Chapter 10
Leonosis
“The ships are ready?” Draggah asked.
“Everything except for provisions,” the general said quietly.
“How long will it take to get everyone onboard the ships?”
“A few hours, my king.”
Draggah screamed in fury, pummeling the officer in his rage. The demon had grown more irritable by the day as they waited to hear from the scout ships that had been sent back. Rumors were flying around the city, and the mood inside the castle was total fear. Four servants had been slain for no reason other than being in Draggah’s presence when a fit of rage took him. Usually, the demon simply tormented Leonosis. The mental torment was nearly unending, but the demon also refused to eat, causing Leo’s physical body to suffer, as well.
“That is too long!” Draggah screamed.
“My king, if we board the ships now, we’ll only have to re-provision before leaving. It won’t save us any time.”
“Have the soldiers on the ships by noon,” Draggah said. “I want each ship fully provisioned and ready to sail.”
“Where are we going?” the general asked.
Draggah grabbed the man’s throat so tightly the officer couldn’t breathe. He struggled to remove Leonosis’ hand from his throat. The general was a big man, his chest thick with muscle and his arms bulging, but he couldn’t remove the demon’s supernatural grip. His eyes bulged, and his tongue protruded from his lips in a grotesque fashion. Leonosis was only slightly concerned that Draggah was killing the general of the king’s army. When the demon had first taken over his body, Leonosis might have tried to intervene, but he knew there was nothing he could do to save the officer and his efforts would only incite the beast’s wrath.
“My king!” The door burst open, and a red-faced soldier scrambled into the room. “A ship is returning!”
Draggah tossed the general as if he were a child, then stalked to the large windows of the castle tower. He could see the war ship in the distance as it sailed toward the castle. Leonosis felt relief flood through him. It was a combination of the demon’s relief and the cessation of Leonosis’ own torment. For a moment, the demon had forgotten Leo, and the constant torture stopped.
“At last,” Draggah said, mainly to himself. “General, get my troops ready. And prepare my ship, as well.”
The general nodded, bowed, and hurried from the room, rubbing his neck as he went. The messenger followed. Leonosis sobbed quietly in the corner of his own mind, which was no longer his alone. He did his best not to attract the attention of the demon. The last thing Leonosis wanted was to become the target of the wicked creature’s cruel games.
Draggah shouted for his personal servants to ready his weapons and armor. Queen Ariel came in and looked out the large window. Leonosis hated seeing her. The once-proud princess was now almost as fearful as everyone else in the castle. She ate little, and her skin had grown so pale that it looked sickly. Her hair was lank and dull. Large dark bags had formed under her eyes, which were bloodshot and glassy.
“What is it?” she asked.
“News from the scouts,” Draggah said. “Soon we will leave this frigid aerie and find the Balestone.”
“I’m going, too,” she said, her voice whining almost like a child.
“Of course, my dear,” Draggah said. “I wouldn’t think of leaving without my precious bride.”
“Don’t patronize me.”
“Then don’t act like a child. You are vital to my plans, you know this. Stop acting as if you fear my betrayal.”
Servants brought in clothes and armor. When they disrobed Leonosis, he could see his frail body in the mirror. Draggah was fully in control of Leonosis, and he rarely looked down at himself. But in the mirror, Leonosis could see how painfully thin he had become. His stomach was distended, and the bones in his shoulders, hips, and knees stuck out in a grotesque fashion.
They pulled a soft wool tunic over his head and helped him step into pants. Then came a set of fine chainmail, followed by a thick vest of stiff leather. A wide belt was wrapped around his thin waist and cinched tight. Tall boots that had long strips of metal to protect his lower legs were forced onto his feet, and he donned thick gauntlets. Finally, a helmet forged of dark metal with a gold inlay that formed a king’s crown was gently placed on his head.
By the time King Leonosis was dressed in his finest armor, the warship from Avondale had arrived. Leonosis waited in the throne room while the soldiers were escorted down to give their report. They bowed as soon as they saw their king. Leonosis wondered what the other soldiers in the castle had told them.
