Almost there. Talon looked around as the trees thinned out, leading into a straight path. Riding with him were his royal guards; beyond his guards were fifty soldiers, spread out in case of an attack. There would be no chance for an assassin to get to him—not without going through some soldiers first.
The burden of being a king. Talon thought he was doing a good job thus far. Getting Qidan under his control had been a big milestone. He wondered if his father would have supported what he had done or advised him differently.
Qidan, who didn’t look happy, was riding beside him. The mage never looked happy nowadays, not since Talon had forced him into the bond. The once smug mage was now serving him. It was satisfying to see Qidan brought down a level.
They were journeying to Dalmon Fortress, near the borders between Vandalor and Azzellia. King Durran had finally agreed to a meeting after months of them asking. Talon would arrive at the fortress before nightfall and meet with Durran in the morning.
To the disappointment of his uncle, Talon had ordered the council to remain behind. Besurlde had been trying to convince Talon not to do anything rash, especially if Durran asked for more assistance. That wasn’t likely. The rebels had been wiped out of Vandalor—for good, this time. Talon intended to persuade Durran to sign a treaty to work together if an invasion occurred. He didn’t want to stipulate anything else; he didn’t want the other nations to think he was trying to conquer them or become the ruler of all of Aidris.
Still, it was going to be difficult to convince the other nations to sign a treaty. Talon’s father had fought hard to get a meeting and had met strong resistance. None of the other kings had agreed to meet. He was hoping this would work out. If it did, surely other nations would follow.
The journey was dull, as no bandit with half a brain would dare to attack this small force. Food was plentiful, but Talon’s body was sore from all the riding. They had been traveling for a little over two weeks, and it had been a while since he had ridden a horse for that long.
Qidan muttered to himself constantly. The mages weren’t used to traveling much by horseback because they could go almost anywhere they wanted within seconds due to portals.
Despite their agreement, it had been very difficult to get answers from Qidan. No matter how well worded the question, it was impossible to force complete obedience. Talon found it frustrating, for the mage would only give him little snippets. He hoped that changed soon for he needed in-depth answers, especially concerning the power. His life might depend on having knowledge.
“Why didn’t you let me portal us to the fortress? It would have been much faster than riding,” Qidan complained once he was close to Talon and nobody else could hear.
Talon hid his surprise at the question. Why would the mage bring that up now? They weren’t far from the fortress. “That would be suspicious. You never portaled my father anywhere, so why would you now?” he asked.
Ducking his face, Qidan muttered angrily to himself again.
“Exactly,” Talon said and looked ahead.
The mage was frustrated with the oath-keeper bond. He repeatedly asked Talon about how he had discovered his ability without getting caught.
He never answered those questions. Talon might have the mage under his thumb but he wouldn’t divulge secrets. If the mages ever discovered the hidden archives, they would storm the castle. The knowledge in there was worth far more than gold to anyone who could use the power.
Shaking away those thoughts, Talon recalled the last time he had met Durran. He had been six years old and representatives of the five nations all met together to discuss trade and other issues. He was too young to know what was being discussed and only remembered how fancy everyone dressed.
This peace treaty was too important to mess up. Talon had planned on how to convince Durran of its necessity. Finding the person who had poisoned his father was also on his mind. He asked Qidan about the poison and his advisor told him he had no idea who wanted Lerin dead, though he agreed that Lerin had been poisoned. The mage wasn’t very good at advising Talon on how to approach Durran.
The fortress was within view now. They would be there soon. Talon was so focused on his thoughts that he hadn’t realized how close they were. It would be good to sleep in a bed rather than the ground. It was also good for morale. The people would be happy to see him. The last time his father visited Dalmon Fortress was over ten years ago.
The fortress was on a cliff, making it very difficult to assault. There was one road leading to it, and while it was possible to scale the cliff, it was perilous. The walls were tall, almost fifty feet high, among the biggest in all of Aidris.
When Talon’s entourage reached the entrance, the gates opened and revealed over one hundred troops. Behind the troops was a large crowd of civilians. Word had been sent weeks ago that the new king was visiting Dalmon Fortress.
At the entrance of the gates was Lord Talmon. He was in his forties, with a greying beard, and a tad overweight. His armor glinted in the sun and he bowed as Talon entered the gates.
“Lord Talmon, it has been too long,” Talon said, and jumped off his horse. A stableboy came running over to grab the reins and take the horse to the stables.
“It has, your grace,” Talmon rose from his bow and hugged Talon. “We’ve been awaiting your arrival.”
Talon returned the embrace, recalling how kind Talmon had been to him as a child. He missed those days already. The royal guards spread out and were watching the crowd of people carefully. The soldiers got off their horses and were getting situated. Qidan remained next to Talon.
“Have there been any mages here recently?” Talon asked.
Talmon looked thoughtful as he stroked his beard. “Aye, I saw a couple yesterday. They left a few hours ago. I don’t think they’ll be coming back.”
