Soldiers of the Heavens Read online

  “I can manage,” she assured him. “Come in, there’s nothing to see here. How are you feeling?”

  “Is this really the time for such a chat?” Aiden asked as he entered and closed the door.

  “It was just one question, and a rather simple one at that,” Nellise admonished him.

  “Sorry, I’m a little edgy,” Aiden answered.

  “And there it is,” the cleric smiled in triumph. “Wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

  “What’s your point?”

  “You recently spoke to me of feeling drained, and the thought of another fight was furthest from your mind,” Nellise explained as she finished with her armour. “Now you’re about to march into yet another battle, and I’m curious what’s propelling you. It doesn’t seem like anger.”

  “Give me a few minutes and I’m sure I can produce some,” Aiden assured her in a low voice.

  “I have a suggestion, if you’re willing to hear it.”

  “I’m always willing to listen, you know that,” Aiden reminded her.

  “Good. If you find your will to fight faltering or your sword arm slowing, you don’t need to fill your heart with hate to press on.”

  “It’s worked well enough so far,” Aiden replied.

  “But no longer,” Nellise pointed out. “Hate either ebbs away or consumes you over time. Fortunately for you, it seems to have left you before poisoning your heart. You can’t go into a battle with nothing to fight for. Hate is better than nothing, but there is another way.”

  “What do you suggest?”

  “Love, not hate,” Nellise suggested simply. “Love is the strongest emotion, and it is eternal. Do this, and your sword arm will never falter.”

  “I’m not sure Criosa still loves me, actually,” he confessed. “My heart is as confused as my head.”

  “I wasn’t speaking of romantic love, Aiden,” Nellise chuckled. “Although that can be very strong as well.”

  “You’ve lost me,” Aiden said with a helpless shake of his head.

  “I suppose it will take more than a few minutes to fully explain,” she conceded. “Let me put it this way — you can’t beat someone by hating more than they do. You can’t out-hate the monsters we have fought.”

  “I’m really not sure how I can exude love while chopping a man’s arm off,” Aiden responded blandly.

  “It’s not about your enemies, it’s about remembering your friends, your family, and the common folk of the land who have nobody else to defend them,” Nellise said as she picked up her crossbow and stood ready to depart. “Love who we’re really fighting for, and the weight on your shoulders will vanish. Fight hard and selflessly, and our enemies won’t know what hit them. Though our bodies are mired in earthly concerns, our souls are free to soar.”

  “Is that how you’ve done it all this time?” Aiden asked quietly, fascinated at her description.

  “Demonstrably,” she responded with a faint smile. “Come, let’s go fetch Criosa and bring Osric’s reign to an abrupt end.”

  “Now you’re talking sense,” Aiden answered with a grin of anticipation as they headed for the door.

  * * *

  The city of Lanfall materialised around them as the flash of violet light cleared. Terinus had teleported them a long way indeed, although they had not appeared where Aiden hoped.

  “This isn’t the royal palace,” he remarked quietly, taking note of the dank, narrow alleyway they now stood in. Buildings in a poor state of repair towered around them, blocking the sun on what was otherwise a fine, clear day.

  “The palace is extensively warded against this sort of magic,” Terinus explained in his rasping voice. “I chose a location where we could appear without drawing attention.”

  “Does this mean we were expected?” Pacian inquired.

  “No, it is a standard practice to avoid unwanted visitors,” Terinus answered. “We will find the palace within a hundred yards in that direction,” he added, gesturing ahead of them with his staff.

  “Alright,” Pacian said in a low voice. “Remember what we discussed. Instead of our customary approach, we are going to use subtlety. I will go ahead and scout the area to see what our best way forward is, and we’ll take it from there.” He raised the hood on his leather tunic to cover his stark white hair, and then slipped around the corner towards the main street, without waiting for a reply.

  “I could go invisible and look around too,” Sayana offered.

  “Pace has an eye for breaking into people’s houses,” Aiden said with a shake of his head. “If we do this right, they’ll never know we were here.”

