aLord Davia"!a Mendicant began to cry, but Cyrus put a hand over the goblinas mouth. After holding a single finger over his own to quiet the wizard, he took his hand away and Mendicant spoke unhampered. aLord Cyrus,a he said, his voice a whisper. aYou have returned to us.a aYou didnat think a little thing like ten thousand of those beasts would be the death of me, did you?a Cyrus asked, not harshly but not kindly, either. aI need a small service of you.a aAnything, malord,a Mendicant said. aAll my spells are you at your command.a aI only need one of them. Come with me.a They made their way to the other side of the camp in the pervasive quiet. Cyrus heard a few bodies stir as he passed, and one of them made to cry out, but Aisling quieted him with a quick hand. Cyrus went on, Mendicant just behind him, until they reached a fire at the edge of the camp. Cyrus held up a hand to stay Mendicant, who stopped, and with a nod from Cyrus, began to cast a spell.

Cyrus walked forward, not bothering to be silent any longer. He could see Terian, asleep, clutching the long, red sword that Cyrus had given him, snug against his body, cradled as though it were a lover. It remained in its scabbard, something that no doubt carried none of the majesty of the one that his father had useda"it had remained with his body on the bridge, after all. Cyrus looked at the blade as Terian held it and thought of the words againa"It will drink the blood of my enemies. All of them. He drew Praelior, and let the sound of the steel against the scabbard awaken his target.

Terianas eyes fluttered open, and Cyrus saw his hand tense around the hilt of the sword. After a moment of widening in shock, they returned to normal, and Terian lay there, staring up at his general, and nodded once in complete and utter disinterest. aHello, Cyrus.a aHello, old friend.a Cyrus pointed his sword at Terian. aI trust youave had a satisfying few nights of sleep?a aFor the first time in a while, I would have thought,a Terian replied. aBut not really. Been a little fitful, if weare being honest.a aaIf weare being honesta?a Cyrus snorted. aThatad be a first, at least in recent memory. Honesty would break you, dark knight. Honesty would have meant that instead of playing a treacherous dog and trying to feed me to those rotted beasts, youad challenge me in open combat and let the dice roll what they may.a aI could have taken you in open combat,a Terian said. aThere wouldnat have been much challenge in that. The only challenge would have been your allies and guildmates, who wouldnat have let me approach within a mile of you with sword in hand to ask for a duel.a aYou think not?a Cyrus asked, pushing the blade toward Terianas throat, causing the dark knight to blanch not one bit. aYou think they wouldnat have let me cross swords with you in honest dispute?a aNo,a Terian said, abecause theyad know you would die. You canat match a dark knight, Cyrus, and no one but you is fool enough to trifle with magics when they have only a blade to do it with. Stab me five times and Iall cast a spell that takes away my wounds and visits them upon you in return, restoring me and cursing you to a self-inflicted death. Anyone with sense would not let you face me in a duel. So it was treachery, a surprise, the quick and dirty, and off you went to die at hands other than my owna"yet still I would be revenged.a aThis from a man who told me once that he despised those who werenat what they appeared to be,a Cyrus said, and saw the flicker in Terianas eyes. aWell, it would appear your boundless hypocrisy has come back to visit you. Get up.a Terian shuffled his feet out of his blanket and stood before Cyrus, leaving his sword to lie on the ground. aPick it up,a Cyrus said, nodding at the sword. aIf you wanted to have a go at me, now youall get onea"a legitimate one.a aYou think so?a Terian said, and his hand flew up in a quick motion, as though he were flinging something at Cyrus with it.

Cyrus stood back smiling grimly as Terian blinked then thrust his hand at Cyrus again. aPick up your sword, dark knight,a Cyrus said, aand letas truly see who will win this battle of blades.a Terian looked around as he stooped to retrieve his blade. aMendicant,a he said, seeing the goblin standing a distance away. aYouave had him place a cessation spell over us.a aOver us and everything nearby,a Cyrus said, noting that several of the bundles on the ground, officers of Sanctuary who had been sleeping were stirring now, sitting up in their bedrolls with tired eyes. He saw Jaanda look at him with an openmouthed astonishment that turned into a smile. Cyrus nodded his head at the enchanter and turned back to Terian. aYou tried to kill me dishonorably and failed. I give you one chance to do it in a duel and perhaps save that shredded rag you call your honor.a Cyrus held his sword upright, in front of his face. aI wish you the best of luck, because I suspect youall need it.a aLuck,a Terian said with unmistakable sorrow. aNever did seem to have much of that.a He hoisted his sword above his head in a high guard, waiting for Cyrus. When Cyrus beckoned him forward, Terian attacked without warning, striking with his blade as Cyrus blocked it, knocking the red sword aside.

The camp was awakening now, the sounds of a battle echoing through the night. Cyrus heard the cries of surprise, of alarm, of his name, and he felt the warm flush that battle brought to his skin, coupled with the chill of sweat that had long since settled and grown cold from the mountain air. He tasted the embers in his mouth, the ashen desire to strike back at Terian for knocking him asunder and cursing him, and it was the bitterest thing he had ever eaten. From out of the darkness, figures strode closer, whispers were exchanged by those who knew what was happening, and Cyrus could smell fear in the air, mingled with the metal of his blade as he set it against Terianas again and again as the dark knight raged against him.

aWhatas the matter, warrior?a Terian said with fury, bringing his sword down for another attack that Cyrus blocked. aYouare not attacking me. Am I too fast for you? Were you too arrogant for your own good?a He clashed with Praelior and then drew the blades close to look at Cyrus between the locked swords. aWas this how it was with my father? Did he overmatch you until someone else had to save you?a Cyrus pushed him back, sending Terian staggering, and then brought Praelior back to a defensive position in front of his face. aNo. Your father attacked me when I was wounded and near dead. When Vara kept him from killing me,a he said, circling the dark knight as Terian watched him with smoldering eyes, athey fought for a spell, and before he could land the coup de grace on her, I stabbed him through the back.a Cyrus spun Praelior in a neat circle in front of his face. aYour father was a coward, like you, and I ended him like a cowarda"a aLIAR!a Terian lunged at Cyrus, his weapon high over his head, coming down in a furious attack that sent reverberations through Cyrusas armor from his gauntlets to his boots. aMy father was a hero of the Sovereignty!a He brought the blade down again and again against Praelior, and still Cyrus repelled each blow and turned it aside. aHe was the most powerful dark knight in all Arkaria! He could kill you and Vara a hundred times over!a Cyrus batted another thrust aside and finally attacked with the speed that his sword granted him; each of Terianas blows was slow and telegraphed, the dark knightas rage keeping him from intelligent action. Cyrus brought his sword across Terianas body in a slash that caught him under the pauldrons, in the armpit, and the dark knight cringed and staggered back as Cyrus pursued him. The warrioras next attack caught him across the arm, went through the niche at his elbow, and Cyrus saw blood fountain out of the gap and splatter the ground in large drops.

aYour father was a coward and a plunderer,a Cyrus said as Terian backed away from him. aHe came to Termina at the head of an army bent on destroying the city, harming her occupants, and doing so without an army to stand up for them. He did it after burning Santir, an undefended human settlement, and cutting a swath across Confederation territory without mercy or care for who they killed or whose lives they wrecked in the process.a Cyrus brought his sword down in an overhand strike that caught Terian across the wrist that held his sword. The blade hit the dirt and fell out of his hand. Cyrus brought Praelior down again and Terianas hand was severed, his armor broken, shattered and sundered metal over a stump that drained dark blood onto the ground as Terian clutched it with his other hand.

aYour father was a coward,a Cyrus said again, holding Praelior at Terianas throat. Terianas face dissolved from agony into rage as he tried to stand. Cyrusas blade stabbed down, into the gap in his greaves and laid his knee open. Cyrus felt Praelior cut through the chain beneath and Terian screamed, writhing as Cyrus forced the tip of the sword into his leg. aHe lived as a coward and died as coward, as a man who followed the orders of a coward, without regard for those he inflicted pain upon. It would appear,a Cyrus twisted his sword in Terianas knee and the dark knight screamed in a voice loud enough to echo through the mountains, athat his character bred true in you. That Alarica"and all of the rest of usa"were wrong about you. Thou art a dark knight. And thou never didst crawl out of thy fatheras shadow.a Terian was breathing heavy, but he managed to gasp out a response. aAnd what are you, warrior? A man who follows Alaricas every suggestion like a lapdog? Who doesnat think for himself but snaps to attention when someone calls you, asking for help, regardless of the rightness of their cause? At least I believed in something, in someone. You professed to be of Sanctuary too, but you left Baron Hoygraf to bleed to death in agony. So which is it, Cyrus Davidon?a Terian managed a wicked grin. aAre you the virtuous knight? Or are you like me and donat care what it takes to get the job done, even if that means getting a little blood on your hands? What do you believe, Cyrus?a aI believe,a Cyrus said, and leaned down, taking a knee, but keeping his sword pointed at Terianas uncovered throat, athat I just beat you in a duel.a Terian writhed, chafing at the edge of Praelior pressed against his skin. aI believe that makes your life forfeit.a He gripped tighter at the hilt, felt the power of the sword run through him, and he hesitated. The wind picked up again and a chill ran through him. In the great emptiness within him he heard a call for him to stopa"heard it, and ignored it. Cyrus could smell the blood now, the sweat running down his face, could taste it as he licked his lips, and as Terianas eyes widened, he drove his sword into the dark knightas throat and watched the light fade from his friendas eyes.

