Sytravious: The Lost Warlock Of Moruz (The Oathbreaker Book 1) (15 page)

              She stepped back and knelt down at the edge of the pond as she tried to sort out her emotions.  Raiven slid her robe off her shoulders and onto the ground.  She looked at his reflection in the water.  Even through the rippling pond, she could see his crystalline eyes focused on her every move until he sat next to her.

              “Are you okay, Raiven?”

              She could barely hear him over the steady pulsation in her ears.  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him shifting closer to her.  Goosebumps rose on her skin when he placed his hand on her bare shoulder.  She shut her eyes and parted her lips.  Her modesty was replaced with longing while Sytravious moved his hand along her side until he reached the curve of her hip. 

              Raiven’s breaths became rapid when she felt his fingers trail up and down her thigh.  She could no longer sit still, and closed the space between them with another kiss.  The warmth of his lips was soothing to her.  Without parting, he guided her backwards until they both were laying in the grass, intertwined with each other.  Sytravious proceeded to place a line of delicate kisses along her jaw.  A euphoria overwhelmed her because she had never done anything of this sort before.  She was bursting with lust and desire as she clutched a handful of his hair and whispered his name.

              “Raiven!”  Veinken shrieked in alarm.  “What is the meaning of this?”

Chapter 14

Moruz Awakens

            
 
B
eing the Supreme Warlock of the Thirteenth Legion was not an easy job, but Saliz was proud to serve under Lord Fheng.  He walked at a brisk pace through the sheets of pouring rain and his personal guard followed close behind.  Grunts and yelps broke through the metallic cadence of the soldier’s armored boots.
 
He stopped at the entrance to the palace and looked back, his red eyes focused on the captive

              “Can you manage to quiet him down already?”

In response to his request, one of the soldiers yanked on the chains around the prisoner’s wrists.  Barnabus fell to his knees on the mud-covered floor.  “Please have mercy, do not kill me!  I do not want to die!” he sobbed. 

“Then it would be wise to shut your damn mouth, you blubbering fool.  If Lord Fheng hears you crying like the weakling you are, he will not even take the time to listen to anything you have to say, he
will
kill you without a second thought,” Saliz informed him.

The grubby man got up, stifling his sobs.  After eyeing Barnabus with disgust, the warlock snapped his fingers and the group proceeded into the palace.  He walked through the familiar dark corridors towards the dining hall, where Fheng would likely be eating supper.  As he approached the row of sentries that blocked the entrance, Rhabone, stepped out in front of them.  He was the Weapons Master and Commander of the Guard.

“Halt!  Identify yourself,” he ordered.

Saliz scoffed at him and pulled back the hood of his cloak to reveal his unmistakable albino skin and hair, which the guard automatically recognized. 

“Sir, I cannot let you in.”

“Step aside Rhabone.  I come bearing news of great importance.  Lord Fheng will want to hear this right away.”

“Sir, our master does not want to be disturbed during his meal.  If I allow you through, he will be livid.”

“You are right.  He
will
be livid when he finds out you prevented me from giving him this information.  Do you think I would be standing here with this lot if it was not important?”  He gestured to the soldiers behind him. 

Rhabone paused to consider what the warlock was telling him, before instructing his men to let Saliz pass.  The old door creaked when the guards opened it, and the aroma of fresh meat stew wafted out into the corridor.  Saliz marched them into the dining hall.  Candles lit the extravagant chandeliers that hung from the high ceilings.  The long feasting tables that filled the room created an aisle leading to an ornate throne, where Lord Fheng sat.  The closer they got to the throne, the better he could see the mighty leader, flanked by topless women who were feeding and massaging him. 

Their footsteps clicked on the marble floors, drawing in Fheng’s attention, and before they could reach him, he bellowed, “Did I not say I wanted to be left in peace during my meal?”  Saliz and his men fell to their knees and bowed their heads.

“Forgive me, my lord.  I would not disturb you if it were not imperative.  Please allow me to explain.”

A long stretch of silence filled the hall.  Saliz clenched his jaw when he heard Barnabus sniveling behind him, and began to believe bringing him here was a mistake.

