Daegan (The Age of Alandria: A Companion Novella) (3 page)

Daegan was on his way to meet Halister, son of Wren and Maleina, also his friend and brother. They were to gather where he and the other members of the guard were training in combat and weaponry, when something happened to him that had only happened a handful of times.

He started walking in the opposite direction of where he was intending to go. When Daegan tried to correct himself and turn around, the pressure in his head would intensify until he turned back the way his body wanted to head.
What is this? I am not in control!
he thought. Panic started to brew in his chest. Frustration growled out of his throat. He tried one more time to pull out of the singular dirt path he was walking on, only to find it even harder than the last time. It felt as if an outside force had taken over his body, but let him keep his own awareness. Madness! 

He knew the path he was on; it led down to where some of the shifters that lived amongst the Faeries and Ferrishyn camped. Since the uprising in Feraánmar and the takeover in Adettlyn, the people of Alandria had been split, many retreating to the dwellings of their birthplace and home to their race. However, there were still some people who chose not to go back, instead staying within the territories where they had become the minority. Unfortunately, to Daegan’s displeasure many of them were either ostracized as outcasts or threatened and abused if they had twined families. Twined was a term that was often used derogatorily, but had become common for those who had a mixed family.

Daegan had a bad feeling, but he couldn’t understand what his purpose would be here. He began to fight his muscles and his own limbs; it would work for a brief moment, but then one pain would pierce his head, another his left shoulder, and he would lose what little ground he made. Finally, he tried one last time and gave it everything he had within him, even summoning his own magic to assist. He made it all the way around and even managed to throw himself off the trail down an embankment. He gripped his head tightly as an unbelievable amount of pain struck his nervous system and shut him down completely. He felt himself go limp right before darkness seized him.

✠✠✠

Having been awakened to a cold bucket of water being thrown onto his head was a shock. To realize, after jumping up from the hay stack he had been lying in, that he was in the stables and nowhere near where he had been right before he blacked out was an even greater shock, not to mention a bit troubling considering he remembered absolutely nothing of how he got there. Gaining his faculties, Daegan looked around, taking in everything. Halister was standing over him holding the empty bucket and looking a little too pleased with himself.

“Taking an afternoon nap, are we?” Halister snickered and winked at Daegan. Looking back over his shoulder at the scrawny kid who was peeking in around the edge of the empty stall, he added, “If it wasn’t for young Silát there, you would have missed all of practice and then you’d have to deal with Mother. Really, you owe him a debt of gratitude.” Halister nodded back at the young boy, who gave a tentative smile.

Daegan gave Hal a look equivalent in tone to an eye roll that Silát did not see, but then turned to the boy and nodded, smiling appreciatively. “Thank you, Silát. Is there anything you would require of me, as payment for your kindness and discretion toward me?”

Hal nodded and gave Daegan a reaffirming wink that only irritated him more. 

“Well, sir, if it is not too much trouble”—the boy hesitated—“I should like to learn how to use a sword like you and Master Halister do.” The boy shrank back almost completely behind the wide log that framed the doorway.

“Done,” Daegan confirmed as Hal pulled him fully off the haystack he had been sitting in.

“Really?” The boy’s eyes lit up and he came close to fully entering the stall, but caught himself at the last minute.

“Really. I will be heading out soon for a bit, but sometime after that I should have time. Find me. Or better yet, how about tomorrow first thing before I leave?”

The boy nodded excitedly as Hal shooed him out the stable doors.

“That was sporting of you,” Hal said with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Well, apparently according to you I had to offer him something. What if I would not have been able to fulfill what he wished?” Seeing the look on Hal’s face, Daegan huffed, “You already knew what he wanted. Good one, brother.” He punched Hal in the arm and Hal feigned pain.

“Actually it was good of him to come to me. If anyone else had found you or if he had gone to another, they may have tried to take advantage of you or the situation knowing we would not want Maleina to find out—even if you are her favorite guard.” Hal mock punched him back. He then sobered up and looked Daegan over. “Are you all right? It’s not like you to take a rest during the day, especially when you are expected to be at training. Something is wrong, I can see it in your eyes. What is it?”

