Heir to the King tcos-1 Read online

  "That may be so, but the Vorn still perceive a threat and they're acting on their beliefs; right or wrong," said Zurig. "And with Tiet unwilling to break his affiliations with Grod and the Horva, what else can we expect?"

  Estall still looked grim as he got up. "Excuse me a moment."

  He went to the restroom down the hall, leaving Zurig there on the sofa. But he did not remain there. When Estall opened the door of the restroom, Zurig was there glaring at him. Before he could ask the man what he wanted, Zurig's hand smashed into his face.

  He proceeded to push him back into the restroom and the door shut behind him. His hand covered Estall's mouth as he shoved his head back into the mirror on the wall; cracking it upon its mount. Zurig's hand then proceeded to morph and push further into his throat. Estall struggled but his old friend had overwhelming strength to subdue him. A lack of oxygen soon claimed him as consciousness faded and all went black.

  THE intercom on Daooth's shuttle came to life with an incoming message. He tapped the panel and a video image of Ultis Thau, the council delegate for the city of Onnith, appeared on the panel.

  "Daooth, we are convening an emergency session of the Council in two hours. Your presence is required."

  Daooth showed a look of disapproval on is face. "Councilman, I have a previous meeting that I must attend during that time, is there any way that I could be excused and briefed later?"

  "No."

  Daooth looked put-off by the lack of flexibility being shown.

  "I would remind you that as a representative of the Council your first duty is to us-"

  "I was under the impression I dwelt under the authority of the King first and foremost, as does the Council," he interrupted.

  "Your duty should be to your people first!" shot back Ultis. "As for the King's authority over this council, that is entirely questionable. You will report to the Council in two hours."

  "I'm sorry, Councilman, your transmission is breaking up…"

  "Daooth, we-," he cut the transmission off. He still did not understand the radical change of view spreading through the Council of Twelve toward Tiet's rule. Gradually more and more council members had come to view the Horva under Grod's command as a threat.

  There had been no reason at all for the change of mind; it had come about mysteriously. Once the Council subscribed to it, the civilian population of the Vorn began to be swayed by it as well. Having been unwilling to sever the peace between himself and the Horva, Tiet was quickly branded as a traitor to the Vorn and his leadership had become the target of constant scrutiny of late. It didn't take much insight to see that the Council would soon move to remove Tiet's title. The threat of civil war was even floating around, and it was becoming dangerous to be caught between sides-as Daooth was in his position as Council representative to the King.

  In his own mind he believed Tiet was right to hold fast to the peace. Grod, whatever he may have been before the Baruk war, was certainly no threat to the Vorn now.

  He had actually taken the whole situation quite well and caused his warriors to return to the lands near Nagon-Toth rather than stir the pot of conflict. Many of the warriors, including Grod, had taken wives from among the Vorn and started families in the time after the war. When they pulled out they had taken their families with them and had not made any effort to reintegrate back into society.

  Castillian and Vorn relations had certainly suffered because of the situation, with the Vorn generally following the Council and the Castillians unanimously holding Tiet's position of reconciliation. The situation was growing more volatile by the hour.

  Daooth's shuttle careened around an outcropping of rocks and the fortress of Nagon-Toth came into view. Grod had agreed to provide a place for the trials to be held today. It was hard to believe thirteen years had already passed since the birth of Tiet and Mirah's son.

  Kale was certainly proving to be a child to be proud of; following in his father's footsteps. It would be nice to one day see the young man lead-if there remained a people to lead, anyway.

  He landed the shuttle on a landing pad at Nagon-Toth and upon exiting was greeted by General Grod himself.

  "General how are you?"

  "I'm well, my friend, and you?"

  "Things have been better."

  "Ah, the Council still vilifies us-as usual?"

  Daooth only smiled through his sarcastic expression.

  "Don't worry, Daooth; we'll manage to get through all of this. I've seen Tiet handle more dangerous situations than these."

