Light of Epertase 01: Legends Reborn (2 page)

“Come clean, Rasi. Or should I say Captain Rasi?”

“Oh.” Rasi shook his head.

“You’ve been offered the position, have you not?”

Rasi hadn’t the heart to tell his friend his plans to leave the service. “You know I’m more comfortable fighting with the men than I am leading them.”

“Think of the money. You’re starting a family.”

Rasi stopped and turned to his friend. His smile was gone. “If a man chooses to lead and his reason is money, he is not a man who should be followed.”

“I’ll never understand you, Rasi. You’re the only one who doesn’t believe that we would be better with you at the helm.”

The two men made the short walk along the castle walls to the main gate. They found their names near the top of the guest list and proceeded to the Royal Gardens. Several of their old squad mates huddled near the southern perimeter wall and Rasi and Terik made their way to their sides.

Wolf, always the instigator, leaned into Rasi’s ear. “You know you will be captain now, don’t you?” He paused to let his words soak in. Rasi didn’t answer, prompting more of Terik’s convincing. “With Elijah’s promotion, you are next in line for his spot.”

Rasi peered up from his drink.

“The squad follows you,” Wolf said, fishing for any hint as to where Rasi stood on the matter.

Rasi bit his lower lip before answering, “I am no leader.”

Terik smirked. “I told you, Rasi. Everyone knows it. You are destined for leadership. You allow your lack of confidence to betray you.”

Rasi had said all he cared to say on the subject and stood silent until the others finished their badgering and moved on to more interesting topics.

The men sunk neck-deep into stories of battle and heroic deeds, exaggerated, no doubt, while Rasi quietly listened.

Terik excused himself for more of King Cecil’s famous ale. He returned with two mugs, his half-empty. “For you, Ras.” He held out the mug but Rasi rebuffed his offer with a wave.

“You make it awful hard to be a friend, Ras. You rarely talk, you don’t drink, and you are ugly as sin.” He smiled, proud of his own joke. Rasi shook his head with a grin.

It wasn’t long before the group of men caught the guest of honor’s eye, and Prince Elijah, with his closest advisor, Tevin the Third, on his heels, approached the group.

“Gentlemen, thank you for attending,” the Prince said.

One by one, the soldiers offered their hands in congratulations. Elijah arrived at Rasi’s outstretched hand, looked at it for a moment, then turned to the other soldiers and asked, “Are you having a good time?”

They answered that they were.

Wolf said, “Turning thirty next week and already head of the Elite guard. Pretty impressive, I must say. How old was your father when he was promoted?”

Elijah smiled. “Thirty-seven, Wolf. But he did not have an opportunity to show his worth in battle as I have had.”

A little girl tugged on Elijah’s robe from behind. “Daddy?” she said.

He turned toward her and knelt. “Alina, my girl, this is no place for a future queen to be hanging around. Where are your grandparents?”

“They said I could come out and say goodnight to you.”

“Well I am glad you did, butterfly. Meet some of my men.”

She peered at the rough-looking soldiers with the brightest green eyes Rasi had ever seen. She extended her hand to the soldier closest to her. “Pleased to meet you, sir, I am Princess Alina.” She spoke with regal confidence and pride, or at least as regal as one could sound at nine years old.

The soldier cupped her palm and kissed her delicate hand. “Nice to meet you. I am Czar, son to Altec.”

“What happened to your head?” she asked.

“Alina,” her father said. “That is not polite.”

“With all due respect, sir, it is quite alright.” Czar knelt so she could have a better view of the entire scar that stretched from his crown to his brow. “That is a scar from battle, young lady, from protecting your kingdom.” He poked her belly and she giggled.

She continued around the circle, greeting each soldier. Rasi turned away, hoping she would pass him without notice. But she didn’t.

“And you are?” her voice was as soft as a dove’s breath.

He took her by her outstretched hand and knelt before her, his eyes to the ground. “I am Ra …”

Elijah interrupted, grabbing her frail arm. “Come on, my dear. He is not worth your time.” He led her away as she stared over her shoulder. Rasi turned away from her gaze.

Terik leaned into his ear again. “I think he fears your strength, my friend. You should remedy that if you are able.”

Rasi sighed. “Maybe I’ll set up a meeting first thing tomorrow.”

“That would probably be wise.”

Most of Elijah’s guests had made their departures by the time night was closer to dawn than the previous dusk. Sporadic groups of soldiers sat in circles weaving tales of their adventures, no doubt exaggerated by the alcohol in their veins. In the darker corners of the Royal Garden, men engaged the thinning group of eligible maidens in drunken attempts to continue their evening in more intimate surroundings.

Rasi listened to his friends, all the while searching for his chance of escape. He could no longer enjoy the conversation as he was consumed with thoughts of his angry wife waiting by their front door.

After what seemed like an eternity of incessant yapping, Rasi interrupted yet another of Wolf’s winded stories. “Morning will be here soon,” he said, silencing the group. “Best make my departure else my welcome home not be kind.”

The soldiers offered understanding nods and outstretched their hands in goodbye.

Rasi made like a ghost across the courtyard, stepping over mounds of unconscious soldiers along the way. After a peek over his shoulders, he pried rose bushes away from the dark edge of the castle wall and slipped behind them. The thorns left irritating scratches on his arms, but it was worth the time he would save.

Few knew of the shortcut he was about to take and he hoped to keep it that way. He didn’t think his secret would be exposed considering the state of the remaining revelers.

The passageway took him into a black-as-night, abandoned alleyway that ran along the back of the castle. He closed his eyes to trick his mind into believing the passageway wasn’t as dark as it actually was.

