Sytravious: The Lost Warlock Of Moruz (The Oathbreaker Book 1) (17 page)

              “He means no harm, he is just different.”  She beamed at the thought of him.  “Different than anyone I have ever met.  Just give him a chance, Master Vienken.  He is a good man.”

              “It does not matter if he is a good man or not, it is not up to me to give him a chance.  You know who you would need to discuss this with, and she is downstairs.”

              Dissatisfied with his response she knit her brow when she looked into his grey eyes while he spoke to her.

              “As long as the High Priestess is here, she will be supervising your lessons, so you must be on your best behavior, so there is to be none of this distractedness.  You must understand the knowledge she is able to share with you is unique, not to mention priceless.”

              At the mention of this topic, she groaned and complained, “I do not want priceless knowledge anymore, even if it is for the good of the temple.  I only want to be with Sytravious.”

              “Sytravious?  Oh, the boy.  However, my dear, you must think straight, especially with the High Priestess here.  You cannot allow your mind to be clouded with boys.  It is just not the right time.”

              “Then when is the right time?  Kenshiro has already approached me about courtship.  You would rather me be unhappy and married to my own cousin, than to be happy with who I want to be with?  That is essentially what you are telling me!”

              “Wait, what?  I said nothing of the sort.  I am asking you to behave like a priestess of the temple of Vesalys and I do not think that is too much to ask, being you
are
one.  We will discuss your cousin’s inappropriate behavior later, but for now, I need you to conduct yourself in a proper manner for the High Priestess.  Which means you will respect the rules while she is here, you will heed every lesson she gives you, and you will be grateful that she has taken the time to mentor you.”  Vienken’s voice began to rise the more frustrated he got with her.

              Raiven stomped across the room to her bed.  She sat down, grabbed her pillow, and planted her face into it.

              “Young lady, I am speaking to you.”

              She did not respond.  How could he be so insensitive to her feelings?  Could he not see that she just wanted to be a normal girl?  She felt the weight of the dwarf as he sat on her bed, and looked up from the pillow. 

              “My dear, I know it can be hard being raised in the temple environment.  You may feel like we are withholding simple pleasures from you, such as choosing whom you love.  However, when Vesalys blessed you, it was because she believed you were strong enough to adhere to the strict demands of being a priestess.  You have to find solace in knowing she has faith in you as you have faith in her.”

              She heaved a sigh.  “I know, but it is tough.”

              “Trust me, I know.  How about this?  If you promise me not to see what is his name?  Stravous?”

              “Sytravious!”

              “Pardon me,
Sytravious
.  If you promise not to see him while the High Priestess is here, then once she leaves I will do what I can to aid him in requesting to court you---”

              She gasped in shock, and then squealed with excitement.

              “Now hold on.  You must know it is a longshot and I cannot guarantee anything once the request reaches the capital, but I will try my best to help.”

              “Oh I am not worried, I know the High Priestess will see all the good in him and Vesalys will guide her in making the right choice for me.”

              “Yes, alright, now go get ready!  We have taken much too long already and we must not keep her waiting.

              “I will be down in just a moment.”

              Vienken nodded and went to wait in the hall.  Once the door shut behind him, she danced happily around the room.  She could not believe what a turn of events this day had taken, and it was all going her way.  Waiting to see him would be a challenge, but the reward she would get for being patient was almost too good to be true.  However, instead of dwelling on that possibility, Raiven chose to be more optimistic and embrace the chance she could be with Sytravious.

Chapter 16

The Past Revealed - The Future Opened

S
ytravious stalked his familiar opponent as the early afternoon sun beamed down on them.  He stood in the scorpion defense stance with the flat, double-edged blade of his halberd held high above his head.  Nysight smirked and twirled his long swords before striking out at him.  The steel clashed together, creating the sweet metallic clang that was like music to his ears. 

His stepfather had planned a full morning’s worth of training, which began before sunrise.  The day had started with a brisk run through the woods, and then moved on to a long swim in the river, followed by hand-to-hand combat practice, and ending with the weapon drills they were currently working on.  He knew Nysight was pushing him until he was sure Sytravious had the moves committed to muscle memory.  However, today, as many of the days since that night, he was preoccupied with ideas of his possible origins.

As anxious as he was when he found out, he still had not figured out a way to approach his stepfather about the information he sought.  The number of questions he had come up with had exponentially grown with each day he waited.  He decided today was as good as any to bring it up. 

“Hey, I heard something a few weeks ago that has kind of got me thinking.”  Sytravious said as he shoved Nysight’s sword aside, and jabbed the point of his weapon at his shoulder. 

His stepfather stepped back with ease, slapped the shaft of the weapon away from his body, and said, “Well, I hope it has to do with learning how to land a blow on your opponent.  If you do not get at me soon, your arms will tire.  Remember, a polearm is a great weapon to create distance, but if you keep fooling around with it, you will become fatigued in no time during a real battle.”

