New Dawn (Divine War Book 1) (14 page)

“Not a bad idea,” said Benho, sauntering over. “If you don't mind, Kabi? I've missed my workouts and could use a little exercise.”

“Thought you'd be getting enough exercise below decks with Sa-li,” commented Maicee, dragging himself up and shakily walking to where Falorni sat.

“I don't mind at all, Ben,” Kabi said. “Let's see what you've got.”

As his friend removed his cloak and shirt, Maicee could see that his back was rippling with muscles.

“You have trained your body well,” Kabi said approvingly.

Benho shrugged, both proud of his physique and slightly embarrassed by the compliment. “Survival is important,” he said. “Especially for an orphan like me.” And he gave an easy smile.

“Watch them carefully,” Falorni whispered to Maicee, handing him a towel on which to wipe down his sweat-stained body. “You will learn much from watching.”

“You're trained in combat too?” Maicee asked, surprised.

Falorni rolled her eyes. “Of course. I'm a crew member on a pirate ship, remember?”

Chastened and feeling foolish, Maicee rubbed his face dry, then sat down on the deck to watch the two men fight. First they circled each other, each gauging the other for weak points, movements that might give away an injury or offer an opening later in the fight. Then, in a flash, Benho sprang forward, his arm extending, his fist aimed directly at Kabi's abdomen. Kabi performed the same twisting movement that he'd demonstrated earlier to Maicee and avoided the fist, though it scraped his skin a little.

The older man offered an uppercut that should have hit Benho square on the jaw, but the younger man's delicate footwork allowed him to avoid contact. Benho then spun, giving a wide, sweeping kick that Kabi blocked with his forearm. Maicee stared in wonder at their fluid movements. It was almost as though they were dancing in the hot sunshine, the deck of the
Freedom
their ballroom, time standing still as they engaged each other in battle.

Soon Benho's face was dripping with sweat, and his breath was coming in laboured gasps. Kabi smiled. The fight would be over soon, and it would be his. He feinted a swift kick, which Benho took to be real and avoided, but realising his mistake, the younger man dropped back into a defensive posture. Instantly Kabi disappeared from sight, and before Benho realised what was happening, the man was standing behind him, a hand to his throat. Struggling, Benho opened his mouth, but Kabi's hand on his windpipe meant that he couldn't utter a word.

“You are a good fighter,” Kabi observed, letting Benho go, so that he could drop to the ground, gasping. “But your style is too aggressive. It is draining your energy too quickly. Remember that you may be fighting an unknown opponent and should keep a reserve of energy just in case. Otherwise it could be your last fight.”

Benho nodded, still in awe of Kabi's speed and strength and still in need of more air.

“Maicee, you can learn from this,” Kabi said. “Often a good way to fight a strong but inexperienced opponent is to allow him to use up his energy and wait for an opportunity to strike.”

“Though you'll need to survive the initial onslaught first,” whispered Falorni with a chuckle.

“Ben, I want you to attend these unarmed combat sessions with Maicee. You should learn more defensive techniques, rather than being forever on the attack.”

Finally able to take a full breath, Benho nodded. “It will be my pleasure,” he said. Fire burned in his eyes, though he was still smiling. “And I assure you, Kabi, that one day I will defeat you.”

Kabi bowed his head in acknowledgement and then laughed. “I shall look forward to that day very much,” he said.

*

Lucia looked out over the bridge. It’d been two days since they had released the
Argoni
's soldiers, and still nothing. It was like sailing in a graveyard. But there was something out here, something dangerous. She shivered a little; she could sense it.

“Captain, radar signal.”

“What is it?” She snapped to attention.

“Something big, but it's not moving. From the looks of it, it could be a dreadnought.”

“Power back engines on both ships,” she said. “We'll be waiting at our current position for a while.” And with that, she turned and left the bridge.

She found Kabi drilling the boys in combat techniques, as he always seemed to be doing these days. Benho and Maicee looked bruised and tired.

“What is it?” the older man asked distractedly.

“We've picked up a signal. Most likely a dreadnought,” said Lucia.

