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

by Acevedo, E. B.

  Nysight examined his opponent. Kenshiro regained his composure and spun the scimitars in his hands. The two men sized each other up.

  “I do not know who you are, nor do I care, but you do not belong in my city. You have disturbed the peace, destroyed city property, and killed men in the open streets. Now you have added assaulting the knights of the elite guard to the list of offenses, so I will not let you leave this place alive,” Kenshiro said.

  “You state I do not belong here, yet you will not let me leave? Which is it, General? I have done nothing wrong tonight, unless defending myself against the assault of assassins and the blind justice of your knights are considered crimes! You would do well to let us go. We do not have a quarrel with you and your men, but if it is a fight you want, it is not I who should be worried,” Nysight responded.

  “Those are big words for an old man. I will give you one last chance, surrender or I will take you down.”

  “If you believed me to be just an old man, you would have attacked by now. This is your last chance. Let us go.” Nysight held up his swords.

  Kenshiro’s reply was instantaneous. He showed he was done with words when he soared into the air while spinning. His blades twisted around him while he landed. Nysight was forced to smack each sword aside. As he did, he could feel the strong power of Kenshiro’s attack vibrating through his own weapons. Nysight responded with a multiple hit combination and whipped his blades at the young general with speed.

  Kenshiro moved from side to side, dodging Nysight’s steel blade by inches while blocking with his weapons. As he went to attack, Kenshiro slashed at him and carved a fresh wound on his shoulder. Nysight ignored the pain and countered with an equally swift cut to Kenshiro’s jaw. His chest was burning, and shoulder throbbing with pain, but he was determined to complete the fight. He shifted his glance to Hellios and saw the legionnaire appeared to have the remaining soldiers occupied well enough. Hellios had even managed to knock out Kaspar, who was lying unconscious on the floor. It was something Kenshiro also noticed.

  “These men will not escape! Send for another squadron, and double the guard at the gate!” Kenshiro ordered.

  Nysight cursed aloud, knowing any increase in soldiers would doom their already slim chances of escaping the city. Hellios must have had the same thought because he made a run for the gate. Kenshiro went to stop him, but Nysight cut him off and unleashed a fresh bombardment of attacks and combinations. His blades slammed with force against the general’s armor several times, reengaging him in their scuffle.

  Hellios wanted to assist Nysight, but he knew he had to do something about the closed gate. As skilled as Nysight and himself were, they could not last through another wave of soldiers. He spotted a knight rushing for the gate and tackled him to the ground. The knight fell on his back, and his face was greeted by Hellios’ boot. The legionnaire stumbled towards the gate and came to a halt in front of the closed oak barrier. He noticed there were no other guards around, but he could make out the sounds of a heated battle on the other side of the doors.

  Something had pulled the guards’ attention away from their fight. He let out a heavy sigh, and banged on the large oak doors in vain. Hellios decided if they were going to die trapped in this damned city, they would at least take the general down with them. As he turned to charge at Kenshiro, the sounds of fighting behind the gates stopped. He could hear the chains begin to move. Sweat dripped down his brow. His heart banged in his chest. Hellios held up the flaming sword in anticipation of the impending foes.

  The gates began to rise. Bodies of a dozen guards were sprawled out on the other side of the doors and he could make out the silhouette of a lone man in the darkness. The figure pulled on the chains before hooking them in place, securing the gate. The man walked into the moonlight and Hellios breathed out, relieved to see him.

  “Are you two coming or not?” Sytravious asked and extended his hand out to Hellios.

  Sytravious raced out the east gate of Havencrest with Raiven’s arms secured around his waist. He rode past the castle on a stolen horse from the royal stables. Bryce had rode ahead, so that he could clear a path for them. The guardian had made up an urgent order from Jezra, which permitted them to leave and patrol the outer walls to the north gate. Raiven remained hidden beneath her cloak as Sytravious sped through. Despite what Bryce had told the guards, they were heading towards the south in an attempt to get to the shipyard in time for the morning ferry to Springdale.

  They slowed down as they reached the southern edge of the wall. The group rode along the perimeter as close as they could and planned to veer into the tree lines when they got too close to the gates. Every so often, Sytravious felt Raiven hug him around his chest from behind, and he would place a hand over her interlocked fingers, savoring the warmth of her presence. Bryce now rode by their side, looking as nervous as Sytravious had ever seen him. He felt bad for his friend, knowing the bold choice to follow them would ruin any chance for him to return to Havencrest as a guardian.

  “What about your brother, Bryce? Elric will be hurt to know you left him behind without even an explanation or farewell,” Sytravious said.

  “Elric is his own man. He is also loyal to the kingdom first. He would not have understood what we are doing now,” Bryce replied, “Besides, I have not seen him in the past few weeks. I think Kenshiro sent him to run an errand for the warden, something he took off to do without an explanation or farewell.”

  Sytravious accepted his answer with a nod and did not want to press the matter further. They had a long journey to Springdale with plenty of time to talk later. For now, he turned his attention to the south gate, which they were approaching fast.

  Bryce led the way as they traveled to the tree line and ventured west to the docks. “That is odd. The south gate is in protocol one,” the guardian said.