Daegan shook his head, not even sure how or what to tell Hal. It was not something you heard of happening—maybe to the weak of mind, but Daegan was not that. “I blacked out. I have no memory of what happened. I was on my way to the field and suddenly felt strange, then blacked out.” It was the truth, just not all of it, but he had too much at stake to be considered unstable—people depended on him.

Hal frowned at him. “That is not the story in its entirety, but for whatever reason you are withholding it, I will let it be for now.” He sighed. “There are strange and dark things happening around Elnye. I want to be ready to defend it, but I don’t even know what is out there.”

Daegan reached out a hand, putting it on Hal’s shoulder. “I understand how you feel. I also do not know what to make of it.”

They walked out of the stables with confidence, as if they had just been riding or were in there for a specific reason, but they encountered no one else along the way back to the field. Though practice was mostly finished for the day, Daegan wanted to—needed to—get some swings in and fight the invisible demons with the hope to alleviate some of his own.

CHAPTER TWO

Being on the field gave Daegan a sense of belonging and peace. There was no other time or place in his life—other than being boys with Hal—that he felt accepted and in control and completely confident in his next move. There wasn’t much that was tried on him that caught him off guard. Daegan had always known he would make an excellent warrior. He had wanted it for as long as he could remember
.

Because he was late to practice, he was to be “punished”—Halister’s idea, of course, but Daegan welcomed it. They played a little game where the offender was on point and the rest came at him one and sometimes two at a time with swords or knifes or staffs. It was suppose to be punishment because the one on point had to get through the entire squad before tiring. If he didn’t, after a short break, he had to do it all over again.

However, Daegan relished in the thrill of it; he loved being on point. They came at him one at a time and then two and then even three warriors at once to add to the challenge. They knew he could take it. Swords clanged and the sound of staffs and spears flying through the air ignited a passion within him. It distracted him. He felt alive and in control. The line soon tapered off as he had gone through the whole squad.

“Again!” Daegan shouted. The drill master took in his condition, then nodded his consent to the squad. They lined up, ready to go at him again.

Clang. Block. Parry. His feet danced within a small area that he allotted for himself while his arms moved fluidly. There was rhythm and grace in his movements. He became one with the energy of his sword.

In the back of his head, Daegan knew they were not truly his enemies so he checked his movements slightly at the finish of each swing, careful not to actually maim any of his squad brothers. He did not recognize one sparring partner from the next, until he came up against Hal. They had been sparring since they were boys and Daegan knew what Hal could take so he planned to take him to his limits.

“Advance!” The only signal, informing Hal of his intentions.

They stood face to face with their swords locked between them. Halister got a gleam in his eyes and a smirk on his face. He responded, ready for the show, “Begin.”

Hal turned out of their standoff, sword ready, his feet moving in time with Daegan’s. This was a chess match familiar to them both. Daegan circled him as a predator waiting for a tell, or sign, of Halister’s next move. Daegan was patient and intent. Hal tended to be impulsive, but could be more creative.

“Are you tired already?” Hal taunted. “You’re not giving me anything to work with.”

Daegan raised an eyebrow. He knew this was part of Hal’s show. He loved to talk. It would not work.

“Make a move then.” Daegan laughed.

So he did. Halister began to thrust forward toward him. Daegan parried right to block, but at the last second Halister checked his swing and rotated the sword in his hand for a downward motion toward Daegan’s feet. He would have pierced his foot had Daegan not retreated quickly.

“What was that?” Daegan growled out.

“I made a move.”

“Not a very good one,” Daegan grumbled under his breath. “Fight me.” Daegan led off with a fast thrust, but Halister caught the sword in his cross guard and countered with his own strike, thus beginning a very intense round of swordplay. Their movements were tight and kept close to their bodies. For all of Halister’s playfulness, he was indeed a fierce warrior and knew how to read movements almost as well as Daegan.

