CHAPTER FIVE
Tristan wandered into the outer courtyard of the castle with his skateboard tucked under his arm and a grin on his face. As he’d suspected, Kyra had loved the fun. She’d squealed in delight when he’d pushed her on it. He glanced up at the clear, blue sky.
His smile fell. He’d been with the family for six days, totaling a week and a half in the strange land of Barico. And he was still no closer to finding any clues to the lost medallion. No closer to finding his way home. He was stuck in a world not his own.
Not that he didn’t like Barico, he thought. He did. And he really liked the royal family. But he didn’t belong in Barico. He needed to figure out how to get home.
Across the courtyard, Quin was getting ready to boost himself onto a horse that had been saddled for him. “Hey,” Tristan caught his attention.
Quin tossed him a grin. “Tristan! How are you, my friend?”
Tristan smiled at his affable greeting. Quin had held his reservations in the beginning about his presence, but since they’d started sparring and Quin had gotten to know him, Quin’s attitude toward him had relaxed considerably. “I’m well. Thanks. You going for a ride?”
“There have been a few raids in Innswick. A few villages have been attacked,” Quin told him.
“Innswick is one of the regions of Barico?”
Quin nodded. “It is the northernmost region and borders the North. Duke Brogan oversees the region.”
“And they were attacked?”
Quin nodded. “A tribe of Northerners must have found a way across the river and past our border. Father and I are going to go check it out. You’re welcome to come, if you like.”
Tristan’s brow rose. “You want me to come with you and check out some northern raiders attacking people?”
Quin laughed. “We’ll be perfectly safe. I doubt we’ll find the raiders, and if we do, that’s what General Kale is for.” He gestured behind Tristan.
Tristan turned to see the Royal Guard’s general approaching. The general stood in his glorious, gold Baricoan armor and a royal blue cape that hung loosely down his back. His hair was long with the top half pulled back in a tail that kept it out of his face.
Tristan returned his attention to Quin. “Why does this require you and your father’s presence? Seems like a simple enough task for General Kale’s men.”
“I agree,” General Kale said from behind him. “It’s an unnecessary risk. My men can handle these raiders.”
“Penley has advised Father that a show of strength is needed for the Innswick villages that have been attacked,” Quin explained. “They need to see that we care. Enough to come to their aid personally. My father and I agree. It’s important that we go.”
Quin directed his attention solely to Tristan. “Besides, I thought you might like to get out of this castle for a little while. Spend a night under the stars. See a little of what Barico has to offer.”
Tristan glanced behind them when Darius entered the courtyard with his family following closely behind. Rhea seemed to be arguing with him. His eyes met Shaylin’s. He shrugged as he turned back to Quin. “Okay.”
Quin smiled. “Excellent. I took the liberty of having a pack put together for you and a horse saddled.” He slapped Tristan on the arm with enthusiasm as he passed on his way to his father.
Tristan glanced at Kale who watched him with amusement. “I didn’t think my answering yes was that predictable.”
“A prince rarely hears no,” was Kale’s only answer.
Quin hugged his mother. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.” To his father, he said, “Tristan has agreed to accompany us.”
Shaylin’s head snapped up. “What? Why?”
Quin shot his sister a confused look. “What do you mean why? It’ll be a good opportunity for him to see something other than the inside of this castle.”
“What if something happens?” she shot back. “He’s a scholar. He doesn’t know what to do.”
Darius gave the concerns of his wife and daughter consideration. “Maybe she’s right. Perhaps Tristan should stay here…for now. It’s safer.”
Quin frowned at him. “He’ll be fine. We’re going to be with Kale the whole time. We’ll be perfectly safe.”
“You ride to Innswick where raiders are attacking the villages,” Shaylin protested. “That is not safe. He should stay.”
Darius glanced at his daughter, then his wife. “I will not demand he stay. If he wishes to accompany us, I will allow it. The danger is minimal. I will look after him.”
As they were mounting, Shaylin watched with a frown and an impatiently tapping foot. “I don’t like this,” she told her mother. “They shouldn’t be going.”
Rhea agreed wholeheartedly, but she knew there were some battles she wasn’t going to win. “They’ve made their decision, and we’re not going to change their minds.” She grasped her daughter’s hand. “All we can do is pray they return to us safely.”
“Why is Tristan going?” she blurted out.
