The Vitalis Chronicles: Steps of Krakador (26 page)

The expression puzzled Hevetican, but Ardin's puzzlement was greater at the realization of who the man walking towards him was. “Shill?”

“
You can see me that well in the dark?” Shill laughed. “I'm impressed, boy.”

“
Who's this then?” Donovan asked Ardin as the two men joined them on the beach.

“
Shill, the master of the Renault's royal bodyguard. He saved me from one of their own who tried to murder me not long ago. I hadn't seen him since then; I figured he must have been killed.”

“
Well met.” Donovan put out his massive hand and shook Shill's so vigorously that Ardin wondered if the old Islendan might break. “You fought with us in Albentine, didn't ya?”

“
Yes,” Shill said as he unconsciously rubbed the blood back into his hand. “Just a boy myself then.”

“
As were we all,” Donovan grinned. “We grew up quick, though.”

“
Ardin.” Shill turned to face him with a renewed intensity. “I want to go with you. I know you'll be staying, and I need to get back to the Renaults.”

Ardin could feel Hevetican's hand on his arm, squeezing lightly but urgently as he tried to focus on Shill. “Of course, but I thought you were wounded.”

“
I am,” Shill said. “But not so much that I can't make one last journey. Take me with you.”

“
Ardin, no.” Hevetican was whispering to him now.

Ardin ignored Hevetican. He needed to head north; there was no sense in staying here any longer. “I won't be traveling slowly, Shill. In fact, I doubt you'll be able to keep up at all.”

“
All I need is a horse. I'll keep up fine from the saddle.”

“
I haven't seen a horse in weeks, Shill,” Ardin said grimly. “This place is practically barren.”

“
I think I can help with that,” Donovan said. “One of the ships was carryin' a load o' horses to Brenton before we were barred from the ports. We were gonna let them out on land here in any case, better than havin' 'em starve in the hull of a ship. They should suit yer needs just fine.”

“
Excellent.” Shill grinned at the offer. “We can set off as soon as they're unloaded then.”

“
I'll get them right to it,” Donovan said.

Ardin nodded his consent. It wasn't his place to deny Shill's return to his pledges, even if he was worried about their speed. He turned and walked a little ways away to let his mind take in all that had just happened while he waited for the horses. How he had survived seemed impossible to him, the stories Cid had told him of these dragons making them out to be virtually indestructible. But that realization, that moment of clarity when he saw the Atmosphere as clearly as he saw the world around him, and how the two met... how he was now a conduit between them. That had changed everything. Perhaps even altered his destiny further.
Had Charsi figured that out by the end? If it really was her... if she came to help me, she must have at least known.

“
Beware the Dread gods, Ardin.” The old Truan's tone dropped conspiratorially as he came alongside. “Their strength lies in deception, their power in darkness. I will not tell you what to do, nor where to go, but beware the lies of the Relequim. Beware his servants and their tactics to confuse and distort the truth.”

“
I'll be careful, Hevetican.” Ardin patted the old man on the shoulder. “Thank you for everything.”

“
The horses are ready!” Donovan shouted as the animals were brought along.

“
It's time for me to go.” Ardin made the best smile that he could before he started walking over towards Donovan. “That major, the one who contacted you?”

“
Aye?” Donovan still didn't look like he believed that Ardin's choice was remotely sane. “What of 'im?”

“
You need to tell him that his real enemy lies to the west, on the ocean.” Ardin took the reins of one of the horses and patted his snout. “The Relequim has sent a massive invasion force to strike at Veria. They'll be there all too soon, I'm afraid.”

“
Invasion force?” Donovan squinted quizzically. “Lad, he's tried that before. He should know better.”

“
He tried it when mankind was united and backed by the Magi. When the Greater Being was there to help them create the Shadow.” Ardin sighed. “I'm afraid nothing stands in his way this time.”

E
IGHTEEN

A
NDERS
K
EATON HAD NO TIME TO WASTE IF HE WANTED TO HELP GET
E
LANDIR BACK IN ORDER
. As much as he wanted to know what Merodach had seen, he knew that his curiosities would have to wait. He bound the Mayor, his two guards, and Rast with the cords from Merodach's massive curtains. They threw each in a separate room in the Mayor's offices and locked the doors. He left two Hunters to guard them, instructing them to bar the door and hide themselves.

He took the rest of them and ran down the stairs. His throat felt like a shredded, bloody mess as he forced each breath to scrape down through it, but nearly drowning did give him an appreciation for the ability, marred as it may have been. They didn't even bother clearing the rooms as they went, so certain were they that every Woad in the building was dead. The monsters had shown a single-minded determination to kill Merodach that left little room for doubt. The pile up in Merodach's lobby was all that was left of that wave.

What else are they after, then?
Keaton's mind did somersaults trying to figure out what other targets might be of value to the Demon in the city.
Perhaps he figures we're weak enough to finish off now. But this isn't nearly enough of a force to do that.

They got to the base of the tower far more quickly than they had ascended it. Keaton slowed his men down as they entered the lobby, not wanting to walk into any surprises. They swept into the broad darkness, keeping their lights off to avoid drawing unwanted attention. As they moved among the couches and desks scattered around the room, Keaton noticed flashes coming from outside.

He motioned to move to the exit, watching as the flickering in the streets grew closer and brighter.

Gunfire.
He recognized it suddenly.
Why is it coming closer?

They moved outside, taking up positions behind large cement planters whose tenants had long since died or gone dormant in the winter chill. The gunfire was indeed growing louder and more frantic. It almost appeared to be coming from every outward direction at once. A Hunter appeared off to their right, running straight for them and waving. It was Saltman.

