Element Wielder (The Void Wielder Trilogy Book 1) (17 page)

“I’m sorry,” said Falcon quickly. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“It’s fine,” she said, breathing slower now. “I’m glad to see that you’re recovering.”

“Oh yes, about that. Thank you for tending to me after Ciompi. I was told that it was you that healed my wounds.”

“It’s the least I could do after all the problems I’ve caused you.”

“Problems? What problems?” Falcon was now beyond confused. Faith had done nothing but help him ever since they met.

“I’m the cause of all your misery. Shal-Volcseck came looking for me that day. Your mother…your mother died saving me.” She stumbled over her words. “If it wasn’t for me, you would have grown up with a family and you never would have left. It’s my fault, it’s all my fault.”

“Don’t say that. You’re not to blame for what happened.” He moved closer to her, not sure what else he could say to make her feel better.

“Yes it is!” she cried, hanging her head. “How many more lives must be lost so that mine is spared? I’m so selfish.”

“That’s not true. Your father told me you tried to give yourself up to Volcseck the last time he came. The villagers wouldn’t have it. They are willing to do anything they could to protect you.”

“Don’t say that. Please, just don’t.”

“It’s true. You’re the most kind-hearted person I have ever met.”

She gave him a gracious smile but the sadness did not leave her eyes.

“Remember when we were children and we were playing by the lake?” Falcon asked. “You fell and hit your leg on a log and I couldn’t get you to stop crying.”

“You remember that?” she asked, shock registering on her face. “All your memories came back to you?”

“No, not all of them. The memories of my parents are a blur. But the memories of you I can see clearly” Falcon paused. “Do you remember how I got you to stop crying that day at the lake?”

Her eyes drifted to the ground. “Um, yeah.”

Falcon leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. To his surprise, she didn’t push him away.

Now that he felt her racing heartbeat, he realized how much he had missed her. A warm feeling of happiness flowed from his head to the tips of his toes as he took in the aroma of her golden-brown hair. Creamed peaches.

He was still holding on to her when a voice brought him back to reality.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Falcon sighed. He’d recognize Sheridan’s high-pitched voice anywhere.

“You didn’t interrupt anything,” said Falcon, backing away from Faith. Part of him was sorry he had to let her go.

He turned to face Sheridan. A trickle of sweat formed on his forehead when he noticed that he wasn’t alone.

Aya stood in silence, her eyes darting between Falcon and Faith. But then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small parchment. “A messenger hawk brought this letter from the Suteckh,” she said in a stoic voice. “It’s for you, Falcon.”

Falcon took the parchment and unrolled it. The letter was short and to the point.

Falcon and Mayor Seth:

I wish to discuss a peace agreement.

Meet me in two days’ time on the old abandoned fort by

Pexley Lake at sundown.

Lao-Chan Keen

“So, Hyatt, don’t leave us guessing. What does it say?”

“It’s Lao,” he answered, coming to grips with what he had read. “I’m going to go see him.”  

Chapter 29

Lao proudly held his head up as he addressed his men. He couldn’t get over how good that sounded—his men. The Blood Empress had granted him his own battalion with orders to gather as many supplies as possible. The last two weeks had been the best of his life, marching unopposed through the valley, raiding village after village.

Now he stood at the gates of Java, the last village to conquer before they launched their attack on the capital cities.

“You know your orders, men,” commanded Lao. “Men, women, children, elderly, sickly, it makes no difference. Kill everyone in sight. Leave no one alive.”

His men wasted no time. They rushed the village, killing the unsuspecting villagers who moments ago had been going through their morning routines.

Lao was determined to not make the same mistake Bellatrix Sizhore made. She had been too lenient on Asturia by allowing them to live, and as a reward she was killed. Of course it all worked out in his favor. Had Falcon not taken out Bellatrix, Lao would have never been promoted to take her place. The irony of it all brought a grin to his face.

From atop his black steed he witnessed a trio of men foolishly place themselves before a group of children, only to have swords run through their chests. A short woman, of all people, managed to ram a pitchfork through a soldier’s gut, but seconds later she too was cut down by a Suteckh who had sneaked in behind her. An elderly man swung his walking stick at a soldier. With ease, the soldier took the stick wrestled the stick away from its owner and beat the old man until his screams subsided.

Lao nodded in silent approval, marveling at the efficiency of his men. Sometimes it even seemed that they enjoyed this more than he did.

He winced as a group of villagers crept into the nearby cornfields.

“Forward!” At Lao’s command, his steed galloped into the field. The wet leaves struck every part of his body as he rode up and down. He cursed under his breath.

If I can’t find them, I’ll smoke them out like the rats they are.
He rode out of the cornfield.

“Rain of fire,” he shouted. The crimson of his emblem intensified as the sky turned a glowing red. Small balls of fire descended on the cornfield. In a matter of minutes it was engulfed in a raging fire. The black smoke that rose into the air dimmed the sunlight.

