Harvest Tournament (Sexcraft Chronicles Book 2)

by Edmund Hughes

  “I left a few dozen husks near his roost,” said the man. “I’m sure Aangavar knows that their presence is for more than just protecting his eggs, but he won’t risk attacking them and angering you. And they should have blocked the route of anyone meaning to do him harm, your majesty. Not that I imagine any of the surfacers would take such a risk.”

  Hal clenched his teeth. They knew about the heartgem, and they knew about Aangavar. He was in the presence of someone powerful in the Upper Realm, perhaps even the Empress that Zoria had spoken of. Hal shifted slightly, and accidentally scuffed his boot against a loose bit of rock. Both the man and the woman went silent and turned their attention in his direction.

  They know I’m here. No reason not to dive in and search for answers, now. Especially if I’m going to die, anyway.

  “You might be closer to what you’re looking for than you think,” said Hal. He spoke in common tongue, not trusting his ability to speak eklid under pressure. He waited for his words to take effect on the man and the woman’s projection, but the former’s face was hidden by the hood of his robe, and the latter maintained an unreadable expression.

  “Who are you?” shouted the man.

  “Relax, Mabron,” said the woman, in the common tongue. “This could prove interesting.”

  The woman folded her arms over her breasts and lifted her chin to him, furrowing her bow slightly.

  “Do you claim to have information, surfacer?” she asked. “Or perhaps more than that? Why don’t you step forward into the light, where I can see you?”

  “I’m comfortable where I am, thanks,” said Hal. “This should be all the proof you need.”

  He pulled the heartgem out of his pocket and focused his emotions, shifting the gem’s color from red, to blue, and then back again. It gave off a small glow each time he did it, proving that the one gem held the power of multiple magical types.

  “Very interesting,” said the woman. “And you brought the heartgem here… why, exactly? What’s your purpose, surfacer?”

  Hal considered the situation carefully, knowing that he’d only get so many words out of her before the situation devolved into violence.

  “Who are the Ardstones?” Hal asked, deciding to ignore her question. “You implied that one of them was sent to recover the heartgem.”

  The question brought amusement to the woman’s expression. She smiled and slowly licked her lips, her eyes staring into the darkness where Hal stood, inviting him to draw closer in. He stayed where he was.

  “Great House Ardstone is a family of humans allied with the elves of the Upper Realm,” said the woman. “They swore fealty, and have served me faithfully for more than a hundred years. I am, of course, Empress Kay of Zelnata.”

  Hal blinked in surprise. He tried to keep his voice steady, knowing that regardless of what he said or did, he’d placed himself in a perilous situation.

  “Humans?” asked Hal. “I was under the impression that all humans were kept as slaves in the Upper Realm.”

  “You’re better informed than most surfacers,” said Empress Kay. “Though I suppose that’s to be expected, from the Heart Holder. Yes. We made an alliance with Great House Ardstone after they were betrayed by the other powerful surface families. They were the only humans with an affinity for communicating with and riding dragons, and it made them useful to us.”

  “So that’s it then?” asked Hal. “Is my family dead because you sent one of your agents to find the heartgem, and they decided to slaughter dozens in order to do it?”

  Hal knew the answer even as he asked the question. The pieces all fit together. The Empress of the Upper Realm had wanted the heartgem, and she’d been willing to sacrifice any number of innocents in order to get it. Lilith, Mauve, his father… none of them were anything more than cattle to the great eklid Empress.

  “He is but an insolent boy, your majesty,” said the man. “Should I kill him for you?”

  “Do not speak out of turn, Mabron,” said Empress Kay. “And no. He shall come to no harm. Will you step into the light now, Heart Holder, to treat with me face to face?”

  Hal stayed where he was. The Empress’s expression grew cold as she continued speaking.

  “If revenge is what you seek, Heart Holder, I would gladly give it to you,” said Empress Kay. “Along with much more than you could ever imagine. An estate sprawling across miles of fertile land on the edge of the Upper Realm. A harem of women of your choosing. Eklid, human, even maug, if you so wish. And all I ask in return is for you to ally yourself with me. Swear fealty, here and now, and accompany Mabron back up to civilization.”

