Prologue

Prologue

Clouds threatened to break over the capital city. Citizens ignored it, knowing it would not affect their businesses or wares. An enormous magical barrier covered Suuri in times of rain and snow, protecting its denizens from the harsh weather of these northern lands. Despite this, the cold could not be kept at bay, and so heavy fur coats and thick wool socks were worn by most.

Aveni and his guards made a path through the streets, the banner of Chaelesta flying above them in the bitter wind. He shivered and pulled his wool coat tighter around his body, cursing the cold and coughing. It was easy to disguise his illness in these conditions. Most people were sniffling or coughing from the seasonal sickness. The people saw the banner of their foreign neighbor and recognized the caravan as emissaries. They made a path for Aveni and his company as the group made their way to the castle.

The castle of Suuri had incredible security. In recent decades, advances in technology had allowed the Joenic people to develop complex defensive and offensive machines. As the caravan climbed the stairs toward the castle gate, Aveni noticed how the guards were dresses. They wore what appeared to be leather vests and helms which seemed to be emanating magic. They carried strange weapons slung across their chests. They looked like long black metal tubes with triggers. Each one had a small bauble on one end filled with variously colored fluids. These weapons were just as the informant had described. Aveni eyed the guards warily, but they did not break stance.

They reached the gate and Aveni approached the gatekeeper, taking out the missive from King Iacus of Chaelesta. He was careful to only touch the documents with his gloves and not allow any bare skin to touch it.

“We are the emissaries from Chaelesta. Your king is expecting us to discuss our current treaty and trade,” Aveni says politely, stifling a cough.

The man took the papers and examined them for a few minutes, reading quickly. He looked up and nodded, handing the papers back.

“Welcome to Suuri, Ambassador Aveni. We have security protocol that must be followed by each person entering the royal castle. Please, follow me and I will guide you through them.” The gatekeeper turned and began walking away.

“Sir! What of my guards?” Aveni asked.

The man turned back and bowed his head for a second. “I apologize. Protocol calls for one person at a time to be taken through security.”

Aveni felt a surge of panic, but kept his composure. “One moment, please. I must discuss this with the captain of my guard.”

Aveni turned to the man in chain mail next to him and whispered quickly. “We were not informed of this, Cadernus.”

“No,” Cadernus replied. “Perhaps it would be best if I entered first?”

Aveni thought for a moment. Their secrecy was most important, and he felt confident in his mission. He knew how to avoid the weapons of the guards, and all he had to do was simply touch the king. Still, having his guards would provide a very needed distraction when he decided to act. Taking so much time to allow twenty people in one at a time could risk the operation.

“Perhaps if we bring you and your four best soldiers, as well as myself,” Aveni suggested.

“Here is an idea. We all knew this was a suicide mission anyway,” offered the captain. “Touch my soldiers who remain behind. Infect them, and we'll let them go to infect others in the city.”

Aveni considered it for a brief second, then nodded. He turned back to the Gatekeeper and bowed slightly. “I would feel most at ease if my guard captain entered first. Your city is. . . unique and quite intimidating in some ways,” he said with a smile.

“I understand. Our technology is off-putting to foreigners. He may certainly enter first. Just know that no weapons are allowed. And as soon as you enter the castle proper, your magic will be stymied by our steward.”

Captain Cadernus glanced at Aveni with wide eyes, then followed the gatekeeper across the courtyard and into a small stone building. Five minutes passed, in which time Aveni touched the guards not entering the castle, explaining the plan to each of them in hushed tones. He had just shook hands with the last guard and given him a kiss on the cheek to ensure infection when the Gatekeeper appeared again. Aveni followed him to the building. The courtyard was a strange mix of stone and metal. The paths were stone, but the fountains and statues were cast bronze. There was an eagle, a bear, and a wolf. Another large reinforced stone wall kept most of the castle from Aveni's view.

As they approached the door, a soft hissing sounded and the metal door slid of its own accord into the wall next to it. Aveni took a deep breath. He was certain this was not magic and figured it was some sort of Joenic mechanical system. They entered the building and Aveni's step faltered at the sight before him.

Bright bronze and copper tubes covered the walls, some hissing steam and others glowing with magical aura. A mechanical contraption stood in the middle of the room surrounding a small doorway. The tubes connected to the contraption, and Aveni saw a blazing fire in the large copper belly that sat on the floor. Guards stood along the walls, and two magi stood on either side of the doorway.

Aveni gathered his composure once again and walked onward. The magi eyed him, but not suspiciously.

The gatekeeper stopped a few feet from the doorway and turned to face Aveni.

“This is just our standard security measure for each person coming into and out of the castle. We can never be too careful about the safety of the king and his family.

“When you enter the doorway, ambassador, simply hold as still as you can for the time required for us to test you. We will check for any weapons, enchantments, and communication spells or devices. These will be removed from your person if detected.” The gatekeeper stood aside and gestured for Aveni to walk into the doorway.

