DAWN OF THE PHOENIX (Gods Of The Forever Sea Book 1)

by A. J. STRICKLER

  “I thought you left Bandara forever after you and father had that fight.”

  “I did for a while, but I could not stay away for too long. I came back a few years ago and have been staying up near the Adorn Forest. Living like a commoner and pouting like a fool. My pride wouldn’t let me come back. Now it’s too late to make amends with your father.”

  “He always loved you, Ansellus, he would have forgiven you in an instant. He was troubled for a long time after you left. My father was just not a warrior and he didn’t understand your ways or how you military men think. He never understood the violence in men’s hearts.”

  Ansellus nodded his agreement. “Your father was a kind and gentle man. I wish I didn’t have my family’s hot temper. Things might have been different if I would have listened to your father. I just had to have my way.” Ansellus stepped back, holding the princess by her shoulders. “Let’s not talk about past regrets. Tell me what has happened since your father’s death. Is Cain doing well as king?”

  “Oh, Ansellus, you have no idea what has happened. It has been a nightmare for me.”

  “Tell me, and start from the beginning.”

  “Father got sick and I had been taking care of him.” She stopped and looked around. “Let’s find a place to sit, this might take a while.”

  K’xarr was staring out the stable door into the pouring rain when Cromwell walked up. “Seems we are sharing the stable with royalty, how do you like that? Did you ever think we would get within spitting distance of a princess?”

  K’xarr looked back over his shoulder where Ansel and Raygan sat talking. “She and Ansel seem awfully friendly. She acts like she knows him, don’t you think?”

  Cromwell studied the two for a moment. “I would say yes. Princesses like her don’t usually sit down and start talking to strangers, especially ones that are wearing kilts.”

  K’xarr looked at his friend. “When did you become versed in what princesses do and do not do?”

  Cromwell shrugged.

  K’xarr glanced at the stall that held the two wounded men. “Do you know who that is with the skillet?”

  Cromwell looked over where Rufio and Vandarus rested. A young man had brought the two some water and was talking quietly with them. “You mean the beefy one?”

  K’xarr sighed. “Yes, the beefy one. Do you see anyone else in here with a skillet?”

  Cromwell looked around. “No, I don’t.”

  K’xarr hit his head with the palm of his hand. “Do you know who he is?”

  “Rhys said that Vandarus recruited him to be our cook. His name is Nock or something,” Cromwell said, rubbing his head.

  K’xarr looked at the young man sitting quietly in the stall. “So we have a cook. I will take that up with Vandarus later.”

  The Toran leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. “What are we going to do now, K’xarr? Our plans seem to have gone straight into the black pit of Hell.”

  K’xarr continued to watch the rain. “I know Kian is crazy and I’m sure Endra will not agree to leave him. Rufio and Vandarus are wounded and Rhys is tied up with this damn princess somehow. Things were much simpler when it was just you and me, my friend.”

  “They were simpler, but not as exciting,” Cromwell said with a half-grin.

  K’xarr pulled his sword out and began to look it over. The rain had washed it clean, but he would have to oil it before the rust set in. “That is true enough, although I don’t know if exciting is the word I would use. I thought that maybe we should just ride out on our own and leave the others. At least get out of Turill. If we stay here, I think things are going to get bloody and I hate to spill blood for free. We seem to just keep getting in deeper and deeper, Cromwell. We’ve angered a wizard, the city watch wants our heads, and we’re trapped in a barn with a runaway princess.”

  Cromwell chuckled. “Maybe we should see if the princess needs some help? I wouldn’t mind helping her at all. She must be rich, and did you see the way her hips move when she walks?”

  “Leave her alone. I doubt she likes Torans and besides, if you bedded her, you would most likely kill that young girl. But you might be right about her needing a couple of extra swords. It seems like there has been a little trouble in the palace, and like you said, she has to have some coin.”