  "Yes, but public opinion can be a sly enemy to defeat."

  "True. Anyway today is a happy day. Let's try to put those matters away for today and enjoy it for the family's sake."

  They walked on toward the site chosen for the trials of Kale Soone, which lay beyond the fortress' perimeter wall. The area was a nearby crater site that allowed those assembled as spectators to line the rim for a fantastic view of the action a hundred feet below in the hollow.

  Tiet and Wynn were standing at one end where they prepared for their attack against Kale, who remained at the opposite end of the crater floor. Between them were large hunks of rock that had collapsed out of the crater wall and remained where they fell.

  Kale was feeling very confident. He could sense his father and Wynn at the opposite end of the crater talking with one another. He could sense their awareness of him as well; their minds as they took in the surroundings in detail. He did not perform any physical exercises to prepare, but his mind was alive with activity, taking in every inch of the battlefield available to him, even the weather around him. It was of particular interest to him at the moment. He looked up to the overcast sky that was the prelude to a coming storm. No matter the rain, if it came they would not stop the trials. One must be ready for any situation and use every opportunity afforded by it. Wynn had mentioned that to him on many occasions and Kale was a very good student.

  Kale watched the dark clouds hanging overhead as heat lightening flashed through them. Excellent, he thought as he pulled two of his four kemsticks to his hands. Then he began to walk out into the floor of the crater toward his adversaries.

  Tiet and Wynn talked strategy a little, but mostly they bubbled over Kale's progress and it was easy to see their mutual pride in the young man.

  "I have to warn you that Kale came by last night and pulled an interesting stunt on me."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Somehow he was able to persuade my senses that a feral Horva was coming through the courtyard and he completely masked his own presence from me."

  "Are you kidding, you!?"

  "If I hadn't figured out what he was doing just in time I could have been in the infirmary today instead of here with you."

  They both grinned delightfully, and then they turned toward Kale's position across the crater.

  "He's moving," said Wynn.

  "Shall we?"

  The two warriors moved out onto the crater floor. Tiet took to the air and landed upon one of the huge pieces of rock covering the ground. Wynn stayed to the ground and began to weave between the rocks toward their prey.

  As Tiet crossed part of an outcropping he suddenly lost sense of Kale; as though he had simply vanished. He looked over the rock protruding in front of him and could not see him.

  "Wynn, I've lost him! I can't sense him!"

  "Be careful," said Wynn from below Tiet's position. "I told you, he's gotten sneaky."

  Tiet brought his blade to bear. He was grinning the whole time. As the proud father of this warrior coming of age, he couldn't help it. He could sense the worry from Mirah on the crater rim above them. She doted on the boy as much as any mother could, and as a concerned parent, the trials worried her. Kale was growing up, and it required him to develop more and more independence especially after today.

  Thinking of Mirah above them, Tiet almost didn't see the piece of rock skimming low across the surface of his perch. Quickly, he found a piece of his own and hurtled it mentally into the pat
h of the projectile; smashing them both to rubble. Now, where had it come from?

  LUCIN looked at his own reflection in a mirror on his shuttle's restroom wall. A greenish tint faded to fleshy white across his conjunctiva. He opened his mouth to examine his mucus membranes. The greenish tint faded to pink as Lucin looked over his form as the Vice Commander Estall one last time while the shuttle landed at Nagon-Toth.

  He was late for the trials. They had evidently already begun. Lucin could see beyond to the trial site at the nearby crater specified in his invitation. Castillians and Horva warriors alike lined the crater rim. The trials were scheduled to take place on the crater floor.

  Lucin hurried on toward the crater site. If all went well, his friend the king would not ask too many questions about his late arrival. He hoped they might have a private meeting sometime after the post trial celebration. Tiet was the key to accomplishing the goal Lucin strove for; control of the planet and its population. Fifteen years of continuous work infiltrating human society, it was all proceeding according to his plan.