“
Sir!” He came to a stop directly in front of Keaton. “We set up a perimeter like you asked, sir. Found a few survivors and sent them indoors. About twenty minutes ago, a bunch of the City Guard started showing up, scared shitless and moving for the gate. A few minutes later, those things started showing up from every direction. They're pressing in like foxes on a hen, sir.”

Merodach,
Keaton realized with a drop in his stomach.
They know he's alive.

“
Well then...” Keaton had to swallow hard to finish his sentence. “Kill 'em.”

The open square before them suddenly filled with soldiers. Some came running, looking for cover or vantage points, the rest backed in slowly, firing in continual bursts at monsters Keaton was coming to know all too well. He motioned for his men to advance and join those entering the square, hoping to relieve them and bridge the gaps before the Woads found a way to flank them.

If those things get around or behind these men, we're all dead.
He grabbed two of his Hunters before they could leave, motioning for them to find explosives to throw into the oncoming Woads. Then he walked over to the statue of Merodach in the center of the square, stepped up on the dais next to his stony enemy, and looked for targets to shoot.

The Woads were still a ways back down the roads. Hemmed in by the high walls of the banks and other buildings that surrounded the northern square, they had nowhere to go but directly into the bullets of their enemies ahead. Thankfully the sheer violence of the onslaught of hot lead was enough to buffer the soldiers, but occasionally one would get close enough to claw at one of them. It was a miracle they hadn't broken yet, and if they did now, it would jeopardize every other team.

The Hunters he had sent with the charges began activating and tossing whatever they could find towards the Woads. The concussions rocked the soldiers back, but tore into the Woads far worse. Suddenly a scrambling noise broke through above the din of the fight, the sound of shingles and glass breaking and clattering to the ground.

Keaton looked up into the darkness in time to see the outline of what looked like a spindly wolf. It leaped off the side of one of the buildings overhead. He tried to shout and warn the men in front of him, but all that came out was a long painful croak.

The monster landed in the middle of the center line, grabbing one of the soldiers from the City Guard and ripping out his throat with a claw before throwing his body back down the road from where it had come. The soldiers to either side backed away in panic, shooting wildly at it and missing every time. Keaton pulled his rifle up, chiding himself subconsciously for hesitating, and shot the thing twice at the bridge of its long snout.

“
Get back in line!” He croaked. “
NOW
!”

The men swung back into place, the flicker of their gunfire illuminating the Woads that were only yards away. Keaton ran forward, pulling his last explosive from his belt and charging it before he threw it down the street. This was where the night would be won or lost.

He joined the ragged line as his charge went off, the flash showing him targets that he unloaded on as quickly as he saw them. The flicker and flash of his rifle obstructed his view more than it helped, but soon there were fewer and fewer of the beasts making their appearance, let alone attempts at attacking the soldiers. Keaton signaled silently for the advance. He sent his men back into the city to hunt down the survivors and kill the wounded in front of them.

A lone soldier turned and walked back towards him. A member of the City Guard, it was impossible to tell his rank as his uniform was shredded and hanging from his shoulders. But as he approached in the darkness, Keaton recognized his bearing, and then his face.

“
Gredge?” he croaked.

“
Anders Keaton.” Colonel Gredge reached out to take his hand. “I never thought I'd be so glad to see your clean nose in a fight.”

“
Sir.” Keaton shook the colonel's hand firmly. “Glad... you're alright.”

“
What's wrong with your voice, boy? You're not getting emotional on me or nothin' are you?”

“
No sir... my throat...”

“
I see.” Gredge nodded. “Well my boys did a decent job, but we were glad to see your Hunters show up. They swung things in our favor to say the least. Damndest thing to see those monsters make for the north together like that. Just minutes before they'd been pressing towards the center of town, then like someone flipped a switch, they turned back on those of us who had come around to flank 'em.”

“
Merodach...” Keaton rubbed at his throat. “They were after.... Merodach.”

“
I figured as much.” He shook his head. “It was only a matter of time. Glad he's finally dead; maybe we can pick up the pieces and make amends with Liscentia.”

“
Not... dead.”

“
What?!” Gredge turned on Keaton with almost vicious intent. “They didn't get him? All that and he's still alive up there?”

“
We... we saved him.”

“
Sometimes I wish your nose were at least a little dirty, Anders...” Gredge threw his head in the air and walked a small circle before coming back to Keaton. “What the hell were you thinking? The bastard has almost gotten both of us killed on numerous occasions. You especially! You know we're better off if he's dead!”

“
Trial...” Keaton coughed heavily into his arm.

“
Oh fantastic. A trial?! You don't think Merodach can weasel himself out of anything and everything he's done, Anders? He'll waltz right out of any courtroom and hang us both. Shit! Where is he? I'll go shoot him myself right now!”

Keaton simply shook his head and put his hand on Gredge's chest to stop him. “Trial.”

It didn't take long to arrange a trial for Merodach with Phelts waiting in the wings. The people seemed as eager to hang him as they had been to accept him back only weeks before. The fickle nature of the mob wasn't something new to Keaton, but it left him decidedly uncertain as to how events would unfold. He needed to put Merodach behind them all with finality, and soon.

Victory felt good. He had deposed Merodach, and soon they would put an end to him. A just end. The succession of murder and deceit was over. He spent his time familiarizing himself with what Merodach had been doing with the military as the trial was prepared. Merodach had put a lot into Liscentia's defeat, but he had shifted just as heavily in recent weeks to the rebuilding of the coastal defenses. That was something they could wrap up now, the threat of invasion soon to be avoided entirely. The trial weighed heavily on his mind, however, as he knew that if things didn't go perfectly, everything could wind up in worse shape than they had been in.