The Cavalier (63 page)

The second spider was quicker than he had expected, attacking Jonas simultaneously with four spiked claws. He stumbled backwards and used his right sword to deflect the first three attacks, but the last lightening quick claw shot through his defenses piercing his thigh just below the metal skirt that protected his hip and groin. The spider retracted the leg and attacked again as Jonas screamed from the pain and stumbled backward.

Jonas knew that he had to finish this spider off quickly or the demon might soon join the fight. He did not know if the demon prince had survived his attack but he had to assume he had.

The spider was a blur of red energy in his mind’s eye. He used his two blades frantically to keep the beast at bay while he used his mind to concentrate on the hunting knife that was sheathed at his side. The spider did not see the knife coming as it was focused on trying to get through the deadly blades that blurred before it. Jonas used his mind to send the knife into the large right eye of the spider. Green gore burst from the wound. Screeching in pain, the spider backed up, trying to use several legs to knock the knife free.

Jonas had never used his power to levitate his own body but he had to try. His head was pounding with the exertion of using his powers but he put his trust in Shyann and forced himself to focus and draw forth whatever energy he had left within him.

He was able to use his power to leap high into the air, wrapping his body in energy and lifting himself well above the spider, then quickly releasing the energy to slam his body into the injured creature. His feet hit first followed closely by both blades. His feet slammed the spider down into the stone while both swords plunged to the hilt into the soft hairy body. Jonas ripped both blades outward, slicing open the abdomen and showering the floor with its entrails. Simultaneously he jumped off the dead spider, landing on his shoulder and rolling quickly up to his feet, both swords held before him.

He mentally scanned the room for another attack. He was tired and severely injured, but in the state of Ty’erm he was able to block the pain and focus on what needed to be done. His head ached badly but in his meditative state he could handle more pain than normal. He pushed his strength to its limit, knowing that it would mean life or death.

Various colors assaulted his mind as he tried to makes sense of what he saw in the room. He could make out the two dead spiders, their color in his mind now a darker red as their bodies cooled in death. He could
see
the king’s bed and the softly glowing blue outline of the dead ruler.

Prince Nelstrom was choking on his own black blood as his spiders were attacking the cavalier. He tried to whisper the healing word that his master had taught him, a secret word found in the Shan Cemar. All that came out was hissing and gurgling as his ripped throat showered the ground with his blood.

One of his innate abilities as a follower of the Forsworn was that he could call on Naz-reen’s servants at will, once a day. So he didn’t need to say words of magic to bring forth the spiders. He simply willed them to arrive and they would, but to heal himself he needed to speak, to use words of magic like a wizard.
 

His red eyes boiled with rage as he felt his life’s energy begin to leave his body. But he was not dead yet, his magical body was able to handle injury and pain beyond that of any human.
 

He used the last bit of his energy to run forward, grabbing his sword off the ground with his only arm. His eyes focused on the cavalier with hatred and fury and he ran toward Jonas just as he had finished off the last spider. The demon prince attacked Jonas from the side, hoping to drive his dark blade deep into his body.

Jonas detected a glimpse of energy from the corner of his eye and turned quickly to meet the attack. He felt a searing pain lance through his side in the seam below his breastplate. No normal blade could puncture Jonas’s chain mail shirt under his armor, but this was no normal blade; it was a dark blade cursed by the Forsworn, and its magic was powerful. The blade pushed through the chain mail shirt, and through his abdomen, bursting out his back.

Jonas screamed in pain as the demon prince held the blade inside his body, twisting it left and right as the flames burned his soul. Jonas’s arms were flayed out to his sides, but he still held his swords in both hands. He whispered a prayer to Shyann as the pain enveloped him, nearly causing him to drop his swords.

“I am here, Jonas,”
Shyann whispered in his mind as she shielded him from the pain.

