Rise of the Champion (The Sword of Kirakath Omnibus #1) (37 page)

Katie rolled her eyes and shook her head at Lance’s question. “I’m Katie… just Katie.”

“So, you are his companion from his quest to avenge those of Kirakath,” Lance said as he glanced at Caleb again. “It is fortunate that you have arrived here today. My father just asked me to seek you out. A friend of yours is here.”

Alarm filled Katie’s eyes. It was easy for Caleb to recognize it and understand it. They only had one mutual friend, and Lance had looked at both of them when he spoke.

“Nicolas,” Caleb said quietly.

“That is correct. He’s been here for a little while. Don’t worry. He’s doing well,” Lance said with a nod of his head. “The guy in charge of the local thieves’ guild framed him for his father’s murder. He escaped though.”

“I’ll kill Alexander,” Katie swore under her breath.

“Your friend beat you to it,” Lance said with a chuckle. “Nicolas more or less disbanded the guild by taking out some important members. He almost got caught after he did all that, but my father intervened. He’s been down here for a few days now.”

“How is he doing?” Katie asked softly.

Caleb looked at her wordlessly, surprised by her reaction.

“He’s handling his father’s death well,” Lance admitted. “But that’s not a surprise. Not everyone has a loving family that would do anything to make each other happy. Nicolas and his father shared a difficult relationship. It was well known to anyone that would listen that they were not close.”

“That’s true,” Katie said with a sigh. “I understand what it’s like to lose a father that you are not close to. I guess I can’t be surprised that Nicolas is taking it better than I did.”

Caleb looked at Katie curiously at that bit of information. He never really thought about it before that moment, but he had to admit that he did not know much about Katie. They had never really sat down and spoken about the past. He had been under the impression that she had a rough past, but that was all.

“Everyone deals with different problems at a different rate,” Lance said as he shook his head. “If you need proof, just look at your friend.”

“Caleb’s situation was different!” Katie interjected before Caleb could even finish processing what Lance had said. “His entire home was razed and everyone there at the time was massacred. How can you compare them?”

“Kirakath was not the first village to be razed… nor was it the first to be massacred. Caleb is the only survivor of such a tragedy that I know of who has taken such an aggressive reaction to those responsible. A river could be turned red with the amount of blood he has spilled.”

“Who are you to say that he was wrong to do it?” Katie demanded with anger in her eyes.

“Calm down,” Caleb said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Lance doesn’t think I was wrong.”

“That’s right,” Lance agreed with a nod. “I would have done the same thing if I had been in Caleb’s shoes. I was merely pointing out that he did not react like most people would have. But then again, he is a Son of Kirakath.”

“When you say that, you are referring to the Blood of Kirakath, aren’t you?” Caleb asked.

“Yes,” Lance said with surprise clear in his eyes. “He must have sought you out. That’s the only way you’d know of it.”

“You knew he was still around,” Caleb said accusingly.

“I have been required to keep secrets from you,” Lance admitted with an inclination of his head. “You will find that everyone around you has secrets that are kept from you. I know not what it is, but I know that even your friend here has a secret that she keeps from you.”

The glare that Katie was giving him only served to verify his words.

“I suspect that you do not know the true nature of the Blood of Kirakath either, though that would not be surprising to anyone who actually knows. The Blood of Kirakath is one of the greatest works of magic ever wrought.”

“Before you make me really curious, we should probably get moving,” Caleb said abruptly. “If your father wanted to speak with us, there is likely good reason behind it. I doubt we have the time to discuss secrets right now, especially with what we came to tell you about.”

It was easy to see that Lance’s curiosity grew at Caleb’s words, but he merely nodded his head and led the pair onward.

As Caleb began to follow Lance, he spoke so quietly that only Katie could hear him.

“Don’t worry. I’ve always known that you were hiding something. And to be honest, I don’t care what it is. Friends accept friends as they are. It’s not my place to pry, but it is my place to listen when you’re ready.”

That was all that was said on the matter, one way or another, for a while.

* * * * *

“I see a resemblance,” Caleb muttered under his breath as Lance led them into an all too familiar underground chamber. Even without a large cage in the room, he could tell that it was the same room that Lance had held him captive in for a short while.

But he was not talking about the room at that moment.

His eyes were on the center of the room where the cage had once been. A large square table sat there. The man standing before it was what had caught his attention. The man had one green eye and one blue eye, just like Lance. In addition to that, he had long golden brown hair. They even had the same fashion, dressing elegantly like the nobles they were.

Unlike Lance, however, he had a more grizzled appearance with a rough beard and a few scars on his face. He also had a more lithe build than his son did.

“It’s good to see that you’re already here, Son of Kirakath,” the man said with a flourish of his hand. As he did that, a candle on each corner of the table lit on fire.

“Magic,” Katie said quietly.

“Yes, I am a mage,” Lance’s father said with an amused smile. “Magic has always flowed through the blood of the White line.”

“Until me,” Lance remarked with a shake of his head. “Caleb, Katie, this is Eric White, my father.”

“Caleb Sullivan, you are a very intriguing person,” Eric said, almost as if he had not heard his son. “You are born of the famous Michael Sullivan and his mostly unassuming wife, Sophie. You are the last to carry the blood of the last wielder of the Sword of Kirakath. Neither one of these two things are trivial.”

“I don’t care,” Caleb said, holding his left hand up to signal that he was done listening. “I don’t give a damn whose blood flows through me or whose legacy I’ve inherited. We’ve got more pressing issues at the present.”

“Oh?” Lance asked curiously.

“Even if you kill me… you gain nothing. I am naught but the sword,” Caleb said quietly. “Those were Cain Fell’s last words before I killed him. Until recently, I did not understand what he meant by them, but Katie and I know what he meant now. Clovis Averill was behind the Massacre of Kirakath, and he hired the Night Blades to hunt us down. They would have succeeded if we had not met up with each other when we did.”

