Legends of Windemere: 03 - Family of the Tri-Rune

by Charles E Yallowitz

  Timoran puts Sari down and she quietly gathers her daggers. Her movements become an odd dance with several low bends and sudden leaps off furniture to reach the daggers in the ceiling. Throughout it all, she keeps an eye on Kayn, who is coddling his injured arm. With a final flip that sends her legs over her head, she scoops up the stiletto and curved dagger. The weapons disappear into her skirts before she plants her feet and delicately sits on the bed.

  “There are a few things that worry me, my one-armed friend,” Sari says, her hands folded in her lap. She levels a serious gaze at Kayn, who is uncomfortable with her expression. “You met a man who gave you a reflector blade and important information without a fight? There isn’t a scratch on you and your clothes are cleaner than when I last saw you. You were always skilled at seducing women, but you were never able to get what you wanted out of men without force. So, explain to me how this exchange played out. Please be aware that I cast a truth spell on you while I was dancing. You aren’t the only gypsy who can use magic to force honesty out of someone.”

  “I met the man along the eastern road as he traveled to Vorgabog,” Kayn explains, sitting on the dresser across from Sari. He removes his hand from his sword, but Timoran and Sari can see he is poised to grab it again if threatened. “He was a wandering warrior who joined the mercenaries to fight the krypters. I asked him about the sword and he told me he found it outside Haven. Apparently, I had wandered off without the sword, so he didn’t know it had an owner. He apologized and gave me back the reflector blade, which surprised me. I don’t believe he knew it was a reflector blade. It’s a possibility if he never encountered a spell while he wielded the sword. I wasn’t about to tell him the truth, so he returned it when I proved it was mine with a detailed drawing of it I made from memory. I know this blade down to the smallest nick and scuff mark, so he couldn’t deny my claim.”

  “That is still suspicious,” Timoran interrupts, startling the gypsies, who had forgotten about him. “I would be careful with that weapon. This man might have given it to you because it is trapped.”

  “I have to agree with Kayn,” Sari says with a polite smile to Timoran. “There’s no way to put a magical trap on a reflector blade. Even if you trap the sheath, the sword will undo the magic. It’s more likely that Kayn got lucky and this guy didn’t know about the weapon’s true power.”

  “Very well, but it still does not explain the information Kayn gained,” the barbarian contends. “What is this information and why would this man share it?”

  Kayn clears his throat and stares at an empty corner of the room, his eyes glassy and void of emotion. Sari cautiously watches him until she realizes what he must have done to get the information. Her stomach turns in disgust and she risks a glance at Timoran, who has a similar paleness to his face.

  “You tortured the man?” Sari asks, her voice shaky and low.

  “He claimed to know of the dangers that were waiting for you, but he refused to share his knowledge,” Kayn replies, continuing to look away from her. “I tried everything to get him to talk until I ran out of options. I did nothing that couldn’t be healed and I went for pain instead of permanent damage. My time in your enemy’s dungeons taught me how to do that, but I’m not proud of my skills. Sari, please believe that I did it to protect you and your friends.”

  “We believe you, but that does not mean we agree with your tactics,” Timoran states. He puts a hand on Sari’s shoulder and gestures toward Kayn. “I will trust you to handle this. He is your kin and you know him best.”

  “I hate decisions like this,” she grumbles, leaning forward and resting her chin on her fists. “I believe you, Kayn, even though I don’t like what you did. What do you want in return for this information? I assume you want something since you haven’t spit it out yet.”

  “I want to travel with you, so I can retrieve the rainbow shawl,” Kayn quickly says. He smiles at Sari, but he turns away when he sees the disgust in her eyes. “I promise to stay away from you for the entire trip. I’ll request a separate room.”

  “That implies you thought we would be sharing a room in the first place,” she angrily snaps at him.

  Kayn fumbles with his words before he can blurt out, “I did consider that, but was unable to catch my words.”

  “I don’t care where you sleep,” Sari declares. A cruel smile crosses her face as she watches her former lover practically deflate before her eyes. “I’ll be rooming with Luke and you won’t see much of us during the trip. Isn’t that what you wanted, Kayn? You wanted me in the arms of someone else and Luke finally stepped up to be a man. It’s too late for us.”