  Hal smiled and let out a low chuckle.

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” said Hal. “Mabron is the one behind the husk attacks. He needs to face justice for the people he’s killed.”

  “So much spirit,” said Empress Kay. “Mabron, you’ll have to handle him. Send a response once you’re finished.”

  The Empress’s ghostly image disappeared, plunging the room into darkness for a moment. Hal heard Mabron mutter something under his breath, and then saw a flash of bright red light as the robed man summoned his runic armor and weapons.

  The armor was different from Zoria’s, crimson in color and covering more of his body. The wings jutting out of his back had folds to them, and Mabron held a longsword in each hand. His face was visible now that his hood was down, lit by the red glow of his helmet. He was bald, with the typical pointed elven ears, and his forehead and scalp were heavily scarred.

  “Come, Heart Holder,” said Mabron. “I know that you are still coming into your powers. You have not held the heartgem for long enough to pose a threat to me. Surrender, and I will still allow you to swear fealty to Empress Kay, as she offered you.”

  Hal clutched the heartgem in his hand and entered his Ruby Trance. Karnas left his perch on his back, flapping his wings and letting out a low growl. Hal set a hand on the baby dragon’s head, trying to impart a message of restraint and hoping the creature wouldn’t try what it had done with the Alpha Husk a second time.

  He whipped his sword in a slash through the air and hurled himself forward at the necromancer. Mabron blocked his first strike between both his blades, twisting it to the side and retaliating with a quick kick to Hal’s chest.

  Hal pulled his pistol from his belt as he stumbled backward, cocking it and taking aim. He fired a Flame Shot into Mabron’s chest. The spell struck the center of his runic armor, but had little effect against whatever magic it was made from.

  “Give up, Heart Holder,” said Mabron. “This is a waste of time.”

  He circled Hal slowly, forcing him to move away from the hallway he’d entered the chamber from. There were two other hallways leading out into the catacombs, but without any sense of direction, retreating down one of them would do little more than delay the inevitable.

  Karnas suddenly surged into motion from behind the necromancer, flying up into the air and then diving toward the back of the elf’s head. Mabron spun at the last instant, striking Karnas with the back of his sword hilt. He stared at the dragon for a moment, clearly caught off guard by his sudden appearance.

  “Fascinating,” said Mabron. “Fortune has favored you with more gifts than most men are honored with in a lifetime. You will serve Empress Kay very well.”

  Hal charged him again, and the two shared a quick sword exchange. His short sword ricocheted oddly off the runic blades Mabron was wielding, losing too much of its momentum with each strike.

  He dodged under a horizontal slash and stabbed forward, catching Mabron’s runic armor with the tip of his sword. The armor flashed briefly, and then shattered. Hal let out a shout of triumph and pulled his sword back to strike a second time.

  “Enough.” Mabron pulled something from the inside of his robe and squeezed it. Hal froze in mid-motion, his muscles suddenly locked into position like water flash frozen into ice.

  “I set up paralysis crystals around the perimeter of this chamber,” said Mab
ron. “I’m no fool.”

  Hal could only stare at him, his anger burning for both his opponent and his own foolishness.

  “…Crystals?” Hal forced the word out through numb, reluctant lips.

  “They aren’t common here on the surface,” said Mabron. “Crystals are a bit like the primitive gemstones your people used, but with more focused purposes. Unfortunately, they tend to burn out over time, which means I’ll need to handle you sooner, rather than later.”

  Mabron walked over to where he’d been speaking with Empress Kay and began rummaging through a small chest nearby. Hal looked toward Karnas, spotting the dragon on the ground, frozen with his wings in mid-flap.

  This is it. This is the end for me, at least as my own, independent person.

  Mabron brought out a pair of metal shackles of a variety that Hal recognized. They were command bracers, and could be used to enslave a person to a master. Once those were on him, he’d be unable to refuse any order Mabron decided to give him.

