Ticca looked at him. “Well, I know you aren’t dead, ‘cause you sure are talking a lot more than usual. As for help… Nigan, get in here and tell us what happened.”
“Being almost killed can do that to a guy.”
She couldn’t help it. She laughed, and Elades smiled.
“There, you see? Now, you’re coming back around to being alive, too.”
Nigan stuck his head in. “How did you know I was here?”
Ticca inched herself up on the pillow till she could see the whole tent. “’Cause I can smell your shaving lotion. What the hell happened?”
“They’re still sorting that out.”
“Yeah, well, your clothes and you don’t look all that damaged, so I suspect you were running interference for Illa, and managed to stay conscious through the whole thing. So give us a play-by-play, as you saw it.”
Nigan laughed and handed her some cheese and a glass of wine. He then sat down on the trunk, facing both of them. He ran through the whole fight, including the strange, silver bug things, and Duke feeding Lebuin enough power to tip the balance, letting everyone in on taking down the wart that had done this.
“So Elades is alive.” Her throat tightened as she prepared to ask, “Is Kirist alive, too?”
Nigan looked at the ground, and she knew the answer. Tears blurred her vision as she remembered her own dagger sticking out of Kirist’s forehead, the look of surprise on his face, and the evil grin Finnba wore doing it.
“That bastard used my dagger to kill him. Turning him into a living pin cushion was too fast a death.”
From outside the tent, the familiar voice of Duke floated in. “And now, you know how I feel about you killing Ossa-Ulla so simply. That bastard deserved much more pain and suffering before being released.”
Looking in the direction of the voice, she saw the shadow of the large wolf before Duke poked his head into the tent. Duke looked at them. “I don’t know if you two should stay in charge, or not. It seems almost everyone else had enough sense to keep their heads down until there was a clear target.”
Elades looked at Ticca. “This, coming from the guy that got buried under half of the east wall. Sounds a bit thin to me.”
Ticca turned back to Elades with a serious look. “You’re right. I don’t recall letting yourself be used as catapult ammunition by the enemy as an acceptable attack strategy.”
Duke chuckled and finished stepping into the tent with Lebuin, Illa, and Ditani right behind him. Six silhouettes on the canvas showed the door was heavily guarded.
I bet he pulled a lot of Daggers out of the field camp to guard the whole property.
Ticca motioned with her chin at the shadows. “Are those mine, or yours?”
Duke looked at her. “Oh, so you want your own squad now?”
She made a show of thinking, then said coyly, “They could make certain actions possible. So whose are they?”
Lebuin laughed as he sat next to her, refilling her glass with more cool wine, which she drank to clear her throat. Wiping her face, she motioned Nigan to step out. He stood and bowed before moving out.
“They’re yours. Risy made sure of that. This little party can’t stop the time tables. We still have to roll out tomorrow, if we are to make it to Gracia on time.”
Ticca nodded. “Good, because I don’t want some information going to Gracia, just in case.”
Duke looked back and ordered through the tent, “Daggers, establish a twenty-foot perimeter around us for privacy.” The shadows moved, and the sounds of some people being displaced came. Duke’s ears rotated rapidly before he nodded. He sat down with a scowl. “So you know?”
Ticca nodded. “Well, it doesn’t take a massive leap to figure it out. I closed the Llino gate, and I recall saying something like, ‘kill the bastard,’ before passing out, and giant silver bugs show up to help win the fight. You said I shouldn’t ask for stuff near an old city, and this is one of them. You say I’m not a regent. Vestul said my family was special. So what else does that leave? Only the legendary royal line is famed for its prowess, amazing speed, and agility. My uncle is guarding a family secret. What else could it be, but my family’s royal ancestry?”
Duke sighed, and nodded. “Actually, I believe he is guarding more than that. We need to make sure calling the enforcers is all you did.”
The entire group was staring at her or Duke with their mouths open. Lebuin spoke first. “Ticca’s of the Imperial line?”
