Dawn of Man (Thanos Book 1) (14 page)

“You could certainly say that. I was getting ready for my third class test to get my red face wrap. The plus side was I was going to meet one of the three traitors,” Ahnon sighed.

Tilbus put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad you didn’t get to meet him, Uncle. We have finally been able to put together some stuff about them. They never come together, that we can tell. That’s why they have been able to avoid our detection. Actually, they didn’t avoid it, but we never connected who they were.”

“You worry entirely too much for someone so young,” Ahnon said.

Tilbus just shook his head. “I’m glad you’re busy for the next few hundred years,” he said, raising his glass to Jedek.

Narrowing his eyes, Ahnon warned, “You know you’re really pushing your luck with me.”

Tilbus smiled. “Oh, do tell.”

“You took
my
bhari away,” Ahnon snapped.

“I put them under Michi and picked up the tab,” he replied, irritated.

Vilarius stepped between them. “Actually, I wanted to talk about that part,” he said, and they both turned to him.

“Butt out!” they snapped in unison and then locked glares again.

Ahnon shook his head. “They were mine.”

“They still are, and now, there’re more of them. You don’t have that much money.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“I’ve got a real good idea how much you’ve collected over the years,” Tilbus said, grinning. “It’s a lot but not that much.”

“You have no idea, nephew. I let yours and Fantshu’s little flunkies know what I want them to know. I can only think of one man off the top of my head that has more than me. Granted, that doesn’t include a king. Kings cheat; it’s the state’s money, not theirs, but no king will admit to that.”

Shock hit Tilbus like being run over by a horse. “That’s impossible.” Ahnon just smiled.

Vilarius tried again. “I want to pay for the bhari here,” he said, waiting for them to unleash on him.

Tilbus shook his head. “Vilarius, it’s covered. No matter what my uncle has told you, it’s not breaking the bank.”

“I’m sure it’s not, but I want to pay them. I should’ve done that long ago.” Tilbus looked at Ahnon, who crossed his arms.

“Hey, go ahead. Let him have my bhari. You took them away, saying, ‘Oh hey, I’m the Emperor King; do what I say.’ I don’t care. Take them all. I don’t care. I’m one, and you can’t get me,” Ahnon whined and complained, grabbing Jedek and leading him away.

Tilbus looked at Vilarius. “Trust me; let me keep them. He’s not going to let this go for at least fifty years. I live several thousand miles away. You would put up with it every day.”

Vilarius looked at Ahnon still complaining to Jedek and nodded. “You’re probably right, but when he forgets, it really is my duty.”

“This isn’t even a drop in the bucket for the sho-ka fund,” Tilbus said. “How is he doing? I was really worried about him.”

“Actually, he’s doing great. I was worried at first, but he and Jedek are two peas in a pod.”

Tilbus let out a long sigh. “I’m glad. Ahnon never truly accepted the sho-ka,” he said, looking at Ahnon. “He’s not going to forget, Vilarius. He’s irritated big time about this.”

“You know he can throw a tantrum.”

“Hey, I’ve seen them. Forty years ago, he stopped by, and a dragon was reported attacking the lower provinces. Ahnon took off and comes back ten days later so mad I think he could’ve eaten nails and passed arrowheads. He killed the dragon, but it fell into a really big, deep lake, and he couldn’t get it. He started pointing at trees around the palace, blowing them up. We were kind of happy to see him leave,” Tilbus said, ashamed.

Ahnon saw Michi talking to the Grand Mage of Nazar and grabbed Jedek, dragging him along. Jedek didn’t know where they were going, and by the way Ahnon was pulling, it was at least going to be fun. Michi stepped in front of Ahnon. “He doesn’t know why Karme was taken so early, but the four prime mages over selection gave their approval,” Michi told him, not wanting Ahnon to become rash.

The Grand Mage moved over. “Ahnon, I assure you, there is no subterfuge involved on my part, but I guarantee you it will be looked into. If I find anything amiss, I’ll take action.”

“Mage, a sire would’ve died, and it would’ve been your fault. I assure
you
; I would’ve had Tilbus do a formal inquiry. If you study history, you remember what happened several hundred years ago.”

The Grand Mage stretched his neck uncomfortably. “I promise you, when I get back, this is my top priority.”

“I’ll keep my mouth shut if you send me updates and handle it,” Ahnon offered.

