Chapter 10: Father and Son Chapter 12: Ruled by Madness
Chapter 11: Scorched Sand
We rode a bare half-hour later. Syrene had dispatched Julia all the long way back to Frelia to bring news to King Hayden of Grado Keep’s capture.
Despite our haste, it was a long way from Grado to Jehanna. By the end of the first day, we were right in the middle of the high hills a short way north-east from Grado’s capital, hills large enough to cast a rain-shadow from the humid southern breezes. The ground was already dryer, and as we hurried on the next day, we saw more and more cacti and less grass. We turned north around midday, seeing few other than scattered nomads and herders.
Partway through the afternoon, we received another message, informing us that Rausten had indeed joined to Eirika’s group, but that it wouldn’t be enough to save her against both Grado generals. A Frelian army was en route, but they were even further away than we were. If we did not save Eirika, no one would.
The third day I rose early and, taking all who were not already exhausted by the march, came at last near to Jehanna Hall, an ancient stone structure set in a flaxen sea of sand, with an oasis and a few villages clustered nearby.
Jehanna Hall was burning.
It had only just burned on that day, from the thickness of the smoke, but I felt my pulse rise with worry as I gazed at it.
Syrene stepped up beside me.
“Jehanna Hall has fallen,” she said quietly. “I am sure the princess was not inside.”
My mouth twitched grimly. “It’s nothing but a ruin now. Blast! I don’t know what’s happened, but… I’d better get to her as soon as possible.”
“General Seth will have kept her safe,” Syrene said reassuringly. “He is a competent commander and no one is more attentive to duty. However, while we are rushing off to rescue your sister, Prince Ephraim, I must ask that you use as much caution as you can bring yourself to do: if you fall, we’re all finished. And our horse-mounted units will have much difficulty in this sand.”
“Fortunately, we have a whole wing of pegasus knights, more or less,” I said, glancing at her. “You’ll be the core of our attack today, while our light-weighted mages can deal with the archers that would threaten you. The really heavy cavalry may have to sit this one out.”
“Prince Ephraim,” Deussel called, riding up to me, “my scouts have information that may change that assessment.”
“Go ahead, Deussel.”
“To the north is General Tiger Eye, immediately to the west of Jehanna Hall. I believe the princess is there, and it appears that she has many soldiers with her. To the direct east of us, General Moonstone waits, it seems, for stragglers. And, there is a force to the south of our position which will require our immediate attention.”
I cursed to myself. Had we been followed from Grado?
“They do not seem well organized, but they are at least a company of magic users well out in the desert dunes,” Deussel said. “I would suggest General Syrene’s wing attack them, as they are much better suited to that kind of action.”
I grimaced, but nodded. “Syrene, please take care of it. If mages got in among our rearguard, we’d come back to chaos.”
“I agree, Prince Ephraim, but who will you take with you to the main battle?” Syrene asked, frowning.
“If Valter is in the east, the land does not seem so sandy between here and there,” I said, pointing. “We can take the heavy cavalry that far, at least. After that…” I turned and squinted out over the desert, trying to see Eirika’s forces.
“How many did you say Eirika had, Duessel?”
“I couldn’t say, Prince Ephraim, but it was a surprisingly large force. We could see about twenty, perhaps, but there may be more unseen.”
“That is more than I expected,” I said. “I suppose the Raustenians joined up with her. What is she doing in Jehanna, anyway? This was where Innes was supposed to be. She didn’t decide to tag along with him, did she?”
“You can ask her soon,” Deussel told me, with a flash of a smile. “Pick your troops and we’ll head out.”
“Right,” I said. “Deussel, I want you beside me…” I felt a tug on my sleeve and turned. “Myrrh?”
“Ephraim…?” she whispered. “I-is now a bad time?”
“We’re just about to set out, Myrrh, and it’s going to be dangerous for a bit. I need to rescue Eirika and there’s going to be enemy soldiers all over. It’s going to be especially dangerous with Valter around. You should stay in one of these villages until the fighting is over-“
“No,” she said serenely. “I can’t do that.”
“Myrrh,” I frowned.
“Ephraim, I need to go with you. Saleh is there. I know he is.”
“Saleh…? Oh, right, your friend?”
“Yes. Please let me go with you, Ephraim. I have my dragonstone. I fear nothing.”
I sighed. Those big crimson eyes were going to be the death of me. “Deussel, stay close to me and take Myrrh with you.”
“Yes, Prince Ephraim,” the old knight nodded. “Up you come, Miss Myrrh.” She tucked in behind him, a tiny patch of indigo against Deussel’s rust-red armour.
