The Reborn King (Book Six) (24 page)

Chiron huffed a laugh. “You think it is so simple?”

“I do,” he affirmed. “And that tells me much about who we fight.”

“What does it tell you?”

“That our enemy is certain he will win tomorrow’s battle.”

“Arrogance!” spat Chiron.

Lousis shook his head. “No. Confidence.”

He wrote a reply and then ordered a small pavilion to be erected at the front line. Quickly, he cleaned up and donned his armor and sword once more. His guards were waiting outside when he left to meet the enemy commander.

He didn’t need to wait long. While sitting at a table under the pavilion, he spotted the silhouette of a lone horseman approaching across the moonlit field. The man rode tall and proud in the saddle with the skillful ease of a seasoned soldier.

“What can you see?” Lousis asked. Chiron was standing behind him, together with Bevaris and Lord Brasley Amnadon. His guard completely surrounded them.

“He definitely rides alone,” Chiron responded. “And he looks to be unarmed.”

Lousis rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Brave,” he muttered. “Very brave.”

When the rider dismounted, Lousis could see that he wore a gold circlet on his brow that matched his flaxen hair. This, combined with resplendent black armor and his exceptionally broad shoulders, gave him a truly regal appearance. Though noticeably weaponless, the king's guard still stood in his path and motioned for him to raise his arms. The man politely complied while the guards searched him thoroughly.

“He is unarmed, Your Highness,” announced the guard.

The man bowed low. “I am Prince Lanmore, heir to the throne of Angrääl and general of all the armies of the Reborn King.”

Lousis bowed in return. “I am King Lousis of Althetas. Beside me is Lord Chiron, Lord Amnadon, who is Commander of the Western Armies, and Bevaris, Knight of Amon Dähl. I bid you welcome.” He gestured to the chair that had been placed for their visitor. “Please sit.”

Lanmore did as bidden and folded his hands on the table.

“So what is it you wish to discuss?” Lousis asked.

“Your surrender of course,” he replied, as though Lousis should have been well aware of this already.

Lousis laughed. “Then you have wasted your time coming here. I see no need for surrender. Just because you gained a temporary advantage through surprise does not mean you have won the war.”

Lanmore heaved a sigh. “I implore you to reconsider. You are vastly outnumbered, far from home, and with no hope of reinforcements. Must more die for this foolish campaign? And even if you were to win the day, you could never take Kratis. Please stop this madness and go home.”

“Did your king stop when he invaded my lands?” snapped Lousis. “Did he stop when he murdered my people and burned our cities?”

“That was an unfortunate misunderstanding,” he replied. “And one for which the Reborn King would like to make amends.”

Lousis could barely suppress his rage. “A misunderstanding you say? Thousands of men, women and children are dead, and you call it a misunderstanding?”

“Of course,” Lanmore replied. His tone was
not
smug: rather it was sincere and self-assured. “Most war comes from misunderstanding. Surely a wise ruler such as yourself knows this. My king sought only to liberate the west from the tyranny of Darshan. Nothing more.”

“Darshan is not our enemy,” said Lousis. “Your master is. Darshan did not invade the kingdoms of the west. That was the work of the Reborn King. No one else!”

“And now he sees that he was mistaken and only wishes to make peace with you.” Lanmore's face suddenly darkened. “But should you continue on your present path, peace will become impossible.”

Lousis scrutinized the man for a long moment. He was confident…yes...but also somehow uncomfortable. Why? Why would a man of such stature and position seem so uneasy with
himself? Then it came to him. A sly smile upturned the corners of the king's mouth. He leveled his gaze. “Let us not continue with empty conversation. The deceptive words of a noble are ill-suited to a man such as you. I do not know you personally, but I do know a real
prince
when I see one.”

He leaned back and cocked his head. “You are no prince. A general and talented leader, I have no doubt. But you lack the nuance of true nobility.” He could see that this was angering Lanmore.
Good
. He held up his hand. “Please do not misunderstand me. I congratulate you on your elevation. But if you would permit me to pass on some friendly advice?”

Lanmore regained his composure and nodded. “Of course. I am always in need of wisdom. Particularly from a king of your experience and…reputation.”

Lousis smiled. “Do not mince words and try to illicit anger from me. Such banter is not becoming of a fighting man. You came here to face your enemy before battle, and that is all. A brave act, granted. But it is the act of a warrior, not a prince.” He allowed his words to sink in for a moment. “A noble would never put himself in direct peril unless there was no other choice. And if I were to accept your terms, you would allow us to withdraw to your borders, but no further than that. Once there, you would move swiftly to crush us.”

