The Corin Chronicles Volume I: The Light and the Dark (36 page)

“We must take them to Lady Xantia at once,” someone shouted.

Ramon turned in the direction of the voice, but in no time at all, a number of people became very vocal. Most urged for them to be imprisoned.

Topenga, at this point, took larger strides toward the exit, with his sword half drawn, but the sound of the older merchant slamming his hands on the table brought silence once more. Ramon noticed that the eyes that previously rested on them had moved to the merchant, who now approached them.

“All three of you hail from the royal city?” the merchant said.

Ramon nodded.

“We never see your type around here,” the merchant continued. “Your king does not believe in what transpires here. What business do you have in Sabudu?”

“We mean to cause no trouble,” Ramon said. “We only seek food and shelter. We are willing to pay, just like everyone else.”

“We must not trust anyone from the royal city,” shouted a voice from the back of the room.

With a raising of his hands, the older merchant swiftly brought silence back to the inn. “We must not be too quick to judge,” he said. “They have come to Sabudu, heavily armed. But do you see any destruction in their wake?”

Ramon looked around the room and did not see anyone responding to the question.

“You took an interest in the story of the burning tree,” the merchant said. “Is it possible that you have laid eyes upon it?”

Ramon peered into the eyes of Topenga, who remained expressionless. Returning to the merchant, he took a few steps forward. “We saw something,” Ramon replied. “We cannot be sure what it was, but could it be possible that the gift you mentioned could be a sword?”

Gasps suddenly filled the room. The whispers returned, and all eyes swiftly returned to Ramon and his comrades.

“The gift could be anything, young man,” said the merchant. “But of course any sword associated with the Tree of the Cosmos will most likely be the sword wielded by Baran himself, The Sword of Corin.”

The whispers quickly transcended to loud shouting by many. Men rose from their chairs. Some drew their swords as they approached Ramon and his party. Seeing this, Rumin drew his fork, and Topenga unsheathed his sword. The commotion quickly ceased with the raising of the older merchants right hand. “Please,” he said. “Whatever has transpired here must be understood. Behaving like a pack of animals will not benefit anyone.” He turned around to face the excited mob. “I will speak to the young man alone. You will all continue with your business. There will be no more talk of swords or burning trees. Is that understood?”

Barely five seconds passed before everyone returned to their tables. Other merchants continued telling stories, while some continued to sell numerous items, ranging from scarves, dolls, and small weapons. The older merchant turned toward Ramon and gestured him to follow through a side door. Putting away his sword, Topenga began to follow before Ramon placed his hands on the Colonoy’s shoulder. “Take Rumin,” he said. “Go and make sure Kasa and Mikael have been able to secure a room and food for us. I will speak to the merchant alone.”

Following a nod, Topenga led Rumin toward the back of the inn, where they believed Mikael and Kasa had gone. Then Ramon took two deep breaths and walked through the side door, where the merchant stood looking into the skies.

“You are more than just a young man from the royal city, are you not?” asked the merchant. “The authority you wield among the others tells me so. I believe you are from the royal family itself.”

Ramon raised his eyebrows.

“Are you the king’s son?”

Ramon continued to look into the eyes of the merchant, saying nothing whatsoever.

“Your silence says it all,” the merchant said. “I used to serve the King of Corin. Back when I believed in everything the Light World stood for.” He edged closer to Ramon. “My name is Nitiri,” he said. “I was once a—”

“A Colonoy master,” Ramon interrupted. “You are correct. I am King Oncelot’s son, Prince Ramon.” He paused to clear his throat. “I know your brother.”

“I am sure you do.” Nitiri said. “Ndu has always lived to serve the kingdom, as do you.” Nitiri walked a few paces ahead. “This sword you found whe—”

“I did not say anything about finding a sword,” cut in Ramon.

“You did not have to,” said Nitiri. “The eyes never lie. You have nothing to fear from these people. They fear the burden you carry. The Dark World is as frightening as it is evil, yet you travel there. Three men, with maybe a couple more.” He glared into Ramon’s eyes. “The burning tree was very real. The sword was real also. You have Baran’s blessing. Your path will be protected from now on, but you must also show courage. The courage to overcome the tests you will face.”

“But how?” said Ramon. “How do the gods protect us, even while imprisoned?”

“The gods are eternal, Prince Ramon.” They still carry out their commands, sometimes through those that live among us.”

“Do you speak about yourself?” asked Ramon.

“I will never do the gods’ bidding,” Nitiri answered. “I shall know when it is time to fulfill my destiny, but that time has not yet come.”

Ramon edged closer to Nitiri and held on to the man’s tunic. “I have heard many things about you. I never thought I would lay my eyes on you, but here I am.”

“There is nothing much for you to see here but an old man,” Nitiri said softly. “Of course, my brother would have told you a great number of things about the Dark World, but you must remember that the most important thing is faith. I care not why you choose to venture there, but any son of Corin is a brother of mine.” Nitiri turned around to face Ramon. “Eat well, young prince, and get plenty of rest. You will need the energy. You have nothing to fear from these people.” Nitiri stepped onto the ground, past two women who had walked to the back of the inn during their conversation.

Charging after the merchant, Ramon held on to his hands but quickly loosened his grip after a glare from Nitiri. “Will I ever see you again?” he asked.

“You shall always see me,” replied Nitiri. “As long as Corin stands, so will I remain.” He continued walking away, before turning around to face Ramon once more. “When you are within the reality that is our dark divide,” he said. “Remember that the Horde approaches when the black mist clears. The darkness will keep them away.”

“What does that mean?” Ramon said, raising his hands.

“When the time comes, young prince, you will know.” Following a smile, Nitiri walked away and out of sight.

