The Knights of Erador (The Echoes Saga: Book 7), page 24
“It will be done, Master.” Kassian turned on his heel and strode towards the door, only to find the way barred by the returning Archon.
“The Lexichronan does not recognise any of our wands,” the short female master announced.
“Impossible,” the master muttered from beneath his mask.
“It has to be them,” another master opined. “The Galfreys have done this.”
Kassian did his best to look as small as possible and blend in with the stone, head bowed. He had to look apologetic and nervous if he was going to fool them all.
“Your orders have changed, Keeper,” the master called, drawing Kassian from his shell. “This just turned into a hunt. Task the mages of your order as you see fit and find the ambassadors.”
“Immediately, Master.” Kassian had his hand on the doorknob when the master’s voice called to him one last time.
“Kassian. Fail the Archon again and you may find yourself sharing the streets with the beggars of Velia.”
The Keeper bowed his head in understanding before making a swift exit. Alone, on the other side of the door, Kassian caught his breath, unsure how he had got away with the last few minutes. He had never been one for lying, often without the need to even do so, but he had found it surprisingly easy when he kept the truth in his heart: everything he did now, was for Valatos.
The starlight had begun to fade by the time every Keeper had been sorted into groups and designated somewhere to begin searching. The hardest part for Kassian had been telling his fellow Keepers that the Galfreys were enemies of Valatos.
Some had appeared reluctant to believe it, while a disturbing few had looked eager to begin the hunt and exercise their magic. Kassian could do nothing, however, but relay the Archon’s exact commands and issue them all with kill orders.
Kassian took charge of three other Keepers and led them into the grounds first, starting with the gardens. He explained that the ambassadors had attacked him there, making it a good place to start. In truth, he knew they would be nowhere near the gardens by now.
Pretending to think like the Galfreys, Kassian took his group and began to systematically search nearby buildings, his false assumption being that they would immediately seek shelter. Of course, they were never anywhere to be found. Nathaniel and Reyna had kept their whereabouts from the Keeper, but he was confident they would remain well hidden.
That was until a fellow Keeper came crashing through a second-storey window and became horribly entangled in a thorn bush.
Kassian cursed and ran across the open courtyard with his group in tow. The Keeper had been launched out of the Sanctorum, his scream easily heard over the shattering glass. From inside the building, flashes and explosions blew out more windows and sent debris flying out into the grounds. Then, another Keeper was thrown from a window farther down the hallway. One of Kassian’s group was fast on the draw and managed to direct her wand at the falling Keeper, her magic preventing his legs from being broken.
Barrelling through the Sanctorum’s main doors, Kassian charged upstairs with his wand in hand. He had no idea what he was about to encounter and, worse still, he had no idea what he was going to do. He was no closer to discovering the truth behind the Archon’s schemes and the Galfreys were now in open combat with Valatos.
Rounding the corner, two groups of Keepers lay motionless on the floor, their staffs and wands scattered. A little farther up, Reyna was using hand-to-hand techniques against a male Keeper who was desperately trying to hit her with a spell. Unfortunately for him, the elf was too fast and her hands continuously shifted the position of his arm, redirecting the wand everywhere but at her.
Ridding herself of the opponent, Reyna moved inside his reach and snapped his wrist. His fingers lost interest in gripping the wand and it fell from his hand into the ambassador’s. It only got worse for the Keeper when she stabbed the wand into his leg, dropping him down to one knee. An open palm attack to the side of his head and the man fell into the wall and slumped down to the floor.
Farther up the hallway, Nathaniel was locked in battle against a staff-wielding Keeper. The old Graycoat parried the incoming staff and held it down as the Keeper unleashed a torrent of destructive magic. It was as blinding as it was devastating, but Nathaniel held his nerve and spun the staff up and round, causing damage in a swooping arc. The brick exploded and burst apart before the magic swooped up and splintered the rafters. In one smooth motion, the staff was brought down on the other side where it tore up more of the floor.
Like his wife, Nathaniel sought to be rid of his foe and back-handed the Keeper across the face. The spell was cut short and the fight brought to its conclusion when the old Graycoat brought his pommel down on the back of the Keeper’s head. However brief, it was still a comfort to Kassian to see that the ambassador’s sword was clean of any blood.
Now there was only a couple of seconds left before Kassian’s group rounded the same corner and let loose spells of their own. He shared a look of grave concern with both ambassadors - the hallway behind them was too long for any escape.
That left Kassian with one choice.
His wand flicked sideways through the air and Reyna was shoved through the adjacent door at some speed. This, in fact, saved her life. Had she still been standing there a moment later, Kassian’s group would have reduced her body to smaller pieces, just as they did the walls and doorframe.
A variety of sounds and colours then filled the hallway, their wands and staffs flashing with every discharge. Nathaniel covered his face and darted into another room farther up, narrowly avoiding the spells that flew his way.
Kassian held out his hand, gesturing for them to cease their attack. Silently, he signalled for them to fan out across the hallway and slowly advance towards Reyna’s room. By the edge of the broken doorframe, Kassian stole a glimpse inside but found no evidence of the elf. He had no choice but to lead his Keepers inside. What he did next, though, was still a mystery to him.
