Brightflame Accension (Book 1) (28 page)

“What are you thinking?” he exclaimed.

Matthew looked at Will with a hard expression. “Summon your inner fire.”

Rubbing his cheek, Will again prepared himself. The second smack stung Will’s cheek, leaving his eyes watering. Angrily, Will shouted, “Stop that!”

Laughing, Matthew’s eyes blazed red as he caught Will’s punch with a hand.

“Look,” Matthew grinned, releasing Will’s fist.

An aura of fire danced around Will’s hand.
I did it!
Will thought, ecstatic.

“It’s your anger. That’s your fuel,” Matthew explained. “You must learn to channel your anger before you can become strong.”

Flexing his arms, Matthew braced himself. Then, with a roar, his upper body erupted into flame. Will stumbled backwards, covering his face from the heat surging from his father.

The horses scattered in all directions, bucking their riders. All but two panicked. Soulfire pawed the ground excitedly, loosing a wild whinny, and Matthew’s own horse watched its rider impassively.

“I can learn to do that?” Will asked, amazed.

“If we have the time, I will teach you to fully Ignite,” Matthew said, allowing the flames around him to die and returning to his normal state. Matthew’s eyes were the last to change back, morphing from red to their usual grey. “First, you must summon the flame again.”

And despite the rising sun, Matthew continued to instruct Will until well into the afternoon.

Slymini
a

Night after night, the party rode, speaking little and sleeping under cover during the day. Taking no chances in the daytime, one man was selected each day to keep watch for enemies.

After riding for a fortnight and crossing the mountains in the east, the company slowed its pace. Under his father’s tutelage, Will had acquired a broad knowledge of magic, particularly spells that conjured fire. It was this type of magic that felt most natural to Will, quickly becoming second nature. Among other tricks he had learned, Will could now conjure flames that engulfed an object yet did not burn. Matthew took particular care to help Will to control his Furialist nature, especially the anger that came with tapping into his ancestral power.

The company was low on supplies, thus all were relieved to finally spot a large city looming on the horizon. It was Slyminia and their destination.

Matthew stopped the company to explain their plan. “We will circle around to the eastern side of Slyminia, crossing the river Swift. When entering the city, take care; do not do anything that might raise suspicions. We will meet in the Pale Nag, a tavern in the Market District. Baruktaråg and I will get supplies for us all. Lay low and stay out of trouble,” he emphasized the last words looking at Will, then stole a quick glance at Modwyn.

They entered the city casually from the east side the next morning. Matthew and Baruktaråg, whose bandaged eye was slow in healing, tethered their mounts in front of the Pale Nag and departed. Modwyn and the Payne knights stalked off to another tavern for a drink. Will did not care to join them so, he and Ehan wandered aimlessly through the city.

Nearly all of the trade in the Empire passed through Slyminia at some point, and it showed. The cobblestone streets were in excellent condition. Grass, flowers, and small children littered the beautiful yards tended to by each Slyminian family. The stores and houses that lined the streets leading the way up to the fortress were spaced far enough apart that even Ehan did not feel claustrophobic passing between them.

The focal point of the heavily populated trading city was the stronghold that stood high on a hill looking down upon its city. Baruktaråg had claimed that the dwarves had carved the stronghold from a single piece of stone as a present to Jason the Piper of Glen and indeed, it was a feat of marvelous engineering.

The well-defended citadel was situated on the intersecting banks of the rivers White and Swift. Surrounded by a fifty-foot wall of white stone and a wide moat, Slyminia boasted a large garrison of five hundred armed and trained men in peacetime and could raise nine thousand more swords when needed.

Merchants and general goods stores lined the Market District’s streets, selling everything from leeks to golden necklaces. They looked at stalls with scrutiny as if to buy the various objects for sale, spending the better part of the day browsing the Market for trinkets.

Will and Ehan then ventured into the Residence Quarter. The flaunted wealth of the houses and their denizens was overwhelming. It was obvious that the homeowners bestowed great care on their yards and flowerbeds, devoting much of their time transforming gardens into luxurious shrines. Green vines draped from balconies that dotted the sides of the houses. Even the clothes that Slyminians wore were extravagant; the boys could not believe how decorated everyone was. Each man wore lavish, bright robes or tunics. The women wore still more vibrantly colored dresses with odd patterns. Even the children wore bright, clean clothing. Still donning his dirty travelling cloak and hood, Will felt much out of place among the elegantly garbed people.

