Unraveling Legends - Chapter 4

<-Chapter 3

 

“The bloody hands of madness.”

 

There was a prison in town, though it currently stood empty, and it was there that the three 'traitors' were taken. The entire town was in an uproar, and the other soldiers had a hard time keeping back the crowd. It was in danger of becoming a mob scene, and the town militia began to make angry noises as if they would challenge Vandel's authority.

Each sibling was put into a different cell inside the jail. Their weapons were confiscated and placed near the door where a soldier stood guard. There would be no immediate execution with the riot outside. In fact, the people were so angered that Vandel began to think he would need to take his prisoners away from town for the execution. He wanted to make an example of them, but this wasn't working as he had intended.

It took until nightfall for the crowd to be dispersed, and it only happened because the soldiers had begun to threaten others with arrest for supporting traitors. The militia couldn't even really do anything to help. The Foresalia Army was better trained, and starting an internal war would not help when there was an external one being fought. Everyone fully believed Rihou and Nick were innocent, but there was nothing they could do. Daniel and Helena Luminarie had already started packing their bags. If their kids were murdered, they would move to Taron.

Only one soldier stayed to stand guard over the prisoners when it became clear that none of them considered escape as a possibility. Nick was absolutely silent, Naomi paced like a caged animal, and Rihou seemed to be fascinated by the stars out his window. None of them even touched the meager dinner they were offered.

When the door opened, the soldier got to his feet quickly, expecting to find his commanding officer. What he instead found was a shockingly gorgeous young woman in the clothes of a bard. He recognized her from the caravan; he just had no idea why she was there. "Miss, you need to leave." She turned a look on him from large, lovely, green eyes, and he stammered, "Uh, I mean, it's dangerous with criminals."

"Please let me say goodbye." Tears shimmered across her lashes and made her words quiver. Her lower lip trembled as she gave a delicate sniff, and a single tear slid down her cheek. "Rihou is my lover. Please let me say goodbye!" She put a hand on his arm and leaned in. "Please? A decent man like you must understand how I feel."

"Uh, I, well." He tried desperately to keep his gaze from lowering to the spectacular feminine flesh that showcased so brilliantly in her snug bodice. "I mean, I guess it couldn't hurt." She brightened and smiled at him, and he felt his cheeks turning red. Rihou was one hell of a lucky bastard. "Just be quick."

"Oh, thank you!"

Rihou somehow managed to keep the confusion off his face as he watched the soldier open his cell door so Elissa could slip inside. "Elissa?" His eyes widened as she threw herself against his chest and clung onto his shirt with more drama than desperation. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to say goodbye." She looked up at him with her lower lip trembling as more tears welled but did not fall. She wiped at them delicately and took a breath like a woman trying to compose herself. "I don't believe anything they say!" she said passionately. "I'll fight to clear your name!" She wound her arms around his neck, kissed him hard and fast, and then released him. On a little sob, she almost flew out of the cell.

The soldier, feeling a little like a jerk, locked the door again and said, "You better leave now."

She turned an imploring look on him from large eyes framed by tear-dampened lashes. "Will you escort me back to my camp? It's dark out and dangerous for a civilian alone. I'd feel much safer if you'd see me back. I know I can trust someone like you."

"I'm supposed to stand guard . . ." Her lips trembled and he crumbled. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt. They're not going anywhere." He tucked her hand into his elbow and gallantly helped her up the short stairs and out into the hall.

The door shut behind him, and Nick said, "What in the name of all that is holy in this world was that about?" His cell was across from Rihou's, and he'd had a perfect view of the entire scene. "I'll eat my hat if she was serious about any of that. She laid it on so thick that you could cut it with a knife!"

Rihou smiled wryly and then suddenly spit a small key into his hand. "She gave it to me when she kissed me."

"That's one heck of a kiss!" Naomi said.

"Rather brassy, I admit. I think the next time she kisses me we can do without the key." Rihou wasted no time in unlocking his cell door. He then unlocked Nick and Naomi's cells, and all three hurried to retrieve their weapons. The guard hadn't returned, and Rihou had a strong feeling that he never would.

The prison rested underground of the courthouse. The courthouse itself, like many publicly owned buildings, was almost a maze inside. The town kids used it for playing hide and seek. The judge had once tried to stop them but had eventually given up and started hiding treats for them to find.

Traveling together made them too conspicuous, and they split up when they reached ground level. All three of them made quick dashes for the exits. Nick got to one and threw the door open to find Kyle about it kick it down. He had never been so glad to see anyone before. "I think I owe you one," he said. "That's twice you've saved my ass."

"I'll put it on your tab."

Naomi got to a door and opened it to discover Ewan on the other side. She knew him from Rihou's description, and she also felt curiously safe with him. She felt as if she had found a kindred spirit who would understand why she believed that her brother was so precious. "You're Ewan!" She grabbed his arm. "Is Rihou out yet?"

"Not yet. We were coming in after you." His brows lifted as she whirled, and he firmly caught her around the waist. "Hang on, spitfire! Let's give him a few minutes before we go in lest we miss him entirely!"

She kicked her feet but the brute was much bigger and stronger. "Rihou could get lost in a paper bag!" she almost wailed.

A directionally challenged Kaiten Star. In that moment, Ewan understood that Rihou, for an entirely different reason than Tyrian, would be just as stressful to keep safe. "Two minutes," he said. "You might be wrong."

Unfortunately, she wasn't. Rihou was definitely lost. He was also muttering dire curses under his breath as he went around corners. Why couldn't they build things in straight lines, or circles? Why did they always have to use so many turns and dead ends? He stared at the wall in front of his face and sighed. The judicial building was as complicated as the judicial process!