Navigating his way through the rear of the inn remained difficult for Topenga. He had already asked most of the maids about Kasa and Mikael, with all saying that they had not seen them. Worry immediately crept in. Fear that they might have encountered a hostile party. The loud giggling coming from one of the rooms leading to the kitchen, however, made him listen closer. Noticing that one of the voices was Mikael’s he charged straight in.

Sitting on the table were Mikael, Kasa, and two young women. Both seemed fairly attractive, Topenga thought. The woman to Mikael’s immediate left had long, dark hair and bright, green eyes. The one seated next to Kasa had flowing, golden hair and deep blue eyes. She bore a strong resemblance to Karew, the woman from Tustodes whom Kasa had long pined for.

“These are the friends I was talking about,” said Mikael. He swayed his right hand from side to side, as he pointed at Topenga and Rumin.

The scowl on Topenga’s face grew, as he suspected that Mikael had been drinking quite heavily.

“Are you the prince?” asked the dark-haired girl, giggling.

Shock crept on to Topenga’s face, and realizing this, Mikael whispered into the ears of both women, who quickly scampered into the kitchen.

“What have you done?” Topenga snapped. “We are in a town that does not embrace the royal family, yet you drink among women you do not know. You reveal the presence of the prince? What else have you told them?”

“We told them nothing, Topenga,” interrupted Kasa. His chubby cheeks turned red. “I only became fixated on the fair-haired woman because of her resemblance to Karew, and Mikael approached them on my behalf.”

“Why am I not surprised?” said Rumin. “Always chasing women, Mikael. When will you learn to discern when it is appropriate to do such things, and when you must not? We are riding with the Prince of Corin on a mission people will kill to learn about.”

“I can only apologize for the things I have done.” Mikael fixed his gaze toward the floor. “I shall accept any punishment the prince demands.”

“The prince shall not know because you shall not tell him,” said Topenga. “Did you secure food and shelter like you were supposed to?”

“Indeed I did,” replied Mikael. “Our food shall be arriving momentarily. I managed to secure individual rooms for all of us too.”

Within seconds, three men and one woman walked through the door with large bowls of food. Kasa grinned at the amount of soft meat placed on the table. The steam from the bread almost covered the room, and without delay Topenga and Rumin took their seats. The emergence of Ramon went almost unnoticed before Mikael quickly stood up and bowed. Ramon raised his hands, prompting him to sit back down.

“I have discovered many things,” Ramon started. He sat down and gorged on a slice of bread. “First we eat. And after, we must get adequate rest. The Dark World draws closer each day.”

5.5

A
G
ESTURE OF
G
OODWILL

T
he loud banging on the door caused Ramon to twitch in his sleep. Unsure of where the sound came from, he shifted to the edge of the hard mattress he lay on until almost on the floor.

“Lord Prince, Lord Prince!” he heard Kasa shout through the door. With both of his eyes open, he quickly reached toward the corner table for his sword. Glancing around him, the room seemed just as it had been before he fell asleep. His bag remained where he left it. The same smell of oak filled his nose. The plastered walls had the same glossy, reflective look, almost as if a mirror. He noticed crumbs from the bread in his bag on the floor, but other than that, everything else remained intact.

“My lord,” rang the voice of Kasa once more.

Ramon quickly threw on his tunic and rushed toward the door, opening it.

“My lord,” panted Kasa. “I began to fear the worst.”

“Why the urgency, Kasa?” Ramon said smoothly. “What has happened?”

“The sword, my lord,” Kasa said.

Ramon raised his left eyebrow.

“The Sword of Corin,” Kasa continued. “It is gone.”

“Gone?”

“Stolen, my lord. Stolen while we slept.”

“But how is that possible?” Ramon turned around and placed both of his hands on his head. “Karimpo gave me his word that his guards would protect us while we took our rest. How could anyone enter his inn without his knowledge to steal from us?”

“But do you not see, my lord?” Kasa looked toward the end of the corridor. “
He
stole it from us. His guards knew that the sword was with Topenga. No other room was ransacked, apart from his.”

Ramon rushed back into his room and picked up his pack and shield from the floor. “Where is Topenga now?” he asked.

“Both he and Rumin have given chase. I believe the remaining thieves are trying to flee to the hills of Syracasa.”

“The
remaining
?”

“Mikael struck two of them down as they attempted to flee. He is downstairs now with Karimpo. The remaining four still have the sword with them. We decided to allow no one to leave without your permission.”

Ramon shut the door behind him and approached the stairs. “Take me to Mikael at once,” he said. “We must tread very carefully here. The last thing we want is a feud with Lady Xantia. They are one of the largest manufactures of natural energy here on Corin, and they are not an enemy I would like to make for my father. Their relationship with Tustodes is bad enough as it is.”

“But surely Lady Xantia must have known about the theft.” Kasa ran to keep up with Ramon. “An order such as that, to steal from a Prince of Corin, could have only come from her.”

“Be that as it may,” said Ramon. “The magnitude of the events that might follow is unacceptable. I will not begin a civil war on Corin at the same time we are hoping to raise our gods.” He walked into the main drinking area of the inn to find Mikael standing by the door, with his trusted battle-axe in his right hand.

Sitting on a chair a few yards opposite was Karimpo. His shaggy hair and coarse beard hid most of his facial features. He was a tall man and broad, too. Large enough to handle himself in combat, Ramon thought. The many women behind the main drinking bar all held on to each other. Ramon noticed tears dropping from the eyes of some. He also noticed five other women standing against a thick, brown wall beside the bar. They did not show any emotion whatsoever. Their long, black dresses exuded elegance. Most were of middle age with bright, golden hair. He immediately assumed that they were the most authoritative people in the room. He noticed Karimpo continuously looking in their direction, potentially for instructions on how to proceed.