The Ancient Ones (The Legacy Trilogy Book 3) (21 page)

‘Then why did you come? If you do not care for these people, why did you bother? Why drag me here and risk our lives to save them? And don’t tell me it was to keep your word!’

The magician met Leopold directly with his gaze, as he often did, implying Leopold was deficient for not knowing the answer. ‘It was for Jessicah—and for Rei. I had to spite her. I could not let that witch have the satisfaction of victory.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Leopold asked impatiently. ‘Rei? The witch is gone! Why speak as if she is still here to know any better?’

‘Few things are often as they seem, Leopold,’ the magician told him. ‘When Jessicah hugged me in the tower, it was no mere show of affection. I thought I had saved her—that my victory against Rei was complete—but as she leaned close to my ear she said something that made me realise how complete was my failure. My blood ran cold at those words. That is why I came here.’

‘What did she say to you?’

‘I’m still here. Somehow, even though I sucked the power of Rei out of Jessicah, some residual essence of the vile woman remains, too deep and too ingrained in Jessicah’s mind for me to pluck it out. Until I find a way to free her, Jessicah is hostage to that woman, and we will never know which one is speaking, or which one is looking out at us. Jessicah is pure and innocent. I do not think she has the fortitude to withstand the evil of Rei for long. In a short time she may be lost altogether and then, only one will remain.’

‘But what of the thing of which Rei spoke, the light she found inside?’

‘Ravings of a mad woman, Leopold. There is nothing inside Jessicah except pureness of heart, something which Rei, with her black soul, cannot tolerate.’

‘What about here? People are suffering.’

‘I have no time to mend every corpse thrown upon us. We have other things to do, Leopold. Have you not realised that the common people are simply fodder for the likes of us? Their lives are a currency to achieve what we will, paving stones for the greater path. Did your father not teach you anything?’

‘I should have known,’ Leopold scowled. ‘You are as bad as Rei. Do you really believe such things?’

‘What I believe is not important, young Emperor. What is important is what I do—and the same counts for you. Come. Let us return to the Farstride.’

‘Shouldn’t we tell them we …’ Leopold’s words faded. The room had already shifted and he, Samuel and the casket were back upon the mighty ship—the Farstride—safely within the magician’s cabin.

To the Far Side of the World

COMMANDER RIGGADARDIAN WAS caught by surprise when the magician marched out of his cabin, Leopold venturing behind.

‘Lord Samuel!’ he declared, Captain Merryweather beside him. ‘You live! And Emperor Leopold. Thank goodness! We were sorely tempted to break down your door and see what had become of you both—except of course, you had made it very clear we should not.’

‘I’m glad my threats were well understood,’ Samuel responded as he descended the stairs. He strode to the edge of the main deck to get a better view of the city. The ship was lying parallel with the coast, to ease the loading and unloading of the boats. ‘I assume the last of the witch’s forces have been rooted out?’

‘Indeed. Captain Orrell is in his cabin resting. He returned this morning, after battling through much of the night. With the defeat of their greatest beast, the defenders lost their nerve and were easily harried down. There were just so many, it took our men so long. It is a shame that no one found General Ruardin. The good captain was at a loss to speak of it. Did no one find where the witch was keeping him?’

‘Suffice to say, Commander, that he went down fighting with Captain Orrell at his side, just as any Turian would wish.’ He bent the truth adeptly.

‘Ah, a fitting end,’ the man said with a sad, solemn nod.

‘Samuel!’ called the voice of Captain Orrell as he hurried down from the aftcastle to join the pair. He looked washed and had changed into a fresh, smart uniform; his face bore a large purple bruise and was scratched along his cheek; a small price to pay for the battle he had endured. ‘We have to thank you for your assistance yet again. I was relieved when the Order did indeed lose its will to fight once we destroyed their ... beast. Our losses were severe, but at last Cintar is ours.’

‘No good it will do you,’ Samuel said bleakly, looking towards the smouldering remains of the city. ‘The place is a ruin and even if repaired, it will do little to keep out any further creatures. You only have a short respite now Rei is gone. After that, they will grow in strength and number.’

Riggadardian was perplexed. ‘But surely now we have destroyed the witch, the monsters will no longer come?’

