The Children of the White Lions: Volume 02 - Prophecy (70 page)

Tiliah shouted, “Tell me what has happened! Now!”

Tobias sighed, stared up at a horrified Kenders, and muttered, “You should have waited.” He turned his gaze to Rhohn and said, “Come with me, please.”

With a firm shake of his head, Rhohn said, “No. I’m staying with her.”

Tobias glowered at him and said, “I am entirely capable of moving you wherever I like without your permission, Dust Man. Yet, I asked nicely. Something I will not do again.” His gaze shifted to the pouch hanging from Rhohn’s belt. “We need to talk about whatever is in there.” He eyed Tiliah and Kenders. “And they will require some privacy for a time.”

Rhohn was about to protest further when Tiliah spoke.

“Go, Rhohn.”

She turned to stare at him, her rich brown eyes pleading.

“Just go.”

He had never seen her be anything but strong and resilient since meeting her. She acted years beyond her age. Yet now, standing before him was a young girl, raw and exposed. Rhohn remembered how he had felt all those years ago, waking up after the fire in Dashti and learning his mother was gone. He had only wanted two things: his mother back and to be left utterly, completely alone.

Nodding once, he whispered, “If you need me…”

Tiliah shook her head.

“I won’t.”

Rhohn reached out and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. After a moment, he released her arm, looked back to the tomble, and indicated his readiness to follow. Tobias gestured toward Okollu and hobbled away, leaning on his walking stick as he went. He looked over his shoulder and said, “Pick up your sword if you would like. But keep it sheathed.”

Rhohn followed the tomble’s instructions, retreating a few steps to retrieve his blade from the ground. The metal underneath the leather grip was still warm, but he could safely hold it without burning his hand now. He slid it back into his scabbard and looked at Tiliah again.

“Are you—”

“Go away, Rhohn.”

He hesitated briefly before striding after the tomble. Looking across the clearing, he saw that the third man had dismounted and was now standing before Okollu. Tobias stopped next to the hooded figure and stared up at the mongrel’s face. Rhohn glanced over his shoulder to find Kenders already speaking quietly to Tiliah.

As he neared the trio, Rhohn was able to get a good look at Okollu’s face for the first time. While the mongrel’s muzzle was a visage of permanent, vicious ferocity—his black lips drawn back in a violent sneer—his eyes did not match the fierce snarl. He appeared as confused by things as Rhohn. As Rhohn stopped beside Tobias, he leaned forward and tried to stare into Khin’s hood, but the man kept his head tilted away.

Wearing a frown on his face, Tobias glanced up to Khin, and asked, “And you have no doubt?”

“You know I do not,” replied the man slowly.

“Well, then,” mumbled Tobias, turning to look back up to Okollu. “If you agree to remain calm, Khin will release you.”

Unable to hide his surprise, Rhohn asked, “Truly?” He had not begun to consider how to explain away Okollu’s presence this far into the Marshlands.

Khin’s wispy voice wafted from his hood.

“He is not our enemy. Nor are we his.”

Rhohn glanced at Okollu, wondering if he and Khin had spoken, yet the mongrel appeared to be only capable of short, growling breaths.

Tobias said, “Your confusion is understandable. And I promise we will explain. But first…” He pointed at the pouch Rhohn had tucked in his belt. “I must know what it is you carry in there.”

Rhohn glanced down at the leather sack containing the black gem.

“In the pouch?”

Tobias nodded.

“Yes, please.”

Rhohn locked eyes with Okollu, actually wishing he could confer with the mongrel about what to do or say about the stone.

With a certain intensity in his voice that was not there a moment ago, the robed man asked, “Do you know what you carry?”

Rhohn glared at the side of the man’s head, still trying to peer inside the folds of the cloak.

“Why do you hide under your hood, stranger?”

“For the same reason your companion does,” murmured Khin. He reached up with a bony hand, hooked a finger under the cloth of his hood, and slipped the wool back, revealing a pale white, bald scalp. “I tend to draw unwanted attention.”

Rhohn gaped. A myth stood before him.

Khin’s skin, so thin that it was nearly translucent, stretched taut over his skull, little blue veins like spider webs were everywhere. Two small slits rested where there should be a nose and a pair of incredibly sharp, bright blue eyes peered at Rhohn.

A few moments later, Rhohn managed to mumble, “You…you are an aicenai.”

The skin around Khin’s eyes stretched even tighter. If he had eyebrows, they would have raised a fraction.

“I know.”

