The Cyber Chronicles - Book I: Queen of Arlin (5 page)

His mind made
up, Pervor turned and descended the stairs, hardly aware of the
scurrying, terrified servants who dived into doorways like hunted
rabbits. A wailing lady-in-waiting clutched his arm, but he shook
her off. He hastened to the dungeons, finding the steps unguarded.
Going straight to the fifth cell, he flung open the door.

Sabre stood
beside the casket, apparently asleep. At Pervor's entry, his eyes
opened, staring through the advisor with a chilling lack of
expression. Pervor stopped before him. During his last meeting with
Manutim, the wizard had had instructed Pervor on how to give orders
to the cyber. Manutim had explained what he called the weapon's
'set up', and shown him tiny images of himself and Tassin, which he
claimed would be used to ensure that the weapon would recognise
them, along with a perfect copy of his own and Tassin's voices.

Pervor had
found the glowing images and disembodied voices strange and
somewhat alarming, but his king had ordered him to trust the
wizard. The weapon's human form had surprised him, and he had
refrained from trying to persuade Tassin of its true nature,
knowing that she would find it hard to believe, as, indeed, he did.
He did not doubt Manutim's claim, however, especially when the
weapon's lack of humanity in all respects other than its appearance
bore it out so convincingly. Frowning, he recalled the strange
words and manner in which the wizard had directed him to address
the cyber.

"Voice
recognition confirmation."

The brow band
flashed. "Voice recognition confirmed. You have level three
access."

"Command
override input, password, star fall."

"Acknowledged.
Password accepted."

"Input: new
assignment of bodyguard duty to primary command subject Queen
Tassin Alrade. I order you to take the Queen from this castle and
protect her. No matter what she says, or how much she protests,
this order overrides that. In all other things you will obey her,
but you will not leave her side while there is danger, and you will
protect her. Do you understand?"

"New input,
command override status level three. Understood."

"Go then!" He
gestured to the door. "Hurry!"

Like a wild cat
freed, Sabre strode out of the door with lithe, gliding steps.
Pervor followed, falling behind as the cyber broke into a lope down
the corridor.

Tassin hacked
at an enemy soldier, snarling with rage when her sword clanged off
his chain mail and Tyron skewered him instead. She was buffeted
from all sides as the attackers pushed back the soldiers who fought
to defend her. The knot of men around her dwindled fast, their
blood slicking the stones. Tyron bled profusely from a wound in his
side, and his helmet was dented.

Tassin thrust
her sword into the face of an enemy, gladdened and sickened when he
fell back with a scream. Her resolve to die with a sword in her
hand warred with the fear that coiled in her gut. A cry of anguish
was torn from her as Tyron fell, a spear protruding from his side.
He cut down his killer as he collapsed, and his eyes met hers for a
heart stopping moment before they closed and he slid to the ground.
The loss of her champion filled her with anguish and rage, and she
flung herself into the fight with reckless abandon.

A flash of
brilliant blue light made her throw up a hand to protect her eyes
as a wave of intense heat shot past her, singed her skin and made
her gasp. A dozen enemy soldiers fell screaming and writhing, smoke
pouring from their tunics, their armour sizzling. Her soldiers drew
aside with cries of confusion and fear, and she turned to face the
source of the hot blue light.

The blank-faced
warrior from the casket strode towards her. He thrust aside her
astounded men, who gaped at him, offering no resistance. She closed
her mouth, but before she could open it again to enquire as to just
what he was doing, he reached her. His hand flashed out and gripped
the front of her jacket, yanking her towards him as he turned and
dragged her away from her men. They closed in behind her to prevent
the enemy soldiers from following, although the invaders seemed too
stunned to act for the moment. She gasped at his affront and dug in
her heels, but this achieved nothing more than making her slip on
the bloody stones.

"Unhand me!"
she shrilled.

"Orders are to
remove you from this structure."

Tassin
struggled, flailing at him. "Damn you, let me go!"

"Orders are to
protect you."

"Whose orders?"
She tried to pry his fingers from her jacket.

"The human male
designated alpha two, able to command, Pervor."

