One Who Masters Magic (End of First Draft)

Travis · February 1, 2012

That is a good point, but at that moment, he had other things on his mind and expected that someone else would have taken care of it. I put that part in there to help clarify that Vekla was Avenil's daughter as well as to show how dedicated to her culture's rules and prophecy she was by instantly pledging her loyalty to the man who just killed her father.

DarthBrendo · February 1, 2012

Ok. I do still believe its slightly out of character, but i can work with that.

Amidala Skywalker · February 2, 2012

Yeah, what Brendo said. It's a little out of character that Syler doesn't try to at least make sure Avenil is cared for, but it's not a deal breaker.

Oh, and what you quoted before from me about you nailing Bronwyn's character? I meant you have her down well as a woman. Obviously you know more about her specific personality than I do.

Anyway, this was a good chapter. I feel really torn about Syler. In some moments, I really like him. He's noble. But other times, like in this chapter, I really dislike him. He's manipulative and sulky. I mean, I understand that his life is being taken out of his hands, but doesn't he even realize that this will be for the good of everyone? He's selfish (as are we all, deep down), and I just hope he gets to become more self-sacrificing, accepting that he is the Master of Magic and lending honor and distinction to that title. I mean, c'mon Syler, stop moping around and man up!

Anyway, that doesn't have really anything to do with this, as it's just a character. But it's interesting not really liking the protagonist (like in Ahdiar...)

Two missing commas:

His estate had six guest rooms an armory,

You're missing a comma here after 'rooms'.

For Syler who had never lived in a house with more than four rooms,

And you're missing a comma after Syler.

Travis · February 2, 2012

Yeah, what Brendo said. It's a little out of character that Syler doesn't try to at least make sure Avenil is cared for, but it's not a deal breaker.

Okay guys. I will go back and put in something about some of the Krue approaching his body to tend to it as he is walking off the field. Then Bronwyn can have her scene of pointing out Vekla's relation to him.

I feel really torn about Syler. In some moments, I really like him. He's noble. But other times, like in this chapter, I really dislike him.

I am glad you feel this way, especially about the manipulative part. I hate characters that are perfect paragons or are totally evil. To me, those don't make sense and don't exist in real life. I hate protagonists who instantly are the best warriors or who immediately know how to lead, or are able to overcome all faults. Syler is a flawed character, just like the rest of us.

My goal with Syler is to have him evolve from a mostly passive man who accepts what is thrown at him as fate to one who steps up and takes action to do what he wants or feels is right/best. He isn't perfect, and he has a lot of growing to do, but by the end of the third novel, I am planning that while he may make some controversial decisions, he will be a very strong character who is "all the he can be." It will take some time and yes, he has a LOT of growing to do. Plus, he isn't going to succeed at everything (as the part I just wrote shows). He is going to screw up, he is going to get people killed, and he is going to be pissed at it. In time though, others (especially Bronwyn who is in many ways far more mature than he is), will force him to snap out of it and grow a pair. There is a particular scene with the two of them that I think you will like.

I mean, c'mon Syler, stop moping around and man up!

He has a little more moping and self doubts to deal with, but in time, it will get better. Definitely by the end of this book, he will be.

Oh, I have fixed the two comma errors in the master document, but not in this (editing and reposting takes a good amount of time due to the size of the post).

Anyway, on to the next part. I particularly like this because it lets Syler get the set of armor he will be wearing for some time. It also shows some background of one of my favorite characters: Vekla.

Ironically, in this part, Vekla realizes some of the same things that you just pointed out: Syler isn't the man he is supposed to be and that he will have to grow in order to become what he can be.

___________________________

With his mood improved, he went back into the estate and sought out Havert and Alltis. He found their room locked and decided not to intrude, so he began exploring the armory. It wasn't the largest he had been in by any means. The armory for the company from Sandrin was many times this size, but it was also meant for nearly a hundred men. This was supposedly meant just for him and whatever guards he choose to equip.

If he was going to go out, it might be best that he dress appropriately. The Sua would be far more willing to take him seriously if he presented himself as a warrior. While they were far more civilized than the Kuti had been, the Sua were a violent, warrior centered race that valued strength of arms, skill in combat, and martial prowess. He might not have those traits, but he could at least look like he did and rely on the Krue warriors to fill in any of the slack should fighting be necessary.

Almost all of the armor was made of hardened leather similar to what he had seen others wear. They were well made and sturdy light armor, but ultimately were not of interest to him. Instead, he was drawn a set of armor at the back of the armory that were put up on their own stands. This armor featured steel plates with black leather on top. The leather had the same decorative embossing and attention to detail as the others did, but allowed the metal to show along the edges of each piece. Gold rivets held the leather to the metal and were also arrayed artistically. The most prominent decoration on it was the hasaun that framed each side of the breastplate with their horns meeting just below his collarbone.

While the armor itself was beautiful, that wasn't what caught Syler's attention. Something drew him to them that he couldn't explain. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could sense that there was something special about this set of armor. When he reached out to touch it, he felt a jolt of energy that coursed through his veins right down to his toes. There was something magical in this armor that made it special. He didn't know quite what it was, but he knew that he wanted this armor.

He took his time when putting it on. As he put on each piece, he looked and felt every part to see how it fit and functioned. The armor was impeccably made and was probably finer than what the Seinari generals wore even without the magic imbued into it. When he finished lacing up the last greave, he stood up and moved around to gauge how it fit. It felt comfortable, solid, and most importantly, it allowed him to move freely despite being heavier than the leather armor he had worn when fighting Avenil.

The next thing he wanted was a weapon. There were plenty of weapons here so he would have a good selection. He quickly passed the spears and pikes and didn't spend much time with any axes. He focused in on the swords, the weapon of the elite. He might not be well trained in their use, but he had found one to be quite effective in the Temple of Kubei. He could always learn how to use it properly, but no respectable leader or officer would be without one and the Sua would know it. He needed to keep up appearances as much as possible so they wouldn't detect how unskilled he was at combat.

He couldn't find any swords that drew him like the armor, but he did pick one that looked sturdy and well built. It was a simple longsword, one that was longer and a bit wider than the swords he had seen the Krue warriors carry. He swung it a few times to get the feel of its weight and balance and found that he liked it. The metalwork was solid with an encapsulated tang to prevent it from breaking. Its hilt was firm black leather that had been applied somehow in a seamless fashion that Syler very much wished he knew how to craft. The fuller ran three quarters of the way up to the blade to reinforce and lighten it. It was still sharp, though not so sharp that it weakened the edge.

He strapped the scabbard around his waist and paced around the room a few times to get used to its feel. When he was satisfied, he decided that he wanted to see about practicing some of the few combat paces he had learned in Sandrin. He went without a word out to the back yard and found a moderately secluded spot.

He didn't have any targets, but he didn't need any right now. Instead, he just started swinging the sword in the complex patterns he had learned. He practiced blocks, parries, different styles of striking, and more powerful swings. The armor took a little getting used to and slowed him down. He needed to wear it as much as possible so he got used to its weight and balance.

An hour passed, then another and he was covered in sweat, but he didn't stop. He had the strength to strike with great power, but he lacked the finesse needed to accurately direct his blows. With an axe like what he had mainly trained in, that wasn't so important. All one had to do with an axe was to aim at the enemy's midsection or head and swing. As sword required more control to get its maximum potential.

As he labored, his moves grew more fluid, more precise, and more controlled. He began to see the moves in his head and simply did what he envisioned. It was odd, but there were times when he could have sworn that his hands were moving of their own accord. He was well familiar with muscle memory, but this was not quite that. It felt good, but it also perplexed him because he wasn't sure what to make of it. It was almost as though he was learning things faster and easier and he wondered if it had something to do with whatever powers he had acquired recently. Whatever it was, he enjoyed it and wanted to do more, so he continued until the sun was dipping low over the horizon.

Bronwyn had spent much of the afternoon making preparations for their journey. The servants had offered to help, but she insisted on doing it herself just to make sure. She spent a little time with Havert and Alltis and saw Lamastus once, but generally kept to herself. It was the first full day after she was healed and she had a lot to think through. Yesterday had been a whirlwind of actions, discussions, and emotion and she wanted to ponder through it. She thought best while working, so she worked. Food was prepared, clothes were sorted, and supplies were packed.

As it grew late, she began to worry that she hadn't seen Syler since around noon. She went out looking for him in the house, but couldn't find him anywhere. He wasn't in their new chambers, in the dining halls, or even arguing with Growald. At last, she came upon a servant who claimed to have seen him outside and went searching for him there.

She saw someone in the farthest garden and froze. At first, she didn't recognize the figure running, rolling, jumping, and dodging around the yard with a sword in hand. When the man turned toward her and saw that it was Syler, her heart skipped a beat or two. She had seen him in armor only once, yesterday, and that hadn't been his best side. He was confused, uncomfortable, and angry.

Not now, though. Now, he looked comfortable, happy, and sure of himself as he made swing after swing against invisible enemies. The armor he wore was magnificent and seemed to fit him perfectly. The sword in his hand gleamed in the last rays of sunlight as it whistled through the air. His hair moved in the breeze as he charged time after time into the lines of whatever enemy he was envisioning.

He was so enraptured in what he was doing that he didn't notice her. That was fine with her because she was content to just watch him going about his paces uninterrupted. She knew that he had trained some with his militia back in his hometown, but she didn't know he was this good. He had been holding himself back during their flight from the Temple, probably out of concern for her wellbeing. She had been able to see the warriors of her village demonstrate their skills in the Contests and believed that Syler was a match for any of them. Watching him was beautiful, but she could tell that he was oblivious to what was surrounding him and was wearing himself out.

As it grew darker and the moon started to come out, it became hard to see him and the air became chillier. Fearing that he might stay out here all night, she stepped into the clearing and called out his name. Syler jerked and nearly stumbled when he heard her and shook his head to clear it.

"Bronwyn!" he said breathlessly. "What are you doing here?"

"It is late, you need to come inside," she said.

He stood there panting for a minute as he looked around at where he was. "I didn't know it was so late," he said at last.

"I like the armor, it looks good on you," Bronwyn couldn't help but say. "You never told me you were such a warrior."

She could see his blush even in the pale light of the rising moon. "Thanks," was all the response he could muster.

She reached out and touched the breastplate and allowed her fingers to trace the designs of the hasuan on them. His chest was still heaving, but he remained silent and reached out to touch her cheek with a gloved hand. "You shouldn't wear yourself out before we set out," she whispered.

"I just kinda got carried away," he said. Bronwyn could detect a bit of nervousness in his voice and in his eyes by the way he kept looking back and forth, but not directly at her.

"I know, I watched you," she admitted. When he frowned, she quickly added, "I was only there for an hour or so, but I couldn't stop watching you."

"Really? I didn't think I was that amusing."

She laughed softly, "No, you weren't funny. I had never seen that side of you before, at least not in a controlled sense. I saw a glimpse of it when you were fighting Growald, but nothing like it since. You were strong, completely focused on what you were doing, and, if I might say, very attractive. I wish I could see this side of you more often."

If they were in the light, she was sure his face would be crimson by now. He looked away and would have pulled back had she not grabbed his shoulders. She stood up on her toes and kissed him despite his surprised expression. It didn't take him long to recover from his embarrassment and return her kiss.

Bronwyn was not the only one watching Syler that evening. Vekla was well hidden in the hedge around the yard and had been there since before Bronwyn had discovered him. Like Bronwyn, she too was admiring Syler, but not for all of the same reasons. She was admiring her handiwork and remembering her father.

As soon as it became clear to her that Syler was the one who she and her ancestors had been waiting for over two thousand years to come, she had known what difficult road was ahead of her. She knew what role Lord Avenil would have to take and grieved for him even as they rode to Thwrud. She had wished that it wasn't true, but his display of raw power when saving his woman was proof enough to even the most jaded of observers. Nobody simply gained access to the Immortal realm that easily and never alone. It normally took an entire circle of elders to allow someone to gain access to the Spirits, but he did it on his own and seemingly on his terms.

After he was sent to this very estate, she had been left to spend her last hours with her father. For a time, she had considered pleading with him not to sacrifice himself, but she knew he would not listen. He was set in his purpose, just as she was. Despite that, knowledge, it was still hard to let go of him. She had been in many battles, killed many men and women, and had seen friends die, but she didn't want to lose her father, the last of her close family.

Even as the two of them came to the estate and entered the back way, he kept exhorting her to remain true to what purpose they both had. He was to sacrifice himself to teach the Majiyae Oretezu how to not just absorb spells, but to reflect them. Should Syler accomplish that, he would confirm himself to all gathered that he was indeed the Majiyae Oretezu because only that One could do such a thing. It was also critical for him to sacrifice himself so that Syler could take his place as leader of Clan Thwrud. The end of Lord Avenil Saekoris' journey would be the beginning of Lord Syler Penion of Sandrin's.

