Champion (7 page)

Ganry returned to the Emperor who was still awake.

“He’s in Palara with the white wolves,” the Emperor whispered into his ear.

Ganry acted as if the Emperor had said nothing, but now, he knew the child’s whereabouts.

“Rest, old man,” Ganry said, laying his hand on the Emperor’s arms that lay across his chest.

Nestor was tired, so very tired, but now he knew that his son would be in safe hands. He trusted Ganry and had finally shared the information that the treacherous General had wanted so very badly. Now he could truly rest.

Riley covered the Emperor with the blanket. It would give little warmth but Ganry appreciated the gesture and nodded his approval.

“Do you think he’ll survive?” Ludas asked, knowing Ganry could not give such an answer. It was more a rhetoric question.

Ganry looked at his uncle sadly. He could not say, only time would tell. The Emperor had suffered much over the last few months, his body tormented with dark magic to force him to reveal the location of his son. Yet still, he was a strong man, he had not succumbed, and even now there was hope that he could survive.

“I hope so, uncle. He comes from a strong bloodline, there is hope still. But I cannot stay to protect him. I have important matters to attend to in Palara.”

“I understand, you have a new life now, new loyalties, and we must accept that. I am just grateful that I got to see you again.” Ludas looked at his nephew and wished he could change the events of the past.

“My loyalties always lay with my family, uncle, even to my father,” Ganry tried to explain. “But, I have a new Queen, and she needs me.”

“I know, and I do not hold it against you,” Ludas told him truthfully. “We all must go where our heart takes us, and yours lies in Palara now.”

Ludas seated himself next to the sleeping Emperor, perhaps hoping that if he willed it, then the leader would live.

Ganry looked at the two old men. His uncle was weary, and the Emperor hovered on death’s door. He wished he could do more, but he had to concentrate on the child. It was becoming clear to him now that this was much more than a simple coup. Not even a grab for power, by Jeon. Something else motivated him, but what?

Maybe when he found the boy, the answer would be clearer. Jeon must have some idea that he was in Palara for him to be taking the steps to invade. He must make plans of escape, but he could not do that without help. He approached the mercenary, Riley, knowing that he would need his contacts if he was to escape Mirnee.

“Riley, we must speak,” Ganry said to his new acquaintance, praying that he could trust this man.

***

General Jeon sat in the throne room. He had never sat upon the throne and he had no desire to do so. His yearning for power was nothing to do with wealth or control. He needed the witches and their magic. Many years ago, he had agreed to help stop their persecution by the Emperor, and his reward was to be the day they raised his son, Porteus, from the dead. He would not be like those shuffling creatures that are part of the attack on Palara. His son would return as he remembered him. All he needed now, was the Emperor’s child, the royal albino. Only his blood could open the portal and free their Mistress, the witch Thalia. She had been banished from this world by another royal albino, over one thousand years ago. Royal albinos are very rare and it had been over a millennia since the last one. Now, at last, the means to bring back his son was at hand.

When General Jeon had suffered the deep grief from the loss of his only son, the witches had approached him. They made promises that he could be with his son, once again, in this life. Overwrought with his sadness, he had agreed, and had no regrets.

“Sire, he is here,” a voice broke his thoughts.

“Bring him in, quickly,” the General ordered. “I don’t wish him to be seen by anyone.”

The man was brought into the room, though he hid his face under the hood of his cloak.

“I am going to make it easy for you to help Ganry escape from the prison. I must have the Emperor’s boy, and Ganry will lead me to him. The Emperor will have given him the information about the child. Ganry will do everything he can to save it. Just leave messages where you have been instructed to, along the road. I will be following.”

The man bowed his head but said nothing, his face still hidden in the hood.

“That will be all,” the General dismissed him. “You will be given all that you need.”

General Jeon was once again alone with his thoughts. He yearned for the day he and his son would be together again. Was it wrong for a father to love his child enough to do the things he did? Always he questioned himself, but having his son back was all that mattered.

***

Artas was readying himself for an evening of hard work. He had agreed to help Daphne deliver some of her herbal medicines to the sick. She had explained that she only went to those who needed care through the night. Others cared for them during the day. These medicines had to be administered soon after they were concocted, otherwise they would lose their healing power.

“I am a healer, Artas, that is what I do,” she had told him. “That is what I have always done. It is made harder now with the curfew.”

“Why do you suppose the General has imposed this curfew?” he had asked her.

“I see many strange things as I go about my business. I think that whatever they do on an evening, they do not want the people of Aelland to see. Sometimes, I see the witches leading strange apparitions, like the ones we saw the other night.” She shivered at the memory. “You saw them too, you know of what I say is true. They have the smell and look of death, yet they walk the streets of Aelland.”

