Because I would stand up and say: This is not how my story will end.
I got up and bowed to my friend. “Thank you, Albess. I think you’ve restored my hope. For me, for my friends, for seeing this through.”
Thea let out an amused ‘hoo!’.
“You never should have lost that hope in the first place. You are a Hero. You are a vertice. And those two things tell me something very important.”
“What is that?”
“It tells me there are other forces at work in the world besides Darkness. It means you are the right woman, in the right place, at the right time. And that is a very encouraging thought."
Chapter Ten
I spent the next three hours in my Tower’s bedroom curled up against a set of plush pillows. Flat on my back. And blessedly asleep.
Truth be told, I probably could have spent the entire afternoon and evening in there, snoozing the day away. But the universe had different plans for Dayna Chrissie.
A creak, followed by the slam of the door to my Tower room echoed down the stairway to my private lower level. Those sounds startled me awake. But what really got my attention was the singing. A pair of voices made me sit up and rub the sleep sand from my eyes.
The battle comes
The sword’s unsheathed
The blood time’s here
Your foes take heed!
Glory awaits
Knight’s time to rise
To prove his soul
Shall never die!
There was more, in roughly the same vein of blood, guts, and glory. I threw the sheets back and slipped into my Andeluvian doublet and cloak. Whatever was happening, I recognized the voices. They belonged to two of my gallant human knights of the Order of the Ermine.
I headed up the stairs, blinking against the brighter sunlight of the Tower Room. Galen, Liam, and Shaw had also returned. The centaur and fayleene looked on the scene with amusement, while Grimshaw swayed his head along in time with the song.
The singing came from Sir Exton and Lord Ghaznavi. Between them, the two armored knights hefted a trophy mount the size of a basketball court’s backboard. The mount held the frightful head of a black wyvern, complete with snarling teeth and a sharp crown of horns jutting from its skull.
“Dame Chrissie,” Sir Exton said proudly, “know that your knights of the Order of the Ermine have triumphed and returned!”
“We worked side by side with the centaurs of Bloodwine Holt,” Lord Ghaznavi added. “Together, we won a tremendous victory!”
Shaw let out a lion’s roar of approval. I clapped, and Galen followed suit while Liam clopped a hoof against the floor. In truth, I was less than ecstatic to see another ancient creature killed – especially one that resembled Queen Nagura. But two of my three knights had performed well in combat, and it sounded like they’d fulfilled the mission to improve relations with the centaurs as well. I wasn’t about to criticize anything they’d accomplished.
I went to the room’s bell pull and gave it a yank. I put as much heartiness into my voice as possible.
“Then, as Head of the Order of the Ermine, I hereby congratulate you for a battle won!” A cheer rang out, followed by the appearance of Percival’s blond mop of hair topped with his usual red-feathered cap. I turned to him and gestured grandly. “Page, bring drinks for my knights immediately, for they have a tale to tell.”
The two men’s chests swelled even bigger at my words, if that was even possible.
In just a few minutes, tankards of ale were brought up and we’d gathered around to listen to the news. Exton and Ghaznavi took turns regaling us with bits of the story. To hear them tell it, the pair had shown up at Bloodwine Holt and immediately been threatened with execution. They’d just consigned themselves to die valiantly when the Regent of the Holt, Inga Skallgrym, arrived and ordered her people to stand down.
“Obviously, relations between our peoples could be better,” Ghaznavi noted drily. “But at least no blood was spilled.”
“The Regent also asked to see our swords,” Exton added. “She seemed quite surprised at their quality. She insisted on giving us centaur-crafted blades for the mission, and only gave us back our original weapons upon our return. My guess is that she wanted to study our swords so that her people could learn how to improve their smithing!”
Galen looked away and coughed into his hand. I bit my lip and kept my face poker-straight. Inga was the Wizard’s mother, and she also happened to be the centaur’s master weapons smith. Knowing her, she’d been surprised at how bad Andeluvian blades were, and sent my men out with much sharper, stronger swords.