Before he was to die, her father wanted to impart one last gift to the Majiyae Oretezu and for that, he needed his daughter's skill with magic. They had gone into the armory and used his own armor for the incantations. As a sorceress, Vekla was very familiar with the arcane arts of enchantments and imbuing objects, so that was not difficult. The difficult part had been what she was imbuing.

Avenil had once been a mighty battlemage. He was skilled not just in the art of magic, but also in traditional combat. He had vigorously defended his clan from all threats and earned a reputation as a fierce warrior that helped protect Thwrud from other clans even after he grew too old to properly fight.

In one last act of sacrifice and devotion to prophecy and the purpose chosen for him, he gave up his knowledge of fighting and swordplay. With Vekla's help, they imbued his armor with all of his skills, his strength, courage, and his experience. Each piece was filled with his essence and power. Though it had taken hours, it was done before they had to go to the arena and remained waiting for Syler.

Her father had insisted that she not lead Syler to the armor, but allow him to find it on his own. At first, she had been worried that he wouldn't ever find it, but he assured her that he would be drawn to it on his own. Once he found it, he would slowly use his ability to absorb spells to take in Avenil's skills. The more he used it, the more he would draw upon them and the more powerful he would become. It wasn't a permanent transfer, though. As soon as he stopped focusing or took the armor off, he would retain only a little of the skills he was now displaying. He would have to learn like any other, though the armor would help guide him and perhaps save him when he was in danger.

Once she had finished arguing with the simple minded saledaur, Torrvel, she had gone out to find him. Though she couldn't sense him due to his ability to dissipate all spells, she could sense her own magic upon her father's armor. When her sense of it had suddenly gone dark, she knew that he had found it and that his natural immunity to magic was blocking her.

She had searched for him and found him practicing in this distant garden where her father often went to be alone. It was as though Avenil's spirit were guiding him to this very spot and driving him to use the armor he had left behind. She had sequestered herself in the bushes and waited, watching him to see how he would react. She hadn't been disappointed. Though his first half hour had been sloppy, he had began to absorb Avenil's parting gift with impressive speed. Within three hours, he was hacking and slashing with skilled precision and grace.

Vekla had immediately noticed Bronwyn's arrival even though Syler himself was too wrapped up in what he was doing to notice it. She had silently willed that the other woman not interrupt him and was glad when she didn't. Sitting there allowed the sorceress to contemplate Bronwyn's role in things.

From what he had said about the Elements, it was clear that the Kuti's purpose had ended, yet Syler had intervened and saved her life. Vekla didn't know what exactly he had to do in order to accomplish that, but she wasn't sure it was for the best. Everyone had a purpose and when they deviated from that, they ran contrary to the natural order of things. Her father had devoted his life to his purpose as the Ulai Fequil and sacrificed himself when the time came. She had similarly devoted her life to being the Rebastaq and made her own sacrifices. She had done so willingly, but it was difficult to do, especially now.

She watched with mixed emotions as the two of them spoke briefly, then embraced. When Syler began removing his armor, she turned away and decided to leave. Not only would it have been wrong to intrude on their lovemaking, but it would have been too painful at this time.

At twenty-nine years old, she should have long ago married and had daughters of her own to carry on the title of Rebastaq. However, as the signs began to converge into alignment and her father became convinced that the Majiyae Oretezu was soon to come, she had changed her plans and made various excuses as to why she wasn't allowing men to court her. She had held out hope, deep within her heart, that the Majiyae Oretezu would arrive and that he would be the one she would be destined to be with. Their purposes had always been closely intertwined and she had dreamed that they would fall into love with each other and that he would take her as his mate.

She had held out on marrying even as the years went by and there had been no sign of the Majiyae Oretezu. After five years of eagerly waiting for his arrival, she had began to harbor her doubts that they had read the signs correctly. Just two weeks ago, as she and her warriors were preparing to do their part in patrolling the borders, she had decided that when they returned, she would accept a suitor. There had been plenty of proud and strong warriors who had mustered the courage to seek out a sorceress. Even if none of them had magic like her father did, they would have been acceptable mates that would have benefited the People and herself.

When she had spotted the two groups of riders racing toward the Sacred Woods, she didn't even consider that the Majiyae Oretezu might be among them. They had prepared to slaughter both groups as they did to anyone who encroached upon their lands in such an aggressive manner. But, to her irritation, the group being chased had put away their weapons in a sign of submission that demanded she at least hear them out before deciding their fate. The Krue were brutal, but they were not without some honor.

They had quickly slaughtered the foolish Southerners and turned their attention to the others. She was going to simply turn them away until she saw the Angvardi among them. Her attempt to kill the Haresu was stopped in the most spectacular manner and she had been deeply surprised. It had never occurred to her that the Majiyae Oretezu would come to her as part of a pathetic group of ragged travelers fleeing the Terulans, but the sign was clear. He had not used any ward to repel her spell and when she tried to read him with magic, she had failed because her probing spells wouldn't work on him.

At first, she was disgusted with Syler. In him, she saw a panicked, frightened peasant who didn't look like he would ever be a warrior. Despite his courage in trying to protect his friend, she saw nothing in him and was disappointed. She had wasted her life waiting for a weakling and was furious at herself. Worse yet, he was married already and clung onto his dying Kuti wife. She had taken one look at the unconscious woman and knew that she was beyond hope. At that first moment, she considered offering to put Bronwyn out of her misery, but a feeling in her gut had told her that it would not be wise for her to do so and that Syler had to come to that decision on his own. She had been wrong about him, though, he wouldn't have given up on her even if all the elders in all the clans of the Krue were to tell him it was hopeless.

That opinion of him changed in her father's longhouse. His power, the depths to which he went to save one he loved, and his defiance against those whom he had revered for all of his life had showed her that she was wrong about him. Syler Penion of Sandrin was not a weak man, but one who had not yet been given the opportunity to display his qualities. He had the potential, but he just hadn't discovered it yet. He was too trapped in his simple life to realize what he was. Despite that, she felt that he would grow into that role and realize what he was capable of. He could very well be the great warrior that Teladia needed him to be and become someone worthy of a sorceress' attention.

There was one problem to that, though: he loved Bronwyn. She didn't need to have seen their display of love in the garden to know that. She had seen it in the way they looked at each other. Despite their races being ancient enemies, they loved each other deeply and nothing would stop that.

Vekla knew enough to realize that love would not fade away any time soon and knew better than to try to pursue him. Last night after she lit her father's pyre, while futilely trying to fall to sleep, she abandoned the idea of ever attaining the love of the Majiyae Oretezu. He had revealed himself and come as was predicted, but was married already leaving no room for her. In a way, she was grateful. The burden of waiting for him to come was passed and she was now free to seek suitors elsewhere without worrying about missing out on something. In a way, she was grateful to him because now at least, she didn't have to worry about whether or not the two of them would ever love each other. That burden was past and she was able to more clearly focus on her role as his Guide. That also meant that she was likely destined to remain alone. It wasn't a bad thing as now, there was no need for her to produce an heir to carry on her role. She had lived this long without a mate, she could continue to do so and throw all of her efforts into protecting and guiding Syler.

Amidala Skywalker · February 3, 2012

Nice update. The idea of the spells of experience on the armor is really cool, and I'm glad we got to delve into Vekla's character. Up until now, she's been this intimidating, disapproving person, and now we get to see her motivations, what some of her dreams have been, and some more of what she has sacrificed for Syler. I hope he realizes it all someday.

If I may, why did he automatically not want an axe? If that was what he was trained with, I would think his first idea would be to try one of those out, especially since he was worried about not having enough experience. I would throw in a sentence or two about his reasoning there.

Instead, he was drawn a set of armor at the back of the armory that were put up on their own stands

Tense shift--"that was put up on its own stand". Armor is singular, not plural.

He needed to wear it as much as possible so he got used to its weight and balance.

I think you're almost breaking the fourth wall here. I suggest something like "He decided that he'd need to wear it as much as possible so that he could get used to its weight and balance."

DarthBrendo · February 3, 2012

I really enjoyed this. As Ami said, imbuing the Armour like that was brilliant. And delving into Vekla's character this way was very helpful and enlightening.

Travis · February 3, 2012

As for the sword, I believe I made that clear his reasoning about wanting one. If I didn't, then I can work more on it.

He focused in on the swords, the weapon of the elite. He might not be well trained in their use, but he had found one to be quite effective in the Temple of Kubei. He could always learn how to use it properly, but no respectable leader or officer would be without one and the Sua would know it. He needed to keep up appearances as much as possible so they wouldn't detect how unskilled he was at combat.

If you remember way back to the first chapter, I even mentioned that in Sandrin (like in real life), swords were only for the elite and experienced warriors. They were more expensive and are much more deadly, that is why only those who knew how to wield them or were nobility had them. Axes are cool and all, but they typically are no match for swords. Historically, one couldn't really be a knight unless they had three things: a horse, armor, and a sword. Being able to afford and maintain those things was not easy, and thus helped weed out lesser men from knighthood.

As for the mistakes, yet again, that is the result of an edit. I originally had two sets of seemingly identical armor with only one being enchanted. I cut it as it was really unnecessary. I will fix it.

Yea, that second one is awkward, will be fixed.

I am glad you guys like Vekla. She will be one of those characters that gets put through the ringer and will always be torn. She has plenty of conflicts: her loyalty to both her people and to Syler, her (growing) envy of what Syler and Bronwyn have and her desire to find love, her ideas of a spartan attitude contrasted with people like Havert, and a few other little things that will come up. I have great things planned for her, great things.

If this next chapter were to have a title, it would definitely be called "Conspiracies." In this, we get five separate conspiracies all with different goals and purposes, all with very different individuals. Some of these will weave together, others will set up further plot points for Syler's adventures. All of them are important and were fun to write.

Chapter 21

When you strike at a target, always be sure that it is dead before you turn your back to it.

— Angvardi proverb

Sourlin Estate

Fogora

East Angrava, Angvardi Empire

Valinc Tesk gingerly nursed his hands as he arrived at the estate of one of his oldest friends, Naruden Sourlin. They hadn't quite healed from the Empress' barbaric punishment where she burned his hands with magic for daring to speak ill of her precious Terulan bastard husband. She thought that she had cowed him, but she would soon find out how wrong she was. He might be past his prime, but he was a man who had many connections and plenty of wealth.

Naruden had been told of his arrival by a messenger before hand and was there at the door to welcome him in. "Valinc, my friend!" he said before looking at his friend's scarred hands. "What has she done to you?"

"She burned me, straight in front of the entire court," Valinc said angrily. "She banished me, but she will regret it."

"She has crossed the line and gone too far this time. Come, let us go in and get you settled. I will send for the healer."

"Don't bother. Through her profane magic, she has made it to where no mage can heal me. She has ensured that I will remain maimed for the rest of my life."

Naruden shook his head in disgust. "Come inside anyway. I do not believe we want the gardeners hearing in upon our conversation."

"Very true," Valinc mumbled as he allowed himself to be guided into a secluded study.

Another man was waiting for them there, one whom Valinc didn't recognize. The man was dressed in the attire of a working man with plain clothes and a dark grey cloak. He appeared to be in his late middle age, just a few years younger than Valnic himself. Naruden closed and locked the door to the study and pointed to a comfortable couch for Valinc. As soon as all three were seated, he said, "Valinc, this is Quinlis Pertree. He already knows you because you are the reason he came."

Valinc didn't like the sound of that. "Who are you exactly, Mr. Pertree?"

The man smiled and said, "Please, it is Quinlis. I was not given a choice with my surname and would rather not be reminded of it. As for an answer to your question, I am merely a man who is a humble servant of the Tetrarchy and the Way. I am here because the gods felt it proper to use prophecy to direct me to you."

Valinc looked at the man through narrowed eyes. He had never been fond of magic, at least the more complex types that went beyond simple healing and killing. Seers, sorcerers, and prophets were altogether unpredictable and treacherous. They were capable of layering complex and often unseen spells upon people that could spring traps at any moment. At least with simple mages and wizards, you knew when they were performing their magic because it usually had immediate effects.

"I first met him six months ago," Naruden said. "In that short time, he has displayed a remarkable acumen for political intrigue and positioning. He has helped me make a small fortune from his advice."

"You are some sort of prophet, I take it?" asked Valinc.

"No, but I know some," Quinlis said with a slight smirk. "I am fortunate enough to have access to the right people who provide the right guidance so that the gods may speak through them to me."

Valinc wasn't so sure he wanted to know the details. "And what does that have to do with me?"

"Let us just say that there has been some recent prophecies that have led me to look for someone from Celienna's court who might not be exactly in favor of her recent policies. When I heard of your outrageous treatment at her hands, I asked around and was directed here as your most likely stop."

Valinc started to stand up to leave, but Naruden interjected, "Valinc, just hear him out. I wouldn't have let him meet you if he wasn't so persuasive. You know as well as I do that her alliance with the Terulans will only weaken our sovereignty and way of life and open us to their perverse culture. Something must be done about it."

He let out a sigh and sat back down. "Very well, old friend, but it had better be good or I will leave."