Rhea sighed. “Because Quin is fond of his company and talked him into going.”
Tristan’s horse stopped in front of them as Darius’s, who was in front of him, had stopped. He glanced at the women with a sheepish smile. “I’m having second thoughts about this,” he admitted. His eyes met Rhea’s. “This is going to be fine, right?”
She pasted a fake smile on her face. “Absolutely. I hope you enjoy the beauty of our kingdom as much as I always do.”
• • •
Tristan attempted his latest learned move, thrusting his stick forward, but Quin was quick and dodged. Their sticks clacked together. Quin grinned. “That was good. You almost had it. You’re a quick study, Tristan,” he praised.
They were about to break camp and move to the first village that had been raided. While the men packed the gear that had been dispersed for the night, Quin had decided it was a grand time for another lesson for Tristan. Tristan was trying to be a good sport.
Tristan wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to learn swordsmanship. But Quin seemed to like teaching him, so he tried to be a good student and learn what was being taught. And, he thought, it might impress Shaylin if he learned.
Kale watched them with interest, his arms crossed over his chest. He nodded at Tristan. “He’s right. You’re progressing very nicely.”
Tristan pursed his lips as he studied his stick. He had just looked up again and was about to comment when the arrow struck. It pierced the neck of one of the already saddled guards. The guard grasped his neck desperately as he fell like a rock from the horse.
It seemed to happen in slow motion. At first, the magnitude of the act didn’t register in Tristan’s mind. Then chaos exploded around him. Kale sprinted for Quin. Tristan’s eyes rose to the trees of the forest they had camped at the edge of.
A man was perched on one of the tree’s thick limbs. He had a bow in his hand and an arrow at the ready. The arrow was aimed at him. He felt the metallic tip graze his cheek as a body slammed into his and threw him to the ground.
When he looked up, Darius was on top of him. “Stay down!” he ordered. He looked desperately for his son and found him in Kale’s capable hands.
One of the Royal Guards had reacted to the arrows flying through the air. He was picking off the men in the trees as quickly as he could with a bow of his own. But he wasn’t fast enough. Three arrows slammed into his body simultaneously.
Darius pulled Tristan to his feet. “The forest is our only hope,” he yelled. “Run into the forest!”
“But that’s where they are!” Tristan argued.
“Run! Now!” Darius shoved him in the direction he wanted.
Tristan saw Kale and Quin just as they darted into the forest. Darius raced beside him. As soon as the trees enveloped him, two men appeared running toward them at full speed with drawn swords. Darius shoved him to the ground and unsheathed his own sword.
The ring of metal striking metal burst through the quiet forest air. Tristan
felt nauseous and light headed as he struggled to regain his balance. His eyes zeroed in on Darius as he took on two men.
“No,” Tristan whispered. He shoved to his feet and pummeled his shoulder into one of the men’s midsections. “No!”
The warrior reversed their positions as soon as they stopped sliding so that he was on top. Tristan had knocked his sword away, so he loosed a dagger and thrust it toward Tristan’s neck. Tristan caught his hands with the blade only inches from his neck.
Tristan groaned as he put all of his strength into stopping the knife, but it kept edging closer and closer. He realized he wasn’t going to be able to stop it when the warrior suddenly went limp. Tristan tried to slide out from under him, but the man was heavy.
Darius appeared in his line of sight as he pulled the man off of him. “Are you all right?” He offered a hand to help Tristan to his feet. “We have to keep moving. Are you all right, Tristan?”
“I don’t know,” Tristan looked down at himself as he tried to catch his breath. “I…I think so. Are…are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Darius assured him. “Now move!”
They only made it a few feet before more men came running for them. Tristan looked desperately for a weapon. He grabbed a thick branch that had fallen to the ground and lifted it just in time to block the sword swinging toward his face.
He heard a muffled roaring and absently wondered on it in the back of his mind. But the man attacking him brought his full attention back as his sword swung in from the opposite direction of the branch he held. Tristan tried to pull his body back in time, but he felt the tip of the blade graze his flesh.
A boot lifted as the man kicked out and connected with Tristan’s torso. Tristan flew backward as the pain exploded in his chest. He hit the ground hard and slid backward.
Before he could push himself to his feet, he was grabbed from behind. An arm wrapped around his neck and pulled him upright. His hands grasped at the strong arm constricting his airway.
