by JD Franx
“Yes,” Max snapped. “The fucking traitor stuck us with those stupid Taktala sleep darts.”
Ember and Aravae woke at the same time, but it was Aravae who stated the obvious. “Oh gods, that stupid husband of mine did this, didn’t he? I should have seen this coming. He never thought twice about taking our son through that gateway twenty years ago. I should have known he wouldn’t have changed... Oh, I should have known,” she whispered softly and slowly started to massage her pounding head. Yrlissa managed to slide over to Ember and help her to sit up.
“Yrlissa!” Aravae gasped. “Your tattoo. It’s smaller.”
Yrlissa touched the side of her face gently. “Gods, no. How much smaller is it?” she asked, as Ember touched her chin and turned her head.
“From your temple to your cheek,” Ember said. “What does it mean? You said it was just a tattoo, for your family.”
“It doesn’t matter, we must hurry. Come on, Ember,” she pleaded quietly. “You need to get it together and clear that poison from your system, then clear the others so we can get after Giddeon and Kael. You know what this means. He’s trying to trigger Zaddyk’s prophecy. Ember, we have to hurry.”
Gently shaking her head to clear the dizziness, she nodded. “Yeah, okay. Just give me a second here,” she asked. Closing her eyes, she whispered a spell and touched Yrlissa’s head to clear the sleep poison.
Nearly back to normal after being choked by Max, Nekrosa overheard what Yrlissa said to Ember. “Hold on there, you two,” he said, walking over, still rubbing his throat. “What prophecy are you talking about? We have most of them back home and we haven’t heard of a prophet named Zaddyk, have we?” he asked looking at his wife. When she shook her head, he continued. “I did not think so. Perhaps you should explain. Quickly.”
“Perhaps you should explain,” Aravae said, stepping towards Ember protectively. “Your kind are not normally known for helping others.”
Sephi snorted. “More northern prejudice. Your husband says the same about your son. I shouldn’t have to tell an Elvehn elementalist that magic is a tool wielded by either a good person or a bad.”
“We do not have time to debate this!” Yrlissa snapped. “They saved Ember’s life. For now, that will have to be good enough. Max?”
“Yrlissa?”
“If either our new royal companions try anything stupid, kill them both. We don’t have any time to waste. We have to go now.”
“I’ll watch them,” Max said. Frowning at Nekrosa, he pointed at Sephi. “You have that chance you asked for, don’t waste it.” It earned him a bow from the DormaSain king.
Ember used the same quick touch to help Aravae. Heading over to Max, she did the same.
Nekrosa shook his head. “Very well, that will have to...” he stopped speaking in mid sentence and rubbed his sore throat. Ember gently pushed her way to him, whispering something and touching him at the same time.
“Thank you, young Fae,” he said, realizing his throat no longer hurt.
She smiled. “Ember. My name is Ember. Now, please, hurry,” she said, before joining the others on their way down the stairs to the old city.
Chapter Forty
“Those who get up after being knocked down will always thrive in life. It takes a strength of will that not everyone can find inside themselves. As hard as it may be to stand back up, to lift oneself from the devastation this world often deals us, is the sign of a true survivor. We have watched Talohna’s worst knock Kael down time and again, and he always finds a way to get back up. I hope he fights as hard against the dark corruption racing through him. If so, perhaps Talohna will have a chance against the true darkness that is coming.”
Yrlissa Blackmist, Date unknown
BLOODKIN CASTLE, DRAGON ISLES
Even though Shelaryx WhiteScale was using the magic of her mirrored table to keep track of the events unfolding at Kazzador City, she was still surprised when a bright light blazed through her private castle chambers and Eva ThornWing, the Fae Matriarch, stood beside her.
“We must go, Shel, before it’s too late. The demon seal is active,” she said, clearly out of breath.
“That’s impossible. The room is shielded, I know, but I have been watching the ruined city outside the seal’s room. No one has entered besides Kael and the little girl with him.”
“There must be another way in from the back, an open fissure perhaps. The seal is active. I saw it myself before I left Vaenaria. It has to be Sythrnax. He must be there!”
Quickly turning from the mirror, Shelaryx asked, “You came alone so we could take more Kin, correct?”