“Report!” Draggah demanded.
“We come from Avondale, my liege,” said one of the soldiers. The others stood behind the speaker with their heads down. “The wizard is there.”
“Tell me everything,” Draggah demanded.
“We were patrolling, just as you ordered us. We saw something happening with the other war ship and so we went to investigate but were attacked by the city soldiers.”
“Men from the earl’s war band?” Draggah asked.
“Yes, my liege. We were overwhelmed,” he lied. “Your brother arrived and, for a short time, took control of the city, but then the wizard defeated him.”
“So Tiberius has taken control of Avondale,” Draggah said.
“No, my lord. He was injured, and his father is protecting him.”
“You’re sure of this?” Draggah demanded.
“We don’t know how he was hurt, but we saw his friend, the sword master’s son, hanging from the palace walls. There was a battle of some kind. Most of your men were slain.”
“And they just let you escape?”
“No, my lord. The earl sent us. Your father. He’s not ill, not anymore. He sent us to tell you that you aren’t welcome in Avondale.”
“What did he say exactly?”
“That he is disappointed in you and Brutas. That he may not be able to stop you from being King of Valana, but you are not welcome in his city. And that he wants you to send your mother home.”
Leonosis felt a pang of fear. He hadn’t seen his mother since shortly after his coronation. Leo had no idea what had become of her, but he knew it couldn’t be good.
Draggah laughed, but his humor was short lived.
“What of Tiberius?”
“We heard he refused to let your brother leave the city,” the soldier said meekly. “He said the city would protect him.”
“How certain of this are you?”
“We only heard stories of what happened, my lord,” the soldier said. “But the other sky ships were all in Avondale when we left.”
Draggah’s mind flipped through the possibilities. He knew Earl Ageus was up to something, but he wasn’t certain what it was. Leonosis knew his father was a cold, calculating man. The fact that Tiberius had healed their father was a surprise. The earl had never shown any love to Tiberius, but perhaps healing the old man was a tactical decision. Earl Ageus was almost certain to oppose Brutas. Draggah regretted not slaying the earl’s second son and taking control of his body, the way the demon had done with the other earls. At least then Draggah would have had firsthand knowledge of what had happened in Avondale.
The mental slip was like a flash of lightning. It was suddenly there and suddenly gone again, but Leonosis knew that it was real. Draggah had not taken control of Brutas because he was too weak. Splitting his concentration between the earls took a heavy toll on the demon, and losing Earl Marcus when Tiberius and Rafe had slain him had caused Draggah a great amount of pain. In the end, the decision not to enslave Brutas had come out of necessity.
No sooner had the realization of Draggah’s weakness crossed Leo’s mind than a wave of soul-crushing pain followed. Leo’s thoughts were almost always clear to the demon. He had to work hard to hide his thoughts, and the realization of his tormentor’s pain had happened so quickly that Leo hadn’t had time to conceal anything.
When the pain finally eased enough that Leonosis could think clearly again, he was on the king’s sky ship. Below him the last of the war ships were being provisioned. Draggah stood at the bow of the ship, looking down over his army.
Don’t be foolish,
the demon spoke directly into Leonosis’ mind.
This army is just the beginning of my power. Soon your world will buckle under the weight of my wrath. Your kind will run in terror, but none will escape me. Valana will know only pain.
The demon’s pleasure brought Leonosis no relief. It felt as if his body were on fire, even though his mind was somehow clear. He could see the war ships, each loaded with men and fire bombs. He could see in his mind’s eye the demon’s vision of Avondale burning. He could almost hear the screams of the people as they died.
The death of your people is inevitable. I shall enslave them all and feed off their torment for eternity.
No!
Leonosis shouted, but the demon only laughed.
Leo was helpless to stop the destruction of all he loved and everything he knew. The world was under attack, and Leonosis was forced to watch from the eyes of the enemy.
