Warlords Rising (29 page)

“This is where we will hold the trials, yes. You have two
hours.”

Trev’nor blinked. “Two hours? You think the trial for the
warlord will take that long?”

A hard expression swept over Danyal’s face. “I’m yanking
certain officials out of their hidey-holes and prosecuting them before we get
to the warlord. I know exactly what to charge them with.”

Some house-cleaning first, eh? Trev’nor had no problem with
that, especially since it looked like Danyal knew exactly what to do. Having a
local on their side was certainly speeding matters along. “You have our full
support on that. Do you know where Captain Hadi landed?”

Danyal pointed across the courtyard. “There.”

Trev’nor’s eyes took a second to pick him out of the crowd,
as he was clustered in with several dozen other uniformed men. “Ah, I see him.
Then, I’ll be back in two hours.” Or less. “Tell Nolan and Becca what I’m
doing, please.”

“I will inform them, Raja.”

Giving the man a casual salute, he walked off. He couldn’t
do that sharp salute like the other army men could, but maybe he should learn
it. It had bonded them to Becca because she could return salutes and speak in
military terminology. Trev’nor had heard whispers last night before collapsing that
the men thought of her as ‘their’ raya. Growing up as the Super Soldier’s
sister had its benefits.

“Captain Hadi,” he hailed, waving the man over.

“Raja!” Hadi immediately stopped his conversation with one
of his subordinates and stood to attention. “What can I do for you, sir?”

“Your commander had a thought, and a good one. I need your
help to execute it.” There, did that sound military enough? “He wants us to
track down the magical slaves here and bring the ones born without magical
talents back here.”

Hadi was quick on the uptake. “For trial exhibitions?”

“Exactly so, Captain. Can I have your help with this?”

“Certainly, sir, but I only know where one of the holding
pens is for slaves here in Trexler.”

The way he said that made Trev’nor’s blood run cold. “How
many are there?”

Hadi exchanged an uncertain glance with the lieutenant
standing next to him. “A dozen?”

“Not sure if that’s correct, sir,” the lieutenant denied. “I
think there’s a few more than that.”

Over a dozen? Trev’nor rubbed a hand over his face and
fought down the urge to throw up. Or cry. Or rage. “Change of plans. Captain
Hadi, what is Captain Nima doing?”

“Guarding the front gate and helping the commander set up a
judicial platform, sir.”

That wasn’t something he could divert the man from.
“Alright, let me rephrase. Do we have a team that we can grab? I want Nolan and
another team to go out and find the other slave pens and start freeing
magicians.”

Hadi stared at him for a moment. “Raja. Permission to speak
freely?”

Trev’nor wasn’t sure where the man was going with this, but
waved him on. “Granted.”

“Raja, we’re all a little confused on why you and Raya Becca
and Raja Nolan react so strongly about the magicians. These are strangers to
you, correct?”

Did they not know…? No, come to think of it, only the people
of Rurick had known of the connection. Trev’nor took a breath and broke it down
to the simplest explanation he could. “All of the magical slaves now? Their
ancestors came here from Chahir. We share the same ancestors.”

“They’re family members?” the lieutenant blurted out incredulously,
jaw dropping.

“Cousins, yes.” Many, many times removed. But that didn’t
matter in Khobunter. In this land, family was family and if you shared even
just one drop of blood then that’s all that mattered.

Complete understanding washed over every person within
earshot. Trev’nor didn’t have to say a word more. These people, at least, knew
how to stick with family no matter what the odds were against them.

“Raja, I can spare two teams,” Captain Hadi stated firmly.
“And sir, in the future, explain things like this
before
we go into
combat.”

“Sorry,” Trev’nor apologized with a shrug of the hands. “I
thought you knew. But in retrospect, it was the people of Rurick that helped us
figure all of this out.”

“I’ll spread the word,” the lieutenant promised and turned
about immediately to do just that.

