III: The Birdfeeder

Bahsteen, Hadeen

He hated waiting. He loved the hunt, the fight, the kill, but he hated stagnancy. His life was the mission, and the mission was out there, in the world. Not in some foyer, not in some fortress. There were four guards in the foyer guarding the throne room within. All men he knew, two he trained himself. The other two he had fought beside. They would all fall by his hand in a matter of moments if he sought to do so. He played the various scenarios out in his mind. Meeks, he knew, was weak on his left side, he’d slay him first before he could unsheathe his sword. Marwell was good, and fought with twin blades. A smart man who took his time. Though he was the closest, Harper would reach him first. Harper was quicker, and he had trained them both well. Harper’s father had died at Kai’s side, and so would he if he dared. He could disarm Harper’s brash attack with a counter or two, to meet Marwell’s well timed attack with aggression. He’d have time to deal with Conway in between Marwell’s attacks, while Harper armed himself once more. Marwell was his, and like any child, required more attention from his father than others. He would part Conway with a limb of his choosing, whichever one he left open at that particular moment. Which would leave him and his two sons. He knew them both well. He made them. Harper was quick, but anxious. It wouldn’t be hard to use his attacks as a shield against Marwell, throwing him off his strategic onslaught. Harper would ultimately defeat himself, leaving them alone. No man in this world had bested Kai Raul in single combat, and no one ever would.

 If they kept him waiting much longer, he might actually start to seriously consider this course of action. Not long after that thought, a man in a long gray cloak entered the foyer from the throne room. “Raul.”, he said in a hushed voice. Kai followed the man, one hand on the hilt of his blade. There had been a long rectangular table placed in the center of the throne room. At the center facing Kai was Alard Xenres, the latest ruler in a centuries old line of barons to sit on the seat of Hadeen. Long ago they had fashioned themselves as kings, but The Ancients had put them in their place since then. They were only allowed to rule Hadeen because they controlled one very crucial aspect of this world. Everyone knew who ruled the whole of Ard, but the Xenres’ controlled the sun.

 Every few hundred years or so, the sun would fade away, and the world would be at the mercy of the would be kings. One of the Xenres family would be chosen to sacrifice their life to become the sun. They called this ceremony Novu Ignis. No man alive has witnessed this ceremony, though the Xenres’ seemed to have the practice recorded somewhere. And by the look of the current sun, they would all be able to witness Novu Ignis soon, maybe even within a year or so.

 “Raul,”, The old Baron said, “Sorry to keep you waiting. There are some very  pressing matters that required our attention… which is why I’ve summoned you.” Alard looked to his left and said, “Leave us.” The three men on his left as well as the three to his right left the table. The Baron’s counselors, all of them talkers, all of them fools. Alard didn’t speak again until the last of the six left the room. “What of the brigand of renegades? Have you tracked them down yet.”, he asked. “They’re always on the move, sire. But they pose no real threat. I should have their heads before the end of this cycle.”, Raul responded. “Good. Good.”, said the old baron. He took a moment then said, “They’ve requested an audience with me Raul. I need you by my side. You and a guard of your choosing. Those ancient bastards want more I’m sure. They take everything, then they want more. More land I’d wager. They took my daughter from me. I’ll not stand for more.” Hate etched the lines of his face as he spoke.

 “How long do I have to put together a guard?” 

“Tonight. We meet on the morrow.”

 Kai bowed and left the chamber. “Marwell, Harper, with me.”, Kai said as he entered the foyer…

 Caramel Valley

It didn’t take them long to reach Caramel Valley. Or did it? What was time to Aiden now, his entire world had been consumed. Everyone he knew, every thing he cared about was now bone and scorched earth. He was a part of a dead world. He shouldn’t be here, he belonged among the ashes…

She dragged him from among the dead. Ahjay, she said her name was. She tried to talk to him, little good that did. He wanted to be left to his thoughts, with his grief. He had a right to that. Maybe he wanted to stay there in the pile, maybe he wanted to wait for the nephites to find him. Whatever fate they had for him was what he deserved. He followed her regardless, there must be some will to live left in him. If not for himself, for them at least. They came up to a group of well made structures. Small keeps, seven of them Aiden counted. They were made of stone and clay. He made out two children playing out in front of the closest keep to them. They ran inside as they approached. Aiden could see how the valley got its name, the dirt and the grass in the valley were caramel colored. He’d never seen anything like it, though a field of death and ashes prevented him from truly appreciating the beauty of it. As they got closer, A short and slender woman came out of the keep the children had entered.

