by Jon Bender
King Alexar wore red royal robes and a crown of silver atop his head. The man wore no weapons, and his neatly cut brown hair and trimmed beard on his weathered face added to his regal appearance. He was considerably older than Corin, who suddenly felt underdressed in his silver and gold armor. Straightening his back and squaring his shoulders, Corin climbed down to greet the king of Bruxa. The entrance of the tent had been tied, back revealing a room with two comfortable chairs on top of thick rugs. Between the chairs, a small table held two bottles of wine and glasses. The kings gave each other a small bow.
“I am glad to see that you agreed to my terms,” Alexar said.
“If I had not, would you have remained to meet me?” Corin asked.
“These are troubled times, and trust must be earned. I agreed to this meeting because your father was an honorable man, and I am hoping the same can be said of you.”
“You knew my father?” Corin asked, surprised.
“Many years ago, I was in a border dispute with Denra that your father mediated. He was a fair man, only interested in maintaining peace and sovereignty for all. From what I hear of how you have dealt with other kingdoms, you are of a similar mind.”
Corin was nodding his agreement when he noticed that Alexar was no longer looking at him, but over his shoulder toward the road. Turning, he saw two large covered wagons in the far distance coming from the direction of Bruxa. Corin looked back to Alexar questioningly.
“This is a trade road, but I will have my men go and talk to them. If you like, you can send some of your own as well,” Alexar said. Corin looked to Captain Ra’nal and nodded.
“Shall we begin?” Corin asked.
“By all means,” Alexar said, offering to let Corin enter the tent first. Sitting, Alexar poured wine into one of the glasses and downed the entire thing in a gulp before refilling the same glass and offering it to Corin, who accepted with a confused look. It was customary for the owner of the wine to drink first, but offering him the same glass was not typical. “I had an experience some years back where the poison was not in the wine, but in a fine powder at bottom of the glass. If I had not insisted on a clean one, we would not be having this conversation,” Alexar explained, filling the other glass for himself.
“My envoys had a difficult time delivering my messages. They tell me you have sealed your kingdom and have the borders heavily guarded. May I ask why?”
“As I have said, these are troubled times. This new god Or’Keer tried to exert his influence in Bruxa some months back. I was forced to hunt down all his priests as well as many of my own people to ensure that the threat was removed,” he said.
Something in his tone put Corin on guard. “How did you find those who were disloyal?”
“The dark priests are surprisingly strong-willed. They refused to answer any questions, even under rather extreme circumstances. I was forced to question others as well, mostly those suspected of dissidence.”
“You tortured people,” Corin said quietly. “How many?”
“I am not sure exactly. My examiners spent many weeks searching until we found people with the right answers. I can assure you that most of those we questioned were, in fact, guilty.”
“Most…” Corin said.
“I know it is hard thing to understand. Those who were proven innocent were given recompense.”
Corin could not believe Alexar’s indifference. Even worse was the fact that Corin needed him to join the alliance. If the reports of the large army amassing in the east were true, Corin would need Bruxa’s cooperation to face them. “You must understand the need to join our forces if we are to defeat Or’Keer. Eventually, the dark god will move past subversion and manipulation and come west in strength,” Corin said, doing his best to keep the disdain from his voice.
“I agree, but from what King Rupert tells me, you expect those who commit men and resources to give aid to other kingdoms without recompense,” he said, sounding honestly puzzled.
“The point of this alliance is to remove a threat to all of us, not to take advantage of the situation to exploit those in need of help. So far, we have been spared Or’Keer’s full attention, but you have seen what his limited interest has done in Denra, Kelran, and even your own kingdom.”
Alexar waved away the statement. “Denra and Kelran were weak. Our kingdoms are not. We have dealt with the incursion and sedition, proving that we have the strength to do what is necessary.”
