Kaiden was a knight, a member of the order of Niveren, sworn to defend the weak and to root out heresy. The order had been founded after the end of the bloody war of magic, a war that had seen the ruin of an empire.
Kaiden had been proud when he had finally been ordained as a knight at the age of twenty-five. Now four years later he found himself in the flea ridden dungeons of the Baron of Retbit, the ruthless warlord who laid claim to the throne. His mission had been relatively simple; the people of the county of Retbit had asked the Knights to intervene in a dispute between the baron and his eldest son over the rights to conquered territory. Murmurs were growing that the Barons eldest son was planning to overthrow his father. Unfortunately for Kaiden he had sided with the son and in his temper the baron locked him away in the stinking hole that passed for a dungeon. That had been three months ago with no release looking likely. Outside the war was raging.
He scratched himself, finding another flea and crushing it between his fingers. Several times he had tried to send a message to his brother knights at the preceptory, but every time the baron had found out and increased the jail sentence. Kaiden had eventually given up. At this rate he’d never get out of there.
He longed to breathe fresh air and bathe. To trim his itchy greasy beard and to make him-self feel like the man he once was, respected and feared in equal measure. If his fellow knights could see him now they would probably all collapse from laughter. He knew he was a good swordsman and was skilled in the ways of combat, but now it seemed obvious that he had to work on his powers of diplomacy.
The voices of the jailers broke into his thoughts as they came closer to his cell. They stopped outside. Being roughly manhandled and leered over by the two wicked men was a young woman. She looked no more than nineteen years old, her once golden hair was covered in filth and she looked as though she had been through a very tough time. Kaiden could appreciate that.
“Here Sir Knight, we’ve found you some company” laughed the fat bald jailor. His thick beard hid the menacing smile underneath, “A pretty little whore for you to play with. The other cells are full thanks to the Baron’s crack down on beggars” he cackled.
The skinnier jailor took a set of keys from his belt and unlocked the cell door and unceremoniously pushed the girl into the cell causing her to fall into the slop bucket in the centre of the tiny room. She clambered to her knees coughing and gagging at the smell. Kaiden watched her with interest, the fire in her eyes was mesmerising. She rounded on the jailors and tried to force her way past them, but the bigger man simply pushed her back to the ground. With a click the cell was locked and the two jailors walked away cackling to one another.
“Bastards!” screamed the girl.
“Let me out of here!” Another twenty minutes passed with the girl screaming obscenities at the jailors.
Finally Kaiden had had enough. “They won’t listen to you and where in god’s name did you come up with such foul words.”
The girl jumped only just noticing the chained knight on the far wall of the cell.
“You startled me. I didn’t know you were there…” she said nervously. She paused as she remembered what the jailors had said. A look of fear and doubt passed over her face. “I’m no whore so don’t you touch me.” She said defiantly.
The girl was attractive even though she was covered in mud and dirt. Her green eyes were mesmerising and the look of determination gave her a look of strength. Her golden hair fell to her shoulders, matted and knotted but nonetheless appealing. Her tunic was torn almost revealing her breasts. She covered herself as best as she could and held the torn material in place.
“What’s your name?” asked Kaiden.
The girl looked at him, curiosity and mistrust in her eyes.
“Alira”
“Well Alira, my name is Kaiden; I am a knight in the order of Niveren. I promise I won’t hurt you.”
Alira’s eyes went wide as he told her who he was. A look of respect showed in her eyes which were quickly replaced by suspicion.
“What is a knight of Niveren doing in a hole like this?”
Kaiden sighed and told her his story. Afterwards Alira laughed at the knight’s predicament and his foolishness.
“I never thought a knight could judge something so badly.” She said sarcastically. Kaiden scowled at her, embarrassed that this peasant girl thought him a fool.
“Well then what’s your story?” he asked brusquely.
She went to the cell door and checked to see that the jailers were nowhere in sight before she turned to him with a mischievous look in her eyes.