Instantly the pain went away and Jonas spun his swords in both his hands so the points were facing down. The demon used his sword as leverage lifting Jonas’s body off the ground with one arm just as Jonas raised his blades high, and slammed both points downward through the demon prince’s chest and into his lungs and heart. Simultaneously he called on his God Fire, sending the flames roaring down the blades and into the body of the screaming demon. The flames burst inside the prince and shot forth from his ears, eyes, and open mouth, until his entire body was glowing with God Fire from the inside. Suddenly Prince Nelstrom burst into flame and disappeared in a shower of fire and ash.

The only thing left on the ground was his armor.

Jonas crashed hard into the ground and fought to maintain consciousness. The pain was minimal as Shyann still shielded him, but he did not have the strength to pull forth the dark blade or heal himself. He lay on his side, the cursed blade buried deep in his flesh, his face burned like a blackened piece of roasted meat, his long curly hair scorched and burned to his scalp. His head swirled with exhaustion and he barely held onto consciousness.

He heard the faint sound of rushing footsteps nearby but didn’t have the strength to view the scene in his mind. But through the black haze he thought he heard Taleen’s frantic voice.

“Kiln, do not touch the blade, it is cursed. Let me do it!” There was a pause. Then he heard Taleen whisper close to him. “Jonas! Bandris help me! Jonas, do you hear me?”
 

His senses were blurry with sounds and smells whirling around in his mind. Finally, the pain from his injuries slammed into him like the gust from a dragon’s wing. Jonas’s head swam and his body finally succumbed to his terrible wounds. The last thing he felt was the dark blade being pulled from his body. Then he felt Taleen’s hands on his abdomen and nothing more.

Eleven 
The Mission

Jonas awoke slowly as several voices gradually brought him from a deep sleep. As his eyes adjusted to the light he could see Taleen and Fil standing before him. He was lying in a bed of soft furs in the tent that King Gavinsteal had arranged for them.
 

Then it all came back to him in a flood of memories. The king was dead, slain by his own son who had sold his soul to the Forsworn. But as he recalled the terrible battle with the prince and the severe injuries he had sustained, his heart lifted with joy as he realized that he was seeing the world from his own eyes.

Jonas slowly reached up and touched his face for any sign of scarring. Taleen leaned in close to him as she sat on the edge of the bed. Her red hair seemed to outshine her gleaming silver armor. Jonas was again overwhelmed by her beauty, and the vision was such a contrast to the terrible images of his recent memories.

“There are no scars, Jonas. I healed you but you were so exhausted that you’ve slept for over a day. I’m glad I was there or you surely would have perished within moments of sustaining those horrible wounds.” Taleen smiled warmly as his hands moved to his scalp and his eyes widened in surprise. “You don’t look so bad bald, Jonas. I’m sorry, your hair was so badly burned that we just shaved it clean. But you’ll never guess what was left behind.”
 

Fil moved closer and smiled reassuringly at Jonas as he sat on the other end of the bed. Jonas’s senses finally came back to him as he looked at his two friends.

“You should see it, Jonas. It is amazing,” Fil said with open admiration.

“What are you talking about?” Jonas asked, bewildered.
 

“I think you pleased Shyann, Jonas. She left you a gift,” Taleen said as she brought a mirror to his face.

Jonas lifted himself up in bed and looked into the mirror. It took him a second to get used to the bald headed face reflected there, but he had to admit that he didn’t look half bad. Then he saw the mark, the gift that they were talking about. His heart swelled with pride as he rubbed his hand over the symbol on his forehead. It was a scar, but no ordinary scar. Burned into the skin was the shape of a great oak tree, the symbol of Shyann. It was as if someone had branded his forehead with the symbol and then stained it blue. The mark did not have the jagged edges you might expect from a normal scar, they were raised and smooth, perfect in every way. Jonas stared at it for several seconds.

“It is beautiful,” he said quietly.

“So what happened in there, Jonas?” Taleen asked. “We tried to get into the tent but the walls had been magically turned to stone.”

