Mayor Parkin was a humble man who felt more than a little awed and impressed to find himself with the legendary Tyrian Southerwind in his house. He promised to have the three units belonging to Caschin start wearing the colors of the Liberation Army and to send two of them back with Tyrian to increase the army. Even better, one of the units to go back with Tyrian was as yet another ranged unit. That gave him a total of three ranged and one magic, and the other six of his army were close-range combat.
They would have to do something about their lack of specialized Magicians who used attack magic, Tyrian thought to himself as they walked through town. He had no doubt that he would have some who were Destined Stars; he just hadn't yet found them. He could only hope they wouldn't take much longer to cross his path. Matthias was brilliant, but he could only pull so many tricks before someone would be on to them. Brute force would be needed soon enough.
Tyrian glanced up curiously as they passed by a darkened alley, and a sensation of power shivered down his back and resonated into his relic. He stopped walking and looked into the alley intently, his green eyes probing the gloom. "Who's there?" he asked softly.
A figure moved in the shadows and both Ewan and Sean drew their swords, their bodies tensed as they prepared to defend their leader. Cassie stepped slightly in front of Tyrian, and throwing stars appeared between her fingers.
The man who stepped out of the shadows did not reassure any of them. He was almost as big as Ewan, and he wore heavy-duty plate armor from head to heels. His helmet came down over his face entirely so that only his piercing blue eyes remained visible. A lock of golden hair could be seen under the visor of the helmet, but his age and his origins were impossible to determine. He could have been anyone, and he wore power in the same way others wore perfume.
Inexplicably, Tyrian trusted him. Instantly, without question, and immortally. He touched Cassie's arm to make her step aside and then lightly touched Ewan and Sean's wrists. "Swords down." He stepped forward and held up his relic hand. "I am Tyrian Southerwind."
There was a smile in the man's deep voice as he said, "I know." His voice seemed to rumble softly in the air, but pleasantly. It was a voice with an oddly strong cadence not dissimilar from Laia's. "I am called Agrime. It is the only name I know. My star is fixed, Lord Tyrian. It is my honor to serve the Kaiten."
Tyrian nodded slightly. There was a sadness inside Agrime that made him want to reach out. What had this warrior seen in his life to make him shut away so much? "But . . .?"
"But you are not yet ready for my power. You will know when you need me. When you see the Golden Scourge, you will know to return to me. I hunt the Scourge. I seek the lost remnants of the Summarian race."
Questions welled but Tyrian withheld them. "I will return," he promised. He turned and walked away, and his three Stars followed him. When they were out of earshot, he said softly, "I don't know much about the Summarians."
"No one does," Cassie admitted simply. "They simply vanished a thousand years ago. Some of their lost temples and cities have been since unearthed, but they yield precious little information. All we can know for sure is that they were a very powerful race, so powerful that they could not bear children with Humans."
Humans were the most versatile race on Oriku. They could crossbreed with all other species: Elves, Merfolk, Faeries, Mongra, Fliers, Dragons, and Grimalkin. That they could not crossbreed with the Summarians indicated the lost race had, indeed, been very special. "Could they crossbreed with others?"
"It would seem so, but the person in question had to be very strong. There are some people who are suspected to be descended of Summarian," Ewan offered, "but if they're Human, you know there's something else thrown into the mix somewhere. It's said that it would take at least five generations before the blood of the Summarian thinned enough to allow Human blood to enter. Of course, after a thousand years, you can bet we're well past the five generations mark. I doubt there are any purebloods left."
"A seeker of the lost remnants," Sean said softly. "I wonder what remnants he seeks."
Tyrian didn't know either, but he couldn't shake the feeling that his path and Agrime's were meant to cross more than once in the future. More than any other Star besides Cassie, Tyrian had the unmistakable feeling that he had been meant to meet the dark seeker. It was curious. What was the Golden Scourge?
By the time they reached the base once more, the new wall had nearly been completed. The towers were to be stationed like the numbers on a clock, with points at one, three, five, seven, nine, and eleven o'clock. Most of them had been built, though none of them had roofs yet. A new moat was being dug around the outside of the wall and it connected to the old moat via a short channel. The monsters were also happy to have more room, and they helpfully fished out any workers who fell in.