Quinlis didn't seem worried. He leaned forward and said, "There has been some recent prophecy that has indicated that Celienna's line has offended the gods and now they are demanding her blood as payment. The gods themselves are in support of what you desire: revenge against the murderous and treacherous Imperial throne that has led the glorious Angvardi astray with their notion of compromise and cohabitation with the Terulans. What if I told you that I, no, the gods themselves, are looking for someone to carry out their will and save the Angvardi people from this horrific mistake?"

Valinc reconsidered the man before him in a new light. Whoever he was, he was quite bold in saying that aloud to a man who had, at least until recently, been an upstanding member of the Empress' court. Now, though, he had lost that good standing as well as the use of his hands and things were quite different. Valinc determined at that moment that he would have to learn more about this man.

Despite his misgivings about this man, what he said about Celienna was worth hearing more of. "Then I would say that I am most interested in hearing more of what prophecy directs us to do."

* * * * *

The Royal Palace

Terula City,

Kingdom of Terula

Amberis Rael, first cousin to the king, was a man who got things done when he set his mind to it. For decades, since even before peace was made with Angvard, he had been working towards the southwestern expansion of the kingdom. The constant threat from the north had prevented any sort of serious campaign in the west, but he had planned ahead regardless.

When the extremely unexpected opportunity to make a lasting peace with the Angvardi had presented itself with the secret love between the empress and the king, he had embraced it. In those hectic and unsure months following the announcement of their impending marriage, he had done more than anyone to ensure that things worked out. Gevas Rael had come to rely on his cousin more and more to keep the Terulan nobles in check while he was in Angvard with his wife, and he had not let his brother down.

Peace with Angvard was good. Peace allowed him to pull Terula's armies to the west and finally fulfill his dream of conquering all the way to the Metles Mountains. There was no hope in fighting with the Angvardi as they had been for centuries. Even if Terula were to come out on top in a war, it would only provide temporary benefits until the next war when the Angvardi would take back what was theirs. The Angvardi and Terulans had managed to conquer portions of each other's lands many times over the centuries, but it never held. The Great River Tuo provided too great a natural barrier to allow for one side to hold territory on the other side for long. One side may be at a disadvantage for a time, but eventually, the gods tipped the balance the other way.

That is why Amberis never bothered with planning conquests in the north or east. No, what the Terulans needed was to conquer the West once and for all. That territory could be held and would provide Terula with the manpower and resources needed to permanently expand their influence north of the Great River. This peace with Angvard would last for a time, but eventually the two kingdoms would resume their feud and when that day came, Amberis was going to make sure that Terula had the ability to prevail.

He had set his mind to the purpose of conquering the west and that purpose was nearly fulfilled. Terulan forces had just managed to take the city of Ceate and thus end the resistance from that kingdom. It had been a close thing for had the king sent reinforcements up to find the supposed Master of Magic, then they may not have been able to take the city rapidly enough to capture their king and force him to surrender his army. Had the Ceaten army escaped to the west, they might have managed link up with the Gozi and forced General Saliss to wait over winter for reinforcements.

Instead things had worked out quite well. Gevas sent the Shalktra after the Kuti seer and the three fresh battalions to the west. The Ceate had fallen and the Gozi would soon follow. All was going as planned in the southwest, but there was the northwest to consider.

Amberis rarely visited the dungeons, but he had cause to do so now because there was a special person he wanted to meet. It had taken some doing, but he had managed to acquire a valuable prisoner from their Angvardi allies. A great deal of bribes and blood had been spent to get him here and Amberis intended on getting his money's worth.

He stopped at a cell and looked in at the filthy, half starved man sleeping inside. He gave the guards a glance that let them know that they were dismissed so he could speak to the man in private. When they were gone, he tapped the magical shield covering the bars with the tip of his knife to wake the prisoner. "Alvaren, Alvaren, Alvaren… What shall I do with you?"

The prisoner and stared passively at his guest. Without getting up, he muttered, "You could kill me now."

Amberis chuckled, "Why would I do that? It took a lot of money to get you here."

"Then you have wasted it. I am of no use to you."

"Don't sell yourself short, you are the king of the Sei."

The man snorted in derision, "I was, until your friends conquered us three months ago."

"And what if I were to make you king once more?" asked Amberis. All humor had left his voice and he stared intently at the man. If he couldn't persuade Alvaren Granad to fight for his crown, he would have to find another who might take his place. That would be time consuming and would delay his plans.

Alvaren looked back at his jailor to see if he were joking. When he saw how serious Amberis was, he asked, "Why would you do that?"

"Because having you retake your throne would mean that the Angvardi lose control of your lands and people. As part of the conditions for my help, you would have to sign a treaty that made the Sei and the Terulans allies. With that alliance and the additional lands that I have conquered, I would have the power to break the Angvardi forever. You would be given most of the Sua territory, as well as some of the Kosh's land as payment for your alliance, but we would control Angvard. With that treaty of alliance, you wouldn’t need to fear our attacks and we would have no reason to attack you."

Alvaren looked skeptical, "But why would you betray your allies? I thought your king was staunchly in favor of this alliance as part of his religious campaign."

Amberis' eyes narrowed, "The prophecies say that we must be united, but it doesn't specify who we must be united under. One can't just wash away centuries of warfare by a single marriage. My cousin is a fool if he thinks that he can do so."

"I see. If I should agree to help you, what are your terms? How do you plan on getting me out?"

"My terms are simple: you will return to your people and raise a new army in secret. When the time is right, I will give you the word to strike and you will lead them in rebellion. I will do what I can to keep the bulk of the Angvardi armies occupied. Should you succeed on your own in driving out the Angvardi and reestablishing your kingdom, then the only requirement I have of you is a treaty of alliance and the right of free passage for all Terulan armies and merchants. If I am forced to devote armies and openly fight the Angvardi, then you will pay a tribute of three times the yearly salary of each man fighting as well as two hundred pounds of gold a year for ten years, as well as the right of free passage."

There was silence for a full minute as the Sei king considered the situation. "Do I have to answer now, or am I able to ponder it?"

Alvaren was irked at this, but he would rather delay a day or two than be forced to find another suitable candidate for the Sei to rally around. Worse still, if he couldn't find someone to lead the Sei, he might have to attempt to find someone from the Sua or Kosh kingdoms to use as a pawn. Neither kingdom had the power or strategic positioning that the Sei did and were far less valuable allies.

"Very well, Amberis. I will return tomorrow and expect your answer by then. Should you agree and ally with me, then you have a chance at retaking your throne and a measure of independence. If not, then, you might get that execution you were asking for."

Edited February 4, 2012 by Guest

DarthBrendo · February 3, 2012

Interesting development here. Power corrupts everyone in the end. It will be interesting to see how Syler responds to this when he finds out his King is alive and has "regained" control of his kingdom.

Travis · February 3, 2012

It does indeed, and in time, Syler will be the most powerful of them all. . .

Amidala Skywalker · February 4, 2012

Yeah, I'll echo what Brendo said. Interesting developments, and I really wonder what Syler's response to this could be. More to the point, I wonder about Growald...if anything would tempt him away from Syler, it would be that, I'd think.

Crit:

"Don't bother, through her profane magic,

The first comma should be a period.

"Come inside anyway, I do not believe we want the gardeners hearing in upon our conversation.

Again, change the comma to a period. Both of these cases are run-on sentences.

There has been some recent prophecy that has indicated that Celienna's line has offended the gods and now they are demanding her blood as payment?

He is telling, not asking. Right? Otherwise it's weird. So period instead of question mark here.

There was no hope to fighting with the Angvardi

No hope in fighting, not to fighting.

Travis · February 4, 2012

Fixed everything you mentioned, Ami.

And now, the next three parts.

______________________

Abandoned house

Outside Terula City,

Kingdom of Terula

Magic was more than simply the power to kill someone standing next to you. It was more than simply seeing the future or healing or defending something from attack. Many of the commoners and ungifted thought that was all it was, but they were wrong.

Magic was the power of life itself.

Magic sustained life, it made it possible, and without it, there would be no life. Tantis the Founder had, in his infinite knowledge, created magic and put it into this world so that it could keep his wife's creation alive. Mankind took that magic and perverted it to kill and maim and destroy, but the worst of those offenses was the power to summon back the dead. Necromancy was profane, vile, and the most repulsive use of magic because it stole souls from eternal bliss and bound them to an unnatural existence in the world of the living. Man was never meant to live forever. They were to live their lives, die, and make way for the next generation. Their souls, were they pure, would go to dwell with the gods forever in the Immortal Realm.

Wizard Lorenez had never liked any of those who dealt in necromancy. Necromancy may have been banned in the kingdom as an blasphemy against the Tetrarchy, but that didn't mean it didn't exist. Mankind was always trying to stray and commit evil acts and necromancy offered some the perverse power that their warped minds desired. As a member of the Order of Wizards, it was his responsibility to root out necromancy and destroy it and any associated with it wherever it could be found. He understood the danger that necromancers posed to the world and wanted to do his part to ensure that the darkest, most profane of necromancy's powers were never unleashed.

Even now, he was leading six of the city guard to a house a mile outside of the city that had been suspected of being used by necromancers. It wasn't a very reliable tip, but any report needed to be verified. Lorenez almost hoped that there were necromancers present because it would give him a chance to relieve some tension. Things back at the College were growing almost unbearable as the rivalry between the wizards and prophets heated up. The feud between Grandmaster Wizard Setpinius and Master Prophet Xalent was continuing to the point that brawls had broken out. Fortunately, magic wasn't used and nobody was killed, but the king had not been pleased and had ordered the two heads of their respective Orders to resolve their issues and stop the infighting. That hadn't gone over very well, so Lorenez had volunteered to search out necromancers even when such a flimsy rumor was all they had to go on.

They approached the house without a problem. Lorenez cast a few exploratory spells to see if there was life inside or if there was any magic being used in the area recently. The life spells didn't show anything, but that rarely meant much when dealing with necromancers. He had once come upon a camp that had not shown any signs of life, but when they had entered to search it, had been crawling with the undead.

There were signs of magic being used, however. He could sense residual spells echoing within the house. It was nothing above mage level, so Lorenez felt confident that these were just amateurs and were no match against a full wizard. Even if he knew he could handle a mere mage, it wouldn't do to go in recklessly and fall into a trap. He and the men with him spent half an hour watching the house for any signs of movement.

After nothing happened, they decided to approach it slowly. Two men went around back to watch for anyone trying to escape while the other four and Lorenez went in from the front. With just a simple gesture of the wizard's hand, the door blew into shards and the guards stormed in. Lorenez followed with his hands at the ready to ward off any attack.

What they found was a mostly empty house. There was an old bed with worn sheets in one corner and a few pieces of random debris on the floor, but the house clearly hadn't been used in months. With a furrowed brow, Lorenez went searching for the source of the magical echoes he had felt outside while the guards went back outside to keep from tainting the scene any farther.

He bent down and picked up a small wooden block that seemed to be the source of the magic he had sensed. With a frown, he turned it over in his hands to inspect every part of it. There was nothing special about this piece of wood, just that it was a smoothed piece of birch. The magic was clearly coming from it, but there were no markings on it at all that he could detect. This warranted further investigation. He slipped the wooden block into his satchel and exited the house. The guards looked at him with an unspoken question. "No, I cannot sense any necromancy here. It appears our journey was a waste of time."

"At least it means we didn't have to stand around in the market all day staring at all the lovely ladies we can't touch," one of them said. The others chuckled.

"Then I am glad that I helped you escape that torment," said Lorenez dryly. He was disappointed that there were no necromancers to deal with, but he was also intrigued by the stone block. Right now, he wanted to get back to the College to where he could study it further.

Master Prophet Xalent smiled as he watched the young wizard and his entourage walk down the road away from the abandoned house. His trap had worked and brought the hapless Lorenez out on the fruitless search for imaginary necromancers. He could feel that the wizard had the small wooden block with him and would undoubtedly take it to the Wizard's College. The poor man had no idea what he was messing with and by the time he did, it would be too late.

* * * * *

Governor's Palace

Village of Kubei,

Angvardi Province of Kut

Even the best laid plans sometimes failed. Uthas was well aware of that even if it did aggravate him. His trap for the Shalktra had worked marvelously well, as had his plans for drawing out the Master of Magic. He now knew for sure that the blacksmith, a Syler Penion from Sandrin, was the very man that prophecy had foretold of for centuries. How ironic was it that the vaunted Shalktra had been unable to put together the pieces of information given by that whore of a seer when he had seen them so clearly. The Terulans always thought they were superior when it came to the interpretation of prophecy, but they were wrong.

Uthas might not be a prophet, but he was a sorcerer and he knew things about magic that no prophet could ever comprehend. Not even the wizards fully understood all that a sorcerer could accomplish. The Sages had helped him, both willingly and unwillingly, to learn what he needed to about the One. That had allowed him to successfully position himself here and set things in motion that would eventually see him as the sole master of all of Teladia.

