Blood and Steel (The Cor Chronicles Volume I) by Martin Parece II
“Ghal is the capital of Losz, and I will have to go to there tomorrow and face the emperor. He accuses me of ignoring imperial edict and housing a Dahken, which is a capital offense. I shall go there tomorrow and present my defense and return immediately, and the two of you should be able to start your journey the next day,” Taraq’nok explained.
“Where is Ghal?” Cor asked.
“Five hundred miles east, northeast of here,” the Loszian answered, smiling.
“And how would you travel there and return in one day?” Cor asked, though he was sure he knew. He looked across the table at Thyss, who listlessly ate her meal, clearly bored.
“The same way the messenger arrived here so quickly from Ghal,” answered Taraq’nok. “If you recall, when we first met, you had apparently decided to kill me, and I disappeared right before your eyes. Perhaps two thousand years ago, a Loszian sorcerer discovered the ability to transport himself over any distance, so long as the destination was predetermined with a sort of magical beacon. All nobles have access to the beacon in the palace in Ghal, and most of us are smart enough to establish our own beacon in our own castles and towers. Unfortunately, that also allows Emperor Nadav to find us quickly.”
“With such power, why haven’t you conquered the Shining West?” Cor asked. “Could you not transport an army instantaneously into Byrverus?”
“Not exactly. It requires a massive amount of energy to send oneself and perhaps one or two servants,” he answered. “I myself will be able to cast no other spells tomorrow should I wish to return. If all of the sorcerers in Losz combined their power, I doubt we could transport more than a thousand soldiers, and even then we would be powerless to lead them into combat. No, the power is not meant for war.
“Cor,” the Loszian hunched over slightly in Cor’s direction, as if preparing to tell him a great secret, “you need to come with me to Ghal. I need you to see the man that you will help me slay.”
“How’s that possible?”
“I will bring two servants with me, men clad in my chain mail and helms. You will be one of the two. You must not speak and obey every order I make without hesitation or question. Else we will be found out,” explained Taraq’nok.
“Won’t the emperor know who I am as soon as I step foot in his palace?” Cor asked, tapping the black stone floor with his foot.
“No, he will only know that you are not bound to him,” he explained. “The emperor is arrogant, and he would never debase himself to look at or speak to a noble’s servant.
“Cor, I see the doubt in your face, but you must do this. You believe me evil, immoral and decadent, and perhaps I am, but I pale in comparison to the Emperor of Losz. Come with me to Ghal, and I promise your moral sensibilities will scream for you to kill the man.
“Thyss, I am sorry, but I must ask you to stay in the castle tomorrow,” the Loszian said, bringing a disgusted hiss from Thyss as she pushed her plate away. “It is but one more day, and I am certain you can find something to amuse yourself for one day. Peruse and explore my library; perhaps you will find something of interest to your own powers.”
“Loszian,” she said, and it was the first time Cor had ever heard disrespect in her voice, “your magic is based on knowledge and thought. Mine is a function of desire, emotion and strength. Our powers are as incompatible as we are, but I will wait one more day.”
She stood from table and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her. The two men, united in their lack of comprehension of women, could only sit and stare after her as the echo boomed through the room. The Loszian sighed audibly and leaned back in his heavy chair.
“As I said Dahken Cor, she is as unpredictable as her gods, and like an open flame, she can be as dangerous as she is beautiful.”
“Where is Ghal?” Cor asked.
“Five hundred miles east, northeast of here,” the Loszian answered, smiling.
“And how would you travel there and return in one day?” Cor asked, though he was sure he knew. He looked across the table at Thyss, who listlessly ate her meal, clearly bored.
“The same way the messenger arrived here so quickly from Ghal,” answered Taraq’nok. “If you recall, when we first met, you had apparently decided to kill me, and I disappeared right before your eyes. Perhaps two thousand years ago, a Loszian sorcerer discovered the ability to transport himself over any distance, so long as the destination was predetermined with a sort of magical beacon. All nobles have access to the beacon in the palace in Ghal, and most of us are smart enough to establish our own beacon in our own castles and towers. Unfortunately, that also allows Emperor Nadav to find us quickly.”
“With such power, why haven’t you conquered the Shining West?” Cor asked. “Could you not transport an army instantaneously into Byrverus?”
“Not exactly. It requires a massive amount of energy to send oneself and perhaps one or two servants,” he answered. “I myself will be able to cast no other spells tomorrow should I wish to return. If all of the sorcerers in Losz combined their power, I doubt we could transport more than a thousand soldiers, and even then we would be powerless to lead them into combat. No, the power is not meant for war.
“Cor,” the Loszian hunched over slightly in Cor’s direction, as if preparing to tell him a great secret, “you need to come with me to Ghal. I need you to see the man that you will help me slay.”
“How’s that possible?”
“I will bring two servants with me, men clad in my chain mail and helms. You will be one of the two. You must not speak and obey every order I make without hesitation or question. Else we will be found out,” explained Taraq’nok.
“Won’t the emperor know who I am as soon as I step foot in his palace?” Cor asked, tapping the black stone floor with his foot.
“No, he will only know that you are not bound to him,” he explained. “The emperor is arrogant, and he would never debase himself to look at or speak to a noble’s servant.
“Cor, I see the doubt in your face, but you must do this. You believe me evil, immoral and decadent, and perhaps I am, but I pale in comparison to the Emperor of Losz. Come with me to Ghal, and I promise your moral sensibilities will scream for you to kill the man.
“Thyss, I am sorry, but I must ask you to stay in the castle tomorrow,” the Loszian said, bringing a disgusted hiss from Thyss as she pushed her plate away. “It is but one more day, and I am certain you can find something to amuse yourself for one day. Peruse and explore my library; perhaps you will find something of interest to your own powers.”
“Loszian,” she said, and it was the first time Cor had ever heard disrespect in her voice, “your magic is based on knowledge and thought. Mine is a function of desire, emotion and strength. Our powers are as incompatible as we are, but I will wait one more day.”
She stood from table and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her. The two men, united in their lack of comprehension of women, could only sit and stare after her as the echo boomed through the room. The Loszian sighed audibly and leaned back in his heavy chair.
“As I said Dahken Cor, she is as unpredictable as her gods, and like an open flame, she can be as dangerous as she is beautiful.”