Fate Rides Wicked: Volume I of the Lerilon Trilogy (43 page)

Across the cobblestone courtyard, they entered double
wooden doors. Inside they stood in a square room, large
enough for one hundred men, and looked at the paintings
hanging on the walls. Other castles they had been in had
artwork, but this one looked like a gallery.

The robed man led them through another doorway into
a throne room of modest size. Like others, pillars held up a
high ceiling and nobles milled around in boredom on either
side of the runway down the middle. Stained glass served
as windows, the intricate colors and designs casting strange
light on the statues in front of each pillar.

King Vrekian came down from his throne and met them
halfway. “Welcome to my land. What brings royalty to
this corner of Li?”

“We come to ask for your assistance, Your Majesty.
I’m building an army to meet Rangdor’s hordes when they
leave the Valley of Death. Your kingdom is the last one I
have visited.”

“And all the others, what did they say?”

“All twelve march under my command. These nineteen
soldiers are my generals and advisors.” He introduced each
one with their allegiance and title. Each gave his country’s
greeting. “I would like command of your army for this
purpose. It would mean the land absorbed by Evil would
return to normal. I am going to personally vanquish
Rangdor.”

“Come, we will discuss it over lunch. I always discuss
matters of this sort better over food.” He led them back
into the entrance room and took them left through another
set of doors into a dining hall.

The king refused to talk about business until the food
came. His tall, lanky body perched in his chair and his
beard almost fell in his soup. The brown color of the hair
on his head told them he still had quite a few years left.
The meal served, he looked at Tych and asked, “Now, what
exactly qualifies you to lead my army?”

“I am warrior, wizard and prince. I have led the group
you see here through the Passage of Death and I have
liberated several kingdoms from sorcerers. I also have
command over twelve human and four other armies. What
else do you need, Your Majesty?” Tych tried to keep his
tone as respectful as possible, though he felt annoyed to
have to do this again.

“Let me explain something to you,” began the king.
“We have only a very small army to protect us from eastern
Evil on our southern border. Besides that, we are a
peaceful nation, always neutral. That is why most treaties
are named after one of our cities. For example, the Treaty
of Murlanak was negotiated right here, and it allows
passage between Concrof and Fendol. What you ask is that
I gather up my reserve men, arm them, and send them north
to battle. I’m afraid I can’t do that,” finished Vrekian.

“But we need your help. You must reconsider. As long
as Rangdor exists, we cannot hope to be rid of either of the
Evil lands, nor can we rest from the forangen onslaught.
My people are almost extinct because of this. Yet you
seem not to care.”

King Vrekian said, anger welling up inside, “You are
welcome to stay the night and give me a chance to sleep on
it. I do not think I will change my mind.”

“Do you not realize the danger your kingdom is in if we
fail? There will be no more help from the other kingdoms
in fighting the forangen.” Then Tych slipped up, his first
diplomatic error. “What kind of fool are you?”

King Vrekian stood up so fast that his chair flew
backwards and slammed into the wall. His face turned red
with anger and he stared down at Tych, who also stood.
“Do not insult me, endaril! I will have you strung from the
highest tree.”

Tych said, “Just you try...”

Lendril stepped between them and Aquendar put Tych
in a bear hug. “We apologize. Tych is not used to having
somebody deny him. How about we offer a compromise
that you can think about overnight?”

King Vrekian calmed at Lendril’s pretty face. “Let me
hear it.” The king sat down. Aquendar took Tych out of
the room, and the endaril didn’t fight him.

“My interpretation of all this is that you don’t feel your
people are well enough trained to send them off into battle.
Is that correct?” Lendril sat down in Tych’s chair, one seat
closer than before.

“Yes, you’re right.”

“We don’t need your forces on the Field of Scars until
the Feast of Growth. That gives you three months to train
your men and get them organized. Please tell us in the
morning whether you’ll stay here and train them for our
army, or whether you still say no altogether. Fair?”

“That is acceptable. You are a wise woman, Lendril di
Rutif.”

“And my lover is a hothead. I know, but he has worked
very hard towards this and anger is the only emotion he
ever shows to anybody but me. I think you will end up
liking each other. You have similar spirits.”

