Kingsteel (The Dragonkin Trilogy Book 3) (35 page)

“It’s not a wall of fire,” El’rash’lin said. “The legends call it that because it sounds more impressive. Really, it’s invisible. Your kind can pass through it without so much as a tingle. You’d never even know it’s there. Same with Shel’ai.”

Hráthbam frowned. He saw the old man shudder. “But
you
can feel it, can’t you?”

El’rash’lin looked surprised. He nodded slowly. “I’ve been feeling it since we left Sorocco. Every hour, it gets stronger.”

“What’s it like?”

“An intense feeling of… dread. I couldn’t feel it before, when I was just a Shel’ai. I’d grown up hearing stories about the Dragonward, same as everyone, but I wasn’t even sure it was real. But now…” El’rash’lin shuddered again. “After we reach it, your job will be to help Kith’el…
Shade
and the others find an island. For now, any island will do. Do I have your word on this?”

Hráthbam nodded, puzzled. He remembered El’rash’lin saying that the Shel’ai would only need ten of the twelve casks of darksoil in his ship’s cargo hold.

They…

“What… happens if a Dragonkin tries to pass through the barrier?”

El’rash’lin did not answer. Hráthbam was about to repeat his question when the old man asked, “What’s the name of this ship?”

“
Winter’s Prayer,
” Hráthbam answered. “My youngest named it. I wanted to call it
Dyoni’s Bane,
but it was her birthday.”

El’rash’lin smiled. “Good name.” Then he gathered his cloak about his thin frame and walked away. Hráthbam watched him go. Another frigid gust blew off the waters, up over the ship’s railing, making him shudder.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Ash and Ruins

B
y the time Jalist reached Armahg’s Tears, the city of Atheion had stopped burning, though smoke still hid the sun and choked the afternoon sky. Remembering that the Dhargots and the Noshans were very nearly enemies, he’d already stripped off his Dhargothi armor and traded it for his own. He dismounted, long axe in hand. Only the blowing wind and the distant creaking of skiffs greeted him. Still, he approached slowly. The smell of smoke and charred flesh filled his nostrils. He winced. He remembered that smell.

He slowed as he neared the sea. All along the shore, ash covered the snow just beyond the shattered wall. Jalist saw heaps of charred bones amid the ash. The bones were barely recognizable as Human, though he saw a few bronze shortswords half buried in the snow.

“Lochurites?”

Standing before the shattered gates, he studied his immediate surroundings. He remembered shops, taverns, homes, and windmills along the shore.

In their place lay ash and charred timbers, though Jalist had no way of knowing whether they had been destroyed along with the gates and the Lochurites or sometime earlier. He listened for survivors. He returned to his horse and mounted the skittish animal, his long axe still in hand. He forced himself forward, through the ruined gates.

He found only blocks of scorched stone. The wall bore great cracks, and chunks of it had been blown apart along with the gates, but the bridge remained intact. The stone archway led from the shore to the first of Atheion’s great skiffs, somehow intact despite the skiff’s faint motion on the silent sea. Jalist dismounted to search for signs of Atheion’s defenders.

More charred skeletons lined the charred battlements. Some wore armor that had melted, cooled, and hardened again, so that the dead appeared to have been covered with steel blankets. Jalist could not tell at first who they were. Then he spotted a broken adamune on the ground. Half the sword’s curved blade was gone, though what remained gleamed coldly in the snow. Jalist picked it up.

“Gods… I’m sorry, Locke.” He started to toss the broken sword down then changed his mind and lowered it with slow reverence. He’d hardly finished doing so when he heard a sound. He turned, fumbling for his long axe, in time to see his horse galloping away from him.

Jalist cursed. He shouted at the animal, but it paid him no mind. He decided there was no point in chasing after it. If he was lucky, he would find another horse in Atheion. If not, he could stay, rest, and find fresh supplies before continuing south in the morning. He did not relish the thought of staying in Atheion, but at least he could get out of the cold for a while.

Another night spent in a gods-damned graveyard…

He tried not to think of all the corpses and wreckage he’d found in Stillhammer. In that case, the destruction had been wrought by Jolym, but Atheion was different. He recognized the signs of what had been done there, having seen them more times than he cared to remember.

