"That works well for me," Governor Mobami replied. "I will probably call upon the Crown for resources in finding the spies among my own people. It is better to bring in people from the outside to catch a spy than it is to use internal resources."
"The provinces can also help each other in that regard," offered Governor Za-chan. "We do not need to draw upon the king's men for all such needs."
"I agree," nodded Governor Fernandez. "I think we all need to work very closely. We can even create false notes for the spies to gobble up. It will confuse our enemies."
Alex smiled and shook his head at the Cordonian's words. He knew that Governor Fernandez used to be the head of intelligence in Cordonia before becoming governor. If anyone could confuse the enemy's spies, Fernandez could.
As the people in the room seemed to break into four distinct groups to begin the provincial planning, Alex slid out the door of the library. He chuckled inwardly as Smokey scampered out before he could close the door. He knelt down and playfully petted the dog. The door opened unexpectedly and sent Alex sprawling across the floor.
"Sorry," chuckled King Arik. "I never expected anyone to kneel outside the door."
"My own fault," Alex responded as he rose to his feet.
"I couldn't help noticing that you left the meeting," frowned the king. "Your heart is not in this preparation for war, is it?"
"It is not that," sighed Alex. "You have surrounded yourself with many excellent and dedicated people. They will work wonders for you. When my skills are needed, I will be ready."
The door opened again and Jenneva and Tanya exited the library. They both looked from the king to Alex as if asking what was going on.
"And where will you be in the meantime?" asked the king.
"In Zara," Alex replied with stubborn determination.
"I thought as much," sighed the king. "I know that you are fiercely independent, and that, king or not, I cannot tell you what to do, but did you ever consider how it will look to others when you openly defy me?"
"I have no desire to cause you pain or embarrassment," Alex apologized, "but this is something that I must do. I feel in my heart that we must have more knowledge of the Zarans."
"Then we will send someone else to get that knowledge," offered the king. "I do not disagree with your assessment, but I am not ready to lose my wife's father on such a risky endeavor."
Although the words came from the king's lips, Alex looked deep into Tanya's eyes as he answered.
"I have never asked any man to do what I would not do myself," Alex declared. "I am not about to start now."
"Besides," interjected Jenneva, "Alex and I are probably the only ones who stand a chance of getting the information and returning to share it. As good a man as Karl Gree is, you cannot expect him to succeed on his own in Zara. Whoever goes, it must be someone who can anticipate the dangers that will be present. Alex has a lifetime's experience of expecting the unexpected."
"The trip will also require a powerful mage," smiled Alex. "We know that the Zarans are well-skilled in magics. Only a powerful mage has any chance of protecting the group that goes to Zara."
"The Zarans will have thousands of experienced mages," interjected Tanya. "Maybe tens of thousands. We do not even know. Do not overrate your powers, mother."
"I thought I was the one who taught you those words," smiled Jenneva. "I am pleased that you absorbed them."
"Everything I am has come from you and Father," smiled Tanya. "That is why it is so hard for me to think of the two of you going to some strange and foreign land. Arik," she said as she turned to the king, "you said that the Sword of Heavens cut through the Priest of Balmak as if he were a normal man. You should give it to Alex for his journey to Zara. I am sure that he will encounter more of those creatures there."
King Arik gasped as he stared at the queen. At first Alex thought it was because she mentioned giving up the Sword of Heavens, but the king's words immediately dispelled that notion.
"You actually want them to go to Zara?" questioned the king. "I thought you were dead set against it? That is why I have been adamant in refusing it."
"I am," Tanya replied, "but I know my parents well. They are determined to go to Zara, and nothing will dissuade them. Besides, I think I know what it is that they are not telling us."
The king looked at Alex and Jenneva in confusion. Neither one of them opened their mouths to volunteer any information.
"There is a reason that the Zarans are so intent on conquering us," Tanya declared. "I think Alex and Jenneva know what that reason is. If they are right, it is imperative that someone go to Zara and verify it."
"Tell me," the king demanded of Alex. "Stubborn or not, there is no reason to keep such information from me. I am not a threat to my own people."
"It is only a theory," Jenneva replied, "but we believe that the Zarans are searching for the remains of the Great Demon."
"Alutar?" gasped the king. "What makes you think that?"
"The hunt for the six seaman brothers was the first clue," offered Alex. "We suspected at first that they wanted to learn the identities of the Knights of Alcea, but that information would merely be a bonus for the Zarans, and they could gain that knowledge in other ways. The true secret of that journey was the location of the remains of Alutar."
"Plus," added Jenneva, "there never has been any god named Balmak. There are, however, old tales that speak of the return of the Great Demon. Until recently, I suspected that those tales spoke of ancient times and that those events had already been experienced, but now I know better. Those ancient stories dwell upon the utter desolation of the peoples of the world. While going through the documents we captured, it occurred to me to reread those old tales. I took a trip to Egam's cave and dug them out. Arik, they match almost exactly what the priests of Balmak were preaching. I believe that Balmak is just their name for the Great Demon."
"And they are set on conquering Alcea, because we know where his remains are," added Alex.
"But Alutar is dead," countered the king. "He is physically split into two. I saw it happen with my own eyes."