“Get Musa and Seyyed!” Hadi called to his back. “Sir, once
I’ve given them their marching orders, we’ll go for the nearest slave pen. I
know exactly where it is from here. We should be on high alert going through
the streets. We have not secured the area outside of the castle.”

“Trust me, Captain, that’s not going to be much of a
problem.”

Actually, walking through the streets wasn’t as dangerous as
Trev’nor thought it would be. Because everyone wore the same uniform, no one
looked at Hadi’s team and thought ‘enemy soldiers.’ Also because he walked with
them, even though he was obviously foreign, no one questioned Trev’nor either.
Hadi and his men were still on edge, of course, but nothing happened to them
and no one questioned their right to be there.

Hadi had been stationed in Trexler during his first years in
the military and knew this section of the city like the back of his hand. He
went straight for the slave pens that were three streets over. Once they
arrived at the main door, they finally met opposition from the guards on duty.
Hadi’s team worked like a well-oiled machine and the guards were under arrest
and subdued before Trev’nor could open his mouth and formulate a full command.

“Masoon, Jamshid, you guard the doors. The rest, with me.”

“Sir!” six men barked at once.

Military precision. Trev’nor loved it. Grinning, he stepped
through the door, his own weapon at the ready just in case a guard was back in
the pen. He stepped from the cool interior of the guardhouse into the stuffy
warehouse beyond it. The light was dim at best, the air foul. The slaves inside
were still and listless, like the ones he had seen before. But as he came into
the room, some took notice and their heads came up. When he kept standing
there, with no guards trying to restrain him, others cautiously stood and
prodded at their neighbors.

Trev’nor panned his head, getting a rough headcount. Sixty?
Or roughly that, anyway. He’d have to get a better count of them before leaving
here, and full names, otherwise Llona would have his head. She was their record
keeper for the magicians.

Hadi leaned in a little and whispered, “Why are they staring
at you like that, sir?”

“Because I’m the most powerful magician they’ve likely ever
seen,” Trev’nor responded, not even trying to lower his voice. “And I’m walking
around freely.” Alright, he had an idea of how many magicians and non-magicians
were in this room. Time to move. Stepping forward a little more, he said
loudly, “My name is Rhebentrev’noren. I am an Earth Mage. I and three other mages
have taken Warlord Trexler into custody. We now rule Trexler. You are free
citizens of Khobunter as of now.”

“Your Khobuntish is improving, sir.”

“Thank you, Captain.” Trev’nor was a bit lost on what to do
next, so he started with the people directly next to him. “This is Captain
Hadi. He will help you out of these chains and take you to a better place until
we can get everyone sorted. What are your names?”

The slaves stared back at him as if sure he was some
hallucination.

Trev’nor didn’t let it faze him. He reached out with his
hands and wrenched the bars casually aside, making the metal screech in agony.
With the bars out of the way, he stepped through and focused on a little girl
huddled in her mother’s lap. If she were older than ten, he’d eat his boots.
There was an amulet on her, just one, as her magic was still in the process of truly
awakening. Trev’nor reached out and carefully brought the amulet over her head
before dropping it and crushing it under his boot.

“Hello, sweets.” He grinned at her. “What’s your name?”

“Dana,” she whispered. Her dark eyes were wide in a pale,
heart-shaped face. “You
glow
.”

“I sure do,” he agreed affably. “Is this pretty lady your
mother?”

Dana nodded, eyes still wide.

“Dana’s mother, let’s get that amulet off of you, too.” As
he took them off, he noted that both of them were witches. The mother sat perfectly
still as it was lifted, her only reaction a single tear streaming down a cheek.
Trev’nor wiped that away and winked at her before standing and shuffling to the
man in the cell with them. “Captain,” he instructed over his shoulder, “you can
take these off as well. I wasn’t sure until I touched them, but the limits are
almost up on them, the magic weak enough that a non-magical person can lift
them free.”

“Ah, yes, Raja, we’ll do that. Once they’re off?”

“Destroy them.”