Jalist started across the bridge, hoping the Nightmare was not still in the city. He also noted that it looked as though the destruction had started
within
the city then extended beyond the walls. He looked over the railing, down at the blue waters of Armahg’s Tears. The surface gleamed with a thin sheen of ice. He wondered how long it would be before the sea was frozen solid.

Then he heard a sound.

Aeko Shingawa stood in the remains of the dead king’s palace. A chill wind swept through the chamber, howling through cracks in the walls, but she kept her eyes fixed on the drawn adamune lying on the floor at the center of the chamber.
Her
adamune. Snow had fallen through great cracks in the ceiling, dusting the floor and dampening the blade.

Isle Knights stood all around her, as still as statues. She could hear their breathing and smell the blood and sweat on their armor.

Crovis Ammerhel continued his accusations: “Finally, with a heavy heart, I must accuse the Knight of the Lotus called Aeko Shingawa of extreme cowardice in the face of the enemy.”

A murmur swept through the Knights. Some rumbled with anger, while a great many more nodded in agreement. Crovis gave the Knights time to absorb his words. He paced around her sword, at the center of the gathering, never taking his eyes off Aeko. “Despite the courage she has demonstrated on countless past occasions… which are
not
in question… Aeko Shingawa’s behavior since being promoted to the Order of the Lotus by our late Grand Marshal has been an unquestionable affront to the precepts of the Codex Viticus, as well as the philosophy of the Codex Lotius. She has not maintained the principles of our Order, either in spirit or in action. For that reason, I am left with the solemn and unfortunate duty of demanding justice from this assemblage.”

Crovis Ammerhel faced Aeko with an almost believable look of reluctance, bowed to the assembled Knights, and stepped back. A few Knights applauded. Another Knight moved to the center of the chamber. Lanky and quick eyed, he wore his hair in a long dark braid. He held up his hands, calling for attention. When the Knights did not quiet down to let him speak, Crovis called for silence on the young Knight’s behalf.

Aeko’s heart sank. Her defense had not even spoken, and he’d already made a serious mistake. She sighed. She should have expected this. With Crovis acting as her accuser and the rest of the Knights as her judges, she’d had the option of defending herself or requesting another Knight to do it for her. Traditionally, the latter was preferable, since it gave the appearance that the accused had friends among the Knighthood.

But Aeko had few friends left. No Knight from the Orders of the Stag or the Lotus would speak for her. Finally, a Knight from the lowest of the three ranks—the Order of the Crane—had volunteered. His name was Sang Wei. Aeko knew nothing of his background except that he was poor and quiet. On the other hand, witnesses said he’d distinguished himself at the gates of Atheion, holding back the Lochurites almost single-handedly when the first blast from the Nightmare killed half of Aeko’s company and left her unconscious.

Maybe he’s braver with steel than with words
. She’d met Knights like that before. She doubted such a man could help her now.

Sang Wei faced Crovis, then seemed to change his mind and fixed his gaze on Aeko. “Sir Ammerhel has leveled many grave accusations.” His voice trembled. A few Isle Knights chuckled.

Sang Wei cleared his throat and continued. “She stands accused of incompetence in the manner in which she led the defenses of Atheion and in her failure to complete her original mission, which was locating Sir Rowen Locke and bringing him back to the Isles for justice. She also stands accused of disloyalty for continuing to keep her Knights stationed at Atheion, even after she received word of the attacks on the Isles.”

Aeko grimaced. Was her defense really going to articulately summarize Crovis’s entire case? She considered shaking her head to warn him then decided to keep her expression immobile.

“Finally,” Wei said, “Sir Ammerhel has accused her of cowardice.” He stopped, turned, and faced Crovis. “Since no details were provided on this charge, I assume that Sir Crovis means cowardice in the face of the Jolym.”

Crovis stepped forward and gave Sang Wei a toothy smile. “I do, sir. Had Lady Shingawa attacked the Jolym earlier, before the Lochurites arrived, they could have been defeated with ease. The Nightmare would not have sensed her weakness and taken that opportunity to strike… which resulted in the deaths of hundreds, including Atheion’s beloved king.” He bowed to Sang Wei. “My apologies for not being clearer.”

Gods…
Aeko clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms. She began to wonder if Sang Wei was actually working on Crovis’s behalf.