"Split into two he may be," interjected Tanya, "but Alutar is immortal. He cannot die. We may not be able to comprehend such an existence, but the very fact that someone wants our half of Alutar causes my skin to quiver. We must guard the remains of Alutar with everything we have."
"I agree," the king conceded. "You may go to Zara, but the voyage will be conducted in the greatest of secrecy. I do not even want the others to know that you are gone."
"Thank you," replied Alex. "As for the Sword of Heavens, I will not take it with me. It is far too valuable an artifact to chance its falling into enemy hands. Besides, it would stand out if we were closely inspected."
"But it is the only sword that can kill those priests," frowned King Arik. "You cannot expect to find a ready supply of myric quills in that strange land."
"We will take with us whatever we need," stated Alex. "I already have a captain and short crew ready to sail our stolen ship. I suspect that Karl Gree will be going with us as well, but I will not take the Sword of Heavens."
"That leaves only one other weapon known to kill those strange priests," replied Tanya.
"Tedi's staff?" questioned Arik. "That only has magical powers when Tedi wields it."
"Natia won't want to be left behind," smiled Jenneva. "Better count her in as well."
Alex, Jenneva, and Tanya were grinning conspiratorially, but the king merely shook his head in resignation.
"Only Tedi and Natia," the king said sternly. "I will not allow any other Knights of Alcea to go on this voyage. We still have a country to prepare for the invasion."
“And one last priest to kill,” added the queen.
Chapter 32
Return to Marchek
Rut-ki turned the corner and quickened her pace slightly, not fast enough to spook the three men, but fast enough to require them to speed up if they were truly following her.. She didn’t turn t
o look behind her, but she listened intently for the sounds of their footsteps. When the three men rounded the corner, they hurried to close the distance between them and the Knight of Alcea. Rut-ki slowed to a normal walk and pretended not to notice her shadows. The men behind her slowed in response.
Rut-ki was not looking for a confrontation; she was looking for information, so she led the men onto one of the main streets of Marchek where the crowds would lessen the chance of an attack. She headed towards the poorer section of the city and an alley she had noticed the day before. When she reached the mouth of the alley, she casually turned into it. As soon as she was out of sight of her followers, she raced along the narrow alley. The alley bent sharply, but Rut-ki had no intention of remaining on the ground. As she turned the corner, she ran up the side of the one-story building. With each step upward, Rut-ki bounced from wall to wall as she powered her way up the sides of the buildings. With a final leap, the Knight of Alcea jumped onto the low roof and crouched in silence. Moments later the three men came running around the bend in the alley. They slid to a halt.
“Where did she go?”
“She could not have made the end of the alley, could she? We weren’t that far behind her.”
“No. She had no idea that we were even behind her. She probably entered one of the doors along the alley.”
“What do we do now?”
“We split up and wait. One of you go back to the mouth of the alley and wait until she reappears. One of you will continue to this end of the alley and wait there. When she is spotted, try to get word to the rest of us. Use anyone around to alert the other member of the team. We must find out where the other Knights of Alcea are hiding.”
“Where will you be?”
“I am going to get some more men. I will be back in a few minutes.”
Rut-ki listened as the three men split up. She moved silently across the roofs of the buildings until she reached the end of them. She risked a quick glance over the edge of the roof and saw the leader of the group walking away fro the mouth of the alley. The other man leaned against a wall and waited for Rut-ki to reappear. He would be waiting forever. Rut-ki scooted across the roofs to a street that ran parallel to the alley. She quickly leaned over the edge of the roof and dropped to the ground. A few passersby looked at her queerly, but no one said anything. The Knight of Alcea merged with the flow of pedestrians and crossed the cross street. When she was out of view of the sentry left behind, she increased her speed to catch up to the leader. When she finally caught sight of him, she slowed to match his pace and tried to keep someone in between them at all times.
The man never looked back, obviously confident that he was the predator and not the prey. Rut-ki followed him until he stopped at a doorway. She pressed her body into an alcove across the street and watched. When the door was answered, the leader made a sign with his finger before speaking. Rut-ki nodded knowingly. Her pursuers were Snakes. As soon as the leader was ushered into the building, Rut-ki emerged from the alcove and headed towards the inn where the Knights of Alcea were staying.
Rut-ki made the trip across Marchek without incident, but the sky was beginning to darken by the time she reached the inn. She circled the inn one time to make sure that no one was following her before she entered the noisy common room and ascended the stairs. She tapped out a rhythm on the door, and Tedi open it and ushered into the room. He quickly closed the door.
“Any luck?” asked Bin-lu.
“Everyone says that K’san is no longer in Marchek,” answered Rut-ki. “I believe them.”
“That is the same story I have been getting,” agreed Natia.
“We all have been hearing the same thing,” sighed Tedi. “What do we do now?”
“We have a problem,” interrupted Rut-ki. “Men were following me today. They are Snakes.”
“Are you sure they were following you?” asked Tedi.
“Without a doubt.” Rut-ki nodded. “And they know that I am a Knight of Alcea. They were hoping that I would lead them to the rest of you.”
