The First Paladin (The New Earth Chronicles Book 1)

by J. J. Thompson

  Liliana pursed her lips but nodded agreeably and turned to look over at Sylvie and her sister.

  Veronique had her hands on her sister's shoulders.

  “Concentrate, chérie,” she said softly. “I cannot do this for you. Only you know how to see using your power. So concentrate.”

  Sylvie had her eyes closed and Liliana saw a tear roll down her cheek.

  “I do not know if I can do it,” she replied in a ragged whisper. “It has been so long. What if I can't anymore? What if I am blind forever now?”

  The paladin walked around the table and stood next to the sisters. She looked down at Sylvie, her heart filled with compassion, and knelt down next to her chair, her armor creaking.

  “Sylvie, have faith,” she urged. “You can do it. I believe in you. You once taught yourself to use your powers to see. No one else did it for you, not even Veronique. And that is how we know that you can do it again. So do not doubt yourself. Just do it.”

  “I... Yes. Yes, you are right, both of you. I have done this before. I know how to do it, which means that I can do it again. I must.”

  Sylvie slowly raised her hands to her temples and frowned in concentration. She muttered words that Liliana did not understand. But Veronique nodded encouragingly when she glanced at her.

  “I can feel...something,” Sylvie said after several minutes. “But it is like pushing against rubber. I can almost make the connection and then it blocks me again. Perhaps it has simply been too long since I made the pathways using my magic. Perhaps they are no longer able to conduct the magic.”

  “Keep trying, Sylvie,” her sister urged. “Don't give up.”

  As the mage began muttering again, Liliana reached out and put both hands on her shoulders. She bowed her head and closed her eyes, focusing her mind and soul on the frail woman.

  She deserves to see again, she said to whatever power might be listening. We will need her in the days to come. Please, help her in this.

  Veronique gasped and Liliana opened her eyes and looked at her.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Your hands. Your hands were glowing, just for a moment. What happened?”

  Sylvie laughed joyfully and they both looked at her. She stared right back at them.

  “What happened? I can see again, that is what happened! Liliana, dearest of friends, you did it. I felt your power added to mine for just an instant and we pushed aside the barriers and made the connection together! Oh thank you so much. I will owe you forever for this.”

  The mage hugged her and the paladin gently returned it, mindful of her armor.

  “You owe me nothing, my friend. I'm just happy that I was able to help.”

  She pushed herself to her feet and left the sisters chattering away happily in French.

  “Liliana?”

  She looked down the table and saw Tamara motioning at her.

  “What is it?” Liliana asked as she walked to the head of the table.

  The mage was looking a bit glum.

  “You don't look very happy,” the paladin observed. “I would have thought you'd be ecstatic. Everybody else is, including your brother.”

  Sebastian was bounced a glowing ball of light from one hand to the other and grinning like a delighted little boy.

  Tamara looked at him sourly and nodded.

  “I know. And I am happy. Very happy. It's just that...I feel like such a fool.”

  Liliana pulled up a chair and sat down next to her.

  “A fool? But why?”

  “Because. I should have realized that the magic had returned. I should have known. We could have been using our talents for the good of the community much earlier; possibly weeks or months ago. Instead we were just plugging along, doing mundane tasks that took hours instead of using spells to take care of them in minutes. It's embarrassing, to tell you the truth.”

  The paladin grinned at her.

  “Well, if it is, then you are the only one who seems to think so. Look, even I didn't realize that I had regained my powers until I found out by accident. And now I've told you. So cheer up and stop dwelling on what you 'should have done'. What matters is what you do now. And whatever that is, it will be amazing, I'm sure.”

  Tamara gave her a grudging smile.

  “Your attitude is both encouraging and irritating, do you know that?”

  “I've heard that before, yes.”

  Both women laughed and Liliana stood up again.

  “And now that I've passed on my news, I want to check on my horse. He's not used to people and he may be a little confused or nervous at being the center of attention in a crowd of them.”

  “Ah, good point. Go ahead then. You will stay the night with us, won't you?”

  “If it means that I get to eat more good food, then you can count on it,” Liliana replied with a smile.

  “Excellent. I'll have one of the guest rooms made up for you.”

  “Thanks, Tamara. I'll be back soon.”

  The paladin grabbed her shield and pack, stowing her gauntlets inside of it, and headed off toward the courtyard. She was in a jubilant mood for the first time in a long while. Passing on good news was always fun, and hers had been the best news that the mages could have received.

  Chapter 20

  It turned out that the stallion was just fine. The crowd of onlookers quickly lost interest once they realized that Valiant wasn't going to grow wings or start doing tricks and they wandered off. By the time that Liliana got back to him, the only people left were the young lad Steven and Harold Wagner.

  “He is amazing, lady,” Harold told her when she appeared. “I have never seen a finer horse, and I saw many in my youth in Germany.”

  “Did you? Well, thank you for the compliment, although I can't take much credit for how he looks. He is what he is.”

  She nodded at the boy, who was staring enraptured at the stallion.

  “He likes Valiant, I take it?” she asked the man.

