By the Sword (8 page)

Chrissa sat on the smooth, marble edge and watched the water dance. Just as her mind began to wander, she heard menacing footsteps come up from behind her.

“It is far too sunny for a fair maiden to be sitting outside
.
”

Naeshi!

Chrissa bit her lip and turned to face
the man that was quickly becoming her worst enemy
. She had not considered the possibility of him following her there.

“Good day, Sir Naeshi,” she said, trying to sound casual.

She stood up, intending to run.

“Indeed,” he scoffed.

He clenched her upper arm
before she could move away, dragging her down the road
. She struggled, but it was pointless.

“Let go of me, please!”

“Not until you make up for how you treated me the other night.”

*****

Talya and the rest of the spies had to jog in order to keep up with General Edandir’s long strides. She had never been more relieved to be out of a place in her life.

The devil himself
spoke
to me back there… and I almost listened to him. I had no idea that Ittonifer was so involved in this black magic.
Then again, I had no idea that the stuff was even real.

Talya realized
then
that she was alone. She had trailed well behind the others.

Thanks to this ridiculous armor.

Her clothes underneath were drenched in sweat. The armor was way too big and the weather was much too hot.

She picked up her pace to catch up
with her group
when a muffled cry startled her.

Talya stopped walking and listened. This time, a scream pierced the air. It seemed to be coming from the other side of the street.

Talya crossed the road and came to a narrow, dark alley. She unsheathed her sword and stepped quietly.

In the dimly lit enclosure, a Malinorian guard
was holding
a wispy, dark-haired girl by the wrists.
Talya’s pulse spiked and she gritted her teeth.
The maiden was struggling in vain to run away
from the brute
. She almost broke free, but he
quickly
caught her by the waist and slammed her into the wall again.

“Enough!” shouted Talya.

Both of them froze and stared at
her
.

Talya threw off her cumbersome helmet.

“A woman of Sanctus
!
” spat the man.

He unsheathed his sword and stepped away from the girl.

“I
was
a Cardamonian woman.”

“I’ll split you in two!”

He stalked toward her.

Talya stifled a laugh and focused on his movements. She blocked his first slash and then quickly swirled around to slice his exposed upper arm.

The man swung his sword at her head.

Talya ducked and
then
lifted her sword to meet his.

He
spun around and then
swung at her midsection. Talya leaped out of the way, but her forearm did not escape from
the
swift blow.
Her
stolen armor prevented the blade from breaking her skin, but dull pain
throbbed down
her arm.

Angered, Talya leaped for him and swung her sword at his neck. She missed, hitting the side of his helmet. He removed it and threw it to the side. He
was
at least thirty.
Much older than Talya and the girl.

He lunged for Talya
again, but tripped
.

Talya kicked him in the back of the head as he stood up.

He
growled, but the impact from her foot didn’t seem to daze him too much
.

Talya came at him with a series of slashes.

He lost his footing again and then fell head first into the wall
,
collapsing on the street like a sack of bricks.

The damsel’s haunting blue eyes pierced into Talya’s as she backed away.

“Don’t be afraid,” said Talya.

“I
’
m not.”

“Is this where you want to live? Where men are allowed to treat women this way?” Talya asked.

“You’ve only made things worse,” said the girl.

“You don’t have to stay here. Come back with me.”

As the female enemy knight got out of the cumbersome armor, Chrissa stared at the most unusual looking girl that she had ever seen. The girl had a shameful combination of sun-bleached hair, cut just above her shoulders like a man’s, and skin bronzed and freckled from the sun.

Although she was quite slender, obvious muscles could be seen through her sleeves and leggings. She was clearly a true warrior.

“There, now I can move properly again,” said the young woman from Sanctus.

“I can’t go back with you,” said Chrissa.

“Don’t be scared. My country will take you in as one of our own. You will be safe there,” she said.

“Scared?” Chrissa spat.

Perhaps yesterday I would have gone with you, but everything is different now. I have seen the prince’s power with my own eyes. If I seek him, surely he will grant me the desires of my heart.

Still, the warmth that flickered from the other girl’s deep brown eyes was so strange. She had risked her life not only for a stranger,
but
for an enemy.

“Why did you help me? No one helps anyone here.”

“I could never allow an animal like him to have his way with an innocent person. I heard you scream, and I wasn’t going to just walk by.”

“You did not come here alone, did you?” asked Chrissa.

Talya eyed her for a moment and then nodded.

Maybe it did make sense. Her action was just a ploy of their God to turn me away from the power that our lord the prince could award me.

Chrissa walked over to Naeshi’s fallen form and retrieved his sword. She pointed it at the other maiden.

“I am better with a sword than you can imagine. Leave me before I turn you in to my father,” said Chrissa.

“I mean you no harm,” said Talya.

“Then go.”

The girl stared at her for a moment. Then Talya turned and left the alley.

Chrissa dropped the sword and ran back to the castle. She was anxious to be in the safety of her bedchamber again. It was the only place that she could truly be away from Naeshi.