  “You really should have taken the Empress up on her offer,” said Mabron. “She doesn’t invite people to be her ally on a whim. A pity.”

  He opened the first shackle and reached for Hal’s wrist. An instant before he’d taken hold of it, Mabron hesitated, glancing over toward one of the hallways leading back into the catacombs. One of his eyebrows raised in recognition, and he smiled.

  A fireball large enough to fill a washtub burst from the darkness, striking Mabron directly in the chest an incinerating most of his upper body. He died without a sound, splitting into two halves as he fell to the ground with a significant portion of him turned to ash.

  Hal felt the paralysis spell release, and he gasped for air that he hadn’t realized he needed. He stared at where the fire spell had come from, and watched as Cadrian walked into the chamber.

  CHAPTER 43

  Cadrian looked around the room cautiously, stopping to examine Mabron’s body as though there was a chance that he might still be alive. She looked at the crystals that had been set up to create the Empress’s voice and image, casually severing one of the chains linking them with her sword as she did.

  “Cadrian,” said Hal. “Good timing.”

  He pulled himself to his feet, heading over to check on Karnas, who seemed shaken and annoyed, but otherwise unharmed.

  “We need to get out of here,” said Cadrian. “The Maxim has given up on the raid. He’s ordered for the catacombs to be sealed and collapsed from the outside.”

  Well that explains what happened to the hallway before…

  Hal nodded and began following her as she led him through the hallway she’d entered from. He felt relieved, but underneath it was a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

  “How in the world did you find me?” he asked. “And what are you doing down here?”

  “I’ve been down here before,” said Cadrian.

  Hal shook his head. He came up behind her and took her by the shoulder. Cadrian wasn’t carrying a torch, and he couldn’t see what her expression was in the dark hallway, but he didn’t need to.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” said Hal.

  Cadrian was silent for a moment. She put her hand on top of his and gave it a tender squeeze.

  “Laurel told me that you’d joined with the militia,” she said. “I suspected it was going to be a massacre. I was only down here to find you, Halrin. Does it truly matter through what means I managed it?”

  “Yes,” said Hal. “But I don’t expect you’ll tell me even if I press the point.”

  Cadrian bought her hand to his cheek. She ran her thumb across his chin, just underneath his lips. Hal felt a rush of emotion through his chest. He’d missed her, as a friend, as a teacher, and as a lover. He trusted her, and didn’t need to know everything, at least not then and there.

  The ceiling above them let out a groan. Cadrian grabbed Hal by the wrist and pulled him back into motion. She picked each path confidently when they reached the intersections, and within ten minutes, they spilled out of the catacomb’s main entrance and into the daylight.

  He coughed and wiped a hand over his eyes as they adjusted to the sun. Cadrian was covered her dirt, and her black braid was laced with cobwebs. Hal had his own fair share of underground dust and muck. The warriors who’d made it out of the catacombs alive were scattered around the cemetery, many of them pale faced and wide eyed from what they’d experienced within.

  “Good timing,” said the guard captain. “The raid is over. A few husks charged out a short while back. We suspect that was the last of them.”

  “I was told that you’re collapsing the catacombs?” asked Hal. “What if there are still militiamen down there?”

  “It can’t be helped,” said the captain. “There’s an evil down there greater than we can understand.”

  “Hold off a while,” said Hal. “Send a few more search parties down first. Trust me.”

  He expected the guard captain to question his authority, but the man gave a slow nod after a few seconds. Cadrian came up next to Hal and put her hand on his shoulder. She drew him in closer to her, almost protectively.

  “What happened down there?” she asked. “You faced the necromancer, but did he say anything to you? Before I arrived?”

  Hal smiled.

  “I’ll start sharing my secrets with you when you start trusting me with yours,” he said. “Fair enough?”

  Cadrian smiled. Hal leaned in closer and kissed her, tasting dirt on her lips, and not caring.