The rest of the warriors gathered around them in a circle watching with anticipation. A noise—the cry of a bird—in the distance caused Hal’s eyes to flick to the sky for the briefest moment, which Daegan took advantage of. He thrust forward with his sword and Hal predictably blocked it. Daegan then reached with his free hand, grabbed Hal’s shoulder and tripped him backwards over his strategically placed legs, throwing Hal effectively to the ground. 

Jumping to his feet, Halister shouted, “Out.” Moving out of the way, he mumbled, “Wretched bird,” knowing Daegan would hear him. In turn, Daegan laughed quietly, satisfied and awaiting his next opponent. “You are enjoying this too much, brother.” Daegan nodded with a slight smile, though he was beginning to feel the effects of the day.

“Master Halister has brought me to exhaustion. Enough for today,” Daegan called out, raising his sword in front of his face, taking a step back. He turned to the drill master, who nodded his approval. He nodded back then turned and bowed slightly, never lowering his gaze to the men who tirelessly gave their all against him. It released his pent-up agitation like not much else could. 

With training done for the day, Daegan, Hal and another member of their squad went for refreshments at one of the local establishments down in the square of Elnye. The square was actually more circular, but the town center nonetheless. The cobblestone road was narrow and surrounded a large statue of a Ferrishyn warrior wearing not a crown, but a stone set in some kind of iron atop his head. Next to him was a Faerie woman with twigs attractively strewn throughout her long wavy hair of stone, and in between them was a young boy. They looked happy and content.

The stories spoke of the man once being one of the kings of Feraánmar. However, when the uprising happened many years back most of their histories had been destroyed. This statue had been saved, but the plaque with their names on it was also destroyed. Daegan had once tried to get some of the history out of some of the older citizens, but the little they had given him was spoken out of fear, in secrecy, or they refused to talk about it altogether. Most conveniently, they didn’t remember much of anything beyond the last rule before the Paladin took over.

The buildings that made up the “square” were also made from stone of various kinds. Some were cobblestone like the path itself and some were constructed of river stones, boulders from the earth, or a combination mixed with pebbles in the mortar.

There weren’t many places with grasses, greenery, or even trees. Many of the shops had climbing greenery on the outsides of their dwellings. Most of the foliage, however, was outside the actual square and especially closer to where most of the Faeries dwelled outside of the main city in L’nalrinia, not far from Elnye. There were designated spaces for grasses, trees, and shrubbery in the square and on the way up the hill to where the castle of Elnye was settled, along with all the smaller buildings related to serving the royalty. These gardens were for resting and renewal and were open for all to appreciate.

Inside the little shop that served food and drink, the three Ferrishyn relaxed and cooled off from their exercises. Daegan didn’t go out carousing with many of the men, but he liked to hang out with Hal and a few of the others as long as it wasn’t a larger group. Daegan’s guard was always up, but in a smaller comfortable setting it was easier for him to at least be a little casual. 

“Did either of you hear that Captain Rajent is reported missing?” Squadron member Lenith inquired as he took a sip from his pint.

“I heard that this morning,” Hal said, shaking his head in disbelief. “It is such a shame. He had a family.”

Daegan stiffened. He had heard it mentioned but still something did not set right with him about the whole situation.
Rajent was a shifter.
Daegan had plans to investigate in the camp later; he would check on Rajent’s family. Maleina would probably scold him for interfering with the shifters and their way of life; she didn’t care for their community as a whole, and she did not want him to help them either.

She hadn’t outright commanded anything, so he was not defying her, but still, he would fly under the radar when he checked on some of the families, especially the women and children who didn’t have the help they needed. He would bring in supplies, sometimes food and clothing, if they needed it. Some of the vendors in the square and some smaller stores that dealt out of their homes would donate to his cause. He didn’t know how they found out about what he was doing, but somehow they knew and would approach him when it was safe and offer things to help out—anonymously, of course, as they couldn’t be seen going against something they knew Maleina did not approve. Daegan knew Maleina could be cold-hearted and a ruthless leader, but he didn’t think she would stoop so low as to harm one of her own people. However, at the same time he would not try and test her either.