Eventually, the sun passed out of view behind the fortress, casting the roads into a twilight haze, and they started back for the Pale Nag. Mere blocks away, they heard a young girl’s scream.

Will looked to Ehan and rushed ahead. Down a dark alley he saw the girl struggling against three men.

“Let her alone!” Will shouted.

Vale, who had been lagging behind, caught up, snarling menacingly. The three burly thugs stepped out from the alley, squaring off against Will and Ehan. Laughing to themselves, the ruffians surrounded Will and Ehan. Immediately, the smell of stale alcohol drifted the boys’ way. Will scrunched his nose with distaste.

“Well, well, well, looky ‘ere. Two kiddies and a kitty, ehehe. Colin, grab the tall one. Rupert and I’ll snag the other. Watch out for that kitty, though; I bet its claws are sharp,” one of the men chortled drunkenly, rubbing a grubby hand across his patchy stubble.

“We do not want any trouble, nor do we wish you harm,” Will said. He did not want to hurt these buffoons; Will was exhausted and his feet hurt. “Yet, you must not lay hand on this maid again.”

“Bugger that and bugger you, you righteous shit,” the man named Rupert sneered.

“Approach at your own peril. I will not soften my blows,” Ehan stated plainly. Will noticed the challenge in his voice, goading the gang into battle.

Erupting in drunken laughter again, the thugs advanced, cracking thick knuckles menacingly. Assessing the situation, Will and Ehan glanced from mugger to mugger to mugger. Ehan pulled two knives from his belt. Will shook his head, and the Sashan replaced the blades, rueful. Cricking his neck, Will raised his fists. Vale rocked back on his haunches, ready to pounce.

The man named Colin lunged at Will. Interjecting himself, Vale batted the man to the ground with a clawless paw. The thug, Colin, fell to the ground hard. Spinning, Will saw another assailant, the one called Rupert winding up for a strong blow. Sidestepping the fist hurtling towards him, Will jabbed at Rupert’s side, finding the soft spot between the ribcage and the hipbone. The drunken Rupert stumbled aside, cursing violently.

Ehan fought the third, battering the stubbly man’s guard with many blows. Vale turned to swat Ehan’s opponent, but as he did so, the fallen Colin had righted himself. Drawing a knife of his own, Colin lurched towards the unsuspecting Vale. The slash was clumsy and did not cut deep, but Vale’s roar was deafening. Will’s shoulder burned painfully where Vale had been cut.

In a blur, Vale had whirled around to rake Colin’s stomach with a heavy paw. Colin fell the cobblestone again, this time frantically attempting to keep his innards from spilling onto the street. His piteous cry rang loudly in the night.

Without hesitation, Ehan drove both of his knives hilt-deep into the stubbly man’s collarbones and twisted, causing a yelp of fear. The stubbly man’s exclamation was cut short when Ehan slashed his throat. The scream died with a gurgling rasp.

Watching in horror, Will froze holding Rupert’s collar, his fist cocked back. Taking advantage of Will’s lack of focus, Rupert bashed Will with a
head butt and staggered away as fast as he could.

Ehan darted after him, catching up to him just as the two disappeared into the shadow of the houses lining the alley.

“Wait!” Will shouted.

It was too late. The girl’s scream pierced the air. Will could not see clearly through the dark, but Ehan appeared to have tackled Rupert directly in front of her.

“We must go,” Ehan said sharply, wiping the blood from his blades on the dead Colin’s once fine coat. Shouts and the sounds of stomping boots could be heard clunking down an intersecting street.

Taking off in the opposite direction of the torches rounding the corner, they hurried towards the inn. Just before they were at the Pale Nag, Ehan forcibly pulled Will into an alley. They ducked in the darkness, concealed, as ten armed city guards ran past.

“Why did we kill those men?” Will whispered. The girl’s wail still echoed in his ears, haunting him.

Ehan did not answer Will. He peered out into the street and, determining their way was clear, beckoned to Will. “We must leave the city at once. Contact your father, then we ride,” Ehan commanded, in a hushed voice.

“They were only drunk, we could have knocked them out or-”

“Or what, Will? Or they would have gone back to beating that girl the moment they woke?”

Will said nothing, but his displeasure with the situation did not abate.

Why is it always us?
Will complained to Vale.

Trouble will find you always, but better to be us than those men. I will retrieve your father and Baruktaråg. Find Modwyn. I have a feeling he will be in his mugs. Then,
stay in the tavern.
Vale slipped into the dark and disappeared.

