The Evermen Saga 01 - Enchantress (30 page)

"Raj Halaran!" Varana heard the cry. It was taken up by few.

The tide of fleeing townsfolk grew stronger. Varana stood transfixed, watching through the window, unable to move. It was dreamlike, unreal.

Varana saw a man drop all of his family’s possessions, leaving them by the side of the road as he scooped up a child who was lagging behind. His other two children ran close by his legs. His wife carried a small howling dog.

A few more of the townsfolk emerged with weapons. Stop! Varana wanted to tell them. Give up! You’ll only make it worse!

There was a sickening, crashing noise in the distance, in the direction the militia were running in. Then all Varana could hear was the sound of marching boots. A young Halrana boy ran by, away from the fighting. His sword was gone and blood covered his chest. Then another came — this time an older man, his head balding. Where his right arm had been was now just a bloody hole. He didn’t make it far. The old man collapsed, his lifeblood pouring onto the dust.

In the distance buildings went up in flames. Soon Varana’s vista was one long line of smoke as the town was systematically burned.

A crashing sound behind her forced Varana to tear her gaze from the window. The bedroom door burst inward and a huge bare-chested man entered carrying a curved sword in his hands. His shaved head bore a sun tattoo, spread across his scalp, and his face was scarred. He was old, as old as Varana’s father, and he grinned when he saw Varana.

"Ah, that’s more like it. Hey, Renitt, this one’s much better than that one in Ralanast."

There was a sound behind him and another warrior peered from behind the huge man’s shoulder. "Much better! C’mon, Skarl, me first this time. You got..."

Rennitt was cut off by Skarl’s elbow in his gut. He coughed.

"Shut yer mouth and wait by the door. Watch out for officers."

Skarl moved forward, a wide grin on his face. Varana noticed half of his teeth had been broken somehow. She felt detached from her body and just stood by the bed, a basket of laundry in her hands.

With a grumble, Rennitt leaned against the door, his arms folded across his chest.

"Here, there love. You won’t be needin’ that." Skarl pretended to reach for the basket then smashed his fists down onto it, knocking the basket from her hands. Varana shrieked. She couldn’t move.

He chuckled. "There, there. No need for noise. Some folks, they like a bit of noise while they’re at it. Not me, not Skarl. You just be nice ‘n quiet. That’s the way, nothing to make a fuss over."

Skarl reached over and slipped Varana’s dress first off one shoulder, then the other. He drew it slowly down and Varana’s breasts burst free. From the doorway, Rennitt made a sound of appreciation. Skarl reached over and roughly grabbed Varana’s breast, squeezing the nipple painfully between his thumb and forefinger. Varana cowered, shivering at his touch. It wasn’t happening. This would end soon.

"Nice. Very nice," Skarl said to himself.

"Hurry up then! Don’t want the officers to get here, do we?" Rennitt called.

With a grunt, Skarl nodded. In one motion he grabbed hold of Varana’s dress and ripped it away from her body, tearing until the material was in a mess on the ground.

Varana stood in front of them, eyes closed, her hands crossed in front of her breasts, her legs together. Both men chuckled.

"Look at ‘er," said Skarl. "Today’s our lucky day."

"Just hurry up," said Rennitt.

Skarl stood menacingly close to Varana. He raised his arm. She could barely open her eyes, terrified he was going to hit her. Terrified of what else he would do.

He pushed her, hard. Varana fell back onto the bed, and suddenly Skarl was on top of her, his weight crushing her, taking her breath. His mouth disgustingly tried to latch onto any part of her skin it could find — her neck, her lips and her breasts. He tried to push Varana’s legs apart with his knees, while she tried to keep them shut with every bit of strength she possessed.

"That’s the way it’s gonna be then?" Skarl said.

His fist lashed out, smashing into her cheek. Varana blacked out for an instant, and in that moment he drew her legs apart. Skarl fumbled with his trousers.

"Hurry u—" said Rennitt, his voice suddenly cut off mid-sentence.

Skarl ignored Rennitt and continued to pull his trousers open. Then all of his weight came down on top of Varana, and he stopped moving.

