Traitors (The Traitor King Saga Book 1)

by A. M. Hickman

  “The first thing you must understand is that survival is determined by how much suffering you cause others. If you are unnoticeable, most will leave you alone. But, others may see that as an opportunity to cause you grief. Ava and I actually lived not too far away from those alleys we just passed, keeping our heads low and getting a coin any way we knew how. Your mother had this uncanny way of reading people; it was as if she could see into their very hearts. Where most people would turn two young women away, she could convince them to take us in and pay for our services.”

  “What kind of services?” Blaze interrupted, afraid of what the answer was.

  Eve smiled, “We were middlemen, or rather, middlewomen. We would go to a merchant, get to know his business, and then he would pay us a minute cut of any business we brought him. It wasn’t much, but we could afford a room most of the time and enough food to keep us going. We got to know the business of Eclamai very well, and soon, a benefactor recognized our value. Taking us in and caring for us with a luxury neither of us could have begun to imagine, he proposed to pay us a queenly amount to simply keep doing our business, only we would report to him all the information we gathered.”

  Blaze’s heart pounded in excitement at her mother’s story. “So, essentially, you were spies? Who has ever heard of a woman obtaining such a status?”

  “Well dear, if they’re good, you’ll never hear about it. And you’d be surprised how many there actually are.”

  “Are you still working for...what was his name? The benefactor? And what is his business?”

  “So many questions!” Eve commented with a chuckle. “Keep this up, and I may just have to introduce you to him. I bet you’d be invaluable to his business.”

  Blaze’s pride fluttered, and she loved the idea of working where her mother used to. For a moment, her imagination led her to an elderly man with smart, caring eyes and a clever smile welcoming her to take her mother’s place. She could work for local pubs and collect the latest gossip for him.

  But then, Urlificans frequented the pubs more often than most. Disappointment deflated that dream. “I don’t think my working for him would help his business, especially if Urlificans are involved.”

  “Do you think Ava and I were completely innocent?” Eve asked. “He knows that those with our skills often come with unresolved pasts. And, he is good at making those pasts disappear. He can make you free, my dear.”

  “I’d like that,” Blaze quietly admitted, ashamed that she said it out loud.

  They turned off of the main path to travel down a small trail. Blaze would have missed it had Eve not been there to direct her. Flickering in the lantern light, silent shadows hung from the leafy limbs that enclosed them into a woody tunnel. Their footsteps were the only sound made, and chills began to make her back twitch. Familiarity slowly crept onto Blaze as she realized that her parents’ farm was on the other end of the trail.

  “Do you know where we are, dear?” Eve asked with a sympathetic tone.

  Blaze nodded. “If he is still standing, Dyy always let me know that we were almost home.”

  “Dyy?” Eve questioned, and Blaze could almost hear her eyebrow raise.

  “That’s what I named him, well a tree, when I was little, after the first Diakono, Dyyeldad.” Her voice caught, and she dared not trust herself to say more. Dyyeldad had been her mother’s favorite story. Eve let the silence continue as Blaze prepared herself for what lay ahead.

  Sure enough, after walking around a bend, a giant oak tree presented itself in front of them, the trail splitting to either side of the living sentry like a river splits for a boulder. The lower limbs were as thick as younger trees. Due to their size, these limbs grew horizontally, but after about ten feet, they curved to reach for the sky. This gave the tree a goblet-like appearance, completed by the fledgling leaves showing the size of the oak. Thick roots riddled the ground in an equal diameter as it’s canopy, and those roots converged to a trunk as wide as Blaze’s arm span.

  Besides its size, what gave Dyy significant meaning was the large rock that had been partially enveloped and raised to head height by the trunk. On that rock, her father had carved a face, and she named the tree Dyy.

  Handing the reigns to Eve, Blaze slowly walked toward the tree and noticed how time had worn most of the face away. A deep gash also mutilated the face, as if someone had taken an ax to it. Reverently touching the stone, she could still feel small divots where the ever-watchful eyes had once been. Tears softened her vision.

  “Blaze? Are you alright?” Eve called from the trail.