With some trepidation, he stepped past the magi. He did not have any metal or wooden weapons or any kind of spells. The weapon he would be using was biological.

The doorway turned out to be a type of archway that was five feet deep. It was lined in copper with small squares of glass on each side. Another metal door slid shut behind when he entered. As he stood still, arms at his side according to the instructions and diagram on the wall next to him, steam filled the room from a grate on the floor. The glass squares moved down the walls, a blue light shining from them onto his clothing. A life-sized blue image of a body appeared in front of him, as if it were his reflection. He twitched a finger and confirmed that it was indeed his own self, but without clothes. He marveled at the amazing blend of mechanical and magical and thought that this type of sophistry was exactly why he was one this suicide mission. It was all part of King Iacus's plan.

As he waited, the glass moved around his body, trying to detect any anomalies. Steam continued to fill the room, and he felt sweat drop from his brow. He was certain it had been longer than five minutes. Perhaps this contraption also detected diseases? His tried to breathe deep to keep from panicking at the thought. This caused him to start coughing. Luckily, the blue lights turned off just then, and the steam started to dissipate at last.

“Thank you, ambassador, for your patience,” said a male voice. It was coming from another doorway ahead of him. Aveni walked forward and found himself in a long corridor filled with more pipes and glass squares. The man before him was taller than him by a foot and wore a bright blue robe. “I am Alrogun, counselor to King Leijon. Your arrival has been anticipated, particularly by the head of our commerce. Please, follow me and we shall wait for the rest of your party.”

Aveni followed the counselor down the odd corridor. The glass squares turned blue after they passed each one. He figured it was more security. At the last set of squares, he felt a strange sensation down his spine and a brief, sharp pain in the back of his head. He figured his magic had just been “stymied.” They reached a room that again took him aback.

A spacious room filled with velvet red couches, tables laden with warm food, and bookshelves thirty feet tall met his gaze. Guards again stood watch in the corners, while various guests milled about, waiting for their appointments and talking casually.

“Are all these waiting for the king?” Aveni asked the counselor.

“Oh no,” he said, leading Aveni toward his guard captain. “Some are nobles who like to greet guests. Most are people with appointments with various personnel in the government, such as myself or the head of aviation.”

Aveni had heard rumors of aviation in Neljan Joen, but had not personally believed them. Flying machines? Even with magic, it seemed impossible anything made of metal could glide through the sky.

“Thank you, counselor,” Aveni said as he stood next to Cadernus. He was trying his best to maintain decorum despite the recent revelations that had assaulted his mind.

“Your party will join you soon,” Alrogun said, bowing slightly then walking back toward the corridor.

“Aviation?” Aveni whispered to Cadernus. “Did you hear that?”

“I saw one from a distance as we neared the city,” he replied, taking a sip of wine. “It was a large round thing, covered in metal and floating away from Suuri toward the west. I didn't want to frighten the men, so I said nothing.”

“Incredible,” Aveni sighed. He would have liked to see such a sight before his life ended, but now it was too late.

Twenty minutes later, the other men had arrived. They wore no armor and carried no swords, but these men did not need such weapons. They had honed their bodies as weapons for years, and now it would all pay off. Once they had gathered, Aveni whispered to them in Chaelestan.”

“This is it, men. Today we change history. Today we help King Iacus and our nation become the most powerful in the world. We have fewer of us than I'd have liked, but the plan is the same. All I have to do is get to the king. You need to cause enough chaos to let me get there.” He paused for a moment, his brow creasing. “You have been and always will be my greatest friends and closest brothers. You volunteered to be with me in these last moments. No matter what happens, I'll always consider you my friends. The informant should meet us shortly, and he will show us what to do with the weapons.”

Twenty minutes later, Counselor Alrogun came back into the room. He walked up to Aveni and smiled.

“I see that our machines have caught you off guard,” he said cheerfully. “Would you like to see how one of these works?” he gestured to a nearby guard's weapon.

“Most certainly, counselor. It is most intriguing,” Aveni replied.

Alrogun asked the guard for his gun, then held it out for Aveni to inspect.

“See, this barrel here is where the magic bullet comes out. It is steam powered, enhanced with a combination of fire and water magic here,” Alrogun pointed to the bauble on the other end. A divider kept the magics apart. “All one does it pull the trigger and the bullet comes out, like a crossbow with a bolt. However,” he smirked, “These bullets have certain properties according to the gun type. For example, this one is an energy gun. It can be loaded to shoot fire or electricity.”

“Electicity?” Aveni mispronounced.

“It is like controlled lightning,” Alrogun replied.

“I see.”

“This bauble is one of the most important parts. Without it, the gun is useless. It is easy to detach, like this,” the counselor said, turning the bauble one quarter to the right and pulling. As it left the gun, Aveni saw that a glass tube was attached to one end of the glass. A small plug was on the opposite side of the tube.