  “I understand,” he responds sadly. He slowly raises his head to the ceiling and takes a deep breath. “So, you no longer have any love in your heart for me?”

  Timoran groans when he notices Sari blushes and her legs shift nervously. He can tell Kayn has hit a nerve and her calm, stern façade is crumbling. Sari is back to being the emotional gypsy Timoran prefers over the vicious woman who throws daggers and hurtful words. He sits next to her, his big hand patting her on the head while he politely smiles at Kayn. The male gypsy nods his understanding, slipping off the dresser to kneel in front of Sari.

  “I love you to some extent,” Sari says before Kayn can speak. “Still, I can’t overlook the person you’ve become. You just admitted to torturing someone, which makes me wonder what you did to Conrad when I left you with him. I don’t want to know the truth of that. All I know is you’re not the man I loved with all my heart, but there’s always the chance he might return some day. So, I apologize for trying to hurt.”

  “I accept your apology and congratulate you on finding someone who loves you,” Kayn declares with his head bowed. “I promise to keep my distance, unless you wish to speak with me. Once we reach Visindor Forest, I will depart for the Caster Swamp where I will retrieve the rainbow shawl and return it to you. After that, you will only see me again if I defeat this darkness.”

  “Deal,” Sari responds, lifting Kayn’s face with her foot against his chin. “Let’s start with the shawl because I’m really curious about that.”

  “The shawl was under our noses the entire time,” Kayn explains, unbridled excitement in his voice. “The Lich we fought in the graveyard has it and he keeps a part of his soul inside it. If he’s destroyed then the shawl releases enough energy for him to rebuild his body. After he’s resurrected, the Lich recharges the shawl and hides it again. He’s currently keeping it with him because he can’t find a hiding place and he no longer trusts his allies. He fears they will take the shawl and use it to either destroy him or bind him completely to their will. The Lich is hiding in the Caster Swamp and preparing to attack a local military academy.”

  “I think I see where this is going,” Sari says, getting to her feet and pacing around the room. “The Lich is the gypsy who betrayed our clan by killing the matron and stealing the rainbow shawl. I remember hearing Kalam mention the Lich had come to him with no knowledge of spells, which was unheard of for his kind. They’re usually casters in life and retain their magic upon death, but this one knew nothing beyond the life draining spell he used on the matron. After training under Kalam, the Lich must have pledged his loyalty to the Baron to get more power and has been hunting down champions ever since. I can’t wait to tell Luke and Nyx about this.”

  Timoran clears his throat for attention. “If this is the case then Kayn should not go into the Caster Swamp alone. The Lich is a dangerous enemy and it sounds like he is getting desperate. You should wait at the academy and march with us, Kayn.”

  “That would be a bad idea,” Kayn politely insists, his dull green eyes filled with worry and tension. “The Lich expects all of you. I don’t know how he intends to lure you into the Caster Swamp, but he is ready with traps and monsters. He doesn’t expect me, so I can reach him and take the shawl without trouble. Besides, there are other dangers that should concern you.”

  “This isn’t going to brighten my day,” Sari g
roans as she grabs her boots from near the door.

  “Krypters have been spotted in the Caster Swamp,” he reveals. Sari freezes with one leg in the air, her boot barely covering her foot. “After his defeat, the Lich took the few surviving krypters with him. I assume it’s to handle Nyx, but the man said the Lich has learned how to make more of them. Within five days, he will have a small army of krypters, so you will need to convince the local forces to attack before then. You can imagine what adding krypters to the orc and giltris forces would do.”

  “He would be unstoppable until all the rulers of Ralian combined their forces into a single army,” Timoran responds, stroking his chin in thought. “Even then, it could be too late because his army would include the reanimated corpses of the defeated. At that point, the Nature Dragons would be the only ones capable of destroying him, which would bring ruin to most of the continent.”

  “It would be even worse if the Lich uses Weapon Dragons too,” Sari adds with a shiver of fear. “This is what champions are needed for. We’ll rally Selenia’s forces and attack within a day of arriving. Maybe we can get reinforcements from Gaia if we send a message ahead of time. I’m sure Nyx can contact her teachers while we’re on our way.”

