Avondale (22 page)

The door was large enough for the horses to file through one at a time. Lexi felt strange stepping out beyond the walls of Avondale. It was the first time she had seen the rugged landscape of the mountain slanting down toward the thick mist that hid the blighted lands. When the soldiers closed the city door behind her, she felt a wave of fear. For a moment she wanted to turn back, but then she thought of Tiberius and she hardened her resolve. There was a hard packed dirt path that ran just beside the towering stone walls. She glanced up and saw that the parapet along the top of the wall jutted out so that if she stayed close to the city walls, she wouldn’t be seen by the soldiers along the top.

“Alright,” Lexi said, returning to the first horse she had saddled. “I think I’ll call you Shadow.”

The horse nodded again, its dark brown hide seemed to blend into the shadow from the massive walls. She patted its neck and took a deep breath. She was facing so many unknowns. She had no idea what to expect outside the city walls. She had no idea how Tiberius would react to her just showing up after he and the others had been banished. And she had no idea how to ride a horse, but she was determined to learn.

“This is my first time,” she told Shadow. “Let’s take it nice and slow.”

The horse neighed and Lexi took that as a good sign. She reached up and took hold of the saddle horn. She had to raise her leg high to slip her foot into the stirrup. Then, throwing caution to the wind, she hopped upward, pulling with her hands and slinging her opposite foot over the saddle and sliding into the smooth leather seat.

“Okay, okay,” she said, trying to calm her nerves.

Shadow looked bored. Lexi slid her other foot into the stirrup and then took hold of the reins. She felt strange on the back of the horse. It was so different, and it seemed so high up that it made her nervous.

“Let’s go,” Lexi said, nudging the horse lightly with her feet.

Shadow plodded along at a slow walk. From the saddle, the movement was awkward to Lexi. There was both an up and down motion and a side to side sway as the horse followed the path. Lexi was glad the horse didn’t need her to guide it, or that it didn’t go too fast. She held the reins in one hand and had a death clutch on the saddle horn with the other. After a while, she began to relax and slowly she made her way around Avondale, back toward the northern gate, where the city waited to see their brightest and best be banished.

Leonosis walked briskly down the hall in front of Tiberius, who was surrounded by four armed men. Tiberius had never felt threatened by the soldiers in his father’s war band until that moment. The soldiers refused to look at him with anything but suspicion and Tiberius wondered what they really thought of Rafe’s actions over the past few days.

They went back up to the lavish guest quarters and Leonosis led Tiberius into the King’s large sitting room. The King was sitting in the same chair, nursing the same goblet of wine as when Tiberius had been shown into the room the day before. He didn’t seem to take any notice of them whatsoever.

“We don’t need guards,” Tiberius’ father barked from where he stood by an open window. “He’s not a criminal.”

Leonosis waved to the guards who hurried back out of the room and closed the heavy wooden door. Tiberius stood in the center of the room and waited for the lecture he expected from his father, but it was Leonosis who spoke.

“I will never understand you, brother,” he said as he dropped into a chair near the King. “I hand you your revenge on a silver platter, and yet you stab me in the back and side with that oaf.”

“Rafe is not an oaf, he’s the most promising warrior in your war band.”

“He’s a fool who threw his life away for a wench. And here you are, following his lead. I swear, brother, you make me feel ill.”

“Your punishment was excessive,” Tiberius said. “Have you no honor? What about the agreement you had with Rafe?”

“I had no agreement with him,” Leonosis said.

“You lie as if it were your native language.”

“And you vex me with your self-righteous tirades. You have no idea what is expected of a leader, much less an Earl. You think the world is so black and white, but you are wrong, Tiberius, and you will learn the truth soon enough.”

Princess Ariel came out of her room and into the large sitting room. She had removed her armor and was wearing a silk gown that was tailor-made to fit the curves of her lithe body. Her hair was down, and her lips seemed especially red. She smiled at Tiberius.

“You are a curious one,” she said.

“He’s a fool,” Leonosis said softly.

“I have petitioned my father and yours,” she went on. “They agree that banishment is not the best punishment for you. If punishment is needed at all. The last I heard, loyalty was not a crime.”

“That depends on who a person is loyal to,” growled Earl Aegus.

“My daughter wants a new pet, that is all that matters,” said King Aethel.

“I’m no one’s pet,” Tiberius said.

“No, you are not,” Princess Ariel said. “In fact, you surprise me with your boldness. I like you, Tiberius, and I wanted a chance to talk with you. Come with me, a little privacy is called for.”

“Don’t bring any more shame on my house,” threatened Tiberius’ father.

“Don’t worry,” the Princess said playfully. “I’m sure Tiberius will be on his best behavior.”

She led him back to her room and closed the door. Tiberius felt excited and repulsed at the same time. The King seemed somehow as if he were in a trance and both Tiberius’ father and brother seemed out of their depth. The only person that appeared to be in control, or to have any power for that matter, was Princess Ariel. Tiberius thought she was beautiful, but also strangely sinister. He could feel magic swirling around her, almost like a protective storm was encircling her. He was flattered that she wanted to be with him, even if it wasn’t in a romantic fashion, and at the same time he wanted to get as far away from her as possible. He feared that if he stayed with her too long that he would fall under her spell and lose himself. Still, he was intrigued that she was familiar with magic. She was the only person to speak to him about his own power without being repulsed.

“Wine?” she offered, pouring some dark red wine into a crystal goblet.

“No,” he said. “Thank you.”

“Come, sit down,” she said, waving her hand at a chair by the window. “I won’t bite.”

He moved across the room and sat down, but found it impossible to relax. He sat on the edge of his chair, his feet poised beneath him in case he needed to spring up and flee. Princess Ariel sipped her wine and sat down in a chair next to him.

