Chapter 28

Chapter 28

 

Preparation Intimidation…

 

Maltoris stared at them over his knuckles. His hands clasped, elbows rested on the large ornate desk, covering his mouth so all Cameron saw was Maltoris’s flint stone colored eyes. The six of them stood in front of his desk answering questions asked of them after Skiff had given his report.

“You’re telling me,” Maltoris sighed heavily as he sat back in his chair, “that there’s an immortal Chaos Pair out there?”

Skiff nodded once, curtly, “Yes Sir.”

“And not only this but there is evidence the Chaos can control portals into zones and dump Beasts wherever they damn well please?”

“Yes, sir, it appears that way.”

Blue met stone unflinchingly. Cameron had to admit if he hadn’t seen the two phenomena himself, he’d have a hard time believing the captain. Maltoris rubbed his tired eyes and for the first time since Cameron had known the man he looked his weathered age of sixty-three.

“Councilman Gin proclaimed he had no notion of this summons,” Maltoris stood from behind his desk as he spoke. The shadow of old age gone as he began to pace, reminding Cameron of the lithe tiger he was.

Skiff shook his head, “Correct.”  

“Most unusual,” Maltoris mused, “I’ve never known the half-elf to lie-I take that back, he does at cards.”

Don and Kailah exchanged curious glances wondering what their councilmembers actually did at meetings.

“Xerkieda on the other hand, is another matter,” he said slowly.

Cameron cleared his throat when Skiff turned to him, “Yes, sir.”

“What happened at Central,” Maltoris narrowed his eyes, “has been filed as a random Chaos attack of terrorism. Nothing more.”

“But si-“ Cameron started to protest but Maltoris held up a hand.

“I know, believe me I know,” he sighed, “After what you’ve told me I’m not surprised she hid the truth from the council.”

Cameron persisted, “But sir, she blatantly disregarded imperial orders!”

“If I may remind you, Gantervez,” Maltoris spoke firmly his voice deepening but not rising in volume, “had she not lied about that, you, your Caster, and I would suffer the ramifications of that fact as well as Xerkieda. The emperor doesn’t take kindly to those that break the law, no matter the reasons.”

Cameron bit his tongue lest he test Maltoris’ patience. Their group had returned from their journey a day after Maltoris had been summoned to an emergency Council meeting in Karpel. The emperor had become aware of the happenings in Southlands and Central. His hopes were to foster cooperation between the districts of his kingdom into sharing information. Cameron thought he’d have better luck teaching wolfenberres to juggle kittens.

They had immediately gone to Maltoris’ office to give their report, as was protocol, only to be turned away by his secretary. A week later he had returned from the meeting and promptly summoned them to give him the real account of events.

“Either way,” Maltoris pulled Cameron out of his reflections, “in spirit of cooperation, and imperial mandate, due to the fact Southlands’ ranks have been decreased, Attached Swords are allowed in the tournament this year.”

All six of them blinked in confusion. None of them had been prepared for that switch in conversation topics. Glancing back and forth between them Skiff was the first to recover.

“Sir?”

Maltoris shook his head, “It could have been worse, we could have been forced to ‘donate’ a few soldiers for their team. With this, Captain Wraithorn, and the other captains, are allowed to supplement up to three regular soldiers for attached Swords. Should you choose to do so. Now if that is all, you are all dismissed with one week’s leave.”

“Sir,” Cameron spoke hesitantly, “is there anything you can tell us about the Chaos Pair that attacked Central? Somehow they knew the tablet Xerkieda shanghighed us into getting for her was there. Doesn’t that seem a tad suspicious?”

Maltoris leaned back in his chair folding his hands into his lap, “As you know, we try to keep reports on all the known Chaos Pairs we encounter. This particular one has been a thorne in our side for nearly seven years now. Opius Von Dirithe and his Sword Gan Ainm were originally from the Galic Mountains. Opius’ ecentric nature got the better of him and he defected to the Chaos after trapping the Galic Compound in a nightmare realm for four months.”

Don whistled in horrific appreciation, “And here I thought he was just some fruit-cake.”

“Why would he do something like that?” Kailah asked folding her arms across her chest.

Maltoris shrugged, “After interviewing the survivors, those that weren’t completely shattered, because he felt like it.”

“What about his Sword?” Cameron shook his head ruefully, “She was exceedingly talented.”

“She was an orphan in Galic Opius rescued from somewhere in the Golsham Forest,” Maltoris sighed, “That was when Opius lost his first Sword. He came out of that horrible place with Gan Ainm in tow and a complete change in personality.”

Esma nodded in understanding, “Many strange things happen in that forest, even my people avoid it if at all possible.”

