Crystal Throne (Book 1) (8 page)

CHAPTER VIII

“They are getting close,” a voice said in Thad’s ear as he was shaken awake.

As Thad’s eyes cleared, he noticed his son hunched over him, his face one of calm serenity. Seeing that his father was awake, Bren turned to move back into his position. Not knowing why, Thad reached out and took hold of his son ankle. “Wait,” Thad said as he pulled himself into a sitting position.”

“Yes,” Bren said his voice as calm as his demeanor.

“How are you doing?” Thad asked, unable to think of anything else to say to his son.

“Father, right now is not the best time to catch up,” Bren said calmly. “Maybe after if we survive we can sit down to have a nice chat.”

“That is just the point,” Thad replied. “We might not live past this day, and I don’t want to think that it ended without settling things between us.”

“Father there is nothing to settle,” Bren said almost confused. “I am no fool. I know your leaving was not your fault and I hold no ill will to growing up without you.”

Looking up into his son’s face, Thad couldn’t help but to laugh. “You might not think so, but your eyes tell a different story, but I won’t push it, not today, but soon you will tell me the truth. Life is too short to hold such feelings especially from yourself.”

As Thad got to his feet, Bren turned and walked back toward the three sets of double doors that led to the road outside and drew his obsidian sword. Thad didn’t know why, but each time he saw that sword something inside him shivered. It was much like the feeling the white swords had given him when he had fought against the Brotherhood, but it didn’t have the same sense of dread, then again the sword wasn’t trying to cleave his head from his shoulders.

Don’t you think that you should get ready?

Without replying, Thad moved into a position beside Humanius and drew his own sword, thought it felt a puny thing in his hand. As his fingers tightened and squirmed on the hilt of his sword, Thad wished he had his sword back in his hand. If only the sword headed his call as Thuraman did, Thad thought as he looked toward the doors and his son.

“Stay back,” Humanius said placing a comforting hand on Thad’s shoulder. “There is little you can do against the likes of the scions. The godlings stand a decent chance, but you would be killed before you could make a chip on their crystal hide.”

Thad felt like a child as he looked at his son and the other gods. For the first time, Thad believed that he should have stayed back if all he could do was be protected. It was a new feeling for him. Not once in his life had he needed to be protected, or he had never believed so himself, his wife might have disagreed with him on that point if she was here.

Taking up a place next to Humanius, Thad looked out the window and watched to road leading to where they waited.

Thad didn’t have to wait long before he got his first glimpse of the scions. Unlike the creatures they had seen before, these did not look like an animal, but stood upright and walked slowly on two crystal legs. There were three of the scions and Thad couldn’t help but think of them as humans. The way they walked, and looked around as if surveying the area, was far different than the scions they had seen last time and from what Thad could tell, it seemed as if they were talking among each other. It wasn’t that their mouths were moving, but from the way they looked from one to the other every so often.

When the scions were no more than a hundred feet from where Thad and the others hid, all three of the scions turned in their directions and walked straight toward the building where they were.

Right before the scions reached the door, the Godlings burst through and attacked them. Unlike the creatures before who moved like animals, these scions fought with an almost calm understand of their enemies. Within moments the only Godling that was left was the elven god, but the fight was not completely one sided, as one of the scions lay on the ground, its pieces scattered and broken.

The tall, strong elven god moved with grace; dancing outside of the scions grasp of death, striking whenever a chance presented itself. Each blow of the elven god’s blade made another chip in one of the scions, but it was making little difference until the blade dug deep into one of the creatures and its leg shattered.

Thad almost yelled with joy, but the scion was not the only one surprised by the shattering limb. The elven god lost his balance and fell on top of the scion as it tumbled to the ground. As it impacted the ground, the scion’s right arm shattered and large cracks formed on the creature’s head.  The elven god tried to scramble away, but the scion grabbed at him as he tried to roll away and before the Godling could get free of the creature’s grasp, the other scion grabbed the elven god’s head and pulled it free from the Godling’s body as if he were picking a ripe grape from the vine.

Thad felt his stomach churn as he watched the grizzly scene. It was not the first time that he had seen a death, but nothing like what was happening in front of him. In an instant, Thad watched as his son jumped through the door, his sword raised for a strike at the scion. Thad tried to scream for Bren to stop as visions of the boy’s death flashed through his mind, but all he could manage was a slight whisper of a scream.

Everything seemed to happen slowly as Bren’s sword seemed to flow toward the scion’s chest. Thad expected the blade to bounce of the crystal, creating only a small chip, if any damage at all, but the blade dug deep, cutting through the scion as if he were cleaving flesh instead of stone.

As the scion fell to the ground and shattered into half a dozen pieces, Thad moved to the creature lying on the ground as it clawed to get into a position to strike at him. Before Bren’s sword could strike, Humanius yelled for the Bren to stay his hand. Without asking why, Bren lowered his weapon and moved away from the pitiful creature lying before him.

Thad started to ask his friend why he had spared the murderous beast, but he never got the chance. Humanius moved toward the scion and using one hand, struck the creature on the shoulder and knee breaking the limbs as if he was shattering shale with a sledgehammer.

A moment of anger flashed through Thad. If Humanius could destroy the scions so easily, then why had he let the Godlings die while he watched; while he did nothing? The anger quickly dissipated, though the question remained in the back of his mind.

“Speak,” Humanius demanded of the scion.

Thad thought that his friend had lost his mind. If these creatures had the ability or desire to speak, they would have done so long before now.

