Path of Kings

by James Dale

  The Jahrkirin hit the ax blade once more with his whetstone, then tested its edge with his thumb. His back was turned to Jack, but he could well imagine the look of wicked satisfaction on the giant's face from his tone.

  "Like I said, it's nothing personal." the monster laughed, and reached for the door.

  Jack took a deep breath and gripping his sword tightly, stepped boldly into view.

  "Senicael!"

  "What?" The giant wheeled about in surprise. "You?...How did...Maelcain!"

  "Your brother will be along shortly," Jack replied, assuming the high guard position. At least he hoped the Bahrah'nahir was coming. God but Senicael was huge! "I'm supposed to keep you company until he arrives. I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

  "You have come just in time manling," Senicael snapped. "If you are quiet, I shall let you watch while I eat your friend. Then maybe I shall try a taste of your flesh!"

  "Your masters will not like that."

  "Damn them!" the Jailer roared, and launch himself at Braedan, his huge ax whistling mere inches above his head.

  Jack ducked, rolling safely out of the giant's reach, but Senicael recovered quickly with a grace defying his tremendous size and wheeled to face him again. As Jack came to his feet, his back was against Tarsus' cell door, the enraged Jahrkirin charged again. Swinging wildly, his ax sank deep into the stout wood as Jack skipped from its path. He lashed out at the giant's tree trunk sized legs as he retreated, scoring a deep cut on his thigh.

  Bellowing with pain, Senicael jerked the ax free, ripping the wooden door completely off its hinges and advanced on the human once more. But the cut on his leg had taught him a sobering lesson, and he came slowly, keeping his rage in check. It was not a good sign. Jack knew he did not stand much of a chance against the giant. He could not match the Jahrkirin's strength or its speed in a stand up fight. His only hope was to anger the monster into making a mistake and pray he could land a fatal blow quickly.

  "Come now Senicael," he said contemptuously. "How do you ever hope to be Bahrah'nahir of the Vestir'nah when you cannot kill one little human. Your elders would laugh in your face if they could see you stumbling around like this. You are nothing! An Outcast among the outcasts! Maelcain is the only true Bahrah'nahir!"

  His plan worked too well. At the mention of his brother's name, the giant flew into a furious rage. Roaring incoherently, he drew back his ax and hurled it at Braedan. The Talon of the Hawk flew up to meet it, but the momentum of the heavy weapon jerked the sword from his grasp, almost dislocating his shoulder in the process. The Jailer roared triumphantly and advanced on the weaponless human barely half his size.

  Jack scrambled backwards until he encountered the bottom steps of the stone stairway, then the giant was upon him. Looming over his helpless victim, Senicael threw back his head and laughed. He reached down for Braedan, meaning to throttle him with his bare hands, but before his outstretched fingers could close on the human's throat, the giant was bowled over by a hurtling mountain of flesh.

  Maelcain had finally arrived.

  The two Jahrkirin went down in a tumbling mass of arms and legs and when they came to stop, Senicael was on top of his brother, hands locked around his throat in a death grip. Jack struggled to his feet and retrieving his sword, sought to re-enter the fray, but even as he tensed to launch himself at the Jailer, Maelcain gathered his knees to his chest and with a mighty surge flipped the startled giant over his head, reversing their position. Then the Tears of Yh’Adan were in his hand, blazing like the sun.

  "The Tears!" Senicael gasped. "You have them!"

  "Yes brother. I have them!"

  "Give them to me!" the Jailer roared, reaching for the stones, but Maelcain slapped his hand away as if reprimanding an errant child trying to touch a hot stove.

  "I must have them!" Senicael wailed, his voice filled with desperate longing.

  "Then have them you shall." the Bahrah'nahir replied, pressing the glowing stones to his brother's forehead.

  "Aaaaahhhh! They burn! Take them away!" the Jailer cried, beating his fists against the stone floor. "They buuurrrrrn!"

  Unmindful of the pitiful pleas, Maelcain continued to hold the Tears of Yh’Adan against the frantically struggling giant. Though Jack could feel the heat of the blazing stones even from where he was standing, amazingly, they did not actually appear to be causing the Jahrkirin any visible injury. But something else was definitely happening. As the Jailer's struggles weakened, his terrible countenance began to soften, slowly melting away as the stones burned of the Bloodstone to reveal the Jahrkirin Senicael had once been.

