Flower of Light | Chapter 6
Flower of Light: The Eternal Stones 1 by Allison Wade.
The full book is available in ebook and print on Amazon.
6. Life and Death
Month III, day 29
After thinking about it for far too long, Jonathan decided to speak. “We have to go back to Dalswol.”
They had now left the Imperial City to ride through the cultivated lands, and once they reached the crossroads, they were supposed to follow the eastern route to the port, but unexpectedly, Sir Silverhart had stopped his horse in the middle of the path, shifting his gaze to the south in the direction of the mountains.
Lorenz Gendon and the two guards accompanying him did the same. “We have already sent men to take care of this matter, don’t worry. There would be no point in prolonging the travel, we have another assignment now.”
Jonathan shook his head. “That’s exactly why we have to go back to the village. This whole thing with the magic, the Wardens, the stars… The symbol that appeared on my cheek…”
Lorenz nodded, inciting him to continue.
“I think I’ve seen another star like mine before.”
“Where?”
“I didn’t just meet the lizards that night. There was a girl. She used fire magic. And she had a red star on her face.”
Lorenz frowned. “Why didn’t you tell Lady Blankette about it?”
“Because I promised to keep the secret. And because… I don’t know, I have a strange feeling. But I think I can trust you, Lorenz. And I think we should go back and check if that girl is a Warden as well.”
“If that’s the case, we can take a detour. The crossroads is on our way,” Lorenz replied, then motioned his people to follow.
Around them, rows of trees lined the fields, concealing the view of the nearby farms.
The morning was cloudy and the air still cool. The countryside was shrouded in stillness. Yet it seemed there was something crawling in the shadows.
After a few hours at a steady walk, they finally arrived near the crossroads. Or so it should have been.
“I can’t see a thing,” commented Lorenz, straining his gaze.
“Are the days always this foggy here on the Island?” asked Jonathan. The road was enveloped in a white mist that made it impossible to see beyond a few steps.
The horses had become restless and slowed to a stop, pawing and snorting.
“What’s wrong with them?” asked one of the guards.
“They don’t like this fog either,” Lorenz replied, trying to calm his animal. “Let’s stop for a moment,” he added, dismounting from the saddle. “It will be safer if we walk this stretch.” The others followed his example.
Jonathan patted his animal and led him by the reins to one of the canals that lined the road, to drink. “I know you’re not familiar with these lands, but try to stay calm,” he whispered, to no avail. Not to mention that he, too, was feeling nervous again.
That sensation had crawled back under his skin as the other horses pawed the ground.
Jonathan looked up, but since visibility was reduced, he tried to focus on hearing. For a moment, he had the impression that he could sense some movement in the mist. “I have a bad feeling about this,” the knight said aloud.
In response, Lorenz left the animal and put his hand to the sword.
With the guards behind him, he advanced toward the wall of fog. “Is anyone there?” he raised his voice.
Jonathan turned sharply in the opposite direction. That feeling had grown stronger and stronger. “Is that you?” he said, catching sight of the figure hidden in the trees.
She came into the open. Her long blond hair pulled back into a braid, those unmistakable sky-blue eyes. “I’ve been looking for you,” she told him.
Jonathan scratched his head, awkwardly. “I was going to say the same thing.”
“I know.”
“Did you follow us all the way here?”
The other men turned back. “Who is there?” asked Lorenz Gendon.
“She’s… a friend,” Jonathan answered. “Or at least I hope she is.” He looked back at Kyra. “Are you the one who upset the horses?”
She shook her head. “I’m not the only one who has followed you.” She grabbed her bow and nocked an arrow, aiming into the mist.
The fog was slowly clearing, showing someone approaching.
“Hagwiz,” whispered Kyra.
Jonathan made up his mind and drew his sword.
Three figures became fully visible, emerging from behind the trees. Long tails and reptilian faces.
Kyra wasted no time, she shot an arrow, which got stuck just below the shoulder strap of one of the three. This did nothing but rile him up and set the others off to attack as well.
The horses bolted, leaving the field clear for the skirmish.