Chapter 39.

aThat was unnecessary, Cyrus,a Curatio said, stepping out of the circle that had grown to surround them and pausing by Terianas side. aHe was humbled, defeated.a Curatio thought about it for a moment. aWell, he was defeated anyway.a A glow encompassed his hand, and he brought it down to Terianas face. Cyrus watched the dark knight stir back to life. Blood proceeded to geyser out of his open throat until Curatioas healing spell took hold and the wounds were mended, new skin stretching to fill the gaps rent by Cyrusas blade as his hand was joined back to his arm. aTerian,a Curatio said, ayou know whatas to happen now.a aI wonat go,a Terian said, his eyes dull as he retched, his hand reaching up to his neck and wiping the blood from the newly knit flesh found there. aLet me loose here, in the wilderness, and Iall make my own way.a aAnd a month or a year from now, I find a blade in my back?a Cyrus turned Praelior back to rest above Terianas face. aI think not.a aYouall be bound,a Curatio said to Terian. aTied, gagged, and put ahorse, allowed to eat only under the watch of the cessation spella"a aI am seriously enjoying the irony of this,a Partus called from somewhere in the circle. aItas quite delightful, Teriana"youall come to enjoy the taste of having a rock on your tongue at all times, and having to have someone unbind you to make water.a aI wonat,a Terian said, eyes blazing. His hand came up at Cyrus and the warrior brought Praelior up to slash it off againa"

aEnough,a Curatio said, and turned the blade aside then watched Terian, whose hand went limp in front of him as the dark knightas face fell. He looked to Aisling, who was standing off to the side, a thick coil of rope in her hands. aBind him.a aNoa"a Terian said, but Longwell and Scuddar came forward and restrained him, turning him over and grinding his face into the dirt as Aisling wrapped the ropes around his hands and feet then gagged him with a rock, a cloth, and a rope for good measure. The dark knight writhed on the ground when they were done, his hands and feet bound separately, securing each wrist to the other, each leg to its match at the ankle and a coil tied the two together, inadvertently putting Terian into an seated position. Silence pervaded the circle around him, as though everyone was afraid that speaking might make them complicit in whatever crime the dark knight had committed.

aTerian Lepos,a Curatio began, ayou have been accused of attempting to murder your general. You will be returned to Sanctuary at our earliest convenience to be judged by a tribunal of your fellow officers, and weall decide from there whatas meant to be done with you.a He stared at the dark knight, who refused to meet the healeras gaze. aAnd I, for one, am greatly disappointed in you.a Cyrus could see the glare of contempt that Terian leveled at the ground, not turning it anywhere near Curatio. The healer crossed the space between them and placed a gentle hand on Cyrusas shoulder, leading him away from where Terian sat, silent, not bothering to struggle against his bonds. aYou didnat have to kill him, you know. I thought youad learned your lesson about revenge.a aThat wasnat revenge,a Cyrus said. aThat was warning. I knew youad bring him back, that head be dragged along with us. I need him to be afraid, to think Iad kill him if he got out of line.a Curatio stopped, his hand still on Cyrusas shoulder. aIt is good to have you back.a The healeras eyes flicked from Cyrus to away, in the distance. aI confess, I had thought we had seen your certain end when we saw you ride off to the west.a aNothing is certain as regards my end,a Cyrus said, asave for that it is not yet here.a Something flared in his mind, the memory of where the journey had taken Aisling and him. aCuratio, those thingsa"they come froma"a aThe Realm of Death,a Curatio said quietly. aYes, we know. Jaanda saw into one of their minds, remember? He saw that they were the spirits unleashed when Mortus died, that they have come through a portal and been made substantial. How did you know?a aWe found the portal,a Cyrus said. aIt was in the back of a cave we took refuge in on the first night, during the snow. We went inside, thinking it might be an avenue of escape.a He looked down in anguish. aThere are more of them, Curatio. Countless more. Think about when those things broke loose from the Eusian Tower, there were enough of them to blot out the red sky of the entire realm.a aI know,a Curatio said. aMore than Iad care to count, thatas for certain. All Mortusas prisoners, his damned souls, and all they need do to receive physical forma"albeit a horrific onea"is to step through a portal, and a faded shadow of life becomes theirs once more.a aBut how is it possible?a Cyrus asked. aThose a things a are they alive?a aClose enough,a Jaanda said, slipping up to join them. aThey were dead, all of them, in torment from Mortusas efforts to keep them imprisoned, enslaved a now they are loosed, and after arriving through the portal they have form and substance. Not life, as you or I would define it, with need and want and reason. But they have desire. They have hunger. They crave flesh and pain, and would visit it upon whomever they encounter.a He shook his head. aThey are not mindless beasts; they will coordinate, attack, and they aim to harvest and kill every piece of idle flesh on this continent, to have every soul they can rest between their teeth to join thema"in death.a aSo youare saying that thousands of years of torment have left them slightly bitter and resentful of us living folk?a Cyrus asked. aOh, joy.a He took a breath. aHow many have made it over thus far?a Jaanda shrugged. aNumbers are meaningless to them. Theyare smarter than beasts, but all the torment has left them lacking in will. They move in packs, in herds, and finding fresh prey seems to be their only concern. More will come, as they continue to seek new flesh. I sense that others have tried to explore the other portala"the one that leads to the Island of Mortus in the Bay of Lost Soulsa"but that their efforts there are fruitless, and they have turned all their focus to this one, with the promise of flesh both tantalizing and near. The one that came down to us, to the swamps? I suspect it was a newer soul, one less paralyzed into group action.a Jaanda shrugged. aThat is but a theory, though. Who knows what they will do, how many will come?a aBut you have a suspicion, right?a Cyrus asked. aYou were inside one of their minds, you looked around. What do you think theyall do?a Jaanda was slow to respond. aI have already told the others this. I suspect they will go in the direction of flesh. If there is no prey north or east or west, then they will come south. They can sense life at a great distance and desire to extinguish it. It is a predatory need for them, a relentless hunger, a jealousy that crosses to obsession. They will keep coming as long as there is life in front of them.a Jaanda became withdrawn, his voice quiet, hollow, and he stared past Cyrus as he spoke. aUntil there is no more life left.a

Chapter 40.

The ride back to Enrant Monge took a month, a month during which the expedition was quiet. Cyrus spoke at length with Count Ranson on the day after his return, and with the envoy from Actaluere; all were agreed that the scourge was serious, and a threat to every Kingdom in Luukessia.

aThose creatures are beasts,a the envoy from Actaluere, a pompous snot named Reygner, sniffed, aand their numbers are vast, but there is a very clear danger in what they can do to us, to our land. I intend to press my King to send immediate aid north. There will be plenty of time to make war amongst ourselves after these foreign creatures are expelled from Luukessia.a Cyrus did not bother to dispel the manas perception of the scourgeas intellect.