Since the push outward had taken the base up close to one of the primary rivers that ran through the Empire, watch towers were being stationed just in case the enemy decided to sail right up to their door. There was some talk of digging a diversion for the river that would allow them to have a dock inside the castle. Ship access might be critical since two of the checkpoints resided along the ocean. The river, heading south, eventually reached the sea.
Sharmie and Yagi got themselves their shops and got to work providing the items needed by soldiers and Stars alike. Evelyn's kitchen had been overhauled and the dining room was now a lively restaurant. The lightened burden on R.K.'s shoulders was noticed by all; he downgraded to just a bar at the inn, and no longer got the orders mixed up. He still fell asleep behind the counter, though, and Tyrian was still sure he needed a keeper himself.
Discussions launched over the best route to take toward claiming Dry Basin. It was large, it was further away, and it was guarded by a lot more units. They had ten units around the city, and Tyrian also had ten units, but the lack of specialization in magic left them highly disadvantaged.
It was early in the morning a few days after Caschin's freedom. Tyrian was in the meeting room with Matthias, Cherry, and Gordon. Ewan and Kyle had come and gone multiple times; they were helping train the soldiers who used swords. Cassie occasionally came by to make sure Tyrian was not overworking. She was otherwise training with Yhalenia. After watching one match, Tyrian had been suitably impressed by monks in general, and his Kentei in particular.
Noticing Matthias rubbing his leg, Tyrian frowned. "Is it bothering you more today?"
"Every day seems to make it worse," Matthias admitted. "Do not let it worry you, Lord Tyrian. My brain is as fit as it ever was. However, I may not be able to ride with the Army for much longer." He looked at Cherry. "You will have to be my voice, Cherry."
It was a bit daunting, but she nodded instantly. "I will do my best."
The doors suddenly banged open, and Yumi and Taurus tried to rush in. They got stuck in the doorway and then broke free and scrambled inside. "We're under attack!" they both blurted.
Tyrian shot to his feet. "What?"
"We were in the tower," Taurus said breathlessly. "Yumi was showing me the really fun gadget she built that could fly like a bird. We were watching it fly in circles when we spotted a shadow in the horizon. It really quickly became an army. They have General Yureny's flag!"
"So Samantha Yureny has been dispatched directly." Matthias sat back in his chair. "She didn't just transport in outside the gate."
"It's not her style," Gordon said. "She prefers her enemy to know she approaches. She once said that winning a battle by default was not a win at all."
"Is she from the Commune of Soldiers?" Tyrian asked curiously. "That sounds like something I've heard Kyle and Ewan say before."
"Quite so." Gordon got to his feet. "How many units did it look like, ladies?"
Yumi bounced on her toes, yet her face was worried. "I heard one of the soldiers saying there were nine, including two magic." She grabbed Tyrian's arm when he patted her head. "I can help! Let me help!"
"You're too young, Yumi," he reminded her gently. "You're not allowed on the field." At ten, she could enter small combat only.
"No, but I can do other things! I have an invention that can help, I mean it!"
Matthias opened his mouth but Tyrian held up a hand. He knelt down to Yumi's height and looked at her seriously. "What invention do you have? I know you're just as good as Tedium, if not better. I haven't heard you blowing anything up."
She took a deep breath. "It's a machine that makes mirages. I can make copy images of things. You know how people said they thought the inn was haunted? That was my fault! I was testing it out, and the copies weren't solid enough. But I've tweaked it. Unless you're really close to them, you don't know they're not real! I know it could help!"
There was a shrewd look in Matthias' eyes as he rubbed his chin. "How many people can you copy at one time, Yumi? Do you suppose the machine might be able to make a copy of an entire unit? Maybe multiple?"
She tilted her head and her hat fell over her eyes. She shoved it back into place quickly. "I think I can do it!" she said firmly. "I haven't tried it yet. But I tested it on the flock of sheep we used for the Mechanoportal."
"Those sheep are going to have issues," Cherry grumbled.
