Zachania (69 page)

“Talon.” Lord
Heikan said proudly grabbing Talon’s hand.

“How are you my
friend?” added the Lord.

“Where am I?”
replied Talon looking around the room.

“ZANLIA!
Answered Heikan raising his voice emphasizing proudly the fact they
were in the holy city which made Talon smile as he realised that
they must have taken the city.

“Do we have the
city?”

“Yes my lord,
Zanlia is ours”

“How long have
I been asleep?”

“Two days my
friend.”

“Zanlia is
liberated Talon, people are dancing in the streets showing their
gratitude that we are here.”

Talon smiled
again then gazed down at his bandaged chest.

“All I can
remember is being struck in the chest; I felt it rip into me.”

“The Pangkor’s
say the arrow just missed your heart; just a fraction to the right
and it would have killed you.”

“The
Pangkor’s!” Talon replied.

“Yes, you are
in the temple, it was Ganasis who brought you to them.”

Hearing that he
was in the temple Talon lowered his head back down onto his pillow
and smiled as an overwhelming feeling of security engulfed him,
Lord Heikan noticed Talon smiling and turned Ganasis.

“He is at one
of his homes.” Ganasis whispered back to Heikan.

“Let us leave
him to rest.” Heikan replied as he noticed Talon closing his
eyes.

Ganasis closed
the door behind him very slow as he cautiously tried not to disturb
Talon.

“I do not know
how he is still living Ganasis, that arrow would have killed ninety
nine men out of a hundred, it is a miracle he still breathes”
Heikan said quietly as he walked down the corridor.

“Talon’s
strength is extraordinary, death should have come for him but his
spirit to live is too strong, even for the gods.” answered
Ganasis.

“The
Zararhakzar” replied Heikan.

“That he surely
is Heikan, and he is either extremely lucky or he has the god
Apollo perched firmly on his shoulder.”

“I pray that he
has Ganasis, in the long days and nights ahead we are going to need
him, this war of ours has just began”

The End of Tome 1

TOME TWO

Six Zachanian
months later

After the
historic battle at Death Valley and Zanlia was liberated, Lord
Heikan, Ganasis and the Kesain’s headed south obeying the King’s
orders to conquer the seaport town of Tallasian. The Zachanian’s
took just three days until Lord Heikan with Quankow entered the
castle of Tallasian and took the Imperial commanders prisoner. Days
later the whole south western region fell to the mighty Zachanian
and Kesain warriors.

Six full moons
had now passed over the land of Kratos which was now split into two
separate lands, starting from the great river Gansis everything to
the west was now conquered Zachanian land. The Empire just as
Ganasis predicted strengthened their position in the powerful
Imperial Kallick town on the northern coast where everything east
of that town was still under strict Imperial control.

The old trade
routes which used to run from Zanlia to Vilsillius had now been
re-opened and tradesmen travelled freely between them with even a
select few entering Zachania to peddle their trades.

The Zachanian
armies were stretched out across the west with large concentrations
in Vilsillius and Tallasian while Zanlia contained the main
strength of the Zachanian army, Zanlian’s and Tallasian’s had also
flocked to join the armies, swelling their manpower to fight the
Empire.

Lord Zalon had
also arrived in Zanlia heading an armada of ten battleships which
sat in the town’s ports ready to attack or defend any advance from
the sea.

King Arun had
returned to Zachra, the capital town of Zachania and had given
complete control to Ganasis and Lord Heikan to strengthen their
positions in Kratos.

After Talon was
nursed back to health by the Pangkor’s he remained at their temple
in Zanlia, seldom would he attend any council meetings anymore,
instead he chose his time to study and meditate, he chose solitude
within the temple.

The name Talon
was now revered amongst the common people, since people heard about
his miraculous recovery, gossip of his powers were exaggerated
greatly amongst the townsfolk, every evening at one of the Zanlian
taverns you would here talk of Talon’s invincibility as jugs of ale
and wine were consumed.

His name had
become a word for honour and strength, weak men would use Talon’s
name as an inspiration to be strong and strong men would use his
name as a role model for valour, his reputation was now
unparalleled, he was a man amongst men, becoming almost
godlike.

Occasionally
Talon would break from his solitude and speak at large gatherings
within the temple grounds, Pangkor’s would travel from all over the
western provinces to come and see and hear him preach the words of
the Pangs.

Zanlia was now
the centre of all of Kratos for the Pangkor religion, pilgrims and
holy men flocked in their thousands just in the hope of seeing or
hearing the ‘Pangkorgower’ or Lord of all monks as they called him,
even the Kesain’s seemed to revere him as they gave him their own
secret name which was totally incomprehensible in the language of
man.

When Ganasis
returned victorious from the south he also made Zanlia his new
home, the wizard set up residence in the south-western quarter of
the city, commonly known as ‘the merchant quarter’.

Ganasis had
been awake all night holding various meetings; he looked frustrated
as he waited for the Lords to arrive for an emergency council
meeting that he had called. When Lords Heikan, Tanaga, Krazmos and
Talon’s Grandfather Lord Zalon arrived he wasted no time in
addressing them.

“Gentleman, for
six months now Zanlia has been a town of peace ……….now I must tell
you that last night three warehouses full of grain were burned to
the ground.”

“Who is
responsible” answered Lord Heikan as all the Lords found themselves
thinking the same thing.

Ganasis threw
his hands up into the air and curled his top lip showing ignorance
to the Lords question.

“Our defence is
watertight here, no way could anyone slip through It.” added Lord
Tanaga.

“Are you saying
this sabotage has come from within.” asked Heikan.