 She and Ahjay ran towards each other with arms open wide. They spun around as they embraced each other. She was also ebon-skinned. They were speaking, but Aiden could not hear. Once he was close and within earshot, Ahjay pulled him over. “Mother, this is Aiden. He saved me, I owe him my life.”, she told the the woman. She looked at Aiden with eyes that were hard to read. After a moment she said, “Let’s see what can be done about that arm.”

 Kai Raul’s House. Bahsteen, Hadeen

Kai didn’t sleep that night. He was anxious, more anxious than usual. He pulled out his sword and began sharpening it with a whetstone. This was not his first sword, and he was certain it wouldn’t be his last. He laughed at men who took pride in keeping swords and passing them down through generations. The sword didn’t matter, for he was the weapon. There was no sword on all of Ard that was sharper than he was. Although, he had cut down many men with this sword. Hell, he had cut down many men with many swords. He remembered one man in particular, Abhi the Anant they called him, one of the most skilled men he had come up against. He was well trained, but in the end, he fell. He lacked focus and discipline. He had been told that this man, this Abhi, could not die. But all men died before him.

 Kai put down his whetstone and carried his blade into the next room. There were five men sleep in the darkness, either on cots or on the floor. He kicked the cot closest to the door. The man sleeping on the cot looked up at Raul half afraid, half angry. “Grab your swords, meet me on the terrace.”, Kai said sternly.

 Ten minutes had elapsed before Marwell joined him out on the terrace. “Death does not wait.”, said Kai. “You’ve always been impatient.”, replied Marwell. Kai began his attack. Marwell met every slash and thrust defensively. Beating Marwell alone would take time, Kai was half proud of that fact. This was as close to a father as he would ever feel, he thought. They fought well into the morning…

 They rode beside the baron’s litter, they were a guard of six men. All capable men, but what was the capability of men in the presence of the Ancient Ones? All of his skill, his training, his discipline meant naught against an Ancient. One Ancient alone could engage an army. They would be moving with more haste if they had mounted steeds, but for where they were going,  mules were more suited. The Ancients, they loved their high places. When it came time to abandon the litter, Raul chose one of his men to give up his mule and guard it. The rest of the way up was steep rock. Alard mounted the mule and they continued up the stone mountain. There were three men ahead of the baron and two men to his rear, Kai leading the way.

 It took them nearly four hours to reach the clearing. This place had been carved out by man. There was an opening inside the side of the mountain, Kai saw. Once they all made it to the clearing, the baron climbed down off of his mule. “Stay with me.”, he told Kai, “You and your best man.” Kai looked at Marwell, who nodded and followed Alard and Kai inside the mountain.

 The darkness engulfed them, sucking all of the color from the world. Kai lit one of the torches they brought with them. The inside was cavernous, layers and layers of stone surrounded them. There was light coming from the center of the cave. Kai saw that there were markings all along the walls of stone. As they made their way towards the center, Kai started to recognize names on the wall. Jashew Xenres, Ranxx Xenres, Tikkos Xenres, these were Alard’s ancestors. He’d heard of a few of them, like Sierra Cyene, and J’acole Xenres. Wait, these were…

 “Sire, is this where… The ritual, Novu I—“ “This, is where suns are forged.”, Alard interrupted Kai, “I need you both at your peak. I will not be made to look weak. They must not intimidate you. Do you understand?”

 “Yes sire.”

“Of course sire.”

 The rest of the way they walked in silence. The light emanating from the center of the cave expanded as they got closer. The light was coming from an opening at the top of the mountain. Kai’s eyes traveled down and he saw Nephites along the many ledges of stone on the wall opposite them. He looked up trying to count them all, then he saw him. On a lower ledge than all of the Nephites, was an Ancient One. His flesh was silver that seemed to move with the light. There were faint lines of gold around his head and face that almost looked like primordial markings, he couldn’t really make them out at this distance. Two bones pushed through the front of his head aggressively. Every Ancient had their crown. He wore golden armor, light and flexible, which looked alluring in the light of the sun.

 Alard stepped forward and broke the silence, ”How may I be of service to you?” The Ancient jumped down from his ledge with surprising grace, landing gently on the stone floor. He walked towards them, stopping about twenty yards away. He said nothing. He just stared with those eyes that never stopped moving. They looked like the night’s sky, filled with stars. “Where is my daughter?”, Alard asked. Noticing that his question had a bit of roughness to it, he added, “Is she with you by chance?”

 The Ancient walked slowly, every step made Kai feel increasingly uncomfortable. He could feel the hairs on his neck stand up. His instinct was to reach for his sword, but a move like that surely meant death. The Ancient was a foot taller than Alard, Kai had to admire the old baron’s nerve. It took Kai a second to realize what had happened. Alard was on the ground spitting blood, the Ancient had struck him with the back of his hand. Kai and Marwell both unsheathed their swords, but Alard held up his right hand telling them to stand down. Kai heard Marwell give a sigh of relief.