Ranson had been less forthcoming. aI intend to tell the King what I have seen,a the count told Cyrus later, away from the rest of expedition, abut I do not expect he will listen. I meana"ancestors, man! We saw an army of Syloreas torn to pieces, a host of these beasts, but not so many that a firm defense wouldnat sway them or cause them to go down in defeat.a He shook his head in frustration. aI will urge him to action, especially as you say there are numerous more of these things, but I expect heall take my counsel and pick out only the parts that appeal to him.a aOh?a Cyrus asked. aWhat parts are those?a Ranson hesitated before answering. aSylorean Army, torn to pieces.a aWhat will you do, Count?a aI will do nothing I am not ordered to,a Ranson snapped. aTo do otherwise is treason of the highest order, and I have no desire to oppose my Sovereign and sign my own death order when I could avoid it.a aAnd if your treason could save your people?a Cyrus watched Ranson, whose face fell.

aI doubt it could,a Ranson said. aWe have not seen the full force of these things, in any case. You say there are more, but I ask you how you know this? Yes, yes,a he waved off Cyrus, aI have heard your explanation, of gods and tormented souls released, but such thoughts seem ridiculous to me, just as they will to any other in Luukessia that you tell. Ancestor worship is our philosophy, not mythical gods or all-powerful beings.a aFine,a Cyrus said, athen call them your tormented ancestors, returning to visit their pain and anguish upon you for all their sins past.a aAncestors!a Ranson cursed. aIt makes it sound all the more ridiculous when you say it that way.a After Ranson had ridden away, off to the other side of the procession, Curatio brought his horse alongside Cyrus. aIt does sound ridiculous, you know.a aThat an army of tormented dead that we unleashed is visiting all manner of hell upon the northern reaches of a land most of us had never even heard of until a few months ago?a Cyrus looked at Curatio, and found a certain irony that allowed him to smile rather than weep. aI canat imagine why any part of that statement would strain the credibility of the person who spoke it and professed to believe it.a aNor can I,a Curatio said, with only a little irony of his own. aYet all levity aside, this is the truth that we are faced with. We are culpable for whatever happens here, because we were the ones who killed Mortus.a aI donat want to think about it that way,a Cyrus said, and looked away from the healer abruptly.

aYou may not want to,a Curatio said, abut I suspect that your wants are unlikely to stop your mind from wandering in that direction.a aAye,a Cyrus said in a whisper, athere has indeed been some wandering. But itas not all that is on my mind.a aHmmm,a Curatio said, abetrayal, backstabbing, deception, abandonment, duels to the death, arguments with women, deeply conflicted feelings, and an army unlike any weave ever seen on the march toward the civilizations of this land. I canat imagine what else you might be thinking about.a After a momentas pause, the healer said something else, more conciliatory. aTry not to let it all weigh you down.a Without another word, he urged his horse forward and left Cyrus riding alone.

But he was not alone that night, later, when he found a spring in the woods near the site of their camp. When his clothes and armor came off, the sound in the brush made him reach for his sword. His fingers dangled on the hilt when a single twig snapping turned him in the direction of the presence.

Aisling stepped out of the shadows, and wordlessly removed her clothing, slipping into the spring with him. There was more passion in her kisses than usual, and Cyrus returned them, every one, with just as much, craving her, wanting to feel the sweet bliss of forgetfulness. He found he wanted the tender moments of peace that only she could give him, where everything else was by the wayside.

When they were done, they did not exchange a word, but she aided him in washing himself and he did the same for her. She quietly stole off toward the camp by herself. He followed moments later. She had not come to his bedroll at night, not since they had returned to the expedition, but along the trail she would find him sometimes in an unguarded moment, against a tree, or in a soft patch of grass, and he would be able to ease his mind, to forget about all else for just a few precious minutes.

They passed Scylax without stopping for more than a few hours, allowing the horses to rest and for fresh provisions. They entered through the gates, were entertained on the main avenue, and rode out through the gate down the mountain only a few hours later. Some of the Syloreans changed horses; Cyrus did not have the luxury, and Windrider seemed to bear it better than the other animals anyhow. Occasional days of rest were required, or more often, half-days. They moved as quickly as the animals allowed, not giving much thought to the pains of the men, which were healed by Curatio whenever they asked.

Only a week south of Scylax they found themselves loping over open plains again, the mountains receding far behind them, distant, cloudy, with a darkness hanging over them, a wintery gloom that was nothing like the summer suns still kissing the plains around them. It was late summer, in fact, Cyrus realized, and some of the wild flowers had begun to turn brown where they had been purple, blue and yellow only weeks before when they passed through. A cool day manifested unexpectedly; the sky was dull grey like in the mountains, and the wind had the slightest kiss of bitterness to it.

The last night they camped on a grassy, windblown plain, and Briyce Unger called together Cyrus and his officers with Count Ranson and the envoy from Actaluere. Theyad had plenty of discussions along the road, but this was to be their last. Cyrus listened, somewhat dully, as Unger confirmed for the hundredth time what the others would tell their respective leaders. Cyrus stayed silent; he had nothing to contribute, and Ranson was still skeptical of how his King would react while the Actaluere envoy was unrelenting in his belief that Milos Tiernan would immediately see reason. Cyrus, for his part, was not so sure.