But that road would be a long and sometimes twisted one. The first twist had come when he discovered that his curse was not working as he had hoped. It had not taken long for his men to notice the tracer spell that the Shalktra had placed on the seer whore. They had found two of the maps in the Temple after the attack on it. Uthas had taken great delight in this unexpected bonus and wished he had thought of it himself. He had one of the maps on his desk and would frequently check the status of all of those glowing little lights. Some of those lights had been women captives who tried to hide among their Kuti brethren. They had been found out and those that hid them punished. The only frustration Uthas had was that he wasn't able to track them down himself because he wasn't supposed to know of the maps.

He was able to interrogate the women once they were recaptured and brought back to the Temple, though. Much to his displeasure, the women reported that while his curse had inflicted great pain on the seer, the touch of the blacksmith had caused it to vanish. He wasn't sure how Syler Penion did it, but it was a surprise to him. He hadn't been aware of anyone except a fellow sorcerer who knew the spell that could remove such a curse. He beat the first woman who told him that to death with his own fists. The others had died shortly thereafter in various unpleasant ways, but they were of no consequence.

Even if his curse hadn't worked, he still had the maps with the tracer spell. He wasn't sure which of the glowing lights was Syler Penion, but it didn't much matter once they got back together a few days ago. He had wondered why they split up, but it didn't matter. It was most curious that they were heading for Krue territory. That was an action that he had not been able to foresee though it might be to his benefit. If he was there, he would be safe from the Shalktra until he grow and develop more of his strength. Uthas still needed him to defeat the Coming Darkness and absolutely did not want him in Terulan hands.

Even that victory had been thwarted. He was surprised one afternoon to look at the map and see nothing glowing on it at all. That meant that either the spell had been removed or that the seer had died. Either one would negate the spell and sever its link to the maps. Even this wasn't a total loss. If he couldn't track them, neither could the Shalktra. It was still annoying, but there was nothing he could do about it.

The ultimate annoyance had been when his operative hadn't found a way to report back. He was supposed to find Syler Penion and track him on his journey. Uthas had sent him out before he had acquired the spelled map and wanted to see where he went. However, the operative had failed to report in after two weeks and a great deal of travel. There had been plenty of opportunities for him to report in to a nearby town or a patrol, but he hadn't. That, and the fact that a body had been found a week ago in the wilderness near the route where some of the fleeing Sei had been suspected of taking meant that it was very likely that his operative was dead. They had tried to identify the body, but it had been consumed by local wildlife beyond the ability to do so.

A lesser man might give up, but Uthas wasn't a lesser man. He had plans and ways to deal with setbacks. Once the last of the captured women had died, he had banished the Shalktra from his lands. They had protested, but their numbers were too few to stand against his guards. His explanation to the Empress was that the prisoners had obviously fled the area and therefore, the Shalktra's mission was a failure. There was no need for them to remain here to terrorize his people and disrupt Unification.

Now, the city was his and he was able to move without Terulan eyes spying on him. There were still things that had to be done. The construction plan was going along quite well. More were arriving from the scattered Kuti settlements each week and adding their hands to the work. Soon, Kubei would be well on its way to becoming a true capital worthy of an empire. Construction on the walls would begin shortly, as would the expansion of his palace.

He would deal with Syler Penion when the time came, but for now, he needed to make sure all of his other plans were well on their way to fruition.

* * * * *

Dunsurt

South Equab

Kingdom of Terula

Now that he had finished his business in Klatasia, Prophet Aitin needed to get a ship up to Lavisha hundreds of miles north and deep in Angvardi territory. The only way to do that in any timely manner would be to take a ship from Dunsurt. It was a risky move as it would mean he would be trapped in one location for weeks without the ability to escape, but it also meant that any pursuit wouldn't likely know where he went.

The only issue with that was that he didn't exactly have the money needed to charter passage. As it was, he had been just barely living off of the land as he traveled. Some kind souls had given him a spare blanket and some food, but generally, he kept to his own on the road. Coming into contact with others was dangerous.

Even so, he had a friend in Dunsurt that could be persuaded to help fund his voyage. Fenniel was a conjuror who healed minor injuries, made simple magical potions, and dabbled in basic alchemy. As a conjuror, she wasn't nearly as powerful as a mage, but she did have some of the magical gift. He had met her several years ago when she was training in Terula City and did her time as a guard for the Tower. Though she had been two decades his senior, she had been kind and compassionate towards her wards and tried to treat them as human beings rather than threats. When she returned home to Dunsurt, they had continued to keep in contact through letters.

It took a little asking around, but Aitin found where Fenniel lived and knocked on her door. It was late, so he didn't think she would be in her shop or running errands. His guess was right when she pulled the door open and peered out at him with the light of the candle she was holding. "Come back tomorrow if you need anything."

"Fenniel," he said with a crooked smile, "it's me, Aitin."

"Aitin? The prophet boy?" Her eyes widened in surprise and she quickly looked down both sides of the street. "What are you doing here?"

"I need some help, Fenniel, and you are the only one I could turn to."

She hesitated for a few moments, then stepped back. "Get in here before someone sees you."

When they were seated at her table, he explained what little he could to her about his plight and the prophecy that sent him on it. While he talked, she got some pear juice for him to drink and a little bread to go with it. When he had finished, he begged her for the money needed to buy passage to Lavisha.

Fenniel's response was to reach for her pipe and light it with a single snap of her fingers. She remained seated staring at the fire for many minutes as she considered what he asked. Occasionally, a puff of smoke would emerge from her mouth, but other than that, she remained perfectly motionless.

"Yes," she finally said, "I believe I can help you. I do not have that kind of money in my house, it is at the moneychangers. There is a ship heading north at first dawn, well before the moneychangers will be open. However, I have a friend whom I could borrow the rest of it from. I can pay him back when I can get my money."

"Thank you, Fenniel!" exclaimed Aitin. "I will make this up to you one day. If not me, then the Tetrarchy themselves."

She favored him with a sad smile and said, "I never liked how they kept your kind locked up like that. It warms my heart to see you free and I wish you the best on your quest."

She got up and snuffed out her pipe. "I will be right back with the money, stay here and don't go outside where someone could see you."

"I won't leave," Aitin assured her. The gods had smiled on him indeed.

She nodded and threw a small satchel over her shoulders before leaving. While she was gone, Aitin finished the bread she had given him and relaxed. Soon, he would be on his way north to a strange land. The Angvardi had been at peace with Terula for two decades now, but there was still animosity. He hoped that he would be able to accomplish his goals easily enough if he kept his head down and didn't cause a scene.

He heard the door creak open and turned to see if Fenniel had managed to get the money. As soon as he saw who was at the door, his smile vanished and was replaced by a look of terror. Instead of Fenniel's old and welcoming face, he was looking into the hard visage of a man in Shalktra livery.

He jumped up knocking down the table and made for the back. Before he could reach the back door, he ran into another Shalktra who grabbed him and threw him back into the main room. "No!" he shouted as he tried to climb back to his feet.

Someone knocked him back down and put a knee in his back preventing him from getting up as they tied his hands behind his back. Another Shalktra shoved a gag into his mouth preventing him from saying anything further. Once his hands were bound and his legs fettered, they lifted him up and shoved him out the front door. Standing there, looking absolutely miserable, was Fenniel. He could only think of one word, even if he couldn't say it. Why?

"Because you are a threat, my dear Aitin," came her answer to his unspoken question. Her voice was full of regret and remorse as she continued, "All prophets are. As much as I hate what they do to you, it is necessary for the safety of all."

The last he thing he saw before they put a sack over his head was one of the Shalktra placing a large coin purse in her hand.

DarthBrendo · February 6, 2012

One thing I noticed, you refer to the wooden spoon, then a stone block that needs studying, then the wooden spoon again. It's a bit confusing.

Some interesting developments. I'm not too surprised that Aitin was betrayed to be honest.

Travis · February 6, 2012

Ummm, I didn't mention a spoon in the entire piece. The only one who has used the term "spoon" is you. What exactly are you talking about?

DarthBrendo · February 6, 2012

Could have sworn I read spoon lol. Apparently not. I just reread the section and it clearly says block. Blame it on Monday morning-itis.

Amidala Skywalker · February 6, 2012

Good! Not much to comment on here, just the development of some minor characters. I feel really sorry for Aitin...

DarthBrendo · February 7, 2012

*coughstillwaiting*

Travis · February 7, 2012

And thus unfolds one of Syler's less than stellar plans. . . . .

Chapter 22

We lost three more scouts to the Krue this week. They have that forest so well guarded, we can't even get more than a mile or so before they find us. Very few manage to escape detection. If this is any indication as to what our armies will face, the generals need to know that any invasion force will face heavy losses.

— weekly report to General Saveron

Sua Tles

Angvardi Province of Sua

Syler had heard of the capital of the despised Sua peoples even as a young child, but he had never thought he would see it with his own eyes. Now, here he was, staring at is mass of mud brick and thatched houses surrounding the central fortress that had kept the Sei from being able to sack it for centuries. The fabled fortress of Tles had withstood every attempt by the Sei or the Kosh to conquer it. From the lack of damage to its walls, it looked to have fallen to the Angvardi not by force, but by surrendering without battle.

It had been a mere three days since they left Thwrud, and yet, they had traveled more than two hundred miles. True to her word, Vekla had managed to secure permission for Syler and Lamastus to ride hasuan. Bronwyn sat behind Syler since the hasuan would not have her at their reins. The two of them met up with Vekla and a dozen of her chosen warriors and made the journey to Sua Tles at an astonishing speed.

To his great disappointment, Growald had been among Vekla's chosen. They had argued about it, but in the end, she had correctly pointed out that he had allowed her to choose whom she wished. As long as Growald remained silent and stayed out of his way, Syler would tolerate him just to keep the peace with the sorceress.

They had no difficulties in arriving. The lands north of See Sei were sparsely inhabited and were not heavily patrolled. Most of the Angvardi army were in Sua territory rooting out the rest of the resistance there. Even if someone had wanted to give them chase, there was no way that they could have outrun the hasuan with mere horses.

During the journey, Syler had pondered how he was going to approach the obstacle of finding one woman among this entire territory. It was unlikely that the Angvardi would simply let him take Karusa away, so he would need some sort of reason. They couldn't just use brute force because they had no idea where she was. Even if they did, Syler wasn't going to risk her being harmed by doing open battle with potentially vastly superior forces. Despite having a sorceress and Krue warriors, they were not going to be able to handle hordes of hostile Sua or Angvardi.

Midway through the second day, Syler had an idea that might allow them to bypass any need for secrecy or for fighting. They would use the natural fear that the Krue gave people to their advantage and would legitimize everything by using, of all people, Lamastus. At first, Vekla didn't like it, but, oddly enough, Growald was in favor of it. After a lengthy discussion that night at camp, it was decided that they would try it.

So when they came upon their destination, they made no attempt to hide. They rode boldly forward straight up to the gates and ignored the panic left in their wake. The guards at the gates panicked and sounded the alarm. Syler really didn't blame him, had any Sei seen fifteen hasuan charging at full gallop at them while being ridden by a cadre of Krue warriors in full battle armor and war paint, they would have done the same. Both Growald and Bronwyn were dressed as Krue. Growald didn't need to do much due to his dark brown hair. He was forced to shave though, and put on war paint. Bronwyn had to find a way to dye her light brown hair because no Krue had hair that light. With a little help from Syler's knowledge of plants and alchemy, they were able to fashion up a dye that turned her hair almost black. There was nothing they could do about her eyes, but Syler hoped that nobody would notice.

They pulled to a halt fifty yards from the gates and formed up into a line with Syler at its center. To his left was Vekla looking as though she would rain fire from the heavens at anyone who got in her way. To his right was Lamastus in his old Angvardi soldier's uniform plus the vambrace taken from the Governor's operative prominently displayed upon his forearms.

Fifty Angvardi guards formed up in front of the gates with spears and pikes at the ready. Though his heart was pounding beneath his armor, Syler gave them a look of bemusement as though they were no threat to him at all. He gave Lamastus a look and the game began.

Lamastus rode forward a few steps and called out to the assembled guards, "Where is your commander? I am on official business from Governor Uthas and demand to speak to him."

The guards looked at each other in confusion. That was definitely not what they were expecting. A man in an officer's uniform stepped forward and said, "Identify yourself and your purpose."

Lamastus gave him a sneer and snarled, "I will not answer to a mere lieutenant." He lifted his arms to make sure the officer clearly saw the emblem on them. "Do you know what this is? This is the seal of the governor of Kut and I am his appointed operative on an important diplomatic mission. You will give way and take us to your commanding officer."

Syler was impressed at how well Lamastus was acting. He was no expert in how Angvardi soldiers acted, but if the reaction of the lieutenant were any judge, Lamastus was doing a stellar job. The lieutenant hesitated for a moment and looked at each of them in turn. Finally, he shook his head and ordered his men to stand down. Syler breathed a quiet sigh of relief when they did because it meant that their little ruse might work.

