Excalion

AUTHOR'S NOTE: It would seem like I'm making up for plenty of lost time. Inspiration came to me out of bloody-fuck-nowhere, and right now, it doesn't seem like it wants to stop. I'm actually really proud of how things are progressing so far, and I'm surprised that how the story is progressing is how I actually want it to progress. Anyway, enjoy, and remember that reviews as well as constructive criticism are always greatly appreciated!


Excalion
Chapter Two: No Silver Lining

=[ Part Two ]=


Kaijin leaned with his back against the wall, his arms crossed and his eyes closed while Wynn paced back and forth.

“Kai, what’s going on?”

“You’ll know everything when we talk to your parents, Shana,” he replied tersely.

“Wynn?”

Wynn’s face remained pale. “You and your family are in danger, Vale. For now, that’s all I can say.”

The large doors to the throne room opened and a young page stepped forward. “Master Kaijin, Master Scarner, the King will see you now.”

Kai nodded and looked to Wynn, who nodded as well. They walked towards the open doors, Shanavale and Naomi close behind. As the four of them entered, the doors creaked loudly and slammed closed.

“Heir Haruka, Master Scarner, come forward,” King Valos’ voice boomed throughout the empty chamber.

Kai strode forward. Wynn turned to Shanavale and Naomi.

“Come with us,” he said. “It will concern you both.”

Frowning carefully, Shanavale stepped forward walking alongside Wynn to his right. Naomi followed, walking with them to Wynn’s left.

“Kaijin, you said that it is possible that my family is in grave danger,” the King said to Kai as Wynn, Shanavale and Naomi as they stopped to flank either side of him. “Is this true?”

Kai nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Would this be in regards to the Omicronus family?”

Kai’s face remained expressionless as he nodded once more.

“Hmm. How did you come across this information?”

Wynn spoke up. “Kai and I overheard it at the stables earlier this afternoon, Your Majesty. I was returning my opasha to her pen.”

The King blinked. “I don’t remember hearing any opasha about the castle grounds today. Where were you, exactly?”

“I was at Crystal Pond, near the Forest Sanctum, my King.” He bowed. “With all due respect, I am not at liberty to reveal my intentions for being there.”

The King turned to look past his wife at his advisor and Wynn’s father, Sorceror Superior Eron Scarner, who nodded. He turned back to address the two young men. “What did you hear?”

“Only that the Omicronus family planned their uprising so that it will take place at Dark Moon, when the Barawani Traveling Fair arrives here,” Kai replied.

“Sire, there is also something else you must know.”

“What is it, Wynncrest?”

“The oldest son of the Omicronus family’s patron, Jacen of Omicronus, is against the uprising. We heard him try to stop his father at great risk to himself.”

Kai nodded. “What Wynn says is true, King Valos. His own father drew his own sword against him.”

“Do you know of anything else?”

Wynn shook his head. “No, Your Majesty. Jacen is the only person in the Omicronus family that I would trust.”

“It may be a ruse, Master Scarner.”

Kai shook his head. “There was no veil covering his actions and words, Your Majesty. Jacen truly is against his family. We must give him sanctuary if he asks for it.”


* * * * *


A female cougar shot like a bullet through the thick forest brush, a fox close behind. Everything about the two was a verdant blur, the snapping of dead foliage and the chirruping of surprised smaller animals lost in the wind howling in the running beasts’ ears.

Do you…Do you think we’ll make it in time to warn your brother, Mistress Rishal?

We will have to be, the cougar’s telepathic thought relayed back to the fox, which managed to catch up. The assassins may already be at Father’s side if they haven’t killed him already.

The forest border looms ahead, the fox sent. It is only a couple of hours from here to Overon Castle, at least, that’s what your brother has told me.

“Then let the wind guide our path,” Rishal panted as she put on a burst of speed, leaping past two trees and passing through the forest border.


* * * * *


“Uncle Jaden?”

Jaden moved his arm from over his eyes and looked sleepily into Kuron’s bright emerald eyes. “Hmm?”

“Grampa said to wake you. Galia and Papa and Grampa already had their turn at the horses.”

“Has it really been that long?” Jaden stretched as he sat up in his bed.

Kuron nodded eagerly. “Papa wanted to let you sleep some more, but Grampa said to wake you anyway.”

Jaden shook away the last bits of sleep from his eyes. “All right, Kuron. Tell Grampa I’ll be there in a moment.”

Kuron ran to the doorway and turned back to Jaden, who shifted his legs over the side of the bed. “I told Papa that you said I could be the next Bar’wani Invinc’ble Swordsman like you, and he said that I was full of opasha poop.”

“Oh, really?” Jaden chuckled. “I’ll have to talk to your Papa about that.”

“Grampa told him that I had potten…poh-ten…”

“Potential?” Jaden asked with a raised eyebrow. Kuron nodded vigorously.

“Yeah! Grampa said that if you and him trained me when I grew up, I could be.”

“Kuron, Jaden is still asleep!”