‘They will come, Commander. Rei was not the only cause of your worries. The second Ancient One may have perished, but a third remains on the far side of the world, and these dangers will not cease until we deal with him. The distance is great, but that means little where magic is concerned. I feel more beasts arriving all over the world every day. This Age will end when their master awakens.’

‘Then what can we do?’ Riggadardian asked with worry.

‘Continue my initial plan. Poltamir has the Demon King in his possession. If we find them, we may be able to stop this nonsense and close the door to the demons’ realm forever.’

‘Can we truly slay the lord of such devils?’ Riggadardian asked.

‘We will do what is necessary,’ Samuel said darkly, eyeing the man with distaste. ‘That is why I want to borrow the Farstride—along with you and all of your crew. We will go to find the last of the Ancient Ones—we will kill him. Then we will seek out his master. To stay here is to wait for the inevitable.’

The commander looked flustered as he realised what the magician was asking. ‘Where will we go?’

‘To Koia. Poltamir is lurking in the southern lands. I feel his presence growing steadily each day. The closer we get, the easier it will be to find him.’

‘Koia is far, Lord Magician.’ It was Lady Wind who spoke from the balcony above them, holding her cloak about her to keep her warm on the bleak and gusty day. She had appeared moments before, with Daneel accompanying her. ‘Are you sure you want to travel such distance? You may not return.’

Samuel did not bother turning to address her. He looked out towards the coast; the smoke and the ruin had captivated his gaze. ‘Thanks to you we have this ship. We can make it. Returning is not so important as stopping the threat. If we do not make the attempt, all this,’ he gestured out over the bay and towards Cintar, ‘and everyone still living is doomed.’

Riggadardian looked to Lady Wind grimly. ‘Ah, a sorry state of affairs. I had hoped that this battle would be our last; alas, I knew it was not to be. We will come, if Emperor Leopold desires it. I cannot speak for the men, and would not command them away from their homeland now that Cintar has been won. Many desired settling back into their city. I would hate to burden them with the news that greater work lies in store ... not yet. But I am sure as loyal Turians they will come. ’

The magician looked to Leopold. ‘What do you say, Emperor Leopold? This is your first command given to your Empire. What will it be? What would you have them do?’

‘Well ... I don’t know,’ the young man said hesitantly. ‘Do we need to go? I was hoping to return to my mother … to give her the news.’

‘It’s too early for that,’ the magician told him squarely. ‘We have much yet to achieve.’

‘Is it the best option?’

‘It is the only option.’ There was no room for argument. The magician gazed at Leopold fiercely. ‘Tell him to give me his ship.’

‘Oh,’ Leopold said uncomfortably, looking to the commander. ‘Did you hear that? I suppose I agree.’

Riggadardian shifted uncomfortably. ‘If you please, Your Majesty, you must state the command directly.’

‘Do you comprehend now, Leopold, what I have been telling you?’ Samuel said. ‘This is what you will have to deal with. Confounded Turian stubbornness and bureaucracy. Tell him!’

Leopold felt squeezed between two unyielding stones. ‘Of course. Commander, I agree with Sa—with Lord Samuel. Provide him with the ship and whatever he needs for such a voyage. We will go on this journey. Do as he says.’

‘As you say, my Lord. We would need a full complement of crew and supplies and as many soldiers as we can muster,’ the commander said, squeezing one eye shut as he mentally studied the logistics. ‘We can probably gather enough men from across the fleet. Some may be reluctant.’

‘I will come,’ Captain Orrell declared. ‘As you say, Samuel, there is no point sitting still while there are more demons to be dispatched. Captain Valiant is more than capable of managing affairs here. But we are sorely lacking able-bodied men. Hopefully as news spreads more will arrive to boost our numbers. Whatever we do, it is vital that sufficient defence is left behind to guard the civilians. We must remember, it is their future that we are intending to save. If we succeed, and there are no people left to return to, what would be the point? Without the families and children of Turia, we have nothing to protect.’

‘Hmm, well said, Captain,’ Riggadardian said.

‘And we will not be fighting for Turia alone,’ Orrell went on. ‘From what Samuel says, we will be setting sail to save everyone in Amandia.’

‘Very true,’ the magician confirmed, ‘and also the world. Evil knows no borders. I’m glad you see the logic, Captain.’