Despite ordering his men to stand down, the lieutenant wasn't about to let them enter the city. Instead, they waited outside in a tense standoff for the officer to arrive. It took five minutes for the man to get to the gate and when he did, he didn't look pleased. "What is the meaning of this?" he yelled.

Lamastus didn't back down, but matched the officer's aggressive tone. "I am an operative of Governor Uthas of the Province of Kut. I require your cooperation for the good of the Empire. Now, identify yourself!"

The officer's eyes narrowed, "I am Captain Marias, captain of the garrison in this city. I won't bother asking your name, operative. You mentioned cooperation, what exactly would that entail?"

Lamastus gestured to Syler, "This is Lord Saekoris, lord of Clan Thwrud. It seems that his sister was taken against her will into your territories and he wishes to retrieve her. With him is his wife, Lady Bronwyn, his personal sorceress, Mistress Vekla, and a dozen of his best warriors. All have taken vows not to leave your lands until she has been returned to him. You do not wish to know what they will do if she has been harmed or killed."

Marias eyed Syler questioningly, but Syler didn't budge. He returned the captain's glare with one of his own. The captain broke eye contact and looked back at Lamastus. "Why would a Krue lord's sister be in Sua? And, why would Governor Uthas be involved in the affairs of the Krue?"

"Why Lord Saekoris' sister would be in your territory is none of your concern. As for why my governor would be involved, that answer is simple. He is wise enough to foresee that a conflict may arise between our two peoples. He feels that if we were to reach out to the Krue in friendship, it may prevent a costly war. When heard of this situation, he ordered me to assist Lord Saekoris in any way I could."

The captain didn't look convinced, so Syler improvised. "I have no desire to fight you, captain, but I will have my sister one way or another. Out of respect for the governor's gracious offer of assistance, I have left the majority of my forces a half day's ride from here. If you fail to offer the same consideration that Governor Uthas did, I will return with them and lay waste to this city and all that are within."

"You speak like a Sei," the captain said.

Syler knew that his identity as a Sei would come out sooner or later. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't muster up the accent that the Krue had. So, instead of hiding that fact, he had chosen to embrace it. "I was raised among Sei. I am also a lord of the Krue, unless you think that I just happened to stumble upon this hasuan I am riding or the Krue warriors riding with me."

"And how do I know you are really their lord or that you have an army? You could have hired some Krue thugs to pretend you were their lord. For all I know, they don't even understand a word of what we are saying or know that you claim to be their lord."

A sudden arch of energy lashed out from Vekla at the captain even before the words were out of his mouth. While Syler had no doubt that the attack could have been lethal, she only hit the captain's helmet and blew it clean off his head. The only sound that could be heard was that of the helmet clanging to the ground several yards behind the astonished officer.

"We are no mercenaries," said Vekla with more anger than Syler had ever heard her use. "No Krue would ever sell out their services to a foreigner nor would they ever allow such a man to command a hasuan. Lord Saekoris is our lord and we will serve him faithfully to the death. Submit to his request or we will begin our search by killing you all and storming the city."

Marias' face lost its color and he was unable to speak for a few moments, but when he did, he meekly nodded and said, "L-let them in."

The guards parted and allowed Syler's group in without a pause. Lamastus rode up next to the captain and stared down at him, "Who is in charge of this province? Has a governor been selected yet?"

"No sir, General Saveron is in command."

"Is he here?"

"He is, but he doesn't want to be disturbed."

Lamastus looked over at Syler who only gave him a bored glare. The Angvardi looked back down at Marias and said, "I believe that he will want to be disturbed for this. You don't want Krue in your city for long, they sometimes get the overwhelming urge to kill people if they are stuck here."

Marias was torn, but at last, he gulped and said, "Very well, sir. Come with me, I will take you to the fortress where he is."

The journey up through the winding streets took fifteen minutes. From this point on, they were committed to their game. It was unlikely that they could fight their way through so many men, but if all went according to plan, they wouldn't have to. Fear of the Krue was strong with everyone in this area. Coupling that with Lamastus' playing an operative from Kut and Syler hoped that nobody would want to stand in their way over a simple peasant girl like Karusa.

During the trip, Syler tried to focus only on what was in front of him and not appear too interested in the houses or the people. A lord wouldn't care about the rabble of the common folk, at least, that was his impression of nobility. He was interested though, especially after growing up fearing and hating the Sua. Havert had told him stories of what it would be like to march on this very city, though they were mostly wistful thinking. The Sei hadn't been powerful enough to successfully penetrate this deeply into Sua territory in some time due to the Sua's alliance with the Kosh to the south. If they had mustered their strength, the Kosh would invade and attack from behind their lines.

They were led through the imposing gates of Tles Fortress where they continued into the keep's stables under the watchful eye of no fewer than a hundred men. Syler was feeling uncomfortable under the extra attention and, judging by how tightly she was holding onto him, so was Bronwyn. He glanced at Vekla and was not surprised to see that she had maintained her look of fury and danger despite being so heavily outnumbered. He didn't think anything could shake her resolve.

"If you would, sirs," the stable master said as he gestured for them to dismount. Vekla frowned at him, but she dismounted with a single jump and landed in a crouch at the feet of her hasuan. She took a look around to make sure everything was to her satisfaction before looking up at Syler and nodding. As Syler got down and helped Bronwyn, the others dismounted. That was when things broke down.

There was an outburst in Kruish and then all of their Angvardi escorts raised their bows or lowered their spears into fighting position. The warriors reacted as one to encircle their lord with weapons extended and ready. Vekla's fingertips sparked with barely contained energy as she searched for prey.

"Hold it!" Syler called out. Fighting here wouldn't do anyone any good. "We're not here to right, lower your weapons."

"You first," one of the Angvardi said.

Syler didn't really want to do that, but they were in no position to argue, not with as many arrows aimed at them. "Alright. Vekla, stand down."

"This is a trap!" she argued.

He looked at her and in a calm voice said, "Do as I say."

She lowered her hands and the sparks dissipated. She said, "Kovols garre." The other Krue warriors lowered their javelins or sheathed their short swords.

"Now," Syler said, "can we calm down?"

"No," Lamastus interrupted. "How dare you raise your weapons against an operative of the governorship!"

Syler turned to his friend in shock, but wasn't able to say anything before Lamastus continued. "Lower your weapons immediately or I will personally see to it that you are delivered to Governor Uthas in chains."

Some of the Angvardi were beginning to look unsure of themselves and were eying those next to them to see what they were doing. Lamastus wasn't finished with his display. He marched confidently up to the nearest spearman and shoved the spear out of the way so he could scream into the man's face, "What is your name, soldier!" When the confused man didn't respond, he continued, "Are you stupid, or have you been trained to disobey direct orders? Tell me your damn name!"

"C-c-covern, sir," the man said at last.

"So tell me, Covern, would you rather spend the rest of your life laboring in the fields as a farmer, or hauling stones from the quarries?"

"Enough of this!" interjected Captain Marias. "Who do you think you are?"

Lamastus whirled around and glared at the captain with menace gleaming in his eyes. "I am a gods damn special operative of the Governor of Kut with authority to carry out my assignments without hindrance throughout the Empire. Who the hell do you think you are to stand in my way? I see no Imperial seal on your chest, so I assume you are simply another simple minded maggot who doesn't know his place." The captain opened his mouth to speak, but Lamastus simply shouted him down, "This is the second time you have challenged me, you had better get your men in line or I will have your head sent back to Angvard as a reminder for everyone not to cross operatives."

By this point, everyone's attention was focused on Lamastus' show. Most of the Angvardi had lowered their bows or raised their spears and looked decidedly unsure as to what to do. Syler considered getting involved, but it appeared that Lamastus was doing fine on his own.

Marias was not about to simply be talked down to without fighting back, "One of your charges started this, not my men."

"I don't give a damn who started anything. The only reason why any of the Krue would react is if one of your men pushed them." He looked over to Vekla and asked, "What started this?"

She had a short conversation with her warriors before replying. "The Haresu attempted to take the reins of our hasuan. That is forbidden and would have elicited a violent response from the animal. Delmonor was trying to save the Haresu's life by stopping him."

"There you have it," Lamastus said. "Your ignorant fools here nearly got themselves killed and instead of thanking the ones trying to save their lives, they are aiming weapons at them."

"That is a likel—"

"The correct response, captain, is 'thank you sir,'" said Lamastus.

The captain glared at him as his cheeks reddened. Lamastus didn't back down, but returned the look with equal determination. Syler felt Bronwyn gently grab his arm for comfort as the standoff continued. Neither men looked like they were going to back down and suddenly, Syler wished he hadn't led them all into this situation.

DarthBrendo · February 7, 2012

Heh. This can only end well.

You've done a good job of describing Lamastus' blustering as sn operative and cowing the guards. Sylers realization that he needed to feign disinterest and haughtiness was a nice touch as well.

I'm looking forward too seeing how this plays out.

Amidala Skywalker · February 7, 2012

I agree--this can't end well! I have a bad feeling about this. Blustering can usually only get you so far...I just hope they get Karusa before it all falls apart!

Great job with Lamastus. I'm glad to finally have more of him. We really don't know anything about his character, and this shows a bit more.

Travis · February 8, 2012

Oh, the blustering gets better. . .

And Ami, you get to see a LOT more of Lamastus from now on. He is one of the five major characters.

_____________

"I believe the man gave you an order, Marias," a new voice from above said.

All eyes went up to see a man in golden armor looking down at them from a balcony. Marias' cheeks lost their color and he gritted his teeth. "Thank you, sir," he said, though he was clearly not happy with it.

Lamastus looked up and said in a far more friendly voice than he had been using, "General Saveron, I presume?"

"I am, operative," the man replied without a smile. "Now, tell me why you have caused such a trouble in my courtyard that I was forced out of my supper to address it."

With a smile, Lamastus said, "I would be honored to, general, as soon as we are able to deal with this situation and be properly introduced."

"Captain, see to it that there are no more problems as you escort our guests up to my council hall." Saveron's voice left no room for arguments from his subordinate.

Things calmed down after that, though there was no love between the two groups. The Krue insisted that the hasuan be left as they were without being tied to anything. They claimed that there was no need to tie their mounts up and that they would only move to protect themselves or if they were ordered to do so by their riders. Marias, not wanting to start another incident, begrudgingly agreed to leave them untethered but under guard. Syler ordered two of the Krue stay behind to watch the guards and make sure there was no trouble on their end.

The rest of them were taken into the keep and up several floors to the top where General Saveron waited for them. His council hall was the old throne room of the Sua king. Gone was the throne and in its place was a simple wooden chair. The general was sitting in the chair surrounded by a few of his advisors and officers.

"Ahhh," Saveron said, "this is so much better than yelling from balconies. Captain, you and your men are dismissed." Marias wasn't pleased, but he saluted and left the room followed by those of his guard that arrived with them.

As soon as the doors were shut behind them, the general looked over Syler's group with calculating eyes. "So tell me, operative, what is the nature of your visit to this wretched little city?"

"I am here on special assignment from Governor Uthas of Kut to help this Kruish lord find his sister and return safely to his lands."

"Interesting," Saveron said slowly. "Why would a Kruish lord be missing his sister and what makes you think she is in Sua?"

"Perhaps you should ask him yourself, general. I wouldn't presume to speak on behalf of a lord."

Saveron looked at Syler and said, "Well? What is your story?"

Syler swallowed quietly and answered him with a mixture of truth and lies. "I am Lord Saekoris, originally of the Sei village Sandrin. Though I was raised among the Sei and have many of their mannerisms, I am not a Sei, but rather was born a Krue. My father, Lord Avenil of Thwrud, sent me among the Sei as a way to better understand them in the hopes that when I took his place, I would be able to make peace with them. I was visiting See Sei when your people invaded the kingdom and was advised not to return. After the defeat of the Sei's king at Fazei, I returned to my homeland and sought out my father to reclaim my heritage.

"Unfortunately, by the time I had arrived, he had died. As was my right as his heir, I was declared Lord of Thwrud. I left the Subeleth Woods to find the sister that was all that was left of the family that adopted me. My stepparents had died years ago, but I had a step sister who was very close to me. It is my desire to have her returned to me."

"Fascinating story," said Saveron. "Even were I to believe it, why does it concern me? This is not Kasas Sei."

"Because the operative here told me that all eligible women were taken from Sandrin into the Sua lands," replied Syler.

"Did he? It could be true, I don't know where all of the Unity programs have taken people. I ask again, why does this matter concern me? You are a heathen, a foreigner, and, a potential threat to the Empire. Why shouldn't I take you hostage and interrogate you and your men for information about Kruish defenses?"

"Kendathal," spat Vekla in a clear challenge. She waved her arms around in a circular motion and energy erupted from her palms. Syler feared the worst, but instead of attacking the general and his men, the energy enveloped their group and formed what Syler guessed was a protective shield.