Artas shivered also at the memory of the columns of creatures that smelt of death. He hoped they did not come across them again on their nightly prowl.

As soon as the sun set, Daphne packed the medicines into her bag and they set off into the night. Any thoughts of meeting the creatures was soon forgotten as the night was a glorious one. The moon was full and bright, and the sky alight with millions of stars. Under other circumstances he could think of no better setting to be out with such a pretty girl.

As they arrived at each house, Artas waited outside. Daphne did not wish to startle the ill by explaining she now had a bodyguard. Plus, he could watch out for the witches. On one occasion he had spotted them passing the end of a long street. Keeping himself in the shadows, Daphne had opened the door to come out of the house. Luckily, he had managed to pull her against the wall, and they let the witch and her Night Shadows pass them by.

He waited outside the last house, glad that the evening was over and they could both go back to safety and off to their beds. As he stood in the shadows, he heard a voice calling him, softly. It sounded like Daphne’s voice, but yet he knew she was still in the home she had entered.

Artas, I need you, come quickly.

Artas tried to ignore it, thinking he was tired and his mind was playing tricks on him, but the voice sang out to him, urging him to come to her.

He turned into a small alleyway, and there she was, at the far end. She seemed to be sheathed in a soft warm glow and she held her arms open, invitingly.

Come my love. Come to me. I am in need of a brave knight…

The voice was beautiful and so was the speaker. He could see now that it was not Daphne, but a beautiful woman with long flowing silver hair, dressed in a long silver gown.

I have an errand for you, my love, an errand of love. I will reward you well…

“Artas!” someone shouted his name loudly. Was that Daphne’s voice?

He looked around to see the shape of a figure, standing at the entrance of the alleyway that he had just entered. When he turned back to look at the beautiful woman, she was gone.

“Artas, why are you here? You are supposed to be keeping watch!” Daphne asked him angrily.

Artas was confused for a moment. Where had his love gone?

“Come on, we are finished. It’s time to return,” Daphne said as she took ahold of his arm, dragging him out of the dark, spooky alleyway. “Some bodyguard you turn out to be,” she mumbled as she finally got him to turn around. For a few moments he seemed distracted, confused even. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw a red flash in his eyes, but it was soon gone. Once again, she thought to herself, her imagination was getting the better of her. “Time we got back. I think we both need to get some sleep.”

“You have to help me, we have to free Ganry,” Artas pleaded with Daphne.

“I think rescuing the Emperor is more important,” she replied.

They had been arguing over this for most of the day and Artas was becoming frustrated at her stubbornness.

“How many times do I have to explain it to you. If Ganry is free, he will see to the rest. He is the key to our success.”

“So you keep telling me.” Daphne was equally frustrated at Artas’s insistence that they should rescue the grizzled warrior. “I don’t know him, but I do know my Emperor, and he is far more important than any soldier.”

“Fine.” Artas threw his hands up in the air and stood up, turning his back on the girl. “You go your way and I’ll go mine. If we cannot work this out together then we must part ways.”

“If that’s how it has to be, then so be it.” she said, not wishing to communicate with this pompous young man any further.

Throughout the day they stayed apart from each other, both preparing for their missions that very night. At one point, Daphne, trying to make some kind of peace, went in search of Artas but he was nowhere to be seen. Just before nightfall she spotted him, packing his backpack with rope and climbing implements.

“Where have you been all day?” she asked, not really caring if he answered or not.

“Mind your own business,” was his curt response.

“Fine, go get yourself captured or maybe even killed. See if I care,” Daphne said, storming off.

Artas set off that very evening. Although he was getting used to moving about this community in the dark, it still took him longer than he would have hoped to find the apple orchard. This was his way onto the Palace level. Once in the grounds, he needed to find the stables.

He was feeling pretty nervous and jumpy at every unexpected noise, sometimes thinking he could see shapes in the shadows, but when he looked closer there was nothing. By this point he was wishing he could have convinced Daphne to come with him. He regretted being rude to her but the truth was he couldn’t remember where he had gone earlier that day. It was like most of the day was a blank in his mind. He remembered being out in the market, but the next thing he knew, he was back in the bakery. All the hours in between were a blank and he had no idea why.

Unbeknown to him, Daphne was following in his footsteps, having decided it would be better to work with him, but without his knowledge. She watched his back as that would be more useful than them arguing constantly, had they tried to work together. Besides, he would no doubt need rescuing at some point. She smiled to herself as she watched him wander around the streets, more often than not taking the wrong turn. It was nothing short of a miracle when he eventually found the apple orchard. Once he disappeared over the wall, she gave him a few minutes before following.