Nodding calmly, Eva replied, “Yes, bring only six. I hope to return with my daughter and the others.”
“I will gather our best and meet you in the throne room. We won’t be long.” She spun and left the bedroom at the same time Eva vanished in a flash of white light.
Eva’s short realm jump took her to the far side of the crystal castle, knowing she would likely still arrive only seconds before the Queen. BloodKin castle was full of magic and secrets. The DragonKin could appear anywhere in the castle, whenever they so decided, and never had to walk from one end of the sprawling complex to the other.
Shelaryx walked into the throne room with three Talon warriors and three female Zephyrs, the DragonKin’s most powerful magic users.
The DragonKin joined the Fae monarch and their own queen without a word and a whispered spell sparked another bright light as the realm-jump magic known only to the Fae whisked them away to Kazzador City in the Dwarven Mountains.
KAZZADOR CITY
DEATHWIZARD’S MONOLITH CHAMBER
Kael spent the next couple hours silently watching Sythrnax make preparations for whatever he had planned. Adding wards to keep others from freeing Kael and weaves attached to the seal that became invisible upon activation, Sythrnax worked non-stop in preparation for what was to come. Having worn himself out, to Sythrnax’s great amusement, Kael gave up on trying to break free of the trap he stood on. Instead, Kael hoped to figure out a way to escape by watching and learning what Sythrnax was doing. When it became clear it was getting him nowhere, Kael could no longer keep control of his anger. The vines of his death-flower began to twitch uncomfortably with his aggravation, and soon the vines were on the move. But after only ten minutes they stopped coring through his body, even though his anger was still well beyond his control. It was disturbing that they had finally quit, but it only added more fuel to his anger.
“God dammit. Why the hell do you not just kill me, you coward, or at least fight me. What you’re doing makes no sense,” Kael yelled. He felt his rage climb even higher when Sythrnax laughed.
“Because your feeble young mind doesn’t understand what I am doing doesn’t mean it makes no sense. Your kind have believed for far too long that you are the dominant beings of this world, and that needs to change.”
“God, and you say I’m stupid—use a mirror much? I don’t know anything about my kind or this world, Sythrnax, and I don’t care to. My wife is dead, my best friend is dead, and I killed Kyah myself after she revealed her true self to me. There is nothing here for me except that little girl who ran earlier. Why do you all not understand that? I’m not even from this world, for Christ’s sake.”
“I am well aware of that. I followed your life every way possible, and I orchestrated your return to this world so that you would come to be here, in this exact place, when I needed you to be. The others don’t matter...” He stopped and held up his talon tipped finger. “Actually, I take that back,” he said quickly. “They matter in the sense that they are needed to spill your blood upon that seal, and seeing as how it sounds as though they are coming, I will leave you for them,” he chuckled and turned to walk away.
“You’re just gonna leave me here? Defenceless? You really are a coward. I’ll find you some day, Sythrnax. If I have to claw my way out of all Nine Hells, you will see me again!” Kael screamed at Sythrnax’s back as he disappeared down a
side tunnel still laughing.
As Kael’s echoing voice reverberated down the tunnels and came to an end, he could hear the voices of others as they entered the sunken room with the seal. Giddeon, Kasik, and Saleece walked around the side of the carved tablet and saw Kael. He saw someone duck behind the tablet, but he didn’t get a good look at who it was.
“I knew I heard someone yelling down here,” Giddeon said. “Kael, we need to talk with you about some things you’ve done.” Not bothering to struggle with the seal’s trap, Kael tried to talk his way out. He had no other chance.
“You need to listen to me, Giddeon. You don’t understand what is happening here. Please, you need to leave. Now!” Kael yelled, pleading with the ArchWizard to listen.
Shaking his head, Giddeon responded, “That’s impossible,” he said, looking at Saleece.
“This is it, Father, a wrong choice and you know what happens. We’ve triggered Zaddyk’s prophecy.”
Nodding, Giddeon continued. “We won’t be leaving until we know whether or not you are a threat to this kingdom, so just answer what we ask, all right?”
“It’s not as if I have a lot of choice,” Kael replied.
“Good. Now, the most important thing we need to know is why you killed almost twenty sisters of the goddess Mylla roughly two weeks ago.”