aWhat do you think their next move will be?a Briyce Unger had asked Cyrus, after he had confirmed what he wanted to hear from the envoys. Cyrus blinked at him, in a daze. aThe Scourge,a he said, as they had taken to calling the damned souls given flesh, awhat will their next move be?a aI donat know,a Cyrus said. aJaanda says theyall come south, looking for flesh and blood, eager to destroy life. When that will happen, I donat know. Maybe it already has.a aTheyall butt up hard against Scylax,a Unger said. aIave already ordered an army to reinforce the town, and theyall evacuate the townsfolk into the keep if it gets especially ugly. Fighting in the pass will be a nasty business, though, if we get Longwell and Tiernan to send armies. We may have to draw them out in order to crush them.a aThe best thing we could do is march back into the valley where Pinrade is and destroy the portal,a Cyrus said. aBut thatas going to be a hell of an undertaking.a aCould you destroy it?a Unger asked. aCould your people with their spells and whatnot knock it down?a aMaybe,a Cyrus said. aThe only wizard I have with me is somewhat unexperienced in such matters.a aIt can be done,a Curatio said, speaking up for the first time since the meeting started. aBut it will be neither easy nor a short process. More spellcasters would be better, and Iall need to uh aa He looked around, but Jaanda and Longwell were the only other Sanctuary officers present. aLetas just say that weall have to do more than a little heresy in order to get it done. Which I donat have a problem with, but Iave been around since before such things were considered heretical.a Jaanda blinked. aWait a what?a aIt can be done,a Curatio said, aand thatas the important part. But Iall have to be there for some time, preferably not interrupted, in order to strip the enchantments off the portal. After that, you should be able to use enchanted weapons to break it to pieces and guarantee it never re-opens.a aThereas something else we need to be concerned about,a Cyrus said. aIf these things come from the Realm of Death, then thereas another portal that opens onto the Island of Mortus. Jaanda, you said their efforts there have been fruitless but we donat know what that means. They could be massing there right now, ready to swim the miles to shore in order to stage an invasion of Arkaria like theyare doing to Luukessia.a Jaanda cursed and ran a hand over his smooth face. aWeall need to send a messenger to Sanctuary.a aYeah,a Cyrus said. aWeall wait until weare at Enrant Monge tomorrow and weave met with the other Sanctuary officers, then weall figure out who we can send. We need help if weare going to make a push for that portal. I doubt the thousand we have is going to get the job done.a Cyrus looked to Briyce Unger. aNo offense to your people, but weare talking about using a coordinated army to thrust through the enemy rather than fighting toe to toe with them while they try and bleed us to death and vice versa.a aI got the gist of your strategy,a Unger said. aYouare talking about using mobility and speed against them, the two things they lack against a horsed army. The problem is, your thousand donat all have horses, and your speed advantage is less in the mountain passes between Scylax and that valley. So first of all, you need Longwellas dragoons, and second, you need flatter ground, or youall be driving them back over those same damned roads that collapse in landslides and send people to a long fall and a quick stop at the bottom.a aWhat would you suggest?a Cyrus asked. aDraw them onto the plains and have a bloody free-for-all there?a aIt may come to that,a Unger said, aif they decide Scylax is too tightly buttoned up to bother with, and theyare truly hungry for blood, they ought to head south. If we can come at them with the three armiesa"Galbadien, Actaluere and Syloreas, we can probably match them, put them down, and all the while you take your army another couple weeks north through the passes and into that valley, and put the crushing blow on their reinforcements.a Unger nodded. aThatad sort them out on our end, leave us to mop up whatever they had left over here, but they wouldnat be getting that constant stream of endless numbers like they apparently can now.a Unger had a strange light in his eyes. aIad fight like all hell, too, way past the close if I had an army of raging souls behind me who had no fear of death and no care for numbers.a aThereas something weare missing here,a Cyrus said. aIf theyare more than beasts, then there has to be more to them than just a simple hunger. Thereas something driving them besides rage if theyare coordinating their attacks. Jaanda, did you sense any sort of leadership structure to these things?a aJust because I didnat sense it doesnat mean it isnat there,a Jaanda cautioned. aI got the picture of the creatureas mind, but it was not like reading a map or even like absorbing the thought of a normal persona"not that there necessarily is such a thing as normal. But this is how it isa"humans think a certain way, as do dark elves, elves, gnomes, dwarves and so on. Within every species is a certain way of thought, and I understand all of thema"except trolls. Well, with the exception of Vaste. Within each species there are also variations of their manner of thinking, some radical, some bizarre, but none as different as the jump between species. The point is, I understand all of them, can read all of them, can know all of them. This creature a I could not know given a year or two or ten in its mind. It is angrier by far than a troll, more guarded than a dark elf and more bizarre than any mind I have ever seen into. I get flashes, enough to understand the origin, but only pieces of the whole. I could read a manas mind and feel confident in telling you everything of the man,a he blushed and looked away from Cyrus as he said it. aThis thing, I would not feel confident telling you I know anything of it but the facts I outlined. They are a bizarrre. Truly bizarre. They could well have a leadership and a hierarchy driving them and I would not know it.a aMarvelous,a Cyrus said, running his hands over his eyes and then through his hair, brushing it over his shoulders. aWe have an enemy that appears countless in number, unknowable in intenta"other than that they want blood and deatha"we have no way of judging their movements, their desire, how far they will take this, and even though we now know their origin, we donat know if they have a leader of any sort or if there is any motivation for them to be doing what theyare doing. Weare completely blind, facing a numberless enemy.a He sighed. aAt least we have a plan.a aAnd our plan involves slipping behind the lines of this enemy and trying to cut off their entry point to this realm,a Jaanda said. aThis doesnat sound like our best plan ever, if I may say so.a aWhen have you ever hesitated to say so?a Cyrus asked, holding his head. aBut youare right. This a will not be pretty.a Unger smiled, an unsettling one. Ranson and the envoy from Actaluere had left moments earlier. aThe fight ahead or the moot?a aEither one,a Cyrus said. aI wonder if King Aron has at the least soothed Milos Tiernan over the Baroness Cattrine?a aI doubt it,a Unger said. aItas not Tiernan whoas truly upset by that anyhow; my spies say heas most displeased with what Grand Duke Hoygraf has done to his sister. Itas Hoygraf himself who is driving that issue. Milos Tiernan would just as soon have his sister away from Hoygraf forever, but Hoygraf holds too many favors in his Kingdom, too many strings of powerful people.a aHow?a Cyrus asked. aThe manas a sadist.a aAye,a Unger said, abut sadism can have its uses when you run a Kingdom. And the man was a dog of war, until you perforated his belly. Now heas unlikely to walk straight upright ever again, but he has allies in Actaluere. He controls easily a third of their armies, and King Tiernanas a clever bastard. He knows it, he knows Hoygraf knows it, and heas playing it entirely cool in order to keep Hoygraf from acting on it.a aI crushed Hoygrafas army,a Cyrus said, waving off Unger. aI broke his keep, killed his men. What the hell else has he got?a aYou did not break his army,a Unger said. aHis army was two days march behind you when you hit Green Hill. You killed his attendants, you killed many of his close advisors, but not his army. He intended to delay you until they could crush you, and it would have been a rather clever stratagem if head been facing traditional forces. Unfortunately for him, you were more magical and somewhat cleverer than he might have given you credit for.a Unger chuckled and shook his head. aStill, bedding his wife before the man was dead? I admit, I have no respect for Hoygraf and his woman-beating ways, but cuckolding the man after you opened his belly and left him to die? The Grand Duke will be upset with you for the rest of his life, shortened though it might be by the grievous wounding you gave him.a aI donat give a damn about Grand Duke Hoygraf,a Cyrus said. aI can handle him if the time comes.a aOh, the time will come,a Unger said. aI mean, did you not think that word would get out about your escapades in the Garden of Serenity before we left?a Cyrus froze, and caught the look of confusion from both Curatio and Jaanda. aYou heard about that?a Cyrus asked Unger.

aOh, yes,a Unger said with a laugh. aThat was all the talk of the moot the night before we left. You have a set of brass ones, Cyrus Davidon. Everyone knew about that.a aI didnat hear about that,a Jaanda said, slightly miffed.

aEveryone who was of the three Kingdoms,a Unger amended. aThe Garden of Serenity is not exactly a holy place, but itas as near as we get in Luukessia. My goodness, lad a taking the wife of a man whose grievance was that you had taken his wife, and doing it there? Sort of defeats the idea of suing for peace, doesnat it? I mean, youare adding fresh grievances by the bucketload. Youare quite fortunate you didnat speak with King Longwell before you left, Iam certain he would have given you an earful for that last insult.a Cyrus looked to Samwen Longwell, whose face was drawn. aYes, thatas something of an insult,a Longwell said. aAnd yes, it likely made my fatheras negotiations after we left somewhat more protracted, if you did in fact do aa he coughed, awhat he said you did.a aI did,a Cyrus said, unrepentant. aTwice.a Longwell was overcome by a fit of coughing. aAhem a uh a the Baroness would have known how great an insult this would be. Iam surprised she still a ah a acceded to your a charms.a The dragoon looked uncomfortable at every word, and when done, settled into a silence in which he would not meet Cyrusas eyes.

aShe was the one who started it,a Cyrus said, drawing another coughing fit from Longwell, a wide grin from Unger, tired disinterest from Jaanda and practiced neutrality from Curatio. aI didnat start it, she did. So if she knew what she was doing was insulting, she did it on purpose.a aAye,a Unger said, aI canat imagine why she would choose that moment to insult the man who beat her. If the man were one of my barons, Iad have him flogged in the streets of Scylax for pulling even a tenth of what that bloke has. What a load of goat dung he is.a aWe seem to have wandered afield from our original topic of discussion,a Curatio said with a weak smile. aWe have a meetinga"or moot, I should saya"tomorrow, yes?a aYes,a Unger said. aIt may already be in progress when we arrive. If so, theyall move directly to our topic, and Ranson and whatas-his-name from Actaluere will have their moment to speak, but nothing will be decided until after the Kings have a chance to talk with their men in private. Weall go to any other business then adjourn. Should be a short session.a aThus was said about every long meeting I have ever attended,a Curatio said dryly, aand Iave attended one or two very long meetings in my life.a aSo, we have a war to begin,a Cyrus said, aa land to unite,a he nodded at Briyce Unger, who nodded back, aa guild to inform, troops to rally, reinforcements to summon aa Cyrus folded his arms, and settled his eyes on Longwell, Curatio, Jaanda, and finally on the darkness beyond the campfires where he knew, in the distance, Enrant Monge lay just ahead on the horizon, beyond the black skies, aa and I donat know which of those things will be hardest to do. I really donat.a He left them, then, without word, deep in his own thoughts, and paced through the campfires, looking for Aisling. Sheas never around when I have need of her, not immediately, anyway. He went beyond the last fire, and edged into the woods. Yet when I go far enough away a he heard a rustling in the bushes.

He felt her hand around his shoulders, felt her tongue in his ear, gentle, caressing, smelled the cinnamon on her breath. aProductive meeting?a she whispered.

aNot really,a he said, and turned to her, backing her against a tree. aWhat about you?a aBeen waiting for you,a she said as she let her fingers brush through his hair, then kissed him again, and he felt his head swirl as he lifted her gently off the ground and pinned her against the tree as their passion consumed them.

aPut me down,a she said after they were done, and he did, leaning against the tree for support, his weight resting heavily on his left arm. aIall see you back at the camp.a He heard her words, sensed her pull her breeches back up, then heard her footsteps disappear, as they always did, quiet to the point where he couldnat hear them, and he was left alone, again, in the woods, in the dark, and he stayed there for quite some time.

Chapter 41.

It was midafternoon when they rode into Enrant Monge through the northern gate of the Syloreans. After the second gate, the stewards of the Brotherhood of the Broken Blade greeted them and quietly informed them that there was a session underway at present in the Garden of Serenity. They would be expected within the half-hour, then the debate would shift to hear their reports. Briyce Unger nodded and was on about his business, heading toward the tower nearby, while the Actaluere envoy headed west through a keeping gate and Cyrus and the others followed Ranson to the eastern bailey.