“Was there a reason for their visit?”
“Some power user was hiding here, but they captured him. I think the lad was stealing as we were missing some supplies,” Talmon said.
“I see. Thank you,” Talon said. The last thing he wanted was Qidan talking to any mages. He didn’t trust the mage not to try and betray him, even if the bond would kill him before he could. “Could I get an escort to my chambers? I’ve had quite the journey.”
“Of course,” Talmon looked around and yelled at a couple of guards. “You two, show the king to his room!”
“Yes, my lord,” one of the guards said and Talon followed.
“You don’t need to worry about mages. It would take four, possibly more, powerful mages to take you down,” Qidan whispered.
For the second time that day, his advisor surprised him. Talon didn’t know what to think about the statement. He didn’t know if he believed Qidan that he could take four mages out at once.
“I don’t want any problems,” Talon whispered back. Could he be that strong? Lerin had told him that the Astero bloodline produced the strongest power users the world had ever seen, but how true was that? Was that still the case? It had been over three hundred years since the last power user was born in his family. Then again, he had overpowered Qidan, an experienced mage, with little effort. Perhaps he could take out four mages at once.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Talon regretted not including a stipulation in the bond that Qidan had to speak the truth. His advisor could lie to him and the bond would do nothing as long as the lie wasn’t a betrayal. At least he didn’t have to worry about other mages for now. A mage going missing was a big deal to Mortham Tower. He would need to figure out how to avoid becoming a prisoner of the tower. He had no doubt that the mages would discover he could use the power eventually.
Talon forced the thoughts away. The mages were a future problem. For now, he needed to focus on his upcoming meeting. Failure here would be bad, for the other nations would be less likely to meet with him if Durran refused to cooperate with him.
“Here are your quarters, sire,” the guard said and opened the door.
“Thanks.” Talon motioned Qidan in first and walked in after. He had requested to have a room with two beds. He wanted the mage close. “You may leave us.”
The guard bowed and took his leave. Talon turned to his advisor. It had been hard to question Qidan much since leaving Carhan. He couldn’t risk someone overhearing them talk about the power. All it would take was a simple rumor and the mages would investigate him.
“What do you wish to discuss today?” Qidan asked.
“One moment.” Talon made some gestured and placed a ward around the room that hid the use of power. Anyone who could sense the power wouldn’t detect any in this room. “There we go.”
“What did you do?” Qidan looked puzzled.
“Made it so nobody could sense the power in here,” Talon said.
Qidan remained silent, most likely wondering how Talon was learning these moves.
“Now.” Talon lowered his arms and stood across from his advisor. “How do you create a portal?”
“How can you…” Qidan shook his head and let out a sigh. “Never mind. It’s simple. Focus with the power on a spot in front of you and visualize the location you want to go to. That’s all you have to do.”
Why doesn’t that work for me then? Talon had asked this question before and Qidan always gave him the same answer. Either Qidan was a horrible teacher or he was hiding a crucial piece. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t create a portal.
“I know I’m missing something,” Talon said. He placed one of his hands forward and visualized his room in Carhan. Nothing happened. Hiding his frustration, he tried one more time. still nothing. “I need to figure this out but not today.”
Releasing the power, Talon took his sword off and put it by his bed. “If the mages discovered I could use the power, how many would they send after me?”
“Good question,” Qidan said thoughtfully. “With your bloodline… I would say eight at least. None of your descendants were weak with the power. That’s why mages used to investigate your family to make sure none of you could use the power.”
“Lucky for me that you mages have become lazy,” Talon said coldly. It was good for him that the mages stopped their checks.
“You don’t need to take that tone with me,” Qidan said. “I’m answering your questions and helping how I can.”
“Yes, you’re being very helpful,” Talon said, barely holding back his growing anger. He would get nothing useful from Qidan tonight. “That’ll be all. We have a busy day tomorrow.”
The morning was a busy one. Talon got up, ate some breakfast, and made sure to dress like a king. He wore no armor, instead opting for a red coat with black stripes. He placed his crown on his head. Normally, he didn’t wear his crown when walking about. Today was one of the rare days he did. His golden crown shined brightly on his head. On the front of his crown was a red eagle.
The royal guard and soldiers had already prepared to leave. A few scouts were sent ahead to make sure no ambush lay ahead. Talon wasn’t worried about Durran trying to kill him. If he tried, he would be disappointed in his attempt. Might make things easier. Vandalor would have no choice but to join me if he was dead. The thought came and spooked him a little. The last thing he wanted was to kill a king to secure their allegiance.
“Lord Talmon!” Talon called out. Talmon rushed forward upon hearing his name. “Make sure my room is ready for my return.”
“As you command, your grace,” Talmon said with a bow.
“Let’s move out!” Talon yelled and the horses were spurred forward. He was nervous about this meeting. Did all kings feel this way when dealing with important issues? He wouldn’t know without asking.
