When they left the meeting room, Kyle detoured to go find Samantha. The others headed to the courtyard where Miranda hung out if people wanted a transport somewhere. Liang felt very glad to be fighting alongside Tyrian once more. He was still kicking himself for not being on the field during the Soul Fog incident. Even if he hadn't been able to help, he could have supported Cassie in her efforts to save Tyrian.
Marian was there waiting for them when they reached Miranda. She looked relatively back to normal despite being in the mage unit that had taken the biggest slap from the Fog. Mostly she looked as if she was recovering from a bad cold. Tyrian lightly pressed his hand to her forehead and frowned. "Should you be up?" He knew she was quite powerful, enough to have been hit harder.
"Doc said I was perfectly fine for getting up, don't worry." She hugged her cousin tightly and hid her face against his shoulder. He was like a brother to her, and the thought of losing him after losing Ben terrified her. It had nothing to do with her destiny. It was Tyrian. She would be there either way. "You scared me."
"I know." He hugged her for a moment and then let go. "It wasn't intentional. And it shouldn't be such a worry for the future now."
She reluctantly let him go only to turn and hug Cassie, surprising the younger woman greatly. "You're my family now, too," Marian scolded her, "so you have to stop doing dangerous things as well!" The fact that Cassie was arguably one of the hardest people in the world to kill was a moot point. She was Marian's sister-cousin now.
"I can't promise that," Cassie told her. "Remember, I have to keep your cousin safe, too. And with his stubbornness, I'm going to be getting us out of a lot of trouble, to be sure! Eternity certainly won't be boring."
Tyrian just smiled. Marian sighed. "I can't begrudge you that, I suppose. But, still! You're a mother, so you need to be more careful, okay?" She hugged them both, and Liang, and then hurried off before Kelan scolded her for doing too much.
In a murmur, Ewan said, "She holds onto family very tightly."
"I'm all she has," Tyrian said simply. "At least until we get my father back." He frowned. "I wonder if my message will have had any impact on him." He still couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible would happen. That something terrible might have already happened. It took much effort to shrug it off.
Kyle and Samantha joined them, and Miranda focused on Kyle. "Next stop, Seabank!" She swung her wand in a looping arc, narrowly missing Liang, and her relic activated. "Hang on!"
A few seconds later, Kyle, Tyrian, and Cassie landed on the dock of the tiny town called Seabank. The other three landed in the ocean beside the dock with a splash big enough to scare away the seagulls. Ewan surfaced and slung his hair out of his eyes. "I wish I could get mad at her about that, but I know it's not her fault."
As he hauled himself out, Kyle helped Samantha out, and Liang let Tyrian and Cassie tug him onto the dock. While those who had gotten a dunk wrung out their clothes, Tyrian looked around the area. The small dock of Seabank had a handful of small dinghies and rowboats. At the end of the longest part of the dock sat a much larger ship that looked like it would carry at least ten people comfortably. He would have bet money on it belonging to Theo; he had never before seen a ship in that good of condition.
He led the way off the dock and into what was the only road in the town and therefore the center as well. Even using the word 'village' to describe Seabank was being generous. It was little more than a hub. There was a lone grocer, Item Shop, and an inn with a tavern attached. All homes had their own gardens or ranches. The Item Shop was no doubt just in case travelers came through, just like the inn.
It was to the tavern that Tyrian headed. It looked fairly busy inside despite the size of the town, but many people were distinctly visitors. He swept his gaze over the room and then settled on a corner where a lively game of dice went on. Kyle followed his gaze and said, "That's him. The shorter haired blond is Theo. The longer is Mayo."
The brothers were obvious identical twins, but Theo's blond hair stayed extremely short while Mayo's hung longer and tied at the nape of his neck. They were both attractive, though more weathered than handsome, and they had the obvious strength of men used to a life at sea. Age-wise, Tyrian guessed them to be a few years older than Ewan.
A giggling bellhop brought towels to Ewan, Liang, and Samantha, and Tyrian went with Kyle over to the game. Mayo wasn't playing; he watched absently while he whittled a piece of wood into something or another. Theo looked distinctly smug, and rightfully so since he had most of the gold coins on his side. The other three at the table didn't look quite as happy.
Theo glanced up and recognized Kyle instantly. "Well, look what the Grimalkin dragged in." His blue eyes filled with empathy. "How are you?"
"As well as can be expected, I suppose." Kyle rested a hand lightly on Tyrian's shoulder. "Theo, Mayo, meet Tyrian Southerwind."