“Yes, I recall, from my first lesson with a halberd…ten years ago!”  He took a few more swipes at Nysight, making him back up. 

“I think you can help me figure something out.”  He feigned a low attack, causing Nysight to lower his swords to protect himself, which allowed Sytravious to swat him in the arm with the flat of the blade.

“That is more like it, son!”

“I want to know about when Lord Byronicus attacked Springdale,” he blurted out.

“Attacked…Springdale? 
That
is
what you want to interrupt our fight for?”  Nysight hesitated and lowered his swords.  He stared at Sytravious.  “Lord Byronicus came here to negotiate a treaty with King Ilan, but instead he was attacked, so he fought back.” 

“That is exactly what mother told me when I was young, but I am a man now.  Nysight, please tell me what really happened.  I heard he came in fighting, he did not even attempt to negotiate.”

“It is common sense that every story has two sides.  Your mother has explained one account and I imagine what you have heard is the Havencrest version.  Simply put, Lord Byronicus invaded to make a statement to King Ilan that he would no longer tolerate discrimination against his people, but he quickly realized that he was only wasting his men and resources on a city that would not fall.  Feeling the mission had become a waste of time, he retreated.”

“And in his retreat he torched the outlying villages,” Sytravious alleged. 

Nysight remained silent in deep thought. 

“He did it with the black flame, the same type of flame that just so happens to be the
family
art.”

“Your mother would not approve of us having this conversation.”

“But I am asking you, not her.  She is not even around.  Was it not only weeks ago that you told her I should know more about the details of the past?  Share the facts with me so I can better understand not just her past, but also my own.  I need to know who Byronicus is to me.  I deserve that much.”

“I agree, you ought to know about your family tree, but your mother should be the one to tell you.”

“So you admit Byronicus is in my family tree.  How am I related to him?”

Ignoring him, Nysight lifted his swords and began his attack on Sytravious again.  He was frustrated with his stepfather and the way he was evading the conversation.  Parrying the strikes, he then leaned in and jabbed his weapon forward to create a greater distance between Nysight and himself.  In turn, his stepfather used the swords to form an ‘X’ over the blade of his weapon and stabbed them into the ground, trapping the halberd between them.

“Pay attention,” Nysight warned.

“But, I was not done talking to you.  You can try to spar me all day as a distraction, but I will not stop asking these questions until you answer them.  Now tell me, who Byronicus is to me!”

Nysight left his swords stuck in the ground, stepped up to Sytravious’ face, and grabbed him by the collar.  “It seems I have given you the impression that you have the right to talk to me like I am one of your little friends off the street.”  Nysight glowered at him; every word he spat out was full of fury.  “You may be able to take on your mother using your magic, but until the day you can kick my ass like a man, blade on blade, do not
ever
think you can make any demands of me.  Remember your place, and show some respect.”

His stepfather let him go with a shove.  Sytravious was shocked by the outburst.  He could not believe he had been scolded in such a way, and having it been by Nysight only made him feel worse. 

“I did not mean any disrespect, I guess I let my obsession with these ideas cloud my judgement and I am sorry.  I only wanted to know about where I come from because it is a part of me that I feel is missing.”

“So what if you are an heir to Byronicus, he is dead.  What does it matter now?”  Nysight grumbled.

“I do not know.”  He shrugged.  “You and mother leave me with the impression that it somehow matters.”

“How so?”

Sytravious raised an eyebrow and gestured to the weapons.  “Why spend so much time teaching me all this?  You either need me to be prepared for something serious that is going to happen, or you two are just obsessed with me.”

Nysight’s look of discontent faded as he snorted and tried to hide his grin.  “Yes, the latter.”

“Okay, no jokes.  Please, tell me the truth.  I can handle it.”  He watched as his stepfather closed his eyes and rubbed his temple.  Was the information he was asking him for really that taxing to explain?

“You are the last male heir in the VanDrake bloodline, making you Byronicus’ grandson.  Lord Fheng, the current ruler of the First Legion, was jealous of your grandfather’s status and influence he had among the people, so he murdered him.  After that, he knew it would be only so long before your mother would try to seek revenge for her father’s death, so he preempted her strike and tried to murder her while she was pregnant with you.  She let Fheng believe he had succeeded, which is when I helped her flee the country.”

It was all starting to fit together now.  This was all about Nyxseous wanting revenge for her father’s murder.  “So all this preparation is for the vengeance she wants to exact on Lord Fheng?  Which means she does not plan to stay here forever, does she?  Am I only a pawn in her retaliation?”

              “Your mother…well, she has been nursing a deep-seated hatred for Fheng for twenty years.  The severity of his deception against her family cut her deep, and that is why she has dedicated everything to getting her revenge one day.  It is understandable to an extent, but it has consumed her, making her heart full of hate.  There is no room for anything else, including us.”

