“Lux,”Von said, speaking the mage word for light.
The crystals glowed white, casting a soft light on the damp, curved walls. Handing one to Len, they secured the crystals to their belts with the cord. He drew a knife, and the curved black blade of Len’s karambit glinted as she armed herself. There was no telling what might live in these drains if anything did, but he wouldn’t be caught unprepared.
They continued into the thick darkness. Alert and listening. There was the skitter of small claws, and the squeak of rats as their oily forms drifted in and out of view. The dark tunnel settled on Von with a chill. It eventually narrowed, forcing him to take point with Len in the rear. The further they went, the more he had the sense they were walking through an endless black void that nearly swallowed the light from their crystals. Elon had trained Len so well that he couldn’t even hear her breathing, giving him the sense she wasn’t there at all. The only solid proof of reality was the horrid stench and the slosh of water beneath his boots.
It wasn’t before long that Von heard the sounds of life in the city, much to his relief. The distant call of voices, the clomping of hooves, and the creak of wheels echoed off the walls of the tunnels. The light ahead marked the first sign of a drain cover. It opened to the main street, so they kept going until they found a quiet one. Von climbed the slippery rungs and peered out, finding the drain led to a shadowed alley. He checked for any witnesses before climbing out, closely followed by Len.
The dank alley was full of rubbish. Broken crates and barrels were strewn everywhere, the air stale with filth and urine. Von stepped on a weathered old paper and picked it off his boot. The ink was smeared, but he could barely read the letters.
BY ORDER OF THE KING
Slavery is abolished in Azure. Masters must free all life-servants and pay the full wages for their years of service. Any crimes committed during the period of indentured servitude are charged against the master. Those who refuse to release their life servants will be subjected to warrants of arrest.
This law is hereby decreed by the King of Azure. Effective immediately
Von stared at the page for so long the words blurred together. Slavery abolished? That … that couldn’t be right. He stamped down the faint feeling of something in his chest he wouldn’t dare acknowledge. This was a matter of the holy law, not the law of man. The King of Azure had no say against it.
No one did.
There were dire consequences for it, and Von wouldn’t make that mistake again.
He crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it behind him. The only one who could release him from servitude was Tarn, and Von wasn’t foolish enough to believe that would ever happen.
Not until one of them closed their eyes for the last time.
They sheathed their weapons and removed their masks, turning off the concealment rune of their cloaks. They headed for the sunlight and came out onto a busy street. People streamed by the hundreds as they went about their daily lives. Fair-haired elves in Greenwood livery walked by. Mages in brown, red, and white robes with staffs holding colorful crystals drew awestruck stares.
White stone fortified every structure, the roofs painted blue in honor of the kingdom. Navy blue banners hung from posts on every street corner, flying the King’s colors and Azure’s sigil: a gold, interwoven seven-pointed star. One point for each of the Seven Gates.
The castle rose over everything as a white peak. It was as imposing as it was resplendent, its pillars glinting with blue and gold. Platforms rising hundreds of feet high extended from the south and north ends of the castle like wings, where waterfalls poured in glittering streams. Von imagined the rulers of Azure liked to stand there as they gazed at their vast kingdom.
This was only one of the King’s castles. Another had been built in Crown’s Harbor by the eastern sea. Now that was a true castle, not this gaudy thing that was merely a show of wealth. The third castle lay in Old Tanzanite Keep, claimed by the King once Lord Morken had died. The reminder churned Von’s stomach.
“Make way for the King!”
Von pulled Len back, and they blended into the edges of the crowded street. Men in blue armor marched by, carrying matching scutum shields, their navy capes flaring behind them. The kingdom’s golden sigil gleamed on their breastplates.
Azure Knights.
The sight of them brought back memories Von would rather not remember. Life in the barracks, the long days of training, the code of honor, and oaths sworn to lord and land. He was once a knight of Old Tanzanite Keep in the service of Lord Morken. He remembered the weight of that armor, along with the pride he once bore. But that was a lifetime ago.
Now, all it gave him was a bitter taste in his mouth.
A herald in posh cerulean garb announced, “King Lenneus graces you with his presence! Bow before His Majesty!”
Behind the procession came a luxurious carriage pulled by six white horses, with fluffy plumes bouncing on their halters. Nearly every angle of the carriage was obnoxiously gilded in gold and encrusted with enough sapphires to feed a quarter of the city. Sharp spindles jutted from each corner of the carriage, flying navy flags with the gold sigil of the kingdom.
The curtains were drawn, refusing to give the people a glimpse of their ruler. Yet the citizens of the Blue Capital bowed, either by deference or from the cold glares of the knights passing by. King Lenneus’ personal Royal Guard was also present, identified by their cobalt armor and their breastplates embossed with the silver sigil of the king’s family crest: a magnificent white bird in mid-flight.
The Ice Phoenix of the Everfrost.
It was a symbol of power. Only granted to the rightful rulers of the land as decreed by the ancient powers that be—or so the legend said.
The Royal Guard rode on fine horses that flanked the carriage, and another sat with the driver, a second with the footman, and two more crouched on the carriage roof with crossbows. Von wagered there were another two inside as well. They eyed the crowd with sharp gazes, searching for any signs of a threat. Searching—Von suspected—for Tarn.
The news of his return had spread to all of Azure, and there had been no shortage of Azure Guard scouring the land for him. Rangers scouted the central roads, and now the Azure Knights had arrived. The King was certainly taking all precautions.
The vile old man must keep Royal Guards in his chambers, guarding him even when he shat and slept, too afraid of every creak and thump.
