Rise of the Citadel (The Search for the Brights Book 2) (49 page)

“Yes, I see. I
think. What are my orders, Councilman?” Brandon asked.

“I am sorry for
the way it’s described. I’m in a hurry to warn the rest of the realm.”

Brandon was
becoming irritated, “What are my orders, Councilman?”

Mica took out a
scroll to check it before continuing. “Send any available wielders to Keepers.
They are to report there to prevent Leviathan from being raised and a power
shift in the realm. I am to gather as many soldiers from villages so I can also
report there for assignment.”

“Should I send
Twilix as well?” Brandon asked.

“No, he gave
specific orders to keep Twilix in place. She is supposed to watch over the
Weapon Bearer’s sister.”

“Kara?” Brandon
asked.

Kara heard her
name from where she was standing and came to join them, “Yes?”

Twilix swore
Mica’s eyes almost came out of his head as he watched Kara approach. As she
tried to hold back a laugh, Twilix introduced her formally, “Mica, I would like
you to meet Fire Wizard Kara Everheart..”

Mica swallowed
as Brandon stiffened with an irritated look on his face directed at Twilix. “It
is a pleasure to meet you, Wizard Everheart. How is it you are out of the
...training rooms.”

Kara looked back
and forth between Twilix and Brandon and started to answer but Twilix
interrupted.

“During her
training I started to age. Since there were no fire wizards here to keep me
alive, she did the job. After that,
she
began to age. I kept her alive
and somehow during all that, she was able to learn to maintain control. Quite
the inspirational story, don’t you think?” Twilix looked at Mica and smiled
while batting her eyes.

“Yes...well,” he
said while smoothing over his robes. “I am sure the king will want you both to
remain here while it is still dangerous to be out. For now, I am sure that
Advisor Parker has you under strict orders.”

Twilix smiled,
her new body had come in handy once again, “Yes, he has kept us under close
watch. He only sent the guards away this morning for a break. I guess it will
be a longer break than foreseen, now that you need them for this task.”

Mica seemed to
snap back to his mission and looked at Brandon, “Yes, I suppose if Twilix is
still maintaining control of Kara then you will have to send all other wielders
along. Make sure you keep a close eye out for…”

The wind wizard
looked again at Kara and Twilix and cleared his throat, “Watch out for that
wielder and the rouge fire wizard we discussed. I am now turning towards the
Water Realm to reassign more troops. Make sure any extra soldiers you have are
sent. The rest of the army has been split, sending some here and some there.
You should see the king return in about a month.”

He started to
walk away before raising to the sky and then stopped to wave Brandon over. When
Brandon neared, Mica spoke in a whisper but Twilix could hear. She pretended
not to listen as she urged Kara to return to her training.

“I wanted to
warn you. Bowie, the archer, was also negotiating for the release of the fire
wizard behind you. Our king suspects he may try and break in to rescue her.
Keep a careful watch out.”

Brandon furrowed
his eyebrows, “He suspects attacks from a weapon bearer that has already beaten
me, and an archer that is accompanied by two wizards, but says I should send
wielders and soldiers away?”

“Yes, the king
is sending wielders to speed up the troops movements and some are already on
their way to aid your defenses here. You will see a large number of wind
wielders arriving to aid you as soon as they finish their orders.” Mica
released the sash on his folded robes and took a step back, “I do not have
anymore time to explain. I have my orders and now so do you. Watch over the
castle a little while longer.”

Mica took to the
sky and Kara ran to follow the man flying through the air. “Wow, how does he do
that?”

Twilix answered
still looking at Brandon’s back, “He is a wind wizard, Kara. He uses the wind
like a kite to pull him into the sky.” She glanced at Kara and saw she was
still distracted so she walked to Brandon, “Something doesn’t sound right.”

It took Brandon
a moment to respond, “He is a wind wizard and they have been known to be
erratic. He obviously is not explaining it correctly.”

“Where is
Alexander? I thought he was supposed to be helping Kilen. We should wait to
hear from him before we do anything rash.” Twilix tried to take a commanding
tone.

“You should
watch yourself. You have a newly awakened fire wizard to keep from burning the
castle down. Besides, you are already close to me sending you to the dungeons
for your behavior this morning. If Kilen arrives we will do what we must to
protect this kingdom. We have no idea what is going on until we hear from the
others.” Brandon turned to Twilix and spoke in a hushed tone as not to distract
Kara, “From now on you will restrict your games to stay between you and her.
Keep out of my sight and out of trouble or I will confine you to your room
until the king comes to put you both in the dungeon.”

