The Vitalis Chronicles: Tomb of the Relequim (27 page)

Rast looked over to the table where Merodach pointed. He wandered over, lost in more ways than one. “What's happening tonight?”

“
Shit-tons,” came a new voice from the side offices.

“
Aye,” came another. “You Elandrians ain't so slick as you think, hey?”

Two large men stuffed in suits beyond their ability to appreciate strode into the room. It looked like they were chewing leaf. If they were, they were swallowing the juice.

“
Oi now, don' go callin' the bugger names. He's a right general now. They's gonna give him a
fancy pin o'va sword piercin' a star they is. Then he'll be the big wheel in town.”

“
Cheese, you moroon. Big cheese.”

“Bugger you.
Cheese comes in wheels...”

“
Who the hell are these goons?” Rast jumped slightly as the golden liquid he was pouring overflowed the glass.

“
Goons, 'e says? I thought ye said no names, Clive.”

“
Bastard don' fight fair, 'e does. Don' let it hurt ye none, Bill.”

“
You see there, mister shootin' stars. Er... stabbin' stars. We's the two 'goons' who's made you a general.”

“
I'd say it's best you don' forget it.”

Lucius grinned at the exchange. Merodach just rolled his eyes and held out his pudgy hand for the drink that Rast was taking ages to produce.

“
But I agrees with the boy, I does. Should skewer that monkey, Gredge, and leave 'em out for the crows 'fore he comes around and causes trouble.” Clive folded his huge arms, causing the lines of his jacket to draw tight.

“
All in good time.” Merodach took a long drink before massaging his leg under the desk. “There's plenty of housekeeping to be done, but more subtly than with pikes and crows.”

“
First thing's first.” Lucius turned to Rast. “Tonight we're gonna make you famous, Colonel. Tonight you earn those pins you've wanted so bad.”

S
EVENTEEN

T
HE CAMP WAS HUGE
.
Ardin never expected to see so many people with the ambush party. There were thousands. As the returning party came over a low ridge, he saw them stretched out into the low spaces between the hills. There weren't as many trees here, just tall grasses and thick bushes wherever they found a nook to grow.

It took them another twenty minutes to reach the outskirts. Cid stopped at the crest of the hill bordering the northeastern corner of the camp, beckoning by implication for Ardin to follow suit. They surveyed the crowds and landscape as the ambush party shepherded their charges down the slope.

“
Who are all of these people?” Ardin asked.

“
Most of them are prisoners we've freed.” Rain came up next to him smiling. “It's been costly. But liberating so many people is something to be proud of in any case.”

“But who are they? Why were they in prison?”

“They weren't in prison exactly,” she said. “They were captured and caged, much like cattle. The Relequim once used human captives for labor, but he uses them now for his experiments more than anything. Eventually he will turn to extermination.”

“
Where are you taking them?” Cid stepped closer, looking over the scene. He seemed distant to Ardin.

“
We were going to try and move them west, to where we could protect them.”

“
But there are too many of them,” he finished her thought absentmindedly.

“
Yes,” she said. “More importantly, there are too many who would never be able to make the march. So instead we move them farther south and hope the enemy doesn't find us.”

“
Has he made any attempts?”

“
None that we've seen directly.” She looked up at the old soldier. “We're hoping that means we're being successful in our movements.”

Cid appeared lost in his thoughts, so Ardin voiced his own. “Why do you keep talking about the west? What's over there?”

“
My kingdom,” she said with a smile. “There were once many kingdoms and principalities that
covered this continent. According to the Magi, when they were here, we had grown much more quickly in population than the humans on Veria.”

“
Veria?”

“
The Forbidden Continent. Your continent.”

“
I'd never heard it called that...”

“
That's the name we know it by. Anyways, over time the different kingdoms merged. Whether because of war or as a natural evolution of ancient alliances, the number and diversity of people groups shrank as they melded together.”

“
So eventually there were just two?”

“
That's right. That and the Southrons, but theirs is no true kingdom of which to speak. Trading princes. They live along the coast and on the islands that lie close to land. The Eastern Kingdom, known as the Truans, fell steadily under the Demon's sway. I think we all did to some degree. How could we not? He was meant to guide us after all. But as his true nature shone through, my fathers rejected him.”

“
How did they know better?”

“
I don't know,” she admitted. “The deception wasn't strong enough I suppose. But it was effective in the east, and as those kingdoms merged they became his tool. They slaughtered the Thranish tribes and any peoples that wouldn't submit. Eventually they turned on us.”

“
So where are they now? Are they fighting farther north?”

“
You see before you now what became of most of their people. The Demon enslaved them, first
by law and then by force. I think once they saw the creatures he had been forming in darkness they realized what was truly going on. By then it was too late. We resisted his temptations, however. There were numerous attempts at incursion. Some overt, others not so much.”

“
Rain!” A voice came up from the bottom of the hill as a young man came bounding up to meet
them.

Rain's stance grew noticeably more rigid at his approach.

“
Your Highness, it's good to have you back!” A handsome man in his early twenties came
strolling up to them. He paid no heed to the last of the freed prisoners walking down the slope.

“
Branston,” she forced a smile. “It's good to be back.”

He took her hand and kissed it as he bowed gracefully in front of her. “We were worried you might have run into trouble! God be praised that you're alright.”

Ardin noticed he held on for what seemed to be much too long. She took her hand back and nodded her thanks. “We've suffered some unfortunate losses. But I pray it's all worth it in the end.”

