The Crystal Warriors (31 page)

Mark was silent.

"And I say he is," Kraut shouted, coming up to stand behind Mark.

Mark realized that it was now an open challenge that could no longer be avoided. There was no rank to pull here; it would have to be up to the men.

"Younger, I always knew you had your head so far up your ass that there was a ring mark around your neck," Walker snarled, coming to stand with Mark.

Smithie looked at Younger, then spat on the ground by his feet and came over to Mark.

"Giorgini," Younger snapped, but all could sense the growing fear in his voice.

Giorgini looked at Mark and those who stood by him. For a moment Mark could see him wavering, and Younger turned to stare at him.

With head lowered, Giorgini went to stand behind Younger.

Mark breathed an inner sigh of relief. He now knew beyond all doubt that he commanded the men behind him through respect, and not by titles from Allic, or a rank given back in another world that seemed like a half-forgotten dream.

"I've had it with this chickenshit outfit," Younger shouted, his voice nearly breaking. "We're leaving."

"You've made a pledge to serve Allic," Mark said quietly.

"Fuck that. The hell with him and his damned princedom," Younger cried.

There was a low growl from the Japanese, and even from the men behind Mark.

"You've condemned yourselves by your own words," Mark replied evenly. "I'll spare you now only because we once served together. You can leave, but you must leave your crystals here."

"Without crystals we're sitting ducks out there," Giorgini cried.

"They're no good to you anyhow, once you've broken oath," Mark said. "While you wear Allic's crystals he will always be able to track you down."

Younger looked down at the bracelets on either wrist and Mark suddenly realized that Younger had completely forgotten that one fine point to the contract.

Younger looked back up at him with hate-filled eyes. He wavered for a moment, then tore the crystals from his wrists and waist.

He turned to face Giorgini, who still hesitated. With a curse Younger tore Giorgini's crystals away.

Without another word the two lifted into the air, wobbling. They could still use the Essence, but without crystals their control was far less precise. They turned north, heading away from the fighting. As they left, Mark overheard Younger telling Giorgini about one Redfa, a merchant. Had this confrontation been planned?

For the moment Mark had forgotten what had triggered it. Then the cold memory came rushing back.

Nobuaki stood before him, his eyes wide with shock.

Mark and the Americans were silent. Nobuaki turned to look back at his companions, but they dropped their heads with shame and moved away.

As they stood in silence, Valdez came skimming across the field, Storm at his side, with Goldberg flying behind them. All three were shouting triumphantly, but as they approached the circle of men they fell silent.

"I am without honor," Nobuaki whispered. "I gave my pledge to Prince Allic and I have broken it. Though I still hate all of you." For a moment defiance glared in his eyes.

He looked back again to his old comrades, hoping beyond hope that they would rally to him. But all he saw now was shame and anger.

"I have no one now, my honor has been stripped away," Nobuaki said. "All I have left to me is the path of seppuku."

The Americans looked at each other, wide-eyed. Mark looked at Ikawa, who lay on the ground, alive now only because of the man Nobuaki had slain. The pain and rage in Ikawa's eyes told him that there was nothing to be said.

"Shigeru, will you be my second?" Nobuaki asked.

With a grunt of assertion the warrior stepped forward, picking up a sword from the ground.

Nobuaki stood silent for a moment, looking to the sky. He went to his knees by Welsh's body and drew a dagger from his waist.

Mark turned away. He wanted to stop this in spite of his rage over Welsh, but he knew that only when the blood of the two had mingled would it be complete.

He heard a grunt of pain as Nobuaki drove the dagger into his body. A second later there was the whistling hiss of the sword and the sound of a body falling to rest atop Welsh.

The party stood transfixed, and then one by one they turned and started to walk away.

Mark felt a hand slip into his. It was Storm.

Mark wanted to speak, but too much had happened. He knew that he would heal, that soon they would again love, and that his life in this world would go on. But at that moment he was numb beyond all caring.

Sensing his thoughts she squeezed his hand lightly, and flew off with Valdez to direct the mopping up of the battle.

At last Mark turned back, averting his eyes from the two bodies. Ikawa was still on the ground, Saito standing beside him, ready to help him back to the city.