"I order you to
let me go!"

"Unable to
obey. Orders to rescue you override yours." He dragged her towards
a doorway that led to the upper battlements, three metres above
them. The courtyard was overrun, and the last of her soldiers
prevented the invaders from charging after them.

Remembering
that she still held a sword, Tassin swung it at him. His free hand
flashed up, gripped the blade, twisted it from her grip and tossed
it aside. She growled as he yanked her alongside him, her jacket
cutting into her neck. Her stumbling steps could barely keep pace
with his long strides, and only his brutal grip on her jacket kept
her from falling. He shifted his grip to her arm, ignoring her yelp
as he trundled her up the steps. She grabbed the corner as he
pulled her past, and almost got her fingers ripped off for her
pains.

"Let me go, you
idiot!" she shouted. "I shall have you flayed..."

A group of men
appeared above them on the steps, swords drawn.

"...Impaled on
a hot spike..." Tassin gasped as, with a yank that almost
dislocated her arm, Sabre thrust her behind him. He raised his
other arm, fist clenched, and blue fire spat from it. The men
screamed as the beam of searing light sliced through them, some
falling dead, almost cut in two. Others staggered away, scorching
their hands as they tried to beat out the flames that consumed
their clothes. Sabre lowered his arm and continued up the steps,
dragging her after him. The remaining soldiers fled, trailing smoke
from their smouldering attire. Tassin tried to loosen his fingers
so blood could resume its flow down her arm, but his hand was like
iron.

"I will have
you drawn and quartered, roasted slowly over..." She was yanked
around a corner and dragged up another short flight of stairs.
"...hot coals!"

They entered a
corridor, and more men ran towards them with drawn swords. Sabre
raised his arm and burnt them with the blue fire without breaking
his stride. He headed for the upper battlements, dragging the
stumbling Queen. A group of red-clad soldiers emerged from a
doorway ahead, blocking their path. An arrow buzzed past her ear as
Sabre raised his arm, and the blue fire sliced through the men.

A clatter of
footsteps made Tassin glance back, and she screamed as a warrior
ran up from behind, a battle axe raised. Sabre spun, dragging her
off her feet as if she was a rag doll. His arm lashed out, chopping
the man in the throat. The warrior was flung back with a sickening
crunch, to writhe and claw at his crushed throat. Sabre turned back
towards the steps that led to the battlements, Tassin still trying
to get her feet under her and free her arm from his merciless grip.
He swung, releasing her, and smashed a spear from the air with a
lightning fast movement. Tassin wondered how he had known it was
there, since this time she had not warned him.

Before she
could dart away, Sabre yanked her to her feet, inflicting more
bruises. Soldiers converged on them, her proximity to Sabre forcing
them to attack with swords while the archers stood idle. Sabre
seared them with his magical light, killed some and sent the others
staggering away, beating at their burning clothes and red-hot
armour. Their screams echoed through the castle, falling behind as
Sabre strode on.

They reached
the upper battlements, and Tassin wondered what the mad man
proposed to do now; fly? She gasped as he strode towards the wall
without hesitation, drawing breath to shout at him to stop. Before
she could, he took a running jump from the battlements, dragging
her with him. As they fell, he released her, and she let out a
wailing scream of pure terror.

The cold black
moat water hit her hard, forcing what little air she had left from
her lungs. She sank, struggling, the foul water rushing into her
nose and mouth. A hand gripped her arm and pulled her to the
surface, where she gasped sweet air, coughing and spluttering.
Sabre waded from the moat, hauling her after him like an overgrown
fish. Tassin spat dirty water and flailed at him, but he ignored
her feeble attempts to hit him. Apparently finding it difficult to
drag her, he turned and slung her over his shoulder. She spluttered
with rage at this further ignominy, beating his hard back with her
fists.

"Put me down! I
order you! You moron! Imbecile!"

With a smooth
movement, he swung her off his shoulder and dumped her on the
ground. Tassin's legs seemed to have turned to rubber, and she
staggered drunkenly before collapsing in a heap. Sabre stood
immobile, staring into the middle distance as water trickled from
his clothes. Tassin glared up at him with white-hot fury, mopped
her streaming face and spat out foul moat water.