“The interesting thing is that this magic bauble is both bane and benefit to the gun,” Alrogun said. “We have yet to perfect a holding system to completely keep the magics apart until the weapon is fired. Because of this, we have the occasional misfire. You'll notice that all guards hold their guns with barrels pointed at the floor. Simply a safety precaution.”

“That is unfortunate,” Aveni said, looking into Alrogun's eyes intently. Alrogun looked down at the bauble in his hand and twisted the plug slightly. Aveni followed his gaze and saw the water start to seep across the bauble's divider just a little. Alrogun twisted it back, then inserted the bauble back into the gun.

“Thank you,” he said, giving the gun back to the guard. He led Aveni a few feet away, arm over his shoulder, and whispered, “I've already done that part. As soon as they start firing these in the throne room, the guns will misfire, causing a lot of chaos. I have this,” he pulled out a small bronze pendant and gave it to Aveni, “to keep you safe, but it will only last twenty seconds once activated. You'll have that long to reach the target.”

Aveni turned and looked at Alrogun. This man was helping them kill his own liege, all for more power. What more power could a man want than to be the counselor to the king of the most powerful nation in history? Aveni wasn't sure what Alrogun was truly after, but right now their goals aligned, and so he had been a useful ally.

“Thank you, counselor, for your wise counsel,” Aveni said aloud, and bowed slightly. Alrogun smirked again and left.

Aveni mulled the plan over in his head. Reach the throne room, bow before the king, activate the pendant, then rush his majesty. An hour passed, guests leaving and arriving, before a scrawny squire appeared before Aveni and bowed.

“King Leijon will see you now, Ambassador Aveni!” he squeaked. The young man was no older than fourteen.

“Thank you,” said Aveni. “Lead on.”

The group of six followed the squire down a grand stone hallway with paintings and statues every few yards and a long green carpet running along the floor. Banners and drapes of various royal colors draped the walls and windows.

They climbed stairs, then entered a very small room. The ceiling was no higher than a foot above their heads. The squire pulled a lever and the bronze door shut. The room shook and started moving upward. Some of the guards lost their footing and fell, but Aveni managed to stay up.

“These machines. . . .” Aveni muttered to Cadernus.

The room stopped moving and the squire opened the door. The throne room entrance was ahead. Guards lined the walls bearing the magical guns. The squire indicated to two servants on either side of the double doors, who pushed them open.

The throne room of King Leijon of Neljan Joen was surprisingly small. Aveni was certain it was not much bigger than the waiting room had been. Pillars were along either wall, and he quickly counted a dozen guards in the room. These guards still held the same guns, but also wore full metal plate.

“Your Majesty, I present to you Ambassador Aveni of Chaelesta and his guard,” the squire said cordially, bowing to one knee, then moving aside.

King Leijon stood from his throne. He wore a simple tunic of green and gray, not at all what Aveni expected. It looked like more like something a commoner might wear than a king. He did wear his gold crown, however, and his light blonde hair was shoulder length. His beard was neatly combed and reached to his collar.

Aveni glanced at a nearby guard's weapon, and noticed that the water and fire had mixed into some sort of ash-colored mess.

Aveni and the guards all bowed to one knee. Aveni felt the adrenaline start rushing through him. This was the moment. As soon as the king told them to arise, it would happen. He took a deep breath and waited for the king to start speaking. It seemed to take a long time. Finally, he spoke.

“Ambassador Aveni,” he said. Aveni moved his hand up to his chest. “I am pleased you have arrived safely.” Aveni found the pendant and poised his thumb over the center. “Please, arise.”

That was the cue.

Aveni pushed his thumb down causing a bright blue aura to surround him as he dashed forward from his kneeling position. He shed the glove of his right hand, revealing the inflamed flesh beneath. He heard the guards start fighting, and felt the impact of magical bullets on his temporary barrier. The squire screamed in pain, but Aveni was watching the king's every move.

King Leijon saw the barrier and drew a short sword in one hand and a gun in the other. He shot at Aveni, but saw that it was useless, and so immediately tossed the gun aside.

Aveni noticed two guards on either side coming toward him with swords. He was ready. As the blades swung toward him, he watched their trajectories. He found his gap on the bottom left and slid by the guards. Their swords clashed into each other, then the floor, but Aveni was already standing again. The king was only ten feet away now.

King Leijon got into stance. Aveni feinted right, then jumped left, clearing the king's blade as it swung down and to the right. He landed to the king's right and pivoted, grabbing his quarry's bare neck with his red bare hand.

“Mission accomplished!” Aveni hissed in the king's ear. Then he felt the sword enter his side. He grunted, then slumped to his knees. He saw Cadernus combating three guards, whose guns had stopped working. He was using only his hands and feet. Aveni saw darkness closing his vision. The squire appeared behind the guard captain with a dagger and stabbed him in the lower spine. Cadernus dropped. Aveni blinked.

“Take Ambassador Aveni!” Leijon shouted.

Aveni let the darkness take him, and he fell.

The next day, King Leijon was in bed with a high fever. By the time one week had passed, he was dead.