The Soldier's Lotus (21 page)

“
Can we not move
faster?”

Darien shifted his gaze to the ambassador, who seemed
irritable and distracted.

“
Not safely.” Darien
would not risk Saerileth’s health even for a hundred little kings. “We will
swing through an oasis town to resupply.”

The ambassador’s attention snapped to Darien’s face. “Won’t
that be dangerous? Surely they’ll be looking for us there.”

Darien shrugged. “It’s a risk we’ll have to take.” He had
had no time to plan this escape; it had been thrust upon him with the
destruction of his house. Ulen was bolder than Darien had ever thought – and
more foolhardy, for he could not hope to succeed at this coup. Darien would go
to the
Vadal
with the boy-king and raise an army in
his name. And then he would lead that foreign army back to Arinport and crush
the usurper. Still the ambassador stared at Darien. “Leave everything to me,
Excellency. I have friends in the oasis town. I’ve gotten you this far, haven’t
I?”

The ambassador managed a smile, despite his foul mood. “You
have, brave warrior. The
Vadal
are proud to call the
Sunjaa
our dear friends, for who in all Gilalion can match
the courage of the dark, desert race?”

Was Darien expected to answer? He was not sure, but he
hoped not, because he did not have an answer. There was a reason the
blond-haired man across from him was the
Vadal
ambassador, for he seemed able to speak honeyed words in the bleakest of
circumstances.

Darien finished cooking another perch. “Does the boy want
any more?”

Saerileth repeated the question to
Jahen
,
but the boy shook his head. “I think he’s ready for bed.”

Darien rose and prepared a pallet, laying out several
cloaks, which he had appropriated during his flight from Arinport. The desert
was cold at night, and the boy would have to be cocooned. Once
Jahen
was laid down to sleep, Darien caught Saerileth in
his arms. She had survived Ulen’s treachery up north; she had not been caught
in the fire that destroyed his home. Darien kissed her in his sudden joy that
she was still with him. She had decided to brave the brutality of the desert
and see justice done, and he loved her for that – that, and so much more.

“
Do not worry, my
love,” Saerileth said between kisses, seeming to read Darien’s mind. “Ulen will
not long sit on the
Sunjaa
throne.”

“
And
what of your vengeance,
Saeri
?”

Saerileth caressed his scalp, tracing lines back behind his
ears. “I still do not know if it was Ulen who was ultimately responsible. I am
Zenji; I have one death owed to me. That he was the instrument of my clan’s
demise is certain, but vengeance is a sacred thing for the Zenji. I cannot take
the wrong life, for then the true culprit will escape me. My clan will curse me
from the afterlife if I let the guilty one go. Perhaps the raid was Ulen’s
idea, but I must have confirmation of that before I strike.”

“
Why don’t you think
it is him? He’s killed the king and seized the throne. Surely a man who can do
this could have murdered all your family.” The words pained Darien to speak,
for he did not want to upset Saerileth, but he had to be blunt. There was no
other way to talk about the tragedy.

“
It is not that I
think him incapable of doing so. He is an evil man. But from what I have seen
of him, he involves himself only in
Sunjaa
politics.
Why would he take a ship to the
Dimadan
and slaughter
an entire clan with whom he has no connection?”

Darien had not thought of that. He did not know the ins and
outs of
Sunjaa
domestic politics, to say nothing of
foreign relations.

“
I have been planning
my vengeance for thirteen years,” Saerileth said, placing her arms around
Darien’s waist just as his were wrapped around hers. “I have uncovered no sign
of Ulen in dealings with my clan. If he had had any Zenji connections that I
knew of, maybe I could have puzzled out the originator of the plan. But as far
as I can tell, Ulen had no cause to destroy us. Thus, I think there must be a
hidden third party.”

It was true that Ulen worked only for his own benefit, and
it was also clear that Saerileth had thought things through. If vengeance was a
holy quest to the Zenji, then Darien would aid Saerileth in any way he could.
“The choice is yours, of course,” Darien said. “Know that you have my support,
whatever path you choose.”

Saerileth kissed him. “I love you so.”

“
And I have loved no
other as I love you.”

Their kiss was interrupted by sudden movement out in the
darkness. The sky was clear, so moonlight exposed the approaching silhouette.
Darien released Saerileth and glanced at
Jahen
.
“The boy.”

Saerileth nodded and walked over to the pallet. She had
decided that if anyone attacked them, she would defend
Jahen’s
life to the best of her Lotus ability. And Darien did not doubt her training.

“
Stand ready,
Excellency.” Darien fetched his sword and held it before him, letting it sway
and dance in his arm, a deadly extension of his own flesh.

The shadow stopped and raised its arms. “It is I, Kamen.”

Kamen stepped into the ring of firelight, revealing
himself. He carried three heavy packs of supplies, along with two parasols. He
smiled at Darien, and Darien, too, felt his spirits rise at the sight of his
dearest friend. Darien embraced Kamen and laughed. “So, you made it out.”

“
Did you expect me not
to?” Kamen’s fine, straight white teeth gleamed in the firelight, but when
Darien glanced back at Saerileth and saw her frowning, her blue eyes hard like
sapphires, he felt his mirth evaporate. Darien found it natural to be easy with
Kamen, but he also understood how Saerileth felt. Kamen had participated in
group sex with them, so she was uncomfortable around the young nobleman. At
least, that was the way Darien saw it.

But they needed Kamen. If Saerileth was going to attend to
the boy’s safety, then Darien would need a sword-mate, were they to be
attacked.

“
Aeirakai
guide our steps.” Darien smacked Kamen on the
back.

Kamen glanced up at the double moons traveling the dark sky
above him. “So, we’re traveling by night?”

