Savage Messiah

CHAPTER L

Shailiha shivered. it was painfully cold at this altitude, and more than once she had been forced to wipe frost from her hair and eyelashes. She and Tyranny wore heavy cloaks to help ward off the weather. As usual, Scars was dressed only in his torn trousers. Smiling, Shailiha shook her head. Like Ox, he never seemed bothered by the weather.

K'jarr and three other handpicked warriors-Crevin, Micah, and Lan-sat quietly beside them. Six additional Minion bearers bore the litter though the nighttime sky. When they landed, Tyranny wanted the four idle warriors to be fresh. All their lives would depend upon it.

They had entered the fog bank two hours ago. Once there, Tyranny had carefully consulted her enchanted sextant, and then told the warriors to change course slightly. She had been eager to confirm the additional enchantments that would allow the sextant both to operate in the fog and to read the stars as well as the sun. She had been greatly relieved when it worked as promised.

The mist surrounding them was wet and dense, making it impossible to watch the ocean sliding by below. But K'jarr had a considerable talent for dead reckoning, and he was reasonably sure about when to order their descent. Until that time they would take advantage of the welcome cover. It was not their intention to immediately approach the fortress.

The previous day had passed calmly enough, giving the Reprise's canvas-masters a chance to finish repairing her sails. The frigate now had more speed, but she still lumbered more than Tyranny liked.

Before leaving the ship in charge of her boatswain, Tyranny had ordered that the frigate sail in circles, always staying near the same relative position. If the raiding party was to find the ship again, this would be crucial.

Shailiha looked over at Tyranny. The privateer's expression was grim. Other than when she gave directions to the warriors, she had said little. Shailiha couldn't help imagining that the captain was thinking of Tristan, and of the private conversation the two of them had shared in Tyranny's stateroom.

The princess rubbed her fingers together. The tingle in her hand told her that Faegan's spell was still working. May it continue to hold, she thought.

K'jarr leaned toward Tyranny. "It is time!" he shouted. Tyranny nodded back. K'jarr gestured to the warriors carrying the litter and they started down.

When they broke through the bottom of the fog, they saw that the Sea of Whispers was calm. From this distance, all they could see of the Citadel was a smattering of twinkling lights that floated ephemerally above the waves.

The litter descended in a tight spiral. When they were no more than a hundred meters or so above the waves, the warriors widened the spiral and held their altitude. Tyranny nodded to Shailiha and Scars.

Tyranny, Scars, and the princess stood up, as did the four waiting warriors. The two women removed their cloaks and checked their weapons. Crevin and Micah lifted Tyranny and Scars into their arms, and K'jarr took Shailiha. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. By previous agreement, the princess would go first.

K'jarr climbed onto the sturdy sidewall of the litter, snapped open his wings, and promptly stepped off. The warriors carrying Tyranny and Scars went next. Lan followed.

At first Shailiha was sure that she was about to die. The wind tore at her hair and clothes, and K'jarr had difficulty stabilizing his flight. He finally leveled out and soared low over the waves, waiting for the others to join them. Soon the four warriors closed ranks, waiting for the next stage of their plan to unfold.

The litter and the other warriors broke free of the fog. Fanning their wings to gentle the descent, the bearers dropped the litter atop the waves then landed themselves, one by one, and climbed inside it.

Shailiha listened as Tyranny shouted out a series of commands in Old Eutracian. The litter began to glow. Shailiha winced, knowing that this might give away their position, but it couldn't be helped. Faegan's enchantment would hold the litter in the same place on the sea, so that on the return leg of their mission they could find it again.

Watching the glow fade away almost immediately, Shailiha breathed a sigh of relief. As long as night reigned, the litter would prove nearly impossible to see. Once Tyranny was again within the prescribed range of the spell, she would utter another set of orders, and the litter would glow once more. It was imperative that they return from the Citadel before dawn-otherwise, the litter would prove an all-too-vulnerable target.

Satisfied, Tyranny ordered the others to form up on Crevin, and they flew toward the Citadel.

There was still a good bit of distance to cover, and the tension-filled trip took some time. As they neared the island, Tyranny ordered the warriors to take them higher, so that she could better scout the terrain.

There was no fog here, and the moonlight revealed the Citadel in all its menacing splendor. Several slaver frigates patrolled the sea around the horseshoe-shaped bay at the island's southern end, where the rest of the demonslaver fleet lay quietly anchored. But there was no sign of the Black Ships, or the skeletal captains K'jarr had warned them about.

After carefully surveying the island, Tyranny ordered Crevin to lead the group down. They landed behind some rocks, on a part of the shore that closely bordered the fortress' walls.

The Minions lowered their passengers to the ground. As the warriors closed their wings, they and the women drew their swords. Scars smiled and cracked his knuckles. The only other sound was the restless sea, its waves crashing over and over against the rocks. About a hundred meters ahead, the Citadel beckoned.

The ground rose dramatically, ending at the sheer rock walls surrounding the fortress. Demonslavers patrolled the guard paths at their tops. Tyranny looked over at the warriors.

"Crevin and Micah, I want you to circle around the walls as far as you dare," she whispered. "See if you can find a way in. The rest of us will wait here. Be quick."

The two warriors ran to the base of the wall, then crept away in opposite directions.

Her hand clenched tightly around her sword, Shailiha watched the warriors disappear into the darkness. Despite the coolness of the night, her palms had become moist, her mouth dry.

After what seemed forever, the warriors finally returned. Crevin shook his head.

"I searched as far as I dared," he whispered, "but the wall looks impenetrable and impossible to climb. I believe that the southern gate we saw from the air is the only way in or out."

