Lights of agramont trilo.., p.34
Lights of Agramont Trilogy, page 34
*
Kriv jumps up when Serilom enters his room and takes his hand. “Tell me, what happened? Did The Creator speak to you? What did he say?”
He sits down on the bed and Kriv puts his arm around him. “He didn’t say anything. I don’t really know what it was all about. It was all symbols and objects that I have no idea about. I mean, there had to be something that meant something, right?”
“Hmm, well what was in there?” Kriv asks.
“There was an anchor with a ribbon around it and some flowers.”
“What kind of flowers?”
“Ilsip and jasmine I think.”
Kriv tilts his head. “Jasmine?”
“Yah, it smelled like you which was a little distracting. That’s it. What does all of that possibly mean?”
The look on Kriv’s face shows his amusement. “You don’t know? You’re actually asking me this?”
“Did I miss something?”
Kriv grins and shakes his head. “One day I am going to find a way to get inside your mind and see what’s wrong with you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re stupid.”
Serilom pushes Kriv’s shoulder. “Hey, that’s not nice. You’re the one who wanted to know what was in there. I’m not stupid. It’s not like you know what all that means.”
He laughs and falls back on the bed. “Oh, I bet Tilidus never thought one of his mages would be this dense. Funny how things work out.”
“You think you’re so intelligent, don’t you?”
“No. I know I am.”
“Well, you’re certainly egotistical.”
Kriv holds up his arms. “Orrentius, what is my name?”
“Kriv Tide-Storm.”
“Exactly. So you shouldn’t be surprised. You knew what you were getting into.”
49
Serilom stands with the other Honored in Alamay’s courtyard in front of a crowd of citizens and priests.
Ievas addresses them.“To calm your fears and offer our words of protection in these dark times, the Honored stand before you with open ears to hear your prayers. As many of you know by now, Tilidus has stepped down and this young man to my right is his successor. You will know him and call for him by the name of Serilom. He is more than capable of providing the same support and magic that Tilidus did. Have faith and welcome Serilom, Song of Ocean’s Peace.”
The people cheer and call out his name. Serilom blushes and looks at the ground. He has never enjoyed attention. Now, everyone’s eyes will be on him from here on. Lucky for him, the tiny ceremony is short and he doesn’t have to answer any questions. Ievas takes his questions for him. Everyone knows he isn’t ready for this, but he will try. He will try for Tilidus and for peace.
After they are done, Serilom joins Kriv and Lynn who have been in the crowd as the rest of the Honored head back to the Mage Council building. Serilom is the only one who stays in town much. He could never be cooped up on the top of the mountain like them.
“Shoulder ride, Krivy.” Lynn pulls on Kriv’s coat and jumps up and down.
Kriv smiles and kneels down in the street. “I guess you can ride on my shoulders. Be careful, though. You might fly away into the sky.”
She climbs onto his shoulders. “Nuh uh. People can’t fly, Krivy.”
“Are you sure?” He takes off running and stretches out his arms as Lynn grabs onto him and screams.
Serilom shakes his head as he watches those two. Kriv was born to be a father. It hurts him to know that Briggan took that away from Kriv as well. At least Kriv can be a father to Lynn. They are happy and Serilom knows that they found something they both needed in each other. A tinge of sadness hits him when he thinks about the child he almost had. He doubts he would have been as good of a father as Kriv. So maybe things worked out for the best.
Commander Cailen walks out of the tavern and stares at Kriv. “Admiral, what are you doing?”
“Flying.”
Cailen chuckles as Lynn screams and giggles. “Faster, Krivy, faster!”
“Admiral, come back down to earth for a minute. I need to talk to you.”
Kriv lifts Lynn from his shoulders and sets her down. “Lynn, go play with Serilom.”
“His name is Little Princess.” She says.
“Oh yes, I forgot. Well, go play with Little Princess and I’ll be back.”
Lynn pouts and grabs Serilom’s hand. “Shoulder ride, Little Princess.”