“Deal then, and if I find anything amiss, the parties will be dealt with. And no prison, I assure you.”

“I can live with that.” Ahnon nodded.

The Grand Mage looked at Jedek then at Ahnon. “It seems you have found some happiness,” he said. Ahnon looked at him suspiciously. The mage lifted his hands. “I’m just saying, Ahnon, you actually look rather well.”

Ahnon smiled. “You can say that, mage.” He wrapped an arm around Jedek. “My sire, Jedek,” Ahnon said proudly.

“So the young prodigy of Ahnon,” the Grand Mage said, smiling. “I was under the impression you were ten feet tall the way you wield magic,” he added.

“I’m sorry, Grand Mage,” Jedek said.

“The Grand Mage of Gratu asked if I would teach Ahnon and you a lesson for what was done to him. I told him my hands were tied; this is his province, not mine,” he said, grinning, then whispered, “If you do it again, get a painter. I want pictures.” Ahnon bit his tongue, pushing the images out of his head.

Jedek smiled. “Yes, Grand Mage. I thought you would be a little displeased.”

“No, here in Gratu, magic is not really embraced as it is elsewhere, and the Grand Mages here aren’t that great—or should I say grand,” he said, grinning.

Suddenly, Jedek’s face turned to stone. “Yes, Grand Mage, but he really disrespected my sho-ka, and it had to be dealt with.”

“What?” the Grand Mage snapped, making Jedek jump and Ahnon move a little closer.

“He disrespected Ahnon,” Jedek replied hesitantly.

“Tell me exactly what happened,” the Grand Mage said. So Jedek did, and Ahnon only chuckled a few times, but his tongue was bleeding when Jedek finished. The Grand Mage shook his head. “You do know you could have the Grand Mage of Gratu put to death for that, right?” he asked, turning to Ahnon.

Both Jedek and Ahnon jumped back. “What?” they asked together.

“It’s part of the Treaty of Antlas. Disrespecting the sho-ka is disrespecting the crown. To make matters worse, Ahnon is from the ruling family of Nazar, sworn to provide a son for the sovereign. King Tilbus can demand the Grand Mage’s head now and be well within the law. Also, the treaty clearly states a sho-ka has the right to teach his sire magic. It’s part of the clause of teaching the sire basic skills and tutoring.”

Ahnon just gave the mage a weird look. “Are you a lawyer?” he asked.

“No, my father was. He drafted treaties for Nazar,” the Grand Mage said, and Michi started laughing.

“Life just keeps getting better and better,” Michi said, still laughing.

The Grand Mage smiled at Michi. “Your father wants you to stop by before coming to the conservatory. He’s having a statue of you carved in marble, and the artist needs to see you.” Michi’s chest swelled with pride.

“Get drunk before you see them, Michi,” Ahnon warned.

“I don’t drink anymore, Ahnon. You taught me that eighteen years ago,” Michi reminded him.

“Make an exception.”

The Grand Mage grabbed Ahnon’s forearm. “Please don’t, Ahnon. There are repercussions even you will pay for; it’s part of the infusion.”

“Oh, I wasn’t going to say anything, but get drunk. Really drunk.”

“Michi, would you be so kind and bring me another glass of wine? I’ll be indebted to you,” the Grand Mage asked. When Michi left, the Grand Mage pulled Ahnon close. “It doesn’t work, Ahnon. After I watched the first infusion as a prime, I tried getting the next one drunk. It didn’t work. Then I tried potions, and they are my specialty, remember?” Ahnon nodded. “Nothing works to deaden the pain. I’m sorry. By the Gods, I swear to you, I’ve tried to find something since I was a prime on the council, but nothing works. It wears off before the first sacrifice is infused, and the sho-ka is caught completely off guard, and it’s much worse.”

Ahnon started cutting loose with less-than-desirable language, making several around them blush. “Ahnon, they just have to do it. I’m sorry,” the Grand Mage said. “You do know you’re the first for all twelve, don’t you?” he asked.

“Ooh, do I get a prize?” Ahnon asked with more attitude than Thanos should’ve held.

“Only one has even made nine,” the Grand Mage said, raising a brow.

Ahnon bobbed his head from side to side. “I know; it was one of the three traitors,” he popped off, unimpressed.

