The Weapon Bearer (Book 1) (63 page)

“Do not be so sure that you have made a good deal.” She pushed her chest up with both hands, Leroy glanced down at the moment. “An improper look Mr. Bradley, that is two dates that you owe me. I will warn you that I am not a cheap one to court. Remember that when you ask me proper.” She moved to go up the stairs holding, her skirt up so as not to trip. “I trust you know the way out. I have a lot of work to do to save this friend of yours.” Leroy smiled and bowed to the herbalist heading up the stairs. His task had been completed, and it was done with added perks.

Sincliar wasn’t large enough to hold the Fire Realm’s army. King Rekkan had not planned on so many men coming to join his army. He was sure that the city would have collapsed if he had not moved his army into the Earth Realm’s borders. His army now stood a little less than forty three thousand men, both old veterans and young recruits. The army had swelled and they lent each other a hand wherever needed. The land had turned from rock to sand and now clay. He found more moisture here than any other place that he had visited on his missions. The land was strange to him, and it slowed their march.

The towers at the border were set with extra troops, but still were less than adequate to stop his army of veteran soldiers. Rekkan had led the fight more out of boredom than to set an example for his men. He lost not a single soldier in the skirmish, if the history books would even call it that.

He was still disappointed. Max and Joahna should have been at the border long ago. Yet the tower guards knew nothing of diplomats coming into the Earth Realm. Joahna had never missed an appointment when it was as important as this. Max might have been holding him back, but Joahna was more than teacher enough for him. He hoped that they still remained alive.

He watched as the advanced party moved out of camp to find another location deeper into the Earth Realm. King Atmos was sure to know of their presence by now. Rekkan knew that it would still take a few weeks to rally a force to meet his on the battlefield. He had only that long to find a suitable place to die.

***

King Atmos stood in the window letting the breeze blow through his open shirt. The fire wizard Kara seemed to be causing more problems than her brother. The pair was obviously working together to make him look like a fool. To avoid any misunderstandings about the boy’s trial, he had invited every noble within a week’s ride to attend. Now every room in the castle had charcoaled furniture and the stewards were struggling to replace it with any peasant’s furniture that they could find. Many of the nobles had fought for his father in the war for the Water Realm. They felt disgraced by the treatment that they had received since coming to the castle. Food was burnt, servants were injured leaving tasks undone. To make matters worse, every room in the castle had become a sauna.

A knock at the door drew his attention, “Enter.” Before his command left his lips servants entered into the room to begin tidying it, and to see to the king’s needs. Following them where three men; two in polished steel from shoulders to feet. The captain, and his champion also wore cloaks of deep green and carried their helmets under their arms. Lorusk convinced the king that it would be a waste of such a title as champion and training already spent on Chit and decided to keep him on as the captain’s henchmen. Chit took pride in carrying out any duty that made others suffer or commanded groveling respect. The king knew that given a bit more time, and perhaps a couple of skirmishes, the boy would make a true champion for the realm.

The third man in was a trained but new wind wizard, Mica. His abilities to maintain wind for prolonged periods of time had come in handy in recent days. He maintained constant watch over the Fire Realm’s troop movements and reported in the growing numbers and weaponry. Although the only thing he could not report was the number of imbuements that the army carried with them. The young wizard stood cooling himself with his own private breeze. Soon the king felt the same effect as the breeze from inside the room cooled him. He was almost angry that he had to put on his formal attire to attend the trial. “Captain, report. Have the preparations been made?”

“My lord, the great hall has been arranged as the wizard law books say. It was overseen by Councilman Brandon Parker. The nobles are making their way down to the great hall as we speak. Guards have been sent to bring the traitor up from the dungeons.”

“Accused, Captain. Call him the accused in case the ears of nobles are about. We want to maintain a certain sense of order and law here in the capital.”

“Of course, m’lord, accused until after the ruling has been made.”

“Stay close, I will want you and the champion by my throne during the trial to show your trustworthiness.” The two men saluted and slammed gauntleted fists against their breastplates. They exited the room and left the wizard to report. The servants began dressing the king even as the wizard waited. He was dressed in silk underclothes that no one would even see. His father believed that if you felt lordly then you presented lordly. They would however be able to see the jewel encrusted deep green jacket that they servants carefully slipped onto his shoulders. “How is the border, Mica?”

“My lord in a manner of speaking, the border is broken. The Fire Realm has destroyed the towers of Maltchet and moved into the Earth Realm. They have over forty thousand men, mostly on foot. Many of them carry their own supplies which makes for faster traveling. Due to the trees and undergrowth they have encountered, their travels have slowed considerably.”

Atmos considered what the scrawny wizard had told him and immediately issued orders. “Find Lieutenant McClanahan, tell him to issue orders to evacuate any city in the army’s path. Soldiers in those towns should abandon posts and make for Dumont Point. We shall rally there to meet the new King Rekkan.” He started to walk away from the king, “Have Brandon restore your energy. I will need you to deliver those orders immediately. You will not be returning to Deuterium until we have gathered an army to meet him. Keep a close eye on these villages and give them enough time to get out of the way.” The wizard bowed deeply letting folds of robe brush the floor as they spilled out around him.

Servants brought a small chest lined with velvet and pulled from it the crown of the Earth Realm. The crown itself had been imbued by the ancient Wizard Heathmos that had separated the lands. Atmos was sure that it was to be a symbol of power. He placed it upon his own head, and felt the power of earth flow through him. No one would take the Earth Realm or any other realm from him today. He was the king.