“All right!” I said. “Good luck, Syrene, and we’ll see you soon. Let’s go! I need to know Eirika’s safe!” I turned and led the small chosen group around the bend in the road onto the plain before Jehanna Hall, as Syrene and her wing of pegasus knights took off and headed south, shining in the blinding sunlight.
There were a number of soldiers near the village directly north of us, but they were not expecting us. Between Knoll’s dark magic that blasted them from far away, and Deussel’s plethora of deadly weapons, and my lancework, we fought our way through them before they had time to send anyone for help.
North. Eirika was north. Valter was east. But he wasn’t moving, so we could safely concentrate on Tiger Eye. Valter never had been a very good strategist, only interested in the blood he shed himself, and as for Caellach, he was a mercenary, a lone wolf.
I plodded north across the dunes as fast as I could. I could hear battle from ahead of me, behind the waves of sand. There was someone coming up the other side of the dune, someone with long hair-
I launched myself at the someone, and the end result was that I tackled my unsuspecting sister with a bear-hug, knocking her over and into the sand. “Eirika!” I cried.
“Ephraim!?” she squeaked. “Oh, Ephraim, is it really you?” She squirmed, trying to get away, but I was just so happy to see her unharmed that I sat up and crushed her against me. I even kissed her cheek. “You’re not just some mirage, are you?” The way her voice sounded told me she’d been seeing mirages for some time. Silly Eirika.
“No, it’s really me,” I told her, grinning. Then I heard the noises of weapons from some way behind me and stood abruptly. “Hold,” I told her. “Enemies approach.”
Deussel and Knoll, following me more closely than the rest of my troops, were in danger of being surrounded by cavaliers, but with my help, they held out long enough for more of Eirika’s troops to come up and assist. There were a number of the mercenaries I’d seen before, and a whole lot of new people, too.
“Lady Myrrh!” called one of the new people, and I turned to see a young man with curly grey hair hurrying towards us.
Myrrh dismounted, her face alight with happiness, and half-ran, half flew to his side. “Saleh… I knew you were here. I apologize for everything… For worrying you so… I am sorry…”
“No, Lady Myrrh, it is I who should apologize. But I will protect you from now on, as long as your mission shall last. Please let me stay with you.”
“Of course, Saleh.”
I approached the two. “So this is Saleh, Myrrh?”
Myrrh nodded. “Ephraim, this is Saleh. He’s been searching for me. Saleh, this is my friend Ephraim. He’s been protecting me ever since you and I were separated.”
The sage bowed to me, smiling. “You have my deepest gratitude, Prince Ephraim. I am glad she found such a friend in you.”
I shrugged. “I couldn’t do otherwise.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say, but he seemed satisfied, and Myrrh seemed happy, so I let it be.
I had my hands full, then, directing the newly-swelled army. I was calling orders when I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned, slightly annoyed with being interrupted yet again.
It was Innes. “Well met, Ephraim.”
“Innes. I’m glad you’re still alive too.”
He smirked at me. “You didn’t think they’d get rid of me so easily, did you?”
I shrugged. “Anything can happen in this war. But I guess not to you.”
“Look at you, commanding this big army. I assume you’ve taken Grado Keep, too. You’re all grown up now, boy.”
I rolled my eyes. “Any other day, I’d pound you flat, Innes, but not now. Valter’s still loose and the rest of their army needs my attention.”
“Where are the Frelians?” He looked around, shielding his eyes with his hand.
“South,” I said. “There was a company of mages on our tail, so I sent Syrene to deal with them. She’ll be back shortly.”
“I see.” He stood for a moment. “I would really like to offer my services…”
I glanced at him after waving to Kyle and Forde, who were still bickering even as they rode past me. “You mean, command part of the army? Well, you’re pretty good, Innes… maybe even as good as me.” His eyes narrowed, but he knew I was teasing and held his peace. “You get along well with Seth? You two can keep commanding Eirika’s bunch until we can integrate commands, later tonight.”
“That is acceptable,” he said, although his face changed slightly at Seth’s name. I wondered what was up, but I had no time to think about it as I was called away by Knoll at that moment.
Forde’s horse was stuck in the sand, and Knoll was doing his best to keep it up with magic, but he needed soldiers to help haul it to firm ground.
“Forde!” called Kyle as the shame-faced knight leaned on the rope. “This comes of arguing with me and not watching where you’re going!”
“Oh, hush, mom,” Forde shot back. “It’s not really your problem, anyway, so…”
And there was Franz, joining in to pull his brother’s horse to safety, and a small blonde knight-girl whom I hadn’t seen before. So many familiar faces.
