Chapter 1-Kaiyer

When I dreamed, it was always of floating green islands. Slow waterfalls tumbled off the sides of rocky earth and disappeared into smoky blankets of mist and unpainted clouds. I jumped between the floating islands with a lazy, drifting bounce, somersaulting amid endless blue sky, punctured by the occasional flock of giant white birds.

In the far distance, sailing ships passed through the azure air like it was water. Often I attempted to reach these vessels, but even my greatest leaps fell short and left me to land on another lush island, conveniently placed to catch my fall. In this dream paradise I never noticed anything living besides the trees, birds, and the distant ships.

Perhaps it is wrong of me to say when I dreamed, as if I only did it sometimes.

I was always dreaming.

I had dreamed of islands for so long, I knew no other life. Then an awakening began. A soft, orange glow peeled back the colors of blue, green, brown, and white, like a sun rising in the morning. The light came from torches which lit the cavernous mausoleum where I had been kept. I don’t remember smelling anything in my dreams, but as my crypt was illuminated, my nostrils filled with the aroma of dirt, dust, death, and terror.

Fear emanated from those who awoke me. The delicious scent of their terror filled the cavern like the light pouring from their torches, reflecting off the stone floor and around the group. The five stood twenty feet from me, three males and two females.

Closest to me was a boy with shaggy brown hair, freckles, and disheveled clothes covered with dirt. He held a leather-bound book, its pages and spine crumbling with wear only decades of use would beget. The boy’s flesh almost matched the color of the clouds from my dreams, and his dilated pupils hid the true shade of his eyes. His heart raced like the staccato rush of a warhorse galloping down a rocky slope.

Behind the boy was a man holding a bow with an arrow notched and pointed at my face. His leather clothes were cut tight against his body and oiled to a soft shine. His long dark hair was tied back and his eyes were giant pools of blue. His hands shook as he struggled to keep from releasing the shaft he had pulled back. There seemed something familiar about the man, but my lethargic brain fought against any attempt to remember, and my eyes darted to the next member of the group.

To the left and five feet behind the man crouched an attractive woman who had recently passed her girlish years. Her thick dark brown hair was knotted up into a ponytail on the top of her head. She wore tight-fitting leather pants and a suede-patched green shirt. The clothes were covered in a fine layer of dirt, splotched with mud. She surely spent an abundant amount of time in the sun, her skin was almost the same shade as the dark patches of leather on her tunic. Her soft brown eyes gazed down the long sight of a heavy crossbow with determination, its unwavering barbed tip pointed at my sternum. The sound of her heartbeat might as well have been a soothing breeze of wind chimes when compared to the boy and archer.

I would have to kill her first.

Five feet behind the brown-haired beauty towered a large, grizzled man who carried a single-sided battle axe and a metal shield engraved with light purple etching. His chain mail hung about him, weightless as comfortable pajamas. He seemed ready for combat, but I tasted his fear like I sampled the dust and dirt in the air. His protective stance made me wonder whom he was blocking from my gaze. I focused behind him, and when my vision adjusted to the light I saw he stood in front of a beautiful girl. She peeped from behind the old man’s shield at me with horror and disbelief.

The maiden had long blonde tresses cascading like white waves down to her lower back. A sudden memory of similar hair, but sun bright copper in color, ran through my thoughts and then disappeared before I could capture it. Her eyes were light blue, and her pale, creamy skin made me think of a cold drink of milk on a blistering day. She wore a fine looking purple tunic of crushed velvet and thick leather riding pants. Sparkles of gold at her ears and neck hinted at exquisite jewelry, but before I could focus on the glitter, the girl noticed my attention and ducked behind the big axe warrior.

The young boy said something, so I gently turned my gaze toward him to ensure the man and woman pointing weapons at me would not be startled. The boy stuttered out words I did not comprehend and I squinted at him in an effort to make my brain puzzle meaning from his language.

I sat on a long stone platform. The gray dais felt cold to the touch and it reminded me of the waterfalls that had been my companions for so long. I couldn’t remember anything before the islands. Maybe I didn’t want to recall memories from before those dreams.

The boy shuffled his feet and studied his book with intensity.

“Are … you … the O’Baarni?” he stuttered through a thick accent. The name filled me with memories. A handsome man with dark hair, graying at his temples. A massive battlefield, rivers of fresh blood streaming around countless bodies. Men, women, horses. The smell of flowers and the brief flash of thick copper hair. Mocking laughter.

A single scream of heart-rending agony.

“Are you, the O’Baarni?” he said again, glancing back and forth between his book and my face. I realized that I was clothed in a soft gray robe and my bare feet touched the cold stone of the cavern floor. Sudden energy pulsed through me like the tide of an ocean. A memory of power came to my head, but the sensation was more familiar than a fleeting recollection.

“I do not know,” I said. My brain told my mouth to say the words and my lips obeyed reluctantly. Still, he seemed startled by my response. “I have been dreaming. Is this a dream too? Were you supposed to wake me?” The boy glanced down at his book and flipped through the pages with frantic speed.

The large old man barked something command-like, and the boy replied back in their foreign tongue. The skittish man with the bow shifted his feet, but he didn’t concern me. I found my eyes focusing again on the dark-haired young woman with the barbed crossbow aimed at my chest. Our eyes met and I held her gaze. After a few moments she started to bite her lip, and her heart began to beat faster. She said something strained to the boy and I gave her a small smile.

“We … can … not sleep … you … O’Baarni?” he said with hopeful emotion in his eyes.

Exhaustion crashed into me after the boy asked his question. I wanted to go back to the island, but I fought against the sudden desire to lie again on the stone and drift away to sleep. Another memory struggled beneath a thin layer of emptiness, as if I might be close to recalling something once held sacred.

“I can’t remember. What is your name?” I spoke gently, wishing that he would understand better.

“I am named Paug!” He couldn’t help smiling with excitement, and I found myself mirroring his enthusiasm. The other four people watching our exchange relaxed somewhat and I guessed that they meant me no harm.

“What are your friends named?” I figured an introduction would keep the woman from putting a hole through the important part of my chest.

He pointed behind him to the man with the bow.

“His name is Iarin.” The man seemed startled to be introduced to me and managed a ghost of a smile.

“Her name is Nadea.” The woman with the crossbow nodded but didn’t lower her weapon.

“His name is Greykin,” he said, pointing at the old warrior. Greykin also nodded before clearing his throat and spitting.

“She is Jessmei.” The beautiful girl smiled at me and raised her right hand, then brushed the loose yellow hair back over her ear.

“What is your name?” the boy asked me after he had introduced his friends.

I considered the language barrier before answering.

“I don’t remember.” I tapped two fingers to my temple and shook my head. Paug flipped through his book again and smiled in satisfaction once he seemed to figure out what I had said.

“Do you … know … sleep … years?” he asked.

“It feels like a long time. Many years,” I whispered while he flipped through his book. He nodded once I spoke but didn’t look up from the pages.

“Do you have … hunger? Want food?” he read from the book and then looked at me afterward with an infectious smile.

I didn’t feel hungry, but I thought I might get them all to relax if I ate in front of them.

“Yes,” I said, and nodded.

The girl in the back yelled something, and she made her way toward a pile of equipment twenty feet behind her. The old man barked disapprovingly at her, but she had already moved outside his reach. He glanced back to me as my eyes followed her. I moved my gaze to the man with the bow, Iarin. His arms were shaking from holding the arrow taut for so long. The woman Nadea also appeared tired from pointing the large crossbow at me.

“Iarin and Nadea should lower their weapons. I mean no harm,” I said to Paug. He flipped through his old book, but before he found the translation I made the shape of holding a bow with my arms and lowered it. He smiled and turned to tell Iarin, but the tall man had already lowered his weapon. Greykin made a sharp remark, but Iarin shrugged his shoulders and grinned back at me. Nadea replied to the axe man before lowering her own weapon. Jessmei walked past with a hunk of bread, yellow cheese, and a small piece of meat.

She studied me intently as she walked up to Paug. Greykin yelled out something, causing the blonde girl to open her mouth wide and look at me in fear. She handed the food to Paug before fleeing back behind the safety of the large man.

“Food … you,” Paug said proudly, not needing to consult his book. He held out the bread, cheese, and meat to me, but he didn’t move toward me.

I leaned forward off the stone platform and pushed myself to my feet. As I stood, the euphoric energy of the stone ground coursed through me. My blood burned, awakened and on fire. A metallic sensation filled my mouth, and the cavern spun dramatically. The orange light faded to gray. Nadea yelled, and before my vision faded to black, I saw Paug’s horrified facial expression enlarge and distort.

Coolness rubbed against my face as my field of vision spread back from nothingness. I was lying on the stone platform bed. Nadea was applying a cool, wet cloth to my face and lips while Paug hovered on the other side of the dais and rested his palms on my chest.

“You fall down,” Paug said, without his book. He looked concerned that I had fainted, but also carried an excited smile on his round face.

“Thirsty. Water,” I said as I moved my hand up to touch the cloth Nadea held.

“Yes!” Paug said. He disappeared from my field of vision, and I heard his booted feet rush to their pile of equipment.

Nadea continued to caress my face with the cool rag. She whispered soft alien words I couldn’t understand, but her relaxing movements helped me close my eyes and hear the familiar sounds of birds and water. A metal cup pushed against my lips and I sat up, with the aid of a few hands on my arms, and was able to drink. I opened my eyes and saw Paug’s companions gathered around me, and I wondered why they were so interested in me drinking. The water burned down my throat like fire. It gave me power that felt like the stone on my feet. I startled, recalling another memory from before my dream. Laughter of friends, food, and water enjoyed with company. The sensation was wonderful.

Paug’s cherub face split into a grin when he saw me enjoying the water. It wasn’t entirely the pleasure of my thirst being quenched that satisfied me. The water seemed to be magical and was pushing back my fatigue.

“More please,” I said, after I had drained the cup. Nadea sat next to me on the stone bed. She handed me a half-full water skin and I drank deeply. A bit of the water dribbled down my face onto my robe. Again I experienced the surge of fire burning inside me. I heard all of their hearts beating and the sound of the air leaving their lungs in the still silence of the mausoleum.

My vision cut through the darkness now like a sharp sword. The crypt was spherical, about six hundred feet in diameter. The pedestal I had been resting upon was in the center of the room. Across the massive dome I made out a small tunnel carved into the wall. The ceiling of the dome was smooth, like the perfectly chiseled floor. It must not have been cut by hand. My guess was that the cavern had been created with powerful magic.

“More?” Paug asked as I shook the empty skin. I nodded, and Nadea had a full one in my hands within seconds. I drank this as urgently as the first, and relished the strength that flowed through me.

“Food?” Paug sat next to me now on the stone platform and handed me a chunk of bread. I carefully took it from him, pulled off a small piece, and put it in my mouth. The bread was hard, so I had to chew many times before swallowing. My audience breathlessly watched every bite, but didn’t seem to be afraid of me anymore.

“I am quite a source of entertainment, aren’t I?” I said to Paug with a half-smile. He looked confused and then grabbed his book to attempt a translation. Greykin stood ten feet behind the boy, between Jessmei and me. He said something to Paug and the others erupted in laughter. Paug’s face turned red with what I assumed was embarrassment. He said something in an apologetic tone before flipping through his book.

“No … you need food. You are not strong,” he said. I nodded and he turned to smirk in Greykin’s direction.

Within five minutes, the bread had been consumed and I tried a small bite of the cheese. It was so delicious that I had to force myself to eat slowly. The pangs of hunger ripped through my stomach now that I had eaten, and I wondered how much time had passed since food had last been in it. The meat was salted and bitter. Perhaps the beef was on its way to going bad, but I still enjoyed the complex flavor, even if each small bite forced me to drink a mouthful of water afterward.

When I finished eating, exhaustion crashed into my body again. Meeting Paug and his friends had been a nice recess from the floating islands, but now I wanted to return. My ears missed the sounds of the waterfalls and the large white birds. My body missed the sensation of leaping through the blue sky.

“I need to sleep again. I am tired,” Paug nodded at first, but once he understood what I meant he shook his head.

“No sleep. We … go,” he said. I ignored him and slid my body behind him to curl up on the stone bed. My legs brushed up against Nadea’s as she moved out of the way.

“No. No. We go!” Paug said as the other voices began an angry retort. Their disappointment didn’t matter though. The warm darkness began to close in on me. The stone felt familiar on the back of my skull, and the angry voices became like the murmuring of the distant ocean or the hum of a lover’s satisfaction.

There were no more floating islands, birds, or ships sailing through the air. Only seconds had passed before rough shakes on my arm awoke me. A moan of frustration left my mouth, and I winced against the throttle of consciousness. Why couldn’t I go back to the islands?

“Wake up, please. Many days have passed. We have to leave!” Paug pleaded. I opened my eyes and saw his worried face. The boy was obviously upset at my wish to sleep, so I pushed my tired body off of the cool stone. The group’s pile of goods and equipment was gone and I wondered if I had dreamed the two beautiful women and the boy’s other companions.

“We must go!” The boy shook me again. His eyes were fearful and he almost screamed the words. Iarin was pacing behind him like a trapped animal.

“I will come,” I said, while preparing to stand. My hand brushed against something on the smooth stone. Very small writing was etched into the rock. Paug noticed the writing a second after I did and gasped.

Kaiyer,

You’ll be angry for what we have done to you, but we had no choice. You forced our hand. I hope you can at least understand, if not forgive, our actions. In the end, you were the one who had everything and destroyed it. You were the one who betrayed us.

I wish you weren’t so headstrong and could have accepted the world you were about to create. I wish Thayer, Gorbanni, and Alexia hadn’t pushed their agenda. I wish you would have chosen differently. Perhaps your choice makes sense to me now that I know everything. I wish everyone could have told you instead of being afraid. We were always afraid of you. I wish you had seen that too. It is why we couldn’t let you be.

I wish I didn’t love her as much as I did. I wish she had loved me as much as she loves you.

I am sorry my friend. We will be dust by the time you read this, and you will be someone else’s problem.

Goodbye,

Malek

Memories washed through me again, and I had to push against the stone to keep from falling. My body felt so weak. Malek … I remembered him, at least some of him, standing with my back to his, as dark menacing shapes descended on us. His dark hair and mischievous smile. His face was young, but he had gray at the hair of his temples. He had been my friend, I was sure. I didn’t understand any more of these words. Kaiyer? Was that me? I didn’t remember my name.

While my mind struggled to recall the past, Paug spread a thin piece of parchment over the inscription and frantically rubbed a small black rock over it. Once he imprinted the words, the boy folded the paper into quarters and stuffed it into the back of his book. My mind continued to search for something more from my past, but it was like trying to hold onto running water. I had the sensation of years of a life lived, but I could not grasp a single moment or solid memory long enough to recall anything of use.

“We go. Now!” Paug yelled at me and pulled on my arm. The anxious pace of Iarin and the stress in Paug’s voice convinced me that something was amiss. The tall archer looked back and forth between us and the entrance with obvious concern. His left hand clenched his long bow, but he didn’t have an arrow notched.

I struggled to my feet and managed to stand feebly, like an old man. I might have tumbled over, but Paug let me lean on him. Unlike in the weightless islands, here my limbs convinced me that I must have been heavier than the massive stone slab on which I had been resting. I almost doubted that the young boy could assist me, but he did so without complaint. Fortunately, each step grew easier as the familiar power of the Earth flowed through my blood and added to my strength. Paug said something to Iarin, and the tall man moved to my side to help me walk faster.

By the time we stumbled to the small portal leading from my mausoleum, I had recovered enough strength to stand on my own. Taking a deep breath, I gently pushed them away from me and attempted to walk with my own atrophied muscles. The first few steps were easier than I expected, although my joints creaked like a dead tree in the wind and my head spun.

The exit turned into a tunnel that climbed upward at a medium grade. Iarin took the lead, with me in the middle and Paug behind. The walls started off cut from smooth stone, like the inside of the mausoleum, but gave way to dirt and rough black rock as we ascended.

“Halfway … top,” Paug said behind me. He sounded out of breath from the exertion caused by the slope of the tunnel. Iarin was almost running and I wasn’t having problems keeping up with him. My body still felt weak, but it was quickly regenerating. The exercise was enjoyable, and my body took pleasure inhaling deep breaths while my mind enjoyed the task of placing my feet on the rocky bottom of the dark tunnel.

After another few minutes of jogging, the dirt and stone walls turned into mud and smooth, slippery rocks. As we progressed upward to the surface, a small trickle of water began to carve into the middle of the shaft. The liquid fed glowing green moss that lit the path wondrously, but the tiny creek also made the footing treacherous with slippery slime. The air grew warm and my senses were overwhelmed by the scented plants and dampness of the surface. A few quick bugs darted from underneath my feet before I stepped on them, and I amused myself by studying their frantic movements.

Finally, we emerged from the tunnel and into a densely wooded forest. The trees were tropical, with large leaves pooling the dampness from the air like hands, and pouring the moisture as a soft rain onto the ground. The scents, noises, and light disoriented me after the journey through the dark tunnel. It was more a surprise of contrast, since even the tropical forest, with its green ceilings and singing birds, paled in comparison to the vivid dreams of the floating islands. This new world was very beautiful, intense shafts of light filtered through the thick canopy. The beams of sun accented the dancing purple butterflies and the small lizards hunting them.

The rest of Paug’s companions had their backs to us. They held their hands up in a defensive position, as if they were surrendering. When Iarin cleared from my field of vision I saw that they had reason to surrender. Spread out in a half-circle fifty yards away, crossbows leveled at us, stood eight men.

The men appeared to be soldiers, dressed in cream-colored leather armor, with yellow sashes around their shoulders. Each wore a metal helmet that came up to a sharp dome, decorated with plumes of green feathers on the back rim. Their yellow sashes were embroidered with different insignia designs indicating rank.

Their leader said something, but none of my companions answered him. He said the sentence again with a bit more anger, and Iarin answered as he put down his bow and raised his hands. The leader of the armed men glared at me and said more demanding words I didn’t comprehend, but I guessed he wanted me to raise my hands, so I did. He sneered at me in disbelief before issuing the same unknown command again.

Paug gave him a fearful response, and the leader of our captors yelled back at him. Paug grimaced at me and kneeled down into the muddy dirt. He deliberately raised his hands and tucked them behind his head once he had reached the ground, and all of my other companions repeated the same series of movements. I looked over to Nadea. Her expression was grim and she didn’t make eye contact with me. Jessmei appeared terrified as the pool of mud seeped into her leggings. Greykin’s face was a mask of disappointment. His eyes met mine, and although I didn’t speak his language, I knew from his posture that these men intended to kill us.

The leader yelled at me again. I glared at him coldly. If I was going to die, it wouldn’t be without a fight. I was weak, but guessed I might be able to kill a few of them if I got lucky. Of course, having eight crossbows pointed at me meant I needed more than just fortune on my side. My brain sprinted into action and began puzzling ways to kill the soldiers before me.

The leader spat another command at me. He had a thick mustache, and his front tooth was crumbling with decay. His face turned a bright vermillion at my inability to follow his directions, so he handed his crossbow to the man on his right and lumbered toward me. The lackey fumbled with the two crossbows, and for a few precious seconds only six of them were a threat.

As the commander walked down to me across the muddy, mossy terrain, I examined the long sword and dagger on his left hip. Neither blade appeared to be tied in its sheath. It was another bit of luck in my favor, and the refined observation convinced me that I must have been very familiar with the violence about to be inflicted.

“Sit down!” Paug whispered to me as urgently as he dared, without suffering the enemy commander’s wrath. I ignored the boy’s words and tried to look confused.

The rotten-toothed leader was a little shorter than me, but he pushed his face up, nose-to-nose, so there was no escaping his vile breath. Then he expectorated the same command he had been repeating before. Despite the stench, I smiled to myself when I realized he was probably yelling, “Get on the ground.” I was starting to learn this language. The smile didn’t impress the commander. He screamed the command again and wound his right hand back like a whip to deliver a backhanded blow with his leather-clad fist.

That was his last mistake.

My right hand came up and checked the back of his elbow so he couldn’t move his arm to strike me. My left hand reached across his body and pulled the dagger from its sheath on his waist. As I drew the weapon, I turned its point inward, cutting past the leather of his armor, the silk cloth underneath, and into his soft belly. The blade was sharp, and it sliced the inside of his stomach open in a long red streak.

The dagger spun sideways as it left my hand in a throw, spinning drops of crimson blood lazily on its fifty-yard journey, before embedding itself into the soldier’s neck on the far left. The man choked out a panicked gurgle from the impact of the dagger, and reached up with his left hand toward the hilt coming out of his jugular. I guessed that it would take him a minute to die, but in the meantime he might not be able to aim his crossbow at Paug and his friends.

My left hand returned to the waist of the commander. I took a fistful of belt, armor, and cloth, while the blood from his stomach wound began to gush over my clenched fingers. I lifted with both of my arms and pulled the commander’s body off the ground. He somehow seemed lighter than a feather, but would serve my purpose.

I charged the other men with their leader’s body shielding me.

One arbalist to the right took a shot when his commander began to scream in wet horror. The bolt went wide over my head. As I took three more steps, a second weapon twanged, sinking a quarrel into the back of the commander and choking off his cry.

Four more steps and I had made it to the left of the semicircle. A few more bolts whispered past my head as the soldiers tried to kill me without injuring their commander. They should not have bothered trying to spare him. He would die when I finished with them.

The left most soldier tried to draw his sword. His palm had hardly brushed the hilt when I pushed my pointer and middle fingers together and drove them through his eyeball and into his brain. He had a dagger, but to draw and throw the weapon I would have to spin around the body of their commander, temporarily exposing myself to potential crossbow quarrels. These men seemed inept, so I decided to gamble and drew the long dagger out of the dying man’s belt before tossing it.

The dagger left my hand at a poor angle, but it somehow corrected itself in midflight like a sparrow and took the final arbalist in the shoulder. The blade sunk into his armor as if it were made of cloth. My target had not expected the toss or the pain in his crossbow-bearing arm. Surprise caused him to pull the trigger and launch the bolt accidentally toward my new companions. I couldn’t spare a glance in their direction, but I didn’t hear a scream, so I guessed the quarry had not found a living target.

Four of them were left, not including the dying commander I clutched with my right hand, and the one who wouldn’t be using his shoulder anymore. The soldier a few steps from me began fishing for his sword, so I pushed the commander’s body toward him with as much strength as my weak body allowed. He flew like a small stone, and both of them tumbled backward. The receiving soldier’s left foot caught a tree root and he landed with a wet sounding crunch.

The man who had accepted the commander’s heavy crossbow before the battle started frantically tried to drop one of his weapons and fire at me with the other. I sprung toward him, light on my feet because I had tossed my body shield, and angled a slashing kick downward against his leg. My left shin connected above his right kneecap where the muscles formed a teardrop shape. I heard a satisfying snap and tear as the leg separated from the tendons and muscles that held the joint together. The force of my kick also carried through to his left leg, and he flipped over my cutting shin kick and dropped head first onto the wet jungle floor.

The last two soldiers stood twenty yards from me with their trembling swords drawn. Without speaking, they each fell back a few steps toward the edge of the jungle and away from Paug and his friends. I guessed from their facial expressions and the glances they made over their shoulders that they considered fleeing into the jungle.

The man whose leg I had broken lay screaming at my feet, so I bent down and pulled the longer sword from his sheath. He reached his hands after mine to stop me, but I smacked his weak arms aside before I freed the blade. The weapon fit well in my hand, but was a bit light, like a toy. Suddenly a brief memory shattered my concentration.

I stood upon a hill overlooking a grand valley. Thousands of soldiers, clothed in animal-shaped armor, mounting red banners, stood at attention. I walked down the slope and into their ranks. Some of the men and women had their helmet visors lifted; their faces were sunken, angry, and eager for violence. I yelled a command and the masses screamed with feral intensity. The flags had giant skulls on them and they twisted and snapped in the sharp, cutting wind.

I shook my head when my memory was interrupted by another screech. I flicked my wrist downward and let the blade of the sword bite into his brain through his skull. Then I tensed my wrist a fraction of a second later to bring the blade back up and silence the man’s screams. I stepped over his body and walked toward the last standing men.

The remaining soldiers looked like cornered rats, so I took my time and closed the distance between us with a slow stroll. My feet were still bare and crushed the rocks, moss, leaves, and damp earth beneath them, just as I was about to pulverize the life from the man before me. This soldier seemed to be the youngest of the bunch, and I inhaled the sickly scent of fear on him and heard his heart beat faster than Paug’s. The man hadn’t expected this outcome, but we both knew at this moment that I was going to destroy him. Our eyes made contact, and I read his feint before he tried to make a small cut, pull back, and thrust into me.

My blade swung out to meet his like he expected. He pulled back at the last second and my sword went wide, leaving me open. He dove forward with a thrust aimed at my midsection, but the flat side of the blade glided against the palm of my hand and I pushed the sword wide. His eyes opened in shock as he realized I had read his feint. My relaxed blade swung back with precision and I took the top half of his head off with a horizontal cut. His eyes darted around the jungle frantically while his body toppled. His brain hadn’t realized it was missing its top half and may have tried to send interrupted commands to the rest of his body.

My left hand grabbed along the blade of the falling man’s sword, and I flipped the pommel into my palm as I turned around to face the last attacker. He dropped his sword and kneeled as I walked toward him. His hands went on top of his head and he started pleading with me. I didn’t like the balance of the sword in my left hand so I left the blade buried in his chest.

I surveyed the clearing for any more opponents capable of attacking. I had not expected to live through such an assault, but these men proved so unskilled that even in my frail state they were easier to kill than the bugs in the tunnel. I shook my head in disappointment before sliding my sword through the neck of the one who had the dagger buried in his shoulder. Once his annoying cries of agony were silenced I made my way over to the last living soldier.

He had pushed his commander’s body off and clawed at the ground to scoot away from me. My sword cut the strap attaching his helmet to his skull and I smacked it off with the flat side of the blade. Then I grabbed onto the thick, oily hair on his head and dragged him back across the wet mud to Paug’s companions while he kicked and screamed. Perhaps they would want to question him. The small group hadn’t moved from their position on the ground in front of the entrance to the tunnel. They surveyed the massacre with fear and shock.

“Do you want to talk to him before I kill him?” I asked Paug. I put the edge of my sword to the soldier’s neck and he started to say frantic things in the unfamiliar language.

Greykin got off his knees with a grunt and began to ask the soldier questions. The man replied with hysterical passion, but the words were still intelligible. Nadea further interrogated him before Iarin had his turn. They each stared at me in fearful awe after they finished their questions. Jessmei’s skin was white and I wondered if it was her normal hue or if she was about to faint. I guessed that the young woman had not seen many battles.

After a few minutes they had finished with their questioning.

“What did they ask him?” I yelled to Paug. He didn’t respond immediately and I realized he had sprinted a few dozen yards away from the group to vomit. He also must have been unused to combat.

“More?” I asked Greykin, wondering if the older man would understand me. He shrugged his shoulders, so I drew the sword across my captive’s neck and held his head while he bled out. My companions gasped in horror and started to yell, but they didn’t move toward me. I regarded them with a raised eyebrow. They couldn’t possibly wish to keep this man alive. He had tried to kill them and would be of little use as a prisoner.

When he stopped struggling I let go of his hair and pulled the weapon belt off of his body. Then I walked over to the other corpses and began to organize their weapons into piles. The commander had the best sword, an ornate affair that appeared to be better crafted and a bit heavier than the others. I tied his belt across my robe before I grabbed the next best sword and attached it on the other hip. I gathered the five best balanced daggers and attached them to another belt I slung over my shoulder. The work occupied me for ten minutes or so, and put my mind at ease. Had I done this before? The familiarity of the task helped to relax my nerves.

My companions spoke a short distance away from me. They sounded angry as they argued amongst themselves. I couldn’t understand them so I didn’t bother devoting any energy to trying.

I contemplated taking a pair of boots from one of the corpses before I realized the robe I wore wasn’t very good for traveling. The soft, thin shroud was wet with mud, water, and blood. These dead men weren’t wearing any travel gear, so their camp had to be within walking distance. One of the corpses had a pair of leather boots that I guessed would fit, so I sat on a nearby rock and tied them around my bare feet.

While sitting, I noticed the trail through the jungle the soldiers had used to find us. I looked back at my companions and saw them involved in a passionate discussion. Nadea and Greykin were arguing. Paug had returned to them from his vomiting break, but his back was to me. They did not seem to be paying any attention to me or the trail, so I debated my next action. I needed Paug to learn this language, but I did not need to know any of the decisions the group would make in the next few minutes.

I set off down the trail at a comfortable jog. The soldiers’ campsite would be close by, and once I reached it I could acquire pants, socks, and maybe a horse. I could hear and smell Paug, so I didn’t have any doubt I would find him again after I obtained some gear. As I ran, the energy of the sun, earth, and water invigorated me.

I was not tired anymore.

Chapter 2-Paug

“This is complete bullshit!” Nadea screeched at Greykin. “The king granted me charge of this expedition. You shouldn’t even be here!”

“I took over this exercise in stupidity the second that I arrived. If that man really is the O’Baarni then we have no business with him anywhere near Jessmei.”

I didn’t know Greykin, but he scared me. He seemed to have two purposes in life: being grumpy and protecting Jessmei. Each punctuated word from his bearded mouth deepened his skin to a darker shade of red. He walked toward Nadea, but the duchess stood confidently with one graceful hand placed on her beautiful waist, while the other rested on the small sword on her side. I didn’t think she would use it on Greykin, but they were both so mad that anything seemed possible.

It was the same conversation they had every night for the last three weeks. Of course, now the O’Baarni was awake and had killed eight Vanlourn warriors with ease. So I understood why Greykin brought up the danger of this mission again. The legends said the O’Baarni had slaughtered thousands of the Ancient people.

“He is coming with us. I was ordered by the king to find him and bring him back to the castle. Jessmei was not supposed to come and neither were you.” Nadea shot an angry glance at her cousin.

“I’m sorry Nay. The castle is so boring and I figured we would only be gone for a few weeks.” Jessmei’s voice sounded like the beautiful bells at the temple. Sometimes I couldn’t even look at her, every time she spoke to me I got nervous and stuttered.

“The Vanlourn soldiers must have found out you left Nia and tracked you,” the tall woman glared at Greykin, “or your pompous bodyguard.”

“I’m about as pompous as you are, girl. I’ve completed more sorties in this country than you’ve had bedtime stories. I am experienced with—”

“Your experience means naught to me. Jessmei slipped out of the castle on your watch and traveled a month before you caught up to her.” Nadea took her hand off of her sword hilt and pointed at the massive man. “I’d take your advice if I wanted to find a tavern.”

“Are you inferring that I am a drunkard who failed his duty?” Greykin’s face turned a whole new shade of red and his hand clutched the haft of his axe so hard that his massive knuckles turned white.

“You just said it. But I would agree.” Nadea’s thin leather gloves rubbed against the hilt of her sword with a squeak. The tension seemed to rise to a boil and I wondered if they would come to blows this time.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Iarin bravely thrust his body between them and raised his hands. “Can we calm down a bit? Half a minute ago we faced violent murder and now we are alive. It’s a great day, no?” Nadea took her hand off of her sword and crossed her arms over her chest.

“We must escape Vanlourn and get back to Nia. It’s a four week trip back, even if we make good time.” Iarin nodded to the duchess’s words. “I will finish my mission, even if I have to leave your old, cranky ass here.” She glared at Greykin.

I shuffled my feet after she made her ultimatum. My mouth still tasted foul from the vomit and I wished I had not been so frightened. We had all been nervous after the twenty hired excavators disappeared a few nights ago. The workers had not wanted the job, they claimed that the area was cursed by demons and not fit to be visited by the living. Nadea’s gold had won out though, and they had agreed to work for two weeks clearing the ruins.

After a week of work, they had all vanished overnight. When I first emerged from the tunnel and saw the Vanlourn soldiers, I guessed that the workers fled because we were traveling with the princess and duchess of Nia. I reasoned that the soldiers must have communicated with the natives, or perhaps the excavators just guessed that sooner or later we would be captured.

Now I considered the native jungle peoples’ belief that the land was home to demons. Maybe we had done a horrible thing by waking the O’Baarni. Perhaps he was more dangerous than we could ever imagine.

The threat of the Ancients was real though, not imagination. They had already conquered the Northern tribal lands and were pressing on our allies. From what Nadea said, the war was not going favorably. Our military was unable to stop the Ancients’ magic or stand against them on the battlefield. Our enemies would be at Nia’s borders by next spring. The O’Baarni was thought to be a fable to scare children, but Nadea had managed to convince the king and my grandfather that he was real, and that she could find and revive him.

“He is not coming with us. Did you see what he just did? He killed seven trained Vanlourn soldiers before I got to my feet. We should have never woken him. The legends were right, he is a curse, a blight on this planet that could not be killed. They had to imprison him. You may be the person ‘in charge’ of this expedition, but you are also the king’s niece, and you cannot be put at risk either. I’m taking you and Jess back to your father.” Greykin’s skin lightened to a normal shade, but his voice still sounded like an angry bear’s.

“Are you going to carry me over your shoulder kicking and screaming back to Nia? I am not a child; you can’t manhandle me like you do with your lackey soldier boys. Besides, I don’t need you. I am in charge of this mission. You and Jessmei can go on alone. Paug, Iarin, the man, and I will be heading back to Nia.” She turned her back on Greykin and she walked back to the pile of belongings.

Greykin looked over to me and then to Iarin. The quiet woodsman shrugged and then turned to follow Nadea to gather their equipment. His loyalty lay with the one paying him, and Nadea had spared no expense in funding our quest.

“Boy, you can’t go with her. You’ll be in danger. Help me talk some sense into her.” Greykin looked at me. This was the first time he had spoken more than two words to me since catching up to Jessmei. Our lack of conversation may have been my fault as well. He didn’t like talking to soft, over-educated boys, and I didn’t like talking to people that could crush my head between their thumb and pinky fingers.

“The letter the king sent my grandfather told me that I have to go with Nadea, sir,” I managed to get the words out without stuttering.

“Get your stuff Paug!” Nadea commanded from behind me. I dashed away from Greykin, tripped on a rock and almost fell, then got to my small, organized pile of books and clothes. Greykin let out a moan of disappointment from behind me as I scooped them up and stuffed them into my bag.

It wasn’t a good time to show Nadea the writing I had copied from the smooth stone pedestal. The duchess had already moved past the tree line, deeper into the jungle. We had all missed the markings; once the sleeping man had awoken he had caught all of our attention. I would show them to her once we found him.

I had not known what to think when we first saw him lying cold and motionless on his stone table. The rite to awaken the O’Baarni had been easier than I expected. The words and motions that Nadea had found and Grandfather had taught me worked with surprising ease. After we had completed the rite, the sleeping man had awoken. He had seemed so confused and harmless, not at all like the monster we half-expected him to be. Now that he had killed all those men, the idea of traveling home with him made my palms sweat.

Magic was a thing of mystery, and while real power had died with the O’Baarni’s army, traveling magicians still performed minor feats such as lighting small fires, mending cloth, and moving little objects. These tricks were nothing like breaking an ancient spell that kept a legendary, powerful being imprisoned in sleep. I had done it though, Nadea had said the words with me, but my voice had awoken him.

It took a few minutes to see that our magic had worked. His chest slowly began to move and then his eyes fluttered open. I feared that he would wake and destroy us all, like the legends said he had done to the Ancients. Nadea’s certainty that he would help us calmed me, but I had found it hard to believe that he was the O’Baarni. He looked so frail and weak, like the starving beggar I had seen while Grandfather and I traveled to visit the king in Nia’s capital three years ago. When he opened his eyes they were a shade of deep green, like the tropical forest where we had found his tomb.

They were kind eyes. Peaceful and dreaming.

Conversing with the newly awoken man had proven more difficult than I anticipated. Grandfather had taught me the Ancients’ language, which had been taught to him by his father, and his father, and so on. Our line had lost count of the years and generations, but the kingdom of Nia had always sponsored our work.

I should have expected that our hereditary language would not match perfectly with the Ancient one. But Grandfather would be disappointed in how hard it had been to communicate with the O’Baarni. The countless generations of education without proper reference must have deteriorated our understanding of the language.

At least the O’Baarni somewhat understood my words. He had seemed nice enough. In fact, while the man was unconscious, Greykin and Iarin both tried to convince Nadea that he wasn’t a powerful deity. This was just some weak man, imprisoned and left alone for unknown reasons.

I doubted that they thought that after witnessing the quick massacre of the Vanlourn soldiers.

I once observed a small wolf spider stalk its prey. It was tiny, about the same size as the three ants it was attacking, yet the fierce arachnid made giant leaps, bringing the ants down with relative ease. The battle I just witnessed reminded me of that spider’s ruthlessness.

This man looked weak and starving, but had moved with inhuman speed and dexterity. He lifted the Vanlourn squad commander and spun him around as Greykin used his metal shield. The whole ordeal happened so quickly that I struggled now to remember what had actually occurred. It seemed that within mere moments our attackers were all dead, or screaming in the throes of an agonizing demise.

As I remembered the crunching bone and screams of anguish, I felt my stomach flip again. I didn’t want to be sick. I was already so embarrassed from earlier, and there was no reason to vomit again now that we were safe.

I put my bag on and looked to the small hill where the soldiers’ corpses lay. I didn’t want to see their dead bodies, but the O’Baarni might need my assistance. It seemed like days ago I had practically carried him to the tunnel out of the ruins. How quickly the situation changed.

I didn’t see the strange man on the hill. He had been gathering the weapons into piles and doing something with their belts when I last looked. How many minutes had passed? I looked around the campsite. Nadea and Iarin were gathering their equipment and talking softly. Greykin stood fifty yards away near the entrance to the ruins. The big bearded man was pacing back and forth and shooting mean looks at Jessmei. She looked worried and glanced between Nadea and the Old Bear.

The jungle was quiet. Small purple butterflies twirled through the rays of sun that filtered through the trees, incongruously serene and beautiful over the gruesome battle site. I tiptoed around a pile of swords and daggers placed between the corpses. The bodies lay twisted in the agony of death, their faces frozen forever in a grimace of horror and pain. It made my head spin and I choked back bile.

“Nadea!” I called back and saw her adjusting the straps on Iarin’s large backpack. “Where is he?”

“What?” She looked back in surprise. Everyone stared at me.

“Have you seen him?” I looked around the clearing and my stomach began to churn. If the O’Baarni had escaped, our entire journey would be for naught. We would have nothing to show for our efforts but dead Vanlourn soldiers and a handful of other brushes with danger.

Nadea looked around the jungle and I imagined her thoughts matched mine.

“Shit!” Iarin called out as he ran toward me. The man rarely spoke or revealed any anger, so it was surprising to hear him curse. He searched the surrounding ground before pointing to footprints in the mud. “It looks like he went south on this trail, where the soldiers came from.” He turned back to look at Nadea.

“We have to catch up to him. Let’s go,” she said as she slid into the thick straps of her large leather pack. “Are you coming?” she glanced over to Greykin and Jessmei. Greykin considered for a moment.

“You are all stupider then Jess. He is dangerous. I’ve met men like him before, they don’t value human life,” Greykin yelled back. Jessmei turned red with embarrassment, though she must have known it to be true. The princess had sneaked out of the castle two weeks after Nadea. Then she used a few dozen gold coins and naïve bargaining to secure transportation south in an effort to catch up to us, leaving an obvious trail that Greykin followed. She put herself, us, and her father’s kingdom in danger. Nia had plenty of enemies, and they would all give large piles of gold to have her captured and used as priceless leverage. One of the many townsfolk we had passed, or perhaps one of the excavators had guessed her identity and given the information to the Vanlourns.

“So are you coming?” Nadea said as she turned her back to him and walked up the hill toward us. “I don’t really care about you, but Jessmei will be safer in a larger group.”

“Fine,” he snorted.

“Fine,” she sneered back. “Get your shit and let’s go. The O’Baarni might be halfway to Astical by now.

Iarin turned and disappeared down the small trail that led deeper into the forest. It was the opposite direction of Nia, deeper into Vanlourn. I followed him as I struggled to fight back vomit.

The path wound up and down green covered hills, across small streams, and would have required us to cut through layers of thick vines, had the Vanlourn soldiers not done the work for us already.

“He is easy to follow,” Iarin said after ten minutes of hot perspiration.

“Looks like he is running, or perhaps jogging. His boots are making deep imprints in the mud,” Nadea answered the question before I asked it. We tried to move down the trail as quickly as possible but the dense foliage and uneven ground made speed difficult. This looked like it was a large animal’s path, but I couldn’t guess at what type. I had only heard birds and monkeys, and seen the occasional lizard. I was grateful for the sparse fauna. Earlier in the week Iarin told me that more sinister creatures might be found in the depths of untouched wilderness.

There were many forks in this trail, but even my untrained eye found the man’s tracks as well as boot prints from the soldiers. He seemed to be following them back to their camp and I couldn’t fathom why. There would be even more Vanlourn warriors there. Why would the O’Baarni leave our company and dive into the viper’s nest?

The air was hot and sticky. I looked back and tried not to stare at the small stream of perspiration that ran down Nadea’s neck, across her chest, and between her breasts. Greykin followed behind her, his face a mask of pain as he carried his large body, chain armor, shield, axe, and equipment through the sweltering heat. Jessmei brought up the rear, her small backpack didn’t seem to weigh her down, but she almost tripped when she got distracted by the butterflies circling her head.

“Keep moving Paug,” Nadea hissed. I turned my attention back to Iarin’s feet and tried to keep up with the lanky tracker.

The day grew even more oppressive as we trudged along the trail. It felt like we might have been walking for at least four hours, but it had probably been no more than two. I found myself dreaming about home. Grandpa and I lived beneath the lighthouse in a small village on the south coast of Nia. The air there was cool and the soothing memory of the ocean’s song helped me trudge through the mud and heat.

“We’ll find him,” I tried to reassure Nadea when the path widened for us to walk next to each other. She had been setting an aggressive pace that I knew we wouldn’t be able to keep up for much longer.

“I hope so, or it’s my ass. I wanted…ah, never mind,” she said as she glanced back at Greykin.

I was about to reassure her again, but Iarin sharply signaled for us to stop and be quiet.

Ahead lay a Vanlourn soldier’s lifeless body, his left eye a gaping hole the size of a dagger. He was tossed slightly off the trail and bent in half like a discarded rag doll. Down the path I saw a thick perimeter of trees and the impression of a small clearing. This must have been their campsite.

Iarin sunk down low to the ground and took his long bow off his shoulder, loading an arrow in a smooth movement. He sneaked forward with the stealth of a cat, his head swaying back and forth as he looked into the trees. The air was humid and oppressive. The giant, wet leaves and dense foliage seemed to press down on us.

He moved a few paces out of our view. My heart pounded louder in my chest than the rest of the jungle noises. By the Spirits, what were we doing here? The Vanlourns would capture us easily now. Nadea squeezed my left arm and I looked over to see her smiling at me. She had her slender sword drawn and her confidence almost made me relax.

“If this turns bad, run behind Greykin and protect Jess,” she whispered. I glanced down at the little travel knife Grandfather had given me. Fear turned into terror.

After what seemed like an eternity, Iarin returned. He pointed at Nadea and beckoned, and then he gave the stay put command to Greykin, Jessmei, and me. Nadea crawled forward across the path and through the trees after him.

I used to be able to ignore girls. The thought of kissing one made me gag. I never understood why any man wanted to be joined for the rest of his life. Now, I couldn’t help but stare in wonder at Nadea’s leather clad backside as she shimmied through the dirt path and walls of green plants.

After another eternity, they came back and motioned for us to follow. I found myself breathing a huge gasp of relief when I saw that they were both okay.

“It looks like this is their main camp. He has killed them all. It’s pretty gruesome.” Nadea looked at me and then Jessmei. “If you want to wait here—”

“No!” we both said at once. “I’m the only one who can speak to him,” I finished.

Nadea nodded and she turned to walk back down the path, through the trees, and into the clearing. I followed her and heard Greykin and Jessmei behind me. The jungle was dense for another ten paces, and then we emerged into the campsite.

It took a second for my eyes to adjust to the glare and the brightness of the clearing. The sun was at its peak overhead and beat down on us mercilessly. The clearing was larger than I expected, a rough oval shape encompassing five big tents, a large fire pit, latrines, and a makeshift stable holding ten horses.

In the middle of a group of horses, petting and cooing at them, was the strange man. The animals seemed completely at ease around him, despite the massive carnage in the camp. The man had a small dash of red over the chest of his robe, but appeared otherwise untouched by the slaughter he had wrought.

Bodies decorated the campsite like broken toys in a playroom. I counted ten with a glance and guessed there were more behind or inside tents. Some were armed like the soldiers we encountered earlier. A few appeared to be mere servants and packers. They were all brutally slain, and I felt my stomach begin to roll and tumble as I took in the cleaved up bodies and pools of blood. I didn’t know anything of combat besides what I had read in books or seen on the trip down here when we encountered a small group of highwaymen. I was surprised that the thin man didn’t have more blood on his body or clothing.

“This is horrible,” Jessmei said in shock. “Did he kill all of them? Even the servants? Why would he kill servants?” The Princess of Nia probably hadn’t even seen blood before and must have been terrified.

“I stand by my earlier decision. You have made a terrible mistake. This man is going to ruin us all. He is as crazy as a sober man on the King’s Birthday. Look at him over there kissing those horses, like he doesn’t even notice the bodies.” Greykin was practically spitting at Nadea. Her almond shaped eyes narrowed at the big man. The power of her beauty struck my chest and drove out the feelings of fear.

“Let’s go talk to him Paug,” Nadea said as she touched my arm. I was afraid to move, but the second tug from her strong hand forced me.

He didn’t notice us approach. His attention was focused on the largest animal of the group and his coo-like whispers were a stark contrast to the bloodshed around us. The animal nuzzled him appreciatively, as if it understood his words.

“Hello,” I conjured as much bravado in my voice as I could.

“I like horses,” he said as he looked at me. His wild, shaggy beard went down past his chest and to his stomach, yet I saw the huge smile of white teeth beneath the dark hair.

“Horses are nice.” I tried to remember the words. He looked puzzled for a second and then nodded as he looked away from me and started to inspect each horse’s shoes.

“What do you want me to say?” I asked Nadea. Greykin and Jessmei approached now that it appeared that the man wasn’t going to kill us. Iarin disappeared into one of the tents.

“Ask him if he killed these men.”

I reached for my book. I thought I knew how to say the words, but his accent and pronunciation was altered. Finally, I croaked it out.

“Yes,” he said, and nodded as he moved to the next horse.

“Ask him why,” Nadea pressed. I asked him.

“They were going to kill us. I kill them first,” he said. At that point he seemed to realize that we were upset. He stopped caressing one of the horses, a large black one, and looked between Nadea and me.

“Why? I wrong? No kill?” He did seem concerned. I translated for everyone.

“Hey. I had this guy all wrong. Anyone who wants to kill Vanlourn soldiers because he thinks, rightfully so, that they want to kill us, is okay with me!” Greykin let out a deep laugh. The man frowned for a second but he smiled when he realized that the Old Bear was pleased.

“We go home?” the man asked me with an eyebrow raised. “Take horses? I like them.”

I nodded.

“He likes horses. He wants to go back with us, and asked to take them,” I told Nadea.

“Perfect!” she said with enthusiasm. “This will be easier than I expected. I thought he might run away. Can you ask him why he left? Also, ask if he knows he killed servants.”

I was getting better at the translations. He moved away from the horses toward us as he answered our questions. I found myself shuffling back away from his advancing walk and I noticed that the two women and big axe man retreated as well.

“He said that he intended to find us after he got some clothes. He believed that their base camp was nearby because they didn’t carry rations or a lot of water. He said that he didn’t realize they were servants but it wouldn’t have mattered to him anyway. He didn’t want anyone to report our presence.” I noticed the man study my mouth as I spoke. Once I finished he looked at Nadea. She nodded instead of saying anything.

“Okay. Ask him if he can find some clothes that will fit him. Our own horses are a few hours walk north of here.”

He nodded as I relayed the message.

The man began to walk around the camp, ducking into tents and emerging with sacks or chests, then dumping them in the middle of the camp without opening them. During all the commotion Iarin emerged from the first tent with some packs and he put them on the pile.

“We should bury the bodies,” Nadea said, as she took a shovel from the heap.

“Burn them. Put their weapons, boots, and any armor that isn’t damaged in a separate pile first,” the man commanded me. I translated to Nadea.

“There might be more of them in the jungle. They will see the smoke and attack us,” Nadea asked me to translate.

“Let them come. We might as well kill all of them,” the man said, without looking at her. He had discovered a shaving mirror, razor, and other tools in a small pack.

“No. We aren’t going to burn them. We don’t need the heat, or the smoke, or the possibility of it attracting more attention,” I translated to the man, worried that Nadea would argue with him like she often did with Greykin.

The strange man didn’t seem to care anymore about the conversation. He was looking at himself with the small shaving mirror. He stared in amazement as he slowly touched his face and beard. We looked at him and then at each other. The tension rose between us as we anticipated some sort of breakdown.

“Paug, hot water,” he said, as he set the mirror down and inspected the shaving razor. The fire in the center of the camp was still bright with embers. I spotted various piles of wood and pots nearby. I added some twigs, larger pieces of wood, and blew on the fire to get it going again.

“What are you doing?” Nadea asked, as I prepared the flame.

“He wants hot water. I think he wants to shave.” I looked over my shoulder at the man and saw him examining a pair of hair shears. He put them up to his face and began to awkwardly cut his beard shorter. Before he could get a second snip in, Iarin stepped near him and offered his hand. The man flipped the shears over and placed them in Iarin’s palm.

Iarin went to work, cutting the man’s beard as close as he dared with the shears. I poured a water skin into one of the pots and set it by the fire to heat.

“If they aren’t going to burn or bury the bodies, ask Nadea and Greykin to gather weapons,” the man said. Nadea and Greykin turned to look back at me with questions on their faces when they heard their names. We had all been watching Iarin trim the man’s beard with a strange fascination.

“He wants you to gather weapons from the bodies,” I said.

“Let’s do it,” Nadea said as she moved to a corpse. Greykin grunted and joined her.

After a few minutes the man’s beard was uniformly trimmed an inch from his face.

“Ask him to cut my hair please.” The man tugged on his long mane. I didn’t need to translate, Iarin got the point and then moved back and began cutting.

“Let me do that,” Jessmei said as she stood up from a rock where she had perched. “I used to cut my brother’s hair and sometimes cut my handmaiden’s when they wished.”

“Don’t get near him!” Greykin shouted as he turned from his task. “We still have no idea what he is capable of.”

“Actually, we have a pretty good idea of what he is capable of,” Iarin said with a laugh. “If he wanted to kill her, or any of us he would have done it by now. He wants to go with us. Besides, if the princess cuts his hair, maybe he will be less likely to want to hurt her.”

“Don’t worry Greykin. He won’t hurt me. Iarin is right, he would have already if he wanted. Even you could not stop him,” Jessmei said.

“Bullshit I couldn’t stop him! I am Captain of the Royal Household Guard. I’ve been in more borderland skirmishes, onslaughts, and raids than any other man in this kingdom. I swore a blood oath to your father that I would protect his line when I was younger than you. And I’ve been living with that task for the last fifty years. I don’t care if this man is who you all think he is. If he harms a hair on your head, I will rip his head from his shoulders and drink the blood that gushes from his neck.”

Jessmei froze mid-step like a caught rabbit. Everyone seemed surprised by the big man’s sudden outburst. The princess looked back at her protector and seemed about to burst into tears.

“No kill. No hurt,” the man said as he smiled at Greykin and waved across the fire pit.

“Did he just speak our language?” Nadea said in amazement.

“He has been listening to how I have been translating.” I tried not to smile.

“Is the water warm?” the man asked me.

“Almost.” He looked confused. “Soon,” I said instead, and he nodded. Jessmei ran her fingers through his tangled hair in an attempt to smooth it out.

“Is there a comb in that pile?” Jessmei asked. The man bent down and pulled out a large bone comb and handed it over his shoulder to her.

“Tell him to sit down. He is too tall,” Jessmei asked me to translate but the man sunk down smoothly and kneeled on the dirt. It was a weird position, balancing on his shins and the balls of his feet, but he didn’t seem to be in pain.

“I think he is able to understand us. Is that possible?” Nadea asked me. She threw some sheathed swords, crossbows, and daggers into a pile.

“I don’t know. It seems that the Ancient language and ours have a few things in common. But theirs is more complicated. Our language is subject, verb, and then object. So we would say: ‘I am drinking water.’ The Ancient language has a different order depending on if it is the past, present, or future tense. The alphabet and sounds are also more complicated. There are forty more sounds their language makes. And it looks like I got most of them wrong.”

“You’re doing fine, Paug. You got him to want to come with us!” Nadea couldn’t hide her excitement. Both she and her father believed that the O’Baarni would help us against the Ancient race. The legends said that the O’Baarni nearly annihilated all life on our world, but Nadea had found proof that someone, or some group, had changed the documented history. It was probably an easy task, considering that the Ancients lived over two thousand years ago and most of their art, writing, and creations were destroyed.

We sat back around the fire and watched Jessmei cut the man’s hair.

“How short do you think he wants it?” she asked as she combed and cut small pieces of thick hair.

“As short. I am not allowed to have long hair,” the man said to me as I finished translating. I looked at him in confusion and saw his expression looked lost. He was remembering something.

“He wants it short,” I told Jessmei. She nodded and cut larger pieces off of his wild mane. Her hands did seem to know their way around shears and hair.

After ten minutes she had cut off most of the long hair and began working around his ears. The dark cuttings fell over his gray robe and face like discarded autumn leaves. I realized that I hadn’t checked on the water in a while. It was almost boiling, so I moved it away from the fire. The man saw me move the water and nodded.

Jessmei moved in front of the man and appraised her work, brushing the tips of her fingers over his face to dust off hair, and running the comb through the top to make sure it lay evenly. The man glanced at her before staring into the fire. I looked over at Greykin, surprised that he hadn’t given a yell of outrage at her being so close. Nadea had finished gathering the weapons around us and stood with her arms crossed over her chest. A look of annoyance was plain on her face but I couldn’t guess why.

“I think that looks great!” Jessmei said, and I agreed. His hair was a few inches long on all sides, more organized, and he looked less like a crazy beggar. He motioned for me to bring the pot closer as he grabbed the razor and a piece of soap.

“I never thought it was that interesting to watch a man shave, but I am enthralled,” Iarin murmured as he sat next to me. The O’Baarni splashed warm water on his face from the bucket, dunked the soap in, and then worked a lather with it on his face. Then he began to shave with the mirror in his right hand and the razor in his left.

After a few minutes he finished cutting the beard and set down the mirror and blade. He splashed his face with water to remove the soap and the hair. Then he raised the mirror again and studied himself. I could not guess if he was handsome or not. It looked like he might be two days from death through starvation, a skeleton covered in translucent bleached paper, with dark violet lines running down his neck and face. The veins were so apparent through his gaunt skin that I almost believed that they were on the outside of his body.

“I am thin,” he said to me.

“Yes,” I said back. “You should eat something before we leave.”

“I remember my name,” he stopped and touched the mirror, then his face, then the mirror again. “I am Kaiyer. I was a stable boy. I served the Elven tribe of Laxile. My father’s name was Kai.”

I sat stunned for a brief second before excitement made me vault to my feet. “Are you the O’Baarni? Did you destroy the Ancients?” I realized that my hands were clenched.

He looked at me sadly as he set down the mirror. In a smooth movement he went from kneeling to standing. Jessmei stood closest to him and she shuffled back a few steps from him in surprise.

“I remember being a stable boy. Washing horses, fixing shoes, shoveling manure. I remember standing in an army. I remember a red flag and a black skull. I heard wind and cheering. I don’t remember more.”

He turned away from me and started to sort through the clothes.

I quickly translated to my companions.

“A stable boy? I don’t know if I can believe that.” Nadea seemed disappointed. “What stable boy fights like that? How did he become imprisoned if he is just a stable boy? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“It could just be that he doesn’t remember yet. I have trouble remembering what I ate for dinner when I wake up in the morning. If he slept for over fifteen hundred years, I can imagine that he might forget what happened during his life. It will just take time,” Iarin tried to ease Nadea’s worries, but she seemed pretty devastated.

“That doesn’t look like the body of a stable boy,” Greykin muttered to us as he pointed back at Kaiyer. We all looked over and gasped. He had taken off his robe and stood naked. His body was painfully thin, with ribs protruding so far I might grab one through his skin. I even thought that I saw his heart beating in his chest.

His skin was covered in countless scars, long, thin cuts that could have come from swords or whips, wide circular scars from an arrow or crossbow, burns, and rips. I hadn’t noticed it before, but his left hand looked like it had been burned down to the mid forearm. He may have dipped the limb into a scalding pot of water or oil at one time. He found a pair of dark brown pants that he struggled to put on. His penis hung from his body and bounced as he maneuvered into the garment.

“Turn around and give the man his privacy ladies,” Greykin commanded and the girls did. Jessmei’s face looked bright red and her eyes opened in amazement before she turned her back to us. She was a bit older than me and may have never seen a naked man.

“He spoke of an army. He mentioned a red flag and a black skull,” I said, suddenly remembering what Kaiyer told me in the ruins.

“Did he say anything else? No records indicate what design his banner carried. Did he say if he was a commander or the actual O’Baarni?” Nadea was grasping for anything that proved he was our savior. I shook my head.

“One thing’s for sure. The boy needs food. Let’s get out of this blasted jungle and back to our camp before nightfall,” Greykin said.

I turned back to see that the thin man had put on socks and had already tied one boot on. It only took him another few moments to put on the other boot and slide into a cream-colored tunic. The clothes suited him, but he didn’t seem happy until he had tied a few of the sword belts from the pile around his waist and studied the blades.

“Looks like we finally agree,” Nadea said to Greykin with a smile. “And I think our friend is ready to go.”

Chapter 3-The O’Baarni

She always waited for her trainers to leave before she spoke to me.

“Human,” she would say with a smirk, her face beautiful and mischievous, “come here.”

I would stop whatever I was doing in the stable. Today I was about to rub down her horse after she had ridden it halfway to death. Now the horse would have to wait. When she asked me to come to her, I had to obey.

She was the eldest daughter of the chieftain and therefore benefited from special privileges, including full access to the stables, as well as riding, archery, combat, and military strategy trainers. I guessed horses were her favorite pastime since she rode every morning before the sun awoke.

This morning, in particular, seemed different than all the other times she harassed me. I had just finished taking off the saddle and led her horse, a beautiful chestnut Destrier that stood eighteen hands high, into his pen.

I closed the stall door and turned to her. She sat delicately on one of the shipping crates we kept full of oats. Her long legs dangled and swung off the ledge like olive branches in the wind.

“Now,” she said as her smile turned into a flat line. Her hand gripped the side of the crate where she perched. The wood cracked under her awesome strength and tore easily in her hand. The meaning was clear; she could have crushed my skull with far less effort.

“Sorry Mistress,” I apologized as I scurried over to her, wiping my dirty hands on my slightly less dirty pants.

“Take off my boots, human,” she said as she lifted her right foot and pointed her toe at my chest. The boots were of the finest leather and ran up past her knees in a wrap of flower embroidery. I carefully grabbed the heel and pulled. She sighed when the boot came free.

“The other,” she said as she lifted her left leg. I tried not to look up at her, but I could never help myself. The woman’s skin almost matched the color of fresh snow, and her almond-shaped eyes reflected blue and silver like a cloudy sky. Her hair was the color of the setting sun and fell down in all directions, ending at her thin waist. As she looked at me, one of her fingers spun through the golden hair. The movement created a ring around her finger that most of her kind would have paid a handsome sum to possess. The tips of her ears came out from behind her tresses and made sharp, dainty points. She brushed her hair back over them when she saw me staring at her. Then she pointed to the boots.

“Polish them.” I nodded and ran to get my oil and brush. I could polish a mirror-like shine in her saddle and it would take me a few minutes to get the boots looking the same. I doubted that would be all that she wanted with me today.

“Sit on that stool while you do it. Face me.” She pointed a few feet from her. I obediently sat down and began to brush the boots. After every dozen strokes I glanced back up at the beautiful woman to see if she was paying any attention to me. Each careful peek confirmed that she was staring at me with fascination, and my back started to dampen with cold sweat. Perhaps today she would grow bored with this game and kill me.

“Where is your father, human?”

“He is obtaining some tools at the bazaar, Mistress.” I tried not to sound meek. I knew what would happen next.

“When will he return?”

“He normally comes back in the afternoon. But he might finish early and be back any moment, Mistress.” I tried to sound confident, but the bazaar was on the border of our tribal lands and it took him all day to make the trip.

“Hum …” she purred, as she leaned back and looked at the ceiling of the stable. “I doubt it.” She began to take her socks off as she glanced away from me. Her feet and calves looked like they were made out of the white marble that decorated her house.

Her hands went flat to the edge of the crate and lifted her lower body off of the wood as if she weighed only a pound. Then her legs formed a straight line with her toes pointing ahead of her. After a few seconds of holding herself off of the crate she wiggled her toes and sighed. With no effort, she tucked her legs under her chest and spun her body around beneath her arms. She emerged from the roll in a perfect handstand and draped her wonderful hair almost to the ground. She held this position for a few minutes on the edge of the crate. Finally, she let out a long sigh and completed a front flip to land with a puff into the dirt on the stable ground.

“Which horse is your favorite, human?” she said as she walked around and began to touch the horses in the stable.

“Yours Mistress.” I almost cried. Her feet were covered in dust and dirt from the short walk across the floor of the stable. I swept it every night, but her entourage used six of the horses today and they had created a mess when I put them back in their stalls.

“Why mine, human? Is it because he is the best, or because he is mine?” She reached up and patted her mount’s face. This horse was smart enough to fake affection and leaned into her hand. Her last horse bit her once and she rode him so hard the rest of the day that he had collapsed. Then she ripped the legs from his body as easily as a child pulls the legs off of a bug. If I answered this question wrong she might do the same to me.

“Both, Mistress.” This was the most conversation she had ever engaged me with, and I dreaded an incorrect answer.

“You are smart for one of your kind, no?” She looked over at me and began to walk in my direction.

“My father often calls me a lummox when I forget one of my chores,” I said, looking away from her and going back to scrubbing her boots. One of them was finished and I hoped that she would be satisfied with their shine.

“Perfect.” She reached down and inspected the boot. “You are also good with your hands, human. Do any of your masters compliment you? Or is it just me?” Her silver-blue eyes burned into me. My hands shook when she handed it back to me.

“No Mistress. I only talk to you. If you don’t want to speak to me I don’t mind,” I stuttered. Her smile turned into a sudden frown.

“I do not care if you mind or not. Your opinion of the matter isn’t important to me, human. I choose to talk to you now. You will answer. Understand?” I nodded and struggled to control the terror in my body. My eyes were probably the size of her horse’s.

“The other boot looks perfect. Stop now,” she commanded. I picked up the other one, got on my knees before her, and raised them up so she could accept them.

“Yes. They look fine. Unfortunately, it looks like my feet are too dirty to put them on again. You will have to fix that, human.” Her face wore the smirk again. This always happened after I polished her boots.

“Yes Mistress. I will get warm water.” I dashed toward the back of the stable. The first time she asked me to do this I didn’t have any warm water ready. It had taken me ten minutes to grab a bucketful from the well and boil it. The wait didn’t suit her, so she cuffed me across the ear so hard that I wondered if I had been kicked by a horse instead. Now I always kept water simmering throughout the day.

She was perched on the crate again when I came back with two buckets of water, soap, a soft scrubbing brush, and a towel. Once I was set up on my stool she wordlessly pointed her foot into my chest. Then I reached out my hands to caress her feet.

Touching her was a mixture of pleasure and fear. Her skin felt like the smoothest piece of cloth I had ever touched: a patch of satin that another slave had stolen from the dining table at one of their mating parties. We passed it around like a sacred totem and wondered at how it could have been made. Humans weren’t allowed such finery.

“Rub in the arch human,” she whispered as I traced my fingers across the ball of her foot. I dug deeper with my thumbs and she hummed in appreciation. If she knew that I enjoyed this she would kill me. It was forbidden for my kind to touch the Elvens unless they were in danger of death. Even then the offending human would probably be killed.

I had never even touched a human girl. My father, brother, and I were the only three that managed the stables and blacksmith. Maintaining both involved endless work. We didn’t have time to attend the rare holiday the Elvens granted us, or even walk across the estate to the hall where we could eat with our own kind. Even as I washed her feet, my mind was turning over all the other tasks I needed to do in my father’s absence. My brother was managing the same impossible list of responsibilities in the smithy.

“That feels good. Next foot.” My hands were not nearly as strong as hers, but the work I did around the stables and smithy ensured I had decent fortitude in my arms.

I appraised the fine network of muscles in her feet. They were sleek with water and soap and I found myself wondering what the rest of her body looked like without clothes. It was madness, but my efforts to push the thought away only prevailed for mere seconds before my imagination returned tenfold with the beautiful image.

“Excellent work human. Dry them.” I complied, and stole a quick glance up at her face, hoping she would be happy with my effort. She had asked me to do this for her almost every day for the last two months. Her face seemed pleased as she looked down at me. I was careful to dry between her toes. I used the cleanest towel I had and worried that it wasn’t soft enough.

“What is your name, human?” she asked, her voice only more than a whisper.

“My name?” I gasped. My hands wrapped around the towel that hugged her feet.

“Yes. Father’s personal slave is called ‘Wiial’ or something I don’t care to remember. Do you have a name?” She raised an eyebrow in question and her eyes focused on me like a sliver of sunlight over the ocean.

“Yes Mistress. I’m called Kaiyer, Mistress,” I said as I looked to her feet and continued to dry.

“Kaiyer … Kaiyer … Kaiyer,” she repeated my name. My heart hammered like it might escape my chest. No Elven had ever used my name. “It agrees with me.” My shoulders relaxed and I tried not to gasp in relief.

“Do you like working in the stables?” she continued. I wondered if she was leading me somewhere with these questions. In the past she would ask for a clean pair of socks from her saddle bag and then leave at this point.

“Yes Mistress.”

“Why?”

“I like horses, Mistress. Also, I get to see you and the other masters ride them.” She nodded. I finished drying her feet, but she hadn’t asked for her socks yet. I just kept rubbing them through the towel.

“Have you ever ridden?”

“Oh no Mistress. I am not allowed. My father said I would be killed.” I looked up at her and she smiled.

“Would you like to?” she asked as she shook her foot a bit. That was the signal for me to stop drying them. I released my hold and my hands hung in the air as I tried to think of what they should do next.

“I would love to ride one, Mistress. But I would dislike being killed,” I said. She laughed and it sounded wonderful, even if she mocked me.

“Of course not! Ha! You are quite funny human.” She lifted her feet and sat cross-legged on the crate above me. I tried not to gawk at the shape of her legs through her tight leather riding pants, or the contour of her breasts and nipples through the thin fabric of her green tunic. I think I failed, her eyes caught me and I turned away in fear. “Perhaps I will take you riding one day, Kaiyer. You amuse me.” I turned back to look at her. I think my mouth hung open in surprise because she laughed again.

“Yes, I think I will. I can imagine the expression on your face. Don’t worry. You will not be killed, as long as I allow it. Of course, we’ll have to do it sometime late at night or very early. If any of my kind, especially my suitors, saw you riding with me, they might become jealous. I can tell them not to harm you but, accidents can always happen to your frail kind.”

I would get a chance to ride? I didn’t know of a single human ever riding a horse. I tried to guard my emotions, but I couldn’t, and smiled up at her gratefully. For almost a split second I thought that she was being sincere. But of course, it was easy to forget how her kind acted when she dangled hope in front of me.

“Of course I’ll need some sort of payment from you,” she said as her smile faded. “It’s not like we can have humans riding our-” she paused as if looking for the right word, “horses, all day long. I’m willing to make an exception for you if you are willing to give me the proper payment.” I felt my hopes dash. I had no money and didn’t really own anything more than three different pairs of pants and a few shirts. Perhaps I didn’t even own those. She, or her father, did.

“Oh don’t look so downtrodden Kaiyer, my precious little plaything. You’ll be able to pay me this.” Her smile came back but I feared that she was just leading me on and then would kill me. I nodded, ready for whatever she wanted me to do. I had no other choice.

She spun around on her hands and lay on her stomach, across the crate, before I even realized that she had moved. Her hands and long flowing hair draped over the edge. Her copper red locks possessed a metallic sheen, and their length almost touched the ground. She beckoned me with a slender finger. I cautiously took a step nearer and then her hands grasped around my neck and yanked me closer than I dared to stand. Her grip was twice as strong as mine and I couldn’t possibly escape. Before I even registered the danger, her hair draped over my shoulder.

I had never touched a human woman’s hair before, let alone dreamed of this particular Elven’s hair. It felt even softer than her amazing skin as it brushed against my neck and cheek. She pulled my head sideways so that my ear touched up against her exquisite mouth.

“You’ll give me anything I ask, Kaiyer?” Her breath slid hot against my ear. My mind was spinning like a leaf in the wind and my arousal struggled to wrestle against my panic.

“Yes!” I squeaked out.

“Goooood,” she purred. “We’ll continue this conversation later. Get fresh socks out of my bag.” Then she let me go. “Now!” she commanded after I stood there stunned for a few seconds. I ran over to her bag and grabbed a clean pair. I rushed them back to her and stared into her face. She looked uninterested and aloof like all the Elvens did when they dealt with us humans

I handed her the socks and she put them on in a practiced motion. Then she pointed to her boots. I gave them to her, fighting the lump in my throat. She would never let me ride. This was just a game she played with me, like a cat toying with a mouse before eating it. She would let me ride and then kill me afterward. Maybe she would bring her friends and make sport of it. Sometimes they killed humans like that. My brother had warned me that she had killed many slaves in the past year.

She slid her boots on, vaulted from the crate, and landed silently ten feet from me. She grabbed her leather satchel on the way out of the stables without another promise. I made sure that I heard the heels of her boots click on the stone path outside the stables before I went back to work.

Chapter 4-Kaiyer

The memory awoke me with a start and I gasped. It had been so vivid, and more of my earlier life’s experiences began to wrap around my brain. I didn’t remember any more about the woman. She had been an Elven though. Paug had given enough description for me to guess that these Ancients he and Nadea wanted me to fight were the same race as the woman. In my memory humans were their slaves.

I was her slave.

The night hung about us as a heavy drape torn with sparkling rivers of stars. I didn’t recognize any of their patterns, but I expected as much. Everything about this world seemed familiar, yet different enough to be discombobulating. I yearned for my dreams, even if I knew them to be false. Life had been simple jumping between the islands of my subconscious.

A throat cleared nearby, and I turned my gaze down from the stars to see Nadea across the campfire. We had been traveling northward through the jungle. This was our second night since they had awoken me. Nadea looked at me with her eyebrows raised in concern. Everyone but Greykin seemed to look at me with a mixture of fear and pity. The big old man preferred to ignore my presence.

“Do you want some food? Water?” Nadea whispered from the comfort of her bedroll. I had been pestering Paug about his language for the last two days and now understood basic conversation. It must have been her watch. Everyone else slept curled up in their light blankets.

It stunk of hot and damp in this jungle. Dead plants and animals mixed with hungry earth and musky sudor. I could see small drops of sweat saunter down Paug’s sleeping face next to me. The scent of their heated bodies mixed with the smoke of the fire and the jungle and almost stirred up another memory in my mind. Then it fled and I didn’t have the energy to give chase through the silence of my subconscious.

“Yes,” I said, sitting up more. I was always thirsty or hungry, but the act brought bouts of queasiness. Eating also made me exhausted, so I would risk the possible nausea if it meant I might have a chance at deep sleep. The memory of the woman had left me filled with terror and sadness.

Nadea glanced around the camp to make sure she wouldn’t disturb the sleepers before she sneaked over to our food stores. She pulled out a tied bag of waxy paper, opened it, and handed me a large piece of salted, dried meat. Then she poured me water from a skin into a tin cup. I got out of my bedroll and moved to a rock closer to the fire and accepted them. She turned away after I gave her my thanks and studied the orange flames.

I nibbled on the meat and stared into the fire. My brain became preoccupied remembering the Elven woman and the dreams of the floating islands. The fire almost matched the color of her hair. The flame made the night heat even more unbearable, but we would have been prey to the bugs and other menacing animals in the jungle without its protection.

“Are you okay?” Nadea whispered from across the fire. She had a soft sheen of perspiration across her face, shoulders, and neck. It made her skin glow in the firelight. She wasn’t wearing her usual leather travel pants and thick tunic because of the heat, just thin undergarments that almost didn’t cover her slick form. She was mostly legs, her body toned by travel, riding, lifting, and exploring Ancient ruins. Her dark brown hair fell loose across one of her shoulders, leaving her neck bare on the other side.

Paug had told me that she was part of some royal family and had chosen her odd profession, even though she could have done anything she wanted. He tried to explain to me what royalty was, but I still didn’t understand the concept. The thought of someone else, let alone possibly unfit descendants, deciding what laws I should live by reminded me too much of the memory from which I had just awoken. I never wanted to feel that powerless again.

Nadea was very beautiful, especially in the warm glow of the fire. Feelings of arousal surfaced deep within my stomach as I imagined my hands grasping the woman’s hips and pulling her against me. My eyes drank her in and my fantasy began to sprint away. I wondered what her lips tasted like, how smooth her skin would be against my fingertips, and what sounds she would make when I brought her to orgasm.

I looked at her and probably did a poor job of hiding my lust. Her face flushed and her breathing caught when our eyes met. Her mouth opened to say something again but no words came. I flashed back to the woman in my dream for a second. If I really had been asleep for as long as they all thought, I should make sure that all parts of my body worked correctly. My member pulsed in agreement against the inside of my pants.

Was there proper etiquette to proposing that we go into the darkness of the jungle and please each other? I couldn’t even remember acceptable courting behavior in my own memories, I only recalled the beautiful Elven woman terrorizing me. Then I laughed to myself. I didn’t even know how to ask Nadea to be my lover anyway. The language difference was an especially large annoyance right now.

“I feel good,” I answered her with a smile. Or at least, I think that was what I said. She smiled back.

“Are you tired?” she said with an eyebrow raised. I didn’t understand at first but then she held her hands under her face like a pillow.