“It’s all right, Galia,” he called out as Galia came storming in, immediately turning on her heel and looking away the second she saw her older brother’s bared torso. “I should have been up three hours ago, anyway.”

“Papa said to hurry up and get to the horses,” she said, her back turned. “Something doesn’t feel right so close to Overon Castle, and he wants you and Lionel to be at the ready.”

“What does he mean?”

“Papa and I noticed that there were no birds chirping at all as we entered Mara’s Grove,” Galia replied.

“We’re already in Mara’s Grove?”

Galia nodded. “Yeah. It’s deathly quiet out there, and the horses are getting scared. We didn’t even see any guards at the checkpoint.”

Jaden nodded. “All right. Tell Papa I’ll be out in a few minutes.”


* * * * *


“What do you think the King will do?” Naomi asked as she watched Shanavale block an overhead attack.

“He’ll probably put up an extra couple of watches at all times,” Wynn answered for her. “And he’ll probably ask my father to keep them from being magically influenced.”

Their conversation was cut short as Shanavale roared with rage, slashing upward with the practice weapon in her right hand, the weapon in her left arm following with a broad upward cut, knocking Kai’s practice weapons away. The point of Shanavale’s leading practice sword stopped inches away from Kai’s nose.

“Is that a point?” Naomi whispered to Wynn.

“You shouldn’t have stopped,” Kai said as he closed his eyes and shook his head. Immediately he pivoted to his left, avoiding Shanavale’s sword, and spun around, the sword in his right hand knocking away her lead weapon. A blur of darkness was all Wynn and Naomi saw as Kai angled himself so that his spin moved lower, past Shanavale’s right arm and catching her behind the knee. Her leg buckled and she fell backward, but Kai did not stop there. He reversed his momentum and drove his right arm across her body, the flat of his practice sword hitting Shanavale in the abdomen. She hit the thick brown leather mat with a dull thud as Kai pointed his swords in a victory pose.

“You’d be in three pieces right now if we were using real swords,” Kai said. “You’re not usually one to let your anger get the better of you.”

Shanavale kept her eyes shut and her lips pressed in a thin line.

“Vale?”

Wynn ran to her and knelt beside her. “Vale, what’s wrong?”

The doors to the practice room opened and Rohadin, Captain of the Guard, burst through.

“What is it?” Kai asked, crossing his arms.

“There are two people looking for you, Heir Haruka.”

Kai nodded. Rohadin looked outside the room and nodded. A woman a year younger than him and a teenage male strode in.

“Rishal?” He ran to the female visitor as Wynn helped Shanavale up. “What are you doing here?”

“I was sent to relay this message to you, Kai,” Rishal said as she slowly handed him a scroll, her hand shaking. “Everything will be explained once you return.”

Kai unraveled the parchment and quickly scanned it over, his eyes growing larger with each passing second. Immediately, he dropped the scroll and bolted out the door, nearly bowling the Captain over. Kai’s visitors followed close behind.

“Kai…!” Naomi cried out. She looked down at the scroll briefly before picking it up and reading it. As soon as she finished reading it, she dropped it and sprinted after Kai.

“Naomi!” Shanavale cried out.

Wynn picked up the scroll. “What in…?”


* * * * *


Akanaku Haruka, Master Keeper of the Forest Sanctum, floated a foot off the ornately carved stone floor, surrounded by the eleven remaining Brothers and Apprentices. He remained in deep concentration, even as the immensely tall cathedral doors burst open.

“So, you are the assassins sent to kill me?” he asked, his back to the doors and his concentration not the least bit disturbed.

“You knew we were here?”

Akanaku merely nodded.

“And you know why we are here?”

Akanaku nodded once more. The two assassins stepped closer.

“Wait.”

The word stopped them dead in their tracks.

“These eleven are Brothers and Apprentices of the Forest Sanctum. I have ordered them not to rise up against you. Their blood must not be spilt needlessly.”

“Why should we believe you?” one assassin asked as he drew his sword.

“Because they would have risen up already to fight you in order to save me,” Akanaku replied as he opened his eyes and his form gently lowered to the floor. “You are men of Overon. Assassins you may be, but your blood is honorable. They have not tried to stop you yet. Spare their lives, else they will not spare yours.”

“Our blood may be honorable, old fool, but assassins we are,” the second assassin said mockingly as he unsheathed his sword. “And we don’t believe in witnesses.”

“And so it begins,” Akakanku said as he felt something pierce his chest. “Your deaths as well as mine are only the beginning.”


=[ End of Part Two ]=

A/N: Well, there's Part Two. I hope that you're enjoying the story so far, if you've been keeping up on it. Smut will come soon, worry not. Oh, and cu-kid, I tried to integrate some form of scenery description where the Traveling Fair was concerned, but it interrupted the flow of the story. I know that it sounds quite nonsensical whenever I start to talk about the 'flow' of a story, but rest assured that I will find some way to describe the world around Overon, as well as where the Barawani Traveling Fair, well...traveled. Anyway, remember that reviews and constructive criticism (hell, even an honest rating) is always appreciated! See you soon!