Test The Awakened: Book Two, page 4
Unexpectedly, the savage on the Captain’s right side fell forward to the cobblestone street, a battle-axe lodged in his back. Dacien risked a quick glance to see who had thrown the axe and the angry barbarians looked as well. Twenty yards away stood a man who could have been mistaken for one of the savages at first glance. His blonde hair fell well past his shoulders and his beard was gathered into a thick braid which reached a handbreadth past his chin. He wore loose fitting trousers and a tunic, both of an indistinct color, giving him a foreign look, but much different than the savages who turned to face this new enemy.
Dacien watched as one of the barbarians ran toward the stranger, raising his double-bladed axe. As the savage approached with a level swing, the man stepped inside of the blade’s arc and grabbed the handle of the axe, pivoting on his right foot. The barbarian, bested by his own momentum, lost his grip on the axe and tripped over the stranger’s outstretched leg, falling backwards to the street. The man turned quickly and buried the head of the axe into the barbarian’s chest.
With two of the five dead, Dacien began to hope that his luck had changed. The Syvaku, however, were enraged by this new threat. Another barbarian, the largest of the group, shouted a few harsh commands and the trio immediately split. Leaving only one man to deal with Dacien and his companion, the other two began to stalk their new enemy, spreading wide to cover each flank.
Dacien tightened his grip on his sword and prepared for his own confrontation, but the barbarian in front of him was clearly more concerned about his fellow raiders. Returning his gaze to the stranger now standing in the middle of the street, Dacien watched in fascination as the man calmly waited for the barbarians to approach.
Suddenly, the man burst into action, springing to his right to pull a spear out of a soldier’s dead body.
Within seconds, the barbarian leader closed the distance, but the stranger whirled the spear around his body and struck the butt of the weapon against his enemy’s knee. An audible crack sounded as the barbarian’s shattered kneecap forced him to his knees. In an instant, the stranger darted past the kneeling enemy, running the blade of his spear across the man’s throat before spinning around to confront the next.
The barbarian in front of Dacien, who had been growing more uncomfortable by the minute, turned away from the wounded soldiers and began to run down the street in the opposite direction.
Dacien smiled at his new-found freedom, but was startled when the retreating barbarian was struck in the back with a spear and fell to his face on the cobblestones. Dacien turned back to the skirmish on his right, surprised to see the stranger facing his bloodthirsty enemy unarmed.
The barbarian circled, swinging his crude sword from side to side as he closed in.
The stranger waited patiently, stepping backward with caution. Then he burst into motion and rushed the barbarian, striking quickly with two kicks. The first struck the barbarian’s hand, dislodging his weapon. The second collided with his face, knocking the large man back a few steps.
The barbarian quickly shook off the pain and growled like a dog. His fury empowered him as he dropped his shoulder and ran toward the stranger, yelling at the top of his lungs.
But the barbarian’s agile enemy sprung from the ground, driving his knee into the man’s face.
Dacien’s jaw dropped as he watched the large man stumble backwards with blood gushing from his nose. The stranger didn’t hesitate for even a second as his foot struck out like a snake, crushing the barbarian’s windpipe.
After falling back to the street, it didn’t take long before the savage stopped his gasping.
“Are you men alright?” the stranger called to Dacien.
Looking down to his standard-bearer seated against the building, Dacien was disappointed to find the man’s head slumped forward. He turned back to the blonde-haired stranger. “I’m afraid it’s too late for my friend, but I’m alive thanks to you. Tell me how I can repay you.”
“Just answer one question,” said the stranger. “Where can I find the Governess?”
“The lady Maeryn?”
“Yes.”
Despite the man’s actions, Dacien couldn’t help but feel distrustful of this stranger as soon as the question was spoken. “If I knew for certain, I wouldn’t tell you. But since I don’t know, there is no harm in telling you that the lady and her daughter disappeared from their estate sometime last night after the Syvaku attacked us.”
“I’m sorry…did you say ‘daughter’?”
“Yes. Miss Aelia,” Dacien replied, watching the stunned look on the man’s face.
“Was it the Syvaku?” the stranger asked.
Dacien hesitated, but could see the concern in the man’s face. “We don’t think so. The lady had a visitor late in the evening, a man delivering something she purchased earlier in the day at the market. We only allowed him inside at her request. An hour later they were reported missing. We think they may have been taken by the Resistance.”
“I have to find them,” the man stated simply, turning to look up the hill to the east.
“There are no clues in the mansion, no way to track them. I had several men searching all evening and they found nothing,” he offered, hoping to save the man the trouble.
“I must go,” the man replied, turning to walk away.
“Wait,” called Dacien. “What is your name?”
“Ka…Caleb,” the man answered, turning around.
“Well, Caleb, my name is Dacien Gallus. I am Captain of the Guard. I’ve never seen anyone who can fight like you. If you don’t find what you are looking for, I could use your help. The remainder of the Syvaku are retreating to the farmlands north of here and I need every able-bodied man.”
The stranger nodded and turned away, heading for the Governor’s estate at the top of the hill.
