Once We Were Kings (Young Adult Fantasy) (The Sojourner Saga) (19 page)

"Render, get me out of here!"

He'd just as soon leave you to die.

"Would you stop floundering and do something!"

"Oh, do shut up and let me think!"

"Let you think?” Branson scoffed.  “That'll be the death of me, for sure!"

Render rested a hand on the slab, which was alarmingly hot.  As he leaned a bit on it to determine how firmly it was situated, the slab shifted. 

Branson let out a howl.  "You're killing me, you idiot!"

Forget him!  Save yourself while you can.

Render pulled his hand away and began walking away.

"No, wait!  Come back here this instant!" Branson cried.

As he neared the hallway, Render's eyes fell upon the heavy wooden beam that had fallen across a chair.  With all his might, he grasped both beam and chair and pushed them, wood scraping against the stone floor, towards the slab.

Slivers pricked his hand as he pushed the lower end of the beam under the slab.  Branson continued to mutter and complain, but Render ignored it.  Not sparing a moment, he wedged the end of the beam in as far is it would go.

"Watch it, you dolt!" said Branson, slapping the wood beam set before his face.

"I don't know how long I'll be able to hold it up.  So as soon as you can, roll out from underneath."

"Just. Be. Careful!"

Without answering, Render bore down with all his strength on the upper end of the beam.  The slab did not budge.  An endless stream of complaints gushed from Branson’s lips.  The fire grew so intense that Render could feel its deep beating, like wings of a gigantic moth.

Sweat poured down his face and stung his eyes.  It's too late for him.  Why should you die in vain?   Render let out a grunt.  "Shut up!"

At that, Branson stopped.  Render leapt up and leaned his entire body atop the wood beam.  This provided just enough leverage to lift the slab.  He felt it rise off the stones which prevented it from pulverizing Branson.  "Now, Branson!"

To Render's surprise, Branson sprung up into sight.  Render pushed off the beam and let the slab down.  Not to his surprise, the spoiled son of Lord Agon began to spew forth oaths.  "Where are the guards, the military?  How can they have all abandoned my father's home without so much as a—"

Render grabbed Branson's arm with enough force to silence him, if only momentarily.  "Quit your jawing!  We have to get out of here!"

This time, Branson obeyed and followed him into the hallway.  The collapsing structures further encouraged him to listen.  It was difficult to see through the dark billowing smoke, even when he wasn't shielding his face.  But they finally made their way to the main entrance.

A wall of fire impeded them.

"We've been attacked and the portcullis hasn't even been lowered!" Branson said, glaring up at the archway.

"If it were, we'd have no way of getting out."

"And I suppose you're just going to walk through those flames?"

The ground shook.  The ceiling above the hallway was coming down, one section after another.  This sent a gust of searing heat right up against their backs.

"Not walk," said Render, grabbing Branson by the collar and belt.  With a straining grunt, he heaved the boy off his feet and threw him through the fire.  A second later he himself took three steps back, then jumped headfirst through the flames.

He shut his eyes, covered his face with his arms and shouted as he blasted through the searing conflagration and out the door.  If he had misjudged and the fire actually extended over the drawbridge, both he and Branson would be incinerated.

Render landed hard on his shoulder.  The air rushed out of his lungs.  He expected to find himself surrounded by the blaze, for the stench of burning hair and clothes reached his nose.

But when he lifted his head, he found himself next to Branson on the bridge.  Safe and in the open air.

"Render!" shouted Kaine in the courtyard, waving his hands with excitement.  "Over here!"

Just as they arrived at the courtyard, the western wall of the blazing castle came toppling down.  Before they could catch their breath, Kaine hurried them towards the western gate where Edwyn paced about, craning his neck and peering out at the center of the citadel.

Without so much as a word, Branson broke away and ran from the Castle, shouting angry words about the cowards his father employed.  He even complained about his father himself, who was nowhere to be found during the destruction of his home.

"There's gratitude for you," Render muttered.

"Hurry!"  Kaine grasped Render's shoulders with both hands.  "He'll be looking for me."

"What are you carrying on about?" Edwyn said, pacing around the perimeter, trying to see over the citadel walls.  "Where is the royal guard?  Wait here."

