Rise of the Champion (The Sword of Kirakath Omnibus #1)

by Billings, Ryne

  Walking across the dirt ground, Caleb pulled the heavy door open, being treated to a sight that made his eyes widen slightly.

  Though he could tell that the girl before him was Katie, she was not the dirt covered girl with tangled hair anymore. With black leather boots that stopped a few inches below her knees, a pair of black pants tucked into her boots, a dark red sleeveless tunic that fell a few inches below her waist, a slender black leather belt cinching at her hips, and a pair of fingerless black leather gloves on, she looked far different than he had expected. That was only the beginning of it though.

  Her once dirty face and tangled hair were no more. There was no doubt that she was a girl, and a beautiful one at that, with her face clean, allowing her fair skin to be easily seen and her eyes to sparkle like polished emeralds. In addition to that, her once tangled hair now fell to her shoulder blades and was held back in a ponytail by a strip of black leather. It appeared as though her hair had become a more vibrant shade of red since he last saw her.

  “You look very nice, Caleb,” Katie said, breaking him out of his thoughts. Her eyes seemed to brighten further at that point. “We were just waiting on you.”

  Caleb’s eyes immediately darted to the bar as he stepped through the door and pushed it shut. His eyes stayed on Nicolas, who was sitting on the bar with his legs crossed, for a few moments before he turned his attention back to his female companion.

  “I’m surprised,” he said, his voice low. “I thought you two would discuss everything without me. I’m not exactly in the know when it comes to the things that you two specialize in.”

  “We can’t fault you for not knowing the game, Caleb,” Nicolas said as he hopped off of the bar. “You’ve clearly been living in a small village your entire life. You’ve been to a few other small villages, by my reckoning. Katie remarked that you were caught off guard when you entered my inn. I’m going to assume that you’ve ever been to a place that was large enough to have an inn, so how can I fault you for not knowing the game?”

  Caleb’s voice grew dry. He could not deny the man’s words. In fact, his next words only served to confirm them. “What game do you speak of?”

  Nicolas’s lips pressed together at that, laughter barely suppressed under the surface. “You prove my point so well.”

  “The game is our lives,” Katie said simply. Indifference could be seen in her eyes. “We- Nicolas and I- are loosely associated with the Thieves’ Guild of Caldreth. Thus, we play the game. And before you ask, the game has no name. It is simply the game.”

  “The game is how we interact with other criminals and the various men of importance,” Nicolas chimed in, his silky smooth voice sending a chill down Caleb’s spine. “As Katie so aptly says, the game is our lives. We were never taught it, but we know it better than we know ourselves. This ties in with your desire to find the men that serve under the banner of two crows pinned together by a black feathered arrow. Relax. Katie told me about the patch that you carry with you.”

  Caleb’s eyes narrowed, but he could not feel upset with the redhead at that moment. He still did not feel well about snapping on her earlier. He also had to take into consideration the fact that he had not told her to keep anything between them.

  “What do you know about the emblem?” Caleb asked after he took a deep breath. “Do you recognize it?” He removed the patch from its place between his belt and his tunic at that moment and held it up.

  “I’ve never seen it before in my life,” Nicolas said plainly. “I reckon that I can find out who it belongs to, or find someone that knows, within a week though. If I don’t know about them by now, then they are staying under the radar.”

  “I need to know who they are and where I can find those murderous bastards,” Caleb said, anger swelling. The anger was not directed at anyone present, which seemed to allow them to remain somewhat calm.

  “If I were to whisper their name in the marketplace of Caldreth, then they would know they I was searching for them within one week. By the time I managed to get you their location, they would be halfway to the Isle of Akabar. Even with an army behind you, you would have trouble getting to them then. Thus, I ask you to be patient. Finish your business in Caldreth. Once you are ready to go after them, then you can return here. At that time, I’ll be more than happy to find out where they are when you are ready to ride into the sun after them.”

  Caleb seemed to deflate as he leaned against the door. “I don’t have much of a choice, now do I?”

  “No, you do not,” Nicolas replied with a grim smile. “You should look at the bright side in the meantime. The longer they go without you going after them, the longer they think that they are safe. You will have your chance to seek this revenge that you so clearly desire.”

  Unnoticed by Caleb, Katie’s lips pressed into a tight line as if she wanted to say something but could not bring herself to do so.

  “There is no doubt in my mind that I will kill them,” Caleb said softly. “It’s my only purpose left now. Even if it kills me, I will succeed.”

  It was at that moment that Nicolas and Katie first saw the fire in Caleb’s eyes burn at its full intensity.

  “I believe you,” Nicolas said with a single nod of his head. “In the interest of helping you, I’ll let you two stay here indefinitely… free of charge.”

