Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue (15 page)

The two guards escorted Carliss and Ganoaf as they followed behind Karoshi. Carliss wondered what their destination might be, but soon it was evident. They were taken through the castle gates and down the road that led to the same bridge Carliss had crossed the previous day.
But this time, once on the other side, Karoshi opened the gate that led to the causeway, and they ascended the steps.

Before long, Carliss and the entourage were walking on the causeway toward Esca Prime. The sun was already sinking toward the west as they skimmed the tops of the swamp trees, soon to enter the Shadow Warrior’s evil abode.

THE ASSASSIN

Baron Karoshi and his two guards escorted Carliss and Ganoaf through the castle halls to the inner keep, where two guards allowed them entrance through the massive ornate wooden doors. Ganoaf seemed nearly overcome with fear and walked closely behind Carliss.

As they entered, a broad-shouldered man was intently studying a collection of parchments lying on the desk before him. The guards closed the doors behind them.

“Lord Malco,” Baron Karoshi announced. “As you have ordered, I bring to you Lady Carliss, Knight of the Prince.”

Lord Malco looked up from his work. His blond hair was tied in a braid that hung partway down his back. Decked in an elegant black leather doublet, matching trousers, and cape, he wore an air of stately authority. Deep blue eyes seemed to pierce Carliss as he looked at her. He opened his mouth to speak and then stopped. His eyes grew wide as he looked past her. He stepped away from his desk and threw back his cape to reveal a sword that was as powerful- and elegant-looking as its owner.

“Fool!” Malco shouted as he drew his sword. “What are you doing bringing him into my castle!”

Carliss was surprised and confused by what was happening, and evidently so was Karoshi.

“What do you mean, my lord?” The baron cringed at Malco’s anger as he looked about.

Carliss looked about too, just in time to see Ganoaf stand up straight and move with the speed of a tiger. He grabbed the nearest guard’s sword, then slammed his left forearm into the man’s chest. It was such a powerful blow that the guard flew backward four feet in the air, crashed into the wall, and crumbled to the floor. The other guard reached for his sword, but Ganoaf made one powerful, skilled cut that put him down in an instant. Ganoaf then ran to set the bar lock on the chamber door.

By now Karoshi had moved away from the ruckus and drawn his sword. Carliss stood frozen in utter amazement, stunned by Ganoaf’s actions. How could this apparent simpleton move like… a warrior?

Carliss shook herself from her daze and reached for the dead guard’s sword.

“So, Malco,” Ganoaf said with a voice that boomed through the hall, “this is where you’ve been hiding your pathetic self.”

Malco walked toward them quickly but cautiously, his sword ready and his face full of fury.

“How can you be so stupid as to bring a Silent Warrior into my own castle, let alone my chamber?” he said fiercely to Karoshi.

“I…I…didn’t know…,” Karoshi stammered.

“Shut up!” Malco shouted.

Carliss positioned herself beside Ganoaf. She couldn’t keep from glancing back and forth between her enemies and her friend. Ganoaf didn’t even look like the same man.

Ganoaf swished his sword back and forth as though he were dusting off an old set of skills. Shouts and banging came from the massive doors behind them.

“What exactly do you hope to accomplish, Ganoaf?” Malco said as his angry countenance transformed into awry smile. “You would need an army to destroy my castle, and I certainly don’t see an army.”

Ganoaf’s eyes narrowed, and the fire of an ancient battle seemed to kindle his spirit. “All I need to do is kill you, Malco.” Ganoaf emphasized
his point by bringing a double-handed crosscut to Malco’s raised blade. They engaged in a vicious battle as Carliss brought her sword to bear against Karoshi. Though tempted to watch as the mastery of Ganoaf’s sword-fighting abilities was unveiled, she was quickly forced to give her full attention to Karoshi, for he was a very skilled swordsman himself.

The two fights separated as chairs were overturned and tapestries were shredded by the steel of opposing blades. Carliss realized that the outcome of one duel would determine the fate of both, so she held nothing back in her advance on the Vincero. Karoshi seemed to falter, and Carliss pressed him hard. With a few more cuts, Carliss had Karoshi backed up against Malco’s large desk. He made a desperate thrust with his blade, which she deflected and countered with a wide slice that was sure to find its mark.

The Vincero fell back onto the desk as Carliss’s blade passed just above him. He lifted his legs and kicked Carliss in the abdomen, then rolled to the opposite side of the desk. Carliss doubled over, breathless from the blow. She fought to fill her lungs with air, for she knew Karoshi would be on her in an instant.

She looked up just in time to see that he had exchanged his sword for a halberd poleax from a display on the wall and was initiating a powerful vertical cut that the strongest of swords could not deflect. Pressing hard into her forward foot, she threw her torso back and out of the way of the deadly blade, but the maneuver was not enough. The razor-sharp edge of the ax head skimmed past her face, but the spike on the top of the halberd collided with the leather spaulder on her left shoulder and snapped. The ax continued its plummet downward, slicing clear through the front of her boot.