"You're marked for death, Render," said Kaine in a gentler tone, but with no less urgency.  "Couldn't let that happen to my baby brother.  So when the Sojourners attacked, I came for you.  It's your only chance to escape."

"What?"  The entire citadel seemed to be spinning.  He held his head between his hands.

"If Lord Mooregaard finds me talking to you, he'll kill us both.  Now run, Render.  With all speed, run!"

Render hesitated.  He saw the finality in his brother's eyes and could not believe it was so simple for him to sever his ties like this.  "Aren't you coming with me?"

"I can't.  Now stop being an idiot and go!"

"But The Prophet said...How will I ever know who... what I'm—?"

"Haven't you heard?  He's gone missing.  He must be the real traitor, a Sojourner spy."  Kaine gave Render a brisk embrace, grasped his arms, turned him around, and with his foot, shoved his rump forward.  "Now, get out of here before you get us both killed!"

"No!" Render shouted.  "I have a chance at finding out who I am, what I was destined for.  And now you—"

"You're destined to have your head lopped off, if the Tianese soldiers don't get us first!"

"And now, like you've always done, you think you can take charge of me, my life, my future?"

"Don't be stupid!  Go!"

"Why, Kaine?  What if I don't? What are you afraid of?"

Kaine's eyes grew large with exasperation.  "I'm afraid you'll die!"

"Or are you afraid that maybe, just maybe, your little brother might upstage you?  You heard The Prophet!  Maybe I'm meant to be a king."

"You little fool!  I don't care about any of that.  Now get yourself out of the citadel before—"

"Before what!"  Render reached over and pulled out Kaine's dagger.  He pointed it at Kaine more out of rebellion than threat.

"Put that away!  They already think you're—-Have you any idea how incriminating that looks?"

"Of course you'd say that," Render scoffed.  "If you wanted to get rid of me."

From the periphery, Render saw Edwyn running back to the courtyard.  The sound of approaching hooves alerted Kaine.

"Oh no," Kaine said.  "It's Mooregaard.  Rend, please.  Listen to me.  Go while you still can.  You have to believe me—"

Before he could complete his sentence, Kaine stopped and backed away suddenly.  "Render, come away from there."

"Do you take me for a fool?"

"I said, get away from there.  Now!" Kaine pointed in the air.  An enormous marble pillar began to fall.  Render stood frozen with fear.  Kaine, however, rushed over, tackled him and threw him to the ground, shielding him with his own body.

Unable to see past his brother, Render squeezed his eyes shut.

The pillar crashed down and hit the ground where he had been standing.  It split the cobblestone and sank halfway into the ground.  Sand and dust and pebbles pelted the side of Render's head.

Kaine pushed himself off his brother and fell back onto his haunches.  He touched his chest and looked at his wet fingers.

From his chest, a dark circle expanded quickly across his white shirt.  Blood oozed down.  "Render..."

"Kaine?"  Still clutching the bloodied dagger upon which Kaine had fallen, Render got up and crawled over to him.  His brother fell to his knees then onto his side, his eyes wide and mouth agape.   Render slipped his hand under Kaine's head.  It was heavy and limp.  "No, Kaine, please.  I'm so sorry.... I never... you just didn't... please, Kaine, don't."

Like smoke hissing out of a log in a dying fire, Kaine uttered his last word, "Run..."

"Kaine!"  Mooregaard cried as he dismounted his steed.

CHAPTER FORTY

“Stand, murderous traitor!"  Mooregaard dismounted his horse and glanced down to Kaine's lifeless body.  "Is it not sufficiently egregious that you've aided the Tianese Sojourners in this craven attack?  But now, you would kill even your own brother?"

Backing away, Render could not find an answer.  Sorrow and remorse clutched his heart like a hawk's talons.  The dagger fell from his hand and clanked against the ground.  He stared at the blood on his hands.  Tried wiping them on his pants, fearing it would never come off.  "But...I didn't—"

"Silence, vile rogue!"  Mooregaard's sword whistled as he drew it from its sheath.  With clenched teeth and the tip of his sword shaking, he pressed forward, each step quicker than the last.

"He is not responsible!" Edwyn called out.  He put himself between the Mooregaard and Render.  "His brother's death was accidental, I saw it all."

"Stand aside, Sir Edwyn, this is not your affair."