"Aww hell," Syler heard Growald mutter behind him.

As soon as the spell was set and the group were surrounded in a hazy screen of energy, there was silence. After a few seconds, the general laughed and said, "Well done, sorceress. I should have realized that no Kruish lord would dare travel without some sort of gifted being to protect him."

"I don't need any protection," Syler said with confidence in his voice that he wasn't feeling. Taking a chance on what would happen, he stepped forward and placed his hand on Vekla's shield. As soon as he touched it, the entire thing dissipated like a burst bubble.

The general's eyes widened and the smile melted from his face. "So I see. You wield magic yourself, most interesting."

"I am not here to cause you harm, I simply want my sister. Once I have her, we will all leave."

"Why should I help you?"

"Because it would cost you next to nothing, but to deny or harm me would bring terrible retribution from my warriors."

"I have plenty of soldiers, why would I fear you?"

Syler gave a thin smile, "The Angvardi have bypassed the Subeleth Woods even though they are closer to their territory than the Sua. You are clearly out to conquer the world, but you dare not tread on the lands of the Krue. Tell me, why is that?"

Saveron's eye twitched just slightly, but otherwise he gave off no emotions. "Do not try to threaten me in my own headquarters. Whether you can command magic or not, you would not be able to stop all of us or fight your way out of this city."

Syler raised his chin and replied, "I don't have to. You can't just kill a lord of the Krue without repercussions. If any harm comes to me, the Krue will march against Angvard. My guess is that with your forces still fighting Sua remnants, you wouldn't be able to withstand their assault. Even if you were to eventually win, how much damage would there be and how long would that delay your Unity? Is it truly worth it just to fight over a single peasant woman?"

Lamastus cleared his throat and said, "General, Governor Uthas has already expressed his desire to see this mission carried out. He feels that it—"

"I am not subordinate to Governor Uthas," Saveron said. "What he wishes is not binding to me."

"I realize that," Lamastus said. "But as Lord Saekoris has stated, our people are in no condition to fight the Krue. It is in our best interests, as well as the interest of Unity, that we acquiesce to his request. That is why I was sent."

Saveron snorted, "The governor is a politician, he shouldn't mettle in the affairs of soldiers."

"Precisely," said Lamastus. "He is indeed a politician and has seen the wisdom of trying to broker better relations with the Krue in hopes that we could become allies and they would accept the Way willingly. It could save tens or hundreds of thousands of our soldiers' lives if we don't have to fight them."

"Why would the Krue ever submit to the Way?"

"Because the Krue are not stupid or foolish," Syler answered. "We know that the forces of Angvard and Terula are mighty, far more so than we are. We have no wish to see our sacred woods ravaged by war. If a favorable agreement could be made, it is possible that the Krue would willingly join with the Angvardi and Terulans in the Way and prevent much defilement. The Krue have no desire to see their lands occupied as their neighbors' have been."

For the first time, the general looked like he was considering what they had to say. "So you think that the Krue might surrender to the Angvardi?"

Syler saw Vekla stiffen beside him, but she remained silent. "No, the Krue would never surrender," he said. "But we may consider joining as equals with both Angvard and Terula. It would save a great deal of bloodshed on both sides as well as make your own pursuit of Unity much easier."

Saveron leaned forward in his chair and rested his chin on his fist. "You could do this? You could persuade the Krue to accept the Way and join in our purpose?"

Syler smiled inwardly, but kept his face neutral. "I cannot guarantee anything. I am but the lord of one clan out of many. But I can say this: should you assist me in retrieving my sister, I would be far more open to putting in a good word for the Way with the other lords. Resist me and I would oppose any attempt at a peaceful outcome with all of my heart. Kill me and the Krue would never even listen to such proposals."

"I notice you didn't guarantee that you would support this or that the other Krue would accept it."

"I don't have my sister in hand, nor do I know if your Empress would be willing to accept the Krue as equals even if you supported it," Syler pointed out.

"Fair enough."

Lamastus added, "That is why Governor Uthas sees this mission as important. We must begin to build positive relationships with the Krue if they would ever consider joining us."

"Very well, I shall help you," Saveron said. "Give my archivists time to look into our records and we will see if we can't find her. Tonight, you will stay here as my guests and tomorrow, if she has been found, you can set out to get her."

"Thank you, General Saveron," said Syler. He almost bowed, but remembered that as a lord, it wouldn't be proper for him to do so.

"If you would give me the name of your sister, I will have my archivists begin searching the records for her immediately."

Syler nodded and said, "Her name is Karusa Penion of Sandrin."

Saveron lifted a hand and gave one of the men beside him a glance. That man bowed and left the room. "Enjoy my hospitality, Lord Saekoris. One of my men will show you to our guest wing."

Lamastus wasn't comfortable here. Something wasn't right but he didn't quite know what it was. Every sense he had was screaming that he needed to be alert and active. Saveron was a crafty man who had great insight into those around him. While he had been true to his word in offering them hospitality, there was something about the general's eyes that unnerved him.

So, when the others had retired to their rooms for the night, he had sneaked out through the window and along the narrow edging that jutted out. He had to try a few windows, but he eventually found one that was not only unlocked, but unguarded. As soon as he was safely inside, he went searching for something that would either put him at ease or confirm his fears.

Despite this being a military fortress, security here was disappointingly lax. He wasn't wearing his armor, so he was able to move around without making any noise and was alerted by the clinking of metal on metal before any guard approached. All it took was a little caution and some quick dives into doorways and he was able make his way around the fortress unseen.

He silently made his way to the council chambers, but found them too well guarded to get in. He wouldn't be able to get past them or through the closed door unseen. With that option removed, he decided to go down to the archives room and see if he couldn't gain access. There was a wealth of information that could be had there that could prove valuable in the future.

It took an hour for him to navigate his way through the guards and winding halls. He also had to retrace his steps multiple times on his quest to find where the room was, but he eventually found it. The door was open allowing him a quick peek in, but he heard voices inside so he paused and listened.

"Are you sure the general wanted us to do this?" the first man said.

"Of course," said the second voice that sounded like an older woman. "He was explicit."

"Don't worry, those Krue won't be around for long," a second man said. "They think we are fools, but they will be in for a rude surprise."

There was a long pause and the sound of pages being turned. The first man said, "Ahh, here we go. They took her to Opeganeat. It shouldn't be hard to find her there."

"Excellent, tell the General's men and they will go and collect her," said the second man.

The woman said, "Gods save her soul when they get a hold of her and start trying to get to the bottom of this. I hope she knows something because if she doesn't, then it will only be worse for her."

"I don't know, it might be more fun if she doesn't," said the second man.

Lamastus' blood was boiling. The treacherous fool! He heard footsteps from within the room approaching the door. There was only one option for him, only one thing he could do now to make sure Syler didn't get killed or captured.

He carefully pulled out the two knives hidden under his belt as the person got closer. As the door began to open, he shouldered it open with far more force than the person on the other side was expecting. His entrance caused two people, a man and a woman, at a table on the other side of the room to look at him, but he paid them no heed. The third person, a man who was rubbing his shoulder, was his target. In a deft, practiced move, he jabbed one knife into the man's throat and pulled down slashing it open entirely and preventing him from making even a sound except for the impact of his body on the ground and a little gurgling.

As he expected, the other two were stunned by his actions and didn't think to call out until it was too late. Lamastus flipped the knives over so he could grab them by the blade, then threw them at both. One blade went straight into the man's heart killing him silently, but the other missed the woman's heart and went into her lung instead. She started gasping for air as he ran across the room to finish her off with a quick twist of her head that snapped her neck.

Lamastus pulled out both of his knives and wiped them on the man's tunic before sheathing them. Without pause, he swept the book off the table and tucked it into his belt as he retraced his steps back to the door. Once he closed and locked the door, he looked around at the shelves for a minute to see what else there was of value to take. There were a few books that seemed interesting, so he pulled them off the shelves and stacked them on the table. He found a small courier's satchel in the room and stuffed the books into it before leaving the room.

His first objective was to get back to Syler and warn him of the treachery. Then, they would need to get the rest of the group and find some way to get out of this fortress and the surrounding city so they could use the hasuan's speed to outrun any pursuit. It was going to be a long night.

Amidala Skywalker · February 8, 2012

Interesting move...I bet he might have been able to pass off his presence, but often times it's safer and simpler just to kill them, I suppose. Of course, now they have to escape...

At least they know where she is.

DarthBrendo · February 8, 2012

Solid update. It's interesting to see the way theyre starting to really pull tOgether as a group.

Travis · February 8, 2012

. . . . and it all blows up.

Chapter 23

I don't care what the prophets might say, I am not going to stay in seclusion. I will be visiting my husband as scheduled. If you feel my safety is in danger, increase the number of guards, but I will not cancel the journey.

— Empress Celienna in response to concerns about her safety from the prophets

Sua Tles

Angvardi Province of Sua

Lamastus tried to get into the guest wing secretly, but he didn't have time to use the route through the windows he used earlier. Even if he did manage to get into his room, he was sure that there was a guard or two in the hallway connecting all of their rooms. He would need to shed some more blood, but he didn't mind. Syler was the critical element here, the rest of them were expendable.

The first pair of guards he ran into were guarding the door that led into the guest wing. He slid his daggers underneath his sleeves and approached them openly. They snapped to attention and put their hands on their weapons as he approached, but they didn't seem to recognize him as one of the guests that they should be guarding. Lamastus walked up to them without paying them heed just like any servant would.

When he got close, they ordered him to halt, but by that time, it was too late. He only needed to get within nine feet to lash out. With just the most subtle shift in his balance, he was able to spring off the balls of his feet as he lowered the knives into his hands. The two guards were not able to make a sound as he planted one weapon into each of their throats right under their jaws where the mail didn't cover. The knife cut through their windpipe and penetrated through the vertebrae of their neck killing them as close to instantly as possible.

He straightened his clothes and concealed the knives under his sleeves again before opening the door into the guest hall. Inside, there were four guards, one on each end of the hall. Two were right next to him on either side of the door he had just walked through, the other two were on the other end, easily twenty yards away. He wouldn't be able to kill them all by surprise, so he had to adapt. "What is this?" he cried. "What are you doing?"

The guards beside him backed away and nearly drew their weapons before he grabbed one and said, "You fools, someone has attacked the fortress and you are standing here guarding a bunch of sleeping guests? The assassin just passed this way, you need to get him before he escapes!"

He stepped aside and pointed to the two guards he had just killed outside. When they saw this, all four guards' eyes widened and they drew their swords. "Don't just stand there, get them!" Lamastus said and pointed out down the hall toward the heart of the fortress.

The guards on the far side of the hall began to run toward him, but there was suspicion in their eyes. They were getting closer when one of them slowed down and said, "Hey, weren't you the one that came with—"

He didn't get to finish because Lamastus whirled into action. The knives were back in his hands and the first two guards were falling to the floor. The other two were able to unsheathe their swords, but he didn't give them the time to use them before he was upon them. The one who hadn't slowed down was the first to go down as Lamastus jammed one knife into the area under his am that wasn't protected by armor. The other managed to get his sword ready and block the first few attacks, but he was no match for the flurry of blows that was unleashed against him.

Before the last body hit the floor, one of the hallway doors slammed open and Vekla emerged looking for a fight. Even without her normal war paint on, she looked like she was ready to brawl a tavern full of battle hardened mercenaries. She took in the blood covered Lamastus standing over four bodies and gave him a quizzical look. He returned her gaze and said, "They are preparing to betray us, we need to get out of here!"

She didn't waste time asking questions, but whispered a spell and the other nine doors in the hall flew open. She went straight to where Syler and Bronwyn were staying and was met at the door with a sword wielding Syler. "What is going on?" he demanded. Even though he was only in his tunic and had clearly been sleeping, he looked alert and ready for a fight.

"The Angvardi says that we have been betrayed," she said coolly.

Syler looked over at Lamastus with an unspoken question. Lamastus was busy pulling in the first two bodies from outside the hallway. He said quickly, "I was out looking around and overheard the archivists preparing to send someone to get your sister. They joked about the ambush that Saveron had planned for you before I killed them."

"You killed them," said Syler. "Just like that?"

"Would you rather me have allowed them to report your sister's location?" he countered.

Syler shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "No, I just was hoping that Saveron might have fallen for our ploy, but it is clear he didn't. Did you find out where she was?"

Lamastus nodded, "They mentioned that she was in Opeganeat before I killed them."

Relief was visible on Syler's face. "Thank you, Lamastus. We will get her as soon as possible, but first we need to get out of here before we are discovered."

Without another word, he retreated back into his room and began pulling on his armor with Bronwyn's help. Vekla toed one of the fallen guards and nodded her approval. "Impressive, you killed all six of them before I could sense the disturbance and react. I did not think a mere guard was capable of such efficiency."

Lamastus smiled, "Not all of us frequented the taverns when off duty."

She looked at him with an arched eyebrow, "Apparently not."