“Enough tough talk. Let us finish eating and talk about
lighter subjects.”

Findra leaned over and said, “My cousins have
forgotten to mention some good news. Queen Olera of
Efreiden and King Daubert III of Polentair are engaged.
You’re invited to their wedding.”

The king laughed out loud. “Those kids have been at it
for as long as I’ve known them. We do a lot of trade with
both of them, since the Enandrake river flows from the
Great Lake through our kingdom. Since it is also their
border on the other side of the lake, they had to get along to
be able to trade with us.”

Tych and Aquendar returned and switched places.
While they finished, Ofeldar brought Tych up to date on
Lendril’s negotiating. A half smile spread across his face
and he nodded at Vrekian. The king took a long look, and
went back to eating. By the end of it they all laughed with
humor, but Tych and Vrekian refused to laugh together.

Tych snapped awake as cries of great mental anguish
reached him. He couldn’t hear them with his ears, but the
fear and pain of the victim could be heard clearly in his
mind. He looked out the window, only to see the stars
waver as a blackness flowed in front of them. Tych quickly
put on his cloak and Gaylin and woke Lendril. As he tied
on the scabbard, he spoke. “Lendril, wake everybody and
begin to scour the castle and city. The king needs my
help.” As Lendril jumped into action, he teleported from
the room.

The king stood bleeding, struggling to hold up his
sword. A huge creature, with red eyes and claws but no
other visible substance, blocked the window with
blackness. It screamed at Tych as it turned its attention to
him. In a voice as frightening as the beast itself it said,
“You are too late, warrior. The Circle of Thirteen will not
be completed as prophesied, for only King Vrekian can
gather his army.”

While the demon spoke, Tych gathered energy from Sir
Xalt and Lendril and drew Gaylin. The king spoke
haltingly, “Don’t listen to him Tych. I am still far from
dead.”

Tych called to Sir Xalt mentally, urging him to come to
the king’s room. Tych recognized the demon to be a
cacodemon, the result of a powerful spell. Another
sorcerer would die, he thought, as Gaylin began to sing.

White energy enveloped his blade and Tych charged the
demon. “You will fail your master twice tonight, spawn of
hell!” Gaylin lit the entire room as she sliced through the
blackness with blinding speed. The demon screamed as the
magical, energized sword rent the darkness, exposing the
stars behind it and sucking the evil energy for conversion
into music. The bloodstained claws arched towards Tych
but he lifted Gaylin and the blade sent a claw of white
energy, stopping the attack.

Converted energy flowed down Gaylin into Tych. Sir
Xalt entered the room and wasted no time in pulling out his
holy sword. Intense beams of light streamed out of Tych’s
eyes and struck the red eyes of the blackness in front of
him. Xalt raised his sword above his head like a spear.
With all his strength, he threw it over Tych’s head into the
demon. The demon’s screams reached a deafening volume
as Tych turned the beams of pure energy to the embedded
sword. Xalt jumped over the bed and covered Vrekian as a
huge explosion made the very foundations of the castle
shake and lit up the city.

Lendril looked up from a city street as Tych hurtled
head over heals out the window. With every ounce of her
will, she sent Tych her love and good energy. He vanished
into white light for a moment and then stabilized in mid-air.
He smiled and waved. With a thought he cast a flying spell
and raced back to the window. Two red spots flickered and
died where he had been, and two rubies fell to the ground.
Sorcerers created cacodemons from the two gems and
powerful black magic.

Tych landed next to Sir Xalt. The knight finished
force-feeding the king and turned to Tych. “If you had not
directed that blast out the window, I do not know if even
my magic armor could have withstood it. Yet, you
survived in only a cloak.” Tych gestured at the king. “I
have a spell that will help him live. It will be close.”

“Will the Staff of Two Magics help?” Xalt nodded
emphatically that it would so Tych said, “I shall return with
it,” and vanished again. Seconds later her returned with the
staff. After concentrating a moment, he sent two cure
spells into the king and Xalt added a third. The cuts came
together and the bruises faded. As the potions took effect,
the king began to look as good as new.