The sun was still high in the sky as Cyrus made his way out of the tower set aside for the Galbadien delegation a half-hour later. The stewards had shown him to the communal bath, and head washed the dirt of travel from him, felt the cool water rinsing the dust and grime of long days of travel from his skin, along with something else which was becoming familiar, the smell of Aisling, her sweat and the tangy aroma of cinnamon. He caught a peculiar look from one of the stewards, who thereafter tried to avoid making eye contact with him. When he looked in the mirror, he realized his neck was covered with bruises from bites; not small ones, either, but ones that were obvious and exposed above his armor. Fiddling with his collar was of no assistance; they stood out against the green of his robe. With a sigh, he left, joining Curatio, Jaanda, Longwell and Ranson in the courtyard before the Garden of Serenity. Aisling and the others had gone to rejoin the Sanctuary army, still encamped in the eastern woods outside the castle.

They were called into the garden, the walls bathed in orange by the light of noon. Clouds were on the horizon, but as yet the breeze was soft, the sun was unobscured, and the weather pleasant enough, if a little hot. They were not announced, not this time, save for Briyce Unger, who went first and with little fanfare. Cyrus watched from the tunnel as Unger strode out to take his place in the amphitheater, and Cyrus and his delegation were ushered out moments later, as a quiet settled upon the proceedings, and he took a place on an empty bench, conspicuously far to the back of the Galbadien delegation. Count Ranson went forward, invited to a place of honor nearer to Aron Longwell, though not as near as it had been before the expedition; Ranson took a seat in the third row rather than the first.

Cyrus scanned the audience until he found Ryin Ayend and Nyad, sitting a few rows closer and upon the aisle opposite the one Cyrus had entered by. The soft breeze stirred Nyadas hair as he looked upon her, and Ayend next to her looked especially drab in the dull green robes provided by the Brotherhood of the Broken Blade. Seated to the left of the two of them was Cattrine, her dark hair shining, her face less so, reserved, and focused on him but for a few seconds before she broke eye contact, impassive, hesitant, almost fearful.

The greenery around them almost faded into the backdrop as the meeting began. The assemblage was quiet, and there was a sense of restlessness in the audience made all the worse by the breeze, stirring as it was every few moments. Cyrus could feel it in the air, a desire to move, to run, and as he looked down at Cattrine he felt it grow stronger. He longed for touch, for hers or Aislingas, and wished desperately he were elsewhere, though he could not define why.

aI offer a welcome to our brothers who have returned from the north,a Grenwald Ivess looked somewhat haggard, a little pallid, and the lighting helped not a whit. aWould that you had come at a more auspicious time, when we had more a pleasing news to report.a Cyrus looked to Unger, who sat isolated in the front row of the Sylorean bench by himself, and watched the King look to the men behind him, his brow furrowed. Why is the King sitting alone? What is going on here?

aI take it there was little progress whilst we were away?a Unger asked, drawing his attention back to the assembly. aNo forward momentum on making amends between our august Kingdoms?a The King of Syloreas was loud, restless, and his hair moved as he turned to look back once more at the row of men behind him, none of whom would look him in the eye. Cyrus watched as he slapped one of them on the knee, enough to jar the man to attention but not to compel him to look at his King for more than a few seconds before lapsing back to staring at his feet.

aI take it by your rather enthusiastic demeanor,a King Aron Longwell stood, commanding the attention at the center of the room, athat no one from your delegation has told you the news yet?a aI havenat seen anyone from my delegation since I got here,a Unger said, wary. Cyrus could not see King Longwellas face, but the relish was evident in the manas voice, and it gave Cyrus no comfort, none at all. aSince they all appear to be too craven to tell me whatever ill news you all have, and since you seem all too eager to do it, Aron, why donat you just go ahead and be on with it?a aYou do me insult, sir,a Aron Longwell said, his hand springing to his chest as though Briyce Unger had just plunged a dagger into it. aI do not take any pleasure in your pain, and to suggest otherwisea"a aTiernan?a Unger interrupted King Longwell, and Cyrus looked to the King of Actaluere, who was actually somewhat pale himself, not nearly as well composed as he had been two months earlier, the last time Cyrus had laid eyes on him. He reminded him much of his sister now, as she looked when Cyrus had seen her at her worst, when she realized her husband was still alive. aWould you do me the courtesy,a Unger strained at the last word, aof breaking the news to me before Iam dead of old age, as it appears King Longwell is going to be too busy feigning umbrage for the next fortnight.a aScylax has fallen,a Tiernan said without preamble, and the silence was overwhelming enough that Cyrus had to relive the words in his mind to be sure head heard what he thought he did. aWe received the carrier pigeons only hours ago.a aIam sorry,a Unger said, as though Tiernan had not said a thing. aYou mean to tell me that the village has been taken and theyave fallen back to the castle for a siege?a aNo,a Tiernan said, athe message came to us with very clear wordinga"the village was overrun yesterday, and the pigeons were the last to fly from the castle.a Tiernan pulled himself up and faced the King of Syloreas. aaThey are inside the walls. Castle Scylax is lost. Their numbers a aa Tiernan swallowed, deep, and his eyes fell away from Unger as the King of Syloreas sat down, heavy, felled like a tree in the forest, aaa their numbers are overwhelming. None will survive.aa

Chapter 42.

There was a still quiet in the garden for several moments after Tiernan delivered the news. Unger sat on the bench in his row, stunned into disbelief, staring at the ground in front of him. Even King Longwell had reseated himself. aScylax was a city of fifty thousand,a Unger said at last. aFifty thousand people, and none survive?a aWe do not know, your grace,a Grenwald Ivess said, a peculiar quiet settled over his words. aPerhaps some fled through the mountains before this a thisa"a aScourge,a Cyrus said, loud enough to be heard. aItas a damned scourge.a aBefore this scourge a arrived at their gates,a Ivess finished. aThey would not have had pigeons to tell us, in all likelihood, and thus we do not know. All of this happened days ago, that much is certain, for the pigeons to have reached us here at Enrant Monge. Obviously, if Scylax has fallen, this is a matter of gravest concerna"a aThat might be understating it,a Unger said, quiet, shaking, his head bowed. When he raised his face, determination had settled in his eyes. aWhen these things move from Scylax, theyall be hard pressed to travel fast until theyare out of the foothills. But that wonat take long, even for them. Theyall be out on level ground and moving south as pretty as you please, and we need to meet them with an army big enough to crush them, now, and with a plan to seal them off from taking Luukessia, immediately.a aSuch a plan,a Tiernan said, a slight flush coming back to his face, awould be monumental in scale. I have been to your city of Scylax once, and to take it would require more effort than any two armies in Luukessia could muster.a aSo you see the threat we face,a Unger said. aWe need an army, we need forces to stand against these things, we need to meet them with blood and blade, sword and fire, and we need to drive them back. We have a plan,a he said, gesturing to Cyrus, aand people with experience who can carry it out, who know the origin of these creaturesa"a aThe origin of these creatures?a Aron Longwell scoffed. aAssuming you have actually been invaded, and this isnat some elaborate farce cooked up by you to distract from Galbadienas inevitable conquest of your armies and your lands,a a few eyes were rolled, including, to Cyrusas surprise, those of Samwen Longwell, athen these invaders are probably but savage men from beyond the northern reaches of your Kingdom, not some mythical beasts that are unlike anything approaching that which we deal with in everyday life.a aYour own man has seen these creatures in action,a Unger said, gesturing to Ranson. aYour own son has seen them, enough to know that this is no charade, no farce scheduled to hew me out of comeuppance for my invasion of your lands, Longwell. If you mean to press your victory, by all means, press your victorya"send your army north, to the foothills of Scylax,a Ungeras lips twisted in a sneer, aand take my capital by force of your arms. You wonat get complaint from mea"by all means, if you can take it, you can have it, and Iall be all the more thankful for your help in beating back this threat.a aI have no desire to sit on the throne in your mountain hall,a Aron Longwell brushed Ungeras statement aside, but even at a distance of several rows, Cyrus saw the gleam of perfidy in Longwellas eye, the hint of hesitation as he said it, and heard the lie through every bit of it. aI have a Kingdom to rebuild after you plundered your way through the middle of it.a aSir,a Cyrus heard Count Ranson say from behind King Longwell.

