Plague of Tyrants

Chapter 4: To Kill a King

Chapter 4: To Kill a KingThe Outlander ship was gone. They decided to search by airship in the morning, since it was already deep into the night. They all went to bed uneasy. Mantuan suggested more guards at all the outer doors and windows of the palace. Brenddel and Tolan agreed. Brenddel would get a few hours' sleep and start out on the airship at first light. His airships could catch any watership, no matter how far a lead they had.

Loren had the bodies of the two men moved to the coldest part of the palace, where the dead would decay slower. Loren hoped he could use them for more study in the following days.

Two guards stood outside the entrance to the room of the king chairs, and Asa's room beyond. Gordon stayed with his mother in another part of the palace. Gordon had insisted Asa use the traditional king's chamber, since he'd used it longer. Plus, Gordon had only slept there one night.

The two heavy wooden doors stood barred, and the guards tried to stay alert deep into the night. As the guards stood with their back to the barred doors, they looked out the large window overlooking the Kingdom.

One guard said, “I need to go relieve myself.” but stopped when he heard a strange sound. Both guards kept both hands on their long weapons, muscles tight and ready for anything.

A long metal tube rolled out of the darkness. One guard bent to pick it up and it blew apart at his feet. Killing the two guards instantly, it also blew the doors to the room inward. One door was blown off its massive hinges and landed on one of the king chairs.

The older dead envoy moved quickly, removing the bits of cloth from inside his ears. He moved carefully through the chunks of wood scattered on the floor. Having committed the palace plans to memory, he went around the two king chairs, toward the king's chamber just behind.

There were guards along the curving hallways, but they were still covering their ears from the sound of the blast. With the smoke from the black powder filling the room, they couldn't see him coming, so the old man dispatched them quickly with his small, lethal knife. The guards barely registered movement before they all fell, dead.

In the King's chamber, the room was well lit by the moonlight streaming through the large window. The dead man could not see anyone in the king's bed, but the blankets were rumpled. He felt the still warm bedding. He spun around and felt the crack of the long wooden staff connect with his hand. His knife fell to the floor.

The dead man kicked Asa in the stomach before the King could block the blow with his staff. Asa went tumbling backwards. The old man took a fist across his cheek from someone new, landing next to the bed side table under the window. Asa's oldest brother Vance turned the gas lamp up on the wall. Another boy, Asa's youngest brother Devver stood next to Asa, helping him up. The room was brighter now, and they saw the old man reaching into his cloak. The dead man spotted the gas lamp on the table and turned it up. The flame jumped up the wick, brightening the room farther and threw strange shadows on his face.

The old man put his hand next to the flame and stood up, holding a black tube. A wick attached to the black pipe burned brightly as it got closer to the weapon.

“Pray to your Gods boy…!” The man held it above his head.

Asa's other brother Devver acted. The man was met with a foot to his chest before he could finish. and went tumbling backwards into the window. The window gave way and the man fell through, accompanied by broken shards of glass. When he was only a few feet out the window, the black pipe in his hand came apart. Exploding with a sound like thunder, it blew the glass of the remaining window into the King's room, showering the three boys with shards big and small.

The man's remains showered the courtyard below.

The boys were blown to the floor, their ears feeling the force of the explosion. They slowly got up as others rushed in. Their ears were ringing so badly; they could not hear any words. Mantuan and Brenddel shouted, “Are you hurt? Asa? Devver, Vance?”

Tolan came in with more guards, checking to see if any of the other guards on the floor had lived. All were dead. When Tolan reached the King's chamber and saw Brenddel carry King Asa to his large bed, he sent two guards to get Loren. Devver and Vance could hear a little better by then as they stood over their brother Asa.

Mantuan turned to the brothers, “Healers are on their way. Are you all right?”

Devver said, “I think I'm okay. Asa? How are you feeling?” They all had blood on them from several spots where fine glass had hit. Asa looked the least bloody, but he had his hands over his face.

Asa said, “I can hear you now. But, my eyes hurt.”

Vance tried to pry them away, to see if there was any damage, but Asa kept his hands tight.

“Asa…” said Vance gently, “Let me see.”

King Asa let his hands go, “Vance. I can't see anything. I… I think I'm blind.”

Brenddel wouldn't wait for Loren and took Asa into his arms. Rushing to the healing rooms was not easy. By this time, everyone in the palace was awake. When he finally got Asa into the healing rooms, Asa still had his hands over his eyes. Loren got to work.

