Divine Blood

by Beck Michaels

  Tarn flicked a hand. “Report.”

  Elon went on to describe the journal where the map to Mount Ida was kept. Even from a distance, he could confirm it was enchanted, and it seemed only the Maiden could reveal it.

  The news invited an interminable pause. So, it wouldn’t be enough to steal the map. They had to take Dyna too. Von suspected as much, but he had wished to spare her. How did she come about a magic map?

  “What of her company?” he asked.

  “She is accompanied by two young men,” Elon said. “They are the first Guardians mentioned in the divination.”

  Von frowned. “We assumed her cousin was the dweller of the moon, but you’re telling me the other is the Guardian of divine blood?”

  Elon nodded. “He’s a Celestial.”

  Von’s thoughts stalled for a moment, failing to comprehend.

  “You heard right,” the second spy spoke up. Novo pulled down his mask and hood. He bore a grin on his face donning a mustache, his long brown curls tied at the nape of his neck. “The bloke has himself a pair of black wings. He uses some sort of magic cloak to hide them.”

  It took a moment for Von to sort through his astonishment. “Is that how they got so far ahead of us?”

  Elon nodded. “He flew her away from Landcaster.”

  “They are much more than they appear to be, Commander. Especially the other one.”

  “What do you mean? Something happened with the werewolf?”

  “But he’s not a werewolf, is he?” Novo exchanged a look with the Captain.

  “He’s a Lycan,” Elon replied.

  The truth rune cast a daunting blue hue within the tent.

  “I saw his bloody Other form meself,” Novo said, his face half shadowed in the eerie light. “They had to use silver chains to restrain it.”

  Von cursed. Lycans were worse than werewolves.

  Tarn lazily swirled the wine in his cup. “He didn’t sense you?”

  “I invoked a cloaking spell.”

  Novo smirked. “Aye, we moved about freely without being noticed. But it would have been wise to finish him while you had him right in front of you, Captain. He was weakened.”

  Von scowled at Elon. “You exposed yourself? They must know we are tracking them.”

  “They do not.”

  “The Lycan was too delirious from the silver,” Novo explained. “He thought Captain Elon was Death himself coming to take his soul through The Seven Gates.”

  Then Novo was right. It would have been the opportune chance to eliminate a Guardian, especially one so dangerous. Why hadn’t Elon taken it?

  Von sighed and rubbed his temples. “And what of the other one? You’re certain about what he is?”

  A Guardian with divine blood was what convinced Von that the Seer was a fraud. Celestials had been extinct for five hundred years. They were described to have the same uniform features: white wings, blond hair, and blue eyes. Dyna’s prince didn’t match that description.

  Elon nodded. “The Lycan had wounded the Maiden, and the Celestial healed her with his blood.”

  Von stared at him, too shocked to speak. They were up against a being of the Heavens.

  “He’s a Nephilim.” Tarn leaned forward in his chair, a shadow of interest rising on his face. “Half-Celestial, half-human. There were rumors of such a breed created during The Decimation. Evidently, the extinction of Celestials was false.”

  The Seer must like playing games. “One never knows what a divination truly means.” What other half-truths had the pixie hidden in her words?

  “Where are they headed now?” Tarn asked.

  “Corron,” Elon answered.

  “They plan to take a caravan to the Port of Azure and aboard a ship for Dwarf Shoe,” Novo said. “They will arrive in Corron by midday tomorrow.”

  Tarn’s face gave nothing away, but Von had long learned to sense when his master was forming a plan. The city was where they would make their move. Trepidation grasped him like tree roots, burying him under a mound of adrenaline. It was the feeling he always had before a fight.

  Death would collect souls soon.

  “Good work. Pull back and send for Len,” Von ordered.

  Novo nodded and slinked out of the tent.

  Elon lingered. “There may be another Guardian.”

  Tarn’s pale blue eyes snapped to him. “Another?”

  “Who?” Von asked.

  “Rawn Norrlen. A green elf.”

