The Descendants Book One: The Broken Scroll Read online

  Davin knelt down, fearing what he would see. His stomach lurch with disgust as he hands hit the ground. The man’s tunic was covered with blood. He had been stabbed in the abdomen. A small pool of blood surrounded the stab wound and Davin’s hands had dropped right into it. Davin restrained himself from crying out and wiped the blood off with a clean section of the man’s shirt.

  The blank eyes stared up distantly and gave Davin the chills. He bent over and closed them, unable to handle the hallow gaze.

  As he turned away from the sight, he knew one fact. The soldiers had found them. But where were they now? The house was completely silent and he hadn’t heard any noises since he’d awoken, but they were here. He knew it.

  Quickly shuffling back to his room, he grabbed his sword and pulled on his clothes. Not concerned with his disheveled appearance, he ran back to where he left the candle. He picked it up and ran down the fencing hall. There was no one there either. The wide windows all around the room let in gallons of soft moonlight. Davin would have spent more time admiring the scene if more pressing matters weren’t at hand.

  Confused at the idea of no one around, he ran back down the hallway the opposite way, careful not to trip on the house attendant again. When he reached the dining room he heard muffled talking upstairs. He spun around on the spot. The stairs were just to his left. Without consciously having to think about it, his legs carried him up the creaky steps. Fear was not an option.

  When he reached the top, he hid behind a wall outside the room and peeked around. The sight shocked him, though he knew deep down it was plausible. Radash and Liam sat gagged and tied to chairs facing a handful of Grand soldiers. Davin counted quickly. It was only six. He could handle that…maybe. But where was Egan?

  He didn’t have time to ponder it. One of the soldiers spoke. “That was quite a display you both put on the other day. Did you actually think Governor Alanon, or our great army commander, or the King himself even, would let you get away with such an act? You had to know it would only be a matter of time until we tracked where you lived, Scholar.”

  Davin heard responses sounding from behind the gags. Radash and Liam sounded so helpless. He had to free them.

  “Fortunately, this boy narrowed our search down greatly, saving us many long man hours interrogating citizens and searching homes.”

  Davin knew the soldier was referring to Radash and his escapade in town. He cursed himself for not thinking more clearly that morning in the market. He knew the consequences. There was no time to dwell on it though. He accepted his foolishness.

  Without any more waiting, Davin stepped out into the open and put out his sword. Liam and Radash looked grateful to see him. “It seems you have met some friends of mine here,” Davin spoke casually, as if introducing guests at a party.

  “Indeed, the King will be happy to have both of them at hand,” one of soldiers said, mocking Davin’s casual tone. “A Scholar of Ancient Lore, and the Prince himself, I will be rewarded greatly for this discovery. We will escort them to First Captain Deverell personality.” He turned to face Davin directly. “But first things first.”

  Davin didn’t have time to think about what had really been said. The lead soldier drew his sword and the others followed suit. Davin dropped back involuntarily, feeling suddenly very intimidated.

  Use all of your surroundings to your advantage. Davin assessed their statures, their blades, the size of the room, and what was in it, remembering his training well.

  They all charged him at once. Davin got into a ready stance, watching them advance. He waited until they were almost upon him. The group raised their swords at the same time. Think twice, act once. Do not attack mindlessly. With wide, wild swings they tried to strike him. He rolled to the side as their swords found their mark. A couple of swords clanged as they struck one another. The group fell backward as the surprise of their miss caught up with them.

  Davin ran several yards over to the closest bookshelf and skirted behind it, simply trying to get out of sight. After waiting a breath, he moved into one of the farther rows.

  “Split up, we will surround him,” Davin heard their leader say. “It’s just one boy.”

  Davin stayed still, listening. Two of the soldiers were coming his way. They must have realized their first mistake of trying to take him all at once.

  As they crept into the rows in front of him, he used his strength and pushed on the shelf hard. It creaked loudly and started to lean. Davin’s arms shook under the pressure. It toppled, falling against the others in a chain reaction and crushing the two soldiers underneath. They didn’t move. There were only four now.