“I’m a mage,” she whispered.
Kaiden stared at the girl in disbelief.
“That’s impossible. A Mage hasn’t been seen in these parts for decades. They all went into hiding or fled to the Mage realm of Caldaria to the far north. And another thing... a mage would never let her-self be caught by the baron of Retbit.” He shuddered at the thought.
Alira looked at her feet.
“I’m not a very good one okay.” She admitted sadly. ‘My father died before he could teach me anything important, and I was sent to live with my grandmother when I was eleven. She hated magic and she hated me and all of what my father stood for and practised.”
Kaiden nodded his head in sympathy. He too had lost his father when he was young. Sir Fredrik of the Marble Shore had been killed in battle against one of the many warlords that threatened the peace of the kingdom. The Knights of Niveren and other orders were constantly fighting to remove them from the world.
“It’s a pity. I was hoping you were some mighty warlock and could make these gods damn chains remove themselves from my wrist.” Replied Kaiden jokingly.
“You’re a Knight of Niveren, your kind hunts us just as much as the others, and yet you joke.” Said the girl seriously.
An awkward silence followed but for the next two days and nights the two talked and told each other tales.
*
On the dawn of Kaiden’s fifth month of captivity the Baron of Retbit himself came to the cell. He was a dour looking man in his early fifties; his grey and balding head was covered in pox marks. He was a short man no more than five feet tall but nonetheless he gave off an imposing aura. Now as he stood before the cell of the knight who had dared favour his son he smiled evilly.
“I thought you would like to know sir knight that I have taken the castle at Rook’s peak. The siege was long and costly but finally my son is in chains. Just like you in fact.” He tittered mirthlessly. “So now that my quarrel with you is over I have decided to release you. Your imprisonment no longer amuses me and your fellow knights have begun sniffing about asking questions, a distraction I can ill afford whilst I press my advantage in the war.”
Kaiden stared at the Baron a mixture of relief and hatred coursed through him.
“You made a big mistake imprisoning me Baron. My brothers will not look kindly on what you did. You can be sure the council will take the castle back from you. After all a knight of Niveren’s decision is the law.” Kaiden growled back.
Alira was hiding behind Kaiden; the months of imprisonment had gone badly for her. The bastard jailors had treated her badly and the lack of food had made her gaunt and pale.
The baron snorted derisively. “We shall see knight. We shall see. Be assured that you have an enemy here in this county. If I hear of you setting foot here ever again I will cut off your balls and feed them to you.” He nodded to the jailors; warily they unlocked the chain holding Kaiden to the wall.
The months of his wrist being chained to the wall had left him weak and his muscles had wasted away, he rubbed at it trying to get the blood flowing once more. Fortunately it was his left wrist that had wasted and not his sword arm. Kaiden was about to leave when Alira whimpered stopping him in his tracks.
“What about the girl?” he asked.
“So the so called pure knight has taken a fancy to the little whore has he? Well you can have the little witch. Tell your
fellow knights that I am merciful.”
Kaiden scowled at the baron. ‘That was too easy’ he thought.
Alira clung to him and instantly his doubts evaporated. Once more he addressed the baron and he hoped it would be for the last time.
“Fair enough I will tell my brothers of your mercy and generosity.” The baron nodded silently and stepped aside as the knight and the whore limped past him. He stared at their backs as they were escorted out of the dungeon. When they were out of ear shot the baron gestured to his lieutenant.
“Make sure that whoreson doesn’t leave this county alive. The Knights must not find out about this. Kill him...but make sure the girl is unharmed.” He snarled.
*
After their release Kaiden and Alira made their way through the shit-covered streets of the city of Retbit the county’s capital.
“Thank you for not leaving me to rot back there.” Alira said finally breaking the awkward silence that had descended over the two. Kaiden looked at her and smiled.
