The Ancient Ones (The Legacy Trilogy Book 3) (51 page)

‘I feel no different,’ Leopold admitted.

‘It is only that hidden core of magic I took from you, Leopold. Suffice to say, you will never be a magician now.’

‘Thank the gods for that.’

Samuel laughed—a feeble attempt.

‘Is it enough? Can you make it?’ Leopold then asked.

‘I must. With Salu’s strength, and yours, I can do it. Now ... go out. I need darkness ... I need quiet. Let no one disturb me.’

‘There is one thing I must tell you.’ He paused, but the magician did not possess the strength to reply. ‘Lomar met me once, that night on the Spice Islands.’

‘I know,’ struggled the voice of Samuel, his head hanging down, hidden in his hood, his chin pressed against his chest.

‘He said Poltamir has lost your son ... that he is free. Lomar has been searching for him, but he is not here ... he is not in Euda. We have wasted all this time. Your son could be anywhere.’

‘Leopold,’ came the strained reply. ‘Don’t you think I know this already?’ A long pause. ‘There is no waste. We will find my son in the end.’

‘But ... but how did you know?’ Leopold asked with disbelief.

‘You told me. Now, Leopold ... get out.’

Leopold did as he was told, shutting the door and leaving the magician to recover.

The Vessel

THE OTHERS WERE all waiting on the main deck for news when Leopold came out of the passage and descended the stairs.

‘What of Samuel?’ Captain Orrell asked. He was alive, but dishevelled and in desperate need of a bath, not too dissimilar to Leopold.

‘He lives, but he fights his demons. There is nothing we can do to help him, except leave him alone. What have you done with Jessicah?’

‘She has been taken to her room. The Koian women gave her something to help her sleep. We tied her to her bed. I didn’t know what else to do.’

‘When Lord Samuel returns, he will know.’

‘She doesn’t seem to know me anymore,’ the captain stated feebly.

‘She knows you, Captain. Do not fret. We will free her of the witch soon enough.’

‘What shall we do in the meantime?’ Captain Merryweather asked. ‘There is no telling how long Lord Samuel may take to recover. We can’t wait here.’ He looked around, for the Farstride remained anchored firmly beside the palace. There was a commotion on the far banks, although it was too far to see the details. The city on the near side of the river was hidden behind the bulk of the palace and the hill it sat upon, but plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the sky.

‘Move us into the bay,’ Daneel said. ‘It is evident that we are no longer invisible. We can defend ourselves better in the open.’

Some Eudan guards, those brave enough to venture out after the previous events, were leaning over the top of the palace wall at that very moment, shouting.

‘So be it,’ Riggadardian agreed and Merryweather stepped away, yelling to Mister Chapman and setting his crew to work.

‘What about the warships in the harbour?’ Leopold asked. ‘Will we fight past them?’

‘Let them see us,’ Lady Wind said. She was the only Koian present. ‘We shall strike fear into them. From what the captain tells us, they have no sorcerers left to defend them. The signal has already gone out. The retaking of the Heavenly City has begun. Bodhi is no more. That Eudan name will be purged from the maps before the day is done. Word will spread across the nation, and soon enough, Koia will be ours again.’

Shortly, the Farstride was readied and as the anchors rattled back into their homes, the ship pulled away into the wide river, readying to make the turn.

Captain Orrell retired to his cabin for a much needed rest, and Leopold called for a tub, hot water, soap, towels and a stiff brush. He sat there high on the aft deck, stripped down to his smalls and scrubbing the grime from his skin. A crewman brought a change of clothes and Leopold discarded his underwear. He kept scrubbing until every inch of him felt cleansed of crud and filth, almost rubbing his skin raw in the process.

When he was done, he towelled himself dry and changed into the fresh clothes. It took perhaps half an hour, but when he was finished, he felt like a new man. Three days of uninterrupted sleep would also accomplish wonders, but he could see to that once he knew they were safe.

He made his way down to the main deck, much refreshed. Lady Wind was there with her husband, and the tall Captain Merryweather stood beside Kali. All were looking across the bay.

Looking across the banks with his spyglass, Captain Merryweather noted that some altercations were under way.

As the Farstride made into the middle of the harbour, they could see that the city was in an uproar. The Koian slaves had rebelled and their Eudan overseers were thrown into chaos.