Riggadardian’s hesitation became a broad smile as he surveyed the city. ‘Then so be it! We will venture upon our quest, and the gallant people of Turia will gather to Cintar to restore her beauty. Repairs on the city shall begin at once. At the same time we shall ready the ship. Send word afar of what we have done. Let the survivors of our dark years seek haven here. The pastures are flooded and ruined by the salt of the sea, and we shall flush them clean and re-sow them. Livestock will graze the paddocks once again. Cintar will be a sanctuary, a beacon amidst the darkness that has sprawled across Amandia. Our glorious Empire will flourish again!’

Samuel did not share the man’s optimism. ‘It will be a beacon only to demons. The beasts will return and the more people you gather, the more it will attract them. I hope you ready your defences in time, or your fields will be irrigated with blood.’

‘The fleet will remain on guard until more soldiers arrive,’ Riggadardian confirmed. ‘The call has gone out to the furthest remnants of the Empire.’

Captain Orrell had grown hesitant. ‘No amount of soldiers will deter these unnatural creatures. They fly and burrow, they beat down walls with their fists. Swords and arrows do not harm them. Without magicians to aid us, we have little defence against such unnatural fiends. It has been that way since the Truthseekers decimated their numbers.’

‘Magic is not your friend any more, Captain,’ Samuel replied. ‘Such summoned beasts are drawn to magic even more than flesh and blood. Whoever comes to Cintar will need to defend themselves with steel and fire. Every beast has some weakness. Train your men to take this advantage. With sufficient preparation, they will hold on—and that is all they need do, survive long enough for us to complete our task, and our worries will evaporate. The creatures will disappear as we destroy the one who summoned them, as they did in Cintar.’

‘That did not go as you planned, remember?’ Orrell reminded him. ‘The Witch Queen died, but her minions remained with her general. Do you recall?’

‘I do, Captain,’ Samuel replied. ‘That will fade with time. Any generals left by Rei are losing their vigour. In a few days, their armies will disperse. The same will happen with any others we encounter. Do not worry.’

‘What about you?’ Leopold asked. ‘You are a magician. Will you not draw danger to those beside you wherever you go?’

The Magician Lord smiled. ‘I am the exception to the rule, Your Majesty. Most demons know better than to come looking for me. Everyone flees from my name, or have you not noticed?’

‘If demons are drawn to magic, the Truthseekers may have done us an unwitting favour by routing them out,’ Commander Riggadardian pondered aloud.

‘As you say,’ Samuel responded. ‘Replenish your stock of black powder and store it at key points around the city. That would help with some of the smaller beasts. Ensure you have a good supply of arrows for the flying ones. If a big one comes ...’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘Hide and hope it goes away. Even after so many years, none ever breeched the walls of Cintar. It took a mighty pile of explosives to shatter a single gate—which reminds me, you might want to plug up that hole you made first.’

‘We are onto it,’ Captain Orrell assured him.

‘You Turians are onto everything,’ Daneel said and he slipped down from the upper deck and landed beside them. ‘Your efficiency astounds me. I love your people without reserve.’

Orrell raised a questioning brow, unsure if the man was being sarcastic.

‘Then it is settled,’ Samuel declared. ‘Prepare to leave as soon as possible.’

‘Just one minor matter. We cannot bring the Emperor,’ Riggadardian retorted. ‘Turia—indeed all Amandia—needs him here. He is their hope!’

His objection attracted the magician’s attention. ‘I have a problem with that, for I promised his father he would come with me.’

‘Madness!’ the commander declared with alarm.

‘Don’t worry, Commander,’ Samuel stated. ‘He will be as difficult to kill as was his father. This will be his defining moment. When he returns, he will be an emperor worth heaping glory upon—not the young whelp you see now. And if we are not successful, there will be no Turia to return to anyway. The people have done without him for this long; they will survive a few months longer.’

‘Very well,’ Riggadardian agreed with thinly veiled reluctance. ‘Turia will persevere without him, as they have all this time, and hope that he will return victorious. It shall be Emperor Leopold’s Crusade, and our homecoming shall be wreathed in triumph. The citizens of Cintar will cry out with joy as their Emperor returns!’

Daneel sighed aloud at the commander’s tendency for the dramatic. ‘Samuel, what about the other two?’ he asked. ‘And your cousin? What shall be done with her?’