By the Sword Read online

  So the little wretch had beaten him to the punch. She must have used some kind of trickery from her God – it was the only explanation. How else would the formidable men, known for their independence, join up with a random army without some kind of force? The reason no longer mattered. The bottom line was that Ittonifer would not be pleased with him.

  Enraged, Jalarn swung his sword at the girl, but she blocked the attack. He needed her to be dead so that he could plan his next move.

  I need to get my men together and go after the giants, but she won’t die! She hasn’t even weakened.

  Jalarn lunged at her again with enough force to sever her slender torso in two, but she jumped to the side more quickly than his eyes could follow. As he rushed past her, she struck him with a forceful back kick that sent him face first into the dirt as his sword plugged into the ground.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jalarn got back up quickly. He gripped the hilt of his sword and yanked it out of the earth. His fury grew by the second. He could easily cast a spell that would make her freeze in place or become pathetically weak, but there was no pride in that. That was not the way he fought one on one.

  It should not be this difficult to finish off this skinny excuse for a warrior.

  She stood there, waiting for his next move. Her hands gripped the hilt of her sword. He could see it in her eyes, in her stance – the desire to conquer at all costs. He needed more of her sort in his army.

  Then, she let her guard down like a fool. Something else stirred in the bushes nearby. She looked away from him for a moment. So typical.

  Jalarn ran at her with full speed, bent on finishing her. A large blur from the brush caught his attention. Jalarn stopped cold as a snarling lion jumped in between them. It was facing Jalarn. The beast was nearly as tall as he, and it was more powerfully built than a bull.

  Jalarn held his sword out in front of him, trying to ignore his pounding heart. He kept an eye on the animal’s throat.

  The lion licked his chops and crouched, ready to attack. Jalarn braced himself as the animal leaped and slammed into him.

  The lion wailed. Jalarn’s sword had penetrated deep into his shoulder.

  Jalarn rolled over, got up, and leaped away from the lion’s massive paws. He slashed at the animal’s shoulder.

  The beast roared and came after him again.

  Jalarn stabbed him, but it seemed to only strengthen the lion’s resolve to kill him. Every time he went for the lion’s throat, the animal blocked his sword with a great swipe that could have torn his arm off.

  Jalarn exhaled. This was a test of his strength by the prince.

  I won’t let you down.

  Talya stood, frozen in place, as Jalarn took on the raging wild animal. She never would have imagined that a lion so large existed. The Malinorian general fought with full force, but the lion was much more powerful. She wanted the pleasure of killing Jalarn herself, but now she might never have that chance.

  And then the lion will come after me.

  Talya knew that she should run, but she did not want to. Not yet. She needed to see Jalarn dead first. Or watch him conquer the lion.

  The large beast had Jalarn pinned under him now.

  Jalarn freed one of his arms and thrust the blade of his sword straight through the big cat’s chest. With a loud cry, the animal slapped Jalarn in the head, rolled off of him, and lay still.

  Jalarn did not move. Sword out of reach and unconscious, he was powerless against Talya now.

  And the lion is dead.

  Talya swallowed. The moment had finally come. She was going to kill Jalarn. Her heart pounded as she walked over to him. She wanted to see the face of her well-skilled foe before she ended his life.

  She crouched down to remove his mask. He moaned as his eyes fluttered open.

  Talya held her sword at his neck.

  “Do not move!” she demanded.

  She yanked off his helmet and the moonlight highlighted his angular face. His piercing eyes glared defiantly back at her, but he did not say a word.

  Talya had not expected him to be so young. He had clearly killed many innocent people to obtain his rank of general at such a young age.

  Talya stood and gripped the hilt of her sword. This was the moment that she had waited for ever since the battle at Cardamon.

  Jalarn looked beyond her in a confused daze. He got up on his knees, looking rapidly in several directions, and then stared up at the sky.

  “You promised me that I would never fail if I served you,” he said. “I gave you my all! I don’t understand…”

  His eyes returned to hers. There was fear in them now.

  “Do it now,” he said.

  As he spoke, Talya noticed the scar above his left eye. His tousled hair. The wide, green eyes.

  A chill ran down her spine.

  It was him – the boy from the visions. But he was older.

  It can’t be!

  Hands shaking, Talya sheathed her sword.

  Jalarn stared at her.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “I can’t kill you,” she said.

  Did I just say that? Yes, yes I did. I can’t kill him! He is the boy.

  He opened his mouth, but no words came out. An eerie silence surrounded them, and Talya’s ears rang.

  Now what am I supposed to do?

  Talya backed away, but he held her gaze.

  This was the second part of the mission. God wanted her to be rid of her desire to kill Jalarn.

  The nearby bushes rustled and deep, loud voices filled the air. It was the Malinorians this time.

  Talya spun around and bounded through the forest, trying her best not to be caught by the vines that seemed to drape everywhere. She almost tripped over a fallen branch.

  Her mind raced as she ran. God had sent her to show mercy on Jalarn. Ittonifer’s left-hand man, of all people. She never would have imagined in a million years that she would spare the man that she wanted to kill most of all.