Varana felt something warm and wet spreading over her. She looked wildly about. Skarl’s dead eyes stared back at her. The weight suddenly lifted from her body.

A man stood above her. His head was also shaved but he wore delicate plated armour, black as night. Strange symbols were etched across the steel.

Varana slowly sat up. Skarl’s head lolled back beside her. His throat had been neatly cut from behind. Rennitt’s limp body was by the door.

"Can’t have this sort of thing going on, you understand. It’s bad for discipline," the newcomer said. He turned to another soldier behind him. "Burn the house. Any looting will be punished. Severely."

The soldier nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Please…" said Varana.

"Oh, I almost forgot."

The man’s hand whipped out, fast as a snake. Something sliced across Varana’s throat and she fell to the bed.

As her heart pumped the blood from her body, Varana looked at the timepiece on the wall. It had been in her family for generations.

Everything went dark.

27

The idea is not to create the tallest, thinnest turrets. Nor is it to raise walls that will withstand the mightiest foe. It is to build structures that will inspire the world with their beauty for a thousand years.

— Lore of the Builder, 14-12

E
LLA
woke out of a nightmare, some terrible monster plaguing her even in the refuge of sleep.

"Ho, the house!" a male voice called. "Enchantress, are you here?"

Ella lifted her body out of bed. It was time to face the news.

"Enchantress Ella!"

Ella’s heart thudded when she thought of Killian. Was he alive? Had he died during the night? She tipped some water from the ewer into the basin and washed her face. She carefully combed her hair.

She was terrified to hear what the man had to say.

"Ella!"

Ella dressed in her soft yellow dress, a simple garment that reminded her of summer. It set off her pale blonde hair, contrasted with her brilliant green eyes.

A pounding sounded at the door, growing steadily louder. Ella turned and walked to the door. A palace guard stood on the porch, his face grim.

"Enchantress, there you are. Please, you must come with me at once. At once!"

"Yes, yes. I know. It’s bad news then."

"You know?" He seemed shocked. "How could you know?"

Ella looked at him, perplexed.

"He’s gone," the soldier said. “Gone.” Ella put her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide. "And we need you to tell us where he went."

~

E
LLA
had never seen the palace guards so tense, so many of them with faces like cornered animals. They surrounded the Crystal Palace, out in force; there must have been hundreds.

The cold winter sun had only just risen, sending scant warmth through the clouds overhead. Palace officials stood huddled in heavy woollen coats, talking together in hushed tones. There was something odd about the scene, something indefinable. It was as if a terrible tragedy had occurred, and the people were now looking for someone to blame.

Ella couldn’t make sense of what the soldier said. He’d kept his lips firmly sealed, responding to none of her questions, just shaking his head and herding her in a direct line for the palace.

On the palace steps Ella could make out the forms of the High Enchantress and two lords, flanking an old man. At first Ella just saw the wisps of grey hair, a flowing green cloak and an immense stiff collar. Then she realised who it was.

"That’s the High Lord!" Ella exclaimed.

"It certainly is," said the soldier. "And you are about to meet him."

He herded her to the palace steps, until the two of them came to stand before the High Lord. If he hadn’t been a couple of steps above her, Tessolar would have been much shorter than Ella. The soldier departed without a word.

Remembering her manners, Ella dipped her body and put her right hand over her heart, while the fingertips of her left hand touched first her lips and then her forehead. She thought again about Lady Katherine, mysteriously drowned. How could she have married such a grim man, even if he was the High Lord?

"High Lord, this is the girl," said High Enchantress Evora Guinestor.

"High Lord, it is an honour," said Ella, not knowing what else to say.

He grunted — a surprisingly human sound to come out of his ancient face. From a short distance away the two lords looked on. "Ella?" High Lord Tessolar said in a hoarse voice. For some reason he wouldn’t meet her eyes. "Tell us of this boy, this thief who steals in the night."

Ella took a breath. "High Lord, I don’t understand. What has happened? I take it he lived?"

Evora spoke. "Lived? I doubt he was ever unwell."

"I… I don’t understand."

"Child, he was a thief. Last night, when most everyone in the palace was fast asleep, he searched my chambers, passed unhurt through my protective enchantments, found our Lexicon, and took it from under our very eyes."