"Hold it, Royaltine!"

He turned around with another sigh. The soldier standing behind him was armed with a crossbow, and Rihou lifted his hands slightly. Any other weapon and he knew he could have taken the enemy down. He could only take out archers and bowmen when he had the element of surprise. Few people moved faster than an arrow. "You can't blame me for trying," he said reasonably.

"True, but since you're under orders for execution, I have every right to shoot you right here." The soldier took aim. "Death to all traitors!"

As his finger tightened on the trigger, Elissa seemed to materialize behind him. "I couldn't have said it better," she said softly.

Rihou didn't see her move, but the soldier suddenly collapsed onto the floor with a dagger in his back. In a way, he was not surprised by her presence or her skill. Something about her made him feel safe both physically and emotionally. If she was there, then he would never be in danger. Bards weren't known for being expressly lethal, but there were many facets to Elissa, and he looked forward to finding them all. "You're late," he told her.

"You're lost!" she retorted. She grabbed his wrist and dragged him along as she hurried down the halls. "I saw the grizzly and the prince getting Nick and Naomi out, so I knew you were still in here. You could have warned me you had no sense of direction!"

"I intended to tell you while I was courting you, actually." He grinned despite the situation. Her depiction of Ewan and Kyle was spot on. He was also vastly amused at how well she dragged him. He tested digging in his heels and found it didn't even stop her; she was assuredly the stronger of the two of them, and that meant his bigger size would in no way stop her from moving him even against his will. Strangely, he did not mind at all.

She threw open the door to the outside and started to go down the steps when a figure moved in the shadows. Her body instantly tensed and daggers appeared in her hands. She put herself physically in front of Rihou, crowding him back so that anyone had to go through her. "Show yourself!"

"Easy!" Ewan held up his hands. "We're on your side!" He had to grin as he studied the woman in front of him. Somehow, neither her presence nor her personality came as a surprise. "You must be Elissa."

One of the daggers disappeared from her hand. She holstered the other in a sheath around her upper right leg. The skirts, in their voluminous folds, concealed splits to the hip on either side, trademark of a female dagger user. As Rihou had suspected, she was assuredly no civilian. "I am." She straightened and tossed her hair out of her eyes. "You're Ewan."

"Correct! Let's haul ass out of here before they call in backup. Where's the guard who was standing over them?"

Something cool moved across her eyes. "Not likely to stand again."

"Good." He smiled a little wryly. Just like Rihou and Tyrian were opposites and yet just alike, so, it seemed, were their Kentei Stars. Both were masters of subterfuge though of differing varieties. Cassie came in from under the shadows, and Elissa came in from undercover. If there was ever a third, gods forbid, he could only assume that both Kaiten and Kentei would be hot tempered and likely to be quite direct in everything they did. He couldn't help but hope it was after his time. Keeping even-tempered Kaitens in line was hard enough, let alone a temperamental one!

They hurried out into the woods and then further away from the town. Partway out, they met up with Nick and Kyle. Further beyond them, they found the rest of the caravan. Raine jumped forward and hugged Rihou tightly around the waist. "I'm so glad you're okay!" she said. She looked up at him with a stubborn line to her chin. "I almost hit Vandel with a dagger. Elissa wouldn't let me actually hit him. It wouldn't have killed him!"

"Tact," Elissa stressed. "Tact, Raine. We've discussed this." She took the kerchief that Tyce offered and swiftly pulled her hair back out of her face. "Were you followed?" she asked.

"Nope. You taught us too well for that." Tyce smiled at Rihou. He and Orpheus had been ready to help knock down doors to find the other male. If he had been harmed, there would have been a bloody war. "Glad you're okay, friend."

"Elissa made sure of that." He frowned. "I'm worried about Uncle Daniel and Aunt Helena."

"No need," Orpheus assured him. "While Elissa was going in after you, I and Tyce were getting them away from town. They're on their way to Taron. No one would dare go after them there."

"No kidding," Kyle murmured, and he made a mental note to send a message to Leonard, the president of Taron, as soon as he could. Leonard needed to know just how big the fight on this side was going to become, and he would need to ask Liang and Serentia if they could track down Tyrian and Cassie. Only they would know where the first Kaiten currently traveled.

"Let's get out of here, everyone." Ewan swung Raine up into the back of the caravan wagon before helping Naomi up as well. He waited for Rihou to assist Elissa and then said, "In you go as well, Rihou. Nick too. We need to keep your faces hidden until we're back on City-State soil."

Nick got into the wagon, but Rihou clearly balked at the idea. Before Ewan or Kyle could think of a way to out-stubborn him, Elissa stuck her head out of the wagon and said, "Get your ass in here before I tell Ewan to throw you in!"

Rihou eyed her for several moments, during which she eyed him equally, before he sighed and got into the wagon. The wagon was actually a little shack that rolled, and Kyle quickly shut the door so they could be on their way. Tyce and Orpheus drove the horses while Ewan and Kyle walked beside the wagon. On occasion, they traded out so the swordsmen could take a break. In the wagon, Raine and Elissa kept the three 'escapees' entertained by showing them card tricks.

When they camped at night, one person stood guard at all times. It wasn't very likely someone followed them, though it was likely enough to take every precaution. Only Kyle and Ewan were conscious of why they acted so carefully, but the others somehow sensed that they protected something precious.

It was with much relief that they reached the river that marked the border. It was night, but they didn't bother to camp. "Erube is just a mile up the river," Ewan said. "We can stay at the inn for once. Good food, soft beds . . ."