Darien had not thought of that, but it was a great idea. He
looked at Saerileth. “It would be safer. We could save water that way, rest
during the heat, keep out of the sun.”

“
It will take more
time,” Saerileth said.

The ambassador grumbled.

True, but the coming revolution did not have to be
tomorrow. “Very well,” Darien said. “We shall travel mainly by moonlight and
into the mid-morning. Then we will make a shelter each day to get out of the
sun.”

Kamen sat then and ate with Darien, and Saerileth joined
them. They planned to finish their meal and then set off. Darien introduced
Kamen to the ambassador, but they had already met at court before, though they
were not well acquainted. Little was said over their hasty midnight meal, and
the silence was broken only by a cry from Saerileth.

“
We are discovered!”

Kamen and Darien jumped to their feet, and Saerileth
vanished. Darien assumed she would see to
Jahen’s
safety.
“Where away?”
Darien asked, speaking like a
sailor. He trusted Saerileth’s acute hearing.

“
Directly south,” her
voice called out from the far side of the campfire.

Darien and Kamen drew their swords and soon after saw the
group of shadows running across the sand toward them. The night was clear, so
stealth was out of the question. These men sprinted, relying on their speed to
catch their prey off guard. Darien counted ten men, their swords glinting
purple in the mixed moonlight.

“
This is like a bad
dream,” Kamen said.

“
Only
if we lose.”
Darien glanced
sideways at Kamen and smiled.

“
Like hell we will.”
Kamen widened his legs and bounced with his knees. He always did that before
they threw planks across to board a pirate ship.

But Darien stood perfectly still, letting his enemies come
to him, allowing them to think they were on the offensive, only to turn the
fight to his own terms. Darien did not move for anyone, and all the men who
ever thought they would make short work of the passive-looking giant were now
rotting at the bottom of the sea.

Kamen wielded two swords, twin blades that curved to cruel
points. In the steel of the blades was etched his house symbol, a crouching
cat. Darien held only one sword before him, but it was twice the length of
Kamen’s, a large weapon that most men wielded with two hands. Darien swung it
effortlessly with one.

Their assailants came at them with swords swinging wildly,
throwing all caution to the chill, night winds, and Darien had to backpedal
just to adjust to the ferocity of the onslaught. He had not expected such
foolish abandon. Kamen, too, spun and ducked, crossing his blades above his
head to fend off the first wave of wild hacking. Darien locked eyes with his
friend for just a moment, but Kamen’s eyes told him nothing. Kamen was just as
mystified as he. Darien shifted his weight forward and lunged. He would deal
with these assassins on whatever ground they wished.

He ran the first one through on his sword, shattering his
victim’s spine. The man convulsed and vomited blood as his own body weight
eviscerated him in his fall. The sand drank his dark blood. The move had left
Darien’s back exposed, or so his next victim thought. He swept in from behind
and slashed downwards, clearly hoping to take Darien’s head, for Darien would
not be able to recover quickly enough to bring his sword up to block. After
all, the blade was still half in the other man. But what the assassin did not
expect was for Darien to use his bare hands. He dropped his sword and tumbled
forward, so when he popped to his feet, the man’s forward motion had ran him
smack into the middle of Darien’s chest. His mouth fell open in surprise, and
he raised his blade to strike. That was the last thing he ever did. Darien
reached forward and took a hold of the man’s jaw by putting his fingers into
his mouth and clenching under the jawbone with his thumb. And then Darien
yanked. Bone cracked and splintered, and the man cried out like a bleating goat
being drowned. After breaking the man’s jaw, Darien yanked again, this time
sideways. The man’s neck bone gave way, and his head fell limp. Darien dropped
his second victim, sprang forward, and snatched his sword from the sand. Kamen
meanwhile fought well, spinning his dual blades around him like he was
threshing wheat.

Another foe threw himself forward at Darien, hacking at the
air as if hoping to merely strike some part of Darien’s flesh. The man was
clearly trained in sword play, but he was not fighting in any way a seasoned
warrior would. Darien was baffled, but he did not let his guard down for a
moment. He could not simply engage his enemy by crossing blades with him,
because the man was not playing by the rules. He slashed and struck wildly, his
movements in no way indicating that he wanted to kill
Darien,
just injure him.

Darien timed his foe’s movements, and when he had them
figured out, he lashed out and snatched his wrist, locking it in his powerful
grasp. Before the clumsy assassin could respond, Darien snapped both bones in
his forearm. After that, it was short work.

Not all the attackers rushed at Kamen and Darien so
recklessly. The two still left were alive because they not only knew how to
fight, but they were also fighting as soldiers should. Darien did not recognize
their faces, but that did not mean anything. The
Sunjaa
army was large, divided into regional regiments, spread out across the nation,
south beyond the river, and up the coast as far as
Fihdal
territory. The two assassins crouched together, shoulder to shoulder, their
swords held dangerously before them. Eight of their companions lay dead, and
Kamen and Darien were unscathed.

“
They aren’t running,”
Kamen said, once Darien was standing next to him again.

Darien adjusted his grip on his sword’s leather pommel.
“They know they won’t get far.” He glanced behind him, but neither the
ambassador nor the child was anywhere to be seen. Darien trusted that Saerileth
had them somewhere safe, perhaps beyond the next dune. He ignored the
assassins, letting them stew in their own fear awhile. Kamen chuckled, clearly
knowing what Darien was doing.

Darien stretched his arms up over his head and sighed, acting
as if he had some slight pain in his back he needed to work out. “It’s been
awhile since I’ve enjoyed a good fight. How are you feeling, Kamen?”

“
Fine.”
Kamen pressed one hand into the other palm and
cracked his knuckles. “Glad to see I haven’t lost my touch since retiring.”