The Jake Thomas Trilogy: Book 02 - Sword of Light (16 page)

Shaking his head and returning to the present, he wondered again how this all happened.  Ever since he had been dragged into the search for that boy, his life had been turned upside down.  He was cut off from his familiar haunts, could not trust anyone anymore, and was now a wanted man.  Worse of all, he was now known as working with the demons, the thing he had kept hidden for all these years.  Cursing silently to himself, he thought. 
I do not see how this could get any worse.

Glancing up, as if summoned by his statement, the thing that had given him nightmares materialized.  It took the shape of a large warrior, scarred face cold and hard, riding a black warhorse, coming out of the woods and blocking their path.

…

Taric stood with Moshanna, watching as Dominic rode out and confronted the wagon.  He saw the man on the horse in front of the wagon draw his sword and charge Dominic, ignoring the cries of one of the men on the wagon.

“Idiot.”  He heard Moshanna say quietly next to him.

Dominic’s sword flashed, catching the sunlight as he drew it.  He rode into the man’s charge, sword slashing as they passed.  Taric saw the man sway, then slide out of his saddle, tumbling to the ground.

Riding forward, Dominic pointed his sword as the two men on the wagon, dark spots of blood on the blade.  Taric was too far away to hear what he said, but saw the men throw their knives and other weapons in the back of the wagon.  He watched as the large man climbed down and picked up the fallen man, carrying the body and setting it in the wagon as well.  Dominic had taken the reins of the fallen man’s horse.  He pointed with his sword towards where Taric and Moshanna were standing.  The wagon turned and headed across the field in their direction, Dominic riding behind them.

…

Once the wagon was in the safety of the woods, Dominic dismounted.  He saw that Moshanna had drawn his sword and was standing ready if the men made any moves.  He strode up to the wagon, looking up at the men.

“Get down.”  He ordered, face set and his eyes like ice.

He watched them scramble down.  When they were on the ground, he ordered them to kneel down and looked over at Moshanna.

“If they try to move, kill them.”  He stated, Moshanna giving him a short nod in return.

He went over and inspected the wagon.  There were some supplies surrounding the dead man in the wagon bed, but nothing of real value.  He crawled under the bed, taking his dagger and tapping the hilt on the wooden planks.  He noticed a slight difference in sound towards the middle of the bed as compared to the sides.  He slid out from under the wagon and went over to the men.

“I know that there is a compartment built into the wagon bed.”  He said as he stared down at the white-haired man.  “You will open it or I burn the wagon to the ground to get inside.”

The man nodded fearfully and, at Dominic’s gesture, went under the wagon and opened the hidden compartment.  He scrambled back next to the large man when Dominic pointed.

Dominic crawled back under the wagon and look inside the compartment.  He saw several large pouches shoved towards the front of the compartment.  He pulled one out, feeling the weight and hearing the clicking of coins.  He opened it to see it filled with gold and silver coins.  He shoved it back in and closed the hatch.

“Cleric, see if they are under the influence of the demons.”  He told Taric.

Taric nodded, his form suddenly shining, and placed his hand on the white-haired man.  Nothing happened.  He repeated the process with the fat man with similar results.  Stepping back, Taric said.  “They are normal men, Dominic.”

“Merchant, you will now tell me everything you know about what the demons are doing.”  Dominic stated as he knelt in front of the man.  “You do not want me to have to pull answers from you.”  The man flinched.

Haltingly at first, the man began speaking.  He claimed that he was forced by the demons to do what he did.  He thought tracking down Jake was his only mission.  He claimed to not know that the demons would attack the city.  He was ordered to follow Dominic and Jake to Numaria.

Dominic was sure that the man was hiding more, but they did not have time to spend interrogating him.  He stood, knowing what he needed to do.  He glanced over at Moshanna, who caught his meaning and nodded.

Taric also saw the look.  “No, Dominic!”  He said as he placed himself in front of the men.  “I will not allow you to murder these men.”

“In their own words, they have admitted to consorting with demons.”  Dominic said sharply.  “They helped the demons attack the city.  We cannot keep them with us and I will not release them back into the world.”