Rhohn went silent, staring with open awe. If tombles belonged in playman’s fables, an aicenai’s home was within the whispered myths of the ancients. As he gaped at Khin, he became aware of a soft, restrained sobbing behind him. Looking away, he stared back over his shoulder. Kenders and Tiliah were locked in tight embrace, Tiliah’s face buried in the easterner’s blonde hair. Both women were crying, but the louder sobs were undoubtedly coming from Tiliah.

Dropping his head, Rhohn turned back to the strangers.

“Her father is dead, isn’t he?”

Tobias nodded once.

“Nearly a turn ago.”

Rhohn closed his eyes and sighed. This was why he hated hope. The pain it brought when it did not come through was thrice as strong at the joy when it did.

Without opening his eyes, he asked, “What happened?”

“An accident,” replied the tomble. “He fell from a spooked horse.”

Rhohn squeezed his eyes tighter. The randomness of it made it worse somehow. Sighing, he opened his eyes and stared back to the girls.

“She does not deserve such sadness. She has come so far. Been through so much.”

“It would seem you all have,” said Khin.

Rhohn turned back and found the aicenai staring at Okollu.

Khin stepped closer to the mongrel and said, “I will release you now. Please remain still.”

Shaking his head, Rhohn muttered, “How is it you are so trusting?”

Khin turned his icy, blue-eyed gaze to Rhohn and said, “Trust has nothing to do with it.”

Without warning, Okollu collapsed to the ground. He instantly leapt up—pine needles stuck in his fur—and advanced on Khin, a low growl rumbling from his throat.

“Name yourselves before I rip your skinny throats from your necks.”

Seeming wholly unconcerned by the mongrel’s threat, the aicenai said, “I am called Khin Khastnargad and he—” he turned to the tomble “—is Tobias Donngord.” He looked back to Rhohn, adding with purpose, “Tobias is one of the White Lions.”

Rhohn stared down at the tomble, blinking in surprise. The tale of the heroes turned outlaws was one he had not heard told in over a decade.

“That’s impossible. They are a myth.”

Khin said quietly, “I stand before you, and you quibble about what is myth?”

His brow drawing together, Rhohn shook his head and said, “But their tale was from ages ago, back when—”

He stopped in midsentence, his eyes opening wide. The message he carried suddenly made sense. Two words slipped breathlessly from his lips.

“Miriel Syncent.”

Shooting a sharp stare at Rhohn, Tobias asked, “
What
did you say?”

Rhohn finally realized why the name had sounded so familiar. His gaze locked onto Tobias.

“You truly are one of the great lions?”

Tobias nodded slowly, eyeing Rhohn cautiously.

“I am.”

Taking a chance, Rhohn asked, “Do you know who the Shadow Manes are?”

Tobias’ eyebrows nearly lifted to his hairline.

“Pardon?”

Okollu let a snort of wet air escape from his nose.

“What are you doing, smooth-face?”

Rhohn lifted a hand to hold off Okollu’s question, stared at Tobias, and asked again, “Do you know who the Shadow Manes are?”

Khin answered instead of Tobias, saying, “We are a part of the organization.”

Nodding, Rhohn said, “In that case, we have a message for you.”

“A message?” asked Tobias. His eyes bored into Rhohn. “What sort of message?”

Rhohn cleared his throat and began reciting the passage.

“Indrida’s prophecy is upon us. The Eternal Anarchist is a saeljul who goes by the name Tandyr. The Borderlands have fallen, the Marshlands are next. Vanson and Everett are in his palm for reasons I still do not understand. Time grows short. The Shadow Manes must rise.”

As Tobias and Khin remained quiet for a long moment, Okollu turned to regard Rhohn. No longer tense and agitated, the mongrel now appeared confused.

After a few heartbeats, Tobias took a deep breath, stared at Rhohn and Okollu, and said, “We apparently have much to talk about, but first—” he pointed to the leather sack “—I need you to give me whatever is inside there. I am more interested than ever to learn what you are carrying.”

Rhohn pulled the pouch free and quickly undid the drawstring, planning to dump the onyx gemstone into his hand. As he tipped the pouch upside down, Khin lifted a hand.

“Wait!”

The stone tumbled from the nobleman’s pouch to land in Rhohn’s palm.

The moment the glossy stone touched skin, an icy numbness swelled in Rhohn’s chest. He felt hollow and cold, as if his insides had been scraped out and replaced with chilled water. Unsteady and dizzy, he swayed in place, forced to widen his stance so he did not topple over. Horses nickered and pawed at the ground. A pitiful whimper escaped from Okollu as he shied away from the stone like a stray village dog beaten once too often.

