were. Now that they’d discovered the psychic Elves were fighting against them, their chances were even less than they’d presumed. Basen needed to do what he could to improve their odds.

  The sun was setting by the time they reached Corin Forest, stars beginning to sprinkle the sky. Learning his lesson from the last time he’d come here with Krepps, Basen had them wait behind with Vithos as they approached the cabin.

  “A young man and woman live here,” Basen told his mother as he saw her crinkling her brow. “They came from Sumar, not that I know how they got through the mountains. The young man did something to scare away three Krepps last time we were here. I never found out what it was, but Effie has made him sound extremely valuable to the war effort.”

  “I see.”

  He could tell she had more questions. He’d already explained the war, the situation at the Academy, Henry coming from Trentyre to join them, Tenred troops forcing their way into this conflict, Basen’s brief meetings with Crea, and what he would be doing with Fatholl…yet there was still more. He kept wanting to bring up Sanya. Juliana had known her when she was younger and would be as shocked as everyone at the Academy to find out what Sanya had done. Juliana would blame Sanya’s father again, as she always did whenever Sanya had become the topic of conversation at his family’s supper table.

  “Basen, there’s something you’re leaving out,” Juliana said as they came close to the cabin door. “How were you able to get into the castle twice?”

  Basen had wanted to bring up his ability to make portals, but that would become the focus of all future conversation, and there wasn’t time for a lengthy discussion about it.

  Or rather, he wanted to give her an incredible surprise.

  “It’s the same way I’m going to reach the Elves in Merejic. I’ll show you tomorrow.”

  “Show me?” She took on the same worried expression she’d worn when he was a boy and told her how high he’d climbed.

  “Yes, show you.”

  She would have to learn to trust him completely soon enough.

  “Neeko, Shara!” Effie called out as she knocked on the door. “It’s Effie and Steffen…and others from the Academy. Can we talk?”

  They waited in silence, listening to whispering within the small cabin. Basen expected good news from the two of them. From the brief conversation he’d overheard between Annah and Shara on their previous visit, it seemed as though the young woman wanted to join them but was frightened of getting involved in the war. Hopefully the boredom of cabin life had helped her find courage.

  “How many people?” a man’s voice asked. Basen figured it to be Neeko, who was the real reason they’d come.

  Effie turned and counted quickly. “Five. All of us are allegiant to the Academy. You’re safe.”

  There was another round of whispering. This one went on for quite a while.

  The two of them had repaired all the damage the other Krepps had done, including rebuilding the heavy log fence. More apples grew on the nearby tree, and from what Basen could see through the slight opening of the wooden window, the inside of the cabin had been reorganized.

  “What about those lizard creatures?” Shara asked.

  “Those same lizard creatures aren’t with us,” Annah explained, “but a smaller, better behaved group is. They’re waiting so far back that we can’t see them from here. They won’t be coming inside your home.”

  After another moment, the door finally opened. Shara was just as Basen remembered, her black locks bouncing as she quickly surveyed each person in the group. She appeared younger than the man, who had the same determined look on his face that Cleve often wore.

  Effie had told Basen that Neeko and Shara were the same age; it was nearly all Effie had a chance to tell him during their quick meal together upon his return to the Academy. That, and that Neeko would be an invaluable asset.

  “Come in,” Neeko said, moving out of the doorway. His broad shoulders gave him the appearance of a swordsman. As Basen glanced around, he found two blades resting against a wall within the small cabin. Shara had a wand on her belt, obscured by the small sheath that held it. The end of it, possibly all of it, was as blue as a clear sky. Basen wondered if that was a reflection of the type of energy she specialized in, though he’d never heard of blue representing anything known in Kyrro.

  Or she just painted it. That seemed more likely, given that she’d acted a little odd upon her first meeting with Annah.

  “Hello Shara,” Annah said. “I—”

  “We met last time,” Shara interrupted. “And the one with dark hair was spying behind the trees.” She pointed at Basen.

  Why did she have to say it like that? He put up his hands. “I didn’t want to startle you, so I let Annah speak to you alone.”

  “I know. Is this your mother?” She smiled as if she enjoyed embarrassing Basen even though they didn’t know each other.

  Juliana r
an her hand through her tangled hair. “Yes, Juliana Hiller. I apologize for my appearance.”

  “We just got her out of Tenred’s dungeons,” Basen explained.

