From a distance, Lupine looked very much like Teasarn indeed. It was of similar size and scope, and it had buildings of much the same layout and design. The biggest difference lay in that Teasarn had embraced its desert land, and Lupine had cultivated theirs to be covered in lush grass and trees.
Tyrian couldn't miss the rundown state of the buildings and streets even from outside the city. Soldiers stood on every corner. It made him sick to his stomach to see it. How could anyone live like this? The Emperor had been corrupted by Blaine, but that did not absolve him of guilt. Only a heart that was on the edge of corruption could be taken over.
Hopes suddenly raised inside the city as the approaching unit was recognized. There was no mistaking the green and black colors worn by the soldiers, and the young man riding at the front wore the distinctive mark of a Pure Relic.
The Army gathered swiftly to form into a unit and left the city edges to engage the rebellion. The lieutenant riding at the front touched the Voice Relic on his earring and said curtly, "Tyrian Southerwind, surrender and there will be no bloodshed."
The cool voice that responded said only, "The only blood spilled will be yours. Do you serve an empire that will starve its people and choke its life? The Liberation Army stands ready to breathe air back into this land."
A little chill ran down the lieutenant's back. The rumors of a legendary hero chosen by the stars, the mythical Kaiten Star, had reached even his ears. He had dismissed it out of hand as foolish hope-mongering by civilians. He could no longer dismiss it. It was there in Tyrian's voice, the will to save those who could not save themselves.
With a curt gesture, he beckoned for his unit to move forward. Soldiers rushed across the land on foot and on horse, ready to engage the enemy. The Liberation Army, all mounted, rushed forward as well. The lieutenant kept his eyes sharp on the field as he looked for the green scarf that marked Tyrian. When he spotted it, he drew his sword and rushed forward to engage him.
"Incoming!" Ewan said. He knocked an enemy soldier off his horse, and when the man held up his hands in surrender, stayed his sword from striking him down. "Tyrian, the leader is approaching you quickly!"
"So I see." The battle raged around them, the land a sea of shouts and clashes of weapons. It seemed a familiar location for Tyrian though it was his first real experience in actual war skirmishes. He felt very much at home on the battlefield. He had been born for it. "Cassie will cover my back."
With his Kentei following closely, he turned his horse and rode forward quickly to meet the lieutenant directly. He was more than proficient as a horseman and did not need to hold the reins to direct his mount. That left his hands free to use his staff, and as they drew even, he struck sharply. The blow glanced off the lieutenant's shoulder and knocked him off balance though it did not knock him down.
The lieutenant, needing one hand to steer, only had one hand with which to wield a sword. At a disadvantage, he dismounted. "A duel, Lord Tyrian! Meet me on even ground!"
Since some wars were ended by duels between opposing leaders, Tyrian had no hesitation in dismounting as well. The less blood spilled, the better. He moved forward quickly to be on even ground and into his Voice Relic said, "Cease fire! Both sides, cease fire! A duel is commencing!"
All soldiers lowered weapons and backed down. A handful of soldiers had been lost on the Imperial Army's side. Only injuries dotted the Liberation Army. Nearly two hundred Imperial soldiers had already surrendered and switched sides.
The lieutenant lunged for Tyrian on a shout with his sword raised over his head. Tyrian held his ground until the last minute. He ducked under his enemy's attack and came up swinging his staff backward. The wooden pole cracked into the back of the lieutenant's head. As the soldier staggered, Tyrian turned sharply and went on the attack.
The staff was little more than a blur as he whirled it over his head to gain momentum. The lieutenant managed to duck the first blow, but discovered too late that it had been feinted. Tyrian ducked back around, swinging as he went, and the staff slammed into the lieutenant's back and sent him tumbling across the field.
A murmur began to move through the soldiers on both sides of awe and respect. Tyrian's mastery of his weapon was very obvious. Other staff users on the field couldn't do half the things he did, and many were older than his eighteen years.