The Grand Mage took a step back. “You know, when you’re irritated, you scare me more than ten mages in a towering rage,” he admitted.

“You have no idea,” Jedek said as Michi came back.

They continued to make small talk, and Ahnon moved Jedek through the crowd, making sure he met the upper echelon of the group. After supper, he and Jedek left. Walking into Jedek’s room, Ahnon suddenly collapsed in a fit of laughter again. Jedek spun around, looking, and saw on the mantle of the fireplace a fish bowl with a big, gray fish swimming around.

Chapter 10

The next day after breakfast, Ahnon and Jedek were walking the battlements on the south wall. Jedek didn’t want Ahnon on the west wall anytime soon because once Ahnon started laughing, it was hard for him to stop. Looking down the wall, he saw three people beside one of the catapults. They were almost half a mile away, but he thought he recognized the hair and dress of one. “Ahnon, is that Kenna?” he asked, pointing.

“Yes, with Michi and Karme,” Ahnon answered. “Your eyes are getting good, sire.”

Turning away, Jedek fought his oncoming blush. “I just thought it might be her, Ahnon,” he said.

“Yes, sire,” Ahnon replied, grinning. “Just make sure you say something about her dress and her hair.”

“I thought you didn’t know anything about girls?” Jedek accused.

“I never said that; I just said I’ve never been married or courted a woman before. But I’ve studied under a lot of them. If you don’t compliment them often, they get…weird.”

“Thank you, Ahnon.”

“Hey, I’m just saying it so you don’t have to dodge stuff. I never knew proper ladies could throw stuff so hard. I’m sure Kenna wouldn’t ever do that though.”

“I hope not,” Jedek whispered as they walked up to the group.

Ahnon smiled at them. “Fifty miles of wall. What are the odds we would run into you three?” he asked.

“Pretty good actually,” Michi said. “Kenna knows you two walk parts of them every morning and evening then notified us we had to be here before you so it wouldn’t look suspicious.” Karme stomped on his foot. “OW!” he screamed, picking up his foot and holding it. “What was that for?”

“You weren’t supposed to tell them!” Karme shouted.

“Nobody ever said that!” Michi yelled back, letting his foot go and looked at Kenna, who was blushing and hiding her face. “Kenna, I’m sorry,” Michi said then looked at Ahnon. “Actually, Ahnon, we are here to wait on the griffons coming in from Nazar.”

“So are we; imagine that,” Ahnon said, elbowing Jedek in the side. Jedek continued to ignore him until Ahnon almost pushed him off the hundred-foot-tall wall. Giving Ahnon a grumpy look, Jedek turned to look at Kenna.

“Kenna, your dress is beautiful,” he told her.

Her little face lit up with a smile. “Really?” she asked.

Jedek started to blush. “Well, really, it’s your hair that makes your dress so pretty.”

Kenna ran over and hugged him. “Thank you, Jedek,” she said. “Karme made me brush it forever, and Michi threw a fit till I wore the blue dress. He kept saying he was going to change the color of everything till I wore it.”

Ahnon looked up at Michi. “What?” Ahnon asked, staring at him.

“What? She looks excellent in blue, Ahnon. It really sets off her eyes and hair.”

“Yes, Michi, but the light green dress does that also, but it brings out her cheeks as well. I mean, if you are going for color, Kenna does excellent with a light green or light blue,” Ahnon informed him as the other three looked at Michi.

“Are you kidding me? Dark blue is the color for her. Look at the way it sets off her eyes and makes her look regal. She is a princess after all,” Michi shot back, and the others looked at Ahnon.

“Oh yes, with blue stockings and light gray, leather shoes. What were you thinking?” Ahnon said, pointing at Kenna’s feet. “Gray, no matter how light, doesn’t go with blue. Blue stockings? Come on; they need to be white or at the very least black. Probably a pale black.”

“This is the weirdest conversation I’ve ever heard from two bhari,” Karme said in shock.

Michi looked at her with a scowl. “Karme, even you said the stockings and shoes looked nice. Your outfits always match, so you have some semblance of coordination.”

“Kenna picks out my clothes,” Karme informed him. Michi furrowed his brow at her. “Hey, don’t look at me like that. I was learning how to kill people while my sisters learned fashion. I know what sword to use and what knife to throw. Thanks to you, I’m learning to throw some magic as well,” she added, hoping to cheer him up and direct the scowl elsewhere.