"Yumi," Matthias said softly, "you may just have handed us another win."
Samantha Yureny was quite impressed when she saw the state of the Liberation Army's base. She had to give Tyrian credit for choosing the old castle as his territory; it was situated perfectly with how close it was to the river, and his way of expanding the walls was evidence of a shrewd mind at work. He was a chip off his father's block.
She had almost left her magic units behind, but she wanted to see what he and his strategist could really do. Outwitting Gordon was clever to be sure, and Samantha was dying to match wits with the Kaiten Star. She had always adored Tyrian, and she thought Destiny could have chosen no better emissary.
The Liberation Army suddenly appeared on the field, the units coming from within the walls in a well-ordered formation. She recognized many of the unit leaders from the close-range units, including Laia Mitakel, Ewan Grizmar, and Kyle Raitels. In one of the ranged units, she recognized Gordon. The magic unit had the young protégé of Matthias', Master Cassie of the Monk Clans, and Tyrian Southerwind. She lightly touched her Voice Relic. "Well met, Lord Tyrian."
"Greetings, General Yureny." His voice sounded calm. "Out for a morning walk? You're quite a ways from home. To what do we owe the pleasure of the visit?"
Clever, clever boy. "I thought I might see if you were willing to surrender and end all this fighting. Emperor Albanion seems to believe I have what it takes to bring you down from your high horse, and as I outnumber you, it does look as if I have the winning hand. Do you play chesstac, Lord Tyrian? I believe this is called a check."
To be in check in chesstac was to have either your king or queen close to being forced into a corner of the board. If that occurred, you lost. Tyrian had played chesstac for many years and enjoyed it. "Really?" he countered. "I don't see myself anywhere near a corner."
Samantha turned her gaze toward the cap of red hair riding beside him. Her voice gentled. "It is an honor to meet you, Cherry. I hear you are Professor Matthias' most prized student. He must trust you a great deal to send you out to face me. Or is his health failing him once more?"
Tyrian lightly rested a hand on Cherry's back and she found her courage. She lifted her chin. "His health wanes lately, but I believe I am capable of leading Lord Tyrian wisely. Do not let my age fool you, General. I am a worthy opponent."
"Tough kid," Samantha's main lieutenant murmured.
"Indeed! Well, let the engagement commence then." She turned to her troops. "Magic units, move in toward Lord Tyrian. We have the advantage. Close-range, go after close-range. Be wary of those ranged units on their side. Get in close and their arrows and daggers will not be so effective. And watch out for General D'terio! He has the longest sniper range of anyone you'll meet."
The close-range units rushed toward each other across the field and the fight started swiftly and violently. Cherry watched intently to study how Samantha's troops were trained, and she discovered that they did not strike anyone who was already down. Because the Liberation Army operated under the same principle, those who went down, but went down alive, stayed in that condition. Only a handful of soldiers on either side didn't get back up again.
"Ranged units," Tyrian ordered his troops, "aim for General Yureny. Shoot to wound, not kill. We want her alive. General D'terio, I leave it in your hands."
One of the close-range units on Tyrian's side was taken down entirely by a well-placed blast of magic from Samantha's units. Laia, rather than lose her soldiers, immediately held up her hand in a gesture of yield. It removed her unit from capable battle, only able to wait out the outcome. She did not wait passively and instead began to work on healing her soldiers.
As units closed in toward Tyrian, Cherry said calmly into her Voice Relic, "General Yureny, we ask for surrender."
Samantha arched a brow. "Oh, do tell. Why should I surrender when I am winning?"
"Because you're not winning at all." She held up a hand. "Second wave, report in."
To Samantha's immense shock, three units appeared on the field and flanked her in entirely. One was of magic users, another ranged, and the third close-range. She recognized none of the unit leaders. Every arrow in the ranged unit aimed directly at her, and when she saw a glint of sunlight, she turned her head sharply to see Gordon kneeling in the field with his crossbow calmly aimed at her heart. She knew full well that they would rather take her alive, but calling their bluff would only delay the inevitable. She drew her sword and threw it onto the field. "Yield."