“Exactly! We
have traitors in our midst.” replied Ganasis.

Lord Zalon who
had been silent up to now suddenly asked Heikan a question looking
concerned.

“When you say
from within, what do you mean?”

Ganasis raised
his hand and then sat down to reply.

“Lord Zargar
has been sending me reports for weeks from Tallasian saying that he
has been experiencing similar events. Now with these events
happening here in Zanlia, I fear that a belief I have, may be
coming true.”

“What belief!”
replied Heikan Sternly?

Ganasis looked
around the room before he answered in a lower tone of voice.

“It is my
belief that the Empire left men here in Zanlia and in Tallasian,
men who have been integrated into the Zanlian’s and ordered to
cause as much disruption as possible.”

“How many men
Ganasis?” snapped Lord Zalon.

“Who knows Lord
Zalon, they could be working as fishermen, farmers, merchants, they
could be everywhere.”

“So what do we
do, I for one do not feel comfortable not knowing whom I am
speaking to.” added Lord Krazmos.

“Ganasis, we
are on the verge of preparing our armies to attack Kallick

Town, what we
do not need is a secret army at our backs burning our food, I say
we take drastic measures now, we should put Zanlia under curfew.”
snapped Lord Heikan.

Ganasis shook
his head strongly in disagreement at what Heikan had just said.

“Heikan we
cannot put these people under curfew, they have suffered enough
under the Empire, they have opened their arms to us, we cannot
reward their friendship with cruelty.”

“Ganasis, today
they burn corn, tomorrow they might burn a ship, then they may
start killing us, whatever needs to be done must be done to stop
this before they grow in confidence, we should make the town aware,
we know there are saboteurs in our midst, today we have a problem,
tomorrow it might be a catastrophe.” added Lord Zalon.

“I agree with
what you say Zalon, there must be action from us.”

“I say we send
for Falkan, it’s his town, let him find these rats for us.” Heikan
added.

“I am meeting
him this afternoon.” replied Ganasis.

“Tell him what
you told us Ganasis, see what he says, then we will talk again
tonight” barked Heikan sternly.

As Ganasis
walked amongst the townsfolk of Zanlia in the afternoon he found
himself looking at the Zanlian’s in a new light, the sun was
shining as it was yesterday but today he looked at everyone through
suspicious eyes, as people greeted him he smiled but found himself
asking himself if they could be Imperial soldiers, he knew how
damaging this new way of thought was, strangers could now be his
enemy, Ganasis tried to rid his mind of the thoughts but no matter
how hard he tried he could not see any friendly faces anymore,
frustrated he changed direction and headed towards the Pangkor
temple

“I am her to
see Lord Talon!” he announced as two Pangkor monks opened the large
wooden gates.

“Is the
Pangkorgower expecting you?” answered one of the monks which
offended Ganasis straight away.

“No he is not
and my business with Lord Talon is none of your concern!” snapped
Ganasis clearly showing his anger.

“It is Ok.”
replied the other monk recognising who Ganasis was and ushering him
inside

“Please come
in.” he added politely.

Ganasis was
then escorted across the temple courtyard to a room where he was
politely asked to wait while Talon would be informed of his visit,
Ganasis was just about to ask where Talon was when he heard his
voice,

“Ah my Lord
Talon is in the gardens.” said the monk also hearing the voice.

Ganasis quickly
made his way back out into the temple gardens where he found Talon
sitting cross legged on a large red rug amongst the flower
beds.

“Talon.”
Ganasis said warmly seeing his friend.

“Ganasis, how
are you my friend, it has been a while since I saw you.” said Talon
rising to his feet to meet Ganasis.

Ganasis greeted
Talon by shaking his hand and then sat down on the rug next to
him

“You look
troubled my friend” Talon asked noticing the look on Ganasis’s
face.

“We have been
attacked.”

“The fires!”
replied Talon surprising Ganasis.

“How do you
know about them?”

“Ganasis there
is not much that happens in Zanlia that misses the Pangkor’s
attention.”

“Do the
Pangkor’s know who is responsible then Talon?” Ganasis snapped back
with sarcasm in his voice.

“No Ganasis
they do not.”

“Neither do we,
it is a mystery, no one saw or heard anything, all we have is ash.
Ashes that was once food which was to feed our soldiers.” replied
Ganasis clearly showing his frustration in his voice.

“Then there is
three possible conclusions, firstly it was an accident, secondly it
was Zanlian’s who dislike us or thirdly and what I think most
likely, the Empire have men hid in Zanlia and they are
responsible.”

“I suspect the
third theory.” replied Ganasis.

Talon then
walked towards a table and picked up a large scroll then brought it
back and gave it to Ganasis.

“What is this?”
asked the wizard.

“It is a
beginning my friend.”

“A
beginning?”

“This is a list
of names, hundreds of them, men who have made Zanlia their home
over the past year.”

“Where did you
get this Talon?”

“It is called a
census, for years the Pangkor’s have been documenting the families
and homes in Zanlia, in this scroll you will find every person who
has moved to Zanlia to find work.”

“Excellent!”
snapped Ganasis.

Ganasis and
Talon then devised a plan to find the men responsible for the
fires, it was decided that Graval head a group of men to keep watch
on the more likely men on the list, hopefully they would find the
saboteurs.

Ganasis then
said his farewells, saying was going to find Graval and give him
his new orders, Talon told Ganasis that he was talking at a Pangkor
seminar tomorrow and asked if the wizard would like to attend.

“Of course I
would, where is it?”

“At noon
tomorrow at the south gate of the temple.”

“Then I shall
see you tomorrow Talon.”

Coming Soon