“Then we must turn them over to the Aletonian authorities.”  Taric said resolutely.  “I am a servant of the One.  These men may be followers of the demons, but they are men; you saw me examine them.  They should answer for their crimes, but it must be by trial.  That way, they may have a chance to reflect on their transgressions and make amends with the One prior to any punishment.  I am concerned for their eternal spirits, not their physical bodies.”

“Clerics.”  Dominic said, shaking his head, resigned.  He looked over at Moshanna.  “What do you think?  Can we find a way to get them to a local garrison?”

Dominic saw Moshanna grimace, then nod his head slowly.  “We can take the road.”  He finally said.  “We will encounter a village large enough to have a garrison.”

“Is there a problem with that?”  He asked, noticing the reluctance.

Sighing, Moshanna looked over at him.  “When I left Aletonia and went to serve Tomaris, I left behind some enemies.”  He said quietly.  “That is why I wanted to pass through the country with minimal contact.  If my enemies know I am here, there will be trouble.”

“We will try to keep this short.”  Dominic replied, looking over toward Taric.  “If you are going to insist on this.”

“I am.”  Taric stated.

He faced the kneeling men.  “The cleric has saved your life today.”  He said, voice emotionless.  “You will ride in the wagon, following me, until we reach the garrison.  If you make any attempt to flee, I will end you both, despite anything the cleric says.  Is that clear?”  The men fearfully nodded their understanding.

Shortly, they were riding out of the forest and taking the road south.  Dominic took the lead, with Taric and Moshanna following behind the wagon.  Moshanna pulled up his hood, hiding his face as they rode forward.

It was near dark when they finally reached the village of Arpetigo.  The village was spread out on either side of the road, the buildings made of wood with stone foundations.  They received some curious looks, but no one stopped them.  Near the south end of the village, Moshanna told them, was one of the roads that ran east towards the capital.  At the junction of the roads was the fortress of the local garrison, a squat stone building with large wooden gates.  The gates were open and a pair of soldiers were lighting torches on either side of the gates.  Dominic led them to the gates, stopping when a guard stepped into the middle of the path, holding up his left hand, palm out.

“Identify yourself and state your business.”  The soldier said, tone brisk and businesslike.  He was dressed in armor, chainmail encasing his arms and legs, with a breastplate over his chest.  He had a long sword belted around his waist and a round steel helm covering his head.  He held a long wooden spear in his right hand; the tip was a wicked looking barbed steel point. 

“I am Dominic of Sanduas and I bring captives to turn over to the queen’s justice.”  Dominic replied formally.

“Lord Demonhunter.”  The man said, eyes going wide and bowing.  “I am Sergeant Sefan Riverborn.  It is my honor to greet you.”

“Demonhunter, Sergeant?”  Dominic inquired.

“That is the name which we honor you with here.”  Riverborn replied.  “Word of your endless fight against the demons has reached the ears of the people.  You have much honor and are held in high esteem.  If I may be so bold, by the queen even, some say.  How may I assist you?”

“These men on the wagon are wanted in Sanduas for working with the demons.”  Dominic stated.  “They helped in the attack on the city, giving the demons vital information.  I cannot escort them back to Sanduas and my friend the cleric insists that they be tried.  We trust that you can hold them and see if the queen will send them back to Sanduas or try them herself.”

The man’s eyes had gone flat while listening to Dominic.  He glared at the men sitting on the wagon.  “We have no use for those that consort with demons.”  Riverborn stated bluntly.  “But I will honor your request and hold them.  I will dispatch a rider to the capital to see what my commanders wish done.”

He turned and called for more soldiers.  Eight men, similarly dressed and armed, came out of the fortress.  They took up positions around the wagon.

“Can I offer your party a place to stay for the night?”  Riverborn asked.  “The accommodations are basic, but clean.”

“Thank you, Sergeant, but we will find an inn.”  Dominic began.

As he spoke, Moshanna’s horse moved, shifting to the side, pulling Riverborn’s eye to him.  He caught a glimpse of Moshanna’s dark face beneath the hood.

“Who is this man, Lord Demonhunter?”  Riverborn demanded.  “You are not known to have Aletonian companions.”

Before Dominic could respond, Riverborn strode past him and stopped in front of Moshanna.  “Identify yourself.”  He demanded.

