Heirs of the Enemy (35 page)

“You are assuming that such a person would have a choice,” explained Lord Kimner. “I guess it is hard for a westerner to understand. The emperor’s family is a forbidden topic in Barouk. The only time that anyone would dare mention the emperor’s son to the emperor is when the emperor has already been captured. He is likely to die in any event, so vengeance against his enemies becomes his only focus.”

“I see.” Lord Zachary nodded in understanding. “But if the emperor’s son has been hidden away for years, how would the army know enough to follow him? He would be unknown to everyone.”

“Such a situation actually occurred in the early history of the empire. While it was eventually settled after a long period of chaos, the emperors since then have adopted a way to alleviate the problem in the future. When the emperor has a son, he brands his own right hip with a secret symbol. He also brands the left hip of his heir with the same symbol. The actual symbol used is kept most secret so that others cannot brand their own newborn and pass him off as the heir.”

Zack silently pondered the implications of what the old lord was saying and how it suited the current circumstances surrounding Emperor Jaar.

“We seem to have gotten far off the track in discussing the merits of the Federation,” Lord Kimner said softly with a tone of suspicion. “Why is a Vinaforan lord so interested in the laws of succession?”

“I am not sure how we deviated onto this subject,” lied Zack, “but I do find it interesting. It stands in stark contrast to the ways Vinafor works. Our heirs are widely known and celebrated. It is hard for me to grasp a society that survives under such a veil of distrust.”

“Is it?” retorted Lord Kimner. “Your own country has just undergone a change in leadership, and the crown was not passed down from father to son. Queen Romani’s family had ruled Vinafor for centuries, but no longer. The same cannot be said for the Empire of Barouk.” Lord Kimner’s eyes narrowed as he gazed upon his guest. “If you think that somehow your troubles in Vinafor can be eased by replacing Emperor Jaar, you would be well advised to reconsider your thinking. As much as I, or any other Baroukan lord, might despise the way Emperor Jaar is handling the affairs of the Federation, we will band together to defend the empire from outsiders.”

Lord Zachary blinked and stared at his host. “I have no intentions of assassinating Emperor Jaar or any other person. Such machinations are well beyond my capabilities and desires, but I do question the veracity of your statement. What you have detailed for me in the last hour is a picture of a society that thrives on political intrigue unlike anything we are accustomed to in the west. If a Baroukan noble would be willing to exterminate an entire family to seize control of the throne, I find it plausible to believe that one of those nobles would also work with a foreign power to seize control, as long as he felt he could throw off his foreign yoke when the time came.”

“What are you saying?” pressed Lord Kimner. “Are you suggesting that one of my fellow Baroukan lords is conspiring with Vinafor against the empire?”

“Absolutely not,” assured Lord Zachary. “Please put that notion out of your mind. Vinafor has long been a peaceful nation, and that will not change just because Queen Romani has been deposed. It is the nature of our people to avoid conflict. In fact, I think that is what made the union between Vinafor and the Federation so bloodless. We will make the best of whatever the circumstances are. My own journey here to Despair is proof of what I am saying. I have come to learn about the Federation that we have just united with. We will adapt and flourish.”

Lord Kimner nodded thoughtfully. “What then are you driving at? Who is this mysterious foreign power you keep referring to?”

“I am not speaking of any actual threat to the Federation,” clarified Zack. “I speak in hypotheticals. I am merely trying to understand how things work in a strange, new culture that we are now a part of.” Lord Zachary smiled thinly at his host. “I enjoy a stimulating conversation where all possibilities are discussed. Tell me that you haven’t thought a bit about the recent disclosure of the new land called Alcea. Doesn’t the announcement make you want to know everything there is to know about the new land? That is how I feel about the Federation. I am eager to learn.”

Lord Kimner sighed with relief, and the tension that had been building within his old body slowly dissipated. “We Baroukans have long known about the land across the sea, but I have never heard it called Alcea before. I am extremely curious about it. The land I knew about was infested with elves and dwarves, but now they talk about human armies. It is hard for me to imagine such a nation existing for long without us knowing about it. I guess I have been away from the palace for too many years.”