By the time Syler emerged from his room dressed in his armor and with Bronwyn at his side, the other Krue warriors and Growald were waiting. Seeing an impatient look on the Seinari's face, he said, "What? I am not as used to getting into armor as you are!"

"You shouldn't have taken it off to begin with, boy," Growald quipped. "Not here, at least."

"How do you want to do this?" asked Lamastus, "Slow and quiet or fast and bloody?"

All eyes were on Syler and he let out a sigh, "Whatever you think is safest."

"For now, stealth is our best bet until they are alerted to our presence," Growald said even though Syler was looking at Lamastus when he spoke.

"I agree," replied Vekla. Without waiting for confirmation, she started down the hall on the way out. Syler shrugged and followed suit with the rest of them.

They almost made it to the door leading into the courtyard where their hasuan were when the alarm bells sounded. "Snalv," Vekla cursed. "We need to move!"

When they turned the last corner to the exit, they encountered several guards with weapons drawn waiting for them. With various battle cries, some of the Krue warriors charged at them while others hurled their javelins. The fighting didn't take long. The Angvardi were outnumbered and not ready for the vicious onslaught. Despite being overwhelmed, one of them did manage to get a lucky blow in and killed one of the warriors.

Vekla didn't even acknowledge the loss of one of her men before throwing open the courtyard doors. They rushed outside to where their mounts were standing placidly waiting for them. There was nobody in sight and for a moment, Syler was relieved. Then he realized that there should have been two more Krue waiting for them.

They heard the sound of clapping from above and looked up. There, standing in the very spot where they had first seen them, was General Saveron looking down at them with a self satisfied smile on his face.

"Back inside!" yelled Delmonor, but it was too late. They all heard the sound of heavy boot steps from within even as dozens of archers emerged from their concealment along the upper wall surrounding the courtyard.

"Very good, Lord Saekoris," Saveron called down. "I didn't expect you to see my betrayal so quickly. You were as untrusting as I was."

"It didn't have to happen like this," Syler said. "Nobody had to die."

"Poor fool, there was no other way it could have turned out. Now, are you going to surrender, or do I have to have my men cut you down where you stand?"

Syler looked at Vekla and saw more than just bloodlust in her eyes. She was planning something. Bronwyn squeezed his hand and whispered, "I will not be taken by those monsters again."

"I wouldn't allow it," he assured her, remembering his promise back in the Temple to never let her be taken alive by the Easterners. In a louder voice directed above, he said, "I guess you will have to kill us."

As he had hoped, Vekla released her spell sending an arc of flame up the walls to the archers. The rest of them sprang into action and made for the hasuan, their only hope for escape. Those Krue warriors who still had javelins threw them before making for their ride, but it wasn't enough. Though many of the archers were either dead, wounded, or taking cover, a few managed to loose arrows down upon them killing both man and beast.

A lightning bolt from above speared one warrior in the chest leaving a fist sized hole where it passed. Another aimed at Syler hit him but, as in the arena with Lord Avenil, it had no effect. Guards armed with swords and shields rushed out from the door they had just come out of sealing any hope of withdraw. Those guards, seeing their foes taking heavy fire and falling back, decided to charge. There was no way that they would be able to mount and get out before they were upon them. Syler prepared to charge in, but he was held back by Growald.

"Go on, boy. I got these," he said as he stepped in front of Syler.

Syler tried to shoulder his way past him, but Growald bodily threw him back toward the others with one hand. "Syler!" Bronwyn called out to him. She had gotten up next to a hasuan but wasn't able to get on without him.

Syler whispered a curse at the whole situation, but he had no choice in the matter. Growald was going to get himself killed and there was nothing he could do about it. He had to get out of here or they would all die. He knew that there was no way that the others would leave without him and if they stayed here, they would die.

With a snarl of frustration, he sprinted towards a hasuan while dodging arrows from above. He jumped upon a mount and reached down to pull Bronwyn up behind him. Those who were still alive followed suit and looked at him for guidance. There was nothing to do but to flee, so he did.

Magic flared around them as Vekla and the two Angvardi mages dueled. There were more guards blocking the exit, but they weren't prepared for enraged hasuan. With all the blood and magic in the air, as well as the loss of some of their number, the beasts were in no mood to be gentle. They met the spears of those in front of them with their own horn and shoved or speared everyone out of their way. Those that weren't gored were trampled.

Syler lost track of where everyone was, but kept with the remnant group as they stormed through the streets of the city. A small explosion of fire behind them and a furious female voice cursing in Kruish told him that Vekla was still with them, but he had no idea about the others. It was chaos as each of them was forced to keep up or be left behind. At least, Syler realized, each of them except him. He noticed that the rest of them had formed a circle around his mount and kept pace with him.

It was late at night, so there were few people on the streets. A few guards on patrol who decided to try to slow them down were fortunate if they were simply thrown aside by eighteen hundred pounds of angry hasuan running as fast as it could down the dark roads. Those that weren't were either gored by the mounts or speared by their riders.

"Vekla, the gate!" Syler called out as they neared it.

She looked forward and frowned. They got close enough to see that there were more guards and archers there already preparing to take them on. As the group got closer, Syler began to brace for impact with their line. He wasn't overly concerned about the men on foot, but the archers would be very deadly.

Just before the arrows began to fly, a huge wave of intensely bright light erupted from Vekla and slammed into the gate, the men in front of it, and the wall around it. Splinters of wood, shards of stone, pieces of armor, and various body parts flew everywhere, but they didn't stop. The group, with Vekla now in the front, continued straight through the rubble as the gate itself began to collapse.

At last, they were through and in the open. Syler turned around just in time to see the gate rumble in a cloud of dust and debris. Wary of pursuit, Vekla kept riding at full gallop for twenty minutes. When it was clear that there was nobody following, she slowed the group down and circled around to come up next to Syler.

The look of fury was still on her face, but with it was also concern for him. "Are you injured, my lord?"

Syler didn't feel any pain, so he shook his head and looked back at Bronwyn with concern. She had managed to hold onto him tightly throughout their ride, but he wasn't sure if she had been hit by an arrow or even by a piece of debris from the gate. She didn't say anything but was staring at Lamastus in horror.

In the chaos of the courtyard, he had been forced to double up with one of the warriors. While he had managed to hold on, he looked like he was about to fall off. An arrow stuck out of his right shoulder blade and blood soaked the back of his tunic. He had left his old guards armor back in his room while sneaking around the fortress and didn't have time to put it on. "I think I was hit," he said cavalierly.

DarthBrendo · February 8, 2012

Hehe I like the way Lamastua dealt with the guards he came across. Nicely done.

The escape could be expanded with more detail, Saeverion (?) would have gloated more I feel, and there could have been more detail about the rest of the escape. That's just my personal preference for descriptions though.

The only real critique I have is the last sentence. Finishing with cavalierly doesn't work in my opinion. It feels clumsy rolling off the tongue. Try saying that sentence out loud, and replace the word with something else. Nonchalantly is the first one that comes to mind, though I'm not sure it conveys the attitude you're looking for.

Travis · February 8, 2012

I considered expanding this, but at the time, I was worried that it would drag on too much. It very well may get expanded in the second draft. To be honest, I wasn't very pleased with this entire chapter.

As for gloating, I don't know. My intent was to portray Saveron as a calculating general, not as a meglomaniac. He will be back, so maybe as I explore and define his character more, I will go back and change that.

As for the last sentence, I changed it to the following:

In a cavalier voice, he said, "I think I was hit."

Is that any better?

DarthBrendo · February 8, 2012

It is better, yes. I do believe you could find a stronger word though. Cavalier, and this could just be me, evokes images of swashbuckling and pirates, musketeers, that sort of a style of writing, if that makes sense. This story isn't those things.

As I said, it could just be me. It doesn't break the story though, so at this point I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Amidala Skywalker · February 9, 2012

Using the dictionary, I think what you're trying to get across with cavalier isn't coming across. Cavalier as a noun means 'a gentleman, one who treats ladies with respect', but as an adjective it means 'showing an arrogant or jaunty disregard or lack of respect for something or somebody'. I don't think that is what you are trying to say about Lamastus' attitude here. Or am I mistaken? If I am, some good synonyms would be careless, haughty, or casual.

I agree that it did seem a bit rushed in places, and sometimes I wasn't sure which sides' warriors were being killed, or who was using magic. I do think it was kind of interesting that the general was a magic user. That seemed weird, because up until now I was under the impression that magic users were confined to their towers and such, not placed in positions of command (except for times of battle). *shrugs* Maybe I'm just not thinking clearly right now.

Travis · February 9, 2012

The dictionary I used (and yes, I looked up the word before using it), stated that as a noun, it was: "one having the spirit or bearing of a knight; a courtly gentleman; gallant," and as an adjective it was: "offhand or unceremonious."

Read the next part with him in it and see if it fits. If not, I shall find another word. Lamastus, when repressed within the confined structure of being a guard, has a pretty basic personality. Now that he isn't a guard or working within a rigid command structure, his personality is coming out and he is most definitely swashbuckling and lighthearted and even flirtatious. I haven't been able to show much of it because other characters have been focused on. Now, I am trying to bring it out and will continue to do so. I may go back and edit some of the past interactions with him and give him a more flavorful background, but right now, I am going to focus on the future. A lot of things will change in the second draft.

As for the battle and Ami's confusion, GOOD!!! Battles are confusing, chaotic things. As it was written from Syler's perspective, there is no reason why it should be clear, easily defined, and all nice in order. It was chaotic, crazy, fast paced action. I may go back and clarify and expand it a little more, but generally, it is meant to be chaotic because the entire incident in the courtyard took place in probably the amount of time that it took you to read it. The race through the town would have lasted longer, but the entire courtyard scene wouldn't have lasted more than maybe twenty or thirty seconds.

As for magic wielders, they aren't all kept cooped up in towers, only prophets and seers. This isn't Dragon Age. The reason why prophets and seers are kept under such tight regulation is because of their ability to see the future. Sometimes, knowledge of future things is too dangerous to allow into the public because it would cause panic. For instance, imagine if someone today who was a defined prophet whom we all trusted were to say that a large building in a major city in America would collapse in two months. What kind of panic would there be? The panic and overreaction would cause more damage than the actual event and society could very well fall apart, especially in the cities. I do plan on explaining more of how magic wielders are treated in various countries in a couple of chapters when Syler is "educated" as part of his role as a lord of the Krue.

And, General Saveron is not a magic wielder, he had two mages flanking him that were providing the wards and dueling with Vekla. As a sorceress, she is significantly more powerful than any single mage, but two are able to fight her to a standstill. If I need to be more clear on the presence of the mages, then I will go back and edit.

On to the next part. I must say, of all the parts in this novel so far, this part has received the most changes and edits. I am not entirely comfortable with it, but I will throw it up to get your reactions. If there is something funky in it, it very well could be because of all the edits and whatnot that I missed.

I did include the last paragraph of the previous section just to help it flow better.

_______________________

In the chaos of the courtyard, he had been forced to double up with one of the warriors. While he had managed to hold on, he looked like he was about to fall off. An arrow stuck out of his right shoulder blade and blood soaked the back of his tunic. He had left his old guards armor back in his room while sneaking around the fortress and didn't have time to put it on. In a cavalier voice, he said, "I think I was hit."

The warrior he was riding with slowly let him down so that Vekla could tend to him. The others checked their wounds and to see who was left. Once the everyone was accounted for, one of the unwounded warriors took his hasuan to circle around and make sure nobody was on approach.

Syler slid off his mount in such shock that he nearly forgot to help his wife down. They had lost five of the warriors, not including the two that had been watching the hasuan. Not only that, but Growald was not among them and the last anyone had seen of him, he was heroically fighting multiple Angvardi in the courtyard while covering their escape. Of the sixteen of them that started out from Thwrud, only eight remained.

He sat down away from the others and gazed at the crescent moon trying to decide what to do next. They had tried his plan to get information and it had worked, but at a terrible cost. Those men's blood was on his hands and he wasn't sure how to deal with that knowledge.

Even more disturbing was the knowledge that, when faced with the possibility of peace, the Angvardi had chosen to betray and attack. He hadn't been demanding any great boon or difficulty from the general so there had really been little reason to deny his request. Even if Saveron had suspected that he had no real intention of seeking peace through subservience, it wouldn't have cost him much to try. What was an hour of work for an archivist and a single peasant woman compared to the chance, however remote, of not having to fight an entire kingdom?

He felt a hand on his shoulder and saw that Bronwyn was looking down at him. "It wasn't your fault," she said. "We all knew the risks and still believed in you."

"Yet I am responsible for their deaths," he said morosely.

"Syler Penion, look at them," she said as she pointed back towards the others. "They are warriors, every one of them. Fighting and dying is part of their life. I was not even the wife of a warrior, but as a Kuti, I understood that each time our warriors went out that some of them wouldn't come back. All warriors understand this."

