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came down from her throne. Kwan had never been so close to her before. The
long centuries had rounded and softened her once perfect rys features, but she
still would have been beautiful if her soul had not been utterly wicked. The
ancient being assailed Kwan with such cold malice that he knew it had been
folly to attempt a simple escape. He would have to be a hundred times more
clever to elude this sorceress, who could hear a whisper across the city.
Jesse screamed as he writhed in increasing pain.
 Promise me you will serve in Jingten and his suffering will stop, Onja said.
Kwan looked at his poor squire but he hesitated to promise.
 You have forced me to extract this pledge from you. My proposal was fair and
generous but you spurned it. I can make all of your men suffer this way, Onja
warned.  Now promise to serve Jingten and serve well.
The torment of the squire increased and the horror of his cries shattered
Kwan s resistance.
 He will burn away before your eyes. I will cook him! Onja shrieked.
Kwan relented. He had to.  Yes, I promise. We will defend Jingten. We will
serve you, Queen Onja, he gasped.
Throwing up her hands, Onja ended her spell and the invisible fire left
Jesse s body. Free of the clutching paralysis, Kwan went instantly to the side
of his squire. Jesse had lapsed into shock from the torture, and Kwan lifted
his head into his arms. The fabric of the squire s pants had blackened from
the heat and Kwan dreaded to know what terrible mess
Onja had made of the boy s legs.
 Oh lad, I am so sorry, he murmured in Atrophaney. A helpless rage swelled
inside him, sickening his mind.
 Take heart, Kwan, Onja said.  The demonstration on the boy has spared all of
your men a worse fate. Furthermore, I will not hold today s insubordination
against you. I knew this lesson would be necessary. My original proposal
remains. Obey me and you will see your homeland again.
The self control Kwan exercised at the moment was perhaps the greatest act of
will in his life. The pride of his soul demanded he take his sword and lash
out at the Queen, who stood so nearby. He could see the softness of her blue
flesh that appeared so very mortal, but Kwan believed he could not win. He
knew his sword remained at his side only as a bitter temptation, an added
detail to aid in his torment. Onja left her victim armed because she was
completely in command. Her painful magic could defend her quicker than a
human s violent outburst.
Miserably Kwan held his poor squire who had been punished for his master s
decision. Attacking Onja would not help Jesse, and Kwan accepted that he had
to try and save the boy s life.
Satisfied that her new Atrophaney subject had been sufficiently enlightened on
his place in Jingten, Onja returned to her throne. She paused to enjoy the
scene of the devastated Lord General holding the innocent young man.
 Taf Ila, get them out of here, she ordered.
Relieved that he no longer had to stand by helplessly, Taf Ila eagerly
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complied. The rys soldiers, who had rushed the humans to face their cruel
Queen, now gently lifted the damaged squire who whimpered fitfully.
A wagon conveyed the grievously injured squire back to Kwan s new residence,
and Taf Ila summoned a physician. Awkwardly, Taf Ila tried to explain to Kwan
that the rys physician was a very successful healer, but
Kwan could not even look at Taf Ila. He could not look at any of the rys,
wishing he had never encountered the magical race. He could only look at the
feverish face of Jesse.
Upon Kwan s return to his lodging, the Atrophane were filled with both relief
and dismay. A dozen questions assailed the Lord General as rys carried Jesse
upstairs, but Kwan silenced them all with one harsh order.
Seeing Sandin slumped in a chair recovering from the sho dart, Kwan simply
instructed,  Lieutenant, keep this place quiet. Then he followed the rys up
to his room.
Kwan insisted the rys lay his squire on his own bed. The rys physician soon
arrived and began to tend the human. He coaxed a medicinal drink down the
squire s throat to help hydrate the burn victim and ease his pain. With tender
patience, the healer carefully removed the human s clothing, trying not to
pull away much of the devastated skin. Jesse s legs were badly burned,
scorched almost to ash in some places.
The wreckage of the blistered oozing legs gave Kwan a greater understanding of
Onja s methods. If Jesse survived and did not succumb to an infection, it
would take him all winter to heal. Until then the squire could not walk or
ride, and if Kwan wanted to consider another departure, he would have to
consider abandoning the boy.
Kwan turned away from the bed and slammed a fist into the wall repeatedly,
venting his terrible rage on the cracking plaster. Taf Ila grabbed Kwan by the
arm. The Lord General s gloved hand was probably already broken, but he sent
his other fist at Taf Ila in a blind fury.
Taf Ila blocked the blow and shouted,  The physician has enough to do.
Kwan relaxed slightly, but he rationally considered attacking Taf Ila anyway.
 I am not your enemy, Taf Ila insisted.
 You are Onja s lackey! Kwan shouted in Atrophaney.
Even without a translation the rys captain guessed the nature of the
human s outburst. He knew what he was. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]