“It turned out to be a blessing in disguise,” Exton continued. “For when we fought the fell beasts near the Holt, the monsters’ blood scarred and pitted the swords in our very hands!”
That made sense to me. I knew from personal experience that dragons’ blood was very acidic. It made sense that some wyverns’ blood might have the same properties. But more important to me was something Nagura had confirmed: there were no Hakseeka left in the world. The creatures that had been hunted down by the knights and centaurs were feral, in every sense of the word.
My knights then told of their leaving in the company of a dozen armed and armored centaurs. They were led by Galen’s little sister, Rikka – an ‘exceedingly handsome and capable woman’, according to Exton – into the forests south and west of the Holt. After several days of tracking and shadowing the tracks of the ‘fell beasts’, they located the wyvern lair.
Several clever plans were laid and re-laid, but in the end, things turned out simply. The wyverns discovered the humans and centaurs camped out at their front door and attacked. Battle was joined, with lots of slaying and slewing and lopping-off of heads.
More than twenty wyverns boiled out from their lair, nearly overwhelming the assembled warriors. In the end, the battle was won, but not without cost. Two of Rikka’s people fell, but the colony of feral wyverns had been vanquished, and (to hear Exton tell it) the battlefield had been left slick with blood and gore.
Shaw let out a sniff.
“I do love happy endings,” he said. “Verily, they doth make me cry.”
“Surely, King Fitzwilliam shall allow us to hang this high in the throne room as a trophy!” Exton declared. “He cannot be fond of the beasts, not after his experiences!”
“He probably will,” I agreed. A thought occurred to me, and I decided to follow it up. “If you two are willing to keep improving relations between us and the centaurs, I have a job for you.”
“We are yours to command, Dame Chrissie,” Lord Ghaznavi said humbly.
“The Royal Court should be in session right now,” I said. I threw a quick glance to Galen to confirm this, and the Wizard nodded. “Take this down and show it to the Regent. Regale them with the tale, and make sure to include the feats of Rikka and the other centaur warriors with you. Besides, Sir Quinton should be there, he’ll want to hear of it too.”
Ghaznavi bowed. “An excellent idea.”
Exton followed suit. “Our exploits shall surely bring cheer to all at court.”
“Knock ‘em dead,” I said. “Uh, that’s an expression from my world. I mean, wow them. Don’t actually kill anyone if you can help it.”
The two knights strode out as proudly as they came in. I let out a breath as soon as they closed the door behind them. I felt more than relief. I felt good. The first mission of the knights of the Order of the Ermine had been an unqualified success.
Galen cleared his throat and began to speak. “Now that our comrades-in-arms have had their moment of glory, I have an update for you.”
I held my hand up. “Can it wait for a second or two? I have something to say to each of you.”
Fayleene, centaur, and griffin traded looks. The Wizard nodded, Shaw bobbed his head, and Liam clacked a forehoof against the floor.
“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” I said simply. “What I said earlier…I was being a real jerk. You’re not my serva
nts or my…I don’t know, vassals.”
“We are your sworn knights too,” Galen pointed out. “Therefore, we are bound to follow your orders in good conscience.”
“Yes, technically. I guess you are. But I don’t think of any of you in that way. Before you were knights, you were my friends. Are my friends. The best I’ve ever had.” I swallowed, for my throat felt unexpectedly dry. “It’s just that there was a reason I wanted to speak to Master Windkey personally.”
And that’s as far as I got. It was as if something jammed in my throat. Even after my talk with the Albess, I couldn’t bring myself to tell them Destry’s words. I floundered into what Thea had challenged me to do.
“The reason…is because we’re going to be going into danger. All of us.”
“This is hardly an unexpected and uncommon development for us,” Galen pointed out. “Is this what has been troubling you?”