He looked over and saw that Vekla was tending to Lamastus' injury and the other warriors were tending to each other's more minor wounds. They didn't seem angry or disappointed at him. There were no side glances aimed at him full of bitterness and resentment. They simply went on with wrapping cuts and looking after their hasuan. "It doesn't absolve me of responsibility," he said at last. "They went out under my command and some didn't come back."

"You are their lord, they have sworn to fight and die for you if need be."

"I know, but I don't know if I will ever get used to it."

"Good, you shouldn't. The day you no longer care about the warriors you send into battle is the day that you need to step down. I have seen it happen with two village leaders who passed their authority on to the most worthy warrior because they no longer felt sorrow at the deaths of those they sent into battle."

Syler allowed that to burn itself into his brain. "Thank you, Bronwyn. I wonder if I am too soft at times because I don't want to see these men dead. Perhaps I should have summoned an entire army and stormed the place, but I didn't want to see the fighting or the dying. Other times, I wonder if I even really care about their lives at all. I would see every one of them die except you if it were the only way of getting my sister back. When I catch myself thinking that, it scares me because that isn't who I am or was."

"Who were you then?" asked Bronwyn.

"I was a simple man. I never wanted war or fighting. I was perfectly content to work first in the fields finding herbs, then in my father's shop making them into potions, then as a blacksmith. War, action, and adventure were the last things on my mind. Then the Angvardi came and destroyed everything. Now it seems that I am going to have to lead these warriors and many like them into a war." He wished he could tell her exactly why he was being forced to fight, but he didn't want her to have the guilt of knowing that it was her life that forced his hand.

"I thought you wanted to go away with your sister and I and live in peace."

Syler knew this conversation had been coming and wished that it didn't have to be now. Saveron's response tonight had confirmed his fears. Along their journey to Sua Tles, he had done a lot of thinking. Not only did he have Crusos to contend with, but he had began to realize that as soon as they destroyed the Krue, the Angvardi and Terulans would have nothing stopping them from advancing into the Deep West beyond the Metles Mountains. Even if he moved his sister and Bronwyn out into the middle of nowhere, the Easterners would eventually come. They would scour the continent looking for him and would eventually find them. When they did, he didn't trust that they would treat him with the same sort of reverence that the Krue did, especially once they found out that he wouldn't help them.

The only answer was that he would have to fight the Easterners as they invaded. The Krue were the most powerful of the Western Peoples, if anyone had a chance to stop them, it would be them. That some of them might see him as a sort of savior was beside the point because he didn't think they would give in to occupation after countless ages of being independent. If they did want to see him as a leader, then he had to accept that or risk Crusos' wrath. And, if he was going to accept being their leader, he needed to show that he was strong and worthy of that trust. So far, he had not done so well.

"Yes, I did and do want to spend my life with you in peace, but I don't think it will work out. Not only will these Krue keep coming after me, but the war will eventually follow us wherever we go. There is something about the Angvardi that scares me. I had this horrible nightmare where I was being hunted by them. No matter how far I ran, they were always there after me. Nothing I could do, nothing I could put in their way stopped them. What drives them is beyond reason, beyond sanity." Chills ran up his back as he remembered the images of fires and bodies and destruction and war. "Our only hope is for us to stand with the Krue and fight them now rather than to hide and face them alone."

Bronwyn looked surprised and almost horrified. She slowly fell to her knees in front of him and the expression on her face was one of terror and was even more chilling than the dreams. "What is it?" he asked. "Are you upset?"

"No Syler, that isn't it," she said softly. "That wasn't a dream, Syler. That was my most recent kvastat. It was a vision of the future. You had it two nights ago, didn't you?"

The revelation was unsettling, but it didn't truly surprise him. "Yes, I did actually. I was surprised that I didn't wake up screaming."

In a distant voice full of past torment, she said, "You can't wake yourself up during a kvastat. You must endure it no matter how painful or horrifying."

"I must have been absorbing your seer abilities and sharing the vision with you while we slept," mused Syler. In a voice full of bitter irony, he said, "The wonders of my new magic never cease, do they?"

"It is not something I expected. You need to be very careful. Men are not meant to see what caetos kvastali see."

"I gather there are a lot of things I am able to do that aren't supposed to be done."

Bronwyn couldn't disagree. "I understand why you must fight. As much as I wish we could live in peace, I fear that if we do, there will be catastrophic events that would sweep everything we hold dear away."

"I wish it were different, but it isn't. I will have to fight."

Bronwyn took his hands and corrected him, "We have to fight."

"You are a fortunate man," said Vekla. "This arrow came very, very close to your lung. If it had punctured it, you would probably have died before I could get to you."

"I agree," Lamastus replied cheerfully. "If I hadn't been shot with an arrow, I wouldn't be graced with your encouragingly cheerful ministrations." He was sitting down and letting her tend to his wound. As he was the most seriously wounded, he got the first opportunity to be healed. Syler and Bronwyn had gone off a bit to have a private conversation. It was one that, judging by the look on Syler's face as they headed away, he didn't exactly want to be part of.

Vekla glared at him but didn't stop the healing spell she was using to dull the pain and repair the damaged tissues. "Your sarcasm is not appreciated."

He winced as she twisted the embedded arrow slightly. "Who said it was sarcasm? I think you can be an absolutely charming woman when you want to be." Apparently Vekla didn't think that warranted a reply, so he sort of half shrugged with his good shoulder and said, "Well, at least you are kind enough to heal me. Without you, I would probably have died from a festering lesion and in great agony. Nobody else could have done anything much to help me."

"Unless Lord Syler were to save you as he did his woman."

Lamastus detected a definite increase in bitterness within the sorceress' voice. She was normally gruff and tart, but she was noticeably more bitter than normal. He opened his mouth to comment on that, but the sudden pain of her jerking the arrow out of his shoulder caused him to cry out, "Ow! A little warning next time!"

She showed him the bloody arrow and said coldly, "A Krue would not have cried out."

He made a face at her and said, "Alas, I am but a mere Angvardi." She didn't respond, but instead focused on her spell. He felt a cold, tingling sensation in his shoulder that wasn't exactly comfortable and made his eyes water from the pain, but after her last remark, he held his tongue and said nothing.

"Yes, you are, and I am still not sure if I was right in sparing your life when we first met."

"If my memory serves me correctly, you tried to kill me. It was Syler who spared my life."

Something in his shoulder sent a massive wave of pain throughout his body causing him to jerk involuntarily and nearly black out. The pain was short lived and stars in his vision faded away. He heard her voice whisper in his ear, "Do not think that it would have been any more difficult for me to kill you then than it would be now."

Despite the threatening words, there was the slightest, almost impossible to detect hint of playfulness in her voice. For a normal person, her tone would be considered just shy of offensive, but with her, it was almost friendly. She usually didn't give off any hint of civility or pleasantness except around Syler. He wasn't quite sure what that meant because she clearly hated him. "Well, uh, I am glad you didn't. Syler would be very disappointed if you had."

"You are an Angvardi, one of the Haresu," she replied. "You and your religion are the main enemies Lord Syler will have to face." There was definitely no levity in her voice now.

"I have saved his life four times now. If I were his enemy, why would I do that?"

Vekla didn't respond for well over a minute. Instead of answering him, she slapped him on the back and said brusquely, "There, you are healed." Before he could say anything, she stood up and walked away. There was a wobble in her step that he hadn't noticed before and when she looked back at him briefly, she had bags under her eyes and sweat on her brow. She wiped the sweat off with her sleeve and started tending to one of the hasuan that had been injured in the escape.

"Crazy witch," he muttered as he rotated his shoulder to test it. He had to admit, it felt a lot better than he expected it to. It was a little tender, but otherwise felt no worse than a small bruise. He had been wounded a few times before, but the mere mages that tended to him weren't able to work anywhere this rapidly.

He didn't know why she was so antagonistic toward him. She clearly hated the fact that he was an Angvardi, but he didn't see why a woman who valued actions would fail to see how many times he had helped Syler. If she were willing to accept a foreigner as her lord, why would she hold his heritage against him? Krue had killed many Angvardi in the past during various border skirmishes, but he didn't hold that against her.

Lamastus shook his head and stood up. He looked around for Syler and Bronwyn, but they had finished their private conversation and had gone to talk to Delmonor, the only one of the warriors that spoke the Common Tongue. He didn't want to interrupt, so he began to take stock in their supplies while he waited for them to finish.

They didn't have much, just what had been on the hasuan when they fled. To make matters worse, they had lost all but six of the beasts which meant that they were going to have to stay doubled up. Syler and Bronwyn were fine riding together, but there was still one more who would have to pair with someone. Food was low, so they would either have to forage or risk going into a town to buy or steal food. It would be an interesting journey south, but at least it would be a fast one.

"Lamastus," Syler said from behind him.

He turned around and saw that their leader was heading toward him. "Yes?"

"How are you?"

Lamastus demonstrated his recovery by rotating his left arm and said, "Fine, Vekla is a fine healer. It is just a little sore now, nothing worse."

"I am glad you are okay."

Lamastus thought that Syler seemed a little more somber than normal, but he wasn't a seasoned warrior used to death. He supposed that it might take him a little longer to recover from what he had seen than the warriors. Lamastus thought about poor Bronwyn and how she must be taking things.

"Well," said Lamastus, "I have something for you." He pulled the book that had the locations of those who had been transplanted in Sua territory from his belt and gave it to Syler. "The archivists mentioned that Karusa had been taken to Opeganeat before they began talking about how we were going to be captured. They were reading in this when they did that. I believe it is the records of where they sent all of the exiles into Sua territory."

Syler took the book and stared at it in disbelief. "I thought that you had just overheard where she was, not this."

"I couldn't just let such information remain behind, especially if they had been mistaken or misread it. If I had, then we might never have found where she was."

Syler was still stunned and couldn't find the words to thank his friend. In his hands was more than just the way to his sister, but it was the way to everyone's family. If someone managed to get into Krue territory, they would know where their family was taken, at least, if they were taken into Sua lands. Then, it would be possible for them to rescue them instead of constantly wondering what their fate had been.

"Thank you," was all he dared say due to the lump in his throat. This night had turned into a rather large success. Perhaps the Elements were with him after all.

Lamastus' reply was cut off by a voice yelling in Kruish from the dark. It didn't take a seasoned warrior to gather that someone was coming, so Syler placed his hand on Lamastus' good shoulder in gratitude before heading to his hasuan. The warriors stopped what they were doing and looked for him. They mounted their hasuan only after they saw that he was safe and was reacting appropriately.

As soon as he had Bronwyn were safely mounted up, Syler made sure everything else was okay, but it wasn't. There seemed to be some sort of dispute going on between Lamastus and Vekla, so he decided to intercede. "What is going on?"

"Look at her," said Lamastus as he pointed at the sorceress. "She can barely stand, much less ride."

Syler did and saw in the dim light that Vekla's face was covered in sweat and she looked like she hadn't slept in days. She even had troubles standing straight. Syler knew little about magic, but he did know that healing sapped the energy out of the healer. Despite that, she protested, "I don't need help."

"We don't have enough hasuan for everyone, so someone has to double up," argued Lamastus. "You don't look like you can ride well, and I am nowhere near as experienced in mounted fighting as your warriors, so they need to be free to move as needed. There is no reason why we shouldn't ride together."

Syler was inclined to agree. They didn't have time to argue, "He is right, Vekla. Don't argue with me, just do it or your stubbornness will put us all in danger."

She wasn't happy, especially when Lamastus winked at her, but she kept her protests to herself as they mounted up. In little time, they were away at a decently fast trot. Based on the amount of wind in his face, Syler guessed that was passed as a trot for a hasuan was probably full gallop for a horse, so he felt safe enough with their pace knowing that their mounts would be able to maintaining this speed for hours.

"Where to, Lord Syler?" Vekla asked. Though she was a the reins, Lamastus was behind her making sure she stayed steady.

"We head south as hard and fast as we can. We need to get to Opeganeat as soon as possible just in case there was more than one copy of the list."

"What is there?" asked Delmonor.

"That is where my sister is being kept."

"How do you know?" asked Bronwyn from behind him.

Syler jerked his thumb in Lamastus' direction. "Because he overheard the archivists finding the location just before hearing of their plans to betray us. He also had the foresight to grab the book where the Angvardi were keeping their records of all those they forced into Sua."

"The surprises never cease," Vekla said with grudging respect. "The Angvardi has proven useful after all."

"Yes, he has," Syler replied. "I can't be sure, but if we push it, we could be there by midday tomorrow."

DarthBrendo · February 9, 2012

Hmmm. A potential romance between Lamastud and Vekla? You'll need to develop it very carefully or it will come across as a throwaway romance and bring down the strength of the rest of the story.

That said, this seemed to flow naturally. I still do believe cavalier is not the best option for the other post though I'm afraid.

Travis · February 9, 2012

Lamastud? I like it. As for any potential romance, well, I have my own thoughts on that. I believe that whatever happens (should it happen at all) will definitely not be a throwaway romance.

I will start thinking of something to replace "cavalier" with, then.

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