The Darkslayer: Chaos at the Castle (Book 6) (14 page)

A magnificent woman with platinum hair had taken a seat by the fountain. The edgy man named Corrin stepped
to her side, eyeing them, guarding her. No one else moved or said a word.

***

Trinos found the group before her both interesting and colorful, bonded together for one reason or another. Like the rest of the men and women on Bish, they were survivors, but with something in common. All had been in contact in one way or another with the equalizer, a powerful force Trinos had put in place to keep the scales of good and evil in balance. Something that she had almost forgotten about. Something that whispered in the burst of hot air called The Darkslayer.

Gracefully, she walked over to Georgio and tussled the curly hair on his head.

“You seem disappointed, young man. Don’t you realize I just saved your life and the lives of your friends?” She gestured towards the rest of them. “I saved you from certain peril.” She folded her hands over her chest, waiting. “Well?”

No one moved.

The skinny man who’d complained about his hat was eyeing her with suspicion.

Billip wiped drool from his mouth
.

Corrin’s fingers twitched over the pommels of the daggers on his belt.

Even the girl with a penchant for talking was mute.

“Oh… I see
.” Trinos dipped her chin and waved her hand past her face.

Corrin sighed. “I hate it when she does that.”

Blinking their eyes and shaking their heads, the rest of the people took a closer study of her rich brown hair, sun browned skin, common though somewhat exquisite garb, and softer Bish-born features.

The question now was, would they still listen to her.

“As you can see, Bone, your home and my home, has been invaded by the underlings. There are now hundreds of them taking over the streets, and thousands more below and all around us…”

Melegal raised his nose at her.
“And who might you be, a Royal? A do-gooder mage from the castles coming here to what, help us?”

“Shut your vile tongue
!” Corrin edged between Melegal and Trinos.

“Or what, you saggy jawed bastard?”

“I’ll poke a dozen holes in you!”

Billip stepped between them
. “Corrin, stay yourself. Melegal’s not known for his manners.” He dipped his head at Trinos. “Please forgive him and continue, Trinos.”

“Forgive? Forgive what, you saw
ed off slackard!” Melegal said.

Billip grabbed Melegal’s sleeve.
“That’s it, Melegal. Everything was fine until you showed up. Show some respect for our friend over there, will you? She saved your life, you know.”

Melegal pulled his sleeve loose.
“Oh, pardon me, pretty lady with impossibly perfect teeth. Thank you for saving my life.” He bowed slightly. “Without my permission, I might add.”

“Fool!”
A blade appeared in Corrin’s hands.

Haze gathered herself alongside Melegal
, a long knife in her hand.

Words and expression
s the likes of which Trinos never experienced before came forth.

“Slat sucker!”

“Orcen whore!”

“
Sweat from an ogre crotch!”

“Your father bite
s the heads off chickens!

“Vomitus
Pisswiller!”

Trinos didn’t know whether to be amused or offended.
“Enough!” she said.

They kept arguing.
As if she wasn’t even there.

She put a little more power behind it.
“SILENCE!”

Everyone stopped and turned to face her.

“First, I am not a Royal. Second, I do command magic, much of it. Third, you don’t owe me any
‘Thank you’ that you don’t want to give. But, as surely as my suns rise and fall, you,” she pointed at Melegal, “would have perished without me.”

Nikkel stepped forward
. “Couldn’t you have saved us from that monster? Saved my father?” The young man’s eyes watered. “Where were you then, Trinos? One moment you were here, and then you left―and the underlings came!”

“Mind your tongue, Boy
.” Corrin said, “She doesn’t owe anyone here anything.”

But
Nikkel was right. She could have stopped it if she wanted. She couldn’t be there for everyone all the time, but in this case, she’d offered these people protection and then abandoned them, all just to see if she could let it happen. People were dying on Bish all the time. Some in the most horrible and violent of ways. Was that indeed how she wanted it? It was, wasn’t it?
How cruel. I wonder how Scorch is doing.

***

Melegal looked up into the bright lights of the sky.

‘
My suns’? What a loon! Very pretty. Even smells nice despite the decay, but I’ve got things to do.

As Trinos continued to enamor the crowd by the fountain, Melegal made his way into the shade behind the walls.

What in Bish is going on?

The last thing he remembered was fighting the imp. Ordering it to stop killing Haze, who now sat slack-jawed
by the fountain, hanging on Trinos’s every word.

She’s a scrappy one. I’ll give her that.

Alone with his thoughts
, he slid his back down along the wall and checked his pockets.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Excellent.

The imp wanted the
Keys for the underlings. The vile little monster was by far the most terrifying thing he’d ever faced. He wiggled his fingers and toes.

All there.

He took the hat
off and rubbed his head. It still ached, but wasn’t anything so sore as before he blacked out. And he’d been blinded too.

Slat. I’ve used it too much. Can I use
it again?

He placed it on his head.

We’ll see.

So much had happened over the past few days
, he didn’t know where to start. Rayal, what happened to her? She wanted him to find Tonio. Lorda wanted him to find Tonio. Lord Almen, he didn’t know if that man was still alive or dead. But what had Rayal said on the matter?

Nothing.
I can only assume Lord Almen is alive.

The image of the half-naked cleric emerged inside his mind.

Kill Sefron!

He’
d almost pulled it off once already in Castle Almen’s arena, but the cleric still lived. He rubbed his dart launchers on his wrists.

Perhaps it’s time I used poison.