Sang Wei nodded slowly. “Perhaps Sir Crovis is unaware that before the Nightmare’s appearance, Knight-Captain Shingawa was personally leading a force to meet the Jolym who were hacking through the gates.”

“A charge that was unsuccessful,” Crovis pointed out.

Wei smiled at Crovis. “Agreed. During the battle, Knight-Captain Shingawa demonstrated that she was unable to battle demons, barbarian berserkers, and rampaging Jolym after being knocked unconscious.”

The young Knight’s rebuttal brought scattered laughter, but Crovis scowled. “I remind the young Knight that many of our brothers were killed in the attack, along with countless Noshans. We have not yet even had time to commit their bodies to the Light. Such levity is uncalled for.”

For a moment, Aeko thought that Sang Wei meant to point out that the reason they had not yet buried the slain Knights was that Crovis Ammerhel had requested this trial almost as soon as the Nightmare had vanished and the Jolym began their slow, mindless march north. But the young Knight blushed. “My apologies to this council. I meant no disrespect. I merely point out that honoring our fallen comrades has hardly been the priority of this company.” He hesitated as though gathering his courage. “Even Sir Crovis has spent much of the last two days attending to other matters… meeting with the Noshan survivors, convincing them to sail what remains of their city to the Lotus Isles, I believe.”

The Knights bristled, but Aeko fought to hide her smile.
Careful, young Knight.
Some of Atheion had survived, including a portion of the Scrollhouse that seemed immune to fire. Several thousand Noshans remained, including a good many soldiers. The skiffs themselves were a technological marvel. Most of the surviving Knights were probably thrilled that even in the face of defeat, Crovis Ammerhel had managed to gain additional wealth, strength, and territory for their struggling Order.

“I confess,” Crovis said, “that
one
of my primary concerns has been for the living. Lady Shingawa’s incompetence caused great harm to the Noshans. They’ve lost much of their famed city. They’ve lost more than half of their beloved Scrollhouse, their leaders, their friends, their families. As this council seeks justice for Lady Shingawa, I have sought justice for the Noshans.”

Like hells,
Aeko almost said.

Sang Wei nodded. “By Sir Crovis’s own words, then, Aeko Shingawa also stands accused of crimes against the Noshans. I wonder, then, in keeping with the tenets of the Codex Viticus, why no Noshans are present in this chamber.”

Another murmur swept through the crowd. Crovis spoke up quickly in his own defense. “The young Knight might not be aware of the fact that of the surviving Noshans, some are busy trying to salvage what remains of the Scrollhouse, while others work to unmoor the skiffs so that they might be sailed on Zet’s Blood. Others tend to those portions of the river that have already frozen and will need to be cleared. Given these distractions, I do not think the Noshans are overly concerned with the internal application of Knightly justice.”

Crovis’s words earned many nods of agreement, but Sang Wei did not blink. “Do you acknowledge, sir, that no Noshans are present to either support or refute your version of events?”

Crovis offered Sang Wei a strained smile. “If it pleases you, I will withdraw all accusations and statements specifically tying Aeko Shingawa to the fate of the Noshans, so that we may complete these unfortunate proceedings. Is that acceptable?”

Sang Wei nodded. “It is, sir.” He faced Aeko again. “Would you also agree, Sir Crovis, that your statements do
not
include an accusation that Knight-Captain Shingawa and the demon known as the Nightmare are in collusion?”

Crovis snapped, “I suggested no collusion. Lady Shingawa may be incompetent and a coward, but she is no traitor.”

Sang Wei nodded again. “Not a traitor. Thank you, sir.” He turned slowly, facing each of the remaining Knights in turn. “So in essence, Sir Crovis is angry because Knight-Captain Shingawa kept us in Atheion rather than racing back to the Lotus Isles to fight the Jolym.”

He paused.

“Yet the Jolym were also besieging Atheion. In fact, it’s entirely possible that the Jolym attacking Atheion had been diverted from the Lotus Isles, where they had previously been busy killing our people and burning our temples.”

He paused again.

“It’s quite possible, my brothers and sisters, that either by chance or through the will of the Light, those monsters that had previously ravaged the Lotus Isles found themselves facing
our
steel, and that by taking us back to the Lotus Isles, Knight-Captain Shingawa would actually have been allowing them to escape justice.”