  K’xarr stopped and thought a moment. “Cromwell, you’re a genius. I bet she just might need an escort out of town or a few bodyguards. That might make us a little coin. Then we can ride up and see if this King Cain needs a couple of good men. The others can stay here if they want or go with us, it doesn’t matter. By the gods, we might make a little gold yet.”

  Cromwell puffed out his huge chest. “See? Torans are not just mighty warriors, we are thinking men as well.” K’xarr laughed harder than he had in a long time.

  Ansellus looked at the little princess. “If your father said you were to rule, then it matters not what anyone else says and that includes William Blackthorn and your brother. Aaron was king, sick or not, and his word was law. By right, you are the Queen of Bandara.”

  He knelt down before her. “If you would have a self-exiled old man, I will swear my allegiance to you and see that you get your birthright, if it’s with in my power. It’s the least I could do after leaving your father’s service and allowing Bandara to come to this sorry state.”

  Raygan was very moved by the old general’s gallant gesture. It had been a long time since anyone had treated her like royalty. “Of course. I am honored. I would consider myself lucky to have a man like you serving me, Ansellus. I don’t know about reclaiming throne, though. I just don’t see any way it can be accomplished.”

  The old general looked up at the princess. “Let me worry about that, Highness.”

  Raygan felt much better now. She didn’t think she would ever be queen, but it was nice to imagine. If Ansellus wanted to play at restoring her to her rightful station, then she would go along.

  The old general stood back up, hoping she didn’t hear his knees pop. “I did warn your father about Havalon, that old villain has always wanted Bandara. The Abberdonians can wait, though. First, we have to put you in power.”

  K’xarr and Cromwell walked over to where the older man was talking to the princess. “Is he giving you a hard time, Princess?” K’xarr asked.

  “No, no, we are old friends.”

  Ansel cleared his throat “They don’t know about my old life, Highness.” He faced K’xarr and Cromwell. “I used to serve Princess Raygan’s father.”

  Raygan giggled. “He was once the general of the Bandaran army. Ansellus, you make it sound like you were a washer woman.”

  Ansel looked sheepishly at K’xarr. “I guess I forgot to mention that.”

  Raygan stepped up beside the former general. “He didn’t tell you who he was?”

  “No, Your Highness, he said his name was Ansel and he was a woodsman. He took us into the Adorn to find our friend,” K’xarr said with a look of irritation.

  The princess smiled. “Let me introduce you then. This is Ansellus Fox, former Lord of Northern Bandara. I don’t believe we have been formally introduced either. I am Princess Raygan Albana Blackthorn, and you, sir?”

  “I’m K’xarr Strom and this big fellow is Cromwell Blood. The woman over there with the children is Endra Korlest. I think you know Rhys and the man up in the loft with him is Kian.”

  “Yes, I know Rhys very well, and I have already met Rufio and Vandarus. I’m so glad that all of you are going to help me.”

  K’xarr frowned. “I never said I was going to help you, Highness, but we can talk about that and come to some kind of arrangement. I’m sure we could see you out of town safely, if that’s what you wish, of course?”

  Raygan’s smile fled her face. “Ansellus pledged to help me and you being his men are required to assist me. I have no plans to leave Turill. Ansellus wants to put me on the throne like my father intended.”

  “Ansel or Ansellus is my man, unless h
e forgot he joined my mercenary band. It is I who command him, so if you want any kind of help from him, you can ask me. You may be his princess, but you’re not mine. Aside from Vandarus, none of the rest of us are Bandaran subjects…Highness.”

  Raygan was aghast; this man had no right to talk to her that way. “Ansellus is a Bandaran noble and I relieve him of any obligation to you.”

  K’xarr just laughed at the diminutive woman’s haughtiness.

  Raygan stomped her foot. Did this K’xarr think he was going to command her? He was just a mere savage, as were his men, and they travelled with a half-elf. She had tried to overlook that fact for Rhys’s sake. Just harboring one of those abominations was unthinkable to her. Bishop Lyfair would be terribly upset if he knew she was even in the same building as one of those creatures.