“
Of course it will be, my lady. Of course.” He glanced uncertainly at the two strange men standing next to her. He tossed his blond hair from his eyes. The insecurity faded more quickly than it had shown itself.

“
Your swords would have been most welcome in the fight, Branston.”

He brushed the rebuke aside with grace. “Someone must guard the baggage train, Highness. It's not the most glorious of positions, but one that must be filled.”

He smiled, but Rain remained unimpressed.

“
May I offer you my arm?” He raised his elbow to her as he turned to face down the hill. “I would hate to see you stumble.”

Ardin saw an incredulous line draw itself along the corner of her mouth before diplomacy wiped it away. “I'll be fine, Branston. Thank you.”

“
I insist! It would be terrible if you were to fall with no one there to save you.” He flashed his most winsome grin. The whole thing seemed preposterous to Ardin. If not for the knot in his stomach at the scene he might have laughed.

“
Well,” she said with a wry smile. “If you insist...”

Branston's self-assured grin cemented itself to his face. But then he realized she wasn't reaching for his arm, she was reaching for the boy standing on her right.

To Ardin's great surprise, she put her arm in his. His heart began to race. She looked at him as she pulled him closer.

“
I figure Ardin here owes me for saving his life.” Her smile dazzled him for a moment. Between that and the light touch of her hands he thought she might be the one needing to carry him.

Branston's face showed a brief flash of anger before his manners got the better of him. “Saved his life, Highness? I doubt that you should trust yourself into the hands of some boy whose life you had to sa–”

“
Oh come, Branston. You're being preposterous. I'm in no danger of dying from a walk down a hill. If I managed the walk here, let alone the Dunmar that preceded it, I think I can finish with a stroll down a gentle slope.”

And with that she began walking, pulling Ardin gently along with her. He didn't have to look over his shoulder to feel the murderous ice shooting out of Branston's eyes.

“
Who are your friends, Highness? I haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting them.” Branston
jumped to keep pace.

“
I'm Cid.” The Fisherman shoved his huge hand in the young man's path. Branston seemed caught off guard, shaking the hand as if he were about to lose his balance. “Here to help you free your
kindred.”

Branston scoffed at that. “These aren't my kindred. Filth,” he spat. “They're lucky we're expending any energy to free them after all they've done.”

“
That's enough, Branston.” The stern rebuke from Rain stopped him short. “We're the lucky ones. We might have been forced to fight them instead of free them. And this, if you care to know, is Ardin, Cid's apprentice.”

As they neared the crowds of people, Ardin noticed how they treated Rain with deference. Many knelt, and nearly everyone touched their foreheads with two fingers. He was getting his fair share of awed looks too. Something told him it wasn't every day that Rain of the Renaults was seen on someone's arm. Especially not someone so obviously foreign.

Large tents meandered between the hills like a stream of dingy rags. They were made of the same material as the gray camouflage worn by the ambush party. A number of the tents seemed to be set up to receive and treat the new arrivals. The whole camp was astir over their new guests. Ahead stood a tent larger than any other he could see.

“
Highness.” Shill appeared from the crowd in their path. Behind him stood a column of tall men with spears. “May I have the honor of announcing the arrival of our guest? It would do our morale good, let alone be a privilege to die for.” He grinned.

“
Of course, Shill. The song seems appropriate, now if ever it was. You have my leave.”

With that a box was brought up from the rear and set next to Shill. Another man stepped forward and raised a horn. He let out three short blasts, followed by one long, before he stepped back. Shill then took his place on the box.

“
People of the West!”

The crowds grew silent in every direction. Soon the rustle of the tents and the shifting of tired weight were all Ardin could hear.

“
I bring you great news on this day.” Shill really had a story teller buried somewhere in that warrior's body. “A wonderful surprise greeted us on our expedition. We all know the tales of the Great War, the Liberation, lest we forget the battle of Albentine.”

Ardin could feel a stir begin to move among the people. Hushed whispers spread out from the Captain like cracks in thin ice. Then he yelled:

What grand hero saved our lord?

From cracking wings and biting sword?

What great man of whom we sing?

Who risked his life to save our king?

In unison the people cried out in response:

Armor bright

Sword gleaming true

Cleaver doth

the Demon rue!

Ardin found tears burning in his eyes at the sound. Whether from the awkward feeling of it all, or joy, or simply being there for that moment, he didn't know. The emotion of the crowd washed over him as the Master of the Royal Bodyguard continued.

Wait no longer dear Islenda

Fear no more the Demon's wrath

Sing for joy all Western splendor

Hero's aid is in our grasp!

The people of the camp erupted in cheers in every direction. Those standing around Cid backed away and knelt until he stood in a sea of bowing men and women.

Ardin knelt with the rest, not knowing what else to do, but he watched the Fisherman's face. He couldn't take his eyes from him. In that moment he seemed distinguished, kingly. His stern expression allowed little more than a gracious nod, but Ardin could see the corner of his mouth quiver. His eyes seemed misted behind restrained tears. Something told him that the Fisherman hadn't received any recognition like this in ages.

And to Ardin at least, it seemed obvious: the praise was long overdue.

“
Rise!” Cid yelled. “Arise and face your Queen! Together may we find peace. May we free our brothers, crush our enemy, and bring the Lasting Peace!”

They cheered again as they rose, clapping and hugging each other. How the arrival of one man could mean so much to a people dumfounded Ardin. But then, he supposed, he had never known hopelessness like they had.