  “They’ll find out sooner or later,” Robert reminded him. “At some point in the next hour, things are going to get very noisy.”

  “No need to tip our hand early,” Nellise added. She gasped as someone poured refuse from an upper storey window nearby, spattering onto a pile of garbage in the alley.

  “Bloody hell,” Aiden breathed as he too recovered from the sudden noise.

  “Just relax,” Robert growled. “Honestly, you’re like a bunch of new recruits today.”

  “Hush,” Terinus whispered, silencing them before anyone else could speak. The distinctive sounds of quiet footsteps could be heard approaching from ahead. Aiden slowly grasped the hilt of his sword in anticipation, only to see Pacian’s hooded head peer around the corner.

  “We’re clear to the main street,” he whispered. “Come on.” Taking a deep breath to try and relax, Aiden and the others followed Pacian as he slowly made his way through the alleys. It wasn’t long before the winding path through the tightly-packed buildings joined up with a wider street that seemed familiar to Aiden.

  “The palace doors are guarded by six men,” the Pacian explained, “all wearing heavy armour. It’s obviously the elite Royal Guard, judging by its quality. Ten more patrol the outer gate, with crossbowmen on the roof covering all approaches.”

  “A lot to deal with, but not impossible,” Aiden surmised. “Exactly how subtle were you planning to be?”

  “Leave that to me,” Pacian replied. “I could use your help, Sy.”

  “Does it involve you slapping me again?” she drawled, recalling the last time the two of them had any meaningful interaction.

  “Do you really want to have that discussion now?” Pacian asked with intensity. “Make yourself invisible and follow me, if you can. Otherwise, I’ll manage on my own.”

  “I will assist,” Sayana answered cautiously.

  “Wait for my signal, then head towards the palace,” Pacian advised Aiden, before heading out into the streets with Sayana in tow.

  “What do you think that’s all about?” Nellise wondered aloud.

  “I suspect we will find out shortly,” Terinus answered. Aiden raised the hood on his robe and took up position at the edge of the alley. People walked past without paying him much attention, figuring he was just another destitute citizen of Lanfall forced to live on the streets. Many of the people walking around seemed sick, and Aiden wondered if disease was spreading through the population, until he saw some colourful banners discarded in a box next to him.

  “I think everyone’s a bit hungover,” he remarked to the others. “Osric must have thrown quite a celebration after his victory.”

  The palace loomed over the urban landscape not far away, a building of singular importance amidst the sea war-damaged buildings. It was difficult to confirm Pacian’s assessment of its defences from here, but Aiden could see the shining armour of several warriors standing guard at the main entrance.

  As he watched the scene ahead, Aiden saw a column of smoke rising from the far side of the palace. Few noticed it at first, but soon everyone in the area was looking in that direction.

  “This is it,” Aiden said, “let’s move in.” He led the others out of the alley and along the main street, sticking close to the shopfronts to avoid attention. He needn’t have worried though, for everyone around them had their attention firmly fixed on the rising smoke.
The royal guards stationed around the palace perimeter looked on nervously, holding position at their posts until the scene escalated. Billowing flames shot into the sky, stunning onlookers with its sudden ferocity.

  “They’re moving off,” Nellise remarked as most of the guards were ordered to investigate the sudden threat to the palace. Citizens began to hurry away from the area, reducing the cover Aiden and his companions were using to approach the gates. Two royal guards remained at the main gates, scanning the crowd nervously for any sign of trouble.

  “I don’t want to kill them,” Aiden grumbled as he realised there may be no other way forward. A shadow behind one of the guards shifted suddenly, and he was struck over the head by a quarterstaff. As the other guard turned to react, Pacian leaped from his hiding place and quickly disarmed the man, then brought the staff around to smash his exposed face.

  “Come on,” Pacian ordered, leading them through the gates and up towards the main entrance. Two more guards stood ready to meet their advance, and the sound of a whistle being blown could be heard nearby as the approach of Aiden and his companions was spotted. As one, they drew their weapons and faced off against the two guards, whose faces were set in an expression of grim resolve.