  “Highness, I don’t think you have the power to relieve any one of anything, else you wouldn’t be in this stable smelling of hay and horse shit,” K’xarr said smugly.

  “How dare you use that kind of language in front of a princess!”

  “At least I do not cavort with inhuman monstrosities,” the princess fired back.

  “What the hell did she say?” Endra questioned from across the stable. K’xarr held his hand out to the female fighter, commanding her to stay where she was.

  Ansellus stepped forward. “K’xarr, it was I who lied to you. Don’t take it out on her. This is just a minor misunderstanding.”

  “Easy there, Ansel,” Cromwell said. “I would take care on what you are about to say.”

  Ansellus nodded. “I’m just saying, let’s talk. I will explain things to the princess and we can work all this out without any hard feelings."

  “Don’t talk like I am not standing right here, Ansellus, and I don’t think I need anything explained to me. Maybe your friend K’xarr needs some things explained to him. I am a Princess of Bandara and…”

  K’xarr and Cromwell turned and walked back to the doorway of the stable before she could finish.

  “How dare they turn their backs to me. Ansellus, do something. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior.”

  The old general sighed. “Highness, you will need them. I might remind you from what you told me, you have no power and are in fear of your own life. Don’t you think you should excuse their lack of civility, at least for now? We need all the friends we can get, especially ones that know how to handle a sword.”

  “I think they are rude and uncultured savages, but you may be right. If you say we need them then so be it, but some decorum and protocol must be maintained. They need to be reminded I’m a princess.”

  “Of course, Your Highness, I had forgotten how important proper etiquette is to you. Let me think on things a while and see what I can come up with. K’xarr and his men can be a help to us. We have very few choices, Highness, you said so yourself.”

  Raygan smiled at Ansellus. “I know you will find a way to fix things and I will try to stay out of the way. You will just have to pardon me, Ansellus. I have been told I can be a little hard to deal with sometimes.”

  “You? Never, Highness, never,” Ansellus said with a straight face.

  Endra was trying to dry the children’s clothing as best she could while they sat wrapped in horse blankets. She was afraid they would get a chill from the cool rain. They all saw Rhys come down from the loft; the healer was pale and shaking his head. Endra went straight to him. K’xarr and Cromwell drifted over to join the healer as well.

  “You know what happened to him then?” K’xarr asked.

  “I know what I saw in his mind. Siro and that wizard, the Dark One, somehow managed to splice Kian and a great black panther together. Well, that’s not right either, I guess they merged the panther’s sprit or essence with him. Oh hell, I’m not sure. Whatever the case, I think they intended on controlling him. As we saw, that failed to work the way they intended."

  Endra wrapped her arms around herself, not wanting to hear anymore, but she had to know.

  Rhys continued, “There’s more. Siro is a very skilled vivisectionist. They opened him up and cut out his heart. They replaced it with another. I believe it was some kind of animal, but I can’t be sure. I am truly surprised he even survived the process. I have never witnessed anything so abominable.”

  Cromwell frowned. “How could he live through having his heart cut out?”

  Rhys raised his eye brows and shrugged. “That I don’t know. Magic, I guess. They used it to keep him awake through the entire process. It was quite horrible to witness.”

  Endra could see Cromwell and K’xarr’s anger growing with every detail Rhys revealed to them. If they ever came across the wizard and Siro, the two warriors would kill them, as would she.

  Rhys went on. “The worst of it is they also broke his mind. What terrors they put in his head, I could not find out. He buried them too deep for me to see and frankly, I don’t want to know. I was afraid to delve too far into the nightmares they used to rip apart his mind.

  “I tried to repair what I could. Like I said, I have never done this before. I have no idea if I helped or not. I just did the best I could. He was sleeping when I came down. We will just have to wait to see how he is when he wakes.”

  “Thank you, Rhys, I know you did all you could.” K’xarr patted the healer on the back. He and Cromwell walked away, talking quietly to themselves.