"I'd sleep on the floor of the inn and eat bread if it meant getting out of this wagon," came a grumble from Rihou.

They went downstream to the bridge and then quickly crossed over. As soon as they reached safe land, Rihou, Nick, and Naomi were very happy to escape the wagon. Not that it wasn't lovely, and Raine and Elissa fun to talk with, but all had been getting slightly claustrophobic. Rihou had always hated being shut in, and it had been doubly hard for him.

Yet almost from the moment they started toward Erube, he began to get agitated. He was restless and filled with tension, so much so that the others picked up on it. His sixth sense was going nuts and telling him that something bad had happened somewhere. He said nothing, but the others knew that he was out of sorts. It was culminated when he suddenly stopped walking. "I smell fire."

The others could shortly smell it as well. It was Raine who finally spotted the reddish glow coming through the trees. "There! The town is on fire!" She took a sharp breath. "I hear screaming!"

The others heard it in moments too. It started as a low hum that then became shrieks of pure terror. "Stay here!" Rihou ordered Tyce and Orpheus. "Keep Raine here where it's safe!" He ran down the road quickly, only vaguely aware of the others following him. That sixth sense had gone mad, and his stomach churned.

They swung around some trees and found themselves on the road that led directly into the town. The buildings were on fire as the flames ate wood and stone equally. There was no danger of the trees catching fire for the buildings had been built away from the forest for just such a thing. Somehow, the sight of the town burning while the trees slept in darkness around it was more horrifying than if the whole thing had been alight.

The screaming wasn't because of the fire. It was because of the soldiers. Foresalia soldiers ran everywhere through the town, striking down anyone who couldn't get away. The town militia was no match for the army, but it wasn't only the soldiers being killed. Civilians were being murdered left and right. Blood stained walls and roads, ran in rivulets through the grass like dark snakes.

It was a storm of fire and blood. In the middle, delightedly laughing, stood a man. The orange glow of the flames cast a harsh light on features that should have been handsome but now seemed sinister. There was a light in his eyes that was glee, and joy, and delight as he looked at the devastation around him. He clutched a sword coated in blood in his hand and his clothes had been stained with more.

He spotted a woman trying to escape and she crowded back against a wall in terror as he approached. He stared at her for moments and then made a dismissive gesture and turned away. She scrambled away, tried to make a run for safety, but he whirled and attacked. His sword cut through her neck, completely beheaded her, and he laughed as blood sprayed the air. The smoke was thick and choking, smelled of death and hate and terror.

It smelled like madness.

Everything inside Rihou, every instinct known and unknown, stirred violently. His right hand started to lift but the move arrested halfway. His fingers curled into fists, his chocolate eyes going hard and cold as he stared at the man conducting the symphony of destruction. Without fully conscious thought, he grabbed his tonfa. He knew only that this beast inside the flesh of a man needed to be destroyed.

"Stop!" Elissa threw her arms around his waist and held on fiercely. He would have to throw her aside to go forward, and she knew he would never be able to do it. "You can't fight him like this!" she shouted at him. "Rihou, you'll just die too!"

Ewan knelt beside Naomi and supported her as she was violently ill. His face was hard as stone in the flickering light. A memory of hell moved in his eyes. "We need to leave. Fast. Can you walk?" he asked Naomi gently. She shook her head and he simply lifted her into his arms. "Move it!"

Kyle grabbed Nick's arm and forced the shell-shocked male to hurry down the road. Elissa clung onto Rihou for long moments until she felt the tension leave his body. As soon as it did, she grabbed his wrist and hurried him away from the scene. He was unresisting, and when she looked at him, he was staring back over his shoulder. "Rihou."

He slowly tore his gaze away and let her take him back to safety. Naomi was curled up inside the wagon and sobbing painfully. Nick had lost the fight against his stomach and sat with his head in his hands, his skin as pale as salt. The screams. He couldn't get the screams out of his ears.

Elissa made Rihou get into the wagon, but he still remained silent. Nick joined them, and Ewan and Kyle took over driving the wagon because they knew the way back to the Fortress. Tyce and Orpheus walked. Raine rode on the front seat between the two swordsmen and shivered in the cold. "It was bad?" she whispered.

"Yeah." Ewan's hands tightened on the reins.

She looked worriedly over her shoulder into the wagon. Nick and Naomi had blessedly fallen asleep. Rihou stayed awake and stared out the back of the wagon. Elissa knelt beside him with her arms around his shoulders and her face buried in his hair. Somehow, Raine was afraid. She was very afraid for Rihou. "Why won't Rihou cry?" she asked softly. "He needs to cry. Or scream. He's going to break!"

"He won't break." Kyle's eyes closed. "He can't break, Raine. If he broke, there would be nothing left to fix. Leave it to Elissa. She'll hold him together. We can only support him as best we can, give him unquestioning love. It's going to get worse, honey. A lot worse."

Raine's lips trembled and she huddled further into her cloak. She didn't want it to get worse. She wanted Rihou to smile and laugh again. "I want to make it better."

"We know, kid." Ewan lightly ran a hand down her hair. "Trust me, we know."

The trip back to the Fortress passed quietly. Rihou barely slept. He seemed to be an entirely different person from the one they had met. Naomi and Nick, by the time they reached the Fortress, were all but back to normal. Everyone had been affected by Rihou's emotions, but there was nothing any of them could do. Only Elissa seemed to even be in his awareness.

Word had spread quickly. Everyone waited for them when they got back. Rihou didn't much feel like eating anything, but Xander and Elissa joined forces to make him at least consume some soup. Ewan raked a hand through his hair in frustration. "Get rooms for the newcomers," he told another rebel. "Give the elder bard the room beside Rihou."