Corin was growing impatient. “I am here to ask you to join the alliance to help yourself and all people who have fallen under the yoke of Or’Keer. If you join, you will abide by the terms of that alliance. Your army will submit to my leadership, under which there will be no plundering of lands. Should you decide not to join, we will leave you to your own fate. Any aggression on your part against a member of the alliance will subject you to defensive action from our full force.”
“Quite the proclamation and exactly what I expected, given your reputation. Very well, I will join your alliance and abide by the rules, no matter how cumbersome they may be.”
Corin eased back a little, surprised at the sudden agreement. “You will join?”
The other man laughed with true mirth. “What did you expect? I am not a fool, my young friend. I can see what is happening. If we do not stop Or’Keer, his followers will engulf us all.”
“Then why insist on this meeting?” Corin asked.
“Trust is a thing hard-given these days. How was I to know if what you were offering was real without gaging your reaction myself?” he said, gesturing at Corin.
“This was a test? What you said about questioning your own people, did you make that up?”
Alexar shook his head. “That happened and was part of the test. I did what was needed to protect my kingdom. I knew you wouldn’t approve. I needed to know if you would set aside your distaste and do what was necessary.”
“So what now?”
“Now we sit and enjoy the wine and each other’s company while we discuss the details.” Alexar leaned back and took a sip from his glass.
Sometime later, they were in the middle of discussing movement through Bruxa when they heard shouting from outside the tent. Alexar joined Corin on his feet and they rushed to the tent flap. Flinging it open, Corin found his men fighting the Bruxans. The covered wagons he had seen before were nearby and dozens of armed men were spilling from them. Captain Re’nal had joined two others of Corin’s personal guard and were attempting to fight their way to him. They were quickly overwhelmed. Re’nal took a blow to his helmeted head and collapsed while the other two guardsmen disappeared behind a wall of Bruxans.
Reaching for his sword, Corin was turning toward Alexar when he felt something strike the back of his head. Corin dropped to his knees. His vision blurred, but he saw red robes move in front of him. “I wish this could have gone differently, but as I said, you are much like your father. He also had an insufferable sense of morality. If he had not interceded on behalf of Denra all those years ago, it would be a part of my kingdom now.”
“Killing me will not gain you anything,” Corin said weakly.
Alexar smiled wickedly. “No, it won’t. Not yet, anyway.” He slammed a small cudgel into the side of Corin’s head, sending him into darkness.
Chapter 25
Jaxom landed near the center of the formation protecting King Dillion. Next to him stood Allar and two other mages. The earth mage seemed to be in a trance. Looking over the heads of the Kelrans, Jaxom spotted the largest stone golem he had ever seen wading through the enemy. Its massive arms killed half a dozen men with every swing. From behind the enemy formation, a large four-legged shadow creature charged the construct, paying no attention to the men it trampled. The golem, now on its back, landed several powerful blows that seemed to stun its opponent but did not stop it from tearing the stone body apart. It soon crumbled into a pile of rubble. Allar snapped back to himself, stumbling slightly to the side, drained from the encounter.
Dari
an jumped down and found a space behind the Kelran lines from where he could cast. While his friend joined the fight, Jaxom moved the durgen closer to King Dillion, who was shouting orders to men around him. He was attempting to organize a push to go on the offensive, but every time the men readied themselves to attack, another wave of the enemy smashed into them.
“Lord Jaxom, I am glad you are here. You are the first from the other units to arrive, but where are your men?” Dillion shouted over the sound of battle.
“They are on their way. Have you seen Tandis?” he asked calmly. His rage steadied him.
Dillion regarded him quietly for a moment. “No, there has been no sign of him. Only those damn large shadows the dark priests created.”
“Those are the priests themselves,” Jaxom said, no longer looking at the king. He was searching the churning battlefield for one man.
“That explains why we have seen so few of them,” Dillion said, but Jaxom was no longer listening.