Chapter 11
Tiberius
After resting for two whole days, Tiberius was finally beginning to feel better. The wound in his back still ached, but the muscles around the wound were no longer spasming, and he could move around the ship easily enough.
The journey south had been uneventful after their encounter with the dragon. The plains had slowly shifted into rolling hills below them. The climate was growing hotter and more dry. The lush green moss that served as grass on the plains had been taken over by a taller, weedy-looking plant, and there were short trees.
“You think any of those trees are alive?” Lexi asked him as they leaned against the ship’s railing.
“Like the Hosscum?” he asked. “No, I don’t think so. I can’t see their roots.”
“That’s good to know. I can handle animals, but sentient trees creep me out.”
Tiberius laughed and was surprised to find that it didn’t hurt. Lexi was smiling at him, and a warm wind was propelling the ship at a fast pace. It felt like the start of a great day. Robere brought them breakfast. Most of the rations on the ship were growing stale, but Tiberius was thankful for the fruit, bread, and cheese. He knew that they would be left with salted meat before long, the kind that was like chewing boot leather and tasted worse.
“What is that?” Lexi asked.
Dancer, always on Lexi’s shoulder, trilled in surprise. Tiberius looked out into the distance, and the straw-colored landscape was taken over by a dark, muddy brown.
“I don’t know,” Tiberius said.
“Dancer, give us a better look,” Lexi told the wind glider.
The little animal hopped from Lexi’s shoulder to the rail of the war ship. Then it scampered out across the narrow mast that protruded from the side of the vessel like a fin on a fish. When it reached the end of the mast, it dove forward, flipping through the air before gliding up on an invisible current of air.
The war ship was sailing at what seemed like a fast pace, but Dancer was faster. The little creature was soon out of sight. Lexi swayed for a moment, and Tiberius put his arm around her. Her eyes were closed, and he knew she was seeing through Dancer’s eyes.
“Oh no,” she said.
“What?” Tiberius asked.
“Trees.”
“Trees? That’s not so bad.”
“No, not just trees,” Lexi said. “It isn’t like a forest. It’s more like a tangle of trees. There are so many.”
“Is there something bad about the trees?”
“No, not the trees specifically. It’s hard to explain. They aren’t natural. It’s like a thousand forests have been chopped down and dumped in place.”
Tiberius didn’t understand, but he felt instinctively that they were nearing their destination. The commune of wizards would have been a primary target during the war between the wizards of the Four Orders and the rogue sorcerers they battled. It made sense that something horrific would be all that remained.
“Take us lower, Captain!” Tiberius shouted.
“You heard him!” bellowed the old sailor. “Tighten those lines and bring us down.”
The ship was still flying toward the brown smudge on the horizon, and Tiberius decided he needed to see the mass of trees for himself.
“
Ultimus Conspectus
,” he whispered.
Immediately his vision raced forward. It was like he was looking through a telescope, only the magical enhancement allowed him to see much further and more clearly than any spyglass. The unnatural forest came into view, and Tiberius felt his stomach knotting up with fear. The forest looked horrific. Most of the trees were gray and lifeless, some were tangled sideways in the mass of trees, and other were even upside down, their roots reaching out like gnarled limbs desperately seeking a way out. The trunks and branches were entwined like the forest was a giant knot, both frightening and oddly curious at the same time.
“What do you think could have caused that?” Tiberius said.
“Magic?” Lexi asked.
“No magic I’ve ever heard of,” Tiberius said. “It must be a result of the cataclysm.”
“At least we can sail over it.”
“No, we have to go down there. The Emerystone is there. I’m sure of it.”
“In there?” Lexi asked. “Ti, if it’s in that forest, you’ll never find it. You could search your entire life and not find it.”
“I have to try,” he argued. “We can’t turn back now.”
“But how are you so sure? There’s no sign of the wizard village down there. Why would they build something in that forest?”
“That forest was grown or created to hide the commune. Perhaps it was supposed to wipe any sign of the Four Orders away, but I know I have to go down there.”
“Your back is just now getting better,” Lexi said. “Let’s sail over it and explore it first.”
