The Elementalist : Next of Kin: The Kothian Chronicles (10 page)

With a flash of light, the trio shot forward, not as far as Darion would have jumped if he were the one controlling, but a good distance nonetheless. Samuel had little time to catch his breath as he was moved forward again and again, leaving Pitford far behind. Zach did pause momentarily, looking around as if to get his bearings, before moving on once more.

Zack could feel the constant flow of power running through Maxim's hand into his own, almost wishing he could have it so all the time. If this was but a fraction of Maxim's energy, he could only but imagine just how powerful his friend really was. He was forced to stop and break contact with Maxim, something he did not really want to do. "I need to check the map...I'm not sure if I may be veering slightly off course. I cannot see any landmarks that look familiar to me," he added almost apologetically. Maxim smiled, "Not to worry Zack, I'm sure we have made good progress."

Zack rummaged in his backpack for the rolled up map, before trying to figure out where they were. When Darion had teleported them to rescue Oran, he had almost instinctively known which way to go. Noticing his friend was a little agitated, Maxim broke the link with Samuel, not wanting the youngster to take power he could not release, knowing it was dangerous for him to do so. He crouched down beside Zack, as his friend held the map open for him to look at. "I think we are somewhere here," he said pointing to an area of woodland, Dewston is over here," he added showing where they needed to go. Maxim looked up from the map trying to figure out which direction they needed to head, "That way?" he suggested. Zack followed the line of sight Maxim was looking, thinking they should be going the same way. With his mind made up on the direction they needed to continue, Zack stood and positioned himself beside Maxim and took his hand once more. As soon as his skin touched his friends, he could feel the power sent forth to him, and after checking Samuel was ready, they darted forward miles into the distance.

Chapter 13.

Gorius had now received the news he had dreaded to hear. At first, he had felt anger and annoyance when he had learned of the events that had taken place at Pitford. The tribesmen from the mountains had initially showed a good fighting spirit, but once the tide of battle had turned, they had fled in large numbers. This had ultimately left his own men struggling against both the defenders and those that had broken out of Denley. Having lost a number of his magicians and soldiers, his own men had been forced to eventually flee. As a result, they had scattered, and the Bosarian king was trying to locate them with the aid of the man who controlled the Eken. The large bird-like creature had located several pockets of soldiers, carrying a message for them to re-group, with a view to once more making them a coherent fighting force.

Despite his obvious disappointment, that he had not defeated his enemy, Shonna had reminded him that the battle may have been lost, but the war was still very much going his way. "We will need to find a way to defeat the magicians," she had told him, before retiring back to her room. Gorius had already known that, but saying something and actually finding ways to achieve it, were quite different. Shonna however had taken it upon herself to find a way to make it happen, telling him that she would see Kothia defeated in her lifetime. With those words still echoing in his ears, she had left her king to start her search for what Gorius thought the impossible.

With the enemy still hiding away far to the south, he could at least keep the attacks to the north moving forward. With the capital Berxsley within his sights, and ready to be taken any day now, he knew he could deal the Kothians a mighty blow. He was about to dismiss the man with him, thinking that the Eken had given him all the information it could, when his subject said something. "Strange that the Kothian flags at Pitford are flying half-mast," the man said unknowingly telling Gorius something quite important.

Gorius' face looked up, his mind suddenly awoken from its sombre mood. He placed the glass in hand slowly down on the desk before him, "Say that again," he said. The man looked nervously at his king, thinking that he had said the wrong thing; he nervously backtracked over the last few sentences. "I told you the funeral pyres had all but died out Sire..."

"Yes yes, not that bit...What did you say about the flags?" Gorius interrupted him.

"I said they were only flying halfway up the flag poles...I have seen several of them all over the town...all the same...strange do you not think?"

Gorius laughed out loudly. The man before him may not have known the significance, but he most certainly did. "Could it be true?" he uttered to himself..."It must be...Why else would they do it?" he said to himself again. The man before him looked confused, "Do what Sire?" he asked timidly, not sure if he should have spoken at all.

There was a few seconds of silence as Gorius glared at the man, before he laughed aloud once more, "The king...he must be dead...I am certain of it...I need to check with Shonna," he babbled  quickly getting to his feet and heading for the door. He passed by the young girl sat in the corner, the young magician he had taken control of and was currently using for his sexual pleasure. "Go to my room, undress and wait for me atop my bed," he ordered her before darting out into the corridor. The woman did not argue, nor say any anything, but merely stood and did as she had been asked.