Gordon and Ewan immediately crossed the field to take her captive. Ewan picked up her fallen sword and held it out to her as she dismounted her horse. "Here, hold onto this. After all the trouble you went to name it, you might as well not get it dirty."
She smiled and re-sheathed the weapon at her side. Engraved in the familiar place was a name that seemed oddly familiar to several people, though they could not place why. "Well met, Ewan Grizmar. I've heard much of you." Her eyes darkened with empathic pain. "I would have returned to the Commune to give my aid if I hadn't been dispatched to the City-States at the time. General Cutter went on my behalf." She glanced up as she heard footsteps and found Tyrian approaching with Cherry and Cassie. She smiled as she looked at the monk warrior. She should have known that no normal woman would ever work for Tyrian. She would have to be a stubborn sort to handle him. "Lord Tyrian, well played." She looked at Cherry. "But you have to tell me where those units came from! I thought you were maxed on eight."
Cherry suddenly grinned. Into her Voice Relic, she said, "Yumi, kill it."
"Okay!" came the cheerful response.
The three 'units' suddenly disappeared into the morning sun and left behind the unit leaders . . . and a lot of sheep. Samantha blinked, blinked again, and then suddenly began laughing. "I surrendered to a flock of sheep! Well played, Cherry! Well played, indeed!"
"Please come with us into the base," Tyrian offered. "We have much to talk about. Your troops may go free if they so wish."
Samantha didn't get the chance to give the order. Her main lieutenant muttered very distinctly, "Don't even think about it. We're staying. We'll sit out here and play cards until you tell us we're officially in the Army."
Tyrian hid a smile as he led the way back in toward the castle with Cherry, Cassie, Gordon, Ewan, and Samantha following him. In a soft voice, Gordon asked Samantha, "Why don't you just marry Lieutenant Colin, Sam? The man is miserable."
She rolled her eyes. "He already hates taking orders from me. He'd hate it more if he was married to me."
"Should we make sure your room is big enough for two anyway?" Ewan asked blandly. He grinned when she shot him a dirty look. "C'mon, you can't tell me I'm not right. You named your sword after him! And we both know your bullshit about why you won't get married has nothing to do with his ego. It's that crap about the generals of the Empire being 'distracted' by their loved ones. You saw what Tyrian's dad went through."
"Ewan." Tyrian shook his head. "Your love life is your own, General Yureny." He suddenly smiled. "But the government we hope to instigate will remove that barrier, if it is indeed one." He let the guards open the meeting room doors and then walked inside. "General Yureny, meet Matthias Goldwind. Matthias, this is Samantha Yureny."
"Your protégé served you well, Professor Matthias," Samantha told the strategist. "She didn't lose her composure and handled herself with the skill of someone twice her age."
Cherry flushed happily as she hurried to sit down. The others took seats as well, and Tyrian lightly drummed the fingers of his relic hand on the table. "I am sure you have questions for me, General. I will answer them to the best of my ability."
"For starters, how did you pull that off out there?"
Tyrian smiled. "One of my Destined Stars is a ten-year-old genius. She invented a device that did exactly what you saw it do. I expect Yumi to surpass Tedium's skill within a few years, and so does he."
"And that leads me to another question." She studied the relic burned into his skin. It was an oddly frightening design, and yet also very familiar. She felt as if she had always known she would see it. More than ever, she felt the fierce tug bringing her to his cause. She needed to protect and defend, to carry his banner into battle so the burden was not his alone. "How do you know your Destined Stars?"
He smiled and held out his hand. "I just do." When her hand lightly touched his, the star appeared on her shoulder. "We share the skies," he told her very seriously. "Your star follows mine. I can't do this alone. You've surely seen the cities, seen what has happened to our people. Lady Blaine was the catalyst to cause this change, but I believe it would have eventually happened anyway. It just happens to have fallen on our shoulders. Lend me your strength, General Yureny."
"Sam or Samantha," she corrected absently as she let go and sat back. She frowned thoughtfully. "It explains so much, it truly does, that I am also a Destined Star. From the day I met you, there was just something about you that tugged at me. And it's not just me." She looked at Gordon. "It would be all of us. All of us always panicked if you were in trouble or hurt."