  Improvise. Keep them guessing. Davin continued to dive back and forth between the library’s bookshelves, trying to keep them scattered. He heard scuffling and voices off and on. They were trying to pinpoint his location. He was making it difficult. Davin listened harder with his power. One of them was moving towards him. He jumped out and caught the man by surprise. Before the soldier could react, Davin quickly slit his throat. He fell with a thump.

  The one from earlier called out again, “It seems we have underestimated you, boy.” He sounded as if he was speaking from where Liam and Radash sat. “I will give you one chance to surrender or they will both die.” Davin tried to decide if he was bluffing. There were muffled cries from the captives.

  Davin called out, buying time, “I don’t think O’Hara would like if you killed his son without permission.”

  There was a long silence in which Davin heard another one of the soldiers around the shelf to his left. He drew another deep breath and raised his sword again.

  He charged forward with an overhead strike that was blocked, but it was strong enough to make the soldier stumble. He fell back as Davin swung again, missing the man’s neck by inches. The momentum of Davin’s swing caused him to take a step behind his opponent. The soldier took the opportunity to cut Davin on the calf of his leg.

  Davin cried out and bent down, grabbing him calf. It wasn’t deep but it was bleeding freely. Grimacing under the pain, he willed himself to keep fighting.

  The soldier smiled greedily as he leaned in to finish Davin off. Davin rose up in a grunt of anger and pushed the soldier’s sword aside. The man was spun around involuntarily. Davin kicked the soldier fiercely in the back and then sent his sword through him as he hit the ground.

  Davin cried out again at the pain in his leg as it resurfaced. He quickly tore a bit of the bottom of his pants to wrap it, but still knew he wasn’t done fighting. Despite his injury, he kept his voice strong. “While you wait for me to give up your men keep turning up dead.”

  “Indeed. Then it would seem that your time is up.” Davin heard the drawing of a blade and muffled screaming from the two captives. He sprinted around the circumference of the library, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his leg. He pulled to a stop in from of the man blackmailing him and saw that Liam and Radash were still alive.

  He found it amazing that such high a rank as Dous Captain had been assigned to this mission. But then again, they were after the heir to the throne himself.

  The soldier had his sword at Radash’s throat when he saw Davin. “That’s more like it.”

  Davin had to think quickly. He pulled the orb out of his pocket and lit up his finger. The flame was larger than the last time he’d used it. The soldier looked maddeningly at him.

  “You are one of them, one of them King O’Hara is looking for.” He glanced at the orb. “Give me that device.” He advanced on Davin.

  “I don’t want to.”

  “You will join the others as my captive. Surrender yourself.”

  Davin raised the shining orb above his head. The Dous Captain’s gaze followed it. Davin waited.

  “What are you doing?” the soldier asked.

  Davin managed a cruel smile. “Using my power, of course.”

  Dread fell over the soldier’s face. In that moment he forgot his military bearing, reached out to the orb with desperation,
and left his body unprotected. Davin rammed his sword into the soldier.

  “As few strikes as possible,” he said softly enough that only soldier could hear him. The soldier started to mouth the word “what”, but it never came. Davin removed his sword and the man dropped.

  He quickly untied Liam and Radash’s binders and gags. Their faces were white and sweating and they looked sickly.

  “You have some explaining to do, Radash,” Davin admonished. Radash started to talk, but Liam cut him off.

  “Now is not the time, friends. We need to find Egan and leave town quickly.”

  They began running toward the stairs. As they were nearly through the threshold another high-ranking officer emerged from the top of the stairs. He brandished his sword and jumped forward into the pale moonlight filling the room. His sword found Liam’s neck and he held it there.

  Liam shook nervously under its tip. “You should have surrendered. Now he will die unless you all come with me.”