No one asked why. It was fairly obvious that she was the only one holding onto the thin thread of Rihou's sanity.

A slender young woman with pale red hair stepped up beside Ewan and said softly, "He's breaking my heart."

Ewan was unsurprised by the statement. "He's breaking everyone's heart." He blew out a hard breath. "Tell me you have good news, Thalia. I need it. Badly."

"I wish I did." The informant crossed her arms tightly. She itched to go hug Rihou and promise everything would be okay. She couldn't shake the feeling that he needed her very badly to help him with something. "The attack on Erube has taken everyone by surprise. I'm currently trying to determine who orchestrated it. It wasn't about conquering the City-States. It was about death."

Kyle's lashes flinched slightly. "We noticed, believe me. Did anyone make it out?"

"Yeah. Two people." She pointed to where a young man sat with an older woman. The male was dressed like a combatant and had a set of slingshots hooked into his belt. "The male is Ulrich. The female is Gertie. He's a combatant, and she's an item seller. He says that he planted a stone in a soldier's eye, grabbed Gertie, and ran like hell."

"You do what you have to." Kyle paused, eyed Rihou, and then walked over to where the silent male was stirring his soup without interest. "Rihou," he said softly as he knelt beside his chair, "two people survived." He pointed to Ulrich and Gertie. "Talk to them. I think they might need to know someone saw what they did." He was banking on his instincts telling him that Gertie and Ulrich were kindred spirits and therefore likely Destined Stars. If they were, then Rihou would be driven to respond by the nature of his own instincts.

Rihou glanced to the two survivors and instantly felt a jump of fury that they had been in harm's way at all. He got to his feet and walked over to sit beside them. Kyle didn't hear what was said, but Gertie hugged Rihou fiercely and Ulrich sat up a little straighter, both responding to the need Rihou had for them to be strong.

Elissa studied Kyle and then said softly, "You knew exactly what button to push. What do you know that we don't?"

"Something I can't tell you until Rihou knows it," he said simply. "Just do whatever you are already doing, Elissa. You're the one Rihou needs the most. The rest of us are secondary to what he needs from you."

She had already felt that herself, but it was curiously reassuring to hear it said. There was something immensely profound between her and Rihou, and it had never frightened either of them, but it was still something unusual and unexpected. "Okay, then. Any idea what else we can do for him?"

"Come with me." Kyle straightened and led her over to a waiting Ewan. Together they headed down a brief hall to where a meeting room had been tucked. It was small, covered in maps and papers, and it was quiet and private. "I'm pretty sure I know what's wrong," he said as he shut the door. "And I know Rihou pretty well at this point. He needs to do something. Standing idly by while people were murdered in front of him violated everything he is."

Elissa leaned against the side of the table as suspicions began to turn over inside her mind. She didn't ask if her thoughts were right for the simple fact that she didn't want to know. "But what can he do? He's a foreigner here, for all intents and purposes. He probably doesn't know much about this place."

"That's easily fixed. We've got massive amounts of books laying around the place. Remember, Ewan and I are newcomers too. I figure we ask him to take charge of the rebels."

"Ah!" Ewan's brows lifted. "I see. We tell him that we can't do it ourselves and he needs to take over. Hell, it's not a lie. I'm not cut out to lead much of anything. I don't mind helping with the planning process, but I'm much more at home when someone is telling me what to do."

"And it would give Rihou a purpose." Elissa tapped a finger on her chin. "He wouldn't feel so helpless anymore. He'd have something to focus on, be able to fight back against whatever Foresalia is trying to do." She paused and then asked softly, "Don't tell me why. Just tell me yes or no. Is my instinct right in saying that this was inevitable? That the only one who can do anything is Rihou?"

"Yes," both said without hesitation.

She pressed her hands to her stomach for a moment to combat the ball of nerves that formed. "Don't tell me why," she said shakily. "Let me think only of Rihou." Because if she started thinking about what it would mean for him to be destined, to have the same burden as what had affected Taron, she would try and take him away where no one could find him. And if she did that, then even more lives would be lost.

"Okay, it's settled. He's in charge." Ewan opened the door and headed back to the main area. "Hey, Rihou." He walked over to his leader and said, "So, Kyle and I need to ask a favor. We suck at leading things around here. Shut it, Xander," he added when the Storekeeper opened his mouth. "We want you to take over." He knelt down to be more on eye level and found Rihou's brown eyes both surprised and yet hopeful. "If you believe nothing else I ever say," he said softly, "believe that I know you can do this and that you can and will save people who can't save themselves. We'll all be there to help you. Only you can take this messy collection of City-States and unite them against the madness."

There were no second thoughts for Rihou. "Okay," he agreed instantly. His hands tightened on his glass of ale. "I just . . . couldn't stand the idea that there was nothing I could do." A familiar glitter suddenly lit his eyes, burning with an iron will that would not break and a spirit that would become the hero to those being threatened. "I'll do it." Just having a purpose seemed to restore his spirits and he added on a wince, "Just don't go far. I can get lost in my own house."

"Yes," Naomi and Nick said at the same time, "he can."

It made everyone listening start laughing, and then they started cheering. No one doubted Rihou's ability. He had a way of making you believe the impossible was possible. If anyone could change things, it was him. Gertie and Ulrich both felt it, and the item seller said, "I'll have my suppliers start delivering here. I deal in potions and herbs, and we'll need a lot of them. You can count on me to help, Rihou!"

"Me too," Ulrich said instantly. "If you need to me to fight against small or large scale enemies, then just say so."

Rihou suddenly smiled. "I know I can count on you."

