He licked his lips in anticipation of a hot meal and hopefully a nice comfy bed. The past few days had passed without incident but the going had been slow as they encountered desperate folk fleeing the war and had more than once had to cross country to avoid bandits and bands of marauding soldiers.
Luckily Ferran had known the countryside well, and at night he had led them to rune stones to stave off any of the fell beasts.
“Refugees from the East and North east most like,” Kaiden said as he reigned in his horse. He held a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun’s glare. “There should be a Knight of Niveren outpost here. I will ride ahead and see if I can make contact. It would be useful to learn the news of the land before we venture forth.”
Ferran nodded in agreement.
“Be my guest sir knight, more knowledge couldn’t do us any harm. We will meet you inside the Sundial Arms. I for one could do with a bath and a warm meal,” the Nightblade said cheerfully. It was the first time Luxon had seen the man smile. The hardness of his stern slender face slipped away and he saw kindness in his dark eyes.
The others cheered the Nightblade’s words before heading off after the Knight and into the bustling Sundial.
*
The Sundial lived up to its reputation. Entering the huge tavern the riotous sounds of drunks laughing, bards playing and people yelling was like a wall of noise. Ferran led the way through the crowds of people. Luxon had never been anywhere so loud or so busy, not even Caldaria’s market got as chaotic as the Sundial tavern. They shouldered their way to a large oak reception desk behind which sat a very thin and flustered looking man. Alira stayed close to Luxon her delicate hands holding tightly to his cloak.
“I swear! More guests I presume!” the thin man cried despairingly and throwing his hands in the air theatrically. “I’ll tell you lot what I told the last hundred or so poor sods, there is no more room at the Sundial tavern!”
Ferran glared at the man causing him to shift uncomfortably. The Night blade leaned on the desk and gestured for the taverns owner to come closer.
“We have been on the road for over a week. We need food, a place to bathe and a place to sleep...’ he whispered into the man’s ear.
“I am sorry sir but as you can see we are overwhelmed. Refugees from Eclin and the mountain lands have swamped us, not to mention all the soldiers, and then...” the man was cut short as Ferran’s hand snapped outward and grabbed him by his collar. The thin man squeaked.
“I am a Nightblade,” the tavern owner’s eyes widened as he spotted the Tourmaline sword on Ferran’s belt. “I am tired, as are my companions. I’m sure you don’t want to anger me...I may turn you into something unpleasant.”
The tavern owner went visibly pale.
“P...p...please don’t turn me into anything unnatural!” he cried. “There is a room...just become available it is on the tenth floor, far chamber...it has a bathroom and everything sir! Here take the key!” Ferran loosened his grip to allow the terrified tavern owner to pull a key from inside his tunic. Ferran smiled.
“That will do nicely. Thank you,” He smirked.
*
The room was huge. It was obviously the tavern keepers own private rooms. A fine velvet couch was surrounding by other opulently decorated chairs and the walls were a rich red complete with ornate gold trim. A rug made of a snow bears hide lay in front of a large fireplace which was roaring and heating the room.
Yepert lay on one of the couches stuffing his face with fruit from a bowl sat on a small wooden table. Alira sat in front of the fire brushing her long blonde hair. Luxon meanwhile was sat looking out of the large glass window which overlooked the taverns large courtyard.
“I can’t believe how good that bath was,” Alira sighed happily.
Luxon chuckled as he heard the happy singing of Ferran who was at that moment scrubbing his back in the next room’s large bathtub. “Who’d of thought a Nightblade would enjoy baths so much?” Alira laughed.
“You knew him before all this didn’t you Sophia?” Luxon asked turning to face the witch hunter who was lazing on another couch. She had taken off her armour and now wore a simple white tunic and long brown cotton trousers; her hair was still damp from her own dip in the tub.
“Yes...I knew him...There isn’t much to tell,” Sophia replied quietly, pain evident in her voice. She sat up and walked closer to the fire. “Changing the subject... but where did Kaiden get to? He’s been gone a good hour and the sun is setting.”
