Bastial Energy (41 page)

“No, but even that’s more likely than him forgetting about all this.” Cleve spotted the councilman waiting in the doorway and motioning for them to follow. “I’m just trying to say, be cautious.”

They followed Kerr inside the castle. It smelled of cooked meat. Cleve felt himself salivating and it sickened him, for he knew the aroma was from rat flesh.
I’m hungry is all
, he told himself to relieve the disgust he was beginning to feel.

The urge to eat was completely gone the moment he glimpsed the cesspool of rat bodies. Their insides and outsides were no longer distinguishable. Pieces of rat were spread all over the grand floor with caramel-colored juices holding them there. Some stains had even found their way to the walls.

Kerr stopped to shake his head. “The poor people who have to clean this mess.”

There was no way to the stairs without stepping on dead rats, so they all walked with care. Even in rare spots where the stone was still clean enough to be seen, Cleve’s shoes were so covered in grime by then there was hardly a difference to the feeling under each step. It was slick enough to make Cleve wonder if he should offer the old councilman a hand for balance.

Soon after the thought, he heard a scream and turned to see one of the mages, who had helped provide cover when they’d first entered, falling to his knees. Colimp was nearby and bent to help him up, only to lose his footing and fall onto his back with a curse and a disgusting
splat.

Poor Colimp,
Cleve thought.

Life was returning to the castle with the re-appearance of servers, chemists, musicians, and all the others who must have been tucked away during the threat from Rek. The Elf’s hood was back on, but he still received many stares.
I wonder what was told to these people,
Cleve thought. Judging by their glares, it seemed as if he and Rek had been described not only as enemies of the King but of Kyrro and all its people as well. Many needed to get by Rek and Cleve as they progressed to higher floors, and all nervously kept their heads down until they were well past.

“Which throne room will the King be meeting us in?” Rek asked.

“Sixth floor. Fewer rats got up there. When will you be ridding the castle of them?”

“Tomorrow, if I’m still here.”

Kerr sighed and removed a small timepiece from his pocket. “I believe you mean later today. The battle went through the night.”

Hem Baom was outside the door on the sixth floor. His armor was stained red and brown.

“Rek,” he started to apologize.

“I understand,” Rek interrupted and offered his hand. Hem grasped it with one steady shake.

Rek wiped rat residue from his hand as Hem turned to Cleve. “That was quite a shot at Jessend Takary. We’re all thankful she wasn’t hurt. Rumors are already starting that you were actually aiming for her bow. Is it true?”

“I was.”

“Impressive. Hopefully, more of us can learn to shoot like you before we come under attack. The King has decided to legalize bows, if you hadn’t heard.”

Cleve had heard, but he wondered something else. “Is that how Jessend Takary had one?”

“No, hers came with her from Goldram. She and the King await, so I’m afraid we have no more time to talk.”

She’s in there with him?
Cleve didn’t feel quite comfortable facing the woman he’d just nearly killed.
I hope she knows I wasn’t aiming for her.

Hem opened the door and walked in after Rek and Cleve. The room was lit by only two gas lamps on the wall. King Welson was seated on his throne. To his right was the lanky, black-eyed psychic who Cleve had somehow managed to forget about, and to the King’s left was Jessend Takary.

Hem first took Rek and Cleve’s weapons. Then he grabbed a thick rope from a small wooden table, removed the Elf’s hood, placed the rope in Rek’s mouth, and tied it tightly around his head. He took metal chains from the table and cuffed them around Rek’s wrists. There was one other chain on the table for Cleve. Hem closed it around his wrists and left without another look.

“Councilman Kerr, could you please leave us as well?” Welson said, removing a pair of wax earplugs.

Kerr looked at him with confusion before forcing a smile and a nod. “Certainly.”

When Kerr was gone and the silence was just beginning to become too heavy to bear, the King began. “Cleve, where is your bow?”