  “Basen,” she whispered. “Now what will they think?” Juliana smiled at Neeko and Shara. “Crea Hiller put me there to keep me from telling her secrets. I assure you I’m no criminal.”

  Basen had forgotten how easily his mother was humiliated. She always worried he would misbehave in front of the wrong person. It took him years to figure out that she wasn’t concerned with how he would appear but rather that she would be judged and found lacking. After he learned this, he made more of an effort to do things like bow, keep his hands clean, and keep his elbows off the table. The hardest had been refraining from making remarks Juliana deemed inappropriate, as hilarious as they might be.

  He loved his mother. She was kind and gentle no matter the circumstance, the opposite of Henry. But she often yearned for control over situations and became upset when she couldn’t achieve it. Unfortunately, Henry was the same way, and that had led to arguments between them when Basen was younger. Nonetheless, he longed for them to reunite. Everything had become easier since he’d reached adulthood and they’d begun to trust him more, for many of his parents’ quarrels had been about the right way to raise him.

  “We don’t know who Crea Hiller is,” Shara said, then widened her eyes and whispered, “but what secrets?”

  That brought out a chuckle from everyone except Juliana, who seemed confused as to how these two hadn’t heard of one of the more well-known people of Tenred.

  “They’re from Sumar,” Basen explained, guiding the conversation where he knew it needed to go. “They came here to join the Academy, yet they now live in this cabin.”

  “Come with us,” Effie added. “We’re going back to the school now.”

  “But…it didn’t seem like a school,” Shara said, looking up at Neeko.

  He nodded. “More like a fortification for an army.”

  “It is built that way,” Basen agreed. “But once you see it from the inside, you’ll agree that ‘the Academy’ is an apt name for it.”

  “But you’re still at war,” Neeko said. “And…there are many fighting against you.”

  How does he know that but not who Crea Hiller is?

  Effie turned up her hands. “Which is why we need you.”

  Neeko and Shara glanced at each other. The sparkle of their eyes showed they each knew what the other was thinking. Basen was sure of it now; they were in love. Neither of them wants the other to be in danger. But does that mean one might volunteer with the right persuasion? If so, the other certainly will join.

  Shara turned back to the group with a sigh. “We came here having just finished risking our lives in Sumar. Most of you probably know what that feels like, and also what it feels like to have the chance to live without danger.”

  “Then why did you stay here?” Basen asked. Neeko and Shara seemed a little surprised by the question, perhaps even confused. “If you have no intentions of fighting with the Academy, why’d you stay in Ovira?”

  Neeko tapped his fingers against his leg as if the question made him uncomfortable.

  “They haven’t told us they have no intentions of fighting,” Effie said.

  “They were about to,” Basen countered.

  Neeko nodded. “It’s true. We don’t.” He looked to Shara. “Or we didn’t.”

  She stared at him in silence for a moment before turning to Basen. “It’s complicated.”

  “I’m sure it is.” Basen wasn’t sure how he came to be the one trying the hardest to recruit them. “This war is complicated as well…to an outsider. But to us it’s simple. We fight to defend what we believe in. Effie told me you’ve met Terren—you must’ve seen what kind of man he is. Tauwin sent someone to assassinate him, and failed. Tauwin sent someone else to take the Academy from him, and failed. Tauwin tried to take all of Kyrro, and—”

  “Failed?” Shara interjected.

  “So far. He’s received help, as have we. Troops from Tenred have joined us, as have Krepps, and soon we’ll have Elves on our side. The outcome of the war does not depend on the two of you joining us, but many lives might. This isn’t just a battle about numbers and land, it’s about the future of Kyrro.”

  “How so?” Shara asked.

  “The Takarys used to rule Kyrro with a hammer. Keeping control within their family was their utmost priority, as will always be the case.”

  As he paused, Basen could see he was only making them feel guilty, not changing their minds. He needed another tactic.

  “Going to the Academy was the only option I had to change the course of my life,” he continued. “Even after everything that’s happened to me there, I don’t regret my decision. I look at the both of you: young, clearly talented, and with many paths to choose from. You came here from Sumar to join the Academy, only to continue through Kyrro and into this forest when you saw we were at war. Now you remain here, waiting, as if every path that’s available to you now will still be available when this war is over. That’s not the case. By not coming with us now, you’re making the choice to never stand with us.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Shara said. “They would take Neeko, no matter who controls the school.”