"'lo." Mayo glanced at Tyrian curiously and decided he liked the younger man's serene nature. It was such an oxymoron to the intensity that seemed to permeate everything else about him. The dark green eyes that looked back at Mayo held a fierce glitter as bright as the stars that would no doubt burn just as eternally. A leader's eyes.
"This is no place for kids," Theo told Kyle in annoyance after a cursory study of Tyrian. "Take him back to your little castle and let him play general somewhere else."
The room fell silent. Samantha slowly arched a brow and then shared a quick smirk with Ewan. Cassie and Liang said nothing. Kyle bristled slightly. "This isn't the time to be an asshole, Theo," he said curtly. "You want to say that Tyrian's not carrying out Ophelia's wishes, and doing a better job than we might have ever hoped?"
"Hold on, Kyle," Tyrian said softly, though his voice carried. "If he wishes to be a coward, then let him. There is no shame in his fear."
Theo shot to his feet so sharply that he jostled the table and sent dice and coins flying. "Who are you to call me a coward?" he snarled at Tyrian. "You don't even know me, kid!"
Tyrian met his eyes directly. "And you do not know me. Therefore you can't rightfully call me a kid." He stepped closer, and though he was fractionally shorter, he suddenly seemed much taller. "You can stay here," he said softly, intensely, "and pretend that your world is perfect. You can hide in this little town and say that because you are spared then the rest of the world must be fine. But you know it's not. I came looking for a great captain. A man said to confront any and every challenge. All I see is a coward wasting his time cheating at dice and pretending he's as good as he used to be."
"Cheating!" another player yelped.
"The dice are weighted." Tyrian turned and walked out of the tavern without looking back, and he clearly ignored the sudden ruckus as people realized Theo hadn't won fairly.
"Oh nice one," Mayo told Theo in annoyance. "Real smart. I've never known anyone who could piss off that many people at once."
"Just take your damn money back!" Theo snapped at the people yelling at him. "And Mayo, shut up!" He shot to his feet and ran out of the tavern, anger and shame boiling inside his heart. How dare that punk call him a coward? And how dare he show up like that, making Theo feel as if he was needed? Just who did Tyrian think he was?
He was so blinded to his anger as he ran onto the dock that he didn't see the staff stuck in his path until he tripped over it and stumbled. He couldn't catch himself in time and fell headfirst into the ocean with a big splash. When he surfaced, Tyrian knelt on the edge of the dock with his staff propped over his shoulder. "Cool off," he suggested mildly.
Theo scowled at him. "As if that was mature!" He sputtered as Tyrian shoved him underwater. When he surfaced again, Tyrian was sitting down on the side of the dock. It would have been very easy to grab his ankle and yank him in, but it would have also been petty and immature.
On a sigh, he hauled himself out of the water and onto the side of the dock. It had become hard to hang onto his anger. "Do a lot of people have a problem hating you?" he asked.
Tyrian thought about it. "For the most part, yes. Mostly because I really don't hate anyone in return. It takes a lot to get me to that level." His eyes darkened as shadows churned inside. "In my life, there have been three people I hated. Only one of them have I forgiven." He leaned back on his hands. "I suppose it doesn't mean much considering my age. I'll be nineteen in a few months."
Theo looked at him in surprise. "I thought you were older than that. Huh." He turned his gaze to the ocean. "So why don't you tell me just what's going on, Tyrian? Even out here, we've heard the legend spreading. How did all this happen?"
By the time Tyrian had told him everything, Theo felt sick to his stomach. That Tyrian was still sane seemed shocking. He also didn't need to ask to know that Blaine and Beelzebub would be the two people Tyrian still hated. Forgiving Annareal was mind-blowing. "You're a better person than I am," he said softly.
Tyrian slid a look at him. "But not a better sailor or captain."
"No one is." It was said without conceit, just simple fact. He blew out a hard breath. "Crap. I'm one of those Destined Stars, aren't I? Me and Mayo. There's no other reason for the way I feel like you really need my help."
"I can't do it without you," Tyrian said simply. He clapped Theo on the shoulder with his relic hand, and the glow of the star came visibly. "We share the skies, Theo. Now I need you to share the seas as well. A man of your skill is wasted in that pub cheating at dice."
"How did you know that anyway?" the captain muttered.
Tyrian grinned. "I guessed."
"Son-of-a . . ." He broke off as he realized the epithet was not, actually, that inaccurate. He would never forgive Annareal for what she had done, that was for damn sure. "Alright," he decided briskly. "You've got yourself a captain, Tyrian!"
"And your respect?"