***

Kilen wished that he could see the clothes he wore. He hadn’t seen light the two weeks that Joahna said had passed. He was becoming use to his cell. He could walk from wall to wall without hitting either. Joahna said that he had cleaned all the dirt from his clothing in his attempt to make him presentable for trial.

The process of cleaning him was not as fun as he imagined. First there was a rush of cold water all over his body, that soaked his linen shirt and wool pants completely. Then there was the sudden rush of water out of them, nearly ripping them from his body, which left the clothing dirt free. He hoped that he didn’t look like a beggar on the street or a miscreant from a small town.

It seemed to take forever for the guards to come down the hallway. He heard their heavily armored feet clattering against the floor as they marched towards his cell. He heard the large key turn the lock and the door open. He had a hard time seeing into the hallway with torches and lanterns burning bright. He had to squint to see the guards. There was no way he could fight until his eyes had adjusted, but he wouldn’t do that until they came to get him for his execution.

Five of the heavily armored men entered into the cell and placed cold shackles on his feet and wrists. They tied them all together with a leather belt and collar around his neck. He couldn’t stand with the shackles keeping his feet so close together. Two of them grabbed him by either shoulder and dragged him down the hallway. When he passed all the guards remaining in the hallway he saw Gortus standing against the wall. Gortus stopped them and held Kilen’s chin in his hand, examining his face and eyes. If there was a message in his look Kilen didn’t understand it at all.

He picked up his shoeless feet as they dragged him down the hallway and received a strike to the back of the legs. “If you have enough energy to lift your legs walk yourself!” Kilen tried but was moving too slow for the sergeant that had been assigned the task of taking him to trial. They started dragging him again as soon as he couldn’t keep up. The dragging was too painful on his limbs so he picked his feet up again. The process repeated almost the entire way to the great hall. Twice during the ascent from the depths of the castle he was dropped onto the stairs, causing him to cut his lip.

When he reached the hall doors he was already back to looking dirty, beaten, and bloodied. He wished he had a second to let Joahna cleanse him again, or heal his wounds. He lifted his head and saw a woman in a long brown dress. It buttoned its whole length from the floor to the top of the neck. Where the neck line stopped the lace began and continued to the tip of her chin. Then he recognized her, Twilix had her hair done up in a bun with a single strand of hair hanging down to the side of her face. She looked Kilen over and finally stopped on his eyes. She moved forward and stood close to him. The same sensation struck his body, wet then dry and clean. He felt the icy cold of water healing magic attack his lip and leave it whole. She said nothing but instead stood on her tiptoes to softly kiss his cheek. He wasn’t sure if it was the heat of the castle, or the kiss on his cheek but Kilen felt the warmth course through his body.

She nodded to the large oak doors and the guards opened them wide to let them in. Every space was filled in the great hall. Rows after rows of chairs were filled with important looking people. Kilen wasn’t sure who would want to attend his trial. He was sure that it would be over in moments, and he would be lead to the gallows right after. He followed Twilix towards the dais where the king lounged in his large throne. A small wood pen was placed in the center of all the chairs so that all could see the accused. Kilen was placed inside and forced to kneel. Guards stood at the ready at either side of the wooden pen.

Twilix leaned in close, “Say nothing unless it is asked directly to you. I will do the best I can with what evidence we have, which is little. If you have someone you know would have seen something, speak their name so I can call on them.”

“Izabel, the herbalist, she saw everything,” Kilen said in response. “Who are all these people?”

Twilix pursed her lips and turned her head to the side, “Izabel, you say. I hope that she is in attendance. Most of these people are nobles of the realm. Whenever a weapon bearer is accused they always take an interest. Each one of them has gained their title and land from being a wielder or descendant of a wielder. Each one of them could suffer the same fate as you if they are accused. So you see they take an interest to make sure that you are guilty of the crime, otherwise the king could eliminate them all with the same evidence.” Kilen nodded that he understood, and looked around the room at each of the nobles trying to meet them eye to eye. She squinted her eyes looking at his face and smiled, “The first time we met in Humbridge, I was sure that your eyes were brown. In this light they look more like gold.” He hoped that having gold eyes would help him. She patted his hand then moved to sit in the front row to the left of the stand.

Kilen looked around but did not see anyone that he recognized except the wizard council and Gortus. He wondered if Leroy was able to find Izabel, or if she had left town with his mother. She was the only hope he had of not going to the hangman’s noose. He started to panic and looked around the room for the nearest armor bearers and weapons. He wondered if he could escape if he tried.

The room was in noisy chatter amongst the nobles, their guards, and servants. Kilen thought there must have been at least five hundred in attendance. He was the focus of attention. He was glad that Twilix did what she could to make him appear worthy of the title, ‘weapon bearer’. Even if she couldn’t make him look any more than the part of a captured one.

Then he saw her. Izabel set at the midpoint in the section to the left of the small wood pin he sat in. She sat calmly amongst nobles and guards, but he couldn’t see Leroy anywhere. The only reason he recognized her was her fingers. They were brown with dirt and clashed with the bright slender yellow dress she wore. Other than her fingers she looked the part of a noble, with a wide brimmed flashy hat to match her dress. He felt some relief at seeing her.