“That is a shame,” smiled Lord Zachary. “I think the empire has suffered a great loss from your absence. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting with you today. I would like the opportunity to visit again if that is permissible.”

Lord Kimner rang a bell attached to his chair and the door opened immediately. Two guards entered the room along with a servant to roll the lord’s chair out of the room.

“I, too, have enjoyed the visit, Lord Zachary. I would enjoy meeting with you again. I shall notify the Sanctum guards that you are a welcome guest. Enjoy the rest of your stay in Despair.”

Lord Kimner signaled the servant, and he promptly rolled the old man out of the room. As Lord Kimner was being rolled back to his chambers, he could not help thinking of the conversation with Lord Zachary. While he considered Vinafor in general, and Lord Zachary in particular, no threat to the empire, the suggestion that a fellow Baroukan lord might conspire against the empire to seize control suddenly concerned him. He had protested that such an occurrence was unthinkable, but it was, in fact, quite plausible.

* * * *

The Ranger stood on the rim of the Mountain of Death and angled his sword towards the sun. He caught the brilliant light and reflected it towards the circling unicorns.

“That is the signal,” announced King Arik. “Sergeant, deploy your men around the rim, but keep them out of the mountain. Only the queen and I will be going inside.”

As the sergeant shouted orders, twenty unicorns banked away and dove for the rim of the mountain. The king and queen waited patiently for the Rangers to take up their
 
positions. When the rim was secured, Chaco and Frea dove down and flew into the opening in the top of the mountain. The unicorns landed safely on the blood-red marble floor. The king and queen dismounted and stared in wonder.

“The statues are back!” gasped the king. “The room looks exactly as it was when we first found it. How can that be? The bulk of Alutar should have crushed everything in this room.”

“Not everything,” mused the queen as she gazed skyward. “The hole that the Sword of Heavens blew in the peak of the mountain is still there.”

“Of course it is,” the king retorted tersely. “How else would we have gotten in?”

“Calm yourself, Arik,” the queen said soothingly. “I was just remarking on the singular difference in the room from when we first discovered it. What is wrong with you?”

King Arik stared at the green marble platform in the center of the ring of statues and sighed heavily. “I dread stepping onto that platform,” he admitted softly. “We were blessed by the gods at one time, but we have since abandoned them. What excuse do we have for that?”

“We have been busy,” answered the queen. “We have spent every day since our wedding on rebuilding Alcea. We have not taken a single day for our own pursuits. Surely the gods have watched our progress and devotion. Why do you fear that they will rebuke you?”

“We have been busy,” agreed the king, “but it is inconceivable that we could not find a minute or two to pray to the gods. Face it, Tanya. We have ignored the gods.”

“We have,” Tanya agreed with a nod, “but not willfully. Besides, time does not move so rapidly for the gods. A few years of our time is but an eye blink for them. Do not dwell on our inattention to the gods. We have come here to seek their help. That is what we must be concerned with.”

Unconvinced, Arik nodded his agreement to end the conversation. He stared at the ring of statues and then walked inside it. Avoiding the green marble platform in the center of the ring, he walked around and gazed upon the faces of the gods. When he had completed the circuit, Tanya stood at his side.

“We should not dwell here any longer than necessary,” urged the queen. “Twenty Rangers will be scant protection if our enemies return. Anyone who has the power to remove Alutar from this mountain must be a formidable foe. Let us do what we have come to do and beat a hasty retreat to Tagaret.”

King Arik nodded and reached out to take the queen’s hand. Together they stepped onto the green platform. Immediately, the room began to spin at a dizzying pace. Arik and Tanya gripped each other’s hand until the spinning began to slow. The whirling walls of color slowly dissolved to present an image of a sparkling valley. Snow-capped peaks rose like sentinels in the distance. Majestic waterfalls tumbled down the sides of the mountains and flowed into a large lake nearby. The area closest to the platform was ablaze with colorful flowers and thick green grass. Standing in a ring around the platform were the gods.

“The Warrior King returns,” announced Char, the god of fire.

“And the Warrior Queen,” added Mya, the goddess of luck.

“Blessings be upon both of you,” smiled Abuud, the god of peace and harmony.