“No. Hungry,” I said as I put the last of the jerky in my mouth and washed it down with water. I had been eating almost every hour for the last two days. Sometimes my stomach cramped and I threw up a bit, but my appetite justified the risk. I hadn’t gained any perceivable weight though.

“More?” She pointed to the food and I shook my head. She looked confused. “Hungry?”

“Yes. Hungry.” I nodded. “No. Food,” I said with a smile as I looked over her body again. Her eyes opened wide. I guessed she understood what I meant because her heart began to beat much faster and she drew in a deep breath.

“Ahhh …” Nadea looked around at her slumbering companions. She whispered a bunch of words I didn’t understand except for “sleep.” Was she telling me to go back to sleep or that her friends were sleeping and we needed to leave? I hoped it was the latter. Her face flushed red in the orange glow so I guessed that she wanted the same. I got up from my rock and began to move around to her. Her mouth opened but no words came out. I reached out my hand to pull her out of her bedroll and into my arms. First I would kiss her full lips, and then savor the salty curve of her bare neck with my tongue.

“Hurmph! Awww. What?” Greykin rolled out of his blankets with a rough moan. He squinted against the fire and said something I didn’t understand. Nadea whispered back to him. He sighed and untangled himself from the covers, sitting up straight with a growl that really did sound like a bear’s. When he realized I was standing, he pointed at me and said something to Nadea. She responded and he seemed satisfied with her answer.

I took the next two steps toward Nadea and handed her my empty cup. She nodded and her brown eyes met mine. Her face wore a complicated expression of relief, fear, lust, and disappointment. I smiled back at her and shrugged my shoulders. Paug told me that we had a few weeks of travel ahead of us. There would be a time soon where Nadea and I could explore our passions.

I returned to my bedroll without looking at her or the big man. The stars became the white birds of my dreams. If I jumped high enough I would reach them. I heard the sound of the water cascading off of the islands as they disappeared into the cloudy gray mist beneath me.

Chapter 5-Paug

“Can we go around them?” Kaiyer asked Iarin as we ducked behind the small outcrop of rocks and branches.

“No. The range here is impassable.” The quiet woodsman shook his head.

“We should just wait them out,” Nadea said. She poked the top part of her head over the rocks and then slowly shifted down behind cover. The four of us were about a hundred yards ahead of our horses, Greykin, and Jessmei. We were on the border of Vanlourn and Brilla. Nia and Brilla had an intact truce, so we had almost reached a country of relative safety.

The only thing that stood between us was the canyon up through the mountains, the guard post at the border, and about forty soldiers on patrol. Iarin had mentioned the obvious to those of us that knew this country: the mountain range that separated Brilla and Vanlourn went almost sixty miles in each direction.

“There were three guards here when we came through a month ago. They must know Jess is with us now,” Nadea said, exasperated. Jessmei had really made the whole mission difficult.

“Can we disguise her?” I asked.

“I doubt that will work. The only people that pass between the borders are traders, and we have no goods or wagons. Also, I don’t know how we could disguise Jessmei. She is very easy to spot, even if I dyed her hair, her blue eyes might give her away,” Nadea said with a frown as she looked back toward the princess.

“I can take her up the … rocks.” Kaiyer said as he pointed to the steep sides of the canyon. “But do they see you?” he said as he looked at us. He had learned our language amazingly fast but I had to clarify his last question in his own language.

“He thinks he can climb up the cliff face with her, and meet us in a few days on the other side. But if the guards at the border have information about us, they might capture us there,” I translated.

“It won’t work. We’ll be stopped at the border. They may be looking for the princess but I doubt they think she is traveling alone. I would bet all of Nadea’s gold that they have our descriptions as well.” Iarin smirked.

“We all climb.” Kaiyer pointed at us and then the cliff wall.

“We would lose our horses and supplies. It would make the trip very difficult. Also, we are assuming they don’t have guard posts on the top of the cliff faces.” Nadea said with obvious frustration.

“I look,” Kaiyer said as he crawled back to the horses.

“No!” Nadea tried to whisper, but Kaiyer was remarkably fast and had already retreated out of earshot.

Nadea seethed a curse before she pushed away from the outcrop and crawled the twenty feet after him. Iarin and I followed, coming to our feet when the pebbles and rocks had turned into a mossy grass. It was still stiflingly humid and hot. The canyon walls were covered in dense green foliage; small streams of water poured off of them. I had seen Nadea climb similar faces during our exploration of the ruins, and it hadn’t appeared that difficult.

At least for her.

“You aren’t going up there,” Nadea said to Kaiyer, as he browsed through the pack on his horse. “Listen to me.” She stepped into the small space between him and the steed so he would be forced to meet her gaze. He didn’t take his arm out of his pack, so it lay across her shoulder. “You are not climbing the cliff. It is too risky; we’ll find another way. Hey!” She poked him in the chest with her finger when he went back to his pack. “Now you somehow don’t understand what I am saying huh?” She looked to me. “Tell him he can’t go up there.”

I didn’t need to translate. He looked over at me and spoke in his language.

“Tell her she has an hour to figure out a better idea. I am bored.” Kaiyer looked back to her as he finished. “Tell her she can come with me. That is what she really wants.”

His face broke into a smile. Nadea frowned as he stepped away from her and walked twenty feet from the horses to stretch.

“He said you should think of another idea within the hour or he’ll go. He said you can come with him,” I told her.

“What is this about?” Greykin said. “What does the guard post look like?”

“There are at least three dozen of them at the entrance to the canyon. There could be many more at the actual border,” Iarin replied to him.

“Shit. So the scrawny guy wants to climb the walls of the cliff? Let him! He’ll fall and we won’t have to worry about him anymore!” Greykin smacked his hand on his knee with pleasure.

“His original idea was to take Jessmei up with him and let us go through the border without her,” Nadea said, as she looked over at Kaiyer stretching.

“Oh, now I am certain this guy is an idiot,” Greykin spat out. “He’s not going anywhere alone with her.”

I looked over to Jessmei. She glanced back and forth between Greykin and Kaiyer in frustration. I guessed the beautiful girl was too timid to voice her actual opinion.

“Alright. Time for the grown up to figure this out. I’ve let the children run the show for too long. Keep an eye on Jess while I take a gander.” Greykin walked toward the outcropping, dropping into what looked like a painful crawl for the last twenty feet.

“Nadea, I don’t think I can climb that wall,” Jessmei said to her cousin, her perfect face creased with worry.

“Don’t worry. You won’t have to. We’ll find another way,” Nadea said. She turned to Kaiyer and I could see the worry on her face. The journey had turned sour when Jessmei had joined us. Her presence made the whole situation more dangerous. We needed a full company of soldiers to properly guard her. Not the four of us.

Greykin returned within ten minutes. He had a sparkle in his eye. The danger seemed to be giving him more energy.

“It’s going to be tough. They are running patrols back and forth from the main road. They will figure out we are hiding in this part of the jungle sooner rather than later. We’ll have to camp a mile from here and keep the fire very low. I’m beginning to wonder if Skinny has the right idea. Climbing that cliff face would be less dangerous than dealing with a company of Vanlourn’s army. Let’s camp out tonight, drink the rest of our whisky, and think through our options.” Greykin stroked his beard as he collected his thoughts.

“Okay. Paug, tell Kaiyer that we are going to camp the night. We’ll make a decision in the morning,” Nadea commanded.

I ran over to him to explain the situation, aware that he might want to argue with Nadea again since she wasn’t going to do anything until tomorrow. He seemed pleased after I told him, which confused me until he spoke.

“I’ll climb the cliff and see if there are any guards. Then I can attach a rope so it will be easier to get up tomorrow.” He began to take off his swords and walk toward his horse. When he got there, he fished out a rough looking rope from the pack.

“What is he doing?” Nadea asked me.

“He is still going to climb the cliff face. He said he’ll look around up there and then attach a rope so we can get up easier later,” I explained.

“No.” She walked up to him and put her hand on the rope. “Tell him to wait until tomorrow. I don’t want to risk him being caught.”

“He said he won’t get caught. He’ll be okay.”

“What if he falls?”

“He said he won’t fall.”

“Tell him no again. Tell him to wait.” She was insistent now. Her dark brown eyes were fierce as she looked at his. I started to translate but I didn’t need to. He spoke quickly and I struggled to understand what he was saying.

“He says that we can get a clear picture of what awaits us up there, so we can plan for it tonight. Also, he wants to ask if you are ordering him not to go. He wants to know if he is your prisoner or your friend.” The question took her aback.

“No, he isn’t my prisoner.” She looked at him with concern. Then she sighed in defeat. “Tell him I will go with him. I have the proper equipment, and we are less likely to fall if we are tied to each other.” She glanced over at the face of the cliff as I relayed the message.

“Good. We climb,” he said, smiling. She nodded and went over to her horse, unpacking various smaller bags, rope, and well-used spikes that ended in loops of metal.

“Tell him I will lead and place the pitons,” she said, as she inspected each of the spikes and her rope. “We will set up at the base of the cliff. It will probably take us a few hours to reach the top. We’ll do a brief reconnaissance, attach a top rope, and then come back. Tell him.”

I relayed this to Kaiyer and he nodded.

“It still might be better if I go alone. What if we are seen by patrols?” he asked her.

“If we approach that face to the right, we should be less visible. See how it angles away from the main road and forms a hollow chimney?”

Kaiyer nodded. I looked far in the distance where the vertical ridge in the cliff face she spoke of was only a finger-sized dent. It looked like the gorge would be impossible to view from the road.

“Iarin, can you lead the horses back to the clearing we passed an hour ago?” Nadea asked. Iarin nodded. “We’ll meet you there after nightfall. Keep the fires low. Ready?” she turned to ask Kaiyer.

She had a few small packs and thin silk rope slung over her shoulders. Kaiyer nodded. He had the long rope from his pack wound around his upper body. I couldn’t tell how many feet it was, but it wrapped around him so many times that it looked like he was carrying enough to sail a boat. He had tossed his extra long sword and just wore one over his shoulder. He still had the strap that carried a multitude of daggers. “Okay. Let’s go. See you all tonight.” And they moved deeper into the jungle.

We waited in the spot for another three quarters of an hour until they began to ascend the cliff face over the trees of the jungle. It was not easy to spot them, even from our better angle, so I assumed they would be safe from patrols.

“Let’s go set up camp. Watching them won’t make the time go faster,” Greykin said as we strained our eyes to follow them. We grabbed the horses and made the trek back to the clearing.

Chapter 6-Kaiyer

It took us half an hour to make it to the top of the six-hundred-foot cliff face. Nadea was a fast, capable climber. Her placements of the pitons were perfect, even if I hadn’t needed their aid. Much like the earlier battle against the Vanlourn soldiers, climbing seemed very comfortable to me. My hands naturally found holds, my legs seemed to know when to push, and I had to restrain myself from moving up past Nadea.

Nadea had taken the lead in the ascent to hammer in the pitons, which allowed me a perfect view of her legs and ass while she maneuvered the sheer face of the cliff. The view of her body from below made me think about the two nights ago when Greykin woke up at the most inopportune time. Perhaps tonight I would have a chance to taste her.

The stables were empty except for the two of us and her horses. With a casual ease she ascended the ladder to the hay loft. “Follow me human,” her voice was a seductive purr that controlled my body like reins.

The wind on top of the canyon carried the scent of a drier jungle to my nose before it dashed off the side of the cliff to the valley below. I looked down at the jungle beneath us. It seemed to stretch on forever, like a green rolling ocean that curved down the edge of the planet, beyond the reach of my vision. I didn’t recognize any of the scenery, but the scents in the air and the sense of accomplishment that penetrated my hands and legs after the climb were familiar.

I turned around to contemplate the jungle on top of the canyon. It seemed thicker than what lay on the valley floor, and there were no game trails through the foliage. There did appear to be a twenty-foot-wide gap that separated the green tangle of plants from the edge of the cliff. We were going to have to explore to see if the edge could be followed west and then northward. If it appeared too treacherous, then we would have to figure out a way through the guards. I did feel much stronger from the food, water, and travel, but I had been lucky with the eight in the jungle clearing. Killing forty would be impossible for our small group.

“Let’s walk around the edge,” I said to Nadea as she finished tying off the rope. She glanced at me over her shoulder and the wind picked up again. I could smell her salty sweat on the breeze. I hadn’t perspired at all, but the scent of her skin and the wind brought me a memory. A man’s voice.

Wind and Water are two sides of the same Element. They both crash into the Earth and wear it down to the smallest particle of energy. Earth and Wind create Fire, Earth and Water create life.

I shook my head to clear it of the cobwebs and focused back on the sound of Nadea’s heart beating.

“Okay. But we have to go back as soon as we can,” I guessed she said, as I set down the coil of rope I had carried up the cliff face.

We moved away from the edge twenty feet, then followed it west toward the main road that cut through the canyon. If we were lucky, then the ridge would be free of the jungle for a few more miles north of the canyon’s corner. Then we would be able to get back onto the road safely behind the guard post.

Nadea handed me a water skin and I took a small sip as we walked. I went to hand the skin back to her, but she shook her head and untied her hair, retying it tighter. The movement brought up another memory. It was of a woman, beautiful like Nadea, but of sharper facial features, hair a darker shade of brown, and eyes that sparked green. I put the skin back into my pack as the memory faded.

Within a quarter of an hour of shadowing the canyon precipice, we arrived at the edge, where the cliff made an acute right turn to head north. The other side of the cliff was about sixty feet away. I studied the gap for a few moments and wondered why I believed that I might easily make the jump across the chasm.

Nadea crouched down and crawled to the sudden edge. I followed, trying to keep my focus on the task at hand and not the way her leather pants wrapped around her pert ass. On the road six hundred feet below us were two dozen soldiers, garbed in the cream and yellow colors of Vanlourn. They yelled and laughed to each other but I could not understand most of the words. I turned my head to the right and confirmed that the road continued for another hundred yards or so and then bent to the east. The brown, mossy walls of the cliff hid the eventual destination of the road from my view, but I imagined that it would continue northward into Brilla’s border.

Careful not to disturb any dirt or rocks, we crawled back from the edge. When we were about thirty feet from the side, we stood up and faced each other.

“Let’s go to the guard post.” I pointed to our right, where the canyon bent to follow the road. I wanted to get a better idea of how many guards were stationed at the border and how long it would take us to travel there.

“Good. Yes.” She nodded. I smiled at her and set off, bounding from rock to rock. The wind pushed from the south and it felt invigorating. The raised cliffs we traveled atop made up a series of foothills, which gave way to larger mountains that folded in on the canyon like the edges of a bowl. I understood how the ridge to the north would make an excellent border for a country. Especially if there was only a single road through them.

In a few minutes the road veered right like I had seen earlier. We continued on the path and I noticed more switchbacks in the walls of the canyon beneath us. I guessed that the elevation of the road was gradually rising to meet us. I leapt over a small stream blocking our path, its flow of cold water cascaded down the side of the cliff like the islands in my dreams. My legs begged to sprint faster, but before I could do so, Nadea called out behind me.

I slid to a halt across the slick mud, moss, and tropical flowers on the edge of the stream. She was covered in sweat and breathing in ragged gasps. She raised her arm, signaling me to halt and I bounded back to her in a few steps.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. You are fast. I can’t keep up.” She smiled and let out a painful breath. “Can we break?” I nodded and handed her the water skin I still carried. She took a long drink and sat down on a rock, exhaling while she looked at me. I took back the water skin and sipped on it again. Then I filled it up at the stream.

By the time I returned Nadea seemed ready to move again.

“You lead,” I said.

“Thank you,” she said as she set off wading through the cool current of the stream. I did the same, even though I had cleared it before with an easy leap.

After the stream our makeshift path grew rockier. We were traversing the fifty or so feet of bare, coarse ground that separated the dense jungle from the edge of the drop four hundred feet to the road beneath us. Up ahead the trees were drifting closer to the edge, so I imagined that we would have to hack through the jungle to keep going.

“I don’t think we can go any farther because of the jungle,” I assumed Nadea said to me seconds after I made the same conclusion.

“We can cut through with the sword,” I tried to say. I might have butchered the words, but I pointed to the jungle, then the sword on my back, then made a cutting motion. She frowned for a moment and considered.

“It is getting late. We need to go back.” I understood her, but she pointed to the sun, back to where we came from, and made the sleeping motion with her hands.

“We need to check the guard post.” I pointed at my eyes and then pointed down toward where I thought the guard post would be.

Again, she frowned as she considered. Her lips were full from the exertion of our hike and moist from the perspiration running down her face. Her thin shirt was drenched with sweat and I could see the shape of her stomach muscles and the outline of her breasts beneath the light brown fabric. I recalled our conversation a few nights ago and decided that spending the night up here might be a better idea. That way there would be no one to interrupt us.

I think she noticed me admiring her body. Her cheeks flushed and her frown turned into a playful smirk.

“Okay. One more hour, then we go back. Yes?” I nodded before I set off through the jungle, long sword drawn and hacking through the thick dripping foliage. The excursion would dull the blade quickly, but it would have taken me forever to rip a path for us with my bare hands.

The inside of the jungle smelled heavily of life; the wind couldn’t penetrate the thick blanket of vines, trees, and mud. As I cut through the branches, small animals scurried out of our way and disappeared into the surrounding foliage. I hadn’t seen creatures larger than my hand since we began the journey, but I guessed larger fauna lived deeper in the jungle from the far off trampling noises I heard.

After an hour of cutting, we made it out of the foliage and into another clear area that ran for the next eight hundred yards. I knew we were running short on time, but that was Nadea’s prerogative. I didn’t want our companions to worry, but spending the night alone with her was what I preferred. The canyon switchbacks to the north seemed to straighten out, and I figured that we were close to the guard post. We skirted the edge and worked our way as close to the next jungle patch as possible before crawling to the edge.

We had passed the guard post by a few hundred yards. It was made of large logs and stood two stories high. There were fifteen alert guards milling around the timber gates, and about twenty travelers with wagons waiting in line to enter. I glanced to my right and saw the road continue on for another eight hundred yards before it turned into another set of steep switchbacks. This part of the canyon was two hundred feet above the guard post, so it would be much easier to descend.

I crawled back from the ledge and stood up over by the tree line. Nadea looked back and forth a few more times and then joined me.

“Maybe we can climb down over there,” I said, as I pointed down the road toward Brilla. She nodded.

“I just worry about Jessmei making that climb.”

“It will be okay,” I said and smiled at her. If we attached the rope at the top it would be easy enough to pull them up the sheer face.

“Good idea,” she said as she pointed at me and then at my head. “Let’s go back.” I smiled to indicate my assent, though I was disappointed that we would make it back on time.

We checked the entrance to the canyon on our way back and saw that the number of soldiers had increased. There were almost two hundred of them now, pacing in neatly packed lines. They must have known this would have been our only way out.

“We should climb up tonight,” I said to Nadea. I wanted to explain why, but I didn’t know the words. She nodded and we jogged back to the spot where I had left the rope. The sun would set in another hour, and this climb would be tough to pull off at night. How important was Jessmei? I hadn’t understood royalty or what a king was from Paug’s explanation. I was trying to compare it to what I knew of the Elven culture, which was coming back to me in spotty pieces of fog. I assumed that it was similar to a chieftain and his or her offspring. But the amount of guards here made me think that she was significantly more valuable than I had guessed.

Nadea quickly set up two of her larger pitons in the rocks, hammering them in with practiced ease and running the rope through them. Then she tied the rope off to a nearby tree and tested the line by yanking on it. It didn’t budge.

“Try,” she said, as she handed me the rope. I tensed my body and tugged. The tree bent slightly under the weight but did not snap. I walked toward the edge and prepared to go down first while she inspected the lighter rope she had tied us to on our way up the cliff. With a quick motion she untied it from the top and lashed it around her waist. Then she nodded at me and I went off the cliff.

My hands burned against the rope as I used my feet to push off the edge and release my grip. I slid down twenty feet before I tightened my hands again. Next time, I controlled my release and went down with more precision. It seemed that Nadea had done this before, since she was right above me, easily keeping pace. The rope she tied around her waist slipped through the loops attached to the face of the cliff and made a soft sound while she descended.

Suddenly, the taut rope above us slackened. I looked in horror as the top of our tether, which should have been tied to the tree, came loose and began to slip.

It happened in slow motion. Nadea’s body fell away from the wall of the cliff a split second before mine. I reached out with my right hand and made a grab toward the line. I missed and started to fall, while she let out a surprised gasp.

Another jut of rock came out ten feet below us and I tried to grab onto the edge. This time my right hand connected and my fingers dug into the soft rock. My other arm snaked out and made a grab for Nadea’s body. Our hands and arms slipped around each other and made a snapping connection. I grunted in pain as the full weight of her fall impacted my left hand, traveled through my arms and shoulders, and into my right hand. My whole body numbed for a second, and I realized I was about to lose my grip. Luckily, the feeling came back almost instantly and I held on to the rock my hand grasped.

Nadea hung three hundred feet off the ground, her right arm extended as my hand gripped hers. I thought she would be terrified, but her face wore an intense mask of determination. The rope made a soft scraping motion as it continued its fall past us, but neither of us could make a move to grab it.

I looked up to the top of the cliff, wondering if someone had cut our rope. No one looked over the edge to see if their work had been successful. I guessed that an animal might have chewed it off, because if the tree had been uprooted, the slack would have been more gradual in nature.

“Kaiyer,” Nadea called out below me to get my attention from the top of the cliff. I looked down at her, dangling like a fish at the end of my arm. “Swing me over there,” she pointed with her other arm toward the hooks on the cliff face. I slowly moved my arm back and forth. It was easier to hold her now after the first impact. After a few swings, she reached across and grabbed the rope that ran from the ground, up through the loops and hooks to the top, and back down to her waist. She muttered quick, angry words that I guessed were curses that Paug had not taught me yet. She shook her head in frustration and began to untie the line from her belt.

I lost track of time. I tried to see any movement on top of the canyon, until Nadea called me. I looked through the rocks and foliage to see her moving down the line quickly. She had tied off the top part to another hook so it was stable. I pulled myself up on the ledge and waited for her to get down to the jungle floor. Within minutes she was there and waving up at me.

With a quick glance back to the top, I leaped down to the rope, caught it, and made my way down its length. A few rocks were disturbed by my quick descent, and they tumbled down with a painfully loud crescendo. I hoped that Nadea had moved out of the way.

“The rope was cut,” she said with concern as she handed it to me. It did look like a single blade had cleaved it cleanly. “Let’s go back to camp.” I nodded and followed her into the thick jungle as the sun set behind the cliffs and the coolness of the night crept upon us.

Chapter 7-Paug

“And then I called out: ‘HOLD THE LINE LADDIES!’ as the Vanlourns hit us. Within ten minutes we won the battle. We lost a few brave men, but their entire brigade was crushed! Even with my great intellect, I couldn’t count how many of the greasy bastards I killed. Perhaps eighteen of them, of course, I was a much younger lad then, a few year’s junior to our studious Paug here. I can easily slay a score or so of them at my current state of experience and physical fitness.” Greykin finished, with a long guzzle from his coveted wine skin. We had drunk from it a scarce few times during the trip. Greykin passed the skin back to Iarin.

“Twenty is a large number Greykin. I also have problems counting that high and would need to call upon the aid of my toes,” Iarin said with a deadpan face before taking a sip from the skin. His mouth contorted and I imagined the big man had put something stronger than wine in there.

“A hero’s greatness cannot be measured in numbered feats lad.” Greykin didn’t seem to understand Iarin’s sarcasm. The bowman’s face turned into a smirk as he tried to hold back laughter.

A very stressful dusk descended around us and Greykin helped pass the time with some stories that may or may not have been true. Jessmei tried to look interested while she nibbled on a piece of bread, but I imagined that she had heard all of these accounts already. The tales were new to us, so Iarin and I were fascinated. Without warning, Nadea and Kaiyer bounded into the small clearing as Greykin took a deep breath, ready to begin his next tale.

“We need to leave as soon as possible,” Nadea said through ragged breaths. Kaiyer went over to his horse and began to unpack it. He glanced at me and smiled with excitement.

“There are two hundred guards at the entrance to the canyon now. Come morning they are going to be combing the jungle. We don’t have a choice. We need to leave the horses and climb up the side of the cliff.” Nadea turned to Greykin, ready for him to argue. He got up, nodded, and went over to begin rearranging his packs off his horse.

“How am I going to climb up that cliff face?” Jessmei asked. She didn’t bother preparing her bags. Greykin would do it for her.

“I will carry,” Kaiyer said as he pulled a pack on to his shoulders. He patted the muzzle of his horse and began to chant soft words to him.

“How are you going to carry her and your gear?” Greykin shot over his shoulder.

“I climb up. Make rope. Climb down. Carry Jessmei,” he said with confidence.

“You can’t. The rope was cut at the top. There is someone waiting for us,” Nadea said. She had already transitioned her gear from her horse to her shoulders.

“Wait. Wait. I don’t understand. What rope was cut from the top?” Iarin asked over his shoulder while he frantically rummaged through his belongings. The horses had been carrying a lot of our gear. It would be tough to decide what to leave and what to carry. I had my bag of books, along with another bag that contained small pots, my tent, and a few sets of clothes. The vision of dragging it all up the side of the cliff made me shiver in a cold sweat.

“We tied a rope to a tree at the top. Halfway down someone severed it cleanly. Whoever cut it did it from the top with a knife or sword,” Nadea said.

“And this person still might be up there waiting for us?” Jessmei voiced what we had all feared.

“This sounds like a great idea,” Iarin said sarcastically. “How about I go up last?”

“No. I’ll go up. Kill someone. Tie rope. Come down, get Jessmei, and climb up,” Kaiyer spoke as he helped me put on my bag. It must have weighed half as much as I did.

“I’ll carry the girl. It’s my duty. My axe weighs more than her,” Greykin said as he tugged on the straps to his pack. “Is everyone ready?” Kaiyer shrugged.

I looked around the camp. The horses were untied and unsaddled. Part of the soup I had prepared for dinner was still simmering, waiting for Nadea and Kaiyer to come back and claim it. Packs filled with horse feed, extra tents, and cookware lay discarded around the campfire like abandoned trash. Kaiyer disappeared into the jungle before I replied that I was ready. The rest of us looked at each other for a few precious seconds before following him.

We had been through a lot already. I thought bringing the O’Baarni back to life was going to be the toughest part of this adventure. I didn’t consider that our problems would get worse after we woke him.

We should have expected the trip home would be more challenging than the journey down to Vanlourn. Actually, I hadn’t even known what to expect. None of us did. I had pictured him sitting up, offering his help, and then leading us against the Ancients, just like the legends told us he had done so many lifetimes ago.

I imagined he would be different, more powerful, less confused, like a God with all the answers. Did Nadea’s father think the same? How about the king? I doubted it. I was just a stupid boy. The only reason Nadea invited me was because I could speak the language, and it turned out that I was poor at even that task.

Now it looked like we would all die, either falling from the face of the massive cliff, our screams filling this hot, sticky night with life, or captured by the soldiers of Vanlourn. At least they wouldn’t rape or hurt the women. Jessmei was the princess and Nadea the duke’s daughter. If Vanlourn captured them alive, they would be significant political clout against Nia. But we would be tortured and murdered.

I thought of my home next to the lighthouse on the bluffs overlooking the sea, gulls flapping in the wind and cawing their horrible song. The picture was beautiful in my memory. I should have never come here.

I taught the little ones every morning for a few hours before they went back to their homes in the nearby village of Desai. Grandpa would tell me what I had done well during the lectures. Later in the evening adults from the village would come, eager to learn how to read, write, and do math. Grandfather taught them, but I listened and learned as well.

A sinewy green vine smacked me in the face, stinging my eyes with the wet, verdant chlorophyll scent and bringing me back to the task of throwing myself off of the cliff or getting captured by an enemy nation’s army. I wiped the tears from my eyes and hoped that no one else noticed them. Among these warriors I was already the weakling, I didn’t need them seeing another testament to my vulnerability. Grandfather told me that crying never solved anything. But I knew that he cried sometimes when he didn’t realize I was able to hear him. He missed my mother and grandmother. So did I, though sometimes I felt I only missed the idea of them, a warm, yet strong protective feminine presence. My real memories of them were dreamlike and difficult to grasp.

I tripped and Iarin grabbed my arm with an iron hold. I hadn’t realized he was behind me.

“It will be okay Paug. The Spirits of the Forest protect us.” I looked at him through the dusk light. It was the time of the evening where the orange light filtered down from the sky and made it difficult to notice details of close objects. The features of his strong, angular face were obscured and softened, his eyes looked kind, not pitying or condescending. I realized that despite his reassuring words, he too had doubts and fears about our mission, and I actually felt better about my own trepidation knowing even this confident warrior felt fear. I wondered how dark it would get tonight, and if we would be able to move through the jungle with the moons out.

“The Spirits of the Forest? I didn’t know the forest had spirits.”

“Ha! I’ll tell you all about them when we get to the top.” He stopped and I realized we had reached the rock wall. I almost couldn’t see Kaiyer; he was already beginning to scale the face. The man moved up the jagged facade like a spider, smooth and graceful, not even stopping to look for holds, pulling himself up with ease. I was clumsier climbing the ladder up the lighthouse.

“There is also a rope here.” Nadea pointed off to the side, where she had hammered the spikes into the wall and ran the rope through them. “We’ll each go up the main rope that Kaiyer ties to the top. We’ll use a smaller piece of rope,” she showed one with a weird looking loop tied to the end, “to anchor into this line over here, it almost goes to the top. You’ll have to unlatch it like this.” She demonstrated that one side of the loop was made like a door and could be opened if you pushed on it. “And take it off the line that is under each piton and attach it to the line that is above it. Understand?” We all nodded.

“That was fast,” she said when the thick rope that Kaiyer pulled up leapt next to us. Nadea grabbed it and tugged a few times.

“Paug, you first, Iarin behind him, help Paug with his line.” Nadea handed us each ropes with the metal circles on them. “Those are the only two I have, so send them down when you get to the top.”

The lump in my stomach gave birth to one in my throat. My hands grew cold and my body seized. Iarin touched my shoulder and walked, no, practically dragged me over to the rope. He tied the safety hook on my belt and clamped it into the line on the wall.

“This is going to be easy. Use your legs like you are walking. I’ll care for your safety line. Take as long as you need. There are outcrops you can rest on top of,” he whispered to me. I nodded as my hands wrapped around the rough, fibrous rope. Even my hands were soft and weak, I thought bitterly, wishing I had been more physically active to train and prepare myself for this mission.

The first fifty feet were as awkward as I feared. I kept losing my balance and sliding against the wall on my right side, sending showers of pebbles and dust down to signal my ineptitude. Each mishap stretched my body and mind to their breaking point, as I forced myself to keep from crying out in fear. After each blunder, I stayed still for a few moments until the night wind blew cool against my back, calming yet terrifying as it reminded me that I still needed to ascend farther. I was glad that twilight had descended and I couldn’t see the ground beneath me. When I tried to look down I just saw a dusk-lit Iarin and then endless darkness.

I couldn’t stop shaking, my hands were wet with sweat and blood, and my forearms burned, my muscles were so unused to this much activity. The pack on my back weighed so much that I wondered if Iarin was hanging on it and trying to drag me down in jest. I wished he would have carried it, but his pack looked three times the size of mine and I knew that I wasn’t really carrying my fair share.

My slick hands slipped and I gasped in horror. Iarin grunted and his hand pushed up on my pack. I took a deep breath and continued on. It felt like we had been doing this forever.

“Break,” Iarin said. I moved a few more feet up and found a small ledge to rest upon.

“I don’t know if I can make it.” My breath came out in ragged gasps.

“Why not?” Kaiyer said from above me. I looked up in surprise and saw him leaning over the edge of the cliff a dozen feet above me. His body was a thin cut of black ink against the starry night.

Iarin chuckled beneath me. I found myself laughing and climbed up the last few feet with renewed strength. When I slumped onto the top of the cliff, I rolled out of my pack, not even bothering to lift it off the ground. I took a deep breath and it tasted like sweet victory. Kaiyer helped Iarin off of the edge and clapped him on the back.

“We have to drop the ropes,” I said while I untied the short line from my waist and passed it to Iarin. He attached the loops to the main rope and let it go. Then he shook the rope for a few minutes until it went taut below us.

It was Jessmei and Greykin’s turn to climb. I had enough pride left to hope it would take them a bit longer than Iarin and I. I wondered if he would actually carry the small blonde princess, or if he would do something similar to what Iarin and I had done. Greykin would probably tie her to his back along with all his gear, then grunt, curse, and sweat his way to the top. I looked at how the climb had ravaged my hands and I couldn’t imagine the sheltered white skin of the princess’s hands would be tough enough to endure the journey if she was forced to hoist herself up.

“Did you see anyone up here? Anyone who cut the rope?” I asked Kaiyer. He shook his head.

“No tracks around the tree where we had secured it. But this is a pretty rocky area. I didn’t smell anyone either. It is a mystery.” He smiled easily and then looked into the sky. “Why are there no stars over there?” He said, pointing to the distant area to the west, where the bright splattering of pinprick stars that spanned the rest of the sky was blocked by a matte black spot, like ink spilled on the pages of a book.

“Oh, it’s the moons, Alta and Yaha. They are new for the first week of every month. Well, somewhat new. A sliver of Yaha can normally be seen on the sixth day. Why? Did you remember something?”

“No. It comes in pieces. I have remembered a few more things, but they aren’t clear. Parts of conversation, things people have said to me that don’t really relate at all to my past.” He looked from the dark spots in the sky back to me. “I don’t know if I am this person you wish. I do remember people that I called Elvens. Perhaps they were the same people you call Ancients.”

“That’s great!” I stood up in surprise, my fatigue forgotten. Iarin looked over to me and made a shushing noise. “What do you remember?” I whispered. A few seconds passed and I started to worry he had not heard me.

“I remember a woman that used to visit the stables that I tended. She was beautiful but vicious and powerful. Even her own kind feared her.” He walked over to me and sat down on the rocks. “Tell me again what your Ancients look like?”

“They are supposed to be tall, slender, and attractive, with sharp features, curved eyes and pointed ears. Some legends say they have long, flowing hair and everything they created was beautiful. Apparently they used to rule the human race, because we could not take care of ourselves and needed their stewardship. They gave us protection, guidance, and taught us everything. We helped them in their great works.” I paused to gauge his reaction, but it was too dark to see his face clearly. “I don’t believe those stories though.”

“Oh? Why not?”

“It doesn’t make sense. If they were really our protectors then where are their creations, their art, and their teachings? We don’t know much about them. I think that they are more sinister than the legends make them out to be. They are also invading the Northlands and battling our armies. Those same legends I spoke of earlier say that the O’Baarni was a scourge. That he destroyed the Ancients out of hatred and cast the humans into a Dark Age that lasted a thousand years. Some tales even say that he was an Ancient and destroyed his kin out of jealousy. They say that he destroyed all the Ancients’ art, their technology, and their future.” I paused for a breath. I had given this speech a few times in my life. It was the summary of Grandfather’s and my work.

“So what is the real story?” He lay back on the rocks next to me and I imagined him putting his arms behind his head like a pillow. I was a little disappointed. I had wanted him to be enthralled. This was about him after all. This was his story. It was his legacy. He should be more attentive.

“There are other legends. The one I think is closest to what I believe is that you killed the Ancients to free humans from an epoch of slavery. You saved the human race and should have been a hero. Maybe you slept voluntarily in case Ancients returned one day. You knew that we would need you again. The legends are rife with hypocrisies, statements that don’t make sense. The only logical explanation is that someone planted false evidence to make us think that the Ancients were our benefactors. That way, when they came back we would accept them with open arms. You are here now, alive and able to help us against them, we need you now.” The lump in my throat was back. I didn’t think I would ever be able to meet the O’Baarni. Yet here I was talking to him. Explaining how he needed to save us. I would never forget this.

“You seem pretty sure that I am the O’Baarni. What proof do you have?” I seemed to have his attention now.

“No one has proof you were a scourge. Why would you be asleep in that ruin? Why would you even have been kept in such a state of stasis if you were dangerous?” My head bobbed. “It all makes sense. You were kept like a weapon in a chest, ready to be used against invaders. The legends were placed by our enemies to keep us from waking you. If you were dangerous, your enemies would have killed you instead of leaving you here.” I realized that we had been having a long conversation in his language without looking in my book. Maybe I was learning his native tongue as fast as he was learning mine.

“Listen Paug, I don’t want to upset you, but I don’t remember anything like that in my memories—“

“You will!” I interrupted him. “You just need more time for your thoughts to come together.”

“I remember an army and a banner in the wind. But how can you be so sure I am this person? What if I was just a soldier on the front line?” He sounded unsure.

“Why would a simple soldier be stored away like you were? How is it that you can fight so well? You took out eight Vanlourn soldiers with ease.”

“Honestly Paug, I thought I was going to die. They seemed weak. I don’t feel strong though. I am tired all the time, I want to sleep again. Forever …” he trailed off and looked back up to the sky. We didn’t say anything for a few minutes.

“I believe in you,” I blurted out. “We need you now.”

“Okay, okay.” He laughed quietly and I blinked away the tears in my eyes. His laughter hurt even though I knew he didn’t mean to cause me pain. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want Grandfather or the children I taught to die. I thought of Nadea, the duke, the king, all the millions of people who would die if the Ancients conquered Nia.

“What if I am this O’Baarni that you think I am? Let’s say that the legends are true and I am really a horrible monster. What then?”

“You aren’t. I know you were our savior. You aren’t even an Ancient! You look completely human. I believe in you.” I sat down next to him and grabbed his hand with my blistered ones. “You can save us.”

He looked into my eyes, or at least, I imagined their green color in the darkness. It almost looked like they were glowing, the embers of a ghost fire.

“My friend, there are two sides to every story. And the truth always lies somewhere in the middle,” he said. His voice echoed with sadness and remorse. Perhaps he had remembered something else.

“Of course no blasted cliff can withstand my physical prowess!” Greykin shouted loudly as he climbed over the edge. Iarin struggled to untie a frantic Jessmei from the Old Bear and made shushing sounds as Greykin continued his rant. “I’ve killed more Losher Horsemen than there are stars in the sky. I’ve wrestled half a dozen Astical Conscripts to the ground without even breaking a sweat. I ran the Teeth Mountain range in two days with full gear, no food, and only the blood of mountain goats to drink. This measly cliff is no match. Next time you all should choose a path that offers a real challenge.” Jessmei fell to the ground and clutched the dirt and rocks like a baby clutches its mother’s teat.

“Nadea?” Kaiyer asked.

“She’ll be coming up in a moment, Skinny. Had to take her spikes out of the wall.” Greykin stretched and I heard a bunch of his joints pop in his shoulders. “Did you take care of the guy who cut our rope?”

“I didn’t see anyone.”

“Humm. They probably saw me coming and decided to run. I don’t blame them. If I saw me coming I’d either run, or buy me a drink!”

“The question is: Do we camp here for the rest of the night? Traveling across the top of the cliff at night might end tragically. I can hardly make out more than five feet in front of me,” Iarin said to Kaiyer.

“What Nadea wants,” Kaiyer said back to him.

“Ha! That girl has you trained already, Skinny! No wonder she likes you so much.” Greykin’s voice turned a rough laugh that reminded me of rocks being crushed together.

“That’s enough Greykin. Nadea doesn’t have him trained,” Jessmei’s meek voice filled with authority. Greykin grunted and looked away. The exchange surprised me, since the girl had not said more than a few sentences since Kaiyer awoke.

Nadea reached the top a few minutes after the princess and her guardian. Before greeting us she took a few seconds to pull up the thinner line she had used as a safety. She wasn’t breathing heavily at all. I remembered her climbing all over the ruins, examining cracks that could have contained clues to the O’Baarni’s tomb, and she was much stronger than I was.

Jessmei and Nadea were cousins, and while both were extremely beautiful, there was little family resemblance. They had about as much in common as the sunrise and the sunset. Jessmei almost glowed, her smile radiating with warmth and femininity, inviting you in like an embrace, her eyes gentle, her gaze appraising and insightful but never harsh. Jessmei was also about four years younger in age and probably eight years in maturity. Nadea seemed almost too responsible. Her beauty was fierce and strong, she was intimidating, stunning rather than pretty, her eyes sharp and her gaze as direct and confident as any man’s. Her body was lithe and firm, with curves carved of stone, not the yielding female flesh of most women.

There was a rift, a chasm, between the women. The princess had found us almost four weeks after we left my home. We were in Brilla, a few days from the border of Vanlourn. I had felt pity for the princess when she approached our group. It was clear that she was very proud of herself for making the journey successfully on her own and had expected a warm reception, perhaps even congratulations from her cousin in recognition of her ingenuity and new-found independence.

Instead, she was met with Nadea’s fearsome rage. While justified, my heart had hurt a little for the princess. Like me, she had until now led a quiet and sheltered life, and I knew well how much courage she had to muster to leave her safe haven. And I had undertaken the journey with the protection and guidance of Nadea and Iarin. While foolish, it truly was impressive to imagine the princess successfully making such a journey unescorted.

Nadea’s wrath had crushed her and she had remained quiet and passive throughout the rest of the journey. She had left a trail of gold and questions that Greykin had easily followed, but he hadn’t reached us until two days after her, when we reached Vanlourn’s border. At that point he had decided that it was safer to push through with us and travel back with the group than to set off for home alone with Jessmei. Nadea and the Old Bear figured that spies must have realized she had left the castle in search of us and it would be better to buy time.

“You have jeopardized this whole mission you dim-witted, selfish brat!” Nadea had screamed at her.

“I’m sorry Naynay. I just wanted to come with you. You always get to travel and have fun. I am stuck in the castle, doing boring things. Dancing, weaving, singing. Ugh! I hate it,” Jessmei had said. Tears flew down her cheeks.

“Should we stay here and camp for what is left of the night, or move onward? I vote we stay here,” Iarin said to Nadea, pulling me from my memory.

“What do you think?” Nadea asked Greykin.

“Do my ears deceive me? Did you just ask for my opinion?” Greykin’s voice was filled with sarcasm.

“Don’t be an ass. Kaiyer?”

“Stay here. Guard in shifts,” the man said with confidence.

“I agree with Skinny and Iarin, since you asked,” Greykin’s voice was gruff.

“Alright. Let’s move farther against those trees. Start a tiny fire to keep the bugs away, even though they’ve already sucked out half of my blood.” Nadea laughed lightly to help ease our mood.

I couldn’t help but smile as I picked up my bag. Even though I was tired, my hands hurt, and I was covered in dirt. I didn’t feel any more of the self-pity that I had a few hours ago. I could do anything now that I had climbed that cliff face.

We found a small clearing past the first set of trees in the jungle and set up camp. I lay next to Kaiyer, like I always did, and fell asleep. His smile in the darkness was the last thing I saw, and serenity sang me softly to sleep.

But the feeling didn’t last long.

I was startled awake by a hand covering my face. I struggled to suck down air but the hands sealed off my nose and mouth like I was underwater. The fire was still burning and I could see Kaiyer a few inches from my face, his features obscured by the light behind him. Once my eyes opened he took his hands away. He moved a single finger up to his lips and I got the message.

It sounded like something was moving in the jungle. I wasn’t a woodsman, but it seemed that the sounds were coming toward us, like a creeping monster. I looked around the campfire and didn’t see anything but four bedrolls, the camp equipment and Kaiyer. Where had everyone else gone?

The sounds grew closer and panic climbed like an acid snake through my esophagus. There were either several men, or one very large thing approaching. I feared ogres or goblins. They were mythical creatures but they were known to exist, sometimes they would come down from mountains or caves and kill entire villages.

Kaiyer yawned next to me and I looked over to him in shock. He looked extremely tired and was only wearing his undergarments. The swords he had procured from the Vanlourn guards lay on the ground next to his bedroll. I tried to relax, if he wasn’t concerned then I probably shouldn’t be. Then again, why had he woken me so if there wasn’t need for me to be worried?

The fire illuminated a metal-clad foot, then a leg, and the chain-armored body of a Vanlourn soldier as he stepped into the clearing of our small camp. He looked at us in surprise and muttered something behind him while he raised a crossbow. He cautiously took a step forward and aimed down the sight at Kaiyer.

Three more soldiers emerged from the trees behind the first, and my body began to shake. I should have known it wasn’t going to be this easy. I had felt like a hero a few hours ago when I had climbed the wall of the cliff, but now I knew I was going to die anyway.

“Where are your companions?” One of the men in the back said. Like his brothers, he had dark, coffee-colored skin and a thick mustachio. Unlike his companions he didn’t have his crossbow raised.

“The princess?” The man’s question was urgent. His face looked hungry, like a dog that hadn’t eaten in a few weeks.

Kaiyer shrugged and yawned again. He looked unconcerned by the four heavily armored men, three of whom had crossbows leveled at his chest. I needed to say something or he was going to be killed. I went with the truth.

“I’m sorry sir. We just woke up. We don’t know where our companions are.” My voice came out in a high-pitched squeak. Sweat dripped down my back because of the heat and my fear. I noted the armored Vanlourn soldiers were almost swimming in their armor.

“They must be around nearby. Perhaps they will come when you start screaming.” The man in the back stepped forward and walked around the fire toward us. I started to move back in fear and was stopped by a vine that draped across a few large trees and held me like a spider web. Kaiyer laughed next to me, it sounded more like a giggle and he yawned again.

“Is your friend an idiot?” the leader said to me as he got within arm’s length.

“Please don’t hurt me,” I whispered in panic. I looked around again for Greykin, Nadea, or Iarin, but I couldn’t see anyone. The soldier’s hand closed around my shirt. He seemed impossibly strong as he pulled me toward him.

Suddenly everything went to chaos.

Kaiyer dashed from my right at the man and slammed his left fist into the soldier’s face. I heard something break and the twang of three crossbow strings being released at once. The grip of the soldier went slack and I fell backward onto my bedroll and got tangled up in the vines behind me.

Kaiyer lifted the man he had punched over his head like he was lifting a pillow. The man didn’t scream and his head rolled to the side unnaturally, so I guessed that his neck was broken.

The remaining three soldiers’ faces were a blur of panic as they dropped their crossbows and drew their swords. They let out a cry of fear as he tossed the body overhead and it collided into them and forced them to the ground.

Kaiyer landed on the tangled mass of arms and body parts. He knelt and began punching into the pile while he leaned down on them. His hands were quickly covered with blood and gore.

I gasped out his name in fear and he stopped. Then he sighed.

The silence hung between us for a few moments before he stood and turned to face me. I gasped when I saw the amount of inky blood that coated his body.

I also gasped because of the crossbow bolt that had found its mark deep in his chest.

“Kaiyer,” I whispered in fear, “your chest.” Tears began to form in my eyes. Even though I had only known him for a few days, I couldn’t stand the thought of losing him. I pointed at the bolt and sobbed.

Kaiyer looked down in confusion and noticed the bolt sticking out of him. It looked like a nail that had gone in to a board of wood halfway.

“Oh.” He grabbed onto the bolt, grunted, and then yanked it out with a quick, jerky motion that I would never forget. Then he smiled at me in a carefree way, his eyes looked sleepy.

“I am going to go to bed,” he said as he walked back to his bedroll.

“Wait! You need to clean your wound! We have to wash the blood off of you. Where is everyone?” The words poured out of my mouth so fast that bile began to chase it. Before I said anymore I leaned over the side of my bedroll and vomited into the thick tangle of vines next to me. The sickness tore through my body and mind like it was being ripped from me. I cried in pain as a second stomach spasm sent more shuddering through my body.

Then darkness came.

Chapter 8-The O’Baarni

“AGAIN!” the voice shouted from the side. I rushed toward my opponent. He was a stocky man, nearly as wide as he was tall, with a shaved head and a mean, jagged scar over his forehead and down to his nose. I had a wooden club in my left hand, and a padded shield in my right. I swung the club so fast that the wind howled like a thunderclap had exploded next to me. My enemy suddenly stood a few inches farther away from me than I had thought, and my strike missed his ugly head. I braced myself as I felt the pommel of his wooden sword slide underneath my chin, and his right knee crash into the back of mine. The sky spun and the ground smacked into my back. My body was used to punishment, and the screams of pain coming from my spine quickly silenced.

“AGAIN!” the voice screamed. I jackknifed to my feet as my opponent stepped back, allowing me some room before I began my assault again. His face was full of cocky self-confidence. I wanted to wipe the smirk off of it. I repeated my earlier tactic and obtained the same result. This time he put considerable strength behind his takedown and I flipped a full circle, with my face breaking the fall. I pushed myself up and spit out a cup’s worth of blood. The scarred-faced man cleared his throat and a wad of spit landed on my shoulder.

I was sure everyone heard my teeth grind together.

“AGAIN!”

I ran at the stocky man, swinging out the club in my left hand. I was aiming to take off his head, like I had the previous time, the time before that, and the three times before that.

Perhaps I was stubborn.

He stepped back. But instead of my earlier tactic, I let go of my mace about the time my arm approached center mass. It flew the required extra inches. The unpadded haft smashed into the man’s face and produced a shower of blood, teeth, and outraged shrieks. Then the side of my shield smacked straight into his neck, below his chin, but above the lump. I expected him to go down after that, but he didn’t. He swung his sword horizontally at my head so fast I saw only the motion of his arm and not the speed of the blade screaming through the air. Somehow I ducked underneath it and rushed him.

My shoulder met with his hip, and I grabbed the heel of his right leg with my free left hand at the same time that I lifted. He now had one leg to balance on, and I had produced enough momentum to tip him off kilter. He went down with a loud crash as my weight pushed his store of air out of his stomach.

I got a few elbows into his face before strong hands yanked me off of him. Struggling at this point would just make matters worse. I hoped I had killed him, or I’d have to watch my back during training. I groaned inwardly at myself. My temper had taken control of me and I would probably be punished now.

There were six of them holding me when I stopped struggling. They were all dressed in the same drab gray loose fitting pants and tunic. Our heads were shaved, exposing bruises, scars, and wounds that hadn’t healed yet today.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Elven approach. I didn’t remember his name, but he was the one in charge of our training. His voice was ingrained in my mind from the hundreds of times he screamed orders at us throughout the day. He stopped within grasping distance and looked me up and down, his cold gray eyes an odd complement to his silvery hair. If I wasn’t being held right now by my training mates, I would have reached out and snapped his neck. I wanted to slowly break every bone in his body and listen to him scream with each one. He turned to regard the man on the ground who was struggling to breathe through a broken face and collapsed windpipe. The Elven let out a long sigh.

“You almost killed my best slave.” He paused and inspected the ground. Then he bent down and tore off a single blade of grass that seemed to be growing higher than the rest. Our training grounds were perfectly manicured by dozens of human slaves each morning, and I suspected that my Elven trainer would complain to his counterpart that managed the gardeners.

“Idiot. You belong to me. I will decide whom you kill, whom you don’t kill, when you eat, what you eat, when you shit, and what you wipe your ass with. Do you understand, human?” He looked at me. I managed to hold my temper. I wanted to tell him that I would shit on his face and wipe my ass with his hair if my companions would let me go, but I did not want to die today.

Instead I just glared at him, which probably wasn’t much better than voicing my feelings.

In a slow, jerky motion his sword came out of his scabbard. He meant to make the thrust quick, but I could see it happening in agonizing slow motion. The tip of the blade separated the thin threads on my tunic and penetrated my belly, cutting through the muscle and stomach, and digging into my spine. If I wasn’t being held up, I might have dodged, taken the sword, and rammed it down his throat. As soon as the sword connected with the nerves my legs stopped working and I slumped in my companion’s grasp. I didn’t make a sound as I continued to glare at him.

“Take him and his training partner back to the bunk, then report back here. You will all train without food and sleep until they both join us again.” They groaned and two of them hoisted me up off the ground. We were all strong, and could lift almost ten times our bodyweight with ease. Only one of them needed to carry me, but they all accompanied me to the barracks.

Out of the prying eyes of our masters.

Where the real punishment would start.

Chapter 9-Kaiyer

The sensation of their fists pummeling my face awoke me abruptly and I sat up in my bed. I felt a pang of disappointment that I was not dreaming of the floating islands, but I supposed that even a violent memory was better than nothing. Still, if I closed my eyes, sometimes I heard the sounds of the water falling off the islands and the distant cries of the white birds. Of course, the travels with Paug and his friends were reality. I had to accept it. But hadn’t the islands been my reality for so long? Which was more real?

The bed was too soft and smelled of week old hay. I looked over at Iarin and Paug. Bright light from the two moons came through the windows and illuminated the room more than a torch would have. It was their first night in a real bed since their journey had started, so I was not surprised to see them in a deep slumber. We were in a small village on the south end of Brilla that seemed to specialize in cows, milk, and cheese. This was the only inn in the village, and we occupied two of their three rooms. From what Paug told me earlier, we still had a few days’ ride to Brilla’s capital and about two weeks to Nia.

After the small encounter in the jungle at the height of the cliffs, our passage into Brilla had been relatively easy. After we progressed around the mountains and across a few small game trails, we ended up about a mile north of the guard post. Not wishing to draw more attention, we continued north on those small trails until we passed into this village and decided to stay the night. Nadea assured us that Vanlourn soldiers wouldn’t pursue us up here at this unnamed village, but my companions still seemed worried.

I didn’t feel tired, but hunger pangs ripped through my stomach like angry glass. My appetite had returned with abundance in the last two days. It was angry enough to keep me from sleeping anymore, so I tossed aside the thin bedsheet and tugged on one of the tunics I had taken from the soldiers’ camp. It had a long front, so I tucked it into my pants. I then made my way carefully across the worn wood floor barefoot. I didn’t make a sound until I unlatched the door and sneaked out into the short hallway that led to the common area.

A large cauldron simmered over the glowing embers of the hearth, filling the room with the savory smell of beef stew. I secured a clay bowl and spoon, filled it with the warm stew, sat down at one of the tables in the corner, and sucked down a spoonful. It was spicier than I expected, so I dashed back into the kitchen and poured myself a tall mug of water from a pewter pitcher.

After my fourth bite I heard a door unlatch down the hallway and soft feet pattered toward me. It had to be Paug, Nadea, or Jessmei. The two men would have made more noise. A split second before she turned the corner I guessed that it was Jessmei.

“I didn’t think anyone else would be awake,” she whispered as she walked toward me. Her hair lay off to one side, too perfectly for someone that had been sleeping. Her pale blue nightgown clung to her body across her small breasts and flowed downward in a drape that concealed the rest of her body. The dress complemented her eyes.

“I am hungry,” I said while I pointed toward my bowl with the spoon. She nodded and I took another bite.

“Why are you awake?” I asked her after I finished chewing. It surprised me that Greykin hadn’t gotten up with her. He shared the room with the women and should have noticed her leave. Then again, he did snore worse than a bear. Especially after beer, which he had consumed in heroic fashion during our dinner.

“I couldn’t sleep at all!” She dropped her voice into an even softer whisper. “Can I sit with you?”

“Yes,” I said and pointed to the chair across the table from me. “Hungry?”

“No thank you. I am just happy and nervous about going home.” She smiled. I noticed she had charming dimples on each cheek. They framed her full lips and her perfect teeth.

“Ahh.” I wasn’t much for conversation at the moment, but one should always take advantage of a good situation. I glanced down from her lips to her chest and inhaled the scent of her body from across the table. She smelled delicious, and a different kind of hunger grew in my stomach.

“Tell me about your home. Do you remember it?” she asked. I glanced back up into her blue eyes as she fluttered her blonde lashes. Her cheeks darkened to a shade of pink, so I broke my appraisal of her body and looked down at the table.

“I don’t remember much. I recall horses and a stable.” Paug and I had gone over vocabulary almost every waking second while we traveled. I didn’t understand enough of his language to write a manual on running a stable, but I could get around a conversation. “A dream woke me. I was training for combat.” I probably shouldn’t have mentioned it to her.

“Fighting? In an army or …” she trailed off. She seemed interested, so I continued.

“In the dream I fought a large man with a shaved head and an ugly scar that ran down his face. He was better than me, but I got creative and beat him. Our trainer got angry because I cheated.” I took the last bite of stew and then filled up the bowl again.

“How did you cheat?”

“Maybe it was not cheating. I let go of my weapon and it hit him. Then I was punished.”

“Punished?” she asked with worry on her face, the lines on her forehead made tiny creases into her creamy skin.

“The trainer put his sword through my stomach and cut my spinal cord. The other men I trained with dragged me back to the barracks and beat me into unconsciousness.”

I drained the water in my cup. “Can you get me the water jug from the kitchen?” I asked her as I took another bite.

“Ahh … sure. Okay.” She looked confused and got up from the table and walked into the kitchen. The nightgown was tighter in the back, and I easily imagined the shape of her hips and the delicate curve of her back.

“How did he stab you in the stomach and in the spine?” she asked as she came back, still whispering. “Wouldn’t that kill you?”

“I thought it was a memory, but perhaps it was just a dream. I am alive now, right? I wasn’t that worried about the injury at the time. It just made me mad. Thank you for the water.”

She hadn’t seen the man shoot me with the crossbow bolt a week ago, when we camped above the cliff face. At the time I had barely felt it, and when I pulled it out, the pain had been minor. Paug didn’t understand why I wasn’t dead, and I couldn’t explain it to him either. For some reason it just didn’t seem unusual for me to heal.

“Do you remember how you hurt your hand?” she asked with concern. My left hand grasped the pitcher of water she brought me. The skin down to a few inches past my wrist was covered in a white, swirling pattern of scar tissue. It looked like I may have shoved my hand in fire or a boiling pot of oil, the heat branding my skin in raised whorls and spirals. Since the scar had faded to white, I guessed that it must have happened a long time ago.

“Want any?” I took the pitcher from her and poured it into my glass and ignored her question. I didn’t remember how I got the injury, but I began to feel uneasy when I thought about it. Like when Nadea and I climbed down the face of the cliff and the rope severed above us. Vertigo and nausea mixed together with a sense of falling.

“Oh yes, I’ll go get a—“ I cut her off as I passed my cup to her. She stared at it for a few seconds after she took it from me. “This is your cup.” She seemed confused and forgot about the injury to my hand.

“Yes.” I had two bites left of the stew and the sensation of a full belly made the rest of my body relax.

“I can’t drink from your cup. Can I?” she whispered to me across the table.

“Why can’t you? I just used it. It isn’t really mine; I believe the inn owns it.” I must have misunderstood something. She seemed very concerned over what to me was just a matter of convenience, saving her a trip to the kitchen.

“Oh, okay.” She hesitated and looked at the cup. After a few more moments she took a small sip and set it down on the table closer to me. Her cheeks were now a dark red and she looked at the ground. I finished the last bite and took the cup, draining all the water from it in a quick gulp. As soon as I set the cup down she filled it up again.

“Can I take your bowl to the kitchen? Are you done?” her voice was eager. I nodded and sat back in my chair. My eyelids were starting to become heavy. I closed them for a second and I heard her move to the kitchen and set the bowl somewhere.

“You are going to like meeting my father. He is a great man. I am delighted that you will come back to my home.” I opened my eyes and smiled at her in contentment. “You look tired!” she said with concern.

“The food makes me sleepy. I’ve been hungry.”

“You are rather skinny. You need to eat a lot!” she giggled, then realized she had spoken louder than a whisper, and she covered her pretty mouth with a delicate hand.

We were both silent for a moment.

“I’ve never actually been alone with a man,” she whispered. She looked to her side at the fire on the hearth.

“I don’t understand.”

“My brother, father, and Greykin don’t really count. I’ve never been alone with any other man.” She looked over to me and then back at the fire. I still didn’t understand what she meant, even though I understood the words.

“Alone like no other man or woman around, or alone like …” I realized I didn’t know the word for sex or mating. I opened my hands and slid them together, fingers entwining. Her eyes opened wide.

“Oh no! I haven’t … I mean neither alone nor that! I’ve never done that!” Her face was bright red and I could hear her heart beating quickly through her chest. I smiled at her and then leaned forward. My hand reached across the table and stroked the top of her hand that had absently played with the cup.

“Do you want to, with me?” I asked. My body needed some release and she seemed quite stressed all of a sudden. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open.

“I can’t believe you. Did you really say that?” She looked shocked and her small body shook a little. I frowned. Maybe I had said it wrong?

“You,” I pointed to her, “me,” I pointed at my chest, “alone.” I rubbed the top of her hand with mine and smiled at her. She moved her hand away and laughed.

“Oh yes. We are alone.” She looked relieved.

“No no. Alone.” I made the movement with my hands where the palms came together and the fingers entwined. This would have been easier if I knew the word for sex. The language barrier was frustrating, but I didn’t feel the same amount of angst I had experienced in my memory when the silver-haired Elven skewered me.

“I don’t know what you mean. I don’t think you know what you are saying. Do you understand what you are saying? People don’t say that.” She spoke quickly and glanced behind her at the hallway.

“I understand what I said. Yes or no?” I drank another swallow of water. The thought of running my hands and mouth over her body was appealing, but if I couldn’t have her now, I wanted to go to bed. Sleep seemed almost the perfect lover right now.

“No! I mean. We aren’t joined and there isn’t a bed and my father doesn’t know and Greykin is in the next room!” she whispered. She turned her head back to the kitchen with her chin in the air. I could see she still looked at me through her heavy blonde eyelashes out of the corner of her eyes. “Wait. Where are you going?” she asked as I got up out of the chair and walked around the table.

“Bed. I am tired,” I said, a yawn escaped.

“We were talking,” she said, the words laced with disappointment.

“Alone?” I turned and asked her with an eyebrow raised.

Behind her shoulder I saw a shadow move against the window. When the door to the inn shattered inward, I had already pushed her out of the way into the corner of the room near the kitchen.

There were two men dressed in dark gray clothes and dark brown cloaks. One carried a small crossbow that he shot at me from the doorway with practiced ease. I knocked the bolt aside with the palm of my left hand and then rushed two steps toward them.

My right foot caught him in the ribs and two of them broke like wet wood. The force of the blow shoved him back into his partner, and they both went down in a cloud of dirt and dust. The one in the back let out a curse of panic. I planned to charge out after them, but then I began to puzzle through the motives of the attacking men. They must have been after Jessmei, and there might be more than two of them.

I looked back into the kitchen and saw another two coming through the back door that led to the stables. These two both carried slender daggers, but were still fifty feet from the startled princess. I didn’t relish the idea of being cut, so I grabbed the table next to me and yelled at Jessmei to get on the ground. She reacted instantly, collapsing downward in her gown like she had fallen in a hole. I supposed living her entire life as a hunted, valuable pawn had taught her to be alert to danger and quick to respond to her guardians.

The table flew through the air with a tiny spin. It hit the first man in the kitchen against his shoulders and head. The sound was like thunder fucking a mountain. The attacker didn’t make any noise as his body flew into the dark-garbed man standing behind him.

I closed the door to the front of the inn and jumped the counter into the kitchen. The first man bled profusely from the gaping hole the side of the table had left in his skull. The assassin behind him was trying to crawl out from under the weight of the wooden slab and his friend’s corpse. I didn’t really want to kill him, but his neck snapped when my bare foot made contact with the side of his face.

I grabbed one of the daggers on the ground and sprinted the few steps back to the front door. As I did, Greykin emerged from the hallway, axe and shield in hand. Nadea followed right behind him along with Iarin. They were all in various stages of undress. I tried not to focus on Nadea’s half-naked body. There was killing to be done, after all.

“Two dead in the kitchen and two out front,” I said while I began to open the door.

The man I previously kicked in the ribs struggled to get to his feet, but coughed up a thick splatter of blood that drenched the dirt. Its sound swished around his chest, and I guessed that one of the parts of his rib tore through his lungs.

The other man was thirty yards away and was sprinting through the center of the town plaza in an effort to escape. I opened the door all the way and stepped into the dirt street. The moons shone painfully bright, and I had to squint my eyes to see people emerging from the small homes that flanked the inn.

Iarin’s bow string tightened and then the pitched twang echoed through the center of town. A white shaft of feathers appeared between the fleeing assassin’s shoulder blades and he flew forward.

Then it was over.

“What the hell happened?” Greykin demanded. Giant rifts of worry split his aged face.

“Two men came through the front door. I kicked them back. Two more came from the back door and I threw a table at them. Then you all came out. You have no pants.” He looked down at his undergarments and realized I spoke correctly. Iarin laughed and Greykin turned to scowl at him. The tall man shut up as if he had just received a punch to the throat.

“Was the princess out with you?”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I came out to get some water,” Jessmei apologized from the doorway.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Greykin demanded.

“You were snoring so loud that I didn’t think you would want to be woken. I didn’t think I would be gone for more than a few moments. Kaiyer was out in the room already so we talked for a bit. When these men showed up, he protected me.”

“You were talking?” Nadea looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes. I was eating stew. I was hungry. Now I am tired.” I looked at Greykin. “I’m going back to bed. You take care of the bodies.” He nodded but didn’t meet my eyes.

I looked at Nadea and Iarin, smiled, and walked back to my room.

“Thank you,” Jessmei whispered to me when I walked past her. She still looked frightened.

I nodded at her and continued down the short, dusty hallway. Paug still slept in peaceful oblivion underneath the covers of his bed. Greykin had made him drink four flagons of beer with dinner and he would have a horrible hangover tomorrow.

I took off my shirt and climbed back into bed. Soon Paug and his friends would tell me why they woke me. I guessed they needed my help with these Ancients, but in what capacity? My only memories so far were of fear and failure.

And the islands.

When I had faced the eight soldiers outside of the tunnel, I was certain I would die. One man could not stand against eight crossbow-carrying warriors. It seemed that I didn’t need to worry about humans, since my fighting skills were superior to most of the men living today. The thought was somewhat comforting, but my memories troubled me. I was obviously a slave of these Elvens, not their vanquisher.

The thoughts fought and twisted in my brain until sleep eventually took hold of my tired body.

Chapter 10-Paug

“It is amazing,” Kaiyer said to us as we traveled down the side of the road toward the capital city of Brilla. This city was nicknamed Sapphire because of its placement on the water and the myriad shades of blue paint used on all the buildings. They sparkled in the bright coastal light, reflecting a wave pattern that danced on the walls; some were a pale, powdery periwinkle, others bright azure and cobalt, or deep, inky indigo. The range in color and the shimmer of the reflected light gave the buildings the faceted look of a gemstone.

It was a large city, not quite as populated as Nia’s capital, but it certainly possessed a unique style. Record books estimated that over eighty thousand citizens lived within four miles of the capital. We saw plenty of people and animals streaming through the city’s decorative gates, like ants going into their hill.

“It’s huge. Humans built this? We built this?” It was the first time I recalled Kaiyer looking surprised. For the last hour, as soon as we saw the city in the distance, he had asked question after question about it. When he learned that Nia’s city was larger, he grew even more amazed.

“How do they all live so close together? Why is everything blue? How do they get water and food?” I did my best to explain how it all worked, and sometimes we switched to his language so I could get the correct meaning across. He had been especially interested in how water was distributed, and I explained basic plumbing systems to him. This had sparked another conversation that had taken us the last few miles to the gates. It made me happy to share my knowledge with him, to seem an expert to someone so much older and more skilled than I.

Brilla and Nia held a long truce and trade agreements, so we would be relatively safe here. Greykin expected a party of Nia guards to meet and escort us the rest of the way through our journey. He didn’t really want the Brilla Kingdom to know that Jessmei was here, or what had happened. It would draw attention to us, and to the embarrassing fact that Jessmei left Nia without her father’s permission. Also, it would require a royal greeting and banquet if she was to be properly received. Nadea wanted nothing to do with frivolous parties that would keep her from delivering the O’Baarni. She and Greykin were both in agreement. We would get in and out of Sapphire as quickly as possible.

“What is the line for?” Kaiyer asked me in reference to the snaking queue of people waiting at the gates. Everyone heard his questions, but I was the only one with the responsibility of answering them. His eager requests almost reminded me of my small students.

“It’s just to examine the goods people are bringing into the city. The guards make sure no one is smuggling weapons or illegal items.”

“We can’t bring weapons into the city?”

“I believe we can, just not a large quantity without some sort of written form from the government.”

“Oh.” He looked up in the sky and sniffed. His beard was growing back and he absently scratched it as he examined the gates again. “That fortress in the back is called a castle?” I nodded. “The king of Brilla lives there and directs the military?”

“He makes the laws and handles trade agreements and ensures the country is being managed.”

“Seems like a large amount of work for one man.”

“He has advisors and people to whom he delegates responsibility.”

“Why doesn’t Jessmei’s father rule Nia and Brilla, or Vanlourn for that matter?”

“Nia and Brilla have been friendly with each other for the last few dozen years. Vanlourn and Nia aren’t on friendly terms, of course, but the current king of Brilla married one of his sons to a princess from Vanlourn, so they have an alliance.” Kaiyer nodded but I wondered if he actually understood. I wasn’t very educated in the politics of the countries but I knew enough to give him a general idea.

We approached the front gates and met with a guard dressed in polished chain mail and a blue tunic. He asked us if we were here for business or traveling. We said traveling and he directed us to a shorter line of inspection. We led our horses to the back of that line.

“What’s wrong?” I asked Kaiyer. His face was almost white.

“I cannot recall ever being in a city. I feel weird. I don’t know what to expect. There are so many people moving.” He moved his head around, trying to look in all directions and at the throng of people who entered and exited the gate.

“It will be okay. Just relax,” Nadea said as she moved her horse back a few steps to talk to us. “There is nothing to be worried about.” She smiled at him reassuringly.

“There are too many heartbeats, too much breathing and talking. It is hard to feel the Earth.” He smiled with his mouth alone, his eyes tight and strained, as beads of sweat rolled down his short cut hairline. Nadea seemed confused at his words but didn’t ask him to clarify.

Greykin spoke to the guard who looked us over briefly before he waved us through the gates. Even though nothing bad was supposed to happen, I still let out a breath of relief once we entered the city and joined the river of people walking the blue streets.

The avenues were made of smooth midnight blue cobblestone and we rode for another quarter of an hour, most of it on the main road, but some on twisty side streets. I lived most of my life outside a village of a few hundred people, but I had been in many larger cities on my travels with Grandfather, and during this mission to recover Kaiyer. Despite my experience, the constant hustle and bustle of the city, paired with the unique design and color of the buildings, kept my interest while we journeyed to our destination.

Kaiyer looked around at everything with extreme interest, his green eyes alight with fascination, in stark contrast to his usual tranquil, serene gaze. He didn’t ask me anymore questions. I was thankful for the rest, even though I liked talking to him about my world.

After half an hour’s travel through the twisty streets, we reached the inn where we were supposed to meet the Nia guards. It was called The Blue Pillow, and it looked like there could easily be about thirty rooms in the four-story cerulean building. A stable boy grabbed the reins of Greykin’s horse, and led him to the side building where about a dozen other steeds were in pens.

“It is going to feel so good to take a real bath,” Nadea said to Jessmei as they grabbed their bags from the steeds. Jessmei sighed longingly and nodded in agreement.

“It’s going to feel even better to meet our friends so we know that someone’s ridiculous decision won’t have had life-altering impacts on that person’s family and country,” Greykin said while he glared at Jessmei.

“He really likes horses doesn’t he?” Iarin said as he nodded behind the group. We turned and looked to see Kaiyer petting a pure white stallion on the far side of the stables. The horse seemed to enjoy the attention. He was whispering some words that I couldn’t hear. I walked over to get his attention and noticed that he had taken all the gear off his horse.

“Are you ready to come inside with us?” I asked him. For a second he didn’t seem to notice me, and then he turned to me and nodded. I realized that he had put on a few pounds of weight since we woke him. He still looked painfully thin, but his face no longer resembled a skeleton’s.

There were more people than I expected drinking and enjoying lunch in the tavern area of the inn when we walked inside. There was a brief pause in discussion as the men eyed the newcomers, then the conversation picked up again. A few girls, slightly older than me, were dashing between the tables pouring beer, mead, water, and serving plates of delicious-smelling food from the kitchen.

One of the men at the bar turned off his chair and approached us. He was about as old as Nadea, with sandy blonde hair and a quick, handsome smile. He held his hand out to Greykin and the big man grasped it.

“Good to see you Greykin,” Runir greeted him and looked past Greykin’s shoulder to Nadea and Jessmei.

“Same to you Runir. You look well. Glad you could meet us. What’s the situation?”

“These,” Runir said as he looked over his shoulder at the gathered men, “are all mine. We’ve been waiting for a few weeks for you. Didn’t exactly know when you would show up but we had faith in the Spirits that you would.” Greykin nodded and exhaled in obvious relief. “We’ll leave whenever you give the word. If you want me to turn over command to you I can,” Runir continued.

“No, lad. They are your boys. You heard anything in the streets about us?” Greykin asked.

“No sir. No word. But that type of work isn’t in my batch of talents. We’ve asked around a couple different taverns and meeting places in the city. I think we are clear. Do I need to be briefed on your companions?” Runir turned to inspect Iarin and me. I realized that Kaiyer had taken an open seat at the bar and somehow obtained a bowl of stew and a mug of mead behind Runir without him noticing.

“I’ll go over that tonight with you. We are tired and the ladies need to rest and recover. Did you book all the rooms?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. It will be nice to get away from these girls for a night. Can you lead us to the rooms?”

“Yes sir. We have an appropriate room selected for the, girls. Follow me.” Runir stepped toward Jessmei and took her bags. Then they followed him through the hallway. I looked to Kaiyer, the other soldiers in the room were pretending to ignore him, but in the few minutes that Runir and Greykin spoke my friend had eaten three bowls of stew. I touched him on the shoulder as I approached.

“Are you ready to go to the rooms?” I feared leaving him.

“Still hungry. Can I meet you up there?” he said, as he waved to the barmaid with a smile. She looked pleased that he enjoyed the stew so much.

“Your friend needs some food, boy. He looks half-dead!” the soldier sitting next to him said. A few of the other men in the room laughed. Kaiyer smiled at him and nodded as he chewed his mouthful.

“Okay. I’ll come get you once I’m unpacked.” I felt a little sad that he wasn’t coming upstairs with me. I moved back to the hallway and grabbed my bags. His packs sat next to mine and I took a deep breath before I picked those up as well, then I forced myself up the stairs after the group.

The pain of carrying all the travel gear almost distracted me, but before I made it up the stairs I started to think about what would happen in the next few weeks.