‘Where are your sisters?’ Leopold asked Kali.

‘In the city already,’ she responded, looking towards the shore. She had changed her clothes and looked refreshed. Her cheek was sporting a long thin cut and Leopold thought it looked somehow noble. ‘Spreading the word and assisting with the fight. The people will gain strength from seeing true Koian warriors. They will know the time has come to retake our homeland. There are many other warriors hiding across the land, posing as slaves. They will join the uprising. Our revolt is gathering momentum.’

‘I found Empress Moon,’ Leopold said, spontaneously recalling the fact. ‘In the dungeons. Should we go back for her?’

‘No,’ Lady Wind said decidedly, cutting in before Kali could comment. ‘She can stay where she is.’

They dropped anchor in the middle of the bay and waited. Minor battles and skirmishes continued through the afternoon, but by dusk the revolt was mostly over. Commander Riggadardian had sent a good portion of his men ashore to help, at the request of Lady Wind, and they now returned by the boatload, bringing news that the uprising was over. In a few short hours, The Heavenly City had been retaken. The city’s chain of command had been decimated and without sorcerers, the Eudan troops had floundered.

‘We helped a little, but the Koians seem to be doing well by themselves,’ reported Daneel on his return, for he had gone with the men to direct their efforts. ‘The Eudans have all but surrendered. Only a few holdouts have barred themselves indoors, awaiting the inevitable.’

‘What will you do with the Eudans?’ Leopold asked of Lady Wind.

‘We cannot send them back to Euda, for we simply lack the means. Neither shall we kill them. We cannot blame the majority for the actions of their leaders. We shall offer them peace, as long as they agree to maintain it. We shall allow them to coexist with us, if they can, and if they abandon their barbaric ways. We will be their slaves no longer, but neither shall we make them ours.’

‘That is very noble of you, good woman,’ Leopold said.

‘I have learned much in my time away from my home,’ Lady Wind replied, with a contented smile. ‘Even you Amandian savages have taught me a few things.’ And she looked to her husband with a loving smile.

Commander Riggadardian, a changed man from earlier in the day, squeezed her arm. It was clear he wanted to throw his arms around her and hug her, but he was an upstanding Turian officer and such things were just not done in public.

Everything was in good hands, so Leopold announced he was going to retire. He strode back to his room, kicked off his boots and collapsed in his bed. The ship could have burned down after that and he would not have known or cared. His head had barely hit the pillow before he was already deep in the embrace of sleep.

****

It was another two days before Lord Samuel emerged, thin and emaciated. He came exploring out from his cabin and staggered to the commander’s quarters. There, the magician drank his fill of water and, surprisingly, requested food. He ate a plateful before demanding seconds, still ravenous. Lady Wind was in shock as he stuffed bread and meat and soup into his mouth, one handful after the other, grunting like a pig with its nose in the trough.

‘You live another day, Lord Samuel,’ Riggadardian said, looking pleased.

‘I do,’ the magician replied between swallows.

‘And what now?’

‘We move on—quickly. We have settled our affairs here and we must be on to Euda. Poltamir awaits and I am eager to have all this done. The final Ancient One remains, and I must find him and defeat him quickly. The matter is only made more urgent by our latest events.’

‘And what of your ... demons.’

‘My demons are again in check, Commander, but their thirst for escape has been accelerated. It is now only a matter of time.’

‘But you can barely stand, good Magician.’

‘The worst is behind me. It is far to Euda. I have time to recover. I will be strong enough to deal with Poltamir when we arrive. You can be sure of that.’

‘Ah. Do you not think we should stay longer and ensure the situation here is resolved? Eudan reinforcements could arrive from anywhere at any moment.’

‘They could, but we will not stay. Let the Koians deal with such matters themselves. They are more than capable now Prithamon and his sorcerers have been removed. If the rebellion has succeeded here, it will gather momentum across the country. The Eudans have no particular desire to rule here. They simply want to live. It was Prithamon who dictated the laws to Pradmet, so in effect by killing the sorcerer we have freed the Eudans from tyranny as well. That brings me to you, Lady Wind,’ he said, glancing up from his plate. ‘Will you be staying here?’

‘I will,’ she said with a solemn nod.

‘And you, Commander, I assume you will remain with your wife.’ Riggadardian stuttered nervously. ‘So be it,’ the magician said decidedly. ‘You can stay—if Leopold agrees, of course.’

