Sytravious: The Lost Warlock Of Moruz (The Oathbreaker Book 1)

by Acevedo, E. B.

  Chapter 21

  Traitors And Lies

  With all the gold Sytravious won from the tournament, he had been able to move his family out of the Trapper House basement, and into a small flat in the southern mid-district. When he arrived last night, he expected his parents to be waiting to question him, concerning his whereabouts, but they were locked in their room having an intense argument. He was relieved that he had avoided the inquisition. He went to his own room, laid in bed, and let thoughts of Raiven flood his mind as he drifted into a deep slumber.

  Every night for the past few weeks, he had been enjoying the best sleep he had in years. He might have slept through the whole morning, if it had not been for the delicious smells of food that invaded his nostrils. He opened his eyes, sat up in his bed, and realized the aromas were coming from the common room. He wondered what could be going on because his parents never cooked, so Sytravious got out of bed to find out what the occasion was.

  His mother was nowhere to be seen. Nysight was sitting at the table, and a strange man was crouching at the fireplace, frying strips of meat in a pan.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Sytravious asked.

  “Good morning, son. I am glad you could join us. I thought you would sleep until the next full moon.”

  “Who are us?”

  The stranger turned to face him. “Where are my manners? I am Hellios, son of Cairo.”

  He nodded and was still suspicious of the man. He glanced at Nysight, who tipped his head as a sign of approval of the guest. Sytravious studied the man and the way he moved. Hellios’ tanned skin and rough beard hinted that he was likely outdoors most of the time. He had several scars and projected strength like someone you would not take as a joke during a fight.

  “So, are we going to pretend it is normal for an odd man to come to our house to cook?”

  “This man is no cook, son. I assumed you would have figured that out. He is a soldier from the Fifth Legion of Moruz. I trained and promoted his father to my lieutenant when I was the general of the outfit years ago. His father has since assumed the mantle of leader and sent Hellios here to find us.”

  He listened to his stepfather, and studied the legionnaire with a renewed interest.

  “Bacon?” Hellios asked. He offered a plate of thinly-sliced meat to them.

  Sytravious had never seen anything like it, but it smelled delicious. “What is bacon?” he asked.

  “What kind of way is that to raise the boy? He has never had bacon?” Hellios reprimanded.

  Nysight seemed amused at the conversation going on at the table, while holding up his hands to request a moment to explain. “The temple here in Valcrest forbids eating swine for food, claiming it is unholy for the body. Thus, we have never had the opportunity to eat bacon, but he can try it now.”

  “Unholy for the body, huh? Piss on the temple and their rules. We eat bacon,” Hellios replied.

  Sytravious reached over and grabbed a piece. The first bite made his mouth water, and he shoved the rest of it down without another thought and savored the flavor. He closed his eyes while chewing, and wanted to slap Nysight for withholding such a treat from him all these years. “Mmmm… that is amazing.”

  Hellios clapped his hands victoriously, and they enjoyed the rest of the meal in silence. Once they had finished eating, Sytravious decided to continue their conversation. “So why did your father send you here looking for us?”

  Nysight and Hellios exchanged serious looks and paused a moment before they seemed to come to a silent agreement. The legionnaire replied, “I have a special mission in the legion’s military. I am a ranger of sorts, which means I venture out far from our stronghold for long stretches of time. I recruit new soldiers and search for information regarding our enemies’ movements and plans. If I overhear gossip of interest, I investigate it. Recently, I picked up a rumor on a fishing island in the sea, halfway between here and Moruz. Some drunken fool was babbling about how he spotted a VanDrake here in Havencrest. No one paid him any mind, but I took it upon myself to check it out anyway, and here you are.”

  Sytravious’ eyes widened at the mention of his surname. He knew his stepfather had not gone into depth when he explained the family tree, but he was under the impression that the fact he was Byronicus’ heir was supposed to be a well-kept secret. Yet, here was this outsider talking about him being a VanDrake.

