by Jon Bender
The soldier stood erect, snapping a fist to his chest sharply and adding a slight bow. The show of respect was traditional when meeting the king, but not something Corin had ever enforced even among his own men. General Nelix often said you could tell the quality of a soldier by how they saluted. It seemed that this one was well trained. “Your Majesty, I have a package from Magus Alimar for you.”
Corin held out his hand as the young soldier pulled the leather strap of a message tube over his shoulder. “You rode all this way alone?” Corin asked, accepting the tube.
“No, Your Majesty. I came with nine others to ensure that you received this.”
Ten men to bring one message? “You have done well…” Corin said, waiting for his name.
“Maric, Your Majesty.”
“You have done well, Maric. You and your men will be given quarters here in the palace for the night. Eat, rest, and for my sake, bathe. You look like you have been rolling in the stables,” Corin said. He waited for a response from the soldier or Nelix, but neither so much as raised an eyebrow. Corin sighed. It had not been a good joke, but warranted at least a small grin from one of them. He was surround by serious men who did not grasp how humorous their King was.
“I may have a reply for you in the morning. Check with General Nelix before you return to Terika,” Corin finished. The soldier saluted before turning sharply to leave.
Using a fingernail to break the wax seal, Corin pulled out a rolled paper and small leather pouch. The pouch had a considerable weight for its size. “Maybe it’s a bribe,” he said, tossing the pouch to Nelix.
“If so, it’s an insulting one,” Nelix said, catching it.
Corin didn’t know if the man had just made a joke. Deciding he had only heard what he wanted to hear, he was about to dismiss it when he thought he caught a very slight upturning at the corner of his lips. It was gone the moment it appeared, if it had ever been there at all. He had a suspicious feeling that perhaps Nelix understood and appreciated Corin’s humor after all, and acted as if he did not to prod his king covertly.
Untying the leather thong, he dumped the contents out to reveal three rings. All looked to be made of the same stone, but two were a bright green and the third was black. Looking puzzled, Nelix lifted his hand for Corin to better see the small items.
Corin examined one of the green rings but could find nothing extraordinary, except that it seemed to weigh more than it should have. He unrolled the message.
Corin began to read aloud.
Your Majesty,
I hope that this letter finds you well and in good health. We have recently discovered some enchanted items within the palace here at Terika. Among these items were sets of the enclosed rings, which I have named whispering stones. One may be used to communicate with its twin across great distances by placing it on your finger and bringing it to your lips. Simply speak into the ring as you would with a person in the room, and if that person has the other, they will hear you. Jaxom wears the twin to the black ring now in your possession. The second pair is for your use as you see fit, but I would advise caution in who you entrust with them. We have only a limited number of these sets with no understanding of how to create more. I hope this reaffirms the death mages’ continued loyalty to you and to Ale’adaria.
Respectfully,
Magus Alimar Mors
“He did not see it necessary to inform you of how many of these sets he had, or any details on the other items they found,” Nelix said, once Corin had finished reading.
“Do you expect anything other than secrecy from mages?” Corin asked.
“I suppose not. I believe we could find out what Alimar is not telling us if you want,” Nelix suggested.
“No, if I want to know more, I will ask Jaxom,” Corin said. His brother would not hide anything important from him.
Placing the green ring back in the General’s hand, Corin picked up the black to inspect it more closely. The ring was larger than any of Corin’s fingers, so he experimentally placed it on the middle digit of his right hand. The ring shrank to fit his finger. Nelix let out a low whistle.
“Let’s see if it works as Alimar says it does,” Corin said. Raising the ring to his mouth, he considered what he was going to say. A devious grin stretched across his face. “Lord Jaxom, your King demands to speak with you,” he said into the ring in his best command voice. Looking to Nelix for approval of his little prank, Corin found only his unamused features staring back at him. Corin rolled his eyes. A few seconds later, he heard a response.
“What is it, Corin? I’m busy.” Jaxom’s voice came from the ring.
“I just received the ring from Alimar,” he said into the ring.
“Obviously,” Jaxom replied.
“Where are you now?” he said lamely. The conversation was not going at all as he had planned.
“I think we’ve crossed into Denra, but we haven’t come across anyone yet. Denra is sparsely populated this far north, much like Ale’adaria,” Jaxom said.
“Let me know if anything changes,” Corin said.
“As you command, Your Majesty,” Jaxom said.
“Good luck,” Corin said.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Jaxom said. Corin thought he heard the beginning of laughter just before the ring went silent.
“A very valuable tool,” Nelix said. “I now understand Alimar’s caution in sending so many men with them.”
“Yes, I must thank him in my return message. Have someone take one of these rings and catch up with Cribble.” Nelix bowed before leaving Corin alone. Putting the rings from his mind, Corin looked back down at the map. Not for the first time, he wondered if he could accomplish the task he had set for himself and his kingdom. More disturbing was not knowing if the cost in lives they would suffer was worth it. He could do as Bruxa had and close the borders to protect Ale’adaria, but eventually Or’Keer would come for them. There was no other choice but to take the fight to the dark god.