Something hit his attacker from behind hard and sent them both reeling forward. Tristan choked and coughed as his airway was released. He scrambled away from his attacker. As he did, he saw Darius standing over the man.
Darius’s sword came down and pierced the man’s back. His eyes lifted to Tristan. “Come!”
Before Tristan could react to the order, an arrow flew through the trees and slammed into Darius’s chest. Darius staggered on his feet, then fell to his knees as he looked down at the arrow. He met Tristan’s gaze one last time. “Run,” he whispered.
Horror burst through Tristan. “No!” He ran for Darius. “No! No!” He caught him as Darius pitched forward and rolled him to his back. “Darius! No!”
There was so much blood. He tried to press his hands over the wound to stop the bleeding, but the protruding arrow made it difficult. “Don’t you dare,” he said as Darius stared up at him. “Stay with me! Don’t you dare! Darius!”
The blood seeped through his fingers and stained his hands. “Help me! Somebody please help me!”
Two men stepped out of the cover of the trees. Tristan could see they weren’t of the Royal Guard. They were raiders. He gritted his teeth and barely contained a scream of fury. There was no one to help.
Darius’s hand reached up weakly. He gripped Tristan’s shirt in his fist. “You have to go. Please,” he begged. “Find my son. Please help my son.”
Tristan felt the burn of agonizing tears fill his eyes. “I’m not leaving you here,” he growled against the threatening tears. “I can’t leave you here.”
“Tristan.” Darius turned his head to eye the men watching them. They were approaching slowly, obviously enjoying the hunt. “You have to. You must live, Tristan. For my family. Take care of my family. Please. Go.”
Darius’s eyes slowly closed as his fist relaxed and fell to the ground. Tristan screamed, “No!” Fury filled him as his hand closed over the sword that had fallen from Darius’s.
He shoved to his feet swinging and caught one of the approaching men across the face. The man yelled and stumbled back. Tristan threw all of his weight into the second man to drive him back. Then he planted his feet and thrust the sword toward the man’s torso.
It met flesh and dug in. A tear trailed down Tristan’s cheek as he faced the raider he’d just run through. The man fell backward with Darius’s sword still in him. Tristan bent and scooped up a rock. He swung it toward the man who was still clutching his face.
The rock connected with the man’s temple. He went limp as he hit the ground. Tristan looked around. Where were all of the guards?! Had they all been killed?
He stumbled back to Darius’s body and fell to his knees beside it. His hand shook as he reached out to rest it on Darius’s chest. “I’m so sorry. I’ll find Quin. I promise.”
He could hear more men approaching. He crawled to the man he had killed and stumbled to his feet. Wrapping his hand around the hilt of the sword still lodged in his chest, he yanked it free. Then with one last glance at Darius, he took off running deep into the forest.
The men were hot on his heels. He could hear them. The roaring he’d barely registered before grew louder. He skidded to a stop at the edge of a waterfall. Glancing behind him as his chest heaved, he knew he had only moments to decide.
An arrow whizzed past his head, barely missing its mark. With the heavy sword still clutched in his hands, he faced the waterfall…and jumped.
• • •
Shaylin sat on a bench on the edge of the inner courtyard, staring at nothing in particular. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and shot to her feet. Her mother was walking toward her. Penley intercepted her.
Shaylin took a single step toward the pair, then stopped. Her mother’s face crumpled a moment before she let out a pained wail of agony. Her heart thumped hard in her chest. She took another step and stopped.
Her grandfather came running from the castle. He embraced Rhea tightly when her legs gave way beneath her. Tears stung Shaylin’s eyes. She couldn’t catch her breath. She squeezed her eyes shut as she silently chanted in her head. No, no, no.
Her mother’s reaction could mean only one thing.
Thank you for reading REIGN OF RESURGENCE: THE ADVANTAGE!
If you enjoyed it, please remember to leave a review!
Keep reading for a sneak peek of the next episode of REIGN OF REURGENCE…
THE EDGE
Having witnessed the betrayal that has rocked the kingdom of Barico, Tristan finds himself accused of conspiring against a slain king. But he refuses to let it stop him. With Baricoan farmer Ryder as his loyal companion, he sets out for the menacing land to the north to seek the only thing that will save them all.
Available January 5th!