He would not be able to find the former prince from the ground. Commanding the durgen into the air once more, he scanned the sky for threats. The riders were doing well against the flying shadows, fighting the creatures in groups of two or three. One pair of riders was not faring well against their opponent, and Jaxom took a moment from his search to help them. Maneuvering closer to the shadow creature, he summoned the coil to his hand. Whipping the column of white smoke back and forth, he slammed the coil into a black wing, momentarily causing the shadow to lose control. It was enough to allow the riders to attack from above, letting their durgens’ claws and teeth rip into its back. Releasing the coil, he scanned the fighting below. Then he spotted it--a beam of pure black streaking across the field to strike down a group of Kelran soldiers. It was the same cast Tandis had used to destroy Warin’s arm. Angling his mount, Jaxom dove straight for the source of the magic, ignoring the fact that the move would take him into the heart of a large group of the enemy. Drawing his sword, he commanded the durgen to level out before it collided with the ground. Flying just over the enemy soldiers, he lashed out with his blade, connecting with several heads and shoulders. The durgen used its six powerful legs to great effect. Gaining height, he circled around for another pass.
Jaxom had felt nothing as he butchered the men. The sounds of their screaming and the vibration of his sword impacting flesh did nothing to warm the ice water slowly pumping through his veins. He was not even aware that his actions had rallied the Kelran soldiers nearby. The sight of the death mage attacking the enemy put steel into the loyal soldier’s hearts.
A beam of black rushed towards him, and he brought his sword around to intercept the magical attack. The enchantment he had placed in the blade absorbed the energy and stored it away.
As he veered hard towards the source, another beam streaked towards him, and he absorbed it in his sword as well. Finally, he spotted Tandis in a fine green coat, wearing a look of frustration. Jaxom’s cold rage burst into a hot fury at the sight of the man. Two dark priests near him dropped into a chant, but the words could not leave their lips fast enough. His durgen ripped the chest of one to tatters. Jaxom swung his sword with all the strength he contained at Tandis’s face, and an impenetrable shield of blackness appeared between them. The barrier deflected the attack and caused a shout of anger to erupt from Jaxom’s throat. As he banked hard to try again, the second priest completed his prayer, conjuring large black tentacles from the ground. The appendages reached out to strike at Jaxom. Pointing the tip of his sword at the robed man, he released all the magic it contained. The black beam that shot forth ripped through the tentacles before striking the priest in the chest. The man’s torso was obliterated by the impact in a spray of bone fragments and blood.
Dealing with the priest had put Jaxom out of position to attack Tandis. He came about just in time to see the Kelrans pushing the enemy force back towards the wall of the pass. Seeing that his situation was quickly changing, Tandis raised his hand to cast. Large bat-wings sprouted from his back. The wings began to flap, lifting him up and away, leaving his men to be crushed under the press of the loyal Kelran army. Not about to let his prey escape, Jaxom directed his durgen to follow the fleeing prince.
Noticing the pursuit, Tandis drew his sword while casting with his other hand. Jaxom dipped his durgen to the side, narrowly avoiding a hit to his arm. Tandis moved away from the battle but turned in the air as the faster durgen closed the distance. Jaxom cast the blight, but it was met by the shield and then countered with the beam. Jaxom absorbed the magical attack and returned it instantly only to be stopped by the shield once again. They exchanged several more casts before it became apparent that neither was going to win this fight with magic. Tandis hefted his sword with a grin as the wings on his back continued to flap, keeping him aloft. Jaxom’s fury, which had burned itself down fighting the priests, reignited at seeing the self-satisfied smile.
The durgen flew at Tandis, bringing Jaxom’s sword within range. Swinging the blade in from the side, it was neatly parried as Tandis maneuvered to stay away from the durgen’s fangs. The prince gained a few feet above Jaxom, and holding his sword in a two handed grip, allowed himself to fall using his weight to add extra power to the blow. Raising his own sword above his head, Jaxom angled it slightly, allowing his foe’s sword to slip to the side, tearing a gash in his mount’s flank. Continuing his decent, Tandis turned his back to the ground and cast. What came forth was similar to the beam except that it split into six tentacles, each seeming to act with a will of their own. With no other choice, Jaxom climbed out of reach of the magic as Tandis rotated, turning his uncontrolled fall into a dive. Jaxom’s durgen furled its wings and followed with an occasional flap to increase speed.