Chapter 10
Lowering the ring, Jaxom was barely able to contain his laughter at hearing Corin so flustered. He had been expecting his brother to use the whispering stone for a couple of days and had been planning how he would respond. It had been immensely satisfying to get the better of him for once. Fortunately, the men he led had seen nothing to warrant a report, making it easy for Jaxom to be abrupt with his brother.
“What did Corin say that was so funny?” Adriana asked riding beside him.
“Not what he said so much as what he didn’t,” Jaxom replied, grinning. Adriana gave him a confused look. “He was trying the ring to make sure it worked and was checking on our progress so far.”
“What progress?” she said, annoyed. They had been on the road for just over ten days, and her attitude grew worse with each sunrise. She had become accustomed to covering ground much more quickly. Having to keep pace with the men on horse was putting her in a bad mood.
“You knew we could only move as fast the horses,” Jaxom replied wearily. They had this conversation three times already, not that he was counting.
“I am going to scout around,” she said. Pulling her goggles into place, she wrapped a scarf around her face before kicking her durgen and commanding it to fly. The six-legged creature spread its great wings, the muscles under its night black fur tightening before taking to the air.
Her departure kicked a flurry of snow in the air around Jaxom as she climbed higher then headed away at speed. Jaxom shook his head as he watched her leave, not sure how he could fix this. This was the first time a fight between them had gone on this long, and he did not know what he had done to deserve her ire.
“Gone again, huh?” Darian said, riding up with Da’san beside him.
“She said she wanted to scout,” Jaxom replied.
“Maybe she will find something interesting. I do not know how much more of this empty land I can take,” Da’san said, gazing around at the grass-covered hills.
“Yes, it has been quite boring,”
Darian said. “What do you think we will find once we reach this Bandit Lord?”
“I don’t know. He opposes King Dillion whom Warin says serves Or’Keer, so there is a chance he will welcome our arrival,” Jaxom said.
“Just because he is fighting Dillion does not mean he will join us against the dark god,” Da’san said.
“True. He may not care about anything other than removing the king. Even if that’s the case, defeating the shadow priests in Kelran will only help us in the end,” Jaxom said.
“So this Bandit Lord is going to get our help, whether or not he wants it,” Darian said.
Jaxom gave the ice mage a derisive look. “That is a cynical way to look at it. We are fighting for more than just the freedom of one kingdom.”
Darian raised his hands in surrender. “I am not trying to be difficult. I just want to be clear on what we are doing.”
Da’san scoffed. “In any case, it does not matter. We are going to Kelran.”
“Well, I hope we get there soon. I thought Denra was supposed to be filled with warlords fighting each other,” Darian said.
“Are you so eager for a fight?” Da’san asked.
“Anything to break up this monotony,” Darian replied, waving his hand at their surroundings.
The two went back and forth after that. Da’san maintained that they should not seek a fight simply for the sake of one. Darian argued that Cribble had been sent here to deal with the problem, and that finding some of those responsible would only help the Guard Commander. Eventually, Da’san grew tired of the discussion. Taking the priest’s refusal to continue as surrender, Darian smiled and began to whistle a tune Jaxom did not know. Holding his hand out over his saddle, Darian created a ball of crystal blue ice. With a slight flick of his wrist, the ball flew into the air quickly followed by a dagger made of the same blue ice. The dagger slammed into the orb, shattering both in a spray of sparkling shards in the midday sun. If Jaxom had not been watching closely, he would have missed the cast altogether. Darian repeated the casts several times before becoming bored with the exercise and riding in silence.
They rode that way for a few more hours before Jaxom saw a durgen returning from the southeast. When he could make out Adriana, he knew from her relaxed posture that the trip had helped sooth her frustration. Landing a short ways off from the column, she rode the rest of the way on the ground to join them.
“I found something,” she said.
“Finally,” Darian said. “Is there a warlord marching towards us intent on our destruction?” he asked hopefully.
“Nothing so exciting. There is a small village nearby. If we turn that way now, we should make it before dark,” she said.
“I suppose that is better than nothing,” Darian said. “At least we can have a roof over our heads tonight.”
“What about it, Jaxom?” Da’san asked. “It would be a lot better than spending another night out in the open.”
Jaxom considered the suggestion. He had kept them north in this empty landscape because it was unlikely they would run across anyone here. Their goal was to get to Kelran, and he wanted to avoid having to fight until they were there. What he had not anticipated was how those with him would react to such desolation. Adrian had reacted the worst to the situation, but she had not been the only one to express her irritability.
“Is there anyone there?” Jaxom asked.
“No, it looks to have been abandoned for a while. Some of the houses are burned out, but many are still standing,” she replied. He could tell from the look on her face that if he did not agree there would be trouble.
“Okay, send four of your riders to scout south and east of the village. I don’t want any surprises after we go to sleep,” he said.
Her face brightened as she leaned over to give him a kiss. “I’m sure there will be plenty of volunteers,” she said, turning her durgen around.
“Da’san, please find Lord Wilbrin and have him come up here,” Jaxom said. His friend nodded before turning his horse to follow Adriana further back in the column.
