The Jewel of Kamara (The Delthenon Chronicles) (42 page)

“I
know what I’m about to say may fall on deaf ears, but I need to say it. There
is one fight that is mine and mine alone. I will not allow either of you to get
in my way. You may come with me, but you will not fight it for me.”

Zadi
raised her chin, her eyes meeting Tempani’s. “If someone is a threat to you, I
will kill them. As is my duty.
Rando’s
too,” she said
after a moment’s thought.

“My
orders come from your father. I protect you until my last breath. Issue any
order you want and most of the time I will follow, but if I think for even a
second that your life is in danger I step in. Simple as that,” he said.

She
looked at the two who had pledged their lives to her, and she frowned. Escaping
their watchful gaze would be tricky, but she would do it. If only to save their
lives. But they didn’t need to know that.

“Fine,”
she said briskly. “You may go and rest before we set out.”

She
turned to Otto. “You certainly knew what you were doing with those two.”

“You
deserve the best.” He kissed the top of her head. “I have fighters waiting in
the city. Once we attack, they will join the battle,” he said. “I best go say
my goodbyes. Darby may turn into a blubbering mess.”

She
smiled at him. Here was the man she remembered and loved. She stood on her toes
and wrapped her arms around him. “I love you, papa.”

“I
love you, too,” he whispered. “And I am so proud of you. More than you could
ever know.”

When
he left she finally turned to her husband and sighed. “Did I make the right
choice?”

He
shook his head and pulled her into his arms. “Who is to say?”

“I
wanted to be Shiasa. I wanted to lead this rebellion. But now all I have in my
mind is doubt. I am sending my people off to an unknown fate. It is terrifying.”

“The
fact that you care is already a step in the right direction. We will get
through this together. Just like we will anything else that comes our way.”

“I
wish I could convince you to stay behind here. At least you would be one person
I could keep safe.”

“I
would just disobey you and follow anyway,” he said. “Anywhere you go, I go.”

“Then
please try and not get yourself killed. I like having you around.”

He
laughed. “As long as you’re with me, I’m not going anywhere.”

She
kissed him slowly, enjoying the taste of him on her lips.

“There’s
no point asking you not to fight is there?” Her expression made him smile. “I
thought so, but I had to try.”

She
kissed him once more and then ushered him out as her squadron leaders appeared.
One by one they filed in. Chae, Nika,
Reeta
, Bhatia
and Keane. Madoc followed them in and stood beside Tempani.

“The
five of you, with your commander, will lead this with me. As discussed, when we
reach the outskirts of the city, we split. There are six roads leading into the
city. Chae, Keane and Nika will take the east and west roads.
Reeta
, Madoc and myself will attack from the south.
Bhatia’s team will be split between all of us. Kill anyone in a King’s Guard
uniform that stands in your way. If they surrender, tie them up securely and
move on. The palace will be their last stand. We will meet out the front and
take it together.”

They
nodded in agreement.

“But,
know this. Hallam and Ricton are mine. Their blood will be on my hands alone. Do
not stand in my way and do not allow any of your people to interfere. Is that
clear?”

She
glared at them until they nodded.

“Good.
Aidis
is working on bringing down the enchantments
that protect the city. When they fall, we can’t be sure of what creatures may
swarm on it, but I ask that none be killed unless you are attacked. Dahlia and
her team will be on hand to aid the injured.”

She
paused and looked at the group that would help lead this fight. Kalaowin and
Kamari. Noble and common born. Man and woman.

“May
the God and Goddess watch over you,” she said, her eyes misting over before she
quickly blinked them away. “We’ll meet again at nightfall.” She turned on her
heel and marched out of the tent.

There
was so much more she wanted to say to them. That she was proud of them. Proud
to know them. To call them friends. But the words had been lost on her tongue.
For some reason it felt wrong. Like she was bidding them farewell. But deep
down she knew that was exactly what she was doing. She knew the likelihood of
her surviving wasn’t great. That the fight with Hallam and Ricton would
probably be the last thing she ever did but for her that would be all right. As
long as they were dead and the kingdom could live in peace then she would be
fine with that. Nic would lead them, and she would go to
Tritus
knowing that he would make a great king.

She
straightened her shoulders and moved quickly through the crowd of fighters. She
had one more person to see. Just in case.

Teddy
had not moved from his bed since it had happened. She wondered if he would have
even hung on this long if they hadn’t forced him to fight for his life. She
knew the answer to that. She bit her lip and swallowed the lump in her throat.

She
sat on the bed beside him and took his hand. “We’re leaving tonight,” she
started. “We’ll strike the city at dawn the day after next and end this once
and for all.”

He
turned away from her. Had she really expected any different? He wasn’t exactly
going to cheer up the moment she said they were going to fight.

She
leant over and kissed his forehead. “Your brother and I love you dearly. We
will come back for you.”

Tempani
sighed sadly and glanced one last time at the boy she had grown up with. He was
still in there. And if she got through this, she would do everything in her
power to bring him back.

As
she left his tent, she was confronted by a large shadow.

“What
are you doing here?”

“I
come to offer my services.” The blonde centaur from the mountain nodded his
head.

“The
city is enchanted,” she explained. “You can’t come with us.”

Aidis
landed beside them. She had stayed clear of
the camp until now and her presence startled the commoners who had always
believed dragons to be a myth.

I am working on the enchantments. The edges of it are weak so they are
easy, but closer to the city they are strong.