Tobias uttered a soft, stunned, “Bless the Gods.”

Looking up, Rhohn found the tomble staring at the air surrounding them.

Behind Rhohn, Kenders called, “Tobias!” Her voice was full of alarm.

The tomble shouted, “Don’t do anything!”

Khin stepped forward, ordering, “Put that away. Now.” The urgency in his voice was unsettling.

Rhohn looked at the lump of obsidian and quickly complied, sliding the stone back into the golden-thread interior of the pouch and drawing the string. He frowned at the pouch, wondering what had just happened.

Khin asked, ““What did you sense?” Looking up, Rhohn found the aicenai staring at Tobias.

The tomble’s gaze remained fixed on the nobleman’s pouch as he shook his head slowly, mumbling, “Pure, complete Void. Thousands upon thousands of black Strands, all around us.” He glanced up at the aicenai. “Hells, Khin. The blasted world went dark.”

“I saw nothing,” huffed Okollu.

“You would not unless you were a Void mage,” said Tobias.

“A what?” growled the mongrel.

“Never mind,” muttered the tomble, his gaze returning to the pouch.

Khin stared at Okollu and asked, “You sensed something, did you not?”

Okollu eyed the pouch warily and growled, “A wrongness. It is like what I feel—” He stopped and turned his gaze to Khin. “Tandyr has another one like this. Wrong inside, too. It is silver.”

The thin skin on the aicenai’s face flinched.

“You are sure?”

A low, guttural growl rumbled from Okollu’s throat.

“There is no doubt, old one.”

Khin’s already thin lips grew thinner as they stretched into a frown. He dropped his chin to his chest to stare at the ground.

“That is disturbing to learn.”

Tobias shifted his gaze upward to Khin, his expression one of open curiosity.

“Do you know what this is?”

The aicenai stared at the White Lion for a long moment. Without ever answering the question, he peered back to Okollu and Rhohn.

“Please tell me of your journeys. Do not pass over any moment.”

As one, man and mongrel turned back to stare at Tiliah. She and the easterner were talking quietly again. After sharing a quick look with Okollu, Rhohn faced the aicenai and said, “We would prefer to wait for Tiliah.”

“You will do no such thing,” said Tobias. “Do you have any idea—”

“
We
wait
, little man,” growled Okollu. The mongrel’s eyes were as hard as the edge in his voice.

The tomble stared between the pair. “Well. Aren’t you two determined?” With a scowl and a sigh, he said, “Fine. We have the day, anyway.” Glancing up to Khin, he said, “We should return back to our camp, though. If any Trackers attuned to Void are in Demetus, they will surely be headed here. That stone is a blasted beacon.”

Khin nodded.

“Agreed.”

Tobias eyed Rhohn and said, “Gather your things. As soon as they—” he nodded to Tiliah and Kenders “—are ready to go, we move, understand?”

Rhohn nodded silently. Okollu did, as well.

Appearing satisfied, the tomble stared up to the aicenai and said, “Khin? A word, if you please.” His eyes narrowed. “
Now
.” He turned around and began hobbling back to their horses.

Rhohn watched the tomble shuffle away for a moment before looking back to the aicenai. Khin was still staring at the leather pouch.

“Never remove that again,” said the aicenai. His blue eyes flicked up to peer straight into Rhohn. “
Never
.”

Rhohn had already come to a similar decision on his own. Nevertheless, he nodded, glanced down at the pouch, and pulled the strings to ensure they were tight.

The aicenai remained a moment longer before following Tobias towards the horses. Once they were far enough away, Okollu spoke, growling in a low voice.

“They are a strange pair.”

Were it not for the somber mood dominating the tree grove for the moment, Rhohn might have smiled at the irony in Okollu’s statement. Instead, he simply nodded and agreed, “Yes, they are.”

Tomble and aicenai stopped by the horses and fell into a quiet conversation. Khin appeared to be doing most of the talking while Tobias seemed surprised—and worried—by what he was hearing.

Okollu’s thick and wet voice interrupted Rhohn’s careful study of the pair.

“Smooth-face?”

“Yes?”

“What is a white lion?”

“Remember what you told us of Rodam Upris?”

“Yes.”

Rhohn nodded in Tobias’ direction and said, “Well, it seems your legends are not the only ones that have come to life.”