"But it is." Edwyn’s hand moved to the hilt of his own sword.

"Then you are a sympathizer and shall be dealt with accordingly."  With his elbow, Mooregaard pushed Edwyn aside and pointed his sword straight at Render.  "Stand clear.  This one shall be shown all the mercy his fellow Sojourners showed their victims!

So transfixed was Render on his brother's blood between his fingers that he barely noticed Edwyn drawing his sword and striking it against Mooregaard's.

"Go, Render!" Edwyn cried out between blows and short gasps.  "Fly to the East, quick as you can.  Keep running!"

More present than his mind, his feet had already begun to move.  But all Render could see was the look of shock on his dying brother's face.  All he could hear was Mooregaard's resonant invective: Traitor!  Murderer!  Vile Rogue!

He hid behind the collapsed wall, despite his tutor's command to keep running.  Edwyn and Mooregaard exchanged few words as they battled.  The contest was clearly mismatched and Edwyn quickly lost his footing.  He fell to the ground on his back and dropped his sword.

Before he could regain a grip, Mooregaard stepped on his wrist and placed the point of his weapon right over Edwyn's heart.  "So you've proven what I've always suspected: You're a Sojourner.  A child after your parent's heart!"

Edwyn said nothing, only lifted a defiant chin.

Mooregaard crouched down and put his face up to Edwyn's.  "And now, I offer you the same mercy they were shown."

"And I offer you this."  Edwyn spat in his face and began to laugh.

Wiping his face with his sleeve, Mooregaard straightened up and said, "Say you are not a Sojourner and I shall spare you.  Because we are friends."

"We have never been friends."

"Say you are not of those religious fanatics, those believers in Valhandra, and I shall yet spare you."

Their eyes locked for an eternal moment.

Edwyn puffed up his chest and said, "To be indebted to you for my life?  To live a lie, now that I've seen the truth?" He scoffed.  "I would sooner die."

"Then you have made your choice."  Mooregaard pressed his sword in ever so gradually.  Edwyn made no cry, no sound of agony.  He remained so still one could hardly tell he was being killed. 

Until he jerked upwards once and fell back, his head tilting towards Render with a vacant gaze.

Mooregaard wiped his blade with Edwyn's cloak and resheathed his sword.  By now, a company of Torian soldiers had arrived.  He stood looking over Edwyn's body, then to Kaine's and shook his head.  Then to one of the soldiers he spoke and pointed towards the shattered opening in the citadel wall through which Render had run.  Having finally gathered his wits, Render dashed off into the thick of the wood.

He would employ all he remembered to find a hiding place and evade capture.  But of this he was certain: never again could he return to this land.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Bai Juang rubbed his arms tightly as he hid within the cave among the crags of the Handaras Mountain range.

No kindling, no food, no water.

It had been three days since he caught the rabbit and roasted it.  But it had since been raining and all the wood around was wet.  At the mouth of the cave, the wind howled.  Bai Juang thought he heard the sound of his wife and son.  Weeping as she had when begging for mercy from the Torian soldiers.

Kill me, only spare my son!

They made Bai Juang watch as they killed his boy and beloved wife.  The images and sounds never left him.  Now, all he could think about was finding Ahndien.  But he could not do so alone.

"Valhandra, why have you forsaken us?"  His words came out in a frigid stutter because his clothes clung cold and wet against his back, dripping with rain water.  "You promised to restore your people.  You promised a deliverer.  And yet, we are being slaughtered like lambs.  We, the last of Your remnant."

A peal of thunder so loud and terrible rocked the ground.  The wind grew more fierce.  Flashes of lightning lit the caves entrance in such rapid succession that it seemed to glow continuously.

And when the white light held in place, the thunder died down to a steady roll.  The wind streamed evenly, almost singing.  And as the sounds of the storm faded, from the emanating light at the mouth of the cave came a whisper.  It echoed, not through the cave but within his spirit.

// BAI JUANG... //

That voice.

Unlike any voice he'd ever heard before, yet as familiar as one he'd known his entire life.

// BAI JUANG... //

"I am here."

The brilliant light entered the cave and filled it with such glorious beauty that he could no longer perceive or distinguish height nor depth, solid nor energy.  But what he felt, what entered his body and soul, transcended all physical understanding, something that could only be described by one word:  Joy.