‘I could not possibly—’ Riggadardian argued unconvincingly.

‘Please, stay,’ Leopold pleaded. ‘I would not separate you from your dear wife. You have fulfilled your duty to the letter, Commander. You have brought us to Koia and helped save a nation. No Turian hero could have done more, and as such, you deserve just reward for your service. You are a free man. I relieve you of your duty.’

The commander was dismayed, leaving Samuel to roll his eyes and interject once again. ‘Leopold, no Turian would willingly leave the service of his Empire. That would be like you leaving the service of your legs. Have you not learnt by now? Perhaps the Commander could be posted to Koia and assist with the interests of the Empire?’

‘Ah … I don’t follow,’ Leopold stated, perplexed by it all.

‘Use your brain, Leopold. Turia and Koia need an alliance. There are all sorts of agreements and paperwork to see to. You would need an ambassador to remain here and take care of all that important ... stuff.’ He said the last word with a flourish of his hand. Evidently, it was the least abrasive term he could offer.

‘Ah,’ Leopold said, finally catching on. ‘Of course. So be it.’ He reverted to his best emperor’s voice. ‘Commander Riggadardian, I appoint you to the position of Turian Ambassador to the empire of Koia. How does that sound?’ he added, looking expectantly between the magician and the commander.

Riggadardian sighed a great breath of relief. ‘Thank you, Your Majesty,’ he said. ‘I am sure Captain Merryweather will do a fine job in my absence. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Fillius died defending the Farstride, but Mister Chapman will make up for it, I’m sure, and there are other fine men who can assist them both. I only hope you don’t—’

‘Don’t speak of it, Commander,’ Leopold said, waving off the man’s attempts to be apologetic.

‘Ambassador,’ Samuel corrected him.

‘Ambassador Riggadardian,’ Leopold amended.

Samuel dabbed his chin delicately with a napkin. ‘Now that is taken care of, let us be away. I assume our supplies have been replenished and the ship readied?’

‘Not quite,’ Merryweather said. ‘The city has been in some turmoil throughout the rebellion. The men are ashore now, seeing to it. We also had some damage to mend, which I believe has been dealt with—as well as can be under the circumstances. It should hold out for another few weeks, but our good ship will need a long rest after all this, and some extensive maintenance in dry dock.’

Samuel accepted the report without objection. ‘So be it. Then let us depart as soon as possible. By the morning. I assume it will not take long to finish loading those supplies. There seems to be hardly any crew left, so keep light on the provisions.’

‘Aye,’ Merryweather responded.

Samuel then turned to Leopold. ‘What of Jessicah?’

Leopold swallowed. ‘She is quieter. There has been no further sign of Rei, as far as we can tell, but we thought it better to wait for you before releasing her.’

‘That was wise,’ Samuel said.

‘She is very upset, but we just couldn’t be sure ...’

‘I understand. You did well not to give in to her. Where is she?’

‘Locked in her room,’ Leopold replied. ‘With a guard on the door.’

‘Fine,’ the magician said. ‘I will see to her immediately.’

Samuel then pushed back his chair, much invigorated, and left the room without so much as a goodbye.

****

‘Phoenix,’ Leopold greeted, approaching the young woman by the handrail. Kali and Destiny were by her side. He was eager to speak to Kali, but with the other two present, he dare not offend them. ‘I assume this is goodbye.’

The newly appointed Ambassador Riggadardian and Lady Wind were climbing aboard their longboat, about to leave the ship with their belongings.

‘No,’ Phoenix replied. ‘We will come with you. We will assist you and the magician to the end of your quest.’

Leopold was delighted, fighting down the urge to smile. ‘Why is that?’

‘We are in debt to you, Emperor Leopold,’ the sullen Phoenix answered. ‘You have set the wheels in motion. Koia will soon be free. Nothing can stop that now. It is only fitting that we should aid you in return.’

‘It may be difficult to bring you back,’ Leopold told her bluntly. ‘I am not even sure where we are going.’

‘We will do our duty,’ Phoenix said. She might have been strikingly beautiful, if not for her fiery temperament. With that and her judgemental manner, Leopold could not bring himself to find anything attractive about her. ‘Is there something else?’ she asked, noticing Leopold lingering.