"Hell, kid, you had that when you called me out in the tavern. Not many have that kind of guts, and I have to admire it." He contemplated Tyrian. "So what's the plan?" After Tyrian told him, he could only admire him all the more. "Damn, you definitely have guts. You want to just sail right into Alphin like it's nothing."
"You can't do it?"
"I've never tried," Theo said cheerfully. "This will be fun!"
The others had walked up, and Kyle looked at Tyrian in bemusement. "Only you," he said. "What'd you do to him?"
"Threw me in the ocean," Theo admitted. He elbowed Ewan when his friend snorted. "You'll be next, Grizmar, if you don't watch it!"
"Already had a dunking," Ewan said politely. "I don't need another."
Tyrian and Mayo shared a smile. There were no words needed between them. Sometimes it really was that simple.
Theo was in distinctly higher spirits as he headed down the dock toward his ship. "All aboard!" he announced cheerfully. As people filed on, he asked, "And who the hell is everyone anyway?" He eyed Samantha with interest. He had always liked women, no matter their race, height, shape, or skill set.
Tyrian gestured to Liang. "This is Liang. He's been with me since I was a child." He smiled at Cassie. "The monk is Cassie. She is my Kentei Star as well as my fiancée." He grinned as he saw Theo eyeing Samantha. "That would be General Samantha Yureny."
The name triggered and Theo's eyes widened. "Greetings, ma'am," he said respectfully. "No offense meant."
She grinned. "None taken."
Mayo untied the ship and then hopped aboard. Theo took the wheel and they set out into the ocean. The sail from Seabank to Alphin took only a few hours, and the trip was spent planning just how they would sneak inside. There was never any question of Theo getting them there safely. It was merely the determination of the after that kept them occupied.
"Lord Tyrian is too recognizable," Samantha said. "And I don't mean the scarf, though it doesn't help. The relic does it too. And if anyone looks at his eyes, they're going to know who and what he is."
"What about disguising him in Healer robes?" Mayo asked. "They have hoods, right? Just cover his hands with gloves, and keep the hood down, and no one will be the wiser. But Cassie's kind of going to stick out too."
"No one will see me," Cassie noted mildly. "I assure you of that. And we can't discount anyone's face, frankly. Everyone knows Samantha, and you can be sure a lot of people will know Ewan by now after what happened in Trinan and with Beelzebub. Night is too conspicuous as well."
"And Kyle," Ewan reminded her. "His pretty mug was slapped on posters a while back."
"Great, so we walk into the city and cause mass hysteria. Oh, that's going to be so stealthy." Kyle frowned thoughtfully. "And we can't all disguise ourselves without standing out even more. Six mages would be too obvious, and anyway, any other mage will sense that you, Liang, and Sam don't have relics."
"We could hide in plain sight," Samantha said.
"Hide in plain sight?"
"Just walk into the city as we are. No one is going to believe that Lord Tyrian would just walk into an enemy stronghold without an army. If Lady Cassie is hidden, then it will be even more believable. We disguise Liang as the Healer and just walk in. Alex might be the only one suspicious, frankly, but that's not an issue."
Cassie nodded. "I can retrieve the robe and hood without being seen, as well as other clothes for everyone. I think you might be right, Samantha. You'd make a good monk yourself."
Samantha grinned a bit at the compliment. It was high praise coming from someone of Cassie's caliber.
The ship began to rock back and forth with more than the normal movement of natural waves. Tyrian got to his feet and went onto the deck. The ocean seethed restlessly, and it grew only more unhappy the further they sailed. He walked over to Theo whose face was calm but arms were taut with the strength of controlling the ship. "What causes this anyway?"
"There are tons of theories, up to and including some sort of conspiracy by the Emperor to employ Merfolk to keep the ocean unstable during the low point of trade season. I've often thought there might be an underwater vein of Water Relics causing the disturbance. We've mined Fire Relics from volcanoes, so . . ."
Since Tyrian didn't see Merfolk being inclined to help the Emperor with anything, he leaned toward Theo's theory too. The Merfolk weren't often found in Imperial waters anyway. They lived much further to the east, toward the western edge of the Moors. Though only one ocean wrapped around the large landmass of Oriku, it was a given that the waters were warmest near the Moors and coldest near Melodina.
The sea was getting more violent. Tyrian grabbed onto the railing as a particularly large wave nearly lifted the ship entirely off the ocean. Alphin was a line on the horizon, just big enough and close enough that it became a shaped line rather than a flat one. The sky stayed perfectly clear with no storms about. The ocean was simply impassible for these two months of the year.
Impassible to normal ships. Theo had built this baby from scratch, and he wouldn't let some pissy waves ruin all his work. He pulled his hat low over his eyes and said, "Better hang on tight, Tyrian! I'm going to start fighting back! I play to win!"