Soon we would reach Nia. Nadea would present Kaiyer to the king, who would talk to him about why we awoke him. Then I would go back home. Part of me longed to see Grandfather and the kids again, to smell the ocean and watch the gulls. But another part of me would miss filling the important role I had in this quest. I was supposed to be the only one able to talk to the O’Baarni. I would be the one translating his impeccable battle strategies to Nia’s top generals and explaining his inner thoughts. These were petty feelings, but I didn’t think Kaiyer would learn our language so fast.

I didn’t think I would become useless so soon.

I caught up to the group as Runir finished showing Greykin the room Nadea and Jessmei would be sharing. There was no window in the room and it was sandwiched between his, Greykin’s, and across from a room that housed two of Runir’s men. Greykin seemed satisfied.

“You can bunk together or take separate rooms. We have plenty,” Runir told Greykin and Iarin as they moved to the next room in the hall.

“I’ll room alone if you don’t take offense, Greykin. I’ve heard your snoring for the last month and don’t even know if I can sleep without dreaming of working in a mill,” Iarin said with a chuckle.

“I understand my lad! Take the room across the hall from me. I’ve been a bit of a grump on this trip but now I’m in a much better mood.” Greykin clasped the bowman on his shoulder as they parted.

“I’ll share a room with our companion, if you don’t mind.”

“Your companion?” Runir looked around the hallway.

“There was a skinny guy with us named Kaiyer. He’s alright. Probably in the stable or eating. It’s fine if he rooms with the boy. He’s coming with us.” Greykin told Runir. The younger man nodded and then showed me to my door.

It was a splendid room, with two massive beds stuffed with down feathers rather than the cheap hay filling the small town inn had provided. We also had a plush burgundy couch, a dark wood desk, several oil lamps, and a separate bathroom with a tub, sink, and a toilet with running water. I remembered telling Kaiyer about plumbing and got excited about showing him. Would he rather sleep by the door or the window? He didn’t seem to like the light from the moons, so I set his stuff by the bed closest to the door.

I unpacked a few books and then looked at my clothes. Since we were just staying the night I didn’t think I needed to unpack them.

Then I paced the room.

Should I go out to the tavern area? Or study? I was so used to the habits of traveling on the road I couldn’t fathom what to do now that the group was split up in rooms. This would be the way of life at the castle, I realized.

That is, until they told me they didn’t need me anymore and I should go back home.

I finally decided to take a bath. I hadn’t experienced a hot one in almost two months. Afterward I would go out into the common room and see how Kaiyer was. Maybe everyone else would be out there and Greykin would tell us another story. I knew they were mostly exaggerations, but now that I knew the big bear of a man a little more I appreciated his tales. Even if I didn’t appreciate the hangovers I got after he made me drink with him.

I undressed and turned on the water of the tub. I felt better now that I had a plan.

Chapter 11-The O’Baarni

“Good! You are a natural, Thayer!” The voice shouted from behind me. I smiled as I looked over my shoulder and saw the effects of Thayer’s spell. His Fire reduced the haystack target that once stood eighty yards from us into a smoking scorch mark. Thayer turned around and gave me a giant smile. The scar over his nose was the first physical trait an observer would notice about my friend. Then they would notice his size. The man was a wall of muscle as wide as he was tall.

The animosity I felt for him years ago was gone now, replaced by respect, trust, and love.

“Your turn, Kaiyer,” said the voice at my side. I looked at my instructor. He was human, with long gray hair that went down to his shoulder blades. His body was old and shriveled, but his small face looked young and happy. He smiled and nodded at me in encouragement as he leaned on a simple cane of bamboo.

“You’ve got this, Brother,” Thayer whispered from behind me. My own target stood one hundred yards from us. Once upon a time I would have had trouble seeing the details of the straw stack. My vision had been normal. Now I was changed. I saw each individual strand of hay in the stack, the threads of the white cloth that laid over it, and the wetness of the red paint, still drying in the breeze.

I focused on it until the rest of the world faded to smoky mist. I felt the power of the Earth rise up through my bare feet, swell in my legs, churn in my stomach, and heat my heart to bursting. The Air swirled around me and weaved between my fingers like her coppery golden hair. The thought of her made the Fire inside of me burn hotter.

“Careful!” the voice of the old one said next to me. I thought about her lips touching mine, the pain when her nails raked across my back and chest, I felt my hands close around her neck. “No! Stop!” The old man screamed behind me before the sound of the explosion. The world turned to fire and pain. My lungs burned to a crisp and then reformed in a split second, both the pain of their destruction and the pain of their creation passing through me.

The Fire burned my skin to black before stripping my bones of their flesh and muscles. Then they too reformed. The pain was intense. It would have been unbearable.

But I had felt worse. So I withstood it.

I opened my eyes to the blue sky. I could smell the burning grass, my roasting flesh, and the carbon scent of rocks being melted into glass. I sat up, naked; I had burned my clothes and hair off, again.

Thayer lay twenty-five feet from me, his body smoking, pieces of his clothes charred black and brown. He coughed suddenly and gray smoke puffed out of his mouth like he had taken a long drag of a pipe.

“Shit,” he said as he coughed again. “I really need to find a new training partner.” He sat up and glared at me.

“You okay?” I asked. We had inflicted worse on each other as both enemies and allies.

“Yeah. I don’t like you anymore though,” he couldn’t say the words with a straight face and we both started laughing.

“What happened, Kaiyer?” the man with the cane said. He appeared unharmed even though he was standing as close to me as Thayer when I lost control of my magic.

“I don’t know for sure. It seemed to be going fine. I could feel the power. When I tried to harness the Wind I started to slip free again.” I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

I didn’t want to tell him about her. I didn’t know what he would say. What they would all say. We had a river of hate for the Elvens. But I feared they would not want me if they knew how deep mine was, and why.

“Your Earth control is amazing, the best I have ever seen, but your Air is terrible. Absolutely terrible. I want to help you, but I can’t unless you open up to us. What is it that you are feeling when you harness it?” he sat down on his knees in front of me. It was how we all sat so we could get up quickly and kill if needed.

“I’m sorry. I just lose it.” He frowned and his face reminded me of a monkey’s. “I’ll keep working on it though. Maybe it will be easier for me to do it alone.” I looked back between him and Thayer.

“Okay Kaiyer. Let’s take a break from this and go for a run.” I smiled. I was good at this. “Let Thayer lead.” The big man smiled his broken grin. His teeth and jaw had healed from the many times I shattered it during trainings. Only the scar over his nose had never healed, but I hadn’t given him that.

He jumped up like a deer and bounded through the field toward a thick green forest. I easily caught up to him. Although he was bigger than me, I was faster and stronger.

“Grab the O’Baarni some dinner when you are out there, boys,” the old one called behind us as we disappeared. Good. We would be able to hunt. Thayer gave a shout of joy and increased his speed when he hit the forest. Hunting with Thayer always meant we would find something big to kill and drag back.

Chapter 12-Kaiyer

I woke up clutching my pillow so hard that the feather stuffing had started to come out of the seams. I quickly ran through the memory, or dream, again in my head so I would remember it.

It had been wonderful.

My heart ached pleasantly at such happiness. The comradeship between Thayer and the man with the cane, the pleasure of the Earth and Air coursing through me, and the freedom of chasing Thayer through the woods, unencumbered. Most of all, there had been no Elvens in the memory. Wonderful indeed.

I tried to recall how the magic had worked, to remember the power flowing through me. I remembered why I failed. I kept thinking about the Elven woman from the stables. Why did I hate her in particular out of all of them?

I looked over to the other bed. Paug almost looked lost in the large bed that occupied the vast room. The thick curtains covering the window only allowed a tiny sliver of light through the glass. It was enough to let me see the light freckles on his face as he slept peacefully.

Then I remembered what the man with the cane had said: Grab the O’Baarni some dinner when you are out there, boys.

I was not the O’Baarni.

Sadness filled me as I looked over to Paug again. The boy would be crushed. So would Nadea. I don’t know why they pinned so many hopes and expectations on me, but somehow through our travels I had wanted to fulfill them. I wanted to help them. Not because they woke me up, but because I felt the same feelings for them that I had for Thayer in that memory in the field.

They were my friends.

What had happened that transformed the big, bald man and I into friends? It had probably been the mutual hatred of our enslavers.

My mind jumped through the details of the memory before I decided to go back to the magic and stay there. When Paug woke me in the ruins I felt the Earth course through me. I had also felt the Air when I had climbed the cliffs with Nadea. I recalled the sensation of the Water when I crossed the stream atop the cliffs.

I contemplated repeating the magic I had tried in the dream, but I didn’t really want to annihilate anything the way Thayer had. If I failed, I could kill myself and Paug. I should go outside somewhere and make the attempt again. The memory was so clear and strong, I felt like it had just happened. It seemed that Thayer was still here with me, smiling his broken grin.

I couldn’t get out downstairs. Runir’s men liked me enough, but leaving at this time of the night would raise questions, if they even let me. They would probably fear I was going to report Jessmei’s whereabouts to someone.

That left the window. I slid out of bed with a soft movement and looked at Paug. He slept like a brick. He had seemed slightly annoyed with me today because of my questions, so I decided to give him space and sit in the tavern with Runir’s men. Alas, that seemed to upset him even more. He insisted on showing me the plumbing of the inn several times and pouted when I had told him I would look later. When I had come up to bed he was already asleep.

The window opened noiselessly. We were on the second story, facing out to the main street, which was about forty feet below me. Without a second thought I jumped out and landed barefooted on the cobblestone. I looked around the street and found a few landmarks to get my bearings, taller buildings that seemed to have interesting architecture.

The city still amazed me. I could not recall homes of this size. I remembered simple wooden structures that resembled the stable of my memories or the inn in the small village where the assassins tried to capture Jessmei. Of course, my memory wasn’t exactly whole, so there is the possibility that someday I would recollect similar structures. The twin moons gave the blue paint on the building an underwater glow like the islands of my dreams, with a blue instead of green tinge.

I heard people walking on various streets from a distance. I didn’t want to meet any of the guards or citizens of the Sapphire alone in the night, so I decided to take the quickest route outside of the city. The walls surrounding the city were made of decorative blue stone. There were various stairs from the interior of the wall that allowed those inside the city to get up to the top of the battlements. I saw a few guards patrolling, but it was easy enough to ascend the stairs without being noticed. I leapt off the side, free falling for a few seconds before I rolled onto the ground outside the city.

The faster I ran, the easier the Earth and Air filled my senses. A few miles from the city I stopped running in a small grove of white-barked oak trees. The location seemed safe from eyesight of the city walls, but I didn’t want to be gone too long from my room.

Now it was time to test my memory.

The magic would be risky, but I didn’t care now. I wasn’t this O’Baarni, so if my experiment backfired and I died, Paug and Nadea would still be in the same place they were now, looking for someone that I was not. I was foolish to attempt this based on indistinct and vague memories, but I longed to stretch my magical powers and see what would happen. Perhaps if I used some magic more of my memories would return?

I repeated the steps of my memory, focusing on the palm of my hand and feeling the Earth flow through my legs. The sensation was not exactly the same as in my dream, since the power from the ground came faster and stronger. I tried to slow it down, wrestling with it for a few minutes, or maybe a few hours, until I controlled it. My chest hummed with its power and my heart pumped my scorching blood in time with my concentration. Then I harnessed the Wind.

It weaved through my fingers, around my neck, across my hair and ears. I felt it obey me. My memory flashed to the Elven woman who haunted my dreams, but I experienced no anger in the recollection.

Suddenly, the palm of my left hand burst into flame.

It shot out in a tight column four feet from my hand. I had been looking at it, so I jumped back in shock, almost losing concentration but grabbing at it like a slippery fish before the fire extinguished. The flame made no sound, but it was bright and intense heat rolled off it like a blacksmith’s forge. I felt the ebb and flow of the Elements, changing the heat and intensity as I struggled to make it consistent. The fire grew and shrunk with my thoughts. Then, after a few moments, I wished it to be gone and it was.

The palm of my hand was charred, blackened, and full of blisters. As I watched, the skin began to heal with amazing quickness. It was painful and itched like being stung by wasps, but in less than three seconds no burn mark remained, just the bleached scar that covered most of my arm. Another bout of weightlessness and nausea hit me for a second, so I looked away from my palm and took a deep breath. After a minute my stomach relaxed and my heart began to quiet.

I knew my flesh would heal since I had also healed when I pulled the crossbow bolt from my chest. Normal humans didn’t heal like this, but in my memory I had been changed. I just expected to heal quickly.

The Earth is your body. Your body is the Earth. Your blood is the Water that flows inside of the Earth.

The man with the cane’s voice filled my head while I ran back toward the city. I scaled the outside wall easily, my hands and bare feet finding purchase on the smallest of cracks and nooks in the blue stones. I don’t know how long it had been since I left the room, perhaps an hour or so, but it may have been longer. The run was invigorating, and I debated sprinting around the perimeter of the city a few times before returning. I guessed Paug might be upset if he woke while I was away, so I gave up on the idea.

I leapt up to the open window of the inn and slipped inside my room. The sudden change between the bright light of the moons and the darkness of the room disoriented me for a few seconds while I attempted to quietly close the window and secure the curtain. I heard a second heartbeat in the room and recognized it as Greykin’s. He sat in the chair by the desk watching me. I opened my mouth to say something and he raised his finger to his lips, then pointed to Paug’s sleeping form. Then he motioned for me to follow him. He rose on creaking joints and went to the door.

Four guards eyed me suspiciously as I followed the Old Bear down the hall to his room. They had not sat with me in the tavern a few hours ago, so they hadn’t had a chance to speak with me.

“Let’s talk for a bit,” he paused as he looked at me, “Kaiyer.” It was the first time he had used my name. He didn’t seem tense so I relaxed and walked into his room.

I turned to watch him close the door behind us and I wondered if his soldiers would listen in on our conversation.

“Sit down.” He motioned to one of the chairs at the table. “Water?” He poured himself a cup and I nodded. He handed me a full wooden cup and then sat across from me.

“Where were you?” he asked, uncharacteristically calm. “I sat in your room for almost an hour.”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to explore the city.” He nodded and smiled. I didn’t sense any malice in him, so I relaxed a little and took a sip of the water from the cup.

“We might not get another chance to be alone before we reach the castle of Nia, so I wanted to speak to you without the boy and Nadea around.” I nodded and waited for him to continue. “I heard about the idea for this mission almost two years ago. There had been talk in the North of an army growing in power. The warriors in the army were said to be extremely strong. The Northern clan lands possess some amazing fighters, but they are tribal, and don’t organize under one banner. Rumor was that they were being conquered systematically, enslaved, and then forced to fight the other tribes. Within a year they had all been conquered.” He paused to take a sip of water. This story sounded familiar to me. I closed my eyes and saw the red banner with the black skull. Thousands of bodies in armor stood at attention before me.

“There are four countries to the north of Nia: Loorma, Newvana, Gradar and Timata. They used to be duchies under one ruler, but in the past fifty years they have experienced disagreements and various internal struggles. The split was messy, but the countries were on their path to recovery. Gradar is the country to the immediate north of us, and we have a similar peaceful relationship with them as we do with Brilla. At any rate, demands were sent to these four countries to surrender or be destroyed. Their rulers would be allowed limited control over their holdings, but if they didn’t surrender, they would face extreme consequences. The letters were signed as ‘The Ancients,’ a word we associate with the legends of powerful beings of old.

“Nadea and her father had always been interested in the legends. Instead of marrying the girl off for political leverage, the king allowed his niece to travel the continent and investigate the ruins that had been left by this past civilization. She believed that the legends were false and that there was more to the history, even before the Northern tribes were conquered. Nadea and her father convinced the king they could find more information about the history of the Ancients, and a possible way to defeat them. We hadn’t even verified that they were the same Ancients who had sent the threats, but the king gave her permission and access to resources so that she could travel the continent and research.

“Timata was quickly overrun by the combined forces of the Northern tribes. It was a powerful country, with stout soldiers, rich forests, and mountains carrying an endless supply of iron. Reports came back that the generals of this invading army were tall men and women, with long hair the color of metal, ears that came up to sharp points, and eyes that slanted like almonds. They said that they were ‘the Ancients,’ and they didn’t look human.

“I sat with the king and his generals as they read spy reports and decided what to do. The countries of Loorma and Newvana asked us for assistance, and we sent soldiers. They put aside their differences and have been fighting for the last few months against the forces of the Ancients. It doesn’t look good though. It is toward the end of summer now, so there should only be a few more months until winter sets in and the fighting will break. But their resources have been expended and are near depletion. They won’t last through the winter without help from Nia and Brilla. Do you understand what I have said?” He looked at me. I think he just remembered that I had only learned his language a few short weeks ago.

“More or less, I understand.”

“Good. The king received a letter from the Ancients six months ago with the same demands as the other countries. They made him a slightly better offer, if he joined them now, he would continue to control his lands, they would just extract soldiers and resources at a fixed rate. They requested a meeting with the king which he denied.

“Nadea reported back that she found something interesting in her research, the location of a ruin in which the O’Baarni was imprisoned. The Ancients were able to capture him, but then were destroyed at last by his armies. He was supposed to be so powerful that he could not be killed. Nadea and the duke thought that if this was true, then the O’Baarni would help us against the Ancients.”

“Couldn’t you just ally with the other countries and crush them? How many soldiers do they have?” I interrupted him.

“The numbers of their forces are unclear. We estimate that they have about one hundred thousand now. But they are using magic; they create giant explosions, landslides, and weather to gain advantages. The king is planning with the other leaders, but while we are allied on certain areas, there are egos and opinions about who should be in charge.”

Greykin sat back and took a deep breath.

“What if the O’Baarni was worse than the Ancients, as you call them?”

“Not likely. Word is that these Ancients are monsters. According to what Paug and Nadea have told me, they eat the flesh of humans and murder for sport. If this O’Baarni is an enemy of theirs, then he would be a friend of ours.”

“What do your spies say? You shouldn’t be making decisions based off of legends,” I said with a frown.

“The spies indicate that these Ancients are very efficient and somewhat cruel taskmasters, but one can always expect that from a conquering force.”

“But no reports of eating humans or slavery?”

“None beyond that. Still, Paug and Nadea seem absolutely positive of their evil intent, and they are both experts on the subject.” He took another sip of water. “Wish this was beer, but it wouldn’t look good to get drunk in front of my boys.” He nodded out to the hallway where Runir’s men were on guard. From the interactions amongst them I had observed, it was clear that Greykin had an important place in the military.

We looked at each other for a few minutes. I took a deep breath.

“I am not the O’Baarni.”

“Do you remember? How do you know? The boy said you didn’t remember much.”

“I woke up tonight from a memory. I was a soldier, or some sort of warrior, but I heard my commander reference ‘the O’Baarni.’ He wanted me to bring the O’Baarni food, so the person isn’t me. I wish I could help you all but I’m not the person you want me to be.” His face fell at my words. I didn’t think the big man liked me much, but I realized that he had set his hopes on Nadea’s expedition more than he let on.

“I’m sorry to hear that lad. But even if you aren’t the O’Baarni you are something. You lived during that time and you are capable in combat. I never had a chance to thank you for protecting Jessmei at that inn, Paug from the soldiers at the top of the cliff, and all of our asses when we first woke you. The Kingdom of Nia owes you three times. Thank you.” I nodded and we drained our glasses. “I’m sure you can be useful advising the king and his generals, maybe when it comes down to it you can protect Jessmei and Nadea. I’m getting old, still capable of course, but not quite as quick or strong as I used to be. When Jessmei managed to sneak out of her room, I realized that I’m not getting any better with age.”

He looked off into the side of the room, lost in thought. I didn’t know how to reassure him, or even what to say to help ease his mind. I thought back to my dreams of the islands, green trees, the streams of water that passed off of the ledges and disappeared into the voids. I wondered who rode on the ships that floated in the sky. Had they ever seen me jumping between the islands? Maybe someone else dreamt they were upon the ships. Perhaps they watched me float across the empty sky. I didn’t think I would ever go back there.

“I’ll do what I can to help.” Greykin smiled at my words.

“Thank you, lad. I’ve kept you from your bed for too long now. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. The rest of this trip should be simpler.” I nodded and left the room. One of the guards peeked in the door to make sure Greykin was okay as I left. That was good training.

I lay down carefully on my bed so as not to wake Paug. I tried to sleep, but I didn’t feel tired. My brain was excited about my memories, but I was admittedly disappointed that I wasn’t the savior they were looking for. I looked back over to Paug and remembered that I needed to have him explain the plumbing to me. I knew he would enjoy that. I would ask him as soon as we woke up in the morning.

Chapter 13-Paug

Our entrance into the capital of Nia was very different than the entrance into Sapphire. I had thought that there would be some sort of pomp, maybe a parade to welcome the Princess home from her adventure. Instead we rushed through the city and into the heavily fortified inner walls of the fortress in the deepness of night.

“Why are we entering the castle at this time?” I asked Greykin.

“Everyone still thinks the princess is in the castle, and we have dignitaries here from Brilla, Loorma, Newvana, and Gradar to talk about things. The Prince of Loorma and the Princess of Newvana are here too. It would look very odd if Jessmei came sauntering in a few days after they arrived. We don’t know what kind of people are in the crowds, we don’t need any more assassination attempts on her.”

I nodded and looked behind me. Jessmei wore a large hooded cloak, concealing her features and hiding her bright hair while we led the horses through the streets. It seemed unnecessary, as the city had a curfew two hours after sunset and the hour sat close to midnight, but I supposed caution was wise. As Greykin had said, we did not know the sort of people who could be lurking in the shadows, awaiting an opportunity to harm or abduct the princess. As we had approached the grand gate to the front of the city, half of Runir’s men had split off from us to scout the path ahead. It was the new moon phase of the month, so only Alta showed his gray face.

The city was quite beautiful during the day, but at night it slept like a corpse. The walls were pale and whitewashed, with hues of festive orange and royal purple glancing off of imperial flags like bruises. The streets were silent, except for a gentle breeze that rustled the banners and the tapping of our horses’ hooves on the perfectly paved streets. The echo of us passing through the fairways probably woke more people up and alerted them to our presence than if we had gone through during the noon lunch bustle. The main road through the city was so wide that twenty riders could have galloped side by side down it.

It took us thirty tense minutes to make it to the castle gates. They loomed up like mountains, eighty feet high and known to be impenetrable, although they had never actually been attacked. The fifty-foot-high walls of the outer city had successfully kept every invader at bay throughout Nia’s three-hundred-year history. The walls of the castle reminded me that my adventure was almost over. Soon I would have to go back home.

“Impressive,” Kaiyer said as we got closer. “How did they build it?” He had been silent for most of the trip since we had joined Runir’s men. He was still nice and smiled at me often, but my attempts to ask him about his memory were met with a shrug and an apology.

“There are many books in the castle’s library about it.” I had a great idea, “I can teach you to read our language! You’ll really like it!” I felt happy. It meant I had something to do. I could stay around and be part of the planning. He nodded and smiled.

“That sounds like a good time. I’m going to need your help adjusting to this place. There is much to learn.” His voice trailed off as he continued to look up and up at the walls. My smile couldn’t get any bigger. There was a massive portcullis in the wall. The links of the chain that lifted and lowered the enormous cage of iron were almost as big as my entire body. I wondered how long it took to make each link. I bet it was in one of the books in the castle’s library, and I got excited about spending time relaxing there, teaching Kaiyer to read.

“Finally,” Greykin said to the group as we walked through the gates. The relief in his voice was obvious.

Guards at the front saluted Greykin and Runir; they saluted back as we rode by. The main doors of the castle were still a few hundred yards from the wall, so we rode for another minute before a dozen stable boys met us. None of them paid any particular attention to Jessmei, so they probably didn’t know the princess was with us, as she did not take down the hood of her cloak. Once dismounted, the party began to take their bags off the horses. We had done this so many times now that it only took us a few moments to reattach the straps from the steeds to our own backs.

“The castle is so large,” Kaiyer whispered to me, and I agreed. I had heard that it was the largest in the world, but I hadn’t seen any other than Nia’s and Brilla’s, so I couldn’t make a personal comparison. It was made of a bright white rock that seemed to reflect what little light the moons gave us. Five towers rose from various parts of the structure, the tallest was over three hundred feet and capped with a polished copper dome. The other towers ranged from one hundred to two hundred feet. Smaller and wider protrusions from the castle extended from the base at various heights. Some were servants’ buildings and others were barracks. Two thousand guests could be housed within the rooms of the castle, and another ten thousand soldiers in the barracks. It was almost a city in itself. A quarter of the windows had light coming from them, so that viewing the towers almost looked as if we were staring at the stars in the night sky.

A massive wooden door formed the mouth to the Main Hall’s entrance. This too had an iron gate that was raised into a hidden sleeve in front of the door. Runir’s men left us to report back to the barracks. He accompanied us through the main doors.

The inside of the castle entrance was meant to impress. Large tapestries, elegantly glittering chandeliers, and various sculptures of past kings and warriors entertained our eyes. The torches and candles burned a light, pleasing scent that made my body feel at ease. A plush purple and orange carpet ran down the path toward various doors and massive stairs that led up to a second floor. The room was a good two hundred feet wide and ran another one hundred feet deep to the first door. A group of well-dressed guards and servants awaited us inside. Their faces shone with eagerness as we entered.

“Glad you made it safely,” an older man with a bald head and white mustache said as he scurried toward us. “You must be very weary from your travels. Greykin, I’ll have some servants escort you and your companion to your rooms immediately, I will also take care of the rest of your friends here.” Greykin nodded and two young girls gestured for him to follow them.

“It’s good to see you again Nadea,” the man said with a smile.

“Thank you Herin. I’ll take my usual room; can you please situate my companions in my wing? In adjoining rooms if you can.” She handed her bags to a servant who rushed away. “I know the way there, but I wish to see my father first. Is he here?”

“Yes. He’s in his study. I’ll have a guard escort you.” Nadea nodded and then she turned to the four of us.

“I’ll meet up with you tomorrow morning. We’ll have to speak to my father about everything. Have a good night.”

“I can take you to your father’s room, if you wish,” Runir said to her. She considered for a second. “I know where it is,” he said before she could answer.

“That sounds fine. See you tomorrow morning,” she said to us. She looked at Kaiyer before she turned away and began to walk up the stairs with Runir. Her tall leather boots echoed in the hallway as she ascended the stairs. I think she knew her own way.

“We’ll take you to your rooms gentlemen,” Herin said as he swept his arms wide. “The servants will carry your bags. Please feel as comfortable as you can here. You are our honored guests. So ask for anything that you need.”

“Food?” Kaiyer asked as we set off.

“I’ll have a platter brought to your room at once. Anything in particular you have a taste for?” Kaiyer looked confused for a second before he responded.

“I’m very hungry. I’ll eat a lot of anything you bring.” He looked at me to make sure he had said it correctly. As confident as he should have been given his combat prowess and seeming invincibility, the man still felt unsure in these new situations. He still needed me.

“Yep. Our skinny friend here eats more food for breakfast than Paug and I do all day!” Iarin said has he clasped Kaiyer on the shoulder. The thin man chuckled.

“Very well. I’ll take care of everything. We also have servant bells in the room if you have any other needs,” Herin said as we made our way up the stairs and through a stout oak door.

We walked a bit more until we reached another set of stairs. We took them up four flights and then down a long hall to our rooms. Herin seemed to be an expert at small talk and he asked us general travel questions that were not too probing. Two large men carried our things.

“This will be your room good sir.” Herin opened the door to a large suite with a small fire burning in the hearth while he gestured to the tall tracker. “Are you hungry as well?”

“Nope. Just want a bath and a nice clean bed. Thank you friend.” Iarin looked to us. “I’ll see you all tomorrow over breakfast, if we don’t get summoned. Shall we eat together, say an hour or so after sunrise?”

“Sure, we’ll meet you here,” Kaiyer said over my shoulder.

Iarin nodded and stepped into his room, waving before the door closed.

“This will be your room, young master,” Herin said as he directed me to the room next to Iarin’s.

“Is there a way that my companion and I can room together?” I asked as I looked over to Kaiyer. I realized that I hadn’t been away from him during the night since we woke him.

“My apologies, young master. I was told that you were to be given this room and your friend is to be given the room across the hallway from you. Can I get you any food?” I shook my head. “Are you sure? We’ve just had a fresh batch of peach cobbler cakes made.”

“No thank you, I’m just going to go to bed.” I looked at Kaiyer. “Will you be okay?”

“Of course. I’m across the hall. Talk to you tomorrow.” He smiled at me and then turned to walk to his room. Herin opened it for him and showed him in. He gave Kaiyer a brief rundown of the items in the room before wishing the thin man a good night.

“Let me know if you need anything. Just ring the bell. Good night, young master,” Herin said as he walked away. I closed the door with a sigh.

The room was magnificent. A low fire burned in the stone hearth, and a massive four poster bed with drapes that extended from the ceiling sat in the middle of the spacious floor. The bed’s ornately carved headboard butted up against the far wall, which was decorated in flocked wallpaper in a rich golden hue. Upon closer inspection I realized the color came from actual threads of fine gold wire woven into the paper. The wallpaper in this room was probably worth more money than the assets of every citizen of my small village combined.

The room also contained a stout desk with a small oil lamp, a round table with chairs enough for six, and a couch wrapped with sumptuous dark green upholstery. Behind the desk were two towering bookshelves that extended to the ceiling, filled with leather-bound tomes. This was just a small sampling of the books in the main library, but still a rich trove of knowledge I was eager to delve into. I smiled at the gesture, Nadea knew I was a scholar and had made sure I would have a proper room in which to study. Perhaps she did intend for me to stay?

While my body was sore and my limbs felt heavy with fatigue, my mind whirred, both agitated and excited. I did not want to go home, I had enjoyed my travels, the knowledge that I was part of something important. I missed my home and my grandfather, but I did not miss the quiet, dull life we led. How could I go back to a world where the most important decision I had to make all day was what book to read to the village children, after spending weeks as an integral member of a mission vital to the success or failure of the entire Kingdom of Nia? I hoped my plan to teach Kaiyer to read would allow me to remain in the castle for a little longer. I knew eventually the homesickness would outweigh my yearning for honor and adventure, but at the moment I just wanted to stay here with these people whom I had come to consider friends.

There were double doors beside the fireplace that I hadn’t noticed at first. They were paned in beautiful leaded glass, cut with designs that sparkled and reflected rainbows even in the dim firelight. I imagined in the daytime with the full sun pouring through, the glittering crystal would be spectacular. I opened them and walked onto a small balcony that overlooked a quaint garden. I thought about eating breakfast and studying here tomorrow, but remembered that I would be eating with Kaiyer and Iarin. The room was larger than the small house Grandfather and I shared next to the lighthouse. I thought in amazement that this huge room, so ornately appointed, was just one of many hundreds of guest rooms within the castle. Nia was so grand, so prosperous, it was hard to imagine it could be in any real danger, though I knew intellectually that the threat was very real and would soon be very present.

I walked to a side room that kept the sink, toilet, and enormous bathtub. The elegance of the bathing area inspired me to take a bath, but I didn’t feel like unpacking my clothes at the moment. Instead, I turned back to the bed and took off my shirt, ready to crawl in and rest my spent muscles.

A knock sounded at my door.

I tiptoed over to it and opened it. A kind face, full of wrinkles and white facial hair was the first thing I saw. His light blue eyes were almost always crinkled with a smile.

“Grandfather!” I shouted as I hugged him. He smelled like the sandalwood oil he used after he shaved around his beard.

“Paug! I am so happy to see you. I worried so much. Let me look at you.” He held me at arm’s length and looked me up and down. “I think you’ve grown an inch! Also, I see a bit of muscle on you. You look like you are becoming a man.” He hugged me again. “Invite me inside and tell me all about your trip.”

I did, and we both took seats at the table. Seeing him had invigorated me and I was eager to tell him all about our adventure. He wore a loose pair of black pants and a yellow shirt that was stained with spots of black ink and various paint colors. His usual floppy hat was absent from his bald head.

“Start from when you departed Desai,” he demanded with excitement.

I began to tell the story from when I left our home, the travel down south with Nadea and Iarin, Jessmei meeting us on the road when we had just left the Sapphire, then Greykin finding us a few days later. I told him about Jessmei really putting a sour apple in our basket of plans. Then I talked about our journey into Vanlourn. The days that seemed to stretch forever as we cut our way through the jungle, finally coming to the ruin that Nadea previously discovered. Kaiyer lying cold and dead, but somehow alive, on a slab deep in the darkness, how I used the words Grandfather taught me to awaken him. My voice started to crack after an hour and Grandfather rang the bell, summoning a servant to bring us some water and a snack.

“Fascinating,” he said as he ran his fingers through his mustache and beard. “I wondered if the language we had learned would have been corrupted after generations of being passed down. Or maybe we never learned it correctly in the first place?” He sat back for a moment and thought to himself.

The servant arrived with a large pitcher of water, some cups, and a loaf of bread with cheese. I took a glass and some of the cheese before I continued.

I told him about our fears that the enemy was right on our tail and that they discovered us when we came out of the ruin. I recalled for him how Kaiyer had defeated them easily, then how we followed him to the guard post where he had massacred the rest of the soldiers.

“Amazing. You said he moved like a spider, quickly and with great strength?”

“Yes. I haven’t seen much fighting, but he was so fast my eyes hardly had time to register his movements.”

“Surely, he must be the O’Baarni. I’ve never heard of such things, but the legends say he had amazing strength and speed. They also said that he was supposed to be very intelligent and was undefeated in his conquests over the Ancients.”

I nodded and told him of the travel up the cliffs, how I translated and taught him our language, and how he picked it up with amazing speed. Grandfather nodded and smiled.

Then I got to the part I hadn’t told anyone else about.

He listened intently as I described waking up in the campsite. I hadn’t known at the time, but everyone save for Kaiyer and I went to gather water and rinse off at the nearby stream. Grandfather’s mouth hung open when I spoke of the quick battle, and of Kaiyer being shot in the chest by the crossbow.

“He didn’t seem to experience pain?” he asked in amazement.

“He didn’t seem to, no. He yanked it out easily. I fainted though.” I frowned and remembered the wave of nausea that caused me to black out. “When I awoke he had changed his shirt and pretended like nothing happened.”

“Didn’t Nadea or Greykin suspect something? Didn’t they hear the sounds of the battle?”

“It happened so fast there wasn’t much sound. When I awoke he smiled at me and shrugged like he always did. Nadea said later that night he told her that he surprised them. I didn’t want to mention that he had been shot by the crossbow since I didn’t quite believe it myself.” Grandfather nodded.

“Did you ask him more about it?”

“No …” I sighed. “I was afraid to. But during our first night in the inn I brought up his bags an inspected his clothes. The shirt he had worn was still in his pack, and I could see the hole the bolt made and the blood stain. He seemed to be unharmed though.” I sat back and felt relief. A huge weight had been taken off of my shoulders. Grandfather seemed lost in thought for a few more minutes.

“I’ll need to think about this some more. Please continue with your story, Paug.”

I told him about the assassins that tried to attack Jessmei while I had slept. I finally finished by accounting the remainder of our journey here. Several hours passed and I could have fallen asleep on the table.

“How selfish of me! Here I am keeping you awake when we are going to have a very busy day tomorrow. Go to bed Paug, I’ll talk to you in the morning. I am down the hall three or four doors. The duke, Nadea, you, the O’Baarni, and I will meet tomorrow after you break your fast,” he said as he got out of his chair and grabbed the last slice of bread.

I nodded as we hugged again and parted. Before he shut the door I had laid my head on the pillow and was drifting to sleep.

Chapter 14-The O’Baarni

“Wake up Kaiyer, time to work, son.” My father’s hands shook me awake gently. I moaned and rolled over, out of the bed and onto the dirt floor of the small room I shared with my father and brother. He looked at me as he sat back down at the table, the only other piece of furniture in the humble room besides our three beds and matching chairs. It was dark, we woke well before the sun, and our windowless room had little to light it save a small fire that was used for food, light and heat.

“Want breakfast? Leotol is making eggs and heating some beans.” I could smell them. My older brother’s broad back was to me as he flipped eggs on a pan over our stone stove and stirred a pot with his other hand. There was never much time and he was an efficient cook, using what he could to flavor our meager rations fairly well. I was always hungry, and the smell of the food made my mouth water. My work was strenuous and there was rarely time to eat during the day, nor enough food.

“I don’t think there is enough for the Little Demon. Aunt only brought us a dozen eggs and a few handfuls of beans.” He looked over his shoulder with his trademark smirk.

“Hey, I don’t eat that much. I’m thinner than you are, fat ass.” I looked for something to throw at him even though I knew I was wrong to say this. Neither my brother nor my father were fat. They were all muscle; they had to be since they worked in the smithy, over the hot forge all day, making horseshoes and tools for the master’s slaves.

“It’s not fat little Brother. This is solid muscle. The girls love it. Once you get some meat on you maybe you’ll get one for yourself, unless horses are your thing.” He shook his head with laughter, his thick, dark hair flying over his shoulders. I moaned and sat down to watch my father, Kai, drink his morning cup of tea. He looked like an older version of my brother: muscular, with a dark mane of hair, bright green eyes, and chiseled facial features. By comparison, I was scrawny and awkward.

She didn’t seem to mind though. Perhaps she would tire of me when I began to fill out and look more like them. Our human bodies were big-boned, bulky and thick when compared to the sleek, beautiful bodies of our masters. Where we resembled lumbering, stout donkeys, work-worn and tough, they were graceful antelope, strong, yet lithe and elegant.

My recollections of her were interrupted when Leotol slid a heaping plate of eggs and beans in front of me. We ate in silence, thoughts of the work we had to do filled each of our heads. It was Sunday, so there would be no training today. Most Sundays there were no visitors to the stable, so it was the best day for me to catch up on the never ending list of tasks. I always had too much to do, especially since I had been losing almost an hour of my work per day for the past few months.

“Leotol?” I asked my brother for his attention. He grunted at me over his eggs but didn’t raise his face.

“Can I have help shoeing that new stallion they brought in a few days ago? He’s pretty unruly and I haven’t gotten a chance to calm him down yet.”

“I don’t know, Little Demon. I might be a little too fat to help you out with so difficult a task.” He smiled at me and then opened his mouth to show me the food he was chewing.

“Gross! Come on. I need your help. It will take me all day to do it by myself and less than half an hour with you,” I begged him.

“Fine. But you have to cook tonight and tomorrow.”

“Deal!” I liked cooking so I wasn’t giving up anything. I was happy he was helping me so I offered to clean the dishes while Father and Leotol went to start the fires in the smith.

“Get me when you are ready,” he said as he followed our father out of the room to the workshop next door.

I finished cleaning and went to the stables, doing my standard morning tasks: refilling feed and water, cleaning up manure, and setting up to do the re-shoeing. There were four of them that needed it today. Three of them I had reshod before many times, and the new one that didn’t seem to like me much. After debating with myself I decided to do him first with Leotol’s help.

“I’m ready,” I said to him as I poked my head into the smithy. He stood up from the piece of iron he had been hammering and nodded as he wiped his hands on his apron and across his sweating brow. Father was cooling something in a big barrel of water in the back. Steam rose like a white serpent from the liquid.

“Be there in a second.”

I went back to the stable and got the new horse out of his pen. He grew antsy and I used my secret weapon on him: a small tart apple that I stole from the slave’s kitchen every Saturday night. The horse gobbled it out of my hands and we became friends.

“Alright. This guy doesn’t seem so tough,” my brother said as he walked into the stables. With practiced ease he grabbed my shoeing apron that was stuffed with tools and slid it on. Once attired, he picked up the back right hoof and started digging the dirt out of it with the pick. Leotol used to run the stable until I grew old enough to handle it myself. “Keep him occupied. He’s squirming too much.”

“Got it.” I went back to rubbing the stallion’s face and whispering to him.

“Ahh crap. Your piece of shit pliers broke. I’ve got another set in the smithy, by the crate where I keep my small hammers and nails. Go grab them for me?” he said as he threw aside the snapped pliers and went back to digging with the hook.

I walked back to the smithy and ducked through the door.

“What do you need?” my father asked from the corner.

“Broke the pliers, Leotol said there was a spare by his small hammers and nails?”

“In that corner.” He gestured to the back and I walked over and spent a few minutes looking through the chaotic bucket of discarded tools until I found it.

As I stepped outside the door to the smithy I skidded to a halt. There were eight Elvens walking down the grassy hill from their main house toward the stables. At the top of the hill three more waited. They turned to look at me when I exited the smithy, but I ducked back into the doorway before they saw me. At least, I hoped that I dodged back in time. The coppery-haired woman that had been my malaise for the past few months was leading the group of eight walking toward the stable. She had her hand on her sword hilt.

“Father!” I whispered.

He didn’t need to ask what the matter was. He dropped the piece of iron he was working on and ran to the doorway. His hammer was still in his left hand.

“Step back,” he commanded and I obeyed, letting him move before me. I ducked down and peered around his waist; the woman waved her hand toward the stable and two of her companions ran inside. In a few seconds they emerged, each holding one of Leotol’s arms as he struggled.

I heard a gasp from Father and his right hand clamped onto the frame of the doorway.

“Oh no. No no no,” he sobbed as we watched them drag Leotol toward the woman. She looked back to her companions and said something. Her friends laughed. She then turned and spoke to Leotol, he said something back and she hit him hard across the face. My stomach felt like I had swallowed a bucketful of water from the stream during the winter. Leotol struggled in his captor’s arms, he was strong for a human, but even the weakest Elven was still twice as strong as a human.

She smiled as she reached out and stroked his face. Then her hand clamped down on his neck and I could see her shoulders tense as she began to squeeze. Leotol’s body started to thrash as he felt his life being strangled out of him.

Father was out the door before I even realized, running toward the group of Elvens as he screamed, his hammer raised over his head. She looked up at him as he dashed the last forty yards toward them. I saw her mouth move.

Her friends drew their swords.

It was over before he even swung his hammer. His body burst into a bloody spray as three expertly wielded swords pierced and ripped out of him. My father, Kai, the strongest man I had ever known, who had raised my brother and I alone after our mother had been killed by Elven hands, died in a splutter of blood and hate, as the last bit of air was choked out of his eldest son a few feet from him.

I ran out, not caring that they were going to kill me too. I wanted to die with them. I couldn’t imagine life without my father’s kind eyes, or my brother’s rakish smile and teasing. When I reached my father’s corpse, I fell upon it. His eyes stared up lifelessly, his skin already looked waxy and pale. Blood oozed out of him, I felt the disturbing sensation of the warm viscous liquid flowing over my skin. His body felt strange and soft, broken and yielding in places that were normally solid, normally strong.

I looked up through tears at her. Her friends still had their swords drawn, waiting for her instruction. Her eyes locked with mine for a few seconds. There was no emotion in them. I felt oddly distant, looking at her, as if I had left my body and was observing this scene from afar, removed and unfeeling. I no longer felt my father’s blood on my hands, nor the grass beneath me. I felt nothing. I was floating, tethered only to her eyes, trying to read them, trying to puzzle out how the same soft white hands that had clung to me in passion could be so coolly used to choke the life from my brother.

She looked to the Elven standing next to her. He had dark onyx-colored hair that was braided down his back.

“Next time you think I am copulating with a human slave, I’ll do the same to you. Do you understand?” The Elven nodded. He looked terrified. I had never seen one scared.

“A human stable boy?” she said with disgust. I have every male within two hundred miles courting me. Are you a fucking idiot?” She demanded of the black-haired man. His face panicked.

“I’m sorry, I thought I saw you with the human,” he stuttered. All of her companions seemed terrified of her. My father’s hammer lay on the ground a few inches from me. I could probably hit her before they killed me. The world spun and everything started to turn red.

“Hurmpf,” she snorted. “I am already bored with this. Let’s go do something else.” She began to walk away, up the hill toward the three Elvens that stood atop the slope. My legs wouldn’t move. My arm wouldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe through the sadness. I wanted to die, but no noise escaped my mouth when I tried to scream.

“What about this human, Iolarathe?” one of her friends said. I felt the blade of a sword lay on my shoulder.

She turned back, her eyes stared deep into mine. We had spent hours looking into each other’s eyes before this. Tears clouded my vision, distorting her. I thought I saw remorse flash across her face.

“He looks strong for a human. Take him to the barracks. They can use him in that ridiculous hobby army of my father’s.” Then she turned and walked away toward the gathered Elvens waiting for her. As she reached the top of the hill, the sun caught her hair, and it blazed as if on fire. It was a beacon in the darkness that became my field of vision.

Strong hands grabbed my shoulders and forced me to my feet. My brother’s face was blue, and his tongue rolled out of his dead mouth. There was no anger on his face, just pain. I couldn’t look at my father’s body as they dragged me away.

Chapter 15-Kaiyer

My eyes were so dry and grainy it hurt to open them, my eyelids stuck and slowly peeled back as I forced them open. I was afraid to keep them closed, to remember. I rubbed them and blinked to moisten them, wanting to look around, to orient myself in the present, away from the horrific dream.

I could still smell the sweet wet scent of the grass, feel the sticky warmth of my father’s blood, a sharp contrast to his slick cold skin. It felt as if he had been in my arms only moments ago.

I looked down at my hands. The dawn trickled a bit of light through the window in my room. It was enough for me to see that my father’s blood did not still cover my hands. I sighed in relief and realized I had a splitting headache.

I had caused their death. The Elven woman, Iolarathe, and I were lovers. Repeating her name in my head caused it to spin along with the pain.

I struggled out of the covers that entwined me and made my way to the bathroom. I turned the metal wheel as Paug had instructed. The steam from the stream of water pouring out distracted me. When it had almost filled the tub, I slipped out of my pants and slid into the burning hot bath. I took a deep breath and submerged myself completely.

Underwater I heard nothing but my heart beating. It grew louder the longer I stayed under and I wondered if the force of my heart caused ripples on the surface of the tub. It would cause the water to move like waves in the ocean, it would match the water in the blood that coursed through my body, giving my muscles strength. I felt the power of the Water flow around me and blissfully fill my body like a wine skin. I thirsted for it everywhere, my skin and eyes parched with their own need.

My brother and father were dead and it had happened so long ago that there was nothing I could do about it. I wasn’t even sure I was the same person as in my memories. What did it really matter? Should I go through the agony of losing them twice just because I forgot my past while I slept?

I came up to the surface and laughed. The emotions coursing through my memory had little impact on my life now. The memory of Thayer must have been from after the deaths of my father and brother. So even though I experienced great sadness with the loss of my family, I also found joy with my friendships. I’m sure that I had taken my revenge serving in the O’Baarni’s army and crushing the Elvens into extinction.

I had a new life now. The memories were there to guide me but not to rule me. My headache seemed to vanish and I smiled at the sudden release of pain.

I grabbed the soap and rubbed it over my body, cleaning away the sweat the nightmare produced. Then I rinsed off and looked into the mirror that hung over the ornate sink. My beard was dark and thick, but in my memories I only recalled being clean-shaven, even my hair had been cut very short. It was one thing I wanted to keep, so I grabbed the razor blade and went to work.

After I shaved my beard I debated doing the same to my head, but the thick dark strands did remind me of my brother and father. Would they have approved of what I had done in my life? Had I asked that of myself already? I didn’t remember.

A soft patter of feet stopped in front of my door; I guessed it was a girl’s from the quick, light heartbeat before a knock sounded.

I opened the door to see a young woman around Jessmei’s age standing with a basket. I recognized the color of the tunic on top but it was neatly folded. The girl’s mouth hung open as she looked at me. Her eyes glanced down my naked body in astonishment.

“Uhhh … laundry … clothes.” Her heart beat in double time.

“Thank you,” I said as I grabbed the basket from her. “Anything else?” I asked after a few seconds of holding my clothes.

“Uh. No. Thank you.” Her face blushed red, but she turned to run down the hallway before I could ask her why. I could only shrug before I hooked my left foot around the back of the door, slamming it closed behind me.

I hadn’t realized that they took my clothes to clean, but it was probably a good thing. I was about to choose between wearing clothes that I had worn for one week and smelled like I had rolled in horse shit or ones that I had worn for two weeks and smelled like cow shit.

I figured I would probably be meeting new people today, so I picked my nicest pair of pants and the loose gray tunic. Both had been obtained at the camp in the jungle. Our encounter with the Vanlourn soldiers felt like it had happened a lifetime ago, while the memory of my father and brother’s murders was so fresh in my mind they could have died yesterday. Time became a very relative and pliable thing when one had been sleeping for centuries.

Paug’s door opened across the hall and he knocked on my door.

“You shaved!” he said when I opened it.

“Yes. I got tired of the hair. I used the bathtub as well. The water worked just like you showed me.” His face lit up. My friend was easy to please, but his big smile reminded me that I still had to tell him and Nadea that I wasn’t the O’Baarni.

“Are you hungry?”

“Always.”

“Let’s go break our fast with Iarin.” I nodded and we walked down the hall to the quiet woodsman’s room.

“Ahh. Perfect timing!” he said as he opened the door, unleashing the tantalizing scent of the food that had already been placed on the table in his room. It was loaded with an enormous pot of eggs, steaming loaves of yeasty fresh-baked bread, dishes of golden butter and crumbly, blue-veined cheese, ripe green and orange fruits, two pitchers of water, and a large flagon of cider. I was always hungry, but the sight and scent of the food set my mouth watering and I breathed in deeply through my nose to savor the aroma.

“I was about to come get you both. I rang the bell to ask a servant where we might go to get some foodstuffs and she said, ‘I’ll just bring you up whatever you would like.’ I recalled how our skinny friend here likes to eat his bodyweight in meat for every meal, so I ordered enough for six people. It just got here.”

We set in on the food like three starving men. It was the best meal I remembered eating, even if I could only recall the past month and a few days of my previous life. It took half an hour for us to devour the feast. We didn’t speak much, unless it was to praise the deliciousness of the spread, ask for water or apple wine to be passed, or compliment the burp of satisfaction we each released in turn toward the end.

“Ahhhh. I could get used to this,” Iarin said as he leaned back and took a swig of wine. “I hope Nadea will keep me around for a few more weeks so I can put some weight on.”

“She hired you for this job?” I asked, hoping that I understood the language enough to infer what he meant. I never asked why the tracker accompanied Nadea and Paug. I guessed he was part of their country and served Nadea.

“Yep. I’m kind of known for traveling around the world and getting in and out of tight spots. I can also keep my mouth shut if the gold is right. It is right with this deal.” He smiled at me. I liked Iarin. He didn’t talk much, but when he did the words that came out of his mouth always seemed to be useful. There was something familiar about him that put me at ease and made me feel more welcomed and comfortable in this world.

“Have you heard from Nadea?” Paug asked as he looked at Iarin. He shrugged and then looked at me. I shrugged as well. “I wonder what the plan is for the day?”

“I don’t mind sitting around and doing absolutely nothing, except eating and drinking of course!” Iarin said as his chair tipped dangerously back on two legs. “We need a break.” I nodded in agreement, even though my body begged to go do something active.

“I’m going to go see if I can find her or my grandfather,” Paug said as he stood up. He looked over at me. “Are you going to be here, or in your room?”

“I wanted to walk around and explore the castle,” I said, but his face quickly crumpled into a frown.

“I don’t think that is a good idea. You might get lost, or it might take us a long time to find you if we need you. Can you stay in one place?” I sighed.

“I’ll go back to my room then.” I tried to hide my disappointment.

“Great. I’ll come get you when I find Nadea.” The three of us parted and I headed back across the wide stone hallway to my room.

I paced for a few minutes and then took inventory of my bag. Then I checked my swords to make sure they were satisfactory, I sighed when I realized I had sharpened them a few days ago and their condition remained unchanged.

An hour passed and I got thirsty so I pulled on the cord to summon a servant. Within a few moments there was a knock on my door.

“How can I help you?” This girl was older than the one that brought my laundry. Pretty, with dark brown hair cut close to her neck, and a scattering of freckles across her features. She looked me up and down before her cheeks turned red. The blush made her almost beautiful. Not as good-looking as Nadea or Jessmei, but I hadn’t spent time around any other women in the last month.

“Can I have some water and maybe beer or some wine?”

“Would you like any food?” She looked down at the crotch of my pants again and she reddened more.

“Fruit would be fine. Some cheese and bread too?”

“Yes of course. It will be my pleasure. I’ll be back.” She turned and left.

Within fifteen minutes she knocked on the door again.

“It is a nice day. Would you like to eat on the balcony?” She said as she pulled in a large tray through the door. She was thin but had defined muscles on her arms.

“I had forgotten about the balcony. That sounds good.”

“The warriors train in the yard that your room overlooks. There are soldiers here from four different kingdoms! They are doing some sparring matches down there. I am surprised you haven’t been watching,” she said as she tried to open the door. I quickly took the tray from her so she wouldn’t drop it.

“I didn’t know that.” I wondered if they were here in preparation for the anticipated onslaught of Ancients, or if this was a normal part of Nia’s training practice. I was curious to observe Nia’s army, I knew from my memories that I was strong and well-trained, but I still wasn’t sure if I was exceptional, or if the few assassins and soldiers I had defeated on our journey were particularly weak and unskilled. My assumption was that all the modern humans were slow in comparison to the warriors of my time.

“Yes, there they are,” she said, as she pointed down into the courtyard, where about sixty men in various uniforms and armor stood around in a circle. Two men danced inside, trying to hit each other with wooden swords. “Sit down please,” she instructed before she arranged the plate of food for me on the table.

“If you need anything else, just ring the bell. I am here until about two hours after sunset. So if you need anything at all please ring,” she repeated with a smile. I was still trying to piece together what words meant when emphasized in this language. Maybe the pretty girl inferred that she wanted to provide me with sex?

“I’ll keep you in mind,” I said as I picked up the glass of water and sipped it. She smiled and looked down before she went back inside. I watched her hips sway as she retreated. If I wasn’t occupied later tonight I would find out if my assumption about her was correct.

I cut a piece of cheese and some fruit while I looked down to the soldiers. They were cheering and yelling at the two men circling each other. One wore the colors of Nia, the other wore blue. I figured it was probably a man from Brilla.

After a few minutes the Brilla soldier went down from a nasty thwack to the head. Luckily, the swords were padded and I doubted any serious damage was done. The man from Nia helped the man from Brilla up and they hugged for a second. My head spun like I was falling.

His hand grabbed my neck and tore me off of the bed. It was a bunk bed and I was on top. The air left my body as my head broke my fall. He leaned his full weight on my throat and spots began to form in my vision.

“I’m going to fucking kill you,” he whispered into my ear as he ground his forearm into my larynx. His face still dripped blood from when I had smashed it with the mace. I had expected this to happen, so I was prepared. I still couldn’t walk so it would have been impossible to get out of this situation.

He hadn’t seen the dagger up my sleeve, but he felt it slice open a massive gash in his stomach. His intestines spilled out over me in a hot mess of steam, and he gasped in pain. The pressure on my neck released as he moved his hands to his stomach in an attempt to push the organs back into his body.

That was a big mistake.

My right hand reached up and grabbed the side of his neck a split second before I pulled myself up and rammed the dagger harder into his stomach. I felt it grind off his spine and rip through his back. He gasped again in agony and I pulled the dagger out and slammed it in again. My hand and arm were covered with his blood. It gushed out of his body like a red waterfall.

“Wait. Stop!” he cried as he fell on top of me. I pushed the dagger to the edge of his throat.

“What?” I whispered in his ear. I was ready for the kill. This man had been harassing me since I got here. Payback would be a ride into oblivion on the point of my blade.

“You win! You beat me. Fuck, man. I don’t want to die now. Not like this. I’m sorry for bullying you,” he slobbered over my face. His warm blood pooled over my stomach like he was pissing on me. I remembered my father lying dead on the ground as the blood flowed out of his body and onto the grass. I had no more tears for that.

“Fine. I’ll let you live.” I heaved him off me and he sobbed. He pulled and pushed his organs back into his stomach as he collapsed next to me on the floor. After a few minutes of frantic movement, he was still.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to healing like this. I should have died a hundred times already. But I keep coming back. This must be hell,” he said through gasps of pain.

“It is hell. The Elvens are our keepers here.”

“What’s your name kid?”

“Kaiyer.”

“I’m Thayer. Sorry again, Son of Lightning. You know, we are both sons of, eh? Your father dead too?”

“Yes.”

“What did he do?”

“He was a blacksmith. Yours?”

“Carpenter. Fitting huh?” I nodded at the play on words. Thay meant ‘wood’ in our old language.

We didn’t say anything for a while. In the distance we could hear the sound of our training partners sparring.

“Have you thought about running away?” he said.

“Where? How?”

“I don’t know, Brother. I dream about it sometimes. I can run faster than them. I am stronger than them.”

“They will catch you. You’ll die,” I said as I closed my eyes.

“That wouldn’t be so bad. I just don’t want to die here, with you looking at me with those eyes. Your eyes are scary, Brother. They are crazy.”

“We are all crazy,” I said.

I shook my head and sat up in my chair. I still clutched a half-eaten apple and I ate the rest of it and looked down at the soldiers. Another pair was fighting in the circle below. I sighed when I thought of Thayer. It was good to have more memories of the man.

I didn’t think I was that hungry, but I devoured all the food again. Now I really couldn’t sit still. I wanted to jump down to the field where the soldiers were practicing and fight them. I started to feel the energy through the Earth and the stone of the castle. The water in my blood swirled with the heat of my heart. I sat back and enjoyed the warmth spreading through my body.

I was so enthralled with myself that I hadn’t heard the knock on the door the first time. Now it was being pounded on. I moved across my suite and opened it.

“Are you okay?” Nadea asked, concern on her face.

“I was out on the balcony and I didn’t hear you at the door.” She wore a white dress with purple flowers embroidered down the left side. Her hair was loose and fell straight down her back, glossy as silk. She wore thin sandals on her feet instead of her usual leather boots. It was strange seeing the powerful woman in such girlish clothes, she looked gorgeous either way, but from what little I knew of her I guessed this ensemble had not been her choice.

“I like your clothes,” I said to her with a wry smile.

“Thank you. I have to dress like this in the castle or my father will have kittens.” She smiled at me. Her mouth parted slightly to show her teeth. I wanted to run my fingertips across her dark red lips and then drink from them.

“Kittens?” I asked as I raised my eyebrow.

“Yes. Never mind. Can you come with me? We would like to meet with you.”

I nodded. “Do I need anything?”

“No, just walk with me,” she said as she pulled me into the hallway. I closed the door behind me.

Her arm slipped around my elbow and bicep on my left side as she led me through the labyrinthine halls. I smelled flowers on her hair, and her body heat brought out the scent of the lavender oil she wore. I looked over at the smooth, tan skin of her neck and shoulders. Her scent made my mouth begin to water.

“Are you okay?” she asked. I realized that I had forgotten to learn the word for sex from Paug. Then I remembered that she seemed to realize that I said ‘hungry’ to mean that word.

“I am hungry for you,” I said as we approached a set of stairs. She looked back at me in astonishment.

“I can get you some food once we get to the meeting,” she said, face now composed, but her heart began beating faster.

“No. Hungry for you, not for food. I forgot to ask for the word from Paug. You know what I mean. When people want to make offspring they do this thing. What is it called?”

“Mating?” her lightly bronzed skin was a few shades darker now.

“Yes. I think that is the word. I want to mate with you. Now, actually. I really want to mate with you. Am I saying that right?” She stopped walking and faced me and her eyes were wide in surprise. “Maybe I said it wrong? You look upset. Did I say it wrong? Your heart is beating very fast.”

“I keep telling myself that you don’t know what you are saying, but then I realize that you know exactly what you are saying, and you say it anyway.” She pulled my arm to keep walking. Then she looked down at our interlocked arms and withdrew from me.

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand. Don’t you want to mate with me?”

She stopped and turned around to face me again. She looked angry this time. A servant opened the door next to us and Nadea waited until he had moved down the hallway before speaking.

“You don’t just say that type of thing to someone. It is too forward. Do you understand?” Her eyes flashed dangerously.

“No, I don’t understand. I want to mate with you. You want to mate with me. What is the problem? I can make you feel really good. I want to make you feel really good. I’ll touch and taste you everywhere.” I looked at her again. Her body was definitely reacting to what I said.

“Kaiyer stop! Why are you saying this? We have to go to this meeting with my father! The king might be there too. Please concentrate on the matter at hand. We have more important things to be doing.” She paused as another servant walked by, and then she continued in a whisper, “We have more important things to do than … what you are talking about.” She crossed her arms and stuck out one of her hips. I could see the sleek shape of her thighs and stomach through the material of the dress.

“Okay. After the meeting then. We’ll go back to my room,” I said and continued to walk.

“No! Do you have only one subject on your mind?” she hissed at me.

“Yes. I’ve been sleeping for a long time. I want to mate very badly.” I frowned. “How much farther?”

“We are almost there. I guess I haven’t thought about how long you have been sleeping.” She stopped suddenly and grabbed my arm.

“Wait. Is it me? Or do you just want to mate? Can we call it lovemaking? It seems less like animals are doing it if I use that word.”

“Okay. I want to make love to you,” I said as my hand caressed hers. She didn’t move it away from me and I smiled. I wouldn’t need the servant girl tonight.

“No. Do you want to make love to anyone? Or make love to me?” She raised an eyebrow and bit her lower lip as she waited for my response.

“I would prefer you. I asked Jessmei in the inn before the assassins attacked and she said that there wasn’t a bed in the room so we couldn’t do it. We don’t need a bed to make love though.” Her mouth dropped again and her eyes grew huge. For a second I couldn’t tell if I had said something wrong.

Then I realized I had. Damn it.

Her lips turned into a sharp frown and she pulled on my arm again, letting it go once I had begun to follow her.

“This room.” She didn’t look at me as she opened the door. Her heart still beat quickly and I heard her breath coming out in an excited fashion.

It was a large room with a massive table in the middle. On the table draped an expansive, colorful map with various border lines and carved pieces of wood that I guessed represented troop placement.

They are going to cut us off here at the ocean and the wetlands. They are trying to force us into the open field. We’ll be outnumbered three to one there. What do we do, Kaiyer?

I recognized the voice in my head, but it wasn’t Thayer’s or the old man with the cane’s voice.

Four people looked up when we entered the room: Paug, his eyes bright and his smile huge; an older man with a bald head, a long white beard, and stained clothes; a middle-aged man dressed in an intricately embroidered, deep purple suit with gold trim, his brown hair thick and long; and a blonde middle-aged man that appeared to be dressed in a military uniform. He wore various insignias and medals pinned on his suit. He stood at attention and looked at me with suspicion.

“This is my father, the duke. This is Kaiyer,” Nadea introduced us. I reached across the table and shook the brown-haired man’s hand. His grip was firm and he smiled at me. He had light blue eyes that reminded me of Jessmei’s. The duke was handsome, but I guessed that Nadea got most of her looks from her mother, since they didn’t share any features besides hair color.

“It is nice to meet you. My daughter has told me of your travels.” I nodded and then looked to the military man.

“This is one of the king’s generals, Maerc.” I shook the man’s hand, but he said nothing in acknowledgment.

“This is my grandfather!” Paug’s eager, open face beamed as I turned to face the old man. I smiled and shook his hand.

“Very, very pleased to meet you, Kaiyer. I’m Janci. We have so much to discuss with you!” the older man said. His face was lined with the kind of wrinkles you get from smiling, his hands rough and worn, even compared to the stoic general. I liked him immediately.

“We all have questions that we wish to ask you. Would you be so kind as to sit down and let us speak to you?” the duke asked. I nodded and sat down on the other side of the table from them.

Nadea glared at me from her seat and folded her arms over her breasts. I looked back between the other men and waited for them to interrogate me.

“Gentlemen, do you mind if I go first?” Janci said. The other two men nodded. “Thank you.”

“Kaiyer, can you tell me about your name. What does it mean?” he said as he unrolled a piece of parchment and took a pen in his hand.

“It means: ‘Son of Kai.’ Kai was my father and a blacksmith. My brother’s name was Leotol. He also worked as a blacksmith with my father.”

“Thank you! Paug was right; your grasp of our language is uncanny. It is splendid! What does Kai mean?”

I thought back through my memory.

“It means ‘Lightning’ in our old language. Can I have some water or wine? I feel like I may become thirsty.” The duke nodded and rang a nearby bell.

“What do you mean by ‘old language’? Isn’t the language you were speaking with Paug when you were awoken by him the old language?” He was scribbling on his paper with great urgency.

“No. The Humans had a language before the Elvens enslaved us. We would name our children the old words, even though we didn’t speak the language anymore.” He nodded.

“What does your brother’s name mean?”

“It meant ‘Dancing Butterfly.’ My father said that my mother expected a girl child, and she already desired the name.” I had to have Paug translate part of the sentence.

Servants entered the room, carrying pitchers of water and bottles of wine. I poured myself some wine, mixed it with water, and drank it. Janci waited until the servants left before he spoke again.

“Do you remember much of your mother?”

“No. Father never talked about her. He told us that the Elvens killed her. It was common for that to happen.” He grimaced in sympathy.

“Can you tell us of the Ancients? Their strengths, weaknesses? Are they the same as these Elvens you mention?” The duke asked. Janci looked a little upset at the interruption but I understood the duke to have significant power, and I doubted he placed the same importance on my family history as Janci seemed to. To him I was part of an urgently needed military strategy, to Janci I was a living artifact that could teach him of the civilization he and his family had spent their lives studying. Everything about me and my past fascinated him, while the duke, and I guessed Maerc, wanted to find out what I could do to help them as quickly as possible.

“I believe those whom you call Ancients are my Elvens. They are a race similar to humans. But they live much longer. They are very strong. Some are two to four times stronger than a human. They are also fast and possess amazing fighting abilities. I think some of them can use magic; they can control the Wind, Fire, and Earth. They can heal themselves quickly and almost never tire.” I tried to think of more but my memories were far from complete.

“What about their weaknesses?” the general said from behind the duke.

“I don’t remember any. I hated them in my memories. But I don’t remember killing any of them. I don’t remember killing anyone. I remember being a stable boy. I remember my father and brother being killed by the Elven; I remember being trained in their army, sent to die as they fought against each other for petty reasons. I remember training with a group of humans, and I also remember standing on a battlefield with a red banner and a black skull.”

I drained my glass and poured more wine and water into it. My mouth was dry.

“Do you remember any battles with the Elven? Anything about fighting them?” the duke asked again.

“No.”

“Do you remember being called ‘the O’Baarni?’” Paug’s grandfather cut in. I let out a long sigh and leaned back into my chair. I frowned and took a deep breath. They wouldn’t like this.

“In one of my memories, I trained with another human. We were being taught by an older man. I think we were part of some military, but I don’t remember. The old man asked the other man and me to go hunt and bring back food for the O’Baarni.”

There was silence for a few minutes.

“What does that mean?” the general said.

“I know you have been looking for this person called the O’Baarni. You think I am him, but I know for sure that I am not. I believe I was a soldier in his army, but how could I be this O’Baarni and be asked to get food for him?” I could almost feel their disappointment seep into the air. They had pinned all their hope for the salvation of their country on me, invested much into my retrieval, and I was not the man they expected, not whom they needed.

Paug swallowed painfully and seemed destroyed by my news. I looked over to Nadea, she stared down at the table, avoiding my eye contact. Her mouth formed a straight line.

“You’re sure that there is no possible way you are him?” Paug’s grandfather asked. I nodded.

“I want to help you. Perhaps there are ways I can. Maybe I will have memories of things that the O’Baarni did to defeat the Elvens. Maybe I know something that you can use. My memory is slowly coming back. I will do what I can to help you all.”

“I don’t understand,” Nadea said. Her face was angry as she looked at me. “If you aren’t the O’Baarni then why were you placed into deep sleep and entombed? It doesn’t make any sense that you would be there.” The duke nodded and spoke.

“Do you remember why you were imprisoned and made to sleep?”

“No. I don’t. There was a letter carved into the stone of the slab I rested on. When I read it I didn’t remember any of the names, but now I remember that one of them was my training partner.” Paug’s face lit up when I finished.

“That’s right. Sorry Grandfather, I forgot to show you this!” Paug ran over to his pack and took out the thick book he had used to translate; he pulled out a piece of thin parchment with the rubbings. Janci examined it and translated it aloud slowly.

After the older man had finished, the group turned to look at me.

“I remember Thayer, but that is it. In my memories we were friends so I don’t understand why he would want to punish me. For some reason, they wanted me to be removed from their lives, but not killed. I wish I remembered more. I am sorry again.”

Nadea opened her mouth to speak when the door behind me creaked. Before it fully opened the room had sprung to its feet. I rose from my chair to look at the newcomer.

He was an impressive man, a little taller than me, with broad shoulders. His hair was the same color as Jessmei’s and his eyes were also the same frozen blue. He wore a long purple robe that stopped just short of the ground. Golden rings decorated his fingers and he had a circle of gold and gems on top of his head. I assumed him to be their leader.

Standing behind the king were two guards. They wore simple chain shirts, but I could see the curve of their muscles beneath them.

“Your Highness, I didn’t think you would make it,” General Maerc said as he walked over and bowed. The rest of the room followed suit. I mirrored their movements, remembering a time when disrespect meant death.

“Be seated friends. I wanted to meet this man myself and ask him some questions.” He looked over to me. “Your name is Kaiyer, correct?”

“Yes it is, King.” I hoped I addressed him properly. He smiled.

“Glad to meet you. Let me take a seat over here.” He moved over to a chair next to Nadea and sat down. His guards moved behind him and eyed me more cautiously than Maerc had. The king poured himself some water and took a sip.

“I wanted to thank you for saving my beloved Jessmei and my niece here from possible death and certain kidnapping. You did my kingdom, my brother, and me a huge service. I didn’t get to where I am today by not rewarding those that have faithfully served me, so I would like to reward you.”

I nodded. I hadn’t saved them because I had hoped for a reward. I had acted on instinct. But it made sense for the ruler to set such precedents.

“I believe that my brother and General Maerc will be trying to figure out how to use your talents in the upcoming battles, but I want to take care of you tomorrow night. We are having a banquet to celebrate the arrival of the envoys from our friendly neighbors. During that ceremony I would like to knight you. It is a simple process that will give you certain legal claims in the military. You’ll get a weekly stipend, and should you choose to participate in our future battles, and I hope that you do, you’ll have a small brigade of soldiers to command. I can also give you some land, but we’ll wait for that reward until next spring. I hope I still have a kingdom by then. What do you say?”

I hadn’t understood everything that he said. I guessed he told me he intended to reward me tomorrow night at a party by giving me some money and men to command.

“It sounds great King. Thank you.” I smiled. Paug looked over at me and beamed.

“Now let me ask you a few more questions. I talked to Greykin about the journey, and there are some things that I can’t understand. I wanted to get your perspective. Is that okay?” I nodded. The king was very charismatic. His eyes were kind and he had a direct, yet unthreatening gaze that made it seem as if he was intensely interested in what I was saying. I found myself liking him more and more each time he spoke.

“When you were at the inn with Jessmei and the four assassins attacked,” he paused,” I’m not sure I understand what transpired. How did you defeat them?” I saw the guards and General Maerc lean forward.

“Jessmei came out of her room to get some water. We talked at the table for a bit.” I noticed Nadea frown at me, and I had already learned enough of their culture to know I should not tell Jessmei’s father the exact nature of our discussion. “Then I got up to go to bed. I saw a shadow at the window and they kicked in the door. One of them shot a crossbow bolt at me, but he missed. Then I kicked him back into his friend. Two more came from the kitchen and I threw the table at them. Greykin, Nadea, and Iarin came out to help me finish them off.”

The king sat back in his chair and nodded.

“I think you are being a little too modest, Kaiyer.” He reached into his robe and pulled out a piece of paper. He unfolded the paper and showed me a symbol written on the inside. It was a circle with three vertical lines in parallel. “Do you know what this is?” I looked carefully at it.

“No, King. I have never seen it before. At least from what I can remember.”

“No, I didn’t think so.” The king turned the paper around and showed it to Nadea, her father, Maerc, Paug, and Janci. They opened their eyes and gasped. The king looked back to me. “This is the symbol of the Assassin’s Guild. Greykin inspected them before the bodies were destroyed. They work across our world and do a variety of ‘special’ tasks. This particular mark is one of their highest rankings. The men who have it tattooed on their bodies are some of the best killers in the world. These men don’t miss with a crossbow bolt. They are not thwarted in a kitchen by a table, and they never fail.” I smiled and laughed.

“What’s so funny?” the king asked. I couldn’t tell if I had annoyed him, so I stopped laughing.

“I didn’t think they were impressive,” I said with a smirk. The king smiled back.

“Tell me about the table you threw. Was it heavy?”

“I don’t remember, King. I didn’t have a weapon on me, and Jessmei stood between us. I asked her to duck down, I grabbed the table, and I threw it.” He nodded.

“Greykin told me that the tables in that inn were bolted to the floor. Most tables in inns are, so that they can’t be thrown in fights. He said he inspected the table you threw. It had been ripped out of the floor. It would have taken ten or more men to pull it out without tools. Do you understand what I am saying?” I nodded. Now that my memory was coming back I knew that I was stronger than normal humans. Much more. Even stronger than Elvens.

“I am strong.” I nodded and smiled, then grabbed my glass and drank some more. The king laughed.

“I like this lad. He needs more food in him though. Looks like I could slide him under the door to this room.” I smiled wider. It had only been a few hours but I was hungry again.

“Thank you King. I like you too. I also like food.” He laughed heartily.

“I don’t have anything else to ask you. I’m sure you’ll be able to help us. I have other things to attend to. I’m going to send my private tailor to your room tonight to make you some new clothes. Those things you are wearing look like something that was in style ten years ago in Vanlourn.”

“I took them from a camp of Vanlourn soldiers. I didn’t have any clothes, and they didn’t need them anymore.” The king laughed again. It came straight from his belly.

“I like you Kaiyer! Thank you again. See you tomorrow night. Don’t worry about the ceremony. I’ll have someone walk you through it.” Everyone stood up as the king and his two guards left.

“Maybe you aren’t the O’Baarni, but you obviously have skills and abilities that can help us,” Nadea’s father said. “Perhaps as your memory comes back you will be able to help us more. Greykin told us that he has explained the situation to you. Do you understand why we wanted to find the O’Baarni so badly?”

I nodded.

“We are going to spend the next few weeks with the envoys from the other countries creating a plan of attack. Maybe you can remember some things during that time that we can use. We don’t understand the Ancients’ power, and we really are at a stalemate trying to figure out what we can do.”

I finished the pitcher of water and looked around.

“I am tired,” I said after a few minutes of silence.