A quick hand signal and all four of them charged into the room; three of them with their wands raised and the fourth with his staff braced in both hands. It was hard to believe that Reyna didn’t possess any magic when she had so effectively disappeared from sight in a room with only one door. They were all reminded of her heritage when she dropped down from the corner behind them, her strength alone having kept her braced against the ceiling and walls.
The staff-wielding Keeper was the first to feel her wrath. The haft was forced up into his face - a disorientating blow - before the elf snatched the staff away and whipped the end into his chest, hurling him from the room. The female Keeper beside Kassian pointed her wand only to have her hand knocked aside by Reyna’s new weapon. The spell, however, was still unleashed upon the far wall, blowing most of it into the next room along.
It was in that moment that Kassian had to make a split second decision. One of the Keepers stood several feet away, beyond Reyna’s reach, and his wand was coming up to strike. If his spell was even half as powerful as the one that had just blown the wall out, the elven ambassador was about to be obliterated.
Kassian flicked his wand at the Keeper’s feet and struck the floor with a destructive spell. There was nowhere for the man to go but down into the chamber below, his own spell flying wildly into the ceiling.
His pre-emptive strike distracted the female Keeper engaged with Reyna. The elf landed three successive and surgical hits that knocked the Keeper back in a spluttering mess. Kassian flourished his wand and released a non-lethal spell that threw her back into the wall, robbing her of conscious thought.
All too late did he notice the Keeper who had been relieved of his staff watching from the shattered doorway. His nose was broken and his eyes swollen, but he couldn’t have missed Kassian’s treachery. Neither elf nor man were able to prevent the Keeper from sprinting away and disappearing down the stairwell.
Nathaniel appeared through the hole blown out of the wall, wafting the cloud of dust and debris away. “That didn’t go according to plan,” he commented.
“What are you doing here of all places?” Kassian snapped.
“We thought,” Reyna offered, “that after all the Keepers left here in search of us, they wouldn’t return.”
Kassian sighed. “I’ve either overestimated your intelligence or you have underestimated the Keepers of Valatos…”
“It’s definitely the latter,” Nathaniel remarked, sheathing his sword. “We need to keep moving.”
“You’re going to need to come with us,” Reyna pointed out.
Kassian paused, hearing half a dozen pairs of boots hammering up the stairwell. “No. I’ll hold them off while you put some distance between us.” The Keeper held up his hand to silence the elf’s protest. “Try and disappear this time. Just hold out until the king arrives.”
Nathaniel started away. “You heard him, Reyna. We need to go.”
“Thank you,” she said earnestly, her emerald eyes meeting Kassian’s.
The Keeper didn’t even bother to watch them vanish. He gripped his wand and reminded himself to call only on non-lethal magic. After all, they had all been tricked by the Archon; they just didn’t know it yet.
The group burst into the room with wands and staffs ready to turn it upside down. They were led by the Keeper with the broken nose, who now wielded his glowing sword. Ripples of heat rose from the blade as he pointed it at Kassian.
“Traitor!” he accused venomously.
Kassian took a deep breath. “I have no argument with any of you, but if you don’t walk away right now, I can’t guarantee the condition in which you’ll find yourself when next you wake.”
The injured Keeper sneered. “Get ’im!”
Many in Kassian’s position would have started blasting away, hoping to shift the odds in his favour, but the first thing he did was erect a specific type of shield. This shield flared a brilliant white when struck by another spell and became a blinding light when struck by multiple spells at once.
All six of the Keepers cried out and covered their eyes but it was too late for them. Kassian’s wand shot out again and again until four of the six were strewn around the room with multiple injuries. The fastest amongst them dived to the side and rolled away, giving his eyes precious time to recover. By the time he jumped back up, however, Kassian had a spell waiting for him. As the Keeper bounced off the wall, no longer a threat, the sword-wielder jumped forward with a high swing.
The blade connected with Kassian’s wand and sent it spinning away to be lost in the debris. A solid boot was thrust up into his chest, taking Kassian from his feet. By the time he landed, it was hard to say what hurt more: the kick to the chest or the hard floor that had greeted his back. There was no time to dwell on his choices - there was a glowing hot sword bearing down on him.
“Traitor!” he yelled again, striking the floor between Kassian’s legs.
The blade was so bright it was hard to look at, but it certainly illuminated the righteous anger that pulled at every muscle in his opponent’s face. Kassian rolled to his left and slammed his boot into that same face, changing the expression dramatically. He staggered back and tripped over another Keeper, allowing Kassian more than enough time to find his feet and draw his sword.
He dragged the steel across the surface of his vambrace and ignited the blade. The room’s temperature increased with both swords glowing white hot, drawing sweat from both men.
“You would betray the order?” the Keeper spat, rising back to his stature. “You would betray Valatos?”
“You know nothing of what you speak!” Kassian retorted.
The Keeper snarled and lunged at Kassian with a two-handed swing. The swords came together with a sparking clash, then again underarm. The Keeper spun away and came back with a flurry of strikes, most of which Kassian parried or evaded. The last thrust, however, cut a burning line across his arm and stung deep into his muscle.