  “Then we should leave immediately,” Timoran states. He leaps to his feet and slings his wooden trunk across his shoulders. He turns to Kayn and gives a small bow of his head. “Thank you for returning to help us.”

  Kayn nods back before the barbarian rushes to the door and runs ahead to share the new information with Luke and Nyx. Sari hurries to finish packing while Kayn patiently stands by the bed. Feeling awkward in the silence, he tries to speak to her several times, but her refusal to look at him cuts off his words. Finally, he builds enough courage to risk incurring Sari’s wrath again.

  “I’m happy that you-” he begins before Sari spins around and firmly grabs his lips.

  “I don’t want to hear it,” she says with a kind smile. She lets go of Kayn and wipes her hand on his shirt, exaggerating her disgust. “I’m packed, so it’s time for us to leave.”

  Without a word, Kayn leads the way into the hallway, trudging forward like a prisoner. Sari takes a final look around the room before whispering a tired goodbye to Hero’s Gate and closing the door.

  17

  It is an uneventful journey with Nyx spending most of the time talking to her mother through her necklace. Timoran enjoys the voyage discussing philosophy with Captain Higgs. The barbarian keeps a cautious eye on Kayn, who tries to help the sailors, but is repeatedly ordered to stay out of the way. For the first day, Luke and Sari stay in their room, which Nyx brings to their attention at the following breakfast. She makes such a loud and embarrassing scene they feel forced to join everyone above deck. Sari works to entertain the crew and make sure everyone is happy and relaxed. Many of the sailors point out that she bears an amazing resemblance to the blue-haired woman on the prow of their ship, which makes her feel even more at home. Unfortunately, Luke succumbs to his seasickness and spends most of the voyage draped over the side of the ship. Sari tries her best to ease his suffering, but she eventually gives up and improves her mood by randomly tricking Nyx with illusionary chairs that she falls through whenever she tries to sit. By the end of the trip, Nyx is paranoid of every piece of furniture, Luke is pale as a ghost, and Captain Higgs is glad to be rid of the rambunctious champions.

  Instead of stopping at a port, the heroes leave the Azure Goddess at a point where they have a half-day walk through Visindor Forest. The crew gathers to watch Nyx cast a wind spell and carry herself, Sari, and Kayn to the shore. All of them are surprised when Luke transforms and hunkers down to let Timoran climb on. The griffin screeches and grunts at Timoran’s weight, but a glint in the beast’s yellow eyes tells the barbarian that she is making a scene for attention. A solid kick to the ribs causes her to rear back in an attempt to send Timoran toppling onto the deck. Instead, the large warrior grabs her fur with enough strength to cause actual pain. The bickering continues, stopping when Nyx unleashes a flare that turns into an angry, demonic face. Within a minute, the griffin and Timoran are landing next to their friends and Kayn is saying his goodbyes. His eyes linger on Sari and Luke as he disappears into Visindor Forest.

  The four adventurers enjoy the calm walk to Hamilton Military Academy. It has been so long since any of them had any peace and quiet that they are barely willing to speak for the first half of the journey. The talking starts with Nyx, who tries to get Luke to tell her about her father. She eventually gives up when he tells her blatant lies. The conversations jump from questions about the academy and Selenia to sharing tales of their previous adventures. They are laughing and talking like old friends by the time they reach the edge of the open field surrounding the fort-like academy.

  “That is an impressive structure,” Timoran whispers, staring at the large wooden walls that hide most of the one-story buildings from sight. He shifts his trunk to his left shoulder, giving the right one a rest. “Will we be greeted at the door?”

  “I don’t know,” Luke answers, barely paying attention to his friends. He notices subtle differences to the school and runs a hand through his dirty blonde hair. “They have guards posted on the wall, so they’re going to see us coming. I think the wall is taller than the last time I was here. There’s a lot more security too.”

  “Things must be worse than we heard,” Sari suggests, waving to the guards when they stop patrolling the wall. “At least they know we’re here.”

