The Path of the Storm (50 page)

"Is this ship commanded by the Buchalanti?" Commodore Deniz asked.

"You know who they are?" Amber said.

"Legend says the Buchalanti saved us in the past, taking us on a great voyage away from a terrible war. Without our saviours, we would never have settled Veldria, nor any of the lands in the north."

"This is your people's first experience of lore, Commodore," Miro said. "I'm glad this is how you're seeing it."

Runes covered the ship, matrices of arcane symbols lit up with vivid colours flickering from hue to hue. Miro saw a broad-shouldered figure standing astride on the deck, his mouth opened wide as he chanted. The sonorous voice of Sailmaster Scherlic was carried over to them on the cool sea breeze.

"Reef sails!" Commodore Deniz turned and called, striding on the deck to take command of his vessel. "They're going to come alongside us!"

It took some time for the warship to slow. The
Infinity
tacked back and forth, each movement bringing her closer to the
Seekrieger
.

The sailors of Raj Buchalantas swarmed on the rigging and Miro could now make out their individual faces. Then Amber grabbed Miro's arm so hard he jumped. "Look," she pointed. "Look!"

A woman stood beside Sailmaster Scherlic on the bridge, one hand holding the mast, the other waving to grab their attention. She wore a green dress and her pale golden hair blew in the wind.

Ella smiled broadly, releasing the mast and waving with both arms. Miro and Amber exchanged glances, both grinning and waving in return.

Both vessels gradually slowed until they were alongside each other with twenty paces between them, decks rising and falling as they were tossed in the waves.

"We've been looking for you for a long time!" Ella called.

Miro felt Amber's hand slip inside his, and he squeezed it tightly. They were all smiling.

"We had some trouble along the way!" Miro called.

"I'll bet that's an understatement!"

"Friends of yours?" Commodore Deniz's voice came from behind Miro.

"My sister," Miro said, still grinning.

"Miro, that ship is the fastest thing I've seen on the water. You'll need to prepare the way for my people. We know the way, and I'll make sure we get there. We'll put down a boat to take you across. Go."

"We're coming aboard your ship!" Amber cried.

"I'll see if we have room!" Ella called, grinning. "You can have the Sailmaster's cabin!"

Miro shook Commodore Deniz's hand. "You have my word we'll be ready for your arrival, Commodore."

"Thank you, Miro."

Miro took Amber's hand and together they quickly gathered their few possessions. They followed one of Deniz's men to the side of the ship, where a ladder led down to the waiting longboat.

The sea was as calm as it ever was out here in open water, and entering the boat was difficult, but with a push against the side of the
Seekrieger
they were away.

Miro and Amber reached the
Infinity
with Scherlic gazing down at them from above and Ella looking on and grinning.

"Permission to come aboard?" Miro called up to Scherlic.

"Permission granted," the Sailmaster said, as sober-faced as ever.

"You first," Miro said to Amber.

Miro held the longboat fast to the ladder as Amber began to climb.

He looked over at the
Seekrieger
, and in the distance saw the other Veldrin vessels drawing near.

Boarding the
Infinity
gave Miro a greater sense of pleasure than he could have imagined, but still, the greatest pleasure came from seeing Ella again after so long, safe and well.

Soon, they would be home.

60

T
HE
Infinity
turned and headed swiftly east, as fast as she could travel, soon leaving the Veldrin fleet behind. In under a week she would be docking at the port in Castlemere.

Ella, Miro and Amber spent their time standing at the ship's rail, feeling the wind of her passage strong in their faces and talking.

"I have so much news, I don't know where to start," Ella said.

"Ella," Amber interrupted, "have you been through Sarostar? Please, is Tomas still alive?"

"I'm sorry," Ella said. "I took a ship from Seranthia to Castlemere, and then I found Sailmaster Scherlic and made him help me look for you. The last time I was in Altura I was with you."

"Oh," Amber said. She bowed her head.

"I did discover one thing, though. Miro, they need you back in Altura. They're all desperate for you to return. I have some bad news.

