By the Sword (10 page)

The door flew open, leaving a startled Chrissa standing before her father. Ittonifer stood there, staring at her.

Chrissa looked away from his cold, black eyes
and focused on the two guards that stood behind him
.

They gripped Naeshi by the arms. A stream of blood flowed from where his left eye used to be
, trickling
down the side of his chiseled face and splattering around his feet.

Chrissa gasped and closed her eyes at the gory sight, but she would never forget it as long as she lived. Naeshi had endured that punishment because of her.
There was no telling what he would try to do to pay her back.

She crossed her arms, trying in vain to
stop
shaking.

The guards dragged Naeshi down the hall. His remaining eye glared at her
until they disappeared around the corner
.

Chrissa shuddered. She looked down and moved her legs. The spell
, wherever it had come from,
had been lifted from her.

If only I knew who, or what, caused it.

She turned to flee back to her room, but ran into her father. His demoniacal glare seemed to pierce straight through
her eyes and into
her soul. She backed away from him, shaking.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

His angry voice echoed down the hallway.

“I was coming back from the library and overheard your conversation with Naeshi. I’m sorry.”

“From now on you are not to go there or anywhere after dark, understand?”

“Father, I…”

“Not another word. You have gotten yourself into enough trouble lately.
Guard,
take her back to her room. Do not unlock the door until morning.”

Another guard stepped out of the room then. Naeshi’s replacement, she assumed.

Chrissa opened her mouth to protest, but Ittonifer slammed his door in her face.

She
stared at it for a moment. Her father could not even stand to look at her anymore. She knew that it was only a matter of time before he tossed her over to some man and then forgot about her completely. It was simply the way that things were done in Malinor. But she had thought things could be different for her.

Maybe they still can be. I can learn a few spells and then ask the prince for a favor.

“M’lady, we must go now,” said the guard at her side.

As Chrissa followed him down the dimly lit hallway, the ache in the pit of her stomach sharpened, creeping up
in
to her
chest
. Chrissa knew that she had never been written on her father’s heart, but his indifference wounded her deeply.

Why am I so shocked? Everyone knows that sons are honored while daughters are scorned. I tried so hard to please that man by perfecting the sword and following the prince diligently.

It was time to face reality. She was nothing.

*****

Naeshi knew that his wound would heal, but his humiliation would only worsen with time. He had been drilling and sparring with inexperienced kids all day.
Maybe he wasn’t the sharpest dagger in the drawer, but h
is skill
with the sword
far surpassed his thirty-one years. He had been the youngest senior guard in Malinor’s history, but Ittonifer had allowed a single incident to strip that away.

My career is ruined because of that flighty female.
Chrissa
is going to pay for that one day soon.

Worse still, he had to see Jalarn glowering at him at least ten times every day. The newly promoted general was just a lad himself at merely
twenty years of age
.

Only because he is Ittonifer’s nephew.

Naeshi had spent only one day as a lowly foot soldier, and he didn’t know if he could bear several more years of it. He would rather live by himself in the desert than stay there.

He took off his helmet and slammed it down on the ground.

“The injustice is maddening, is it not?” asked a raspy voice.

It was that crazy Aterun. It seemed like ages since Naeshi had last seen him.

Naeshi turned away, still ashamed of his mutilated face.
He wouldn’t be making his rounds at the taverns anytime soon.

He could feel the warlock staring holes through his back.

“What do you want?” Naeshi asked.

“I saw what happened,” said Aterun.

“How?”

“I have my ways.”

Just as nuts as before.

“I have things to do, old man.”

“Obviously,” Aterun scoffed.

Naeshi shook his head and walked away.

“What if I told you that I know of a way that could earn you Ittonifer’s respect once again?”

Naeshi stopped and faced the man. He spat to one side.

“Are you finished yet?” Naeshi asked.

“If you have other pressing things to attend to rather than retrieving century-old lost treasure, then that’s your prerogative.”

Now he had Naeshi’s attention.

“Are you growing madder with age, warlock? We both know that there’s no hidden treasure.”

“I suppose that a senseless brute like you can’t be expected to deduce that Ittonifer has been actively searching it out since before he began his reign.
A man like him
would never waste his time on a fable.”

Naeshi refrained from clobbering the sack of bones. Of course he knew about the legendary treasure of the ancient Malinorians, but everyone knew it was a myth that Malinor’s greedy ruler chose to believe.
Even smart men could be gullible sometimes.

“Prove it then,” said Naeshi.

“We’ll be wasting time.”

“You’re already wasting my time. Prove it or get out of my sight.”

“Those are big words for a one-eyed foot soldier. I’m sure you must be aware that the great prince reveals things to me. The treasure is just outside of the city, but it is very well hidden. It’s an hour’s walk – no one will even notice we’ve been gone.”

Naeshi could not imagine that Aterun would be able to walk for an hour anywhere, let alone over the uneven terrain surrounding the city. The idea was ridiculous.

“You’re forgetting something,” said Naeshi. “Dinner will be served soon at the barracks. I will starve if I travel out there and waste several more hours trying to find this
legendary
treasure.”

“I have obviously brought this into consideration. You will be fed.”