aNot now,a the King replied, and held up his hand to silence Ranson. aThis seems like some crass deception that only you could have come up with, Unger, and I want no part of it.a aWill you not at least listen to your own man before becoming an intractable prick?a Unger fired back. aHe saw what weare facinga"what youall be facing soon enough, if you donat band together with us.a Unger turned to Tiernan. aWhat about you, Milos, you seem the reasonable sort, at least enough to save your own skin. What say you?a Milos Tiernan stood, slowly, like a broken thing, or a puppet that was jerked by its strings to its feet. aAt this time, I am unable to pledge you any support. Our grievances with Galbadien are unresolved and look to be unable to be resolved. As such, my army will be going to war as soon as we leave this place. They are already moving.a He looked to Aron Longwell and shook his head. aFair warning. We will crush you.a aAnd when my western army,a Aron Longwellas hand came up and indicated Cyrus, auses their magics to demolish every one of your horseman, footmen, and bowmen, then takes your war and makes it in the streets of Caenalys, you may say I warned you as well.a aGood luck with that,a Cyrus said, and stood. aYou have no western army, no magics at your disposal. The army of Sanctuary will move north to assist Syloreas.a He jutted his finger at Aron Longwell, whose face had degenerated into utter contempt. aYouall be twice damned, sir. First, when Actaluere destroys your western Kingdom, and again when these beasts sweep down from the north and eat the remainder of your realm alive, dooming your people to death.a aYou dare talk to me in such a way?a Aron Longwell pointed his finger back at Cyrus, and the garden fairly exploded in shouting; Unger was yelling at Milos Tiernan, who remained silent but whose delegation was on their feet, shouting at Unger in return. The Galbadien delegation had become a fury of its own, turning inward, and Cyrus was being shouted down by a dozen of the Kingas military advisors, including Odau Genner, whose red cheeks were especially puffy and his eyes were slitted with rage.

aENOUGH!a The booming voice of Grenwald Ivess crackled through the warm, breezy midday garden like a thunderbolt had landed in their midst. aWe hereby adjourn for a cooling off period until such time as there is a reason to meet again.a Ivess looked saddened, his pudgy face locked in a semi-scowl. aAs you know, if there is no call from any party for a meeting within twenty-four hours, then the negotiations are over, and this summit will be dissolved.a He held his hands up. aI urge you not to do that, gentlemen. Find common ground, find a reason to negotiate, and talk amongst yourselves so as to discover a purpose to keep talking rather than going your separate waysa"and into war with each other.a With that, Ivess, turned and left without another word.

Cyrus half-expected the cacophony to resume, but it didnat. The delegates filed out through their tunnels. Cyrus waited for the Galbadiens to pass him by, and they did, some with muttered curses, others with simply dirty looks. aWhat now?a Jaanda asked when they were nearly alone; very few of the delegates had stayed to speak with their counterparts in the other governments, far fewer than last time.

aWe have an officer meeting,a Cyrus said, looking over each of them in turna"Nyad, Ryin, Longwell, Curatio and Jaanda. He did not see Cattrine, who had been seated by Nyad and Ryin, and wondered what had become of her. aRight now, back at the tower.a He didnat wait for any of them to acknowledge before walking toward the tunnel. He strode through the half-light cast by the torches as he passed under the wall, the sunlight behind him and torches within the only signs of light in the long structure. The shadow cast by the whole thing was enormous, and spanned a great distance.

As he emerged, he caught movement to his right and reached for the sword that wasnat there. It was Cattrine, and her green eyes were what he saw first, and it reminded him of the summer, of all he had seen since leaving Sanctuary all those months ago. He felt a pronounced drop inside but quickly walled off. aLord Davidon?a she asked, her voice quiet.

aYes,a he answered, barely above a whisper himself.

aI need to know the truth of what youave seen.a She held her distance, a few feet from him. aI need to know about these things. Are they truly as bad as Briyce Unger says they are?a She hesitated. aDo you believe that they will cover our land in a darkness?a He hesitated, staring into her green eyes before blinking away. aI believe they will cover Luukessia in death, yes. Absolute, total death to everything they come across. They will sweep from the mountains to the seas and leave only blood and decay behind them,a Cyrus said, letting the fervency of his thoughts seep out of him, mingling with the undercurrent of feeling he experienced from seeing her, hearing her speak. aI believe they will be the end of Luukessia to the last person here, that they wonat quit coming until that happens.a He closed his eyes, just for a moment. aAnd I believe that without help, thatas doomed to be the fate of this land, regardless of how much blood those of us who will fight are willing to shed.a She looked in his eyes, stared into them, and Cyrus was reminded of nights and days at Vernadam, but he did not look away. aI believe you,a she said simply and turned, walking in the opposite direction of the tower.

Cyrus opened the door to his room back at the tower and put his armor back on while the other officers trailed in behind him over the next few minutes. aI love what youave done with the place,a Ryin said as he shut the door behind him, the last to enter. Nyad sat on the bed, where Ryin joined her. Cyrus looked out the window, and far below he could see over the wall into the Garden of Serenity, empty, the trees and plants around the edges a marked contrast to the stone benches and amphitheater at its center. He turned to face the room and found Jaanda and Curatio each occupying one of the chairs, while Samwen Longwell leaned against the wall. Longwell looked as though he were relying more on his armor than his strength to keep him upright. He had looked like that quite a bit lately, Cyrus reflected, though he had no motivation to ask the dragoon what weighed on him.

aWe found out where this scourge comes from,a Cyrus said, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

aYes, we surmised as much since it was stated in the assembly,a Ryin said, unconcerned. aFrom where do they hail? The far north of this country?a aYouare a little off,a Jaanda answered. aTry the Realm of Death.a Silence gripped Ryin and Nyad. Cyrus watched the slow tick of emotions run over both of their facesa"confusion, disbeliefa"Nyad turned scarlet after a moment, and Ryin grew still. aFrom where?a Nyad asked.

aThe Realm of Death,a Cyrus said, subdued. aTheyare the reconstituted spirits of the souls Mortus had imprisoned, given flesh by the journey through the portal from his realm.a Nyad sat openmouthed, and Ryin did not speak, merely shook his head slowly. Cyrus looked at him, and gave him a slow smile after catching his gaze. aThis would probably be a fine time to say, aI told you so.aa Ryin looked at him almost perplexed, lips slightly parted. aWhat?a aYou were the only one who argued against invading Mortusas realm before we ended up killing him,a Cyrus said. aYou were the sole voice that suggested against going.a aI voted for it in the end,a Ryin said. aI was only opposed to the concern of heresy being committed in the process. I had not considered any a other consequences.a He rubbed his eyes. aCertainly nothing like this. Does this aa He halted, and a look like guilt weathered the human, turning his visage from that of a young man to a much older one in a secondas time, aa this means weare responsible, doesnat it?a Cyrus let the silence endure for almost a minute. aYes. It does.a It became uncomfortable after that, a low, drudging toil of quiet, as though everyone were fighting hard not to say anything. Ryin spoke at last. aWe canat just leave them to it, then.a aIt was never my intention to leave them to it,a Cyrus said, aeven before I knew we were the cause of this particular calamity.a He looked at the druid. aI suppose I am a little surprised not to hear you argue against it, though. I mean, you havenat been renowned for wanting to get involved in other peoplesa wars.a aIam a bit of a contrarian, but this isnat their war,a Ryin said, aitas ours, spilled over here. If what you say is true, then the only thing that has spared Arkaria from the fate of these creatures falling on us is that our portal is in the middle of the Bay of Lost Souls.a He frowned. aThese things canat swim, then?a aIt would seem that the distance to shore is a problem,a Jaanda said, indifferent. aIt is quite far from the portal on the Island of Mortus to Arkaria, several hours sail by boat.a Nyad frowned and looked around the room. aWhereas Terian? Shouldnat he be here?a This time the silence was pained, and Cyrus felt a particularly sharp dagger in his heart. aWeall need to mobilize the army to get them ready to march north. Iall ride out and give orders to Odellan while the rest of you aa Cyrus ground his teeth slightly, aexplain whatas become of our illustrious dark knight. I doubt I could come up with anything that would make sense at this point. After that, one of you,a he pointed a finger between Nyad and Ryin, aneeds to return to Sanctuary and deliver the news of our predicamenta"and to ask for aid.a He looked them all over once, then went for the door, and shut it behind him as he heard the quiet tones of Curatio explaining something matter-of-factly, too low for Cyrus to hear.

aHE DID WHAT?a Nyadas voice was loud enough to be heard in the hallway as Cyrus descended the ramp, down to the bottom of the tower.