“No. I can’t fly like Krivy.” Serilom says.
She stomps her foot. “Shoulder ride.”
“You do realize that I’m probably only twice your weight, right? How much do you weigh?”
“I don’t know. How much do you?”
“I’d guess about a hundred pounds. Maybe a little more because I have gotten some muscles.”
“Wow, that’s a lot.” Lynn says.
“Not for a grown man. Leave the physical stuff to Kriv. Plus he’s taller than me so you are higher anyway.”
Kriv returns shortly and Lynn runs up to him. “Krivy, Krivy!”
Kriv puts his finger to his lips. “Shh. Be quiet for a minute and you can have some candy, okay? Sit right here on this bench and be a good girl while I talk to Little Princess.”
Serilom follows him to the edge of the street. What’s happened now? Kriv’s demeanor has completely changed.
Kriv takes his hands in his. “Serilom, there’s word that Vernition ships could be headed this way in the next few days. I have to be able to get up and go at a moment’s notice. Also, I need you keep an eye out for anything strange or suspicious. We already know Vernition and the Damned Ones have assassins and I’m a high priority target. Hell, you’re more of a high priority than I am. The scary thing is that last night guards arrested two assassins trying to break into our room. No one can be trusted. Always remain aware of your surroundings and make sure you’re not being followed. They could be watching us right now. If something happens to me, you get Lynn to safety immediately. Then you can worry about me. I don’t care if I’m bleeding to death. You get her to safety first. If she’s in her room, the innkeeper has agreed to keep her safe so that’s not a problem. Things are getting serious and extremely dangerous. No more going out at night and we sleep with our door locked. I might slide my desk against the door just for added protection. I would tell you to stay at the Mage Council, but look what happened to Tilidus. You will be safest by my side. That way we can protect each other.”
Did Kriv just say what Serilom thinks he just said? “You’re telling me assassins were breaking into our room while we were asleep?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’m never sleeping again.” Serilom says.
“We just have to take extra precautions.”
Lynn skips across the street and grabs onto Kriv’s legs. “Krivy, can I have candy now?”
“We’ll talk more later. I have to go find some candy. I’ll see you at home. Stay safe. Things don’t feel right around here. Okay, okay, I’m coming Lynn. First we’re going to fix that mess you call hair.”
Serilom watches until they are out of sight. Kriv’s right. Things don’t feel right. Maybe it’s just him being paranoid now, but something is different. He can’t quite put a finger on it, but something is definitely altered. As he breathes, he can feel it. It’s the smallest amount of tingling that catches in his throat. He shakes his head furiously. It’s just his imagination. It’s nothing. Being jumpy isn’t going to fix anything. It will only make it worse.
*
The room is pitch black and Kriv sits on the edge of the bed. His skin glistens with sweat as he struggles to breathe. He shakily stands and pulls on his pants before walking across the room and opening the door to peer into the hallway. After a few minutes, he shuts the door and locks it again. He lights a candle on his desk and spreads out a map. Looking over it, he begins mumbling to himself.
“Kriv?” Serilom asks as he sits up.
Kriv jumps and knocks over the candle which goes out and leaves the room dark again. “I’m fine, Serilom. I just had a nightmare.”
“What about this time?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“You better tell me. The last one you had came true.” Serilom says.
“That’s why I can’t tell you. Maybe if I don’t tell you, then it won’t come true. It was probably nothing. I’m stressed and my mind is being flooded by possibilities and fears.” Kriv sits down on the bed and places his head in his hands. “What if I’m wrong? What if I calculated something wrong? What if Vernition comes from a completely different direction just to throw me off? We have three weeks at the most to prepare and I’m not sure my plan is finalized. We’ve been running scenarios, but I could have missed one and my men would be completely lost.”
Serilom puts his arm around Kriv. “It’s natural for you to be nervous, but losing sleep like this isn’t going to help anything. You have done a great job training them and they believe in you. I believe in you too.”
“Really? You think I can do this?”
