Sytravious: The Lost Warlock Of Moruz (The Oathbreaker Book 1) (21 page)

Sytravious had been observing the debate and trying to keep up with all the underlying accusations and political lines.  It was evident that the topic of the prince’s mission was a touchy one.

“Wise words indeed, Priestess.  Vesalys be with them all,” Jezra raised her chalice.  Everyone repeated her words and toasted.

Below the table, Sytravious let his left hand drift over to Raiven’s, his fingers brushed against hers for just a moment.  She stiffened up and glanced at him a moment.

              “Bryce, would you be so kind as to accompany me while I show the champion around the hall?  I am sure our guest is getting bored with such ominous talk at the celebration,” Raiven said.

Her guardian appeared from behind her, a small hint of a grin crossed his face when he looked at his friend.  Sytravious was glad at least
he
was not holding any grudges against him.

“Certainly Priestess, it would be my honor to watch over you both,” Bryce replied and helped Raiven out of her chair.

She motioned for Sytravious to follow them.

              “Just a moment Raiven, it is custom for a guest of honor to have his own escort.  May I offer my own to the champion?  Kaspar will be most pleased to accompany you,” the general interjected.  Kenshiro snapped his fingers and the young soldier approached.

“Sir, you cannot expect me to escort
him
after what happened in the melee?  Are you trying to humiliate me?”  Kaspar argued.

“I cannot expect you to do what I ordered of you?  Are you certain you want to address your commanding officer in such a manner?  Let me be clear, you
will
escort the champion and do well to remember your place here tonight.  You are nothing more than my attendant this evening, any chance you had to step out of that role was vanquished when you decided to give your back to an eligible opponent.”  Kenshiro was glaring at his protégé with his hand gripping his sword hilt, as if daring him to speak out of turn again.

“Sir, forgive my selfish outburst.  It would be my honor to do this for you and our champion,” he spat the last word out with contempt.

              Raiven ignored her cousin’s show of power and asked, “High Priestess, may we?” 

              Jezra nodded.  Bryce and Kaspar followed, as Sytravious and the priestess strolled away from the banquet.  Raiven glanced at him and began the conversation. 

              “I apologize about our court’s behavior.  The world I live in is much more complex than our midnight garden talks.  Growing up in this setting has exposed me to what really goes on around the kingdom, and nothing is ever what it seems.  You need to be more careful.  No more flirting in public, especially not here.”

“As you wish, Priestess.” 

The war of words at the table had not been lost on him.  While Edgar was the City Warden, he was not the head of that gathering.  As they made their way down an empty corridor, Jezra suddenly appeared before them and blocked their path.  She smiled with a curious look in her eyes.

“Raiven, I am sure you will not mind if I steal our honored guest away for just a second.”

The priestess bowed her head and took a few steps back and joined their escorts.  Jezra placed her hand on Sytravious’ shoulder and spoke close to his ear for more privacy.  “You are a very talented young man with a promising future.  Should you align yourself with the right
people, such as myself, I will see to it that you get a position in the ranks of the guardians.  My advice to you is that you accept what I am offering.  Think of it as a personal gift from me.  Together we can make your future even greater.”

Her proposal had caught him off guard, and he did not know how to respond. 

Jezra turned to Raiven and said, “My dear I did not mean to interrupt your tour of the castle, do carry on.  I hope our champion realizes how lucky he is to have you show him around tonight.”  She winked at her.  “Kaspar, I believe the General has had too much to drink.  At the moment, he is having a heated debate on fighting techniques with Xertias, leaving me without an escort.  Please, would you help me back to the table?”

The young soldier bowed his head and took his leave with the high priestess before disappearing into the thick crowd of guests.  Then an idea popped into Sytravious’ head, pushing Jezra’s suggestion to the back of his mind.

He turned to his friend.  “Hey Bryce, would you mind doing me a favor?”

The guardian snorted, “You mean besides not bashing your skull in for failing to tell me you were in the tournament?”

“Yes besides that.”  He chuckled.

“What is it then?  I am bored out of my mind and have not had a drink all day.”

“I would like a moment alone with the priestess, just out there on the balcony.  If you could be the lookout and make sure we are not interrupted for a couple minutes I would be grateful to you.”