Tyrian made his way to the cabin door and went inside. As he stumbled across the floor and Ewan caught him, he said dryly, "Let's hope he weighted the dice again."
Theo stopped trying to go through the waves. He started going around them. Mayo headed up to the deck and added his help by using the Wind Relic he wore. The timing between the twins was critical. If Mayo hit the sails too soon or too late, they ran the risk of capsizing the boat entirely.
No one inside the cabin had any idea what was going on. They had realized that staying on their feet was potentially suicidal, so all laid flat on the floor and hoped that the lower altitude might save them a few bruises.
Abruptly, the shaking and bouncing stopped. The boat went back to rocking softly and rhythmically. It was peaceful and calm once more. "Are we dead?" Liang asked warily.
"Ewan's here," Kyle said, "so if we are, it's in hell."
"You made the reservations, friend."
"We're not dead," Tyrian said dryly. He got to his feet carefully and then helped pull Kyle up as well. Both males could only watch with wistful envy as Cassie flipped to her feet. It would be much more convenient to learn how to do that. Laia could even do it in plate armor while carrying her claymore; both Kyle and Ewan were determined that she teach them how she did it.
Cassie pulled on her hood and facemask, obscuring her entire face from view except for her eyes. As soon as she put on her gloves as well, there was no telling her apart from any other monk. She disappeared into the shadows and went onto the deck to wait until they docked. Theo was whistling as if he hadn't just sailed them through the worst waves on the world. Alphin was getting to be more than a line, and the cityscape was much more distinct. It was only minutes before he pulled in to the dock where several wide-eyed soldiers stood.
Cassie disappeared into the city quickly, and Theo tossed the ropes to one of the men. "Here, tie me off!" he said.
"You . . . but how . . . where . . ." The soldier was completely lost for words though he did tie off the boat properly.
"Whew!" Theo sat down on a bench on the deck and lit his pipe. "I need a breather! That was hell out there. But look at that! Not a mark on this baby!" The soldiers were still staring at him and he winced. "My apologies, my good men. I'm Theo."
"Oh. Oh!" The soldiers promptly saluted, awe on their faces. Everyone who had ever been on a boat knew the name of Theo. His skills as a captain were legendary, and the Empire had tried for many years to recruit him for a sea assault on Foresalia. A staunch pacifist, he had always turned them down. "Welcome to Alphin," one soldier said. "I can't believe you made it through those waves!"
"Well, I had some travelers who wanted to get to the city, and I wanted to test the boat, so I figured it was a win-win." He felt a little draft that was Cassie slipping back into the cabin and had to be impressed. He was sure no one else had noticed her at all. Monks could be sneaky creatures. "Told 'em that if I capsized us, they didn't owe me any money."
"I guess that's fair," someone grumbled.
The cabin door opened and Kyle cautiously peered out. A blue bandana covered his blond hair, and he now wore clothes more suited to a farmer. His sword was safely hidden in his backpack and nowhere in sight. "We're alive, right?"
The soldiers frowned, thinking he looked familiar, and their frowns deepened as Ewan, also dressed like a farmer, stepped out. He was familiar too. And so was the woman who followed, though she dressed like a bard rather than a farmer. More than one of the soldiers eyed her long legs and luscious figure wistfully.
A Healer followed the bard, and he was completely indistinct. It was the fifth person to step out that had the soldiers starting to be alarmed. Even without a green scarf and fighting clothes, the young man in the clothing of an inventor looked a damned lot like Tyrian Southerwind. "Hang on here," one soldier muttered.
"He's not who you think he is!" Samantha complained. She turned on Tyrian and scolded, "I told you that you looked like that guy, but no you never listen to me!" She grabbed Ewan's hat and shoved it on Tyrian's head. "You wanted to come here, so hide your pretty face and not cause hysteria, got it?"
There was no way the guy was Tyrian. Seriously, the leader of the Liberation Army taking that sort of abuse from anyone? Not likely. The soldiers saluted, and one smiled apologetically. "Our sincere apologies, travelers. Things have been tense as of late. Welcome to Alphin." He helped Samantha step onto the dock and then sighed as the tall male pointedly pulled her closer. The good ones were always taken, damn it.
"Anyone want to play some dice?" Theo asked the soldiers innocently as the party made their way casually into the city.
"I feel like an idiot," Samantha muttered.
"Just smile and accept the adoration of the people whose tongues are dragging on the ground as you pass," Ewan said. He kept his arm around her shoulders and glared at several admirers for good measure. "I'll keep away the idiots for you."