  Then the battle over and Maelcain sat straddle over a mirror image of himself. But the transformation had not been without a price. With a final shudder, the true Senicael gasped his last breath, then lay deathly still. Tears streaming down his face, Maelcain cast the three stones aside, their light instantly vanishing as they clattered across the cold floor. With a shaking hand, he gently closed his dead brother's sightless, staring eyes.

  "Rest brother." Maelcain sobbed, falling to the ground beside the lifeless body of his twin, "May your soul finally be at peace."

  In an instant Jack was kneeling at his side. "Maelcain?" he asked hesitantly, "Are you...hurt?"

  "Please leave me for a moment Jha'ak," the giant sighed deeply. "It is not an easy thing to kill one's brother, whatever he may have become. See to thy friend."

  "Tarsus!" Jack gasped. Springing to his feet he ran to the shattered cell door and flung it open with a crash. Grabbing a nearby torch, he entered the cell and found the Amarian chained to the far wall.

  "What took you so long?" the Amarian smiled weakly, shielding his eyes from the light of the torch. He was covered with grime and a dirty bandaged was wrapped loosely around his shoulder, but he appeared to be well fed and otherwise unharmed.

  "I've been busy," Jack laughed, kneeling down beside his friend. "How's the shoulder?"

  "A little stiff, but it still works." Tarsus replied and flexed to show him. "I had a fever for a few days, but one of those wizards came down and put some kind of noxious salve on it and it healed right up. What's going on?" he asked, inclining his head toward the shattered door.

  "We're checking out. Care to come along?"

  "The Jailer? Is he..."

  "Dead," Jack nodded.

  "You?" Tarsus asked, raising an appraising eyebrow.

  "His brother."

  "His brother?"

  "I'll explain later," Jack replied. "First let's get you out of these bracelets. Hold still now, I don't want to lop your arm off by mistake."

  The Talon of the Hawk made short work of the iron chains and Jack helped his friend to his feet.

  "Nice piece of cutlery," Tarsus observed, nodding toward the Ailfar forged blade. "Tell me, is it...is it the sword from your Elohara?"

  "Do you like it?" Jack laughed, lifting the weapon so Tarsus could see it better.

  "I don't suppose you thought to bring one for me?"

  "I was kind of in a hurry," he apologized. "I promise we'll pick you one up the first chance we get. There's so much I have to tell you my friend. About this sword and what happened at Tanaevar. But it will have to wait. We've got to get out of here. Can you walk?"

  Tarsus nodded and the two men exited the cell to find Maelcain kneeling beside his brother, carefully arranging the corpse in its death pose. He'd placed the giant's hands across his chest, straightened his clothing and was gently brushing the hair Senicael's face.

  "Maelcain?" Jack said softly.

  "One moment," the giant whispered, then leaned over and tenderly kissed his brother's forehead. "I must leave now Senicael. I will let mother know at...at the end, you were freed from your madness."

  The Jahrkirin stood and faced the two men, looming over them. Tarsus drew back a step involuntarily. But Jack smiled reassuringly at the Amarian and quickly made introductions.

  "Jha'ak has spoken highly of you," Maelcain bowed.

  "He's a...
Jahrkirin!" Tarsus whispered, awed by the size of the giant.

  "He's the Bahrah'nahir of the Vestir'nah," Jack corrected him. "And he's my friend."

  "You'll explain later?"

  "I'll explain later."

  "Come." Maelcain said, walking over to secure his brother's huge ax, "We must hurry. I do not know how long my diversion will protect us."

  "What exactly did you do?" Jack asked as the three began to climb the stone stairway.

  “I paid a visit to the dark-King,” Maelcain replied.

  "You did what?"

  "You heard me," Maelcain grinned.

  "The explosion? Did you...did you kill him."

  "Only Yhswyndyr can accomplish his death," the giant sighed. "The Tears of Yh’Adan are no match for the Bloodstone. But I was able to collapse the ceiling of the chamber where he lay. The Warden will be a long time digging him out again I'm afraid." Maelcain laughed. “Come, we must go up the stairs and then to the right. Follow me. Quickly now, we haven’t much time before they will begin to search for us.”