"He did what?" Ella knew she wasn’t supposed to speak in this way in front of the High Lord, but the shock was too much.

"He stole our Lexicon," said High Lord Tessolar. "I would assume he was the same thief who stole the Halrana Lexicon. Much becomes clear now."

"Clear and yet full of unknowing," the High Enchantress frowned at the High Lord. "It should never have been possible."

"The animators’ Lexicon has been stolen also?" Ella said.

"Forget you ever heard that," said the High Enchantress.

"Bah, our enemies know," said Tessolar. "The Emperor knows. This is all his doing."

"We don’t know that," said Evora. "There is much we are dealing with that we do not understand."

"Skylord scratch his name!" the High Lord cursed.

Ella was shocked to hear the High Lord swear. She spoke up. "But I saw the essence. It was real essence, I should know. It touched his skin."

"I believe you," said the High Enchantress.

"You believe me? So…?"

"Somehow, the essence did not kill him. Somehow, he was able to move about in my chambers undetected. He passed through our wards like they didn’t exist. He walked past hundreds of people without being seen. Child, I need to know what you know. Who is this young man?"

Realisation came over Ella slowly, the shock of recent events fogging her mind. She had been tricked. It had all been a trick, all of it. She’d thought she’d killed him, killed another, like she’d killed Talwin. She felt sick.

"He said his name was Killian." She swallowed. "I… I don’t really know much about him. He had an accent. He told me he was from a distant land, here to trade goods."

The High Lord snorted. The High Enchantress shot him a warning glare.

"Continue, my dear."

"I showed him around Sarostar. He seemed interested in the palace. I told him everything I knew. I didn’t know there could be any harm in it, Lord of the Sky, how could I have known?"

"Is there more? Were you, intimate?"

Ella blushed. "No, nothing like that. Well, we kissed. Just once." She found it made her angry the way the High Enchantress was nodding. "We spent some time together, that is all!"

A palace guard came over and made a formal greeting to the High Lord and the High Enchantress. "You asked for me, High Enchantress?"

"Ah, yes. High Lord, this is Sorrell Ronin, one of the guards."

"Soldier," said the High Lord.

"Enchantress Ella, Sorrell here had an encounter with your young man. Sorrell, could you describe what you saw?"

Ella turned to the guard.

"He was quick — obviously he had some skill. Not as fast as our bladesingers though, nothing like that. The invisibility though, that was the hard part. Other than that he was naked, didn’t stand a chance if he hadn’t had that essence."

"Invisibility?" Ella said incredulously.

"Like our bladesingers’ shadow. But where they make light pass through their armoursilk, he’d somehow made the light pass through his skin. He could hardly be seen."

"Do you know anything about this?" the High Enchantress asked.

"No. No, of course not. How could such a thing be possible? Was he wearing something over his skin?"

The soldier shook his head definitively. "Not a thing, he was completely naked. The bladesinger, he could sense him though. Almost took him in half with his zenblade."

"Almost?" Ella said. Despite herself, she wasn’t sure how she felt about the thought of Killian being hurt. "What happened?"

The soldier’s face grew grim. "The thief threw essence at the bladesinger. Sprayed it out of a bottle he’d stolen. Lord of the Sky, I hope I die in my sleep, I never want to feel pain like that."

"That is all, thank you soldier," said the High Enchantress. She looked hard into Ella’s eyes. "Is there anything, anything else, anything at all?"

Ella slowly shook her head, trying to think of something that could help. It was she who had caused this mess after all — her brother was out there fighting and she’d helped give the enemy a great weapon against them, at the same time crippling her house.

"Only that he had red hair and an unusual name. He just asked me a lot of questions. Lord of the Sky, I don’t know what to say."

The High Enchantress just nodded.

"What do you plan to do next? How can we recover our Lexicon?" said High Lord Tessolar.

"I’ll make plans to track him down, it’s our only option," said the High Enchantress. "I renewed the Lexicon recently. It will take time for the runes to fade."

"He should stand out with that red hair," the High Lord said. "Just remember what happened to the animators’ loremaster, Evora. We can’t afford to lose you too."