“My
herd will wait for it to fall, and when it does we will fight,” he said. “Your
kings have kept us locked out for too long while inside their enchantments they
keep my kind trapped in cells, training them for their own purposes.”

“How
do you know?”

“Not
all humans are evil. Some have shown us kindness because half of us is made of
them. You are saving not just human lives but ours too. But know that not all
beasts have a kind soul. If they attack, you fight back. That lesson you know
well.”

“I
will see you on the other side.” She raised her eyebrow, waiting for him to
divulge his name.

“
Elik
,” he said proudly.

She
nodded and shook his hand.

I will see you when the enchantments are broken.
Aidis
took to the sky once more.

As
night fell she collected Mincha rein’s from
Alvara
and kissed
Tilaw’s
head as
Alvara
promised to keep him safe. She glared at him as he tried to follow.
At least
let me keep you safe.
He licked her hand and then dropped his head and
skulked back to
Alvara
.

She
walked Mincha along the rows of her fighters, and her heart swelled as they
looked at her with trust and respect in their eyes. They were ready for this.
The Kamaris were dressed for battle in their tattered shirts and breeches. Otto
had been collecting weapons and
armor
for this over
the years. The Kalaowin men wore their breeches, their upper bodies and faces
covered in their tribal war paint. The women were dressed similarly with breast
bands to cover their chests.

Tempani
reached the front and exchanged a small smile with Nic. The two of them had
remained true to their Kamari people and were dressed as they were but had
painted their faces as a Kalaowin would.

 She
turned her horse around so she faced her people. She clutched at the jewel that
hung around her neck and sent a silent prayer to her Goddess asking for
strength and wisdom.

“Now,
we fight,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t waver. “We, who have all suffered at
the hands of an unjust rule. United we will stand against a common enemy and
fight for freedom for all people. White and copper skinned, rich and poor, male
and female. We deserve better, and we will fight for better. We will take a
stand against an evil that befouled our purest souls and took lives that were
not ready to depart this world. We fight for peace!”

A
roar ripped through the group as Tempani turned Mincha around and kicked her
into a gallop. They rode hard and fast, covering as much ground as they could
before they settled for the night.

—

The
city was ablaze. The dawn sky covered by thick smoke as all around homes and
shops burned. Mincha moved slowly as they picked their way through the street.
It was eerily quiet.  Unsettling. Tempani’s eyes worked overtime as she
scanned the street. Her ears alert for any noise. She heard it too late. Arrows
rained down on them as all around her people fell from their saddles.

“Take
cover!” She screamed as Zadi pulled her from her saddle, and they ran towards
the closest shop.

They’d
known they were coming. She cursed loudly and then sent a silent prayer to the
God and Goddess to keep her people safe. She heard their cries as arrows were
embedded into their exposed bodies.

She
heard the pounding of hooves outside, and she knew the King’s Guard had
arrived. It was now or never. The arrows still flew, but if they stayed hidden,
they’d be slaughtered by the approaching Guard. They had to fight. She broke
free from Zadi’s grip and let out a blood-curdling Kalaowin war-cry, and with
her sword raised she ran outside to meet the enemy.

Her
first kill was clean. He fell where he stood, mouth agape as she pierced his
heart. Beside her Rando battled with two soldiers, the older man more than a
match for them as he killed them swiftly.

There
were cries as a swarm of common born men and women joined the fight, their
weapons ranging from swords to daggers to knives to planks of wood embedded
with nails.

They
pushed on, their swords flashing as they struck anyone in a Guard’s uniform. In
the distance she heard the gongs from the palace
signaling
that the city was under attack.

Ahead
there was a group of five Guards, their swords poised to come down on a group
of her fighters. She blasted them from their saddles, and they became easy
prey.

“Save
your magic for Ricton,” Bhatia hissed as she ran over and sent a fireball
towards the soldier bearing down on Zadi. “You’ll need it.”

She
nodded and gripped her sword, ignoring the desire to use her Power. Bhatia was
right. She would need all of her magic to take him on.

Zadi
and Rando stuck close to her as all around them people fought. People died. She
tried to stay focused on the task at hand and not allow her emotions to set in,
but the struggle within herself was almost as fierce as the one that raged
around her.

—

Chae,
Nic and their group were met with a barrage of soldiers. The rebels had the
advantage as they were on horseback, but with the overwhelming number of enemy
fighters, that wouldn’t last long.

Chae
cut his way through them. His sword meeting flesh on each swing. But they kept
coming. He grappled for his axe and brought it down on a man’s head, cracking
his skull.

He
gripped his reins in one hand as someone tried to dislodge him from his saddle,
and he tried to fight them off with his sword but it was pointless. He fell to
the ground with a thud. When he got to his feet he found himself facing a
fellow knight of the realm.

Chae’s
sword met Sir Lyle’s squarely, and he buckled
under the weight as Lyle forced him back. He had always respected the older
knight’s skills and had never expected his first battle with him to be in a
war. It wasn’t that long ago that they had been on the same side.

Beside
him, Nic fought against three members of the Guard, who clearly felt no guilt
at trying to kill the man they once fought for.

Chae
gritted his teeth and brought his sword up, pushing against Lyle and slicing
open a gash on the man’s thigh. He grunted as he brought his leg under Lyle’s
and dumped him on the ground.
Chae’s
sword snaked up
to the man’s throat. He hesitated. Only for a moment but a moment was all it
took. Lyle pushed
Chae’s
sword aside and clambered to
his feet. He swung his blade and cut across the back of
Chae’s
knees. He screamed out as he fell to the ground, and Lyle drove his sword deep
into his back.