“Yes. We can talk again tomorrow. Nadea will show you back to your room.”

“I can do it, sir,” Paug said eagerly. “I mean, my room is across from his and I know my way around. I’ll take Kaiyer back while you talk.”

“I would prefer that,” Nadea said as she shot me another icy glare. She was very attractive when angry, and I couldn’t help but smile at her. The duke nodded. Paug said a brief goodbye to his grandfather, Nadea, the duke, and Maerc, and then he led me from the meeting room back to mine. He said he had to go back and speak with his grandfather, but he would come back later tonight to eat dinner with me.

I went back to watching the soldiers sparring on the field. It kept me occupied for a few more hours, but didn’t bring back any more memories.

Chapter 16-Paug

I stopped outside the doorway to the meeting room. The door was cracked, allowing Nadea and her father’s voices to leak out as a whisper. I reached to push the door open but stopped when I realized what they were discussing.

“Don’t be disappointed. This was a chance gambit. We weren’t certain he would be there or that he could be awoken.” The duke was trying to comfort her.

“I know, Father. I shouldn’t have set my hopes so high, but I can’t keep myself from feeling disappointed. Everything seemed right about Kaiyer. He’s strong, intelligent, and wants to aid us. If he actually was the O’Baarni, he would help us with the Ancients.” Her voice was laced with disappointment.

“It’s just a name, the O’Baarni, Kaiyer may not be him, but he wants to help us. From the account you gave me last night and what I saw today, he seems to possess attributes that will help us. Maybe he can actually defeat one of the Ancients in combat?”

“You’re right. I should be thankful that my mission was somewhat successful. At least I brought someone back from that time period. He can probably help us in more ways than I am imagining.” She sighed. “He just isn’t at all what I expected.”

“You’ve done very well on this task. I am proud of you, and the king is too. You are a capable young woman, just like your mother was. I wish she could see you as you stand before me.” His voice filled with praise and love.

“Thank you,” she choked out. They didn’t say anything for a while. I was about to push on the door when they started talking again.

“So any more thoughts about him after this morning?” the duke asked.

“I was about to ask you the same thing.” Nadea laughed. “He seemed disappointed that he had to tell us that he wasn’t the O’Baarni, but I believe he is hiding something. He knows more than he is telling us. During our travels I often observed him staring off into the sky, like he was remembering things. He acted the same during our conversation.”

“I got the same impression. I do feel he is sincere, that he wants to help us. But he isn’t telling us everything. I’m sure he knows who the O’Baarni is. It’s fine that he doesn’t want to tell us now. I imagine he’ll open up more once he begins to trust us. I think he’ll be able to help us in some small ways in the next few weeks. My brother has taken an extreme liking to him, which is good for our agenda. It also seems that Kaiyer likes him too. This is also good.” Nadea agreed with him. There was silence until the duke spoke again.

“He is handsome, no? You told me that he was thin, but I hadn’t expected it to be that bad. He must have looked near death when you awoke him.”

“I thought we were looking at a corpse that had been laid out on a slab for a funeral. We were terrified when he first woke. He’s put on a few pounds in our travels but …” Nadea trailed off.

“Yes, but do you think he is handsome?” There was a smile behind the duke’s voice.

“Father! How can you ask me that? I don’t think of him that way.” He laughed.

“That’s too bad, Naynay. Your mother would go insane knowing that you haven’t been married off by now with a few children of your own.”

“I know,” Nadea sighed and I guessed she may have heard this before.

“What of Staril? I recall you mentioning how impressed you were with him when you stayed at his estate in Astical,” the duke pressed.

“Like I told you before, it didn’t work out. He wanted it to, but I had to come home,” Nadea said flatly.

I scrunched up my nose. They couldn’t have been talking about the Merchant King Staril? The man was a notorious schemer, killer, and had forcefully conquered the broken up country of Astical about ten years ago.

“That is probably for the best. I didn’t like the idea of you going down to that treacherous country, but as usual, you got your way. Now I am going to convince you and get my way; please find someone to love and spend your life with.” The duke’s voice had an edge of sadness in it.

“It’s not for me, Father. At least not now. There is work to do to keep these Ancients from our land.” Her voice was firm.

“I know, I know. But you’ve spent the last five years ‘working’ on the legends of the O’Baarni with this hope. After meeting him, I am surprised you haven’t taken more than just a professional interest in Kaiyer. I believe he is attracted to you. He looked over at you many times while we questioned him.”

“Most men look at me, Kaiyer is no exception. Sometimes it would be easier if I looked differently, or was a man.”

“Don’t say that!” The duke laughed. “You’ve gotten away with more than you realize because you grew up a pretty girl and turned into a beautiful woman.”

“Perhaps, but I believe I would be taken more seriously if I were a man. Would you be pressing your son to marry and produce offspring instead of working to help the kingdom, or would you take pride in his patriotism and contributions?”

A loud crunch sounded behind my ear and I almost jumped out of my skin. I turned around to see Grandfather biting into a large green apple. He smiled at me as he chewed, his gray whiskers danced with the movement of his mouth. Without saying anything, he pointed at the door. I felt my face burn when I opened it and stepped into the room. My entrance interrupted the remainder of the duke and duchess’s conversation.

“Maerc took a break for a few minutes. Once he comes back we’ll talk about what to do with our new friend,” the duke said to Grandfather and me when we walked into the meeting room. As soon as we sat down Maerc strode into the room.

“Where do we stand?” the general said as he went to his seat.

“Nadea and I were talking about our thin friend Kaiyer. I’m not sure what to do with him immediately,” the duke said as he leaned back. “It seems he wants to help us but we both agree he isn’t telling us everything.”

The general nodded.

“Agreed. He is telling us most of what he remembers, but I believe he is leaving out something. I really don’t understand how a third-ranked assassin from the Guild missed him from a few feet away with a crossbow.”

“The princess said that she really didn’t see much of the fight. He pushed her out of the way when they kicked down the door, and then she crouched on the ground when he threw the table,” Nadea said.

“I’d like to have more time with him. I am sure there are many things we can learn. Perhaps if we ask the same questions in different ways he will make a mistake and inadvertently give us more information,” Grandfather said. I felt hot anger rise in my stomach as my heart pounded.

“He isn’t our enemy!” I blurted out. They stopped and looked at me. “He saved us many times while we were traveling. He’s done nothing but cooperate with us, and he did not have to. I don’t understand why you think he is hiding something.” There was a lump in my throat and I realized I was shaking.

I could see pity in everyone’s eyes but Maerc’s, who seemed annoyed by my outburst. Perhaps annoyed I was even speaking, let alone with such impertinence, amongst my elders and betters.

“Listen Paug,” the duke said as he smiled at me. “The kingdom really appreciates everything you have done. But now we need to think of what having this man in our midst really means. We don’t know his real motives. He seems to want to help us, but even the best intentions are stones on the pathway to ruin.” Nadea nodded and my eyes began to water. I forced the tears back. I knew they already regarded me as weak, naïve and young. Crying would do nothing to dispel that notion.

“You know,” the duke continued, “It is very good that you think so highly of Kaiyer. He will need someone to help him get adjusted to living in our culture, someone to guide him. In addition, we’ll need a clever individual to watch over him and make sure that we can really trust him. If Janci will allow it, I would like you to stay here for the next few months and aid us with him. What do you both think?” I felt my hopes soar suddenly. I turned to look at Grandfather. His face scowled in concentration.

“I don’t know about that,” he said slowly, “if Paug isn’t around I won’t have anyone to nag me when I pick up the tobacco pipe.” His eyes twinkled. “I guess it is okay.” He smiled at me.

“Thank you Grandfather!” I turned to the duke. “Thank you, my lord!”

“You might have one of the most important jobs in the kingdom now, boy,” he said. His face suddenly became impassive, like the face of a rock. His eyes turned cold. “This man trusts you, and we all believe that he is hiding something from us. Find out as much as you can from him and report it to us. The fate of the Kingdom of Nia, and our very lives, depends on the knowledge in his head. No one else was alive during the time of the Ancients, let alone part of the O’Baarni’s forces.”

I nodded.

“I won’t fail you, sir.”

“Be sure that you don’t.”

Chapter 17-The O’Baarni

Her lips met mine, matching my hunger and intensity. Our tongues intertwined briefly before her teeth gently bit into the fleshy part of my lower lip. Just before it hurt, she reduced the pressure and moved to my jaw, kissing, licking, and muttering under her breath as she traced along the ridge toward my earlobe. I gasped in pleasure as her tongue grazed the outside of my ear. The wetness of her mouth made me think about other parts of her body that might be wet.

After a few seconds I wound my fingers through her beautiful hair, the thick, coppery strands looked like a waterfall of blood that my fingers were parting. I grabbed onto the mane and pulled her head back, she moaned in appreciation as my mouth went to work down the front of her neck, and then across her collarbone. When I got to her shoulders I changed my kisses and licks into bites. Her nails dug into my back, and the pain mixed with the pleasure of our bodies pressed together was intoxicating.

“That is so good Kaiyer,” she moaned in my ear. I walked my mouth up the side of her neck to her tall ears. She inhaled and exhaled sharply when I began to nibble on the earlobe and lick inside of her ear. Her hands moved from my back to the front of my tunic. I felt her fingers graze the skin of my chest as she untied the front collar of the shirt with practiced ease.

“Off,” she commanded, tugging my shirt upward. I broke off the suckling of her ear and leaned back. Then she ripped my tunic over my head and pulled me against her. She whispered softly again as her lips kissed down my shoulders and chest. I was clumsier unbuttoning the front of her riding tunic than she had been unlacing mine. But as soon as I was done she shrugged it off, exposing her full, pert breasts and toned stomach.

I grabbed her left breast with my hand and moved my lips down to take the nipple into my mouth. My tongue and lips danced around it as my hand massaged it. She made a sound like she was in pain and I stopped, looking up at her face while my mouth was still around the tender pink nipple.

“Don’t stop. It feels very good,” she purred. I went back to sucking and licking while my right hand rubbed and teased her other breast. Her nails traced small circles over my back and shoulders while she panted. After a few minutes of devouring her breasts I moved my hands down to her small waist and taut butt, pulling her off the ground toward me. She leaned her head back as I licked up her neck again to her jaw, and then gasped in surprise when I tipped her over and sent both of us tumbling into the thick stack of hay in the loft above the stables.

I kissed down the front of her muscular stomach and her hands ran through my thick hair, her nails tickling and scratching my scalp before her fingertips got to the top of my neck and started to rub gently.

“Do you want me, Kaiyer?” she hissed as my kisses trailed down to the bottom of her stomach where her leather riding pants hugged her slim hips.

“Yesss,” I said. My hands moved to the leather ties on the front of her trousers and unlatched them. Her feet pushed into the ground, raising her hips so I could slide off her tight pants.

“So good,” she moaned again as the leather came off. She never wore undergarments and I saw that the silky copper pubic hair guarding her entrance was damp. I continued where I left off, kissing down from the bottom of her stomach. Her hands were frantic now, rubbing across my shoulders and scalp as she let out soft whimpers.

“Oh yes. Oh yes!” I angled my face up during a long lick. Her eyes were shut and her mouth hung open in pleasure. My tongue licked lightly against her soft pubic hair and then went a little lower until it made contact with the small nub of flesh above her entrance. She had told me that this was the most sensitive part of her body and I had learned how to deftly navigate it in the last month that we had been lovers.

She gasped and tensed again as my mouth sucked on it, and then she let out a soft moan of pleasure as my tongue slowly dragged across the top of the nub. She tasted of apricots, sweet, with a slightly sour after taste. I continued to lick her delicately, enjoying the sounds of her moans and the sensation of her hands sliding across my head and back. After a few minutes more of teasing the small nub, I moved a bit lower and slid my tongue into her entrance, tasting her wetness and warmth. She rewarded me with another gasp as her body tensed and rocked toward me. One of her legs wrapped around my shoulders. Its raised position allowed me to slide my wet tongue deeper into her.

I wasn’t paying attention to the sounds of her voice anymore. I was intent on pushing my tongue deep into her before sliding it up, out of her entrance, and across the pink nub above. It was what she enjoyed the most, and nothing else matter but pleasing her. My eyes looked up to meet hers. The blue and silver glowing orbs were half-opened, with a look of wild lust in them. She had moved her right hand near her mouth and was biting intently on two of her fingers to keep from screaming.

I focused more on her entrance, sliding one of my pointer fingers into her while my tongue licked around the pink fleshy outsides. My mouth sucked on her nub again and she gasped loudly. Then her body started to shake. It was the sign that she was about to orgasm, so I continued doing exactly what I had been, moving my finger in and out of her, while my mouth sucked gently.

“Maaaarrrrrr!” she moaned and screamed over the hand that was in her mouth. Her hips bucked against me like a horse. I should have been afraid for my life, since she was strong enough to break my neck if she accidently tightened her knees around me, but I didn’t think she would do it.

It lasted a long time, almost two minutes before her body began to relax and her hips slumped down back into the embrace of the hay. I slid my finger out of her with a wet sound and licked her dampness off of it.

“Hummmm,” she sighed from below me. Her face looked relaxed and content. She saw me looking down at her and smiled.

“Take those off.” She pointed to my pants.

I did so quickly, my penis glad to be released from its prison of leather. The cool morning air made me desire someplace warm to put it, though.

“Come here,” she commanded again. Her arms opened wide and I lay down in her embrace, the tip of my member sliding deliciously against the soft, smooth skin of her stomach. Her hair had a few strands of hay in it, bright gold against copper.

“You did very well.” She let out another breath of satisfaction. “I think I should return the favor, huh?” Her hand closed gently around the base of my shaft. I felt my heartbeat in it as she stroked the sensitive skin.

She moaned again and sat up onto her knees next to me. With ease she swung her left leg over my body and straddled my hips like she mounted a horse. Her hair fell down over her face and she pulled it back over her ears with her right hand while her left continued to stroke my penis. The tip had started to become very wet from her attention.

She shifted her body forward again so that the base of it touched against her entrance. She stroked a little faster as her hand tightened around me. It almost hurt, but I didn’t care. Her curved eyes looked down into my face.

“Am I everything to you, Kaiyer?” I didn’t understand what she meant, but at this point I would say anything to feel myself inside of her.

“Yes,” I gasped.

“Good,” she purred again.

“Do you have any other lovers?” she asked suddenly, her face angry. I hadn’t expected that question.

“No. No one else but you,” I said. She had scared me the first time she had ordered me to come with her up to the hayloft. But since then I had waited eagerly for the mornings when her trainers would leave and she would ask me to take off her boots and wash her feet.

“No one but me?” she questioned, her face returning to a smile. Her hips rose slightly and she pulled the angle of my erection toward her warm, wet entrance.

“No. No one but you,” I moaned as she sat back down on me and my member slid deep inside of her. She was so wet that I met no resistance as I entered her.

We both moaned in pleasure as I filled her. Then neither of us moved for a few minutes.

“Do you like being inside of me?” she said. I didn’t open my eyes. I was too lost in the pleasure of her body wrapped tightly around me.

“Yesss!” I hissed.

“I like it as well,” she said and she slowly raised herself up and lowered herself down. The movement made me thrust deeper into her. We gasped.

She rocked back and forward, causing my erection to scrape across the soft walls inside of her. My hands rubbed up and down her body, over her breasts, and finally ended at her hips, pushing and pulling her deeper onto my shaft. Her eyes were closed as she rode me, but our moans grew louder and louder.

“I am your only lover?” she said again, looking livid while grinding herself deeper onto me. I felt my penis tense and spasm by the sudden change of angle and pressure.

“Yes,” I whispered as I looked into her blue eyes, the silver in them seemed to blaze like fire.

“You will never have another lover besides me?” she asked it as a question.

“No, no one but you, ever,” I whispered. I would say anything to her as our bodies thrashed together in passion.

She leaned down and kissed me deeply. While our lips were engaged, she lifted her knees up off the floor and straightened her legs, so that her whole body lay upon me. I felt a sharp stab of pain in my mouth and gasped. She broke off the kiss and sat up again. I tasted blood flowing from my mouth. Speckles of it were on her lips.

“Say that I am your only lover,” she whispered down to me as she rode me. The pressure began to build up inside of my loins and I knew I would climax soon. Her eyes looked up into the air, like she didn’t know I was beneath her anymore.

“You are my only lover!” I think I screamed it. Her body shuddered on top of me. She was climaxing again. Her body was burning against mine. It felt like she was a hot coal and I was a leaf, about to burst into flame. Were her eyes really glowing?

“Say my name!” she said as she let out a low moan.

I said it as I released into her, filling her with my seed. It was so intense that I don’t remember anything but her bright eyes, the sensation of my body being on fire, and releasing into her. A river flowing into the ocean.

Chapter 18-Kaiyer

My vision cleared from the powerful memory, and it took me a few seconds to reorient myself to my surroundings.

My body lay submerged in the massive bathtub. The water coming out of the metal spout sizzled as it splashed into the boiling pool around me. I reached up and turned on more of the cold flow from the silver pipe. The heat wouldn’t burn me, but my body already felt on fire after the memory of Iolarathe’s lovemaking.

I stared into the water and attempted to relax. I tried to remember more about her and the hay loft. That particular session seemed different than the others, more intense. She had never asked me about other lovers before or after that morning. My throat clenched up as I remembered her killing my brother. Her face seemed to be just as pleased when she had strangled him as when I released inside of her.

She was dead anyway. The O’Baarni had killed her and her Elvens long ago. Turned to dust, as Malek’s letter said they all were. I didn’t need to feel anything about her anymore.

I grabbed the soap from the shelf by the tub. I had been in here too long and I didn’t know how much time I had before Paug would come to get me for the celebration tonight. I lathered up my body, cleaning off the oil and sweat from the workout I had performed in my room for most of the morning.

Paug and his grandfather ate breakfast with me after the king’s tailor measured me for clothes. They spent a few hours before my exercise, asking me various questions about my memories and what I thought about everything that had transpired since I awoke. I didn’t tell them about certain things. Like the magic that I wielded and my relationship with Iolarathe.

After Janci left, the boy opened a few books he had gathered from the library, showing me the meaning of the words written there. I picked up the script quickly, or so he said, and he left after lunch, telling me that he would come get me before the banquet began. I did feel a bit nervous about attending a large gathering where I would receive some award. Even though my friend said I understood their language, I was obviously missing key points of their customs and culture that had put me at odds with Nadea.

I got out of the tub and shaved my face quickly with my razor. My hands still shook from the memory and I nicked myself half a dozen times. I healed almost as soon as the first tiny drops of blood left the small cuts.

Calm down. The voice echoed in my head hundreds of times.

I remembered yelling those very words across a group of soldiers practicing magic. Perhaps I was a trainer, or teacher, like the man with the cane. I remembered brief flashes of fighting in a circle. I yelled their mistakes aloud, my blade cutting through them. They healed within minutes and attacked me again.

“Calm down and attack me together!” I yelled to them.

A woman with beautiful hair, the color of rich soil, jumped high over me and brought her spear down toward my chest. She was the leader of this squad, and the best of the bunch, but I easily stepped away from her thrust. The spear dug into the ground next to me as I buried my sword to the hilt in the stomach of her companion. He screamed and she sprung toward me with her arms outstretched, prepared to grapple me to the ground so they might finish me. I hooked my right arm over her left and spun away from her, a ripping crunch followed by her scream told me I had broken apart her elbow. I finished my twirl and clamped my left arm around her neck. My right hand grabbed one of her legs at the upper thigh and I hoisted her above my head, tossing her at the remainder of the group. Her training mates scattered and fell like an ocean wave slamming into a cliff face.

“Stop,” I said. My voice was a little above a whisper, but they obeyed. They sighed and relaxed. Some of them were so exhausted that they didn’t bother to remove themselves from the tangled arms and legs of their group. I turned and looked behind me; there was a small hill from which another unit observed us. One of the men handed me the sword I had used, still sticky with his blood. I walked toward the assembled men and women on the hill. As I ascended, I focused on a man with long dark hair, gray at his temples. He frowned and his brow ridged in concern. At first I thought his worry was for me, but his eyes were on the woman and the warriors I had humiliated.

The knock on my door startled me to the present. I made sure the towel wrapped securely around my waist before I stepped into the other room, across the thick yellow and green rug, and to the door. The knock sounded like Paug’s.

“You aren’t dressed yet?” He frowned.

“Sorry. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.” He walked in as I held the door open. I went back to the mirror in the bathroom to make sure all the blood and hair was cleaned from my face.

“That’s okay. I came over early, we’ve still got some time before we have to be there.” I nodded to him, even though he hadn’t followed me into the bathroom. I finished the last cuts to my face and rinsed off again. My hands weren’t shaking anymore.

“Your clothes look really nice!” he shouted as I walked into the room with the bed.

“Yes,” I said as I went over to the neatly stacked piles. The tailor seemed to be skilled at his craft. A few hours after lunch his lovely assistant dropped off several packages of pressed garments. I tried to convince her to stay and help me bathe and put them on, but she had declined.

“I’ve heard about you,” she said with a smile and wink. “Maybe another time, handsome, the banquet has made us very busy.” Her wavy blonde hair reminded me of a tapestry. She ran her hands through it several times while I attempted to seduce her.

“You okay?” Paug said. I looked over at him.

“Thinking about things.”

“More memories! What did you remember?” He sat up excitedly in his seat as I found the gray and green pants the tailor’s girl advised me to wear tonight.

“I think I was a trainer in the army. I remember teaching people how to fight.” I didn’t want to tell him about my lover. “It is still hard to remember some things, but I am almost positive. What rank do you have for a trainer in an army?”

“Sergeant,” he said and I nodded.

“Yes. Perhaps I was a Sergeant.”

“That’s great! Did you remember any of your training techniques?” I frowned and shook my head.

“Oh. Well, I’m sure you will soon. Don’t worry about anything tonight. It is going to be fun! I’ve never been to a royal banquet and celebration or seen anyone get knighted. Let alone my best friend!” He bounced out of his seat and skipped across the room. I noticed he wore black pants and a purple tunic that looked soft and comfortable. His hair was cut and lay slicked back against his skull.

“Yes. It should be fun. I am nervous. Thank you for coming with me. I don’t want to say anything wrong.” I put on thin wool socks and the new pair of boots that the king’s tailor made for me. They fit perfectly.

“You’ll be fine. All you have to say is ‘Thank you, my king,’ after he instructs you to rise. Afterward he will dismiss you to your seat. Everyone will applaud and we’ll get on with the feasting. I haven’t eaten all day! I’m going to stuff myself full of delicious food.” He rubbed his hands over his belly. I saw that his stomach pushed out against the material of his soft shirt.

“You had breakfast with Janci and me this morning,” I pointed out.

“Oh. But that was just a bit of eggs and some fruit.”

“You also ate lunch with me,” I said with a smile.

“Yes but that was just a few small sandwiches and wine.”

“Didn’t you mention that you were going to get a snack as you left my room?” I couldn’t help but smile.

“They had cobbler in the kitchen. I was going to bring you some, but you said you would exercise in your room before bathing. Hopefully they have more tonight.”

I finished buttoning my shirt and I ran my hands through my thick hair. Then I looked at him and shrugged.

“You look great, Kaiyer. The green goes well with your eyes.” I nodded. The clothes did fit much better than what I pillaged from the Vanlourns. The fabric was thick and felt durable. I started to strap on my sword belt.

“Oh no. Only the guards and king’s knights can carry swords. You’ll be able to carry your sword after he knights you, but you won’t need it tonight.” I put the belt down. He looked me over again. “Ready to go?” I nodded and we set off deeper into the castle.

I had only been out of my room twice: when Nadea took me to speak to her father and when I broke my fast with Iarin. The halls were bustling with servants dashing from room to room helping to prepare guests for the celebration tonight. Despite the activity, the castle was fairly quiet, the plush carpet and thick tapestries lining the walls absorbed much of the sound, and the servants padded silently, heads down, discrete and focused on their tasks.

Paug seemed to know where he was going, so I followed him down the stairs and through long hallways. Eventually we made it to a part of the castle where finely dressed men and women waited and mingled in a large receiving chamber. I counted more than eighty people engaged in conversation, while servants moved on the outskirts of the crowds with trays of bite-sized food and crystal goblets of wine. As Paug had said, no one wore a weapon of any kind. None of these people looked like soldiers or knights, they were predominantly aristocrats, well-fed and arrayed in beautiful, if impractical, garments and jewelry.

Instead of the tapestries that decorated the rest of the castle, the walls of this room were covered in massive oil paintings framed in ornately carved gold and silver. The paintings depicted battle scenes and people I assumed to be past kings or other nobles posed in military garb atop mighty warhorses. One painting stood out among them all, not just because of its central placement above the doorway, but because unlike the others, it was of the night sky. The moons were in the center, surrounded by an accurate yet artistic rendering of the constellations and celestial bodies one could observe from Nia.

I realized that I should have asked Paug to take me on a tour so I may have learned the layout of the castle. This room was so filled with socialites I could not discern an accessible exit, nor from which direction an attack might come. There were archways that opened to more rooms filled with people, and one huge set of closed wooden doors, which I suspected led to the room in which we would be dining. I had lost my bearings following Paug through the massive castle and didn’t even know where we were in relation to the building as a whole, or the city walls.

“We’ll wait here for a few more minutes, until they finish with the Great Hall. Once the staff signals we will go in and take our seats.”

“Where is your grandfather?”

“He didn’t want to come tonight, said that parties were for young people and other such nonsense. He gets moody sometimes and doesn’t want to be around people.” I couldn’t imagine that. Paug’s grandfather seemed to enjoy every aspect of his life.

“Where is Nadea?”

“Royalty makes a grand entrance after we have all been seated.” He gestured to a man with a silver tray of food. The man came over and Paug took three small bite-sized morsels off of the tray. “These are amazing Kaiyer. Try one!” I grabbed one of the pieces. It looked to be a bit of fruit wrapped in a thin piece of meat. I nodded to the servant and he walked away. It was delicious. If the rest of the food tasted half as good as this, then it would be a great celebration indeed.

After another quarter of an hour the doors to the Great Hall opened and people began to trickle in.

“Names?” a sour looking man said as we approached the entrance to the hall.

“Paug and Kaiyer. Guests of the king,” Paug said through a smile as big as his face. The man looked over a list and nodded, then gestured to an attendant and told him to take us to our seats.

I gasped as we entered the Great Hall. It was so incredibly voluminous that I felt like I had stepped into a hollow mountain. The ceiling extended almost one hundred feet above me and was supported by a symmetrical network of thick wooden beams. The room was probably two hundred feet at its smallest point and three hundred and fifty feet at its longest. Giant chandeliers hung from the beams like glittering spiders. Their light illuminated rich purple and orange rugs, deeply polished wood floors, and a semicircle of dining tables.

There looked to be enough places for two hundred people to seat themselves in space and comfort. Each table was covered with a rich satin cloth alternating in royal purple or a deep burnt orange. The tables were decorated with towering silver vases overflowing with purple flowers. They were set with fine plates edged in gold leaf, gleaming silverware and crystal goblets that mirrored the sparkle of the chandeliers. At the center of the semicircle, a raised platform with tables upon it drew my attention. I assumed this would be where the king would sit. Offset from the center of the room, massive stone pillars held up the roof like columns in a cave.

“Wow,” Paug and I both said at the same time. Then we looked at each other and laughed. The servant cleared his throat and we hurried to catch him. Twenty seats to the left of the head table the man gestured to two chairs and we took them.

“I thought you would have been seated closer, since the king is going to knight you,” Paug whispered to me. An older man with a red face sat next to me. He smelled like sweet tobacco and his stomach looked like it might erupt from his buttoned blouse if he sneezed too hard. His companion was a young woman with short brown hair and cute freckles.

“Hello. I’m Baron Listal,” the man said as he extended his plump hand to me.

“Kaiyer.” He smiled. I think he was waiting for me to tell him my title. “I’m a knight.”

“Ahh, excellent! My wife and I will enjoy talking to you. It is so nice to interact with the king’s fighting men.” The young woman smiled at me shyly. The man leaned over her to say something to a neighbor a few seats away and I turned to Paug.

“What is a wife?”

“What?” He turned from the older woman he was speaking with.

“What is a wife?” I whispered to him again. “I haven’t heard that word before.”

“It is … oh. Let me think about how to explain it.” He looked around then back to me. “It is the name of the woman in a relationship when a man and a woman vow to be together and raise a family.” I nodded, I understood his words but the idea sounded strange.

“What is that word in the Ancient language? I don’t remember it,” he asked.

“There isn’t one,” I said flatly.

“What do you mean? You had a mother and father, did you not? What did your father call your mother?” He set down the small loaf of bread he had been buttering, his appetite forgotten for a moment.

“He called her, ‘your mother’ when he spoke of her to my brother and I, which was rare. The Elvens didn’t do such a thing, or at least I don’t think they did. I know they mated and formed alliances, but their unions were not permanent or meant to be. Humans were not allowed to. We could have children together, but why make a vow like that when it could easily be broken by our masters?” I thought about my father. I never knew my mother and I wondered how much Kai had loved her.

“That’s horrible!” he gasped. “So you’ve never been in love?”

“I have,” I said. I tried not to show my emotions on my face.

“Oh. Tell me about her? That is if you don’t mind.” He must have seen my face harden.

“There are things I must keep to myself. I only remember parts of our relationship. I remember it was, difficult.” I smirked as I said the word. My vocabulary was not extensive enough in either language to find the right word to describe what I felt for Iolarathe. Perhaps that word did not exist. I hoped he would leave me alone. Luckily, he turned back to his bread and took a bite. His eyes were sympathetic.

“Where is Iarin?” I asked, to change the direction of the conversation.

“I don’t think they invited him. That is too bad, since he had a lot to do with you being here.”

“How about Greykin?” I looked around the room for the big man.

“He won’t be eating, but he’ll be around, I’m sure.”

A bell sounded in the hall, and people that had been standing and conversing hurried to their assigned seats. Then the room became silent.

The doors at the far end of the hallway opened and Herin entered. With a loud and clear voice, he shouted: “The Royal Envoys of Gradar: Duke Ritr and his wife, Liea!” A man and woman dressed in finery walked into the hall. They were both attractive, the man’s hair was speckled with gray and the woman’s curled around small sunflowers. The gathered audience applauded as the two sat down at the head table.

“The Royal Envoy of Loorma: Grand Commander Astotal!” A well-muscled man walked into the hall. He wore a short sword around his waist and moved with the trained prowess of a cat. His clothes seemed to be of a military fashion, with polished pieces of metal and black leather.

“The Royal Envoy of Newvana: Baroness Stokia!” An elderly woman walked in, escorted by an adolescent boy that wore the colors of yellow and green. Her ears were adorned with sparkling emeralds and she used a thin walking cane to aid her movement.

“The Royal Envoys of Brilla: Captain Guvey and his wife, Hellan!” An attractive man and woman entered, both of them were extremely tall and well-muscled. They had thick manes of blonde hair and tan skin. I noticed that they wore no jewelry except for rings that had blue glittering stones in them.

“Duke Beltor of Nia and his daughter, Duchess Nadea!” The applause became almost deafening as the two walked in between the tables. The duke wore a double breasted suit coat of rich purple, but my vision was consumed by Nadea.

She wore her hair up in a twisted spiral of lustrous brown locks. Peeking out of different parts of her hair were purple and white orchids. Silver chains of diamonds swung from each of her earlobes and emphasized the sleek curve of her neck. Her dress was of a softer purple than the duke’s coat and it hugged her well-toned frame from her breasts down to her ankles. There the dress flared out a little, giving her enough room to walk. Her legs were accented by a high-heeled pair of purple shoes that showed her feet through thin strapping. Across one of her ankles wrapped another delicate silver chain that helped draw attention to her tan skin. Her father leaned into her and whispered something. She looked at him and laughed as they walked to their seats. I couldn’t hear what he said over the roar of the crowd.

“Prince Rilc of Loorma and Princess Jessmei of Nia!” The crowd erupted again as a brown-haired young man escorted Jessmei in. He was probably a little younger than she, and his face blushed at the attention he received from the audience. I didn’t concentrate on him much because Jessmei looked like a sparkling diamond. She wore a glittering tiara on her head that parted the silvery hair down her back in a white wave. Her dress was more of a gown; it hugged her chest but then flowed out with various shades of blue and white gauzy material, accented with a scattering of sparkling diamonds. She wore white gloves on her delicate hands and the material faded to a blue that matched her dress as the cloth ran up her arms. As she walked toward her seat she turned to look over at Paug and me, gifting us with a dazzling smile.

“Prince Nanos of Nia and Princess Estaver of Newvana!” The crowd applauded again as Jessmei’s older brother escorted a petite girl into the room. He was tall and dashing, with a charming smile, blonde hair swept back, and an ornately hilted short sword at his side. He wore a light brown suit with purple trim. The princess had curly black hair and beautiful skin the color of rich coffee. Her dress was a creamy yellow, and pink flowers wrapped around her dainty wrist.

“Please rise!” Herin shouted. The gathered audience did as he commanded.

“The King and Queen of Nia!” The roar was like thunder as people cheered, clapped, and stamped their feet against the stone floor of the hall.

The king and queen were very attractive together. Her hair was a light blonde that swept over the front of her shoulders in purple lashed braids. Her dress was a creamy orange color and seemed to be cut from sheer and soft material that caught the glimmer of the light from the chandeliers. Her crown was slightly larger than Jessmei’s tiara but she wore it just as elegantly.

The king wore a deep purple jacket with a pleated orange shirt that blossomed like a flower from his chest. Across his hip he wore a hand-and-a-half sword encrusted with gems and gold. His crown looked as if it was made of at least three pounds of exquisitely crafted gold. It must have been annoying to wear.

The king and queen approached their chairs and he offered her his hand so that she could sit comfortably. Then he motioned with his hands for all to sit.

“Thank you, my friends, for joining us tonight. Although the worries of our world can sometimes cause our shoulders to buckle, we cannot forget the friendship and love that has kept us persevering for so long.” He paused and looked around the room. “We have much to celebrate on the eve of our great task. So let us feast and enjoy each other’s company. I have gathered the finest entertainers to provide us with joy. I have also asked my chefs to prepare the best meal their imagination might dream up, so that we may honor our guests.” As he spoke, a small army of servants entered the hall from doors behind him. They each carried covered silver trays. “Please enjoy the finest my kingdom has to offer!” the king said, and he clapped his hands. The servants moved quickly to the tables and placed their trays down in front of us. Without any sort of cue, they all pulled back the lids at the exact same moment, displaying a large bowl of creamy orange soup that smelled wonderful. My mouth began to water. The young wife of the baron next to me gasped in delight at the presentation.

The servants seemed to vanish. Everyone looked to the king as he took the first sip. He nodded and the rest of the gathered began to eat.

“The Royal Minstrels and Dancing Troop of Nia!” Herin shouted again as thirty men and women skipped into the hall and posed in the middle of the semicircle the tables made. Six of them held various musical instruments. I don’t remember where I had seen similarly designed instruments, but I recalled the familiar sound of each as they began to play.

The music was fantastic, and the dancers moved with beautiful grace and agility. I briefly thought of Iolarathe, but then I forced the memory away.

They danced and played for almost half of an hour. I looked over to Paug and saw the reflections of the dancing women’s skirts in his eyes. The audience clapped when they had finished. The dancers bowed and ran out the door as servants came to gather the used soup dishes.

Paug stood up and stretched as a few other people around us did the same.

“Now we can mingle for a few minutes, until the next bell rings.” He looked over to the king’s table.

“Oh.” I didn’t feel like standing, but I did it anyway. I followed Paug’s gaze and saw Nadea engaged in conversation with her father and the male envoy from Brilla. She looked over at me and quickly looked away when she noticed my attention. It seemed that she was still mad at me.

“Did I do well Kaiyer?” a female voice said in my memories.

“Yes. Excellent job.” I was suddenly in a field of corpses. Elven corpses, I realized as I bent down to inspect one’s face, twisted in death. The stench of their rotting bodies smelled as wonderful as a plate full of food after a long day of training.

“They didn’t suspect I would flank their ambush of your forces.” The voice belonged to the woman whose arm I had broken. She wore a beautiful smile and her eyes sparkled a bright shade of green. Her armor fit her body perfectly, its massive plates of riveted steel each weighing at least ten pounds. It had taken the smiths almost six months to craft it for her. Finely etched dragons and lizards ran across each surface of the grayish metal.

The bell brought me back to the present. I sat down and looked over to Paug.

“What will the next course be?” I shrugged before I realized he asked the question rhetorically.

I frowned when I tried to pull back the fuzzy memory of the woman in the dragon armor. These recollections seemed to be coming more often now. Maybe I would remember everything in the next few weeks. I remembered the message Malek left me and couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. I hoped I hadn’t forgotten my past for a reason.

The servants came out with more silver trays and repeated the presentation. This course consisted of a baked fish with small boiled eggs on the side. Next to the eggs and fish were a few thin stalks of a plant I had never seen and couldn’t remember. The servants returned quickly with wine bottles and began to fill the glasses that were placed in front of us.

“May I present: The Actor and Bard, Esthat Usmay!” There was a startled round of applause as a gray-haired man stepped into the semicircle and pulled out an instrument with a long neck and twenty-four strings attached across its length. He bowed to Jessmei’s family and to the gathered audience before he started playing.

Although it was just one man, the variety of pitches and tones he produced with his instrument seemed more varied and interesting than the musical troop that had played before him. I found myself entranced by his fingers and body movements as he pulled the music out of the air and pushed it to us.

I felt Paug touch my shoulder and I looked over to him.

“Don’t forget to eat, my friend! You’ve been watching him for ten minutes without touching your food.” I smiled and tasted the fish. It was as delicious as it looked, it melted into my tongue in soft, buttery flakes with a delicate, herbal flavor. The small eggs also were very fine, smooth and creamy, although I didn’t expect them to be as salty as they were and I had to wash them down with a gulp of wine.

“Careful you don’t get food on your shirt,” Paug warned me. “You’ll have to stand up in front of everyone when the king knights you.” I looked down at my still clean tunic and sighed in relief. This whole ordeal seemed to be a complicated process and I needed to be careful at each step.

After the servants cleared this course we stood again to stretch. The Baron asked me about the life of a fighting man, how much I trained, where I was stationed, and what brought me to this gathering. Paug came to my aid and helped me answer each question in ways that the Baron seemed to approve of. Shortly, the next bell rang and we all sat down in our places.

“This should be salad,” Paug said with a wrinkled nose. “I don’t really like vegetables that much, but Grandfather makes me eat them. I have a feeling that I will like these though.”

Paug was right. The servants set down a small plate of raw mixed greens, with purple and orange fruit, drizzled with a lemon-flavored dressing. It was light and helped cleanse my palate as I ate it.

“May I present: The Mistress of Song. The Dove Herald herself, Tanya Gettil!” The audience gasped and applauded loudly as a pretty young girl walked into the semicircle. A servant ran and set down a chair for her to sit upon. She carried an instrument that looked like a large wooden horseshoe. It had strings across it and seemed to be made out of gold and silver leaves.

“She is famous,” Paug whispered to me, “and only plays for royalty or for one hundred gold pieces an hour! She is supposed to have the most beautiful voice in the world.” He gazed at her dreamily as she started to sing. Her voice did sound amazing, like the sound of the waterfalls in my dreams. I looked over at Paug after she had been playing for a few minutes and poked him.

“Vegetables?” I said as I pointed at the greens with my fork and smiled.

“Ugh, you are just like Grandfather,” he said, his face scrunched up as he took a bite. Then he smiled and took another.

“Her voice makes everything good, right?” I said. He nodded.

“It is too bad this night has to end,” he sighed as he leaned back in his chair. “I hope I can remember this forever.”

“I agree my friend,” I said before I put the last bite of leaves into my mouth.

The young woman finished playing and bowed to us. All the gathered stood up to applaud her. She bowed again and took a seat at a table on our side of the hall, with the older man who had played before her.

“She is sitting here eating with us. Perhaps you should go talk to her?” I suggested to Paug.

“Oh no! I couldn’t do that.” His face looked white. “She is too beautiful.”

“So?”

“She would never want to talk to me. She is destined to marry someone great and powerful. I am just destined to be a village school teacher.” His face fell. “At least I got to see her play once.”

“I think you should go converse with her. Then you can say you got to see her play and you got to talk to her,” I said with a smile. The servants cleared off the finished course and I tried to avoid the Baron’s gaze. I didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

“She’ll reject me. Look at me. I’m not handsome, or brave, or powerful. I’m just a boy.”

“I think you should go talk to her,” I repeated. “But what do I know? I’ve been asleep for a long time.”

The bell rang again and we all sat, but instead of servants coming out, the king stood up and raised his hands, palms outward. The crowd instantly became quiet.

“I want to thank you all again for coming tonight, especially our friends from Loorma, Newvana, Brilla, and Gradar. Our families have stood together in peace for generations, and I could not see it any other way.” Heads around the hall nodded in approval. Paug mentioned that some of the countries here had only mild affection for each other. I wondered how much political skirmishing was going on behind the scenes to keep the wheels of their truce greased.

“But there is someone else here that I would like to personally thank.” He looked over to me. “Kaiyer, please stand and come forward.”

All eyes in the room turned to me as I slowly rose to my feet. My stomach flip-flopped a dozen times when I took the first few steps around the room. A memory suddenly hit my brain and I remembered a valley full of armored warriors.

A thousand pairs of eyes watched me as my horse approached the ranks of soldiers. They were devoted to me like I was one of the Dead Gods the Elvens worshiped. There could be no one else that would save them, deliver them from the Elvens.

I circled the last table and made my way to the raised stage. The king walked in front of his dinner table and drew his ornate sword. Its blade looked perfectly balanced, the gemstones on the hilt sparkled, reflecting bright jewel tones as they caught the light from above. He raised it before his face and held it easily. He was still on the raised platform, so that he might look around to the gathering and down at me.

“It brings me joy to personally thank someone such as you, a hero who has risked his life many times to protect my beloved family.” I heard mutterings around the room, people asking who I was, what exactly I had done, and about the family I came from.

Suddenly Maerc was at the king’s ear whispering urgently. The general looked at me when he had finished and glared. I had been paying attention to the susurration of the crowd and didn’t hear what he said. That had been foolish of me.

The king’s face paled and I could see his hands shake a tiny amount. He continued his speech.

“Because of these great achievements toward my family I would like to bestow upon you—“

There was a tearing and explosion behind me. I turned to see the doors to the Main Hall ripped open. One of the great pieces of wood teetered off of its top hinge. Four figures walked calmly into the room.

Elven figures.

I stepped aside and my vision began to blur. My heart surged with the power of the Earth in the stone and the blood flowed through me like a roaring river. It thumped like a battle drum and I couldn’t hear anything. Tears came to my eyes as I tried to fight with my hatred. I tasted blood in my mouth. I was biting my tongue. It healed quickly as I tried to cut through it with my teeth.

Half a dozen guards came charging forward with spears. The Elven in the lead held up his hands and yelled:

“Peace!” The guards slid to a halt. Other soldiers stood in front of the king and the lead table. “We come in peace, King of Nia. Tell your dogs to step back, or we’ll decide to change our minds.” The figure oozed confidence. The sound of his voice made me want to scream and kill everything around me, human or Elven.

“What do you want, Ancient?” the king yelled from across the hall.

“Instruct your guards to move back and allow me to approach. I will tell you then.”

“Don’t let them closer, sire, they could kill you before we would have the chance to protect you,” Maerc whispered into the king’s ear.

“Tell your foolish general that we aren’t going to kill you. We would have done it by now if we wanted his death. Your soldiers are soft and like sheep to our wolf hunger.”

The king hesitated a second and then waved his hand.

“Fine. Move forward and say what you will. Then get out. You are not invited to our celebration.” I was surprised at the conviction in the king’s voice. The guards that had circled the four moved back slightly, allowing them to walk through the empty space that had previously been the stage for our peaceful gathering.

The lead male wore polished plate armor. It was etched red with pictures of hawks and eagles. A thin long sword hung at his waist, and daggers on the other side of his belt had red accents on the hilt wrappings. His eyes were a pale gold, as was his braided hair. He looked like a beautiful statue. I wanted to break him into a thousand pieces. My blood felt like it might boil through my skin.

Two females and another male accompanied him. The three wore smooth leather armor dyed red, they were armed similarly to their leader. The women’s armor was cut low to expose the perfect cleavage of their breasts. One woman’s hair was gray and tied into matching knots on each side of her head. Her eyes were bronze. The other’s hair was a light slate green and flowed down her back like moss on a rock. Her eyes were as red as rubies and glowed like embers. The man’s hair was a blackish-blue, and his eyes looked like amber stones.

“I am Greretal. Captain in the Empress’s Red Army. I am here on behalf of our empress. We demand your decision.” They stood twenty feet from the king. I was off to his side slightly. Maerc had his right hand on his short sword and his left on the king’s shoulder. Guards with spears stood in front of the table but were not in between the Elvens and the king. It did not matter. As Greretal had stated, they could do nothing to protect their monarch if even one of the Elvens wished him dead. Four trained and armed Elvens could effortlessly massacre every human in the Great Hall, if I was not here.

“My decision?” the king asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Don’t be coy, Your Highness,” the Elven practically spit the word. “My empress thought sending me would instill within you the gravity of your decision. She wants it now.” The three other Elvens were looking around the room. They seemed excited. I looked at the female with the green hair; her right glove was dribbling blood on the floor. The room became silent except for the sound of the dripping.

“I’m sorry. I broke some of your toy soldiers; they didn’t believe we wanted to come in peace,” the green-haired banshee said with a giggle.

We never have to bow before them again. We’ll take the battle to them, striking when they least expect it and showing no mercy. Then we will disappear.

“This plan is suicide Kaiyer,” Malek said. “We are outnumbered three to one and they have the higher ground.”

“I’ll lead the charge,” I said.

Sweat was pouring out of every inch of my skin.

My armor had millions of tiny skulls engraved in the dense metal. My gauntleted hand dripped with blood as I sank my teeth into a pulsating heart. It tasted sweet and tough.

“What are you doing, Brother?” Thayer said. He tried to hide his disgust.

“I said I would eat his heart. Look, he still lives to see me do it.” The Elven general moaned as the last of his blood ran out of his body.

The green-haired woman had walked over to me. The flowery smell of her filled my nostrils. I could hear her reptilian heart beating its slow, careful rhythm. My body twitched and my vision faded from black to red to black again.

“Look at this one. He is so scared he is going to shit himself. Can I cut him open and play with his intestines?” she asked the leader in the tongue of the Elvens. My head snapped down and my eyes made contact with hers.

“How about I tear your throat out and drink your screams instead?” I said in our shared tongue. The power of the Earth flared into my body. I couldn’t stop myself. I had to kill them, grind them to paste, my hatred was like a pot of water that now boiled over.

The woman’s eyes widened in shock and her three companions’ heads jerked over to look at me in surprise.

They were just in time to see me grab hold of her throat and rip it out of her neck.

Her hands came up to grasp at the warm, gushing fluid that poured from the hole in her trachea. She managed to get out a gurgling sound of surprise before her friends realized what had happened. They shouted in outrage as the other two drew their swords and moved in front of their leader.

There were screams of shock and fear from the gathered party attendees, but no one dared to move. Now they would be privy to a different performance, one far darker and more sinister than what they had enjoyed so far this night.

We faced each other for a few seconds as the three Elvens looked from my face to my right hand, which still clutched a handful of her throat.

“Circle and cut him down!” their commander said. They slowly began to move around me.

“That sounds like a great idea. I’ll kill them first, and then rip you limb from limb,” I spat at the man in the red plate armor. His face turned from outrage to fear. He wasn’t used to being taunted, especially by a human that spoke his language.

The male on the right attacked prematurely. When I was a normal human, I remember that they seemed to move so quickly and beautifully. Their strength and grace made us believe that they were Gods that deserved to rule us without question.

Now I knew them to be mortal, slow and weak. They could be slain like any other prey.

These Elven had never met a predator before.

His sword passed inches from my face. It was a vertical cut and my hands wrapped around his hand and wrist when he reached the bottom of his stroke, pulling it downward below my waist. I stepped over this sword and maintained my grip on his hand as I circled him and raised my arms across my body. The speed of my action combined with my weight and leverage caused his wrist to snap like a dry piece of wood. His body flipped and landed heavily on the stone floor. It made a sound like a thunderclap as the large tile beneath him cracked. His hand lost its hold of the sword when I broke his wrist. The movement had put the thin blade into my capable hands.

He screamed when he felt the pain radiate up his arm. It was one of pure agony and shame.

The Elven people are not used to experiencing anything other than pleasure. They are mentally unprepared for the serious wounds that we will inflict upon their bodies, minds, and souls.

My own voice echoed in my head as I faced the woman. Her eyes were still surprised, but she cunningly waited to see what I would do to her friend before attacking. She feinted the same movement her companion had made, but I pushed my blade up to parry above my head instead of taking the bait. She danced back with a quick back cut that would have ripped me in half had I been more aggressive. Then she executed a series of carefully constructed horizontal and vertical slashes that targeted my chest and thighs. I managed to dodge each one by an inch or so. She smiled as she saw me give up ground. Then she did the same combination of movements again.

I came in quickly after her first horizontal cut flicked past my stomach. I reached around with my left hand and grabbed the back of her elbow, drawing her to me like a lover. The closeness of our bodies left her right arm trapped in between us, her sword rendered useless.

The hilt of my sword smashed into her face from above. She grunted in pain, but she couldn’t fall back since I had trapped her to me with her left arm. I pulled back my right arm and smashed the pommel again into her beautiful face. This time I heard the skull crack and echo through the room. I let go of her body and she fell to her knees, free of me but not free of the abuse. I wound back my arm again and punched her in the face a third time with the hilt of the sword. She was probably already dead, but the force of the impact snapped her head back and sent her body sliding across the floor like a drop of rain down a slanted roof.

“Who are you?” the leader screamed at me. He was backing away toward the door. His friend with the broken wrist struggled to his feet. He tried to move away as I walked to him.

“No no. Forgive me!” he screamed as he felt my hand close around his esophagus. I didn’t bother to choke. I just crushed the bones into each other and let go. His body twitched a few times like a fish that had just been gutted. I watched the light fade from his eyes as he died.

By the time I looked back to their leader I realized that I had made a mistake letting him watch his friend die in my grip. His armor-covered hands rose toward me in a movement I recalled. I felt the massive blast of force, fire, ice, and pain slam into me. My feet left the floor with the power of the magic he had used. I heard wave after wave of explosions and my eardrums popped. Everything went black for a second and there was another impact behind me, bringing me back from unconsciousness.

I coughed up blood and felt my skin and lungs repairing themselves. My eyes burned, but I forced them open. I was forty feet away from the last Elven, almost on the other side of the Great Hall. I climbed to my feet and coughed again. The last of the black smoke oozed out of my chest and into the air. My fine shirt was on fire in the front. I grabbed onto it with my left hand and ripped it off of my torso. I had slammed into one of the columns that held up the roof. I couldn’t see where the sword had gone, but it wasn’t in my hands anymore.

I noticed the shocked expressions of horror on the surrounding faces, but none as horrified as the Elven leader.

“Who are you?” he screamed again.

“How did you get here?!” he screamed louder and backed away. His magic threw over the table where I sat with Paug. I was going to need to jump over it to get to him.

Then he turned and started to run.

“Sword!” I yelled to the king as I leapt over the table and ran to the door. He tossed his through the air and my hand closed around the guard as I swung my body to the exit. I slid for a few feet on the Elven woman’s blood. By then I had reached the door of the hall.

“We have to kill them or they will report back,” Thayer’s voice said in my head.

I sprinted toward the doorway and into the Receiving Room. He was up ahead and turned the corner. I grabbed onto the door frame to help me turn. My feet hit the opposite wall as my bottom half went the direction I had been going. For a few seconds, my speed and the way I took the turn allowed me to run on the wall instead of on the floor.

I saw him mount the set of stairs ahead of us and I gave chase.

The stairs twisted in a spiral and I tried to figure out what he planned. I couldn’t see him, so I assumed he thought I wouldn’t know on exactly which level he would exit. Perhaps he didn’t realize that I could hear his heart beating its staccato of panic.

He went up three flights of stairs and ran down the hallway. I was gaining ground on him, even though the king’s large sword hampered my movements.

Then he did something I hadn’t expected. He turned a corner quickly and met with a dead end, an ornate window looking down to the distant ground.

He glanced back at me as I turned the same corner. Then the Elven ran toward the window. A deadly shower of beautiful, vibrant glass blanketed his armored form as he crashed through it, light glinting in a rainbow of colors as he fell.

I ran up to the broken opening and looked down to my prey. He had survived the steep drop and was limping away. He looked over his shoulder at me with a smile. It was almost sixty feet to the ground.

The smile turned back into terror as I leapt from the window and crashed into the ground. It hurt terribly, and my legs almost snapped with the impact. My ligaments groaned and complained in the fraction of a second before I rolled forward and came to my feet. My body struggled to restore itself, but I had been hurt worse in the past and recovered. Within seconds I could feel the energy of the Earth repairing the minor injuries to my legs.

His heart beat faster than a small bird’s. I didn’t need to run after him. He was limping slowly. As I drew closer he tried to skip his body ahead by thrusting his hips forward and jumping. We were in the open training area on the opposite side of the wing from my room. He would never make it to the gate of the castle before I reached him.

“You aren’t supposed to be here! Your leaders made an oath!” He was almost crying now. Finally, he fell down on his backside and raised his arms. “I surrender!” he said as tears came down his cheeks. He was so afraid, he forgot that he had a sword at his hip that he might use to defend himself. My brain was trying to puzzle out what he had just said, but before it could send a message to my mouth so that I might ask him for more detail about my ‘leaders’ my arm was already moving.

The king’s sword sliced off the top four fingers of his right hand. He gasped in terror as he brought them down to look at them and screamed. My next cut took off the rest of his hand. I didn’t think it was possible, but he screamed louder.

I tried to see how loud I could get him to scream before he died. He only lasted three more minutes until he bled out, and he didn’t get louder than when I had cut off his hand. His display of pain disappointed me.

I told him so before his eyes closed forever.

Chapter 19-Paug

“I’m sure news has spread across the four directions by now. We had almost two hundred people in that celebration and at least sixty guards that witnessed what happened.” Maerc frowned as he picked at his fingernail. “Did you speak to the envoys?” He looked to the king.

“No. They are locked in their rooms with guards for their protection. They asked to see me but I didn’t want to meet with them until I had answers.” The king leaned back in the thick leather chair and sighed. Then he glanced up to the ceiling. It looked like he hadn’t slept all night. His eyes were bloodshot and he still wore his attire from the banquet, it was as fresh and unrumpled as it had been the night before. We were all here: Maerc, the king, the duke, Nadea, and Grandfather.

We sat in the king’s private audience chamber. He summoned me earlier in the morning. It had seemed like only a few hours had passed since I had found Kaiyer in the courtyard of the castle and walked back with him, and thirty guards, to his room. He was standing in front of a pile of flesh and blood; the remains of the Ancient captain had been neatly sliced into thin strips. Except for his head, this rested on top of the heap like the crown jewel of some cabal treasure pile. The reddish armor flickered beneath the blood and hair.

“He gave you your sword back? He didn’t try to resist you when you found him?” the duke spoke up from the corner where he sat with Nadea. Her face was void of expression but as I looked at her she smiled at me.

“He asked if he could bathe, put on new clothes, and come back to the feast,” the king laughed a little. “As if nothing had even happened.”

“They came in peace; will the empress see this as a sign of war?” Grandfather asked as he twirled his mustache.

“She already intended war eventually. They did kill four of our guards on their way to the hall. If killing four is a sign of war, I believe they made the first move,” Maerc said. He picked up a warm cup of wine and drank a sip.

“When will he be here?” the king asked.

“Ten minutes or so. I have my best men bringing him. I still believe it is a terrible idea for you to meet with him. He is a monster and it was a mistake to wake him,” Maerc glared over at Nadea.

“Why was it a mistake?” Nadea’s voice was clear and strong from across the room. She leveled her confident gaze at Maerc, unwavering as she narrowed her eyes and spoke again: “Is this not what we wanted? He easily defeated four armed Ancients without harming a single human.”

“Nadea is correct. He may be our greatest weapon against the Ancients. The question at hand is: what do we do about the story spreading like wildfire?” the king said.

“It’s already too late,” Maerc said as he got up from his chair and paced the floor. “The Ancients will know we have someone who can kill them. Any element of surprise we had is gone.”

“I don’t understand what your problem is,” Nadea said. “The king wanted me to bring back the O’Baarni so that he could help us against the Ancients. Kaiyer might not be him but he proved that he could kill Ancients, something no one has been able to do yet. He did it easily. He was part of the O’Baarni’s army and he has seen them fall. He will help us.”

“So their empress should know about him? How long will he live now that they have identified him as a threat? She’ll send assassins to take care of him in the next few days. He may be able to fight them face to face, but he can’t combat poison or a dagger in the night,” Maerc fired back. Nadea was silent.

I remembered the way Kaiyer had healed from the arrow in his chest and wondered if Maerc was correct. I considered mentioning this, but I felt very intimidated in front of Maerc, let alone the king.

A knock sounded at the door, deciding for me.

“Enter,” the king said. Runir, Greykin, Kaiyer, and ten guards walked into our meeting room. Kaiyer and Greykin were eating bright red apples and laughing about something.

“What is the joke?” Maerc said to Greykin.

“I was just telling Skinny that if I had been a bit closer to the king last night I would have shat down her neck before I killed the other three ugly bastards.”

“I didn’t have enough time, and I also didn’t have to shit,” Kaiyer said with a smile. Greykin laughed a deep roar from his belly.

“Ah. I like this lad,” he said between gasps.

“Please sit down, Kaiyer.” The king motioned to a chair next to me. Kaiyer nodded and sat down on the leather padded chair.

“Can I have more food?” Kaiyer said as he pointed to his apple core. The king looked over to Runir and the handsome blonde man ducked out the door.

“Tell us about last night.” Grandfather said. He leaned forward with interest and began to write on a piece of parchment.

“What part? It was a long night.”

“Don’t be an ass. How did you kill the Ancients so easily?” Maerc said in a frustrated tone.

“Didn’t you see me do it? I am faster and stronger than them. It was easy.”

“Why did you kill them?” the duke said. Kaiyer looked around the room. It seemed like minutes passed.

“I killed them because it is what I am supposed to do,” he said as he leaned back and closed his eyes.

Everyone looked confused.

“What do you mean? I don’t understand,” the duke said. Kaiyer’s eyes opened and he stared at the ceiling. No one spoke for almost a minute.

“Kaiyer?” I whispered.

He didn’t look at me, but he began to speak his language. His voice was full of sorrow.

“It was the only thing I’ve ever been good at. I wasn’t skilled at anything else. I wasn’t strong and brave like my father. I wasn’t charming and smart like my brother. They died and I got to live. I was in the wrong place. It should have been me. She should have killed me.”

“Who? Your brother and father were killed?” I asked in his language.

“What did he say Paug?” Maerc demanded.

“Yes. I killed them. She was looking for me and I wasn’t in the stables.” He turned his head and looked at me. His voice was tense.

“What happened after? Do you remember more?” I leaned forward

“What is he saying Paug?” Nadea asked. I waved my hand to silence her.

“They made me a soldier. Elvens never fought their own wars. They used humans to do their work. They only did things they enjoyed. I don’t remember how, but I escaped them and joined the O’Baarni’s army. I remember killing hundreds, perhaps thousands of them. It made me happy to see their dead faces; their blood ran between my fingers like the water comes into the bathtub in this castle. I enjoyed their fear and pain. I still do. We killed all of them, Paug. Or so I thought, but they are back. I didn’t finish my job. I will continue where I failed.” His voice had become a whisper and his eyes met mine. They seemed to glow a pale green. “Tell them that they can help me, or stay out of my way,” he said as he pointed to the king. Then he sat back in his chair, folded his arms, and closed his eyes.

I did a poor job of hiding my emotions as I turned to look at the other people in the room. For the first time since the cliff face I wished that I was back home at the lighthouse.

They looked concerned, probably because of the expression on my face.

“He said,” I paused and swallowed, “he said that he really hates Ancients and he wants to kill all of them. He would like us to help him do it.” It didn’t feel like a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth.

“Well! Call me a six-breasted cow and milk me all morning! Isn’t this the answer to our problems?” Greykin bellowed happily. Kaiyer opened his eyes and smiled at him.

“Does he know how to teach us to kill them?” the king asked me.

“I’ll remember,” he said in our language. “I taught others.”

“When will you remember?” Nadea asked, her face hopeful.

“I am not sure. Sometimes I feel wind on my face and remember something, then a few minutes later I will see my reflection and recall something else. Then I will go for days without remembering anything.” She nodded.

“Okay. So what is our plan? Just wait until our savior remembers how to teach us? Can he teach us to be as strong and fast as him? That is magic. There is no more magic in the world,” Maerc said.

“No,” Kaiyer said. The door opened and Runir entered with a plate of bread, fruit, and cheese. He put the plate on the table close to Kaiyer and nodded at him.

“No?”

“No. It will be winter soon. I will spend the next few weeks preparing before I leave. Their armies are north and will rest for the winter. I need to kill as many Ancients as I can before the spring starts. When I remember more I will return and teach you.” Kaiyer took an apple and cut it in quarters as he was speaking. When he finished everyone started talking at once in disagreement.

The king raised his hand.

“Kaiyer, so I understand correctly: you are going to journey alone to the North and confront the empress’s armies by yourself, and then come back when you feel like it to teach us your powers?” The king’s face was full of disbelief.

Kaiyer nodded and took a large bite of cheese and apple.

“That is insanity, you’ll never survive the winter, let alone the thousands of men she has in her command,” the duke said.

Kaiyer sat up suddenly, rigid as a pole. We stared at him.

“What is it? Another memory?”

“Empress?” he asked. “What is that?”

“It is like a king, actually, a queen. A chieftain that is a woman. She commands the Ancient forces,” I said to him.

“What is her name?” he demanded.

“We don’t know,” I said. He looked angry.

“Why not?” He looked furious now. The guards began to get fidgety as his voice raised.

“She never called herself anything other than that. Do you know her?” the king said.

“What is the color of her hair?” he said with venom. The king sat back in his chair like he had been slapped.

“Spies say her hair is light brown,” the duke said.

Kaiyer let out a sigh and relaxed. He slumped back into his chair and took another bite of apple. The sound of the crunch echoed in the room.

“Why? Do you know her?” Nadea said with cautious interest

“No,” Kaiyer said as he went back to his apple and cheese, suddenly uninterested.

We watched him eat another few bites of food. The sudden mood change had surprised us all. He saw us watching him and frowned.

“Do you all want any?” he held out a piece of bread toward the king.

“No thank you,” the king said. “We were talking about you leaving. I will say that we are all against it.”

Kaiyer didn’t answer. He just looked down at his food and continued to eat, like he hadn’t heard.

“Did you hear the king, lad?” Greykin said after the silence had stretched. The room had grown hot and uncomfortable. Kaiyer didn’t seem to notice anyone’s concern.

“What reason do I have to stay here? In the North I can kill them. Here I will not be able to kill them,” he said flatly.

“You’ll die! I don’t care how good of a warrior you are. You can’t survive the winter in the North. It is too cold and you’ll be overwhelmed by the empress’s forces,” Nadea said from the back.

Kaiyer nodded as he looked at her.

“Does that mean that you want me to stay?” he asked Nadea.

She paused and looked around at the gathered men. Maybe she realized for the first time that she was the only woman in the room.

“Yes. I want you to stay here in the castle during the winter. If you must leave, then wait for the spring.” She nodded, like she was convincing herself of the idea as she said it.

“You want me to stay with you?” he said and smiled slyly.

Nadea fidgeted with a ring on her pointer finger. The king looked at the duke and then at her.

“Yes,” she said while her cheeks turned reddish. I had never seen her blush before. I saw Runir shuffle his feet across the room from the corner of my eye. Grandfather smiled and put his hand up to his face to hide it.

“I will stay then,” he said easily, and he went back to eating. His plate was almost clear. The room was silent a moment. Everyone looked at Nadea except for Kaiyer, who was concentrating on his food. Her face turned a few shades darker and she tried to look away. Her father had a huge smirk on his face.

“How are we going to contain the news from last night?” Maerc said. He never seemed happy, he rarely smiled, and at all of our meetings he was the one person who could find the negative side to any situation. Usually he could only see the negative side.

“What news?” Kaiyer seemed interested in the conversation again.

“Of you killing four Ancients.”

“Why do you want to contain it?” He turned his head sideways like a puzzled dog.

“So the empress doesn’t find out about you!” Maerc was becoming annoyed.

“Why can’t she find out about me?”

“Because she’ll send someone to kill you and we won’t have a chance to learn whatever in the hell we are supposed to from you!” Maerc’s fists clenched. Kaiyer’s unwavering composure was infuriating the man.

“Let them come.” Kaiyer turned back down to his plate. He frowned when he noticed that it was empty. It was the most emotion he had shown since learning that the empress was female. Even I was becoming vexed at how nonchalant he was about a situation that was so critical to our very survival.

“Then they could injure or kill someone else. They could be trying to kill you, but instead kill Paug or Nadea,” Maerc said. Kaiyer looked thoughtful again.

“People are saying that I killed four Ancients?” he asked. Maerc looked like he was going to scream with frustration.

“Yes. You are a fucking idiot!” He turned to look at the king. “I would have never believed someone this dim-witted was capable of it if I hadn’t seen it.”

“Has anyone alive today ever seen someone kill four Ancients?” Kaiyer asked him calmly.

“No, they have seen you do it now though.”

“How likely would it be for someone to believe that a single human had killed four Ancients?” Kaiyer asked.

“Unlikely, I wouldn’t have, until I saw it.”

“Would you believe that twenty of your soldiers could kill four Ancients?” Kaiyer fought back a yawn. It made Maerc angrier.

“No! I wouldn’t have believed ten of our soldiers could have killed one. They are too strong, fast, and powerful…” he paused, his face shocked for a second.

“Do you understand what I am getting at?” Kaiyer asked. Grandfather laughed and stood up.

“Genius!” he said enthusiastically.

“I don’t get it,” Greykin said from the stool he had slouched atop of. “What are we doing?”

“We spread rumors that the Ancients were defeated by our men.” Maerc laughed, his disposition much improved. “Damn, why didn’t I think of that?”

“Spread many rumors,” Kaiyer said. “Say the Ancients were killed by a dragon, or say they were destroyed by some other giant creature. Say that they were butchered by a group of men that looked like them, with pointy ears and long hair. Spread rumors that one human killed them all. Their empress will not know which rumor is true so she will be unable to make a decision. She’ll send spies to find out exactly what happened.”

“And the spies won’t believe the truth, even if it is.” The duke clapped his hands.

“Even if they do find out about Kaiyer, it will buy us some time,” the king said. “How soon can we do this?” he asked the assembled group.

“I’ll start spreading the tales through my contacts,” Nadea said. She nodded to herself. “I’ll start right now,” she said as she got out of her chair. Her hair swung down over her face and she made no move to brush it aside, hiding to avoid looking at anyone as she stepped toward the door.

“Stay here for a bit longer Nadea, we are still talking to Kaiyer,” the king commanded. She sat down and looked away from everyone.

“I’ll start some tall tales as well. There is a tavern I frequent where they hang on my stories as a babe hangs upon its mother’s teat.” Greykin laughed and slapped his belly. Nadea rolled her eyes.

“You should be spreading the only rumor that we don’t want them to believe,” she said.

“That’s not a bad idea,” the duke said. “Perhaps you can also say that you helped him kill them? That will be very believable.” Greykin frowned as everyone else but Kaiyer fought back laughter. Kaiyer didn’t seem to get the joke.

“We can work on the logistics later,” the king said as he rose out of his chair. “There is nothing more to discuss today. Brother, I want you, Nadea, Paug, and Janci to meet with Kaiyer every morning to document what he has remembered.” The duke nodded.

“I’ll need some things,” Kaiyer said from his chair. He had been temporarily forgotten.

“What do you need?” the king asked.

“I’ll make you a list today,” Kaiyer said with a smile.

“Take care of whatever he wants. I need to go figure out what I am going to say to the envoys,” the king said as he turned and looked at Maerc, Nadea, and the duke. The three of them nodded. Then he walked swiftly out of the room with his guards.

Chapter 20-The O’Baarni

“Remember when I used to kick your ass?” Thayer said from the ground. It sounded more like “Mmmberem eenn I usssdd ttuu kiiik uurr azzzzzz?” because of his broken jaw.

I reached down an arm to help him up while his other hand re-hinged his jaw, it would be healed in a few seconds. I had slammed him in the face with my elbow when he had dodged the swing from my mace.

“Yeah. You are a good teacher.” I smiled to him.

“Of course I am! How long has it been since I beat you? Eight years?” He gazed back toward the campsite. We couldn’t see it through four miles of dense trees and rocks.

“Eight years?” I stared at him in horror.

“Yeah. I beat you once when we first got to Entas’s cave. Remember when I broke your kneecap with my shin?” he said with a laugh. I did remember. I remembered every detail from every one of our fights and sparring matches, which was why it was now so easy for me to dominate my friend.

“It has been eight years already?” I felt restless and heavy with the knowledge. We were wasting time because we now had so much, near immortality.

“We’ve grown pretty well, eh Brother?” He didn’t wait for a reply. “Let’s head back. I’m tired of getting my ass kicked. I’m going to go play with someone I can bully.” He began walking and glanced back at me when I didn’t follow him. “What’s wrong, Brother?”

“Nothing.” I shook my head. I needed to talk to Entas. Eight years? I was still reeling from this realization. How could I have allowed so much time to pass? What had we accomplished in eight years? What could we have achieved?

“Did you mean to talk to me about something? We haven’t trained alone for a few months.” He looked concerned.

“Yes. I wanted to do a raid on the Titikar Tribe. My reports say they possess horses, grain, and humans that have learned how to ride. I wanted to mention it this morning in the meeting and recommend that you take your team. However, your last two missions did not end well, so I predict there might be anger from the commanders if I recommend you.” He snorted and opened his mouth to speak but I continued. “You need to do this. I need to have confidence you can accomplish the mission without a hitch.”

He walked for a few feet. He was mad, but not at me. Thayer was angry with himself and his team for giving the impression that they were not reliable.

“I’ll double our training time. How far away is the Titikar Tribe? Four days’ ride?” I nodded. “I’ll go alone and scout, then I’ll come back and make you a detailed plan. What is my timeline?”

“I’d like it done in the next couple of weeks.”

“Great. I’ll scout, find out the best method of attack, and then make a plan for you,” he repeated with confidence.

“How are you going to double your team’s training when you are off scouting?” I asked as we picked up to a jog.

“Good question. Let me think.” The only sound was our relaxed breathing and the earth pounding beneath our sandals as we ran through the forest.

“I’ll ask Alexia to take over training. She is the most upset with me, asking for her help might improve our relationship, show her I’m deferring to her superior skill?” I could tell he didn’t like that answer but he was telling me what he believed I wanted to hear.

“And then you scout?”

“Yes. What do you think?” he asked.

“Working with your team is the most important thing you can do. I would send someone else to scout, or let one of your reports handle training while you take a few of your best people with you to scout. Work on the plan with them before you present it to me. Alexia has our most talented scouts and I’m sure if you tell her that, she will be more than happy to help you.”

“Okay. That sounds good. Wish I had thought of that. Sorry Brother, I want to do a good job. Just tell me what I need to do and I’ll do it.”

“I know that.” We neared the perimeter of the campsite. Scouts in the trees gave the call out as we approached. “I want you to delegate more. You try to do everything with your team and you don’t give them enough chance to prove themselves. Consider what we have spoken of, and I’ll look forward to your plan,” I said as we rounded into the camp. A group of thirty warriors trained nearby. Pairs of them were lifting and squatting with giant logs on their shoulders.

“Thanks. I won’t disappoint you.” He looked over to me and smiled. His eyes focused on something in the distance, then his smile turned into a smirk. “Here comes Shlara. I’ll let you two talk about, things.” He chuckled a little as he ran off to the other side of the camp where his team worked.

“Did I interrupt?” Shlara asked. She was wearing her leather training armor, sans helmet. Her beautiful green eyes and long dark lashes turned toward the retreating form of Thayer. Her earth-colored hair was tied back in her usual ponytail.

“No. We were just discussing his next training steps. How can I help you?” her armor was impeccably maintained, but it was worn, beaten, and abused. We had recently freed an amazing human armor smith though, and he was beginning to produce protection that could stop even the sharpest Elven weapons.

“Can you review my team’s training? You said you would yesterday,” she added when I looked annoyed. I really wanted to talk to Entas, but I did recall telling her I would help her today.

“Yes of course,” I said with a smile.

“You can do it another time if you wish,” she said. She must have sensed there was something else I wanted to do.

“I will come. What are you working on?” She was my commander and I needed to be there for her. My conversation with Entas could wait.

“We are coordinating shield walls. Spears as arms. It has been our focus for the week.” Her face lit up with a smile as she walked me toward the end of her camp where her group worked. There were twenty-five of them and we stopped a good hundred yards from their lines, out of earshot.

Shlara’s team was mostly women, beautiful but deadly. They were quick, flexible, and powerful. Tactics with shields came easier to men, who seemed psychologically attuned to take hits and give them back. That was probably why Shlara had her team working on this. I had planned to have her, Malek, and Gorbanni’s teams take down and eliminate one of the larger tribes.

“How are they?” she was eager to please me. They all were, but none of them as much as Shlara.

They quickly made the formations, sliding around each other to navigate potential horseback, archery, magic, or spear attacks. Each movement had them interlock their shields and utilize their spears for the best offensive and defensive maneuvers.

“The woman with the short blonde hair. Resella?” She nodded. “The woman with the long darker blonde hair. Kiiyr?” she nodded again, “and the smaller of your two men. Jaccit?” She nodded again with a smile. She was pleased that I knew their names. Of course, I tried to memorize everyone’s name.

I watched them for about ten minutes before I came to my conclusions.

“They are the ones that need work,” I continued. “Everyone else is excellent. Do you see how Resella’s footwork is off when she moves laterally?” Shlara nodded as she focused on her pupil. “Kiiyr is new, so she is terrified of making a mistake. She doesn’t understand where she should be going. She might not be smart enough to learn tactics along with the rest of your warriors. Spend more time with her or remove her from your team and put her into one of the camp guard roles.” Shlara nodded again. “Jaccit is distracted by the women. You need to move him or have one of them start fucking him so he isn’t worried about sex all the time. I recommend you move him.” She smiled and turned back to her pupils.