"Did he get in trouble a lot?" Cassie asked.
Tyrian smiled. "Unintentionally. Liang swears I gave him and my father all their gray hair. I just wanted to learn things. It wasn't my fault that I didn't realize my curiosity might be hazardous to my health."
"And our sanity!" Samantha blew out a breath. "I am a general of the people. I serve the people. They want freedom from tyranny. I can do nothing less than give it. I wish to follow your path as well, Lord Tyrian. You may count on me to help lead your units into battle."
Cherry looked at Matthias excitedly. "Doesn't that mean that we've just doubled our army?"
"If her troops will follow her, yes," he said. "They will be given the option of leaving, but I am quite certain they will follow General Yureny just as General D'terio's units followed him." He sat back in his chair. "I must wonder what the Emperor will do next. He has the other four Lower Generals on the checkpoints. High General Southerwind has been restricted to the castle." He looked at Samantha. "Does he believe that General Southerwind will seek to aid Tyrian as well, and bring all twenty of his units with him?"
"It is possible," Samantha said instantly. "But Emperor Albanion is not who we should be most concerned with."
"Lady Blaine." Tyrian tapped his fingers on the table. "Tell me what you know about her, Sam. She killed my brother for this bit of glass I bear."
Finding out Blaine was behind Ben Southerwind's murder came as no shock for Samantha. She had never liked Blaine from the beginning. No amount of beauty on the outside could hide the ugliness inside. "She is frighteningly powerful. I've seen her use magic and spells the likes of which no other person can, and without a relic I will add! I believe she truly has visions, but I also believe she manipulates them to her needs. Why did she kill Ben?"
"The Pure Relic."
"Then she wants eternity." Laia was leaning in the doorway with her arms crossed. "You spoke of her looking like a haggard old woman when she attacked Ben. That may be her true form. She can only maintain her youthful appearance by subsisting on the lifeforce of others. A Pure Relic would give her back the youth she wants."
"Would it reverse her age?" Tyrian asked in surprise.
"A Pure Relic preserves a person at the peak of their personal maturity. It's conceivable that it would reverse age her."
"I think an investigation into Lady Blaine's history is needed." Matthias looked at Ewan. "Have Kell start looking, and have him look at the other countries as well. She can't have just come from out of nowhere." As Ewan left the room, Matthias eyed Laia. "You have uncanny timing, Laia. What brought you here at this moment?"
"Oh, there's a Kraken in the river that wants to talk to Tyrian."
Silence fell. Then, "How can she say that with a straight face?" Gordon muttered. "A Kraken wants to talk to Lord Tyrian?"
"You heard me." Laia linked her hands behind her head as she turned away. "It was quite polite too. Even tossed one of the soldiers back on shore when he fell off the dock."
Tyrian got to his feet. "Well, I guess I had better see what it wants. Cassie?"
"Oh, I'm coming, if only for entertainment." She fell into step beside him as they left the meeting room and began to make their way toward the dock in the process of being built. The channel from the river was only half dug, but it was still the shortest route to the river.
When her fingers slipped into his, he let out a long breath. "I have a bad feeling, Cas. I can feel it. There's something bad stirring. I've never felt this before." He pressed his free hand to his heart. "Dread. There's no other word for it."
Closely bound to Destiny as he was, it wasn't too surprising for him to begin to feel fluctuations in the flow of things. She didn't have to like it, though. There was enough weight on his shoulders without him needing to begin to sense things like this. "I'm here for you," she said softly.
He turned and caught her in his arms and buried his face in her hair for a moment. "Thank you," he said softly. He eased back and kissed her tenderly but by no means lightly. He had no care for the fact that they stood in the courtyard surrounded by their friends and soldiers. In fact, if there hadn't been a Kraken knocking on the door, he would have quite happily carried Cassie back to their tower. They had an elevator now.
Watching from the meeting room window, Gordon murmured, "They glow."