“Stay back!” shouted Jonathan to the girl, stepping in front of her to parry a sword blow.
On the other side, Lorenz and the guards also started fighting.
Three of those things could be manageable, but soon reinforcements arrived. More lizards, and human soldiers too, this time.
“What on Earth do they want from us?” muttered Jonathan as he disarmed the first lizard man and cut his belly with a horizontal slash. He then advanced and crossed blades with the soldier behind the beast.
One of Gendon’s men had stepped back to avoid a mace blow and didn’t notice he had another enemy behind him. The reptile grabbed him, and with a yank, turned his head at an unnatural angle. The bones in his neck snapped. The lizard man dropped him to the ground like an old rag and advanced on Lorenz, who was dealing with his second opponent. Another human soldier. Lorenz pushed him back, giving him a flesh wound to his thigh, then heard heavy footsteps behind him. He turned, ready to take the hit, but an arrow lodged in the lizard man’s neck, stopping him just long enough for Lorenz to deliver the killing blow.
He looked up at the blond girl with the bow clutched in her hands and gave her a grateful nod before going back to the fight and dodging a new attack from behind.
Kyra summoned the red star on her cheek, she just had to find the best way to attack their enemies without hurting her friends.
Jonathan made one of the soldiers kneel to the ground with a kick to the joint and laid the edge of the sword on his neck. “Who sent you, you cowards?” he shouted, but didn’t have time to hear an answer, for he had to dodge a mace swing that was clearly intended to smash his skull.
“Hey, be careful, we need them alive!” shouted a voice not far away.
Jonathan caught sight of a man equipped with better crafted weapons and armor than the others. He was probably their commander. He wore a gray coat of arms with black stripes. No crest he was able to recognize. A moment later, the knight had to turn his attention back to his previous attackers.
Kyra ran past him, unmindful of the danger.
“Get away from here!” shouted Jonathan, but she was already set, her arms stretched forward, the star shining on her face and that burning energy emanating from her body.
“Geyrah!” cried Kyra, with all the breath in her lungs.
Flames burst from her hands and engulfed Jonathan’s two opponents, forcing them to throw themselves to the ground. They took to rolling and flailing frantically but couldn’t stop the fire.
Kyra ran the back of her hand over her forehead, her heart racing, and chest short of breath. But it wasn’t over yet. She turned back to the others.
Finding himself free, Jonathan headed for the one he identified as the leader. But before he could reach him, another soldier got in the way. The knight found himself wondering how many more there were, as the realization began to dawn on him that their encounter was no accident.
“Move, you idiot, it’s not you I want,” growled Jonathan to his adversary, parrying a slash and pushing him back with a kick. The soldier, however, persisted, quickly regained his balance, and swung toward him. Jonathan was forced back. He blocked vertically and got himself out of trouble by dodging to the side. As he looked for the space to counterattack, he heard Kyra’s voice shouting the word of fire again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the flames enveloping the lizard men. For a moment, he was filled with a sense of relief, but he knew he couldn’t let his guard down.
By sheer luck, the soldier was also distracted by the spell, and Jonathan took the opportunity to lunge. He sprang forward and pierced his chest. The man stared at him with a dumbfounded expression, kneeling as the knight drew the bloody blade.
“Take the girl, too!” ordered the commander, meanwhile.
Bushes and brushwood around them were being consumed by Kyra’s flames, and the road was filling with smoke.
Jonathan had to stop, disoriented, overcome by a coughing fit. He felt someone grab him by the sleeve. He turned, meeting the girl’s blue eyes. “Let’s get out of here,” she said, her expression frightened. It was clear she was not used to being in the middle of armed confrontations.
“I can’t leave the others,” Jonathan tried to say.
“Those soldiers are here for us, we need to get to safety,” insisted the girl. “The smoke won’t stall them for long…”
Jonathan shook his head. “Stay here, we’ll be fine,” he replied, going back to find Lorenz.
* * *
“There’s something on fire over there,” said Natrix Golem, scanning the horizon.
“Let’s go take a look,” suggested Hayk Qanash.
