Adventurers Wanted, Book 4: Sands of Nezza (35 page)

“Adventures are often uncomfortable,” said Alex with a smile. “What news do you bring?”

“Rallian and the lords of the north were ten days away from Karmus when I left them,” Stonebill answered. “That was seven days ago. I would have come sooner, but the east wind is still blowing hard.”

“Do you think I’ve overdone the spell?” Alex asked.

“If you don’t put an end to it soon, the whole land of Nezza will sink into the sea,” Stonebill croaked.

“Master Taylor, can you speak to this bird?” Lady Shelnor interrupted.

“I can,” Alex answered. “He is a friend, sent by the oracle Tempe to aid me in this land.”

“The oracle? You have spoken to the Oracle of the Red Lands?” Lady Shelnor asked, her eyes wide.

“Yes,” said Alex. “She was most kind to me and to King Rallian.”

“And what does this most noble bird say to you?”

“He brings word from King Rallian and the lords of the north. They are approaching Karmus, and so my time in your fair city is coming to an end.”

“It will take you weeks to reach Karmus,” one of the lords of Ossbo said.

“No,” said Alex. “If I leave in the early morning, I should arrive at King Rallian’s camp in time for the midday meal.”

“Master Taylor is a wizard of great power,” Lady Shelnor said. “I am sure what he says is true.”

“Do you have any message you’d like me to take to your husband?” Alex asked Lady Shelnor.

“Yes, if you would be so kind,” she said.

When the meal ended, Alex wandered out into the palace garden, thinking about what was to come in the next few days. The rain was still falling hard, and Alex took shelter in a small gazebo on the edge of the garden. Stonebill sat quietly on Alex’s shoulder, and after a few minutes, he broke the silence.

“How will you reach Karmus in time for the midday meal? Even in eagle form and with the east wind at your back, it will take you days to reach King Rallian.”

“I will not travel as an eagle,” said Alex. “If you wish to come with me, I will have to put you inside my magic bag.”

“But how will you travel?” Stonebill persisted.

“Have you not guessed? You see so much, I would think you could see the answer to your question.”

“You will summon the dragon once more and ride on its back to Karmus,” said Stonebill after a moment of thought.

“Something like that,” said Alex.

He was surprised the raven hadn’t guessed correctly. Alex hadn’t told anyone in Nezza about his ability to take the dragon form, not even Tempe. He suspected, however, that the oracle would guess his secret once she heard about the dragon coming to Ossbo.

“It will be a wet flight.” Stonebill chuckled.

“Wet, but short.”

It was well after midnight when Alex returned to his room. He was surprised to find Roanna waiting for him at the door, a troubled look on her face.

“I have a message from Lady Shelnor to her husband,” said Roanna, holding out a letter for Alex.

“You also have something you wish to ask,” said Alex.

“Are my thoughts so open to you?”

“You have been thinking about this since we talked in the kitchens,” said Alex. “You wish to take the healer’s test and travel to the land of shadows.”

“You are the only healer I know who has been there,” said Roanna. “You are the only one who can teach me what I need to know.”

“Are you certain this is what you want?” Alex asked.

“This . . . You may be my only chance to learn this part of the healing craft,” Roanna answered.

“You do not answer my question. Is this really what you want?” Alex pressed.

“I . . . I don’t know,” Roanna answered slowly. “I want to learn, I want to help my people, but . . .”

“But the shadowlands are a dark place, and you do not wish to go there,” Alex finished for her. “I understand your fear, Roanna. Do what you can for your people, and do not let thoughts of the shadowlands trouble you.”

Roanna bowed to Alex, her troubled look fading as she turned and left.

Alex entered his room, and Stonebill fluttered off his shoulder and landed on the bedpost.

“She has a great deal of power,” Stonebill said.

“Yes,” said Alex. “I saw it the first night I arrived here.”

“I think she will be a great help to the people of Nezza, if she can stop worrying about the shadowlands,” said Stonebill.

“I think you are right,” said Alex, looking at the raven. “But only time will tell, and now it is time to go south and see the king. Will you travel in my bag, or will you make your own way?”

“If I made my own way, I would miss everything,” answered Stonebill. “Put me in your bag, and at least I’ll get some rest.”