  Von was surprised Elon reported this so calmly. The old scar on the back of his hand appeared waxy under the candlelight. Removal of the tattoo signified disgrace and banishment. It wasn’t known why Elon was exiled, but he must no longer feel loyal enough to care about an enemy of Red Highland. Either that, or he had well-established restraint.

  “Lord Norrlen requested to join the Maiden’s company. He was denied.”

  “Then why do you suspect he may be a Guardian?”

  “The Norrlen House is known in the Vale for its deeds in serving the throne. He is a soldier of great renown we should not underestimate.”

  “Rawn Norrlen…” Tarn mulled. “Where have I heard that name?”

  “He led the Battle of Fen Muir that won Greenwood the recent war against Red Highland.” Elon held Von’s stare, and what he said next sunk a chill through him. “Rawn gave the Maiden an oath of protection, and an oath from an elf is binding.”

  Thus, follows a warrior bestowing his vow.

  The divination was rapidly coming together. More Guardians would soon follow.

  “Then we shall not wait for him to keep his oath.” Tarn’s eyes were two orbs of ice as he looked at Von. “Bring her to me.”

  Before he could answer, there was a clamor of voices outside the tent. Abenon shouted for the men to take up arms.

  Geon burst through the tent. “Commander, the Azure Guard has found us! We’re under attack!”

  Chapter 31

  Von

  How had they been discovered? That was impossible. They had cloaked the camp. But Von heard the clash of steel, the shrill of neighing horses, and the cries of his men as they fought or died. He ran out of the tent. The first thing he noticed was that the protective barrier around the camp had disintegrated, leaving them exposed for any to see.

  Benton. Damn him.

  Neither the old bastard nor his sons were anywhere in sight. Von would see to them later.

  “Commander,” Geon caught up with him.

  “Find Yavi. Protect her.”

  “Aye.” Geon split off in the opposite direction.

  Von sprinted for the sounds of the melee as Elon appeared by his side. They came upon a battle, or what could only be a massacre.

  Azure Guard and Rangers on horseback rode into the blazing camp, cutting down Raiders where they stood. Their swords gleamed in the torch fires that had caught on the grass and fallen tents. Smoke and the stench of charred canvas filled the air. His men scrambled to arms, most falling before they could defend themselves from the ambush. They were outnumbered three to one.

  “Let’s even up the odds,” Von snarled.

  Elon drew out his blade and laid his hand on the flat side, bringing it to his mouth. “Nev emah’cucse narg naidraug led ot’nemaruj, edeneita im adamall,” he murmured to it softly, as though waking a lover from sleep. Power crackled around him, and the atmosphere grew thin. The wind churned, debris swirling at his feet as he extracted Essence from the trees and earth. He continued chanting, voice growing into a haunting echo. “Nev at’reipsed. Nev leif, recen’va sim sogimene. Nev ye ratroc, Anadoug Luza.”

  Vivid blue vines sprouted from Elon’s hands, gripping the hilt of his sword. Light flared and coiled up his arms, setting the blade alight.

  “Down!” Von bellowed to his men. The Raiders all dropped on his command.

  Elon brandished his sword in a graceful swing. A blue ray ruptured from the blade. It sliced through the air in a blazing wave, passing over his men, and cleaved through the unprepared Range
rs in one fell swoop. Bodies split in a volley of limbs and heads. The field became a crimson sea.

  Von gritted his teeth, his stomach churning at the gruesome devastation. The Blue Scythe, the elves called it. A deadly and powerful spell. It cut down the first company of Rangers, but their victory was short-lived. Two more units of Rangers and Azure Guards waited on the far end of the field.

  Elon breathed heavy, sweat shining on his face. The spell had cost him. He couldn’t perform it again without losing the stamina he needed for the fight.

  The enemy knew it too. The lead Azure Guard on a white horse drew his sword. “Lay down your arms and give us Tarn!”

  Von took out his knives as Abenon and his Raiders lined up behind him and Elon. “You’ll find no cowards here!” he shouted back. “If you want him, then come and get him!”

  The Azure Guard bellowed for an attack. A cavalry of horses reared and charged across the field. The ground vibrated and the night thundered with the pounding of hooves. Von looked to his men. They braced, readying their weapons, their faces a mix of dread and wild adrenaline.