  She would never forget the look on his face for as long as she lived. It was the look of a hopeless soul about to die. It was the same look that Waltez had given her.

  Talya’s stomach knotted.

  I really have been a monster.

  She ran into a giant spider web. Its silky fibers stuck to her hair and clothes, and she stopped for a moment to brush a big piece from her eyes.

  Talya ran with all her might, but someone was catching up to her. If they caught her, she was dead.

  I would rather be mauled by a lion than be slain by a Malinorian!

  A swift blow smacked her in the back of the head, and she fell into a world of black.

  Still dazed from being tossed around by that lion, Jalarn got up and ran after his men at a slower pace than he wanted to. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself to run faster, angry that a stupid beast had nearly finished him.

  His men were standing over the girl. She was on the ground.

  “Is she dead?” Jalarn asked.

  “No, I didn’t club her good enough,” said one of his men.

  He patted his weapon, and the others joined him in a loud chorus of laughter.

  Jalarn removed the man’s mask and punched him in the face. That wiped off his incompetent grin pretty quick.

  Everyone froze and stared at their general.

  “There was no order to kill her. I want her alive. Have I made myself clear?”

  The knights looked among themselves in confusion.

  Idiots.

  “Yes, Sir,” they said at last.

  “Good.”

  A piercing whinny broke the quiet.

  Jalarn spun around. It was a horse. Two of his men were attempting to subdue her.

  It must be the girl’s.

  The animal reared up on her hind legs and knocked them both over.

  “Incompetence will be rewarded with death next time,” Jalarn muttered.

  One of them lassoed her with a vine.

  Ja
larn approached the beast and noticed her wings. She was a Malinorian-bred mare. A Pegasus. How in the world did a knight from Sanctus obtain such an animal?

  That’s not the only question I would like an answer to.

  He looked at the unconscious sword maiden. They would never catch up with the giants now, and it was all because of her. But she had spared his life. He needed to know why. Then he would kill her.

  A scroll peeked out of her left-side pocket. Jalarn took the rolled paper, curious as to why she would have carried it with her.

  “Carry the girl back to camp. The giants are long gone. We will return to Malinor tonight.”

  *****

  It had been a rigorous afternoon. General Edandir was confident that his knights were more than ready for the battle.

  The soldiers rushed to the meal house, ready to devour their evening meal. The general decided to stay back for a while.

  As Edandir practiced a couple of different swings with his sword, he thought of Talya. He had heard tales of vicious giants eating any unfortunate human that dared to enter their forest.

  There was still so much left unsaid between the two of them.

  Edandir shook his head. He was such a fool. He needed to pray harder than he ever had before. That night he would devote his time to the Lord. He would become more like a general worthy to lead a God-serving army.

  “General?”

  It was Tanel. Seeing Talya’s best friend made Edandir miss her even more.

  “Before dinner, I was hoping to go over my sword fighting technique. I was wondering if you would show me the ones you use the most, Sir. If it would not be too much trouble.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  *****

  Ittonifer felt uneasy as he put away the spell book that he had been studying. He had a strange feeling that Jalarn might not persuade the stubborn giants in time. His nephew was the one that the prince willed to take Ittonifer’s place after he died. Surely that meant that he would not fail this mission. More than one failure in a week would not be acceptable.

  Ever since Jalarn was a lad, he had demonstrated power. Ittonifer had used Jalarn’s mother’s death as a means to fuel the boy’s anger and hatred, which had formed him into the superior fighter that he was.

  His nephew possessed not only physical strength, but he was quickly becoming skilled in the dark arts. Malinor would be in good hands when Ittonifer left the world to join his lord at last.

  The door of Ittonifer’s study creaked open and then slammed. He heard Naeshi’s heavy footsteps as he entered the room.

  Ittonifer glared at him.

  “Since when do you think you can barge in here? Do you want to lose another body part?”

  “My lord, your daughter has run away!”

  “You fool! She’s probably in the courtyard or in the library.”

  “No, she isn’t. I found one of her handmaids, and she confirmed that Chrissa has run away for good. She left them a note saying she will not be coming back.”

  “That stupid, stupid wench.”

  Ittonifer shook his head. He should have made sure that the guard locked her door last night.

  “I am going to go look for her,” said Naeshi.

  “There isn’t the time,” said Ittonifer.

  Why had he waited so long to marry off that headstrong female? No matter. There were more important things to focus on. She would come back eventually. She was just a spoiled little girl that wanted her own way.

  No different than her mother was with those infuriatingly defiant eyes.

  His empire was so close to covering the entire western continent. Everything would work out according to plan once Sanctus was out of the way. In the big picture, Chrissa did not matter. Not if she so easily turned her back on her father and country.

  Naeshi stormed toward the door.

  “Focus, Naeshi. My daughter is rebelling, but she’ll be back. She can’t survive out there alone.”

  “We were going to be married today!” yelled Naeshi.