The air was warm as he walked out, across the courtyard. The nearby stable was open to the air, a single line of stalls under a cover that afforded only a little protection from the elements. Windrider waited, standing above a spread of oats lying on the ground next to a watering trough. He gave Cyrus a steady gaze as the warrior approached, and Cyrus pulled his gauntlet off to stroke the horseas face as he took hold of the reins. aYouave done well,a Cyrus said in a breath, and caught motion from his side, a stableboy moving in his peripheral vision. He patted Windrider as the stableboy, a red-haired, freckled lad no older than twelve edged closer, staring at Cyrus.

aAre you him?a the boy asked.

aYeah,a Cyrus said, patting Windrider, athis is my horse.a aNo,a the boy replied, edging slightly closer to Cyrus. aAre you a him? Lord Garrick?a Cyrus paused, uncertain of what to say. aI am Cyrus Davidon, of Sanctuary,a he answered after a moment. aI know not this Lord Garrick of whom you speak.a The stableboy was quiet, his eyes staring out of the shade cast by the barnas flimsy straw roof. aHeas legend, Lord Garrick of Enrant Monge. He was of the last generation of rulers of the castle before the fall and the fracture of Luukessia. Heas our greatest ancestor, watches over us from above.a The boy eased closer and ran a careful hand, stroking Windrideras flank. aThey say he keeps his eyes on us, here in Luukessia, from above, from the halls of all our ancestors in the land of Gredenyde.a The boyas eyes blinked at Cyrus innocently. aThey say heall come back to usa"to save usa"in our darkest hour of need.a Cyrusas hand paused on Windrideras neck, and he froze, his blood running cold. aIam not your Lord Garrick, believe that. And I wouldnat put much stock in prophecy if I were you.a There was a pause as the boy studied him. aAre you sure?

Cyrus took the reins and started to lead Windrider out of the cover under the barn, felt the warm sunlight stream down on him as he stepped from under the cover of the stables. aIave never been more sure of anything in my life.a He slung the saddle over the horse and bound it, then slipped a foot in a stirrup and heaved himself up. aBut I will do my best to save your land from whatas coming.a The stableboy followed him out, covering his eyes with a freckled hand, that of a lad who had been working long hours in the sun. aIave heard the rumors, since the pigeons came. They say Scylax has fallen. They say something is coming from the mountains of the north, something terrible, something that wants to devour the souls of every man in Luukessia.a Cyrus didnat say anything as he steadied himself in the saddle. aIs it true?a the boy asked. aIs it true that theyare coming, these things, to kill us all?a aAye,a Cyrus answered finally.

aBut youare going to stop them?a The boy looked uncertain, and Cyrus tried not to look too hard on him; he knew there were boys only a couple years older in the Sanctuary army. Only a couple years older physically but worlds older in maturity, having seen blood, and bile and battle. aThen that makes you Lord Garrick, doesnat it? Come to save us?a aItas not your darkest hour yet, kid,a Cyrus said, and started Windrider forward. aSave some fear and legends to pass on to your grandkids.a The clip-clop of the horseshoes on the stone echoed as Cyrus steered his horse out the eastern gate and into the second courtyard, across it, then out of Enrant Monge and down the road.

The world opened up before him when he left the second gate, the forests a mile or so in the distance smoking with pillars of wafting black coming from the fires of his army, his and Galbadienas. The road crooked into a forest path as Windrider went along, the branches cut high enough that even though they formed a thick canopy over him, reducing the sunlight, none of them threatened his face as he rode.

The breeze was soft, even as Windrider galloped along, at a higher speed than normal. aJust a little farther,a he whispered to the horse. The warm sun tried to peek through the boughs overhead, but the shade was cooling, late summeras wrath spent on the trees overhead, long before it got to him. He could smell the fresh air, the same air head been breathing for months, the pine almost blended behind everything else, the tinge of the horseas smell, though it wasnat as heavy now as when he was stationary. Terian. The latest in a long line of people to betray me, to harm me. What is it about them? About me? His eyes fell downward. Vara a why did youa"

The arrow hit him in the shoulder, glancing off his armor but causing him to jerk in surprise. Windrider whinnied and shied involuntarily, trying to compensate for Cyrusas abrupt change of balance. Cyrus gripped the reins and tensed his abdomen, trying to right himself on the horse. The second arrow, however, hit him in the neck, putting to sunder any idea of maintaining his grip. The shock of the arrow caused Cyrusas fingers to loosen, and he felt himself fall, the heavy impact of his body and all that armor hitting the ground caused his head to wash, as though he were floating on an ocean all his own. His fingers came up without thought, found the round shaft of the arrow protruding just above his gorget, tracing it back to the place where it was lodged in his neck.

aIsnat this fortunate?a A low voice scratched into his consciousness. Cyrus turned his head and saw a man in a dark cloak hobbling in the midst of a party of other men. Cyrusas vision was blurred, his head felt heavy, but he knew that voice. Clarity struck his eyes, and the man came into focus for a moment: black beard that was thin, very thin and patchy, his pale skin even paler. aNow I can thank you properly for crippling me,a Grand Duke Hoygraf said, and Cyrus saw figures all around, beginning to circle him.

Praelior. Cyrusas hand moved to his sword, felt the rush of strength it gave him. He drew the blade and pulled to his feet, still feeling as though he were moving underwater. The men around him seemed to move at regular speed, and Cyrus blocked one of them who came at him with a polearm, cutting the manas head from his shoulders, covering his blue livery and surcoat with blood.

aWell, look at you,a Hoygraf said, maintaining his distance from Cyrus, watching him with a spiteful smile. aI suppose Iam not the only one of my wifeas lovers who refuses to die on command.a Hoygrafas face twisted into spite. aThe difference is, youall stay dead when I kill you.a aDidnat a kill you,a Cyrus said, and felt blood bubbling out of his mouth as he spoke, the sour taste coating his tongue. aStabbed you a bad enough you wished you were dead. Planning to do it a again a in a few minutes, but now Iall do it so many times youall have to die when Iam done.a aYouare bleeding like a cow with a cut throat,a Hoygraf said with a sneer. aI donat think youall last a minute the way youare going now.a Cyrus felt a slow smile spread across his bloody lips. aIall only need thirty seconds.a Cyrus flung himself backward, sword first, sensing the presence of Hoygrafas men behind him. He hit the first with a hard stroke between the eyes, the blade running down the manas forehead and stopping after cutting out the mouth. The man dropped as Cyrus freed his blade and brought it around to the next attacker, catching him across the chest and cutting through the breastplate of his armor. The bottom of the manas blue surcoat fluttered to the ground and Cyrus watched as he stepped on it, as he finished his stroke and blood spattered across the dirt and the surcoat. Two left, he thought, and theyare right overa"

The arrow hit him in the lower back and cut through the chainmail where head exposed it while in his attack. Cyrus felt a curious punching sensation and force, each in twine, arcing along his spine as he fell. Even the might of Praelior was unable to mask the pain or give him enough strength to fight off his knees. He sat there, wobbling, as a man with a sword shuffled, hesitant, over to him. Cyrus jammed Praelior upward with all the speed and strength he had left, and saw the sword enter the bottom of the manas jaw as his mouth opened in surprise, and watched it flash through the manas tongue, visible through his gaping maw, blood running down the blade it.

A sharp pain in the back of his neck threw Cyrus facedown in the dirt, and he felt something hit him on the sword hand, hard. The world faded as Praelior was knocked away and Cyrus felt his body rolled onto his back. The branches above him were swaying, whether from the breeze of the late summeras day or the swimming of his head from the wounding, he could not be sure. He tried to draw a breath but struggled, his chest heavy, every attempt so labored that it felt as though he were trying to lift a mountain to even partially fill his lungs.

Grand Duke Hoygraf appeared at the edge of his vision, filling his eyes, another man next to him with a bow and arrow, a nameless, armored man in the Grand Dukeas livery. aYou killed my men,a Hoygraf said flatly. Cyrus tried to reply but felt only the bubbling of blood on his lips. aYou had your way with my wife,a the Grand Duke went on, adestroyed my home, left me an invalid, unable to walk straight.a The Grand Dukeas cane came down on Cyrusas face, and another dull pain made its way through Cyrusas consciousness.