  Katie’s head snapped towards his old friend at that. She could not believe what she had just heard him say. It was not something that she would have ever expected of him.

  “Why would you do this for us?” Caleb asked, sincerely curious.

  “You, Caleb of Kirakath, are going to make something of yourself. Of that, I am sure,” Nicolas said as he leaned against the bar with his arms crossed. “I don’t often see a man with such passion and determination. I figure you’d make a better ally than a foe, so it should be no surprise what kind of relationship I’d prefer.”

  Nodding slowly, Caleb took in the information carefully. “Very well then,” he said after a few moments. “I believe Katie said that we should get horses to ride to Caldreth on. Do you have any that we can buy?”

  “Katie already spoke to me about that,” Nicolas said with a smile.

  “We’re not going to get horses just yet,” Katie said suddenly. “I wasn’t thinking clearly when I made that decision. I had planned on paying for a room here, so riding a horse to Caldreth paying for the horses to be kept in the stables would be too impractical.”

  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you two had done all of the planning already,” Caleb remarked.

  “We have,” Nicolas said dryly. “Thanks for asserting your opinion though.”

  The younger man blinked in surprise. “Then why were you two waiting on me?”

  “It’s impolite to eat dinner without calling all the guests to eat,” Nicolas answered.

  “You… called me for dinner?” Caleb asked in confusion.

  “Aren’t you hungry?” Nicolas asked.

  Instead of answering verbally, Caleb gave the raven haired young man a look that appeared to question his sanity.

  Chapter 9

  Caleb took a deep breath as he looked at his sword. It was lying on the bed of his temporary residence, sharply contrasting with the dark blanket that covered the bed. It continued to amaze him how the sword continued to look polished, and the edge of the blade was still in perfect condition.

  A knock at the door broke his focus on the sword, his eyes immediately going to the source of the noise.

  “Come in,” he said as he turned to face the door.

  “Caleb, are you ready to go?” Katie asked as she entered the room. Unlike the night before, she had taken to wearing a dagger at her right hip. It seemed that she had left her six knives in her room though. Apparently, she noticed that he was eyeing her belt. “The city guard will recognize me. I’d prefer that they don’t think I’m trying to cause some trouble.”

  “You must be pretty infamous,” he remarked as he lifted his sword from its pl
ace on the bed. As he attached it to his belt so that it would hang at his left hip, he said, “I’m still curious as to what you meant yesterday. You and your friend spoke of you being sent away from Caldreth by his uncle.”

  “I’d prefer that we not speak of it,” Katie said with a sigh as she looked away from him. “I don’t want to lie to you, so I’m going to speak plainly. My past is not your concern. I’m just paying the debt that I owe you.”

  “I know,” Caleb said as he looked at the girl that he had only known for a couple of days. “I can’t expect you to tell me much, and I never asked you about your past. All I said was that I’m curious.”

  “You were prodding me to see how I’d react,” Katie noted as she made eye contact with the young met that stood before her. “You play a dangerous game. What would you do if I had decided to let you do this on your own?”

  “Nicolas would help me in that case,” he answered with a shrug. “He’s made it clear that he wants to help me.”

  “Weren’t you opposed to getting help from criminals earlier?” she asked, surprised by his words.

  “He can’t be that bad if he’s willing to help,” Caleb replied, shrugging once more.

  “You are downright infuriating,” Katie said with a heavy sigh. “Why can’t you be predictable for once?”

  “That would be relatively boring,” he answered as he rested his right hand on the handle of his knife. “Are we ready to go or what?”

  Without answering, Katie turned on her heel and left the room, annoyance clear in her eyes as she did so.

  Once she was gone, Caleb withdrew his knife and held it directly in front of him, the blade level with his eyes. Through the polished steel of the blade, he could clearly see his reflection.

  What would you think of me if you were here now, Gabriel? Caleb thought as he focused on the image of his eyes. They were no longer full of life. Instead, they seemed to radiate coldness. You should be here at my side right now. Together, we could manage anything.

  With bitter thoughts surfacing, he flipped the knife in his hand so that he held it in a reverse grip. With a single, flowing move, he sheathed the knife and exhaled a deep breath. He then attached his sheathed sword to his left hip.

  “It’s time to go,” he said as he began to follow after Katie, closing the open door as he passed through it.

  Moments after exiting the room, Caleb heard a voice that he had not expected to hear so soon.

  “So, leaving already?”

  His eyes immediately went to his right where Nicolas was leaning against the wall with his hands interlocked before him.

  “My father always told me that I should never keep a woman waiting,” Caleb said, stiffening at his own words. The mere thought of his father sent pain rippling through him.

  “He must have been a great man,” Nicolas mused with a small smile. “I’ve heard his name before, believe it or not. They say that he was once a good friend of High General Staloc.”