As the lieutenant continued to lie on the field, Tyrian spun his staff one handed and then sheathed it on his back once more. He walked closer to the fallen enemy leader with the intent of calling victory when the lieutenant suddenly lunged to his feet. He leapt forward with a dagger in his hand, and Tyrian's body tensed as he prepared to dodge.
He didn't have to. Three distinct projectiles struck the lieutenant in three different places, each with the intent to kill. His forward momentum threw him into the dirt where he did not move again. Blood pooled under his body.
Tyrian recognized the throwing star in his neck as coming from Cassie. The two arrows protruding from his back and his head were not familiar. He looked swiftly to the side toward the city and saw two figures crouched on rooftops. Both wore the familiar clothing of archers; snug leggings and tunics to cut down wind resistance and vests to provide support for the quivers they wore. The one who had a pink ribbon in her hair saluted with her bow.
He turned to look at the field. Evenly, he said, "The Liberation Army is the victor by rules of the battlefield. Those who wish to surrender and join us may do so. Those who do not are given the option to flee back to the capitol. If you persist in resistance, by laws of engagement, your lives are forfeit."
Several hundred soldiers put down arms and surrendered. The rest fled the scene as fast as was possible, and in such a hurry that they left their dead behind. It sickened Tyrian. When Ewan rode close, he said, "Have the bodies identified so families may be notified. The bodies can be buried on the field where they fell and retrieved later if so needed."
"Yes, sir. What about the new soldiers?"
"Our soldiers can keep them in line until we take them back to base. Cassie and I will go into the city itself and find the mayor." He glanced at the rooftops where the two archers now stood together. "I suspect we may shortly have more experts in setting up a ranged unit for us."
Cassie rode up leading Tyrian's horse and then dismounted as well. She would never regret any action she took to protect his life. The lieutenant had broken the laws of engagement by using subterfuge in a fair duel. "Sanity among the insanity of war," she said to Tyrian.
"I want a world where we don't need it. Is that naïve of me?"
She gently cupped his cheek. "No. It'll happen someday. And just think, you'll be here to see it." She eased up to lightly touch his lips with hers and then straightened his scarf for him. "Let's go meet our new allies. They're quite good with those bows."
The archers were waiting for them at the edge of town. One was male, the other female. They looked as identical as male and female could be, with similar lively faces and brown eyes. The female had her brown hair tied on top of her head with a pink ribbon. The male kept his hair hanging loose to his waist. Tyrian estimated them in their mid to late-twenties, and the recognition inside his soul and relic was not unexpected. "Thank you," he said. "I'm in your debt."
"Not at all!" the woman protested. "We're in your debt, Lord Tyrian!" She bowed gracefully. "My name is Emma. This is my brother, Olan. We would be honored if you would let us join you in your fight."
Olan nodded swiftly in agreement. "You can't beat having a ranged unit in battle, and we're two of the best. Please, let us join you."
"Gladly." Tyrian held out his hands and smiled when they each took one. His relic glowed softly and echoing stars glowed from their left shoulders. "There's a young bard at the base. Her name is Myrroria. She is a dagger user. The three of you can work together to give me the ranged unit I need."
"You can count on us!" Emma saluted swiftly. "We'll gather our things and head for the castle! Oh, and if you want to talk to the mayor, you need to talk to Winifred."
"Winifred," Tyrian repeated.
"Right. She's the keeper of the storehouse in town, you know, where the supplies and valuables are kept."
Tyrian began to smile. "I assume that the mayor is among the valuables she has been keeping lately?"
"He wasn't happy," Olan conceded.
As they hurried off, Cassie frowned thoughtfully. "Lupine . . . let's see. The mayor is a man named Leonard. He has a son named Sean. He should be . . . thirteen about now. Leonard has been mayor since just after Sean was born; his wife was killed by bandits during a time when there was no one in charge. I believe it was General D'terio's army who came in to assist."
Tyrian smiled at her. "You're going to give Kell a run for his money."
