by Kel Kade
“Meanwhile, Ionius was also in negotiations with our own Dark Tidings. The council, already in hot water, voted in favor of Ionius’s proposal. The general, however, was incensed that he was not included in negotiations, and the Temple was angered that, for the most part, its stipulations were rejected. The council blames the Fishers for the whole debacle. The military has historically been opposed to the Fishers but has sided with them anyway, since it was they who revealed the plot to steal military funds. The general and the council both have concerns about the repercussions of Ionius’s treatment of Prince Nyan of Jerea. In addition, the general has been ordered to carry out the internment and sale of any Ashaiians found in Channería, which does not sit well with him, from what I hear.”
“What does this have to do with Princess Ilanet?” Tieran asked.
“I was getting to that,” Kai said with a huff. “Now, you have to understand that this information was not easy to get in such a short time, although some of it was discovered during other outings. I did not have the luxury of validation, and it is difficult to put together with such limitations. I only share it with you now because Rezkin gave us permission to do so once Princess Ilanet’s identity was revealed.” He paused with a look at Rezkin for confirmation and then continued. “There are rumors within the council that the Fishers are involved with someone called the Raven.”
Frisha exclaimed, “You mean the one that took over the thieves and assassins in Ashai?”
Kai paused. “You know of him?”
“Yes, he was in Justain when we were there. Uncle Marcum was concerned that he might also have been in Kaibain.”
“Was he now? Interesting,” Kai said with an almost imperceptible glance at Rezkin.
Tam said, “We were told not to talk about it, Frisha.”
Frisha rolled her eyes and waved at the striker. “It’s not like it’s a secret. They all know now.”
Kai glanced between the two and then said, “I admit I was a bit behind on those events, but Shezar and Roark filled me in on what they know. Anyway, it is said that the Fishers have been emboldened by apparent support from the Raven. I think, under normal circumstances, they would never align themselves with someone who so obviously lives contrary to their creed; but with the council cracking down on their activities, it seems the Fishers have decided to rally behind him.”
Rezkin had noticed Ilanet becoming more troubled by the moment, so it was no surprise when she finally spoke. “You are saying that the Fishers, the men and women who have fought against corruption for decades, now serve the Raven?”
Kai stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I did not get much information about that, but I doubt they actually serve him—more like they are using his reputation and influence to advance their cause.”
“That is a dangerous game,” said Xa. “If a man hides behind the shield of a demon, he had best be willing to serve when the demon calls.”
Kai grunted. “They are probably hoping he will not notice.”
Malcius glanced at Rezkin out of the corner of his eye and then turned back to Kai. “Then he was not in Serret?”
With a shrug, Kai said, “It seems doubtful. The other strikers told me that all the reports received prior to boarding in Skutton indicated he was moving west. We intercepted intelligence in Serret that appears to confirm this. In the past month, the Raven’s influence has spread from Vogn in the Southern Peninsula nearly to Zigharan’s End in the north. Of course, he cannot be everywhere that the reports claim, but he has been impossible to pin down. We believe members of his network, probably those from the Black Hall, are posing in his stead.”
“So he could have been in Serret,” Malcius said.
“I suppose,” Kai said with another glance at Rezkin, “but I see no reason for him to go there when he has been running a highly effective campaign in Ashai.”
“Why has it been so effective?” Ilanet asked.
Rezkin thought she was intentionally avoiding his gaze, but he could not tell if she did so to preserve his secret or because she was afraid—perhaps both.
“He is a mass murderer,” Tam interjected, and Ilanet looked at him with surprise.
Xa also considered the young man. He glanced at Rezkin with a blank expression. Rezkin noted the assassin’s interest but put the concern aside for the time being. Instead, he observed the anger and disgust on his friend’s face. It was the second time Tam had referred to him as such, and he did not care for it. He was conducting a war. People died in war. None of his victims had been innocent, and his standing orders protected the lives and property of those who were. Of course, no one on the ship knew of the changes he had made to the way the Ashaiian underworld conducted business. He hoped Tam would understand if he learned the truth. He turned his attention back to Kai who was explaining.
