Justified (#2 Divided Destiny)

by Taitrina Falcon

  The sorcerer could have stepped off the cover of GQ magazine with his messy dark hair and piercing blue eyes. However, Leo could tell that this was someone to be wary of, someone they would need to watch. Cyrus, the Kaslea sorcerer, had been a manipulative old goat, but he hadn’t given Leo a chill in his veins.

  “You performed a great service for Kaslea,” Cain said softly. “You will perform a similar service for Gatlan.”

  “Your Majesty.” Leo bowed his neck awkwardly. “While we are certainly willing to trade favors should you be able to help in our…quest…we did quite enough running around after the sorcerer in Kaslea. I mean no offense, but we are not keen to do that with another.”

  King Oswald laughed, and the booming sound echoed around the throne room. “Cain,” he prompted.

  “You proved yourselves to Kaslea, but in these troubled times, we can’t take anything at face value. You will need to prove yourselves to us as well,” Cain began.

  He waved his hand and there was a flash of flame. On the floor in front of the three marines arrived some very recognizable gear. There were two full packs, two assault rifles, two combat vests, and a collection of personal weapons. Leo’s jaw tightened.

  “Where did you get this?” Leo demanded.

  “It was found in the woods next to two savaged corpses. We think an animal was responsible. This gear matches what was taken from you. We are sorry for your lost comrades,” Cain explained.

  Leo swallowed hard. Cyrus had told them that three or four of their unit were dead—first Jakeman, and now this. Cain could have been lying, of course. Without seeing the bodies themselves, there was no way to confirm their fate. However, while Leo felt Cain was dangerous, he could just be dangerous towards enemies.

  If they became Gatlan’s friends, then Cain’s power might be used to help them, or at least would hopefully not be used against them. After all, he and his fellow marines would look threatening towards any strangers back on Earth. He was sure that a full array of Earth weaponry would be just as chilling and intimidating as Cain’s magical power was.

  “We know these objects hold great power; we have heard of what they accomplished in Kaslea,” Cain continued. “This is power that we fear, for anything that can slay a dragon is mighty indeed. However, it is power that we will grant you, if you prove trustworthy.”

  “What do you need us to do?” Leo asked guardedly.

  He exchanged a look with Don and Nick. This was eerily familiar. They’d had to jump through hoops in Kaslea, too; it was to be expected. He was somewhat resigned to it, even if a small part of him still worried about Earth and how much time had passed.

  “The quest is simple: sabotage Sintiya’s supply line. Without supplies, they will be hard pressed to continue their assault on our frontline,” Cain said. “What say you? Supplies for sabotage?”

  Leo nodded. This was a no-brainer. Gatlan would give them supplies that they could sorely use, plus they would earn their trust. They needed Gatlan to trust them, so they could strike a deal to get what they needed from them. That was, if Gatlan had what they needed. It was all very well making allies, but if the allies couldn’t help them, then what use were they?

  “Your Majesty,” Leo addressed awkwardly. “You read the letter from Prince Edmund. You know what we are looking for.”

  “Yes, yes.” King Oswald airily waved his hand. “Have no fear. In time, after you have proven trustworthy, you will have what you want.”

  “You know how we can get home?” Nick blurted out.

  Don was equally stunned. “You’ve got a superweapon for us?”

  A small smile played across Cain’s lips. “Patience, gentlemen. We aren’t there yet. I promise you that when we are, you will have all that you desire.”

  “And that’s a promise, is it?” Leo pressed.

  They had been burned before by Cyrus, who had played with words and had seemed to promise them everything, but in the end had given them almost nothing. Leo really didn’t want to go through that again, the crushing disappointment and the self-loathing that resulted.

  Cain rolled his eyes. “Yes, that is a promise. Gatlan’s history is long; it is the oldest kingdom in the region. We know our own lands. Is that so hard to believe?”