“Yes. And no. When I say that we’ll be going into danger, I mean…I don’t think all of us are coming back alive. Maybe none of us are going to make it. And I don’t care that you have an oath to the Order of the Ermine. I can’t ask you to take that risk, to make that sacrifice.”
“You never needed to ask,” Liam said firmly. “We do it for you. We do it for our world.”
“Thou knowest how I feel about this,” Shaw’s voice rumbled.
“I as well,” Galen said. “Without a trace of doubt.”
“Thank you, guys,” I said humbly. “There’s more to tell you, but just…give me time, okay? I need to fill you in on what I learned from Windkey. And Albess Thea, for that matter.”
Liam and Shaw listened attentively, of course. But Galen appeared the most moved, and the most troubled. He shifted from one hoof to another as he cradled his chin in his hand. I could practically hear the gears in his head humming.
“The system of control put in place by the Deliberati may have served their purpose well. But it has stripped this kingdom of combat-ready wizards, right when it needs them the most.”
“Aye, and this ‘five years before we ally with thee’ nonsense!” Shaw spat. “Thy unicorns are base creatures, only a step above treacherous. They would not be welcome at the aerie!”
“Personally, I am interested in the idea that you are a ‘vertice’,” said Liam. “I only wish that it could guarantee an advantage to us in the short term.”
I held up my hands. “As they’d say in my world, those are the cards we were dealt. Now, what did Nagura say about those runes?”
I got a little deer shrug in return. “She didn’t recognize them immediately, as they were in an unfamiliar style. However, she said that she’d have an answer by tomorrow morning.
“That’s something, anyway,” I sighed.
“We also talked about the Hakseeka creation myth, the one about the Heart – or Hearts – of the Mother,” Galen said. “That the myth likely had a core of truth: that of magically supercharged ruby crystals, thrown from deep below Andeluvia by a volcanic eruption. The scale of this event may have triggered the development of sentience in the Hakseeka, the Seraphine, and the Dragons. And this is where it gets interesting.”
“Go on,” I urged. As far as I was concerned, this was already pretty darned interesting.
“Nagura and I discussed what it would mean if the red crystal we saw being held at Crossbow Consulting’s warehouse was, in fact, a ‘Heart’.”
“Naught but trouble,” the griffin grumbled under his breath.
“She theorized that it would act like a gigantic battery. One that any magically attuned creature could absorb energy from, just from being near it.”
I thought of the term that kept raising goosebumps on my skin: The Scarlet Crypt.
“What if someone fashioned a chamber inside one of these crystals?” I asked.
The Wizard reply was unequivocal.
“Whoever was inside would absorb magical energy by a factor of ten. Perhaps even a hundred. Certainly, it would prolong their life or increase their power.”
My voice came out in a near-whisper.
“Then that dark thing I saw moving inside…who knows how powerful it could be by now?”
Those chilly thoughts were put aside as the door to the Tower banged open again, making me jump. But no monster came charging through the door. Not unless I counted a little blond-haired page as a monster.
“I’m so sorry, Dame Chrissie!” Percival begged, as he ran up to me. “I tried talking to everyone I could find…please don’t be angry with me!”
“I’m not angry,” I reassured him. “What’s the problem?”
“It’s the Royal Court! Blood’s going to be spilled if someone doesn’t do something!”
I almost rolled my eyes when I heard his words. This, again?
“Go ahead, Percival,” I said. “What is it this time? Is someone new threatening to kill Regent Magnus?”
Percival stared at me, awestruck.
“How did you know?”
This time I did roll my eyes. It never failed.
If I didn’t have rotten luck, then I wouldn’t have any luck at all.
Chapter Eleven
Fun fact: A centaur, fayleene, and griffin tromping down a stone stairway sounds like an avalanche in motion. Not that I minded the noise. Especially since they were there to back me up as I did my best to keep pace with Percival.
“You said this was someone new,” I said to the young page. “Someone foreign? From the nation of Kescar, maybe?”
“I don’t think so,” he said meekly. “He definitely seems Andeluvian, but I’ve never seen him before.”