“You may approach, but pray to Oblis that whatever you are going to tell me is worthy of barging in against my orders.”

“Thank you, my lord.”  Saliz stood and motioned for his men to bring the merchant forward.  “Who you see before you is a man who has come from Havencrest, telling a tale of a former soldier you may remember, Jamison.”

“
This
is what you came to notify me about?”  Enraged, he threw his chalice to the floor, which splashed wine in front of them.  “You dare insult me with the name of a coward whom I have banished from this kingdom?  Why would I be interested in anything that had to do with him?”

“My lord, please listen to the story for yourself,” Saliz urged.  He dragged the man forward, and then kicked him in the back, causing Barnabus to plunge to the floor at the foot of the throne.  “Tell Lord Fheng what you told me.  Now!”

The merchant cried out in pain.  “I…I will, sir.  Just please do not kill me.”

Saliz’ red eyes widened with animosity.  “Now,” he growled.

“Yes, okay, alright.”  Barnabus nodded incessantly as if trying to convince himself to proceed.  “One night in Havencrest, the one you call Jamison came to me with a plan.  He said he would need my help to collect a bounty.  Seeing I was skeptical about what he was saying, he showed me the brand of the First Legion on his arm and explained how he had been stuck in the city.”

“He said he was traveling with a group of legionnaires.  They were in the woods trying to capture this witch, but she had the help of two men, and the trio killed every one of the soldiers right before his eyes.  However, Jamison fled before they could get to him, which is how he managed to live to tell the tale.”

Fheng mumbled, “See, a coward.”

Barnabus continued, “A few days after we agreed to work together, he was found dead in a back alley in the slums of Havencrest.  Therefore, I knew it was up to me to get the news to Moruz as he had advised.  When I arrived to retrieve the reward, I was met with these chains and manacles in response to my account of the events that took place.”  He shook his head to express his disapproval and said, “I was dragged through the streets like a savage.”

“Oh shut up, no one here will pity you,” Saliz spat.

Fheng narrowed his eyes and inquired, “And what in the world is so crucial about that?”

“Oh, I forgot the most important part!”  Barnabus exclaimed.  “He told me the witch’s name was Nyxseous VanDrake.”

The color drained from Fheng’s face at the mention of the name.  He leaned forward and sat at the edge of the throne.  His voice was low and menacing when he asked, “What did you just say?” 

              Sweat dripped from Barnabus’ forehead and he began trembling.  “He told me the witch’s name was…uh, Nyxseous VanDrake.”

              Fheng got up and paced back and forth several times.  He stopped to turn to Saliz and say, “Bring him here.”

              The merchant threw himself to floor, screaming.  “No, please!  Do not kill me!”

              The soldiers grabbed him off the floor and stood him up.  Saliz got within a few inches of his face, an evil sneer spread across his lips and he whispered, “I told you no one pities you.”

              “Relax, my foreign friend.  You tremble in my presence, and rightfully so.”  Fheng chuckled and looked around at his servants, who all fearfully nodded in affirmation.  “But I will not harm you today.” 

              Both Saliz’ and Barnabus’ mouths dropped open in disbelief.  Fheng pointed at two of the women who sat next to his throne. 

              “You and you, go bring food and wine for our guest.”  He took his seat at the head of the table.  “Saliz, what are you waiting for?  I said to bring him here.  Unchain him and let him sit at the table.”  Annoyance laced his words. 

              “Yes, my lord.”  The pale warlock scowled as his soldiers released Barnabus and showed him to the table.

              “Come, sit.”  Fheng motioned to the seat next to him.  The frightened man complied.  The servant girls set the wine and supper in front of them.  “These are your women now,” he said to Barnabus.  The women began to massage the still frightened merchant, who smiled while glancing from side to side between the lord and the girls

              “If your tale rings true, you will enjoy rewards greater than any bounty that was promised to you.  Never again will you want for anything.”  Fheng used his hands to shove some food into his mouth while he spoke.  “But if your tale proves to be false, every day thereafter, for the rest of your life, you will be subjected to torture so horrific that you will beg for death.”  He radiated evilness as he laughed at the idea.  “Let us not worry about right now though.”