Curatio. Heall find me. Aisling will help him. Martaina will a aYou think youave hurt me,a Hoygraf said, kneeling in front of Cyrusas face. aYou think youave beaten me? Humiliated me? Did you think I would let that stand unanswered?a He spat, and curiously Cyrus could feel the warm spittle make its way down his cheek, and he tried to move a hand, go for the Grand Dukeas throat, just as head been taughta"

aNo,a Hoygraf said, and Cyrus saw a dagger in his hand, saw Hoygraf catch his arm and rip the gauntlet off, throwing it away. Cyrus watched as Hoygraf lifted the exposed arm and stabbed the dagger through Cyrusas wrist. The sharp pain was there, in the background, but Cyrus barely felt it. aDid you think I would simply let you have my wife, wreck my keep, leave me to die and merely forget about you? Let it pass?a Jaanda. Mendicant. Odellan. Longwell. I need a help. The names ran through his mind one by one as though by thought he could appeal to them directly to come to him. Weariness settled upon him like a heavy blanket, dulling the pain.

aI know your western magic,a Hoygraf said, and twirled the dagger in his fingers. aIf I leave you here, as you are, theyall find you. Theyall bring you back to life.a Hoygrafas lips pursed and he shook his head. aI canat have that. I need everyonea"everyonea"to know that you donat trifle with me, not this way. And Iall make sure a that you wonat come back.a Alaric a Cyrusas thoughts were drifting now. Was Alaric even around?

The knife flashed in front of Cyrusas eyes, and then he felt a sharp pain in his neck, the bladeas edge against his flesh, sawing down.

aTheyall have a hard time reviving you, Iad wager,a he heard the Baronas voice say, awithout a head.a The last thought through Cyrusas mind before the flash was uncontrolled, unanswerable, and unexpected.

Vara a

Chapter 43.

Vara The Council Chambers seemed to briefly twist around her, the torches a blur of light in her peripheral vision as she honed in on the druidas face as he spoke, a dull, tanned mass of flat nose and pale lips that she wanted to hit with the palm of her hand as she would slap an overripe melon to get it to crack open. Instead she pressed her armored fingers into the table and pushed, hearing a splintering sound that caused her to draw back her hand self-consciously. She looked up and saw Vaste staring at her with his pointy-toothed grin, and she gave him venom in return.

aa so, of course, heas keeping the army in Luukessia and marching them north, to meet and battle the scourge as it continues to come south,a Ryin Ayend finished with a nod of his head, perched atop that implausibly thin neck.

aOh, of course,a Vara said, letting sarcasm drip from every syllable. aBecause the problems of another continent are so much larger than the enemies storming down our own gates.a Ryinas jaw worked open and then shut, a quick motion that caused his lips to purse. aOf course we didnat know over there what you were experiencing here, else we might have come back a bit quicker. Howevera"a aThis scourge,a Alaric said, interrupting. aYou have mentioned the danger they pose, but you did not speak to the origin of these creatures.a Ayendas face went ashen. aAh, yes. Well, you see, thatas the other part of the problem and the reason Cyrus sent me back. He wants you to send reinforcementsa"a aThen heas just as daft as ever heas been,a Vara said, and she felt the twitch and contraction of the muscles at the corners of her eyes. aUnsurprising, given that heas been operating out of contact for so long, but the idea that the war here would just run a pleasing and gentle course is ridiculous, and a supposed amaster strategista such as Cyrus Davidon should damned well have known that the Sovereign of Saekaj wouldnat be sitting idly by while he grew fat in his black armor, feasting beyond the eastern sea.a aYou donat understand,a Ayend said with a shake of the head. aHeas not just fighting the good fight for the sake of it over therea"a aBecause heas never gotten involved in an ill-advised fight before?a Vara said, cutting across Ayendas words.

aTo your advantage, I believe, not his,a Ryin said.

aYay, verbal fisticuffs,a Vaste said, aI have so missed the arguments in these chambers over the last months.a aI havenat,a Alaric said, dark circles under his eyes now that his helm was removed. aVara, if you might, please allow our esteemed brother Ryin to finish his train of thought without interruption a About the origin of this scourge a?a aAh,a Ryin said, all contrition. aThat is the sticky part, as I said.a aSomething on the order of five times now youave said it was a sticky part,a Vara said, her fingers now on her face and ready to dig into the skin in lieu of anything else to squeeze her frustration out on. aSome of us grow weary of being stickya"a aNot I,a Vaste said. aI could do with more of it. Though not with any of you.a aPerhaps you might cut to the point of it and be done,a Vara continued, ignoring the interruption, aso that those of us who have other things to doa"say, seeing to the defense of Sanctuarya"could get back to that.a aWould you allow me,a Ryin said, irritation infusing his tone, asixty uninterrupted seconds without the extreme pleasure,a he put emphasis on pleasure, as though it were the foulest curse, aof your sweet and indulgent voice, and I might complete a full sentence and thus end the story I am trying to tell.a His jaw worked as though he were chewing something heavy. aJaanda read the minds of these creatures and saw their monstrous origin, and then Cyrus and Aisling confirmed their creation by seeinga"a aWhat a wondrous pairing, those two,a Vara said, and her hand dropped from her face to the table again, where she dug her fingers into the edge once more.

Ryin ignored her. aa"seeing how they were created. There is a portal, and it leads to Mortusas chambers. The creatures are the souls turned loose after the God of Deathasa"well, his death,a Ayend said, after struggling with the phrase. aThey are the legacy of what we released when we killed Mortus.a A heavy silence covered the room before Ryin began to speak again. aCyrus says he will stay until the end to defeat them to, ah aa Ayend pursed his lips, aa atone for his part in their release.a Varaas eyes met Alaricas, which were cool indifference, but she caught a glint in them that she ignored. aWell,a she said, suppressing the internal desire to scream, aisnat that a noble a of him.a aHeas quite the honorable chap,a Ayend said coolly.

aInteresting to hear you speak so favorably of him,a Vaste said with amusement, aseeing as youave always been his harshest critic.a aIam everyoneas harshest critic,a Ryin said, sitting up straight in his chair, abecause I donat believe in letting ideas pass unless theyave some virtue and until theyave been considered carefully. Perhaps we made a mistake in killing Mortus, perhaps we erred in defending Termina for the evacuation, perhaps not on one or both counts; either way, there are plainly consequences that need to be dealt with by someone, both here and abroad. Whatever our prior decisions, we are stuck with the fallout from them now, and I see Cyrus trying as best he can to cope with his part. Luukessia is at war, these things are numerous, the land is fragmented and the coming war will likely be disastrous. Cyrus could use additional forces to drive these things back and finish them in order to have Curatio destroy the portal.a There was a long pause, and Alaric stared at Ryin from his place at the head of the table, the grey skies highlighted out the small windows behind him to the balcony. It might have been Varaas imagination, but the sky seemed to dim further as Alaric wrapped a hand around his mouth as if trying to suppress any sound that might escape. aNo,a he said at last. aHis cause is, of course, just, and worthy, but the army we broke is not the last of what we will see of the dark elves. We cannot move to assist our comrades in Luukessia unless we know for fact that the dark elves have moved all their armies against other objectives.a He bowed his head. aI do not see us coming into an abundance of news in that regard, not anytime soon, not more than idle rumors.a Vara stared at him, at the specter of quiet and defeat that hunched the Ghostas shoulders. We should protect our own gates, take care to watch our backs now. What has happened to these people of Luukessia is unfortunate, all the moreso because of our part in setting loose this scourge, but to send more of our army to aid them would be to sentence those remaining behind to defend Sanctuary to a terrible and bloody death, especially now that the Sovereign has learned how to breach our very foyer and send his troops in directly. No, further excursions would be a terrible idea, awful in its application and idiotic in the stripping of more forces from our own walls a Even still, she spoke. aPerhaps aa she said, aa if I went to the front south of Reikonos and spoke with my sister, who helps head the defense of human territory, we might gather some idea of how goes the war in general, and the disposition of forces. With that insight, we might know if it were safe to send another expedition to assist our beleaguered forces in Luukessia.a She clamped her mouth shut after it was said, and wanted to scream. Where the hell did THAT come from?

aAn interesting idea,a Vaste said. aAnd here I thought you were firmly against committing any more troops outside of our walls. I wonder what might possibly have shifted the weight in your mind against that idea.a aAn outpouring of concern for our army across the sea, no doubt,a she said icily.

aBecause you spend a vast majority of your time concerned about the plight of our new recruits,a Vaste replied with a barb and a raised eyebrow.

aI spend my time as an officer concerned about our entire guild, you miscreant.a aOf course,a he said contritely.