Cleve glanced at the psychic, who held his head forward in reply to Cleve’s silent stare. Cleve’s eyes went to the other side of the throne, where Jessend had a curious look for him. From afar, he’d only noticed her black hair over golden-brown skin, but now that he was in the same room as her, there was much more to see. Her face was small yet shapely, full of life. Her skin had a pastel glow. Her hair was parted in the middle. On one side, it hung over her shoulder to be pushed to the side by her full breasts that were impossible not to notice on her petite body. On the other side, her hair fell down her back. By the look of her, she had to be close to Cleve in age. She stood with her broken bow in one hand and the other on the curve of her hip.

She flashed an alluring grin at Cleve, her confidence emanating. Suddenly, all of Cleve’s confidence drained out of him.

“On the first floor, outside the portcullis to the dungeon,” Cleve answered the King’s question about the bow.

The psychic’s eyes peeled away from Cleve and he nodded.

“Fine.” Welson sat back on his throne. “How did this happen? How did you come to the decision to attack the castle with Rek? I’d really like to know.” There was a mixture of curiosity and disgust in his tone.

Cleve looked at Rek. The Elf couldn’t speak with the thick rope shoved in his mouth. “Rek convinced me he was no enemy and that he just needed to speak with you.”

“What did you tell Rek of what I said, of what your task was?”

“That I was to return with his head or I would be disobeying a direct order and another person would complete the task.” He glanced at Jessend Takary, wondering whether she was that person. He still had no idea why a Takary was here—they were the most powerful family he knew of.

“Rek, understand that you were seen shaking hands with the King of Tenred, Tegry Hiller,” Welson said. “We have ways of getting information from within their castle walls, and what we found demonstrated that you’ve become an enemy. We know of the plan to attack Kyrro and that you were to join them. The decision to send Cleve was an impossible one to make, but with the help of my council we decided it was necessary. I’m truly sorry.”

The King sounded sincere to Cleve. However, the expression on Rek’s face was like he’d just heard a bad joke.

“I realize it’s difficult to hear this after all that’s happened,” Welson continued, “especially when I have you gagged, but allow me to explain. You see, although I feel terrible, I still can’t allow you to speak to me. I’ve been training hard to resist psyche, but I’d rather not risk it. I don’t know what you’re planning, and your words have too much sway. No matter what Tegry Hiller told you, there is much more to this old rivalry than you could know. I can’t risk losing this war, even if it means one man is killed who may be innocent, as much as that pains me. With you on their side, we all would surely die. With the Krepps, they already have three times the army as we do.”

Rek tried to say something but was muffled by the rope.

“He told me that he wants to fight for Kyrro,” Cleve said, hoping that’s what Rek wanted to tell Welson. “Also, that he was only meeting with Tegry Hiller to get the help of an army for something that had nothing to do with Kyrro. He had to turn to Tenred, being exiled from Kyrro. Rek agreed to help Tegry Hiller with whatever he wanted, knowing he could convince them otherwise later—”

“I’m sure he’s trying to tell me the same thing,” the King interrupted, fluttering his hand. Welson sighed. It was the kind of culminating sigh that showed he’d heard enough. “And I bet it would be very convincing, may even be true, but if it’s not, then Kyrro is lost. I just can’t risk it.”

“But with him on our side, the war is won,” Cleve tried to argue, as pointless as he knew it was.

“And it may be won without him. But if he fights against Kyrro, we’re sure to lose.”

“So, what do you intend to do? You’re going to kill him?” Cleve had to say it. Asking the question felt like a dagger in his stomach, but holding it in was worse.

“Luckily for me, I don’t have to make that decision anymore. Jessend Takary arrived here yesterday, and she has a good use for his ability back in Goldram. With him across the Starving Ocean, he no longer poses a threat to Kyrro.”

Taken to Goldram? He can’t want that. What else can I say, Rek?
Cleve wanted to rip the rope from Rek’s mouth but knew it to be impossible with his hands bound behind him. “What about me? Am I to be arrested?” The pace of his heart quickened.
I would rather die fighting on my way to a cell than in one.