She smiled back. "Where do you think I get my information?"
The soldiers from Lupine were coming out of the woodworks. None wore uniforms but were clearly soldiers all the same. They moved swiftly to set up borders and secure their city. Others as yet raided the Imperial Army's leftover barracks for anything the villagers could use.
It wasn't hard to find the storehouse. It was the place where the shouting came from. Tyrian closed one eye in a wince as he approached the sound of arguing. Sitting outside the doors was a young teenage boy with bright golden hair and a handsome face. The boy spotted Tyrian and sighed. "Hi."
"Hi." Tyrian knelt down to his height. "I'm Tyrian Southerwind. Are you Sean?"
"Yeah." Sean eyed him owlishly. There was something about Tyrian that tugged at him. He wanted to make sure he was always happy and smiling. It was a weird feeling. "You here to see my old man?" He winced as glass shattered. "Oopf. Aunt Winny isn't happy."
"Aunt?"
"Eh, sort of. She was my mother's cousin." He got to his feet and brushed off his slacks. A sheath with a sword hung around his hips and he moved with the cocky arrogance of a boy trying too hard to act like a grown-up. "Follow me." He pushed the door open and then ducked hastily as another vase went whizzing by. "Hey! Pop! Aunt Winny!"
The man in the room was obviously Sean's father since they shared matching golden hair and blue eyes. He, too, wore a sword, and his son's name showed as visibly engraved near the hilt. The woman facing him down was short and scrappy, and her kerchief kept her black hair out of her face. She promptly scowled at Sean. "How many times have I told you not to call me Winny? I'm going to tan your hide!"
Sean jerked a thumb toward Tyrian. "Nice first impression, Aunt Winifred. Meet Tyrian Southerwind. Tyrian, meet Winifred and Leonard."
Leonard rapped his son in the back of the head. "Lord Tyrian. Try not to act like the hooligan you are." He sighed and smiled wryly at Tyrian. "Lord Tyrian, I apologize for the display. Win and I are friends, I assure you."
"If you can't yell at friends and family," Tyrian said reasonably, "then who can you yell at?"
Leonard grinned. "I'm going to like you a great deal." He bowed gracefully. "Well met, Lord Tyrian. I am Leonard. The once and again mayor, so it would seem. Thank you for freeing my people. When the Emperor removed me from my post, I feared for the worst."
Winifred grabbed a broom and began to sweep up the debris. "He was always mayor since we always answered to him first. The Emperor knew it, but let it slide until the rebellion formed. He knew Leo would join you in a heartbeat, and we knew that meant he was in danger. So we made him hide."
"Threw me into the storehouse!" he muttered.
Sean grinned. "And literally! He bounced on his ass," he told Tyrian with a touch of glee.
His father sighed and caught him in a headlock. "Ignore him. Every attempt to install manners has failed utterly. He's a smart kid, and already gifted with a sword, but he never knows when to shut up."
"Takes after his father," Winifred said under her breath. Leonard glared at her, and she shot a sunny smile to Tyrian. "Nice to meet you, Lord Tyrian. Tell me, do you have a Storekeeper at your castle?"
Tyrian and Cassie shared a smile. "Not yet," Tyrian said.
"You do now." She nodded decisively. "You can count on me to keep the supplies safe and organized. I'll get myself packed up here and head out for the castle."
"Thank you," Tyrian said softly. He lightly touched her shoulder and the star briefly appeared in acknowledgement. "I know I can count on you."
She found herself smiling. Tyrian Southerwind was a very powerful young man for reasons that had nothing to do with the relic he wore. When he said he believed in you, you couldn't help but believe in yourself. If keeping a storehouse for his castle would keep him smiling, then that's what she would damned well do.
Leonard studied the star on Winifred's arm and then looked at Tyrian. He studied the relic he wore before murmuring, "I don't suppose we could sit down for a few minutes, Lord Tyrian."