“Think nothing of it, just doing my Knightly duty.” He said with a roguish smile. “First thing we have to do is get a horse and get the hell out of this cursed county. You can be sure that the Knights will not take the Baron’s actions lightly, I never believed that he would besiege that castle and cast his very own son in chains.” He said sadly. The entire situation was his fault, his poor attempt at trying to resolve the dispute had led the county to the brink of civil war.
It was dusk by the time the two reached the stable where Kaiden had paid for his horse to be looked after. He had paid the stable owner a large sum of gold to keep the animal safe and luckily for Kaiden they had kept their word, even after his long incarceration. The large warhorse whinnied as he spoke to it in calming tones. It was a black gelding and one of the finest breeds from the plains of Bison.
“She’s beautiful” exclaimed Alira excitedly. Kaiden paid the stable boy with the gold he recovered from the hiding spot beside the side of the road leading out of the town. It was always a precaution the knights took just in case of capture, after all they made for a valuable ransom prize.
Herald was the name of his horse and now it stood saddled and covered in the mantle of the Niveren. Its colour bright and clean in comparison, to his own messy and filth covered one. Kaiden helped lift Alira into the saddle; afterwards he rooted in the hay bale in Heralds pen.
“What are you doing?” enquired Alira.
“Aha! There you are my pretty” exclaimed Kaiden as he picked up his sword from its burial place. It had been carefully wrapped in a thick cloth to prevent it rusting and aside from some dirt it was in near perfect condition. The long broad blade was a thing of beauty with a small red diamond on the pommel.
“Hopefully we won’t need this, but I don’t trust that bastard Baron as far as I could throw him.” With that the two rode along the road out towards the priory of Niveren.
*
The two horsemen had waited patiently for hours. Boredom was setting in as they watched the dirt road for any sign of their prey. The Baron had been explicit with his instructions. The knight was to die and the girl was to be sent back to him as his prize. A Mage was worth a lot of ransom money and the market for mage slaves had increased tenfold during the past year. No one seemed to know why, and the slavers weren’t about to ask. Rumours had spread that things were happening in the lands beyond the borders of the kingdom.
Finally a lone horse came into view; a man and small woman were on its back. They were laughing and joking despite their haggard appearance.
The taller of the men pulled up his cloaks hood and drew his sword from its scabbard.
“We go now.” He snarled and with that he and his companion spurred their horses and galloped into the centre of the road. The knight slowed his horse and grasped the hilt of his own sword.
“Stay here.” Kaiden murmured to Alira who looked at the horsemen in fear. He dismounted and raised his arm to hail the two mysterious riders.
“Gentlemen” He began, “You seem to be blocking the road. My companion and I must continue on this route. As a knight of the Niveren I must insist you allow us to carry on our way.”
The two riders laughed at his insolence. “Let’s kill this arrogant bastard” Snarled the hooded man. His colleague nodded in agreement. They were hired killers, born and bred in the rough and dilapidated slums of Retbit, Thugs who did anything for coin. Killing a Knight meant no more to them than roughing up a family or burning down someone’s livelihood.
The riders spurred their horses and charged at Kaiden who had now drawn his sword. The hooded rider aimed his blade at the Knights head and with a battle cry swung it with all of his might.
Kaiden ducked at the last second and from his crouch rose to his feet and ripped his sword through the charging horses exposed flank. The blade cut deep and blood sprayed from the now wounded beast, its rider was sent flying to crash to the ground in a heap.
He spun about and saw the second rider charging at him. There was no way to avoid the arching swing of the man’s axe. He chided himself on his weakness; if he was at his peak he would’ve dispatched the two vagabonds with ease, but all of the months incarcerated had slowed his wits and weakened his body. He said a silent prayer and closed his eyes as the axe drew closer and closer and just as the blade would surely take his head from his body, there was a blast of sound and a strange sensation as all the hairs on his arms stood up.