“Oh man, you must have balls of dragonite steel, my friend.  I hate to tell you but you will not get anywhere with
her
, trust me.  I have seen many try and fail.  She may look naïve, but she does not fall for anything.”

“No, it is nothing like that.  I just want to extend some flattery to her without having to worry about embarrassing myself in front of anyone.”

“Go for it, Sytravious.  Just keep in mind that if she calls for me, it is your funeral because I will have to beat you down.”  He shrugged.  “Nothing personal, but my job duties demand it.”

Sytravious nodded, and then went over to Raiven who was watching them with curiosity.  He motioned for her to follow him onto the balcony.  She looked apprehensive, before following him outside.  The cool breeze of the night air hit them, and was followed by the sounds of music from the festival outside below.  Even over the smells of food cooking in the courtyard, he could smell the rose oil Raiven must have had in her hair. 

The beautiful sight of her made his heart beat fast in his chest.  He now had the time to fully appreciate her radiance, without worrying about who would see.  She wore a floral print gown that exposed her bare shoulders, with a thin silk scarf hanging around her arms.  She was breathtaking. 

“You are either very brave or very stupi---” she began to say, but before she could finish his lips were pressed against hers.  He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body against his.  Fighting his urge to keep kissing her, he broke away.  He took a deep breath and turned to rest against the edge of the balcony.

“I have missed you and I hope you forgive my deception about the whole tournament.  I really had no intention of fighting until the reward was announced.”

“For the gold?  Please, Sytravious, you know I do not care about how much gold you have.”

“No, it was not about the gold.  I fought today so I could sit beside you without having to hide.  No amount of gold could be worth more.”

Raiven blushed.  “Oh…well, thank you.  What I do not understand is how you beat all the other contenders, even Xertias.  People will be talking about you for weeks to come.  I mean, my cousin and the warden already offered you a position, just think of what other opportunities could present themselves now.”

He beamed as he thought of his conversation with Jezra only moments ago.  “I think they already have.  The high priestess just told me I am welcomed to become a guardian if I so choose.  I never thought my hobby would lead me to a place by your side forever.  It is all I care about.  Forget the titles and honor, my only desire is to be with you Raiven.”

              “What?  I cannot believe this is really happening.  Vesalys has answered my prayers.  Once you are a guardian, you can request to court me.  See, it is not a distant dream anymore!”

“Yes I know.  It is exciting, but we must handle one thing at a time.  Therefore, until then, we will follow your own advice, keep our distance, and take care to keep our relationship hidden.  We would not want to ruin this chance in any way.  I will try to see you when I can, and in time we can have a life together.”

He embraced her and took in her sweet smell.  His lips met hers once more.  Her tongue was still laced with the sweet wine she had drank at dinner, and he savored the flavor.  This time, it was her who pulled away and stared into his eyes.

“Everything is coming together,” Raiven whispered, and then continued to kiss him.

Hurried footsteps rushed nearer, until Bryce appeared on the balcony.  He looked shocked to see them so close together, but regained his composure and alerted them to an impending interruption. 

“The general is approaching with a sense of urgency.  I think he is looking for the priestess.  If anyone asks, I was out here the entire time.”

Sytravious nodded.  He had moved away from Raiven and pretended to admire the view of the town below when Kenshiro stormed onto the terrace.  The general halted his brisk pace when he found the priestess, and cleared his throat.

“There you are!  I was beginning to wonder where you had disappeared to.”

While admiring the festivities below, Sytravious said, “I am sorry, General, but I am afraid I held her up longer than intended.  I was just taking in the view from up here.  To be able to see the city from such a vantage point is truly a treat.”  As he turned to face Kenshiro, Bryce jumped in front of him then pinched and pulled the skin under Sytravious’ eye.  He almost tore away his skin and Sytravious shouted in pain. 

“What is the matter with you?”

“My apologies, I did not mean to startle you.  There was a...bug right by your eye.  Nasty thing it was.  I am almost sure it was a poisonous beetle.  Lucky thing I got it.”

Sytravious narrowed his eyes at his friend.  In all the years he had known the guardian, he never knew him to be a good liar. 