While I had been distracted with Forde’s horse, Innes had taken the rest of Eirika’s troops and destroyed the last of the Grado forces. He looked smug when we joined up again, but said nothing. I wouldn’t let it bother me, anyway…
I had barely time to catch my breath when I saw an anxious red-haired paladin approaching me. “Seth! How have you been? Unhurt, I hope?”
“Prince Ephraim,” he answered me. “I have been well, and I hope you can say the same. However, I have not seen Princess Eirika in at least twenty minutes and I am starting to be anxious, as General Valter has not been seen in… nearly an hour.”
“I wondered why we didn’t get hit harder from the east,” I acknowledged. “But I haven’t seen Eirika since I bumped into her, and that was a while back. Deussel!”
Deussel saluted me. “Yes, my lord?”
“Has anyone seen Eirika in the last little while? We haven’t.”
Deussel spoke to some people, then shook his grey mane. “No one has seen her since the last enemy soldier surrendered.”
“Eirika?” said Myrrh from my other shoulder. “Your sister? She ventured into that village.” She pointed toward a slightly smoking pile of ruins not far away. “I do not think anyone else saw her, but I did not think there was any danger. Perhaps she went to think.”
“Yes, I saw her too,” piped up a pink-haired archer nearby, from behind her blue-haired boyfriend. Had I seen them before? “I can show you where she went in?”
“That wouldn’t be like Eirika to go alone,” I said. “Come on, Seth. Let’s go drag her royal stubbornness back again.”
“Yes, sire,” he said, and fell in behind me. “Princess Eirika has not been doing well in the heat. I would believe she became lost, rather than adventurous.”
“All right, that makes sense too,” I said, climbing over fallen masonry. “Wait. Do you hear that?”
He tilted his head, then nodded. It was the sound of steel on steel, somewhere from the centre of the ruined village.
“Come on,” I said, and began to run.
Then I heard Eirika shriek, cut off suddenly, and rounded a corner to see the worst thing ever: Eirika, pinned against a wall, being kissed by Valter Moonstone.
“EIRIKA!” I screamed, darting forward in a fury. Everything was crystal clear to me, everything was slowed. The gravel crunched under my feet. Seth was right behind me, his sword ringing in its scabbard as he drew it, although he seemed to have stopped breathing.
Valter turned, his hair swinging around his shoulders, and threw my sister down onto the ground as he sprang away to his wyvern. Safely astride before I could get there, he began to laugh. “Three of my worst enemies in one place! Excellent! I can finish what I started! Yes, you, Paladin of Renais, whom I failed to slay the day your pitiful castle fell, and the weak fool who refused to surrender!”
“VALTER!” came a shriek from above, and another wyvern plummeted down onto the roof of a nearby house, cracking the walls. A blonde, scarred knight rode it, but his face was so creased in anger I had no idea if I knew him or not. Valter flinched at his arrival. “You killed my brother! Admit it!”
Valter bared his teeth at the newcomer. “I do.”
“DIE!” In a flurry of dust and sand, the two wyverns flung themselves into the air, but I was already moving, in three steps to Eirika’s side, throwing my arms around her protectively. She was shaking, and I didn’t blame her. She was mumbling something repeatedly, apologizing.
She had just about stopped shaking when the wyvern rider caught up to Valter and scored a lucky hit on him, hurling a lance through his chest, killing both rider and wyvern. The resultant crash into a building beside us made Eirika jolt, and I patted her shoulder, trying to calm her down again.
“Brother…” she murmured as I took her out of the village.
I smiled at her, all tension relieved now that she was safe with me, unhurt – more or less – and with a dead Valter behind us. “I’m just glad I came in time.”
She smiled tremulously. “Oh, Ephraim, I’ve missed you so.” I hoped she wouldn’t burst into tears.
“And I’ve missed you. I can’t tell you how happy I am, really, Eirika.” I needed something to distract her, and signalled Deussel to come over and show her the Sacred Twin weapons we’d picked up. Not that Eirika was so interested in weapons, but any distraction was better than nothing.
She, of course, picked up on the implications. “Does that mean that Grado Keep has fallen?”
“Yes. I conquered the capital and defeated Emperor Vigarde…”
“Eirika,” called a blonde woman who looked vaguely familiar, but not really, “may I make a suggestion? Why don’t we get into one of those out-fortresses and trade information? And then, we can stay the night there. I don’t think Prince Joshua would mind, would you?” She looked kindly at a red-haired youth with a pirate hat. Wait, wasn’t he one of Eirika’s mercenaries? How was he a prince? I made a mental note to ask someone soon.