Ewan straightened and his eyes met Kyle's. Both smiled wryly. Those were some very familiar words. No doubt they would be hearing them more. An old friend had once stated that 'where a Kaiten Star is, the Destined Stars gather.' The Kaiten Star had been found. It was time for the Stars, new and old, to gather.

 

 

©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.

Chapter 5->

Unraveling Legends - Chapter 3

<-Chapter 2

 

“Carried away by a future unstoppable.”

 

Rihou awoke to a splitting headache, but the fact that he woke at all was enough of a relief for him to ignore the pounding in his head. He had no idea where he was or when it was, though he did know that he was warm, dry, and lying in a bed. He opened his eyes cautiously and there was nothing at all familiar about the room. He didn't have to search for memories of what had happened; they had been engraved inside his soul.

He sat up carefully and pressed a hand to his ribs. They felt sore, but he didn't think they were broken. His tonfa sat on a chair next to the window, and his clothes were draped over the back. He wore a sleeping tunic that hung ridiculously big even on him. He eyed the sleeves as they went past his hands. Who the hell owned this thing? A giant?

The door swung open and he found his answer. The man who leaned in the doorway was probably only five or six years older than Rihou, but he was extremely tall and broad in the shoulder with it. He had to be slightly over six and a half feet tall, and while he wasn't exactly handsome, the rugged lines of his face gave him a lot of appeal. Rihou instantly trusted him, though he wasn't even sure why. "I take it I'm in the land of grizzly men."

The man eyed him and then suddenly laughed. "Okay, I can't take offense at that." He walked inside and sat down on the edge of the bed. His choice of clothes, as much as the sword on his hip, implied he was a swordsman. Most people of similar type weapons wore similar clothing. "Name's Ewan Grizmar. I fished you out of the river. Welcome to the Rebel Fortress in the City-States. You're lucky we don't kill enemies on sight."

"Can we please go back a step?" Rihou asked politely. "I know the City-States and Foresalia aren't exactly the type to have tea together, but I didn't know we were actually enemies."

"Oh, Foresalia declared war on us because we supposedly attacked one of their training camps yesterday and killed everyone. We did no such thing, but the Foresalia monarchy has never been the type to listen to reason. Look at the casual war they held with the former Empire for so long." Ewan crossed his arms. "What's your name?"

"Rihou Royaltine." Rihou closed his eyes. "And yesterday, on my eighteenth birthday, I was supposed to enlist in the Foresalia Army. I reported to the training camp with my best friend, and we didn't like it. We were going to leave when we were attacked by the City-States." His eyes opened, and something painful churned inside the chocolate color. "Or at least, that was what they wanted it to look like. Nick and I recognized the lieutenant and several soldiers and recruits in the guise of the 'enemy.' It was a setup."

Just that short explanation told Ewan many things, some of which he hadn't wanted to know. One, it told him that Rihou was the son of Divan Royaltine. Ewan had fought alongside Divan in the rebellion that Tyrian Donaldson had led. The second thing it told Ewan was connected to the first. Ewan had fought at Tyrian's side because he was a Destined Star, one of the many born solely to protect and love the Kaiten Star. Looking at Rihou, Ewan felt the same way he had felt when he had seen Tyrian for the first time. Instant kinship and love combined with a need to protect.

It wasn't a welcome feeling if only because it meant that what stirred in the City-States and Foresalia was going to be truly, terribly, bad if it called for the presence of a Kaiten Star. Ewan had watched Tyrian suffer deeply, driven time after time to the point of breaking but never able to break and never able to truly heal. He wasn't sure he would be able to handle it a second time. Yet, as he saw the stirring of pain in Rihou's eyes, he knew he would damned well try his hardest. "I knew your father," he said at last. "Fought beside him when he helped Tyrian out. I was in the Liberation Army. He was a good man, Rihou."

"Yeah." Rihou blew out a hard breath. "Since this seems to be a bit of an awkward point, can you tell me if you're going to make me a prisoner or whatever? I'm not dangerous, really. I just want to find Nick and go home. Eventually people will realize that Vandel was insane and that'll be the end."

Eternal optimism and a belief in the good of mankind. Ewan stifled a sigh. The guy was a Kaiten Star all right. That ability to believe in the power of good even when confronted with the truest of evil was a pain in the ass for those who tried to protect him from being hurt either physically or emotionally.

The one consolation that he had was that Rihou appeared to be Tyrian's opposite in some ways. Where there was a bedrock intensity and seriousness about Tyrian, there seemed to be endless spring of liveliness inside Rihou. Ewan could see him laughing his way into hell to kick the devil's ass. Would that cheer make it easier for him to endure? There was no knowing yet. "Eh, you remind me of a friend," he decided. "I'm not in the mood to make you a prisoner. Besides, we wouldn't have anywhere to put you."

"Have you found my friend Nick?"

"Not yet, but if he went into the river with you, we should find him soon." He got to his feet. "Get dressed and come have some food. You're probably famished. The shirt's mine, so just leave it on the bed."

Rihou eyed the sleeves as they fell past his hands again. "I couldn't tell, you being so small and miniscule. I don't know how you don't get lost in a crowd."

Ewan snorted as he went out the door. "I'm going to like you, Rihou."

With a little grin, Rihou wasted no time in getting up and getting dressed. His head still pounded like a drum, though it diminished the longer he was awake. It was made even better when he walked out of the room and a woman going past handed him a cup of tea. "Herbal," she said over her shoulder. "Should get rid of any lingering effects. No more swimming in torrents."