  “Should you fall!” Von recited.

  “March through the Gates!” the Raiders recited back.

  “Go with your God!”

  “MAY HE RECEIVE ME!” Their cheer rose into a war cry.

  “Aye, may He receive me,” Von repeated under his breath. He exhaled deeply, gripping his knives and his nerves. “If you can manage any more spells, now is the time,” he told his captain as the charge drew nearer.

  In reply, Elon raised a hand to the moon. “Anul ed sol soleic, at’serp em ut redop, nev Aivull Ed Soyar.”

  Static pressed against Von’s skin, everything in him growing rigid. Clouds roiled overhead, cracking with thunder and flashes of light. The cavalry reached them when a rain of lightning speared the terrain between them in blazing columns. Boom! Boom! BOOM!

  The blasts wrenched Rangers and horses into the air. Their frightened screams vanished with them into the smoke. Von’s ears were left ringing from the proximity of the blasts. He could only hear his pounding heart and ragged breathing. It lasted for only a moment. Then all sound snapped back into place as the wet thud of falling flesh and bone crashed around them. The twisted body of a Guard slammed onto the ground at his feet.

  The Raiders broke into a cheer. Von raised a closed fist, and his men fell silent at the signal. Smoke choked the field in a thick veil, obscuring their view. He peered into it, listening.

  Elon tensed. “They’re coming.”

  “Ready!” Von warned the men.

  He heard the beginnings of a rumble. It grew louder. And louder until it was upon them. Azure Guards burst through the haze. They clashed into them in a clang of steel.

  Elon skewered a Guard through the gut and spun to behead another with a quick slash. He moved with lethal dexterity and precision, his sword severing every life it met. Abenon dove into the fray with his scimitars, leaving behind a trail of bodies.

  Von ducked out of the way of a blade, inches from taking his head. He pivoted around the Guard and flung a knife at an incoming Ranger, impaling him through the throat. Another Guard paired up with two more and all three circled him. Fire glinted on their polished badges engraved with the Azure sigil.

  They eyed him steadily as they moved into a practiced formation. Men of skill, given authority by the King to uphold the law. By all rights, good men. A shame they had to die here.

  Von removed another knife from his bandolier and flipped them in his palms. The Guards attacked, and he let his knives fly. Two went down. He grabbed a fallen sword and whirled on the third Guard. His limbs moved on memory, past training surging through him and the weapon’s weight settled into his hand with familiarity. The blade swept through the air and sliced through the Guard’s stomach. Von turned away as he fell.

  More came.

  He no longer felt the weight of the weapon. It was a mere extension of him as it carved through muscle and sinew. The movements came as easy as breathing. Evade—slash. Parry—strike.

  Mud and blood coated his face as he hacked his way through the ranks. He drew his blade from a fallen Guard’s chest when a Ranger charged at him on a horse, rapier waiving. Von hefted up his sword and hurled it like a spear. It went straight through the Ranger’s chest, and he dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.

  Elon spoke another spell. The scattered flames around camp rose in a huge inferno. Like a tsunami at sea, it rolled over a group of Rangers and Guards, carrying them away. The fire caught on crates and tents, lighting up the camp.

  The metallic stench of blood and burning grass stung Von’s nose. The forest caught fire, and the winds spread the flames. The sky bled orange and red.

  The sight of it reminded him of his greatest fear.

  Von ran through the blazing camp. He reached his tent only to find it had collapsed in the mayhem.

  “Yavi!” he shouted over the din.

  A distant scream reached his ears.

  On the other side of camp, Von spotted a laughing Guard standing over a Raider—Geon, bleeding from a gash to his cheek. He took a kick to the gut. He cried out, curling into himself.

  “Leave him alone!” Yavi shrieked. Another Guard struggled to hold her back as she kicked and clawed, fighting for all she was worth.

  The Ranger attempted another kick.

  Geon snatched the man’s leg, tripping him. He leaped to his feet and grabbed his fallen sword. “Put her down! Fight me!”

  The boy had been ordered to protect Yavi, and he would do so until his last breath. Von sprinted for them, cutting down anyone who stepped into his path.