"Tell me," Miro said.

"Rorelan's dead. The decision was unanimous, they barely discussed it. You're now High Lord of Altura."

Amber lifted her head to look at her husband. "High Lord?"

"Poor man," said Miro. "He was brave, Rorelan, in his own way. I don't know if we could have won the war without him."

Ella turned to Amber. "It'll sink in," she said, tilting her head in Miro's direction.

"They didn't mention Tomas?"

"I'm sorry. We'll only know when we get back to Altura. There's more news."

"What else?" Miro asked.

"There's a new Emperor."

"What?" Miro exclaimed, shock crossing his face. He suddenly scowled. "Surely not one of the Tingaran commanders who…"

"It's Killian, although I'm not sure how happy he is about it."

Ella told them the story of Killian's ancestry. "Lord Aidan's revelation of how Xenovere had killed the Halrana High Lord's daughter led to the Western Rebellion. He and his wife were both convicted of treason. Lord Aidan was hanged while Lady Alise, Killian's mother, was exiled. Killian grew up in Salvation with no idea of who his parents were."

"You brought him back through the portal? How?"

"I found a way to cross to Shar, the world where Killian was trapped. While he was there he learned to use his powers. You wouldn't believe it, the things he can do…"

"I can believe it," said Miro grimly.

Between Miro and Amber, with halting words and haunted eyes, they told Ella about their quest, and the terrible things they had seen.

Ella felt dread well up within her as she listened.

"How long do we have?" she finally asked.

"Several months? A year? There's no way of knowing," her brother said.

"How did you leave things with Killian?" Amber asked, evidently leaving the question open for Ella to answer as she wanted.

"I only saw him briefly before I came to find you. The common people worship him, and he doesn't know how to take it. Even Bastian, a troublemaker, is behind him. The proclamation has been sent to all corners of the Empire. There's a new Emperor, and the nine-pointed star now flies from every building in Tingara and beyond. Killian's asked that the name be changed to the Empire of Merralya. I think Rogan approves. Between Rogan and Lady Alise, they'll help him become accustomed to rule. He still can't believe he has a mother, and a home, and a people."

"The Empire will need strong leadership," Miro said, "if we're to survive the coming storm. Altura stands directly in the enemy's path, but we can't stand alone. We'll need bladesingers and enchanters, but we'll also need the strength of all the houses combined. We'll need Veznan nightshades and Petryan elementalists, Tingaran avengers and Halrana constructs. We can't let what happened to the land across the sea happen to our homeland."

"I saw what they did to Shar," Ella said. "They destroyed that world, and it's now a place of nightmare. The Lord of the Night will do anything to aid his brothers' return. He'll stop at nothing."

"And we have to do everything we can to prevent him," said Miro.

"Ella," Amber said, "I want to give you this."

She held out a leather-bound volume. Splatters of blood spotted the spine and the cover.

"The man who gave it to me was one of the Guild's masters. He knew all their secrets. He said in this book's pages is the cure for my son's poisoning. The poison is something called arsenic. Do you think you can search this book and find the cure?"

"I'll do everything in my power to help you," Ella promised, taking the book. "I'll study it on the way back to Sarostar, every moment I get."

"Has Evrin Evenstar finished building the machines?" Miro asked.

"No, he hasn't. When I depart Altura, it will be to go to Mornhaven to see if I can help."

"I don't understand. Without a great amount of essence, how did you open the portal?"

"I used the power of three Lexicons."

"But how did you get them to the chamber inside the Sentinel?"

"Well…" Ella smiled. "I asked Bartolo, Jehral and Shani to request them from their respective loremasters. They met me with the Lexicons and we were able to open the portal. Only later did I discover…"

"What?" Amber asked.

"They didn't request them. They knew they would never get permission. All three of them stole them."

61

C
HIMING
music tinkled in the air, carried across from district to district upon the tumbling waters of the Sarsen. The nine bridges of Sarostar thronged with people, all dressed in their finery. Men and women held hands, while children skipped and played on the streets. There was a mood of celebration in the air.