“Thank you Kaiyer.”

“You’re welcome. These are easy problems to see though. I’m sure you already observed them. Did you really need my help?” I looked at her back as she watched her men and women training.

“I had noticed these flaws, I still wanted your opinion since I like showing them off to you.” She hadn’t turned to face me. I nodded. That was the main reason they wanted me to watch their teams, so I would choose them for the next mission. Before I could bid her goodbye she spoke again.

“I also like spending time with you,” she said, her back still to me. I didn’t say anything for half a minute. I knew where this was going.

“You all do. That’s why you ask for my opinion and want to work with me. We all share the same goal.” I tried to worm out of the direction she wanted to take the conversation.

“No. You misunderstand.” She turned, eyes as fierce as the first time she tried to fight me. “I want you. I’ve always wanted you. You must know this. Everyone else does. Why haven’t you taken me to your bed yet?” Her heart was beating quickly, the adrenaline rushing through her body. She was preparing to fight, or have her heart crushed. Of course I knew how she felt about me.

“How could we be lovers? It won’t work,” I protested.

“Why not? We all have pain; we all need release. I know you don’t sleep at night, you have nightmares, we all do. Can’t we find comfort in each other? Everyone here has started a new life. Everyone except for you and me.” She stepped toward me, her armor creaking as the leather held tight against her body. I opened my mouth to speak but she kept talking, her voice an urgent whisper as she moved closer.

“Do I not please you? Am I not beautiful enough?” She spat the question. She knew she was gorgeous.

“No, you are beautiful. I ju—”

“Is it someone else? Alexia?”

“No.”

“She cares for you too. She would be your lover if you asked. Is it another woman?” She moved closer to me. It was another woman. The one that haunted my dreams and nightmares. The one I saw when I closed my eyes. The one I reached for every night. The one driving my need to annihilate her people. I had never spoken of her to anyone.

“No. No other woman,” I lied.

“Do you prefer men?” she asked in a huff.

“No,” I said. “It won’t work if we are lovers.”

“Explain.” She crossed her arms, her left hand dangling close to the hilt of her large curved broad sword. It hung from her hip as easily as a ribbon hangs from a belt.

“If we were lovers it wouldn’t be the same between all of us. Let’s say I gave you a mission, for example, that was challenging. Everyone would think I favored you because we were lovers.”

“No. That would not happen. Everyone knows that you are impartial,” she interrupted me.

“Let’s say I gave you an easy assignment. They will think I am keeping you from danger because you are my lover. It will create a schism in our group,” I continued as if she hadn’t interrupted me.

“I think that you are putting more value in sex than everyone else does. No one would care if we were lovers. People exchange partners more often than they do weapons in our camp, and it never creates any schisms.” She bit her lip lightly

“Perhaps that is true amongst the troops. I need to hold myself to a higher standard. I cannot have sex with one of my reports.”

“Fine. I will quit. Give me another job. I don’t want to be your commander anymore.” She pouted and her eyes softened. Her voice was still a whisper.

“You would not be happy with that. You were meant to do this. You have risen faster and learned quicker than anyone else here, even me. Consider your team of warriors,” I pointed to her group working hard below us on the shield drills. “Would you abandon them so easily because you want to share my bed? I couldn’t imagine you staying back while the rest of us wage this war.” I met her gaze.

We stared at each other for a few minutes. She was tough. Brilliant. What I had said was true; she had learned everything faster and better than any of us had. Shlara had proven herself countless times in battle, as a leader and a warrior. She knew she was where she needed to be for the success of our army. She turned away and looked at her pupils.

“We don’t have to tell anyone. It isn’t as serious as you are making it out to be. Thayer, Gorbanni, Alexia, and even Malek fuck each other and sometimes their own troops.” She knew she had lost. This was her last attempt.

“Sleep with one of them then. If it means so little to you, it should not matter whom you do it with.” I turned and walked away.

“Kaiyer,” she said before I walked out of earshot. I turned back to her and almost had second thoughts. She was an amazing commander, intelligent, beautiful, and an excellent warrior. “We’ll talk when the war is over. I’ll wait. I don’t want anyone else but you.” She frowned and then turned back to her troops. That was like her, she always wanted to get the last word in when we argued.

Now I needed to go see Entas.

Chapter 21-Kaiyer

“This all seems reasonable, except for the last one.” The duke’s voice carried me back to the present. I sat up straight and tried to look like my mind hadn’t been wandering. He had been looking at my list of requests. Paug had offered to write it for me, but I had spent the last few days learning enough to do it myself, with his help of course.

I did not fool Nadea; she eyed me suspiciously from the seat next to her father in his private audience chamber. She did remind me of Shlara. They had similar hair, both in color, length, and the preferred method of wearing it in a ponytail. They were both strong-willed and determined to get what they wanted. Both were beautiful. I wondered what had happened between Shlara and me. Was she the woman mentioned in Malek’s message? I hoped I would remember more soon.

“Why do you want this?” Nadea asked, looking at the piece of paper. It was the three of us, plus Paug and the handsome blonde man Runir. He glared at me coldly as he leaned against the wall. At first I didn’t understand why he didn’t like me. Then realized that he followed Nadea around like an over protective shadow, and his looks seemed to grow colder when she was around me.

“Which one?” I tried to play dumb. Paug squinted at me from his seat. I suspected he knew I had just remembered something.

“Free rein around the castle and ten miles in either direction, access to the soldiers’ training grounds, weapon stores, horses, and no guards at your door,” she explained my request to me. She frowned slightly as she looked at her father for guidance.

“I need space and equipment to train. I’m not going to spend all winter here without doing anything productive.” Paug had told me that the winters in Nia were mild. The coldest it would get would still not freeze water in the lake nearby.

“You’ve already asked for a long sword, heavy war mace, twin bladed axe, eight-foot spear, a variety of different shields, helmets, tailors, and leather workers. We can give you all of that. Some of it we will have to custom craft for you, but we have skilled tradesmen here,” the duke finished, the implication clear that they were already doing so much to meet my needs that the additional requests were pushing the boundaries of their hospitality.

“That is good. Thank you. I still need freedom to move through the castle.”

“It is too dangerous. Spies will find out about you and someone will try to assassinate you. We can’t risk losing you,” Nadea said. While I knew I was not invincible, it frustrated me that they all still seemed to think that I needed their protection, or that they could protect me. I suspected any creature or group capable of killing me would also be able to easily overcome any of Nia’s guards.

“Am I your prisoner here, Duke?” I asked the older man.

“No Kaiyer, of course you aren’t.” He shook his head.

“And you want me to help you against these Ancients, correct?” I looked around for something to eat. I had eaten a few hours ago but I always felt hungry now.

“Yes, we want you to help,” he said cautiously, quite aware I was leading him somewhere he did not wish to go.

“Then I need to be able to train and explore. I cannot be stuck inside this castle for four months.”

“We cannot risk you being discovered,” Nadea said.

“This is wasting all of our time. You don’t have a guard here that could stop me, nor one who could protect me better than I’ve already proven I can protect myself. I could jump from the window of this room and you would never see me again.” Nadea paled a bit. “I am staying here because it is what you desire.” I met her eyes and she began to blush again. I was learning the nuances of their language well enough that the word desire was a deliberate choice. Runir shuffled his feet against the wall, uneasy.

“What do you foresee your days and nights looking like, if we give you free rein and you train?” the duke asked.

“I remember performing lifting activities, using either my own body weight or other heavy objects. Afterward, I remember running for ten or so miles. All of this before breakfast. Then I would do combat training most of the day. Repeating the same physical lifting, and adding fun elements to it like climbing trees, before dinner.” I remembered most of my physical training but the combat training was still fuzzy. I knew I had learned a small amount of it when I was being trained by my Elven masters, but had refined it later in the O’Baarni’s army.

“It will be too brazen,” Nadea confirmed as her father looked at her. “We are trying to keep your presence here discrete for everyone’s protection. We can’t let you do it.” Her eyes softened a bit as she looked at me. She didn’t want to refuse me.

“There has to be another option! We can’t expect Kaiyer to be locked in his room for the next few months. He is going stir crazy already,” Paug came to my defense.

“He’ll put us all in danger!” Runir said from his corner. I leaned forward to indicate that I wished to speak.

“I want to make sure that we confirm, I am not your prisoner?” The duke nodded. “I understand both of you played a large part in finding me and awakening me from my slumber. I want to thank you for that. I owed you a debt. Perhaps you believe I still do.” Nadea opened her mouth to speak but I continued, “I do not owe you anything at this point. I have saved your daughter’s life and the life of Jessmei. Whatever I may have owed you for waking me is repaid with these actions.”

“I agree. You aren’t our prisoner here, Kaiyer, we want to work together with you against our common foe.” The duke smiled. His face looked years younger when he did.

“Then you must find a solution. I need to be pushing forward toward an obtainable goal. Waiting around for something to happen, like my memory coming back, isn’t a strategy I am comfortable with. I have needs: food and water, and a place to train unobstructed.” My eyes met Nadea’s. “If you can’t get me these things I do not see any reason to stay here. I will push to the North, killing and obtaining what I need when I get there.”

“What you are asking is impossible!” Nadea was pleading. “The king doesn’t want our enemy to know that you exist. The rumors we are spreading are helping. There are more stories about the night of the banquet than there were people there. We still need you to be discrete until you can remember and help us.”

“I cannot help you if I cannot train as I wish.” I got out of my chair. Her face hardened and she reminded me even more of Shlara. “Figure it out. You have a week before I go. You know where to find me.” The duke and Nadea protested, but I turned and walked out of the room. I saw Paug’s shocked face before I exited. There were four guards waiting in the hallway outside the door. They were always around me and now I wondered if the king thought their presence was for my protection, or so extra eyes could watch me. I nodded at them and we began to walk down the hall toward my dormitory. Within a minute Nadea’s footsteps echoed off the stone hall behind us.

“Kaiyer, hold on!” she shouted. The guards and I turned to watch her approach us. Runir was a dozen or so feet behind her. I didn’t see Paug.

“Can we talk?” she said when she reached us. I nodded.

“Leave us,” she commanded the guards. They didn’t look happy but they saluted and left, walking down the hall toward my room.

“If you want to speak privately you should also ask your puppy to leave,” I said as I nodded behind her to the figure of Runir, leaning against the wall.

“I’ll be okay. Thanks for walking with me,” she said to the handsome blonde man. He glowered at me and then walked past us.

“I was leaving anyway,” he said.

Nadea waited for him to walk away. His footsteps echoed briefly in the empty stone hallways of the massive castle. A servant ran down the hall, her head down to avoid eye contact.

“You were beautiful at the banquet last week,” I said with a smile. “You are always beautiful, but that purple dress looked wonderful on you.” She put her right hand up to stroke the hair in her ponytail. “I said that color, purple, correct? It was purple?” She nodded, her mouth twisted awkwardly as she attempted to stifle a smile. “I’m sad I didn’t get to spend any time with you that night. You were sitting far from me.”

“That’s where the king preferred me.” Her lips remained parted as if she wished to continue, but I interrupted.

“Have you been avoiding me?”

“No! It’s just that we are trying to figure out what to do with you,” she said with a sigh. We paused as another servant passed.

“The king, duke, and you? Or just you?” I said with an eyebrow raised.

“What do you mean?”

“Have you figured out what you are going to do with me?” I said plainly.

“No!” she gaped at me. “I’ve been too busy to think about it.” She paused when another servant walked past.

“Is there somewhere private we can talk?” I was becoming annoyed with all the people walking by.

“Eh … there will be people at your room. We can go to mine,” she said as she motioned her head toward the wing of the castle we shared.

“Good. There is a bed in your room, right?”

“Yes. Wait, no. Let’s go to the library instead.” She turned around and smiled calmly at me, but her face was red.

“Okay. We can use the table there.”

“You don’t give up do you?” she said with the smile still on her face. It seems that she wasn’t angry at me anymore.

“Not when there is something I want. You are the same way.” She nodded but didn’t meet my eyes and her heart began to beat faster. She was wearing a loose pair of gray pants that hugged her hips and flared out more as the material ran down her long legs. Her blouse was sky blue and ran high up her chest, with a lace button down opening at the front. Her feet were encased in soft black leather boots that looked like they would be destroyed if worn outside for more than five minutes.

We passed a few more servants and guards on the way there. Most of them looked at me in awe. Word had spread through the castle that I had done something during the banquet, so even people that had not been at the celebration were uneasy around me. Nadea opened the door to her library and motioned for me to enter. From what Paug had told me, it was the only one on the wing. So while it wasn’t hers exactly, she used it the most.

It was an expansive room, with several thick tables laid out in the corners and the middle. Two large windows provided light from the outside courtyard. It was after breakfast time, so the light came through warm and golden, like a child had poured honey over the shelves. There were hundreds of books and scroll cases hanging on the walls and it smelled strongly of dust, paper, and candle wax.

She looked around for a second in the hall before she closed the door behind her. She was nervous. I could hear her heart thump in her chest. I hadn’t moved from when I first walked into the room and she gave a startled gasp when she turned around and was face to face with me.

My left hand reached up and touched the outside of her bare arm. Her skin was soft, and cooler than I expected. I slowly ran the tips of my fingers up toward her shoulders. She didn’t stop me, so I took a half-step closer to her and reached my right hand to clasp around her hip and lower back. Her body was firm beneath the smooth fabric of her pants and blouse. My mouth began to water as I thought about running my hands over the rest of her body. My fingertips brushed against the hilt of a small dagger that she had secreted flat against the gentle curve of her back.

Her eyes were open wide and her mouth was slightly parted. She quickly glanced between my eyes and my lips as I leaned in toward her. Her eyes closed as my face got close and a soft moan escaped her mouth. I was a few inches from kissing her when I heard footsteps approach from down the hall, it sounded like four or five guards.

She opened her eyes when I hadn’t kissed her and looked at me in confusion. I saw the conflicting emotions battling in her eyes. Then there was a knock on the door.

I released her body from my grip and opened the door. Runir was out there with four guards. He was not happy to see me.

“Is Nadea in here?” he seethed out.

“Yes,” I opened the door a little wider so he could see her. Her face revealed nothing but worry.

“Something wrong, Runir?” she asked.

“The king wishes to see you,” he said as he looked at her and then back to me. “I’m to take him back to his room.”

“Okay. I’ll go to him. We’ll talk later, Kaiyer. We need to discuss your plans.” She smiled at me and walked through the door. The guards went with her, leaving the handsome blonde man and me alone.

“I’ll take you back to your room,” he said. It was a command. I smiled at him and shrugged. I didn’t need to start anything with him now. He was just following orders. Although I wondered how he had found us.

“I know that you think you are some sort of savior,” he began as we walked down the long hallway toward my room. “But I want to make things clear about Nadea.” I stopped walking and turned to face him in the hallway. He looked into my eyes, his face a mask of contempt.

“This should be interesting. Go ahead,” I said with a smile. My attitude seemed to push him over the edge.

“I don’t want you near her. Do not touch her, don’t talk to her, don’t even look at her. Or you’ll answer to me. Understand?” He pushed his pointer finger up against my chest and his face down toward me. He was a few inches taller than me and probably outweighed me by eighty pounds.

I had tried to stay calm since I understood the desire he had for my beautiful friend. Yet I couldn’t keep the anger from the pit of my stomach when he pushed his finger into my chest. I had experienced enough of his attitude. It was time to show him fear. He needed to be put in his place. Actually, they all needed to be put in their place.

My left hand came across and slapped his arm aside. My right hand formed the shape of a C and slid into his neck, pushing him against the far wall of the hallway. His feet dangled off the ground as I pushed his body upward against the smooth stone walls. The pulse of his throat drummed between my fingertips and his neck creaked as his spine struggled to support the weight of his frame. His face turned from rage into panic as is hands grasped my wrist. He tried to force my grip free but it was like a baby trying to wrestle a carcass out of a wolf’s mouth.

“I am going to forget what you have said to me. But you are never going to forget the feeling of my hands choking the life from you. Understand?” I said calmly. My smile was all teeth.

He gurgled out something that I took as an agreement, but I pinched my grip together a little more. I could feel the arteries that ran from the brain to the heart beneath my fingers. He tried to struggle a bit more but within five seconds his body had gone limp. I released my hold and his unconscious form fell to the ground like a sack of flour. He would have a horrible headache when he awoke.

I turned and saw a servant staring at me from farther down the hallway. I recognized her as the pretty girl that always brought me food and flirted with me. Her face was in shock.

“He’ll be okay,” I said to her with a smile. “What are you going to bring me for lunch?” She stared at me, shook her head, and then returned my smile hesitantly.

“We have some beef that I was going to have them make into sandwiches for you. Does that sound okay?” I nodded.

“Thank you. A few hours from now okay? I’m going to go take a nap.”

I walked past the girl and heard her run away. I sighed with regret. I shouldn’t have done that. There would be more rumors in the castle about me now.

Fuck the rumors.

I didn’t need to be here. I wanted to kill Elvens. Everything else I did for these people was a favor to them. I don’t know exactly what I had done in the O’Baarni’s army, but my last memory had made it very clear that I was one of his best generals, and I commanded a large part of his forces. I didn’t need to be treated with any disrespect by the people of Nia. I had other shit to do.

There were two guards in front of my door. They nodded to me as I approached.

“I am going to go inside my room now. When my lunch arrives I do not wish to see any guards at my door. Do you understand?”

“We have orders,” the one to the right said. He frowned apologetically. He didn’t want to make me angry.

“Leave now. Tell your king that I will kill any guards stationed outside my door.” They both paled.

I guessed the servant girl in the hallway had cleaned my room since it smelled like lemons and all the bedding was folded neatly. I lay down on my bed, intending to sleep, but my mind was spinning over the events of this morning and my memories of Shlara. I gave up on rest and went over to the balcony to watch the troops train. Most of the soldiers from the other countries had left earlier in the week. I wondered what the king had told them about how I had killed the Elvens. I focused on listening to the mock fighting down in the fields. There were eight groups of twenty or so, running different drills. Their sergeants yelled when someone made a mistake or wasn’t working hard enough. I watched them for what seemed like half an hour, until there was a soft knock on my door.

I sighed and approached the door. This was going to be someone complaining about Runir or my treatment of the guards stationed outside of my room. I opened it to find a woman, a little older than Nadea, with fine blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Thankfully, the guards were gone.

“My lady wishes to know if you will have lunch with her,” the woman said as she examined my body. She wore a delicate looking dress made out of white and blue lace with pale blue slippers on her feet.

“Your lady?” I asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Princess Jessmei. She wishes to have lunch with you in the Royal Garden.” She waited patiently for my answer.

“Yes I will come,” I replied. I had not spoken with Jessmei since our trip here had ended a few weeks ago. It would be good to see her again.

“Perfect. My lady will be pleased. Do you know where the Royal Gardens are?”

“No.” I frowned as I considered the logistical nightmare of getting over to the other side of the castle after I had just told the duke he had a week to meet my demands, choked Runir unconscious, and threatened to kill the guards at my door.

“I will come to escort you in one quarter of an hour. That will give you time to prepare better attire.” The woman nodded and smiled at me. Before I replied she turned and walked away.

I hadn’t thought my clothes were in such poor shape, but then I realized I wore a pair of pants and a shirt I had taken from the Vanlourns. I went to my wardrobe and put on one of the outfits that the king’s tailor had created for me: a light red and brown tunic and pants with gold stitching on all the seams.

Minutes later, I heard Jessmei’s handmaiden walk toward my room and I opened the door to greet her.

“You look very handsome,” she complimented me as she appraised my attire.

“Thank you,” I said as she led me down the hallway. Her arm wrapped around mine, similar to the way Nadea’s had the other day.

“How have you enjoyed your stay in Nia so far?” She looked over to me and shook her hair back, it fell like a waterfall of mercury.

“It has been fine.” I chose my words carefully. “I am anxious to be useful.”

“I’m sure you will be.” She nodded to a few servants that passed us.

“Oh, I just remembered, I had asked the girl that takes care of my room to bring me lunch,” I said, nearly forgetting the pretty servant in the hallway that had witnessed me choking Runir.

“Wait,” the woman called out to the servants that we had just passed. She eloquently explained to them I would not require lunch and they told us they would make sure it wasn’t delivered. After the conversation the blonde woman took my arm again and we continued on our way.

She took me out of the wing of the castle in which I had spent most of my visit toward the north side. We passed maybe a dozen guards as we walked and they eyed me in surprise. While most of the castle was impressive, I could immediately tell the difference between the North Wing of the castle and the rest of the structure. The Royal Wing was decorated with even richer furniture, better art, even the guards seemed more capable. The ceilings were higher and there were rich dark wooden beams running through them.

“Does the king know that Jessmei and I are having lunch?” I asked.

“Yes,” the woman said. “We are almost there.” We went down a flight of stairs and into an open garden area.

Large willowy trees decorated the perimeter of the garden, while excellently manicured maples, spruces, and pines led along a stone path into its center. Each side of the small field was flanked by bright yellow green moss and a sunset cascade of colored flowers arranged in a warm rainbow that flowed from papery magenta bougainvillea on one end, followed by deep velvety red camellias, orange chrysanthemums, downy yellow dahlias and dandelions, to a row of buttery gardenias that scented the air with a heady perfume. The colors of the blooms blended artfully and created a gorgeous wash of color that contrasted beautifully with the vibrant greens of the trees and lawn. I imagined the hours of human labor it took to maintain such an unnaturally pristine and purely decorative landscape and wondered how this kingdom functioned without slave labor.

I heard the soft laughter of a brook up ahead of me. It mixed with the giggles of women’s voices and the chirping of happy yellow birds that danced between the branches of the trees. The woman led me along the path for a few minutes. It led up a small hill before sloping down into a shallow and cool glade framed by feathery willows. The sound of the laughter grew louder as we reached a clearing hidden in the depths of the trees.

“Kaiyer!” Jessmei’s voice shouted with delight when I entered the clearing. The woman who was escorting me released me in time for me to cradle the princess’s body in my arms as she flung herself on me in exuberance. “Thank you so much for coming!” She pulled her face away from my shoulder and our eyes made contact briefly. For a second I thought she was going to kiss me, but then she released her grip from around my neck and landed easily on the ground.

She was wearing a thin yellow summer dress that was embroidered with blue and vermillion flowers around the edges of the hem and sleeves. Her hair was done up in a curly tower of golden locks, entwined with white and golden daisies. She wore color on her cheeks and her lips were stained a darker red than I would have expected her to wear. It made her seem more of a woman and less of a girl.

“I can’t turn down food,” I said with a laugh. “Especially with my favorite princess.”

“Ha! I’m the only princess you know! You do need to eat more. I believe you’ve only gained a few pounds since we first met you. Don’t worry, I have a great lunch for us all planned out. Oh, let me introduce you to my handmaidens,” she said with pleasure as she wrapped her arm around mine and pulled me farther into the clearing.

“You have already met Cerra,” she indicated the pretty woman who had walked me from my room. She had joined her companions in a small circle where they were working on a complicated knitting project. Cerra gave me a dazzling smile before looking back down to her work.

“That is Yera, Levie, Damina, and Siliah.” She pointed to the other women of the circle. All as pretty as Cerra and ranging in age from Jessmei to a few years older than Nadea. “There is a table over here for us, please join me.” She indicated a small table with two chairs placed about fifty feet from where her maidens were knitting. I followed her lead toward the table. I remembered seeing men pull chairs out for women at the banquet, so I did the same for her before I took my seat.

As soon as we sat down two servants appeared out of the shadows and put glasses on the table and then poured water into them. One waiter put a small basket of steaming bread in the center of the table, and the other placed a platter of cheese, red berries, and butter alongside it. They moved back a few steps and Jessmei nodded at them before they removed themselves.

“Where is Greykin?” I asked, looking around for the big man. I couldn’t imagine him being more than twenty feet from the princess, especially if I was near her.

“He took a week off to visit family. A sister I believe. It is a few days’ ride. Let me prepare some bread for you,” she said as she grabbed a thinly cut slice and put a spread of butter on it, then she placed it on a plate and handed it to me.

“Thank you,” I said before I took a bite. It was delicious. “I don’t see any guards. Aren’t you always under some sort of protection?” I said as I eyed the trees. I didn’t hear anything except for the servants, her handmaidens, the stream that flowed nearby, the breeze through the branches of the trees, and the birds.

“Oh they are around the garden. Do you think my father would let me dine with you alone and unprotected?” she giggled and stuck her tongue out at me. Her voice was as pleasant as the sound of the brook. “I am so glad you came. We haven’t had a chance to talk in a few weeks and I wanted to catch up with you. How do you enjoy my home?” She looked at me eagerly. The rays of the sun danced through the trees and made her eyes sparkle like sapphires.

I sat back in my chair and debated on what to tell her. Then I figured the truth was the best. Perhaps Jessmei could convince her father that I needed to have a little more freedom here.

“It has been a nice stay, but I am going to be leaving within the week.” Her face cracked like she had just lost a favorite pet.

“What? Why?” Her eyes opened up as her lips pouted. They were full and moist, like the berries on the table. For a second I wanted to lean across and taste them.

“Your father, Nadea, and her father are having disagreements with me,” I said as I reached across to sample some of the berries. They were good, but probably not as delicious as her lips were. I tried to steer my thoughts from ravishing her to the conversation. It was difficult.

“About what?” She took my plate and began to slice cheese for it, concern plain on her face as she concentrated on our conversation.

“I would prefer to leave as soon as possible for the North, where the Ancients’ army is. They argued that I should stay here since the winters are terrible up north and there will be no activity for the next few months. I agreed as long as they could meet my requests. So far we have been at an impasse about my dormitory. They seem to think that it will be safer if I am locked in my room for the winter. This is unacceptable.” She nodded at me and handed me a new plate of bread and cheese.

“Can I help?” she asked me. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“If you can convince your father to let me have free rein over the castle it would be excellent. I need to move around, train, become stronger, and run. Spending the next three months locked in my room will not be pleasant for me.”

“I know.”

“Is that why you left the castle and followed Nadea?”

“Yes,” she answered plainly. “You have been here for a few weeks and you already want to leave. I’ve been here for almost nineteen winters. I don’t leave my room unless the guards are with me, when I am in my room my handmaidens are always around.” Her face fell a little, she maintained the smile in her lips but her eyes narrowed in anger. “Those first days on my own, having freedom to do what I wished, not to have to explain myself or ask permission, it was the first time I felt … real?” She looked up at me, unsure. I nodded to encourage her to continue. While I could not relate to the sheltered, privileged life she led, I did understand how it felt to go from being watched over and ordered around to having to think for yourself. It was at once jarring, terrifying, and exhilarating. “Here I am just another treasured object,” she gestured to the elegant marble statues flanking our table, “my purpose is to look nice, grow in value and eventually be used to purchase political power.” Her face was suddenly hard, serious.

I found it hard to pity her though. I remembered a world where I was nothing more than a beast of burden. I remembered my father and brother, their handsome faces contorted into ones of pain and death. She lacked freedom, but she was safe, she was valued and irreplaceable. This girl had no idea how easy her life was compared to what the women of my time had endured. She had never known fear or hunger. I doubted she had ever experienced any real pain.

“Were you punished for following Nadea?” I asked so my mind could wander from the raw memories.

“Yes, but not that badly. Father and Mother canceled a few of my activities. I had also planned a trip to Nadea’s home for a few weeks and they told me I couldn’t go. Mother probably believes my cousin is a bad influence on me.” She laughed but I could sense frustration in the expression.

“Nadea’s home? Doesn’t she live here?” My mind thought back to an hour ago when I had almost kissed her. I forced myself to focus.

“No. The duke’s keep is a hundred or so miles east, closer to the mountains. He guards the Teeth Mountain ranges from the Losher Tribes.” I gave her a puzzled look. “They are another country. Losher dislikes us even more than Vanlourn. Nadea and her father are here for you, although she has been using the castle for her studies for the last few years. She normally goes home during the winter. I was going to go with her.”

I nodded and thought to myself. Perhaps I could use Nadea’s keep instead of staying here. It sounded like it might be out of the way. Jessmei took a sip of her water and looked over at the birds. She appeared lost in her own thoughts.

“Jessmei has such a crush on the stranger,” one of her handmaidens, I believe Levie, whispered to the others. They had been softly talking about various frivolous topics, I had ignored their conversation but my ears pricked up when they began to whisper.

“Shhh! She’ll hear you and make you spend all night brushing her hair out,” Siliah said with a chuckle.

“At least you didn’t have to put her hair up into that complicated nest. You should have heard her the whole time: ‘Do you think he’d rather my hair be up or down? Do you think he’ll like what I picked for lunch? Do you think he’ll like this dress? What if he doesn’t talk at all during lunch? What do I do?’” Damina laughed loud and then covered her mouth with her hand. She looked over to Jessmei and me but she must have thought I couldn’t listen in on their conversation from so far away.

“She should have been more worried about spending all morning getting ready to meet him without even asking if he was available!” Siliah tittered.

“He is handsome, I agree with her, but so skinny! I can see the bones in his face and neck. I like my men with some meat on them,” Yera whispered as she leaned over her knitting.

“You are only interested in one piece of meat on a man’s body,” Cerra commented as she picked up a bundle of thin orange yarn. The rest burst into laughter.

“Rumor is that he killed twenty of the Ancient soldiers bringing Jessmei back from Vanlourn. Then at the banquet he killed a dozen more that showed up to demand that the king bow before them,” Levie said.

“No. Look at how skinny he is. He probably can’t even lift his fork!” Yera said with a laugh.

“Let us hope the rumors are at least half-true, she’ll need someone to protect her from the king when he finds out she is having lunch without Greykin’s guards in attendance,” Siliah said.

“What are you thinking about?” Jessmei pulled my attention back to her. I had been looking at the handmaidens past her but she probably believed I was looking at her.

“Sorry. I was studying you,“ I said, as I smiled at her. “Your hair looks beautiful, as does your dress. Thank you for inviting me to lunch. You have made a stressful day very pleasing.” I hoped the compliments made her feel better.

“Oh. Well, I figured we hadn’t talked so …” Her face reddened and she turned quickly back toward the brook. I could see her fight back a smile. It made her even prettier, if that was possible.

“What are you planning for lunch?” I asked before the tension between us grew any more.

“It is going to be delicious! Let’s start the first course!” She waved into the shadows of the trees and I heard a pair of feet patter away. I guessed it was the servants going to fetch the food.

“Tell me about the young prince that escorted you at the banquet,” I said, changing the subject to one I hoped would put her at ease.

“Rilc?” She waved her hand dismissively. “There is not much to tell, he is three winters younger than me and a pompous dullard. The king of Loorma wants us to be wed. I hope it does not come to that. I have a few more years before my father will decide whom I wed, and I have shared my opinion of Rilc with him. He loves me enough to take it under consideration, but in the end he will have to choose the union that will provide the best political alliance for Nia.”

“What does ‘wed’ mean?” I heard the servants approaching.

“It means joined or married,” she said, her face slightly shocked. “I guess Paug hasn’t taught you that word yet?”

“No. What does ‘joined’ or ‘married’ mean? He spoke of it during the banquet but I’d like you to tell me of it. Didn’t you say something about us being joined at the inn when I asked you to be my lover?” I questioned as the servants put the dishes of the first course down in front of us. It was a variety of red and green vegetables with bits of bread, cheese, and yellowish cream spread on top. The servants filled up our water and then poured new glasses of bright yellow wine. I could smell its sweet aroma a few feet from the glass. It all looked and smelled delicious.

I realized that Jessmei and the servants’ hearts were beating extremely fast. I looked away from the food toward them. It was two women, they looked straight ahead into the trees, not at Jessmei or me. Sensing danger, I peered into the brush. I didn’t hear or see anything. I looked back at Jessmei. Her face was white and her mouth hung open in horror as she looked at me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing!” she blurted out. “I’ll signal for the next course,” she said curtly to the servants, they quickly moved back to their positions at the edge of the tree line. Jessmei picked up her fork and knife and put one of the pieces of culinary art on her plate. Then she carefully cut into it. She avoided eye contact with me as she sliced the morsel into tiny half-bite sizes. Her heart was still thundering in her chest.

A minute passed and I hadn’t taken any food yet. She still looked at her plate, avoiding my eyes.

“Did I say something wrong? I don’t understand what those words mean. Please forgive me.” I had obviously done something to upset her.

“I can’t believe you just said that,” she hissed under her breath. She put her fork and knife down and looked up at me. The frown made her beautiful nose upturn a bit.

“Sorry Jessmei. I really don’t understand. If you prefer, I can ask Paug to explain marriage more in depth,” I apologized again.

“No!” she blurted out again, then she looked to her entourage and back to me. “I’m not talking about your first question. I’m talking about when you asked me about the inn and us being lovers,” she was whispering again.

“Yes. I didn’t know how to ask you to be my lover then. But I thought I did a good job of indicating it with my hands. Then you mentioned something about joining. Is that the same thing as marriage?”

“You asked me that in front of the servants!” she gasped as she realized she had yelled it out. Her handmaidens looked over to us.

“Cerra! Can you play some music, please?” Jessmei said as she looked back over her shoulder. The woman nodded and walked over to a gathering of yarn and knitting tools. Hidden behind the pile was a small string instrument. Jessmei waited for her to go back to her seat and begin playing before she continued.

“The servants will spread a rumor that we are lovers. That is not good,” Jessmei said. She did look very distressed.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to cause you displeasure,” I said sincerely. I was still unsure as to why the women I had met all seemed so offended and scandalized by the mere mention of sex.

We sat for a few minutes in silence. She picked up my plate and put two helpings of the vegetables on it before setting it back in front of me.

“What’s done is done,” she sighed. “Please eat. It makes me happy to see you enjoy a meal.”

I took a few bites and it was amazing. The vegetables were slightly spicy and I had to wash them down with a swallow of the sweet wine.

“There is one solution I have,” I couldn’t hide the smirk that was spreading across my face.

“Oh?” she said with an eyebrow raised. She put her fork down and dotted her mouth with the cloth napkin.

“It doesn’t have to be a rumor.”

She looked at me again in shock, her hand covering her mouth to hide her surprise.

“You are crazy!” she whispered to me. “My father would kill me, and he would set all of his soldiers on you!” she suddenly giggled and stuck her tongue out at me. “I bet you would like having all the soldiers chasing after you. I think you would still beat them.” She smiled at me.

“Yes. That would be fun. There aren’t any guards around are there?” I took another slow bite of the vegetables.

“No. How did you guess? I wanted some time with you, alone. Greykin has warmed up to you but he would never let us be like this.” She smiled again. Her heart had slowed down after I had embarrassed her in front of her servants.

“Like what?”

“Sitting here, eating together, and talking.” She brushed the hair back from her ear and looked back at her handmaidens.

“I have good hearing,” I said with a smile. “Their favorite topic of conversation seems to involve you and me.”

“Really?” she looked back at them quickly.

“Perhaps,” I said to her with a wink. She frowned at me again. It was a playful frown.

She waved over the servants to clear the plate.

“Don’t say anything naughty while they are within earshot,” she warned as they got closer. Within seconds the plates had been cleared and they disappeared.

“Why is this such a concern, what you do, even what people think you have done?”

She looked at me and cocked her head to the side. “You really don’t understand?”

I shook my head.

Jessmei absently played with the rim of her wine glass, rubbing the tip of her finger around the edge where her lips had been. “You know our kingdom is ruled by a monarchy?” I nodded. “The king rules until he dies, then his son takes over, and so on. It is the same in all of our neighboring kingdoms. The princes must continue to produce offspring—male offspring—in order to keep their family in power. Does that make sense?”

“And they can only produce offspring with other royalty?”

“Exactly. If I am …” she blushed and looked away, “doing something that would possibly create a child with someone else, my value as a future queen would be diminished. Diminished is putting it lightly.” She smirked. “By joining me with the prince of another kingdom, my father would create a strong alliance and a familial bond between our countries. If it is suspected that I have,” she paused, searching for the right word, “been intimate with another man prior to this joining, my husband, the future king, would have no assurance that our offspring was truly his child, and the proper heir to the throne. This could cause great political unrest, possibly even a war. Therefore, he cares very deeply about what I do, even just what people think I have done, as you said. Do you understand?”

“He cares because you are his daughter and he loves you. I am sure he wishes for your happiness.”

She looked away and smiled brightly, her eyes were tight. “Of course he loves me. It’s just the way things work.”

The servants came and delivered the next course as she finished talking. It was thinly packed patties of roasted meat that sat upon small platforms of wild black rice and peppers. I couldn’t identify the meat, but it smelled amazing. After the servants left we began on the new course and it tasted better than I could have imagined. The meat was soft and melted into my tongue with a savory warmth that paired perfectly with the nutty flavor of the black rice and the spicy peppers. I tried to enjoy the taste slowly, but I was so hungry I quickly finished the first portion and was relieved to see they had given me three times the amount they had served Jessmei.

I heard several pairs of metal rimmed boots descend the stone pathway behind our garden clearing and the castle. Jessmei looked over my shoulder and her brows knit into pretty ruffles. I figured it was Runir, it sounded like his footfalls and he had probably had enough time to wake up, gather some guards, and find me. I didn’t bother to turn around and face him.

“Dear Sister, I had hoped I would find you here. It seems that your guards have misplaced you.” I looked over my shoulder at Jessmei’s brother, Nanos. He wore a dark gray tunic that was tinged with blue. It was tucked into chocolate-colored leather pants that were wrapped in strategically placed light plates of armor and chain. He had a slightly curved long sword hanging from his left side and a shorter sword slung horizontally across the curve of his lower back. He was older than Jessmei, probably a year younger than Nadea. His skin looked tan and he had a body that was lean and wiry. He was escorted by three guards: a woman and two men that looked at me with expressions that matched a stone wall. They were all wearing light chain armor and had swords similar to what the prince was wearing.

“Ahh. I can see why the guards misplaced you. You wanted our powerful guest all to yourself,” the prince said as he turned to look at me. “I’m Prince Nanos,” he said as he extended a leather clad hand.

“Kaiyer,” I said as I grasped his hand from my seat.

“Most people rise in front of royalty.” He remarked coldly to me when our hands shook. I almost sighed out loud.

“I heard that most people don’t kill four Ancients,” I said as my grip tightened. His eyes opened wide as pain shot through his arm.

“Fair enough!” he said and tried to smile. I released his hand.

“Are you going to join us for lunch?” I asked Nanos as I turned back to my food and took another careful bite. Jessmei bit her lower lip. I recognized the fear in her eyes.

“I was considering it.” He paused. I took a few more bites of food. “You know, most don’t turn their backs on royalty either.” I set down my fork and looked at Jessmei. Her face looked abashed. I didn’t want to harm the relationship with her brother but it seemed that Nanos and Runir attended the same school of fatuousness. I was sick of these fools telling me that I couldn’t kill Elvens and that I had to obey their other arbitrary rules.

“You are interrupting our meal. I consider it, and your sister’s hospitality to be more important than your frivolous need for affection. Either pull up a chair and join us or go find a small dog to play with.” I picked up my fork again and continued to eat. Jessmei looked at her brother in shock. I could hear the prince’s heart begin to beat faster as he registered the insult. He probably wouldn’t be having lunch with us.

“How dare you say that to me?” the prince said as he moved around from behind me to the side of the table so he could try and make eye contact with me. I wiped my mouth with the cloth napkin and then took a sip of the wine. Jessmei’s heart was galloping quickly in panic. I also heard the hearts of the guards pick up speed. I had probably made a mistake again. Maybe the prince was so hotheaded that he would do something idiotic.

“My apologies. I am unfamiliar with your rules of royalty,” I said as I swallowed and looked into his enraged face. He didn’t seem to take my apology seriously, and he shouldn’t have, since I didn’t really mean it sincerely. I didn’t want him to do something to upset Jessmei. I knew that she had planned this lunch with me and would be saddened if I caused her brother to ruin it.

“You need to be taught how to properly respect someone of my bearing,” he spat down at me.

“Are you capable of that? Or are you going to turn the task over to your three wet nurses?” I nodded my head back to his armed escorts. I just didn’t seem to know how to play nice with these people today.

His face turned red with outrage. It looked like he was being strangled. His hand reached for his sword, but before his fist closed around the grip my hand had wrapped around its guard and the sheath. He tugged at it but my grip prevented it from coming out.

“That’s a bad idea,” I said to him with a smile. He tried a few more times before he tried to pull away from me. He may as well have been pulling on a chain anchored into the castle wall.

I looked over at his guards but they had their arms crossed, watching me carefully. Their hearts were beating fast so I wondered if they would draw their weapons if the prince commanded it. I saw fear in one of the men’s eyes and guessed that they didn’t want to fight me.

I stood up from my chair and lifted the prince easily above my head with the arm that was grabbing onto his sword and sheath. He gasped in terror as he felt his body leave the ground and spin sideways. Jessmei and her handmaidens let out a scream of surprise and he started to yell and shout.

“What are you doing? No! Let me down! I command you!” He struggled and tried to kick his feet so that I would drop him. I looked over at the guards, their stone faces were now painted with shock. They still didn’t draw their weapons, but they opened their arms and moved closer to me as if I would toss him to them.

It was a few steps to the edge of the creek. I let go of the prince over a deeper part of it and jumped back so his noisy splash wouldn’t get onto my new outfit. Jessmei and her handmaidens let out another yell of surprise when the water almost hit them.

Nanos sputtered and cursed as he struggled to right himself in his wet clothes. The water was only three feet deep, so he wasn’t in any danger of drowning.

“Your sister and I will continue our meal now. Come back when you are in a better mood,” I said as I walked back to my chair and sat.

The prince waddled half a dozen steps to get on to the dry land, raining down water as he stepped out of the murky pond. He had some lily pads hanging over his shoulder and his perfectly styled hair was in disarray. He took a step toward me as I sat at the table and put his hand on his sword again.

“Not one of your best ideas,” I said as my eyebrow rose. He looked over to his guards. They hadn’t moved at all to aid him. I pointed back in the direction he came from. “Go.” He looked back at the women knitting and they all had their hands over their mouths, I couldn’t tell if they were about to cry or laugh at him. He glared at me, then at Jessmei, and walked quickly toward the castle with his guards. His boots made wet, sloppy noises on the grass and gravel.

I continued to eat for a few minutes, until the sound of their boots and Nanos’s curses faded into the castle and moved down the hallways.

“I can’t believe that you did that!” Jessmei said. Her face was so animated that I couldn’t discern whether she was mad or pleased.

“He was being unpleasant.” I had finished my plate and leaned back. I hoped there were other courses.

“He’s the Crown Prince!” she stated as if I should have understood.

“He didn’t seem to like me too much.”

“He will be king after my father dies!” she exclaimed again.

“Your father seems young enough to rule for a long time. Your brother will be old and gray himself by the time he gets to rule. For the sake of your people, I hope he will have matured some in that time.” Paug had explained their odd system of rulership through lineage.

“He will definitely tell my father I was here with you.” She frowned a bit.

“You knew he was going to find out eventually. Your handmaidens or one of the servants would have told him. You must have thought this through before you invited me here.” I smiled at her. She looked angry at me and then she smiled and another ray of sunlight entered the clearing.

“You’re right.” She brushed her hair back from her ear again. “I’m going to get into even more trouble than I already am.” She looked toward the servants and waved them over to clear our plates. They did so with neat and efficient movements.

“You are turning the whole castle on its head,” she said after the servants had refilled our water and wine. “No one has ever spoken that way to my brother. He deserved it. He’s had his way around here for so long. Father and Mother coddle him and his sense of entitlement is so large you would think he is ruler over every country within three thousand miles.” She looked back over to the creek where I had thrown him and giggled. “He is going to be fuming mad for weeks. I wish I could hear him tell Father and Mother about how you have wronged our family’s honor by treating him like the child he is.”

I nodded to myself. I seemed to recall Paug telling me that the prince and princess didn’t get along, and her brief expression of terror earlier made me think his story was true.

“Didn’t he see what you did to the Ancients? You tore them apart like they were nothing. I remember what you did to the Vanlourn soldiers. My brother should be bowing before you and thanking you for helping to save his future kingdom. At the very least he should fear your strength. He is such an ass.”

As she finished, the servants brought the next course: a leafy salad with shaved nuts on top. We ate this in silence until Cerra began to play softly. The handmaidens were discussing how strong I must be to be able to lift the prince off of the ground with one hand and throw him into the creek.

“At least the servants will probably speak more about your confrontation with my brother than they will about what you said over the table,” Jessmei said as she smirked at me.

“You worry about too many things. What is the worst thing that can happen? I’m sure your father loves you and won’t torture you to death.”

I suddenly was in a different place.

Their screams filled the air from the valley deep below our position. There were hundreds of them, pushed into pens, their dirty, twisted bodies were thin from lack of nourishment.

“We hit their supply lines so hard they have started to eat their humans,” Malek said from my side. His eyes glowed in the twilight as we studied the crudely constructed holding pens. There were only a handful of Elven guards.

“We will attack tomorrow night,” I said under my breath as I began to crawl backward through the mud and branches in which we had concealed ourselves.

“They will eat at least ten of them tomorrow. We must attack tonight!” Malek whispered. He would have screamed at me if he could.

“No. It’s a deception. All we have been doing is attacking their supply lines for the past three months while we dodge their scouts and main force.” His eyes widened and he nodded.

“How can we be sure?” Alexia said as she landed on the ground next to me. She made no sound save a slight swish as her body cut through the air. “I didn’t see any of them within a few miles.”

“It will be more of a burden on us to save them.” I raised my hand up in the near darkness as we came to a clearing in the thick forest. “Tell the generals to meet me in my tent within fifteen minutes,” I said to an almost invisible runner. She nodded and disappeared into the dark depths. There were almost two thousand of us concealed in these trees, but most Elvens could walk through and never hear or see our presence.

“Meet me in my tent,” I said to the man and woman to my sides. They nodded and disappeared, attending to their own troops hidden in the forest.

We had been on the run for almost two years.

“Was it something I said?” Jessmei said as her fingertips brushed against the top of my hand. I blinked and looked back at her. My hand opened and I wrapped my fingers around hers. Her heart rate doubled. I thought she was going to yank back her hand but she entwined her fingers with mine and left it sitting on the table. Her skin was soft, and so were her hands, the muscles unaccustomed to work, her bones fine and delicate, fragile as a bird.

“Sorry. Just thinking about things. What did you say?” I smiled to her. My thumb traced a light line across the top of her hand.

“I said that I was more worried about what he was going to do to you. But then I realized that I shouldn’t. He wants you to help us. Greykin filled me in a bit on what you have been talking about with Nadea and her father. Do you remember anything else that might help?” her pointer finger drew small circles on the palm of my hand. I looked into her eyes and they darted between mine and our entwined fingers.

“Nothing I haven’t already told them.” The lie came easy to my lips. I had never given them any details, except for the outburst in which I had told Paug about my brother and father.

“I’m sure you will remember soon.” She smiled. “Nadea, Greykin, Maerc and our fathers were worried that you would be some sort of inhuman monster when they awoke you. The legends made it seem like you had almost destroyed our world when you fought with the Ancients.” She smiled softly and her hand squeezed mine a little more. “But I don’t believe those stories.” I smiled back at her with my mouth alone, I could not otherwise fake warmth at the moment.

My memories were troubling. It was unclear, but I was starting to think perhaps I was the monster they had feared. Jessmei looked at me with innocent adoration and I hoped that I could be the man she believed I was. Whatever I had been in my past, here and now I did want to help her and Nadea. I could not bear the thought of them, or any of the humans I had met, being enslaved by the Elvens, enduring what the people of my time had. If I had been a violent man in my past it was not without cause or provocation. Did seeking vengeance and freedom make me a monster?

“Oh! The final course. You are going to love this. I had it prepared especially for us.” She waved to the servants with the hand that had been entwined with my fingers and they cleared the table again. Within a few seconds they placed small, covered bowls before us. Then they both bowed and departed.

I touched the top of the mirrored silver cover and found it very cold. I looked at Jessmei with an eyebrow raised as I pulled the top off the bowl. Inside were three scoops of what looked like yellow bean curd. Chilled air rolled off of the metal like steam.

“Take a bite. It is amazing!” she said as she giggled and clapped her hands together. I picked up a spoon and took a cold bite. It tasted like bittersweet lemons mixed with milk and snow.

“Wow. That is really good.” I took another bite quickly to confirm.

“I knew you would love it!” She scooped out a tiny bite of her serving.

I heard more footsteps behind me and guessed that our lunch was about to be cut short. I took a few large bites and smiled at Jessmei around a huge mouthful of the freezing lemon dessert. She giggled when I gobbled up another cold bite.

“You really do like it!”

“This has been very fun,” I said as I hastily swallowed. “Thank you for inviting me. It helped me feel better about my day and what has been going on here. I enjoy your company.”

“Of course! Thank you for coming. I am so happy to see you again.” Her face was as radiant as the sun. I heard the booted feet growing closer to the edge of the tree line. I debated staying for whatever confrontation they had planned.

“There are many men coming,” I told Jessmei urgently. “We have less than a minute before they get here. Do you want me to leave?”

“What?” she asked. Her face suddenly concerned.

“About fifteen of them. Are you going to get in trouble if I am here? I can leave back through the other side of the garden and be in my room before they go looking there. Should I?”

“No! Just stay. I don’t care if they see you here with me. It is probably my brother and more of his buffoon guards.”

“No. It is Maerc and men wearing heavy armor, and a woman. I would guess your mother.” There were softer footsteps with the group and an angry woman’s voice.

“Oh.” Her face fell. She looked suddenly trapped. It was the only permission I needed.

“Cerra,” I called to the blonde woman who was playing. She looked over at me. “Sit down in my seat quickly.” She got up from her chair and walked toward us. “Quicker! Yera, sit in Cerra’s chair.” I told the woman sitting on the ground as Cerra dashed to the chair I had occupied. She continued to strum on her instrument as soon as she sat down, but she looked nervous. The remaining girls went back to their knitting, focusing on it like they were tasked by the Elvens to produce or die.

Jessmei was still sitting next to me. I could see tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

“Sorry. It’s my mother. She always takes his side. I really do not want that confrontation with you here. Please forgive me?” I nodded and smiled. Then I leaned down and kissed the tears that had started to drift down her cheeks.

“Don’t cry. Let’s do this again. I had a great time with you.” Before she replied I dashed through the trees in the opposite direction. I went about thirty yards before I bounded up one and was able to get to a spot where I could watch the clearing and hear what transpired.

I was surprised as I realized that I meant what I said. Of course I enjoyed the company of a beautiful girl, but I had not anticipated enjoying our time together as much as I did. At first I had seen her as simply a naïve, dull girl. She was naïve, sheltered and young, a product of her strange upbringing, but she was also more passionate and interesting than I had realized. It was clear she cared deeply about other people, and she felt things strongly. I wondered what she could have been like under different circumstances. If she had been given the freedom Nadea had, rather than raised to be nothing more than the mother of future generations of royalty, what would she have chosen to pursue? I truly did want to spend more time with her.

Jessmei’s mother, Maerc, Nanos, and a dozen guards stormed into the clearing like they were assaulting a fortress.

“Where is he?” Nanos almost screamed at Jessmei. He had changed out of his wet clothes but his hair still looked damp.

“Who?” she said coldly as she dotted her face with a napkin. “Hello Mother. Hello Maerc.”

“Were you eating with Kaiyer?” Jessmei’s mother demanded. She was beautiful like her daughter, with platinum blonde hair and eyes as icy blue as Jessmei’s, but she lacked the princess’s warmth. She was still quite young, and judging by her son’s age, I reasoned she had been used as Jessmei soon would be, a diplomatic gift of good breeding stock, married when she was a very young woman.

“He was here but he left a little while ago,” Jessmei said. I’m surprised you didn’t see him. He must have entered the castle through the same door you used.

“Was a guard with him?” Maerc said with concern.

“No. We had just finished dessert and he said he had to get back to talk with Paug. Have you tried Paug’s room?” Jessmei calmly lifted up a glass and drank the rest of her wine.

“Were you crying?” her mother said. Her pretty mouth was a hard line and I guessed the woman never smiled.

“Yes. Cerra played a beautiful sonnet for me and I found myself emotional.”

I laughed to myself as I silently crept down from the tree. Jessmei could handle them easily enough. I didn’t know my way back but as I jogged through the many hedge mazes and secret paths of the garden I eventually found an entrance into the castle. Then I walked around until I found my wing and was able to retrace the steps to my room. There were a few guards around that smiled back at me and returned my light conversation, but none in front of my door.

Maybe the stay here wouldn’t be as dull as I thought? I needed something to fight. It looked like Runir and Nanos would be interesting recreation during the winter months.

Chapter 22-Paug

“This is unacceptable! I refuse to have him stay here after what he has done to us!” the prince yelled over the argument that bounced off of the walls of the king’s private receiving chamber.

The plush carpeted room lay divided between factions. On one side sat Maerc, Runir, and Prince Nanos. The other side was the duke, Nadea, Grandfather, myself, and most surprisingly, Greykin. The big man leaned back in one of the leather chairs and peeled an apple with a blade that was almost as long as my hand. He hadn’t been involved in the arguments until the prince made his last statement. Then he sat up abruptly and laughed, his belly movement cutting through the room like an avalanche of snow disrupts the noise of children playing.

“You mean what he did to you? Ha! It’s about time someone had the balls to smack you around a little. You don’t do anything around here but bully your sister and bamboozle your way through the real soldiers’ training.” Greykin’s words were bold; one didn’t talk that way to the prince. But I figured that the big man would always speak plainly. From the tales he told, Greykin was one of the king’s combat trainers many decades ago, and if that was true, he was probably used to giving the king honest feedback.

“I am to be the king someday old man. When that time comes you will—”

“Silence!” the king commanded. His son shut his mouth with a snap and glared at the axe man. Greykin smiled as if he had just been given a mug filled with his favorite brew.

“The prince does have a point, though. Kaiyer doesn’t seem to understand how we do things around here. He might do real harm,” Maerc paused and looked at Runir, whose neck was wrapped with a white bandage, “or humiliate us. We should have him stay at another location for the winter. Then he can come back in the spring and begin his work.” I wanted to scream at him. Kaiyer wasn’t from our time. He didn’t understand our ways, and the people that seemed to have the largest argument to him staying were the ones that couldn’t be nice to him. I didn’t speak up though. I was just a small boy amongst giants here.

“We are repeating ourselves.” Nadea got up and paced the room. Her leather boots didn’t make a sound through the thick carpet. “If he is not here where will he go? Also, what happens if he remembers something that we can use immediately?”

“What is he going to remember? He would have recalled anything he needed to by now. It is pretty obvious to me what is transpiring,” the prince said. Nadea raised one of her perfect eyebrows in question and the prince continued. “He is working with the Ancients.”

“That is impossible.” Nadea stood hip shot in defiance. Normally she wore dresses in the castle, but in the last few days she was more likely to be wearing her current attire: sturdy leather field pants and a smooth silk blouse.

“Think about it. You happened to find the place where he was entombed when we supposedly needed him. Yet people have been finding and researching Ancient ruins for hundreds of years and no one has ever found anything but hints of the things he has done. How did you narrow down where he was located?” the prince asked with a knowing smirk on his face.

“I am not at liberty to say,” Nadea said as she frowned. From what I understood, this was a sore point of the whole quest. Nadea said that she found some evidence that the O’Baarni would be located at the ruin where we did find Kaiyer, but she could never say exactly how she came about this information. It had taken her a lot of convincing to get the king to agree. I was more than happy to accept her invitation those many months ago, but Grandfather had been a disbeliever and interrogated her mercilessly. He didn’t want me to go unless he knew I would be as safe as possible.

“Exactly, you aren’t allowed to say. Yet as soon as this stranger steps up to be rewarded by my father for saving you and my nitwitted sister, the Ancients show up at our door. Then he makes a show of killing them and we are supposed to worship him as a hero.”

“Your Highness, Paug told me about the fireball that knocked Kaiyer into the air and sent him crashing into the support pillar. How could he be a spy if that is true?” my grandfather asked politely. I nodded in agreement with him as I recalled that night. The blast had been so loud and Kaiyer’s body had slammed into the pillar like a rag doll. For a second I thought he was dead. Anyone human would have broken into a million wet pieces. But he got up and defeated them.

“Parlor tricks, you can see people swallowing fire and walking across hot coals during the Sunday bazaar in the market. This man is not our ally. He wants nothing more than to destabilize our government, confuse our military with false tactics, and allow for the Ancients to have an easier time of destroying us,” the prince said confidently. Runir and Maerc nodded along with him.

“He killed the four Ancients. Or did you forget that?” Nadea laughed, as if the prince had just told her that the sky was yellow.

“Of course he did. This so called ‘empress’ he serves needs to make it look convincing. What better way than for him to kill some pawns? It will make us trust him more and let our guard slip. Then he will strike!” The prince was charismatic, his handsome smile accented his points perfectly. Nadea was not impressed.

“No. Kaiyer didn’t even know what Ancients were when we first awoke him. After we explained our war he told us that he called them the Elven people. He used to be their slave. He told Paug that his father and brother were killed by them. How could he be on their side? All we have seen is him talk about killing them. Then we saw him do it. Their corpses were real. The fear on their faces was real when he attacked them.” Nadea crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Nanos.

“What do you know of fear, girl?” the prince spat back.

Nadea threw her arms up into the air with frustration and sat back down in her chair. There was silence for a few minutes. I thought about the jungle in Vanlourn when we had been cornered by their soldiers. Their leader told us to kneel and I believed we were going to die. We all did. I suddenly felt overwhelming hatred for the prince. He had never faced anything like that while he trained under a blanket of safety here in the castle.

“I have heard both sides of the argument and I am ready to make a decision,” the king said. Everyone directed their attention to him. “But first, Paug, has Kaiyer told you anymore that he has remembered? Does he remember more about the Ancients?” I suddenly got nervous as the powerful people turned their heads to look at me. I had been content to observe this debate from the corner.

“He, he, he said that he led an army,” I stuttered a bit before I got going. “He still believes that he is not the O’Baarni, but he recalls his role as a general of the army.”

“Yes boy, we know that. Did he tell you how many men were under his command?” Maerc said from his seat. I felt a lump in my throat start to form because he had told me a little more about his past memories.

“He said he recalled leading a force of two thousand warriors. The mission he remembered involved a group of humans that were being used,” I paused and gulped, “as food for the Ancients.” Their faces paled.

“They ate humans?” Runir said. His voice was scratchy through the bandages around his throat. He said that he injured himself in a training exercise last week.

“That’s what he told me.” I nodded.

“How did he free them?” the duke asked. I was afraid someone would ask that question. The lump in my throat grew bigger and my voice squeaked at the end. I looked around the room, they were all waiting. It was my job to tell them what Kaiyer had confided in me. But what he had told me had been horrible. I didn’t want to repeat it.

“He … he didn’t. He told me that—”

“I killed them,” a voice said from above us. Everyone gathered gasped as they looked up. It was Kaiyer.

The audience chamber had a tall ceiling, at least thirty feet high. Thick wooden beams ran from the corners and formed crosses of structural support. He lay on his stomach like a lounging cat, right leg swinging freely as he supported his chin with one hand.

“How the hell did you get up there?” the duke yelled in surprise.

“I jumped up the wall there and grabbed on the wood,” Kaiyer said as he gestured with a finger to the far corner where the stone walls and one of the beams converged. It was still thirty feet in the air.

“How did you do that? No wait. How did you get in this room in the first place?” the king demanded.

“I used the window,” he said with his gentle half-smile as he casually pointed from the corner to the window in the center of the room.

“We are in one of the highest towers in the castle! It’s almost eighty feet off the ground!” Nadea gasped. He shrugged.

“How long have you been up there?” Maerc demanded. His hand lay on his sword hilt.

“Do you mean this morning?”

“Yes!”

“Since about a quarter of an hour before you all arrived.” Kaiyer said after he considered for a moment.

“What? So you’ve been eavesdropping on us during this whole meeting?” the prince fumed.

“Only this one, the one before, and the one on Monday. I missed Tuesday’s because Monday’s was very boring and I decided to have a longer breakfast with Iarin instead.” He twisted his mouth as he recalled the dates.

“You have proved my point. You mean to betray us to the Ancients,” the prince said smugly as he folded his arms. “Father, we must execute him.”

“Can you come down from there?” the king held his palm out to his son.

“Oh I don’t know about that …” Kaiyer said as he looked at Maerc and Runir, who both gripped their sword handles. “I think it is probably safer for them if I stay up here.”

“Gentlemen, be at ease. I doubt our friend means us any harm,” the king said as he smiled back to the two soldiers. They grimaced and put their hands away. Runir looked remarkably like the general, especially at the moment, as they took the same stance. Their sandy hair was similar, Maerc’s a little faded and silvery compared to the younger man. Their bone structure and eyes were also alike. I wondered if they were father and son. The prince looked like he was about to say something, but he stopped when he looked at his father, the king’s word was final, even for Nanos.

Kaiyer stretched his body slowly, making him seem even more catlike. He twisted around the beam and lowered himself down, then fell to the ground in a smooth motion. There was an open seat at the table next to me and he sat down without worry on his face.

“Why have you been eavesdropping on our meetings?” the duke asked carefully.

“I grew bored waiting in my room. It is more interesting to hear you all argue about me.”

“Seems like dastardly motives!” Greykin said with a smile. “Relieving boredom is definitely cause for execution around here.” He eyed the prince with humor.

“You were going to come to a decision?” Kaiyer asked the king.

“Yes.” The king sat back down in his chair.

“Wait. Wasn’t Paug talking about something when you interrupted him?” Nadea said with concern.

“Yes,” I said. I prepared to speak again, but Kaiyer held up his hand.

“He was telling you about what I remembered. I will tell you because you need to understand what I was willing to sacrifice to destroy these Elvens.” He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. We waited for a few moments as he recalled the memory.

“There were about two hundred humans: men, women, and some children. They were slaves of the Elven army that we had warred with for the past three years. From their perspective it wasn’t really a war. They possessed thirty thousand troops and we had less than twenty-five hundred. At first they considered us an annoying wasp that they hunted for sport.”

Everyone leaned forward with extreme interest. Even though the story was familiar to me I couldn’t help but feel sucked in again.

“We had experienced a good run against various Elven tribes for the previous five years. Their homes lay scattered across the land and were easy for us to prey upon. I don’t remember how many we annihilated before they got wise and started to congregate like a mob of lions. We predicted it would eventually happen, so we had prepared.

“We knew the land well and had hidden stashes of food, arms, equipment, and gardens across our territory. It seemed like we were winning against their kind, but later I realized that the past five years amounted to nothing more effective than killing a dozen ants from the hive. They had numbers and power that we could only dream of. There were around thirty tribes within a month’s travel of our budding army. They quickly became organized under one command and set out to exterminate us.

“We ran at first. But once we got a significant enough lead on them we started to think and realize that we would never win if we couldn’t mount an offensive against them. But what could we do, outnumbered as we were?

“We decided to harass them with our maneuverability. A single one of our warriors could easily take on one of theirs. We created situations where we skimmed their troops. Maybe we would kill a scouting party here, or a tribe that had drifted too far back from the main group. We would do night raids where we would assassinate a few Elvens and disappear. It destroyed their morale to wake up and find their bunkmate with his throat slit. We also played the same games with their supplies.

“It takes a lot of food and equipment to keep an army of that size motivated. Our troops traveled like the wind, so their army always had to be on the move as they tried to follow us. We would stretch out their supply lines and then destroy them. Our scouts would poison their food storages and the rivers from which they drank. Finally, they began to die of painful starvation.”

“How did your troops survive?” Maerc asked. “Didn’t you need supplies and food?”

“Of course. We took their supplies, we stole their horses and ate them, sometimes we went hungry for days, and sometimes we went hungry for weeks. We didn’t care. Our vision was loftier than theirs. To them, we were a pest that needed to be squashed, and they underestimated our ability. They couldn’t believe that there was any way we would win with an army a tenth their size. Yet we had no choice but to destroy them. We woke up every morning dreaming about a world where our race was free. We had nothing to go back to if we failed, so we were ruthless and brazen, yet effective. We would have done anything to win.

“After two years they realized their mistake. They had no food but the poisoned supplies we let through. They traveled away from their tribal homes for such a long time that we had destroyed them and killed whatever family and guards they had left behind. We had freed the humans that they enslaved at their homes and secreted them away to a new training facility so that our army could grow stronger. Finally, they made their last play to beat us.”

I was holding my breath and could almost see what he was describing. I looked around and noticed that even the prince hung on Kaiyer’s every word.

“They began to eat their human slaves. It was the only source of food that they knew wouldn’t be poisoned. They had shrunk to only five thousand troops. Their army set up a base camp and moved the slaves from their jobs to pens where they were fed horse grain. It was hardly enough sustenance to live.”

The audience looked sick with his story, even Maerc and Greykin. I felt my own innards clench at the idea of human beings being herded into pens to await slaughter. Kaiyer’s loathing and revulsion was palpable. His normally calm countenance was twisted into a bitter sneer; his eyes were looking back at the memory of the wretched human chattel.

“I knew their commander by this point. It was his last attempt. Our army had outmaneuvered him at every decision. He did this not only out of necessity, but to incite our rage and force us into a confrontation.”

“Did it work?” the prince asked suddenly, his face hopeful.

“Most of my warriors wanted to attack. We were strong and had been triumphant for the last few years. We seemed unstoppable, we felt invincible, and in many ways we were. They wanted to attack the Elven force from the front. ‘The Elvens are weak,’ they pleaded with me. ‘We will destroy them like a boulder crushes the sapling it lands upon.’ But I wouldn’t attack.”

He paused to drink more water and then leaned back and closed his eyes. He didn’t say anything for a few minutes. I was noticing that he referred to the troops as his, and from his current recollection it seemed he was the primary decision maker for the army. Perhaps he was only in command of this particular mission? I was not expert on military protocol and perhaps this was normal for generals, but a small, warm bead of hope surged in me. Maybe he was our O’Baarni after all.

“What happened?” My grandfather asked softly. We all waited in rapt attention.

“I knew it was a trap. We couldn’t save them without heavy losses. I wasn’t going to waste the lives of my soldiers on an animal that lay in its death throes. Yet we needed to speed up the process. I commanded my magic users, hardened battle mages that harnessed the power of the Wind and Earth, to launch fireballs at the enemies from thousands of yards away. We incinerated the holding pens with the humans in them. We killed hundreds of our own kind in a few minutes.”

“You killed the people you were trying to save?” Nadea said. Her eyes opened wide with alarm, at the horror of what he had said. I could not look at him. I knew if I did he would give me that easy, ingratiating smile and it disgusted me to think I had been so charmed by him. The hope I had felt moments ago was replaced with dread. This man was supposed to be our savior, yet he was ruthless and calculating, easily able to sacrifice innocent men, women and children for his strategic purposes.

“No. Our purpose was not to save two hundred humans from being eaten and killed by the Elvens. Our purpose was to destroy the Elven people, to wipe them from the face of our planet and free the entire race of humanity from their servitude. If we had attacked we could have been defeated, we might have lost half our force and been set back half a dozen years. My warriors hated me for that decision. But I had led them for the last decade of battle and many years before that of training. They did as I asked.”

I frowned at Kaiyer’s last statement. The man was painfully thin, and it was hard to tell his age, but I couldn’t imagine he was older than twenty. No one else seemed to have questioned his arithmetic.

“What did the Elven army do?” the king asked.

“They died. At first they tried to surrender, but we killed those who did and sent their bodies back. ‘Feast on your own ill begotten kind,’ we wrote. Some tried to split off from the main army and escape; we hunted them down and killed them like rats. Within a few weeks they had no more food and we exterminated the rest.”

Everyone sat in stunned silence as they thought through what he had told us. It was impossible to argue with his logic as he had explained it, yet I knew everyone in the room was questioning the morality of a man who would murder innocent civilians in the manner he had described. I had burned my hand badly once in our kitchen fire, the pain was searing and incredible, the agony of the initial burn lasted long after I had removed my hand from the flame and seemed to grow more intense as time passed. The burn was on a relatively small portion of my body, and yet it was the most painful thing I had ever felt. To be burned as they had, fire scalding their skin everywhere, singeing hair and scorching lungs, intense and hot enough to kill. I could not imagine a more horrific way to die.

Finally, the duke spoke. “What happened afterward?” Kaiyer frowned and thought for a moment.

“It was our first major victory against a standing army. Our other fights were against forces of a few hundred at the most and we always attacked when we had the upper hand. In some ways, this was the same strategy, but now there was no Elven presence within hundreds of miles. Every human came to us for shelter, food, and to be part of our army. Our numbers swelled. I know there were many other battles after that, larger battles, but I remember that one now and I don’t remember the others. I will someday soon.”

“You mentioned your troops could launch fireballs thousands of yards away. Do you know how to do that?” Nadea asked.

“Yes,” Kaiyer nodded. “But I don’t remember how to teach it. Something happened to me and my warriors to make us different from normal humans.”

I looked to the prince, expecting him to challenge Kaiyer’s claims, but he just looked uneasy.

“You can do magic?” Nadea raised a single eyebrow.

“Yes. I tried some things back when we were at the inn in Brilla. I’d show you now, but if I made a mistake everyone in this room would die. I need space to practice. This was what the king was considering, no?” Kaiyer looked to the king as he placed his fingertips on the table.

“You will help us defeat the Ancients?” the king asked.

“Yes. As long as I breathe I will try to kill every single one of them. It is my purpose. I will teach you how to be like me as soon as I remember,” Kaiyer said. He knew that he had sold the king.

“Okay. I agree to your terms. We will build areas through the castle for your purposes. Try not to make too large of a spectacle. Understand?” Kaiyer nodded.

I expected any one of the three blonde men to argue but they didn’t. Kaiyer’s story might have intimidated them. Maybe he wanted to intimidate them.

“Excellent. I will get started right away. Will Nadea be fulfilling my desires?” the thin man said as he got up to his feet. Nadea immediately looked down, avoiding eye contact with him and the other men in the room. Her father narrowed his eyes at Kaiyer, not quite in anger, but as if he were trying to discern whether the man had intended to be forward with his daughter, or if it was an innocent mistake due to Kaiyer’s lack of understanding of the subtleties of our language. I caught Kaiyer’s eye and he allowed a flicker of a smile to touch his lips before looking back to Nadea in expectant innocence. He knew exactly what he meant.

“The duke, Nadea, Maerc, and Runir will be assisting you with what you need,” the king said as he rose, wisely ignoring the implications while still answering the question.

“I have some things for you already,” Nadea said as she came across the table. There was excitement in her eyes. “We have cleared a part of the dungeon which exits into the courtyard. We are going to seal it off so you can have a private area.” Her arm coiled around his in a comfortable movement as she took him toward the door leading out of the chamber.

“Let’s go see what Nadea has for us Paug,” Kaiyer looked back to me with his gentle smile. I glanced at the men seated at the table before I left. Their faces were a mixture of uneasiness and speculation. Grandfather nodded to me and I turned to follow Kaiyer and Nadea out of the meeting room.

Chapter 23-The O’Baarni

The army campfires were scattered across the valley like the stars dotted the sky. Sounds of banter, jostling, and jokes created a dull roar of a calm ocean. I felt as if I could almost reach out and touch the moon’s pale green surface, it was low and close tonight, the craters and valleys clearly visible as it reflected bright sunlight. The moonlight illuminated our campgrounds in a gentle wash of luminescent green, highlighting the faces of the gathered troops.

I walked amongst the men and women for some hours. Most of the troops didn’t recognize me without my armor. I would pass by their campfires and listen to them recount tales of the earlier battle. They would invite me to sit down, listen, and share their food and drink.

I was handsome, so women would ask me if I cared for more than just a meal. I refused politely. I told myself what I told Shlara, that as the leader I could not show favoritism, and that I had to focus on this war and could not waste energy on romantic entanglements, even if they were purely physical. The truth was that I could not fathom touching another woman while she still existed. I dreamed of her, but even in waking she was always there below the surface, everything I looked at was tinged with the color of her hair and eyes. Every breath scented with the smell of her skin. Everything I did was to rid my mind of her as I rid the world of her entire race. If I were to touch another woman I knew it would bring her back and I feared what I might do to the poor human in my arms.

My generals had all asked to stay and celebrate with me, but I told them to go be with their warriors. We still had many more battles ahead of us and they needed to share this victory with them. Shlara remained after the others had left.

“Come celebrate with me.” She smiled at me seductively. She never relented.

“When this war is finished,” I replied as I always did. I went back to surveying the map on my war table.

“Kaiyer. We’ve been doing this for so long. Be with me tonight. You want it as much as I do. You deserve a reward for your accomplishments.” She crossed her armored arms over her chest.

“My accomplishments mean nothing. The O’Baarni won this battle.”

“Then reward me! Am I not your best general? I have never failed you. I have done whatever you have asked me, including this. There is only one thing I want now.” Her brows knit in concentration as she made her pitch.

“I only want one thing too, Shlara.” I looked up at her from the table, my face hard. “To annihilate every last Elven. You are dismissed.”

She marched out of my tent.

The thoughts of her faded as I walked closer to Thayer’s tent. Perhaps he would be drinking with his lieutenants and I could converse with them. When I stood within earshot I recognized the sounds of many voices moaning in ecstasy. The flap was latched open and I saw half a dozen oiled and naked bodies writhing on the ground.

“Need something?” A hand grasped my shoulder and I spun around to face the questioner. A muscular man stood behind me. He looked to be one of Thayer’s and his lack of attire indicated that his final destination was inside the tent. At one time I knew everyone’s name, but when our force grew to twenty thousand I had started to forget. Now that we numbered over five times that, I didn’t even bother.

“Sorry friend. I am kind of lost. Can you point me toward the camp of General Malek?” I said as I swayed a little, pretending to be drunk. We had to purposely prevent the Earth from healing our bodies to feel the effects of alcohol, but many tonight would be doing so.

“That way,” he pointed east. I nodded and drifted through the crowded campsites in that direction.

Malek’s troops celebrated in a more conservative fashion than Thayer’s. They were still in a good mood, but I didn’t see any public orgies, just gatherings with music, drinking, and various games of thought being played.

I made my way toward the largest meeting circle. I saw Malek laughing with a dozen of his warriors in the middle of it and I smiled. The group passed personal stories around the circle in turn, everyone recounting a memory of the last battle and what they had learned.