“Oh yes...I forgot all about him...” Alira said sheepishly. “I was enjoying the bath too much.”
*
Kaiden was hiding. From his hiding place behind a bale of hay he could see the crimson cloaked figures stalking along the stables. The smell of horse dung and straw was almost overwhelming. The Sundial’s stables were able to house over two hundred horses and every stall was occupied. He had come to feed Herald after he had made contact with one of his brother knights. The horse was stood nearby happily munching on some sugar cubes that he’d bought from a scrawny old pedlar in the tavern’s courtyard.
He hadn’t been in the stables long before he had heard the rickety wooden door slide open. Slowly and methodically the Crimson Blade Assassins had gone from stall to stall with familiar looking daggers in their hands.
He edged further back into Herald’s stall, hoping that the shadows would hide him.
“Good day sir...oh my...nooo!”
A petrified cry came from a stall further down the row. The woman’s voice cut short as the assassins slit her throat. Kaiden wracked his brain. The woman had been one of the Sundials stable staff. He whispered a prayer for the woman’s soul.
He went still as one of the robed killers stopped at Herald’s pen. Slowly the door swung open. Kaiden held his breath. What were they doing here? Were they looking for him and his companions? His worries were confirmed when he saw another assassin enter the pen.
“That is the knight’s horse. It matches the description. They are here,” said the killer. The voice was strange, otherworldly, like an echo that carried on for too long.
“All we need is the information the Knight carries...refrain from killing him and his companions, the mistress wants them alive.” rasped the other assassin.
Kaiden itched to draw his sword and to get some payback for what they had done to him in Caldaria, but with six against one he didn’t favour those odds. He stayed still. So far the bales of hay and the shadows kept him hidden. The letter tucked away in his mantle felt heavy.
“The other knight knew nothing...” whispered the killer who had first entered the pen. His black gloved hands ran absently over Herald’s flank causing the horse to snort and stamp its feet. The animal’s eyes were wide with fear as it smelt the blood oozing from the corpse in the nearby stall. The other horses were also beginning to panic. Whinnies and snorts grew louder, some of the animals banged against their pens doors.
Kaiden sighed in relief. The racket that the panicked horses were making would surely draw attention.
“Hello. What’s going on in here?” called someone from outside. Other voices joined the first as the horses owners came to check on the disturbance. The assassins stopped their searching before silently slipping out of the pen. The stables main door slide open. A dozen men armed with clubs and flaming torches entered the stable.
“There’s a body in here!” someone cried.
Kaiden let a breath that he didn’t realise he was holding. The assassins had somehow vanished. He stood and placed a calming hand on Herald’s nose. He had to warn the others that they were being followed.
***
22.
Caldaria
Grandmaster Thanos was in his study reading when a knock at his study door disturbed him. Irritably he closed the tome and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Ever since Luxon and the others had departed the mage city he had been troubled by nightmares.
Visions of great battles and of monsters plagued him and all the while the
sight of seeing Caldaria aflame burned into his mind. He couldn’t help but feel as though he had missed something and he was sure the N’gist was involved.
Despite his weariness he had poured through the tomes in the great library desperate to find any clue as to where the amulets that had almost brought the mages low could have come from. He’d recruited over a dozen apprentices to assist him, but all had so far come up empty handed.
He waved a hand at the door and muttered a simple spell. The door swung open. Standing in the doorway was Master Dufran. The man’s normally bright green eyes were dull and ringed. He like the other masters had all been suffering nightmares as well.
“What is it Dufran?” Thanos asked tiredly. He stretched his limbs. He felt old.
Dufran rubbed his bald head.
“I have some disturbing news Grandmaster. It appears something has been stolen from the artefact vault in the Grand tower.”
Thanos stood up quickly.
“Impossible, those vaults are magically sealed. Only I and the other masters can open it. What was stolen?” He demanded. A worm of dread tightened in his gut. He knew something was not right. He had felt it since the Baron of Redbit’s raid.