In a fortress, I gave my report to our royal colleagues – and Myrrh – just as I would have done in Renais or Frelia. It felt weird, without Father or King Hayden there to oversee us. Did that mean we were growing up? This certainly wasn’t play-acting. This was serious. But we were just kids, really.
They took the news well, although then there followed a discussion of Knoll’s knowledge and Lyon’s sanity. Eirika, of course, refused to believe anything bad of her best guy friend, although her news confused me. Apparently she had seen Lyon just that day, and showing no sign of the monster I had glimpsed. He travelled fast, or maybe he had a double… maybe he had split in two even as the Dark Stone split in two? That sounded ridiculous, so I kept it to myself.
The solution, of course, was to go get a Sacred Stone. We’d go to Renais, get ours, and then… chuck it at Lyon’s head, or something, and see if that countered his Dark Stone enough that we could either restore his sanity or take him down with weapons. I really didn’t want to do the second. But if we had no choice, I’d do what I had to.
With that determined, we split up, left to our own devices
“Kyle! Forde!” I greeted my knights in the stables. “How’s it been?”
Kyle saluted. “It has been an honour to serve Princess Eirika, my lord.”
“You mean it hasn’t been boring,” Forde said, and grinned. “Monsters and disguised princesses and dragon girls, oh my.”
“The dragon girl only showed up again for you today,” I reminded him. “I got the rough story from Eirika already. Just wondering how you were holding up.”
“We’re good!” Forde said. His face lowered a bit. “It hasn’t been easy, sir, not with Renais gone. The journey’s been long, up mountains and down mountains, and over deserts…”
“You’re so lazy,” Kyle scolded, and Forde brightened up again and laughed. “I can tell you that while we missed your tactical brilliance and inspired leadership, sir…”
“Suck-up,” muttered Forde, and dodged Kyle’s mock-punch.
“…fighting alongside the soldiers and mercenaries in this company has brought us all new friends.”
“What about you, sir?” Forde asked.
“Yeah, it was interesting,” I said. “I met lots of people too. Hey, if you ever want to get beat up and Seth or I are busy, try General Deussel. He’s my old teacher.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Kyle. “You should get some rest. We’ll get the story out of someone later. For now, you’ve travelled far today.”
“Are you kicking me out?” I asked, grinning. Kyle shook his head quickly, and I laughed, then sobered. “It has been a long day, Kyle, and I’ve had a lot to think about these last few weeks. Lyon… I don’t know what to think about him. But I won’t dump that on you now. You have your own problems. You’re right. I’ll leave you to your horses. Take care!”
“You too, sir,” they chorused after me.
Dusk really wasn’t bedtime yet, so I went to the palace garden, looking for Eirika – I figured she would be in someplace beautiful. My sister was a fighter, but for her was not the barracks of rude soldiers, that was certain.
I almost walked out on them, but stopped myself behind some kind of rosebush just in time – Seth and Eirika were embracing, murmuring to each other. There was a ring on her finger! That hadn’t been there an hour ago.
I smiled to myself. I’d always had my suspicions, but I never thought Seth would make a move. He was too reserved. I guessed that the uncertainty of war, too many close calls, and perhaps perpetual proximity to Eirika had changed his mind. The knight and the princess – it was almost too perfect. I grinned to myself. And Seth had my respect as a man and a soldier. He would treat Eirika right. And he was patient enough to put up with her, too.
They sat down, and I thought of going away, but before I could, Eirika jumped up, looking in my direction with a scarlet face. So I came out. “Well, Seth, you’re a very lucky man.”
The general himself blushed, looking at my knees instead of at my face. “I know, sir. Thank you, sir.”
Eirika was, apparently, still afraid of my reaction. “Um… Ephraim…”
I almost snorted. “Hey, sister, it’s perfectly fine! Seth is the best man in Renais. You deserve each other.” They looked at each other in disbelief. Seriously? It was so hard to believe that a prince would let the highest-ranked military man marry a princess? “So, I’ll just leave you again… I’ve been chatting with Kyle and Forde. Thanks so much for the loan of the soldiers you sent me, by the way.”
Eirika still couldn’t believe it. “Please, Ephraim, don’t tell anyone just yet…”
“I understand.” Well, I didn’t really, but I’d do as she asked. It wasn’t like she’d keep it to herself for very long, anyway. I touched her face fondly. “I think you’ll be happy together.”
I walked away, feeling extraordinarily smug. Something had gone right for once.
And they would be happy together, or I’d beat Seth up and down the entire country. But I had nothing to worry about, because Seth would sooner kill himself than go back on his loyalty. And love was just a stronger kind of loyalty, right?
I thought about Lyon again and shivered.