I sat down across the fire from Malek after I heard a few of the warriors speak. My general and a few of his lieutenants looked up at me in surprise. I nodded casually to them and they smiled back. The current speaker told of deflecting three fireballs that were intended for Gorbanni’s troops.

“I was terrified. This was my first battle. I know we have been through training and I have taken all my studies seriously. When they shot their fires into the air I felt my mind freeze up. I didn’t know what to do. This was real now. I was going to die. But then I realized that it wasn’t me that would die. It was my brothers and sisters. The Earth and the Air ripped through me. I tossed one, two, and a third aside. I did other things that I am proud of in that battle. But for that brief second, I almost failed.” The man, no older than a boy, grew quiet. His friends in the circle nodded and those that sat nearest patted him on the back.

“Hello Stranger,” Malek called out to me from the other side of the circle. His face lit up with a sly smile. He wore his hair down around his shoulders and the gray at his temples shined from the light of the fire. His hair was very unique. Most of us were young, or had been when we had been changed, Malek included. Despite the years that had passed and the extreme hardships we had endured, our healing powers kept everyone youthful and vibrant, save Malek, no gray hairs or wrinkles betrayed the true age of anyone in our ranks.

“Greetings,” I replied. Everyone in the circle looked over to me. I didn’t recognize many of their faces besides Malek and the two that sat next to him. I doubted anyone else knew my identity.

“Get our guest something to drink and we can listen to him tell us a tale,” Malek commanded. A woman next to me handed me her near full mug with a charming smile.

“You are recounting the battle earlier today? Or any battle?” I asked him.

“Anything you would like to tell.”

I thought about what his warriors needed to hear from me. I took a gulp of the cold beer and began.

“A few years ago I fought in the Holden Ridge battle. Some of you here may have also been there. Some of you have only heard stories of it.” A few heads nodded and I continued. “A group of Elvens broke through our lines on the pass and cornered my team. We tried to fall back, but found ourselves on the edge of the cliff, outnumbered ten to one. Reports indicated that other aspects of the battle were going well for us, but I guessed my small group would probably die on the ridge. When I thought it couldn’t get any worse, they launched a salvo of fire blasts at us. The explosion forced us off of the edge of the cliff. Nearly all of my companions burned to death or were crushed when they hit the bottom. Somehow I survived. Unfortunately, my legs were shattered almost beyond healing, and I saw the Elvens descending the cliff to finish me.”

The newer warriors opened their eyes in shock. This was a popular tale in the army, especially with Malek’s men. They had never heard this side of the story though.

“I killed a few of them when they reached the ground, but I kept up the pace of my attackers. Just when I was about to have my head taken off my shoulders by a particularly skilled Elven bastard, a spear of white light pierced his chest. A good looking man, in desperate need of a haircut,” the crowd laughed at this. Most of the males in the army shaved their heads every few weeks and Malek’s mane was a frequent topic of conversation amongst the troops. “Jumped into the fray. He wielded a long sword in one hand, and a carved club in the other. He screamed at the Elvens, telling them about what he was going to do to them and their mothers. His ferocity drove back the group of twenty like a boulder smashes into a lake.”

“I doubt there were that many of them my friend,” Malek said from across the circle. His cheeks flushed as he tried to hide a smile.

“There were plenty of them. Seeing my savior’s passion spurred my own desire to live. I stood up on my broken legs, found an Elven sword, and tried to assist him. We cut through them with ease but they kept appearing like maggots on a corpse. It wasn’t long before we were surrounded by more Elvens than what attacked my team from atop the cliff. It seems that these bastards wanted us exterminated more than they wanted to win the battle that carried on hundreds of feet above us.” The crowd laughed and I took another gulp of the beer to lubricate my throat.

“To keep from being surrounded, we stood back to back. I had to lean heavily against him since I could barely stand. The sun shone high in the sky when I fell down the face of the cliff and it gave light to the moon by the time we finished our work. By then their corpses covered the ground like snowflakes. I had never been closer to death than that day. I owe my life to the brothers and sisters that died for me.” I finished off the beer and handed the mug back to the woman sitting next to me. Her mouth was agape as she looked at me and then down at the stein. “Thank you for letting me speak.” I nodded to Malek before I turned to leave.

“Was that Kaiyer?” a voice in the circle whispered as I moved away. The response didn’t make it to my ears.

I thought about visiting Shlara’s group of warriors but reconsidered, she would infer that I accepted her offer of sex, when in truth I just wanted to be around people. I felt heartsick for the days when we were a small group pitted against impossible odds, when we all lived, ate, and trained like a family. The growth of the army was needed, and my generals now had their own warriors to oversee, but I missed the time when we could all gather around a single campfire, when there would have been no question as to who I was.

I couldn’t really be part of that family until my mind was clear. All that I thought of was her. Everything I ever accomplished was to find her. To end her the way she ended my father and brother.

I was so close now. Sometimes it seemed that she was right next to me, I could feel her breath on my cheek, hear the swish of her thighs brushing against each other in their leather riding pants. I woke up at night after dreaming of our bodies struggling to become one. I felt her silky hair on my face and would wake, brushing the phantom locks away. Our love happened so long ago that the memories should have faded, but I couldn’t forget. I still tasted her tongue and body. Her scent lingered on my skin upon waking. Every shadow, every flash of red or glint of sun seen from the corner of my eye would send a small electric jolt of anticipation and fear through my stomach as I turned to look for her. It would never be over until she was dead by my hand. Then I would be free from her and the Elvens.

I walked back to my tent. Let the rest of my army have a break. I would train and plan for them. There was still work to do.

Chapter 24-Kaiyer

“Are you okay?” Iarin’s voice echoed in my ears. I opened my eyes and saw Paug and him looking over me. I was flat on my back on the cold stone floor of my training room. Light from the opened gate filled the space we occupied like an orange blanket. The gate led out to a large courtyard that had been sealed off with wood fencing.

“Absolutely.” The smile came easy to my lips as I pushed back the memories and focused on my friends. I must have succeeded in my quest to end her. I no longer felt tormented by her presence, I no longer warred with my desire and repulsion toward her, she was dust, as Malek’s letter had said, along with everyone else I had ever loved or hated. I could pursue my goal now unhindered by emotion. “I am ready to go again.” I flipped my legs under my body and sprang to my feet.

“Are you sure?” Iarin asked with concern. “You’ve been hitting it pretty hard for the last hour. I know you said you wanted to rest for five minutes, but we’ve been calling your name loudly and you didn’t wake up.”

“No I am fine. Are you both ready?” They sighed and nodded. “Great! Let’s begin.”

I walked over to the side of the large room where there were several dark gray bags of sand and lead beads. I lifted the largest up onto one of my shoulders and squatted. It was a comfortable load for me, around a few hundred pounds, and I jumped up with the weight. The movement caused me to shuffle forward for a few feet and I repeated the motions until I had reached the far corner of the room. Once there, I moved the bag onto the other shoulder and hopped back.

My breathing had picked up and my body filled with energy. I had torn and ripped the muscles in my legs, back, stomach and shoulders with the movement. They healed quickly, becoming slightly larger and stronger as my body forced them to adapt.

“Half a minute break!” Paug called out from his desk. He flipped over a small time glass and scribed my training notes on a thick leather bound journal. We had been tracking my progress during the last three weeks while I used the new room. I had made great improvements.

“Handstand dips for two minutes!” Paug turned over another counter.

I flipped my body over onto my hands and brought the top of my head down to touch the ground before pushing it back up until my elbows locked. I repeated the motion until my lungs burned and the sweat dripped off of my body.

“Keep going!” Iarin shouted. “You are almost there.” The woodsman had proved an invaluable training partner. He didn’t have the strength that my magic granted me, but he already knew the exercises and was well versed in the kind of verbal encouragement that I needed to push my performance.

“Time! Half-minute break!” Paug shouted as I collapsed to the floor.

“One hundred and six!” Iarin said.

“New record! Great job Kaiyer!” I think I groaned out something. Perhaps this was a bad idea. My muscles were screaming as they tried to heal.

“Weighted pull-ups for two minutes!” Paug yelled again. Both Iarin and I sighed and sprinted over to the iron rings that the duke’s men had drilled into the thick stone ceiling twenty feet above us. I jumped up to a dead hang and felt Iarin’s hands grab around my ankles as he dangled from them.

“Shut up and pull Kaiyer!” the normally mild-mannered woodsman yelled when I started to scream at my fiftieth repetition. I don’t know how much he weighed but it seemed like I was pulling a mountain off of the earth. Each lift ripped apart the muscles in my hands, arms, stomach, back, and legs.

“Time! Half-minute break,” Paug called.

“Eighty-eight,” Iarin called back.

“Wall flips for two minutes!” Paug yelled. I was already up and placing the ball of my left foot against the smooth stone. I pushed off of it, twisted my body in the air, and landed on my feet with a spring. Then I repeated the motion with my right foot. This one was easy but still got my heart to pump.

“Time! Half-minute break,” Paug sang.

“Seventy-two,” Iarin called the count.

“Log flip is next,” Paug said, and I walked up the small set of stairs outside to the open courtyard where we had set up other training devices. One of them was a large log, measuring four feet in diameter and twenty feet long.

“Twenty flips!” Paug called. I squatted down and dug my hands beneath the end of the log closest to me and began to lift. I got it chest high before I had to squat and propel it over my head. Then I walked my hands down the length of the timber, each step making it more vertical until with a final push, it toppled over end.

“That’s one,” Iarin said next to me. I shot him a glare as I sprinted around it to pick it up and repeat the movement. “What? I’m happy drinking beer at the tavern all day. You’re the one that wanted my help.” He laughed and I forced a smile before I gritted my teeth, tensed my body, and lifted the log again.

“Done!” Iarin called up from the dungeon. The sun was slowly sinking into the west and the air started to cool.

“Half a minute before weighted pushups!” Iarin and I both groaned again. He pulled out a cloth strap and shrugged as we walked back down the stairs.

I got into the push up position and Iarin, who was beginning to look and weigh like he had been spending a lot of time at the tavern, sat on my back. He wrapped the strap under my chest as Paug yelled to start.

“Ninety-two!” Iarin yelled after Paug called time and I face planted into the cold stone.

“Yes! New record!” Paug yelled. At first he had wondered why I wanted to write everything down but he understood now. “We are almost done with this set!”

“What’s next again?” I sputtered from the ground. The sweat from my body drenched every part of me.

“Back bridge flips across the room to two arm horizontal holds, then back again. Get ready.”

I got to my feet and walked to the far side of the wall. When the boy called out to start I leaned back as if I wanted the top of my head to touch the floor behind me. Before I made contact with the ground I stopped my fall with my palms on the stone. I held there for a few seconds, my back bent and stomach facing the ceiling. I continued the movement into a brief handstand and finally landed on my feet. It was a break session in my routine so I tried to do them slowly. When I reached the opposite end of the room, my heart was beating at a calm rate.

This next exercise looked like a push up, only my feet didn’t touch the ground. My palms pushed against the floor while my back and stomach forced the rest of my body into a straight line parallel to the tiles. I slowed my breathing and relaxed. I could feel my muscles experience tremendous amounts of tension, but I was able to keep up with the healing. Paug called time after two minutes and I repeated the sequence.

“What is next?” I called out when I had finished.

“Just a jog around the courtyard to relax. That is all you have for the rest of the day.” He closed the book and put the quill into a holder. “Do you want to eat here when you get back?”

“Yes. I’ll need to stretch.” I began to walk out the door. The day was heading into dusk now. “That was it? I thought there was more?” I said over my shoulder.

“That was all you had written down in your log. You’ve been exercising almost all day. We’ll bring back a lot of food!” He called cheerfully as he and Iarin walked out the opposite door that led back into the main castle.

I took a deep breath of fresh air and began a light jog through my private courtyard. The fence that protected prying eyes from my yard was similar to my lifting log. As I got near the wall I jumped up, grabbed the top of the stacked logs with my hands, flipped myself over, and landed in the soft grass on the other side.

Running around the inside perimeter of the castle walls was my favorite part of my exercise. I usually did four or five laps which I figured to be less than twelve miles. Along the way I could study the castle, watch the troops train, and exchange pleasantries with various servants that I ran past. I went at a casual pace and it took me about three quarters of an hour to get back to my private area. Fall was in midsession and a brisk wind from the north cut through the castle. Normally I finished my jog before the sun had fully set, but today I was not so lucky.

Nadea was waiting for me when I got back. She was sitting at Paug’s desk and flipping through my training log. She was wearing her usual tight-fitting pair of leather pants and close-cut blouse that displayed her athletic body. There was a short sword strapped to her hip which she usually didn’t wear around the castle. I figured she must have lit the torches on the wall.

“Hello Nadea,” I whispered into her ear as I stroked the side of her neck.

“Shit Kaiyer!” she jumped out of the chair in surprise and spun around to face me. “I didn’t hear you enter.” Her heart was racing.

“I haven’t seen much of you in the last few weeks. I miss you.” She leaned backward a bit against the table and put the palm of her hand on my chest. I didn’t know if she did it to touch me, or because she didn’t want me to move closer to her.

“I’ve missed you too,” she breathed out in a sigh. “I’ve been working with my father and the king on some things.” She looked away from my eyes and her heart beat oddly. She was lying, but I decided not to question further.

“Paug and Iarin are bringing back food. I’m sure there will be enough for you if you want to join us.”

“Sounds like fun. I’d love to. You are really sweaty,” she said as she removed her hand and looked at it.

“I just finished exercising.”

“Yeah. You also stink.” She wrinkled her perfect nose at me. Memories of Shlara shot through my head. Did we ever become lovers? I couldn’t remember. Sometimes they seemed like someone else’s memories.

I moved a few feet away from her and she gave me a dazzling smile.

“No more dresses?” I said as I motioned to her attire.

“My father hasn’t said anything yet. Looks like you are exercising a lot.”

“I have been. Did you read the journals Paug has been keeping?”

“Only briefly, I was speaking more about … well,” she paused for a second as she appraised my body. “You look stronger. It’s only been a few weeks but you must have gained twenty pounds.”

“I probably weigh one hundred and twenty pounds now.” I smiled at her. The door to the room opened behind her.

“We’ve got some food!” Paug said triumphantly as he entered. He had two large pitchers of water. Iarin and three servants followed him with massive trays of food.

“Oh Nadea! Didn’t know you would be joining us,” Paug said with worry in his voice.

“I think we might have enough,” Iarin said with a laugh as he set a tray down in the corner on a long table we had dragged in here for such purposes. The servants followed suit.

“Can you bring us more water and food?” Paug asked them. “Also, some chairs.” They nodded and left hurriedly. The servants always seemed unnerved by the dungeons and were eager to leave.

I was already tearing into the food. One of the trays had assorted sliced meats, breads, and cheeses.

“Most of the time people like to sit and eat. It is considered polite,” Nadea said. Her arms were crossed and she frowned at me. I shrugged at her and continued to eat. I was ravenous and satisfying my hunger was more important than making her happy at the moment.

“He’s been working hard all day. You should come watch him tomorrow,” Paug told Nadea with pride. “Iarin and I are his trainers.”

“What have you been doing with yourself Nadea?” Iarin asked her as he found a tomato and cut it up into thin slices.

“Studying and talking with my father,” she said. She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye and her heart rate skipped around again.

The servants came in with another plate of food and more chairs. Everyone sat down and began to eat. Conversation lulled for a bit and after a handful of minutes I took a break from the food and began to stretch my muscles.

“How long did you exercise today?” Nadea asked as she watched me stretch and eat a small apple.

“We started this morning at dawn,” Paug spoke for me. Nadea nodded and looked out into the night air.

I spent about half an hour finishing my stretching. It relaxed my muscles and cleared my head. Nadea, Iarin, and Paug had finished eating by then, but the food was only half gone so I set about cleaning the trays.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone eat as much as you,” Nadea said as I got close to the end.

“I have a good appetite,” I said to her with a smirk.

“Yes you do.” She chuckled.

Iarin and Paug hid yawns behind their hands at the same time.

“You guys should go to bed. I am going to finish eating, bathe, and then do the same. I’ll meet you in the morning.”

“Okay. Good night. Bye Nadea,” Paug said as he got out of his chair. Iarin smiled to Nadea and me as he joined Paug in his departure.

After the door closed I looked to Nadea.

“So what is really going on?” I asked her.

“What do you mean?” she said. Her heart started to beat faster.

“You lied earlier.” I set down the apple core and drained the last pitcher of water.

“When?”

“When you said you had been working with your father and the king.” I got out of my chair to close the massive wood door that led to my outside courtyard. After it was closed I placed two heavy iron bars over the latches to keep the doors from opening. Nadea hadn’t answered when I turned back to her. Her face was troubled.

“How did you know that?” she asked me with a challenge in her eyes. I shrugged.

“You just confirmed it.” I winked at her. Our eyes met for a few seconds and she finally frowned and sighed.

“The empress sent an envoy last week. He offered new terms to the king.” She looked over to me. I could tell she wasn’t happy.

“Let’s walk and talk. I need to bathe. I think my smell is going to make you sick.” She smirked and nodded in agreement.

We walked out of the training room and into the hallway. Air passed through my body as I forced the torches in the room to extinguish behind us. Nadea had already moved past me and didn’t notice my magic.

“Tell me about this envoy,” I said while we climbed the stairs up from the dungeon.

“It is impossible to tell their age,” she said as she came over to me. The passage way was dark but I easily saw her face. “He showed up last week and asked for a meeting.”

“And?”

“He made the king an offer. Several offers actually.” We made it to the main part of the castle and she hadn’t said any more. Part of me wanted to scream at her to tell me what the bastard wanted, but I was tired and relaxed from the day of rough exercise. My skin was sticky from the exertion and I just wanted to get into the hot water of the bathtub.

There were servants moving throughout the halls, preparing and delivering dinner. It was still early in the night.

There was a break in the servant traffic and I looked toward Nadea with an eyebrow raised.

“This is … difficult for me to talk about with you,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because the envoy wanted to meet and talk to you.”

“That would have been a bad idea. I would have torn him limb from limb.” She looked frightened for a moment. “He isn’t in the castle anymore is he?” My muscles tensed again, tired as I should have been I now felt primed to attack.

“No. He left a few days ago,” she said quickly, before another stream of servants passed us.

I opened the door to my room and invited her inside with a hand gesture. I thought she would object, but she glided in without question and I closed the door behind her.

“Sit down there,” I instructed her, pointing to one of the padded chairs next to the sofa in my room. I walked through the room and inspected the rafters in the ceiling. Looked under the bed, opened the dresser, and looked out on the balcony. I hadn’t heard any heartbeats in the room, but it was better to be paranoid than dead.

“What are you doing?” she said, puzzled.

“Making sure the room hasn’t been disturbed.” I walked into the bathroom. I had told the girl that cleaned my room that I liked to bathe around this time; she was eager to please me and always left a dozen large candles burning. “Come in here and let’s talk more.” I turned on the hot water spout and began to peel the sweaty clothes from my skin.

“Wait, what are you doing now?” she asked from behind me when she walked into the bathroom.

“You said I smell, so I am going to bathe.” I threw my sweat drenched clothes on the stone tile and stepped into the tub. The water was scorching hot but that was how I preferred it. I leaned back in the tub and sighed. I didn’t remember having hot baths in my memories.

“Tell me what the Elven—I mean Ancient envoy wants with me,” I said.

“He wanted to meet you, first of all,” she called out from the main room.

“Come in here,” I said.

“No! I can’t be in there when you are without clothes!” she argued

“I don’t understand.”

“It is improper for a lady to be around a naked man that is not her husband,” she said.

“Just come in here. I don’t understand you people. You need to talk to me about the envoy.” Her angry boot steps echoed as she walked in the room, she kept her eyes to the ceiling. “You’ll need a chair.” I remarked and she huffed angrily. Returning with one quickly she slammed it down and sat facing away from me. She crossed her legs and her arms. It was a good thing she had agreed to come in so easily. I didn’t have enough energy to argue with her anymore and would have just yelled into the other room from the warm water.

“Why did he want to meet me?” I asked as I grabbed the soap.

“He thinks you are the O’Baarni. He referred to you several times by that name. We didn’t correct him. Are you sure you are not the O’Baarni?” she had begun to bounce her crossed leg, and her heart rate was picking up slightly. I didn’t answer for a while.

“Kaiyer?” she asked after a dozen seconds. She turned to look over her shoulder at me out of the corner of her eye. When she saw me watching her back she quickly turned around.

“No. I am not the O’Baarni. In my memories no one ever called me by that name. I was in his army. A general. I’ve told you this already.”

“I know. I know. He just insisted that you were the O’Baarni. Also …” She looked over her shoulder again.

“You can turn around to speak with me. I’m in the bathtub. Haven’t you ever seen a man naked?” I asked teasingly.

“Maybe,” Nadea sighed in defeat. “I really shouldn’t be here,” she said as she spun her chair around to face me. Her arms and legs were still crossed and she avoided eye contact with me, looking everywhere but the tub.

“I agree. You should be in the bathtub here with me. It is very pleasant.” I swirled my hand in the hot water, watching the surface grow oily as the grime of the day came off of my skin.

“I’m not getting in that bath with you,” she said confidently.

“Suit yourself. It feels great.” I leaned back into the water with a smile and sighed. I remembered I was supposed to be cleaning myself so I took the bar of soap and lathered it in my hands and over my chest. The army used to bathe in rivers naked in front of one another. Nadea’s culture seemed very uptight about hygiene.

I reclined more in the tub and closed my eyes again, thinking about the beautiful woman sitting a few feet from me. I was persuasive. She was uncomfortable being around me, but was in the room with me now. Within a few minutes she would be in this tub with me, then she would be in the bed with me, and then she would be eating breakfast with me tomorrow morning. I shuddered as I imagined devouring her pert breasts with my mouth and running my hands over the smooth skin of her body. It would be a perfect way to end a productive day of exercising. “Please continue,” I said to her with a hungry smile.

“When you speak about your past, when you told us today about what happened with the humans, you spoke of the army as if it were yours. ‘My troops,’ and so on. And you mentioned them looking to you for advice. You made important decisions. If you were not the leader, you must have at least been very high-ranking and powerful. Do you remember meeting the O’Baarni?”

“I will have to wait until I remember more before I can answer that.” She huffed a little, not happy with the answer. I understood her frustration, but I didn’t know how to bring my memories back, they seemed to be triggered at random during the day or when I slept. I was confident that in time I would recall more, and while I wanted to be able to help them, to know more about myself, another part of me did not wish to remember everything. While it was maddening living between my past and my present, unsure who I was or what I had been, I feared there were memories I had submerged in my subconscious for a reason.

“The king and the duke thought it would be a bad idea to have you meet him, considering what happened to the last Ancients you met.” She was looking at me now, at my face alone. Hers was serious, her eyes firm and hard, warning me not to persist in my attempts at seduction. The soft light of the candles in the room made her skin glow with a coppery sheen. Her heart was still beating faster than normal.

“They were probably right,” I nodded in agreement.

I washed my face and my hair with the soap and then worked on my feet. She was trying not to watch but I saw her eyes drift toward me. I didn’t understand why she was having such a problem being in the same room as me.

“Nadea?” I asked softly.

“What?” she snapped back.

“What else did the envoy say?” she was hiding something.

“He talked to the king about negotiating a truce.” She looked at me and quickly looked away. Her heart fluttered again. She was stalling. For some reason she didn’t want to talk to me about the envoy. Yet here she was, alone in my room with me.

“If you aren’t going to talk to me about the envoy I can think of other things we can be doing to occupy ourselves,” I said with an eyebrow raised. She looked at me and flushed.

“I bet you can. I should really be going.” She looked into the other room and continued to bounce her crossed leg and booted foot. But she didn’t get up from her chair. She was definitely going to be making love to me tonight. I was surprised at how little I seemed to care about the Ancient envoy.

“Take off those clothes and get in here with me. I need someone to wash my back,” I said as I pointed behind me.

“No! I already told you that I am not getting in there with you. Are you daft?” She frowned at me disapprovingly but she wasn’t looking away anymore.

“I think you are daft for not coming in here with me. You want to.” I spun one of the handles on the side of the bath and more hot water began to trickle into the tub.

“Oh? What makes you think so?” She raised her eyebrow. She had uncrossed her arms and was stroking her ponytail absently. The foot of her crossed leg did slow circles.

“Because you keep stalling instead of speaking about this envoy. You could have just said what you were going to say about him and then departed.” She knitted her brows and scowled at me. It made her look even more beautiful as I imagined the look she would have on her face tonight when I first entered her.

“I am getting to it!” She crossed her arms again and tossed her thick dark mane back behind her. “Are you always so presumptuous? It makes it very difficult to be around you.”

“I don’t understand what that word means. Does it mean that you should come into the bathtub with me? Because it should,” I said to her with a smile. She looked so flabbergasted that I almost laughed.

“No! It means that you have no regard for appropriate behavior and you lack any sort of modesty!”

Then I did laugh lightly, which made her angrier.

“I don’t understand what I am doing wrong. You seem to believe that it is inappropriate for me to want us to be lovers.”

“It isn’t just that. You want to fuck anything that has breasts.” She looked away with her nose upturned a bit.

“If this really was a problem would you still be in this room with me?”

“The problem is that I don’t want to be a notch on your bedpost. I’m not your whore, whose sole purpose is to please you until you find another bitch that you want more. I will make love when I choose, to someone I love, not some horny bastard who feels entitled to using women for his own pleasure.” She was glaring at me now. Her brown eyes flashed dangerously in the candle light. The water was almost to the top of the tub, I pulled the stopper on the drain so some of the soapy lake in which I was immersed could escape.

“I know I have upset you and I don’t mean to do so. I really don’t understand. Please be patient with me. What is a notch on a bedpost? What is a whore?”

“You don’t know what a whore is?” I shook my head. “Paug probably didn’t translate the word for you. It is someone who takes money in exchange for sex.” I frowned. “Notch on a bed post means I don’t want to be one of your many sexual conquests.”

“I don’t have a word in my language for whore,” I said plainly. “We were slaves, often women would be taken by their male Elven masters because it pleased them to torture and rape. I think that was what happened with my mother. My father never spoke of how she died. He had only said that she was beautiful, and that he wished she was alive to see my brother and I grow up.”

“I’m sorry,” Nadea said with sympathy. “What about when you were in the O’Baarni’s army? They normally have women that the soldiers can use.”

“No. Half of the troops were women. If two people wanted to be together they could find comfort in each other. There was no shame in it, just as people were not ashamed of their need to eat or sleep. We never knew when we were going to live or die, so release and pleasure were high on our list of priorities. After we trained and took care of our duties of course.” I recalled Shlara.

“Did people ever become married? Were you? Sorry, I don’t mean to pry. It is very interesting.” Her eyes met mine.

“No. No one married. We didn’t have a word for it. People would have multiple lovers. Even ones of the same sex if they felt like it. How could you commit to someone when you or they might be killed in battle the next day?” Her face looked horrified.

“What about children?”

“Some women bore children. Sometimes their lovers would help raise them. Sometimes they wouldn’t. It was decided between the parents. Other women chose to use herbs to prevent pregnancy. A few warriors only chose lovers of their own sex, maybe so they wouldn’t have to worry about it. We had systems in place so that the young would be assimilated into the army. They would be trained, taught, and put into the war machine where they would have the best purpose.”

“That’s awful! Children in the O’Baarni’s army? This man sounds like a monster.” Nadea’s voice cracked.

“What else could they do? We were all born as either slaves in bondage or slaves fighting for our freedom. There was nowhere else for the children to go, no other way to live. You have this whole world here outside the pending war. You send soldiers to fight while your people wait and live their lives. There was no other world for us. There was only the war. There was no home to return to or defend. We were building a new world for ourselves, and the children had no choice but to join the fight, it was for them, for their future, so they would be free from slavery. The O’Baarni didn’t do this to our children. The Elvens did.” I slid back into the tub and closed my eyes.

She was quiet for a few minutes.

“Did you … have many lovers?” she asked. Her heart thumped in her chest and indicated to me how important the question was.

“I don’t remember any besides one. My position made it difficult to take lovers.”

“Your position as a general?” I nodded without opening my eyes. A few more minutes passed. My muscles were completely relaxed now. “Your … lover. Was she beautiful? What did she do in the O’Baarni’s army?” I opened my eyes and met Nadea’s. She was biting her lower lip. I remembered Iolarathe’s deadly smile, the sounds of her moans when I was inside of her, the sharp, surprising but pleasurable sensation of her claw-like nails ripping the skin from my back.

“Yes she was beautiful, almost as beautiful as you. It was a long time ago, and it does not matter.” She nodded and I could hear her breathe out carefully. It was the answer that she wanted and it was true. No one was more beautiful to me than her, especially not a faded memory. “The point is that I think of sex a little differently than you. I don’t mean to upset you. I don’t have any need to conquer or possess you. I just want to please you and be pleased by you. If you don’t want to, I understand, but you are in the room right now and you aren’t talking about the envoy.” My eyes met hers again and I could see her look down into the tub and back up to my eyes, then my lips. Her hands began to stroke her hair and her crossed foot started to do quick, small circles.

Our eyes stayed locked for what seemed like a few minutes. Her heart began to beat faster and I watched her chest rise and fall with quickened breath. Finally, she spoke softly.

“The envoy said that if we surrender you, or if you surrendered to them, they would form a truce with Nia and our allies. They have sent envoys to all the other countries to tell them about the proposed offer. The king is getting tremendous pressure to hand you over to these Ancients. It’s completely ridiculous.” She sighed.

I sat back into the tub again and considered.

“It is a good move for the Ancients to make. Maybe they have convinced the other leaders that they will truly be left alone if I am surrendered. The Ancients will kill me and they will be free to destroy the rest of you.”

“I know. I know. I have been explaining that to the king. He agrees with me as well. Hell, even Maerc thinks it is a fictitious proposal and is putting more worth into you now. There are envoys from all of our allies demanding you to be turned over though.” She lifted up the hem of her left pant leg and exposed her boot. It climbed high up her calf. With a practiced move she undid the knot at the top and began to loosen the leather laces.

“The truce isn’t going to do anything. A piece of fucking paper won’t stop their arrows or their magic,” she said angrily as she grabbed the heel of the boot and slid it off of her foot. There was a thin silk sock that remained on her foot, but that too shortly joined the boot on the stone tile next to her chair. Then she reached for the knot on her other boot. Her eyes avoided mine as she went at her task.

“What do you think will happen?” I said as I watched her take off her boots with fascination. My skin tingled with anticipation. The water was probably too hot for her so I turned the small wheel that added more cold water to the mixture.

“I honestly don’t know. The king will stand firm, but Nanos argues with him daily and has other noble supporters.” Her other boot and sock joined their mates on the floor. Her bare feet had high, beautiful arches and I wanted to rub them. She carefully stood up out of her chair and faced down to me. Her heart was beating fast and her cheeks were as red as I had ever seen them. Her firm and perfectly round breasts pushed up against the smooth fabric of her blouse and I could see her erect nipples push out into the material.

“Turn around,” she said as she waved her pointer finger in a circle motion toward me.

“Why?” I raised my eyebrow

“I am going to take off my clothes.”

“And?”

“I don’t want you to see me,” she sighed in frustration.

“I am going to see you naked in the bath when you get in here with me. Then I am going to see you naked in my bed when we make love for the rest of the night.” She gasped and I couldn’t stop from grinning. She had a very odd sense of modesty, but now there was no question for her as to what would be happening if she got into the water with me.

“I can’t believe I am doing this.” She bit her lip and looked down at me. Her eyes were on fire with lust as she slowly began to unbutton the front of the shirt. She removed her top, exposing the breasts I had been fantasizing about since our first campfire conversation. Her stomach and chest were the same light tan as her face. Her breasts almost didn’t need the support of her blouse; they stood firm and high on her chest. Below them were vertical rows of perfect abdominal muscles that I was going to be running my tongue down and exploring within the half hour.

She undid her belt and pulled down her leather pants with a slow wiggle. Her eyes still locked with mine, judging my reaction to her naked body. Like her upper body, her legs were composed of long, toned muscles that were only acquired through disciplined exercise. I had seen Shlara naked several times and the similarities between her and Nadea’s body compelled my erection to become even harder. She had a small strip of dark hair above her entrance that she tried to cover up with her hand. She seemed to realize that it was a futile attempt and she moved her hand away so that I could see.

Her heart was beating even faster now, her breathing was almost labored. I drank in the sight of her lithe form and then looked into her face. She was still biting her lower lip and her eyes were excited.

“Oh Nadea,” I purred from my spot in the warm water. “How can I have any worries with your perfect body in front of me? Come in here so I can taste you.” She let out another gasp of pleasure and took the two steps required to reach the side of the bathtub.

Her left leg lifted up to get over the edge of the tub and I got a perfect look at the moist pink entrance that led into her body, then her pointed toe broke the top of the water.

“Oh shit! It’s hot!” she said, startled.

“Go slow,” I reassured her as she put the rest of her foot and then leg in with a hiss. My right hand came up and stroked the flank of her thigh. She gasped again as my fingers danced across the smooth skin.

“It’s really fucking hot. Damn. How do you stand it?” Instead of answering I pressed my lips and tongue against the skin of her upper leg, just slightly under her hip bone. For a few seconds she seemed at a loss for what she should be doing other than moaning. Finally, her left hand went to the back of my head and her fingers rubbed against my scalp through my hair as my tongue licked in slow circles across her sensitive skin.

“That feels really good Kaiyer,” she whispered between labored breaths.

“I haven’t even started yet.” I gave her a small chuckle and was rewarded by another soft moan of anticipation from her throat. “Let me turn on more cold water,” I said as I reached over with the hand that had been stroking her leg. I spun the cold wheel more and tightened up the hot wheel.

With a hiss of displeasure, she submerged her right leg up to her mid-thigh in the hot water but didn’t sit down into it. I slid forward and wrapped my hands around the back of her legs and grabbed firmly onto them. Then I continued to run my mouth over the smooth, taut skin of her thighs for a few minutes.

“Hum mm. Okay. This was a good idea,” she muttered under her breath. I chuckled again in between licking and kissing her legs. She was holding them tightly together so I didn’t have access to the lips around her entrance, but it would only be a matter of time before I would get there. I would savor the road to my final destination.

My hands moved up to the back of her legs and cupped her muscular buttocks. My lips climbed higher on her hips as I began to rub the muscles gently. She let out another long sigh.

“Kaiyer,” she whispered while she ran both of her hands through my hair. “Let me get in the rest of the way.”

I moved back to my end of the tub and watched her slowly lower her slender form in the pool. The water came up to her breasts and they seemed to try and float on the surface. Her arms hung along the edges of the rim on the tub as she leaned back against the far wall. Her legs stretched out almost the length of the space and lay on top of mine.

“Ah … this does feel really good.” Her eyes closed briefly as she relaxed and then opened to meet mine. The candles gave them a yellowish glow and her lips twisted into a smile of lust and desire. She inhaled deeply and exhaled with contentment.

My hands reached down to her feet and began to knead the muscles in her arches with my thumbs. I was going to touch, rub, and lick every part of her tonight. This would be a good place to start.

Her hands tightened around the rim of the tub and she let out another moan of deep enjoyment. Her mouth formed a perfect round expression of pleasure and surprise as my fingertips massaged her feet.

Suddenly a thunderous chime echoed in our room. We both sat upright in surprise. The bell rang out again, defiantly loud. I heard voices crying from a distant hallway.

“What the hell is that?” I said as I pushed my hands against my ears, spraying water out of the tub. I hadn’t expected the noise and my brain felt like it had been drop kicked.

“It’s the alarm!” Nadea screamed as she got out of the steaming water, her smooth, wet skin reflected the glow from the dozen candles in the room. “We are under attack!”

Chapter 25-Paug

“You sure he wasn’t in his room?” Iarin screamed over the chorus of angry and confused people as we ran toward the stairs leading to the Main Hall.

“Yes I’m sure! He wasn’t in his room!” I shouted. The tall man dodged to his right and pushed his back up against the wall. I took his cue and did the same as four guardsmen ran past us, their faces hard and resolute.

“What is the news?” Iarin called out to them but they didn’t say anything.

He took off down the stairs. I ran after him, unsure what else to do. If I was going to follow someone besides Kaiyer in this emergency, Iarin seemed like a good choice. The woodsman had been consistently calm and capable during our quest, I trusted his judgment, but I wanted to know what was going on.

“Why are we going to the Main Hall?” I yelled after him.

“What would you do if you were him? You’d want to find out why the alarm sounded. The guards will be coming and going through the Main Hall and into the courtyard.” I nodded as we forded a group of angry servants. I was pushed against the wall and bumped my elbow painfully before we swam free of them.

The stairs were even more of a mess as people ran in all directions screaming. The alarm bell rang again and I covered my ears. I worried about Grandfather, but imagined that he would either be sleeping through the racket or stay locked up in his room.

“We get the fucking point! Someone tell them to stop sounding the alarm!” Iarin shouted. I couldn’t help but smile even though my ears were ringing.

Finally, we made it down to the main level of the castle. My body was soaked with sweat and my lungs were on fire from trying to run down the stairs. I shouldn’t have consumed so many sweet cakes. The food in the castle had been amazing, much better than what I had ever eaten at home with Grandfather. I found the sugar coated cinnamon and custard cakes hard to resist.

We still had a few hundred yards of hallways to go, but I could not see any servants around, only guards with swords drawn. They nodded at Iarin and me as they ascended the stairs.

“News?”

“Ancients broke into the castle. Half a dozen of them. Killed some of our men and spread out through the halls. You’re better off in your room,” he said as he ran up the stairs.

“Shit. Kaiyer is going to go fucking crazy,” Iarin said. “Let’s continue and see if anyone has seen him.” The alarm rang again and we grimaced at each other.

The acrid iron tang of blood and ordure hit my nose before we reached the Main Hall. The bodies of Nia’s guards lay in pools of blood, not just slain but grotesquely maimed, stab wounds gaped, limbs were torn off and lay oozing on their own across the room. A few guards were alive, screaming in pain and writhing against their anguish as physicians and their assistants tried to stem bleeding. Runir supervised the mess. I felt the bile rise in my throat but took a few deep breaths to try to calm myself. There was no time for me to indulge in my weakness.

“What is the news?” I asked him from behind Iarin.

“Paug! Why are you down here? You need to get back to your room,” Runir said with concern.

“Have you seen Kaiyer?”

“No,” he said flatly. “I’ve had other things to worry about.” A scream echoed out in the hallways behind us.

“That came from the North Halls!” Runir ran back through the stairs with three of his men behind him. Iarin and I looked at each other before we chased after them into the area where the king resided.

More bodies of guards littered the Royal Halls like pieces of trash in the poor quarter. Their blood ran in rivulets of crimson, pooling in a sickly reflective brown lake in the middle of the floor. Here no one screamed. Runir and his fellows gave but momentary glances at their fallen brethren as they splashed through the puddles of gore. Within a few minutes we had made it to the Royal Receiving Room and heard sounds of the scuffle beyond the doorway.

With a mighty shout, Runir kicked open the door to the large room and the group ran in to defend the king. I realized that I didn’t carry a sword, or really know how to use one. Even if I did have a weapon, I would be no match for an Ancient warrior. What was I doing here?

“Ah ah ah,” a voice sung, incongruously melodious in the midst of the brutality it had wrought. There were three Ancients wearing skin tight dark gray leather: two women and a man. They all had hair that matched the color of the night sky and eyes that glowed like the gold of the chandeliers. One of the women held Jessmei from behind and had the sharp point of a dagger to the beautiful throat of the princess.

Jessmei’s blue eyes flashed hysterically as she tried to grasp the dark woman’s arms while she was pulled backward off balance. “New visitors! Stand over by your friends, humans or I’ll cut the princess a smile that will not bring much cheer,” the woman holding Jessmei continued as she twitched her head toward the corner. There stood the king, queen, Nadea, Maerc, the prince, the duke, Greykin, and a handful of the tough royal guards. Everyone that possessed a weapon had it in their hands. Greykin’s face was red with anger and spots of white foam were at the sides of his mouth. The queen looked like she was about to faint from fear.

“Your O’Baarni has been killed by now, but we are going to be taking a bit of insurance,” the woman spoke again. Her voice was rich and velvety. She might have sung at our banquet a few weeks ago. She began to pull Jessmei back against the wall toward the door through which we had just entered. Jessmei wore only a thin night gown and her body shook in terror. Where was Kaiyer?

“Where are you taking her?” Greykin asked. He sounded like a bear preparing to eat a deer. His axe and shield twitched in anticipation. He didn’t have armor on, just clothes that looked to be his night attire.

“We’ll be taking her to meet our empress. Worry not, she’ll be treated quite nicely.” The dark-haired woman leaned in close to Jessmei’s shoulder and ran the tip of her long tongue down the princess’s neck passionately. Jessmei’s eyes started to water and tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn’t cry out. The other two Ancients snickered at us and smiled like hyenas. “The empress will let her write to you, I am sure. Of course, if you try to follow us we’ll be forced to cut and run.” She tugged on Jessmei’s arm again and they backed through the door.

“Wait!” the king yelled. “Let the girl go and take me instead.” He walked toward them.

“Oh no. That isn’t the plan, human King. Our empress specifically said to either kill this one or bring her back. She has other plans for you.” She looked to her companions and said, “Close the door,” in their language. They pulled the massive pieces of wood closed between us.

“Get everyone on the exit roads out of the city!” Maerc screamed at the assembled guards. “I need to know exactly where they are heading.” They saluted and ran down out of the room.

“Runir! Take your men and either find Kaiyer’s body or bring him back here.” He pointed at the handsome blonde man who nodded and dashed out the door.

Greykin, the duke, the king, and the queen formed a tight circle where they appeared to be discussing what to do. The king put his arms around his wife as she began to sob.

I ran up to Nadea, she looked at me with panic and concern.

“Have you seen Kaiyer?” she asked.

“No. I was just going to ask you the same thing.” I noticed she was soaking wet but I didn’t ask what had happened.

“When did you see him last?” Iarin asked her as he walked up behind us. She paused for a second.

“I walked with him to his room and then the alarm sounded. We ran toward the Royal Quarters and he saw an Ancient dashing up the stairs. He told me that he would meet me here after he killed the Ancients. That was maybe a quarter of an hour ago.”

“It figures that your hero isn’t here when we really need him,” the prince said behind me. He stepped into our small circle with his chest puffed out and nose twisted in disgust. “Now my sister has been captured. None of this would have happened if you hadn’t brought him here.” His words dripped with contempt.

Nadea’s arm shot out like a crossbow bolt and the heel of her hand caught Nanos flat in the nose. He screamed in pain and shuffled back, tripping over his purple cloak and falling on his ass. Nadea’s face turned from anger, to fear, and then to triumph within a split second.

“You bitch!” the prince gurgled as he tried to stem the tide of red snot that poured from his face onto his crushed velvet shirt. “You broke my fucking nose!”

“Nadea!” her father yelled from the side of the room where he spoke to the king. She crossed her arms and glared back at him.

“He’s lucky that I only broke his nose. I’m going to go find Kaiyer.” She looked at Iarin and me. “Let’s go.”

“No you aren’t,” the duke interrupted her. “Greykin is going to escort you three back to your rooms. And then soldiers are going to guard the doors until we are sure that the Ancients are gone.” Greykin walked up behind him with a frown. He looked just as happy to hear the new order as Nadea did.

“We need to find Kaiyer.” She tossed her head and her ponytail trailed a line behind her.

“No. You have to do what I say. Kaiyer can take care of himself.” The duke nodded to Greykin.

“Let’s go,” the large man said under his breath. Forty guards had filtered into the room and were receiving direction from Maerc as we were leaving. A handful of them followed behind us as we made our way back to the rooms.

“This is bullshit Greykin,” Nadea said to him as we walked.

“For once I agree with you, but it’s not my place to question your father and the king. If I had my way, I’d be on a horse right now chasing after those snide little bastards that kidnapped Jess.” His voice sounded like rocks falling down a cliff.

The alarm had stopped ringing, but Nadea seemed to grow angrier each step that took her closer to her room.

“Are we just supposed to sit here and wait?” she asked Greykin when the four of us and our guard escort made it to the hallway by her quarters.

“Yes,” he said as he sat down in one of Nadea’s chairs. Her tables were loaded with maps, books, scrolls, and writing implements. The big man dropped his axe and shield on the rug and then put his face in his hands.

No one spoke. Iarin walked to the corner of Nadea’s room where the fireplace was and got one started. His face was worried and pensive.

“It wasn’t your fault Greykin,” Nadea whispered. She walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

“It was though,” the big man sobbed through his hands. “They moved so quick. Before I could even react they had grabbed her. I felt powerless. I kept telling myself that I might be a little slower, a bit weaker than last year, but I am still good enough to protect the king’s most valued treasures. Tonight I was proved wrong.” He cried again. I had never imagined Greykin like this. He seemed broken and beaten.

“We’ll get her back,” Nadea said as she looked over to me, her face pained. I felt my eyes start to tear up. Jessmei’s smiling face twisted into one of horror in my memories. How would we ever get her back? What would the empress do to her? Would they use her as leverage against the king? Would they do some of the horrible things Kaiyer told me that they did to human female slaves? My body shuddered in nausea as I thought about Jessmei being raped.

“Why wasn’t Kaiyer with you Nadea?” Greykin asked suddenly. He looked up from his sitting position and I could see the tear marks on his face. His face was so ashen, his cheeks resembled wet stone walls.

“He ran after one of the Ancients we saw on the way to the room.” Nadea frowned.

“If only he had stayed with you, this wouldn’t have happened.” Greykin’s face looked achingly sad again.

An oppressive silence sat in the room. The only noise was the sound of the fire cracking and the light breeze pushing against the window. Iarin was sitting down, slumped against the wall by the fire. Nadea had moved to her bed and sat on the mattress. Her fingers absently twisted through her dark hair while she stared at the ground in concentration.

Greykin stood up and exhaled deeply. “This isn’t Skinny’s fault. It isn’t my fault. This is the empress’s fault.” He looked around to each of us. “Runir is going to be looking for Kaiyer, but let’s go help him. Maybe Skinny will have a plan to get her back. We can’t just sit here and be idle. Then they will surely win. Jess needs us now and we must push forward.”

Iarin got up with a smile and nodded, eager for action. While I wasn’t as anxious to put myself back in danger, the inaction was torture, and even I felt restless and agitated simply waiting in the room.

“Okay. Let’s check the tower he went up first,” Nadea said as she stood. The life had definitely returned to her eyes. “I think the whole point of this night was to kidnap Jessmei. Why?”

“Can they use her as leverage against the king?” I asked.

“Why didn’t they just kill the king?” Greykin said. He bent down and picked up his axe and shield.

“That would probably galvanize our forces against the empress. She has plenty of humans, but I don’t think she has many Ancients in her force. Or at least, the reports seem to indicate that she doesn’t have an army of them.”

We began to walk toward the door and then a knock sounded loudly on it. Greykin took a step in front of Nadea and raised his shield.

“Enter,” he spoke deeply.

The duke walked into the room. His face was a pale mask of defeat and sadness.

“I have terrible news,” he said. Ice hit my stomach and numbness spread through my legs. What could qualify as terrible relative to the other horrors that had occurred tonight? Kaiyer is dead was the only thing I could think. Our hopes of winning this war against the Ancients were lost.

Nadea crossed her arms. I could see her hands clench into fists as her body tensed. The four of us looked at the duke, prepared to hear the news. He took a deep breath before he spoke. He looked ten years older than yesterday.

“We got a report from our home,” the duke looked to Nadea. “Losher’s army has traversed the mountain and sacked the keep. The runners don’t think there are any survivors. They barely escaped themselves. There are over twenty-five thousand troops in Losher’s horde. They are marching here. They will be at the capital within the month.” Nadea gasped and began to sob. She had a few friends here in the castle, but I knew that she had grown up and lived most of her life in her father’s keep to the east.

“How the hell did they get over twenty-five thousand troops?” Greykin asked in astonishment.

“I have no idea. I only had five thousand guarding the pass. The reports my spies sent me as recently as two weeks ago said that they were bunkering down in preparation for the winter.” The duke took another deep breath.

“How many troops do we have here in the capital?” I asked.

The duke looked at me and then to Greykin and Nadea.

“More than half of our troops are assisting in the North. Some are guarding our southern border. We will probably be able to gather ten to fifteen thousand at the most before Losher’s mass gets here.”

“So you’re saying that we are fucked then?” Iarin called from the back by the fireplace.

“The walls of this city have never been breached, but being under siege will be a challenge. Still, I have no doubt that we will emerge victorious,” the duke said. I felt my hopes dash. He had to say that we would prevail, but it sounded impossible. First the Ancients and now this threat from the East? News of Kaiyer’s death would have only been marginally worse.

It looked like we would all die much sooner than expected.

Chapter 26-The O’Baarni

Our Elven taskmasters realized that Thayer and I were bitter enemies, and today we had made quite a show of aggravating each other. It started in the morning, when he finished his set of squats quicker than I and spat on the back of my head. I tackled him to the ground and broke his nose, again, before the rest of our training partners pulled me off of him. Half an hour later when he was practicing a sword drill against another opponent, I strategically tripped him from behind. When he got off the ground he screamed curses against my mother and they had to pull the two of us apart. We shot fiery hot glares at each other the whole day, but they kept us from training with each other.

There were six other groups like ours, each with about twenty empowered humans. It was Laxile’s latest play to assimilate more tribes into their power base. Humans had been used as ground troops for hundreds of years in the Elven squabbles. If properly trained, a team of two or three humans could kill one of the monsters. Other tribes began to create small human armies and moved them against their opponents with as much emotional attachment as a piece on a game board.

We were different. Stronger and faster. We used their magic, only to heal ourselves, but it meant that we could learn combat skills without fear of death. Instead of the two or three humans needed to kill one Elven, it would take two or more Elvens to kill one of us.

As the day faded to dusk, I scanned the hill where our masters frequently stood to oversee their cattle. Once, a few years ago, when I first moved here after my brother and father’s murder, I had seen her ride by on a magnificent gray warhorse. Her hair flew behind her like a flag that had been lit on fire by the sun. My heart stopped beating and my vision clouded, but then she was gone. She didn’t look down into the training grounds at me, and I never saw her again.

Something hit me from behind and my spine bent backward as I flew forward five feet into the mud. I pushed myself up quickly, spitting dirt and water out of my mouth. It had been Thayer of course, and our training partners had already moved between us. I punched the one in front of me and he screamed as his jaw broke and he collapsed to the dirt. I kicked another one and the air went out of his stomach. Hands grabbed me from all sides and pulled me to the ground. Thayer screamed words about raping my eye socket, but it was hard to hear over the shouts of the other men.

“What is going on here?” the voice of our specific Elven trainer yelled. It was the one that ran me through with his sword. I smiled slightly at the sight of the silver-haired man. I never learned his name but could almost feel my hands closing around his throat and strangling the life from him.

“They are at it again,” one of the men said on cue.

“Master, they’ve been bickering all day,” another followed the script.

“We can’t train like this. We have to stop what we are doing every half hour to break them apart.”

“Very well,” the Elven said. His silvery hair laid back in a braid. His cold gray eyes judged each of us. “I’ve grown sick of both of you. You have been compromising the training of my other slaves for too long. Take them to the Ring.”

Hands grasped my arms, twisted me around and began to drag me away from our training site, toward the Ring. I couldn’t see Thayer through the crowd but I heard him yell at me still. I looked up on the ridge and saw a group of a dozen Elvens walking down to the other side, to the Ring. Perfect, we would give them a good show.

The Ring was a large semicircle of dirt, mud, and gravel. A shoulder high fence of stacked logs surrounded the circle and observers could watch people battle on the inside while sitting atop the barricade. I saw other groups of humans jogging over from their respective training camps. We didn’t have much interaction with the other teams, but Thayer and I were infamous for our combat prowess and hatred for each other. This wasn’t the first time we had been in the Ring to fight for everyone’s amusement.

“I’m going to fucking kill you this time!” Thayer yelled as the men pushed us into the circle. One of the men that had dragged me over put a heavy mace in my hand and Thayer was given a long sword. We moved to opposite sides of the Ring and stretched a little. More humans approached the Ring. We wanted them all to be here, so we took more time than we needed getting ready. We couldn’t start until our masters gave the command.

I looked to my left where the west end of the dirt circle had a raised platform so that the Elvens didn’t have to stand in the mud. It was placed on the opposite side of the Ring than the road that led up to the main house and the Elven soldiers’ barracks. The six trainers and their entourage of guards assembled on the dais and exchanged a few soft words between each other.

The silver-haired man that Thayer and I hated so much raised his hand and then lowered it.

I nearly didn’t get my mace in front of his first swing and my arm almost snapped out of its socket from the force of the impact. His attack knocked me off balance and I struggled to keep myself upright. I knew instinctively where his next cut would be. We had practiced it enough during our attempts to kill each other. I pushed forward on my stagger and forced myself into a roll, feeling the wind from the sword part the air behind me. Thayer was an incredible swordsman and he stopped the full momentum of the downward swing a few inches before it would have dug into the earth. He didn’t want to dull the blade unless it was with my skull. I had to be better or he really would kill me this time.

I came up to my feet and spun to face him. Clouds and mist rolled in from the east. The sun set behind the far mountains and an orange glow turned into a purple ocean in the sky as it stretched out over our heads. The green moon was only a sliver in the sky but the fog would soon cover its half-face like a burial sheet over a corpse. It would be a dark night and a fitting end to our slavery.

My mace swung from my left side and he moved to parry. It sounded like thunder when our weapons met and the impact bounced our arms from each other. I quickly changed the angle of my mace and came down again. This one he blocked as well, but the force pushed his body backward through the dirt and into the wall that protected the observers from our wrath. Hands pushed him off the wood and he charged at me again, driving the point of his sword at me like a spear. It would have split a tree in half, but I placed my mace on the inside of the blade and pushed it out so that it missed my chest by a few inches. We weren’t wearing shields, so my right hand came around to jab fingers into his neck. I didn’t have to put much force into it, the propulsion of his body did most of the work for me. He lowered his head in the last split second and my blow glanced harmlessly off of his chin. His left arm latched around my outstretched right one and we became entangled.

His momentum started to push me back over my center of balance. Before I shifted back his left foot hooked behind my right and I began to tip past the point of equilibrium. We both went down, luckily for him, I was on the bottom and broke most of his fall. The air hissed out of my lungs in echo to the sound of his sword bouncing out of his grip.

Our legs struggled for position as he tried to get them over and around my hips and I sought to stop him. He didn’t quite have a good seat for striking, but he decided to punch me anyway. The blow glanced off of my cheek and I was able to trap his hand with my right hand. Then I lifted my hips and spun him over so he fell off to the side. I attempted to move on top of him but he would have none of it. His knee snapped out and caught the side of my stomach, the blow would have knocked over a horse, but I just grunted as my body started to heal the bruised ribs. He spun around on his back and kicked me in the stomach with a scream. I lifted into the air and my diaphragm contracted from the force of his blow. I tried to soften the impact of my fall, but the back of my head still slammed into the dirt and gravel.

I gritted my teeth and tasted blood coming up from my stomach. He laughed at me and I tried my best to hide my smile, even though the pain in my body was real. I had landed in the mud next to his sword and I picked it up in my right hand. Then I spit out the mouthful of blood and glared at him.

Thayer spit on the ground as well and held out his hand to the side of the Ring. Someone threw him another long sword that he caught without even looking. The movement reminded me of the grandiose way he told stories to us late at night when we were supposed to be sleeping. My left hand tightened around the grip of my mace, but I kept the sword loose in my hand while we approached each other.

We circled each other again and I drove forward with a flurry of slams from my mace and quick cuts with the sword. He had no choice but to give ground and ended up with his back to the fence in front of the Elvens. A light drizzle of tears started to fall from the dusky sky. Before our magic it would have been impossible to see what I was doing. Before I had been changed I would have died a thousand times by now.

He had nowhere to go, so my next combination of attacks would have finished him. I ran at him with the blade and mace chambered at my sides, screaming as the power of the Earth coursed through my heart and veins. Our eyes met and we both understood that this was the end. Or it was the beginning. I raised my weapons when I was two steps from him and watched his hands drop his sword and form a cradle at his chest. My left foot fit into his hands and he lifted me as an explosive grunt left his mouth.

I flew over the fence and into the group of startled Elvens. My sword lashed out and took one of the trainer’s heads off cleanly before I landed into the chest of the silver-haired bastard that had been my torturer for the last four years. He gasped in surprise as the full weight of my body anchored atop him and dashed him to the ground. His ribs cracked and split like thin wood from my impact. His face looked shocked. He never imagined that we would fight back, and he must have thought my attack was an odd dream acquired from drinking too much wine. He still wore a look of incomprehension as my mace slammed into his skull, shattering it into a thousand pieces and scattering his eyeballs, brain, and teeth in all directions. Even though he was already dead, I hit the broken skull one more time, turning it into red and gray jelly and breaking the wooden boards underneath him.

The platform wasn’t very spacious and the other trainers stepped to the edges to avoid my flying body. They hadn’t even drawn their swords yet. Their faces looked concerned as they studied the dead bodies of the two I had just killed. They realized it wasn’t a dream when I kicked one of them close to me and pushed the group off of the raised platform. The mass of Elvens tumbled down the eight feet to the ground below with a collective shout of surprise.

The men Thayer and I trained with waited at the bottom with swords and daggers drawn. Starving dogs made less noise fighting over a thickly fleshed bone as they carved the Elvens into little pieces. It was almost over too quickly and the men looked up at me, their faces and bodies covered in blood. The look of hunger made their eyes glow. We had planned this for the last half of a year and it would now come to fruition. The humans in the other training groups stared at me in horror. The drizzle began to change into rain and a flash of light made the sky turn blue to the west, the direction we would be going.

“You all know me as Kaiyer!” I yelled to them from the raised platform. “We have planned an escape from our life of bondage where we can be free men and women. The men in my troop would rather live our lives as our own masters. If you agree, then follow us west through the forest. The way will not be easy. They will hunt us, they will try to kill us, and we will struggle to find food and shelter. I cannot guarantee that we will be successful in our escape. I can guarantee that if you remain here then you will eventually die in one of their petty land wars. They will continue to take your friends, your family, and your loved ones from you until they take your soul.”

I paused and looked over them. Their faces were pained as they considered the decision. I knew this would happen. We had been slaves for so long that even our legends told of a time when humans were slaves. Most would never be able to break that bond. We had known no other life, nor had our parents, our grandparents, or any humans. It was like asking a fish to learn to breathe and walk in order to live on land. Even tame horses had their wild counterparts to look to. But no human was free. No human ever had been.

The concept seemed so alien and difficult that death would be easier for some than disobeying our masters, than taking on the risks that came with freedom. It was daunting to imagine making decisions for yourself when your entire life had always been dictated for you, and I was asking them to decide now, with no time to reflect or consider the choice.

“If you come with us, you might die. But you will die in freedom.” I paused again to study their faces. They still looked confused and apprehensive.

“Make your choice,” I said as I turned and jumped from the platform. While I understood the gravity of the momentous decision I was asking them to make, I did not have patience for anyone who would struggle for long with their choice. We did not have the luxury of suffering cowards in our ranks. If they could not quickly choose freedom, I did not want them to join us. We needed only those who could confidently walk to a new life, a new era. Though slavery was all we knew, we understood on a primal level that we should be free. One of the men handed me a sheath for Thayer’s long sword and I strapped it to my back. My mace didn’t have sharp edges, but I continued to hold it in my left hand. I walked to the forest.

“Good speech, Brother,” Thayer said when he caught up with me before the tree line. I smiled at him.

“Don’t look back,” I said to him and the other men in front of me. “We have a plan. It was constructed carefully and we must adhere to it. If we turn around it will seem that we need them to follow us. We do not.”

The forest was thick, but we had practiced this run several times in preparation. We knew the small trail to follow that would take us to the river. It was only a few miles, but the tension of unanswered questions made the trek more stressful than any other night we had practiced. Would the other humans follow us? How long would it take for the Elvens to realize we escaped and come after us? How many would they send? I briefly worried, but then I remembered the alternative. I wanted to be free, even if that meant that I died like a starving wolf instead of a well-fed dog.

We hit the rocky beach by the river. I didn’t know the name of it; we were not allowed to look at maps or even supposed to know how to read, though most of us were able to interpret basic written words. The distant mountain range hid the remainder of the sun’s rays behind its sharp peaks and robe of dark clouds. There was almost no light, but we knew where our boats lay hidden, and our eyesight had been sharpened when we were changed. Within a few minutes we had five of them in the water.

We had made thirty of these canoes, expecting others to follow us. They were roughly crafted, hollowed out logs with paddles for propulsion. Before Thayer was drafted into this elite human army, he had been a woodworker and carpenter along with his father. He instructed the rest of us in the construction and we had spent many dark nights building them with makeshift tools.

“Well, look at that Brother,” Thayer said as he glanced back from the boat into the forest. Around eighty humans leaked out of the tree line onto the shore. Most of them looked terrified, so I got out of the boat and walked across the beach to meet them.

“We have boats hidden over there. Four people per boat. Get them loaded into the water and follow us.” They nodded and moved toward the watercraft. There was a bit of confusion as the newcomers got situated with the rough canoes, but soon enough we were all in the river and paddling downstream.

We hadn’t seen a map, but it was common knowledge that the rivers eventually led into the ocean. Then we could take the ocean for miles in any direction, find a place to hole up, and live free.

“We did it Brother. All this fighting will be behind us. I’ll be happy if I never have to see one of their ugly faces ever again.”

I nodded. We had accomplished this much. Now I must worry about where we were going, how we would build shelter, get food, and most importantly: how we would elude the Elvens who would be hunting us.

But it still felt amazing to be free. The hard part of the plan was over.

Chapter 27-Kaiyer

“Get up Kaiyer,” the voice echoed across the water of my memories. I looked around on the boat. Thayer’s face looked at me in confusion before dissolving into darkness.

“Get up Kaiyer,” the voice commanded again. I moaned in pain. Where did I hurt? Where was I?

“Get up. They are coming for you. NOW!” the voice screamed and echoed in my head. I suddenly recognized the voice. I would never forget her voice. My eyes ripped open on their own accord.

For a second I thought I was looking into a glowing pool of white water. I realized that I was lying on my back and gazing up at a hole in the ceiling. The light from the twin moons broke through the opening and poured upon the pile of rubble that used to be the roof of this large storage building. There were hundreds of sacks of flour spread out on the floor. I pushed myself up to my feet but fell back down again. My left arm wasn’t working for some reason. I looked at it and saw a barbed arrow that pierced the limb like a toothpick through a sausage. Then I remembered how I had ended up flat on my back in a grain house.

Nadea and I had hastily donned our clothes and ran out into the hallway. I tried to find Paug, but she told me that we should make our way to the king. If we were really under attack, we needed to report to him to see where we could be of use. On our way there I saw an Elven ascend the stairs to the Royal Quarters. My blood screamed through my ears and I set off after him. My insane rage needed to be cooled by drinking his screams.

The man led me on a merry run through the halls. I had almost caught him a few times, but he seemed more intent on running from me than fighting. Finally, he bounded out of a window of the castle and I gave chase through the sprawling city over which the magnificent fortress perched. The bells of the alarm rang out from the castle and into the city like the scream of an eagle. All the doors and windows were closed in the homes and buildings. People hid when afraid.

The Elven man was good at evading me. We sprung across the rooftops with ease and hit the ground to take the fastest avenue away from the castle. It reminded me of the game of follow the leader that Thayer and I had played through the forest of our training. Only this game would have a darker end once I caught up to my prey. After ten minutes of chasing him he had continued to glance over his shoulder. The third time he did such a check I realized he wasn’t checking to see if I was still behind him. He was checking to make sure that I was still behind him.

Before I could alter my course I heard the twangs of several bowstrings on my left side. I twisted in the air but one pierced my left arm. Half a dozen Elvens appeared from the parallel rooftops after the arrows flew. It was easy to spot their shadowy forms against the cream paint of the buildings and the light of the white and grayish moons.

Now I was the one running. I felt like a fucking idiot since I had fallen right into their trap. I hadn’t even bothered to put shoes on or grab a sword when I left my room with Nadea.

I had grown derelict and would pay the price.

My arm was numb and cold. At least the head of the arrow passed through the limb but the tip was decently poisoned. It hadn’t seeped into my body yet, but I knew I only had a few minutes before it did. Once the toxin hit my legs I wouldn’t be able to run anymore.

Another set of arrows bounced off the wall next to me as I ducked and rolled across a roof. Then I ran, dodging clothes lines hung with laundry, tables stacked with empty wine bottles, and cages filled with small birds that were probably used for food or message-sending.

Magical energy built behind me and I tried to pick up the pace. Heat washed over me as an explosion of magic lifted me off my feet and spun me through the air like a coin. I hit the roof of a building and felt it break underneath me. Now her voice woke me. How much time had passed?

“Move!” her voice commanded from behind me. I spun around but didn’t see her.

“Iolarathe?” I called out but got no reply. My left arm was still numb, but the toxin had not made it to my chest yet. I grabbed the shaft by the arrowhead and ripped it the rest of the way through my arm. My vision swam darkly and I fought against the desire to scream or faint. I forced my body to heal, but the poison created an uphill battle.

A shadow flashed across the opening above me like a bird flying across a window. I looked for an exit to this warehouse on the ground level and spotted a double set of wood doors twenty feet from me that probably led to the main street. I ran over and lifted the bar from them as quietly as I could with one working arm. My hands were about to push the wooden portals open so I could run. Then I thought better of it and stood to the side.

Sure enough, as soon as I pushed them out a trill of bowstrings sung and the doors instantly filled with arrow shafts. No exit that way. I looked up at the hole forty feet in the ceiling. Even if I made the jump, chances were that my attackers would be waiting for me up top.

“Now what?” I asked the voice in my head that sounded like Iolarathe. I got no answer.

“Come out O’Baarni …” a female voice whispered from the street outside the building. There was another flash of darkness across the hole in the roof and I looked up to see a figure leaning over the edge looking down at me.

I needed to get out and was thinking too much like a human. My kind had other talents besides our fists. I ran to the opposite side of the warehouse from the door, toward the thick wood wall that led out to what I guessed was an alley or another street. Earth and Air swelled inside of me. It pushed into my chest and I reached out my hand, focusing the power through it and against the far wall. Fire and force exploded from me and shattered the wood like a rock being thrown against a glass wine bottle.

Then I was through the wall and into the street. Using the Wind always left me a bit disoriented. It was no problem to run, but I couldn’t have harnessed it while in the midst of combat.

Screeches of outrage echoed across the walls of the city behind me as I ran. I had no idea where I was in the capital, so I debated jumping onto the roofs to get my bearings. There was a risk I would be easy to spot by my pursuers, but staying at ground level meant that they would have a better angle for their arrows.

There was one close behind me. I heard the light, quick footsteps of his or her pursuit. I made a sharp turn behind what looked to be a dry goods store and quickly jumped up to the ledge of the second floor.

The Elven turned the corner and I jumped down on him. He didn’t have his sword out, just a short, heavy bow with one of the familiar barbed arrows notched in the string. It went off as my knee connected with his lower back and bounced off the street walls and ground until it impaled itself in the wood of the store.

The force of the blow drove the man to his stomach, though I didn’t weigh much. I grabbed onto the back of his head by the braided hair with my right hand and slammed his face into the stone of the alleyway three times until his skull cracked. I stood up and finished him off by grinding the bones in his throat into a flat piece of leather with the heel of my bare foot.

He carried a curved long sword, curved short sword, two daggers, and the bow with six arrows in a small quiver. It took me a half a minute of numb arm fumbling to untie his various weapon belts and attach them to my own thin waist. Once settled, I ran my right hand over the hilts of the blades and memorized their draw angles.

I heard the dancing of two more pairs of booted feet coming down the road toward my alley before the alarm sounded again. I flipped out one of the newly acquired daggers and exhaled. Then I poked my upper body from behind the corner and threw it at the one closest to me. It was a lucky throw, hitting her right in the throat and flipping her body back. She gurgled out a soft scream of blood through torn vocal chords. Her companion dove to the side behind a discarded hand cart.

“He’s here!” the Elven shouted out in our language from behind the cart. Half a dozen voices howled out in the night from around us. I reached down and grabbed the bow with my right hand and ran to the nearest silent spot.

Two dead. How many more were there? Eight? Perhaps less. I jumped up to a small thatched roof and then leapt up to a higher ledge of stone. I ran for a minute or two, jumping between rooftops. Finally, I slowed to a stop and looked around to get my bearings. I was near the south of the city. The castle sat to the north, its hundreds of windows like the eyes of a hungry, giant tarantula over a web of glowing fireflies. My left arm started to screech with pain, so I carefully flexed my grip and managed to close my fingers. At least this was one thing going my way.

I didn’t hear my pursuers, which meant I had either lost them or they were moving in discreetly for the kill. I bet on the latter and hurdled off of the edge of the building, falling thirty feet to the hard cobblestone below. Arrows bounced off the walls around me as I fell; they all missed, but confirmed that I had taken the right bet. Howls of anger echoed across the roof from the Elvens once they realized I had escaped their ambush again.

I kept running, aiming for the west side of the city. The alarm bellowed across the still night, reminding me of my friends in the castle. I didn’t have much of a plan other than regaining the full use of my arm and then killing them off one by one. I just needed to live for a bit longer.

There was a group forty yards behind me, and another maybe sixty yards to the northeast of me, trying to flank me. I heard them cracking the tiles of the roof tops as they ran. My arm could move now but I doubted its strength. I cut west through another alleyway and headed directly to the wall around the city. I slowed down a little and tested the pull on the bowstring without notching an arrow. My arm almost bucked, but was able to hold it firm if I locked my elbow. It would have to do, I thought to myself as I carefully placed one of the poisoned arrows against the string.

I turned the corner again to double back south. The street here lay on a steep decline and I spotted a few barrels sitting in front of the doors of a home. I kicked them over and sent them rolling down the hill. Then I faced the direction I came from and notched the arrow, hoping that the sound of the tumbling casks would cover my lack of movement.

It did.

The first Elven took one of my arrows into his stomach before he had moved three steps around the corner. He let out a shocked scream as he doubled over in pain and stumbled to the ground. The Elvens could heal themselves using the power of the Earth as I did, but I doubted he would be able to pull the barbed tip out himself or heal before he fell unconscious from the pain.

The second one notched her arrow quicker than I did with my damaged arm. I heard the twang of her bow and then I prudently ducked while I continued to attach the arrow to my own flax string. I felt the feathered shaft pass over the hair on my head and then I came up with mine drawn back. She dodged to her right, laying her sleek body out through the air in a line parallel with the cobblestones. My arrow still took her in the left leg and she screamed out in dismay as the force spun her around like a child’s top. I notched another arrow and pointed at the corner of the alley from where they would emerge.

“He’s here!” the woman called out into the night. She took another deep breath and was about to yell again when I put my arrow through her jaw and into her skull. I didn’t hear any howls to answer her but I knew they were going to be coming soon.

I ran down the steep street and looked over to the west. The wall of the city was almost within reach. If I made it there, they could only approach me from one side. I didn’t know for sure how many more there were, but I guessed at four. I made a quick right at an intersection and there was only a few hundred yards to the wall.

Almost there. I risked a glance back and saw two figures bouncing on rooftops a few blocks behind me. I would be able to make it to the wall before they would get to me.

An Elven stepped out from an alley about eighty yards in front of me with an arrow notched. He let loose and I dived forward and to the right. The barbed missile passed to my left side harmlessly. If he had been a little closer, I wouldn’t have been so lucky.

“I made this special for you, Kaiyer. It weighs as much as a dragon but you’ll laugh off anything lighter than a ballista arrow,” the huge old man said to me. The armor did weigh a lot. But I imagined I would get used to the weight. The helm looked like the bare skull of some nightmarish demon. The shoulders were screaming skulls, and the smith had etched thousands of tortured demon faces into the surface of the dark black metal. If skulls could have expressions, theirs would be of loathing and hate.

“Holy shit. I’m scared just looking at that thing,” Malek said at my side. He delicately picked up the helm and turned it over in his outstretched hands as if the visage would bite him.

“Aye,” the old man spit on the ground. “It’s my finest work. I hope they all shit themselves when you come to rip the souls from their wailing throats.”

“What are these?” I said, reaching into the armor to touch the sharp points connecting the joints.

“I’ll explain those to you when you put it on. I’ve heard you’re a tough motherfucker.”

I shrugged but didn’t answer him directly.

“You’ll need a weapon as abhorrent as this armor,” Malek said to me with a smile.

“I’m working on several of those. I think you’ll be pleased,” the old man said.

I switched the bow to my right hand and notched another arrow. The male Elven in the street also pulled back his string, so I crouched down low and pushed my right side against the wall. The hand change would let me expose less of my body against the corner. I gritted in agony as my left arm struggled to hold the string back. He let loose when my head appeared briefly, and I ducked back as arrow slammed into the wooden panels of the building I used as cover. I stepped out and let loose. Unfortunately, my left arm still felt the effects of the poison and the arrow went wide over his head as he jumped out of the way.

“Shit!” I muttered under my breath as I continued north through the alleyway. I moved the bow back into my left hand.

The alarm echoed across the city and I decided to double back the way I had gone. The cover of the noise would give me a few precious seconds to change direction before they might notice me running again.

I noticed the pair of shadows up above me to my left and prepared to dodge another volley of arrows, but the alarm was still ringing and they kept running in the direction they believed I was heading. I didn’t think I would get a better chance to surprise them, so I jumped up on the ledge of the building and pulled myself up with my right hand. They were sprinting away from me across the roof, oblivious to the feint I had pulled. The arrow drew back on my bow and I aimed for the lower back of the Elven that was closest to me. She grunted in surprised agony as I caught her in a midair jump. The barbed shaft hit her in the lower spine and bent her back. I doubted that she was dead, but she wouldn’t be walking or moving for a few hours.

Her companion turned as I notched my last arrow. This Elven dove off of the ledge with the speed of a diving eagle. The bolt embedded itself in the stone roof where she had been a split second earlier. Light footsteps scraped the roof next to me and I spun my bow around my head to block the sword blow I knew was about to slice me apart.

The bow I had been using was finely crafted, with metal in its shape to give it an extreme amount of strength, even for its half-size. The sword bit into it halfway but didn’t snap it in two. My Elven attacker looked surprised that I had blocked his swing. He quickly flipped around the handle of the sword in both his hands, making a quick cut with the blade’s tip at my chin.