Lendril rushed into the room carrying Tych’s staff and
leading the others. She watched the last bruises fade from
the king. “Will he live?”

Sir Xalt looked up. “I have only one last step and he
will be returned to us.” The knight reached into his pouch
and removed an iron lightning bolt. He began to pray in a slow,
melodic chant. Tych sent white energy to him. Soon wisps
of blackness could be seen rising from the body on the bed.
As it progressed, increasing amounts of white energy left
Xalt to replace the fleeing evil and possession. Finally, the
chanting stopped and Vrekian opened his eyes. Tych
caught Sir Xalt as he collapsed.

The prince lowered Xalt to the floor gently, and then
disappeared. Seconds later, he returned without the Staff of
Two Magics. He sheathed Gaylin. “Both of our friends
here will sleep at least until morning.” The king’s eyes had
closed again. “They will, however, both be all right.”

Lendril went to Tych and put an arm around his waist
to support him as he swayed. “But you aren’t, Tych di
Corl. Loktaro, help me get him back to our room so he can
sleep this off.”

As they helped Tych back to their room, he turned to
Nandel. “Show Cert how to find things with magic. Xalt’s
sword flew out the window." Cert’s eyes lit up as Nandel
led her back to the courtyard. Both of the moons would
light their way, Tych thought as he lost consciousness.

Zenith had arrived when Tych opened his eyes again.
Lendril stood over him. “You won. Sir Xalt and King
Vrekian are still asleep. Cert found Xalt’s sword.”

Tych sat up and shook his head out. “I bet she was
excited. You better get your armor on. We have a sorcerer
to kill.”

Lendril laughed. “Nandel and Blard killed him
yesterday. You’ve been asleep for thirty-six hours. Here, I
brought you some breakfast.” She handed him a tray of
dried meat and fresh bread.

Tych grimaced. “We have to be in Lakak in five days
to speak to the new army. Now we’ll have to ride hard to
make it.”

“Hey, it’s not our fault you had to go and get caught up
in an explosion. Eat up and we’ll go wake the other two
brave warriors.”

A Murlanak priest sat watching the two men. Tych
crossed the room to where Sir Xalt lay. He rapped his fist
on Xalt’s armor and the knight opened his eyes. The knight
of Polentair cleared his throat as he propped himself up on
his elbows. “Oh, my head hurts. How long have I been
asleep here?”

“Thirty-seven hours. Lendril made the others let us
sleep. I guess all the energies released in here sapped all
our energy to avoid damage. I suppose if we had had a
decent night’s sleep in the last two months, we would have
woke up sooner. That cacodemon stretched our limits.”

Xalt stood up. “You’ll sleep for a month after
Rangdor.”

“No way. I couldn’t miss making love to Lendril for
that long.” They both roared with laughter and King
Vrekian opened his eyes.

“It’s rude to wake up the king by telling jokes in his
bedroom. Oh, what a headache! I’ll never forget last night
after this pain.” The king sat up.

Tych put his hands on the bed and leaned over.
Eighteen inches from the king’s face he said, “You mean
thirty-seven hours ago, Your Majesty. We slept through
yesterday and half of today. We’ve been riding steadily for
over two months with very little sleep. What’s your
excuse?”

“I got clawed by...by...” The king felt his face and arms
where he remembered cuts.

Sir Xalt crossed his arms, as Tych stood upright.
“That’s my excuse. I cast two spells as well as having to
protect both of us from Tych’s fireworks. My last spell
was exorcism and that would wipe out a well-rested
person.”

Tych bowed. “We will leave this afternoon. Will we
see your army on the Feast of Growth?”

“Yes, you will. I look forward to seeing you then, my
friend.” Servants came in with food as the warriors left.

Two days later they set up the war tent just inside
Lake’s border. Tych sat at the top of the circle. “Here we
will split up. Loktaro, Wiltev, Aquendar, Sir Xalt and
Lendril will ride with me to Lakak. Cert will return to the
Hidden Kingdom while everybody else returns to the army
on the Field of Scars. Ofeldar will not be returning with
you. I have a special mission for her that only she and I
will know about.