  Davin and Radash froze. Liam turned to Davin and whispered, “Get out of here now or he will gather reinforcements before you make it out of town. I will stall him.”

  Davin grabbed Radash and they made for the staircase. But then Davin stopped cold. Radash gestured for them to continue. Davin shook his head. He couldn’t leave Liam like this. Radash gave up and they stayed and listened.

  To their surprise, Liam spoke with a menace that they had never heard. “Do it. Kill me. I do not matter as they do.” He inclined his head in the direction of the two young men. “I have done my duty if I have given my life in their place.”

  The soldier cocked his head for a moment as if touched by Liam’s sentiments, and then laughed mockingly. “That is a brave thing to do, but foolish. You are only delaying the inevitable. Our king will kill his son with his own hand and make the magic users his slaves, once he finds the rest of their kin.”

  Liam did not waver, and kept the soldier talking. “Your king will not prevail in this task. There are no others to find. The boy is the last of them.”

  “So educated, yet so naïve,” the soldier said, disappointedly. “There is at least one more, and the king believes that he is not the last either.”

  “If found, they would overpower O’Hara with their skills. You will not live to see the day.”

  The soldier was beginning to look flustered. He raised his sword as if to strike. Liam didn’t move. “Actually, I’m afraid you will not live to see the day Scholar.”

  Davin tried to rush forward, but he didn’t make it. The soldier sent the sword clear through the middle of Liam’s body. Liam crumpled with an agonizing cry.

  At that moment, Egan arrived at the threshold into the library.

  “No!” he yelled and swung at the soldier with all of his might. The soldier tried to block but the strength of Egan’s swing sent his sword flying into the nearest shelf. Forgetting all of his inhibitions he brought his sword around again, aiming for the soldier’s neck. The blow cut through fast and strong and decapitated the man. The body fell and the head hit the ground with a thump.

  Egan stood silently for a while with his sword at his side, staring down at his friend and the enemy that had killed him. No one spoke or moved. Radash called out several times, but Egan did not respond. Finally, after some time, he snapped out of his trance and addressed Radash and Davin.

  His voice was cracked and broken and his face was solemn. “We need to leave town. I was able to procure some pookas for our ride north. They are waiting by the gate. Go to them and load them with our packs and supplies.”

  Davin walked forward to Egan’s side, paying his respects to Liam. Then he moved passed him to the headless soldier’s body. Reaching down, he retrieved the weapon from man’s already cooling hand. He swung it a few times back and forth. It was much better made than his last sword. He decided he would keep it. Wiping the blood stains off with the soldier’s clothes, he replaced the old with the new in his sheath.

  Egan watched closely. When Davin was finished he said, “Use it well, Davin. Let the blood that was split with that blade be avenged by returning the favor in kind.”

  “It will,” was all that Davin could say. He moved back over the stairwell where Radash stood.

  Davin and Radash nodded to one another and started to leave, tears welling up in their eyes. Neither had known him as well as Egan, but it remained sad that a good man had been taken from them.

  Before they reached the stairs they watched Egan bend down to look at his friend one last time. “Goodbye, Scholar of the Ancients and friend. May the stars watch over you and may my ancestors guide you to a restful place.” He kissed Liam’s forehead and stood up. After one last moment of respect he turned and followed the others out of the library.

  No one said anything until they were back down stairs and out of sight of their fallen friend. Egan, still mournful, spoke to Davin and Radash as they stepped into the dining room. “I will have to stop by Page’s house while you two are loading the pookas. She will make sure he has a proper burial. We would do it ourselves, but there is no time. We need to leave before the rest of the garrison realizes what happened here.”

  Davin and Radash acknowledged his words and he left them to it. Davin secretly hoped that Egan would return with a least a serviceable amount of spirit or this would be a very morbid trip. He and Radash worked in silence for the most part, each lost in their own sadness.

  Davin realized he was already feeling exhausted from the events of the early morning. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head, trying to put some life into his blood.