  Rhys turned to Endra. “It was the thought of you that protected what little sanity he managed to save. He loves you a great deal. Even now through all the murk and muck in his head, it’s there.”

  Endra hugged the healer. “Thank you for all you have done. If you ever have any need of me, all you have to do is ask. May I go see him?”

  “Yes, I just don’t know how he will respond after I tampered with his mind. Like I told K’xarr, I have never attempted to heal a mind or even enter one for that matter. I was like a carpenter trying to build a house blindfolded. This is not my field of expertise, Endra. I don’t feel comfortable in another person’s head. I also know nothing about how magic works or its properties. All we can do is see what comes of my guesswork.”

  Endra gave him a weak smile. “If he could, I’m sure he would thank you just for trying to help him.” Rhys nodded to her and walked back to rejoin the princess. Endra headed for the loft.

  When her head poked up through the floor of the loft, she could see that Kian was awake and standing at the small door of the barn’s second floor where hay is pulled up into the loft. He was quietly watching the rain fall.

  “Kian, can I come up?” The only light in the loft was from a small lantern. Endra paused as Kian turned toward her. She could see the light reflecting off his eyes like an animal's, making them shine in the gloom. As he walked across the loft, Endra saw every muscle move beneath his skin with a preternatural strength and grace. Endra could only stare in astonishment.

  “Aren’t you afraid of me?”

  He was talking again, thank all the gods, she thought. “Don’t be foolish. Do you remember anything?” she asked, climbing on into the loft.

  The anguish on his face answered her question even before he spoke. “I remember it all. Whatever Rhys has done cleared my mind.”

  She went to him, threw her arms around him, and held him as tight as she could. She felt him twist his fingers into her hair with one hand, the other pressed against the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. His body was as hard as iron.

  “I’m so happy you came back to me, Kian. I thought I had lost you forever.” She started to kiss him, but he pushed her back and turned away from her.

  “Kian didn’t come back, only this thing has returned. Can you truly love a monster, Endra? Before, at least, I knew what I was. Now there is not even a name, for what am I? I hold you to nothing that we spoke about before.”

  Endra walked up behind Kian and put her arms around him. She gently laid her chin on his shoulder. “You are Kian Cardan, the man I love and nothing less. Has what’s happened to you chan
ged your feelings for me?”

  He reached down and pulled her hand to his lips to kiss it. “You are a wonderful woman and I love you, but think what it will be like to stay with me. My mind is not…as it should be. I think if Rhys is not around to tend it, I might go mad again.”

  Endra turned him around so he was facing her. “Then I will reach in to your madness and bring you back to me. I promise I will never leave you, Kian, no matter what happens.”

  He kissed her and gave her a feeble smile, causing his small fangs to show.

  Kian’s eyes moved left and right quickly then he looked into Endra’s eyes. “We should go down; K’xarr is telling Cromwell he is getting worried and that it’s too quiet up here.”

  Endra gave him a disbelieving look. “How do you know what K’xarr is talking about down there?”

  “I can hear him.”

  Kian stood apart from the others while they talked. He could see he made them uncomfortable, especially the princess. She acted as if he was going to pounce on her at any moment, so he stayed quiet and away from their discussion.

  Endra kept motioning for him to join the conversation, but he knew it would go better if he stayed out of it. Besides, he needed to focus on fighting the instincts that were inside him now. Rhys had caged them but the monster inside him strained at the bars of that cage.

  He could tell how happy they all were to see he had regained his faculties, but they didn’t know the madness that lay just below the surface, ready to overwhelm him like an ocean wave and cast him once again on the shores of insanity.

  He silently slid out the door of the stable. Endra was the only one who even noticed he was leaving; he motioned to her that everything was okay and walked out into the night. It was a couple of hours before dawn and darkness still held on to the city. The night no longer hid anything from him. He could see things as clearly as if he stood in the light of day.

  He could hear the last of the rain water dripping from the roofs of all the buildings around him. He would have to come to terms with his heightened senses. They were troubling, but he could see they could also be very useful.