  “That still does not explain how you ended up cooking breakfast in my house---” Sytravious started before being cut off by Nysight.

  “That is enough questions for now. This is not an interrogation and Hellios is a trusted ally from my past. If you do not trust him, then at least trust me. I would not have let him in here if I believed him to be a threat. Now, I think you have wasted enough of your morning, you need to go train, unless winning the tournament has led you to believe you no longer need to improve.”

  Sytravious almost forgot he was supposed to be getting up early to spar with Nysight in the Foxfire Woods, as that was their strict tradition. Winning the tournament and his ongoing mission to meet with Jezra had dominated his mind, and weeks had gone by without practicing drills with his stepfather. He was surprised Nysight had let it slip this long and never bothered him about it once, until now.

  “Of course not. I am ready when you are,” he replied.

  “I need to go check on your mother though, so how about you take Hellios out today? He fancies himself the best of the legion, but I know you can show him what training with me all these years produced.”

  Sytravious smirked, wondering just how good Hellios might be. “Very well, let us find out if you are as good as you think.” He stood up and beckoned for the legionnaire to follow him.

  Hellios chuckled, and got up, looking every bit as confident as Sytravious felt. He reached over and shook his hand, before replying. “Oh, I think I can manage. Let us see what you got, lad.”

  They walked through the woods without saying a word. Both fighters had their minds on the sparring match. Sytravious led the way to the secret training location, where Nysight also hid their stash of weapons in a hollow tree. Once they arrived, he laid out all the arms, allowing Hellios to choose. Surprisingly, the legionnaire selected the spear.

  He watched as the man tested the weapon’s balance and weight by spinning it over his head and thrusting it in the air a few times. Sytravious took note of some clues that gave away his technique, and decided to select a long sword. Even though it had been a few weeks since he sparred, he was confident he could beat the veteran fighter.

  Sytravious left for a moment to conduct a quick perimeter check of the enclosed area of the woods to confirm there were not any wanderers around. Once he was confident that they were indeed alone, he returned to find Hellios leaning on the spear and looking bored as ever.

  “I thought you might have gotten cold feet for a moment. Are you ready then?”

  “I see you are in a rush to be humbled. Very well, let us begin,” Sytravious said.

  The two warriors circled each other, stalking as an animal would its prey and waiting for an opening or weakness to reveal itself. Hellios let the staff of his spear rest across his back, with the spearhead pointed towards the ground. Sytravious kept an open stance, letting his sword rest by his side, as he waited for the legionnaire to make his move.

  Their fighting style was similar enough, that they realized they were both waiting on their opponent to strike first. Hellios had the advantage of reach, so he chose to break the ice and initiate the action when he swung the spear forward. In response, Sytravious parried the attack with his sword and spun towards Hellios, striking with his own attack. Hellios blocked the attack fast enough and pushed against the blade.

  “You are quicker than I thought,” Sytravious said.

  “And you are just as fast as I imagined you would be. Youth betrays you that way,” Hellios replied.

  Sytravious started with a fresh attack, slashing his sword even swifter than before. His opponent dodged,
blocked, and side-stepped every strike. Hellios jabbed and swung his spear down at Sytravious in between attacks. Each became weary of the other’s skill as the match intensified in pace and strength. Sytravious showed off his power, knocking his opponent backward with each blocked attack. The legionnaire jumped back and held up a hand, a signal to pause the match. He stopped and allowed the man to rest, pleased with the results so far.

  “I will admit as the duel stands thus far, you have bested me. My spear is no match for your sword.” Hellios breathed hard and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

  “Are you yielding so soon?”

  “I said I am bested as the duel stands thus far. To be honest, I am not very good with a spear. I have not used one in years. I was just having a little fun.” He stabbed the spear into the ground, and retrieved the sister sword to Sytravious’ own weapon. He practiced a few combinations, handling the blade as if it was as light as a feather. Then he motioned for them to continue the duel.

  “Hellios, that was a clever ploy indeed. Let us hope you can keep up this time.”

