Omensent: Wrath of a Dragon God (25 page)

The twin warriors had
listened to the story, their expressions unreadable, then remained silent for several long moments after he had finished, their eyes lost in thought.

"The witch that stole your child indeed passed this way a week or so ago." One of the twins told them finally, his voice grim.

"She and her khalkan approached us and tried to enlist our services." The second twin continued in the same grim tone.

"What did they wish of you?" Damarius asked suspiciously.

"They wished us to ambush a small group of travelers who were pursuing them." The pair intoned together.

"So they wanted you to stop us?" Sly asked in a tense voice, his hand slowly sliding towards the hilt of his sword.

"They did." One of the twin warriors told him in a calm voice.

"We refused."
The other warrior told them in an equally calm tone.

"Why?"

"The Knights of Sarath do not work for the minions of the elder spirits." The first man told them, his expression proud.

"The Knight
s of Sarath only undertake the noblest of quests." The second twin explained, his expression equally proud.

"The Knight
s of Sarath?" Damion asked curiously.

The twin warriors smiled.

"We hail from Sarath, which lies far to the west of Naquia." The first twin explained, still smiling.

"Our order is the most respected in all of the eastern continent." The second man mirrored his
brother's smile. "The Knights of Sarath are the fiercest warriors in all the land."

"I've heard of the
Knights of Sarath." Damarius admitted. "They are honorable men, sworn to help protect the innocent."

"For a price." The twins
chimed in together with identical grins.

"Tell me," Raven asked them, her voice desperate. "Did you see my baby?"

"We did." The first twin told her in a gentle voice.

"She is well," The second twin added. "
but she seemed quite displeased with her captors."

The young woman stifled a cry with one hand, and buried her face in Damion's armored chest.

"We need to catch up with them." Damion told the knights, gently embracing his wife. "We have to get our daughter back from that crazed woman!"

"Chasing that woman will only lead you to your deaths." One of the twins told him seriously.

"Highland witches consort with the darkest of spirits, who grant them the power of magic." The second twin added just as seriously. "They are some of the most powerful magic users in the world."

"We'll see about that!" Damarius snorted derisively.

"Her magic doesn't frighten us." Damion assured them grimly. "They are not the only ones who have such abilities."

"Did you happen to overhear which way the witch was planning to travel?" Sly was still watching the warriors suspiciously.

"To the east, of course." One of the twin warriors told him.

"The highland temples
in Teirsia is the only place she
can
run." The second twin added. "It's the only place she will be safe."

"We need to find a way to gain
ground on them." Damion told them, his expression still grim. "We cannot allow the witch to reach the temples with Leia."

"We may be able to help you." One of the twins told them suggestively.

"For the right price, of course." The second added with an identical expression.

"How
can you help us?" Damion asked warily.

"We know these lands better than anyone."

"And we know of a number of short cuts that could help you catch up with your quarry."

"Give us a moment, if you will." Damion led the others a few paces away. "What does everyone think?" He asked them in a quiet tone. "Do you think we can trust them
?"

"The Knights of Sarath are renowned warriors
," Damarius pointed out reasonably. "and once bought, they will continue to serve faithfully until their objective is complete, no matter how long it takes."

"If they can lead us to these short cuts they spoke of, we may actually stand a chance of catching up with Leia's abductors." Raven's expression was set. "I don't see how we have any other choice but to hire them."

Sly still looked reluctant. "Something doesn't seem quite right about those two. It's seems a bit of a lucky coincidence to find them waiting here at the side of the road with the very information that we need."

"I don't see that we have any other choice." Damion decided with a sigh, returning to where the twin warriors stood waiting. "Exactly how much are your services going to cost us?"

"A thousand gold pieces." The two men answered in unison.

"A thousand gold piece
s?" Sly choked, his face growing bright red. "That's outrageous! We could raise a small army for a thousand gold pieces!"