"Can't I just use my sword for that?"
"Not without blowing our cover. Down, girl."
Tyrian kept his hat pulled low over his face so that his features stayed hidden from view. He could feel Cassie close by even though he couldn't see her at all. Knowing she was there let him feel safe enough to look around the city with intense curiosity.
The general state of the city was no different from Firmeza or anywhere else. The size of a city dictated only that the problems spread out over a larger space, not that they were eliminated. There were simply that many more people to lose homes and businesses. The abuse had spread out across the city, so immediately seeing the depression was not possible. Someone could fool themselves into believing everything was okay.
Visually, however, Alphin appeared very different from other cities. Built on the ocean, it was made of stone and mortar to stand against the salty sea air. Some buildings were impressively tall, and every road had been paved with stone to make travel easier. There was little wood to be had in any construction, but there were a lot of beach trees around to soften the landscape.
If it was this lovely in this state, he could only imagine how beautiful it would be once restored. He couldn't help but feel they had arrived just in time. A sort of tension hovered in the air as if the city hovered on the verge of collapse. "The city that smiles even though the dagger sinks deeper," he murmured.
"Wars are expensive," Liang said quietly. "And with this many cities liberated, Albanion and Blaine will have to depend harder on those who remain to support their troops and their cushioned lifestyle."
Tyrian nodded slightly. "Let's find General Renduex."
Finding Alex turned out to be slightly easier than they had thought. While they had expected to find him at the inn where he was supposed to be staying, they actually found him while on their way there. They also found him arguing with a grocer about the price of the supplies he was trying to buy.
Samantha walked up behind him and asked politely, "Problem?"
"He won't charge me!" he said in annoyance. "I don't want things for free, damn it!" He blinked as he realized the voice was familiar and then turned around sharply. He stared at Samantha for several seconds before his lips began to curve. "Sam, you've never looked lovelier."
"Oh, shut up!" She glared at the grocer. "Just take his money. He's a penny-pincher anyway."
"Thanks a lot!" her friend muttered as he handed the snickering grocer a handful of coins. He hefted his bag and looked at the other four people standing near. He recognized Ewan and Kyle instantly, was fairly sure he knew who the Healer was, and he felt positive he knew the young man hiding his face from view. "Should we do this the easy way, or the more formal way?"
"Let's make it formal." Samantha's sword suddenly appeared in her hand and she pressed the blade under his chin lightly. "Alexander Renduex, under laws of engagement, I demand you surrender or die, by the order of Tyrian Southerwind, leader of the Liberation Army."
People who were observing quickly cleared the area. Soldiers spotted the commotion and came running, drawing weapons as they approached. Alex held up a hand sharply. "Stop!" he ordered. "The laws of engagement have been declared!"
It was the exact same situation as with Gordon and Shots, except it was off the field of battle. Typically, the sniper was an archer, or gunner, but a close-range combatant could be just as effective if they could get close enough. Samantha had her sword against Alex's neck—she was more than close enough.
Tyrian pulled off his hat and tossed it to the side. Pointedly, he removed the gloves he wore. The mark of the Devourer glowed brightly in the sunlight as he held his hand in the air. "Do you stand or yield?" he asked Alex.
The tinniest of smiles touched Alex's lips. "Yield." He glanced at his soldiers. "You may retreat or remain."
There wasn't really a decision to be made. Every soldier in the vicinity removed their emblems and tossed them on the ground. At the sight of the army switching sides, the people of Alphin began to cheer loudly.
It took several seconds for the enormity of what had just happened to sink into Tyrian. When it did, he felt staggered emotionally. He had just claimed a checkpoint. He now controlled the eastern border of the Empire. When the turbulent season ended, trade would be coming in from the other countries, and he would be the one claiming it. The capitol was almost completely cut off from trade with Melodina and the Moors.
Cassie suddenly appeared at his side and tangled the fingers of her relic hand with his. The familiar sensation helped ground him though his head still spun lightly. "Let's talk," he told Alex.
"Indeed." Alex gestured toward the inn down the road. "After you." He grinned at Samantha. "Bards first."
"Kiss my ass." She stalked past him, and the soldiers cleared her path quickly. None of them trusted a woman that skilled when she was that pissed off and armed.
"Why did you pick that anyway?" Tyrian asked Cassie softly.
"It was the only thing in her size that would hide her identity," she said just as softly. She winced wryly. "I had a feeling she wouldn't like it."
Alex watched Samantha shove two gawking guards out of the way and also winced. "You have a mastery of understatement, my lady."
©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.
Chapter 32->
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