Gorius eventually found Shonna sitting alone in one of the lower rooms. It was the area he had stored all his old magical books, scrolls and objects, most of which had been unearthed by Davan, being, as the man seemed drawn to them. Many of the objects were left unused, as they had, as yet, discovered what they were, or what type of magic was needed to power them. Davan had told Gorius that many of the things in their possession might never find a use again, as the magicians around were not powerful enough to utilise them. Aside from the ring, which he had used to great effect, Gorius and his friend had managed to find little use for anything else.

"I think you are wasting your time," he said from the doorway making Shonna look up from the book she held in her palm. "Many of them are written in a language neither I nor Davan can understand," he added stepping into the room. Shonna smiled nonetheless "You forget old things are a speciality of mine...Forgotten languages are something I have a little knowledge of," she added. Gorius shrugged, if Shonna wanted to waste her time looking through pointless books and scrolls then she was free to do so; and of course there was also the slim chance she might indeed come across something useful.

"You did not come down here to check on my progress," she said changing the subject.

Gorius grinned, he had almost run down here with his news, and left it until now to tell, "I need to verify something," he said. Shonna waved a hand as if to ask what, as Gorius explained what the Eken had spotted whilst flying over Pitford. "All the flags at half their normal height, can indeed mean one thing Gorius," Shonna stood smiling.

"The king is dead?" Gorius replied clenching his fists, but awaiting her reply just to confirm he was correct.

Shonna nodded, "It is an old Kothian tradition. The flags will fly at half-mast until a new king is crowned," she told him. Gorius punched the air, perhaps the battle at Pitford had not been a total loss after all. He turned about and left Shonna to her reading, before heading back to his own room. He felt a spring in his step as he walked, and felt he had energy to burn; something his young woman could help him expend.

Zack stopped as they appeared atop of a small rise that overlooked a familiar sight. His home town of Dewston was now just half a mile or so below him, as he felt the emotion of meeting his family again take a hold. Maxim turned to look his way, "Are you okay Zack?" he asked. Zack nodded, "I feel almost nervous...Come on we can go as far as the gates and then we can walk the last few yards."

"I think we can manage that," Maxim replied with a smile.

The three youngsters made the final leap forward, reappearing just a hundred paces or so from the main gates to the town. The first thing Zack noticed that was different was the gates. In all the years of his young life, he had never known them closed, and the excitement he had felt suddenly cooled just a little, as a touch of trepidation crept in. The couple of guards usually positioned at the gates had been replaced with a dozen or more lined across the top of them, looking down at the sealed entranceway. At least that gave Zack some comfort; if his father's guards were still atop the walls, it at least meant the town had not been overcome by any marauding Bosarian hordes.

As the trio, still with their hoods up over their heads, walked slowly towards the main entrance, a voice called down to challenge them. "Show yourselves, or be on your way," someone shouted. Zack signalled for his two colleagues to stop, before slowly moving his hands up and pulling his hood back. "I am here to see my father," the young royal shouted back. There was a slight pause, as Zack looked along the line of men looking down at him; some with bows aimed his direction. Fortunately at least one man among them recognised his face, "Prince Zack...It's the young prince," the man declared, gesturing to those atop the wall to lower their weapons.

As the gates were being unbarred from within, Zack turned to Maxim, "I was beginning to think they had forgotten me already." Maxim chuckled a little but did not reply. There was a loud clunking sound and a creak as one of the large gates opened just enough for a person to get through. Zack stepped forward, with Maxim and Samuel following behind, each entering one after the other. Once they had passed inside, the gate was immediately slammed shut, causing Zack to turn as the thunder like sound reverberated in his ears.

"Someone has gone to tell your father your here your Highness," one man said stepping forward from the line of guards in front of him. Zack noticed the men were clearly nervous, unsure, even of him, and that they kept their bows trained on his two friends behind him. "Lower your weapons," he snapped, "These two are with me...Has our hospitality been lost in my absence?" Zack hissed, angry at their treatment. The men before him looked apprehensively at each other, before the one apparently in charge waved a hand for them to do so. "Begging your pardon Highness, things around here are not what they used to be. Only a few days back your father had to ride out and deal with a large band of raiders," the man explained.