  They traveled on in silence, always moving upward along the constantly branching corridors. In was not long until they began to encounter grim‘Hiru patrols running frantically through the darkness. Luckily, they could hear the pounding of their iron shod boots long before they came into view and managed to retreat into the relative safety of a nearby intersection until they passed. But an hour of this dangerous cat and mouse game sent them seeking a deserted chamber where they could stop and consider their options.

  "We could be wandering around down here for months!" Tarsus cursed.

  "What do you suggest?" Maelcain said tersely. The tension was slowly beginning to wear on their nerves, even the stoic giant's. "Ask someone for directions?"

  "Why not?" Jack asked suddenly. "We could grab the next grim‘Hiru patrol that comes along and force one of them to lead us out of this hole."

  "You're not serious?" Tarsus asked incredulously.

  "Either of you have a better idea?"

  "We would have to be careful." Maelcain mused, "The noise of a skirmish will carry far in these corridors."

  "Of course," Jack agreed. "We'd pick a small group. The last two only had six or seven. We three should be able to handle that many. Especially with you and your huge ax! We can lay low in here until such a patrol comes along, then ambush them from the rear. If we hit them hard and quick there shouldn't be too much noise. What do you say?"

  “I’m for it,” Tarsus replied. “Anything would be better than wandering around in this damned maze.”

  “Agreed,” Maelcain, nodded. “I will choose the patrol.”

  “Just don’t be too choosey,” Jack instructed the giant. “Right now, they probably don’t have a good idea what’s going on. We still have a chance to slip away in the confusion. The longer we wait, the sooner they will get organized. ”

  “As you wish,” Maelcain nodded, and immediately positioned himself at the door to their hiding place. He opened the door just enough to see into to the corridor and waited.

  “Tell me what happened in Tanaevar,” Tarsus asked quietly, as he and Braedan settled down to wait.

  Jack smiled, relishing the opportunity to share the astounding tale Tarsus had missed after he had fallen to the grim'Hiru.

  "Wait…Are you saying the Galekindar..." Tarsus whispered, "THE Galekindar actually came at your call?"

  "I don't know how much I really had to do with it," Jack shrugged, "but they came none-the-less."

  "I wish I could have been there." the Amarian sighed regretfully, "What a sight that must have been."

  "I wish you could have too." Jack nodded, "Then we wouldn't be in this mess."

  "True, but then you could not have fulfilled the Elohara's second vision and found your sword." he said, admiring the blade once more, "It is elven wrought unless I am mistaken. What do the runes say? Do they name it?"

  "It is called Bin'et ardendel." answered Jack, "The Talon of the Hawk."

  "Are you sure?" Tarsus said, almost choking.

  "I'm positive. Why?"

  "Gods Jack! Giving Thessa back is going to make you a hero in Brydium. Giving them back this sword back will make you a legend!" the Amarian replied, "The Talon of the Hawk had been missing since the Great war! It once belonged to the House of Th'nar.”

  "Quiet!" Maelcain interrupted suddenly, "Someone is coming."

  The two men scrambled to their feet and joined the Jahrkirin beside the door. Soon they could hear the sound of footsteps in the corridor, as well as the sound of muffled voices.

  "But why does we have ta be down here?" a beast-man whined, "Down here with the fanged Jailer. Or something worse!"

  "We be down here 'cause Nalon-Lox ordered it!" a familiar voice growled. With a start Jack recognized it as Bkormar!

  "Does you think maybe the rumbling was Him?" asked a different voice, "Wakin' up maybe?"

  "How the hells should I know." Bkormar snapped, "Alls I know is Nalon-lox said to git down here and check around. That's what we're gonna do. Now shut yer yap and keep your eyes peeled before I peel 'em for you!"

  "I want this one!" Jack hissed sharply at Maelcain.

  The Jahrkirin raised a questioning eyebrow, then seeing the fierce look on Braedan's face, nodded silently and tightened the grip on his ax.