As Mark approached them he glanced at the rest of the men who were heading back to the city on foot. They were not separate but mingled together, Smithie by Shigeru's side, talking to him, his hand on the giant's shoulder as if to comfort him. Kraut was with several others, and somehow they had found an intact bottle on that field and were passing it back and forth. Goldberg walked to one side, weeping for his lost friend, a Japanese soldier on either side of him, offering words of comfort.

Mark knelt by Ikawa's side. The two were silent for a moment. At last he looked over at the two bodies and then back again to the others.

"We've become one at last," Mark said softly.

Ikawa reached out and grasped his hand, and Mark pulled him to his feet.

"Yes, my friend," he said softly. "And most importantly, again we have survived."

"D
own there, do you see him?" Mark asked, pointing towards a sorcerer flying tow several miles ahead.

Ikawa nodded, and spoke into his communications crystal.

"Checks out," Ikawa replied several seconds later. "One of Madia's people carrying a message, that's all."

Mark knew that chances were good the other sorcerer was friendly. This region had been swept and reswept a hundred times, but there was still that edge of wariness towards anything that might be a threat.

Resuming their course, the two flyers dropped into the river valley that cut through the heart of Sarnak's old realm, repeating yet again their standard patrol sweep that took them from the old frontier, up the valley to the inner fortress line, and then back out again.

Everything below them was now occupied territory, there hadn't been a hostile sighting of any kind in nearly a month, but caution was still in order. Mark found it hard to believe that peace had returned.

After the defeat of his army and subsequent flight, Sarnak's fortresses and battlements fell easily to the combined forces of Allic and Macha. Even Patrice took advantage of the situation and sent her army into the fray.

Allic still had not completely recovered from his wounds, but had left his healers only ten days after the battle of Landra was over. With half his face bandaged he directed the conquest of Sarnak's realm.

To Mark's amazement it was taken as a matter of fact that Allic's eye would one day heal completely and regain its sight, but for now Allic sported an eye patch which gave him a rather piratical look. For Pina the prognosis was not so good. Limbs, even eyes, that were damaged could be healed in time. But something that was completely destroyed was gone forever. Still, he had the one good arm, and could fight almost as well as he did before, hanging his defensive crystal around his neck. By the closing stages of the campaign he was up and again playing his part.

Sarnak's land had been conquered and subdivided between Allic and Macha as partial payment for their losses. Macha had taken the western third of the land that bordered his realm and Allic took the rest.

It took a little convincing to persuade Patrice to be happy with just the booty gained in the initial assault and to retire to her old borders. In a way Allic had been disappointed, as he was half hoping for an excuse to pick a fight with Patrice and overthrow her too, knowing that Macha would be more than happy to help him. Having her as a neighbor meant problems eventually, but Patrice acted as if she knew what Allic and Macha were thinking and was extremely careful to be cooperative and accommodating.

No one knew what had happened to Sarnak; he seemed to have vanished from the face of Haven.

Kochanski was still in Asmara with Jartan, and Mark had talked with him several times via crystal. He seemed to be hard at work doing some kind of research but would not elaborate, saying that Jartan preferred to keep it a secret for the time being. Mark knew that of them all, Kochanski was the happiest, although upon further reflection Mark had to admit that he had never been happier either. It was just that Kochanski had managed to avoid the depression and exhaustion that followed the nightmare of extended conflict.

Ikawa noticed something in the early morning light, and gesturing to Mark, they began a shallow dive. Seconds later they were flying over one of Allic's other sorcerers who was assisting a large group of Sarnak's ex-soldiers as they tore down a guardhouse and retaining wall. They exchanged cheerful waves, although Mark noticed the POWs looking on sullenly.

"Have you noticed that the people still don't like us?" he commented as they regained altitude, continuing their patrol.

"Hardly the oppressed and ravaged land one would expect when dealing with Sarnak," Ikawa agreed. "I would be proud to call this land my own: river valleys, terraced mountains, and a loyal populace. It seems a well-ordered place. Somehow it doesn't quite match with the monster who slaughtered thousands, and even betrayed his own son."