Jonas sat up in bed, feeling much better and rested. “When I ran into the tent I saw Prince Nelstrom kill the king. And then he transformed into this powerful demon, spawned by the power of the Forsworn.” Jonas shuddered at the memory. “I thought he had killed me.”

“He nearly did. We ran in as soon as we could and saw the remains of the spiders and the pile of ashes that must have been him. His armor was piled up near you,” Taleen said. “Jonas, I was so scared. You should have seen yourself. I was not sure I could heal you.”

The tent flap opened and everyone looked over to see Kiln approach them with purpose. He was wearing full battle armor and covered with the grime of battle.

“Jonas, good, you are awake. You had us worried for a while.”

Jonas looked at Kiln solemnly. “Kiln, I’m sorry about the prince. He had been corrupted; his heart was black and was beyond help.”
 

Kiln put up his hand to silence him. “Jonas, he was my son in blood only. I never knew him.” Kiln turned to both Fil and Taleen who stood staring with their mouths open. Neither of them was privy of the fact that Prince Nelstrom was Kiln’s son, or the details about Kiln and the scandal between Cassandra and King Gavinsteal. “I know neither of you knew this. We have kept it a secret for a reason and even though he is dead I’d like the secret to remain. Can I count on you both to stay silent?”

“Of course,” Taleen answered.

“I will say nothing,” Fil said.

“I’m sorry Kiln. In my exhaustion I had forgotten that they did not

know,” Jonas apologized.

“It is okay. Do not fret Jonas, about your actions or your words,” Kiln continued. “Who knows what cracks were formed in his heart to let that evil in,” Kiln sighed and shook his head sadly. “I wish I could have known him. Maybe my presence would have changed things.” He then appeared to force those thoughts from his mind and as he lifted up his head, smiled broadly. “I’m just glad you are alive. You did what you had to do. It is unfortunate you did not arrive earlier or maybe the king would be alive. The kingdom of Finarth is without a ruler now, and at a time when a strong ruler is most needed.”

“Can you assume that role until a solution is found?” asked Jonas.

“Aye, I will, and gladly. The commanders voted me to act as regent until we find Prince Baylin.”

“And if we don’t?” Taleen asked.

“We will solve that problem when we come to it. I am a man of war, not politics. I would like to hear what happened in that tent, Jonas. It pained me severely to know that we could not enter to help you. We had no idea what was happening and feared the worst.”

Jonas looked at them all as they gazed back at him, eager to learn what happened in the tent. So Jonas told them, not skipping a single thing, including what the demon prince had told him about his family and about what Shyann had instructed him to do. They listened raptly and when he finished Fil spoke up first.

“Jonas, I can’t believe that your family has been a target for that long. Do you believe what he said?”

“I don’t know, Fil. Just the idea of it makes me boil with rage. And if it is true then what happened to my father? I need to find out. I will find out,” Jonas said adamantly.

“That is how Naz-reen works. She weaves her webs slowly until she

snares her victims,” Taleen muttered. She looked at Jonas seriously. “Jonas, if you do find your father you must be prepared for the worst.”

 
Jonas looked away in thought. “I have thought about that. But I need to know.” After a few seconds of silence Kiln addressed Jonas directly.

“Jonas, it will hurt us that you will not be fighting with us. We have been slowly retreating back to Finarth but Lord Moredin has been attacking us with hit and run tactics the entire time. We do not know if he is being directed by Malbeck himself, one of his minions, or if he just decided to fight us on his own. Nevertheless, Lord Moredin is not making our retreat back to Finarth easy.” Kiln glanced at Fil and Taleen. “But your mission to save King Kromm and bring him back is sanctioned by Shyann and I will not interfere with it. When will you three leave?”

“You mean I get to go with them?” Fil asked enthusiastically.

“Yes, Fil. You heard Jonas. Shyann wants you with him. I relieve you from your duties here and expect you to watch over him.”