  They waited until the loud tramping of iron shod boots on stone was directly outside the door, then Maelcain burst into the corridor, cutting down three of the grim'Hiru with a single sweep of his dead brother's terrible ax. Jack followed right behind him, thrusting the Talon of the Hawk through another's throat, while Tarsus, lacking a weapon, leapt on a pair of the startled beast-men and cracked their heads together with skull splitting fury. At the rear of the formation, Bkormar immediately saw the futility of fighting and turned to run, but Jack tackled him about the knees, then knocked him senseless with the pommel of his sword.

  It was over that fast. They drug the lifeless bodies back into their hiding place and quickly shut the door.

  "Do you know this one?" Tarsus asked, toeing the unconscious Bkormar.

  "We be old friends." Jack replied, kneeling down beside the grim'Hiru. "Here's the sword I promised you." he said, unbuckling the belt around Bkormar's waist and handing Tarsus the weapon they’d taken from him in the Bergaweld. There was a wicked looking dagger in the grim'Hiru's boot which he took as well, then he lifted Bkormar by his leather jerkin and slapped him hard across the face.

  "Wake up pretty boy." he snarled. The grim’Hiru’s eyes fluttered once then rolled back up into his head.

  "Pretty boy?" Tarsus asked.

  "Inside joke." Jack replied, though his tone contained no humor at all. Braedan slapped him again. "Come on Bkormar. We've don't have all day."

  The grim'Hiru came fully awake with the second blow and his eyes widened with fright at the sight of the pair of armed men and the giant standing over him. "You!" he hissed.

  "Didn't think you'd ever seem my face again, did you?" Jack smiled.

  "What does you want?" Bkormar asked fearfully, eyeing his dead companion's.

  "We need you to do us a small favor."

  "You...you aint gonna kill me?"

  "Now why would I want to do that?" Jack smiled cruelly, "We be old friends, you and I."

  "What does you want then?" he asked, hope blossoming in his red-rimmed eyes.

  "Like I said. We need a small favor. A simple task really. A guide to show us the way out of here. I thought maybe you'd like to volunteer."

  "And if'n I says no?"

  "Then you'll be joining your friends." Jack replied simply.

  "Let's just slit his throat and take our chances." Tarsus growled, "Like as not he'll lead us right into an ambush."

  "You wouldn't do that. Would you Bkormar?" Jack asked.

  "If'n I shows you the way out, you won't kill poor old Bkormar?"

  "You have my word." Jack nodded, "Play straight with us and you won't be harmed. Do we have a deal? Your lif
e for showing us the way out of the Tower?"

  The grim'Hiru looked once more at his dead squad members, then at Tarsus. The Amarian scowled wickedly and tested the edge of his new sword. "I cans shows you how to get out of here." the beast-man agreed quickly.

  "Gentlemen," Jack grinned, "we have our guide."

  "Let's get going then." Tarsus said in a tone clearly revealing he didn't think much of the deal Jack had struck with the grim'Hiru.

  "A moment." Maelcain said, "We will need disguises. Even with the help of good Bkormar here, we will likely encounter other patrols. Put on some their clothing, just a cloak should suffice."

  "I may not be the most handsome man alive," Tarsus said, "but I won't be able to pass for a beast-man just because I'm wearing one of their ratty cloaks."

  "The cloak will just be a part of your disguise." the Jahrkirin replied.

  "What are you going to do?" Jack asked.

  "The cloaks first." Maelcain insisted.

  Though they had no idea what the Jahrkirin was planning, they did as he requested. Soon the two men were dressed in the coarse outer garment of the grim'Hiru uniform.

  "Now what?" Tarsus muttered, "Do we scowl a lot and let drool run down our chins?"

  "Quiet please." Maelcain ordered the Amarian, then drew out the Tears of Yh’Adan. He began to chant softly in the strange tongue of his people to command the stones and they came to life, their glow quickly filling the chamber. Jack felt a slight tingling of his skin and he grew light headed, but the feeling soon passed. "Done." the giant sighed, and placed the three stones back into the folds of his tunic.

  "What did you do?" Tarsus asked, "I felt funny there for a second, but I can't see anything has changed."

  "Trust me." Maelcain smiled, "Now we may walk without fear through the entire Tower."

  "You're sure?" Jack asked. Like Tarsus he'd felt... something, but he could detect no change in their appearance. They simply looked like two men wearing grim'Hiru cloaks.