Amidst The Rising Shadows (Book 3) (5 page)

There was a large table with a map of the lands strewn across. The map was older and clearly showed Shandara’s borders on the side of the map that had unfurled off the table’s edge. The table was surrounded by six generals of Khamearra’s armies, Captain Commander Joseph and Gerric the Elite Grand Master. An angry red scar split Gerric’s pale face, running from his hairline down to his jaw. Rordan wondered who gave him the scar, which had not been there until two weeks ago. The very same night, he had encountered Aaron. With the destruction of one of their towers, the Elitesmen had been on the alert ever since.

“My Lord Prince,” Gerric nodded in greeting.

The door behind him opened up, and his father came through.

“You’re all here, excellent,” the High King said. “General Khoiron, I expect that you have a report for us.”

Rordan looked up to see a man with more crags on his face than the side of a mountain. His weathered hands looked as if they could squeeze blood from a stone.

“I do indeed, your Grace. Mactar’s report of the forces gathering at Rexel proved to be accurate. We’ve also started seeing reports of troops gathering at these locations," General Khoiron said, marking several places on the map. “And these other ones along our borders are gathering troops as well. There is something about it that I don’t like. They are already outfitting their soldiers for war prior to the word going out from the capital, which got me thinking. Either they anticipate what is going to happen based upon all the rumors of the return of the Alenzar’seth and people flocking to the Shandara banner, or they’re preparing to rebel.”

The craggy general finished speaking, and Rordan noticed some of the other generals looking nervously at the High King.

The High King smirked as he looked at the other men in the room, “Khoiron has been my spymaster for many years, and his army of spies has served us well. His blunt nature may put some off, but I trust his keen insight. Mark the kingdoms and manors that have aroused your suspicions. We’ll need to make an example out of some of them if they think to move against us, but it wouldn’t serve our cause to punish a loyal vassal. Rordan, I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

“My thoughts?”

“Yes, you’ve been to enough of these council sessions to have an opinion, and I would very much like to hear your thoughts. Do you think we’ve missed anything?”

Rordan stood up a bit straighter while his mind raced along with his beating heart. This was his chance to impress his father with some keen observation, but his mind was blank. As the seconds dragged on, the others around the table shifted uncomfortably.

“Father, you’ve sent out the call for the armies to assemble, and they will come because you commanded it, but something is missing.”

“Intriguing, and what would that be?” the High King asked.

“I’m not sure what the rush is for. These other armies, in Rexel, for example, are hundreds of miles from here. If we set out tomorrow with soldiers, airships, and cavalry, we couldn’t be there for at least forty days. And that is with a hard march and the weather cooperating,” Rordan said, glancing at the other men around the table.

The High King nodded, “Mobility is indeed an issue. What else?”

“We know that the other kingdoms are assembling their armies, but do we know why? Has there been any attempt to talk to them?” Rordan asked. He didn’t know where the questions had come from, but now that he had asked them more questions came to mind. “On the night that the citadel tower was destroyed, I followed the Heir of Shandara from the arena to the tower grounds.”

While his father’s face remained impassive, the coldness in his eyes sucked the warmth out of the room.

“What happened?”

“I caught up to him with the intent of avenging Primus’s death. I attacked him...tried to attack him, but he wouldn’t fight me. He told me of a threat to this world that no one could escape from and that the Alenzar’seth have sheltered us all from an invading army.”

“Ah yes, I’ve heard the same lies from his own lips atop the tower. An invading army from another world is to come to our world and ravage our lands with war. You would be wise to never trust the words of your enemy,” the High King said.

Rordan frowned, “What if he is right, and there is a threat? Is this something we can afford to ignore?”

“There is absolutely zero evidence to support his claim.”

“But why come to Khamearra at all? It doesn’t make any sense for him to come here just to sow dissension with a lie about an invading army,” Rordan said.

“I can shed some light on this, my son. I caught the Alenzar’seth heir stealing travel crystals from the main charging room. He said that your sister had been captured by the Drake and he needed the travel crystals to save her. I offered my aid to him, but instead he chose to attack. So, you see, I offered a hand in friendship, and they strike at my generosity.”

Rordan regarded his father for a moment, trying to decide whether his father was being completely truthful with him. Aaron did say he was here for Sarah. He had spoken of the invading army with such conviction that as much as Rordan wanted to see the man dead, he didn’t believe that he was lying to him.

“The fact of the matter is,” his father continued, “Rexel and other kingdoms like it have resisted royal decrees and interfered with Elitesmen sent on the king's business to apprehend the Heir of Shandara. You’ve asked for reasons, Rordan. How about our enemies have taken Sarah hostage?”

“But she fought at Aaron’s side against us in Shandara,” Rordan said.

“They are controlling her somehow, but there is wisdom in your words. I will send word to Prince Cyrus at Rexel, inquiring as to the whereabouts of Sarah, and what his intentions are regarding the forces being assembled there. At the same time we will rally our armies and prepare ourselves,” the High King said.

“Offer terms with one hand while arming the other is a sound strategy, your Grace,” Khoiron said.

“I will also have word sent to those kingdoms that are already leaning toward aligning with Rexel, announcing our intentions,” the High King said.

“But...if you already suspect they are moving against us, wouldn’t you be giving away our intentions by contacting them?” Rordan asked.

“Therein lies the problem. Given enough time, these suspect kingdoms could fortify their positions, making the cost of taking them by force more than we could live with. You make an excellent point, and we believe that everyone else will be under the same assumptions. And let us not forget that there is still the issue with mobility. How can we move our forces to where they need to be, when we want them to be there? Grand Master Gerric, would you like to enlighten my son and the rest of the council as to how we will overcome this very important issue?” the High King asked.