              "I will not let you down, sir,” the merchant murmured.

              Fheng waved his hand to shoo the group that had brought Barnabus.  “You and your men are dismissed, Saliz.  We shall speak later.”

The warlock spun on his heels and led his soldiers out of the hall.  He would now have to wait, uncertain of what would come of the situation.

              The night had passed without a summons from Lord Fheng, but the public display from the day before had caused quite a stir in Nocturna Pass.  Dragging the eastern foreigner through the streets had created quite a buzz among the locals, so much so that the next morning while Saliz ambled through the city he heard all sorts of speculations stirring; little did they know the truth behind the incident.  In the market, he was examining some herbs that were for sale, when a young guard came running at him from down the way.  He came to a halt in front of him.

              “Sir!  Sir!  Lord Fheng requests your presence in his chambers, immediately,” he said through gasps of breath.

              He put the herbs down and made his way back to the palace, back into Rhabone’s presence.  “He called for me,” Saliz stated before the commander could even open his mouth.

              Rhabone pushed the chambers doors open and allowed him to go through. 

              “My lord?” the warlock called out.

              He heard groaning coming from the balcony and followed the sounds, only to find Fheng leaning back against the stone railing while a servant girl knelt down, pleasuring him with her mouth.

              “Saliz, you have come across vital information in that man you apprehended.  If what he said was true, we must track Nyxseous down and extinguish her from this world forever.  Once that is taken care of, I will have secured the rule over my kingdom.”

              Saliz walked up to the edge of the terrace and nodded, showing Fheng he understood what needed to be done.  “My lord, how do you suppose she survived the fall?” he asked while staring down at the long flight of stairs beneath them.  It had to be at least a sixty-foot drop.  “Her wretched magic, no doubt,” he answered his own question.

              “With or without magic, should have died that night, Saliz.”

              The girl’s bobbing head between Fheng’s legs briefly distracted the warlock.  “Pardon, my lord?”

              “Nyxseous!  She should be dead.  I saw her fall to her demise.”

              “Do not feel bad, perhaps the fall is not as lethal as it seems.  I would imagine someone weaker could have survived.”

                After seeming to reflect on the suggestion, Fheng seized the servant girl by the neck and hurled her over the balcony.  She screamed in horror the entire way down, until she smashed into the steps.  In an instant, a pool of blood formed under the woman’s head and her lifeless eyes remained open, staring up at them. 

              Fheng glowered at him and balled his fists.  “Now look, I have wasted good talent testing your foolish conjecture!”  Then without a second glance at her body, the callous Lord strode inside and sat at his desk.

              Unaffected by the display of ruthless behavior, he followed behind.  “My apologies, my lord.”

              Giving the impression that he had already forgotten the girl he just murdered, Fheng returned to the subject at hand.  “The witch must be dealt with, Saliz.  You are going to pick the best soldiers to join you in accomplishing this mission.  You will have to enter the enemy lands with stealth because the last thing I need right now is an outright war with Valcrest.  Then of course, find and kill her, so that I may live in peace.”

              “My lord, I will complete this task or---”

              “You are damn right you will.  I already let you live when you let her slip through your fingers the first time.  If it happens again, well…” he snickered and shook his head.

              “It will not happen again,” he retorted with anger in his voice. 

              Saliz felt his pride getting the best of him, but he hated being reminded that he was to blame for Nyxseous’ escape.  Fheng stared at him for a long time.

              “My lord,” he said while forcing a calmer demeanor, “I only mean that you have my word, it will not happen again because me and my finest men will alleviate you of the pest, Nyxseous.”

              “I see the topic is still hard for you to discuss, but it is a matter that concerns me.  I have not forgotten that she managed to best you, one of the most powerful warlocks in Moruz, with a seduction charm.  It was something so simple, yet disarming for any man.”

              Saliz could feel his cheeks redden with embarrassment while Fheng continued to explain.  “So, it would be foolish of me to trust a group of men to get the job done on their own.  You will need to bring Saycerach with you too.  Her aid will only benefit you, as you will need the cunning mind of a woman to outthink Nyxseous.”