“Young master, I did not think that it would be you that we found among the invaders. In truth, we all thought you long dead,” the scion said. Its voice was light and musical as if the words were sung from a flute.

“Roger,” Humanius said as he backed away from the scion.

“Roger,” the scion said as if tasting the name on its own lips. “I believe that was what I was called, though it was so long ago I am not sure; even my memories of you are muddled along with many others, most of those not my own.”

“What happened here?” Belaroan said stepping forward and looking down on what was left of the scion.

“Happened?” The scion asked, as if it didn’t understand what Belaroan was asking.

“Yes, what happened here? You know to our world, to you. When did the gateway fall?” Belaroan asked her face turning a light shade of red, though even without looking at her, the anger was clear in her voice.

“I don’t know,” the scion said. “Time passes, and all I know is what the voices tell me.”

“Voices?” Humanius asked.

“Yes, the voices of the one,” the scion replied, his face almost showing pain. “It is always there, though most of the time it is quiet like a light breeze blowing past your ear, but lately it has been like a mighty torrent… It has been demanding.”

“What has it been demanding?” Humanius asked, as he looked to the others.

“You,” the scion replied. “It wants those that cannot hear its voice. Those of us left… those chosen to hear its call have been called to find you.”

“Just how did you find us?” Belaroan asked as she clenched and unclenched her fist.

“We followed her voice,” the scion replied. “It was hard to understand, but as we got closer, the easier it was for it to guide us.”

“Thank you Roger,” Humanius said and he raised his foot above the creatures head. “Now rest.”

As Humanius said the last words, his foot shoot down and the scion’s head shattered like a vase dropped from a high ledge. “It sounds as if we won’t have an easy time of it, not with scions tracking us. I would suggest that we not waste any time and head straight to our destination.”

Without another word, everyone gathered up their belongings. Within moments, they were once again on the road marching toward the palace.

While they walked, Thad moved up to the front of the group next to Bren. “Son, do you mind if I see your sword?” Thad asked with a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Bren shrugged his shoulders and pulled the sword free of its scabbard and handed it to his father. Thad took the sword and carefully looked it over. It wasn’t hard to tell that it was made of some kind of glass, but what kind he had no idea. “Where did you come across this weapon?” Thad asked as he handed the blade back to Bren.

“Crusher made it for me,” Bren replied, his voice sounding somewhat distant. “At the time I was having trouble with the mage tower and needed something that could match steel as well as magic.”

Thad had watched his son during that time in his life, but most of it has passed from his memory. He had been so focused on his son that much of what had been going on around him passed his attention. “I see,” Thad said his mind working furiously. Bidding his son farewell, Thad slowed his pace and let himself fall to the back of the group.

“I know that look,” Humanius said, moving up beside him. “I have seen it many times when I watched you during your youth. Have you thought of something? If so, I would suggest you talk with me about it, I might just be able to help you.”

Thad stopped where he was and turned his head to look at the god. “Do you think you could make more of those white swords? If they worked as well against the scions as it did against magical creatures from our own world we might stand a chance.”

“Wouldn’t work,” Humanius said within the space of a heartbeat. “The swords were a channel to me, and while I can hold a vast amount of magical energy, it is nothing compared to what I would have to hold if it was used against a scion. Fighting the scions are not our main problem; their ability to find us is the real problem.”

“How do you think they do it?” Thad asked as the wheels in his mind began to turn.

“It is hard to say,” Humanius replied. “There is any number of ways that we might be tracked, my best guess would be that we are like a black spot on whatever it is this voice sees.”

“If you can give me a few days I think I can solve the problem,” Thad said after a few moments as ideas already shot though his mind.

“In a few days the scions will already be on us,” Humanius replied.

“Even if we reach the palace, how long do you think it will take us to find your book,” Thad replied. “Once we are there we will not be able to leave until we find our answers. If the scions know where we are then our job will be made that much harder.”

Humanius did stop in his tracks as he looked up to the palace that was growing ever closer. “Everyone stop,” Humanius yelled after a few moments.

“What is it now dear brother?” Belaroan asked tapping her foot in irritation.

“Thad thinks he knows of a way to hide us from the scions and has made a good point in, let us say, delaying our journey until he can do such a thing. I am in a mind to agree with him.”

“I see no harm in waiting a few days,” Bren agreed. “If we can keep the scions off our backs, I think it is well worth the delay.”

Belaroan looked to the others then back to the palace. “A few days and no more. I have been working my whole life to get back here, but now that I am home I want nothing more than to leave it behind me.”

“I have to agree with that,” Thad said as he unconsciously looked at his gloved hand, a movement that wasn’t lost on Humanius. “We will need to stay in one place for a time and I will need metal, gems are plenty enough, other than that all I will need is time.”

“I know of a place,” Belaroan said after a few moments. “The council building was large and defensible and might even hold a few records of what happened while we were gone dear brother.”

“As good a place as any, though it will take more than a day to reach the council building,” Humanius replied. “But maybe the more distance between us and the palace will help us in the end. If they knew where we were headed then they might set a trap for us instead of hunting us down.”

“Dear brother, I think you give these creatures too much credit. I saw the scion and heard him the same as you. They don’t have much thought left in them.”

“They might not, but we have no clue what this voice might know or think of,” Humanius replied. “In the end, I don’t want to take a chance when we don’t have to.”

“Then we have our next destination,” Bren said drawing everyone’s attention to him. “I would suggest we get moving before we have a host of scions bearing down on us.”