“I know you can. You are Kriv Tide-Storm. If anyone could do this, it would be you.”
Kriv laughs and wipes the sweat from his face. “You have a point. Forgive me. I can’t always be confident. Sometimes I need someone to hold me up.”
“That’s what I’m good at. I can hold you up. Probably not literally … but emotionally, you know I’m always here.”
“Now I’m freezing. Give me a blanket.” Kriv says as he crawls under the blankets and curls up next to Serilom. “I want to do absolutely nothing tomorrow. I want to stay here and be thankful I’m alive and still have weeks before Vernition gets here. Who knows? Maybe they will reach an agreement before then and there will be no war after all. That’s sounding more and more appealing the closer we get. At first, I thought that battles would be grand and heroic. Not now. We aren’t fighting for glory or fame. We will be fighting for our lives and the lives of everyone in Cierson. This will be a struggle for survival and one wrong step can send the entire plan crumbling. If Vernition gets a surprise attack on us, we are finished. No question.”
Serilom lies back down joins Kriv under the blankets. “Listen to me. I promise that things will work out. You will save Alamay. Take you own advice. You can’t fail.”
50
A crash and the boom of thunder wake Serilom. Something doesn’t seem right. He sits up and listens as the sound happens again. “Kriv, get up.” He shakes his shoulder. “What’s that sound?”
Kriv takes Serilom’s arm. “Go back to sleep. It’s just thunder.”
When the sound is louder and there is screaming in the streets, Kriv jumps out of bed and begins to dress in his uniform. “That’s not thunder. Look outside for me.”
Serilom crawls to the foot of the bed and pulls back the curtain. It’s early morning and the eastern sky has just begun to lighten with oranges and pinks. He looks off towards the harbor where plumes of black smoke rise over the water and people run into houses. Then his eyes land on the ships where Vernition’s flags are flying.
“Are those cannons? What do you see out there?” Kriv asks.
There is a rapid pounding on the door and someone calls from the other side. “Admiral, Admiral Tide-Storm, we are under attack.”
Kriv buttons his coat as he pulls open the door. “Tell me what’s happening.”
The soldier’s face is red and covered in sweat as he leans against the wall catching his breath then stands at attention. “Sir, Vernition ships are bombarding the harbor. Five of our ships have taken damage. Two homes have been destroyed and troops are coming ashore. Commander Cailen already has his forces on the move. Sir, Alamay will fall.”
The cannon sounds again and Kriv grabs his hat. “Alamay will not fall. I will give my own life before I let it fall. Kriv Tide-Storm never fails. Carry on, soldier. Orrentius, get to the docks and be prepared to fight. I have to get to my men and the ships. If anyone comes looking for me, tell them I’m already on my way to the docks. Meet me there in ten minutes. The Creator knows I will need the help of an Honored One.”
*
The frosty morning air almost vibrates with electric adrenaline as Serilom darts through the panicked streets, careful not to slip on the icy patches. The thunder of cannons echoes against the cliffs and the shouts of people begging for help sting in his ears. He can’t stop to help them. Kriv needs him.
Kriv waves at him from his boat around which his crews have gathered.
This is the day for Kriv to uphold his promise, to deliver Cierson out of this darkness, and to be the hero they need him to be. Serilom watches him with deep respect and admiration as he delivers orders to his men with authority and dignity. Kriv is prepared for this. If he is at all panicked or anxious, it does not show on his face or in his actions. He is stoic and calm, deliberate and controlled. This is what he has trained for. Before the day is finished, all of Cierson will know the name Kriv Tide-Storm.
However, there are the Vernition ships. How did they get here so fast? It should have taken them two weeks to reach Cierson’s waters. Unless … Kriv was wrong. If he was indeed wrong, then he has given every soul in Alamay a death sentence. However, if he was wrong, he doesn’t show it. Kriv acts like this is all part of the plan and has been from the beginning.