Moshanna did not respond.  At Riverborn’s signal, the nearby soldiers lowered their spears, the sharp steel aimed at Moshanna.  Riverborn used his spear to push back Moshanna’s hood, revealing his face, which had a resigned look on it.  At the sight, Dominic heard Riverborn’s sharp intake of breath.  The soldiers kept their spears on Moshanna as Riverborn returned to confront Dominic.

“Do you know who this man is, Demonhunter?”  Riverborn asked, face unhappy.  “You are known to have great honor, so I do not believe that you would knowingly associate with a traitor of the realm.”

Chapter Fifteen

“A traitor?”  Dominic said, incredulous.  “How has he betrayed Aletonia?”

“He ran from his honor, pledged before the queen.”  Riverborn replied, glaring at Moshanna.  “Betraying your word to the queen is the same as betraying the queen herself.”

“What now, Sergeant?”  Dominic asked.  “He is my companion and I will not abandon him.”

“He must be taken to the capital to face the judgment of the queen, Lord Demonhunter.”  Riverborn stated.  “You may accompany him, if you wish.”

“We will.”  Dominic said, looking over at Taric, who nodded.

“I must insist that you stay here tonight.”  Riverborn said.  “We will leave at first light.”  He looked back at Moshanna.  “Since you have claimed him as a companion, I will not relieve him of his weapons, if you will pledge his cooperation.”

“Before you agree, know what that means.”  Riverborn said quickly, holding up his hand to forestall Dominic.  “Since he is deemed a traitor, his word means nothing.  If you pledge for him, you are guaranteeing his proper conduct.  If he were to try to escape or turn on my soldiers, you would be expected to kill him to preserve your honor.  If you were to aid in his escape, you would be attainted with his crime and be deemed an enemy of the realm.”  He paused.  “Do you still wish to pledge your word?”

“I do, Sergeant.”  Dominic replied.

“Very well.”  Riverborn said, motioning for his men to lower their weapons.  “I will have a space set aside for you and food brought.”  He nodded over at the wagon, a grim look on his face.  “The demon followers will get the cells tonight.”

“That sounds too fine for me, but I will defer to your judgment, Sergeant.”  Dominic said, looking over at the wagon and seeing the white-haired merchant quail.

They were led into the fortress, its stark gray
stone walls rising around them to form a courtyard.  In the center of the courtyard stood a squat building built from the same stones.  It was a single story with defensive battlements constructed around the roof.  In the center of the building was a set of heavy wooden doors, bound in steel.  There were thin vertical slits built into the walls of the building to allow for archers to shoot out.

Near the far wall, Dominic saw that there were several steel cages.  They were small, only around three feet by three feet, with a low ceiling only about four feet high, forcing whoever was in it to bend over or kneel.  The dirt floor was covered with a light dusting of straw, with barely enough room to lie down if you curled up.  Dominic watched as the merchant and his man were taken over and tossed roughly into those cells.

They dismounted in front of the doors of the main building, allowing their horses to be taken away to the stable.  When they entered, Dominic saw that the room inside was austere, the walls plain and unadorned, with some iron braziers for light and warmth and a few pieces of rough-hewn wooden furniture spread about.  There were two hallways on either side of the room.  Riverborn led them to the one on the right and down the hallway to another door.  He opened the door to reveal a small room with several wooden pallets on the floor and a small table with a lantern on it.  The pallets were covered with thin cloth mattresses stuffed with straw.

“I apologize for the accommodations, Brother Cleric and my lord.”  Riverborn said.  “These are quarters for soldiers, so there is not much comfort to be found.”

“We have all slept in worse places, Sergeant.”  Dominic replied.  “This will be satisfactory.”

“Do you have any men that need a cleric’s attention, Sergeant?”  Taric offered.  “I would be more than happy to help them.”

“I do, Brother.”  Riverborn told him.  “We have not seen a cleric in some time, so your assistance would be welcomed.  Please follow me.”

Once Taric and Riverborn left, Dominic sat down on a pallet and motioned Moshanna to do the same.  Once he sat down, Dominic spoke.

“What is this all about, Moshanna?”  He said quietly.  “I find it hard to believe that you would betray anyone, least of all the queen.”