“No, don’t you see? That won’t do any good. That forest is meant to hide something. We have to go down there and find out what it is.”
“Anything could be hiding in that forest, Ti. Creatures we’ve never seen before. More sentient trees. We can’t risk going down there.”
“I have to,” Tiberius said. “You can stay here.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. If you’re going, I’m going. You probably wouldn’t last half an hour without me anyway.”
As the war ship sailed closer to the strange forest, Tiberius and Lexi gathered supplies. Lexi carried food and water for several days in a pack that she strapped securely to her back. Tiberius gathered rope and blankets. He hoped they wouldn’t be in the forest long, but he had to be ready to spend at least a few days in the tangled mess. He guessed that finding the Emerystone wouldn’t be easy.
“Tell me you’re not going in there,” the captain said, pointing toward the forest that was now clearly visible from the ship.
“We have to,” Tiberius said.
“You’re out of your mind.”
“Just take us as close as you can.”
“Dancer’s back,” Lexi said. “She found a way in.”
“What do you mean?” Tiberius asked.
Dancer was standing on Lexi’s shoulder, trilling and pointing with one small paw.
“There’s an opening further south,” Lexi said. “It’s hard to explain. A tunnel maybe, I’m not sure.”
“Can she lead us there?”
The little animal jumped up and down on Lexi’s shoulder.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Tiberius said. “Show the captain where to go.”
Tiberius checked his weapons. He was carrying a dagger, but he had lost his whip. He didn’t know what he might need in the strange woodland. A spear would be too difficult to carry through the tangled forest, which looked almost like a junk heap. He had no idea what they might face and he knew he had to be ready for anything. He slid a throwing knife into a hidden sheath in his right boot, and Robere brought him a climbing pick.
“Where did you find that?” Tiberius asked.
“The ship has a small armory,” the aging servant said. “That pick looked useful.”
“I guess a flying ship should have climbing equipment,” Tiberius said.
“You will be careful, Master Tiberius. That forest looks dreadful.”
“I will be—don’t worry.”
When Tiberius got back on the main deck of the ship, they were over the forest. Some of the trees had leaves, but they were all brown and brittle looking. Nothing about the forest looked vibrant or even alive. The trees seemed to be coated with brown dust or sand. The trunks and limbs were packed tightly together, and the forest stretched out as far as Tiberius could see.
“How far are we from the opening?” Tiberius asked.
“I still can’t see it,” Lexi said.
Tiberius was impatient. He was ready to see what lay inside the forest, ready to find the Emerystone and return to Avondale before anything dire happened. But he also felt afraid. He wished that his back wasn’t still so weak or that he could know for certain what lay inside the forest of gnarled, twisted trees. Lexi was right—they might run into anything down in the tangled mass, but Tiberius knew he had to go, and once he understood that, he was anxious to get moving.
“There!” Lexi said at last, pointing to the southwest.
The captain altered his course slightly. They were barely more than a dozen feet from the top of the forest canopy, which was surprisingly level. Tiberius leaned over the railing and searched for the opening. Finally he saw what appeared to be a small gap between the barren branches of one tree and the upturned roots of another. The opening wasn’t large and looked almost like the mouth of a cave. The interior of the forest was very dark.
“Should we take a lantern?” Lexi asked.
“I don’t think taking fire into what looks like a gigantic brush pile is a very good idea. It looks like a spark could set this whole forest ablaze at any moment.” Dancer trilled sadly. “Do you have everything you need?” Tiberius asked.
“I think so,” Lexi said, adjusting the pack on her shoulders.
They went back to the center of the ship and waited while the captain and his men brought the vessel as close to a halt as they could without someone on the ground to anchor the war ship.
“You’ll have to climb down the rope ladder,” the captain explained. “Once you’re down, you can tie us off, and we’ll be more stable.”
“All right,” Lexi said. “I can do that.”
“Be careful,” Tiberius said, hating himself for letting Lexi go first but knowing she was much more suited to the climb than he was.