  Blaze breathed in deeply, urged her tears away, and turned back to her aunt and Nathan. The captain had slept the whole way, and she remembered her concern of his injuries. She also started to feel her own weariness from the evening’s physical and emotional events. Smiling, she grabbed Lily’s reigns and walked around Dyy. “We should probably hurry, I need to take care of Nathan, and I’m sure you could use some rest.”

  “How courteous,” Eve said with amusement. “But I’m an old woman with an uncertain amount of mooncycles left. I’m not letting you out of my sight so as to savor every moment.” They shared a smile and continued the rest of the way in silence.

  She froze with captured breath as they left the woods for a small field. The field was dark, but her mind’s eye helped her see the quaint two-story cottage with a thatched roof, built by her great-grandfather and passed down to her father. Smoke should have been coming from the chimney, offering an early welcome to her mother’s famous stew, at least famous among their friends. And the laughter of guests would ring out, for no one was turned away from her parents’ home. Cattle should be lowing and grazing while Satin and Spook whinnied to each other in the barn.

  “Do you need help getting him into the house?” Eve asked, breaking Blaze from her revery.

  “If you could go prepare a bed in the living room, I don’t think he could handle the stairs right now. I can get him to the house from the barn. The walk will be good for his breathing.”

  The barn. Blaze glanced over to the slightly sagging structure with hesitation. That was where her childhood had ended.

  Eve smiled with empathy. “Are you sure you want to go alone?”

  Blaze locked her emotions away with the ease of a habit. This was not the moment to lose herself to bad memories. “Thanks, but I won’t be alone.” She smiled and patted Lily’s neck. Eve set out to the cabin while Blaze lead Lily to the barn with the lantern.

  As she approached the barn, it looked more like an old, worn building instead of the well cared-for barn of her father’s. Opening with protest, the doors should have released the scent of Satin and Spook, of oats, leather, and cedar. But instead, the still scent of old hay, rotting wood, and mildewed earth greeted her. The barn was a lifeless, decomposing remnant of what once was.

  Closing the doors behind Lily, Blaze hung the lantern on a peg and turned to see Nathan wide awake and staring at her. “Blaze, where are we?” His voice was an octave lower with dread.

  She looked at him questioningly, “We’re at my parents’ house, where Eve lives. Don’t you remember?”

  Lantern light made the whites of his eyes glow as horror flashed across his face. “But I couldn’t stop it,” he whispered. “Blaze, your aunt isn’t who she says she is. We’re in grave danger! Theoverus said...”

  Blaze cringed, “Theoverus? What does he...”

  “No!” Nathan ordered with a raised hand. Blaze was shocked silent; this wasn’t the carefree Nathan she knew. He winced and cradled his side but continued looking Blaze straight in the eye. “I’d have never agreed ta come way out here. I’ve friends at the market we could’ve stayed with if we were in danger. No, Theoverus warned me that...well, we don’t have time. He just told me ta tell you this: you always have a choice.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” she spat. “And how dare you accuse my aunt of...”

  “Blaze?” Eve’s voice came. “Is everything alright? Why don’
t you come out?” Blaze picked up the strain in her voice, the slight fear that hadn’t shown in her aunt’s voice before.

  Something was wrong.

  Blaze and Nathan shared a glance. “Get on Lily,” he whispered. “They won’t expect us ta ride off.” Blaze walked over to Lily’s saddle and drew Pain. Nathan grabbed her wrist. Before she could protest, he reminded her, “You always have a choice,” and let go.

  “I choose not to ride away from family again.” She walked toward the doors. “But, Nathan, you’re in no condition to fight, so ride to the woods as soon as you can. We’ll meet you at a barn two miles south of here.”

  “Blaze?” came Eve’s voice again.

  With a mighty heave, Blaze threw open the barn doors and rushed out, gripping Pain and merging with the weapon. The first two Urlificans were down before the surprised shouts of twenty bombarded her ears. Three more Urlificans rushed her. Torch light glittered off of the silver blades as they whistled through the air. Whirling and blocking, slashing and dodging, she felt the raw power of Pain and knew that not one of these men could match her. Three Urlificans had burst from the barn with her father; in his memory, she struck down the three attacking her.