Zack could feel his heart pumping, scared that even his home and family had felt the horror of the war this far west. "Are my family all well?" he asked a little anxiously, not really certain he wanted to hear the answer. The man grinned, "They are all well...Your father led us to a great victory, although we did lose a few, it was still much better than we had anticipated," the man replied.

Zack felt a nudge from Maxim aside of him, "Look over there," his friend whispered from the cover of his hood. Zack could not contain his excitement, as he darted forward towards the three people making their way down the main street before them. His younger sister Deana was first to greet him, her arms wide open for him to embrace her. "Zack...you are home," she said, her voice muffled by his cloak. After a few seconds clinging tightly to his sister, Zack looked up to his mother and father both stood smiling at him. He may have been a young man, but he was not embarrassed to openly hug his parents.

Whilst the family reunion went on, Maxim and Samuel had little option other than to stand and watch, all the time being glared at by the guards, clearly still unsure of their presence. After what seemed probably much longer than it actually was, Zack turned and gestured his family towards the two youngsters stood waiting by the gate. "I would like you to meet Maxim and Samuel," Zack said as each in turn pulled back their hoods. It was Zack's sister Deana who stepped nearer first, seemingly intrigued by Maxim. "You have such a lovely colour of hair," she said looking at him a little more closely. "And your eyes, such a beautiful colour," she added, making Maxim blush just a little. Zack rolled his eyes back, feeling almost embarrassed for his friend, "Come on Deana, leave him be."

Rylan stepped forward, similarly as curious as his daughter was with the young man before him, "I am pleased to meet you," he said offering a hand of friendship forward. Maxim shook the man's hand, and remembering his decorum bowed his head just a little. Samuel, not of Kothian birth, followed suit although not quite sure behind the reasoning. Noticing the confusion, Maxim whispered over, "The king's brother...Zack's father." Samuel thought for a moment before whispering back, "That means Zack is a prince?" Maxim nodded and then grinned; even more so by look of surprise on Samuel's face.

With all the introductions over, Zack's mother suggested that they all head inside out of the cold. It was soon clear his father had so many questions that needed answering, but Zack knew there was one piece of news that needed to be given first. He grabbed his father by the arm, pulling him slightly to one side, as the others continued onwards. Rylan looked down at his son, and could tell there was something wrong, "I have bad news father...Oran was killed in a battle at Pitford yesterday."

Zack looked at his father, watching the pain and sorrow take a hold as a tear rolled freely down his cheek. Zack felt his own emotions getting the better of him, and flung his arms around his father. Deana looked back and pulled on her mother's arm, "What is the matter with them?" she said confused as to why they were upset. It was Maxim who gave her and her mother the answer, "The purpose of our journey was not a pleasant one."

"Has something happened to Oran?" Zack's mother asked.

Maxim tried his best to look solemn as he gave her the grave news, "The king was killed in battle," he said feeling nothing but sadness for them.

Inside the main house, Maxim sat beside Samuel in a rather spacious looking lounge area. A large fire burned in the rustic stone hearth, giving off ample heat to warm the place up. Having removed their cloaks and left them on hooks beside the main door, they were left alone as Zack updated his family on all the latest news. Both Maxim and Samuel gazed around the room, both clearly impressed by what they saw.

Along one of the wood panelled walls hung portraits of Prince Rylan and his wife Lana, as well as smaller pictures of Zack and Deana, obviously painted a few years ago when they were younger. There were several plush cushioned chairs arced around a low dark wooden table, but all facing towards the fire. The floor was wooden although had a large rug upon it, which almost went from wall to wall.  "How the other half live," Samuel eventually said breaking the silence. Maxim nodded, "Certainly makes our room look a little plain in comparison," he replied.

The two were talking quietly when their attention was drawn to one of the two doors opening across the room. An elderly woman entered carrying a silver tray, "His Highness asked that I bring you some refreshments," she said placing the tray down on the table before them. Both lads watched on as she poured two cups of tea, before removing a cover to reveal a plate of biscuits. "Thank you," Samuel said politely leaning forward to take one, before Maxim had even had chance to move.