  Sytravious and Raiven looked at each other before mutually shrugging in confusion. When he looked at the south gate from this distance, he did not see anything obvious that indicated what Bryce was seeing. He looked harder, and then noticed the inner and outer gate closing.

  “What is protocol one?” he asked.

  “It is when the elite guard mandates both gates be sealed, to trap enemies within, and prevent reinforcements from entering. Did I miss something? Who would they be trapping inside?”

  Sytravious considered his question for a moment, before coming to the conclusion that assassins got in. He thought Kenshiro must have been having a field day chasing the bastards down. Sealing the gates for that purpose made sense, assuming Sytravious was right in his suppositions, seeing as the only other explanation could be…

  “Raiven, stay with Bryce!” he shouted before jumping off his horse, helping her down, and rushing her over to the guardian.

  “I do not suppose there is going to be an explanation for this, huh?” Bryce muttered as he helped the priestess get up on his horse.

  Sytravious was already jumping back onto his stallion and gripping the reins. “If I come back with two companions, the explanation will present itself,” he replied, before bolting off.

  He pushed his horse as fast as it would go. He needed to get to the south gate. Just ahead, Sytravious could see a squad of soldiers armed with spears, and he smirked as he approached the enormous oak doors. The guards were startled by his sudden and unexpected presence. They screamed for him to halt, but he was not playing by the rules anymore. He leapt off his horse just as the doors slammed shut behind him.

  “If I did not know any better, I would think you did not want me to come in,” Sytravious said.

  The soldiers reacted by pointing their spears at him. Before he began his attack, he decided he would not kill the men, as they were only following orders. The scuffle was quick. He disarmed the first soldier with one swipe of his hand, and knocked out the rest within minutes. Once he had cleared them out of his way, he set eyes on the pulley chain that was locked in place. He shot a quick burst of his flame to melt it away, and then pu
lled the gate open seconds later.

  Hellios stood a few feet away from him, ready to attack with Daegon’s Rage. He thanked the gods that he had followed his instincts to investigate. Sytravious extended his hand and walked up to him.

  “Are you two coming or not?”

  “Damn right, we are. It is good to see a familiar face after all the carnage the past hour. Help Nysight. I will hold the gate. Hurry, more soldiers will be arriving soon.”

  “Alright, give me the sword.” Sytravious held out his hand and waited for Hellios to give him Daegon’s Rage. The legionnaire passed it off to him with reluctance. His ancestor’s sword felt strong in his hand. He added his own flame to what he assumed was his mother’s magic. The dragonite steel glowed with a unique radiance. The energy coming from the ancient weapon he was exactly like that of Griever. He savored the feeling of ancient magic pumping through his body.

  He dashed to Nysight’s aid, blade in hand and swung his sword at Kenshiro, causing his stepfather to back up.

  “Get to the gate now!” he shouted at Nysight.

  “No, trust me. It is a two-man job. He is annoyingly talented,” Nysight replied.

  Sytravious did not argue, but instead accepted his stepfather’s assistance. He stalked toward Kenshiro with his blade flaming by his side.

  The general kept one scimitar held out across his body in defense, and the other high above his shoulder ready to strike. “I should have expected this from you. I suspected you were a phony all along, but now that I know you are a filthy warlock only makes killing you that much better,” he uttered to Sytravious.

  Their escape was top priority, and the memory of Raiven waiting nearby motivated him even more. He refused to waste time getting into an argument with the arrogant general, and decided to get down to the fight. Sytravious smashed his flaming blade into Kenshiro’s glowing scimitars. The general was caught off guard and slid back a few feet before digging his heels into the ground. Sytravious used the opportunity to retreat to the gate with Nysight.

  They made a run for it, but the furious general pursued them. It was a mistake Sytravious would make him regret. He spun around and struck Kenshiro for a second time. This time Nysight’s dual swords joined in the assault. Blocking three swords was impossible, even for the general. They shoved Kenshiro back and hurried inside. Sytravious cut the chain, which sent the heavy oak doors crashing into the ground behind them. However, the general was able to roll under that gate and continue chasing them.

  “Damn it, can’t you just leave us alone already?” Hellios shouted. Then he picked up a spear from a fallen soldier and joined them in surrounding Kenshiro.

  They all pointed their weapons at the general and though Kenshiro was heavy breathing, he showed no signs of surrendering.

  “Look, we are leaving, okay? You will not see the likes of us ever again. So stop this lunacy, and put your weapons down,” Nysight ordered.

  “You might get away for now, but I will not rest until I have chased you down to the very shores of Moruz where you came from!”

  Sytravious sighed and wacked Kenshiro’s hand with his sword. The pain from the flame forced the general to cringe and drop a scimitar. Hellios pressed his spear into Kenshiro’s neck until he finally dropped the other weapon moments later. Nysight fetched the broken chain, and secured Kenshiro before leaving. Hellios pulled the spear away and followed Nysight, leaving Sytravious alone with the general.

  “That is right, run away. You had no future here, not the one you were foolish enough to have dreamed of anyway,” Kenshiro said while smirking up at him.

