Savage Messiah

CHAPTER LX

Wulfgar was uneasy as he looked out over the sea of Whispers. The sun was setting. Much of the demonslaver fleet and all seven of the Black Ships sat at anchor in the horseshoe-shaped bay, waiting for their lord to join them. The rest of the fleet dutifully patrolled the waters surrounding the island. Two days had passed since Tyranny's raid on the Citadel, and the Enseterat remained concerned.

Einar and Serena stood beside him. The seven skeletal captains of the Black Ships stood at attention to one side, awaiting their orders. Today Wulfgar and his forces would sail for Eutracia. And this time he knew he would not fail.

He wasn't particularly worried about the captured demonslaver. The slaver had been only one of many such guards of lower rank, and he did not possess information that would be of great use to the Eutracian wizards.

What concerned him was that the sanctity of his home had been violated-the very place where he had vowed to keep his queen and unborn daughter safe. The demonslavers who had failed him had paid for their mistake with their lives. Extra precautions had been taken to protect the fortress, and he was reasonably sure that its security would not be breached again. Without informing his consuls, he had granted Serena's blood signature a host of additional Forestallments, should she need them in his absence. Even so, he had mixed feelings about leaving.

Yesterday the soothing voices of the Heretics had come to him again, bringing words that had slowly salved his concerns. He had been in the throne room with Einar and Serena, poring over maps of Eutracia and briefing them about the impending campaign.

Wulfgar had been in midsentence when he heard the chorus of voices. Recognizing their timbre, he walked to the edge of the room that looked out over the sea. Lowering his head, he went down on both knees.

"Wulfgar," the voices whispered.

"I am here," he answered.

"The wizards of the Redoubt have violated the Citadel. But remain strong of heart, for they have gained little. The wounded Orb of the Vigors has succeeded in cutting its way through the mountains that lie on the western side of Eutracia. When you reach Eutracia, you and a measure of your forces must immediately travel to the pass. Send another group under the leadership of your captains to find the orb and keep it safe from the Jin'Sai and his wizards. Nothing must be allowed to stop its decay. Allow the female assassin to continue her work, for it will prove useful. But if she is unable to kill the Jin'Sai and the Jin'Saiou, then that shall become your task."

The voices paused for a moment. Sensing that his mind should remain still, Wulfgar waited reverently.

"Under no circumstances are you or any of your servants to attack the capital until you have first secured the mouth of the pass. Proceed with caution, because the forces of the Jin'Sai guard it and they must be dealt with. Once the pass is yours, we shall again reveal ourselves to you. Do not be alarmed by what you will see there, for it will be wondrous and will further aid you in your cause. Go quickly, Wulfgar, and have faith. All will be revealed."

"I shall obey," he answered.

Stunned, he slowly walked back to Einar and Serena. They looked at him curiously.

"What troubles you, my lord?" Serena asked. She took his good hand. It felt cold, as though all of his blood had somehow left him.

Wulfgar cast his gaze westward toward Eutracia-the land that had once been his home. "The Heretics have spoken to me once more," he said. He told Einar and Serena the news and instructions.

"Is it true?" Wulfgar asked Einar, unsure he believed what he'd been told. "Could a pass to the other side truly exist? What wonders might await us there?"

Einar lowered the hood of his robe. He seemed as stunned as his master-perhaps more so. He considered the question for a moment.

"If the Heretics themselves have told you of this, then it must be true," he answered. "It must be a vision without equal in our history! How I wish I were going with you, my lord! How my eyes hunger to witness all that you are about to see! Even so, I know that in your absence my place is here, guarding your queen and your unborn child. But tell me-did the Heretics say what would be required of you once you reach the pass?"

Wulfgar shook his head. "Only that I am to crush the Jin'Sai's Minions who guard it, then await their word."

Einar smiled. "Given your captains, the demonslavers still under your command, and the Earthshakers that have already been boarded upon the Black Ships, your dealings with the Minions should be swift. Also quite rewarding, I might add. Who knows, you may even face the Jin'Sai himself on the battlefield. I envy you the impending struggle. It will be glorious."

Serena moved her husband's hand to place it on her swollen belly. As though she could have somehow willed it so, the baby gave a gentle kick. The ravaged skin of Wulfgar's face contorted in a smile.

"Do not forget us," Serena said softly. "And do not forget the magnificent side of the craft for which we all struggle."

Wulfgar gave her a kiss, then turned his good eye back to the sea.

As the sun sank below the horizon, the wind was freshening. They would make good time during this first night of their adventure.

He turned to his queen. "I have something for you," he told her. He reached into his jacket and produced a single red rose. She smiled as he handed it to her.

"Thank you, my lord," she said. "While you are gone I shall treasure it."

Wulfgar looked into her eyes. "It is more than a simple rose," he told her. "It is bound to the craft, just as you and I are. As long as I am alive, it will bloom. But should it wither and die, you will sense the change wherever you are, and know that the unimaginable has occurred."

Serena reached out to touch the ravaged side of his face. "I am sure that this flower will continue to bloom until the day you return to our shores," she said softly.

Wulfgar nodded. "Goodbye, my love," he said quietly. "Take good care of our child."

Having suddenly lost her voice, Serena tried to smile. As she did, a tear traced a path down her cheek. When Wulfgar kissed her, he tasted salt, like the sea he would soon be sailing upon.

"Guard my queen and my child with your life," he told Einar. Then he smiled wickedly. "While I am away, find a suitable place to display the heads of the Jin'Sai and his two wizards. I intend to bring them home with me."