  Dead or severely injured Urlificans began littering the ground. The more she fought, the more the memories of that night threatened to overwhelm her. Tears of anger blurred her surroundings into an onslaught of red, but she fought on, defeating the blood red army that had rained down upon her family for far too long. This was the moment when she would prove to that kaffing king his mistake. This was when she would start making him pay for what he took from her.

  Men shouted and fell all around her. At some point, she heard a horse retreating. Looking to her left, Blaze made out the pale form of Lily retreating to the woods; three other Urlificans rode after her.

  Suddenly, a red sword swung into hers with such a force that Pain was nearly thrown from her grasp. The reverberation shocked through her body, causing her balance to falter. She followed the attack’s progression and rolled to the left, regaining her feet and momentum to block her assailant’s second attack.

  All seemed to stand still as she recognized the Urlifican dressed in the Grand General black: Makavel. Short, dark hair circled along the sides of his head, growing down his round face into the strictly trimmed beard housing his thin mouth. This left the pale skin from his pinched nose to his bald, ridged head striking in the torch light. A forehead fit for bludgeoning rested upon flat, heavy eyebrows, which weighed down his calculating blue eyes. His pointed ears shifted upwards as perfectly white teeth flashed at her, and he stepped forward with another attack; a rumbling laugh filled her ears.

  The man was slightly shorter than Obrae, but what he lacked in height, he made up for in force. Blaze raise Pain to keep his red sword from slicing down her body, and as the two metals met, they screamed. Pain vibrated violently in her grasped, and Blaze gripped the handle with all of her might to keep her death at bay. Makavel leaned into his sword, and his blade seemed to glow even more red. “Impressive, but how are you against other tactics?” he asked in a calm, amused voice.

  The screech of the collided swords made Blaze want to rip her ears off. Tears smarted her eyes in response to the agony that was being sent from Pain into her body. Physical pain wasn’t the only thing coursing through her; guilt, rage, and fear blinded her mind. She should have done something to save her parents. Why did Ava choose her husband instead of daughter? She shouldn’t have screamed, perhaps Tray would still be alive. Why did those kaffing Traitors have to meet? They were the cause of all her problems.

  Blaze gritted her teeth as she tried to fight off both his physical and mental attacks. Urlifec, he was the cause of her problems. He was the cause of her pain.

  But, with guilt, Blaze had a sliver of a thought. What if the Traitors were the problem? If her parents weren’t Traitors, wouldn’t they still be alive? What about Tray, Jonathan, Obrae?

  Her legs and arms screamed for respite and threatened to collapse under the Grand General’s attack. Makavel chuckled. “If this is your best, then I am vastly disappointed. How you killed my men is beyond me. But, I suppose even the weakest of fighters can get lucky.”

  A chill ran through Blaze as a memory surfaced.

  The Grand General’s eyes filled with glee. “Now, die!” Faster than humanly possible, he reached with his left hand and drew a dagger from his belt. Like a snake, he moved to strike at Blaze’s chest with precision.

  But, she wasn’t there. The slight moment where he released his left hand lightened his push upon her. As with Kent, she dropped down and used her sword as a shield while running under his blade to his right flank. His dagger sliced through her shoulder, but Blaze ignored the pain. Sprinting as fast as she could, she ran to the barn and abruptly turned, planting her feet and holding the sword at the ready.

  Makavel didn’t pursued her in ernest; he sauntered toward her with his sword propped upon a shoulder and a sneer darkening his face. The red tunics of Urlificans formed a large semi-circle, giving their leader an arena for his fight. She was trapped.

  Despite Pain’s help, Blaze felt worn. Her head hurt, and her limbs were starting to go numb and heavy. She felt as if she couldn’t get enough air and wanted nothing more than a cool drink of water. Makavel stopped and laughed like a predator with cornered prey, “You are trapped, Blaze. And weak.”

  Use your pain, all of it. Came a slithering voice, breaking Blaze’s concentration. She remembered that only her pinky was touching Pain. If her whole hand was connected to it, she could use its full power. But, Blaze shook the thought away.