“He or his surrogates kill the opposition and spare anyone willing to serve. Criminals are, by nature, a selfish lot. It is rare that any are willing to put their own necks on the chopping block for loyalty’s sake. It seems most have realized it is in their best interest to serve the Raven. It was his acquisition of the Black Hall that solidified his dominion; though, I have no idea how he managed that.”
“You knew about this?” Malcius asked with a hard stare at Rezkin.
“Knew about what?” he asked.
“About the Fishers’ involvement in saving the princess and their possible connection to a notorious criminal overlord.”
Rezkin tilted his head. “The strikers informed me of their findings and subsequent conclusions. It is best for everyone that I not divulge how the princess came into my company. What does it matter anyway?”
“It matters because she might be somehow involved in a plot by the Raven! How do we know we can trust her? Or him, for that matter,” Malcius said, pointing at the man he knew as Lus. “Who knows what evil is behind the plot.”
“You think saving a princess’s life is an evil plot?” Rezkin asked.
Malcius said, “No, but he could be using it to his advantage.”
“Malcius makes sense, Rezkin,” Frisha said. “Saving someone without any strings attached does not sound like something the Raven would do.”
Xa grinned and looked at Rezkin as he said, “No, but it does sound like something the Fishers would do.”
“If it’s true, and the Raven is involved, then maybe he isn’t really evil,” Frisha said.
Everyone turned to her with questioning stares.
Startled by the sudden attention, she said, “What? From everything I’ve heard, the Raven has only attacked criminals. Maybe he’s like a rebel for justice—or something.”
Tam said, “He’s killed a lot of people, Frisha, and he didn’t just attack the criminal guilds. He claimed them as his own. Why are you always so eager to excuse killers?” Tam shut his mouth and glanced at Rezkin, who raised a brow in response.
Frisha flushed and scowled at Tam. “I’m just saying that we don’t know the whole story.”
Having allowed the striker to seed their minds with his erroneous deduction, Rezkin finally said, “Frisha is right. Not enough information has been recovered to reach a conclusion, and this kind of speculation leads only to inaccuracies that may continue to propagate until we forget they are not facts. Malcius’s concern about the motives behind the princess’s rescue is understandable given the extent of your conjecture, but considering that there is no conclusive evidence to prove that the Fishers or the Raven were involved, treating her or any of the passengers who boarded in Serret differently would be unjust and divisive. Based on my own knowledge of her rescue, I am reasonably confident that she currently poses little threat. Remember that Dark Tidings has accepted her as his ward, so she must be treated as a member of his family.”
“For how much longer must we keep up this charade?” Tieran asked. “It is confusing and makes things uncomfortable every time I speak with the other passengers.”
“I intend to make the revelation soon. I must do so in order
to carry out the next stages of my plan.”
Tieran looked at Rezkin for a long moment, and no one else seemed willing to breach the wall of silence that stood between them. Finally, he said, “If it were not for your plan, you would never reveal yourself, would you?”
“Why would I?” Rezkin asked.
Tieran scoffed. “Perhaps because you are king! It is a position of power and honor coveted by all.”
“All except by you and Thresson,” Rezkin said.
“I cannot imagine why anyone who knows what the position entails would want it,” Tieran said, “but if you are going to have the responsibility anyway, you might as well reap the benefits.”
Rezkin rose from his seat and stared down at Tieran. “You do not want the position because you already have power and wealth. Caydean is trying to take that away from you. Without me, the only way to preserve your family is for you to take the throne. Given the choice, would you rather bear the weight of the crown or die an exiled pauper whose entire family was executed?”
Tieran snapped his mouth shut and swallowed hard. “I am reminded that I am lucky you are here.”
Rezkin walked toward the door and paused beside his cousin. He leaned over and said, “Remember, Tieran, if anything happens to me, the task of liberating Ashai from a mad king is yours.”