Enthused by his successful blow, the Keeper pressed his attack. Pushing through the pain in his arm, Kassian met every swing and strike with the discipline instilled by his order. Sparks harmlessly impacted their coats and danced across the debris. When locked together, their swords would violently crash into tables and chairs, melting through them with ease.
Being so close during these encounters, Kassian had the opportunity to headbutt the Keeper in his already broken nose - and he took it. The agony that shot through the Keeper’s face threw him back, opening him up for a clean knee to the midriff. Now doubled over, Kassian had but to bring his pommel down on the back of his head and the fight would be over.
That was when two members of the Archon entered the room. What followed was an instance of pain and then a lack of air. The golden necklace, gifted to him by the Archon, shrunk in size until he had neither the strength to hold his sword or remain on his feet. The masters walked over to him, but their image blurred all the more upon their approach. Then, there was nothing at all…
When next Kassian Kantaris opened his eyes, that instance of pain had developed into a dull ache that stretched around the back of his head. His surroundings had changed, evident by the colourful stained-glass window that painted him in red, pink, and yellow. A circular table dominated the centre of the room - the Archon’s table.
Rising to his hands and knees, Kassian paused to see one of the masters walk in front of him, followed by a group of Keepers. One of them presented the master with Kassian’s wand and sword before being instructed to leave them on the table, beside his coat.
The master loomed over him. “You have made a grave error in judgment, Kassian.” His reflective mask showed the Keeper his own bruised and lacerated face. “You have been taken in by the enemy. And you have betrayed Valatos…”
Kassian stood up in defiance and spat the blood from his split lip. “We both know who has betrayed Valatos, Master.”
The master whipped his wand out and pointed it up into Kassian’s jaw. “You should know when you’re beaten,” he whispered. “Now,” he continued, resuming his elegant stature. “Tell me where the ambassadors are hiding and her punishment will be less severe.”
Kassian’s mind tripped over that. “Her punishment?”
The master gave one of the other Keepers a nod and they quickly moved to open the chamber doors. Kassian’s heart sank at the sight of his wife in chains, held in place by the brothers of his order.
“Kassian!” she pleaded.
“Clara!”
The Keeper started forward with renewed energy, but before he could even rise to his feet, manacles shot out from the far wall and snatched at his wrists and ankles. Kassian fell face down on the stone and glimpsed the master manipulating the new chains with his wand. His wrists jerked and Kassian was flung backwards, the chains retreating into the wall as they dragged him with them. The impact was sudden and painful, but he was powerless to do anything, pinned as he now was.
The doors were closed again and Clara vanished from sight. “We have to assume your wife is complicit,” the master explained. “She will reside in the cells until you cooperate. Her treatment therein, however, depends on the extent of your compliance.”
“I don’t know where they are!” he yelled, fighting against his restraints. “I will kill you if you hurt her!” the Keeper promised.
The master tilted his head. “I believe that is the one thing you are incapable of.”
The doors opened again and Kassian looked on in desperation. Clara had been taken away. Instead, a new Keeper entered the room at some speed with a missive in hand.
“Master.” The Keeper bowed his head. “King Vighon has arrived - his company pass through Velia’s main gate as we speak.”
The master snatched the parchment. “Why were we not informed sooner?” After scrutinising the note, he continued, “The king arrives with a thousand men… and two dragons.”
Had Kassian not been so worried about his wife, he would have taken a moment longer to consider that news and question the number of dragons in the king’s company. Instead, he let the mystery go and turned his attention to the other Keepers in the room.
“The Archon mean to kill the king! They’ve been plotting—” Kassian’s throat clamped shut at the behest of the master’s wand. The necklace tightened as the snake’s head consumed the chain bit by bit.
“Inform Lord Carrington that he is to expect the king and his entourage. Tell the lord that we will meet the king in person and escort him to the palace. Not a single Namdhorian is to step foot inside Valatos, understood?”
The Keepers nodded their understanding and strode out of the chamber, leaving the master and a suffocating Kassian behind. A flick of the wand and the golden snake released its grip on the chain. The Keeper swallowed as much air as he could, taking it in one massive gulp at a time.
“Why don’t you stay here for a while and contemplate your fate… and that of your wife. When all of this ugly business is dealt with, perhaps you can help us with the Galfreys and everything can return to how it was.”
Kassian couldn’t speak for the pain in his throat. All he could do was watch the master leave the chamber with malevolent intent and dwell on the horrid conditions Clara now resided in. He dropped his head onto his chest, the place where all of his rage was steadily building. His muscles tensed and he fought against his chains to no avail.
How quickly his world had turned to rot…
21
A Flying Visit
Of all the cities to approach on dragon back, Velia was perhaps the most beautiful to behold. With the ocean sparkling to the east and green pastures sprawling for miles in the west, the city was a white gem fixed between the two.
Four of the region’s most distinguished kings adorned the walls, their towering forms carved from the white cliffs of The Shining Coast. Of the four, one king - whose name Inara failed to recall - was still in ruins from The Ash War, surrounded with scaffolding.