"Naturally." Tyrian fell into step beside him as they left the storehouse with Cassie and Sean following closely. The boy was brimming with questions for a monk, but Cassie was an expert at deflecting questions about her clan without offending anyone. Tyrian hid a smile as Sean clearly tried to figure out how the conversation kept detouring to the weather.
When they reached the city hall, Leonard held the door for everyone and then led the way to the meeting room. "Lord Tyrian," he said as he sat on the edge of the table, "is it true that Ophelia Goldwind is dead?"
Tyrian's eyes darkened. "Yes." As Leonard closed his eyes in pain, Tyrian studied him closely. It wasn't the first time that he had felt an understanding of his Destined Stars that should have come from years of friendship rather than mere minutes. And he knew that Leonard and Sean were, indeed, his as well. "You knew Ophelia. You're already a member of the Rebellion."
"I see," Cassie said softly. "That's why the Emperor perceived you as a threat. He knew you knew Lady Ophelia."
Leonard buried his face in his hands, looking older than he had only moments before. Grief aged his eyes and face alike. "Ophelia was one of my dearest friends. Ewan and I have been friends for ages. I'm about fourteen years older than he is, but we stopped counting when he was a teenager."
"You met Ophelia when she came to the village and met Kyle?" Tyrian asked.
"Mm, after. When she started the Rebellion, they naturally asked Ewan to join. I was home visiting at the time." He sighed. "Ewan and I protested very loudly and very vehemently against it. She was too young. She was too weak. She didn't know anything about war."
Tyrian winced. "Uh-oh."
"She kicked our asses, made Kyle tend to our bruises, and then demanded we put our hot heads to better use." He slowly straightened. "I have never respected anyone more than I respected her until today when I met you. Lord Tyrian, I wish to fight at your side as well. I am a proficient unit leader, and I have some talent as a strategist."
"For Ophelia?" Tyrian asked softly.
"For her. And for you." He blew out a breath. "If the way I felt when I saw you was any clue, I suspect I am tangled within your destiny."
Tyrian held up his relic and Devourer glowed softly. Answering stars glowed from both Leonard and Sean's shoulders. "You're both mine," he said simply. "Destined Stars who share the skies with me. If you will fight with me, not for me, then I can be strong enough to help our land."
Leonard smiled at Cassie who smiled back. Despite Tyrian's insistence to the contrary, every Destined Star fought for him as much as they did with him. Even those who did not actually fight, like Winifred, were fighting for him. "I never imagined I would have a destiny to fulfill," Leonard said musingly. "It's a curious one, particularly when I have this feeling that I knew inside I'd meet you someday, or that I already had. Or met someone like you, perhaps."
"There's a lot of that going around," Tyrian admitted. "For all of us. It's a learning curve for all involved." He started to say more when his entire head went light. The weakness was swift and powerful and took all strength from his body.
He staggered and Cassie leapt forward to catch him. She had enough strength to gently lower him to the floor, though she couldn't carry him. "You pushed yourself too hard," she said softly as she smoothed his hair from his face. "You've only just unlocked your relic's first level, Tyrian. A week is not enough for your body to recover from so much power and trauma."
Leonard knelt beside them. It tore at his heart to see Tyrian so weak and tired. "He needs to go home and rest. I'm not sure I have the strength to move him, though. I'm only a little taller than he is."
"Ewan can move him. He was with the unit." She looked at Sean. "Fetch Ewan. Quickly, Sean."
He nodded, his blue eyes wide with worry. "Okay!" He turned and rushed out of the city hall and the door banged shut behind him. Tyrian had to be okay. It was too scary to think of anything else.
Tyrian was barely cognizant of the goings-on. His mind had completely scattered from exhaustion. It almost felt as if he was being devoured. He dimly noted when Ewan arrived to help move him, and he was aware of being put into a wagon for the trip. As soon as blankets tucked around him, he slipped into the waiting darkness of sleep.