A man was the first to scamper out, or rather what was left of him. In his arms he carried a small girl, shielding her from the fire. His hands, feet, and head were red with blisters. His pants and tunic were both overcome with flames.

The man set the girl down and threw himself on the ground, rolling in the dirt. A second later his eyes rolled back and his movements ceased.

“Daddy!” cried the blond girl, jerking her father’s lifeless body with her small hands. Her blue dress had a few black blotches were it had been burned.

Then a woman and boy tumbled out of the field. They also rolled in the dirt as they gasped for air. He stared at them both, certain he’d seen them before. 

“Oh, thank goodness it’s you, kind sir,” wailed the blue-eyed woman, running toward Lao. And that’s when the memory came back to him. It was the same family he had saved weeks ago. “Please help us; we are under attack by the Suteckh!”

Lao eyed her with a glance of indifference as he kicked her dirt-streaked face. She crumpled to the ground writhing in pain.

“Don’t put your filthy hands on me, peasant,” said Lao, dismounting his horse. “How dare you address me without the respect I deserve.”

The woman looked up. “Please don’t,” she pleaded. “They are just children. You can’t separate me from them.” A boy and the girl huddled next to their mother. Their eyes brimmed with tears.

“I’ll tell you what,” said Lao. “Crawl on your knees and lick the grime of my boots, and I will consider keeping you three together.”

Her children grabbed her by her blouse and pulled her back.

“Don’t go, mommy,” begged the girl.

The mother looked at them both. “Be strong. I’ll be back.” Tears from the trio fell down their faces.

After letting go of her children, the mother slowly crawled to Lao’s feet. She hung her head as she grabbed Lao’s boots and did as instructed.

Lao chuckled to himself. His men, hungry for entertainment, joined in the laughter.

“Is that fine, sir?” said the woman, her body trembling.

“Yes, you insignificant worm,” said Lao, kicking the woman in the stomach, which caused the boy and girl to wail even louder. “Get out of my sight.” The woman crawled back to her sobbing children. “Not so fast.”

“Please, sir,” said the mother. “I did as you asked. I beg that you allow me take my children with me.”

Lao brought his finger to his chin and let it rest there for a moment, as if struggling to make up his mind. “I said I would not separate you from your children, and separate you I will not.” A callous grin overtook his lips. “They will follow you into death. You can all be together there.”

“No, sir, have mercy. They have hardly lived.” Her begging was replaced by screams of agony as fire entombed her and her children. The smell of burning flesh filled the air.

“Let’s move out,” commanded Lao, mounting his horse. The three bodies were stacked atop each other as Lao and his battalion marched out of Java.

Usually he would have played a little longer with his prey. Today, though, there was no time for such frivolities. He had an appointment to keep with a special…
friend.

~ ~ ~

Strands of hair blew into Aya’s face. She tossed back her dark hair as she tied it into a single ponytail. She much preferred to keep her hair down, but the strong winds made that impossible.

“Nakatomi, let’s head back in,” said Sheridan. They were about to finish their evening rounds through Asturia. “This wind is so damn annoying.”

“You go on ahead. I will catch up with you in a while.”

“Oh…sure thing, Nakatomi. See you later.”

Aya didn’t have anything against Sheridan, but he had a tendency to go overboard with his wild rants, and all she wanted right now was some peace and quiet.

She stared blankly at the gray landscape as she took a seat at the village fountain.

It was desolate. All the women had finished washing their clothes hours ago. Even the children who usually played around the fountain were nowhere in sight. No doubt the winds had forced them indoors.

She gazed up at the cloudless sky, certain that the meeting with Falcon and Lao had already taken place.
Falcon, I hope you’re well.

Knowing Lao, she was certain he had something up his sleeve, and she didn’t buy his supposed “peace talk.”

Aya had surprised even herself by just how little Lao’s betrayal had affected her. She had always thought she cared for Falcon and Lao the same, but recent events showed her otherwise.

Her mind drifted back to the night she spent beside Falcon, and how he had called for Faith.

At the time Aya had thought Falcon had called for his mother, but now she knew better. Even through all the trauma he had endured, deep down he never forgot Faith. The thought made her uneasy.

A sudden sense of danger put her on edge. She scanned the village, trying to locate the source of the menace, but saw nothing. Then the feeling came again from behind her, sending goose bumps across her body. She turned to the sight of an arrow headed straight for her. In a split second she focused her mind and reached out, catching the arrow inches from reaching her chest. Four more arrows appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Years of training took hold as she reached out and caught three of the arrows in mid-flight. The fourth arrow slipped through her fingers and dug into her shoulder. She suppressed the urge to scream as a blinding pain shot through her body.  