This time they weren't gathered for a wedding, it was a coronation. This time nothing would go wrong.

The fountains outside the Crystal Palace shot up into the sky, splashing back to the stone before rising up again. Lords and dignitaries crowded the riverbank close to the palace, each holding a glass and smiling as they chatted quietly. The musicians ended a tune, to be met with applause, before moving onto the next uplifting score.

The rulers of all the nine houses — even Vezna — had journeyed to Sarostar from across the Empire. None would miss being present to see Miro Torresante become High Lord of Altura, as his father Serosa had been long ago.

This was a time of coronations, and with the new leaders came new hope. After Miro's inauguration they would travel together to Seranthia to witness the crowning of a new Emperor. The journey would give them an opportunity to talk, and to prepare. The Empire was whole, and they had much to discuss.

From the heights of the Crystal Palace two great banners fluttered in the late summer breeze. The first banner was green, and bore a sword and flower, the emblem of Altura. Above it, in pride of place, a second banner of black silk overlooked the people below. In its centre the black banner bore a nine-pointed star, with each point coloured a different shade.

Red for House Petrya: the colour of rust-coloured earth and fire.

Blue for House Loua Louna: the shade of the artificers.

Purple for House Tingara: always the Emperor's colour.

Yellow for House Hazara: the colour of the desert.

Brown for House Halaran: the hue of the tilled earth.

Pink for House Buchalantas: those people born on the sunlit sea.

Tan for House Torakon: the colour of sand and stone.

Orange for House Vezna: the shapers of nature.

Green for House Altura: the emerald shade of the enchanters.

Many were those who looked up at the black banner and felt the hope of a new day stir in their hearts. They waited expectantly for the man they had come here to see, Miro Torresante. Where was he? Many looked around, but neither his wife nor his sister could be seen either.

Everything was ready. Miro would emerge from the Crystal Palace in the high-collared robe of his new office, and his retinue of Alturan lords would fall into procession behind him. He would lead them through the streets of Sarostar, giving the people of Altura a chance to see their new ruler up close, before returning to the Crystal Palace to be acknowledged by the visiting dignitaries.

The Alturan lords shifted and stirred as they hovered to either side of the wide marble palace steps. The great timepiece on the face of the Green Tower began to peal, far off at the Academy of Enchanters. The moment was upon them.

Where was he?

~

E
VERYTHING
about the room was white, from the gentle glow emanating from the crystal walls to the linen on the bed.

Amber knelt beside her son's unconscious form, her head bowed as if in supplication. She finally looked up. "Should we give him another spoonful? Where's the bottle?"

Ella came over to stand beside her friend. "No. I know it's been a week, but give him time. The counteragent needs to bind to the poison so that it can be expelled with his bodily wastes."

"How can you be sure?"

"Please, Amber. I know it's hard, but trust me."

Amber leaned forward to stroke Tomas's cheek. "Please, come back to me."

Sensing movement behind her, Ella turned.

Miro stood by the door in a long robe of green silk, the fabric woven with protective runes. An incredibly high collar framed his head, stiff and striking. With his sharp features, dark hair, and the scar that ran from under his eye to his jaw line, he looked imposing and intimidating, regal and commanding, all at the same time.

A bell began to peal. Knowing Miro should now be exiting the palace, Ella still said nothing.

The burn marks on the child's legs had healed. The poison was another matter.

"Anything?" Miro said. "Scratch it, we tried so hard!"

"Shh," Ella hushed. "We still don't know anything. Be patient. Layla said he's been rebuilding his strength since we gave him the counteragent."

"Why won't he wake up?"

Amber continued to stroke her son's skin, pulling the hair back from his forehead. "He looks so still."

Miro came over to stand behind his wife, resting his hands on her shoulders.

Ella thought about everything that had happened to her brother and her childhood friend. They'd finally had the wedding they had always wanted, and it had ended in disaster. They'd travelled halfway across the world to find the cure their son needed, and it had displayed no apparent effect.