When he woke much later, he found himself in his room at the castle. He had been tucked securely into bed and the sun was either setting or rising. It was hard to tell which at the immediate moment. Cassie was nowhere in sight, but he could feel her presence inside and that meant she had to be near.
"Hey."
He looked toward the entry at the sound of her voice and saw her leaning against the edge of the wall. She wore casual clothes, and a slim black choker covered her scar. She looked soft and welcoming, like a respite from the world. "Hey," he said. He held out a hand, and when she crossed to take it, he tugged her down onto the bed with him. "How'd they get me up here?"
"Ewan. He's stronger than even he realized." She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. "We're now looking into finding the inventor known as Tedium. He invented those newfangled lifter things."
"An elevator?"
"That's the one. We're going to sacrifice the stairs to put it in. Theory being that you and I don't need stairs to keep in shape, and as you have three more relic levels to go through, we're going to need to make it as easy as possible to get you up here." She rubbed her cheek over his shoulder softly. "How do you feel?"
"Still a little tired, but otherwise I feel better. What time is it?"
"Early morning the day after we liberated Lupine. The army unit of Lupine is officially wearing your colors and calling themselves a part of the Liberation Army. We're working on designing a flag. Luckily, Myr has some aesthetics. She and Mouse are trying to brainstorm." She sat up and smoothed his hair out of his face. "Hungry?"
His stomach rumbled loudly and he smiled sheepishly as she grinned at him. "I think that's a yes," he said. He watched curiously as she got to her feet and disappeared, then his eyes widened as she quickly returned with a tray heaped with breakfast. "You're going to spoil me rotten at this pace."
"Good. Someone has to." She sat down beside him and picked up a piece of toast. "We've got Hawke out on reconnaissance with Laia to investigate the next few towns that are closest to us. We're also trying to find a Magician who has the ability to transport troops into battle. It would save us so much more time if we can have that."
Transporting mages were well versed in sending entire units to precise locations based on their knowledge of maps and the way magic moved in the land. When battle was done, the troops could be transported back the same way. It made life much simpler when trying to battle a far distant enemy. It had been long before learned that thirty thousand troops marching somewhere did more harm than good.
"What about Matthias Goldwind?" he asked.
"That's the only really good news we've got. Leonard knows where he is. There's a really, really tiny village of less than a hundred people living in the mountains. That's where Matthias has gone to with his last student. He says we should be able to get there in about two weeks via horseback."
Daunting, but necessary. "What about Rubentia?"
She grimaced. "We need Professor Matthias if we want to take it on. It's being guarded by three units worth of soldiers, and they have a lot of magic users in one of them. That's going to take a level of strategy well above any of our skill. But if we can take it, then we'll increase our own army by another two units thanks to Rubentia's personal army."
"So we're looking at Rubentia as being the first real test of the Liberation Army." He pushed the tray to the side. Strength was pouring back in rapidly thanks to the rest and the good food. "I think we need to get started toward Matthias as soon as we can. No later than today."
"Full party?"
"For a two week journey? Absolutely. It'll be you, I, Liang, Marian, Kyle, and Emma. Kyle and I both have relics with attacking magic, and Marian is a Healer. Emma can handle ranged combat, and most of the rest of us can get in close."
"I'll gather everyone if you'll pack what we need." She moved the tray to the table beside the bed and started to stand. His hand curled around her wrist to keep her where she was, and she looked at him in surprise. "What?"
In answer, his other hand slid into her hair and drew her close for a tender kiss. She melted against him with a little purr of delight that went to his head better than any rush of power ever could. "Too long without your taste," he murmured against her lips.
"Less than twenty-four hours," she whispered back, her fingers tracing his features.
He slowly smiled. "Too long." He tugged her up higher so that he could taste the fragrant skin of her breasts bared by the opening in her tunic. "In fact, I don't think we need to leave until this evening. Maybe tomorrow morning."
With a sigh of surrender, she curled her arms around him happily. He was definitely feeling better.
©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.
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