  Harold winked at her.

  “I think someone's in love,” he said softly. “I haven't been able to tear him away. And all the beast is doing is eating hay.”

  That was true enough. Valiant had raised his head when Liliana got back and gave her a quick look, and then went back to munching his meal. He looked quite ordinary, actually, but apparently in Steven's eyes he was fascinating.

  “When I grow up, I want a mount just like him,” the boy said without turning around. “Do you think that there will still be horses in the world by then, lady Liliana?”

  So he had noticed her arrival after all.

  “I hope so, Steven,” she replied. “A couple of my friends here intend to head out one day soon and search for them. And now that the magic has returned to the world, I'm sure that the mages here in the castle will lend them their aid in the hunt. So you may actually get your wish one day.”

  The boy spun around, immediately losing interest in Valiant.

  “The magic is back? You mean, mages and witches and clerics and you can all use your powers again?”

  Liliana laughed as the question spilled out of his mouth so fast that it almost sounded like one word.

  “Yes, lad, that is exactly what I mean. The reasons for it will be shared with all of the castle's citizens in the next few days, but suffice it to say that the leaders will now be able to defend all of you much more effectively from now on.”

  She smiled ruefully at Harold.

  “I only wish that it had happened back when you were making your way from Germany to Britain,” she told him. “Instead of weeks, a mage could have Gated you back to Nottinghill in minutes.”

  Harold shook his head and looked at the boy.

  “Sometimes taking the easy way isn't the best solution, lady. The journey wasn't that difficult and it gave the youngsters a chance to see some of the world. Now, if I needed to go back to Berlin, for some crazy reason, I'd not say no to a lift.”

  Liliana chuckled at his comment.

  “Under
standable.”

  She walked across the yard to Valiant and stroked his neck. His coat was shining as if freshly brushed, but she was quite sure that no one had dared to touch him. Amazingly, there wasn't a mark on it from the saddle and she guessed that, like her armor, the stallion's hide would simply remain clean and pristine.

  “Are you okay?” she asked the stallion as she stroked him. “Do you need anything?”

  He just kept eating and she took that as a no. After checking that he had enough food and water, Liliana said goodbye to Harold and Steven and went back inside to find her assigned room.

  When she went to bed a few hours later, the paladin was both very pleased with how the day had gone and tremendously tired. Being surrounded by so many people, even if a lot of them were her friends, was exhausting and she expected to sleep very well that night. So she was surprised to wake up suddenly and find herself standing beneath a clear night sky surrounded by an endless field of wildflowers.

  Uh-oh, she thought. This can't be good.

  A glowing figure coalesced a few paces away and Liliana bowed as the unnamed goddess appeared, standing amidst the flowers.

  “Lady,” the paladin said in greeting.

  “My dear Liliana,” the goddess replied. “You are well?”

  Liliana looked at the woman wearing shining armor and nodded once.

  “I am very well, thank you. Now that my people have access to magic again, I am more optimistic than I have been in years. And it is good to see you again. How goes your battle against the Darkness?”

  The goddess shook her head, her green eyes glowing like emeralds in the starlight.

  “We are no longer losing ground against our cousins, but we are not winning either. It is a stalemate at the moment, which is actually good news for you and the rest of humanity. Because our powers are deadlocked, Argentium's charges have been able to return to the Earth and begin renewing their race, as you have learned. It has enraged the Dark Ones, by the way, because they were unable to stop it from happening. The dragons were originally their creation, you know, starting with the evil queen Aurumallia. We countered with Esmiralla and Argentium, and others whose names you do not know. But now, this new draconic race is outside of any god's control. They are now natural creatures, in a sense, albeit magical ones. Neither side in the war between Order and Chaos knows what they will do going forward.”

  She smiled, an oddly satisfied expression.

  “Personally, I believe that this is as it should be. The dragons will never be enslaved to the will of the gods again, and so won't be used as pawns and weapons against your people. The unfortunate side of that equation is that humans may fall prey to wandering dragons in the future. Happily, that threat is countered by the fact that the magic the dragons generate will allow human magic-users and others such as yourself to protect themselves and other people from the great wyrms. It balances out somewhat.”

  “I hope that you are correct, lady,” Liliana told her seriously. “Simon O'Toole is lost to us, and I do not think that any of the mages, no offense to them, is powerful enough to stand up to a dragon.”

  The goddess' smile was rather mischievous.

  “Don't be so sure. I agree that none of you could face a primal dragon on your own, but I doubt that any of the young primals will challenge humanity, at least not for a long time. They are not evil, merely arrogant. As for their offspring, well, they are not as formidable as their parents. But they are young and brash and possibly reckless as they seek to test themselves. And you will soon learn whether your people's renewed powers are strong enough to stand against them.”

  Liliana's stomach clenched in anticipation.

  “What do you mean, lady?”