  “Raise your sword and find out,” he retorted.

  The fight ensued. The legionnaire fought with a greater sense of urgency this round, and Sytravious was on the defensive for the first time. Hellios was the superior one with the sword, maneuvering his way around his opponent’s defenses. The steel of their blades echoed throughout the woods. He was keeping Hellios at bay, and knew the senseless sword dance could go on for hours. This time, he took a step back to signal for a pause.

  “You are a genius with the sword. Blocking all your attacks has rendered me unable to counteract. Therefore, it is I who is bested…thus far.”

  “I can tell you have yet to master the sword.”

  “While that may be true, I believe I may fare better with this spear you tossed aside.” Sytravious put the sword down, and tugged the spear out the ground. For a few moments, he twirled it with ease. The legionnaire was amused, and sniggered as he watched Sytravious prepare for the next sparring round.

  “No more playing, show me what you can really do. I am not holding back this time,” Hellios said.

  Sytravious nodded and began to fight. It was sword versus spear again but the skill of the wielders was different this time, with each man being a true master of his weapon. Sytravious was very skilled and deadly with a spear. He used the advantage of reach to keep his opponent at a distance with the weapon. However, Hellios had real-world experiences in battles, something that no amount of sparring could teach.

  The legionnaire baited an attack to Sytravious’ right knee, and then kicked up a pile of dirt into the young man’s face. In the brief moment it took him to recover, Hellios had managed to knock him across his shoulder with the flat of his blade. He would have landed a fatal blow, had Sytravious not managed to turn away just in time.

  “Nice, you got me with a dirty trick,” Sytravious said. He bowed, and conceded the match to the veteran legionnaire.

  “There is no such thing as a dirty trick in the real world. You have to be prepared for every nasty move your opponent will throw at you. There are no rules in war, just life and death.”

  “Now you are starting to sound like Nysight.”

  “It is the truth,” Hellios shrugged.

  “Well, if you think you have bested me, then you have forgotten two major facts.”

  “And what might those two excuses be?”

  “First, these are sparring weapons, nothing more than toys to me. My real talent comes into play when I get my hand on my mother’s halberd, Griever, the legendary family weapon that is made of dragonite steel. Secondly, I fought you with steel, not magic. If I had used my black flame, especially with Griever, you would be dead in less than a few seconds.” Sytravious puffed out his chest as he expressed a sense of pride in his talents.

  “And I wield a dragonite sword by the name of Daegon’s Rage, that halberd’s sister weapon. As for the VanDrake magic, I have to say that you rely too much on that flame. I have faced it before and turned out just fine. Did you not know that my blade could tame its fire?” Hellios shook his head as if he were disappointed. “You have much to learn before you can lay claim to the Fifth Legion command.”

  “Who ever said I wanted it?” Sytravious shot back. He wanted to take him down a peg, so without warning, he let the black flame ignite his arms. The fire flickered high above his shoulders. Hellios could not hide his astonishment. The magic was bright and heat radiated from the flames.

  “Your sword cannot tame me. You are fortunate enough that we are on the same side and you will never have to find the truth out for yourself.”

  “You may be correct. Perhaps my sword would not be able to subdue you.”

  They bowed their heads to each other as a sign of mutual respect, and Sytravious pulled the magic’s power back into him. The flames faded away, and their sparring session was over. The two men wrapped up the weapons and hid them back in the hollow tree. Sytravious was sore and tired. He imagined Hellios felt the same.

  When they arrived back home, Nyxseous was waiting for them in the common room. She appeared to be enraged. Nysight stood by the fireplace with his arms crossed, looking as furious as Nyxseous. They were probably mad at each other. What had happened between them?

  “Your father has shared the joyous news with me, that you have taken a liking to our new friend here. Nysight has even told me that he wants to be so kind as to go along with Hellios’ genius plan that we travel back with him to the legion. Is that not splendid?” Nyxseous spoke through clenched teeth.

  Hellios sighed, but otherwise remained quiet.