Michi nodded, accepting her explanation, then looked at Ahnon. “It really doesn’t look that good?” he asked.

“Kenna can pull it off because she’s petite and beautiful anyway. That’s what threw you off, Michi. But on someone else, we’d probably throw stuff at them.” Kenna ran over and hugged him. “What?” he asked, looking down.

“Thank you,” she said, looking up at him and smiling.

“Just telling the truth. Besides, Jedek spotted you three miles away and started hitting me till we came over here.”

“Ahnon!” Jedek yelled.

“Well, you did! You spotted little Kenna from way down there, and she’s the smallest one,” Ahnon pointed out as Kenna ran back over to Jedek, grabbing his arm and holding it. Jedek started grinning and blushing.

“You said it was only half a mile,” Jedek mumbled, rubbing Kenna’s hair.

“Michi, when we came up on the wall, were we not three miles away?” Ahnon asked.

“I thought it was four,” Michi said, grinning.

“See?” Ahnon said, smiling at the two. His head suddenly snapped up. “Griffons are here,” he said.

The others turned and looked up, following his gaze, and spotted seven large figures flying toward them over the city. As the figures got closer, the details started becoming clearer. The seven griffons gracefully beat their wings, flying toward the castle. Jedek caught his breath watching them fly just a few feet over their heads. In the books Ahnon made him read, it described a lion’s body, but the body was covered in feathers, not hair. The front feet were definitely eagle claws, and the back feet were claws like a cat. That was about as far as Jedek could see resemblances to a lion’s body. Even the tail was covered in feathers with the very last part wide like a rudder. Their wings seemed to extend forever. Jedek was guessing thirty feet long but half as wide.

Flying over the wall, the griffons flew in a circle, heading to the courtyard. Ahnon noted many people running in every direction away from the center of the courtyard. “I never knew the Emperor of Nazar owned griffons,” Kenna mumbled.

Ahnon looked down at her with a stern face. “Kenna, don’t ever say that when griffons are close. Nobody owns a griffon, and they will kill to prove it.”

“They can’t understand us,” Jedek said, causing Ahnon to look at him.

“Every animal can understand us, and if you listen, you can understand them.”

“Oh, so even cows talk?” Jedek popped off.

“Yeah, but all they ever say is, ‘Fooood, fooood,’” Ahnon said. “Even when they see danger, they go, ‘Woooolf, fooood. Woooolf, foooood.’ They say ‘stupid like a cow’ for a reason.”

Kenna ran over to him. “Ahnon, can you please, pretty please, take us down to the griffons? It would be super fairy hair.” She bounced on her toes.

Ahnon looked at Michi, who said, “Hey don’t look at me; they do not like me, and that’s fine with me.”

Ahnon said, “Kenna, if we go down there, you have to do what I say without question and nothing I don’t tell you to do. I’m not in the mood today to fight seven griffons. I would lose.”

Karme jumped in front of Kenna. “No way! If it can beat you, we aren’t going!” she told everyone.

“Karme, please? Look how pretty they are. Don’t be mean,” Kenna whined, clasping her hands in front of her, begging.

Jedek stepped beside Kenna. “Karme, if Ahnon says it’s okay, then there isn’t a problem. Kenna really wants to see them.” Ahnon was fixing to tell everyone he never said it was okay.

“Kenna, you better do what Ahnon tells you. I’m not even playing,” Karme warned her and looked at Michi. “If something happens, get her and run. I’ll hold them as long as I can.”

“It doesn’t work that way, Karme. These are griffons. They will tear this castle apart if they think we degraded them,” Michi said, and Karme started to change her mind as Ahnon chimed in.

“The Emperor of Nazar is in the castle; they won’t tear it down.”

“Ahnon, I watched one griffon kill two mountain dragons, and both were full grown. It did it because they landed near its kill. A lousy deer,” Michi said. “It used up three times the energy it got from the deer killing the dragons.”

“It could’ve eaten the dragons?” Karme pointed out.

“Oh, it got a few bites but not enough to make it worthwhile,” Michi said, checking his equipment.

“Jedek, explain the rules of how we train to Kenna. No questions, just do,” Ahnon said, leading them down as Jedek talked to Kenna. Ahnon started shaking his hands, warming them up as he prayed the griffons had eaten recently. They were so much more agreeable on a full stomach.