It was going to be a long evening. Artas knew he had to get through all the secret tunnels that criss crossed this building. If he wasn’t careful, he could easily get lost and spend the rest of his life wandering around this damn palace. He had to free Ganry tonight, and they needed to finish this quest as quickly as possible. That way, this whole thing might be ended so life can return back to normal, not that he can remember what normal felt like.

In the last few years he had lost his parents to the usurper, Duke Harald. Also, during the coup, he had seen good men killed when they had gone on a mission to find the dragons. Whilst he had become injured, at least he still had his life, which was more than his friends had. It was because of this injury that he had been left behind as Regent when Myriam had gone to rescue her grandmother from the plains of Vandemland. Now, one of the borders was threatened by Mirnee, and he would do anything to make this problem disappear. After all, the problems of the leader of Mirnee were not the problems of Queen Myriam of Palara.

Luck was with him this night. For once he was doing all the right things and he soon found himself standing outside the dungeon gates. Perhaps he had some special link with Ganry because they were such good friends. No matter, the main thing was, all the pathways had been clear and he could use stealth.

As he stood by the metal grid in a stone wall, he could hear a number of people making low wailing noises, pitiful and desperate. The sound sent shivers up and down his spine and spooked him even more than he already was.

Looking through the metal bars, he saw two guards sitting at a table, both slumped forward. The rhythm of their breathing was of someone in a heavy slumber. Pushing slowly on the gate, he was amazed to feel the doors give way. He stepped quietly into the darkened room. His luck really was with him tonight, as on the table lay a set of keys.

Quietly, he approached the guards, who seemed to have fallen asleep whilst playing a dice game. He picked up the keys and walked the passageways, seeking Ganry. Something niggled him in the back of his mind. This was all going so easy. Still, he pushed aside the warning bells and moved deeper into the darkness.

“Artas, over here!” a voice whispered loudly in the dark. “You are a welcome sight, but I am surprised to see you walking the corridors of the dungeons.”

“I’ve even got these.” Artas dangled the keys in front of him, feeling pleased with himself. He quickly unlocked the barred door of the cage that Ganry was imprisoned within.

“We must go quickly, the guards are asleep but I doubt they will be for much longer,” Artas quickly informed him.

“Ganry, you must go alone,” Ludas said as he approached them. “We cannot risk you getting caught. The boy is important, go find him.”

Ganry nodded his agreement. He had more chance of escape if there were fewer of them. He called over to Riley, who joined them, ready to make his escape too.

In no time, the keys were back on the table and the three men were on their escape route out of the palace, and out of the town.

All the while, Daphne had been watching from the shadows as the men made their leave. She waited a few moments before making her own move. The guards still slept and she took the keys and entered the cell.

Ludas, fearing the worse when the door opened again, was surprised but pleased to see Daphne. After listening to her plan of escape, this time he agreed to go with her. If they were caught, at least they had nothing to lose. One of the larger mercenary soldiers picked up the Emperor’s frail body, carrying him in his arms as easily as if he were a small child. It was agreed that many would stay behind so there were still people in the cell. With strategically placed covers on the beds, as if many were sleeping, the cell could probably pass a brief glance.

***

“Is it done?” General Jeon asked the witch who was intently staring into a pool of simmering green liquid with a swirling green cloud hanging above it.

“It is General, although not quite as planned. They have gone in separate groups, but both the man Ganry, and the Emperor, are out of the dungeon,” she replied, still concentrating on the pool.

“Good,” he breathed a sigh of relief. “Now we can arrange for the Emperor’s death and blame his rescuers. See to it, as I will be leaving the city. I intend to follow those cutthroat mercenaries. They will lead me straight to the boy. Once I have him, then I want my own boy back. You have delayed long enough with your promises, witch.”

“Our agreement was the delivery of the albino boy, General. Once we have the Albino then you will have your son.”

“Still, with the death of the Emperor it would make it easy for you to rule. Keeping him alive only complicates matters for when you take the throne.”

“We have no use of a throne. Our power is in the magic, not some weak figurehead. Our leader does not sit upon golden thrones.”

Jeon did not bother to reply. Whether or not the Emperor lived or died was of no concern to him either. A few years back, it would have been so different. But now, with the loss of his son, and how the Emperor had favored Ganry over him, had left him bitter. But keeping the Emperor alive could be problematic. If the people had a figurehead to get behind, they may revolt. Still, who ruled Mirnee was of little interest. Once he had his son alive again, he intended on getting as far away as possible from this place, and taking his dear child with him so they could start a new life.