The timing couldn’t be a coincidence, Kael snorted. “I promise you, Giddeon, I have never killed a priestess of Mylla. Ever.”
“I see,” Giddeon said. “Niky, come here please.” Kyah came out from behind the stone tablet and walked up beside Giddeon. “You see, Kael. You left one alive. Though it took a miracle to save her.” Kael lunged violently at Kyah, but the seal’s bond held him tight.
“Her living through that night will be one of my biggest mistakes, and the fact that you took her in and healed her? That will seal your fate some day as well. Sister of Mylla? That’s a joke. And you, Sister Niky, now is it?” he said maliciously, staring at the young woman who had betrayed him so thoroughly. “We’re not done either, Kyah. Her soul will be free if I have to go free her myself.”
It didn’t take long for Giddeon to notice that Kael couldn’t move.
“What happened to you?” he asked. What Kael had said about Kyah was swiftly forgotten as the ArchWizard approached the seal to examine it.
Exhausted physically and emotionally, Kael sighed. “What does it matter, Giddeon? If you’re going to kill me, then just do it already. I’m tired of running.” Giddeon stood up and looked into the face of his son. With the exception of a questionable attack on the sisters of Mylla, Kael had done far more to help Talohna than he had ever done to harm it.
“I’m not going to kill you, son. I’m going to try and help you, but there are some things we need to tell you.” Kael frowned as a voice behind him spoke.
“It’s about damn time, old man,” Savis Ephemeral cursed, as he materialized beside and slightly behind Kael. Reaching around, he grasped him by the throat. “Your king thought you might lose your nerve, Giddeon!”
He smiled and plunged his wooden dagger into the base of Kael’s skull.
TAZAMMOR MOUNTAIN
Bauro BlackSpawn sailed into Izotan Bay on the western side of the Tazammor Mountain Peninsula to continue his search for the missing and presumed traitor, Dominique Havarrow. Twenty ships followed in his wake. Before dropping her off in Dasal, Ella told him that she could feel Havarrow’s presence somewhere around the old Dwarven weapon foundry and prison called Arkum Zul.
“Land-sucking witch,” he muttered, recalling the conversation. “Arkum Zul. No one has found this cursed place in aeons.”
“Captain?” Talvira asked. Bauro glanced at his sorceress.
“Too bad you couldn’t find things as easily as you can hide them.”
“Sorry, Captain. Perhaps spread out the fleet so we can search both sides of the peninsula? We could try the east side.” She pulled an old leather map from the navigator table. “Flatwater Bay has a small dock, perhaps we’ll find answers there.”
“Carwin,” Bauro yelled. “Bring us about and head for Flatwater Bay. Tell our signaller to split the fleet. Hack’s Bled Trader can lead the search here.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Bauro’s ship turned easily in the stiff breeze and headed back out of the bay, remaining close enough to the shore to see any signs of hidden inlets or secret docks.
The hours passed slowly as Bauro paced the deck of his ship, and all his sailors kept their eyes on the shore. As the BlackSpawn Bastard rounded the last rocky point stretching out into the ocean and sailed into Flatwater Bay, all hell broke loose. A dozen of Sythrnax’s ships attacked instantly. Fire-enchanted ballistae bolts roared as they leapt from several ships, slamming into both Bauro’s escort ships.
“Return fire!” he barked, even though his men were already swinging the matching pair of catapults at the front of his ship into position. Dropping the lock pins, both men cut the catapults loose. The iron-heavy stones jumped away and slammed into the ship firing the enchanted ballistae. One last bolt let loose as the ship splintered under the barrage and broke apart. The flaming bolt landed at midships on Bauro’s vessel, and swath of fire rolled out all the way to the captain’s cabin below the helm.
“Water!” Talvira screamed. Without hesitating, Bauro’s second mate kicked two barrels of sea water over, drenching the deck and putting out the fire.
“Good work, Kes,” Bauro shouted, and turned back to his helmsman. “Turn the Bastard broadside so our ballistae can even the odds.”