The borders were only thirty minutes away by horseback. The scouts that had been sent ahead came back and reported nothing unusual. Durran was already at the border, with the same number of guards as Talon. That was to be expected, as they had agreed to a specific number.
It was a clear sunny day. The wind had a slight chill to it, otherwise it was perfect. Talon’s hair flowed with the wind as his horse galloped. The royal guards stayed close while ten soldiers were always in front of him. He didn’t want to make the jobs of his men harder and intentionally slowed his pace down so as not to catch up to the front guard.
There they are, Talon thought as he saw around seventy armed soldiers and the crown on Durran’s head sparkling in the sunlight. Next to him was a mage. That wasn’t surprising, as every king had a mage advisor, but that didn’t stop Talon’s heart from pounding. As he got closer, he noticed a tent that could easily hold fifteen people, with guards standing in front. Good. We can get this meeting underway immediately.
The Vandalor troops welcomed Talon and his men. Talon had everyone remain with Vandalor’s soldiers except for Qidan. He would have him in the meeting, especially since Durran would have his advisor.
“King Durran,” Talon said upon entering the tent.
“King Talon. My condolences on the loss of your father,” Durran said.
“Thanks. He was a great man,” Talon responded. “Have you met my advisor Qidan?”
“I have. Welcome,” Durran said with a quick nod. “This is my advisor, Poran.”
“It is good to see you again,” Qidan said to Poran.
“Likewise. How’s Azzellia treating you?”
“I can’t complain,” Qidan said.
The lie was so smooth that Talon almost believed Qidan. It was a relief to see the mage acting normal. He had feared Qidan might have found a way to let Poran know he needed help.
“I would like to thank you for meeting with me,” Talon said.
“Well, I owe you for helping me with the rebellions,” Durran said, motioning them all to sit down. “I have to say, the Crystal Syndicate did a magnificent job. I’ll have to remember their names if I need to hire them for something.”
“Hopefully not to fight against any other nations,” Talon said with a smile.
“Of course not,” Durran agreed. “Now then, shall we get to the point of this meeting?’
“Yes,” Talon said. His throat felt dry, forcing him to clear his throat. “A war is coming. My father sent word to all the nations about the upcoming invasion. It could be next week or many years away. Either way, we’ll all need to fight together to end this threat.” He took out the rolled-up parchment he had in his coat. “This is my proposal. Nothing changes, except for one thing. If the invaders attack, we agree to help one another. If you get attacked, I will send my forces to help without delay and I would expect the same of you in return.”
Durran took the paper and unrolled the document. Talon let him read it in silence. There wasn’t much there, no hidden agendas, and nothing except for military aid. Surely, he would agree to such a proposal?”
“I have no desire for such a treaty,” Durran said finally.
“Why?” Talon demanded.
“I appreciate the help your father gave me, but there is no invasion coming. Why would they wait so long to invade? If this mysterious group is so powerful, why didn’t they invade while most of us were dealing with rebellions?” Durran shook his head. “Worrying about an imaginary enemy is pointless. Nothing about this supposed invasion makes sense. No enemy would have missed an opportunity to attack, not with how far the rebels had spread. Besides, I can defend my borders without your help.”
Talon found his right hand shaking. Why were all the kings so stubborn? What harm could there be to signing this treaty? “I’m not asking for much. If this enemy doesn’t exist as you say, then there is no obligation for either of us. Why not sign just in case it is true?”
“I’m not sure what your father’s plan was. Obviously, he told you what it was before dying. I want no part of your schemes.”
“Schemes?” Talon wanted to shout but forced himself to remain calm. “You read the document. There is no hidden agenda!”
“I told you why. That’s final.”
Qidan and Poran were off to the side, watching the exchange. Neither showed any concern. Talon found himself surprised to be standing and forced himself to sit back down.
“Then why meet with me?” Talon asked.
“Your father helped me get quash the rebellions. I owed you a meeting.”
“You have wasted both our times with this meeting if you had no intentions of signing this treaty!” Talon said.
“No,” Durran said, studying Talon so calmly that Talon wanted to punch him. “I also wanted to meet you. Now I know what kind of king you are.”
“What kind of king do you think I’ll be?” Talon asked.
“A dangerous one. I have no doubt we’ll meet again, though I suspect it won’t be under such circumstances,” Durran said.
“You think we’ll be at war?”
“The future is uncertain. Thank you for your help.” Durran got up from his chair and reached out his hand. Talon didn’t take it. Instead, he got up and left the tent with Qidan trailing behind him.
“Durran has a good read on you,” Qidan said.
Talon ignored him. A dangerous king? What did that mean?
“Captain, assemble the troops. We’re heading back to Dalmon Fortress,” Talon commanded. Does Durran think I will start a war to try to get his forces? That would only help the enemy! He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but the thought did disturb him. How could Durran read him so quickly and what signs did he give that made Durran think he would be dangerous?