Kenshiro snickered.  “Now Bryce, do not tell me you are holding ill feelings towards the champion as well.”

“Excuse me, but can we help you with something?  I was about to show Sytravious the armory next,” Raiven spoke with annoyance in her voice.

The general frowned.  “Are you forgetting you owe me a dance?”  He moved closer to the priestess and took her hands into his.  “Do not be silly, your guardian is not doing anything.  He can finish the tour.”

              Raiven appeared to be torn as she looked from Sytravious to Kenshiro and sighed.  “I am sorry to have to do this, but it is true, I owe him a dance.  Bryce, would you mind taking our guest around?”

              “Not at all, Priestess,” the guardian replied.

The general held out his arm to usher her back to the hall.  “I bid you both a good evening.  Wish me luck with this dance.”  He smiled, waved at them, and pulled Raiven closer as they walked out.  “Hopefully it will lead to that kiss I wanted.”

“You are a little late.  That kiss has already been claimed,” Bryce spoke under his breath.  Sytravious stomped down on his friend’s foot, causing him to yelp. 

“What the hell was that for?”

“Oh sorry, I thought I saw a bug on your foot,” he said flatly.

              “Here is your ‘bug’ Mister Champion.”  Bryce handed him the object he had taken off his face.  Sytravious looked down at the tiny jewel from Raiven’s eye makeup. 

“Bryce, it was not what you think---”

“Really?”  His face remained unconvinced.  “You asked me to give you a few minutes to flatter her, and then I find you two in each other’s arms.  Listen, I get the secrecy, but you have to try to be more careful Sytravious.  If you are not honest with me, I can only cover your ass to a certain extent.”

“Yeah, honest,” he murmured as he stared back down at the courtyard.  He knew it would be a dangerous path ahead of him if he did not figure out how to navigate through what lay ahead.  Thankfully, Raiven would be by his side.

Chapter 19

Word Of Caution

E
lric seemed nervous as he sat across Jezra. General Kenshiro had summoned him at the high priestess’ request. She had wanted to discuss the mysterious use of magic around Havencrest in the past few weeks. Now, she was reading over his investigation report. The general sat next to her, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was suffering from a headache due to his overindulgence of wine at the banquet the night before.

              Xertias loomed behind Jezra and kept his eyes on Elric the whole time. The constable tried to smile at him, but the guardian continued to glare. Xertias took the position more seriously than the constable’s brother, who was known for his carefree spirit he brought to the position of guardian, but this meeting was not the place for Bryce’s lightheartedness.

“Constable, do you mind if I call you Elric?” the high priestess asked.

“No, not at all,” he let out a nervous chuckle.

“Well, Elric, your findings are very concerning.  What leads have you followed from the evidence you had?”

“As you know, we found the odd fabric among their clothing, but more importantly we found the legionnaire coins.  I would like to say it has helped, but it has only brought up more questions and theories than answers.” 

“Please, share these questions and theories with me.”

Elric gulped and the general glowered at him.

“Um…uh…Your Holiness, do you remember the dark VanDrake sorcery that comes from Moruz?”

“Yes. Why? Do you believe it plays a part in what has happened here?”

“I have just been thinking that all the signs are there, even High Priest Vienken has agreed with this theory, and he was at the examination of the corpses.  Then add the fact that a majority of the men were carrying legionnaire coins.  Then, each one of the men in the forest had suspicious wounds on their right arms, including the sixth victim from the slums.  Each one of them was missing skin in the same exact spot on their forearms, and I believe that was done in an effort to hide their identities.  What I have not been able to figure out is why the sixth man was killed so much later, why he lingered in Havencrest, and of course who would do such a thing to him? I am currently in the middle of questioning citizens in the lower district to see if anyone may have had contact with any of the victims, especially the last man since I believe he was staying in the city until his premature death.”

“Have you had any luck?”

“I have been asking around, Your Holiness, but it is unclear as to whether he was actually seen or not.”

“What exactly was said for you to believe they may have seen the victim?” she asked.

“Some patrons at a local bar in the lower district said they had witnessed a man matching his description only days before his body was found.  They say he was sitting with a known black market merchant by the name of Barnabus.”