Moshanna, his dark face pensive, sat still for a few moments before replying.  “In Aletonia, a man’s honor is considered sacred, his word a bond that cannot be broken.  In this case, it is true that I broke my word, one pledged before the queen.”

“Why?”  Dominic asked softly.

“Many years ago, my father was an officer in the army.”  Moshanna said.  “This was in the time when the queen’s father was still king.  The king had four siblings, two sisters and two brothers.  The king’s youngest brother served in the army in the same command as my father.  Over time, they became friends, despite the fact that my father was a commoner.  During a battle with the demons and their followers, my father saved the prince’s life when his unit was overrun.  My father rushed his men in, battling their way through the demons’ followers to the prince, and pulled him out.  When they returned to the capital, the prince persuaded the king to make my father a noble.  While he was a minor noble, his closeness with the prince made him popular at court.”

“He continued his close friendship with the prince throughout his life.  The prince married late in life and I was four when his daughter, Sharin, was born.  Over the years, our families stayed close and I was in many ways like an older brother to Sharin.  When I turned seventeen, I joined the army, following in my father’s footsteps.  I had been stationed in the remote reaches of the country for several years before I was transferred back to the capital.  When I did return, I found Sharin to be a woman grown, beautiful and gracious.  We renewed our friendship, but over time it became something more.  Our feelings deepened and we found ourselves in love, something neither of us had anticipated.  We kept it secret, for she was part of the royal family, bound up in the politics of court, which made our love problematic to say the least.”

Moshanna paused, his eyes far away, and then continued.  “By this time, the old king had died and the queen was new upon her throne.  The nobles jockeyed amongst themselves, each house trying to get close to the queen to gain advantage.  Darrius Oceansong, the eldest son from one of the most powerful houses, took an interest in Sharin.  She was a grand prize for any house that she married into as she a cousin to the queen, with royal blood, though not in the line of succession.  Darrius was a few years older than me, with a reputation as a skilled swordsman, though he was also known for his ambition, as well as his cruelty.”  He sighed.  “Somehow, he found out about Sharin and I.”

“It was during a public audience with the queen when he asked her for Sharin’s hand.  He was looking at me when he spoke the words, a smile on his face, and I realized then that he knew.  Before the queen could respond, my passion overcame me and I challenged him, proclaiming my love of Sharin and my desire to wed her.”  He looked over at Dominic, face now grim.  “I claimed that my honor was at stake.  Matters of honor among the noble families are settled through duels to the death.  We both pledged before the queen to meet in combat, with the victor gaining the right to ask for Sharin’s hand.  While his reputation with the sword would have stopped any other, I was not going to surrender my love.  The queen accepted my challenge and bound us to meet in three days time to settle our dispute.”

“The night before the duel, as I was saying my prayers in the Temple, Sharin came to me.  She told me that her confidants had found out that, if I were to triumph, Darrius’ family would move to avenge his death by killing me and my parents, as well as my younger sister and her family.  Crying and clinging to me, she begged me to flee, despite my honor, to save my life.  She told me that she could not bear to be the reason for my death.  She said she would rather endure being Darrius’ wife, knowing I was alive, than see me taken from this world.  I tried to reason with her, telling her I was unafraid, but, inside, I was also torn by the threat to my parents and sister.”

Moshanna sadly shook his head.  “So, in the end, I gave way to her wishes and fled.  I knew that I would be attainted as a traitor when I did not present myself at the arena, so I took a horse and rode away from the capital.  Due to my shame, I choose not to see my parents, but Sharin told me that she would inform them of the true reason why I left.  I rode to the Gray Ridges, losing myself in the mountains.  I made my way over the passes, with no real direction or purpose.  I was near the Keep when I encountered Tomaris, who was returning from one of his quests.  He invited me into the Keep, listened to my story and offered me a place within his Guard.  That was nearly ten years ago.”

“Ten years?”  Dominic asked.  “How did Riverborn recognize you after all this time?”

“All soldiers are given descriptions of those deemed traitors, especially those that betrayed the queen.”  Moshanna said.  “It is considered a great honor to return a traitor to face the queen’s justice.  Due to the circumstances of my betrayal, it is likely that my description is near the top of any traitor’s list.”