  Before the fight could be joined, however, Robert moved to the front and levelled his massive sword at the closest man and spoke a few threatening words in Tuscara, the language of Tulsone. The guards held their ground for a moment before lowering their weapons and reluctantly stepping aside. Pacian wasted no time, darting past them to reach the main doors. They were formidable looking barriers, made of wood and strengthened with metal braces and bolts.

  “It’s barred and locked from the inside,” he reported after a moment’s examination. “We have to make them open it.”

  “Perhaps you can convince your two friends to oblige?” Aiden suggested to Robert. The mercenary spoke to them briefly as instructed, but neither was willing to assist.

  “We’re running out of time,” Pacian advised. “Sayana’s diversion won’t hold their attention for long.”

  “Stand aside,” Terinus instructed. They did so and watched as the wizard spoke an incantation, and then walked forward. Instead of bumping into the doors, he passed right through as if he were a ghost. Moments later, the sound of a heavy bar being lifted on the other side could be heard, followed by a series of tumblers as the locks were circumvented. The door didn’t open, and Aiden stood there looking at it before he shoved them open.

  The reason for the delay became apparent, as they saw Terinus holding off half a dozen elite guards on the inside. With subtle movements of his staff, the wizard sent one after another tumbling backwards over the floor as if struck, although the staff never came close to touching them.

  “Move it!” Robert shouted to get them inside, for approaching along the path to the gate were ten guardsmen, returning from the scene of the fire to find their king’s palace under attack. Sayana appeared before the royal guardsmen and brought her hands together, sending out a shockwave of noise that stopped them in their tracks, clutching their ears in agony. The sorceress then turned and raced inside the doors as Aiden and Pacian closed and barred behind her.

  Although they had done their best to avoid casualties, Aiden and his companions were left with no choice but to defeat the royal guards using everything at their disposal. Osric had chosen his men well, and once they had overcome the initial shock of the assault, they worked together as a formidable team. Armed with the finest of weapons, they clearly had no intention of surrendering or showing mercy.

  Terinus stepped aside and allowed Robert to move to the front of the fight. Aeon Invictus swept back and forth, narrowly missing the guards as they attempted to get inside its arc of death. Nellise brought her tulsonite double crossbow to bear. At this range, their armour was about as useful as paper against the powerful weapon, and both bolts struck true.

  Pacian took up position on Robert’s right flank and removed the wooden end of his quarterstaff to reveal the deadly scythe within. With a series of deft manoeuvres, the former ascetic disarmed his opponent and drove the scythe’s blade deep within his chest, sending sparks flying as the weapon sheared straight through the breastplate.

  The remaining guards saw how quickly their comrades had been taken down and immediately threw down their weapons.

  “Smart move,” Robert growled without bothering to speak in their language as Pacian moved in.

  “On your knees,” he ordered, and the two men complied. Pacian removed their helmets and promptly knocked them out with the butt of his weapon. The outer doors buckled slightly as the guards outside attempted to force their way in. Given the size and construction of the doors, it was unlikely they’d succeed, but reminded Aiden there was no retreat.

  “We’re in it now,” Robert remarked as they stepped around the bloody remains on the floor. Without further discussion, they ran along the corridor towards a doorway, through which the king’s throne room lay. Osric was not there, as Aiden suspected, but he was not surprised to see a familiar face waiting for them with a pair of guards by his side.

  “Lord Aiden,” Sir Angevin Villeancourt, Osric’s oldest advisor breathed in surprise. “I had not expected to see you again so soon.” Aiden and the others didn’t hesitate, for as soon as they spotted the elderly knight, they ran straight for them while the two royal guards nervously held their ground with their swords at the ready. Robert held his blade to the throat of one man while Pacian did likewise to the other.

  “Sir Angevin, we’re in quite a hurry so I’ll be quick,” Aiden said calmly. “Where is your king and my future wife?”