  “I never agreed to anything. We only had a sparring match. There is no reason to get all emotional over it,” Sytravious stated.

  Nysight seemed hesitant to speak up. “Well…son, I know I expressed support for your goals for a life in Havencrest, but the arrival of a fellow Fifth Legion soldier has opened my eyes. I guess what I am saying is, I think it would be in your best interest to go back with Hellios.”

  “See, son? Is that not wonderful? First, Hellios tries to kill me, and now your father thinks we should saddle up and move in with the Fifth Legion. You are pathetic, Nysight! What happened to the man I married all those years ago? You have lost your edge,” Nyxseous said.

  “It has nothing to do with edge. If Hellios heard a rumor about you from so far away, who else might have heard it by now? Do you think staying here is wise anymore? We need to return to our stronghold, make peace with the army, and remain safe with those loyal to us,” Nysight said.

  “I agree with the general,” the legionnaire chimed in.

  “Wait just one moment. Hellios tried to kill mother?”

  “Of course, he did not tell you. Yes, that very man your father wants us to trust attacked me last night in an alley.” She pulled down her robe to expose the wound in her shoulder. The injury was beginning to heal, but her skin was still blackened and it oozed with pus.

  At the sight of what had been done to his mother, Sytravious became infuriated. “You knew about this, still invited him into our home, and then sent me into the woods with him? What madness is this?” he shouted at Nysight.

  Then he aimed his anger at Hellios, “And you, who had the nerve to act like a friend! How could you have the audacity to think I would go anywhere with you after this?” He pointed to his mother’s injury. “Not only are we not going anywhere, but I will not allow you to leave this place either; not without any breath in your lungs.”

  “Yes, Sytravious, kill him now and end this betrayal!” Nyxseous screamed. She turned toward Hellios and shot a black fireball at him. He moved out of the way and let it crash into the door behind him.

  “Stop this! Let me explain, Sytravious. You do not know the whole story,” Nysight said as he jumped in the middle of the commotion and grabbed his sword.

  “No, General, let me explain for myself. The truth shall be revealed once and for all,” Hellios yelled over everyone and unshe
athed Daegon’s Revenge, pointing it between Sytravious and Nyxseous. “There are a few things you need to know before you pass judgment. The VanDrake I told you I heard a rumor about was your mother, not you. Your family line has been the heads of our armies for generations, until we were all betrayed during the Alliance War when Fheng defeated Lord Byronicus, but I bet you did not know your mother turned on her own legion. She helped Fheng usurp the throne by overthrowing her own father. That is why I was sent here to kill her. I did not even know of your existence until after I fought Nyxseous.”

  She sank back into her chair and nursed her shoulder, careful not to make eye contact with anyone. Sytravious’ mind was racing from the amount of information hitting him at once. Hellios is an assassin who was sent to kill his mother because she is a traitor who helped kill his grandfather. Why did nobody think to tell him any of this until now? He did not know what to think or believe anymore, but his mother’s face confirmed the truth behind it all. She sat with a pitiful look of anger on her face while staring at Hellios.

  “What he said is true, then? That is why you are a fugitive? That is why I was raised like an elite soldier, so you can prepare me to answer for your sins?” Sytravious accused in a low voice. “You brought me up that way and never bothered to explain a damn thing, but all along it has been about covering your own crimes, and I fell for it.” He scoffed then looked to Nysight. “Did you know about it too?”

  “Not at first, but I learned the truth eventually. It did not matter to me, son. I loved your mother, and then I loved you. What was I supposed to do? Turn her in and hand you over?”

  “Listen, Sytravious. The entire Fifth Legion will accept and rally behind you. If you would accompany me to the southlands, we can negotiate a pardon for your parents. You are not safe here anymore, none of you are,” Hellios said.

  “I am not going anywhere with any of you, crazy people. All you have ever done is deceive me, snatch away any chance I had of a normal life, and use me as a pawn in your own agendas. I am my own man now, and I follow my own path, so take your offer somewhere else.”