  Leo tried to quell the rising excitement that was bubbling up inside him. This could be it. This could be the end of their mission. They just had to jump through a few hoops and they would be home free. He tried to counsel caution, but it was a losing battle. He wanted this too badly. They all did.

  For now, they would need to accept it on good faith, and just hope that Gatlan could be taken at their word and be trusted. This world seemed to operate on an honor system, which was why they had to ‘prove their worth’ and gain the trust of those they were making agreements with. It was logical that Gatlan would honor whatever promise they made to them, because it would be bad for business if they didn’t.

  If it got out that Gatlan didn’t honor their agreements, it could affect a lot of future dealings for the kingdom. They were strangers, and therefore it would be easier to betray them, but they were strangers who were now traveling with the goodwill of Kaslea. Leo had been far warier that Kaslea wouldn’t honor their agreements because they’d had nobody behind them at that time.

  Now they had Kaslea, so Gatlan was less likely to screw with them, or that was the theory, anyway. Unlike with Cyrus, this sorcerer—Cain—wasn’t being coy with his words, he was being very clear. Unless he was out and out lying, which Leo supposed they couldn’t rule out just yet, then there could be no mistake this time.

  They wanted to earn Gatlan’s trust, but they would also learn if they could trust Gatlan. The trust quest went both ways. Leo was wary of crossing Sintiya; he had been ever since they had decided to travel to Gatlan first, for they had known this kingdom was at war. After all, what if Sintiya had what they needed?

  Hopefully they could walk the line, at least until they were more certain that Gatlan could be trusted. Plus, if Gatlan was actually promising them a way home, that was a different matter. They could then without fear take a stand and choose a side. Ultimately, sitting on the fence would get them nowhere.

  Either way, they had to roll the dice and take a chance. It was too much of an opportunity to ignore. Sabotage for supplies and trust, not a problem.

  *****

  Leo, Don, and Nick had been given quarters designated for visiting knights. The accommodations were similar to what they had had in Kaslea up until the last night there, when they had been quartered in the palace as befitting ‘heroes of the realm.’

  They rose at dawn, their food and water supplies were restocked, and all of their confiscated belongings and their horses were returned to them. Cain had supplied them with directions to the frontline. It would take them a day and a half to travel there, a three-day round trip for a trust exercise.

  Today, the weather wasn’t cooperating. Perhaps, Leo thought, he had summoned the bad weather by thinking that it would suit the castle better. The sky was clouded over; the rain wasn’t heavy, but it was a constant wet drizzle. It was miserable traveling weather, but far better than violent, lashing rain.

  They would be soaked through soon enough regardless, but at least they could hear themselves think. The rain was a steady patter rather than a thunderous roar. Their horses picked the way down the track, their hooves steady even though the hard-packed mud was starting to soften in the rain.

  “Just think, in three days we could be heading home,” Nick remarked optimistically.

  “Not quite. We’ll have to do another ‘quest,’ no doubt, to earn the weapon and the directions to the transport platform,” Leo pointed out. “Perhaps even more than one.”

  “What do you think they’ll ask us to do?” Don asked seriously, concern clear in his tone.

  “Does it matter? If it gets us back home and allows us to save the planet, I don’t really care,” Nick declared passionately.

  “Copy that,” Don agreed, though
it was subdued. He looked at Leo. “What do you think?”

  Leo sighed. “We don’t know what they’ll ask for, but…yeah, I’m with Nick. Whatever it is, it’ll be worth it.”

  “Unlike this quest,” Don muttered under his breath, so quietly that Leo barely heard him.

  “How do you mean?” Leo asked guardedly.

  “Well, we’re likely to have to use some gear to get this quest done. Gear to get gear, seems like a waste of time,” Don explained. Leo frowned at him and Don shrugged. “I do get it, you know, there’s no other option and it’s a matter of trust, but…gah, it just feels wrong.”

  Leo laughed. He got what Don meant. It was the time more so than the gear that bothered him, but there was nothing to be done. Kaslea had come up empty, so they had to jump through hoops again. It was what it was, and no amount of good-natured griping would change that.