Just head west and follow the wall,
he coached himself, remembering his extensive studying of ancient maps as a soldier. If they were still accurate, in daylight his travel would be quick. By feel in the darkness, not so much. He soon realized the poor choice he had made.

Edonea would not be pleased. He glided his hand along the curving stone wall while taking step by stuttered step. As he rounded a turn, some type of commotion up ahead halted his progress. He froze.

Distant mumbles and dancing torches filled the darkness. He wondered how many people knew of his shortcut after all and stood still in hopes that the hooligans would soon make themselves scarce. The dancing torches and excited volume of their laughter left little doubt of their drunken mischief and Rasi figured not being seen was his best approach.

He thought about Edonea and her angry wait, which had become longer and probably angrier.

As he waited, he dug at the irritation on his arm from the rosebush thorns. He pinched the butt of an impaled thorn between his fingernails and yanked the bristle free, along with more hair than he had intended. He rubbed his other arm until he came to another thorn and dug at that one as well.

The longer he waited, the more his frustration set in.
How long can grown men possible play in the dark?
he wondered.

Soon the laughter faded, replaced by angry shouts. Something wooden crashed against the wall and the game ahead no longer sounded fun.

A man shouted, “Shut up, whore.”

Rasi stopped digging at his arm to lurch toward the commotion. A woman whimpered, muffled as though a hand or a gag was plastered over her mouth.

Rasi edged furtively closer, as his military training had taught him. When he heard flesh smack against flesh, he began to jog, discarding stealth altogether.

A young woman’s, “please … don’t,” transformed his jog into a blind sprint.

A different, somewhat deeper voice shouted that someone was coming, but Rasi no longer cared.

As he closed in, their torches revealed their numbers – six – but little else.

“Over there!” a disguised, yet somehow familiar voice said.

One of the shadows bounced toward Rasi. Its bearer shouted, “Who goes ther …” but Rasi slammed into him, sending the air grunting from the stranger’s lungs before he could finish his query.

Red-hot embers showered the darkness as the torch smashed against the ground. Rasi rolled onto his stunned foe’s chest. The man struggled beneath. Rasi drove fist after fist into his face until all he could hear was bone against bone.

He looked up from the bloody mess he had caused with short bursts of excited breaths. He sprang to his feet but before he steadied himself another attacker plowed him to the ground. He crashed onto his back, his new foe landing on top of him. He didn’t see the fist until his lip exploded in pain and blood. He clutched the stranger’s wrist with both hands and pivoted his hips to the side. The attacker struggled against his grip but Rasi was too strong. A brutal snap rang out. The stranger wailed, clutching his mangled elbow. Rasi shoved him aside and rolled to his hands and knees.

He looked up to see the bottom of a military boot rocketing toward his face. Unable to move in time, he braced for the impact. Whiteness flashed behind his eyes followed by the worst headache he’d ever had. He crumbled face-first to the ground.

What happened?

The weight of another climbed onto his back. Two thick hands grasped his ears. The soft underside of his neck pulled taut and then his face hurled toward the unforgiving stone floor.

Rasi’s head screamed with stabbing pain as he opened his eyes. He wondered how long he’d been out. The ground was cold, even through his clothes, and he shivered. He squinted but it only made his head throb more. When he focused to remove the dull film from his eyes, what he saw made him wish he had kept them closed.

Less than a horse-length away he saw, for the first time, the source of the frail whimpers from before. The light of a torch highlighted the delicateness of her gentle, oval face. Her back lay jammed against a wooden crate and her exposed breasts heaved as she struggled to suck air into her tired lungs. Her tattered blouse dangled from her purple-and-black-stained arm. She stared at Rasi through swollen, innocent eyes that pleaded for his help.

A pair of muscular hands reached from the shadows and clutched her throat.

Rasi tried to yell, “You sons of bitches, I’ll kill you,” but barely a whisper emerged. He rolled to his stomach, his movements doing little to help the spinning in his head. He steadied himself.

Although the voices sounded distant, he knew they were right beside him. “He’s moving again, sir,” one of them said.

Rasi envisioned himself leaping from the ground and bringing justice upon them, but his body moved like he was stuck in mud. He pushed to his knees. His brain pounded against his skull.

The voice, the one he somehow recognized, ordered, “Take care of it.”

Rasi lifted his head in defiant resignation. The young girl stopped struggling. She stared at him as though he were her last hope for life, which he knew in his heart he was. He begged her with his eyes to hold on. She was ready to give up; he wouldn’t let her.

Get up,
he willed his body. A man’s leg appeared between Rasi and the girl’s lifeless gaze. A piece of knotted lumber hung alongside the man’s thigh. Rasi reached out to her, grabbing nothing but air.

Just let me up. That’s all I need, you b…
He swayed and shoved his hand against the ground. He was angry at his body for its failure, for its weakness, and cursed it under his breath.

The stranger drew the lumber back like he was chopping down a tree. Rasi fought against that damn mud that held him down. The stranger shuffled to the side in search of a better shot.

Rasi focused on the beaten girl again. “I’m sorry,” he mouthed. In the torches’ flicker, her eyes went blank and Rasi swore that he saw her soul leave her.

The stranger held the lumber against his shoulder.

What are you waiting for?
Rasi wondered.

“Well, sir?” the stranger asked. “Now?”

The hands around the girl’s throat released. Her breasts no longer heaved. Her killer stepped into the light and nodded. Rasi’s stomach sank.

Elijah? Why?

“Uhmph!” Rasi’s world went dark.