Alex spoke the necessary words and put Stonebill inside his magic bag. He would return to Karmus, and, with any luck, Rallian would be king before another week had passed.

It won’t be as easy as that,
Alex’s O’Gash said in his head.
You may win Karmus, you may crown Rallian as king, but what about the other kingdoms? How will you make peace in Nezza?

The spell you set loose at the river has done its work. Old angers are renewed, old hatreds remembered. A desire for revenge fills this land, and the people want someone to pay for their pain. Magnus will use this to his advantage if he can; you need to remember Magnus.

Rallian is the key,
his O’Gash finished.
Rallian and . . .

“And?” Alex questioned.

Alex waited for a long time, but his O’Gash said nothing more. It troubled him that his O’Gash did not finish what it had started to say. He ran everything through his mind again:
Rallian is the key. Rallian and . . .
and what?

Alex made his way back to the palace garden, and when he was sure he was alone, he changed into an eagle and flew into the darkness before the dawn. He would change into a dragon when he was well away from the city and then fly to Karmus before going to Rallian’s camp. It would be good to see Karmus and find out what Lazar and Magnus were up to. If Rallian’s army had been spotted, there would be signs of preparation in Karmus.

As he flew, Alex considered breaking the spell that kept the storm in place, but he decided against it. He didn’t know what plans Rallian had made to rescue the families of his soldiers, but he thought the rain would help those plans, whatever they were.

When Alex reached the first mountains, he let his magic grow around him and changed into his second true form. The great true silver dragon rose up over the mountains, speeding off to the south and west, the storm following behind him. He let out a roar of happiness as he flew. He knew that he would reach Karmus just as it was getting light, and his appearance would come as a great shock to both Lazar and Magnus.

In the pale morning light, Alex slowed his flight and flew lower so he could get a good look at the city of Karmus. He could hear the frightened yells from the people in the streets below him. He studied the streets of the city as he circled and noticed that there were few soldiers to be seen. In fact, the only soldiers he did see were on the island prison, close to Lazar and his seat of power.

Or close to Magnus,
his O’Gash whispered.

Alex let out a great roar as he flew over the city once more. He didn’t see anything that looked like trouble, so he kept his eyes open as he turned north to find the army of King Rallian.

Rallian and his men were less than half a day away from Karmus, but their progress had been stopped. As Alex flew over their camp, he instantly saw what the problem was. The lords from five of the seven inner kingdoms had assembled their armies, and they now stood between Rallian and Karmus.

Circling overhead, Alex took in all the details of both armies. The armies of the inner kingdoms outnumbered Rallian by nearly two to one, which meant that fighting their way to Karmus would be impossible. He could also feel the desire for revenge that filled the armies of the inner kingdoms. They wanted someone to blame for the years of suffering, they wanted someone to pay, and Rallian and the lords of the north were the focus of their anger.

Alex flew above the clouds, hiding the dragon from the men on the ground. Once he was high enough not to be seen, he changed back into an eagle and circled down to Rallian’s camp.

“At least they haven’t sent word to Lazar,” Alex heard Talbot say as he approached Rallian’s tent.

“They haven’t sent any
official
word to Lazar,” said Shelnor. “Still, they seem willing to listen to reason and avoid a battle if they can.”

“But we must get to Karmus soon,” said Rallian, sounding frustrated. “If Lazar finds out what has happened, he could slaughter the people of Karmus before we get there.”

“I doubt we could fight our way through,” said Caftan. “And even if we could, it would make enemies of those you will need as friends.”

Alex didn’t wait to hear more. He stepped into the tent, shaking the rain from his hair.

“Alex!” Rallian exclaimed, rushing over to welcome him back. “We saw the dragon and thought you would return shortly.”

“Only just in time, it seems,” said Alex. “I have news, but perhaps you should tell me what is happening here first.”

“Lazar is forcing the inner kingdoms to take his side,” said Talbot. “They recognize Rallian and his right to claim the crown, but Lazar holds the young lords of the inner kingdoms in Karmus. If the lords of the inner kingdoms want to save their young lords, they have to do what Lazar says.”

Alex shook his head. “The seven young lords Lazar held are dead. They were sent to the western desert some time ago. I’m sure Rallian can guess their fate.”