The last man in the cell reached out and grabbed Trev’nor’s
wrist in an ironclad clutch. He was older, old enough to be Trev’nor’s
grandfather, worn thin by years of hard work and not enough food. “Rheben. Did
you say Rheben?”

“I did,” he answered steadily. What was the respectful word
for an elderly man in this country again? Gan, gan-something… “Ganyesh, you
know my family?”

Being addressed respectfully brought tears to the old man’s
eyes. “I do. I do. A Rheben is here.”

Trev’nor’s breath halted in his chest. “There is a Rheben here?”

The old man stood, a little shakily, and called out,
“Parisa!”

A little girl, no more than eight or nine, stood and
tentatively waved. “I’m here,” she called back in a tremulous voice.

“Go to her,” the old man encouraged, pushing Trev’nor that
direction. “She has no other family. Take her from here.”

“I’m taking you
all
from here,” Trev’nor stated
firmly. He made sure that point got across before he moved. He couldn’t contain
his excitement as this was the first time he had seen evidence that the Rheben
bloodline had survived the fall of the city.

Hadi was hot on his heels, apparently unable to contain his
curiosity either.

The little girl had not budged. She stood with her hand
holding the chain to her wrist, a move that Trev’nor knew well, because if the
chain was left dangling, it would chaff the wrist severely.

Trev’nor knelt slowly in front of her, taking in every
detail. She had the dark skin of this people, but the rest of her looked more
Chahiran. Her hair was more of a brown than black and her eyes…she had Garth’s
eyes. Clear green eyes looking straight back at him. To look so much like the
Rhebens like this, she must be a direct descendant.

“Rhebentrev’noren,” he re-introduced himself, using his best
smile to cover up his spinning thoughts. “Trev’nor. What’s your name?”

“Parisa Rheben.”

So the name had stuck, but not the proper Chahiran
methodology? That made things a little confusing.

Her eyes wide, she stood up on tiptoes. “I look like you,”
she breathed.

“Yes,” Trev’nor answered, voice shaking. “Yes, you’re
obviously a Rheben. I can see your magic, too. You’ll be a powerful Earth Mage
once you grow up.” She’d rival Garth, easily, he could see that in a glance.

“Raja?” Captain Hadi interrupted with an uncertain glance
between them. “I was instructed by Raya Becca to make a list of everyone, but
should I list this girl under her Chahiran name?”

Trev’nor nodded emphatically. “Yes. Do that. Also note that
she’s in my custody.”

“You’ll take her, sir?”

“I’m not about to leave a member of my family behind,
Captain. I mean, they’re all related in one way or another, but—”

Hadi lifted a hand. “I understand, sir.”

Trev’nor had no idea what he’d do when it came time to leave
Trexler, but for now, he wasn’t letting this girl out of his sight. “Find me
the keys to these cufflinks,” he demanded.

One of Hadi’s lieutenants slithered around him long enough
to unlock Parisa before going back to the cell he had been working on. Trev’nor
gave him a nod of thanks and gave himself a mental shake. He had a job to do
before he could focus on Parisa.

Because her magical power was too young, she had no amulets
on her, which made it easier on Trev’nor. He picked her up and set her on a hip,
and walked around with her that way, pointing out the people that were not
magical for Hadi.

Three times, Parisa asked him if they really were related,
and he answered her patiently each time that yes they really were. When she
finally accepted this as a truth, only then did she really settle against him
and put both arms around his neck. It tore at Trev’nor’s heart. Bad enough to
be born into this abysmal place, but to be an orphan in it? He couldn’t imagine
it. Didn’t want to.

In this dim place, time had no meaning and he had no way of
marking it. But Trev’nor felt like roughly an hour had passed. Most of the room
was unshackled now, sorted into magicians and non-magicians. Trev’nor could see
the sorting had unnerved people and went back to the center of the room to
explain, so that everyone could hear him. “We’re holding a trial for the warlord
now,” he said, trying to broadcast his voice. “We need to prove he was holding
non-magicians as slaves to the people. That’s why we separated you. Don’t
worry, it’s….” Argh, busted buckets, what was the word for temporary?