She started to
open her mouth but Brandon held up a hand, “Do not tempt me to do it now.”

She closed her
mouth and with anger on her face, nodded her head.

He walked away
and Kara came to stand beside her, “What was that all about?”

“Nothing. We
will just have to be a bit more careful not to eat our meals at the same time
as him. It seems my beauty distracts his thoughts from where they should be.”
She did her best to put on a confident smile and turned to join Kara in
throwing their elements at the boulder.

The mountains
did a lot to help Kilen stabilize his mind, giving him periods of peace as they
traveled. The mountains did little to conceal his passing of Kesterton, the
pirate’s city, as he traveled northward towards the Elder Wizards pass. He kept
to the higher portions of the mountains where the temperatures were cooler. The
traveling back and forth on the peaks and having to backtrack had delayed him
more than a week. Once he even backtracked a week because of a small mountain
outpost Kilen was trying to avoid. He saw at least two different wind wielders
from the Earth Realm fly in and out of the mountain outpost. He had to move
down the mountain to the area more dense with trees to avoid confrontation.

He knew that he
would be named a traitor, but that was nothing that King Atmos hadn’t done in
the past. Atmos would twist his words and surely would say that Kilen tried to
strike him down during discussions for peace. They all knew Atmos was up to
something and they did nothing to prevent it. He knew it was too late to change
what happened. He just hoped his friends were still alive.

Thinking of
death almost always put the crying man into a rage. That’s what they called him
now; The Crying Man. Over the last couple weeks since the man had been killed
by Chit, he uttered only a handful of actual words. Most of the sounds he made
were wails and sobs. The sobs were so loud that Tokeye and Joahna had to use
elemental forms to train instead of inside Kilen’s head. Max did his best to
calm the man, but nothing seemed to help. Because Kilen was merely picturing
his friends running from King Atmos, the man started screaming.

“Oh quiet down,
will you?” Kilen said to the open mountainside.

Both elementals
stopped for a second before moving along.

Jace whispered
on the wind, “Living up to his name again?”

“Very much so,”
Kilen wanted to rip the man from his brain. “Which way?”

“We are here,
Kilen.” Joahna said in the form of an ice-man with wings.

Kilen stopped to
look around but saw nothing familiar, “Where is the Elder’s village?”

“I’m not sure.
They said they were leaving to find the soul wizard, but this is where it was,”
Jace said.

Max spoke in his
head, “
I need to take Tokeye’s place.
”

Kilen repeated
the request and Tokeye gave up the elemental as Kilen went to one knee to brace
himself for the spirit entering his brain. Switching the consciousness in an
elemental was quite taxing on Kilen’s perception. One spirit in and another one
out each time. The world tilted and he emptied his stomach of the eggs Jace had
found high in the trees earlier that morning.

Kilen rinsed his
mouth of the second tasting of his breakfast. If he wasn’t careful he would
become weak and frail from all the vomiting. “What is it you hope to see, Max?”
Kilen asked.

“Exactly what I
have found. This is the place, the trees are new. Their roots are new and even
the moss and grass here is new. There is not one sign of death in the area.
It’s as if the Elder’s moved their town and replaced it with a fresh portion of
forest.” Max was walking about, stretching his elemental arms and legs as if he
had been cramped into a school desk all day.

Max had
mentioned death and The Crying Man let out a wail of agony. Kilen tried to picture
himself slapping the weeping man, but nothing happened. He had tried to picture
it before, the results were the same every time. It did help Kilen cope with
the constant screaming.

Kilen opened his
eyes and found Max’s realistic stone eyes staring back, “I upset him again
didn’t I?”

Kilen nodded his
response, “Which way to do we go now?”

Jace’s voice
bounced off the trees, making it sound like it was speaking from every
direction. “Perhaps we should ask Alexander. I just saw him descend to the
west. I think he’s waiting for you.”

Kilen pulled his
blue cape from his bag, Bowie bought the cape before they left the Water Realm
and he’d only worn it on a couple of occasions. The cape still looked new and
would most likely confuse; anyone looking for a weapon bearer looks for someone
wearing a green cape, as he had been seen before. Jace’s advice was always
something Kilen took to heart. Max formed into a horse and Kilen climbed on top
after throwing the bag over his back as a saddle to cushion the ride.