Rezkin had not yet reached the door when it shook with a series of heavy thuds. Kai opened the portal to reveal Captain Estadd standing on the other side. Jimson followed the ship’s captain into the mess.
Estadd saluted and said, “Lord Rezkin, we have sighted land. We should be at Uthrel by dusk.”
“We are not going to Uthrel,” Rezkin stated.
Everyone looked at him in surprise.
Estadd cleared his throat and inquired, “My lord, did you not order us to sail to the Yeltin Isles?”
Rezkin nodded and replied, “I did, Captain, but we will not be disembarking in Uthrel. We go to Cael.”
Estadd said, “I knew that Dark Tidings had been granted dominion over the island, but Cael is deserted. Nothing is there! No people, no shelter! And, it is nearly impossible to make land since the entire island is surrounded by jagged rocks and cliffs.”
Rezkin stared at the captain as the man shifted uncomfortably.
“Ah, pardon me, my lord. I did not mean to question you, but—”
“I think you will find there is more to Cael than you believe,” Rezkin said. “We will make land in a cove on the northern side of the island. I will assist you in finding the place.”
“You have been there?” the captain asked skeptically.
“No, but I trust in the knowledge imparted to me,” Rezkin stated. “See to it, Captain.”
“Aye, my lord,” Captain Estadd replied with a formal salute.
After the captain left, Tieran asked, “What is so special about Cael?”
Rezkin tilted his head and contemplated his companions before answering. “On the island of Cael stands an ancient stronghold that predates modern civilization. The people who existed there were long departed when our forefathers crossed the mountains. At least, that is what the legends claim.”
“Legends?” Tieran asked, his gaze shifting over the other faces to observe an equal level of confusion.
“No one has actually seen the stronghold in recent history,” Rezkin replied. “Our knowledge of the place exists solely in the legends of these eastern regions, although I am sure Gendishen has spent no small amount of resources looking for the place.”
“What do you mean by ‘looking for the place’?” Tieran asked in alarm. “I thought you and the captain knew where it was!”
Rezkin nodded and said, “Like I said, it is supposed to be on Cael, the northernmost island of the Yeltin Isles, but no one has actually found the stronghold. The island is uninhabited as it is quite rocky, has no fresh water source, and is without decent land for farming and grazing. As the captain said, it also lacks a place to make landfall.”
“Except for this cove,” Jimson observed.
“Yes.”
Tieran shook his head and said, “I admit that my knowledge of geography is not great, but I happen to remember that the northern islands of the Yeltin Isles are very small. If such a fortress exists, surely the Gendishen found it long ago.”
“Yet, they have not. Some claim it never existed at all. I believe that not only does it exist, it can only be accessed from the cove,” Rezkin explained.
Malcius said, “If there is such a cove, someone must have found it already. As Tieran said, the island is not that big. You could probably sail around it in a few hours.”
“True,” Rezkin conceded. “I believe the reason no one has found it is because it is warded.”
Tieran scoffed. “I am sure the Gendishen have thought of that. Most naval ships have at least one mage on board.”
“Yes, but I do not believe they had sufficient Skills to detect the ward,” Rezkin replied.
Wesson said, “Rezkin, any mage can sense a ward.”
Rezkin shook his head. “I believe this ward is different. These were ancient people. We should not assume they used the same kind of magic or wards that are used today.”
“Okay, then how do you propose we find this cove?” Wesson asked. “If you are expecting me to be able to find it when all the other mages could not, I doubt we will be successful.”
“I think you underestimate yourself, Journeyman; but no, I was not expecting you to find the ward. I believe I may be able to find it. I have mastered the Skills of Mage Ward Detection and Circumvention and Potential Ward Manipulation.”
Kai said, “What are you talking about? There are no such Skills in the training.”
Rezkin shrugged. “There were in mine.”