  “No,” Steffen said somewhat shyly as he stepped into the makeshift circle. “Basen’s right, Shara. I don’t know why I didn’t see it this way sooner. The Academy isn’t just a place you visit to hone your skills. Before any of us can stay even one night of the three years we’ll spend there, we have to agree to defend Kyrro for the rest of our lives. Not the Academy—Kyrro.”

  Steffen glanced at Effie with a guilty look on his face. “I believe Effie and I were so adamant about you coming back with us that we failed to explain what the school really represents. To join is to agree to defend…well, the king. Ultimately that means we’re defending justice. Even though our monarch is dead, we still have to defend what he represented. You can’t join the school only to leave when war begins. None of us can. And you can’t wait for war to end to join.”

  Shara’s mouth twisted during the heavy silence that followed. “So you’re asking us to commit our lives to Kyrro when we’ve just come to Ovira. We didn’t grow up here. Our families don’t live here. We know none of the history, nothing about the kings. We haven’t even gotten a chance to find out what the weather is like! Does it snow during the winter like in some places in Sumar? We don’t even know.”

  “Not in Kyrro or Tenred,” Annah answered. “The weather and resources of the land are some of the reasons Kyrro and Tenred are home to all humans in Ovira.”

  “That’s nice to know,” Shara said sarcastically, “but that’s not my point. You’re asking us to make a commitment before we’re ready. We haven’t abandoned the Academy. We just haven’t joined the war yet. It’s like when a man and a woman get together. No one expects them to marry immediately. We aren’t ready to marry Kyrro, yet that’s what you’re asking.”

  Neeko put his hand on her back, his face without the same annoyance as hers as he spoke to Basen. “We came here expecting a certain kind of life,” he explained. “We were looking for more adventure, but not necessarily such danger. Though, we understand what you’re saying.”

  Shara nodded reluctantly. “We do.”

  “It’s almost night,” Neeko said. “Give us until the morning to make a decision, all right?”

  It sounds like they already have.

  “Of course,” Effie said.

  Neeko and Shara busied themselves getting the cabin ready for everyone to spend the night there. There was only one bed, but an enormous bearskin rug covered most of the floor, and they laid out all the sheets they had to cover the rest. Combined with the blankets Basen’s party had packed, it seemed that everyone should be comfortable enough to sleep. So it came as a surprise when Neeko and Shara announced they would be leaving for the night and the bed would be available. They were going to s
leep in the forest, most likely so they could discuss privately what to do.

  “We should sleep outside,” Juliana offered, “so you can stay here.”

  Both Shara and Neeko put up their hands. “No,” Shara said, “we want to be out of the cabin as we consider leaving it for good.”

  Annah left with them and explained that she needed to tell Vithos and the Krepps what was happening for the night.

  There was little risk of enemies finding them in this forest, so the Krepps should be able to sleep safely no matter where they chose to rest. It was fortunate that the night was warm. Mosquitoes would be the worst of their troubles, and that’s only if the annoying insects had a taste for them. The creatures did stink, after all.

  When Annah returned and everyone was settled, Basen asked Effie lying beside him, “What can Neeko and Shara do that make them so important?”

  “Shara is just a mage like me.”

  “And Neeko?”

  “Have you heard of pyforial energy?”

  “No.”

  “Steffen,” Effie whispered to her other side.

  “What?”

  “Help me explain pyforial energy to Basen.”

  “And anyone else listening,” Basen added.

  Annah sat up. “Isn’t it similar to sartious except that it’s clear and holds together better?”

  “Yes,” Steffen said, his gravelly voice making it sound as if he’d been asleep already.

  “You’re not making it sound exciting,” Effie said. “He can move things with it.”

  “Oh god’s mercy,” Basen quipped. “He can move things?”

  She slapped his arm playfully. “It’s much more than that! He can choke people, too.”

  Juliana gasped. “Oh, dear.”

  Effie sat up quickly. “Neeko wouldn’t choke anyone who didn’t deserve it, Mrs. Hiller.”

  Did he choke one of the three Krepps going after him? It didn’t seem like that would be enough to deter all of them.

  “Can he lift people with this energy?” Basen asked. “Can he throw them?”

  “I don’t think so,” Effie said as she lay back down. “Steffen, help me explain. What he can do is amazing, isn’t it?”