“You are very perceptive,” Lanmore said. “And you are correct in saying that I
am
ill-suited to my station. I am not a noble…like you. But the Reborn King has seen fit to grant me status and power, and I will see that his confidence is well-placed.” He chuckled softly. “And I did
not
expect you to accept surrender. As you said, I only wished to meet with you so that I would know the face of my enemy.”

“And for that I am grateful,” said Lousis.

The two men locked eyes for several seconds.

“Then I believe we have concluded our business,” Lanmore said at last. He stood and bowed. Lousis did the same. “When the dawn comes, I will slaughter your army. But know that as I do so,
I hold you in high regard. Truly, I wish circumstances would allow your survival. The world will be diminished once you are gone.”

“I thank you,” said Lousis. “But I am not ready to depart this life just yet.”

Without another word, Lanmore turned and mounted his horse. Lousis watched as he disappeared into the night.

“Should we have allowed him to leave?” asked Bevaris.

“I think there is nothing we could have done to stop him,” Chiron remarked. “He possesses power that, as a human, you may not sense. But I can. The Reborn King has touched his spirit.”

“It makes no difference,” said Lousis. “I would not dishonor myself by breaking my word. And if the man wields the power that you say, then he probably could have killed me right then had he wanted to. But he didn’t.”

“So you think it really was just about facing his enemy?” asked Bevaris.

“I do. He is a man of valor. And that is what a man such as he does.”

“So what happens now?” asked Amnadon.

Lousis continued to stare into the darkness. “Now? Nothing. But when the sun rises, Prince Lanmore will likely make good on his promise.”

“Is there nothing to be done?” asked Bevaris.

Lousis turned to Chiron and gave a thin smile. “You told me that you have only one flask of brandy remaining. I think perhaps we should drink it now.”

When Gewey awoke he could see that a bowl of fruits and berries had been placed on the table, along with a clay pitcher and three cups. Nehrutu and Felsafell were both seated and talking in soft whispers.

“I was about to wake you,” Nehrutu told him. “It’s almost time.”

After stretching and groaning the lingering effects of sleep away, Gewey took a seat beside the elf. His stomach immediately began to growl, but he knew it was not a good idea to eat. He’d likely be running for his life very soon, and that would be a whole lot more difficult to do with a full belly.

As they talked, the door opened and Cloya entered. For a moment she just stood in the doorway, staring at Gewey. Then, with two massive strides, she was at the table just opposite of where he was seated.

“Will you really bring my people home?” she asked.

“I will,” he assured her. “If I have to carry them here one by one, your people will see their home again.”

After a long and thoughtful pause, she placed a phial on the table. “I don’t know why, but I believe that you are who you claim to be. Even so, if your powers are diminished, you cannot hope to defeat the Ajagara alone. This might help.”

Gewey picked up the phial to examine it. It was filled with a thick red liquid. “What is it?”

“If you are trapped, throw it as far as you can,” she answered. “Be sure that it hits something hard enough for the glass to break. It will give you the time you need to escape.”

Before Gewey could ask more, she had spun around and left the chamber.

He took a long look at the phial before tucking it into his belt.

“You see?” said Felsafell. “Fortune is in your favor.”

A short time later, three yetulu arrived to escort Gewey from the room. As they wound their way through the halls, Gewey continued to marvel at their construction. Everything here appeared to be crafted from the earth, with absolutely no other materials used.
Did they simply will this place into being
, he wondered? The pulsing veins of blue light were everywhere. Had he not been cut off from the flow, he was sure that he would have felt it intensely in this place.

Occasionally they passed a room containing more yetulu. Mostly they were relaxing, just sitting, talking, and laughing. But some were busy crafting elaborately weaved baskets or sewing colorful beads to leather bags and satchels.
Such a simple life
, he thought. It was becoming clear why they were afraid of discovery. And why Gerath had given them his protection. They could never adapt to the outside world. The fact that their kin who dwelled in Nehrutu’s homeland had become feral was proof of that. These people were connected to this place, and to one another, in a fundamental way. It was deeper than anyone could fathom. They
belonged
here. 

After walking for about three miles, they finally came to an ascending stairwell. His escort halted and gestured for him to continue up alone. After thanking them, he began to climb.