Dufran entered the chamber a look of disbelief on his wise face.
“The staff of Aljeron is missing,” Dufran answered.
Thanos took a step backwards to lean heavily against his crystal desk. His mind whirled. Impossible!
“The staff of the void...Do you realise the damage someone could do with that staff. If someone were to use it...they could open a rift to the void!” Thanos cried.
“The staff of the first wizard had been sealed behind four magical barriers and encased in an enchanted chest. It would have taken someone with immense power to breach those defences. None of the masters would do such a thing, they realise the dangers,” Dufran explained.
“The attack by the baron... it was all a diversion. A distraction to allow someone to steal the staff,” Thanos whispered as the realisation came to him that they had all been played for fools.
“Even the Baron of Retbit would not be so foolish as to use something so dangerous,” Dufran said dismissively.
“No. I don’t think the baron knew of this...I could see it in his eyes that he genuinely believed that he was here to force us into helping him in the war...no, something else is behind all this. The nightmares I have been having. They make sense now. The monsters I have seen in my mind are from the void...’ he paused and looked at Dufran in horror. “Someone intends to unleash the void upon the world...Perhaps even set Vectrix free.”
“There are worse things than Vectrix in the void...” Dufran muttered.
***
23.
The Sundial was behind them as they galloped as fast as they could away from the danger. They had let their guard down and now they were the prey of the realm’s most vicious killers. After Kaiden burst into the room to tell them of his run in with the assassins, Ferran had wasted no time in ordering them to move on.
Kaiden’s contact at the knights of Niveren outpost was found with his throat cut, the outpost itself had been ransacked. Now they were heading east at speed on the Balnor road. Such was their haste that the Nightblade had ordered them to press on without the protection of the rune stones.
Luxon was exhausted. For three days and nights they had rode without much rest, too scared to stay still for long. Now the darkness of the night had come again with only the feint reflected glow of Esperia’s three moons lighting the way. Thick forest was on either side of the road and the sounds of night creatures broke the silence. The others were all feeling weary. Yepert was asleep in his saddle and even Ferran looked bleary eyed.
Alira meanwhile looked fresh faced and alert.
“How far to Tentiv?” Luxon asked.
Sophia who was riding next to him put a finger to her lips.
“We must be quiet. These woods are not safe.’ She whispered. ‘The road to Tentiv is not far, we should come across it by the morning. The Fallen Wood is...” she paused as Ferran stopped his horse. The Nightblade was at the front of the group his hand was in the air to signal the halt. Kaiden reached over and poked Yepert softly, stirring the boy from his slumber.
Luxon listened. The sounds of life had ceased. No owls hooted and no crickets chirped. Even the trees themselves seemed to have resorted to holding their breath in anticipation of something.
A twig snapped in the undergrowth to his right causing him to turn his head and stare into the foliage. He narrowed his eyes to try and see, cursing the feint moonlight.
He almost cried out as he saw shadows darting through the undergrowth. He hoped it was some boar like they had seen earlier in their journey and not some fell beast.
He looked at Ferran as the Nightblade slowly drew his Tourmaline sword. Kaiden too unsheathed his blade and Sophia carefully unslung her bow and notched an arrow.
“Get behind me,” Kaiden said to Alira and Yepert, his sword held aloft in an enguard stance. The long steel blade was angled towards the ground ready to deflect any sudden strikes from the trees. Luxon drew the knife from his cloak, his hands sweaty with expectation.
The scurrying figures had multiplied in number and now he could even smell the creatures. Small white dots glared out of the dark forest giving away their position. Luxon gulped as he realised the dots were eyes reflecting the dull moonlight. The whole forest seemed to be full of them.
A tense silence descended upon the group as they held their breaths. The scurrying noise continued and with horror Luxon realised that they were being surrounded. He turned around slowly to face the opposite tree line, fearful that any sudden movement would set off whatever was hiding amongst the trees. He stifled a cry as he saw hundreds of eyes glinting back at him.