The two of them shared a glance, and then both began to smile.

“Let's talk about this plan of yours,” said Kabi, putting a hand on Lucia's shoulder and steering her away, out of earshot of the boys.

*

Lord Hansola sat in his cabin, a small blue-green flame burning on the tip of his index finger. Gently he blew a breath over it, watching it flicker and dance. In his mind, a small boy was watching him, grinning at the hypnotic flame.

“Don't you burn, my little Benny-boy, darling,” a sweet, feminine voice called out to him in his reverie.

The boy was staring hard at the flame, his chubby fingers reaching out to try and grasp the shining, flickering temptation. But as soon as his hand began to close around the flame, it extinguished. Hansola was rewarded with a deep chuckle that came straight from the boy's belly, and it melted his heart.

A knock on the cabin door broke his thoughts, and he shook his head in irritation. He intensely disliked being disturbed, and he instantly decided that he would punish whoever was knocking in the most unthinkable way possible if the message he carried wasn't important.

“Come in,” he said, voice like iron.

A young man entered the cabin, saluted, and waited to be spoken to.

“Speak,” said Hansola, impatiently.

“It's the princess, sir. She's creating trouble, asking to see you again and again.”

Hansola waved the soldier away, irritated. “I will be there in a while,” he said.

The princess was getting on his last nerve. She was a chess piece and nothing more, though he needed her if he was going to exact his revenge.
But,
he told himself,
if this continues, then I am going to have her killed as soon as I am done with her.

Blowing out the flame on his finger, he pushed his chair out from the desk and stood. He was still thinking of imaginative ways to kill the young princess when he reached the interrogation room. Idly considering placing small metal hooks inside her skin and then escorting her to the ship's magnetic resonator made him smile as he opened the door.

“Switch off the camera and the microphone,” he ordered, closing the door behind him.

He watched until the small camera in the corner of the room blinked red rather than green, then nodded and turned to face the princess. Ausanne was lying on her bed, robe open in all the right places to make her seem appealing. But he knew that she was simply trying to manipulate him.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I am so very bored,” the young princess pouted.

And, as strange as it may seem, she truly was. The princess was no fool, and once she had found out that helping Hansola, or at least tolerating him, was her only method of survival, she had somewhat buckled down. That did not, however, mean that she wasn't constantly looking for another route to save her from her fate.
But there’s only so long that one can be terrified for,
she mused. And she was bored. Locked in this cabin with no one to talk to and nothing to do.

“And what do you suggest that I do, little princess?” asked Hansola. “Allow you to wander at will through my ship and create havoc?” He shook his head. “We have had this discussion, and I'm sure you understand that it is in both our interests at the moment that you pretend to be my prisoner, so behave like one. The plan is in place, and I assure you that you shall very soon have your freedom.”

Ausanne sulked even further. “This plan of yours is taking entirely too long. You wouldn't happen to be toying with me, would you?” She eyed the Magi Lord carefully. “No matter what the consequences, if I can't trust you, I shan't be leading you anywhere.”

“I have withheld nothing from you. I have revealed my plan, my hatred, and yet you doubt me,” said Hansola, his voice soft and menacing.

“It could all be a ruse,” began Ausanne.

But before she could finish, his hand was around her throat.

“Listen carefully, little princess,” he hissed, his face so close to hers that she could smell his lunch on his breath. “If I wanted to, I could kill you here and now in a way so painful that you can't even imagine it in your worst nightmares. You are useful; I grant you that. And leading me to the rebel base will help me no end. But, and remember this.” He glared deep into her eyes. “If necessary, I can always find the base myself and destroy it.”

He let her go and stepped back.

“But that is not what I want,” he continued, voice more even now. “I want to join forces with you against the Supreme Emperor, and we will both get what we want. However, make no mistake, Princess, I can and will do this with or without you.”

Ausanne shivered a little, pulling her robe closer around her. It seemed like the temperature in the tiny cabin had dropped as Hansola spoke.

“I understand,” she said quietly. “And you have my apologies.”