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Matthias picked up his cup of tea and ignored the throbbing pain in his leg. It gained force with every day that passed. He fought it. He would see the end of this war come Hell or high water. "I imagine once Lady Cassie has her own eternity, we will see something truly spectacular." At the curious look from Gordon, he smiled. "You will see what I mean soon enough, General."
"Get a room," Kyle said dryly as he went past Tyrian and Cassie.
Tyrian reluctantly released Cassie, but it took all his willpower. She was flushed and very kissed, and so outrageously sexy that it drove him mad. His hands lingered enough as he stepped back that her eyes darkened to midnight blue. "Kraken," he said, his voice strained.
She took a long breath and pressed her fingers to her lips. The power of his kiss eclipsed any power any relic could ever produce, and as he grew stronger, his intense need for her seemed to grow as well. What would it be like when she claimed eternity as well? She wasn't sure if they would survive, though she was willing to try.
His breath hissed out. "Stop smiling at me like that."
Her lashes lowered as she walked past him. "Like what, Tyrian?" Her voice was a little huskier and deliberately enticing. She had never before tried to seduce him, and it was much easier than she had imagined. She didn't feel shy or awkward at all. It was hard to be shy with a man who knew you so intimately.
He stuffed his hands into his pockets as he moved to catch up. "You're going to get in trouble when I get you alone, my lovely monk."
Her lips curved further. "I'll hold you to that."
When they reached the place where the river ended at the half-built channel, it wasn't hard to mistake the Kraken at all. It very patiently floated in the water, watching for their approach. Krakens were among the most intelligent of beasts in the world, though they typically caused more trouble than not. Few spoke any sentient languages and were only understood by someone wearing a Listening Relic.
This Kraken, however, said very politely, "Greetings." Its voice, sounding male, didn't necessarily mean that he was actually a male Kraken, but it was a strong possibility.
"Greetings." Tyrian crouched at the edge of the half-built dock, fascinated as he felt the tug inside. It truly took all kinds. "I'm Tyrian. You were looking for me?"
"Yes, I wish to help your fight." The Kraken waved one of his eight arms in the air. He was mostly shaped like an octopus, but his head was of a different shape, covered in feathers, and he had a beak. "The Imperial Army hunts my kind for sport. For sport! They wouldn't do that to Dragons, now would they?"
"Dragons would eat them," Cassie said dryly.
The Kraken sulked. "So we're more civilized. Lord Tyrian, please allow me to fight at your side. When the battles take to the sea, I will guide your ships. And I will defend this port with my very life."
Tyrian's relic glowed softly and a star glowed across the top of the Kraken's head. "Do you have a name?" he asked.
"Infine, I am called." He fluttered his arms. "I would bow like you two-legged races, but I have no waist."
Tyrian smiled. "The thought is appreciated. Thank you, Infine. I know I can count on you to protect us from the sea. I'm sure no one knows it better."
"Naturally not!" Infine sank down underwater and disappeared under the dock to lurk like a shadow. Barely any bubbles surfaced. If you didn't know he was there, you would have never seen him. Any Imperial unit dumb enough to sail up to the castle would be in for quite a surprise.
Cassie tilted her head. "In the end, it really is easy. How many does that make, Tyrian?"
"Including you and me, forty-one. I don't expect it to be easy forever. It's not easy to accept, and I know that some of you are still a bit flabbergasted by the way you feel." Wind ruffled his black hair as his eyes stared at a future only his eyes could see. "But I need you. All of you. I think that if any one of you was not here, a piece of me would be missing too."
She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. She had a strong feeling that that was what Tanelia had meant when she had said he needed to unlock his relic as well as find his Destined Stars. A relic was only as powerful as the heart of its owner. His heart grew stronger with every Star, and therefore so did his relic. It would not be long until the second level unlocked, and she feared it. What sort of toll would it take on him then?
He suddenly lifted her off her feet and she held on tightly. "It's the middle of the day!" she protested breathlessly as he purposefully carried her toward their tower while people grinned at them. "We have strategy to discuss with Matthias!"
"It can wait."
Sensing his stubbornness showing its presence, she sighed and gave up with a laugh. Some fights weren't worth fighting
©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.
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