"Damned if I know," Mark replied. "There's still one hell of a lot we don't understand about Haven. But all things considered, we haven't done badly. We've got our powers, there's Leti and Storm, and Allic's promise that we'll soon have border marches of our own. For the moment I'll not complain."

Ikawa grinned and matched Mark's victory roll with one of his own.

* * * *

The sun was halfway up the morning sky as they came into the courtyard of Dirk's refurnished fortress. Allic had made it his center of operations for the conquest and assimilation of Sarnak's realm.

Saito happened to be on duty when they landed. "Anything happen on patrol worth reporting?"

"Not a thing," Ikawa replied. "Valdez and his team are still going through Sarnak's castle room by room, and Pina has finally finished exploring the complex of tunnels. We've brought back a map of the entire maze."

Mark shook his head. "I don't know what the hell Allic's going to do with those tunnels. What good are they to him?"

"You can ask him yourself," Saito replied. "He flew in from Landra last night. Seems the rebuilding is coming along ahead of schedule. He's got those captured sorcerers and demons busting their asses night and day."

Ikawa was silent. Mark remembered Ikawa's theory that Allic's rare trips back to Landra were the result of his enormous guilt over the devastation of his city.

Mark gave Saito a friendly poke in the stomach.

"Looks like you're getting a little fat and lazy to me, Saito. What say we drag him along with us tomorrow, Ikawa?"

Laughing, they left the old sergeant and headed into the central keep. Turning into Allic's audience chamber, Mark was nearly swept off his feet by the impetuous rush of Storm.

Laughing, Mark returned her hug. "When did you get in?"

"Just a short time ago," she replied, smiling at Ikawa over Mark's shoulder.

Ikawa bowed and started to turn away when from around the corner came Leti, followed by Allic and his jester, Varma.

Losing the battle of self-control, a grin of delight lit Ikawa's features. He rushed forward into Leti's embrace.

"Some of Allic's men have set up a buffet for us," Leti said, and then looked over towards Mark and Storm. "Come on, you two, get a little food first, you'll need your strength."

Allic exchanged a mischievous smile with Varma as Mark and Ikawa talked with their companions.

"Didn't my schedule call for a month-long patrol for Mark and Ikawa once they got back?" Allic said evenly, looking to Varma.

Mark and Ikawa looked up, flustered.

"Don't even start," Leti retorted, fixing Allic with a chilling stare.

Storm was even more graphic.

Allic laughed and motioned them away. "Go ahead with breakfast, I'll join you in a moment."

Still chuckling, Allic turned to Varma as the others left the room.

"Such insolence, my lord," Varma joked. "How dare they take such liberties with you?"

"Why don't you go and explain the breach of etiquette to them. I'm sure my sisters will be quick to comply with your command."

Varma looked back at Allic as if he were mad.

"Are you going to tell them?" Varma asked, changing the subject.

Allic was silent, studying his diminutive friend and advisor.

"The bitter mixed with the sweet." Allic watched the two couples walk up the corridor together. "Would they really be happy if they knew Jartan might have found a way for them to get home? Let them enjoy this respite for a while. There will be time enough to tell them later."

He paused for a moment. "Strictly speaking, they still owe me over two years service. But I owe them for saving my realm and my life. I plan to give them border marches and titles as reward, but I'm still not sure about releasing them before they've tasted all there is of Haven." Varma was silent, a sad smile crossing his face, and then he walked over to the sideboard where he pulled out a flask and two goblets.

"Little early in the day for that, isn't it?" Allic asked. "You should watch out for your health, my friend."

"After what we've been through the last several months, dying from a morning drink is the last of my worries," Varma said, laughing.

Their guffaws echoed up the corridor so that the two couples turned and looked back at the demigod and his jester, arm in arm raising their goblets in salute.

The couples stopped for a moment, as if debating whether they should return, but the debate only lasted a few seconds. With a cheery wave they turned and disappeared from view.

"It looks like it's going to be a stormy day, my lord," Varma said ruefully.

"Better pour out another drink, my friend," Allic said, a whimsical smile lighting his features. "I think we're going to need it."