  The town by the palace was still quiet when they passed through, the residents still rousing themselves for the day ahead. The next village they reached was a hive of activity as people went to work. However, all was not well in Gatlan, which in retrospect Leo thought they should have expected.

  They had mostly avoided the villages on the way in, wary of causing trouble. King Oswald had granted them a seal, though, which said they traveled in his name. Therefore, Leo had decided that they shouldn’t skirt the villages anymore and instead just go straight through. They hadn’t been hiding on the way in—that would have been suspicious—but whenever it had been possible to avoid potential confrontation, they had done so.

  The villagers made no move to speak to them as their horses picked through the marketplace, following the path through the village. Their fearful looks at their presence and strange garb said it all.

  Leo felt a surge of guilt. He had been the recipient of terrified looks more than once while on maneuvers overseas. It felt awful to see good people afraid of him, of the uniform and what he represented. That went against everything he believed in. They were supposed to be a force for good, not terror.

  If anything, the next village they passed through was worse. The villagers fell silent as they watched them pass, aside from a few whispers about the war. They knew Gatlan was losing. Leo wasn’t sure what communication among the population was like in this world; it wasn’t like they had radios or television sets. However, the king could presumably send out envoys to spread his word amongst the kingdom.

  The best way to fight fear was with information. People were scared because they didn’t know what was going to happen to them. They didn’t know what would happen if Gatlan lost the war. Would they lose their homes? Would they lose their lives? Would things continue much the same but with Sintiya in charge? Perhaps, Leo thought, King Oswald hadn’t told them what would happen because he didn’t know, or maybe he was still in denial and thought he could win.

  Perhaps he thought that Leo, Don, and Nick would turn the tide and win the war for him.

  If it got them the weapon and got them home, Leo would gladly win them the war, or at least turn the tide of victory in Gatlan’s favor. Prince Edmund was a neutral party in the dispute. He said that Kaslea’s problems on the border could be laid at the feet of both forces. However, Sintiya had attacked Gatlan. If the marines intervened, they would just be defending them, putting both kingdoms back in their respective corners, so to speak.

  The peace would likely be temporary. One battle would not win a war, but that wasn’t their problem. Hopefully they would be back on Earth and winning their own war by the time Sintiya regrouped. Should the situation play out that way, of course, though Leo suspected it would. With his kingdom facing down a losing war, what else would King Oswald ask from them?

  *****

  It was all a question of timing.

  Eleanor took a deep breath and studied herself in the full-length mirror in her chambers. She twitched her hand, sending sparks skittering across her form as magic adjusted her disguise. The Northern Kingdoms sorcerer was called Kevall, a black man, taller than her by several inches and with more muscles than most of her knights.

  He wasn’t native to the Northern Kingdoms; instead, he hailed from a trading partner accessible only by ship. Its position on land relative to their kingdoms was unknown. However, that only helped her, because his look was so distinctive and unfamiliar to their region. Eleanor looked into the mirror, gazing into unfamiliar dark eyes. It was odd seeing a reflection that wasn’t her own, but when she was spotted in the quarters of Princess Maria, there could be no mistake as to her identity.

  Each palace had a routine. Eleanor had checked Kaslea’s yesterday. While Prince Edmund, his family, and any distinguished guests partook of the evening meal, servants cleaned and turned down their quarters, readying for them to retire. Eleanor closed her eyes and focused. She had to transport without her characteristic flash of crimson flame.

  Each sorcerer had their own color, if they chose to display it. Repressing it took greater control. It was something Yannick appeared to do effortlessly, and something she had always struggled with. However, she couldn’t fail in this; it would ruin the illusion if the details weren’t right.

  She took another deep breath, tensed, and then relaxed her muscles, focusing on nothing besides the buildup of energy, the ebb and flow of the magical power she wielded. There could be no distractions; she had to have a clear mind. She needed to do the impossible and find peace. When she was as calm as she could manage, Eleanor pictured Princess Maria’s quarters and transported in a flash.