              “And you are alright with that?”

              “Sytravious, I am no fool.  I know she only keeps me around to protect the family and teach you to be a better fighter.  In that way, I am of use to her, but she does not need me for anything other than that,” he said and looked to the ground.

              “I do not understand how you stick by her side, despite how callous she is.”               

              The saddened smile on his stepfather’s face told him that Nyxseous’ inability to love Nysight back did not affect the way he felt.  He still loved her.  It was not his place to question the feelings his stepfather had for his mother, so instead he asked, “What do you intend to do once she enacts her revenge?  Are you going to remain loyal to her and blindly follow her through with her plans?”

“I will always be loyal to her, but that does not mean I will just do whatever she wants.  I will always try my best to keep her safe, even if it is from herself.  In this case, I used to agree with her and was even willing to help her kill every enemy she had in mind, but as time went on, I started to see things differently.  Spending all these years with you both, it has changed me and opened my eyes to a life I never believed was possible.”

“You mean you actually enjoy living in Havencrest, hiding who you are just so you can work as a blacksmith?”

"I do not think I really am hiding my identity, other than my name.  Your occupation does not make up whom you are.  You must know that.  I am getting old and the dreams I once had, of being mighty and powerful, have changed.  I think I could be just as happy staying in Havencrest with my family.”

“How?  We cannot escape who we are.  No matter how much I would like to stay, a VanDrake would never be welcome in Havencrest.” 

Nysight rested his hand on Sytravious’ shoulder.  “Son, you have lived here your entire life.  Your mother and I are the fugitives, not you.  Maybe we cannot leave the past behind, but that does not mean you have to let us affect your future.  Before a few moments ago, you did not even know you were a VanDrake, so why would anyone else?  You know, I used to train you to be able to fight alongside us when we went back to Moruz, but those same skills can apply to whatever path you choose.  Our past does not define you, Sytravious, and our sins are not your burden to shoulder.”

He smirked at Nysight.  “Thanks,” was all he said, not trying to let on how glad he was to get his stepfather’s encouragement. 

“Alright, now enough talking about the past and pick up your weapon.”

              Sytravious bent down, grabbed the halberd off the ground, and began sparring again.  While parrying the attacks coming at him, he dwelled on the idea of choosing his own path in life, one that included the priestess.  He had already felt the growing urge to rebel against Nyxseous’ oppressive control over his life, but with this nudge from Nysight, he was more confident in acting on that desire. 

From the south and east gates of the castle, the heralding trumpets’ celebratory fanfare could be heard echoing through the woods.  Both men halted, knowing the lesson was over. 

“Let us go see what all the fuss is about,” Nysight said.

They picked up their belongings and moved out, heading back to the Trapper House.  Sytravious had not heard that notification come from the castle since they announced the celebration of a new priestess at the temple.  He was too young to understand at the time, but he enjoyed the festivities nonetheless.  By the time they arrived, the entire town had already gathered on the castle grounds, leaving the streets quiet and empty. 

              “I am going home to put our weapons away and get your mother.  She will not have went to the castle alone.  Go see what is going on and we will catch up with you later.”  Nysight waved his hand as if shooing Sytravious away.

              “Okay, I will go check.”  He turned and ran toward the crowd. 

              The eager energy among the masses was palpable.  As he pushed through the citizens, he could hear multiple mentions of the name Jezra.  Was the High Priestess in Havencrest?  Her presence would be unusual, as she rarely visited their city.  He wondered what would make her travel all the way from the capital.  His stomach dropped when he remembered what Elric had told him about sending the report to Cleary Court, but all his worries receded to the back of his mind when he saw Raiven sitting in the royal courtyard.

              Sytravious stood near the front of the gathering, with a clear view of what was going on.  It was the first time he had seen her since their kiss.  She wore an elegant, form fitting, sage colored dress that flowed to her ankles.  Her long ponytail sparkled with decorative emeralds and pearls.  She looked just as flawless as the last night he laid eyes on her.

              Sytravious scanned the group that was assembled in the courtyard, seeing that next to Raiven, sat Jezra.  The High Priestess seemed archaic in comparison to her apprentice, but it played into why she commanded the respect of everyone.  Behind the two priestesses were their head guardians.  Bryce stood next to a rather large man that Sytravious assumed to be Jezra’s well-known guardian, Xertias.  Off to the side, sat the general and the warden.  Two elite knights flanked them, each holding up the city banners of Valcrest and Havencrest, with pride. 

              When a man, who Sytravious recognized as the royal crier stepped out into the middle of the square and cleared his throat, the crowd hushed. 

              “Hear ye, hear ye, citizens of Havencrest.  I am proud to announce the arrival of the magnificent High Priestess of Valcrest.  This is such an exceptional occasion that your generous warden could not let it pass without a spectacular celebration in the form of a grand festival the whole city can enjoy.  It will be an event to remember!”