“I knew you would come soon,” thundered Thun, the god of war. “I have felt the preparations for a coming war. The blood will flow like rivers upon the land.”

“Do not spoil the occasion, Thun,” scolded Leda, the goddess of fertility. “They have obviously come to discuss their heir.”

“Our heir?” frowned King Arik. “What heir?”

The gods all glanced at Queen Tanya, and King Arik turned towards her. The queen flushed bright red as she returned the king’s stare.

“The Warrior Queen is with child,” announced Leda. “Did you not know?”

“You said nothing to me,” the king said to the queen.

“I wasn’t sure,” Tanya said softly. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up until I was sure. I am sorry.”

“Well, I am not sorry,” grinned the king as he hugged Tanya. “All of Alcea will shout with joy.”

Risa, goddess of water frowned. “While this is a cause for celebration, it would appear that the Warrior King and Warrior Queen must have come here for some other reason.”

King Arik broke the embrace and turned back towards the gods. He sighed heavily and nodded. “Alcea is about to be invaded by armies from Zara. We are woefully outnumbered and unprepared for the onslaught. We came to ask your assistance in giving us time to prepare.”

“We have no control over time,” replied Aara, goddess of air.

“We cannot help you,” agreed Dora, goddess of soil. “Time does not bend even for the gods.”

“The Mage said you would help,” frowned King Arik.

“What do mages know?” scoffed Char. “We know what we are capable of.”

“Not a mage,” replied Tanya, “The Mage. You know him as Razil.”

“Razil?” Leda said with reverence. “The Creator?”

“Yes.” King Arik nodded vigorously.

The gods suddenly became very animated. They looked at each other in undecipherable patterns as if they were talking to each other, but the king and queen could hear nothing. The only sounds were the distant roars of the waterfalls. Eventually, all of the gods turned to face the king and queen.

“When is the invasion to take place?” asked Thun.

“And how much time do you need to prepare?” asked Char.

“As best we can tell,” answered King Arik, “the attacks should happen in a little over a month. They seek to complete the invasion before the onset of winter. We need several months at least to prepare. More if it is possible. Even then we will still face impossible odds.”

“You are the Warrior King,” retorted Thun. “It is your task to prevail against impossible odds.”

The gods became animated again as the king and queen watched helplessly. After a few minutes, the gods once again faced Arik and Tanya.

“Our involvement comes at a cost,” stated Leda.

“The demons will be aroused,” cautioned Abuud.

“And food will become scarce,” warned Mya.

“Harvest what you can,” suggested Dora. “Your window is measured in days.”

Without a word of farewell, the room started spinning again. The gods and the beautiful valley blurred into a kaleidoscope of colors before slowing down to coalesce into the Chamber of the Gods in the Mountain of Death.

The night was dark, and the thick forest canopy kept even the starlight from reaching the trail. The black-clothed rider and his black mount moved slowly through the woods, each step carefully placed to avoid making a sound. Wherever something obstructed the path, a low-hanging branch or a fallen limb, a slight magical light lit briefly to illuminate it and then winked out of existence. Like shadows within shadows, they moved slowly towards the meeting point.

I sense unicorns ahead.

Halt, Kymia. I need to be sure.

The black unicorn immediately halted. Garth Shado slid off his perch silently. With a single snap of his fingers, he sent a message to the fairy checking the trail ahead. Bitsy turned and glided to Garth’s shoulder.

“Kymia has sensed unicorns ahead,” Garth whispered to the fairy. “Check it out. If it is Tedi and Natia, announce our arrival and return. If not, return unnoticed.”

The tiny woman silently saluted and leaped into the air. A few moments later, she returned.

“It is the gypsies,” she whispered. “They are alone.”

Garth nodded and started walking forward, Bitsy perched upon his shoulder. Kymia followed silently. A few minutes later, they entered a small clearing and found Tedi and Natia waiting for them in a cold camp.

“Check the surrounding area,” Garth said to the fairy. “I need to know if anyone else is nearby.”

The fairy took to the air again as Garth joined the other two Knights of Alcea. No one spoke until Bitsy returned and reported that the Knights of Alcea were alone.