“That is all we know of those two,” Maltoris leaned forward, resting his forearms on his desk, “We will have to remain vigilant in these dark times to come. That is all, you’re dismissed.”  

Skiff nodded and saluted smartly, “Sir!”

The Swords followed suit while the Casters gave him a small bow. Maltoris bent over the never-ending supply of paperwork that haunted those in office as the six of them filed out the door. Upon reaching the main doors the group went their separate ways. Kailah and Cameron walked to their apartment, the sun slowly climbing the sky toward noontime. As Cameron opened the door, a rather annoyed Fudgums was sitting in the doorway twitching its tail. Cameron rolled his eyes as Kailah went forward and pet the cat, Don had been right, the cat had stayed.

 Kailah had gotten poor Korman to take care of the little devil while they had been gone for three weeks. Cameron figured it was poetic justice, even though the contents of the two summonses hadn’t really been the couriers fault. While Kailah cooed at the detestable flea bag, Cameron went and got some coffee started.

“Do you think Skiff will ask you to participate in the tournament?” Kailah called to him from where she sat on the couch, the cat purring happily in her lap.

 Cameron shrugged to the coffee pot as it started to gurgle, “Dunno, it’s possible, but I doubt it.”

“Why’s that?” She asked him over the back of the couch as he leaned in the kitchen doorway, “Wouldn’t you be an advantage?”

“Yes and no,” he answered then turned back into the kitchen to fix the cups.

Kailah waited for him to finish with the coffee, gently handing her one of the cups, and sit next to her on the couch. Fudgums immediately stopped purring and glared at Cameron.

After taking a sip he answered her more thoroughly, “Yes I would be more ‘powerful’, I guess is the term, but it might not be an actual advantage. The tournament is first and foremost a demonstration of each districts military prowess.”

At her look of confusion he continued on, “To display their assets to the utmost, each district holds a mini tournament, so to speak. Skiff’s squad will compete against all the others of Kalm’s squads that have entered for the shot at being the one that represents Kalm in the tournament at the end of the summer.”

“Ah, ok,” Kailah said taking a sip of coffee. She absentmindedly pet Fudgums while Cameron went on.

“I wouldn’t necessarily be an advantage to Skiff’s squad in the preliminaries, due to the fact that I haven’t been a part of a squad since before Shaliah and I first joined.”

“I thought you were put in Skiff’s squad after she died?” Kailah tilted her head to the side.

Cameron nodded, “True, for the four years between her and you. Still I never participated in the tournaments.”

“Ok,” She chewed on her lip in thought, “what exactly happens in these preliminaries?”

“It’s not all that interesting,” Cameron admitted, “the squads perform formations and whatnot. Maltoris judges based on finesse and stance, picking the four best squads. Those four in turn pick a ‘champion’ to duel the others. The winning squad represents Kalm.”

Kailah pursed her lips, “Sounds kind of convoluted, but whatever. Then what happens?”

Cameron shrugged, “Then the first week of autumn. All the reighing champion teams of the districts get together at one district, whichever one the tournament is held, and have matches. Sword fights, team battles, archery, jousting, you name it, it’s done,” He smiled to himself, “and then there’s the vendors. People come from all over the kingdom to sell their wares, jewelers from the Galic Mountains, silk traderes fromWerst, wool weavers from the Plains, all kinds of trades.”

Glancing up, Cameron couldn’t help but match Kailah’s grin that had spread across her face as he described the different wonders brought from all over the kingdom.

“Sounds almost magical,” Kailah giggled.

She leaned back against the couch, tucking her hand up into her hair lifting it off her shoulders. Her crimson eyes danced with amusement as she smiled at him. The world seemed to freeze around him as Cameron became aware of how close she was. He could just lean forward a little and-Fudgums hissed, swatting at Cameron, startling him back and off the couch onto the floor.

“Hey!” Kailah chided the cat, “What was that for?”

Cameron glared at the cat as it growled at him, “I didn’t do anything.”

Fudgums gave him a condescending look as it curled into Kailah’s lap and began to purr once more. Cameron shook his head as he got off the floor and dusted himself off.

“Are you alright?” Kailah asked him trying usuccessfully to shift the mound of fur from her lap, “He didn’t get you did he?”

“Nah, don’t think so,” Cameron responded, “Want another cup of coffee?”

She smiled at him, “Yes please.”

He returned the smile, taking her offered cup, and made his way to the kitchen. He heard from behind him, Kailah finally push the flea bag off her lap and stand up from the couch. Just as he was finished with her coffee she came and leaned against the counter next to him.

“Oh he did get you,” She stated touching his arm lightly, “Hold on I’ll get the ointment and a bandage.”