“Lead the way,
Jace.” Kilen said knowing the former weapon bearer was seething him wear the
flamboyant blue cape.

A strong wind
picked some leaves off nearby trees and made them dance in the air. Max
followed the oddly-flowing leaves through the forest. The winding direction
lead them into a dense part of the forest. Jace’s leaves dropped to the ground
as they approached a copse of trees. The air smelled thick of woodland. Kilen
dismounted and walked forward into the copse. Cascading light fell upon a stone
in the center of an opening and two men stood by the stone talking. Kilen
recognized them both. Alexander turned and smiled at Kilen’s arrival.

Alexander walked
to Kilen and opened his arms for an embrace, like old friends seeing each other
for the first time in a long while. “You did well my boy. I wish I could stay
but I have other matters to attend to. Bowie is safe and now traveling quickly
back to Deuterium. Go and speak to Wizard Roedan, he will want to hear of your
personal account.”

The other
wizard, with his back to Kilen, was the same that named him a True Weapon
Bearer. Alexander gave Kilen a pat on the back as he walked away. A stir in the
air told him that Alexander had already taken flight. The wind wizard did not
stay in one place for long. Kilen was beginning to feel a bit like a wind
wizard himself lately.

“Elder Wizard,”
Kilen said clasping his fist to his chest.

“My boy, you did
well. Please sit.” The gray haired wizard motioned Kilen towards the rock. He
did as the old wizard asked. Roedan joined him on the rock and made a groaning
sound as he took his seat. “Why have you returned?”

  “I came here
so I could get some advice,” Kilen had always been taught to value the opinions
of his elders. Roedan just happened to be the eldest person he had ever met.

  “You know that
we cannot give you advice,” Roedan said as Kilen nodded his head. “I can
however, answer any question you have. If you have a request in line with our
desires, we may aid you.” He smiled at Kilen.

  Kilen tried to
remember his last encounter with the wizard. It had ended badly with Kilen
pressing for answers the wizard did not want to give. He would have to try and
not anger him this time.

“I failed to
prevent the war.” It wasn’t a question, but the statement spoke a lot of the
answers he sought.

  “My boy, I
have already said you did well. You prevented a many deaths. Eventually Atmos’
army would have arrived and many men on both sides would have died. You may
have not received the outcome you wanted, but it is preferable to one
alternative.”

  Kilen nodded
his head. “I am now a wanted man in the Earth Realm I assume?”

  “Some of the
contacts we have within the realm have been put on alert to your presence. You
are to be killed on sight for being a traitor.”
            “Being wanted will make it more difficult to right the injustice
done by King Atmos.” Kilen let out a little anger when he spoke of King Atmos.
At least one man in his head felt the same way. The other crawled into the deep
part of his mind and sobbed at the mention of the king.

  “How do you
think you should handle his injustice?”

  “He has
captured a king by deception. I think that he should be taken from his throne,”
Kilen responded with ease as he had already thought of the way to deliver
justice many times over.

  Roedan took a
large pipe from his pocket and began packing it with tobacco. “We now have
three realms without a king on the throne and you want to make it a forth. No,
I do not think it wise to dethrone a king while a soul wizard is still at
large.”

  Kilen had not
thought of King Atmos being the only one left to be able to call men to fight a
war. “Atmos should be brought to justice. His actions still bring us closer to
defeat. He is working into the hands of the soul wizard by destroying an army.”

  “Believe me
Kilen, I agree. The day will come when the army of the Earth Realm may yet save
this land. To have an army, it must have someone on the throne to lead it.”
Roedan held the pipe up in front of his face, “Do you mind?”

  Kilen
concentrated heat on the tobacco and soon the old wizard was puffing away at
the long stem. Large plumes of smoke obscured his face.

“If we are going
to stop this soul wizard, we will need a large army,” Kilen said.

The Elder nodded
in agreeance.

“Who else is
there that can summon nobles and men to an army?” Kilen asked.

  Roedan removed
the pipe from his mouth and spoke with puffs of smoke, “Nobles can summon men
to their aid but not enough to make a difference. Perhaps a nation of them
could summon enough, but therein lies a new problem.”