  “You can have all of the strength in the kingdom,” she muttered to herself and focused her mind upon Makavel’s body language. He was on his heels, confident in the strength he had over her. Sword over his left shoulder, she adjusted for his dominant hand. Now, to make him run. “Come at me,” she challenged. “Or are you nervous about being beaten by such a weak fighter?”

  He laughed again. “Cute, but I’m above such petty cares. You aren’t going anywhere that I don’t wish, so my job is done.”

  Her heart pounded with nerves; he wasn’t playing along. He wasn’t going to attack. He had her pinned.

  Her mind raced for a solution. Maybe she should use the sword’s full potential. It seemed, if she wanted to escape alive, she had no other choice.

  It won’t do you a spit of good. Obrae said.

  And he had died, pinned to a wall. Blaze’s raw pain came flaring back, and she felt power strengthening her limbs again. A Grand General had killed him, so this one would pay. Her vision tunneled to his smug face, and red fire light colored her sight.

  For the first time, Makavel’s eyes twitched with uncertainty. His heartbeat increased, and his breath caught for a moment. He barely shifted his weight, but it was enough to show Blaze his surprise. This time, she laughed. “You’re not a Grand General. You’re only an actor, an impostor. This bravado you’ve put on is cute, but you’re only hiding with your numbers. In truth, you’re too scared to collect the trapped prey,” she challenged.

  The surrounding Urlificans shifted uneasily, and a few barely whispered. Her seed of doubt in their leader was taking hold. Makavel’s heart flared at the insult, and his sneer turned into a grimace. “Very well, prey, let’s see how superficial my bravado is!”

  The distance between them narrowed in a breath. With his sword flaring red, Makavel flew toward her like a striking cohe. He held his sword overhead, preparing to slash down with all of his might. Blaze stood her ground, a glowing red Pain defending her front.

  Despite his speed, she saw the slight angling of his blade toward the right, and a smile curled her lips. Energy focused and built inside of her until she felt like she would burst. But, she remained still as she waited for him to get too close. One move, that’s all it would take.

  Makavel was directly upon her, his sword nearly slicing her head, when she exploded in a twirl of motion. Just as Obra
e had found himself defenseless in the woods, so Makavel found himself moving in the wrong direction. Blaze spun to the right, extended Pain, and shouted as she smashed Pain’s blade against the back of his head. The Grand General’s yell abruptly ceased, and he crumbled to the ground.

  Blood slowly mixed with the bristles of his hair, but the Urlifican still breathed. She noticed a gorget at the top of his armor supporting a thick piece of leather that had protected his head from her blade’s edge.

  Only the crackling of torches filled the yard. All Urlificans stood perfectly still; not one dared breath.

  “Well, done, Blaze,” Eve’s voice praised without the gristle of age.

  Blaze’s breath caught in her cold chest as she spun around at the ready. Eve stood before her, but gone was the old woman with wrinkles and slight hunch. Gone was her aunt. Instead, an Eve forty cycles younger and a head taller smiled possessively at Blaze. She was now a woman consumed by dark beauty. Behind her, like a statue, stood the cohe, a gruesome crevice cutting through the right side of its face as the grey eyelid covered an empty socket. “Well, done, indeed,” the Domotrec cooed. Blaze shivered as the voice seemed to crawl and twist inside of her.

  But you didn’t finish the job. Hissed the voice. In the name of King Urlifec, kill him.

  “No,” Blaze croaked, the effort to speak almost too much. Painful pressure constricted her whole body as something tried to force her legs to turn. She gripped the sword and tried to pull strength from it, but Pain had turned into a cold piece of metal. Eve laughed.

  “You are truly your mother’s spawn,” the Domotrec’s sickening voice amused. “Most Grand Generals require a full hand to make Pain glow as you can. Something else you inherited from your mother, I see. Lord King Urlifec said that no one could use his swords quite like Ava. She was his prized Domotrec.” A hiss entered her voice. The cohe also quietly growled and shifted its weight.

  “You’re lying!” Blaze couldn’t breath as she fought to remain in control; however, the constricting pain and whispering voice constantly urged her to turn and thrust her sword into the pathetic Makavel in the name of King Urlifec.