Naeshi thought about his options. If there really were a canyon full of riches, he would be the wealthiest man in the empire, besides Ittonifer. If not, at least he would be spared from another evening spent with snot-nosed brats.

“You had better be right, old man.”

Chapter Seven

The tall, rigid Cobalt Mountains seemed to reach out and pierce the grey sky. Naeshi searched for caves or crevices within the sharp ridges around them. Aterun trailed behind him. He was out of breath already.

Naeshi wasn’t sure how the old stump was going to make it back to Malinor. Besides, the warlock would only try and tell him what to do with the treasure anyway.

Maybe I should slit his throat and feed him to the wolves once the treasure is uncovered.

A slender waterfall trickled down the mountain. Aterun scurried over to it excitedly. Anticipation surged through Naeshi as he followed him.

“The hiding place is right behind the waterfall,” said Aterun.

Naeshi stepped under the gentle falls and sized up the opening. It was high enough for him to get through comfortably, but it did not appear wide enough for him to fit with his armor on. He eyed the gangly magician.

There was obviously a reason why Aterun was being so accommodating. No one ever offered help unless he wanted something in return.

“You can fit through the opening. Bring me something,” said Naeshi.

Aterun glared at him, but he stepped under the trickling water and entered the cave.

Naeshi paced back and forth until the magician came back out.

Aterun was grinning.

Naeshi’s eyes widened. Within Aterun’s spindly hands were several golden nuggets.

“Are you convinced now, foot soldier?”

Naeshi tore his armor off. He was still barely able to squeeze his bullish frame through the narrow crevice, but he made it to where it opened into a large a cave. A ray of light from an opening above shone on an abundance of gold, gems, and diamonds.

His jaw dropped open. If he took all of this, he would be richer than Ittonifer himself. He wouldn’t tell anyone of his discovery, naturally. He had to kill Aterun.

“Yes, that’s what I’ll do,” Naeshi said rubbing his hands, “and then I will sail for the eastern continent and make myself a king.”

“You selfish fool!” yelled Aterun from the entrance.

Naeshi glanced casually at his elder. He drew his sword and walked toward him.

Surprisingly, Aterun did not even flinch. Instead, he lifted his hand and began to chant.

Before Naeshi had a chance to blink, his body was lifted from the ground. Something held him in place. He tried to struggle, but he could not move.

Aterun repeatedly cast surges of electricity at him. His body convulsed in agony. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t yell. The pain seemed to penetrate
through his skin and into every
fiber
of his insides
.

Then, the electrical surges subsided.
Quivering,
Naeshi gasped for air, grateful for the relief.

The warlock scowled as he lowered Naeshi back to the ground.

“If you even think about pulling a stunt like that again, I will kill you. Now, go show Ittonifer a sampling of the wealth that you are about to bring him. He will favor you once again.”

Naeshi shook his head. That would never happen.

“Listen to me, Naeshi. Ittonifer’s greed is even stronger than his lust for blood. Trust me. You will have everything you could ever want, including his beautiful daughter.”

Chrissa had been the cause of both his missing eye and his
new
lowly status. Still, he wanted her. Every
red
-blooded male that laid eyes on her did.

If Ittonifer gave him his old position back, Naeshi would marry her right away. She was the most stunning woman that he had ever seen. Taming her to be the wife that he deserved would be well worth the effort.

Naeshi studied Aterun. The magician could have just killed him
if he’d wanted to
.

“Why are you being so accommodating?” Naeshi asked.

“I have my reasons, but like I said: If you try to kill me again, you’re finished.”

“It won’t happen again.”

The old man was more powerful than Naeshi had imagined. He wondered why Aterun never tried to overtake Ittonifer and rule Malinor himself.

The warlock hummed a few notes and opened his clenched fists. Within each of his hands was a round, purple fruit. Naeshi had never seen anything like it before.

Aterun handed one to him.

“This won’t fill me up,” grumbled Naeshi, but after three bites he was already satisfied.

He ate the rest of it anyway.

“Now, go and show your ruler how worthy you really are,” the warlock grinned.

“What are you going to do now?”

“I am going to stay back here for a while.”

Energized, Naeshi ran as fast as he could back to Malinor. Once he got his title back, he would make Chrissa pay for her insolence. She had been toying with him for far too long.

*****

In the royal stable, Queen Roselyn paced back and forth in front of General Edandir. He had just
told
her what he had learned of Ittonifer’s plan
s
. It nearly killed her to think that she had almost lost him to a storm created by the devil’s spell.
Ittonifer was more involved in witchcraft than she would have imagined.

Roselyn’s white mare whinnied softly, sticking her head out of the stall. The queen smiled and gently rubbed the horse’s smooth neck.

It was bad enough that the empire had one crazy leader
, but now
it would appear that Ittonifer’s
young
nephew had become just like him.

“I am sorry. I probably spoiled your mood to go out for your evening ride
,
”
said the general.

“No. It is all right. You were right to come find me here. It is better that I know now.”

Edandir nodded.

Roselyn hated violence with a passion. The reason that she had pursued the throne was to form peace treaties with other countries and end war completely.

It seems like no matter what I do or where I go, violence
follows
me.