“
Todokii
?” Hadi offered. “Short amount of time.”

Trev’nor inclined his head. “Yes,
todokii
. We’ll
reunite families after the trial is over. There is a white dragon at the
castle. If you give her your name, she can tell you if we have already freed
your families or friends in Tiergan.”

There were happy exclamations over this, although some
seemed to still be in shock. Trev’nor let them each take things at their own
pace. It would all sink in eventually.

Hadi gathered people up, instructing them to stay together
as he and his team would escort them to a safe place.

The mirror broach hanging around Trev’nor’s neck came alive.
“Trev?”

He picked it up and held it closer to his mouth. “What is
it, Becca?”

“Are you ready to head back? Our judges are almost
through with the last of the officials and they want to do the warlord next.”

“We’re heading back now. I’m not far, so if they can give us
a few minutes? I’m bringing twenty-three with me for proof.”

“That’s quite the number. Alright, I’ll pass that along.
How many people altogether? I have Ehsan preparing rooms here in the castle to
put people into.”

By which she meant Ehsan was scaring the castle staff into
line. The man had no sense of humor where former slaves were concerned. “Hold
on. Hadi, what was our exact headcount?”

“Sixty-two, Raja.”

“
I heard him. Any surprises?”

“One,” Trev’nor answered, leading the line of magicians out
of the door and into the outside. Parisa’s hold on him became almost
strangling. Wasn’t used to going outside? The thought broke his heart all over
again. An Earth Mage, no matter how young, should not be cut off so completely
from the world. “Becca. I found a Rheben.”

Her breath caught. “
REALLY
?!”

“Rhebenparisaan,” he answered. “She’s…Parisa, how old are
you?”

“Eight,” she said confidently.

“
Eight years old? Oh my. Trev.”

“I know, I know, too young to take with us but old enough
that magical accidents might start happening soon. We’ll figure something out.
But Bec, I’m told that she’s the last member of her family. I took custody of
her.”

“
I wouldn’t expect you to do anything different. Alright,
I’ll pass this along to Nolan. We’ll figure something out.”

Trev’nor already had a hunch of what would need to happen.
It would be similar to what he had gone through, when Garth had taken him from
the Tonkowacon. As hard as that had been for him, as much as he hated to do it
to someone else, he wasn’t seeing any other options. “I’ll be there soon.”

“Alright.”
The connection abruptly died.

Knowing what would probably happen next, Trev’nor decided to
try and prepare Parisa as much as possible. They walked the street toward the
castle, the guards herding the slaves along and keeping them away from what few
civilians braved the streets. Trev’nor kept an eye out, too, ready to throw up
a wall and sink someone into the ground as necessary. As he kept watch, he
talked to the little girl in his arms. “Parisa. You actually have a lot of
family.”

She sat up straight in his arms, attention riveted. “I do?”

“Yeah. Aunts, uncles, cousins, the works. I’m actually your cousin.”
This news made her happy, which relieved Trev’nor. Alright, maybe this wouldn’t
be as bad as when he had been forced to leave the Tonkowacon. “We have a cousin
that runs a magical academy in Chahir. Strae Academy. Well, he and his wife
both run it. His name is Garth.”

“Is he like us?”

“An Earth Mage? He sure is. His wife is a witch, though. Her
name is Chatta. You’ll like her. You’ll like them both, actually, them and
their kids.”

“They have kids?”

“They sure do. Three of them. One of them is an Earth Mage
like you are, but he’s a little older.” The more information he gave her, the
more comfortable and curious she became. “You have aunts and uncles and more
cousins than that living in Chahir too, mostly in the northern part of the
country. So you see, I’m not your only relative. I’m one of many.”

“I don’t remember my parents,” she told him sadly. “They
went away when I was a baby.”

“Went away?” Trev’nor wasn’t sure if she meant died or was
separated from her.