“Wouldn’t it be wiser to go in the opposite direction when one sees a fire?”
“There are farms over there, we need to check if anyone needs help,” insisted the guard.
Nat turned to Ulrich, who shrugged. “Well, we have nothing else to do today.”
“I smell roasted lizard,” commented Kara DeYong, loading her crossbow.
“How do you know what it smells like… No, never mind,” her sister replied, slowing her horse down.
The others also stopped, concealed by the tangle of trees.
Kris Wasa put his hand to the war bow, leading his animal to a spot where the view was clear.
“What the heck is going on there?” asked Qanash, hearing the sounds of clashing blades. He signaled the others to stay behind him and advanced a few steps. He raised his voice so that they could hear him. “Hey!”
No response.
“Hey! Stop, in the name of Lord Gendon!” shouted Qanash again.
This time a voice answered him, through the smoke. “It’s Lorenz Gendon, here! Hurry! We need reinforcements!”
“Sir Lorenz?” Qanash snapped forward, his blade drawn. Then he turned to the others. “Let’s move, we must help him.”
“We just about needed some morning exercise,” snickered Ulrich, pulling out his two-handed sword.
“If you see scales, shoot without thinking twice,” Kara said as she passed by Kris. “You and I will stay behind.”
The Forests archer nodded, moving upwind to get a better view. In the melee, he spotted someone sneaking away from the burning area, dark hair, pale face, he was distant, but Kris was able to recognize him. “That’s the assassin!” he exclaimed.
Kara got close to him, straining her vision. “Which one?”
Kris shot, just as the man moved away enough to save his skin. The arrow lodged in his arm. “That one.”
“Not bad,” chuckled Kara, aiming the crossbow and shooting too.
But by then, the assassin had noticed them and sprinted behind a tree, holding his shoulder.
“I missed, damn it,” cursed the mercenary.
“I’ll go get him,” Kris replied, spurring his horse.
* * *
Amid the smoke, Jonathan saw Lorenz Gendon kneeling, his left arm pressed to his right side. He quickened his pace to stop the lizard man who was about to give him the killing blow, but something passed before him. A heavy, flat blade that embedded itself in the scaly neck, stopping the beast in mid-stride.
Jonathan remained stunned for a moment, staring at the large Northerner who had just intervened on their behalf.
“Get the wounded away, we’ll take care of the rest,” said the mercenary.
Without pausing to think about it, the Waterfall Knight nodded and helped Lorenz up, escorting him away from the fight. He already knew what he had to do. “Where did he hit you?” Jonathan asked him.
Lorenz uncovered his side, showing his blood-soaked hand. “It got me from underneath, that damn beast,” he replied through gritted teeth, lifting the chain mail to expose the wound.
“I’ll take care of it.” Jonathan put his hands on the gash, closed his eyes, and took a breath. He felt the power working its way in and said the magic word. “Djahr.”
The light enveloped them for a few moments, and when it was gone, the wound had completely disappeared.
Lorenz looked in disbelief at his unscathed flesh as Jonathan turned toward the sound of hooves behind him. He found Kyra on the back of his horse, holding out a hand. “We need to leave now, while they are busy.”
“But…” Jonathan protested.
“They came here for us; we can’t get caught!”
“The girl is right,” Lorenz agreed. “Now that we have reinforcements, we can cover you. Go to the port, we will join you later.”
“I can’t leave in the middle of a fight,” Jonathan insisted, gripping his sword again, spotting one of the attackers running toward them.
But Kris Wasa’s horse caught up with the soldier from behind, rearing up and striking the man with its front hooves, knocking him unconscious.
Lorenz went to meet the warrior of the Forests. “You came at the right time,” he said, looking around as best as he could amid the smoke and flames. “Can you go with them to the port while we sort things out?”
Kris nodded without question and spurred the horse in the direction of Kyra and Jonathan.
The Waterfall Knight was hesitating again.
“Jonathan!” cried Kyra. “We need to find the other Wardens. Can’t you hear the call of the powers? We can’t ignore our destiny.”