I considered that as we reached the bottom of the stairs and headed towards the Great Hall. Perhaps this man was a noble or diplomat who’d been away from home for a while. In that case, of course he’d be shocked to find a foreign ruler playing Regent.
The familiar sound of raised voices came from the long corridor leading to the Great Hall. At least the passageway was empty. Magnus had finally gotten tired of the logjam that formed every court session with all the hangers-on and banished them from that part of the palace. I held up a hand and my little group came to a halt.
“Wait a minute,” I said. “Whoever this is, they’re probably more confused than anything else. If all four of us go charging in there–”
Percival tugged on my sleeve. “Five of us, if you please, Dame Chrissie.”
I sighed and rubbed my temples before starting over.
“Okay, if all five of us go charging in there, that might escalate things.”
“But if we’re not there,” Liam pointed out, “then if things turn hostile, you may be hurt.”
Shaw let out a squawk. “Methinks if thou wishes to negotiate with the newcomer, then a show of force is for good, not ill.”
“And I might remind you,” Galen intoned, “that I am this kingdom’s Court Wizard. No Andeluvian since the realm of the late King Benedict would think twice if I attended.”
“Guys, look,” I said calmly. “Those are all good points. But my gut’s telling me that we need to be…I don’t know, a little more tactful. At least at the start. So let’s compromise. Percival and I will go in. He’ll formally introduce me to the newcomer. Once you hear that, count to one hundred and then come join me. Sound good?”
I got a couple curt nods and a griffin grumble, but they agreed. I squared my shoulders and motioned for Percival to lead the way. Then I followed him through the double doors and into the Hall, only to be greeted by a fresh roar of shouts and catcalls.
The scene had come close to an all-out riot as several knights either shouted or shook their fists across the table. Lord Ivor sat scowling. Lord Ghaznavi stood next to Exton and Quinton, holding the wyvern trophy aloft as if it were a battle standard as he shouted back. Lords Behnaz and Alvey stayed in their seats, watching the scene like spiders lying patient in their webs.
Regent Magnus appeared unmoved as he remained in his seat at the far end. ‘Appeared’ was the operative word. Hi
s face had taken on a flush, while his two guardsmen sat close by, ready for trouble.
At the center of all this hubbub stood a barrel-chested man wearing black leather armor. Angular bone structure gave him a squarish brow and a nose that ended in a blunt plane rather than a point. One gimlet eye peered out from under a veritable mane of graying, reddish-blond hair. A piratical looking patch covered the other eye. Scars crisscrossed a leathery face that showed the ravages of wind and sun.
But the man’s armor and his arrogant stance were what caught my attention first. They reminded me of someone else. Someone I hadn’t liked at first, but who’d started to come around to my side at the end.
They reminded me of Captain Vazura.
My mind flashed back to when Fitzwilliam had first assumed the throne. I’d requested his help on an urgent matter. When the fayleene had shafted Liam by awarding him the title of Protector of the Forest.
We’d desperately needed information on Sirrahon, the ancient stone dragon. The only people around who knew about dragons in such depth were the Captains of the Royal Air Cavalry. When I asked the King about them, he’d given me some troubling news about these officers.
Of the three commanders, one died of old age, a few months before you arrived. The second is away on a diplomatic mission across the sea and can’t be recalled until next summer. And the final one…resides in my dungeon.
The ‘final one’ was Vazura, who’d been killed not five minutes after entering my service by one of the Creatures of the Dark. But Vazura wasn’t the only Captain still alive. He’d been the only Captain who was available. This man standing before me had to be the one who’d been away since last summer on a ‘diplomatic mission’.
Just as head-snappingly quick, my mind flipped back to the present. Percival had taken advantage of a gap in the raucous proceedings to announce me. Of course, at his top volume the kid’s voice cracked and dipped as if he were going through puberty. That took away some of the grandeur of my entrance, but there wasn’t any time for do-overs.
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