"How dare you?"
she bellowed. "I don't want to be rescued, you idiot! I would
rather die with my soldiers! Just how far do you think we are going
to get?"

"Enemies
approach," he intoned.

"I will have
you gutted for this, and roasted slowly over a fire! Your eyeballs
will be impaled on hot pokers, your...."

Tassin trailed
off as Torrian's soldiers boiled from the castle, some mounted, the
thunder of their steeds' hooves underscoring their triumphant
shouts. Her gut turned cold, then she remembered the blue fire and
glared up at the man who stood beside her. She tried to get to her
feet, but found her legs still rubbery.

"Well, do not
just stand there, idiot! Fight them!"

Sabre bent and
hoisted her onto his shoulder again, then strode away from the
castle, ignoring her screamed insults and furious blows. If she
ever got her hands on Pervor! How dare he send this muscle-bound
moron to rescue her! Tassin raised her head to look back at the
enemy cavalry, her hand itching for her sword. When the pursuers
were about two hundred metres away, Sabre turned. He raised his
arm, and there was a soft pop. The earth before the chargers
exploded with a huge boom. The blast caught some and flung them
into the air, others were sent sprawling. Horses screamed and
bolted, throwing their riders, and the charge disintegrated into
confusion. Sabre turned and resumed his steady lope, the dripping
Queen bouncing on his shoulder.

Behind them,
men milled in confusion, while Torrian's bellows tried to rally
them. More banners approached from the forest, and she recognised
Grisson’s purple and black. A dozen heavily armoured knights broke
away from the advancing army and thundered towards her on great
warhorses. Torrian must have seen them, for his shouts became
frenzied even though the knights were still distant. His men
regrouped, skirted the crater and came after them at a run.

Again, Sabre
waited until they were within two hundred metres, then turned and
fired the magical weapon. The explosion went off in their midst,
and most were sent sprawling, not to rise again. Tassin grudgingly
revised her estimation of the strange warrior. He was indeed
magical. He carried her tirelessly at a brisk pace, his strides
long and sure. Torrian's outraged bellows summoned another wave of
mounted men from the castle, and the King leapt onto a spare
charger to lead them.

King Grisson's
men closed too, banners flying, racing Torrian to the prize.
Grisson would not be amongst them, of course, he was far too old
and frail. Most likely he watched from a sedan chair. Torrian's
faster cavalry horses soon outstripped the knights, and, as they
drew near once more, Sabre turned and raised his arm. Another soft
pop heralded an explosion that decimated Torrian's soldiers. Sabre
turned away. Evidently Grisson's knights were still too
distant.

Three horses
galloped from the castle; two bays and a grey. Her lame stallion
followed the two war mares, and she cursed as they vanished into
the forest. Grisson's knights were close now, and yet again Sabre
turned, raising his arm. Another great explosion went go off in the
knights’ midst. The warhorses screamed and bucked, some falling,
others galloped away riderless.

Sabre continued
towards a stand of trees, breathing puffs of steam. Entering the
grove, he stopped and dumped her onto her feet, her legs almost
buckling. He turned away to survey the carnage he had left in his
wake. The warhorses had scattered, leaving their riders wandering
on foot, some appearing drunken in their meandering. Another group
of Torrian's foot soldiers headed towards them, however. Tassin
wrung stinking moat water from her hair and coat, shivering.

"Now I will
freeze to death!" she said. "Use your magic to dry me."

Sabre swung
towards her. "You need transportation."

"I want a sword
in my hand and Torrian's neck within reach! If you wish to leave,
do so! Find a horse."

The crystals on
his brow band flashed, and his luminous eyes blinked slowly. "No
such animals are within range."

Tassin snorted,
revising her situation. Since she was now safely away from the
battle, it seemed prudent to seek assistance. This uncouth idiot's
intervention had ruined her plans to die nobly with her men, and no
other way was open save to continue to flee and find help.

"I shall go to
my uncle's castle. He will protect me. There I will fight again,
and this time you will not stop me!"