"I'll try my best." He gratefully drank the tea and walked over to the edge of the railing. The second floor of the fortress was defined by rooms and a single walkway. The center area opened to see the floor below. He spotted all manner of people of all races; no one was in uniform, yet they were still clearly united.

He felt strangely more at home here than he had in Vella. He could only blame Ewan. Meeting him had been exactly like meeting Tyce, Orpheus, and Raine. That instant kinship. Something about the situation, and something Ewan had said, tickled at his mind, but he didn't bother to examine it too closely. What would be, would be.

The tea cleared up his headache enough that he was feeling relatively normal by the time he got downstairs. A man stood behind a counter serving up breakfast, and he winked when he saw Rihou. "Here you go." He handed over a plate. "I'm the Storekeeper around here, but I help out where needed. Name's Xander."

Rihou smiled. It was there again, that feeling of kinship. He was beginning to enjoy it. Certainly if it hadn't been for Naomi and Nick, he would have felt very alone in his town. "Rihou. Thanks, Xander." He took the plate over to Ewan and sat down across from him. "Thanks again for not taking me prisoner. I like this more than crusts of bread and water."

Ewan studied him in bemused fascination. "Does anything throw you off stride?"

"Chickens."

"Chickens." A brow arched over brown eyes.

"Yep." Rihou took a bite of his food. "See, when I was five or so, there was a rancher coming through the town. His wagon upended, and all of his chickens got out. They were in no mood to play nice with unfortunate, curious little boys who had wandered close. I and Nick found ourselves chased up some trees until Naomi scared them off. To this day, I still wince when I see them. If I look gleeful when eating cooked chicken, you know why."

"Just like the vegetables," Ewan murmured.

"Pardon?"

"Thinking of the friend you remind me of. He has a strange phobia too." Ewan lifted his coffee cup in a light salute. "So tell me about you. Where you're from, and so on. I got to admit, I was pretty impressed when I saw the weapon you use. I've heard of tonfa, but never actually met anyone who uses them."

"I'm from Vella. You know a lot of the other details since you knew my dad. I've been using tonfa since I was old enough to start training. I saw them in a book and I was really interested. Dad got me a pair and I really took to it. They suit me, you know?" His gaze lowered. "I need to go home, Ewan. My sister and adopted parents must be worried as hell about me and Nick. And there's someone else. Someone I made a promise to."

"We'll talk about that when we've found your friend." Ewan sat back in his chair. "Why don't I tell you about what's going on with us, since a Rebel Fortress in the middle of a country not in need of a rebellion is a bit out of place."

"Sure."

"The City-States of Arinsberg are so named because each city, small to big, serves as its own state. There's no one leader over everyone. Arinsberg is the name of the former monarchy, sort of a tip of the hat to what was a good dynasty but ended up being unneeded. In the current situation, there's no capitol to claim and conquer the country with. You have to take all the cities. Well, as nice as that is, it also means that the cities are of the opinion that as long as they survive, they don't care what happens to the others."

"I think I'd miss a monarchy with that attitude."

"Tell me. Anyway, I and my best friend Kyle Raitels got out here a year ago and saw that things were going to hell pretty fast. We were trying to rally the people to work together just in case Foresalia turned this way now that Taron is off limits. With open war being called, now we're needed more than ever. Too many people will die unless we can get some sort of harmony going."

Rihou studied him and then grinned. "And you were bored without a war to fight."

"Maybe. Just a bit." He glanced up as he heard a commotion near the door. "Wonder what happened."

The answer came as a blond swordsman and a fortress guard walked into the entry with a young man braced between them. Though drenched and bedraggled, Rihou instantly recognized his friend. "Nick!" He leapt to his feet and rushed across the room. "Is he okay?" he asked the blond urgently.

Kyle Raitels stared at him for several moments and then looked at Ewan. His friend nodded slightly. Unhappy for many of the same reasons Ewan had been, Kyle said, "He's half-drowned, but we fished him out. He should be fine in not long a time. The Healers fixed you up pretty good, and you were in worse shape."

Rihou let out the breath he had been holding. Losing Nick would have been more than even he could handle. He watched as the guards and a Healer moved Nick upstairs and then turned to Kyle. "Thank you," he said simply.

The gut punch of emotion was familiar to Kyle, though not entirely welcome. He sighed deeply. Things were going to be very, very bad and no doubt very, very quickly. "You're welcome. I'm Kyle Raitels."

"Rihou Royaltine." He smiled, liking how much an opposite Kyle was to Ewan. He was much more average in height, only an inch taller than Rihou, and he had a much more refined appearance that made him more handsome, though not necessarily more attractive, than his friend. He was also a swordsman, and the sword on his hip had engraving near the hilt on the blade. "Your sword is named?" he asked curiously.

"Mm. I'm from a Commune of Soldiers in Taron."

"Oh! I know of them." Few didn't know of the Commune of Soldiers. They turned out some of the best warriors in the world, and their swordsmen were considered the elite of the elite. There was supposedly some story about the main Commune almost being wiped out years before, but Rihou didn't know the details. "What's it named?"

A shadow of sadness came and went from Kyle's blue eyes. "Ophelia." He glanced down in surprise as Rihou's hand lightly touched his arm in support. Kyle had never thought to meet someone he loved as much as he loved Tyrian. In all ways but blood, Tyrian was his brother. But Rihou . . . Rihou was just as easy to love. Kyle could honestly say he wasn't sure which of the two he loved more. It was a slightly surreal feeling. "I'm fine," he said. "I've had three years to move on."

They walked over to Ewan, and Kyle sat down with a sigh. Ewan handed him a cup of coffee and said, "I told Rihou we didn't have room for prisoners."