  MIRAH searched along the crater floor for her son. He had disappeared somewhere among the huge boulders strewn along the ground below. Ranul patted his worried daughter's shoulder in support. She could see Tiet atop one of the rocks brandishing his blade. Don't hurt him, Tiet, she thought. Wynn was nowhere in sight. He too had disappeared among the rocks.

  Tiet came down from his position. He could sense his son below and moved in for the attack. Silently and swiftly he came around one of the large boulders. Kale was approaching from the other side. Tiet raised his blade and ignited it as he came upon Kale rounding the boulder. He struck out at the young man and met Wynn's blade instead. The two looked at each other puzzled for a millisecond; realizing what their opponent had just pulled off. They had each thought the other was Kale. Tiet laughed lightly at the trick.

  Wynn spotted their attacker just before he struck. Kale moved as a blur, bouncing off of the side of one of the boulders towering around them. Two kemsticks flared to life in his hands as he flew into them full force. They weren't quite expecting what Kale did next. Instead of landing in front of them, he brought his feet up to land against the rock wall between them. He crossed both arms across himself so that a kemstick was brought to defend on either side of his body as Tiet and Kale both struck at him. He forced back with simultaneous counterstrikes as he unfolded his arms and leapt back away from the rock wall between them, tumbling over back to his feet all within two seconds time.

  Tiet came at him fast trying not to allow him to get his guard back up. He struck multiple times with his kemstick, but Kale blocked each strike. Wynn was just behind him looking for an opening to get in the action, but Kale was moving to keep Tiet in between himself and Wynn; a tactic he had taught the boy himself. It was a flashy move he had just pulled off, jumping right into the middle of them. He had greatness within him, thought Wynn.

  Wynn leapt over the two warriors to come down behind Kale and immediately began his own barrage of strikes. Now the boy had to defend against both attackers. His kemsticks whirled around, furiously defending the warrior within from every strike. They were trying to push at him mentally as well, to expose a weakness, but he was already there waiting for them and pushing back.

  His mind was somewhere else as well. The clouds above continued to flash periodically with lightening. He had practiced the technique only twice and had been successful only once, but it was time. Kale put his mind to raising a streamer off of the rock towering above them.

  He maintained it mentally and hoped for a bite from the clouds above but none came and the fight continued on until Wynn and his father began to overcome his defense. Why wasn't it working?

  Kale abandoned the current position and leapt away from the both of them to regain his stance, but neither of his elders was going to let up on him that easy. They leapt in turn to follow and stay on him. Still it was enough for him to change strategy.

  As they came back at him, Kale launched first one then the other kemstick at his opponents while the other pair he carried leapt to his hands and no sooner touched his palms before they were thrown away as well toward the attackers. They blocked the sticks as they flew at them and the sticks in turn rebounded back to Kale, one after the other striking, then rebounding back to strike, with a pair per hand striking at each opponent like some mad juggler had been unleashed upon them.

  Wynn had never seen such a fighting technique used by any Barudii. It was amazing to him how well the boy was controlling the weapons; all four of them in coordinated attack. Wynn dodged as he blocked, trying to keep from getting hit. Even though they were only ignited with fields strong enough to stun, he didn't want to lose, but they were getting battered hard now and without hands to guide them the flying strikes were less predictable to counter. Then it happened, as one got past and struck him in the thigh, the stunning current sent him to his knees and out of the fight.

  Kale knew he had won as Wynn went down and he immediately concentrated all four flying kemsticks at striking his father. Tiet had already pulled his second kemstick into his defense and was furiously countering everything Kale was throwing at him.

  Then somehow he was able to counterstrike at the handles of one pair coming at him, deactivating them. They fell to the ground as Kale quickly pulled back the other pair to his hands. Now the fight was on between him and his father. No more private sparring for fun and practice. Play time was over and Kale was determined to win in the trials today.