  “It is the reason that I have exerted myself to reach you, my paladin. A trio of dragons have come together to demonstrate to their siblings just how powerful they are. These young dragons believe that they are now the dominant species on the planet and intend to prove it. And while the primals may be arrogant, they are at least clever. They know that there is a real risk in attacking humans, now that the magic has returned. Unfortunately, their children are not as smart. Perhaps it is the brashness of youth, perhaps just a need to show off. Who can say? All I know is that Nottinghill Castle is in danger and that the attack will come soon. I suggest you warn your friends to ready their defenses, child.”

  Liliana felt both frightened and angry in equal measure.

  “Just when we began to feel hope again, this has to happen,” she said bitterly. “It is unfair.”

  “I know it is.”

  The goddess' eyes were filled with compassion.

  “And if I could intervene and prevent this battle from happening, I would do so. But I am limited by my own conflict, so all that I can do is warn you.”

  “I know, lady, and I am not criticizing. It just seems that as a race, humanity takes one step forward and then stumbles back two more. It is extremely frustrating, but that's life, I suppose. Can you tell me from which of the draconic races these young dragon are coming?”

  “From all three that returned to Earth, I'm afraid,” the lady told her. “It is unheard of for the different races to cooperate in anything, but these three dragons are doing just that. Black, red and brown; all three have banded together to destroy the castle and, I suppose, make a name for themselves. Do not underestimate them because of their youth. Dragons mature quickly and these three will be as powerful as any that you ever met back when you fought alongside the wizard, Simon. They are not primals, but they are still formidable opponents.”

  “I would never take any dragon for granted, lady,” Liliana assured her. “Just the opposite, actually. I don't suppose you know when they will strike?”

  The goddess smiled and shook her head.

  “All I know is that it will be soon. It is up to you to be ready. And now I will leave you. You have my blessing, as always, my dear. I have faith in you and your courage and I know that you will do your best.”

  “I'll try, lady. And thank you, by the way, for my gift. I am beyond grateful for him.”

  “Ah, your mount.”

  The lady's smile widened even as her body began to fade.

  “Use him well, my paladin. His powers will carry you to heights you cannot even dream of.”

  And with that last comment, the goddess was gone. A warm breeze wafted over Liliana and the sweet scent of the flowers tickled her nose.

  I'll do what I can, she promised the lady silently. And if I fall, well, it will at least be in battle. What more can a warrior hope for than that?

  The next morning, Liliana found Malcolm training in the courtyard with Aiden. They were exchanging strokes using padded swords, and a crowd of guardsmen, along with several children, were watching with interest.

  She pulled the pair aside and asked that they arrange a gathering of the castle's leaders again. Immediately.

  They took one look at her expression and not even Malcolm bothered asking why. They just hurried off with a promise to get everyone into the meeting hall as soon as they could round them up.

  The crowd grumbled as their entertainment was cut short, but when she glanced at a few of the loudest complainers, they reddened and walked away.

  Liliana headed back into the castle and waited in the hall for everyone to arrive. She was amazed at how quickly the group came together and she greeted each person as they entered the room.

  There were high windows near the ceiling of the hall and sunlight was streaming in through them, brightening the entire room. There were no candles lit and the embers in the fireplace had been banked and only gave off a dull red glow. Even so, everyone could easily see Liliana were she stood in front of the mantelpiece.

  Once everyone had arrived and taken a seat, she looked up and down the table and nodded.

  “Thank you all for coming so quickly. I'm sorry to take you away from your duties, but this couldn't wait.”

  “Malcolm said that you looked rather grim when
you sent him to find us,” Tamara told her. “What has happened?”

  “Grim? No, I think concerned is a better term,” the paladin told her, with a quick smile at Malcolm. “Now let me tell you what I've learned.”

  She cleared her throat and loosely gripped her sword belt with both hands.

  “I had a vision last night as I slept. These visitations happen very rarely and, in case any of you are wondering, I have learned to separate them from actual dreams.”

  “A vision? From the gods?” the cleric, Katherine, asked, wide-eyed. “You are truly blessed, lady paladin.”

  “From a god, yes, although she always insists that the term 'god' is one that the lords of Light do not particularly enjoy. At any rate, she had some rather serious news. The dragons are indeed increasing in number, as I already told you. But apparently three of them, a brown, a red and a black have joined forces and plan to assault the castle.”

  “What!”

  Malcolm jumped to his feet, followed a second later by Aiden.

  “They are going to attack us? But why? I thought that they no longer took orders from the Chaos lords!”

  “You're right, they don't. According to the one who spoke to me, these three are eager to prove themselves in the eyes of the others of their kind. They want to show that the dragons are the dominant species on Earth now and, I suppose, they feel that defeating us humans would do that. We were the rulers of this world for a very long time, until the evil draconic horde nearly wiped us out.”

  “And they want to finished the job, is that it?” Sebastian asked bitterly. “Good God, haven't they done enough?”

  Liliana looked at him sympathetically.

  “That's almost exactly what I said, my friend. But let's remember that dragons don't think the same way that you and I do. They value strength, ferocity and raw power above all else. I think that what these young dragons want to do is show off, in a way, much like adolescent human teenagers often do. Except for dragons, that means attacking and defeating a strong adversary. Us, in this case.”