  Mysterious as always, Cadrian split off to tend to her own business, and Hal headed back to the guest lodge shortly after. Laurel had already saddled Toothy and Vrodas’s borrowed horse up outside, along with loading the wagon. She pulled Hal into a hug as soon as she saw him.

  “I was so worried,” she said. “I thought I made a mistake by not insisting that we leave immediately. I thought… it might have cost you your life.”

  “I’m made of tough stuff,” said Hal. “And the threat has been taken care of. We can stay in Meldence a while longer, if you have anything else you feel like you need to do here.”

  Laurel shook her head. She was smiling broadly enough to show her dimples, something that had been a rare sight during her time in court. Her scar was visible on her cheek, but it was almost as though she’d forgotten about it.

  “I want to go home, Hal,” she said. “As soon as we can. I’m tired.”

  “You have no idea what tired is,” said Hal, grinning back at her.

  They took lunch in the guest lounge with Yua, who fussed over Laurel and made her promise to keep in touch. Precia stopped by to wish her friend goodbye, and made Hal promise to take good care of her in the “wild outback of Fool’s Valley.”

  Cadrian arrived just as they were getting on their horses. She had a travel bag slung over shoulder, and had changed out of her dusty clothes into a tunic and tight leggings.

  “Coming with us?” asked Hal. “We wouldn’t mind the company.”

  She smiled and shook her head.

  “I have some things I need to take care of first,” she said. “But I will be back in Lorne before long. Are you interested in continuing your training, Hal?”

  Hal thought back to his time in the catacombs. He remembered fighting the Alpha Husk, and how close he’d been to reaching the next level beyond his Ruby Trance.

  “Absolutely,” he said.

  Cadrian nodded. “Good. I’ll see you both soon, then. Travel safe.”

  She headed off in the direction of the castle, which made Hal even more curious as to what her new secretive business consisted of. Laurel reached over and squeezed his hand.

  “Are you ready?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” said Hal. “Let’s go home.”

  CHAPTER 44

  Maxim Cedric spent more time thinking in his throne room than he did ruling. The chamber was large, and being alone in it always made him feel small, and his decisions seem inconsequential. It let him shake off some of the biases th
at normally influenced his choices and come to conclusions on his own, and that was exactly what he currently needed.

  A hesitant knock came at the door. Cedric had already given his guards their orders, and waited for only a couple of seconds before clearing his throat.

  “Enter,” he said.

  The wood double doors opened, and Lord Reyon Teymus entered the throne room. He was smiling, and walked with the confidence of a lord too young to understand the insignificance of his place in the world yet.

  “Milord,” said Lord Teymus, dropping down to one knee in front of the dais. Cedric gestured for him to stand, while simultaneously waving to his guards to close the door, leaving them alone.

  “Lord Teymus,” said Cedric. “I was not expecting you to request an audience again so soon.”

  “I was not expecting to need an audience with you again so soon, milord Maxim,” said Teymus.

  Maxim Cedric waited, watching the man with a cold, unreadable gaze. He noticed Lord Teymus struggling to master his emotions. The young man cleared his throat before continuing with words that had obviously been rehearsed.

  “It has come to my attention that the holding you recently sold to Lady Laurel Ancina might have a secondary claim to it,” said Lord Teymus. “I have my father’s scribe, Dannellius, look through our family’s historical archive of the region and it appears to have passed through several family lines which still exist. Including my own, most recently.”

  Cedric smiled. He knew Dannellius. He’d seen the man’s work in the past. His craft was not the typical work of a scribe or an archivist, but of a master forger. It was all but an open secret, only left unchecked due to the influence of Lord Teymus the Senior, who’d recently passed on.

  “And your point is…?” asked Cedric.

  “My point is that you should be aware,” said Lord Teymus. “I respect Lady Laurel’s purchase, but others may well press a claim against the valley, once they come into the knowledge of the land’s fertility and the dragon’s absence. Or they may even work their claim in other ways. Hiring bandits, or mercenaries, for example…”