He was the enemy of her enemy, she knew, but that still did not make him an ally. She took a deep breath and changed tactics.

“It's just that it's been so long since I was captured, Lord Hansola. Do you not think that maybe I could go on deck for some fresh air? It is so stifling down here.”

Anger glowed once again in Hansola's eyes, and Ausanne regretted her words even as they left her mouth. But he was prevented from answering her by the beep of the com on his wrist. He looked down at the small screen and frowned. Then without a word, he strode out of Ausanne's cabin, leaving her staring open-mouthed at the closed door.

“Now, what,” Hansola mused as he carefully locked the door behind him, “could the Admiral possibly be doing here?”

T
he cavernous room was lit dimly
by a fireplace in the corner and scattered candles in wall sconces. The air was smoky, the darkness around the sturdy oak table comforting in its anonymity. Thirteen heavy, high-backed chairs surrounded the table, and on one of them sat a young and handsome man, robed in scarlet and hooded. He read through the report that he was holding in eerie silence, the other men watching, barely daring to breathe. The young man looked up when he was finished, his eyes roaming around the table. Five other men were present. All similarly robed and hooded, though in black rather than red. Looking at their shadowed faces, he remained expressionless. He'd known each and every one of these men since birth. They were, after all, his children, though each had been born to him by a different woman. He enjoyed the agony of their anticipation and let the silence extend for a few more painful moments before nodding.

“I am pleased with the progress,” he said finally. “You have done well, Camuse.”

“Thank you, Supreme Emperor,” said the cracked and elderly voice of Camuse.

He stood and bowed to his ruler and father. His health had been failing in recent years, and he knew that he wouldn't be serving the Emperor for much longer.

The Emperor knew the same but made no mention of it nor gave Camuse special treatment. It would be a shame to get rid of the man—he had been a loyal servant. The Emperor sighed softly to himself. Maybe he should grant Camuse the same immortality as he himself had. But then, what good would it do to make an old and frail man immortal?

“I shall look forward to completion of this project by the end of the month,” was all he said.

His back was aching on the hard chair.

“If there is nothing further, you may all be dismissed,” he said, hoping that the meeting was now over.

“Sire, I have received an important report, if I may have permission to take the floor?” The man seated to the left of Camuse stood and bowed to his Emperor.

“What is it now, Kameru?” the Emperor asked impatiently. Lord Kameru seemed to take great pain in annoying him at every meeting, and he had little time for the man's interfering and pompous manner. He was, however, an excellent Magi, and that could not be discounted.

“My agent has informed me that Lord Hansola has acted out of his jurisdiction,” reported Kameru.

The Emperor could almost see the delighted, malicious grin that Kameru was smiling under his dark hood. He leaned forward, putting his chin on his hand.

“And what has he done this time?” the Emperor asked. This was not the first time that Kameru had tried to indict Hansola. There was some enmity between the two men, though the Emperor couldn't really be bothered to find out exactly why.

“He has captured Princess Ausanne, Ambassador of Britannia. An act of treason, sire.”

The Emperor raised an eyebrow. “Treason? What does capturing a princess have to do with betraying me? If I understand correctly, Lord Hansola captured Ausanne in the Lawless Sea, where we have no jurisdiction against him.”

Kameru coughed. “I believe that he was trying to incite rebellion against Great China and therefore the Supreme Emperor in Britannia by capturing their princess and ambassador.” He paused for a moment. “We should recall him immediately and strip him of his power!”

“Lord Kameru,” said the Emperor, trying to remain calm. “Lord Hansola is a Magi Lord just as you yourself are, and therefore he has the authority to detain anyone he suspects to be a threat to the empire. Unless you have some form of solid evidence to back up your claims, then I wish to hear no more of this matter.”

“Then I shall see what I can do in that respect,” Kameru said mulishly, sitting down.

“Very well. Now, if there is no more business, I suggest we retire.”

The Emperor waited for no answer, pushing his chair back from the table and marching towards the exit. Two guards opened the double doors and saluted. The five men at the table had barely reached their feet to pay their respects when the door banged closed behind their ruler.