“So why didn’t you stay behind?”  Dominic demanded.  “Surely, we could have found someone else to lead us through Aletonia.”

“Tomaris insisted that I needed to go, so here I am.”  Moshanna replied.  “I was concerned that I would be a liability on this mission, but he dismissed that.  I told him that I thought he was making a grave mistake, but I swore myself to him when he gave me a place in his Guard, so I obeyed his wishes.”

“What will happen to you when we arrive at the capital?”  Dominic inquired.  “I cannot see a good end to this.”

“As Riverborn said, I will be taken before the queen.”  Moshanna said, shrugging his shoulders.  “It will be up to her, but the headsman is the likely outcome.”

“I will see if I can reason with her.”  Dominic said.  “I am known to her, so she may listen.”

“We’ll see.”  Moshanna said, looking resigned.

The next morning, with the sun still below the horizon, they left the fortress and began the ride to the capital.  The merchant and his man were bound hand and foot and placed in the wagon bed, with one of Riverborn’s soldiers driving the wagon.  Dominic rode up near Riverborn, with Moshanna and Taric right behind them.  There were two soldiers riding ahead of Dominic as the advance guard and four soldiers riding behind the wagon.

“How far to the capital, Sergeant?”  Dominic asked as they rode.

“We will make it across the valley by early afternoon and should be able to navigate the coastal hills before dark.”  Riverborn replied.  “Danelias is on the other side of the hills.”

The valley, dotted with farms and animal ranches, rolled by as they rode east.  The weather was mild, with scattered white clouds drifting overhead.  By mid-morning, a greenish smudge grew on the horizon as they drew closer to the costal hills.  When they arrived at the hills, Dominic saw that they were small, similar to the hills west of Sanduas, though they were covered in a green grass with only a few trees dotting the land.  As they rode through the hills, the hint of salt air began to grow more prominent.  With the sun at their backs, low in the western horizon, they crossed the last ridge.

Down the slope of the hill, Danelias, the capital, spread out in front of them.  The city was built along the shoreline of the Outer Ocean.  It had wide streets the crisscrossed the city, with stone buildings built along their paths.  Dominic noticed that the buildings were more crowded near the
water, with larger buildings to the north.  He also spotted the palace, built on a rise to the north, overlooking the rest of the city.  It had delicate spires rising from the corners of the wall that surrounded it, the building itself made of a light-colored stone that caught the light of the setting sun.  Near the center of the city was a large arena, its oval shape standing out from the rest of the buildings.  To the south, he saw another large building that was built near the water, surrounded by a green garden.

“What is that building, Sergeant?”  Dominic asked, pointing.

“That is the Temple, my lord.”  He replied.

Dominic nodded and returned to studying the city.  It was hemmed in to the north and south where the hills ran into the ocean, the sides facing the sea worn down into shear cliffs.  There was a natural breakwater to the north, where a rocky outcropping jutted south.  A man-made breakwater was build, extending from the southern hills north to create a large harbor.  Two large stone towers were built at the ends of the breakwaters, serving as lighthouses and defensive positions at the harbor opening.  In the harbor, Dominic saw at least a dozen sailing vessels and three large wooden ships that looked like warships.

The city itself was protected by a large stone wall that ran from the northern cliff, curving towards the hills, then back to the southern cliff.  The road they were on ran towards the main gates.  Strong battlements and an open field that prevented any enemy from advancing unseen protected the gates themselves.

They continued on, riding through the gates.  In the open courtyard beyond the gates, a soldier on horseback halted them.  He was a middle-aged man, tall and slim, with a dark complexion and jet-black hair.  He was dressed in a similar fashion as Riverborn’s soldiers, but his armor was finer, with a golden stripe on the left shoulder of his breastplate.  Riverborn gave him a salute, which was returned.

“Where are you going, Sergeant?”  The soldier demanded.  “Who are these foreigners?”

“I am bringing the traitor Deepwood to the palace to face the queen’s wrath, Captain.”  Riverborn stated, pointing at Moshanna.  “This is Dominic of Sanduas and Brother Taric.  They are companions of Deepwood and have pledged themselves to him.  The two in the back of the wagon are accused by Lord Dominic to be followers of the demons.  I was bringing them to face the queen as well.”