Read Blood and Steel (The Cor Chronicles Volume I) Page 12
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Palius’ hands shook as if with palsy as he read the dispatch from Jonn via the lead administrative priest in Martherus. They found the boy through amazing luck within days of his birth; of course the Queen Herself and many of her highest priests praised Garod. They had watched him closely and even become directly involved in his education at his parents’ request. And then he had disappeared, run away it seemed, having boarded a seagoing vessel from Tigol. The priest, Jonn, had just received word that the boy, now almost a man, had appeared near home. Jonn decided to call on the boy’s home in the early afternoon and found the boy’s parents murdered along with another dead man, who was perhaps a Loszian. The man had a strange wound on his shoulder, as if he had been skinned there, and a gaping sword wound clean through his midsection; not to mention that he had been decapitated expertly. The boy’s parents had been killed with daggers the likes of which the man carried, so he had killed the boy’s parents.
Who killed the killer? Where was Cor? Palius knew that this entire matter would chase him into his grave.
Jonn immediately sent word to his superior in Martherus, who then sent his fastest rider with the authority to commandeer the Queen’s horses. Garod’s priests had no way to communicate through their god’s power, and the West had long found birds to be unreliable. To resolve this issue some time ago, Aquis invested a large amount of money in certain highways connecting all of the West’s capitals and many of its main cities. Outposts were placed at key points along these roads, allowing a rider with the proper authorization to ride his horse near to death and switch to a fresh horse at an outpost.
Palius pinched the bridge of his nose in thought as he stalked the halls of the palace headed for his queen’s chambers. She hadn’t held court or audience today, preferring to tend to the more mundane matters of ruling from her desk. He entered her chambers without a knock or introduction from the guards; as her highest advisor, Palius had open access to Queen Erella at all times. Often, his information could not wait for etiquette, and he found her seated at her desk, leaning against the plush high backed chair. He dropped his hand from his nose in consideration of her; her eyes were closed, and she looked at peace.
“Palius, you are the only person allowed in these rooms without so much as a knock,” she said, startling him as she opened her eyes. “So, I know you do not do so without reason.”
“I am sorry Majesty. I was not sure if I should disturb you.”
She laughed with mirth at this. “You weren’t sure I was alive you mean. Do not worry; I live through the grace of Garod, and I live as long as he needs me to serve.”
“Yes my queen,” Palius answered automatically; he had never been one for religion or mysticism. “I have news most disturbing.” Palius summarized the most recent news from Jonn, including his own conclusions he had drawn from the obvious evidence, and he watched as Queen Erella’s expression changed dramatically to one of exhaustion.
“I have already dispatched rangers to track anyone who may have taken the boy, but I doubt their ability to help. It has been several days since this happened; the likelihood of them tracking the boy’s abductor at this point are slim,” Palius concluded.
“We must find him,” Queen Erella almost whispered.
“Finding him means finding his abductor. What can we divine about the abductor? He is clearly a trained fighting man; he killed the Loszian with apparent ease. The wound is from a double edged longsword, a common weapon used by all of the peoples across this continent. He obviously isn’t a Loszian, which makes him a Westerner or Northman,” Palius paused.
“We must also consider that he may be a mercenary looking to collect a Loszian bounty, a man with no real loyalty to anyone,” said the queen.
“Yes,” agreed Palius, “that’s very possible. He let the Loszian do the real work of finding the boy, then slew him and took the boy back to Losz himself.”
“Is it possible,” the queen met Palius’ eyes, “that he was taken by another Dahken?”
“My queen, I see no reason for such a conclusion. The Dahken have been dead for over five hundred years, since The Cleansing. No one, no one made mention of another,” Palius answered.
“They worship a blood god, Palius. They are said to spring from him at any time,” she countered.
“Majesty, the Dahken were known for their magic, and there was no evidence of any foul sorcery where the child’s parents were found. Besides, if the Dahken still existed, I think we would have seen some evidence. I don’t think they could continue to hide their existence for so long a time,” reasoned Palius.
“Perhaps,” Queen Erella said quietly, closing her eyes.