  Sytravious fought the temptation to strike him down where he kneeled, knowing it would disappoint Raiven. Instead, he held his temper.

  “Is that so?” Sytravious asked and smiled.

  “Did you think I did not uncover your plans with the temple and Raiven? You will never get close to her ever again, and she will once more be safe in my care, as her husband!” Kenshiro spat the words out with bitterness.

  Sytravious laughed. Behind him, Nysight shouted for him to hurry, and the imminent sounds of the soldiers attempting to break through the gate grew louder, but he wanted to get one last word in before he left.

  “I would not bet two hundred gold pieces and a horse on that statement if I were you,” he stated before turning away and running off into the night.

  “Nooooooo!” Kenshiro’s scream echoed through the city.

  Chapter 26

  The Lost Warlock Of Moruz

  The western breeze of the sea brought the cold rain that stung Sytravious’ face as he rode south with his companions. Hellios had stolen two horses for Nysight and himself from a nearby farm, and the group had been riding nonstop ever since. The towns that bordered Springdale grew closer and closer with each passing hour. Sytravious longed for a break, and after what seemed like over half a day’s ride, Nysight signaled the group to halt.

  The rain poured harder. Everyone was exhausted, and dismounted their horses. This was by far the longest trip by horseback Sytravious had ever journeyed. His legs felt as if they were on fire, and the rest of the group did not seem to be faring much better. He took some time to stretch and grabbed one of the water skins they had brought. He offered Raiven a drink first, and then everyone took turns sipping some water, except Nysight.

  His stepfather had walked away from the group to survey the distant lands behind them, making sure they still had a good lead on any pursuing armies. Once he seemed satisfied, he faced Sytravious. Nysight’s face was etched with unease and dread.

  “Where is she, son? Where is your mother?” His voice was strained.

  Sytravious glanced at Raiven and she placed her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. It was what he needed to give him the courage to revisit such a pained memory, but knowing that it would be too hard to say the words, he walked back to his horse and fetched a wrapped up item. Inside the bundle was Griever, the weapon Nysight had given to Nyxseous before they were split up in the battle.

  Everyone stared with curiosity at the strange bunch of cloth, everyone but Nysight, who recognized the weapon beneath the wrappings. Sytravious hoped that by giving the weapon to his stepfather, it would reveal what he did not have the strength to voice aloud. Nysight closed his eyes and hung his head. Sytravious fell to his knees before his stepfather, and presented the polearm to him. Nysight gripped the weapon in both hands.

  “How did it happen?”

  “I believe Saliz poisoned her during their duel. I arrived while she was still fighting, but it was too late.”

  “Is he still…?”

  “Alive? No, I took care of him.”

  Nysight nodded, and a tear fell down his cheek before he choked out his next question. “Was she…was she afraid when it happened?”

  Sytravious glanced away, trying to think of anything but his mother’s last moments. He struggled to find a way to ease his stepfather’s anguish, even though his own heart still burned in anger and torment.

  “Do not worry, please. She went peacefully, with your name on her lips.” His eyes were brimming with tears now.

  Nysight let out a pained groan, and closed his eyes again. His arms trembled as he gripped the halberd tighter. Sytravious stared around at the company surrounding them. Raiven watched in dismay, Bryce’s eyes were wide with horror, and Hellios turned away.

  “Despite everything she had done, she did not deserve to die that way. That coward sent his assassins, instead of facing his fears himself!” Hellios shouted with disgust.

  Ignoring the legionnaire’s outburst, Nysight asked Sytravious, “Did she say anything to you about him before she went?”

  Fury boiled in the pit of his stomach when his stepfather inquired, and he nodded. “She told me everything…every last bit.”

  “Son, I am sorry that you had to find out this way. I know you have discovered so much these past few days, and it is not fair to you, but you need to rise above it. Now, take this back.” Nysight returned G
riever to him. “It is a family heirloom and yours to wield now.” Then he turned and stalked off into the woods nearby.

  Sytravious held the weapon, and remembered all the years he had spent training with an ordinary halberd just so Nyxseous would permit him to practice with Griever every now and then. Each time he returned it to her, he longed for the day to come when he could have Griever for himself. However, now that the day had come, he only wished to give it back to his mother. He went back to his horse, and fastened Griever to his saddlebag.

  “What is that?” Raiven inquired from behind him.

  Sytravious had not heard her approaching, and spun around shielding the bags attached to his horse. “Huh? It is just my family weapon.”

  “Not the weapon, that leather satchel right there. I do not remember seeing you carry that.”

  “Oh, um…it is just something that belonged to my mother and she wanted me to have it, but I do not want to talk about that now.” He grabbed Raiven’s hand, and pulled her against his chest while he stared into the woods where Nysight had disappeared.

  She closed her eyes, gripped his cloak in her hands, and asked, “Where will we go now?”

  Sytravious had not thought the plan through that far. He usually approached everything with a strategy and fail-safe options. However, because everything had happened so suddenly, his actions were a result of pure emotion. As they stood in the middle of the woods, far from home, he realized he had no idea about what to do. He did not want to leave Raiven concerned and worried, so he offered a short-term solution.