Closing off the sights and sounds of the other people, Melegal closed his eyes and mediated.

Put it all together
, Melegal. What to do next?

The City of Bone was his home
. He had no intentions of leaving it again, underlings or not. He had no desire to fight those nasty little creatures or that imp, but they were coming for him.

Perhaps it’s time I slid out of here. I’m sure the City of Three would be nice.

Rayal wanted him to find Tonio.

Slat on that.

But she might be his only protection if Castle Almen came after him.

All Royals are the same.

He
fingered the Key that had taken him from the chamber below Almen’s study to the place he and Haze called home.

Now that’s power.

And where would all the other
Keys lead? What could they do?

I must know
.

He looked around the wall, watching the group still gathered around Trinos. Brak stood tallest of them all, thick arms folded over his chest. Melegal shook his head
, ducking back behind the wall.

Things were so much simpler with the big lout around. All I had to do was bail him out. O
f course, he’s probably the reason I’m in this mess to begin with. But with all the underlings, you’d think he’d be here in the thick of it.

Melegal contemplated many things
: Haze. Brak. Trinos. The Almens. Rayal. Mikkel. Quickster. Georgio. The imp and the underlings. Hours later, he concluded his thoughts. Out of all those people, only one promise came to mind.

Get on with it, Melegal. Kill Sefron. The Bone with everything else!

***

The detail was horrifying. Trinos, despite her elegance,
didn’t sugar coat what was going on in the world of Bish. Instead, she made it perfectly clear that everyone’s nightmare was coming to life. The underlings were taking over.

It was the least of his worries, however
. All Georgio wanted to do was find Venir.

“Georgio, where are you going?” Billip
took him by the nook of the elbow.

Georgio jerked his arm away
. “I’m going out. After my family. After Venir.”

“Me too
.” Brak stood behind Georgio.

Over the past hour, everyone had come clean
, thanks to Jubilee who’d blabbed to everybody about everything.

“This is Melegal’s sister, Haze,
wink, wink
, and droopy face over here is Venir’s son.”

Georgio, startled as he was by the statement, felt a connection. B
rak had disclosed how he’d come to the city to begin with and lost his mother, Vorla, in the process. The big man who turned out to be no older than him had asked Georgio questions about his father, which Georgio had been more than happy to answer.

Billip put his hands on his hips.
“And where exactly do you two fools plan on going?”

“South,” Brak said.

Georgio nodded.

“Did you not he
ar Trinos?” Billip motioned at the woman, who was busy assisting the wounded with Haze and Jubilee. “The south is covered with underlings. The west is too. You wouldn’t make it from here to the Red Clay Forest. If you’re smart, you’ll go north to The City of Three, Georgio. At least up there, Kam will look after you.”

Georgio scowled.
“I don’t need looking after, Billip.”

“Ah, you’re still mad at Lefty
, aren’t you? Why else would you not go there?”

“Lefty who?”

“Hah! ‘Lefty who’ my eyeballs. Sheesh, you haven’t been the same without him.” Billip thumbed through the feathered shafts in his quiver. “As for you, eh, Brak is it? Let me tell you something about your father. Venir, that is. He can take care of himself. And it might do you some good to go north and meet with your sister, or half-sister. Erin, that is. I’m sure Kam wouldn’t mind the help.”

“What?” Brak scrunch
ed up his face.

Georgio hit
Brak in the arm. “That’s right, you’ve got a little sister. Congratulations. Bone, Billip. How many urchins—”

Brak walloped in in the shoulder.

Georgio’s jaw dropped wide.

“Oooooooow!
I felt that!”

Brak glared at Georgio. His father
’s fire was in his eyes.

“I’m not an urchin
.”

“
Er … Sorry, Brak. But how many Venirs are scattered across Bish, do you think?” Georgio rubbed his arm and looked at Billip. “Are you a father too, Billip?”

“I don’t think that’s something we need to concern ourselves with now
, seeing how the entire city is coming down around us.” Billip rolled his shoulder. “Feels great. Strong. That woman Trinos did something to me. I feel ten years younger.” He grinned. “So, what will it be, boys? And make it quick, before the City Watch comes back with the Royals to recruit you.”

The City Watch, henchmen of the Royals, had made their demands known. Any able bodied man was to be drafted into the ranks to battle the underlings. They’d be given weapons, possibly armor
, and the great honor of defending their city.

Billip and Corrin laughed out loud.

“We’ll send the Royal soldiers back to get you,” one of the two Watchmen had warned. “And see to it you make it to the front of the ranks.”

It wasn’t a laughing matter. No one, formidable as they
might be, could overcome the Royals when they came for you. ‘Either fight the underlings, or fight the underlings and the Royals.’ Both Corrin and Billip had seemed torn, but after many minutes of heated deliberation, they had agreed that the Royals were still the lesser evil of the two. They had even spit on it.

“North or South, Nikkel?” Georgio asked. “Or are you staying?”

He shrugged and looked over at Billip.

“He’s sticking with me
, I guess.”

“What do you think, Brak?”

Jubilee jumped in. “He wants to go north, to the City of Three! Right, Brak?”

Slowly, he nodded his head.

“Aw, is everyone going?” Georgio whined.

Billip slung his bow over his shoulder.
“Before long, no one will be going anywhere, by what Trinos says. There’s enough underlings out there to surround this entire city. Georgio, get out now, while you can, else you might not ever be leaving.”