Carliss dared not wait for the explosion of pain and the flood of blood that was sure to come. She grabbed the pole of the halberd with her left hand and used it to catapult her toward Karoshi, executing a powerful slice in her final advance. Karoshi’s eyes grew wide as he realized there was nothing he could do to stop the inevitable. He screamed as Carliss’s blade tore into his side.

Both combatants tumbled to the floor and rolled away from each other just as the doors of Malco’s chamber blasted open in a shower of splinters. Karoshi made a feeble attempt to rise, then sank lifelessly back to the floor. Carliss glanced toward Ganoaf and realized that he had just disarmed the Shadow Warrior and was one stroke short of destroying the evil lord. But now the room filled with eight massive warriors, who were on them in an instant.

Carliss pulled her foot in to see how badly it was injured, surprised that she had not yet felt any pain. She felt for her toes and realized that the ax had passed perfectly between them, slicing only the front of her boot. This good news was little consolation however, since now she was probably facing an execution in short order. She was whisked to her feet by two massive warriors and brought before Malco. Ganoaf was in the grip of two other warriors, and two more held swords at his throat.

Malco was breathing hard, a mixture of fear and great relief on his face. He turned away to recover himself and then turned back to face Ganoaf with an expression of arrogant composure.

“Looks as though your little assassination attempt has failed, Ganoaf,” Malco said with a sneer. “You always were the impetuous fool.”

“Perhaps, Malco, but one moment longer and you would have been dead!”

Malco’s smooth facade momentarily crumbled as Ganoaf’s words hit him. He turned toward the warrior holding one of the blades at Ganoaf’s throat.

“Lowtar, do not completely kill him yet. Just make him wish you had.” Malco turned with an evil smile to face Ganoaf again. “I want to kill him many times.”

“Yes, my lord,” the gruesome warrior replied as he and four other Shadow Warriors brusquely escorted Ganoaf out of Lord Malco’s chamber.

Ganoaf glanced over his shoulder at Carliss, and she feared greatly for him.

“Don’t do this, Malco,” she shouted.

Malco came to Carliss and leaned down closely to her face. He
smiled, and the elegance of his evil charm licked at Carliss like a serpent’s tongue. Most would have been hypnotized by his captivating gaze, but Carliss saw into his heart. She was repulsed.

“Ah, Lady Carliss.” Malco glanced toward the doorway. “Do not be so concerned about that imbecile.” He lifted a lock of Carliss’s hair in his hand. “You should be thinking of your own fate. If you like, I can arrange for you to stay here with me… or you can join the other miserable Followers in the pit and suffer their same end.”

Carliss dared to look straight into his eyes. “They have done nothing to you.”

Malco sneered. “It isn’t what they’ve done or have not done, my fair one,” Malco replied. “It is whom they serve. Killing His servants is almost better than killing Him.”

Carliss turned her head away from him and closed her eyes.

Malco chuckled, and the sound caused Carliss to cringe.

“What shall we do with her?” one of the warriors asked. “Is Lowtar to torture her too?”

Carliss looked back at Malco with fiery resolve, and he leaned in close to her face again, peering down into the depths of her soul. He tilted his head slightly. “What is it that makes you special?” he asked with squinted eyes.

Carliss stalled in her resolve, confused by that simple question.
What does he mean by that?

Malco gazed a moment longer, then replied to his warrior’s question. “Don’t be so crude, Borad. She is to be my guest for supper tonight. Take her to the dining hall. And do something with… this.” He motioned dismissively toward the body of Baron Karoshi, which lay crumpled at the side of the room.

The warrior hesitated until Malco stared hard at him; then he bowed. “Yes, my lord.”

Carliss was escorted to the dining room and placed in a chair at the end of a long table. The room was adorned with regal tapestries, elaborate moldings, and a variety of artistic pieces that would have fit well in the hall of any king. The wealth of Lord Malco was indeed great, but
thinking of Ganoaf’s current predicament kept Carliss from appreciating the splendor of the hall.

After a lengthy wait, Lord Malco entered the hall and sat down at the opposite end of the table.

“Ah… it is good to have such a delightful guest with which to dine.” Malco seemed to have completely recovered from Ganoaf’s assassination attempt. He lifted a goblet of dark wine to his lips. “You must try the wine, my dear. It is exquisite.”

Carliss just stared at him.

“It’s occurred to me that you may not even know what happens in this magnificent castle.”

Malco set the wine down, stood, and crossed the room to where Carliss sat. Chills went up and down her spine as he stood behind her chair and then leaned down and spoke closely into her ear.

“Come, my lady. Let’s tour the castle, shall we? We can have our meal afterward.”

His voice was alluring and repellent at the same time. Carliss closed her eyes and tried to ignore the temptation to shudder. She stood as he pulled her chair away, and he escorted her out of the dining hall. As they exited the hall, two guards at the doorway snapped to attention.

Malco led her down a wide and elaborate hallway decked with expensive-looking statuettes, paintings, and armor displays as well as ornate moldings and columns. He held his arm out for her to take, but she huffed and turned her head away.