She kissed him, then gave him a wink before slipping over the rail and climbing down the swaying ladder. Tiberius leaned out over the side of the ship so he could see Lexi descend. She was graceful and completely sure of herself. He marveled at her ability. She made the climb down quickly with no wasted effort or loss of balance. He knew that, compared to her, his descent would be clumsy and awkward.
Lexi stepped off the rope ladder and onto the gnarled roots of the upturned tree. She tied the ends of the rope ladder, which were several feet longer than the rungs, to the tree roots. The sailors then dropped several lines, which Lexi also tied to the roots. The anchoring would have been more secure if she could have spread the lines out wide, but the canopy of the forest was uncertain at best. There was no real way to know which branches could support her weight.
Dancer jumped from place to place on the canopy as Tiberius braced himself for the climb down. He stepped onto the rope ladder, felt the flimsy instrument bend under his weight, and a jolt of pain shot through his back. He grimaced but continued climbing down. It took him nearly twice as long as it took Lexi, but he made it to the bottom of the ladder without incident.
“It looks dark,” Lexi said as she bent over the opening. “But there is some light filtering in.”
“At least we’ll be able to find the ship again if we need to,” Tiberius said.
He gazed into the small opening, surprised that they even found it. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was the only way into the mass of tangled trees or if there were other gaps all over the twisted forest. He knew it was wishful thinking to hope that the opening led straight to where the Emerystone was hidden.
“We should get moving. There’s no telling how much daylight we have left.”
Lexi nodded and stood back up. This time, Tiberius went first. There were limbs and tree trunks large enough to support his weight, but he went slowly, testing each hand- and foothold before trusting it to support him. Lexi moved more easily and could have quickly outpaced him, but she seemed content to let Tiberius lead the way. Their eyes slowly adjusted to the gloom. Amber-colored sunlight filtered through the branches, but the light seemed dull, the shadows dense. They couldn’t see very far ahead and continued to follow the gap that led downward.
The forest was taller than Tiberius had thought, and there was no way to move out of the tunnel they were in without slithering through the convoluted branches. The gloom intensified as they moved down the tree trunks. Occasionally they saw small animals dashing between the branches, but none were in the tunnel they were moving through.
“Has it occurred to you that perhaps this is like a game trail?” Lexi asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, maybe some creature uses this gap in the trees to move through the forest. Something big.”
Tiberius hadn’t thought of that, and the possibility was chilling. Still, he didn’t see that they had much choice.
“We could use some light,” Tiberius said.
“You think?” Lexi said sarcastically.
“You sound nervous,” Tiberius said, trying to keep things light as he steadied himself on a thick branch.
“I’m not afraid of the dark, Ti,” Lexi said. “But not knowing what we’re walking into is disconcerting. We don’t even know for sure if this is the right place.”
“I’m fairly certain,” Tiberius said.
“The map showed a city, then the commune. There was no city.”
“The city was consumed by the forest.”
“How in the world can you know that?”
“I don’t know, but somehow it makes sense to me. Some powerful magic was used to create this forest.”
“But why?” Lexi asked.
“I think it was created to hide the Emerystone.”
“And you think this tunnel will just lead us right to it?”
“Probably not,” Tiberius said. “But it’s the only way we’ve found to move though the tangled wood. You could probably climb through that”—Tiberius pointed into the thicker tangle of branches and trunks—“but no one else could. Our only hope is that we can find it.”
“Can’t you use magic?”
“I could set the forest on fire,” Tiberius joked.
“That’s not funny,” Lexi said.
“I think our best bet is to just keep climbing,” Tiberius said. “But I can shine a little light on our surroundings.”
Lexi looked at Tiberius expectantly. He smiled and raised a hand.
“
Fulsi,
” he said quietly.
The portal of light opened slowly. Tiberius was careful to keep the magic under control. The light was very powerful and could easily have lit the forest up nearly as brightly as the sun. Instead Tiberius contained the light so that it seemed like a tiny star was hovering over his head shining a strong light all around them.