Asa's brothers had small shards of glass that had to be removed, mostly from their arms since they held them up to protect their faces. The assistant healers worked on them as Loren finally got Asa to show his eyes. After washing them out repeatedly with special healing liquids, Asa could keep them open without pain.

But he still couldn't see.

“It's not as bad as it seems, my king,” said Loren, “There are no shards of glass in your eyes. If anything, only the outer layer of the eye was hurt. It will heal. I think the force of that explosion caused your eyes to go into a sort of defensive sleep. The blindness is only temporary. In time, your eyesight should return.”

The worst of the pain over, Asa offered, “I can wear patches like Mantuan for a while.”

The room laughed softly, despite the terrible attack. Asa's brothers, Mantuan, Brenddel, Aline, Gordon, and Ellice were all there.

Loren said, “That's very brave, my king. I think a healing cloth around your eyes for now, to let your eyes rest from any strain of trying to see.”

Asa asked, “Brenddel, can you send word to my family that…”

“Already done, my King. Tolan sent some men to tell them,” said Brenddel.

“I think we should tell only them,” said Mantuan, “We don't need the people thinking one of our kings is weakened.”

Asa said, “Maybe they will take pity on me, and stop calling me King Ass in some of the pamphlets.”

“That was only one pamphlet. Filled with lies and hateful words,” said Mantuan.

King Gordon asked, “Brenddel, please report. How bad was the palace hurt?”

“Six guards, my king. I will contact their families in the morning,” Brenddel turned to Loren, “How did this happen Loren? You said he was dead.” asked Brenddel, a little more sharply than he intended.

Loren replied, “I'm sorry. I failed you. That man was dead, I'm sure of it. His heart was not beating.”

Mantuan offered, “Well he's surely dead now. What's left of him fell to the King's courtyard.”

Loren said, “There are rare poisons that slow the heartbeat, even stop it for a short while. It may be that the old man stabbed the younger with the full force of poison and then he got a lesser dose, just putting him in a kind of sleep. I should have thought of that.”

Mantuan said, “I once saw a man saved from drowning in the sea. We didn't know he was saved until he woke up the next day at his funeral. What about this poison?”

“It's none I recognize. I will have to test it further. How did the man get around the palace? And what were those exploding pipes?” Loren asked.

Brenddel replied, “We don't know yet. Tolan searched him carefully. No one has had contact with the Outlands, it can't be a spy in the palace. Most of the men were guarding against people getting into the palace. We never considered an attack from inside. That was my failure, my two Kings.”

“I'm glad Gordon stays in my rooms on the other side of the palace.” Offered Ellice, feeling the need to be close to Gordon after their long separation.

“It's no one's fault. The man was dead, we all thought so. You couldn't have known Brenddel,” said Gordon, “What were those things he used?”

“We don't know that either,” Mantuan said, scratching at his patch, “I've never seen anything like it. I've seen oil explosions before, but this left some sort of black burn marks. It's a powerful weapon the Outlanders have.”

Gordon said, “Well, the other man isn't talking. We checked on him, he's still very dead.”

Vance said, “Good, then we can get some sleep after all. It was lucky you sent for us after your meeting with the Outlander envoys, Asa. I mean, my king. I still can't get used to that, little brother.”

“I didn't want to be alone after that strange meeting.” Asa said, trying not to rub his eyes.

Devver offered, “Of course it was my king brother that gave him a good whack to get him to drop the knife. Your training with the staff is improving.”

“Thanks, big brothers,” Asa said.

“It's just lucky we were up late playing king's dice,” said Devver.

Ellice shot him a disapproving glance.

He continued, “No money involved, my Queen, just for fun.”

“But why? Why would anyone from the Outlands go to this much trouble to hurt one of our kings?” asked Aline.

Mantuan said, “I have no idea. But we must find out. It's still too dark to search now.”

“No.” Said Brenddel firmly, “we need to leave right away. My men are already getting two airships ready. Mantuan and I will take the airships out and find the Outlanders.”

Gordon asked, “Are you sure? There have been two sightings of shadow fins in just the last week. You won't see them coming at night.”

“Forgive me for interrupting, my King, but it must be now. They tried to kill Asa.” said Brenddel.

Gordon said, “All right, if you must. Just be extra careful.”

Loren said, “And we'll keep watch over our kings here in the healing rooms. You can sleep in here boys.”

“Ugg,” complained Devver, “But the king bed is so much more comfortable. So soft, and it could fit the whole family.”

“Go ahead, if you want to sleep on blood and glass,” offered the oldest brother Vance.

Devver gave Vance a scowl. Asa smiled to himself, glad to have family close again, no matter what the reason.