"I agree," Micah said. "Gaining entrance to this place will be difficult." The warrior smiled, his teeth glinting in the moonlight. "But not impossible."

Tyranny understood what Micah was saying. To capture a demonslaver, they would have to take to the air again. It was risky but there seemed to be no other choice.

Looking back at the fortress, Tyranny noticed a square stone structure atop the spot where two angled sections of wall joined. A soft, golden glow came from its windows. She assumed that it must be a guard post of some kind. After thinking for a moment, she whispered her plan to the others. They nodded back.

Crevin hoisted Tyranny into his arms again. Snapping open his wings, he made a short run along the shore and then launched himself into the air.

He flew as fast as he could toward the wall, then spiraled upward, staying close to the fortress. When they neared the summit he slowed and hovered again. Very carefully they peeked over the top of the wall.

There was no one there.

Landing upon the rampart, Crevin set Tyranny on her feet. After a signal from Tyranny, Micah flew up to join them. They made for the stone structure at the corner and flattened themselves up against it. The wooden door was slightly ajar; light poured softly from its windows.

Laughter came from inside. Tyranny carefully raised her face to the window and glanced in. Ducking back down, she whispered a quick set of orders to the warriors, and they nodded back.

Tyranny positioned herself before the door, quickly pushed it open, and rushed in. The warriors were right behind her.

Four demonslavers sat at a table, drinking and playing cards. When the one nearest the door grabbed up his sword and rose from his chair, Tyranny swung her weapon at his throat. She meant to behead him with a single stroke, but her blow landed short. The tip of the blade slashed across his windpipe, and dark blood rushed forth in a geyser. Dropping to one knee, she swung the blade around again, taking off one of his legs. As he collapsed to the floor, she plunged her sword into his heart.

While another slaver swung at Tyranny with a short sword and Micah battled the third, Crevin tried to follow Tyranny's orders and choke the last one into unconsciousness.

Tyranny barely avoided the demonslaver blade as it whistled around. For several moments the battle seesawed back and forth, their blades striking so viciously against one another that sparks flew. Then the slaver suddenly stopped fighting. His eyes went wide. For a moment he stared into space. With a crash he fell face down onto the table, then slid to the floor, Micah's dagger sticking out of his back.

Tyranny looked around. The first slaver Micah had been struggling with lay dead in the corner, awash in his own blood. Crevin had succeeded in rendering the last one unconscious. Still seated in his chair, the slaver's head lay slumped over the table.

Lowering her bloody sword, Tyranny walked to the door and poked her head out. Atop distant sections of the wall, she could just make out more white-skinned demonslavers treading the guard path. No alarm had gone out. She was grateful that the thick stone walls of the guardhouse had muffled most of the noise. Then she heard the soft flurry of wings, and Lan and K'jarr landed with Scars and Shailiha. Tyranny urgently waved them inside and shut the door.

Scars walked over to the unconscious demonslaver. Casually lifting the creature's head by one earring, he examined its face. Then he let go and with a thud, the demonslaver fell back onto the table. Scars smiled at Tyranny.

"It isn't fair of you to hog all of the fun, Captain," he whispered.

Ignoring him for the moment, Tyranny ordered Crevin and Micah to opposite windows of the guardhouse to watch for approaching demonslavers. Then she smiled at Scars.

"Sorry you missed all the excitement," she said. "But you'll get your chance. I've decided we're going farther."

"What are you talking about?" Shailiha protested in a whisper. "We have what we came for. We should leave right now, while we still can!"

"I'm not leaving until I know more about this place," Tyranny replied.

The princess was dumbfounded. What Tyranny was saying made no sense.

"Are you mad?" she asked. "What could you possibly hope to accomplish-other than getting us all killed?"

Tyranny glared at her companions.

"Listen to me-all of you!" she said quietly. "I have no more wish to die than you do. But we've managed to come this far, and I say it's worth the risk to try to go farther. This citadel has been the source of all of our troubles, has it not? This is the chance of a lifetime, and we owe it to the Conclave to try to learn everything about this place that we can!"

Then she gave Shailiha a conspiratorial wink. "Besides," she added, "you know as well as I that well-behaved women rarely make history."

Shaking her head, Shailiha obstinately pointed to the unconscious slaver. "What can we possibly learn about the Citadel that he can't tell us?"

"That's what I want to find out. But I do agree with you about keeping our prize safe." Tyranny looked over at Micah. "I want you to fly him back to those high rocks on the shore. For the time being, you should be safe there. If we have not joined you in two hours' time, do your best to fly the slaver to the litter. I know it will be difficult to locate, but if you are forced to leave the island without us, we are probably all dead anyway. Then I want you and the others to try to make your way back to the Reprise, and from there to Faegan's portal. Go now. And good luck."

Micah lifted the demonslaver. K'jarr took his place at the window. After a silent nod of farewell, Micah carried the slaver through the door. They heard a few short steps, followed by the familiar sound of wings.

Shailiha glanced skeptically at K'jarr. The look on his face told her that he was as unsure about Tyranny's plan as she was. Scowling, the warrior returned to his surveillance.

"I know you have your doubts," Tyranny whispered. "Just answer one question. If the Jin'Sai were here, what would he do?"

"That doesn't matter now," K'jarr whispered back. As he turned back toward them, the look on his face was grim. "While we have been standing here talking, six slavers approach! I suspect they are coming to relieve the ones we killed."

With no time to lose, they lined up in threes on either side of the door. Silently cursing Tyranny's decision, Shailiha grimly raised her sword.

Soon the approaching slavers' footsteps could be heard. They grew louder. Then they stopped. An ominous silence descended.

As Shailiha tightened her grip upon her sword, the rusty hinges of the guardhouse door squeaked.