  “Is there anything you don’t know?” Caleb asked, not entirely pleased by hearing Nicolas mention his father.

  His smile grew at the Caleb’s question. “There are many things that I don’t know. For starts, I have absolutely no idea how you were able to kill the men that Katie said you did. By her testament, you were able to single-handedly fight off a very talented swordsman. By your testament, however, you were a mere hunter.”

  “Apprentice hunter,” Caleb muttered.

  “Excuse me?” Nicolas asked, not entirely catching what Caleb had said under his breath.

  “I was an apprentice hunter. I’m seventeen years old,” Caleb said, speaking clearly.

  “Age is irrelevant, though I suppose it does indeed make you a former apprentice instead of a former hunter,” Nicolas said with a shrug. “After all, you can’t tell me that you ever intend to become a hunter now. What is it that you intend to do once this is all over?”

  “Once it’s all over?” Caleb asked, looking confused.

  Nicolas laughed at that response. “I should have known. You have no intentions of doing anything after this is over. You believe that you’re marching towards death.”

  The piercing focus of Caleb’s eyes upon Nicolas was all the confirmation that he needed to know that his words were true.

  “I won’t press the matter any further, but you need to think on what you will do once everything is settled. You’re too young to be doomed to an empty life,” he said with a sigh. “I feel ridiculous telling you that you’re too young when I’m only three years older, but the point is the same regardless.”

  “You sound sure that I’m going to live through this,” Caleb said in surprise.

  “A dead man won’t get revenge,” Nicolas said with a shrug. “If you intend to kill them, then you’ll have to be alive when you kill the last one. I highly doubt that you’re going to trip and fall on your sword after your goal is complete, especially with Katie around.”

  Caleb broke eye contact with Nicolas at that last part. He understood the man’s words completely. Shame filled him as he realized that he had indeed considered such a thing.

  “Well, I’m not one for lengthy farewells, and I fully expect to see you tonight, so I’ll let you go without another word,” Nicolas said as he pushed away from the wall with his hands and began to walk towards Caleb. Without a word, he strode past him and took a left down the hall.

  You’re not the type of man I thought you’d be, Caleb thought as he put his hand on the wall and took a deep breath. Why can’t everything be simple? He’s a lawbreaker, so he should be a bad guy… but he isn’t.

  Shaking his head away from such thoughts, he moved away from the wall and began to walk towards the direction that Katie no doubt went towards.

  It did not take him long to navigate through the halls of the inn and come through the front door.

  “It took you long enough,” Katie remarked from where she was leaning against the wall to his right. “How long does it take you to walk through a few doors?”

  “What’s with these people, always leaning against the wall when I go through a door?” he muttered under his breath.

  “What was that?” she asked immediately. “Did you say something about me?” The sharp look that she gave him nearly made him repeat his words louder, but he resisted the urge.

  “I was just talking to myself,” he said with a shrug. “I’m ready when you are.”

  “Good,” Katie said with a small smile. “Let’s head to Caldreth then.”

  The sudden change in the redhead’s tone threw Caleb for a loop.

  What did Hector like to tell me? Caleb thought. Oh yeah, it was something like, “If you think you understand a woman, then you need to lay off the mead.” I can definitely understand what he’s talking about now.

  “You really need to stop zoning out,” Katie remarked.

  “Sorry,” Caleb said as his attention went back to the present.

  With that, they made their way away from the inn and towards Caldreth.

  * * * * *

  So many words could be used to describe Caldreth upon a visitor’s first glance, but only one word came to Caleb’s mind.

  “Wow.”

  Katie looked towards him with a grin as they neared the gates of the city. A fifteen foot tall wall of dark gray stone ran around the city. Considering that it looked to be five miles across at the south wall made the city look all the more impressive.

  As they came closer to the city, his eyes focused on the large iron gates that stood before him.

  “It’s nothing compared to Zabryan,” Katie remarked softly. “I suppose it’s shocking to see it for the first time though.”

  “Yeah, it is,” Caleb said. His throat felt dry at that moment. From everything that Hector had told him about the city, around twenty thousand people lived there. Such a prospect was overwhelming, especially considering that he had never been to a place where more than six hundred people lived.

  “It appears that we are thei
r first visitors of the day,” Katie mused. “The gates haven’t been opened yet.”

  Almost as if on cue, the gates began to slowly creep open, groaning as the hinges that held them up were put to the test.

  Two guards wearing dark blue banditine cuirasses emerged as the gates were fully opened. The embroidered insignia of the black bear upon those cuirasses was all the proof that was needed to verify that they were indeed guards of Caldreth.

  One of the guards, a man in his late thirties with short auburn hair and a goatee, looked at the pair immediately and looked surprised. “Is that Katie?”