"The price has been set." One of the twins
replied, his voice taking on a religious overtone.

"The price must be paid." The second twin added in an identical
solemn tone.

"We can't afford to give you a thousand gold pieces." Damion told him, shaking his head firmly.

"How about a trade?" Raven asked suddenly, rummaging through in one of the pouches that hung from her belt. After a moment, she produced the small figurine Sly had given her weeks before. "This little trinket was carved from dragon bone, and is quite rare." She handed the small dragon carving to one of the twin warriors.

"This is an incredible piece!" The man exclaimed in wonder.

"And this dragon bone is unlike anything we have ever seen!" The second man added, his expression one of wonder.

"That single piece is worth at least three times what you asked for your services." Raven told them,
her expression shrewd. "That should be more than adequate payment."

The twins exchanged a long glance, then
simultaneously drew their swords and dropped to one knee, offering the weapons up to the young woman in a formal vow. "We are yours." They intoned in unison.

"Done, then!" Damarius seemed to approve of the arrangement. "I trust you will be able to help us avoid any problems that may crop up?"

"Fear not, wise one." The first twin assured him, rising to his feet and returning his sword to his sheath.

"There
are few who dare to challenge the Knights of Sarath." The second twin added, also rising to his feet.

"
So," Sly asked, still watching the twins warily. "do you two have names?"

"This is Sir Ja
rom of Sarath." The first twin gestured to the second.

"This is Sir Ja
com of Sarath." The second twin gestured to the first.

They both bowed gracefully to the companions in unison. "We are at your service." They spoke as one, an easy smile on their faces.

"This is Damion and his wife, Raven." Sly introduced the companions. "The old fellow there is Damarius. I'm Sly," He fixed the pair with a dangerous gaze. "and I'll be the man who kills you if you betray us."

"Let's get moving!" Raven snapped impatiently, returning to her horse
. "We can still put a few miles behind us before it gets too dark."

The twins quickly
gathered their belongings and extinguished their camp fire, then mounted their horses, and led the way down the well traveled road at a mile eating canter.

It was nearly midnight when they finally crested a hill
to see the lights of the enormous city of Sherish stretched out before them.

"Do you thin
k the witch passed through the city, or tried to bypass it to avoid being seen?" Damion asked the twin warriors, who stared down at the sprawling city with bright eyes.

"They almost certainly passed through town." One of the men answered, not taking his gaze from the twinkling lights below.

"It would have taken them far too long to go around." The second man explained, his eyes also locked on the city.

"Let's get moving then." Raven told them. "We can make it
into town if we hurry."

"That
is not possible." One of the twins told her, sliding down from his saddle, and leading his horse off of the road.

"The city guard
s seal the gates at dusk." The second twin explained, dismounting and joining his brother. "They will not open them again until dawn."

Raven sighed impatiently, the
n she and the others dismounted and began to set up camp.

They gathered around the fire a little later to enjoy a hearty
meal prepared from the supplies Sly acquired in Naquia, and took the opportunity to get to know their new companions.

"So, twins, huh?" Sly grunted, staring at the pair curiously. "How exactly are we supposed to tell you apart?"

"Easy." One of the men laughed in amusement. "I'm Jacom, the intelligent one."

"And I'm Jarom," The second man chuckled. "
the handsome one."

Everyone
laughed at that.

"What were you doing waiting beside the road back in
Naquia?" Damion inquired curiously.

"We
hire ourselves out as protection for merchants and travelers worried about being set upon by bandits." Jacom explained.

"We had just finished
escorting a wealthy merchant and his family from the Valley of the Oroni to Naquia." Jarom elaborated. "We decided to linger a while to try and find more work."

"Are there many Knights of Sarath?"

Both men frowned.

"Not as many as there once were." Jarom answered sadly.

"The life of a knight is one of hardship." Jacom's tone was regretful. "Few men nowadays have the makings of a true Knight of the Sarath."