Suddenly and without warning the tree line exploded outwards in a foray of twigs, leaves and mud as the creatures charged out of the trees with a frightening high pitched roar.
With a whiny Luxon’s pony reared throwing him to the floor.
Dazed he could see that the others had tumbled from their mounts. All save Yepert who was yelling with fear and Kaiden who leapt from the saddle. Ferran staggered to his feet just in time to parry an attack.
The first Puck ran straight at Luxon, its short brown body was covered in long sharp black hairs, its eyes were small white dots and its mouth was opened wide to reveal a set of vicious looking teeth. In its clawed hand was a primitive spear which it now pointed at Luxon’s chest.
Without thinking Luxon dove to the side, the spear point missing his heart by mere inches. He fell heavily onto the road, rolling onto his side as the Puck thrust its spear down where he had fallen. All around him the road had erupted into chaos.
Ferran was hacking and slashing wildly, the glow of his magic sword illuminating the night as it cleaved through the horde of Pucks. At his side was Kaiden who was also swinging his blade with a skill and precision that only a lifetime of training could allow. He took in the scene in a split of a second before he turned his attention back to the snarling Puck which paced towards him.
Luxon lashed out with the knife causing the goblin like creature to snarl derisively. With its spear it batted the knife out of his hand, sending it wheeling away into the dark. Panic threatened to overwhelm him. All around the Pucks swarmed, only the swords of the Nightblade and Knight keeping Yepert and Alira safe. There was no one to help him. The Puck leapt into the air its spear held high and ready to kill.
Luxon shut his eyes in anticipation of the blow.
It never came.
The Puck crashed to the ground an arrow lodged in its brain. Luxon spun to see Sophia standing behind him. The witch hunter grabbed his hand and hurried him between the terrified horses and ponies.
“Stay with the animals. We cannot afford these beasts to eat our only forms of transport!” she yelled over the screams and chaos. She put another arrow on the bowstring and loosed it into the ever building crowd of monsters.
<
br /> Yepert was shouting at the monsters. If a Puck drew too close he lashed out with his own knife or lobbed a magical ball of fire at them. Three crispy corpses lay at the boy’s feet. Luxon had never seen his friend so determined, so courageous in the face of danger.
“Get the horses out of here!” yelled Feran. Even with his magic and Tourmaline blade the Nightblade was being overrun. He slashed his sword left and right cleaving several Pucks asunder before using a telekinetic blast to send a dozen more flying backwards into the trees.
Kaiden parried a spear thrust before kicking his attacker in the face. His sword whirled as he rotated his wrists and thrust downwards with a mighty blow that cut the attacking Puck in half. A cut in his side had turned his white mantle red but the knight ignored the pain. He calmed Herald and urged Yepert and the others to do the same before spurring the warhorse with a kick of his heels.
Alira screamed as a dozen Pucks swarmed over her pony. Luxon watched as a puck leapt at her. It snarled and snapped its jaws but did not strike.
Alira stared at the creature, her lips moved and then the Puck turned away to join its friends in devouring her pony.
‘What the?’ Luxon thought.
The pony’s piteous whinnies of terror were cut short as a Puck ripped the animal’s throat out with its vicious teeth. Yepert grabbed the terrified girls hand before climbing into the saddle of his mount.
Luxon also ran to his pony and clambered into the saddle. Sophia continued to shoot arrow after arrow to hold the Pucks at bay. Yepert had mounted his pony and galloped after the Knight, Alira sat behind him her hands wrapped tightly about his waist. Luxon waited until he was sure that his friend had escaped before spurring his own mount into action.
The night whizzed past at speed as his pony galloped as fast as it could. The dark of the night made it difficult to see. All around him he could hear the sounds of the Pucks. The trees whipped by and in the dark depths of the forest he could see thousands of white eyes watching him ride. He glanced behind him to see Sophia and Ferran on their horses riding hard to catch up with the others.
Heir to the Sundered Crown (The Sundered Crown Saga) Page 15