Duke nodded. “I don’t know how, but yes. It seems I have found the lost, or more precisely hiding, Imperial line, as well as a supposedly destroyed regents’ line. If her uncle knows and accepted the Imperial archive guardianship, then he abdicated the throne. Hence, Ticca here is the current ruling Empress of Duianna.”
Ticca looked at him. “This is why you want me to hook up with someone. So I can get nice and fat with a baby and keep this thing going.”
Duke looked embarrassed and wouldn’t make eye contact.
“Listen, you meddling wolf! I don’t believe in destiny. If it happens, it happens. I won’t sacrifice my dignity for a promised future. Are you clear on this?”
Duke nodded and then asked, “What are our plans now?”
Ticca shrugged and looked at Lebuin. “Lebuin, you’re still in charge of this outing. Just because I’m an Empress in name, doesn’t mean I’m not a Dagger. It’s your coin funding this. Also, God outranks field marshal and Empress.”
Lebuin didn’t flinch, like she expected. There was new steel in his eyes.
Good. Looks like life has started forging us a strong Dagger. I hope he doesn’t break, because I think this is going to get far worse.
Lebuin looked at Duke. “You have to get Gracia to deal with the Assembly vote on war with the Nhia-Samri. Ticca, we MUST recover something vital, and then there is this Nhia-Samri power source that Finnba was tapped into. It was immense, and I know where it is now. I want to get a closer look.”
Duke’s ears did a rotational check before he answered, “I wasn’t going to mention this. But since we have already been attacked by this Nhia-Samri power source, you should know Warlord Maru-Ashua came here to warn me about this.”
Lebuin nodded. “It is amazing that they built it without Argos becoming aware.”
Duke shook his head. “It’s worse than that. Warlord Maru-Ashua believes the one at his base is only one of a possible forty or fifty such power stations. Shar-Lumen has them shielded, and the Nhia-Samri have been building them for centuries. Lebuin, you must communicate with Argos and warn him that we can’t detect them to know where they are. Further, tell Argos they are Elraci-based technology. I vote that the Circle allow you, Illa, and Ticca full access to their Elraci knowledge to figure out how to locate and shut them down before we have another incident.”
Tremors went down Ticca’s spine at the word ‘incident.’ “What do you mean, ‘incident’?”
Duke looked at her with a sadness she could barely comprehend, and tears ran from his eyes.
“The Circumveni Desert used to be a nation. It was called Elraci, and it was the center of learning, arts, and sciences for all our races. The greatest minds of all our races lived there and combined the sciences of all our cultures, creating a blended society like you would not believe. We were all hoping that that was the balanced answer we needed to survive together, except something went wrong. What it was, we don’t know. Their entire power system, which combined magical with non-magical primary energy systems, blew up like a sky-fire event, only this explosion kept moving through their entire nation. Six Gods died that day and dozens of others were nearly killed trying to contain the devastation. Lebuin’s grandmother, Lothia, was one of those survivors that held the line, preventing more loss of life. If the Nhia-Samri are building Elraci power stations, this might happen again.”
Pieces dropped into place in her head with a jarring that nearly knocked her out of the cot.
She sat bolt upright, exclaiming, “THAT’S WHAT HE ME
ANT!”
Everyone looked at her.
Ticca was so excited, she ignored the pain. “Shar-Lumen. When he killed the last of the orc children, he said, ‘Burn it all. To think these animals managed to infect others to try to help them. Yes, we’ll have to burn it all, Commander. Burn it to ashes. Burn, as my love burned to death after being brutally raped and stabbed. Raped, stabbed, and burned to ashes. That will be a complete blood revenge, Commander.’ Don’t you see? He is doing this intentionally. This is the disaster that is coming. Hidden power sources building up to a massive explosion which no one can stop. He wants to destroy all of the realms in fire!”
Duke’s mouth dropped open and he stared at Ticca.
It took a few moments before Duke could ask, “How do you know of that incident? Not that you’re wrong in any way.”
Ticca touched the boots. “These are Kliasa’s boots. She is using them to hang on to this existence and is with me always through them. She shared the memory with me, which she saw through Vestul.”