He gave an annoyed sigh. “Fine, let’s go,” he replied, climbing on behind her. “But I don’t even know which way the port is.”
She smiled and then turned to Kris. “Stay behind us, I know the way.”
* * *
A whip cracked in the air, and the soldier dropped his weapon. A second snap directed at his head opened a gash in his neck. The man retreated, holding a hand over the wound, as Inka DeYong drew her sword and shortened the distance between them, jumping in front of him. The last thing the soldier saw were two icy green eyes and then the swift blade opened his throat, taking away his life and breath.
Behind the twin, with quick and silent steps, Natrix Golem had unsheathed his curved blade. With precise cuts, it penetrated the hides worn by the lizard men, ripping through their bodies, without them even realizing what had struck them.
Ulrich Xarke, on the other side of the path, was dealing with two soldiers at a time. His blade went through the first one’s clothing, thrusting into his belly like a hot knife through butter. Ulrich released his grip for a moment and pulled out the iron mace he had at his other side. The one he liked to call his lucky charm. He swung it around in the air and before the second man could reach him, he brought it down heavily, smashing through his skull. Then he returned to the first one and pulled the sword from his torso as he looked around. “Who’s next?”
He heard the voice of one of the twins calling out to him. “The assassin went that way, but I lost sight of him.”
Ulrich turned toward the narrow road disappearing into the trees, then called his team back. “Nat, go with the twins to find that guy, we’ll finish cleaning up here.”
Golem nodded and silently retreated from the field.
* * *
“Damn, this is getting bad. Where did those guys come from?” muttered Lothar Rutherkann, seeing the havoc Gendon’s reinforcements were wreaking through the smoke and flames.
“I think they recognized me,” Hazael said, holding his arm and trying, with grimaces of pain, to pull out or, at least, break the Forests arrow.
“We have to get out of here. Cover us,” replied the commander.
“But… the others?”
“They are already doomed, let’s not waste time,” roared Lothar.
“All right…” stammered Hazael, frantically rummaging through his pockets. He threw something on the ground and whispered a formula.
There was a brief burst and a blanket of fog rose around them, mixing with the smoke. “This way,” he said, as he mounted his horse and pointed to a path hidden in the vegetation. “The fog should distract them enough for them not to follow us.”
“It’d better be so,” Rutherkann remarked, galloping after him.
* * *
A few moments later, the clash subsided.
Only Ulrich, the Qanash brothers, and Lorenz Gendon were left standing. Natrix and the twins came back empty-handed. “We lost sight of the assassin. I think a couple of them got away.”
Gendon shook his head. “Let’s take care of this matter before the flames reach inhabited areas.”
Together, they tried to stem the fire by throwing dirt on it and cutting down the surrounding brushwood.
Gradually, the smoke cleared, showing the devastation of the fight. There were at least fifteen bodies of men and lizards scattered on the ground. Two of them were the Imperial Guards who had come with Lorenz and Jonathan.
Gendon bent over one of them, feeling his neck. “Edgar is still alive, give me a hand,” he said to the Qanash brothers, who rushed over and helped load him onto a horse.
“Even this scum is still breathing,” Ulrich said, dragging a bleeding human enemy who could barely stand.
“Take him prisoner, he must be interrogated,” Lorenz commanded.
“What now, Captain?” asked Hayk Qanash, frowning.
“We need to inform the court of what has happened, but we also need to make sure that the Wardens have arrived at the port safely.” He paused for a moment to think, then reached the horse and gave new orders. “You and Wej return to the Imperial City with the wounded and the prisoner. Ulrich’s team will come with me. Report everything that has happened to the court and tell Lord Zarkon that we will proceed to the Star Kingdom as arranged. If something else happens, we will find a way to deliver a message. If only a few have escaped, they should not give us too much trouble for the time being. But try to figure out who they are and what they want.” He paused, looking at the fallen guard. “Then ask them to send someone to clean up this mess… and contact Manfred’s family.”
Hayk lowered his gaze to the corpse. He, too, knew him well. “Yes, Captain,” he replied through his teeth.