“Very well,” Will whispered, checking again to see if the street was cleared of militia. Seeing that it was, they walked nonchalantly into the Pale Nag. Will saw two guards questioning the bartender and tried to sidle past them. A large hand grabbed him, spinning him around to face its owner.

“Lad, have you seen anyone suspicious? We’re looking for a pair of murderers and their white beast,” the guard said gruffly.

“No, sir. I’ve not seen any murderers, tonight,” Will said, affecting an accent similar to the Slyminian’s. “Just a tavern full of beautiful womenfolk,” Will laughed nervously, looking around the alehouse for Modwyn. He prayed that his blatant lie would go undetected. To be caught now in the tavern, which was packed with Slyminians and travelers alike, meant that there would be little chance of escape. Will did not want to consider the consequences.

The guard looked into Will eyes for a moment, then released his shoulder, smiling, “The woman wearing the scarlet sash has been staring at you, son. Have a nice night.” The guard exchanged a word with the innkeeper and left the tavern.

Will looked in the direction he pointed and froze. The woman with the scarlet sash gave him a wink.

“Vivyan?”

Vivyan Payne flashed a bright smile that illuminated her beautiful face. Will could not believe it. His hand fell to his sword. Vivyan shook her head, motioning to a group of armed men at the bar. Then, She beckoned with her finger, indicating for Will to come.

Taking a seat at her table in the corner, Will glowered at the girl and Ehan, who was highly confused, pulled up a chair.

“The audacity,” Will fumed. “I ought to run you through right here.”

Vivyan laughed. “That would be uncouth, indeed. To everyone in this tavern, it would appear that you had slain a harmless woman. I would not have you labeled murderer on my account, Will.”

“Who is this?” Ehan asked, frowning deeply.

“Vivyan Payne, mastermind behind Boewdard’s raid on the Academy,” Will spat.

“Mastermind?” Vivyan laughed again. “You are too kind.”

“How did you find us here?”

“A Payne protects his own on pain of death. My father’s knights have kept us aware of your position.”

“What do you want?” growled Will.

“I wanted to talk, William. I heard about Art and I’m sorry.”

“What does Art matter to you? Because of you he was nearly killed at the Academy.”

“He was nearly killed defending his own. Maribelle died, but Art’s sacrifice was duly noted. He is a good man and does not deserve to suffer at the hands of the Hunters. I want to help you rescue him.”

“We don’t need you help.”

“Very well, at least let me tell you this: the Hunters are here in Slyminia. They have Art, and they will use him to draw you out. You have something they want. Something the Shadow Liberator wants. Give it to them, and Art will be returned.”

Will glared into Vivyan’s hazel eyes.
Gods, she is beautiful.
He brushed the thought aside angrily.

“It’s a trap,” Ehan cautioned, his hands hovering close to his knives.

“I assure you it is not,” Vivyan objected. “The last thing I want is for Will to face the Hunters in combat again, but this may be the only chance we get at rescuing Art.”

“There is no we,” Will snarled. “There never was a we, just an illusion. Now leave, Vivyan. Get far away from here before I change my mind about letting you walk.”

Vivyan looked sincerely wounded. Pursing her lips, she nodded. Standing from the table, Vivyan leaned close, whispering in Will’s ear, “Beware the bright moon, William. He has caught your scent.”

Her cryptic warning floated in Will’s head as Vivyan wove between tables and exited the establishment.

The meeting stirred up emotions in Will he had thought long gone. Will could smell her scent lingering in the air. Lily. He wanted her near.

She is the enemy.

“Let us find Modwyn and leave this place,” Ehan said, interrupting Will’s thoughts.

They scanned the tavern for Modwyn, but he was nowhere to be seen. Then, Will remembered that the young Master-at-Arms and the Payne knights hadn’t entered the Pale Nag.

“Where do you think they-”

Will didn’t finish his question before Modwyn strolled through into the tavern, nursing a flagon. He was alone.

Pulling Modwyn to their table, Will asked, “Where are the Payne knights?”

Modwyn laughed, “Oh, I’m not too sure. Disappeared when we were at that other pub.”

“Good. Modwyn, we have to leave the city right away.”

The young Master-at-Arms looked at Will then to Ehan with concern etched in his face. “My gods, William. What has happened?”

“Some men jumped us. We killed them,” Ehan whispered succinctly. “The city guard is after us and the Payne knights are working for the Shadow Liberator.”