On emerging at ground level, the scent of flowers and jungle foliage was potent – almost intoxicating. He was in a small clearing carpeted by dense moss and surrounded by a half-circle of tall trees and thick vines that blotted out the bright morning sun. Within this shaded area the air was cool and pleasant. Almost before realizing it, he found himself smiling.

Grunyal was standing at the far end. “Are you prepared?” he asked.

After checking his sword and feeling into his belt for the phial that Cloya had given him, Gewey nodded and confirmed that he was.

As he drew closer to Grunyal, the jungle behind the yetulu parted, revealing a walkway with dense undergrowth running along both sides. It was as wide as a city street, but unlike the rest of what he had seen, this was crafted from polished blue marble with onyx veins inlaid throughout.

Grunyal pointed down the path. “This will lead you to the hunting grounds of the Ajagara. Return from there alive, and you and your friends will be free to go. I wish you luck, Darshan.”

Gewey gave a brief nod and moved forward. The moment his feet made contact with the marble surface, the jungle closed in behind him. 

Glancing back, he gave a hollow laugh. “I guess there’s only one way to go now.” 

The walkway stretched for more than two hundred yards. At the end stood a white stone archway with the symbol of Gerath carved into its apex. Beyond that, Gewey's vision was obscured by a heavy mist.

He took a moment to steady his nerves before stepping through the arch. Instantly, tiny beads of moisture began forming on his face and hair. In next to no time his clothes felt as if they had been soaked in a rainstorm. The ground was now rocky and uneven, and the scent of the jungle had been replaced by the foul stench of rotting flesh and sulfur.

Ignoring his ever increasing fear, he pressed on. After fifty yards the mist thinned a little to reveal tall, thin rock formations and a few low bushes and brambles that had forced their way up through the craggy ground. His eyes darted left and right, but he was only able to see for a short distance.
If the Ajagara hunts in this
, he thought,
it probably sees
me
just fine
.

The reg
ular escaping of his own breath sounded like gale force winds against the dead quiet. Twice the clatter of a falling stone had his heart racing and his hand flying to his sword. But nothing came.

For half an hour he stumbled on through the fog with no idea of where he was heading or what he was going to do. For all he knew, the Ajagara could be watching his every move. If the creature's young were any indication, his sword would be useless against it. Aside from the phial of liquid given to him by Cloya - which he was clueless as best how to use - he had no way of fighting.
I’m a bloody rabbit
, he thought, recalling his father's words after snaring one of these behind the barn. He had held up its lifeless body and said: 'Be happy you’re not rabbit. Everything eats rabbits. This sobering thought threatened to rob him of his courage and was quickly pushed aside.

After a few more minutes, Gewey found himself almost wishing for the beast to reveal itself.
Let this be over and done with
. As if in response, he heard a familiar hiss over to his right. This was followed by the scraping and clacking of talons on stone.

Drawing his sword, he prepared to flee. He strained his eyes in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the Ajagara, but it was useless.
The creature was clearly an experienced hunter and knew exactly how far away it needed to be. The threatening sounds shifted from Gewey's right to his rear - then back to his right again. The dank air was muffling the noises a bit, but he knew that the rock formations and hard ground could deceive the ear. The beast was trying to confuse him.

He glanced to his left and spotted a pillar of rock less than twenty feet away. He cautiously took a step toward it. But the Ajagara had no intention of allowing him to reach it.

It charged at Gewey from slightly behind and to his right. In appearance it was identical to the creatures he had encountered in the tunnel, but this adult was as big as a fully grown bull. And despite its size, it was moving with unbelievable velocity, its dagger-like talons churning up large chunks of rock and earth as it rushed forward.

Gewey ran with all the speed he could muster. Even without the
flow
, his naturally inherited power was considerable…and that was the only thing that saved him. He reached the pillar just in time. Even as he rounded it, he could feel the hot blast from the beast’s foul smelling breath.   Faced with this obstruction between itself and its prey, the creature ground to a halt, at the same time letting out a high pitched screech.

“You’ll not get me that easily,” Gewey shouted, with a surge of defiance.

He spun around. The Ajagara was hissing and moving slowly around the rock, saliva dripping from it colossal maw. It was a keen reminder that one bite would be fatal.

Each time the Ajagara tried to advance around the pillar, Gewey backed away. The creature's yellow, reptilian eyes were unblinking, intent on its potential meal.

It swiped at him with a massive claw, and Gewey was only just far enough away to avoid being sliced to ribbons. But he knew he couldn’t stay in this same spot forever going around in circles. Sooner or later he had to do something. But what, he didn’t know.