“What has the merchant, Barnabus, said about this claim?”

“He is nowhere to be found, Your Holiness.  I have asked the barmaid who serves him at the Trapper House, and she told me he has not been there for weeks.”

Jezra examined some more notes Elric had written.  “What did this barmaid…” she paused, “You have written here that her name is Ruby Harcourt.  What did Ruby have to say about the night that the patrons saw Barnabus and the sixth victim?  Did she happen to hear what they were talking about?”

He scratched his head and replied, “See that is where I run into some variance in accounts of that night.  Ruby said she does not recall seeing the two men there that evening.”

Jezra pointed to the form in her hand.  “Elric, right here at the side, you have scribbled the name Sytravious.  Why is that?”

Kenshiro leaned in to peek at the parchment as the high priestess set them down on the table in front of her.  She raised an eyebrow at the constable.

“Oh, that was a note to myself.  I was having trouble scheduling a meeting with her because she is so busy, so I wanted to remind myself to ask Sytravious when she would be available.  He is her son.”

“Do you know Sytravious?”

“Yes, he is a childhood friend.”

She folded her hands and stared at him in deep thought.  “Would you say you know Ruby well?”

“I would say I know her as well as a child would know his friend’s mother.  Trust me, Your Holiness, she is a very nice woman.  Everyone who knows Ruby would vouch for her.”

“Elric, I do not want to tell you how to do your job, however, do you not find it strange that multiple patrons recall seeing Barnabus and the victim that night but Ruby does not?  We are talking about the barmaid who serves him on a regular basis.  Even if the man Barnabus was seen with is not one of the victims, Ruby is the only one saying she does not recall seeing even the merchant.  Tell me, what is wrong with that picture?”

“Are you suggesting Ruby is lying to me?  She would never.”  Elric looked stunned by the idea.

“I understand that you know this woman well, and she may be telling you the truth, but call it a nagging feeling if you must.  I want you to look into her again.”

“Sytravious is not going to be happy about----”

“Elric, let us get one thing straight. Nothing comes before your duties as the Constable of Havencrest.  It matters not what your friend will think, because he will not know.  This is a confidential subject.  You are to report to me with a log of her comings and goings over the next few weeks.  That is an order.”

“I do not grasp what it is you expect me to find, Your Holiness.”

              “That is for me to worry about.  Just do what I have asked and keep any personal feelings out of the matter.”

              “But---”

              “That will be all.  You are dismissed.”  She waved him out.

              He stood up but lingered until the general commanded, “Leave, Constable.”

              Elric reached across the table and picked up his paperwork, bowed his head, and exited the chamber.

The high priestess turned to Kenshiro and cleared her throat.  “Now, that leads me to our business, General.  I have received your courting request shortly before my departure from the capital and I must say it is a bold and interesting bid.  May I inquire - why
her
?”

The general looked back at her guardian and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  She followed his stare and then rolled her eyes.  “Xertias, please leave us.  If I need you, I will call.”

The guardian left the room. 

“Better?”  Jezra snickered.  “I did not take you for the shy type, Kenshiro.”

She poured them both a hot cup of tea while he spoke.

“I am not shy, Your Holiness, but I do like to keep personal matters private.  I do not wish to share such topics in the presence of guardians.  May I request that this matter remain between us?”

She nodded and he resumed his explanation.  “I chose Raiven with simple and noble intentions in mind.  To be straightforward, I have sworn to my aunt and uncle, her parents, to watch over her always and there is no better way to fulfill that promise than as her husband.  I have grown very fond of the young woman she has become and I believe my reputation within the kingdom makes me as worthy as any other candidate, but my close bond with her should be considered above all else.”

“Have you shared with her your intentions yet?”

“Yes, I have.”  He replied with a hesitant tone in his voice.

“And?”

“And…she was surprised to find out that I would favor her in such a way, but said she would think it over”

“Is that so?”  Jezra sipped her tea as she pondered the situation. 

She respected Kenshiro’s ambition and passion.  She had seen it in him even when he was a child, which was why she had approved him to accompany the child priestess when she moved to Havencrest.  As a young soldier, she kept a close eye on him.  His reputation around the kingdom blossomed into what it was today, which was that of a man with politically independent ideologies, rendering it difficult for her to gauge him as a friend or foe of the court.  She knew that wedding Raiven would surely catapult his status and make him a very powerful man in Valcrest.  The problem was that Jezra was not sure if that bode well for her own ambitions just yet. 