“I see the look in your eyes, Serilom. Don’t worry. They know what to do. We’ve run this scenario multiple times and I don’t doubt their ability. There is no place for doubt in battle.” Kriv says before turning to his men. “I will make this quick. All right men, with the dawn to light our way, we sail into the most dangerous day of our lives. Hold your heads high and your swords with honor for what happens here determines the fate of Cierson and possibly the world. You are the chosen ones who are the strongest, the smartest, and the ones who value freedom over your own lives. Today, we must defend that freedom from those who seek to destroy it. Think of your wives, your sons and daughters, your homeland. Think of those who depend on you and those who love you.” Kriv looks at Serilom and his eyes show a fiery passion. “Hold those memories in your mind as you go out into this uncertainty. They will be the ones to keep you strong. They will be the ones to ensure our victory. Get out there and defend your country with your lives.”
*
From what little Serilom understands about naval combat, he gathers that things aren’t going horribly. He does know that Kriv has an … interesting way of doing things. He stays back from the battle on his little boat and sends out signals to his ships using his mirror. It looks like some kind of code. Serilom doesn’t question it. Maybe it’s to protect himself. He is the most important piece of this entire plan, after all. He controls the wind and with Ievas on their side, it takes almost no concentration at all for his ships to switch directions and move at incredible speeds. Maybe he’s back here so he can keep an eye on everything and know when to move each piece of his little chess game. He also sends signals up to Commander Cailen’s men. He’s the conductor of his orchestra of war and he loves it.
“Shit.” Kriv says and frantically flashes his mirror as Serilom watches a Cierson ship start to sink.
A cold blast of air swirls around Serilom and his hourglass scar burns. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a man.
The red-haired man makes his way across the deck of Kriv’s boat, but his boots don’t make a sound on the wood. Serilom’s heart pounds in his chest as their eyes meet. Those eyes, grey and empty, are foreign, but the grin on his face sends a chill over Serilom’s body. The man’s smile is all too familiar and if he had black hair and green eyes, he could be Serilom. The man rolls up his sleeves and rubs his hands together. “How are you two gentlemen enjoying the little invasion? It’s about time something exciting happened around here. Don’t you agree?”
Kriv jumps down from the railing and glances back to where the man is standing. He drops his mirror which shatters as he pulls out his revolver. “Serilom, get back. Your brother will kill you without a second thought.”
“My brother?”
The red-haired man holds out his arms. “Four Greetings, Serilom. It has been quite a long time. Look at you now. An Honored One? Don’t tell me that my assassins were able to infiltrate the Mage Council. What a shame that Tilidus won’t be here to watch his friends die. Oh, and Tide-Storm? I’m afraid it’s time for me to collect on your debt.”
Kriv steps in front of Serilom. “You will not speak another word of this, Argrin. I owe you nothing.”
“You truly are a stubborn man, Tide-Storm. Why are you protecting your lover? Did you tell Serilom that you were promised immortality in exchange for taking his life?”
Serilom turns to Kriv and stares at him in disbelief. Had Tilidus been right? Kriv should have never been trusted. “You were going to kill me? You’ve been working with this demon the entire time? And for an empty promise of immortality?”
Kriv’s hand is shaking as he points his gun at Argrin. “No. Why don’t you tell him the truth, Argrin? Serilom, don’t listen to him. I never wanted to kill you.”
Serilom pushes Kriv’s shoulder and grabs his arm. “Brother, you would betray me like this?”
“Never.” Kriv says as he pulls away from Serilom’s grasp. “If I wanted to kill you, I would have a long time ago.”
“So you’ve thought about this?”
“What? No. Why would I have saved your life?”
Argrin’s deep laughter interrupts them. “It’s so cute to watch you two argue, but we have business to discuss and deals to settle. Brother-”
“Don’t call me brother, demon. Kriv is my only brother now.”
Argrin cracks his knuckles. “Oh that’s right. You and my little bard are joined by blood. How sweet.”
The anger flares up in Kriv’s voice as he shouts. “I’m not your little bard, Argrin. I never wanted anything to do with you or the Damned Ones.”