The room lapsed into silence for several minutes as each of the Knights pondered what the news meant.
Eventually, Tedi sighed heavily. “We have been asking a lot of questions the past few days. There can’t be many people in Marchek that don’t know we are looking for K’san.”
“Asking questions doesn’t make us Knights of Alcea,” frowned Natia. “How do they know?”
“Maybe they are not sure,” replied Bin-lu, “but it would hardly be a stretch for them to think we are Knights of Alcea. Every temple in Alcea was crushed and every K’san killed, except this one. It would not be much of a wager to think that the Knights of Alcea would be here looking for K’san to finish the job.”
“Then we are wasting our time here,” retorted Tedi. “Only the followers of K’san would know where he is, and they are not about to tell a Knight of Alcea.”
“The Snakes would know,” countered Rut-ki, “and I know where some of them live. I followed one of them to a building on the other side of town. Perhaps we should pay them a visit tonight.”
The room fell quiet again as the Knights of Alcea pondered the suggestion. During the silence, the sounds of the noisy common room downstairs suddenly stopped. No one noticed it except Tedi. His eyes immediately shot to the door, and a deep furrow marred his brow. He held his hand up for silence and walked to the window. He peered down at the stables and saw bowmen looking up at his window. He moved swiftly away from the window and grabbed his staff.
“They found us,” he said softly. “There are archers by the stables, and I am willing to bet that Snakes are climbing the stairs right now.”
“I was not followed,” insisted Rut-ki. “I am sure of it.”
“There are other ways they could have found us,” Bin-lu replied. “We have been too noticeable in this city. It is time for us to leave and find another way to track K’san.”
“Leaving could be a problem right now,” Natia said softly as knives slid into her hands.
Suddenly, the door splintered as someone kicked it open. Bin-lu’s Lanoirian stars were the first projectiles to meet the incoming horde. As Snakes tried to race into the room, their bodies fell rapidly. With six bodies piled in the doorway, the other Snakes backed off. Seconds later, a bottle of liquid smashed into the doorframe, and fiery projectile immediately followed it. Flames instantly leaped upward, devouring the entire doorway. Bin-lu’s eyes immediately turned and glanced at the window.
“Deal with the archers waiting outside or burn to death?”
“Neither is acceptable,” commented Tedi as he spread his feet far apart and faced the wall to the adjoining room. “We are going out a different way.”
While shouts of alarm rippled through the inn, Tedi swung his magical staff at the dividing wall and blasted a large hole in it. He stuck his head through the hole and glanced around the vacant room. Satisfied the room was empty, he stepped through. The others followed him. Natia moved silently to the door and eased it open just enough to peer out into the corridor. She held up three fingers to her teammates to indicate the number of hostiles waiting outside their original room. Bin-lu and Rut-ki moved to the door, each of their hands holding a Lanoirian star. With a nod from Bin-lu, Natia threw open the door and leaped into the hallway. Knives flew from the hands of the gypsy princess as the Snakes turned towards the noise. Bin-lu and Rut-ki raced through the door and threw their stars before the enemy could react. Three bodies fell to the floor as the flames of the fire started devouring the ceiling of the wooden structure. The Knights of Alcea quickly retrieved their weapons.
“More Snakes will probably be waiting out front for us,” Tedi said as he entered the corridor. “If we try to merge with people leaving the inn, we may have more of a fight than we want right now.”
“Thief’s Highway,” Natia responded as she pointed upward. “If we can get to the roof before the building burns, we can travel the rooftops to get away.”
“The
n let us be quick about it.” Tedi nodded as he turned and raced towards the far end of the corridor.
The others followed as Tedi smashed open the door to the last room on the floor. They moved into the room, and Tedi leaped onto the bed. With a swing of his staff, he smashed a hole in the ceiling. While he brushed the debris from his hair, Bin-lu and Rut-ki leaped onto the bed and up into the attic. Flames were already torching the roof at the other end of the inn, and the attic was filling with smoke. Natia and Tedi soon joined the two Lanoirians, and Tedi used his staff one more time to break a hole in the roof. The Knights of Alcea scrambled through the hole, keeping their profiles low to avoid being seen. With Natia in the lead, the Knights of Alcea leaped across the rooftops until there were no more roofs. As the sky darkened, they crouched on the roof and waited for an opportunity to leave the roof without being seen.
A dozen buildings away, flames leaped skyward as the inn succumbed to the fire. Small figures, outlined by the distant fire, formed a bucket line on the neighboring rooftops in an attempt to halt the spread of the fire. Citizens shouted urgently and the fire crackled loudly. Those who weren’t helping to extinguish the fire still rushed towards it to watch. An hour later, the Knights of Alcea were able to descend into the alley without being detected.
“What now?” asked Bin-lu. “We can’t afford to stay in the city anymore. We have asked too many questions.”
“We can’t leave without our unicorns,” replied Natia. “I saw someone leading all the animals out of the stables in case the fire spread, but I don’t know where they were taken.”
“And the Snakes might still be there waiting for us,” agreed Tedi. “We need to get out of Marchek without creating too much of a disturbance. We don’t want K’san to know that we are tracking him.”
Knights of Alcea Page 41