“I
could
speak to King Lucas about this courtship and then with my public approval it will go forward.  However, if I do this favor for you, I would need something in return.”

“Your Holiness, I am not asking for a favor, but to be approved on my own merit.  Although, if there is something I can do for you, I will try my best to accommodate your needs.  What is it that you require?”

She was not pleased with his reluctance to play her game.  It was apparent that he would not be as easily swayed as others had been.  “I get where you are coming from, trying to earn the courtship on your own, but you must know Raiven will not be handed over that easily.  What I need is a little complicated, to say the least.  Let us hypothesize and say that Vesalys gives her blessing, King Lucas does approve of the courtship, and you marry the priestess.  It would be safe to assume you will be put in a very influential position in a short period of time.  The king will respect you due to your military reputation and quick rise in politics, so you will have his ear.”  She was articulating her point without giving him too much insight to her strategies.

“Perhaps I might, but you are respected in Cleary Court and you already advidse the king. What help would I be?”

“Allow me to elaborate. Yes, it is true. I advise the king regarding the temple, training Priests and Priestesses, and responding to magical incidents.  Yet, I have never had his attention on the matter of the temple acquiring its own knighthood. This would be when your advice would come into play.”

Kenshiro grinned and crossed his arms.  He sat back and absorbed the gravity of what she was saying.  “Knights for the temple?  Why would you need your own order?”

“Well, I have prayed on it for quite some time, Kenshiro, and Vesalys has given me the foresight of a great war in the future, but the king has not taken my warning with high regard.  You know he is stubborn and even refuses to send soldiers to go after the prince.  Why would
I
have reason to believe he will help the temple?  Can you imagine when that battle takes place?  King Lucas, along with all of Valcrest, will be unprepared, but if our forces have the extra support and reinforcements, then we can be of great aid during the fight.”

“Historically, the temple has aided strictly in disabling the enemy warlocks and witches.  With all due respect, how would you, as a High Priestess, know anything about leading an entire order of knights or military strategies?” 

“Well, I would not lead them myself, but instead act as the head of the order.  I compare it to how King Lucas is the head of Valcrest, but the generals command the army.  I have senior guardians, such as Xertias, who would make very capable commanders.”

Kenshiro pursed his lips as he tried to hold back a laugh.  “You mean the same guardian who was bested by an ordinary citizen yesterday?  I do not mean to boast, but I am the only undefeated knight left in the entire kingdom.  If I cannot hold off an attack from our enemies, then I do not think Xertias and an order of temple knights would do much better.”

Jezra was cautious not to expose her growing frustration.  She studied the general, who had turned out to be more obstinate than she had anticipated.  “Perhaps, that is true.  Then I should rethink my plan.  What would you say if the temple’s order is led by a formidable general, a knight who is undefeated in battle, a man who our enemies fear, and our people respect?”

He sniggered, showing that he understood what she was implying. 

Jezra nodded in encouragement.  “Yes, if you marry Raiven, it would be appropriate for you to take on that position with your wife leading the temple.  Such a coveted and powerful role would be best suited for none other than you.”

The general hesitated as he toyed with the cup of tea in front of him.  “Your Holiness, I must admit, your mind is sharper than any sword I have ever faced, but I believe my talents are better suited for the elite guard and not commanding an order of temple knights.  We will always be the first to respond and the last to leave the battle; true heroes all around.  I intend to keep Raiven by my side during our marriage, rather than worrying about commanding your knights, but once we are married I would be more than happy to offer a favorable opinion to the king with regards to your request.”

              “I would appreciate that.”  She tightened her jaw and forced a smile.  “I just want to offer our services beyond that of defensive magic, since our guardians have proven to be strong, steady soldiers who are more than willing to prove their worth to our king.”

Jezra stood up and placed her hand on his forehead, whispering a blessing to him.  When she was done, he bowed his head and headed to the door.  In the hall, he found one of his soldiers waiting for him.