I dropped the bow and threw myself back, dodging the blade by an inch. I also avoided another barbed arrow that had been aiming for the space my shoulders occupied a fraction of a second before. The missile came from my right and I turned in mid-fall to see the male I had evaded in the street. He perched on a higher roof and already had another arrow ready to shoot down at me. I pushed my arms behind me and made my body flip into a handspring.

Another arrow flew by my face as I dove behind a chimney. The Elven with the sword moved up to strike me and I had to jump out from behind my chimney cover to avoid being cut. The sword banged against the stone of the chimney and another arrow slammed into the back side of it as I stepped in close to the Elven and wrapped my hands around the hilt and his grip. This bastard may have not been the world’s best swordsman, but he was resourceful. As soon as he felt my grip around his sword hilt he reached down with his off hand and pulled a curved dagger out of the sheath on his waist.

I kept my right hand locked around his on the sword and moved my left down to attempt to parry the dagger. He should have tried to cut off the hand that went for his dagger, but instead he cut for my stomach, it was a rookie mistake and I easily sucked myself out of the way. Then I pushed his left hand into the stonework of the chimney, rendering the dagger useless. My hands gripped and pulled him toward me. Instinctively he tried to resist and pull back. I expected it and released the grip on my right hand and slid it down his right sword arm and slammed into the crook of his neck. At the same time, my right foot stepped down in between his legs.

The force of the blow wasn’t hard enough to break his neck or his windpipe, but it crushed his throat and he tumbled back off balance. His short sword was then in my hands and I left the cover of the chimney briefly to slam its curved blade through his heart.

The Elven on the roof above me had been flanking me to my right, so my move to finish off his friend put me in a position of better cover. I jumped down from the roof and ran south again, with hopes that I could head west on the street where we exchanged arrows earlier and then make it to the wall.

The street looked clear, but I moved to the far side of it, away from where I last saw the Elvens, in case I needed to duck behind cover. The wall loomed up ahead of me like a small mountain. I could see the stairs leading up about two hundred yards away. I would be there within seconds.

“Stop. I challenge you O’Baarni!” a female voice said as soon as I reached the stairs heading up into the nook of the wall. I turned to the woman that had dodged my arrow from the rooftop a minute earlier. She had a curved sword drawn and was sprinting before me. She slid to a halt when she saw that I had stopped on the stairs. I didn’t see the male who had shot at me anywhere.

“What does that mean?” I said as I slowly backed up the stairs to the wall. Both sides of the pathway on the top were spaced with thick stone pillars and I could take cover from the archer there.

“You fight me alone. No tricks,” she said. “I want to know your skill.” Her eyes glowed like sapphires from the light of the moon. Her hair was tied in two matching ponytails on the side of her head. I couldn’t tell what the color of her mane was, but it was reflective, either gold or silver.

“Six of your detestable kind are dead by my hand and you want to try your luck?” I moved the rest of the way up the stairs and looked down at her.

“Yes.” She nodded and smiled.

“Where is your friend? He will interfere.”

“No. He went back to report to our Commander.” She looked around.

“Why don’t you follow him?” I raised an eyebrow.

“She does not accept failure. I would rather die here fighting you than face her.” She began to ascend the stairs.

“But your companion doesn’t feel the same way?”

“Perhaps she will forgive him for reporting what you are capable of, but I’ll take my chances here.” She smiled. Her exotically beautiful face filled my mouth with bile. I was about to reply when my ears picked up another sound in the otherwise silent night: many horses racing through the city toward the west exit.

“Sword against sword O’Baarni. No magic, just our bodies entwined in combat.” I looked back down the stairs at her and she slid her long tongue across red lips. The woman wore black leather armor and I saw a white insignia on her left breast piece. It looked like the stylized design of a flame and I recalled that the others I had killed all bore a similar icon on their armor.

“No tricks?” I asked. She nodded and I smiled back at her.

I felt the Air slide around me and I summoned the Earth to my chest. Before the woman could react I threw the power out from my body. It was flame, force, hate, passion, and death. Her face changed from lust to horror as she exploded into fire. Her scream filled the silent air and seemed to shake the stones of the wall. No tricks.

Deep satisfaction came from watching her body burn.

It was impossible to walk across the battlefield without stepping on bodies.

“What are you looking for?” Alexia asked as she flipped back her short blonde hair. Her dark green armor had snakes scrawled and etched over every surface.

“A particular one. I was just curious. Carry on with the search and destroy.” Alexia nodded and flashed me a grin before she leapt away.

I glanced back to the bodies, expecting to suddenly see a long trail of hair that looked like fire. I knew that she wasn’t dead. I could still feel her heart beating in the Earth and hear her laughter on the wind.

I staggered against the wall with dizziness from the memory and the use of Air. She may have been lying about her companion, so I kept to the inside of the wall and continued to check the rooftops while I ran. The sounds of the hooves seemed to be getting closer. I reached the west gate a few seconds after the horses passed through. There were six of them. Larger steeds that bore the markings of the king’s mounts. I recognized the posture and riding style of three Elvens that sat atop them. They were wearing dark leather armor similar to the ones I had just killed. Sharing the saddle of the Elven in the middle of the group was a woman in a thin white dress.

Jessmei.

She appeared to be tied at the hands and feet. The princess gave one last look at the castle and city before the riders crested a hill five hundred yards out. Had this all been a feint to capture the King’s daughter?

Fuck. I had made too many mistakes tonight. I had almost gotten myself killed and allowed Jessmei to be captured.

I looked back toward the castle. Then I sighed when I speculated on the complicated process of getting a rescue effort underway. I would need to speak with the royal family to get rations, a horse, and permission. Maerc and Runir would probably try to thwart my attempt and then send their own men. There was no time for their bullshit; the trail would be cold in a few hours. I thought about her beautifully kind face crying out in horror. I thought of the tortures they would inflict upon her once they reached the empress’s camp.

I sighed. Then I jumped from the wall and fell into the soft grass sixty feet below. My bare feet left deep imprints in the ground where I landed but I doubted any guards would notice. I didn’t even have shoes, but I would have to make it work. Jessmei needed me now and no one else could help her.

I set off at a run after the horses. I would catch them and bring her back. I never failed. Or at least, I hadn’t remembered failing yet.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have taken much comfort from the holes in my memory.

Chapter 28-Paug

“We found seven bodies of Ancients,” Runir reported to the duke and king. It was the morning after Jessmei’s kidnapping. No one had slept, and a tight melancholy tension hung in the air. “I,” the blonde man paused. “I believe we discovered the body of Kaiyer, it was hard to identify though.”

“No!” I blurted out before my mind made sense of is words. Everyone turned to look at me with pity in their eyes. “He’s not dead. Why do you think so? What do you mean, ‘It was hard to identify?’” My voice squeaked out at the end past the tightness in my stomach. I glanced at Nadea and she slumped down in her chair. There sat a plate of breakfast food on the table but she hadn’t even touched it.

Runir walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. I felt myself sob and I tried to hold it in so they wouldn’t hear.

“I am sorry to tell you this news.” He squeezed my shoulder to comfort me. “I know he was your friend, but he died protecting us and Nia. It’s all that we Knights can ask for, a death serving Nia.”

“Where did you find the bodies?” The king gestured to a small model of the castle and city. Runir walked over and placed small red tokens on the model. After a few minutes of careful consideration, he stepped back.

“We found them here. Kaiyer’s was over there.” He pointed to a marker by the edge of the west wall. “It was burned to ashes, cremated beyond recognition.”

“So you don’t know for sure it is his body?” the duke said in a haggard voice.

“No, we don’t know for sure. This one’s face was smashed into the stonework, his weapons were taken, which is why I think Kaiyer killed him first.” Runir then pointed at the marker next to one closest to the castle. “This one had a dagger embedded in her throat.”

“How about the others?” Maerc asked with interest.

“He moved through the city toward the west wall killing them.” He gestured to the various markers on the map. “In the end he was exposed in the open and one used their magic to incinerate him. Then they escaped over the wall and met up with the three that kidnapped Jessmei. That is why they took extra horses with them.”

Before the young man could say more, a knock sounded at the door and Greykin walked in. His pants were coated with dirt and mud. No one seemed to care that he tracked it into the Planning Room.

“I found the spot where someone jumped off the wall. Looks like they ran to the road, but the idiot guards made a mess of the scene with their boots. The trail led west and then we lost it going north.” The big man stroked his whiskers with his left hand. His right strayed down to tightly grasp the handle of his axe.

“What if he isn’t dead? What if the ashes were someone else’s?” I asked again. I knew what they thought. I saw the pity and condescension as they looked away from me. But it was not just naïve hope that kept me believing he was alive. There was no real evidence he was dead. The ashes could be those of an Ancient. Why were they so quick to give up on Kaiyer, to give up hope? Grandfather’s hands lay on my shoulders where Runir’s had been. I looked back and saw that his blue eyes were misty.

“Sorry Paug. If he is alive then why isn’t he here?” Runir sat down in one of the free chairs and sighed in exhaustion.

I didn’t have an answer. The tears just slid down my cheeks like warm rain. I didn’t want to cry in front of them, but I couldn’t seem to stop the tears from their trek. I looked down at the ground so they wouldn’t see my sadness and Grandfather wrapped his arms around me from behind.

“It’s okay Paug,” he whispered to me. The tears started to fall faster and my lips quivered beyond my control. I looked up through my lashes at Nadea across the room. She had propped her elbows onto the thick dark wood of the table and covered her face with her hands. I couldn’t see if she shared my tears, but I imagined that she did. I hoped that she had cared about him as much as I did.

He’d been the only one that had seemed to want to listen to me talk about my stupid life, unlike the other adults, he didn’t consider me a boy, he viewed me as an equal. His gentle smile flashed through my brain when I recalled how he had asked me to join him whenever we went somewhere in the castle. I remembered the banquet, when he had tried to convince me to talk to Tanya Gettil. I wished I would have followed his advice. He would have been proud of my bravery, even if I had only gotten a cold shoulder from the beautiful singer. And he was right. If I had done it, maybe she would have been nice, and I could say I had spoken to the famous woman. If she had ignored me, I would have been no worse off than I was now. I vowed to choose bravery from now on, to honor his memory by behaving like him.

He was going to save us from the Ancients. How would we prevail without him?

“It pains me beyond measure to make these decisions,” the king said. He stood up and paced around the room. It was large enough for all of us, including the prince and three of the king’s generals. “We must focus on defending the capital against Losher. I will have to hope that they wanted my daughter alive for some sort of political leverage. I’ll have to pay that price at a later date. But I cannot pay it without a kingdom. How soon can we recall our troops from the North?”

“It will take them a month and a half to get here if we send messenger crows. Two months if we send a courier,” one of the generals answered. The king nodded.

“Send both the crows and a courier. We’ll need to withdraw half our forces from the frontlines. I want separate couriers addressing our envoys up there so they can smooth relations.”

“Sire. It will be difficult for our men to traverse that distance in the winter months, especially through the mountain passes. We might lose many lives to the cold,” another general said.

“What are our chances of withstanding the siege until spring?” Grandfather asked. I didn’t understand that much about warfare, but Greykin had already hinted to me that we might be unable to guard a city as big as ours against the Losher horde with the amount of men we had.

“It’s possible we could hold out all winter. We need to start stockpiling food now in case we are forced to relinquish the city. The castle walls will hold for a long time though,” Maerc said with a frown.

“Maerc, take your son and make this your top priority.” Runir and the general saluted and made for the door.

“Nosa, send the messenger crows to the Northlands. I don’t care if we lose some men on the way back. They won’t have a kingdom to defend if they don’t get here soon.” One of the generals nodded and stood up straight.

“Tonas and Polunt, brush up on our siege training. It has been many years since we have practiced, but I want all of our troops and the citizens ready to take this challenge. Get the walls fortified, the citizens trained, and I want every farm within twenty miles of the city stripped and burned.”

The men nodded.

“Nadea, I need an accurate headcount of their forces. You are not to leave the castle, but I know you have a network of people in the city that have gathered information for you. Can you get this?”

“Yes Uncle,” she said behind her hands. She didn’t get up from her chair.

“Our walls have never fallen, and they won’t on my watch. We may be outnumbered but that doesn’t mean we are beaten. We will overcome this challenge through our cunning, discipline, and strength. Our friends, family, and those that will live in the future are depending on our success. Dismissed.”

The soldiers left in a hurry.

“Go help Maerc,” the king told his son, who nodded and left with a blank face.

The duke leaned over his daughter and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

“I’m fine,” she said when he whispered something in her ear. Then she stood suddenly. “I need to get to work.” She almost spat as she walked quickly to the other side of the room and out the door. She looked down and her hair covered her face.

Greykin, the two royal brothers, Grandfather, and I were the only people left in the room.

The duke looked at Grandfather and me before he smiled painfully.

“My friends, I’m afraid that I am going to have to relieve you of your duty and ask you to return to your home. With Kaiyer dead, I don’t think it worth both of your lives to stay here. Your home is a two week’s ride to the southwest. If the kingdom falls, it is possible that they will come for you, but you will definitely be safer at home. I will issue you some gold notes you can redeem with the castle secretary and then leave in the next few days.”

The duke flipped open a small book and began to scribble into it with a quill.

“Thank you, sire. We were delighted to assist. It is a shame that it turned out this way with Kaiyer. He was a remarkable man,” Grandfather squeezed my shoulders.

“Yes he was. He didn’t seem to understand our ways, but perhaps we should be more like him.” The duke handed two notes across the table to Grandfather.

“Thank you for your help. I look forward to the four of us meeting again under better circumstances.” The king nodded and held out his hand. Grandfather kneeled and kissed it, and then I did the same. As I stood up the king’s hand brushed the top of my head. “Be safe, Paug. The world will always need thinkers and dreamers, no matter who rules it.” His eyes met mine and their blue orbs relaxed my storming emotions.

The confidence faded when I got to my room and began to pack up my things.

It wasn’t supposed to end this way. With Kaiyer dead, the Losher army invading, and Nia outnumbered. It felt like I was running away. But what could I do? My only purpose here was to translate for a man that didn’t really need me for more than a few weeks. Now he was dead. I was no warrior; I couldn’t defend the castle against our enemies. Even the sight of blood made me sick. I was a teacher, a scholar, I was soft and weak. That’s why my brain worked so well. This wasn’t my fight anymore.

Why did I feel like such a coward?

I put down the book bag I was packing and lay face down on my bed. The tears started to come again and I pushed my nose into the pillow until they seemed to burn my skin.

I wanted to be brave like Kaiyer. He wouldn’t be running. He would stay to protect his friends.

I suddenly got mad at him. Why had he chased after that Ancient? Didn’t he know it was going to be a trap? He was too valuable to us, he represented so much hope. It was now all lost. I slammed my fist into the pillow and screamed. I shouldn’t be angry with him. His relaxed and gentle smile came to my face in memory again.

The smile reminded me of my mother.

Her favorite pastime was to walk down from the lighthouse to the shore of the beach. She would bring a blanket or a small wooden chair and watch the waves all day. I would run up to her and show her a pretty rock or piece of seaweed I had found. She would smile at me in the same relaxed way Kaiyer had and would compliment my find. Her easy grin was the only thing I still remembered of her. She had died so long ago that her voice had faded from my memory.

There was a light knock on my door. I wiped the tears from my eyes and bid them to enter. The door opened and Iarin walked through with two large flasks of wine and a tray of breads, fruit, and breakfast meats.

“Heard from your grandfather that you would leave tomorrow. Thought we should eat a bunch of good food and get shit faced drunk before you left.” He set down the feast on my table. “Well, come now. You look like someone cut off your left nut and made you use it as fishing bait. Cheer up! It’s not quite the end of the world, yet. Let’s eat and enjoy while we still can.”

The woodsman sat down at a chair opposite me, popped off the cork on one of the bottles and took a long swig. Then he stacked a fistful of meat and cheese on dark bread before he took a gleeful bite.

I nodded and slid across the bed to the chair on the other side of the table. He was right in a way. I wouldn’t be able to get food like this back at home, where most of my diet consisted of fish, eggs, cabbage, and whatever meat we traded for. Living here in the castle had been the best few weeks of my life so far, particularly from a culinary standpoint.

“You know,” Iarin said across a mouthful of food, “I never told you about the Spirits of the Forest.”

I looked up at him in question. I didn’t try to open my mouth because it was full of delicious food.

“Remember in Vanlourn, when I told you that they protect us? When we climbed up the cliff in the darkness?”

“That’s right. I forgot to ask you about it. I guessed you just said that to make me relax.” A long swallow of bitter red wine helped the bread and cheese go down to my gut. The alcohol was dry and made the inside of my mouth sting in pleasure.

“I did in a way, but the woodsman, rangers, survivors, and nomads like me sense the powers of the earth, trees, sun, and moons. We believe that each living thing has a spirit that tries to protect people that are good and punish those that are evil. Sailors think the same things about their ocean.” He took another bite of meat and bread; this time it was slathered with grainy brown mustard.

“Since we are good the trees try to look out for us?”

“Yes. It takes a lot of trees to do anything though. Their spirits are weak alone. Just like you need a lot of water in the ocean to make a wave.” He drank a long swig of the red wine. “I’ve always tried to be good. I never cheat when I gamble, I honor my contracts, I give thanks when I hunt and kill for my food, and I have only broken a few women’s hearts. I was sad every time that happened though.” He gave a light laugh and smiled at me.

“Will you stay here?” I asked in worry. Iarin was as much of a friend as Nadea. He was just easily forgotten because of his silent companionship.

“I haven’t decided yet. My contact officially expired with Nadea last week, I don’t think she realized so I was enjoying some high quality free food and shelter. It was also interesting to watch Kaiyer train so I wasn’t in a hurry to leave. But honestly, the thought of dying while cooped up in this castle like a starving dog doesn’t sound that tempting to me. I’m sure Nadea will talk to me about it. But once you and Janci leave, I’ll be moving on.” He took another large bite and stared at the other side of the room at my window.

We were all splitting up. Scattered to the four winds. My heart grew heavy again.

“Do you really think he is dead?” I asked. He looked back to me and considered for a moment.

“I heard from a servant, who had a soldier friend, who had another soldier friend that said they found his body this morning.” I nodded at his words and fought back the tears again.

“Runir said it had been burned to ashes with magic. I didn’t believe at first, but Kaiyer isn’t here.”

“The bad news always seems more likely than the good news. I’d have to agree with Runir. You’ve seen Kaiyer’s face when he looks at Nadea. The Ancients would have to kill him, slice his body into a million pieces, throw those into each of the Four Seas, and then say a prayer to the Ocean Spirits. That’s the only way he could be kept from coming back for her. He was a powerful man, but so were the Ancients.” He leaned back in his chair and let out a soft belch. Then he began to peel an orange.

“Wait. He loved Nadea?” I was confused. Iarin laughed loudly.

“I don’t know if love is exactly the right word my young friend. He definitely liked her very much.” He smiled at me through wine stained teeth. His words were beginning to slur. Mine were as well.

“I never noticed that,” I said as I considered his words and compared them to my memories.

“Even if he is dead he still taught us many things. I thought he may have been the Betrayer but fortunately he wasn’t.”

“The Betrayer?” I asked.

“Oh well, you know. The man that destroyed the Ancients, the Destroyer. That’s what I meant. Sorry I am already drunk and forgetting my legends. He was a wonderful man though. A good friend. Let’s toast to him and wish him well on his travels in the afterlife!” Iarin said loudly and held up his bottle.

“To Kaiyer!” I said as our bottles banged together. The words hurt my chest more than the river of bitter wine did when it slid down my throat and into my belly.

Chapter 29-The O’Baarni

“I don’t see how this is going to work,” Gorbanni said as he looked back over his shoulder at me.

“Shlara draws down past the river. You give the signal when half their force crosses. Malek blows the dam. Shlara turns to hit them while Alexia flanks from the north,” I said simply.

“What about my troops?” He turned his horse to face me.

“Clean up what doesn’t die in the flood.” I turned my mount to head down the hill. I would be with Thayer guarding our flank from the east and south.

“Kaiyer,” Gorbanni called out behind me.

“Yes?” I turned to him. His armor was embroidered with rams locked in struggle. It matched the horns on his helmet that sat on the back of his saddle. His face looked conflicted for a second. He ran one of his metal encased hands over his short blonde hair. It was hot and muggy, and sweat dripped off of both of us in buckets.

“Why do I always get the shit jobs?” he asked. His voice was tinged with sadness and anger.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m never the one at the front to take the brunt of the impact. Cleaning up after Shlara and Alexia? My men grow bored with such trivial assignments. We want to be used like the others. Why don’t you trust me to do any heavy lifting?” He gritted his teeth and the muscles in his jaw bunched up like a knot on a tree.

I frowned for a second. He was right. I always kept him from the risky jobs. I’d never justified my reasoning to him.

“Your team is best suited to handle this task today. Agreed?” His angry face told me he still didn’t understand.

“No Kaiyer. I don’t. I would like another role. My men and I deserve it.” He spoke confidently but I saw past his bravado. The blonde man had never stood up to me before. He always took my orders without question. Perhaps it was time we had this discussion.

“Your team has the mobility, but is not used to retreating. They are horsemen. The Elvens we are fighting against are mostly infantry. Do you think you can entice them to follow you?”

“No. But we can get their cavalry to chase us and then crush them in the same way.” He grinned in satisfaction and licked his lips.

“Then we kill a few hundred Elvens and their horses. Instead of six thousand,” I corrected him. “Your team isn’t the best at guerilla warfare, that is also more the strength of Alexia. Will your team enjoy hiding in the trees and waiting to flank the enemy?”

“We would do what we need to do to win,” he said in his defense. I stared at him with a smirk on my face and he let out a slow sigh.

“You have a few skilled Air users on your team—can they blow the dam?”

“Yes! Of course they can,” he said angrily. “My mages are as good as Malek’s.”

“Fine. Let’s say they fail, then Shlara and her troops will be killed, as will Alexia. Still confident that your mages can handle the same task as Malek’s? Do you want to bet a third of our forces on their abilities?”

He considered for a second and looked away.

“No.”

“Agreed. It would be foolish when Malek’s team has been doing this sort of task for the last six years. You can guard the east and south. I’m sure Thayer would prefer not to be holding the low rocky ground, taking arrow fire, and buying time until the rest of the forces can circle back around and lend him a hand. He’ll take losses today—but I doubt he’ll lose a third of what your team will take in the same situation. The terrain will mean that you’ll have to leave your horses. Will it be alright if Thayer’s troops use them? They will need them to quickly assault the debris from the flood and dispose of them before they can organize.”

“Okay. I get it.” He gritted his teeth in anger and looked away from me.

“No my friend. You do not.” I pushed my horse a bit forward and it walked into his, forcing his horse back a bit. Its head snapped up and he turned to me in shock while his steed backed away. My horse was an angry bastard and didn’t like others. “This isn’t about favoritism; this isn’t about giving you ‘the shit jobs,’ this is only about one goal: killing the Elvens. Your purpose in this goal is to command your troops to the best of your ability and follow my orders. At this moment you are upset because you have not seen much combat. Your men are pressuring you to come to me to ease their boredom. It is your responsibility to explain to them their role in this conflict. Do you need me to explain your role?”

“No Kaiyer, I understand my role.”

“Go then.” He turned his horse and it began to carefully make its way down the rocky slope.

“Gorbanni,” I called after he had moved a few feet down the trail. He stopped and turned in his saddle. “In a few years we will be too large to always be running and hiding. We will be chasing, harassing, and trampling them beneath our feet. Then you will not have the shit work.” I smiled at him.

“Thank you Kaiyer,” he said as his face became the sun after the clouds have parted. “I will look forward to that.”

“I will too,” I said as I twisted my gruesome helmet over my head and turned my horse around to the opposite slope. The massive animal drove down the embankment like an avalanche and hit the level ground galloping to the north. Alexia’s troops hid in the trees to my west but I couldn’t see them, although I’m sure they could see me ripping across the dry river bed.

Within a few minutes I had reached the top of the channel where Malek’s troops were studying the rocks, logs, and mud that we had used to construct the dam a few years ago.

“We are almost ready Kaiyer,” Malek said as he rode to my side. I twisted off my helmet and latched it onto my saddle as he stopped next to me. I’d had the armor on for a few hours so far, just enough time for the pain it brought me to fade into a dull ache.

“Shlara should be here in a few hours. Wait for Gorbanni’s signal.” He nodded.

“Can I talk to you for a few minutes before you join Thayer?” he said. He looked around at his mages and signaled with his head to a spot a few hundred yards farther to our north. I nodded and we moved our horses in that direction. The spot offered a spectacular view of the voluminous lake that our efforts had created. I spun around to study the valley the water would soon occupy. I imagined the bodies of six thousand Elven troops drowning in their armor and smiled.

Malek pulled me from my musings with a soft clearing of his throat.

“Sorry. I was thinking about the plan. What do you need?” I asked him with a light smile.

“I wanted to talk to you about Shlara …” he trailed off to gauge my reaction. I didn’t give him one so he let out a long sigh and frowned slightly.

“Okay. Go ahead.”

“You aren’t going to make this easy on me are you?” He twirled some of the gray hair by his temple.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know my feelings for her?” His blue eyes looked hopeful. I didn’t remember them interacting at all besides at our strategic meetings. Were they hostile toward each other?

“I don’t. Fill me in,” I said.

“Shit man. I thought you would have seen this. Hell, you notice everything else. I’m in love with her.” His face broke into a grin. I couldn’t help but smile for his happiness. I didn’t know if I enjoyed the idea of my two best generals becoming lovers, but I figured that Alexia was probably involved with either Thayer or Gorbanni. At least Shlara wouldn’t be pressuring me anymore.

“Excellent. She is a capable warrior and a great general. Was that all you wanted to discuss?”

He looked down at the ground, then back up, though he avoided making eye contact.

“She said that she loves you and won’t take anyone else. She was very … rigid in her position.” He let out another sigh. “This is difficult for me to speak of with you. I care for her very much. She has impressed me over and over again with her abilities, intelligence, leadership, and cunning. She is also amazingly beautiful. My heart seems to stop beating whenever she is around. I’ve tried being with other women, but she is the only one I want. I think about her all the time, I feel like she is the water that will quench my thirst.”

I turned to look back over the valley. There was no reason to speak of this right now. Malek and I needed to focus on the task at hand. There were Elven bastards we had to annihilate in a few hours and any mistake would lead to Shlara’s death. I was surprised at his expression of love for her. Malek was definitely more vocal about his beliefs and feelings, but I had never heard him talk of love. None of us ever spoke of it.

“Do you love her?” he asked to my back. I considered for a moment before I could give him an honest answer.

“I won’t love anyone until this is all over, Malek.”

“She is waiting for you! Don’t you realize that?”

“I’m not making her wait.”

“Bullshit Kaiyer! She thinks she has a future with you after this war. We all know that will be many, many years from now. Are you going to deny her happiness because you want to keep your options open?” His words came out quickly and were lined with anger. I turned to look at him over my shoulder. Our eyes met and we stared at each other for a few minutes.

“What would you have me do?” I asked.

“Set her free.”

“How can I do that?” I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t trying to keep my options open. I had thought it would be easier for her to handle my rejections if she believed, well, it didn’t matter. Malek wanted to love her.

“Tell her that there is no chance the two of you will be together. Tell her that she should find another lover.” He nodded as if agreeing with his own logic.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” I asked him. His feelings were illogical and I felt almost ashamed for him. Shlara was in love with me but he didn’t care. He would rather have her, knowing he was her second choice, than not have her at all.

“She knows how I feel about her. I am confident she will choose me.” He looked at me again. “Will you do it?”

“Of course. You can’t let this get in the way of your work though. I need you both to focus on what is important.” I smiled at him and he frowned again. His brown eyes filled with sadness. “What is wrong? I am doing what you are asking, right?”

“No, no, my friend.” He quickly shook his head. “I am happy about that. I am sad for you.”

“What?”

“What do we have if we don’t have love? We have let them take everything from us except for that. When the war is over we will have to rebuild our lives, create families, and civilizations. Someday we will lay down our weapons and love, Kaiyer.”

“I know. That is what we are all dreaming about,” I said in agreement.

“No! That is what we are dreaming about. Not you. You only dream about exterminating them. You don’t care about anything else. You don’t even want to dream about anything else. You are my best friend, my savior, but you don’t understand this war. What are you fighting for? Whom are you fighting for?” I heard his heart pick up speed.

“Today, and for the foreseeable future, I don’t need to understand what you think this war is or is not. I just need to do my job. As do you.” He nodded but his eyes were tight with pity.

“Make sure the dam breaks. I’ll talk to Shlara tonight,” I finished as I put on my helmet. Then I descended into the gorge toward Thayer’s position. I could almost hear the screams of a thousand Elven voices as I paired it with the sound of the water filling the valley.

Chapter 30-Kaiyer

The water was cold. So cold that I didn’t know if I was dreaming or awake anymore. Then the current suddenly tried again to rip me from the rock I cradled. I realized that I was actually cognizant when the water’s surge lifted my feet off the rocky bottom of the river for a few inches before I willed myself back down from the current. Numbness filled my body and brain. I reached across my chest and touched the hilt of my sword to confirm for the hundredth time that it was still attached. My mind had started to think the water would sweep it away like it seemed to be doing with my sanity.

I thought of Malek and Shlara again. What did Shlara say when I told her there wouldn’t be anything between us? Did I even have feelings for her? My memories seemed to indicate I possessed a very fixated mentality. Before I speculated anymore a stray log floated by overhead and distracted me.

This was fucking stupid and I would have laughed if I wasn’t trying to conserve my energy and breath. I looked up through the swift moving water of the river to the dark angry clouds forming in the sky. A storm approached quickly and I needed to make a move soon or the weather would further complicate my rescue attempts.

Come on you fucking bastards! It seemed like an hour had passed since I started my hyperventilation and then dove into the Styasi River. It came down directly from the mountains in the Northlands and would have frozen me into a statue had it not been moving so fast.

I pulled magic from the Water and the Earth to keep me warm. It helped fight against hypothermia, but I still felt like an ice cube.

Don’t use Water.

A voice echoed in my head, bouncing off of the walls that contained my brain until it matched the roar of the river around me. Everything spun for a few seconds and my grip loosened on the rock I held. I grunted in annoyance, or maybe fear, and focused on clinging to it.

It didn’t help that I hadn’t slept for three weeks or eaten much in the last two of them.

The Elvens escorting Jessmei were faultless in their job. I followed them north on foot for about four hours until I had reached their makeshift camp. It was astutely hidden in a small grove of trees on the side of the road. I found Jessmei’s footprints as it looked like they had allowed her to relieve herself.

The next two days I spent losing more and more ground to them. I had managed to kill a deer and allocated a precious hour ripping apart its corpse and eating its organs and most nutritious pieces of meat raw before I gave chase again. The meal invigorated me, but I was still skeptical that I would be able to keep up with them for an extended period of time.

After a week I guessed that they were still a day ahead of me. Then I came across the corpses of their spare horses, discarded to the road like the empty wine skin of a drunkard. They probably felt that they had established enough of a lead and didn’t need the extra animals. I had been surprised at the intensity of their travel. They hadn’t made a camp for more than a few hours since they kidnapped Jessmei. The poor girl was probably exhausted, cold, and hungrier than I was.

The bodies of the horses were half a day old. Temperatures had turned colder as we moved northward and approached winter, so the flesh wasn’t spoiled. I ripped through their corpses and ate their hearts, livers, and kidneys. Even raw they tasted fantastic. I was fond of horses and the thought of eating them almost filled me with disgust, but I needed all the energy and strength I could muster to free Jessmei. She was more important than an infinite number of horses.

A few days after my ad hoc feast, I caught up to them at their campsite. It was windy and close to freezing, so they had secured a small cliff outcrop to make their shelter against the weather. The wind kept my scent and the noise of my bare footfalls hidden as I lurked within earshot of their conversation.

Jessmei still wore the thin nightgown I saw her in the week and a half before when I began my pursuit. The garment was covered in dust, dirt, and grime. Her beautiful blonde hair was knotted and frayed and she tied it back with a bit of twine.

The female leader of the Elven trio grasped the young woman’s hip while she tried to sleep. It would be an act that would infuriate me for the next two weeks I pursued them from the shadows. She always had her hand on, around, or grasping Jessmei. Even when the princess needed to relieve herself the ebony-haired bitch wouldn’t let go of her. I didn’t want to risk an attack when the Elven leader might draw her dagger and end Jessmei before I could get within ten feet. Luckily, their leader took her job so seriously that she didn’t permit the male in their group to rape Jessmei, despite him asking, sometimes demanding, every night.

They moved slower, taking their time since they were within a short week’s travel of the Northlands and their empress’s army. As the week passed I grew more desperate and tried to think of any way I might get close enough to their leader to rip her life from her body without putting Jessmei in danger.

When I was scouting ahead of them I ran into the river and came up with the plan.

They had to cross the Styasi River. It wasn’t deep, but it flowed cold and fast. It would provide me the cover that I needed if I hid at the bottom and picked off their leader as she forded the angry current next to me. The plan was near insanity, but I hadn’t come up with an idea even close to being as feasible since I began my hunt.

If I didn’t try it, I might not get another chance before they reached the army of their empress. Then my job would become a lot harder.

This needed to work.

I shook my head again to clear it. I could hold my breath for a long time, but it seemed as if more than five minutes had passed. What if my muscles froze when I emerged from the water? What if I missed my target and they killed Jessmei?

What if I accidently killed the beautiful princess? It might easily happen. I was so cold I couldn’t feel most of my body. I didn’t know if my arm would work. My aim might be off and I would never be able to forgive myself.

No. You can do this. I repeated in my head like a mantra. My body shivered again and I focused on the sound of my heartbeat. I was surprised that it was louder than the current and the smooth rocks being tossed together around me.

A shadow appeared on the surface of the water to my left and my chant ended. I crouched down in the water and my arms unconsciously tightened around the large rock I used to keep me at the bottom. This was it. My nerves were shredded, my body begged to breathe.

I saw two more shadows in the distance; the water warped and ripped them apart as it flowed past me. I wanted to breathe so badly that my lungs screamed and my stomach clenched around the empty air.

Just one more minute at the most and they would be above me.

The male rode on the front horse. It was difficult to make out his facial expression but he looked bored, as did the female that followed him. I had chosen my spot perfectly. All I needed to do was jump up from this crouch and they would be less than a foot from me.

The leader rode ten feet behind the other two. I smiled under the water. Perfect. Jessmei appeared to be wrapped in a thick wool blanket. She sat side saddle across the front of the Elven woman. Her legs dangled over the right side of the horse and her captor wrapped both of her leather clad arms tightly around the blonde princess.

They moved a step past my position and I coiled my legs underneath me. Earth pushed up against my heart and sprinted through my exhausted muscles. The flow of the water sped up the blood that filled me and I released the rock and propelled myself up out of the river.

The water parted around me like diamonds as I arose from the river. My right thumb pushed the handle of the sword out of the scabbard an inch before my left hand drew it from its home, whipping it around so quickly that it shattered the drops of water coming off of me into a thousand more gems.

I underestimated my strength and thought that I would need to make an upward slash with the weapon to decapitate the leader. My jump carried me almost five feet out of the water and I just had to swing the blade horizontally to cleanly cut her neck. It happened so fast that the Elven didn’t even turn back to look at me. I was already landing back in the water by the time the blood showered Jessmei and the horse.

The princess screamed in surprise and fear as the headless corpse began to slide off the saddle in a mess of spraying crimson. The horse bucked up in confusion and I watched as her blanket-wrapped form was tossed into the swiftly moving current.

Shit. I hadn’t planned on that.

The other two Elvens spun their horses around and gasped in shock. The male drew his sword almost instantly and the woman looked in the water, either for her leader or for Jessmei.

The river came up to my chest and tried to push me over sideways. This was another part of the plan that I didn’t really think through. The leader was dead, but I still had to deal with her lackeys. They both had superior positions and mobility on the horses. Thinking as quickly as my frozen brain could, I ducked down through the water and wrapped my right hand across a smooth river stone, its surface slippery with algae.

My throw went a bit wide and the male moved his head easily out of the way. The next rock would have hit him in the face, but he smacked it aside with his sword. I switched the target of my third fling, but the woman saw my previous attempts on her partner and she ducked down against the neck of her horse while she drew her sword.

The horses were the problem. I picked up another stone and hurled it at the face of the horse the male rode upon. The animal screamed when the rock hit and it reared back on its two legs violently. The Elven hadn’t expected the movement and he fell back off the saddle and into the water. His grip held steady on the sword though and he didn’t drop it.

Jessmei’s head popped above the water to my right with a startled gasp of air. I was glad that she hadn’t hit her head on a rock. Her eyes were wild, rolling around in panic like a startled horse. She flailed a little, the weight of her wet clothes and blanket made her movements small and ineffective.

I launched the rock at the female, but she turned her horse sideways, causing the rock to harmlessly strike the beast’s flank. It neighed in pain and shuffled away from me, but did not throw its rider.

The male got up from the river and approached me cautiously. His leather armor made quick squeaking noises that I heard over the steady clamor of the river. His horse had flipped him off but now sat quietly in the river waiting for him to return and guide it somewhere.

“You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into, human,” he seethed Jessmei’s language through clenched teeth. His limbs shook a little more than mine and I guessed that the coldness was penetrating his muscles.

“I got myself into a river,” I said in the old language we shared. “Once I kill you and your friend I’m going to get myself out of it.” Both of their eyes grew wide as they guessed my identity.

Before he leaked out a response I drove forward through the water with a slow cut to his right shoulder. I expected him to dodge back and deflect it and he did. My movement closed the gap between us though, which was my intent. The woman on the horse re-sheathed her sword and fished for her bow and quiver. The closer I was to her partner the harder it would be for an arrow to find my body.

My opponent lashed back a counter strike aimed at the top of my skull, but I knocked it away with my blade and then stabbed forward with the tip of my curved sword. The point created a deep puncture in his leather shoulder pad, but he managed to twist out of the way before I could wound his flesh. He jumped toward me through the water and made a sweeping cut to my midsection. Before he completed the stroke I brought my sword down on his arms, cleanly severing them below the wrists. His sword flew off to my side into the water with his hands attached. His stumps sprayed blood across me and the moving water as he let out an ear-piercing screech. My weapon flashed diagonally upward across his body, slicing his torso in two and ending his screams abruptly.

The woman had gotten her bow out and was reaching toward the quiver on the opposite side of the horse. I didn’t feel like I had the energy to use magic, but I wouldn’t be able to close the distance through the water before she would impale me.

The energy of the Earth flowed up through the rocks in the river I stood upon, the Wind blew powerful and quick as it followed the speed of the river. The blot of flame, force, and hate left me and slammed into her upper body. Her head snapped back with a crack and her horse let out another loud scream as it bucked back and tried to get her off of its saddle. It paced around in a circle, trying to run, but the water kept it from really moving.

My vision darkened and coldness enveloped me. I took in a deep breath and felt my nose and lungs burn as I sucked in half a gallon of water. I shot to the surface, suddenly conscious, and hacked up the mouthful of the cold river.

Jessmei stood about a dozen feet behind, she tried to swim toward me but her lips were blue and she was shaking like a leaf in the middle of a tornado.

Shit. The water is really fucking cold. I jumped toward her and pulled her into my arms. She looked into my eyes and tried to talk but her teeth chattered so loudly and forcefully that she couldn’t speak.

“Hold on Jessmei. I need to get you warm.” I looked around and realized that I picked an ambush spot in the middle of the river. The water was too high for me to effectively lift her out of it, but I cradled her in my arms and made my way over to the leader’s horse. The animal seemed to have already forgotten that I had just beheaded its master. I easily took the reins, lifting myself and the shivering princess out of the water and on to its back. Jessmei seemed to be shaking even more now that we were out of the water.

We did not have much time.

I rode over to the other two horses and gathered up their reigns. Then I led them back south to the direction of Nia. They seemed as happy to get out of the water as I was.

Jessmei was almost a constant seizure in my arms. Her eyes were closed, and I heard her heart beating twice as fast as it should have been. The coldness from her body seeped into mine like I was holding onto a stone wall.

“Bite this,” I said as I put part of a leather strap in her mouth. I was concerned she was going to shatter her teeth, but I really needed to be worried about her dying in the next few minutes if I didn’t get us someplace dry and warm. We needed an area with cover so I could take care of her. The clouds above portended rain, their underbellies dark and swollen.

Instead, it started to snow.

The horses cantered up the slope from the river at my urging. The road down to the river was on the side of a cliff that didn’t have any sort of outcropping that we could use as a sanctuary. On the other side of the road lay a grassy field that stretched on for a few hundred yards. In the distance past the meadow I spotted the beginnings of a forest. I pushed the horses in that direction as I looked at the cliff face for anything I might use as better shelter.

Jessmei’s blue eyes were opened now. They were clouded but she was conscious enough to bite the hell out of the strap. Her hands shook and clutched at my wet clothes.

“Hold on Jessmei. Almost there.” She may have nodded, but it was hard to tell from the movement of the horse.

The trees were sporadic for the first two hundred yards and then grew dense. I reached a point where it would be difficult to get the trio of horses any deeper and I pulled Jessmei to the ground. I flipped off the saddle of the horse and grabbed the large blanket that protected the animal’s skin from the saddle; I put this on the ground and lay Jessmei down on it. Then I ran to the next horse and repeated the process. I’m sure there were other blankets and camping gear in the assorted packs but I didn’t want to waste time looking for them, and the horse blankets, though damp, were warm with body heat. The wind had died down in the thickness of the trees. A few small snowflakes filtered through the feathery canopy of pine needles.

I ran back over to Jessmei and tried to get her to sit up. She was completely unresponsive, her heart still beating quickly though. I didn’t know enough about hypothermia to guess if that was good or bad. Considering I hadn’t even started to get her warm I guessed that it was probably bad.

I ripped off her thin nightgown and then carefully removed her undergarments. She wore a thin pair of slippers that I took off her feet, and then I put the other blanket on top of her. I ran my hands through her soaking hair and contemplated cutting it off, then I just decided to wring it out over the thin bed of pine needles.

I was still numb, sore, exhausted, and starving, but I needed to set up this camp before I could rest. I quickly gathered pine needles and cones and put them in a pile near the wrapped up form of Jessmei. Then I reached my hand out and tried to channel the Air from my body. As soon as I tasted the power my vision swam and nausea hit me in the stomach like a hammer. I fell to my knees and vomited up river water. My body was done. I had pushed it as far as it would go. Or at least, as far as it could go and still harness the Elements.

There must be some flint and steel in one of these packs on the horses. I searched through the first and found a large rolled up blanket, a tent pack, bedroll, multiple water skins, and some cooking gear. My hands shook as badly as Jessmei’s now. I needed to start a fire in the next few minutes or we would both die. I went to the next pack and found a small hand axe, more cooking gear, another bedroll, and another blanket. On the last horse I found the flint and an oiled bag filled with waxed fire starters. I breathed out a sigh of relief, threw a fire starter on the pile of pine needles, and got a small flame growing on the first swipe of my dagger across the flint.

I grabbed the hand axe and stumbled to my feet. There were plenty of dead branches on the ground that I hacked into smaller pieces and then dragged over on top of the needles. Each swing of the axe made my vision blur and bile rise up in my throat. After about ten minutes the fire was burning at a respectable rate and I had some more wood stacked up near Jessmei’s blanketed form. Her heart was still beating quickly and she moaned in pain every half a minute.

We really needed to set up a tent, but I didn’t think I would have enough energy. There were still snowflakes drifting down through the thick cover of trees, and a serious storm would chill us further. I grabbed a pot from one of the packs and emptied a water skin into it. The pack came with a few carefully packaged sections of jerked beef. I threw those in the pot and then placed it on the ground near the fire in hopes that it would warm.

Jessmei’s teeth started to chatter again. I laid out two of the bedrolls, flipped one of the larger blankets on top, and then carried her body over to the better bed. She didn’t weigh that much, but I was so weak that I almost couldn’t lift myself off the ground. I stripped off my clothes, the same sweaty garments I wore that day, so many weeks ago, when I had exercised with Paug and Iarin. I secured the wool covers over us. It took a few seconds of maneuvering through the four different blankets before I had my chilled, naked body pressed against her frozen back. She was still shivering and shaking, but I felt the heat from the fire start to permeate the thick wool.

“It’s going to be okay, Jessmei,” I whispered in her ear as I pulled her body into mine. My arms wrapped around her torso and grasped her slim shoulders. Her breasts pushed up against the inside of my arm as it wrapped across her chest. I didn’t know if she heard me but I couldn’t think of anything else to do. It had been too long since I had slept. Or eaten.

I hope it doesn’t snow too hard, the horses don’t bolt, and the blanket doesn’t catch on fire, were the last thoughts to crawl through my half-dead brain before exhaustion took me.

Chapter 31-Paug

“I’m sorry about this, Paug,” Grandfather called back to me. “I know you will miss your friends. Sometimes life doesn’t turn out the way we planned.”

“I understand, Grandfather.” I looked back over my shoulder again. The castle had ceased to be even a small dot in the distance a few days ago, yet I still looked back toward it. “I just feel like I am deserting my friends. It feels cowardly to leave when they need help the most. To save ourselves and leave them to …”

“It isn’t our fight. We are simple teachers, historians, writers, and educators. What use is it if we die in battle or even observe it?”

“If we observe a battle, can’t we write about it with better accuracy? Wouldn’t it be best that way?” I asked him, with hope in my voice.

“No Paug. It is too dangerous. Besides, everything we would want to document about the siege that will happen at the capital can be accounted from the refugees and the people that were there. It is not worth risking our safety to be there when the battle happens.” Grandfather looked back over his shoulder again. His horse strayed to the side of the road as he ignored it. “Also, consider how important your insight is! You have actually spoken the Ancients’ language with someone from that time! You witnessed a pivotal moment in history. We must document the knowledge for future generations. This will be an important task that we will set ourselves upon as soon as we get home.”

I looked at his hopeful face and nodded. The thought of diving deep into my books didn’t seem as appetizing as it once had.

“I still feel remorse Grandfather. I should be with my friends now.”

“Those feelings will fade. Remorse always does.”

“I think regret does. Not remorse,” I said under my breath. He didn’t hear me though. He was justifying our flight with noble arguments about preserving history, but the truth was that he could not bear to risk losing me. I was the only family he had, and the older he grew, the more he would rely upon me. While ostensibly his concern was for posterity, I knew part of his motivation was simply selfishness and fear. I could not fault him for that, I thought as I studied his hunched, frail form. The bones of his shoulder blades showed sharply through his clothes. I knew what it felt like to be vulnerable and weak.

The air was blowing cold from the north and I snuggled deeper into my thick cloak. Nadea and her father gave us two stout horses and a mule to go home with us. The mule was carrying several hundred pounds of precious books that the dark-haired woman wanted to save.

Greykin, Iarin, and Nadea saw us off almost a week ago. It had been an emotionally difficult morning. I couldn’t find the right words to say goodbye. The four of us had been through so much during the past few months, even before Kaiyer had arrived.

“I wish Kaiyer and Jessmei were here.” Tears came to my eyes and I tried to blink them away. I had just finished packing and our friends had come into my room for the final farewell.

“Me too lad,” Greykin replied as he smothered me in a big bear hug. He smelled of aged tobacco and oiled chain mail.

“Goodbye Paug. Please take care of yourself,” Nadea said as she wrapped her arms around me, kissed my forehead, and ran her hands through my bushy hair. “You are important to Nia. I am counting on you to safeguard those books and continue searching for the O’Baarni.” She smiled at me and then sighed as she looked into my eyes; her deep brown orbs were filled with sadness. We had spoken often over the last few days as Grandfather and I were preparing to leave. We had said goodbye many times, but this would be the last time.

I looked at Iarin as the warm tears rolled down my cheeks. He was also leaving the castle. Nadea asked him to stay, even offered him some gold, but he had declined. He told us he would head to Brilla for work. I believed Nadea had been upset about his decision at first, but he wasn’t born in Nia and did not have any obligation to defend it to the death. Iarin was a kind man, but he was a mercenary, with no family or home; his prerogative was to keep himself safe. One man would make little difference in the fight anyway, I reasoned so as not to leave feeling bitterness toward him. The tracker gave me a hug but said nothing. I saw a tear roll down his cheek as we parted.

My friends looked at each other one last time before Greykin helped me into the saddle of the horse. Grandfather thanked them for taking such good care of me and then we set off through the city. My body felt numb, like I had no control over where I moved.

The city was in a state of panicked motion as soldiers, citizens, and traders tried to perform what tasks they needed to before the horde arrived. The air was tense with anxiety and fear. Men hammered boards over windows and barricaded vulnerable street-facing doors, reinforcing them with heavy metal rods and locks. Women supervised as their husbands loaded parcels into carts or onto horses in preparation for a flee to sanctuary within the castle walls or to family in a distant land. Oblivious children, sensing the charge in the air but unaware of the danger, darted about, playacting sword fights and squealing in excitement at the change in routine. Soldiers roamed the streets, conscripting young men and running drills to train their new recruits quickly. I saw a few boys, younger than myself, marching dutifully behind an officer, still wearing their civilian clothes, struggling to walk in formation while wielding and unfamiliar sword.

More than once I wished they would have given us an escort out of the city. A few times beggars eyed our horses lustfully. But just as I suspected Grandfather and I would be mugged, a guard happened to walk by and the desperate men thought better of the affair.

Now the city was a memory. Like Nadea would be. Like Greykin would be. Like Iarin, Jessmei, and Kaiyer.

A memory like my mother was. Someone I remembered for a few seconds before her smile turned into smoke and fog. She was gone until something external conjured up her ghostly image. I recalled Nadea’s beautiful face now if I tried. I imagined Kaiyer’s dreamlike smile easily when I thought about walking around the castle with him. What would happen in a few months though? Would his smile stay the same as I remembered it, like a painting on a wall? What would happen in a few years? My recollection would fade, and these friends, my best friends, would be gone forever. I felt tears roll down my cheeks again. My memory was imperfect and would decay as a sandcastle built on the low tide eventually succumbs to the waves.

If the Losher army conquered Nia, our small village would probably be left alone. We would report to a new tax master, but what would the new rulers care about a small fishing community of under a thousand people? Even if the Ancients ruled the world, we wouldn’t realize a difference. I would grow old like Grandfather, teach children and adults to read and do math. I would remember the few months when I tried to be a hero and fled when the situation looked grim. Perhaps I would tell my children that I was forced to leave, but I had really wanted to stay. Maybe I would eventually believe that lie myself and think that I was a hero.

I believed Kaiyer would be the most important task in my life. I would be responsible for helping him defend the world against the Ancients. I would be the liaison between our two cultures. I thought that I would be needed and important.

How differently things had turned out.

Kaiyer hadn’t really needed me. Not only that, but the man hadn’t been able to help us. He died before we could learn from him. I couldn’t help but feel that my whole life had been a waste so far. I practiced the language of the Ancients with hopes that someday someone would benefit from it. When Nadea came to us and explained that she knew where the O’Baarni was, I had rejoiced. Now I would put my life to use! I imagined that Nadea felt like I did: our efforts were now meaningless. I watched my horse’s hooves churn the dirt beneath us, the small grains of earth rolling and resettling as we trod upon them. I was similarly insignificant. A tiny pebble in the ground, kicked and moved about, changed by powers much larger than myself, making no impact upon them, ignored and forgotten.

“I am rather happy to get back. We can ask Mary to make us some fish stew. What do you think? I haven’t eaten her stew in almost two months!” Grandfather turned back and smiled. His eyes quickly filled with sympathy when he saw my tears.

“What’s wrong Paug?”

“Sorry Grandfather. I was just thinking of my friends.” My eyes were still teary and I had to wipe them with my hands.

“I know, my boy. It was a poor question. Let’s stop for a bit up here and take some lunch.” I nodded as he led our horses and the mule into a small wooded area on the side of the road. He pulled out the leather bag that held our foodstuffs and passed me some jerky.

“It has been hard on you. I’ve been trying to make you feel better, but I think it is just one of those situations you must work through on your own. That was how I was when your mother died.” Grandfather rubbed a hand through his beard and dislodged some bread crumbs that had been ensnared while eating.

“I miss her too. I don’t remember that much of her, but I remember a few things now and then. I am afraid that I will forget my friends eventually too,” I choked out.

Grandfather sighed and looked at the ground for a few minutes before speaking.

“As you get older, you carry more and more memories Paug. Some of them will stay with you forever because they impact your personality, some will linger because they influence the future decisions you make. Sometimes you will forget the less important things about a person and only remember the core of them.”

Grandfather leaned back on the rock he perched on and looked into the sky. “I remember when your mother was a bit younger than you, she caught her first fish and brought it up to our house, she was so proud of it! Then she dropped it on the floor by accident and screamed in panic while we all tried to pick it up. I remember when she wrote her first poem to me. I don’t remember what it was about, it is stored away safely in a drawer, but I remember her little dimpled face when she first showed it to me. I remember when one of the young boys walked her home from the baker’s during a hard rain, she was soaking wet, but you couldn’t tell from the smile on her face.” He looked down at me and smiled. “I remember her laughing on her joining day with your father. I remember when his boat didn’t come back after the storm. I remember her face when you were born. I remember her face and the promises she made me keep as she lay sick on her bed. I told her that she would be okay. It was a lie then. I’ll never forget that my last words to her were a lie.” His eyes started to grow damp.

“I don’t want to remember Nadea, Greykin, the king, and the duke as I do now. I feel like I am running away. I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to abandon my friends to die without even trying to help them.”

“You are all I have left of her Paug. I shouldn’t have even let you go to awaken Kaiyer. If I guessed that the princess would put you all in so much danger I would have refused the duchess.” He crossed his arms.

“Kaiyer would not flee Nia,” I said as I cast my eyes to the ground. I didn’t need to see his face to understand what he was feeling.

“Kaiyer isn’t a small boy with no combat training! He doesn’t have any family to worry about him!” His anger lashed across my heart.

“Kaiyer wouldn’t leave his friends to die!” I yelled. Grandfather looked startled. His kind old face crumbled.

“Your mood will improve once you are home and we can teach again and get back to our normal routine. There is no point in sacrificing yourself. You cannot make a difference in Nia, but you are needed at home.” I nodded and climbed back onto my horse.

“Grandfather,” I said after another half an hour riding.

“Yes?”

“I don’t want my trip with Nadea to be the most fantastic adventure I ever have in my life,” I spoke the words quickly. They stung going out like they were bitter wine.

“Nonsense! Soon you will fall in love, be married, and have children of your own to raise. That will be the most fantastic experience of your life.” He looked over at me and smiled in his kind way.

I remembered the banquet where Kaiyer had encouraged me to speak with Tanya Gettil. I wondered what would have happened if I had talked to her. She probably would have said no and brushed me away, but then I would know I possessed the bravery to ask her. Perhaps she might have engaged me in conversation, I would have impressed her with my knowledge, and maybe she could have been the person I fell in love with. I never took that risk, so I would never know. In one way my cowardice was protective, I could still cling to the fantasy that if I had spoken to her she might have fallen in love with me. In another, it was painful, because it was nothing more than a hope and never would be. If I had done it, I may have been rejected, in which case I would be no worse off than I was now, but I also could have gained the friendship, or even love, of the talented songstress. Inaction and fear were insulating, but also paralyzing.

I was miles from where I should be. My friends needed me. Perhaps I couldn’t help that much in combat, but I would be there to help reload weapons, organize food, keep morale up, and document the defense of the castle. Maybe I could even get a view into the inner workings and decisions of the king and duke as they strategized with their generals. Of course it would be a huge risk, but it would be the greatest thing I ever did. I had vowed to be brave to honor the memory of Kaiyer, and riding away to the safe haven of my village was not brave, no matter how Grandfather tried to justify our flight.

Once this war was over I could come back to live with Grandfather and find someone to love. I could then write all of my memories of Kaiyer. He would have been proud of what I had done.

“Grandfather.” I said firmly. He stopped his horse. I had made my decision, but I knew Grandfather would object. I knew how much this would hurt him. It might even kill him.

“No Paug.”

“I don’t want to grow old wondering about the hero I might have been. I don’t want to live life as a spectator during a play. I want to help them. I want to see what will happen. I am going to go back.” My heartbeat reverberated in my head, drowning out the sound of my voice. I sat up straight in my saddle, trying to muster the courage of my words. I felt sure in my decision, yet terrified. My body and mind fought against my heart, urging me to continue on with Grandfather to safety.

The old man looked at me. His cheerful eyes were sad and damp. It almost broke my resolve, but I knew that his face would be mine in half a century, as I looked back at my life and wondered why I didn’t try to save my friends.

“I will think of you every night and pray to the Spirits of the Sea that you will return to me.” He smiled, but it couldn’t hide his sadness.

I got off my horse and walked to him. He dismounted and we embraced for a few moments.

“Be safe my boy. Go protect our kingdom.” Tears streamed down his face.

It took me a few minutes to tie the mule to his horse and exchange items from bags so that my horse carried most of the food and he had most of the books.

“Don’t worry, Grandfather. I’ll be back. This isn’t goodbye. When you see me next I’ll be changed for the better. I’ll be the man I want to be, someone you’ll be proud of.”

“I am already proud of you.” Tears flowed down his nose and dripped onto his fluffy white beard where they clung like dew drops on a spider web. I looked at his face carefully for a moment, committing every line and plane to memory. He wiped across it with the back of his hand and sniffed. “Now be gone with you! You must ride like the wind to get back in time. Give Nadea and the duke my best. Help them however you can.”

I nodded and spun my horse around. The animal sensed my excitement and was running as fast as my heart was. We raced back east toward the castle. It would still take me about four days to return, but I should get there before the Losher forces. After a mile of riding I crested a small hill and stopped on the mount. I looked back over my shoulder and saw Grandfather still watching me from the middle of the road. I raised my hand in the air in farewell and I saw his blurry shape do the same. Then I rode down the other side, to my destiny.

Chapter 32-The O’Baarni

“Kaiyer. Message from the front lines,” one of Gorbanni’s lieutenants said from outside the tent flap.

“Enter,” Alexia spoke from my side. My other generals were discussing the position of Thayer’s flank to the Elvens’ massive force.

He walked in and looked around, slightly intimidated by the five of us, wearing our horrific armor, and speaking about the fate of our world over a chewed up table with rough etchings on it. The markings indicated our forces, their forces, and the estimated terrain. We had considered upgrading the piece of furniture many years ago, but decided that whatever luck we had experienced so far might be due to the old friend that we had spent countless hours fighting, laughing, crying, and agonizing over.

“What news?” I asked him.

“Three riders from the Elven forces have crossed the field. They are flying a white flag. They stopped in the middle of the field.”

“That’s unexpected,” Malek said from the far corner of the room. He frowned slightly.

“They probably want to surrender! They can smell our hunger,” Thayer spit on the carpeted ground. Then he seemed to realize that he was inside my tent and he winced at me.

“Do you know what they want?” Shlara asked.

“No, General. They didn’t give us word but I’d guess they wish to speak to Kaiyer.” The man looked at me and fidgeted. He wanted to leave.

“I’ll meet them.” I grabbed the heavy metal helmet from my chair. Its gruesome demon face seemed to taunt the hate from me before I donned it.

“No!” five voices shouted at once. I was glad that I had the helmet on so they couldn’t see me smirk.

“Gorbanni and Malek will come. Finish the placement of Thayer’s troops.” Shlara’s face sank, but not as much as Thayer’s. I laughed and was going to comment on my selection but I didn’t want the young man from Gorbanni’s troops to overhear our private conversation. “I’ll follow up with you three shortly.”

“At least take your guards,” Shlara demanded before I left the tent. Each army had one warrior assigned to be part of my personal guard. They wore armor similar to mine and managed to beat thousands of others in various contests to qualify for the position.

“I will be fine.” She opened her mouth to protest but then thought better of it and turned back to the table.

My heavy war mace and shield hung from a stand by the entrance to the door. My gauntleted hands found the familiar grooves in their leather handles as I armed myself with them. The weapon and shield matched my armor, each with flanged skulls that screamed in agony like a tapestry from hell. The steel-shafted mace weighed almost twenty pounds and could crush through Elven armor and horses with ease. My shield also weighed about twenty pounds. It was in the shape of a modified triangle, with three points at the top and sides that fell in a curved slope down toward my feet. Thick leather enarmes allowed me to hoister its weight in my right arm comfortably and an even thicker gauge strap enabled me to slide it over my back or tie it to the saddle of my horse.

Almost half a million human soldiers stretched out across the endless field. We mounted our horses and cantered them carefully through the open grass paths to the front lines. Our travel created a wave of salutes amongst the masses. Most here had never seen me in person, but they knew what I looked like from the tales. There was no mistaking the massive ebony horse with the man in nightmare armor on it. My cloak was a deep red with a black skull embellishment. It was a trail of blood that showed evidence of my passing. By the time the three of us had made it to the empty field that separated the Elven army from my troops, the O’Baarni were roaring like a flame devouring a forest.

It was easy to see the white flag and the three Elvens who stood beneath the banner, gleaming in the sunlight. Even in the midst of a war for the very survival of their race, their absurd obsession with aesthetics was evident. They rode magnificent horses of pure alabaster, their coats polished to a reflective sheen and their manes were braided down their sides as if they were en route to one of their ridiculous festivals. The hooves of their mounts had an assembly of bells attached to them, as we approached they shifted them around and created a soft cascade of beautiful music. We slowed our own dark steeds to a trot once we left the safety of the army.

“This is a bad idea,” Gorbanni said under his breath. The words were a whisper, but Malek and I heard them over the roar of our army and the sound of the horses. “There is nothing to gain from talking to them. We have the upper hand. We should just crush them and be done with it. Their end is near.”

“Maybe they will beg for forgiveness?” Malek said. The three of us burst into a dry chuckle at the thought. There would be no mercy given for a millennium of pain, death, slavery, and hate.

We fell silent and slowed our mounts down to a walk when we came within twenty yards. We were about half a mile from the side of either camp and well out of bowshot range. I could see the Elven forces stretched out in front of me. The assembly of their forces did look impressive, but they were outnumbered, tired, and their morale was broken. We’d been carefully nipping pieces off of them for the last four years. Their leadership had become smart though, and they had begun to retaliate with strategic feints and complex break offs of troops to entice us. They had finally found a capable leader, but it was too late. Part of me actually wanted to meet their general so I would know whose head to crush with my mace when the battle started. It would be a fitting end to our legacy.

They wore impossibly brilliant golden armor that cascaded down from their shoulders in layers as thin as fabric. It wasn’t as weak as cloth though; each ridge of gracefully crafted metal alloy would stop all but the most powerfully swung sword. It was one of the reasons I used a mace. It crushed their bones with each hit and ensured that I wouldn’t get my weapon caught in a dying corpse while another misbegotten animal attacked me. Their armor was still tight around their bodies and I determined the shape of a man and two women. Their elegantly curved helms and painted masks hid their faces, but long hair slid down each of their backs. The man’s was a pewter color, dull and lifeless, the woman in the back had hair that matched new snow, and the one in front had hair of coppery red blood. It burned in the harsh light of the morning like her back was on fire.

I had seen that hair a million times in my dreams.

My eyes watered like I had suddenly looked directly at the noonday sun after spending a month in a dark cave. We stopped our mounts ten yards from them. They were careful with their hands, keeping them on the silk braided reigns of their horses so that we wouldn’t mistake their actions as aggressive. I was glad I wore my helmet. The look of shock on my face would have hindered whatever conversation we were about to have. I could still taste her lips on mine, feel myself inside of her, smell her hair as it wrapped around my body.

I concentrated on slowing my heart rate and breathing to a normal pace, I didn’t want my generals, or worse, the Elvens, sensing my unease and making any assumptions. I could smell her from across the field, her scent both familiar and intoxicating in its freshness. Seeing, feeling and smelling her in my memories was very different from actually being faced with her again. I thought my memories had been vivid, but compared to the sensory onslaught of having her here in front of me, they were like the muted sounds of voices heard underwater.

No one said anything for a few minutes as we measured each other.

“What do you want?” Gorbanni said with boredom. It wasn’t an affectation or overconfidence. We were completely sure of our victory, and they had to be as well. This was clearly a last ditch, desperate attempt at surrendering with some of their dignity and troops intact.

“We wish to speak to your leader. Alone,” the white-haired female in the back said.

“We’d like for you to drop your pants so we can shove our swords up your asses. But that isn’t going to happen either,” Malek said without smiling.

“No need to be insolent, human. We mean him no harm now,” she replied back with a careful smile.

“Oh, my apologies,” Malek said, his voice thick with sarcasm. “I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s not like your kind have ever done anything … abusive to me.”

“Say what you need to say and be gone. We have Elven massacres to plan for,” Gorbanni said. I was surprised that he had spoken again.

“Tell your dogs to leave you,” the white-haired woman said to me as she edged her mount forward. Her mask had a stylized pine tree etched over the left side and a red star over the right eye hole of the mask. Gorbanni and Malek’s hands went to the hilts of their swords and I heard the metal leave the scabbards as they drew them an inch in warning.

“If your leader wishes to speak privately you can leave her company and I will ask mine to go,” I said. My voice rang dead and hollow in my ears. Malek and Gorbanni grunted in annoyance.

The white-haired woman and man didn’t like that either. They frowned and were about to protest when their leader’s arm shot up and pointed toward her troops.

“Quarter of a mile and post,” she commanded. Her voice sounded exactly as I had remembered it: a calm breeze blowing through a forest. It raised goosebumps across the skin of my neck and shoulders. I closed my eyes and focused on breathing again, slowly and with control. Her generals nodded and set their horses off, their bells echoing as they retreated.

“Wait for me,” I said over my shoulder to Malek and Gorbanni. Gorbanni growled in annoyance and I heard his horse spin around and gallop away quickly. Malek moved his mount slower. I turned to watch and saw him look over his shoulder half a dozen times before he made it half a mile.

No one could hear what we spoke of now.

“It’s been a long time … Kaiyer,” she spoke softly from behind her mask, almost hesitant to speak my name, she said it as a beautiful, breathy exhale. I didn’t say anything. My mouth was dry.

“It is you?” her voice quavered.

“Yes,” I answered. I could end her now. My mace would crush the life from her in a split second. My father and brother would be avenged.

“How many years?” her horse shuffled to the side a bit and she made a snapping sound with her lips to get its attention.

“More than thirty,” I said. It had been thirty-six years since I had seen her. Thirty-six years I had been without her touch, thirty-six years I had been without her body, thirty-six years since she had killed the only other people I had ever loved.

Her hands went up to her helm and untied the harness under her chin. She carefully lifted off her golden helmet. Her mask was still attached, its face etched into the image of the sun and the moon. She slowly reached behind her head and unlatched the strap, letting the mask fall away from her beautiful face.

It looked exactly as I had remembered. Her almond-shaped eyes glowed bright like hot silver and the blue ocean when she gazed at me. Her skin was as smooth as a marble statue, but any marble sculpture I would compare her to would have more flaws in it. Her lips were as red as the dying sun being buried into the sea and they made me want to taste them like a starving man wants to suck on a ripe peach.

“Let me look upon your face, Kaiyer.” Again she hesitated at my name, as if she were afraid to say it. I couldn’t tell if she commanded it or asked it. Everything she had ever said to me in the past had been a command. Her voice was the same but her tone was softer. Before I could puzzle out the correct reaction, my hands moved of their own accord toward my helmet to remove the piece of armor. It was less complicated than her affair. It locked into my chest plate, so I just twisted it before I lifted it off my shoulders.

Our eyes met and I had to bite my tongue to keep my expression calm. The taste of my own blood kept me from trying to kill her. Or maybe it kept me from trying to kiss her. She looked around my face, my mouth, and at the rest of my armor.

“It seems like you have not aged at all. Of course, you aren’t quite the scrawny boy I remember either,” she smiled lightly and continued to appraise me.

I clenched my jaw and wrapped my spare fist around the reigns of my horse. Her nonchalance was infuriating. She looked and acted as if we were simply old friends running into each other, exchanging bland pleasantries. As if I had never run my fingers through that hair, moving it aside to kiss the white skin of her perfect neck, tasting her. As if I had never felt her nails raking my back as she moaned my name. As if I had never felt her body move around mine while deep inside of her. As if she had not murdered my family in cold blood in front of me. As if we were not currently attempting to annihilate each other’s people in complete genocide.

“Why did you wish to speak to me?” I finally said after half a minute of agony. I’m sure she heard my heart beating in panic. Hers was beating calmly.

“I wanted to make certain it was you. You’ve been quite a thorn in our side for the last thirty years.” I smirked at her words. A thorn in their side? Her people were on the brink of extinction at my hand, and she had the gall to refer to us as a minor annoyance? “At first I didn’t believe that the same Kaiyer, my Kaiyer, led this band of lost slaves. What is the name you gave yourselves?” She licked her lips and smiled seductively at me.

“The O’Baarni.”

“What does it mean?”

“It is our old language. It means ‘The Ancients,’” I said. Why was I telling her this?

“The Ancients? That is an odd name.”

“We were here before you. We’ll be here after your kind is dust, Iolarathe.” Her name slid off my tongue like sweet wine. I closed my lips into a hard line, fighting against the desire to taste hers again.

“I doubt that. You can’t honestly believe that you are going to win this?” She sneered at me and gestured with her arm across the battlefield.

I didn’t answer. It was obvious that the humans would be victorious. She was outnumbered, outmaneuvered, and we had been winning all of our battles against them for the last ten years.

Silence hung between us as she waited for my reply.

“You won’t win. You’ll die. You all will. I am here to strike a bargain.” She looked back to her generals.

“A bargain right now? This should be interesting,” I said flatly. She wanted mercy.

“I offer a truce. We will split the planet in half, you will take whichever side you want and we will have the other. We will never attack or enslave a human again if you vow to do the same with us.” Her face was serious.

I considered for a moment before answering.

“Is that it?” I crossed my arms and relaxed my hands. The blood taste had faded from my mouth. I could do this. I could work objectively with her.

“No, there is one more thing.” She hesitated and looked back over to my troops briefly. “We require one prisoner to take with us.”

“Just one?” I laughed. She nodded.

“Who would this be?” I found myself smirking.

“You,” she said without smiling.

“Ahh. So I can never create another army again to destroy you? That’s an excellent plan. Let me go get my sack of belongings and I’ll be right back,” I said with as much sarcasm as Malek had used earlier.

Her face turned to anger for a few seconds before she relaxed.

“You will be treated well. You will not be harmed,” she tried to reassure me.

“Not that I am going to really consider your offer, because your race has lost already and your bones will be ground into fertilizer within the week. But, I’m just intrigued, why do your people want me in exchange for some truce?”

She looked into my eyes, holding my gaze for a few seconds past what was comfortable. I forced myself to look back with confidence. She bit her lips and continued to stare into my eyes as she spoke. Her voice was urgent, her eyes pleading, willing me to believe her.

“You will not win tomorrow, Kaiyer, I can guarantee you of that. You have been successful so far because I have allowed you to be, tomorrow I will not. Tomorrow you will die, your friends will die, and your people will be thrown back into a million years of slavery. I offer you a solution that will work well for your entire race. You will be a hero and the rift between our people might be repaired. Perhaps we will share this planet in harmony one day.” She smiled at me reassuringly

“I doubt that. Also, your offer ends well for everyone but me. I’m willing to sacrifice my life to see us free from your race, but I won’t be a slave again.” I wanted to spit on the ground but I resisted.

“You will not be a slave!” she almost screamed, then she took a deep breath. “You will be with me. You will be mine.” Her eyes met mine again and for the first time she looked vulnerable.

“What are you talking about?”

“We are bonded. Forever. Don’t you feel it? It hasn’t been thirty years. It has been thirty-six years.” Her eyes looked panicked suddenly.

“What are you saying?” I tried to control my emotions as she showed me that she was losing the grasp on her own.

“I see you when I close my eyes, I hear your voice when no one else is speaking. I’ve never had another lover because all I want is you, and I need you like water and food and air to breathe.” She said the words quickly and her stone face broke into a look of remorse and sadness. I felt my heart swell up with pain and my throat closed so tightly that I couldn’t say anything for a few moments.

“Don’t you feel it too? You must. I see your eyes when you look at me. You were never good at hiding your desires. All of the other humans feared me. All of the Elvens wanted me for my status. You loved me.” She looked at me again and seemed to grow frustrated. “Please, speak to me,” she begged.

“You killed my father and my brother,” I said flatly. It was like I had smacked her in the face.

“Would you rather I had killed you? Someone had to die. It was either going to be you, me, or them. Their deaths were the only solution. Do you understand?” She was pleading with me now, her beautiful face lined with worry.

I opened my mouth to reply but she interrupted me.

“I sent you away, thinking that my feelings would fade. It was a mistake. I thought of nothing else, and my attempts to forget you only made it clear that nothing could replace you. No one could replace you. I couldn’t live anymore without you. I decided to pull you from our army of humans, but you had already escaped. You had fled the night before and killed your handlers. You were lost to me. I had been a day too late.” Her face searched mine for a show of emotion. She must have seen something there that made her want to continue.

“Leave with me. Surrender now and we will go. It can be the two of us together, forever. I don’t care if we live amongst my people or yours, or all alone. I don’t care about anything else. I just want you. My race will not die tomorrow. I will kill both of us if I have to. Don’t make me decide. Come with me. I’ll give you anything. Please, Kaiyer.” Her eyes looked at me and they were filled with lust and something else. Love? Desire? I had never seen those emotions in Elven eyes so I couldn’t identify it. I didn’t even think that they loved their own offspring.

My mind spun with the thought of being with her again. Our bodies wrapped around each other. We would both live for another half a century or more. We could enjoy each other with no interruption, no humans, no Elvens, and no fear. My mouth watered when I thought about kissing her, feeling the smooth softness of her skin, wrapping my hands around her hair and pulling her head back to lick her neck as I entered her. Hearing her voice moan my name as she clung to me. I leaned forward a bit in my saddle as my body and brain blurred the lines between my imagination and reality.

Then I remembered their dead bodies lying in the grass outside of the stables. I remembered my life of fear under their rule. I remembered every cry of pain, hate, and shame I had experienced. I multiplied that a million times as I thought about the humans in my army. We would never be free if her kind were left alive. They would find a way to grow strong and enslave us again. We could only win, not accept a truce.

