Terah Edun - Sworn To Transfer

When Sebastian saw that Ciardis was at Meres’s side a knot of tension released inside of him that he hadn’t known was there.

She was safe .

“Thank the gods,” he said under his breath.

Christian, upon hearing him, said in an aside, “Can’t imagine the gods had anything to do with it. That girl has the damnedest luck.”

A brief grin crossed Prince Heir Sebastian’s face.

He looked over at Madame Amber. The woman sat ramrod straight in the saddle with an indecipherable look on her face as she shaded her eyes from the bright sun with her hand. He cleared his throat to catch her attention, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted it when those cold eyes turned towards him. Sebastian had the strangest feeling that she didn’t like him. He was no stranger to animosity in the courts, though, so he let it go. Some people hated him for being born.

“Prince Heir,” she acknowledged with a raised eyebrow, prompting him to speak.

“I think there’s more here than meets the eye,” he said at last.

“There always is.”

As Meres, Vana, Alexandra, and Ciardis rode up to greet their party they dismounted to wait. Ignoring protocol, Sebastian ordered his men to set up camp on the perimeter and to give him the same simple tent and fare that all the soldiers would receive. As they built a fire and sat around, he took in the four who’d spent what felt like months in the forest but had only been a little more than a few weeks.

“My Lord Meres Kinsight, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Sebastian said.

“And you, my Prince Heir.”

“How have you and your group fared?”

“The Panen people have been excellent and welcoming hosts, but I fear the events I described in my letter have only grown worse. We’ve lost over a hundred kith to the attacks from the shadow creature in the past week alone. It has attacked friends, families, and entire villages, and I fear it will not get any better.”

“I’ve dispatched a group of men to secure the village of Borden,” said Prince Heir Sebastian.

“Then I suggest you recall them,” said Meres with a sigh. “There’s no point.”

“We received the bodies of thirty-four men, women, and children at the courts weeks ago,” said Sebastian. “But we cannot discount the fact that the rest of the population may be in danger or dying as we speak.”

“They’re dead,” said Julius flatly.

“Who’s dead?” queried Sebastian.

“The people of Borden. We went over a week ago to check on the population after seeing signs of smoke rising in the area,” Julius explained.

“Every home, every workshop was deserted,” he continued. “It wasn’t until we got to the village square that we noticed. Bodies piled to the sky. All with the same marks—the slashes on all of the bodies.”

“We’ve seen some of the same at court. Were your bodies burned as well?” questioned Maree Amber. “All of our victims were burned in some way but not with a natural fire. It was as if they were electrocuted.”

“Some of the victims in Borden suffered the same,” said Meres. “But most, we suspect, died of blood loss.”

“Near the base of the pyre, Milord, there was blood,” said Vana. “While we’ll need spells from your mages to confirm that it was your same group of bodies, at this time it might be safe to assume it was.”

“So we have a shadowwalking mage who can control the shadows,” said Prince Heir Sebastian slowly. “But as far as we know, he can’t raise the dead and has a vendetta against the Ameles Forest and the surrounding communities.”

“Correct, Sire,” said Kinsight, “I would also add that he has picked his targets well. Killing kith in the forest and humans on the border.”

“He has also seemed to be sending messages,” said Vana thoughtfully. “All of the kith were killed in the bloodiest way possible. Not a single one had a merciful killing or an immediate death with their throats slashed.”

“We can’t tell as much from the bodies in Sandrin,” said Maree Amber, “but it does appear that those who weren’t burned to ashes received fatal slashes to different parts of their bodies.”

“He’s trying to start a war,” Ciardis said softly.

“Most likely he wants to take over this forest,” interjected Vana while twirling a knife.

“Which is not necessarily that far removed from starting a war to wipe out its inhabitants,” retorted Ciardis.

“It’s certainly a thought,” said Prince Heir Sebastian. “But what’s more important is who he is and what he’s capable of.”

“Death,” said Meres flatly.

Looking over her shoulder, Vana spied the man that Julius had said he would bring.

“Sire,” she said, addressing Prince Heir Sebastian, “another village was recently attacked. All of the occupants died except one man. He has said he wants to speak with the Weathervane, but I suggest we all be present.”

Prince Heir Sebastian nodded. “Bring him forward.”

As the man slowly approached, hobbling on one foot and uncertain in the face of so many soldiers, the Prince Heir signaled for his healer to come forward.

To the man he said, “Please sit. I’ll have a healer attend to you.”

To his manservant he said, “Bring some food and water for this man.”

After he had been healed and taken some food and water, he quickly said, “Thank you, Milord.”

When Maree Amber stepped forward to announce whom he stood before, Sebastian held out a halting hand. He didn’t want his title to influence what the man had to say.

“Speak, please,” said the Prince Heir in an encouraging manner after the man looked at Maree Amber, clearly frightened.

The man licked his lips.

“I am Askave,” he said. “I come from the town of Nine Falls, no more than twenty miles away. My people are— were —farmers and herdsmen. Two nights ago, as darkness fell, a man approached town. He gave no name and partook in no ale from the town bar.”

“He just stood at the counter for an hour,” he said shakily, “and then left. But when he left, I followed him to the street.”

Nervously he looked around. “I just wanted to know who he was and if he had heard any news from the capitol – pronouncements from the Imperial court, new trading routes, gossip. That kind of thing.”

As Alexandra gave an encouraging murmur, he continued, “He stopped in the street all still-like. Didn’t say a word. Then he started asking me questions. About who I was, how long I’d lived here, and what it was like for me. I told him the truth.” He said the last word with a shrug.

“Which was?”

“I told him I grew up here my whole life, have no family—was orphaned when I was young you see—and live on the outskirts.”

“What happened then?” said Meres.

“He smiled, touched my shoulder, and told me I wouldn’t be harmed tonight.”

He looked up and touched the shoulder where the mage had touched him.

“I got chills right about then,” he said. “I went back inside the bar and never saw him again until the moon rose high in the sky.”

Shivering, he looked into Sebastian’s eyes with fear in his own. “That’s when the killing started. Everybody died. There was blood everywhere. I did haven’t any friends here, lived on my own, but there wasn’t one person in that town I’d have wished that kind of death on.”

The healer touched him again – checking his vitals.

Shaking off the shivers, he said, “I’m fine. I just—the memories...those memories will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

“And what did the man ask you to tell the Weathervane?” asked Prince Heir Sebastian softly.

“That’s it,” he replied honestly. “I’m supposed to tell her exactly what I told him.”