"I told you we needed that dungeon, but, no, you never listen to me." Kyle hooked an arm over the back of his chair as Rihou sat down as well. "So how did you and your friend end up in the river anyway, Rihou?"

Rihou recounted the events and added, "I really want to go home. Nick and I need to tell our family that we're okay." At the lifted brows, he explained, "I and Naomi were fifteen when Dad died. Nick's family adopted us. So he and I were best friends for ten years and have been brothers for the last three. Naomi's less than a year older than I am, so we're the same age for two months of the year."

"Love's thicker than blood," Ewan said.

"Tyrian-ism?" Kyle asked curiously.

"Cassie-ism, actually." Ewan sighed deeply. "Kyle, we need to take him home. We both know it. Vella's not that far from where we are. Few days to the river and then a few north from there. Once he's home, he can tell everyone what really happened. End of problem."

Kyle didn't believe it any more than Ewan did, but he nodded. Sometimes keeping their Kaiten safe and happy meant letting him believe in happy endings until it was too late. Still, he couldn't help but be curious about the order of events. Where was Rihou's Kentei Star? That one person who could keep him from breaking when no one else could. Rihou was on a direct collision course with Destiny's plans, and that meant he would need his Kentei sooner rather than later. Tyrian hadn't survived without Cassie, even from the very beginning.

"Why don't you head up to sit with Nick?" Ewan offered Rihou.

"Sure. Thanks."

Ewan watched him walk away and his smile faded. His hands tightened around his glass. "The minute I fished him out," he said quietly, "I just had this feeling. When he opened his eyes, it felt like looking into Tyrian's eyes again. Then he said his name." He gave a rough laugh. "And detailed a scenario not dissimilar from Tyrian's. That sudden severance from being a child to being an adult. I knew." He cursed softly. "I don't like this. If only because it means things are going to get ugly."

"They were already going to be ugly." Kyle let out a soft breath. "If it wasn't for Rihou, there'd be no hope at all."

Rihou stayed by Nick's side for the rest of the day and for most the night, just in case he woke up. Near midnight, Xander stuck his head in to check on him and saw him sleeping in the chair. He retrieved a blanket to make sure he stayed warm. There was just something about Rihou that made it impossible not to love him and want him safe.

It was after dawn when Nick woke. Rihou had already woken and he got to his feet to see his friend better. "Nick?"

"Ugh." Nick threw his arm over his eyes. "Not so loud. My head is killing me."

"I've been told that's a common side effect of near drowning." Rihou sat on the side of the bed. "So it would seem that some interesting things are happening . . ."

Ten minutes later, Nick's head hurt for an entire different reason. He cautiously sat up and raked a hand through his messy hair. "I knew I didn't like Vandel but I wasn't expecting him to be that insane, and to brainwash all those new recruits! I'd love to think that he was being used by the City-States, but I trust your instincts. If you believe in this Ewan, then that's good enough."

"They said they'll take us home so we can explain. Mostly I'm worried about Naomi and Elissa." Rihou frowned. "If they're told that we're dead, they're going to be devastated." He winced. "Naomi might murder someone if she even gets a whiff of the idea that Vandel is behind these things."

Nick winced as well. "And get herself into trouble at the same time. Right. Home we go, and fast." He rolled out of bed and got dressed in his freshly cleaned and mended clothes. His staff stood by the door and he equipped it on his back. "I can't believe this is all happening."

The main area looked very slow for being early in the morning, but Ewan and Kyle were there with Xander. The Storekeeper slash cook was stuffing two packs with food. Ewan spotted the two coming down the stairs and smiled. "Hey, welcome back to the living, Nick! I'm Ewan Grizmar. This is Kyle Raitels. Kyle's the one who fished your ass out of the river."

"Thanks," Nick told Kyle.

"I could hardly just walk past and leave you there." Kyle smiled. "Ewan and I have survived our share of bad stuff in our lives, and we understand the will to live." Sensing the question, he offered, "I'm twenty-two, Ewan is twenty-four."

Nick had thought they were older than that because they seemed very mature, yet Rihou wasn't surprised. He just seemed to understand them instinctively and know things about them without asking. It happened that way with Naomi too; he didn't mind it or find it odd. "I guess we're leaving soon?" he asked.

"The sooner the better," Kyle confirmed. The Lightning Relic on his hand flickered in the light as he ran a hand through his hair. It was long enough to frame his face, and he needed a cut before Ewan harassed him again. Tyrian had a ponytail, and it looked great, but Kyle didn't want his own. "We're going to cut to the northeast to the town of Erube. It's right on the river border, so if we cross over, we're in Foresalia, and not far from where the 'attack' happened. It's a short jaunt up to Vella from there."

"We really got swept down that river, didn't we?" Rihou said.

"Yeah, we're not quite clear on how you did it either. You passed right under Riverbaynk, literally!" Ewan shook his head. "It's the next city to the south and sits mostly on a bridge over the river. You had to go underneath it before getting to where we found you."

"Talent," Rihou told him. "That, and there's so much hot air in Nick's head that he no doubt floated."

"Hey, you're the one who was saying he wanted to jump in the river because of Elissa. I'm just saying . . ."

Kyle grinned. "You know, if you'd never told me you weren't brothers by blood, I wouldn't have guessed." He didn't bother to ask who Elissa was. He had a feeling he would be meeting her soon enough. There was usually only one reason someone would want to jump in a cold river because of another person, and if that was this case, then there was only one person Elissa could be.

Nick and Rihou exchanged a smile. They forgot a lot of the time, too.