Dacien smiled, while rubbing the muscles in his right arm. He noticed the man’s hesitation when he asked for his name. He thought the man almost said Kael. Dacien remembered hearing stories many years ago of the Governess’ son and his confrontation with Lemus. But the child had been put to death. Dacien’s curiosity was peaked, but he would have to save his questions for the next time he crossed paths with the man. And he had a feeling it would be soon. Watching him fight the barbarians had been like watching a choreographed dance. He won’t find anything at the mansion. And when he realizes that his searching is in vain, he’ll come looking for a fight.
* * * *
The crunch of Ajani’s footsteps on the gravel of the courtyard was a lonely sound. His plan was to check all the outlying buildings first and then head to the mansion. However, after checking the storehouse, tool shed, and the soldier’s quarters, he was beginning to think the estate was deserted. He made his way to the stables and could immediately hear the buzzing of flies. His stomach cringed at what he might find. Walking through the open doors, he could see blood flowing from the stalls on either side of the room, pooling in the dirt walkway that divided the building in half. He continued on, glancing briefly in each stall, only to find the same sight. The horses’ throats had been slashed by the barbarians, the animals left to die in the very cells in which they slept.
He pressed on, making sure to be thorough in his search. Entering the last stall on the left, Ajani fell to his knees, unable and unwilling to stop the tears that poured down his face. A primal scream emanated from his throat and escaped his mouth, shattering the air. The sound was almost completely unfamiliar to him. He could only remember one other time in his life that he had reason to scream the way he did now. But the scars on his face and body, evidence of that incident, seemed insignificant to what lay before his eyes.
The sight of the tunic, the familiar and unmistakable fabric, covering the form lying face-down in the straw, gripped his heart. The clothing was torn, her skin cut and bruised.
BARBARIANS!
Her hunched posture told the story of unspeakable acts, her failed attempt to crawl away from their cruelty. He took in the scene through a flood of tears and approached the body. Kneeling solemnly at her side, he gently lifted and turned the lifeless form. Grief caught in his throat as he mouthed, “Oh Mama…” But no words came, no sound escaped his lips. His roughened fingers traced lightly over the bruises and disfigurement as he lowered his lips to kiss her forehead. With great reverence he slowly laid her back on the straw. He crossed Zula’s arms upon her chest and, in a futile attempt at dignity, covered her with the remains of her garment.
It was unclear to Ajani how much time had elapsed as he found himself standing outside of the stables, staring at the blue expanse of the sky. The tears had stopped flowing and now he felt a deep hollow in his soul, a void left by the only person that mattered to him. He was alone in the world now, the last of his family.
The silence was finally intruded upon by the unmistakable form of Lemus stumbling through the northern gate into the courtyard. He was limping badly and his tunic was cut open at the back and soaked with blood. He didn’t seem to notice Ajani as he lurched awkwardly toward the entrance to the garden.
Ajani watched with a mild curiosity, as though an ant were crawling by. How easy it would be to stretch out a foot and crush it! Then Ajani found himself moving, following the man only a few paces away. They were in the garden now and Ajani’s pace was quickening, the gap between them closing.
Lemus heard the footsteps and turned. “Oh it’s you,” he grunted. “Help me. I must get to my study.”
But Ajani ignored him, rushing forward and shoving the Governor to the ground.
Lemus winced as he fell on his back, gritting his teeth. “What do you think you’re doing? I’ll have the guards hang you by your neck. You’re nothing but a treacherous bastard, all of you. Even my own wife betrayed me.”
Ajani kicked him in the stomach as hard as he could and the words immediately stopped.
As Lemus struggled to breathe, silence once again returned to the garden. In the distance, Ajani could hear that several people had entered the courtyard. He assumed that they were the guards Lemus had spoken of, but it didn’t really matter who it was. He had already made up his mind about how this conversation would end.
He leaned down toward Lemus and whispered into his ear. “The best part of the betrayal…” he paused for effect. “…is that Aelia isn’t even your daughter. Maeryn was pregnant by Adair before she met you.”
The presence in the courtyard was growing louder; the footsteps were getting closer. But Ajani ignored them. Instead, he widened his stance, bent over Lemus’ struggling form and clenched his fists. He could see the panic in his master’s eyes, eyes that used to show only cruelty. Ajani hoped that Lemus understood what was about to happen. He hoped that the scars on his own face would communicate what he couldn’t say because he didn’t feel much like talking anymore.
Chapter 5
After leaving Dacien, Kael made his way uphill, carefully to the north. His path was erratic, taking him from building to building, staying out of sight to keep from being caught up in any more confrontation. Not that confrontation bothered him. Indeed, it had become a way of life for him. But now that he knew where to start searching for his mother, and surprisingly, his sister, confrontation would only slow his progress.
After the better part of an hour, Kael crested the rise upon which the mansion stood. He stepped cautiously through the gate; the courtyard spread before him. It was eerily silent, but the sound wasn’t the strongest assault on his senses. The sight of the mansion and its surrounding buildings, situated within the graveled expanse of the courtyard, was almost too much to bear. Kael felt emotions that had no names. It wasn’t sadness. Neither was it joy. It was an odd mixture of too many feelings and Kael shut them down immediately. He didn’t have time to waste.