  “They knew as soon as we reached the edge of the forest. They were waiting to see what we did,” Luke mentions as he leads them across the killing field. “Selenia prepares for everything when trouble is brewing. After the attack on the academy during my semester, she went looking for warriors to recruit as a special defense force. They would work as teachers or administrators until they were needed for battle. It looks like she found a good amount of recruits and added another floor to the teacher’s dorm for them.”

  “Where can I find my father?” Nyx asks, rushing in front of Luke and awkwardly walking backwards. She is glowing with anxiety and excitement, which gets the attention of the guards. “I don’t want to get trapped in any conversations or planning until I get to meet my father.”

  “It’s just after lunch, so Kevin will be in his office,” Luke answers, signaling to the guards that everything is fine. He reflexively cringes when he sees a familiar figure with a dull pink military haircut step out of the front gate. “Go to the central building, which is for indoor classes and administrative offices. In the lobby, you’ll find a desk and the door behind it leads to his office. Kevin is either doing paperwork or taking a nap.”

  Nyx spins around with the intention to sprint into the academy. She is stopped by Timoran sternly patting her on the head and smiling down at her. Rolling her eyes, Nyx silently agrees to behave. Her restraint fails as she walks a lot faster than her friends, forcing them to rush to keep up. Luke is a few feet behind Nyx by the time she reaches to the entrance where Selenia Hamilton is waiting. The headmistress has a cold expression on her face as she attempts to stare down the caster.

  “Out of my way!” Nyx shouts. She breaks into a run once she steps into the academy, knocking Selenia against the wall. The former mercenary is able to flip and push off the wall to gracefully land on her feet.

  “Who in Ram’s name was that?!” Selenia furiously asks, turning on Luke, who defensively holds up his hands.

  “That would be Nyx,” Luke answers with a charming grin that causes Selenia to gently smack him upside the head. “She’s a little excited about meeting her father for the first time since she thought he was dead. Just to warn you, she was a prodigal apprentice at Rainbow Tower, so you might not want to get her mad. I can’t believe I just told you not to do something.”

  “You’re telling me that girl is the daughter of Kevin and Tzefira. That explains the eyes and lack of manners,” Selenia says in mild amusement. “I can see the stories I heard about
your adventures are only the tip of the broadsword.”

  “Speaking of family, I had an interesting conversation with my grandfather about an a-” Luke begins to say, his words cut off by Selenia punching him in the stomach. He falls to his knees, gasping for air and coughing. “Never mind. It’s not important. It’s good to be back, Selenia. How are you doing?”

  “He still doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut,” Selenia mentions to Timoran and Sari, extending her hands to them. Timoran feels her iron grip while Sari barely notices the touch of the half-elf’s warm hand. “I’m Selenia Hamilton, the founder and headmistress of Hamilton Military Academy. It’s an honor to meet a wild warrior with the patience to work with this headache. Leave your trunk by the door and I’ll have a student bring it to a room for you. I’m going to reserve my honor toward a visiting gypsy until you’ve been here for a while. I have strict rules against stealing and encounters with students of the opposite sex.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me,” Sari declares with a playful smile. “I’m only sleeping with Luke and I only steal when I’m bored. My name is Sari.”

  Luke stays crouched on the ground as he hears the guards on the wall laugh and whistle at him. He can feel his cheeks flush and the feeling gets worse when he sees Selenia staring down at him. Her eyes shift from Luke to Sari and back again, a motion designed to make him feel even more embarrassed.

  “I am Timoran Wrath of the Snow Tiger Tribe,” the barbarian announces, hoping to change the topic. “I hear you are preparing for a great battle.”

  “You’re engaged to Kira and you pick a gypsy as your fling,” Selenia states, ignoring Timoran and shaking her head in amusement. “I knew you were reckless and foolish, Luke, but I thought that only pertained to combat. I didn’t think you would get your love life into such a tangled mess.”

  “Technically, I picked him. He finally gave up after Kira’s blessing, Nyx’s yelling, and a lot of fighting with me,” Sari explains, helping Luke to his feet and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “It really isn’t as complicated as you think. I’ve decided that he’ll go to Kira when he’s ready and I’ll move on.”