The four of them hit the road within a short time thereafter. It proved to be a learning experience for all of them. Nick and Rihou were both very impressed with Kyle and Ewan's skill with swords, and the two older males were equally impressed with Rihou and Nick. The blond fought nearly as well with a staff as Tyrian, and Rihou was simply amazing. He belonged on a battlefield, and without even thinking about it, he instinctively fell into leading any fights with monsters that they encountered.

It took five days to get back onto Foresalia's soil, and they stayed off the roads. Ewan and Kyle were impossible to identify as being from the City-States, and at worst, they could say they were visitors from Taron. Rihou and Nick were very identifiable, and Rihou's gut told everyone to stay off the roads.

It didn't take long before they finally figured out what kept tripping Rihou's sixth sense. Ewan spotted a poster tacked to a tree and went to grab it. When he brought it to the others, his brown eyes had lightened with temper. "Kyle, I'm feeling this odd déjà vu."

Kyle snatched the poster from his hand. It showed, very clearly, the images of Rihou and Nick with the word WANTED emblazoned across the top. "'Wanted as traitors to Foresalia.' Something tells me that Vandel is telling everyone that you two were involved in the attack."

"Oh, that's just great!" Rihou blew out a hard breath. "I'm kicking his ass when I find him. I want it known now." He glanced down through the trees toward the lights that represented Vella. It was midmorning and people were already well about their normal lives. "We need to see what is being said and make sure our family is okay."

"The best thing is for me and Ewan to go into town and ask around. Where do you two live?" Kyle asked.

"On the outskirts. We should be okay to sneak in. I'm positive that Naomi and Uncle Daniel and Aunt Helena will believe in us. We'll head to our home and then meet up with you back here. Oh, and if you see the caravan, try to tell them I'm okay. Elissa is the older of the two bards. I need to talk to her too."

Somehow, neither Kyle nor Ewan knew it would be as easy as they made it out to be. Rather than dwell on it, they headed for the road and went into town. People were curiously quiet, but, then again, there were many soldiers walking around. It was certainly clear that the town stood behind Rihou and Nick. No one was being very forthcoming with any information. Ewan spotted an older man with blond hair arguing loudly with a soldier, and would have put money on him being the aforementioned Uncle Daniel. He looked how Nick would look in roughly thirty years.

At the same time, Rihou and Nick made their way around to the back of town where their home resided. There were no soldiers in sight thankfully, and they crept out of the woods and into the house through the backdoor.

They found Naomi pacing through the living area with clear agitation. Her eyes looked slightly puffy and red as if she had been crying a lot, and it broke Rihou's heart. He edged into the living room. "Psst!"

She swung around and her eyes went wide. "Rihou!" She leapt and tackled him straight onto the floor. Fiercely she gave him a shake. "You scared me!" she shouted at him. She doubled over and dropped her head on his shoulder. "I thought you were dead!" she half-sobbed.

He carefully sat up, not entirely sure she wouldn't start shaking him again. Sure, he was bigger than she was, but she was really strong. "We came home as fast as we could," he told her. "You're not going to believe what has been happening."

Unfortunately, Naomi, after hearing the story, did believe him. She didn't want to, but she did. He just didn't lie. He couldn't lie. He had a great way of hiding his real emotions behind his cheerful front, but he just couldn't lie. What he said was always what he knew to be the truth.

She sat on the floor beside her brothers and buried her face in her up-drawn knees. "Vandel is running around town too," she said in a low voice. "He kept coming by, kept trying to harass me into telling him something, but there was nothing I could tell him. He heard that Elissa knew you, and was probably going to harass her, but he got conned into helping Raine practice. He was the first person for the day."

"What did she hit?" Nick asked.

"It wasn't what she hit so much as what she almost hit that made him decide to leave the caravan alone." She found herself smiling when both winced. "Orpheus also set his hat on fire. Elissa was very apologetic. You know how those training things can happen." Her smile faded and she sighed deeply. "What do we do? How can we clear your names? Do you think that Dad's reputation will help?"

The front door suddenly slammed open and soldiers poured into the area. The three siblings scrambled to their feet but they didn't bother to go for their weapons. There were too many already aimed at them. Vandel walked in with a smug smirk on his face that made Rihou want to rearrange his features. "I figured if we watched this place, eventually you two would come back. You're under arrest as traitors to the kingdom."

"Under arrest for what? Not rolling over and dying when you pretended to be from the City-States and attacked the camp?" Rihou retorted sharply. He saw several soldiers look at Vandel warily and lifted his chin. "Didn't they know that part?" A touch of coolness entered his voice. "Your lieutenant led the false attack on the camp just to start a war. It was just his folly that he tried to get rid of me and Nick by attacking us rather than letting us leave."

"Shut your mouth, Royaltine! Why would anyone listen to a traitor? Your father must be turning in his grave!" Vandel made a gesture and several soldiers leapt forward to tie up everyone's hands. "All three of you are to be executed for treason. Two for the act of it, and the third for condoning it! The sentence, as ordered by Prince Sarcon Malady, is to be carried out immediately. You've got an hour left to live, kids. You should never have come home."

Rihou's eyes met his, and a chill went down Vandel's back. "Killing us won't solve your problems," Rihou said in a hard voice. "In the end, your own greed will kill you." It was a voice that neither Nick nor Naomi had heard before, and it startled them both. They felt it then, that there was an iron will inside Rihou. He would not bend. He would not break.

"Get them out!" Vandel barked. He refused to be intimidated or made to back down. Still, as the three were escorted out, he couldn't fight the chills roughening his skin. Something about Rihou was different. He couldn't even put his finger on it, but somehow, he feared it.

 

 

©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.

Chapter 4->