“Cleve, I can’t have you running around free. You disobeyed a direct order. Think of how that news would affect all others who are commanded to fight in this war. Surely many of them would throw down their weapons and hide if they believed they could get away with it. Not all who fight wish to do so. And that’s not even half of it. You shot at Jessend Takary!” The King shot her a quick glance.

She titled her head and twisted her mouth. It was a cute expression more than anything else, and Cleve didn’t know what to make of it.
Maybe she realizes she was going to shoot at us first. No logical person can hold a grudge after that.

Welson glared back at Cleve. “I can’t begin to wonder what people would think if they saw you free after hearing about that. Then there’s the bow you’ve been using all these years without punishment. You’re a walking display of disobedience—the last thing we need right now. Worst of all, I’m not sure I can trust you after seeing you storm in here with Rek. For all I know, he’s convinced you to fight against us. We’d love to have you and Rek fighting behind our walls but not enough for the risk it would bring. I’m sorry, Cleve.”

He looked around for a weapon, something that would help him escape. He thought of the passageway to the roof behind the throne.
Maybe I could climb down the wall
. The thought was absurd, he knew, but still
something
. Jessend Takary approached him.

“Relax, Cleve. I’ve made an arrangement with King Welson. You’ll be joining us on the journey back to Goldram. I have use for you as well as Rek.”

Her voice was deep for a woman, yet not masculine in the slightest. It was thick with a lively accent that made it seem as if this was the first time Cleve had ever heard his language spoken properly. Not that he would ever wish to talk like her, as she had the tone of a queen. However, it was pleasing to hear, or maybe that was only because she was telling him he wouldn’t be killed.

“It’s true, the Takary family has saved you,” Welson said. “Until Jessend Takary is ready to leave, you and Rek will remain in the dungeons. I’ll notify Terren Polken so he can visit before you ship out. I understand he’s your only family.”

Who is this woman I’m to leave with?
Cleve would have traded all his money for a little information about Jessend, not that he had much to trade, just what his parents had left. Most of it had gone to Terren to help take care of him. He wouldn’t be able to take it with him anyway, it looked like.
Do they even use the same currency across the Starving Ocean?
It was hard to know what to feel without the faintest clue where he was going or what he would be doing. Having a use for Rek was easy to comprehend, but what did she want with him?

“Can I have a moment with Jessend Takary?” Cleve asked.

“You’ll have plenty of time to speak during your voyage,” Welson answered. “How many days did it take you to get here?” he asked her.

“Five, and the weather was good.”

“Five days, lots of time,” the King told him.

Jessend smiled at Cleve and Rek. “I’m sure you’re both very curious about this. We’ll speak on the boat. You shouldn’t worry of anything.” She started toward the door but stopped and turned with a sly grin. “Except any giant squid that decides to take the vessel for dinner. It’s not called the Starving Ocean for nothing.” It seemed like an attempt at a joke, though no one laughed.

Chapter 44: Follow

ZOKE

As Zoke and Vithos crossed through the heart of Satjen, the hills that had done so well to provide cover for the last ten miles finally flattened. This would have been a problem, however the trees here were thick with low branches where undisturbed golden-green leaves had swelled into the open air for years. The Krepp and three Humans looked like indistinguishable splotches in the small spaces between plants and trees, and that’s only when Zoke and Vithos had found them once again.

Most of the time, Zoke was searching to relocate the party after their backs had been devoured by the forest. They went straight south, though, really the only reason Zoke and Vithos didn’t lose them completely.

Eventually, the Humans separated from the Krepp. They went west and the Krepp stayed south.

Zoke and Vithos stopped, unsure who to follow. “The only thing south of here is the Fjallejon pathway to Kyrro,” Vithos whispered hastily. “And the only thing west of here is Tenred.”