“Getting a little rusty, aren’t we,” mocked a voice she recognized all too well. Lao jumped down from atop a nearby cabin, a large multi-arrow crossbow in hand. “The Aya I knew would have easily blocked those arrows. Something must be getting to you. I wonder if it has anything to do with me.”

He wore a suit of thin black armor, with few shades of grey. He wore no helmet, which exposed his new slicked-back ponytail tied with a silver band.

Aya reached out for her bow that rested by her feet. “You think too highly of yourself, Lao. I haven’t given you a second thought. And if you think I’m going to let you harm these innocent people, then you never really knew me.”

“Them? I’m here for you.”

“For me? What are you talking about?”

“Really, Aya? You’ve always been the smartest of the three of us. Surely you can recognize which is the winning side when it’s put before you. The Suteckh Empire is going to conquer all of Va’siel. Anyone who stands against us will be swept into oblivion.” Lao extended his hand to her. “I’m here to formally invite you to that winning side.”

Aya stood in awe at Lao’s impudence.

“I’d rather die a thousand times than join the Suteckh. I won’t sacrifice the trust of my friends for the illusion of power.”

“It is no illusion!” he shouted, his voice rising. “If you could only see the power I now possess, you would not speak like this. Count yourself lucky that I am willing to share it with you. Don’t be a fool. Join me, I won’t ask again.”

“Save your breath. I will never join you.”

“I had hoped you would come willingly, but I see you are intent on making this difficult for me.” Lao smiled. “No matter, you are going with me whether you like it or not.”

“You’ll have to kill me before I go anywhere with you.”

“No, I don’t think so,” said Lao, sounding more confident than Aya expected. “You see, that arrow in your arm is no ordinary arrow.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean, my dear Aya, is that those arrows contain a special…
gift
from my friend, Cidralic,” sneered Lao, taking a short step toward her.

As soon as Lao stopped talking her vision blurred and the world began to spin.

I have to get this out. Aya clenched her teeth as she pulled the arrow out of her shoulder. She ignored the pain as she brought it to her nose. A sickly sweet smell filled her nostrils.
Poison!

“I have to admit, Aya. You’re tough, but not even you can resist the effects of this particular poison. It’s Cidralic’s own special mixture and only he has the remedy.” Lao paced back and forth, appearing content with himself. “Do you see now? You have to go with me or you will die here.”

“Then I’ll die,” wheezed Aya, almost unable to force the words out of her mouth. Every breath caused spasms of pain to shoot from her throbbing throat to her stomach.

“You ungrateful fool!” shouted Lao. There was a manic look in his eyes that she had never seen before. “You always looked down on me because I didn’t come from an aristocratic family like yours. Always thought you were so much better than everyone else,” he ranted as his face turned red. “You always chose Falcon over me, looking up to him like he was so much better than me. Oh, Falcon is so good. Falcon is so dedicated. Poor Falcon, he lost his family. Well, I’m sick and tired of it. Now I’m the one that everyone will want to follow. I’m the one with all the power!”

“You know that’s not true. I never looked down on anyone, especially you.”

“Liar!” Lao clenched both hands around Aya’s neck and brought her up to dangle in the air. He then released his grip. As she fell, Lao delivered a knee to her stomach. She covered her stomach, but his foot found her ribs.

There was a loud crunch. This time Aya couldn’t suppress the urge, and she screamed out in pain.

“Leave her alone,” said a soft voice.

Aya looked up. A white blur stood beside her. She narrowed her eyes and the blur revealed the form of Faith. Aya’s initial reaction was relief. Perhaps she did not have to die here. That relief, though, was quickly replaced with distress. Faith was a healer, not a fighter.
What chance does she have against a trained Rohad?

“What do we have here?” mocked Lao. “It’s Falcon’s other little girlfriend. I’ll have to take care of you as well.”

Lao swirled his arms together. A giant ball of fire appeared before him. To Aya’s horror, the sphere of fire was black in color.

The dark sphere of fire flew toward Faith, who quickly wielded a holy shield around herself.

Aya mouth gaped open at the beauty of it. Faith was now completely covered by a rainbow-colored glass-like shield. The colors spun in constant motion, intermingling and moving through one another.

The holy shield and ball of fire clashed with a thunderous roar. The fireball reflected from the shield, back to its sender.

Lao’s eyes widened as he threw himself to the ground. A sharp cracking sound emitted as the village meeting hall behind him broke into hundreds of pieces.

Lao stared at Faith with fire in his eyes as he struggled back to his feet. His new armor was now caked in wood splinters and dirt. “You dare raise your hand against a commander of the Suteckh!” Blood dripped from a cut on his lip and forehead. “You shall suffer tenfold.”

Before Lao could bring his threats to fruition a man rode into the village. He wore the basic black-and-silver armor typical of a Suteckh foot soldier.