  “You are my senior guard. I need you here. And I will demote you to lower than a basin cleaner if you address me in that way again. If she comes back, you have my consent to be married that same day.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Ittonifer couldn’t believe that he had promoted the fool back to senior guard. Yes, Naeshi had helped him obtain more wealth, and he was as strong as an ox, but the man’s steed had more brains than he did. One more mistake and he would be back to the infantry.

  “Get out of here and make yourself useful,” said Ittonifer.

  Naeshi left immediately.

  Ittonifer was glad to be rid of the idiot. Maybe he would get himself killed in the battle.

  Ittonifer returned to his bedchamber and walked out onto his balcony, taking in the fresh evening air. Scanning the distance, a flicker of light caught his attention. Several men on horseback were riding into the city. Jalarn had come home without the giants.

  *****

  General Edandir rode to the front of his army and raised his sword high. Every single knight and soldier stood at attention.

  “Today we march to Malinor – not for revenge, but to end the devil’s hold on this continent. By God’s grace and power, we will conquer Ittonifer’s men, his mighty beasts, and the devil’s magic, which are nothing with God on our side. Alas, God is with every single one of you. You are not alone.”

  The legions cheered and shouted.

  Queen Roselyn stood on the balcony that was connected to the throne room. She was overlooking the procession of her country’s army with pride.

  Edandir waved to her. She returned the gesture and gave him a confident smile. Gone was the fear that had shrouded her days ago. He smiled back at her. He had hoped to see her before they marched. It would be several days before he would be able talk to her again.

  The general kicked his dragon steed’s sides and it spun around, lunging forward. He led Sanctus out of the city and into the wilderness. The rhythmic pounding of battle drums energized him. They had, at last, begun their three-day journey to Malinor.

  *****

  Pain shot through Talya’s temples as she awoke in a dark and very damp place. She winced as she opened her eyes. She was lying on something cold and hard.

  I must have fallen off of my cot.

  Her stomach churned from the nausea that engulfed her. She rolled onto her side and gagged. She moaned as she touched the great bump that was on the back of her head. When her eyes had finally adjusted, she remembered the giant lion and Jalarn’s last stare.

  I’m in a prison! Jalarn’s men must have caught up to me.

  It all really happened. She hadn’t awakened from a dream.

  A door creaked open from down the hall. The rustling of keys pierced the stagnant air, and two pairs of footsteps approached her cell.

  Her pulse quickened and she sat up. Were they coming to finish her off?

  “Here she is, m’lord,” said a deep voice.

  A guard with a horribly scarred face held his lantern toward Talya’s cell.

  Jalarn stood close to the cell. With his mask off, he no longer seemed like a faceless monster.

  He stared at Talya.

  He is going to kill me.

  “Leave us,” Jalarn said to the guard.

  The man bowed, set the lantern on a nearby stool, and left.

  “What happened to his face?” asked Talya.

  “It doesn’t matter,” said Jalarn.

  Jalarn stood rigidly outside of the barred door. His deep green eyes bore into hers. He had regained his usual composure, but Talya had seen him at his most vulnerable moment back in the forest. And he knew that.

  Perhaps this was it then. He would drive his sword through her now.

  At least I can die knowing that I did something right for once.

  “Why did you spare me back in the forest?” asked Jalarn.

  Wincing at her thundering head, Talya stood and walked closer to the barred door.<
br />
  “God showed you to me in a vision. Twice. I didn’t know that it was you until I took off your mask.”

  “What foolishness are you speaking of?”

  “I had a real-life dream that showed me how you became a warrior for Malinor. I just couldn’t send you into a future of destruction after seeing what you went through as a boy.”

  Jalarn took a step back, frowning.

  “You wanted to spare my life because you felt sorry for me. Are you serious?”

  “When I saw that you were the same boy that was ordered to fight to the death just to feed his ailing mother some bread, I couldn’t kill you.”

  “How do you know these things?” he asked.

  “It’s as I told you. God showed them to me.”

  “You are sadly misled, m’lady.”

  “My name is Talya. And I am not the one that is misled.”

  “Talya,” he repeated. “Don’t you see? It was the prince. He was showing you things about me, knowing your apparent weakness for pathetic street urchins, so that you wouldn’t end all that he has planned for me and this empire. He wills that I live.”

  Fury arose from Talya’s heart like she had never experienced. She took a step closer to him. They glared at one another through the metal bars.

  “How dare you even suggest that the devil revealed those things to me? He is a liar and a thief who cares for nothing but himself. How can you forget that he abandoned you back in those woods? You would be dead right now if God had not shown me those visions.”

  Jalarn threw his head back and laughed hollowly.

  “Your God wants you to believe His lies. Talya, you have so much potential that the prince could use if you only allowed him. Don’t succumb to this simpleton nonsense that has robbed so many other people of their lives.”

  “I can’t imagine the mighty Malinorians stooping so low as to accept a female knight in their ranks,” Talya shot back.

  Jalarn crossed his arms.

  “You’re the most worthy opponent that I have ever fought. Any Malinorian worth his spit would accept you as a commander. You would have power here. Ittonifer will be very pleased with your abilities. He would never treat you like your father has.”