The Elite Grand Master’s eyes gleamed with anticipation, “My prince, I know you are aware of the focusing crystal, but for the benefit of the others in the room, I will shed some light. As many of you know, Elitesmen are able to travel through-out Safanar with the use of the travel crystals. These crystals allow the bearers to travel to a place of their choosing with a few exceptions. We cannot use them to travel to Shandara. They simply don’t work there. And the bearers cannot travel to a place where they’ve never been. The crystals cannot be used by the common folk and only those who have the ability to manipulate the energy can use them.”

The Elitesmen were ever searching throughout the lands for new initiates and quickly squashed any attempt to setup a competing order. Try as they might, Rordan mused, the Elitesmen could never be everywhere at once, and he believed that there could be many out there who can use the energy but kept their gifts hidden.
 

The Elite Grand Master continued, “What many do not know is there are actually two of the large focusing crystals. One that was in the tower, that is used to recharge the other crystals, and one hidden underneath the citadel.”

“Wasn’t the one in the tower destroyed when it collapsed?” Rordan asked.

Grand Master Gerric shook his head, “No. There were safeguards in place to help protect it in the event of disaster. In terms of mobility, we can use the focusing crystals to move our forces pretty much anywhere on Safanar.”

Rordan glanced at his father and saw the wolfish smile spread upon his face, “You can move an army anywhere?”

Grand Master Gerric nodded. The other generals in the room looked impressed, but not all.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Khoiron said.

“There are limits,” the Grand Master said.

“Of course there are.”

“We are limited by the amount of energy used by the focusing crystals themselves. To move a large force like one of your armies can be done twice a day. Anymore than that would drain the crystals to the point of uselessness.”

The spymaster looked unimpressed, “And you’ve tested this? You know this will work? You’ve moved an army before?”

Gerric’s brow furrowed in annoyance, “The largest group has been a hundred men.”

“That’s nowhere near the size of an army. The idea has merit, and if its potential proves to actually bear fruit, then you’ll make a believer out of me,” Khoiron said and looked to the High King. “Your Grace, there could be a lot of issues with this. Even if we could move an army into enemy territory, the men need assurances that you can get them back to safety. I can see how this could leave us over extended and expose our flank.”

The High King smiled, “Your counsel has always been keen. That is why I want you and the other generals to work with Grand Master Gerric and the Elitesmen. For now, experiment within our borders, but well away from the city. No need for anyone else to know we can do this until it's too late for them. Then let them quake in their boots as the armies of Khamearra strike from anywhere and at anytime. Great change is upon us, and we’ve got work to do.”

The other men filed out of the room, but when Rordan went to follow, his father asked for him to stay behind.

“You seem troubled, Son.”

“I don’t believe Sarah has been brainwashed,” Rordan said.

The High King shrugged his shoulders, “Does it really matter?”

Rordan thought about it for a second, “It’s all about perception.”

“Yes, very good Rordan. Perception is key to having the support you need to accomplish your goals. If people see our cause as just, then many more will flock to it.”

“Even if it is based upon a lie?”

His father glanced at him, and for a second Rordan wondered if he had pushed too much. One doesn’t simply call a man like his father a liar.

“Love can be a form of brainwashing, Son. How many men have ruined their lives because they thought what they were doing was for love? The idealists of the world will never understand. Make no mistake. This war has been years in the making. They are preparing for war. What’s important now is where and how the pieces are played.”

“But what about Sarah?” Rordan asked.

“Your sister still has her uses, even if she sides with the enemy. One might say especially if she sides with the enemy,” the High King said.

Rordan felt his stomach give way to the ruthless undertone of the intent behind his father’s eyes. They were all pawns to him in this game, and it wasn’t until now that he fully understood. Should Sarah die, no one would be preoccupied with whose side she had been on. The clear message that would pervade throughout the kingdoms was that the High King’s daughter had been murdered by his enemies.

“This offer of peaceful resolution is just for show. You’ve already decided that we are going to war. This is all to rally the other kingdoms to your cause,” Rordan said.

“
Our
cause, Son. Your sister is expendable, but you are my legacy.”

Rordan swallowed and suppressed a chill as the realities of his world came to him with greater clarity.

“Come. I want you to work with the generals and the Elitesmen. You are to be more active in the rulership of this kingdom, which is about to get a whole lot bigger.”

The fear Rordan had felt before was forgotten. He had won a victory. Risen above the ranks of his other siblings. There was a reason why he had survived and they had perished. It wasn’t an accident of fate; it was because he was destined for this moment. He followed his father from the room, with dreams of glory dancing around his head.

C
HAPTER
4

OPPRESSOR'S GAMBIT

Pieces of muffled conversation went on around him as he tried to push open his eyes, but there was some type of cloth covering his face. His tongue lolled around probing the inside of his dry mouth, and he forced himself to swallow. The voices around Aaron grew louder as he lifted his hand to remove the cloth. A gentle but firm hand pressed him back down. He felt the hand slowly lift the cover from his face, and Aaron opened his eyes. Staring back at him were the golden irises of a Hythariam. The Hythariam spoke a few words that he couldn’t understand. Aaron shook his head, hoping that his captor would understand that he didn’t speak the Hythariam language.

Aaron blinked away his blurred vision and saw two more Hythariam in the room. He was in a gray room with a golden holographic display next to the bed he was in. He tried to sit up and realized his hands were restrained to the edges of the bed. The Hythariam noticed and moved his hands, and the holographic display changed. Aaron felt the bed raise him to a more upright position. The Hythariam tried to speak to him again.