  He had been maintaining a streamer now throughout the fight and had almost put it in the back of his mind when the weather decided to engage the bait. A lightening strike burst into the crater battlefield before anyone could react. It struck the rock nearby, but the current coming off of it managed to knock down both fighters. Kale returned to his feet quickly but he saw Wynn next to his father, who was not moving. He checked his vitals for breathing and heartbeat then a look of relief came over his face. He was still alive.

  Kale was at his side in an instant and scared to death as he tried to help Wynn wake up his father.

  "Wake up, Father, I didn't mean to-"

  The boy was in a panic.

  "Kale, I think he will be alright, but we need to get him to a med lab to make sure," said Wynn.

  People had begun to come down onto the arena after the lightening strike. Within moments Mirah was next to Tiet who was trying to regain consciousness now but was still very weak from the electrical shock. Grod and Daooth, along with Estall, were all around them now as Grod instructed some of his warriors to get Tiet back to the med-lab within the compound.

  "Wynn, I'm sorry I didn't mean to, it wasn't supposed to come so close."

  "Are you trying to tell me you caused that strike?"

  "It wasn't supposed to be like that! I threw up a streamer just hoping to…"

  But Wynn was only half listening now. As he watched the Horva escorting Tiet to the med-lab he couldn't believe the inventive ability of his pupil. This was certainly not something he had taught him, neither the use of two pairs of kemsticks simultaneously or the ability to mask his presence while presenting others as decoys.

  Kale was extremely powerful, perhaps the most powerful Barudii he had ever known. He watched him as his mother took him with her to go after her husband to the medical lab-and another being watched as well.

  Lucin watched the boy through Estall's eyes as the mother led him away. He walked over to examine the strike point of the lightning, while people milled about on the crater floor. The boy was more valuable than Tiet, he thought. To gain him as a host would mean the ability to conquer even the king.

  Lucin made his way quickly out of the crowd and onto his shuttle. It was time to get back to Baeth Periege and set a trap that would give him the boy.

  Mirah checked over her husband who was now conscious but slightly dazed.

  "I'm fine, I'm fine. Mirah, I'm okay," protested Tiet.

  "How many times have I told you not to
argue with the doctor?"

  Tiet gave up and allowed her to finish her examination.

  "Well, you do seem alright," she said finally.

  "I just can't believe Kale actually caused that strike. It's amazing!"

  "I don't think he sees it that way. Kale was terrified while you were unconscious. He thought he might have killed you."

  "Yes, but the fact that he could even have come up with it. That's great."

  When Tiet was dressed again after finishing the exam, he made his way with Mirah out to the waiting area where Wynn, Kale, Grod, his son Emil and Daooth were all anxious to see how he was doing.

  "Well, you appear well enough," said Wynn.

  Kale didn't look directly at him. He was ashamed of his actions and the danger he had put his father in.

  "It just took the wind out of me. I've been given a clean bill of health by the doc here," he said smiling at Mirah.

  Kale stepped to his father now, "Father I'm really very sorry for hurting you, it really was an accident…I didn't mean for it to strike so near, just to draw your attention and distract you."

  Tiet smiled full of parental pride. Then he looked back to Wynn.

  "Wynn, what do you think? What is your judgment of this candidate's performance in the trials-should he progress or regress for further training?"

  "I would most definitely recommend that this candidate progress to the status of Barudii Warrior," said Wynn with a delighted grin.

  Kale smiled noticeably from his downcast face and cast a gleeful look back to his friend Emil at his own father's side. Tiet laid his hand on Kale's shoulder.

  "Son, I'm very proud of you. Don't think you'll be perfect and never make a mistake. Mistakes are to be learned from; you'll always be my son and I'll never stop loving you."

  Kale grinned openly then hugged his father as hard as he could, which Tiet noticed was pretty hard. His boy was no longer a boy, at least not by Barudii standards; he was now setting out as a man.

  "Well, Mirah are you sure you still want to put up with Emil for a week?" asked Grod.