Turning his mount toward the southeast, Jaxom looked over his shoulder to make sure the men and riders were doing the same. After riding in a daze all day, the men behind perked up when they noticed the change. Shortly, Da’san returned with not only Lord Wilbrin but Warin and Lexa as well. Every night after leaving Terika, they had practiced casting and swordplay, both Jaxom and Warin continuing to train Lexa. She was accelerating in her knowledge and strength quickly, now able to hold her own for a short while in matches against her instructors. Darian and Da’san occasionally helped to give her a more rounded experience in combat against other forms of magic. Jaxom had also used the time to teach Warin and Lexa how to perform the Joining. Both had been amazed at the amount of power they could hold when others willingly gave them their strength.
Wilbrin saluted. “You wanted to see me, My Lord?” he asked.
“Adriana has found an abandoned village not too far from here, and we will be staying the night there. I want to give the men a break, so we will have a late start tomorrow.” Jaxom added the last part on impulse. A few more hours extra rest would do as much good as getting out of the cold for a night. “I thought you would like to inform the men.”
“They will be happy to hear it.” Riding back, the older man stopped every so often to speak with the men before moving on.
“Thank Elshara,” Lexa whispered. Her worship of the goddess was an oddity among mages. “Does this mean we do not have to stay this far north anymore, Magus?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Jaxom said. “It will depend on whether we come across anyone on our way to Kelran.”
“Well, then I hope we don’t. The constant howling wind is driving me insane,” she said exasperated. The change in her demeanor was considerable since he had first found her in that alley. After becoming Warin’s apprentice, she now showed the personality she had been hiding. In many ways, she now reminded him of Corin with her sly wit and tendency to have a good-natured laugh at another’s expense.
“The same could be said for your constant complaining about it,” Warin said, with a smirk.
“That’s only so I can drown out your droning about how bad the food is,” she said under her breath, so Warin wouldn’t hear. When she realized that Jaxom had, her face flushed red with embarrassment. Jaxom smiled at her discomfort, pretending that the words had never reached his ears. Besides, he agreed that her mentor’s constant complaining about the food could become grating at times.
The village was just as Adriana had described it. Surrounding farms were large enough to produce enough food to support those that lived here, and probably not much more than that. The houses were simple wooden plank structures with stone chimneys, some of which had been reduced to burned, hollow shells. The door of the first house he passed was ripped from its hinges with blood dried on the frame. A small, covered smithy seemed mostly intact. The anvil lay on its side in the dirt with tools strewn about. Whatever happened here had been violent and likely had not turned out well for the people who called it home. Regardless, there were over thirty usable structures. Jaxom restrained himself from thinking about their previous inhabitants. Such thoughts went down a dark road.
As the men gathered in the open area, a rider landed near Adriana, who had dismounted to inspect one of the smaller buildings. After a brief conversation, she nodded and started toward Jaxom. “Three of the four have reported back that they saw no sign of anyone for miles. It seems that we are still alone.”
“Good, but I don’t want to take any chances. We will post a guard throughout the night,” Jaxom replied, still taking in their surroundings.
“I found a place for us tonight,” she said, pointing to the house. “There is a bed inside. I won’t vouch for how comfortable it is, but it’s an improvement from a thin blanket on the ground.”
“We have more men than houses. We are going to have to share it,” he said.
“You are the only o
ne with his woman here. The men will not mind. Some may even expect it, and this may be our last chance for privacy for a while.”
Jaxom did not like the idea of using his position in such a way. He thought he should be subject to the same hardships as everyone else. Seeing the hopeful look on her face, however, he relented. His sense of equality was a small price to pay for her happiness. “I will let Lord Wilbrin know. We need to get the men settled and a watch posted for the night. You do the same for your riders. I want three to help Wilbrin’s men.”
“As you command, My Lord,” she said, saluting. He would have been put on guard from her response if not for the smile she wore. Instead, he nodded regally, prompting a laugh from her before she turned to attend to her men.
After the message to Wilbrin, he found Warin near a small spring just outside the village, already instructing Lexa in the subtleties of his favored bone-dagger cast. Watching from the side, Darian and Da’san discussed how far the young woman had come in such a short time. As Jaxom joined them, Lexa was holding six of the jagged bones in the air before her. Warin gave a command to release them, and all six launched towards a small tree over twenty-five feet away. Two of the daggers stuck into the bark, but a third skipped off the side, and the rest missed completely.
“He is pushing her hard,” Darian said when Warin told her to try again. “Controlling six at one time and hitting the mark would be hard for the most experienced mage.”
“He wants to ensure she is ready,” Da’san replied. “There will be no second chances if she misses when we confront the dark priests and their servants.”
“Or enemy mages,” Jaxom added.
“Let us hope that there are none of those in Kelran,” Da’san said. The last time his friend faced a mage, another priest of his temple was forced to heal the serious wounds he had suffered.
The three men continued to watch the session until Warin finally called a stop for the day. Lexa was so tired that she sat down in the grass to catch her breath. Warin left her to recover as he walked over to where they were standing.