When the Ajagara struck out again, he brought his sword down hard on its foreleg. But it was as he had feared. The blade bounced off as if striking solid granite. And while the counter attack hadn't injured the beast, it had certainly angered it considerably. Hissing with rage, it retreated a short distance and then charged at the
pillar. Its massive shoulders crashed into the rock, sending pieces of loose stone raining down on Gewey’s head.

Again the Ajagara charged, its impact this time causing large cracks to form in the pillar. One more assault like that, and Gewey knew it would collapse and his protection would be gone. He looked urgently around for alternative cover, but with the mist still shrouding his surroundings, there was nothing in sight.

As the beast backed away for a third assault, Gewey crouched low, his leg muscles tensed and ready to spring into action. Halfway through the Ajagara's charge, Gewey took off and raced past it in the opposite direction. It was to his left, so he veered right, hoping to give himself an extra second or two of advantage.

Unable to stop its forward momentum in time, the creature whipped its tail, attempting to take out Gewey’s legs. But he'd already seen what damage the tail could do and was ready for this. He leapt high and clear of the lethal swipe, taking off again the moment his boots struck earth. The crash of the crumbling pillar, together with the savage hissing of the Ajagara, followed his flight.

Within moments he could hear the scrape of talons rapidly closing in. The Ajagara was faster than him, so outrunning it was not an option. His only hope was to outmaneuver the beast. Small boulders and bushes whizzed by, and his legs were already burning from the strain. His eyes searched desperately for another pillar, or at least a rock big enough to hide behind. But there was nothing.

He knew that in only a matter of seconds it would be all over…the beast would have him. Not daring to waste time by looking back, he tried to hear precisely where it was. The hissing was even louder now. And then came a gurgling sound.

It must be opening its mouth ready to strike!

Gewey planted his left foot hard down, then swung his body as sharply to the right as he could, hoping that this would throw the Ajagara off-balance.

There was a loud snap of closing jaws. It had missed. But he only managed to run a few more paces before an outstretched claw caught his right heel, taking away his balance. While falling, in a final attempt to save himself, he twisted his body around in mid-air and stabbed upwards with his sword. Tiny rocks ripped open his shirt and tore at the flesh of his back as he crashed onto the ground.

The first thing he saw after the jarring impact was wide open jaws filled with jagged teeth directly above him. The tip of his sword had stabbed into the soft flesh at the roof of the Ajagara's mouth, with the forward momentum and sheer weight of the creature sinking the blade in even deeper. Gewey felt a flash of elation. But this was short-lived. The Ajagara thrashed its head wildly, jerking the sword clean out of his hand. He had missed the creature’s brain, and was now completely unarmed.

He scrambled to his feet while the Ajagara was still clawing at the sword in an attempt to pull it free. Again he spurred his burning legs into a fast run, praying that the creature would remain occupied with this for a while longer. But after less than twenty yards he heard the clang of steel on stone as the weapon was thrown aside.  Another piercing hiss of rage tore through the air.

Still looking urgently for anything he could use for shelter, Gewey ran on. But rather than finding another stone pillar, looming before him from out of the mist he saw a tall cliff face materialize. He was trapped. 

For a wild moment, he cast his eyes around for a loose rock or a stick with which to defend himself, but quickly realized how ridiculous an idea that was. The Ajagara would be on him in moments. It was then that he remembered the phial. Caught up in all the stress of the situation, he had temporarily forgotten about it. Hastily, he fumbled at his belt to remove the small glass tube.

Looking up, he saw the Ajagara stampeding straight at him. Blood from the wound he had inflicted covered its lower jaw and was being splattered in all directions as it ran. Gewey threw the phial with all his strength. But the throw was too hard. The beast would be on him before it landed. He dived to his left, but found himself being slammed against the cliff face by a massive claw, the impact forcing every bit of air from his lungs. Pain shot through him as two of the talons dug spitefully into his chest.

He barely heard the tinkling of breaking glass over the feral hisses and snarls that were heralding his end. Unable to do anything more to protect himself, he held his breath and prepared to be torn apart. But incredibly, instead of that happening, the Ajagara suddenly ceased snarling and turned its head in the direction of the shattered phial. After licking the air with its long, forked tongue several times, it released its hold on Gewey. Gasping with relief, he slid heavily to the ground. Ignoring all else, the beast slowly turned away from him and walked off into the mist. Whatever was inside the phial, it was obviously far more important than its intended meal.