Dacien said that Maeryn received a visitor, so the first place to inspect was the house. The embedded gravel crunched on the dirt as Kael strode across the courtyard. It seemed much smaller than he remembered, though still large by anyone’s standards. The garden entrance came into view and more memories began to flood Kael’s mind. He heard laughter. He saw his father’s mischievous smile. He heard Ajani scream. These things were distractions that he chased away with one conscious thought.
The trees and flowers, the half that were still standing, seemed fuller and more mature. Even in its state of ruin, the garden still held a peaceful ambience. Suddenly, Kael slowed at the sight of a dead man lying in the dirt. A quick glance around told him that there were no longer any threats present, so Kael moved forward again. Recognition came almost immediately, even though the man no longer had any distinguishing features to his face.
“Lemus,” Kael said aloud.
The gangly man lay on his back, with one arm on his chest. His tunic was blood-soaked and his face was so swollen as to be unrecognizable as human, had it not been attached to the man’s body.
“…looks like the Syvaku hated you as much as I did!”
Kael waited for a moment, staring down at the object of his hatred. This man’s presence in Kael’s life had changed everything. In his early years at the monastery, when Kael wasn’t missing his family, he would lie awake in his bed, imagining the ways in which he would end Lemus’ life. And now, many years later, the man was reduced to a cold lump of flesh, by an enemy of his own making, no doubt.
Kael wondered what kind of policy would have provoked such a violent reaction from the Syvaku. But he brushed the thought aside and stepped around Lemus’ body, heading for the main entrance into the house.
His search began in the master bedroom and when that produced nothing, he initiated a systematic check of every room in the house. After searching in vain for some sort of clue for over an hour, Kael began to believe that the Captain had spoken correctly. There was nothing to see. Everything looked just as it should, deserted and ransacked. Refusing to give up, Kael moved his search to the other buildings around the mansion. Other than the body of an old slave woman that he found in the stables, his searching had turned up nothing.
The sun was now high overhead and Kael sat on the stone steps leading down to the bay of Bastul. The wall that surrounded the estate also included a portion of the harbor which was reserved for sensitive shipments that could be offloaded within the security of the enclosure. From the docks, cargo would be pulled in horse-drawn carts on a paved path that zigzagged up the hillside to where Kael now sat. His vantage point gave him a view of the entire city and as far as he could see, smoke filled the horizon.
The hot sun burned down through the haze clinging to the city and beads of sweat began to form along Kael’s forehead. For months he had been traveling with Bastul as his goal. Though he had called many places home over the years, cities and villages that had never even heard of the Orudan Empire, they were all temporary. Bastul was always his home. He wasn’t exactly sure why he didn’t return immediately after leaving the monastery. Maybe it was just a series of events that kept him away. Or maybe he just wasn’t ready. Whatever the reason, it all seemed meaningless now. As he sat on the steps and watched the burning city below, Kael felt more lost than ever. His mother was missing, gone without a trace, along with a sister he had never met. He had separated himself from all the people he called friends in order to come back to Bastul. And now, his journey had proven pointless.
I could use your help.
The words of the Captain came back to him.
Kael sat motionless for a moment, wondering if there was any value in joining the fight. After all, what loyalty did he have for Orud, except that his father was a soldier? He wasn’t sure why he had chosen to fight the Syvaku men in the city. Maybe it was because they were taunting the Captain and would certainly have killed him.
After several minutes of silence, Kael rose to his feet and began to move. His decision was simple. He would take the only opportunity presented to him—to help the Captain of the Guard. Perhaps later, Kael’s life would move in another direction, but for now, this was enough. It was something he could do.
He left the estate by the northern gate and skirted the city to the north, staying just off the main road. He retraced the route he had taken earlier in the morning and found the clearing where he had tethered his horse. There was no sign of the animal, but that was to be expected. With the city in chaos, Kael left enough slack in the reigns for the horse to pull free if necessary. Within minutes of a sharp whistle, his horse appeared at the edge of the clearing. Kael quickly mounted and headed off to the west in search of the remaining soldiers.
The rest of Kael’s day was spent riding along the foothills between the mountains to the north and the farmland to the south. As the sun dropped to the west, Kael found signs of movement, disturbed earth along a riverbed. The same river flowed from the mountains through the center of Bastul before emptying into the bay. Kael followed the tracks upriver, deep into the mountain range, until they diverted into the surrounding forest. Less than an hour before sunset, Kael caught his first glimpse of human life since leaving his parents’ estate.
He was aware of the soldier’s presence several minutes before the man jumped out from behind a thick hedge of shrubbery. The terrified soldier held his spear in front of him, ready for an attack.
“Identify yourself,” he commanded.
Kael raised his hands to show that he wasn’t a threat. “I’m looking for Dacien Gallus, Captain of the Guard. He said that he could use my help with the rest of the Syvaku.”
“You look like one of them. What is your name?”
“Caleb.”
The soldier turned and waved his spear. In response to the signal, another man stepped out from the cover of trees, twenty yards away, and headed off through the forest to the east. The first man turned his suspicious gaze back to Kael and held tight to his spear.