  Egan returned with Page at a run, just as the sun was beginning to rise. Her eyes were puffy and her face flushed, as if she had been crying for some time. It looked like it was taking all her courage to not break down and wail loudly right in front of them.

  Egan spoke lightly to her as they reached the gate to Egan’s house. She nodded at everything he had said and started to step through the gate. She stopped.

  Speaking to Davin and Radash, she said, “I pray you find what you are looking for, young sirs. And that your journey leads you to the capital city where you will have our king pay for his soldier’s deeds. He must be held accountable as we all would be.” She started to say more, but became too choked up.

  “Good winds to you.” She blessed them in the tradition of Slainte. And then she was beyond the gate and into the home of the late Scholar.

  After Page left Egan said, “We need to get moving, there are soldiers headed this way.”

  Davin replied with an affirmative, noticing the new resolve in Egan’s tone. He was happy for it.

  They mounted the pookas and rode to the gate that sat at the boundaries of North Breakwater and North Sea Breeze districts. As they drew near the gate dread hit Davin and his heart fell at the sight. Soldiers from a number of streets converged onto them riding great horses, each at least fifteen hands in size.

  “Speed up,” Egan said, “Push these beasts as fast as they can go.”

  Davin and Radash did as they were told, but the pookas were no match for the speed of the horses. As they pulled alongside Egan, Radash and Davin, they raised bows knocked with arrows. The poise and control of their aim atop the steeds was undoubtedly skillful.

  “Stop, or we will shoot,” one of them shouted. But Egan had already released the wind orb’s power. He channeled it into ten separate blasts that exploded around him like fireworks. The bows were ripped from the soldiers’ hands. They thrashed in surprise, trying to maintain their balance. A handful fell onto the street, dazed from the impact.

  “It will take more than riding archers to stop us. Let your King know that!” Egan yelled in anger.

  One of the soldiers who had remained horsed swung at Davin. Davin shifted backward and the swipe met air. Holding on with one hand, he pushed the rider hard away from him. The horse neighed as it was pulled against his momentum.

  Davin took the opportunity to grab his sword and swing it across the soldier’s ches
t. The soldier yelped and fell from the horse’s back.

  Ahead of Davin several horse lengths, Egan swung wide with one hand, meeting with a soldier’s forearm. The man grabbed his arm, forgetting to hold on to his reigns. He fell, skidding along the street.

  Another charged at Egan. Egan’s swing missed the man’s neck by inches. The force of the swing was too powerful. He tried to stop himself, but his body began to draw toward the ground.

  Suddenly, he was hanging on with all his might to the pooka’s side, trying not to meet the brick below him head on. He flapped his arms wildly in attempt regain his seat.

  Radash sped up to Egan’s side and reached out his arm. “Take it,” he said, struggling to remain steady.

  In another moment Egan was upright again. The second to last rider slipped in between Egan and Radash. Egan accessed the Driocht and put his hand to man’s chest. The air shot straight through the man’s body, leaving a smoking hole.

  Davin watched the dead soldier in front of him lose his grip. The dethroned man nearly took out Davin’s pooka as he rolled away. Davin swerved at the last minute, narrowly avoiding a crash himself.

  The last soldier, realizing he was all alone now against Descendants, pulled away from them and rode back to his fallen comrades.

  As they passed the North Gate, no City Guards gave them any trouble. Driving hard into the rural outskirts, none of them spoke. Egan wore a blank, distant expression. Davin and Radash displayed determined looks. They knew they had to put some distance behind them. In minutes, they were passed the farmland outskirts and into the wide wilderness that took them north to the Greenlands, north to the answers they sought.

  Chapter 14 The Lord of Trial

  “Are you alright?” Davin asked, as he drew up beside Egan. Dusk had begun to fall after a long day of riding.

  Egan looked at him as if he didn’t recognize him. And then he frowned and faced forward again. “I will be fine,” was all he said at first. “We waited too long.” After a few moments, when Davin was ready to leave him alone again, he continued.