Duke looked at the boots, then back into her eyes. His head tilted and his ears fell to the sides. Duke was unable to think or breathe clearly, as more tears welled from his eyes. “Kliasa is still here? The things I wanted to say–to apologize for not coming to the negotiations. I would have saved her! They invited me, but I didn’t think I could help. If I had been there, they never would have attacked the dinner!”
Ticca stood and hugged Duke’s neck. From deep inside, she felt the words come to her. “Shhh. She has long ago realized it was an event, nothing more. She knows how much you and many more miss her. She knows how much she was loved. If not for her, neither Lebuin nor I would be ready. She is still doing for others as she always did in life. Be joyful of her memory. Duke, you cannot be responsible for all things. It was a simple choice, and none could know the results. There were thousands of other choices, all just as small, that led to that event. The only blame is on the ones who have already paid for their final choices with their lives.”
She hugged Duke and cried with him, ignoring all the others. After the moment of grief passed, she regained her composure, as did Duke. Stepping back, she let herself slip down onto the cot, wiggling to get comfortable again.
Duke’s ears told everyone he was still sad. He nodded, saying, “I’ll check that your command didn’t do anything unneeded. I don’t want anyone to know where I’m going; please don’t follow.” Duke stood and walked out of the tent.
Once he was well gone, Ditani stood. “You two should rest. We can discuss everything else in the morning.”
Everyone nodded agreement and started filing out.
Lebuin was the last to leave. He touched Ticca on the shoulder. “That was well handled. I’ll see if the Gods will release the Elraci knowledge to us. Your service honored us all this day. I’m proud you’re my Dagger general.”
Her throat clenched. Ticca managed to stop what she was trying to say, so instead of squeaking, she smiled and nodded her thanks.
Lebuin then stepped over to Elades. “I don’t know why you are not dead. I didn’t want to argue with fate, but I know Ticca saw what I did. By whatever miracle this was done, I am pleased. I order you to remember to duck next time.”
Elades took his hand and held it. “Don’t worry, Lord Lebuin. I intend to stay well clear of the line of fire of any mage I happen to be battling in future. One miracle break is all I might be allotted. It’d be a shame to waste it.”
Lebuin laughed, patted Elades on his good shoulder, and with a last glance at Ticca, left.
Elades pointed at the boots. “Okay, I take back all I thought about women and their boots, when you tore into that kid earlier.”
Ticca laughed so hard, her ribs hurt. “Ow, damn it, don’t make me laugh.”
Elades laughed. “You sound like Duke.”
“Well, then I’m in good company. Now, get busy and heal up.”
“I didn’t know your authority ran that far.”
“Well, now, you do.”
CHAPTER 9
LEGACIES FULFILLED
The warm breeze rustled the white lace curtains and caressed Electra’s cheek. She closed her eyes and imagined the caress was by Lord Dohma.
My Lord, return safely to me. We have much to do to restore your great kingdom.
She let the pen drop on the paper and lifted her hand up to try and catch the wind’s caress and hold it to her cheek longer.
Leaning back, she looked out the tall open windows that overlooked the Loren Sound. She had picked that tower room as her own for the north-western view. From there, she watched her own ship sail off towards the great seawalls, carrying her future husband to Gracia and the Assembly. She smiled at her presumptive thoughts.
He hasn’t proposed yet. But I can tell I have his heart already, and Lady, help me, he has mine. For years, I ignored all the gentle, and not so gentle, suitors’ gestures. And in a single second, Dohma’s smile means more to me than anything else in the world.
She recalled the way his eyes had traced her body as she approached him in the throne room. His looks were not lecherous, but more like a man who had been dying of thirst in a desert and suddenly found a clear river. A man that had given up on finding love and then was shown the future he had stopped hoping for.