  The Guard only laughed and easily disarmed Geon, knocking him to his knees. He grinned and lifted his weapon above the boy’s head. Von dove between them, parrying the blade away. He ran the startled man through and whirled on the other attempting to drag Yavi away.

  “Why do you fight? I’ve come to free you,” the Ranger growled at her.

  “She does not want to go with you,” Von said. He dropped his sword in favor of two knives. “Let her go, and I’ll not kill you if you go now.”

  The Guard looked back and forth between him and Yavi’s scathing glare. “All of you are loyal to him, even the slaves. You’re traitors to the King.”

  He used Yavi like a shield and dragged her backward toward the steep hill ending in a roaring valley of flame.

  “Stop!” Von quickly closed on him with Geon armed on his left.

  “Stand back!” the Guard shouted.

  “Release her first.”

  “Do as I say or I will kill her!” He pressed the edge of his sword into her throat until a trickle of red leaked down.

  Panic. Pure panic.

  Von’s hands shook. Legs numb. He couldn’t think straight. Yavi never looked away from him as her tears fell.

  They were too close to the fire, too damn close. Flames licked the sky. It reached out for their heels, hungry and waiting. Mere inches away. All he could see was the orange cast and feel the stifling heat on his face.

  Only when she burns will she be free.

  Only when she burns.

  She burns.

  Burns.

  “Von.” Yavi’s delicate throat bobbed against the blade, sweat gleaming on her plaid face. There was nothing but pure will in her eyes. And permission.

  “Release her,” he grated. “I’ll not say it again.”

  The Guard pointed the sword at him. “Back off!”

  Yavi jabbed her elbow into the man’s ribs, creating an opening. Von hurled a knife. It went straight through the Guard’s skull. His horrified expression froze, and he tipped backward.

  Taking Yavi with him.

  Her scream pierced Von’s heart. “No!”

  He sprang to the edge. By some miracle, she clung to the tall grass, the greedy valley of flames waiting to embrace her. Von and Geon grasped her wrists and hoisted her up. Yavi collapsed against him in gasping sobs. They sunk to their knees together.
She buried her face in his neck, stifling her hoarse cries. Numb arms shaking, he clutched her to him, needing to ensure she was safe.

  Was it finished? Had this been enough to thwart the Seer’s divination?

  “Commander,” Geon clapped his shoulder. “It’s over. We won.”

  The screams had quieted, and the smoke lifted. Fires flickered among the mounds of bodies dressed in black and blue.

  They made their way to the gathered crowd. The Raiders were jeering at the single surviving member of the Azure Guard. The man knelt among the bodies of his comrades, back erect and calm, managing to look poised. Short grey hair framed his stern face, lined in a trimmed beard. Two Raiders fought over his elegant blue coat. On the lapel was a badge displaying his rank. They had caught the colonel who had called for the attack.

  “Kill the bastard,” Abenon said, spitting on the ground. “Or I will.”

  Elon sheathed his sword and turned to Von for his order.

  They all glanced up at where Tarn stood on a hill against the background of smog in the moonlight. Von grabbed the man’s arm and hauled him to his feet. The colonel didn’t resist as Von marched him up the hill and forced him to kneel before his master.

  Tarn faced them, holding a sword that wasn’t his. The embossed Azure sigil shone on the pommel. Blood dripped from the blade, beading on the grass by his boots. Scattered behind him laid lifeless Rangers and Guards. This had been the real intention. A second ambush on their target while the rest of the camp was engaged.

  The colonel looked at the bodies of his dead men, a shadow of anger and remorse crossing his face. There had been too many for any normal man to kill alone, but Tarn was not a normal man.

  He passed Von the sword and crouched down, fixing his cool eyes on the colonel. “What is your name?”

  The man raised his chin and rumbled, “I am Colonel Jasiah Moreland of the Azure Guard.”

  “How did you find me?”

  “The King knows you’re here, Tarn Morken. All of Azure’s finest are scouring the land for you. You may have defeated us here, but no matter where you run or whichever hole you crawl into, this will finish with you hanging by the end of a rope.”