“I should have known you two would get yourselves in trouble.”

Caleb’s eyes widened at the newcomer’s voice. Turning around, he saw Nicolas walking into the room, looking just as he had the last time he saw him.

“So, when are we going to kill Clovis?” Nicolas asked. His tone and facial expression made one thing clear. He was dead serious.

Lance and Eric looked at Nicolas in alarm. His question was clearly alarming in their minds, though it was more or less expected for Caleb and Katie.

“As soon as Caleb’s arm heals up,” Katie answered before her companion could. “Caleb’s arm was injured in his fight with Victor. It’s not a major injury or anything, but it is an issue for something like this.”

“That makes sense,” Nicolas said thoughtfully. “As you can probably tell, I have every intention of going along with you. As I see it, Clovis is not only responsible for attempting to have you guys killed, but he also played a part in my father’s death. After all, Alexander had me framed for my father’s murder because I aided an enemy of his brother.”

“We’re not going to turn down any help,” Caleb said with a grim smile. “Just remember that we’re really going to be criminals if we do this.”

“You can’t do this,” Lance interjected. “You’re the wielder of the Sword of Kirakath. You’re supposed to be a hero, not a criminal.”

“It might surprise you to hear this, but I don’t care about being who others think I should be. By all rights, I should be a hunter. After what happened to Kirakath, I think I’m entitled to do whatever I want with my life.”

“There is nothing that can be said to talk you out of this, is there?” Eric asked with a sigh.

“No,” Caleb said with a shake of his head. “After what happened to Katie, I’m not letting him go free.”

Nicolas looked at Caleb in confusion, while Katie’s eyes went to the ground. It was easy for anyone to see that something had happened that was not being talked about.

“I came here to ask for any help you could give me, but I’ll understand if you can’t help me. After all, you guys actually stand to lose something. For me, Katie, and Nicolas, the only thing we stand to lose are our lives,” Caleb continued. “But no matter what, we will go after them after my arm heals up.”

“Very well,” Eric said with a sigh. “We will help you. But first, I need to speak with you in private. Your friends can stay here and relax while Lance prepares everything.

Lance’s eyes widened at that, but Eric cut him off before he could say anything.

“I need you to check and see if
it
is ready to be used,” Eric said with a serious look in his eyes. “We all have duties and responsibilities. Caleb’s is to his friends first and foremost.”

By the look in Lance’s eyes, it was easy to see that he disagreed with his father there, but he did not voice it. Instead, he simply left the room.

“Sit down and relax for a little bit while I speak to your friend,” Eric said, looking at Nicolas and Katie. “After I speak with Caleb, I’ll help you plan your endeavor. I know a way to get inside the castle walls through these tunnels, so you won’t need to come up with a plan for that.”

“Thanks,” Caleb said.

“Thank me after you succeed,” Eric said as he left the room.

Caleb followed after him, curious as to what Eric wanted with him.

Chapter 15

A ways down the tunnel halls, Eric stopped and touched the wall. As he did so, glyphs appeared on the floor and ceiling.

“Relax. This will just prevent the tunnel halls from carrying our voices,” Eric said with a hint of amusement in his eyes. It disappeared before he spoke his next words, however. “Why did you use the Blood of Kirakath to heal?”

Caleb’s eyes narrowed at the question. “I didn’t use the Blood of Kirakath to heal anyone. I use the sword’s magic to heal Katie.”

“No, you didn’t,” Eric said with a sigh. “I don’t care whether you misunderstood or if you were mislead, but you should know the source of your magic, even if it is a little complicated when it’s explained in full.”

“Give me the short version,” Caleb said. “We don’t have time for the long one.”

“Very well,” Eric said with a smile. “What you believe to be the Sword of Kirakath’s magic is really the Blood of Kirakath’s magic. You have not even used your sword’s magic yet.”

Caleb was dumbstruck by the mage’s explanation. “What in the abyss are you talking about?”

“We don’t have time to fully explain everything now. It won’t help you right now, and your predecessor should be the one to fully explain,” Eric said with a knowing smile. “All that matters is that you understand that the magic you have been using does not belong to the sword. It flows through your blood. That’s why you can use it without the sword near you. The sword has magic of its own, but you don’t need to know all the details right now. Only your predecessor knows all the details, anyways.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Caleb muttered under his breath. He was beginning to wonder if he should have accepted Sir Edmond’s offer when they last met.

“Unfortunately, you messed up,” Eric said with a sigh as he placed a hand on Caleb’s chest. “The Blood of Kirakath is a magnificent work of magic, but it was tainted by your predecessor’s greatest sin. The taint has grown exponentially within you than it has within any of his other descendents. It was to be expected that the taint would grow worse and worse with every use, but only a use that goes beyond the intended limits of the magic would make the taint as bad as it is within you.”

“How did you know that I healed someone though?” Caleb questioned.

“That’s simple,” Eric said with a chuckle. “You told me. I guessed that was how you further tainted your blood with the little knowledge I had, and you confirmed it a few minutes ago.”

Caleb looked at him blankly, not quite appreciating how Eric had come by his knowledge.

“With the Blood of Kirakath tainted as greatly as it is, you should avoid using it, but that much is obvious. Before too much longer, the taint will become so great that you will be unable to tell friend from foe so long as you use its magic,” Eric said, growing even more serious than earlier. “That means that you will need every bit of help that I can offer you. As you said, however, Lance and I must appear to have nothing to do with you. As such, we will only be able to supply you and your friends, heal your injuries, and give you a magical construct that can guide and aid you on this endeavor.”