“Avondale is a lovely place,” she said as she gazed out the window.

From where they sat, they could see the city curving inward in both directions and the lush fields and forest running down the extinct volcano’s cone. In the distance, the sun sparkled off the lake.

“It is,” he agreed.

“It’s a shame you’re so hell-bent on leaving.”

“I don’t want to leave,” Tiberius said. “But I can’t stay. My family doesn’t want me here anyway. They were sending me to the temple to become a Paladin.”

The Princess laughed.

“And you know why I can’t stay,” Tiberius said.

“They don’t know about your powers?”

“Of course not,” he said.

“That’s too bad. I sensed it about you right away.”

“I can sense it about you too,” Tiberius said, trying not sound like a lovesick fool.

Princess Ariel giggled, then she leaned forward and put a hand on Ti’s knee.

“That’s good. How long have you been practicing?”

“Not long, I only recently found an ancient book about magic,” he said. “It’s only a fragment really.”

“They are hard to find, unless you know where to look,” she said in a teasing voice.

“You know where there are more?”

“Of course. Not everything was lost in the purge following the cataclysm. There is a secret vault in the Citadel. Only the royal family has access, and those that we deem worthy.”

“I would give anything to see it.”

“It is a right that must be earned,” she said. “I’ve been giving much thought to your plight. Nothing can stop your banishment now, but perhaps a pardon could be given.”

“I won’t abandon my friends,” Tiberius said.

“I did not think that you would,” she almost purred. “In fact, I would be disappointed if you did. So, if you would know more than your ruined book can teach you, then you must come to the Citadel.”

“What?”

“You must travel across the blighted lands. Bring us news of what takes place beneath the mists and I shall give you a pardon. Your friends as well.”

“You would give both Olyva and Rafe a pardon?”

“I would give them more than that. They would be the first to survive a trek across the blighted lands. They would be heroes.”

Tiberius felt a spark of hope. He had been curious enough about the blighted lands, but now, if he could lead his friends across the ruined lands below the mists, he could actually give them the life they dreamed of. All they had to do was survive.

“Here, I have a gift for you,” the Princess said.

She walked across to the trunk that held her personal items. Tiberius guessed that at least two strong servants must have struggled to carry the heavy wooden chest from the airship. She opened the lid, but instead of searching through the contents of the trunk, she popped open a secret compartment in the lid and pulled out a small, tightly rolled scroll. The parchment was bound with a small drop of wax.

“What is it?” Tiberius asked as she handed it to him.

“It’s a list of basic spells. The books never leave the vaults in the Citadel, so I copied them.”

“What Order are they?”

“Order?”

“You know,” Tiberius said. “There are Four Ordained Orders of Magic, Sana Magus, Sepio Magus, Immutatio Magus, and Nativus Magicus.”

The Princess laughed again, but this time the sound of it sent a shiver down Tiberius’ back. She looked at him and smiled.

“I should have known,” she said. “You are so innocent, and you have found the most ancient of texts. Unfortunately for you, there is much more to magic than the Four Orders you know about. With magic, it is possible to do anything.”

A light flashed in her eyes and Tiberius felt the magic around her swirling into action. He was suddenly lifted up into the air. He started to shout with fear, but clenched his jaw instead. The Princes was levitating him. Then his arms started to move, spreading out in different directions. His legs too, stretching away from each other. He tried his best to relax, but soon the muscles and tendons were stretching painfully.

“Stop,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Make me,” she taunted.

“I don’t know how.”

“A pity. You know how to heal?”

He nodded.

“Show me,” she said, the light flashed in her eyes again, but this time her look of playful fun shifted into a menacing glare.

Tiberius felt his leg snap. The sound it made was like a dry twig breaking under a heavy boot. He screamed; the pain was overwhelming and bright spots danced in his vision. He looked down and saw his right leg bending sideways at mid-thigh. She had broken his leg without uttering a word. She lowered him slowly onto the bed and he lay there, gripping the thick quilted blankets with both hands.

“You can heal,” she reminded him, speaking loud enough to be heard over his pitiful moans of agony.

He’d never felt such pain in all his life. When he had broken his arm, his body had been filled with adrenalin and the excitement of fighting the Graypees had masked the pain. Later, when he was safe within the walls of Avondale, the pain had been a deep, throbbing ache. His leg was many times worse. The pain was so intense it was all he could think about. He felt his stomach heaving, threatening to vomit up the bread and water he’d eaten for breakfast. Sweat covered his face and pain raced up and down the entire right side of his body.

“Sana Magus,” she reminded him.

Slowly, the intense agony eased slightly, from all-consuming to constant torture. He knew his body was reacting to the break, naturally trying to heal itself. He was still in so much pain that tears ran freely from the corners of his eyes and his breathing came in rushed, ragged pants, but he could think. The spell came to his mind and he closed his eyes, concentrating.

“Acies Intrinsecus Accipio Ceptum Sarcio Adiflictus Ossis,” he said in a quiet voice.

He felt the powerful magic suddenly whirling around him. He had felt magic around Princess Ariel, but it had been like feeling a cool breeze on a hot day. Now he felt the powerful magic raging around him like a powerful storm. It took a great amount of effort just to stay in control of himself.

“Good,” he heard the Princess murmuring.

He ignored her and focused on the spell. He said it over and over, letting his mind ease down into his own body. It reminded him of touching a wound. As a child he’d had his share of accidents. Once, he’d gotten a long sliver of wood stabbed into his hand. It had taken all his willpower just to let Rafe touch the long sliver, and concentrating on his broken leg reminded him of that. It had been hard, and painful, but once the sliver was removed, his hand healed rather quickly and the pain decreased exponentially.