Walking over to the courtyard, Ahnon looked over his shoulder. “Michi, Karme, hang back, and don’t look intimidating; it won’t work. Nobody is to look up until I say, so keep your head down. Kenna, you will hold my hand and Jedek’s hand and do what I say. Understand?” he instructed, looking at her.

Her face was glowing with her smile. “I promise so much. I promise everything.”

“Well, I guess I can’t argue with that,” Ahnon said, moving to the courtyard. “Look down, and stop when I do,” he said, looking down. Feeling his pulse quicken, Ahnon hoped this wasn’t a mistake. When they were thirty paces away, he heard the taloned feet of one stomp the ground.

“What do you want?” Ahnon heard. The others heard a bird thrilling.

“Noble griffons, one of the little ones wants to look on your majestic selves,” Ahnon said in the griffons’ tongue, scaring the others.

“You are noble for a human and have our permission for the young one to look,” Ahnon heard.

“Noble griffon, they are young and do not yet speak your noble language. May I tell them?” Ahnon groveled in common.

“Of course you may. We are honored that you would teach them our language,” the griffon thrilled.

“We have been given permission to look,” Ahnon said, raising his head. He had seen griffons many times before, but they still took his breath away. Their bodies were as tall as draft horses, and they carried themselves with regal pride. He heard a small intake of breath from Kenna and glanced down at her.

“They’re so beautiful,” she said, smiling at them and drinking in the vision. “This is the best day ever.”

One cocked its head, looking at Kenna with the other six behind it. Ahnon knew this was the leader, and in griffon society, that was saying something. The leader suddenly moved over in a noble gait, and thankfully, nobody moved. “Is this better, little one?” the leader asked.

“He asked is that better, Kenna?” Ahnon translated.

“Yes, thank you for letting me look at you. You are so fairy hair,” she said in a dreamy voice and watery eyes.

Ahnon cringed on the inside as the leader looked at him. “It’s an expression our young use to mean ‘the best and greatest ever,’ like the majestic young of the griffon say, ‘The shell was hard today,’ meaning it was a bad day,” Ahnon explained.

“Human, you impress me with your knowledge of our kind. May I ask how you know so much?” the leader asked.

“I’m of Nazar royal’s house, my lord.”

“Ah, that explains much.”

“I understood that,” Jedek suddenly said, looking at Ahnon.

Ahnon turned his head, looking at him with stern eyes. “Yes, and he understands you spoke when not spoken to.”

Shock hit Jedek’s face as he lowered his head and kneeled down on one knee. “Forgive me for speaking out of turn, my lord, but I really wanted to know your great speech,” Jedek said, looking down.

The leader looked at Ahnon. “Your hatchlings show great intelligence and manners. I commend you on your brood,” he said, inclining his to head Ahnon, who was taken aback with the compliment and the show of respect. Kenna was silently bouncing on her feet, looking at the leader. Ahnon thought she wanted to go to the bathroom. “Your hatchling with the long, twisting feathers, I think, wants to ask a question,” the leader said.

“Kenna, are you wanting to ask something?” Ahnon asked her.

Kenna looked at the leader and started bouncing on her toes. “Please say something to me pretty please? You’re so pretty pleeassse say something to me,” she begged the leader. Ahnon was not even going to try to interpret that if the griffon didn’t understand.

The leader lowered his head. “Yes, little one with long feathers, what would you like me to say?” he asked in a deep drumming in his chest.

Suddenly, Kenna froze, “Long feathers,” Kenna said in a dreamy voice, making Ahnon look at her. “You called me ‘long feathers,’ majestic griffon,” she said, smiling as her eyes watered.

“Your two hatchlings do me much honor learning my language,” he said, inclining his head to the kids, almost making Ahnon fall down in shock.

Kenna let go of Ahnon’s and Jedek’s hand, giving Michi a heart attack. Grabbing her dress, Kenna gave the griffon a deep curtsy. “Majestic griffon, thank for letting me see you. You’re the most beautiful thing ever,” she said, holding her curtsy.

The leader rotated his head to his wing then turned back to Kenna with a three-foot-long griffon feather. Laying the feather in front of her, he lifted his head up even with hers. “Long feathers, take this to remember us by. I give it freely for showing us kindness and respect,” the griffon said, looking in her eyes.