“I wanted you to kill me that day. I was too much of a coward to stand up and fight your entourage. I was too afraid that you would be the one to kill me. I was too afraid to end up like my father and brother. I was afraid that the feelings I had for you would not be returned, and you would kill me as easily as you did them. I am not afraid anymore, Iolarathe. I do want you. I want all the things you have said you would give me. But I also want to kill you for what you have done, and I want to destroy all of your people along with you.” Her face paled and she sat up straight in her saddle. A tear slid down from her silvery eye and across her alabaster cheek. I had never seen one cry.

I pulled my helmet up and attached it over my head.

“Tomorrow your kind will cease to exist and humans will forever be free. Even if you find some way to kill me, my armies will still crush your people into dust. Then they will all be hunted like animals until every last one is exterminated.” I turned my horse around and walked it away.

“Don’t do this Kaiyer,” she pleaded. I stopped my horse and looked over my shoulder at her, she was glittering in the sunlight like a statue of gold.

“I made a mistake when I became your lover and I made another mistake when I didn’t try to kill you after you had murdered my family. There will be no more mistakes. There are half a million humans on this field that your people have enslaved. Tomorrow you will pay for your crimes. Maybe we will be together in death.” I didn’t wait for a response as I galloped my horse back to the sea of humans. They shifted, moved, and roared like the waves of an ocean as they cheered my approach.

Chapter 33-Kaiyer

I thought the sound of their cheers woke me, but it was the howl of the wind through the impromptu camp I had built. My mind continued to spin out of control from my memory. For a few seconds I didn’t remember where I was. Then I felt my arms around Jessmei’s naked body and remembered the river and the desperate gamble to save her. Her body was warm inside of my embrace and her heart beat in a relaxed and normal manner.

We were both swaddled under four different blankets so I pulled my body from around the princess and tried to exit the pile without disturbing her. The wind roared again but the trees offered shelter from most of their torment. The horses were still where I had left them and I saw that the fire had burned down to orange glowing coal. From the ashes I predicted that I might have been asleep for about six hours. There was a small amount of snow on the ground but the branches above were so thick that most of the ice was kept off of us. The dense foliage above also prevented me from viewing the clouds and guessing how much more of the storm was left.

If it had been six hours, it would be close to nightfall. I needed to prepare the camp before we set in for the night. I stood up from the blankets and almost fell over as my head spun and ached. It felt like every muscle in my body had been gnawed on by bears.

I went over to the fire and used the discarded flint to light another small pile of needles and cones. They lit quickly and I added the larger pieces of dried wood to get it burning. The small pot of broth was warm but needed more time to heat. It had probably gotten hot enough during my unconsciousness but I didn’t agonize over the time I wasted preparing it.

I went back over to the horses and unsaddled the last one, taking time to rub each one down and inspect them for sores or ticks. The Elvens had taken good care of them and I couldn’t find anything that needed attention. The animals did need to be covered with their riding blankets, but before that could happen I would need to move Jessmei into the tent.

I had set up many tents in my life and this one I easily put together. It was made of green, oiled canvas with wood support beams and stakes. Within ten minutes it lay positioned near the fire, absorbing warmth from the flames. I didn’t think I could move Jessmei without waking her, so I went back to inspect the rest of the bags. I found more food, some repairing equipment, spare cotton pants and shirts the Elvens wore under their armor, a few more water skins, grain for the horses, and the standard weapon maintenance gear. I wondered how they managed to get all the horses loaded from inside the castle. My best guess was that they had probably assigned a few of their squad to stealing the Nia mounts and procuring traveling supplies while the others kidnapped the princess.

The pot of broth was steaming so I moved it away from the fire and dipped in a small cup I found in the pack. I hesitantly sipped on the salty concoction. It tasted amazing. My head and body still hurt like I had just been crucified by a lightning bolt, but the broth would get me in the right direction. I grabbed a wax bag of dried crackers from one of the packs and dunked it into the broth. They tasted as good as the food at the banquet in Nia.

Once I finished the small cup, I gathered more branches and needles for the fire, checked on the horses, and decided it was time to move Jessmei into the tent. I was able to carefully pick up the bedding she lay on and lift it off the ground; I kind of half-crouched, half-dragged the pad inside the shelter. The princess seemed to be deeply unconscious; the movement didn’t wake her or even disturb her slumber. Although, it was hard to tell since she lay wrapped up like a cocooned caterpillar before it turns into a blue and silver butterfly.

I carefully unwrapped the top blanket and exposed her naked, sleeping form. Her skin was white and creamy like the fresh snow that littered the floor of the forest. Her breasts were smaller than Nadea’s but created a perfect hemisphere of support for her erect pink nipples. My eyes followed the line of her taut stomach down to her hips and smooth thigh muscles; her entrance was hidden by a small amount of fine blonde and silver hair that matched the mane on her head. I felt my body respond to a different type of hunger than what the beef broth and crackers would satisfy.

It would be so easy to lean down and wrap my mouth around her nipple, to lick across her smooth skin and then taste every inch of her.

I shook my head to get my imagination in check. My body was naked and my erection stood straight up against my stomach. I sighed with regret and carefully pulled the two horse blankets off of her body and wrapped her in the ones I found in the other traveling packs. Before I left the tent I checked her toes to make sure that there were no signs of frostbite. They looked fine.

I covered up the horses and moved them near a tree where they could be tied. Then I knelt by the fire and inspected my weapons. I hadn’t really paid them any attention during the last few weeks while I pursued Jessmei, and they probably needed care. The activity took my mind off devouring Jessmei’s unconscious form and gave me time to think about the recent memory.

Was that the last battle I fought? Iolarathe was their general? It seemed so serendipitous, but I guessed she would be alive. I wondered what happened between Shlara and Malek. The note on my stone bed had made it seem that Malek regretted what he had done to me. Was that because of Shlara? Did I kill Iolarathe in that battle? I tried to remember more, but it was like trying to catch an individual drop of water falling from a rain storm.

I flipped the long sword over to inspect it one last time. The edge of the blade was now returned so I oiled it a final time before sheathing the weapon. I pulled out the short sword and began the same process while my mind wandered like a bee seeking pollen from a field of brightly colored flowers. My mind finally settled on a topic I had forgotten until now.

The O’Baarni.

I stood up as I remembered what I had said in the dream. My eyes closed as I repeated the words again.

The O’Baarni wasn’t a man. It was us. It was the humans. It was the people I led.

We were the Ancients?

I still didn’t understand. Why were the Elvens calling themselves Ancients? Why did the legends Paug told me seem to implicate the O’Baarni as the person that destroyed the Ancients when I knew them to be the same thing? Perhaps history was tainted by hundreds of years of lies and mystery. In the end it didn’t matter. Elvens were alive here and I needed to destroy them. I recalled the scorching fervor of the man I used to be. Parts of that heat still burned strongly in my chest.

I didn’t feel the same passion, either love or hate, when I thought of Iolarathe. Perhaps time had healed that wound in my heart. Maybe somehow we were bonded and her death had caused me to escape the obsession I had for her.

The wind blew again and I heard it soar across the river far below, up the canyon, through the field of long green grass, and into the forest where we camped. The rustle of the tree needles sounded like thousands of melancholy whispers.

“Kaiyer?” Jessmei’s voice called out from inside the tent. I sheathed my sword and walked back over to the entrance.

“I’m here, Jessmei. How do you feel?” She sighed in relief when she heard my voice.

“I’m okay. Very tired, hungry, and thirsty.” Her voice died down to a whisper at the end.

“I’ve got some broth. I’ll get you water too. Just stay there.” I gripped the small cup I used earlier and filled it with broth from the pot and then I grabbed a few of the hard crackers and a water skin. I opened the entrance to the tent and bent over double before I crawled inside.

Jessmei sat up with the blankets wrapped around her chest to keep her breasts hidden. She smiled at me in undisguised joy and the inside of the tent seemed as bright as daylight. I pushed the cup of broth into her hands and she sighed in delight as she drank the first sip.

“This is so good. I am very hungry.” She took another sip and the blanket began to fall off of her chest. Before it could, she hastily grabbed it with her left hand.

“Here are some crackers.” It was very dark in the tent. I could see fine but she probably couldn’t make out more than my shadowed silhouette. She hummed in satisfaction as she dipped them in the broth.

“They didn’t feed me much for the last few weeks.” She sounded like she was about to cry, but I couldn’t tell if it was from the painful memory or because she was happy.

“They are dead now. You’re safe here with me. We’ll be back at the castle in a few weeks. Your father must be very worried about you.” I handed her the water skin as she finished the cup. “Want more?” she nodded and I went back out to the pot to fill the cup and grab more crackers.

“He probably isn’t that worried. Although I’m surprised you came alone. I would have thought that Greykin would have come with you.” She smiled again as I passed her the refilled cup.

“Why wouldn’t your father be worried?”

“Well, I had prayed that you would come after us. He asked you to, right?” I didn’t understand what she was saying exactly. It must have been another language issue.

“The last time I spoke to the king it was a few days before the night the alarm sounded.” I hoped I had explained it to her correctly. She set down her cup and looked at me in shock.

“So who sent you after me?”

“I saw them take you out of the city. I didn’t think there was time to get help, so I ran after you.”

“You ran after us?” Her mouth hung open. The blanket started to fall off of her chest again but she re-wrapped it over her breasts. “How did you run after us?”

“Don’t worry Jessmei.” I laughed and lay down on the mat next to her. “You’re safe now. I spent a few sleepless nights tracking your new friends before I caught up to you. Then I planned the ambush at the river. How did they capture you at the castle?” She looked back over her shoulder at my body and turned in her blankets so she could face where she thought my voice was coming from.

“Greykin made it to my room a few seconds after the alarm had sounded. An Ancient came through my window and Greykin killed him in a horrific struggle.”

“He killed an Ancient?” I asked in surprise. The big man was impressive.

“Yes. Then he grabbed my arm and we tried to get to the armored Safe Room where the rest of my family would be guarded during an invasion. We almost made it there when we were attacked by three more. They put a dagger to my throat and Greykin stopped fighting.” She let out a sigh. “I hope they are all okay. You didn’t see them before you came after me?”

I nodded and realized she couldn’t make out the movement.

“No. They are probably still worried about you. I’m sure they have sent soldiers to track you. I imagine when we turn back south we will run into them in a few days.” Jessmei nodded and finished off her second cup of broth.

“Want more?”

“No I am fine. Just water is good.” She took a long drink from the skin. “Did you eat? Are you thirsty?” I realized that I was still hungry and thirsty, but I wanted to make sure she got what she needed.

“I’ll get some in a bit. Do you feel okay? I was worried that you were going to die of hypothermia.”

“I feel tired. That may be because I am so warm and relaxed.” She set down the cup on the mat between us and finished drinking the rest of the water. “I knew that you would come for me. At least, I believed that you would. Then the days passed and I began to fear that you wouldn’t come. Then weeks passed and I became certain that you wouldn’t come. When we were crossing the river I began to imagine what they would do to me when we reached our destination.” She shuddered again like when she had been exposed to the cold.

“It just took me a long time to catch up with you. But I never fail,” I said to her with a smile. My stomach grumbled.

“You should go eat.” I nodded and made my way out of the tent with the cup and began to finish off the rest of the broth.

“Where are we?” she asked through the closed flap.

“About a mile, maybe two, south of the river. I didn’t find a cave for shelter but we are in dense woods that seem to be protecting us from the snowstorm.”

“It is snowing? No wonder it feels so cold outside of these blankets.”

“Don’t leave the blankets! You need to relax and be warm.” I gulped the rest of the broth and then covered the pot with its lid so it wouldn’t attract any animals. I moved about two armfuls of wood onto the fire, grabbed my swords, another water skin, and then went back into the tent.

Jessmei was sitting up and had started to shiver.

“Cold?” I asked as I put my weapons to the side of our mats and lay back down next to her.

“A little.”

“Here, open the blankets.” She did and I slid my body next to hers and wrapped the opening closed behind me. My arms circled her shoulders again and I pulled her back against my chest. “Is that better?” I said after I had situated our bodies.

“Mmmm. Yes.” She sighed. “You’re really warm.” I smiled at her words. She didn’t need to know that my body felt like it was being ripped apart and my headache made me want to bludgeon myself unconscious with a rock. Her body wiggled back and forth a bit as she nestled closer into my arms. Then her movements stopped abruptly.

“Kaiyer?”

“Yes?”

“Are you naked?” she stuttered.

“Yes. Why?” I felt her body tense. Shit. I forgot that they have this aversion to anything carnal.

“We cannot be lying here under these blankets without clothes on!” she whispered. Her heart rate quickened as she scooted a few inches away from me.

“You don’t really have any clothes left. I ripped off your nightgown and threw it on the dirt by the fire. Your undergarments are out there in a pile with my clothes. If you want to go out and grab them you are welcome to, but it is cold out and they are probably still soaking wet.” I didn’t bother to tell her that there were other garments in the Elven’s gear. It was comfortable here with her warm skin against mine.

“You ripped my nightgown? What am I going to wear when we travel back?” She didn’t seem angry.

“We’ll figure that out in the morning.” I pulled her back into my chest and nuzzled the back of her neck with my nose. Her hair was dry now but still a tangled shower around my face. She murmured something soft when my face touched the nape of her neck and she didn’t try to move away again. I took a deep breath and filled my sinuses with the scent of her.

We listened to the wind pass overhead and the fire crack from outside the tent flap.

“Thank you for coming after me,” she interrupted the howl. Her heart started to beat fast again. I hummed in agreement and tightened my arms a small amount around her shoulders.

“I’ve … never been like this with a man before,” she whispered, the tone of her voice hesitant. Her words triggered my desires and I became aroused.

“I know,” I whispered in her ear.

“I am supposed to wait until I am joined,” she said quickly. “I, I know what to do. Yera, Levie, Damina, Siliah, and Cerra told me.” Her heart was beating fast now. “Father just … he would be upset if I didn’t wait until I was married.”

“I know,” I said again. My fingers made small circles on the smooth white skin of her shoulders.

“It’s supposed to hurt the first time, right? They said it would, but that I would get used to it and enjoy it.” She shivered again but I didn’t think it was from the cold. It was close to boiling underneath the blankets now.

I didn’t answer her. My mouth was watering with hunger and my erection pushed into her lower back, desperately seeking guidance into her entrance. She had to feel it against her. I placed my lips against the spot where her neck and shoulder met and lightly kissed it. She gasped in surprise and her body tensed as I kissed slowly up her neck to her earlobes. She finally moaned and her back relaxed back into mine when my teeth gently scraped across the soft skin of her ear.

“Kaiyer,” she sighed. “I can’t do this. My father would be angry with me.”

“Why?” The tip of my nose nuzzled her ear as I whispered into it.

“He thinks I should wait until I am married.” I heard the disappointment in her voice.

“Who will you marry?” I said before my tongue licked lightly behind her ear.

“I don’t know. Whomever he picks for me. I’m surprised he hasn’t yet. I am old enough. I think he is waiting for the right proposal,” she said between sighs as my tongue tickled her.

“Proposal?”

“Yes. It will help strengthen the bonds with the kingdom of my husband. Didn’t we talk about this when we lunched in the garden?” Jessmei moved her head around slightly and my mouth kissed up across her cheek and to the corner of her lips. She tried to turn around more to kiss me but I held her too tightly. She sighed in frustration when my lips moved back to her neck.

“So your father gets to decide whom you can love and marry?” I whispered softly into her ear again. Her hips were rocking back into mine rhythmically.

“He determines whom I marry. But not whom I love,” she whispered back.

“Then you will love me tonight,” I said as I kissed her ear once more.

She moaned again when the tip of my tongue explored the inner lobe of her ear and gently moved down the side of her neck to her shoulder again. When I got to the top of her shoulder my teeth softly bit her white skin. Her hands wrapped around the outside of mine and clenched them fiercely as she let out a long moan of pleasure.

“That feels really good,” she sighed as I continued my administrations to her neck.

For five more minutes I concentrated on her shoulders and neck. Kissing, licking, and softly biting while she moaned in approval. Eventually I slid my hands from where they wrapped around her arms and moved them down to her chest, cupping her small breasts in each hand. She gasped again at the new sensation when my fingers first made contact with the soft mounds and her firm pink nipples.

“Mmmmm,” she murmured as my hands squeezed and caressed her breasts. Her hands gripped mine tightly again and pushed them into her chest, forcing me to massage deeper while I nibbled on her neck.

Her breathing became quicker as it turned into panting. She spun herself around in my arms so that we were facing and savagely kissed me. Her tongue was soft and slick. She pushed it into my mouth with a moan of longing and her hands scrambled up and down my chest and shoulders until she hooked them around my head so she could more aggressively kiss me. My tongue slid past Jessmei’s and explored her sweet mouth. She moaned again in pleasure, since our mouths were locked the sound echoed in my head.

She pulled my head away and our mouths separated. We both gave a gasp of pleasure and relief. She smiled and leaned back into me for a gentler kiss. This time I enjoyed the fullness of her lips on mine. I was able to lick them with my tongue as it darted around her own tongue. I noticed that she tasted salty from the broth we consumed earlier. When we finished our second bout of lip exploration I pulled her hair back and forced her mouth up so I would have access to her throat.

She moaned my name as my tongue traced fine, wet lines down the front of her chin and to her left nipple. When I got to the pink piece of candy, my mouth wrapped around it and bit softly. These movements made her gasp in surprise and then pull my head against her breast tighter. My right hand came up to pinch and rub the nipple I wasn’t giving any attention to with my lips. Her pants were now transforming into soft cries of pleasure and I couldn’t help but moan along with her. Her skin tasted sweet and salty.

I moved to her other nipple, nibbling and sucking until she gasped sharply. Her nails raked across my bare shoulders and back. Their speed increased as her body became more aroused. Finally, I kissed and licked down her flat, smooth stomach and to her enticing hips. My fingers and tongue shared massaging duty here for a few minutes until her voice grew quiet. I briefly looked up and saw her biting the side of her right hand to keep from crying out. Her eyes reflected the shadowed orange hunger of the flame outside the tent as she gazed across her naked body at me.

The blankets had been thrown to the side during our hunt for position. The night was frigid, but the coldness didn’t penetrate the heat we were creating inside our tent. I moved my hands down lower and rubbed the sleek muscles of her thighs while my lips and tongue did their walk down to the silky hair in front of Jessmei’s entrance. She gasped as my tongue reached her pubic hair.

“What are you going to do?” she asked. Her voice was just above a whisper and I could hear the fear in her words.

“I’m going to taste you,” I rubbed her thighs more and spread her legs, revealing the moist, sleek lips around her entrance. She didn’t resist me.

“What? What do you mean?” her wetness smelled like lavender flowers.

“Relax Jessmei. You will enjoy this,” I said before the tip of my tongue gently licked her wet labium. She tasted as good as she smelled, like flowers with a hint of citrus sweetness. I made my tongue dance across her lips in a circle pattern before I pushed my tongue halfway into her entrance to get the full flavor of her wetness.

“Oh my. Oh my. Oh Kaiyer. That is unbelievable. Soooo good.” She barely kept her voice a whisper. I grunted in satisfaction to her response and pulled my tongue slowly out of her. I focused on the tiny nub of flesh on the top of her entrance that I ignored until this point. My mouth fastened around it like I had to her nipple and I gently sucked and licked it. Her hands grasped tightly to the back of my head, her hips bucked upward, and she let out a wheeze like someone had punched her in the stomach. After a few seconds of her body being incredibly tense, she began to relax. Jessmei let out a long sigh and lessened the grip on my hair. I looked up from my licking and saw that her eyes were closed and her face was a mask of enjoyment mixed with anticipation.

I didn’t know how she wanted to be licked, so I tried a few different movements with my tongue and lips for the next ten minutes. From her moans of approval and the sudden tension on her body I figured out she preferred for me to lick across the surface of her sleek lips in an upward motion with the middle thick part of my tongue. I repeated the movement several times in a row before I would push it deep into her again to feel and taste her wetness.

It only took a few minutes of this before her body couldn’t take anymore.

She moved her hips sideways across the mat and bottom blanket while her moans increased in volume. Her left leg wrapped around my neck and her right leg straightened out before she let out a light scream.

“Ahhhhh. Kaiyer don’t stop!” she gasped through clenched teeth as her hands forsook the rubbing of my scalp and clutched the blankets to her side. Her body shook and quaked for half a minute as I slowed down my licking and sucking. Finally, she sighed in exhaustion, like she had just completed an hour long battle, and pushed her body away. She lay before me panting still, with her legs spread and her hands grasping her breasts. Her eyes were closed and she took long, deep breaths and let them out with gentle sighs. Her breath reminded me of the breeze through the forest on a late summer night.

“That felt so good, Kaiyer. How did you do that?” her eyes opened to look at me. They were filled with adoration.

I will give you what you want if you give me what I want. I heard a voice echo in my head. It wasn’t Iolarathe’s voice. Was it Shlara’s? I ignored the memory and smiled down at Jessmei as I settled on my left side next to her content body.

“You learn things when you’ve been around a while.” I smiled at her and ran my right hand lightly over her stomach and circled her soft breast.

“My handmaidens talked about being with men. They told me it was to help educate me but I think part of it was that they wanted to boast. They never said anything about what you just did to me.” She sighed again and raised her right hand to touch the side of my jaw. She appeared to be ignoring my hand that was playing with her nipple, but it had become erect with my attention.

Jessmei looked down her body toward my penis and then back up to my face. She bit her lower lip in worry and then her right hand left my jaw and floated down to my member. I gasped a tiny bit as her smooth hand touched the tip and then wrapped around the length.

“How is this going to fit inside of me?” she asked with concern as she rubbed slowly down the shaft. It pulsed eagerly in her hand as she stroked it. I hadn’t experienced relief in a long, long time. I thought of Nadea in the bathtub. I lusted after her like I did Jessmei. Would she be angry about what the princess and I were about to do? Perhaps it didn’t matter. My mind was consumed by the thought of filling Jessmei right now. I hadn’t made any promises to Nadea and she hadn’t asked me to commit.

“I’ll go slow. You are definitely wet enough,” I said to Jessmei.

“Thanks to you,” she sighed again. I couldn’t tell if it was one of pleasure or regret. With a gentle tug of her hand she pulled the rest of my body over her. It was probably a sigh of pleasure then.

I sat up on my knees and looked down at her. Her hair spread out from under her head like mist rolling down a hillside in the morning. I ran my hands down her sides slowly again and she groaned and lifted her hips a bit so that I would have easier access to her entrance.

I reached down to my erection and leaned over slightly so it could angle into her. We both gasped in amazement when my tip slid into her slippery entrance. At first it would only go in an inch or so. I had to pull out and push back into her. I did it slowly and she seemed to gasp and moan with each small movement. I looked at her face and saw that her eyes and mouth were opened wide with the new sensation. After a minute or two of her moans and my small in and out movements I was about halfway inside of her.

“You feel really good,” I said to her. It was more of a growl of desire.

She tried to say something but it came out as a flurry of moans and sighs. Her eyes closed again as I pulled out all the way and slid back into her accepting velvet tunnel. She was very wet, but the passage was tight and it took an additional half a minute before I slid another quarter of the way inside of her. I stopped and leaned down to kiss her deeply. She returned it with the same savage intensity she used when she previously kissed me. The walls of her entrance tightened more around me and I couldn’t help but moan into her wanting mouth with approval.

We kissed like that for a few minutes as I pushed deeper inside of her. We both gasped again as I felt my tip brush up against the wall that protected her womb. I was all the way inside of her and we took a few moments to enjoy the sensation of each other’s bodies.

“Are you okay?” I said as I leaned over her again and kissed her mouth and the side of her neck.

“It feels amazing. I thought it would be painful. I don’t think I am bleeding,” she whispered. I nodded in the darkness since I didn’t smell any blood.

“I’ll go slowly again. Tell me if you hurt and I’ll stop,” I whispered in her ear as I withdrew and then pushed back into her. Our bodies made a wet sliding sound as I entered her at a slightly faster pace. She gasped, but it was one of pleasure. I did it a few more times at the same tempo and when she did nothing but moan in approval I increased my speed.

Her walls wrapped tightly around my shaft as I slid into her each time and her gasps of pleasure began to take me over the edge after a few minutes. I slowed down my cadence again and rose up to my knees to get a different angle. Her eyes opened and her hands touched my chest in appreciation as I kneeled up between her legs and thrust into her a bit deeper than I had before.

I was able to keep that position up for another ten minutes before I felt myself starting to lose control. With an agonized growl I stopped and left myself deep in her while I kissed, licked, and sucked on her mouth, neck, and breasts for a few minutes. Her heart was beating quickly and her breaths came out in ragged exclamations that made me think she was probably as close as I was to orgasm.

“Wrap your legs around my hips and your arms around my neck,” I instructed her. She did so and our mouths hungrily devoured each other as I sat up and carried her with me. She gasped when the full weight of her body was impaled on me. I rubbed her back gently for a few moments and then pulled on her hips, forcing myself deeper into her.

“Ahhh!” she said in surprised pleasure. She repeated the moan when I slid out of her a bit.

I was strong enough to lift her up one handed over my head with ease, this position let me manipulate her body down onto my erection and control the angle I slid into her. Her breasts slid against my chest as my hands supported and rubbed against her back. Within a few more minutes we were both panting in ecstasy as our bodies made quick, wet movements against each other. I was so deep inside of her that I brushed against her wall with every thrust.

“You feel so good inside me,” she moaned in my ear over the sound of our love making.

I growled into her ear before I pulled her hair aside and lightly bit her neck. She whimpered again and her body began to spasm like it had when I had used my mouth on her.

“I’m going too …” she started to say before she cried out again in carnal pleasure. I could feel her body spasm and the walls of her entrance squeeze around my erection. The sensation made me lose control and I felt my own body start to shudder. I gasped with pleasure and my penis convulsed. Then we both gasped again as my seed filled her like a tidal wave. The orgasm was intense and my vision began to blur as I felt another quickly follow after the first one. We both cried out and kissed each other passionately again as our climaxes subsided and I finished filling her.

We kissed and licked each other for a few more minutes as we detangled from the sitting position and re-tangled on the soft surface of the mat and blankets.

“That was amazing,” she traced her hand across my chest again as she snuggled up next to me. “It didn’t hurt. It felt so good. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I took as much pleasure from your body as you did from mine.” I smiled as I pulled her head into my shoulder and wrapped my left arm around her body. We lay silent for a few minutes and allowed the night air to cool our steaming bodies. Eventually I had to pull the blankets back on top of us.

“Any regrets?” I said to her.

“No. Why would I have any regrets?” She lifted her head off my chest and looked into where she thought my face lay.

“You spoke about your father and—”

“No. Don’t worry. I wanted this,” she said with confidence. “I can decide whom I make love with.”

“Good,” I said as I pulled her back into my chest. My headache had left at the same time I had climaxed and my body was just left with its incredible exhaustion.

“Kaiyer,” she whispered before I drifted off to sleep.

“Yes?”

“Can we make love again tomorrow morning?” she asked eagerly.

“We definitely will,” I said with a smile as I tried not to chuckle.

“Good.” She wiggled her body into me more. “Can you …”

“Of course. Whatever you want, princess.” This time I did laugh a little, she had really enjoyed my mouth tasting her.

“Oh. I do want it, and you. I can’t wait until the morning,” she said before her eyes closed. Within moments she twitched gently as she dived into a deep sleep. I lay awake for a few more minutes. My body felt extremely relaxed and my mind was content. The headache was gone and my skull felt wonderful. Was this what Shlara had been trying to give me all those years ago? I may have been foolish to deny myself the pleasure of her body. Then again, I had an army to command and having a relationship with her would have created negative consequences.

The wind was picking up speed. It almost sounded like a woman wailing in despair as it cut through the trees. I listened to it for a few more minutes before I drifted off to Jessmei’s dream world.

Chapter 34-Paug

“Get your ass down to Nadea!” Greykin screamed at me over the piercing ring in my ears. I nodded, mouth open in shock, as another crash of fire, power, and lightning shattered into the side of the castle wall and sent us both to our knees again. Bits of sharp rock and gray dust sprayed into the air and fell down upon us. The big man was up before me and looked over his shoulder at the hundreds of troops that scurried around the top of the wall like frantic ants. He turned and yelled something to them and then faced me again. His glare was disapproving when he noticed that I hadn’t gotten to my feet yet.

I was just so tired. My body was sore and exhausted from lack of sleep. It had been almost two days since the attack started. I had been running errands for Nadea and Greykin since I got here. My feet were raw and blistering and I was only able to spend half an hour every day scribbling frantic notes so that I would remember the details of our siege.

After leaving Grandfather I arrived back at Nia against a current of fearful refugees that were fleeing the city as the horde of Losher could be seen in the distance. They surrounded the pearl white city from the east, and within a few days we were under siege.

Greykin bent down and scooped me up in his thick arms. Another magic spell of power collided into the walls. Greykin ran through the small quake it caused as we descended a set of stairs, through a courtyard, and into the massive doors of the main Planning Room. All the soldiers we passed wore a grim look of fear and desperation on their faces. No one knew how to combat magic, and the Losher forces easily breached the outer walls of the city in less than a week with the aid of their Ancient allies.

“The south and east walls are cracking,” Greykin said as he sat me down on a purple chair that everyone else had been too tense to use. The king, duke, Maerc, and the other generals glanced up from the table and then looked back down at the map of the city. Greykin wasn’t delivering them news they didn’t already know.

I looked over the sparse room, once filled with fine works of art. Nadea sorted through a small stack of loose papers and scrolls, her smooth brow wrinkled in frustrated concentration. She wore finely crafted leather armor that seemed to hug her lean shape with efficient curves. The prince was on the other side of the room, conversing with a few of his personal guards. Like his father and the duke, he was wearing light chain mail with the purple and orange trim of the Nia Kingdom. His nose had been set after Nadea broke it, but it still looked red and irritated. His hair was put perfectly in place and he smiled slightly as he whispered to his entourage. Unlike everyone else here, he seemed confident we would get through this. I wished I could have a taste of the wine he was drinking to calm his nerves.

It looked like Nia was about to fall.

The Losher Kingdoms were composed of over a dozen small clans that constantly made war with each other. Their land was made up of thousands of miles of grass, mud, and high desert that made them a tough and hardy people. They were excellent bowmen, horse riders, and their constant bickering amongst their own kind gave them a thirst for blood that was unmatched among the warriors of the other kingdoms. Luckily, Nia had been safe from an invasion because they were so fond of fighting amongst themselves and because of the steep mountain range that separated the borders. When they arrived to circle the castle, I used one of Nadea’s spy glasses to observe them for my writings.

They looked far different from what I had imagined. Their leather armor was dusty from travel but still well kept, their hair was pulled back into short ponytails with the tops of their scalps shaved clean and tattooed. Losher did not allow their women to fight in battle, but they could come to tend to the horses. These women were as tall and dark as their men, but possessed a savage beauty and elegance that made me want to learn more about how their culture worked.

The city had been a frantic ant hill under a flood before the horde arrived, but its insides twisted, churned and grew feverish as our worst fears turned into reality.

The Losher forces didn’t have any sort of siege weapons, so we wondered how they planned to rout us. Even if the Losher forces didn’t have the ability to destroy our walls, no one liked the idea of being trapped like a rat under a bucket.

Then the Ancients had shown themselves, and the power of their magic.

“Paug! I need your help!” Nadea yelled from across the room. The king, duke, and some of the guards stopped what they were doing to watch me scurry over to her. She was looking at ancient scrolls. They looked to be faded labyrinthine maps with carefully placed notes.

“How can I assist?” I thought that Nadea would have been happy to see me after I arrived back in the castle. I had run to her room within a few minutes of giving my horse to the stable boy. She answered her door after I almost broke my fist knocking on it for two minutes. It looked like she had been crying, but there were no tears on her face, just an expression of deep worry and fear. She yelled at me. Then when I cried, she wrapped her arms around me and grieved with me. We were both afraid of what would happen when we were under siege, but there was still hope.

That hope had been dashed quickly.

“This is a map of the ancient dungeons and sewage systems that run under the castle and the city. I need you to help me study them to determine if there is a way for the people to safely flee the city.” She handed me one and I looked closely at it. It looked like the scrawling of an imprisoned madman.

“How old are these?” My brain hurt from just the few seconds I looked at the complicated, faded parchment.

“Many hundreds of years. I asked the servant managers about the sewer system, but the people they employ to keep them clean, the people that know the underground the best, have left the city. We have to figure out a way through the tunnels. I don’t think we will last more than another day.” Her voice faded into an urgent whisper as she met my eyes over the map.

“I’ll try, Nadea.” I noticed that there were no more explosions from outside the wall. Maybe I was looking for a way to get out of this arduous job. “Did the magic stop?” I asked a little too loudly.

“Sire! The Ancients wish to speak to you again!” a soldier yelled as he ran into the room. there was a cut over his eye where a sharp piece of flying wall had probably grazed him.

“Let’s hear what they have to say,” the king said with a sigh as he left the table. I had never seen anyone so tired. He put up a valiant effort to encourage the troops, but I could tell his happy blue eyes had lost much of their luster since the Ancients kidnapped Jessmei. I hoped the princess was okay. If she was here right now we would all be in much better spirits, even though it wouldn’t have changed the outcome. She was probably safer where she was, I thought dismally.

I looked to Nadea as she carefully set down the scrolls and followed the group of men up the staircase, through the throng of soldiers in the inner courtyards, and up another long flight of steps to the edge of the wall. I guessed the Ancients would talk to the king about surrendering. It was going to be the same message they brought two days ago, when they had walked just short of arrow range on the grassy fields before the walls of the city. Their presence created panic amongst the soldiers and citizens. We hadn’t realized that Ancients were working with Losher. We hadn’t realized that they organized the disbanded clans into one of the most capable military forces that had roamed our land in the last one hundred years.

The four Ancients that led the Losher forces were powerful mages that ripped massive holes in the side of the city wall in only twelve hours. The army lacked siege engines because they didn’t need them.

The king adjusted his cloak around his muscular frame before he reached the edge of the walls that gave us a view of the sacked city. We had moved most of the citizens that remained into the walls of the castle when the hole was made in the outer wall. There were probably still many out in the city, trying to avoid the Losher troops that were looting and raping.

“Greetings King of Nia,” the silver-haired man said from the distant street below us. He didn’t have to yell, some sort of magic made his voice easy to discern. I had a feeling that everyone on the walls heard him. The man stood with three women that wore dark blue robes, he wore silvery armor that looked similar to the armor of the Ancient who had interrupted the banquet. It had seemed so long ago, but it had only been five or six weeks. I remembered how Kaiyer fought against them and easily won. I wished for the thousandth time that he was here right now.

“What do you want?” the king yelled down over the wall. I worried that the wind had taken his voice and dashed it against the distant city, but the Ancient seemed to hear the words.

“Your army is defeated, your city sacked and ruined. You have lost, fair King.” The man smiled a careful smile and the brisk winter gust made his hair flow out from his body like a silver flag imitating ours.

“I don’t see you inside the castle walls. I don’t see you standing over my dying body. We are not beaten,” the king yelled down. “We are Nia. We do not fall in any battle.” I had to applaud the king’s bravado. I stood up a little straighter after the words sang out of his mouth and I began to think that we might win this. Then I slumped over as I realized how hopeless it was. Their magic was so powerful. We were like children trying to unsaddle a fully armored knight.

“Our empress is benevolent, good King. She understands how proud you and your people are. She has made numerous requests to partner with you and has been refused. Yet still she would like to offer you a truce one last time as a token of forgiveness and gratitude. She believes we can work together to offer a bright future for your people and hers. I have a written agreement and terms.” He reached his hand out to the right and one of the blue robed Ancients placed a scroll case in it. “I believe that you will find them very agreeable given your current circumstances.” He held his arm out straight as if to hand them to the king. The position seemed odd considering that the king was on the wall more than eighty feet above him.

“I am not interested in your empress’s terms. I have read them before and they are unreasonable.”

“She has made slight alterations in this one, King of Nia. Please send a runner down to retrieve them or lower a rope so that I may attach it. I believe that you will be pleased by this offering.”

The king seemed to debate internally a moment before he answered. In that brief span I found myself so curious that I almost spoke up and advised him to take it. I knew that Kaiyer had hated the Ancients more than anything. I still recalled the horrible things he said that they had done to humans in his time. But surely anything was better than death, and death would be our fate in the next few days. The walls wouldn’t hold against their magic for much longer.

“I will go and get them Father,” Nanos said from the king’s side. The king turned to his son briefly and then sighed.

“No. Drop a rope. I don’t want you getting close to those monsters.” He gestured to Maerc and within a second or two there was a thin line being extended down the steep castle wall.

“You have made a wise decision, King of Nia. Please continue on this path and agree to my empress’s truce. It will guarantee the safety and future of all of your people.” The Ancient’s voice was a gentle song being carried on the breeze. I couldn’t help but feel lulled by his charm. Then I suddenly remembered the grief on Kaiyer’s face as he told me about his father and brother being murdered.

“I will need a month to debate these terms and give you an answer,” the king shouted down after he grasped the lacquered scroll case.

“My empress cannot allow that much time. She requires your decision before the sun sets today.”

“That is impossible. You cannot expect me to decide in such a short time. I will need a month to meet with my advisors and generals.” The king’s voice gained strength and resolve as he spoke.

“I will give you one week to come up with an answer. I believe that you will make the choice to accept the terms. You love your people and accepting is the best solution for their happy future.” Several of the guards on the wall nodded their heads in agreement as they heard his honey coated voice. Coldness grew in my stomach at the thought of them agreeing with what he was saying without even viewing the terms themselves. The king might be forced to agree or else he might have a riot on his hands. The Ancient didn’t wait for a reply; he turned and quickly walked into the city.

“Fuck that asshole,” Greykin said loudly before he spit off the edge of the wall. A few of the soldiers laughed, but more of them looked worried as they turned to the king.

“Let’s see what revisions they made,” the king said under his breath as he made his way down the stairs. Despite the fear in my stomach, I couldn’t help but feel excited about the process I would be able to witness as the king, duke, and the generals discussed the future of the kingdom. No matter what the outcome, I would document it so that future generations would learn what happened during this war.

The group moved back down the stairs as thousands of worried soldiers and servants watched. I was concerned that someone might yell out to accept the terms, but no one did. Morale wasn’t that bad yet. Before we reached the large wooden doors that led to the Planning Room, a hand grasped my shoulder. I turned around to face the prince.

“Don’t you have something else to do? This will be an important meeting and we don’t need you there. Maybe you should go eat what is left of the sweet cakes.” He wore an ugly smirk across his otherwise handsome face. He looked so much like Jessmei, but the differences in their personalities were great. His small following of finely dressed young soldiers looked at me with disdain from behind him. We were in the back of the group and I turned around in panic, looking for anyone that would allow me to be in the meeting. I didn’t see Nadea or Greykin, they must have already entered the room.

“I am supposed to observe and document the decision process.” I pointed to my small leather-bound book. My voice quivered and cracked as it tried to wiggle past the lump that suddenly appeared in my throat.

“Just document it out here from the hallway once we reach a decision,” the prince said over his shoulder as he led his men into the room. The door was closed and as he reached the handle to pull it, the thick piece of oak swung outward and Nanos was forced to jump aside. Nadea eyed him coldly and looked past his group to me.

“Come on Paug,” she said. My breath came out in a slow sigh. I looked down at the ground so the prince couldn’t see my smile and I started to step around him.

“I don’t think we need the boy in here. I sent him to his room,” Nanos said to Nadea as he held out an arm to keep me from advancing.

“I can only think of one boy that shouldn’t be in this meeting. Unfortunately, he is the king’s son,” Nadea said without smiling. I was surprised she said it so calmly. I looked up and saw Nanos’s face turn red.

“Listen bitch,” he spat as he stood up straight and clenched his teeth. “You better hope that my father accepts these terms, because if he doesn’t I am going to make a point of showing you how much of a man I am before we are all butchered.” His hand grasped the hilt of his sword as he whispered.

“Remember when I broke your nose? How about I break it again?” Nadea said as her cool demeanor cracked and she stepped out of the room and toward the prince. He shuffled back in fear at her sudden movement and almost tripped over the man standing behind him.

“What the hell is going on?” Maerc said as he poked his head out of the door. He looked around at everyone and probably figured out what was about to happen. “Get your asses in here. Paug, the king has a question for you.”

We filed into the room. The king sat with his face in his hands. The scroll case lay opened and the duke was reading the parchment it contained. I took an empty seat on the right side of the room by Greykin and Nadea sat down next to me. She smiled at me as her hand squeezed my shoulder. The duke finished the document and then passed it over to Maerc. I couldn’t read his face.

“Paug, you spent many hours with Kaiyer before he died. What can you share with us about how he viewed the diplomatic policies of these Ancients?” Everyone looked at me.

I stood up and cleared my throat as I put my thoughts together. I tried to envision myself speaking as confidently as Kaiyer would if asked the same question.

“He spoke of them often. He absolutely despised them and believed that they were depraved monsters that deserved to be wiped from existence like vermin. He would say that he would rather die than agree to whatever terms they would propose to us.” I took a deep breath as my brain wheeled to think of more to say. I noticed the prince had his arms crossed from his chair and was glaring at me with disdain.

“Hand him the scroll when you are done, Maerc,” the king said. The blonde man nodded and passed it over to me. His face was twisted in thought, like he was trying to solve a puzzle. As serious as the situation was, pride welled up through my body at being given such importance. The king was so interested in my opinion he wanted me to read the scroll even before Nanos.

The paper felt waxy and thick in my hands. It was very high quality and the script written on it was the most beautiful writing I had ever seen. It looked less like words and more like art that had decided to become communication as an afterthought. Nadea and Greykin read the document over my shoulder as I set it down on the table in front of us.

King Nia,

I thank you for taking the time to read this treatise. It is my wish for our people to live together side by side in peace, and I know that peace is something that you also desire. Unfortunately, sometimes peace can only be obtained by force. I know that you also understand this to be true.

My people have led a tragic and horrible existence. We have been hunted as animals and have lost more kinfolk than we would want anyone to imagine. We are looking for a home. Places to grow families, laugh, and enjoy a peaceful livelihood. Your land can perfectly accommodate our small civilization. We do not require much, just a harmonious coexistence with mutual respect. Here are the items I ask for in order for us to cease our attack:

❈ Surrender of your forces to my general.

❈ Shelter and food for the Losher forces during the term of the winter. They will return to their lands at the beginning of spring.

❈ An oath of loyalty to me, sworn before your citizens, generals, dukes, advisors, and notices sent out to other leaders indicating this.

❈ Use of half of your castle and a quarter of your city for my people.

❈ Use of ten thousand of your soldiers that I will hand pick. These will report directly to my generals and will be compensated at the same pay scale you currently have established for them.

❈ Twenty percent of your tax revenue.

❈ A position on your Council where I am granted votes that carry the weight of three.

Of course, nothing can be offered for free, so I offer you the following benefits:

❈ You will continue to manage and run your country as you see fit. Only in voting Council will you even know of my presence.

❈ You will continue to manage, train, and control your own military.

❈ You will continue to manage your own trades and merchant groups in the same effective manner that has brought your country so much wealth.

❈ Your beautiful daughter will be returned to you alive and unharmed.

❈ I will teach you and whoever else you wish how to harness magical energies. These abilities could grant tremendous power to your family and country.

❈ My kind shall never harm a citizen of Nia, save in self-defense.

It is difficult to properly communicate feelings of sincerity across a mere piece of parchment, but I hope with all my heart that you can see the benefits of this treaty. You are sacrificing very little and allowing us to live in peace. Please accept my offer. I look forward to meeting you in person and working together with you toward a bright future in which all of our people can flourish.

With fondest wishes,

Telaxthe

Empress of the Ancient People

I looked up at the king when I finished. He raised an eyebrow, seeking my feedback.

“Kaiyer would say that we should not trust her,“ I said with as much confidence as I imagined my dead friend would have. Given the current situation, this treaty was almost too good to be true. She had no reason to give us anything and would be perfectly capable of enslaving all of the citizens of Nia her armies left alive. This meant that one of three things was true: she actually was a kind and benevolent leader who wanted to live in peace with humans; she knew something we did not about her forces or ours that meant she was not actually capable of winning this war; she was lying and being overly generous in her proposal in order to manipulate the king and take advantage of him somehow. I wanted to believe the first possibility was correct, but I knew Kaiyer would bet it was the last.

“Let me read it,” the prince demanded as he rose from his seat and walked over to grab the parchment.

“These are similar terms to what she already offered us,” the duke remarked as he leaned back in his chair and sighed.

“What do you think, Brother?” the king asked earnestly.

“She will give you back Jessmei, she seems to want everything to remain how it is now. Offering her three votes in the Council will give her considerable clout since there are only nine seats.”

“If this is what she offered before why didn’t you take it?” the prince asked in astonishment. “This sounds amazing. They will teach us magic?”

“I agree with Paug,” Nadea said. “This is too good to be true. Even if what she writes is true and she fulfills her part, she will have wormed her way into our government and castle. What if she changes her mind once our forces have been integrated? We might as well just kill ourselves.”

“Why is she offering this right now? She has already won. Our walls can’t hold out much longer, and once they fall we will be outnumbered against Losher’s horde and the magic.” Maerc’s face contorted as he wrestled with the problem, echoing my thoughts. For a second I wondered where his son Runir was. I hadn’t seen him in the last few days and I hoped that the handsome young soldier was okay.

“She probably wants peace. Her words do seem sincere. I think you should consider this Father,” the prince said in earnest.

“I will need to discuss this with the Council,” the king said as he turned to look at Maerc and Nadea’s father. I knew that they each had a seat on the Council along with various merchants and guild representatives.

“It will be easy to call an emergency meeting,” the duke said as he got out of his chair.

“Have them assemble here in this room. Also, can someone get me water? I am parched. Everyone, let’s take a recess and meet back here in half an hour,” the king said. The room cleared out except for the king, Nadea, Greykin, Nanos, and me.

“You need to agree to their terms Father,” Nanos beseeched again. “It is the only way to have peace and to get Jessmei back.”

“This doesn’t make much sense, Uncle,” Nadea said from her chair. “They have us where they want us, why are they negotiating now? Maerc is right to think there is something strange about the situation. The Ancients are not to be trusted, as Paug so wisely reminded us.”

“I agree. We have to discuss it with the Council. More than anything, we need to buy more time. I am going to see if I can get another few weeks from the Ancients. I want Jessmei returned more than you all can guess, but I can’t risk the kingdom.” The king’s face looked haggard and lost when he spoke his daughter’s name.

“This is foolishness! What if they take back their offer? We are going to all die here, for what? Pride?” Nanos got out of his chair angrily and glared at his father and Nadea.

“Watch your tongue, lad,” Greykin said as he suddenly seemed to take interest in the conversation. I wondered what the big man would do if the choice was only his. I knew that he loved the royal family, and Jessmei especially. Would he throw away the kingdom to have them safe? How safe would Jessmei really be if she returned to a home under even partial Elven rule?

“Shut up, old man. If you would have done your job correctly, Jessmei would still be here and wouldn’t be a bargaining chip.” Nanos walked toward the door as if to leave but Greykin stood up abruptly in his chair and moved in front of the young man. The prince was tall but only came up to Greykin’s chin. There was no mistaking the look of malice on the Old Bear’s face.

“Enough you two! I’m sure the empress would laugh if she saw us fighting amongst ourselves. Take a walk, relax, and return in half an hour with a clear head. I need both of you to be thinking about killing our enemies, not each other,” the king said from behind them. Nanos looked fearfully at Greykin before he stepped around the big man, opened the door, and walked out.

He hadn’t even shut the door before a massive boom of thunder and screams echoed through the hallways. Greykin was already standing, but the rest of us shot to our feet in surprise. It sounded like one of the Ancients’ Fire blasts had been set loose inside the castle’s innards. The alarm started ringing its deafening cry of anguish.

The prince ran back into the room, his face painted with terror.

“The Losher soldiers are in the castle!”

“How is that possible?” The king pulled out his sword and ran to the door. I noticed it was the same one Kaiyer used during the banquet a lifetime ago. Before the king could get out of the door, Greykin moved in front of him and exited the room. The big man was the guardian of the royal family and he probably felt that this was his moment to atone for what happened to Jessmei.

“We have to get all of you to safety!” Greykin yelled over his shoulder as he led us down the long hallway toward the Royal Quarters. We didn’t see any soldiers, but we could hear screaming and the sounds of swords pounding against shields and flesh as we ran the many hundreds of yards of maze-like stone passages that led to the north part of the castle.

“What about my wife?” the king yelled toward Greykin.

“She’s with her group of guards in the Safe Quarters. We are heading to meet them. There is enough food and water in there for us to last a month.”

I noticed that everyone held a weapon in their hand but me. I had never seen Nadea use her slim long sword, but it looked like a perfect reflection of her body, thin, beautiful, and deadly. The prince was carrying a heavier broad sword with a protected guard over his hand. I just had my small leather bound book of notes, a pocket full of ink vials, and two feather quills. Then I remembered that I had a small pen knife I used to trim my quills. It was about the size of my thumb, but it was sharp.

I was terrified that I would have to use it.

We turned the thirtieth corner and I was completely lost. Suddenly the group skidded to a stop. I peered around Nanos and Greykin to see three Losher soldiers finishing off two of our men who were dying on the stone floor of the Great Hall. The Losher warriors looked up from their deeds at the same time as we stopped. They let out a piercing battle cry as they rushed toward us.

The one in the lead lifted up his curved blade to crush Greykin’s skull, but the big man slammed it aside with a grunt of rage and swung his axe as a counter. The axe blade caught the Losher man in the place where his neck met the shoulder and it bit deeply into the leather armor, spraying a crimson rain over the king and the second Losher warrior who were about to engage each other.

The king jumped out of the way of a shallow swing that the Losher soldier aimed at his midsection and countered with an overhand thrust with his ornate golden sword. The Losher man expected it and got his sword up in the way, meeting the king’s blow with a loud clap of metal. The Losher warrior was at least twenty years younger than the king and his body was hardened and muscled from combat. He leaned forward and kicked a foot out toward the king, connecting with his chest and knocking him back into Nadea.

The third Losher soldier saw his friend butchered by Greykin and tried to cut the big man’s legs off with a low sweep of his curved sword. Greykin was too quick though and he moved back enough so that the tip of the blade just scratched harmlessly off of the chain leggings that the axe man was wearing. With the same movement, Greykin screamed and slammed his large body into the Losher warrior who had kicked the king. The big man’s attack pinched the soldier against the wall and Greykin got two head butts into the younger man’s nose before falling back to defend against the other attacker.

Nanos advanced a quick cut, but the Losher man just danced away with a return swing that was a good foot from hitting the prince. The prince fell back so quickly from the assault that he stumbled into me and we both tumbled to the ground in a mess of arms, legs, and curses.

By the time I made it to my feet, the king and Greykin had dispatched the last Losher soldier and finished off the one stunned with the head butts. The big man’s head was bleeding from a gash at his hairline, but it might as well have been water for how he treated it. The king looked pained by the kick to his chest, but appeared otherwise uninjured.

“Everyone unharmed?” Greykin asked as he eyed us. I nodded and looked to Nadea as she also nodded. “Let’s continue.” Too late I realized that I had forgotten to grab one of the fallen soldier’s swords.

We ran another hundred yards and I wondered again who had made this castle so big. It was like its own city. My chest was burning and I wished that this siege played out like it had in my mind. I would have arrived in the castle and told everyone of my desire to stand with them. They would have been happy to see me, the Losher forces would have failed to breach the walls and we would have remained safely inside, laughing them off all winter, then our reinforcements would have shown up just in time to rout them. The worst thing I would have dealt with was a few weeks of hunger and Nanos speaking to me.

I heard screams and turned to see half a dozen Losher soldiers down the hall. I was the last person in our little caravan of retreat.

“Behind us!” Nadea yelled before I found my voice. Greykin looked over his shoulder.

“Keep running! We are almost there!” the big man growled as he turned back toward the king and prince. I picked up my feet and tried to ignore the harsh pain through my lungs.

We ran for another ten seconds and I couldn’t help but glance back over my shoulder. The soldiers were gaining ground on me. I could see their insane hatred and I knew they were going to catch me and not merely kill me, but make me suffer a slow, tortured death. Fear grabbed around my heart like a frozen chill. It spread through my body, to my chest and arms, and to my hips and legs. My feet were like pieces of stone as I tried to move them faster and faster. It seemed that with each one of my steps they were advancing two on me.

Then I tripped.

I was too busy looking behind me and not where I was running. I screamed in terror as I went down and scraped my knees and palms. My book went flying and I knew that I was about to die. It seemed like I stayed on my hands and knees forever. My blood and heartbeat whooshed into my ears as if telling me it would be the last thing I would ever hear.

“Get up!” Nadea screamed into my ear. Her left hand yanked me up off of my knees and to my feet like I weighed less than one of my books.

“Keep running!” Greykin screamed at us as he stepped past me, in between the half dozen Losher men. I looked into his face and saw a calm determination. His eyes were focused intently on the advancing mass of men.

“Go now. I’ll hold them. Protect the king,” he whispered when he turned his head slightly to look at Nadea and me. He raised his shield and axe as Nadea yanked on my arm again. The king and Nanos were far ahead of us and I watched them turn a corner to the right. We set off again and I heard Greykin shout over screams and blades.

“For Nia! For the king!”

I didn’t turn around.

“We are almost there,” Nadea said over her breathing after we had turned the corner the king and prince had taken. “Next left turn and we are there.” I looked at her tortured face as she ran next to me. Mine probably looked the same way.

We made the right turn after the fleeing pair and went down another forty paces into an open room. Then we stopped. The king was on the ground in a quickly growing pool of blood. Nanos was standing over him with a bloody sword.

Nadea and I stared in shock for almost ten seconds until Nanos noticed us out of the corner of his eye and turned around to face us. His face wore its usual expression: a sneer.

“He never listened to me. I was his firstborn, the heir to the kingdom, and he never gave a damn about what I thought. Now I am the king. I’ve already made a deal with the empress. She extended me the same one she did to him,” he said as he looked down at the fallen body of his father.

“You fucking bastard!” Nadea said with disgust and hate. “You’ve doomed us all and killed your own father.” Her body was shaking with rage.

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand. You always got what you wanted, everyone thought you were so talented, so smart, so capable, and beautiful. Your father was always so proud of you and my father wished that I hadn’t been born.” Nanos sniffed his nose in disgust, or maybe it was to hide tears as he started to realize what he had done.

“You are a coward. Your father never felt that way about you. But if you wish to never have been born, I am more than happy to grant that.” Nadea got into a relaxed fighting stance and took a few careful steps toward Nanos. The young man looked a little shocked that Nadea was going to attack him but he quickly grinned in satisfaction.

“I was going to offer you safety, Cousin, but I think I prefer this. I’ve always wanted to kill you.” He crouched down into a low slung stance and waved his sword in the air in front of Nadea.

They circled each other for a few moments. I wondered how long it would be until the Losher men killed Greykin and came to find us. I realized that I couldn’t even help Nadea, I had no weapon besides the pathetic knife in my pocket, and I even dropped my book when I fell earlier. The prince advanced suddenly and lashed out at Nadea with three quick cuts. Nadea blocked the first two and retreated out of the way of the third one. I didn’t know who would win this fight. Nadea was strong, quick, and deadly. However, the prince still outweighed her by probably fifty pounds and trained every day. I guessed Nadea could use her sword, but I had never seen her practice with it. I had never felt so useless. I couldn’t help my friend survive this. Just like I couldn’t help Kaiyer, Jessmei, or Greykin.

Then I noticed the king’s golden sword on the ground, its blade partially submerged in the pool of blood coming from the king’s dead body. It was on the other side of Nadea and Nanos, but maybe I could get there and use it. Maybe I could finally help one of my friends when they needed me.

Nadea feinted forward and Nanos took the bait; she bounced back lightly and then struck forward again, fast as a striking snake, and made a shallow cut across the prince’s right upper arm.

“Fucking bitch. You cut me!” he screamed as he scurried back and looked down at his arm.

“I’m going to cut your heart out and eat it you spineless idiot!” Nadea thrust her blade toward his chest with the words. The prince may have been injured, but he blocked her strike and pushed it away from his body. Then he sprinted forward and slammed his shoulder into Nadea, pushing her away and knocking her to the ground. I took this as my chance and ran behind the prince as he pressed forward an attack. Nadea flipped herself easily to her feet and twisted around three of the prince’s strikes like she was a dancer evading the dirty grasps of a hated suitor.

I reached down into the blood and grabbed the king’s hand-and-a-half sword. It was heavier than I expected it to be, but my fear must have given me strength enough to hold the weapon. Nanos had his back to me and I stepped forward, moving the sword back in both my hands like I was going to chop down a tree with its fine blade.

“What’s this?” the prince said with a chuckle as he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “The little mouse wants to die too?”

“Leave him alone, Nanos. I am the one who will kill you,” Nadea said as she pressed another thrust. The prince parried this one in much the same way as her previous attack. Nadea seemed to have expected this though and she stepped to her left, turning the blade at the last second and bringing it up to make a deep cut across his chain armor and into his chest. The prince screamed and fell back toward me. I took the opportunity and swung the sword with all of my might.

I was so foolish. I didn’t know how to use a sword. If I would have even spent five minutes training with Greykin during our two-month journey together, he would have told me that I needed to at least keep my eyes open when I swung a blade.

They did open when I made sudden contact against Nanos’s back, causing him to scream. The blade only marginally penetrated the chain mail, but it took his attention away from Nadea. I think I was too scared to smile at the young man but my heart was racing with joy. Nadea quickly closed in from behind the prince and raised her sword. I was finally able to help her. I wasn’t a burden. Kaiyer would have been proud of my bravery.

I didn’t expect the balance of the blade and it spun me around easily as the prince turned and slammed his sword against it. Something hot tickled my stomach and I looked down to see Nanos’s blade sticking a good six inches into the right side of my abdomen. I felt the warmth and pain slowly spread through my body. Then it seemed to spill out of me when Nanos yanked the blade away.

I heard the king’s blade crash into the stone floor. Did I drop the weapon? I looked down at the blade and my chest. Was blood supposed to come out that quickly? It almost seemed like I was pouring a bottle of wine from the inside of my shirt. It collided with the stones like rain falling against the castle walls, some of it mixed with the king’s on the ground and it formed an ocean of red-colored glass.

The pressure of the floor was suddenly on my knees. I hadn’t remembered making myself kneel, but I felt so tired. I wanted to lie down for a while. Nadea screamed my name, but it sounded so far away. I hadn’t realized that my eyes were closed. I opened them to see her fighting against a group of men. They wore brown and gray armor and had skin many shades darker than hers. She cut one across the face with her blade and a shower of red blood flew across the room, then she stabbed another through the chest. I felt myself smiling. She was so beautiful. I wished that Kaiyer was alive to watch her.

I tried to turn my head but only my eyes moved. They made contact with the prince’s eyes and I saw the look of sadness in the blue orbs. Then he looked up to watch Nadea dance with the men. I remembered her at the banquet in the purple dress. I remembered how Kaiyer looked at her then, he would have asked her to dance, even though I didn’t have the courage to speak with the Dove Herald. If I was going to die, then maybe I would meet him in the afterlife. Maybe Greykin too. When Grandfather died I would see him as well.

I thought of Grandfather sitting at home waiting for my return. He would get a letter, or maybe hear news about the fall of Nia. I imagined his big blue eyes filling with tears like when my mother had died. Now he would have no one left.

I had been so selfish to leave him. I coughed and tasted copper in my mouth. It was wet but I felt thirsty. Suddenly the warmth turned to coldness and I shivered.

My eyes opened again and I saw Nadea tackled by a man almost twice her size while other soldiers began to kick her body when she landed on the stone tiles. One of the men raised his sword and thrust down into the pile of twisting shapes. Everything became colder, like the ocean during the winter months.

I was running on the sand toward my mother. I had to tell her something. She looked to me with a smile and she said words that I couldn’t hear. The sun was setting across the ocean and she had to squint her eyes and raise her hands like the brim of a hat to look at the piece of children’s beach treasure I was showing her. I didn’t know if it was a shell, or a rock, or twist of seaweed, but I found it tremendously interesting. Sitting next to her was Kaiyer. His face formed a relaxed smile, the one that made me think he had just woken up from a good dream.

I grinned back at both of them as the sun continued to set into the glowing ocean. I was so happy that we were together.

The End

Thank you for reading this novel. Don’t forget to write a review!

Kaiyer and friends continue their struggles against the Elvens in The Destroyer-Book 2. Keep reading for an excerpt!

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Editing and e-book formatting by Ginger Earle

Cover art by Daniel Kamarudin

Typography, illustration and print book formatting by Jason Faraci

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by MichaelScott Earle

An excerpt from: The Destroyer-Book 2

Nadea

It was so cold I couldn’t sleep. Or maybe I slept but my dreams only contained the same darkness, fear, and agonizing sadness that I felt when I was awake. Sometimes the pain seemed unbearable, but I had already cried until my eyes turned into dead riverbeds and my body shook with dehydration.

I did not know how long it had been since they had brought me water, nor how long I had been imprisoned. Time didn’t exist in absolute darkness.

I had never imagined I would spend the last days of my life in the dungeon.

The Loshers beat me half to death after they dragged me in here and chained my arms up to the ceiling. Then they left me dangling like a piece of meat waiting to be carved. I screamed and tried to kick them with my good leg. They had just laughed and punched me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me and causing my vision to blur. My leg bled so profusely from the stab wound that it sounded like rain falling on stone. The Losher men ripped off part of my shirt and tied a rough bandage around it to prevent any more blood from dripping. They probably didn’t think I would live long enough to get an infection.

I thought about Paug’s body lying lifeless on the floor while his life drained out of him. The red of his blood seeped through my brain, mingled with the king’s and fed my insanity. He looked so surprised when Nanos stabbed him. I wished I could have comforted my young friend in his last seconds.

His blood filled the room.

The king’s blood filled the room.

Nanos smiled as the Losher soldiers dragged me away.

Greykin screamed as I ran from him.

I recalled the four men talking amongst themselves after they had ripped off part of my shirt. I remembered shouting for help but no one had come. One of my captors tried to kiss me and I had bitten his nose. He had hit me a few times in the face and then punched me so hard in the chest I felt a rib crack. It was funny that I didn’t feel pain in my face or ribs now.

Either the cut on my leg was very bad, or the fever was close to taking me.

I was at sea, adrift in darkness and waves. I sank deeper into the saltwater. It was cold at first, but then it became warmer, like the hugs my father would give me when we sat in his study and he told me of my mother.

A sound jolted me awake. My nose inhaled sharply and the scent of urine and fecal matter almost made me gag. I’d always had an amazing sense of smell, so it didn’t take me more than a couple deep breaths to realize that the rancid odor came from me. They hadn’t unchained me to let me relieve myself so I had no choice but to do it in my pants.

I’d also experienced my useless moon flow. The scent of my menstruation was impossible to separate from the other stains on my body and the shit that mixed with it in my undergarments. At least they wouldn’t want to rape me now.

Another sound emerged from the darkness. Metal on metal, and I saw a light slowly begin to glow from the hallway to the left. It cast a reddish glow on the rough stone walls and made my prison seem even more of a hell. I looked at my ripped shirt, stained leather pants, and a dried pool of blood that covered my boots and the hay beneath it. Something skittered away from the light on the right side of my field of vision but I didn’t have enough energy to turn my head. It was probably a rat that would consume my corpse after I died.

The light got agonizingly intense and I tried to close my eyes. It was so bright that my eyelids and lashes couldn’t shelter me from the piercing glare. The pain of my fever and leg became overshadowed by the agony that shot through my brain. It sounded like many sets of boots walked across the stone dungeon floor, but I didn’t possess the strength to dare the light. I moaned in pain but it came out in a dry rasp. Like a death rattle.

I heard the metal door of my cell open and it made a creak as it moved on un-oiled hinges. There were more boot steps and I guessed that people stood in front of me. The light was so bright through my eyelids that I couldn’t stand it. I tried to moan again and I got out half a gasp.

“Well. Here she is.” It was Nanos’s voice but it echoed in my head like he was yelling at me from across the castle hallways. I should have wanted to kill him, but all I wanted was to die.

“The instructions indicated that she should be alive.” The voice sounded warm and full, it reminded me of a baritone singer. I cracked my left eye open slightly and was rewarded by a searing jab of pain into my brain from the light.

“She is alive,” Nanos argued in defense.

“My empress wishes to question her,” the voice spoke again.

“She can,” Nanos said quickly. A pause stretched on for a few minutes. I heard feet shift on the floor of my cell.

“What of the human boy?” I decided that the voice was beautiful.

“Dead. Unfortunately, he attacked me and I had to defend myself.” Nanos sniffed in disgust.

Anger filled me and I opened my eyes against the pain. I pulled with all my strength and the chains that shackled my arms. The ceiling came down in a shower of stone and dust. Before anyone moved, I jumped forward and wrapped my hands around Nanos’s throat. He screamed in horror and then choked on bile and blood as my grip crushed the life from him.

At least, that was what I tried to do. In actuality I managed to crack both my eyes open a bit, moan a whisper, and shake my body like a wind chime that had been hit with a gentle breeze.

“The boy attacked you?” the voice asked. It looked like the Ancient general who had demanded that the king surrender. I had forgotten his name, if he had given it to the king those many weeks ago when they had made their exchange of demands from the wall around the castle.

“Yes. As did Nadea. They conspired to kill me.” Nanos frowned when he looked at me.

“My empress asked that you capture the human boy named Paug and the human woman named Nadea. You have failed to do this.” The Ancient had been studying me, but he glanced back to the prince. “My empress does not accept failure.”

There were two guards accompanying Nanos. One of them held the small candle that caused me the agony. Even in its dim light I saw my cousin’s face pale. His mouth hung open in shock.

“No. Wait. I did everything she asked of me.” His voice became frantic but the Ancient seemed uninterested in his concerns. “Paug is dead, but Nadea is still alive. She can answer all of the empress’s questions.”

“I do not believe that will be possible. This woman appears to be close to death. She is dehydrated. Her leg wound is festering, and she has an extreme fever. Humans are frail and weak. She will die today or tomorrow. This will not please my empress.” The Ancient sniffed and then made a small frown with his angular features.

Nanos turned to one of his guards.

“How much food and water have you given her?” his voice went up in pitch as he squealed in fear. I smiled and tasted blood in my mouth. I hoped that I died and the empress ripped Nanos apart for being such a backstabbing piece of shit traitorous bastard. The two guards exchanged nervous glances.

“I’ll get her some, sir,” the meeker one said before he quickly ran out of my prison.

“Can you speak, human?” the Ancient addressed me. His eyes had a strange silver hue to them and they almost seemed to glow softly with the candlelight. I tried to say yes but I only gurgled.

“This is disappointing.” The Ancient shook his head and crossed his arms. “She will be very upset with you, King of Nia.”

“What … what will she do to me?” Nanos’s voice quavered.

“I do not know, human. But I would recommend that you attempt to save this woman’s life. Then my empress might only remove your arm for the death of the boy.”

“Remove my arm?” Nanos gasped in horror.

“Yes. I have seen her do worse to our kind who failed her in less of an extreme manner than you. The empress made it very clear in my orders and to you in the treaty documents. The boy and this woman needed to live so that she could question them about the O’Baarni.”

“But I did what she asked of me! I didn’t fail her! I gave her the Kingdom of Nia!” The prince threw himself at the Ancient’s feet and gripped his pants. Tears began to streak down his face and I struggled to smile. I wished that I could be alive to witness him scream when he was punished.

“You are correct, you delivered Nia. However, one might argue she would have taken it in short time by force or your father might have given it to her peacefully. You made the recommendation for betrayal, and agreed to have the O’Baarni’s companions ready for questioning. Your proposition satisfied my empress but now she is out one third of the deal and looks to be out of another. I believe she would have chosen other alternatives had she known you would not fulfill your promises.” The Ancient sniffed the air again glared at me in disgust.

“She has shat herself and I cannot endure it any longer. I recommend that you make sure the woman lives and pray that the empress has mercy.” Without another word, the Ancient walked beyond the bars of my cell and toward the exit of the dungeon. Nanos looked as if he wanted to plead more with the man, but my blonde cousin thought better and instead turned to the guard that returned with food and water.

“Feed her and find a medic. I want her guarded and placed in the infirmary so that she recovers!” the prince screamed at the two guards. They snapped to attention and nodded. Nanos turned to look at me; he could probably see that my eyes were half-closed. He opened his mouth to say something, reconsidered, huffed, and walked two feet out of my cell. The asshole stopped suddenly and faced the guards again.

“Bring the medic here, bring water to wash the prisoner, and bring fresh clothes for her. She cannot be seen by anyone but you two and the doctor. Do not let them leave. I do not want anybody to know Nadea is alive.” His guards nodded again and Nanos stormed out of the cell with a dramatic swing of his cloak. The light from the candles made the bars to my cell cast rough shadows so that he looked like a caged monster as he stomped down the hallway and up the stairs out of the dungeon. The guards said nothing until we heard a distant door open and slam shut.

“I’ll get a medic, you take care of the water and clothes,” the one holding the candle said to the other as they moved toward the exit. During their short transition out they found a torch mounted to the wall. A warm glow soon bled across the dungeon hall and leaked through the bars of my cell.

The thick door slammed from the hallway up above me again and then I was alone.

It was foolish of me, but for what seemed like hours I hung there, desiring to die more than anything else. Wishing that my life would just end so I wouldn’t have to deal with the pain of loss, failure, and sickness. I also wanted revenge on Nanos and knew that my death would bring it. I closed my eyes and prayed to the Spirits that the darkness would last forever.

“Nadea,” I thought a voice called my name.

“Psst! Nadea.” I struggled to peel open my eyelids. The voice sounded like it came from my right, in the opposite direction of the exit. I tried to twist my head and see who spoke, but my strength failed.

Shadows danced in the hallway as a trio of dark figures moved quietly toward me.

“Nadea, can you hear me?” the figure in the front whispered. Coal darkened his face but I recognized his blue eyes in the dim light of the torch.

“Runir?” I coughed out blood.

“Shhh. Shit. Don’t talk.” He reached out to touch me and pulled back. He looked up at the chains anchored to the ceiling and manacled to my wrists. Then he examined the floor and my cell. He seemed indecisive. The dark figure to his right inspected the gash on my leg while my friend talked.

“We came to get you out of here. My father and I have a few hundred troops that managed to escape. We are camped out to the northeast in the High Forest.”

“This wound is very infected and must be cleaned. We can’t take her through the sewer like this,” the man examining my leg interrupted and Runir grimaced.

“Okay Nadea, we are going to clean this and then take you.” He reached out and touched my hair. It felt good to have affectionate human contact after what seemed like an eternity in the darkness. I saw the other warrior open up a small travel bag and search through the contents.

“Fuck. I don’t have the right medical equipment. We’ll need to come back. Curse the Spirits,” Runir’s friend growled.

“Wait,” I croaked out. My throat seemed to be made of sandpaper and my tongue was so swollen that I had trouble pronouncing words.

“Shhh. Don’t talk. We’ll return soon. Just hold on, please.” Runir whispered.

“Nanos,” I whispered. Each word left my vocal cords in a searing roar of agony.

“I know. He’s trapped here too. We will rescue him as well. You’ll be easier to break out since they are keeping you in the dungeons by the sewer. We’ll return in a few hours.”

“No.” I tried to speak but my voice had reached the limit of what I could do today. I wanted to scream that Nanos had betrayed us all, killed his father and Paug.

The door above opened suddenly and the three would-be rescuers disappeared, sliding slippery and smooth into the darkness of the dungeon like frogs into a deep lake.

“Where are you taking me?” a voice filled with fear asked.

“Shut up and walk. I’m not here to answer your questions.” It sounded like a dozen heavy sets of boots coming down the stairs. When the group passed the torch, the entire dungeon became engulfed in their flickering shadows. When they got into my cell they lit additional torches. I struggled to keep my eyes open but even when closed the firelight seemed to burn into my brain like a hundred suns.

“Duchess Nadea!” a mouse-like voice squealed in shock. I cracked my eyelids apart as much as I dared and saw a small man with glasses, a tiny mustache, and thinning hair. He wore the white attire of a medic and carried two leather bags overfilled with gauze, vials, and other medical supplies. “What is she doing here?” he turned to ask one of the guards.

“She is a traitor. But the Prin-King needs her alive for questioning so you are instructed to fix up her leg.” I saw four other men with the original two guards and the medic. The new guards were Losherians and each carried two steaming buckets of water.

“How is the duchess a traitor?” the mousey man asked.

“If you don’t shut up I will kill you here and find another medic,” the guard said easily.

“I need some more supplies. The water is good but also a stretcher, table, more light, and someone to bring me other tools from the infirmary.” He set down his bags, causing a rat the size of a small dog to scurry around the cell and dash through the bars away from us. The small man let out a shriek and almost jumped into the arms of the guard that had just threatened to kill him. It would have been comical in any other situation, but the Losher soldiers didn’t seem to possess a sense of humor, Nanos’s men worried about me dying, and it would have hurt too badly for me to laugh.

“Get to work asshole!” the prince’s guard berated the small man, pushing him away from him. The medic stumbled and slammed into me. I let out a grunt and my vision swam. The guards yelled, I felt like I had to vomit, and then everything went dark.

I awoke slowly, my mouth tasted like bile and my body was on fire. I was burnt everywhere but I couldn’t stop from shivering.

“It will be okay, Duchess,” the mousey man’s voice echoed. I realized I lay on a table. A thick sheet covered my naked body. I tried to raise my head, but my strength failed.

“I am stitching up your leg. It is infected, but I already cleaned it. I need to force water into you every half an hour. Sleep for now and I’ll wake you soon.” I knew it was the medic, but it sounded like he yelled at me from a quarter of a mile away.

“She is strong, but I might have to amputate if the infection doesn’t clear. I probably should do it to be on the safe side, but I want to give her two more days to see if she can recover.” The voice trailed away. It was foolish, but the thought of losing my leg was more horrifying than my life. I wanted to cry.

“Everything will be okay Naynay,” a voice consoled me from the darkness of my subconscious. It sounded like my father’s voice, but I knew that was impossible. He was dead, along with everyone else I ever loved. I would have no one to cry to, no one to love, and no one to miss me.

I was alone in the darkness of my sleep.

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