The image of him, standing before her with the sun at his back, as he welcomed her to the garden balcony luncheon, came unbidden. He was handsome, and just the right height of six-foot-three to match her unusual height of five-eleven. Of course, he was well-muscled, being the prior guard captain, but not too much. His strong, wide shoulders went well with his triangular face, which he framed with a cute, neatly trimmed half goatee. She liked that he didn’t have a moustache, and she imagined his beard would feel pleasing as he kissed her body, tickling, along with the warmth of those broad lips. Her pulse raced and her loins warmed to the ideas running through her head.
Oh, look at me pining after a man like some silly teenager. I have work to do.
Shaking her head to clear it, she sat up and looked out at the moon’s reflection on the waters of the sound. This is a wonderful land. To imagine, I’m going to make this my home. Her mother would be proud. Her father—well, her father would tell her exactly what he thought of Lord Dohma in great detail, after he met him in Gracia. Poor father, you won’t know you are meeting your future son-in-law. Hopefully, you’ll be as impressed with him as I am.
The kingdom was a mess. There were dozens of excessive taxes, and even more laws about how certain merchants could ignore them. There were institutionalized graft rings built into a series of laws to be removed and made more just. The people were mostly cared for, but to the bare minimum. The five hundred-year rule of the usurpers hadn’t been brutal, but it was close to it. They had been greedy, but careful to not draw attention. If not for the moral city guard, things there could have been far worse.
She blotted the last line she finished, cleaned the pen, and put the lid on her ink. Standing, she stretched and moved around the room to let the blood flow. There was a narrow balcony that faced due north. The doors were open, letting the semi-cool breeze in. She stepped out onto it and looked out on the city that it would be her responsibility to care for, if things went as she expected. It was late and quiet. In the clear evening light of the full moon, she saw hundreds of large insects darting around in the air. She sat down on the rail and watched their motion, enjoying the night air.
The moonlight glistening on their wings made little flashes of light that, from her high position, showed that their flight path was directed. Dreams forgotten, she leaned against the balcony rail and watched the insects’ movements. Those insects are not flying naturally. She watched closer and noticed that they were shifting their flight paths in a predictable pattern. They moved, essentially, in a rotating line that started from an area inside the palace walls. The other end was sweeping across the city. I have been watching them my whole life, and I have never seen them do this! The behavior of the in
sects brought back the memories of her grandmother teaching her.
It had been when she was eleven years old. Her grandmother, a tall, commanding, and beautiful woman had taken Electra and her friends out to a picnic lunch. Electra had been playing with her friends, chasing the bugs and frogs, when she caught a beautiful beetle with a black elytra that glistened with rainbows in the sun. She had brought it back to show her grandmother. Her grandmother had taken the little bug, and in a serious tone, had apologized to the insect for her granddaughter’s ignorance and wished it a happy day, letting it fly away over Electra’s loud protests.
Her grandmother had shushed her and said, “My darling Electra, you must trust and respect those beetles. They are part of great beings who are waiting for us to achieve balance and wisdom before, once again, rejoining us.”
“Do you mean Gods?”
“No child, these beings are not Gods. They are as powerful in their own way. For now, they sleep, yet even in their slumber, they help us. Such is their power that even asleep, they help to keep all of us safe and healthy. But being asleep, they no longer talk to us. They await the day of our great achievement. My mother believed they were more powerful than the Gods, which is why the Gods tricked them into their sleep.”
“What are they?”
“They are the keepers of all our races’ lost knowledge and great works. Knowledge and works even the Gods do not understand. It is their knowledge and wisdom that causes the need for them to sleep. We must grow to be worthy of their knowledge before they will awake and talk to us once again.”
In wonder, she looked at the beetle, which had landed on a flowering bush not far away, as if listening. “And the beetle was one of these beings?” she asked as only a young child could.
“No, child. It is part of one of them. They have many servants, which are part of them. Do you wish to know how to recognize them? You are old enough, and I need to pass the knowledge to someone of your generation from our family.”
The thought of touching and knowing a being as powerful as a God was so thrilling, little Electra stood at perfect attention. “Yes, Grandma, please teach me all you know.”
Thread Strands (Golden Threads Trilogy) Page 22