  “There is no need for threats,” he replied with only the slightest quiver in his voice. “They are both nearby. I will help you if you would do just one thing for me.”

  “Name it,” Aiden replied evenly.

  “Kill these damned traitors—” Angevin began to say before being interrupted as one of the guards suddenly ran his sword through the chest of the old knight. Shocked at the sudden move, Pacian hesitated a moment too long before taking the guard’s head from his shoulders. Robert found himself in a duel with the other guard as their swords met in a flurry of motion, while Aiden stared helplessly as the life faded from Angevin’s eyes. Nellise dropped her crossbow and hurried to his side.

  “Staunch the flow of blood while I attempt to heal him,” she instructed, but Aiden knew it was already too late. The old knight stared lifelessly back at him, taking whatever information he was about to impart to the realm beyond.

  “Leave him,” Aiden gently told Nellise, who seemed crestfallen at the loss. Nearby, Robert and Pacian finished off the remaining guard with a combination of deadly strikes. Aiden, his gloved hands wet with the blood of another friend, stood as a great booming sound filled the chamber. The guards outside were slowly bringing the great doors down.

  “If we want to avoid a massacre we need to keep moving,” Robert advised. “Where do we go from here?”

  “Through there,” Aiden instructed, pointing towards a nearby door through which lay the inner chambers of the palace. They followed Aiden’s lead, leaving the still body of Angevin lying on the cold floor.

  Chapter Four

  Familiar corridors beckoned as Aiden and the others moved deeper into the Royal Palace. It had only been weeks before when they stayed here as guests of the young king, seeking an alliance against their common foe. Now they returned as invaders, intent on removing Osric from power and rescuing the woman Aiden loved. It occurred to him at that moment he didn’t care whether Criosa returned his feelings or considered him some kind of monster. He wasn’t going to let Osric win and keep her as a prize.

  Without clear information of where to find the king, Aiden and his companions were forced to search every room on their way through. He tried to push thoughts of Sir Angevin aside. The poor man must have been under suspicion from Osric for some time, for his personal guards to have orders to kill the king’s closest advisor
at the first sign of dissent.

  Servants scurried out of the way as the heavily armed group stormed through the palace, leaving a path of overturned furniture and emptied wardrobes in their wake. Although large, the palace was less than half the size of the castle in Fairloch. Aiden hoped they could thoroughly sweep through it and deal with Osric before the guards managed to break through and run them down.

  Upon opening the door to one of the larger bedrooms, Aiden briefly thought they had discovered the young King of Tulsone. A man of his approximate age and appearance lay upon the bed in a tangle of sheets, oblivious to their presence. Aside from a crop of dark hair, he could easily be mistaken for the king. When he moved in closer, Aiden discovered it was not, in fact, Osric. Empty bottles lay strewn across the floor, and the pungent aroma of spirits and sweat filled the air.

  “Wake up!” Aiden shouted, jostling the man until he roused from his drunken stupor. He slurred a few words in Tuscara and tried to turn over and go back to sleep.

  “He seems to think you’re his valet,” Robert drawled. “The chamber pot is under his bed.”

  “I’m not your bloody servant,” Aiden said, rolling the naked man until he faced them once more. He clutched his head and groaned, which was an entirely reasonable response considering the number of empty bottles in the room.

  “Who are you and why are you speaking this horrible language?” the drunken man croaked in accented Aielish as he squinted up at them.

  “I’m invading your palace with regicide on my mind,” Aiden replied. “Who are you?”

  “Stop shouting, for the love of God,” the nobleman groaned before realisation dawned in his bleary green eyes. “Wait, did you say regicide?”

  “I did,” Aiden confirmed. “Tell me where your king is, and we won’t beat you to death.” Unsure what to expect, he was nonetheless taken aback when the man merely smirked and laid his head back down on the ample pillows.

  “That won’t be necessary. You’ll find His Royalness downstairs, entertaining himself with his latest acquisition,” he sighed sleepily. “When you cut his head off, do me a favour and try to keep the noise down would you? There’s a good fellow.”