“Ah, it can’t be tha-well nevermind,” Cameron started to protest then changed his mind when he saw the three gashes in his arm, “That evil little-“

“Shh,” Kailah smirked as she came back from the cupboard with a small clay jar and a white gauze bandage, “Now let me see.”

Cameron held out his right arm and stood there patiently as she smeared the fowl smelling ointment on his cuts. It stung for a second then was quickly replaced with a cool soothing sensation. Kailah gently wrapped his forearm in the bandage, securing it tightly. As she traced the cuts with her fingers Cameron realized she was cooling them with her casting.

“Done,” Kailah stated as she smiled up at him.

She still held his right arm, she was so close her intoxicating scent of flowers and spice flowed over him. Gently almost hesitantly Cameron caressed her hair behind her ear with his left hand. The sun came out from behind a cloud and the light from the window above the sink haloed her dark hair.

Cameron stepped closer, his fingers lingering on her cheek, “Kai-“

“Hey guys!” Don poked his head in the kitchen window startling them both. Both Cameron and Kailah jumped back from each other, clutching their chests, “What you up to?”

Cameron got himself under control without strangling Don, barely, “Don, can’t you knock like a normal person?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Don grinned, “So what are you two up to?”

Kailah excused herself as a knock sounded on the front door. Cameron turned to Don fully, his ice blue eyes hard.

“You have the worst timing ever.”

Don pulled back out of the window in surprise, “What’d I do?”

Cameron didn’t answer as he turned when Kailah came back into the kitchen followed by Korman the courier. Korman presented a letter, salute, and a grin.

“Well, at least it isn’t raining this time,” Cameron growled as he took the missive and cracked the seal. He took a small amount of satisfaction that Korman shied away from fudgums when the fluff-ball strolled into the kitchen.

“What’s it say?” Don asked, nosey as ever.

Cameron shrugged, “It’s the generic ‘report to [insert name of captain of choice] to volunteer for the tournament’ pamphlet. Why’d you come all the way to deliver this?”

Korman smirked, “Maltoris himself asked me, is why.”

He did a little ‘turn the paper over’ motion with his hand. Cameron did so and on the back of the missive was Maltoris’ strong block handwriting.

 

Now, Gantervez.

 

Cameron pursed his lips, “Oh.”

“Wonder why,” Kailah bit her bottom lip in thought, “We just saw him not two hours ago.”

All eyes turned to Korman who held up his hands defenseively, “I’m just the meesenger.”

“At any rate,” Cameron shrugged, “I guess I’m going to visit Captain Wraithorn.”

 

3,512 years, 5 months, 28 days, 4 hours, 17 minutes left

Lady Niehra tried to ignore the smell permeatting the small stone room. It came from the decaying body of her brother where it lay on a slab in the middle of the circular room. She wondered, not for the first time, if this was the right thing to do, but he was all she had left. Hearing movement from the far side of the room snapped her out of her thoughts. The Soul Seeker flexed her wings to their greatest length as she stretched her arms out over the body of Shekrim.

To Lady Niehra in the flickering green light of the lanterns along the walls it seemed the Seeker’s shadow didn’t match her body. A cold shiver ran up Niehra’s spine as the Seeker began to chant in a low and guttural tongue. The language was like nothing she had ever heard before, nor did it seem possible to utter with a human tongue.

A green light envelope Shekrim’s body and Niehra watched in horrid fascination as the skin and tissue began to grow and knit itself back together. Soon enough the Seeker stopped chanting and Shekrim’s body lay whole on the slab, though lifeless. The Seeker motioned for Niehra to come to her side.

Squaring her jaw, Niehra moved to her side, back straight eyes proud, refusing to show the fear clenching her guts. The Seeker’s smirking blindfolded face, only served to rekindle the anger in her. Niehra stopped just beside her and starred down at the body of her brother.

“Your arm,” the Seeker demanded.

Niehra’s brow creased but she did as bidden offering her left arm to the Seeker. Quick as lightning pain erupted from the inside of her forearm from where the Seeker had sliced it open. Using startling strength the Seeker held Niehra’s bleeding arm over the corpse’s mouth, letting the blood drip freely.

Niehra cried out in surprise when the corpse’s eyes flew open and it lunged off the slab, mouth wide, to clench down on her arm over the wound. She felt more than her blood draining as her brother’s corpse sucked on her arm. Life slowly returned to his eyes as he fed. Tettering on consciousness she saw recognition followed by confusion flicker through the dark irises as he let go of her. He jumped off the slab and caught her as she stumbled. The two of them stood there unsure of what to say.

“Now, do not move,” the Seeker’s voice had dropped to a predatory tone sending the hairs on the back of their necks into high orbit.

Niehra was so terrified, as the blindfold hit the floor, she could do nothing but obey.