  Eleanor let out the breath she had been holding. There had been a flash of light, but it had just been light—there had been no color. She had mostly succeeded. She looked around the room and her lip curled in disgust.

  It was the typical room of an emptyheaded princess. There were flower adornments everywhere, the furnishings were all pastels, and there was a nauseating amount of pink. Eleanor was holding the bundle of letters in one hand; with the other, she casually opened the closet.

  There were easily a dozen gowns inside, all of them with very unpractical frilly lace edges. They were akin to what her husband had made her wear during their marriage. It wasn’t her style at all, but then, she was no emptyheaded princess.

  On the vanity table there was a box. Eleanor opened it and nodded in satisfaction at the letters concealed inside. This was where the princess kept her correspondence. She placed all but one of the letters in the box before closing the lid. The last she kept in her hand as she waited.

  She closed her eyes once more. Entering the room without her characteristic flash of flame had been the easy part. She would need to do the same when she left, and she would need to do so quickly as soon as the door opened and a maid spotted her in the princess’s quarters. It had to look like she didn’t wish to be spotted.

  If the Northern Kingdoms sorcerer and Princess Maria were conspiring together, it had to look like they were trying to keep it a secret and not get caught. It had to appear an accident that he was seen when leaving. Eleanor fixed her eyes on the mirror, which had a view of the door. The impression she wanted to give was that the Northern Kingdoms sorcerer hadn’t even realized that he had been seen.

  This time of day wasn’t just convenient to appear in Kaslea, it was also one of the few times Kevall could be guaranteed to be alone, and thus not be able to prove his innocence if asked. He was a resident of the castle in Vakkanger, the Northern Kingdoms’ capital, but she had observed that they treated him more like a servant than an honored guest. Kevall always took his meals alone.

  Eleanor took a deep breath and concentrated on her breathing as she watched the mirror. The moment the door started to move, she moved her hand down, placing the letter on the vanity table. A second later and the door opened fully, and the maid could see that the room wasn’t empty. Eleanor squeezed her eyes shut, and what she lost in focus, she tried to make up for in pure willpower. She hoped that was enough—and it was.

  She disappeared with barely the hint of a glow aroun
d her form, reappearing back in her own chambers. Eleanor laughed in relief as all the tension flowed from her body. With the casual wave of her hand, her magical disguise was banished and she could see herself in the mirror again. Her long, dark hair was twisted in an elaborate design, and her form-fitting dark gown featured crimson accents that were a perfect match with her magic.

  It truly was all a question of timing. She would return to the Kaslea palace later and observe the response to what had happened. Hopefully the maid would do the predictable thing and take the letter to the knight commander out of concern for her princess. She would relate the encounter, and the knight commander, concerned for palace security, would inform Prince Edmund.

  Soon the prince would learn of the apparent duplicity of his betrothed, planting the first seed of Eleanor’s plan. Hopefully if Yannick had done his part, the rumors of the Northern Kingdoms’ economic trouble would also have reached the prince’s ears. Then, if they were fortunate, he would start to draw the right conclusion from their machinations, that Kaslea’s enemy was one that he currently called friend.

  Eventually that should leave Kaslea looking for new allies, and who better than their prosperous neighbor, who shared a border with Kaslea’s new enemy?

  Chapter Five

  Earlier, Leo had thought that the frightened glances from the villagers would be the worst thing they saw all day—he was wrong.

  It was approaching nightfall. They had made good time and they were getting closer to the front. It would be the last village they passed through that day, as they needed to make camp. Leo looked ahead, down the path to the village.

  “Hold up, trouble,” Don barked, pulling sharply on the reins of his horse.

  Leo could hear it too; the wind was carrying the sounds of screaming and crying. There was clearly a disturbance in the marketplace. Don slipped down from his horse and raised his rifle. Leo dismounted but placed a hand on Don’s outstretched forearm.