 “You swine. You do not demand anything of me, where is the Anant?”, The Ancient asked. His voice was horrifying. Peril lied behind every word.

 “My banner, you shouldn’t concern yourself with such matters, I assure you the Anant is under control.”, Alard replied.

 For a moment, Kai thought that the Ancient might strike him again, but then he said, “So I am to believe that it was you who sent him to Neldemense. He is under your control, is he not?”

 “Nelde—“, Alard started, clearly at a loss, “No, no, we killed the Anant. The man who did so, stands behind me, Kai Raul. The tales weren’t true. His remains are in the ground. He can sho—“

 “The Anant cannot be killed you menial bēon.”, The Ancient interrupted, “If you did indeed kill the man, he must have had a seed… That will be enough. You will produce another sun soon, or we will select one for you. We’ve been more than patient.”

 Alard responded as humbly as his pride would allow,“It doesn’t work that way, the sacrifice must be a willi—“

 The Ancient of War struck Alard a second time, this time laying him on his back. He scrambled until he found himself on one knee. Kai put one hand on Marwell’s chest while gripping his own blade.

 “You dare lecture me? I was alive before the first Novu Ignis, and I have lived through them all. What revelation could you give me? Leave, now, I feel anger rising within me. You will lend me your man. This, Kai Raul, he will serve me. Tales of his travels reach even the ears at Majalsr.”

 Alard looked as if he wanted to retort. Instead, he said, “Of course my banner.” He looked over at Kai, and then at Marwell. “Help me up will you?” Marwell went over and pulled Alard’s arms until he found his feet. Marwell began to walk Alard out of the cave, As they walked past Kai, he and Marwell’s eyes met. They both gave a nod, and then they were gone…

 It didn’t take them as long to exit the cave as it had to get to the center of it, even with the baron putting all of his weight on him. Marwell mounted his own mule and grabbed the reigns of Kai’s mule. “Where’s Raul?”, asked Harper. “He’s not coming.”, said Alard in a definitive tone that told the rest of the men to not ask. They made their way down in silence, Marwell brought up the rear still leading Kai’s mule behind him. They made their descent in less time than it took to climb the rock. They could see the litter they had left at the foot of the mountain. The man they left to guard it was nowhere in sight, nor the riders who pulled it. Sleeping on the job, Marwell thought.

 As they got closer to the litter, Marwell saw the guard inside of the litter through the cracked side door, asleep. He took out his dagger and with it’s hilt he knocked on the door. “Hey! Time to move.”, He said. He opened the door and peeked inside. He felt something sharp and a tingling sensation in his neck. He felt blood trickling down onto his armor. “I love the fight, you know that. But you are the closest thing to a son I will ever have, I cannot enjoy killing you. So you will die quick, this is my offering to you. I am sorry.”, Kai said as he removed the dagger, and with one smooth stroke, he ended him.

 “Hey!”, one of the guards called out, “What’s the delay in there?” Someone was opening the side door, Kai kicked Marwell’s body into them. “Raul?”, one of the guards exclaimed. Kai cut him down in his confusion. Harper, confused, drew his sword but was rooted in place. The guard on the ground pushed Marwell’s body off of him and rose, sword in hand. He came at Kai violently. He’s scared, Kai realized. He parried the guard’s attack and struck him in the jaw with his left hand. By this time Harper was on him. Harper’s attacks were rushed, even more so than usual. He’s nervous. The guard came at Kai from his rear. He turned and gutted the guard with his blade. Harper took the opportunity to rush Kai. Kai ran his dagger into Harper’s neck. “I killed your brother the same way.”, he thought. He watched the life leave his eyes before letting his body fall to the ground.

 He wasn’t surprised to see the old barron still sitting on his mule. His face gave no emotion about all that he just witnessed. Kai walked over to the carriage and wiped his dagger and sword off with the litter guard’s under garment.

 “Go on then, show me why they call you the birdfeeder.”, Alard said.

 “No sire,”, said Kai, “no birds will be feasting on your corpse today.” He walked over to the guard he gutted, he was still alive. Kai pulled him up on his feet. “You’ll live. I didn’t go so deep. Apply pressure to your wound and see to it that your sire makes it safely back to Hadeen.” He then walked over to Baron Xenres. “My banner says that you should not provoke him. That as long as you think of yourself higher than you are, he will humble you. And… he says that... your… your daughter is dead.”