Tieran said, “Rezkin, mundanes cannot detect wards. Only those with mage power can do so.”
“That is true,” Wesson added, “which is why I have always found it fascinating that you are not only able to detect and walk through wards, but you are also capable of sensing when people are using mage power. As a mundane, you should not be able to feel anything.”
“Are you sure you are not a mage?” Tieran asked with suspicion.
Rezkin shrugged and said, “I have been tested. Surely you or Wesson would be able to sense it if I were.”
Tieran looked to Wesson who shook his head and said, “No, I have never detected any mage power coming from him or anywhere around him, for that matter—except of course, from his enchanted items.”
“But, if he is my cousin, then he must be a mage,” Tieran argued.
“You are assuming he is your cousin on your mother’s side. It may be that the two of you are related on your father’s side,” Wesson replied.
“That is absurd,” Kai said. “He looks just like the royal family.”
The mage shook his head. “It is a conundrum, but we will not know for certain unless we have a blood sample willingly provided by someone of that line, and I doubt Caydean will be so accommodating.”
Rezkin said, “It does not matter at this point. Right now, I need to see if I can find this warded cove,”
Tam, Tieran, and Wesson followed on Rezkin’s heels as they emerged into the sunlight. The sky was clear and the breeze balmy. More than a month had passed since the fateful tournament, and summer’s stifling heat had waned. Rezkin returned to his quarters and donned the guise of Dark Tidings. As soon as he set foot on deck, he was greeted by Tam, who followed him to find Estadd at the helm discussing their plans with his first mate.
“Captain, how long until we reach the island?” Dark Tidings asked.
The captain turned and genuflected before answering, “The northern island is much closer than Uthrel. We should arrive within the hour.”
“Very good. Sail past the island and turn back to approach from the east. We will trail the northern coastline.”
“Aye, Your Majesty. What will we be looking for?” the captain asked.
“I will tell you when I see
it,” was Dark Tidings’s curt reply. The captain saluted, but his dark eyes held only doubt.
Rezkin turned to the mage at his side. “Journeyman, gather all of the mages and any others with talent on the deck.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Wesson said as he scurried away.
Ever since leaving Skutton, his friends had taken to calling him Your Majesty or King when he was dressed as Dark Tidings. They claimed his title only held weight so long as people respected it, and that respect had to start with those who were closest to him. Rezkin could not argue the point, but he still inwardly cringed every time.
Tam asked, “Your Majesty, would you like an update while we wait?”
Rezkin inwardly winced. He especially did not care for it when Tam or Frisha used the honorific. “Yes, Tam, please go ahead,” he replied.
Feeling somewhat useless, Tam had taken it upon himself to deliver regular reports and updates on the passengers and supplies. As such, people had begun going to the former carpenter’s apprentice whenever they had requests or sought an audience with Rezkin or Dark Tidings. Some had begun referring to Tam as the king’s seneschal in jest, but the humor seemed to have faded while the title remained. Rezkin figured that if he needed a seneschal, it might as well be Tam. The young man was decently educated, thanks to Frisha’s successful merchant father, and Rezkin trusted him as much as he could trust anyone.
“Okay,” Tam said as he rattled off lists from memory, since paper was a luxury in short supply. “The medical supplies are still sufficient, although Healer Jespia says we will need to resupply sometime in the next two weeks. Fresh water is still not a problem due to the desalination efforts of the water mages, which also provides us with an abundant supply of salt. Food is an issue, though. People tire of fish and seaweed,” Tam said with disgust, “but the beans and potatoes are running low. Lord Tieran’s little garden project doesn’t provide enough for everyone.”
Rezkin nodded as he maintained focus on the passing island. Bilior had not been as helpful as he had hoped in deciphering the puzzle of the island. It turned out the ancient fae had never actually been there. The creature was confident, though, that Rezkin possessed the Skills he needed to breach the wards. Since the katerghen was so powerful, Rezkin wondered why the creature did not use his own talent to get them through.