  “Finding
enough of them willing to take up arms?”

  Roedan
laughed, “I forget you have not had to deal with many royal houses. They are
usually the kind of men that do nothing without getting something in return.
Also, they rarely work together.”
            “Surely we could convince them to join forces. All of the realms
should be gathering to end this threat.” Kilen said as if trying to convince
the elder.

  Roedan nodded
and took a couple more puffs on his pipe. A bird flew overhead and squaked.
They watched the bird flutter on through the deep forest. It was a good sign
they were alone if animals still wandered in their area.

“We could
convince them to join, maybe even lend us their men. The task would take time
and time is something that we do not have. Besides, if we did gather their men,
who would lead them? Surely you don’t suggest we make King Atmos more powerful
by recruiting a new army for him?” Roedan asked.

  Kilen ignored
the question as he was sure it was supposed to be, “So we need a leader as well
as an army. Perhaps we can free Rekkan and have him gather the army.”

  “Rekkan’s army
is already scattered. It is doubtful that many nobles would follow a king with
no army of his own and that’s already been defeated,” Roedan corrected.

  Kilen thought
it over, “He would not be able to gather an army anyway. King Atmos would chase
him in any direction deterring any chance of gathering men.”

  Roedan nodded
but said nothing. Kilen thought intently ignoring the sounds of the forest as
he tried to think of the possibilities. “We need a new king,” he finally said.

  Roedan stopped
puffing on his pipe but said nothing. His hand went to the satchel hanging off
his shoulder. Quickly, he pushed it to rest on his lap. “A new king is a
possibility. Which realm would you give this new king so that he could gather
his army? Surely not the Fire Realm, it is too far to travel and gather the
remnant army. Besides, their queen surely will name a new king with the news
that Rekkan has been captured.”

  “The Water
Realm,” as soon as the words left Kilen’s lips he knew it was the best choice.

  “Why the Water
Realm, Kilen?”

  The answers
came quickly, “They are ready for a new king. There are already those loyal at
Keepers ready to aid him. I am sure Master Bradley would also know some of the
nobles personally, which would help the new king’s rise. They already border
the Wind Realm, making it quick to search for the soul wizard.”

  “Yes, very
well. What direction should you be going then?”

  “I guess I
should travel east towards the Water Realm. How will I find the next king? I do
not know any weapon bearers in the Water Realm.”

  Wizard Roedan
smiled, “There will be those willing to help if you can make it to Keepers.”

  Kilen finally
turned towards Roedan, “That sounded like you want me to go to Keepers and find
a new king for the Water Realm.”

  “Kilen, I
cannot tell you what to do. However, if your will is in line with our desires,
we could offer to help one another. I wish to help you but only if your task is
in line with ours. Now that your will is, I
can
offer you our aid.”

  Kilen smiled,
he knew when he had been had. The old wizard had talked him into his desire
without so much as lifting a finger. “Well, I do still have a task. I want to
make sure my sister stays safe.”

  “Your sister
is safe for the time being. We have someone watching out for her. We also will
be arranging for her escape from Deuterium.”

  Kilen stood
from the rock, “You’re getting her out of Deuterium?”

  Roedan laughed
out a couple puffs of smoke, “Of course, my boy. You did as you said you would
do and so we will as well. Alexander just left to aid Wizard Parker and Ria, an
old acquaintance of mine, to do just that. Your friend, the red haired boy, is
with them as well. They were within a half day’s ride of Deuterium the last
Alexander saw them. If everything goes well they will meet you in Keepers in
about three weeks.”

  “Are you sure
they do not need my help?”

  Roedan thought
for a moment before speaking, “I am not sure how to word this, Kilen.” The
wrinkled gray-haired wizard took a long drag off his pipe and finally spoke,
“Have you found a weapon bearer to take up the mantle of king?”

  “No,” Kilen
answer quickly.

  “What is more
important to your sister’s life? You being there to rescue her, or finding a
king to save us all?”

  “Right, I will
get to Keepers as fast as I can.” Kilen stood and took a couple steps.

  “Wait, I have
something for you.” Roedan pulled the satchel off and carefully handed it to
Kilen. “You must not let this out of your sight. Inside is something you will
need to give the new king. Do not look inside until
you
have found the
right man. Then
you
, and only you, may open it.”