Carwin spun the wheel hard, and Bauro’s ship eased to the right. Every ballistae thumped, releasing their bolts. Each hit a separate ship even with the water level. The boltheads compressed and four spring-loaded blades snapped out, shredding the vessels’ side planks and coring through the ship and out the bottom of the far side. All three enemy vessels listed and began sinking, no longer a threat.
Several of Bauro’s other captains followed his attack plan, and dozens of ballistae bolts and stones filled the air. The unique bolts cored through everything they touched, and another six enemy ships sunk to the bottom of Flatwater Bay. The final two enemy ships tried to run.
“Signal the other ships,” Bauro barked. “Drag those cowards back.”
As Bauro’s signaller waved both flags, his ballistae operators pulled the spring-load bolts from their siege engines and slid in new bolts with ropes clipped to the rear. Several crewmen adjusted the sails, catching more of the wind, and Bauro’s ship shot forward. In less than a minute, the Bastard was in range, and Carwin spun the wheel again as both ballistae let loose. The first bolt missed, landing in the ocean between the two escaping ships, but the second bolt hit the trailing ship, sinking deep in to the decking. Bauro’s crewman grabbed the excess length of rope and ran to the front of the ship. Both catapult operators pulled the lock pins and slid the catapults to the side on greased tracks, making room for the crewman to feed the rope into a massive two-man winch. Each pirate turned the handles on their respective sides. The man on the left dropped a lock catch into the gear. It clacked as they turned the handles, pulling the two ships together.
It took fifteen minutes for the crewman working the winch, with the help of those manning the sails, to drag the fleeing ship to the BlackSpawn Bastard. The two ships came together with a crunch of wood. Already up the shrouds, Bauro’s boarding crew were on the enemy vessel before the ships came together. Unlike most pirate captains, Bauro was one of the first to board the enemy ship, his hunt for its captain underway.
Sythrnax’s crew fought relentlessly and several pirates died within minutes of landing on the ship’s deck. Bauro growled as a young Elvehn man cut down one of his boarding party right in front of him. Not slowing, Bauro drove his cutlass into the man’s back. Twisting the blade as he withdrew it, he kicked the mortally wounded enemy to the deck and moved on. He finally spotted the ship’s captain standing alone on the helm deck. The big man held a shield and pointed his swo
rd as he stared at Bauro.
Taking the steps up to to the helm two at a time, Bauro drew his long dagger with his left hand to offset the shield as best he could. The deck remained clear of other fighters, and as Bauro got his first look at his fellow captain, he understood the big man needed no one to help protect him. The Northman put up his shield and smiled, but didn’t waste time with words.
Bauro lunged with his sword as the Northman stepped into his shield, blocking the blow and pushing Bauro back. Bauro tried again, but pulled his strike and sidestepped the shield, driving his dagger towards the Northman’s stomach. His dagger was easily blocked by the Northman’s sword. Trying to figure out a way past the well-trained shield, Bauro stepped back and three arrows whistled past, stitching the Northman from ribs to ear. He crumpled, dead, as Bauro glanced to his right. Kes smiled and waved from the enemy ship’s far shroud. Bauro picked the big Northman up and heaved his body overboard.
Looking down to the main deck, he watched as his crew killed the last to oppose them. Four surrendered.
“Kes,” Bauro barked.
Dropping from the shroud, she looked up to the helm. “Captain?”
“Get your new ship ready for battle and either execute the survivors or give them our mark.”
“Aye, Captain.”
As Bauro hopped the rail back to his own ship, he saw that three of his other vessels had brought the other fleeing ship to heel. He smiled and tallied the count in his head. Three of his ships were sunk in the battle, thanks to the surprise attack that sunk his two escort ships. With the two ships they captured, he was only down one. An acceptable loss in any battle involving so many ships.
“All right, everyone,” he yelled out across his ship. “Let’s find that traitor!”
MONOLITH CHAMBER
“No!” Saleece screamed, as the blade of Savis’ dagger sank to the hilt at the base of Kael’s skull. With a vicious twist, he broke the split wooden blade off inside Kael’s neck. Unable to move or defend himself, Kael cursed as he felt the blade slide into his neck. He struggled to handle the pain that was tearing through his body, but when the assassin snapped the blades of his dagger off inside his neck, it was like a switch had been thrown. His legs buckled and eternity slammed his mind.