He waited for a few seconds, disbelieving that he still lived and slowly opened his eyes. There in front of him where his attacker had been, was a smouldering pile of ash. Both rider and horse had been disintegrated. Gaping at the sight he jumped when he heard Alira gasping for air. The girl still sat on his horse, but her hair was standing up and frazzled. She was breathing rapidly, steam emanated from her hands.
“By the Gods, was that you?” Kaiden asked.
Alira simply nodded, tears streaming down her face.
“Taught nothing good my arse” Kaiden joked lamely. He hurried to her and held her as she sobbed.
“I killed him. I didn’t mean to kill him. I just wanted to scare him is all” Kaiden hugged her. He had never witnessed the power of magic before and all the doubts he had about the girl’s story evaporated as he held her.
“It’s alright love; those buggers would have killed us given the chance. I owe you my life.” He said gratefully.
Kaiden released her and jumped back down to the road. He kicked over the body of the hooded rider whose spine had been broken by his horse throwing him awkwardly onto the hard surface of the road. Reaching into the cloak he found a bag of silver coins and a small note with the seal of the baron of Retbit. Unsurprised Kaiden remounted his horse and after comforting Alira some more they began their journey once more.
***
4.
Sunguard
The palace remained a ruin. Even three years after the assassins had burnt it to the ground it stayed an empty blackened husk. Masonry continued to crumble, and during a large storm in the previous year the hall of kings had collapsed. An ancient structure that had survived for millennia was now just a heap of rubble.
It was a fitting place to announce a new king. A small crowd had gathered on the cliff top, ushered into place by soldiers of the legion.
General Rason smiled as the privy councillors were roughly thrown to the ground before him, their cries of protest quickly made silent by the pommels of soldiers swords connecting with their skulls.
Rason struck a powerful figure. His golden plate armour gave him an aura of invincibility as he stalked up and down the line of councillors. His grey tonsured hair was offset with a sharp pointed nose and his steel grey eyes belied a keen and savage intellect.
“For three years I have fought for you noble men,’ the general sneered at the pathetic bunch cowering at his feet. ‘ I led the remnants of the King’s legion through the blood and filth of the grasslands. I routed the Baron of Balnor at the battle of the Golden Hills
and what did I get for my troubles?’
The general faced the grim faced legionaries standing to attention behind the councillors and the crowd of cowering civilians. Legionaries were men who respected power, authority, but most of all they respected strong leadership. With the death of the king and with no heir the legion had turned on itself. The capital had almost ripped itself apart as cohort turned on cohort. The night of tears they called it, a night when twenty thousand men, women and children perished. The scars of that night were still evident in the city. Two whole districts remained wrecked, blood stains could still be seen on the streets, the rains having little impact at cleansing it away. The people would simply obey.
“I saved this city, I saved you. Foolishly I put my trust in you good men to restore order to safeguard the throne for one who was worthy.’ Rason spoke, his voice barely louder than a whisper. ‘Instead what did we get?” he asked his men.
“Lies! Weakness!” the legionaries shouted back in response.
Rason smiled wickedly.
“Yes my brothers that is exactly what we got. Instead of taking charge, of asserting your authority over the realm, you allowed it to be torn apart by the barons and their petty squabbles. Now we have six claimants all tearing Delfinnia apart, this is something...” His voice rose in volume until he shouted out, ‘This is something that I cannot allow!”
He put a boot on the neck of one of the terrified councillors. “Do none of you contest my judgement? That you are all sniffling cowards, that I am the only one who can bring order back to this realm, that only I can save Delfinnia?” he sneered. Only sobs and pitiful cries answered him.
He laughed, mocking their weakness.
“No one has courage to stop me? ‘He spoke disbelievingly. He was amazed at himself that he had been willing to follow their orders for so long. He was the last general willing to do what was necessary. If he did not force the realm to heel under his boot then Delfinnia would surely be lost.
Heir to the Sundered Crown (The Sundered Crown Saga) Page 3