Looking back, Tandis smiled just before his own wings spread wide to catch the air, taking him up once more. The sudden shift in direction not only brought him closer, but also slowed him considerably, allowing Jaxom to come within striking distance. Raising his skull-pommeled sword, he felt the tip meet resistance and heard Tandis shout in pain. Arresting his own decent, the durgen began flapping furiously to catch the wounded mage. From his position below, Jaxom could see blood falling from Tandis who held his leg with a free hand. The prince turned to face him once more and attacked, their blades clanging as the two men darted about, each trying to gain an advantage over the other. Jaxom could feel his body weakening. Looking into his opponent’s face as they locked their swords at the cross guards, he could see pain and fear in the pale complexion that stared back at him. Jaxom showed his teeth in a terrible grin, letting the feelings rage and excitement take him.
Then Tandis did something desperate. Leaving himself open, the prince slashed for the durgen’s wing. In that moment, Jaxom had a choice to make. Take the opening or block the attack. The first would probably kill them both but give him his vengeance. The second allowed the fight to continue.
Decision made, Jaxom brought his sword across the man’s back as the prince sheared halfway through the joint connecting the durgen’s wing to its body. Jaxom yelled in frustration as a bat wing lifted just as the blow landed, stopping it from being a killing stroke. Both men began to fall, but even through his pain, Tandis lifted a hand, casting to reform the wing. Jaxom dropped his sword and launched himself from the durgen’s back. He latched onto the prince with a grip that only death would break. The weight was too much for the magical wings. Grabbing Tandis around the throat, Jaxom pulled the power of death into himself, forming the blight beneath his hand. The magic had begun to rot away the prince’s skin when Tandis smashed the pommel of his sword into Jaxom’s face. Releasing his throat, Jaxom caught his wrist before he could connect again. He cast the blight again. Tandis screamed and dropped the sword.
Everything went dark as the wings grew and wrapped around both men, encasing them completely. Jaxom felt himself slam into the ground. Unconsciousness crept over him as the light returned, revealing Tandis standing over him as men continued to fight all around them. The prince
held his good hand towards Jaxom, the other a mass of rotting flesh and bone. Even with the blackened ring around his neck, the man’s eyes showed he was savoring the moment of his victory. Jaxom too weak to form the blight, cast towards Tandis’s destroyed hand.
The dead flesh ripped itself away from the arm, wrenching a scream of pure agony from the prince’s lips. He grabbed at the gushing wound to stop the pumping of his life onto the snow. Looking up from the stump, he saw something before turning to run. Dozens of Kelrans ran past after he fled, and an armored glove reached under Jaxom’s shoulder, pulling him to his feet. Looking to the owner, he found Warin and his bone-made arm lifting him up. Jaxom tried to take a step forward, but his legs would not support him.
“No, my friend. You don’t have the strength to stand.” Warin pulled one of Jaxom’s arms across his shoulders and began moving him.
Warin worked his way through the groups still fighting until Da’san and Lord Wilbrin, leading the Terika soldiers, formed around them. Da’san grabbed Jaxom’s other arm as Lord Wilbrin led them away from the heart of the battle. Reaching the side of the pass, his friends leaned him against a large boulder where Da’san began to heal him. Whatever he did, Jaxom could not feel a difference.
From between the soldiers’ legs he could see that the Kelrans were winning as more and more of Or’Keer’s forces fled the field. A large group of Calvary approached but halted as Lord Wilbrin stepped forward. He could hear Wilbrin arguing with someone until his men parted, allowing one man on horse through before closing the gap again. King Dillion climbed down from his horse and took a knee next to him.