“The serpent,” said Rallian, going pale. “The serpent killed them all.”

“Yes,” said Alex.

“When did you find this out, Alex? How long have you known that they were dead?” Rallian questioned.

“I found out when we faced the serpent in the desert,” said Alex. “At the time I didn’t know that your cousin was among them. I am sorry for your loss, my friend.”

“Lazar and Magnus will pay for this evil,” said Rallian, his fists clenched in anger.

“If their lords are dead, it means that Lazar has no true power over the inner kingdoms,” said Shelnor.

“But will they believe us?” Talbot asked. “Will they believe that Magnus and Lazar have already killed their lords?”

“I doubt they will believe anything we say,” said Caftan. “They will want to believe Lazar, as his story offers them hope that their loved ones are still alive.”

“They are gone,” said Alex. “The serpent knew that the seven were lords of Nezza. He admitted it to me.”

“Then all is lost,” said Shelnor. “We cannot advance to Karmus, and we cannot prove to the lords of the inner kingdoms that their lords were killed by Lazar and Magnus. We must withdraw and prepare to defend our own lands.”

“No,” said Rallian firmly. “There must be some way to convince them. There must be something we can do to prove that what we know is true.”

Rallian is the key. Rallian and . . .
Alex’s O’Gash whispered once more.

“Tell me,” said Alex, his mind catching on an idea. “Is there something we can say—an oath or some item we can swear on—that all the lords of Nezza would believe?”

“Only the ring of the kings would hold that power,” said Talbot. “But it was lost when the last king of Nezza rode north.”

“And found again when I rode on my first adventure,” said Alex.

“Found?” Rallian asked in disbelief.

“You’ve heard the story of my first adventure,” said Alex as he reached for his magic bag.

“Yes, but you never mentioned the ring of the kings,” Rallian said.

“When I fought the three-legged troll, I won a ring,” said Alex. “I did not know what it was until I spoke to the oracle Tempe. She told me that it was the great ring of the kings of Nezza.”

“You have this ring—now?” Shelnor asked in amazement.

“Tempe said that I should hold on to it until the time was right,” Alex said. “She didn’t want me to give it to Rallian while we were still in the desert. She didn’t want to force him into making a claim on the crown.”

“A kind thought,” said Rallian.

Alex spoke softly into his magic bag, telling Stonebill where the ring was and asking him to bring it out and give it to Rallian. With a rush of feathers, Stonebill appeared in the tent, fluttering gently onto Rallian’s shoulder, the golden ring held in his beak. He bent down and let the ring fall into Rallian’s open hand, and then flew back to his normal place on Alex’s shoulder.

“The great ring of the kings,” said Rallian as he looked at the golden circle in his hand.

The gold seemed to shine more brightly in Rallian’s hand than it ever had before, and the black stone reflected the light like water at midnight. Rallian slowly put the ring on his right hand, and Alex felt a sudden rush of magic. All the lords of Nezza dropped to one knee in front of Rallian, and Alex bowed to his friend.

The magic was ancient, perhaps as old as Nezza itself. At first Alex couldn’t see what the magic was, but as it continued to grow around Rallian, Alex realized what was happening. The ring was a magical link between the true king and the land; it was a source of power that had once helped to hold the kingdom of Nezza together. This ancient magic was like a spring, and the water that flowed out of it was hope for better times.

“With this ring, you could have claimed all of Nezza as your own,” Rallian said to Alex.

“But I am not the king of Nezza,” said Alex. “You are.”

Rallian nodded, and for a moment it looked as if he would cry with joy, but he stepped back and asked his lords to rise.

“We must ride forward under the flag of truce,” said Rallian. “The lords of the inner kingdoms must be made to see the truth.”

“As you wish, my king,” said Talbot.

“With your permission,” said Alex, bowing, “I would like to ride forward with you. I would like to see the lords of the inner kingdoms for myself.”

“I would be honored to have your company,” said Rallian.

As Rallian turned to speak with the rest of the lords, Alex stepped away from the group. He was pleased to see Rallian so much in command and the lords of the north so willing to follow. His own hopes for peace in Nezza had been renewed, and now he felt certain that the wars would at last come to an end.