That oaf has stolen away my first kiss.

Chrissa had always dreamed of being in love with the man that would take such a liberty, but the reality was that a Malinorian woman could not even have that luxury.

True love didn’t exist.

*****

Jalarn stood over two lads that had fallen from exhaustion during their training that morning. Commander Waltez had been at his wits’ end with the weaklings, so Jalarn had decided to break them in himself. He had been younger than they when he had begun the grueling process of becoming a Malinorian warrior. Exceptions would not be made for them or anyone else.

“Get up!” he yelled.

They both looked at him with pained expressions, but neither one moved.

“If you don’t get up, I’ll be forced to beat you senseless. Is that what you want to happen?”

The smaller of the two staggered to his feet, but the other one just glared back at him.

Jalarn eyed the sickly little one who stood an entire head shorter than he. The boy was ill. The army could not afford the spread of sickness so close to the war.

“Return to your quarters for the day. If you cannot perform your training tomorrow, then you will be eliminated.”

The youth nodded wearily and left.

Jalarn eyed the boy that was still sitting on the ground. His spunk was amusing, but anarchy would not be tolerated in his army.

The defiant lad’s eyes widened when Jalarn unsheathed his sword.

“What did you expect?” Jalarn asked.

“My lord!” called one of his other commanders.

Annoyed at the interruption, Jalarn sheathed his weapon and glared at his subordinate.

“I thought that I ordered you not to distract me today.”

“Ittonifer wishes to see you, General.”

Jalarn eyed the young soldier that he had nearly killed.

He was standing now.

“Forgive me, General,” said the boy. “This won’t happen again!”

“For some unknown reason, the devil was merciful to you
today
. Return to your commander. I leave it up to him to decide your fate.”

Jalarn turned and stalked over to the castle where Ittonifer awaited. His uncle’s face looked even more wretched than it normally did.

“What is it, my lord?” Jalarn asked.

“Aterun has consulted the prince who revealed to him an image of seven knights from Sanctus landing on Noir Peak and putting on our armor. They were also present at the ceremony in the coliseum.”

“Then they know everything!”

“Yes. You must kill them before they reach the forest. Their dragons are secured there.”

“I will kill them all!”

“I would expect nothing less.”

Jalarn ran back out to the training field and found General Waltez.

“It looks like your old friend has gleaned some information from us today,” said Jalarn.

“Edandir was at the coliseum?”

Jalarn nodded.

“He brought some of his knights, too. We have to find them. Now.”

“I will get ten of my knights, and we will go at once.”

“Hurry.”

Jalarn, Waltez, and ten Malinorian knights mounted their horses and rode into the city. The people rushed out of the way as they urged their horses faster down the streets.

Show them to me, my prince, and I will destroy them
.

Jalarn slowed his horse to a trot and glanced at all of the soldiers on the street, looking for any behavior that seemed out of the ordinary.

Jalarn exhaled loudly. It would not be easy pointing them out since they would be wearing stolen Malinorian armor.

Very shrewd, General Edandir, but I will find you.

When Jalarn came to an alleyway, he sensed someone’s presence. He never ignored a gut feeling.

“Why have we stopped, General?” asked Waltez.

“Wait here,” Jalarn ordered his men.

He steered his horse into the dark alley.

There, lying on the cobblestones was Naeshi. He must have been out drinking in the taverns again. Ittonifer would not be impressed.

Naeshi groaned as he peeled his eyes open.

“I would march straight back to the castle before my uncle asks for your head,” said Jalarn.

Jalarn spun his horse around to leave.

“Wait, General. I fought a lady knight from Sanctus.”

“What did you say?”

“She was dressed in our armor. She knocked me unconscious, I think. Pretty little thing.”

Full Malinorian armor lay piled up a few paces away. Naeshi was not making it up. The girl must have stripped out of it after making a fool of him.

“How long ago did this happen?” asked Jalarn.

“I wouldn’t know. I feel pretty groggy.”

“Another useless senior guard.”

Jalarn kicked his stallion into a gallop. He and his men raced down the main street and out of the city.

The spies couldn’t be far. Jalarn would find them.

They may have reached the forest, but they will not live long enough to reach their mounts.

Jalarn, Waltez, and the ten knights finally reached the wooded lands. Their sturdy, long-legged beasts traveled easily through the uneven terrain.

“Separate and find them,” said Jalarn.

Jalarn stopped his horse and scanned his surroundings.

A flash of flaxen hair several paces away caught his eye. A slender girl was running through the forest.

Her
!

Jalarn kicked his horse and the animal broke into a run. He saw the rest of them sprinting toward their dragons.

“Kill them!” yelled Jalarn.

It was going to be close.

Talya was still well behind the others, but she ran faster than she ever had. She could sense that the Malinorian knights were very close.

Her legs burned, but she gritted her teeth and pushed herself to run faster.

Once she reached her dragon, she hopped onto the leather saddle. Two Malinorian knights on horseback were only a couple of paces away from driving their blades into her. She kicked her dragon hard and it shot upward with a shriek.